Flickr

Amelia’s Magazine | Trash Fashion Exhibition at the Science Museum

by


Marie Anne Lynch, more about illustrated by Antonia Parker

This week the London College of Fashion exhibits work from eight of its 2011 MA fashion courses, stomach from photography to footwear. Housed in Victoria House on Bloomsbury Square, where the ON|OFF catwalk shows take place during London Fashion Week, it’s open to the public until 9th February. I went to the opening to see if I could spy some fashion stars in the making.

If you visit, be careful not to walk straight past the main event on the way to the basement – the clothing from the Fashion Design Technology MA is in the foyer on the ground floor. The well-deserved winner of Collection of the Year was Matteo Molinari (his name already sounds like a successful Italian brand), whose all-black menswear collection played with the proportions of sharp suits – a longer sleeve here, a higher waist there – and added crochet and cable-knit elements.


Charlie Goldthorpe, illustrated by Sarah Matthews

Another shortlisted designer, Jo Power showed dresses so long, black and formless I wondered if she’d been commissioned by the Church of England to create ecclesiastical wear. But in reality, Power could be well-placed to ride out a current fad: her brand of monochrome minimalism (save for the odd splash of scarlet red) is, along with Phoebe Philo, Jil Sander et al, the kind on which the fashion world is heaping masses of praise at the moment.

At the other end of the spectrum, Tatwasin Kahjeenikorn’s dresses were so densely encrusted with heavy hematite beads and trinkets they were difficult to lift off the rail. One black sleeveless sack dress was covered in rows of metal components you’d be more likely to find in a hardware shop than a haberdashery.


Paul Beckett, illustrated by Michelle Urvall Nyrén

Paul Beckett experimented with sportswear for men to great effect as tracksuit tops were rendered in leather and silk in muted brown tones. Who’d have thought the midpoint between chav and luxe could be so chic? His collection looks like an ideal portfolio for an interview at Adidas. Equally employable, I wouldn’t be surprised if Miuccia Prada offered Jennifer Morris a job in future – I can easily imagine Morris’s turquoise and blue silk pajama-esque trousers and matching jacket on the Miu Miu catwalk.


Zoe Grace Fletcher, illustrated by Gemma Smith

Over in the Fashion and the Environment MA room, students presented a variety of approaches to solving the problems of the unsustainable and wasteful nature of clothing production. If there was a prize for the best collection title, I would give it to Zoe Grace Fletcher. ‘Britain needs Ewe’ explored the local sourcing route to sustainability, and saw Fletcher learning how to shear sheep and dig for Madder roots to extract dye for her hand-knitted wool dresses. Focusing on clothes that can lead to a more sustainable lifestyle when living in a hot climate, Lu Yinyin took a hundred-year-old Chinese dying technique using yams and mud to create a silk that helps to keep the wearer cool. Lu found that air conditioning, a huge source of energy consumption, could actually be turned down a degree or two when Sun Silk garments were worn.


Paul Kim, illustrated by Karolina Burdon

From the title alone I wasn’t even sure what the Fashion Artefact MA course entailed, but it may as well have been called Fashion Accessories because hats, bags and shoes were the artefacts of choice for most designers. In fact, Charlotte Goldthorpe told me she started on the footwear course before the tutor decided she was ‘too weird’ (her words) and she made the switch. A wise decision, if you ask me, as her standout collection took found objects that had lost their functionality (a broken key, a locket that wouldn’t open) and cast them in spheres of silicon. Paired with traditional shapes like a doctor’s bag and an old-fashioned suitcase in flesh-coloured leather, the collection had a wonderful almost medical feel to it. Also in the weird and wonderful artefact category, Oliver Ruuger took the anonymous bowler-hatted businessman archetype and turned it on its head; his umbrella with a ponytail and briefcase covered in soft spikes and metallic studs are the antithesis of conservative dressing.


Ivan Dauriz, illustrated by Alison Day

All in all, the LCF collections may not be as avant-garde and ground-breaking as that other great London fashion institution Central Saint Martins, but there’s clearly a lot of talent on show at this exhibition. It’ll be interesting to see which of these graduates return to show at Victoria House in the future in its London Fashion Week capacity.


Marie Anne Lynch, drugs illustrated by Antonia Parker

This week the London College of Fashion exhibits work from eight of its 2011 MA fashion courses, online from photography to footwear. Housed in Victoria House on Bloomsbury Square, where the ON|OFF catwalk shows take place during London Fashion Week, it’s open to the public until 9th February. I went to the opening to see if I could spy some fashion stars in the making.


Vesna Pesic


Paul Kim


Oliver Ruuger


Yan Liang


Nam Young Kim. All photography by Katie Wright

If you visit, be careful not to walk straight past the main event on the way to the basement – the clothing from the Fashion Design Technology MA is in the foyer on the ground floor. The well-deserved winner of Collection of the Year was Matteo Molinari (his name already sounds like a successful Italian brand), whose all-black menswear collection played with the proportions of sharp suits – a longer sleeve here, a higher waist there – and added crochet and cable-knit elements.


Charlie Goldthorpe, illustrated by Sarah Matthews

Another shortlisted designer, Jo Power showed dresses so long, black and formless I wondered if she’d been commissioned by the Church of England to create ecclesiastical wear. But in reality, Power could be well-placed to ride out a current fad: her brand of monochrome minimalism (save for the odd splash of scarlet red) is, along with Phoebe Philo, Jil Sander et al, the kind on which the fashion world is heaping masses of praise at the moment.

At the other end of the spectrum, Tatwasin Kahjeenikorn’s dresses were so densely encrusted with heavy hematite beads and trinkets they were difficult to lift off the rail. One black sleeveless sack dress was covered in rows of metal components you’d be more likely to find in a hardware shop than a haberdashery.


Paul Beckett, illustrated by Michelle Urvall Nyrén

Paul Beckett experimented with sportswear for men to great effect as tracksuit tops were rendered in leather and silk in muted brown tones. Who’d have thought the midpoint between chav and luxe could be so chic? His collection looks like an ideal portfolio for an interview at Adidas. Equally employable, I wouldn’t be surprised if Miuccia Prada offered Jennifer Morris a job in future – I can easily imagine Morris’s turquoise and blue silk pajama-esque trousers and matching jacket on the Miu Miu catwalk.


