Swarovski – Page 2 – AmeliasMagazine

Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week A/W 2010 Catwalk Review: J Maskrey by Amelia

J Maskrey by Bex Glover.

J Maskrey by Bex Glover.

J Maskrey is responsible for a lot. You know all those tacky glitter tattoos that you can buy in every chemist and pound shop? Well, troche she’s the one to blame. This former make-up artist invented “skin jewellery” over 10 years ago, page when she glued some Swarovski crystals onto an adhesive backing. But those glittery Superdrug rose tattoos just ain’t the same, patient so despite the mass dumbing down of her initial idea J Maskrey has managed to maintain a dazzling career at the epicentre of fashion cooldom, and it is on the catwalk that J Maskrey‘s jewelled masterpieces really glitter.

J Maskrey by Bex Glover.

Once again man wearing rubber, gimp mask and inflatable wig was front row. In at least his second outfit of the day for J Maskrey’s evening show at Victoria House. Where do these people change? And what on earth was his fashion statement? I can put up with any amount of pain in the name of erm, ~~beauty~~ standing out from the crowd. And believe me I know how much he suffered under those bright runway lights because when he stood up to leave the show the sweat literally flooded out of his sleeves into a puddle on the floor. Nice. Rather you than me – lady posing with the Gimp Fashionista.

Gimp Fashionista at Iris Van Herpen.

Gimp Fashionista dripping on a fan at J Maskrey.

J Maskrey has had a long relationship with uber stylist Judy Blame, and their collaboration continues. Against a curtained stage set the slow moving models posed beautifully at intervals under the bright lighting before gathering en masse at the helm of the catwalk, making this show a dream for good photography.

J Maskrey used careful staging and immaculate posing to create a beautiful catwalk show. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

A boy’s smooth back and arms were entirely covered with black glittery shapes, a girl with a severe bobbed haircut revealed a cluster of leopard spots racing across her chest and back, another bared glittered slashes across her breasts, culminating with dangling beads dripping like congealed blood.

A demure girl with high neckline and primly bunned hair held her hands gently to her waist, where the light glistened on Swarovski crystals dripping from her delicate fingernails. Gigantic Geisha-inspired headdresses teetered on top of heads.

This was a beautiful spectacle, but one where the clothes appeared to come a distant second to the dazzling performance. Looking back it becomes more apparent that there some highly desirable pieces buried beneath all the glitzy showpieces. Take the heavily beaded skullcap and cape, cute little nobbled skate skirt and chain print top – all actually very wearable. And not for nothing did I spot J Maskrey herself wearing the slouchy t-shirt dress with huge glittered logo at the On/Off party. To which I was dragged kicking and screaming “But I don’t do fashion parties anymore… oh okay just for one cocktail then.”

Needless to say I got in a bad mood very quickly because I really don’t know anyone in fashion anymore, and usually can’t remember anyone’s names or what they actually do, which further exacerbates the situation when they come over to me all chatty. And then my Canon 5D Mark II camera broke down with an error 20 (it does this every now and again, usually when I really REALLY need to use it) so I could no longer hide behind my camera – which I often do as a way of disengaging from situations.

Ladies in the loo at the On/Off party.

Luckily it was at this point that the Sugababes arrived so we clambered on a bench to watch them sing before we left. You know what? They were definitely singing live with a good amount of gusto, and they certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves. It was really very sweet. And a good way to end an exceedingly long day, with just one of those small surprises that every fashion week throws up.

Sugababes performing at the On/Off party.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Thursday March 4th, 2010 1:33 pm

Categories ,Bex Glover, ,Canon, ,Crystals, ,Fashionista, ,Geisha, ,Gimp, ,Glitter, ,Headdresses, ,J Maskrey, ,Judy Blame, ,menswear, ,onoff, ,Skin Jewellery, ,Sugababes, ,Swarovski, ,Victoria House

Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week A/W 2010 Catwalk Review: J Maskrey by Amelia

J Maskrey by Bex Glover.

J Maskrey is responsible for a lot. You know all those tacky glitter tattoos that you can buy in every chemist and pound shop? Well, she’s the one to blame. This former make-up artist invented “skin jewellery” over 10 years ago, when she glued some Swarovski crystals onto an adhesive backing. But those glittery Superdrug rose tattoos just ain’t the same, so despite the mass dumbing down of her initial idea J Maskrey has managed to maintain a dazzling career at the epicentre of fashion cooldom, and it is on the catwalk that J Maskrey’s jewelled masterpieces really glitter.

