It was millenniums ago as a design student that I was in awe of French chronophotographer Etienne-Jules Marey, known for his graphic studies of humans, animals and objects in motion. I’m glad to have come across the works of Dutch designer Kirsten Enkelmann who was inspired by Etienne and recalled my interest with motion and its influence on design (read Wear Out).

Folded Fiction is a sports-inspired collection showcasing a dazzling feat of pleats. Working on a mix of low-tech and high-tech constructions, Kirsten utilized the traditional knife pleat on a variety of fabrics from cotton to pigskin, and lasercuts on neoprene to produce stretch pleats. Take a peek!

Iris van Herpen showcased her five new architectural looks alongside her previous pieces for the Haute Couture collection, combining 3D printing with hand-made processes. The result is a remarkable overview of Iris’s works that featured her profound craftsmanship and her skillful grasp of the materials in relation to the body. I look forward to more!

Photos courtesy of Iris van Herpen

Five Hungarian design students from the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design collaborated on a collection made by re-using leather belts and shoes Alluding to creatures of ancient Greek mythology and science fiction themes, the recycled leather was given new life by the white paint yet still retains the quality of the worn leather beneath.

Thanks to Iidiko for the images.

Design team: Kata Horvath, Piroska Gyetvai, Monika Metal, Ildiko Mikula and Edit Urban.

Photos were made by Zsofia Levai
make-up by Anna Rozsnyay
models Reka Petho, Viktoria Bate, and Lilla Rozsahegyi.

Phew, I realize it’s been a while since I last wrote. My days and nights have been the most intense ever since I started my nine-to-five two weeks ago, but there’s no stopping me on seeking new finds!

Recently I caught hold of up-and-coming UK-based fashion designer Georgia Hardinge who agreed to share her awesome Fall 2011 collection in which the designer explored the sculptural and two-dimensionality of skeletons. Inspired by the morbid imageries taken by Joel Peter Witkin, the runway set featured tops, dresses and leggings with abstract monochromatic skeletal prints, and later followed by an off-white ensemble of textural leather garments with layered pleats and fold details. View the images right after the break.

Photography: Christopher Dadey

British designer Alison Dunlop combined her background in sculpture and fashion accessory design to create a series of handbags noted for their lovely facets and the folding subtleties.

Photography by Ben Roberts

Images courtesy of Alison Dunlop

A set of chairs, a couple of fun book lights and a handbag with pleating elements made up the Octagonal Series, conceived by designers Mi-Seung Kim and Myung-Seo Kang of Studio MS. By studying and exploring origami, the designers discovered numerous possibilities of pleating octagonal shapes which produce flexible and structurally rigid forms.

The Book Light. UV stable pvc / cotton for bookbinding

Inspired by traditional bookbinding, the Book Light consists of a book cover and a pleated cotton shell with a light bulb within. The amount of light can be adjusted by simply opening and closing the ‘book’. There are three different Book Lights: a table lamp, a pendant lamp, and a floor lamp.

——

The Closer (chair). plywood with pleated leather

The chair consists of two hollow wooden boxes linked with pleated leather connection that flexes and extends. You can simply link a few more boxes and connecting pleats to create a bench for group seating.

——

The Octave (Bag). leather

Photography by Merlin Hendy

The little long-overdue compilation of Pleatfarm’s favorites is finally here! Plucked from the recent Fall/Winter 2010-11, the list of wearables are chosen for the designers’ ingenious and whimsical ways of exploring pleats, folds, and innovative materials, such as Viktor & Rolf‘s collar-to skirt pleated outfit; stuffed, twisted fabric by Comme des Garçons; weaving, undulating leather collars by Haider Ackermann; just to name a few.

Part II coming up!

Viktor & Rolf A/W 2010-2011

……………….

Gabriele Colangelo A/W 2010-2011

collection inspired by the textures of rocks. just love the tangled plissé!

……………….

Yohji Yamamoto A/W 2010-2011

……………….

Rick Owens A/W 2010-2011

……………….

Haider Ackermann A/W 2010-2011

……………….

Lanvin A/W 2010-2011

……………….

Gareth Pugh A/W 2010-2011

……………….

Comme des Garçons A/W 2010-2011

Get your favorite looks from your favorite designers at farfetch.com

images via style.com

]]> http://www.pleatfarm.com/2010/04/06/fall-winter-2010-2011-fashion-roundup-part-1/feed/ 1 http://www.pleatfarm.com/2010/03/23/a-collusion-of-angles-janneke-verhoeven/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-collusion-of-angles-janneke-verhoeven http://www.pleatfarm.com/2010/03/23/a-collusion-of-angles-janneke-verhoeven/#comments Wed, 24 Mar 2010 05:02:14 +0000 pleatfarmer http://www.pleatfarm.com/?p=4036

Designer Janneke Verhoeven loves triangles, and her recent graduate collection at the ArtEZ Institute of the Arts speaks of her fascination with the geometry. In Collusion of Angles, Janneke created an interplay between rigidity and softness by utilizing the geometric forms of the tangram puzzle. Recently Janneke took time to show her pieces and answered some questions regarding her design process. The collection was accompanied with shoes designed by Miriam van Weeghel, and were developed with wooden structures inspired by the Kapla principle.

What is the title, and concept behind your most recent collection?: The title of my collection is ‘a collusion of angles’.
 Searching for a way to integrate structures in my work, I used the geometric forms of the tangram puzzle. Shapes are created around the body with either flowing or rigid forms. Flowing lines are interrupted or disturbed by angles, by inserting triangles from stiff leather into fluent fabrics. They make parts of the garments protrude from the body, creating unexpected shapes with a renewed elegance. Another take on using the geometric forms is by using triangle-shaped pieces of fabric, which I folded around the body. This way I start a pattern from a really abstract form, and just with little adjustments I try to make a real wearable garment.

What are your inspirations for the collection/ how did you begin the design process?: I get most of my inspirations from things that I notice around me, this time it started with work of the artist Andreas Gursky, which is a lot about structures. Then I found an image of a tangram puzzle, which intrigued me, since it’s a really basic principle of creating something new, by structuring the pieces. So this is how tangram became the main inspiration. (continue below)

(cont’d) I began the design with the mannequin, and start folding and shaping fabric around the form. This mostly ends up in piles and piles of pictures. And in the end I only use around 5 principles for the real collection. I make collages of these and this way I try to create a certain image/feel. Through the whole process it’s a constant development of the collection, also with the inspiration, but also the designs keep developing. I find it very important to keep open minded during the process, and not stick to a very first idea.

What kinds of materials and main techniques used for the collection?: One of the techniques I used in this collection, was making groups of stiff leather triangles and fuse fluent fabrics with these groups. When I drape this around a body, the stiff triangles disturb the fluent lines, this creates stiff forms that protrude from the body. The materials I used in the collection are a combination of natural fabrics such as felt wools, silks, laser-cut leather. But also in contrast synthetic materials, like a blue sheer polyester and high shine polished leathers.

What are the most important things you have learned from your teachers and mentors?: I think I had really great teachers, Goran Pejkoski of Maison Martin Margiela and Lilian Driessen of Viktor & Rolf, who taught me how to structure my design process, to start early with making choices. I also learned to keep an open mind, and not be afraid to ‘kill your darlings’, which can be hard of course.

What is your current fascination (can be fashion, art, design, current issues, books, etc.)?: One of my main fascinations at the moment is still structures, and I don’t know exactly what it is about the triangle, but it’s a shape that keeps me really intrigued, so I want to find out what that is with the triangle

Check out the video of the collection here.

Editorial Photography by Bob van Rooijen

Runway Photography by Sanne Peper

Montreal-based fashion designer and university professor Ying Gao is known for her explorations in fashion that address movement and interaction with the environment.

Ying Gao created dresses made of various fabrics integrating microelectronic technology. Parts of the garments expand and contract as a respond to their immediate environment like light, movement, wind or touch

Living Pod: garments that expand when triggered by a light source

Click here to view the embedded video.

Walking City: dresses that respond to air, movement and touch

Click here to view the embedded video.

Playtime (still a work in progress): pleated garment inspired by Jacques Tati’s ‘Playtime’

images via ça va aller + exercises de style

living pod & walking city photography: dominique lafond

The Morpholision (Morphology + Vision) bag collection is inspired by forms of nature and sonobe – a Japanese paper folding method. Designed by Si Kim (a graduate of London College of Fashion), the collection is a gorgeous mélange of polyhedral forms resembling sea creatures.

In Si Kim’s words:

Personal/design background:
“I come from a fine art background, having studied many forms of art from a very young age. After my fine art degree i went on to study a design management Masters, and worked as a Graphic designer for 2 years. I then went on to do the MA in fashion artifact.”

Describe your collection, and what are the inspirations behind it:
“My collection was inspired by the different shapes present in nature, like for example the swirling shape of a seashell with its intricate pattern and texture. Or the fine detail in the eye of an insect, or the pattern left by the wind on the desert sand. All these things we see, but not necessarily pay any attention to the continuity and the flow of these patterns. And then the stark contrast between that and the hard lines and angles in geometry and man made structures. My collection is influenced by contemporary art, but also by some traditional art forms such as origami.”

Photography: Diego Indraccolo
Stylist: Kay Korsh

German-based design collective Dua recently sent images of the minimalist fold-able lounge chair designed by Arne Amtsfeld for the Dua Collection. The lounge chair is assembled from the folds of a single sheet of aluminium and leather, just like an origami.

Designer’s words:

A surface made of aluminium and leather turns into a lounge chair by folding a few times. It is manufactured in Germany and available in three different kinds of buffalo skin. In manufacture, recent computer-aided operations are paired with specific workmanship and generates individual items with a first-class finish and a personal note.

About the Dua Collection:

The Dua collection combines ideas from name designers (Alexander Esslinger, Sebastian Däschle, Arne Amstfeld, Chritian Poppel, Tobias Juretzek), who each have their own concepts of thinking and working. Dua gives insights into their basic research and creative powers. The production is based on the principle of short distances and personal contact in Germany. This rests upon the idea of economic and ecological balance. Thereby, recent computer-aided operations are paired with specialized manual skills. dua attaches great importance to the storyline of a design. Beyond that, dua acts as an interior decorator. By doing so, we design and realise — together with our partners from industry and art — living spaces and business premises, exhibitions, bars and stage designs.

Photography: Tanja Evers

Dutch fashion design duo, Malou Verharen and Ferdinand Sebastiaan Hartgers of Malousebastiaan, recently showcased their autumn/winter 2010 collection at the Amsterdam International Fashion Week replete with breathtakingly sculptural garments.

Known for their conceptual and hands-on approach, malousebastiaan created textured garments in silk, wool and leather, each adorned with striking cube-shaped details, with the leather being ‘boiled into shape over mold’. The designers carefully hand-dyed each piece, resulting in hues of reds and purples reminiscent of the skies at dawn and dusk.

About malousebastiaan:

Malou Verharen and Ferdinand Sebastiaan Hartgers started their women’s label malousebastiaan in 2008 during their graduation year at Utrecht School of the Arts. Their outlandish yet ultra feminine aesthetics, and their rather conceptual and artisanal approach to fashion got them noticed right from the start; malousebastiaan was invited to show during both 2009 editions of Amsterdam International Fashion Week. Malousebastiaan made their debut in front of the Dutch fashion set at the highly regarded C’est BRILJANT show on February 1st 2009, as one of the selected young fashion talents to host the latest eyewear trends. In the next edition of AIFW, malousebastiaan starred at the prestigious Lichting 2009 show, competing for the G-Star Raw Talent Award amongst the very best of Dutch fashion academy graduates. Lichting introduced these fresh talents to the very core of the Dutch fashion industry and a handful of international influencers. Super-trendwatcher Lidewij Edelkoort was quick to pick malousebastiaan for her Talent line up at Designhuis in Eindhoven, and selected several of malousebastiaan’s leather sculptures to star in Studio Edelkoort exhibition in Tokyo. Apart from their compact handcrafted collections, malousebastiaan have been producing an ongoing series of short films about their design streamed on their website.

Photography: Peter Stigter

I simply adore Swedish designer Mia Cullin‘s textiles with an emphasis on handcrafted construction and geometric assemblies inspired by folding and origami.

Flake wall screen

photo credit: Sameli Rantanen

Cabbage foldable bowls

photo credit: Mathias Nero

–

Polygon cushion cover

–

Lily cushion cover detail

photo credit: Mathias Nero

–

Flower wall screen

photo credit: Sameli Rantanen

–

Loop wall screen

photo credit: Mathias Nero

via Mia Cullin

Welcome to Pleat Farm where your grazing needs for pleats are fulfilled! What a better way to celebrate my first entry by mentioning the lovely London-based Dutch designer Marloes ten Bhömer and her signature couture shoes.

The leather-lamination technique called the MARLOESTENBHÖMER™ leather-mâché is used to produce sheets of patterned shoe uppers. Some pairs such as the three-colored mache shoes result in footwear that fits snugly to your feet with each fold of the leather.

Priced at a whopping £2,250! No wonder they’re called ‘couture’.

via Marloes ten Bhömer