Monday, June 2, 2014

Enter the Magical world of Nikoline Liv Andersen......


 


              As always, life gives you opportunities when you expect them the least. So, I stumbled upon work of a Denmark visionary, Nikoline Liv Andersen, by pure chance surfing the very popular surface of ideas/fashion/life which everybody knows as Instagram. What I saw just blew me away and I was instantly drawn to her magnificent pieces of Art. And yes, it can only be called as Art for the way she expresses her inspiration through her skillful hands. It`s those hands, indeed, that she uses as a primary tool cause most of her work is executed by hand, which is extraordinary considering the amount of time it must takes for only one piece to finish. Her skill comes from her education at The Danish Design school which was founded on the Nordic design tradition, but grew in a modern, business oriented school where visions and new technologies go hand in hand with creative artistic development and professional innovation. She majored in clothing design in 2006, but before that she had an internship at the House of John Galliano in Paris which she described in these words: 
             "...It was always a good idea to get experience from others before starting your own brand. It was very rewarding to work for Galliano. I was in clover working a place where everything was made by hand and rarely by a computer. Furthermore it confirmed me in the reason of working without compromises always seeking the magical moment where design and art meets....."
              And indeed you can see that moment in her design constructing, seeking, experimenting with layer after layer of fabric, pieces of lace, threads of yarns, furs, leather, plastic, nails, yes nails or she decorates her focus with beads, embroidery or she actually paints directly on the textile to find that perfect texture until she is satisfied with the result which gives the feel of three-dimension. So, it`s no surprise that she chose to work artistically with experimental clothing design after finishing her education. Since then, she`s been presenting a number of fashion shows through out the Europe, collaborating with Saga Furs in experimenting new ways of treating fur and her most recent, dress collaboration for Denmark singer, Emmelie de Forest, winner of 2013 Eurovision song contest which didn`t go unnoticed on the  Eurovison contest this year.
             In the following lines you can read an interview she was so kindly willing to give me upon my request when I thought there was very little chance of her saying yes. So, I`m thankful for her consideration and open-mindedness and hopeful that you will enjoy it as much as I did.

When did you realize that fashion is your calling in life?

I have always known that I wanted to work with something creative, but during gymnasium I got more and more focused on that way.

 What would you say are advantages  or disadvantages to be educated in the Danish Design            School?  What would you remember the most from the education you received there, the things  you learned, the mentors, what do you think it gave you?

I really loved studying at the Danish Design School. There were so many opportunities and I  really   saw it as a duty to use the school and the workshops as much as possible and work hard. In Denmark you get money from the government while you are studying and you don`t pay for your  education so you have all opportunities to work hard and do your best.

What keeps your interest in fashion and how did you discover that your preference is toward experimental clothing design?

I have always been drawing and painting a lot and I am really interested in displaying the human body and mind. Moreover since I was a little girl I have loved dressing out. I guess a mix of this is the reason why I Chose to work with clothing design.

What I find interesting in your biography is the fact that after you majored in clothing design you decided to take unusual for some, a path of experimental clothing design,  As a young artist with such a less profitable preference how do you manage to keep yourself in business?

I love my work and I have much discipline - that is evident if you want to achieve something. Immediately after graduation I started running my own company instead of getting employed at another company. So, I have never tried to have a steady monthly income - somehow I think that it is good not to get too used to that if you want to start your own. Never the less I often get support from foundations. 

Who is target audience and what do you think your clientele love about your design?

I never work with target groups. The reason of that is that I want to work without compromises. But I guess that my "normal" audience are people with an interest of visual story telling, art and fashion. It is always difficult to read others mind, but perhaps people find it interesting how I work with materials and the fact that everything I make is extremely time - consuming. 

Where do you find your inspiration, what keeps your drive to move forward, to search, to keep looking?

Once you get started you can not stop again. One project leads to another and inspires you to move on.

What was the most painful experience, I suppose you had a few considering the materials you use, you had with making the experimental material, shape?

It is always a huge and hard work to do a project especially with a company this small and there are always many challenges. But that is evident if you want to develop and I love it. The hardest thing of working like that is my own expectations and the fact that I have two daughters that deserve great love. 

Are you collaborating with someone in the making of your design, if not, are you planning on some future collaborations with some of the fashion houses?

My husband, Christian Kornum, is my right hand and he is always an evident part of the process. I fell so lucky to be able to share that with him.

Where do you see your design in 10 years time?

I don`t make plans for that long and if I do I like to keep them a secret :) but I prefer to focus on the present, but that does not mean that I don`t have any ambitions - I have a lot.  In fact, I can tell you that from January - March 2015 I will be having a big exhibition in the The Danish House at L` Avenue des Champs - Elysees in Paris.

What do you think about today`s commercial fashion and it`s future?

