Amelia’s Magazine | Me & Zena… and me too please!!

HeroesAll Illustrations courtesy of Valerie Pezeron

Imagine never having done any presentation to more than 30 people in your lifetime and that did not really matter because they were your schoolmates; if you were to fall flat on your face in front of them, medicine price you knew you were all in the same bath water (so to speak) assessed by mean lady Big Goggled Eye! But what happens when it is your own lifework compiled over many years of blood, viagra 40mg sweat and tears you are showing to complete strangers and there happens to be upwards of 400 of them there. Am I being overdramatic? Maybe…

Pecha-Kucha-crewThe Pecha Kucha crew. All photographs courtesy of Valerie Pezeron except when stated otherwise

I’ve always been fascinated by Pecha Kucha. The first time I heard it mentioned was a few years ago when it sent shockwaves throughout Europe as the latest craze among designer types. Pecha Kucha is a presentation format hailing from Japan. It’s usually pronounced in three syllables like “pe-chak cha” (???????), dosage although most people don’t bother trying to be authentic with the original pronunciation and I admit I have been just as lazy! The name Pecha Kucha is a Japanese term that stands for the sound of conversation (“chit-chat”). More than 170 cities now host such event.

cityscape

Climate

Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham in 2003 of Tokyo’s Klein-Dytham Architecture (KDa) are the instigators of this worldwide phenomenon; Klein and Dytham sought to give young designers a venue to meet, network, and show their work and to attract people to their experimental event space in Roppongi. They devised a format that kept presentations very concise in order to encourage audience attention and increase the number of presenters within the course of one night.

le-ruffiant-AOI

Did I know what I was getting myself into? A little bit. I was told I needed to show 20 images for 20 seconds a piece, for a total time of 6 minutes, 40 seconds. Apparently, the secret of a good presentation is thorough preparation, so I selected my 20 slides and stood in front of my computer with a fake mike all week-end, well…faking.  Why put myself through it? I wanted to shine a spotlight on my upcoming graphic novel, a collection of illustrations and extracts from the bible titled “Written by Men, Blame it on God” that I am currently developing. The publisher is selected (New Humanist and the Rationalist Association) and all that is left to do is finish the book in the upcoming months. I intend to exhibit the original artwork along with the launch of the book this year.

the-smart-french-company2

At the helm of this new brand of Pecha Kucha are Sian and . Sian’s passion for Pecha Kucha Redux is infectious; she tells me the format previously lost its way in the UK when it ended up being open exclusively to high-profile and well established figures from the design, architecture, photography, art and creative fields. They wanted to go back to its roots as a platform for up and coming professionals and I was in good company on the night. Among the diverse and distinct line-up were a conceptual artist exploring desire and the female gaze( Nerys Mathias), a kick-ass rockstar who tore down the house ( Bruno Wizard), a printmaker and sculptor and mountaineer (Martin Barrett) and the aptly named Minxy McNaughty!

Pecha-Kucha-ladyPhotograph courtesy of Pecha Kucha

Bruno-and-I Bruno Wizard of The Homosexuals band with artist friend and I.

I was terrified when I took to the stage. But the reception was overwhelmingly positive and the interaction with the public was very intoxicating; I heard laughter, cheers and received positive feedback from many women who encouraged me to complete the book! All in all it was a great night and I now can say: “I fell into the deep end and I survived Pecha Kucha!”

Video Courtesy of Pecha Kucha

HeroesAll Illustrations courtesy of Valerie Pezeron

Imagine never having done any presentation to more than 30 people in your lifetime – and that did not really matter because they were your schoolmates. If you were to fall flat on your face in front of them, doctor you knew you were all in the same bath water (so to speak) assessed by Mean Lady Big Goggled Eye! But what happens when it is your own lifework compiled over many years of blood, website like this sweat and tears you are showing to complete strangers? And there happens to be upwards of 400 of them there! Am I being melodramatic? Maybe…

Pecha-Kucha-crewThe Pecha Kucha crew. All photographs courtesy of Valerie Pezeron except when stated otherwise

I’ve always been fascinated by Pecha Kucha. The first time I heard it mentioned was a few years ago when it sent shock waves throughout Europe as the latest craze among designer types. Pecha Kucha is a presentation format hailing from Japan. It’s usually pronounced in three syllables like “pe-chak cha” (???????), price although most people don’t bother trying to be authentic with the original pronunciation and I admit I have been just as lazy! The name Pecha Kucha is a Japanese term that stands for the sound of conversation (“chit-chat”). More than 170 cities now host such events.

