I spend half my life raging at flowers. Proper rage, ruing them, cursing the petal-y feckers and all their petals and funny shapes that often makes drawing them a pain in the kaboose. Luckily, they have a certain magic that keeps me from wanting to vomit all over them when I’m not doing textiles. Good work, flower magic. Good work flowers, being all petal-y and pretty. There was a discussion in the studio recently about favourites and I mentioned peonies as a forerunner for best one. They were deemed “fashion” flowers, in the way girls are deemed “fashion” – the “bitch” is silent, like the k in know. And the w, actually, now that I think about it…Anyway, bite me, they are gorgeous. And while we’re at it, if we’re talking fashion flowers, eh, like, everyone knows that chrysanthemums are the it flower for SS13, as seen all over Gucci and just about everywhere else. Pssssshhhhhhh.
Also, there are no real losers in this game. Flowers are pretty. End of.
While I’ve been very bad at blogging for quite some time now I’ve been pretty productive elsewhere in my life. Here’s one of the moodboards I’ve been working from in the studio. Check, plaid, tartan. Whatever you wanna call it. It’s not newsworthy that grunge is back - even Look magazine is all over that shit. It is also arguable that plaid is not, in fact, back because it never really went away…it’s just more that it has been promoted…While print is having a maximal moment, a plaid is a simpler more minimal way of doing it. Loud without being fussy. This season’s plaids are in fresh new colours, as well as referencing classic 90′s styles. What I like about plaid for Spring Summer 2013 is the combinations of print and textures, á la Dries with the florals and the mettalics. Or Richard Chai Love with the washed out, painterly thing. And if all else fails, just throw on a mini kilt and matching jacket and look like a total Betty, as per Cher in Clueless. Way cool.
Dragons are the new tigers. If you don’t believe me, I refer you to Dries Van Noten’s AW12/13 collection. If you still don’t believe me, well, fine. But I’m telling you. Dragons rule.
These guys are dudes. They all like music and clothes and stuff. And they’re cool as f**k. Dudes.
BB King. He’s a dude.
Wayne & Garth. They’re dudes.
Muddy Waters. He really is the dude.
The Rolling Stones. They’re total dudes.
These guys are dudes. And it’s totally excellent news that Bill & Ted are coming back for another adventure. Will it be excellent? Will it be bogus? Who knows. But Keanu’s always been fine in my book.
Back in February I spent all the money I had on a flight to Bali. It was equal parts inspired and insane behaviour. Sadly, the too-poor-to-eat thing didn’t give me the awesome beach bod I was hoping for, because food that is bad for you is cheaper for you than food that is good for you. But that is a debate for another place (Channel 4 have a good series of documentaries if you are interested). Anyway, me and my not-even-nearly beach ready bod went to Bali and surfed, snorkled and generally acted the maggot. I went fishing at sunset and dived off boats. I absorbed the overwhelming culture, which was Aussie bogan style, and came home thinking it was perfectly acceptable to wear an oversize tie dye tee, leopard maxi, trucker hat and flip flops as a legitimate outfit. :/ Well when the place looks like this, who gives a shit about clothes…
Ps. I accidentally threw out a roll of film with all my favourite places on it. EPIC fail. Thank feic for my iphone….
Did I mention that I love my job? I love my job. That’s one of the most annoying things that people can say, ever. Sorry. To make up for my job smugness, here is some inspiration I have been working from recently. You’ll see why I am a smug cow.
I am having a cowboy moment, so what better to compliment it than a Navajo brief? Love the embroidery and hand stitching and beading on the garments, as well as the vibrant colours mixed with siennas and earthy browns. Festival wear sorted. Well, it would be if I wasn’t such a boring old fart not going to any festivals this year. Sob.
I think I’m going to get a feathered headdress and wear it around my house instead. Not weird at all, right?!
Paris really needs to do everyone a favour and stop being such a beautiful, inspiring place; otherwise people are just going to keep on taking dodgy, arty farty pictures all over the shop.
Nothing seems more rugged or anti-fashion than a cowboy, roaming the plains of the mid west, herding those cattle, but the only people they are fooling is themselves. Anyone worth their weight in FASHUN knows those lads are as prissy about what they wear as any East London graphic design/coffee/fixie/wanky backpack toting scenester. There is an entire culture of sartorial symbolism to back up the extensive cowboy culture and identity.
I am currently obsessed with finding the perfect pair of cowboy boots. I know exactly what I want, but unfortunately the real deal retails at Louboutin prices, eek. I am heading to Paris in a few weeks for a little vintage sourcing trip, so I am holding out to find the perfect pair with a more manageable price tag. In the meantime, I am dreaming sepia and sienna tinted cowboy dreams, full of suede and ostrich leather and horses. I don’t know why I am on such a Western tip at the moment, perhaps I secretly want an adventure and the outdoors. More likely it has to do with the practiality and functionality that cowboy clothes have always embodied, which is something I am finding myself more and more drawn to. Nothing is more no-frills than doing back breaking work, on a horse, in the middle of nowhere, and their clothes have to respond to that. What’s interesting is the way techniques like embossing provide ample adornment while maintaining the usability of the garment, or boot. Embroidery also adds interest, without adding extra, useless bulk. Fringing is another story, but it probably originated with something to do with keeping the flies off. And it’s fringing, so, like, obviously it stays. Also, I love the extra panel western shirts have on the shoulder, I don’t know why they are there, but they look amazing, and allow for interesting seam detailing.
So, to sum up. I want boots I can’t afford. No surprises there. I know very little about the Wild West or Cowboy culture, but I do know about clothes and details and the reasons why we wear stuff, and I think these guys have it spot on.
Last Saturday was glorious so I hopped on the train to Brighton. I took my lego camera, which is super fun looking, but takes really bad quality pics. I also took my trusty Olympus, so fingers crossed I’ll get back some good stuff. In the meantime, I wore this…
Sleeveless shirt, chiffon tank, American Apparel; Leather skirt, Urban Outfitters Vintage, Lace trim cycle shorts, American Apparel; Shoes, Carvela; Jacket, Vintage
One of the benefits of working in a design studio is the amazing design & reference books lying around. I found one about Morocco the other day and I feel like it’s SO NOW. Wha? Mozaic prints, trompe l’oile geometrics, arabesques. And the COLOUR. I could get all zeitgeisty on it and delve into why I think Islamic art is having a moment in Western culture, but then I would have to formulate abstract thoughts into sentences and really, you’re probably more interested in looking at pretty pictures.
It all just makes me want to go to Marrakesh and nosey about in a souk. Sigh. But in an AbFab way, not an annoying, Sex and the City 2 way. That film offended me on almost every level. Like made my skin crawl and eye hurt. But that’s for another day. Here is why I wanna go ‘splorin in Morocco. Someone take me please. Thanks.
