Posts Tagged ‘fashion’
It’s December! This wig shop on upper State Street in Santa Barbara caught my eye…it’s finally that time of the year!
Calling all fashion lovers (especially those who admire Icelandic design sensibility): you must have a look at this Icelandic fashion video as well:
Icelandic Fashion is Inspired by Iceland from Inspired By Iceland on Vimeo.
Envirosax, a company that creates designer reusable bags, commissioned recent design grad, Amit Ayalon to create this lush couture dress out of their collection of unique bag fabrics.
Knitted facial hair? That’s right! Keep your face toasty warm with these ingenious bearded hats by Beardhead. These funny caps come in “Viking,” “Lumberjack,” “Pirate,” and “Grandpa,” which translates to blond, brunette, black, and distinguished, respectively. You can buy add on mustaches too! How cool is that? For the ladies there’s also a pink “Bunny” version, but I prefer either Pirate or Viking myself.
You may not be familiar with her name, but you probably know her work. Some of the most iconic costumes in the Tim Burton universe, from Edward Scissorhands to Sweeny Todd, have all come from the mind and hands of Colleen Atwood. Here we’ll look at her latest Oscar winning work from the hit movie, Alice in Wonderland, including concept drawings, photos, and a video interview with the designer herself.
This unconventional line of spring couture designed by Riccardo Tisciby for Givenchy caught my eye with its Japanese-inspired design sensibility and imaginative sci-fi vibe. With elements sewn together to incorporate the classic Japanese icon of a crane paired with bold Philip Treacy headpieces that look like a cross between a samurai helmet and something out of Star Wars, these dresses manage to look both techie and classically traditional at the same time. 
Hollywood sparkled last night with glamour and glitz as celebrities came out for the 83rd annual Academy Awards. Our absolute favorite “Style Vixen” of the night was Gwyneth Paltrow, dressed in a sleek and shimmery Calvin Klein gown that evoked a hint of sci-fi glam and Cleopatra styling.
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Looking like something straight out of an sci-fi story, these wild shoes by designer Edmundo Castillo light up with the push of a button, and can even be set to flash on and off as well! Castillo is said to have been thinking of the movie Tron: Legacy when creating these wedge sandals, which are made with the same type of lights as the movie’s costumes. To recharge these party shoes there’s a USB plug in the heel, guaranteeing hours of illuminated strutting.
Gwen van den Eijnde is a genius costume designer whose intricately designed garments reflect his immeasurable creative capacity. His costumes evoke a charming spirit of dark romanticism that borders on the bizarre, while remaining gracefully enchanting and ever-innovative. Gwen’s costumes all have a unique contemporary twist that juxtaposes classically-inspired touches like crowns made from wooden piano keys, and abundant Renaissance period embellishments.
Through precise attention to detail, including make-up and styling, Gwen’s costumes seem to take on theatrical lives of their own—a sheer reflection of his talent. Culture Vixen’s Gayle Wheatley had a chance to chat with Gwen about his art:
Gayle: Where do you find inspiration for your costumes?
Gwen: The inspiration for my costumes mixes historical and contemporary. I’m using forms and elements especially from the baroque times and I try to interpret them in a modern way. I’m also very inspired by costume in films: I grew up watching Peter Greenaway’s movies and Jacques Demy’s film “Donkey Skin.”
Gayle: What first drew you to costume design, and how did you get your start?
Gwen: I started to make costumes when I was still a student in Strasbourg at the Ecole des Arts Décoratifs (2000-2005). Originally I wanted to be an illustrator and I also studied Animated Cinema. By means of my costumes I create characters that I bring to life by turning into fantasy beings during performances.
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Charlotte Hudders is a talented fashion designer who creates not only visually inventive designs, but exciting costumes as well. Hailing from the UK, Charlotte also spends time abroad in Bali drawing inspiration for her designs. The way she translates her ideas into illustrations and watercolors before ultimately transforming those into fabric is fascinating to observe. Culture Vixen had the chance to talk in depth with Charlotte about her work.
Gayle Wheatley (GW): How did you decide to pursue design and how did you get started as a designer?
Charlotte Hudders (CH): I was always very passionate about art and design at school. My parents encouraged my brothers and I to be creative. My mum is an artist and trained as a dressmaker. She would make us wonderful outfits and costumes growing up. I think that is probably where my passion for fashion and costumes began!
After leaving school I studied art foundation for a year before going on to study theater and performance design at Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.
Although I was drawn to studying fashion and textiles, I still wanted to expand my knowledge in other areas of design. The course enabled me to explore a range of different design opportunities: costume, fashion, set design, and prop making. Being able to learn these different disciplines has really enabled me to push the boundaries of fashion and costume design by using unconventional techniques and materials.
GW: What is the craziest costume you’ve ever designed?
CH: I love designing costumes that incorporate prop making into them. I designed a costume based on the character ‘Silky’ from the Enid Blyton book The Magical Faraway Tree where the theme was to design it as though Terry Gilliam directed the screen version. Instead of having beautiful silky hair like the story suggests, the costume depicted a much darker side to Silky’s nature. Her skirt suggests that she has come out of a cocoon and that she was originally a silk worm! The organic nature of her costume reflects her natural environment, dried out cabbages are sewn into the corset with elements of hand painting and burnt out organza (pictured below).
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