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The collaboration of Hip Hop music and Fashion

Imagine you’re sitting at Alexander Wang’s runway fashion show the lights have just been dimmed down and your waiting for the show to begin. As soon as the model steps foot on the stage the music starts. The harmonious fusion of both music and fashion can be described in that one moment. Both art forms become unified to create a shared vision and purpose that goes beyond their respective borders.

Fashion designer Alexander Wang says music and musicians are one of the most inspiring things for him. ‘I think so much of what has happened in fashion can be and should be attributed to music’ he says. He mentions music styles such as punk, grunge, glam rock and hip hop which have had a profound influence on runway shows and the designing process as a whole. Hip hop as a genre has a very strong presence and there’s a certain reputation and image associated with this music style which exudes confidence and edginess.

When fashion and hip hop collaborate they become in sync with one another and fashion in turn inhabits the cool vibes of hip hop style genre which are reflected in street and sportswear.

Take Alexander Wang’s 2014 spring/summer collection one of his pieces was inspired by 90’s rap music. He turned the 90’s Parental advisory label that was originally put on CD covers into sweatshirts. 

It’s a very bold and daring look that channels the hip hop genre however it’s also nostalgic of a time when hip hop wasn’t as exposed or commercialized and had a very authentic sound to it.  

Alexander Wang’s recent collaboration with H&M highlights the influence hip hop has on urban sportswear. His line plays around with the concept of individuality and confidence in sportswear and toys with the idea of seeing hip hop as more than a music genre but a mentality and mind-set as a way to view yourself and the world.         

Hip hop culture has always had a close association with street wear and urban attire. Run D.M.C. were the first hip hop group to receive a million dollars endorsement deal. Addidas is a brand that merged both hip hop and fashion and made it accessible to consumers that emulated their favourite rappers clothing. ‘We would look through Detroit, through Boston, through Chicago, through LA, through Virginia; every city we went on the Raising Hell Tour, we would look out the back of the tour bus and everybody had the Addidas track suits from head to toe’, Run D.M.C group member McDaniel’s says. Even today Addidas stands as the bridge between Hip hop and fashion it has continued to sign sportswear deals with Hip hop artists such as Kanye West, Missy Elliot, Pharell, Ciara and Snoop Dogg.  

Hip hop has also inspired how women dress and perceive themselves in the world of music. R&B singer Aaliyah had a profound effect on female fashion and

allowed women to be comfortable in their own skin and sexuality by wearing tomboy clothes, baggy jeans, basketball jerseys, and snapbacks and still feel essentially feminine and authentic. Her style has been one of the recurring trends that we see amongst artists today such as Rihanna, Ciara, Azelia Banks, Rita Ora and young artist Tinashe. Aaliyah described her style as ‘street but sweet’ and it was her unique style that landed her an endorsement deal with Tommy Hilfiger in 1988. While 90’s Hip hop rappers wore street wear and identified with that type of clothing hip hop artists are now branching out and joining forces with the elite in high fashion. They are showing that Hip hop style has a vision and a voice beyond street wear and can collaborate with high fashion and can express luxury style from a unique standpoint.        

Jay z is a current example of this. He recently collaborated with Barneys to release a collection titled the ‘New York Holiday’ which will include pieces from luxury elite designers such as Proenza, Schouler, Balenciaga, Balmain, and many more. Some of his pieces from his collection in a $58,000 crocodile leather Rick Owens jackets, a black Lanvin suit with leather details and a $875 Brooklyn nets cap made from leather, python skin and gold. Though we are seeing a shift in Hip hop style not all Hip hop artists have left the street wear attire. Last year Hip hop artist Nas launched his own collection titled HSTRY which is a line entirely comprised of street wear.  

  

Hip hop style has certainly evolved from 90’s street wear however street and sports- wear has a profound influence on our society and will ever remain to re-invent itself, expand and explore the limitless space of fashion.

Is there more to Fashion than what meets the eye?

