Ich Bin Ein Berliner is the name of our end of year show. The show was organised by us, the 1st years, to showcase our work outside of the university. The show was a great success, whether that be due to the free alcohol on offer or the talent that was shown I don’t know, but nonetheless, the room was packed and the atmosphere was electric. Excitement filled the room as our guests sat either side of the catwalk which ran through the centre of the Hoxton Basement, an underground venue with a raw, industrial feel.The music was loud and had a gritty, urban vibe. The clothes were very diverse, from light, floaty, angelic chiffon dresses to over sized coats with unusual silhouettes and black pvc gimp masks, there was a lot to see. Over 40 outfits made by the Fashion Design and Fashion Textiles collaborations went down the catwalk. I have chosen a few of my favourite looks as well as my own, obviously.
This outfit was made by two design students, Minji Kim and Charlotte Roden. The jacket is made from felt with hand knitted panels on the sleeves. The mixture between the angular detail down the centre of the jacket and the round bumps on the knitting create a contrast which looks bold and creative. The shapes of the garments remind me of 90s skate wear, with the extremely loose fitting, cropped jeans.
This was created by a Fashion Design student and a Fashion Textiles student. It has an almost sultry appeal, with the sheer panels down the legs and the beautiful, puffed up veil covering the face. It also has a harshness about it with the blocks of solid black covering the entire top half of the models body. Ruffles down the arms and hip add a very feminine touch and a bit more 3D texture which works really well. By keeping their colour palette completely black, it keeps this from looking like a clowns costume and gives it a mature, sophisticated aesthetic.
Finally, this look was created by a Fashion Textiles student, Cheila Guerra and myself, a Fashion Design student. I was inspired by the Soho area of London and the mix of people you can find down there and wanted to incorporate that eclectic style into my design. The strappy leather top came from looking at sex workers, which eventually led me to look into fetish and the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. I originally wanted to put a sheer panel just to slightly hide the breasts without covering them completely, but my partner made a latex panel to go underneath instead. I think this takes away from the harshness of the leather and you don’t get the full impact, which is a shame. I also made the pencil skirt, which was inspired by the media and business types in Soho. It is just a simple skirt with two pockets at the side and is made from velvet, a rich, luxurious fabric. The kimono style jacket was a mix of looking at the China Town area and also the style of floozy dressing gowns that sex workers use. I wanted it to be really floaty, loose and have an effortlessly chic look. Cheila made this weave panels to put into the jacket, which were originally supposed to be black but ended up being cream, red and gold, which I personally think looks completely out of place. The feathers at the top were also something I had not planned and again, I don’t think it works.Overall, I’m not 100% happy with it, but I suppose its always going to be difficult when you get put with someone who you’ve never met and don’t share the same views and opinions with. Cheila has helped me and been very kind, I just don’t think I am capable of working as a collaboration as I have very strong ideas.
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