New Designers: The Body in Motion

The Business Design Centre in London Islington began showcasing the UK’s pioneering designers in the Eighties. Year after year, New Designers has been a hit with peers and creative industry insiders who come and examine the latest designs. The anticipation of New Designers 30^th anniversary in 2015 raised the stakes even higher. Across the impressive open space of the Business Design Centre, New Designers exhibits creative students’ final work. Of course everyone can see everyone’s work; it produces a combination of anxiety, fascination, but also excitement and relief that all the hard work has paid off and graduation is a done thing.


Some students presented on the back of Graduate Fashion Week, which was only a few weeks prior. Some visitors, like me, were lucky enough to get a second taste. In the penultimate week of June, New Designers Part 1 presents the fashion, textiles, costume, ceramics and jewelry design forerunners for tomorrow. The most talented design students presented could be seen to join the world’s most prestigious labels – Prada and Paco Robane were a few that came to mind today.

Oliver Thomas Lipp is a strong Textiles BA graduate from UAL’s Central Saint Martin’s; a man in a crowd of mostly female graduates. For his final project he investigated the structure of skin and hair, reinstating ‘couture’ through a simple yet powerful idea. Originally focusing on concept, he leaves behind issues such as colour and trend. Allowing this approach to reach its outcome resulted in aesthetically rich textiles. Flattening hamma beads with an iron, he threads them through by hand using different yarns, ranging from lurex to eyelash yarn on the swatches he demonstrated here. The result? A re-creation of the flexibility an elasticity of human skin and the regularity of hair. Lipp explains: ‘I have been inspired by folds in the skin, hair follicles and cells, investigating the way in which these textures move and interact alongside the body’. He also mentions how much he enjoyed in his work a tactile treatment of textiles, creating in essence a physical connection between textile designer and wearer. Who would not like to feel those plastic beads and soft yarn on their skin? Visually, the designs look graceful and lightweight. They also feel luxurious to the touch; couture finishes of true elegance.


In January 2014, Viktor & Rolf presented a modelcovered solely by body paint for their surprise fragrance launch. Viktor Horsting commented: “we liked that her skin was becoming clothing in a way. She’s nude but she’s not. She’s dressed in paint. Her skin becomes like a garment. It was a [conceptual] way of saying that perfume could be worn like a garment.” Lipp’s approach presents an extension of this idea for the luxury market; he channels the skin as a form of attire.

Alternative use of yarns was popular this year. Becky Jones, a graduate from Falmouth University, has also examined yarn with relation to the body. She explored transgender connections and the relationship between femininity and masculinity; the essence of what makes us who we are. She used hand woven textiles experimenting with yarns unusual for menswear, fusing mixed media detailing to emphasise a complex texture. Jones’ work lies akin to high-end fashion due to the lightness of her pieces. Her collection is elaborate and detailed, but not overly so.  What we remember from her work are the two opposing techniques, juxtaposed to highlight the overlapping relationship between man and woman. The use of subtle metallic textures in combination with her fancy yarns should prove popular.

Sam Gilbert, a 3-D Design and Craft student from Brighton, examines structure within the body by examining the functionality of human skin. Rigid metal structures or “diagrammatic body implements” replicate in simplified form, bodily structures and movements. Rubber connects metal pieces to one another. A lot of rubber in fact! Its function is to act as an allusion to our ligaments, tendons, muscles and bones that work closely with one another; a wrath of structure intertwined. Sam Gilbert’s admiration for the human body is clear. He explains: “we have so many kinetic motions within our bodies that we cannot see. I have translated a collection of muscle movements from around the body in a simplified diagrammatic structure and turned them into exterior wearable objects”. We are drawn to the closeness between Gilbert’s work and leather artisan Una Burke, who creates armour-like clothing and accessories to emphasise the human body and its wondrous structure.

The part of the show dedicated to jewellery and ceramics showcased the work of Alexandra Von Trapp, a jewellery designer from Edinburgh College of Art. She presented a complete deconstruction of the human body. Looking to human bones for inspiration, Von Trapp produces intricate, wearable metal pieces. She draws from memory, not from stills; her sketches are a bridge between mind and yield. Her work must be examined from the designer’s own perspective on the human form, since these sketches emerge with her imagination and memory, rather than a tangible source.  Her work is therefore organic and subjective: we examine Von Trapp’s perception of human bones, rather than the thing itself. Her metal necklaces look like water frozen mid-air; an organic feature that harmonises the elements of the earth with the body. She further uses natural products like horse hair, to arch the space between earrings. This replicates the shape of the jawline in an understated manner, creating a connection between man and animal. Von Trapp reminds us that we are all part of the same world.

