Paris- Première Vision.

I took a quick flight over to Paris last week to do some further research at Première Vision, a large exhibition of  all things related to Textiles. Presenting trends and forecasts relating to the up and coming Fashion, including Menswear, Womenswear and Kidswear, with specific categories such as Lingerie, Knit, Swimwear, Embroideries, Vintage, Computer Graphics and so on . It allows companies to network with others within their industry and gives each of them the opportunity to meet new and old exhibitors, whether it be print studios or technical fabric suppliers. I had my recent prints on sale through a freelance company I work with in London and New York, therefore I found it hugely beneficial to go and check it all out, as it has been sometime since I was last there.

The doors opened and the buyers were on a mission to purchase the ‘new and latest’ prints for A/W 2011/12 at Indigo, this being just the print section of a much bigger exhibition consisting of six halls. Pluriel Expert Trails is “designed as actual buying guides, aimed at helping you conceive your collections, discover new fabric developments and suppliers, and organise your sourcing throughout the 6 shows that make up Première Vision Pluriel”. I took a lot of notes, caught up with some old friends, mingled and enjoyed the buzz on the first day of the show.

Première Vision also surveyed a panel of international buyers in June 2010 to identify their fabric and decoration needs for actualisation products for Spring Summer 2011. Fabrics addressing these needs were presented in the ‘Actualisation forum’ in one of the halls. There is also TextPrint which allows new talent within the print industry to exhibit their graduate work. Understandably they are very tight on security at this show, therefore taking photos is not easy. I have however included a few taken from the Première Vision website.

It was very informative and fun. Spending three days in Paris with friends and colleagues, going on shop reports and purchasing some inspirational vintage scarfs went down a treat!

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My Hand-Made Purses.

I have been on the sewing machine again and made my own purses. Last week I had a clear out and came across some of my old university printed fabrics and decided to put them to use! I hope you like them.

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Into the Wilderness.

Another trip away, further north this time, to the west of Scotland to a small village called Gairloch. Quiet and relatively remote, with the most beautiful views of Skye and gorgeous beaches, YES beaches! I popped into the local museum there to find an exhibition on Textiles and Fashion by Katherine Butler called ‘Into the Wilderness’. A graduate from Fashion and Design specialising in knitwear. With a focus on traditional techniques such as hand-spinning, hand-knitting and hand-sewing her mixed use of fleeces, felt and furs were beautifully presented. Her use of the above and natural ‘highland inspired’ tones and colour I liked very much as well as the cut of garments and silhouettes, encompassing the nature of the Scottish Highlands. It was a lovely hour spent looking at a jammed packed portfolio of research and development, it brought a lot of my own Art School days back to me! I purchased a few hand made gifts also. Enjoy the few close up pics I took.

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Beautiful cut section to a dress!

Another lovely hand woven knit.

Mixed use of fabrics, photo of garment on mannequin.

Brit Insurance Designs of the Year.

I was in London last week and went to the ‘Brit Insurance Designs of the Year’ exhibition at The Design Museum. It was very interesting, and broken down into several categories such as Fashion, Furniture and Architecture to name a few. Click on the link above and check out the website. There are some very impressive design contributions and the way they impact our lives from every day use as well as presenting us with strong global and social messages. The Graphics exhibit was very cool and I liked a few of the magazine covers which encouraged me to look into a few more printed editions, of which I have included at the bottom of the page!

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Graphic: 032c- Contemporary Culture magazine from Germany shortlisted for the best of international design. http://www.032c.com

Product: 'Folding Plug' designed by Min-Kyu Choi. http://www.minkyu.co.uk

Architecture: 'Monterry Housing'-Elemental.S.A.Chile. http://www.elementalchile.cl

Graphic: 'The New Yorker, 2 Nov 2009 edition, USA. http://www.newyorker.com

Graphic: Corporate Diversity, Swiss Graphic Design and Advertising by Geigy 1940-1970. http://www.museum-gestaltung.ch

Here are a few more designed covers from Geigy that I also like…..

