SARAH-ELIZABETH COOPERA/W 10-11: THE HOLLYWOOD BABYLON COLLECTION

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AUTUMN/WINTER 10-11:THE HOLLYWOOD BABYLON COLLECTION

Inspired by Kenneth Anger’s cult book Hollywood Babylon, Sarah-Elizabeth’s debut collection explores the dark side of Hollywood’s Golden age. This season pictures a scandalous starlet of the thirties’ Sin City, and contrasts the concept of hiding versus being exposed – covered versus naked…

A deviant damsel, of the Hollywood elite has committed a sin, a crime, an immorality…She tries to cover herself, to hide, but she is exposed for her wrong-doings, her transgressions laid naked before all.

With an incessant approach to design development, the Hollywood Babylon collection was conceived as a result of more than 100 toiles exploring shape and silhouette as well as countless detail samplers. Having been awarded a sponsorship with Saga furs, Sarah-Elizabeth visited their Copenhagen studios where she worked on a number of exciting fur designs. She developed a technique for working with Finraccoon fur, in which an incredible and beautiful depth of colour is revealed within the fur.

The silhouette focuses on an exaggerated neckline symbolizing hiding away whilst the concept of being exposed is revealed through cut-outs and cut-away sections. Skin-tight catsuits portray nakedness whilst loosely fitting gowns represent being covered. Attentive hand-worked detailing paired with sensuous chiffons and organzas, give a soft and light feeling. This is a luxury collection with a great attention to detail and quality - from hidden silk structuring to individually sewn feathers and hand-stitched fox.Additionally to the garments themselves, Sarah-Elizabeth has experimented with creating short stop-motion movies which exhibit her extensive design development process in the form of sketches and photographs of 3D development work.

Upon completion of the collection, Sarah-Elizabeth was selected as a finalist for the BFTA’s fashion design competition. She then further developed a number of techniques for a new design, to add to the collection.

Hollywood, Hollywood...Fabulous Hollywood...

Celluloid Babylon,Glorious, glamorous...

City delirious,Frivolous, serious...Bold and ambitious,

And vicious and glamorous.Drama - a city-full,Tragic and pitiful...

Bunk, junk, and geniusAmazingly blended...Tawdry, tremendous,Absurd, stupendous;Shoddy and cheap,

And astonishingly splendid...HOLLYWOOD!!

(Don Blanding)

LOOK 1: CLARA Funnel Mini Dress

Professional do-gooders would brand Hollywood a New Babylon whose evil influence rivalled the legendary depravity of the old.

(Kenneth Anger, Hollywood Babylon)

“All the adventure, all the romance, all the excitement you lack in your daily life are in - Pictures! They take you completely out of yourself into a wonderful new world - out of the cage of everyday existence! If only for an after-noon or an evening - Escape!” (Kenneth Anger,Hollywood Babylon)

Saga FInraccoon® & Saga Fox ®Sponsored by

LOOK 2:

MAE Fox Tail JacketSaga Fox

MARY Silk Kaftan Gown

A trip to heartbreak city...

Saga Fox®, Saga Finraccoon ®Sponsored by

SEX, DRUGS AND THE SILVER SCREEN

EXPOSED!!! Sensation in Hollywood

Saga FInraccoon®Sponsored by

LOOK 3:

LUPE Viscose Jersey Catsuit

GLORIA Ruffled Cropped

Jacket

LOOK 4: LITA Layered Mini Dress

LOOK 5:

GRETA Ruffled Kaftan Gown

The shadow of Babylon had fallen over Hollywood in a serpent spell in code cuneiform; scandal was waiting, just out of Billy Biyzel’s camera range...

(Kenneth Anger, Hollywood Babylon)

LOOK 6:

Elsa silk Snood

MARION Cut-Away CapeSaga fin racoon

Joan silk jersey catsuit

Saga FInraccoon®Sponsored by

Saga Finnraccoon®Saga Fox®sponsored by

SARAH-ELIZABETH COOPER

Sarah-Elizabeth Cooper is inspired by club culture and street style as well as bloggers, fine art, literature, historical and cultural references. Her favourite designers include Hussein Chalayan, Haider Ackermann and John Galliano.

In the final year of her course, Sarah-Elizabeth has not only created a spectacular luxury collection, but she has also gone beyond the realms of fashion design and explored the use of film and social media in her working process. She hosts the successful and increasingly popular ‘Sarah-Elizabeth Blog’ where she shares her inspirations as well as her own projects.

She was selected to showcase her short film ‘Evolution of a collection’ at the prestigious University of the Arts XHIBIT in March 2010. She has also been selected to show her collection on the catwalk at Oxford Fashion Week’s Style Show and Argentus Exhibition.

With an exceptional eye for detail and a persistent approach to improvement and learning new skills, Sarah-Elizabeth has a winning combination of raw talent and a fervent passion for her work. A designer with a conceptual outlook and a progressive attitude to new technology, Sarah-Elizabeth Cooper will be graduating in July 2010 and hopes to begin a career in high fashion.

CONTACT:sarahcooper.design@gmail.comsarahelizabethcooper.com

Photography: Cassia Tabatini& Katy DaviesSponsored by