NEW FASHION FABRICS

As promised here are the new fabrics, that I purchased in Montreal. I draped them on a mannequin to make you imagine what could become of them.

This beautiful silk-piece would be perfect for a woman who is not afraid to stand out.

This neutral, but effectful silk-organdy could even be used for a short wedding- or cocktaildress.

Last, but not least this "burned-out"-piece could be a nice choice for a premiere or an evening out.

If you would like to be dressed in one of them, please don´t hesitate. There is only enough for one-dress-of-a-kind and you will not see anybody else look-a-like.

ONE | Outfits from a New Era

I was recommended to take a look at this exhibition at the Biosphere, while I am staying here in Montreal. It was very inspiring, interesting and too important to ignore. So I wanted to share this experience with you all.

The "ONE | Outfits from a New Era" - exhibition showcases 16 artistic creations made from mass consumption products. This challenge was taken up by artists from the fields of cabinet making, jewelry, hair styling, fashion design and the visual arts.
These unique creations present car parts, batteries, salmon skins, electronic waste and other cast-offs from our society, in a whole new light. They give tangible form to statistics concerning the impacts of consumer goods that are used then thrown away."

The creations was accompanied by art videos and soundtracks from the Canadian music scene and bits of autographed garbage from Canadian public figures, such as Robert Lepage, Julie Payette, George Stroumboulopoulos and Guy A. Lepage, used in each creation.

Dress made of 2,500 light bulbs, 66 meters of stripped copper wire from speakers.

Dress made of 200 biodegradable and Oxo-biodegradable bags, 90 plastic bags.

Dress made of 2,000 shotgun shells, fabric.

Dress made of 97 salmon skins, 300 meters of fishing line, 40 mussel shells.

Dress made of 40 airbags, 2 headrests, 2 seatbelts, 1 piece of carpet, leather from 2 car seats, 1 tire, 1 baby car seat buckle.

Dress made of 6,800 pill bottles.

Dress made of 75 cans, 1,114 stainless steel rings.

Dress made of fibers from 2 TV packages, 1 poutine container, 2 coffee cups, 1 street vacuum bag.

Dress of 1,796 pages selected from 78 books, milled paper, sheet of wood, linen rope, binders, typewriter parts.

Kostume made of 4 sweaters, 7 pairs of jeans, 100 buttons.

Statement-dress made of 54 pieces of asphalt shingles, 8 sheets of plywood, 20 nails.

 Dress made of 800 meters of video tape, 800 meters of audio tape, 2,000 slides, 2 seconds of 35 mm film.

Kostume made of 36 computer mice, 120 cables, half of a computer keyboard.

Dress made of 208 locks of hair, 1 hairstyling cape, 1 pair of used boots.

Statement-dress made of 1,200 batteries.

Jacket made of 1 piece of canvas, 1 piece of nylon, 200 pieces of adhesive. To involve visitors, you could ad pieces of adhesive to this One.

All photos by John Frantsen

"These extraordinary thematic sets give pause and illustrate some of the major environmental issues we face today.

We hope that O.N.E. Outfits from a New Era will inspire you to find creative ways of transforming different materials, your own way of life, and the planet"

FASHION CONSUMPTION

"Global trade has made it possible to produce very cheap clothing. Consumers  now view clothes as disposable products whereas, NOT SO VERY LONG AGO, A WARDROBE WAS DESIGNED TO LAST. Some people talk about "fast fashion" in the way we refer to "fast food".

Choosing more environmemtally friendly products does not eliminate the impact our consumption is having on natural resources.
DO WE NEED TO REDUCE OUR CONSUMPTION? SHOULD WE REQUIRE THAT ITEMS BE PRODUCED DIFFERENTLY?

In Canada, housing, transportation, food and electric devices contribute to 
70 % of the environmental impacts of our consumption. However, it is easy to consume less and more wisely.
WE CONSUME MORE WISELY BY CHOOSING PRODUCTS THAT HAVE LESS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION EACH STAGE OF THEIR LIFE CYCLE".

From the exhibition "Finding Balance" at The Environment Museum "Biosphére" in Montreal.

Photos: John Frantsen

OH JAMES !

London is the place to be this year. I didn´t know. But on our way to Montreal, I read about James Bond 50th anniversary in the dutch magazine Holland Herald.

Did you know? - that it actually is 50 years ago the first James Bond movie were launched in 1962. Of course it has to be honnoured with the Exhibition: Fifty years of Bond Style at the Barbican Centre.
Expect everything from costumes and weapons to sets and props designed for the legendary cinema Icon. The exhibition runs until 5 September.

I am going there, since I am a Bond fan and especially find the costumes of the 60s and 70s very in-spiring.

"The first James Bond film, Dr. No, had an impact on ladies' fashion, with the bikini worn by Ursula Andress proving to be a huge hit: "not only sent sales of two-piece swimwear skyrocketing, it also made Andress an international celebrity".
Andress herself admitted that the "bikini made me into a success. As a result of starring in Dr. No as the first Bond girl I was given the freedom to take my pick of future roles and to become financially independent".

It has been claimed that the use of the swim-wear in Dr. No led to "the biggest impact on the history of the bikini". From Wikipedia

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