Street Fashion.

These are just a couple of friends and people I've seen around wearing interesting clothing.

Jade 

Sam @ friends Wedding

Kate @ the Library 

Nikki @ a friends house

Michelle and Grace @ Michelle's house

Salma @ her house

Lara @ Armadale hills

Christie @ Freo 'La Porchetta'

Jade and friends @ Good Vibs

Theatre de la Mode

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With a world in restoration and a city in great need after the World War II aftermath, the couturiers of Paris came together and created one of the most telling representations of fashion brilliance with hand crafted fashion dolls made from wire with plaster. 

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In 1945, the showing of Theatre de la Mode opened up a world of fashion that was “perfection in miniature,” and not lacking any detail for which the haute couture Parisian houses are world famous. The exhibition traveled to Great Britain and Europe, and finally to the U.S. in 1946, glorifying French fashion.

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Using an Artist's mannequin and research from the Cultural sign post known as Youth Culture, I created my own Theatre De La Mode fashion doll. Inspired by the 'Cyber Punk' look.

The top is just a simple knit material, cut under the bust as a one piece top with sleeves included. It has a funnel neck.  The asymmetrical shorts are made of lace and sequence. The pictures were rotated upright, I don't know why they came out like this but, I hope you like it. I started having a bit too much fun with the doll and it's poses.

How to make a pillow in 6 quick steps!

I'm going to give a step to step guide on how to make a quick pillow (The plain white one). The first thing you need to do is measure the size of the desired pillow, using one of your own in your house.

This is what you will need:

Fabric (of your choice)

Thread

A sewing machine

Not much huh? Well here it goes.

1. If you have an overlocker, overlock all the edges of the facing. Press the width of the facing over 1.5cm. Sew down a one side of the long edge which you have decided will be the bottom of the facing, leave the other un-stitched.

2. Place the right side of the facing long side of the pattern which was left un-stitched on the wrong side of the pillow front. Make sure it's still folded because you will be sewing it over the fold. 

3. Fold the smaller sides of the facing 0.5cm on both sides to match the size of the pillow. Sew along the edges 0.2cm. Press. Bag out the facing. I used black thread so you can see what it should look like at this stage.

4. Press the smaller sides of the back pillow piece and determine the top and the bottom. Sew bottom and top edges 1.5cm. Press the longer sides 0.5cm.

5. Place right sides together of both pillow front and back and sew 0.5cm all around, leaving the facing side open.

6. Turn through and you're done! 

Blogs?

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A blog is an online diary that is based on anything and everything, including people’s personal lives. Most blogs are interactive, meaning...  Even the publishers have no idea who reads their postings unless they provide a feedback form or readers response. It is that interactivity that distinguishes them from other static websites.

After a slow start, blogging grew in popularity. Usage spread during 1999 and the years that followed, becoming more popular by the arrivals of the first hosted blogging sites such as; ‘blogger’ and later ‘wordpress’. Blogs gained even more popularity and notice when people started posting current news about world issues, wars, etc.  This is where blogs started to effect the media, Journalists themselves used blogs as a means to get around their restrictions and passed messages to the public.

http://lukamto.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/blogger.jpg

There are many blogs out there, concerning different people’s personal interests, class work, etc. Considering this is about fashion, there is a recommended blog for you aspiring fashion students to view which can be found on BlogSpot http://dianna-orellana91.blogspot.com/.

Street Fashion

These are some blogs and sites of interest that you may like to view or follow.

ATSUSHI

Harajuku, Tokyo

WINTER, 2011, GUYS

http://www.japanesestreets.com/

1505 2011

BY NIN M., 26 YEAR OLD DESIGNER FROM SHANGHAI

http://lookbook.nu/

http://www.facehunter.blogspot.com/

http://streetfancy.blogspot.com/

http://www.style-arena.jp/street/

Origin and development of Magazines

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http://belovedlinens.net/pic/fashiomagazines/mercure-galant-250.jpg

Le Mercure Galant October 1678 : This is the first gazette to report on the fashion world. Le Mercure Galant was made in 1672 by Jean Donneau de Visé. 

