Concealed Yet Revealed

Top Designs!

2010-04-28T17:13:00.011+10:00

You might remember when I showed you my Year 12 finals for Visual Communication and Design (here). Well since then I was shortlisted and then then chosen to be apart of Top Designs 2010.

If you don't know what Top Designs is, it's an annual exhibition that has been running for the past 10 years at the Melbourne Museum. It showcases the work of VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education) students in the subjects Design and Technology, Food and Technology, Systems Engineering, Visual Communication and Design and VET Multimedia.

Anyway, it was a massive honor to be selected and if you would have been able to see my smile if you were within 100 metres of me when I found out. You can read about when I found out about being selected when I was in London here.

So you're probably wondering why I haven't posted anything since Paris and the answer is that I've been lazy. It's that simple. I got back from London about 5 weeks ago and you could only describe what I've been up to as 'party and bullshit'. Soundtrack:

Partying and bullshit aside, I have been somewhat productive since I've been back in Melbourne too. I received a call from my local paper a couple of weeks ago for an interview about Top Designs and it arrived in my letterbox today. Here's a scan:

(click to enlarge)

I realized shortly after having the interview that if people were to Google the name of my label (the same as this blog) they will land here and there won't be much info about the scarves. Therefore I created a Facebook fan page for you to like. Find it here.

I'm going to post up as much info as possible about my label on this blog from now on as I've been cutting and sewing a lot recently so I can start selling soon for Melbourne's Winter (which seems to be here by the weather today).

That's it for now, enjoy some pictures of the Top Designs opening night and media launch:

please vote for me if you go!

Top Designs
                                                                             Daily, Until 27 Jun 2010
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Melbourne Museum

6 Days In Paris

2010-03-05T01:14:00.003+11:00

Lady Gaga Ain't Got Shit On My Dog

2010-02-12T11:52:00.008+11:00

Lady Gaga vs Horace Watson

ily

Vampire Weekend

2010-02-12T11:41:00.003+11:00

Vampire Weekend

De La Warr, Bexhill

5/2/'10

A Good Year

2010-02-12T11:18:00.004+11:00

Lee Alexander McQueen, 1969-2010

2010-02-12T09:31:00.007+11:00

Such a loss. In all his collections but in particular 'Plato's Atlantis' he showed us the future of fashion. He was a creative genius pioneer of our time. I was so looking forward to see what he came up with next.

Rest.In.Peace

Where The Lens Takes Me

2010-02-12T09:10:00.004+11:00

The London Eye

Waterloo

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

The Thames

Big Ben

Covent Garden

Too Many Tourists

2010-02-12T04:50:00.007+11:00

Photo credit: my brother Jhai whilst we were in Wales.

Carnaby Burger Co. Best burger I've ever had. Great service + ambience.

Much love to Yann-Edouard and the Funkism crew.

Who need vodka in your shot glass when you can have smarties?

Lost without you.

Not as good as the waffles in Degraves Street, Melbourne.

Being a tourist ect...

...If only it was as easy as reading a book

Discovery

2010-02-12T01:51:00.012+11:00

Allow yourself to wander aimlessly.

Explore adjacencies.

Lack judgment.

Postpone criticism.

- Bruce Mau

One of the best parts of being in a foreign city, country and continent is that I'm constantly amused by seeing things that are completely new to me. I'm used to walking the same route through Melbourne's CBD and seeing things as I expect them to be. I expect to walk out of the block arcade and be comforted by the warm heating vent that leaves you with a last breath of warm air. I am used to steeping out into that narrow café lined lane way, that brings you to Little Collins Street and steering through waiters juggling plates full of appetising dishes. I am now becoming to realise how these simplistic yet poetic moments are what matter when it comes to discovering a city.

I have now been in London for over a month and I've been attempting to immerse myself in the lifestyle of Londoners. This is what I will miss. I know that I'll miss the tube; the labyrinth of tunnels and passageways that can take you from one inspirational landscape to another in a matter of moments. I'll miss the manners that the public transport system has opposed to Melbourne's. It's the simple greetings such as "Please Mind The Doors" and "Mind The Gap" in quintessentially English accents that leave me with a smile as I jump upon and off trains ready to depart. One of my favourite phrases I've been saying lately is "You don't get shit like that in Australia!" And you really don't.

