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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week A/W 2010 Catwalk Review: Basso & Brooke

Basso & Brooke a/w 2010 by Katie Harnett

Basso & Brooke by Katie Harnett.

I was running late for this show due to the evil evil cocktails at the Laden Showrooms website launch party in the concrete house at the end of my street. (It’s on sale for £2.2 million. Nuts. I’ve been in there and it ain’t all that: it’s like the interior of a multi-storey carpark.)

The rooftop view from the house on Bacon Street, rx complete with poncey rainbow fibre optic light display.

As I hurtled into the courtyard of Somerset House I passed a girl I haven’t seen since I left the University of Brighton back in the mid 90s, viagra dosage so I sort of waved, aghast, at her. Inside I sat down next to a sniffy man who I once knew vaguely long ago, and who literally turned his nose up at me, and then turned his back. I don’t think I did smell but I probably was a little dishevelled. Cycling has a tendency to do that. I only spotted one other cyclist at the shows over the entire week. Funny that. But I tell you, it’s by far the quickest way to get between venues. Addison Lee eat your heart out.

I turned to the man on the other side of me, recognising in him a fellow twittering fiend as we tapped at our iphones (everyone in fashion has a blackberry), although god knows it was very hard to twitter from the official BFC tents because there was apparently very little 3G coverage. C’mon folks, sort it out! We formed an instant bond and swapped twitter addresses and I found out he runs the website Not Just a Label, bigging up young designers. Now that’s what I like, a spirit of camaraderie! And then I looked over and saw that beardy glam man was sat opposite me (last spotted over at Charlie Le Mindu) and that alone would have made my day. I’d love to know who he was – does anyone know? He even smiled at me during the show when he caught me looking at him rather than the clothes, and it made me tingle it did! He had the most elegant poise which I do so love. A couple of paps came strolling past me muttering about how they couldn’t be arsed to snap photos of the only sleb in the front row, the girl from the Noisettes, who is clearly not famous enough to earn a decent paycheck.

Basso & Brooke by Katie Harnett.

Basso & Brooke by Amelia Gregory.

Basso & Brooke. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

On our seats were long elegant cardboard bottle carriers decorated in an exclusive Basso & Brooke print for the Turning Leaf wine company. These will no doubt make collector’s items in years to come so it’s a pity I have so much crap in my house already – where the hell would I display a wine bottle? Perhaps I could stick a candle in it and come over all studenty/70s? Or maybe not. But it did slip down easy, even if I had to lug it around for the rest of the day.

Basso & Brooke by Katie Harnett.

Basso & Brooke by Amelia Gregory.

The Basso & Brooke show was as fabulous as it always is – but there you go, give me a riot of clashing prints and colour and I’ll swoon at your feet. Slinky body-hugging dresses, over equally slim clashing or matching leggings were covered in their signature digital prints – once unique but now used by many a designer – made the models lizard-like yet glamourous. A tough call that one but it worked. What didn’t work so well was the way they all moved, arms splayed and hands held awkwardly out. I can only conclude that they were all chosen for their singularly inelegant walks, or that they were all told to stride this way. Why?!

Basso & Brooke by Amelia Gregory.

On leaving the show I bumped into my old college mate again, who was totally bemused by my presence at the shows. She was there purely in her capacity as senior designer at Monsoon “though I spend most of my time looking after my two kids these days.” She expressed surprise that I actually run Amelia’s Magazine, until she found out that I a childless. “Oh well that would explain it then. We used to keep those in the office for inspiration, I didn’t realise it was you.” What, not even with the prominent picture of me next to the introduction in every issue?

Basso & Brooke by Katie Harnett.

Isn’t it funny how people perceive you? (or don’t, as the case may be)

Written by Amelia Gregory on Friday March 12th, 2010 3:04 pm

Categories ,Bacon Street, ,Basso & Brooke, ,BFC Tent, ,Clashing, ,Foxtons, ,Katie Harnett, ,Laden Showrooms, ,London Fashion Week, ,Not Just a Label, ,prints, ,Somerset House, ,Turning Leaf, ,Wine

Amelia’s Magazine | British Fashion Designers at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia A/W 2011: Marios Schwab

Marios Schwab A/W 2011 by Gareth A Hopkins.

Marios Schwab was definitely the most friendly of the three Fashion East designers who came to Moscow with us: never underestimate the power of a simple smile my friends. He made the effort to chat with other attendees of the British Council initiative and we also spent quite a lot of time talking to his delightful sales agent Yiannis, site who sells the Marios Schwab collection through the Rainbow Wave showroom.

Marios Schwab A/W 2011 by Amber Cassidy.

As someone who predominantly works on the press side of fashion the trip to Russia was a really great way to find out more about other aspects of the fashion business, more about especially the importance of a good sales agent, and how many stockists is deemed a good thing: something which I gleaned from chatting with fashion consultant Toby Meadows and PR maestro Michael Salac of Blow PR.

Marios Schwab A/W 2011 Russia photography by Amelia Gregory
Marios Schwab A/W 2011, all photography by Amelia Gregory.

