As the title suggests, not everything Chez Needles is about 1940's glamour girls and 50's pin ups - I like modern stuff too. A designer I've followed over the years is Martin Margiela, a Belgian born designer known for his minimal, avant-garde designs and his secretive, somewhat cryptic approach. For example, there are almost no pictures in existance of the man himself; the only visible branding he uses are 4 large stitches at the neck, which attach his labels to the garments. Some of his work is a bit impractical, like these shoes:
As you can see they are just a heel and sole; they were sold with a roll of ordinary packing tape, which you wrapped around your foot and under the sole, in order to keep them on.
But much of what he does is just beautiful, like these horsehair jackets:
Or this dress made from old records, worn by Rihanna:
As you can imagine, abstract Belgian fashion doesn't come cheap, but I do have one pair of his signature split toe Tabi shoes, similar to these, which I love to bits:
Mr Needles and I were having a browse around the Margiela boutique here in London a few months ago, when I saw a jacket similar to this:
(The one I actually saw was for men, and had a much smaller front panel, but I can't find a picture of it on line!)
Sudden flash of inspiration - Mr Needles had his favorite hooded jacket stolen while out at a bar a couple of years ago, and has never found one to match it. What if I took this pattern:
And used the bigger hood of this pattern:
And added a panel either side of the zip? What would I get? This:
Here are some details:
The hood and zip - though it appears simple, it was a complete pain to put, in but worth it in the end.
I added a pocket to the side seam - what's the use in a jacket without pockets?
And it was all lined with a fleece fabric, the colour of which I named 'dead mouse'.
That was my foray into the future, but I'll be back in the past soon!
Gorgeous! The hood is so big and spooky. I love how the whole thing drapes.
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