If only clothes could speak...

Shows new corset vs old. 

Shows the waist.

Put on your fake smile, and wipe away your real tears… - Rebecca Ferguson

Vintage Myth - The edges will fray eventually.

Stress seems to be top of the agenda at the moment with so much going on in life, my head is everywhere and I can’t seem to focus on something before something else takes over and I become diverted into another avenue. Previously in my life I have realized that romance doesn’t come naturally and I find being all soppy awkward… Also let’s say a hearty congratulation to Miss Chelsea Hicks who has been given a place Hertfordshire University and the tutor wants to come and see the college, let’s not build his expectations up to hard! It is down to a lot of hard work by both tutors and students! Recently I have been venturing into the local charity shops discovering what is currently out there and most is uninspiring to say the least with misshapen and over worn t-shirts taking centre stage on the mannequins that are meant to show the best of what is available… really? Charity shops are fantastic ways for people to get decent brands that have a history and memories woven into the threads whilst supporting the local charities, if only clothes could speak, then we could learn a lot about their past and what and where they have been. Charity shops are hot property for students to pick up some cheeky vintage numbers. I did pick up a lovely pink and blue shirt from Marie Curie Cancer Care!

With the pathway statement reworked and the contextual studies punctuation corrected I have been able to focus on the pathway project itself, the project has headed down a very different avenue than I did originally intend for it to take, I have now ventured into the realms of looking at corsetry and restriction which means looking at bondage and how the body is psychologically and physically effected, I have initially begun looking at the ‘S-bend’ which was primarily worn in the late Edwardian times and early Victorian. It caused damage to the internal organs as the waist was cinched in and the bust pushed forward whist the bum was backwards creating the s-bend in the body. It reminds me of the olden day times when women had there glasses on a stick and pouted their lips out with a huge amount of fabric flapping behind them. I want to progress by creating a series of corset designs and learning how to draw the basics when it comes to garment design and using chicken wire to create the stiff nature of the garments. Using chicken wire creates the organic fluidity that comes from alien. I want to utilize the work I have done within my previous work and bring it forward into the new stage of my work.

Personal life…
Not much has gone on over the past week so there isn’t much to talk about sadly.
I feel I have applied for the wrong University courses as I wish I was doing something artier and design based rather than essay that I will be going into.
My sister has decided to stay back for another week which is nice, means I can slot in a shopping trip sometime this week into our diaries.
I am feeling stressed at the moment with the amount of work that I have done and other things that have taken over with demanding refunds from people and realizing who my real friends are.

Alien-ated within Foundation...

Final headpiece. 

Paper Mache.

If you can dream it, you can do it… - Walter Disney.

Another week, another day and another dollar… (I wish!!)
This week has been less than eventful to say to the least and have very little to talk to my very avid viewers about! Let’s proceed with the merriments that bestow us!! Remember where all in this together, (oh gosh, now I’m quoting High School Musical!) Anyway previously in my life, I remembered the times when I could sit and do no work (awkward) and also that I fall asleep whilst talking on the phone. Bizarre I know but that’s the sorta man who is in his late teens knows how to have fun times!!  (Yes! Being 20 is late teens!!)  More importantly in the world of fashion where the garments wear the models, we are eagerly awaiting more garments from the infamous catwalk. It is Paris haute couture fashion week 2014 and designers from Chanel to D&G are showing collections!
I will keep you posted next week into what has been strutting down the catwalk for spring/summer!!

Moving onto the Pathway Statement was part of the progressive stages that link all of the work together and what will be achieved in the ongoing stages of the project! I have called the statement ‘Challenging the Catwalk’ which refers to the ideas and concepts that will be put forward into what is fashion? And what is it really about? Can Haute Couture work on the high street? And also the materials that test the limits of fashion. I.e. Lady Gaga’s meat dress. Artists that have been mentioned include Alexander McQueen, Francis Bacon, Gareth Pugh and Iris Van Herpen who I have previously mentioned in other blog posts!! They are high end fashion houses who focus on the ideas of Hybrid and take a holistic approach to the industry. Also I have started creating wearable pieces of alien inspired work. I have begun with a headpiece that is constructed around a balloon with the use of gum tape and cardboard tubes with the use of newspaper for veins and to create something that is vulgar yet styling.
There is more to follow in the coming weeks…

Personal Life…
Not much has gone on over the past week so there isn’t much to talk about sadly.
I have begun focusing my attentions more on the art world and looking more at shapes rather than just the objects.
I have been in a funny mood over the past couple of days for no reason at all.
Will keep you updated over the next week or so and let you know of any new occurrences…

From the sidewalk to the catwalk...

