Top 5: ECA Degree Show 2017

Clara Rider | Sculpture

Being the huge degree show fan that I am, I made the trip from Dundee to Edinburgh especially for the Edinburgh College of Art show. I spent an afternoon wandering around the corridors and being inspired by the work on show. There was plenty to catch my eye, with the Textiles and Intermedia departments being particularly strong. Of course, it's whittling down all of my favourites into a top five that's the hard part. Here goes...



1.) Lauren Dodds | Textiles
As I mentioned, the Textile section was really strong at ECA. The quality and vibrancy of the work on show was of a really high standard. I was particularly drawn to this display with its bold colour choices, fun prints and interesting textures. Inspired by glitches and the idea that imperfection within art results in beautiful design, Lauren used screen printing, knitting and embroidery to create a collection of statement streetwear. I want every single piece and really like how she did both a fashion and a street style shoot to show the pieces in both contexts.



2.) Eunsung Kim | Jewellery & Silversmithing
These pieces were a definite favourite of mine from the Jewellery section. I enjoyed finding the tiny figures within each item and love how their silhouettes contrasted with the straight lines. Taking inspiration from her own private diaries, these rigid maze shapes represent the struggles Eunsung has faced in life, with the figure being a mini self portraits.




3.) Eleanor Jones | Intermedia
Through sculpture, printmaking and video work, Eleanor created an installation that I was immediately drawn to. I was initially attracted to the bright, bold colours and surreal shapes and loved how these were placed around the room, but under the cute and humorous aesthetic lies some intriguing and interesting issues. After having one of her ovaries removed in an emergency operation, Eleanor has become fascinated with reproductive systems and fertility worries, which comes across strongly in her work. I love the mix of mediums and seeing so many influences coming together into such a cohesive outcome.



4.) Elle McKee | Illustration
I do enjoy it when illustration and fashion collide and Elle has managed to do just that, all with the added layer of political statement. Inspired by the flags of the countries effected by Trumps travel ban, she created a collection of bold scarves. Whether worn in protest or in support of those effected, all profits from the sale of the scarves goes to ACLU - Fighting the ban. Not only do these scarves make a statement they also look striking to. I love the bold blocks of colour and the long skinny shape, I definitely want to add one to my collection.


5.) Clara Rider | Sculpture
Walking around Clara's sculpture is like stepping into a Piet Mondrian painting, the colours and shapes capture that abstract feel perfectly. I loved the way the light from the windows hit the coloured blocks, giving the whole room a wonderful atmosphere. With each shape taken from elements from the room itself, there was a beautiful subtle symmetry to the piece. I really enjoyed wandering around and seeing the different angles and how the colours worked with each other.


So there you have it, my top 5! I haven't included any of the Performance Costume in my list because Kim already compiled that list of favourites after we watched their show. Also the Fashion work was all down in London for Graduate Fashion Week so I wasn't able to get a closer look at that. But, even with those two out of the picture, there was still plenty for me to choose from. I've sneaked some more of my favourites onto our Facebook page because I'm a cheat like that. Or why not head along to the show itself to see it all - the ECA degree show continues until Sunday 11th June so there's still time. And, if your a degree show nerd like me, you can catch up with my top 5 from this year's DJCAD degree show here.

Top 5: ECA Performance Costume Show 2017

It's the most wonderful of the year (after Christmas)- degree show time!
Whether we are attending the fashion design shows or popping along to art school exhibitions. It's a great source of style inspiration and a heads up of emerging designers. Helen has already shared her top 5 Duncan of Jordanstone School of Art and Design 2017 pieces earlier this week. I'd hoped to avoid reading it until I pop in to see it for myself this weekend, but it's actually made me more excited to check out the exhibitors.

The Costume Show by Edinburgh College of Art is always the top of my degree show list- usually featuring very well constructed, colourful and imaginative garments. (Just look at those sparkles from ECA Costume Design 2015!) Also, the performance of the pieces is much more exciting than a regular catwalk show. This year there are a lot of brilliant things, but I've whittled it down to my top 5:


1.) Ellie Finch | The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood and Bambi
I don't know how how anyone could not be wowed by these pieces. On first glance, the dance and ultra vibrant hispanic print of Maid Marion's dress distracts you from how clever this re-imagining of the Robin Hood story as a Mexican drug cartel is, with narcotics paraphernalia cleverly combined into the accessories in a style that mixes the traditional with modern. Her second piece, introducing Bambi as a Syrian refugee, is a stark contrast with its muted colour palette, childlike colouring book imagery and repeated motifs of charity.


2.) Isobel Keeyes | Slade House
The narrative of these pieces is one I'm not familiar with but aesthetically this collection was on point. The structure is very neat, and very wearable pieces in muted colours keep the look the right side of fanciful. It is a very confident set that could be in the fashion section. I want the jacket, and the lace dress please. Oh, and the cape...


3.) Auguste Greiciute | Spirits
I'm always drawn towards the pretty, feminine costumes but that's a little unfair when there were a lot of fun-but-ugly items on show. This bizarre character, Vision, is supposed to embody a childhood spirit that the adults of the story re-connect with. The colour combo is some good style inspo and I really like the textures and prints going on. It made me sit up and take notice.


4.) Louise Frame | A Midsummer Night's Dream
To be honest, this wins points purely for being my all time favourite play for costumes. I've seen it countless times and love the way the fairies are reinterpreted. This Victorian take is an excellent version. The hapless Bottom had an appropriately jaunty, colourful outfit and I liked the way his donkey head was created in outline, and was mirrored in the fairy Queen Titania's shoulders (wings?) so that it was an extension of her. The dark dashes in the print of her simple dress give a hint of a darker undercurrent.


5.) Abigail King | Beauty and the Beast
Ombre dip-dye was a bit of a theme and I think Helen would disown me if I didn't include this one because it has hand details. This certainly isn't the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast- it follows the violent version where the abusive Beast is killed by innocent, submissive Beauty. The dress is a sexy, ethereal take with subtle nods to eroticism. I sort of wanted more oomph in the embroidered details but the Gothic silhouette and textiles work well on the lighter palette to give a soft feminine overlay. A really restrained and accomplished piece of work!


I wish I could share all the designs because they are fab! (So we've also got a full photo set of degree show goodness over on our Facebook page. Don't say we're not good to you).

A brilliant part of these degree shows is the inclusion of the lower year projects. The theme is often the same from year to year, as with James and the Giant Peach, but seeing how a whole cohort of students has interpreted the brief is always impressive and it's fun to see the characters interact with eachother. For these I tend to like the larger constructions (like that entire rhino puppet) but I fell in love with the 3rd year project- a gold period theme that feels like pure decadence. The construction is so good! I did not appreciate that creepy doll face bag though (below). Helen and I immediately turned to each other and gasped "THAT BAG!"- me in fear and her in delight. She's a creep.


We will be covering the fashion show tomorrow so you can keep up-to-date on our Instagram stories, and over on Facebook.

If you haven't been able to make it to any of the live shows, you can still see this year's work up close and personal at the ECA Degree Show 2017 from 3-11th June. Meet the young designers, check out the talent and maybe even buy a wee souvenir from the art collections. Yay!

Top 5: DJCAD Degree Show 2017

Artwork by Mhairi Anton | Art, Philosophy and Contemporary Practices

It's the time of year again when art schools across the land are transformed into exhibition spaces and show off the culmination of four years of uni life. That's right, it's degree show time! I always get super inspired by the work on show and love exploring the different outcomes from the different courses. I'm hoping to make my way around a few Scottish uni's but, as always, I started with Duncan of Jordanstone School of Art and Design (DJCAD) right here in Dundee.

