Illustration vs catwalk photo (AW12)

these are from AW12 last February. i can't wait to see illustrations from this week's shows. the top two illustrations are by Vicky Fallon and the bottom two by Lesley Barnes. neither are quite my usual style of illustration that i am usually drawn to, but i loved the contrast of seeing the two images side by side and how the illustrations make the outfits look even more glamourised and stylised than the models on the catwalk.

Illustration vs Photograph

Photograph vs Illustration

Illustration vs Photograph

Illustration vs Photograph

London Fashion Week: September 2012

It's Fashion Week here in London. How is it September 2012 already? The air is noticeably cooler, crisper and the leaves are just starting to turn. (The kind of weather which betrays my ages and viewing preferences as my mind immediately thinks "When did it become fall? Somewhere between your ovaries and my boredom"* and never has that statement been so apt as this year).

Anyway, the airwaves and blogosphere is alight with the excitement of Fashion Week and I am no different. One of the things that I love about catwalks is how the clothes and colours present themselves differently to different viewers. For me, I am immediately more drawn to the outfits that either evoke a time or feeling, or, more often, make me want to pick up a paintbrush and create an illustration. 

Occasionally I have been lucky enough to attend shows (see here, here and here when I was last properly living in London and able to attend such things) and I watched wishing I had the time to give illustrating my favourite outfits a go. Instead, I consoled myself with snapping away - along with almost everyone else in attendance.

This year, I am lucky enough to be attending the Fashion Fringe show on Tuesday but until then, have been keeping busy (ha) flicking through the images on style.com. 

I was immediately drawn to this outfit from Temperley London's SS13 ready to wear show. I particularly love the shaping of the hat, shoulders and gloves, and was instantly reminded of the accessories of a photograph of a late 1940s Dior 'Bar' suit as well as stark use of colour that to my mind typify a David Downton illustration. 

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Photos via Style.com/ David Downton/ V&A

*Sex and the City, series 6, episode 13, Charlotte and Anthony - 2004

Fashion Fringe 2012: TEIJA

My sister-in-law is a finalist in Fashion Fringe 2012. Fashion Fringe is a fashion business award and allows the winner to set up a fashion label. (Previous winners include Erdem, Basso & Brooke and Corrie Neilsen.)

Teija (Teija Eilola) is one of three finalists with the competition culminating in the presentations of the three collections at London Fashion Week in the middle of September.

If you are interested, Teija has been writing about the experience on her Fashion Fringe blog, with her first entries here and here. Her facebook page is here. Teija has also been interviewed by Fashion Fringe sponsor ShopStyle, where you can read more about her inspiration for her collection.

I am longing to see the finished collection - I am lucky enough to have worn one or two pieces that Teija has made in the past, both samples and pieces which she has designed for her previous job and I can honestly say that they beautifully combined precision cutting and draping with comfort and practicality of a garment which is actually designed to be worn. I cannot wait to see what she has come up with for this show.

“A Finnish girl arrives at the party: shoes in her bag and a huge, crisp mackintosh over her little silk dress. On the way to the party she crossed a forest and a couple of fields.” TEIJA S/S 2013

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images  - logo and drawings from Teija's collection, layout by Fashion Fringe via FF Pinterest