J Maskrey by Bex Glover.

Gimp Fashionista at Iris Van Herpen.

Gimp Fashionista dripping on a fan at J Maskrey.

J Maskrey used careful staging and immaculate posing to create a beautiful catwalk show. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Ladies in the loo at the On/Off party.

Sugababes performing at the On/Off party.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Thursday March 4th, 2010 1:33 pm

Categories ,Bex Glover, ,Canon, ,Crystals, ,Fashionista, ,Geisha, ,Gimp, ,Glitter, ,Headdresses, ,J Maskrey, ,Judy Blame, ,menswear, ,onoff, ,Skin Jewellery, ,Sugababes, ,Swarovski, ,Victoria House

Amelia’s Magazine | Future Fashion Now at the V&A

Image features work by Gudrun Kloespch

Yesterday I decided to beat the Monday-morning-blues by heading down to leafy SW7 to view the Future Fashion Now exhibition currently showing in fashion room 40 at the V&A museum. This annual exhibition features highlights from the Royal College of Art fashion graduate’s final collections which this year includes everything from military-esque furs to leather and crystal ensembles.

With 55 unique outfits and accessories on display from 27 designers, page cialis 40mg the Fashion Future Now exhibition is divided into four main sections (Concept, rx Form, Technique and Detail) with each exploring the design stages the students go through to create their final collections looking back from their initial ideas and inspiration to the finished garments and products.

Concept looks at the central ideas and inspiration behind the graduates’ work. A favourite among this category was the work of Katie Eary who based her final menswear collection on both military uniform and Russian literature. Katie’s flamboyant designs reference the decorative headwear commonly associated with the British army’s Grenadier Guard’s uniform, juxtaposed with dazzling Swarovski crystals in orange and brown arranged to resemble leopard print with glittering effect. What worked really well with Katie’s display was the use of her research photographs, mood boards and sketchbooks in the background which both add to the impact of her designs and make it very easy for visitors to see how well she executed her clear direction.

Form explores how designers transform their ideas into 3-D garments by experimenting with materials and the way in which they cut them. A stand out favourite in this field was Pamela Leung who created a beautiful roll neck cable-knit jumper using Rowan Big Wool. If the knitting needles in the background weren’t enough of a clue, Pamela uniquely constructs her garments by twisting four strands of wool together, building texture and volume as she knits with her custom-made metre-long knitting needles. For extra oomph Pamela has also experimented with silver foil incorporating this into her dynamic collection of chunky knits.

Technique reveals the ways in which the graduates create their work using both traditional and the most modern methods such as laser cutting, bonding, digital printing and sophisticated rapid prototyping. A stand out designer from this section was Iacopo Calamandrei who digitally manipulated his images of astrological charts, and then applied his resulting repeat pattern onto silk using a digital printer. Iacopo’s highly innovative cocoon-like silhouette featured heavily through his display with his technique being created using a simple dressmaker’s stand and numerous pleating and draping techniques.

Detail illustrates how customised fastenings, decorative stitching, jeweled embellishment or a delicate print can make a piece unique. The bold graphics and unusual colour combinations used by Léa Carre?o really make her stand out from her classmates in this field. Inspired by the avant-garde design of houses such as Bauhaus in the 1920s and 30s Léa’s designs are created from organic wool and viscose.
In sum a great exhibition showcasing the work of the newest crop of British designers on the block. Future Fashion Now is 100% free and is showing until 31 January 2010.

Written by Rachael Oku on Tuesday November 24th, 2009 5:13 pm

Categories ,bauhaus, ,Future Fashion Now, ,Grenadier Guard’s, ,Iacopo Calamandrei, ,Katie Eary, ,Léa Carreňo, ,Pamela Leung, ,Rowan Big Wool, ,Royal College of Art, ,Swarovski, ,va

Amelia’s Magazine | Huishan Zhang: London Fashion Week A/W 2013 Catwalk Review

Huishan Zhang A/W 2013 by Dom & Ink.

