INSPIRATION // ETHEREAL

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

 have a chilling, dark, fun day with your family and friends

FV

Images via Pinterest

 Autumn Photo by Ansel Olson | Misty Cemetery |  Warlock | Broken Glass

DESIGN COMPETITION // UNCOMMONGOODS - VEGAN ACCESSORIES

WHAT CAN I SUBMIT?
We're an animal conscious company—always have been, always will be! But sometimes it's a little difficult to find accessories that are animal-friendly and attractive. So we decided to host an open call for fashion accessories—handbags, clutches, wallets, belts, etc.—that use materials alternative to leather, suede, pearls, feathers or any other material that threatens the welfare of another being.

WHAT ARE BUYERS LOOKING FOR?
We take the term "uncommon" pretty seriously around here and are on the hunt for truly unique artwork. Our buyers love anything that has an exciting story, so tell us about it in your entry. Where does your inspiration come from? What hurdles have you jumped to get to your final draft? As far as what not to submit, make sure your art is free of trademarks or logos.

HOW CAN I SUBMIT?
You can submit your designs by clicking the "Enter Here" link at the bottom of the page. Please be sure to fill out the form in its entirety before submitting your entry. You will receive a confirmation email if your entry was submitted successfully.

WHAT DO I GET IF I WIN?
We thought you might ask that! If you are our grand prize winner—and let's face it, why wouldn't you be?—you'll receive $500 cash (OK, it's a check, but you get the idea) and a potential vendor contract at UncommonGoods. You'll work with your assigned buyer—to build an inventory schedule based on your capability. Your design will be shown on UncommonGoods.com, in our marketing emails, and possibly in the catalog. You'll also reserve the right for a judgment-free victory dance.

WHAT IF I DON'T WIN?
This question bums us out, but all runners-up will receive a critique of their work from the guest judges, will receive tips for marketing and growing their businesses from the UncommonGoods marketing team, and may still be considered for entrance into our collection.

I STILL HAVE A QUESTION! 
Drop us a line at vegan-accessories@uncommongoods.com  or go here to visit their website. 

TRENDS // FASHION SNOOPS - S/S 2015 NY RUNWAY

Fashion Snoop is an online forecasting trend service that reports on color, design themes, key items, details, etc., for women's, men's, kid's and accessories.  To learn more and subscribe to their services, go here to view their amazing site and check out their inspiring blog. 

 Here is a preview of FASHION SNOOPS',  S/S 2015 NY RUNWAY.  To order a copy of the report, go here.

The Summer of Love girl is festival-ready at Tommy Hilfiger and Anna Sui. Both designers incorporated looks for the bohemian spirited or pyschedelic hippie. Flowing chiffon maxi dresses were often printed or embroidered, and denim was a highlight with patchwork techniques. Crochet and openwork knits were used for layers.

An Army Navy look surfaces with uniforms that that embrace pockets and neutral military tones.

The Row progresses from last season's Inner Calm story into an equally sublime Zen approach, which confirms Fashion Snoops' Stop trend in Visionary. The spiritual look is reliant on solid neutrals and minimalist lines, with the exception of intricate wrapped techniques at the waist. Linen and natural fibers exude the message of purity and elongated silhouettes are favored.

TRENDS // PATTERNBANK - PRINT AND PATTERN TRENDS

Patternbank is an exceptionally great resource with over 20 years in the print, graphics and fashion industry. Their global research brings you essential inspiration ideas for graphics, prints and patterns, making Patternbank a valuable resource and intelligence tool for any business, designer or buyer.  To stay informed of their reports, sign up for the Patternbank Weekly Digest here.  

Below is a preview of their Print Trend Report Part I Spring/Summer 2015.  You can order their report here 

Patternbank brings you the key Spring/Summer 2015 Print and Pattern trends from the latest London, New York, Paris and Milan catwalk shows, in an essential in-depth report. The Patternbank team have gathered information from the designers collections and compiled a selection of the most prominent print looks trending for Spring/Summer 2015 together with an insight into colours for the season. This informative catwalk report will be an indispensable tool for your Spring /Summer 2015 Print and Pattern developments.

• 12 print trend stories for Spring/Summer 2015

  Cut-Out & Placed /Geometric Structures / Deconstruct / Brushed & Scribbled / Nomadic Habit / Graphic Garden / Inky Gradients / Perforated Pattern / Oceanic Currents / Textile Collector /Mosaïque / Exotic Vegetation

• 44 pages of inspirational print forecast intelligence

• Over 500 on trend hand-picked images

• Covers New York, London, Paris & Milan SS15 shows

• 5 colour trends for Spring/Summer 2015

TRENDS // PATTERN PEOPLE - PRINT/PATTERN INSPIRATIONS + PATTERN MIX

Pattern People is a surface design studio founded by designers Claudia Brown and Jessie Whipple Vickery. Their studio provides a collection of thousands of ready-made print designs available for immediate use on apparel, paper products, beauty packaging, accessories, interiors and more.  They are also available for commissioned design and can develop to your project's specifications. Visit their site here, to browse their inspiration blog and shop tutorials, trend guides and designer tools. 

Their Pattern Mix, is now available which features 100 surface designers from around the world and encompasses 800 inspirational print designs and 200 plus pages of colorful patterns. Go here to order it now. 

Below are reposts from their blog - inspirational PRINT/PATTERN mood boards by  Bekah Hilleson.

    BARELY THERE    

Light and airy barely prints add lovely texture to feminine silhouettes.

Samuji | iCB for Fashion Gone Rogue | Cut25 by Yigal Azrouël 

    GLOWING AND GRAINY    

Abstract textural prints shine bright in glowy pinks and oranges.

Roksanda Ilincic | Bouchra Jarrar | Cédric Charlier

    TECHNICALLY PLAID    

A techy take on the traditional tartan.

Suno Sp15 | Clover Canyon Sp & Su 14 

    PLAID AND ANIMAL   

Plaid with a touch of animal fierceness.

Nicole Miller & Shali fur for Fashion Gone Rogue | ZAC by Zac Posen | McQ Alexander McQueen

FEATURE // MARTIJN VAN STRIEN . FASHION DESIGNER

We are re-featuring talented Fashion Designer Martijn van Strien who has recently launched an experimental fashion label called m p h v s.

If ever the worlds of fashion and science were located on two different sides of the universe, Martijn van Strien is well on this way to assemble them together into one perfect dark harmony. He creates a world where anything is possible and constantly changing. Urban becomes rural, ugly turns into beauty and rainbows come in black and white. Ever future-focused, his aim is to make the best possible version of everything. Textile design might just be the beginning.

Van Strien’s interest in the technical side of fashion and design made him stand out at the Design Academy Eindhoven where he graduated in December 2012. There he specialised in textile design and trend forecasting. Skills and knowledge he developed further at the Textile Department of Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm, focusing on handcrafts and textile manufacturing. 

His two graduation projects at DAE, Threads for Cockaigne and Dystopian Brutalist Outerwear, received wide international praise and recognition. Both collections arose from imaginative worlds and abstract concepts. The first found inspiration in craftsmanship from the past, Medieval tales in particular. While the second explored future and ‘sustainable’ adaptations of textile design. For this he was awarded a prestigious ‘Keep an Eye’ grant during the Dutch Design Week, to continue designing and experimenting with various materials. This grant was used to develop a new collection and launch a new experimental fashion label, mphvs, in October 2014.

His interest in future-focused and sustainable fashion, brought him to Antwerp, where he assisted fashion designer Bruno Pieters at Honest By. Besides exploring material sourcing, his work included all the Honest by graphic design, website, publicity and organising a book project. 

 ‘’Nothing endures but change’’, (Heraclitus) and in the case of Van Strien this craving for evolution has become a recurring element in his work. Intrigued by the speed of fashion, standing still will never be an option for the young creator. In order to do this, it is important to keep your eyes open at all times, discovering and analysing new things. Preferably with one eye peeking into the future. 

At the same time, he likes the mystery of not knowing how something is constructed. It is this curiosity that makes him want to take a new approach to ‘sustainable’ fashion, working with recycled or organic-based synthetic materials instead of the old fashioned eco materials like organic hemp or cotton. He plans to develop his expertise in textile design through partnerships with established studios in the fashion industry. 

In the world of Martijn van Strien anything is possible, styled and constantly evolving.

www.martijnvanstrien.com

www.mphvs.com

© Martijn van Strien - all rights reserved.  

mphvs

contra • dictions

"Here the boundaries meet and all contradictions exist side by side." - Fyodor Dostoevsky in 'The Brothers Karamazov'.

Inspired by a man who travels the edges of his existence. 

The cuts and patterns reflect his journey and originated in the buildings, bridges and other man-made structures he passed. 