cityscape

Climate

Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham in 2003 of Tokyo’s Klein-Dytham Architecture (KDa) are the instigators of this worldwide phenomenon; Klein and Dytham sought to give young designers a venue to meet, network, and show their work and to attract people to their experimental event space in Roppongi. They devised a format that kept presentations very concise in order to encourage audience attention and increase the number of presenters within the course of one night.

le-ruffiant-AOI

Did I know what I was getting myself into? A little bit. I was told I needed to show 20 images for 20 seconds a piece, for a total time of 6 minutes, 40 seconds. Apparently, the secret of a good presentation is thorough preparation, so I selected my 20 slides and stood in front of my computer with a fake mike all week-end, well…faking.  Why put myself through it? I wanted to shine a spotlight on my upcoming graphic novel, a collection of illustrations and extracts from the bible titled “Written by Men, Blame it on God” that I am currently developing. The publisher is selected (New Humanist and the Rationalist Association) and all that is left to do is finish the book in the upcoming months. I intend to exhibit the original artwork along with the launch of the book this year.

the-smart-french-company2

At the helm of this new brand of Pecha Kucha are Sian and . Sian’s passion for Pecha Kucha Redux is infectious; she tells me the format previously lost its way in the UK when it ended up being open exclusively to high-profile and well established figures from the design, architecture, photography, art and creative fields. They wanted to go back to its roots as a platform for up and coming professionals and I was in good company on the night. Among the diverse and distinct line-up were a conceptual artist exploring desire and the female gaze( Nerys Mathias), a kick-ass rockstar who tore down the house ( Bruno Wizard), a printmaker and sculptor and mountaineer (Martin Barrett) and the aptly named Minxy McNaughty!

Pecha-Kucha-ladyPhotograph courtesy of Pecha Kucha

Bruno-and-I Bruno Wizard of The Homosexuals band with artist friend and I.

I was terrified when I took to the stage. But the reception was overwhelmingly positive and the interaction with the public was very intoxicating; I heard laughter, cheers and received positive feedback from many women who encouraged me to complete the book! All in all it was a great night and I now can say: “I fell into the deep end and I survived Pecha Kucha!”

Video Courtesy of Pecha Kucha

Me & Zena Geek glasses (1)Images throughout courtesy of Me and Zena

Re-engage with your 15 year old self and fall in love with massive ‘Broken Heart’ gold necklaces, viagra approved give in to your inner nerd in the chic ‘Geek Glasses’ necklace, this and take the ‘Love-o-meter’ pendant for a spin. If you want to channel Prada then there’s an ‘Atomic Robot’ key charm, or for those greedier customers, why not take the whole shop home in one of the great shopper bags, with ‘You Have The Right To Remain Romantic’ emblazoned on the side. No need to worry those of you who like a bit of matchy-matchy when it comes to accessorising, many of the pendants come in cute charm bracelet form too.

CharmBraceletThis new line of kitsch accessories comes courtesy of the eponymous, up and coming London based designer Zena McKeown. With a BA in Visual Communication from Edinburgh College of Art, Zena moved to London in 2005 to live the dream, and has seen her homemade designs go from their humble beginnings at the Brick Lane Backyard Market to gracing the pages of Vogue. Of her collection she says: “Me and Zena is about satisfying your inner stroppy teenager.”

TV SILVER 300Not only is Me & Zena jewellery easy on the eye, but it won’t break the bank either with key rings starting from £8, bracelets from £10 and necklaces from £14, a welcome relief at this time of year!

DeerBoyGold300You don’t have to go far to get your mitts on a piece of these fabulous designs, with stockists ranging from Ad Hoc, Jules and Gems and Lazy Oaf– and that’s just London. So for a bit of fun, eye-catching bling to make a bland outfit pop, hit up Me and Zena and indulge your adolescent self.

Categories ,Ad Hoc, ,Brick Lane Backyard Market, ,Edinburgh College of Art, ,Jules and Gems, ,Lazy Oaf, ,Me and Zena, ,Prada, ,Rachael Millar, ,vogue, ,Zena McKeown

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Kelly Goss, aka Rock ‘n’ Needle


Illustration by Pieter de Groot

When did you found Rock ‘n’ Needle and why? 
It was in 2008. I started designing and making clothes alongside studying at The Fashion Retail Academy. Although I was studying fashion retailing I still had a passion for making clothes. I wanted to design under a name and came up with Rock ‘n’ Needle. I started organising photoshoots in London through Model Mayhem and received a great response. This inspired me to develop the clothing into a brand. I took part in a fashion show in Mayfair which led to exhibiting at FaCshion exhibition. I really enjoyed taking part in these events and decided to set up the brand full time once I’d finished my course.  


