DAZED DIGITAL

SHADES DOWN IN TOKYOTOWN

PROBABLY WANDERING WHAT THIS PICTURE IS ABOUT AYE?

SOFIA HEDMAN and KAROLINA KLING

have decided to show Tokyo what SUNGLASSES are really all about!

When I came across this link on the DAZEDDIGITAL website, I just kept looking at the

 picture because I just couldn't work out what it was and why it looked like some

sort of halloween costume for the face. Just didnt have a clue.*

I just had to read the article next to it...

Shades down in Tokyo Town is an exhibition produced by Sofia Hedman and Karolina Kling

with the agenda of illustrating a simple idea such as sunglasses being transformed into an

artifact.

 [ CHECK OUT THE INTERVIEW:* ]

Dazed Digital: What kind of approach did you take to elevating sunglasses to an artifact worthy of a gallery presentation?
Sofia Hedman: I am hugely inspired by how curator and exhibition designer Judith Clark visually translates her curatorial narratives into her exhibition designs. Shades Down in Tokyo Town is essentially the silhouette of a town. Karolina’s graphics visually translate the curatorial narrative; abstract outlines and shapes - inspired by historically important frames- abound as the historical is rooted firmly in the present through the stark bold outlines.
Karolina Kling: When creating the set design, I started with creating my own characters (The Kling Tribe). I then used these characters to create an over dimensional set design for the space, building a small town of installations.



Classic example or normal glasses somehow been made to stand


Dazed Digital: Why haven’t sunglasses been spotlighted in this way before?
Karolina Kling: It was our friend curator Gemma A. Williams, who also is the editor of the exhibition catalogue and co-curator of our exhibition, who found out that there was an untouched archive of Oliver Goldsmith glasses at the Victoria & Albert museum. When thinking of how important sunglasses and spectacles have been in the history of film, music and fashion, it is strange that big institutions have not explored the subject more.





 I think this artifact could have connotations of the Japanese culture for example the fortune cookies,
the colour and the fans that are normally used.
Dazed Digital: What is it about Tokyo that makes it the ideal setting for this kind of a show?
Sofia Hedman: Japan has a history of amazing designers like Comme des Garcons, Yohji Yamamoto and Issey Miyake that brings in another dimensions to fashion - like their way of mixing traditional Japanese heritage and techniques with philosophy.



I think this is the most intriguing one for me because
it looks like a real authentic reptile.


Dazed Digital: What fascinates you about sunglasses?
Karolina Kling: There´s obviously the whole thing about shutting someone out, living behind the glasses, that you can see the person but the person can´t see you, it’s a feeling of mystic and power. 
Sofia Hedman: I get fascinated by how they disguise but also explore the space around the body. Oliver Goldsmith’s eccentric and ground-breaking designs from the 1960s and 1980s reconstructed my idea of what sunglasses can be– like his TVs, music notes, triangles and battery-driven miniature windscreen- wipers.



Dazed Digital: The exhibition catalogue contains essays about sunglasses, what kind of ideas are explored there?
Sofia Hedman: The catalogue, edited by Gemma A. Williams, opens up a dialogue on the importance of sunglasses in culture. Texts from a wide range of curators, writers and academics offer new interpretations of sunglasses. Gus Wylie discusses the importance of sunglasses in film, while Dr. Will Brooker focuses on the power of sunglasses in creating a performing identity.







Dazed Digital: What are the highlights of the exhibition for you?
Karolina Kling: Iris Shieferstein has worked with a real snake that holds the lenses with its teeth. Helle Mardahl’s glasses are made of textile shapes and fingers, all of them dyed and stitched separately, Charlie le Mindu’s fun and dark hairy creation, and Piers Atkinson’s sweet character, Skyward’s that is a hat and sunglasses as an all in one piece – a hat that you could just bring down over the eyes. 

This image really captured my eye and i was trying to work out what it was just by looking at it.
When I clicked on it, I realized that it was sunglasses modified in such a very COOL way.
I LOVE the idea of it and the originality of it. I think this has inspired me to consider very normal
objects and try and create something new from it.
 This is a very good inspiration.






DAZED DIGITAL

PAUL & JOE S/S11

Just browsing through the DAZEDDIGITAL website checking up the new collections...

PAUL & JOE who have shown a Preview of their Spring/Summer Range producing
a very feminine collection showcasing some rather lucid girly Frocks, White Tees and Floral Prints.

Furthermore some fluttery sleeves, off the shoulder sleeves and polka dot mini dresses which will
definitely appeal to the younger generation.

 [ May I just add that I am a big fan of the middle partening look with the Hair. Just Great! ]



I love this look! Rather a simple idea just modified with a nice print

on the cardigan, a plain white top accompanied by a  glistening gold belt with tassels

and nice crop shorts.

 Even though it is not exactly my taste, I think the Designers were very brave

going for a matching print thang! I would only wear the shorts but I wouldnt wear the jacket because it
 is not really me and I believe that it would be too much. However just because I wouldn't wear this
overall, doesn't mean to say someone else wouldn't.

I love the plain tee-shirt because it gives the other stylish items a chance to really stand out.

The brown belt give off a bit of a Vintage rough look which I like.

 I Love this! I am very fond of the crew neck blouse made with a very

light material; the designer has enhanced the sleeves giving them a fluttery loose-fitted look.

They have also incorporated a frilly design at the top. I really like the peachy palette used

with the Black stripes. I really love the Canary Yellow shorts, they are just perfect for
the Season and they are real eyecatching. Really stands out against the brown belt.

Is it me or is this picture just amazing?

