Amelia’s Magazine | Fred Butler: London Fashion Week A/W 2012 Presentation Review

Fred Butler AW 2012 by Mitika Chohan

Fred Butler AW 2012 by Mitika Chohan

I love Fred Butler. She has been one of my favourite accessories and props designers for a few years now and apart from what she makes I also adore the fascinating and playful way in which she dresses as well as the way she expresses herself in interviews, which reveals a really quite special person indeed. I had seen her props pop up here and there in magazines, like in Amelia’s Magazine Issue 7 for which she made a Noah’s Ark shaped paper hat – in fact Amelia Gregory was one of the first to commission props from Fred. But I think a story I saw in i-D’s The Agyness Deyn Issue from May 2008, titled ‘Attitude’, featuring an inflatable rockets bra by Fred among other striking props, was what made me an official fan.

Fred Butler AW 2012 Charli XCX photo by Maria Papadimitriou

While queueing to see Fred’s live presentation of her A/W 2012 collection at The Portico Rooms in Somerset House on the 20th of February I was extra happy because – apart from the obvious reason – my young friend and budding stylist Isabella Sumner of Secret Danger Sister was texting me from backstage. Isabella became Kim Howells’ assistant for this London Fashion Week season after I forwarded to her a post by Kim I saw on Facebook asking for help! Kim has styled numerous Fred Butler presentations, films and lookbooks. Fred’s presentation took the form of a mini catwalk show which repeated itself over and over to a different audience each time. And there was quite a crowd to get through. During the four times in and out from the Portico Rooms – I saw the show twice – there were queues extending all the way to and down the stairs leading to the ground level of Somerset House. In those queues I spotted an array of some of the coolest, cutting edge creatives around, like Piers Atkinson, Bishi, Alùn Davies and Diane Pernet and filmmaker Konstantinos Menelaou from ASVOF, to name a few, all of whom of course love Fred’s original work.

Fred Butler AW 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou 9

Fred Butler AW 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Refreshingly the show opened with pop singer Charli XCX singing her catchy song ‘I’ll Never Know’ live with a band. Fred Butler, who’s twitter feed is full of #thismorningimlisteningto and other music related tweets, has a special relationship with music. She often DJs, she has made props for musicians such as Patrick Wolf, Nicki Minaj, Beth Ditto, La Roux AND Lady Gaga and, according to her, looking at the way musicians were dressed on album covers when she was little has been very inspiring. So it seems entirely natural that this season Fred, enabled by Red Bull Catwalk Studio, collaborated with Charlie XCX on a bespoke soundtrack for the collection. In general I think that the way Fred uses different art forms to enhance and show her work works incredibly well – for example she has made beautiful fashion films of her previous collections with talented young directors such as Zaiba Jabbar and Elisha Smith-Leverock.

Fred Butler AW 2012 by Nicola Ellen

Fred Butler AW 2012 by Nicola Ellen

Fred Butler AW 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Fred Butler 2012 by Catherine Meadows

Fred Butler 2012 by Catherine Meadows

Fred Butler AW 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Another notable and interesting thing about Fred Butler’s collections is the way she titles them using combined, long and sometimes made up words and phrases that seem to describe an other worldly thing or process in exactly the same intricate and imaginative way her pieces are made. The title of this collection was Tank Top-Ranking, Tong-Tied and Twisted. Her S/S 2012 collection was called Sonic Sinuate Supertemporal Sequestador and a 2011 collection went under the name of Incandescent Meta-morph-incessant.

Fred Butler AW 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Fred Butler AW 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Fred Butler AW 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Fred Butler AW 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Fred Butler AW 2012 LFW  by Deborah Moon

Fred Butler AW 2012 LFW by Deborah Moon

Fred Butler AW 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Following her S/S 2012 collection which featured more round shapes, frills and quite a bit of fabric, I was personally happy that in this collection Fred returned to origami folding techniques and body props with more clear cut, geometric shapes. This time I thought that the four colour goddesses that stepped out looked impeccable from head to toe. Each model had a monochrome base formed by beautiful knitted undergarments – a collaboration with EDE who specialise in English produced hand knits – and a matching colour wig. Placed on top of that base were a quilted, high collar gilet, origami obi belts, a marshmallow hued harness with twisted tubes, more belts and headbands out of twisted strings and more origami inspired, sculptural body pieces. The outfits were completed by colour matching shoes designed in collaboration with Rosy Nicholas. According to the press release there was a sushi related theme under all of this, especially in relation to the colour palette used. Usually I am very intrigued by the designers’ influences and references – and I have fun making up quite a few of my own when looking at collections – but Fred Butler’s work is for me so striking and fulfilling visually that my mind feels too drunk with pure aesthetic pleasure to care for any explanation in other terms.

