the ss1112 range @ PREMIERE

Over the weekend we had the pleasure of being invited to set up a little 'mock studio' in the beautiful Royal Exhibition Buiding, in Carlton Gardens, as part of PREMIERE.  We did a little preview showing of the new ss1112 collection, to be continued....  I am pleased to say it was a great success!  We met some lovely folk, from across the country and (excitedly!!!) will be stocking in a couple of new locations shortly.

For now though, I've got a pop up shop AND fashion show to get ready for.

Ciao for now!

Ellie
Ps: Thank you Leah for the snaps of the show!

A spot of publicity

Nothing like a bit of publicity to spread the good word.  We've been keeping a couple of posts a secret but thought it must be time to divulge!

A spot of light reading here
Plus a good bit of promo here

 Thanks Craft Australia for the interview and Habitus for the interest in our work too.  Seen any other media postings of us that we've missed lately?  Feel free to let us know!

 

Forwards Backwards Top ss1112

You can find us here this weekend, in the open studios section.  There will be a little mock-up of our studio space, so you can drop by and have a chat or watch me hard at work in the surrounds of the stunning Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne.  Don't forget to register- this is a trade only event!

Also I'll be speaking at this seminar for Fashion Exposed.  If you're in the industry register now and come and participate in a seminar as part of [eco]logical.

Invites for the launch of our Spring Summer 1112 to be continued... collection coming soon.  Don't forget to join the mailing list here for your invite, if you are not already part of the online family.

x Ellie

The pot has been brewing.

If you know me, you would know that I like a good cup of tea and a yarn over said brewing pot.  Winter is a good time for such pleasures and day dreams about an impending summer filled with sideways collars and spliced shirts!  Sound like some kind of fancy cocktail to you too?

Fancy indeed I say!  A concoction of unique fabrics and shapes, our spring/summer 11/12 creations have been creeping onto the website.  Here's a couple of previews to tempt the hibernating summer within... 

 

*available as of 7th Sept in our ss1112 Pop Up Store.  

Subscribe to our mailing list here

to be the first in the know!

MELBOURNE DESIGN MARKET SUNDAY 24TH JULY

This sunday at the Melbourne Design Market you can expect to see us flaunting these MüCKE items and MORE!!  Beat the crowds, come early and score a pair of the new MüCKE pantpants with zips- pictured above.  Only 3 pairs available!!!

Inspired r-e-c-y-c-l-i-n-g. made in morocco

235 x 140 cm (7' 8'' x 3' 2''), rag, wool, industrial fibres

190 x 135 cm (6' 4'' x 4' 6''), recycled industrial fibres, rag, wool 

170 x 90 cm (5' 8'' x 3'), recycled industrial fibres, rag 

"We come into the world as sensory human beings, but only a few remain so. Occasionally one’s own creative activity coincides with art, not forgetting the feelings that we have springing from primary impressions such as colours, sounds, tastes, smells and pain. Bit by bit, due to their activity, the senses engender body and soul. The surrounding world teaches the individual to understand his own nature more or less as a detached fragment, and shows the whole from which he comes. Like a rag rug, the ego is made up of pieces and fragments. Human beings find a sense of self through the familiar surroundings of the group, from worldly preoccupations and the landscape around them, finding the material to take form, to formulate themselves"Axel Steinmann / Gebhart Blazek

time to share

Hey there,

I've decide its time to broaden the discussion.  I'm being thrown a lot of info at the moment.  Articles from one side of the info-net to the other...time to share..

Zandra Rhodes, YIELD exhibition, Wellingon NZ.

YIELD- an exhibition looking at zero waste concepts in the fashion industry.  Holly Mc Quillan the co-curator has some interesting things to say about the show here
I'm enjoying this discussion as zero waste is something I am aware of, do my best to consider and incorporate.  Having said that, with all my other limitations in designing, ie recycled material, working with clothing not flat fabric, maintaining a viable re-manufacturing model within these limitations etc it is not my main focus in the design process.  I focus more on putting the 'waste' from my production processes back into the making and designing system.  You can see the latest restults of this process if you make it along to the Sisters Market tomorrow- 10-4pm @ the Brusnwick town Hall.

Haven't yet read this one, but plan to at some point.  I think this is exploring the challenges involved in making it possible for consumers to make good choices when purchasing clothing.  It's a really complex area, one that I struggle to offer any answers to, but that is being discussed more and more amongst those of us in the industry.  I hope to be able to throw some ideas around in this space, though, at some point.

