EDIE&westwood.

EDIE&westwood's plan for the summer. 

In the fashion industry networking is everything.

Dreaming of a headline. 

my hero.

weaving in the park.

proof you can be productive in the sunshine.

have a ponder.

http://pinterest.com/edieandwestwood/

katherine hamnett. i love her work.

pick a pug.

Starting points. We decided on our logo finally, a pug. I love pugs, they are so cute. I printed up some different samples ideas. Which one do you like the best? Personally I like the dark purple pug on the pink background. hmm...... 

The white one is puff binder which did not work out quite how I had hoped but I did this because it feels like fur therefore very appropriate for our little puggy. 

EDIE&westwood.

EDIE&westwood. The name on everyones lips. Well, not really, but hopefully at some point in the future it will be. Jewellery and textiles become one to create a fantastic buisness idea. So far we have a twitter account and a blog.

@EDIEandwestwood
edieandwestwood.wordpress.com

The plan is to open a small independant buisness that sells are own work alongside other artists work. We want to dream big but I think opening a shop at this moment in time is out of the question so first we plan to start a website first.

Watch this space to follow a buisness plan from the beginning, watch it grow into something beautiful.

nikki mcwilliams.

Biscuits is the word of the day. A cup of good strong tea and a biscuit to dunk solves everything. Traditional and comforting. Today I went to a lecture and Nikki McWilliams was speaking. I loved her work and really wanted to share it. Her work is doing so well, which is no surprise as the designs are so quirky and cool. What I find fascinating is that she did her degree in fine art and yet is such a successful textile designer. It makes me have hope. Can't find a job? You create one and not only that but one that you love.

Biscuit anyone?

http://www.nikkimcwilliams.com/

done and dusted.

The stress of doing a twenty minute presentation is finally over. To my surprise, I am a little bit sad. I have learnt so much, managed to conquer my fear of public speaking although I'm defiantly not an expert. Made better friends with the girls who are in my class. I will really miss working with them all.
James Donald was an amazing help, he gave us all badges for good luck from his own collection and lent samples of his work to show at the presentation. We could not of asked for a better artist to research.
This weekend I visited concrete wardrobe and the shop lived up to my high expectations, it was full of little, unique trinkets and beautiful craft pieces. Including James' stunning PickOne textiles.

Here is a photograph of James with my lovely group, don't need to tell you which one he is because he is the only man!

james donald.

Seventeen years teaching, a first in constructed textiles, the largest craft facebook page in the UK, co owner of a leading craft shop in the capital, not to mention his own weave label, PickOne. James Donald is an expert in Scottish craft. Graduating in 1993, with a "work hard and play hard" ethic, James has achieved most dreams an aspiring textile designer has today . In 2001, Concrete Wardrobe was opened, sharing the best in Scottish craft at an affordable price. AND if anyone wants to learn how to manipulate the internet to use it for your own benefit, this is the man to talk to. James has managed to brand himself using the free advertising offered to anyone. You just have to use it in the right way. Connections is a big part in becoming successful. I can wait to speak to him tomorrow and hear his tales.

#designandmkt

http://concretewardrobe.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=577150300

James Donald is the designer my group has chosen to focus on, we decided to choose him because he is such an influential designer and uses a traditional method of weaving to create his fantastic designs. James Donald and  Fiona McIntosh opened their own shop in 2000 called Concrete Wardrobe. Concrete Wardrobe based in Edinburgh concentrates on selling primal Scottish designers specialising in crafts which are quality and affordable, including ceramics, textiles, furniture, jewellery and fashion. 


"Concrete Wardrobe has a solid reputation for innovative collections and designs covering the worlds of fashion, textiles and furniture. It's an eclectic mix, including high quality knitted clothing, woven scarves, bags and purses from local designers. A range of interesting antiques from the 20th Century Antiques section (with pieces from the 1920s to the 1970s) complements glassware and soft furnishings and includes design names to excite from Britain, Scandinavia and America - think Eames and Panton."

DIY Pen from FRASER ROSS on Vimeo.

PickOne: A One Minute Video ...

PickOne: A One Minute Video ...: For what it's worth here is my little video that I put together for Prof. Mike Press to present to all his shiny new students at Duncan of...

lindsey gardner.

"Quietly Eccentric

I LOVE dogs, I love drawing and I love textiles!

Although better known as children’s book author/illustrator, I have returned to my screen printing design roots to launch my textile label, Quietly Eccentric. Inspired by my love of dogs, products feature hand screen printed quirky drawings combined with graphic florals on cotton bags, woollen dog shaped cushions and wooden wall panels.

These are a must for trendy dog lovers everywhere! All my dogs have their own personality and attitude.I try to bring them to life in a quirky and colourful way, making them a unique and unusual gift. Everything is hand screen printed.

Humourous, quirky and loveable dogs for every aspect of your life... without the vet bills!"

It was a very enjoyable experience listening to Linsey, is was easy to relate her journey from student to being a successful designer. Her passion for what she does shone through every aspect of her work. 

Lindsey told us some useful websites for reference and that could be possible buyers (fingers crossed) for the future. 

notonthehighstreet.com

anthropologie.com

Here are some samples of her work: 

paddy hartley.

Face corset? Sounds very strange and very intriguing. What an earth is a face corset? In our lecture today, Paddy described his experiences of being a working artist in the industry today. What I found really inspiring was that Paddy held the same project for years, twisting them to compromise with his needs. Paddy's enthusiasm for face corsets was so strong that he changed and manipulated them to be fresh (and occasionally shocking) throughout the years. Evolving to fit into new situations, adapting for new faces.

#designandmkt

"Make a job, dont take a job." - my new moto.

"Design and the market aims to introduce you to enterprise culture and terinology and to place the practise of design within a buissness context."

The start of a new project with Mike Press and Christina Hurst. We are going to learn how to brand ourselves correctly so that we stand out from the crowd. Invent yourself when you are successful, keep the enthusiasm going, always be one step ahead.

The first project we are splitting into two groups of six, sticking in our classes. First week, we are choosing an artist/designer/company to research as a team. It is harder than you think as there are so many inspiring people who have the skills to brand themselves creatively yet still with a competitively business like mindset.

I will be posting on my blog once a week so get ready.

Here are a few of our ideas:

http://www.isolated-heroes.com/ is a Luxury Unisex Street wear label by Samantha McEwen.

http://www.cathkidston.co.uk/ a household name and a main stream textile designer.



http://www.taisirgibreel.co.uk/index.asp "Taisir moved to Scotland to pursue a degree in textile design. She graduated from Duncan and Jordanstone as a textile designer specialising in print and weave. Shortly after graduating Taisir embarked on her mission to embrace the bold and abstract. Come with me on my never-ending journey of discovery as new influences inspire my designs; at time unpredictable, but always exciting and compelling"

©Taisir Gibreel 2011


http://www.timorousbeasties.com/maintenance/ "Timorous Beasties is a design led manufacturing company based in Glasgow, who specialise in fabrics and wallpapers. Timorous Beasties was founded in 1990 by Alistair McAuley and Paul Simmons. Winners of the Walpole Award for 'Best Emerging British Luxury Brand' in 2007 and 'British Luxury Design Talent' in 2010, they have branded showrooms in London and Glasgow, and export their luxury products and design talent worldwide."

i

Already existing advertisements for the i, are not appealing to teenagers.



The advert does not have a social factor or anyone 'cool' representing them. It is mearly stating that the i can be taken anywhere and be read by anyone but all newspapers can do that. Maybe apart from the Sun because you would not want people to see you reading it.



“i is specifically targeted at readers and lapsed readers of quality newspapers, and those of all ages who want a comprehensive digest of the news in printed form. i will combine intelligence with brevity, and depth with speed of reading, providing an essential daily briefing,” a statement from The Independent said.

This was a poster which was used as an outdoor campaign at the roadside, on bus sides in urban areas as well as across the train network, London Underground, Manchester Metro and Midland Metro tram stations. The campaign was directed by Treavor Beattie "with the aim of convincing the public that i marks a new concept in newspapers; an intelligent fast read for time poor commuters. The poster campaign will run a series of tag lines aimed at reinforcing this message: “i is all you need in the time you have”: “i is all you need for 20p”: “i is 20p”: and the grammatically peculiar “i is are you?” which harks back to an older campaign which stated: “The Independent. It is. Are you?”"

Andrew Mullins the director for the Independant stated:  “We are creating a newspaper for the 21st century that is designed for people who have a thirst for information and entertainment in the limited time that they have available. i is a reader-led newspaper with broad reach and intelligence.”

The i newspaper was never designed towards students but instead commuters. There is not a demand for a new student newspaper. Mullins was constantly being asked to create a newspaper that did not drown people in news and gave them the important tit bits they needed to enjoy a quick commute and leave them updated with current topics. It was for people people that did not read a newspaper on a regular basis but wanted to read quality and not quantity.

The i is Britain's first new national daily newspaper in twenty five years. The Independant has been loosing money since the recession but cheaper newspapers haven't been as badly effected. Is this the i trying to do both. "The UK's 11 major national daily newspapers have seen their circulation shrink an average 5.75% in the last year to 10.3 million copies a day, according to industry figures.The Daily Telegraph, The Times and The Guardian have each suffered a drop in circulation of more than 10% over the last year. Sales of The Independent, which costs £1, have fallen to just over 186,000 a day from about 250,000 three years ago." The i only costs 20p meaning a much wider range of people will buy it and wont consider it when deciding what has to be cut from there shrinking shopping budget.


Of course when the Independant brought out the i newspaper they had to be careful that it did not take away business from themselves, they did not want the i to replace the Independant, just to bring back people's attention to newspapers, after so many people are just reading news on line. The i is colourful and is very similar to the Metro, it argues that it has recaptured the younger generations attention and that the 56 page newspaper will become a necessary in all young people's lives.The i has only three pages less football than the Independant, the i having seven, but much less on arts and politics. But will people really buy the i if the Metro is free?

The letter 'i' has become huge in recent years and there are so many products that use it. Apple being the main contender with the iPad and iPod. The Independant chose the letter i because it is derived from the word Independant but also because it wants to attract a younger crowd. For the younger generation who want journalism but do want to be seen with a hefty broadsheet. The Independant also stated that the newspaper was called i because it gave the impression that the newspaper was light and sharp. Straight to the point.


The promotional description of it contained lots of word like: intelligent, ideas, incisive, influential and informative. The i is trying to give people what they want, you can read the sections very easily in the i as they are colour coded. You are in charge when you read the i. There is no traditional way of reading it. People can get what they want from the newspaper quickly.

"Today's use of the letter "i" is much more sophisticated than early attempts to jump on the "cool" bandwagon, says Mr Gabay. It reflects the participatory nature of advertising, encouraging people to share knowledge of their products electronically or "like" them on Facebook, he says."

"This growing importance of the virtual world is the reason why "i", along with "blog" and "tweet" made it into Magazine readers' 20 words that defined the Noughties, according to lexicographer and Countdown regular Susie Dent, who was one of the judges. Language expert Tony Thorne says single-letter prefixes have been "trendy" since the 1990s, first with e-mail, then e-commerce and other brands such as Npower or M People."

Some comments I found on the internet about the i newspaper:

"I hate it! It feels like I'm constantly being dragged in to the i-life.. iPods, iPads, iPlayer... it feels like companies are using it to appeal to the 'youngsters' simply because Apple did and it became cool. Newsflash! I'm a 'youngster' and I hate it! I think it sums the world today and the me-generation.. i-this, I that.. it wouldn't ever have been a uPod, would it?"

Samantha Downes, Derby, UK

"In world of apparent over-exposure and mass-production of almost everything, this is a small marketing way of trying to make something feel unique to you. User-driven/created content, customisable gadgets and apps. It's just a way of trying to connect to the person rather than the people.

Jacob Barker, London"

barbie.

Three barbies are sold every second earning $3.6 billion a year. Barbie stands for the modern toy industry, she is a lifestyle brand. There is a strong rumour that there are more Barbies in America than people. Barbie is sold in 150 countries and is the only plaything to reach the world's top 100 brands above Jack Daniels and one below Fedex. She has had over ninety careers and the most prestige designers have created her clothes. Such as Calvin Klein, Vivienne Westwood, Givenchy, Armani, Versace, Ralph Lauren and Dior. 92% of Barbies clothes are re designed ever year, she stays in fashion with a constant turnover on money making accessories. 

