OUIL502: Evaluation

Overall I found this module really helpful in organising, separating and collecting all of the things I see around me that inspire me. Using Blogger allows me to actually write a bit about my own opinions on what I like etc rather than just 'liking' it like I do on Instagram and other social media sites everyday.

This blog made me want to do more research into the brands and the heads of the companies etc. It gave me the motivation and starting point to go and find out for myself what it interests me.

The module was also extremely useful in introducing us to the professional realms of the illustration practice. John was so helpful and really inspirational; he taught me that it is crucial to get your name out there as many times as possible and not to let a no response scare you. He also taught us that new and innovative ways of creative a professional presence such as delivering your CV on a milk bottle, grabs the attention of potential employers and sticks in their brains a lot more. His advice was really motivational and I hope to carry on this work and email other practitioners, visiting them if possible, throughout summer and Level 6.

The Life's a Pitch project was really good in helping me to investigate into the professional legalities of starting a company and providing a service in the creative industries. Also really good to work as part of a team and allowed us all to focus on specific parts and then convey them to each other. The presentation was really helpful to practice public speaking however I think we could have definitely improved on it if we had practiced together much more. I think we were all quite nervous so more practice would have helped us out a lot. This is something I have kept in mind for the presentation at the end of this module as I want to rehearse it so I am comfortable in knowing the speech/general topics I am covering.

Finally my promotional pack and online presence was a great way to end and sum up the years work on this module. I really enjoyed working on this as I found it really exciting to see my work in a more professional and interactive setting. I plan to keep these social media sites up to date throughout summer and level 6 and to explore different ways I can portray my work visually to interact and attract the attention of the audiences the most.

I also plan to send off parts of my promotional pack and products to influential people who I aspire to as I think this is a great way to connect and grab their attention instead of just sending an email alone. It would be great to get some advice and tips. I also want to collaborate with a few creative people I know back home over summer and see what we can create by working together with our different skills. This module has really helped me to see the links between all the different creative industries and the vast potential for collaboration and entwined projects; such as the TAG zine brief I worked on.

OUIL502: Mood Boards

I used to make mood boards all the time for artwork and projects, and if not I would use my sketchbook as a scrap book like a mood board for different inspirations. However as I have got further into art education I have stopped doing this as much. After creating a few this year I definitely want to embrace making mood boards to a high standard for pieces of work. I find this really helps my creative practice as it stops you from just following one route. With a board in front of you it allows you to combine all elements or pick and choose, resulting in a really unique piece of work that can link to all of these influences... so will hopefully turn out in the right tone that you intended when you set out.

http://awaspinawig.tumblr.com/post/118627607390/m-o-o-d-b-o-a-r-d-s

OUIL502: Mario Testino

http://awaspinawig.tumblr.com/post/118693030355/via-https-www-youtube-com-watch-v-e8x6cuqa2ti

OUIL502: Rookie and Tavi Gevinson

I love Rookie and the whole vibe of the work it posts and the content it talks about. I really like how a lot of the staff behind it are quite young but that is probably why it is so current... run by teenagers for teenagers. I find it really inspiring both visually and contextually and it's really cool to see what one young girl blogging can create! 

How they describe themselves... Rookie is a website for teenage girls. With monthly-themed content, we update three times every weekday, and once a day on weekends. 

Rookie is an American online magazine for teenage girls created by fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson. Rookie publishes art and writing from a wide variety of contributors, including journalists, celebrities, and the magazine's readers. The subject matter ranges from pop culture and fashion to adolescent social issues and feminism.^[2] Rookie's content is divided into monthly "issues", each built around a theme. It updates five days a week, three times a day: roughly just after school, at dinnertime, and "when it’s really late and you should be writing a paper but are Facebook stalking instead."

The history behind the formation of Rookie...

In November 2010, Gevinson announced on her blog, Style Rookie, that she would be launching a new magazine with Jane Pratt, founding editor of Sassy. Though Sassy had ceased publication in 1996, the year Gevinson was born, the fashion blogger had on several previous occasions expressed her admiration for the defunct indie teen magazine and lamented the fact that her generation did not have a Sassy heir to call its own.

