Yiqing Yin

Yiqing Yin studied at the Ecole Nationale des Arts Décoratifs, having left her home country of China aged four clothing and fashion for Yiqing Yin is home, and as such her designs exploring concepts such as a second skin or armour. These images are from her SS2014 ready to wear collection.

"Returning to my clothes, was like living once more within my body and my emotions; I was at home." Yiqing Yin. 

Comme des Garçons

I have endless love and admiration for the creative genius of Comme des Garçons, this is their Spring 2014 collection. 

"Going around museums and galleries, seeing films, talking to people, seeing new shops, looking at silly magazines, taking an interest in the activities of people in the street, looking at art, travelling: all these things are not useful, all these things do not help me, do not give me any direct stimulation to help my search for something new. And neither does fashion history. The reason for that is that all these things above already exist.

I only can wait for the chance for something completely new to be born within myself.

The way I go about looking for this from within is to start with a provisional ‘theme.’ I make an abstract image in my head. I think paradoxically (oppositely) about patterns I have used before. I put parts of patterns where they don’t usually go. I break the idea of ‘clothes.’ I think about using for everything what one would normally use for one thing. Give myself limitations. I pursue a situation where I am not free. I think about a world of only the tiniest narrowest possibilities. I close myself. I think that everything about the way of making clothes hitherto is no good. This is the rule I always give myself: that nothing new can come from a situation that involves being free or that doesn’t involve suffering.

In order to make this SS14 collection, I wanted to change the usual route within my head. I tried to look at everything I look at in a different way. I thought a way to do this was to start out with the intention of not even trying to make clothes. I tried to think and feel and see as if I wasn’t making clothes."

Rei Kawakubo

Source BoF 

Ninna Berger I

"I like to communicate that you can always do things differently, that you can create your own work, nothing wrong with being an anarchist from time to time, we don’t always have to follow the crowd. To be stubborn is important and to not give up as the easy way out is not always the right way out. Don’t run past the things you feel is important. Don’t stress about things that don’t matter, and try to do small every day things that you feel good about!" Ninna Berger

Ninna Berger's work transcends the boundaries of fashion, textiles, art and craft. These garments are from her work 'Reconstructional Clothing' which is an ongoing genesis of work from her MA at Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm investigating how it is possible to reuse and repurpose discarded design and material, from the grave of fashion and upcycle it back into the fashion system.

"There is always the question on how much recycling really saves energy and resources and if it is a green wash or a true sustainable evolution that we strive for. Working with recycling fabric from discarded clothing is a very time consuming activity and it is very tricky to do in a larger scale. I think recycling both on a domestic level and in the industry is an important and interesting way of working with textile. Ninna Berger 

Thank you Deb

Asher Levine

Asher Levine "I like to be crazy  . . . I just think everyone should be an individual, they should dress the way they want to dress and should show that individuality through their style."
"My name is Asher Levine I am a fashion designer based in New York City, I love life, I love science, I love changing the way people look, and I just love fashion in general. I came to New York and I started making my own clothes and therefore it was very easy for me to sync the style, because in my head I knew what I wanted, therefore I just made what I wanted."
Asher's work draws from the natural world with elements of his clothing being reptilian and insect like. But Asher also draws on the human figure and condition and the way he sees the idea of masculinity developing in society.

Jean Charles de Castelbajac

 Jean Charles de Castelbajac's AW 2013 collection called Foxy Lady  featuring dogtooth and tartan.

Clarina Benzzola III

Focus hood by Clarina Benzzola who's work continues to fascinate and inspire me.

Beate Godager

Beate Godager's beautiful translucent structural garments are like a bird cage or frame for the body exploring interior and exterior space. Beate is originally from Norway but now lives in Denmark, she graduated from The Kolding School Of Design in 2010. these images are from her AW 2012 collection White.

Tarang Bharti

Tarang Bharti's collections are collaged patchworks of fabric and technique, combined with abstract cuts and drape. Tarang's work is a fusion of art, music, architecture and fashion he collides unusual fabric partners like leather and chiffon into futuristic silhouettes and cuts.

Rowan Mersh I

Rowan Mersh is an artist/ sculptor who engages with textiles, wood and paper to make work that is often costume based or installations for performance. Rowan is excited by materials and stretching the  boundaries of their use and application. This piece was created using origami and old  WWF magazines for their event pandemonium.

Ron Isaacs

 These dress forms by Ron Isaacs are incredibly not fabric, but wood painted to resemble cloth and clothing.
Ron combines trompe l'oeil painting with master wood carving, to create real magic and alchemy.

Manami Sakurai

Manami Sakurai is a Japanese born fashion and textile designer who graduated from London Central St Martins she has designed for Grayson Perry and her work is created to add happiness and fun to daily life.

Femke Agema at the Pitch Festival 2012

Femke Agema II

Costumes designed for the Pitch Festival Amsterdam by Femke Agema, Commissioned by Bas Koopmans and Festina Lente Media.

Femke Agema I

"Elders is a vision of the world springing into life after winter. It’s inspired by the simple joy we feel in being let loose into the wild to play in an environment overflowing with possibilities. A world where you make treehouses, huts and rafts from whatever you can get your hands on. A world made to be explored, bursting with colours and textures, where the only limit is your imagination." Femke Agema

Femke Agema is an Amsterdam based fashion designer, creating collections that rub out the boundaries between fashion and art. A creative force, Femke collects ideas, materials and themes from where ever she finds them . . .  and she finds them everywhere. Femke Agema has cleverly managed to combine the practicality of  wearable (sell-able) clothes with experimental costume and concept development keeping her work exciting, challenging and wonderful.

Barbara Bologna

There is a harshness, brutality, a post apocalyptic flavour to some of the concepts of current fashion design trends. referencing historical armour and I believe majorly influenced by the games industry.
These designs by Barbara Bologna Genesis SS2013 remind me again of interpretations of Joan of Arc, particularly the leather accessories and details.  I like the textures, contrasts and shapes of this collection and I love the use of body paint in the presentation.

Konstantin Kofta

I love the look of this photo shoot for Konstantin Kofta's Exhausted Men's SS2014.
It is like the subjects have fallen in an an ultra contemporary medieval battle. Konstantin Kofta's bags and shoes fuse elements of the urban and natural world. He makes bags that look like brick walls and man holes as well as the bark of a tree or the spine of the wearer, they are pieces of art as well as functional accessories and footwear.