PFW X Chalayan Dissolving Dresses
Paris Fashion Week was amazed by dissolving dresses from HUSSEIN CHALAYAN - the official page
Maison De Choup
Maison De Choup is a collective of young artists and designers, committed to creating minimalist, attractive, and contemporary essential clothing, but apart from their slick designs and styling, it's their openness to their background and their ethics, that makes them particularly profound.
At the head of the board, is inspirational founder and young artist George Hodgson, who is not afraid to speak out his past in which he dealt with crippling anxiety.
Remarkably, George turned a severe negative into a positive when he developed Maison De Choup, allowing a place for himself and others to channel their creativity. Touchingly, Maison De Choup also donates 25% of their most personally significant piece, a t-shirt design entitled 'Words Fail Me' to charity, Young Minds, as a thank you to the charity for their support.
The Blip had a little chat with George Hodgson about Maison De Choup, and his thoughts on life:
Hi George! Thank you for taking the time to speak to The Blip about Maison De Choup!
How would you describe your style and brand?
Simple, expressive, optimistic. Simple because that’s the only way I know how. Expressive because they help me tell my story. Optimistic because they have taken me from a very dark place to a future I wasn’t sure I’d see.
How long have you been designing for?
Pre 2014 I was at college studying fine art. It was all about experimentation - random designs, photographic images and so on. Then the world went black and I ducked out. I couldn’t cope. It turned out that the coping mechanism was design and which my anxiety then helped me channel. It helped me zone in and block out the bad stuff. Just focus on one thing, dwell in it, live it, simplify it. It was the start of the way out. Sometimes the best college is life. I've now got a great team behind me that have supported me and helped Maison grow into something very exciting indeed.
The back story of Maison de Choup is very inspiring, particularly that you're so
open about suffering from the social stigma of anxiety. What advice would you give
to other sufferers?
Keep moving. By being open about my illness and anxieties I want to help people who suffer in a similar way. It has taken a long time to learn that if you keep problems bottled up inside, they can isolate you. You lose faith in your ability to communicate, and ultimately you lose faith in yourself. But once you start expressing the issues, telling people about them, you start to feel more comfortable in knowing that you have nothing left to hide. It is incredibly uplifting. That is then ground zero. The foundation from which you can start to re-emerge. We live in an age where mental illness is a huge problem. If you like it’s gone mainstream. I want my work to matter, to help.
What advice would you give to other young designers looking to get started in the
world of fashion?
Be led by your heart and be true to it. Tell your story in your own way.
Get to know the industry – it’s been an incredible journey learning the very different facets that make it what it is.
Talk to as many people as you can in the trade – there are so many artists and designers willing to help, shed light or just tell their own story. All of this is useful.
It doesn’t have to cost the earth. Keep things simple, don’t try to take over the world, learn from what people think and take things one step at a time.
Is there a particular fashion designer that inspires you? If you could collaborate
with one designer, brand, or fashion house, who would it be, and why?
Dior. He once said ‘White is pure and simple and matches with everything’ - who can argue with that?
Is there any particular piece that you've designed that either you're particularly
proud of, or are particularly meaningful for you? If so, why?
The ‘Words Fail Me’ T-shirt means the most to me, The design is based around my own loss of confidence, my descent into darkness. I wanted to create a design that meant something to me and also expresses what anxiety is about and how it feels, We’ve all had those moments – people really relate to this.
What's next for Maison de Choup? Where do you see yourself in five years time?
MDC has done something amazing for me. It’s flipped a switch and I have a number of new designs we are looking to launch. Each will remain as a limited run. Each will have its own provenance and each will tell its own story. In 5 years time I want the brand to be widely synonymous with its message – it’s ok to have been there, so many of us have, there’s a way out, let’s talk about it.
For me personally, I want MDC to keep my demons behind me and a light shining ahead.
Thank you, George, and Maison De Choup. The Blip sees big things in store for you!
Alexander Wang Promotes Young People's Charity
In celebration of the 10 year anniversary of the charity, DoSomething- which helps young people to do things that infuse social change, Alexander Wang gathered 38 of his famous friends to help promote them by posing in personalised versions of Wang's bold tshirts and hoodies.
Here are some of the black and white images, shot by Steven Klein.
Nirvana, Fashion, and Feminism
"I'm definitely a feminist. I'm fucking disgusted by the way women are still treated. It's 1993 and some people think we're in the 1950s...Everything is dominated by males and I'm fucking sick of it."- Kurt Cobain
No strangers to speaking up on their views of society, in November 1993, Nirvana starred in this wonderful cross-dressing photoshoot wearing Dries Van Noten in a spread for Madmoiselle Magazine, photographed by Stephane Sednaoui. Here is the original article:
Reaching Nirvana: The Grunge Gods Get In Touch With Their Feminine Side
By Ann Powers
Singer-Songwriter-Guitarist Kurt Cobain, and his band, Nirvana, seemed to come out of nowhere. two years ago, the Seattle group’s major-label debut album, Nevermind, outsold such top guns as Michael Jackson, U2, and Metallica, and helped bring the underground punk movement into the music mainstream. ”it had all the drama of htting the jackpot after a lotto purchase at 7-Eleven,” said one record executive.
Grunge has since become a fashion statement, and (according to Cobain, anyway) Chelsea Clinton dreams of bringing Nirvana to The White House. but the band have steadfastly refused to wear the grunge crown, they would rather wear dresses. following a long tradition of rockers in drag, Cobain, 26 (who is married to Hole’s lead singer, Courtney Love), and his bandmates- bassist Krist Novoselic, 27, and drummer Dave Grohl, 24- wear thrift store dresses in their music video In Bloom. Cobain wears an ill-fitting prom dress with ruffles, and the band has sashayed into well-publicized events such as MTV’s Headbangers Ball in full regalia.
