Amelia’s Magazine | Pre-London Fashion Week S/S 2011 Interview: Ada Zanditon and ADZ


ADZ, pilule information pills illustrated by Jess Stokes

Whilst eco-couture has always been ahead of the times in terms of sustainability, it’s often been left behind in the style stakes, unable to compete with mainstream, high fashion. Gradually though, a new breed of designer has emerged who is equally concerned with creating a cutting edge aesthetic as they are utilising sustainable and organic materials.

At the forefront of this movement is Ada Zanditon, whose designs experiment with shape and texture in a way that is unsurprising once you learn that she originally interned with Alexander McQueen and Gareth Pugh. After establishing her own eco-luxury womenswear line in March 2008, Ada has gone on to raise awareness of everything from eco fashion to politics through the likes of the Think Act Vote campaign. Ada took the time to answer a few questions for us about the inspiration behind her new range ADZ, and the future of eco fashion. ? 


ADZ S/S 2011

You’ve really established yourself as a pioneer of eco-fashion, giving the movement a younger, sexier image than it had in the past. How did you go about this?  
I think that I had two very strong passions that I was determined to make work together – fashion and sustainability. I enjoy the innovative aspect that comes into every part of the process, my main how-to part of it I think comes from a basic viewpoint that anything is possible. It’s equally possible to make a beautiful fashionable dress from an ecological material as it is from one that is not. It’s equally possible to create fashion that considers its full life span and even decay as it is to create something that does not. It’s a question of awareness, choice and aesthetics. 

Tell us about your new collection, ADZ?  
ADZ by Ada Zanditon is the bridging line to my main collection, it’s contemporary, resort urban wear that combines strikingly unique prints with casual yet sophisticated pieces that are focussed around bold geometric detailing in fluid soft fabrics such as tencel, silk jersey and chiffon. The SS 2011 debut collection of ADZ is titled Nebulayan. My inspiration came from creating illustrations of satellite images of the Himalayas mountain range which I then layered with Hubble telescope imagery of deep space nebulae. We now have achieved the technology to see the Earth from space and also to see deep into outer space. I like the idea of contrasting these perspectives with each other. 


ADZ, illustrated by Aniela Murphy

How do you cope with the volume of work and your nerves in the build up to London Fashion Week? Any trade secrets?
I am always aware that I am so fortunate to be in the position to be running my own label, I don’t really want to complain. Everyday always has its challenges, but I try to see that as opportunity. I think gratitude is vastly underrated these days…. don’t you? 

Absolutely! Amelia’s magazine have always been a big fan of your illustrations, any plans to design your own prints based on your work?
Actually, all my prints are based on my illustration work and photography and as well as that I use watercolour then layer all these elements together. ? 


ADZ, illustrated by Natsuki Otani

Musician Viktoria Modesta is your muse; how did you end up working together? You’ll be contributing to her showcase next month; what will that involve?
Soon after we first met we found we had a good creative rapport. I think Viktoria has incredible elegance and style with a real sense of grace. As for the showcase – I don’t want to give to much away but it will be a great evening. 

How do you think the public can be convinced of the importance of sustainability? Do you think there is more designers, magazine editors and celebrities could be doing to highlight its significance?
I only think the planet can truly convince people of the importance of sustainability. I’m sure most people living on the coast of Bangladesh are highly convinced that we need to live in a more sustainable way as they are effected daily by climate change. However, I think that people can encourage and inspire, and have a really good try at convincing. What worries me, though, is that catastrophic events only really shake people into action. I think everyone in every walk of life can do more, no matter what you do.

To see the entire ADZ S/S 2011 collection, visit Ada’s website.
To read more about Think Act Vote, see our interview with Amisha Ghadiali here.

Categories ,Ada Zanditon, ,ADZ, ,Alexander McQueen, ,Aniela Murphy, ,Bangladesh, ,estethica, ,ethical, ,fashion, ,Gareth Pugh, ,Himalayas, ,interview, ,Jess Stokes, ,London Fashion Week, ,Natsuki Otani, ,Nebulayan, ,S/S 2011, ,sustainability, ,Think Act Vote, ,Viktoria Modesta

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Amelia’s Magazine | Oxfam taking action with a city of tents and Jamie Hewlett of Gorillaz lending a hand

If you walked over the Millennium Bridge today you might happen upon a small city of tents, cost cure this is in fact not a new city of borrowers or a miniature tourist town as a few people were in under the impression, price but a new campaign by Oxfam to get people involved with the fight against climate change.

