Solve Sundsbo

In case I haven't mentioned it or emphasized it, photography is one of my biggest passions in life. However, I am still learning and very humbly I might say that I have taken a few good pictures that may be worthy of showing to a few people. But still, to call myself a photographer would be quite a lie. Not just anyone with a camera can call themselves that, and yet many still do. 

Recently I saw the Richard Avedon exhibit at the SFMOMA and my eyeballs popped out with every photograph. I was so inspired by his work and I felt a sort of boost to my own goals as far as photography; it was truly inspiring.

And now, I have found another photographer who's work seems to mesmerize me - Solve Sundsbo - a current fashion photographer who has made a very big name for himself in the fashion and advertising world. He has shot campaigns for the likes of YSL, Dior, Gucci, Armani, Alexander McQueen and many many more. He is one of the most sought-after fashion photographers currently, and if these photos don't explain why, then ... then I just don't know what to say.

*PS some photos are best seen when clicked on. This goes for every photo, on every blog, ever.

Enjoy!

Yohji Yamamoto

Yohji Yamamoto. Japanese fashion designer based in Tokyo and Paris, is another very successful and talented designer of today. His work might be described as avant-garde, and most certainly 'unfashionable,' since his designs seem to embody an aesthetic that we are not yet used to seeing. I might say his designs are minimalist, or perhaps eastern/oriental, though there may certainly be some overlap amongst those two descriptors, as you might find many Asian designers carrying a similar design quality in their work. Either way, Yamamoto has a very particular style that is not seen nearly as often as it should in many designers. Yamamoto manages to make a mostly black palette look refreshing and important, while incorporating beautiful draping and tailoring to look polished and clean. Still, the uneven hems, boxy and drapey silhouettes, and contrasting colors make for an exciting, incredibly modern, and completely untouchable collection.

These designs are from various Yohji Yamamoto collections over the past few years, including his most recent Paris Fall/Winter 09-10 collection. How cool is he??

arkitektura

Fashion has always been inspired by elements of the world around us. Some designers choose nature, some choose culture, some choose art, some choose architecture. I have here a small selection of designs that really captured my attention with their interesting architectural elements. Feel free to share your thoughts! I would love to hear opinions, as I know that not all of these things are seen exactly the same way by everyone.

Theres a sort of ominous, futuristic quality within anything with such defined form. Perhaps our modern society isnt used to seeing such harsh edges in things that arent practical (i.e. buildings, tupperware, tables). Most people assume clothing should fit the body, but as it goes with 'wearable art,' the body is just simply a platform onto which these creations can be displayed. I love how unnatural these designs feel. Especially the knitwear one (the blue boxes one) - knitwear is usually associated with comfort (t-shirts, sweaters), but the juxtaposition of texture and shape make for an interesting statement about the creative possibilities within all fabrics. I suppose to create pieces like these, one must stop being a fashion designer and become someone of a different profession.

Footwear by Eelko Moorer

I came across a very interesting blog today:

http://www.maricazottino.com/blog/?m=200606

And here, I was introduced to Eelko Moorer. I would consider shoes my downfall when it comes to shopping - I want them all!! Is that so wrong??

Maybe...

But these... I am just facinated by them. These stilts are so interesting - they're extremely architectural, perhaps industrial, yet they remind me of bones or a spinal chord, which makes me think there may be some play on industry/organic design involved subtley here.

Highly impractical - just wearable art, I suppose. But a real treat for the eyes, if you ask me.

Dior Haute Couture

It would be crazy of me to consider myself a design student in Paris if I didn't take a moment to talk about one very important fashion designer of the country I am currently in - Christian Dior. Anyone and everyone has seen something made by the Dior fashion house, as the designers' vision has taken him to become one of the most recognizable names in fashion, so one might wonder why I would choose to talk about someone so fashionable and popular in a blog called "The Unfashionable." Well, to put it simply, Dior, like many other big names, was at one point, Unfashionable, and perhaps even still, in his own fashionable way.

Let me reiterate - Unfashionable doesnt mean un-fashionable!

So, Dior. A household name now, but a rebel in his own right in his early days. His voluptuous designs created quite a protest among women, claiming that the dresses were 'wildly extravagant', what with all the billowing fabric during an era where wastefulness was once looked down upon (sounds a lot like today, right??) So while conservative, traditional women criticized his work, others embraced it, and it was through this embrace that Christian Dior was eventually seen as a designer that truly revolutionized womens dress, eventually becoming one of the most valued designers of our modern era.

