Moral ethical and social issues anyone?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jun/16/faith-based-fashion-online

Its just a short articlce but ideal for a bit of GCSE revision or a starting point for an AS project maybe?

Fab article about the rise and rise of fast fashion.

I have found that setting a question about whi is RESPOSIBLE for this explosion in the speed of fashion delivery is a good way of covering it. I always get a remarkable number of students who think that the companies are responsible not the consumer!

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/features/clothes-too-much-too-cheap-2297035.html

OCR! OCR! OCR!

Well blogfans I have been to the OCR training for the new A-level course today and it was both initmidating and inspiring, which is exactly what I had hoped for! the work on show was mainly fine art, which just made me want to paint! but the textiles work was very interesting and I thought the standard was very high, the experimenting and development work was fab and I cant wait to do written critical study of a designer, in depth and with real relevance to the students personal interest (not they ever really know what they are interested in..........) Basically I am now really fired up to teach all of the projects that I have wanted to do for ages but had to spend hours teaching stuff that masters level students dont even know about to bewildered A-level kids.

Drawing! LOTS of Drawing!

If ANYONE asks to make a prom dress they will be asked unceremoniously to leave the room and never return.

:)

Making the champagne of fabrics - Harris tweed

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/video/2011/jun/06/harris-tweed-weaving-hebrides-video

Another fab video intro for an AS lesson, covering the basics of cloth manufacture and what makes Harris tweed so special.

Great!

The power of the superbrands (and some stuff about distressing denim and mass manufacturing)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b011fjb5/Secrets_of_the_Superbrands_Fashion/

Watch this for a great overview of fashion as part of globalisation.

The A2 revision slog begins!

Our last official year 13 lesson was today so now we are truly into REVISION.
I hope that my students can get straight inot the cramming, reading and re-reading that is required to start properly, then the notes, spider diagrams, hundreds of practice questions, drawing diagrams, sticking revision posters up EVERYWHERE at home and of course following my revision blog too!

Will they do it? will my penultimate year 13 class to take this dreaded exam be any good? who knows?

I remain, as ever, optimistic.

The A2 Exam is looming......so read this!

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/TECH/social.media/05/16/iou.facebook.qr/index.html?hpt=C1


And this!

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/fcca7ebc-7ce4-11e0-a7c7-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1MPWqBLc2

Brand innovator Pierre Cardin to sell his buisness

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/news/the-fashion-god-who-brought-his-message-to-the-streets-2280351.html

Very interesting article about the rise of Pierre Cardin as a fashion innovator in branding and marketing, going beyond his signature 'space age' style and ensuring his name will live on in fashion history.

PLUS

I have just got the Lucy Siegle book 'To die for' and its BRILLIANT!!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Die-Fashion-Wearing-Out-World/dp/0007264097

Normal service will now be resumed

Sorry about the lack of posting over the past two weeks, but with the last push for exam cramming about to begin I need a distraction activity so I have a ton of library books to read (I SOOOOO much time for leisure reading!!) and all my blogs are back in buisness.

Here are my favourite articles from the past week

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/may/08/fast-fashion-death-for-planet

The brilliant Lucy Siegle going all in depth and she has even got a book out!

and this fascinating article about the effect of new technologies on fashion marketing and retailing.

http://www.trendwatching.com/briefing/

All good stuff.

Now just need to work out how I am going to get through the whole spec with year 12 before the exam. HOW??!!

I am utterly inspired by the clip, this is why I want to teach.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/video/2011/apr/25/vivienne-westwood-video

Links between music, media and fashion, its directly from the AQA spec.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/frankel/ready-to-wear-why-designers-love-to-dress-pop-musics-leading-ladies-2269188.html

Is this what they mean? who knows? I'll get the girls to read it anyway, then cover some historical context. What was the cultural equivalent in the 30s, 60s and 80s? how has fashion and textiles changed the way it is marketed? are the icons of design the same now? are they as powerful? etc etc

Another gem from the wonderous Colin Mcdowell.

http://www.businessoffashion.com/2011/04/colin%e2%80%99s-column-are-changes-to-fashion-education-crippling-innovation-in-the-worlds-creative-capital.html#more-21441


What do you out there in the blog-o-sphere think about the tuition fee rise? I havent had any comments for a while so it would be nice to know that you are all still there!

Polartec video clips, covering a whole host of stuff including good old recycled fleece.

http://www.polartec.com/video-gallery/default.aspx

Its climate week, so there is a bit of a theme here.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/gallery/2011/mar/23/ethical-fashion-spring#/?picture=372907853&index=0

A fashion editorial round up of the best eco/ethical brands out there. Its just so ridiculously now, I've been covering it all week with years 10-13.

ethical textiles - a really indepth article from the guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/mar/21/lily-cole-supermodel-fashion-ethical

AND a video to boot!

Happy 70th Birthday Polyester!

This edition of womans hour from Monday is an ABSOLUTE MUST for getting the basics across about polyester.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00zdbj3/Womans_Hour_14_03_2011/

I particularly like the song which I have transcribed onto a power point slide for a regular revision sing along.

All together now "P- is for polyester, O- its made of oil..............."

Spinning and weaving programme. V useful

A gentle bit of telly that actually has some quite good stuff about the basics of weaving in it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00zj1bt/The_Boat_That_Guy_Built_A_Good_Nights_Sleep/

In the words of the brilliant Tovey. Fashion just needs to relax a bit!

I had a great discussion with my year 12 class this week (spontaneously) about the future of the fashion industry and where all this mega growth is going. Can we learn any lessons from designers of the past and who is going to lead the revolution?

I am going to give them this article from the Washington Post to follow it up. After reading the coverage of the Paris shows there just doesnt seem to be the appetite to sustain ALL this fashion. But where will it go from here?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/fashion-designer-crackups-raise-question-is-industrys-pace-too-relentless/2011/03/10/AB3d0VR_story.html

Lotus flower cloth in Burma and the Fur/Faux debate on Radio 4

Something to keep sixth formers (and anybody else) up to date with cutting edge issues in textiles.

New wonder-fibre from Burma made from the stems of lotus flowers

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/e7445238-45e5-11e0-acd8-00144feab49a.html#axzz1Fu1JV2xL


Could fur be produced sustainably? is it time to look again at the impact of the fur industry? Great radio 4 docmentary

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00z5hrn/Costing_the_Earth_Fur_or_Faux/

I may have blogged this before but it seems to be coming up this week for some reason

http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/textiles/videos/video_jacquard/broadband.html

Fabulous little clip from the V and A, I have to admit a didnt know EXACTLY how jaquard weaving was done until I saw this a couple of years ago (!) its so clever!

There is a much underappreciated jaquard loom as you go into the science museum, am I the only person who has gone through the door and actually RUN over to see it? (I suspect yes) I had a similar experience when I drove through Calais last summer and stopped the car (despite running late for the ferry) to have a look at Jaquard's memorial statue. A top bloke.

Just what the doctor (or surgeon) ordered!

I am currently watching the golden age of glamour on bbc 4. Its a repeat but will be on the iplayer. Its the last one in the series and is FANTASTIC! its got loads on the growth of consumerism, the influence of films and the changing role of women through the inter war years. Would be GREAT accompanied by some stuff about Chanel and Schiap to follow up. THIS is what I want to be teaching. Hurrah!!!

Performance textiles, modern materials, technical textiles, yadda yadda yadda

Well I have begun to climb this mountain of the range that is the A-level syllabus and they seemed to get it. The very basic beginning parts that is, like why sportwear manufacturers use synthetics, revision of terms like 'wicking' etc but my GOD there is so much more to go before I reach the peak.

I got as far as some basic performance textiles and will be trying to tackle some more up to date innovations after half term, I have given them a huge amount of reading to do over the half term and a list of websites to look at (but what is the use in this if they dont know what they are looking for? they MUST do the reading and hopefully understanding, first)

Then its medical textiles, then geotextiles, then interactive texiles and QTC, then I want to kill myself, then I cheer up because its my last year of this ridiculous AS syllabus and nearly the end of the A2 one! then its onto all the revision. Oh and finishing the projects, filling in the ever present and never fully complete CRF and waving them all off to foundation courses where they pride themselves in 'undoing' all the stuff they think they know about design from A-level.

But they climbed the matterhorn just because it was there right?

I'm going out, I may be away some time...................

Video clips for performance sportswear.

I am going to try and tackle performance textiles for sportswear this week with my AS and A2-ers.

The power point is FAR to long, and I havent even sctratched the surface on the content for this topic, but I will as ever be interspersing my droning on with some videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmcWzSjVegQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X6tsGfIVL8


I'll let you know how it goes.

stretchy stretchy

http://www.patternschool.com/?page_id=170

This is an amazing free pattern making website that I have been using for a couple of A-level projects (an ice dancing dress and a pair of jodpurs, not to be worn together of course)

It IS advanced and I know that a lot of people see the words stretch and fabric together and run a mile but just in case you were trying to find a decent commercial pattern for stretchy stuff, save your pennies and make your own!

Specialist supplies of trimmings and haberdashery can be difficult to track down (even with the great answer to everything that is google) so here are some specialist suppliers that I regularly use. Feel free to add any if you have some good ones or ask any other 'right siders' for help tracking stuff down.

For tailoring supplies its GOT to Jonathan Bernstein for anything thats not cloth.

http://www.qualitylinings.co.uk/linings.htm

Corsetry stuff from

Devine Supplies Ltd., 57a Brightwel Rd., Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SSO 9EB, UK Tel: (01)702-352500 or (01702)-613101


Millinery (including feathers)

http://www.millinerwarehouse.co.uk/

http://www.baxterhart.co.uk/


There are no back handers here, just a satisfied customer.