Zoe Grace Fletcher, illustrated by Gemma Smith

Over in the Fashion and the Environment MA room, students presented a variety of approaches to solving the problems of the unsustainable and wasteful nature of clothing production. If there was a prize for the best collection title, I would give it to Zoe Grace Fletcher. ‘Britain needs Ewe’ explored the local sourcing route to sustainability, and saw Fletcher learning how to shear sheep and dig for Madder roots to extract dye for her hand-knitted wool dresses. Focusing on clothes that can lead to a more sustainable lifestyle when living in a hot climate, Lu Yinyin took a hundred-year-old Chinese dying technique using yams and mud to create a silk that helps to keep the wearer cool. Lu found that air conditioning, a huge source of energy consumption, could actually be turned down a degree or two when Sun Silk garments were worn.


Paul Kim, illustrated by Karolina Burdon

From the title alone I wasn’t even sure what the Fashion Artefact MA course entailed, but it may as well have been called Fashion Accessories because hats, bags and shoes were the artefacts of choice for most designers. In fact, Charlotte Goldthorpe told me she started on the footwear course before the tutor decided she was ‘too weird’ (her words) and she made the switch. A wise decision, if you ask me, as her standout collection took found objects that had lost their functionality (a broken key, a locket that wouldn’t open) and cast them in spheres of silicon. Paired with traditional shapes like a doctor’s bag and an old-fashioned suitcase in flesh-coloured leather, the collection had a wonderful almost medical feel to it. Also in the weird and wonderful artefact category, Oliver Ruuger took the anonymous bowler-hatted businessman archetype and turned it on its head; his umbrella with a ponytail and briefcase covered in soft spikes and metallic studs are the antithesis of conservative dressing.


Ivan Dauriz, illustrated by Alison Day

All in all, the LCF collections may not be as avant-garde and ground-breaking as that other great London fashion institution Central Saint Martins, but there’s clearly a lot of talent on show at this exhibition. It’ll be interesting to see which of these graduates return to show at Victoria House in the future in its London Fashion Week capacity.


Illustration by Aysim Genc

Did you know that we’re all buying a third more clothing than we did a decade ago? Yep, cialis 40mg you read that right. A third more in only 10 years. And are you also aware that today’s average household contributes 26 items of wearable clothing to landfill every year? Tallied up, that’s well over 600,000 garments in the UK alone. Can you visualise that waste? It’s A LOT.

The appropriately-named Trash Fashion exhibition is a relatively small presentation with a big message. Be honest, you can’t remember the last time that ‘textiles’ sprang to mind when thinking of world waste and pollution. Something along the lines of ‘oil’ or ‘water’ or ‘plastic bottles’ would be up there; never the words ‘clothes’, ‘dyes’, ‘fabric’. And yet, it’s a big deal. For example, a huge 17-20% of worldwide industrial water pollution is down to textile dye. The truth is that the concept of waste produced by the textiles industry is dangerously underestimated. Fact.


Illustration by Ankolie

Okay, so I didn’t predict a fashion-related exhibition at the Science Museum either. And, in its allotted space, Trash Fashion did rather stick out like a sore-thumb. One also is required to walk through the entire ground floor to actually reach the exhibition, which features steam trains, outer-space and other extravaganzas along with a large population of noisy children. As it was a Saturday, immersed in engines and spaceships, I’m guessing either über-nerdy kids or über-nerdy parents. However, I just used the word ‘über’ twice in one sentence so I’m clearly the nerd here.


All photographs courtesy of Lois Waller/Bunnipunch

Moving on, I learnt shed loads about ‘designing out waste’ in the fashion industry by wandering through. For one, I learnt that an initiative, led by Central Saint Martins, is being developed. An idea that started with a small mat of cellulose being immersed in green tea in order for it to grow into usable fabric. Fabric that is literally living and breathing. It turns out rather like leather and, having a feel of the fabric myself, couldn’t believe that it came from some bacteria bathed in green tea. Weird. Anyway, it turns out that, at this early stage, the so-called ‘Bio Couture’ is way too heavy and gooey to wear and would practically disintegrate in the rain. Nevertheless, it’s a damn-good start – the product is natural, non-toxic and compostable and scientists are working on developing the idea further all the time.


Illustration by Stephanie Melodia

Another part of the exhibition that I found enthralling was a project hosted by the London College of Fashion called ‘Knit to Fit’. It puts forward the concept of ‘Mass Customisation’, something that I could definitely see materialising in the near future. It starts with an individual having a 3D Body Scan done by a special computer that reads all, and even the very intricate, measurements of the body. This information, along with personalised details such as colour and pattern, is then transmitted to a fairly new machine in the textiles world that, before one’s very eyes, produces an entirely seamless 3D garment. No off-cuts. No waste. Considering that fashion designers are known to leave a whole 15% of the fabric they work with on the cutting-room floor, these are absolutely imperative pieces of technology in the movement towards sustainable and efficient textiles of the future. The idea is that, in the not-too-distant future, the average shopper will be able to stroll into a clothing store and have a custom-made garment made there and then that is unique to us and, most importantly, will leave absolutely no waste.


Illustration by Caroline Coates

Without a doubt, the most immediately imposing feature of the exhibition was a large, flamboyant dress, made out of 1000 pieces of folded scraps of the London Metro newspaper. It stood tall at the entrance and its grandeur seduced a small crowd to gather around and take photographs.
In my opinion, however, it just isn’t enough to rip up a few copies of the London Metro, origami fold them into numerous pieces and make a dress – not to wear, but to make a statement. Not to dismiss the skill that goes into constructing such a fiddly garment, or the fact that it DOES make a pretty huge statement. It relates waste and fashion to one another, which is crucial, through something impressive and, ironically, quite beautiful. But it’s been done. I’ve seen countless garments like these, designed for that shock-factor yet completely un-wearable. It’s time to stop representing the problem and to instead turn to the solution – to science. And this, bar the newspaper dress, is where ‘Trash Fashion’ came up trumps.

