ANDREA CREWS
...a collective which federates artists of the French and international cultural scene
with a totaly fresh and inovative approach to sustainable design...
More than a brand: Andrea Crews is a new concept which proposes a federing and equitable model of production , an alternative to the current consumer system . It fits in the world of creation like a space of resistance and freedom.
I was really inspired by the way they do things: recycling, salvaging, sorting out... they transform tons of second hand discarded clothes into unique,artistic, chic, trendy pieces...
collection fall'winter 2010
COOPERATION WITH NIKE - REMODELED AND REINVENTED STOCK CLOTHES
ACTIVISM: RECYCLING WORKSHOP AT L'INSTITUT FRANCAIS DE BILBAO
more from Andrea Crews on http://www.andreacrews.com
PHOTO PROJECT MADE BY ANDREA CREWS TEAM
...or how the creative approach can transform the forgotten clothes into most up to date, edgy and avantgarde fashion...
Queer as Folks was made in the archives of the Ethnographical Museum of Warsaw. It's a styling project with history clothes from the archives, but worn in a tottaly differen't way as by the rules...meaning that a guy was wearing a wedding hat for a virgin from the north mixed with a hunting belt from the mountain, and labor shoes, etc... is was a free reinterpretaion of the pieces in term of styling.
"Rain installation" by Stacee Kalmanovsky
Beautiful instalation of beads on a fishing line under a glass ceiling. As if the time has stopped...
artist statement
Stacee Kalmanovsky's work is rooted in the uncanny, suggestive, and picturesque. Her urge to invent and exaggerate is tempered by a deep dedication to the medium at hand. She believes in the conceptual process itself, from gathering information and sorting through, manipulating, and qualifying the image, to the indisposable skill to achieve the end result. Like in the alchemic process, the raw matter (sulfur = visual information) is transformed, refined, and persuaded into its purest form (gold = art).
See more on http://www.staceekalmanovsky.com
la morte di un’immagine #6’, 2006
One of my latest (too late, I know :) discoveries is Andrea Galvani - a guy who pushes the boundaries of the photographic medium. A promising italian young artist who's work is synthesis of philosophical, political and economic concepts. Although the title of one of his Galvani's latest series is the death of an image I would reather call it a birth...
l’intelligenza del male #5’, 2007
la morte di un’immagine #5’, 2005
N-1 #5’, 2007
Minimal and surrealistic. See more on http://www.andreagalvani.com/
I am a dedicated reader of two newspapers Delo and Dnevnik, actually of their saturday supplements Objektiv and Sobotna priloga. Not a long ago I was performing my saturday ritual: waking up late, drinking coffe and reading news... and I was intrigued by an article - a diary of an ecologist Marko Debeljak who was writing about the negative effects of the fashion industry on the environment. He says it takes a road tanker of a water to make a pair of jeans. Although I agree with him in many aspects I had to answer and show that the situation is changing and that there are many alternative ways to do fashion with conscience. T shirts on the picture above are designed by Katharine Hamnett, who was one of the first eco fighters and believed that fashion can make a difference.
My letter was published in next edition of Sobotna priloga. In the readers letters of course but I was happy anyway :) btw: Eco fashion is also the ropic of my exam for my masters...
Published letter (in Slovenian of course) :
Delo, 25.julij 2009
Dnevnik Marka Debeljaka: Za izdelavo enih kavbojk je potrebno toliko vode, kot je prevaža tovornjak s cisterno
Marko Debeljak v svojem dnevniku opozarja na številne škodljive posledice, ki jih ima modna industrija na okolje. Problemi s katerimi se ta panoga sooča so številni. Že v fazi proizvodnje se porabijo velike količine obnovljivih in neobnovljivih virov poleg tega pa pri gojenju bombaža uporabljajo okolju škodljive pesticide. Zaradi seljenja proizvodnjih procesov v Azijo se povečuje onesnaževanje zaradi transporta v fazi distribucije. Velik problem pa seveda predstavlja kratka življenska doba modnih izdelkov, saj večina prezgodaj pristane na odlagališčih in le majhen procent vseh oblačil se reciklira. Kljub temu bi rada predstavila alternative temu začaranemu krogu, saj vedno več okoljsko ozaveščenih oblikovalcev ponuja okolju prijazne modne izdelke.
