Based in Nottingham - the student city with endless amounts of fashion individualism - but a Norwich girl at heart!
Studying Fashion Communication and Promotion at NTU.... no it is NOT the same as Fashion Design! I don't design clothes, I engage in the advertising, print and digital side of fashion. This is my interactive journal.
Mixed-media late night splurge of colour, spread across my desk like an ink explosion. I love this. The spontaneity of painting: no planning, no pencil construction lines and (most importantly) no rubbing out mistakes!
Just grabbed a piece of charcoal and marinated it to my page. Then grabbed some ink and water to blend. And then I thought it was such a shame to miss out the model's blood red lips... it worked so well against the porcelain of her skin and black turtle neck. The splattered ink just came out of pure enjoyment from using such punchy, bold colour.
Ink has to be my favourite medium... It's so uncompromising, so unapologetic when it splats on a page. You can't tiptoe lightly with the stuff, you need to go with full conviction or not at all. Charcoal is also a favourite. It's so raw and textural when you use it, perfect for adding an edgy, expressive mood to a composition. Again, either use it properly or not at all. I have no patience for pencil lines and scaling. I'll worry about that another time when I'm being paid to do an exact still-life replica of a person.
It’s as if Pugh took inspiration from the Romantic Movement, and then threw in sharp slices of futurism through his surprising and refreshing colour palette.
It’s interesting because in our lecture and seminar today, we were focussing on the importance of colour schemes and palettes to enhance an image or brand, and when observing collection again after my lectures, it’s as if I see it through fresh eyes.
When I glance away or envision the collection in my mind, I am instantly drawn to the juxtaposing colours of dusty mauve (accentuated perfectly with the soft, delicate nature of the ostrich feather – WGSN also picked up on this) and the electric, almostacidic aqua blue that really goes hand-in-hand with one another. I think that is the most integral part of his collection this season – colour. It really goes beyond his previous work with the trademark hardened, monochrome colour scheme, reminiscent of computer game special effects. It shows that he likes to keep things fresh, keeps the audience on their toes. Makes you think, “I know this is Gareth Pugh, but there’s something different that is making me less certain of myself” – and that’s what fashion should do! It should always keep you on your toes.
On a side note, you shouldn’t go to a fashion show expecting to know the designer’s creations. They’re not your designs to know. They’re there to be discovered. You are, after all (as much as you might want to think of yourself as a fashion know-it-all) a spectator. And in that role, you’re there to be absorbed by the new, the exciting and the unexpected. The stuff that makes you go, “Well, I didn’t expect that”. Even if you think you hate the collection, at least you feel something towards it! Perhaps at a later date you will reflect on it and think, “Actually, they were keeping things fresh and just because I wasn’t expecting it, doesn’t mean it’s terrible”
Fashion isn’t some preconceived idea, it’s a Movement – so let’s keep it flowing.
For our first Fashion Promotion task, we were set the brief to explore Nottingham's street style for a new fashion brand that is planning on setting up a store in Nottingham. This was definitely a creative and exhilarating task, dashing around the fashion hot-spots of Notts, but also ultimately terrifying having to ask strangers to take their photo!
Here are some of the final shots... it's interesting to see the collective personal styles that subtly present themselves through not only the garments, but through unique hairstyles, accessories, colour palette...etc.
I always listen to music when I'm working out what to blog.... or whenever to be honest! Getting ready for a night out is my favourite time to blast out the drum and bass or hip hop, and the flat usually comes alive at 11pm onwards when every flatmate's room is thumping with the clashing sounds of different beats, but there's nothing quite like music to get you feeling that euphoric buzz... even more so than alcohol (and that's a lot coming from a fresher!)
But what I've noticed recently is how much music is used through adverts.... I feel like most of the music I've been downloading hasn't been through the mainstream radio play of generic pop songs, but through adverts like John Lewis, TalkTalk, ITV Dramas etc.
Here are a few songs that I always make sure to write the lyrics down to quickly during the short advert clips so I don't forget to look them up later:
1. Take a Walk - Passion Pit (From the ITV Iplayer Advert)
I couldn't download the advert clip, but here's the link if you wanted to watch it:
2. Ben Pearce - What I might do (Tesco F&F fashion campaign)
This ad has been sooooo successful in my opinion with marketing Tesco's new A/W range. I mean come on, Tesco doesn't exactly scream 'fashion's latest trends', but whoever thought of making the campaign into a mini music video had such a good idea.... the urban tunnel backdrop, dingy lighting and a strong-beated song definitely proves how much Tesco wants to appeal to the younger, trendier consumer..... and now Ben Pearce must be rolling in it!
3. Ellie Goulding - Explosions (ITV New Dramas 2012)
I know this isn't recent, but I remember seeing this advert and falling in love with this song (and all of the dramas might I add)
4. Etta James - Good Rockin' Daddy (HSBC Advert)
I love this song... and anything by Etta really. There's also the song below by her from another ITV Drama advert about a programme called Breathless:
5. Etta James - Trust in me
Clearly adverts love a good blues/soul singer at the moment and I can't really complain.... I just hope it doesn't get overplayed like At Last (or I'd rather go Blind come to think of it since it was chosen so often by X Factor auditionees this year!)
So there's just a few, but there are so many (I haven't even looked at the John Lewis ones, but we all know the sort... remember how Gabrielle Aplin went from Youtube to mainstream?)
Next time, pay attention to the advert music, it might make you feel inspired for your new playlist ;)
After attempting and re-attempting several different blog posts, I decided to keep it simple and just say.... Hi! Welcome to my new fashion/lifestyle/culture blog. I will *hopefully* keep you up-to-date on anything that inspires me on my Fashion Communication and Promotion course and anything else along the side that captures my attention enough to talk about.
Please bare with me, I've never had a blog before so I'm still learning the ropes, and with time I'd love to put my own personal spin on the layout and design of it (once I work out how to do it!) so it feels a lot more like me, but I'm hoping you enjoy it enough to stick with me haha!
