Philip Li

By Holly Willats

Camberwell graduate and This Is Why We Meet player Philip Li fuses disciplines, materials and genres, including performance, sculpture, drawing, ceramics, fashion and new media. Known for his graduate of ceramic works for which he sought to develop new images for the traditional medium, creating a surprising series of fashion cross architectural sculpted ceramic armour.

Your work combines photography, performance, fashion and ceramics. How does you work allow these different disciplines work well together?

As an artist, these disciplines are all methods of expression - and depending on the project, certain aspects get more prominence. I have a very holistic view of art and want to try everything – and I think that’s a very modern idea – the ability to crossover and put things together in a new way – the way I dress, the things I do, the things I make – are all about pushing those boundaries. For me, the excitement comes when you can build those bridges between disciplines - and play with their definitions and the perceptions of the audience. Especially with traditional ideas and materials - like ceramics.

What was it that first drew you to using ceramics?

The tactility – clay is such a responsive material and I’m a maker, so those qualities of clay really appealed to me. It can be transformed to any state – from liquid, to glass, to dust. The possibilities of manipulating it are endless. I also like the fact it's such a subversive material that not many people care or know about – but I do! A lot of people undervalue it – including education systems, which is a huge shame. I learnt a lot from that in-depth focus on one material, which has enabled me to become more questioning with everything else.

What is the concept behind your latest work, ‘The Statue’ and ‘The Commuter’ series?

It was really about developing new ways of seeing – and by placing ceramics into a photograph, I wanted to say that ceramics doesn’t necessarily have to be a pot that sits on a table. It can be an image, it can have a presence in a photograph and it can be used to describe ideas in other ways. Added to that is my passion for fashion images, and how sexuality and gender is represented and manipulated – and how it affects me. So all the ceramic body-sculptures and compositions in ‘The Statue’ and ‘The Commuter’ series are about the construction of masculine archetypes and my attempts at becoming them.

You arecently collaborated with Carl Guilhon, Chris King, and Joel Stephens in POP–ME–UP, a collaborative project as part of This Is Why We Meet – how did this collaboration first come about?

Joe and Jimmy (from Pat + Trevor) asked me to apply for the project, and it sounded such a great idea - so I did! We were friends before but had never worked on a project together – so this seemed a perfect opportunity. Together with Laura (from W+K) they also chose my fellow collaborators. In the back of their mind, I think they wanted to create a new boyband…

Did you find that you worked well with these other artists in this project?

I’m extremely flexible in my work and I’m lucky to have a broad range of media and disciplines – so finding something that could be applied to the project was quite easy – but having never worked with these guys before – you also had to consider what everyone else wanted to add – and then make a good choice from it all! Ceramics was too problematic to use in the short space of time – but we also had to create something altogether. In the end, this project utilizes each person’s strengths quite well – from the performance aspect, the graphics, the styling and the businessman mentality. The theme of masculinity definitely was in there. It allowed us to explore that side of creating a pseudo real-life, art installation – we were the exhibits.

POP–ME–UP relies on audience interaction and participation. Why is this important to the project?

Interaction was one of the key demands ‘This Is Why We Meet’ hence the ‘me’ in POP-ME-UP. We wanted people to engage with the space and us in a very direct, human way. In a way, we were re-appropriating the space and giving it back to the public by selling them sections of the window. It’s about building connections, getting people aware of what is surrounding them, and making them engaged and feel a part of the artwork. POP-ME-UP operates on so many levels, but ultimately it was important for me that there was something deeper for them to engage with – and this idea of finance and advertising was fundamental to this project – our survival as artists and as humans, in an increasingly financed and commercial world.

What has been the reaction to the project so far?

Everyone’s been extremely positive – we thought the W+K guys might think we were taking the piss out of them – but they didn’t thankfully! It is a site-sensitive piece and the public are interested in it. It’s human nature to read those ads – we’ve got lonely hearts ads, restaurateur posters, signed Gilbert & George flyers. Once that wall is filled, we’ll have a great document of everyone who’s participated in the project.

What will happen to the contributions for POP–ME–UP after this week?

They’ll all be popped up somewhere else! Hopefully they’ll be compiled together for a publication and for further viewing online or in an exhibition. They’re definitely not going to be thrown away. Hopefully some of the advertisers get some responses too!

Do you have any other projects or exhibitions coming up?

Yes - I’ll be showing at the British Ceramics Biennial in Stoke-On-Trent later on this year, and then I’m doing some work with LuckyPDF – we’re hopefully moving into our new studios soon so I can get going on some more work. I’m going to start some more collaborations too – that’s very much how I’d like to move my work forward! That’s pretty much the plan now – work, work, work!

See more of Philip's work here

Beyond the Valley: In The Blackout

By Charley Barker

Creative collective Beyond The Valley’s recent adventure into short film for their AW09 womenswear collection follows the unlikely love story between a Victorian Dress and a Mechanic Overall.

In the Blackout tracks the bizarre progression in the relationship between the two items of clothing, light-heartedly representing the loss of class division. The motto of the film is that love is complicated, yet possible. A metaphorical look emerges - how the label progresses design graduates to generate products suitable for large-scale and international distribution.

The concept of the director Ian Bonhôte and Fernando Del Reginato who worked with puppeteers to create a dance between the two characters, then painstakingly airbrushed them out, screen by screen." Says one third of Beyond The Valley, Kate Harwood. "The Victorian dress was something we created especially for the film - we had to create an interesting and workable shape.”

Co-owners Jo Jackson, Kate Harwood and Kristjana S. Williams graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 2003, and have worked hard under the moniker of Beyond The Valley to support and promote emerging new talent across the multi-disciplinary industry of fashion, art and design.

The treasure trove store houses a diverse range of original fashion, books, jewellery, illustration, furniture, wallpaper, design products and accessories. Ceramic Biscuit Boxes by Robert Archard, sit alongside Marissa’s gold rubber brogues and a hamburger bag, for the more obscure fashion addicts, by Hannah Havana. Beyond the Valley provides a space for designers to peddle eccentric, individual and quirky products – with no limitations.

The Beyond the Valley AW09 collection is based on the Victorian dress which featured in The Blackout. “The dress was one of our print show pieces for the season, and for that we had free reign." explains Kate, "It was a really interesting creative process; I worked as a costume designer before I set up BTV so it was nice to be back on set. To base a collection on a film character just came naturally. I design the clothes and Kristjana designs all the print work.”

www.beyondthevalley.com

Solenne Morigeaud

By Millie Ross

This Parisian surface designer made the leap from the high end fashion houses of Paris to study textile futures at Central Saint Martins. Now, while setting up a business in France, Solenne is expanding her repertoire of surfaces from etched mirrors to a fascinating collaboration with a scientist.

(Click any image to enlarge it)

How would you compare studying in Paris to your time studying at Central Saint Martins?
In both places, the studies themselves were very creative. But in England there is a group spirit. People share their ideas, and are less individualist than in Paris. Also in Central Saint Martins, we are pushed to go far beyond our capabilities, and to challenge ourselves.They also prepare students much more to the business world than in France, by introducing them to former students and share experiences.

Are there any designers or art styles that have influenced your work?
I admire the artist Peter Callesen for his beautifully handmade paper work, Tokujin Yoshoka for the spiritual aspect of his work, Shinwei Rhoda Yen for the sad poetry of her dying table “Mushroom ate my furniture”, “ Limited funghi” by Katharina Mischer, “The tree trunk bench” by Jurgen Bey… I like the idea of playing with the life cycle of our objects and materials, questioning their durability and giving them a new life through a poetic process. I am also very inspired by decorative artistic movements, such as Art Nouveau.

What made you take the transition from the Parisian fashion world to the craft world of London?
First, the challenge: What could be more inspiring for a designer to try an experience abroad? Then the specialization: Although I studied both fashion and textile in France, I found myself solely working in the fashion industry. So the diversity that a textile designer should have was very restricted. I wanted to extend my skills, because I strongly believe in being multidisciplinary.

You've worked for some high end fashion houses including Christian Dior and Christian Lacroix what were your roles there and how did you obtain these jobs?
I was a textile embroiderer. I was working directly on the garments that were shown on the Haute-Couture catwalk. An amazing experience that taught me many skills and develop a very good eye!

The textile world in Paris is quite small. If you are studying textile and do some work placements, you start to create your own network. This network creates opportunities. Experience and a good portfolio are what every company is looking for when you come to present your work. I just tried my chance, and it worked!

How do your etchings and cuts reflect your fashion and accessory design background? Does this background impact the techniques you employ or the overall style?
I think I have indeed an embroiderer way of working in design. For my project “Smoke and Mirrors”, I was looking at the material “mirror” exactly like a piece of fabric. How would I dress it up? How would I ornament it? Also, a fashion designer has to check how his garment fits, how the cut is. He needs to have an overall view of his creation to see whether there is a detail that works or not. A leftover from my fashion experience… I definitely cannot deny (and do not want to) my fashion background.

You're a textiles designer that works with mirror and glass- does this place you in textiles field or interiors?
I am a surface designer, which means that I am working with every type of material, depending on the commission. For my last project, I was working with glass and mirror, and my aim was to work for interior design. But does that mean I am an interior designer? I do not think so. I could also have created jewellery from my samples. The textile area has a much wider range than working only with fabrics. It is applicable to any kind of material you can imagine, that is what makes it so inspiring!

Where did the inspiration for the Smoke and Mirrors project come from? And what process did you go through to create one of these mirror or glass designs?
The inspiration comes from old divination: Ink stains, clouds, shadows and smoke trails – coincidental patterns that create an unforeseen imagery. My aim when I was sampling was to create a magical and unexpected effect. I did hundreds of samples before finding the desired result!

What are you working on at the moment?
I am setting up my own company in France. So a lot of administration! Meanwhile I am working on a project called “Nobelini”. It is a contest in which a designer and a scientist are paired to work together on the creation of a new product. I am working with Marta Archanco, a scientist specialised in endocrinology. She studied two appetite-related hormones called leptin and adiponectin and its relation with reproduction, and is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Imperial College London working to identify the complex interactions by which a hormone called thyroid hormone takes part in our body during growth and development. More details here and here

What would be your ideal job/ collaboration?
Sourcing old unwanted objects of the every day to give them a new life! I want to give objects longevity by creating an emotional attachment between our possessions and us.

Do you have any other projects or exhibitions coming up?
I will be exhibiting at the London Design Festival. At Tent, with the collective “Is this textiles?” and Mint shop.

More details of Solenne's shows on her website

See more of Solenne's work here

Swaparama

 

Swap shops are the way of the future, 16.03.09

Bored with your winter wardrobe? Credit crunch crushing your fashion fund?


Then if you are in London, hot-foot it to East London's Favela Chic next Thursday for the latest edition of their infamous Swap-a-rama Razzmatazz and see what you can pillage.


It's a tried and tested formula; the klaxon sounds and you frantically swap your gold spandex boob tube with your neighbour's hot pink Y-fronts (or something of that ilk...) Attendees are advised to wear clothes they don't mind never seeing again, but it's unlikely you'll wind up with a room full of Primark.


In house DJs will dish out a soundtrack of pop, soul and rock 'n' roll as you wreak sartorial havoc on each other.

Words by Imogen eveson

Future of Fantasy

Central Saint Martins MA Fashion Designers light the way to escapism, 26.02.09

When it comes to fashion, London's Central Saint Martins College is in a world of its own. Forget practicality: fantasy's the name of the game. When this year's stellar MA Fashion Design cast aired it's wares on Friday, there was no shortage of imagination. Think wild structural shapes and vibrant colours, billowing silks and plenty of humour. 
jotta caught up with five rising fashion stars in the wake of their catwalk shows to talk life, inspiration and future fashion.


Words by Imogen Eveson

 

Oden Wilson
Winner of the L'Oreal Professionnel Fashion Design Award
Design inspiration?
Avant-garde proportion and geometrics along with sport and industrial wear. 
Do you feel the recession has affected your designs in anyway?
The recession has given me a great excuse to escape the everyday downs the media have been firing at us, through my collection! It probably wouldn't be half as dramatic if it wasn't for the good old credit crunch! 
There's been questioning recently about the future of the catwalk in the traditional sense, do you haveany views on this?
I still think it is one of the best ways to view clothing and create media hype but I am sure that will change in the future! Virtual shows perhaps, who knows? Downloading your garment purchase in a digital format and taking it to your local 3D printers to print your new jacket! Imagine!

 


Laura Mackness
How are you feeling after the show? 
Dazed and tired
What is your design inspiration? 
Elsa Schiaparelli and Franco Moschino for the sense of humour employed in their designs; Yves Saint Laurent whilst Yves was still at the helm, for its elegance and sophistication; the unexpectedness of Maison Martin Margiela; Raf Simons' work at Jil Sander for its graphic simplicity.
There's been a lot of doubt over the future of the catwalk, do you have any views on this? 
I don't think that we could ever do without the catwalk and it would be a great shame to loose it. However saying this, catwalk presentations don't always suit everyone's collections and for that reason it is great that people are more open to different ways of presenting a collection now.

 

 

Katie Greenwood
What first got you interested in fashion design?
I think possibly I wanted to annoy my parents who would have liked me to become a lawyer. My favourite band was Elastica when I was about fifteen, and I saw a picture of Luella Bartley's first collection, graffiti jackets with Elastica scrawled all over them. I decided it looked like a fun job.
Any highs and lows from studying at Saint Martins?
Highs: When all the security guys on the door started greeting me by my full name every morning. I knew I'd been here too long! Lows: Louise (Wilson) describing me as a dagger in her heart!
Soundtrack to your life right now?
There's a guy called Jim Moray I'm listening to a lot at the moment - he reinterprets forgotten English folk songs using his iphone (honestly it's much better than it sounds!)

 


David Koma 
Congratulations on winning the Harrods Design Award. How do you feel after the show?
Thank you very much! This award is an immense compliment, the positive feedback is really exciting, and it feels great to see my work being recognised. 
After graduation, what will your next steps be?
For now, I see myself hopefully in London fashion week in September with my own label and show. 
Who would you like to see wearing your clothes?
I usually imagine strong, sexual, confident woman wearing my clothes. For
example - Daphne Guinness, Carine Roitfeld, Monica Bellucci.

 

 

Chary Westberg 
What was your inspiration behind the collection?
I was initially set off by a make up ad from the 80s but this later lead me to American painter Barnett Newman and Mark Rothko. I wanted the colour to stand out, so the clothes had to be very minimal like the canvases of Newman and Rothko, which is very difficult as it is tempting to put frills everywhere.
Do you feel the recession has affected your designs in anyway?
I don't think it has affected my design work at all. Inside Saint Martins you forget all those things. Fashion at our level should be pure fantasy so allowing one to escape -that is true luxury.
Who would you like to see wear your clothes?
Mia Farrow - Rosemary's Baby era.

 

Images from left to right - Laura Mackness catwalk, Laura Mackness illustrations, Katie Greenwood illustrations, Katie Greenwood catwalk, David Koma, Chary Westberg, Oden Wilson.

Sweatshop Success!!

jotta's fashion workshop brought hoards of budding sewers out of the woodwork, 23/02/09

 

jotta's fashion workshop was a huge success, with queues of fledgling seamsters coming in to create their own knickers, laptop bags, and for the brave- a Richard Nicoll frill belt.