Well...let me just start by saying I really love the made out Celebrity

look;works very well. This is a great example of the Designers

fluttery sleeves. I love the fact that the Designer had decided to spruce

things up a bit. It looks absolutely amazing. Also the embellishment on the clutch bag.

Phenomenal or what?

Love the glasses! One of my favourite looks by far.

V&A

  

With my Fashion class, we visited the V&A which was sooo HUGE!

We looked at some of the work done by some St. Martin students which were quite spectacular.

I took a great interest in the old fashioned trends that were displayed that generally inspire a lot of the Couture Fashions today. I looked at the different types of materials and patterns that were used

 and the shapes of some items especially shoes.

I looked at big designers such as Christian Dior's work in the 1960 and Yves Saint Laurent.
It was nice to look at their old trends to compare it to the new trends and just look at how Fashion evolves. 

These are some of the drawings that I did at the V&A of some Fashion garments:

Oops Let's not forget the odd Shoe drawing...

Here are a few pictures that I took of some of the old fashioned garments there:

OVERALL INFORMATION I LEARNT:

• A trend never really goes out of Fashion but is noramlly replaced by a different Trend
• Trends are always brought back
• Couture Fashion is highly inspired by the Oldest Trends
• Some Fashion Designers have been around for very long periods of time
• Fashion Evolves

Christopher Kelly [ THEATER DE LA MODE ]

With the rest of my Fashion Class, we went to have a nice talk with the upcoming Fashion Designer Christopher Kelly. He mainly addressed the hardships of working in the Fashion Industry which I thought was a vital piece of information which is why he stressed on the fact that

'You need to have Passion for it.'

This is the website where his work is predominantly showcased.

We saw some of the many things that he gained inspiration from for his next collection. So one thing I

learnt is that 'using the littlest things as Inspiration' is very useful because you can expand your

ideas as much as you want whereas looking at clothes that have already been made will not

really do you any justice as you are most likely to be reinventing the wheel which is what you do

not want to do. You want to showcase 'Original Ideas'.

This would not only benefit you, but in terms of Creativity, you will be able to produce

LOADS OF STUFF!

These were some of the pictures that I took whilst at his Studio...

I absolutely <3 the way he modified the usual convention of the

'I <3 LONDON' top. It didn't look functional but it was

definitely a good piece to display.

He touched on the topic of drawing skills. He reckons it is not compulsory but that

we should all work on our skills because in the long run you will need it; on the other hand you could

always have a variety of ways to communicate your ideas across.



He then addresses his most recent design which were the 'Unisex Collection' which

consisted of painterly prints, silk shorts and a tangerine and coral palette

http://www.theatredelamode.co.uk/collections/olympian.html

  

These were some of the Couture Fashion Designers that he suggested that we check out.

He also listed the Research Process that he follows and recommends to us:

• TREND
• COLOUR
• SHAPE [ SILHOUETTE ]
• MOOD

This will definitely be a guide to how I look at creating ideas and moving forward

from that. I thought 'Mood' was a very vital one essentially; what mood does

the garment give you as well as what mood do you want to portray to the

audience?

OVERALL INFORMATION I LEARNT:

• It is going to be a long road
• You have got to be open to anything that comes in your path
• Not everything will always go to plan
• Think on your Feet!

Vanitas

Recently I had been looking at the Vanitas genre of Art.

  

Vanitas is a symbolic type of genre associated widely with Northern

Europe. Vanitas originated from the Latin phrase: 'Vanitatum Omnia

Vanitas.' It is a very moralistic genre and depicts the message that human action is

evanescent compared to the everlasting nature of Faith.

Furthermore, it highlights the brevity of life and that everything living will eventually

die.



[ LETS NOT FORGET... ]

The Religious Connotations

[ Ecclesiastes 1:2 ]

"Vanity of Vanities, says the Preacher; Vanity of Vanities, all is Vanity."

other scriptures can also be referred to:

[Ecclesiastes 12:8]

"Everything is meaningless," says the Teacher, "completely meaningless."

I also did some of my own Research through the Bible since I am a Firm Believer :)

[2 Corinthians 4:18]

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

[ TIM BURTON ]

I also decided to look at some different types of Media associated with this genre.

Tim Burtons work can be associated with the genre Vanitas because of

its very Gothic references and the way the characters in some of his films

have been created all being linked with death of some sort. For example

The 'Corpse Bride'.

I thought I would look a bit more closer to home at the new Trends set

today to try and find a real good example of this type of genre and then it hit me...

[ ED HARDY ]

I think Ed Hardy has been highly inspired by the Vanitas genre, which

includes the Gothic look, words associated with death, skulls, Love, Hate, general

opposite terms. I thought this was quite amazing that the genre Vanitas can be linked to

so many existing things today.

[ BEAUTY AND THE BEAST ]

The rose in the 'Beauty and the Beast' never died

until the glass was removed. This introduced

the idea of eternal and temporary which I

referred to in the scripture 2 Corinthians 4:18.

This was a juxtaposition

considering everything around it was dying.

WORDS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE GENRE:

EMO, ROCK, VINTAGE, GOTHIC, DARK, LIGHT, SKULLS, TIME, DEATH, ROTTEN FRUIT, BUBBLES, ANCIENT, CANDLES, DEAD FLOWERS, BUTTERFLIES, AGEING, DECAY

Welcome!



Mwah :)



Hello and Welcome to my Blog. This will be a Showcase of a variety of things such as how I feel on a normal day, generally about my FASHION interests, Music and possible Videos.

Hope you enoy and definitely Follow as I will be keeping up to date every week.

Lots of Love

Whitney xx