I spent an afternoon exploring the warren-like building, trying to make my way around everything. I think I managed about 90% of it and I'll probably try to pop in again to try and find the bits I missed. Seriously, even after years of visiting I still struggle to navigate around all the nooks and crannies of this place. After seeing so much excellent work picking just 5 to feature on the blog was rather tough. It's probably best that I cut it off at that though, otherwise this would be one super long post. So here we go, in no particular order:



1.) Isla Rustrick | Textile Design
Isla tasked herself with creating 'knit to be noticed' and she certainly managed to do that. Her collection of samples and her show-stopping cardigan were a real stand out to me amongst a very strong selection of Textile Design students. The bright colours and bold patterns caught my attention but I was drawn in further by her accompanying prints, featurin the one and only Iris Apfel. Influenced by the documentary Advanced Style, Isla focused on the distinction between style and fashion and came to the conclusion that exuberance is essential when creating a timeless garment - I couldn't agree more!



2.) Shona Heaney | Illustration
Combining sci-fi settings with mundane everyday tasks and scenarios, Shona created a collection of fun, detailed and endlessly fascinating comics and illustrations. It's safe to say I fell hard for her use of neon colours and glitter. I also enjoyed the range of different methods she used to show her work, especially her wooden badges. I love a piece of wearable art and bought myself one that featured a carton of space juice. In fact, it's the second piece of work I have by her as I already own a print of hers which I got at a fair back in May 2016. Could this be the start of a collection?


3.) Eileen Pootle | Jewellery & Metal Design
I've been following Eileen on Instagram for a while now so was quite familiar with her designs, but it was still a treat to see them in real life. Inspired by the buildings of the Cote D’Azur, her pieces are made up of simple architectural elements that are combined to create more complex forms. The pastel colours, textured surfaces and small figures all work together beautifully to make up structural statement brooches. Eileen also created a buildable kit which allows the wearer to play with the shapes and make their own combination. I absolutely love this concept as it results something even more special and unique.




4.) Zoe Gibson | Fine Art
I have to say that I was wowed by Zoe's space and got excited by it before I'd even properly stepped into the room. The colours used are bright, bold and eye-catching, as are the murals that they depict. She's created her own alternate world and I certainly enjoyed visiting. The structure in the centre of it adds an element of interactivity as you can step (or rather duck) into it and be surrounded by colour. Again, I enjoyed how she'd translated her artwork into different mediums, from the sizable figures painted directly on the walls, to the smaller more detailed prints and the wallpaper adorning one of the walls.



5.) Hannah George | Jewellery & Metal Design
I have to say that the Jewellery & Metal Design section seemed to be particularly strong this year. My love of jewellery may make me a tad biased but there were a number of designers from this course that could have appeared on this list. I decided to add Hannah's work because I love her use of ceramics as a medium. It's interesting that she's chosen to create a wall installation rather than a collection of wearable items but it works really well in the space. There's a real humour to her pieces, even though she's dealing with subjects such as Donald Trump's comments about women and women's movements throughout history. I could certainly see myself wearing some of her poetry pieces if they were turned into brooches.

So there you have it, my top 5 from this year's DJCAD degree show. Turns out they're all ladies! Which wasn't done on purpose, I only just realised when I'd typed out all the names. The DJCAD degree show runs until Sunday 28th May and I would strongly urge you to go along if you can, you won't regret it! I've added a few more favourites to our Facebook page because I'm a cheat like that. Finally, huge congrats to all the graduating students! Great job and I can't wait to see what you go onto next.

May Wishlist

1.) Piquet Dress with Luigi The Cat | Lazzari X Kate Pugsley
I'm loving the entire collab between Kate Pugsley and Lazzari but this confetti and fringes dress is quite unusual. The uber cute tshirt with a swimmer popping out the pocket was another contender.

2.) Amelia Travel Jewellery Box | Oliver Bonas
Oliver Bonas is so constantly on point that it's a cliche. But it's just all SO good. I love the modern take on what is often an old lady (not in a good way) accessory- the jewellery travel case. Since I travel quite a bit, and can also need to do multiple blog shoots in a weekend, this is the perfect way to store my jewels.

3.) Soludes Embroidered Slipper | Biscuit
I'm not normally an espadrille flats kinda girl, but I would be for these delightful banana ones! If 'nanas don't float your boat, they also come in rainbow and zebra versions.

