GFW//App

With GFW in just TWO days time the GFW app has been released!

The app has everything from news, an image gallery, a shows and events page, a jobs page, mentoring advice and a page about universities. It's the perfect compliment for fashion week especially to make sure you know all about what was going on.

What I love is that how the app has a news and gallery page, the main two things which will be updated during GFW! I can't wait to see how much it changes during GFW and everything that comes out of the shows!

You all need to get this app before Sunday! Hopefully everyone has their tickets and tickets for the talks too and see everyone there!

Blumenfeld Studio//Somerset House

So Thursday I went to see the Blumenfeld Studio exhibition at Somerset House, seeing other exhibitions there I knew there would some really nice strong imagery. I really enjoyed seeing the exhibition, Blumenfeld has had such a strong and diverse career and his work is something really special. 

What I love about Blumenfeld's work is just how he plays with imagery, colour and distortion. He's someone I'd have to consider an inspiration and he's shot so many of my favourite covershots. Including the picture above for Vogue US from March 1945, which is probably one of my favourite photographs of all time! 

What I loved about the exhibition was how it show how Blumenfeld's work really developed, his work to me really stands out as photographs which are timeless, if I saw them today I'd still think they worked and were still as beautiful. There are so many elements of his work I love, especially how he works with layering images and the colours of images. He really has a special way of working with textures and light which stand out to me too. 

After seeing the exhibition I really do realise how much of an inspiration Blumenfeld is, his work is so beautiful and so classic. The exhibition is totally worth a visit, especially since it shows the final images but also other unseen images from the same shoots. The exhibition really highlights how strong a career he had and how great a collection of imagery he built up over his career 

Louis Vuitton // Hatsune Miku

I've talked about it before because its one of my favourite things when it happens and it's happened again. Fashion and technology coming together this time in a very different way. Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs have done a collaboration with surprisingly Hatsune Miku. If you don't know who Hatsune Miku is, she's basically a completely computerised popstar/vocaloid star.

Firstly I think the whole idea of vocaloid is crazy yet wonderful, almost so futuristic it's too much but as you'd have an artist who has costumes and clothes designed for them and their shows why not the same with a vocaloid star? She performs live by animated projection, sells out stadiums when she does and is considered a cyber celebrity. 

Opening in Paris in November The End is a massive opera in which Hatsune collaborates with Marc and LV on her stage costumes based on their SS 13 collections. For people attending the shows they get the chance to see the digital outfits in real life too and LV have also released sketches of the clothes.

Personally this is something I love as an idea, more so for the idea of the technology involved, if this can be done then why not change how we use technology to promote fashion. What if we were to have more virtual fashion shows, you'd still be able to see how something fit onto a body.

 Have Louis Vuitton crossed a new line which might lead to something brilliant in the future?

GFW // Pop Up

Things have been so manic recently with all of my uni work but today we sent our magazine off to print, so thats something to look forward to seeing!

Anyway amongst all of this I wanted to talk about, with only nine days now until the start of Graduate Fashion Week! It's come on us so quickly but it's also so exciting, I checked the tickets and the Ravensbourne show has sold out, which is brilliant.

I also wanted to talk about some of the GFW schedulue and things which are happening with GFW! Firstly, there's going to be a pop up shop for students who want to sell work, students have been offered the chance to be a part of this. I think this is a brilliant idea to, it gives the students a really nice way to get their names out there and be promoted! Hopefully some Ravensbourne students will be in there!

The tickets for the shows are selling out fast and the tickets for talks are all fully booked so it should be an amazing event and time for fashion! Good luck to anyone showing and hope people who're attending are impressed!

Hermés // Festival Des Métiers

So yesterday Monday 21st saw the opening of the Hermés Festival Des Métiers at the Saatchi Gallery. From 21st to 27th of May Hermés have 'set up shot' at the Saatchi, coming to London with various craftspeople, which I thought was a brilliant idea!

Described as 'a rendez-vous with the Hermés craftspeople' it really was such a different and interesting experience. Walking around the different craftspeoples stations with specialities which included various jobs from screen printers to jewellers, it had it all. Personally I loved seeing all of these people show off their specialist skills highlighting what they're brilliant at, I think it's great for Hermés to show off their workforce and their skills.  

 It's great for Hermés to come and bring this to London, not only for them but for everyone else to have an insight into their world of luxury, while I arrived just after half four it was still booming so clearly something that people want to see! There was so many interesting parts to the festival and people asking questions all over, something I really liked too really allowing the public to really grasp and understand these job roles.

 It really helped to think about the time and effort that went into a piece, one lady who's job consisted of painting porcelain explained that it was only physically possible to make 150 pieces a year purely because of the process. Seeing all of these Hermés experts work highlights exactly what you'd expect from the brand, quality over quantity and I love that. 

