ENVIRONMENTAL GRAFFITI

I've come across this amazing new form of graffiti from Germany. Called Environmental Graffiti www.environmentalgraffiti.com, it is made from moss. The process involves blending moss, water, buttermilk and a retention gel and making a paste. You then paint it on with a stencil or free hand and keep it moist with water mist. The results are spectacular. Try it for yourself.

ANIMAL BEATBOX - Tropfest 2011 Winner (TSI: "Key")

So for those of you outside Australia you may not have heard of Tropfest. Tropfest is an Australian short film competition which is in fact the worlds largest short film festival. It was started about 10 years ago in a small cafe in Kings Cross called the Tropicana Cafe (hence the name. And which BTW when I lived in Sydney use to die for their Trop salad for lunch). Its and annual competition and every year they have a theme or a word as inspiration. 2011 theme was Key.
Attached is the winner of last year. I just love it.

AMANDA LEPORE "SHES THEM ALL"

I love Amanda Lepore.

I think she is fabulous.

I'm alway interested in knowing where people have come from and how they got to be where and who they are today. Little is documented about her though. From Wikipedia I found out she was born as Armand in Cedar Grove New Jersey, and from a young age she knew she was supposed to be a girl. At 17 she had a sex change and got married and lived a suburban life until she left for NYC.

Before and after pics and transformation pics always interest me also, but again there is only one pic i've been able to find of her as a young woman.

In any event I came across these pics from Tush Magazine in

2010, shot by Marcus Ohlsson entitled "She's them all" SO SO good...i've popped in a couple of the originals too for a bit of a look-a-like comparison.

NYC, SERIOUSLY...STOP IT!

So as a designer there are things that are just taken for granted. You travel. You get inspired. You visit the high end brand store to drool over the make, finish and the fabrics. For me, being from Australia the 1st and 3rd point are kinda hard...well, not hard but just not as accessible. 25-30 hrs away from major cities like London, Paris and NYC.... as a result i've being lucky enough to visit London and Paris a few times, but NYC i've not been so lucky....until now!

I've just spent 1 week in NYC for the 1st time and I have to say - OMG. I HEART NY!!!!

Paris, was always the city at the top of my list of wonderful cities - and it still is - but NYC is my city. Dynamic, inspirational, progressive. And lots of other adjectives....

Having spent the last 12 months in Indonesia, to come back to a big city has been cathartic. Being able stimulate my senses with new experiences is just what I needed...

Attached are a few things that got my creative juices doing somersaults!

INANIMATE OBJECTS

I love seeing great design.

I love how everybody interprets things so differently.

I love to see how peoples design processes work and especially the re-interpretation of something we take for granted. More still the use of an inanimate object and turning it into something of beauty.

For instance the post I made back in April last year of Jennifer Maestre's work. Making sculptures out of small sharpened piece of pencil.

I found yesterday amazing rug sculptures made from objects usually discarded. Band aids, cotton buds, clothing pegs, the result is spectacular.

SPEED OF THINGS

I'm in 2 minds about fashion. On one hand i'm thankful that consumers feel the need to buy the latest and greatest each season - as it keeps me in business. But on the other hand is all this consumerism really necessary? We all know the answer is.....actually I cant decide! I guess it isn't, but we work hard and deserve beautiful things, so yes it is!

Something can be said though for oldies but goodies. We all have them. Pieces we've had for years that we just love and cant part with. An old t-shirt, pair of shoes, jeans...My sister went to America for a year when I was 9. She use to send me little parcels of goodies from the other side of the world that I'd never heard of like Reeces peanut butter cups, Candy Corn, Nurf ball. Once she sent me a t-shirt for the Oregon Ducks Football team. I absolutely loved it. It was grey marle with a yellow and green print, with a donald duck type cartoon. I had it for years and one day it vanished. I think my mum probably tossed it as it was thread bare. I still think about it.

RESORT, PREE FALL, PREVIEW

In recent years theres been a lot of movement in the way collections are presented. No longer are there clearly defined Fall/Winter or Spring/Summer....this is good news for me. At MICHAEL HOCKEY we are aiming to set up our collections as season less. This is due partly because our company is based in the Southern Hemisphere, but our product is bought globally we want to ensure all our followers can buy all our styles anytime they want. Because, lets be honest, none cares if its this season or last season - if you love it, you love it.

Speaking of loving it, I am very lucky to be freelance designing for Indonesian based brand Lily Jean. After a wonderful response to the last collection, recently showcased in Brazil, I've been invited to design the upcoming collection which will be shown in either San Paolo or Rio fashion week in June....very happy about that trip!

In my research for the upcoming season I've come across beautiful collections. Notably from Chloe, Preen,Roksanda Ilinic and Celine....here are a few of my key look images....