Ferrofabric for Claudia Ligari

Claudia Ligari A/W 2011

A few days before leaving London in November, I had a meeting with the fashion designer Claudia Ligari (watch her i-D interview here). She showed me pieces from her previous collection. I was floored. Her mix of craftsmanship with irreverence is something special. Lucky for me, her irreverence for rules translated into being intrigued by using Ferrofabric.

Claudia Ligari's A/W 2011 collection (full collection here), incorporating custom-made Ferrofabric material, debuted at Blow last week, and has been catching all kinds of attention. Innovation is everywhere in this collection! The cut-out wool jacket is a work of art, and seems to mark a new direction for her. I also love the perspective-dependent garments that have become something of a signature for her.

I also want to note that it was incredibly inspiring to work with Claudia. My materials are experimental by nature. It is hard to make promises because I am the the process of figuring out how the materials work, and yet collaborations are what inform the process. A sense of adventure is required, and it's very present both in Claudia and in Natasha Case of Coolhaus (my other collaborator at the moment). Keep an eye out for future collaborations between us.

www.claudialigari.com

Femke Agema

I have to say I am usually not so much into fashion, unless it really strikes me with a rare spark of simplicity and originality… Femke Agema (NL) is a designer whose work I discovered recently, and felt very excited about. As collection outcomes, colorful simple shapes, with the right hint of humor, inspired by observations of social behaviours, relationships and the "image" we want to give… Here are a couple of projects I especially like for their simplicity, effectivity and the very relevant choice of materials :

ODE (above) :

Is a mini collection made for the multidisciplinary art festival Skipper Boetlek.

The festival took place in Hoorn, the place where she was raised. "Memories of her childhood gave her ambivalent feelings: on one hand she felt very warm and safe, but on the other hand this same safety was sometimes oppressive and stifling."

HIDEOUT (2007) (below)

With the Hide Out collection Femke wanted to criticize the huge influence of advertising and television programs. In a playful way she came up with a 'solution' for the problem: Let's all hide out for the advertising-monster!

Femke started the concept with amazement by all those television programs that stimulate us to change: cars are being transformed, interiors are being redecorated, bodies are getting make-overs, etc. Products are being sold by the quote: 'It's gonna change your life!!' In a awful way this sells: it puts the consumer down, longing for the product,

By the cause of stress and the hectic daily life, we don't see the things anymore we have already achieved, but only the things we didn't achieve yet. By coming up with a playful solution for the problem of dissatisfaction among people, as a result of living in a consumer society, Femke tried to draw attention to this issue.

The collection is about feeling safe and hiding. The place where she feels safe, and comes at ease is her bed. She used characteristics of a sleeping bag, which is a mobile bed: light materials filled with fibrefill and stitched compartments.

Materials used are soft fleeces and light synthetic fabrics (filled or not with fibrefill or feathers). Big forms are chosen, and you can see often exaggerated and enlarged details. In this way, together with the use of colour, the collection draws the attention of the viewer. Some garments can be worn in different ways: hiding or not. Other garments are obviously very comfortable thanks to the soft materials and stuffed parts around the head.

Due to the big, clear forms, and the use of colours, it became a fresh, playful, theatrical collection.

Big Fan