Stitch in the Ditch

Eating Black Feathers Spring 2011 Collection

2011-03-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

Eating Black Feathers Spring 2011

I have been busy trying to finish this collection
here is some of the photos we took over the last few days.
More to come.

I Should be studying but instead i go to Paris with Money in my dreams

2011-02-22T17:32:00.000-08:00

So recently a good friend of mine brought back some rather interesting gifts for me as well as inspiration.

She asked me before she left what I wanted her to check out while she was there. Since I have never been across the big puddle, and she was going to be in Spain, France, and Italy, I decided to do a bit of research on fashion houses both big and small, perfume houses, and sweet other spots. I asked her to get business cards, look books, from cool places etc...

She went beyond all of this and got me a rather extensive list of the designers in the district of Marais!!!! Talk about a great friend. She said that this Store in particular was on par with my style and that it reminded her of me. Oh how desire was stoked in me!!!!Being the girly girl i sometimes cannot deny nor turn away from the details.Here is a great review by Haute world. Manush's winter 2010 (do they need to change their years here?) garments are fur trimmed, gyspy color palette, embroidered erogenous zone, dainty dame, Moroccan doll, comfort without dowdiness. Looks 1, 2, 9, 14, & 20 are my favorite since you were asking.
Printemps- Ete is frills, pastels, hippie and sweet girl from this I would say my favs are: 4, 5, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, & 27. This collection makes me think that if 4 different best friends who are from different countries were to design outfits reflecting their own interpretation of the others culture this is what would happen. I think United States, Japan, France, and Morroco when i see this. I also love their website, and the fact that they support animals in distress all over the world. Their wedding dresses are also something to look forward to.

Among the wonderful gifts i received was this little treasure: VESTOJ BOOK, Vestoj blog which i am almost waiting to DIVE into since it seems like it was meant for me and includes my man Nick Cave, better video Nick Cave! I will not resurface quickly from this book and it might be like watching Madmen for books though but different. RAMBLING.

Also this friend brought me back a book called "Où s'embrasser à Paris". Its basically a book about where to kiss, embrace, and do other sensual things *WINK WINK* with someone.
Once my French gets a little better i will better understand. It reminds me of the Lonely planet guide but instead of listing where one can buy cheap tacos, and beer, it talks about love in the open (MY FAVORITE- not as in like i am A EXHIBITIONIST BUT THAT i love love as a free form of expression as not as a taboo) WHEEEW.

I will be researching the other stores she listed and posting here. For now i need to study for my French exam part two which is tomorrow night.

Good night and here's to good friends!!!!!!
<3

Whose craving comfort on these dark winter days?

2010-12-25T13:55:00.000-08:00

I am thinking of changing the paint on the walls of my apartment adding a splash of color here and there. I also am thinking of doing a themed room in my apartment with furniture, paint, art etc.... haven't selected a theme yet. I was more or less going to wait for one piece of furniture or one item to dictate the direction for me. I am totally a sucker for pinks and turquoise so it isn't surprising that vintage furniture circa 1950s has been on my mind. Usually my spaces have been described as factory-like, and industrial chic! Whatever it is, is done totally by accident and all that i am saying now is that i would like to be more intentional with the space that i spend way too much time in.
Here are some pictures from my favorite interiors blog
Desire to Inspire

The clock is the best part of picture above. Also the numbering on the cabinet and the placements which match the carpet and both have a burlap sort of texture.

The crisp whiteness of this living room makes me think of a Scandi loft. I just love that it looks so easy to clean and the light- the light!

I have often dreamed of a bathroom like this one. It looks like a well kept secret, somewhat dark, somewhat warm and comforting. In the attic perhaps. I also love stucco if its done right especially if its a country home.

When i see this entrance way i wonder why this small part of most peoples homes, including my own are often neglected. I imagine anything you put by the door would look amazing.

Purple is a color I often detest because of the associations I have with it such as magic wizards capes, and bad grape juice. BUT in the setting above the purple isn't overwhelming and in fact relaxing-especially the lace curtain.

This room looks like it belongs to a quirky art collector. I love rooms that ooze books and textures.

Oh la la Pink and Green- reminds me of India.

This has to be my favorite of all time color palette- teal with a spash of red. I hear it invokes dreams and desires.

I think horns and antlers are a strange design concept for the home. How clever to put a mossy plant inside it.

Reminds me of an Uzbekistan home. I have always been a fan of carpets but only in theory- never actually in my own home. I think vacuuming is disgusting for one it stinks and stirs the dust pot up really and its loud and annoying when they always break down.

