Karen Walker's amazing Japanese fans

In this social network driven world of 'friends, likes and fans' it is both refreshing and endearing to discover the type of fans New Zealand designer Karen Walker has attracted in Japan in particular. So fervent are these followers that they regularly send Karen beautifully crafted hand-made presents as a token of their appreciation for her designs and the label in general. Some of the messages and images are impossibly cute, some detailed excursions into the active and creative minds of the fans, others personal travel stories - Karen Walker on tour. We asked Kate at Karen Walker to scan a few of these fabulously creative gifts so we could present them to you here on Blacklog. Enjoy...

Listening to the sky with Fistful Of Bird

Sam and Jeremy Galvin, the brothers behind emerging Auckland label Fistful Of Bird aren't your usual fashion designer types. Yet, their background in the art and film worlds and a shared history travelling the globe immersing themselves in the school of life ensures their label is exactly, purposefully, a reflection of themselves and a breath of fashion fresh air to boot. The siblings started only two or three years back with the denim and t-shirt label Descendant which quickly grew in concept and style before morphing into Fistful Of Bird. With the new FOB AW 11 range 'Audible Skies' the step up is notable in terms of design, textile, shape and breadth of the range. Jackets, including a cropped bomber (always a winner) join cloaks, artisan denim (waxed and hand-distressed finishes, pigment airbrushing), diaphanous t-shirt dresses and slouchy woollen jumpers to offer plenty to their growing legion of fans. This pair are indeed reaching for the skies. Photos: Russ Flatt Model: McInnes @ Nova

Pearly Queen of Mulberry

Two queens and a jack

Those of you that have read the latest issue of Black will have noticed the story about our London Correspondent Lucie Marquis (above left) and her foray into creating 'walls' of fashion in various locations with Supermarket Sarah and designing t-shirts and jewellery as one half of the Pearly Queens. Lucie is a talented designer and plans to launch an eponymous label in the future. In the meantime she started work this week as a senior designer at Mulberry, suggesting the British label knows talent when it sees it. Very proud of her and can't wait for the Lucie bag!

If only...like Deadly Ponies

Deadly Ponies' Liam Bowden has given us his three remaining scarves - as per this image from Black 13 by Stephen Tilley & Rachael Churchward - to give away to Black Mag FB page or Blacklog readers. All you have to do is fill in this sentence in a comment on the post on our Facebook Page to be in to win one:

If only..................like Deadly Ponies!

We'll choose the three most interesting ones this Friday. Offer open to anyone, anywhere...here's a pic of the scarf itself....we have one of each colour: beige, mint green and rose...

Jess Grubisa's otherworldly glamourous 80's African Queen

A Jessica Grubisa creation

All backstage photos by Matt Benns

When Whitecliffe's third year fashion student Jessica Grubisa designs a collection she always does so with one woman in her mind. This year, her fantastic collection entitled 'More Money, More Problems' was built around an "otherworldly glamourous 80's African queen," that basically, "jogged in Chanel." To accessorise her signature pieces Grubisa busts a move with high top fade afro headpieces and black full-face make-up, creating a classic hip-hop (think BDP, Schooly D) vibe entrenched in the mother continent. "The headpieces are my interpretation of a high-top fade - the birth of hip hop in the 1980's - everybody donned high, flat afros. I love this look and wanted to have a bit of fun with it," says Grubisa.

Rookies On A Roll

Renuka Pana

After attending the AUT Rookie 2010 show at Rhubarb Lane last Thursday night we were left with the simple, inspiriting feeling that New Zealand fashion's future is bright indeed. It is a feeling borne of a higher standard emerging year-on-year from Auckland's two top fashion schools, and Wellington's Massey course, among others around the country. On Thursday night the quality of design, craftsmanship and creativity that marched down the runway (to great show music) from the 36 AUT Rookies was of a high standard across the board. Every designer showed promise, some showed a lot of promise and there were a plenty of winning garments and outfits to be seen. This year's Rookie show was also a quality event in other aspects; multiple bars and catering, grandstands, containers as film screens (that featured an opening Year 3 student's film, shot by Garth Badger), one of the most interesting front rows in a while, and a well-lit skinny horse-shoe catwalk all made for a classy, competent fashion show. We also loved the DPS programme that featured photos of the designers and a space for notes. We did make a few notes and asked AUT to send through an image from four of those designers, just a few that piqued our attention on the night. Congrats all round to AUT staff, tutors and students....

