Inspiring Invention: 'Future Beauty'

So last week Chris and I finally managed to get our bums down to the exhibition 'Future Beauty: 30 years of Japanese Fashion', on at the Barbican. I got immensely excited about this show as soon as I heard about it (Japanese stuff + cutting edge, innovative fashion = *hearts*!). I already knew about the Japanese fashion master Issey Miyake, but going to this show totally opened up my eyes to other amazing creative stuff going on in this country. Below are some of my particular favourites from the show - illustrated either by images pilfered from the net (I obeyed the show's sign not to take photos!!), or my expressive/stylish/indecipherable (delete as appropriate!) sketches.

Koji Tatsuno - 'Golden Brown of nylon net dress', A/W 1993-94

(image from http://www.barbican.org.uk)

I took one look at this dress and thought 'oh my word, that is made entirely out of crinoline??!' (for non-hat geeks out there, this is a springy, synthetic net material that is used loads in fascinators). It was amazing in its 'voluminous flounces' as the exhibition info described it:)

Tao Kurihara / Tao Comme Des Garçons

(from the sketchbook)

I loved the pleated skirt on this dress by Kurihara. It was entirely made from white kraft paper (interesting material use is always a winner in my book) and had an immense amount of pleating detail.

Hiroki Ohya – 'The Wizard of Jeanz. Vol 17/18', S/S 2000

(images of 'books' from 'I Strut Therefore I am' blog)

This had a really impressive sculptural, honeycomb structure going on. The idea behind this piece was fantastic too – the outfit starts out as the books pictured above! They then open out into honeycomb structures around the body. Such an awesome and creative idea.
Another designer at the show, Junya Watanabe, also used honeycomb structures to create three-dimensional, sculptural dresses. Apparently (according to the exhibition info) this complex, structural style was possible thanks to the polyester the dresses were made from. It's one of few fabrics stiff enough to hold the shape. A useful techie note I think I'll be bearing in mind for future designs!

Jun Takahashi / Undercover, S/S 2007

(image from Style.com)

From a distance this dress just oozed a little 20's flapper style, but closer inspection revealed overlapping skulls made of cut out red fabric. The little goth/rock chick in me liked!

Yohji Yamamoto, S/S 1998

(from the sketchbook)

Yamamoto's outfits breathed sophisticated style. Chris' favourite of the evening, there were a lot of simple yet totally effective and unique ideas here. I was particularly drawn to the white silk-wool satin dress I've doodled above. The swiggly bits are twisted fabric – so simple, yet looked so elegant and different!

The exhibition also taught us a very cool Japanese phrase:

wabi-sabi

It means beauty in the imperfect. Isn't it a great phrase? (and rather refreshing for the image conscious times we live in!).

The exhibition is still on until 6th February, so you've got time, I def recommend nipping in quick before it finishes! If you do miss it or live outside London, a scour on the internet/popping in a bookshop/hopping on the next plane to Japan to see some of these designers beautiful creations is definitely worthwhile.

*Insert excitement* Top Model!!

I am super excited to announce GingerBread has been invited to take part in the 2011 'Top Model' show! Our stylish hats will be adorning heads in a whole catwalk run to our very selves.

Top Model is a leading professional model campaign event, whose finale incorporates one of the largest fashion showcase weekends outside of London Fashion Week. So naturally we are delighted to have been asked to get involved, and cannot wait to show off GB hats in what sounds an fantastic event!

The GB catwalk will form part of the 'Classics' models grand finale, taking place on Saturday 26th March, at The Hilton Metropole, London. You can find out more about the Top Model event, and book tickets, at http://www.topmodeluk.com.

Ange xx

Designer Crafts at the Mall 2011 – Part II

Hello lovely people! I was back at the 'Designer Crafts at the Mall 2011' show last Saturday, and thought I would share some more photos I took of the show:

The hats strutting their stuff.

Our hats' neighbours for the week. The work to the right of the hats (on mannequins) was particularly awesome – it's wearable ceramics! These were designed and made by the lovely Shona Lockheart. I really enjoyed meeting her at the show and it was great fun to talking to her. Shona's also planning to create a ceramic hat next, made from casts of meat platters – I cannot wait to see!!

The main room of the Mall Gallery. There are 3 additional, smaller areas too, so there was a looooot of pretty and creative applied artworks on display to oogle.

The location of this gallery is amazing – Buckingham Palace is just down the (rather grand=P) road!

There was also another milliner at the show - Emma Yeo - whose hatty creations I've just got to mention. Emma creates stunning and insanely intricate headwear from laser-cut ultra thin wood (which sounds weird here, but is so perfect when you see the headwear) and other materials. I'd previously had the pleasure of meeting Emma and seeing her fab work at New Designers, so I was super pleased to get the chance to see both again at the show!

If the above has tickled your fancy, 'Designer Crafts at The Mall' is put on every January by the Society of Designer Craftsmen, so make a note in the diary for the next show in early January 2012 :)

Ange xx

GB at 'Designer Crafts at the Mall 2011' Private View night

Happy New Year! Friday 7th saw the Private View evening to open the 'Designer Crafts at the Mall 2011', now on at The Mall Galleries, London. Below are some sneak peek images from the evening. I will be back visiting the gallery again on Friday (to actually look at all the beautiful work there, as I was completely denied the chance to do so on Friday evening!), so I hope to get some more shots then. I will also be at the gallery for the whole day on Saturday 15th, so do nip in if you would like a personalised tour of the hats!

The evening itself was amazing, with both myself and Chris present to chat about the hats. And what a lot of chatting there was! Chris was particularly on form, talking to visitors and showing them the full Post:Modern collection through gorgeous photobooks (if I may say so myself) we've had made up of the fab Catwalk London shots. There was a great mixed crowd throughout the night, of gallery owners, friends and other contacts, all of whom were very kind with their compliments - thank you!

To look the part for the evening, I also finally myself made a fascinator inspired by the Post:Modern collection (I am a naughty milliner who does not make enough stuff for herself!). Think QuillBill crossed with Oxy-Daisy, in subtle gun-metal grey tones (a flexible colour to match maximum number outfits!), and you're most of the way there to the little creation I've made. Photos of the fascinator in question will follow soon!

Ange xx



Yours truly, with both trusty wine and gorgeous photobook in hand!



Our good friend Nicky at the show, looking stylish modelling Deep Reminiscence