Orphans International Video 6 Oct 2013

 Agne Kovalkova has created a great little video from the Orphans International Fashion Show, which has raise over £5000 for the charity. 

Woop woop!

The Intern's first blog

Today's guest blog comes from our very own intern Gemma Eldridge.

She has been with us for about three weeks working on pieces for the Orphans International Fashion SHow which took place two days ago in Brighton. I asked her to do a blog on her first behind the scenes fashion show, and here it is in her own words...

My First Fashion Show by Gemma Eldridge

For many years I have been to watch various fashion shows, but this was my first opportunity to be backstage amongst the madness! The fashion show was held in an underground car park at a Brighton hotel, which I thought was a fantastic and innovative location. The atmosphere surrounding the fashion show was so electric as everyone was buzzing around arranging the hair and make up for their models and doing very final fittings and alterations.

photo copyright Gemma Eldridge 

I got to watch the models do their run through of walking down the catwalk, which includes a lot more than just simply walking as there was different choreography needed for the different designers. I was helping dress the models who were wearing clothes by designers, Kezia Byass, Illustrated People, Pocket London and Peter Twiss. Helping dress the models was manic, making sure each one had the correct set of outfits for their next walk down the catwalk and getting them out of one outfit and into another in a matter of seconds, which proves a lot harder when they have complex or tight fitting clothes. It was definitely a good experience working in the middle of it.

I managed to get a peek at Chrissie's collection go down the catwalk, it all looked fabulous and was amazing to see the final garments all complete on the models after all the hard work that was put into each piece of clothing.

The opportunity of working backstage at a fashion show was fantastic and cannot wait for my final collection to be going down the catwalk at the end of my third year!


Some more on the fashion show in another post.

Orphans International Fashion Show

***Breaking News***

Just today I have confirmed that we will be taking part in a Charity Fashion Show in Brighton in aid of Orphans International.
The Date: 6th October
The Time: 6.30pm
The Place: My Hotel, Jubilee Square, Brighton



Tickets are on sale NOW!

£12 for Standing
£18 VIP Second Row Seating Including a Goodie Bag
£22 VIP Front Row Seating Tickets Including a Goodie Bag

For tickets and more information contact the facebook events page: Orphans International Fashion Show
 
 

Curve Couture on the catwalk:Brighton Fashion Week

After the fashion show: feelings and thoughts from the Evelina

Please note: This post, was originally written on 21st June, and I have simply copied and pasted rather than re-editing because I simply didn't want to dilute it.

After the massive high of the fashion show I now find myself in the Evelina children's hospital in London waiting for my 3 year old to return from kidney surgery and I am feeling very reflective.(21st June)

I have closed the Curve Couture studio for a whole week, an unprecedented event since I was on maternity leave. Despite the hugely inconvenient timing sometimes life comes first, and this week is no exception.

So while I have a few hours to kill instead of dwelling on the current events, I am writing my blog to bring it up you up to speed with how Brighton Fashion Week went down.

The week long run up to Brighton Fashion Week I spent mostly wired, tired and downright determined to finish what I had started. At the beginning of the week I had all but the men's corsets and breeches and skirts, shorts and bra's finished. It sounds like a lot; and it was. Aside from this I still had three commissions to complete that week...so it was full on stress.

I had some great assistance from Zoe Van Spyk who is cutting her teeth in the workshop whilst she puts a fashion business proposal together, as she is a wonderful fashion designer in her own right and the hugely creative Zoe Della Rocca who came up with the styling for hair and make-up from my original brief. I will be introducing Zoe Della Rocker as a guest blogger very soon for the Countryphile style as she had such a massive creative vision that the peeps at Brighton Fashion Week had to hold us back.

So, we were busy, super fricking busy. The night before the show we were working until the sun came up and after a sleep that was way to short, in my opinion, the time had arrived to shake our tail feathers and show just what Curve Couture is made of.

Well, as it turned out, St Barts in Brighton (a church more renowned for taking the assumed dimensions of Noah's Ark than fashion) was packed. The ornate windows and beautiful brickwork being a great foil for the drama that was the Showreel Show, the first of it's kind in the world where the world of vintage,costume and cosplay strut it's stuff instead of the elitism of a strict catwalk show.

For my part, I didn't get to see the first half as I was too busy backstage dealing with 'on-the-day' problems such as lost bags, shoes that didn't fit and the surprise of a quick change for one of my wonderful male models Joe...as he had been booked back to back on the designers either side of me. Stress. A fashion show, like any event, is full of nerves, stress and high emotions as well as unexpected changes, problems and an aura of excited expectation.

Whet your whistle:

photo by Sarah Olivier, model Ellie Watson

Gypsy wedding dress part 2

So, I left the last blog at building the foundation and just beginning to decorate it.

I must say when I had finished this dress I sat back and properly admired it. The finished piece:

It was decided that we would only put the top hoop in and allow the dress to hang rather than put in all 5 hoops realising as we went along just how impractical it was in real life to fully load it up.

Close up of the bodice detailing. In an ideal world I would have preferred to have had pink spikes like the metal ones but I couldn't get any that were the right shape so I had to settle for spike beads instead. It was unfortunate because they had to be constantly made to stand proud as they has a bit of a mind of their own.

The feather shoulder pieces were total fun to make, but a total bitch to fit and stay in place. and they looked magnificent, as can be seen by her arrival at Brighton Fashion Week.

used with kind permission from Gareth Gregg, Sunshine Lens Photography

Countryphile meets the catwalk

To buy tickets for the show: http://apptap.co.uk/bfw

Guerilla Fashion Show: one crazy day

Ah! What a day. What a crazy day.

Started off well enough. Packed and out of the door by 11am. Begin prep work around 12noon then it all kicked off.

The amazing Amy Prifti and Kate Bishop arrived with the magnificent hair pieces they had prepared in a crazed two nights hard labour. All wigs were generously donated by Annabella's Wigs, for which I am very grateful. Then my first models Sian Fann and Gabriella Tavani turn up for their transformation. Shortly followed by Sarah Vickery, make up artist and then we begin.

At this point I was till sewing, there's nothing like pressure when there is a show to do.

The on to the venue to check when rehearsal is, that the music CD I burned actually works in a machine other than my own. It does, thank hell! I get back to the prep work and BOOM! One of my lovely make up artists, and best friends, is in floods of tears from emotional stress and one of my models drops out because of illness. Things were starting to get much more stressful. And time if running out.

Ever the pragmatist, surrounded by what remains of an astoundingly amazing team we crack on undaunted. With further models Yolanda Carella, Alice Hayward and Dolly Diamond.

When we finally arrive at the club at 5pm, it is mayhem. But we were ready, and after what felt like an age we were up and finally getting to do what we went to do. And we totally rocked it!

Here are some of the photo's that have turned up on facebook so far, the following photo's were taken by Warren Theophilus...

Guerilla Fashion 16th Feb 2012

This Saturday I will be showing my latest 'Countryphile' Collection in Brighton at this event. Nice and early, you can treat it as a pre-club event to get you in the Valentine's mood, and straight after the Brighton Tattoo Convention.

Date: Saturday 16th February
Location: Brighton Arts Centre, 43 Providence Place, Brighton, BN1 4GE
Doors Open: 17.00 (5pm)
Show starts: 19.00hrs (7pm)

Alongside my self will be designs from up and coming latex designer Sacred Latex, looking forward to what she comes up with and performances from Dixie Dead and Annamarie Dollie Doré and hosted by The Speakeasy Three.

***PRESS RELEASE***

Curve Couture will be premièring the new Autumn/Winter 2013 Corset Collection  Countryphile' at the
Guerilla Fashion Event 2, alongside top alternative fashion names including Irregular Choice,
Dupenny and Sacred Latex.

Focusing on natural materials, muted autumnal colours and subtle steam
punk detailing. Leather corsets will feature alongside snakeskin, metallic and feather textures and
natty suits with Edwardian cut and punk styling.

"I really enjoy the traditional cut of corsets and 40's and 50's vintage suits I like to mix it up with
some unexpected detailing such as metallic leather brogue, or heavy swing catches and antique
punk spikes....it keeps it interesting,” says Curve Couture founder, Chrissie Nicholson Wild.

Date: Saturday 16th February
Location: Brighton Arts Centre, 43 Providence Place, Brighton, BN1 4GE
Doors Open: 17.00 (5pm)
Show starts: Soon after


Notes for editors: Fellow sponsors: Irregular Choice, Lust, Dupenny, Goddamn Media, Osomi
Also participating: Sacred Latex, Ailsa, Trinkerbelle, Sirens Rising,
Compère: The Speakeasy Three
Performers: The Speakeasy Three, Dixie Dread, Annamaria Dollie Doré, Crystobelles Duet

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2012

Aw, I am so looking forward to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show this year. It is going to be aired in early December, hurray!

For me it's always a mix of inspired genius and cheesy cliché, but it's always a spectacle. I almost never enjoy the musical interludes because it's not usually my style...I'm sure neither Bieber or Rihanna will change that.

Despite the recent controversy, and subsequent apology for Karlie Kloss wearing a Native American headdress, it looks to be as colourful and fabulous as ever. I have been fishing around online for some sneak peak photo's, here are some of my favourites so far:

Picture: AFP

photo: Reuters

Photo: Reuters

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo: Reuters

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More Video footage from Alternative Fashion Week

My friend Mike Ashworth, who has been a staunch business mentor and all round top bloke just tweeted a newly found video on youtube of some of my Fleurs Du Mal corset collection,

Enjoy:

Curve Couture at London Alternative Fashion Week

I've had a few days to complile follow up material from my fashion show, it's still coming in, but here is a video for you all to enjoy in the meantime:

So the first design...2012 Collection 'Fleurs Du Mal'

The 2012 Collection is called 'Fleurs Du Mal' (Evil Flowers). It takes it's name from a  very famous set of poems by Baudelaire written in 1857, which is considered a French literary masterpiece. I feel that the work is a description of the juxtaposition and fluid nature of beauty and degradation, and was at the time considered very shocking, because Baudelaire meant it as a critique of society.

