Interstellar

Wearing: Josh Goot dress, Romance Was Born skirt and Lipstik jelly sandals.

First of all I apologise for the clutter in the background but I ran out of time this morning and decided to take these outfits photos at uni rather than at home. Also it was raining this morning and I had too much to do today to wait for the weather to cooperate! On the plus side you can see the archaic (pun intended) folders in the background jam packed with palaeontology papers! While it's not totally inspiring to see my messy office space it does remind me of when I first started reading fashion blogs, particularly The Fashion Void that is DC. This later morphed into Moohoop a Tumblr blog and in 2011 Brooke Kao stopped writing altogether. She was among the first wave of fashion bloggers who really pioneered blogging as a platform for self-expression and although her photos weren't polished, her guide of vintage and thrift stores within Washington propelled her to success. I guess today I just really wanted to be vulnerable and removed from the realm of commercial, air brushed photos and perfect hair.

Katie Jones Fall 2015

I've known about Katie Jones wonderful knitted creations for quite some time now but never felt compelled to discuss her work on this blog, until now. The combination of a glittery rubber boots, a fantasy world and colour is itself enough to attract me towards a collection but the casting of Rina Sawayama (instagram) was the icing on the cake. In addition to being a model she's also a singer/ songwriter, nail technician and graduate of the prestigious Cambridge University. Basically I have a huge crush on her at the moment which only intensifies my love for this collection. Her playful poses complimented the sentiment of this photo shoot as well as the textural elements such as the large scarves and pom pom earrings. What I find most interesting about this collection is the number of different techniques integral to a single piece as well as the colour combinations and overall use of patterns. Stylist Emma Slade Edmonson did a spectacular job and I don't think these photos would not be what they are without her influence. While I've previously stated JuJu Footwear has become the go to shoe for smaller independent designers something as simple as changing the laces on the boots really had a big impact. 

What I found particularly interesting about Katie Jones' knitted creations were the cuts and shapes of her pieces. By equal measure she was able to create darling cropped, knitted vests and long draping cardigans and coats. Her scarves weren't a typical, boring, straightforward design either and allowed her to explore a variety of different techniques and add texture to her outfits. Other designers who knit and create such as Caroline Kaufman have been busy making statement scarves but it's only recently that they've become important accessories during fashion week. In part this has been due to bitterly cold conditions in New York but I'd like to think that things are undergoing a slow transformation. That people are appreciating the addition of texture and colour to their outfits. Had I not chosen to study science or if I had the free time now I'd like to experiment with knitting machines and introduce different materials into their design. This urge to reinvent myself or try mixed media has also been inspired by Nashville artist Zoe Schlacter's instagram account and the numerous swatches she's posted there. 

This particular collection, aptly named 'Let them Eat Cake' reinforced this idea of taking joy in frivolous and pretty things, particularly the white frilled edges of many of the coats and scarves. Of course these are bound to get dirty after many adventures and outings all of which reminds us of Marie Antoinette's decadent and sheltered lifestyle romanticised through her namesake feature films. Again this reinforces the idea that these clothes are special pieces and should be treated as such but for something as cute and colourful as a big statement jacket and given how much work went into its design and execution I think they deserve to be seen. I just like the idea of serving up knowledge and telling other people about the clothes I wear on my back through word of mouth in addition to online content. Because you can't hear the sound of me getting all gushy and emotional about a coat as you would if you knew me in real life but the truth is clothing does affect me on an emotional level. 

Images via Katie Jones website

Just be yourself

Wearing: Asos faux fur coat, gifted t-shirt, Emma Mulholland shorts, Karen Walker Iris sunglasses, American Apparel socks and Lipstik jelly sandals.
 
I know it's been a few weeks since the Natalia Kills fiasco but I thought I'd use it to discuss some thoughts I've been having about originality and authenticity. What she said was nothing short of narrow-minded and delivered in a very vicious way and without being featured on StylelikeU I would never have heard of her. Her music didn't really inspire me to dig deeper than that and I had no idea her husband was also a musician. I also find it amusing that someone who models herself on Cleopatra and identifies as the Egyptian Queen reincarnated has the gall to complain about someone else's lack of creativity. In the days that followed she became just another Internet meme. I was obviously influenced by the photo of Kills wearing her Karen Walker sunglasses compared with Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

So here's the thing, the notion that you should "just be yourself" or "stay true to your artistic vision" is not helpful if you aren't sure what that is. Or if you're still trying to figure that out. Collaboration is often seen as a dirty word and citing something as an influence usually draws negative connotations. Being able to reinterpret something artistically and re-examining why our interests are special should be seen as adding value to our feelings, rather than detracting from them. In biology it's widely accepted that as a consequence of living in the same environment, different animals converge on the same morphology in what's known as convergent evolution. But a similar philosophy cannot be applied to art or culture and suddenly there is this pressure to create something totally unique, individual and not having to credit anyone.