To all my femme fatales who still refuse to don a pair of skate shoes, as if the safari print weren’t enough, please will you reconsider when you slip on a pair of the cutest sneakers collabs of the millennium?
Via Vans Girls Blog
It’s almost here, the Vans X Hello Kitty shoes are coming to stores next month, June 2011! I can’t wait to get my hands on those Sk8 Hi D-Lo’s. The checkerboard slip-ons are also Vans classic with a Sanrio twist. Are you excited for the collab? How will you wear them? Check out all of the style that will be available in Women’s sizes above, and Kid’s sizes below. (Via Vans Girls Blog)
Via Vans girls Blog
I wonder how many ladies will swap their heels, and high tops for skate shoes once they feast their eyes on this dainty collab?
Last month I stumbled upon a Grime obsessed designer and intellectual by the name of Kara Messina. I was scrolling through my twitter and read a retweet with a link to an article about a designer who was currently working on a menswear collection to be launched on 280411. I started following both Y’OH and Kara after reading an interview which housed this image on March 18th. After various twitter exchanges on the beauty of Air Max 1s, I learnt that Kara Messina was a accomplished pattern cutter who worked in high fashion for 6 years, with a background working for award winning footwear designer John Richmond, as well as pattern-cutting for designer labels Basso & Brooke and Aquascutum.
Her skills as a pattern cutter allowed her to cut the collection herself so even the fit of the garments aren’t stereotypical to what’s around at the moment. She describes the silhouette as having a 90s feel to it “No skinny looks, Big Up oversize!”.
For Y’OH I’ve NOT used any checked fabric. There’s no point in rehashing another version of something that is already great as it is. Instead I’ve selected an existing cloth that has the potential to function as a “new classic”. Yeah it’s bold so I’m expecting some people might find it objectionable (hence the collection title) but it’s also a very beautiful fabric so if men can appreciate that, it can’t fail. What makes it so original is the context in which it is presented, which is streetwear.
So this is a designer who understands that it’s better to find your own niche rather than jump on to something that’s already been accomplished, similar to Missoni and their signature knitwear, Levi’s emphasis on denim, Nike’s emphasis on sport shoes. All brands just mentioned all respect their specialities, all have their signature ‘stock’ products which almost never change, whilst they may introduce a product to the market or reproduce a product under their brand, the question is: What gap is Kara going to fill, with no press shots of the collection, everything is pretty much a mystery unless you’re apart of her inner circle of creatives, family, friends, collaborators, and creatives.
Cut in three colours, one of which is printed fabric
Y’OH will consist of outerwear, shirts and non-jersey tshirts. The context of the printed fabric used in the collection is set to blow your minds. Inspired by comparing Hip Hop to Grime; Mens transition from youth to adult; 90s Fashion; Subcultural affiliation to brands and functional performance garments. The market level is in between luxury and streetwear and will be sold on the online Y’OH store. The collection itself intrigues me because Hip Hop and Grime are basically the father and son when it comes to Culture and Sub Culture. Also many of the grime kids go on to become pop stars on music that is much slower in pace and closer to Hip Hop. Whether this transition is so one can tap into the global phenomenon of it’s father or artists leave grime behind because they don’t believe in its commercial viability is unknown but when mentioning Hip Hop, or their progression, a whole host of these artists use the terminology ‘growth, progression, and transition’. Does this indicate that when MCs were making grime they were young, sub culture, but when they grew to adults -not indicative of age- and made Hip Hop, father culture?
Either way, I’m intrigued to see how well Kara straddles the line between the two in order to plug the gap, and whether she answers the questions raised in the form of her collection ‘Heads Ain’t Ready’.
The concept for the first collection “Heads Ain’t Ready” came about though contemplating the popularity of the checked shirt. The much-loved garment that is timeless and unrestricted in that it crosses over into different generations and subcultures (Hip Hop, Skaters…) The checked shirt is considered such a classic, that regardless of the number of colours, wearing it is almost like wearing black. It performs in the same way that it pretty much goes well with everything. Camouflage print also functions in the same way.
Judging by this in depth and revealing interview with Full Frontal Fashion, Kara seems to aiming to take something that is already a classic garment and innovate in a contemporary forward thinking context. Kara knows that trend cycles come around every so often, but iconic designs such as the checkered shirt shall forever remain -most notably the Burberry print which has lasted several generations and still remains a staple house in chequered shirt design, or its lesser known but cult rival, the Aquascutum print, or even the Lumberjack checkered designs and those by Pringle (Argyle) to an extent.
My interpretation of Kara’s collection would be what Ralph Lauren did ,in the early ’90s, with the Oxford (candy) Striped shirt. The Oxford shirt rivalled that of Burberry’s iconic check which was created in the 1920s, first used as a lining in it’s military trench coats. After Polo dropped the ‘candy stripes’, Ben Sherman resurfaced out of nowhere to become the brand of choice after RL and Burberry for a checkered -oxford style shirt.
