Doves and Daggers Magazine by Jessica Duke

Issue 5

DOVES & DAGGERS

New Big Prinz

A Fashion and Textile Magazine for the Post Monotonous Blues

Left Top : Geraldine O’Mofia Jewelled Jacket : Vintage Right Playsuit : Geraldine O’Mofia BA Fashion Design, Southampton Solent University

Get embroidered Photography by Jessica Duke

This Page:, Dress, Geraldine O’Mofia Opposite Page, Playsuit, Geraldine O’Mofia Jumpsuit, Geraldine O’Mofia BA Fashion Design, Southampton Solent University

GOLDEN Girl

Meet designer Charlotte Lucy Barry the girl who’s taking surface design to a whole new level.

think the design team here is amazing, they make the job not seem like work!”

pcoming designer Charlotte Lucy Barry is not one to compromise as she strives to make it in the fashion industry. With such raw talent and an adoringly innocent attitude, Charlotte’s down to earth personality is increasingly evident despite her rocketing status as a designer. She beams from ear to ear when she talks about her new job as Textile and Print designer for Vivenne Westwood, a much sought after position. “I have the opportunity to work on such a broad range of articles, which is something I really enjoy. It means that on the runway shows there are always bits and pieces of my work. It is rewarding!” she continues. “That is a great part of my job, feeling like my work is actually going somewhere! I

Charlotte possesses a quiet confidence that projects her way above her 24 years. 5

With her shimmering auburn hair and polished pale skin, she’s the epitome of sophistication. It’s evident she’s not fame hungry, and is devoid of any sign that her increasing popularity has gone to her head.

collar.” This is hard to believe seeing as the finished result was a mouth-watering textile extravaganza that would not look out of place in a high-end designer showroom. It’s unbelievable to think the embroidery of one dress in her six-piece collection took around 350 hours.

Overwhelmed by the incredible success of her A/W 2011 collection, the LCF graduate was shocked when she subsequently, but not surprisingly, won the Barnett Lawson Trimmings Award. “I didn’t realise I had won until I was pushed onto the runway. I didn’t feel anything until that night and it all washed over me,” she explains. “It was incredible.” Her graduate collection was a vision of intensity; combining intricate hand embellishment with an opulent and rich mustard-gold colour palette. “I took my inspiration from Pompeii and Herculaneum, and spent a lot of time researching all aspects of these cities, their destruction, and what was left behind.” A collection of “perfect ruin,” she elaborates, “it’s all about turning the wearer into some kind of preserved ancient being, all the dresses are heavy and boxy; they make you stand tall.”

Charlotte is not afraid to be bold when it comes to her work. Balancing traditional techniques with innovative new ones, she is a maze of possibility – constantly pushing herself to explore and develop new ideas “I look to the old techniques, the old machinery, work with my hands, but what is to stop me quilting leather and laser cutting a design onto it? Weaving polyester ribbons with cotton cording and sublimation printing all over it?” She continues: “It‘s good to be a little fearless with such things. I am not afraid of destruction. Bleach it! Pull out the weft! What is the worst that could happen?” This bold attitude towards her work is admirable, yet she admits her skills are never complete

The preparation and process of creating this enchanting collection was not an easy feat: “The pattern cutting was a long process. I had never made a coat before! I had no idea how to change the depth of a 6

and she is constantly learning. A quietly captivating woman from a small seaside town, Charlotte oozes a charismatic charm that compliments a sense of her intelligence and maturity. Unmistakably well rounded, it’s no wonder she would have studied Classics if she hadn’t taken to fashion. “I quite liked the idea of being a museum curator,” she admits.

fashion and Charlotte is not one to disagree with the importance this development “New techniques and technologies are being developed all the time that update the way fashion works. When digital print started to become prevalent, it was exciting and innovative.” She elaborates: “With textiles, amazing new ideas can bring tradition to the forefront, making it new again. I think great embroidery and prints, especially when used together, are so important these days in terms of branding and creating that signature look.” So where can this bright young woman see textiles progressing in the future? “I can see a slight rebellion against the instancy of digital print - the market has become so saturated with them, labels have already moved on to complicated embroideries and weaves as a new means of textiles in fashion. I think weave is going to become a huge deal.”