Dolce and Gabana Milan 2014. 

Vintage Myth - The shoes will fit.

“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”-Eleanor Roosevelt.

Time for an update guys and gals on the past week. So much has gone on (or not gone on) in the past week! Christmas is now well and truly over and the hard work must begin! I finished at Next on the 4^th January which I am saddened about but I really enjoyed my time there learning the trades of the stockroom! You don’t realize what goes on behind the scenes within the big retail outlets but being there and doing the job has made me realize what occurs where the public can’t see.Milan Fashion Week is underway and the top fashion designers from around the world are showing there from Prada to Versace.

But being the gay I am, I am focused more on the Catwalk Male Models than the actual clothing with comments like, ‘Ooooo he’s a hotty’ and ‘don’t mind if I do’.It is a spectacle to watch as the men walk down the catwalk without their prior knowledge of all the men and women staring at them for their bodies rather than the Fashion.

Moving onto the Pathway statement after a week drawing a final piece for the Contextual study which was created from fabric samples and mannequin silhouettes I drew a garment which reflected Giger’s Alien, Alexander Mcqueen and Hybrid Hollism. The use of angular dark shapes which exaggerated hip shapes determined the outcome of the garment which would be a couture piece if created.The Pathway is an extension of the contextual study and a ‘Pathway Statement’ is required which is only 500 words and is a brief in a nutshell. It requires a lot of research which means a lot of note making and a series of keywords to be noted down along which a series of artists which so far include Gareth Pugh and Francis Bacon.I want to focus primarily on the dark side of the fashion industry and how artists and illustrators can be and influence art allowing me to push the boundaries into what fashion is and what can be put down the catwalk.  

Personal life…

Brother and Sister have now gone back to University after a month at home which now means I have the house to myself again which is going to get lonely at times but I’m sure I will get back into the swing of things again.Partner and I are doing well also and are enjoying life. He’ll know how long we have been together because I have forgotten… Ooops!! He's an amazing person!! It has been a good 4-5months I think. Life is moving on and looking forward to seeing what the future holds!! 

Savage Beauty... Black Beauty?

Alexander McQueen - Savage Beauty.

Inspirational Art Piece.

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt. - Abraham Lincoln.

Vintage Myth - The clothes will never fit.

Heydiiiihey ladies, guys and gentlepeeps!! I haven't blogged in a good 3-4 weeks now! Wow what a month it has been peeps with Sam Bailey winning the X Factor!! Hoooooraaayyy!! Her voice is amazing and world class! Also Abbey Clancy won Strictly which is another victory for reality TV! Christmas is now sadly over which is sad times for us all and we have to start working again. Christmas was a fantastic time as the tree was up, music playing and presents wrapped. What a fashion fiesta it was also with all the glamorous dresses, vintage jumpers and woolly ugg boots! Trends at this festive time remain with the dark tonal essences and greys.
Back to Art Foundation and my work!

The main news from the past few weeks is the contextual study which I based on H. R. Giger who is an artist and illustrator who focuses on air brush skills and this essay focused on 'what life was like inside the womb and a sense of remembering what is like, questioning whether it can be remembered. I felt inspired by the late Alexander McQueen with the 'Savage Beauty' which was a collection of pieces that depicted the idea of what beauty is and about.
He inspired my work as he didn't care for boundaries and what they stood for pushing the limits into what is fashion and could hit the catwalk. One of my favourite designers of all time.
Iris Van Herpen was another inspiration with her kooky dresses and bio-chemical design style for Autumn/Winter with the use of curved lines and organic nature of the dresses. The other pieces shows restriction and the idea of demonstrating the gravities that lie within art.
The contextual study was finished and my word count worked out about right, it took time to get it right and work it out. I now how to construct a response to the essay which will be done in a mini-sketchbook.
Personal life...

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/abrahamlin109276.html#2SF8SVQqZhwt2S78.99

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/abrahamlin109276.html#2SF8SVQqZhwt2S78.99

Brother and Sister are back from Uni for another week before they head back to there uni lives in Wales and Manchester. Mother is doing well and enjoying her course!!
Woop for sister being back from Uni as we are having fun times, we have been out to town Christmas shopping and enjoying coffee out and about.
Mr Glen Glens is doing well as we spent Xmas together and we go bowling most weeks, the weeks go by and our relationship goes from strength to strength. We are having good times and let them roll on!!