Fred Butler AW 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Fred Butler AW 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

All photography by Maria Papadimitriou

Categories ,A Shaded View on Fashion, ,accessories, ,accessories designer, ,Agyness Deyn, ,Alun Davies, ,Amelia’s Magazine, ,ASVOF, ,Beth Ditto, ,Bishi, ,Catherine Meadows, ,Charli XCX, ,Collaborations, ,Deborah Moon, ,Diane Pernet, ,EDE, ,Elisha Smith-Leverock, ,Ella Dror PR, ,Fashion Film, ,Fred Butler, ,i-D, ,Isabella Sumner, ,japanese, ,Kim Howells, ,Kimonos, ,Knits, ,Knotted, ,Konstantinos Menelaou, ,La Roux, ,Lady Gaga, ,London Fashion Week, ,Maria Papadimitriou, ,Mitika Chohan, ,monochrome, ,music, ,Nail Art, ,Nicki Minaj, ,Nicola Haigh, ,Noah’s Ark, ,Obi Belts, ,origami, ,pastels, ,Patrick Wolf, ,piers atkinson, ,Portico Rooms, ,Props, ,Quilting, ,rainbow, ,Red Bull Catwalk Studio, ,Red Bull Music Academy, ,Secret Danger Sister, ,Somerset House, ,Sushi, ,Twisted, ,Zaiba Jabbar

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Amelia’s Magazine | Graduate Fashion Week 2011 Gala Awards Show: Womenswear Knitwear and Tailoring

GFW Charlotte Waters by Claire Kearns
Charlotte Waters by Claire Kearns.

Now for the real meat of the Graduate Fashion Week Gala Awards show… the womenswear on show. Here are those designers who concentrated on tailoring, more about textures and knitwear.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Charlotte Waters 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Charlotte Waters 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Charlotte Waters 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Charlotte Waters 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Charlotte Waters 2011
Charlotte Waters of Salford showed a dark and moody collection with plenty of texture and knit. Intelligent Evolution was inspired by obsolete technology such as cassettes. Grunge with a modern twist – loved the over sized fibrous shoes.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Cindy M Warsono 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Cindy M Warsono 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Cindy M Warsono 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Cindy M Warsono 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Cindy M Warsono 2011
Cindy M Warsono by Hayley Warnham
Cindy M Warsono by Hayley Warnham.

I wasn’t massively keen on La Salle College of the Arts Singapore graduate Cindy M Warsono‘s collection of bulky cream hoodies and tight trousers.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Jaskiran Hare 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Jaskiran Hare 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Jaskiran Hare 2011
Jaskiran Hare of Kingston University showed a monochrome collection based on traditional tailoring turned inside out and back to front.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Jungo Kuroiwa 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Jungo Kuroiwa 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Jungo Kuroiwa 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Jungo Kuroiwa 2011
Jungo Kuroiwa of UCA Epsom favoured a very black approach as well: layered tailoring and lace all mixed up together to create interest.

GFW-Rory-Longdon_by_AlisonDay
Rory Longdon by Alison Day.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Rory Longdon 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Rory Longdon 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Rory Longdon 2011
Rory Longdon went for subdued black and silver in his knitwear collection – but even a colour lover like me could admire these beautifully constructed garments – up close they were just amazing. Not for nothing did he win the overall Gala Award. He goes on to study an MA in Fashion Womenswear at the RCA this September.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Lyudmila Lane 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Lyudmila Lane 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Lyudmila Lane 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Lyudmila Lane 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Lyudmila Lane 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Lyudmila Lane 2011
Lyudmila Lane of UCA Rochester stuck to lighter greys and orange in pleated shapes for Endless Sequence, medications inspired by the sculptures of Peter Jansen. The garments didn’t always work – I was much more interested in her intriguing shoes.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Rachel Cogley 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Rachel Cogley 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Rachel Cogley 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Rachel Cogley 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Rachel Cogley 2011
Rachel Cogley from University of Birmingham must surely have been inspired by Charlie Le Mindu – her fun collection borrowed heavily from his avante garde design aesthetic. Nonetheless I enjoyed her crazy big shouldered plaited hair coats and the poodle bag which matched both wig and coat.