 Possibly my favourite and highlight of the demos was deffinitely the silk printing, showing how they produce Hermés silk scarves. I already knew all about screen printing which also helped me understand how difficult a task it is, to be done well and to the level they do is incredible. I was in awe watching them perfectly recreate and print colour after colour, watching impressed as ever. There was also a demo looking at the process which is used to create a screen too, which with some prints means they need over 40 screens!

The whole thing for me really was something different and wonderful! Totally refreshing and special, I'll remember it and hopefully people might also follow in pursuit of Hermés and give us an insight into their craft too. Hermés are such a famous name and from the festival I can see why, it highlighted exactly why they're proud of their brand, crafts and products. 

On until the 27th with free admission its totally something worth seeing! 

Karen Walker//Advanced Style

So if you've not heard of advanced style, where have you been? 

Finding this video which has been on YouTube for nearly two years this July really highlights the beauty of Advanced Style, which has slowly become one of my favourite blogs!

So being the wonderful crazy and beautiful idea it is Karen Walker has approached the Advanced Style women getting them to model for her latest spring 2013 Forever Campaign. 

Staring Ilona Royce Smithkin, Joyce Carpati, Linda Rodin and Lynn Dell I think this has to be one of my favourite campaigns I've seen in a long time. Using older women who still are interested in fashion, who know about designers and care about style whilst pushing boundaries, it's brilliant. I think there's something so special about the fact older women are expected to give up with style and these women just break that idea. Hopefully one day I'll end up in a similar position!

You can find the Advanced Style blog //HERE// which is totally worth checking out! 

Model//Mayhem

Just a tiny post, just putting together a model mayhem, trying to gain more portfolio work and do a little bit more collabrative stuff because I really enjoyed Saturday's shoot! 

// L I N K //

Here's the link so incase anybody wants to find my work and just check it out! 

Hipster//Sexism

Something we're used to seeing constantly is women being seen as sexual objects but with the new rise of certain ad campaigns and photographers, has it almost been accepted?

For example, take American Apparel who constantly bring out images of women as sexual objects, rather than having respect for them. I think firstly these adverts are awful and secondly if you're trying to appeal to such a young audience as American Apparel do why promote this? Do we want to teach youth that it's alright to look at women in this way, we wonder why there are so many people who think about rape with the view 'your outfit says you were asking for it'.

I understand the need to be risque and controversial but this is a step to far, creating an ad like this once and it being deemed with such negative issues should clearly make you change your stance when creating ads surely?

Another mention goes to Terry Richardson whos also created this idea of hipster sexism, I honestly think that people who are so youth orientated really need to think about the messages they send across with the photos/ads they're putting out there. For example Terry Richardson being someone who has worked with everyone from Beyoncé to Lady Gaga, all the huge influential names should he really be releasing photographs of women in next to no clothing.

Without even thinking about how this affects the children, just in general he seems to be somebody who continously shoots women in either a sexual way or extremely provactive. Which isn't to disregard his work as a photographer there are pieces I've seen and loved. 

Like this image, I don't understand why he feels the need to create such images and also why people are so accepting of it? Do we really care so little about women that we're willing to see them treated like this all in the name of 'fashion' or 'style'. Is it not sending women's rights back years? 

Print // New Luxury

After this weeks talk with Alexandra Shulman I've been thinking a lot about print, especially because of my uni project to create a magazine and because it's an area i'd like to work in. An issue I keep seeing being brought up is all around print and the internet.

People keep discussing the idea of print being dead because of the internet, news is given out so faster and content shared so easily. Personally I don't want print to die, it's brilliant and I'm constantly hearing print being described as the new luxury, which I love and agree with. 

I love the idea of a magazine becoming a treasure, something to be loved and cherished. Maybe the market may not be as strong as it normally is but also maybe it helps highlight peoples devoted target audiences. People actually don't want magazines to die out and they love print, they want to keep them and adore them. Maybe the market really is oversaturated but ideally does that not meant there is possibly a magazine for everbody?

We talk about diversity, don't magazines and print deliver these best? Peoples different stances and opinions on fashion, their creative ideals and ideas. Their mark and point on fashion, if magazines were to die out then where would this remain? 

18-05-13 // Photoshoot

Just uploading a few pictures from today, a little collaboration work with some friends. 

I really want to work on my photography skills and build up more of a portfolio, so this was the perfect opportunity to do work. I really enjoyed this shoot, hopefully I'll get more of a chance to do some work like this soon!

Photography // Nathan Henry 

Styling // Tegan Robertson

MUA& Hair Stylist // Adam Just 

Model // Becky Ryan  

Versace Versus // JW Anderson

Versace relauched their Versus line on Wednesday in New York, presenting their first collection with JW Anderson. For me I think it's something interesting to see them working with JW Anderson, I think working with such a young fresh designer is exactly what they need. 