So, despite being a little late-in-the-day with this one, might not be worth trekking all the way to South Kensington to see this exhibition alone. If you do, time it in with a trip to the National History Museum or the V&A, both right next door. After all, it’s free entry. You’ll just have to hurdle past the children screaming at steam engines and Apollo 10 and I honestly don’t think you’ll regret it.

Trash Fashion: designing out waste is supported by SITA Trust as part of the No More Waste project and is free to visit at the Science Museum in London.

As part of the exhibition, there is an interactive competition whereby members of the public can submit photos of their ‘refashioned’ old garments, before and after, and could land their new design a spot in the exhibition. To upload pictures of your customised clothes go to www.flickr.com/groups/trashfashion

Written by Georgia Takacs on Tuesday February 8th, 2011 11:44 am

Categories ,Bio Couture, ,Central Saint Martins, ,Dress, ,environment, ,Ethics, ,fashion, ,Flickr, ,Knit to Fit, ,Landfill, ,London College of Fashion, ,Mass Customisation, ,Metro, ,No More Waste, ,Science Museum, ,SITA Trust, ,South Kensington, ,textiles, ,Trash Fashion, ,Waste

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | irkafirka illustrated tweets: Nick Hilditch explains

by

irkafirka manflu goblin

Intrigued by a side project by one of our contributors, I decided to get to the bottom of this irkafirka business…

irkafirka: illustrated tweets. “Anything you say may be taken down and coloured in.” What a great idea, how did the project start?
My old friend Chris challenged me to draw a Twitter-inspired doodle a day and post it. My initial reaction was “I don’t have time for this” but the seed was planted, and I decided it wouldn’t do any harm to try it once. The response was instant and we were both hooked.

irkafirka batman joker

Who is irkafirka and why the name?
irkafirka is Nick Hilditch (illustrator, that’s me) and Chris Bell (curator). The name is a Hungarian word meaning doodle. I lived in Budapest for 7 years and speak Hungarian poorly, but its a beautiful word, and I filed it away years ago for future use. Everything about irkafirka came together very spontaneously – the concept, the name, the little dog logo. Everything about it feels right to us.

How did you two hook up and how long have you been in business?
Chris and I have been friends since school, although our lives took us in different directions. It was only through Twitter that we re-ignited our teenage delusions of grandeur. The business relationship is informal – we didn’t start out to make money from the project, we did it for the sheer fun of it. Now it consumes so much of our time and we have such a big audience, we’d love to take it to the next level, but as yet, the means to monetise our success alludes us. One goal we set was to get an irkafirka book published, but we want to get this right rather than rushing into it. We’d love to talk to any interested publishers.

irkafirka horse

How does the technical side work?
Here’s Chris on the technical side: “It’s a clunky-chunk of social-webbery. The website is built on the Fullscreen template for WordPress. Illustrations are taken from TwitPic and posted along with a picture of the original tweet. The illustrations are automatically cross-posted to our Tumblr page. Each new post updates the RSS feed, which populates the iPhone and Nokia apps automatically. We then add a link to the post on the Facebook page, which also carries other miscellaneous nonsense including a gallery of the 200 most recent illustrations, which are pulled from our Flickr picture stream. We also have various pictures on show in cities around the country using the crazy magic of augmented reality. We use Layar and a back-end system run over in Belgium by our dear friends at Hoppala. Best of all, apart from hosting the website everything we use is totally free. We are a pair of cheapskates…”

irkafirka squirrel

How do you decide what tweets to illustrate?
This is the hardest part. The truth is, the vast majority of tweets are utterly banal. It really is just a case of using any means possible to find great visuals, and when I see a tweet I can illustrate I jump straight on it. We look for recommendations from our audience of over 1700 followers, we browse other people’s lists, we search keywords. We do have rules the most important of which is rule 6, “If we stop enjoying it, we’ll stop.” I believe that when a creator is enjoying their work that will come across in the end product, so I’m really just looking for things that amuse me. We also ask that people recommend vivid tweeters to us using the #firkafursday tag, every Thursday. This way, we’ve built up a watch list which occasionally yields results – it’s no guarantee of getting your tweet illustrated, but it almost certainly improves the odds.

irkafirka swedish moon

If you were to chose anything from my recent tweets to illustrate, what would it be? (go on, do me an illustration… or does that count as a suggestion and will therefore be ignored. pretend I didn’t say anything… it’s all subliminal…)
I had a skim through your recent timeline. As is often the case, most of your tweets are either parts of conversations with little meaning out of context, or links. We’re all for wilfully taking things out of context. To this day, one of my personal favourites is “The oven’s broken. I’ll have to get the bloke out”. A very important part of what we do is the element of surprise – we don’t like the subject to know they’re going to get firked. You can commission an illustration, but technically, a commission wouldn’t be an irkafirka. It would simply be a work by the artists behind irkafirka. And it wouldn’t be free.

You try to post daily but of course real life gets in the way… when is an irkafirka more important – what would prompt you to miss a favourite film in favour of an illustration?
irkafirka has become a compulsion for me. If I miss a day, I feel more pressure to make sure I deliver something the next. On a day when I’m busy and can’t see when I’ll be able to produce something, I’m agitated. Usually we try and let our followers know when it’s a rule 5 day (that’s the rule that let’s us off the hook due to other commitments), but I never like to rule it out. My wife has been incredibly patient. A favourite film is a good example of something I wouldn’t miss, though. I’m a bit of an old school cineaste.

irkafirka unicycle

Nick: you used to live in Hungary. Why on earth did you come back to the UK, and what do you miss most about Hungary?
I loved living in Hungary, and I haven’t ruled out moving back. I miss my friends there, the long hot summers and the bableves (bean soup). I came back because I was finding it increasingly difficult to find relevant work. My wife is Hungarian, so we go back as often as possible. People often say “yours is a job you could do from anywhere” which is true to some extent, but to find the work you usually need to get out there and meet the clients. The dream is that one day my work will be so much in demand, I’ll be able to live where I want. So start demanding, demanders.