Ruth Handler wanted her daughter to dream and have a better career than a house wife. Barbie was born in the 50's and the new generation was independent and did not need to stay at home they could become career girls, go to glamorous parties, wear stilettos and be high fashion. The bikini was invented in the 50's. Barbie allowed girls to be part of fashion after the shortages of world war one. The clever thing about barbie was that you could change her surroundings, hair, clothes even nail colour because she was just a mannequin, you made barbie who you wanted to be. A doll that allowed girls to become gorgeous and glamorous in which any way they felt. Barbie has always been updated to keep up with the changing trends, even her body type has been changed to keep with the nations idea of perfection. although if Barbie where a real person she would be so under weight she would not be able to menustrauate. Ken on the other hand has only ever been updated once which was not a success by Hollywood stylist Phillip Bloch to look hotter, Ken is better enjoyed when seen as a safe fatherly figure to the children. The average american girl owns ten Barbie dolls but only one Ken as he is seen as an accessorie.

Handler decided to please the children instead of the mothers. Mothers hated Barbie complaining she had 'to much of a figure', but young girls loved Barbie. Lilli an adult doll from a German cartoon is an illicit sex symbol. Some call the moment Handler met Lilli the most important moment in toy history. Lilli only four years older than Barbie is her doppleganger, apart from Barbie having no nipples. Long legs, bigs boobs, tiny waist, blonde hair, blue eyeshadow they both have sex appeal.

Barbie's life has alwas been turbulent and by the 1980's Barbie was looking old. Jill Barad saved the day and was at the time the highest paid women in the world getting $38, 000 a year. Barbie was reincarnated and her earning raised dramatically from $200 million to $1.9 billion. Barbie who had always disgusted feminists was now a symbol of girl power using the tag line 'We Girls Can Do Anything'. Barad always dressed in perfectly but mainly in a pink suit and sky scraper heels, she painted mattel in bright colours and lived in a princess masion.

Although Barbie has had competitors they have never reached such dizzy heights, until Isaac Larian invented a scary looking toy called a Bratz doll. Bratz were invented when Wal-Mart told Larian if he brought in  doll that could rival Barbie he had a deal. Bratz are targeting seven to ten year olds whilst barbie was targeting three to eleven year olds. Tween agers are a massive spending group. Tweens control over $1.7 billion dollors and are perfect for the toy market because they have short attention spans and easy spending money. Contempory American tweens have been proven as the most consumer involved, brand obsessed and materrialistic generation. Seventy five percent of tweens want to be rich and famous when they grow up. American children have bonded to brands by the time they are two. This has not made the country happy, an average childs stress level and anxierty levels are the same as children that would have been admitted to clinics for psychiatric disorders in 1957. Small children are being farmed to become consumers.

Bratz dolls are hyper sexualised and mothers that were once offended my Barbie's figure anow see her as a comforting figure. Bratz have been attacked, complaining that Bratz make the body seen as a "form of play". The positive thing about bratz in that the dolls are multi cultural. Bratz have the cool factor and come with endless accessories. They have bee stung lips and huge eyes. The head is much bigger than the body which is also a serious effect from being anorexic. Sixteen layers of paint are used to created the Bratz make up. When bratz first came out Larian was going from store to store trying sell these dolls and no one wanted them. His daughter yasmin said she liked them so he kept pushing and named one of the dolls after her. An advert for bratz was put on TV even though you could only buy them in very few shops. The advert caught attention and suddenly Bratz dolls were everywhere. They became the number one fashion doll in the toy industry.

Barbie in retaliation brought out 'My Scene' which was a collection of Anti Barbie dolls, tweens thought that Barbie was for younger children, therefore loosing the 'cool' factor. Yet tweens would still have Barbie back packs, pencil cases, they still loved the brand just not the doll.

My Scene was Mattel's answer. A Barbie with more attitude, plumper lips and more make up. My scene was a vehicle for girls dreams and frustrations. They were described as "sex in the city without the sex", although they do look like copies of bratz.

http://myscene.everythinggirl.com/home.aspx

Then came Flavas in 2003 having personal style, Mattel tried to use the huge surge of hip hop at the time to create dolls with tattoos, bling and exposed midrifs. Critics thought the doll was too nasty and edgy therefore it was discontinued within a year. Isaac Larian commented on the dolls "the only thing missing is a cocine vial".

Body Shop brought out this advirtisment which I think is a very healthy thing to do as children have so much pressure on them to be skinny and attractive.