I am very interested in this concept of beauty and decay, and the fluidity of states of being. This year I have also had a garden for the first time in almost twenty years and have spent many a wonderful hour in it, admiring it's seasons and changes and getting my hands dirty in it's processes.

I imagine my collection being photographed in an overgrown walled garden, the air thick with moisture and dappled sunlight. I love flowers, I love their transient nature, I think that their delicacy perfectly opposes the structure of my corsetry...I might even try to envisage some 'de-constructed' idea's - now that they are out of fashion I feel safer to do so.

This week I have been playing with pattern cutting things I have never tackled in depth, such as bra's, knickers and collars and it has been very exciting....but sometime soon the playing must stop and the seriousness of getting down to work must begin.

London Alternative Fashion Week

I have recently found out that my entry to submit my work for London Alternative Fashion week was successful, hurrah! AFW ( as I shall henceforth abbreviate it) runs between April 16-20th April 2012, takes place at Spitalfield Market in London and is free to view.

It sounds like a long time, but in terms of making and designing things it is but the mere blink of an eye! Part of my New Years Resolution list is to document my work, by blogging here, much more regularly so I will be attempting to do a post at least every other day to show you what I've been up to, and to show myself what I can actually do if I set all my energy upon the task.

I am giving myself the freedom of writing about my thoughts (work related) my challenges and giving you an insight into my creative process and vision and sometimes you may even find a tutorial.

I would be extremely happy to answer any queries on my work and creative process and just as happy to listen to your comments and suggestions.

So here goes:

Today I have been thinking so hard my eyes hurt. After yesterdays neck corset pattern cutting and construction I had to stop part way through due to lacking the materials necessary to finish it...which was downright infuriating! So today, once returned from the heaving town centre, I got round to finishing off the structure of the neck corset and am now in the process of deciding how to finish it off in terms of detail. I also blocked a high waisted knicker pattern ready to play with tomorrow and am still only half decided upon which corset to make in which particular fabric thus far....creating my own frustrated hindrance. Since my brother reminded me that I in fact have to make an outfit a week to get the catwalk outfits ready whilst also still have to do my regular work and look after my 13 month old son.  Drat his logic!

Getting back into fashion....

Well! Now I'm not the sort of girl to hang around when it comes to work, but I have truely thrown myself i at the deep end!

Pasha Du Valentine, fabulous artist and director of Goddamn Media, has organised a Guerilla Fashion Event in my home town of Brighton in September. Well one must do it of course!

There is no theme, the only stipulaution being that the garments must have been made in the last month run up to the show, even if we end up using staples and gaffa tape on the models! The fashion show line up so far is very exciting ranging from taxidermy to knitwear. I have also heard in the past few days that we have got sponsorship from Irregular Choice for the show. How exciting.

I have decided that instead of bringing forward my collection for next year, and to avoid rushing it, I am going to take this opportunity to use up some of the fabric I have bumdled under the workbench over the years from projects past and projects unstarted. And I am going to make some of the things that hav been rattling around my head for a while that have had no specific place in any collection.

This work is going to be just for me and my whim, truly Guerilla for a fashion designer!

And here is my starting point....natural denim, leather, embroidery, topstitching gorgeousness. I will not be posting final pieces but I am very excited about this show so you will be seeing sneaky peakies as I only have 3 weeks to complete the work.

Off we go!

Amore Morte Halloween Fashion Show special

Its always a tricky escapade to create a 'fashion show'. There's trying to fit in the extra work in an already brimming over schedule, theme, music, choreography, accessories, lighting...and that's aswel as making the actual clobber.
But I love it, pure and simple love it! As soon as my girls are on stage the pressure is off me, and on them, phew! And then its all over...party time.

But, back to the beginning....

My inspiration for this show is deeply infused with the Victorian era, its shapes, colours, artists, texture, character. I am totally turned on by dark pinstripe, herringbone wool suitings, contrasting with brogue leather and bright rich silk with lashings of decadent trimming. I have been scouring costume sourcebooks for inspiration, adding a twist of pure seductive glamour and quietly nodding at steampunk for this collection. It has taken a few weeks to compile, simmer and reduce it down...and now it is almost realised...

The dead dolls poppy, absynthia and laudanum will be brought to life by their nefarious master and her dark magic and be commanded to strip to their fabulous underwear for her evil pleasure.

Hope you enjoy the show...