M for Milan

We're not the only ones enjoying summer here in Africa. Summer made it’s way to the Milan Fashion Week runway as well. Designers collections sparkled with bright prints and wide clean silhouettes.

Karl Lagerfeld discovered that its not only in the use of dye to create an ombre through sheer fabric, but by using layers of laser-cut ombre chiffon to form light shift dresses in pink, blue and black. The rest of the collection featured bowl-cut wigs and cat’s eye sunglasses. Cara Delevingne was the first to walk Fendi’s Spring/Summer 2014 runway.

The main thing which drew me to Milan Spring/Summer was that Prada and Missoni both focused on the art world in their collections. Prada made use of six different artists to create portraits of women coming forward as “active and strong”. Amazing mixes of pop-art, a colour palette of green, red, orange and yellow with sportswear silhouettes.

Missoni focused on bold prints by incorporating volcanic and floral prints. Their silhouette inspiration came from the Japanese kimonos and Indian sarongs.

Prada

Missoni

Antiques came back for Dolce & Gabbana. Roman coins were used as prints on dresses, skirts, tops and evening bags worn with Roman sandals and emperors’ faces.

Roberto Cavalli’s collection featured botanical prints on plaids with a bit of neon hues in sapphire blue, emerald green and bold yellow on pants, skirts, crop tops and cut-out dresses.

Versace was inspired by an old picture of Donatella in the 90’s. The fun and sexy collection featured chainmail worked into T-shirts, flirty skirts and evening dresses presented by one of the biggest hip-hop tracks – Versace by Migos featuring Drake.

Gucci performed a relaxed silhouette, wildly printed low-waisted dresses with open Vs showing of near-sheer bra tops. There was also sheer sports luxe sweatshirts, mesh-panelled dresses and slash-fronted leather-edged kimano-style gowns.

Armani’s oversized silk coats , slouchy cropped trousers and ruffled cocktail dresses came with a palette of grey, white, pale pink and spearmint.

The 90’s maxi slip-dress with spaghetti straps was brought back by Max Mara with their feminine clean lines. Monochrome went from neutral to vibrant shades of tangerine, blue and green.

Japanese-inspired Marni brought back another legend called fanny packs worn with platform Tevas/flip-flops.

Paris Haute Couture 2013 Fashion Week

June just past, but left us with haute couture collections which reminded us of the vintage era but also a new future. June means only one word in the language of fashion: Womenswear Haute Couture in Paris!!

Creative directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccoli did a great job with the Valentino collections. They focused on the inner brand as well as its woman. Tweed and cashmere which is a new dimension from the duo this season, can be seen in this collection as well as embroidery, pearl encrusted high necks, skirts adorned in feathers, shell and coral branches as decorations. Touches of Victorian goth gave a medieval and baroque feel.

The wild cats came out of the woods with this collection from Jean Paul Gaultier. Curved dresses that rolled off the shoulder and curved out the hip, pointed-pocket trousers with bagginess, fur-weight jackets, hair twirled up into cones were all elements seen I this “wild fantasy” collection. What a dress up party.

My favourite designer ever known for sequins, shimmer, shine and crystals on his breathtaking gowns, the one - and - only Elie Saab made it back for his Reined – in glamour collection. His well known colour palette varied from red, navy green and dove grey. This silver-gold gown came with a floor-length veil which made use of three other models helping the model carry this heavily encrusted veil.

Karl Lagerfeld definitely have the future in mind for Chanel. His couture collections always have two sides. One: Modernist and second: Romantic. This collection came from the Modernist group. Metallic thread can be seen in the tweed suits worn with sequins tops, odd billowy sleeves, layers and glossy belts.

Experimentation with proportions can be seen through the use of cropped jackets, over leggings and boots as well as geometric prints and check. A collection looking towards something new.

Famous model Naomi Campbell reminded everyone why a supermodel was perfect for this collection by kicking off the Versace couture collection. Donatella made use of sexy in a more subtle way. Super tight and seductive silhouettes can be seen throughout this collection. “I pictured a sexy and sophisticated woman with a strong attitude” said Versace of her inspiration. There was a theme of rock ‘n’ roll to this collection with the lace jumpsuits and thick chains worn around the necks, corsets of little lace bra cups and sequined dresses. A colour palette of maroon, forest green and navy petrol blue held the dark sassy romantic atmosphere interesting.

Anuj Sharma - Button Masala

I was invited to fashion designer Anuj Sharma's Button Masala workshop on Friday and found it as a huge inspiration for young upcoming designers. I even went home and made myself a couple of garments with his work as inspiration.

