In Love: With my new shoes

I don't really shop in M&S for shoes that often, I find their target market is at a slightly higher age range than I am, but after having a quick browse yesterday I came across the most darling little pair of sandals.

Very on trend with cute pastels and ankle straps, these sandals were going to be mine! They came in 3 colours: mint, pale pink and black.

I chose mint, as I thought they would go with more of my clothes, but I am incredibly tempted to go back and get the pink ones too. At a price like £25, who can resist?

Buy them in store on online here 

Time to introduce you...

I've been deliberating whether to plug my new business on my blog or not, as it may seem a little self indulgent, however I've come to the conclusion that I just want to share my story and show my designs that I love and care about so much to the rest of the world.

So last month, I started up my digitally printed scarf business: miel / b. It all came about as I came across some of my Grandads old things he had collected over the years such as old books, matchbox cards, postcards and other little titbits. They had that raw, beautiful vintage aura to them and I was immediately inspired.

At the time I was unemployed, just out of University, and needed something to do, so I set out to design a collection of scarves. I ended up with my 'Nostalgia' collection: 4 scarves each with a very nostalgic theme to it. There's King George, Rations, Household Tips and Postcards.

It never even occured to me to sell them at first, I just thought I might print one for myself! But as time went on, I started thinking a lot more about starting up a business with my designs and so, I decided to start research and find out prices of printing, websites etc.

Five months down the line, and a small amount of savings later, I decided to finally launch miel / b.

I made a conscious decision to make sure that everything about the business was made or sourced from the UK. I was inspired after watching Mary Portas' The Bottom Line and figured it would also be a fantastic selling point. All the scarves are designed (obviously), printed and finished in the UK and all other products used eg gift boxes and custom stamps are sourced from UK companies too.

As well as selling my designs as scarves, I also have a custom design service so if anybody wanted something very particular on a scarf for themselves or a loved one, I can do that for them.

I am so happy with how everything has turned out, and I've had so much support from everyone I know.

Please take a look at my website to see my vintage inspired scarves, follow me on twitter and like me on facebook.

My Love: Mary Katrantzou

I am a digital textile designer through and through. I love the technology that goes with it. I love learning about new technologies that are created to make printed textiles even more spectacular (e.g. 3D printing - I'll do a post on that at some point.). I love how almost any print is made possible with digital. You can imagine it, get on Photoshop or Illustrator and design it. Done. 

I'm a messy printer in the workshop, which is probably a fair reason why I love digital so much. During my last year of University, an entire chapter of my dissertation was dedicated to new technologies found in the textiles industry, and in this chapter was a small mention of Mary Katrantzou. 

To say that I was writing and researching my dissertation around October/November time in 2012 and had never heard of Mary Katrantzou is weird. I still can't believe it to this day! I happened to just come across her work whilst doing some extensive research into digital print in fashion and she popped up.

So it was here that I fell in love with her work. I look back at her first collection and can't help but think how 'Basso and Brooke' it is. So space-age and random. But since then, she has grown substantially into a truly amazing and original designer. I like how the prints are blatantly something. Sounds like a strange thing to say, but a lot of prints are just a flurry of colour and you can't really tell what they are (unless they are a floral or an animal print), but in Mary Katrantzou's designs, you can tell that that's a maze, or that's a type writer, or that's a city scape. I love it! It's like a t-shirt design on a beautiful dress. 

Images from Mary Katrantzou's first catwalk show in 2009

I also really love the fact, and this is said in the least offensive way possible, that she is a bit of a plain Jane. She looks like a lovely, regular girl. She doesn't look like a super skinny, super bossy, harsh fashionista. She just looks normal, and I like that.

I follow Mary Katrantzou on Instagram and am constantly in awe with all the photos she takes! You can definitely tell she's got a great creative touch, and sometimes some of the pictures she takes could easily become part of her next collection! To follow Mary Katrantzou on Instragram just search 'marykatrantzou' in the explore search box.

So really, the basic gist of this post is that I love Mary Katrantzou, and I hope that if you stumble across this blog and have never heard of her before that I have now introduced you to your new favourite designer.

I've picked out a couple of my favourite Mary Katrantzou garments for you to browse.

Fashion and Textiles Graduates - Be Featured

Calling all third years of fashion and textiles!

It's that time of year. You're Easter Break was barely even a break and you probably ate so many chocolate eggs just for the sugar to keep you going on those long all-nighters. You're not really sleeping so well (when you do get to go to bed!) because you're constantly thinking about what needs to be done next, when the next deadline is, when will it be too late to start ordering fabrics, etc etc.

I know! I've been there. It's stressful, it's painful, it makes you laugh, it makes you cry, it also makes you fat. But don't worry! It'll all be over soon, and you'll see your work at your graduate exhibition, or at New Designers, or Tent. You'll stand back and feel so proud because you did all that work.

At the end of it all, when you've got time to calm down, then I'll be here awaiting your request for a Graduate Profile! You need to get your work out there. The more websites you're on the better.

I'm here to showcase your talents to the world. I am so excited to see what amazing prints/garments/products have come out of the creative minds of young designers.

