give me issey or give me death

OVERSIZED > UNDERSIZED

issey miyaki the man the myth the legend from back in The Day

exactitudes

 

i've been looking a lot at people dressing the same, because they do. Photographer and "profiler" (not sure exactly what that means) Ari Versluis and Ellie Uyttenbroek from Rotterdam have been documenting this cultural phenomenon since the mid-nineties in a series entitled "Exactitudes". do i have to read some malcolm gladwell book to figure out how trends catch on? Sometimes it seems a little self-explanatory, but what happens when the same practice of patterns occur in places that seem to supersede western fad culture? it is clearly intrinsic in human nature to develop common modes of dress and thus, my occasional efforts to be different or against the grain are completely in vain. off to urban outfitters !

road trip to inspiration

I've been spending a lot of time over the past year (or maybe the past 10 years) in institutions of education simultaneously learning about literature, art, design, etc. and trying to get inspired to create my own works of various art forms. But in school, inspiration tends to come from books of other artists' previous works, and we are encouraged to go to museums and bury ourselves in the library stacks. This research-oriented method of deriving information has become comfortable and natural to me in a way that, when I really think about it, scares me. Ironically, through reading in the library, I have learned about other designers that I admire's sources of inspiration. While I'm sure they're all versed in fashion history and use books to look up specific artists or philosophies they might be currently obsessed with, most inspiration comes from experience and the world outside the text. Maybe its the exact time for me to think outside my institutionalized box! get on the road and take pictures not showers! Or maybe my romantic view of an inspirational road trip comes exactly from the books and movies with which I have been stifling my creativity : : : : : : :

Maybe the only way to find out is fight my future-driven urges to establish connections and work in the biz, skip out on NYC and hit the American Road?

chicago chicago

i've been thinking a lot about new york, london, paris-- the Places You Have To Be In to do fashion. But what about a little home grown inspiration? In so many ways I feel like i've outgrown a lot of immature and/or ignorant conceptions I used to have about my place in fashion (i once wanted to work at nylon and design for twiggy), but this issue of location and inspiration is definitely another hurdle i have to jump to reach a designerhood that is truly me. So I'm really thankful for this month I have in chicago, where Big 10 bros run free along lincoln avenue and I have to dig a little deeper into myself and stretch a little farther to grab something that inspires me.
Here are some chicago designers not be ignored just because they take the "El" train  instead of the "L"train.
Creatures of the Wind, created by Shane Gabier ( my former SAIC teacher) and Chris Peter is a newer project. Shane's old self-titled line is still one of my favorites, and Creatures of the Wind is a fresh, girlie-but-complex design that has really been exciting me.

from the latest issue of Lula

Nick Cave, head of the fashion dept at SAIC, is also at the front on the fashion/art avant garde with his Soundsuits project. I have to write on this more later because there is so much to say.

 

Although this is all complicated once more by the question of inspiration inside books vs. outside in the world because i spend my days in the mecca of fashion research at the School of the Art Institute.