Designer Discovery

photos by Satoshi Minakawa

We instantly fell for the designs pictured above when they hit our mailbox. We searched the designer and discovered an interview with the Central Saint Martin’s designer Sachio Kawasaki on Shaded View of Fashion.

We picked our favorite excerpts below.

Tell us about your history and design inspiration

I was born in Fukuoka, southern part of Japan, in 1982. I had an interest in fashion since I was little. When I was 12 years old, I started buying second hand clothes from Europe, stocked in one of the most fashionable shops at that time in my home town. At the age of 17, I embarked on an art and design course, and came to London at 20. I then went on to study textile design to learn the importance in the connection between fabric and shape. During the course I worked as knitwear designer assistant at Balenciaga in Paris. Then after finishing the course in 2006, I went straight on to do a MA degree at Central Saint Martins to put all the skills I has learnt together. The MA collection is entitled “Wave of Light” and is all made of Jacquard knitted fabric with printed tights.

When I visited Paris, Milan and Barcelona, I got inspired from various kinds of lights in cathedral and church coming from the outside. There I found sacred, magnificent mood in curved decorative ornaments from medieval period and that made me feeling exceptional. Then I tracked back to fined out the reason why I naturally attracted such things, I realized that it all coming from the memory of my childhood. I recalls the days always enjoyed playing with water in the river near my house, there I saw the continuously flowing, waving lights reflection on the water.

There is a concept I wanted to express through this collection.

I wanted to make something like 3-D version of fine art painting by matching 3-D elements of ’shape’ and 2-D elements of ‘pattern’ in a suitable way, not taking both elements separately and combine in the end.

In this way, I believe that the ‘Shape’ will have a strong reason to be that particular shape convinced by the ‘Pattern’ exclusively designed for it.

I just started this approach and I wish to continue searching this matching of ’shape and pattern as a whole’ more deeply to grow it as my signature style”

Popularity: 2% [?]

With a resume that boasts stints at Vivienne Westwood, Nudie and Fillippa K, Rickard Lindqvist is poised to become one of Sweden’s hottest young designers. Originally trained as a classic tailor, Lindqvist’s roots in the field of design are still obvious in his current collection where he bridges the gap between traditional, high quality garments and the avant garde.

The line is only available in a handful of stores in Scandinavia and Japan, so for now, enjoy watching the video of his fall/winter 08 runway show. Watch it here.

PHOTOS: The Fashion Spot

Content: WeAreTheMarket.com

Popularity: 2% [?]

Julia Bristow Jewelry is unique, elegant, signed, hand-crafted bead jewelry.  All jewelry is made using high-quality, semi-precious gemstone beads, Swarovski crystals, beautiful sparkling Czech glass flowers, fruit, leaves, etc., and various pearls, shell, clay and wood beads.

Most of the jewelry pieces are made with gold and silver plated metals, with some gold-filled and sterling pieces.   Many items can be custom altered replacing plated metals with gold, gold-filled, or sterling silver findings at appropriate price adjustment upon request. All necklaces and bracelets are signed on attached sterling or gold-filled hangtags, Julia Bristow, unless noted.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Everyday products don’t have to mean everyday design. Industrial designer Malcolm Fontier has developed a collection of 100% animal- friendly bags, wallets and travel cases that prove that common items can look good and do their job at the same time- all while giving a nod to our four-legged friends by using globally-sourced, non-leather alternatives and unique PU coated canvases. Functional can be funky, and the Malcolm Fontier collection boasts a universal design style and a clean, sophisticated beauty that design fans everywhere can appreciate.

Light as air and seductively simple design: The classic wallet is re-imagined with the Mojito, a slim little number made from smooth polyurethane that holds up to 4 cards. An elastic strap keeps everything stylishly in place, while a side pocket offers an updated version of the money clip. The signature Malcolm Fontier double rectangle logo runs across the bottom for the ultimate in understated, yet unique, designer style.

Give your pockets a rest and stash your essentials in The Entertainer, an utterly sophisticated canvas carryall with polyurethane accents at the corners and on the strap. An ultra-slender profile makes it the perfect go-everywhere bag to sling comfortably across your body, while the large interior padded neoprene pocket can hold everything you need and your laptop, too! A separate magazine pocket means that your favorite design magazine can go wherever you do, to the office or to the airport. The Malcolm Fontier double rectangle logo is featured on the front flap and on the strap. It all adds up to the ideal marriage of form and function.

Popularity: 2% [?]

It all started the year 2003 in a one-bedroom apartment in Chelsea.  It was the place where a group of friends, all students at the Fashion Institute of Technology would go to relax at night and in between classes.  Two of these friends were Patrick Chirico, otherwise known as “Monkey,” and Brian Farrell.  “We would stay up late listening to music and creating art.  Most of our friends were studying some kind of design, so it was an amazingly creative environment,” says Farrell.

One night, Chirico was trying to turn old vinyl records he had found on the street into bowls.  When an oven malfunction occurred, the idea hit him to start turning these unused records into bracelets.  At that point, WrecordsByMonkey was born.  The company now operates out of a studio in Brooklyn, where they design and manufacture all of the bracelets, fine jewelry, and apparel assortments.

Patrick and Brian realize their success and inspiration are driven by the community in which they live.  To show their appreciation they continue to be involved with charitable organizations and philanthropic ventures.  WBM has donated to the Make A Wish Foundation, Life Beat, and the Stoked Foundation.  In 2006, they collaborated with 12 local artists to create the “NYC Artist Series” in which a percentage of the proceeds have been donated to art and music programs in public Brooklyn schools.  To find out more about any of these organizations, visit their links in our “Friends of Mine” section.

There is no limit to what WBM might do or where they might show up.  They are continually growing, with innovative ideas and creative designs paving the road to new product offerings and customer satisfaction in this progressive market.  WrecordsByMonkey.  Where Fashion, Art, and Music Collide. 

Popularity: 2% [?]

While most sustainable designers may be known for their innovative approach to“eco-friendly fashion,” with their hemp dresses and burlap bags, Nicole Bridger brings the focus back to fashion with her unapologetically chic designs and glamorous styles that make a statement. So fret not, fellow fashionistas, Nicole Bridger put sustenance at the fore front of the fashion rat pack with designs that won’t remind you of a 60’s trip back from Woodstock, but of a refined classical era of stylish Renaissance.

Fall’s super heroine looks are complimented with casual cool in Nicole Bridger’s Courage Cardigans. Pure virgin wool and cashmere fabrics, drenched in luxe chocolate and noir colors bring an aura of mystery, seductiveness, and supremely confident style. Layer under the Grateful Tunic, a striped organic blend of cotton and bamboo fabrics, which typify the slouchy boho style of the season’s stylish new hippie.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Sri Lankan rapper and Marc Jacobs covergirl M.I.A. has a clothing line.  I know very, very shocking that another celebrity has another clothing line. wow.

The self titled collection is inspired by M.I.A’s own tour gear and the tiny raptress wears the line while on stage. Made up of really bright bomber jackets, leggings and T-shirts, all done up in the bold hues and graphic prints for which the singer is known, the collection is available in London (but I’m sure there are some plans in the works to get them in the States soon).

Aside from being a perfect way to express you love of Paper Planes, M.I.A’s line also offers a bit of security from theft.  Explains the pint-sized rhymesmith to WWD: “With my stuff, because everything’s really bright, if you lose it or someone steals it, you can see it from miles away and you can be like, ‘Oy! Give me my shirt back!’”

Of course the question remains, who would actually want to steal your neon bomber jacket?  Aside from this guy, that is.

Popularity: 2% [?]