The Magnificent World of TT

The story of TT label begins in 2010, unintentionally, like the most fascinating stories usually do start. When in one gloomy December day, designer Tanja Topolovec sent one of her designs to competition held by one Croatian online magazine, she didn’t expect that it would cause such a sensation like it did or receive great critics. This has urged for creating of her own labour of love, TT, where she could combine her past and current interests in visual art with her vision of fashion. Therefore, TT accessory line is the fusion of different fields where designer is exploring her talents, such as multimedia, sculpture or textile design. As perfectionist, designer’s eternal statement is to demand the multi-purpose of designs, and its different dimensions. So, it’s not just about the garment, hat or necklace and its determined form. The story of TT is the story of experiment atypical from ordinary fashion story that has just interest in wearable. It’s the story of sleepless nights and requirements to go beyond the personal limits and established rules in designing. It’s also the story of surprises, since it usually begins on vague mornings on flea markets where designer is wandering for treasure pieces that are enough flawless to turn into fait d’art. It’s the story where additional efforts to supply materials that will fit into philosophy of fair and guilt-free fashion, is far away from burden. It’s the story of uncountable hours spent in applying feathers, furs or embroidering hundreds of beads. It’s the story where magic creates reality from vision. 

**TT Fall Winter 2012/13 collection brings the enchanting tales of recycled fur, leather and beads transformed into unique headdresses. These walking leather sculptures have great accent on detail, whether is fur trimming or beading or it’s playing with leather patches. Lavish but with edge, each piece of headwear is made with special care and patience with intention for its wearer to get lost even for a minute to bedazzled world where magic exists and unicorns, foxes, owls, deer and other wild creatures have their secret ceremonials. 

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Designer Crush; Aileen, House of Isla

What I like about this about this global changes in fashion today is the fact that often happens that you are impressed by some young, enthusiastic individuals not obsessed with the profit but with fulfilling their passions. Aileen Kim, owner of House of Isla, Philippines-based indie shop is one of them. This young designer is really an inspiration. Not  only she is very hardworking busy bee, but she is very unpretentious and wise girl. How do I know that? When I asked her for interview and send her questions, when she send me back the answers, I really made myself a cup of tea and enjoyed in reading her words of wisdom. Creative and talented designer does the great job for House of Isla, and not only she is designing and sewing clothes alone at the moment, she also writes beautiful blog, models for her lookbooks, creates lovely assembles and writes beautiful words for her online shop. Also, Aileen has a great love for nature, which inspires her work. She is really something! Find out in the interview what she likes, how she started to sew, what inspires her and what is her advice to become more earth-friendly. 

Is this your dream job?

At this point in my life yes. When we were younger, we had this rather stereotypical picture of our dream job as something that requires us to be behind a desk in a four-walled office building in the midst of the busiest city in the country…and that the best gauge of success would be of course getting the heftiest paycheck. But then we realize later that what’s most important in life is that you do what you are most passionate about. I have always been passionate about the arts, fashion and design and am lucky enough that I get to do that now.

Beautiful, beautiful photos and lovely story with every single item… Who is in charge of that? 

House of Isla is basically a one-woman show. I do practically everything for the shop from the design ideas to the execution and the production. It could get pretty daunting at times but I must say that it is really fulfilling as I get to do all the things I love like design, writing, photography and even a little bit of web design.

Are you working (also sewing, crocheting) alone? 

Yes I do everything alone but hopefully in the future when House of Isla will be an established name, I would like to give back to the community by hiring and training women most especially housewives. I would want them to be able to earn despite their being a stay-at-home mom.

You are using vintage fabrics and materials. Where do you buy/find them? 

I believe our city pioneered in the sale of preowned apparels in my country and bulks of these apparels are very beautiful vintage pieces. Sometimes I get to see very beautiful fabrics but very outdated or unflattering design but I buy it anyway. We also have some fabric shops that sell vintage laces and buttons…one of my fave places to visit. I do not however use vintage materials exclusively. I like to mix things up with whatever beautiful material I could buy.

Favorite materials/fabrics to work with?

Lace and more lace!

Where do you find inspiration?

From nature, from the materials themselves and from myself. I like fashion and trends (well not all of them) but I have this neurotic impulse to be different at times. Guess  I am a little stubborn if not a tad proud that way. So basically I just make what I think I would want to wear. Sometimes I just let the materials speak for themselves. I would stare at a piece of lace and ask it…how would you want to be transformed?...lol!

When did you start sewing? Self-taught or?

I am pretty much self-taught. But sewing seems to have run in the family as my aunts and my grandmother were great seamstress. As a kid, I have memories of my grandma and her sewing machine, tape measure wrapped on her shoulders, her feet on the pedal while her wrinkled hand moves the wheel. Then I would find boxes after boxes of my mom’s pretty dance dresses with wide collars, big colorful floral fabrics and insane length that would make any mom of my generation want to grab a seam ripper! I would gasp with delight and say, “Gramma really made these dresses?”

When you are creating garments is that a planned work or "progress in making"?

I do make a rough sketch but most of the time I end up with a totally different design altogether.

Do you plan to expand on the global market?
Going global would be any designer’s dream. Hopefully I could break into the global market someday…but am not rushing. Trying too hard spoils all the fun.

What are you doing when not working on House of Isla? 

I am just your average mom, doing wifey errands. These days though, House of Isla had been incorporated in my daily life so much, so that it had no longer feel like it is some kind of a job or a task that I need to do. When I lock myself in my workspace, it’s like escaping in some part of the house with a hot cup of coffee while reading a pretty good book.

The love for the nature and earth…where from? 

When I started the House of Isla, I wanted to have some sort of advocacy and not to be just another online fashion shop. Saving the environment had always been so close to my heart. Having been raised in the great countryside, I grew up playing in the river, climbing trees and just being one with nature. And though I was taken to the city to start my schooling, I have always kept this great affinity with nature.

What do you think about this sweatshop craziness all over the world? Do you think people are too busy or maybe too shallow to think about who makes their clothes?

I wouldn’t say shallow, maybe uninformed in such a way that we do not really pay attention much on this side of the coin. But I believe a lot has changed and people are no longer just mere consumers. They developed a keen sense of curiosity as to how the product was produced and by whom. Sadly of course, sweatshops are still here and had been grounds for abuse and exploitation for many and many years now.

Your advice/message for misslikey readers; How to become more earth-friendly? 

Going green is really something you can’t achieve overnight. It's a lifestyle that requires great patience and dedication. Some people find it hard to go green because it inconveniences them. But it is all just a matter of taking one baby step at a time…like reducing 30min shower to 15mins. Or instead of purchasing new clothes, why not DIY your old ones! There are really a ton of things we could do with our old stuff. We just need a little dose of imagination.

Visit Aileen's Blog and House of Isla Shop
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We heart Polaroids...ON SCARVES

I remember when I used to play with my mum's Polaroid camera in front of the mirror as a kid. Things haven't changed now that I am a bit older so instead of playing I am in hunt for the same camera around antique shops. What- If Rachel Zoe has it, I have to have it too.
Joking apart, when Polaroid manufacture announced no longer production back in 2008, the photographers didn't feel very well, nor designers too- fashion shows could barely function without polaroids. But thanks to The Impossible Project, new techniques, Urban Outfitters, Lady Gaga's partnership with corporation, finally we can have a sigh of relief. And to heal the sadness we were feeling, we need to celebrate with every single polaroid. So except I celebrate with Andy Warhol, who is my one of favorites related to fashion polaroids or Jeremy Kost, few months ago I fell in love with those that Antonio Barros snaps. I'm sure if you are reading misslikey long enough you noticed that obsession of mine on the header of blog. Sometimes I just like to imagine everything as polaroid image, even myself, so you can imagine the happiness I felt today I bumped on collection of polaroid scarves on Reborn shop pages. Yes, you did understand well- Printed polaroid images on pure silk, luxurious and soft scarves. You don't know what to do with them first- to hang them on the wall or wrap around your neck?! Collection entitled Objets Trouves is collaboration between Philippe Roucou, French designer, master in "savoir faire" leather goods, as he alleged in interview for Dazed Digital and contemporary artist M. Chèrie.
The price for this collaboration of creativity and chic is $CAD 449. Shop on Reborn, download the lookbook on Philippe Roucou web, and just say Wow!

Looking For The Summer

Craig Lawrence is aspiring London based designer and one of British wunderkind children raised at Central Saint Martin.
Creative master of knitwear was developing his art-craft as Gareth Pugh knitwear creator.
Besides that, he collaborated with Levi's, Levi's Original, Cassette Playa, musician Patric Wolf and with Alexander McQueen for McQ internet campaign.
His silhouette stands for an art form and magic of knitwear shape makes Craig knits not exactly the garment you would wear to countryside.
He presented last two collections on London Fashion Week (dress on the photo above is from SS10 collection).
Fall Winter Collection was presented in the form of the fashion film.
We will definitely hear more about Craig in the future. Did I mention film is must-see?
image via Blow PR

Misslikey’s visionaire of the month

Nice piece of jewelry is every woman’s essential. When I first saw solid skin line I was charmed beyond with its sophistication and pureness.
I love to believe that behind every goodness is completeness and complexion. I‘ve found that legitimate when I heard the story behind solid skin and their two designers. Their opposites; a decadent woman in Fay and nature touch in Chaiwat make what solid skin is; perfect unity, harmony.

Fay is my facebook friend and I must say very interesting young lady. She is Parson’s child and she told me she chose Fashion design on Parsons for atmosphere and ability to give her creativity basis which is very universal.
But necessity for creation was happening in her head much more before that and for everything…even napkins in her house were amusing. Vision came into authenticity when she was doing internship as stylist and frustration- not to be able- to find pieces around the town for set. Isn’t lovely how things le grande in fashion or in arte always begin?! Isn't that the feeling world is missing something and than you start to create? That is fundamentality and uniqueness of every human being. Our mission. That is how Fay began to have aesthetic fetish for the solid pieces on human body.
It’s not strange duo work mostly in gold and silver. Though they are based in Thailand now, Fay says she still is missing Nyc; cause when she came there she thought; Yes, this is a place I belong.


for more solid skin jewelry see gallery on solidskin
p.s. advice is this time from Fay not from misslikey; never leave house without stunning piece of jewelry!!
p.i.s.s. misslikey is head over heels for solid skin jewelry and she completely agrees with Fay.