naomi-law-gfw-gala-ume-sacraine
naomi-law-gfw-gala-ume-sacraine
Ume Sacraine by Naomi Law.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Ume Sacraine 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Ume Sacraine 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Ume Sacraine 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Ume Sacraine 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Ume Sacraine 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Ume Sacraine 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Ume Sacraine 2011
It was back to black for Ume Sacraine of De Montford University… who started with a panelled mini dress before moving on to a whole range of intriguing fringed, embossed and gnarled textures in a sombre palette.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Won Jee Chung 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Won Jee Chung 2011
Finally, Won Jee Chung showed more monochrome, this time intarsia knit and a strangely unflattering bulky hooded top with sheer palazzo pants.

Categories ,Alison Day, ,black, ,Charlie le Mindu, ,Charlotte Waters, ,Cindy M Warsono, ,Claire Kearns, ,De Montford University, ,Endless Sequence, ,GFW, ,Graduate Fashion Week, ,Grey, ,Hayley Warnham, ,Intelligent Evolution, ,Jaskiran Hare, ,Jungo Kuroiwa, ,Kingston University, ,knitwear, ,La Salle College of the Arts, ,Lyudmila Lane, ,monochrome, ,Naomi Law, ,Peter Jansen, ,Rachel Cogley, ,Rory Longdon, ,Singapore, ,tailoring, ,Textures, ,UCA Epsom, ,UCA Rochester, ,Ume Sacraine, ,University of Birmingham, ,Womenswear, ,Won Jee Chung

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Amelia’s Magazine | Emma Ware: the sustainable designer who makes jewellery from tyres

Lisa Stannard, diagnosis cheapest Emesha S/S 2010
Emesha is created by Emese Nagy, look who was named after the lead lady in a myth about the creation of the Hungarian kingdom. She grew up between Hungary and the United States before moving to London, for sale all of which has made her very open-minded and observant. My travels have been a great inspiration to me as a designer. She particularly likes the quirky style of places such as Shoreditch in east London.

Being a socially sensitive type who wants to help others it was natural that she took an ethical stance for her brand especially as she began to understand more about the origins and manufacturing of clothing. As a strict vegetarian she doesn’t use fur or leather in her designs, case and only natural materials. An internship at Vivienne Westwood taught her about precision in complicated patterns, and at Jasper Conran she was given the confidence to create a collection from start to finish. I was involved in all the stages of production which gave me a good insight into how the final garment comes together…

Read the rest of this interview with Emesha in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, alongside interviews with 44 other ethical fashion designers and 30 fabulous fashion illustrators. You can buy the book here.
Emesha is created by Emese Nagy, erectile who was named after the lead lady in a myth about the creation of the Hungarian kingdom. She grew up between Hungary and the United States before moving to London, troche all of which has made her very open-minded and observant. My travels have been a great inspiration to me as a designer. She particularly likes the quirky style of places such as Shoreditch in east London.

Being a socially sensitive type who wants to help others it was natural that she took an ethical stance for her brand especially as she began to understand more about the origins and manufacturing of clothing. As a strict vegetarian she doesn’t use fur or leather in her designs, seek and only natural materials. An internship at Vivienne Westwood taught her about precision in complicated patterns, and at Jasper Conran she was given the confidence to create a collection from start to finish. I was involved in all the stages of production which gave me a good insight into how the final garment comes together…

Read the rest of this interview with Emesha in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, alongside interviews with 44 other ethical fashion designers and 30 fabulous fashion illustrators. You can buy the book here.
Lisa Stannard, <a target=adiposity Emesha S/S 2010″ title=”Lisa Stannard, online Emesha S/S 2010″ width=”480″ height=”576″ class=”alignnone size-full wp-image-32247″ />
Emesha S/S 2010 by Lisa Stannard.

Emesha is created by Emese Nagy, approved who was named after the lead lady in a myth about the creation of the Hungarian kingdom. She grew up between Hungary and the United States before moving to London, all of which has made her very open-minded and observant. My travels have been a great inspiration to me as a designer. She particularly likes the quirky style of places such as Shoreditch in east London.