Some of my work from OUIL505 Applied Illustration Module. I focussed this piece on Tavi Gevinson as an inspirational modern woman. 

Negotiations began between Pratt, Gevinson, and Say Media, the internet publisher behind Pratt's women's lifestyle site xoJane. This American Life host Ira Glass acted as a consultant to Gevinson and her manager and father, Steve, during the negotiations. Eventually, Pratt withdrew from official involvement in the venture, enabling Gevinson to maintain ownership. Pratt remains credited on the Rookie contributors' page as the magazine's "fairy godmother".

Rookie launched in September 2011, with Gevinson serving as editor-in-chief, former New York Times Magazine fact-checker Anaheed Alani serving as editorial director and story editor.

The Staff...

Allegra Lockstadt was born in Canada, grew up in Kentucky, and now lives in Minneapolis. She works as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer while maintaining a personal fine-arts practice on the side. She will probably always love horses, coffee, and cakes.

http://www.allegralockstadt.com/

Allyssa Yohana is an NYC-based artist originally from New Orleans. She’s a lover of pups, pizza, and makin’ art with her buddies.

Alyson Zetta Williams is going about life (16 years of it so far) in southern California, making art, editing a zine, listening to Best Coast, watching her Daria DVD, and eating her vegetables (with hummus, of course).

http://www.gohszineclub.com/
https://instagram.com/alysonzw

Amber Humphrey is freelance burrito-eater, entertainment writer, and ’90s pop culture devotee from the Bay Area. A prolific doodler, Amber spends her evenings drawing intense crayon portraits of Bill Pullman. She blogs about the olden days at nostomanic.blogspot.com.

http://nostomanic.blogspot.co.uk/

Amy Rose Spiegel is a writer living in Brooklyn. Her main interests are the Replacements, Super Mario, and Roland Barthes. You can reach her on Twitter @amyrosary or at her website.

http://amyrosespiegel.com/

Ana Hinojosa is a scrawny illustrator who never seems to keep her sketchbook at home. She enjoys all forms of comics, sour candies, spooky things, and anything pink and super cute. You can find her making all sorts of art on her blog, The Skinny Artist. And you can get in touch with her at anahinojosa3@yahoo.com.

http://theskinnyartist.tumblr.com/

Anaheed Alani edits Rookie articles from her luxurious New York City abode. 

Ananda Gervais has lived in London for every one of her 16 years on earth. Her favorite things are books, Superman, and math, and in her spare time she loves to write, take pictures, and make videos.

Anna Fitzpatrick is a Toronto-based writer/bookseller/expert sleeper. Her contributions have appeared in WORN Fashion Journal, The Hairpin, and Shameless Magazine. Get in touch with her at annaclaire.fitzpatrick@gmail.com.

Anna McConnell writes and farms and travels. Contact her at moosethehuman@gmail.com.

Too See the rest of the huge team follow this link to the Rookie Website:
http://www.rookiemag.com/us/staff/

Some of my work from OUIL505 Applied Illustration Module. I focussed this piece on Tavi Gevinson as an inspirational modern woman. 

As part of my personal and professional practice I am starting to contact other illustrators and professionals so I am so happy about this list of names, bios and contact details! It is also great to be able to see their different blogs and how they capitalize on an internet presence to showcase their artwork and the context behind it. 

OUIL502: Female Revolutionaries

http://www.filmsforaction.org/articles/10-female-revolutionaries-that-you-probably-didnt-learn-about-in-history-class/#.

We all know male revolutionaries like Che Guevara, but history often tends to gloss over the contributions of female revolutionaries that have sacrificed their time, efforts, and lives to work towards burgeoning systems and ideologies. Despite misconceptions, there are tons of women that have participated in revolutions throughout history, with many of them playing crucial roles. They may come from different points on the political spectrum, with some armed with weapons and some armed with nothing but a pen, but all fought hard for something that they believed in.

