Hand & Lock Festival 2014

 

 

Myself and Emma were invited down to London this week
 to take part in Hand & Locks first Festival of Embroidery.

 

The techniques we learnt were wonderful.

Tambour Beading was our first class.
The instructors we had made it look as easy as drawing.

 

For those who have knowledge of Tambour, you'll appreciate what a skill it really is. It's a kind of crochet, but not? A chain stitch really, made by plunging a very fine crochet hook through the fabric, trapping a bead, and turning it just the right amount.
I had to think so hard about every stitch, and i'm left handed!

Emma seemed to get it a lot faster than me.
She's really looking forward to being able to attempt some on our next collection.... I won't be.

 

 

That evening there was a very interesting talk about next seasons textile trends by a textile journalist and senior tutor at the Royal College of Art Phillipa Watkins.

 

The next class was Gold work, a speciality of the House of Hand & Lock.

 

 

I never knew the variety of techniques applied in Gold Work.

It was mind blowing, and we only had one day.

 

The techniques we learnt are some we can defiantly take home with us for our own work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was able to keep up with Em on this one,

She's still the one with the Midas Fingers.

 

 

We had a great, Very hot, Very tiring trip.

We go back to the Attic, inspired, with new skills,

Thank you Hand & Lock.

www.handembroidery.com

 

 

See you soon London.

 

x

 

 



Ces't soooooooooooooo Très Jolie

 

 

We took a trip to the barbican on Friday to see the highly anticipated Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition.

A wonderful collection of his Archived works, with advancing technological presentations of some of the most beautiful garments made in the world.

 

 

The retrospective allowed photography which, for a fashion freaks like us, AMAZING!

 

 

Here's an overview of the Collection.

 

 

 

 Mannequins with projected faces in Classique Gaultier stripe were the first to drool over.

Beyond beautiful Sirens and Sailors that spoke and gave a presence like no other I had ever felt at an art exhibition before. Extremely impressed with the level of sophistication of this technology.

 

 

 Beautiful fabrics that were absolutely suffocating in the most richest textiles the like of which i've never witnessed up close.

This tartan fabric, is completely made of applied textiles. 

A blank canvas tamboured to the highest precision in seed beads, sequins and chenille threads. Beautiful. I wanted to touch it.

 

 

Some classic Silhouette.

I wanted to touch it

 

 

Some alternative Silhouette.

I wanted to touch it

 

 

Some familiar silhouette.

I wanted to touch it

 

 

Raffia embroidered tribal mask bodices.

 

 

This ensemble was Emma's favourite.

She loved the way that although she appears to be carrying everything but the couture kitchen sink,

She's quite together in what she's wearing.

Gaultier is one of the ONLY designers I know of,  where his intensity levels of detail are completely in balance with proportion and modesty of the rest of the outfit.

 

 

This is my all time favourite Gaultier....

You don't think so? Well....

This outfit, is Crocheted entirely in

yarn and Crocodile Skin.

Each scale of skin crocheted individually, calculated to the most accurate millimetre, SYMETRICALLY, to ensure absolute perfection in this one of a kind Gaultier.

Ces't Magnifique

xxx

 

 TRES CHIC

TRES TRES CHIC

 

 

 

There was even a Gaultier bar! But it wasn't open until 5pm..

 

Ces't Fini

 

 

 

 



Hot in the Attic

 

 

 

Woah it has been hot in that Attic this week.

The power fan hasn't stopped turning!

 

Things are moving along very well, labels are going in.

That mean things are getting finished.

 

Our fingers have been bleeding!
So i decided to invest in some Invisible Leather Spot Thimbles...

 

 

They are Awful!

 

Your needle just keeps getting stuck underneath it.

They're not very invisible either, they get i the way, better off with a regular thimble.

 

The reason we need thimbles, is because some of the patterns contain lots of fabric, and the seams get soooo thick and dense that they all have to be hand sewn... our little domestics can't take it, and neither can our fingers for much longer!

 

 

We've been working late nights to ensure things

 are done in time for the release,

I shall make sure i post the date when it is finalised.

 

 

 

 We had a sticker made for the window..

Anyone would think were taking this Seriously.

 

x

 

 



 

The Verdict, Couture Fashion week Fall 2014

 

 

A beautiful season, lots of surprises, a couple of disappointments.

 
I love Viktor and Rolf....
Did i tell you I shook their hands in Paris last season...
But that ain't nothing but a thing,
 

 

 This is Viktor and Rolf's interpretation of.... 

The dressing gown. The animal Devourè is wonderful.

 



 

Marco Zanini defiantly impressed this season at Schiaparelli.

 Quirky, Couture Kitsch, bright colours and mixed textiles, i really appreciated his efforts to sustain Schiaparelli's surrealist roots.

 

 

 

Giambattista Valli was a whole show of wonderful.

 Lovely beautiful crisp fabrics, pretty classic silhouettes, and playful stripes followed one after another, thoughts of weekends at the Hampton's and seaside sun escapes. 

 

 

 

For me Jean Paul Gaultier reigned supreme.

 This quilted Quality Street penny toffee yellow suit took my breath away.

A collection that far surpassed the rest of the shows this week.

You can't teach an old dog new tricks?

You don't need to, he knows them all!

 

For me the biggest disappointment, was Dior.... As if I've just said that!!!

 

Monsur Raf Simons is a conundrum for me...

Sometimes i really have to look hard to see Dior?

Maybe its just because i LOVE Dior,

i have real infinity with the New Look,

and i get it, Raf Simon's, well....

is defiantly a New Look for Dior.... but

 

 

Boiler suits and rubber gloves.... come on Raf, get it together.

 

 

 



Getting it Together

 

 

As the Second stage of the Le Tour De France passes through

our home town of Sheffield,

We too have reached the second stage of Fittings...

and were gonna need plenty more,

as we are no where near as close to the finish line as we thought we were.

 

 

 

Things went smooth, more plusses than minors, but the minors were Major minors.

 

 

These kinds of alterations are always a bit of a buzz kill, because the issues we're encountering could have probably been solved earlier had we known about our little Gemstone Jo.

 

 

Look at those legs

 

 

...Hands off Raf Simmons

 

 

All stresses and messes aside..... things are looking Hot.

 

 

Thank you to our Gorgeous model Jo