And You Thought A Sharpie Was A Pen

We are always fascinated by sub-cultures and this wee You Tube clip by Greg Macainsh about the 'Sharpie' culture in Melbourne in 1974 is indeed fascinating. Set at the Melbourne Showgrounds, a few thousand mulletheads are in attendance at the Lobby Lloyd and Billy Thorpe concert, and they're pretty amped. Check the hair cuts, fashion and dancing - unreal. Thanks to our good friend Bob Sutton for finding this...

The Bogans according to Lara Parker

Black fashion director Rachael Churchward recently worked with photographer Stephen Tilley on a second Lara Parker look book for the season and we have no doubt this talented local designer is one to watch. Parker released her SS10 range in two parts, the more demure Geeks collection and this West-is-best-we-love-Stevie-Nicks-when-she's-all-dressed-up range, entitled Bogans. The range is not quite as literal as the title would suggest however and playfully flirts with proportion, texture and a lateral interpretation of bogan sensibility. Ankle-grazing hemlines, as featured on the 'Stevie' skirt are juxtaposed with the A-line flirtiness of the "Peaches' dress. The ruched "Roxanne" mini confirms Parker is as accurate with her names as she is with her designs. Black is the foundation colour of the range but the mood is airy and feminine. Perfect for blatting out to the West Coast in the Holden Kingswood with the windows down... Hair by Lauren Gunn @ Stephen Marr, make-up by Kimberley Hill for M.A.C Cosmetics. Model: Imogene @ Red 11. All shoes by Maurie & Eve. We asked Lara about the range...

Sherie Muijs' Building Blocks AW 2011

As mentioned in the post below, we shot the Sherie Muijs AW 2011 look book just prior to fashion week and were amazed by the continued development of this young Auckland designer. She has a great crew on board too; Des Rusk who needs little introduction to local fashion people has had a hand in the label and also Linda Jones, the highly respected lecturer at AUT's fashion school. Sherie says that Linda is currently working on her masters and the pair have collaborated for this collection on rain wear. "We have found that there aren't any absolutely waterproof raincoats, in a fashion context, that have the same sort of integrity of a raincoat that you might find in our camping or farming industries." Form meets function. So how would Sherie describe the range, cleverly titled Building Blocks? "I have designed pieces in this range that are key pieces that I think everyone should have in their wardrobe. This range is about building up a wardrobe that has staple garments in there, that you will go back to season after season. Then of course, fun colourful pieces, to brighten up a winter's day." The range will be in store Feb, 2011. Meanwhile her SS 2010 range is in store now and selling like hot cakes, you can view that range here.

Photography: Russ Flatt
Styling: Rachael Churchward
Hair: Greg Murrell
Make-up: Karenina Jackson
Model: Lauren @ Nova

Karen Walker Spring 2011 RTW - Perfect

Karen Walker's Spring 2011 ready-to-wear showing at New York Fashion Week on Wednesday was inspired by the amazing photographer William Eggleston. Eggleston is a genius, and given that his  cinematic, colour-film, Mid-West photographic foresight is the range's genesis, it is apt that NZ photographer Derek Henderson should not only contribute a hydrangea image/motif to the range but that he should also be exhibiting in New York at the same time as Walker's show. All New Zealanders interested in fashion should be proud of Walker's continued official presence at one of the world's biggest fashion weeks. Year after year she fly's the flag for New Zealand creativity and design - and never disappoints. This year's range, Perfect Day,  invokes Eggleston's daring as the first photographer to break out of the black and white haze that had engulfed fine art photography for so many years by embracing bold colours and prints, and celebrating the extremes of daily drudgery and a night on the town somehow at the same moment. Her footwear collaborations; with the talented Carrie Cooper and with British footwear company Pointer, saw the models sauntering down the runway in fab Beau Coops for Karen Walker pumps and rubber-soled creepers respectively. All-in-all a Perfect Day for Karen Walker.

A few of our favourite looks...

Karping about with Kapura

Last week we popped into our favourite watering hole, Ponsonby Social Club, for a quick tipple while the motorway was congested with traffic and met Kapura Kaka, from Matawaia, Northland. Having studied fashion design at AUT and graduated from the fashion degree programme in 2009, the talented young designer has since been working on a small denim range for girls and guys, a fresh take on the classic five pocket cut. We were impressed with her concepts and lateral thinking and wondered what her influences might be: "My influences are always growing and changing" she enthused "I like to check out photography and art books and also like conceptual designers like Aitor Throup, Comme Des Garcons and Margiela." Kapura has "a huge passion for the denim fabric" and wishes to learn and create new denim concepts from her space within the SOBI collective group in High Street. We also loved the energy of her look book starring consummate barman Johnny Harnett and fellow fashion designer Ella Moore. Shot by James Watkins and styled by Kaka, Moore and Sera Taylor, Karps is indeed, a breath of fresh air....

Interactive Eniko

Our New York Editor Valery Gherman has been busy on all sorts of projects lately, including Black 13 of course, but we were particularly interested in this one for the venerable Show Studio. Photographer/film maker Barnaby Roper teamed with stylist Keegan Singh, Valery and Black New York hair stylist Tuan Anh Tran to shoot mega model Eniko Mihalik in a studio. The difference is that the whole thing is interactive, you can set off a few different beats then every key on your keyboard cuts between a variety of short clips making Eniko quite simply dance around at your fingertips. It might take a wee while to load but it's a fun, fresh idea and you can record your own 'track' so to speak, however, this isn't easy and it takes a little practice to create something meaningful...

Skin Deep

Above: Shadow Dress Photo by Stephen Tilley

We are really liking the look of 'Skin' - the third season collection from young Auckland designers Hopetown. Ruth Ellison and Aria Campbell have celebrated all things epidermal with the range in a colour palette of natural tones; nudes, peaches, marles, pistachio and spearmint - and a range of shapes and cuts that create the illusion of a "protective shell." Materials in the range include aged leather, gauze, perforated cotton and lush silks which "mimick the various temperatures and and areas of skin." All-in-all it's a cohesive and accomplished range from the young duo who are clearly showing they have what it takes to step up to the big league. Congrats...

Valentino, Couture Masterclass

Phenomenal. Inspiring. Magnificent. Gorgeous. Legendary. These five words go some way to describing the Valentino Restrospective; Past/Present/Future which opened at Brisbane's GoMA gallery last Friday night but only some way. Valentino Garavani requires little introduction to fashionistas as one of the world's great designers and the only designer to have been recognised by the French government as an official haute couture house outside of France. His life has been a sparkling cavalcade of fabulous women; Jackie O, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett head up a raft of movie stars, princesses and socialites who quite literally loved Valentino - many became close personal friends. Walking into the exhibition the stature of the garments themselves is overwhelming. This is fashion as art, and art as fashion...Blacklog readers, New Zealand or Australian who have been considering a weekend away in the next few months, we encourage you to make the trip to Brisbane to see this. It will be well worth your while.

Each of the garments has been 100% hand-sewn by Valentino's army of artisans and to see the absolute mountain of work, time and craftmanship that has gone into each creation is breathtaking, like great art should be. Every piece also has a life, and provenance, of its own and whilst the fashion trends that emerged through the five decades of Valentino's work are there for all to see, every garment on show transcends time, genre and trend effortlessly.