Yesterday I went and saw Youth In Revolt (so funny, 5 stars from me) and then I followed the lens of my camera around Soho and Covent Garden. I was taking photos of the lanterns suspended over the buzzing China Town when I stepped out onto an adjacent street to see the most glorious sunbeams falling upon the landscape. With the multicultural backdrop of the lanterns alongside the cabs and buses zooming past, I had no choice but to stand on this street for an extended period of time. I tried to capture the moment as best I could for when I stepped out onto that street the light took my breath away and I needed to save this forever.

After the sun moved behind the clouds I continued on, finding intricate compositions of alleyways like cut and paste collages of contrasting architecture- both old and new melded together. Before I knew it I was in Covent Garden and it was snowing. I chased the snow until it stopped. You could easily tell I wasn't a local from the smile on my face as more and more snow came down from above. At this same time I received a call and as you can imagine I was running about, shooting fanatically as I laughed and yelled "It's snowing! It's a Kodak moment! Oh my gosh! More!". That was the first time I have been caught out in the snow, at night, when sober, with my camera. A monumental moment.

Now I'm on a journey to discovering an appreciation for the little things that truly matter. It's that breath of hot air and the way the sun falls upon a building that now intrigues me. My photos from yesterday illustrate this very notion. Enjoy.

Little Venice

2010-01-30T01:47:00.002+11:00

A Day Spent Wandering

2010-01-30T01:07:00.003+11:00

Hyde Park

Today's Soundtrack

2010-01-20T00:13:00.009+11:00

Good listening for the tube:

London, Brick Lane

2010-01-19T22:27:00.003+11:00

Here are a few photographs I took last week whilst roaming around Brick Lane last Thursday.

2010

2010-01-19T22:25:00.004+11:00

Do you ever forget you're alive? I often get this odd realisation that I'm actually ALIVE and it freaks me out. I can be sitting in class, on the train or in the shower where it comes to me that this is not some daydream and I am actually living. This may sound strange but I always seem to be so involved on focusing on each current challenge that comes my way that I end up thinking it's all a game. Do this, do that, go there, see them. I'll be sitting there and all of the sudden I remember that this is it. This is my life. It's a valuable feeling because whenever it comes over me I seem to be more appreciative of what I have and I'll usually get off my ass and do something productive. I think I have a forever-present anxiety brewing somewhere inside of me that fears that I will let my life elude me. I now aspire to constantly reawake myself to all that is going on around me and try not to get caught up in the trivialities of life.

Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in accomplishing lots of minor tasks and forget about the bigger picture. Last year it was as if I was caught in a constant stream of 'to-do' lists scribbled onto post-it notes. The focus on ticking off each box at a time proved effective in saving me from panic attacks and tears (most of the time). However, now with my final year of secondary education over I now face a point in my life where I need to establish new goals and objectives whilst giving myself time to stop and experience the joys of being eighteen. With high school over, VCE results published and university offers made it's time to move forth. What is done, is done.

This is where 2010 comes into the equation. I have already said this in previous posts but this year is for DISCOVERY. I'm currently in some sort of post high school limbo where I'm not sure where to go now. I see less deadline describing post-it notes on my monitor. It is now time for me to 'take the reins'.

In order to truly discover myself I've fled Melbourne to stay with my brother in London for the next three months. I'm hoping that by disconnecting myself from the familiar I'll come to recognise who I am against a landscape of strangers.

In order to escape the comforting but unproductive drone of cyberspace and quality British television I'm off to eat Vegemite toast and then stroll this beautiful city for photogenic places and people. I will post photos of my travels thus far shortly: a still reminder of life and that we are actually alive.

P.S: Please forgive me (if anyone reads this) for the lack of posts in the past two months leading up to this trip. Things have been crazy busy between university interviews, hangovers, Christmas and new years. I promise to be good to you this year.

Photo credit: Me whilst in Wales, 17th of January.

Sydney NYE

2010-01-19T21:14:00.008+11:00

Photo credit: My brother Jhai.

I returned home from Sydney to find a strange box sitting in my room. On closer inspection it was a Nikon D90: a present from my parents. Looks like I will be able to get back into photography this year like I had hoped... photos to come.

Lacoste x Married to the Mob

2009-11-22T17:13:00.018+11:00

Be Mine

First seen in Sneaker Freaker Issue 16, this sneaker is the product of a collaboration between Married to the Mob and Lacoste. Since I have come to the conclusion that I will never own those D&G wedges, I'm thinking these may be more in my price range.

MTTM keep coming out with killer collabs from working with Colette & Reebok to Nike. However, their take on Lacoste's Hironia silhouette is their best work thus far. The use of a black lace overlay on lilac is so sexy. I love how a designer can use an unexpected fabric and all of a sudden there's a contradiction or narrative created. Women's sneakers are just getting better and better since the execs are noticing the demand. It's almost liberating that we too can get our swag on with limited edition kicks.

I'm always on the hunt these days of sneakers that I can wear with dresses that don't cut off my legs and make me look short (I hate wearing jeans). Due to this I often opt for my purple Low Rise Nike Air Force 1s. However, these seem plausible replacements if I was to ever give my Nikes a rest. I respect MTTM's attention to detail with waxed laces and slightly metallic colourway that lean more towards the dressy sneaker family.

The shoes are said to be inspired by french designer Christian Louboutin. I can't say I really see this. Yes, the lace could be linked to a reference to his classic Clic Clac's. But if I was reinterpreting his avant-garde approach to footwear I'd probably be a little more extravagant. How about a bow like his satin anemone pumps?

I'd do it a little something like this...

Sneaker front detail:

I'd have similar lace overlay as the MTTM design on a charcoal body. crimson satin for tongue, black satin ribbon at the back, leather mary-jane strap and buckle, waxed laces, rubber sole.

Louboutin Inspiration:

via Nitrolicious, Knotoryus & Hypebeast

Photographs From Yesteryear

2009-11-22T00:29:00.006+11:00

I was just on Sacha Hilton's new blog and was thinking how much I miss taking photos. I need some cash so I can buy a decent camera. Hopefully I will get back into photography in the coming year.

Studio Arts Finals - Naivety, Nostalgia & Time

2009-11-21T23:43:00.006+11:00

This year for Studio Arts I explored the theme of ‘Naivety, Nostalgia and Time’. These broad concepts translate into my own specific message that we are often naïve to how lucky we are and that one-day, as time passes, this turns into a deep sense of nostalgia. I have created three mobiles that spin as the viewer walks around and interacts with the artworks. On the left is a mobile dedicated to my dad’s side of the family, my immediate family in the middle and my mother’s side on the right.

Each colour is symbolic of a different emotion that we all experience in life including happiness, love and grief. Furthermore, I drew a pattern of roots/veins that represents the connectivity we have with our family and with each other as we simultaneously endure the highs and lows of the human condition.

The shape of the circle has been extremely important as in many cultures it is known to symbolize life; ‘the circle of life’. Upon the floor there are lanterns to show the light and warmth of our family’s presence, rice to represent an offering to those that have passed away, and salt to symbolise tears and whispers of time as it passes. I have chosen to include a mirror to urge viewers to look into the bottom mirror and to feel the magnetism as their image multiples.

This reflection has been a core focus, as I believe through the reflection of ourselves we also understand how significant how family has been in shaping who we are. This is expressed through the words ‘to reflect upon me is to reflect upon you’. I have used various reflective materials such as beads and silver string to show that from this reflection we gain glimmers of light as memories come into our consciousness. There are many short and sweet sentences upon these textile-based discs that further communicate the concept of naivety as shown through childlike dialogue as the viewer looks at the artwork.

I hope that my audience will take my very personal representation of this reflection I have gone through in creating these artworks and look upon their own lives with positivity, as even in the darkest of times there is light.

© Copyright 2009 by Celeste Watson

VCD Finals - InDeed

2009-11-21T22:53:00.017+11:00

Visual Communication & Design- Unit 4

Title: ‘The Elizabeth Scarf’

Final Presentation 1:

Sculptural Scarf and Textile Design

Final Presentation 2:

Logo and Swingtag

Media and Materials: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, stencil paper, scalpel, fabric paint, silkscreen, squeegee, inkjet applicable cotton, inkjet printer, adhesive bond, cotton, polyester blend fabric, sewing machine, elastic, eyelets, cord pullers and gloss photo paper.

InDeed’s winter collection was themed ‘A Modern Day Elizabeth’. I had to recontextualize the traditional ruff evident in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I to fit the lifestyle of busy women aged 18-30 who often require adaptable garments. Through the use of contemporary compositions of Big Ben and drawstrings I reinterpreted this look for 2010.

This project is what I am most proud of this year in regards to folios. I plan to sew lots of these scarfs in 2010 and sell them. More on that to come...

Much love to my beautiful model Nabilah Nordin and assistant stylist Hugo Ross.

© Copyright 2009 by Celeste Watson

VCD Finals - Converse

2009-11-21T22:12:00.009+11:00

Visual Communication & Design - Unit 3

Children's Converse All Stars.

Surface graphics, reversible bandana and point of sale display.

Theme: 'When I Grow Up, I Want To Be A Fireman'

- click to enlarge -

My ultimate career would be to design sneakers for a brand like Converse or Nike. As in VCE we are able to write our own briefs, I thought I'd give it a shot. As much as I'd like this dream to come true, I'd like to be credited for it. So please, don't steal my design! If some Converse executive is reading this, email celeste.w@hotmail.com and your people can talk to my people.

© Copyright 2009 by Celeste Watson

Agyness Eyes?

2009-11-21T15:43:00.008+11:00

Yuri Pleskun

Agyness Deyn

I love models with charisma.

It's better than looking hungry all the time.

Just Take Off Your Shoes, You've Nothing Left To Loose

2009-11-21T13:11:00.007+11:00

I'm one of those people that read blogs that I don't even like. I guess it's because I'm optimistic. I read in hope that one-day they will post something decent. Well this ideology proved effective when I read Sea Of Shoes yesterday. I don't understand the hype around this blog because I would never go swimming if I were to encounter such hideous shoes (not to mention the outfits that go with them). However, Jane proved me wrong on this one occasion. For on yesterday's fine swim I encountered the most glorious of shoes. These Dolce & Gabbana black suede wedges with the profile of a face embroided on each side have got me dreamin'. Yes please.

If I was to acquire AUS $970 before they sold out, I'd probably buy them. They're one of those items that I'd show my Mum and she'd say "They're weird like you". But I'll take that. Because really, who doesn't want to dance in these babies to Tiga's "Shoes"? I actually think the first thing I'd do upon opening the box would put that very track on and dance around my room with them on, most probably in my underwear.

Here's the soundtrack to aid this visualization:

I can actually imagine myself moving my feet in a fashion that would suggest that one foot is speaking to another. I need to get out more.
If you want to make me terribly jealous- buy them here.

To New Beginnings

2009-11-21T03:35:00.004+11:00

The time is finally here. A time where I shall no longer be burdened by the often overwhelming workload that is high school. No more sitting trying to transcend myself beyond classrooms and common-rooms to more desirable destinations. Now is a time to move forward and to embark on my next quest.

'What is this quest?', you may ask. New friends, this quest is of self discovery in both familiar and foreign territories. Upon this journal you may hear tales of adventures of joy and woe intertwined by a motif of ambition. For what I aspire to, on many a day, is questioned. Yet I, as we all do, must move forth. Here it is; a first step in hope of one-day knowing what we will make of ourselves.

So come with me as I present my trials and tribulations of various aspects of my existence. I can promise regular drool-worthy clothes, good looking individuals and of course, jottings of my day to day encounters that extend beyond the relms of cyberspace.