And one more piece to get your noggins thinking.  The thing that troubles me about this article is its as if the writer is hunting for a single/perfect solution.  I'm not so pleased when she talks about the pre-organic farm "not being organic at all'.  If we didn't support farms in transition, then we'd have business going 'out of business' for 5 years or so it takes become certified as 'organic'.  I agree there are issues with the 'recyclable shoe not being able to necessarily be recycled', but I don't think that is necessarily greenwash.  It is inevitable that certain parts of industry will change before the other parts catch up.  We really are still at the very beginning of a a very big learning curve.  Lets stay positive about it and keep the discussion happening.

Signing off for now but see you soon.

THIS IS HOW WE

Forwards backwards upside-down; by MüCKE

 Senorita, brooch; by Emma Grace

From the FRONT: Forwards backwards upside-down #2; by MüCKE When 2 becomes 1; by MüCKE Study of Drapery in Silver, neckpiece; by Emma Grace

From the FRONT: The New Power Generation, neckpiece; by Emma Grace Study of Drapery in Gold, neckpiece; by Emma Grace 1 + 1= a jumpsuit; by MüCKE

I planned to rattle on to you about how magical the whole experience has been for me.  but no.  instead I thought I'd just offer you some visuals.  leaving a little to your imagination.  and. hoping that you'll get to see the show in the flesh. for your own little eyes. possibly invoking some kind of response. from you. from the outside.  and. if not. that is ok too.  regardless. I can confidently say. 

I am happy.

All jewellery and clothing was made using reclaimed materials.
Wearit is on at Stockroom in Kyneton Victoria until Sunday 3rd April 2011

Only open Wednesdays...(part 2)

A picture of the finished dress you ask for... here is a 'not quite there yet' version.  Bit of work yet to be done to make it sit beautifully on the body, but at this point I am loving the shapes just hanging there on the wall (yes a front view Julian!!...but the back is well, dull at this point in time..and I can't hang it sideways)  The one on the right is using the same concept only it's made from recycled men's shirts.  This one is also fun but needs some jigging...I got it on...just.. but got a little stuck trying to get it off..yes awkward..and a little embarrassing...thankfully no-one else was in the studio at the time, so I got to experience that little moment

alone

Only open Wednesdays

 I booked in to do a workshop a few weeks ago.  It looked interesting.  A lady from the studio recommended it too me, said the guy was AMAZING.  So I did. it.  Here I am 5 days later still blown away by the power of such an experience.  Julian was, well, much more humble than his promotional material had lead me to believe.  In fact I was empowered by his openness and willingness to share his ideas.  This doesn't normally blow me away, in fact people have said the exact same thing to me when sharing the secrets behind my work.  But Julian managed to remind me, that by sharing our ideas, we are pushed to find more.  In being pushed to find more, we challenge ourselves.  And that's a good thing right.  I do preach the idea of not fearing this offering, but at times I'm not sure that I entirely trust in it.  It would be true to say that sometimes I loose faith in this mentality.   But I reckon that Julian has managed to make it stick this time.  Lodged it in a place it hasn't been before.  Somehow I feel like he has allowed me the confidence to trust in that idea.  I really do feel it.  Without this mentality as designers  we can hold ourselves back.  Without this mentality we can loose trust in the world to provide us with a playground for learning and interacting and growing better within ourselves. Without it,  there's no reason to be brave and to move forward.  

As I said, Julian appears not quite so humble on his facebook page (!) but in real life he presents a truly inspiring picture of someone purely driven by the desire to inspire, push boundaries, challenge convention (and ourselves) to dig below the surface.  His philosophy goes well beyond the limitations of a designing a dress.  That's what I love about his work.  You could spend hours perusing his site.  Thankfully it's only open Wednesday's.  Yep, one day a week between 10am-8pm, so I can't.  Just Wednesdays.  That way only those who truly want to know what he's up to will bother setting their alarm not to miss it!  Apologies I'm posting this a bit late, you'll have to wait till next week now.

Incredible.  I love a bit of unexpected inspiration.  It's mind blowing.  Hard to put into words. 

Now here's some visuals to help disperse the intensity of all the text...

Haven't you heard?

