Creating Pandamonium with Annie Morris

Clothespins dress by Annie Morris for Burberry

Contemporary artist Annie Morris is creating a sculptural dress for 2012’s World Wildlife Fund Pandamonium 2.   The artist is offering an amazing opportunity to any students with sewing or embroidery skills, to assist her in this exciting project.

The finished dress will be shown as part of a unique catwalk show of wearable sculpture, to raise funds and awareness for the World Wildlife Fund’s 50^th anniversary.   The event, being held on March 31, will show work by 25 leading artists, architects and fashion designers including Grayson Perry, Zaha Hadid, Richard Wilson, Idris Khan, Hussein Chalayan and Annie Morris.  Following the event, there will be a public exhibition of all pieces from the catwalk show.

If you would like to be involved in this exciting and worthwhile project, please contact Dea Vanegan deana@artwisecurators.com 

Source:  Centre for Sustainable Fashion

Loredana Novotni - "Sacred" hand crafted concepts.

Loredana Loredana

"Sacred" couture collection - MA degree

Loredana Novotni's conceptual capsule collection "Sacred" focuses upon hand-crafted knit and crochet techniques to create innovative textures, with an emphasis upon a structured silhouette.  Each intricately hand-crafted piece in the collection took Novotni a month to complete.  The results are stunning.

Loredana Novotni has always loved to draw since she was a young child.  With no thoughts of becoming a fashion designer, Loredana simply loved to make dresses for dolls.  When she was 7 years old her mother and grandmother taught her to knit and crochet.  These hand-crafted techniques became an integral part of Novotni's design style, "I like to work with textiles, I like to discover new textures, new ways to do things."

Novotni sees fashion as an art form.  Art that can be touched.  Interacted with.  Novotni explains "Design should have soul and should touch the five senses of a person.  Each design must be as unique as the artist."

Loredana Novotni has recently started to work with concept stores in her home country, Romania. Her future ambitions include expanding her brand into other countries and the opportunity for "various collaborations with other designers and known artists"

I wish her every success for the future.

Loredana Loredana

"Sacred" couture collection - MA degree

Loredana Loredana

"Sacred" couture collection - MA degree

From Somewhere for Spring 2012

From Somewhere
Spring Summer 2012

www.fromsomewhere.co.uk

Oooh! I'm loving the new Spring Summer '12 collection by From Somewhere.  A creative sustainable label producing collections from luxury designer fabric off-cuts.  Their SS12 collection also includes some of the season's key trends.

There are sportswear influences, including satin trimmed shorts reminiscent of Balenciaga's Resort '12 collection.  A hint of contemporary tribal - a key fashion statement for Summer.  Bright colours - yellow, orange, pink set back against black.  Luscious deep toffee brown.  Tones of petrol blue. Colour blocking mixed with stripes and prints.

From Somewhere
Spring Summer 2012

www.fromsomewhere.co.uk

Of course, no Summer '12 collection would be complete without a nod towards to the Sixties, which continues to be a major influence.  A simple shift dress has been created with panels of mixed textures, including a sky blue jacquard giving this 1960's classic a 2012 spin.  

The full collection can be seen at: www.fromsomewhere.co.uk

From Somewhere
Spring Summer 2012

www.fromsomewhere.co.uk

From Somewhere was established in 1997 by Orsola De Castro and Filippo Ricci.  All womenswear collections are made by up-cycling high-end fashion and surplus textiles - fabric swatches, production off-cuts and end of rolls.  The aim is to produce beautiful clothes that take into account the balance between consumpation and disposal.

Orsola De Castro is the founder of the Estethica.

Green Carpet Challenge 2012

The Green Carpet Challenge
www.eco-age.com

 Happy 2012 everyone!

So! How are your new year’s resolutions coming along?  Set yourself any major challenges for the year?

I have to applaud Livia Firth for championing The Green Carpet Challenge 2012, which will feature some of the fashion world’s biggest names.  Livia Firth founded the Green Carpet Challenge in December 2009 when she attended the Golden Globes with her husband, Colin Firth.  The challenge was for Livia to attend all red carpet events dressed only in sustainable fashion with the aim to raise awareness of environmental and social justice in the fashion industry.

The Green Carpet Challenge 2012 brings together fashion luminaries Giorgio Armani, Chanel, Alberta Ferretti, Tom Ford, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Stella McCartney, Paul Smith, Valentino, Roger Vivier and Ermenegildo Zegna.  Each designer will create an original outfit that defines sustainable style to be worn on the world’s red carpet events during 2012.  The first of which will be The Golden Globes being held tomorrow evening.  

It's a very exciting and glamorous time for sustainable fashion.  Thank you Livia Firth!

Livia Firth wearing Prophetik
at the Golden Globes

Livia Firth wearing Henrietta Ludgate
at the London Film Critics' Circle Awards

Livia Firth wearing Junky Styling
at The Kings Speech Paris Premiere

Livia Firth wearing Gary Harvey
at the Oscars