Star Wars at H&M!!!!

So I was doing some shopping at the H&M at oxford circus and I ran across these shirts! I bought the one in blue. However what I found interesting was that the store was only selling Star Wars shirts, no other film or band shirt was to be found....kinda random.

Dissertation

The dissertation is almost done!!!!!!! Just some revisions and then I can get some sleep!!!!

As I am re-reading the paper though I am wondering what other people might think about the topic....

I am writing my dissertation on Costume and Community and using Star Wars and Fandom as my case studies, and stating whether dress and costume can create/enforce a community (I believe it can and does). However, within this discussion I am using the fundamentals of ethnic grouping as my definition of community. Stating that there are common visual/physical signifiers and features (which is the area I am focusing on mostly because of dress) as well as kinship and devotion (like religion or worship) that bring a community together.

What is your opinion on what brings a community or group together? Do you think it can be costume/fashion/dress?

Fun blog

Found this new blog today while researching my project. Ian Seniff, the blogger, is apparently drawing a character from star wars everyday for a year. His drawings are amazing!

Check them out!!

http://365daysofstarwars.blogspot.com/

The female tusekn raider and child are awesome: http://365daysofstarwars.blogspot.com/2009/03/day-67-iof-365-female-tusken-raider.html , http://365daysofstarwars.blogspot.com/2009/03/day-68-of-365-tusken-raider-child.html

Project: Female Tusken Raider

So in addition to my dissertation I am also creating a female tusken raider costume. I am going to use this blog as a diary to show my daily findings and post some photos of the work as I go along. Very exciting and very stressful seeing as my deadline is in a week!

Here are a photos below, any tips?

(Images were found at http://imageevent.com/kay_dee/fidm/sandpeople)

Look, the whole family! I am sure under those masks they are just thrilled to be together!

Maybe they are off to a picnic or just getting ready to attack a small village, whichever.

(Image taken from the FIDM gallery website)

Lady Gaga

Amazing new video from Lady Gaga for her latest single "Bad Romance".

The song was premiered at the Alexander McQueen show I wrote about in the last post.

Here is the video link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACm9yECwSso

And most of the wardrobe seems to be McQueen pieces. Here are some stills of the video as well.

However this piece looks a lot like the bandage costume from the Fifth Element, which John Paul Gaultier designed. Check it out.

Leeloo's fifth element costume below:

Alexander Mcqueen Spring 2010 RTW

After reading the reviews of the Alexander Mcqueen Spring 2010 RTW I had to check it out. Describe in a few reviews as being influenced by Star Wars the show is definitely reminiscent of Sci-Fi. The show was titled Plato's Atlantis and, as style.com states,

"McQueen, according to an internal logic detailed in a press release, was casting an apocalyptic forecast of the future ecological meltdown of the world: Humankind is made up of creatures that evolved from the sea, and we may be heading back to an underwater future as the ice cap dissolves."

The shoes are intense! I looooove them. The first one kind of looks like they have a fin down the front. I am IN LOVE with the second one, loving how industrial it looks....however, I am still in shock that the models didn't tip over though (and by tip over I mean fall on their asses).

Here are some detailed pictures of the show from style.com:

Some nice detail shots of the garments. The ruffles on the right seem to be raw edged.

A few full shots.

....Now the hair was very strange. Sort of reminds me of dinosaurs for some reason. Could definitely see any of these in the Star Wars prequels.

Awesome cuff...thing.

A video below (from style.com) has a few clips from the show and interviews with show-goers. Enjoy!

Amidala: Queen of Couture

This is a fun find from starwars.com!

An interview with Nick Verreos (season two Project Runway contestant, designer, and instructor at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in California) telling readers of what he thinks of the Star Wars saga attire. Here is a bit from the article:

"The most fashionable character of the saga is a toss up between Princess Leia and Queen Amidala," Verreos says. "Princess Leia's infamous metal bikini was so Paco Rabanne meets Courreges -- hot! She was the Bridgite Bardot of galaxy. In The Phantom Menace, Queen Amidala was giving us intergalactic couture. She was a Dior fashion show by John Galliano all wrapped up into one person -- a mini diva! When I first saw those Queen Amidala costumes in Vogue magazine, I remembered sketching more voluminous gowns with heavier fabrics. I fantasized that I would do a runway collection with very theatrical, bigger-than-life ensembles, something that Queen Amidala would wear. I used her as my muse and client...While Queen Amidala's style inspired Verreos to try new elements in his own designs, that doesn't mean there weren't a few fashion victims in the saga that even the Force couldn't fix. "Oh dear, Obi-Wan Kenobi and that hemp-looking robe and that 1980s Flock of Seagull-meets-Duran Duran braid of his -- bad, bad and more bad!" Verreos laughs. "I would cut that braid off and give him some color, maybe around the neckline or the edges of his robe -- something!"

http://www.starwars.com/community/news/rocks/beacon159.html

I completely agree with his statement about Queen Amidala/Padme in the first three episodes. Her collection of costumes are extremely ornate and reference back to many different time periods and cultures. She would fit in on many couture runway shows and can be compared to Galliano (as stated by Mr. Verreos), John Paul Gaultier, Tao Comme des Garcons, and Hussein Chalayan Who have all put on fashion shows using the same ornate detailing and referencing as seen in Amidala's wardrobe.

...I also think that Obi-Wan Kenobi should get rid of the Jedi Mullet in Episode 2. See for yourself below.

(Image taken from Imdb.com)