Tag Archives: design

The Antithesis Collective, Part II

Beach lovers and pool loungers rejoice! As you may already know, every season we work in collaboration with a new designer to expand our collection range and develop a product we wouldn’t have the skills to do on our own. For our second edition of the Antithesis Collective, we are collaborating with Cristina Adami, owner and designer of her eponymous label, to create an exciting, multi-way swimsuit. Born and raised in Italy, Cristina moved to London to complete an MA at Central Saint Martins. She then worked in various areas of the fashion industry, including a 4-year stint at swimwear giant Arena and a commission to create Florence Welch‘s stage outfits, before setting up her own label. Founded in 2011, cristinadami creates limited edition collections of handmade garments, crafted using vintage fabrics, end-of-line lengths, and sequins & beads from around the globe.

Cristina comments: ‘It was a pleasure working with Antithesis for the level of creativity and attention to details given to every garments. I first came across Antithesis on social networks and was impressed by the ethos behind the label. I equally promote slow fashion and individuality with a versatile yet unique approach to fashion. As I have first started my career in swimwear and have a personal love for beach side holidays, working with Antithesis felt like the perfect collaboration and was great fun!’ Results coming very, very soon!

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Intern-al Affairs 4: Ashleigh

Time to say good-bye to our latest intern Ashleigh Altham. Coming directly from Australia, Ashleigh completed a 3-month placement with us. From photoshoots to garment production, social media updates to press releases, she gave us a precious helping hand in the last months leading up to our second collection launch. Starting her studies in Criminology and Criminal Justice, she changed field and graduated with a degree in Fashion Marketing and Merchandising from the Australian Institute of Creative Design in Brisbane. She then gained styling experience in retail for an Australian designer as well as for fashion shows and shoots before coming over to London.

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Why did you want to work for Antithesis?

Antithesis was first introduced to me through an internship company that was helping me find an internship that was suited to my career wants and needs. After years of experience working in the retail industry back home, I was really inspired by the work that Antithesis do and what they stand for. It was really refreshing to work with a label that wants to connect with their customers and not only focus on what’s trending that season but how their clothes can be multi-functional but stylish at the same time. I also love that it is really important that everything is manufactured in the UK.

What have you learned during your internship?

I’ve learnt a lot throughout my internship, it’s been a really well rounded experience for me. I always had a range of tasks so it was never boring. There’s nothing worse than doing the same thing day and in and day out. It was also really great to learn more about sustainable fashion as it was never something I had a lot of knowledge about.

What have you most enjoyed doing in your time at Antithesis?

I really enjoyed working with both Renée and Zahra; it meant I always had something new and exciting to do. It could range anywhere from working in production and meeting with manufacturers and pattern cutters, to social media management and blogging.

What do you think this internship has brought you?

Above all else my internship has taught me a lot of myself and life and given me more knowledge and confidence to building a successful career.

 What are your ambitions for the future?

I’m still trying to find an answer to that question myself but I’m really excited to get back home and find out!

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Manufacturing Files 2: Pattern Pending

Here is the second article of a series dedicated to the wonderful production team who makes Antithesis’ clothing. Today we would like to introduce you to Olga and Dymphna, the founders of Pattern Pending.

Founded in January 2013, Pattern Pending is brand new self-funded pattern cutting service company located within the hub of Stock Newington. Between them, Olga D’Arcy and Dymphna Harrison have over twenty years experience and they are already working alongside a good range of designers and other start-up businesses. They specialise in pattern cutting and  sample-making but they occasionally take on small production runs.

The duo met when studying their Masters in Pattern Design and Garment Technology last year at the London College of Fashion. Setting up a pattern cutting business was not part of either of their plans but they fancied working for themselves and the freedom that comes along with being self-employed. Et voilà – Pattern Pending was born! But don’t be mistaken: starting and self-funding a business is a challenge for everybody.

When asked if things ever get too busy or overwhelming, they laughed and responded “sometimes we wish we had tens hands and feel as though we need assistants, but more so in our personal lives.” Luckily they will shortly have an intern starting a placement with them, which they are very excited about!

