Amelia’s Magazine | Lu Flux: playful upcycled ethical fashion design

KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA
Why the name?
I made up the name when I was at my family home on the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland, ask where I collect endless pieces of sea polished glass from the beach. I combined that with my first name Clementine because I thought it was kind of sweet.

Where do you work from?
I used to live and work on a little leaking narrow boat by Springfield Park in north London. But I now have a proper studio in Dalston with a big work desk. Makes life a little easier – less rocking!

You aren’t a trained jewellery designer, so what prompted you to start Little Glass Clementine?
I taught myself to make jewellery so that I could support myself through my degree at SOAS, where I studied Anthropology and World Religions, and I ran stalls at the markets in Portobello and Camden for the best part of three years. Then I became busy restoring gypsy caravans and being a climate activist, but now I am in love with the discovery of beautiful antiques and unusual stones that I transform into sculptural necklaces. I quickly realised that my market is high-end, where my statement necklaces will be recognised as art.

How does showing at Estethica compare with working on a market stall?
It’s a bit like being back in the market, bantering with passers by, drinking coffee and chatting about my jewels. But with a few distinctive differences; there is no reggae playing, I’m not freezing cold, and my prices and pieces have changed – quite dramatically.

How do you put each necklace together?
I arrange all the components on an old piece of black velvet, making compositions out of the different objects and gems until I am satisfied. Then I start weaving them all together and hope very much I can recreate what I had when I laid them out. I only use wire and I never glue or make holes in the objects – so there is always a period while I’m working where everything looks like a big entangled mess. Strangely enough I am never convinced that a necklace is right until about five minutes before it is finished – when suddenly one stone, broach or button will bring the whole thing together.
Lu Flux S/S 2011 by Lesley Barnes
Lu Flux S/S 2011 by Lesley Barnes.

Lu Flux was born Elizabeth Flux, order but gained her delightful moniker thanks to her little brother’s inability to say her full name. She hails from the Isle of Wight, unhealthy “a very lovely quintessentially English part of the UK” and she designs against the grain of glamorous fashion, viagra approved making eccentric playfulness desirable.

How much did working with Bernard Wilhelm affect your aesthetic?
I was interested in the wonderful silliness of fashion before I went to work with Bernhard, but he reaffirmed to me that it is possible to have a successful fashion label without a focal point of glamour and sex. For me fashion is a tool with which I can portray fun and humour in a beautifully crafted, wearable way.

What is the most exciting bit of fabric you have come across on your hunt for treasures?
There are so many! I really enjoy finding old patchwork quilts and samplers where the fabrics have faded over time. I have devoted a whole wall of my studio to floral cottons, so I am quite spoilt for choice yet there is always room for a few more…

Lu Flux A/W 2010 by Rachel de Ste. Croix
Lu Flux A/W 2010 by Rachel de Ste. Croix.

How do you set about creating your more sculptural pieces?
I normally start out by doing some experiments and manipulations with fabrics to see what works on different scales with different weights of fabric. Then I do some more studies and drawings of the fabric until I feel it will work within a garment. Lastly I construct a demonstration version of the garment (a toile) until I feel it is right.

Why is it important for you to be ethical?
I think it is important for everyone to be ethical, in every aspect of life. I don’t think that I can save the world with what I am doing, but I believe that if everyone worked and lived in a more ethical way the world would not be in the state it is in now. In regards to fashion, I passionately believe that a garment can be both beautiful and ecologically minded. I will always retain my original aim to design and manufacture fashion in a way that recognises its imprint on society and the environment but I would not like this ethos to distract from my capabilities as a designer…

Read the rest of this interview and see more illustrations of Lu Flux’s clothing in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, alongside interviews with 44 other ethical fashion designers and 30 fabulous fashion illustrators. You can buy the book here.

Categories ,ACOFI, ,Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, ,Bernard Wilhelm, ,Eco fashion, ,Elizabeth Flux, ,Ethical Fashion, ,isle of wight, ,Lesley Barnes, ,Lu Flux, ,Patchwork, ,Rachel De Ste. Croix, ,recycling, ,Upcycling

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Amelia’s Magazine | Fashion Philosophy Fashion Week Poland S/S 2012 in Łódź: Monika Ptaszek

Monika-Ptaszek-Polish-Fashion-Week-by-Antonia-Parker
Monika Ptaszek S/S 2012 by Antonia Parker.