New twitter mini film app Vine was embraced by the more social media savvy end of the fashion crowd at London Fashion Week: the six second looping films proving perfect to give an immediate moving idea of the shows that a static picture sometimes struggles to put across. Bright catwalk lights tend to wash out un-metered image creation, so I found Vine worked best at the more inventive presentations that I attended. One such show was that put on by Central Saint Martins graduate Huishan Zhang, a Chinese born designer who has interned within the hallowed atelier of the Dior couturiers. Take a peek below:

Huishan Zhang A/W 2013 by Gemma Cotterell.

Huishan Zhang A/W 2013 by Shy Illustrations.

Huishan Zhang A/W 2013 by Sylwia Szyszka.

Huishan Zhang A/W 2013 by Dom & Ink.

For A/W 2013 Huishan Zhang melded Eastern and Western influences in a supremely subtle and modern way: Mondrian-esque stripes and colour blocks were merged with delicate overlays of lace and glitter panels to create 60s inspired A-line shift dresses. These shapes echoed the Chinese Mao suit that was worn by everyone in 60s China, but the sparkling addition of Swarovski sponsored panels of crystals made them dinner party desirable for now. High waist tapered trousers felt modern paired with swing back crop jackets, whilst contrasting lace appliqués and peek-a-boo pleats provided additional interest. This was a wonderfully clever collection; definitely one of my new designers to watch.

Huishan Zhang A/W 2013 by Sylwia Szyszka.

Huishan Zhang A/W 2013. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Huishan Zhang A/W 2013 by Sylwia Szyszka.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday March 5th, 2013 9:56 pm

Categories ,60s, ,Central Saint Martins, ,Chinese, ,Dior, ,Dom & Ink, ,Gemma Cotterell, ,Huishan Zhang, ,lace, ,London Fashion Week, ,Mao suit, ,Mondrian, ,Shy Illustrations, ,Swarovski, ,Sylwia Szyszka, ,Vine

Amelia’s Magazine | Fashion Business Club: Dolly Jones Interviews Laura Bailey

Illustration by Katie Harnett

Held at the Swarovski Lounge, information pills just off Regent Street, and myself and Amelia enjoyed the hour long talk between Dolly and Laura. Hosted by the Fashion Business Club, drugs it was the first eco talk FBC had ever had. Beginning with some general questions from Dolly about the whys and wheres she got involved, Laura was very realistic and frank about the current situation where sustainable fashion is concerned and the direction it needs to take. She also spoke very openly about her career as a model, and juggling working full time with being a mother: ‘My system is chaos, I sometimes work all night as I don’t want to miss a football match, a ballet recital or anything’.

One of the main issues which cropped up was that ethical fashion is still struggling to find a place in the industry which placing it on an equal footing to mainstream fashion. The reality is that not enough people are supporting the use of sustainable processes and local materials and until this changes it will be difficult to make a significant impact. Another interesting point raised was that many independent fashion designers are green without necessarily labelling themselves as an ‘eco-designer’. Small scale designers tend to work using a much simpler and less costly process, for instance with local rather than international suppliers.

Laura is keen to see her work towards reaching a larger recognition for ethical fashion as ‘a journey to take rather than a message to preach’. I agree, it is so important that consumers understand the importance and take on the idea of sustainable fashion wholly rather than as a fad.

Illustration by Katie Harnett

However, the importance of a trend in the quest to become more ethical is not to be sniffed at. A sustainable Christopher Kane collection at Topshop would fly off the rails. The Vogue.com Green Style Blog is a hit. It’s about finding a way to bring together of the moment, must-buy pieces with a long-term awareness of ethical fashion that is ingrained in the industry. Obviously this is not going to happen overnight and Bailey understands this but refuses to consider herself the ‘eco-warrior’ some have labelled her as. That term is a ‘cliche’ she says, who disregards it quickly when asked by an audience member how she feels about it.

During the question and answer session, some very interesting debates emerged, concerning the real (as opposed to the oft optimistic reported) reaction to ethical clothes. Truth be told, many people will buy stylish clothes at a fair price regardless of how sustainable they are – sustainable fashion needs to be fully intergrated with mainstream fashion for it to survive in the marketplace. I left the talk feeling a mixture between optimistic and somewhat disheartened. Bailey is knowledgeable and honest about how ethical fashion and fair trade is at the moment, and unfortunately it is struggling.

Laura Bailey is an ambassador for Barnados, Oxfam and the fairtrade foundation as well as contributing to several blogs including Vogue’s Green Style and collaborating with ethical fashion label Made.

Written by Florence Massey on Wednesday October 6th, 2010 3:06 pm

Categories ,Courtney Blackman, ,Dolly Jones, ,Ethical Fashion, ,fashion, ,Fashion Business Club, ,FBC, ,Laura Bailey, ,MADE, ,Swarovski, ,Swarovski Crystallized

Amelia’s Magazine | Fashion Business Club: Dolly Jones Interviews Laura Bailey

Illustration by Katie Harnett

Written by Florence Massey on Wednesday October 6th, 2010 3:06 pm

Categories ,Courtney Blackman, ,Dolly Jones, ,Ethical Fashion, ,fashion, ,Fashion Business Club, ,FBC, ,Laura Bailey, ,MADE, ,Swarovski, ,Swarovski Crystallized

Amelia’s Magazine | Tent London 2011 Review: Best Surface Design

Kate Usher wallpaper
Wallpaper by Kate Usher Studio.

The printed textile designer in me will always be a sucker for great decorative surface design. Here’s some fabulous stuff that I found at Tent London this year.

Kate Usher Meerkat wallpaper
At the Designed and Made stand I was immediately drawn to Kate Usher‘s marvellous wallpaper designs with names such as Sharkbait and Hang About. She has set out with an admirable mission to shake up the tired old cliches that appear on most children’s bedroom decor, story so expect bold designs, thumb all printed to order on FSC approved base papers… and with the possibility to add a bespoke Swarovski crystal topping. Wow-wee.

Tent London 2012 review -kate usher and sarah blood
Also at Designed and Made I liked the neon Duck lights by Sarah Blood which offer a fun updated version of this kitsch classic.

Tent London 2012 review -flavor paper

Brookyln’s Flavor Paper had flown to the UK to showcase their unique wares. What fun! I particularly loved their hot air balloon display and given their provocative name I couldn’t help asking if any of their designs were actually scratch ‘n’ sniff – to my delight I discovered that indeed the cherries were. All their designs are created to buyer specifications, either digitally or via traditional screenprinting.

Tent London 2012 review -bluebellgray
Digital printing was used to great effect by Scottish designer Fi Douglas of Bluebellgray, retaining the feel of pretty hand painted floral watercolour textiles.

Tent London 2012 review -happy happy bows
I am not sure which section these Happy Happy oversized bows fit into since they are essentially an entirely useless bit of decor. Made by RCA trained designer Stephen Johnson, these kitsch creations are intended to bring a bit of happiness into the world.

Tent London 2012 review -3form tiles

Gorgeous (but very expensive) irridescent sculpted bespoke tiles were on display from 3Form solutions.

Tent London 2012 review -Lisa Grue avantgarden
And then I chanced upon Lisa Grue, who I last met in Copenhagen a year ago. She was taking in part in Tent London with a group of artist/designers working in multiple disciplines under the name avantGarden.

Tent London 2012 review -Lisa Grue avantgarden

Titled Beautiful Mortality, all of avantGarden‘s work was inspired by the beauty of life, death and decay and all the designs were rendered in a limited colourway of cream and browns – quite a departure from Lisa’s usual colourful work. I loved her moth and fox designs and her huge hand-appliqued wall hanging.

Tent London 2012 review -Meyer-Lavigne
Bulbous painted ceramic plant pots from Meyer-Lavigne were also particularly wonderful.

Tent London 2012 review -Louise Gaarmann
Louise Gaarmann presented some tactile ceramics in imaginative combinations of shapes. Together with textile designer Tina Ratzer she had created Mr.Craftsman, a huge tribal coat in pure wool accessorised with hanging ceramic talismans.

