I was nestled in my sewing/work room trawling some of my favourite online haunts. I'd just popped over to the always amazing Farfetch when I stumbled across this.
Stunning. I immediately saved this picture and made a mental note to
return. Unfortunately when I tried to earlier today, the jacket had disappeared. Hashtag sad face. I only hope it's gone to a happy home, where it will be
treasured and cared for just the way it deserves.
This amazing leather jacket is by Martina Spetlova. The London based designer, a graduate from the prestigious Central Saint Martins in the UK, creates visually striking pieces, incorporating what has become her signature patchwork look.
The winner of the Chloe award for textiles in 2009 and the L'Oreal professional bursary in 2009/2010, Spetlova can also lay claim to the prestigious honour of having her final Saint Martins collection chosen for the schools London Fashion Week show in February 2010.
What I love about her work is not just her incredible use of leather, weaving the fabric to create pieces like this jacket, it's the sense of adventure that I get from her designs. The textures, the pleating, the fabrics, it all just works.
I find I get that feeling a lot from young designers. Perhaps it's because they don't have a history to live up to or a huge fan base to appease. They're free to experiment and try new and exciting things and the result is that you and I get to wear these brilliant creations that might otherwise have never been imagined.
Look for example at the reaction Heidi Slimane received after his most recent collection for (Yves) Saint Laurent. The history of such a house doesn't always lend itself to experimentation. Customers of such a brand have certain exceptions and they expect the designer to deliver.
Imagine if Celine decided to ditch the whole streamlined aesthetic and create a collection of heavily embroidered whimsical bohemian pieces, the Celine customer would be perplexed at the very least.
How did this dream turn into an essay on the experimental nature of young designers? What a weird dream.
Anyway all hail the young, free and experimental designer I say.
Anyway all hail the young, free and experimental designer I say.
Thoughts??
xx