Virtual reality

I have a really fun job, in which I research amazing fashion, arts and architectural content produced via 3D printing for a global series of exhibitions.
One such body of work I've come across recently is that of Berlin based collective Pussykrew. With heaps of interesting experience within the digital media, music, VJ sets and animation modelling, their recent 3D printed work makes the hyper real forms from their virtual animations into physical structures.

A fascination with 'tumblr aesthetic' (which I researched at great length last year on this blog) as well as an interest in virtual, contemporary landscape (via a blog I curate) has certainly prepped me to appreciate the work of Pussykrew. Do check out the stunning animation that heads up their website HERE, or read through the documentation of their 3D printed artwork HERE.

Obsessed with what's Modern

About Couture. Many people argue it's importance as a place to celebrate expression: somewhere that the theatricality of fashion still matters, and where the whimsical outfits of a particular house's dreamy imagination can still exist. But something changed in Paris last week at Dior's couture A/W 14-15 show, presented by Raf Simons. Exploring the fantastical nature of garments was certainly a key theme in the collection - but so too was practicality.

The convergence of ready-to-wear with couture (via a constant reconfiguration of historical context) could have been confusing - but it wasn't. With a backdrop of wall-to-wall orchids around the circular, spaceship runway, almost every kind of costume was referenced. From aerospace boiler suits to structured pannier dresses, Dior questioned the notion of modern aesthetics in fashion, and in many ways, took a deep step back as a means of making progress. The pairing of incredible gilded overcoats with basic straight shapes called for a very wearable kind of haute couture indeed, but there was still a strong element of dress-up with some interesting mixes of garment and accessory materials (I particularly enjoyed the spaceman-esque leather gloves, and dresses made out of the kind of material that you'd expect from a space suit).

What was incredibly clear from this show is that all of the times that were referenced have past. With this simple idea brought to the forefront of the collection (as a concept), the show succeeded in delivering a fresh approach to couture design - and somewhat memorably, that fresh approach included making these pieces wearable. In doing so, some of the magical of haute couture itself does feel lost. But at the same time, don't those long and embroidered overcoats look incredible?
images via stylebubble

#PaddlesON

Last night saw the UK's first auction in which Digital Art was available for purchase. In collaboration with Phillips and Tumblr, Paddles On! received a very mixed reaction. With some lots selling for way over their estimate (around the £20k mark) while others didn't even sell at all, the discussion of where this kind of work belongs within the market place continues to develop. After Saatchi and Google +'s Motion Photography (gif) exhibition earlier in the year, the continued tension between contemporary digital practice, traditional selling structures and established institutions is only lengthening this strange in-between time. Changes are certainly starting to take place, and it will be fascinating to watch the development of Digital Art sales.
More on the matter here, which I wrote a year ago.

Sandal Selfie

Sandals and slides have been going on for a while now - and selfies even longer. Put both together and what do you get? An instagram post beloved by those who care about footwear to such an extreme that they'd rather take pictures of their feet than their face. Works for me...

left - right, top - bottom:

Pernille in Stine Goya, Camille Charriere in Zara, Lucy Williams in Birkenstocks, India Rose in Adidas, Marine Guergova in Gurkees and Charlie May in Isabel Marant

3D printing at Topman Designs SS15

I know it feels like a while ago now, but it was London Collections: Men last week in London, and whilst I'm usually interested and involved with the shows themselves, this season was slightly different. Working together with My 3D Twin and Topman, the creative 3D printing agency I work with ran a brilliant project, in which models straight off the catwalk were 3D scanned and 3D printed.

After checking out the technology (more about this in a previous post), we were convinced the idea would run as a fantastic marketing campaign for Topman, whose SS15 Topman Design collection was in question. Not only has this initiative allowed for people who weren't present at the show to digitally interact with the collection, but it also illustrates a step in the right direction in terms of future uses of 3D technology for retail.

Leading British online retailer ASOS has this month announced a project using a similar technique. SIZE ASOS will run as a three day initiative, in which members of the public will be 3D scanned as a way of taking their exact bodily measurements, creating a database of true dimensions which will be used to improve the e-tailer's sizing structure. Whilst the technology is being used differently than how we implemented it for Topman Designs, its clear to see that people are recognising increasing value in the ability to bridge the gap between digital and IRL.

All that's left now is to wait until someone thinks of a seriously game-changing idea that will completely change how we look at the fashion industry on a digital platform. Exciting stuff, right?

 backstage at Topman Designs SS15, some of the 3D printed looks from the collection

Arcadia Missa & Preteen

I'm a freelance writer, and I write about things like fashion, tech and art. When I'm asked to review art shows, it's expected to see something 'new': an interesting new aesthetic, material, or take on a concept usually suffices. Despite all these original visuals, it's kind of rare to actually feel something new. But that's exactly what happened when I went to review 'It Been Four Years Since 2014' at Arcadia Missa with Preteen Gallery in Peckham earlier this month. The initial reaction of "huh?"/"wtf is going on" slowly evolved into a realisation that the work presented in the show was not art as I knew it. At uni, we learnt about 'movements' and about how new, paradigm-shifting shows happened in the art world - yet I have never experienced that feeling of excitement at a show myself. Until now. It's weird, but check out my article on aqnb.com about the show, and if you can, you should go and see it.

http://www.aqnb.com/2014/06/19/its-been-four-years-since-2010-arcadia-missa-reviewed/

flat textures

I've got a real thing for materials, materiality and textures - and I love how these (rather general) concepts can be explored on a flat plane. Painting and photography have a lot in common, and while the internet continues to establish itself as (probably) the most important platform for aesthetic and visual discovery, we're all going back to flat. What I mean by this is that what we see on a computer screen does not have a texture: it stands as a flat image. Despite this, an understanding of lighting, texture and movement can still be achieved. A few weeks ago, my friend Will and I took some photographs of the inner, reflective surface of a photography lighting umbrella. Placed in a totally white studio (a shelf space painted white on all sides), we added some different coloured cards to change the appearance of the otherwise silver material, and the results are stunning.

Along the same lines, I recently came across these incredible paintings by artist Yrjö Edelmann. His magic conjurings of trompe-l'oeil images are deceptively placed in a realm somewhere between reality and fantasty - but the images of his work look incredible on a computer screen. The evident textures aren't entirely dissimilar to the images of some shiny material that we produced, and of course, both share a very particular flatness in contrast to their textures.