Vogue Festival Day 1 - Paul Smith

I don't even know where to start when describing Paul Smith's talk this afternoon! He was one of the most inspiring people I've ever seen and was so driven and so motivated yet so down to earth that it was quite overwhelming. As soon as he began talking, I thought 'I don't want to forget a second of this talk' and so recorded it on my phone so I could listen to it back whenever I needed motivating! He was joined by Alexa Chung who acted as the interviewer, but their friendship shone through and they were constantly laughing and joking.

He began with a talk about finding inspiration from everywhere ('You can find inspiration everywhere, if you can't, then you're not looking hard enough'), and showed how you can take something as simple as a beach hut, and turn it into a jumper, or shirt, or socks. He offered advice to aspiring designers: 'the world doesn't need any more designers so you need to find something that makes you stand out', 'you need to look and SEE', the importance of lateral thinking, and talked about all of the different elements which come together to create a successful designer.

He then began a talk with Alexa who prompted him by asking questions and something that was very clear from the start was that his mind is all over the place, as many creative minds are. He was up on his feet, then sitting back down, then showing off his socks, glasses on then off, lying on the sofa, talking about one thing then jumping to another, but this just emphasised his creativeness and all the ideas he  had running through his mind at once. Their discussion ranged from how much he likes what the Queen wears and the quality of her clothes, to the fact that so many people get Paul Smith socks for Christmas to his choice of swimwear for his daily 5am swims.

Apparent from the start was his enthusiasm for everything, especially life. When asked what motivated him, he responded 'the love of life'. He also said that he sees 'everyday as a new beginning', and his adoration of his wife and his job were so clear that it made me happy just hearing him talk about how happy he was!

He stated that he didn't like criticism at all and he didn't read press or reviews of his shows because by the time the reviews are in, buyers have already bought his products so it makes no difference to him anyway, and he is already onto the next season. He and Alexa then agreed that the opinions of family and friends are the only ones you should listen to as theyre the only ones who truly know you.

This fast pace and ever-changing face of the fashion industry led to talk about technology. He took a very different point of view form Natalie Massenet and stated that he did not have a computer and his wife doesn't even have a mobile phone. His assistants deal with his emails but he feels that when people spend all their life looking at screens, they are missing the inspiration in the world around them. He then went on to talk about Instagram and the fact that he chooses what goes on his Instagram and blog but doesn't put it on there himself. He does, however, shoot all of his own campaigns and this sparks from his father being an amateur photographer.

There is so much to say about his talk that I could write for hours, so a few final ideas I particularly loved are:

• He is not in it for the money, he feels that he has a duty to keep his brand successful as he employs thousands of workers and they all have families and bills to pay and he owes it to them to keep them all in work.
• It is important to have a point of view and a reason people should buy YOUR clothes, however if you are going into a company, you need to be enthusiastic and have a point of view but be open to other peoples points of view and not be overpowering.
• You have to be interested and interesting otherwise people will not pay attention.
• 'There's a lot of good out there, you have to be better'
• Success like his comes from loving what you do and constantly being inspired by finding beauty in everything

Is Fashion Art?

In a recent interview, Karl Lagerfeld continued the ongoing debate as to whether Fashion is Art. He felt that any designers who consider themselves artists are 'second rate'. This arguement has divided the fashion industry and designers such as Marc Jacobs, Miuccia Prada and Coco Chanel also believed that fashion is not art.
I, however, feel that fashion IS art. Art is an expression of creativity and manifests itself in many forms, not all of these through the traditional architecture, sculpture and painting mediums. It amazes me how can people such as Damien Hurst and Tracey Emin be called 'artists' if fashion designers are not.

Fashion is a way of sculpting the human body and producing designs to show beauty, emotion and personality. Examples such as YSL's Mondrian dress, show the ease at which a work of 'art' can be translated into a fashion design and can be used to sculpt the human form. The influence of paintings on fashion is repeatedly showing up on the catwalk - a recent example is Rodate's collection inspired by Van Gogh's 'Starry Night'. This influence of art on fashion is similar to the influence of art on art. No 'artists' come up with completely new concepts without being influenced by art of the past and the same can be said for fashion.

Admittedly fashion on the highstreet is not as much an art form as High Fashion as it is more concerned with the neccessities of the public, rather than the aesthetic quality of the clothes, but High-Fashion designers such as Alexander Mcqueen did not create clothes to be worn, he created clothes to amaze, shock and sculpt beauty using the human figure.

Some designers who agree that fashion is art are: Schiaparelli, Paul Poiret and John Varvatos.

