2014年04月22日
ジミー・チュウ氏、福島に飛ぶ！
世界中のセレブリティやエディター、モード関係者から高い支持を得ているJIMMY CHOOブランド創設者のジミー・チュウ氏が4月18日に来日し、福島県福島市で開催された地域伝統工芸品の震災復興支援イベントに出席しました。このイベントの講演で「従来からあるクラフトに新しいインスピレーションとコンセプトを与えれば福島の産業は世界をも目指せる」と熱く語ったジミー氏の姿と福島の伝統工芸品を用いた彼の作品は押しかけた海外メディアにより、瞬く間に世界に発信されました。
あのジミー氏がなぜ突如福島に？
事の発端は2013年10月、ユニコンの昔の卒業生がユニコン東京事務所を訪れたところから始まります。
彼女の名は橋本さん。橋本さんはUCL（ロンドン大学）で大学院課程修了後に実家の事業を継ぐために福島県須賀川市に戻っていたのですが、仕事で東京に上京するたびにちょくちょくユニコン事務所に顔を出してくれていました。
その日もユニコンスタッフと他愛ない近況報告をしあった後、旧知を温めあうために会食（会飲）しようということで原宿駅前のあまりはやっていない韓国レストランに流れたわけですが、宴もたけなわに入ったころに出たトピックが「福島のこれから」。国からの援助とかボランティアの善意だけに頼っているだけでは福島はいつまでたっても自分の足で前に進めないと思う、という橋本さんの言葉に対してユニコン社長が「やはり地元産業の活性化がキーポイントじゃないか？」と発言。
（以下、2人の会話）
― 大体、キミんとこの名産品って何があるんだ？
「バカにしないでくださいよ。色々あるんですから。たとえば、会津塗でしょ」
― ああ、前にもらったあのコーヒーカップね、キミが福島空港で買ったっていうやつ。
「もう、それだけじゃありませんて。どうせ知らないかもしれないけれど、木綿やシルクだって上質で有名なんですから！」
― で、その材料で何を作ってるの？
「まぁ例えば財布とか巾着とか、そういった小物ですかね。伝統工芸品ですから、そういった感じのものになります」
― う～んん、そういったものって売れても利益幅が小さいよね。どこの地方でもやってることだし、どこの地方でも作れるものだと今以上に売れ行きが増加するってのは期待できないでしょ。木綿のがまぐちとか草履とか、はっきり言って若者はそんなに欲しくないよね。年寄りだって何個も欲しがらないと思うよ。
「確かに。若い人もあまり目を向けてくれないし」
― 仕事柄のせいもあるけど、塗り物ときたら食器で木綿ときたらちゃんちゃんこという発想を変えないといけないと僕は思うんだよ、ほら、たとえばセントマーチンズのファッションてさ、デザインもマテリアルもめちゃくちゃ自由でしょ。エーッみたいな素材を使って何だこりゃみたいなデザインで毎回世界のメディアをびっくりさせている。ま、エーッみたいなものばかり作っても福島とロンドンは同列にできないけどさ、何て言うか、新しいコンセプトとか発想する力が必要だと思うんだよ。
「ウチみたいな地域ではそういうCHANGEはなかなか難しいんですよ」
― そうだね、「八重の桜」でも頑固一徹の忠義者が目立っていたもんな。でもさ、福島県の全県民が昔気質の頑固者ってわけじゃないだろ？キミのように地方とか国内とかの殻を破ってもっと広い世界に繋がる産業を興したいと考えている若者も結構いるんじゃないの？何かインパクトのあるイベントをがつんと立ち上げて福島の若者にエールを贈るってのはどうだろ？
「たとえば？」
― オレには考えがある。
ユニコン社長が思い浮かべたのがジミー氏。ジミー氏とは5年前にロンドン郊外に設立したロンドン芸術大学附属国際高校（International School of Ceative Arts）の名誉校長を引き受けてもらったとき以来からの友人です。
焼肉会食から3ヵ月後の2014年2月。橋本さんと社長はジミー氏に会うためにマレーシアに飛びました。橋本さんのバッグには地元を代表する会津木綿や川俣特産のシルクが何種類も詰め込まれていました。ジミー氏のインスピレーションとアイデアによって新しいフォームに生まれ変わるために。
世界の有名人であるジミー氏の名前が福島ではいささか認知度が低かったのはちょっと計算違いであったが、橋本さんのひたむきでがむしゃらな暴走のおかげでジミー氏の福島行きも実現し、当日のジミー氏の自叙伝をおりまぜた講演も来場者の心をいたく揺すぶりました。
イベントではジミー氏の新作発表の他に会津木綿や川俣シルクといった福島の伝統産業のPRが行われました。また、ジミー氏の故郷であるマレーシアと福島の空港を活用した２国間の人材交流や若手クラフトマンの育成も提案されました。
みなさん、誤解しないでくださいね。ジミー氏は自己宣伝や新作発表の目的で福島行きを決行したのではありません（そういうことをする必要が全くない人ですから）。彼は福島が受けた不幸に心を痛め、福島が元気になるための手段の一つとして「クリエィティブは復興の源」というメッセージを伝えに来たのです（彼の場合、具体的にそれは「靴」という形で表現されましたが）。
「クリエィティブを育てることで、木綿やシルクといった伝統的な素材に新しいアイデアとインスピレーションを吹き込み、世界に通じる新しい製品を作り出すことができる」というアーテストのメッセージが福島の方に何となくでも伝わっていてくれたらいいのですが。
余談ですが、当日のイベントでは橋本さんの他に2名の旧ユニ学生が司会と通訳のロールを引き受けてくれました。東北大震災から3年。何かの形で長く続く復興サポートの一翼を担いたいと思っていた社長と地元に新しい産業の風を吹かせたいと願っていた橋本さんの夢がこうして6ヵ月後に実現した次第です。
イベントはほんの始まりに過ぎません。本当のチャレンジは今ここから始まるのです。
AFP通信の記事は世界中に配信され、フランス、イギリスはもちろんのこと南米コロンビアまでこのイベントのニュースは伝わりました！
東日本大震災、福島、ジミー・チュウに対して世界の関心が高い証拠ですね。
AFP
ジミー・チュウが福島で特別講演、地元素材を使った靴も公開
http://www.afpbb.com/articles/-/3013030?pid=13538830
The Guardian
Jimmy Choo boosts Japanese artisans with shoes made of Fukushima fabrics
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/18/jimmy-choo-shoes-japan-fukushima
WWD Japan
ジミー・チュウが震災復興支援イベントに参加 福島の伝統織物を用いた靴を発表
http://www.wwdjapan.com/fashion/2014/04/23/00011518.html
YOMIURI ONLINE
ダイアナ妃の靴デザイナー、復興支援で新作発表
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/20140421-OYT1T50013.html
NHK News web
福島復興へ 特産素材使い高級靴