Bath Spa University boasted a wealth of graduates who demonstrate immense creativity. The most striking was Textile Design for Fashion & Interiors BA graduate Tanya Fryer. Fryer looks to her physical surroundings to produce wall hangings, such as turning an outdoor view into an indoor one.  Tanya Fryer has travelled around Europe, searching for inspiration in architecture, only to return to the UK and settle on a landscape of London for her final pieces. Her strong, block colours recreate in negative the open spaces of the skyline. Through layering with mixed media print, she demonstrates the distances between people and the buildings that surround them. In her sketchbook, she incorporates graphics onto sketches for further inspiration; Tanya’s urban surroundings inspire her.


Many of the New Designers 2015 graduates found inspiration in the human experience. They look to the human form for inspiration, pulling apart and deconstructing the essence of who we are. Some took this more literally than others, examining skin, bones, muscles and hair, whilst questioning humanity through design. Others looked to our surroundings and culture with a similar aim and equally powerful results. The waiting game begins as we wait to discover what the next cohort of New Designers can bring.


This review was published on Modeconnect.

A Zest for St Tropez

I don’t really have patience or time for fake tan. 

Ok, that’s a complete lie. The minute I have an impromptu invite to a party or event I immediately panic about how pale I look and decide I need to look not Caucasian, immediately. 

Normally, my paleness does not bother me that much at all. But in these moments of panic, inevitably, utter disaster ensues. Is orange really the new black when it comes to cheap, wash-off tanning products?

In short, the answer is yes. Wash-off tanning products never give you that sun-kissed glow you crave. The (inevitable and ongoing) financial restrictions any recent graduate suffers also leave you with little option but to look akin to Susanna Reid on an off-white day. No money + wash off product  = streaky bacon.

(N.B. Avoid, avoid, avoid: most Ambre Solaire, any tanning products Tesco branded, and the worst -  Fake Bake.)

St Tropez are not renowned for being inexpensive; especially when they market ‘tan-enhancing’ moisturisers and ‘tan-optimizer’ shower creams to go alongside your actual tanning products, leaving you to potentially cough up around £50 in total (depending on what degree of bronze goddess you desire). Enter their brand-spanking new formula: St Tropez In-Shower Tanning Lotion. This product had an introductory price of £9.67. Of course, one races to Debenhams, House of Frasers and Boots to find any left in stock…

The only add-on product you really need for this is a pair of exfoliating gloves, which you should have anyway – a regular exfoliation of the skin helps reduce cellulite and cleanse away dead skin cells – and, of course, a shower.

So you’re in the shower, and, after exfoliating, you turn the shower off and lather this sweet-smelling product on every inch of your skin and leave for three minutes, as advised.

One thing you don't realise when reading the instructions - is what the hell do you do for those three minutes?! Various options, I suppose: clean bathroom/comb conditioner through hair/ brush teeth/apply face mask. Naked and covered in product, naturally. 

So, when it comes to rinsing, really really rinse this product off, especially your neck and feet. The first time I used in-shower St Tropes, I did not wash it properly off my neck and it did leave a nasty residue, although nothing quite like my senior school fake bake disaster circa 2007 (shudder).

Results:

The product promises to give you a gradual tan in three minutes. Of course, if you require instantaneous brownness it won’t help much; you can only really notice an application after 3-4 gos. 

Initially I didn’t think this product would help me with my impatience attitude towards looking brown – and don’t get me wrong, after just one try you won’t see much difference. But once you realise just how beautiful this tan comes through you will slow down and give gradual tan a try. Evenness, and not a hint of orange. And best of all…no streaks! No brown sheets! No brown water in the shower! A truly tan-tastic product. Why hasn’t any one else thought of an in-shower formulation!? 

I have to say that I actually do look rather sun-kissed. No-one except you and I needs to know that I've been stuck in a grey-skied London since starting to use the product three weeks ago. ;)

University Central Mexico for Graduate Fashion Week 2015

On it’s final day, in a grey-skied London GFW 2015 was immensely excited to welcome University Central Mexico, presenting designs from Textile and Fashion Program for the first time.
This prestigious school was the only international institution to present individually at GFW 2015. One of these scholars, we are informed, may be selected to showcase in London Fashion Week – an exciting prospect for any young fashion opportunist. The school has an excellent reputation, having bestowed students’ thesis projects in Mexico Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week for many years.
This year, fashion apostle Palo Rosa presented designs that juxtaposed the concept of nuns with seductiveness – an innovative start.