This debate will continue to be argued for years to come, however my opinion is: anyone who uses their creative ability and imagination to create beauty in any form is an artist. Fashion is not a Fine Art, and will never fall under that category, however it is an art form which is influenced by, and influences, other art forms, and designers should be recognised as artists, just as sculptors and painters are.

The full article about Karl Lagerfeld's comments and other designers point of view is available here: http://artinfo.com/news/story/805583/is-fashion-art-karl-lagerfeld-puts-the-debate-back-into-the-spotlight-by-dismissing-the-notion?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed:+artinfo-all+(All+Content+|+ARTINFO)

YSL's Mondrian Dress:

Alexander Mcqueen:

Rodarte:

Nikita Karizma

I'm loving recent London College of Fashion graduate, Nikita Karizma! Her 'punk meets a socialite' designs have already been worn on The X Factor by winners, Little Mix, and finalist, Amelia Lily. The edgy, armoured designs are exploring the human condition and the videos to accompany the collections are beautiful and reflect the message behind the collections perfectly. I can't wait to see what Nikita does next and am especially looking forward to the new collection which is imspired by the London Riots - a theme I used as inspiration for a series of designs I recently produced.

Check out more of her designs here: http://www.nikitakarizma.com/

Marchesa

Marchesa dresses can only be described as every girl's dream. Their stunning combination of exuberant organza dresses contrasted with their minimalist drapery creates collections which are truly to die for.


Marchesa was started by Georgina Chapman (Wimbledon School of Art) and Keren Craig (Brighton Art College) who combined their degrees of Costume Design and Print and Embroidery Design to produce what has to be one of the most beautiful design houses I've ever seen. Their evening wear shows influences from both vintage and Asian cultures and has an element of drama and eccentricity held in the confident structure of the dresses.


Regularly showcased on the red carpet, stars such as Halle Berry and Rhianna have been wearing some of the English duo's collection - showing off its sophistication and elegance.

A favourite collection of mine is the Spring 2011 collection. The clear Asian influences in this collection lead to structural masterpieces. The folds in the dresses add to the drama of the overall look and the variety of shapes showed in this collection show the designers' skill and diversity.

The Fall 2011 collection is a taster of some of Georgina and Keren's finest organza work - the theatrical element to their collection shines through in their minimalistic colours brought to life through the experimental structure of the pieces. These dramatic pieces are contrasted with the other simplified designs with a variety of textures. The range of textures they create with the same fabric is jaw dropping.

Marchesa has its 2012 collections, Bridal Wear and Resort collections also available but, for now, I think the Spring and Fall 2011 collections are enough to digest. Their use of fabric, shape and drama is absolutely stunning and Marchesa will always remain one of my all time favourite luxury brands. If you want to see more of their designs before I blog about them next, check out www.marchesa.com

They are definately worth keeping an eye on and will be forever featuring on the red carpet. If I could work at one design house, Marchesa would definately be it.

X Factor Contestants

With the X Factor Live Shows fast approaching, all eyes will be on the contestants' fashion. Last year, contestant fashion was highly criticised with contestants like Cher Lloyd and Katie Waissel pushing the boundaries of style.

Because the acts now have a stylist, and do not choose their own clothes, the main thing is that the personality of the individual shines through. So far, my ones to watch are:

Amelia Lily - her rock-chic-goes-glam style is one to keep! The combination of textures and use of accessories is very individual and the new take on Michael Jackson's one glove reflects her singing style - putting a new twist on the old classics.

Misha B - love it or hate it, you have to admit that Misha's experimental use of clothes adds to her whole image. She's got a big personality and a big voice so she needs big, statement clothes to go with it.

Rhythmix - their individual, fresh style adds to the quirkiness of the band and completes their image perfectly. Each member has their own distinct style but when combined, the band as a whole sends out a positive message to viewers - they're not your average girlband...watch out!


Frankie Cocozza - his Indie style complements his voice and overall image. As Gary said, he hasnt got the strongest voice out of them all, so his image is even more important and, so far, he has dressed like a new upcoming popstar!



Nu Vibe - they definately know how to 'dress to please'! Their fashion sense adds to their modern boyband image and completes their look perfectly and will send the girls crazy!


Hopefully, the new stylists will allow the contestants to keep their individuality. Can't wait to see what the Live Show Fashion will have to offer.

Designer to watch out for...

This week, I'm loving the designer Alexis Mabille! He's a French designer who worked at Dior, alongside John Galliano, for 9 years. Mabille began his own line in 2005 and since then has burst onto the fashion scene creating a new look for old fashioned minimalism.

The combination of fitted bodices, slim waistlines and floaty skirts creates a flattering silhouette and the flower and bow details make up for the lack of colour.

This is possibly the most inspiring minimalism I've seen since Dior's New Look and I will definately be keeping an eye out for Mabille in the future!