Julian Roberts Productions (Nothing Nothing etc)

[Zazie]

Oh my! I SERIOUSLY LOVE THIS! Thanks so much for bumping this up. I don't know if it's my architecture background, but the whole approach resonates powerfully with me, the synthesis of form and space, of the positive and the negative, of movement and gravity. I don't know how many designers actually thought deep and hard about these opposites, thesis, antithesis and finally, synthesis in the creation and occupation of 3 dimensions. It moves beyond the traditional pattern-cutting box, really liberating as fashion should be. I feel as if I could sit down and talk to these designers for hours on end about experimentation. And Julian's thouhts are pure Tao. There is something humble and punk in their attitude, unlike most pretentious fashion twits. I'm gushing in a most embarassing fashion, but for once, these designers deserve it. KARMA!

 

[kathleen fasanel]

gee, now that I got signed up and logged in, I forgot

what I was going to say.

Whether you like the clothes or not, this guy is brilliant. I am very RARELY impressed by designers, they're a dime a dozen (altho I love them to death, I work with designers in case you wonder). Julian is worth watching. I'm sure Sophie is very talented but the avant garde fabric design just kind of washes over me, if anything, detracting from the cutting -and I'm not wild on the colors either (mostly, but then, I have no taste). Pattern cutting is my thing. In real life, few designers these days know how to cut; this guy's got a whole new thing going. I wish he'd write a book.

call me cynical, call me jaded but this guy's a genius.
and, I'm glad he's young since he's sure to outlive me providing me with the interest to see what he puts out next. Not that I'd wear any of his clothes.

 

[Zazie]

I would wear his clothes, if they are affordable. And yes, he (or they?) is/are putting out a book on day dreaming and pattern cutting. Too bad I can't for the life of me, coax sanity out of a rampaging sewing machine, otherwise, I'd be experimenting on his instructions.

 

[sea of stitches]

I would wear his clothes, if they are affordable. And yes, he (or they?) is/are putting out a book on day dreaming and pattern cutting.

OO really? that is very exciting! thanks for this tidbit zazie!!

 

[julianroberts_00]

nothing nothing replies

Hi all..

Have found all your replies & interest (both good & bad) really interesting.
am happy to have sparked some interest & glad to see that there is an interest out there for the ideas that lie behind the clothes...
so often the focus only falls on images of finished garments on models & celebrities, and the life&exploits of those who wear them.

i'm sure you are all scattered accross the globe but i'd love to find a way of demonstrating my cutting techniques to you somehow... cos the thoery & writing (no matter how poetic/ imaginative) is still pretty 2D compared with the actions & movements that accompany them.
If enough of you can get together in London i'd love to arrange a cutting demo /happening to show you how some of the techniques work in practice.
I'd travel anywhere in the world to show them if London isn't the best place.
Failing all that... if enough of you get in touch i could set up a site with a video message/ demo for you.
Lobby TheFashionSpot and they could maybe help make it happen.
Real life events would be so much more vivid tho...
b interesting to see the faces/ lifestories behind the usernames.

Best of luck to all of you & keep your eyes on my sites:
http://www.julianand.com
http://www.blow.co.uk
http://www.parcdesexpositions.co.uk
http://www.aluma.co.uk

...not just to see what im doing/writing/showing, but also to see the 28 designers i stand behind.
I will be showing a new collection at London Fashion Week September 2006.
Is about time!

Yours in pursuit of truth,

Julian Roberts

Creative Director
nothing nothing/ JULIAN AND SOPHIE/ parc deS EXpositions/ BLOW

 

[mirrra]

ah
hi Julian, that's just incredibly nice reading your message here!

If enough of you can get together in London i'd love to arrange a cutting demo /happening to show you how some of the techniques work in practice.
I'd travel anywhere in the world to show them if London isn't the best place.
Failing all that... if enough of you get in touch i could set up a site with a video message/ demo for you.
Lobby TheFashionSpot and they could maybe help make it happen.

it would be terrific! both ways...
hope it could happen!
your work is one af most moving/inspirational/exploring/multilayered..et etc... i've seen...to me as a graphic designer too

my enormous respect and THANKS

 

[brian]

shame it didn't work out.