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20140419/k10013865141000.html
投稿者 unicon : 16:11
2014年02月14日
Top 10 Things To Do During London Fashion Week AW14 【LONDONIST】
Here we are, again: London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2014 is due to start at Somerset House — on Valentine’s Day, by the way. Access to the super glam events and catwalks is largely restricted to celebrities and fashion industry people. But there’s plenty going on around town to appeal to fashionistas and even those who wouldn’t normally pay much attention to fashion (see the bus stop event). Here are 10 LFW-related happenings you should consider.
Discover New Talent
Forward-looking fashionistas should head to Bloomsbury Square for the London College of Fashion (LCF) MA14 Exhibition. Fresh, inspired and talented MA students showcase their creations at Victoria House Basement during the week. The exhibition is open to the public 11-16 February, from noon every day. If you’d like to take part in a catwalk experience instead, the MA14 Catwalk will be streamed live from 10.30am.
Get Stuck Into The Research
Ready for London Fashion Week? If not, learn from Chelsea Reference Library’s experts, whose 13 February session (11am) explores online fashion resources and the fashion collection. You can book your place by email.
Listen To A Life Story
The Fashion and Textile Museum hosts the exhibition Artist Textiles: Picasso to Warhol until 17 May 2014. As part of this exhibition, on Thurday 13 February at 6.30pm you can attend a lecture on Lee Miller in Fashion. Author Becky E Conekin from Yale University tells the life story of Lee Miller: a model, surrealist artist, muse, photographer and war correspondent. Seats are limited, so book now online.
Attend An Art Show
Fashion is Fake is the title of the art show at the Indra and Samia Gallery (off Commercial Road) opening on Friday 14 February. The exhibition features projects by an artist, a womenswear designer and an activist model. They aim to spread the word about ethics and aesthetics within the fashion industry. Free, until May 2014.
Fashion on Bus Stops
For both the Year of the Bus and London Fashion Week, Transport for London in collaboration with Annin Arts art gallery launches the first ever ‘bus stop top’ photographic exhibition providing bus passengers with exclusive access to works of celebrated fashion photographer Juergen Teller. The exhibition called ‘Bus Stops’ features 10 images on 10 bus stops along Strand on 14-23 February – pictures can be seen on the top of bus stop shelters, making them exclusively visable to people on the top deck, or the exceptionally tall. We’ve listed out the bus stops here. *please note that this event is now sold out*
Party On A Bus
Look out for a special bus parked along Strand on Saturday 15 February from 10am onwards, just opposite Somerset House. Shopcade, the online shopping hub launches the Shopcade LFW Party Bus, featuring live DJ sets, free make up and styling sessions, free drinks and goodie bags (while supplies last). The event is free but you need to book by email.
