Project Statement: 'Story'

For my ‘Story’ project I looked at Harry Styles and his life. At first I just looked at the lyrics for his songs ‘Only A angel’ and ‘Golden’, but shortly after I began to research his life story, his influence in fashion and media, and his role in breaking gendered fashion. I then looked to other men who broke these gender roles such as Grayson Perry, Leigh Bowery, David Bowie and Elton John. I made a couple of artworks in response to my research and to use as inspiration for my 6 look lineup. When designing my lineup, I was influenced by my own work, my research, 1970’s fashion and the fashion workshops I attended. I made moodboards showing the inspiration behind my 6 looks, and assigned each look with a Harry Styles song. I made both a menswear and a womenswear collection.

Six Look Lineup: Menswear

Made in my sketchbook using a HB pencil, watercolour pencils, posca pens and a black gel pen, then scanned using my phone.

Womenswear: Moodboards

Moodboards and inspiration for my womenswear six look lineup.

Movement: Film Photography

In the last project I had taken some photos on my 35mm film cameras. They have just been developed so I'm posting them now. Photos were taken on Kodak ColourPlus ISO 200 film in my Olympus OM10 and Canon Canonette film cameras.

Six Look Lineup: Womenswear

Made in my sketchbook using a HB pencil, watercolour pencils, posca pens and a black gel pen, then scanned using my phone.

Research: David Bowie / Ziggy Stardust

David Robert Jones (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie, was an English singer-songwriter and actor. He was a leading figure in the music industry and is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. He was acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his innovative work during the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, with his music and stagecraft having a significant impact on popular music. During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at over 100 million records worldwide, made him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. In the UK, he was awarded ten platinum album certifications, eleven gold and eight silver, and released eleven number-one albums. In the US, he received five platinum and nine gold certifications. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Rolling Stone placed him among its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and named him the "Greatest Rock Star Ever" following his death in 2016.

Ziggy Stardust

Ziggy Stardust is a fictional character created by David Bowie, and was Bowie's alter ego during 1972 and 1973. Ziggy Stardust is an androgynous rock star who came before an impending apocalyptic disaster. After accumulating a large following of fans and being worshipped as a messiah, Ziggy eventually dies as a victim of his own fame and excess. The character was meant to symbolise an over-the-top, sexually liberated rock star and serve as a commentary on a society in which celebrities are worshipped. Influences for the character were English singer Vince Taylor, Texan musician the Legendary Stardust Cowboy, Japanese kabuki theatre, and Japanese fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto, who designed many of Bowie's costumes as Ziggy Stardust.

Ziggy Stardust's exuberant fashion made the character and Bowie himself staples in the glam rock repertoire well into the 1970s, defining what the genre would become. The success of the character and its iconic look flung Bowie into international superstardom.

Ziggy Stardust's look and message of youth liberation are now representative of one of Bowie’s most memorable eras. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars became Bowie’s second most popular album in terms of record sales.

As Ziggy Stardust, Bowie had a bright red mullet. Long and slender, Ziggy was dressed in glamorous outfits often with flared legs and shoulders, and an open chest. On the cover of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Bowie appeared a green suit of his own design, made by his tailor friend Freddie Burretti and local seamstress Sue Frost. Produced in a geometric-patterned fabric, the bomber jacket and matching cuffed trousers were worn with knee-high, lace-up boots designed by Stan Miller. Bowie's costumes for early concerts were white satin trousers with a flock-patterned jacket, and a multi-coloured jumpsuit. The character had pale skin, described by Bowie as a “snow-white tan”. Bowie shaved off his eyebrows in late 1972, adding to Ziggy's alien visage.On Ziggy's forehead was a gold "astral sphere" suggested by make-up artist Pierre La Roche. By the end of the Ziggy Stardust period in 1973, Bowie would spend at least two hours before each concert to have his makeup done. According to La Roche, for his last few English concerts, Bowie painted tiny lightning streaks on his cheek and upper leg.

I, like others, was really drawn to Bowie's Ziggy Stardust era, and I was really inspired by his style. I think that his style is something Harry wouldn't shy away from playing with, so I will be using Ziggy Stardust and David Bowie as inspiration for my six look lineup.

Research: Stevie Nicks

Stevie Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer and songwriter known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist. She is known for her distinctive voice, mystical stage persona and poetic, symbolic lyrics.

Nicks was named one of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time by Rolling Stone. She is the only woman to have been inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of Fleetwood Mac in 1998 and as a solo artist in 2019. She has garnered eight Grammy Award nominations and two American Music Award nominations as a solo artist. She has won numerous awards with Fleetwood Mac, including a Grammy Award and five Grammy Award nominations.

Nicks's style has remained the same throughout her years in the spotlight and even "at 60 she is still working the gossamer tunics and shawls that have influenced two generations of Stevie acolytes, and given her performances the feel of a Wiccan ritual" writes New York Times reporter Ruth La Ferla. Nicks has been known for her multiple wardrobe changes during live performances, almost having a new outfit for each song she sang. Nicks sings about the store where her iconic style all started in the song "Gypsy" on Fleetwood Mac's 13th studio album "Mirage", released in 1982. In the song, Nicks sings of a store called the Velvet Underground, a boutique in San Francisco, California, where famous rockers like Janis Joplin and Grace Slick were known to shop. It was at the Velvet Underground where Nicks's unique and easily recognizable style began.

Above: Nicks and Styles on stage.

Stevie Nicks, who referred to Styles as "the son she never had", likened his Fine Line album to Fleetwood Mac's album Rumours and commented that it inspired her to write new music. Their friendship began in 2015 after the former One Direction member presented his idol with a hand-piped birthday cake after a Fleetwood Mac gig in London. “Glad she liked carrot cake,” he later said. The years since have seen the duo’s mutual affection blossom into one of pop culture’s most cherished bondings.

Because of Nicks influence over Styles, I chose some of my favourite outfits worn by Nicks as inspiration for my six look lineup.

Research: Harry Lambert

Harry Lambert is a fashion stylist based in London. Lambert is represented by Bryant Artists, an independent creative agency that works with stylists and set designers. One of Lambert’s earliest gigs was an internship at Vogue where he worked on photoshoots with celebrities such as Nick Knight, Tim Walker, Lucinda Chambers and Cheryl. He has also worked with Topshop, Topman, Tommy Hilfiger, and Asos.

The Vogue cover is one of many mutual projects Lambert has had the opportunity to work with Harry Styles. He styled the singer for the March cover of Beauty Papers. The outfits included everything from a classic black suit to fishnet tights. As Harry’s main stylist, Lambert is behind every major fashion appearance of the singer – from annual music awards to red carpet looks.

Above: Styles at the Grammy’s, styled by Lambert.

Above: Styles and Lambert for the Vogue shoot.

Above: Lambert styling Styles for his ‘Golden’ music video.

Research: Elton John

Sir Elton Hercules John (born 25 March 1947) is an English singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer. Collaborating with lyricist Bernie Taupin since 1967 on more than 30 albums, John has sold over 300 million records, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He has more than fifty Top 40 hits in the UK Singles Chart and US Billboard Hot 100, including seven number ones in the UK and nine in the US, as well as seven consecutive number-one albums in the US.

Over the course of a career spanning almost six decades, he worked with some of the best costume designers and fashion houses in the world such as Bob Mackie, Versace, Yohji Yamamoto and Gucci.

“I’m always bloody stuck at the piano, aren’t I? Clothes have always had to be part of the show that I put on,” he told The New York Times.

Above: Elton in the iconic sparkly Los Angeles Dodgers outfit, 1975

Above: Harry Styles dressed as Elton John.

Some of my favourite Elton John Looks that I want to use as inspiration for my six look lineup.

Garment Repositioning: Croquis Sketches

I sketched the garments made on Monday onto some male and female croquis. I really like how the looks turned out and I will definitely use them in my final six look lineup. The sketches were made in my sketchbook using watercolour pencils and posca pens, then scanned using my iphone.

Garment Repositioning: Sketches

Some quick sketches of the garment repositioning workshop. These were made with oil pastels in my sketchbook.

Garment Repositioning Workshop: Looks Five and Six

Garment Repositioning Workshop: Look Three and Four

Garment Repositioning Workshop: Look One and Two

Story: Works made in response to theme

Rug made with acrylic yarn, punch needle and linen scrim.

Pot made with air dry clay, acrylic paint and varnish.

Harris Reed

Harris Reed is a half-American, half-British designer who is Harry Styles' favourite designer.

While still studying at Central Saint Martins, Reed caught the attention of the likes of Harry Styles, Solange, Alessandro Michele and Ezra Miller to name a few, resulting in high-profile press and interviews placed with Vogue, GQ and Dazed, Another Man and Harper’s Bazaar.

Reed’s design process takes inspiration from the current social and political issues that Reed feels most connected to. Harris Reed and the brand is best described as Romanticism Gone Nonbinary.

Personally, Reed dresses themselves to invite the looks and stares, to blur the preconceived fault-lines people have about gender and sexuality.

For Reed, fashion is truly revolutionary and has a huge role to play in pushing the world to a more expressive and accepting place - using their platforms to share their personal visionary values, to help those seeking acceptance and self-love.

Aside from fashion, Reed is also well known for their campaign and relationship with Gucci, as well as being an innovative key figure within the new generation of young creatives, whose work marries genres from fashion, film, beauty, culture and the digital world through a gender fluid lens.

Recreating Harry’s Iconic Cardigan

This sweater was worn by Harry Styles in February 2020 while performing for the "Today" show. The Coulourblock Patchwork Cardigan that Styles wore was designed by British fashion label JW Anderson and originally retailed for more than £1,250, according to British Vogue. In response to the garment's popularity among users on TikTok, Jonathan Anderson, head designer and founder of JW Anderson, released a detailed PDF guide that includes instructions and a pattern for the sweater. I was always meaning to recreate my own version of the cardigan but I never really got around to, but I thought now would be the perfect time to give it a go since my ‘Story’ project was based on Harry.

First I looked at the official JW Anderson pattern and decided what colours i wanted my cardigan to be. I decided to go with pinks and purples as they’re colours I love using in my art. I substituted red for dark pink, orange for a medium pink, yellow for a light pink, black for a dark purple, green for a light purple and i switched the houndstooth pattern for a cream and blue patch.

I used a basic knitting stitch for all the patches because I didn’t want it to take too long or become to complicated. I used 100% acrylic yarn and 6.5 mm needles. Each square measures 18 stitches across the top and is roughly 14 x 14 cm.

So far I have knitted 12 light pink, 8 dark pink, 2 light purple and 1 of the dark purple, blue and cream, and the medium pink. I have 47 patches left to knit, then i will stitch it all together. Then i will knit the button band and button hole band, cuffs, collar and back and front ribs.