Sounds fabulously unfashionable to me.

So, a toast to Dior! Here are photos of some of the Christian Dior fashion house's haute couture collections of the recent past. It seems as though John Galliano, head designer of the Dior house, is fully capable of reincarnating the vision of Christian Dior from decades ago. Enjoy these beautiful designs!

Paris and Manish

So, for those of you who dont know, I am currently studying abroad in Paris until December. I arrived about a week ago, and so far, it has been amazing. I imagine that during my four months in this city, I will come across many interesting design/art related things to share with you all. Stay tuned to see what the City of Light has to offer.

Meanwhile, I will begin the blogging process by talking about one of my favorite fashion designers at the moment: Manish Arora.

He is 'unfashionable' at its best, in my opinion. He is an Indian designer who is clearly inspired by many of the native textile traditions in his country to create very vibrant, colorful, and eccentric designs to flaunt down the runway. I have found myself already inspired by him in some of my own fashion designs, though I could not pretend to emulate someone with such talent and vision - I am just a huge fan.

I hope you enjoy some of his art as much as I do.

This butterfly face girl is my favorite. ^^


This Carousel dress actually spins! What a shame that katy perry wore it for a pop concert. I would much rather see this on a runway, or in a museum, wouldnt you??

Anyway, I love his work, and I am excited to see what other tricks hes got in the bag. He Just seems to be able to take a concept (gladiators, circus performers, butterflies, etc) and transform it into a whimsical world of possibilities, all while still looking amazing, and quite different from the average pret-a-porter designs. True talent.

The Unfashionable - explained

The Dada Cabaret is where this will all begin.

Actually, this will all begin in my History of Modern Design class at school, where my passion for design exploded through the passionate lectures of my professor. I found this class to be the most inspirational class I have ever taken, and thus, I have found my inspiration in one of our lessons about Design.

'To be a good designer, you must be Unfashionable' was the first statement of the class made by my professor. This seemingly simple statement seemed to create an uproar of commentary by many classmates who didn't seem to understand, or agree with this concept. They argued that 'how could you be a good designer by being unfashionable, if design is all about being fashionable and in style. How can you sell your designs? how will people like your work if its ugly and uncool?'
Those were the thoughts that filled the minds of many hopeful designers. But the message was not that.
The message was this: "To be a good designer, you must start trends, not follow them." Simple enough. But so, so very important.

So that leads me to the Dada Cabaret. An in-your-face-over-the-top-breaking-barriers display of the anti-performance, anti-art. And as Dada was/is unfashionable, so is the Dada Cabaret.
A performance art exhibit that broke down the barriers of performance. The audience was just as much part of the show as the performers - a concept, which in the 1920s, was quite revolutionary.
Be Unfashionable. That is what Dada did, and that is what I aim to do.

Welcome to the show.

About Me

Although this blog is new and I am sure I am the only one that has seen it yet, I figured I'd write a little 'about me' section so that future people may read it, if they become curious.

I am a University student, double-majoring in Fashion Design and Psychology, and if time permits, minoring in French, though that minor seems improbable unless I want to graduate when I'm 50, considering how much left I have to do in this last year of college.
A seemingly odd combination of studies - fashion design and psychology - but I will eventually find a way to combine all my knowledge into one powerful source of world domination. Or perhaps at least a really satisfying career amongst all the muggles.
What can I say, I love both. I love fashion, design, art, and everything that goes with it, but I am very passionate about and good at psychology as well, so I figured, why not do both?

Aside from being a student, I would consider myself a designer, writer, photographer, thinker, traveler, learner, and creator. These descriptors are to be interpreted loosely, as for example, I would consider the word 'creator' not only to mean that I create clothing, but also words, thoughts, and emotions. Similarly, 'designer' not only refers to designer of fashion and graphics, but also designer of artistic ideas and possibilities. This blog is meant to follow all the loose interpretations of the many passions in my life, and to [hopefully] share them with anyone looking to share and teach me as well.

This blog shall be my first manifesto.

the begginings of my blogging world

Hello all!

I never quite imagined myself creating a blog, but here I am, blogging!

My blog is to be dedicated to all design related material that stumbles across my humble path. I am a design/art aficionado, and I hope to bring to light many designs, thoughts, creations, and whatnot with this small space in the vast world of the internet.
I hope you are pleased with what you see!