During London fashion week I had the pleasure of working for shoe designer Sophia Webster, I interned for a short while helping with the production of her show. When we arrived at the location for the show it was a very minimal stripped back church like building, and I was unsure of how they could transform it into something more "sophia-esque". When i arrived on the day of the show I was amazed at how quickly and efficiently the space was created. The workshop run by Rhea Thierstein introduced me to work of set designer Shona Heath. Shona was working on the Sophia Webster show, and I had the pleasure of watching her create amazing props, sets and costumes out of ordinary objects. She utilises her imagination and a huge range of recourses to create these designs. Although the concept for my shoot is very stripped back and minimal, this has inspired me to experiment in future with props and set design
As a group, choose 5/6 words that describe your designer’s aesthetic.
Together as a team, create 5/6 images that visualise the words you have chosen. It is up to the group to decide how the images are made, what materials you use and how you collaborate together to make them.
As I chose the words Geometrical and Tactile I decided to use these words to experiment with. I looked for geometric architectural structures and/or patterns and simply photographed them. Photoshop manipulation is something I feel confident using, so i decided to use this skill to manipulate some of my imagery. I also experimented with manipulating some of 1205's previous photo shoots so that the group could get an idea of how it can work for the brand.
(GROUPS FINAL IMAGES, Highlighted Red - Authors Own)
(Authors Own)
Although our final images appear to be just photographical, a number of us did experiment with different mediums. We thought that as "Tactile" was one of our descriptive words, we would try to portray this concept through manipulation. As we had already used photography as our initial response we thought it would be silly to start over. We decided to use paper manipulation both physical and photoshop based to achieve this concept. We explored many avenues of paper manipulation: Crushing, Burning, Tearing, Crunching even simple cut and paste. We discovered that some worked better than others based on the collection.
In addition to that, we found a medium that gives tactile property – Moulding Paste. Modeling paste is an acrylic medium that is filled with solid material. The result is a thick white substance that can create a controlled textural surface. With brush or any tools, we can make the texture that we want and leave it dry. When it dries, it becomes an opaque white when it dries. After that, we can paint, write, or do anything on top of the texture. Therefore, this is considered to be a good medium to be incorporated in following prompts.
For the word "Geometric" we came up with some ideas for pencil drawing where we looked into unique building structures in different parts of london and roughly drew them on a sketchbook(which we carried everywhere).
We found it quite hard to represent the word "Androgynous" without using the human form (which we didn't want to use at this stage in the project). So close to giving up with the word an image was created through printing technique using a gloss varnish.
In groups we were asked to research an allocated NEWGEN designer with the sight of produceing a group portfolio of 5 images produced over term one. We will be carrying out ongoing research and experimentation using different mediums. Each week we will be given a self directed task and a group prompt to create imagery.
PAULA GERBASE - 1205
"People call a woman in trousers androgynous, but they've been wearing them for so long that for me it doesn't really count. A better term is unisex"
"I never wanted my name up in lights," says Paula Gerbase, the founder of 1205, explaining her deliberately anonymous brand. "As a label we focus on the clothes." She purposefully doesn?t put her name on the label, instead opting for 1205, which in the past she has claimed is her birth date or the date the label was established, neither of which she will settle on, stating instead that it ?means anything to anyone and is about anonymity?.Gerbase's work is often described as androgynous. While her silhouettes tend to be loose and her collections designed for both genders, Gerbase considers the term outdated.
Because Magazine
Fashion Features Director at Porter
Kay Barron
Aesthetic: essential, high quality, comfortable, elegant and unisex clothes. Attention to detail and a focus on fabric retain a femininity in bespoke tailored structures and masculine cuts. 1205 proposes to deconstruct the binary gender system in
fashion. Her design doesn't look for the femininity in menswear or the masculinity in womenswear, but instead aims to overcome the paradigm to get a pure and timeless but smart and wearable elegance. A straight palette of navy, black, white and every shade of grey characterises the entire collection, where Gerbase adds impeccable tailoring and skilful refinements to loose edges and softer shapes. The quality of the fabrics, like classic wool, jersey and mohair mixed with nylon and silk emphasises the stunning craftsmanship in these creationsFrom top to toe, Gerbase's pieces seem to express a widespread desire for continuity from a man's wardrobe which ceases tobe borrowed and eventually can simply be shared.