I would never put a bird into a cage but THAT CAGE. The green, its just classic.

Another entrance way well decorated.

Patina and ladders

Ladders are one of my favorite objects. Reminds me of circus, clowns, building, and escapes. I was thinking of polishing up one of my ladders and hanging fabrics from it. Now i am reconsidering.

I can just imagine my life in this house, i would finish surfing in the backyard beach, come in place the surfboard up behind those chairs there and then have an afternoon of creative nonsense.

This is my perfect couch, cozy, colorful, mismatched but harmonizing and vintage/ ethnic textiles.

This isn't so much about the dinette but about the view of the grass

These remind me of a cave dwelling. Can't you imagine being a monk in your robes fermenting your own wines and then sitting by firelight while your hunchback prepares dinner. Slightly evil.

Thanks for reading

Happy Festivities everyone

PATCHWORK

2010-12-21T16:43:00.000-08:00

Kaisik Wong

Patchwork is one of the things that completely relaxes me and keeps me starring at one piece for a long time. It is understated since it is seen as a folk craft and not an art form. Ahha, but i dispute here is a look at some pretty seductive pieces.

Then the ever awesome Luxirare who made this Wong inspired motorcycle jacket. http://luxirare.com/TWO-SKINS/

Balenciaga Spring 2002 as a reference on the hippies patchwork styles.

What are you wearing?

2010-12-12T19:56:00.000-08:00

Here are some of my favorite pieces from this line at http://fairefroufrou.com/

http://theenglishmuse.blogspot.com/2009/08/ballerinas-tulle.html

Then from here i found some photos on the photographer Caroline Knopf. She pretty much takes pictures of things i love, like ballerinas, and tulle, and fantasy- pretty much pretty PRETTY Pretty.

Here is a indulgence of mine- some like to imagine!!!!http://mylittleboudoir.com/

FASHION IN FILM

2010-12-03T19:54:00.000-08:00

Extinct Ona

2010-11-29T16:00:00.000-08:00

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/tags/selknam/interesting/
The Selknam people are extinct now
here is a fascinating flickr show and tell
i started researching after a friend of mine told me about them and how some of my costumes and ideas for costumes were channeling this tribe.

in the eye of the needle

2010-11-23T11:39:00.000-08:00

http://www.maniacworld.com/art-in-the-eye-of-a-needle.html

Circus Life

2010-11-14T17:03:00.000-08:00

Bag Extraordinnaire

2010-11-14T16:58:00.000-08:00

The Knit and Wonder kind

2010-11-07T11:28:00.000-08:00

		Welcome to Derek Lawlor's gothic land of black licorice knit. I seriously want to nosh on his coiled skirts and tops!

Welcome to Derek Lawlor's delicious world of licorice tops, skirts, and dresses. I say licorice because they remind me of the black licorice coils mum used to buy from the candy store for us.
http://dereklawlor.com/

Here is the world of Latinen. Whoever said womans wear was more fun has never seen Latinen from Finland!!!
http://laitinencollection.blogspot.com/

Brother and sister design team, how cool is that?!

http://dianepernet.typepad.com/diane/files/ta_first_inspcustom001.mov

Picture and video link from ASVOF!

http://dianepernet.typepad.com/diane/2006/05/tuomas_anna_lai_1.html

For a more local face Denis Gagnon whose love of fringe makes us in love too!!!When i was working in Northern Canada camp this summer (to pay off me student loans mateys) we had a picture this fringed dress to remind us of glamor during the hard and not so glamorous months!!

I am pretty sure this navy blue and black dress is being sold at Reborn boutique here in Montreal! I must go and see it in person and touch its fine craftsmanship.

Bye for now

ps its good to be back

some swank textiles

2010-09-06T15:03:00.000-07:00


Sacai Fall 2010. I love these silhouettes and layers, and how they are a sort of combination of futuristic school girl and Tibetan or Mongolian monk. I also feel a samurai doll. The shirt style dresses and jackets are most utilitarian.

Add caption

2010-05-11T16:13:00.000-07:00

Signature fashion show 2010
college Lasalle
Backstage photos

Here are a few blurry photos of the fashion show here in Montreal Signatures 2010 at Palais du Congress

I stole some photos from Cassandra De Iuliis's facebook.

The Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday was a often hectic, often boring, somewhat delirious adventure into the backstage vibe of what i imagine to be like most fashion shows. A blurry mirage of flesh, and running, dancing, and shouting. Running after the models with scissors, double sided tape, their abandoned, accessories, snipping and adjusting their clothes just three seconds before they sashay onto the stage was my favorite part. Its amazing how in this setting touching a breast, bum, or any body part really is just part of the norm. It becomes a kind of an obsession to groom people actually, and i found myself absent mindlessly picking lint and hairs off of my colleges who were in the model line ups grooming the models.

After being locked into the backstage all the worst traits in humans seem to come out. Maybe i speak just about myself but i did run to scavenge some pizza and as quickly as i ran for it as quickly i gobbled it down. We were locked inside what was i suppose to do? Anyways it was a very long weekend and i am so glad to be out of it but i wonder how long it will take me to become nostalgic for all that was good and bad about it.

xoxoxo

March and April Pictures

2010-04-29T16:29:00.000-07:00

Here is a spring jacket my friend Emma made and I modeled it for her portfolio. I adore this jacket but not as much as I adore the artist.

Here is Emma modeling my Poodle girl costume

Here is a snail costume I modeled for Grethe

and here is some random attitude from a dude i once knew cause fashion blogs are full of raw attitude

As the outside world gets uglier clothes become more beautiful

2010-03-21T18:36:00.000-07:00

I only now looked at Rodarte's 2010 collections after I had a meeting with a friend today who said "I want it to be like Rodarte 2010". We met to talk about a TOP SECRET PROJECT involving a costume part (thats where i come in), structures and urban space. We were both channeling the Rodarte with our brainstorming.As she sat munching on her cranberry and custard pastry, I couldn't help but notice that the girl in front of me could be a muse of Kate and Laura Mulleavy who founded the fairly new company in early 2000s. As they have consistently combined dark and bedraggled (maybe not the right word but good enough) looks with romantic and the fantastical, I saw that my friend wore the most elegant black lace cape over a beige long sleeve shirt, black tights, and sort of like Betsy Johnson flats with the three straps on the ankle (baby doll?). Her long hair emerged like fibers from her neck. The sister duo have made use of textiles, fibers and yarns and have won many awards. This kind of handiwork and craft has had quite the come back in the last few seasons, lets not forget how much loving work goes into it. As a costume designer who loves the handmade, i continually draw on their collections for inspiration and amazement.
http://www.rodarte.net/

Rodarte Spring 2010

If i wasn't such a wuss and i didn't have wavy hair i would totally have this black bowl cut. I have been in love with this hair style for about two years now but it wouldn't look the same on me:(

I am in love with the beading work and distressed silk (?). She looks like a warrior princess off to battle.Oh and the placement of the silk to the beading is just perfect and natural. Don't you think so?

Now for some Fall 2010

This looks so comfortable and each of these pieces could be worn with different looks but together make me want to curl up by a fire with a hot chocolate and my boyfriend.

Although there is a lot going on in some of the looks it all feels comfortable and those shoes are to die for. I especially like the use of loose lace leggings. I think its a nice change from the black tights we have seen on everyone and their moms.

i have to have this sweater oh please oh please

These colors make me want Black cherry ice cream.

oh those socks and shoes gim em to me

This look is so clean and bright i want to cry in my sweat pants and dirty tank top....

Not a thread out of place!!!!

Going to watch a Quebecois film now i picked up today called Cruising Bar, munching on a baked apple with pure maple syrup my boyfriend bought from the Cabana Sucre yesterday. Oh joy and rhapsody. The only thing missing is the boyfriend. Believe it or not he is at a Curling tournament -which is called a Bonspiel (sp?) tonight and wont be back till late.
G'NIGH

Wingding Dresses

2010-03-18T19:15:00.000-07:00

The groom is marrying boobs

he is three times her age and she is hundreds of feet above him in the clouds

HATS OFF

2010-03-02T17:12:00.000-08:00

a prototype of the hat i made for the fashion show in May

It is based on Gaetanno Navarro's hat

whats with the knit? don't you know its almost spring!

2010-03-02T16:39:00.000-08:00

"mafuyu" and yoshikazu yamagata sweater houses
This makes so much sense wearing your house like one of those snails or crabs.

Irish Knitter Tim Ryan

Up and Coming designer >Dean Quin-he based this collection of his on Bladerunner (the movie-which received terrible reviews when it came out but is still a cult classic and has inspired so many designers including myself)

i love this look so terribly it hurts
so attractive on the body, ladylike and unlike anything i have ever seen before.

his top looks a bit uncomfortable but then again fashion can be complicated.

