Authentic Creatives & designers a dying group

Designers and original makers are dying out. We are going extinct and being replaced with big machinery and cheap overseas labour. Not only that whenever we make something that is authentic it is copied. That I don’t mind. I just want to let people know that working with our hands and a sewing machine is an art form and the fact that you meet someone who can sketch an image, draw their own pattern, cut and sew from start to finish is rare nowadays and I’m amongst the youngest in this field in Australia that can make anything from the beginning.

When you look at a dress in a retail store that costs $350 it has went through so many hands for each piece and the fabric sourced all over the world but made in less than an hour. When an authentic creative makes you something for $350 +++ it would of taken many more hours or days to produce. The sewing of retail clothing is hardly done in Australia nowadays and is mostly done in India, Bali, China, Phillipines, Turkey etc where the dollar is cheaper. I don’t mind that but do not compare an authentic designer or creative who makes one off designs or capsule collections to the mass produced market or to something you buy from the retail store.

For 19 + years I have been slowly learning my craft. Just bits a pieces here and there picking up every piece of knowledge that I can from people, from books and just generally learning as much as I can of anything at all that I can apply to my field. It is my obsession and my dream. I am young to be running my own business as a Designer Dressmaker but I created my job because I saw a need in the market. Plus until I started calling myself The Designer Dressmaker nobody else had put those words together. The decline of dressmaking and especially dressmakers that make their own patterns is obvious in Australia adding further value to what is left. We are a dime a dozen. Help contribute to Australian dressmakers or local dressmakers if you aren’t Australian because otherwise we may just die out and who shall you buy an authentic designer dress from.

I’m going to rock this year. You should too. 🤘🏻

John Galliano

Picture from Jan welters

Born in Gibraltor and I know your like where the hell is Gibraltor or I was anyway so I looked it up. It’s a territory on the edge of Spain that is British and a part of the UK. 
John Galliano is both British and Spanish and his outgoing creativity and attitude to life has made him so very successful! 

Named British designer of the year four times and ran Givenchy in 1995 Christian Dior in 1996 and John Galliano 1988 to 2011 followed by Maison Margiela which he is currently running.

Juan Galliano whose mother was a Flamenco teacher actually was teased a lot in English boys grammar because of his clothes being flamboyant and interesting. 

Galliano graduated from Saint Martins school of art in 1984 with first collection “les Incroyables” being inspired by the French Revolution. Which was a great success and was sold at Browns the retailer.

After some time with his own label John Galliano went bankrupt in 1990 and even though he was financially at wits end he knew what he wanted and he didn’t give up! He moved to Paris and began again with financial backing from Moroccan designer Faycal Amor.

His first show hit the runway in 1989 as a part of Paris Fashion Week. 

In 1993 Amor cut his backing and Anna Wintour Vogue editor in chief  and André Leon Talley European correspondent for Vaniry Fair introduced Galliano to a backer Sao Schlumberger, John Bult and Mark Rice. They backed his label and gave him credibility to market his designs amongst the Parisians. 

Amongst all the social drama and the wild party life John Galliano is an amazing designer and will be in the history books of fashion forever. 

Here is his latest collection for Maison Margiela 

Jimmy Choo

Image from Buro247

Jimmy Choo king of the shoe 👠 is a Malaysian designer based in the U.K. Who was born in Penang and whose real last name was Chow. 

We all know him as a major player in the footwear arena with his shoes being worn by the most famous people on the planet with a price tag to match the awesome unique designs he delivers. 

Jimmy Choo made his first pair of shoes at 11 after being born into a family of shoe makers where he was taught by his father.

Before Jimmy was noticed he was working as a cleaner in a shoe factory and in restaurants aswell as studying at what is now the London College of Fashion.

In 1986 he opened his own shop which due to the nature of his work became noticed landing him in an 8 page feature in Vogue and the backing of princess Dianna in 1988 who absolutely loved his handmade shoes. 

In 1996 Jimmy Choo started Jimmy Choo limited with vogue accessories editor Tamara Mellon. If you look at articles in vogue there was a somewhat dramatic break up there. Need I say no more. 

Jimmy Choo sold his 50% stake in Jimmy Choo limited for 10 million pounds but the shoes still make me breathless. Such beauty and elegance. He now concentrates on the Jimmy Choo couture line licenced from jimmy Choo limited.

Because Jimmy Choo isn’t doing ready to wear anymore and is only doing custom here is a video with him teaching from Curtin University on YouTube. It’s genius!

If you still need to see the latest Jimmy Choo limited check this link. Shimmer in the Dark The latest collection by Jimmy Choo Ltd.