OX1

Oxfam have teamed up with a German artist Herman Josef Hack who has meticulously produced hundreds of tents that aim to highlight some of the 26 million people forced from their homes around the world. Human impact and wars have misplaced millions and now the evil of climate change is creating droughts and flooding around the world that is forcing huge numbers of people into temporary accommodation.

OX2

The installation pushes the message home with the backdrop of St Paul’s and the Millennium Bridge creating a contrast with the tents that millions worldwide are forced to live in. It was all a bit lost on the rush hour commuters as they kept their heads down, sidestepping all the shelters that blocked their way. As the day progresses, however, people are showing a real interest, stopping to chat and having a look around. As it is on the path of the tourist walk and with the half term break it looks like it will attract plenty of people, which makes it a shame that it is only a temporary exhibition.

OX3

The event, however, is being replicated today in four other cities – Dublin, Berlin, Madrid and Brussels – hoping to get hundreds of people to sign up on their website and send messages to governments. The aim is to put pressure on the European heads of state that will meet tomorrow in Brussels to decide what they can take to the table at the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit in December.

OX4

Oxfam have another exhibition, Under Water Colours, being held at the Truman Brewery at the Dray Walk Gallery, which I popped into today. The free exhibition focuses on the human cost of climate change in Bangladesh and features nine watercolours by Jamie Hewlett, the artist who produces the artwork for the GORILLAZ.

OX5

He took a trip to the country with Oxfam and documented what the devastation facing the communities that he saw to produce some amazing watercolour images. It will be on until Saturday (31st) so make sure you get down. You can also buy some of the limited edition prints if you’re feeling a bit flush.

OX6

Oxfam are also urging people to attend ‘The Wave’, one of the UK’s biggest ever demonstrations in support of action on climate change, held by Stop Climate Chaos Coalition on 5th December. At this event thousands of people will flow through the streets of London to put pressure on the government to kick start a green economy and safeguard the world’s poorest communities around the world. It’s going to be an empowering day so make sure you put it in your diary.

OX9

Categories ,art, ,Bangladesh, ,campaign, ,Climate Change, ,Gorillaz, ,Herman Josef Hack, ,installation, ,Jamie Hewlett, ,london, ,Millennium Bridge, ,miniature, ,oxfam, ,oxfam campaign, ,shelter, ,St Pauls, ,tents, ,the Wave, ,Truman Brewery, ,water colours

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Amelia’s Magazine | A review of Silent City, Part One: A Symposium on Climate Change

Peggy-Sue-Antonia-Parker
Illustration of Peggy Sue by Antonia Parker.

Peggy Sue have been around in various incarnations for sometime – previously accompanied by the Pirates – and it comes as a real surprise to discover that their first long player has only just come out, this site so already engrained are they in the indie consciousness: a true band of our internet led times.

Released at the end of April on Wichita Recordings, more about Fossils and Other Phantoms therefore finds the work of an already mature band with a strongly identifiable sound of their own. A combination of indie and folk with a strong streak of the blues and even doo-wop, remedy husky vocalists Katy Klaw and Rosa Rex take turns to lead the tunes against a firm rhythmic backbone courtesy of drummer Olly Joyce, who comes crashing in halfway into opening track Long Division Blues after a slowly spiralling build up. His presence is never far away, even when the girls resort to the glorious simplicity of a simple guitar, kazoo or uke to back their playfully tumbling harmonies – I Read It In The Paper, Green Grow The Rushes and The Shape We Made soon grow into bigger songs with the addition of percussion.

Peggy-Sue-Fossils-And-Other-Phantoms

Single Watchmen is a tuneful favourite that is accompanied by a gorgeous animated video. Soulful lyrics sound heavily influenced by complicated love lives (though I discovered this is not quite the case when I interviewed the band) and render this album the perfect heartbreak sound track, but the point when you most definitely feel it’s time to pick yourself up and stand proudly independent again. Yo Mama sees them stand defiant “I’m gonna go downtown and find myself someone,” they assure us.