Shirt Fusing: 1 is the top collar, 1 is the underneath collar (a little smaller), 1 is the collar stand
The more interviews I read was the more the anticipation for the collection grew, I began to realise that Y’OH is more than a street label, it’s more than clothes, cuts, garments, and image. Y’OH is a philosophy of contemporary sartorialism, it’s not just about the aesthetics of an item, but whether its ergonomics are conducive to both user and lifestyle. Not only was Kara research trends, styles, cuts of clothes but she was going further afield by delving into cultural anthropology, semiology and semantic, social studies, esoterica and attending the free afternoon lectures at the LSE to see if there was anything she could apply for her craft.
I’m also a fan of the free lectures at the London School of Economics. My job is to find out what is missing and provide it. I am at an age where I don’t strive to be unique — or, to be more specific, to go out of my way to be different.
It was here that I began to respect Kara rather than just admire her for being an accomplished pattern cutter who was in the process of creating her very first solo collection which she had conceptualised, illustrated, designed and cut herself rather than outsource the work to outsiders, it’s a purely individual effort. Y’OH to me already signifies individualism and style before fashion, and the more importantly a lifestyle because Kara is at the helm of all activity and decision making, working to her strengths and showing strengths in outsourcing the sewing and assembling of the garments to local factories. it’s at this point, before anything has been seen that you respect Kara for supporting her local factory rather than taking the cheaper, less hands on approach and sending it to some sweatshop in a third world country. I’d support the brand purely on the basis that she cares enough for her local economy and the quality of her garments, as well as making the garments ready to order to make sure all items are fresh rather than piled up in an asbestos riddled attic being eaten by dust mites.
I see my work as providing a service, especially being a young female designing menswear. I am very careful to be thorough in my research. Hence images alone won’t suffice, and I spend a large proportion of my time reading cultural textbooks on subjects from music to advertising through to religion.
This is the front of a shirt (pattern) before it gets cut out & sewn up
I support what Kara is doing because she’s immersed herself in a subculture that people often forget and leave behind when they progress into the charts. For me, this is not just clothes, it’s the resurgence of a culture, a rebirth of something which formed an integral part of my life as well as many others. This is the rebirth of that which, had I not had it whilst growing up, I would never have learnt some of the most valuable lessons, and I would never have had a creative outlet for all of my teenage angst, and adolescent rage. Had it not been for Grime, I would never of had a dream, I would never of had something to keep me on the straight and narrow because of my firm belief in turning a negative circumstance into something positive. Besides, the emphasis of the collection is transition, and Kara seems to be attempting to cater for the gap in between boys to men -a demorgraphic which grime caters to because of its unadulterated energy. Maybe Kara is saying that Grime is not just for one particular demographic with this new collection she has made the choice to build her foundation in the gap between the childs innocence of eye, Grime, and its much worldly ancestor, Hip Hop.
Will the Y’OH collection be the catalyst of change, if Kara has immersed herself in the Grime subculture will she become the Dame Vivienne Westwood of our beloved culture, will this encourage other creatives as well as those who have already been a part of the culture, in some shape or form, to take more of an active roll in pushing it forward?
I don’t have the answers, I doubt she has either, but I believe that the stars only align themselves once so if your in the London area on 280411 make your way down to Pure Evil Gallery in Shoreditch and see for yourself.
Here’s a lil teaser… I was thinking the same when I saw this it was cleverly put together by Beatrice Alessio
Stayed tuned because now I’ve dealt with the culture’s Vivienne Westwood in a part 1/2 feature, I will do a spread on Grime’s Annie Leibovitz in the near future…
“The exhibition features the work of those artists, writers and musicians who acknowledge the need to reach a heightened or ‘altered state’ in order to create their work. We are concerned with the mystery of the creative act. Not the inexplicable ’spark’, aka inspiration, but the fire; the non-doing before the doing, the summoning up of elemental spirits from within, or without, during the preparation of some visual or musical work, some theory or idea. This welling-up or ‘possession’, this ‘fever in the heart of man’, this spirit, this spell, might sometimes be referred to as Voodoo.”
The Eye
“When slaves from West Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, the Ivory Coast and the Gambia were taken by Europeans to the West Indies, many were destined for Haiti (Hispaniola). As they mingled on the tiny island, no groups’ influence was greater than that of the Yoruba and Fon people who ruled the huge kingdom of Dahomey which sprawled across most of the countries today known as Benin, Togo and Nigeria. The majority of the Haitian slaves were taken from Dahomey.
Embroidery and Acrylic on US Army Marpat (Marine Pattern) Rucksack Recycled to Pyramid / 46 x 36 x 33cm.