I think the whole collection looks really interesting, with varying colours and patters and different uses of shape too. Something really interesting I think is Jonathan's idea and use of unisex which seems to flow through his work. I think presenting menswear with dresses is something really innovative and different, honestly having such a young fresh designer on board is brilliant for Versache.

I've talked about it before but I think there's something about younger designers that even older desingers can learn, they know more about current events and honestly I think they take more risks. I think they're less concerned about money as a driving force and want to put their mark out their instead. 

Personally I love the idea of men wearing crop tops showing of shoulders and hip bones, I think if women are allowed to do it why shouldn't men and vice versa. I think Jonathan is really innovative to play around with this concept, really almost tackling equality by just forgetting its an issue. To me this collection seems really interesting, to contain so much black and white and yet still appear the way it does is something to be admired.

As I said about working with a young desginer will help look at a more youth focus, the Versus party also had performances by acts like Grimes and Angel Haze. Firstly their H&M collab and now projects like this, I think Versace are really trying to appeal to youth and get them on board with their branding and really appeal to them.

Anyway I love this collection and I can't wait to see more from it and also JW Anderson. Something else to think about is the fact the collection went online almost imediately, is this something new to expect now to tackle fast fashion, rather than waiting we can get it instantly? I've seen a lot of people discuss this recently and it might be interesting to see how it works.

British Vogue // Alexandra Shulman Talk

So yesterday we were lucky enough to have Alexandra Shulan, Editor of British Vogue come to Ravensbourne to have a talk about Vogue.

Firslty, it was such a interesting talk and also an honour to have her come to uni. She talked about so many things and wanting to possible follow into a career like hers I was so glad to hear her talk about her work.

During the talk she taked about some really interesting things British Vogue had done, also touching on various obvious points I hadn't thought about. When talking about cover imagery she added that the cover must be the most comerical thing in the whole magazine, it's never really been something I've thought about. To sell the magazine it's really important to have that comercial cover to speak to everyone and really draw in sales. 

She also talked about the success of the December 1999 cover, which I found interesting, really looking at how special collectors editions can really help boost sales, press and interest. I really love the concept of this Vogue cover really speaking out to the customer, making them the cover star. It's genius.

I also enjoyed the other topics she covered: the Vogue Festival, Digital vs Print content, Vogue as a platform for talent and British fashion at the current. 

I think one of the main issues that I really thought about from the talk was almost the power a magazine can have, Alexandra talked about Vogue being respected because it has authority because of its longevity. I think this is such an interesting and true idea, Vogue stands as the main authority of fashion news and content not to say it is the only thing you should read and follow. I think the Vogue festival is a really interesting concept too especially since fashion is ever growing as a topic of entertainment.

The talk really was a pleasure, for me being a student wanting to head into the fashion industry having someone in such a highly regarded position and of such authority come and deliver a talk is amazing. It's inspiring to see the people that make me want to work in the industry and I love the fact that Alexandra doesn't regard print as a dead medium, something we both seem to agree on!

Punk//Chaos to Couture

With all the focus around the Met Gala and their Punk Chaos to Couture exhibition I wanted to highlight something I found really interesting about it all. 

I saw this picture circulating around the internet of Grace Coddington being interview about the night, her reply being: 

"Well I'd Like to see some real punks in here, some real street punks. But I doubt they were invited." 

In all honesty, the woman has a point. Now excuse me for being someone to dampen the mood but personally I don't see how Kim Kardashian attending is remotely punk in the slightiest. It's almost insulting. Kim Kardashian is probably the opposite of punk, again not to attack her but I felt this with most people who attended and dressed up with to the 'punk theme'. 

Don't get me wrong I love the idea of it all but is it really okay to imply that punk is just a costume, rather than a culture? 

So compare the difference between real punk shot by Steve Johnston in 1978 to Katy Perry and Madonna today in 2013, I think it's almost so far removed is it really punk? I mean certain outfits have been deemed questionable and the fact they still were worn to the Gala has been described as acting 'pretty punk' but in all honesty, get a grip. I think there's more to punk that just the style and some people really did look amazing and I think yeah that outfit is punk. But it's also more than that they pull it off because they feel it, rather than dressing and looking out of place. 

Anja Rubik and Miley Cyrus are two people who personally I think look amazing, Anja in Anthony Vaccarello looks amazing and Miley in Marc Jacobs. These two both managed to capture the essence of punk rather than just using it as a costume. Especially with Miley and her Disney upbringing it's like two different people. 

I really think that the who affair just ironically really isn't very punk. Like Grace said, she doubts any real/street punks were invited, which is probably be a good thing because they'd most likely be offended. I do think it's a good thing that punk influences luxury brands and designers, I think it's great to see designers using youth and subcultures as something to be respected rather than ignored.