The album was launched with a free gig at Rough Trade East, which also happened to fall on Katy’s birthday. Accompanied by extra violin and cello “the one who bought me the cake is my favourite out of our string section” the trio powered through an energetic set in front of a clearly adoring though somewhat coy crowd. Despite problems with feedback and tuning “normally we tune up properly before a gig but we drank beer instead cos it’s my birthday” it was a great showcase for these talented and very individual multi-instrumentalists who are nothing if not prolific.

Peggy-Sue-Antonia-Parker
Illustration of the string section by Antonia Parker.

Today they release a new EP. Lover Gone was the result of a road trip to Devon. “Officially we were supposed to be recording demos but we somehow managed to create another EP instead,” explains their website. You can buy the new EP here.

Look out for my interview with the band, coming soon.

Peggy-Sue-Antonia-Parker
Illustration of Peggy Sue by Antonia Parker.

Peggy Sue have been around in various incarnations for sometime – previously accompanied by the Pirates – and it comes as a real surprise to discover that their first long player has only just come out, pharmacy so already engrained are they in the indie consciousness: a true band of our internet led times.

Released at the end of April on Wichita Recordings, Fossils and Other Phantoms therefore finds the work of an already mature band with a strongly identifiable sound of their own. A combination of indie and folk with a strong streak of the blues and even doo-wop, husky vocalists Katy Klaw and Rosa Rex take turns to lead the tunes against a firm rhythmic backbone courtesy of drummer Olly Joyce, who comes crashing in halfway into opening track Long Division Blues after a slowly spiralling build up. His presence is never far away, even when the girls resort to the glorious simplicity of a simple guitar, kazoo or uke to back their playfully tumbling harmonies – I Read It In The Paper, Green Grow The Rushes and The Shape We Made soon grow into bigger songs with the addition of percussion.

Peggy-Sue-Fossils-And-Other-Phantoms

Single Watchmen is a tuneful favourite that is accompanied by a gorgeous animated video. Soulful lyrics sound heavily influenced by complicated love lives (though I discovered this is not quite the case when I interviewed the band) and render this album the perfect heartbreak sound track, but the point when you most definitely feel it’s time to pick yourself up and stand proudly independent again. Yo Mama sees them stand defiant “I’m gonna go downtown and find myself someone,” they assure us.

The album was launched with a free gig at Rough Trade East, which also happened to fall on Katy’s birthday. Accompanied by extra violin and cello “the one who bought me the cake is my favourite out of our string section” the trio powered through an energetic set in front of a clearly adoring though somewhat coy crowd. Despite problems with feedback and tuning “normally we tune up properly before a gig but we drank beer instead cos it’s my birthday” it was a great showcase for these talented and very individual multi-instrumentalists who are nothing if not prolific.

Peggy-Sue-Antonia-Parker
Illustration of the string section by Antonia Parker.

Today they release a new EP. Lover Gone was the result of a road trip to Devon. “Officially we were supposed to be recording demos but we somehow managed to create another EP instead,” explains their website. You can buy the new EP here.

Look out for my interview with the band, coming soon.

Peggy-Sue-Antonia-Parker
Illustration of Peggy Sue by Antonia Parker.

Peggy Sue have been around in various incarnations – previously accompanied by the Pirate – for sometime which means that it comes as a real surprise to discover that their first long player has only just come out, medications so already engrained are they in the indie consciousness: a true band of our internet led times.

Released at the end of April on Wichita Recordings, troche Fossils and Other Phantoms therefore finds the work of an already mature band with a strongly identifiable sound of their own. A combination of indie and folk with a strong streak of the blues and even doo-wop, husky vocalists Katy Klaw and Rosa Rex take turns to lead the tunes against a firm rhythmic backbone courtesy of drummer Olly Joyce, who comes crashing in halfway into opening track Long Division Blues after a slowly spiralling build up. His presence is never far away, even when the girls resort to the glorious simplicity of a simple guitar, kazoo or uke to back their playfully tumbling harmonies – I Read It In The Paper, Green Grow The Rushes and The Shape We Made soon grow into bigger songs with the addition of percussion.

Peggy-Sue-Fossils-And-Other-Phantoms

Single Watchman is a tuneful favourite that is accompanied by a gorgeously surreal animated video by Betsy Dadd. Soulful lyrics sound heavily influenced by complicated love lives (though I discovered this is not quite the case when I interviewed the band) and render this album the perfect heartbreak sound track, but the point when you most definitely feel it’s time to pick yourself up and stand proudly independent again. Yo Mama sees them stand defiant “I’m gonna go downtown and find myself someone,” they assure us.

