~ like ~ Théâtre de la Mode 1945

random stuffs.

the weekend was actually quite warm here,

and i hope it would stay longer.

going to do some sewing later

so i thought i should write something instead in the morning.

it's gonna be quite a long one today (・ω<)”

i'm going to introduce and talk about this particular event happened back in 1945. 

 

poster for Théâtre de la Mode exhibition in New York, 1946

Théâtre de la Mode 1945 ,

have you heard of it ?

there was a story behind this project with a strong message. 

but i'm just going to briefly talk about it, cause i just wanna show you how magnificent it was !

Théâtre de la Mode was a defined event of postwar couture. 

this project opened its door on 27^th March 1945.

it was intended to mark the freedom and celebrate the survival of French Couture after second world war.

furthermore, the couturiers were attempted to entice back the international market after the war when condition was deprived and under threat. 

la théâtre by christian berrard

it was a display of 237 miniature dolls dressed by fifty three well-known couturiers. 

but why dolls?

presenting fashion in real-life size was considered impractical when fabric were in short supply during war.

however, what would happen if the garments were presented on a division of adult size instead? in limited supply, dolls became practicable to prototype French couture, showing what could be visualized full-size when situation returned to normal.

evening dress by balenciaga

even though they were all in miniature version; the sewing and construction details were all done in perfection and finished meticulously.even their accessories were all made exactly like a real one !




  

one of the dress from la théâtre by christian berrard

 

 

Jean Saint-Martin constructing the structure of the dolls

the structure of the dolls

no harm to point out is the status of the dolls (*´ω｀*)

the figures did not resemble 'dolls' or even figures at all. if you noticed, they were actually constructed in wires.

day dress by molyneux, ensemble by georgette renal

 

day ensemble by lucile manguin,sport suit by dupouy magnin

it is understandable that raw materials were difficult to obtain that time thus metal which once lay all around the city by the Nazis were then used. 

 

  

evening dresses by jean patou

navy wool day dress by marcelle chaumont

How amusing (ノ∀｀)

the metal which once proposed to destroy Paris now became the skeleton and foundation of the dolls.

evening dress by madame gres

nevertheless;

despite well dressed and graceful; the dolls actually invited us an interpretation of the dissipated life after war with the presence of the wire structure as the body.

evening dress by balenciaga

i guess that this event is still remarkable today as the matter of fact that it was born under difficult circumstances and during a period of crisis after post-war.

dinner dress by lucile manguin

indeed, those dolls stand as a hope for future and also an honour for the creativity skills of the couturiers and artists of France; for been able to work together and bringing a symbol of new life and return of hope.

 

i think it is worth mentioning too about another project The Gratitude Train that took place a few years later.

this project marked the friendship of the americans and french.

the americans were generous enough to help and rebuild the french people's shattered lives after war by sending over boxcars of necessities in a train back in December 14, 1947.

touched by their kindness, the french decided to return their gratitude to the americans by sending back gifts in a total of fourty nine boxcars called The Gratitude Train two years later in 1949.

designed by maggy rouff

the Syndicate de la Couture de Paris which had designed
the théâtre de la mode dolls was involved in this too. 

designed by callot soeurs

this time, the couturiers dressed forty nine dolls which were constructed from the same wire design as the Théâtre de la Mode in period costumes that portrayed the changes in french fashions from 1715 to 1906.

designed by charles frederick worth

designed by elsa schiaparell

these delicate dolls were donated to the brooklyn museum in new york as a part of their costume collection today. (visit the link i provided if you are interested to look at the other incredible dolls)

and here is a video i found regarding the théâtre de la mode exhibition held in phoenix art museum last year  

take a glimpse !

wished i could have a close up look at these dolls one day (ू˃̣̣̣̣̣̣︿˂̣̣̣̣̣̣ ू)

maybe they would take a tour to australia someday? 

hope you found it interesting too ♡♡


and now it's time to continue my sewing.



(images courtesy from brooklyn museum, théâtre de la mode: fashion dolls: the Survival of haute couture)

★motivated week ★

been doing lots of cutting, tacking, sewing since the beginning of the week. 

early morning to late evening.

i feel good.

hehe (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o)))

it's been a while since i last did so much works.

in fact, quite time-consuming Σ(￣皿￣;;

just share a quick fun tips today!

i use a lot of bobby pins for hair-do.

but always have problems looking for or keeping my bobby pins.

it seems like they've disappeared day by day. (´Д` )

even though i do have a little box to put them in.

and a small paper-card to clip them to but it's too shabby to clip onto now.

sometimes i would spot them somewhere unlikely to be seen.

solution ٩ʕ•͡וʔ۶

toilet paper rolls! 


just the right size to keep hair elastics and bobby pins secure anytime.
whats-more you can find one in any toilets. 
practical;
recycle;
a great deed as well.



i might keep one in my bag too, perhaps?








