Strangled by knitwear, Nanna van Blaaderen

The designs of textile designer Nanna van Blaaderen are as gentle to the skin as they are to the environment. Specialized in hand- and in machineknitting, she blends craft, materials and innovation to develop textiles that integrate comfort, elegance, quality and sustainability. She plays with scale and texture, while animals and nature are her source of inspiration. Visit her website at nannavanblaaderen.com

"Fashion is so much more than a piece of fabric and a sil-houette. Hard, soft, furry, smooth, rough, fine, open, closed, warm or cold, even the finest layer of textile can change the human figure from being naked and vulnerable, into being protected, strong or seductive."- Nanna van Blaaderen.

"What does textile do with body and skin and how important are comfort, functionality, and the materials in the fabrics we wear?

From an early age, I have been fascinated by the interaction between textiles, clothing and the body. During my studies I have explored textiles, fashion design and photography. In my search I have gained strong affinity with these different disciplines, which seemed to be separated at first. However with my rediscovery into knitting, some years ago, I have found a form in which my diverse interests come together.

In knitting I have found a language that brings together textiles and design. A language through which I can express my passion and fascinations. The opportunities, offered by this technique, to create structures, textures and shapes in infinite amounts of materials and variations are a source of inspiration and motivation in my current work." - Nanna van Blaaderen.

New York by Gehry at 8 Spruce Street

The rippling stainless steel exterior of Frank Gehry's masterpiece covers three faces of the tower and creates bay windows for some of the 903 apartments inside. At 870 feet tall, New York by Gehry is the tallest residential tower in the Western Hemisphere and a singular addition to the iconic Manhattan skyline. The 22,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenity spaces offer residents an experience found only in world-class hotels and resorts.Visit newyorkbygehry.com and dezeen.com/new-york-by-gehry/

 

McQueen on his own terms, Savage Beauty

“There’s blood beneath every layer of skin.” -  Alexander McQueen.

The work of Alexander McQueen is the subject of the exhibition Savage Beauty at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York until the 31st July. It's an unique opportunity to experience up close his geniuses mind, exposed, in his own terms. An artist sometimes misunderstood and many misinterpreted. Learn more at blog.metmuseum.org/alexandermcqueen

“My friend George and I were walking on the beach in Norfolk, and there were thousands of [razor-clam] shells. They were so beautiful, I thought I had to do something with them. So, we decided to make [a dress] out of them. . . . The shells had outlived their usefulness on the beach, so we put them to another use on a dress. Then Erin [O’Conner] came out and trashed the dress, so their usefulness was over once again. Kind of like fashion, really.” - Alexander McQueen.

“[This] collection is . . . romantic but melancholic and austere at the same time. It was gentle but you could still feel the bite of cold, the nip of the ice on the end of your nose. . . . With bustles and nipped waists, I was interested in the idea that there are no constraints on the silhouette. I wanted to exaggerate a woman’s form, almost along the lines of a classical statue.”- Alexander McQueen.

“Working in the atelier [at Givenchy] was fundamental to my career . . . Because I was a tailor, I didn’t totally understand softness, or lightness. I learned lightness at Givenchy. I was a tailor at Savile Row. At Givenchy I learned to soften. For me, it was an education. As a designer I could have left it behind. But working at Givenchy helped me learn my craft.”- Alexander McQueen

“I have always loved the mechanics of nature and to a greater or lesser extent my work is always informed by that.” - Alexander McQueen.

“Remember Sam Taylor-Wood’s dying fruit? Things rot. . . . I used flowers because they die. My mood was darkly romantic at the time.” - Alexander McQueen.