London Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2021 Highlights

Hi everyone,

How has February been treating you? We hope you are keeping yourself warm, working toward your goals and enjoying life as it comes. As London fashion week came to an end, we are happy to offer you a brief distraction from your daily life and a glimpse into the highlights of Fall/Winter 2021 collections.

Simone Rocha

Simone Rocha’s Fall/Winter 2021 collection is a play between the soft and edgy, a coexistence of the feminine and masculine. Black leather biker jackets over frilly skirts, jackets and dresses with tactile satin roses, Edwardian balloon sleeves, tailored black leather jackets to emphasize waistline, ivory flowers cascading over pink tulle ballet skirts, are all elements fabricating this fantasy of a rebellious ballerina character. This season’s collection retains the soft femininity that characterizes Rocha’s work, with an additional dose of resiliency and sense of experimentation, all ornated with faux natural pearls, porcelain earrings and hand-painted roses.

"Embroidered tulles, Hand-painted flowers on pearls. Porcelain cameos, encased in gold. The Three Graces. Satin, leather, tulle."

Erdem

Erdem’s Fall/Winter 2021 collection is constructed to represent several stages of a dancer’s wardrobe, from rehearsal to performance. The conception of this idea originates from Erdem Moralioglu’s memorable experience of designing costumes in 2018 at the Royal Opera House, translating the excitement of observing ballerinas practicing in their transitional outfits from rehearsals to performance. Illustrating the ballerina’s everyday practice clothing and interlacing it with their embellished stage costumes, the lineup served a variety of feminine skirts, opera gowns, tailored jackets thrown over embellished, feathered skirts. Tops encrusted with jewels and ribbed knitwear, ballet slippers transforming into stilted platforms, and Swan Lake headpieces, made for an interesting fusion of in-between stages of undressing.

Art School

Eden Loweth’s Fall/ Winter collection carries a strong message of resistance, hope and strength to London’s queer communities. Through his work, Loweth aims to give a voice to marginalized communities, offer a safe space for LGBTQ+ identities to be seen, free of prejudice. This season’s collection was unique and completely focused on inclusivity, presenting garments easy to wear for all bodies and genders. The show featured two nonbinary contestants from Season 2 of RuPaul's Drag Race UK : Bimini Bon-Boulash and A'Whora, Loweth’s close friends, and members of London Trans + Pride. The prevailing theme in this collection stands that of Inclusion and Unity, all reflected in the coats and leather pieces, linen smock dresses and bias cut pieces, designed for different body types.

Matty Bovan

Matty Bovan’s Fall/Winter 2021 collection is an explosion of color, paint, exaggerated shapes, volume, interpreted through psychedelic effects of intentional blurring and smearing. With every outfit encrusted in crystals, splashes of color and light, to say that this collection is experimenting with the nontraditional of ready to wear would be an understatement. This season, Bovan labelled this collection Odyssey, referencing the theme and source of inspiration. All this, revealed in the backdrop of this presentation and the sound effects throughout the video, unfolds in the visuals and sounds of struggle through heavy waves out in the sea, shipwreck and survival.

Bovan confesses that this is a personal theme: “I’ve always been afraid of the sea. I suppose it’s that fear of isolation”

Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood Fall/Winter 2021 line-up was mostly made of recycled, previously used materials as a statement to reduce the impact fabric waste does to the environment. Fabrics used encompass a variety of wool, tartans, forest positive viscose, organic silk, along with a newly sourced recycled denim.

The collection featured a print of Daphnis and Chloe, a 1743 painting by by French Rococo painter François Boucher, becoming the main print for this season. The collection brought a pastoral mood, in a combination of clashing colors, herringbones, stripes, ginghams and King of Wales Check throughout various items of denim, suits, shirts, corsets and dresses. As always, the lineup carried over Westwood’s signature style of unruled draping and balanced chaos.