You also jacked in a career at a digital agency to become a freelance artist. What prompted this move and has it been a success? What’s the best job you’ve worked on so far, and has Irkafirka got you any jobs?
Working at a digital agency was interesting, and I got to work on a lot of great brands. I even helped them win 2 BAFTAs. However, I was there for over 4 years and the work was beginning to feel repetitious. I also wanted to develop my own IP so that I’d have work would that generate an income for me. I didn’t quit because of irkafirka, but it did give me confidence in my own work and helped me build up a portfolio that wasn’t exclusively comprised of other people’s brands. irkafirkas are drawn quickly, in a single sitting, with little or no advance planning, so they’re frequently full of mistakes, but as with great music, I like to think that this is compensated for by the energy put into them. When showing my portfolio, it is the work that generates the most interest. As irkafirka is a significant part of my portfolio, I like to think it’s played a part in all the work I’ve picked up since I started freelancing. The only paid work that’s resulted directly from irkafirka is a side-project for Nokia where we draw illustrations based on comments from the official Nokia blog. It’s too early to say whether it’s been a success, but I certainly don’t regret it, and it’s very hard to imagine going back.

How can someone get hold of an irkafirka print, and which ones would you recommend as christmas presses for specific members of the family?
Selling prints wasn’t initially part of the plan, but the demand was there, so we set up a shop at Zazzle. They’re most frequently bought by the subject, so the market is fairly limited, but we’re looking for ways to make irkafirka-based products with a broader appeal in the new year. The images that make it into the shop are added on the basis that somebody expressed an interest in buying them, rather than because we necessarily think they’re the best works. However, based on what’s there already, here’s my handy irkafirka shopping list that’s surely better than the tired recommendations you’ll find on Amazon.

For your Mum: @BangsandaBun
For your Dad: @BruceandSimon
For your Grandparent: @Whatleydude
For your dirty uncle: @bennycrime
If you find something on irkafirka that isn’t in the shop, and you’d like to buy a copy, just let us know and we’ll upload it. Happy Christmas!

**************************************************************************
Alas, I broke the rules, so I have yet to inspire my own illustrated tweet… although I’m fairly sure that a quick glance through tweets produced in the 24 hours previous to Nick completing this Q&A could have turned up a few goodies (let’s just gloss over the fact that the best was a retweet, okay?)

Best go put the hob on in the kitchen so I can spread them around a bit. (Hob to keep me warm, bloody arctic down there)

RT @PennyRed I am a tiny protesting icicle. A protesticle.

have not left house for nearly three days. or seen anyone. I am a hermit.

pah! I wouldn’t miss it that much, I just went out for food supplies and my face nearly fell off – staying put now

I live in hope that one day I will be deemed worthy…

Written by Amelia Gregory on Friday December 10th, 2010 12:25 pm

Categories ,#firkafursday, ,Apps, ,Budapest, ,Bulgarian, ,Chris Bell, ,Flickr, ,hashtag, ,Hoppala, ,Hungarian, ,illustration, ,iPhone, ,irkafirka, ,Layar, ,Nick Hilditch, ,Nokia, ,Tumblr, ,Twitpic, ,twitter, ,Zazzle

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with photographer Laura Ward

by

Antonia-Parker-The-Herb-Farmacy
Herbfarmacy by Antonia Parker.

We discovered Herbfarmacy in issue 9 of Amelia’s Magazine, buy more about unhealthy and the brand has grown considerably since we last caught up with founder Dr. Paul Richards. Time to hook up with Alexandra, their new marketing guru.

When we first met you in 2008 you spoke of plans to build your brand, what has happened since then?
We have been very busy expanding our organic skincare range: growing new herbs, exploring and researching new products. Doing everything from seed to skin is quite a commitment and something of a labour of love. We have added at least ten new products to our original ten, which we sell in our ‘neo-herbal apothecary’ in Hay-on-Wye and on our website. We also supply other shops both here and abroad – including in Hong Kong, where our products have proved very popular! The Hay-on-Wye shop sells herbal tinctures (under the Postlethwaite’s label), our skincare range and holistic beauty treatments. We also support the work of local artists, and we are currently showing the photographs of Jan Sedlacek from harvest time this year.       

Herbfarmacy2 by KavanStudio  
Herbfarmacy by KavanStudio
Herbfarmacy, illustrated by KavanStudio.
                 
How big is your team these days, it sounds as though it has grown? And are they as talented as they were when we last met them?
Yes, our team is made up of very talented and busy people: Rupert manages the land with Paul, and also does gardening and general maintenance work. Gabriel and Jayne (who has just left Herbfarmacy to take a degree in Photography) record music and make bespoke yurts. Our neighbour David has helped out many times over the years and he has finally given up his public sector work to join us full time, all for the love of herbs! Carol, Paul’s wife, runs the shop and teaches the Barefaced Yoga exercise sequence that we have on the website. Our two beauty therapists help us to develop products from a therapist’s point of view and one of them, Natalie, also holds a degree in fine art and print-making. I have recently joined the team to help promote the brand, so we are an ever expanding team of interesting people…

Why the change in packaging design?
We listened to the feedback from our friends and customers who thought our original packaging was too earthy and masculine. The new labels are much cleaner, conveying the idea of freshness and beauty alongside information about the key herbs. To convey Paul’s vast herbal knowledge we chose the tagline ‘Fresh from the Fields of Paul Richards’ and his signature appears on all the labels. Packaging is kept to a minimum, and we must be doing something right because we were finalists for Best New Packaging Design at The Natural & Organic Awards 2010.

Michelle Urvall Nyrén Herbfarmacy Paul
Paul Richards gathering Mullein flowers, by Michelle Urvall Nyrén.

Are there any particularly hard aspects for Paul, as a man working in the beauty industry?
Paul: I don’t have any problem understanding the active properties of herbs but – not being a devotee myself – I have had to learn more about the mysteries of face masks and advanced skin cleansing operations so that I can get a handle on what ingredients can best contribute to an effective product. I also help out in the Hay-on-Wye shop on Saturdays when I can. Though I have no problem with our herbal remedies and skincare products I find working in the organic and mineral make-up section a bit out of my comfort zone!

