Okay, I know that the London Open House event was a few weeks ago now and I’m a bit behind on the draw, but I thought it was definitely worth posting some of the images that were contributed to the Flickr pool. So come back in time with me and poke your nose into some of London’s buildings rarely entered by the general public…
Brightly coloured designs marked Karishma Shahani’s award-winning catwalk collection for the London College of Fashion’s Graduate Runway Show 2010. She came away with an award for “Best Surface Textiles” to add to her CV alongside the “Nina De York Fashion Illustration” award and “Fashion Graduate of the Year award.
It’s no surprise her eye-catching work has caught the attention of staff at Vogue, Grazia, Elle and ID magazine alongside quite a few others around the world from France to Russia to Hong King and Japan.
Her values of longevity in clothing, ethical fair trade and using “upcycled” and organic materials match the values of the forward-thinking audience she will reach with her vibrant collections.
For this week’s London Art Spot, Karishma tells us how life in her native India plays a massive part in her work, shows off some photos of latest stunning collection and lets us in on the details of her collaboration with American artist Amy Sol.
LLO: Give us an overview of your latest collection, Yatra. KS: The collection draws inspiration and elements from the multiple layers of India’s vibrant culture that continuously create colourful, vivid and eclectic experiences for the onlooker. The colours are picked from traditional paintings of Indian Gods, and recreated through natural methods of dyeing. The surface texture adds to the multi-dimensional feel enhancing the use of natural fabrics alongside upcyled packaging materials.
In its essence this collection is a reflection of the Indian lifestyle of re-interpretation of materials and their function at every step; always re-using and recycling; creating heirlooms that are passed down through generations. Each garment is made with beauty, simplicity and versatility as its core which lends it a multi-layered and personality-driven charm. The designs combine a fusion of two extremes, making the collection experimental and unconventional, while being hinged on modern functionality.
LLO: Which aspects of life in your native India most inspire your work? What about aspects of London life? KS: A lot of aspects ranging from the people on the road, to our vast history, culture, architecture, crafts, travel, the list is endless. London’s cosmopolitan nature is very appealing. Being a melting pot for people from all around the world is quite inspiring. UK too has a comprehensive history and its ties with India are aspects I like exploring.
LLO: Tell us about some of the materials that have gone into your latest collection – the bright colours, the recycled concept, etc. What’s the most unusual material you used or the most difficult to obtain? KS: The materials in the collection range from calico and cotton to pure silk and silk tulle and then over to High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). The last being a material used extensively in packaging in India hence lending to the upcycled nature of this collection as the patterns were cut from previously used sacks. All the material in the collection barring the HDPE have been hand dyed to suit the colour requirements that give enough homage to their source of inspiration. The accessories include secondhand hand-painted shoes and piece from chandeliers, cut away sneakers and blankets. The toughest material to obtain was the HDPE due to its varied sizes and quality control it required to obtain large pieces to create the garments.
LLO: Do you remember a precise moment that made you decide you wanted to have a career in fashion? KS: Just the simple fact of creating new things. Consciously or without realising, clothing plays an important part in defining a person’s personality for the onlooker and I’ve always found this aspect really interesting. So I can’t pinpoint a precise moment.
LLO:Which signature elements of your designs make them unique to you? KS: Colour, texture, contrast
LLO: Not only have you won some impressive awards (including “Best Surface Textiles 2010 LCF BA Graduate Show”, “Nina De York Illustration Award 2010” and “Fashion Graduate of the Year 2010 British Graduate 100 Award”) but you also started your own label. What has been your proudest moment so far in your fashion career? KS: Receiving the “Best Surface Textile Award” at the London College of Fashion Graduate show 2010 was a great way to graduate, a fulfilling pat of encouragement.
LLO: Your bio includes a degree in economics, experience in at an NGO and a stint as a production manager. Does your career background have an impact on the way you approach fashion? KS: Yes it does. I do think that one needs to know all the aspects of the industry they are a part of; it’s not about mastering all aspects but just simply about knowing how things work, because everything works hand-in-hand. All my previous work experiences have shaped my outlook towards design and its end result. The work has made me travel and live in various cities, that in itself is an enriching experience.