Fashion plates, as hand coloured engravings began in England in the magazines called 'The ladies magazine' (1770-1837). 

http://belovedlinens.net/pic/fashiomagazines/july1790-ladysmag.jpg

In the same era there was a range of plates and magazines aimed at women that took Europe by storm, with France and Germany bringing out magazines like 'Le Cabinet des Modes ou Les Modes Nouvelles' (1785-1789),  Journal de la Mode et du Gout' (1790-1793) and so much more!

http://vogue-dv.blogspot.com/2010/10/first-covers-of-vogue-magazine-over.html

As you see the trend of spreading fashion has not yet stopped, with fashion magazines, such as Vogue. Vogue’s very first issue was published in 1892 (119 years ago), and was founded by Arthur Baldwin Turnure. But Vouge's fashion information did not have a marked impact on women's desires for fashionable garments until it became a mass-market magazine selling internationally by the millions in the twenty-first century.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/2011/02/gaga-vogue-2011-a-p.jpg

Cultural sign post - Youth Culture

In TAFE we were asked to choose a  "Culture sign post" and how the media has influenced a trend in fashion. Our group chose to do 'Youth Culture'.

(Image from gbradford.wordpress.com)

Youth Culture: a group of young people considered to be a culture class or subculture, with their own distinct styles, behaviours and interests.

Media influences everything, media even influences fashion. So, what sort of Media influenced the trend of "Youth Culture"? What has appeared because of it (subcultures). In a group we made a list of what Media was the most popular each decade along with what subcultures emerged. 

(on a side note from 1910's to the 1940's there was no real Youth Culture)

1910's - Mainly newspapers and magazines. After WW1 radio emerged as a new choice, this shaped public perception of the news.

1920's - Radio, newspapers, bulletins, advertising and music.

1930's - Radio, Film and the introduction of the television

1940's - Film, theatre, radio, newspaper. Further development of the television declined due to WW2. Notable youth subcultures would be Zazou from France. Hipsters first appeared

1950's - Television. Known as the decade of the "Golden age of Television". Rock and  Roll emerged creating the "Teddy boy" youth subculture in the UK. In Japan bōsōzoku youth subculture was emerging based around motorcycle clubs and gangs.

 Youths posing in a bomb site in England

(Photo from voicesofpostwarengland.wordpress.com)

 bōsōzoku 

(photo from rakoonia.wordpress.com)

1960's - Time of political, social, cultural and psychological change. Including the coverage of man on the moon's space race, civil rights issues, women's rights, student protests and TV coverage of the war in Vietnam. This was all reflected in the Media of the time such as TV, radio and advertising, with cinema being the most popular form of advertising of the time.

 Mods and Rockers

(photo from www.guardian.co.uk)

Notable youth subcultures from the US and the UK were the Mods, Rockers, Hippies, skin heads, the Freak scene and the Yippie. We also have the emergence of the Rude boy from Jamaica. The beginning of the hacker subculture in the US as well.

Hippies

(Photos from kingydesignhistory.blogspot.com)

Rude Boy

(Photo from www.stephenmalkmus.com)

1970's - Newspapers, Womens Magazines published by women, and film. (News) reporters took a stronger stance in uncovering news and revealing corruption of the government.

Punks

 (Photo from germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org)

  

Glam rock

(Photo from demasiadoscolores.blogspot.com 

and acidcow.com)

The hippies, the mods and rocker subculture continued to grow and change. Hacker culture changed to be referred to as "Geek culture" for a short period of time. Glam rock became the alternative for the freak scene. Skin heads split into Oi! (a punk youth based subculture) and white power skin heads (a political white supremacist and anti-semitic group). At the height of the disco era, punk rock and heavy metal music became the alternative for youths, creating two more youth subcultures, Punk and Metalhead. In Japan Lolita fashion emgered, as well as youth subculture Gyaru/Gyaruo.

Interview with Fashion designer Rachael Cassar

In April 2007, four months after graduating from the University of Technology  in Sydney,  Rachael launched her brand Rachael Cassar. She is a young and beautiful rising eco-designer. Glamour's Destruction and I had the chance to interview this fabulously inspirational designer. The interview is as follows:

http://www.cosmopolitan.com.au/images/cosmo/contestants/fff2010/rachelcassar.jpg

How did you become interested in Fashion designing?
From a very young age I started experimenting with the way I dressed and put things together. I started taking things apart and re working them to my own personal taste. I soon developed a fascination with gathering different materials and textures and playing around in my room for hours trying to create the vision I had in my head. At the age of 15 I started attending any course I could find to do with designing. After high school I went straight to UTS to study Fashion and textile design. Graduating with a few awards, I decided to launch 
my own label the following year.

http://www.rachaelcassar.com/wp-content/gallery/six/410p9942.jpg

What’s the inspiration behind your ecological approach?

I have always been an upcycler/recycler before I even knew what those terms were! From a very young age I got such a kick out of taking things apart and re-working to my taste, bringing an old thing back to life. This extended to jewellery where I became obsessed with finding broken cheap pieces and then fixing them 
‘saving’ them in a way.

