ABANDONED SUMMER

Oh, I just realised the last post I did was in MAY 2011!!!!! So sorry for neglecting this blog - not that any of you reads it anyway. As I've written on the previous blog, that was the end of Year 1 of my Fashion Design Course; and as you can see I have NOT written any single thing about Year 2; not even the beautiful summer I had last year!

This is bad.

OK, lots to catch up on.

June was quite an amazing part of my summer. Why? Well, it was my 20th birthday, which falls ON THE SAME DAY as when I had to leave London for GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would tell the whole drama that happened that weekend, but I'd rather keep it short for now. Basically, I suffered a lot pre-, during, and post-glasto. But the atmosphere, the music, the crowd, the experience made me forgot it all and good memories last.

Another special thing that happened in June was the start of my summer internship with Michael Van der Ham! I did my interview in March, i think (one year ago?!). This was my first London internship, which I was so excited about! Because it also meant... LONDON FASHION WEEK! (more on that later). First day was nerve-wrecking! But I learnt about how the studio and the people worked, and tried to give my best :) I met some interesting people too, including the other interns (from Germany - who stayed there for 7 months!, from Ireland, and a CSM student). It was long hours and hard work (because I always had to go back to Epsom every Thursday to work at the sushi restaurant every weekend); so it wasn't an "play all day long" summer; exhausting. But I learnt so much from it, until finally...

I guess I'll leave it as that for the Summer news. More on the Year 2 projects later!

...THE END OF YEAR ONE

Really, I shouldn't be writing this now - since I have a Marketing Research to do as part of the project that I have to hand in TOMORROW. But, the level of excitement from the product I just created, it's just too hard NOT to.

"At the beginning of all growth, everything imitates"
-Pramoedya Ananta Toer

The final product for this one is a lookbook, with my illustrations. The concept started with the word: plants. Then I took the ambiguity of the word which could mean the botanics, AND power plants - especially nuclear plants. This is the perfect contrast, something that is very natural and beautiful against something controversial, mad-made, and destructive. Taking the idea from Pramoedya Ananta Toer's quote, I specifically looked into flowerbuds - as the 'beginning of growth'; then completely destroy it with the effects of nuclear radiation that includes contamination, and mutation. Hence, I give you:

Full view recommended - and you can read the collection's narrative too

:)

Mind you that this is just the end product. I will also be graded based on the process I show in my sketchbook - which I think is not the best. So, I'm not expecting a good one for this one.

Oh well.

how do you compromise with the lack of motivation and deadlines that just keep getting closer

and closer

and closer

and closer

It's just unfair that I'm this badly unmotivated for the last project of the year :(

Writing this makes me feel more like a dork.

Prisoners' Art

This is a collection for the recent "Art&Fashion" project which I based on Naive Art, or Art Brut. Mostly focusing on youth prison art and taking the shapes from multiple perspective paintings and prison landscapes.

To support the theme, I tried to apply the whole concept of the art movement for the final illustrations.

(full view recommended)

Fur Magazine Blog - Interview

http://furmagazine.blogspot.com/2011/04/plain-twist-of-danya-sjadzali.html

Thank you Fur Magazine :)

Carmanita

I had a great combination last summer. One of the best, I should say. The 4F: Family, Friends, Food, and Fashion :)

I managed to get an internship at Carmanita studio, and learned some of the best things I've learnt so far. It was a great feeling to be part of the fashion industry in Indonesia, even if just for 5 weeks. But still, being an intern at a fashion workshop which mostly focusing on fabrics made me appreciate it even more. I definitely learnt a lot about fabric finishings; from attaching tiny beads onto silk scarves, different tie-dye preparations, draping, and the highlight would be batik.

"Batik is not the motif, it's the technique"

That is a quote from Carmanita herself to me, and I completely agree. I saw it as a reminder for everyone about what batik really is. Since it has been a trend in Indonesia for a few years now but it's starting to lose its value - because the mass produced "batiks" are actually (poorly made) digital prints, but people still refer them as batik which disappoints me a lot.

It is such a modest atmosphere working in the studio. A simple house in a small neighbourhood in the south of Jakarta, and unfortunately in an area that gets flooded a lot (I've heard some really sad stories about it :( ) - I find it very very inspiring, because they come up with a great range of culturally rich collections that sells millions of Rupiah (hundreds of $). Being part of the working environment is like being a part of a little family full of talented and dedicated, and inspiring people, some of them have worked there for 20 years or so, and they still get along well with the younger "newcomers".

I really hope for the best for Carmanita team.

An application of what Ibu Carmanita said about batik (that it is the technique, not the motif), I created an Escher-inspired print using the traditional batik pipe (canting) on one half of the fabric, and rough stripes using flat-wide brush. Their method of free-draping have also inspired me for creating this top.

Duality Duality (line up)

Here's the line up for the whole collection:

FULL VIEW RECOMMENDED

:)

I decided to do the illustrations digitally, since the ones for the last project were... um... let's just say I'm too embarrassed to post them here. So, something different :)

And I like them.

Enjoy

(and feedbacks too, please)

Duality Duality

Referring to the previous post, I'd like to emphasize that lightning does strike twice.

This happened with the latest Maison Martin Margiela's collection with my recent project.

The Shirt and Trousers project required us to choose one brand (from the given list) and then creates our designs based on the brands' design philosophy - basically we are learning how to design for a company with existing design ethos and characters. So, surprise...surprise, I chose Martin Margiela's Line 1 (the main line for their women's wear).