(images courtesy and tips from sousstyle)

~ like ~ Yuken Teruya part II

continuing from my previous post ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ 

here is another project done by yuken teruya.

                     

                   the giving tree project 

 

the giving tree book

this project surrounds itself around a children's book - the giving tree by shel silverstein, published in 1964.

giving tree project, the giving tree book, 2007

yuken teruya transplanted his beautiful cut-out trees into the pages from the book; creating a child's memory and desire as well as giving life to the tree in the book.

 

giving tree project, the giving tree book, 2007

i had a search on the story, vague memory that i actually read it before, perhaps ? 

it is beautifully written but very sad, like it's title - giving is the theme, not forgetting to mention love, life, growing up and selfishness.

here is an animated movie narrated by shel silverstein himself if you're interested to watch (i would recommend it) 

oh and his animated website is a must-visit ♪♪

there are actually other animated stories if you wanna watch ♪

enjoy ♥

it's raining crazily here nowadays, windy autumn. cold! (´Д` )

~ like ~ Yuken Teruya

yuken teruya is an artist based in new york. he loves manipulating everyday objects which are then later exploited through traditional craft techniques ; creating detailed and intricate artworks.

i might even categorized his works into sustainability as the fact that his works always explore issues of the growing consumerism in the society today - placing his concerns and responses with current threat in globalism. 

  

i came across to his works while doing research for my assignments many years back. yup, uni again (>ε<)

yuken teruya has several sculpture series (using different medias) throughout his projects.  they are all very remarkable.

nevertheless the following series which i would love to share include his utilization of paper bags, toilet rolls and books - cutting tiny detailed trees out from these materials with his delicate hand.


                    notice - forest series 

in this series, yuken teruya create his small enchanting world inside disposable paper bags. elaborate shapes of tree branches were cut and created without adding anything at all. he just folded and then placed each cut-out parts in the bags.

Notice – Forest exhibition shot, 7 paper bags from different business fields
Glue and bags, dimensions vary, 2005

in each bag, portrait of a tree was assembled inside.

mcdonald's paper bags

Notice- Forest (McDonald’s paper bag), Paper Bag, Glue, 2005

 "When I studied at art-school, I became enchanted with the ornamental interiors of paper bags and began cutting out shapes with tiny scissors, basing the cuts on photographs of actual trees. The inside of the bag is a perfect place to resurrect the original qualities and spirit of an authentic tree. In here, the tree appears to be situated in the middle of a vivid forest with the light coming in through the hole on the top of the bag, imitating sunlight and shadow. These technical aspects come together in an automated way and give the piece a harmonious rhythm. Starting out, I utilised brown bags, but then I noticed McDonalds, Starbucks and subsequently Christie’s auction house bags. I first thought that the colours of the bag would distract, but then I recognised that they reflect the changing seasons flawlessly. It is captivating to work with commercial bags because you sense their origins, which have then been superseded by perishable sculptural trees. Amalgamating such ideals in the form of minute trees causes confusion and is telling, because it mirrors that people are not just diametrically opposed, they also peacefully coexist." yuken teruya

Golden Arch Parkway McDonald's, paper, glue, 2005

left : blue tree ; right : brown

Golden Arch Parkway McDonald's, paper, glue, 2005

left : yellow ; right : japanese

designer's store bags

paper, glue, 2005, left" LVMH - Le Bon Marche ; right: LVMH - Louis Vuitton

paper, glue, 2005, left: LVMH - Christian Dior ; right: LVMH - Berluti

            

 
              rain forest / corner forest series

For his rain forest and corner forest projects, yuken teruya transformed toilet paper rolls into another beautiful artworks. he carefully cut tree branches; creating remarkable positive and negative images.

rain forest series, toilet paper rolls, 2007

" I appreciate the relationship between form and function and the continuation of different functionalities. When I started Rain Forest, I was intrigued with Aristotle and his philosophy of nature. One particular sentence became embedded in my mind. Relating to the potentiality of nature Aristotle describes how an acorn already has within it the potential to be an oak tree. Similarly a full-grown oak tree is proof of the potentiality of the acorn. Whenever I see a paper product, I remember these words and in my vision and work the props follow the destination of nature because I bring the tree back, thereby expanding on Aristotle’s notion. In the procedure of creating Rain Forest, the round form of the toilet roll resembles a tree trunk and then I start adding to it. Eventually I cut out a woodpecker. It is still a simple paper roll but folded out with a little bird it becomes a tree. It is like making magic. " yuken teruya

corner forest series, toilet paper rolls, 2007

corner forest series, toilet paper rolls, 2006

how magnificent is the cut-out tree silhouettes that support themselves by just using their own weight. these amazing craftsmanship - giving a new life to the lifeless.