I definitely identify as a Feminist as I think anyone who wants equal human rights should do... so of course this article is really interesting to me as I know from personal experience I was never taught about any influential females apart from Queen Elizabeth in history lessons in education. It would be great to produce some art to celebrate and draw attention back to these brave women. 

TAG Zine Collaborative Project: Final Printed Publication

TAG Zine - Collaboration with Fashion Communication student Robyn Shaw

A bit about TAG:

Link to my photo post on tumblr of the finished publication:

http://awaspinawig.tumblr.com/post/118961419395/tag-magazine-by-the-talented-robyn-shaw

Miss Vogue: Young Artists to Watch

Recently my friend Ruth was celebrated in Miss Vogue and I thought the article would be useful to include here. She is someone who always gives 100% and works so hard at everything she does, so it is fantastic that she is being recognised for her artwork. All of the other names listed are great people to keep an eye on and see how they create work and a creative/online presence. They also would be great to contact.

Follow the link below for the full article:

http://www.vogue.co.uk/miss-vogue/whats-up/2015/04/bbc-radio-3-young-artists

Designers: Jimmy Choo

Adverts and camera angles/perspective...

The angles and viewpoint here really emphasis the shoes and the bag enforcing the theme of power and seduction. 

It is crucial when I brand my work and creative presence that I create an image that represents the key things that are important to me in my practice. I also want to ensure my business card looks like me so that they recognise/remember me, and also that I include something linked to illustration such as a pencil.

Galleries: Robert Fraser

'The first art dealer to be as famous as the artists he represented. Fraser had almost all the attributes of a successful gallery owner. He had flair, knowledge and confidence in his own artistic taste. His 1962 Dubuffet opening show was acclaimed, and it was unsurprising that, four years later, Time magazine featured the gallery as the place to be in swinging London... Kenneth Anger's cult films were screened, Dennis Hopper took the artist photographs for the Los Angeles Now show and Terry Southern wrote the introduction to the Hans Bellmer catalogue...

Teasingly labelled a 'Belgravia pansy' by his friend Francis Bacon, Fraser had an old Etonian assurance that could irritate at times. He used it to dismiss the Beatles' initial choice of artist for the Sgt Pepper's record sleeve in favour of Peter Blake and Jann Haworth... Less constructive was his response to Detective Sergeant Beale, who told him that the Jim Dine Drawings on show were obscene: 'I am certainly not interested in the opinions of a tuppeny-ha'penny policeman.' The works were seized and the gallery fined 20 guineas under the Vagrancy Act of 1838.

... It was a shock to most of his circle when, in the notorious 1967 Redlands drugs bust, Fraser was discovered to have on him 24 tablets of heroin. It was a surprise even to Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, with whom he was arrested. He was sent to prison for six months. The storm of press coverage, including the photographs of Jagger and Fraser handcuffed together, inspired Richard Hamiltons iconic Swingeing London 67 series; a gesture of support to his art dealer and a protest at judicial overkill... Fraser opened a second gallery in Cork Street in 1983. It continued in his avant-garde tradition, introducing to London such artists as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring... Sales were infrequent, and  by 1985 he was already suffering from the effects of Aids, as a result of which he died in 1986.

It is hard to think of an art-gallery owner who has been represented more often by his artists. Many of these portrayals wil appear in a new show at Pace London, including the Richard Hamilton collage from which the exhibition takes it's name. Curated by Brian Clarke, the show is a tribute to Fraser and to Clarke's own portrait of the man who had become his dealer and his friend.' - Harriet Vyner

Designers: Moschino

LABEL OVERVIEW

Founded by Franco Moschino in 1983, the Moschino label is known for its irreverent, surreal take on fashion. Through the years, the collections have often included tongue-in-cheek items like a cashmere jacket reading “rich bitch” or a T-shirt sporting a television tuned to “Channel No. 5” (for which Chanel sued). Rossella Jardini has served as the label’s creative director since Moschino’s death in 1994, turning out playful, wearable collections. Over the years, the brand has expanded to include the younger Moschino Cheap & Chic line, the Love Moschino denim line, fragrance, lingerie, and accessories.

