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.  

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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...