Monday, January 31, 2005
A nice bit of skirt
Was browsing around the fashion/crafty Lifejournal communities and stumbled across the fantastic website of Slave 1 Designs of Denver, Colorado: "classic and bold fashions with a futuristic and somewhat fetish influence". They remind of an outfit on display in the Renegade section of Brighton Museum's Fashion & Style Gallery - a contemporary dress made in Victorian style in black rubber, complete with bustle.
Slave 1's designs are wonderful - PVC/vinyl isn't my thing but the silhouettes/cuts are just gorgeous (they would look great in black stretch pinstriped suiting...) and I love that she's into sharp black/white contrasts. She also loves Vivienne Westwood, Tim Burton and Jean-Pierre Jeunet - and you can't say fairer than that.
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Was browsing around the fashion/crafty Lifejournal communities and stumbled across the fantastic website of Slave 1 Designs of Denver, Colorado: "classic and bold fashions with a futuristic and somewhat fetish influence". They remind of an outfit on display in the Renegade section of Brighton Museum's Fashion & Style Gallery - a contemporary dress made in Victorian style in black rubber, complete with bustle.
Slave 1's designs are wonderful - PVC/vinyl isn't my thing but the silhouettes/cuts are just gorgeous (they would look great in black stretch pinstriped suiting...) and I love that she's into sharp black/white contrasts. She also loves Vivienne Westwood, Tim Burton and Jean-Pierre Jeunet - and you can't say fairer than that.
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Friday, January 28, 2005
Duvet days
I did it. I bought myself a new duvet! I'd got a Christmas bonus and told myself I was allowed to spend it all on a new duvet - after all I'd be using it eight hours a day for years to come. And it's beautiful. Finest Siberian goose feather and down - reduced in the Debenhams sales from £100 to £50! (I didn't even know it was possible to pay £100 for a single duvet.) I've never had feather before and the first night the duvet felt really thin and I was cold - and disappointed. But after a few nights, as air got into the feathers, it fluffed up and now it's so soft and warm, it's bliss. The soft crackle of feathers as I roll over, and the way it folds around me so crisply makes me feel like I'm wrapped up in one of Vivienne Westwood's gigantic crumpled silk taffeta ballgowns...
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I did it. I bought myself a new duvet! I'd got a Christmas bonus and told myself I was allowed to spend it all on a new duvet - after all I'd be using it eight hours a day for years to come. And it's beautiful. Finest Siberian goose feather and down - reduced in the Debenhams sales from £100 to £50! (I didn't even know it was possible to pay £100 for a single duvet.) I've never had feather before and the first night the duvet felt really thin and I was cold - and disappointed. But after a few nights, as air got into the feathers, it fluffed up and now it's so soft and warm, it's bliss. The soft crackle of feathers as I roll over, and the way it folds around me so crisply makes me feel like I'm wrapped up in one of Vivienne Westwood's gigantic crumpled silk taffeta ballgowns...
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Thursday, January 27, 2005
Bastardo!
Charlotte Hatherley's video for her new single 'Bastardo' is worth a look - it stars David Walliams (Little Britain), Simon Pegg (Spaced), Julia Davies (Nighty Night), Alice Lowe (Garth Marenghi's Dark Place), Lucy Davis (The Office) and Lauren Laverne (ex-Kenickie), and has illustrations by the 2000AD bods.
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Charlotte Hatherley's video for her new single 'Bastardo' is worth a look - it stars David Walliams (Little Britain), Simon Pegg (Spaced), Julia Davies (Nighty Night), Alice Lowe (Garth Marenghi's Dark Place), Lucy Davis (The Office) and Lauren Laverne (ex-Kenickie), and has illustrations by the 2000AD bods.
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Friday, January 21, 2005
'Jack died beautifully.'
Maureen Lipman talks to the Telegraph about losing her husband, playwright Jack Rosenthal.
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Maureen Lipman talks to the Telegraph about losing her husband, playwright Jack Rosenthal.
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Tuesday, January 18, 2005
The Guilty Bride
A great Indiebride essay on how an independent feminist gal makes her peace with wanting a big white wedding, and matching saucepans:
'The wedding is forcing us to figure out how to create an equitable division of labor in which I don't feel like an overwhelmed hausfrau and he doesn't feel like my indentured servant...
'Though our relationship is egalitarian on most counts (decision making, housework, finances), sometimes we like to play the me-Tarzan, you-Jane game. A nice afternoon for us is one in which I roast a chicken while he watches baseball, occasionally strolling into the kitchen to get a beer and smack me on the behind...
'I suppose I've proved myself capable enough in the world that I can be the girly girl at home every once in a while. Perhaps O. isn't alienating me from my true identity but bringing me closer to parts of it I denied in the past: the trusting parts, the nurturing ones...'
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A great Indiebride essay on how an independent feminist gal makes her peace with wanting a big white wedding, and matching saucepans:
'The wedding is forcing us to figure out how to create an equitable division of labor in which I don't feel like an overwhelmed hausfrau and he doesn't feel like my indentured servant...
'Though our relationship is egalitarian on most counts (decision making, housework, finances), sometimes we like to play the me-Tarzan, you-Jane game. A nice afternoon for us is one in which I roast a chicken while he watches baseball, occasionally strolling into the kitchen to get a beer and smack me on the behind...
'I suppose I've proved myself capable enough in the world that I can be the girly girl at home every once in a while. Perhaps O. isn't alienating me from my true identity but bringing me closer to parts of it I denied in the past: the trusting parts, the nurturing ones...'
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Monday, January 17, 2005
Let's stay together
"I can't bear the thought of life without John. We should get run over by the same bus." The Guardian asks a variety of long-term couples what it takes to maintain a successful relationship.
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"I can't bear the thought of life without John. We should get run over by the same bus." The Guardian asks a variety of long-term couples what it takes to maintain a successful relationship.
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Sunday, January 16, 2005
Oh, Oh, Oh, Mrs O!
The Guardian's Harriet Lane talks diets and divorces with Victoria Wood.
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The Guardian's Harriet Lane talks diets and divorces with Victoria Wood.
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Saturday, January 15, 2005
I keep mine hidden
The Deliberately Concealed Garments Project, from the Textile Centre at the University of Southampton is fascinating. Their website has a searchable database of garments which have been found after being deliberately hidden in buildings (usually for superstitious reasons):
'Builders, owners or residents appear to have hidden clothing and other objects in the fabric of buildings, intentionally sealing the space afterwards. Garments have been discovered at a later time when changes are being made to a building. They have been found most commonly near entrance and exit points in buildings, for example windows or chimneys. In some instances the hidden clothing has been found with other objects, concealed at the same or a later time, for example coins and documents. Typically the garments that have been found are clothes that have been worn and used before they have been hidden. The tradition of concealing clothes can be related to the practice of concealing other objects such as dried cats, witch bottles and charms in buildings. These types of object have been discovered hidden in similar places. The concealing of these items including garments can be related to folklore and superstitious traditions relating to the ritual protection of a household and its inhabitants. Concealed garments are most often found with other objects in a cache.'
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The Deliberately Concealed Garments Project, from the Textile Centre at the University of Southampton is fascinating. Their website has a searchable database of garments which have been found after being deliberately hidden in buildings (usually for superstitious reasons):
'Builders, owners or residents appear to have hidden clothing and other objects in the fabric of buildings, intentionally sealing the space afterwards. Garments have been discovered at a later time when changes are being made to a building. They have been found most commonly near entrance and exit points in buildings, for example windows or chimneys. In some instances the hidden clothing has been found with other objects, concealed at the same or a later time, for example coins and documents. Typically the garments that have been found are clothes that have been worn and used before they have been hidden. The tradition of concealing clothes can be related to the practice of concealing other objects such as dried cats, witch bottles and charms in buildings. These types of object have been discovered hidden in similar places. The concealing of these items including garments can be related to folklore and superstitious traditions relating to the ritual protection of a household and its inhabitants. Concealed garments are most often found with other objects in a cache.'
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Friday, January 14, 2005
Put The Kettle On!
A Malaysian in London's beautifully observed blog post about the British and their tea drinking.
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A Malaysian in London's beautifully observed blog post about the British and their tea drinking.
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Thursday, January 13, 2005
Doll parts
Textile artist and dollmaker Donna Wilson: Why I Love...Julie Arkell's Papier Mache People (© Find A Property 2000-2005).
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Textile artist and dollmaker Donna Wilson: Why I Love...Julie Arkell's Papier Mache People (© Find A Property 2000-2005).
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Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Scarf Drive Success!
The wonderful results of the 2004 Glitter Scarf Drive.
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The wonderful results of the 2004 Glitter Scarf Drive.
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Friday, January 07, 2005
'Shy bairns get nowt.'
Lauren Laverne takes the The Guardian Weekend Q&A.
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Lauren Laverne takes the The Guardian Weekend Q&A.
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Thursday, January 06, 2005
'Pink gets me high as a kite...'
Zandra Rhodes: A Lifelong Love Affair with Textiles
2 February 2005 - July 2005
'The Fashion and Textile Museum is pleased to announce the first major retrospective dedicated to the work of Zandra Rhodes to be seen in Europe. Zandra Rhodes: A Lifelong Love Affair with Textiles will take a comprehensive look at Zandra’s textile and fashion designs. It will allow the viewer to witness the creative process, from her initial inspiration through to the exotic finished product. A journey through the entire process, this show will include photography, objects, Zandra’s sketchbooks, the actual silk screens and the resulting printed fabrics guiding the viewer to the finished garments.
Zandra is an internationally recognized designer and an institution of British fashion. A graduate of the Royal College of Art, Zandra rose to prominence in the 1960’s with her first solo collection debuting in 1969. Renowned for her brilliantly colourful screen-printed and hand-decorated textiles, she was elected Royal Designer for Industry in 1974. In 1997 in recognition of her contribution to the fashion and textile industry she was made Commander of the British Empire. She has an honorary doctorate from the Royal College of Art and many other universities in the UK and the USA.
