Keeping up to date with the fashion world has gotten a whole lot easier now with the internet. We now have instant updates on what’s happening around the world not only in the fashion world, but also in the every aspect of life.
There are various websites we continuously check to see the latest news or trends in the fashion world; I particularly enjoy viewing live feeds of the latest fashion shows, the most recent being updates are the Fall 2013 Couture shows.
Here are the top 5 fashion websites we keep an eye on here at Digital Fabrics.
1. Style.com
Latest shows updated as they happen, fashion news, parties, trends, street style photos, behind the scene shots, beauty and much more.
style.com
2. Who What Wear
Fashion trends, celebrities, where to buy, shopping and beauty.
www.whowhatwear.com
3. The Satorialist
Fashion Blog at it’s finest.
www.thesartorialist.com
4. Stylesight
Inspiration for any creative person looking for fresh ideas, trend forecast, inovations, news on fashion, art and culture.
www.stylesight.com
5. Vogue UK
Up to date fashion shows, beauty, fashion news, street style photos, parties and much more.
www.vogue.co.uk
Sometimes you come across a website, which keeps you going back for more, the website ShowStudio has an array of pages to inspire anyone. Having a fashion design background I was drawn to a project on the website, which invites designer’s to share a pattern. The project began in 2002, offering patterns from designers such as John Galliano, Yohji Yamamoto, Alexander McQueen, Martin Margiela and Giles Deacon. My favourite so far is the Giles Deacon dress, the pattern which was taken from the Autumn/Winter 2007 collection, is a basic dress which you can transform into your own and can easily be transported into 2013. With the currently print trends you could design a print featuring cactus, cats, crystals, florals, anything really and you could print this on one of our great fabrics and get sewing; to create your own personalised designer outfit.
Head over to ShowStudio and get inspired. They have great articles on designers and artists and you can download the Giles Deacon pattern to create your own.
Giles Deacon
Giles Deacon
Paula Maso & Neliana Fuenmayor, ÆTHER
Images from Show Studio.
Status – As an indication of wealth or opulence, uses the motifs (but not limited to) of gold chains, jewels, animal skins and ornate scroll work often all in combination and in rich vibrant colours.
Checks/Spots/Stripes – patterns of squares, circles and rectangles of varying size, colour and orientation i.e. horizontal/vertical as well as edge definition. A broken or ‘non symmetrical’ circle is still considered a spot.
Scenic/Pictorial – Traditionally called a Toile de Jouy, uses figurative scenes of an illustrative quality (now more photographic) and often with a narrative and generally in a horizontal orientation. Traditionally printed in monochromatic colour on a plain white or ivory ground.
Paisley – Stylised tear drop motif often with abstracted floral elements in accompaniment, now seen with various combinations of many types of fashion prints. Paisley takes its modern name from the Scottish town which saw a great deal of production of these patterns in the 1800’s. These motifs are now most recognisable as Indian or Middle Eastern from where its tradition is embedded.
Tribal/Ethnic – Perhaps more appropriately termed World Cultures, using motifs and elements specific to a nationality or culture with a western interpretation. Popular areas of inspiration are Africa, India and Arabia but also include the folk arts of Eastern Europe and South America. Care must be taken not to use motifs or symbols of a spiritual or special meaning to the culture being used as inspiration.
Maria Primachenko’s Original (in part) “Rat on a Journey”
It has come to light this past week that internationally recognised Finnish home wares and textile house Marimekko, has allegedly pilfered a print design from a Unkraninian folk artist, Maria Primachenko. Although Marimekko as a company holds the commercial license for their print designs, their freelance designers are essentially responsible for what they create. In this case long time Marimekko freelancer and daughter of an original illustrator at the brand, Kristina Isola, is the designer in question.
The only difference in the two artworks appears to be that the newer of the two is without the woodland character giving the work the title “Rat on a Journey”. Completed in 1963, Primachenko’s gouache painting is now housed in the Ukrainian Folk Decorative Art Museum in Kiev and featured in a book along a similar theme.
Isola’s version, sans rats, developed in 2007 for Marimekko now adorns the Finnair long-haul Airbus 330 in an ongoing collaboration between the carrier and design house. Although now shown in blues rather than the original greens, there is no mistake for we all can see the forest for the trees. Marimekko is rightly so in “…complete shock and profound disappointment” (sic), however the airline as yet has made no comment, nor have the changed any of the information about the design on their website.
It will be interesting to learn of any developments about this as the subject of copyright and who can use what and when is of constant concern to designers of any magnitude. Simply though it all boils down to trying to stay as true to yourself and your own creative endeavours and taking great care not only with safe guarding your own work but doing the proper research when taking inspiration.
Not to put a downer on an inspired weekend though, go get out there, produce stuff and love it!
Kristina Isola’s version for Marimekko “Forest Dwellers” 2007
- Finnair Airbus 330 with the design in question
Another Finnair aeroplane showing an iconic Marimekko design
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