Saturday, 18 April 2009
Wednesday, 15 April 2009
cambodia x 2 the beginnings
Hi All,
Here's a bit of a insider's view to what i have been doing.
Been working on finding the local community partners that i want to work with and do a part in fashion to give back. Making the choice to stay in Asia to work with all of the wonderful traditional crafts is probably the best decision that i have made in my fashion life. Makes it all so much more worth it.
This journey led me to Siem Reap Cambodia.
I went to visit one community in Siem reap
They started out in 1998 as a project to support the local community - 10 years on they have built a sustainable company that creates jobs in rural Cambodia as well keep the traditional arts alive.
It's really an amazing community workshop that they have built.
They run a series of workshops that make stone sculptures/ wood carvings, lacquer work, silk painting to sell locally
... and the part that excites me the most is the entire silk process. It's a less glamourous side to fashion, when you back track to the raw material.. but this is where the beauty can begin...
They are totally self sufficient from the silk worm to the end product.
Mulberry trees - leaves to feed the silk worms ... to harvesting the silk and spinning it into fine silk
as well as raw silk
.
these are the spinning looms to spin the silk into a yarn to use in weaving.
lush silk yarns being washed after spinning. Prepared ready to dye.
silk yarns being cleaned then washed and hanging to dry from the dyeing.
these have been made into scarves which are hand dyed..in roots etc to achieve beautiful colors.
hand fringing...... long process but love the vibrant color!!
Next is a very special process called Ikat - called Hol silk - patterns are prepared in advance by hand tying and then dyeing certain threads.. lengthy process.. can take a month or so dependent on how complicated the pattern.
Different traditional patterns...
the outdoor dyeing process..different pots for dyeing and beating the silk to even out the dye color for the ikat silk.
after dyeing -- drying and checking the color as you untie all of the little ties.. out comes the pattern.
next comes the hand weaving. Everything is done on hand looms.. back to basics.
One of the oldest ways to make cloth - thru weaving.
Some of the artisans have developed their skills and overcome their disabilities while learning their crafts here.
One of the artisan's kids was realy curious and let me take a picture.. she was full of giggles! Mom was weaving next to her.
Some the finished silk is made into home products - and get hand screened....in this little room
this is the sewing room, where many of the products are assembled.
this is one of my favorites from the archives - absolutely delicious!
stacks of silks and traditional patterns that are soooo inspiring.. that i could just dive into!
thats all for now... inthe next few months i will be helping to set up some workshops to teach sewing and other basic techniques while developing a collection out there.
I will keep you all up to date with the progress!! Meanwhile u can check the rest of the photos from this part of my trip.
XXP
Here's a bit of a insider's view to what i have been doing.
Been working on finding the local community partners that i want to work with and do a part in fashion to give back. Making the choice to stay in Asia to work with all of the wonderful traditional crafts is probably the best decision that i have made in my fashion life. Makes it all so much more worth it.
This journey led me to Siem Reap Cambodia.
I went to visit one community in Siem reap
They started out in 1998 as a project to support the local community - 10 years on they have built a sustainable company that creates jobs in rural Cambodia as well keep the traditional arts alive.
It's really an amazing community workshop that they have built.
They run a series of workshops that make stone sculptures/ wood carvings, lacquer work, silk painting to sell locally
... and the part that excites me the most is the entire silk process. It's a less glamourous side to fashion, when you back track to the raw material.. but this is where the beauty can begin...
They are totally self sufficient from the silk worm to the end product.
Mulberry trees - leaves to feed the silk worms ... to harvesting the silk and spinning it into fine silk
as well as raw silk
.
these are the spinning looms to spin the silk into a yarn to use in weaving.
lush silk yarns being washed after spinning. Prepared ready to dye.
silk yarns being cleaned then washed and hanging to dry from the dyeing.
these have been made into scarves which are hand dyed..in roots etc to achieve beautiful colors.
hand fringing...... long process but love the vibrant color!!
Next is a very special process called Ikat - called Hol silk - patterns are prepared in advance by hand tying and then dyeing certain threads.. lengthy process.. can take a month or so dependent on how complicated the pattern.
Different traditional patterns...
the outdoor dyeing process..different pots for dyeing and beating the silk to even out the dye color for the ikat silk.
after dyeing -- drying and checking the color as you untie all of the little ties.. out comes the pattern.
next comes the hand weaving. Everything is done on hand looms.. back to basics.