He explained to us how to apply the buttons to the fabrics and that's also how we saw the fabric change into a  garment and pattern by itself. He quoted himself as "a lazy designer" but told us that he learned something from his laziness. "Just like seams connect two garments together, so does buttons."

He uses this technique by placing the button underneath the fabric on the position you want it and then securing it with an elastic which immediately causes gathers and adds detail to a boring garment. 

One - hour trial

Here are some of the students in his clothes and us experimenting a bit.

South African Identity

Finding South African Identity  was an art movement in the early 1800's. In South African history people from the west brought their influence to Africa and it made a huge impact on South African artists and designers.

Western art styles included expressionism, cubism and impressionism. African artists combined these styles with their own African styles which created a whole new movement and creation for art. Influences like climate, culture, myths, rituals, colour, texture and landscape from the Wests and South Africa was combined and incorporated into art and new designs.
Alexis Preller was an artist from this movement and he was mostly inspired by the Ndebele tribes.

Alexis Preller
Three Women 1952

Alexis Preller
Grand Mapogga ||| 

During the South African Fashion Week 2010 a fashion designer called Ntokoza Kunene revived the Ndebele pattern in one of her collections.

SAFW 2010
Ntokozo Kunene's revival of Ndebele pattern

Kunene was also in the Designers Collections for Elle New Talent.

Elle New Talent Designers Collections
Ntokozo Kunene 

There is definitely a resemblance between Preller's art and Kunene's fashion. The Ndebele tribe had an influence on these artists and combining a western feel to it wasn't such a bad idea. 

Antonio Mora

Antonio Mora is a Senior Graphic Designer combining visual media. I like the way he combines a beautiful photograph of fashionable women with a photograph of nature.

Antonio Mora -  "Stormhead" 

In this art piece he combines a pretty eyed woman with a storm as hair which I interpret as eyes that are capable of giving wrong impressions. Going against the fact of "eyes don't lie".

Antonio Mora - "En las nubes"

This image is totally the opposite of the previous piece. Here he morphs a model with clouds and by adding birds it creates a more peaceful atmosphere.

Koroleva Illustration

Ekaterina Koroleva is a Berlin graphic illustrator who focuses on watercolour illustrations.She uses ink and solid silhouettes as shapes for her illustrations.It gives the outline of a fashion photograph which makes it very fashion based as well. 

designcollector.net

onedayoneplan.com

http://patternbank.com

http://patternbank.com

http://patternbank.com

Forest Art

L'Wren Scott's Fall 2009 Ready-to-Wear Collection named Bois de Boulogne immediately drew a connection between fashion and art. She was influenced by the forest-y motifs of the British artist Adam Ball. She described the forest as a moody, fairy-tale quality which suits Scott's dark romantic leanings.   

clothesaolic.blogspot.com,2009, Febuary 2009, 27/02/2013,http://clothesaholic.blogspot.com 

Se used dull colours like black and grey with a bottle green and even red which gives the collection a pop of colour. She also combined versatility with dramatic moods.

Source: http://www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/F2009RTW-LSCOTT

fashionmefabulous.com, 2009, Wrapping Up New York Fashion Week Part 1, 27/02/2013, http://www.fashionmefabulous.com  

Urban Ink

Graffiti can be seen as urban art. So why not be part of it...?

images.teamsugar.com, I Love Your shopping style: Graffiti Rock,
13/02/2013 <http://images.teamsugar.com > 

behance.vo.llnwd.net, Graffiti Style on Behance, 13/02/2013, <http://behance.vo.llnwd.net> 

www.polyvore.com, Graffiti meets high fashion for Vogue Paris | The Lipstick Diaries,

13/02/2013, <http://www.google.co.za> 

distilleryimage3.s3.amazonaws.com, Pingram.me-tag:, 13/02/13,
 <http://distilleryimage3.s3.amazonaws.com> 

Leather Fashion Art

Ever heard of Una Burke? ... Se is an UK artistic fashion designer addressing wearable art. Her main medium is strips of vegetable tanned leather which she alters into bandage-like fashion objects. Her fashion work are usually broken into individual body pieces like the neck, arms, torso and legs.

"Through my work I continually aim to create leather objects which are both visually captivating and technically challenging." (Burke,2011).



 

Statica.com,Art Inspiation-Una Burke, 11/08/2011 http://statica.com/?tag=clothing-leather





unabuke.com, Re.Treat,2012, http://www.unaburke.com/re_treat_1.html 
Re.Treat Collection





unabuke.com, Re.Treat,2012, http://www.unaburke.com/re_treat_1.html  
Re.Treat Collection