Jean Paul Gaultier

Image from Vogue

French born designer Jean Paul Gaultier was never formally trained but from sheer talent was picked up in the 1970’s by Pierre Cardin then in 1971 worked with Jean Patou and Jacques Esterel before releasing his first signature collection in 1976. Jean Paul Gaultier was playful and fun in his design and inspired by popular culture. He influenced streetwear in the 80’s. Gaultier was popularised by his use of unusual models and his introduction of the man skirt.

Gaultier was the creative director of Hermes from 2003-2010.

In 2017 Jean Paul Gaultier released his Fall winter 2017/2018 collection

Pierre Cardin

Image from Pierre Cardin

Italian born designer Pierre Cardin (born 2.7.1922 Pietro Cardin) moved to France from when he was 2 and grew up in Saint Etienne. 
In 1945 moves to France and begins work for Paquin and the Schiaparelli. In 1946 he was hired as a tailor by Christian Dior and privately designs masks and costumes for the movie beauty and the beast La Belle et La Bête. 
In 1950 he starts his own company designing masks and costumes for the theatre 

In 1954 he designs the bubble dress which is a global sensation and opens his own Parisian boutique Eve. 

In 1959 Pierre Cardin releases his first women’s ready to wear collection. 

In 1960 Pierre Cardin releases his first men’s ready to wear collection “Cylindre or cylinder”.

In 1963 Pierre Cardin releases his first ready to wear womens haute couture collection. 
In 1966 Pierre Cardin releases his first children’s collection using triplets as models from Paris.

In 1972 he releases his first men’s perfume “Pour Monsieur” 

In 1977, 1979 & 1982 receives the gold thimble of French Haute Couture from Cartier. 

In 2017 Pierre Cardin has been designing for 70 years. 

Here are the latest Designs of Pierre Cardin 

MEET THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK CRBN UNISEX STREETWEAR + collabs

Making an entrance onto the Australian Fashion arena late in 2016 we have CRBN with lead designer Whitney Duan. The label is so different to regular Australian fashion labels. Which is what makes it so very interesting.

They are here to change the rules on gender.

So you are curious? How can CRBN change the rules on gender?

Well with time staking . Men are wearing skirts. Women are wearing the pants and actually whatever they want.  I mean why as a female should I wear a dress? I want to wear a skort today and I don’t care!

I want to see men in dresses not just because free balling is comfortable but why not? The only thing that has been holding back men from wearing dresses is that dresses aren’t made to fit the male form by the consumer market. Hence why CRBN is a game changer. Men can choose to wear what they want from their range. The fact physically it is a dress or a skirt is just a label and a social image that has been underpinned by oppressive social expectations handed down through generations . Its just a name we gave it to identify what it is but would it be so bad if we named a pant a skirt and a skirt a pant. In the end its the same fabric with the same stitches, the same cotton that holds it together. Just like the difference in gender. Gender is just a label male, female and most recently we have added in no gender which btw is still a label. All these names and boundaries we create ourselves as humans.

‘We have so many people wanting to dress and expand their new style from mundane commercialism. Plus with drag queens now tapping into the mainstream industry with Ru Paul’s drag race/ we have an untouched market’

 Luka Davis

Melbourne Designer & Stylist

Instagram@luka.davis

 

Whitney’s background is in Philosophy and Art History so her perception of gender is quite in tune with a general move by society to become less gender specific. We are after all a society who wants whatever we want when we want it. Socially we just want to be able to wear what we want without the backlash of social expectations. In fashion ‘different’ is the new ‘cool’. So as unisex clothing gains momentum and is starting to be seen as the new cool there are so many self styled innovators who are picking up the product and trying it. CRBN is a blend between fitted and baggy streetwear with styles you could wear everyday casually or dress up to go out and party in with an emphasis  on comfort. Now that we already have so many people out there who are innovators gaining awareness of the product and trying samples of unisex clothing in their day to day lives. Its time for early adopters like you and I to support unisex clothing and pick up the trend and deliver it to the growth stage and mass market before unisex is totally accepted and adopted into our society. So I ask you. Can you challenge your own thinking that you have been taught from birth? Can you try something different to see how it fits and feels? If your not excited by now to break the rules and kick back the boundaries of social expectation then I’m probably howling to the moon.

While working alongside CRBN as one of a select group of consultant pattern makers I sat in on quite a few late night fittings and meetings behind the end product. In collaboration of their first range I found Whitney and her partner radio spokesperson and author Eden Duan to be quite unique individuals in fact their strong bond and communication was the back bone of getting things moving at the rate that such a large collection could be developed. Developing a range this large requires so much time and effort away from regular day to day existence and as a power couple they worked together to make CRBN from just an idea to something tangible something that any designer could be proud of. Whitney Duan designer of CRBN is the new kid on the block. I am loving her cool style and needed to share it. She actually gets how contemporary humans are feeling. Lets just erase some of the labels and start again. Fashion is now geometric lines, contemporary, rule breaking, minimalistic, unisex clothing.

