Posted by Penny Cropper on August 24, 2010
As part of the Melbourne Spring Fashion Festival, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image will be screening a controversial documentary on the life and work of Yves Saint Laurent, the last documentary to portray the couturier at work.
Director Olivier Meyrou’s film, Célébration, was banned in France because it was considered too biting, but will be showing at Melbourne’s Federation Square during August and September as part of the ACMI’s season of documentaries celebrating fashion from around the world, titled Fashion Icons on Film.
Made of a two-year period and following Sain Laurent’s working and private life, the film reveals the man behind the legend, digging deeper than the designs that made him an icon, to expose a tortured artist and a fragile man.
Check the ACMI’s website for more info and don’t miss this fascinating film delving into an extraordinary, mysterious man.
melbourne spring fashion festival, celebration, yves saint laurent, fashion icons on film, ACMI
Posted by Audrey Lee on August 20, 2010
Last Wednesday night saw the launch of Paddington Alive at The Australian Centre for Photography. We stopped by to get an eyeful of local art and design, including Robyn Beech's London Calling, Zeitgeist Becomes Form curated by German fashion photographer, F. C. Gundlach, and The Birthday Suit, a clothing label by Sydney artists Técha Noble and Emma Price of The Kingpins. Australian fashion with a splash of red was the name of the game here, with guests conforming to the event’s dress code.
In its second year as part of the Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival, Paddington comes “alive” in this six-day public event to recognise the local talents and celebrate the cultural diversification that has made it the fashion hub of Australia. The festival has an awesome line up all ready to be consumed and relished by both the young and young at heart. Highlights include the Fringe Bar Emerging Designer Market dedicated to a new generation of works from rising fashion cats in the local scene, and the William Street Laneway Festival, which features an array of its unique boutiques and champions the fashion and music community – and that’s only a tiny fraction of the itinerary.
Paddington Alive runs until August 28. Visit their website for an official list of events that runs throughout the festival.
paddington alive, the australian centre for photography, london calling robyn beech, zeitgeist becomes form, the birthday suit, rosemount sydney fashion festival
Posted by Penny Cropper on August 17, 2010
One of our newer Surry Hills favourites and sister store to the most highly excellent Paris Texas, Bourke street shop The Candy Store is turning one this September and sure has picked a great way to celebrate. They’re introducing a bunch of new labels to the store, having handpicked them from Fashion Week earlier this year, with standouts including Karla Spetic, Ellery, Konstantina Mittas and Micahel Lo Sordo.
Candy Store and Paris Texas owner Annette Verrusio has been fostering young Australian design talent for years with this kind of thinking, and we hope she keeps at it.
Check the website and blog for news on how the they’ll be celebrating the introduction of these up-and-comers to their stable.
candy store, paris texas, surry hlls, annette verrusio, karla spetic, konstantina mittas, ellery, michael lo sordo
Posted by Petra Zlatevska on August 17, 2010
A Nevada boy at heart, photographer Just Loomis´career has taken him to New York, via Milan. In between photographing shoots for Harpers Bazaar and snapping various music icons, including Madonna in the early 80s, he met the man who would take him on as an assistant and, in the process, became a life-long friend: Helmut Newton. Spanning more than thirty years, Just´s body of work- ethereal portraits of characters that embody the hopes and broken dreams of the American way of life - are now published for the first time in As We Are by Hatje Cantz. In an Australian exclusive, we talked to Just about what inspires him and his work as he shares some of his personal archive with us. Check out the gallery Just hand-picked exclusively for Kluster.
Covered: Working with Helmet Newton, understanding American history and observations of Australia.
Petra Zlatevska: As We Are documents more than just 30 years of your career accomplishments – a career producing images that reflect the Zeitgeist of American society. June Newton was quoted as saying, “No one is doing Americana like Just”. Do you consider yourself a photographer naturally drawn to capturing American subjects and themes or an American photographer simply photographing images and people?
Just Loomis: That´s a great question, I think the latter. I lived in Europe for four years (during the 80s). Since moving back to the US from Europe, I came back and took a lot of photographs of where I live. So obviously those are American photographs. However, I don’t consciously set out to do an ‘American photograph’ - I don’t do that. I am simply drawn to things that I see and that I connect with. I recently took a to Paris and other parts of Europe and I realized that despite the years I lived in Europe and this recent trip, I don’t know a lot about living there or about European culture; it is a culture that truly isn’t mine. I have a greater understanding of American history, American people and children, how children grow up and the things that they go through. I feel I understand this better than what European adults or children experience. We have a different set of issues we deal with here in America and I am very in tune with that.
PZ: Your photo subjects, whether in fashion, documentary or portraiture, have that sense of timelessness. How do you manage to capture that in a single shot?
JL: I think it has to do with something that I am drawn to and that is a fairly consistent thing that is inside of me. It has to do with many, many years of developing what I want to look at, what I feel is interesting and what touches me emotionally. Certain things really draw me in, these are fairly simple things, I guess that’s where the consistency comes from. I am glad that people say timeless, although I don’t particularly try to do ‘timelessness’.More...
just loomis, helmet newton, as we are
Posted by Audrey Lee on August 16, 2010
Lako Bukia may be one of few words, but her arresting taste in style speaks volumes. Collections that are striking, deep and unique seem to come effortlessly to the 23-year-old Georgia-born designer. With a BA degree in Fashion Design and Textiles from A. Kutateladze Tbilisi State Academy of Arts under her arm and a positive attitude to match, Lako has already made her way across international borders and now there’s no stopping her.
Describing her personal style as “feminine, stylish and classical”, Lako takes her bold signature look to shape-shifting new heights for her latest collection, Cubart. Fusing geometric shapes and linear lines into one tasty black-and-white blend, it was inspired by artworks of the cubism period, including those of Pablo Picasso.
Currently studying at the London College of Fashion for her second BA degree in Fashion Design and Technology Womenswear, the young designer also busies herself styling projects with fellow fashion designer, Katie Burnett. When asked of the reasons behind her success, Lako says it was through hard work, passion and her education in different universities that cemented her footing as a fashion designer.
“Being in the fashion industry is already very hard. Every step is getting harder and harder. Fashion is already a big challenge. [But] if you love your work and believe in yourself, you will definitely succeed.”
The runway at the Vauxhall Fashion Scout during the London Fashion Week, she says, is next on her list. With her constant drive and artistic talent, we know it’s only a matter of time before she gets there. Go Lako!
lako bukia, a. kutateladze tbilisi state academy of art, pablo picasso, kate burnett, vauxhall fashion scout, london fashion week
Posted by Audrey Lee on August 11, 2010
You know the old saying, clothes maketh the man. But here we say it is vintage eyewear that maketh the man. Meet Robert Roope, whose collection, Black Eyewear, takes you on a nostalgic hike way back in time, where the giants of all that’s jazz once walked.
Since its launch in 2006, Black Eyewear’s retro style has made its mark on magazines, films and even on the red carpet. The collection fondly references the rich past of jazz in the ‘40s, ‘50s, and ‘60s, while still retaining a philosophy of simplicity that’s thoroughly old school.
As his way of paying homage to the likes of jazz legends Thelonius Monk, Chet Baker and John Coltrane, Roope decided to name his classic selection of understated specs after them. Needless to say, he finds inspiration in the pictures of musicians wearing glasses that grace the covers of his impressive collection of more than 200 jazz albums. Already worn by hot shots such as Johnny Depp, Roope’s trend-setting collection has definitely stolen the limelight. People from all over the world have come to use his signatory work for inspiration, and though it annoys him, who can really blame them?
robert roope, black eyewear, retro, jazz, thelonius monk, chet baker, john coltrane, johnny depp
Posted by Audrey Lee on July 28, 2010
While most girls are still trying to find themselves at age 18, Jacqui Alexander had already made her mark in the world of fashion, becoming the youngest ever designer for Harvey Nichols. In the years since, this fashionista has never wavered far from the spotlight. Invigorated by Buenos Aires' street vibe, Jacqui Alexander birthed Skinny Nelson - her second label - at 21. Lucky for us, we managed to score a couple of minutes with Australia's fashion sweetheart to fill us in with more.
Covered: personal style, starting young, offbeat aesthetics and chicas in Palermo.
Audrey Lee: What first inspired you to pursue fashion design?
Jacqui Alexander: I grew up in a very creative household with an artist mother and a father in fashion. I think I decided when I was about seven (playing dress ups in my dad’s studio) that fashion was for me.
AL: You got your foot into the fashion industry at such a young age. What do you think are the reasons behind your success?
JA: Starting young and being afforded the opportunity to watch and learn how the industry operates helped me create a solid brand and fashion business behind each collection. I think it’s that underlying understanding and stability that brought early success to the brand. More...
jacqui alexander, skinny nelson, buenos aires, fashion designer, palermo
Posted by Audrey Lee on July 27, 2010
All you Melburnians, listen up and listen good! For the first time ever, the creative cats behind Finders Keepers will be hitting Melbourne this Spring/Summer. Combining elements of design, art and fashion into 150 talented stallholders, this heralds their biggest market yet. What’s more, entry is free and open to all. So say yes to this bit of local lovin’.
Melbourne’s Finders Keepers markets will touch down on October 9 & 10 at Shed4, Docklands. Interested stallholders can apply online until August 27 via the Finders Keepers site.
melbourne, finders keepers, design, art, fashion, market, stallholders
Posted by Audrey Lee on July 2, 2010
Sydney designer, Josh Goot is opening an AW pop-up sale shop on Oxford Street, for four days only folks. Out on racks will be layer upon layer of Josh’s signature pieces, all drawn from the label’s archives. We’re particularly looking forward to eyeballing the Annie and Jonathan Zawada’s interior; Josh tells us the couple are responsible for creating the project identity.
Swing by anytime between 10am to 6pm on July 8 till July 11 at 443 Oxford Street, Paddington.
josh goot, fashion, pop-up, sale, shop, jonathan zawada
Posted by Audrey Lee on July 2, 2010
The designer folk at Dosh have been at it again, getting all collaborative on us.
This time, they’ve hooked up with Pedal Consumption, a cycling and push bike-culture website which produced a smooth, racing-striped design; the Semi-Permanent Design Conference, which asked young creatives to submit a design for a competition, the winner of which, Stephanie Foti, gets her cute design immortalised on a Dosh wallet; and Stab magazine, the surf magazine whose resulting Dosh wallet is funny, quirky and colourful.
Check them out, we think they’re worth a look-see.
dosh, design, wallet, pedal consumption, stephanie foti, stab, semi-permanent, art
Posted by kluster on June 30, 2010
What can we say, any designer who first found inspiration in the moves and grooves of Deee-Lite is all right by us. Not to mention one whose shoes have been featured as larger than life props in a Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. Canadian designer Jerome C Rousseau creates the kind of shoes we anticipate and salivate over, season in, season out. Last week we seized the opportunity to pick his brain about his upcoming AW collection. We’ve even been able to smuggle back a few sneak peeks of his as of yet unreleased collection for your eager eyes. No sweat, you can thanks us later.
Kat Hartmann: What inspired you to first begin designing shoes?
Jerome C Rousseau: As a young teenager in Quebec, I came across a band called Deee-Lite. They were wearing wild footwear and I started drawing these shoes in art classes. Drawing shoes became something I wanted to do all the time, and after researching the history of shoes it evolved into a strong passion. I ended up moving to London to study at Cordwainers College, which turned out to be the start of a brilliant journey for me.
KH: Can you tell us a little about some of the inspirations and motivation for the AW collection?More...
jerome c rousseau, fashion, shoes, deee-lite, terry gilliam
Posted by Danni Le Toullec on May 11, 2010
Gen Art, a long standing supporter of emerging designers, filmmakers and musicans, has been forced to close its doors this week after 16 years.
“It is with an extremely heavy heart that we are are posting this. After struggling for the past 18 months since the economic crisis, Gen Art has finally succumbed to the recession,” Gen Art Founders Ian and Stefan Gerard wrote on the organization’s website.
Gen Art afforded countless creatives the opportunity to showcase their work including Zac Posen, Kevin Bacon, Adrien Brody, MGMT, DMN of Run DMC, Rebecca Taylor, Tanner Hall and Whitney Port.
Here’s to Gen Art, we here at Kluster will continue to carry the torch and give a voice to emerging talent around the world.
gen art, emerging designers, emerging filmmakers, zac posen, mgmt, adrien brody