Vol. 6 Nicolas Kirkwood

Shoegasm

with Nicolas Kirkwood

Nicolas Kirkwood's footwear designs are ingenious, dark, and sculptural. He combines seductive shapes with dramatic innovative materials. With a fine arts foundation at Central Saint Martin's College in London. Nicholas worked for Britain's mad milliner, Philip Treacy, before studying shoemaking at Cordwainers College in East London.

Kirkwood earned many accolades for his debut collection for Spring/Summer 2005. In addition to his namesake collection, Kirkwood began collaborations in 2008 with shoes represented in shows for the collections of Belstaff, Doo Ri, Basso & Broke, 3.1 Philip Lim, and Rodarte among others. For this fashionistador it's always about "fashion as art" and Nicolas Kirkwood is a visionary designer on the rise.

The Collections

Spring/Summer 2008

Fall/Winter 2008

Spring/Summer 2009

Fall/Winter 2009

Spring Summer 2010

In His Own Words: Nicolas Kirkwood

This is a great quote from Nicolas Kirkwood in an interview with the London press about his design process.

“It’s about silhouettes… It’s about the shape of the last and about the shape of the actual pattern that’s drawn onto the last, and color or material combinations. I don’t use anything that’s stuck onto the shoe. In certain ways it’s architectural, I suppose. Old-fashioned buildings like to be very decorative on the outside, but the basic shape is still a block, whereas modern buildings are more concerned about the actual shape of the building itself, rather than what’s put on as ornamentation. That’s sort of the way I try to think of my shoes in a sense, especially when it comes to the heels.”

This is amazing insight to the design philosophy of a truly creative force.

Final Thought

Nicolas Kirkwood is an artist. Using shape, form, and structure to create innovative, thought provoking and emotional footwear. Towering over the competition with his dizzying designs,Nicholas Kirkwood is reinventing the way fashionistas strut their stuff.

Until next week wishing you F,G,& E – Fashion, Glamour, & Excitement

Vol. 5: Industrial Arts : Jewelry

Industrial Arts : Jewelry

This week I bring you jewelry designs as "Industrial Arts". Here we will focus on four materials: Plastic, Wood, Paper, and Metal.

"Industrial Art" is an interesting concept when it comes to the human scale of jewelry design. Through the use of common materials transformed in unconventional applications; these four designers push the boundaries of what modern contemporary jewelry design can be.

Plastic Shop : Jason Chart Davies

These highly geometric bracelets are a new jewelry collection by Jason Chart Davies for Lazerian. Each intricate bangle is made from simple flat sheets of plastic in black or white. Strips of the plastic are collected together in a style reminiscent of the craft of quilling or paper filigree work, then strategically joined with tiny brass fasteners to create truly unique and bold pieces.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqwu8bg1aT4

Wood Shop : Liv Blavarp

Norwegian-born artist Liv Blavarp is a master woodworker crafting oversize, asymmetrical necklaces and collars that invoke everything from sea life and nature to entomology and architecture. Trained at London’s Royal College of Art, Blavarp has exhibited her art across the world. Along with wood, she often incorporates ebony, ivory and whale teeth in her pieces. Her hand-dyed collars fuse ethnic and botanical influences, reminding us that the wood was once very much alive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkAKH0Ik-w8

Paper Shop : Sarah Louis Kelly

Sarah Louise Kelly calls this collection “Saloukee” paper jewelry, originally these were made as models for much larger metal pieces. Now taking on a life of their own as amazing sculpture. The name ‘Saloukee’ comes from a mix of her own name...

Sarah Louise Kelly

Many of the pieces include several hundred hand pressed rivets, intricate laser cutting and complex paper folding techniques. The simplicity of repetition is what makes these intricate pieces a stroke of genius. It is like architecture for the arm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYGnRmbI9d8

Metal Shop : Dominic Jones

Dominic Jones is based in London. In 2003 he studied at the London Contemporary Jewelry Design at the St John Cass School of Art & Design

Launching his brand in 2008 Jones has created a lot of buzz. 2009 was a whirlwind year with his first collection becoming one of the most sought after jewelry in London. His collections have been availible in America since Fall 2009. This latest collection in all the rage with fashionistas in LA & NY.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXAU3xWiz30

Final Thought:

- Creative Vision is when an artist says, “What would happen if?” and an idea is born.

- Innovation can be found through the use of common materials applied in a new way.

- Technology is used to manipulate materials to create advances in how raw materials can be transformed.

When jewelry designers/artisans explore shape, scale, texture, proportion, and color with unconventional materials… That’s when things really get interesting.

Until next time wishing you F,G,& E – Fashion Glamour & Excitement.

Vol. 4: The Valli Girl

Giambattista Valli - Spring /Summer 2010

The three words that I would use to describe this Spring 2010 collection are eclectic, eccentric, and ethnic. The Giambattista Valli show was an excellent example of how a designer can pull from unrelated elements and meld them through a single theme, and a season to create the vibe of a collection.

The recurring silhouette here was a drop-waist mini-dress reminiscent of the twenties, but only in the most modern sense. It was clearly all about short and leggy for spring at the house of Valli. Some dresses were smothered in dense fringe or feathers (both real and represented in trompe l'oeil prints), others were covered in swirls of jeweled embroideries. These jazzy numbers were interspersed with amazing oval-shaped dresses and cocoon coats that played with the idea of volume. Such pieces have become a signature of Valli's nearly five-year-old collection.

View the Spring /Summer 2010 Collection

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzlyHSkr_L8 part-1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wthke_rdgQ part-2

It's All In The Details...

With one eye looking back at the era of “the twenties” and the other looking forward to concept of “modernist volume”, Valli set his sights on the themes of the season. It was all about Graphic color-blocking, Modern over-scale prints and Embroideries inspired by antique tapestries. Bold leopard-stamped pony-skin and ethnic fringe are also found in this eclectic mix.

The Designer

Giambattista Valli’s interest in fashion and design was evident at an early age. After studying at the European Design Institute and Central St. Martin’s Giambattista began work with Roman couturier Roberto Capucci. From there he found employment with Fendi and Krizia In 1997 he was appointed art director of fashion for Emanuel Ungaro ready-to-wear. In March 2005. His first solo collection launched to rave reviews from the fashion press.

Final Thought

The Giambattista Valli’s collection was a masterful mix for Spring/Summer 2010. The Valli Girl was modern, feminine, sophisticated, edgy, and above all chic.

Until next time wishing you F,G,&E… Fashion, Glamour, and Excitement.

Vol. 3 : Modern Armor for Modern Times

Amy Thompson

Her idea of a muted-neon color palette is a fresh approach to summer color. This is juxtaposed to the transparent, futuristic, armor-like pieces that manipulate and exaggerate the shape of the body. It is this balance of opposing forces that creates a strong tension in these statement pieces.

This collection has delicate and otherworldly feel. The translucent qualities of the polypropylene armor ads softness to the graphic prints, which remind me of Mondrian’s linear, color blocked canvases.

I find her use of unconventional materials intriguing, especially when their natural properties complement the design process.

Amy Thompson is certainly one to watch

Until next time…

Wishing you F,G,& E (Fashion, Glamour, and Excitement)