Being a socially sensitive type who wants to help others it was natural that she took an ethical stance for her brand especially as she began to understand more about the origins and manufacturing of clothing. As a strict vegetarian she doesn’t use fur or leather in her designs, and only natural materials. An internship at Vivienne Westwood taught her about precision in complicated patterns, and at Jasper Conran she was given the confidence to create a collection from start to finish. I was involved in all the stages of production which gave me a good insight into how the final garment comes together…

Read the rest of this interview with Emesha in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, alongside interviews with 44 other ethical fashion designers and 30 fabulous fashion illustrators. You can buy the book here.
Lisa Stannard, <a target=rx Emesha S/S 2010″ title=”Lisa Stannard, buy Emesha S/S 2010″ width=”480″ height=”576″ class=”alignnone size-full wp-image-32247″ />
Emesha S/S 2010 by Lisa Stannard.

Emesha is created by Emese Nagy, pill who was named after the lead lady in a myth about the creation of the Hungarian kingdom. She grew up between Hungary and the United States before moving to London, all of which has made her very open-minded and observant. My travels have been a great inspiration to me as a designer. She particularly likes the quirky style of places such as Shoreditch in east London.

Being a socially sensitive type who wants to help others it was natural that she took an ethical stance for her brand especially as she began to understand more about the origins and manufacturing of clothing. As a strict vegetarian she doesn’t use fur or leather in her designs, and only natural materials. An internship at Vivienne Westwood taught her about precision in complicated patterns, and at Jasper Conran she was given the confidence to create a collection from start to finish. I was involved in all the stages of production which gave me a good insight into how the final garment comes together…

Read the rest of this interview with Emesha in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, alongside interviews with 44 other ethical fashion designers and 30 fabulous fashion illustrators. You can buy the book here.
Joana Faria_Emma Ware_S-S 2011
Emma Ware by Joana Faria.

Jewellery from tyres.
I have always been attracted to colourful, sildenafil shiny, fun pieces of old broken jewellery, toys and bottle tops; stuff that others would consider rubbish or of no use. It doesn’t make ecological or economic sense to manufacture new materials when there is so much out there already. Reusing materials changes the way you design because it forces you to work within the limits of the material you have and I am constantly on the lookout for new waste materials to use. One day my friend had a puncture, and seeing potential in the rubber ring of the inner tube I had a go at chopping it up and immediately knew I was onto something.

Elegance in rubber.
I create designs based on what the rubber wants me to do, playing with the natural shapes when it is cut up in different ways. Making repetitive cuts in graduated sizes of inner tubes rings seems to result in designs that imitate naturally occurring organic patterns; similar to those found in wings, feathers, leaves, shells or even waves. My signature pieces are based on cutting the tube in a specific way, from which I figure out how I can make something to complement the human form…

Read the rest of this interview with Emma Ware in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, alongside interviews with 44 other ethical fashion designers and 30 fabulous fashion illustrators. You can buy the book here.

Categories ,ACOFI, ,Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, ,Eco fashion, ,Emma Ware, ,Ethical Fashion, ,Feathers, ,Joana Faria, ,leaves, ,organic, ,recycling, ,Rubber, ,shells, ,wings

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

Louise Gray A/W 2011 by Abi Heyneke
Louise Gray A/W 2011 by Abi Heyneke.

For almost the entire trip to Russia I was convinced that Louise Gray was another girl in the Fashion East entourage… it was only when she stepped out to take her bow on the catwalk that I realised she was the very tiny blonde girl in sky high heels. Louise is a textile designer at heart, remedy and her colourful vision has attracted an almost unfeasible amount of hype in recent years: I tried to see her show this season at London Fashion Week but arrived too late to get into the tiny On/Off venue. This was a great way to see her show in a slightly less pressurised arena, site in front of an audience who might not be quite so frantically enthusiastic about her amazing technicolour palette.

Louise Gray A/W 2011 by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly the Eggs
Louise Gray A/W 2011 by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly the Eggs.