“The core function of Vodoun – the Fon-Ewe word for spirit – is to attempt to explain the forces of the universe, influence those forces, and thereby influence human behaviour. Permitted by Haiti’s 1987 constitution, books and films published in that country have sensationalized the practice as black magic based on animal and human sacrifices. Today in West Africa, the religion is estimated to be practised by over 30 million people. Vodoun became the official religion of Benin in 1996.”
A majority of people fail to understand that monotheism such as Christianity and Islam were not the original religious practices of our ancestors, if like me you are of afro-caribbean decent, they were enforced through crusades, invasions and slavery. Spiritualism in West Africa is as diverse and popular as it was pre slavery. People often practice both belief systems side by side as they do in Brazil with Candomblé.
“Candomblé, Umbanda, Batuque, Xango, and Tambor de Mina, were originally brought by black slaves shipped from Africa to Brazil. These black slaves would summon their gods, called Orixas, Voduns or Inkices with chants and dances they had brought from Africa. These cults were persecuted throughout most of Brazilian history, largely because they were believed to be pagan or evensatanic. However, the Brazilian republican government legalized all of them on the grounds of the necessary separation between the State and the Church in 1889.
In current practice, Umbanda followers leave offerings of food, candles and flowers in public places for the spirits. Candomblé terreiros are more hidden from general view, except in famous festivals such as Iyemanja Festival and the Waters of Oxala in the Northeast.
From Bahia northwards there are different practices such as Catimbo, Jurema with heavy Indigenous elements. All over the country, but mainly in the Amazon rainforest, there are many Indians still practicing their original traditions. Many of their beliefs and use of naturally occurring plant derivatives are incorporated into African, Spirtitualists and folk religion.”
I’ve witnessed this first hand upon my travels into West Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean. Our perception to religion and spiritualism, collectively throughout society, is very elitist, ignorant and snobbish. When you travel further outside of the western culture you begin to witness spiritualism as a way of life, there’s no line between the two, it’s a totally different set of guidelines, there’s no co existing either, it’s servitude to the most high and the divine spirits throughout the cosmos which grants some explanation to someones existence…
Maybe it’s time to reconnect with the spiritual practices of our ancestors.
My views aside, I just wanted to share this rucksack with you and the conception behind the idea. If you are interested in reading up on the exhibition, artwork, designers, and history behind the concept, click here.
A majority of people may associate Black Milk with the rapper but the style conscious among you will associate Black Milk with clothes. Black Milk is a rebel brand run by an innovative designer who had a vision to create something Foxy for women which had that WOW factor. If I was a lady there’s so many styles I’d wear from Black Milk’s collection, especially the cape!!!
“At the beginning of 2009 I walked into a little sewing shop and bought two shiny new sewing machines. It was a slightly unusual sight – a shop full of older women making patchwork quilts for their grandkids… and me. I didn’t mind. It seemed very punk at the time. My idea was fairly simple – I would teach myself to sew, buy some beautiful stretch fabrics, and make insane leggings. Then I would find girls who would get into them. Girls who wanted leggings that could pack a little more punch than the ones on offer at your average department store. I made the leggings, found the girls, and so was born Black Milk.”
“Things were slow initially, but the girls who bought the leggings were always really positive, which was super-encouraging for me in the early days. The turning point came when I decided that I was going to figure out a way to wrap chains around a pair of leggings. It took me a week of drawing, sketching, scheming and failing before I finally figured out how to do it. I called them Cages, and they were a minor cult hit. From that time on, so many girls were ordering Black Milk gear that it became a full time job.”
“We’ve come a long way since those early days sewing leggings at midnight on the kitchen table. We’ve sold thousands of pairs of leggings all over the world. We’ve been featured in numerous magazines, newspapers and blogs from the local paper to Vogue. Best of all, Black Milk has now got score a reputation as one of the most exciting designer leggings labels in the world. But a lot is still the same. I still stay up to midnight sewing. I still personally design each piece. I still get a buzz every time a girl emails me a picture and tells me how many people commented when she wore out her Black Milk leggings.”
This is not a silly excuse to post pictures of beautiful women in leggings, I’ve been a fan from afar for the past year or so. Now that I have the outlet to let everyone know about the company, I’ve decided that it’s the right time for my readers, who hadn’t known about Black Milk previously, to become enlightened.
Personal Fave
A FUCKING CAPE TOO!!!
These are fly
Fucking Sick!!!
Very Deceptive
Black Milk, Up In The Ear salute you for being a creatively innovative self taught rebel with a vision. May you have lifetimes of prosperous creation, and if you ever need a place to showcase your new designs, holla at moi and I’ll be honoured to post something for y’all!!!