“Studying at LCF was a completely life changing situation for me. I moved to Hackney when I was still 17, ready to start college. I had to grow up quickly, and learn to be strong.” She continues: “Strong as a person, and strong in my work.” Embroidery and print is becoming an integral part of the way we see and interpret

Charlotte’s positive attitude will no doubt aid her in any future endeavours and she continues to be optimistic about her prospects. So what’s next? “I have lots of plans, maybe a Masters, maybe a collaboration, maybe my own line straight off - I keep all my thoughts written down. Anything is possible. I would want to do everything to the best level that I can.”

Photography by James Finnigan, London College of Fashion Catwalk Show

Swinging â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ell

Photography by Jessica Duke

Let loose with embroidery. Become fierce and accepting of a new experimental age. Intricate and Eccentric detail. Explore your inner vibrancy and open your eyes to a world of colour and textural complexity.

This Page:, Top, Geraldine Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Mofia Leggings Topshop Jewelled Jacket, Vintage BA Fashion Design, Southampton Solent University

Home About Contact Links Blogroll

Textural complexity versus computer aided design Have you ever seen a collection that is so exquisite it never leaves your mind? That flows and speaks to you in every possible way? Zoe Sterling is one of those designers whose pieces are so incredibly eye catching and mouth watering for any textiles or embroidery enthusiast, it would be a crime not to have seen her work. A Textile’s designer by trade, her work evokes an uplifting and energetic style that depicts an acute awareness of colour and aesthetics. Her graduate collection ‘Jamaican me crazy’ was a masterpiece in itself and sequined perfection at its finest. Taking inspiration from all aspects of global cultures, both old and new, Sterling successfully communicated a passionate and liberating collection that was full of heavily exuberant and embellished textile materials. Every piece was delicately adorned with the most impressive manipulations, from heat pressing fabrics to disperse dying sequin encrusted hand made balls. The surface textiles that Sterling created looked more like works of art rather than wearable fashion attire and the impact of each piece was extraordinary. Sterling’s desire to contrast and create mesmerizingly colourful and intrinsic designs resulted in an impeccable array of stunningly bedazzled garments. Her engaging and inspirationally vibrant collection oozed an innate artistic flair I have yet to find in any other designer. If a little unconventional, her style is reflective of her strong attention to detail and decoration, and the meaning behind each and every piece of her work adds a subtle significance that propels it into the more tactile and enticing world of textile design. Contradicting urban aesthetics and reversing the constraints of gender, the collection portrays a wonderful textural complexity and is devoid of any sign that it should be toned down. Enveloping colour popping adornments with modest pastel hue’s means this bright and bubbly collection successfully communicates an individual artistic aesthetic, representing textiles in an extravagant new way. On the other hand, surface designer Stephanie Ghoussain concentrates on the communication of her work through the use of digitally printed textiles. Her mix of strong, bold imagery and eclectic colour combinations provide us with an insight into the possibilities of computerised design. Her graduate collection, inspired by aspects of Orientalism, showcases a unique representation of ethnic identities through a lens of displaced and dislocated prints. A culmination of exaggerated proportions, Ghoussain successfully manipulates and distorts the interpretation of reality and the perception of foreign landscapes through her oversized silhouettes and layered printed fabrics. Challenging ideological colonisation, the collection focuses on rebelling against familiarity through colour, shapes and textures that tell a story. The use of computer aided deign is fast becoming a way to successfully communicate beautifully edited and strong imagery for print however manipulating textiles is one way we can continue to really experiment and look at different ways to engage and communicate ideas. Whether felting and embellishing, working into fabrics and dying over them, bleaching with embroidery or layering and fusing, it shows a progression both culturally and socially and makes people aware that the possibilities of fabric are endless. With S/S 2015 next on the cards, I’m sure we’ll see a strong ecological focus and a more structured use of textiles and its manipulation - the importance of which will be paramount to an anticipating fashion audience. However, as brilliant as the advances in technology are becoming, I really hope we don’t lose textural complexity to a world of technology aided design but rather move forward to combine the two!

Designers Exhibitions Fashion Blog Archive September October November