Friday, August 11, 2006

Indyish Update: The Consistant Variable Project



Well, the Indyish launch weekend went off without a hitch, fun was had by all, and many deadlines were met!

The 24 Hour Consistent Variable Project challenged local designers or designers in training to make a design of some kind using only the items in a kit they provided, along with ONE other item of their choosing. Here are the main rules they were given, as well as a list of what was in the kit:

Rules for the 24 Hour Consistent Variable Project
1.You have received this kit Saturday, and must bring it back in Sunday Aug. 6th around 12pm.
2.Everything you are given in the kit must be represented in the final project, but you don’t have to use all of everything.
3.You can add one thing to the kit. If you decide to use sewing thread (or glue, or dye), then that’s your one thing. You can only add one new variable to the kit.
4.You cannot use the bag the kit came in, or the twist tie, or the sticker on it. We need this returned with the project.

The CVP 24hr Kit Included…
1.1 White tshirt
2.1 pair, white, men’s underwear (new)
3.1 twist of embroidery thread
4.4 small hair elastics
5.1 indyish button
6.1 strip of denim
7.1 strip of denim that’s shiny on the inside
8.3 drinking straws
9.5 feet of mechanics wire

So by the end of the weekend, 3 top picks were chosen by a panel of judges, and one Worn Fashion Journal pick was chosen by editor/journal creator Serah-Marie. Here they are, in no particular order:




Ariana Zoe - When she put it on, this tilting simplicity suddenly looked lovely and she looked at Risa seriously and explained that when you do the cvp you're kind of safe, or covered, because other people are working ont he same challenge as well, but you're also exposed, in other way, because your ideas and skills are put in such immediate comparison.





Celine Vautour
- The only one there was complete consensus on. Designers were allowed to add one item to their kit. Most added sewing thread, but Celine added tumeric powder to die the tshirt and underwear that awesome yellow. Which means the rest of the sewing work on this piece was done by hand with the embroidery thread included in the kit. A completely mind blowing labour of love to undertake in one night made Celine the clear winner.



Brianna, Megan and Sheryl Lydon - Unfortunately this family crew (2 teenagers and a mom - ok, Risa's sisters and her mom) picked up their kit quite late, and returned it the second day after the photographers had gone (thus the less professional pic, sorry!). They used the wire they were given to make their own coat hanger and bracelet, and the straps of the dress are original.





The Worn Journal pick, Dayna Gedney- perhaps the most complete and professional piece, designed by Dayna Gedney who also designed the show poster with the two headed rooster. She drew a sailboat with a sewing machine in white on the front, and then drew the same thing again with embroidery thread by hand in the back. She worked the wire into a corset she made for the back of this tailored sailor tshirt out of the denim. fully awesome and impressive, and done in under 24hrs- in fact, she was the first back in to drop her piece off!

So that's that. All 4 pieces are currently being showcased at Headquarters until the end of August, so if you didn't get a chance to get down to the Indyish Launch weekend, stop by HQ and see them up close.

www.indyish.com

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

heya Headquarters!! thanks for this great post on these very talented folks.
i want to add that the judging of the CVP's (aside from the Worn pick) was conducted by the first 4 designers on Indyish.com- complexgeometries (who started the CVP's), Pearls Before Swine, Hastings and Main, and Re-Gen. It was very tough to judge, because there were things they loved about each one. However, it came down to a combination of construction skill, wearability, and originality of form.

if you want to check out all the beautiful pieces submitted, all made in under 24hrs, go to the indyish flickr photo pool. thanks again hq, you rock, see you tuesday!
r