Tag Archives: studio

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!

Cristina1 Cirstina2Cristina3

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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!
MeshOrme

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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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Intern-al Affairs 1: Leu

Today let us introduce you to the Antithesis team’s latest member: Leu Solomon. Leu has been assisting us in the studio since the beginning of June. She has been doing such a great job that we decided to share it with you! Originally from Minneapolis, she’s the oldest of five kids. She first got a degree in Journalism and Public Relations and worked in buying and marketing before changing fields to design. She’s now living in East London and just about to start a BA in Womenswear at the London College of Fashion.

What are your objectives/ambitions for the future?

To have my own fashion label. I want to be an influential designer. My biggest fear coming to London was that my creations and designs wouldn’t be able to compete with the talent here. Students who attend LCF come from all corners of the world with the same dream I have. It’s competitive. Completing a foundation degree and obtaining this internship has validated the work I’ve done so far and what I aspire to be.

Why did you want to work for Antithesis?

I knew I wanted to work for a womenswear company and I loved the fact that Antithesis was a company on the cusp of launching their brand. I really wanted to be a part of the process rather than an intern who gets coffee and does the filing.

What have you learnt so far during this internship?

You name it and I’ve done it. Pattern cutting, sourcing, product design & development, creating spec sheets, blog writing, research and attending fashion events. Actually, my favorite part so far has been applying the theoretical skills about design that I learned in school and seeing how it really works when producing a garment. In my first week, Renée had me sketch possible attachment ideas, source materials for it and then produce a toile of the sketch. It was conception to completion and I loved it!

What do you think this internship will bring you?

Just being chosen for this internship was a confidence booster, it was the first time I had shown my design work to anyone professionally. So confidence definitely but also gaining experience working in a studio atmosphere has been beneficial. There are so many parts to owning and running a clothing company that I didn’t know. This internship also gives me a reference point for what to expect for the future and more importantly, it’s been really fun.

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Our New (And First) Studio

Antithesis finally has an address of its own! Since graduating from our Masters, getting a communal working space was becoming a prime concern. After visiting a several places across London, we opted for a large studio shared with a graphic design company in Kilburn. We settled in only days ago so our space still looks rudimentary but we couldn’t wait to share a few pictures with you!

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