Tuesday 4 October 2011

Looprevil Press - Freshers Issue


Freshers Issue (26/9/11)

For some of you  fresher’s week means a taste into your new adopted city complete with brand new shops and clubs all to be soon known as well as the back of your hand. If this is your ideal plan then you have chosen wisely with coming to Liverpool my friend. The city has become a true player in the fashion world getting stronger everyday and who better to start the latest trend or follow the latest fad than us university students.

Liverpool is rich with vintage stores, one of the main being resurrections (where all the clothing in the photoshoot are from).  A three floor fashion haven providing everything you need whether it being to top up your everyday wardrobe or possibly to spend your student loan on that new outfit for your 3rd night out this week. There’s no doubt they will have something for you and nothing has been mentioned about taking advantage of their all year round 10% student discount. Convinced yet?



The thing which is a given for fresher week fashion wise is that your going to need a number of different outfits for your different moods. Glamorous essential pieces complete with glow sticks for that party tonight plan or oversized sport hoodies and fast food for that party last night feeling. So from the lectures to the library, onto the shopping and moving into the night out. Its all part of fresher experience but unfortunately it will be followed strongly by the fresher hangover.



thelooprevilpress.blogspot.com

Words/Stylist - Ryan Martin
Photography - Harrison Edwards
Models- Kieran Green
Emily Long
Natalia Jungbluth 

She Shea Interview

She Shea INTERVIEW



Vintage and couture. Both have the appeal of owning something that no-one else has however both means completely differ. So what if you mix them together ? Enter She Shea, a Liverpool based fashion label creating bespoke pieces with a vintage vibe. Jessica O’Shea is the woman behind the business and as well as her last name, Jessica has put everything into her fashion, hand making and specialising every detail for each customer. With its current season on She Shea’s website, I spoke to Jessica about the past, present and future of her career and the company.


Ryan Martin – So let’s go back to the beginning, how did She Shea all start?

Jessica O’Shea - I studied at Liverpool Community college for three years and then graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University. I’ve always wanted to work for myself so I set up She Shea shortly after graduating. I did my work placement for Fatz Kassim for six weeks but I didn't enjoy creating other peoples designs in to garments, I wanted to create my own ideas. I didn't want to just do design, I wanted to learn how to pattern cut and garment manufacture so that I could create my ideas into garments. I do like designing but I get much more satisfaction from putting a garment together from start to finish.

RM- Where do you get your inspiration from when designing?

JO -Many different aspects in life can inspire a new idea like travelling around different countries. Sometimes a design will pop in to my head or I’ll dream of something and then sketch it down the next day, sometimes I can have an idea for a new design and then go fabric shopping and completely change my mind, I like experimenting on the stand, draping fabrics and experimenting with different cuts.

RM - Is there a specific piece or moment that stands out above the rest in your fashion career? 

JO- I remember some time last year one of my dresses was copied by one of the high street fashion chains and it sold out in a matter of weeks, I kept getting messages from clients complaining that their one off garment wasn’t so one off but there wasn't much I could do about it. I was delighted to tell you the truth, they say imitation is the greatest form of flattery.

RM – When looking at your designs I think they definitely got the Liverpool girl style vibe, would you agree?

JO- I love the Liverpool girl style vibe, you can always spot her out from the crowd. She's always the most glamorous girl at the party taking great pride in her appearance and I would agree that I keep this in mind when designing a collection. I like to create pieces that are different to make you stand out but for all the right reasons because sometimes it can be taken too far and you need to find the balance. I much prefer designing glamorous garments as the opposite to the laid back cool style of London, I like attention to detail which is shown through the hand embellished detail displayed in the majority of my collection pieces.

RM- What would your advise be to someone hoping to be the next big fashion design?

JO- Simply just to go for it if your prepared to put in the hard work, it’s not an easy ride but that goes for most things that are worth working for.

RM- So without giving too much away with future collections, what’s next for She Shea ?

JO- Who Knows? I don't. I don't know where I’m going to get my next idea from, I just hope people like the next collection as much as the last.
(photography by matt ford)

Visit sheshea.com for the latest collection.


Wednesday 31 August 2011

Jacques Townhouse

Jacques

Townhouse 


For more than a week in August Liverpool’s Rodney Street was a hot spot in the city with one of its Georgian buildings being transformed into the sensational Jacques Townhouse. Jacques hosted the ultimate girly party to celebrate and enjoy their two ciders with a spectacular townhouse decorated to the core to make every room as enchanting as the last. The opening night saw V.I.P guests being the first to witness all the masquerade with glamorous hosts, maids and waiters showcasing a entertaining welcome and giving amazing food. 






