Aqua by Aqua

The most amazing shop has just opened in Fouberts Place, just off Carnaby Street in London. If you're from the North of England you may well have heard of this store before, as they began life in Leeds five years ago, and have even recently been selling on asos. Aqua is the most interesting and forward thinking independent store on the high street at the moment. It opened here in the capital only two weeks ago, so take a visit soon before everyone else catches on!

Two of my favourite pieces are these oversized tops. Most garments in the collection are body-con, but these diaphanous tunics are a fresh, wearable way to do the lingerie trend which has been all over the high-street for some time. If like me, you don't like to wear your pants over your trousers like superman, I suggest these options!

I visited Aqua with a friend yesterday, and she bought a few hard-edged statement dresses. They may not be to all tastes, but you cannot deny their unique and utterly flattering design. We scoured the regular shops around Oxford Street and Carnaby Street, but nothing compared to the party dresses in this new store.

Fashionary

Hello strangers....how are you? So, it's been a fair while since I last posted. I've been trying to keep myself busy over the past few weeks, after splitting with my boyfriend. I won't go into details, but precious time has been spent with friends and family and lots of alcohol! I didn't realise quite how long it had been since my last post, but don't worry, The Starling is back ;)

Some good news - I found out I have sold my Samurai dress, on NJAL. The money I make from this dress is going to go towards my 'buy-me-a-K+L-mannequin' fund! I'm so excited...this means I'm going back to the sewing machine after a (too) long break. More designs and experimentation's coming your way soon, and who knows I may sell a few!

Whilst doing some 'research' at work today I came across the most brilliant idea on weheart. Something like this will genuinely benefit my day-to-day work and now I know about it, it seems like such an obvious invention (why didn't I think of this?). What am I talking about? Fashionary - the world's first fashion sketchbook, tailor made for designers!

Fashion/Graphic designer Peter Yip came up with this brilliantly unique idea after drawing out of proportion figures. There are barley visible figure templates on each page, allowing designers and students to draw quickly and easily whilst on the move. Like a moleskin, there are also amazing reference tools like body measurements, basic pattern samples, spec sheets, measurements tools and textile information.

You can buy them online here...and I'm buying mine right now...maybe 2...maybe 10!

Charlie le Mindu live @ SHOWstudio

Famed for his work with Lady GaGa and his amazing fusion of fashion/millinery/hairdressing , Charlie le Mindu is sure to excite when he sets to work tomorrow at the SHOWstudio space. Webcams will be streaming his every move live on 11th and 12th March 2010, giving us a chance to see the avante-garde hair stylist at work. The brief? Diamonds, religion, and 'bigger than anything attempted before�'

I'm going to try and sneak a peek without my boss knowing, and I'm excited to see how this revolutionary 'designer' creates his masterpieces, and reveals his construction secrets.

Nicomede Talavera AW2010

I am slightly obsessed with these images of Nicomede Talavera's new collection - I want every single piece - the hair fringed t-shirt, the amazing fabric combinations, the necklaces made of bones, the conceptual yet wearable shirts, the trousers with a zipper at the back...Nicomede if you're listening, you know where to find me...

Images via Coute Que Coute.

Todd Lynn AW2010

I was lucky enough to go to the Todd Lynn AW2010 show during London Fashion Week. I know it's almost been a week since I actually went, but life sometimes gets in the way of blogging! Anywho, I met up with Audrey from Frassy, and after a few cigarettes and a couple of coffees we headed into the BFC tent at Somerset House.

I have been a fan of Todd Lynn's work for the past few seasons, and he's really helped inspire some of the design work I've been doing, so I was really excited to see his new show - and he didn't disappoint.

The blurry pictures above are ones I took on my rubbish camera at the show, but there are more detailed images from the professionals at Elle below.

I am certainly no fashion journalist, so I shall leave the review to the professionals, but the elements I particularly like in this collection are: leather strapping over the shoulders and back, the armoured leather elbows, the dramatic use of fur, leather panelling, the earthy colour palette and the warrior-like hair. It is a collection which ticks all the right boxes for me, and although there s a lot of Gothic inspired fashion around at the moment, I just can't get enough!

Merve Tuna - LCF MA 2010

I'm a big lover of taxidermy...but incorporating it into clothing, quite literally is just a little bizarre for me. I won't get into the fur debate - I don't want to ruffle any feathers - but having a fully stuffed duck/hare/fox hanging from my waist isn't really my cup of tea. But hey, fashion is open for interpretation, and I am strangely intrigued by Merve Tuna's (animal collection....fishy name?) MA collection, shown at this years London College of Fashion show.

Although the garments on their own are not pushing any sartorial boundaries, the piece above is actually rather beautiful - the pastel colours, soft fabrics and relaxed silhouette with the 'bird in flight' broach adding another level to this elegant ensemble.

I would consider these pieces as art, rather than fashion. Yet another debate that quite frankly, I can't be bothered to get into right now...but these pieces are amazing when taken away from the catwalk and viewed alone. I would happily have these displayed in my home, just not on my person.

One step Closer to the dream...

