One exhibition not to be missed! So pleased I had chance to see this before it closes on a speedy trip down to London this weekend! Displaying innovative garments from the likes of Issey Miyake and Yohi Yamamoto it cast a light on just how exciting fashion can be and how forward thinking these designer are. It was really thought provoking and leaving the Barbican I felt uplifted and inspired. Do not miss it!
Today I visited one of the most amazing exhibitions I have seen in a long time! The highlight of Reality Lab exhibition at 21 21 Design Sight was most definitely the documentary showing the production process of Issey Miyake's 132.5 Brand. Emphasis was on the sustainability and recycling, alongside maintaining production in Japan. I could have watched the film over and over but eventually I moved on to view the collection, which explores the process of changing dimensions. This will be a great influence on my current project! Finally, you were invited to play and interact with the designs, making them three dimensional and returning them to their two dimensional form. Great to experience first hand a new concept for clothing and design.
Some snapshots from our visit to Nishijin Textiles Centre in Kyoto. This turned out to provide us with an amazing wealth of information regarding the production of kimono fabrics! We were treated to a catwalk show of kimonos followed by demonstrations by skilled craftsmen and women on the different techniques that are used to produce the fabrics and prints.
A visit to Tokyo National Arts Centre to see Van Gogh: The Adventure of Becoming an Artist, rekindled my appreciation for the colour and life in Van Gogh's works. My favourite is Bedroom in Arles.
Last night, after being out all day in the wind and rain, we headed to the Living Design Centre Ozone in Shinjuku with sodden feet, feeling a little down hearted and pretty cold. But what was there, changed my mood instantly. Hirameki Design x Finland is one of the first times Finnish design has been showcased to a Japanese audience and it was a delight to see a combination of fashion, furniture, product and textiles on display all in one place. The last few weeks I have been thinking about the similarities between Japanese and Scandanavian/Nordic design so this exhibition gave me a good insight into the common cultures between Finland and Japan. Looking around the showroom was great and I loved pretty much everything but the fashion show was definitely the highlight. One of my favourite designers was Satu Maaranen. Her pieces skillfully combined texture and different fabrics with playful approach to proportion and scale. It was really good to see such a focus on the textile detail in a fashion context. More news to come about this event!
Last week we took a trip to The National Arts Centre of Tokyo in Roppongi to catch an exhibition about shadows. The exhibition was a good insight into the way artists interpret shadows, the roles they play and the type of expressions they have inspired. However, what really captured my imagination was the space within the Arts Centre. The architecture, designed by Kisho Kurokawa, was really impressive. The interior of building had a haunting, industrial feel about it contrast against an undualating, organic facade. We caught it at just the right time of the day, when the sun was beginning to lower in the sky, creating great long shadows. I particularly like the choice of seating too! My favourite is the Three-legged Shell Chair by Hans.J Wegner.
As a big fan of High Society I can't help but love the simple and sophisticated style of Grace Kelly. And this exhibition, at the V&A, displayed garments that captured the essence of the actress. I love the beautifully subdued colours in these photos from the 50s.
Well it's back to reality now my glorious holiday is over and I am back in the chill of England! And it is none stop already, with lots of exciting things coming up! Today I am preparing some cushions that are heading down to London at the beginning of September to take part in 'HomeWorks' exhibition at the fabulous Mint Design Shop in the Brompton District. I will be spending quite a bit of time down there in the next few weeks to see the sites at London Design Festival! Head along to the shop from 18th to 30th September to see my work and the work of 'over 40 upcoming and established designers specially chosen for their individual and experimental craft touch. HomeWorks will showcase their latest pieces which reinvent or transform everyday objects into captivating and provocative designs'. (Images from Mint Website)
New Designers in not far away and I am preparing my portfolio and sending out press packs to companies I love in hope that they will come and have a look at my work. I am really excited to have been chosen to represent my university as there was some really strong and innovative work created by my fellow design graduates. 22 of us will be representing Nottingham Trent Textile Design. We are on stand T3 on week on (1-4 July) so come say hi if you do visit. You can buy tickets at the New Designers website, where you can also catch my work in the Press Area. 
On a lovely crisp sunny Sunday I took a trip to Yorkshire Sculpture Park to see the wonderful work of Rob Ryan. It was more delightful than I could possibly have imagined and I was desperate to purchase an original RR piece but my purse unfortunately was not deep enough. I did leave with the exhibition booklet and a lovely laser cut card... all that I could afford, but neither disappoint! Well worth the visit!
Another installation from the Millennium Galleries exhibition. Georgina Bell was commissioned to make 100 felt and hand embroidered houses. They explored how our experiences of travel can affect and enrich our homes and communities when we return. I was away from home quite a lot last year and I realised that when I was in a new city I tried to explore every nook and cranny and ended up seeing more than some of the locals saw or even knew about. This started me thinking about how much of my home city I really know and has formed the starting point for my next project.
Hendrikje Kuehne and Beat Klein, Newsprint on card, 1998