The album was launched with a free gig at Rough Trade East, which also happened to fall on Katy’s birthday. Accompanied by extra violin and cello “the one who bought me the cake is my favourite out of our string section” the trio powered through an energetic set in front of a clearly adoring though somewhat coy crowd. Despite problems with feedback and tuning “normally we tune up properly before a gig but we drank beer instead cos it’s my birthday” it was a great showcase for these talented and very individual multi-instrumentalists.

Peggy-Sue-Antonia-Parker
Illustration of the string section by Antonia Parker.

Look out for my interview with the band, coming soon.

Peggy-Sue-Antonia-Parker
Illustration of Peggy Sue by Antonia Parker.

Peggy Sue have been around in various incarnations – previously accompanied by the Pirates – for sometime. So already engrained in the indie consciousness as they are, page it comes as a real surprise to discover that their first long player has only just come out. A true band of our internet led times.

Released at the end of April on Wichita Recordings, Fossils and Other Phantoms therefore finds the work of an already mature band with a strongly identifiable sound of their own. A combination of indie and folk with a strong streak of the blues and even doo-wop, husky vocalists Katy Klaw and Rosa Rex take turns to lead the tunes against a firm rhythmic backbone courtesy of drummer Olly Joyce, who comes crashing in halfway into opening track Long Division Blues after a slowly spiralling build up. His presence is never far away, even when the girls resort to the glorious simplicity of a simple guitar, kazoo or uke to back their playfully tumbling harmonies – I Read It In The Paper, Green Grow The Rushes and The Shape We Made soon grow into bigger songs with the addition of percussion.

Peggy-Sue-Fossils-And-Other-Phantoms

Single Watchman is a tuneful favourite that is accompanied by a gorgeously surreal animated video by Betsy Dadd. Soulful lyrics sound heavily influenced by complicated love lives (though I discovered this is not quite the case when I interviewed the band) and render this album the perfect heartbreak sound track, but the point when you most definitely feel it’s time to pick yourself up and stand proudly independent again. Yo Mama sees them stand defiant “I’m gonna go downtown and find myself someone,” they assure us.

The album was launched with a free gig at Rough Trade East, which also happened to fall on Katy’s birthday. Accompanied by extra violin and cello “the one who bought me the cake is my favourite out of our string section” the trio powered through an energetic set in front of a clearly adoring though somewhat coy crowd. Despite problems with feedback and tuning “normally we tune up properly before a gig but we drank beer instead cos it’s my birthday” it was a great showcase for these talented and very individual multi-instrumentalists.

Peggy-Sue-Antonia-Parker
Illustration of the Peggy Sue string section by Antonia Parker.

Look out for my interview with the band, coming soon.

Peggy-Sue-Antonia-Parker
Illustration of Peggy Sue by Antonia Parker.

Peggy Sue have been around in various incarnations – previously accompanied by the Pirates – for sometime. This means that it comes as a real surprise to discover that their first long player has only just come out, patient so already engrained are they in the indie consciousness: a true band of our internet led times.

Released at the end of April on Wichita Recordings, web Fossils and Other Phantoms therefore finds the work of an already mature band with a strongly identifiable sound of their own. A combination of indie and folk with a strong streak of the blues and even doo-wop, husky vocalists Katy Klaw and Rosa Rex take turns to lead the tunes against a firm rhythmic backbone courtesy of drummer Olly Joyce, who comes crashing in halfway into opening track Long Division Blues after a slowly spiralling build up. His presence is never far away, even when the girls resort to the glorious simplicity of a simple guitar, kazoo or uke to back their playfully tumbling harmonies – I Read It In The Paper, Green Grow The Rushes and The Shape We Made soon grow into bigger songs with the addition of percussion.

Peggy-Sue-Fossils-And-Other-Phantoms

Single Watchman is a tuneful favourite that is accompanied by a gorgeously surreal animated video by Betsy Dadd. Soulful lyrics sound heavily influenced by complicated love lives (though I discovered this is not quite the case when I interviewed the band) and render this album the perfect heartbreak sound track, but the point when you most definitely feel it’s time to pick yourself up and stand proudly independent again. Yo Mama sees them stand defiant “I’m gonna go downtown and find myself someone,” they assure us.

