Happy Friday

Hi Everyone,

It is too hot to write a long blog so I just want to capitalise on the feel good factor with further ‘goodness’.

Firstly the weather! Here is a shot of a cheeky little break on the roof of Originals HQ, the flip flops are not standard but it’s too hot for socks (you can use that catchphrase if you wish).

The second thing that cheered me up was another celeb attempting to get their hair back, I know it’s subtle but see if you can spot the difference.

Brownie points to those who spotted the before and after shot.

Thirdly is a very funny clip from Celebrity Juice, the final shot is amazing!

Finally, I have only just seen Failbook but I think it could be the funniest site I’ve ever seen. Keep it bookmarked in case the sunny weather doesn’t last throughout Winter!!

Have a great weekend.

O

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A slice of London Fashion Week

Hi Everyone,

The Fashion Weeks are coming thick and fast with New York complete, London coming to an end and Milan about to kick-off we thought we would report back with some of our favourites so far.

In response to the days getting shorter and the fact that the weather has taken a turn, our favourite collections from this year’s myriad of styles are the ‘fun’ collections. By ‘fun’ we are talking, bright, loud and ostentatious creations.

Credit: Catwalking.com

Autumn/Winter 2011 Collection by Louise Gray makes us smile a lot. The collection has an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ feel mixed with some 60’s chic. If nothing else we want one of the head pieces so we can bring our packed lunch in to Originals HQ in style.

Credit: Catwalking.com

The sheer beauty and opulence of the Autumn/Winter 2011 Collection from Mary Katrantzou caught our eye.

The ornate print on the structured bodices and the flowing lines help create outfits that would look at home on a mantelpiece as well as on the catwalk.

Have a good weekend!

O

Originals Production Process

Hey Everyone,

Last week I provided an insight into the Originals creative design process; the next phase is production which is a much trickier beast.

Figure 1: Production can be tricksy

Like many things in life (e.g. delays on public transportation, queuing at the Post Office etc) we become frustrated when we are no longer in control of a situation and through production we relinquish much of the control.

The first step of production is liaison with the factory. It normally helps if you have existing experience with the factory especially if you are using one from another country, in our case the factory is based in China. Research in to the factory is essential to ensure that the processes that are used and the conditions of the workers is in line with your own corporate and social responsibilities. After receiving the drawings there may be some deliberation, if there is a tricky element to the design. A round of negotiations is normally undertaken to ensure that the cost is suitable for all parties, timescales are agreed and any late fees and terms and conditions are also stated. It is then a case of sorting invoices, purchase orders and payments are made.

Then the waiting game begins.

It is always important to receive regular updates during production, ensuring that pre-production samples are received on time prior to the large order being delivered. There are still a number of elements that can go wrong, the freight forwarder can be troublesome, the factory may be late or samples are incorrect. There are many things out of control and planning will only go so far. Business relationships and your ability to handle these ‘curve balls’ is the key to minimising any impact, especially if you have a customer waiting for goods.

There is always a sense of relief when the items are correct, on time and all funds are cleared and at that point you can have a therapeutic cup of tea and start the process again!!

Here’s a viral to cheer you up on a wet Tuesday afternoon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjckqAU8IkM

O

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Originals Design Process

Hi Everyone,

In the midst of some new artwork going up in the office (I did insist on a dog poster and some Justice League of America) it has been a busy old time.

We are currently working on some new concepts and as ever, creative meetings are an excellent opportunity to debate. We do not believe in violence and if tensions rise too much then action is taken.

Figure 1: Dispute settling, Gladiators style

The design process in Originals HQ is a pretty enjoyable experience. We clear some wall and table space, get some food in and start working through what worked previously, lessons learned and successes. We then get together a trend and mood area to determine the direction which we want to take. This may involve tearing out articles from magazines, pinning up sketches/doodles that have accumulated on our desks and stills from recent fashion shows and music events. Any textures, colour samples or items we just bloody well like, will also be added into the mix.

At this point there will be very few (if any) limitations placed on the concept design. The team then starts to put concepts together. With music on in the background and healthy snacks we will create a range of concepts. The saturation point comes when we look at the work and originality is no longer seen.

The most important step occurs next when we stick the ideas up take a step back. There will be all manner of designs on the wall. They will range from serious tat to potentially great.

Figure 2: The dog glasses concept was vetoed.

These ideas will get chance to ‘breath’ and we will not make any decisions until we have had time to assess over the following days. The questionable concepts may be tweaked and become contenders and strong concepts may be problematic from a manufacturing process perspective and will lose Brownie points.

Figure 3: Brownie points are key to progressing a concept.

We will then have a powow and finalise which designs we will be developed as technical drawings. The decision may be based on materials, production processes, lead times, potential job profitability and belief in the design.

Figure 4: Final design selection process.