I have exciting news.  I've been keeping it a secret but word is getting out, so I've decided to fill you in.

I've been working on a show with the gorgeous and talented Jeweller Emma Grace.  

We are quite excited.

In just over 3 weeks we will be launching Wearit, an exhibition and workshop series, run by Emma and myself.  Have you ever wanted to learn how to make your very own MüCKE shirttop, or perhaps you've got a stash of jewellery that's just been lying dormant in the hope that you will one day invigorate new life into it.   Well, that chance has arrived and with a total of 8 workshop dates and times you'll be sure to find something that suits.  That is of course, unless you're in Sydney.  Tell your Victorian friends and before long you may even find us in Sydney offering you the very same gig.  Spread the word.  Share the 'make it yourself' recycled love.

Thanks Jacqui @ a novel idea for fixing up our flyer and promo material.

We L O V E it!

Sweet somethings

Talking about less stuff...I've got a lot more tshirt scraps than I know what to do with so, how about a lovely pair of these to add to your collection?...and help me make some space in my studio.  Its nice to do good things for people and they wont clutter, but they might just stutter sweet somethings in your ear.

Images 1 & 2:  Recycled t-shirt scrap earings.  Waste-tee donut earings
Image 3:  Recycled t-shirt scrap earings. Waste-tee small hoops
Available here and here

de cluttering

I'm of the mind that less 'stuff' makes for a clearer mind.  yet I've never quite been able to achieve, well either of those things really. moments of clarity, sure.  but not a totally

clear

mind.

this year I'm on a  mission to increase THOSE moments.  

so far I've been handing old clothes over to the op shops, cleaning up my computer files and discarding of the stuff that I can't justify holding onto any longer. ie the shoes that I loved for so long that, when I wore them I was walking on the pavement instead of the sole...I dearly hate throwing this stuff out. stuff that I see still has potential.  and is perhaps not quite 'dead' all over, but my head has really run out of S P A C E for the things i know I will not ever get around to 

fixing/reusing.  

  this month i have also started to de-clutter the studio.  after 5 years of, 'maybe that item of clothing will come in handy'  i've begun to move things on to new homes.  i also bought this plant

asplenium australasicum critatum

or 

crested bird's nest fern

-an australian native-
and this op shop plant. 

can you tell me what it is so i can make it happier?

i'm finding them rather inspiring

 as you can see from the pics, the de-cluttering has not yet begun in my office area.

take it one corner or drawer at a time they say.  hopefully in the next pics of my studio you will see clear spaces and less 'stuff'...

cars, bikes, sustainabilty, yasi & another New Year.

Today.  

It's the first day of the Chinese New Year. 

Year of the Rabbit, hippity hop... 

Some of you might feel like you'd like to start the year again.  

I've had good feelings about this year, 2011.  

Double 1's after all.  

Such balance, visual greatness in numbers like that!

  We've already had 1.1.11 and 11.1.11, and how about 11.11.11 yet to come.

Regardless of all that, I still think I had a false start to this year.

Four days ago a car crashed into me,

on my bike*

I was lucky, 

VERY

lucky

to escape with just bruises,

bumps

and some grazes

minus 1

bike.

So, today is a New Year and I'm back at work

again

but I'm not yet feeling 

100%

I doubt whether all the people in Queensland who've lost their homes, or part thereof, to the floods or Cyclone Yasi, will feel its an ideal time for a New Year either.  The list of natural disasters could go on.

Some perhaps will just be thankful to be alive.

I'm definitely thankful, there is no doubting that,

still, 

I think I'll wait and see

how I feel in March.

 Begin the year with the Tibetans perhaps.

Any takers?

. 

*head to this here festival if you're baffled as to why I might be riding my bike around the city in the first place!

Oops I missed it...

Oops I missed November.  

Oh yeah and December too.  

But I'm back. 

January.  

A time for NEW.  A time for FRESH.  IDEAS!  Resolutions!  Aiming high, moving forward and getting better.  Better than what?  Better than before I guess...  So long as I'm moving , well preferably forward but backwards works too at times.  Two forward, one back..you get the deal.  

My goal for this year is to get better at doing stuff and to learn other 'stuff' in the process.  There.  That's vague for you!

Better at promotion and marketing.  

Now there's a thought.  Thanks Peppermint.  You've set us on the right track.

  HAPPY NEW YEAR