Working around the concept of human brain's duality - logic and deception I overcame a lot of stress and amazingly managed all-nighters. As the result, I can't say anything else but the truth that I am very proud to present you these:

Double function shirt dress that could be unzipped open and transformed into a shirt

Tailored trousers with hidden side-seams

I don't know whether I should be sad, or proud; but one thing for sure, I was just shocked with the uncanny timing for MMM's Autumn/Winter 2011 collection to come out showing

THE SAME CONCEPT OF CLOTHES TRANSFORMATION!!!

That morning, a few days before this project was due, there they were: on my Mac screen...style.com...38 outfits.

The review even said this:

"The MMM dresses seemed to be peeling off their models like old wallpaper. A red one early on was unzipped up the side to reveal a patent skirt a shade darker. "

"Maybe the Margiela team was admonishing us all to slow down or deal with the repercussions. Then again, sometimes a dress is just a dress, even if it is coming apart at the seams."

Uh, hello? Margiela? Yes, I'd like to work with you after I graduate. Yes... in Paris? Great. Brilliant. See you soon.

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/F2011RTW-MMARGIEL

...and they said lightning don't strike twice...

it did

three times

I'll show you how, very very soon.

Crazy

"let go of what you know"

D&G&Indonesia

How does D&G have anything to do with Indonesia?

This is how...

style.com

"COCA-COLA*

FANTA*SPRITE

ECERAN PER BOTOL

HANYA

RP. 175"

must be taken from a very old Coca-Cola advert, Rp. 175 for a bottle?

Now THAT is cheap

Always, Coca-Cola

He's done it again...

My doodle

4/02/2011

11.30 am

MMM-

from 3mm.tumblr.com

4/02/2011

2. 30 pm

Look at the details.

Say no more.

Mysteries of the Mind

Maison Martin Margiela's collections are so conceptual. In an interview, the mysterious Martin Margiela himself was described as someone who "counted the brain as part of the human figure". As the brief requires us to design based on the identity and fashion philosophy of our chosen designer/brand, I looked deeper into the quote....and I was hooked. Obsessed.

~~

I chose the human brain as my main theme. I've already started researching into different theories and scientific explanations of how the brain works - specifically in understanding things. I was mainly drawn to this quote by Nietzsche:

"But how could we possibly explain anything? We operate only with things that do not exist: lines, planes, bodies, atoms, divisible time spans, divisible spaces. How should explanation be at all possible when we first turn everything into an image, our image!"

It's just so interesting how our minds are inevitably biased. Whenever you hear a description of some sort, the image that appears in your mind and the image thought by the person next to you can never be the same.

This, led me to the idea of mind trick. Remember those brain teaser images that became so popular a few years ago? You would usually get those in chain mails forwarded by your parents/aunts/uncles because they had nothing to do they think they're so annoyingly fun. Remember?

You must know this one then, just as an example:

Then, this image brought me to Surrealism Art (like those by Mr. Dali & M.C. Hammer Escher).

To begin the design process, I want to highlight the dual personality of the brain; it's so mighty that it makes you function, makes you live, think rationally, and what not. However, it can also be spontaneous, lose it's own control even just for a split second like being deceived by images such as this one.

Well, this is just the beginning, I have 2-3 weeks to turn this idea into 25 shirt designs and 25 trousers designs. Then I'd have to choose 1 from each and actually make them :) YAY TAILORING!

By the way, I'd like to thank these people for giving me suggestions. I appreciate them a lot, but I had this idea going on in my head already. So... so looooong suckerssss! :*

Wish me luck!

Let me tell you something about who I am and who I used to be

same winter-wear, different year, different health, different body

oh, and just so you know. I met someone and we've been together for about 2 weeks now.

his name is Insomnia

blurry faces that keep me going

Maison Martin Margiela

Pre-fall 2011

January 2011

looks familiar?

sorry Mr. Margiela, I came up with the two-toned textures concept first.

Although, I still love you.

Oh, let's go to H &..whaaaat?

What??? Yogyakarta's traditional costume gone high street?

To figure out what you are is to figure out what you are not

The very first project for this year, along with Sewing and Pattern Cutting Technical files.

Some all-nighters. Emotional sewing. Productive days. Lazy days. Degradation of personal hygiene. Paper. More paper. Artist block. Satisfaction

I give you...

“To figure out what you are is to figure out what you are not” is collection designed for Autumn/Winter season based on the concept of ‘binary opposition’ – which in simplified terms means the relation of a pair of distinct linguistic items. The collection features designs inspired by the movie American Gigolo and Tibetan culture that created marriages between contrasting silhouettes, colours, and textures in each of its design.

Any favourites?

Slow down, you crazy child
you're so ambitious for a juvenile
But then if you're so smart, tell me
Why are you still so afraid?

Where's the fire, what's the hurry about?
You'd better cool it off before you burn it out
You've got so much to do and
Only so many hours in a day

But you know that when the truth is told..
That you can get what you want or you get old
You're gonna kick off before you even
Get halfway through
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?

Slow down, you're doing fine
You can't be everything you want to be
Before your time
Although it's so romantic on the borderline tonight
Tonight,...
Too bad but it's the life you lead
you're so ahead of yourself that you forgot what you need
Though you can see when you're wrong, you know
You can't always see when you're right. you're right

You've got your passion, you've got your pride
but don't you know that only fools are satisfied?
Dream on, but don't imagine they'll all come true
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?

Slow down, you crazy child
and take the phone off the hook and disappear for awhile
it's all right, you can afford to lose a day or two
When will you realize,..Vienna waits for you?
And you know that when the truth is told
that you can get what you want or you can just get old
You're gonna kick off before you even get half through
Why don't you realize,. Vienna waits for you
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?

Billy Joel//Vienna

currently: in need to slow down