Designers

I have discovered a few new inspiring designers and collaborations over the summer from browsing on other blogs and through the fashion websites but they have been mostly in womenswear. I tried to find some menswear designers that reflected where I wanted to go with my concepts but there wasn't much I could find apart from Chanel's fur jumpsuits.

Chanel fur Yeti suits!
coolspotters.com/photos/378103/chanel-fall-2010

I think some aspects of this could work on a smaller scale maybe with different textures and lengths of the piles. I think its a bit over the top and its not quite cold enough in Britain for anything like this!
I do like the different colours of fur though especially the greys.

Joanna Hynes and Helen Steele
http://www.joannehynes.com/

The next inspirtation I found was Joanna Hynes and Helen Steele. I love this collaboration and will talk about Hynes and Steele in a seperate post but in this garment I love the colour and textures. It just screams out British Regency, its like a cross between a fox hunt and a glamorous dinner party!

Maison Martin Margiela
http://eboutique.maisonmartinmargiela.com/

This modern twist on a classic is very clever by the genius of Martin Margiela. Im not sure if I like it or not I think. I really like the jacket and I think it would be more effective if it was just the jacket with some different garments. It's just a bit too much grey for one image the way it is here!

Prada
http://www.prada.com/en

Well what can I say about this! This is amazing and it rounds up most of my research from the summer. I love the way the light reflects off the scales and the contrast there is between the smooth scales and the rough fur. It makes you want to go and touch it. I love it as its so unusual and you would get second looks walking down the street in this but this isn't always a bad thing! I would love this jacket for the winter it would be such a statement and I can imagine it's one of those garments that everyone would be jealous off.

Tracey Emin - Love Is What You Want

Tracey Emin has been a favourite artist of mine for years and I am fascinated and deeply affected by her work.

She held a retrospective exhibition over the summer at the Hayward Gallery in London which included work from every media and phase of her career. It was a huge exhibition which included her blankets, sculptures, neons, films, furniture, assemblages, drawings, paintings, photographs and writings. 

It was centred around lost innocence and childhood as is much of her work.

It was amazing to see so much of her work all in one place and to be able to get up close to it and see what real skill is involved in making the pices. Each one of her huge blankets is painstakingly hand sewn and the sculptures nailed together by her own hands.

The works that particularly left an impression on me were her blankets and her work relating to the abortions she had and the children she lost. 

I was also deeply affected by a sculptural piece that was almost 'hidden' on a roof terrace. It consisted of three bronze sculptures hidden in opposite corners of the roof terrace, one was a little teddy bear (see below)

"Baby Things" 2008, Emin

 I would like to use the delicate craft methods Emin uses in her crochet work and also the texture contrasts she uses in her blankets within my work. 

Emin describes these pieces of infancy and childhood innocence as "tumbleweed amongst the urban mishmash of society". 

"You forgot to kiss my soul" Neon work, Emin

I also love the slogans that Emin has created in her neon works as they are a snapshot in time that conjures up the feeling of heartbreak and betrayl. I think Emin is an incredible artist and this exhibition really affected me and left me feeling vulnerable and exposed.