alteration generation part ii

So I have had this Houndstooth coat for quite a while, but I never felt quite right in it. It just really wasn't my vibe. I decided to shorten the length to a blazer, and I'm pretty happy with the results!

Out with the old...

 Chop-chop, snip-snip

And voila!

trend predictions SS11 and AW12

So I've been job-hunting of late, and one of the things that every interviewer has asked me, is my trend predictions for this coming Spring/Summer 2011 season, as well as Autumn/Winter 2012. I decided to create moodboards for my Top 5 Trends for each season. What are your "must-have items"?

my new favourite iPad app

Introducing my new favourite iPad app: Sketchbook Pro. This app has become my addiction! it's incredible for quick sketches and works almost like Adobe Photoshop for complete beginners. I've used it mainly to draw up quick designs, either from inspiration, or from imagination. It's available from the iTunes App Store for $4.99, and is any Creative's dream! 

A couple of my designs

Waaaay too much fun! 

Official H&M Look Book AW 2011

These are the new collections for H&M's Autumn/Winter 2011. When, oh, when will they come to South Africa?

 WOMEN'S COLLECTION AW 2011: 

A chic ladylike but at the same time edgy collection made in earth tones mixed with color and prints. Models: Karlie Kloss and Josefine E.

MENSWEAR COLLECTION AW 2011:

Casual daywear and classic eveningwear with coats and jackets, mainly in soft black, gray and brown tones. Model: Clement Chabernaud

beef or chicken?

There is something quite fascinating about the lives of air-hostesses. I'm not talking about the bored-out-of-their-skulls, average-Joe, polyester wearing air-hostesses and air-hosts (?) of today; I'm talking about the pristinely groomed, excitable, beauty queens, in their designer uniforms with matching luggage of yesteryear. I've been rather inspired of late by these curious creatures. One can't help but imagine a life filled with glamour and adventure (even if one is being completely naive and unrealistic).

Culture Chanel

I came across a feature on this current exhibition on the Wallpaper Magazine website (fantastic website about everything creative). I would LOVE to go! Looks fascinating!

From the MOCA Shanghai website: 

This exhibition is organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai with the support of the House of CHANEL and is curated by Jean-Louis Froment, a well-known figure in the contemporary art and design worlds.

"CULTURE CHANEL" highlights the historical and creative dimensions of the House of CHANEL.

The exhibition interprets Mademoiselle Chanel's universe through her designs, her iconic pieces and her literary and artistic inspirations. Throughout her life Mademoiselle Chanel was close to the greatest artists of her time, including poets Jean Cocteau and Pierre Reverdy, painters Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali and composer Igor Stravinsky.

From left: Original 'Cométe' brooch, created by Gabrielle Chanel for her exhibition 'Bijoux de Diamants', 1932, © Photo Didier Roy;

Pen and ink image taken from pavement of the abbey of Aubazine, the orphanage where Gabrielle Chanel lived, 1996, © Alexandre Céalac;

1965 - 1980 Haute Couture collection, © Photo Olivier Saillant;

Courtesy: Collection Chanel, Paris

From left: Half-Length portrait of Catherine de' Medici, by Francois Clouet, 16th century, © RMN (Domaine de Chantilly) / René-Gabriel Ojéda;

Gabrielle Chanel with a white collaret by George Hoyningen-Huene, 1939, © Horst; 

Carmen Kass wearing an outfit from Chanel's 2009 Autumn/Winter ready-to-Wear collection, by Dusan Reljin, © Dusan Reljin

From Left: Costume design for Potiphar's wife in 'Joseph's Legend' by Léon Bakst, 1914, © Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Theater and Dance Collection, don de Madame Adolph B. Spreckels;

Gabrielle Chanel in front of the Coromandel screens of her apartment at 31 rue Cambon, Paris by Boris Lipnitzki, 1937, © Lipnitzki/Roger-Viollet;

The ‘Coromandel’ coat by Karl Lagerfeld for the 1996 Autumn/Winter Chanel Haute Couture collection, © Photo Karl Lagerfeld

From Left: Portrait of Gabrielle Chanel with her dog, Gigot, at her villa ‘La Pausa’, in Roquebrune, France, circa 1930, from Collection Chanel, Paris, © D.R;

'Acrobats' by Pablo Picasso, 1905, © Collection Marina Picasso/Courtesy Galerie Jan Krugier & Cie, Genève (Suisse)/Succession, Picasso 2010;

Barbara Palvin wearing an outfit from CHANEL’s 2010 Spring/Summer Ready-to-Wear collection by Martin Lidell, © D.R

all new prettyprettypetticoat

You will notice a few changes (complete revamp) to the prettyprettypetticoat blog. I hope it is a hit! What do you guys think?

I've been in hiding these last few months. Largely due to a sport injury resulting in an ankle ligament repair op, and many weeks of frustration and pain. Also due to a bit of lack in creativity and inspiration. I've heard that when the body is under emotional or physical stress, the first thing to suffer is one's creativity. This has definitely been true for me!

Hence the revamp to prettyprettypetticoat! Here's to creative juices pumping and flowing again!