A Land Called Fantasy

We're loving these images from the forthcoming Prada FW2010 Look Book. Described as a 'fantasy look book, the images, backstage and runway shots from the recent European shows, are cleverly transformed by art directors Alexander Reichert and Fausto Fantinuoli at long-time Prada Spa design and architectural partner OMA. OMA, and in particular, Rem Koolhaas, have played a significant role in the design and art direction of Prada's epicenter store in Rodeo Drive and a number of other Prada global stores since 2000 as well as providing the art direction for their famous catwalk shows in recent times. The design division AMO is also responsoble for Prada's magazine. All photography from backstage and catwalk by Philip Meech.

Seeing (Valentino) Red in Brizzy

In early August, Tourism Queensland are hosting Black Magazine in Brisbane for a weekend to attend the opening of the Valentino Retrospective Past/Present/Future exhibition at the city's classy GOMA gallery. The exhibition is a stunning display of many of the masterpieces created by the great Italian couturier Valentino Garavani and the House of Valentino. The exhibition runs from August 7 to November 14 and Brisbane is the only Australasian city to host the retrospective courtesy of the wonderful Les Arts Decoratifs, a private, non-profit museum of the decorative arts in Paris. Valentino is recognised for many things; from literally creating a colour to providing that most elegant of stateswoman, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, with six black and white dresses to mourn the passing of her husband in 1964, and much in between.

Perhaps it is the recognition from the French government as the first official couture house outside of Paris, within the strict definition of haute couture, that says it all though. Curated by Pamela Gobin, curator-in-chief for the Fashion and Textiles collection of Les Arts Decoratifs, the weekend also features future directions of the house (since Valentino's retirement in 2007) with five recent creations by new creative directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli - who had already been working together designing accessories for the previous ten years. For lovers of great fashion the hop across the ditch for a weekend of Brisbane spring time has never looked more appealing, especially with some of the airfares on offer this morning. Thanks Tourism Queensland...

Around Louis Vuitton's world with The Selby

Anyone with an interest in the machinations of one of the world's great luxury brands Louis Vuitton, or anyone with a passing interest in fashion full stop, should take the time to go on a web journey with The Selby at Louis Vuitton.com. Todd Selby has singlehandedly created an entire genre online with his photographic forays into the homes of the fashionable, the artistic, the creative and the plain obscure on his wonderful site simply entitled The Selby. Todd has a unique talent; capturing environments, the people who live in them and the synergy between a space, the objects within and its occupants.

Louis Vuitton Fall/winter 2010/2011 - The Journey of a wardrobe is a fascinating insight into the brand and its longstanding and celebrated attention to detail. In Paris we look inside the Louis Vuitton residence in Asmieres (established by Louis Vuitton and his wife Emilie in 1876) observe, in Selby detail, the creation of a range in the workroom, visit the studio where Marc Jacobs weaves his magic and see everything there is to see behind an LV show right down to the model of the room in which the event was held. For those of us used to Antipodean backstage areas, the show backstage area in Paris is a thing of beauty in itself. The journey isn't limited to Paris however; Shanghai, Tokyo, New York and London all feature in a photographic sojourn that is both inspiring and intriguing. Who said the web wasn't dynamic? All images from the site by Todd Selby.

RAFW backstage by Rupert Tapper

Above: Gary Bigeni.

M.A.C make-up director: Natsha Severino

M.A.C make-up artists were working overtime at RAFW 2010. A veritable army, featuring directors like Amber D, Nicole Thompson, Natasha Severino, and Liz Kelsh applied the beauty for no less than forty shows. We asked photographer Rupert Tapper to send through backstage images of some of his favourite shows; Gary Bigeni, Kate Sylvester, Kirrilly Johnston (which features Black Aussie fashion editor Paul Bui as a model) and Ksubi. Good to see Georgia Fowler (below) looking so beautiful, this girl is going places.

Above: Kate Sylvester

M.A.C make-up director: Liz Kelsh

Above and below: Kirrily Johnston

M.A.C make-up director: Natasha Severino

Above and below: Ksubi

MAC make-up director Nicole Thompson