Marios Schwab is the most well known of the Fashion East designers and as such he had the prime late spot on Sunday 3rd April, and a gigantic catwalk in a much larger conference hall at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia. Due to some complications dealing with an all Russian hair and make up team the show ended up starting over an hour late, but we didn’t mind… by this point the whole British Council crew were getting on like a house on fire, and I had an interesting conversation with a girl who teaches oligarch children. Not sure where I stand on the ethics of teaching oil barren brats but how jealous am I? I would love to see inside those mansions.

Marios Schwab A/W 2011 Russia photography by Amelia Gregory

I imagine that even the most seasoned of designers might have baulked at the sheer size of the massive catwalk but the show worked a treat. Marios Schwab makes beautiful tailored dresses that manage to be both eminently clever and yet highly sellable. For this show the A/W 2011 collection was styled with slicked back hair and glossy bare make up, and if there was any trouble achieving these looks it wasn’t obvious in this incredibly confident showing.

Marios Schwab A/W 2011 Russia photography by Amelia Gregory

Using a palette of muted beiges, creams, russet reds, forest green, mustard and black, Marios showed exactly why the details are so important. Everything was finely considered, from the beautiful hip buckles to the beaded ribbing that emphasised a womanly shape on breasts and shoulders. He may be still in the early stages of his career but this is a man to watch. Charming, talented and destined for very great things.

Marios Schwab A/W 2011 Russia photography by Amelia Gregory
Marios Schwab A/W 2011. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Wednesday April 13th, 2011 1:49 pm

Categories ,Amber Cassidy, ,Blow PR, ,British Council, ,catwalk, ,Fashion East, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,lfw, ,London Fashion Week, ,Marios Schwab, ,Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia, ,Michael Salac, ,Moscow, ,oil, ,Oligarch, ,pr, ,Practicum: British Fashion, ,Rainbow Wave, ,Russia!, ,Sales, ,tailoring, ,Toby Meadows, ,Yiannis

Amelia’s Magazine | Curating Yamamoto: An interview with Ligaya Salazar, the V&A’s Yohji Yamamoto exhibition curator

Illustration by Jo Cheung

So after a rollercoaster six days, website online Menswear Day and London Fashion Week drew to a close with hip-store Kokon To Zai’s label, this web dosage KTZ, viagra and what would be my final show of this season. I absolutely loved what they did last season, and I couldn’t wait to see what they’d come up with next.

All photography by Matt Bramford

A heavily policed front row meant me and illustrator Gareth took seats on the second, but I managed to get on the end so that my pictures would make it look like I was Frowing all along. I was bloody exhausted and feeling very sorry for myself, and I couldn’t help but wish that they’d just get on with it and stop papping people wearing pig masks. My legs wobbled and I struggled to keep my eyes open, but when the music started and the first look appeared, I quickly forgot my woes.

Illustration by June Chanpoomidole

Illustration by Thomas Leadbetter

Memphis-inspired fashion? I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. A pumpin’ soundtrack blasted from the PA system as gorgeous models (more women than men, but who cares?) sashayed up and down the length of the BFC tent. Stripes were a plenty on figure-hugging dresses with sweetheart necklines that feature extra flaps in that Pop Art/Memphis splatter pattern. Vibrant primary colours made black dresses playful: such a sophisticated, considered collection expertly styled by wonder-styilst Anna Trevelyan.

A whole load of other influences filtered into this power collection – the womenswear referenced power dressing from the 1980s (think Dynasty) and Mondrian’s prints; the menswear also digging up the eighties with (faux!) fur lapels and broad shoulders.

Illustration by Abby Wright

I have to admit, I did prefer the womenswear – it was far more wearable for fashion-forward ladies and it oozed sex appeal with dresses cut above the knee and details in all the right places to emphasise the curves. The menswear featured striped balaclavas topped with pom-poms, acrylic brooches which referenced the womenswear, over-sized imposing puffa jackets and graphic-print trousers. But it’ll be the womenswear that cements Kokontozai’s place as one of London’s hottest design duos.

Illustration by Lesley Barnes

Huge orb-like creations were worn on wrists, picking out patterns from lapels. And, oh, the cuts! Dynamic pieces of fabric were layered onto classic tailored pieces to give them a seriously sexy aesthetic. This was a collection that was playful but sophisticated at the same – a really difficult challenge to pull off.

Illustration by Valerie Pezeron

I loved EVERYTHING about it. I can’t put it into words, so just have a look at the pictures. Oh, and read Amelia’s more comprehensive and articulate review here!

You can see more from Jo Cheung, June Chanpoomidole, Abby Wright and Lesley Barnes in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration!

Illustration by Gareth A Hopkins

This spring, visit this the V&A presents a unique exhibition dedicated to the Grand Master Japanese couturier, Yohji Yamamoto. The exhibition will celebrate his life and work, and is the first of its kind in the UK. 30 years after Yamamoto debuted in Paris, the V&A has brought together rare examples of his visionary designs.

Watch the video for an exclusive interview with the exhibition’s curator, Ligaya Salazar. You can also read some of Salazar’s thoughts below, too.

