Designer of the Week

This week's badman designer is Franco Moschino. Moschino was born in Italy in 1950, he studied Fine Art at collage hoping to become a painter. He financed his studies by working as a fashion illustrator which helped change his focus from paints and canvases to fabric and tailoring. His fashion career started in 1971 when he became an illustrator for Gianni Versace. He then went on to design for Cadette. In 1983 Franco founded his own company Moonshadow and launched the Moschino Couture! label. His line quickly expanded from casual wear and jeans to include lingerie, evening wear, shoes, menswear and perfumes. Cheap and Chic, a less expensive range was launched in 1988. Moschino went on to create a huge fashion empire with stores all over the world, his often quirky and socially conscious design's were often a jab at the fashion industry and it's consumers yet people flocked to wear his clothes. 

 

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

I'm sure the older readers out there will remember Moschino for the off-key jeans and gold lettering belts and bags, I always remember my Mam having some sick Moschino handbags- what I would do to get my hands on them now! 

 

   

  

  

  

  

  

 

Sadly Franco Moschino died in 1194, his long term creative collaborator Rosella Jardini took over the Moschino empire which is still going strong today, although admittedly it doesn't quite have the humorous tones it was once known for.

Amsterdam International Fashion Week-Update

Back again with some updates. 29th January saw Claes Iversen doin his thang down the catwalk. I hadn't heard of him until just now, but me likes! Here are some highlights...

Shank.

Shank is a new UK film that will be in cinemas from March 26th. It stars some fresh, young British talent including-

 

Kaya Scodelario, best known for her role as Effy Stonman in Skins.

Adam Deacon, star of Kidulthood, Adulthood and Deadset and many many more films and TV series.

 

Bashy, UK Grime artist.

Jan Uddin.

The screenplay is by Paul Carter and it is directed by Mo Ali.
I found this lil' bit of info on the film-

The film, shot on the estate, contains violence and gang turf wars.

It is set in the future when the gap between rich and poor has grown to “epic” proportions.

Director Mo Ali, said: “I can totally understand how residents might get the wrong impression when they see the filming but it’s not about violence.

“It’s about these kids overcoming obstacles that get in their way.

“The whole point of the film is about the effect that violence can have on someone.

“It gives kids an idea about what the future could be like.”

In the film, food has replaced drugs and guns as the most sought- after commodity on the streets.

A spokeswoman for the production argued the movie had a positive message.

She said: “The gang in the film don’t get involved in the violence.

“They get caught up in something by accident and one of them gets killed.

“The whole film is about their dilemma – do you go looking for revenge and violence, or not?

“We are not trying to portray Southwark in a bad light. We want the community to be involved with the film we are making.

“A lot of the filming has been done on the Heygate Estate, but it’s not meant to be the estate. It’s meant to be a place in the future.”

A council spokeswoman said: “Having consulted with the Tenants’ and Residents’ Association (TRA), and knowing that the Heygate is mostly vacant, we decided to give the go-ahead.

“The film-makers are working with several local charities and youth groups, giving young people in the area a chance to work on a film.

“We have also asked for a donation of £200 per day of filming to be made to the TRA.”

Could be interesting! The website is pretty good, it has lots of interactive features you can play about with and a good selection of UK music. There's also a competition running for budding UK artist's to have their track used as part of the film, go here for details.

Freeness for the Weekend.

 

So this week I'm on a UK Hip Hop tip, so the mixtape is coming from DJ Matter, as he put's it, it's a mixtape of some of the best tracks to come out of the UK in the last ten years. Get it here.

Sunday Sister

This weeks Sunday Sister is Elizabeth Hawes, because she was a pioneer for designing what women wanted and needed rather than dictating to them what was fashionable. Not just a designer, Hawes was a multi-tasker and was involved with several other industries within fashion, including sketcher, copyist, stylist, and journalist, as well as a designer, she was also an author, union organizer, champion of gender equality, and political activist. WOW, puts us to shame hey?!

