Amelia’s Magazine | Spijkers en Spijkers: London Fashion Week A/W 2012 Catwalk Review

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Cristian Grossi
Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Cristian Grossi

From the looks of the feminine and pretty invite (which was beautifully illustrated by Dutch artist Martine Johanna) I didn’t expect anything too shocking from this A/W 2012 collection by Spijkers en Spijkers.

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Claire Kearns

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Claire Kearns

The mood music as we sat down consisted of haunting, screeching quotes, so I suspected that we were in for something dark, haunting, and a little different. The quotes were from the original 1975 Grey Gardens documentary depicting the life of Big Edie and Little Edie, the aunt and first cousin of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. It is a real-life tale of a mother and a daughter driven to an eccentric state of solitude, after falling from the grace of high-society New York when Edie’s father left them penniless. Little Edie, in the eyes of Spijkers en Spijkers, was a colourful ‘Bird of Paradise‘ and served as a muse for the collection.

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Amelia Gregory

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Amelia Gregory

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Amelia Gregory

All photography by Amelia Gregory

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Sam Mardon

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Sam Mardon

The music set the tone perfectly; the despair, drama, and frailty in the voices echoed the strong yet feminine use of colour and 1940′s silhouettes. Lyrics about houses being set on fire and Edie Bouvier Beale’s mother telling her what to do sent chills down my spine as I simultaneously warmed to the mixed-up styling by Karen Binns. It was well documented that these two women had to make do with what they had, forcing them to mix clothes up in new ways. ‘Never throw anything old away‘ the music boomed, echoing dresses paired with clashing tops or fluorescent jewellery.

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Amelia Gregory

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Amelia Gregory

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Amelia Gregory

spijkers en spijkers A/W 2012 by anna higgie

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Anna Higgie

There was some of Spijkers en Spijkers unmistakable graphic detailing in the accessories and makeup, too. Little birds adorned shoulders and dresses in the form of a print or a brooch, hair was finger-waved and set into strong curves, set off with sweet but modern-day plastic headbands. The make-up was fresh, reminding me of when you first start to try wearing makeup as a teenager, sticking to bold lines and bright colours and not really knowing how to do subtle looks just yet.

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Amelia Gregory

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Amelia Gregory

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Amelia Gregory

Silks, satins, wool and prints were in a gorgeously covetable range of vintage-looking colours. Lime green and yellows reminded me of old stained-glass windows, while the rich purples and oranges referenced faded but no less opulent interiors.

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Rebecca Hendin

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Rebecca Hendin

Something I’ve noticed this London Fashion Week is that while a lot of designers are referencing the dark and frightening for A/W 2012, they’re doing so in an unexpected way: making a conscious effort to hint at the macabre, court the morbid and inject collections with a touch of despair in beautiful and new ways. Even though the inspiration for this collection was part tragedy, the result was charming. The strong tailoring, warmer colours for winter and underlying tale of two women – all make you want to engage with this story.

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Yasmin Mason

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Yasmin Mason

The catwalk show itself was a little bit like the thrill you feel when watching a scary movie; dark and even a little disturbing, but you can’t look away, making it all the more appealing. Spijkers and Spijkers have found a way to make you want the collection even more, delivering a desirable collection for those who like clothes that tell a story, especially if it’s as lavishly haunting as this one.

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Amelia Gregory
Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Cristian Grossi
Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Cristian Grossi

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Amelia Gregory

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Zulekha lakeca

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Zulekha lakeca

Spijkers en Spijkers A/W 2012 by Zulek Halakeca

Categories ,Alia Gargum, ,Amelia Gregory, ,Anna Higgie, ,birds, ,Claire Kearns, ,Cristian Grossi, ,Edie Bouvier Beale, ,Fluorescent, ,Grey Gardens, ,London Fashion Week A/W 2012, ,new york, ,Rebecca Hendin, ,Sam Mardon, ,Silk, ,Spijkers en Spijkers, ,Vauxhall Fashion Scout, ,vintage, ,wool, ,Yasmin Mason, ,Zulek Halakeca