Geometry:
1205 is influenced by the formal precision of geometry and the vital elegance of nature; starched collar stands lend a formality to otherwise eased volumes and raised textures, coats reinterpret tailored constructions in technical fabrics, formal trousers are offered in new shapes, knitwear features 1205's distinct asymmetry
"To me masculinity is about attention to construction, how a shoulder is put together or the type of canvas I am using. The feminine aspect can be about a contrast of Textures. Texture is very sensual I think. It's this interpretation of unisex that I like to explore."
1205 designer Paula Gerbase talks to Dal Chodha about redefining old-fashion notions of gender.
By Dal Chodha
Her clothes don't scream "I'm standing out, look at me!", instead they seem to whisper with a poetic charm. "Meet me, touch me, try me, I'll be with you forever, and you won't regret it".
Androgyny:
Tailoring is minimal and restrained - meaning 1205's pieces give a graceful aesthetic that is no-nonsense but relaxed. When talking about the lack of fussy detailing, Gerbase explained
"Everything else around us is so busy and if you let go of all that stuff, people notice. Clothes are about framing a personality and although you're making a choice about what you are wearing, ultimately, it really isn't ever about the clothes."
Interview-Naked Fashions:
Gerbase studied at Central Saint Martins, where she believes taught her “strength.” From there she went on to apprentice at the prestigious Savile Row with Hardy Amies atelier which allowed her to progress to a creative director job at Kilgour for five years. Savile Row is widely known as the Crème de la Crème of fine, British tailoring and it was here where she explored and acquired new knowledge.
“The subtle thought process and continuity of a mans wardrobe has always interested me”
“sharpening her senses for detail, trims and cuts”
“I have always loved mens clothing for its attention to detail, focus on fabric, cut and considered construction, and have worn mens pieces for as long as I can remember.”
“playing with contrasts of formal/casual fabrics, shapes and [as always] introducing new fabrics such as waterproof flannel…as ever, the focus was on subtle details and texture contrasts.”
Fabrics are a huge part of the 1205 brand as there are no prints and extreme cuts to distract from the composition. When choosing fabrics Gerbase looks for thoughtful, intelligent fabrics developed by the best fabric mills in the world.
Interview Naked Fashions
Interview with designer Paula Gerbase (1205)
Lauren Johnstone
SS13:
"For Spring/Summer 13, I've not only embraced my Savile Row side but for the first time I've looked at the country in which I was born, Brazil. It's the first time ever that I've been inspired by Brazil. Normally I look at architecture a great deal and it tends to be German but for this season I looked at Brazilian modernism of the 50s and how it included a natural element, both the build itself and the natural environment are considered. I was interested in the fact that they always have an architect and an urban planner on all builds who looks after the planting and green credentials. There is a lot of green in this collection. Up to this point, I've been so controlled with my palette and this time green was the big accent. In terms of research, as I'm not looking at it from a foreigners perspective, I knew where I was going, where to look and of course my family helped. Some of the shots are of my home town. From prints that I designed based on insulated walls and wall paneling that are so common in Brazil and these evolved in to jacquards. "
Mood Board For SS13 Collection
"The real starting point was finding a book called Building Brasilia by this French photographer Marcel Gautherot. Gautherot documented the entire process, from desert to the completed city. From untouched grassland to skeletal structures to ultimately the realisation of a modern capital and touching on the works who played their part in shaping it. It's an amazing book. I was drawn to the human side of architecture."
Style Salvage
Blog
AW14
For autumn/winter 2014, Gerbase took inspiration from sculptor Barbara Hepworth and the artists who colonised St Ives in Cornwall during the second world war, living alongside the local fishermen. The references are clear in smocks, overalls, fishing jumpers, blanket coats and wide-legged trousers, in leather, mohair and marino.
Gerbase loves the idea ? which she sees as typically masculine ? of curating a wardrobe over a lifetime, instead of buying clothes that put the wearer's body on show for others. Her label isn't showy, but every garment includes a "little code" or "hidden message": small, deliberate 'mistakes' "like the wrong-coloured right cuff or an unexpected internal pocket," she says: "With these surprises I try to communicate with the person wearing the clothes in subtle ways."