Designed by: Jeremy Scott, 2013 - Present; Rossella Jardini, 1994 - 2013; Franco Moschino, 1983 - 1994

Sibling Labels owned by: Aeffe S.P.A.

Website: http://www.moschino.com/

I love how Moschino uses such illustrative and logo driven designs... they really inspire me in both photoshoots/catwalk/clothing etc but also in how my illustration can be applied to garments.

Designers: Anya Hindmarch

From designing her very first bag to critically-acclaimed London Fashion Week shows, Anya Hindmarch has approached every project with the creativity and humour that has become synonymous with the brand. Highlights of the  last 25 years include now-famous London Fashion Week shows and pop-ups in some of the world’ s leading stores, including Selfridges in London, Colette in Paris and Isetan in Tokyo.

This creativity and attention to detail has earned a strong celebrity following, including Alexa Chung, Cara Delevingne, Kate Moss and Emma Watson.

In addition to four seasonal collections, Anya Hindmarch Bespoke was launched in 2009. Embodying everything that’s important to Anya Hindmarch - craftsmanship, beautiful materials and personalisation - it’s available in our stores on Pont Street, Bond Street, Madison Avenue, Tokyo and online. It’s the ultimate way to reconnect the craftsman with the customer and, as Anya says, about ‘having your name on something, rather than mine’.

There are now over 50 Anya Hindmarch stores in 9 countries, including flagships in London, Tokyo and New York. Despite this global success, Anya Hindmarch still retains the appeal and uniqueness of a niche brand.

Anya also designs the gift bags for the Vanity Fair Oscars party and BAFTA’s and was awarded an MBE in 2009 for services to the fashion industry. She is also non-executive director of the British Fashion Council, a UK Trade Ambassador and trustee of the Royal Academy of Arts and The Design Museum.

I love how her work is so visually playful and all about being out there and using symbolism to bring out certain characteristics in the buyer, such as confidence/care-free attitude.

Designer: Maison Margiela

DESIGNED BY

In-House Design Team, 2012 - Present; Martin Margiela, 1989 - 2012

SIBLING LABELS

OWNED BY

Renzo Rosso, NEUF Group

WEBSITES

http://www.maisonmartinmargiela.com/

Maison Margiela, formerly Maison Martin Margiela, is a French fashion house founded by in 1988 by Belgian designer Martin Margiela, and based in Paris. Maison Margiela is known for its avant garde and deconstructed clothing. In October 2014, John Galliano was appointed Creative Director.

Martin Margiela is considered the honorary seventh member of the Antwerp Six group of designers who emerged from Antwerp Fashion Academy in 1980 (though Margiela himself graduated in 1979)... Margiela moved to Paris in 1984, working for three years as a design assistant to Jean Paul Gaultier. In 1988, Maison Martin Margiela presented its debut womenswear collection. In 1998, Maison Martin Margiela debuted a menswear collection, know as line 10.

In 2004, Maison Martin Margiela moved into a new headquarters in an eighteenth century convent in Paris' 11th arrondissement. The interior of the headquarters is entirely white, with furniture painted with white emulsion. In addition to the white surroundings, employees all wear "blousons blanche", white coats traditionally worn by couture craftsmen. The white coats are both a nod to history and aesthetics, as well as an equalizer, as all employees wear them, regardless of title re. Maison Margiela's runway shows are notable in that the models' faces are often obscured by fabric or long hair, in an attempt to direct attention to the clothes, and away from the models themselves.
Martin Margiela is known for avoiding the media spotlight, reacting to what he feels is an overly commercialized fashion industry. During his tenure at Maison Martin Margiela, he grant interviews, was not photographed, and did not appear at the end of the Maison Martin Margiela runway show, as is customary in the fashion industry. Communication with the press was conducted via fax, and all correspondence was signed "we" instead of "I". Many in the fashion media contended that Margiela's illusiveness was a publicity stunt. For their part, Maison Martin Margiela asserted that Margiela's disappearance was a genuine attempt to return the focus of fashion to the clothing, and not the personas behind it. Margiela's absence from public life earned him the title "fashion's invisible man" in a 2008 New York Times profile.