Made using high-tech equipment to turn unconventional materials into wearable pieces, this collection is an exploration into the future of fashion. Taking a parallel path to the opportunities 3d-printing brings to product design, this technique makes one-of-a-kind, custom garments possible to exactly fit the “consumer’s” size and demands. A 21st century approach to haute couture.

Collection:

The shapes are inspired by architecture. They’re kept simple and square because the main focus is on the material. It’s a ‘unisex’ collection because I don’t believe in the difference between men and women. Physically there doesn’t have to be much difference, so also what they wear can be similar. The pieces are all made from one and the same material, a pvc tarp in either black or white. All seams are welded in straight lines

Material:

The material came from a long research into the possibilities of making heavy industrial materials lighter, flexible and more wearable. The goal was to add different qualities to one piece of material to eliminate the need to use different materials in one garment. All holes and outlines are cut into the material by using a laser cutter. Which makes it easy to adapt a garment to specific sizes, prints or other requirements. Each garment can be unique, there is no need to mass-produce large amounts of the same garment.

Mood:

The mood of the collection is inspired by a man traveling the edges of his existence. Its about staying on the move, visiting different places, looking for the unknown in search of yourself. It’s about being confused and lost and liking it, about perpetual change. About the contrast between real and unreal, between organic and geometric, alive and dead, material and no material.

image credits:

photos.  Olya Oleinic

hair & make-up.  Cristina Vila

models.  Ian @ FIC  &  Katie @ Paparazzi

www.mphvs.com

www.martijnvanstrien.com

for more info: 

press@martijnvanstrien.com

TRENDS // TRENDSTOP - SS 2016 COLORS

A great resource for fashion and creative professionals is Trendstop.com an online fashion and trend forecasting agency based in London.  They have an extensive data for forecasts and trends in all areas of clothing, accessories and beauty for Men's and Women's.

Here are a couple of key Women's color trends for the S/S 2016 season. Go here to order your copy. 

    GRAPE JUICE    

Replacing Winter's Ermine Purple, a deep, red-toned purple creates the rich appeal of Grape Juice. Mary Katrantzou works with a brogue-inspired digital print on an unconventional dress, as satiny textures look elegant on slit skirts at Emilio de la Morena. House of Holland demonstrates a more casual approach with a plain fabric surface.

    BEETLE GREEN    

Beetle Black makes the transition from Winter, refreshed with a vivid green tint while retaining a rich iridescent gloss. Antipodium applies the shade with shimmering pleats to a layered dress, while black and white contrasts add emphasis at Mary Katrantzou. Supple leather textures add a rich finish, as seen in Simone Rocha's coat.

TRENDS // WOLVERINE LEATHERS - SS2016

Wolverine Leathers is the global leader of Performance Leather which offers an array of performance features, colors, weights and other varieties. Their speciality is in working with designers, product development and sourcing to meet their needs in footwear design. Some of their clients include UGG, DKNY, Adidas and Vans to name a few.  Go here to learn more about their company. 

Here is a preview of their Sprint/Summer 2016 trends where you can view the entire report here for their colors and materials. Their trends are inspired by 4 concepts: Le Printemps, Artland, Rah Rah and Mesa.

    LE PRINTEMPS    

Set in Paris in thé 1880s, la belle époque, a time of great economic prosperity, entertainment, intellect and creativity.  Colors: soft elegant ranges of silken blues and pink, set against luminous limestone, wrought iron and bright pops of geranium. 

    ARTLAND    

Set in an artist colony on the fringes of the city (any city) and celebrates the vibrant new fusion of contemporary art, music and fashion.  Colors feature oil paint colors set against a canvas white and urban grey.

    RAH RAH    

Takes us back to the authentic fun and competition of 1970s team sports - pre-tech, pre-juice. Colors based on the sports, pennants, players and cheerleaders graphically juxtaposed and oh-so-familiar retro shades of shrimp, mint, grass maize and varsity blue.

    MESA    

Is a beautiful arid story set in the deserts of the southwestern United States feature red rocks, terra-cotta, adobe, desert sky sage brush, silver mine metals and cactus.

DESIGN COMPETITION // FRONT ROW SOCIETY - PASTEL ABSTRACTION

CREATIVE BRIEF

Submission Deadline: 15 November, 2014, 6pm CET
Voting Starts: 16 November, 2014, 6pm CET

As the skies turn greyer and the wind starts to bring a frosty chill breezing around us, we’re feeling in need of a little comforting here at Front Row Society. So for this month’s scarves challenge, we’ve decided to indulge our sweet tooth with a delectable array of sugary shades in our “Pastel Abstraction” challenge. Think simple poster style graphics in vintage sweet shop shades of candy floss pink and lemon sherbet; or contrast soft clouds of baby blues and dreamy purples with bold geometric forms. 