Izraz eko- moda se zdi protisloven, saj je neprestano menjavanje modnih trendov v nasprotju z načelom trajnosti, ki je eden osnovnih pogojev okolju prijaznega oblikovanja. Kljub temu primeri dobre prakse kažejo, da je mogoče uveljavljati načela trajnostnega razvoja tudi v modi. Eko moda je še danes prepogosto asociira na brezoblična oblačila iz konoplje ali volne, primerna samo za modno neosveščene in do oblikovanja brezbrižne posameznike. Danes se mnenje počasi spreminja, saj so številni inovativni in kreativni oblikovalci s svojim delom dokazali, da so lahko okolju prijazni izdelki zelo dobro oblikovani in trendovski in naših nakupnih odločitev ne omejujejo na izbor med lepim in okolju prijaznim.
Ena osnovnih strategij oblikovanja za okolje je oblikovanje, ki upošteva celotni življenski krog izdelka. Okoljsko ozaveščeni oblikovalci se trudijo, da bi zmanjšali negativne vplive na okolje v vseh fazah: od proizvodnje, distribucije, potrošnje in zavrženja. Običajen kupec običajno predvideva, da so okolju prijaznejši naravni materiali, kot so bombaž, konoplja in lan, vendar je dejstvo, da za rast bombaža porabimo velike količine okolju škodljivih pesticidov ter velike količine energije in vode pri izdelavi tekstila. Poleg tega je možnost recikliranja naravnih vlaken v primerjavi z umetnimi veliko manjša. Dobra alternativa je organski bombaž, saj za rast niso uporabljeni okolju škodljivi pesticidi. V svoje kolekcije ga vključuje vedno več blagovnih znamk, ki se zavedajo pomena skrbi za okolje. Glede na to, da oblačila zaradi hitro spreminjajočih se trendov hitro zavržemo, številni oblikovalci podaljšajo življensko dobo oblačilom s predelavo in preoblikovanjem. Pri oblikovanju uporabljajo oblačila zbrana na boljšjih trgih ter v trgovinah z rabljenimi oblačili. Nizozemski avantgardni oblikovalec Martin Margiela za svojo linijo Artisanal oblikuje luksuzna unikatna oblačila iz zavrženih oblačil in modnih dodatkov ter kaže smernice za inovativne, okolju prijazne modne izdelke. Londonski oblikovalec Christoph Reaburn za svoje kolekcije uporablja stare vojaške uniforme in tkanine vojaških padal. Zelo pestra je ponudba torbic iz recikliranih in ponovno uporabljenih materialov. Izdelane so iz odpadnih oglaševalskih plakatov, embalaž sokov, zapiral pločevink, papirčkov bombonov, recikliranih plastenk in številnih drugih ostankov potrošnikov. Zanimiv koncept predstavlja blagovna znamka From somewhere, ki za proizvodnjo svojih oblačil nikoli ne uporablja novih materialov ampak ostanke krojenja in poškodovane tkanine, ki jih večje tovarne zavržejo. Inovativna rešitev ponuja tudi Rebecca Earley, ki oblikuje oblačila, ki jih lahko po njenih navodilih preoblikujemo, ko se jih naveličamo ter tako uporabljamo dlje časa. Razvila je tudi postopke tiskanja, ki ne onesnažujejo vode in za katere porabimo minimalno količino energije. Posebno inovacija pa je izum japonskega oblikovalca Isseya Miyake-ja A-POC. Z uporabo sodobne tehnologije je ustvaril pletenino iz katere lahko kupec sam izreže oblačilo po svojih željah. Za izdelavo končnega izdelka ni potrebno krojenje in šivanje. Na ta način prihranimo ogromne količine vode in energije, ki so sicer za to potrebne. Modne blagovne znamke si glede na svoje vrednote in prepričanja prizadevajo tudi za pošteno plačilo in dobre delovne pogoje vseh sodelujočih v industriji, skrbijo za bližino proizvodnih procesov, spodbujajo in promovirajo pošteno trgovino in se trudijo spodbujati lokalno gospodarstvo ter domače obrti.Moda ima lahko zaradi svoje razširjenosti in dostopnosti pomembno vlogo pri ozaveščanju potrošnikov o pomenu skrbi za okolje, saj lahko posameznik z izbiro oblačil sporoča svoje vrednote in stališča.
