Hoda Zarbaf

Multicoloured blood and guts Hoda Zarbaf's sculptures spill forth fleshy emotion, rendered in reclaimed textiles and furniture, that have an almost harrowing intimacy and sense of loss. Textiles are our second skin, they embrace us, taking on our shape and smell, gripping onto a persons essence and therefore they have stories hidden in the fibers, good and bad.

Makoto Egashira

I am quite pattern phobic, so this work by Makoto Egashira does give me the hebbie geebies, However, I still think his kitch work is incredible. Makoto makes installations and sculptures from floral print rococo blankets.

“When I was living on my own, a friend came over and told me, ‘The room is nice but your blanket is uncool." Makoto Egashira

This was the start of Makoto's exploration of the clash and mix of western and eastern cultures through the medium of the rose printed blanket which became popular in Japan after the second world war.

Pierpaolo Piccioli and Moncler

Visually incredible 'MonclerGeniusis' is a series of collaborations, the latest one being between Pierpaolo Piccioli and Moncler.

Piccioli's designs featured recognisable shapes and silhouette in a collection that artfully blended ballroom gown silhouettes with Moncler's signature down materials, but he also offered something new, taking inspiration from Lemlem, his friend and collaborator Liya Kebede's project, which is dedicated to producing clothes made by local artisans in Ethiopia and elsewhere in Africa.

A genius project, elevating the work of  Ethiopian artisans for “Couture that connects cultures.”

"I am after a balance of dreaminess, extravagance and soulfulness," said Piccioli. "I involved Liya Kebede in the process, creating something true to her, to Moncler and to my own sensibility. Connecting diversities is my idea of inclusive creativity." Pierpaolo Piccioli 

Callum Miller

Callum Miller created costumes for 'The Bees', a novel by Laline Paull which explores the nature inside a hive inspired by social hierarchy and horror.
Flora 717 (above and below) is a devout young worker bee velvet embellished with wet latex drips to mimic the themes of honey, blood and horror. On the cork bodice, there is rasterized text to represent how every bee in the hive is just a number from birth.

"The main inspiration from the cork fabrics I used combined with delicate sheer fabrics was to represent the oppression of the hive in which the bees are pressured into the strict regime of Accept, Obey and Serve. Floras bodice under the cork is made from a unique fabric I made myself using organza, a unique glue called beamus and black foil  sheeting. " Callum Miller 

Sister Sage is a manipulative priestess who uses her power to overthrow the queen. Her costume has princess pleated cuffs and hem, embellished with glossy black beads. Her dramatic mustard cape with a sharply slender silhouette featured laser cut hexagons.

"'The Bees', is a novel by Laline Paull exploring the nature inside a hive inspired by social hierarchy and horror. Characters: Flora 717, a devout young worker bee and Sister Sage, a manipulative priestess who uses her power to overthrow the queen."

"'A trip to Brigadoon', is an adaptation of the classic 50s highland musical ‘Brigadoon’. The adaptation was created by setting the classic characters in the highlands where they accidentally forage the wrong kind of mushroom... a fun and immersive theatre experience that centers around magical delusion and hallucination." Callum Miller

Aleksandra Skowyra I

It is graduate show time here in Scotland and I just managed to get to the rehearsals for ECA Costume  Degree Show, despite being really ill with a summer cold, so the next month or so will be spent showcasing some of the graduating and up and coming talent from the Scottish Art Colleges.

My first post is the work of a second-year costume student at ECA called Aleksandra Skowyra.  The second year's group project was to create the stuff of nightmares and dream time adventures with a theme of 'Where The Wild Things Are'. I particularly liked Aleksandra's because of the elongated, fleshy boneless arms.

                               Above: group photo by Aleksandra Skowyra Below: sketches 

"My costume for my version of ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ inspired by Roman n Greek Mythology, the 7 Classical Planets and most importantly for this design - inspired by the sun." Aleksandra Skowyra

Tasha Kapyushon II

As part of her creative practice, Tasha Kapyushon creates many masked identities, this one is "Snow Maiden".

Tasha Kapyushon I

Crying Red Dragon costume by Tasha Kapyushion from Belarus. who makes objects, clothing, and costume to explore themes of identity, individuality and freedom.