Cobain says he likes to paint his nails before putting on a dress. here he is shown with his cohorts wearing scarves as skirts. there’s no guarantee that their modeling careers will fly, however, so the band is playing on: Nirvana released its third major-label album this fall, In Utero, a raucous collection of songs.
Elio Fiorucci
In July, we saw the sad passing of Elio Fiorucci. In the 80's, no fashionista would have a complete wardrobe without a pair of Fiorucci jeans, skin-tight, and available in a rainbow of colours. Marc Jacobs is said to have "saved and saved" for a pair when he was 15, and allegedly Miuccia Prada only ever owned one pair of jeans, and they were made by Fiorucci.
Big fans included Lauren Bacall, Jackie Onassis and Diana Ross.
When Fioruccifirst launched his designer denim company, designer denim as a concept was unique, but his company was also the first to embrace other cultural aesthetics, such traditional prints imported from Brazil and India.
Along with the bold fashions and stores, Fiorucci was famous for his parties, the Beverly Hills store opening party was shut down by the Los Angeles Fire Department. The following year, Blondie held an after party in the same store to celebrate their album Parallel Lines going platinum, Debbie Harry arrived to the party in a World War II tank.
The main store on the map for Fiorucci was his New York Store on 125 East Street, which was compared by the press to the debauchery of Studio 54 as it became a destination for the young, the achingly cool, and the weird, and Fiorucci's talent of tapping in to young trends and consumerism attracted the likes of Andy Warhol.
Saving The Planet And Looking Good Doing It
The fashion world is starting to make a move towards being environmentally friendly.
Adidas have recently released a prototype for a trainer that is made entirely from wasted plastic that has been recovered from the ocean.
"We're saving life. Every piece of plastic that we collect, every single piece, can save a bird, a turtle, even a whale," Cyrill Gutsch, founder of Parley for the Oceans, a new Adidas-supported non-profit, told Fast Company.
Along with the recycled materials, Adidas will employ a knitting-like technique to build the show which almost eliminates waste. This particular prototype incorporates an illegal gill-net, which will also save the lives of many fish in its absence, but also gives the shoe its interesting aesthetic.
Eric Liedtke, Adidas Group executive board member of global brands, says that they're already looking at using the techniques for other kinds of clothing: "We don't have to limit ourselves, We can put this in T-shirts, we can put this in shorts, we can put this in all kinds of stuff."
Alessandro Michele for Gucci
Alessandro Michele unveiled his debut collection for Gucci at Milan Fashion Week - he had only five days to put the collection together, due to the abrupt departure of previous creative director, Frida Giannini.
The pieces are retro, embroidered, romantic, and we just can't stop looking at these pictures!Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda AW 15
“We don’t count how many hours it took to make an Alta Moda piece. We don’t say, ‘how much was the fabric? How long did we spend screen-printing the tulips onto that silk to make them look as though they were hand-painted, or how many thousands of hand-sewn sequins are on that dress?.....“We do this from love, and for love of couture.”
-Domenico Dolce, about Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda AW 15
Dapper Dan- Harlem Hip Hop Tailor
The Blip Salutes the glory that is Dapper Dan. Selling custom made clothes to the hip-hop A List in the 1980's for thousands, Dan's fashion included bold and ostentatious pieces made from rolls of fake designer label fabric. He's known as the man that brought designer clothing into street culture, long before Kanye West was doing it, and his clients included TLC, Run DMC, Mike Tyson, Salt N Pepa and LL Cool J- to name but a few. When his famous clients swooped to his shop in Harlem it gave his boutique so much exposure- especially when Mike Tyson and Mitch Green crossed paths and ended up in a big fight outside the shop.
Sadly, due to the exposure, the designers that had refused to have anything to do with his designs or sell their products to his shop, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Fendi, all sued him for the use of their logos.
These days, Dapper Dan is generally celebrated, and his clothing can fetch impressive sums at auction, because it is recognised that he completely re-imagined branding that already existed, and changing completely it's cultural undertones.
Discount Universe
Bold, brash, sequinned, in-your-face sports-luxe! Discount Universe is certainly not for the faint-hearted... but luckily neither is The Blip! We adore these Aussie designers Napreychikov and James, and everything they do.
After Miley Cyrus asked for permission for them to use photos of herself, taken by controversial photographer Terry Richardson, where she is seen wearing one of their shirts, the photos went viral.
Since starting in 2009, their clientelle include: Beyonce, Iggy Azalea, M.I.A, and Britney Spears.
Chanel Seoul
Full Cruise 2016 Seoul Show:
Galliano for Maison Margiela
John Galliano is BACK for Maison Margiela - the show this week is perfect sartorial inspiration for this indecisive weather..we love the furry shoes, the vibrantly coloured make-up and the way the models weirdly creep down the catwalk!
A little glimpse into the weird and wonderful world of hairstylist & designer Charlie Le Mindu:
We're still dreaming about fashion designerJACQUEMUS & his beautiful clothing, but also wondering if we can get away with wearing our make-up like his Paris Fashion Week Catwalk models?!
(Jacquemus Paris Fashion Week Autumn Winter 2015-16)
Blip loves this beautiful fashion editorial for Harper's Bazaar 2009 using the clothes of the legendary Alexander McQueen.
As Blip's first big outing was to London Fashion Week, it feels only right to point out the splendour that is the Gareth Pugh AW15-16 Show.
We're in awe of these powerful silhouettes sashaying down the catwalk!