I’m a serial Tumblr, I practically scourer the sight when I am idle for inspiration, and also to admire the beautiful art, literature and sounds I find featured on my timeline.
Whilst working on my dissertation at the library I discovered some artwork by an artist called Takun “Techno Drome 1″ Williams.
Manson 3
Breakfast Club
BoB-Ombs
Batgirl
Lt Aldo Rain
Decoded
I think this artist is bonkers, and if I could find his contact details, I would like him to do some work for me in the near future. This images which feature on here are just the tip of the iceberg, there’s about 175 pages of his own artwork, which are all available to purchase as prints.
My saturday morning started with an odd encounter, on the top floor of a well known high street retailer on Brompton Road, I met Maddie Knight who owns a clothing company called Daisy Chain with partner Shane Dowd. Here’s the company description and mission statement I stole from the Daisy Chain Facebook Page:
“Daisy Chain is a T-Shirt brand specialising in unique vintage inspired designs.
Our mission is to dress the world one beautiful t-shirt at a time…”
Here’s two designs that have made quite an impression on me:
The first T-shirt is a collaboration with Art Feministe.
ArtFeministe x DaisyChain: I Read The News Today
“Art Feministe brings a unique design with a high brow critique of today’s media…
Grab it today in a slim fit style, dress it with an oversize cardigan or cut to complete the look and wear on it’s own.”
The second is a collaboration with Jamille Graves:
JamilleGraves x DaisyChain: Bright Sky Night
“Jamille Graves and Daisy Chain join forces to turn a Yorkshire Garden into an extra terrestrial fashion phenom.
This richly coloured stellar tee is great worn as a statement in a plain outfit or layered up to create a unique look.”
To summarise…. Daisy Chain is a new brand set for big things with t-shirt designs fusing art and fashion to make statements.
T-Shirts start from around £15 amd there’s also an offer of 2 for £25 but ask in advance as the deal is not advertised anywhere on the storefront.
Since this is the maiden voyage of Design On Blast, I have dedicated my article to all my style and accessory heads. Not only is this designer innovative, she also has a great set of ethics, design values, and an all round positively spiritual approach to both work and life. Without further a delay, I present to you, the one, the only, Los Angeles‘ own… Melody Ehsani!
Melody Ehsani
I came across this designer by way of the highly regarded video bloggerSoleDeVida, who put Melody Ehsani on blast after purchasing a few accessories from KarmaLoop. As SoleDeVida is quite a reputable tastemaker and video blogger, I decided to do some digging until I discovered a few of her designs, and became intrigued.
“I want the women who wear my shoes to have the same opportunity for equality, wholeness, and self expression.”
Through my research I found out a few things about Melody Ehsani that I found both interesting and inspiring. Melody studied Law after finishing college but dropped out to pursue a career in design. At first she had no idea what she wanted to design but began to design a high end line of women’s shoes after an internship at Cr8tive Recreation. Rather than wait around for things to happen, Melody hopped on a plane to Hong Kong, recruiting a friend from mainland China along the way to find a manufacturer for her shoes.
“My style is inspired by paradox, controversy, justice and pushing the envelope in showing that you truly cant judge a book by its cover.”
Upon returning to the US, Melody‘s collection of shoes were an instant hit, she became hot property and soon fell into designing jewellery when a friend asked her to create a new logo. Once she discovered plastics, things took a different turn from what she anticipated because the jewellery design was exclusive to close friends whose recommendations spread to the likes of Erykah Badu amongst many other prominent figures. Melody Ehsani cites her success to something which she calls her divine blueprint, and boldly states that she is not afraid of competition because there is no other Melody Ehsani.
“I design to upset the equilibrium. I design to inspire. I design to serve. I design because I was created to do so.”
Melody Ehsani believes that through honoring her divine blueprint, she’s able to bring new patterns of behavior and equality for herself and all women in the future. In Melody‘s culture, brought up in a traditional Persian family, a woman’s value and status are determined by her marriage. it’s often a most difficult and challenging concept for many women in today’s world to accept, through design Melody believes she is helping women resolve the many paradoxes they face.
“A portion from each pair of Ehsani shoes purchased will go towards the advancement and education of women in our society.”
AirMe Swarovski Ring
I find Melody Ehsani inspiring, not only on a level of design but more the way she moves. Not only does Melody dream, but she creates more opportunities by taking action and allowing what is first in her imagination, to then onto paper before materialising through action into products. It’s a great example of why one should act upon ones dreams rather than sitting by the wishing well because with each bit of energy put into making a dream a reality, more opportunities arise for you to capitalise off of your dream, or as Melody would say “Divine Blueprint.”
“Anyone who loves accessories will love Ehsani because her designs are amazing…”
That’s what my dear friend said after I told her about my discovery, to reaffirm my intuition, so I suggest you give her sight a peek.