Fashion and style were definitely highlighted words in the brief. Talks on A/W trends, along side cupcake making, were give by some extremely influential people in fashion including editors from both Look and Glamour magazine as well as Liverpool’s own Kirsty Doyle and Cricket’s Justine Mills.



From downstairs to up, the lucky ladies, as well as some of the guys, were pampered in the beauty room choosing to spend time to have treatments with either hairdressers, make-up artist, nail technicians and masseuses. All prep towards thier close up, moving on to the photo studio next door. Guests where then brought back to fond memories of their childhood dressing up boxes within the wardrobe of wonders. A whole room complete with rails of vintage clothing, bags of accessories, wigs and a professional designed backdrop and photographer Matt Ford, who I was able to assist each night, for their dreams of supermodel stardom to come true.


As the night passed by, the guests seemed to have extremely enjoyed their night and couldn’t wait for all the photos to be uploaded on Facebook the next day to start the tagging spree. With only two place being chosen to host the event, London and Liverpool, we hope that the party will come back next time and start it all over again to celebrate all things fashionable, as well as all things 
Jacques.




(photos by Matt Ford)

Sunday 28 August 2011

The White Witch of Liverpool



The White Witch of Liverpool

Given the pick between hero or villain and black or white, I immediately went for villain, which I stress isn’t a refection of my personality, and before even thinking, what came to mind was the white witch. I think I wanted to go opposite with both choices rather than the obvious villain equals black and like most of my projects, I see where the first idea takes me. 




This was all to do with a photo shoot project for university where we had to customize the outfit as well which was done using a vintage wedding dress, which dose make me sound like a villain cutting up something that unique, and a dream catcher.




The location was originally going to be the graveyard at the Anglican cathedral at dusk. However a unforeseen difficulty got in the way in the form of a gang of chavs equipped with fireworks which made me rethink and go for my second choice of a gothic tree and gate setting. I didn’t know whether to ask them to join in but anti-social behaviour and the fantasy world of Narnia is a hard one to mix. 









(photography and styling by myself)

THE TERMINATOR in Vogue


THE TERMINATOR in Vogue

A sketchbook project creating collages and producing something effective just with a few fashion magazine/car advert clipping and a pritt stick. High fashion mixed with machine. I like how well they have came out without the use of photoshop but just getting the shapes, levels and positions accurate.




This is a man's world

This is a MAN'S world


Getting your first university task before even starting a lesson is a exciting yet nervous feeling. The summer project was to do a photo shoot with emphasis on the word juxtaposition and the theme being underwear as outerwear. I kind of wanted to take it one step further and completely give a new meaning to androgynous fashion.



Using three female models and emphasizing the feminine form with the likes of revelling clothing, ticking the task in hand for the theme, but changing it up with a business male attitude and actually using fault stubble, male clothing and a man’s hair style to give it it’s juxtaposition.




Asking some male friends if they still fancied the woman in the picture gave mix reviews of laughter and confusion proves the fact that the first feeling of attraction really start with a slight shallowness of looks. Funny to see the faces of people walking past though.





(styling and photography by myself)  

Thursday 4 August 2011

My Made-up doll

My Made-up doll

An exciting yet surprising thing has just happened to me the other weeks, finding out off a friend who visited the museum, that a piece of work I did has got chosen to be showcased into the new Liverpool world museum. We got given a brief we got giving in university asking to make a doll representing the Liverpool  look. The idea behind mine was thinking about the past and present musical influences on the street of Liverpool such as buskers and of course the main thing that comes to mind when thinking about such a topic, the Beatles.




Am extremely honoured that mine was picked and generally shocked finding out by checking face book when away and seeing a tagged picture of mine and my friends dolls behind a glass cabinet. Quite made up!




Monday 11 July 2011

Two Faced

TWO/FACED


At the beginning of the university year we had a simple task consisting of magazine cut outs and transforming, with two separate head shoots, one face. It was mirroring an artist technique which no matter how hard I google search, can not find their name, so if by any chance you know please do tell.

I do like how they turned out. The mix of emotions forming very strange facial expressions. For example a stern top half of Donald Trump merged with a elegant Kylie Minogue. The first five I’ve creative are all images from various magazines but the sixth is a computer edited piece using myself and a friend.

