Photo shoot

Muse Project : Prince

This project called for me to pick someone to base the project around, to become a muse for me. I picked Prince, because not only did I grow up listening to his music but his looks and music vary so much and interest me, that it would make an interesting project.

Click here to preview my mood-board 

Click here to see Purple rain mood-board

Letter from Prince

Dear Apollonia, 

This is hard to say. I lead you on and I know that, but I didn't mean to. Our friendship treads this line, the line of friends and more than that and I was unstable on that line and that wasn't fair to you, I'm sorry. I wish I could go back, so I could stop you hurting I never wanted to come between something , I only want to see you smile again to make you feel happy. You know that i only will protect. My only hope is that your life goes on, and not disrupted by what I have caused. 

With love

Prince

CFC - Centre for Fashion Enterprise

Here is a little information on one of the many schemes which is funded to help new and up and coming designers and labels to create a successful outcome. London is the best fashion capital when it comes to help for young talented designers, so take advantage of it!

Katherine Hamnet

Most known for her controversial slogans printed t shirts, Katherine Hamnet's designs date back to 1979 when she founded Katherine.E.Hamnet clothier. But her oversized slogan t shirts didn't appear until 1983, which were then used by the well-known pop bands of that time including Wham! who used them in the music video for "Wake me up before you go go" and Queen's "Hammer to fall". The t shirt below saying 'Choose life' was supposed to be indicating against drugs and suicide.

In 1984, Paul Morley designed the range of "Frankie says..." t-shirts for promotion of Frankie goes to Hollywood. It was said that these t shirts were inspired by Katherine Hamnet's original t shirt designs. Though all was not pop culture. Hamnet sparked controversy when she met then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher whilst wearing a t shirt dress bearing the slogan '58% don't want Pershing' .


Her t shirts are worn and recognised worldwide and bear the slogans of political and social issue of that time. In 2011 she was awarded a CBE for her services to fashion.

During the 90s and 00s Hamnet still gained popularity and controversy when she sent Naomi Campbell down the catwalk with a t shirt of the slogan 'Use a condom' and in 2003 when she gained press for her t shirt with slogan hinting at her opinion of the up and coming Iraq war.

She is a fierce environmentalist, behind the driving force of making organic cotton into the mainstream fashion. Also revivinbg then lost parts of the world's jungles and forest she is quoted in saying that its her 'greatest ambition'.


In my opinion I like how Hammer challenges the way fashion cash be viewed and what it can be to make something so original and thought . Though critics can say that on occasion she can take it too far. But its her drastic opinion and the way she chooses to display it which makes her the fashion force she is today 34 years after she first established herself.

Peter Pilotto

In his words his vision of his clothes “embraces both new and classic perspectives on elegance”.  Ideally his client is “beyond the classification of age and style” this would match the clothes themselves.

His origins, half Italian and half Austrian and studying at Antwerp Academy of the Fine Arts in 2000. Between him and his design partner Christopher De Vos, they are the brains behind the Peter Pilotto label, who were shortlisted for the BFC/Vogue Designer Fund in 2012. 

This marked the tenth London catwalk show for the design duo, supported by Topshop. For their Spring Summer 2012 Collection they were awarded Fashion Forward sponsorship, supported by the British Fashion Council and Coutts.

In December 2009 PETER PILOTTO was awarded the best emerging talent award at the British Fashion Awards.

The relationship between Pilotto and De Vos works very well. While Pilotto focuses on the print and textiles, De Vos focuses on the silhouette and drape. The duo prefer to reinforce the idea of the curiosity cabinet, which is something that holds stimulus for the duo. The curiosity cabinet is a metaphor for journey, their cultural mix and a collection of recurring things,such as natural phenomena. They are particularly fascinated with a scientific view of nature and is a constant source of inspiration.

 Despite separate design aspects their ideas come together in a well respected collaboration which is sold in 42 countries, sold in  over 200 directional retailers including; Colette in Paris; Harvey Nichols and Dover Street Market in London; Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fith Avenue in New York, Joyce in Hong Kong and China and seen on an array of celebrities from Rihanna to Kate Bosworth.  

 

 

Here are snippets from their S/S '13 collection.

Fashion bloggers Type and Talk blogged :

"Prints, beading, embellishment, bright colours and pyjama pants…. Just buy the whole damn collection!

Gotta say Pilotto’s offering is right up my street…. minus the peplums. Gotta love the sunshine pops of yellow and the heavy beading details on the a line dresses. As much as I hate peplums I was kind of digging the peplum sleeves, although I’d never wear them.

They look rather cool with the vibrant print. A proper stand out item. Some of the mirrored didtal prints did remind me of Katrantzou, but a tamed version which you could actually picture yourself wearing it!

Even in the darker coloured items it still stands out as a high summer wardrobe due to the way the prints are blended together."

There seems to be a worldwide love for Peter Pilotto and its colourful and vibrant designs, but is it getting repetitive? Miss Penny Dreadful seems to think so 

"Don't get me wrong about Peter Pilotto. I love their work but I am starting to feel as if I am looking at the same collection -tweaked - every year. I don't really know if it is print fatigue as most designers are showing simple designs and print less clothing - there seems something very fussy about this. I just wish I could see something totally different from them. "

While vogue.com reviews that Peter Pilotto's  "patterns undergo some kind of alchemical reaction with a woman’s body, through being worked into increasingly imaginative silhouettes; the total effect—not just a litany of print motifs—creates the impact of what Peter Pilotto does."

 Snippets from their Resort 2013 collection:

Style.com reviews:

"This season's came in two main groups—both of which were smart departures from Fall, which was faulted somewhat for being too similar to their previous collection. The first was quite geometric. Printed as it sometimes was on silk cloque, the results looked almost quilted. The second motif was inspired by research they did on centuries-old illuminated manuscripts in London's Royal Library; these were more evocative of stained glass. Both prints produced some fabulous dresses, and the designers continue to forge ahead into other categories like macintosh jackets and full-legged pants. But some of the collection's most captivating pieces weren't made from prints at all. Instead, they gave a high-tech oversize mesh fabric the couture treatment with crystals and sequins. Really special and really smart. "

There is definitely a recurring motif in Peter Pilotto designs, bright and vibrant prints stand out over well cut simplistic but effective silhouette. Their clothes make it into the big name magazines in the most vibrant and interesting spreads, most recently Hapaar's Bazaar and Instyle magaxine. 

 

 

Wherever it is shown, on the catwalk, in the magazines, on the street, Peter Pilotto designs definitely stands out and creates and new fresh young look. To the comments that say its repetitive, there is a small point of repetition, but every season, Peter Pilotto brings out a new motif in their well-known and established design style.

Nuno - Up and coming :)

Glamour, Colourful, Spikes and Sparkle, Celebrity, Architectural, Neon/Gold/Silver, Excess, Modern - 21st Century, Sexy, Opulent, Romantic.

Nuno's taste definitely portrays this 'more is more' lifestyle as an overall theme. Paris Hilton and her excess lifestyle takes centre stage while surrounded by sub-themes of architecture, sparkle, spike and glamour. His mood board gives a clear sense of the sort of clothes he designs for and the nice market he would go for, which would be the young and rich.