I don’t visit art exhibitions to get fashion inspiration but things I see find their way into designs I work on. Roger Hiorn’s Seizure has been simmering away for a while and it’s starting to bubble.
In chilly November 2009 I made a trip down to a grim boarded up housing estate in Elephant and Castle, South London to behold the spectacle that saw him nominated for the Turner Prize that year. Using a chemical solution he covered the entire interior of a small council flat in blue crystals. I’ve always been a magpie – yes I know it’s a jewellery designer cliche – so this was kind of like Narnia and reignited my crystal obsession.
Taken on my visit to Artist Pierro Gareffa’s exhibition, Hackney Wicked 2009.
Amazing crystal pieces by designer Lauren Tennenbaum of Indecorous Taste..
Our fringed shorts – second time Eliza’s worn our shorts in her video- we love Eliza, she loves us, Happy Days!
These shorts were made especially for her. It’s funny cause much like wearing stripper shoes, they make you move differently, you can’t help swishing ur butt!
Love the halter-neck too – we think it’s time for a come-back, they’ve been gone far too long!
WOT is the deal with CATS can someone please explain to me innit? They don’t do any cool shit – they don’t play fetch, they’re don’t do stickie, they don’t like slobbery red ball, they never even do anything massively rebellious like peeing on the carpet or pooing on the footpath just by Broadway market like me when I want to embarass Mummy 1(Kath) or Mummy 2(Marion). They don’t do walkies, they don’t sit, they don’t roll-over, they don’t smile, they don’t get their rocks off like we do, they’re soooo moody. They’re so self obsessed all paw licking, , schmoozin, ear washing and lookin all prim and disapproving like I’m sooo better than u. Lahk Wohevaaa.
I didn’t always feel this way – I’m simple, I ain’t got an agenda, I’m all up for the lovin. I’ve got cat baggage though innit that I’ll carry around for life and I’m blaming Kitty(don’t even get me started on their names) the Netil House Cat from the studio. See me and Kitty could have been besites, wud v loaned her my chewed up tennis ball, given her the low down on where to get batteries, crisp bags, tupperware, fraid chickin etc but nah, she wasn’t havin it. I was like “hiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, hey hey look at me, hi, hey over here, no look at me, look” – waggin my tail n all, like dead friendly, “wanna go down the park with Mummy 1 and Mummy 2?” and she looked at me like the devil and then her fur did summink really weird like Mummy 1 and Mummy 2 do to models hair sometimes n she hissed at me – I’d never even heard that sound before, I was like terrified n it made me cry(and I did a little wee cause I was so afraid) cause everyone’s ususally so naais to me. Somebody told me though that cats are satantic so I should say a little doggy prayer for their souls. So Mummies even used her in a photoshoot lahk she’s prettier than me or summink but I fink the model Amy was gonna eat her for dinner so I don’t feel so bad.
Well anyways, despite all this yeah they go out n buy some Cat stuff for the website and they’re like totally lovin it and like so are the our customers…. Mummy 2(Marion) said cats are the new dogs – well it seems they are in fashions. I’m thinkin right after the Pedigree Chum collaboration I might arsk mummies if I can like design summink? I really like what Neurotica have done wiv the cat prints and vic,is lovely, she pats me on my head when I jump up to chew her scarf, I luvs silk modal jersey, it’s one of my favorite flavours along with expensive:
Oh yeah n so if ur wonderin why ah now hav n accent n all, well I was born on a council estate in Croydon yeah so ahm just stayin true to my roots – Mummies tried to make me all posh to be accepted in the fashion industry but lahk have u seen maay I’m a staff!
Don’t be fooled. They’ll never be a fashion dogger.
This is my cousin – he did, he’s and outcast in the dog community now, the shame he’s brought to my family.
Final word, if we’re Santa’s little helpers, they’re satan’s little helpers.
sooooooo I forgot one really important feature in the studio – the Hollywood mirror! Ever since I was little I’ve wanted a hollywood mirror n I spotted one in a salvage yard in Hackney Wick when I was living there. My mate Jarris the skater boy salvaged it once again for me and it’s now resident in our studio.
It’s developed a whole person of it’s own and had a cameo appearance in Ms. Dynamite’s video this year with Zinc(totally forgot about that, it doesn’t like to brag though) as well as an affair with a classically trained French life drawing model Cedric who came to stay in our warhouse for a while.
Interestingly, the video is actually set in the warehouse in which our studio in being built. If anyone has any cool ideas about lever arch folders and how to make them look nice please let me know – I’m really anal about filing, labelling and folders but I want to find a way to make them look good(I like the margiela filing system(all white) but it’s not going to work in a warehouse).
We’ll be in our current studio in Hackney a year mid december and it’s time for a move. We’re staying in our studio building Netil House because it’s the right place for BITCHY. We’re just doubling in size to prepare for the year ahead and expansion of our labels.
We spend more time at work than anything else so it’s important that we work in a nice space(it’s been a bit cosy for the last year) – we’re thinking polished concrete floors, blasts of colour, big plants and white built in shelving and lots of pictures – we’re even going to have our own entrance onto the street behind the original warehouse folding doors. The following are some of our insiprations now and for the future.
I love fairy lights – always.
Facebook Lounge – LOVE this lighting.
Linked-In – we would ultimately like one of these with some booze in it for beer o’clock too.
Twitter – I like the birdies.
The following I haven’t got a clue where from but they’re just cool:
Stumbled across Nirrimi’s blog We Live Young last week, a teenage gypsy with a camera in her hand and a knack of catching the fleeting intimacy of a moment. Only 18 years old she’s been shooting since she was thirteen. She grew up in Queensland – where BITCHY Kath is from – and now lives in Melbourne when she’s not living out of her suitcase. At 17 she shot her first campaign for Diesel and this year she brings out her first book. She describes photography as a way to relive her childhood.
