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Issue 2, October 2011www.rawinkmagazine.com

rawrawmagazine

brisbane gold coast tweed coast

SpecialFashionEdition

We interview James Lillis fromBlack Milk Clothing

In this Issue:

We �nd out more about Rachel Burke’s project, ‘I Make My Day’

Ben Quilty talks about his art

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THE RAW INK TEAM

Roxy CoppenGraphic designer and editor.roxy@rawinkmagazine.com

www.monkeywingdesigns.com

Ruth DunnJournalist.

ruth@rawinkmagazine.com

Liana TurnerJournalist and photographer.

liana@rawinkmagazine.com onlyverisimilitude.blogspot.com

Cover Photography by

Roxy CoppenAbove Image:

(from left) Liana, Roxy & Ruth

First off, we’d like to make a big THANKYOU to everyone who helped support us with the first edition - we had over a thousand hits on the website! We hope to continue to expand Raw Ink and make the most of it.

So, we have successfully completed a second edition in one month - we are very happy and excited to be showing you what we’ve been up to over the last four weeks.

Once again, if you know of any creative events happening in your local area, or would like to contribute to the magazine, feel free to send us an email to:roxy@rawinkmagazine.com

Don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on our Twitter-tweets.

Look forward to seeing you next time.

From,

www.rawinkmagazine.com www.facebook.com/rawinkmagazine.comwww.twitter.com/rawinkmagazine.om

The Raw Ink Team xx

We’re Back!

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contentsUpcoming Events

Chit Chat Corner with Andrzej K PytelRuth Dunn

‘Black Milk’ an interview with James LillisLiana Turner

‘The Art Behind the Label’Ruth Dunn

‘Time Machine - Ralph Lauren’Ruth Dunn

Photography by jesKAA DESIGNS

‘Grace’s Tie Dyes’Liana Turner

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Ben Quilty -interview withLiana Turner

T.O.U.C.Hwith Liana Turner

‘Fashion for a Future’Ruth Dunn

Hosier LaneRuth Dunn

Chit Chat Corner with Shenaz Engineer

‘Battle of the Bands’Liana Turner

‘Life’s Too Short’Liana Turner

4Photo by

jesKAA DESIGNS

This month we were coinci-dentally interviewing a lot of people and being contacted by people who are working in the fashion industry. So we decided to make this Raw Ink Magazine Special Fashion Edi-tion. We still have some artistic articles inside so you will not be disappointed!

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upcoming events

13thMidas Punch, Find-ers Keepers, Good-night Midnight, Fairchild Republic The first collective event from MVMNT and Warrant Promo-tions, takes place at The Zoo on Thursday October 13th and featuring four uniquely-styled bands. The Zoowww.thezoo.com.au 21stAnalogue/Digital This years conference features: Dare Jennings: Co-Founder of Deus Ex-Machina, Andy Sargent / Adam Gibson: Creative Directors of SSW, An-gus Gruzman: Music Producer / DJ / Founder of Bang Gang 12’s, Claudio Kirac: Fashion Photographer / Art Director at Billabong, Craig Rochfort / Paul McNeil: Founders of The Art Park and Troy Archer: Contemporary BC&C Cinemas - Robina Town Centrewww.analoguedigital.com.au

OCTOBER

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Chit Chat Corner with…

Andrzej K PytelAndrzej is a Brisbane based fashion designer who has gained a strong local following with his

brand ‘SIZE’ and international recognition with his brand ‘House of Ezis’. Andrzej produces in-

teresting and unique designs and doesn’t hesitate to work across various disciplines to create his

masterpieces.

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Andrzej K PytelAndrzej is a Brisbane based fashion designer who has gained a strong local following with his

brand ‘SIZE’ and international recognition with his brand ‘House of Ezis’. Andrzej produces in-

teresting and unique designs and doesn’t hesitate to work across various disciplines to create his

masterpieces.

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So firstly, tell us a little bit about yourself. Have you always had a knack for design?I have designed across several disciplines including; architecture, graphic design, photography, textile design and fashion, mixing and blurring their invisible boundaries. Fashion was not really an interest; the process gradually drew me to the industry.

Before moving into fashion, you completed a degree in Architecture and a bachelor in Environmental Design, what sparked your interest in these areas?A local designer inspired me, and my graphic work was perfectly suited to t-shirt prints, so I launched the brand. I then shifted to womens-wear as it offered me more freedom to explore different geometries through draping.