Gimme Color or Give Me death in Montreal

2010-03-01T14:32:00.000-08:00

I know i haven't updated for awhile now..

Not usually into patterns or but DFV this Spring 2010, has some pretty elegant and sophisticated garments, that mix shades and patterns. One part autochtone Princess (means Aboriginal-trying to use my newly learnt French words ;p), one part, hippie chic, and one part granny. I am totally digging the layers and the comfy aspect. Its cold here in Montreal, and jeans, Sorel's and plaid is getting a bit old for this broke ass fashion wannabe.

I generally always love a BLACK MAGIC feeling to a collection or garment. You do remember that game don't you? The one where you color a page with lots of different waxy crayons and then cover that completely in black. Once it looks all black then you scrape away at it with swirls and squiggles to reveal the color.

Its the same effect for me as when you squint your eyes and then open them wide on a painting you will see or rather focus on another aspect then what you first saw. Maybe its just me and maybe its something i cannot explain right now. Everything can be viewed as a painting- rather that's how i seem to look at many things including paintings HA!

Usually the only patterned and crazy fabric that i am attracted to or will go as far as to buy is African Dutch relief prints, you know with the dollar bills, and presidents faces, and radio blasters etc... I think DVF has touched upon that wildness in print without actually having dollar bills and clocks and chaos signs (at least not as far as i know).

And a random i think in the collection is the white birdy of paradise. I need NEED to have me one of these puffy birdy jackets- although i have a phobia of my head shrinking i will shrink in style.

On another level we have 25YEAR OLD Alexander Wang

Who just Kunf fooed me because one he he 3 years younger than me and two because his collection this season is totally wearable and perfectly cut. You know how you just know when something will look fantastic on you?! I just know. I never thought of myself as having a preppy athletic chic biker look but here it is...i want I want...i will never obtain enlightenment!!!!

AWANG

i have also been a sucker for the trapunto stitching for a few years now. I almost called this blog something Trapunto?!I love that texture more than my lovers hands....no thats a lie....i love those.

The Show Must Go O

2010-02-12T08:38:00.000-08:00

Although I have never met Alexander Mcqueen, I feel like I have lost a dear friend.
My heart goes out to everyone who is in despair and wants to take their own life. Time heals everything and if you wait a little while longer you will probably get over whatever sadness you may have.

Below are some of my favorite shows and concepts by Alexander Mcqueen. I will never forget it.

Kate Moss as a hologram

The Most Beautiful Fashion show Ever and sooo creepy (Nine Inch Nails creepy)

An Exciting Retrospective

A collage but mostly Shalom Harlow being painted AMAZING!!!!

Fall Winter 2002 PART 1 Real Wolves

Fall Winter 2002 PART 2 Real Wolves

His infamous Chess game fashion show

A descriptive article
.
British news report!

Another News Report!

I think one day i would like to do a tribute collection dedicated to him. Perhaps with Emma (Glamazon)-we understand each others dark sides.

A synchonicity

2010-02-02T06:26:00.000-08:00

So i was at school yesterday and something fantastic and odd happened. We (a class of about 30) are preparing the accessories for the biggest fashion show in Canada "Signatures". It is our annual graduating classes show. There are themes for the accessories that correspond to the ever so interesting collection theme- such as and i say with envy "Martha Graham", "Joan of Arc"....plus some others. Because i am in costume i didn't get to partake in these themes. I do get to make the accessories though and this is where the weird thing comes in.

As my teacher was showing us the items we are to make she shows us the Joan of Arc theme accessories and my eye went directly to this headpiece piece by Gaetano Navarra. Sorry the pictures are so bad and small.
My teacher then pointed and looked directly at me and said ":and you Robyn, you will make that, my mind is already made up". She continued on with her lecture to the rest of the class leaving me feeling both proud and nervous. So i have one week to make the prototype with the help of a beautiful antique wooden head form. What i absolutely love about fashion is the constant challenge. If you are a feisty individual like myself you are probably hard to bore because the second you get bored you are summoning up strange ideas and outlets. I am honored that my teacher has allowed me to work on this piece as this is the piece i am most attracted to out of what she has showed us so far. Not only do i love Navarro's unexpected structural and futuristic collection but i also love that his pieces seem to be informed by strong women figures.

this is the headpiece i am so make
again* sorry for the quality.

It seems that in the Fashion world....