Why should men spend more time on skincare? What do you recommend for the unwilling metrosexual?
Whilst men are generally less interested in looking after their skin than women that should not stop them thinking about the health of their skin. A simple cleansing and moisturising regime for the face is sufficient, and we have two creams popular with the male gender – the Starweed Face Cream, which has a more neutral fragrance, and Just Face Cream which is fragrance-free. For those working outside and with heavy physical jobs it is important to moisturise hands, feet and other exposed body parts. The Meadowsweet Muscle Balm is an excellent stand-by for knocks, aches and strains.

Herbfarmacy by Karina Yarv
Gathering herbs on the farm, by Karina Yarv.

What are your favourite flowers and why?
It’s very difficult to choose because we love them all! But I know that Paul has a soft spot for the Marshmallow and Mullein flowers (there’s a photo of him harvesting mullein on the website) – Mullein is a beautiful vibrant yellow flower that makes a lovely oil. Carol loves the visual impact of a field of deep orange Calendula flowers, which produces an oil of a similar beautiful colour.

Do you make any products on the day of harvest?
Our tinctures are made on the day of harvest, as are some of our ingredients. Hypericum (St John’s Wort) and Starweed (Chickweed) oils are made from fresh herbs. All other herbs are harvested and dried immediately in our purpose-built Drying Shed.

Can you tell us a little known fact about any of the plants that you use?
Burdock – which features in our Whole Body Lotion and of course the Dandelion & Burdock tincture – is grown widely as a vegetable known as gobo in Japan. In fact we grow a Japanese variety, and we have occasionally had enquiries from Japanese restaurants about growing burdock for them.

Lisa-Stannard,-Herbfarmacy,-Ginko&Echinacea
Echinacea by Lisa Stannard.

How is the organic and ethical skincare industry changing? What have been the most obvious shifts over the years?
The organic and ethical skin care industry has matured rapidly over the last two or three years with the expansion of the use of recognised symbols that guarantee the organic, natural and ethical integrity of products. However, the term ‘organic’ still has no legal status in skincare as a trade description – the result is that a number of high profile brands have appeared with pseudo organic names that exploit this loophole, and through using cheap ingredients they are able to give the impression that you can buy organic products for next to nothing. The organic industry is working hard to tackle this and I would emphasise the need to read labels properly and check the authenticity of products.

Herbfarmacy by Matilde Sazio
Herbfarmacy by Matilde Sazio.

Top tips for living a “balanced, not boring” lifestyle?
Paul: Balance is definitely the key – eat a balanced but varied diet, keep your body hydrated and well exercised, and make sure you take time to nurture mind and spirit. But forget a fanatic adherence to strict regimes that creates obsessional behaviour which is a long way from balanced.

What are your current favourite products and why?
One of Paul’s favourite products is the Mallow Beauty Balm – the pure herbal oils melt into the skin to give ultra-rich moisturising with a fabulous aroma. We have recently introduced Mullein flower oil into this product to smooth fine lines – and are also in the process of adding this oil to a new lip balm to help soothe cold sores. Carol’s favourite products are Just Face Cream, which is a great everyday moisturiser that suits her (mature) skin and Skin Rescue Balm. She loves the pungent aroma of Marshmallow, Calendula, Chickweed and Comfrey when she use it on her cuticles and as an intensive treatment to prevent dryness and cracking on the heels of her feet.

Herbfarmacy try-me pack
Herbfarmacy try me pack face
The Try-Me GIft Pack contains beautifully packaged pots of Organic Rose Oil, Whole Body Lotion, Luxury Foot Cream, Working Hands Cream and my personal favourite – Starweed Face Cream. Since Christmas is soon to be upon us I asked Herbfarmacy what they recommend as ideal presents:

For The Boyfriend – the Basic Maintenance Pack for Men contains everything a man could need: Nourishing Body Oil, Luxury Foot Cream (winner of the Natural Health Beauty Awards 2009, Working Hands Cream and handmade Herbfarmacy soap.

For Mums and Aunties – we recommend the Divine Face Pack or Replenish Gift Packs which each contains the full works for the face. For a smaller gift try the Complete Skin Cleanse Pack, which offers everything to cleanse and tone the skin and includes a Dandelion and Burdock Tincture, which is a great internal cleanser for the liver and kidney tonic – ideal for the Christmas season!

For an Active Girl – the Totally Balmy pack is a great rescue kit for after the gym – featuring a great after-shower moisturiser, a muscle balm for any aches and pains and a skin rescue balm.

For Grandad – try our Meadowsweet Muscle Balm which is gently warming, along with our Just Face Cream, which can be used after shaving and to combat the effect of cold wintry weather on the skin.

Some of the gift packs are exclusive to the Herbfarmacy shop and our website… so please do visit us!
Laura Ward Reeds
Reeds

Laura Ward has both striking portraits and moody black and white landscapes in her portfolio, physician but what initially drew me to her work was her ‘mirror’ set on Flickr. It’s a very low-key selection of random and sometimes a bit blurry shots, viagra 40mg taken in a plethora of shiny surfaces. The photographer is always in the picture, half-hidden behind the camera, and you can practically hear her going ‘ooooh, shiny!’ as she goes for a quick snap in a car mirror, shop window or water-stained bathroom.

But don’t get me wrong – Laura takes ‘proper’ photos too. This includes some really excellent portraits, skillful and professional but always with a slight quirk. Then there are the airy landscapes and the soft, abstracts shots of female figures, not to mention the surprising plays with layers and light. Laura’s list of exhibitions, past, present and future, demonstrates that this girl isn’t just talented, she also has drive and passion in spades. I think we will be hearing more from Laura – lots more.