Author: Ashleigh Renee Evans (Secret Culture)

all links:

Buy CRBN now https://www.crbnstudios.com/

Follow CRBN on Instagram @crbnstudios

Follow CRBN on facebook https://www.facebook.com/crbnstudios/

Follow this blog for more of my fashion blogging & tutorials

All photos from official CRBN Instagram.

Models have links in Instagram for recognition.

 

 

photo from insta @peajitamornpanna

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My latest custom designer formal gown for a year 10 formal

The dress is beautiful. Absolutely stunning! Embellished in gorgeous Swarovski crystals and fine lace. The silhouette is off the shoulder panelled with a gorgeous fishtail with lace and Swarovski detail. The bodice is covered in lace as well and embellished lightly in each flower with Swarovski crystals.

 

Margaret Olley an Inspiration for All Artists Everywhere

English: Margaret Olley at the Reopening of the Maitland Regional Art Gallery. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I am absolutely fascinated with Margaret Olley so much so that last study period I attempted to paint her face on my textiles visual diary…You can buy them with canvas nowadays……Which is awesome:)

Back on topic.Margaret Olley is fascinating mainly because of how she lived and how she painted.Her works span back from the last 60-70 years at least.She would set up a space in her home and paint and then set up another space and paint.She might leave those sets as they are for some time and not move her subjects so that she continue painting her perfect set when she has time. Arguably it has been said that she actually got better over the period of her life which I heard somewhere or rather is unusual because we should all be good while we are young and peak in talent instead of peaking as we age.I hope that I am the same. I know with studying print making aswell as management, marketing and now finishing a diploma in fashion for the next 4 months my work load is humongous. Let’s not forget my husband expects a clean home and dinner on the table…….I took from Margaret this sense of joy and excitement that she never let anyone get in the way of what she wanted to paint and what she wanted to do.She was hard working and often woke up early in the morning to climb to the obelisk in Newcastle to make some painting of the water or whatever might take her fancy.On the 24th there was an amzing documentary on ABC called Margaret Olley “A Life in paint”.

You can purchase a copy on the internet from Catherine Hunter who created the doco (www.artbrief.com.au) or contact her privately via email chunter@yesno.com.au she is very lovely and has made many more documentaries in the past!

All her films can be found at the Art Gallery of NSW and various other galleries.

If you would like to pay money for this documentary it is awesome.If you are like me and watched it already she is a fantastic artist to research just for her spirit and love of art. Her dedication to Australian artists and portfolio of paintings may just inspire a print. Who knows her spirit might wash over you like I feel it has to me.It is strange because she is from the same age as my nan and looks and reminds me totally of her although my nan didn’t paint because she was more submissive and domesticated and the perfect wife.She was more a cooker and cleaner. My pa was the painter and he would paint for hours in his little room.He would first take a photograph of what he wanted to capture and then amazingly transfer that to a painting.He painted with watercolours whilst I am quite sure that Olley painted with acrylics although don’t quote me on that one.There was a part of the documentary that talked about artists and how they paint. This idea is transferable to print and to us!No matter who you are you have your own personality and your own order of thinking. Your own way of organising.How you lay your roller. How you roll on the ink. How much pressure you press into the tile or on the paper. What technique you like to use the most and even though you have been taught other ways you still think your way brings the best image and en-captures what you are trying to encapsulate. You will always have your own style when creating and that is what makes your art have meaning.When someone sees a good print they will first think wow that is a good print and then wonder how they printed it.The majority of our research has been based on how another artist has printed the picture and that meaning transfers another image to mind of the process.I am not sure if this is just me but when I see art that I like I imagine the artist creating that piece. What tools they used. How lightly they pressed those tools, how delicately pressure was applied to create that stroke or cut that stone.when I see a garment I like I think of the pattern pieces that were used to make it and how it was sewn. I think of where their inspiration comes from. This all seems to happen like the jolt of energy that we usually call a brain wave immersing my brain with images that somehow inspire me to create my own art.With Margaret Olley the idea of her life and dedication to art has excited me more than any other about art and her inspiration is something that we all can use a piece of. It is something that brightens the eyes and lightens the brain. You almost feel like your floating on a cloud of inspiration and whilst watching the documentary I almost felt like pulling out my own painting set and creating immediately although had to withdraw from that idea because I have so many other projects that are under way at current.I hope this might inspire you all and might help you find that sparkle in your eye for now and into the future!