Saturday 27 September 2014

Introducing: Eustratia

The brand, the designer, the latex


I've followed Eustratia for a number of years. In fact me and Stacey (founder, designer, creative director, general wonder woman) discussed an internship around 3 years ago. Although I was aware of Stacey's amazing creations, working with or even wearing latex was something completely new to me but something I had been intrigued by. For those of you who arn't familiar with Eustratia...

Model: Kelly Image: Winterwolf Studios


Eustratia specialises in latex clothing, although have recently released fabric range. All items are handmade in the UK using quality materials to create visually stunning pieces which you won't find else where. Stacey's creative vision really shines through in her work with her unique designs, drawing inspiration from both the past and future.

"I'm interested in creating beautiful items that transcend the fashion/fetish/costume/art labels and satisfy me creatively, while also appealing to others and becoming items to cherish and wear with pride for years to come. I enjoy trends and fashion but I prefer clothes that are versatile and can be carried forward from season to season, I therefore aim to achieve a unique but timeless quality within my work...

The Eustratia vision is aimed towards individuals who wish to express themselves through their appearance, amplifying their beauty and enhancing their personality in order to convey a message." Stacey Black.


Model: Biomechanina Image: Aesthetic Contradiction

From working with Stacey, I have personally begun to see latex in a whole new way. Latex clothing is often associated with the fetish scene, but Eustratia shows how there is so much more to it. In recent times, latex has been seen much more in popular media, with celebrity fans such as Lady Gaga, Daisy Lowe and Kylie and designers such as Burberry featuring it in their A/W 13 collection. Across the Eustratia collections there is a combination of show stopping pieces that make an impact and pieces which are extremely wearable, my current favourite being the swing skirt.

Image: Rik Ayres Photography

I believe that it is a truly wearable fabric and have enjoyed incorporating latex into my everyday wardrobe, especially with accessories, as well as wearing full outfits for shows and events. It is surprisingly flattering, pulling you in in all the places you want it to. With pieces such as the swing skirt, I find it drapes beautifully, much better than fabric and pvc versions I have seen. 

Aside from latex, Eustratia also offers a jewellery range, making it easier to get a little bit of Eustratia into your outfit. I will cover the jewellery range (and the part I played in it) as well as the new fabric range in more detail in a future post.



Not only from a design point of view but also from a business perspective I have found Stacey to be a huge inspiration. She set up Eustratia in 2011 and the brand continues to go from strength to strength, with shows at the German Fetish Ball, Manchester Fashion Week and the upcoming Fashion and Lifestyle Exhibition at Event City to name but a few, as well as studio days and open house events. Stacey's work ethos really shows through in the results she achieves. I've never known anyone to work so hard and so much, I'm not entirely sure she's human.

You can have a look at Eustratia's fabulous collections here, follow on Facebook and keep up to date with Stacey's blog here.


Monday 22 September 2014

Expectations

When I first went into my internship I didn't really have expectations. I enjoy making things and thought it would be good to learn a new craft. I certainly didn't expect everything which has happened over the last few months, Manchester fashion week, walking on a catwalk in Berlin, fabulous parties and most importantly for me, all the amazing people I have met. 

  For me, my internship has opened up a whole new world, one where I feel I've always belonged but never quite knew about until now. I will post individually about events at a later date, there's a lot of back tracking to do!

  I always get asked about my internship and what I do, so hopefully this blog will give you an insight into the world of a fashion intern, and for those of you who have ever thought about interning, perhaps it will inspire you. It's not all parties, fashion shows and trips abroad, there's a lot of hard graft that comes with it too, long hours in the studio late into the night, show prep, juggling an internship around your paid work, perhaps even doing things you don't find fun or interesting (luckily not so much the case for me!), but for me, it's all worth it. An opportunity like this can open so many doors for you, to things you'd never even thought about before. Through people I've met because of my internship I've had the opportunity to style photoshoots, something which I never would have thought to do before and meet lots of interesting people who play different parts in the fashion world and gain great insight into what it is they do, bloggers, models, photographers, designers. 

  I suppose the most important thing when it comes to interning is finding something you love and have the passion and drive for. If you can do that, and give it your all, then you can achieve great things, and if you're as lucky as I have been, it will surpass any expectations you may have had. 


Photo by Toria Brightside 

Sunday 14 September 2014

Once upon a time

  



 I graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a degree in International Fashion Marketing in 2009. Whilst studying I had the opportunity to do a placement year where I worked for a shoe design company as a design assistant. 

  My original plan after graduation was to go full time in the retail job I had worked in since I was 16, earn a bit of money and then go get a job related to my degree. At this time, the job market wasn't great so I thought this was the sensible thing to do. It didn't quite go to plan and 5 years later, I'm still in the same job.

  A few months ago, a friend of mine suggested I contacted his friend, a fashion designer, about an internship, this is where things got interesting...