The focus of this season stays in the constantly improving efforts to become sustainable, as stated on Westwood’s social media posts on this collection:

We continually challenge ourselves to make our collections with greater care and contribute to a more sustainable fashion industry. We are proud to announce that for Autumn-Winter 2021/22 over 90% of our main-line collection is made from materials that have a reduced impact on our environment.⁠

Molly Goddard

Goddard’s Fall/Winter 2021 collection brings back tulle skirts and voluminous shapes, in a clash of textures, bright colors, metallics and patterns. Strategically large layered skirts reveal a sense of movement. While much of the designs are overly playful, many garments remain wearable and casual, including Fair Isle sweaters for men and women, tartan coats, tailored suits and taffeta dresses layered with casual denim. A joyful color palette of warm red, pink and bright orange, is balanced by charcoal grey, mint, and uplifting blue.

Duro Olowu

Duro Olowu’s Fall/Winter 2021 collection is comprised of various exhilarating prints and evokes an inspired outlook of a happier time. Garments manifest a union and blend of reinvented colorful florals, geometrical patterns, python prints in green, fuchsia, orange, turquoise. As stated on Olowu’s Instagram posts of these spectacularly cheerful silk chiffon dresses and swing coats:  

Inspired by the work of the African American painter Barkley L. Hendricks and the French painter Édouard Vuillard. The collection is a homage to the wonderful palettes and pattern laden compositions in the paintings of these two amazing artists from different eras and continents.

It is also an ode to the power of style as an inspiring and uplifting weapon of optimism in these uncertain times.

Emilia Wickstead

Emilia Wickstead’s Fall/Winter 2021 collection, represents the idea of looking into a woman’s life. The concept was inspired by three films: Teorema (1968) by Pier Paolo Pasolini, I Am Love (2009) by Luca Guadagnino, and Rear Window (1954) by Alfred Hitchcock. Walking further away from casual ready to wear, and into a reinvention of Eveningwear, this collection featured tailored suiting in wool gabardine, pencil skirted dress, off-the shoulder charcoal wool dress, soft tailored flanella, and draped fabrics that serve as outerwear to offer comfort and a soft edge against the structured garments underneath.

What do you think of our Highlighted moments from London’s Ready-To-Wear Fall/Winter 2021? At Design Land NYC, we are loving the rush of creativity, the progress made towards sustainability in fashion, the bright uplifting colors and prints in place and all the amazing work that designer’s are doing in response to the challenges encountered in the past year. We are following the next fashion shows closely and cannot wait to report the next recap!

Sending joy,

Lori / Design Land NYC

Artist Inspo: Yayoi Kusama

In today’s Artist Inspo we will talk about Yayoi Kusama, one of our favorite contemporary artists! Her art installations make for some of the most magical and captivating experiences and her other multi-media visual art is otherworldly. 

Kusama Yayoi - Louis Vuitton Window Display - Image Via Louis Vuitton

Yayoi Kusama is a contemporary Japanese artist whose work encompasses a wide range of mediums namely; sculpture, painting, film and installation. Kusama is especially well-recognized for her creative use of dots as the basis of all her artwork, and there is a story behind that. 

Yayoi Kusama in Yellow Tree furniture room at Aich triennale, Nagoya, Japan, 2010. - Image via Whitney Museum

How did Kusama start? 

Born in Matsumoto City in Japan, Kusama showed early signs of creative talent, specifically in visual arts. She studied painting in Kyoto and in 1958 moved to New York City, aiming to become a part of the contemporary art movement in the city. Kusama curated many exhibitions, where she showed to be a unique character in the midst of other talented contemporary artists like Andy Warhol, Joseph Cornell and Claes Oldenburg. Her artwork soon became distinguished within the artistic circles, and her installations of “Infinity Rooms” very popular with the crowds, making her a significant artist in the Pop-art and Minimalist movements and marking her as one of the first artists to engage in performance art.

Starting from Right - Yayoi Kusama Self Portrait, 1972, Installation view of Infinity Mirror Room—Phalli’s Field, 1965, Phosphoresce in the Daytime, c. 1950

Performances and Happenings

Kusama’s performances often took the shape of “Happenings”, which were unplanned, impromptu events that required audience participation. Many of the Happenings in the 1960s were meant to protest the Vietnam War, and involved naked participants (including the artist), during which Kusama would paint colorful dots on the performers. 

