Iris Van Herpen Designer #3

  

Iris Van Herpen 

Iris Van Herpen is a Dutch fashion designer  who  designs modern haute couture. She combines fine handwork with digital techniques. She is known for pushing fashion to the extreme and uses the contradiction between beauty and regenerations. Iris Van Herpen use a range of materials, techniques and technology to create her work and  Van Herpen has began exploring 3D Printing which has allowed her to create unique astonishing designs. She takes inspiration from a wide range of sources mainly focusing on natural forms and the structure and pattern that occurs in nature.

She has designed outfits for Beyoncé, Salvador Breed,Bjork, Grimes, Lady Gaga, Joey Yung and has collaborated with a variety of designers. She has recently designed the stage outfits for Madam Butterfly which consists of a fan design dresses  to allow movement and to relate back to the story.

Iris Van Herpen’s work is unique due to the range and scope of materials used to create her work. The material she uses has allowed her to explore making sculpture dresses that are highly elaborated and intricate. I feel her work fits into the subculture of punk due to her harsh shape and dimension that she creates though the materials used. This reminds me of the use of safety pins and studs that were used in the punk movement to decorate and show individuality. Leather is used a lot throughout her work as a base or incorporated into her designs this also relates back to the subculture of punk as leather is an essential to punk.

 Van Herpen also considers the placement of her structures to allow the body to move. She has a love for the body and the movement so her designs complement and use the body movements to enhance her designs. Her designs follow, complete, and change the body and the emotions that accompany it, when simultaneously the body adapts and adopts the new forms. The strong striking theatrical dress relates to punk as the punk movement was seen to be theatrical and breaking the rules. Which can be seen in Iris Van Herpen designs as it is breaking the mould and giving haute couture a new look.

  

  

 Iris Van Herpen is an edgy haute couture designer whose work is very inspiring as she takes inspiration and fusses techniques from the past and techniques and technologies of the future. 

MARY KATRANTZOU designer #2

Mary Katrantzou   

Mary Katrantzou is one of my favorite designers due to her use of bold prints and her tailoring of the garments.  Although it may not seemly fit into a subculture I feel her work strongly influences my style and the where I get inspiration for my work .  However I do feel her work could be classed into the Hipster subculture due to her prints being unique and her cliental are someone who is free spirited and confident. Mary Katrantzou started designing in 2008 and since has became a well known print designer. She takes inspiration from a range of everyday objects and abstract items such as perfume bottle, architecture, paintings.  Recently she has collaborated with Adidas to create a collection based on the classic trainer she has also collaborated with Christian Louboutin and Topshop.

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Her attention to details is shown through the way she approaches print she seamlessly  take everyday items and transforms them into abstract and contemporary fashion. Mary Katrantzou  is able to distort and zoom in on the objects and highlight areas and shapes of objects that others miss. This idea of taking something that is everyday and making it standout is what I feel hipster represents.  The bold colour used in Mary Katrantzou print is what also inspires  me as she is brave and doesn’t  care  if her colour clash.  the use of the colour clash adds details and interest to her designs.  The colour freedom is reflected in the hipster subculture as the idea of being free  and able to express yourself through the use of colour 

“Print can be as definitive as a cut or a drape and allows a woman to filter beauty found in design, in a subversive way. All my prints are constructed through digital technology. Digital print allows me to experiment with print in a way that fine art and other methods could not. It opens up a huge spectrum for possibility; I can create possibility out of impossibility, surrealism out of realism and both vice versa.” says Mary.

The tailoring Mary Katrantzou use  plays  with the illusion of print and the symmetry it can create to flatter the female silhouette giving it shape and detail. The tailoring also gives elegancy and drama to her collection whilst playing on the classic styling of female fashion. Mary Katrantzou carries her tailoring into her designs of shoes and accessories  which also carries on with the illusion and placing all the components together to create an overall exciting outfit.

Junya Watanabe designer #1

Junya Watanabe

Junya Watanabe is another designer that inspires me he is a Japanese fashion designer and in contrast to Mary Katrantzou his work is more about the layering and texture of fabric. Junya Watanabe started his fashion career  by working for Comme des Garçons from 1987 to 1994  he worked with Rel Kawakbo . He worked under his own label in  Comme des Garçons under “Junya Watanabe Comme Des Garcons’ and then in 1994 he launched his own label. Watanabe is renowned for designing innovative and distinctive clothing. He  is also known for being  experimental with his use of fabrics and how he use them to create a design . Watanbe fusion together the traditional fabrics such as cotton and   with the technological advances of synthetic fabric. This fusion of fabric allows Watanbe to create unique and abstract designs and through the use of  his fabrics  he  has become known by some as a ” techno couture" designer.