A lot of people think there is always two sides to a person, deceitful, double-dealing, intimidated, compassionate. These pictures act as more of a…visual hard copy. If only it was that easy to really see the other side of somebody.









Thursday 9 June 2011

LJMU fashion showcase at London

         LJMU Fashion
      Showcase at London

When the whole of the fashion department received an e-mail noting that Graduate fashion week was on the arrival I knew it would be an ideal story for the website. The invitation was way back in April on a first come first served basis, so being such the procrastinator I am, I thought nothing of getting my tickets at a later date. Oh how I was wrong because within a few weeks later, checking the GFW website for more information, I found that besides Bath, John Moores was the only university sold out. In a mad state of panic thinking that my off putting had got the better of me, I e-mailed my tutor and head of fashion straight away, hoping I was not too late. Even going as far as trying to track down a computer cafĂ© in a strange Spanish town whilst on holiday. Luckily I managed to get two tickets and am now a happy man writing this on a train soon arriving back at Lime Street Station. The point of this story is that for a course that is being suspended for at least two years for improvements, for it’s show to be one of the first to be completely sold out, we must be doing something right.



Walking through the main doors at Earl Court exhibition centre it felt like a nation wide fashion frenzy with the next generation of the fashion industry all under one roof. Personal styles all colliding, screaming out with everyone’s individuality and taste. The room was set out like the must remembered university fairs with each university displaying amazing outfits and perfect sketch books with huge posters of photo shoots all around. With no map depicting where every university was, I frantically looked around for John Moores booth finally tracking it down all the way on the far side of the room. We differently made use of the substantial size of our section with some of the 3rd years clothing hanging from the roof and flat screens showing this years John Moors own fashion show held in the arts and design building. With no tutor or designer in sight, for the obvious reason of them getting ready for the big show, I took some photos of the stall, looking through the many portfolios and waited till it was time to enter the catwalk.





Anticipation was building as everyone was seated to watch the collections of the chosen 15 design students out of the possible 22 who passed the judging stage early this week. The lights go down and the music kicks in. Electric dance flooded the room as the first model walks out wearing a chiffon charcoal dress with multicoloured beading, a design from 3rd year Ashiwaqul Kabir collection - third gender : hijra . One after the other the fashion strutted down the catwalk displaying the hard work of the 3rd years which burst thought as amazing pieces both couture chic and ready to wear style where the centre of attention to all. When watching the show people sitting next to me whispered in my ear they could easily see some piece being ready to hung off the selves right now and I would highly agree with them. The 3rd years certainly did the city proud with Yasmin Kheradamandan qualifying for the GFW gold award, the most prestigious award of the whole week. With her bright statement knits, block colour A-shape shirts and bobble hats, Yasmin would compete to win a £20.000 price as well as being crowned the best collection of the whole week. However the winner of the award was a male student from Nottingham Trent University but for Yasmin’s collection to appear in this final show is an massive achievement itself.




Yasmin Kheradamandan collection - Navajo

When the show was finished everyone rushed back to the JMU stall to congratulate the designers. Everything went perfect I was told, apart from a pair of forgotten tights and shoes that wouldn’t fit. I spoke to Jody Wood, 3rd year fashion design at LJMU who showcasing her collection - A Visual Paradox. Asking about her designs and the event she said “ My collection is all about personal taste. I looked at light shadows and ink blots which tap into the viewers mind. People keep asking me what are my clothes and patterns about and I ask them well what do you see? The same way ink blots work when shown to someone on a card. I experimented with water and inc to form patterns and also looked at Rorschach tests for inspiration. I think events like this are so important to present our work, its shows people who wouldn’t normally get to see it and we get a lot of cover. Its harder being in the north west rather than London where most of the fashion industry is but being at London Graduate fashion week everyone gets to see it”.

Jody Woods collection - A Visual Paradox


Lauren Schofield collection - Encased

This was my first time at graduate fashion week and I have two more to come with the last one showcasing my own communication work so I know now the standard of work produced for the GFW. The whole feeling is excellent, supporting your university by watching the show and knowing your all part of the same department. I know it’s a bad way of looking at it but life is full of competition, whether it be competition with another university or competition with the people you know and you need to put yourself out there in the crowd to be noticed. The 3rd year fashion knew this and went all out from having business cards being printed to speaking to as many people at this event as possible. I will definitely be back next year, cheering Liverpool John Moores on and writing this article not knowing what to expect from the next 3rd years collection but they have a lot to live up to. Well done 3rd year fashion 2011 and good luck.
(photos taken by myself)