LLO: Where’s your favourite place in London to gather fashion inspiration – both in the shops and on the streets? KS: Camden Town. One of my absolute favourites. I love how you can find ‘anything’ in the market and see ‘anyone’ on the streets. It always puts me in awe at the diversity that is around us.
LLO: Any other up-and-coming London-based designers we should keep an eye on? KS: Felicity Brown, Manjit Deu, David Longshaw to name just a few.
LLO: What’s next for you? KS: I am currently working on developing an AW 11 collection, alongside a brand that further promotes social responsibility and traditional techniques for a sustainable future of products and fashion; that continues to become more aware of its power to change and assist changes in lives of all those involved. Alongside this, I am working on a collaboration project with American artist Amy Sol, whose phantasmagorical paintings always depict girls in flowing dresses wandering through luscious landscapes. This project for a social eco-fashion enterprise called “Jhoole”, a non-profit business, designed to uplift female artisans based in a weaver’s village in rural Madhya Pradesh, India which will culminate in exhibitions and fashion shows in the summer of 2011. Another, being a textile development project for a textile producer based on recyclability and sustainability of fabrics combined with a base to provide further work for craftspeople in different regions of India.
Ahmet Berut is a graphic designer, an illustrator, a photographer, an animator, a web designer, a Muslim with a passion for clarifying the misconceptions of his religion and, of course, a born and bred Londoner. The love of design started in primary school where Ahmet was fascinated by the design of storybooks while learning how to read. He graduated from university in 2009, sticking to the same career ideas he had way back then.
The core of his personal work is an effort to peel back the hard rind of negativity that lies between the peace inherent in Islam and the messages of fear and disapproval that have piled up since 9/11 and 7/7 became regular terms in the global media. Ahmet wants a bit of harmony in the world.
Beyond that, he has worked on creative projects with people like Dev.Soul (who is about to release a debut album) and is currently pursuing a 6-month internship at a charity-based organisation called L’Ouverture (www.louverture.co.uk) which he is enjoying tremendously.
Eventually, Ahmet would like to have his own freelance design company.
Dev.Soul, front of album cover
LLO: How long have you lived in London and how does this city influence your creativity?
AB: I’ve lived in London since I was born, and the city influences me in many more ways than one. London is a very interesting and unique place to live because of the vast diversity within its people and their backgrounds, be it class, ethnicity or faith. This unique setting conjures up an abundance of influence, which materializes into an atmosphere, which certainly makes you more conscious of the world. This has had an affect on the concepts behind my self-initiated and personal work. I use design to understand the world better and also try to help people understand certain aspects of the world, such as my background in particular. I think there is a need for people to come together in one way or another to try and understand each other better and to help break down walls, even in London, despite the fact that it’s tremendously multicultural.
Dev.Soul, CD design
LLO: What is your working process from brief to finished product?
AB: Once I read the brief, I distinguish the target market/audience and I pick out keywords, which I can use in the research phase. Before I start on the research, I jot down some initial ideas. I think the most important part of the working process is the research phase. I mainly undertake visual research into current trends and also I look into existing work, which relates to the brief. After research, I experiment with ideas based on what I have found. Once I’m happy with a certain style, I develop potential final designs. I create a variety of outcomes, which I show to the client to keep them updated with progress. On most occasions during this phase, the client chooses one or two for me to develop further, or sometimes they are happy with what I have produced as a final.
Dev.Soul, page 3-4 of CD booklet
LLO: Do you specialise in any specific field of graphic design and which aspect of design do you most enjoy?
AB:I specialise in print work, however, I am also keen on specialising in motion graphics and web design. I particularly like motion graphics as I enjoy the working process of it and one of my ambitions is to work in the film, TV and gaming industry. I have also started to get into web design, as I have found that most of my work revolves around the web. There are also a lot of great opportunities once you have good web design skills.
Dev.Soul, back of business card
LLO: Tell us a bit about your recent project “The Misunderstood Religion of Islam”. How did you come up with the idea?
AB: I had undertaken “The Misunderstood Religion of Islam” project for my final major assignment at university. The aim of the project was to factually dispel the universal misconceptions that many people have about Islam. In the process this would educate people about the religion and also hopefully open their eyes to something they thought had no positive impact or role in the world’s history.
