My Dearest Readers, I just can’t bear the thought of winter leaving us, so I am off for a week of very cold holidays, skiing in the French Alps, that is!
I have never done any skiing before, so fingers crossed I won’t break anything!
I am hoping to get loads of excersise and fresh air, and then invest some of my energy overload (forever an optimist, that is me!) into exploring (and breaking) the boundaries of my personal style, and maybe adding some cool features to my blog!
Please wish me luck and talk to you in 10 days!
Everybody has a secret yearning for a particular item of clothing that one cannot have for various genuine or self-imposed reasons.
Sometimes your fashion dream is too expensive, other times you think you don’t have to right figure or attitude to pull it off, or you just haven’t realised that your future object of desire exists.
I spent most of my years of fashion awareness in a complete oblivion when it came to jumpsuits. I mean, I knew they existed, but I never thought of them as something covetable, let alone sexy or chic. In fact, even the world jumpsuit reminded me of utilitarian menswear, children’s playgrounds, or equipment for astronauts.
But one day it all changed. Looking back, I should have seen it coming. Everything started with my new obsession with slouchy pants worn with slinky, draped blouses. It open up a door to a very different view on fashion, where the silhouette is unstructured and nonchalant, yet feminine and chic. It all sounds so, well, so 80’s? And did I claim, only a few month ago, in this very blog, that I hate the 80’s? I don’t anymore. I still wouldn’t wear anything overly tacky, not yet, but I certainly embraced certain aspects of the 80’s with all their glory.
So from here, only one step separated me from discovering jumpsuits. Then falling in love with jumpsuits. Then putting the purchase of one on my to do list. But since I haven’t yet got one to demonstrate all the different ways I would wear it, I reached ouT to another discovery of mine and created a few looks via Looklet.
Rants & Raves
Edited by Ashe Mischief
I was taken aback when going through the submissions this week– there were so many powerful, strong, opinionated pieces that I felt really taken aback. With overwhelming positivity or negativity, the fashion community is finding it’s voice– and making themselves heard!
The fashion community is great at sharing the voice of others, and we’ve got several fabulous interviews to prove it. From Derek Lam at Poetic & Chic and White Rabbit’s interview with Irish woman Sinead Doyle (along with my own interview with Amelia Arsenic at Dramatis Personae), there are voices for everyone. We’ve got bloggers ranting on the lack of premium denim in plus-sizes at Denim Debutante (hell yeah!), and some showcasing inspirational figures like KOOS (at M.I.S.S.), Philip Crangi (at Eternal Masquerade), and Maria Felix (at Jewelry Whore).
There were so, so many great links this week, it really was hard to narrow it down to 2o. Check out the full listing of Links à la Mode here.
Links à la Mode : March 18th
- Bachman’s Sparrow – DIY post on how to use bleach to revamp your “unloved” clothes!
- blackdog finds: – How To: 10 Creative Ways to Revive Less-Than-Loved Clothing
- Denim Debutante: – Guest Blog: Is there Size Discrimination in Premium Denim?
- dramatis personae: – Amelia Arsenic’s Miss X Aesthetic Laboratories & Interview
- Fashion Hippo – Win Marc by Marc Jacobs Leola Bow Wow Handbag
- Fashion Pulse Daily: – Not Your Daughter’s Jeans: Fit for a Mother AND a Daughter?
- fete a fete: – Whiisical spring designs from Camper shoes
- Forty Not Out: – Louis Vuitton – Fall Winter 2010/2011
- Grechen Blogs: – are you incorporating video into your blog? how is it working for you?
- Independent Fashion Bloggers – A New Map of the Two-Way Street: Why Giving Back to the Blogosphere is Key to Growth
- jesse.anne.o: – How do you swap, thrift or buy resale and NOT get bedbugs?
- Jewelry Whore: – “The Fabulous Jewels of Maria Felix, La Dona”
- M.I.S.S.: – Eyes To The Sky: Before BOHO There Was KOOS.
- Obsession: – How I Met Design Duo of Giles & Brother, Philip and Courtney Crangi
- Oranges and Apples: – Sustainable fashion part 2: thinking about speed
- Poetic & Chic: – A candid interview with Derek Lam, fellow San Franciscan and fellow high school alumni!
- Pretty Shiny Sparkly: – 4 hours ago It’s leather. It’s quilted. It’s a computer, for fashionistas.
- Style Symmetry: – Interview with the Stylish Sisters of Beckerman Bite Plate
- The Thinking Fashionista: – An in-depth, critical look at the Russian Futurist themes of Viktor & Rolf’s Fall 2010 show.
- The Working Man: – Incorporating Spring Into Your Working Look
- White Rabbit: – An interview with Irish fashion Designer Sinead Doyle and the inspiration behind her A/W 2010 collection.
Yesterday morning I was leisurely enjoying my day off, while sipping my cup of coffee and browsing through my favourite blogs, when I stumbled across Retro Chick’s post which was about, surprise, surprise, St. Patrick’s Day and the famous Irish Guinness.
Well, since I live in Ireland, Guinness paraphernalia doesn’t really impress me, but I did pause when I saw the couple of Lady Guinness looks made by Retro Chic herself, that looked like a professional photoshoot. I soon learnt that they were styled by Retro Chick via Looklet, a digital styling website. The idea is similar to Polyvore, but here you have a choice of models and backgrounds that make your styling look like an editorial. I quickly put together my own Lady Guinness look – not as glamorous as Retro Chick’s – I gave it a more urban and laid back direction.
