Hands that make shoes

HEY

Memba that time I learned how to make shoes??

That was awesome.


http://icanmakeshoes.com/student-gallery

stamp dress

Shoes I made

Yeah, that's right, MADE.

Not sure if the photos will work from my iPad... But here you go!

Was going for kronkrons meet irregular choice meet Marie Antoinette meets a wedding cake.

Red Plaits

In uni we were given 3m of red fabric and told to play. The first thing I did was cut it into strips.

Yellow

Photos from a walk I took yesterday.

Bright yellow to perk up the day!! Love it with my fluffy dusty pink jacket.

Best dressed at Goodwood

Some of my work!! Yvette designed and I made this beauty ages ago, and Francesca Cumani won best dressed in it at Goodwood racecourse. 

Blogger is having a bit of a spaz with pictures at the moment, and because I changed laptops there isn't much I can do about it which is a pain.

Next week I am down in London to go for a conference and while I'm there I'm taking a course on how to make SHOES! from scratch!!! too excited for this, which is resulting in lots of sketchbooking for it. Also it means I will be in London for Halloween, and you would be a fool not to make the most of that, so have loads of outfit planning to do!

Fun.

xoxo 

Lady Gaga and Surrealism

Just showing how the Lady of Gaga got hit up by Dali, Shiaparelli and Oppenheim

Skeletal designs by Elsa Schiaparelli; Lady Gaga performing; Elsa Schiaparelli's back view; Lady Gaga in her music video for bad romance OPPOSITE PAGE (clockwise from top right) Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dali shoe design inspires Gaga's cubist telephone creations; Carrying a teacup as an accessory is inspired by Meret Oppenheim's "Luncheon en Fur"; Dali paintings like "the temptation of Saint Anthony" inspired this bizarre performance; Dali's Telephone inspires Phillip Treacy's Lobster Glasses.

Body image

I know I have pink hair, but I don't really think it's the future of fashion.

Man Ray and Fashion

Surrealism and Fashion

Furthering my exploration of the ways that Art inspired Fashion, I decided to have a closer look at the relationship between Surrealism and Fashion. What became immediately apparent was that I would not be looking for ways in which they were similar, but rather ways in which they weren't. Indeed, the two were so closely linked that artists such as Man Ray and Giorgio de Chichiro (of the Italian Metaphysical school) were doing work with Vogue.[1] Indeed, a brief description of an edition of Vogue from the time seems to imply that no page is without the influence of surrealism.

Schiaparelli was one of the most influential surrealism-inspired designers, often collaborating on certain projects with the surrealist greats (e.g. the Mutton Chop Hat, the High Heel hat and the Inkwell hat), but failed to be taken seriously as a designer because her creations were so absurdist. Like the surrealists, Schiaparelli used humour in her clothes to jolt her viewers, encouraging them to look again and re-consider.

                Schiaparelli is often dismissed as merely a clever designer

who adopted, or even exploited the ideas of the Surrealists in her work, taking

their lead.  Art historian Dickran Tashjian claims that ―Schiaparelli‘s

contribution lay mainly in transposing Dalí‘s Surrealist ideas to clothing,[2]

yet I argue that Schiaparelli‘s work goes beyond mere appropriation, and is

deeply engaged with Surrealism.  The importance of Schiaparelli‘s work in the

art world has been largely ignored and covered over.  She was not a follower of

the Surrealists, but was their contemporary, part of their circle[3]

It is important that we recognise when Art is leading Fashion and when there is a dialogue between them, as is the case with Elsa Schiaparelli and Dali and between Picasso and Coco Chanel.

Pehaps one of the reasons Surrealism and Fashion became so closely linked was that at the beginning of the 20th century they were both struggling to find a balance that allowed them to be commercial, without being commercially lead. The problems of making something high end and one of a kind was that they could be copied and mass produced, bringing the value of the original far down. Fashion designers uses labels while  artists sign their works- in essence these are very similar processes. Equally, in the interest of commercialism, Art borrowed from fashion the idea of creating magazines which sell their product. 

---

[1] Victoria Rose, "Strange Glamour; Fashion and Surrealism in the years between the World Wars", Chapter 1 https://urresearch.rochester.edu/institutionalPublicationPublicView.action?institutionalItemVersionId=14396

[2] Dickran Tashjian, A Boatload of Madmen : Surrealism and the American Avant-Garde, 1920-1950

(New York: Thames and Hudson, 1995), 84

[3] Victoria Rose, "Strange Glamour; Fashion and Surrealism in the years between the World Wars", Chapter 1

Picasso and Fashion

Sketchbook about Picasso and his relationship with Chanel

Jesus

A thought to start your Wednesday.

