Peculiarme designs, collection launch

Last weekend, a self-taught and aspiring fashion designer -Alaina Thomas-has hit East London showcasing her debut collection in a bid to "bridge the gap between being Christian & a fashionista" .
I caught up with Alaina a couple of days after the show and she kindly agreed to give me an interview. See the showreel for the collection and scroll down for more after-party photos.

Most of the items presented have been tailored by Alaina herself. 

"You can love fashion & God be peculiar, be passionate & love your life!"

"As a Christian designer I surround my collections with a sense of pride where sexy is also classy & modest & daring is bold not exposing.

My collection is focused around the realistic shape. It is far from commercial & it uses culture including daring tribalism with the need to feel feminine & confident whether size 6 or 16" 

"My inspiration always comes again from my faith love of new wacky things. How can I make something so flat like a panel of fabric sculpt itself around the female form - is something I always ask myself emotively."

J: Was there any preliminary research made or you founded your collection entirely on your own intuition?

"I founded it [collection] on my own intuition. Although I love pattern & shape- and the African culture has a lot of both. Being a big fan of Art I became intrigued with African pattern when I discovered Yinka shonibares work; then I watched first hand with my friends parents at Nigerian weddings & was gob-smacked at their creativity with fabrics or colours & needed to be a part of the action"

 J: How Do you identify yourself as a versatile designer?Can you pin down your style?

"I try to keep myself open to new styles, I tend to switch a lot between soft goth with the flatforms dark lipstick & biker jackets, to the vintage working woman with the dolly dresses & smart jackets. It's like dress up I never know what I'm going to get day to day."

J: When did you realise that fashion was your call?

"When I realised I had a talent for it at 16-years old after making my first dress. I went through a stage of trying everything out but God kept bringing me back to fashion. Then the sense of accomplishment & pride that came after was incredible. I would make mistakes & be happy because I was learning, even if I was tired I'd still find energy to sew."

J: How difficult it is for you to come up with several pieces don the same topic, do you seek for assistance/advice from colleagues/relatives?

"Strangely enough I find it quite easy, its not making too much is the problem. May sound cliche but I pray before designing & who better to give me advice or designs than the one who gave me my talent. Its taking the stress away from a beautiful moment taking nothing & making something admirable & attractive from it. The collections fall in to place, I can always tell when I'm off track when I need to think too hard about it."

ALternative Fashion Week, continuation...

And another batch of photos from Alternative Fashion Week at Spitalfields Traders Market.

Ostensibly innovative designers have exhibited their works for the general public but whether they really were that innovative and original in their work is for you to decide.

Being too busy locating my viewfinder I have completely missed out on the names of designers. Feeling guilty of professional negligence and desperately seeking for your approval at least for taking the photos.

The so-called sustainable collection. The garments compiled of recycled mens suits, shirts and cravats. C'mon, just strip them off completely, first their love, then their money, now their clothes...

The skirt is the favourite. When in motion, the heavy fabrics gives it a fabulous fluidy look.

A definite approve from Baranovska. The sweet sherbet, been left outside and got washed out by  the rain. The cut is rather simple and too compromising with the customer, but looking very pretty.

Worth of going onto TopShop shelves. xx

Hello Malcolm X, I thing you forgot to change for the showcase.

Something every girl's done when learning how to sew. Been there, done that, next please.

Loved the idea, but there's something unfinished about it. If it is a vest with fringe it needs to look like one ...And likewise if it is an accessory. There's a good rhythm and dynamics in these garments (middle picture) but no substance and presentation is "flaggy". 

A good judgement is to sometimes imagine yourself walking into a corner shop and thinking whether shop assistant's would exclaim "Aaah a goddess" ...or   "Ooooh, a pot of noodles"...so there you go.

Oh, you need to wear the clothes too, if you decide to experiment with the shop.

When I saw the first model I thought of our poor pensioners in Eastern Europe, having their little money slashed from the scheme and now earning their bread by crocheting and knitting. Is it an appeal to revive some oldschool non-fashionable accessorizing? Not convinced. 

Pretty hats though. You get lots of them in Latvia on the central market.

Couldn't get my eyes of them, couldn't believe what I was seeing. A whole vanguard of International  call girls. 

Latvia, Russia (definitely under-aged), Spain

Afrika, Ukraine, ....whatever...some country with blue parrots.......
How much?

Tribal variations exhibited beautiful batik and skilfully mastered draperies. Missing a bit on innovation. 

Im sure I saw them in my children's bible. There were definitely some sheep and zebras grazing around.

But instead we got Whitney Houston...creeepy man.

And finally for the  London Olympics! Hurray, we've got one innovative outfit which is lots of cheap junk!