One of my very favourite collections at Fashion Week Poland this time around came courtesy of Monika Ptaszek, who showed a menswear collection that mashed together a variety of eclectic styles to great effect. Think teddyboy meets punk meets rave meets grunge: the final effect was the epitome of Polish style when it’s done right.

Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek S/S 2012. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Models came with serious attitude, sporting impressive quiffs and pouting with great intent at the end of the catwalk. Androgynous elements such as lace swing tops, swirly sheer leggings and bespoke brocade shoes sat together easily with manly studded details on sleeves and cropped tartan jackets. Colourful floral prints and patchwork hoods were accessorised with chunky woven scarves. I spoke with Monika Ptaszek afterwards at her stand, and was intrigued to discover that her last collection was entirely black. For S/S 2012 she cites the metropolitan man who roams Paris as her ideal customer, and I can well imagine him wearing Ptaszek for Men. Loved it.

Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory

And not forgetting the fabulous brocade shoes:

Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Monika Ptaszek Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory

Categories ,80s, ,Antonia Parker, ,Brocade, ,Fashion Philosophy Fashion Week Poland, ,gay, ,grunge, ,Lodz, ,menswear, ,Metropolitan, ,Monika Ptaszek, ,paris, ,Patchwork, ,Ptaszek for Men, ,punk, ,rave, ,Teddyboy

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Amelia’s Magazine | Fashion Philosophy Fashion Week Poland Off Out Of Schedule A/W 2011 in Łódź: Paulina Plizga

Paulina Plizga by Hannah Simpson
Paulina Plizga by Hannah Simpson.

The last of Saturday’s Off Out Of Schedule featured the work of Paulina Plizga from Silesia, viagra 100mg a graduate of the School of Fine Arts in Krakow.

Paulina Plizga by Hannah Simpson
Paulina Plizga by Hannah Simpson.

Blue smoke, chiming bells and booming bass beats set the atmosphere, but for some inexplicable reason the designer had decided it would be a good idea to dress each model at the head of the catwalk – thereby demonstrating the versatility of her recycled zippered creations, and ensuring that the show took a tediously long time. A garment was carefully removed from one model’s legs and reconvened as a cape on another. Maybe it had seemed like a good and innovative idea in rehearsals but in reality there was barely any light in the smokey gloom and it was a struggle to see what was going on… which made it even more tedious. The looped soundtrack didn’t help matters either.

Paulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia GregoryPaulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia GregoryPaulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga A/W 2011. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Despite this I really liked Paulina Plizga‘s collection, which made effective use of upcycled fabrics to create a patchwork collection with ethics at its heart. It was also a rare example of intelligent and interesting styling: models were accessorised with cobwebbed face masks and bin bags on their feet, tangled threads dangling in chaotic patterns. It had real potential to wow.

Paulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia Gregory

Tighter! Faster! Please! Paulina Plizga is stocked in Paris, Tokyo and New York.

Paulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia GregoryPaulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia GregoryPaulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia GregoryPaulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia GregoryPaulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia GregoryPaulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia GregoryPaulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia GregoryPaulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia GregoryPaulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia GregoryPaulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia GregoryPaulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia GregoryPaulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia GregoryPaulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia GregoryPaulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia GregoryPaulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia GregoryPaulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia GregoryPaulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia GregoryPaulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia GregoryPaulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia GregoryPaulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia GregoryPaulina Plizga ?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga A/W 2011. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Categories ,Bielnik and Elektrownia, ,Eco fashion, ,Fashion Philosophy Fashion Week Poland, ,Fashion Week Poland, ,gothic, ,Hannah Simpson, ,Krakow, ,new york, ,Off Out Of Schedule, ,paris, ,Patchwork, ,Paulina Plizga, ,Podsiadło Ksiezy Mlyn, ,recycled, ,School of Fine Arts, ,Silesia, ,tokyo, ,Upcycled, ,Zips

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Amelia’s Magazine | Fashion Philosophy Fashion Week Poland Off Out Of Schedule S/S 2012 in Łódź: Martyna Czerwinska

Martyna Czerwinska by Cruz
Martyna Czerwinska S/S 2012 by Cruz.

