Illustration by Gabriel Ayala
This week’s wet Monday was brightened up considerably by a trip to the Royal Collage of Art’s first work-in-progress show of 2011 – and before you ask, more about no, cheap I was not suffering from “Blue Monday” or the notion that yesterday was the most depressing day of the year. As Ben Goldacre (Bad Science) discussed over on his blog yesterday. The concept of Blue Monday was made up by a PR company with the aim of selling more holidays after Christmas. Journalists have perpetuated the story by reconfiguring press releases into published articles -without through fact-checking- a type of writing described by Goldacre as churnalism.
Finishing on Wednesday, website 19th January, the Work-In-Progress show is a great opportunity for current BA Students, graduates and the public to see the developing ideas in the fields of Fashion, Textiles, Metalwork and Jewellery, Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, and Photography. Whilst the photography and the filmmaking are breathtaking, warranting a trip to the RCA by themselves, I will mainly be focusing on the Menswear and Womenswear Year Two students.
Tariq Mahmoud
Tariq Mahmoud’s shoe was inspired by watching the penguins at the penguin pool of London Zoo. The unique presentation of his shoe within a fish bowl with a couple of toy penguins for company, was certainly eye catching, drawing your attention to the similarities between flipper and shoe.
This wonderful jacket half-suspended within the cloth, from it was cut, calls to mind Issey Miyake’s A Piece of Cloth or A-Poc (see Fashion Editor Matt Bramford’s wonderful article on Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion at the Barbican). Unfortunately I could not find a name to accredit the design too…
Aleksandra Domanerskaya
The RCA Interim show is a fantastic opportunity to see how ideas circulating within contemporary fashion are being dissected by students studying the craft. Aleksandra Domanerskaya’s oversized mac in a traditional plaid is a great example of how classic shapes are constantly being reinvented.
Orshel-Read
It was amazing to discover that one of Amelia’s Magazine favourite London Fashion Week designers Orschel-Read is still a student!
Design by Orschel-Read, Illustration by Gareth A Hopkins
Cherie Newing
In recent seasons, knitwear has exploded across the menswalk catwalks, from James Long’s to Morgan Allen Oliver via Sibling, designer after designer have reinvented a fabric which was once solely associated with 1970′s knitwear patterns. I loved Cherie Newing’s take on the ubiquitous fisherman’s jumper.
Sol Ahn
Menswear Year 2 student and intriguing illustrator, Sol Ahn displayed this breathtaking combination of a triomphe d’oeil shirt and cardigan with fabrics to match the illustrations!
Samuel Membey
Samuel Membery’s overcoat revisits the skinhead movement of the 1970′s, as captured in Gavin Watson’s collection of photographs: Skins.
Ruth Green
Design by Ruth Green, Illustration by Dee Andrews
In Womenswear Knit, Ruth Green’s simple orange block print dress in an incredibly fine knit, was beautifully reminiscent of the artist Paul Klee.
Lily Kamper
Lily Kamper’s fantastic mixed media pieces used found objects to create pieces of jewellery more at home in the art deco settings of William Morris…
In the M.Phil research section, I came across the wonderful work of Jungeun Lee. Lee’s experiments with synthetic fabrics – creating garments without the need for pattern cutting, sowing, knitting or weaving – reminded me again of the ground breaking A-Poc (A piece of Cloth) and Issey Miyake’s latest venture, 132 5, an “experiment in steam pressed polygons of material” (thanks Fashion Ed, Matt Bramford!). Lee created her pieces by molding hot synthetic fibres into a 3D Structure.
Hurry up! What are you waiting for? Head down to the Royal College of Art before 5.30pm Wendesday 19th January.
Visit the Royal College of Art’s website for full updates on their upcoming in-progress shows and public lectures.
Tags:
2011 Graduates, Aleksandra Domanerskaya, barbican, Cherie Newing, Dee Andrews, fashion, Future Beauty, Gabriel Ayala, Gareth A Hopkins, James Long, Jungeun Lee, Lily Kamber, Matt Bramford, Morgan Allen Oliver, Orschel-Read, photography, Royal College of Art, Ruth Hill, Samuel Membery, Sibling, Sol Ahn, Tariq Mahmoud, textiles
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