But I think getting various A-Listers to dress up to a 'punk theme' can just misses the whole idea of punk. I think you could almost call it ignorant, I know it goes hand in hand with their exhibition but then still is the respect there or was it just seen as a theme?

Small Galleries//Benefit

So as part of my group project, which is to create a magazine we're looking at doing a piece on smaller galleries around London.

I've been slowly visiting a few including:

// Large Glass //

392 Caledonian Road London N1 1DN

// Website //

//The Crypt Gallery//

St Pancras Church, Euston Rd, London NW1 2BA

// Website //

I've still got a few more to see but as I've been viewing these exhibitions and galleries I've had a few questions to think about.

What is the benefit of these small galleries?

It can't be money, so then what? Is it that the smaller galleries possibly care more about art looking to display works even at a small cost. I was talking about this idea to some artists who'd presented work at the Crypt Gallery and they'd said it hadn't really cost them at all. So is it more that the work being exhibited, gaining it press, gaining the artists press, do the smaller galleries have this more in mind?

I think personally smaller galleries are brilliant I mean the Tate or V&A are great if they're presenting something you really want to see but most of the time they're really tourist based. I've seen various exhibitions at both including David Bowie Is and Yayoi Kusama and I'm not saying both weren't brilliant and excellently curated. But there's something else to these smaller venues.

The Cyrpt will most likely become a regular favourite now I've been, generally because they've started with a building with character and history rather than some collection of purpose built white walls. I'ts punk in a sense of wanting to break away from that and I think it's brilliant. 

I think something I really want to look out for is smaller art groups and exhibitions, especially not just in London only, I think they're so much more interesting than the majority of work around in big galleries.

Philip Treacy // Fascinator

For a photoshoot for our magazine project we're really starting to think about the idea of doing a photoshoot based around headpieces, after looking at the idea of Baz Lurhmann's women it's been given a renaissance feel to it too, as I was reading I found this // Article // all about Phillip Treacy declaring that fascinators are dead. 

As we know the genius that is Phillip Treacy has brought hats into the public eye time and time again designing headwear for everyone. He talks about how cheap production killed the fascinator and really moved it away from being a piece of millinery genius, so maybe this is something to think about when we do our shoot. Maybe try and think about the return of real hats, grand hats.

Personally I think I have to agree with him, to me I think headwear can really add to a general look and improve on it especially on a catwalk, helping raise pieces and clothing to another level. Plus with their importance in costume and with their links to class and class dressing I really do see his point, but again is this just not the same for every part of fashion now?

We all want what we deem as glamourous and we want it cheap. I mean look at clothing in Primark you can get basic clothing for so cheaply you have to think about how much money the people making these garments get? I think millinery is something we don't see enough of and from seeing various pieces of Phillip Treacy's work at various exhibitions I have to agree that "...now they are no more than headbands with a feather stuck on with a glue gun" 

 I think with Ascot looking to tackle their dress codes in 2012 with more enforcement on headwear really adds to the idea of fascinators are considered unfashionable and have been so overdun they're now just a total faux pas. It's really clear that what everyone is dying to see is something to do with hats, proper hats styled to add to an outfit rather.

I think all of this is going to be something really interesting to think about when doing our photoshoot, with regards to styling choices and also shooting. Do we aim more concentration to the hats or do we have a mix of beauty, focus of the hats and also focus on the outfits?

Graduate//Fashion Week

So something to look forward to is graduate fashion week!

With less than a month until graduate fashion week now we've got something to look forward to from 2nd - 5th June there's going to universities from all over the UK presenting their degree shows. 

Heres the line up for whats happening:

Sunday 2nd June - Bournemouth, UCLAN, Edinburgh, Northumbria, Northbrook & Wiltshire College Salisbury and Istituo Marangoni London.

Monday 3rd June - Liverpool John Moores, UCA Rochester, Ravensbourne, Nottingham Trent, De Montfort Contour (Swimwear & Intimate Apparel), UCA Epsom.

Tuesday 4th June - East London, Bath Spa & Northampton, De Montfort, Birmingham, Manchester School of Art, Salford, Kingston. 

Wednesday 5th June - Best of GFW, GFW Gala and Awards Show.

Personally I'm most excited to see Ravensbournes show, obviously im bias but I think we're heading to actually going and see it after this projects hand in which is exciting! 

I can't wait to see what comes out of graduate fashion week none the less, there's something to me which I prefer about graduate shows. I think it's the fact that rather than working with just money as their target like most brands they're working to show their art, their creative flare. I think it really allows them to be more conceptual and take more risks than most designers do, this is something which I hate about design now it just seems to be based on money.

But ANYWAY away from that rant if anyone wants to check out any information for GFW then 

// CLICK HERE //