I am working in my own world without thinking of the newest trends. 

Who do you look up to in the fashion world? 

I love when designers, artists and people in general are following their dreams and are searching for new ways of expressions.

What is your biggest fear when it comes to fashion and your design as well?

I believe that if you are working hard you will  succeed.

What advice would you give to a young designer entering in a world of fashion?

Work hard and do your best. 



Following photographs are latest work by Nikoline Liv Anderson called " Only Angels Have Wings ", Part 2, 
Winner of the Pimp my Coat in collaboration with Saga Furs 2014, 
Photo by Signe Vilstrup, 
Make-up by Anne Staunsager,
Hair by Lasse Pedersen



" Only Angels Have Wings ", Part 2, photo by Signe Vilstrup


" Only Angels Have Wings ", Part 2, photo by Signe Vilstrup



" Only Angels Have Wings ", Part 2, photo by Signe Vilstrup



" Only Angels Have Wings ", Part 2, photo by Signe Vilstrup



" Only Angels Have Wings ", Part 2, photo by Signe Vilstrup



" Only Angels Have Wings ", Part 2, photo by Signe Vilstrup



" Only Angels Have Wings ", Part 2, photo by Signe Vilstrup


Following photographs are project made in connection with nomination for Dansk Design Talent Magasinprisen 2013, called " Only Angels Have Wings ", Part 1, 
Photo by Signe Vilstrup, 
Starring Mette Lindberg from The Asteroids Galaxy tour, 
Make-up by Anne Staunsager,
Hair by Lasse Pedersen



" Only Angels Have Wings ", Part 1, photo by Signe Vilstrup



" Only Angels Have Wings ", Part 1, photo by Signe Vilstrup



" Only Angels Have Wings ", Part 1, photo by Signe Vilstrup



Following photographs are from the exhibition called "The Dance of the Deaf and Dumb Eye" at Horsens Museum of Modern Art and Designmuseum Denmark, 2011 - 2012
Photo by Nicky de Silva



"The Dance of the Deaf and Dumb Eye"
Photo by Nicky de Silva



"The Dance of the Deaf and Dumb Eye"
Photo by Nicky de Silva



"The Dance of the Deaf and Dumb Eye"
Photo by Nicky de Silva


Following photographs are from the collection "Glory", 2009,
Photo by Signe Vilstrup



"Glory"
Photo by Signe Vilstrup



"Glory"
Photo by Signe Vilstrup



"Glory"
Photo by Signe Vilstrup


Following photographs are from the collection "Courtiers", Schon! No 5, 2010,
Photo by Nicky de Silva



"Courtiers",
Photo by Nicky de Silva



"Courtiers",
Photo by Nicky de Silva



Nikoline Liv Anderson, Studio Portrait by Alastair Philip Wiper, 
Courtesy of MINDCRAFT



As the last sentence is finishing this article, words of the Curator for the Design Museum Denmark, Kirsten Toftegaard, finds it`s path as the perfect ending:" Nikoline has a sincere urge to leave her mark on our consciousness.....". And it sure did. Left a mark.



Sources that helped in creating this story are:




                                                                                                Written by Melina Marelja


Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Beautiful Savage Beauty



               Savage beauty indeed. Wild and untamed, but beautiful in all her glory. What possess savage to be beautiful in the first place, who merged those two words together in the fashion world for all of us to enjoy it?  It could only be one person, Lee Alexander McQueen.