Swap Your Clothes
The concept is quite simple: give away clothes you don’t want anymore by exchanging them for those of another. Taking inspiration from a Danish online concept, the SwapAmok website gives a step-by-step explanation. You can swap your clothes (1-3 items) on Saturday 15 February from 2pm during the Swap Catwalk at St James’s Clerkenwell. Wine and snacks provided. Entrance is free but book by email.
Go To A Vintage Fair
Celebrate London Fashion Week by going back in time. Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair takes place at the Old Finsbury Town Hall, near Farringdon. It features over 50 of London’s most well-known traders in womenswear, menswear and accessories. The event happens on Sunday 16 February and starts at 11am. Tickets are £4 and can be purchased in advance.
Investigate The Relationship Between Gardens and Fashion
Even before Arts and Crafts founder William Morris brought floral patterns into the design mainstream, fashion designers had long been inspired by flowers and plants. The Garden Museum hosts Fashion & Gardens, the first exhibition on the relationship between gardens and fashion throughout the centuries, curated by Nicola Shulman. On Sunday 16 February the museum hosts a Fashion Panel Discussion with Amanda Harlech from 6.30pm. Book in advance.
Take Part In London Fashion Weekend
Once the sparkle and fascination of London Fashion Week are gone, fashion-addicted Londoners can meet up at Somerset House again for London Fashion Weekend – the bit that allows the public in for a taste of London Fashion Week with catwalk shows, discount designer shopping, trend spotting and industry talks. The event runs 20-23 February, tickets start from £20.
London Fashion Week is at Somerset House and venues around London, 14-18 February 2014.
記事はこちら⇒ http://londonist.com/2014/02/top-ten-things-to-do-in-london-during-london-fashion-week-aw14.php
投稿者 unicon : 09:53
2013年08月07日
A New Portrait: Coco Chanel On Show 【VOGUE UK】
COCO CHANEL is the subject of a new exhibition opening at the London College of Fashion (LCF) next month. The display will feature portraits of the designer taken by her friend, Californian artist Marion Pike.
The showcase will look at the friendship between the two, exploring their life stories and their creative influences. Pike first met Chanel in 1967, when she was asked to create the designer's portrait - a large-scale painting that pays homage to her skills as a colourist.
The exhibition will feature five portraits of Chanel, alongside couture pieces worn by Pike and her daughter, Jeffie Pike Durham, who loaned each of the displayed pieces. Curated by LCF professor Amy de la Haye, the display is on show between September 4 and November 16 at the college's Fashion Space Gallery on John Princes Street, London W1.
投稿者 unicon : 11:32
2013年05月09日
Harold Tillman To Chair LCF Fundraising Committee 【VOGUE UK】
HAROLD TILLMAN has been appointed chair of the London College of Fashion's fundraising committee. The former British Fashion Council chairman takes on the role with immediate effect.
Tillman will support the college's efforts to secure scholarships, awards and commercial partners for its students. His tenure at the BFC ended in January 2013, when he was succeeded by Natalie Massenet. The businessman is also a trustee of the Victoria and Albert Museum, and was awarded a CBE for services to the fashion industry in June 2010.
"We are delighted to welcome Harold as chair of our fundraising committee because of the enormous wealth of experience that he brings," said Professor Frances Corner, head of LCF. "We constantly strive to provide a supportive and creative environment for our students, which ensures that we continue to produce some of the industry's most talented professionals. This makes our fundraising efforts vitally important."
News of Tillman's appointment follows the recent announcement that the Countess of Wessex will be a patron of the school for the next three years.
投稿者 unicon : 10:12
2013年04月11日
Layer by Layer 【design week】
3D printing is taking a sartorial turn. From this week London College of Fashion will be exhibiting a selection of 3D printed clothes, accessories and shoes from more than ten different designers in the Layer by Layer show.
Exploring the use of digital 3D printing in fashion, Ron Arad’s new range of 3D printed glasses for PQ Eyewear will be on display. Printed in laser sintered nylon, his designs dispense with the need for metal hinges in the arms of the glasses.
Daniel Widrig, another trained architect foraying into the fashion world will also have his work on display. Producing ‘wearable sculptures’, his laser-sintered polyamide jewellery is inspired by architecture and fashion.
Layer by Layer will also feature the Melonia shoe, which was developed by Naim Josefi with industrial designer Souzan Yusouf. Each shoe is printed according to precise foot measurements.
Melonia shoe
Layer by Layer has been produced by consultancy Saint H and Fashion Digital Studio at London College of Fashion, and moost of what is on display at this exhibition will be highly experimental prototypes. Gemma Williams, gallery curator says, ‘It’s a snapshot of the 3D printing industry as it stands currently.’