Please take a look at some of last years Graduate Profiles by clicking here and scrolling down until you hit around September/July.


If you would like to be featured on this blog, please contact Kate at klynch@hotmail.co.uk.

Coggles Wallpapers

I was introduced to the Coggles website last night by a friend and was amazed by some of the truly amazing things they have in the 'Home' section. 

Of course, I was instantly drawn to the wallpaper section and fell in love with three designs in particular. 

Number One: 'Carpe Noctem' by Barnaby Gates
"The lime green and gold wallpaper is a contemporary take on classic British heraldry and features soft metallic crests on a bold pinstripe background. Translation of the Latin mottos featured on the crests are; ‘Carpe Noctem’ – ‘seize the night’, ‘Floreat Domus’ – ‘may this house flourish’ and ‘Bovina Sancta’ – ‘holy cow!’ "

Number Two: 'This Other Eden' by Barnaby Gates

"The sepia wallpaper is made up of a collage of nostalgic British scenes, including war time imagery and classic country pursuits, all taken from original 19th and 20th Century sepia photographs. The wallpaper also features a vintage metallic gold finish."

Number Three: 'Ostrich' by Beware The Moon

"The brownstone wallpaper, symbolising denial, is an inventive twist on the traditional and features large hand drawn, gold leaf ostriches with buried heads."

Floral Friday: H&M Home

I was having a browse on one of my favourited interior magazine websites when I came across an image of a beautiful floral pair of curtains.
As I went to look to see where they were from I was so surprised to see H&M! I had absolutely no idea H&M even had a home department, never mind that they did fabulous ready made curtains!

The print is beautiful. Bold and bright, but cute and girly at the same time. If only I had a spare little room that I could make my snug, I would use this print everywhere. It's available in cushion covers and bedsets, so there would be no reason not to! Other than the fact it might look a little bit OTT...

So here you are, I introduce you to my Floral Friday: H&M Home.

Farrow & Ball Moodboards

Working at Farrow & Ball is great: I learn more and more about interior design and the beautiful pleasures that finding great colourways can bring every day.

This week, I created my own little project to make some moodboards using some fabric samples from a local fabric shop named Fabric & Co and finding different colourways and combinations with Farrow & Ball paint and wallpaper.

I had incredible fun making them, it really took me back to my college days where making moodboards was a daily occurence! Then they seemed like a hassle.. now I love them!

I thought I'd share my moodboards with you, so here you are:

New online portfolio with brushd

Just thought I'd quickly mention I've just set up my new online portfolio with brushd. 

If you'd like to have a look at some of my work, please visit it here: http://katelynch.brushd.com/

BetaFasion: Epic Journey Project

Brief: Many of life's most vivid memories and powerful day dreams often come from travels we've been on, or the journey's we've had, or wish to have. Exciting destinations, adventures along the way, once in a life time experiences, culture shock, childhood nostalgia, or just escaping the day to day, there are so many ways that travel can play an important part in our lives. For this project we want you to encapsulate these ideas, whether real or fantasy, for use on our range of square scarves.

Prize: 4 winners will be selected, each receiving £300 and seeing their design go onto be sold in our online store, Topshop and more.

My Design:

My Inspiration: A new and accurate map of the world. An old treasure of my Grandma's that I saved from going to a carboot sale was an old map of the world on a mirror.It's been in my room ever since, joining my general theme of 'around the world'.

Please rate my design here: https://www.betafashion.com/competitionratedesign.aspx?SubmissionID=6961

Clarke & Clarke Wallpaper

I was working the other day when a lady came in to choose some paint colours for a wallpaper she was considering purchasing. 

She brought in a Clarke & Clarke wallpaper book and I couldn't help but look through it with her! They were such beautiful designs, I felt like I had to blog about them.

The book I was looking at was the Clarisse collection, including other designs such as Delphine, Helena and Topiary.

I've included a few images for you to have a look at and admire. Enjoy :) 

Feeling loved up today?

Take your lovey dovey feelings and get designing: Tigerprint will launch their 'Lovely Days' competition this Monday.

Do it like Onions do...

...and layer up!

Not only is it incredibly cold out here in the UK, but layering is a great new trend. Being warm and stylish at the same time? Couldn't be better.

Here's some of my favourite Phillip Lim layered pieces from his Fall 2013 RTW collection.

 

 

 

No Grey Area

One of the most current trends at the moment is Monochrome: and I love it.

Not only have I been admiring the trend and ripping out pages in magazines with monochrome images and looks I like, I have spent a fair amount of money on black and white items of clothing I really didn't need nor afford just to re-create the style.

I've picked out one favourite item from a couple of designers who have embraced the monochrome trend. It's not just the great contrast of colours that pleases me, it's how elegant and casual this look can be at the same time. I adore the use of different materials between the black and white garments - the different textures create a beautiful visual.

Celine - Spring RTW 2013

Chanel - Spring 2013 Couture Collection

Balmain Spring 2013 RTW

Louis Vuitton Spring 2013 RTW