AIAIAI, Branko and the ‘Real Booty Music’ project
Described as ‘music made by the booty – for the booty,’ Copenhagen based headphone company, AIAIAI, have combined music and the movement of the ‘booty’ for their new collaborative project
Described as ‘music made by the booty – for the booty,’ Copenhagen based headphone company, AIAIAI, have combined music and the movement of the ‘booty’ for their new collaborative project.
The aim behind the project was to provide AIAIAI headphone-users with a new music, brought to them in a unique way. The Danish audio designers created new, inventive technology that essentially allows dancers to play music along to the rhythm off there rear-end.
From the heritage of bass-driven club culture, where booty-shaking is a fundamental component, AIAIAI wanted to explore if it was possible to change the perception of twerking.
Their creative approach and technology-driven concept allows the music to ‘do the talking.’ They teamed up with producer Branko, from the successful tropical bass band, Buraka Som Sistema. Allowing him to use the movements of buttocks to produce the final product. By using a dancer as his instrument, the final track was created shaped by the dancers twerking styled movements.
At the centre between high-brow and low-brow, technology and music, serious and all together eccentric, this project is all about that feeling you get when you hear a beat and just can’t stop moving. It’s one for the music lovers, and movers.
XIMON LEE : Winner of the H&M Design Award
Recent Parsons graduate Ximon Lee, real name Simon Dongxing Lee, winner of this year’s H&M Design Award is a promising new design talent - and a name to familiarise yourself with in 2015.
The 24-year-old New York based designer that grew up in Hong Kong, China, made history at the end of last month at Stockholm’s annual fashion week as he became the first U.S, and first menswear designer to win the prestigious Design Award, chosen from 400 applicants by an international jury in London.
In a statement the young designer said: "The H&M Award means so much to me at the beginning of my career - I cannot imagine how I'd start my own label without it.” H&M have previously collaborated with international fashion houses including Alexander Wang, Maison Martin Margiela and Isabel Marant.
Pushing the boundaries of menswear with his big cuts, architectural shapes and denim textiles, Lee had previously been noted as one of the New York designers to watch after winning Parsons Menswear Designer of the Year award in 2014. His graduation collection explored the contrast between synthetic and organic textures, inspired by the documentary titled “Children of Leningradsky”.
“Oversized, ill-fitted and layered clothes on these orphans are keys to survive in cold Russian winter. However, the unexpected mixture of materials and the contrast between synthetic and organic textures from these found clothes are pieces of art and love.” Lee said on the collection.
The designer is now concentrating on launching his own menswear label. He takes home the €50,000 prize fund, and gains a period of mentorship which will offer an opportunity to develop select pieces from his line for sale globally at H&M beginning October of this year.
Behind the brand – Bimba Y Lola
Spanish sister’s Maria and Uxia Dominguez have a thing for dogs. So much so that they decided to honor their two greyhounds, Bimba and Lola, and name their fashion label after them
Bimba Y Lola was founded in 2005 in the North of Spain. The modern label launched 90 stores in its first five years of opening and has been rapidly growing ever since. Their greyhound logo expresses the brands dynamic nature and elegance.
The two sisters began their fashion journey working with their father at Sociedad Textil Lonia, which he co-founded. Venturing out, they created their own fashion brand and by 2006 had opened their first shop in Bilbao, Spain.
With their father co-founding a company that distributes clothing and accessories it is obvious where they get their inspiration. With 87 stores in Spain, Bimba Y Lola is a household name; they’ve even branched out to England.
The brand sells apparel and accessories, which evoke the spirit and playfulness of Spain. They take inspiration from nature, film, art and even family, proving that they are a close-knit bunch.
Their affordable, feminine pieces are classic with a hint of subtle modernity, and are aimed at women between the ages of 25-45. Picture classic silhouettes, combined with ribbed fabric, leather or a bold print.
With a young design team, everyone is under the age of 30, it’s easy to see that they are designing for women who want to step out of the typical Spanish Zara zone.
The latest Spring/Summer 2015 collection, ‘This is Tropicana’ uses flashes of neon colours to brighten up statement twin sets. This combined with staple sheer black pieces proves the pieces are not only wearable, but also fashionable.
What's NICCE about LONDON?
Since 2013, the emerging clothing brand NICCE London has been growing and quickly established a name for itself as a trendy London lifestyle brand
Since 2013, the emerging clothing brand NICCE London has been growing and quickly established a name for itself as a trendy London lifestyle brand.
In the following years, NICCE London has focused on it’s modern, clean and simple design aesthetics. They have developed a unique approach to contemporary street wear apparel, especially suited to the buzzing life in London. More importantly, the creative inspiration derives from London’s ever-changing culture, music scene, tradition and art. NICCE London creates functional clothing that’s always breaking the boundaries and maintaining the brand’s ethos.
The clothing are designed for everyone, and NICCE London work with seasonal collections with a strong directional approach towards producing contemporary clean-cut street wear. Name’s such as Loco Dice, Ben Pearce, Yousef and Hot Since 82 are big fans and representatives for the brand.
The new SS15 collection is ready to launch any day now, and the main inspiration behind it is the love of fashion and electronic music by the head designer Mitchel Galvin-Farnol. Looks from the European club scene are incorporated together in this new SS15 collection. Nicce London has already caught the eye of some of the UK’s and USA’s most inspiring young music talent, such as Joey Badass & Wretch32, Jessie Ware, Ella Eyre, and Chvrches.
Inspiration to Wear: The new designers to watch out for in 2015
2014 was an exciting year for the emergence of new talents on the British fashion scene.
2014 was an exciting year for the emergence of new talents on the British fashion scene. From grungy Portuguese label Marques’ Almedia’s raw-edged denim designs, to Faustine Steinmetz’s hand woven pieces, Lucas Nascimento’s knitwear, and Molly Goddard’s pink party dresses that took the catwalk by storm - 2014 brought a plethora of fresh innovative designers to the forefront of our attention, thanks chiefly to NEWGEN - the platform which is recognised as producing the stars of London Fashion Week.
Drawing on inspiration from the youth subcultures of the 90s, from the old i-D magazines and the normcore style of today, Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida - the Portuguese designer duo behind grungy label Marques’ Almeida, are the rising stars of 2014 on the British fashion scene - winning the Emerging Womenswear Designer at the British Fashion Award this year. “Obsessed” with the youth code of raw, effortless and young, the brands main concern is to create wearable and desirable clothes in a way thats fresh with their signature raw-edged denim and grunge spirit.
Since graduating the university of Westminster in 2012, 25-year-old Ashley Williams has taken the fashion scene by storm. Emerging this year as the runway success of Fashion East, pop culture enthusiast Williams’ camp, kitsch and lighthearted designs that see a melange of pop colours with cheeky graphics are more than just the face value, with ideas of great depth behind the creations. Her trademark pieces are the “Happy Ashley Print dress or big red knit jumper.”
Since graduating the university of Westminster in 2012, 25-year-old Ashley Williams has taken the fashion scene by storm. Emerging this year as the runway success of Fashion East, pop culture enthusiast Williams’ camp, kitsch and lighthearted designs that see a melange of pop colours with cheeky graphics are more than just the face value, with ideas of great depth behind the creations. Her trademark pieces are the “Happy Ashley Print dress or big red knit jumper.”
The Central Saint Martins graduate who has worked with Craig Green, Mark Fast and Alexander McQueen, and considers her greatest achievement as being a part of Fashion East, has made a name for herself this year for her unconventional well styled outfits. The London-based knitwear designer says her signatures are “handmade knits, PVC scribble embroideries, and wobbly shapes” with her trademark piece recognised as the “Powder pink PVC scribble jumper from SS14.”
Irish born “youthful and vibrant” unconventional womenswear designer Danielle Romeril brings “edgy and unconventional inspiration to street chic ready-to-wear with her uncanny visualization of style” through a focus on extraordinary fabric combinations and surface details. Her signatures are “details that are routed in craft but have been given a subversive, punk edge.” With her trademark piece “the humble t-shirt, but re-imagined in lace with leather detailing or laced with leather deck fringing.”
Extraordinarily self-taught through YouTube videos, Hong Kong born designer Ryan Lo creates clothes to make girls look “pretty, cute, gorgeous and sexy.” His trademarks are pink frocks, with his ideal client being “a woman who likes to spoil herself.” His signature aesthetic is “emotional. Grumpy. Lolita. Desperate. Selfish. Aggressive. Arrogant. Naughty. Sexy.”
The star graduate of the Central Saint Martins BA course in 2012, which led to a collaboration with ASOS, Molly Goddard is an emerging star of 2014 who is among the NEWGEN designers to receive presentation sponsorship. Inspired by the Spice Girls and Barbie, the newcomer boasts a whimsical, bold, yet fairy-tale-like aesthetic.
Thomas Tait
This years winner of the LVMH Young Designer Prize, 26-year-old Canadian born Thomas Tait is best known for his razor-sharp precision, immaculate tailoring, clever use of volume, and clean, almost clinical approach to design. He describes his signatures as “clean, understated structure with a focus on curve-linear silhouettes.”
Look me in the shoe. Meet designer CHIE MIHARA
A look inside the creative world of Spanish-based shoe designer Chie Mihara
A look inside the creative world of Spanish-based shoe designer Chie Mihara. Delving into the inspirations and stories that inform her unique designs, we reveal the complexity and depth behind her collections.
A household name for her practical approach to shoe design, whilst also maintaining a fun and feminine aesthetic - Brazilian born shoe designer Chie Mihara is every woman’s dream designer, for her comfortable yet creative foot furniture.
Working “in a man’s” industry as she describes it, in order to offer something different, the Alicante-based designer, who launched her shoe line in Elda, Spain, in January 2002, prides her brand on “footwear designed by woman for women.”
Architecture and craftsmanship is at the core the Chie Mihara designs. She believes comfort and design are married together - her designs tailor to the modern, active woman, who wants to look “attractive but without giving up comfort.”
Since her first collection in 2010, the designer has reflected an intrinsic vintage influence, predominantly from the 1970s, an era she describes was a “great decade of expressing oneself and breaking social barriers,” though she draws on various style inspiration, from 1930s femininity to 1980s humour. Her latest eclectic collection is inspired chiefly by Disney, with Cruella Deville, Mickey and Sleeping beauty particularly influencing her designs.
The iconic clean shapes, semi square toes, simple soles and flat bows widespread throughout Miharas designs, display her real passion for the 1960s. We see the 70s influence with the use of irregular lines and geometrical shapes in black and white, as well as metallic suede, perforated leather and platforms.
When creating her collections, Mihara draws on facets of her multicultural background, she believes the Brazilian influence informs the feminine details, the American influence contributes to the practicality and comfort, the Japanese influences the slightly more abstract approach to design, and the European crucially is reflected in the quality. She says: “when you talk about quality, you really are talking about Spain…there is no other place in the world that can make a decent level of quality.”
Each product is crafted with meticulous care, working in a mathematical sense, Mihara plays around with volumes until she is assured it provides optimal comfort. When creating, the designer likes to emerge into her own world of playing, enter into a free spirit and revert back to child-like ways of playing. Seeing each product in its own individual world, Mihara says she does not produce collections, but items.
She says: “creativity is the light of humanity, if there is no creativity there is no life… My personal view is that there's no need to suppress creativity because of social, economic and political factors, because art is the hope of mankind. Without art or creativity, there's no life! So, why limit our imagination? We should grow and prosper to the highest levels!"
The designer derives a variety of inspiration from museums, art galleries and her collection of books on pattern making, packaging design and illustrations that have nothing to do with shoes. She says: “sometimes you find a book with patterns, or flower patterns and it’s the colour combination you’re looking for.”
The truly unique designs emerge out of Mihara’s innovative techniques she practices to find the right compilation of colours. From placing small cutouts of the outlines of shoes on a magazine page to find the perfect palette, to playing around with pieces of leather she has cut in various shapes, to adding straps and ornaments to her feet - the exquisite footwear is born out of her organic creative flare.
Working with the philosophy that the instantaneous emotion felt when a consumer looks at her products is key, and the comfort, quality, and price of her handcrafted shoes are taken into account subsequently, Mihara focuses on channeling her fun loving energy into her shoes. She wants women to visually and emotionally connect with her shoes, which is why when working on each design she believes it is so important to feel genuine excitement which she can transmit that into the product, so women can receive her energy and “fall in love” with her creations.
She says: “if you put passion in something and you really feel that your heart is coming, and you feel so great about what you’re doing, in the end, that product maybe six or eight months later, maybe thousands of kilometres away - somebody is going to feel that same thing you felt.”
Graduating in fashion design at the Kyushu Design Gakkuin in Fukuoka Japan and accessories design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, where she focused on shoes and handbags, Mihara said: “after a few months doing sculpture I really felt the need to have fashion with me, so I thought whats the combination of both things - and for me the answer was so clear - I can just remember now - shoes… and since then i’m so addicted into shoes!”
Mihara says she loves the concept of setting up a new children's line - a challenge she believes will be easy as her collection is “already very sweet.” She sees the Chie Mihara brand expanding and setting up new stores in Berlin and Paris, to add to her Tokyo store and outlet in Elda, Spain.