My final range: A Gothic Love Tale

It took me a while to get the pics from my final range at LISOF, but here they are! My range was based on Gothic Architecture. When I began designing my range, I pictured myself standing in a Gothic Cathedral, and imagined everything that I might see around me. I pictured a dark shadowy corner, and then light streaming through a small window; I pictured the tall columns, the vaulted roofs and the epic buttresses; and I pictured thousands of doves fluttering in the courtyard. All these images pieced together to create a collection full of contrasts; a high-peaked shoulder, versus a small panel line; restrictive corsets paralleled against a flowing chiffon skirt; caging compared to feathered wings; and structured and hard shapes, but made with sheer, delicate organza

Loads of Living product launch 2011

I was privileged enough to attend the Loads of Living product launch on Thursday at the B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L. Morrells Boutique Venue in Northcliff. Here are the pics of the incredible venue and the gorgeous product on offer.

For more info on the venue, visit the Morrells website

GARETH PUGH PITTI 2011 - FILM BY RUTH HOGBEN

GARETH PUGH PITTI IMMAGINE #79 2011

With a collection inspired by religious iconography and Florentine opulence, Gareth Pugh made his Italian fashion debut at Pitti Immagine #79. Showcasing his clothes via a unique fashion film, created with Ruth Hogben and projected onto the ceiling of a 14th-century church, Pugh melded the grand traditions and art of this ancient city with his own hyper-modern fashion vision

From: ShowStudio

Fashion Week Wrap up: Avant, and Stiaan Louw

Avant are fairly new on the Fashion Week circuit. Under the label Gaschette, a production, styling and design house, Avant showcased their women's collection entitled: Nude and Noir. "The collection is graphic, boxy, linear, uncomplicated and clean... it is a juxtaposition of definite form and shape within the loose confines of drapery". I loved absolutely every piece of the collection, and I think the Avant show is the favourite in my books.

Stiaan Louw presented his menswear collection, which came across contemporary, casual, and cool. "Inspired by social, sexual, and traditional cultural themes, Stiaan creates a modern interpretation, relating to specific forms of self expression... his work incorporates ideas of ambiguity and duality: masculine versus feminine, trendiness versus luxury, intellectuality versus understatement". I was very impressed by this collection, and I think menswear is a vastly unexplored market in the South African fashion industry. I'm so excited to see talent like this coming through!

Fashion week wrap up: Fast Track day

The Fast Track day was dedicated to showcasing young designers and graduate designers, thereby creating a fast track to their careers. Two of the most impressive talents, in my opinion, were my fellow LISOF graduates Portia Moruthane and Jessica Sutherland

Portia Moruthane's range (L), entitled Timbur's Explorations, was inspired by the film, Sweeny Todd, by Tim Burton. The look references men's clothing and suiting transformed into contemporary women's clothing. "She sees men's clothing as a symbol of power, liberation and movement." This look had a very consistent and strong aesthetic, and it's difficult to decide which is my favourite from this collection.

Jessica Sutherland's range (R) was incredible and bowled over the media and press. Having won range of the year at LISOF, expectations were high, and not only did she meet them, she exceeded them! The range was "shaped around the concept of transition... The goal was to create individual pieces that could respond to changes in mood, occasion (work, play, travel), climate and season, by allowing them to change in length, shape, silhouette, colour and pattern". My favourite look was the black short dress and oversized black coat that inzipped into a contemporary waistcoat. Fantastic stuff!

Johannesburg Fashion Week wrap-up

AW 2011-12 Johannesburg Fashion Week, South Africa

AFI mixed things up this year by hosting fashion week in various cultural hot spots in town, including The Bus Factory, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Randlords, Fashion Kapitol and The Nelson Mandela Bridge.

Some of the shows were fantastic. Some, in my my opinion, were incredibly disappointing, but I'm going to choose to share the ones that I found most impressive with you. Among my favourites were Suzaan Heyns, Abigail Betz, Stiaan Louw, Avant, Heni and a few young designers from the Fast Track shows.

First up: Suzaan Heyns

The show was inspired by the mechanics of the human body. "It's about symbolism looking at physical mechanics and taking it onto the outside, which in turn represents the unveiling of our hidden psyche"

I loved the mens wear in particular. I think it is fantastic that a few designers are pushing the envelope when it comes to men's fashion. We certainly do have a gap in the market crying out to be filled in South Africa. One of the exciting methods used was a type of braiding that I only know as Scouby-doo braiding. It forms a square sort of knot, and this was one of the innovative details in the show. Another incredible part was the make-up! Braids covered the eyebrows and joined into the hair, almost like veins. The use of leather in a draped fashion was also a very contemporary look.

Burberry Brights Collection

Fantastic new Burberry Brights handbag range! Love the shoot concept!

young (incredible) talent: PIPPA Pereira

I studied with Pippa Pereira at LISOF, and she never ceased to amaze me with her talent! Pippa won the Elle bursary in 2008, and several awards during her time studying. Her illustrations are just too beautiful, and I couldn't but help sharing them with you all!




To contact Pippa, call her on: 082 561 4781, or email her at: pippapereira@gmail.com 

Hello Couture (with Love 22) on the Behance Network

I love it when creative industries combine forces to create awesomeness!! Case and point: Love 22 Presents Hello Couture.

View at: Hello Couture (with Love 22) on the Behance Network