Louise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 by Abi Heyneke
Louise Gray A/W 2011 by Abi Heyneke

Her A/W 2011 collection lived up to expectations: all clashing primary tartans and devilishly playful spotty make up which had been slightly toned down from her London show. The first model strode down the catwalk with an amused smile upon her lips as well she might given that she was sporting a metallic blue ruffled shorts suit accessorised with helium heart balloons that drifted above her head. The range encompassed dresses, shirts and mohair coats, all worn with thigh high patent spotty boots. Peel away a few of the garments and there was usually one that could easily be worn alone by someone less daring than the Louise Gray archetype. A lot of fun, but one can only wonder what the much more conservative Russian audience thought of it all. Here’s hoping they went away inspired by the possibilities of what fashion can be.

Louise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia Gregory
Louise Gray A/W 2011. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Louise Gray A/W 2011 by Abi Heyneke
Louise Gray A/W 2011 by Abi Heyneke

Categories ,Abi Heyneke, ,Clashing, ,Fashion East, ,Helium Balloons, ,London Fashion Week, ,Louise Gray, ,Lulu Kennedy, ,Maria Papadimitriou, ,Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia, ,Moscow, ,Multi-coloured, ,onoff, ,prints, ,Russia!, ,Slowly the Eggs, ,Technicolour, ,textiles

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Amelia’s Magazine | Polly Balitro

It’s astounding what you can unearth when you delve through flickr. I exposed a complete hidden gem this week amidst the urban jungle of the internet. My gem came in the form of Italian Photographer Polly Balitro, and to tell the truth I have been left utterly in awe since my discovery. Her photos have a overwhelming quixotic feel, as if you have unintentionally stumbled upon her cherished diary. Every picture exudes sentimentality, charting Balitro’s exploration of love, loss and identity.

polly_08.jpg

Alas much to my displeasure I couldn’t warrant a trip to Italy for a interview with Polly so I decided a virtual email would have to suffice.

Your work seems very multi media based, what mediums do you usually use when making your work?

I am working mainly with analogic processes, darkroom printing and polaroid transfers, because I believe that art photography is a sort of performance that requires the rituals that just analog can give. But I always scan my work to put on social networks like facebook, myspace and flickr, to get people to know my pieces easily.

polly_01.png

What other artists have inspired you in your work?

I usually get inspiration from young unknown artists around me. I spend lots of time surfing the web through pages like flickr, deviant art and myspace. Young artists are fresh have really innovative and experimental ideas. I love how the combination between images, music and perfomance work perfectly together.

polly_02.png

Your work is quite nostalgic, do any of the images have particular sentimental value to you?

My work is certainly extremely nostalgic, because it’s totally based on feelings coming from my inner soul. I am currently working on my final thesis, for the end of my 3 years at photography school. It will be very intense work centering around the feeling of being hunted by someone. My photography aims to talk about some sort of ghostly presence that never leaves me totally alone, people from my past, present and future that are constantly affecting my mood and my action, even though they’re not actually here with me. I think this maybe can explain why I am truly attached to all of my images.

polly_03.jpg

You use a very subtle colours in your work, is there any particular reason for this?

The subtle colours in my work come with my love for the northern countries. I am strongly affected by the scandinavian taste for low saturation in colours, and I am extremely attached to my black and whites that I always process in my darkroom. I feel like low saturation and black and white make a perfect union with the theme of my photography.

polly_04.jpg

You work has a certain ethereal quality to it, would you agree with that interpretation?

The certain ethereal quality comes along with the soul theme of my whole work, as I said before: I am trying to speak about something that goes beyond the everyday material experience, to give away a sense of unknown and ethereal matters.

polly_05.jpg


What advice would you give emerging photographers to do if they want to break into the industry?

I really wouldn’t know what advice to give people like me. I am still trying to make my way to the world with my art works, and I don’t think it will be easy to get well known. I guess, the best you can do is to try hard and keep on believing that sometime you will find your place. A good way to start out is to try to get as much “audience” as possible: social networks are extremely good for that.

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It’s apparent Balitro has an abundance of talent within her sphere far beyond her years, I for one am going to keep my beady eye on her flickr account!

Categories ,Colour, ,Conceptual, ,Monochrome, ,Photography, ,Polly Balitro

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with McBess about Big Mother

bigmother mcbess

He’s just held an exhibition titled The Folding Knife at The Book Club and he’s produced a fabulous A3 sized monograph with Nobrow. Let’s find out more about the bendy monochrome force of illustration that is McBess.