I should really name all of the terrible ones too! I will never forget going inot a certain local hebdashery shop to find one of my students in tears because she had dared to bring her design work in to ask the shop dragons for some advice on what trim to buy. Needless to say we both left withour buying anything there that day, or any day since. I also told every one of my students from year 7-13 not to go there for anything even though it was pretty much next to the school.

Good ASl starter video

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/fire-proof-clothing/6057.html

I use this for AS students as a 'Theory Bite' before we get on with making in a double period.

Just got to keep squeezing it in week after week!

Is this Textiles??

http://www.isthistextiles.com/

Mind bending new design work from conceptual designers. Love it!

Recycle Upcycle

This is a blog run by the excellent Julia Roebuck who I have been collaborating with on recyclong and upcycling projects all year. She is working on resource pack for schools that looks amazing and her blog is great, give it a look.

http://upcycle-fashion.blogspot.com/

Free fashion courses for 16-18 year olds at the fashion and textiles museum. GREAT for portfolio building.

http://www.ftmlondon.org/academy/business/training/detail/?ID=185

Useful site for skills.

http://www.burdastyle.com/techniques

I have used a few of the pictures for help sheets and point some A-level students in the direction of this sight for some higher level making skills. More reliable than some of the dodgy U-tube 'how to' clips.

My favourites from the couture shows so far. Wow.

Wet spinning! In colour!

Knitwear/tailoring/knitwear (or nice example of jaquard knitting/intarsia type stuff)

Junya Watanabe=GENIUS

Helen Hudspith

Useful site for KS3 resources, a bit like this blog but with more resources.

http://www.helenhudspith.com/

I am a control freak and like to adjust everything to suit but I particularly like some of the games on here. Worth bunging in your favourites.

Augmented reality? whats that all about then??

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/57b1fea6-1f55-11e0-8c1c-00144feab49a.html?ftcamp=rss#axzz1BHechP2r

Virtual changing rooms that could change the way we shop online. Blimey.

Yes! Its speedo fastskin!

Well done all you clever trevors who got this, it just looks amazing doesnt it?

What is this?

No prizes, just for fun.

Sandblasting, laser finishing and general stuff about the production of jeans from crop to shop!

I use this clip a lot to show various different things to A-level and GCSE students so I though I would share it with you.

It has some excellent information about denim finishes from about 9 minutes in and clearly shows the production line and cotton crop processing etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KZWe0sYglc&feature=related

Then you could follow it with a bit of this video about the ethical issues around buying sandblasted denim which can be extremely hazardous to the people working the factories.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GFV0D1eAH4

I find its always good to make the cross links through the differnt sections of the specification, particularly for those A2 questions.

Knitting keeps gangland kids in US out of detention for a year!

Could somebody convice my senioe management about this please?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/features/article534059.ece


I always knew it of course!

Ethical fashion and the ETI

A few weeks ago I did an activity with my A-level students that they really seemed to enjoy. I have them for a triple period first thing on a Monday and keeping them awake if this is going to be theory is no easy task. SO, I asked them to go back to the common room and ask five fellow students about their feelings towards where high street fashion comes from, do they really care? and what would make them buy ethical fashion etc etc.

I then show them this video clip and we have a class discussion about their own feelings and the findings of their straw poll.

http://www.youtube.com/user/FEInumber1#p/a/f/2/HoLy5PgsL-s

The other videos on the u-tube channel are also good and not too mawkish so I show them and we discuss, I get them all to make notes from this website too

http://www.ethicaltrade.org/

And of course finish with an exam question related to the whole topic.

Some you tube videos that I use quite often in lessons.

Useful video clips for A-level lessons about wicking properties of some new(ish) fibres like cool max, the Tencel promo is a couple of years old but useful as a starting point from which you can explain how lyocell has developed in recent years.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5_Z_8iqUAw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmcWzSjVegQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X6tsGfIVL8

Nice short article, possible A-level starter?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jan/04/shirt-hides-sweat-patches

Follow the link through to the freshmax website and they will send you a free sample of the fabric too!

More on wicking tomorrow.

Vicuna

The warmest, finest, most expensive and luxurious of all fibres. These little chaps can only be shorn every three years as they dont produce much hair, but what they have got is amazing stuff. They are an endangered species that have to be captured from the wilds of Peru, shorn alive and set free again.
They cannot be legally farmed. The fibre is warmer and finer than cashmere and prices are pretty steep at £1500 for a scarf or £20,000 for a coat.

Truly Ultra-Luxe

Back and blogging

Hello to all I have been having a blog break over Christmas and that but am back and ready to rock (in Textilesey way of course) for 2011.

Where to start? well I have been doing a lot of knitting over the holidays, does anyone have any thoughts about knitting in lessons/clubs/etc? I have tried so many ways to teach twenty people how to knit simultaneously and each one has failed except for sitting in small groups (2-3 max) and showing them. Then watching them have a go and correcting them. I usually have one or two who can do it already and have a go at showing the others. Could webcam attached to my IWB help?

Has anyone ever got further than plain knit? or even the dreaded casting on?