Born in New Jersey, Elizabeth decided in the summer of 1925 that she would sail to where the fashion scene was burgeoning, Paris. Here she was introduced to Haute Couture, well kind of! She began working in a copy house that pirated designers like Lanvin, Chanel and Vionnet...I think working here obviously rattled her cage slightly because when she began writing for the New Yorker in 1927, her cynicism toward fashion had taken a firm root. In one of her columns she wrote,

"All reddish brown or black prints are smart Chanel says so it must be so"

After her stint in Paris, she sailed back to America in 1928, where she decided that there was a niche in the market for American Couture and opened a salon. Here she built a considerable reputation as a designer of 'elegant clothes that were both comfortable and flattering'. Even though she was well revered and making a comfortable living being a designer, nothing could curb her insatiable desire to criticise and direct sarcasm towards the fashion industry. In 1938, she published a book called Fashion is Spinach (which can be read by clicking the hyperlink-as it is well out of print now!) where she discussed how French Couturiers had the power to make women feel "absolutely out of fashion" if they failed to wear two silver foxes around their neck. In the book she declares the whole notion of fashion "a complete anachronism"

Hawes despaired that most men and women were clothing conformists; in her view, clothes should be the expression of personality, of fantasy, and above all of individuality.

When the War began, Hawes closed her salon and returned to journalism, where she wrote for an antti- Communist newspaper called PM. This lead to her being put under surveillance by the FBI. She also became a union organiser for the UAW, and later on she worked in an aeroplane plant to personally experience how life was for women machine operaters during the war which led to her writing Why Women Cry (read via link)

Like a lot of legends, Elizabeth Hawes became an alcoholic because of issues that materialised in her later life, and sadly died in 1971 due to alchol-related causes.

Baaaaadness!

Lacoste vs Married to the Mob

More kicks, more kicks!!

This time, a pair that are definitely for the ladies! I'm proper feeling this collaboration because I have been thinking about lace kicks for a loooong time. So it's well exciting that there are finally some available. You can order these from the MTTM website or take a quick easyjet one to Paris and get to 213 Rue Saint-Honoré quick!

“I have been wanting to work with lace for a while but was waiting for the right product. Once I saw the silhouette of the LACOSTE sneaker I knew the lace idea would work perfectly for this” - Leah McSweeney

These will be available from Valentines Week, which is something that I had totally forgotten about! It's come around quick boy! So fellas, if your looking for a gift for ya lady, look no further!! And all my single ladies, cop a pair for your self this Valentines Day! :)

According to Trace, they are retailing for $120. Read the full story here

Barbie Art!

Strolling through Inside Out (Topshop blog), I found this amazing other blog that I totally had to hijack and bring to you via What a Royal Idea. AMAZING!

Author Author Jocelyne Grivaud has created a blog called Barbie a Muse, and is full of images of Barbie dressed up to re-create a cool selection of famous art works/prints.

I didn't really need to put the original with his version, because I know how cultural ya'll are, but it just looks better! You can really see how much effort has gone into his looks.

Have you got ya crepe on check?

I was thinking today that I haven't posted up about any crepes recently, and also the fact that I have not copped a new pair for about a year, Looong!

But these are pretty peng you know. I wouldn't usually keep an eye on Asics kicks because they remind me of the kind of shit brand trainers know one wanted at school! It's so sad how you get it stuck in your head that you an only go Nike, Adidas, Fila, or whatever your preferred brand is when your shopping. I'm guilty too, but these have changed my mind.

These have come via Sneaker files and are called Asics Gel Lyte Speed. They also come in green ad grey, but this colourway is definitely the one.

I wear my own crepes!

"U got Air Forces, I've had rare forces!"

Face of Friday

This weeks Face of Friday is the sexy, sexy Omahyra Mota. Hailing from the Dominican Republic, this beauty has been holding the flag for Hispaniola residents.

Featured in many, many editorials, films and catwalk shows, she is definitely one to watch! I first came across her when I did work experience for Heatherette, the now defunct new York fashion label run by Richie Rich and Traver Rains. They were some good old days!!.....I instantly fell in love with her interesting and beautiful face!

I just love how versatile she is, and that is what makes a model successful. As a tomboy rockin the casual look or butt naked with a megaphone, gal is hot!! Peep below for some of that hot versatility...

Heatherette NY Fashion Week (the show I worked for!)