“In the winter, Venice is like an abandoned theatre.” – Interview with Irish Fashion Designer Sinéad Doyle
Irish fashion scene has always fascinated me with its craftsmanship, imagination, and charged emotion. There is a lot of individuality and little mainstream in Irish designs as they are inspired mainly by the designers’ view on fashion.
When I learnt about Sinéad Doyle’s A/W 2010 collection, I decided that it is the perfect opportunity to introduce her through my blog, since I always loved her work. I am not going to list her numerous awards, achievements and press in my post, as I would like to give a more personal picture of Sinéad through my introduction and interview with her.
I was always impressed by how Sinéad’s expertise, which she gained working in different areas of fashion, influenced her style. Sinéad used to work for a menswear label, which shows in the precise tailoring, attention to details and elaborate patterns of her early collections. Later, Sinéad travelled to Italy, where she worked for Venetian Costume and Couture house, which gave her a very different perspective on fashion and also served as an inspiration for her A/W 2010 collection.
“In the winter, Venice is like an abandoned theatre. The play is finished, but the echoes remain.”- Arbit Blatas
Sinéad’s newest collection is entitled “Echoes” and is inspired by “by the dishevelled elegance of Venice, with a subtle palette taken straight from the wintery pathways and canals of the Carnereggio district where she once worked.” Her structured silhouette is replaced by feminine draping, hand stitched lace, and beading, while retaining Sinéad’s signature tailoring.
When did you decide to become a fashion designer?
Probably not until about third year in college! I wanted to be a costume designer and didn’t have a huge interest in fashion until quite late in the day. Initially it was a book called “The Supermodern Wardrobe” by Andrew Bolton that inspired me to think of fashion differently and by the end of third year, once I realised that fashion was my passion, I had moved from average grades to the top of the class and stared winning awards.
What was the first piece of clothing you designed?
Does fashion wheel (the kids game) count? I know I used to read books and then design clothes for the characters when I was younger. Just so I had ideas ready when I was called on to be the costume designer for the movie adaptation. The first thing I made was my Debs dress. It was hideous. Purple swathes of chiffon and silver ribbon and a huge collar supported by wire that looked like something the evil queen in Snow White would wear. I’d never even used a sewing machine before and there was no pattern. Even though it was awful, I loved it and at least I looked different from everyone else.
Could you describe the general process you go through to design and a piece/collection?
I usually have an idea in mind and will start researching that. It can be a solid idea like an era of art history or something vague like decay or protection. Then I start collecting images and information and start to look at the trend predictions for the year ahead and begin to see how everything fits together. When I meet fabric suppliers I usually have an idea of what I’m looking for but then it can completely alter if I fall in love with a particular fabric.
Could you describe the woman who wears your clothes?
It really varies. Age and occupation can be anything but I do notice that when I sell direct most of my customers are city dwellers and professionals. I suppose with a lot of tailoring, that’s the sort of customer I will get.
Who is/are your favorite fashion designers(s)?
Nicholas Ghesquiere at Balenciaga. He is so experimental with fabrics and cut and yet he acknowledges the heritage of the house and the designs are wearable. I love Vivienne Westwood too. It’s all about the cut and drape with her clothing. I suppose I’m always impressed by designers who show a great technical expertise. John Galliano and the late Alexander McQueen would be other fashion heroes of mine.
How do you choose your models?
Being a small designer I often take part in group shows so I don’t have a say but for SS11 I’m so lucky to have signed a deal with Elite Model Look Ireland 2010 so that my collection will be worn by the girls in the Irish finals later in the year. I’ll be working with Elite Model Look over the next few months and will be able to fit the clothing to the models so everything is perfect on the night. I’m very excited about this.
For photoshoots I look through portfolios and usually there’s a mood I have in mind and usually the right girl just pops out. Then it’s a matter of availability and all the little details.
What is the most important thing to you as a fashion designer?
Quality of materials and finish. Cut. I focus on details a lot. People wanting to wear my clothes is important to me too of course so comfort is a factor.
Do you prefer sketching you ideas or constructing the garments?
I like both but constructing is a big part of design for me. I’ll sketch, make a toile, cut that up, change things, re-sketch and work in a very three dimensional way.
What advice would you give to aspiring fashion designers?
Don’t give up. It’s a hard slog. You have to work for free a lot but for all the lows there are creative highs that you won’t get in a 9-5 jobs.
How would you describe your personal style?
Tailored, slightly masculine. Fitted and tailored clothing work best on my body shape so my style has evolved around that.
What are your favorite colors and patterns to work with and why?
I have worked a lot with dark and neutral colours in the past but I’m going to move away from that and become more playful next season. I also used to be focused on panelled garment, flat cutting and tailoring but have been experimenting with drape for the last three seasons with some great results and this is an entirely different type of pattern cutting. In both these areas there’s constant evolution.
In terms of fabric, I look working with wools. Especially mid-heavy weight winter wools. Easier to work with and oddly satisfying.
Photography by Mike Patterson (www.mikepatterson.com), Make-up by Malvina Barrett (www.promakeup.ie), Hair by Jane Akkerman, Models Grace Connell and Veronika Rajaste, Shoes by www.loveyourshoes.ie and behind the scenes shots by Mark Grealish (http://www.bhalash.com )
Sinéad is currently selling her designs in the Dublin Loft Market of the Powerscourt Centre
