Showing posts with label akiiki designs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label akiiki designs. Show all posts

Monday, 30 January 2012

A second skin affair: Vintage Framework

After becoming a mum, all of a sudden I am a huge fan of vintage thrills, the 1920s,30s,40s,50s yes and 60s the before before the before era (yes! I said it!!!). I do not know if its anything to do with motherhood or just a transitioning stage but the urge to change my wadrobe is so strong...to the point of a fearful wonderful vintagish obsession.

Okay so that does not mean I am going all gugu granma on myself no...hull no....in my own perspective...I think I have discovered classic chic on a different level. Remember those dresses, bellsleeves, bellbottom pants and platform (gabon) shoes that our mummies and daddies used to wear......a bit like the dressing in these picture


I think the way they dressed exhibited restrained good taste, unpretentious style and unostentatious chic. And I AM NOT....in any form trying to convert anyone to the whole vintage stage page but informing you that there's some beautiful pieces out there and one does not need to spend dimes and dimes on a piece they will wear for lets see how long...uhhhmmmmmma year....I remember my mum saying invest in something you will wear forever and pass on to your grandchildren.....xxxx

I am currently reading and researching from these vintage books....
This one above has some politics which I will address another time.....




These are very informative of how much we underestimate timeless fashion (vintage)...I know there's lots of people out there who absolutely shun charity and vintage shops...some people are so ignorant as they are of the thought that someone may have died in the piece of clothing..blah blah blah...oh its too long...and one just cannot get into all that but......the secret is ....they are a historical record and a beautiful possession that may be described as a second skin.



They have the power to transform the whole body and aura of women all over the world making these women so classic that their interest in vintage becomes a physical response to fashion. source...(Vintage fashion sourcebook...Emma Baxter) and I agree. Vintage pieces capture not only a historical moment in time, but are works of absolute unique beauty. Techniques of handwork, passion, dedication, time can be seen on the early pieces before the mass production era.

Several trends set in earlier records have developed into classics for example, the shift dress, the tailored suit, the little black dress, the flapper dress, swing skirt etc....and these have not drastically changed since thier inception.

The books I have researched have revealed that vintage pieces are charted through a framework of fashion history over hundreds of years in the last centuries, celebrating significant designers, developments, movements and women's frames which have all contributed hugely to fashion.

Even today, couture designers look and plunder back catalogues and magazines in order to study, copy and learn from the masters of years before, often copying details like pintucks, seams, collars, prints, patterns beading in their own designs and why not...IMMITATION IS FLATTERY....fashion is so ever evolving that if you want to be ahead of the game...you have got to go to the back and start from there...that is why a great fashion designer will know what line to produce for the next six years as opposed to the next spring summer and start thinking..."hmmmm...where and what do I start now"....

I remember wearing gutsy items of clothing and even thinking to myself...the world is not ready for this honey....the world is not ready...but tuff...!!!!!...I wore it and I rocked it....why???? because I knew I was ahead of my game....and If I am to give any advice to a fashion designer I would give that...BE AHEAD OF YOUR GAME...GO TO THE BACK OF FASHION AND DISCOVER...

When you think its an old fashioned dress like this one...



appreciate..... because the person wearing this has thoroughly thought through this piece....they have fabricfingered it...teardressed it (..I dont know where these words are coming from but "necessity is the mother of invention") and in being careful about the detail, hem, cut and facework, they have bought it as opposed to one hit wonder mass produced clothes.....xxx

As I was inspired by my research....I customised a vintage piece (picture above) a while back and was proud of my vintage thingamajiga...

Before: This is the vintage dress


After customizing the dress with African fabric



So next time you do see someone out there rocking their vintage gear...give a secret smile in admiration or try...xx because they are way ahead and so should you be....xxxxx

QUOTE OF THE DAY



THANK YOU FOR READING....HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAY.......xxxx

Tuesday, 24 January 2012

I bring you the fish tail dress....Adonia and absolutely gorgeous vintage finds.....xxxx

I could not help it but introduce you to the trail flail dress....I call her...Adonia.....bless her beautiful textiles....she was a beautiful fleecy scarf before....wore it and it made me feel like a granma....I thought NO..NO...NO...NO..NO....and out came the scissors....

I did this a while ago...so I'm truly sorry I have not got any before pictures...on Adonia...but you may view her in her ambience..she's gorgeous.....

Here she is...enjoy.....her...relish....(okay I'm going a bit far...).....xxxx



While on my walk on Putney High Street today, I went into one of my favourite shops,,,,a beautiful charity/Vintage shop Trinity Hospice...its very memorable, has effective , tasteful, simple and luxury pieces which create a buzz....and amazing people working in there. When you go in and spend £10, you come out feeling a million bucks...and I am not saying this because of the money factor but because the members of staff are extremely good natured, kind and charming. I found some lovely lovely pieces...I could not help it and had to get them. A pair of sterling silver crystal earrings and a gorgeous maxi black dress(£6)... The dress is by MNG....I think from their 2007 collection and the earrings were real vintage...by annette dean...you will not find these anywhere any more..... so I'm so glad I bought them and they were only £4. If you do want to buy beautiful clothes for a bargain...visit this shop...YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED....I will be featuring them soon on my blog...so look out for some amazing pieces.....xx

Here are the items, enjoy and give me your views if you wish.....

The MNG (Mango) dress has a beautiful sort of woven feature at the front and I accessorised it with a golden belt....(It comes with its own belt but I thought colouring it would be better).....

Neckline detail of the dress below...xxx



The pictures below shows how long the dress is.....xxx



Pictures of the earrings below....they are purple in colour....xxx (sory for the ashen hands....too much light ....uhhhh on black skin.....uhhhh!!!!....xxx)



Currently watching......Americo for Stylelikeu....xxx

JoJo Americo for Stylelikeu.com from StyleLikeU on Vimeo.



Also watching.....Ghana Fashion Awards....2011...xxx



QUOTE OF THE DAY.....XXXX



Thanks for reading....have a beautiful, beautiful week....xxxxxx

Friday, 20 January 2012

Meet The Etta Dress.....At Last....Yes!!!! I will be cheesy today.....in memory of Etta James...

I am saddened today by the death of Etta James....I guess sooner or later...death is an inevitable consequence of this beautiful life we live. I will be dedicating this dress to her and any dresses I make that look like this....they will be the Etta line/range/trend....Yes!!!!! I will be cheesy...im on cheeseville street.....with my cheeseboard....I loved Etta and if I have to be cheesy to prove it.....I will be doing it full onnnn!!!!

So I had this top that (I do not want to say hideous)...okay it was just a cringe binge...you look at it and think....hell no!!!!.....and as usual....scissors and ideas...here is the top....below,,,speaking for itself....xx



I am all for recycling...I do my bit for the world...okay Im not very very good at washing out tins of baked beans and tinned tomato and rinsing them out and hanging them to dry and then putting them in that orange plastic recycling bag....unnnnnhhhhhh...no Im not....but I am getting there....very slowly....(sorry!!!! to my green peace recycling friends = soon come!!!!). Okay sorry I drifted off there...so I had this cringe tarty top....took my scissors, it became a tank top and I got more confused...because I would not even wear it IN THE HOUSE....goodness me!!!!...okay okay let me get straight to the point...CUSTOMISATION......I had to customise it....can't do the tins...but will do the top....there's my lil bit for the recyclerations......

I had the usual, african fabric, and I made this sort of balloon skirt pumpkin looking thingie.... attached to the top....best won with "over the top jewellery"...if you haven't got the jewellery....over the top lipstick...its up to you.....I believe in clashing or accessorising with over the top jewellery, well I adorned it with a clash tag fringe necklace...meaning = you kinda need to colour block it with a piece of clashing jewellery...that's how I would wear it....xxxx

Here is the dress below....enjoy.....xxx



Picture below shows the accessory I used to compliment the Etta dress....xxx



And the picture below was my inspiration



Currently watching Cindy Co from STYLELIKEU....I love her style...she has an amazing method of mixing her outfits and looking very chic but very effortless...we all learn and I am continuously learning from her....xxxx


Cindy Ko Closet Interview With StyleLikeU from StyleLikeU on Vimeo.



Currently watching Africa Fashion Week in London during 2011. Love the fresh designs and textures.....






RIP Etta James




QUOTE OF THE DAY: It is all about falling in love with yourself and sharing that love with someone who appreciates you, rather than looking for love to compensate for a self love deficit. Eartha Kitt

Thanks for reading and have a beautiful weekend....will see you all next week.....xxxx