Young and hip designer style

I'm always bumping into wonderfully imaginative designers. I love how they are freely expressing themselves and their lifestyles through their clothes, illustrations and thoughts. Here are five, very young, hardly launched designers:

Carly is a knitter, artist and writer and her sketchbooks (of enormous dimensions) are diaries filled and patched with delightful girlish fantasies layered with her own politically correct thoughts and dreams. After we met I realized that I saw her socks on BBC on Sienna and Savannah Miller.
carly.juneau@alumni.rca.ac.uk

Helen's humor is reflected in her bag designs that are covered with images that fall into her funky, fifties-retro style. It's pink, sweet, sugary, and every bag has a tale, of friends, objects or chocolates. With their silver trim they really suit up for valentines. Her husband is so far only designing for himself, with collars up to there, and zoot suits and I can imagine how they dress-up their two year old as they buzz around London.
http://ww.helenrochfort.com/

Only 17 - Camille and Luna are two friends who have formed "MILK". Camille designs while Luna photographs and invents their site. The clothes, which seem to have tumbled out of their closets, are made from discarded fabrics and re-cycled clothes, all re-styled with their signature bows, baby doll, Courreges look, or whatever they feel, at that moment-look. It has a sincerity and sense that works in a refreshingly, crazy and uncommerical way.
http://www.myspace.com/milkcreation

Jean Michel, his must-have shoes - are neon-bright, wild, free-spirited and original -- his whole crew and style is a wanna-be look, full of positive energy, artistry and action that makes you want to hang out to not miss what's going to happen next.
http://www.myspace.com/espezial

When you meet someone like Laura, painted top to toe in her own wonderfully creative look - even her business card is brilliantly all hers – it's beauty, the Italian hip way, spun with lots of charm and personality.
laurapastrello@hotmail.com

February Wallpaper

February sketched for desktop wallpaper pleasure.

Upload it if you wish by clicking on this link: http://www.21centurydressmakers.com/Full%20pages/Freebies%20frame.html One of my inspirations, a dreamy treasure of pink reflections on mint and mauve as viewed by Hermes in Paris.

The other inspiration - the hand painted paper my sketch is set on. From Il Papiro, the Florentine handmade paper store, the colors, papers and products seem to have a more genuine beauty and texture than any others I have come across.

Valentine diy denim short-shorts

I'm starting to think about what to make for Valentine's Day and I found these denim short- shorts. Pairing them with black leggings and something like - Maryjane's, Converse or flat boots plus a too big sweater will bring them into February.

Simple to make - any imperfections in the doing or the denim is part of the charm --

Just cut off the waistband, cut the legs as high as you want and cut a heart from the denim. Machine wash and dry to get the nice frayed bits. Steam a strip of lime cotton grosgrain in a soft curve, and use it to face the waist, pinning it around the top edge. Using lemon embroidery thread finish the waist with blanket stitch around the top and running stitch about 1/2" below. Sew a skirt hook and eye at the front closure above the top button. Whip stitch the cuffs with pink embroidery thread. Embroider the heart accordingly to your ability or what you want to express and stitch it, a bit off center, on the back pocket. Knot well all threads so they don't unravel from wear and wash.

Karl Lagerfeld and Suzy Menkes online

Suzy Menkes draws out some interesting observations from Karl Lagerfeld, and both are wearing Schiaparelli sized fantasy brooches which you do not want to miss --and, Christian Lacroix tours her through the costume exhibit, another must-see.
http://www.iht.com/pages/style/index.php

January wallpaper

My New Year's resolution! Sketch up my fashion fantasies as a monthly wallpaper. Upload them if you wish: http://www.21centurydressmakers.com/Full%20pages/Freebies%20frame.html

More bikes !

I've been collecting photos of bikers in the city. Here are a few from last summer,

... in Parma, Italy, where the city center is closed to cars, and biking is the only way to get around, always beautiful shoes - flats or heels - on electric or manual bikes ...

or shopping in Israel, bikes parked in front of a wonderful T-shop (the perfect unisex shape, shades and small images subtly printed from photos of everyday objects,)

... a pink bike with turquoise and white polka dots in Paris,

...the most correct, though is the photo of the Parisian police on bikes, check it out on my Lacroix post from December '07.

2008, vintage finesse

...a wonderful winter splash of January style -- I am feeling very ornate, softly bowed rose gloves, one-of-a-kind embroidered and fringed bag, slim dressing with vintage sensibilities, dark overly painted eyes and raspberry streaked, mis-cut hair, caught with a ribbon. Colors and textures abound, tip to toe.