The final products comprise of an A5 booklet, accompanied by several posters. The booklet contains articles dispelling the 10 most common misconceptions of Islam with quotes from the Holy Qur’an and the Hadith’s (traditional sayings) of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him). The posters have vivid images with strong statements and questions, making people think differently about Islam.
A3 Islam, Front Cover
I came up with the idea in response to the unfair negative press Islam is getting in the media, especially in today’s global climate. I felt there was a moral need to address the misconceptions that have been created in all the confusion, which has stemmed from misinformation.
Unfortunately, on some occasions this confusion has led to undeserved hate towards Islam. This hatred is evident and can be seen across the Internet. For example, I would come across informative videos relating to Islam on sites such as YouTube, and around about 80-90% of comments on those videos were extremely negative – threats such as “Let’s kill all Muslims” or “They should all be kicked out of our country” etc. The latter consisted of misconceptions such as “Islam is a terrorist religion” or “Islam oppresses women”. I feel that education is very important, because it is the only thing that will bring peace and unity.
LLO: What messages are you conveying through your work?
AB: The main message I want to convey through my work is that not everything is what it seems. For instance, when you look deeper into something, it usually turns out to be different from what one would first assume. I tried to visually represent this connotation through “The Misunderstood Religion of Islam” project, by creating a notion of confusion and distortion through the typography. I want to be involved in more projects that relate to these types of subjects that hopefully make people aware of certain social issues.
Terrorism is not a religion – A3 poster
LLO: Which project are you most proud of so far and why?
AB: The project I am most proud of is “The Misunderstood Religion of Islam” both ethically as well as aesthetically. I hope the project has cleared up any confusion that people might have had. I also hope that the project can be a platform for people to start discussions and debates. I think that the design style of the work has been successful in communicating the context of the project. It has also inspired me to experiment further with information design.
LLO: Who is your dream client and why?
AB: I have two dream clients, the first one being Naughty Dog, a computer games company. They have worked on games such as Unchartered 2 & classics such as Crash Bandicoot. The reason why I would want to work for them is because working in the gaming industry as an art worker is one of my goals.
My second client would be an organisation such as Current TV, which is an experimental media company. I am very interested in the work that they do, especially in the documentaries they make about world issues. That is a field I would definitely want to work in. From the clients I have given, I don’t favour one over the other. I want to work towards gaining opportunities to work in both areas.
Summer Saturday performance club poster for L’Ouverture
LLO: Favourite London-based artists and designers?
AB: I am very fond of a London-based artist/designer/illustrator who calls himself TWIY (Alex Chappell). He has a unique style in the work that he does. He ranges from print design, to illustration to painting. His work can be described in many more words than one, because I haven’t really come across many works like his. Some of the words that could be used to describe his work are unique, vibrant, exuberant, fresh amongst many more. People should take a look for themselves at his site. (www.twiy.co.uk)
LLO: How would you like to see your career develop over the next few years?
AB: In the next few years, I want to gain as much valuable experience as I can. I also want to keep on developing my style of work, as I will be doing throughout my career. Ultimately, I would want to have enough knowledge and preparation to be able to set up my own freelance design business.
Calling all playwrights competition poster
LLO: What are you working on now?
AB: I recently finished working on a marketing campaign to promote a website relaunch of L’Ouverture’s partner IdeasTap. I created a promotional video to attract people to the new site. I am also currently working on completing a promotional video to advertise L’Ouverture and their services.
Apart from working with L’Ouverture, I am also working on a variety of other external projects.
My main personal project I am working on is redesigning the style of my website and also updating my portfolio. I try to always update the style of my site (www.ahmetbarutdesign.com) as much as I can. This plays a big part in my training for web design, as I would like to gain a foothold in the web industry.
I have also just finished working with a recently graduated music producer who goes by the name of Dev.Soul. He will be releasing his debut album, so I branded his name and designed him a music album sleeve cover, album booklet and business card. I have already worked with Dev.Soul in the past on another project. This project was called “20th July 1974”. We collaborated in creating a visual audio documentary based on the Turkish Cypriot’s untold story of the Cyprus war in the 1970’s.