On process
With this project I started roughly two and a half years ago to work on the idea and the concept behind the exhibition, it’s also a very particular project because you are working with a living designer who you are doing a single retrospective with, working with their team very closely, so in terms of curating, there is much more of a dialogue there than you would probably normally have with a slightly more thematic show.

The focus was more on to find a concept that would work for him, as a designer, because Yohji Yamamoto is very special in the deign world in terms of the way he approaches designing, so the way you want to show his work should be quite different as well… I spent more time looking at ways of displaying his work, ways of showing his work…

On garment selection
I had the incredible honour to be able to go into both his Paris and his Tokyo archives; the Tokyo archives no curator had ever been to and I had all of his archive to look at and to choose from, which made the editing process incredibly hard. It is something you spend a long time doing, talking to Yohji’s team, talking to the designer, making sure you have covered the iconic parts of his career, but also choosing pieces that are most emblematic of the themes that you want to bring out. I stated with an object list that was about six hundred pieces, and that was already a selection of the pieces I saw in the archive and then I had to bring it down to ninety; it was a long and arduous process.

On themes
Because it is an installation based exhibition, there isn’t a prescriptive story to tell, or a chronology, it was much more about how people would encounter the garments. For the first time what we are doing is to show everything on open display, on the same height as the viewer, so you are meeting your other, rather than looking up and behind glass. It’s a very different experience of the clothes.

Yohi Yamamoto is at the V&A and at The Wapping Project until 10th July 2011. Look out for a full review coming soon!

See more from Natascha Nanji here.

Written by Natascha Nanji on Thursday March 17th, 2011 10:56 am

Categories ,couture, ,Cromwell Road, ,Curator, ,exhibition, ,fashion, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,japan, ,japanese, ,Ligaya Salazar, ,london, ,Natascha Nanji, ,paris, ,Retrospective, ,tokyo, ,va, ,video, ,Yohji Yamamoto

Amelia’s Magazine | Event: Mr Jones Watches launches The Masters of Time

The Compass Road by Iain Sinclair illustrated by Faye West

The decision to wear one of Mr Jones’ Watches is to accept the designer’s challenge to a modern concept of time being a series of fixed units, remedy through which the day is neatly compartmentalised. A concept most succinctly visualised by the watch The Average Day watch. This piece was originally produced for The Muses. The watch-face illustrates the average activities undertaken at particular points throughout the day. The information was digested from sources researching how time is spent by an average person throughout the day. The hours are replaced by words; 6pm becomes social life and 11am becomes work.

The Average Day, Photograph by Chris Overend. The Muse for this particular watch was Jonathan Gershuny, Director of the Centre for Time Use Research and who Mr Jones stipulates has “750,000 time-use diaries.”

Continuing to dispense with Western Modernity’s accepted measurement of time, Mr Jones developed Cyclops, a watch with no hour, minute or second hands. Instead a circular disk mimics the movement of shadows across a sundial, as the passage of time is meditatively documented. Encouraging the wearer to reevaluate their relationship to capitalist time in which every precious second counts.

Cyclops

On Wednesday 3rd November 2010 Mr Jones’ Watches launched The Masters of Time a collaboration with five unique professionals who share an unique and personal concept of time.

During the launch Iain Sinclair, author and psycho-geographer, Greame Obree, record breaking cyclist and artist Brian Catling discussed the ideas behind their watches and the process of negotiating whilst collaborating with Mr Jones. The final two watches were developed with Comedian William Andrews, and DJ Tom Middleton.

Iain Sinclair Photograph by Emilie Sandy

Iain Sinclair’s (Author of Hackney That Red Rose Empire) Compass Watch relates to 90 minutes of film time, rather than your usual TV time of 60 minutes. Sinclair discussed the relation of time to walking, the layers created as time passes both between an event and the walker’s presence, within the walker’s own time.

Iain Sinclair – Compass Road interview from Mr Jones on Vimeo.

Fittingly Sinclair’s watch replaces the units of time with authors whose experience was shaped both by the influence of both geographic location and a complex understanding of time. In his 15 minutes Sinclair discussed the breakdown of the poet John Clare after the enclosure of the landscape to JG Ballard’s experiences as a prisoner of war before his arrival in Suburban England.

Compass Road by Iain Sinclair and Mr Jones Watches

The performance artist and sculptor Brian Catling, introduced the ideas behind Dawn West Dusk East via an art historical slide show. Original paintings and performances explored and expanded on the concept of ‘the Cyclops’. The watch –in the words of the artist- was designed to be “enigmatic, subtle and poetic.” The single rotation of this exquisite design is a silent request to return to a slower pace. The dial gradually measures the 12 hours between Dawn and Dusk.

Brian Catling Photograph by Emilie Sandy

The final speaker of the evening was the twice claimant of the toughest cycling challenge The Hour – a race between the cyclist, distance and the clock. Fittingly the title chosen for Graeme Obree’s timepiece is The Hour. As the hand rotates each hour reveals a different word encouraging the wearer to question emotions experienced during a variety of daily activities. Obree described The Hour as the best, worst, most exhilaratingly painful amount of time imaginable, each second a step closer to achieving or failing a lifelong obsession.

