NIK PATE: BALLAD OF / IDOL MAGAZINE

Followers of my blog may remember the post I wrote back in July dedicated to London based Artist/ Photographer Nik Pate, undoubtedly a true talent...and armed with his individual style and ethos, he has a VERY bright future ahead of him.

If you where to mix the vivid pop-culture of Lachapelle, the darkness of Tim Burton and the tongue-in-cheek of Terry Richardson...The result would be Nik's many faceted and extensive portfolio.

One of Nik's more recent projects has been a fashion editorial published exclusively on IDOL magazines infamous online editorial page, a collection of the BEST editorial spreads from the BEST up-and-coming talents in the worlds of fashion and art.

'BALLAD OF' sees Nik turn the darkness up a couple 'dozen notches, and along with the help of a stellar Hair/MU and styling team, he created a darkly seductive and mesmerising spread that looks fresh off a billboard ad!

The doll-like stances and gorgeous clothing, juxtaposed with the models clawed hands and distant stares create a menacing atmosphere not often seen in fashion editorials. The elongated limbs and sharp joints along with the cinched in waists are reminiscent of Morticia Addams; albeit younger, hotter and with a more extensive and expensive wardrobe.

Speaking of the clothes, no expense was spared in the wardrobe department...We have Chanel, Mcqueen, Burberry, Kimmie, Lacroix, YSL and not forgetting the STUNNING Balmain gown seen in the first and last image!

Once again Nik has blown me away with his unique approach to his art: not afraid of taking risks, thinking outside the box and doing things a little bit different to the rest. I cannot wait to see more twisted and Gothic imagery...'cus one things for sure, the boys got a talent for it!

The editorial can also be seen in full online over at IDOL Magazine

Full credits after the images!

Art Direction/Photography/Editing - Nik Pate (www.nikpate.com)
Styling - Rosie Williams (www.rosie-williams.com)
Hair - Aaron Blondell (www.aaronblondell.com)
Make-up - Claire Cox
Model - Sofie @ Oxygen 

PAM HOGG AW11

I can't believe that the PHENOMENAL AW11 collection from Pam Hogg slipped under my fashion radar...HOW?! Well, better late than never!

This collection had all of my BIGGEST fashion favourites: Fur, leather, feathers, taxidermy and a whole heap of fetish! On paper, the collection shouldn't have worked at all, the mix of colours/textures/materials was all over the place...However, Hogg managed to pull it off big time.

Hoggs reputation for edgy and contemporary womenswear was fully reinforced as the show unfolded...First their where Edward Scissorhand-esque leather trenches with straps and buckles...followed by bodysuits composed of PVC strips barely covering the models at all (complete with stuffed raven headpieces!), then their was kaleidoscopic and breathtaking fur coats...It just kept coming!

Hogg has the ability to combine the most simplistic of leather dresses, with the extravagance of a gold and yellow fur embellished dress...flawlessly! The collection as a whole is stunning, and every piece worked together to create what is an aptly titled show: ''Far from the madding crowd''

Here are my favourite pieces, It was a tough choice...I loved every last stitch!

IRIS SCHEIFERSTEIN

German artist Iris Schieferstein has created some of the most extreme footwear I've yet to come across...Regular viewers of my blog will know of my love for taxidermy and any artist who creates beautiful things from reclaimed animal carcasses...

Schieferstein creates shoes from cow hooves, guns, fur and other objects...resulting in controversial, yet  extraordinary foot-art. So controversial in fact, that in her home country of Germany, Schieferstein was threatened with a jail sentence for her 'obscene' work...

In an interview for Dazed Digital, when asked what attracted her to work with deceased animals, she had this to say...

My interest in using animals began in 1990. I was thinking about what we eat whilst I was preparing some fish. They are like garbage. They can’t eat or sleep or whatever. Then I started with chicken, because they look a little bit human-like. I started using them because of the nature of making and fixing, but also to create another material from the animals too. Of course, you could create them for a practical purpose, but for me it’s an artwork.

Although people may be shocked by her work, I think its a perfectly acceptable material to use. Hooves would normally be disposed of in an abattoire,  so why not use every last piece of the animal, even if it is for art? I see it as a celebration (albeit a morbid one) of the animals life.

Here are the heels that have caused so much controversy, make up your own mind!

You can view more of Schiefersteins work over at her official website iris-schieferstein.de

AMATO SS12

The Amato Spring/Summer 2012 Couture collection is nothing short of bizarre, extravagant and down right amazing!

The combination of luxurious gowns in decadent materials, with cyborg like accessories is stunning. The mix is unlike anything I've ever come across before, but it definitely works.

The organza gowns, many with lace detailing, where ethereal...moving with each model as she walked. Uber feminine and chic, they would have been stunning as a stand alone collection in themselves: however with the inclusion of rigid metal and plastic neck braces, the juxtaposition created took the collection to new heights!

Again, the colour palette was very feminine, in pastels and nudes...all of which where illuminated with the metal and neon lighting of the masks, giving the pieces an otherworldly atmosphere.

The cut of each dress created some gasp-inducing silhouettes, some of which look to be somewhat Mcqueen inspired... I love the 'It shouldn't work-but it does' combination of extremely feminine materials/colours with the harsh cuts and exaggerated shoulders.

Here are my favourite pieces from the collection. You can see the rest of the gowns (as well as the previous work of Furne One, Amato's creative director) over at the official website amatohautecouture.com

REIN VOLLENGA

The work of Dutch designer Rein Vollenga is firmly on the fence between art and fashion, he creates avant-garde and contemporary sculptures that are intended to be worn...although they would look just as good in a gallery!

The aesthetic of each piece is fluid and glossy, resembling a cross between insects and futuristic machinery: Dark, visceral and very fetish. I'm a huge fan of exo-skeletal/armour-like accessories, and this series completely blew me away!

Each piece is completely unique and will never be reproduced, with Vollenga saying...

 I also aim for every piece of my work to be a one off; I don’t reproduce anything. It’s really boring to do that, and another reason is that I like to review myself all the time. I also think that it benefits the piece itself when it exists alone and is the only one on earth, it makes it more special.

Vollenga also believes that his work is more sculptural art than it is fashion, despite being commissioned by some of the biggest names in fashion.

Here are the stunning images of the collection, I don't think the mood could be more perfect for the pieces!

Vollengas work caught the attention of Mugler front-man Nicola Formichetti, with him commissioning the artist to create a sculpture to be used as part of the AW11 ad campaign...The sculpture looks to be very Geiger inspired, with the figure being exaggerated and Alien-like. As a HUGE Geiger fan, I love it...

As an obvious fan of Vollenga, Formichetti then went on to commission him to create jewellery pieces for his AW11 collection also...

Here are some pictures from the runway, as well as some close up shots of the pieces themselves posted by Vollenga on his own blog.

To see some more of this amazing artists work, you can visit his official website and keep up-to-date with his blog! reinvollenga.com