One of the oldest ways to make cloth - thru weaving.
Some of the artisans have developed their skills and overcome their disabilities while learning their crafts here.
One of the artisan's kids was realy curious and let me take a picture.. she was full of giggles! Mom was weaving next to her.
Some the finished silk is made into home products - and get hand screened....in this little room
this is the sewing room, where many of the products are assembled.
this is one of my favorites from the archives - absolutely delicious!
stacks of silks and traditional patterns that are soooo inspiring.. that i could just dive into!
thats all for now... inthe next few months i will be helping to set up some workshops to teach sewing and other basic techniques while developing a collection out there.
I will keep you all up to date with the progress!! Meanwhile u can check the rest of the photos from this part of my trip.
XXP
Monday, 13 April 2009
Avedon fashion Exhibition coming up NYC
May 15–September 6, 2009
Avedon Fashion 1944–2000
Richard Avedon (1923–2004) revolutionized fashion photography starting in the post-World War II era and redefined the role of the fashion photographer. Anticipating many of the cultural cross-fertilizations that have occurred between high art, commercial art, fashion, advertising, and pop culture in the last twenty years, he created spirited, imaginative photographs that showed fashion and the modern woman in a new light. He shook up the chilly, static formulas of the fashion photograph and by 1950 was the most imitated American editorial photographer. Injecting a forthright, American energy into a business that had been dominated by Europeans, Avedon's stylistic innovations continue to influence photographers around the world.
This exhibition will be the most comprehensive exploration to date of Avedon's fashion photography during his long career at Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, The New Yorker, and beyond. Working closely with The Richard Avedon Foundation, ICP curator Carol Squiers and guest curator Vince Aletti will present new scholarship on the evolution and extraordinary, ongoing impact of his work. The exhibition will feature more than 200 works by Richard Avedon, spanning his entire career, and will include vintage prints, contact sheets, magazine layouts, and archival material.
taken from ICP.org
Cambodia x 1
Back finally.
It was my first time visiting Siem Reap..most people will know it for ANGKOR WAT - world's largest temple... ANCIENT... Not sure how i feel about what is happening overall there. Development is good.. alot of NGO's and other companies helping developments there and i am sure also profiting. The people are amazing.. they have been to hell and back..and that is what makes it more worthwhile to be there and share a part of what they have and the knowledge that they crave.
Cambodia is a country that is still developing and recovering. It's people have been through an awful lot.. much more than many of us in a lifetime. If you want to know more -- check out the recent Khmer Rouge article where a number of officials are being tried for crimes against humanity. Another issue that was bought to light a number of years ago.. which some of you may remember...Children for sale.
So on a lighter note.. embracing the place....
HERE I AM
and this is SAmPO my lovely driver who also protected me from everyone.... haha
First stop for me had to be FOOD....
I checked out their Roast CHICKEN...... SUPER YUM..
forgot to take the pic of the Bamboo sticky rice which took me about 20 mins to figure out how to split open..
and it is really delicious..look out for it..
Khmer fish soup...
sticky peanut dumplings in coconut milk..
YUM....
Surrounded by ricepaddies... and a lot of water coming and going. I stopped by some of the surrounding temples and must sees...and it really got me in the gut.
Angkor Wat is HUGE... alot of passages, beautiful light and serenity aside of all the other tourists.
A bit of local fashion...
There are so many beautiful details in the stone carvings...
Some translate into modern cool graphics...LOVE
The drive to Chong Kneas - floating vilage on Tonlé Sap Lake - this village is divided on water - Vietnamese, Cambodian/Muslims... they migrate according to the movement of the water.. to the mountains when it's wet.
THE PIER.. a bit rough WIP
THE CLUB - local youth hangout - drinking, games and sociallizing..
Right next door was basketball court - full size on water... amazing
These kids take their basketball SERIOUS... and this is court #2..
They take pride in their boats.. a beautiful flower garden!
Vietnamese kids schoolboat... 190 kids - 5 sessions a day with about 35 - 40 kids per class... and a dedicated retired vietnamese teacher.. who had volunteered his last days to teach these kids. He lives on the boat. Another younger teacher was bought in subsidize by the Vietnam government. Also lives on the boat.
The kids come in from the surrounding boats whenever they can.
Average household income is 10 - 15USD per month.
Should you ever decide to go.. suggest to take some writing pads and a ton of pencils for them. They have little access.. and it helps. They really want to learn!
The other places to stop by are Bayon and Ta Prohm.. both with their own characterisitcs
A face looking at you from every direction...
The trees are taking over the restoration process which is very slow..... i wonder why....
this is like a mad jigsaw puzzle.....
Stopped by Wat Prasat.. and was kindly shown around by a young 19yr monk.. who's determination to learn english and bring knowledge back to his village is astounding.. he was so passionate about this.
YAT in his classroom. He asked for nothing except time to practice.
The cooks..prepping the second meal of the day for the monks
A bit of daily passing temple art !
Hung out at the local markets too... i always love to stop by and check out the local spots.... and here it is....
Lord of the flies...
Is this how he/she got there???
Motojuice....
and for those that have a need!
Hope you all enjoyed that small sneak preview with me to get to know the place... watch this space.. more to come on the reason why i went to Siem Reap.
PEACEx
It was my first time visiting Siem Reap..most people will know it for ANGKOR WAT - world's largest temple... ANCIENT... Not sure how i feel about what is happening overall there. Development is good.. alot of NGO's and other companies helping developments there and i am sure also profiting. The people are amazing.. they have been to hell and back..and that is what makes it more worthwhile to be there and share a part of what they have and the knowledge that they crave.
Cambodia is a country that is still developing and recovering. It's people have been through an awful lot.. much more than many of us in a lifetime. If you want to know more -- check out the recent Khmer Rouge article where a number of officials are being tried for crimes against humanity. Another issue that was bought to light a number of years ago.. which some of you may remember...Children for sale.
So on a lighter note.. embracing the place....
HERE I AM
and this is SAmPO my lovely driver who also protected me from everyone.... haha
First stop for me had to be FOOD....
I checked out their Roast CHICKEN...... SUPER YUM..
forgot to take the pic of the Bamboo sticky rice which took me about 20 mins to figure out how to split open..
and it is really delicious..look out for it..Khmer fish soup...
sticky peanut dumplings in coconut milk..
YUM....
Surrounded by ricepaddies... and a lot of water coming and going. I stopped by some of the surrounding temples and must sees...and it really got me in the gut.
Angkor Wat is HUGE... alot of passages, beautiful light and serenity aside of all the other tourists.
A bit of local fashion...
There are so many beautiful details in the stone carvings...
Some translate into modern cool graphics...LOVE
The drive to Chong Kneas - floating vilage on Tonlé Sap Lake - this village is divided on water - Vietnamese, Cambodian/Muslims... they migrate according to the movement of the water.. to the mountains when it's wet.
THE PIER.. a bit rough WIP
THE CLUB - local youth hangout - drinking, games and sociallizing..
Right next door was basketball court - full size on water... amazing
These kids take their basketball SERIOUS... and this is court #2..
They take pride in their boats.. a beautiful flower garden!
Vietnamese kids schoolboat... 190 kids - 5 sessions a day with about 35 - 40 kids per class... and a dedicated retired vietnamese teacher.. who had volunteered his last days to teach these kids. He lives on the boat. Another younger teacher was bought in subsidize by the Vietnam government. Also lives on the boat.
The kids come in from the surrounding boats whenever they can.
Average household income is 10 - 15USD per month.
Should you ever decide to go.. suggest to take some writing pads and a ton of pencils for them. They have little access.. and it helps. They really want to learn!
The other places to stop by are Bayon and Ta Prohm.. both with their own characterisitcs
A face looking at you from every direction...
The trees are taking over the restoration process which is very slow..... i wonder why....
this is like a mad jigsaw puzzle.....
Stopped by Wat Prasat.. and was kindly shown around by a young 19yr monk.. who's determination to learn english and bring knowledge back to his village is astounding.. he was so passionate about this.
YAT in his classroom. He asked for nothing except time to practice.
The cooks..prepping the second meal of the day for the monks
A bit of daily passing temple art !
Hung out at the local markets too... i always love to stop by and check out the local spots.... and here it is....
Lord of the flies...
Is this how he/she got there???
Motojuice....
and for those that have a need!
Hope you all enjoyed that small sneak preview with me to get to know the place... watch this space.. more to come on the reason why i went to Siem Reap.
PEACEx
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