Another lovely graphic cover from the chemical and pharmaceutical company JR Geigy AG who produced a large body of work across identity, advertising and package design during the 1950's and 60's.

'Dyestuffs'-Geigy cover

'It's Nice That'- another graphic printed publication at the exhibit.www.itsnicethat.com

Big Bang Big Boom.

Amazing! Some of you may have already seen this short animation as it has been around the block, but for those of you who have not had the chance to admire the work of BLU you must watch it. I am going to dedicate this to all my friends and ‘Boom’ enthusiasts out there! you know who you are…..

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Gaudi-Sagrada Familia.

During my trip to Barcelona, I went for the first time into the Sagrada Familia, the famous architectural church and work of  Antoni Gaudi. It was overwhelming and it felt like I was stepping onto a film set from something out of the Lord of the Rings! It is beautiful and the lines that are created, with different tones of grey and shapes give you the impression they are moving, elegantly, whichever way you look. I once again was a little snap happy and sat for a good few hours in a forrest of concrete, looking at a structure that began as far back as 1882 and will not be completed for some time yet!

I will let the pictures speak for themselves……

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Barcelona.

I spent last week in Barcelona, a city soon to be my new home. Beautiful, full of people, noise and gorgeous architecture (a post on Gaudi’s finest ‘Sagarada Familia’ will follow soon!) and here is what I saw………

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The blue sky, along with Barcelona’s contrasting lines and buildings of new and old made me a little snap happy…..

Grafica Fildalga.

Well, here is another beauty of a short film by Cool Hunting documenting a poster print company in São Paulo, Brazil called Grafica Fildalga. It is a feel good video. Using a 1929 German printing machine, Maurizio, Carlão and Carlinhos show us their love and life’s passion for their jobs. Digital print and new technology has overtaken those similar companies that once existed so it is refreshing to see this small business still flourishing and keeping alive an old craft of  hand-carved letterpress printing.

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The hand-carved letterpress

One of Grafica Fildalgo's posters

Paul Tebbott.

I came across some lovely prints yesterday created by Paul Tebbott. Really peaceful and soft on the eye, minimal and worth a purchase.

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Missoni Hotel Edinburgh.

I went for lunch yesterday to the Missoni Hotel, which opened in June 2009 on the corner of George IV Bridge and the Royal Mile, in the heart of the old town of Edinburgh, Scotland. I have to say I am happy to see it replace the ugly, old office government building that once stood in it’s place. We dined at the hotels restaurant Cucina and the Missoni trademark of print and bold colour lived up to my expectations. The table setting was punchy to say the least and it made me feel a little like I was playing at a children’s ‘tea party’. Nevertheless the meal was lovely, the service was good and the company wonderful, with people coming and going for their midweek lunch and glass of  wine. Missoni has always been at the forefront of their industry in fashion and now more so in interiors. As a print designer who admires and finds inspiration from such a prestigious brand, it was exciting to sit and look at all the beautiful fabrics that lined the restaurant. The black and white tiled entrance in contrast to the multicoloured table settings and large sculpture, a giant bobbin of thread was unique. It was a shame that the painted blue walls in the restaurant distracted me from the colour and fabrics mounted on the wall. The decor continued throughout the toilet however I found it far to overpowering in a much smaller space. I must admit after spending two hours inside I was very pleased to get a break from all the pattern. This is a personal opinion and I am sure many will disagree with me but on a whole I would rather have seen a more understated approach to the decor to really appreciate this amazing archive of fabrics. You will love it or hate it. Next time I would like to be checking into a room so I can elaborate on this experience, their website shows a more subtle approach to the bedroom decor, so we will see. For the moment though, my most memorable of it all was the door man and his uniform- a Missoni tartan kilt and matching flashes! Very stylish and fitting quite rightly so, into the surrounding environment!

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Missoni hotel

Cucina restaurant

Cucina table setting

Missoni trademark fabrics and kilt!