looking as fragile as it might be; instead - it shows us the existence and remind us the strength of a tree.


think this post is going way too long （´-`） so i'll be posting another project by yuken teruya which i like very much ♡ 

hope you like them too (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o))

                

(images courtesy from yuken teruya studio & saatchi gallery)

(interview quotes from Asian Art Newspaper)

~ like ~ Wakatsuki Chinatsu

it's the third day of may.

fourth day of the week !

what had i done ?

did some sewing yesterday.

gonna continue some hand-stitching after this (´・ω・｀)

i have been so lacked of blogging for the past few days

ʕ•̫͡ʕ•̫͡ʕ•̫͡ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

introducing ♪♪

                          wakatsuki chinatsu 

                            若槻       千夏

april 2012

april 2012

a short introduction;

chinatsu is a japanese artist who used to act and sing but now active as a model and producer for her own clothing brand w♥c

multi-talented indeed.

i used to see her in tv shows back during my stay in japan, i think that's when i know her. she is funny, cute. (*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)

but never a deep impression until lately.

she has her own column in some japanese magazines introducing her fashion and coordinates; and that's what took my interest on her.

i just love her styles.

she has one of those quirky styling from head to toe;

likewise she could just pull any looks off (*´▽｀*)

here are some which i had collated;

different coordination;

all my favourites ♪ 

→ → →

 

①　white skirt

 

left to right : March  April  Feb 2012

this look is laid back wearing hard-textured (denim, sweater, jumper) on top and a soft-flowing bottom.

② maxi skirt X sweatshirts

left to right : Oct 2011  Jan 2012  Nov 2011

you can find her a lot in this typical style for autumn-winter-look. baggy; oversized and how comfy.

③ cardi X casual

Feb 2012

how relaxed in a cardi.

④ decorative sweaters

left to right : Oct 2011 Mar 2012

i love these sweaters (≧∇≦)”  don't you ?

⑤ black X chic

left to right : April 2011 Dec 2011

she could be really chic sometimes too.

conquering the black look with accessories.

⑥　denim X denim

left to right : April 2012 Feb 2011

  

rocking with denim on denim.

the trick with this trend is making sure to balance both the fabric weights and the washes of the denim.

⑦ drapery vest

left to right : May 2011 Spet 2011

this particular piece is one of my favourite from her wardrobe.

just caught my eyes at first glance.

the drapery vest minus the fur.

⑧　girlish

left to right : July 2011 May 2012

sometime very feminine; 

with just simple pieces and minimal accessorizing.

⑨　vintage-look inspired

June 2011

i know that she has a love-for-vintage where she would fly overseas for their flee markets, not sure if she still does that.

this piece is actually from her own production line.

April 2012

now i have overloaded this post with photos (´∀`)

most of the items she put on are actually from her own production line, which i think could only be purchased in japan (;_;)”

hope you find her styles inspiring as well.

have a good day ♡

(image courtesy from wakatsuki's blog)

~ like ~ Tim Walker part II

remember Tim Walker ?

read my old post about him if you haven't ( ´∀｀)

here are some other works he did back in 2011 that i love to share

Audrey Marnay, UK, 2011

if you have been reading my blog, i guess you know i'm pretty obsessed with doll-theme  ... and that's what he did for these  amazing images !

Audrey Marnay, UK, 2011

Audrey Marnay, UK, 2011

Kirsi Pyrhonen, UK, 2011

Audrey Marnay, UK, 2011

Audrey Marnay and Kirsi Pyrhonen, UK, 2011

and,

as i mentioned before, i wrote a thesis during my last year in uni examining the elements represented by the dolls and mannequins through the relationship with fashion and through our hands.

i strongly believe that dolls have become a conceptual response of men's desire and also a symbol of life.

for example,

you can see how Tim Walker had adapted and emphasized these patterns into his works above.

women and mannequins are blurred and overlapped by human imagination; filled with endless doubts and uncertainties.

fashion has always been reflecting on the construction of ideas around the body and its display. nonetheless, only a good photograph could convey this message - most apparently through the styling and presentation.

... .... blurred and confused; indirect but related - which is living and which is lifeless ?

hope you like it ♪♪