 

[Hye Park Lover]

Wow, I live quite near london

 

[cerfas]

Julian,

I am going to PM you later , but that would be WONDERFUL. I live in New York City, and so do a lot TFS'ers, and so do a lot of my friends...perhaps you could do something in NYC? I think you could generate a lot of interest.

 

[Zazie]

Hi Julian,
Welcome to your thread! So glad you found it. Now cerfas doesn't have to do ALL the work posting.... Please post your new ideas and creations here, even though you'd get mowed over and torn apart by a brutally honest, decimating, unwashed barbarian mob that would make the ancient Roman blood-sport fans look like the planted cheerleaders of a George Bush photo-op.

Ok, back to the clothes, I actually prefer the collaged collection with its mix of prints, stripes, and textures spliced into the white which was exuberant, although the red A/W One-Day experiment was beautiful in a philosophical way.

We would love to see more, and the video feed sounds great. Hope to hear more from you, and keep this thread going, it just got rated 5 stars!!

 

[julianroberts_00]

I'm gonna get round to replying to all of you shortly, but first up thanks cerfas for introducing me as a subject in the first place and starting a ball rolling.

would be great if that ball could end up rolling into NYC & i could throw a little pattern happening there for TFS insiders.
I recently staged a similar event in Stockholme, Sweden and it was a buzz... cut a dress off the top of my head in front of about 50 people explaining my approach & then provided the soundtrack to a video i'd edited infront of about a 500.
I'd like to do something low key and exclusive... infront of maybe 50 wide eyed individuals with a DJ & band, video projections, models, drinks & chat... passing on what i know to those on the other side of the Atlantic, and seeing where it goes... chinese whisper style.

It's a plan.

j

Julian,

I am going to PM you later , but that would be WONDERFUL. I live in New York City, and so do a lot TFS'ers, and so do a lot of my friends...perhaps you could do something in NYC? I think you could generate a lot of interest.

 

[finalfashion]

Thank you for posting Julian. Now I understand the garments were made quickly, almost improvised... that kind of explains their look to me. I greatly admire anyone who can cut to an audience, kudos! That takes massive guts! If you ever come to Toronto I would love to see you in action.

I think you've created something very new but I kind of have a hard time getting it through the screen... very provoking. Would be interested in where it develops. Will you do films?

 

[julianroberts_00]

Hi finalfashion..

i have a raw cutting demo video online you can view at:
http://www.blowpr.co.uk/JULIANandSOPHIEsite/movieWAP2.htm

It's a big download.. so u'll need a fast connection & might take a while.

There are 23 other videos on my site you can view at:
http://www.blowpr.co.uk/JULIANandSOPHIEsite/videoworks.htm

Thanks to Zazie for emailing me to tell me about this site ... i'll shut up now cos otherwise i'm using this site as a self promotion tool/ ego trip.
Am happy to answer questions and respond, but i might have killed the conversation...???

jx

Thank you for posting Julian. Now I understand the garments were made quickly, almost improvised... that kind of explains their look to me. I greatly admire anyone who can cut to an audience, kudos! That takes massive guts! If you ever come to Toronto I would love to see you in action.

I think you've created something very new but I kind of have a hard time getting it through the screen... very provoking. Would be interested in where it develops. Will you do films?

 

[finalfashion]

Thanks to Zazie for emailing me to tell me about this site ... i'll shut up now cos otherwise i'm using this site as a self promotion tool/ ego trip.
Am happy to answer questions and respond, but i might have killed the conversation...???

jx

Not at all! After all it's your thread, right? I think it's really magical how this kind of thing happens on the Fashion Spot, thanks Zazie!

It seems to me like you're an intellectually generous person, Julian, I'm interested in whatever way you'd like to participate in the conversation.

One of the many contradictions was the way you've played "art" against the fashion industry. I'm wondering... was that a game attempt to profit as a business or was the running and sale of Nothing Nothing part of the act?

 

[finalfashion]

I watched the first video - again provoking. When you're talking about how simple avant-garde stuff is and how you're just showing how easy it is to do that stuff, I laughed aloud. That's what I thought when I first saw your stuff on this thread! The clothes were "avant garde stuff trying to be impressive" and it made me a tough customer. I was more impressed with the ways you were getting the word out, the concept of selling Nothing Nothing, and how you drummed up excitement around the actual making of the clothes. The clothes are more like quick charcoal sketches than finished illustrations, to draw an "art" analogy.