I've had my first piece in a magazine!!! Woooo! It's not exactly high brow, but the first piece from my new job for New Look has a full page spread in Closer magazine. Above is the sketch, and the inspiration from the Preen lacing and another dress of mine (which is also going into New Look very soon).

Above, the dress in our studio...and below, the spread in Closer! One step closer to the dream.

Isabel Toledo: Fashion from the Inside Out

I think we are all very aware now of my troubling addiction to books. I cannot let a fortnight pass without purchasing another fashion/inspirational tome! Soon I will have my very own reference library - feel free to browse at your leisure!

My latest addition to this ever-growing collection is a wonderful book about the under-exposed designer, Isabel Toldeo. If I'm to be completely honest, I had not even heard of her until a few months ago when I stumbled across these images on the TwistedLamb blog (which, by the way, is pure freekin' genius).

Toledo's work is amazing, and spans many different 'genres' of fashion design - from origami, geometric, fluid drapery, architectural structure, opulence and minimalism...but above all, extremely clever cutting. Valerie Steel states in this book that unfortunately, like many designers Toledo has not had the financial backing to expand from her niche market. Widely recognised by fashion insiders, Isabel Toldeo has been running her own label for over 20 years, however it is only now that she is starting to get fully recognised and stocked across the world.

'Displaying garments Toledo has created since her first show in 1985, this book is a revelatory exploration of a fashion innovator in a mass-market industry.'

Words cannot describe the tragic loss that the fashion industy experienced yesterday, with the sudden death of a (my) hero - Lee Alexander McQueen.

Long live McQueen!

1969 - 2010

May you rest in peace.

Alexander Mcqueen has killed himself!!!

PLEEEAASSEEEE...Tell me it's not true. I have just heard the news, and I am heartbroken. I am lost for words...until I can find out more, read about it here.

A source at McQueen's office confirmed the suicide, saying, "It is a tragic loss. We are not making a comment at this time out of respect for the McQueen family."

ASOS has gone live...!

My first piece for ASOS has gone live (well, strictly speaking it's my second)! This is the first piece from my new job, which I started in the summer, to go into production and it the stores. So exciting seeing it online, modelled and up for sale. Spread the word and help this hot little jumpsuit sell-out!

Buy it here.

Fashion for the Masses

There is a lot of snobbery with designers these days, especially ones coming fresh out of University. I live in East London, and always bump into people who work in the industry, and unless you say you work for some huge label, or a mega-trendy brand people are generally not interested - they will turn their pretentious noses up and walk away (it has to be said, that these people are mostly young and inexperienced and it may just be a London 'thing'). It's quite disheartening to hear, when you consider the sheer amount of graduates which are churned out from fashion schools all over the globe compared with the very limited number of jobs out there.

I work for the high-street, which I love! I get paid more than people who work for designer labels (you don't get anywhere in the designer world unless you make it big time), I have 99% of the creative control over what I do (obviously baring in mind that I am designing for the masses) and I get to design a range of products, for a range of stores. Where is the shame in that?

Miuccia Prada summed it up nicely in this quote from the latest issue of Purple magazine, and to be honest, has put some of my woes at ease...

"Do you like designing clothes for a large international clientele, or is it frustrating having to adapt to the masses?
Miuccia Prada - I don't agree with other designers who only want to address a small public, which is relatively easy. What's difficult is keeping your integrity with a larger public. Given that I do commercial work I want it to be as large as possible. If I only had to make four dresses for four fashion snobs, I'd change jobs. Maybe in the beginning I wanted to make clothes for the sophisticated few. But that doesn't interest me anymore. The aspect of my work that challenges me the most today is dealing with numbers, with the company, and with people who work with us."

Prada realises that it is more of a challenge to design clothes for a mass market, to keep the masses interested in your work. Anyone can create conceptual garments, but can they translate that work and ideas into wearable clothes? - That is where the talent truly lies.

Get the creative juices flowing...

Recently I have had a huge desire to start sketching/painting/collaging again for myself. Working in a creative, albeit corporate environment all day let's me express myself to a certain degree but clean technical drawings and photoshop are not what I grew up loving. I used to spend hours and hours of my childhood sketching and interpreting anything I could find, I would create wonderfully mazes in my school maths book (I had, and still have a mini obsession with geometry and the symmetrical delight of squared paper).

Over Xmas I made myself a beautiful black, suede covered sketchbook (which I should show you in another post). Now comes the time to fill it!! I've been drawn to collage recently, not because of the huge trend for collage in fashion editorials now but purely because of the instant nature of it, and the speed with which you can quickly create an amazing visual, which I will use as a base to start sketching or painting.

Matthew Craven is a mixed media artist who reworks vintage photographs, giving them a new graphic quality.

Maurizio Anzeri is another mixed media artist who works into vintage photographs, but he uses embroidery and string-art techniques to add an eerie dimension to the portraits.

Charlotte Cory is an artist and writer who counts the Queen among her customers! She also has a collaboration with All Saints at the moment on a range of t-shirts baring her prints (if only they had men's versions!). She is also currently exhibiting here in London at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery.