Wednesday Whim - Mua Mua

all images via ahalife

I'm not much of a doll collector but if I ever want to start I may have to begin with Mua Mua Dolls. In a very quirky and eclectic manner, these hand-knit dolls are playful and designer worthy. They are made on the island of Bali in a very "Andy Warhol inspired" factory led by designer, Ludovica Virga. The local community of women help knit these dolls and in turn, they receive the chance to obtain a university level education. 

Fashion, education and humor all in one? Awesome.

Coco Chanel

Anna Wintour

Versace, Versace, Versace, Versace

Baby Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga

 

Alexander McQueen

Amy Winehouse

 Angelina Jolie (as Lara Croft) ... Brad Pitt

 Dita Von Teese

Jay Z

Karl Lagerfeld

Wednesday Whim - McQueen Skull And Beyond

all images via My Modern Met via Devid Sketchbook via Jacky Tsai

You may be familiar with London-based artist, Jacky Tsai's work thanks to his time working in pattern design at Alexander McQueen. His infamous Floral Skull design is synonymous with the designer brand. His work aims to create a unique relationship between traditional Eastern craftsmanship with the more modern concepts of Western pop art (see here).

In this particular Floral Skull Leather Sculpture, Jacky Tsai builds a skull out of flower petals made of leather. It stands over 5 feet tall and required 15 needlesmiths, 300 days/nights and 1,000 leather pieces with 1 million stitches (design director: Linda Tsai). This debuted around the time of his own fashion brand launch. His other work, Floral Skullptures, features 10 skulls covered in hand stitched flowers as well. Talk about attention to detail right?

For more, check out other artistic skulls by Jacky Tsai here!

Floral Skull Leather Sculpture from Jacky Tsai on Vimeo.

Alexander McQueen Fall 2012

images via Fashionista (photographer David Sims, model Suvi Koponen)

Every once in a while, everyone needs a dose of inspiration. I've been pretty busy lately and while I had in mind a different post for today, I couldn't resist sharing these images from the Alexander McQueen Fall 2012 campaign (designed by Sarah Burton). The photographer, David Sims, brilliantly captures Finnish model, Suvi Koponen, in ethereal and avant-garde attire with futuristic styling. The result is stunning. 

Wednesday Whim - Starck Styled

Stark vs Juicy

When it comes to design, there a lot of parallels between fashion, architecture and interior design.  This is hardly revolutionary news, but as I work in the world of design on a daily basis I love the perpetual comparison between them. The impact on textile design, technical development and aesthetics fuel each other.  And if you're as interested as me, then books like this would suit you.

I recently had the pleasure of perusing Philippe Starck's portfolio for a client.  He is renowned for his work (architectural, interior and product design) and there is plenty to see and be inspired by as he has been an active designer for over 30 years.  I especially enjoy comparing his work to pieces in fashion.  There's definitely more than meets the eye. 

Stark vs Milly

Stark vs McQueen

Stark vs McQueen