A carefully chosen selection of Zandra's most notable works will be shown including the celebrated Dinosaur coat, the Lily collections, Conceptual Chic, the Chinese series and the rarely seen Spanish Impression and Medieval collections.
The work of the most illustrious names in the world of photography will be featured throughout the exhibition. Clive Arrowsmith, David Bailey, Frank Bauer, Robyn Beeche, Guy Bourdin, Norman Parkinson, Barry Lategan and others.
Many of the images in the exhibition feature personalities who have worn the designs of Zandra Rhodes: Freddie Mercury, Bianca Jagger, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kelly Osborne, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Princess Diana, Kylie Minogue and Kate Moss.'
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Zandra Rhodes: A Lifelong Love Affair with Textiles
2 February 2005 - July 2005
'The Fashion and Textile Museum is pleased to announce the first major retrospective dedicated to the work of Zandra Rhodes to be seen in Europe. Zandra Rhodes: A Lifelong Love Affair with Textiles will take a comprehensive look at Zandra’s textile and fashion designs. It will allow the viewer to witness the creative process, from her initial inspiration through to the exotic finished product. A journey through the entire process, this show will include photography, objects, Zandra’s sketchbooks, the actual silk screens and the resulting printed fabrics guiding the viewer to the finished garments.
Zandra is an internationally recognized designer and an institution of British fashion. A graduate of the Royal College of Art, Zandra rose to prominence in the 1960’s with her first solo collection debuting in 1969. Renowned for her brilliantly colourful screen-printed and hand-decorated textiles, she was elected Royal Designer for Industry in 1974. In 1997 in recognition of her contribution to the fashion and textile industry she was made Commander of the British Empire. She has an honorary doctorate from the Royal College of Art and many other universities in the UK and the USA.
A carefully chosen selection of Zandra's most notable works will be shown including the celebrated Dinosaur coat, the Lily collections, Conceptual Chic, the Chinese series and the rarely seen Spanish Impression and Medieval collections.
The work of the most illustrious names in the world of photography will be featured throughout the exhibition. Clive Arrowsmith, David Bailey, Frank Bauer, Robyn Beeche, Guy Bourdin, Norman Parkinson, Barry Lategan and others.
Many of the images in the exhibition feature personalities who have worn the designs of Zandra Rhodes: Freddie Mercury, Bianca Jagger, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kelly Osborne, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Princess Diana, Kylie Minogue and Kate Moss.'
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Wednesday, January 05, 2005
'Pattern is the best thing in the world.'
Whilst looking into the work of ceramicist Carol McNicoll for a review of her retrospective at Hove Museum I stumbled across the National Electronic and Video Archive of the Crafts. What a fantastic project!
'The National Electronic and Video Archive of the Crafts - NEVAC - gathers materials which will act as a resource for those researching the nature of the Crafts. These materials are characteristically in the form of digital video and sound recordings of people who have been intimately associated with the development of the Crafts in Britain.
There are currently 261 hours of interviews with 118 people, (including ceramists, textile artists, wood-workers, print-makers, enamel artists and curators).'
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Whilst looking into the work of ceramicist Carol McNicoll for a review of her retrospective at Hove Museum I stumbled across the National Electronic and Video Archive of the Crafts. What a fantastic project!
'The National Electronic and Video Archive of the Crafts - NEVAC - gathers materials which will act as a resource for those researching the nature of the Crafts. These materials are characteristically in the form of digital video and sound recordings of people who have been intimately associated with the development of the Crafts in Britain.
There are currently 261 hours of interviews with 118 people, (including ceramists, textile artists, wood-workers, print-makers, enamel artists and curators).'
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Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Little boxes made of ticky-tacky...
Looking through my boss's Tridias catalogue I see items which might inspire a few new book art projects:
The Carousel Fairy Book reminds me of a beautiful copy of Sleeping Beauty I had when I was little. I loved it, it was so intricately made - like looking into tiny theatre sets - and the illustrations were full of detail, and you could open it up fully and tie the covers together and hang it up. Sigh...
The Secrets Box has drawers, notepads, postcard, stickers and picture frames inside a lockable box - I think if I'd been given this when I was eight or nine I'd have exploded with excitement. Come to think of it, if they did plain 'decorate it yourself' versions, I could get pretty hot under the collar right now.
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Looking through my boss's Tridias catalogue I see items which might inspire a few new book art projects:
The Carousel Fairy Book reminds me of a beautiful copy of Sleeping Beauty I had when I was little. I loved it, it was so intricately made - like looking into tiny theatre sets - and the illustrations were full of detail, and you could open it up fully and tie the covers together and hang it up. Sigh...
The Secrets Box has drawers, notepads, postcard, stickers and picture frames inside a lockable box - I think if I'd been given this when I was eight or nine I'd have exploded with excitement. Come to think of it, if they did plain 'decorate it yourself' versions, I could get pretty hot under the collar right now.
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