One of the most memorable performances of Yayoi Kusama, was the unauthorized 1969 Happening, Grand Orgy to Awaken the Dead at MoMA. Naked performers were to embrace each other and engage with the statues around them, who were figures made by deceased artists. By staging this performance, Kusama communicated the point of “dead” art in need of more living artists’ animation.

Narcissus Garden was another memorable performance, installed for the 1966 Venice Biennale and included a “kinetic carpet” of mirrored spheres placed outdoors. During the performance, Kusama wore a golden kimono and sold each sphere to the public. Narcissus Garden served as a critique to the mechanization of the art market, as well as promotional opportunity for the artist. 

Having made such an impact in the art world, Kusama returned to Japan in the 1970s to take care of her mental health and only made a comeback in 1993, when she represented her country in the Venice Biennale. 

Why Dots? 

Yayoi Kusama in Tokyo, 2016. Photo by Tomoaki Makino.

Yayoi Kusama talks about her reason behind dots as her main design element, stemming from a semi-traumatic experience when she was a little girl. During a bizarre moment of hallucination, Kusama found herself in a field of flowers with these flowers coming to life and in an Alice-in-Wonderland-like moment began speaking to her. The blossoms appeared in the shape of dots, and laid out into the horizon. While the dots extended in front of her, she felt herself merge with the hallucination into what she calls “self-obliterating” into the field of dots. Keeping this memory in mind, Kusama continues to “self-obliterate” and merge into the infinity of dots in all of her artwork and installations. 

Yayoi Kusama's Obliteration Room - Image Via The Weekend Edition

‘Our earth is only one polka dot among a million stars in the cosmos. Polka dots are a way to infinity. When we obliterate nature and our bodies with polka dots, we become part of the unity of our environment’.

Infinity Mirrored Room - Image Via Artnews

Infinity Rooms 

Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Room - Image Via CNN

Kusama’s most impressive and creative installations remain her “Infinity Rooms”. These installations are always unique in character, often incorporating mirrors, circular objects, dots and a multitude of lights to replicate the idea of an infinite space. Very often, these installations are created by placing hundreds of flashing colorful LED lights into dark mirrored rooms, and fabricate a conceptual environment of a galaxy-like infinity. The inspiration continues to stem from Kusama’s childhood experience and moment of hallucination, something that she is always seeking to mimic into her artwork. 

Where to Find Her Artwork

Some of her most well-established exhibitions include “Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors” at the Hirshhorn Museum, and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., “Yayoi Kusama: Life is the Heart of Rainbow” at the National Gallery Singapore, and the exhibitions “Yayoi Kusama: Festival of Life” and “Yayoi Kusama Infinity Nets” at David Zwirner in New York. Some of Kusama’s artwork can now be observed at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh, and the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, as well as her own museum in Tokyo which was first inaugurated in 2017. 

Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Room - Image Via Tate Modern

 At Design Land we see the artwork of Yayoi Kusama as a major source of inspiration to make our designs as dynamic and experiential! We especially love the art installations that offer a phenomenal experience. We recommend that if you travel to any of the mentioned locations do not miss out on a visit to these astonishing Infinity Rooms! They make for great pictures and enchanting memories!

XOXO Lori / Design Land NYC

The Gift of hope for 2021

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you! We are excited to have made it to the end of December, and even more excited to join the festivities with you!

In many ways than one, 2020 has been a historic year.

We underwent a global pandemic, experienced a universal shutdown and complete modification of our lifestyle habits, and we had a universal awakening of social justice. Although much of our personal lives has been put on pause, our group initiatives and sentiment towards social and environmental causes have had time to jump-start and prepare to fight for a better tomorrow. What’s more, the vaccine for Covid-19 has already been distributed and many individuals at risk such as the elderly and the ones with preexisting conditions, as well as members of the medical staff have already been vaccinated. To us, these and so much more, are cause for a great 2021!

It turns out, there really is light at the end of the tunnel. Noticing patterns throughout our past history, humans have never made more progress on any disease in a year than during this case, given that many vaccine developments take as much as 10 years to be officially completed. That information alone sheds light into a much wanted resolution for progress in the medical field, at a time when this particular virus has affected the global population entirely.

Among the two reasons to be hopeful for the future are the usage of masks and social distancing, and the new vaccine.

The vaccines developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, and Moderna are the ones that currently received emergency approval in the US and UK. Following the two companies examples, there are many more conducting clinical trials and exploring new ways to help immune our bodies. However, before deciding to get the vaccine, we suggest that you research how the vaccine is preparing you against the virus, as they do function differently and approach the problem on various ways. The existing approved vaccines are both mRNA based, meaning that they do not contain the Covid-19 virus, and cannot infect you. They work by using mRNA messenger to code for a spike protein that is then detected by your immune system, helping it familiarize and prepare to fight Covid-19.

We are making progress by staying united

The real hope here stands in the united progress that we are making in working together with governments, scientists and well-funded companies to help make these big steps into a safer future. Countries are adapting and sending aid where needed to pull through this global health emergency together. We see a world that is collaborating globally to ensure bringing back a certain normalcy and sense of security in the next year, and that helps us cope with a new beginning, as well as a farewell to 2020.

Good News in Climate Change and Clean Energy Innovations

In other good news for the near future, we see a reintegration of the US in working on issues of climate change and will join other countries in their meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, for the first major United Nations summit on climate change next year. We are hopeful that the US will begin establishing the clean-energy innovations to eliminate greenhouse gases. In other trends, whether design or marketing we expect a significant rise in eco conscious choices and varied available options for educated consumers. Because of our involuntary reset in life, consumers have become more sensitive to pressing issues like climate change and social justice. Knowing how demand controls the market, 2021 will become a year of change and beneficial progress. We expect 2021 to bring noticeable change and we are ready to experience it.

Hopeful for 2021

2021 will be a significant improvement from 2020, simply for the fact that the world is working on solving current problems that have disrupted life as we know it, and having provided multiple solutions to tackle a global pandemic and reduce its death rate, we are very much hopeful and looking forward to a brighter year!

We hope you are feeling more joyful this Christmas holiday, knowing that the world will be set in a better place only moments from now and that we are all working together to stay safe and healthy. That being said, please wear your masks and continue social distancing! The fight is not over yet, and we should show our sense of solidarity to all the people around us. Christmas is a holiday for sharing, and what better to share than secure proper health for your loved ones! At Design Land NYC, we are happy and healthy, and excited for the New Year to begin!

Stay healthy and safe and we wish you a most hopeful Winter season!

Sending joy and love:

XOXO Lori / Design Land NYC

The Gift Of Hope For 2021

Artist Inspo: Thandiwe Muriu

Hi everyone,

We hope your week has been amazing so far!  We were so lucky to have been introduced to this AMAZING African based artist and photographer via Adobe Creative Suite! #adobecreativecloud #designlandnyc #thandiwemuriu

It is such a sunny day in NYC today and we feel like it matches the vibrant colors and patterns of Thandiwe Muriu’s photographic creations! This post will be a focus on Muriu’s work, experience and motifs of inspirations. Thandiwe Muriu is a leading Nairobi-based photographer and her style is characterized by bright, fun colors and African fabrics in their glorious & joyful design combinations. 

How did Thandiwe Muriu start

Photography has always been a part of her life.

Having started developing curiosity about her father’s camera fairly young, Muriu began by mimicking fashion photography and posting her work on Facebook, where she was picked up and contacted by many. Still undecided in her career choice, she went on to study Marketing in College and continued to improve her craft while still taking small photography jobs on the side. She describes this period as a time when she was realizing her path, and soon enough decided to whole-heartedly pursue professional photography, defying all the social stigma that comes with it, and overcoming financial difficulties. Muriu feels lucky to have done this change in her life along with other young emerging Kenyan photographers, as communicating with others shattered many barriers that kept young professionals from executing their visions and making a living. 

About Inspiration

Muriu’s inspirations come from many places, all rooted in the love for African fabrics and cultures. 