Watanable work fits into the subculture of punk as collections consist of irregular to touch surfaces  which  were created through the use of different fabrics and the fabric manipulation technique used, such as,  tucking ,pleats and ruching . His collections all contain a misshapen and dishevelled look that punk subculture is known for  with its antiestablishment ideas.  The shape of his work is really exciting and inspiring with the change of texture giving it   added dimension and it gives it a couture look.

 Junya Watanbele uses a lot of leather and tartan in his work which also relates back into the subculture of punk. The use of leather is something that I really like in his collections as he uses it in an inventive way. He also gives a modern twist on the use of tartan in garments and he gives a contemporary look to the punk style through his twist of futurism use throughout the collections.

He carries on the punk look not only through the garment that the models wear but through the style of the hair to resemble a Mohawk through the use of household item. The models were also styled in shoes similar to dr martins with heavy duty look which is essential to the punk style.

Jauya Watanble’s work is very inspiring and the fusion  of texture and fabrics  gives his design an edge and takes a lot of inspiration from the punk era. 

Part two Subculture

 Subculture 

What subculture do I fit into? I find this hard to answer as I feel I am a mix of subcultures and don’t definitely  fit into one group or another. I think I am mainly a merge of subcultures as I feel a bit of each relates to me and what inspires me.

Punk

Punk was  a radical style which started in the mid 1970s and was influenced by music the political  arguer and anti-establishment. Punks style is highly theatrical as of their bold hairstyle, edge clothing and  body modification such as tattoos and piecing

Punk is as a subculture which is something when looking at my clothes  you can see similarities and  which would place me  in this category.  Due to my love of Dr Martin shoes which is a signature footwear which is associated with punk .  Studded embellishment and jewellery again  looking in my wardrobe I own a lot of studded clothes from dresses to jeans to jumpers  this is also an important feature in punk culture as it adds edge to a plain  garment and make a statement.  Another prominent style from punk is my liking for skull imagery on clothing I tend to chose a more discreet skull image then bold images that are mainly associated with punks.

Hipster

Hipster diverse from a term used to describe earlier fashion 1940s but as it current sub culture it came about in the 1990s. A hipster is someone who likes indie and alternative music and wears  a variety  of non mainstream fashion which is a blend of vintage high street and designer.

 Hipster is not something I want to be known as due to the social stigma which has occurred in the last few years over social media. But when you look at the origins a hipster is a person who follows the latest trends and fashions, especially those regarded as being outside the cultural mainstream. From researching I released I did fit into this category as I try to be my own person with my style. Maybe this is not reflected in any particular garment but in the way I think and approach fashion and my style and my taste in music.

Blancmange pink doc martins to pink toned hair this a crosses over  from punk subculture to hipster subculture or is this just my  love for pink?

I found this really interesting as it made me question my fashion identity and my opinions and  it well worth taking time  to see what subculture you fit into.

Frankie Ruth

Part One- Fashion Shops

London shopping

This week I have been checking out some  of the shops on offer in London which cater for a range of price and personal styles. I enjoyed visiting them as they  all  gave me lots of inspiration for my style and ideas for projects. I observed the layout, clothes  and the clientele of the shops and how this may influence the shop.

Beyond Retro 

This vintage shop in Brick lane offer a wide range of stock it was full to brim with clothes from all era and if you have time to look you could find a vintage gem. 

Absolute Vintage 

Absolute Vintage contains clothes from a variety of era and wide range of shoes the shop felt a little cluttered due to the amount of stock.

Dover Street Market

Dover street Market has unique layout with its art  installation and its industrial interior. It offer  established designer clothes and up and coming designer clothes.

    

Burberry 

The shop lives up to it name with it icon look and  the staff were very welcoming and helpful. The store felt modern yet it  still  displayed the classic Burberry look.

Liberty

liberty is a treasure trove of items they stock a wide range of products from pencil sharpner to a designer dress and of course not forget there own brand. Its  exterior and interior are a visual delight and offer the  contrast between delicate fabric and the heavily carved wood.

Topshop 

Topshop Oxford street is vast shop that you can spent hours in the layout can feel a little overwhelming and lack the personal touch of other stores sometimes less is more. The lower floor is a must visit area due to the concessions shop which can offer unique pieces at affordable prices. 

Urban Outfitter

Urban outfitter is edge shop that offer a range of styles from designer to high street  and vintage clothing. The layout to me didnt seem to flow but had cluster of clever merchandising.

Selfridges

Selfridges is large department store but it  still manged to keep it tradition of  good service. It offer a variety of designer and also some high street names. Its a very inspiring shop due to it visual styling and the attention to detail.

Matches 

Matches was a small personal boutique that hold a small selection of designer. It has a nice feel to the place and give you the feel good shopping experince.

Oxfam Boutique

To me it felt like another charity shop it didn't however it dose have designer shoes if you have the time to hunt you may find a fashion steal.

Frankie Ruth