You worked as an architect for 3 years in your early career, how did you move from architecture to fashion design?It was a gradual transition that gained momentum over time as my skills developed, fuelling my passion.

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Does Architecture and Environmental design impact the way you design clothes?A lot of people seem to interpret my work as architectural. I apply design principles acquired from architecture school through the new medium and material that expresses itself fluidly and intimately. What are your aspirations as a fash-ion designer?One day at a time, the future is a secret that I will keep for now.

What is the process behind making an item of clothing?Currently I am focusing on draping the human form, while responding to its physical features and the natu-ral forces that arise through actions.

What are your sources of inspiration?Human form and temporal being.

How have your fashion designs devel-oped over time?Radically; while expanding and compressing space and time.

Let’s chat about your brand House of Ezis. Why did you choose this name for your brand?

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It’s SIZE reversed; an envelope of fabric placed as a ‘Synthetic Inter-face’ between static and dynamic human behaviour, absorbing the disparate forces during the encoun-ter, also my favourite number is ‘23’…hence a stylised SI23 = SIZE = EZIS.

What characterises House of Ezis?House of Ezis continues to develop, resisting character in favour of change.

What kind of attention have you received through this brand?All kinds of attention, postive, nega-tive, outrage, pleasure, excitement, hatred, love. It’s the flow of life that can only be accepted, changed or escaped from.

Looking at your various collections in House of Ezis, I feel like I am moving through art exhibitions. Is this something that is intentional? There is an aspect to my work that is art, but it’s also so much more.

Clothes often say something about the person wearing them. What do you want your clothes to say?I want my clothes to amplify what-ever it is that is special about each individual that chooses to wear them.

You mention on your website that the three target markets of your brand are Performing Artists, Creative Profes-sionals, and Youth Culture. Why is this?This is what our market research is indicating; it’s a great mix that keeps us on edge.

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Where are you at in the fashion industry at the moment?On the verge of launching TyDi clothing label with Australia’s no1 DJ, so stay tuned.

Where do you want to take your career in the near future?Launch the EZIS on-line shop and continue to expand the brand into the international market.

To check out ‘House of Ezis’ go to http://houseofezis.portableshops.com/

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by Liana Turner

For our readers who’ve never heard of you before, explain what Black Milk Clothing does and what makes it so special. We run a drug operation smuggling blow out of Columbia, and have a clothing label as a front. That’s what makes us so special.

When did you first come up with the idea for Black Milk, and why? A couple of years ago, because I felt lonely and wanted fangirls. Now I have fangirls.What’s behind the name? It’s the name of a song by Massive Attack.

You originally started out trying to sell your garments at markets and in retail stores, but this didn’t really work out, did it? How are you finding the online-only approach by comparison?  Awesome. I bathe in cash most nights. I love how it feels against my skin.

You’ve developed quite a following over time, and some of your fans are well, you could almost say obsessive. Do you feel this is a positive thing in this technological age, where word of mouth is still considered one of the strongest forms of advertising? The obsessive thing is not something I planned or anticipated. It means I sell a lot of stuff… but trying to keep 30 000 emotional girls happy can be fairly draining. If you could see the emails I receive… they get fairly extreme.

You seem to pull inspiration for designs and prints from a wide array of sources, many of which haven’t really been done before. What have been the most exciting pieces for you personally? I created a dress called the Volkswagon dress - it was two halves of a VW Beetle welded together in the shape of a dress. Unfortunately, some girls found it too heavy to move in and sales never really took off. 

What does the future hold for Black Milk Clothing? You have a studio space in Fortitude Valley at present, but I’ve heard talk of an expansion to other major cities. Can we hope to see this eventuating in the near future? Yeah, Melbourne next year. Fitzroy. And I’m planning on starting a few new brands as well.

What advice would you give to young lads or ladies hoping to start up their own fashion line? Honestly… I would advise them to beg me to sit down with them one day and give them some personal feedback. Most people are too fearful or protective of their ideas and dreams to do that. They usually sink within a few months.

an interview with

James Lillis

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The Art Behind the Label

ruth dunn

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The boundaries between fashion and art have been a hot topic of debate since the early 80s when fashion exhibitions began to prolifer-ate in art museums around the world. Before this, museums rarely held current fashion exhibitions, a striking contrast to today’s situation where art spaces such as the Victoria and Albert Museum have dis-played more than 20 fashion exhibitions in the last 10 years. Hovering around one another in an uncertain, and in some minds forbidden relationship, fashion and art continue to be engaged in a controversial game of cat and mouse. This relationship continues to grow as fashion exhibitions prosper in well known art galler-

ies and museums across the globe, and fashion designers and artists continue to blur the boundaries between the two disciplines. Karina Seljak is one such fashion designer and, though new on the scene, she is not hesitant to become a player in fashion and art’s game of cat and mouse.