This competition is for scarves. As always, don’t forget that your print might need to be adjusted to fit the appropriate template. All templates are marked with design specifications to help you get your design just right. Please note that all Front Row Society templates may differ slightly from final manufacturing specifications, so make sure your print is versatile and flexible enough for production.

What can you win?

Each winner receives a one-off immediate prize of 200€ . plus one of their products when it arrives in stock. But that is not all - each & every time we sell 500 pieces of your design, you will receive an additional €200. This means that FRS can continue to embody the spirit of fashion democracy, rewarding our top designs again...and again...and again! We will also conduct an interview with the winner, publicizing their design across the fashion community in Berlin and worldwide.

Go here to learn more and to submit your designs.

TRENDS // COLOR SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL (CSI + DYSTAR) . INTIMATES INSPIRATIONS SS16 PRE-SEASON

COLOR SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL is a color resource provider in partnership with DYSTAR, a textile coloration specialist provide consultancy in all areas of coloration and finishing technology. Here is a collaboration of their recent color trend boards, for their Intimates Inspirations for the SS 2016 Pre-Season. To view their recent trend inspirations, go here. To learn more about these two expertise's, go here.

    SAUNTER     

A little bit of dainty elegance, a dash of glamorous appeal, a drop of playful charm – she is a princess in her fairy kingdom. Life is about beauty and kindness she believes. The summer’s splendor is a feast, feeding her senses, with the sweet smell of rose gardens, with the warm touch of the sun on her skin, with the delicate taste of fruity gelato and the gentle piano sounds. The dream-like vibrancy of color in the warm summer days makes her happy and ecstatic.

    PRELUDE    

She likes her life of independence and peace. Her everyday soaked into an immense flow of inspiration and self-exploration. She is natural and somewhat romantic. She likes to prepare things in her own quiet and elegant way. Mornings are her favorite time of the day, no need to hurry, no need to overindulge with extreme everyday interactions. Every word that she says she tastes carefully on the tip of her tongue to make sure she gave it just the right dose of meaning and love. She knows life is string of beginnings and every day is a prelude to something new.

     COBALT SKIES    

She is a true believer that mystical powers are moving and directing us in mysterious ways. She feels that all nature’s creations are sacred. She approaches her everyday endeavors as rituals that need to be performed with great poise and affection. She craves eternal youth and believes that beauty is reflection of the soul. She loves the mountains not as a destination to conquer, but as a place to worship nature and a place to reflect on her inner peace, a place where she can reach for harmony and solitude. She adores the fragile beauty of exotic flowers but she is equally attracted to the dark power of the stormy cobalt skies.

     RESONANCE    

Her life is about balance and exploration. She wants to know about the world and travels not for leisure but to connect with different cultures and people on deeper more spiritual level. She is a multilingual citizen of the world, her mind is bright and colorful. She takes her body on the quest for self-discovery trough yoga and meditation. She is pure by heart and strong by will. She is a gatherer of experiences and fascinating stories which resonate deep into her soul. She is a creator and storyteller of the new urban folklore.

[ TREND + PRINT REPORT ] AARYN WEST STUDIO

Today's post [ TREND + PRINT REPORT ], is from FV print and fashion contributor AARYN WEST of Aaryn West Studio based in Los Angeles, California. Below are her most recent print trend call outs from the Resort '15 collections.  

Aaryn West Studio is a design studio specializing in bespoke prints and patterns for application on nearly any surface in the fashion, interior, and gift design industries.  Go here, to check out her website



    CAT LADY    

Novelty prints are having a major moment right meow. So much so that it was a little difficult deciding which ones to report on. From common favorites like birds and butterflies, to the still-going-strong selection of tropical fruits (pineapples and bananas, anyone?), conversationals are a hot commodity for Spring 2015. Cats make for a relevantly quirky choice because they satisfy not only the ‘cute animal’ category, but can also merchandise well with the tropical themes that will no doubt dominate the season. Here Kitty, Kitty!