During my years of a 4-year Fashion and Textile Degree at UTS, I always knew I was different in terms of my process and how I liked to create my designs. I never felt comfortable going about the conventional way of creating fashion apparel and quite often felt uncomfortable and somewhat like a Freud. After learning about the devastating effects that the Fashion industry has had and is having on our environment, I knew I couldn’t continue with this chosen career unless I stayed true to my own way of creating and my passion for re-using/up-cycling.
In my final year I experimented and created a High- end range made from 90% recycled materials. I got a great response all round which confirmed to myself and to the people who thought I couldn’t pull it off that I had the ability to make a range that didn’t sacrifice anything that I myself love about fashion aesthetics for a sustainable product. Luxury should not be sacrificed for sustainability. Aesthetics should not be sacrificed for sustainability. Design should not be sacrificed for sustaibibility. Detail should not be sacrificed for sustainability. It is all about problem solving and creating an equally appealing product.

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Who is your favourite designer?

Hands down Alexander McQueen. He was a true visionary. The Fashion world has lost a true creative.

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How do you feel about celebrities getting all the high-end free goodies when they are the people who can afford the goodies?

It is unfortunate that this is how the fashion industry work. For example I have my previous collections in a showroom in LA, they have been there for a year now. Celebrities have worn my pieces, stylists have borrowed them for shoots but poor old designer back here has not made any money, its all for PR. Especially with pieces like mine, and for an emerging designer- celebrity status can really help make people start to pay attention to your work. So for me, i'm just waiting for a piece to be worn on the red carpet which will probably bring about more work.

http://www.howbigisyoureco.com.au/site/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Rachael-Cassar-3.jpg

Do you come up with concepts for designs first or is it more of an unplanned thing? How do you bring your inspiration to reality? 

Yes I come up with a theme/concept first, then I source/gather materials inspired by this idea.

The fun part begins where I start designing straight on the stand (mannequin) I do not hand draw my designs. Its more about playing with the fabrics, sculpting it to produce shapes and details that are all in my head. Its all 
about the materials.

http://www.rachaelcassar.com/wp-content/gallery/styling/6a00e5523a6edd883301348560fd68970c.jpg

What do you hope to have achieved in the industry, 10 years from now?

I hope to be able to do this for a living for the rest of my life.I hope that Australia embraces new designers. We tend to have a handful of designers that dominate the industry, this needs to change! There needs to be more out there for new upcoming designers that don't have enough money to exhibit their brands at fashion weeks- we all need opportunities. I hope to have someone who believes in my work, my ethic and my creativity to financially help me open a concept store- the first high end eco fashion boutique in Australia. This 
is my dream, but one I can't really envisage happening in the near future.

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What do you have to say to the next generation, particularly for those hoping to follow in your footsteps?

I would say, Do not get into this field if you are  not passionate, not doing something different and not willing to work for nothing!!! This industry needs people who are dedicated at producing exciting, new eco fashion. Not the fashions of the past. The fashion industry is not built to accept designers like me. It goes against the foundations of how this industry works. I do not create mass volumes of fashion, I only create one offs which goes against mass consumption which means less profit for anyone involved. I want eco fashion to be valued just as the conventional fashion industry is, by the industry and public! 

http://www.rachaelcassar.com/

Once again, I'd like to thank Rachael Cassar for taking the time in writing in response to our email. If you would like to know more about Rachael, please visit her website http://www.rachaelcassar.com/

Eco-Conscious followed by a pressure test.

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Newspaper dress by Gary Harvey

Being eco-conscious or not, designers are picking up on the eco-trend. The whole point is taking a risk and taking things to a higher level. For the purpose of this subject was to chose a designer who would be our inspiration. We chose; Gary Harvey.

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"I do not have a person in mind, I have an attitude or feeling: rebellious, fuck you and sexy."

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Packet food dress by Gary Harvey.

His collection is to show that something strangely elegant can be created from unwanted things. His creations are modern haute couture, with an ecological approach. It all began in his early life as a student who was having economic difficulties in obtaining new fabric.

We were asked to get into a group and create something upcycle within 2 hours, just so we could have a feel of what it's like in the real world. The hardest part was being in a group with 2 other people working together as a team with 3 different ideas and different senses in fashion. But, we done well.

Here is our result of  7 white garbage bags, 10 black garbage bags and god knows how many chewing gum wrappers.

We displayed in in the campus library along side all the other creations in our class.