Martyna Czerwinska was first to show on the Off Out Of Schedule catwalk on Friday morning bright and early. Her show was set to an old-school silhouette dance and featured plenty of elegant dresses that would be fit for an afternoon tea dance. Long dresses with inset patchwork fishtail trains were off set by the shortest of shorts, in velvet and patchwork. Men wore dashing patterned shirts with skinny ties and curious pink mountain brooches, but the stand out outfit for men was a dashing mustard zig-zag suit worn with a casual t-shirt underneath.

Martyna Czerwinska by Sarah Jayne Draws
Martyna Czerwinska S/S 2012 by SarahJayneDraws aka Sarah Jayne Morris.

Martyna Czerwinska Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Martyna Czerwinska Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Martyna Czerwinska Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Martyna Czerwinska Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Martyna Czerwinska Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Martyna Czerwinska Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Martyna Czerwinska Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Martyna Czerwinska Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Martyna Czerwinska Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Martyna Czerwinska Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Martyna Czerwinska Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Martyna Czerwinska Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Martyna Czerwinska Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Martyna Czerwinska Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Martyna Czerwinska Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Martyna Czerwinska Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Martyna Czerwinska Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Martyna Czerwinska Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Martyna Czerwinska Fashion Week Poland SS 2012Martyna Czerwinska Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Martyna Czerwinska S/S 2012. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Categories ,Cruz, ,dance, ,Fashion Philosophy Fashion Week Poland, ,Lodz, ,Martyna Czerwinska, ,menswear, ,Off Out Of Schedule, ,Patchwork, ,Sarah Jayne Morris

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Amelia’s Magazine | Fashion Philosophy Fashion Week Poland Off Out Of Schedule S/S 2012 in Łódź: Paulina Plizga

Paulina Plizga S/S 2012 by Cruz
Paulina Plizga S/S 2012 by Cruz.

For her S/S 2012 collection Paulina Plizga was inspired by dance, so leading the Flesh & Bone collection down the catwalk was contemporary dancer Kaya Kolodziejczyk, who threw a series of crazy shapes in front of the unsuspecting crowd. The next models walked at a stately pace, some fast, some two by two or in hand – the back lighting emphasised their tousled hair and their blackened eye sockets gave the classical ballet aesthetic a dark, distressed edge. Paulina Plizga showed us a predominantly white collection with intermissions of grey, ochre and black in a range of textures, from holey knits and ancient lace to patchworked fabrics and reappropriated sheers.

Paulina Plizga SS 2012 by Geiko Louve
Paulina Plizga S/S 2012 by Geiko Louve.

When I spoke with Paulina Plizga after the show she described how all of her outfits are constructed from scraps which she forages from the couture houses in Paris (where she lives) and these are mixed with antique laces that she finds in markets. For relaxation she likes nothing better than to go to the cinema, and so recent viewings of Black Swan, The Red Shoes and Pina Bausch films helped form ideas for S/S 2012, along with the Greek story of Pygmalion, wherein a statue comes to life. This was a welcome second chance for me to view Paulina Plizga’s clever design aesthetics; read my review of Paulina Plizga‘s previous A/W 2011 collection here.

Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Paulina Plizga S/S 2012. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Categories ,ballet, ,Black Swan, ,couture, ,Cruz, ,dance, ,Eco fashion, ,Fashion Philosophy Fashion Week Poland, ,Flesh & Bone, ,Geiko Louve, ,Kaya Kolodziejczyk, ,knitwear, ,Lodz, ,Off Out Of Schedule, ,paris, ,Patchwork, ,Paulina Plizga, ,Pina Bausch, ,Pygmalion, ,recycled, ,Red Shoes, ,Sheer, ,The Red Shoes, ,Upcycled

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Amelia’s Magazine | Fashion Philosophy Fashion Week Poland S/S 2012 in Łódź: Custo Barcelona


Custo Barcelona S/S 2012 by Novemto Komo.

Custo Barcelona has not registered massively on my radar beyond a vague knowledge that it’s a super colourful brand, but I must confess that the Custo Barcelona show, which opened the main schedule at Fashion Week Poland, was a fabulously fun affair. It was indeed a riot of pattern and colour, but according to my esteemed international colleagues this season it was far more restrained than usual.

Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona S/S 2012. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Male and female models marched out two by two in matching outfits before breaking out alone. The collection featured a multitude of different fabrics layered on top of each other, and covered every possible summer garment, from sexy cutout patchwork bikinis to suiting and hoodies.

Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Shoes for women were particularly spectacular with spiked heels like the ridged back of a Stegosaurus, a touch echoed on the sides of swimsuits. The collection featured darling purse belts slung over hips and amazing digital prints that were hard to determine but possibly featured horses’ eyes encrusted with sequins. Embellishment abounded.

Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
I’ve always been partial to a bit of bright and lairy menswear so I particularly enjoyed some of the fab Custo Barcelona suits, with crazy metallic stripes and amazing sunburst patterns.

Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Later on designer Custodio Dalmau himself joined us for a meal in a Polish restaurant. God only knows what he made of the outlandish behaviour of some of the international crew, letting off steam after a long day at the shows.

Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custo Barcelona Fashion Week Poland SS 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory
Custodio Dalmau of Custo Barcelona. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Categories ,Bikinis, ,colour, ,Custo Barcelona, ,Custodio Dalmau, ,Digital Print, ,Embellishment, ,Fashion Philosophy Fashion Week Poland, ,Lodz, ,Novemto Komo, ,Patchwork, ,Purse Belts, ,Stegosaurus

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Amelia’s Magazine | Contemporary Patchwork and Quilting at Papered Parlour with Cassandra Ellis

Papered Parlour-Quilting class
Papered Parlour fabric blooms at the Quilting class. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Since I went to the fantastic V&A quilting exhibition last year I have become somewhat fixated on learning to quilt myself – god knows when I will find the time to actually create said quilts, buy but I’m a major hoarder so I have bags and bags of scrap fabrics lurking in my cupboards just yearning to be given a creative use… the result of encouragement from my mother to make my own clothes during my teenage years. She too has bags and bags of fabric stashed in her loft. Thus it was with some excitement that I enrolled on one of the Papered Parlour quilting workshops, which have been selling out super fast in these thrifty times.

Papered Parlour-Quilting class
Papered Parlour-Quilting class
Papered Parlour-Quilting class

The Papered Parlour HQ is located on a characterful side road just off Clapham High Street, far from the trendy hustle and bustle of east London. It’s a haven of creative inspiration with vast skylights flooding the premises with sunlight. The Papered Parlour Contemporary Patchwork and Quilting courses are run by Cassandra Ellis, a former interiors stylist from New Zealand, long settled in the UK, and currently making a living from her quilting obession. She sells in Liberty and Anthropologie and is available for personal commissions.

Papered Parlour-Quilting class
Papered Parlour-Quilting class
Louise serving tea when we arrived.

Cassandra doesn’t adhere to the modern school of quilting, which demands high prices for complicated patterns and carefully pre-selected rolls of brand spanking new fabrics. She instead encourages the time honoured approach of upcycling fabrics that can be found lurking somewhere in most homes, so all participants were asked to bring along our own fabric scraps. I had a good old rummage and brought along a nice selection of brightly patterned fabrics, the remains of mine and my mother’s dressmaking during the late 80s. I can still remember each dress, so they bear a lot of significance for me, and well reflect my tastes, which as you might be able to predict veer somewhat towards the colourful and highly patterned.

Papered Parlour-Quilting class Cassandra Ellis
Cassandra Ellis

On arrival at Papered Parlour we were all treated to a lovely cup of tea in a pretty vintage teacup, then Cassandra sat us around the large table and introduced us to the basic quilting equipment: a cutting mat, ruler and the all important rotary cutter. Moving around the room we all told stories about the fabrics we had brought with us.

Papered Parlour-Quilting class Cassandra Ellis

One lady had brought a remnant from her wedding dress and the shorts she had been wearing when she gave birth to her first child: the combination of cream embroidered silk and denim sweatshirt material making for an interesting patchwork effect. Another had ambitions to finish off a quilt that her nan had been making and one had brought a shirt that she had bought with her husband on honeymoon, which she laughed that he had since grown out of. Apparently a woman at Cassandra’s class once incorporated a bra into her quilt, and she has also been asked to make a quilt from the clothes of a deceased child, which must have been an emotional project to work on. Another lady with a terminal illness attended her class intending to make a quilt as a last gift for those she loved.