Giles, Alice + Olivia, Libertine all via Style.com
Background print © Aaryn West

    MIXED BOHO    

The bohemian look has been going strong for a several seasons now, and from what we are seeing on the runway this spring it won’t be fading away anytime soon. With influences from all over the globe and a penchant for mixing various dense and ornate motifs, the bohemian babe is no wall flower. For additional research on how to master the mixed boho trend, also see the new collections from print-mixing prosDuro Olowu and Anna Sui.

Etro, Preen Line, Just Cavalli all via Style.com
Background print © Aaryn West

   WHEN IN ROME    

While not all of your clients are likely to jive with this trend, we were quite eager to cover it. There were even several examples of it in the Resort 2015 shows, so we weren’t entirely surprised to see it pop up again for Spring, especially among the Italian designers. We are loving the variety of approaches used in presenting such iconographic imagery – from traditional black and white to modern color blocking, and even digital glitch. I could easily see this trend working well in combination with floral elements, or even as a simple novelty. For more takes on this trend also seeMarios Schwab and Fausto Puglisi.

Versace, Neil Barrett, KTZ all via Style.com
Background print © Aaryn West

TRENDS // ECLECTIC TRENDS . GUDY HERDER - A/W 2016/17 GLOBAL COLOR RESEARCH . SCANNED - PART II

From our most recent FV contributor addition, Gudy Herder of Eclectic Trends who is based in Barcelona working as an Interior Stylist, Trend Observer and Trainer.  Her website Eclectic Trends is full of interior and trend inspirations,   http://eclectictrends.com.  

Dear Fashion Vignette readers! This is Gudy from Eclectic Trends and I am back today with another trend I presented at Global Color Research which I named SCANNED! You can view the entire report here. 

I hope you enjoyed my last AW 2016/17 trend post WONDERLAND ( here ), which had been the favorite among my readers. I’d love to hear your opinion too.

Here comes the second part of my trend presentation for Global Color Research I have shared as well at the Blogger Brunch the past weekend. This was another winner (to my surprise) together with WONDERLAND. I believe the colors influence a lot here too since they are soft and gentle, and we have seen seem them mainly on the Scandinavian markets for a while now.

We are more and more scanned in different senses. When we go the airport, be on the internet or make a telephone call with an integrated gps, there are cameras on the street, and we have to face there is a constant integration of technology with the human body.

On the other side, ‘SCANNED’ has beauty, there is a wonderful x-ray photography underlining transparency and fragility which is not new but has been there for a few years already. By exposing an object to x-rays one discovers new and sometimes surprising structures and hidden beauty.

It is a movement that invites to discover and explore in a different way, like looking underneath the surface and being marveled by its treasures.

© Gudy Herder/Eclectic Trends - all rights reserved.   Layout may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, photocopying, or otherwise, without prior written permission from the Gudy Herder. 

DESIGN COMPETITION // FASHION SCOUT - AW15 . LONDON + PARIS

Editorial via Fashion Scout

We are pleased to announce that applications for the AW15 London and Paris showcases are now open.

From the 20th to the 24th February, Fashion Scout London will take place for another season at the Freemasons’ Hall in Covent Garden, London over the five days of London Fashion Week. Showcasing the very best in upcoming fashion talent, designers can apply to show their collections as catwalk shows, presentations or part of our exhibition.

This season’s applications will also open for the prestigious and highly desired Merit Award, won by Gyo Yuni Kimchoe this season. The Merit Award new talent initiative is worth £25,000 over three seasons and is responsible for the launch of design careers including that of William Tempest, David Koma, Hermione De Paula, Eudon Choi, Georgia Harding, Leutton Postle, Phoebe English, as well as Xiao Li. The Merit Award is open to new womenswear designers who have already graduated and wish to show during London Fashion Week.

Additionally, new designers can apply for the Ones to Watch collaborative showcase. Known as the first and best place to see the future of UK and International design talent, the Ones to Watch provides four designers with a high profile catwalk show and, along with the Merit Award show, attracts an audience of both buyers and press season after season.

Fashion Scout Paris will also return to its Paris home in the heart of Marais, where designers will be able to individually display their collections to the elite fashion Industry. Visitors to the Fashion Scout Paris Showroom last season included Anna Wintour, Hamish Bowles, Lucinda Chambers, Fran Burns, Sarah Mower, Sara Maino, Worldwide Vogue and Worldwide Elle. 

Visit Fashion Scout's website here to learn more.  Designers are selected by a panel of industry experts in November 2014.

To request an application pack and for full information, please email: press@fashionscoutevents.com.