The Masters of Time launch was a fantastic introduction to an individuals complex relation to time. Sadly William Andrews and Tom Middleton were unable to attend, their watches The Last Hour and BPM played with the idea of ‘death’ on stage and a DJ’s relation to the beats per minute respectively. BPM comes complete with a specifically designed animation to help the nocturnal DJ keep count of each record’s BPM prior to the moment of a live mix.

Tom Middleton Photograph by Emilie Sandy

William Andrews Photograph by Emilie Sandy

William Andrews The Last Laugh functions as a symbol of the performer’s need for the last laugh and a momento mori, a reminder that life is brief as time flashes past on the moving teeth of the skull illustrated watchface

The Last Laugh by William Andrews and Mr Jones Watches

Mr Jones Watches are available from the website or you can visit Mr Jones Design, Unit 1.11, Oxo Tower Wharf? Southbank London SE1 9PH.
Compass Road and The Last Laugh are available today.

Written by Sally Mumby-Croft on Thursday November 11th, 2010 12:08 pm

Categories ,artist, ,Author, ,BPM, ,Brian Catling, ,Comedien, ,Compass Road, ,Concept, ,Cyclist, ,Cyclops, ,Dawn West Dawn East, ,dj, ,Emilie Sandy, ,Graeme Obree, ,hours, ,Iain Sinclair, ,minutes, ,Mr Jones Watches, ,Oxo Tower, ,Pip Pip, ,seconds, ,The Average Day, ,The Hour, ,The Last Laugh, ,Time, ,Tom Middleton, ,watch hands, ,William Andrews

Amelia’s Magazine | Fashion Philosophy Fashion Week Poland A/W 2011 in Łódź: Berenika Czarnota

Berenika Czarnota 2011 by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs
Berenika Czarnota A/W 2011 by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs.

Having seen the cute photo in the Fashion Week Poland guide book I was most excited to see the first catwalk show back over at Expo on Sunday… Designer Berenika Czarnota did not disappoint, malady showing a series of fabulously inventive yet wearable knitwear in shades of grey, remedy with highlights of lime, orange and blue. And at last there was the chance to admire some interesting styling, even if it was a tad overplayed: each model came out with a cute little wolf mask perched at a jaunty angle on her head. Calf high socks with block-heeled shoes worked especially well in tomato red.

Berenika Czarnota A/W 2011 by Michelle Urvall Nyrén.

Chunky knit jumpers, cowls, dresses and throw shawls featured over-sized cabling, intarsia block lettering and in one case an intarsia helicopter. Floaty print designs called to mind cloudy skies or batik-like splodges. The collection became weaker towards the end as more commercial pieces started to feature heavily in what was an overly long show, but Berenika Czarnota was undoubtedly one of my favourite designers from Fashion Week Poland. Great stuff.

Berenika Czarnota A/W 2011 by Michelle Urvall Nyrén.

Berenika Czarnota ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011-photography by Amelia Gregory
Berenika Czarnota A/W 2011. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday May 31st, 2011 9:31 am

Categories ,Berenika Czarnota, ,Cable, ,Designers’ Avenue, ,Expo, ,Fashion Philosophy Fashion Week Poland, ,Fashion Week Poland, ,Intarsia, ,knitwear, ,Lodz, ,Maria Papadimitriou, ,Masks, ,Michelle Urvall Nyrén, ,prints, ,Slowly the Eggs

Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with fashion designer Olivia Rubin

The last time we met Peaches, shop she was attending a friends party in Brick Lane, about it and on down-time from her live shows. Relaxed, visit this site mellow and low key, I had no idea that this super-chilled woman in front of me would put on the most spectacular and extravagant stage show that I have ever seen. But that’s just what she did one month later under the warm night sky of Benicassim, mesmerising the audience that she presided over in her Grand Dame role of sound sculptress; one part circus ringleader, one part mad professor. Combining state of the art technologies with her minimalist electro music, she created sounds and visuals on lazer harps, glow in the dark rods that moved micro-tonally, had her backup singers beamed across her clothes and generally raised the bar of musical creativity. So just a regular night for Peaches then. Recently, she took part in a Vice and Intel collaboration otherwise known as The Creators Project, an initiative designed to connect young people through a common passion for creativity and technology, to riff about her constantly evolving concepts and ambitions. Other artists involved in the project include Phoenix, Mark Ronson, Interpol, Spike Jonze, UNKLE and Nick Zinner from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Here’s a sneak peak of Phoenix, who we always have time for:
http://www.thecreatorsproject.com/en-uk/creators/phoenix

More interviews can be found on TheCreatorsProject.com, an interactive portal and anthology which will house a selection of eighty-four original videos and featuring work and interviews from the most creative artists across the globe, including discussions with innovators working in indie film, futuristic architecture, avant-garde electronica and fashion. These include Brazil’s Muti Randolph, China’s Peng Lei, the U.K.’s United Visual Artists, and the U.S.’ Radical Friend.