To keep up to date with Pattern Pending’s latest news, visit their Facebook page.

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Intern-al Affairs 3: Marcia

Good things come and go, such as our wonderful interns. Marcia Asante has been helping us in the studio for a little over two months. Sourcing textile digital printers, visiting trim suppliers, sketching new attachments ideas, filling in cost sheets; in terms of design assistance, she has pretty much done it all! Born and raised in London, she first started her studies with a Foundation degree in Art and Design before going on a Fashion Design course at the University of Hertfordshire. She now works in retail as a key holder and is looking at gaining experience as a pattern cutter.

Marcia at work!

Marcia at work!

Why did you want to work for Antithesis?

I came across some of the brands pieces on one of their model’s social network page and loved the designs. Doing more research into the company, I discovered what they stood for and the multi-functional clothing amazed me.

What have you learned during your internship?

I have learnt a lot during this internship, the most important being pattern cutting on a professional level. I studied pattern cutting during my degree but not on this level so I have to thank you guys for that.

What have you most enjoyed doing in your time at Antithesis?

What I enjoyed most was working with Renée.  She was amazing to work with and taught me so much. I also enjoyed the trips that to various fabric and trimming stores, it opened my eyes to the large amount of creative stores in London .

 What do you think this internship has brought you?

I feel that this internship has brought me a world of experience. It was an all-rounder and I gained experience in everything; from design research, pattern cutting to general admin. There was always thing new to do when I came in to work which made it a  experience.

 What are your ambitions for the future?

My ambition for the future is to continue to gain more work experience and to do a pattern cutting course to brush up on my skills. Hope to later on be a senior pattern cutter and then go on to start my own fashion label .

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Grids & Curves

This season we’re proud to be continuing our partnership with Alcantara to embellish our collection. Based in Italy, Alcantara is a high-end textile manufacturer producing unique and innovative materials. Offering a combination of sensory, aesthetic and functional values, their materials are made in complete respect for the environment whilst respecting ethical and social standards. For our second collection, we chose bright colours and contrasting geometrical and organic textures. Now playtime!
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World Travel Dreaming

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophia Stupperich, the graphic designer behind our fabulous textile print. As most of you Antithesis fans will be aware, travel is an important theme throughout our collections. So when we stumbled upon her dreamy atlas prints, we immediately fell for them.

Originally from Germany, Sophia studied Communication Design and worked for a handful of publishing companies and design agencies in Vancouver and Berlin before coming over to London to undertake an MA in Graphic Design at the London College of Communication. ‘Moving On’, her series of map cut-out prints was actually part of her final project. ‘Although the concept of travelling has been one of the first dreams of mankind, it has rarely been the focus of investigations itself. Inspired by the Herman Melville quote, “It is not down in any map, true places never are,” the project examines travelling being an ongoing path without a destination’, she explains.

Check out her website for more examples of her work.

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The Little Navy Dress with All The Trimmings

The festive season has finally arrived and we wanted to offer you a new accessory to jazz up your Little Navy Dress. Marcia, our new studio assistant has been working hard to help us get our Special Edition Frill Attachment ready in time for the holidays. Here she explains the creative process behind it:

This attachment derives from giving Antithesis’ basic shift dress the ‘Wow Factor’ at a festive party or a New Year’s celebration. We started off as a simple frill but size was an issue at the beginning. We were not sure whether to go for the larger frill or the toned down smaller frill. The deciding vote went to the large frill but we still felt it was a little too plain. I then went to do some trimming research to find the supplementary part for this attachment. Low and behold I found an amazing gold pipe trimming that complemented the colour of the frill. I presented this to the team and we still felt it was missing that extra special effect. Renée then suggested feathers, which then took the attachment to a league of its own. We ended up using a French partridge fringe in the natural shade, which completed the frill attachment. Rethinking trimmings is essential and has made an amazing modification to the Little Navy Dress.

