Copyright by Iris van Herpen

IRIS VAN HERPEN

VIA Iris Van Herpen Capriole Haute Couture Women’s Collection Autumn/Winter 2011/12

Lock of architectural hair

Contextual conformity

VIA «Figurative facade for a beauty salon»

VIA "The Expenables 2" Teaser Poster & Plot Synopsis!

In each of our interviews this Fortnight, Misty and I have been asking the authors a series of fun and silly questions. Then, we asked you the same questions in one of our giveaway (enter! enter!)
We thought it would be a great to ask each other the same questions. So now you get to experience the inner (possibly twisted) workings of mine and Misty's minds. Misty's answers are here, and you can hear what I had to say on Misty's blog.

So Misty, as you know, I got crazy excited when you announced Fairy Tale Fortnight. So now, I'd like to know why. ~Why fairy tales?

I could go on and on with this answer. I don't think it was until I started going through things for this event that I even realized the extent of my fairy tale obsession. I mean, I knew; I've always known. In my Adv. Comp. class in college, when we had to pick something to do a huge research project on, and were told to pick something we wouldn't get sick of, when everyone else around me was choosing a topic that would impress the teacher, I chose fairy tales. I've hoarded my fairy tale books from my childhood, and read essays and research on fairy tales for fun. They hold my fascination like nothing else.

But why?

I'm going to say there are many reasons, and I couldn't begin to touch on them all. But for me, the biggest reason is that they are communal and ingrained in our pysches as a result. Fairy tales are interactive. Yes, now you can read them all alone, curled up in bed. But for centuries (and beyond, if you expand "fairy tale" to include all original oral mythology), they were told in groups around campfires, or between parent and child at night before bed. They connect people, and they provide these common tropes for the rest of our lives. You say glass slippers and everyone knows: nothing more need be said. That's powerful.

Beyond that, I love the contradiction of them. They are thought of mostly as kids stories, but they can be incredibly dark. They show us people at their weakest and meekest, becoming something great. Nothing is ever what it seems, and yet you know just what it will be. I love the magic of that.

I love that your research project was on fairy tales! That's so awesome!

~Rapunzel is named after lettuce; what odd thing would you be named after if you were in a fairy tale?

I haven't the foggiest. That's the thing about naming — we have no control over it. So I'm going to go with the name I almost had (in real life. Don't ask me how this was even a possibility): Blue. Forgive me... All I can think of is Little Boy Blue. (Come blow your horn...)

~ Using that name, give us a line from your life as a fairy tale:

Blue sat tucked away as always in the tiny little garret room; she knew her wicked stepmother was looking for her, and that the longer she dallied, the worse it would be — so for now, Blue was content to stay curled up with one of her favorite books, her rat Faustus on her shoulder, both of them dreaming of a different world.

Aww. Poor little Blue. You should send the rat and his buddies into step-mother's bed at night... Teach her what it's like to be on the short end of things.: P

~Best fairy tale villain and why?

Tough one. I like the villains. (Or, I like to dislike them.) I like to try to figure out their motivations. I'd say Rumplestiltskin. He's just so bizarre and hard to understand, and that's always creepy. I always wanted to know why he wanted the baby? (???) And then, anyone who tears themselves in half when they're angry = serious cray cray. Close second would be Snow White's stepmom, who wants to cut out her heart and eat it.

I almost picked Rumpelstiltskin too! He's so creepy! But, cursing babies to die and eating the heart of young girls won out over dancing baby snatcher. (although, putting it light that, maybe not. Ugh.)

~Favorite tale from childhood? Favorite tale as an adult? Least favorites?

As a child I was obsessed with The Elves and the Shoemaker and the 12 Dancing Princesses (and occasionally, Puss in Boots). I can't say why I loved the Elves so. I just wanted them, I think. And I wanted to make them tiny little clothes. The 12 Dancing Princesses is easier to say why: I had an absolutely beautiful
copy of it (still do!), and I just wanted to dress up in those gowns and see that underground world with the silver-leafed trees and the 12 princes and their boats. (And Puss in Boots had a kitty.)

As an adult, I tend to like the darker stuff. I have a fascination with Little Red Riding Hood (did as a kid too), but I really find myself drawn to the lesser known or seriously distrubing tales, like Donkeyskin or The Rose Elf (which I rewrote in poem form for a creative writing class. I think it's probably too long to repost for you guys, but it was fun. I'd love to do an actual story with it some day.)

Least favorites... I always had questions about some. Jack and the Beanstalk made me indignant. I mean, he's basically a thief. That is not his hen, and he had no business climbing that beanstalk anyway! Plus, what the hell was he doing with the magic beans? Who trades their cow, their only source of income, for beans? I always wanted to shake him.

Jack always did strike me as a bit of a skeeze.

~If you could be any fairy tale character, or live through any fairy tale "happening," who/what would it be?

I would be one of the 12 Dancing Princesses — I really want to see that underground world with the trees made of silver and gold and jewels. That was such a stunning image to me when I was a kid, so awe-inspiring, that I've been a little obsessed with it ever since. I'm not much of a dancer, though... (see answer to last question)

Misty, do you realize — if we are both among the 12 Dancing Princesses... We must be, sisters! Hello to my sister in fairy tales! Let us flee from the creepy Evil Queen together!

~Would you rather:
- — live under a bridge with a troll, or all alone in a high tower?

I bet that trolls got stories to tell...

I bet that troll really smells...

- — ride everywhere in a pumpkin carriage (messy) or walk everywhere in glass shoes (uncomfortable)?

Pumpkin carriage. Glass shoes freak me out. Unless they were the ones from Ever After, and then I'd have to reconsider.

Oooh. Ever After!

- — have a fairy godmother or a Prince Charming?

Um... the prince, I guess. I find the godmothers a little dubious...