The last time we met Peaches, more about she was attending a friends party in Brick Lane, cheap and on down-time from her live shows. Relaxed, more about mellow and low key, I had no idea that this super-chilled woman in front of me would put on the most spectacular and extravagant stage show that I have ever seen. But that’s just what she did one month later under the warm night sky of Benicassim, mesmerising the audience that she presided over in her Grand Dame role of sound sculptress; one part circus ringleader, one part mad professor. Combining state of the art technologies with her minimalist electro music, she created sounds and visuals on lazer harps, glow in the dark rods that moved micro-tonally, had her backup singers beamed across her clothes and generally raised the bar of musical creativity. So just a regular night for Peaches then. Recently, she took part in a Vice and Intel collaboration otherwise known as The Creators Project, an initiative designed to connect young people through a common passion for creativity and technology, to riff about her constantly evolving concepts and ambitions. Other artists involved in the project include Phoenix, Mark Ronson, Interpol, Spike Jonze, UNKLE and Nick Zinner from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Here’s a sneak peak of Phoenix, who we always have time for:
http://www.thecreatorsproject.com/en-uk/creators/phoenix

Illustration by Lisa Stannard

With big names like Lily Allen, advice Agyness Deyn, Kelly Osbourne and Sophie Ellis Bextor all under her belt, designer Olivia Rubin has certainly made a name for herself on the London fashion scene. Her collection Olivia Rubin London, and it’s diffusion line Oli Rubi, prove that she is a rising fashion upstart, and is ready to take the rest of the world by storm! Check out our Q & A with her below…

A/W 2011

Your A/W ’10/11 Collection, as stated, was inspired by “all things eerie, mystical and dark” and used images from Hardy’s nineteenth century romantic classics. But was there a significant moment, image, or occurrence that persuaded your inspiration to become clear to you, or was it a gradual realisation?

I was initially drawn to the Mulberry AW09 campaign – that was the starting point for research. I combined this with thoughts of Thomas Hardy’s novel ‘Return of the Native’ and gathered images, colours and photos for research that had a darker, more ethereal quality. ?

Miro, illustrated by Abi Daker

There is, undeniably, a feminine quality to your work, particularly in the silhouettes, which you said empower the female form. But what do you think your line’s main ‘aim’ is, in regards to women wearing your designs? Does your line have a certain aesthetic?

The collections are meant to flatter a women’s figure whilst retaining an individual edge. The prints are key to creating an alternative look – I try to steer clear of creating looks that are overly girly! ?

A recurring theme in your designs is giving them a particular name. Your S/S 10 collection featured dressed named after world famous artists such as Gaudí, Matisse, and Opie. Further, your A/W 10/11 collection features women’s names, such as Sylvia, Darcy, and Belle. Are the names derived from your inspiration for each collection, or do they come from a different process?
All the names relate to the theme of each of the collections. SS10 focused on modern artist movements so it made sense to name each of the dresses after a famous artist. The same goes for AW10 – this time I focused on old fashioned women’s names. It turns out that two of the best selling dresses of the season are both my grandmas’ names’ – Ada and Dorrie! ?

Your Belle Tunic and Darcy ‘Bug’ Dress feature the A/W Bug print that you designed, adding an air of vintage to the looks. Where did the image of the bugs come from, and how did you go about in creating the initial print?
I bought the most beautiful insect brooch from Portobello Market and thought that they would look great in a print. I ended up doing a small scale overall bug print so that the bugs are only noticeable from close up. I am also in the process of creating an exclusive bug dress that features all over bug embroidery and beading – it is going to be a really special piece! ?

Your diffusion line, Oli Rubi, features your bug print, as well as various other prints. With a diffusion line, consumers still have that distinctive Olivia Rubin aesthetic, but at the same time, don’t break the bank. Do you feel as a designer and businesswoman that it is important to address this point of view, considering the current economic conditions?
It is massively important to me – I love fashion but want to be able to buy an amazing, unique dress without spending over £500. All my silk mainline collection is priced under £350, while the ‘Oli Rubi’ line starts form £60. ‘Oli Rubi’ was introduced more as a casual printed jersey range – I wanted to make my prints more accessible to a day to day wardrobe.

Kandinsky, illustrated by Lisa Stannard

Finally, I threw some quick fire questions at Olivia:

Do you prefer sketching designs or constructing them?
Sketching

What do you like the most about designing clothes?
Coming up with new ideas – I’m always thinking of ideas for up and coming collections – that’s what I thrive on!

Describe your person style in three words
Individual, colourful, chic

What does fashion mean to you in three words?
Life, style, passion

What advice would you give those that would like to get into fashion design?
Work experience is key-the more internships you can put onto your CV while you are studying at university the better!

In short, Miss Rubin is yet another designer to watch out for. With her one-of-a-kind prints and diffusion line Oli Rubi, her unique style will transcend any budget!

Gaudí, illustrated by Abi Daker

You can follow Olivia on twitter at @OliviaRubin

Written by Colin Dawidziuk on Thursday June 24th, 2010 3:23 pm

Categories ,Abi Daker, ,Agyness Dean, ,bugs, ,fashion, ,Gaudí, ,Julian Opie, ,Kelly Osbourne, ,lily allen, ,Lisa Stannard, ,london, ,matisse, ,Mulberry, ,Oli Rubi, ,Olivia Rubin, ,Portobello Market, ,prints, ,Return of the Native, ,Sophie Ellis-Bextor, ,Thomas Hardy

Amelia’s Magazine | University of Brighton Illustration Graduate Show 2011 Review: the Collagists

Brighton University illustration graduate show 2011-Rosanna Webster
Illustration by Rosanna Webster.

So much to see at the very professionally laid out Brighton Graphic Design and Illustration Graduate Show at the Rochelle School a few weeks ago. There were plenty of lovely prints and limited edition books to buy and the beautifully printed catalogue will likely be the only show catalogue I am keeping once summer is over: high praise indeed as I chuck out most of the bits I pick up straight away. In the recycling of course. (Although I did find a Free Range catalogue from 2004 the other day… which is precisely why I need to throw things out, information pills fast.)

Brighton University illustration graduate show 2011-Jerome Caine Miller
Illustration by Megan Turner-Jones.

A noticeable aspect of illustrative work produced by Brighton students was the emergence of some really distinct themes and methods. Which means that I can loosely arrange my write ups into a few blog posts: I’ll start with the Collagists, viagra approved of whom there were many. You might even call it a trend, which is handy since I am about to write about graduate illustration trends for Eye Magazine.

Brighton University illustration graduate show 2011-Jerome Caine Miller
Megan Turner-Jones collaged old prints, photos of fruit and holiday destinations together to create a wall of art: this was to prove a popular technique amongst Brighton students (collage walls).

Brighton University illustration graduate show 2011 Hyerim Lee

Hyerim Lee featured what looked like elements of family photos, arm movements and flowers to create graphic designs. His work is influenced by the separated families of his native Korea.

Brighton University illustration graduate show 2011-Rosanna Webster

Rosanna Webster‘s cut and paste approach was far more playful and surreal – skulls, bones, birds and landscapes were used to create beautiful shapes and designs, sometimes overlaid on humans with projections to add another layer of imagery. Rosanna was inspired by primitive beliefs of the fluidity between human and animal form. Her beautifully put together books emulated the tight graphical approach of high quality fashion magazines. I can see her elegant juxtaposition of imagery featuring in glossy mags, as it goes. Follow Rosanna Webster on Twitter.

Brighton University illustration graduate show 2011-Zoe Austin

Zoe Austin was also bitten by the collage bug, with restaurant scenes overlaid over extraterrestrial landscapes and surreal flower heads. She is inspired by sci fi novels and cats.

Brighton University illustration graduate show 2011-Anieszka Banks

Anieszka Banks is an Amelia’s Magazine illustrator, so I was delighted to see that she had included some of her work for me in her final show, and also the banner that Climate Camp took to Copenhagen back in 2009. Most of her work is influenced by environmental issues such as conservation, sustainability and biodiversity. It’s so good to see that at least one graduating illustrator is engaged in and tackling these issues properly. Her Simple Living book featured some gorgeous photography as well.

Brighton University illustration graduate show 2011-Jennifer Bailey

Jennifer Bailey juxtaposed painting, photos and fine collaged plant drawings together.

Brighton University illustration graduate show 2011-Chihiro Kyozuka
Chihiro Kyozuka followed the collaged theme, using a fixed palette of tropical flowers in reds and yellows, on top of which were placed old photos of her grandmother. These were inspired by her love of Sogetsu Ikebana flower arranging.

Brighton University illustration graduate show 2011-Chihiro Kyozuka
Chihiro Kyozuka had produced a series of beautiful postcards that I am tempted to frame (and the images were much admired on twitter) but is let down by a flash website… I can’t get further than the opening animation. Folks, just say NO to flash, please!

Next up… 80s influences and brilliant drawing…

Written by Amelia Gregory on Thursday July 21st, 2011 4:44 pm

Categories ,2011, ,Anieszka Banks, ,Arnold Circus, ,banner, ,Biodiversity, ,Brighton Graphic Design and Illustration Graduate Show, ,Catalogue, ,Chihiro Kyozuka, ,Climate Camp, ,collage, ,Collagists, ,conservation, ,copenhagen, ,eye magazine, ,Flash, ,Graduate Shows, ,Hyerim Lee, ,illustration, ,Jennifer Bailey, ,Jerome Caine Miller, ,korea, ,Megan Turner-Jones, ,photography, ,photomontage, ,prints, ,projection, ,Rochelle School, ,Rosanna Webster, ,Simple Living, ,Sogetsu Ikebana, ,surrealism, ,sustainability, ,trend, ,typography, ,Zoe Austin

Amelia’s Magazine | Valentine’s Day 2012: Gift Ideas

Rebecca-Hendin Valentines bear
Art by Rebecca Hendin.