I am also currently involved in an ongoing self-initiated project, which carries on the work of “The Misunderstood religion of Islam” project, which hopefully helps people become aware of certain world and social issues and also makes people clear about the teachings and beauty of Islam.
Listen to a Londoner is a weekly interview with a Londoner – someone who lives in this city, born here or elsewhere. If you want to be interviewed, email littlelondonobservationist@hotmail.co.uk. Always looking for new volunteers.
Marguerite O’sullivan with daughter Zia
Marguerite O’sullivan lives in West Kensington with her 4-year-old daughter Zia.
She is currently a freelance writer and publishes her own blog Mythreefootstylist.
LLO: What brought you to London three years ago?
MO: I came over from Australia with my daughter to accompany my then partner who was working on a UK film project.
LLO: You recently completed a voluntary internship with the award-winning GAIL’s Bread, one of the few remaining independent bread shops in the UK. Why should we stop in? What have they got to offer?
MO: Wow, that is a hard one; there are so many delicious treats on offer! If I really had to choose it would definitely be GAIL’s amazing chocolate brownies. I would recommend anyone to stop by GAIL’s to experience true artisan food that not only tastes great but (because it’s all handmade and free from all the nasty stuff) is healthy too.
LLO: What are your other favourite independent shops in London?
MO: Their Nibs is great for stylish children’s clothing; Yates Buchanan has great vintage accessories; The Cloth Shop has the most unusual array of contemporary and vintage European textiles.
LLO: Tell us about your blog, My Three Foot Stylist.
MO: I’ve always had an interest in design, textiles and style which I inherited from my mother; because I also have an interest in scribing, it seemed natural to put the two together in a blog. I gave it that title because my 4-year-old daughter has taken to styling me each morning!
LLO: What’s the best thing about living in your postcode?
MO: The gorgeous parks, including Holland Park and Kensington Gardens, the child-friendly cafes and the quirky shops.
LLO: Who are your favourite London-based designers?
MO: Margo, which is great for stylish but original pieces; Petra Boase, for eclectic framed prints and T-shirts; Stella McCartney, whose current line of children’s clothes for GAP is stylish yet affordable.
LLO: Describe your perfect London day.
MO: I’d start by heading to GAIL’s on Portobello Rd for a dairy-free muffin and fresh OJ; I’d then wander down to Portobello Green market to nab a bargain. Weather permitting; I’d then make my way to Grand Union canal for a leisurely walk towards the gorgeous Cafe de Ville restaurant in Little Venice where I would stop for a light supper as the sun sets.
LLO: Working in the food industry, can you recommend a few favourite London restaurants?
MO: If I had my choice I would eat at L’etranger every week, but with a 4-year-old child to cater for, my usual haunts are GBK and Prezzo because of their wonderful children’s offerings.
LLO: What’s your favourite London discovery?
MO: The little park and stream near Station Road in Barnes.
LLO: If I had one day in London and wanted to wander off the beaten path, where would you send me?
MO: I would direct you to Richmond Park for a spot of deer spotting followed by a picnic at Pen Ponds.
Photo: Channel 4 Offices by The Great Misto
Photo: Basement, Channel 4 Offices by Andrew
Photo: Crypt Corridor, Royal Courts by Andrea Vail
Photo: Locarno Suite, Foreign Office by Andrea Vail
Photo: Abbey Mills Pumping Station Gauge by EZTD
Photo: Church of St. Mary Le Bow, Cheapside by EZTD
Photo: St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel – Grand Staircase by EZTD
Photo: Main Staircase – Apothecaries Hall by EZTD
Photo: Pixel Cloud Inside the Allen and Overy Offices by The Green Album
Photo: Spiralling Out of Control Inside the ‘Battleship Building’ by The Green Album
Photo: Heaven’s Waiting Room in the Broadgate Tower by The Green Album
Photo: The Trellick Tower from Below by Michael Goldrei
Photo: Trellick Tower’s Deserted Basketball Court by Michael Goldrei
Photo: Trellick Tower Bedroom by Michael Goldrei
Photo: Coloured Glass in the Trellick Tower Reception by Michael Goldrei
Dev.Soul, front of album cover
Dev.Soul, CD design
Dev.Soul, back of business card
A3 Islam, Front Cover
Marguerite O’sullivan with daughter Zia
Little London Observationist 