“My DNA is… I love Color!” – that is her main statement that best describes her innermost personality translated in visuals. 

Muriu plays around with color, patterns, lines and other simple design elements that together form this intricate tapestry of visual exploration. The accessories that complement her fashion photography are often made of the most useful household objects. In an interview with UNESCO, Muriu mentions that this repurposing of African objects resonates to the idea that every household object had over 20 uses in Kenya, and defies class of social group. This way, styling is planned and performed in ways that never appear in western cultures, as they carry Kenyan significance. 

African Beauty

Another important aspect of Muriu’s photography is representing real African beauty.

Growing up, Muriu felt that dark-skinned beauty had little to no representation, with light-skin being deemed as more beautiful. Through her art, she wants to emphasize real African beauty and have little girls see themselves in her work and learn to love their skin and natural features. Muriu aims to shift the damaging beauty standards that previous generations were taught to believe and her photography best translates this major part of her artistic vision.

The Vision in Progress

 Muriu is part of a bigger movement that changed the shape of photography and its landscape in Nairobi.

As an artist, she feels a significant difference in the way photography is no longer perceived as simply photo-journalism, but is now understood as an artform. She sees a shift in local appreciation, focusing on developing internally, as opposed to looking at the global perspective, and has great faith in the future generations and their power to tell the stories and visions of Kenya.  This is why she offers classes for new beginning photographers , as her way to encourage the youth of Nairobi to continue expressing their vision and fight social stigma that tells them otherwise.

Looking at Muriu’s work, we feel inspired and filled with stimulated creativity. We understand the importance of her work and celebrate these beautiful graphics.

Xoxo Lori / Design Land NYC

Pantone Colors of the Year 2021

As this year slowly comes to an end, Pantone Color Institute has proceeded to release the forecasted color to best represent the upcoming year 2021. In a fairly unusual manner, Pantone CI has selected a two-color combo: Ultimate Gray and Illuminating [Yellow]. The forecast occurred much later in the year than expected compared to previous cases.

At Design Land NYC, we attended the official Online Webinar presentation of Pantone Color Institute, focused on the Pantone Color of the Year 2021 and the way this color trend is affected by the ongoing events. During the Webinar held on the Pantone Color of the Year 2021, Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of Pantone Color Institute, expressed that the delay was a result of perpetual consideration of current events, in areas of social, political and economic change. Working in forecasting color often has much more to do with the social and political climate in understanding what people will engage and react to most, than will mere aesthetic. Both colors picked each represent two different aspects of our recovery from 2020, and offer a peaceful rejoice for the year that is about to begin. 

Why Gray and Yellow 

Meaning behind the colors:

Ultimate Gray: Gray stands for resilience, strength and emotional encouragement. It forms fortitude, a firm foundation and creates hope and clarity for the human spirit. Gray is our solid piece and commonly composes gravel, stones, everything that our feet stand on. 

Illuminating: This hue of yellow represents brightness, brings a cheerful attitude into the future picture, adds optimism and brings light after the darkness. 

The combination of Grey and Yellow is a splendid blend in its natural state. The two colors can be observed in nature together, in pebbles in the stream, bumble bee jasper stones, and sunlight radiating in changing leaves. Together these colors offer the much awaited reset and new beginning, reflecting the wanted strength to overcome past hardships and joyful attitude to the future. 

Leatrice Eisemen pointed out that 2021 is not the first year that the Pantone Color Institute selected a pair combo, something that occurred once before in 2016 “a marriage between soft blue and pink”. During the 20 years the Pantone CI has been announcing their color forecast, this year is the first that is partially represented by a neutral color, something that has never happened before. Yet, although some colors of the year are derived from the same family they are always reinvented and Pantone CI has never repeated the same hue. 

Application: In application, we can expect the colors to appear in combination, or on their own. They can be incorporated in prints, fabrics textures and accessories, in accent walls for interior, and in monochromatic creations. 

How was the color selected

The major telling factor in the decision making, was considering all major events occurring in 2020 to understand what emotions people are looking to find in the near future. This year, the Pantone Color Institute had a clear idea that the color should convey hope and resilience as to affect change in the ever less pleasant current reality. 

It is generally accepted that one of the colors most people associate with feelings of joy and happiness, or perceive as bright and positive is within the family of Yellow. Yellow alone seems too happy and bright, and would not accurately reflect a recuperating and recovering society. Knowing how difficult and challenging it is too pair yellow with any other color that clashes, or adds on to the cheerfulness, the only best alternative was to pick a mute or neutral color that balances out the positivity with some physical grounding. Gray is one of the most common neutrals used in design, easily found in capsule wardrobes, interior decoration, and is simultaneously modern and timeless. 

Image Via Condé Nast Traveler

Our conclusion

After a year of a major global crisis, we are all in need for some bright colors in our environment. This color pairing, sparks a newfound affection for parts of nature that are fleeting, as the combination appears in instants of time that we can only catch a glimpse on, such as the first moments of sunrise, and certain reflection of light on still-water. This pair is also present in industrial elements, in the solid structure of cement and constructed roads foundations, in contemporary interior and futuristic raw designs. 

We feel that this color combination is a proper one that will spark joy this year. How do you feel about this color after reading on the reasoning behind their selection? We hope you are healthy and happy and may your world be Illuminating next year!

Xoxo Lori / Design Land NYC

Bumble Bee Jasper Stones: Image Via The Crystal Council

Special Announcement

Hi everyone,

How are you feeling this Fall? We hope you are recharging and taking care of yourself this season. Most importantly, we hope you are doing OK and your dear ones are healthy and safe! We are experiencing a once-in-a-century pandemic blues and we miss the human connection and those big hugs we used to give one another. Praying for this to end soon so we can go back to our happy selves.

Well, we want to share some information with you:

New Office Location in Soho, Hudson Square

Much has changed since our last post and we will utilize this space for a quick work update. Design Land NYC is now located in a new happy sun-drenched location in Soho, have taken up many more interesting design projects, have acquired new clients in the graphic design scope and fashion industry. What’s more, we have pushed boundaries and done something entirely different! Which brings us to our special news: 

Selling Apparel on Our Online Store | Shop here!

We are excited to announce the official opening of our Design Land online store and we want to celebrate the birth of our clothing line! After 1 year of founding Design Land NYC, we have created our first line of Soft Plush Hoodies that are currently available in 3 color ways: Bubblegum Pink, Unisex Purple and Black Heather, as well as personalized orders. Feel free to contact us for any image or idea that you would like printed on your order and we will make it happen. Our hoodies can be ordered online via our shop. Alternatively, you can pick your order up in our Soho location: 101 Avenue of the Americas, 9th floor, New York, NY 10013. Our line will be available for purchase on Instagram shop for your convenience, so stay tuned for updates on our Instagram and Facebook and make sure to follow us to learn more! 

WE ARE SO GRATEFUL! THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT! IT HAS NOT BEEN EASY IN THE DESIGN INDUSTRY BUT WE ARE MAKING IT!

While 2020 has been a challenging year, we are grateful for all the support, numerous creative projects, our new inspiring office space and the people that envelope us with their positivity. As Design Land NYC grows to be 1 year old, we reflect on the exciting journey we have embarked on and remain thankful and driven with new ideas for more. In the light of Design Land’s One Year Anniversary we are planning to host a small celebratory get together, in the safest and healthiest way that the situation allows us, including our close friends, featuring many bubble gum pink balloons! Until then, we cannot wait to share our progress and upcoming designs with you.

FIRST THANKSGIVING IN DESING LAND NYC

Among so many firsts, today marks our first Thanksgiving together at Design Land NYC, doubling on these emotions and motivating air in an industry where we are constantly improving our work and service offering, we are thankful and amazed by your trust in us.

As always, feel free to contact us for any services, customized products or consultation sessions, as well as orders of customized products and we will be in touch with you.

What about you dear reader and friend, what are you thankful for in the brink of this year’s end?  Write it in the comments below.

We hope you are all safe and healthy and we send lots of joy your way!

Xoxo Lori / Design Land NYC

November 2020 - Picture at the new location!!