2010-01-21T19:50:00.000-08:00

It seems that in the fashion world designers are commissioning artists to create video montages, or short movie for their collections or to showcase their inspirations.

I find this VERY interesting because the fashion world has long been considered not a part of the art world by the art world or by the fashion marketing world (which one it was first-its hard to say).

However, anything could be turned into an art form, and being a costume design student with 5 months left to go before i graduate into the INDUSTRY<--said with a scared hushed tone- I have seen how different people treat different aspects of the fashion world. Their are many different personalities that design. I do have to say this though: that many students and people in the industry only hang out with other fashion designers and not with artists, musicians, dancers, foodies, whatever and this is a BIG mistake because we as fashion designers have to take our cues from everywhere. If i wanted to have a collection called foie gras i could but I wouldn`t know about foie gras or wouldn`t want to make a collection inspired by it if i wasn`t such a foodie. Okay I am very tired and i still have knitting to do its almost 11pm which is my usual bedtime. I don`t actually want to make a clothing collection based on the gourmet force fed duck liver dish. I was speaking with my neighbour about this restaurant Au Pied de Cochon
which has a foie gras poutine as their main attraction!

So off the topic of meat now which was somehow related to the art world ..ummm....yes where were we (question mark- damn french keyboards!!! tabarnoodle)

The movies I posted here are #1 Prada dreamscape sequence which was made by a Japanese film maker Yang Fudong.Mixing both old fashion Asian cinema with surrealistic American film noir, this film is maybe a more interesting way to showcase fashion than the usual catwalk, face camera, slight smile, puckered lips, turn, and catwalk back approach. This involves acting (ha although there is not much in this video- and who said models can't be actors anyways- maybe i just did-um- anyways), acrobatics, special movements and scenarios for in which we the potential buyers (or rip-offers) can view the clothes move.

#2 Marni shows a strangely apocalyptic landscape with fashionable doll-animated characters.

Pringle of Scotland commisioned the illustrator David Shrigley to do this Video Its quite funny and I really love the monologue. "Manky wool is no good to us, because we have really high standards!". For example!

Have a good sleep cause i know i won`t!!!!
xoxox
robyn

whoa Lucy and Bart

2010-01-19T06:59:00.000-08:00

http://www.lucyandbart.com/

what a great pleasure to make art and especially have the time/ means to do it.

Clothes Monolith

2010-01-18T20:28:00.000-08:00

I had dreams of this kind of thing before but it wasn't in the Grand Palais.

http://www.monumenta.com/2010/english/monumenta/Monumenta-2010.html

Interiors

2010-01-15T11:28:00.000-08:00

I had a terrible sleep last night and then had to rush off to school early this morning. In an attempt to make myself more sleepy so i can nap (we have dinner guests coming over tonight) i am devouring images off the internet.

So since its winter and I am almost broke I love looking at interior design. It fuels me and makes me feel like one day I will have a place like some of these. Also I look at recipes of things to cook and walk in closets.
Here are some of my favorite interiors taken from Desire to Inspire. This website is making me fanatical. I love it. I love the clipboard idea instead of frames.

i feel like this black room would be great if you had a migraine.

okay maybe i am going a bit overboard but i cannot stop myself.

.i love neutrals colors- like cremes, whites and browns but i also love color but not primary colors everywhere. I like places that look lived in and rustic but i also love some modern styling.

xoxox
off to a nap now.

2010-01-12T09:36:00.000-08:00

Here are Nick Cave's Soundsuits. Not the Nick Cave who sings with deep dark tones "...and let your hair hang down." But this other guy who is my total inspiration as of late. They are made of strange found and flea marketed objects and can actually be worn. Like to work, and grocery shopping. No, but really get into them and dance. His other vocation is dance, and this is where he parallels his two passions textiles, and movements (visual and kinestheic) and creates a third sensation SOUND. His soundsuits are named for the fact then when worn the objects are moving together and against each other. Which i suspect is to his delight- creating music as it were. I love that he has teams of people working for him. At this point in my life still being a fashion design student i cannot even fathom taking this amount of time to make anything unless its school related. But all of this aside he did at some point do all of this on his own. This is the kind o discipline i adore and find a bit eccentric. Taking time to do things is not a part of our zeitgeist where everything is GO GO GO and take your time hurry up, Faster, Better, Stronger, and Cheaper seem to be our mottos these days. So, i find Nick Cave's work refreshing like i find the petite mains refreshing making their doillies and lace.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=221KubeRZF0