I Miss the Internet!

I am living a land that is always loading, buffering or apologetic for its failing to upload! Its strange how much I now rely on the web to keep my work up to speed with my day. I'm sure that I'm going to have difficulty with this post but if you are reading it, it means I finally got there in the end!

This is just one other way of life that I am getting used to. Over the last few days I have been looking high and low around Casablanca to find fabrics for my collection. With the help Joseph Ouechen, who has been showing me the ropes of the city, I have been able to find some amazing places. Firstly being the markets deep in the Medina, tourists are uncommon here so it was a real privilege to be able to visit and witness the comings and goings of its residents. Down small streets lined with old, hand powered, singer sewing machines which were all operated by women sewing traditional clothing. I couldn't help but feel as though I was slightly encroaching on their territory as this is their life and their own bubble of civilization. The fabrics in the main market are sold in small pieces which are mainly the remnants from textile manufacturers. The entire surface of the street is covered in fabrics which makes it difficult to distinguish between stalls but, you are soon made fully aware of the owner if you hover too long around their goods. Some of them definitely care about their stall more than others as the fabrics are either perfectly folded and colour coordinated where others are just huge piles of fabric that are thrown in all directions. There are men in the market who hand spin rope in all different colours and thickness's which is then sold as intricate decoration. They have a special machine for doing good this which looks a little like a pasta machine. It wasn't appropriate to take photos of this area so you will have to take my work for it that it was amazing! Joseph did manage to sneak one in as we were walking though...

The sheer amount of fabric shops and the options that comes with that puts Shepard's Bush, Berwick St and the Birmingham Rag market to complete shame. The only difference is that there is no way you will find any neoprene or rip stop knocking about in the backstreet's of Casablanca's Medina's.  I have to say its a lot to take in all at once but as soon as you settle into it, it gets better! I'ts the first time that I have ever been fabric shopping and felt confident that I will be able to find everything that I'll need. Pretty much all fabric is sold in 2-2.5 metre lengths which is difficult to get your head around while working to a budget in an unfamiliar currency. This is because most people out here by fabric to make Jiliaba's which is a traditional style of  full length dress that would need this length to make. When you start to realise the equivalent cost in sterling it is always a happy moment as everything is a lot more cost effective to what I know. If only I could have sourced fabrics from here for my Graduate collection, the £5,500 of debt that I'm in for it may have been a lot less at this point!!

So after my first few days sourcing ^^^ this is what I have come up with ^^^ Its very feminine for me which came as quite a shock, I have never worked with a floral before. There is still so much to see and do before I make my final choices but I have belief that this is the right way to go. I've been trying to trust my instincts more and have the confidence to go all in on a decision but, this is made much easier here by the average price and knowing I can afford to make mistakes. 

The aim of  my collection is to incorporate traditional Moroccan craft in contemporary ways. I have chosen to work with metal and I hope to work with artisans in Fez. My vision is to  commission enlarged Moroccan pendants that I will sew into the garments. During the fabric sourcing I was also able , through Joseph, to find out about how the artisans work and rough ideas for price size and  quality. I want to share a few of my findings which are the pictures below...  

Day One

So I arrived in Morocco on Sunday to start my residency and its has been a period of adjustment! I'm still looking in the wrong direction when crossing the road and thinking that a 10 Moroccan Dirham coin is the same as a 2 pound coin (it really isn't!). The city is, culturally, so different to anything I have experienced but equally as chaotic as every other city that I know, so at least there is an element of consistency in my environment.

Yesterday I went on a tour of the school and met its staff and students. In comparison to my own educational experience the difference was vast, mainly due to the number of students that are here. At Birmingham City University this years intake for fashion design alone was 160 students, whereas at the Casa Moda Academy, the first year group consists of less than 30. There is such a calming and quiet atmosphere that I am in no way familiar but could definitely get used to. The work space is light and open with enough room for the students creativity to be nurtured. I did take solace in the workshop, with the knowledge that it will probably be the only room here that I will be 100% confident in knowing what I am doing.

While I am settling in I wanted to share some of the designs that I have been working on in preparation to the trip. The concept behind my work is globalization and its effects on culture and tradition, I'm still working on a tittle! I feel that this will create an interesting balance between colour, silhouette, texture and detail... I'll keep you posted! 

  

Fashion Scout Graduate Showcase

So its post Graduate Showcase and my cheeks still hurt from smiling but I couldn't be happier! 

In the vestibule of Freemasons Hall Fashion Scout created an event and atmosphere that completely complimented the work on show. The experience was an amazing opportunity to interact with the industry and get the valuable feedback that is needed for any young designer. Everyone that I had chance to speak to was so enthusiastic and extremely complimentary which has left me with a massive buzz! 

The main topic of discussion was around answering the question  "So... What's next for you?" which has made me very excited for the future. After having a much needed rest after my final year at BCU yesterday has given me the wave of motivation I needed to start picking up my work load and get ready for the fast approaching trip to Morocco. I am currently in the process of creating a pre-collection so check back for more on that!

The event was such a great opportunity to meet like-minded Graduates that made up the show with 10 incredible collections from... 

Anita Hirlekar from CSM, Camilla Grimes from Manchester School of Art, Charlotte Knowles from LCF, Emma Hardstaff from the RCA, Grace Weller from Bath Spa, James Kelly from the RCA, Luke Bullen from LCF, Ondrej Adamek from CSM, Rebecca Swann from Nottingham Trent and Quoi Alexander from CSM.

The selection panel for the showcase did an amazing job at curating such a diverse range of work, catering for all tastes and viewpoints.

Thanks to Fashion Scout for the support!

Inaugural British Council International Residency Award at Graduate Fashion Week

Its very exciting to announce that I am the winner of the 2014 International Residency Scholarship. 

I will be travelling to Casablanca from 26th October - 23rd November 2014, where I will be hosted by the Moroccan Association of Fashion Designers and the Casa Moda Academy. My time will be spent working with the winners of the New Moroccan Talent Award as well as producing a small capsule collection in response to my experiences in the country. 

This will be the official news feed for the trip so make sure you keep coming back for the rest!!

GFW Gala show 2014
Image by George at Asda

About the International Residency Award: 

This annual award, changing host countries every year, will include flights, accommodation, necessary travel documents, subsistence and a tailor-made programme for up to a month. The winner was judged on the quality of their work, the relevance of their practice to the residency and their awareness of the importance of cultural heritage and relations in fashion. Judges include the Graduate Fashion Week Executive Board, Joseph Ouechen of the Moroccan Association of Fashion Designers and the British Council's Architecture, Design and Fashion team.

Morocco is the host country for the inaugural award. The winner will be immersed in the rich visual and craft heritage of Morocco, which has already proven an inspiration to internationally renowned designers like Yves Saint Laurent, Michael Kors and Peter Som. The winner will be hosted by Joseph Ouechen, Director of the Moroccan Association of Fashion designers, with a studio space provided by the Casa Moda Academy. They will be asked to record their journey and upon completion of the residency present a concept for a collection or project in response to their residency with the opportunity to produce and showcase it in Morocco and the UK.

Official announcements from Graduate Fashion Week and the British Council

So it begins...

Welcome to the official blog!! Keep checking back for updates...