Graduating from Fine Arts (Fashion) at QUT in 2010, Karina has already taken part in a myriad of endeavours including a temporary fashion store in Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall and a collabora-tive exhibition with Brisbane art group inbetweenspaces. Rather than aesthetics, Karina’s clothing is influ-enced by design methods and philosophies from various cultures she has come across on her travels. She is inspired by the efficiency of Swedish design, the simplicity of Gre-cian and Arabic dress, and the resourcefulness of Japanese design. Karina approaches her material as a piece of origami, exploring the nature of drapery by using one piece of fabric, and free form design dictated by the body under-neath. Her well thought out and creative practice begs the question: what are the bound-aries between fashion and art? And furthermore, when can a fashion designer be called an artist?

Call her a fashion designer or call her an artist, Karina is not afraid to explore the boundar-ies between fashion and art. Earlier this year the young budding fashion designer

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took part in a collaborative cross-disciplinary exhibition with inbetweenspaces called Quatrain. For this exhibition Karina collaborated with artists Danielle Clej and Ruth McConchie, and her designs were presented as videos in the form of large, floating projec-tions. Karina explained that the context of the exhibition allowed her works to be seen as ‘considered design (how con-struction, cloth and the body interact), rather than some-thing for consumption.’¬1

Signalling the acceptance of her fashion as art, the Qua-train installation was likened to that of internationally recog-nised artist Bill Viola,2 whose digital work Karina came to love halfway through the con-ceptualisation of Quatrain. Vi-ola’s video installations create environments where subjectiv-ity is central and the viewer is encapsulated in image and sound. Differing significantly from the Quatrain installation, Viola’s work focuses on univer-sal human experiences, such as

birth and death. The similar-ity between the two lies in the way the environment of large floating projections and sound envelop the audience and cre-ate a space of contemplation, whether of form or personal experience.

Over the last 15 years cross-disciplinary fashion display has become a trend amongst fashion designers and artists. In 1994 Cindy Sherman pro-duced a series of photographs for the clothing company Comme des Garçons which centred on bizarre, garish, dis-jointed mannequins and char-acters, pushing the clothing itself into the background. The mannequins wore designs by Rei Kuwakubo, a fashion de-signer strongly inspired by con-temporary art. Quatrain also placed fashion items in the art world, where Karina’s designs became part of the installation and were considered through a meditation on ephemeral-ity, form, surface and image. Quatrain is a reminder that fashion display is no longer

confined to mannequins and models, but can break free into artistic mediums. During this exhibition Karina’s garments became inseparable from the art world and opened up the possibility for her to be consid-ered an artist.

The acceptance of Karina’s clothing as art ceases to exist outside of the exhibition con-text according to both Karina and her collaborator Danielle Clej. ‘Karina’s garments are not visual art,’ Danielle said, ‘but you could perhaps say that the exhibition provides a platform to think about the relations between visual art and fashion.’3 Karina likewise says that the context made it the artwork, but outside of this her collection is a ‘wear-able, saleable fashion collec-tion designed for buyers and consumers.’

Past debates on fashion and art have also identified functional-ity as a divergence between the two disciplines. In 1990 art critic Michael Boodro

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Photographers Jeremy Davis and Kai Kenman

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identified that fashion was not art based on its commercial nature.4 Similarly in 2003 Alice Rawsthorn, director of the Design Museum, pointed out this divide between the two disciplines, explaining that fashion has a functional purpose and art does not. But does functionality still pose as a gulf between fashion and art today?

If we have learnt anything from the past 50 years of art, it is that the art world is not always separate from com-mercialism and is home to a vast family of styles, ideas and functions. Postmodernism has broken down boundaries between fashion and art by challenging the notions of ac-ceptance in both worlds. Bon-nie English, Associate Professor at the Queensland College of Art, Griffith, said that the char-acteristics of postmodernism can be used to systematically categorise fashion as art. She explained that in the same way postmodern art appropriates earlier art, so too does fashion revive or appropriate previous styles. She also makes the point that postmodern art ‘usually makes some kind of social or political statement…and over the last 10 years fashion designers have also made such statements.’5 By using this postmodernism framework, Bonnie English says fashion can be categorised as art, and functionality does not necessar-ily separate the two.

