Creative-Idle: LCF

Showing posts with label LCF. Show all posts

Wednesday, 7 March 2012

Creative Idle mentioned on London College of Fashion blog

Friday, 18 November 2011

Fashioning the Future Awards 2011 (written for SIX Magazine)

Images courtesy of Alex Maguire and LCF

Last Thursday SIX Magazine were invited to the annual Fashioning the Future Awards pioneered by London College of Fashion’s Centre for Sustainable Fashion. Held in the heart of the financial district in Canary Wharf’s domed East Wintergarden, aspiring designers and S+E fashion experts gathered to find out which graduates were to be crowned cream of the crop for 2011.

Founded just three years ago, the awards have gone from strength to strength encouraging a new generation of fashion innovators to pursue design-led solutions and sustainable practice in business. In a short space of time, the Fashioning the Future Awards has become the leading international student competition for design and innovation in sustainable fashion, attracting thousands of entries from around the world.

Model-wears-winning-design-by-Sara-Emilie-Terp-Hansen

Up first was the award for Unique Balance which went to the deserving Sara Emilie Terp Hansen from Denmark. Using cork, a material usually associated with the wine industry, and giving it a new lease of life with a fashion forward application, Hansen was a clear winner highlighting the neglect of a valuable natural resource. The cork industry is currently threatened by the growth in plastic alternatives to classic bottle stoppers. This threatens the continued existence of cork forests worldwide; an important natural habitat and source of livelihood for many communities.

To read the full article visit SIX Magazine.

Friday, 16 September 2011

LCF launch SHOP

Necklace by Michela Carraro

Shoes by Xia Xiao

Peter Pan collar by Emma Hamshare

Lasercut leather shawl by Natalie Brown

Last week I was thrilled to be invited down to the launch of the LCF pop-up space in central London’s Kingly Court, quirkily and simply titled SHOP. The first ever retail venture of the illustrious fashion university, the SHOP will be open until 28th September. Stocking exclusive and one-off creations by the soon-to-be and internationally famous alumni, the labels on the racks were rather surreal in that they reminded me of a top independent boutique – credit to LCF’s superior teaching and knack for mentoring some of British fashion’s brightest young things, and those of the future.

Artwork by Cecelia Ku

Shoes by Aase Hopstock

When myself and two fellow bloggers arrived, the space was sparkling, and funnily, smelt of paint fumes, but in the good way where you get a slightly pleasant head rush and enjoy the newness of a pristine white space. Too many great designers are stocked to mention them all: the ever-lovely Ada Zanditon was giving an interview while we perused – William Tempest, Beatrice Boyle and Hasan Hejazi, to name but a few.

Pleating by Ewa Kajana

Xia Xiao / Michela Carraro

Laid out rather like a gallery space, student illustrations give the walls some creative impact, while shelves are dotted around cleverly enabling you to walk around them giving two angles to each product. Much like series of art works, each design sold in the SHOP has a unique item number and is signed by the designer and also comes with a statement of authenticity (this reminds me slightly of the concept of Tracey Emin’s bonds – kinda.

With special events running throughout the month, celebrities vying to get involved and surprisingly reasonable prices (SHOP canvas print bag £10, free with purchases over £50; many items are between £100-£250, with prices starting at £20 for student work).

Friday, 8 July 2011

Brand Of The Week: Yingzhi Luo

Images courtesy of LCF and Yingzhi Luo

The last designer on my list of those to rave about from the LCF Loves show over a month ago is Yingzhi Luo or Chi Chi. Once again a nomadic theme shone through with a kaleidoscope of colour creating beautiful movements as the models sashayed down the catwalk. With acute attention to detail, and a plethora of plaits and beads featuring heavily; guests were excited (and scared in equal measures) by a variety of white pleated tribal masks, complete with beaded hair.

One of the most exciting designers to graduate from the Womenswear Technology BA course, Chi Chi is a finalist of of the WGSN Global Fashion Awards 2011 in the category of ‘Most Creative Student Collection’, a finalist of Nina De York Fashion Illustration Competition 2011, and has even been named as one of the ‘best fashion graduates of 2011′ by UK Vogue.

With an enthralling SS11 collection inspired by a trip to Tibet and China in 2010, Chi Chi based her colour palette on photographs, taken throughout her journey. The resulting colours are bright, vivid, and exude energy, which is symbolic of Tibetan people's kindness, boldness, faith and passion for their religion.

Utilising a variety of hand-dying techniques, frayed fabrics, plaits and beading embellishments, silhouettes are loose and breathable, reflecting the traditional shapes of Tibetan dress. With luxurious draped fabrics such as silk chiffon and silk jersey, layers have never looked so cool and casual.

Also inspired by Tibetan women's braided hair, Chic Chi translated this idea on to her clothing by developing complicated handcraft techniques such as macramé and knotting, finishing the macramé with coloured wooden beads, which symbolise the beautiful Buddha prayer beadhes.

Friday, 24 June 2011

Brand Of The Week: Kana Tojo

Images throughout courtesy of Kana Tojo/ LCF and Catwalking. The above and first block below are photographed by Sean Michael. All further imagery is photographed by Christopher Moore.

Hailing from Japan, womenswear designer Kana Tojo was one of the stand-out designers from the recent LCF Class of 2011 showcase. Having completed a design placement with S+E designer Christopher Raeburn in her final year, sustainability has become a focal point for this burgeoning young designer.

Themed around Reincarnation, Tojo’s striking AW11 collection interpreted her starting point through recycling, breathing a new lease of life into discarded and outworn materials. Clearly inspired by Raeburn’s re-appropriating of decommissioned military fabrics and parachute silk, Tojo innovatively styled her collection to reflect the ‘rugged’ mood often seen in an ‘orphan’s way of wearing clothes’ – reminding me of a chicer Oliver Twist.

Generally inspired by artists and photographers, Tojo’s AW11 offering is inspired by the drawings of an ‘Unreal World’, by Dutch graphic designer M.C Escher. Reflected through the intricate twisting and layering of her pieces, Tojo’s colour palette is a combination of rich blues, reds and burnt oranges neutralised by luxurious camel tones and pastel greys.

Aesthetically epitomising this summer’s popular nomadic trend, lots of headdresses and wraps were present, with beautiful swathes of luxurious silks, velvets and thick cottons cocooning the body. Tied together and cinched with rivets and leather laces, longer laces featured heavily, cleverly used in many guises, most noticeably as fringing when tied through a concession of metal eyelets.

Footwear consisted of primitive flat leather Roman type sandals, tied together with the same leather laces that feature so heavily throughout the collection. The twist came where the models feet had been bound in flourescent carrier bags first, further enhancing the ‘living in the elements’ vision that accompanied this bold collection.

Utilising recycled and reworked materials to their fullest potential, Tojo triumphs using the most random discarded fragments for a new purpose, such as mens canvas sneakers reborn as epaulettes. Setting us the challenge of working out which redundant garments and accessories have been employed for what, Tojo plays to her strengths and displays her superior skill at breathing a new lease of life into the most unwearable of garments.

Read my write-up of the catwalk show to refresh your memory.