Kljub temu, da pestrost ponudbe eko modnih izdelkov raste in je na trgu dostopnih vedno več okolju prijaznih izdelkov, je eden ključnih problemov potrošniški življenski stil zahodnega človeka. Cenena delovna sila in materiali iz vzhoda so omogočili, da so na trg prišla poceni oblačila, ki posnemajo zadnje modne trende in so dostopna skoraj vsakomur. Velike trgovske verige s svojo hiperprodukcijo cenenih oblačil spodbujajo potrošnike k neprestanemu menjevanju garderobe. Rezultati prizadevanj okoljsko zozaveščenih oblikovalcev niso dovolj, če hkrati ne spremenimo svojih potrošniških navad. Sprejeti moramo odgovornost za svoje nakupne odločitve in kvantiteto nadomestiti s kvaliteto.
Neli Štrukelj
Študentka magistrskega študija oblikovanja na NTF in ALU-O
Eco chic - the fashion paradox?
Fashion is my passion (it sounds so cliche, I know) but it doesn't always fit with my values. It stimulates fast consumption and it' usually far from being enviromentaly friendly. But, fortunately things are changing and more and more designers are proving that style and ecology can work together.
Designer of high end fashion label NOIR Peter Ingwersen says: “We want to be known as the first brand to turn corporate social responsibility sexy. And they do! ”I was really turned on by their work. Not only that the clothes look great but they use mostly organic fabrics, promote fair trade and fight for enviromentaly friendly production. Their designs are as famous for their stark monochromatic, exquisitely tailored and über-sexy look as they are sustainability.That's the way I like it :)
To see more great designs check out web page : http://www.noir.dk/
As soon as I found on the net I wrote them email : I WANT TO WORK FOR YOU!
It was more a scream of enthusiasm than a well thought plan but I had to do it...
this is a part of my passionate (and a little bit naive :) letter:
You may call me a dreamer but I believe that fashion can make a difference and I want to be a part of the company which proves that the principles of sustainability can be realized also in the fashion industry. I am hardworking, passionate and dedicated to fashion with conscience. And sexy of course :)
If this is something you were looking for I would be happy to hear from you.
I got answer next day thanking me for passionate job application but they don't have any vacant position at the time but that they'll notify me if situation changes... Yeah right :)
and:
We wish you all the best in your future career and never lose that passion...
I won't! ;)
I-BAG is designed for active, dynamic and distinctive urban people; it is a reflection of our personality. A mobile home; hiding and revealing our possessions at the same time. It is multifunctional and transformable. Extremely practical and fashionable at the same time.
There will be much more written about this topic so take just a glimpse of it...
I always had problems with introductions because I should tell something about myself but to be honest... I still don't really know who I am. I am always in the process of discovering the mystery. I could say I'm work in process :) So I guess is better that I skip this welcome part and hope you (and I) will get a picture of who I am by reading the blog.
Why am I writing it anyway? Is it an attempt to stand out of the crowd, to be seen and heard? Maybe... I always wanted to be famous so if the blog won't do I'll start to sing :)
Secondly: I heard that big brother is a very good looking guy, so I guess I have more chances to be spotted and get noticed by him if I start writing a blog...
ok, seriously now... I am a person with numerous interests and passions... and everyday I get excited by some new discovery, person, music, idea... And by sharing it, it becomes more alive and saved from the devastating power of my scattered memory. As a designer I also feel a constant need to create...
The topic of my next project is Surveillance. What a coincidence :) By exposing myself I won't be just the observer but I'll be also observed. Of course, not in a surreptitious manner because I'll decide what to show, but anyway... Let's start to play this game :)
I'll be watching (for) you...
