Omar's "CLICK BRIGADE" Autumn/Winter 2011 Collection

Working on Omar's up and coming collection has been such a pleasure and a real opportunity to watch how a single idea becomes another fantastically successful collection.

Firstly, the differences that I have noticed between me (mere student) and the designer is that were I spend so long on pages pages on, really when I look at it, unnecessary research Omar does a mood board/wall of inspiring visuals, exhibits that move him, key words and statements, colour ideas and directions. Where I should be gathering relevant images and cross-referencing them better and then responding in more detail to the specialised images I usually gather so much research that it changes my ideas to the point that I don't know what direction I was going in in the first place. So already Omar has taught me to head in a much more organised and clear path - so that I can see clearly what I am trying to express.

 
From here he then has an idea on key elements of the collection and begins to design. My designs are normally overly detailed and every single one is completely different from the next. I also have this way of never following a system of designing either and everything ends up become so over-complicated and time costly. From Omar I have learnt to use a Photoshopped illustration of a model pose as a base and draw the simple shapes that you want to achieve and then add the details to certain areas and concentrated more on these details I am trying to create. All the main details of shaping etc to the garment will all be made and adjusted in the sampling and toiling stages and that you can't be over-detailed in these drawings and to spend more time on the actual making side of the garments. So here, I have learnt to free up my drawings, I have found a model pose that i have photoshopped for an easy template and I will take more time and concentration on this stage of the process.

From here Omar begins his sampling, adaptions etc etc with is a very lengthy process that requires precise decisions of every element, from thread to stitch to finishings - so that the finished garment will be made to perfection first time round NO MISTAKES! This is the area where I need to pay more attention to - spending this quality time with the garment, knowing every cut, stitch and detail of every inch of it. This is again an area that we always have rushed when we are Uni, we spend weeks and weeks on research and sketch book work and then what seems like a few short lessons on making and perfecting a garment to the high standards in which we desire our garments aspire to. This is certainly an area in which I am looking forward to putting to good use when I return to Uni - let's see if it makes a difference.

Omar's collection 'Click Brigade' is based on the concept of an army or brigade of the Omar Kashoura man. It is inspired by areas of a military esq ideas but not in the way of the more noticable Aquascutum jackets but more subtly in the toy soldiers print, belts and touches of forest green and shoulder detailing. It is definately a tailored sportswear collection with loose fitting but oh so luxurious jersey wool fabrics, which are so breathably easy to wear but have little extra details that make them more desirable then the usual t-shirt. Such as metalic green and burnt orange metaled fabrics and brightly coloured trimming for edges. The shirtings I appreciate the most. Not only are they made with the most beautifully created 100% cotton fabrics, in an array of well thought out colours but with the little extra details that I think may go a-miss. Such as the removable collars that have a cm strip of soft jersey attached so simply but really makes a beautful difference. I love how his collection is made of every shade of grey that has been made to man, I love the print in the nude toy solider print and that the trousers are screwed up to give them that worn look.

I love the knit and that I got to the knitwear studio and help her with Omar's samples and jumpers that she was making for him, She was amazing and very interesting to watch. I look forward to staying in contact with her as I think the things she makes are amazing and there is so much un-noticed hard work that goes into every stitch of every piece of every garment she makes. She also let me take some photos of her studio.

Overall there has so much attention to detail to each and every element to this collection i am just so proud to say that I have been apart of it. I have already seen the Pictures from Barclenoa and am already amazed at the high quality of each outfit. I cannot wait to see how it goes down at London Fashion Week, which I am so happy that I will get to be apart of too - WHOO HOO!!!!!!!

So keep your eye out for my next posts, I cannot wait, and I will tell you all about it.

Fashion 156 Blogs - make for an intersting read

http://www.fashion156.com/blog.php?entry=2664&issue=36

http://www.fashion156.com/blog.php?entry=2752&issue=36

http://www.fashion156.com/blog.php?entry=2814&issue=36

http://www.fashion156.com/blog.php?entry=2845&issue=36

I love that I was here for most of these interviews and found Omar fascinating to watch. Interviewers I have noticed ask certain questions to get the answers that they want - I notic ed Omar had a fanstatic way of changing the answers totally or dodging the question effortlessly. At one point the interviewer asked Omar, 'So within your collection you use this image of the little toy soldier, does this stem from a childhood memory of when you used to play?' For which Omar could only reply in his bubbly Leeds accent, 'Well, I am sure that is what my mother would of wanted, but I was playing with dolls instead!' It took everything in my power not to laugh loudly whilst this was taking place.

Give them a read they give a good insight x

Work Placement with Omar Kashoura

Firstly I would like to apologise for how extremely overdue this post is. I intended to write a weekly blog detailing my day to day account of all my duties and experiences, but found that my days became very busy and the blogging never happened - so for that I apologise. I did on the other hand take notes to remind me of all that I learnt while working with by far the most gifted and interesting person I have ever had the good fortune to work with - Omar Kashoura!