Papered Parlour-Quilting class Cassandra Ellis
Rotary cutter and cutting mat.

Papered Parlour-Quilting class Cassandra Ellis

Cassandra laughed that most people plan to make their first quilt for a friend but often end up keeping it… although they all have to be passed on one day. She also pointed out that even when the same fabrics are used it’s scary how indicative of ones personality a quilt is. Without even realising it my quilt reflected similar colours to the clothes I was wearing on the course, a phenomena that often happened when I was creating print designs at college.

Papered Parlour-Quilting class Cassandra Ellis
Papered Parlour-Quilting class Cassandra Ellis

Cassandra’s aim is to reclaim the art of quilt making as intuitive and non frightening… so we were all presented with easy to follow block patterns (the smaller more manageable parts that make up a whole quilt) to start playing with. Soon enough everyone was knee deep in fabric samples, some of which were provided by Papered Parlour, purchased from a local store called Fabrics Galore that sells Liberty ends of roll. Cassandra helpfully advised those nervous about their colour choices, but naturally I got stuck straight in and was soon buzzing out multiple blocks on my sewing machine.

Papered Parlour-Quilting class Cassandra Ellis

Halfway through the afternoon we stopped to enjoy a delicious old fashioned sponge cake encrusted with lots of fresh berries from Cakesisters of Clapham Common: perfect sustenance for the busy creative bee.

Papered Parlour-Quilting class Cassandra Ellis
Papered Parlour-Quilting class Cassandra Ellis
Choosing my fabrics and putting them together. I could tell you a story about almost every one… that blue one at the bottom with the ditzy pattern is an off-cut of a dress I made when I was 17 to attend my aunt’s wedding. Or now I come to think of it… did my mum make it for me?

One man at a previous quilting class was so excited that he whacked out multiple quilt blocks before being hit by a truck cycling home. Luckily my own hasty output did not predicate the same outcome, though said fella was by all accounts pleased to be kept off work, enabling him to finish his quilting project. Myself? I hope to make my four colourful blocks into a big square pillow… but who knows when I will find the time…

Papered Parlour-Quilting class Cassandra Ellis
My final four blocks.

Cassandra Ellis was an excellent and inspiring tutor and the Papered Parlour the perfect place to kickstart what I hope will one day become a proper quilting hobby. If you too would like to make the most of your fabric scraps then make sure you enrol for the next batch of Papered Parlour classes, which are sure to book up just as fast as the current ones. Follow the Papered Parlour on Twitter for updates. Check out Cassandra Ellis on her Haven Workroom blog.

Papered Parlour-Quilting class Cassandra Ellis

Categories ,Anthropologie, ,Block Patterns, ,Cakesisters, ,Cassandra Ellis, ,Clapham, ,craft, ,Cutting Mat, ,Fabrics Galore, ,Haven Workroom, ,Hobby, ,liberty, ,New Zealand, ,Papered Parlour, ,Patchwork, ,Quilting, ,Quilting Class, ,Quilts, ,Rotary Cutter, ,Upcycling, ,va, ,Wedding

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Amelia’s Magazine | Camberwell College of Arts: Ovo Show Illustration Graduate Show 2011 Review – Upstairs

Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011

The Camberwell College of Art illustration show was by far my very favourite graduate illustration degree show to attend this year… I loved almost everything on display at Ovo Show, troche and they’ve also improved radically in terms of communication and promotion since last year’s Save Our Souls – many of them seem to be on twitter, visit they’ve held a sale of work to benefit Art Against Knives, and they had a wonderful stall where it was possible to buy prints, hand made books and even some knitted creatures by Alice Stanley (like I could resist!)

Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Alice Stanley Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Alice Stanley bear

The folks manning the sales stand were utterly charming and on the case: tweeting me after we met. All the work was well labelled, with a website next to the name. Everyone had a website! Really, I get very excited about these small things. First up: upstairs.

Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Natalie Kay-ThatcherCamberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Natalie Kay-Thatcher
Natalie Kay-Thatcher asked How to Start a Feynman? inspired by Richard Feynmans books about his scientific work. In her well presented wall panel she illustrated the formation of a scientist’s mind.

