AW 12 on film

on film in digital Just Updated the website, and added new collection images, here is another great photo taken by the amazing Anya Holdstock with her Film camera. Sabibi is wearing the Chiiko jacket, soon to be sold online, and in shops. Model- Sabibi at Profile, MUA-Nicola Moores.

AW 12 inspirations

Getting ready to upload the new collection online, and also deliver to the shops, in the meantime feast your eyes on some of the inspiration for this collection...

I went to Jamaica for the afternoon

Sometimes its so nice to get away from the studio, specially on a sunday afternoon, when the weather is good. Don't take me wrong, I love doing what we do, but sometimes, a wee break is needed to gather your thoughts, we went down to Brixton for the 50 years independents street party, it was the night the usain bolt won his first medal, and the atmosphere was electric, we could hardly move amongst the crowds, and eventually the police broke of the party:( but boy, the where some beautiful people out there, that where just rockin that Jamaican colors look!!

process

Another week on instagram has passed..well the week was actually 3 days, with the diamond jubilee celebrations taking over the whole weekend! but as we are in the midst of production for AW 12 and sampling for SS 13, we couldn't drop everything and join the wet crowds on the river, we just picked up what we could on the iPad, and the streets of dalston, it was pretty cool, because the seemed to be nobody about around the studio, so we pretty much had the whole of ridley road at our disposal, we cranked up the volume in the studio and celebrated the diamond jubilee RIYKA style:)

Summer has landed

Its taken a good while for it to properly feel like summer, but last week we had a delicious taste of it!! me and vedran spent every opportunity we had to enjoy the park life, suddenly I could see all my Favorite colors everywhere, in the meantime it has become cold and rainy again:( but these images remind me of how beautiful it can get here xx all photos credited to intsagram @riyka82

chaos

It is all in full swing at the moment at the studio, SS toiles are fast being made with the help of a couple lovely interns:) It all looks a little bit chaotic, but actually it all makes sense to me. at the end of all this process, after the final fittings and adjustments, we still manage to come out with a less chaotic design, but the process is far from it. In my head I can accurately see what I am making, maybe that is just the process I need to get a product at the end that has simple minimal shapes, but until the final product is in my hands, the is a lot of "noise" around it. I am very excited about the next season, since I feel that we are slowly reaching the goal that we set for RIYKA'S development, step by step.

Its all about the love

A couple of months ago, I asked my trusty friend, and amazing photographer Anya holdstock, to take some portrait images of us for the website.
we made a silly GIF with them in the end, but here are some of the images that didnt get in...
but I think they capture our personalty pretty well!
The final product is on the website

OK, I am very embarssed, and feel incredibaly guilty...I have been so caught up on instagram, twitter, facebook, and pinterest that I have completely neglected my beloved blog. I have now decided that it will get my undying love once a week, which I know is not a lot at all, but considering the are 24 hours in a 7 days a week, and I have to work on 2 collections, love my husband, be a good wife, and keep some sort of social life going(that is not a viral one), I think that is more then sufficient:)
anyway thank goodness I treated myself to an iPad (subliminal advertising for apple) which helps me keep things updated, and also takes fantastic photos:))))))so I have gathered here a small collection of images, basically recapping on what we have been up to, in the last few weeks; mostly developing SS 13, which will include some print, accessories and a little bit of menswear...all new ideas for RIYKA, but completely a natural progression (and also my husband feels very neglected) the images are also from instagram, how could they not be!?(couldn't help be cynical)

me looking all "casual" while working on my patterns

studio mess, with SS 12 stock, and AW 12 samples

print development for SS 13

more print development

line list and range plan for SS 13

colors and fabrics for SS13...still not sure about these...it will all probably change last minute, as usual

toiling bags

this will be called the lazy bag:))))

SS PRODUCTION DONE AND DUSTED

It has been a hard stressful month with getting all the pieces cut for the sample machinists, I can now say that I am truly happy that we did it, with the help of a lovely intern and my responsible husband:) I have learnt so much from this month, its not easy to put together a big production, but it made me think of different points in my design that I could change in order of making it easier, or more accessible to produce. but still, we had fun, like with everything else we do!! **all pictures thanks to my instgram