Postmodernism opens up a space where the function of art is no longer separate from pop-

ular culture, commercialism and consumers, and the func-tion of fashion is not confined to being practical and focused on the sum of its parts. French artist Fabrice Hybert is an example of the way art crosses boundaries and explicitly en-ters the world of consumerism. Hybert literally transforms art spaces into market places and areas of product testing, where his artwork functions as a use-able trade product designed for buyers and consumers. In 1994 he created the company Un-limited Responsibility which was responsible for the sale of his art products.

Working around the same time Hybert created Unlim-ited Responsibility, Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren began making clothes. Their company Viktor & Rolf is a prime example of the way fashion reaches beyond its common functionality. Their runway shows often take the form of performance art, and their practice comments on concepts and world issues. In their Spring 2010 collection they created beautiful ball gowns with holes cut out of them reflecting the deconstruc-tive vein of postmodernism. By symbolically cutting chunks out of the luxurious ball gowns they also addressed the credit crunch issues and personal budgeting happening in the world at the time.

So what can be said about a fashion designer such as Karina who does not operate in a postmodern framework, but at the same time is not

afraid to breach the ‘bound-ary’ between fashion and art? Surely if her design can be seen as art in one context, you can’t cut its ties to art as soon as it exits the exhibition space. Viktor & Rolf have always seen art and fashion as being driven by similar if not identical impulses.6 In this way Karina can be likened to an artist, and an artist to a fashion designer. The thing that made Karina want to become a fashion designer is ‘practicing art and being creative that results in a usable product.’ This reveals the creative impulses that drive her career. Furthermore, just as artists are inspired by exhibitions and the world around them, Karina discovers inspiration on her travels and at the countless art and design exhibitions she attends.

Out of their impulses and inspiration comes a product/artwork through which fashion designers and artists interact with their consumers/audi-ence. Like art, Karina’s designs require active participation from the consumer. Her clothes are not just to be pas-sively looked at, but to feel and be felt. Both Fashion and art demand a reaction from the audience. Whether it is physi-cal, emotional or psychologi-cal the audience responds by thinking, feeling and seeing. Karina describes the way she wants people to respond to her clothing: ‘I want the person wearing my clothes to feel sexy, to feel the luxuriousness of the fabric. I want the clothes to last seasons, be versatile... Like a sexy friend in the wardrobe.’

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Over the past 30 years, the re-lationship between art and its sexy friend fashion has come out of the wardrobe and into the public eye. Their game of cat and mouse continues and neither fashion nor art are showing signs of tiring, with both ducking in and out of exhibitions, art museums, public spaces and the runway. The cross-disciplinary relation-ship between fashion and art has opened up a space where the two undeniably intertwine. By being unafraid to take part in cross disciplinary activities, designers and artists around the world, such as Karina Seljak, Viktor & Rolf, Ruth McConchie and Danielle Clej, help keep the relationship between fashion and art alive and well. These creatives chal-lenge the belief that art should be kept separate from fashion, and open up new possibilities for the consideration of this controversial couple.

1. Interview with Karina Seljak, April 2011.2. Sarah Werkmeister, Karina Seljak, ‘Quatrain,’ 16 February 2011, www.fourthousand.com.au/look/quatrain-karina-seljak/3. Interview with Danielle Clej, April 2011.4. Sung Bok Kim, Fashion Theory, Volume 2, Berg, UK, 1998, p.54.5. Interview with Bonnie 11th May.6. Fashion Theory: The Jour-nal of Dress, Body & Culture, Volume 3, Number 1, Berg, February 1999, p 109, www.ingentaconnect.com/content/berg/jdbc

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Time Machine will be a regular article in Raw Ink, describing a historic event that occured in the month of the publication.

Ralph Lauren turns 72 this month! Born in Bronx, New York, Lauren became interested in fashion in seventh grade. At the age of 28 he was hired by Beau Brummell Ties as a designer where his wide and colourful ties sold and started a new trend in a society dominated by narrow, dark neck ties.From here he started his own company, and in the following years produced successful lines of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing.In 1971 Lauren opened his first retail store, going on to build 116 Polo-Ralph Lauren stores in the U.S, 1,300 boutiques, and a megastore in New York in 1986.By 1997 Lauren became the best-selling designer in the world.Amongst his fashion ventures, Lauren worked to raise money for breast cancer cure research and has established the Ralph Lauren Centre for Cancer Prevention and Care in New York.

Ralph Lauren changed his name from Ralph Lifshitz because kids at his school made fun of the fact that his name had the word ‘shit’ in it.

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Photography by

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- Liana TurnerOscar Wilde once stated that “Mere color, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways.” One girl is doing her bit to prove this by adding a bit of brightness to our lives. Grace Stewart, creator of Grace’s Tie Dyes, utilises an array of stunning colours as a way of directing an inner sense of creativity. Grace’s website is product-on-demand, meaning she only makes what is ordered

– a refreshing change in a world where mass-production seems standard. Grace uses sun dyes, meaning sunshine and patience are required for her creations. She embraces experimentation with a variety of garments and fabrics, and is rather fond of breathing new life into second-hand garments. Check out her range of loveliness at www.gracestiedyes.com or on her facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Graces-Tie-Dyes/151815478170380

Grace’s Tie Dyes

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quiltyBeninterview with Liana Turner

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Claiming the Archibald Prize is a remarkable achievement. What did you first think when it was announced? I was driving along Sheepwash Road in the Southern Highlands and almost crashed the car into a paddock. That was after I realised it wasn’t a friend hoax calling me. It was a very surreal painting. I feel pretty young so it doesn’t feel that long ago that I thought even just getting into the show would be a breath-taking achievement. To win was incredibly exciting.

What initially inspired you to ask Margaret Olley to sit for you? Margaret was the guest judge of the Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship in 2002, the year I won. Since then she has been buying my work for institutional collections and talking about my work to whoever would listen. Most people listened to Marga-ret when she talked, so she covered huge amount of ground for me. She really was my biggest supporter and patron. I’d been putting off asking her to sit for me as I felt painting Margaret was too obvious and felt as though it went against my ideas of winning the Archibald one day - on my terms. Finally it became so obvious that she was a friend and a supporter and an incredible human who had inspired me to greater things.

Your portrait of Olley is far removed from some of your past works, many of which are largely based around a sense of masculinity. You’ve also recently completed a series of paintings of your wife. What made you want to make this thematic shift? I stayed with Germaine Greer on her farm near the Lam-ington National Park a few years ago. She asked me where the sexuality was in my work. there was this crazed masculinity and everything that goes with the debauchery of youth - but not sex. So after a few

bad paintings I realised my partner was the form of sexuality that made sense to make work about. She is beautiful and she is the embodiment of the opposite forces of masculinity. The painting of Margaret was a continuation of this. Margaret was more of a patron than a sex symbol to me. Although there was an inherent sexiness in her approach to her own life and work.

A bold palette is a common occurrence with your paintings. How do you feel this portrays the essence and memory of Olley as a person? She was a crazy lady. She surrounded herself with colour and energy. Margaret suffered from serious depression at certain times throughout her life. I always felt that her paint-ing was a tangible way of holding the black dog as she called it at bay. The act of making a painting leaves you squarely in the here and now. It is a tangible, and in Margaret’s case colourful form of creative medita-tion. I wanted the painting to reflect the energy of Olley, but also suggest the frailty of age.

The vast majority of our audience is comprised of young creative types. Being a notably successful artist with a fairly unique public image, what advice would you give to young people aspiring to make a living in the creative industries? Don’t ever give up! As soon as I left art school I realised that I would need other jobs to live. I went back to university to study more about getting a ‘real job’. But I always knew that nobody could take away my hobby. I’ve always been obsessed with painting, with creating, and if you’re prepared to keep the hobby alive then eventually it will take over the rest of your life. In the end a creative pursuit survives only if you make time to practice. Practice makes perfect!

2011 Archibald Prize winner Ben Quilty visited the Tweed Regional Art Gallery last month to discuss his experience of painting the renowned Australian artist, Margaret Olley. The portrait, quintessential of Quilty’s bold work, was widely popular with visitors to the gallery’s Archibald Prize 2011 exhibition. Liana Turner chatted to him on matters of his art and inspirations.

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T.O.U.C.Hwith Liana Turner

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Murwillumbah’s own alternative rock band, T.O.U.C.H have been on the radar of the local music industry for a number of years. As their repertoire of both covers and original songs grows along with their posse of loyal fans, they are cementing their name within the Tweed region and surrounds. After scoring second place in the Tweed Battle of the Bands earlier this year, they were asked to return to the latest BOTB last month return to headline the final event. Liana Turner went along to chat to frontman Cameron Haydec.

So, headlining the Tweed Battle of the Bands...that’s a pretty big achievement yes? How do you guys feel about this? Does it feel rewarding to return as a headlining act after the last battle? We were very excited to be asked to headline the final round of the Tweed Battle of the Bands. It’s always such a thrill to perform to a wide audi-ence, particularly with such great stage, sound and lighting set up.

T.O.U.C.H has been recently introducing new original songs to your audiences. How do you feel they’ve been received so far? t’s always a little scary releasing and performing a new song. You never know what the audience will think, and their judgement of something you made yourself is an important part of song writ-ing. So far we’re loving the response. Our deeper songs are being recognised for their maturity and complexity, whilst our more easygoing songs are having people on their feet dancing and singing, a sight we live for.

There was talk a while back of the possible release of an EP or album, correct? What’s the go with this?I won’t say too much about this, but there could be both happening very shortly. The EP idea is just a hard copy of the recorded tracks you already know and love, but for the album we’re hoping for a full list of new songs to record and produce to a much higher standard.So you’re currently working on writing new songs? Yes, we’d like to get as many songs out as possible, even if they don’t all make it to the album.

There’s a pretty decent setup here with a whole lot of merchandise; how do you feel merchandise impacts upon your image as a band?It’s another way to share our creativity. We hope to sell and give away as much merch as we can, simply to give our fans something to show off.

You’ve had a lot of involvement with collabora-tive gigs at Condong Bowls Club of late. Do you feel such gigs are important for the local music scene in terms of bands really helping each other out? Of course. We know how hard it is to start out as a young band searching for shows in a small town. they’re hard to find especially on your own. We play these gigs to try get as many young bands along, and to support the charities they’re run for.

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Fashionfor a

FutureWith its bright, fun and incredibly diverse collection of objects, pictures and bits ‘n’ pieces, Rachel Burke’s studio reflects as-pects of the dresses that are formed within it. Rachel’s designs stitch a smile across your face as you look at the fun, unique and colourful dresses she creates, but the purpose behind the project induces a heartfelt smile that means so much more.

Ruth Dunn

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Rachel not only has a passion for creativity, but also for helping children. She has seen the effects of childhood issues, such as sick-ness and child abuse, in the lives of friends and family and wants to help children suf-fering from these issues early in life, in or-der to reduce the long term effects. Rachel says ‘it’s really important to think about the future, and if you can stop problems now, or even brighten someone’s life who maybe isn’t going to see the future, which is a lot of cases in the Starlight Foundation, then it’s a really good chance to make a difference early.’ Rachel first applied her passion for fashion into fashion for a cause when she started the project ‘ I make. You wear it’ in August 2010. For this project she made a dress ev-ery Saturday night for 20 consecutive weeks. Through this project Rachel raised $5000 for the NAPCAN charity and succeeded in creating 20 dresses for 20 lucky ladies.

Sounds like an ambitious enough ven-ture right? Not for Rachel, who last year decided to up the ante and undertake a project of making one dress every day for an entire year. Rachel began ‘I Make My Day’ on April 29th and is still going strong as she approaches the halfway mark this month. She makes these dresses from scratch, creating her own quirky, fun and sophisticated designs, which bring happi-ness to those who purchase them and to the charity she supports through this proj-ect. The money Rachel raises through ‘I Make My Day’ will go to the Starlight Founda-tion, who provide programs to lift the spirits of hospitalised children, and give them the chance to laugh, have fun, and be a kid even through the seriousness of their illness. Lauren Arena, Public Rela-tions and Communication Coordinator for Starlight Foundation, says that when

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they heard about Rachel’s project everyone at Starlight Foundation ‘were blown away by her dedication and creativity and were really excited about this fun new initiative.’ With over 600, 000 child admissions to Australian hospitals every year, every little bit counts when it comes to raising money for Starlight. The money Rachel raises will help The Starlight Foundation carry out its Hospital and Wishgranting Programs. Lau-ren says ‘people like Rachel ensure we can keep helping those who need it most’. Rachel’s project brightens up wardrobes, but more importantly brightens up the lives of seriously ill children and their families.