In 2012, Maison Martin Margiela debuted a capsule collection for H&M, consisting largely of reissued pieces from the Margiela archives.

In October 2014, it was announced that John Galliano would take up the position of Creative Director, after having previously served in that position at Givenchy, Dior, and his eponymous line, John Galliano. Galliano presented his debut collection for Maison Margiela in January 2015, to broadly positive reviews.

In 2015, a short documentary produced by YOOX about Martin Margiela entitled The Artist is Absent debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in January 2015, coinciding with John Galliano's debut collection, it was revealed that the house had dropped "Martin" from its name, in favor of "Maison Margiela". A spokesperson for Maison Margiela said that the name change "represented an evolution of the house"

https://i-d.vice.com/en_gb/article/maison-margiela-autumnwinter-15-the-return-of-the-king?utm_source=idtwitter

http://nymag.com/thecut/2015/02/galliano-talks-margiela-sobriety-and-pinterest.html

OUIL502: Tetley book fair

I went to see the Tetley book fair. This was a really good chance to see people trying to sell their products and their brands; most of the tables had business cards and I collected them to look after and see if any stood out to me etc.

Unfortunately I thought most of them were boring! They were functional but perhaps not expressive enough of their creativity... however I think this may be because a lot were book binders etc.

In any case this gives me something to think about when creating my own cards and what I want them to represent!

Artists:

Lina Avramidon- book arts & binding

Ian Mitchell- artist

Rebecca Feneley- Illustrator

Amelia Crouch

InkandRose

Debra Eck

Elizabeth Shorrock- mixed media art and handmade books

West Yorkshire Print Workshops /exhibitions 

AMBruno - Red 

It is a coalition of artists with diverse individua practices, brought together by a common interest in the medium of the book. New work on a given subject is produced and shown at exhibitions and fairs- for the 2015 Contemporary Artists' Book Fair at the Tetley, Leeds, 

Furniture: Greg Lucas

To illustratrate Fiona Golfar's piece on DNA, Greg Lucas, created a one-off Chromagraph lamp, representing his own genetic sequence through coloured LEDs. The idea came to the entrepreneur during a late-night walk: 'I saw a spiral of fairy lights around a moss pole in a window, and it struck me that representing your actual genetic profile would be one of the most personal products you could get.'

Chronograph.co.uk 

Set Designer: Emma Roach

The backdrop for 'Dark Angel', Tim Walkers shoot of treasured collections from the Alexander McQueen archive, was built by set designer Emma Roach. The daughter of a design teacher, Roach takes a practical approach to her sets.

'We create 3D renderings so we can plan everything in detail,' she says- though her references range from Gerhard Richter paintings to John Cassavettes films. 

Film Director/Photographer: Nick Knight

Nick Knight, Director of SHOWstudio.com, is among the world’s most influential and visionary photographers. As a fashion photographer, he has consistently challenged conventional notions of beauty and is fêted for his groundbreaking creative collaborations with leading designers including Yohji Yamamoto, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen. Advertising campaigns for the most prestigious clients such as Christian Dior, Lancôme, Swarovski, Levi Strauss, Calvin Klein or Yves Saint Laurent as well as award-winning editorial for W, British Vogue, Paris Vogue, Dazed & Confused, Another, Another Man and i-D magazines have consistently kept Knight at the vanguard of progressive image-making for the past three decades. His first book of photographs, Skinheads, was published in 1982. He has since produced Nicknight, a twelve year retrospective, and Flora, a series of flower pictures, both published by Schirmer Mosel. Knight's work has been exhibited at international institutions such as the Victoria & Albert Museum, Saatchi Gallery, The Photographers Gallery and Hayward Gallery. He has also produced a permanent installation, Plant Power, for the Natural History Museum in London and was the first of Channel 4's 'Big 4' 50-foot installations outside its London HQ in 2007. A long-standing commitment to experimenting with the latest technologies led to Knight launching his award-winning fashion website SHOWstudio in 2000.

