DESIGNBLOK PART 1

It's the most wonderful time of the year, dear readers, that time not being CHRISTMAS but FASHION WEEK, my favorite of holidays

Designblok '08 has begun and i am milking the sweet teet that is known as the "all week pass" (costing me roughly $5.50 I LOVE CZ). It's been fascinating so far. Designblok is inclusive of not only fashion design but design as a whole- industrial, architectural, furniture, ceramics, interior, etc. It shows amongst the settings provided. Everything is so contemporary, so smooth and bold and white- I've seen a lot of white tonight (fuck Labor Day yo). And people who dress very, very trendy.

I started off with a smaller fashion show but it impressed me a lot. Chi-Chi is the name and it is in collaboration with another female artist of Harddecore fashion who put on what I like to call a "performance of fashion". There were no models- dancers were used instead to create fluid movements and tell a story using the fashions placed upon them. There was a neon storybook theme and graphic design was also used to enhance the stage. Most of the fashions resembled loose adaptations of Russian tunics and three-quarter pants, some frock coats in contemporary designs, etc. You could tell the amount of hard work put into the styles and it certainly paid off. The shapes of the dancers were entertaining and it was definitely a unique showcasing of fashion which I know the audience also enjoyed.

The next show was by artist Monika Drápalová, who seemed to attract a larger, older crowd. I wondered if this meant she was an established designer, someone relatively well-known, a bit drab, etc. Her designs were not as intricate and exciting as Chi-Chi's but they were definitely worth viewing. She presented her models more traditionally, simply walking down the catwalk without interaction between models. What was interesting about her collection was its versatility- drawstrings and buttons were attached to feather-weight materials and as each model walked, she was changing the form and structure of the clothing. Loosening a top became an evening dress, pulling the buttons off of a tent-like coat became a flouncy skirt. Most impressive was her usage of men's tweed blazers, hanging upside down at the waist and then seemlessly turned upright to show the dynamic nature of the piece.

The second show was shorter than the first and lacked the imaginativeness of the former but both it can be said were against your average fashion show regiment. I am curious to know if this is how they are all done or if this was a special case because the designers may be somewhat up and coming.

I was able to score some calling cards from designers located in their "boutique booths" but I realize now I did not go about it in the proper ways I should have. One woman was apprehensive about an interview but the others were not, so I guess it's not that bad of a deal. I may even ambitiously leave my business cards around the booths in hopes of hearing from someone. Yet i don't want to be redundant- I think I've emailed just about everyone.

I look forward to the fashion activities that lay ahead for me tomorrow. Starting at 1:30 I have an interview with a design teacher, then and interview with the curator of textiles at the Design museum, then a special showcase of Helena Fejkova's collection with my teacher, and then from 6pm on it's back to Superstudio DOX for three or four more fashion shows.

And yes, I am on crack. But who isn't these days?

I am going to have NO FUCKING PROBLEM writing my independent study. None what fucking so ever.