Cressida Knapp social unrest inflaming
Cressida Knapp ai weiweiCamberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Cressida Knapp Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Cressida Knapp
Cressida Knapp‘s work had already caught my eye online: with a series of images illustrating everything from vikings to spacemen to Ai Wei Wei. She’d also created a series of paper mache heads, displayed in a row.

Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Cressida Knapp
Cressida Knapp Aurora and the Moon Man
Cressida Knapp Aurora and the Moon Man
She’s interested in current affairs, which of course tickles me no end, and I love her dream like illustrations for Aurora and the Moon Man.

Chloe SimosCamberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Chloe SimosCamberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Chloe SimosCamberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Chloe Simoschloe simou_mandrill_2011
Chloe Simos created wonderful portraits of women – with long pigtails and embroidered shawls, with feathered headdress and medallions, with a banjo. Wonderfully patterned in just a few colours. The base of a lithograph worked especially well on the wall. And I LOVE her monkey.

Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Andy BarronCamberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Andy Barron
Andy Barron did bold book jacket designs for some famous novels.

Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Liam Cobb
Liam Cobb did some wonderful designs for Coral City and The Cab Driver.

Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Rosie Chamberlain Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Rosie Chamberlain
Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Rosie Chamberlain
Rosie Chamberlain splashed great swathes of bright colours to create watery illustrations.

Jimmy Patrick Four Riders of the Apocalypse
Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Jimmy Patrick
Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Jimmy Patrick
Inspired by plate techtonics Jimmy Patrick had made a bulging 3D quilt for his final piece, and next door he showed some outlaws on wooden animals, Four Riders of the Apocalypse.

Watch Fault Line up close in this fab video.

Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Sophy Hollington Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Sophy Hollington Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Sophy Hollington
Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Sophy Hollington
Sophy Hollington displayed some fantastic work from the book How the Dead Will Live.

Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Sophy Hollington
Her poster for Mazes was absolutely gorgeous: weird and eye catching. She is a printmaker who looks for the magic in everyday life.

Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-James Cartwright
James Cartwright had done a gorgeous grahpic lino cut for an album sleeve.

Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Harriet Cory-Wright
Harriet Cory-Wright had done some fine line geometric abstracts.

Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Lizzie Scarlett Towndrow Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Lizzie Scarlett Towndrow
Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Lizzie Scarlett Towndrow
Lizzie Scarlett Towndrow works in 3D with fabric and for the exhibition had created a huge bear figure – see the diagramatic drawings of his conception on Lizzie’s blog – as well as a patchwork chair and hanging.

No One Belongs Here More Than You tamsin nagel
tamsin nagel parasitic wasp
Tamsin Nagel worked in fine pencil to create a weird other world, where elephants roam suburbia.

Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Philippe FennerCamberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Philippe FennerCamberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Philippe Fenner
Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Philippe FennerCamberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-Philippe Fenner
Philippe Fenner‘s red and black work was inspired by football teams of yore.

Thomas Slater-happy-hour-at-home thomas-slater-our-beige-world-french-revolution-
Thomas Slater‘s work used minimal colour ways to create bold images.

Camberwell College of Art illustration graduate show 2011-kyle platt
Kyle Platts showed bizarre illustrations, inspired by McBess and James Unsworth. I liked his red man.

Next up my review of the work downstairs at the Ovo Show, held at the Red Gallery.

Categories ,2011, ,3D, ,Ai Wei Wei, ,Alice Stanley, ,Andy Barron, ,Art Against Knives, ,Aurora and the Moon Man, ,Bear, ,Book Design, ,Camberwell College of Arts, ,Chloe Simos, ,Chloe Simou, ,Coral City, ,Cressida Knapp, ,Fault Line, ,Four Riders of the Apocalypse, ,Graduate Shows, ,Harriet Cory-Wright, ,How the Dead Will Live, ,How to Start a Feynman?, ,illustration, ,James Cartwright, ,James Unsworth, ,Kyle Platts, ,Liam Cobb, ,Lizzie Scarlett Towndrow, ,Mazes, ,Natalie Kay-Thatcher, ,Ovo Show, ,Paper Mache, ,Patchwork, ,Philippe Fenner, ,Red Gallery, ,review, ,Richard Feynman, ,Rosie Chamberlain, ,Save Our Souls, ,Sophy Hollington, ,Tamsin Nagel, ,The Cab Driver, ,Thomas Slater

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