Our Man_ratzermeetsgaarmann mr craftsman
Don’t forget to take a peek at my pick of this years furniture design too.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Monday October 10th, 2011 6:50 pm

Categories ,2011, ,3Form, ,avantGarden, ,Beautiful Mortality, ,Bluebellgray, ,brooklyn, ,ceramic, ,copenhagen, ,Danish, ,Designed and Made, ,digital, ,Duck, ,Fi Douglas, ,Flavor Paper, ,Happy Happy, ,kitsch, ,Lisa Grue, ,London Design Festival, ,Louise Gaarmann, ,Meyer-Lavigne, ,Neon Lights, ,rca, ,review, ,Sarah Blood, ,scratch ‘n’ sniff, ,screenprinting, ,Stephen Johnson, ,surface design, ,Swarovski, ,Tent London, ,textiles, ,Tiles, ,Tina Ratzer, ,Underwerket Projects, ,Wallpaper

Amelia’s Magazine | Valentines Day 2013: Jewellery, Handmade Gifts & Discounts on Chocolates

I’ve given you some great ideas for unique handmade Valentines cards, and now I bring you a round up of beautiful and unusual gifts, including, of course, some delightful jewels.

dowse design anatomy brass pendant
Dowse Design don’t pander to the usual romantic image of Valentines, instead they have crafted an unusual gesture of love that is bound to turn heads: the Anatomy etched pendant comes in steel or brass and is made in England.

With Love Silver Necklace_Nicola Crawford_RRP £135
Jewellery designer Nicola Crawford has based her designs on the lost art of letter writing in a collection entitled With Love. These tumbling letters may well spell out your own feelings.

Georgia Wiseman Sirus Limited Edition pendant
For something more jewel encrusted, Georgia Wiseman has some glamourous earrings. I love the art deco influenced Capella design, but she has also created a special limited edition pendant for Valentines; Sirus, which looks like a modern day flint, is made with a smokey Swarovski crystal set in rose gold. She’s offering free P&P up until February 14th too.

EOTW designs Hand made Solid SIlver Earrings
We profiled Eye of The World Designs back in 2011, and since then designer Hope Von Joel has been busy building the brand, which bridges interior design and jewellery. I love these bold laminated wood and perspex earrings.

Made & Told heart ikat cushion
Moving on to other gift ideas, Made & Told are offering hand woven Ikat cushion covers with a heart pattern. They are handmade in Uzbekistan and come gift wrapped for £30 (including P&P) using the code SAINTVALENTINE. The company promotes traditional crafts from central Asia and you can watch a film about the making of the cushion on their website.

Nichollette Yardley-Moore vintage silk scarf Rose cushion
Designer Nichollette Yardley-Moore collects vintage fabrics, scarves and original flags which she then transforms into beautiful one-of-a-kind cushions. I like her romantic floral cushions, which are made up with vintage silk scarves from the 1960s

MrPS happy hearts Hankies
These pretty hankies by illustrator Robert Shadbolt are covered in smiling hearts. They are screen-printed by hand in the Mr.PS studio and come in double-packs of candy pink & sky blue, and plum & turquoise.

Chloe Cook painted teapot
If you find an overload of hearts a bit saccharine, how about this starry hand painted teapot by Chloe Cook?

M.Hulot Strapped howe red bag
Or how about a beautiful rich red hand made leather Howe clutch from M.Hulot?

London Kills Me Reclaimed slate Heart
Slate hearts from London Kills Me are hand cut from reclaimed roof slate, much of it from the nineteenth century, meaning that each one has a slightly different patina. They can be written on in chalk pen: making them an ideal alternative to a paper card.

sabina savage hummingbird scarf
This wool and silk mix scarf by Sabina Sauvage features four bold hummingbirds and comes with a lovely blood red border.

Charlotte Linton Cove_paisley scarf
There’s something a bit, I don’t know, meaty, about this unusual bright red Cove Paisley scarf by designer Charlotte Linton. It would make an unusual gift, the swirls reminiscent of hearts and body parts.

David Shillinglaw Double Heart painted bottle
Artist David Shillinglaw offers beautiful hand painted bottles, which come with a short personal message: perfect for a beer lover perhaps?

And: for something a bit different, how about a personalised serenade over the phone from consummate karaoke professionals Hot Breath (above). ‘Intimate, passionate and 100% from the heart. All sung by a professional amateur to the best of their ability.’

To find exclusive handmade designs, go no further than the Love.Make Designs pop up shop at Craft Central’s Corner Shop in Farringdon, London from the 11-17th of February.

Luxury-Valentine-Gifts-My Voucher Codes Chocolates Hotel Chocolat
And don’t forget, chocolates will always go down a treat, so why not take advantage of some great discounts at My Voucher Codes? Get 10% off any purchase from Hotel Chocolat: how about their Sealed With a Kiss selection, which comes in a pretty heart shaped box?

Thorntons Be My Valentine chocolate selection my voucher codes
Or you could really make an impression with this Be My Valentine chocolates selection from Thorntons, with a bespoke message hand iced onto a chocolate tag. Take advantage of My Voucher Codes and get a free box of chocolates when you spend £20 with Thorntons, plus free delivery on orders of £25 or more.

To round off the blog, here’s a clever infographic describing spending patterns on Valentines Day, brought to you by the folks at My Voucher Codes.

Valentines Day spending patterns infographic
Fancy being featured in one of my regular round ups? Make sure you follow me on twitter @ameliagregory: most of these designers responded to open callouts for Valentines ideas.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Thursday February 7th, 2013 2:15 pm

Categories ,2013, ,anatomy, ,Be My Valentine, ,bespoke, ,Capella, ,Charlotte Linton, ,Chloe Cook, ,chocolate, ,Cove Paisley, ,Craft Central, ,cushions, ,David Shillinglaw, ,discounts, ,Dowse Design, ,Eye of The World Designs, ,Georgia Wiseman, ,gifts, ,handmade, ,Hope Von Joel, ,Hot Breath, ,Hotel Chocolat, ,Howe clutch, ,Infographic, ,jewellery, ,Karaoke, ,London Kills Me, ,Love.Make Designs, ,M.Hulot, ,Made & Told, ,Mr PS, ,My Voucher Codes, ,Nichollette Yardley-Moore, ,Nicola Crawford, ,Robert Shadbolt, ,Sabina Sauvage, ,Sealed With a Kiss, ,Sirus, ,Swarovski, ,The Corner Shop, ,Thorntons, ,Uzbekistan, ,Valentine’s Day, ,Valentines, ,Vouchers, ,With Love

Amelia’s Magazine | Valentines Day 2013: Jewellery, Handmade Gifts & Discounts on Chocolates

I’ve given you some great ideas for unique handmade Valentines cards, and now I bring you a round up of beautiful and unusual gifts, including, of course, some delightful jewels.

Chloe Cook painted teapot
If you find an overload of hearts a bit saccharine, how about this starry hand painted teapot by Chloe Cook?

M.Hulot Strapped howe red bag
Or how about a beautiful rich red hand made leather Howe clutch from M.Hulot?

sabina savage hummingbird scarf
This wool and silk mix scarf by Sabina Sauvage features four bold hummingbirds and comes with a lovely blood red border.

David Shillinglaw Double Heart painted bottle
Artist David Shillinglaw offers beautiful hand painted bottles, which come with a short personal message: perfect for a beer lover perhaps?

To find exclusive handmade designs, go no further than the Love.Make Designs pop up shop at Craft Central’s Corner Shop in Farringdon, London from the 11-17th of February.

To round off the blog, here’s a clever infographic describing spending patterns on Valentines Day, brought to you by the folks at My Voucher Codes.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Thursday February 7th, 2013 2:15 pm

Amelia’s Magazine | Power of Making at the V&A: exhibition review

Power of Making V&A 2011-Elaine Colbert
A hyperrealistic baby doll created by Elaine Colbert for ‘adoption’.

Yesterday I went along to check out the new Power of Making exhibition at the V&A Porter Gallery in conjunction with the Crafts Council, treatment which opens today. Curator Daniel Charny was on hand to give us a personal introduction, explaining that when putting together the show he looked for the best demonstration of knowledge for each skill on display. He aims to challenge preconceptions of what arts and craft can be, because ‘making is an active way of thinking‘ that needs to be better valued. Many of the objects on display demonstrate a strong link between science, technology and craft and he would love this relationship to be more widely recognised and utilised.

Here are some of the most interesting things I discovered.

Power of Making V&A 2011-david mach
King Silver Gorilla: made entirely from wire coat hangers by David Mach, this stunning sculpture greets visitors at the entrance to the exhibition.

Power of Making V&A 2011-Peter Butcher embroidered implant
Embroidered surgical implant: this snowflake shaped machine embroidery by Peter Butcher at Ellis Developments is designed to lie just under the skin, providing the surgeon with attachment points for replacing lost tissue.

Power of Making V&A 2011-Mirlande Constant
Beaded Haitian Vodou Flag: having learnt the skills from her mother Mirlande Constant quit her job in a wedding dress factory to make traditional flags.

Power of Making V&A 2011-Kane Kwei lion coffin
Carved wooden lion coffin: the family workshop of Kane Kwei in Ghana has been making sculpted coffins since the 1950s. Designed to reflect an individual’s job and aspirations traditional imagery often merges with contemporary culture: you can now be buried in a car or a branded trainer.

Power of Making V&A 2011-maker bot
The MakerBot: first discovered at a recent Future Human event, this is a small 3D printer designed for home use that extrudes lengths of plastic to create 3D objects.

Power of Making V&A 2011-kideville
Kideville 3D printed game: Also in the realm of new technology, the Kide 3D package uses advanced tools to create a game that simultaneously teaches children rapid-prototyping skills. Over the course of Power of Making children will make their own buildings to complete the 3D printed city.

Power of Making V&A 2011-Thorunn Arnadottir QR CODE
QR code beaded clothing: first discovered at this years graduate Royal College of Art exhibition, Thorunn Arnadottir mixes high technology and art in his Swarovski crystal beaded garments, which can be read by a smartphone.

Power of Making V&A 2011-David Kaleta
Lego frog dissection: David Kaleta‘s frog is very accurate, despite its unusual material construction.

Power of Making V&A 2011-Kathyrn Hinton
Digitally hammered silver bowls: Kathyrn Hinton‘s beautiful bowls are created at a distance that technology affords: a hammer hits a pad and the force of each blow on metal is recorded onscreen.

Power of Making V&A 2011-Jacquy Pfeiffer
Sugar sculpture: Corn syrup, sugar, water and lemon juice were boiled in exact proportions to create a glass-like substance that pastry chef Jacquy Pfeiffer manipulated into a dramatic sculpture (just out of shot, a tiger’s head).

Power of Making V&A 2011-Manel Torres
Spray on dress: Manel Torres developed Fabrican whilst studying fashion at the Royal College of Art and has since moved to Imperial College to work with materials scientists. New applications that are being considered include upholstery, bandages, and even spray on nappies.

Power of Making V&A 2011-Heleen Klopper
Moth hole mender: I don’t quite understand how this works but I want to use this now!!! Heleen Klopper developed Woolfiller to mend much loved old clothes – the fibre is placed over the hole and grabs onto the surrounding wool.

Power of Making V&A 2011-Michelle Wibowo
Marzipan and sugar baby: in an amazing burst of cake based creativity this hyperrealistic infant was made by Michelle Wibowo from edible ingredients.

There were many other intriguing objects to discover at this exhibition, many with extremely clever applications that take them beyond the realm of mere aesthetic frippery. The Power of Making is a fabulous testament to thoughtful creativity and will no doubt encourage many people to learn a new skill. I dare you not to be inspired! For more information and recommended events see my listing.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday September 6th, 2011 12:48 pm

Categories ,3D Printing, ,Beaded Haitian Vodou Flag, ,Beading, ,Carved wooden lion coffin, ,Coffin, ,craft, ,Crafts Council, ,Daniel Charny, ,David Kaleta, ,David Mach, ,Digitally hammered silver bowls, ,Elaine Colbert, ,Ellies Babies, ,Ellis Developments, ,Embroidered surgical implant, ,Fabrican, ,Future Human, ,ghana, ,Heleen Klopper, ,Imperial College, ,Jacquy Pfeiffer, ,Kane Kwei, ,Kathyrn Hinton, ,Kide 3D, ,Kideville 3D printed game, ,King Silver Gorilla, ,Lego, ,Lego frog dissection, ,Maker Bot, ,MakerBot, ,Manel Torres, ,Marzipan and sugar baby, ,Michelle Wibowo, ,Mirlande Constant, ,Moth hole mender, ,Peter Butcher, ,Power of Making, ,QR code, ,rapid-prototyping, ,Robots, ,Royal College of Art, ,science, ,Smartphone, ,Spray on dress, ,Sugar sculpture, ,Sugarcraft, ,Swarovski, ,Technology, ,The Porter Gallery, ,Thorunn Arnadottir, ,va, ,Wooden, ,wool, ,Woolfiller

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