Yup, it’s that time of year, Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us again… and I’ve been inundated with press releases for any number of loosely affiliated products for weeks on end. Here, then, is my round up of some gift ideas… although I’d like to add that my favourite gifts are usually home made. Call me odd, but I like the thought that someone has put time into creating something – shopping does of course take time as well, but you could always put those hands to use instead of those legs. And if there’s time for neither there’s always the mouse to hand…. As to what to do on the big night: why not read my round up of Valentine’s related events (including classes where you can make your loved a little special something).

Rebecca-Hendin Valentines
Rebecca-Hendin Valentines shakespeare
Firstly, gorgeous prints from Rebecca Hendin, available from her website. A steal! And perfect for evermore.

madi illustration valentines
Amelia’s Magazine contributor Madi has produce this lovely card for all you lovers, available on Etsy.

carne-griffiths-severred-2011-ink-and-tea-on-bockingford-watercolour-paper-75x56cm
For the art lovers amongst you: Debut Contemporary recommend a selection of work from their stable of artists. I adore this beautiful rose painting by Amelia’s Mag contributor Carne Griffiths.

Meet in the Park at night Front Row Society
Front Row Society is a new ethical platform. I like their Meet in the Park at Night printed scarf by Philippines based designer Jennifer Dayrit.

Cleo Ferrin Mercury has designed some lovely hibernating animal printed silk neckerchiefs for the boys.

pip n stuff scrabblecufflinks
Also for the man in your life, I like these very simple upcycled scrabble cufflinks by Pipnstuff.

Rob Ryan Valentines soma gallery
I particularly love this year’s annual offering from the original romantic Rob Ryan: there’s something gloriously old fashioned about it which is especially charming. Yours for just £120 from Soma Gallery and it hasn’t sold out yet.

secret envelope you too can look like this
*you too can look like this*

I’ve never been given knickers and personally I’m fine with buying my own, but if your lady likes a bit more luxury in the nether region why not subscribe to Secret Envelope? A monthly subscription for these designer knickers could be just the ticket, available at a very reasonable price.

maggie semple Gift card
How about this for another bespoke idea? Maggie Semple promises to trace the history of a favourite garment, and present the outcome in a beautifully presented book. I like the way that this values treasured clothing: the antithesis of throwaway culture. And all it requires right now is a gift card addressed to your loved one.

hannah martin valentines
On the jewellery front, how about this gorgeous abstract signet ring by Hannah Martin, whose new work is on display at Darkroom – a great destination for unusual gifts.

Maiden rude cakes
Finally I’m not sure what I think about these ‘profane cakes’ from Maiden, but they might appeal to the particularly cynical amongst you. They will be on sale between Friday 10th until Tuesday 14th February at the Maiden shop on Shoreditch High Street. All cakes are made locally in Hackney by Cakey Muto.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Thursday February 9th, 2012 4:17 pm

Categories ,Cakey Muto, ,Carne Griffiths, ,Cleo Ferrin Mercury, ,Darkroom, ,Debut Contemporary, ,ethical, ,Front Row Society, ,gifts, ,Hannah Martin, ,Jennifer Dayrit, ,jewellery, ,Madi Illustration, ,Maggie Semple, ,Maiden, ,Pipnstuff, ,prints, ,Rebecca Hendin, ,Secret Envelope, ,shoreditch, ,Shoreditch High Street, ,Soma Gallery, ,Valentine’s Day

Amelia’s Magazine | Valentine’s Day 2012: Gift Ideas

Rebecca-Hendin Valentines bear
Art by Rebecca Hendin.

Rebecca-Hendin Valentines
Rebecca-Hendin Valentines shakespeare
Firstly, gorgeous prints from Rebecca Hendin, available from her website. A steal! And perfect for evermore.

madi illustration valentines
Amelia’s Magazine contributor Madi has produce this lovely card for all you lovers, available on Etsy.

Cleo Ferrin Mercury has designed some lovely hibernating animal printed silk neckerchiefs for the boys.

pip n stuff scrabblecufflinks
Also for the man in your life, I like these very simple upcycled scrabble cufflinks by Pipnstuff.

secret envelope you too can look like this
*you too can look like this*

Written by Amelia Gregory on Thursday February 9th, 2012 4:17 pm

Amelia’s Magazine | London Art Fair 2012 Review: Part One

London Art Fair 2012 -Andrea Mastrovito
London Art Fair 2012. Detail of Andrea Mastrovito‘s Gulliver’s Travels.

You may remember from my previous blog that the launch of The Catlin Guide for the best graduate artists took place at the London Art Fair last week. I popped along to the Islington Business Design Centre to check out the completed guide, suss out which galleries are showcasing the best new talent, and find out what trends are hot in the art world right now.

London Art Fair 2012 -Annie Whiles, detail Annie Whiles, detail.

First up at Danielle Arnaud I loved work by Annie Whiles, using simple line to create iconic shapes.

London Art Fair 2012 -Simon Lewty, detail
Simon Lewty, detail.

Simon Lewty for Art First showed amazing inked drawings: it’s well worth checking out the rest of his work.

London Art Fair 2012 -Annie Morris, detail
Annie Morris, detail.