Wide, A-line tulip shapes flowed creating immense and sweeping silhouettes; yet the cotton made it light and unfussy. Her use of colours was limited; mostly white and beige, allowing the audience focus on classic simplicity, and unnecessary fussiness. These pieces were carefully embroided using the traditional cross-stitching, layered with a much more translucent, sheen layer of organza. The two concepts, not typically associated, were ultimately presented as fashion forward.
“The Mistake” was the name for Paula Grieve Torres’ collection. She explains that her focus was on deconstructing the concept of what society sees as “looking right” – a considerable task to tackle. Thankfully, she proved herself able to do so. An unusual range of materials were used to contradict culture’s views on the mediocre ‘norms’ of today. These included mohair, wool crepe and triple organza silk. Some tight-fitting skirts became suddenly wide at the knee, and others were irregularly shaped with wide slits right up to the upper thigh.
Material was gathered at the hips with a train at the back, but shortened at the front, providing a sense of asymmetry to the whole collection.

Zips emerged from nowhere. In addition, footwear was made out of hair extensions to compliment the sense of the “accidental”. Torres’ link between concept and visuals was strong. We were confronted with unusual pieces that challenged our own sense of ordinary. This was not art to wear – instead, it was a form of contemporary art.

Overall, Velasco Gil’s “Cocaine Blues”, an appropriate referral to the late Johnny Cash, was the star of UCM’s womenswear. American cowboys inspired her pieces, but it was the unusual take on the theme that was impressive: subtly feminine, with an range of textures for different roles. Like Roa, Gil had embroidered cotton with square shapes for a mosaic like effect coupled with long fringing of a scarf-like belt, nostalgic of patterned blankets seen on cowboys’ horses backs. What could be alluded to as saddle bags were glamorous accessories on the catwalk; made of brightly coloured nylon ropes and interweaved with one another at the waist.
The material used was folded over thoughtfully, especially around the shoulders, to present a style that was not bulky but stylishly graceful, yet with clear associations to the original cowboy inspiration.

Menswear was unconventional. Students incorporated strong colours as a main function in their designs to emphasise boldness. One in particular used a latex and rubber banana yellow to catch our eye. “Neon Pipes” by Anrea Izquierdo Ruiz, was inspired by surfwear. Here, outerwear was oversized, with large cut-outs, making it quite revealing. Although these were men’s pieces, some of the detail resulted effeminately: cropped pieces that laid models’ midriffs bare and tight trousers cutting well above ankle. It reminded us of the beach in the summertime, and that surfing is a unisex sport – linking the sense of womanhood in a menswear presentation. The designer was inspired by Olympic athletes using kinesio, which refer to the use of medical tapes placed across the body to alleviate pain incurred during competitions. The element of sport was therefore clear, and strong.
All in all, University of Centro Mexico brought a strong show. Of course, it was exciting to engage with fashion from an exotic country. But more importantly, it was exciting to realize the country’s potential for good fashion through its students.

Photo credit to Mary Moir.

Sense and Sensitivity: Be Kind to Your Skin

It may or may not seem obvious to you what your skin type is – and of course, we all have our own, unique reactions to external factors.

So how can you know if your skin is sensitive? 

It's easier to find out than you think. 

By carrying out a patch test, you will be able to test whether your skin has any particular adverse reactions to products you are unfamiliar with. Using a tiny amount of on your wrist or behind your ear, leave the product on for just a few minutes. If you have a reaction to the product, such as breakouts, redness, puffiness, or a stinging, then you know that your skin is sensitive to the product and you shouldn’t use it. 

There’s research that tells us more and more of us are realising that our skin is sensitive. As a result, many will find their skin is far too delicate for some beauty products on the market. But skin shouldn’t have to suffer just because of this. 

Fortunately, the Dr Sebagh skincare range carries plenty of options look after and nourish sensitive skin. You can find your perfect exfoliator, for example, with Deep Exfoliating Mask or Deep Exfoliating Mask for Sensitive Skin. The sensitive version contains less acidic formula which means you can still exfoliate without having an unwanted reaction to the product, leaving your skin deeply cleansed and smooth.

All aforementioned products at www.drsebagh.com.