Monday 25th June: Central St Martins degree show TWO / NOVA Awards = BA Fashion Knitwear

Over the last few days of the Central Saint Martin's graduate shows, I have been profiling the students selected for their innovation as part of the MullenLowe Group NOVA awards.  The initiative is now in its eighth year having been set up to credit these exceptional students for their ingenuity.  The title "NOVA" denoting INNOVATION.  Here is Paolina Russo from BA Fashion Knitwear who is one of the final shortlist of 14 designers from the 1,300 graduating students!  It's clear to see why she has made it into this prestigious scheme for recognition to exceptional quality of work and vision.

I have been talking to one of the judges who described Paolina's work as "Alaïa on Acid" for her trippy lenticular knits.  You can see in the sample she is holding (above) how she has created an optical illusion within the channels of her textile design.  In addition to these precision techniques from her knitwear specialism she also used crochet to meticulously piece together sneakers to construct patchwork garments.  Look at the detail of this bodice where she has tessellated the leather uppers and hand-sewn them in place before then fusing them with her multicolour crochet stitch-work.  The exhibition gave me the chance to look at these finishings with close inspection to really appreciate the time and craft that has gone into each element.  

Her final collection ‘A Love Letter to My Hometown’ was born from her teenage boredom in the suburbs. However, her hopes and dreams have been realised since an apprenticeship at Margiela and shadowing stylists from the industry.  This was evident in the clear and unique aesthetic of her art-direction from the shoot of her look-book to the live presentations. I was lucky enough to see the runway show and witness the lenticular knits in action.  I'll be uploading those clips to Instagram so head over there to see the full glory of the magic in the material.  Also keep an eye on my Instagram stories during the week where I'll be sharing clips from the work of all fourteen finalists for you to then vote for your favourite.  You have a week to cast you vote - final day to have your say is next Monday 2nd July.

Wednesday 14th June: RCA Fashion Show 2017 - highlights

Zahra Sooty Hosseini

Matthew Duffy

Seunghee Lim

Christine Kinson

Rose Frances Danford-Philips

Charlotte Marie McDonald

Bianca Saunders

Matija Cop

Ellie Rousseau ft. Leo Carlton headwear

Xintong Wang

Han Kim

RCA Fashion Show 2017 - here are highlights from different designers across the womenswear, menswear and knitwear MA which demonstrated amazing innovation and technology for the future stars!  

See Bianca Saunders fashion film with Akinola Davies "Personal Politics" on the 15th and 16th June at the Ace Hotel.

Thursday 5th May: "MISSONI Art Colour" at Fashion and Textile Museum, Part 2....... Roots

When you enter "MISSONI Art Colour" at the Fashion and Textile Museum, you first encounter a gallery of the family's inspiration in the form of Futurist & Constructivist paintings.  I was not expecting this from a textile show so I was immediately amazed from the very first step in.  The walls are hung with original 1930's avant-garde canvases including one by my absolute favourite artist Sonia Delaunay.  If you buy the book that accompany's the display there are pages and pages of other key works from their vaults including Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Josef Albers etc. ..... as the text explains "the rhythmic composition of shapes and colours used with purity, a language that the Missoni's translate and rework in the central motifs of their creative process".......

(Top to bottom: Fortunato Depero's Composizione, Date unkown,  Atanasio Soldati's Ambiguta Composizione, 1951.  Nino Di Salvatore's Struttura Spaziale In Tensione, 1952. Emilio Vedova's L'urto, 1949-50, Gianni Monnet's Costruzione, 1946)

Fashion and Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XF

6 May – 4 September 2016 

Thursday 5th May: "MISSONI Art Colour" at Fashion and Textile Museum, Part 3

After getting giddy from gushing over the abstract-art of the first room, you enter the main event space dripping in a retrospective of Missoni's delicate collections.  Each mannequin has a composition of patterned pieces that are all separate identities in their own right but come together as one complete identifiable aesthetic.  Tapestries line the walls as a backdrop palette of yet more knitwear technique and ingenuity.  Fragments of samples and sketchbook experiments are all on show to give further insight into the origins of the signature stripes.  Its explained perfectly in a quote by Luca Missoni:

"I would like to describe visually the fascination of a creative process that leads to the physical transformation of material.  It s the mystique of colour taking shape.  There is experimentation, the repetitive process of infinite research, the obsession that builds experience.  It is the art of creating a fabric."     

 Fashion and Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XF

6 May – 4 September 2016