Depending on the intended user there may be some tweaking and engineering required to ensure that the designs are not only comfortable but fit accordingly!

The next bit tends to be the tricky bit… production!!

Insert your own dramatic cliff-hanger music and I will be back tomorrow to finish the tale!

O

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A-level Thanks From Jason Donovan

Hi Everyone,

Firstly congratulations to those celebrating successful A-level and AS-level results. Even if you didn’t get what you want there are lots of other avenues available, so no need to panic!

Whether it’s clearing, re-sitting, gap years, University preparation, switching to an apprenticeship or looking forward to the second year of A-levels enjoy the rest of Summer (responsibly, of course). I won’t regale/bore you with the Original Teams tales from results day, it’s just enough to say relief was the overriding emotion.

In light of the celebratory occasion I saw this advert and felt it may be appropriate. I can’t think of a better gift to someone then a tailored ‘Thank You’ from Jason Donovan.

Have fun tonight!!!

O

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Riot Review

Hi Everyone,

I hope everyone is safe and sound after the recent craziness. Fingers crossed that looting, rioting and general ridiculousness has now stopped.

I think the media has pretty much covered all angles including but not limited to, shock, terror, hope and retribution.

The political posturing is now in full flow with key figures putting in face time on the streets, blaming each other, trying to sound united but not too united as then it lessens all the sniping and childish bickering that usually takes place. E-petitions are slightly flawed at this point as it is a knee-jerk reaction as opposed to a considered opinion.

For us at Originals HQ we were gutted to see so many of the things we are involved in being attacked and I don’t just mean the opticians, music stores and clothes shops that were trashed but also the scapegoating of certain demographics. The reasons for the trouble are a little bit beyond our analysis at Originals HQ but as the first wave of convictions are processed we see that it’s not quite as simple as the media points out. A teacher, the daughter of a millionaire, a chef and a postman have all been arrested which paints a slightly different picture to the one painted at certain points during the media coverage. The media is always quick to gain ‘expert’ opinion (for example Paul Gambaccini was wheeled out to discuss the death of Amy Winehouse. Whaaaat!) but until the facts are known then it is wrong to make sweeping statements about demographics.

It is impressive to see the willingness for communities and others to gather and support each other whether through the Riot Cleanup website or donations of money, clothing and other items to local centres.

Let’s hope that all remains calm and amongst all the drama here are some lighter notes

Poor journalism:

Umbrella fail:

Boris getting heckled:

And genuine hostility between two rivals on Newsnight:

I don’t think we will be tackling the economic crisis so hopefully things will be a bit lighter next week.

O

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Vintage at Southbank Review and New Superman

Hi Everyone,

The slightly cooler (and wetter) weather has cleared my head so it’s time to write a blog.

The Originals Team celebrated the wedding of one of its members at the weekend and it was a successful day. It’s always good to catch up with people and it was especially nice to see We Love Vintage make an appearance after dashing over from the Goodwood at Southbank Centre. Good effort!! Unfortunately the reports I’ve heard from the Festival are not great, this seems based on the ticket prices and the organisation of the areas within the Royal Festival Hall. The free areas and stalls seem to have gone down well and were busy for most of the day which shows that Vintage is still thriving. Perhaps attempting to create a Festival atmosphere within a large hall needs a re-think.

I started by writing about Spiderman and the ridiculous amount of coverage associated with the fact he is ‘bi-racial’, in this case his parents are black and Hispanic. I think I need to say congratulations to the marketing and press departments, but I’m not sure where the news is. Instead there is a new Superman image, how exciting!!

It is pretty standard, as a geek, to review the costume. It’s not easy to see all parts but I’ve had a bash, see the Christopher Reeve, Brandon Routh and Henry Cavill versions below.

I think that there are aspects in both the old costumes referenced in the new one.

Cape Attachment – It appears the cape attaches in a similar way to that of the Reeve costume. Although, the attachment on Cavill’s costume more closely resembles Thor’s costume from earlier in the summer. Either way I think it looks better to than Rouths’

Cape Colour and Length – Although Cavill is half crouching it does look as long, if not longer than the Routh version. A long cape always seems a bit impractical but we’ll have to wait to see the full length. The colour of the cape and the suit itself follows the trend of recent comic book movies by removing the “cartoony” vibrant colours. I don’t mind the “edgier” darker colours but I’m sure the diehard fans will be less than impressed.

The ‘S’ Shield – Consists of a raised emblem like Rouths version but thankfully has been increased in size to match that of the Reeves version.

Belt – Although it’s difficult to see, I am taking a punt on the belt being similar to Rouths. I just hope they don’t try and over egg the belt as there’s no real need.

I like the first look, although I think I’m just excited for more live action Superman! There is still time for the suit to be changed depending on feedback and we still need to see a classic Superman pose. Until then, I shall remain cautiously optimistic!

O

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