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Amelia’s Magazine | The Porridge Cafe opens in Old Street, featuring TWWDNU and True Romance prints on the walls

Porridge Cafe Review
The much hyped Porridge Cafe opened at 70 Paul Street in East London this week: the healthy antidote to the equally hyped Cereal Killer Cafe which is just a stones throw from where I live on Brick Lane. The Cereal Killer Cafe has been ridiculously successful, with queues around the block on busy days, but surely Londoners would like something a bit more tasty and nutritious for breakfast? Step forward Nik and Elly of the Porridge Cafe. Their street food business began in 2013 as the Bow Street Kitchen, specialising in feeding the hungry tech hordes of Hoxton and the surrounding environs. Having concentrated on the provision of modern ‘British’ comfort food: think bacon butties and steak and mash, they decided that a logical next step would be to set up a (slightly) more permanent base with a pop up cafe dedicated to the most healthy comfort food of all. Plus they knew it might be a savvy move, what with oats and porridge so much in vogue.

Porridge Cafe-TWWDNU artwork
We went along to check out the cafe today, which is housed in the same pop up space where our TWWDNU prints were on show just a few weeks ago, and I am delighted to report that the very finest artworks (our A2 prints featuring 24 carat gold leaf by Cristian Grossi, Daria Hlazatova, Niall Grant and Mateusz Napieralski) are now on the walls of the cafe alongside some of the True Romance alternative cinema prints commissioned by East End Prints.

Porridge Cafe-parsley aubergine caper risotto
I tried to tempt Snarfle with some porridge mixed with a tiny bit of apple, to no avail, so I ended up paying for another plain portion which luckily he ate when liberally topped with honey (it’s his usual breakfast but we abstained this morning). For my lunch I opted for the parsley, aubergine and caper risotto (above), a colourful and intriguingly flavoured affair. I was left a wee bit hungry – maybe I’ll blame that on being pregnant – but the portions are relatively small, so make sure you top up with one of the delicious sounding fresh smoothies if you visit for lunch.

Porridge Cafe-pepper chorizo chilli barley
Roasted red pepper, chorizo and chilli barley porridge for lunch.

The porridge options for breakfast come with an assortment of fresh fruit, nuts, berries and milk: all of which sound delicious. Busy Londoners are used to splashing out on tasty food so I hope this place will become a success. If the Cereal Killer Cafe can do it surely Nik and Elly can? Make sure you check out our beautiful limited edition prints when you visit.

The Porridge Cafe offers a rotating menu that includes 11 different grains and is open until the end of March. The full menu can be found here. Read more about the story behind the TWWDNU prints here.
Opening times: Mon-Fri 7am-6pm, Sat 8am-5pm, Sun 9am-4pm

Categories ,#TWWDNU, ,70 Paul Street, ,Bow Street Kitchen, ,Brick Lane, ,Cafe, ,Cereal Killer Cafe, ,Cristian Grossi, ,Daria Hlazatova, ,East End Prints, ,Food Review, ,Mateusz Napieralski, ,Niall Grant, ,Opening times, ,Pop Up Cafe, ,Porridge, ,Porridge Cafe, ,Restaurant, ,review, ,Snarfle, ,Street Food, ,True Romance

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Amelia’s Magazine | Meet Cristian Grossi: Featured Artist from That Which We Do Not Understand

Amelias_magazine_TWWDNU_Cristian_Grossi_ver_sacrum
Cristian Grossi lives in Italy, where he works on a plethora of art, design and fashion projects. He studied computer science and his bold graphic style is influenced by modernism, art nouveau, a love of nature and magical folk stories. Ver Sacrum was inspired by a night spent in hospital, when Cristian began to relate the behaviour of the human body to the Turing Machine. He imagined two demiurges implanting apparatus to combine with body parts, the unknown becoming part of the known in our flesh.

cristian-grossi-ver-sacrum-zoom
Your image was inspired by a night spent in hospital, how has its creation helped you heal?
About a month ago I was in the hospital, my dad had very delicate surgery. I thought about how fallacious the body is, and the perfection of the mathematical modeling of the inorganic systems that I studied at the university. Take for example the Turing Machine, it’s complete. My demiurges mysteriously assemble a perfect body, a system that is in balance. Maybe they are creating the perfect body for my dad.

cristian-grossi-ledas-myth
cristian-grossi-mostrum-horribilis
How long did it take to put together and what elements does it contain?
The image is made of more than 300 anatomical drawings showing human body organs and membranes (among them pancreas, lungs, brain, testicles and yet the liver, intestine, bone and fetuses). I am celebrating the Jugendstil (art nouveaux) style, affected with contemporary digital contaminations. 33 working days were required to develop my allegory for the creation of human beings. Ver Sacrum features two female demiurges putting together a newborn.

the-madras-adventure-cristian-grossi
the-blue-sea-comes-tropical
What is your working process?
I start my drawings using pencil and Chinese ink on paper, then add elaborations to them on the computer. I believe that the transition to digital is a mandatory step for all contemporary designers because scanning images is a key step to fix ideas.

cristian-grossi-the-blue-sea-comes-tropical-isadora
cristian-grossi-the-blue-sea-comes-tropical-flora
What is your favourite subject matter and why?
I’m attracted to all that is kitsch. The surplus has always attracted me, and I think that is part of my Jugendstil nature. The strange thing is that I’m passionate about everything that goes beyond, and all that’s missing: the moment before death, of a sneeze, the cavities of the times in the dialogues of a conversation. I believe that the completeness is not interesting.

cristian-grossi-madreperla
cristian-grossi-minimondi
You have recently had an exhibition – can you share some of this work and explain what it was about?
Yes, I have just had an exhibition of video art and textiles. I design fabrics for some Italian fashion brands and themes always stretch into other artistic projects such as video art, books and installations. The latest project is a study of the roots of the Liberty style typical of my city, Salsomaggiore Terme, with an attempt on my part to recover and re-elaborate the details in a new artistic language.

cristian-grossi-insekta-phasmatodea
cristian-grossi-insekta-moodboard
cristian-grossi-insekta-blattodea
You are a very busy designer: what other jobs have you completed recently, and what are you most looking forward to working on in the coming months?
Yes, I am very busy. This Christmas around 18,000 Italian families will receive my ball which has been illustrated for a non-profit, so I’m very excited. In a few months my new collection of scarfs and bags for a big fashion brand will be released, and I have been involved in mood boards, ideas and stylistic direction. I have also designed a series of posters to promote art exhibitions in Italian museums and festivals and a series of limited edition stationery.

cristian-grossi-die-jugestil-organico
cristian-grossi-pinko-scarf
Where are the best places to go for creative inspiration online in Italy?
Italian creativity is very special. Fashion, architecture and design are born in Milan, and it is there that these are processed. But Milan is a city sad and cynical, so I think the source of true creativity is in the provinces. The typical is very genuine, if you can hang out for the provinces to discover new enzymes, you understand the genuineness of color, flavor and shape. So if you want to take a shower of true creativity Italian go to festivals in Emilia, eats local food, meet local people. Check out online projects such as gnambox which covers food that is typical of the Italian tradition, or weloooooveit (www.weloooooveit.com) which celebrates all that is cool of Italy, or Dolce & Gabbana’s Swide, which offers the best of the sweet life.

cristian-grossi-the-god-03
cristian-grossi-the-god-02
Read more about Cristian’s Ver Sacrum here and secure your gold leaf fine art print here.

Categories ,#TWWDNU, ,Anatomical, ,art nouveaux, ,Cristian Grossi, ,gnambox, ,illustration, ,Italian, ,Jugendstil, ,Salsomaggiore Terme, ,Swide, ,That Which We Do Not Understand, ,Turing Machine, ,Ver Sacrum, ,weloooooveit

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Amelia’s Magazine | Halloween 2012: Illustrations, Baby Fancy Dress, Nail Art and Things To Do

halloween by cristian-grossi
Halloween by Cristian Grossi.

I’m not going to write much about Halloween this year because I think I pretty much said it all last time around. And I’m knackered. All I will say is: this year I reckon it’s all about the nail art. Go on, just search twitter and marvel at all that effort: bloody drips, ghouls, stylish matte black, candy stripes, zombie brains, skeletons, spiders, bogey green and pumpkin orange. In the absence of professional nail art contributions I instead give you my crabby claws. Oh and illustrator Claire Kearns shows off her rather more dramatic glittery spider webs. Are you in on the act yet?

halloween nails
claire kearns halloween nails
Me & Zena Revenge of the Eyeball ring
This Me & Zena Revenge of the Eyeball ring grabbed my attention at press days last week. Grab yours for a special Halloween price of £22.40 now.

Snarfle convict witch
I’m also loving uber cute Halloween outfits for babies. For obvious reasons. Next year I really will get him dressed up good and proper. Here’s my illustrated Halloween blog with a few spookish things to do thrown in, enjoy!

Trick Or Treat by Becca Thorne
Trick Or Treat by Becca Thorne. The HOWLERWEEN DOG PARADE was held on Sunday 28 October in Lincoln Inn Fields. After the parade visitors went on a guided Ghost Dog Walking Tour to hear tales of the human and canine ghosts that roam London’s dark streets.

Halloween by Ben Rider
Halloween by Ben Rider.

halloween-amelia-magazine-cristian-grossi-skull
Halloween Skull by Cristian Grossi.

vampam by Samantha Eynon
Count Cosmin the Halloween paper toy by Samantha Eynon. Download your free template and make your own here.

Wickerman by Rebecca Strickson
Wickerman by Rebecca Strickson.

halloween-amelia-magazine-cristian-grossi-skullmood
Halloween Skulls by Cristian Grossi.

Scary-Halloween-Face-by-Lizzie-Donegan-at-New-Good-Studio
Scary Halloween Face by Lizzie Donegan at New Good Studio.

DAY OF THE DEAD-thorwistle
On Thursday 1st November Thor & Wistle are holding a DAY OF THE DEAD jewellery event, where you can pick up a pair of Rachel Entwistle‘s spidery earrings. The work of the in house designers will be joined by Lauren Baker‘s mosaic skulls and Nail It! will be on hand to provide Halloween nail art: so hot right now!

halloween-amelia-magazine-cristian-grossi-skulls-moods
Halloween by Cristian Grossi.

Halloween by Hannah Cooper
Halloween by Hannah Cooper.

We were Here by Sine Skau
We were Here by Sine Skau.

Fireside Chats tree house of horror
I will be at Spitalfields City Farm for the last session of this year’s Fireside Chats, a fortnightly gathering of like minded souls around the camp fire: Barney’s Tree House of Horror. ‘If you STILL havent planned your Hallowe’en night then why not join us for our final Fireside Chat of the season where we will be cooking a Pumkin Stew, roasting Marshmellows and being scared out of our wits by Barney Netherwood‘s horror stories told out of Spitalfields City Farm‘s tree house. Call us if you get lost or stuck outside the gates, we are always there.’ Between 6.30-9pm on Weds 31st October.

Zombie Hand by Ben Rider
Zombie Hand by Ben Rider.

*More Nail Art*

raven rouge halloween nails
Raven Rouge by Wah Nails for Art Macabre Drawing Salons.

fancy folk halloween nails
Viktoriya Zarvanska of Fancy Folk.

the magical dee halloween nail art
Halloween nail art from Dee Apriyanti.

halloween nails by Clothes Hound
halloween nails by Clothes Hound. You can even watch her tutorial here on video!

Categories ,Art Macabre Drawing Salons, ,Baby Fancy Dress, ,Barney Netherwood, ,Barney’s Tree House of Horror, ,Becca Thorne, ,Ben Rider, ,Claire Kearns, ,Clothes Hound, ,Count Cosmin, ,Cristian Grossi, ,Day of the Dead, ,Dee Apriyanti, ,Dynasty Jewellery, ,Fancy Folk, ,Fireside Chat, ,Ghost Dog Walking Tour, ,Hallowe’en, ,Hannah Cooper, ,HOWLERWEEN DOG PARADE, ,illustration, ,Lauren Baker, ,Lizzie Donegan, ,Me & Zena, ,Nail Art, ,Nail It!, ,New Good Studio, ,Rachel Entwistle, ,Raven Rouge, ,Rebecca Strickson, ,Revenge of the Eyeball ring, ,Samantha Eynon, ,Sine Skau, ,Spitalfields City Farm, ,Thor & Wistle, ,Vampam, ,Viktoriya Zarvanska, ,WAH Nails, ,Zombie Hand

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Amelia’s Magazine | Amelia’s Magazine 10th Anniversary Kickstarter Campaign: That Which We Do Not Understand

Amelias Magazine TWWDNU Kickstarter header
Amelia’s Magazine is 10 years old this year, and to celebrate I’m going back into a print!

I’m producing a limited edition gold foiled artists’ book and an exclusive series of A2 limited edition art prints with real gold leaf. Find out more in the video below:

Amelia Gregory at work 2014-AmeliasMagazine
This is where I work at my home just off Brick Lane in East London.

Amelia’s Magazine has continued as a web only magazine since I stopped making it in print, but remains a labour of love since I do not currently take any advertising or sponsored posts. Therefore, in order to realise my dream I am raising money through the Kickstarter crowd funding website. This is a very exciting and nerve-wracking time for me, because I must raise the entire amount of money in order to receive any of it. I therefore need to raise £12,000 (or more) in 24 days and I would love your help in doing so.

Amelias_magazine_TWWDNU_Cristian_Grossi_ver_sacrum
Ver Sacrum by Cristian Grossi. This flashing gif shows how the gold leaf might look on the fine art print.

How you can help:

Please share the campaign amongst your friends on social networks, via email and of course by word of mouth. We are using the hashtag #TWWDNU. It is especially important to drive traffic at the start and encourage Kickstarter to promote the campaign within the Kickstarter community, but every little share counts whenever that may be and I am very grateful for your time and effort.

Please choose one of the Kickstarter rewards for yourself from the campaign page. Pledge for rare back issues, books, hand screen printed t-shirts, postcards and of course the limited edition book and art prints. The book will not be available in many shops and I am offering rock bottom prices to early bird bidders to get the campaign rolling.

Amelias_magazine_TWWDNU_Essi_Kimpimäki_shamaness
Shamaness by Essi Kimpimäki.

A bit more about this project:

That Which We Do Not Understand 10th anniversary artists’ book:
The book features art and creative writing about That Which We Do Not Understand, a theme that will explore the many ways in which humans seek to understand the things that they don’t understand in their lives, inspired by my personal experience of two late miscarriages. The book is being printed on high quality recycled paper from Antalis by Principal Colour in Kent and features gold foil on the cover and gold spot printing throughout. The final publication will be beautiful and inspiring, full of thought provoking contributions that question and celebrate the miraculousness of life. The book will bring contributors’ work to a large audience, and better still, artists will receive 50% of profits from sales of the fine art prints, which will be made in editions of 10.

Amelias_magazine_TWWDNU_mateusz_napieralski_tribal_cumulus
Tribal Cumulus by Mateusz Napieralski (Gust of Wind).

The artworks and writing for the book have been found through an open brief on the Amelia’s Magazine website, which many of my readers will have already seen and perhaps even submitted to. The deadline has now been extended for Kickstarter, and closes on midnight (GMT) on Sunday 16th November so you can still submit work, but please do it sooner rather than later. The book will be designed as the campaign progresses and if everything goes to plan it will go to print in late November, and you will receive your copy in good time for Christmas. The launch party is planned for Thursday 11th December at Tatty Devine’s shop on Brick Lane, and the prints will be on exhibition until the end of the year. Any unsold prints will be available through the East End Prints website.

TWWDNU front cover collage meteors, meteor showers
Cover art prints:
These are A3 sized and will feature the cover image from That Which We Do Not Understand in abundant real gold leaf on the special shimmering gold cover stock that we are using for the book cover. I have not yet designed the cover art but you can be sure it will be eye-catching and amazing (see my inspiration above): think meteor showers and 10 Years on top of the Amelia’s Magazine logo encased in a flaming meteor… Grab a piece of Amelia’s Magazine history, and get in early to take advantage of my amazing early bird deal.

Amelias_magazine_TWWDNU_Niall_Grant_Mater_Gaia
Mater Gaia by Niall Grant.

Fine art prints:
I have chosen five artists for my first round of fine art gold leaf A2 prints: each has created a very beautiful and very different piece of art that will be printed up as an archival quality giclee print with hand applied REAL GOLD LEAF highlights by Harwood King. There will only be ten of each artwork available at the amazing price of £180, so make sure you order yours early and don’t miss out.

Amelias_magazine_TWWDNU_daria_hlazatova_the_empress
The Empress by Daria Hlazatova.

Pot Luck prints:
I am also offering prints at the cheaper price of £140, which must be purchased sight unseen – these are for those of you who trust my taste and are willing to take a bit of a gamble! The more pledges I receive the more prints will be produced, so I look forward to sharing those choices with you as they are made.

TWWDNU example images1
Example artwork from That Which We Do Not Understand (clockwise from top left) by Laura Wilson, Adam Corns, Sarah Tanat-Jones and Dorry Spikes.

TWWDNU example images 2
Example artwork from That Which We Do Not Understand (clockwise from top left) by Emma Farrarons, Maia Fjord, Sarah Parris and Yoko Furusho.

You can see sneak peaks of the artwork that is being created if you follow the #TWWDNU hashtag on twitter and instagram. Please do take a peek at more of the goodies below, then click on over and support my Kickstarter campaign page here. Thankyou so much!

Amelias-Magazine-Kickstarter-Rewards-postcards
12 exclusive postcards featuring a range of print processes (foiling, glitter, pearlescent ink) for only £5.

Amelias-Magazine-Kickstarter-Rewards-Back-issues-10-angle
Rare back issues for only £10.

Amelias_Magazine_issue6_Kickstarter_T_shirts
Beautiful hand screen-printed t-shirts at the rock bottom price of £25: perfect Christmas presents.

Amelias-Magazine-Kickstarter-Illustration-books-rewards
My two illustration books in a bundle for only £30, currently retailing for £23 each on Amazon in the UK.

Categories ,#TWWDNU, ,10 Years, ,Adam Corns, ,Antalis, ,Brick Lane, ,Creative Writing, ,Cristian Grossi, ,Daria Hlazatova, ,Dorry Spikes, ,East End Prints, ,Emma Farrarons, ,Essi Kimpimaki, ,Gust of Wind, ,Harwood King, ,illustration, ,Kickstarter, ,Laura Wilson, ,Maia Fjord, ,Mateusz Napieralski, ,Meteor, ,Meteor shower, ,Miscarriage, ,Niall Grant, ,Open brief, ,principal colour, ,Sarah Parris, ,Sarah Tanat-Jones, ,Shamaness, ,That Which We Do Not Understand, ,Ver Sacrum, ,Yoko Furusho

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