Illustrator: artaksiniya

All images from artaksiniya's portfolio http://artaksiniya.com/Illustrations/index3.html

I saw this illustrator through Decoy Magazine. I've included a few of my favourites (and there are a lot because the work is so polished and dynamic). The signature feature would be the tiny vertical hatching lines which make up the shadowing of the figure as well as the strong composition in the works. Some of them have strong references, in my opinion, to the fashion illustrations of the 1920s and 30s and it really shows how referencing illustrations of the past can still work in a contemporary way. Another key technique is the patterns placed side by side, for the garments and background as well as line and direction to create interest.

this one's my favourite. I've never seen a contemporary artist reference historical fashion illustration in this way. 

I also like this one because of the dynamic composition and used of colour. 

Elie Saab

Elie Saab has such beautiful beadwork. I am inspired by her feminine use of tulles and beading and there are lots of references to the floral which links to my theme of luxuriant nature. There are many techniques used here with the crystal beading as well as the use of 'rivers and valleys' on the front of a dress which gives me the idea of manipulating fabric for placement right in front of a garment. They combine tulle with lace and often overlays it with beading. I've taken inspiration from the circles placed on a garment and may interpret that into my own.

Jean-Paul Gaultier

I love his use of fabric in an unconventional way, gathering the soft tulles with lace and threads, its like he cocoons the body . Meanwhile his use of beading is creative, playing with the soft nude fabric and skin and almost 'tattooing' patterns on the body in the form of beads. His use of red beads challanges the conventional use of clear or crystal beads but still allowing the feel of fragility and balance. Additonally, the use of cross-over black threads to form a pattern is interesting as well as his choice of placing it at the waist. Very sophisticated and refined design decision complemented by her headdress.

Christian Lacroix

This designer uses beautiful lacework and beads directly onto the lace itself. None of the colours are too dominating and the beads create this soft dominance, accentuating various parts of the body, here again it is flowy and detailed. Despite it looking quite simple, the bead work is intensely elaborate but not placed all over the garment.

A Quote by Hussein Chalayan

"By merging with our cyber-environment we become anonymous: we can wrap ourselves in electrical shadows, masquerade as another, lie in concealed silence, or fall into a clandestine underworld. And yet we find ourselves under the watchful gaze of an unknown omnipresent eye. An eye which covertly regulates and orders our movements, encrypting invisible tattoos upon the imaginary skin, This is the eye of surveillance."

In ShadowsAutumn/ Winter 2005-06

Obtained from Parlour X website.

IFM- Fashion Business ideas

3 AREAS OF INTERVENTION TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS

Our take on the competitiveness of companies : what is generally called into
question or needs to be adjusted originates in the gap between the existing offer or brand identity one the one hand and the motivations and expectations of the market on the other.

Markets run along rules that bring together sociological, economic, cultural and
geographic dimensions… in addition to the individual dimension of the client (be it
companies or consumers). However, gaps appear naturally from one season to the next in all of the markets that are subject to fashion and fluctuating trends.
It is thus necessary to carry out complete or partial surveys of brand or company identity and the businesses that run them by first asking three questions : What are the
perceptions of the market according to client segments and the main impression given by the brand or company’s identity ? What can be diagnosed in relation to the products offered by the company and its competitiveness ? What action needs to be taken ?

Using these introductory questions as a basis, IFM / Market research & Consulting organizes its analysis and recommendations, elaborated from a strategic or operational angle, along three lines of intervention :


1. ANTICIPATE THE FUTURE WITH A STRATEGIC VISION

How is the strategic environment of the company evolving?
What are the consequences and what lessons must be learned ?
What are the gaps between your identity and the positioning perceived by your target market ?
What are the targets and positioning that would maximize your impact and boost your turnover ?
What are the offers that are seen as the alternative to yours ?
What are their strengths and weaknesses ?
What relevance and legitimacy in terms of activity and brand image do diversification and range extension have ?
In a new market, what are the existing offers, what do the consumers of fashion and
design products want ?



In order to answer your questions, IFM / Market Research & Consulting uses the very latest investigative and explorative tools, in order to gauge how the current territories of legitimacy, client sensibility and prospects will react to the changes envisaged.


2. MANAGE COMPANIES, OFFERS AND BRANDS ON AN OPERATIONAL LEVEL

In a changing environment, the way you run your business is constantly being called into question.
Is your range of products in line with the identity defined, its positioning and the changes in the market ? Is your product and brand narrative correctly perceived by the consumers and clients ?

Is your pricing policy correct, in accordance with the perception of the offer and the
references ? Do the points-of-sale truly express the brand ? Do the signs given carry
the brand’s identity ?
What are the main competitors on the market and what are the differentiating elements
appreciated by the clients?


IFM / Market Research & Consulting proposes operational answers within the framework of the strategic global vision of the company ? A rational approach is the best complement to the sensibility and intuition of your teams.


3. ANTICIPATE THE IMPACT OF ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND SOCIAL CHANGE

IFM / Market Research & Consulting covers the overall environment that surrounds
a company as well as its own specific issues.

What impact have the changes in consumption and distribution had on the sector ? What influence do socio-demographic changes have?

What are the consequences of the globalization of trade? How do the bilateral free-trade agreements influence the flow of products and skills, and as such competitiveness? What adaptations are companies forced to make due to macro-economic changes?

What means must be deployed by a country, region or geographical zone in order
to elaborate an ambitious industrial policy and actively promote this?

At the heart of the sector, IFM / Market Research & Consulting makes its economic intelligence, the result of its privileged role as « guardian» of the profession, available to companies and institutions and offers recommendations for action that are adapted to your environment.

http://www.ifm-paris.com/asp/en2/econ_etud_3_0.asp