Untitled from Lara Dietrich on Vimeo.
Untitled from Lara Dietrich on Vimeo.
I had mentioned in past blogs about when Godiva first started I began, what I named, the ‘Reworked’ rail. This rail represented the creative imaginations of some ECA students at the time. This project I started due the excess unsold vintage I had and wanted to do something with the clothing, as the fabric, prints, colours etc were too good just to throw away. So why not just trim, tuck, pin, cut and create new garments or simple make a vintage garment more wearable.
This is the theory behind the reworking project, breathing new life in to something forgotten.
To sell vintage is to recycle and breathe new life into it, but to customize and ‘rework’ it is to give a whole new look, celebrates its charm or uniqueness and display great skill and imagination for the sewer/designer.
I spent my life in charity shops as a child with my mother. She was great with a sewing machine and was always customising garments. I have fond memories of my 10th birthday fancy dress party. I for some reason unbeknown to me now wanted to go as Miss Piggy from the Muppets. My mother created a big white puffy ball dress out of white dress and white bin bags and with my Miss Piggy mask to finish the outfit I remember feeling so happy as my pig princess. I was so proud of her creation, I thought it genius, beautiful and couldn’t believe she has created it. When I look back I realise that there must be this connection with what I do now at Godiva. I really love and very impressed by peoples imagination and skill to create something great out nothing.
With all this childhood reflection I must get to the actual point. What I am talking about is the freedom of imagination and challenge in reworking, it should be fun and be impressive.
There has been an upsurge in reworking vintage, Urban Outfitters call it, ‘Urban Renewal”, Blue Rinse have their range called ‘Remade’. However, I recent trip to see these ranges in shops I found that the reworking they were doing was so simple. They were cute and sellable but for me lack imagination, ‘sort of seen it before’, turning vintage customising into something generic and resembling that of the high street.
At Godiva, as you know, this is a fashion crime! It takes the fun out of it, out of wearing it and being individual. It’s a great skill and challenge to recycle vintage and it should be something that makes you take a second look, be excited about what someone has created out of something that would maybe otherwise been thrown away.
With the imminent re-launch of our Reworked rail next Thursday 10th at our customer evening you will find some excellent examples of individual talent, skill and imagination in reworking vintage. The student designers who have taken up the challenge set to them by Godiva and we are going to display and offer you the chance to buy these first installments to the rail!This is only just the beginning of what we what to be a great re-addition to the showroom and we could find our next designer star!
Lara once again has been a great help with the project so far and made some short video of Kirsten Orme and Aimi Mackay from Galasheills Textiles College talking us through some great ideas in their recycling minds.
So do watch the videos and remember to come to Godiva shop next Thursday 10th March 5pm-8pm to see the vast array of different Reworked work done by this great group of fashion students.
Fleur x
No comments:
Post a Comment