Laura Ward Self 2
Self-portrait

Your new exhibition with photography group Effra FC is showing now in Camberwell. Tell us a little about Effra please.
Effra FC is a South London collective of photographers, with varying levels of skill and styles, who meet once a month in a local pub. Over the last few years it’s grown from a handful of strangers into a 90+ group. Effra has favoured low-fi (ie free) techniques to show work in the past. Mark from Sun and Doves invited us to put on our first professional show and 16 members opted in. It’s a wonderfully eclectic group of people who don’t take Effra FC too seriously. I think that is what makes it work. I’m really proud to be a part of it.

Laura Ward Ponies Effra FC
Ponies, on show now with Effra.

Effra started as a Flickr group. It seems to me everyone who uses Flickr adores this site. What is it about this site that resonnates so strongly with its users?
The simplicity of Flickr is one of the reasons that we’re all photographers now. I remember the excitement of taking my pictures out of a static website and having this new interactive audience at my fingertips. Having strangers comment on your work is a thrill. It’s also a huge source of inspiration and reference as it’s saturated with so many impressive photographers and ideas.

Laura Ward Self 1
Self-portrait

Your CV of photography exhibitions is impressive. Could you tell us about a favourite project please?
Thank you. I tend to favour projects that take me out of my comfort zone. That said, my favourite project is one called ‘Unthought’. I work on images collaboratively with Belgian photographer Stefan Vanthuyne. We don’t discuss how we do it and quite often it doesn’t work, but that is part of the process. Photography can be very isolating, so ‘Unthought’ is a very happy friendship. I also worked on ‘The Apollo Project’ with Jonny Hughes where we took over a shop for a month and turned it into an art/music venue. I could write a book about that month, so that was definitely significant. As soon as those doors opened, it belonged to the community.

Laura Ward Unthought
Unthought

Your previous show was the group exhibition ‘Send me a postcard darling’. What was the thought behind this, and how did you get the enchanting Melissa Auf Der Maur to participate?
I decided to book The Red Gate gallery in South London with the aim of doing something similar to shows in Nottingham and New York. SMAPD evolved into its own little thing thanks to the people that got involved. Postcards are such an accessible format for everyone to produce but it’s a size that can challenge you. A couple of established artists commented on how difficult the format was to work with. I remember seeing one of Melissa’s photographs many years ago which I was really drawn to. It was a self portrait called something like ‘When I’m sad, my nose bleeds’. She’s so supportive of creative projects like this so I just asked her. Having established artists like Melissa Auf der Maur, Chad Van Gaalen and John Riordan means more people might come along and take a look at the work of home studio heroes.

Laura Ward Autumn
Autumn

Is there a new project coming up which you can tell us about?
I’ve started planning a new project which is partly inspired by the film ‘The Double Life of Véronique’. At the moment it’s a portrait series of 10 people who lead double lives, or those who do one thing to fund something else. I’m really interested in layers and mystique in subjects and they’ll probably be multi-exposed. I’m also hoping that 2011 takes me out of my comfort zone, which is why I’m taking part in Sonny Malhotra’s ProAm Project.

You have an international background. Do you consider London your home? How does taking photos around London compare with photographing other places?
I’m 32 now and having lived in so many places, I can make anywhere feel like home but London is the one place I feel comfortable. I like diversity, uncertainty and the fact that I have friends from all over the world in the same place. I live in Herne Hill which is a wonderfully friendly little melting pot of the best of all worlds and I can’t help but take photographs of it. That said, I need to get out of it fairly regularly to be able to appreciate it. I’ve done very little London life photography this year and I’d like to get back into it.

Laura Ward She Makes War
She Makes War

Your website and Flickr stream has an impressively wide range of photos and styles. You have these amazing, intense portraits as well as the really fun, playful stuff. What kind of photography is your favourite?
I’ll take photographs of almost anything I prefer an element of surprise and untidiness. I don’t really favour studio lighting, and I try not to plan too much. My favourite kind of picture is a soft abstract female shot. I love Francesca Woodman’s work so if I could take more images akin to hers, I’d be happy. Though I’d never want to rip her off.

I really love the set of pictures taken in mirrors and shiny surfaces! But tell me, what’s the deal with these pictures?
It’s the depth, layers and the light! Puddles, mirrors, windows are so much fun. Taking photographs through layers is also great, whether it’s a layer of plastic, water, and even cling film. Despite having Photoshop, I use these pre-digital techniques all the time.

Laura Ward Mirrored
Mirrored

How did you get into photography? What is it you love about it?
I have absolutely no formal training. I started in my teens when my parents allowed me to go travelling to Italy on my own and my dad gave me a Pentax. I was still hoping to be a decent writer back then, but I quickly realised that taking pictures was much easier. I can never find the right words.

What do you do when you’re not taking pictures?
I’ve worked for charities for many years now. My day job is very much focused on numbers and organising – analysis, strategies, reporting, reconciliation and fulfilling appeals. I definitely get a kick out of working both sides of my brain but it’s not easy managing creative projects and having a day job. Having said that, I don’t think I could do one without the other.

Laura Ward’s work is showing now with Effra FC – on until 25 January at the Sun and Doves,61-63 Coldharbour Lane, Camberwell, London SE5.

Written by Jessica Furseth on Wednesday December 1st, 2010 9:25 am

Categories ,Camberwell, ,Chad Van Gaalen, ,Effra FC, ,Flickr, ,Francesca Woodman, ,Herne Hill, ,John Riordan, ,Jonny Hughes, ,Laura Ward, ,london, ,Melissa auf der Maur, ,Pentax, ,photography, ,ProAm Project, ,Send me a postcard darling, ,Sonny Malhotra, ,Stefan Vanthuyne, ,Sun and Doves, ,The Apollo Project, ,The Double Life of Véronique, ,The Red Gate Gallery, ,Unthought

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with photographer Shannon Natasha

by

teebs

Flying Lotus seems to be a man that can do no wrong at the moment. His latest album, ambulance Cosmogramma, viagra was met with resounding praise from critics across the globe and his new EP, visit this site Pattern + Gridworld, looks set to enjoy the same success. In addition to his personal prominence at present, FlyLo’s Brainfeeder label is enjoying similar notoriety due to some inspired signings that are taking hip hop production to dizzying heights. His latest offering, Teebs, is likely to increase the LA label’s popularity even further.

Teebs, real name Mtendere Mandowa, is a 23 year old Californian beat maker who is about to unleash his inspired debut album, Ardour, this month. The elegant piano flourishes and spellbinding harps are closer to the works of Caribou and Bonobo than they are to the works of fellow label mates and beat purveyors Gaslamp Killer and Lorn. This is an album so understated and mystifying that label owner Flying Lotus refers to it as “like an island vacation. The way Avatar looks.” Radio 1 DJ Mary Anne Hobbs has been heaping praise upon it during her weekly show, calling it “a unique and tender magic.”

The Chino Hills native began producing his own music after he tore his Achilles tendon during a skateboarding accident. Due to the fact that he was not physically able to pursue one of his passions, he simply decided to replace it with another. “I was out for half a year and just made music and art during that time,” says Mandowa. “That’s when I just got stuck, since I got the same feeling I did when I was skating.”

Soon, Teebs’ creations took on a life of their own and resulted in the producer making regular trips to Los Angeles to perform at Low End Theory, the experimental hip hop haven that has produced the likes of Daedelus and Shlohmo. “Low End was the Mecca,” advises the young producer. “I think it still is for a lot of artists coming up in the LA area. It’s freedom in the purest form. Anything goes there as long as it has its own honest feeling to it.” 

It didn’t take long before Flying Lotus became aware of Teebs’ talents and the pair forged a friendship through their similar philosophies about what hip hop should music could be. Says Mandowa: “After a few visits to his old place in the valley and a beat CD that I passed over to him, Lotus just texted me and it read something like, ‘So whatsup, will you join us?’”

This seems like a fairly informal way to score a record deal, but Teebs’ attitude in general tends to give the impression that he takes everything in his stride and tries not to force anything too much. This may just have worked in his favour as his debut album, named after his preferred digital audio workstation, easily ranks as one of the most ambitious releases on Brainfeeder to date.

Despite the fact that Teebs’ first album sounds like a focused collection of works that were meticulously threaded together, he is happy to confess that none of it was intentional. “It’s definitely just a collection of tunes that I pulled together after I was asked to make a record,” confesses the 23 year old. “I never thought my music would get pressed or that I would ever really put stuff out seriously until I got on Brainfeeder. It was a strange feeling like, ‘Oh I need to make this work as a single record now.’”

Ardour is out now on Brainfeeder.

teebs

Flying Lotus seems to be a man that can do no wrong at the moment. His latest album, thumb Cosmogramma, site was met with resounding praise from critics across the globe and his new EP, Pattern + Gridworld, looks set to enjoy the same success. In addition to his personal prominence at present, FlyLo’s Brainfeeder label is enjoying similar notoriety due to some inspired signings that are taking hip hop production to dizzying heights. His latest offering, Teebs, is likely to increase the LA label’s popularity even further.

teebs_ardour_cover

Teebs, real name Mtendere Mandowa, is a 23 year old Californian beat maker who is about to unleash his inspired debut album, Ardour, this month. The elegant piano flourishes and spellbinding harps are closer to the works of Caribou and Bonobo than they are to the works of fellow label mates and beat purveyors Gaslamp Killer and Lorn. This is an album so understated and mystifying that label owner Flying Lotus refers to it as “like an island vacation. The way Avatar looks.” Radio 1 DJ Mary Anne Hobbs has been heaping praise upon it during her weekly show, calling it “a unique and tender magic.”

The Chino Hills native began producing his own music after he tore his Achilles tendon during a skateboarding accident. Due to the fact that he was not physically able to pursue one of his passions, he simply decided to replace it with another. “I was out for half a year and just made music and art during that time,” says Mandowa. “That’s when I just got stuck, since I got the same feeling I did when I was skating.”

Soon, Teebs’ creations took on a life of their own and resulted in the producer making regular trips to Los Angeles to perform at Low End Theory, the experimental hip hop haven that has produced the likes of Daedelus and Shlohmo. “Low End was the Mecca,” advises the young producer. “I think it still is for a lot of artists coming up in the LA area. It’s freedom in the purest form. Anything goes there as long as it has its own honest feeling to it.” 

It didn’t take long before Flying Lotus became aware of Teebs’ talents and the pair forged a friendship through their similar philosophies about what hip hop should music could be. Says Mandowa: “After a few visits to his old place in the valley and a beat CD that I passed over to him, Lotus just texted me and it read something like, ‘So whatsup, will you join us?’”

This seems like a fairly informal way to score a record deal, but Teebs’ attitude in general tends to give the impression that he takes everything in his stride and tries not to force anything too much. This may just have worked in his favour as his debut album, named after his preferred digital audio workstation, easily ranks as one of the most ambitious releases on Brainfeeder to date.

Despite the fact that Teebs’ first album sounds like a focused collection of works that were meticulously threaded together, he is happy to confess that none of it was intentional. “It’s definitely just a collection of tunes that I pulled together after I was asked to make a record,” confesses the 23 year old. “I never thought my music would get pressed or that I would ever really put stuff out seriously until I got on Brainfeeder. It was a strange feeling like, ‘Oh I need to make this work as a single record now.’”

Ardour is out now on Brainfeeder.

Shannon_Natasha_children

Take a look at Shannon’s website, online her Flickr or Tumblr, abortion and you’ll get to peek into a world of ‘almost’ – almost grown up, almost ready, almost on your way. I feel I should apologise to Shannon in case that sounds patronising, but I mean this in the best way possible. Looking at Shannon’s photos brings back a feeling of being on the verge, excited and nervous at the thought of everything ahead. Right now, the 17–year-old is finishing her high school exams at home in Australia, and has to choose whether to go on to study photography full time or do something else. Almost entirely self-taught, she’s worried that taking her photography to a more professional level could take the fun out of it. But for one more summer, in a place infinitely more sunny than Britain, she is still free to roam around with friends and her camera.

Shannon_Natasha_selfportrait
Shannon Natasha: self portrait.

