It takes a certain kind of confidence for a designer to stage a collection in front of one of the most striking buildings in modern architecture, overlooking the magnificent cliffs and waterfront...
ONE MOMENT WITH MARY ELLEN BEAUDREAU AND JENNY LAI
May 09, 2013 11:45 AM
On May 8, RISD grad and designer Jenny Lai of "NOT" collaborated with dancer Mary Ellen Beaudreau for a performance at the South Oxford Space with The Alliance of Residences Theatres in Brooklyn.
The event was hosted by Movement Research, an organization that not only supplies the community with free art and dance classes but also promotes research and examination of dance culture.
Ms. Beaudreau created her own piece entitled “One Moment” for the performance.
"One Moment was inspired by recorded interviews that I conducted with former and current professional ballet dancers who revealed their perspective on the ballet world.
"I created a soundtrack from their voices incorporating excerpts of Prokofiev's Romeo & Juliet. Beyond the music creation, I collaborated with Jenny Lai of NOT, to create a costume made from used Pointe shoes. The choreography is manifested from ballet vocabulary, the interviewees’ perspectives and the feeling of being trapped.”
Jenny also explained her creative process to TWELV:
“I started out by analyzing each one of the hundreds of Pointe shoes I received by the dancer and documenting individual variations such as the type of hand-stitching, color of floss thread, elastic and ribbon, shellac or duct tape used to harden the insoles, etc...
"After understanding the "character" of the shoes, I experimented with all the ways it could be either built up as units or stripped down to raw material. The final pieces, which were developed in conjunction with the choreography of the piece, include a unitard covered with Pointe shoe "hides" that were individually dissected and hand sewn on, and three outer "harnesses", which are rows of Pointe shoes, that are secured to the body.”
Jenny Lai got her start interning for Viktor & Rolf in Amsterdam and the Boudicca studio in London. After years of watching other designers, she knew she wanted to be one herself. Once she was back in New York City, she started designing her own collection, named "NOT," for a woman who didn't want to just get dressed in the morning, but wanted to have an entirely different experience every time a new article is put on her body. Jenny described it as, "NOT is not about a name. It is about the woman who defines herself by being unlike the rest."
Jenny is also part of an online community of self-proclaimed "black sheep" that allows designers to create their own online shops and gain exposure within the community and the digital world. "NOT JUST A LABEL" serves as an expansion platform that not only showcases and celebrates designers like Jenny, but supplies fans of unique designs a destination for fashion education.
Jenny Lai's and Ms. Beaudreau's collaboration was a true success; the performance was breathtaking and brilliant. It is clear both women are ones to watch.
To learn more about NOT, please visit her on facebook at: www.notaligne.com
If you are interested in seeing Jenny Lai's upcoming performance with the Aynsley Vandenbrouke's Movement Group at The Chocolate Factory on May 15-18, please visit:
http://www.chocolatefactorytheater.org/redesign/event/aynsley-vandenbroucke/
WRITTEN BY: SARAH GRANETZ
related posts
3.1 PHILLIP LIM FASHION STORY "SUNDAY MORNING"
FASHION STORY “Sunday Morning” is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
DIOR X RIHANNA
Rihanna creates new Star Trek inspired sunglasses with Christian Dior.
TWELV MAGAZINE PARTY "BLONDE SASHIMI @HAPPY ENDING "
Find and enjoy more photos on TWELV Facebook
MARC JACOBS S/S2016 EYEWEAR COLLECTION
Eyewear is a stroke of color that accents an outfit. It’s also one of the few accessories where irregular shapes and designs and quirkiness thrive.
FASHION STORY "TUZA"
FASHION STORY “TUZA” is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
Citizens of Humanity's Fabric Brand Director, HIRO IKUTA
What sparks would be created between Japanese heritage and California sunshine?
COS LAUNCHES SS16 ISSUE OF COS MAGAZINE
COS, a London based brand known for its reinvented classics and modern trends, has just published the SS16 issue of their bi-annual...
FASHION STORY "CARMEN & CARMEN"
FASHION STORY “CARMEN & CARMEN” is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
MAVI FEATHER COLLECTION S/S2016
Mavi, who designs a full collection of denim and casual fashion founded in Istanbul in 1991, just launched “The premium ...
YOHJI YAMAMOTO FASHION STORY "TOKYO YANKI"
YOHJI YAMAMOTO FASHION STORY "TOKYO YANKI" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
Yigal Azrouël NYFW F/W2016 Ready-to-Wear
Yigal Azrouël NYFW F/W 2016 Ready-to-Wear
Jill Stuart NYFW F/W2016 Ready-To-Wear
Jill Stuart F/W 2016 Ready-To-Wear
TWELV NYFW F/W 2016 PARTY @ APARTMENT 7
Find and enjoy more photos on TWELV FACEBOOK below.
Christian Siriano NYFW F/W2016 Ready-to-Wear /Backstage
Christian Siriano F/W 2016 Ready to Wear
KAREN WALKER FASHION STORY "BEHIND BLUE EYE"
KAREN WALKER FASHION STORY "BEHIND BLUE EYE" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
Downtown Culture Club Fashion Season Opening Party
Find and enjoy more photos on TWELV Facebook
Louis Vuitton “SERIES 4”: The New Norm
Louis Vuitton “SERIES 4” The New Norm
DOMINIC LOUIS FASHION STORY "HEY HO LET'S GO"
DOMINIC LOUIS Fashion Story "HEY HO LET'S GO" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
CITIZENS OF HUMANITY FASHION STORY "ALMOST FAMOUS"
CITIZENS of HUMANITY Fashion Story "ALMOST FAMOUS" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
Apple and Hermès Unveil the Apple Watch Hermès Collection
September 9, 2015 — Apple and Hermès are creating a unique style for apple watch. Hermès has designed an amazing leather bands in distinctive styles.
BERENIK FASHION STORY "FALLING UP"
BERENIK Fashion Story "FALLING UP" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial
Back Stage #8: Top Gun
"Behind the scenes of TWELV Magazine's inspired creations"
TWELV MAGAZINE PARTY @ TIKI TABU / SIXTY LES
Right in the middle of the an indecisive November, TWELV Magazine invited the beautiful folks of New York City to celebrate Fall in its latest party at TIKI TABU...
KAT GRAHAM EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW / FASHION STORY "KAT GRAHAM 1991"
Kat Graham Exclusive Interview / Fashion Story "KAT GRAHAM 1991" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial
Gian Kamal Fashion Story "In The Woods"
Exclusive Gian Kamal Fashion Story "In The Woods" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial
TWELV NYFW S/S 2016 Party @ TIKI TABU / SIXTY LES
Nothing better than a fashion party that has an amazing music and rooftop drinks to relive the hassle of fashion week.
Jill Stuart NYFW S/S2016 Ready-To-Wear
The 70’s are back with Jill Stuart Spring/Summer 2016 collection with high-waists and bell-bottoms that are to die for. The designer has traveled back in time with a range of simple suits and...
Marc Jacobs NYFW S/S2016 Ready-To-Wear
“I have always found comfort in the familiar and the frequent return to the things that move me visually, emotionally and intellectually.”
TWELV / ARC TOKYO EXCLUSIVE PARTIES IN JAPAN
ARC is a social hub of entertainment, a club, and a bar in the heart of Tokyo's fashion district Omotesando.
Yigal Azrouël NYFW S/S2016 Ready-To-Wear
“It’s about going from step to step and showing that progression.”
MARC JACOBS HOSTS "GLOSS" BOOK EVENT BY Roger Padilha and Mauricio Padilha
Amongst the fun and chaos that comes with fashion week, Marc Jacobs did a fantastic job in adding to the excitement during his party last night celebrating ...
GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI F/W2015 AD CAMPAIGN
When it comes to designing shoes, few designers are as artistic as Giuseppe Zanotti.
Bubblegum Pinky Rings by David Yurman
The Bubblegum Pinky Rings by David Yurman is a unique fine jewelry ring that has been designed by an elite crowd. A king wears his family signet ring on his pinky.
CHRISTIAN SIRIANO Fashion Story "NEVER TALK WITH STRANGERS"
Exclusive CHRISTIAN SIRIANO Fashion Story "NEVER TALK WITH STRANGERS" is now available.
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial