Ideal Glass

I had the great fortune to stumble across the Ideal Glass Pop-Up Shop & Art Gallery on 22 E 2nd Street, (Between Bowery and 2nd Ave).  Calling themselves an interdisciplinary industrial space for the development and presentation of unusual works, the Ideal Glass gallery is definitely worth a look.  When I visited it was to see the Art Wear at the pop-up shop but their portfolio also consists of video, music,  and multimedia projects.  The Ideal Orkestra frequently plays at  the Amelie Wine Bar on 22 West 8th Street, their jazzy original tracks keep guests entertained in the candlelight of the French inspired bar/ dining room.

The clothing in the store was really inventive and though the space was small it was a great showcase of what was on offer from the imagination of Uta Bekaia.  A costume and fashion designer from Tbilisi , Georgia, Bekaia has been working inNew York city since 1998.  Working mostly in costume design he has created work for theater and film companies, he has also done work for interior and industrial design companies.  He is currently part of SaintHollywood a New York based multimedia art project and took part in 2012s Williamsburg Fashion Weekend.

Check out the website to stay up to date with what’s going on with the very interesting goings and some great videos on http://www.idealglass.org

Subway Runway

Williamsburg Fashion Weekend S/S 2013

An alternative to Manhattan’s Fashion Week, Williamsburg Fashion Weekend now in it’s 11th season continues to propose new designs in fashion and play with how we experience fashion.  From entertaining edgy shows to ready-to-wear collections the evenings were full of surprises.

Eco-conscious and inquisitive, a showcase of dynamic fashion forward designs by up & coming designers which took place September 14 & 15 at Windmill Studios, Brooklyn.  Kicking off at 9pm the crowd gathered outside the unassuming red brick studio on Kent Avenue.  Doors opened at 8pm and on entry there was a tray of complimentary cosmetic & accessory treats as well as a copy of the Williamsburg Fashion Weekend Magazine.

Innovative designers showing over the weekend were, Brittany Erb, Desira Pesta, Geary Marcello, Juanita Cardenas, Marco Santaniello, Marcus Hicks, Mark Tauriello, Uta Brauser, Nathalie Kraynina, Stephanie Hinson, Uta Bekaia, & Melissa Lockwood.

Creative director, Gina Tron sees the show as a way to provide a platform for designers and fashionistas interested in ethical fashion.  Setting itself up as a contrast to the commercial mecca of New York Fashion Week, Williamsburg Fashion Weekend is smarter, edgier, and totally against the disposable fashion trends often advocated elsewhere.

Arthur Arbit, who established the Weekend spent time on the catwalk between shows raising awareness of how the clothes were made and how we consume fashion.  Advocating investment buys, Arbit proposed buying garments according to your own personal style which is well designed & well made which will not be obsolete or fall apart in a year.  For the cash strapped his advice was “go to a thrift store, get a sewing machine and tweak your own clothes. That’s the most creative way to go about it.”

The Weekend came to life with Juanita Cardenas ‘Moon Landing on Candyland’.  A flurry of color that got the show off to an explosive start.  From creating circus performers outfits Candenas went on to become a costume designer for theatre.

Another totally amazing collection was Mark Tauriello’s collection inspired by H.R. Giger’s art direction for the Aliens trilogy.  A collection that focuses on shape and empowering women by presenting them as scary monsters.

“I’m a feminist at heart.  I hate fashion because it victimizes women and makes them look like dumb sexual objects.  I grew up on horror  and in the movies the women are always the victims.  So I like to turn the tables a bit.  You’ll never see me do a photoshoot where the female model is distressed and relying on a man.”

Mark Tauriello

Williamsburg Fashion Weekend Magazine

Mark Tauriello

Williamsburg Fashion Weekend S/S 2013 Part II

Mark Tauriello

Nathalie Kraynina’s Collection is also most definitely noteworthy.  Her S/S 2013 collection is about reinventing black.  The garments are separates that are ready to combined or they can be worn with an existing wardrobe.  Playing with ideas of texture and silhouettes, Kraynina uses very tactile fabrics and these blacks have touches of color that add amazing dimensions to the garments.

My mission is to give women power, confidence, and the means to express and celebrate their individuality and inner beauty. I want to design clothes not only original and stately but also  feminine and gracious.

Nathalie Kraynina

Mission Statement

 

 

Nathalie Kraynina

Reinventing Black

Williamsburg Fashion Weekend S/S 2013 Part III

The show that absolutely stole my awe and admiration was  IQTest by Melissa Lockwood, featuring Scary Monster Tees and knit dresses made from salvaged fabrics, the collection was diverse and there was a sense of excitement in the air. Lockwood’s repurposing of garment factory waste was inspiring.  A startling 28 million ton of fabric actually make it to landfills every year. The collection was refreshing in it’s sourcing of materials and the knit dresses were a little magical, alongside the kind of adorable scary monster tees.

The accessories originality of design caught my eye and I was fixated by  MazadiBCoutureAccessories who made the accessories for Lockwood’s show.  It has definitely made me look at how we wear accessories in a whole new way.

IQTEST Melissa Lockwood and MazadiBCoutureAccessories

IQTEST Melissa Lockwood and MazadiBCoutureAccessories

Don’t just take my word for it, these featured designers are definitely worth checking out:

http://www.juanitacardenas.com

http://www.marktauriello.com

http://nathaliekraynina.com

http://www.iqtest-nyc.com

http://mazadibcouture.tumblr.com/

And of course the weekend that made it all possible :

Jewelry’s Big Day Out

I decided it was time to gather up the jewelry I’ve been making, figure out how to display them and head out the local alternative craft fair. My button post earrings fit perfectly onto my business card, for the longer earrings I made bigger cards and my button rings were perfect in my Ring Display Box. I’ve been working on some necklaces too so I borrowed some black velvet neck displays. It was great to get such positive feedback, and selling a few items was fun.

BurdaStyle DIY Fashion Show held in Austin

If there are two things I talk about a lot they are the wonderful BurdaStyle website where inspiration for sewing projects abound, and Austin, Texas where I had the best time being wide-eyed in the tantalising vintage shops.  Well this year BurdaStyle’s DIY Fashion Show teamed up with none other than Austin’s summer Fest. SXSW.  The show is the combined effort of handmade wonderland http://www.Etsy.com and BurdaStyle and showed creations submitted to the annual competition hosted by the sewing website every year.