What insires you, then?
I love tattoos, although I don’t have any! Tattoo designs work really well with embroidery and there’s so much inspiration from different styles. I am also inspired by music- I’m a huge rock fan, my favourite band being Motley Crue. I love musicians who have an extravagant and iconic image. I also enjoy seeing what’s happening on the streets. To me this is the biggest inspiration – to see what people are wearing now.



Photograph by Marta F. Andrés

How do you create these tattoo-tastic designs?
 I machine embroider all the designs. It starts with a drawing and develops on the computer until it is ready to be embroidered. There is a lot of sampling involved with the imagery. I use pretty basic fabrics for the clothing, using mainly cotton; the fabric needs to be suitable for embroidery. With the bows I can experiment a bit more, adding PVC, denim and all kinds of colours!  


Does your label consider the environment?
 Yes. Any material left over I try and create into the bows and brooches. I hate fabric waste, although it isn’t always easy to incorporate it into something new. I am currently in the process of re-designing the bags, for events such as Clothes Show Live. I’m also designing Rock ‘n’ Needle tote bags which will be available to buy online soon. They will have the embroidered designs on and will use environmentally-friendly cotton.  
 


Photograph by Ryan Bater

Which other designers or creatives do you admire?
My biggest admiration has been for Vivienne Westwood. I was absolutely delighted that Rock ‘n’ Needle’s first stockist was Ad Hoc on the Kings Road, near her iconic shop. The last couple of years I have been inspired by Henry Holland, who has exploded into the fashion industry – it’s really inspiring considering he started with slogan t-shirts and now has concessions Debenhams. To me, these designers have broken so many boundaries and to have such an incredible influence on people’s wardrobes. 


What has been your proudest moment so far?
 Last year I was delighted to win ‘VQ Young Learner of the Year’ for Wales: with over 500 entries it was a tough competition! I was nominated by Swansea College and the event took place at The Senedd in Cardiff with the Welsh Assembly Government. Most recently I was in the top 100 of future fashion retail leaders with Drapers Magazine. I entered the competition online and won a place at their Next Generation Academy in London, which was a one day event with industry experts. I felt honoured to be part of it. 
 

What did you get out of your time at the Next Generation Academy?
It was an invaluable day which covered a variety of topics including e-commerce, new technologies and self promotion. Henry Holland gave an interview which was a great insight for me as a designer. I met some lovely people from Success Appointments, and witnessed inspirational talks from Drapers ‘30 under 30′ feature. There was a lot of networking opportunities which was really useful as you don’t meet people as influential as this every day!


Illustration by Pieter de Groot

How do you see your collections developing in the future?
I will soon be introducing new-style tops comprising of short sleeved t-shirts and vests. I have also designed a couple of cropped tees for Summer. Next month Rock ‘n’ Needle tote bags will be available to buy, and this Winter I am launching Rock ‘n’ Needle hoodies which will carry the signature embroidered motifs. In the future I’d love to create Rock ‘n’ Needle jeans and lingerie, and maybe even menswear!
 


Do you have any other projects on the go?
Currently I am concentrating on developing the Rock ‘n’ Needle product range to expand from t-shirts and sweaters. I would love to collaborate with a fellow designer or musician/artist. I am extremely interested in the environment and animal welfare and I’d like to develop my work with these considerations. In the early stages of Rock ‘n’ Needle I have had to be fully focused on the brand, but I’m excited about broadening my scope in the future.


Photograph by Ryan Bater

What do you do in your spare time?!
 I don’t have much spare time at the moment as I’m exhibiting at Clothes Show Live London in June! There’s so much to prepare and I am launching new products which will be available to buy at the show, and then online on my website afterwards. When I do have spare time I love music and could quite happily spend hours on YouTube! I enjoy going to gigs, reading, going out for coffee and browsing in shops. Most recently I have been reading blogs – and I love Audrey Kitching’s. Her style is awesome and I always feel motivated to create when I have been reading her work!
 

I have to ask – would you ever get a tattoo?
Not in the near future, I love them but I couldn’t imagine picking a design and being happy with it for the rest of my life! I really like Fearne Cottons’ tattoos and I once worked with Ann French, who has some pretty cool ones, which can be seen in some of the Rock ‘n’ Needle pictures. I think you have to be quite a decisive person to have one and when it comes to what I wear or look like I am very indecisive.
  


Categories ,30 under 30, ,Ad Hoc, ,Ann French, ,Bags, ,Bows, ,Brooches, ,Clothes Show Live, ,Drapers, ,embroidery, ,Fearne Cotton, ,Henry Holland, ,Kelly Goss, ,Kings Road, ,london, ,Next Generation Academy, ,PVC, ,Rock ‘n’ Needle, ,Success Appointments, ,Swansea College, ,Tattoos, ,Vivienne Westwood, ,VQ Young Learner of the Year

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