Surrealism

New sketchbook page

A brief introduction to Surrealism

Flowers from a boy!!

Beautiful flowers for my birthday from my lovely boy.

Ascot (revisited)

Found this photo of me at ascot.

The history of the Poster (in a poster)

Hey there cowgirls, it's sketchbook time again!!! Yee Ha.

Horror

What are you afraid of? To the point where you don't go silly and girly- you just want to shrivel up and die even thinking about it?

What I appear to have unwittingly established here is that victims are blonde and villains are brunette.

Graduate Videos.

Hey,

A video that makes me MAD proud to go to uni where I do.....

http://vimeo.com/46358479

Some of my Mentor's work is in here and it's obviously the best. So that's cool.

So busy with work right now but loving it none the less.

Mondrian and Fashion

Back by popular demand...my sketchbook!!

We are researching how fashion designers influence fashion.
You're welcome.

Pommery Brown

3 birds one stone- wanted to draw the beautiful puppy Pommery, wanted to think about logo designs for the menswear range at Yvette Jelfs AND Pickle, the lovable 5 year old, wanted to play.

Was playing for about 2 hours and only got one drawing done, because I spent most of my time cutting things out for Pickle.

Freestyle Moustache

4 days ago, more that 200 people entered the annual Brittish Beard and Moustache Competition.

In homage to these brave and hairy men, I thought I would share a page from my sketchbook.

And a BRILLIANT idea for a hat...

Washed out

It turns out that pink hair is a pain to KEEP pink. The dye I have right now is supposed to last 20-30 washes but on my super blonde virgin hair, it's lasted about 2-3. So if you are thinking about pinking up your hair- I would A) avoid stargazer pink hair dye and B) if you must use it, keep it in for the full 40 mins. I considered doing it for less which would have been a disaster!!

Tomorrow I am going in search of a different brand. My family hate it so will be very pleased it's all but washed out.

Drawings

The Gay Men Project

I mentioned that I went to gay pride right?

Well....

http://thegaymenproject.com/#jp-carousel-903

I got featured by this guy who is an absolutely brilliant, interesting man.

check it (read, me) out!!

Pink Hair

I've wanted to dye my hair for YEARS. When I was at school I wasn't allowed and then for the last year people have been saying "don't do that, you have beautiful blonde hair". Also I figured I wasn't bad -ass enough for pink hair. Also I figured in years when I have kids and they look back at photos of when I was young they will mock it. And then I wouldn't be able to tell them to be sensible.

Then I remembered, I want pink hair.

So I did it.

Where even is Belize?

Well wherever they are they have some sexy hats.

This is their outfit for the Olympic opening ceremony, and Yvette and I made the hats! 

Olympic Pride

Just a little something from work...

Should get loaded soon on http://bagservant.co.uk

London Eye Love you

YOLO

(only found out what that means earlier today so have been totes over using it!)

outfit post from the LONDON EYE. I am completely obsessed with London, I never ever want to leave. Am working on it, don't you worry!

Hat Christmas

This is the Yvette Jelfs team on our day out at Ascot! Was a lovely day of watching people in fantastic hats and of course the horses at the peak of their racing career. Was also the first time i've ever seen the Queen fo'real.

Flower Power

A beautiful Fascinator from Yvette Jelfs

Pink

Face by Paul Compton
Make-up by Ailsa
Photo by Ailsa

Lesbunny

Photos

Ashley Barry is a make-up artist who has been using my face..

Red Draw

One of the most beautiful things about our workroom..

V&A

Because I am living in London I am trying to squeeze as much into one day as possible. But the V&A deserves a day all by itself. The exhibition on modern British design made me really happy. Lots of beautiful stuff, but more importantly perhaps, leather mustache key rings.

I know. You wish you could be this hot.

xxx

Sunny Sunny London

The sun has come out finally, and is beginning to promise a beautiful season! Shame I am working on the winter hats.



This is one of my favorite shapes we are doing for winter, I love the colour! It's like a marshmallow for your head.

You can leave your hat on...

“when worn correctly, a hat is like lingerie for the face” – Stephen Jones

Lots of news!

Last week I moved down to LONDON -oh yes, feel free to freak out and do a little dance, but save some energy because it gets better.

I am spending the next 5 months working for Yvette Jelfs, who is a major milliner. I am absolutely loving my time here, enjoying all the museums and the exhibitions – if you are around then please please go visit the British design exhibition in the V&A. I am also getting really into wearing hats- and will endeavour to take some photos so that I can show you soon.

In the mean time- enjoy this little beauty which I made bespoke for a client who is pretty damn awesome. The bird is real- shot and eaten by Yvette herself, and sewn by moi! Modelled by Bethany, who works with me in our girl-cave.