Published on 18 Dec 2014

http://showstudio.com/project/jadore

Jerry Springer, beauty queens, a '57 Cadillac, 'Gummo', Angela Lindvall and lots of spray paint. Put them in a blender and what did you get? This fashion film by Nick Knight, showcasing imagery of and around John Galliano's polarising, so-bad-it's-rad Spring/Summer 2001 'Trailer Trash' collection for Christan Dior. J'adore...




Uploaded on 13 Sep 2011

Global Hypercolor: Watch Nick Knight's fashion film featuring Simon Foxton's decade-defying selection from Walter Van Beirendonck's archive. I absolutely love this film! The strutting and dance moves work flawlessly with the music, showing Knights true genius in shooting and editing. The film brings the garments to life, your attention never strays from them.

Direction: Nick Knight
Art Direction: Matt Williams
Edit: Marie Schuller
Music: 'Dito' by Krossbow

Published on 20 Feb 2013

Inspired by her work with Reptile Youth, Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie selected rising artistic talent - and SHOWstudio discovery - Rei Nadal to direct the video for the band's latest release. Inspired by the pointed lyrics of '2013', the full nine minute video unpicks themes of dissent, unrest and anger using the signature dark yet romantic visuals that Nadal promoted on her Tumblr.

http://showstudio.com/project/2013

• Music

  • "2013" by Primal Scream (Google Play • eMusic • iTunes)

• Artist

  • Primal Scream

• Category

  • Film & Animation

• Licence

  • Standard YouTube Licence
  • 
    

Uploaded on 3 Aug 2010

Captured on set during the cover and editorial shoot for the September issue of Vanity Fair, this is Nick Knight's latest fashion film for SHOWstudio.com starring the incomparable Lady Gaga in an array of custom-crafted couture from fashion's finest, including a rather incredible transparent plastic Armani Privé ensemble - a make-believe fantasy frothing with very real smoke.

Nick Knight and Lady Gaga's full editorial is featured in the latest issue of Vanity Fair, released 4 August 2010

Credits:
Film by Nick Knight
Edited by Ruth Hogben
Music by Lukid
A SHOWstudio.com film

• Music

  • "Isis" by Lukid (Google Play • iTunes • eMusic)

• Artist

  • Lukid

• Category

  • Entertainment

• Licence

  • Standard YouTube Licence

I just absolutely love Knights work and it inspires me in so many ways in consideration to my own creative practice. His work totally embodies the intended atmosphere/feeling of the garments or designer etc. This is a key aspect of working as an illustrator; conveying to the audience the message the brief wants to present, and illustrate it through a creative medium.

Stylist: Amanda Harlech

Vogue - 'Amanda Harlech is one of the fashion industry's leading authorities on style. As well as enjoying a successful career as a consultant, she is well-known for being muse to both John Galliano and Karl Lagerfeld.

Even though her career etc may be in a totally different direction to my own it is still hugely inspirational to have these women in such high positions in these industries. She is clearly extremely talented.