My work placement started on the 4.1.11 at 10:30am (my kind of start time) which worked out lovely for me because it gave me a chance to organise my mornings as to what time to get up, how long does it take me to get to work etc etc. Of course I was 30 minutes early for my first day as I could no longer wait any longer to leave for work.

On arrival I was met by Omar himself. Omar is a very busy, hectic character who seems unable to stay still for more then 10 seconds but is on the other hand very warm and polite, full of smiles and good conversion. I instantly found him easy to converse with and felt very welcomed into his studio/world. I was then introduced to Paulo his studio manager, a strikingly handsome man with a chiseled physique and beautiful Brazilian accent. He to was interning but at a much higher level - he was already gifted at what he does but went all the way through our fashion education system so that he could have the qualifications to back him. I was then introduced to Kirstie, also a degree intern, she was from a London University and in her first year - not that you could tell - she had already been there a few weeks before me and I felt like she new everything, she nicely bestowed her knowledge of the studio and Omar's working ways over to me very early on so I felt like I had been there for as long as she had.

The studio was very busy but self- contained and surprisingly very well organised. It was between two floors, on the top floor was the entrance and more like Omar's office space. There is the giant desk that doubles up as a second pattern cutting table, a wall length shelving unit with all the fabric one could need - from everything form linings and bondings to all calico/toiling fabrics that could create any and every garment one could dream of - to all previous collections fabric including his very own printed fabrics right up to all the current collections fabrics in use. Above these were draws dedicated to zips, buttons, buckles, trimmings, finishings, threads, fabric paints etc etc etc. All had their rightful place, so that it made it very easy to locate a particular object and therefore cut down numerous hours of searching for things - Omar always said that you should always been extra organised, putting things back from where they come from especially while working in a small work space under each others feet - he knew where absolutely everything was in that studio.

Downstairs was the main studio, and where we spent most of our time. As Omar pretty much works 24/7, in the studio is a bed so that when he does stop for a whole hour or two he has somewhere that he can rest and can always jump straight back to work. You are also met with rails of clothes, shelves full of interesting and strangely fascinating books, stacks of magazines, rails of pattern blocks, sewing machines and over-lockers, mannequins and of course the main pattern cutting table. Downstairs, as well, is also the kitchen - the main thing I loved about working at Omar's is that we all took turns in cooking a freshly made lunch for each other. We all sat around the pattern cutting table on high stools and ate, drunk tea and talked about everything un-work related - it was brilliant.

When it came to work, there were no duties that I did not get to be apart of. My first duty was cutting 40 150cm x 3cm strips for bonding, from this I went on to pattern cutting and learning a few tricks of the trade for wool and jersey, and in fact general tricks of the trade when it comes to cutting out fabric with tailoring shears - did you know that when cutting, if you are right handed you should cut clockwise for a closer, starighter and overall better cut? Nope, I didn't know that but it's true - stops your cutting looking like it has been cut out with a fork!! I also learnt that in the industry you NEVER cut on a fold. It is never as accurate on the under piece, so her I learnt my second lesson - how to read the patterns! 'Cut One' means you cut one of the pattern piece, 'Cut Two' means you cut two of the pattern piece but on the same side, as if layed next to each other and 'Cut Pair' means you cut one on one-side, flip it and the cut one on the otherside. Sounds pretty basic and things I should already know but then I suppose this is what comes of never working in the industry.

I learnt a lot about pattern cutting with Omar. I feel that in education we are kinda of taught the neccessaries and that the little things kinda of get over-looked and you end up having your own way of doing things and therefore never really know the correct way of doing them. They may be small things but I always like to know that I am doing things correctly and not just doing it. For instance, always marking the wrong side of the fabric with a red cross so that you and others always can tell instantly what side it the wrong side, how to properly cut on the bias and why and when cutting a centre back piece on paper/card to draw half the piece, cut out to the centre line fold over and then cut around to get the second half. I never knew the proper way to cut with Jersey. Such as steaming the fabric first, really steaming it so shrinks up, laying paper underneath the fabric, properly laying it out so that it is perfectly flat, and pinning it to the paper; having the pattern copied onto paper with wide edges and the pin (very closely) to the fabric and paper - therefore reducing how much the fabric can move. It was here that I also learnt that when pinning if you are not repeatedly stabbing yourself in the finger every single time you put a pin in the fabric - then you are not pinning right. This is why I know longer have fingerprints and instead have some lovely shinny tips!!!

Another of my many duties was dropping off and picking up. I travelled quite widely around London going to many factories, seamstresses, knitwear designers, button emporiums, dry cleaners and specialist coat makers - carrying everthing from pattern pieces to 10 kilo bags of wool that where about the same size as me. At one point I was carrying this giant bag on my back through the pouring rain through Bethnal Green and I swear I looked like a human snail! I had a talent of making it suddenly down pour whenever I had to go out. Even with this I enjoyed my travels around London. Omar would give you clear details of who you were going to see, what with and what to discuss with them once you were there (I found it hilarious telling these large factories how to make things - so ironic!) I would be given a map and a direction to head in - the rest I would have to figure out myself. It was very exciting and I felt immense joy knowing that I could travel around London all by myself and after a few trips out started to recoginse certain areas and almost felt like I blended in with the crowd - I even got a Londoner paced walk.