- — eat magic beans or golden eggs?

Eggs! I don't even want to know what eating magic beans would do to a person... O_O

I'm definitely with you on that one! And, you know how I feel about golden eggs... Makes the outside match the insides, if you know what I mean.;) (still humble...)

- — style 50ft long hair or polish 100 pairs of glass slippers?

I bet you could do some pretty awesome couture things with 50ft of hair. I wouldn't want to wear said hair, but style it?

Sure.

- — be forced to spin straw into gold for hours on end, or dance every night until your shoes are worn through?

Spinning and weaving fascinate me, and spinning straw what certainly be an interesting skill — and one hell of a party trick. Alchemy, anyone? And though I'm sure it'd be pretty mindless after awhile, I could listen to audiobooks or something while I did it. I'm not really much of a dancer (sober, anyway), so I think I'd have to go with spinning. Couldn't be much worse than most jobs, right?

Until creepy Rumpelstiltskin pops up, asking if you need help!! Uber creepy villain, remember? Are you going to offer him your first born?! Come to the enchanted ballroom with me Misty. I'll teach you to dance. (or ply you with liquor until you can't tell the difference!)

*Misty reconsiders*

I want to take a second to say thank you to Misty. I saw her post about Fairy Tale Fortnight, and I knew that I wanted to be a part of it, knew I wanted to do as much with it as I could. So, when she asked me to co-host with her, I gave a very, very enthusiastic YES! I have had so much fun preparing for this event with Misty. We've had some awesome email exchanges, and some very definite Twilight Zone moments. I don't think there has ever been a time when we weren't on the same page about things, and our ideas for certain elements of the Fortnight were eerily similar.

It's been such a blast working with you Misty! You've been amazing! It's a little bit sad to see the Fortnight end, but this just means we get to start planning for next year! I can't wait!

Copyright by Anne Sofie Madsen
During Copenhagen Fashion Week this August Anne SofieMadsen presented her first fashion show in Denmark. the show manifested the transition from creating purely couture inspired or made to measure collections to combining them with more wearable ready wear pieces.
ANNE SOFIE MADSEN

VIA Anne Sofie Madsen Spring/Summer 2012 Women’s Collection

Copyright by Malgorzata Dudek | Photography Christoph Musiol | Styling Jadwiga Pokryszka | Hair Margo Wegierek | Make-Up Patricia Bontscheff | Set-Design Uli Gajsa | Model Katarzyna Nawrocka | Sunglasses Slav Nowosad | Shoes Kazar
An homage to the Swiss surrealist, H.R. Giger. Always being fascinated by the artwork of Giger and the massive impact of his Biomechanical vision on the world of architecture, film, music, tattoo art, fashion and industrial design, Malgorzata Dudek, with H.R. Giger's prior approval, transferred his cultural influence onto fabric. the collection includes a series of one-off couture pieces with adapted Giger prints. Some of the standout pieces are an elegant skin-tight gown with a Giger Li print and a hautingly beautiful black, skin-tight gown with 3-D baby heads from Giger's Landscape XVIII adorning the back and train. Throughout the collection, there are also laser-cut leather elements which were inspired by the artists airbrushing. the collection was accessorized with metal sunglasses by designer Slav Nowosad which are inspired by Giger’s Birth Machine.
My desire with this collection is to honor to H.R. Giger, pay him tribute, and show how his influence resonates in the world of fashion. When I started sketching this collection and planning the fabrics, I couldn’t see it complete without elements of Giger’s artwork. And what better way for me, as a designer, to honor a man who’s Biomechanical vision has massively influenced architecture, film, music, tattoo art, fashion and industrial design. Last February, I sent sketches to him through his agent and to my surprise, I heard back almost immediately and was given creative freedom to incorporate a jointly agreed upon selection of Giger's art! It’s such an honor to work with this artist because he’s so influential that I was aware of and appreciated his work, long before I knew his name.
MALGORZATA DUDEK
H. R. GIGER | Museum

VIA Malgorzata Dudek Giger’s Goddess Spring/Summer 2012 Women’s Collection

Copyright by Christian Westphal | Photography Bo Johannsen | Print Design Sara Haraique | Model Emilie at Scoop
Christian Westphal has been caught by the fuzz. Whereas last two seasons was all about cut, the story for Summer 2013 is texture and lightning. To ensure that the focus is on the fabrics, the Danish-born designer zeroes in on a few uncomplicated, graphic silhouettes: over-the-knee skirts, nylon silk jackets, pants with cut-away waistband, and the signature shirts, some of them pumped up with away-from-the-neck volumes and bringing refined add-on plisses on collar and placket pieces.
On the other side of the spectrum, a fitted jacket comes whipped up from a weightless silk and metal blend. In the Westphal collection you’ll see a mix of minimalism, strong silhouettes and fresh accent colours that still defines the 2010’s, and this remains Westphal’s thing.
He wants his clothes to be for the modern urban women and aside from an incongruously literal Vegas reference in a metal powder gold print on black silk, the almost-abstractions look like scatterings of city lights. Westphal wants to literalize the notion when he decorates one skirt and a blouse with melting gold to replicate the lights of a Vegas building by night. But the real inspiration is anything but pseudo-science.
There is a school of thought which says that mystery preserves the magic, but Westphal tries to understand that if you reveal the machinery, you can enhance the mystery. That's because you're throwing a spotlight on the intangibles of creativity. But the other message of the collection is man-made: a shrugged-off casualness, and because this isn´t particularly fashion, Westphal uses the counterbalance of hyper-fashion silhouettes from Italian and Spanish haute couture of the 1950’s, however simultaneously academic and seductive.
CHRISTIAN WESTPHAL

VIA Christian Westphal Spring/Summer 2013 Women’s Collection