Is Fashion really just about the clothes? Can we see anything beyond the runway, the draped and textured garments and the skyrocketing platform shoes?

Well what if I was to say that Fashion does in fact have the ability to voice out societal concerns and address topical issues such as women and civil rights.Clothes have always been used as a way to indicate social class, social position, and occupation and to some extent reveal ones relevance in society.

Take Coco Chanel’s iconic suits for example. She revolutionized how women dressed which in turn changed how women perceived themselves and their role in society. Her suits which were influenced by menswear collections in the 1920's were the perfect balance of feminine style, strength, confidence and power which were the characteristics the post war woman needed to build a career in the male dominated workplace.

Her suits allowed women to envision themselves as equals to their male counterparts in the workplace and challenged the conventional ideals of womanhood. Her interpretation of feminine clothing enabled women to have a voice beyond domestic affairs in the confinements of the home and introduced them to the public sphere where they could be women of influence.

Karl Lagerfeld’s Spring/Summer 2015 Chanel show was no different. The models were seen wearing suits with wide trouser legs, bright chiffon blouses and knee length dresses as they walked down the runway. However this wasn’t your ordinary runway. Karl Lagerfeld used the runway to recreate the concept of a typical street he named it ‘Boulevard Chanel’ where the models walked down the runway to their respective jobs. After the show models returned to the stage holding placards in support of feminist ideals, whilst some models screamed through the megaphones to make their voices heard. 

Although gender equality has a long way to go some fashion designers have been able to use fashion and the runway as a platform to discuss these ideas.

To say the least the runway has presented itself as a space that confronts conventional and social ideas. It constantly challenges us as individuals and causes us to step out of our comfort zone and dares us to walk with purpose and charges us to have a bigger presence in our society.

Students Portfolio Work

Caramel Rock offers a wide range of courses, inspiring and encouraging youngsters to follow their passions and dreams. Our Fashion course gives students the opportunity to develop stills in fashion design and creation. This portfolio illustrates one student’s extensive work in to her design collection, showing us exactly which elements she focused on and the inspiration for her ideas. Students can be as creative as thy like. They get to choose the colours, material and techniques they wish to use to construct their creations.    

The students are able to incorporate, all the aspects they wish to form their original and creative idea. They go through a process of creating many designs and narrowing it down to their favorite design idea, which they can then create within our workshop, with the help of our team, assisting and encouraging any choices the students make.  Various facilities are available for students to use to create, design and help is also provided to construct their products .

Once students have worked out all of the fundamental aspects of their collection they can focus on their designs and hopefully by the end would have created their very own stunning garment.

Final Piece:

Faith Johnson Guest Dragon at the Peter Jones academy at Newham College other dragons on the panel on the day was Chief Executive of Social Enterprise UK, Peter Holbrook.

London fashion week sep 2012

Breast Cancer Awareness

You may be wondering what Breast Cancer has to do with fashion; ‘Think Pink’ is an inspirational line for Breast Cancer Apparel and Clothing including the exclusive ‘Think Pink Ribbon, Keep Calm and Think Pink and ‘Fight Like a Girl’ tees and tanks. 

Breast Cancer Care is the only UK-wide charity dedicated to providing emotional and practical support for anyone affected by breast cancer. The main aim of the campaign is for better support and care and promotes the importance of early detection, involving people with breast cancer in all that they do.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month when thousands of people across the country Go Pink for breast cancer and raise money for the 48,000+ women diagnosed with the disease every year.

Last year ‘Go Pinkers’ raised £380,000+ to keep families together for longer, will you join in the fun, do some breast cancer fundraising and help us turn this October even pinker? 

HOW TO GO PINK

Going Pink is simple: you can do anything you want from a cake sale at work to a pink uniform day at school. Or why not host your very own big pink party. Whatever you can do to add a touch of pink to your October, and whether it raises £5 or £500, you will be helping to achieve their mission of a future free from the fear of breast cancer. 