One of my main duties was the Buyers Manual that went out to Paris with Omar. It is the book that holds everything to do with his Autumn/Winter 2011 Collection from perfectly measured, cut and present fabric samples (which we had to cut out with immense detail and precise accuracy - they had to be perfect) to sizes available and their measurements, fabric content, style of each garment, name of each fabric, colour name and pictures of the front and back of every garment (Omar added the prices later on). Omar stressed to us how important these books were and the buyers that would be looking at these would be the same buyers that would be going to see Burberry, Gucci and Versace. So there was automatically that pressure of knowing that you were up against books from companies that could afford the best photoshopping wizards who's only job would be these books (me and Kirstie would just gulp at the pressure). Of course with all this we tackled every aspect of the book to the perfected standards that Omar wanted and along the way learnt many a new tricks on Photoshop - I now feel quite comfortable and competant on it.

Overall, when it comes to working in the industry I don' think I could of got a better placement. My job role gave me the chance to see all aspects of how to work in the fashion industry and I have learnt so much and mainly got a glimpse of what my future holds. I am very excited to see how it turns out.

Interview with Omar Kashoura next week!!!!

A brief post just to inform you that I have an interview with Omar Kashoura in London next week, yay!

He is a Menswear Designer who is probably not as well known as he should be but has a fantastic take on the world of fashion design, as he tries to create the 3 stage wardrobe 'where the clothes represent a national identity, an emblem of power and a representation of one's self' - to quote.

But to me I love the cut and the quality to each garment, the fabric choices, the playful twists against the structured tailoring and his innotive use of pattern and print.

More than this, he has of way of making the young contemporary male desirable to both sexes with his androygnous take on the modern mans wardrobe.

I'm very excited - I shall keep you posted of how it goes x

My Day out in Mayfair...

Getting to the studio was simple enough, I had very clear directions and the building was only around the corner from the station. The building was beautiful, the architectural detailing was inspiring - the studio couldn't of been placed in a more perfect setting. The offices were spread over about 8 floors - at the top there was Roland's office, then the managers' offices, the main studio (my favourite place), the making studio (where I worked), the archives, the other two I'm not sure about and then on the bottom floor was bathroom and the kitchen (it was mission to go from the room to the bathroom and back).

The making studio was lovely, bright white and surprisingly organised - the pattern cutting tables were organised into Womenswear, Menswear and Interns (they had about five interns in there) they had one wall dedicated to the whole womenswear collection and two rails dedicated to the menswear collection. The menswear collection is still in it's capsule stage and still pretty small, they don't show the collection on the catwalk at all but take it alongside the womenswear collection so that possible buyers can take a look. Also in the studio is three industrial machines, two over lockers (one is a baby over locker - they use this a lot I can't remember what the techniques is called exactly right now but they use it instead of lining their garments. What they do is apply a thicker lining type material and attach a stayflex material that holds the lining to the fabric and they baby over lock the edges to finish it off. Working these machines they have two very lovely, and I think Spanish, machinist to work them. Everyone is lovely in fact, I was surprised at how many there were that were willing to talk to me and offer advice. Overall it was a great place to work.

The main studio was where all the action took place. It was a wide room with mirrors, fire places, rails of clothes, mood boards, fabric boards and models. This is where I wanted to be. Here they went through every single detail, they had discussions about what was right what was wrong, what needs changing and when it did need changing  the garment was rushed downstairs and altered or re-made etc and sent straight back up stairs. I loved how they discussed indepth, the moods for the collections (such as the men's was based on Japanese weapons), how they were all rushing around hectically and all had input - they were a great team. It made me see how much I want to work in this area, how I wanted to put my input in, how I wanted to see the collection develop and grow and change and hopefully one day be based on all my designs and ideas - ahhhh to dream.

What I also realised is that I didn't want to do pattern cutting. I have no passion towards the subject and I know this now. The precision and pure skills in creating, adapting and making is all so overwhelming to me. You have to be very good at it to to be working at that level too and they really are- I felt quite substantial next to them. It felt like being the engine and the cogs in the machine that churned out all the work but really were just being told what to do and not coming up with the ideas themselves. I have no bad thought towards this level and I am not reducing them either it's just not what I want to do for my future career.

Overall I think I learnt - its made me worry about my up and coming work experience for three months - going up and down to London and doing a placement that I am stuck in scares me. But hey-ho we're just have to see how it goes.

I shall keep you posted x

Yay, I have began applying for jobs!

Today, I began my emailing to prospective work placement opportunities (31 in all) and have already started to get replies.

So far I have a working placement this weekend up in Mayfair with Roland Mouret - which I am sooooooooooooo excited about!! I think I am helping out with preparations for their up and coming collection; pattern cutting, CAD and running I think, but am excited to see my first studio and how it is run. She has promised me hectic long hours - which is everything I have been looking for, so I shall keep you posted of how it goes and will try and put some photos on here if I can.

Watch this space x

Deconstruction Jacket Fashion Shoot