4.) Arctic Fox Hidden Layered Skirt | Misha Homemade by Misha Gazel
How adorable is this? The double layer can be lifted (ooh-err) to reveal a tiny embroidered (and quite sassy) arctic fox. Are you sensing a theme with this list? All cute peeps of details. I keep accidentally stumbling across this Etsy account by artist Misha Gazel (normally her fairytale collars and fine art collection). The Etsy shop is oddly named "purplebowl2" and is curated into different well-defined collections, which is a tad confusing and off-putting. Her designes are great, though!

5.) Margot Brunch Club Tee | Joanie
Okay, admission time. I've been meaning to buy this fun, punchy T for quite a while now but it keeps falling off my radar (because sequins). Hopefully this reminder works! Think we all love a bit of weekend brunching, and this is wearable for any easy weekend.



1.) You're So Cool T | Young Double
After our Napoleon Dynamite Unlikely Style Icon posts what could be more perfect than this t-shirt featuring his wonderfully gormless face! I love a simple white t with a fun print and this one certainly ticks that box. The Best Friend Tees are also on my must have list, whether Kim wants one or not.

2.) Tinsel Biker Jacket | Fictional Character
This faux leather jacket is just all kinds of wonderful. I love the metallic colours, I love the fringing, I love it all! It kind makes me think of the jacket in Girlboss, which is a good thing - that jacket is basically the only reason I watched that show.

3.) Let Me Sleep Iron On Patch | Lizzy Watkins
I have quite a collection of patches just waiting for the perfect items of clothing to attached them to, so what's the harm in adding one more to the pile? This one is cute and would send the perfect message to Kimberley whenever I stay at hers and she tries to talk to me too early in the morning.

4.) Plato Sneaker | No Name x G-Kero
I was brought to the No Name site by these Coucou Suzette beauts but unfortunately they're out of stock, SOB! However, at the time of typing this, they do still have a few of this collab with G-Kero left. I love the little naughty bodies print. Plus a lot of the regular No Name shoes are worth checking out too. Oh, and make sure to have a look at Coucou Suzette's etsy page, just cause it's awesome.

5.) Sacred Heart Turban Headscarf | Cleo Ferin Mercury
OK, so I pretty much want everything from Cleo Ferin Mercury's Spring Summer 2017 collection! I could have made a whole wish list just of her stuff! First of all I have to mention her new blouses - can I have one of every print please? And the detachable collars are all amazing (as always). In the end I opted to add this headscarf to my list because it's such a great item for summer, the print is awesome and the colours are super pretty.

Blogger Crushes 30

Kimberley is crushin' on... I'm Being Erica

Erica is a blog that I follow, but I don't really interact with her online myself. It's a bit of a weird one, because she's friends with two (or maybe more) of my IRL friends, separately. For this reason I feel a bit creepy following her online. But I totally recommend her blog. Her cool-girl style is consistent and colourful. Bonus points for pink hair. She's also shares her UK travels as an Aussie girl and has an ongoing twitter review of the Lumie light she uses as her selfie light.

You can catch her on Twitter or Instagram.


Helen is crushin' on... Style With Friends

Full of colourful and quirky outfits, I love Style With Friends take on fashion. Based in Cambridgeshire blogger Sian has some super fun looks. She uses her blog to share her high street and vintage finds, alongside a smattering of lifestyle posts and style challenges. I really enjoy seeing how she mixes pieces together and love that all of her outfits look super comfy while still being interesting and full of fashion flair. She's a woman after my own heart! Also, watch out for Ishka the pug popping up, she's a cutie.

Follow Sian on Instagram for beautifully bright photos and check out her fun vlogs on You Tube.


We are also lovin':

• This list of sustainable and vegan shoes brands from Better Shoes Foundation.
• The commodification of queercore subculture by Miista Shoes.
• Fife blogger Frocks and Fairycakes has brought it to our attention that M&S kids shoes are awesome and go up to a size 6!
• Our girl Miss West End Girl has had a re-brand and she's now Lynsay Loves! No more confusion over what her name is when folks meet her IRL, and doesn't it just suit her so well? Yay!
• New online community In Colourful Company is filling our lives with rainbows. We NEED to get ourselves on one of their Colour Walks!