Marcia's inital sketches

Marcia’s inital sketches

Trim swatches

Trim swatches

Ta-da! The final design

Ta-da! The final design

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Spring Is In The Air

Yes, we know it’s autumn and feels like winter right now, but as you may know the fashion world is always working one or two seasons ahead. This is why here at the Antithesis studio, we’re talking halter tops, beach gear and swimsuits (can you give us a better way to forget about the shortening daylight hours out there?). And because we love to talk about what we do, we’ll let you have a peak of the developments of our next collection. We won’t reveal it all but expect geometry, pleats and turquoise!

Mood board: contrasting colours & geometrical repetition

Fabric sourcing from French & Italian mills

3D experimentation

Collection plan & fabric swatches

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The Ultimate Travel Bag Goes to Paris

Last week, we took advantage of our bi-annual trip to the world-renowned textile tradeshow Première Vision in Paris to test one of our favourite products: the Ultimate Travel Bag! Designed by Charlie Goldthorpe for our first edition of the Antithesis Collective, it transforms from a carry-on suitcase into a shoulder bag or rucksack and comes with a detachable pouch. Here is Renée’s experience:

“The suitcase is the perfect size for a trip of less than a week: I managed to fit in six days-worth of clothes, 2 pairs of shoes, my huge beauty case, a few notebooks and a handful of snacks. I normally travel with a backpack so it was a relief not to have all the weight on my shoulders, plus it looks much more stylish! The detachable pouch and strap came in very handy to carry valuables such as my travel tickets, passport, wallet, phone and keys.

Once in Paris, I removed the Design Go trolley and folded the bag into an oversized tote in which I put my work files, business cards, lunch and the pouch containing my personal items. A women’s day bag can never be too big! Before going out at night, I simply dropped the bag into my room and wore the pouch as a chic evening clutch.

Overall I am very pleased by the versatility of the bag. Day or night, work or leisure, city or countryside: whatever your look or activity, the bag adapts to you. I definitely recommend it to all of you nomadic cosmopolitan females out there!”

Available now at our online store.

Excited to be in Paris! Travelling with the bag as a suitcase and wearing the Anti-Blazer

Ready for PV wearing the bag as tote, our Two-Piece Blouse and High-Waisted Trouser

Going out with the pouch, our Little Navy Dress, Fringe Attachment and Reversible Overpiece

Saturday Market shopping with the pouch & strap wearing our Reversible Overpiece

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Sisters in Arms…Spotlight: Jennifer Williams-Bafoe

Here at ANTITHESIS it is no secret that we are great lovers of and firm believers in the powerful 21st Century woman. With this in mind we stop to take a moment to tell you about the inspirational and lovely Jennifer Williams-Bafoe, who we have been lucky to have had great support and mentoring from over the past few months.Jennifer has been a wonderful advisor to us, and that is why we couldn’t be more excited to get the opportunity to work alongside her with the launch of our first collection at one of her fabulous Ladies’ Nights on the 6th September at the Park Plaza Hotel, Primo Bar.Originally trained as a designer and with over 17 years in the fashion, creative and business industries under her belt Jennifer decided that there was much-needed space in the market for a company that would lend help and support to small, up and coming creative businesses. So, in March 2005 Jennifer founded and set up her successful business Willbaforce Ltd and with her wonderful team of experts they have continued to provide assistance and advice from Project Management, Events, Pr & Styling to Business Development and Product Management.

Often referred to as “Willbaforce” or just “The Force” Jennifer has a wide range of connections within the creative industries and has mentioned before that one of her proudest moments was “on my work at The British Fashion Council by acknowledged by Drapers Record and being referred to as a person running the Industry’s Dating Agency”. With all this in mind, it’s no wonder that it has been such a pleasure to have been given the chance to work with such a presence in the Creative industries.

For more info on Jennifer Williams-Bafoe, follow her inspirational Twitter feed @willbaforceltd, visit www.willbaforce.com, or come down to our launch event and see ‘The Force’ in action!

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