• Harlech was born in Camden, North London in 1959 to Alan Griere and Anne Dulake. Her father was a solicitor and director of the Jerwood Foundation.
• Harlech grew up on the same street as fashion designer, Jasper Conran. She told us: "Even as a five-year-old, I felt I should dress up for him."
• Harlech studied English at the Somerville College of Oxford University.
• Once she graduated, she worked as a junior fashion editor at Harper's & Queen, as well as freelancing for i-D magazine and The Face.
• In 1984, Harlech formed a partnership with John Galliano when he graduated from Central Saint Martins. Galliano remarked that she was, "more than a muse." The two worked together until 1996 when he moved to Dior and she decided not to go with him.
• In 1986, she married Francis Ormsby-Gore, 6th Baron Harlech, at which point she became Lady Amanda Harlech. The couple had two children together: Jasset and Tallulah. The couple divorced in 1998.
• In 1996, she became Karl Lagerfeld's muse. She still works directly with him today on his collections for Chanel and Fendi.
• There has often been confusion about exactly what Harlech's job role is with Lagerfeld. She tried to explain it in an interview with the Financial Times: "I say I am an arch assimilator. I'm quite good at understanding what somebody means. Fashion is the process of articulating an idea, and a proposal of what to wear. Who is that woman in Karl's head? Or that spirit? Or that idea? That's what fascinates me."
• Her father explained to the Sunday Times: "She is the eyes and ears…she can instantly see how something might be improved and this is a gift…I know she's a considerable contributor to what Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel do."
• Harlech mentioned to American Vogue that within her contract, her wage includes a piece of custom-made haute couture from each collection. She told the Independent: "Couture has a power that ready-to-wear can never have…all that love and belief goes into the cloth. That's what you feel when you wear it."
• In 1997, Harlech was added to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame. She spoke to V magazine about how her personal style has transformed: "I moved from deconstructing my school uniform via punk, to Tess of the D'urbervilles and the eponymous Geisha to an edge which I now recognise as 'Amanda'. [My look has become] stronger, more distilled and less scattered."
• In December 2011, Harlech co-curated an exhibition for the Royal Academy of Arts. She asked her famous friends to contribute an item which represented their happiness. Donations came from: Sienna Miller, David Bailey and Erdem, amongst many others. Harlech created a painting especially for the showcase.
• In 2013, Harlech won the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator at the British Fashion Awards. Stella McCartney presented the award.
• In early 2014, she teamed up with Dominic Jones to create a jewellery line called Harlot & Bones. The collection, "is very much about a jewellery piece that tells a story," Harlech told theTelegraph. Her daughter, aspiring actress Tallulah, modelled the collection.
• Harlech spoke about personal style at The Vogue Festival in March 2014. She explained: "Style is anti-fashion; it's not about following trends," and instructed the audience: "Wear armour, even if that means a ball gown at 9am."
• Harlech divides her time between Shropshire and Paris. In Shropshire, she has an idyllic home where she rides her eight horses and looks after her two dogs and two cats. In Paris, she lives in her permanent suite at the Ritz and is on hand to help Lagerfeld with his latest collections.'
• Harlech said to the Independent: "I find the whole process of fashion a fascinating quest of discovery."

Follow the link below for her Instagram:

https://instagram.com/amandaharlech/?modal=true

Photographer: Sarah Piantadosi

I first found photographer Sarah Piantadosi through World McQueen's Instagram. They were hosting her as part of their #McQHosts project and presented some of her work; ‘Billie Turnbull', which I love for its simplicity and juxtaposition between the warm autumnal tones of the hair and jacket and the stark white tone of her skin.

  
Sarah’s work explores and challenges the archetypes of beauty in her consistently modern and sophisticated photography. Subversive attitudes reverberate throughout her fashion and portrait images, reflecting her frequent collaborations with musicians and artists. 

Sarah Piantadosi is a fashion photographer based in London. Inspired by music and subcultures, her work has been featured inDazed & Confused, W Magazine, Another Man, AnOther, and most recently American Vogue. Piantadosi's short films have platformed on SHOWstudio.com and the British Fashion Council's "Dressing the Screen" reel showing in London, Beijing, and Singapore in 2013.

Follow the link below to her Instagram which showcases some of her striking work and collaborations.

https://instagram.com/SarahPiantadosi/

Link to her Tumblr:

http://sarahpiantadosi.tumblr.com/

Designers: Alexander McQueen

I really want to go and see the Alexander McQueen exhibition at the V&A Museum in London. It opens 14th March and World McQueen have released a promo video on instagram which can be found by following the link below: 

https://instagram.com/worldmcqueen/

I love the performance and dramatic and controversial nature of his designs. The colour, shape and flow of line and texture creates great inspiration for fashion illustrations and the whole execution of the styling, models, hair and photography accentuates the garments creating amazingly atmospheric and emotional pieces.

I have seen a history of ballroom dresses exhibition at the V&A before which was filled with beautiful garments. 

I love how designers push the boundaries of beauty and shock to create jaw dropping garments; I take huge inspiration from these designers and I will be looking at more throughout my PPP blog as their work has a huge influence on my illustration practice. 

A bit about World McQueen...

SARAH BURTON

SARAH BURTON GREW UP AND WAS EDUCATED IN MANCHESTER BEFORE MOVING TO LONDON TO STUDY FASHION AT CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS COLLEGE OF ARTS AND DESIGN. ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF A TUTOR, BURTON COMPLETED A PLACEMENT YEAR WITH ALEXANDER MCQUEEN IN 1996, REJOINING THE COMPANY FOLLOWING HER GRADUATION A YEAR LATER.

In 2000, Burton was made Head of Design for womenswear at Alexander McQueen, and in May 2010, promoted to Creative Director of the entire Alexander McQueen brand, having worked alongside McQueen for more than 14 years. In April 2011, she received global recognition as the designer of the wedding dress for HRH the Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine Middleton, on the occasion of her marriage to HRH Prince William.

Since her appointment as the brand’s Creative Director, Burton has produced critically acclaimed collections with a focus on handcraft, establishing herself as a highly accomplished designer with artisanal and technical expertise.

Burton was recipient of the Designer of the Year award at the British Fashion Awards in November 2011. In February 2012, after an 11-year absence from the capital, she presented the Autumn/Winter 2012 collection of McQ, the contemporary brand of the house, at London Fashion Week.

Burton was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in April 2012 and was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to the British fashion industry on 16 June 2012.

Today, Burton supervises the creative direction and development of all the brand’s collections: women’s and men’s ready-to-wear and accessories, as well as McQ, which is also made up of women’s, men’s and accessories’ collections.

LEE ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN WAS BORN IN LONDON ON MARCH 17TH 1969, THE YOUNGEST OF SIX CHILDREN. HE LEFT SCHOOL AT THE AGE OF 16 AND WAS OFFERED AN APPRENTICESHIP AT THE TRADITIONAL SAVILE ROW TAILORS ANDERSON AND SHEPHARD AND THEN AT NEIGHBOURING GIEVES AND HAWKES, BOTH MASTERS IN THE TECHNICAL CONSTRUCTION OF CLOTHING.

From there he moved to the theatrical costumiers Angels and Bermans where he mastered 6 methods of pattern cutting from the melodramatic 16th Century to the razor sharp tailoring which has become a McQueen signature. Aged 20 he was employed by the designer Koji Tatsuno, who also had his roots in British tailoring. A year later McQueen travelled to Milan where he was employed as Romeo Gigli’s design assistant. On his return to London, he completed a Masters degree in Fashion Design at Central Saint Martin’s. He showed his MA collection in 1992, which was famously bought in its entirety by Isabella Blow.
Alexander McQueen shows are known for their emotional power and raw energy, as well as the romantic but determinedly contemporary nature of the collections. Integral to the McQueen culture is the juxtaposition between contrasting elements: fragility and strength, tradition and modernity, fluidity and severity. An openly emotional and even passionate viewpoint is realised with a profound respect and influence for the arts and crafts tradition. Alexander’s collections combine an in-depth working knowledge of bespoke British tailoring, the fine workmanship of the French Haute Couture atelier and the impeccable finish of Italian manufacturing.

In less than 10 years McQueen became one of the most respected fashion designers in the world. In October 1996 he was appointed Chief Designer at the French Haute Couture House Givenchy where he worked until March of 2001.

In December 2000, 51% of Alexander McQueen was acquired by the Gucci Group, where he remained Creative Director. Collections include womens ready-to-wear, mens ready-to-wear, accessories, eyewear and fragrance (Kingdom 2003 and MyQueen 2005). Expansion followed and included the opening of flagship stores in New York, London, Milan, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

The following awards have recognized Alexander McQueen’s achievement in fashion: British Designer of the year 1996, 1997, 2001, and 2003, International Designer of the Year by The Council of Fashion Designer’s of America (CFDA) in 2003, A Most Excellent Commander of The British Empire (CBE) by her Majesty the Queen in 2003, GQ Menswear Designer of the Year in 2007.