I can respect the way you break all the stupid fashion week rules. Which brings me to the obvious question... why counter-schedule McQueen?

Oh and how awesome is it you came to this thread? Karma for you! Through the magic of the internet suddenly I am not just reading the story, I'm asking one of the story's main characters questions. Amazing.

 

[Zazie]

You're most welcome finalfashion. I wasn't really sure if I should write to Julian, but (1) he sounded accessible and approachable on his website - after all, he's sharing his "trade secrets" (too many designers come across as pedestal geniuses...) with everyone, and (2) there really is more to talk about Julian and Sophie's work and method, about construction, shapes, movement, not just whether mutton-o-leg sleeves will be fashionable next year.

I've always liked Preen, CdG, and I was happily surprised by Nothing Nothing. I would have bidded on eBay, if I'd known about it, not that I would know what to do with it, but I'd collect the patterns and maybe return them to Julian someday, when he regrets the sale...heh. Like you, I'm also curious about the gesture, my guess is that it was out of frustration?

Also, I think TFS is the right forum, there are enough interested and informed and intelligent posters.

Like many of the TFSers on this thread, I'd really like to see where this is headed to next. There will be a 2006 collection, right? Really hope Julian and Sophie will spare the time to post about their work.

 

[nextnewface]

I think I'm in love

 

[Zazie]

Julian,

Contrary to what you think, please DO NOT shut up...don't think of it as self-promotion, but a dialogue and a direct form of communication, until you get tired of us. Although the thread will thrive on its own, it makes a huge difference if we hear directly from you!

 

[cerfas]

It seems to me that the selling of the label was to make a statement. There were very clearly laid out motivations behind it, I thought. To me it was a piece of art.

Also, just to clear up confusion again,
the new label is called Parc des Expositions, and it's just Julian.



.

 

[julianroberts_00]

FinalFashion dyou have a name?... or is anonimity part of the TFS thing?!... You all probably know eachother a bit but i feel a bit naked here talking to people called 'FinalFashion', 'Nextnewface' & 'Hyde Park Lover'! Throw down your masks & look me in the eye... im actually quite a shy person, so don't feel scared to ask me ANYTHING.
Like FinalFashion says... its kind of wichcraft that i'm here and we can learn something from eachother.
I've printed out this whole thread & will get round to saying hi to everyone and giving back my own reflections on some of the interesting points raised... its just that i can only fit this in around a whole load of other stuff i have to do (work, projects, buying christmas presents, life... that kinda thing!) so please be patient if i'm slow to respond. Also i have to get used to all the buttons/smiley faces etc... keep pressing the wrong thing!
Please no one feel inhibited to say anything they like. If you want to attack me or criticize im cool with it. If you challenge me you'll get more out of me.

In answer to your question: Yes i've played 'art'... with the emphasis on 'play'. Some of the things i do ARE art... these things i do not present. They are mine & only mine & do not need to be shown or presented to validate them. I keep them seret. I do sometimes have my tongue firmly pressed against my cheek when i do 'art for fashion'... especially during my JULIAN AND SOPHIE phase.
To tell you the truth i'm not a great business person, i'm not great with money and don't have much interest in it other that to facilitate my projects.
The end of nothing nothing came 2months before it's sale... i staged a final show in a disused church in Chelsea, London... with a Requiem Mass playing and a priest sat in the front row (The priest was actually my dad ) The name of the show was 'Morituri te Salutamus'. I stopped nothing nothing because i found the press attention restrictive and wanted to explore new things. I've now got into the habit of launching & terminating labels fairly regularly. I do it to escape boredom and to challenge myself to come up with something different. It doesn't make business sense cos buyers are left wanting to order stuff & wondering where you've gone. Shortly after the final show there was an anti-capitalist day called 'Buy Nothing Day'... to which i have no affiliation or real interest, but i did use the same day as the start of 'Buy nothing nothing Day' as there was some vague correlation: I sold nothing nothing to simply dispose of it & say that success isn't just about making money. I define my own success.