    
           One of the most influential designers of his generation and our time, set the bar high for every designer that came after him. It wasn`t an easy task for his long term assistant Sarah Burton to fill when she took his "shoes" after his tragic passing in 2010, but McQueen`s label flourished under her guidance and is currently more than successful. In his legacy McQueen left thousands of influential designs that gave us sense of fantasy and rebellion, also challenged and expanded the understanding of fashion beyond conceptual expression of culture, politics and identity. 
         To understand better where his passion came from we need to look in the early stages of his life where he began to educate his love for fashion. Education at the traditional Saville Row Tailors Anderson and Shepard followed by Gieves and Hawkes gave him the roots to the technical construction of clothing. From there he moved to the theatrical costumiers Angels and Bermans where he mastered six methods of pattern cutting from the melodramatic 16th century to the razor sharp tailoring which became his recognizable signature. It also gave him the necessary tool in mastering the most important skill a designer should have, how to construct  your own  idea. 
       Shortly after his death,  The Costume Institute organized the exhibition in 2011, that celebrated his extraordinary contributions to fashion. It contained his work from Central Saint Martins postgraduate collection of 1992 to his last unfinished collection and runway presentation of 16 models, which took place after his death in February 2010. In total, the exhibition managed to collect approximately one hundred ensembles and seventy accessories drawn primarily from the Alexander McQueen Archive in London, with some pieces from the Givenchy Archive in Paris as well as private collections, signature designs including the "bumster" trouser, the kimono jacket and the three-point "origami" frock coat.  It turned out to be one of the most popular shows in the history of New York`s Metropolitan Museum. Exhibition`s wild success attracted more than 660,00 visitors in 2011 making it the eight most visited show in the Met`s 142 year history and putting it in a top 10 that includes the time the Mona Lisa  came to Manhattan in 1963 and a Treasures of Tutankhamun show in 1978. 
           After the steaming success in New York,  it was announced earlier this week that "Savage Beauty" is coming to Victoria and Albert Museum in London from 14 March - 19 July 2015. It would be the first and largest retrospective of McQueen`s work to be presented in Europe.   The V&A`s  director, Martin Roth, said:  " I`am thrilled to announce that the V&A will bring this wonderful exhibition to London to celebrate the extraordinary creative talent of one of the most innovative designers of recent times.  Lee Alexander McQueen was brought up in London, studied here and based his globally successful McQueen fashion brand here - by staging the exhibition at the V&A it feels like we are bringing his work home. "
          Jonathan Akeroyd, chief executive of the Alexander McQueen fashion house, said: " Savage Beauty is a story telling of the most imaginative and talented designer of our time. We are incredibly proud as a house to be able to showcase Lee`s visionary body of work on London as a celebration of his legacy and an inspiration to a future generation.". So, if you happen to be in London during the exhibition opening don`t miss out on this exquisite pieces of art. Tickets are already online at the Victoria and Albert Museum, so you can plan ahead your Beautiful Savage Beauty memory lane.









































Sources that helped in creating this story are:  



                                                                                    Written by Melina Marelja



Monday, April 14, 2014

Coachella......What?






                     Yes, Coachella...... what? Indeed, but only for those of you who are not following the festival scene all around the world. It`s that time of the year that all hungry souls craving good music mark their calender with Coachella`s name which in translation means great music, partying and riding the pleasure train. In the last few days web was filled with celebrity snaps of enjoying their C time. But it`s not actually about celebrity here or what they do, it`s about enjoying or rather feelin great live music in the open space, under the sun and the stars. The idea of the open air festival is not a novelty by itself, almost every country have it, so you can say "the land of the free" it`s no exception. So, what makes Coachella so special? It would be a formula of significant words; Location, World Greatest Artists and People/The Fans.
                 It`s been said that the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is actually a California`s answer to British legend, Glastonbury, which says a lot. As the years goes by it`s proving that point on the dot. It was a different story back in the day when it launched 15 years ago. Back then it was a casual, free spirited thing in the dusty Colorado desert which lasted 2 days. Present day, it evolved to the biggest and most profitable festival on the international calender with some serious money involved. According to Billboard boxscore the 2013 festival`s two weekend  took in  67 million making it the highest grossing festival ever. It`s no wonder cause in 2010 it drew about 75 000 people each day, for an estimated number of 225,000 people per weekend.  So, I guess enough said about the sole popularity and worth.
                 Considering that it`s an annul two weekend, three day affair held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California no wonder it features so many genres of music. It goes from rock, indie, hip hop to electronic and dance. It also includes various art installations and sculptures. This year C is welcoming a huge bill of acts, 184 in total which are spread across the grounds on several stages continuously hosting live music. The main stages are; Coachella Stage, Outdoor Theatre, Gobi, Mojave and the Sahara Tent, a smaller Oasis Dome which was used in 2006 and 2011, while Yuma stage was introduced in 2013.
                 Through the years Coachella hosted numerous artists such as; late Amy Winehouse, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, Prince, Paul McCartney, Arcade Fire, Wu-Tang Clan, The Killers, Radiohead, Daft Punk, Madonna, Kanye West, The Black Keys, Beck, Rage Against the Machine, The White Stripes, Jay Z, Beastie Boys, Muse, Oasis, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Foo Fighters and the list goes on and on. This year C is holding some pretty impressive names as well; Outkast,  Arcade Fire, Beck, Fat Boy Slim, Lana Del Ray, Muse, Na,s Pharrell Williams, Queens of the Stone Age,  Pixies, Solange, Sam Smith, Calvin Harris, Janelle Monae and many more. It`s not to late to join the party of many and make some long lasting memories, cause life is still young.....





















Outkast


Arcade Fire


Pharrell Williams



Solange



















Some of the great vibes from this year Coachella from Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams
                                                     
     In the spirit of festivals this year Zagreb is hosting it`s own annual event of good music, InMusic festival 23 - 25.06.2014, be sure to get some great vibes this summer! More info on http://www.inmusicfestival.com/
                                                                                       
                                                                                  Written and edited by Melina Marelja