weekend photo

I did not expect to see this last week in England! And the Olympics haven't even started yet!!

Shilpa Chavan

Shilpa Chavan, Mumbai milliner, stylist and designer has transformed objects such as empty plastic bottles, children's toys, rubber flip flops and  underwear into spectacular sculptures that rest upon the body.

“It’s got less to do with being Indian,” she says, “than it is about looking at shapes and objects differently. When I find a shape, be it a rubber slipper or a paper kite, the first thing I think of is how it could be worn on the head. Then I think downwards into jewellery and other accessories like badges, belts…but it really starts with the shape.”

"I don't plan the collections," Chavan says. "I pick up things because I feel they are interesting and then I hoard them. I let them lie for a while until I start feeling strongly about what I can do with a piece, and it can take years to figure that out."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18430735

http://www.littleshilpa.com/

YIELD: Making Fashion Without Making Waste

Yield is the first exhibition of zero-waste clothing designers in the world. Zero-waste describes a way of designing clothes where there is no scrap left after the cutting out -  in current design processes 15% of the fabric is wasted.

Sustainability in fashion design can be explored through tons of approaches, from selecting the materials, to the process of making, to considerations of use of garment and to the possibilities regarding end-of-life.

The work of passionate international fashion designers has a new ambition – to make fashion without making waste. They share a passion for reducing waste without compromising style. The show features works of renown fashion designers, such as Zandra Rhodes and Yeohlee Teng. All the exhibited garments have been created with little or zero fabric waste.

Exhibiting Designers:
Natalie Chanin, Carla Fernandez, Sam Formo, Julia Lumsden, Holly McQuillan, Caroline Priebe, Timo Rissanen, Julian Roberts, Tara St. James, David Telfer, Yeohlee Teng, Jennifer Whitty

Textile Arts Center Gallery
505 Carroll St, Park Slope, NY
Open to the Public: September 10th - December 2nd

http://yieldexhibition.com/about.html

speedo story

When Speedo launched its LZR Racer swimsuit in February 2008, it was a sensation. Designed in collaboration with Comme des Garçons and tested in Nasa's wind tunnel facilities, the suit's high-tech fabric repelled water and increased flexibility. 'When I hit the water I feel like a rocket,' said Michael Phelps, the US swimming champion, before going on to win eight gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 'It's really exciting for swimmers,' said Jason Rance, the head of Speedo's Aqualab, the company's research and development facility in Nottingham. 'They say they feel like Superman.' Ninety-four per cent of all Beijing's swimming golds were won by athletes wearing the suit.

But then in July 2009 Fina, swimming's world governing body, banned the LZR on the basis that it gave its wearers an unfair advantage. The LZR would never be allowed again in a major swimming championship. The decision left Speedo with a significant problem: 18,000 obsolete swimsuits, most stuck in a warehouse.

Speedo gave the swimsuits to Orsola de Castro, 44, the founder of From Somewhere, a fashion label specializing in recycling off-cuts and 'waste' into new garmets.

De Castro sources lengths of fabric that manufacturers discard: beautiful silks and jerseys, all off-cuts from the fashion industry.
By September she had created a 10-piece collection from the swimsuits, turning bottoms into elegant sleeves, and legs transformed into a pleated skirt.

http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG8254833/Sri-Lankan-upcycling-factory-makes-waves-in-the-fashion-industry.html?sms_ss=blogger&at_xt=4d5bf734ecd23dfe%2C1

 

http://www.fromsomewhere.co.uk/index2.html

capes!

The word cape can be used to describe any sleeveless outer garment, such as a poncho, but usually it is long and covers only the back half of the wearer, fastening around the neck.
They were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood. Roman Catholic clergy wear a type of cape which is worn for formal events. Capes remain in regular use as rain wear in various military units and police forces, for example in France. In modern times, comic-book super-heroes are often depicted wearing capes.

One good thing about Winter! There's something magical about capes!!

http://www.stylebistro.com/Fashion+Forum/articles/5xehAZg5FUo/Currently+Coveting+Capes

patchwork jeans

Great patchwork jeans shown in French Elle! From the editorial "The Folk Allure" in the November 2010 issue.