Products range from tees, jumpers, drink-ware, head-ware, office gifts jewellery, accessories bags and shoes.

5% OF EVERY SALE GOES TO SUPPORT

THE BREAST CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION

http://www.thinkpinkribbon.com/

http://www.breakthrough.org.uk/gopink/

http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/

What to Wear on a First Date

We have all been there, standing in front of our mirror holding up different dresses to see which looks best whilst the mountain of clothes keep piling up on our bed. Then we have the issue off picking the right shoes and accessories to match the clothing. Stressed!! We have the solution we have picked out the 5 perfect looks for a first date.

Dinner: Keep it simple with a shirt, skirt and a gorgeous pair of heels. This look works great from work hour to cocktail hour

Casual Get together: Wearing a fabulous pair of jeans or trousers and layering it always work best. A look like this is great for any occasion. Finish the look off with a motorcycle jacket or a leather jacket.

Easy, Breezy California Style! Although we live in London and we rarely see the sun when we do this look would be perfect for the summer nights. We see it as an easy, lightweight, not overly styled way of dressing very comfortable and sexy at the same time.

Go Bold if you dare!! The 70s are back, high heels are a must with a jumpsuit. Wear colour  A bright pop or two will certainly catch your date’s attention, just don’t go too crazy with the colour-blocking.

If all end fails, just reach for the trusted LBD forget ‘Diamonds’, the LBD is definitely a Girl’s Best friend. The Little Black Dress always works you can dress it up or down. It can go from day (wear it to the office with a cardigan or blazer and a set of pearls and leather pumps) to -night (take off the blazer or cardigan and add some make-up, jewellery, and heels).

DIY Fashion

                                                                Quick fix to Fashion

So despite the showers that have been pouring for the last two days we are slowly approaching summer, and what better excuse to go shopping. But I have news, what if I was to say you could look good but spend less and still have money clinging in your pockets for a trip to Nando’s on the way home. Gone are the days for spending money like it grows on trees trust me I’ve been there and done that and it’s only left me penniless.

I used to go shopping and not rest until I had no money in my account I would enter the store and leave knowing exactly what I would purchase on my next visit. But as the saying goes New Year new me, I know we’re already halfway through the year, but its better late than never. So here I am with a new approach and I say save, save, save. So join on me on this journey to find the best ways to create a unique outfit and cute accessories to go along with it. Fasten your seat belts, run wild with creativity and let the fun begin.

Instead of splurging on a pair of the American flag denim shorts this summer, I’ll be making my very own. After watching a YouTube video tutorial I am proud to say that I’m certified to go ahead and create a pair of jeans. Now that’s what I’m talking about. Let your mind run free and you’ll be surprised at what ideas will come flooding. Now I’ve got another idea, I’ve got an old plain white t-shirt that’s just holding up space in my wardrobe so why not put it to use. So I’ll be recreating it and adding funky jewellery accessories, any earrings that I have lost along the years would be added to the mix. And the best thing about it is that I’ll be the only one wearing my design and it can’t be found in stores. How unique.

It’s all about investing in the future for me right now. With all this saving I’m doing I just had a vision of the future and it seems bright. I guess I will definitely keep saving. So this summer, just think DIY and you’ll be set to go forward in your future. Let me know how you get along with your designs. If you have any other creative ideas then write a comment below and keep us posted.

This month we’re having a competition we want to see what new designs you could think of. The winner gets to exhibit their design at the Caramel Rock Fashion show at Westfield. If you want to be the winner of the Quick fix to fashion competition then why not create a new design and send  in your image to info@caramelrock.com.

We’re looking forward to seeing them :)

Caramel Rock Creative Artist Workshop

Date: Tuesday

Time: 4:30-6:00

Cost: £221 per month

Starting date: 17^th July 2012

Programme is for 12 months

Are you a makeup artist, a model, a hair stylish or a photographer looking to training? Then do not stress yourself anymore. Caramel Rock is here to help. You get access to our contacts, training, advice, business start up kit, finding and how to fill out funding grant to cover your cost for any makeup equipment, photographer equipment etc, a model portfolio and even a FREE consultation. You also get to do fashion shows and a photo-shoot. Few spaces are available, so BOOK NOW. Contact us now at info@caramelrock.com or send us a facebook message.

Summer fashion classes

Come every Mondays and Fridays to our sewing, design and illustration classes, you will also get the opportunity to be involved in the Westfield show!
From 12:00 to 3:00 pm, it starts on Monday 16 July and finishes on Friday 31^st August.

Everybody can come in our workshops so don't hesitate and if you need more info please ask at fashion@caramelrock.com.

See you soon at Caramel Rock Studios

Fashion summer class by Caramel rock

Presentation of CARAMEL ROCK

Caramel Rock fashion class

Japanese Culture

Rather than just look at the fashion side of Japan. I’ve decide to look at the culture as a whole. So today I am looking at Japanese Art

Looking to Japanese art. I have found
that the images ar every delicate and detailed. I love this piece as it has
everything in it. From birds to flowers.

This image reminds me of a Japanese embroided silk dress. Actually reminds me of my childhood (I had a red and blue one). :-)

http://www.google.co.uk/imgresq=japanese+art&um=1&hl=en&biw=1366&bih=624&tbm=isch&tbnid=gZaezPoQXdm5kM:&imgrefurl=http://www.squidoo.com/japa-art-flowers-and-landscapes&docid=ovBYbQXvwjs8SM&imgurl=http://imagecache6.allposters.com/LRG/7/728/5GBZ000Z.jpg&w=324&h=450&ei=22oyT4jAMYP34QTDmtiOBQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=447&vpy=4&dur=1023&hovh=265&hovw=190&tx=140&ty=112&sig=108352138978252652027&page=2&tbnh=140&tbnw=103&start=28&ndsp=31&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:28

Gareth Pugh's - Samurai-style

Continuing with our Japanese theme, I’ve decided to look at more subtleinspirations.

For example, one of my favourite designer Gareth Pugh designed a
collection for Paris Fashion Weeks’s S/S 2011 collection:

Source: http://www.haute-world.com/2011_01_01_archive.html

Samurai-style took over showcasing Sharp tailoring, high necks and tight up-dos abounded on the models, in a marked departure for the usually eccentric Sunderland-born designer but the collection kept with his theme of darker colours as models were seen in a grey and minimalist clothing.

Origami and Structure

Source: http://www.origami-fun.com/origami-lily.html

From looking into Japanese culture for inspiration. I decided to look further into Origami. I love the way you can have a flat piece of paper and manipulate it into something 3D. And that’s exactly the same with fashion.

Dress by Thierry Mugler.

Source: http://morttobesophie.blogspot.com/2011/04/thierry-mugler-origami-dress.html

I suppose that the one thing I find most fascinating about fashion design. With a little bit of creativity you can do anything.

Japanese Inspiration

So I’ve been looking into Japanese styling and detail and it’s exquisite. So delicate and structured.
Here's a couple images I found.

Source:
http://www.enostyle.com/fashion-style-japanese-with-oriental-opulence-trend-fashion-2012/

http://ucdtextstyles.blogspot.com/2010/02/origami-fashion.html

From our collection and keeping in line with Japanese clothing structure, I think this image sums it up brilliantly.

Happy New Year everyone

New Year, new trends and styles to keep up with because as we know fashion is forever changing.

So I’m going to take a look at what trends are already out there an ones that will be up and coming for the current season and year.

Despite the miserable weather vibrant and bold colours are definitely making an appearance. Along with basic prints and A- line shapes. A lot like Viktor and Rolf’s and Peter Som’s Ready-To-Wear S/S 2012 collection.

Also from Christopher Kane’s S/S 2011 collection, I see a lot Japanese inspired clothing making its way onto the fashion scene.