The album was launched with a free gig at Rough Trade East, which also happened to fall on Katy’s birthday. Accompanied by extra violin and cello “the one who bought me the cake is my favourite out of our string section” the trio powered through an energetic set in front of a clearly adoring though somewhat coy crowd. Despite problems with feedback and tuning “normally we tune up properly before a gig but we drank beer instead cos it’s my birthday” it was a great showcase for these talented and very individual multi-instrumentalists.

Peggy-Sue-Antonia-Parker
Illustration of the Peggy Sue string section by Antonia Parker.

Look out for my interview with the band, coming soon.


Untitled (CCD) by Claire Roberts (detail)

The central premise of Silent City, drug the group comprised of artists Emily Whitebread, Cara Nahaul and Sally Mumby-Croft, whose first exhibition has just opened in Brick Lane, is intriguing. Their starting point was a reaction against what they perceived as the standard Climate Change exhibition. Cara explained the original thinking behind the group:


Wilberforce’s 7000 oaks by Susanna Byrne (detail)

“We went to the RA’s ‘Earth: Art of a Changing World’, and we were completely disappointed. There were one or two standout pieces, for example Lemn Sissay’s performance video ‘What If?’, but on the whole it was a very shallow, one-dimensional show. It didn’t provoke us at all. We found the bright red neon globes and concrete flowers both obvious and pious. The worst thing though, was that it seemed almost entirely from a Western perspective. We’re the ones who caused this mess with our industrialisation, but the Global South is paying the highest price. Bangladesh will be submerged by our actions, but at that show countries that are actually directly affected by climate change didn’t even get a look in.”

They founded Silent City the next day. Their objective was to redress this balance by putting on exhibitions that would seek to present the full implications of Climate Change – especially what it would do to those nearer the equator.

I went along to Brick Lane to see if their exhibition could match her admirable words, and I was suitably impressed. A group show of around 20 artists of various backgrounds whose work all deals with the environment have joined the three founding artists, and the result is a pleasing mix between professionally polished ideas and the kind of activist idealism that was missing from Earth: Art of a Changing World.


Relics of our Past (left) and Vanishing Point (right) and by Tutte Newall

The work, in various mediums from painting and film to dead insects, was of a very high standard. Highlights included Tutte Newall’s beautiful but disturbing paintings of monochrome animals who stand in pools of their own colour, Jools Johnson’s fascinating installations of dystopian cityscapes fashioned out of screws and random computer components, and Claire Robert’s presentation of dead bees, a commentary on the emergence of colony collapse disorder, which threatens bees worldwide, and therefore a third of the world’s food supply.


God Lives in Detail IX by Jools Johnson

Works such as the documentary Drowning By Carbon, by Hazuan Hashim and Phil Maxwell, which featured Bangladeshi children planting the trees that they hoped would one day save them from the looming climate catastrophe, ensured that the original promise that the exhibition would deal with the Global South was kept.

But perhaps the best thing about Silent City was that it managed to put forward a view of Climate Change that was not obvious, in spite of the fact that as a topic it has been talked to death from every angle. Featured documentary Mauerpark, for example, focused on the proposed development of the famous Berlin park. At first glance, this seems more a social than an environmental issue, but after watching the film its relevance to the Climate debate became clear: At its heart the film was about the choice between the short term pursuit of growth and a space that was for everyone, whose benefits could appear more intangible and immeasurable. It became easy to view Mauerpark as microcosm of the natural world itself.


Mauerpark Screening, Photograph by Stuart Sinclair

This outlook on Climate Change that seemed fresh and different, coupled with art that was as well thought out and made, as it was thought-provoking, made Silent City a big success. In fact it was so successful that the closing night film screening was such a scrum that people were camping out on the stairs, able to hear but not see the films. Silent City was apparently just the first of a planned series of exhibitions. It looks like next time they might have to rent out a bigger space.


Photography by Sally Mumby-Croft.

Categories ,Bangladesh, ,Cara Nahual, ,Claire Roberts, ,Climate Change, ,Climate Disaster, ,Colony Collapse Disorder, ,Drowning in Carbon, ,Emily Whitebread, ,film, ,Francesca Weber-Newth, ,Hazuan Hashim and Phil Maxwell, ,Jools Johnson, ,Joseph Beuys, ,Mauerpark, ,Natascha Nanji, ,Sally Mumby-Croft, ,Silent City, ,Tubby Brothers, ,Tutte Newell

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