To check out Rachel’s designs go towww.imakeyouwearit.com

like her facebook pagewww.facebook.com/imakeyouwearit

or do both!

If you would like to learn more about the Starlight Foundation go towww.starlight.org.au.

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HosierLane

Recently, Ruth Dunn travelled to Melbourne with her sister Rebekah and friend Pushpa to view some of the city’s most renowned urban art. Here are a few shots of what they found when they stumbled across Hosier Lane.

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Shenaz Engineer is a young Brisbane based Fashion Designer on the cusp of launching her own label. Though she only recently graduated, Shenaz has already been sought after by The Black Eyed Peas’ stylist, and has received various national and international design awards.

CHITCHATCORNER with

ShenazEngineer

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What were your aspira-tions as a kid? I come from a family which has continually endorsed cre-ativity, freedom of thought and the need to push bound-aries in all creative spheres and arenas. Hence, as a child I thoroughly explored all areas in the realm of vi-sual art, drama & music. However, I have also always been curious about the field of scientific developments and as a kid wanted to be a Paediatrician. After complet-ing a year of Biomedical Sci-ence I soon realised I needed an outlet that would allow me to express myself creatively & made the decision to pursue fashion. However, the sci-entific element is often evi-denced through my designs and forms a strong inspirative background to my works.

When did you decide you wanted to be a fashion de-signer?In 2007, I began my double degree in Business & Fine Arts (Fashion) at QUT, Aus-tralia. Fashion design was the perfect outlet for me to ex-press myself creatively. I am an extremely visual person and fashion opened my eyes to a new dimension within the realm of the ‘creative process’.

What do you want to achieve as a fashion designer? As a fashion designer I look forward to creating my own concept company, diversi-fied through experimental collaborations & projects, which make a statement. The

constant union of collections with important social messag-es evoke thought and action, which is what truly motivates and inspires me. What do you love most about fashion design? The ability to drape and adorn one of the most com-plex organic forms is continu-ally challenging and inspira-tional.

Your designs aren’t some-thing you see everyday, the form is incredibly sculptural and quite geometric. Have you always had an interest in uniquely designed clothes? Yes. Uniquely designed clothes or rather clothes that subtly allude to the designer’s point of view & statement in time instantly draw my atten-tion. Some of my favourite designers which have a strong point of view in their designs, rather than merely following the trends of the season are; Hussein Chalayan, Issey Mi-yake, Alexander McQueen & Yohji Yamamoto. Overtime what has been the process behind developing and refining your own style? The development of my de-sign style has unconsciously been formulating through my progression and growth as a designer. There is definitely a common thread that is visible throughout all my creations, however I look forward to continuing to refine my style with experience.

Where does your inspira-tion/ thought process comes from?

I seek inspiration from every-where and anywhere. I often like to document my experi-ences through both photo-graphic and video graphic mediums, which often reveal the early foundations of my ‘inspiration’, allowing the voyeur to see the collection through my individual lens of perception. The conceptual process is one of my favourite stages in the design process, for me it is important that a collection tells a visual story, subtly alluding to the design-ers’ inspiration and thought processes.

What are some of your achievements so far? I have received various inter-national & national design awards, I did an Installa-tion for Berlin Fashion Week 2011, ENGINEER stocked and sold globally, I completed an Internship at McQueen, and have taken part in exten-sive creative collaborations.

Tell us about your brush with The Black Eyed Peas. What were you thinking when you heard your designs were sought after by a celebrity stylist? It was very exciting & un-expected! There is nothing quite like the feeling when you see people wearing your clothes, particularly when they are artists you both ad-mire & respect.

What is the idea behind your graduate collection A Kalei-doscopic Perspective?‘A Kaleidoscopic Perspective’ invites the voyeur to experi-

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ence the worldview perspec-tive through the conceptual lens of a kaleidoscope. Rep-resentative of a diametri-cally opposed perspective, this collection systematically seeks to deconstruct this in-triguing object. It seeks to lure the viewer into a world full of miraculous structural formations, distortions and illusions, whilst highlight-ing the notion of imperma-nence and continual change, bringing people to question reality itself. The three com-ponents of the Kaleidoscope that serve as the conceptual background behind this col-lection feature: 1. Structural Geometric Formations, 2. Distortions and Illusions, and 3. Change. These essential characteristics are clearly evidenced through the multi-dimensional garments, and the experimental fabrications and finishes. Some of which include the extensive appli-cation of laser cutting, digi-tal engineered print design and the development of new textiles. A conceptual video featuring the inspiration & images behind the collec-tion can be seen here http://vimeo.com/28440949

What do you have your sights set on in the near fu-ture?I’m looking forward to get-ting further international ex-perience within the industry, before I officially launch my own company.

