Spring/Summer 2010 get yourself a floral frock... some new photos

I posted a few weeks ago some behind the scenes photos of my new collection and now I have the real things. Paul has given the photos a lovely washed out treatment which most definitely gives them the feel of one of my favourite photographers Paolo Reversi. I think they suit the feel of the collection perfectly.

Alternative fashion week

For the last few weeks of my life I have been a continual one woman (plus a couple of fabulous helpers) production line. All this printing, sewing and decorating will all come to an end on Sunday when I heave my heavy bags onto the train and head down to London to do the market at alternative fashion week. Alternative fashion week has been running for several years now and is a chance for independent designers to show their work on the catwalk shows that run during the week and sell their work at the market. I will just be at the market this year, hopefully next year they will let my work loose on the catwalk, which runs from the 19th-23rd April from 11am-5pm at spitalfields market. So for any of you down London way that want to part with your hard earned cash, preferably on my stall, it would be lovely to see you.

Shooting the new..

I had my photoshoot for my new S/S 2010 collection yesterday and although I am now shattered I am also very excited as the shoot went super well. As usual I had the fabulous Paul Marr shooting the collection and the wonderful Roy Rogers doing the hair. We had a new addition to the team fiona to do the make-up and a grand job she did too. Our model for the day was a new face Patricia Taylor from Colours agency in Glasgow and she was the perfect girl for the collection. Here are some of my "backstage" shots from the day to give you an idea of what the final shots will be like, I for one cant wait to see them.

Time for Tees

I got to go and do my first screen printing last week over at Albion Road studios. Since then I have been stiching and decorating the printed tees with vintage fabrics lace and some swarovski crystals I had lurking about. So here for you are the first 3 completed tees which will available in all the shops I sell through and also on my stall at the Alternative fashion week market at Spitalfields in April. I will also hopefully be setting up my own etsy store to sell through which they will be available on. The tees will be available just plain with the print or with added embellishment.

Back to Blog

So finally I once again have a working camera and I am now determined to diligent and good with my blogging. My aim is to post at least once a week or if I have been super good and busy there may even be more. So today I thought I would bring a sneaky peek of one of the new elements to Rowanjoy and that is the new prints I am going to be adorning my designs with. To be extra cryptic and keep the prints a bit of a secret until they are on finished garments I have only taken detail shots of them to keep you guessing. They were inspired by art deco graphics and insects.

In the mood for love, 2046

So I am still sans camera cable to enable me to get some new pics up and let everyone see a sneak peek of the new collection. I do, however, have a large back catalogue of photoshoots from previous years that are just hiding away on my hard drive and that I think should be set free for more people to see. The photos in this post are from a shoot I did nearly 4 years ago. It was for the fabulous Paul Marr's final show from his course at Telford college. The idea for the story was inspired by the Kar Wai Wong films In the Mood for love and 2046. Paul loved the lighting in the films and also the setting of the hotel room. My inspiration for the outfits for the shoot came from the idea of a reclusive movie star hiding away in her hotel but remaining glamourous throughout her seclusion. We shot at the Point Hotel in Edinburgh where the neon lighting in the rooms and corridor set the scene perfectly. Its still on of my favourite shoots I have done so far.

Absence makes the sewing machine go faster

So it has been a shocking amount of time since i last posted on here. I have no excuses, well apart from my camera battery dying and me refusing to pay £35 for a new battery so a serious lack of photographing of things to put up, actually that is my excuse and Im sticking to it. I now have an adopted camera, albeit with a missing usb cable that I am planning to replace asap, why dont boys put things in places that they remember??

So all I can do is give an idea of my plans for the year ahead and then follow up with some photographic evidence in the future time. Rowanjoy the label is going to have a bit of a shake up, with the main collection getting streamlined to a 6 outfit capsule collection which is going to be complemented with a new printed jersey range. All of this is well under way, I am currently making up my first samples of the main collection and working on my prints for the jersey range. I am very excited about getting both of these out for everyone to see and will get some pics up in the next few weeks.