There will also be a 3D printer running in the gallery for the duration of the exhibition, printing objects to be put on display during the show’s tenure.
Layer by Layer is running from 10 April – 18 May 3 at the Fashion Space Gallery, First Floor, London College of Fashion, 20 John Princes Street, London W1G
記事はこちら⇒ http://www.designweek.co.uk/whats-on/layer-by-layer/3036287.article
投稿者 unicon : 11:25
2013年03月29日
Tailored for you: "Archetype" opens tomorrow 【GQ】
If you've been enjoying our behind the scenes updates from Savile Row on Instagram, then you're not going to want to miss this new exhibition. Tomorrow sees the opening of Archetype - The Art of Deconstructing Bespoke, a new show sewn together by the students of London College of Fashion's Fashion Curation MA. Aimed at demystifying the tailoring that has happened for centuries below street level on Savile Row, the exhibit showcases finished designs from the private collections of famous suit makers including Henry Poole, Tommy Nutter and Hardy Amies, as well as photographs the cutting process in progress. It's only running for nine days, so cut a dash down to Carnaby Street before it's too late.
投稿者 unicon : 09:51
2013年03月26日
Fashion renews its love affair with the royal family 【The Guardian】
The Duchess of Cambridge leads the advance as the Countess of Wessex becomes patron of the London College of Fashion
The Countess of Wessex has recently been appointed the first patron of the London College of Fashion. No word as yet on a resurgence of disruptive pattern material. Photograph: Indigo/Getty Images
Giant puff sleeves, frosted blue eyeliner and octopus hats … the royal family haven't exactly been known for their style prowess in the past. However, with the Duchess of Cambridge now leading by example, the royal family are very much back in fashion.
This week it was announced that the Countess of Wessex was to be the first ever patron of the London College of Fashion . The Countess' work will focus on sustainability. "I was impressed by her innate sense of style," says the college's pro-vice chancellor, professor Frances Corner. "She's a very thoughtful person – one that will help us demonstrate that fashion is about more than frocks."
This follows the announcement that Buckingham Palace will be the unlikely site of a fashion show this July. As part of the Coronation Festival, to celebrate 60 years of the Queen's reign, brands with royal warrants will showcase their wares. Hunter Boot Ltd, jewellers Garrard & Co, and Savile Row tailors Gieves & Hawkes are some of the names that will be taking part.
The royals' current moment in vogue follows a revival in popularity – helped by the Jubilee celebrations last summer, and the Queen's participation in Danny Boyle's opening ceremony for the Olympics . Corner describes the reaction to the Countess' appointment as "hugely positive. I think in a world saturated with celebrities like Victoria Beckham or Rihanna, people appreciate someone who represents something lasting."
Prince Charles has even had some love from the fashion world after he wore his make-do-and-mend coat on the BBC's Countryfile two weeks ago. Deep Kailey, fashion director at Tatler, described the prince as "always stylish", and menswear designer Patrick Thornton also praised him on Twitter.
According to Kailey, though, all of this still pales in comparison to the influence of the Duchess of Cambridge. "She wears British designers, and images of her in those clothes go all around the world," she says. "That's more powerful than anything because it's a choice." The Duchess wearing a design has been known to crash retailers' websites, and her popularity shows no sign of waning. With her conservative but pretty style, she has resonated with, as Kailey says, "normal girls. She's not fashion crazy, but she makes all the right noises." Recently, the Duchess – who is now five months pregnant – has impressed with her understated maternity chic. The rose-pink funnel-necked Joseph coat she wore to the races at Cheltenham was a hit with the style press , and though the teal Malene Birger coat worn to Thursday's event celebrating the 150th anniversary of the tube might have been seasons old, it saw "demand increase" for similar designs from the brand.
Diana, Princess of Wales' style in the eighties and nineties is perhaps the last time fashion and royalty were so close. Interest in her remains high. An auction last week of 10 dresses made just over £860,000 at Kerry Taylor Auctions in London. "The dresses sold for the upper end of the estimate," says company director, Kerry Taylor. "£240,000 [paid for the gown Diana wore to dance with John Travolta] is a world record for a Diana dress. We are very proud of that."
記事はこちら⇒ http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/mar/22/fashion-renews-love-affair-with-royal-family
投稿者 unicon : 10:25
2013年02月07日
LCF debut at London Fashion Week
This month, LCF’s MA Catwalk Show will be part of London Fashion Week for the first time. The show which features ten graduates from our MA womensear and menswear courses, will be streamed live on the LCF website. It forms part of a festival of events running until 18th February 2013, including management breakfasts, film screenings and an exhibition.
投稿者 unicon : 11:27