At Pertwee, Anderson & Gold, the first in a common theme was evident, rows of stuff: in this case hundreds of pegs, each decorated with a crudely drawn female figure. This Peg Piece was created by artist Annie Morris, who rose to fame after illustrating the children’s book The Man With the Dancing Eyes by Sophie Dahl.

Andrea mastrovito Foley Gallery
London Art Fair 2012 -Andrea Mastrovito, detail
Andrea Mastrovito, detail.

At Foley Gallery Andrea Mastrovito used intricate collaged paper for the Gulliver’s Travels series, which imagines a brightly coloured world of little people and puppet hands.

justine smith the-british-isles
Diamond dust is hot news for use in prints, favoured by the likes of Damian Hirst, Peter Blake, and Justine Smith at TAG Fine Arts. Her lovely limited edition print of a bank note British Isles features oodles of the stuff. Common glitter was also a favourite enhancement for many artists.

claire brewster flyingfinch
London Art Fair 2012 -Claire Brewster

Also at TAG I loved the work of Claire Brewster. The Harbingers featured exquisitely cut and mounted birds, created from old maps: Maps are another massive trend, reworked into any manner of different outcomes. Good to see so much upcycling!

Tobias Till Picadilly tag arts
Tobias Till showed a fabulous set of prints – the London A-Z, available as a boxed set and selling very well if the red dots were anything to go by.

Witness - Detail Rachel Shaw Ashton
Witness – Detail, by Rachel Shaw Ashton.

Of course TAG also host the work of Rob Ryan (read a review of his TAG art exhibition in 2010 here). More beautiful papercutting (still a massive trend) came from Rachel Shaw Ashton, showing with JaggedArt. She layers paper with pins to create simple shapes in pure white to great affect.

London Art Fair 2012 -tracey bush
I was also drawn to the 3D sculpture by Tracey Bush. Little Clod of Earth is a clump of wild plants made from the dog ends of paper packaging – oddly beautiful and strange.

London Art Fair 2012 -francesca prieto
JaggedArt also hosts the work of Francisca Prieto, who once more works with old atlases and maps to create beautiful 3D repetitive works of art. We wrote about her recent exhibition Unbound.

London Art Fair 2012 -Charles Fazzino
London Art Fair 2012 -London Art Fair 2012 -Charles Fazzino
USA based artist Charles Fazzino creates astonishing scenes with layers of paper. He calls it 3D pop art; showing with Galerie Olivier Waltman from Paris.

London Art Fair 2012 -derrick santini
On a completely different tangent I was surprised to see the work of fashion photographer Derrick Santini, who showed lenticular artwork with Scream. Forget those cheesy Jesus postcards, these artworks feature an astonishing amount of different angles. I can see city types absolutely loving one of these on their penthouse apartment walls!

London Art Fair 2012 -karen nicol
Russian_Bear_by_Karen_Nicol
Russian Bear by Karen Nicol.

The Rebecca Hossack gallery always hosts interesting craft based artworks: Karen Nicol‘s Thread Bear utilised a vintage piece of French needlepoint as the basis, into which pieces have been embroidered and appliqued. I have a bad photo so here’s another similar piece.

London Art Fair 2012 -rebecca coles
Rebecca Coles also shows with Rebecca Hossack – you can read our extensive interview with this paper artist who specialises in butterflies here.

London Art Fair 2012 -simone lia

Rounding a corner I was pleased to see a wall of artwork by Simone Lia, who sells prints with Jealous Gallery. Her infamous Hello Sausage Hello Chicken has just been reissued in a new colour range. The gallery are also the purveyors of the prints from the Ghosts of Gone Birds exhibition, including the fab Ralph Steadman birds (read my review here).

More coming up shortly… don’t go away! *here’s part two of my review*

Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday January 24th, 2012 1:40 pm

Categories ,2012, ,Anderson & Gold, ,Andrea Mastrovito, ,Annie Morris, ,Annie Whiles, ,art, ,Art First, ,Butterflies, ,Charles Fazzino, ,Claire Brewster, ,collage, ,craft, ,Damian Hirst, ,Danielle Arnaud, ,Derrick Santini, ,Foley Gallery, ,Francisca Prieto, ,Galerie Olivier Waltman, ,Ghosts of Gone Birds, ,Gulliver’s Travels, ,Hello Sausage Hello Chicken, ,Islington Business Centre, ,JaggedArt, ,Jealous Gallery, ,Justine Smith, ,Karen Nicol, ,Lenticular, ,Little Clod of Earth, ,London A-Z, ,London Art Fair, ,maps, ,Papercutting, ,Pegs, ,Pertwee, ,Peter Blake, ,prints, ,Rachel Shaw Ashton, ,Ralph Steadman, ,Rebecca Hossack Gallery, ,Rebecca J Coles, ,review, ,Rob Ryan TAG fine arts, ,Scream, ,Simon Lewty, ,Simone Lia, ,Sophie Dahl, ,textile, ,The Catlin Guide, ,The Harbingers, ,Thread Bear, ,Tobias Till, ,Tracey Bush, ,Unbound, ,Upcycling

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