Some imagery is just compellling, plain and simple, no need for further explanation. Dive in and lose yourself for just a moment.
Here’s a few images i’ve found online recently. Love them all! I have so many stored on my computer that i look at almost daily for inspiration on styling, make up, hair, photographic styles and just for something to look at! I love having that sneaky peak into someone else’s life, especially when it involves great style and a great location! The shoes in the last picture are by Gabriella Marina Gonzalez, also stocked in our online store. Enjoy!
Hey I’m Pepper. I’m a brindle Stafforshire bull terrier – lots of people think I’m dangerous but I’m a real softy. I spend my days in the studio watching everything that’s going on a bitchingandjunkfood.com. A lot of people say I’m a bitch. That’s because I am a bitch. I love fashion dogging and I like customising table legs, chairs, handbags and expensive shoes with teeth marks. This is pretty labour intesive and I apply hours worth of effort into getting a highly distressed finish.
In my spare time I like barking, going for walks, jumping up on children, scaring Nanas, I just want to lick their faces, chasing squirrels, going on little adventures over the wall at the end of the garden, not coming back when I’m called, running up to randomers in London fields and eating their picnics. I’m motivated mostly by food and love – food would win over love every time though. I’ve learned that if I give love that equates to food. I obsess about eating. Mare Street is proabably my favorite place in the world, it’s full of chicken shops so there’s lots of opportunity for me to get chicken bones – I know these are potentially fatal but I just think it’ll never happen to me. I live life on the edge. I like to say hello with my teeth.
I have two Mums, Kath and Marion and a Daddy Christian. Kath is mummy number one. For some reason they’re always shouting “y’bold ting” at me, usually when I’ve chewed a fur coat or destroyed a sample – I have expensive taste. When they do this I generally feign disinterest by going to my bowl and eating something. I’ve a very sensitive stomach and I regularly have an upset tummy which makes me parpy. Maybe I should lay off eating the expensive trimmings. I have lots of boyfriends.
I did a wee on Kath’s bed twice and I ran away on Marion when she was minding me. I occasionally try to dig holes in the concrete floor of the studio. I had little bed under the cutting table and I’ve made a nest out of wadding. It’s like sleeping on clouds.
I’m currently working on a collaboration with Pedigree Chum.
On Friday we had a Film festival but only got through two films Heathers and Reality bites. Everyone in them looked like the people we see when I go for Walkies on London fields. Mummys said that they were very inspirational fashion films.
Since its winter we think everyone should have mini festivals. Then we watched heathers, a film about mean cheerleader bitches.
The lovely people atMargaretinvited me to attend onedotzero- Adventures in Motion(audio-visual and cinematic festival) happening from 10-14 November. I’m a bit disgusted because I’m too busy to go to all the events over the weekend and there are so many good ones but I hit up DJ Yoda at BFI Max last night and despite deciding to take the bus from Hackney(bad call on my part), getting chucked off in the rain due to breakdown in the city somewhere, it didn’t disappoint. I’d seen Yoda in Dublin a few times but I hadn’t seen the live AV shows before and I was impressed, alright really impressed. I’d never been to BFI max before but it has the largest screen in Europe and yeah it’s HUGE. I went with my friend Cooney – he was wearing fingerless leather gloves – mental!
This was synchronised audio visual scratching of the highest degree – a melange of dubstep, DnB, old school hip-hop and an hyper image bombardment – ok may not have the right geek terminology right but I’m a fashion designer so gimme a break. It was also funny, cheeky and visually bantery – people were even dancing(imagine!!!)
Here’s sneak preview of everything you could see…..make up your own mind on what you want to.
The festival itself runs all weekend and there’s so much cool stuff going on. I missed a workshop with Itsnicethat due to work commitments and I didn’t get a chance to see theCassette Playainstallation – boo. Suggest you pay a visit if you’re up for some visual inspiration in LDN this weekend.
We just met Shingai Soniwa from the Noisettes down the Cat n Muttonat our lunch break – we had a good chat about Pepper the studio staff who’s going to start blogging for us. So we thought we’d give her a little shout out cause she’s gawgeous and sound, our kinda gal….to be honest we thought she looked familiar but we couldn’t put our finger on it so “Hi Shingai, ur cool” xxx BITCHY girls
Second drop of new stuff and more on the way – think quilted leopard print hearts and denim - oh yeahh! SS brainstorm with the buying team next week, we love those girls. Available at Urbanoutfitters.com
House of Dangerkat “Opulence” featuring the Rainbow collection by Nova Dando
The Rainbow Collection by Nova Dando
Looked at this girls work in a previous project in uni..stylist, designer, DJ, director, Nova has no limits! She has worked with the likes of M.I.A, La Roux, New Young Pony Club and the Klaxons. Her work is truly inspirational, a truly individual style, i love her!! Check out her website for more great vids and pics!
Christmas came early this year. We just received a copy of UK Vogue and our headdress is in it!! That’s UK Vogue, American Elle and UK Elle within the space of two months. We’re pretty stoked right now!!!
Still in the spirit of doing things I went out last night to watch our mates The Dark Room’s 3D projection onto a 4 story red brick building down the West End. I’ve had a little bit of a 3D mapping obsession ever since they introduced me to it – I just think it’s amazing. I’d never seen it before in action, only on Youtube but I came over all kid with the Christmas lights about the whole thing!
I had a chat with Bruce who does the animation and basically he works with a team who literally map out the building, then he creates the 3d animation which is projected onto the building with 4 super strong projectors which visually overlap to created one large image. Nothing really beats seeing it in situ but the Youtube comes close – watch and enjoy.
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