Where did the name McBess come from?
?It came at school, approved there were too many Matthieus in my class and a mate contracted my last name and first name to make it more memorable… it went from matbess to mcbess quite quickly.??

McBess Big Mother
How did your recent exhibition at the The Book Club come about, order and how did you choose what to display??
Well I was invited by Liat Chen, pill the curator of The Book Club, but because the place is so big I decided to invite some fellow illustrators. Everything there was made for the show, so I didn’t pick and choose from previous work.??

mcbess big mother
How long have you been working with Nobrow and how did the relationship start??
I’ve been working with Nobrow for 3 years I think, they invited me to be in the first Nobrow magazine God & Monsters. We became friends and kept on working together.

McBess Big Mother
??What is the defining characteristic of Big Mother, your A3 monograph with Nobrow??
Well it’s a A3 book for a start which is very cool since my work is about tiny details, most of the work in there is real size. Also it’s like a sum up of everything I’ve done for the last 3 years, I guess it’s a chance to see an evolution or a recurrence in the themes.??

mcbess big mother
What is the process of creating your illustrations?
How do they begin, and what kind of working environment do you like? ?Well it depends but I tend to look at a lot of different things: movies, music, book, the Internet. Then I focus on a mood and try to find what it’s made out of, for instance if I was to do something about bikers, I’ll try to find all the iconography and play with them, the beards, the bikes, but also the pattern in the clothing, the types on the oil tanks and some not as obvious details that would set a dense mood. Then I’ll first flesh out a rough drawing either on paper or straight on photoshop, and I’ll refine it several time until I can start shading. I usually watch TV series when I work, music makes me too exited.

McBess Big Mother
??You are also a musician – what kind of music do you like and what kind do you make?
?I like a lot different types of music: rock, hip hop, electro, jazz… but I write rock tunes for the band. I try to keep it simple and catchy, I find it very hard to step back and listen to a track like you would do with a drawing, but that also why it’s a thrilling experience.??

mcbess big mother
How does music influence your art?
?Well I’ve always used music themes in my work, I’ve always been playing music and so it’s always been one of the most important things for me. I try to talk a bit about what I like in my illustration, so naturally music has a huge place in it. Now it’s funny because the illustrations are also influencing the music, and we try to make sounds that fit the mood of some illustrations. I think it will give more depth to everything.??

McBess Big Mother
You grew up in the South of France… what do people think of art like yours in your home town?
?I don’t know really, I started drawing when I was in London, there’s not that many young people from where I live and the rest tend to look at my illustrations as funny doodles, which might be why I sometimes make them quite violent. Anyway I don’t think the south of France is the best place to develop a style and be supported for it, but if you want to open a hot dog stand or a swingers night club then you might think otherwise.??

mcbess big mother
You mention that you can’t draw arms and knees, hence your bendy limbs – anything else you can’t draw or hate drawing??
Aha, well it started like that indeed, I was very bad at junctions, drawing good angles while keeping a harmony in the curves. Now I think I can draw knees and elbows but it doesn’t mean I like to. I also don’t like drawing buildings, sports, veggie food, cars, phones, penises, clean shaved men, planes…??

McBess Big Mother
Why do you only work in black and white, and can you foresee a time in the future when you might be tempted by colour??
I work in colour for my commercial work and I find pleasure in it but I love black and white. It started like that because I used to only do pencil drawings and when I started to rework them on the computer I would ink them black and then add the colour, but that colour stage always made the drawing less emblematic, less iconic, so I never though I’d use it for my work, and I’ll keep it consistent. If I ever want to do colour I’ll start something else with another name.??

McBess Big Mother
What’s next in the pipeline with Nobrow?
?Well we’ve been working on a possible toy, and for the rest I’m not too sure for now, I need to go back to the drawing board to make some more stuff and then they might be interested in putting it on paper.??

Any other exciting collaborations that you can tell us about??
I’m working on a bike with the Dudes Factory in Berlin which should come out with a range of biker themed tee shirts. For now that’s all I’ve got in the pipeline.?

The new McBess book Big Mother can be bought from Nobrow here.

Categories ,A3, ,Big Mother, ,Dudes Factory, ,french, ,God & Monsters, ,illustration, ,liat chen, ,Matthieus, ,McBess, ,monochrome, ,Monograph, ,Nobrow, ,South of France, ,The Book Club, ,The Folding Knife

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