What is something you have learnt through your experi-ences so far that you would

like to share with aspiring designers?I guess the biggest difficulty being a young designer is having to learn everything as you go. Being a recent gradu-ate on the cusp of launching my own label it is sometimes hard to know what the next best step to take is, but one can only make the best de-cision at the time and learn from any obstacles along the way; without failure there can be no success.

If you want to learn more about ENGINEER check out www.notjustalabel.com/engineer.

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DTBATTLEOF THE

BANDS

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DTBATTLEOF THE

BANDSYOUNG TALENTS from Byron Bay to the Gold Coast were put on display last month with the latest instalment of Tweed Battle of the Bands. Held at Tweed Civic Centre on September 10, the all-ages event showcased talents from a wide array of genres.  Murwillumbah band T.O.U.C.H, who performed in the last Battle of the Bands this year, returned as the headlining act and showed abundant support for all the bands who competed. Ocean Shores Indie/alt rock quartet Alice Blu scored the top prize of two thousand dollars, with Gold Coast Pop/Punk band Double Lined Minority claiming second place with Folk/roots/pop band Potato Potato from Byron Bay taking out a close third. The three bands have since been contacted by the Gold Coast Music Indus-

try Association regarding memberships with the group. Additionally, Arcanine were given the opportunity to support lo-cal band Fat Albert at the Great Northern in Byron.The final event and two preceding heats attracted a plethora of support from all ages. The drug and alcohol free event was an excellent opportunity for young up and coming bands to establish a public image within the local music industry, whilst gaining quality performance expe-rience. In a region where underage bands and their supporters struggle to make gigs a common occurrence, the Tweed Battle of the Bands offers them a chance to perform in a safe, yet realistically com-petitive environment. 

LIANA TURNER

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Time – it’s a commodity far greater than money or gold or fast cars. When we lose all our money, we can get off our backsides and make more, but we can’t get back time, no matter how hard we try. Perhaps this is simply because our underpaid scientists are spending all their time and money on curing cancer and saving the apes, instead of building time machines or deducing the perfect cocktail for the elixir of life like they should be.Our baby-boomer parents have forever told us how quickly the years will slip away

from us, but we ignore these warnings until we’re almost twenty-something. We sudden-ly feel like some sloth-brained butterfingers, or senile felines, our youth the agile mouse who always manages to slip away, despite our best efforts.We find ourselves working five days a week, missing the days when we could get sunburnt from a hard day of doing nothing – and the worst we’d fear was peeling skin. The days when “maggot” meant squirmy larvae and parties meant lollies and stream-ers seem like a distant hazy memory, and we trudge along

in our new lives, wondering if we’re doing a good enough job of pretending to be grown-up.It’s a little bit scary at times, but now we’re here – in this thing they call life – we may as well make the most of these moments. When the minutes slip away like butter off a steaming knife, we shouldn’t worry about what tomorrow will bring. Rather, we should step into the unknown and embrace all our days as if they’re our last…because eventually, they will be.

- Liana Turner

Life’s Too Short

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Swell SculptureFestival 2011photography by Roxy Coppen

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The first collective event from MVMNT and Warrant Promotions, takes place at The Zoo on Thursday October 13th and featur-ing four uniquely-styled bands.

MIDAS PUNCH return to the stage after a long 18 months absent and sporting a new drummer to headline the show, with their unique blend of Grunge/Rock/Funk. They will be backed up by Indie rockers, FAIR-CHILD REPUBLIC, who make the short trip from the Gold Coast. Newcomers GOOD-NIGHT MIDNIGHT, who have been

impressing everyone and drawing crowds since they burst on the scene earlier this year and getting the night started off and opening the show, are the boys from alter-native/rock outfit FINDERS KEEPERS.

This is one show not to be missed. Tickets only $10 from any of the bands or promot-ers, or $12 on the door if they are still available.

Let’s party!

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