Shannon’s photos have a fresh and uninhibited feel, with a playful and sometimes dreamy streak. As her self portrait demonstrates, she knows a thing or two about technique and lighting too, and a browse through her work shows she has a good eye for intriguing detail. I think this is what they mean when they talk about talent.

What is it that you love about photography?
I love having the ability to focus on different points, pinpointing something specific you want people to be drawn to. I love creating stories and dreams in my photos, documenting events and recording emotions. I love being able to alter reality, spinning it whichever way I feel.

Shannon_Natasha_untitled

What sparked your interest in picture-taking?
I’ve actually had an interest in cameras since I was very young, receiving my first one as a birthday present when I was about five. I really developed my love for photography around the age of 14, and I delved further into the art by purchasing my first DSLR camera last year. This gave me much more manual freedom, which I had desired for so long. Previous to this I would often borrow the DSLRs from my school, or use my friend’s. I also used film SLRs. I’m mainly self taught, although I did learn a little more in choosing digital photography as an elective at school two years ago.

Shannon_Natasha_CF_VII

You have some great fashion-themed shots in your collection, but my favourites are probably the more ‘quiet’ photos, such as the wire hanger and the rose-painted doorknobs. Which style of photography do you like best?
My favourite shots are often the simple ones, although my different styles of photos all appeal to different parts of me. I love fashion and that’s why I love taking fashion shots. I also adore story telling, the ability to evoke emotion in others through art, and sometimes just having something pretty to look at, something that will sweeten my eyes and hopefully the eyes of others who see my photos. This is one thing I love about taking photos as a hobby, I take them for me. I don’t have any photos that other people have dictated.

Shannon_Natasha_hang_on
Hang on

You seem to be doing more and more fashion shoots. Is this the direction you’d like to go as a photographer?
I don’t think I could ever decide on one direction. I’m definitely interested in shooting fashion but I’d never want to limit myself. One thing I love about photography is the freedom and having the ability to capture my own visions. Sometimes I may have the intention of shooting a fashion-styled set of photos and end up getting carried away with more abstract or conceptual shots.

Shannon_Natasha_i_see_the_light_surrounding_you
I see the light surrounding you.

From where do you draw inspiration? Who are your favourite photographers?
I often draw inspiration from magazines, websites like Tumblr, amazing artists on Flickr and in the world, through music, through relationships, books and my family and friends. Many of my favourite photographers are not necessarily world-renowned. I absolutely love work by Alison Scarpulla, Jeannine Tan, Mary Robinson, Muszka, Tamara Lichtenstein, Nirrimi Hackanson and Evan Hawke. Their photos just catch my breath.

Do you spend a lot of time getting the settings and light right, or is it a more impulsive process? Do you do much post-production?
It’s becoming much more impulsive now, although I do remember when it would take me four or five shots to get the settings right. Now it only takes one or two. Crazy weather in Australia, when the sun can’t make up its mind, doesn’t help. I don’t edit much if I’m shooting fashion or would like the photos to look more realistic, but if I’m going for something a little more magical I tend to spend a bit of time editing.

Shannon_Natasha_140410

With school over, what’s your plan?
The next thing for me will be university or possible an art college, where I will major in photography. At the moment I’d like to do both photography as well as something like law or psychology, but I may not even pursue photography in future study. I enjoy it very much as a hobby, so pushing money and survival into the equation may take some of my love from photography and replace it with nerves and fear which would ultimately be negative.

Shannon_Natasha_black

Other than photography, what makes you happy?
Other than taking photos, my passion is dancing. Mainly hip hop. Definitely dancing.

Follow Shannon Natasha on twitter here.

Written by Jessica Furseth on Friday November 12th, 2010 2:37 pm

Categories ,Alison Scarpulla, ,australia, ,Evan Hawke, ,Flickr, ,Jeannine Tan, ,Mary Robinson, ,Muszka, ,Nirrimi Hackanson, ,photography, ,Shannon Natasha, ,Tamara Lichtenstein, ,Tumblr

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Colourful Coffins become a Happy Journey

by

Colourful Coffins Lesley Barnes Thereza Rowe Abigail Daker
Colourful Coffins Lesley Barnes Thereza Rowe Abigail Daker
Colourful Coffins from Lesley Barnes, about it Thereza Rowe and Abigail Daker.

A couple of weeks ago, pharmacy while playing around on twitter, thumb I saw a link posted by Thereza Rowe for a site called www.colourfulcoffins.com. Intrigued (colourful and coffin not usually being words which go together) I took a look. The site featured eco-friendly coffins which had been customized using stock images and Thereza had discovered it when her husband – driving back from Oxford – had spotted a sign saying ‘colourful coffins’ and requested that she google it to see what it was all about.

Kate Slater colourful coffins
A Colourful Coffin by Kate Slater.

A conversation between Thereza, Lesley Barnes and myself then followed which turned into a far more serious discussion about how we would go about creating our own designs. With just a few tweets and a few more emails, the Happy Journey Collective was born. Other artists were invited to participate, given a ‘final destination’ box template to work around and their submissions have been added to the Happy Journey website which was set up by Thereza and features a banner design by Simon Wild. Excitingly, the website launched today!

Colourful Coffins uberkraaft
A Colourful Coffin by uberkraaft.

The great thing about the work submitted to the project so far is that all the contributing artists have created colourful and idiosyncratic pieces. Choosing an appropriate casket is a difficult task for anyone and the aim of the project is to provide a positive and eco-friendly alternative to the more traditional options.

For further information about the project, please contact us. This is an ongoing project and new work will be uploaded regularly; to view participating artists work, please check the website. Any artists wishing to get involved should visit the ‘Get involved’ page on the website, which contains details about the flickr group for open submissions to the project.

Written by Abigail Daker on Friday April 30th, 2010 4:01 pm

Categories ,Abigail Daker, ,Amelia’s Anthology of Illustration, ,Colourful Coffins, ,Eco-friendly, ,Flickr, ,Happy Journey Collective, ,Kate Slater, ,Lesley Barnes, ,Open brief, ,Oxford, ,Simon Wild, ,sustainable, ,Thereza Rowe, ,uberkraaft

Similar Posts: