Samantha Oehley is a 20 year old undergraduate at the Wanganui School of Design in New Zealand. Her interests include the 1960s and 1910s, the Beatles, politics, reading, music and drawing. She has a thing for Priests and Authority figures, and has the habit of always exaggerating things to a more dramatic scale read more_
I’m very busy getting into my final degree project [sneak peeks will be coming in over the next 10-12 weeks] and sorting out my 21st but this coming weekend is going to be pretty epic for me. Here’s why…
August 20 + 21st Aotea Center, Auckland
Semi-Permanent Design Conference 2010!
August 22nd, Aotea Center, Auckland (same location as above)
My brother’s first book launch at Storylines Festival!
Talk about coincidence. And I only found out this week that the design conference and book launch were on same weekend and same location! Bonus, because I could BE THERE for my brother, instead of being stuck 6 hours drive south, in a town that nobody cares about.
Anyway, it’s all very exciting—Semi Permanent is going to be AMAZING and if any NZ readers are going to be going, let me know! I’m also very very very excited for the release of The 4 Powers of Daren Saner, which is creeping up fast! It’s all still so surreal. I mean, I didn’t write the story, that’s all my brothers creation (although I like to claim that I helped in some small ways) but it’s been such a big part of my life and I’m so happy for him. He’s going to go far (not that he hasn’t already!). :)
My friend, who has just completed her Honours, has allowed me to showcase her project (which I had the honour of being involved in) here. I think it’s really fantastic—and hope that her idea soon becomes a reality for more people around the globe. We need more companies thinking like her!
So, Anna’s thesis abstract:
In today’s society we are bombarded with T-shirt designs (walking billboards) that have no other purpose than to look cool. This implementation is based on the voice of New Zealand’s 14-25 year olds; everything from the design style, the T-shirt messages, right through to the colour/neck shape of the T-shirt.
FTSOO means ‘For the Sake of Others’. The clothing label places importance on PEOPLE, GIVING, JUSTICE, and HOPE. This will be launched within the next year or two.
And her work, in short:
Promo Poster
Zine: Created to be a update/promo item for FTSOO; covering what fair trade is, what the label is about etc.
Inside Zine: Shows new range of T-shirt designs
The promo video:
To see further, and more detailed versions of her illustrations and photographs, visit her portfolio at Behance!
One of my friends studying Fashion, recently exhibited some of her work at the university and I was so impressed, I just had to blog about it. She designs for her own label Albie—all handmade and unique garments, and this collection is a mighty fine addition! (I wonder if she’s selling it…^ ^)
This was her statement for her project:
Mystical Dreams in an Unconcious World
In 1930 after 16 years alone in a psychotic state, Carl Jung published a dream book informally known as the “Red book”. This book has been a mystery to all but 12 until 2009 where it was displayed in the Rubin Museum of art in New York.
In this book Jung describes his principal theory of the seven dream archetypes or symbols.
Dreams including these symbols tend to happen at transitional periods in life and often have a cosmic quality, element of impossibility and stay in your mind long after.
Using these archetypes, I have created my own dream book titled “Mystical dreams in an unconscious world”. This combines elements of what I feel are my dream symbols mixed with colours and textures of my own unconscious dreams.
Using this book as a base for my collection inspiration I have also combined subtle bed wear silhouettes from the 1930’s, the era in which Jung’s book was published.
These bed wear silhouettes when worn in reality resemble boned bustiers, silk sateen petticoats and knitted bodysuits.
Once in bed dreaming these outfits enter a mystical world of the unconscious, where elements impossibility become the norm.
Above are her own photos from this collection, below are photos taken from the exhibition care of Lily.
Her whole class had done an amazing job but her layout in particular was totally beautiful. I wish there were clearer pictures (these were taken on a phone). It was obvious she had gone through a lot of effort to make her presentation look good and she definitely has an eye for colour and style. And I want that vintage side table please!
More excitement! You can visit her etsy here and have a look/buy some of her gorgeous garments!. Otherwise, go on and visit her blog Albie hearts
No time for a big update today, sorry folks, but I HAD to share with you this short film made by Josh, a friend of mine at my design school. It was just a fun back-yard project, with several other design students involved, and he did such an amazing job. It’s really funny—if you have the time I really recommend you watch it. Who would have thought New Zealand would be a terrorist target? Ha ha ha.
I’m sorry for being absent again. I really have to change my Wednesday showcase to a Tuesday or something because I have a 9-12 hour day at course and I’m always so tired that I forget to update. I was a bit disappointed in the lack of interest in the giveaway. I guess I need to market it more—or actually HAVE the giveaway. Next week! Looks like fashion won!
Anyway ladies!
I used to read Teen Vogue a few years back, and I used to particularly like the section where they redesigned a reader’s bedroom. My goodness, they had some beautiful rooms—I may do a few weeks’ showcase of Teen Vogue room makeovers because they are so heavenly. The first I found happened to be one of my favourite makeovers—from the Nov 2007 issue.
I’m not a huge fan of black, red and white, but they’ve added a touch of green in there to make it work for me. The style was inspired by Tim Burton films—it’s very fantasy and whimsical yet nightmarish. If you want more info on the makeover, click here.
I found out some bad news—my graduation in December clashes with my trip to the US. It means I’m going to have to miss my own graduation (summer too lol)—but, at least it’s for something AMAZING. I’m really looking forward to New Years at Times Square. It’s apparently the highest risk in the world for a terrorist attack, but if some bomb goes off and I get killed—at least I’ll go out with a bang?
I’m way too lighthearted about such terrible topics :/
So besides the million things I do each day that are not design related (like, getting excited for Obama), what have I been doing? School work, that’s what! And I have a lot of it. Not all of it fun either.
However, it’s time I shared some work with you. For my CGD3 class, we were given the job to design answers to random Proust Questionnaire questions. Here are two of the total six:
The aim of this project was to answer personal (and random) questions about yourself in an original and versatile way. I decided to emulate fifties/sixties style illustrations and design it as though it was in a book. So, my answers were extracts with supporting illustration. I was honest in answering the questions, but rather exaggerating and taking the mickey out of me to make myself seem more interesting.
I’ve also added to the illustration page my threadless tshirt design, a humourous shirt that probably only typographers and designers would understand:
My dears, I am so sorry for the absence. My course has started again, I have moved *twice* (I am in a much prettier flat this time round, I shall post photos eventually) and with so many things happening in my life I haven’t even had time to touch personal projects, let alone projects I’ve promised to do for my friends. In a time where everyone does everything so fast and with the use of technology, it’s a puzzle how we still have no time to do everything.
Anyway, here’s a photo of my new hair cut, and in the next photo are Iona and Stef, two classmates of mine who have an amazing fashion sense. Iona—green hair? Only these two could putt it off I’m sure! They’re identical twins too but clearly they’re different in many ways.
Do you know what I’m obsessed with at the moment? Anne of Green Gables. This summer I discovered the (movie) sequel, and one of my friends down here had a DVD of it, so I’ve been watching it over and over. It’s not true to the books, but I actually like it more. After the first one, the rest weren’t good, and it felt like everything was rushed. There’s a 3rd movie that’s apparently completely unlike the books, but I’m sure it’d be good anyway. The cast are a lot older in that one, yet still amazingly talented. If anything, that Jonathan Crombie guy is much better looking when he’s older.
Anyway, here’s the trailer of the first and second Anne o. G. G. movies! Nostalgia anyone?
Hopefully I’ll be back soon! Just waiting for internet at my flat!
You may be wondering, how on earth I could have become pregnant, seeing as I’m single, and believe in abstinence. Well, all I can say is that either I had a drunken night, or it was immaculate conception.
I don’t drink so it must be…
Actually. This site says it all (check it out). I am, indeed, what appears to be the Alcoholic Mother (3rd image down, main page).
Don’t worry guys, it’s just an assignment I (and a few others) are doing for Media Studies. All photoshop…
Please take a look and leave a comment if you can… The website is still in process and the t-shirts page will not be completed until tomorrow (the 10th) so come back later as well.
The images on the main page [will be] posted around UCOL (and town) and tomorrow the group of us will be wearing our t-shirts at a mall in Wanganui and just.. sitting.. like an art installation for a while. We will be observing how people react to us and treat us. What’s shocking is the labels the t-shirts have:
Mine: HIV+
Shiona: Sex Worker (which is funny as she’s a lil asian girl)
Lily: Pedophile
Stef: Cannibal
Iona: Rapist
Goes to show that you can’t judge even a pretty book by it’s cover. Even white chicks like me could be HIV+. The irony is that those shirts were screenprinted on Supre t-shirts. Haha. Most writing on shirts say positive things. I think we could sell these negative ones and make it a trend to have bad labels. Mind y’all- we’re copyrighting our idea. So don’t steal, got it?
Jo took a photo of us for her magazine. I’m glad our idea is making an impact already, although we haven’t fully executed it. My goal was to do a project in which we made an impact on the community somewhat. My 15 minutes of fame could be me as a pregnant alcoholic or HIV+ chick, but heck, it was good fun!!
More photos are up on the site, check in the next few days, everything should be up and running. It’ll be good to get feedback from people overseas. What your assumptions were and all.
[EDIT2]Some more photos! Just a few, not all. These ones are from the small Opera Theatre in Wanganui. Yeah, it’s me again.
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[EDIT]I took some photography today for my Photography assignment. We have to emulate a Photographer’s work—I chose Cindy Sherman (her Untitled Film Stills work) and she usually has herself in it, so I had to photograph MYSELF with a similar theory behind the photos. I went to a graveyard for one scene—a really old one in Wanganui. It was really freaky! The top shot is freaky!
Oh! And I don’t have the photo on me, but I found a grave of a guy called George Harrison! (For those who know the Beatles, that’s pretty funny). He died 1921; 80 years before the Beatle George! And 1921 was one of the more recent dates too (freaky!)[/EDIT]
Isn’t it a lucky day?
Well actually, it’s the 9th now, but hey. The rest of the world is on the 8th. I can’t wait to see the olympics, but unfortunately my life is ruled by University 24/7. Design is time consuming! This is why my exciting new layout is.. not that exciting. I decided to change it on the spot really, I’m having an all nighter at school (yey.) but at 11pm I decided to do something about it. And now I’ll get back to work (or not..)
But I hope to write a little more on this blog from now on, even though I’m really busy. I hope y’all stick w/ me through it!
BTW Visit Lily’s blog. She’s a girl in my class I’ve recently moved in with and she’s really wicked. Go check her out
Samantha Oehley is a 20 year old undergraduate at the Wanganui School of Design in New Zealand. Her interests include the 1960s and 1910s, the Beatles, politics, reading, music and drawing. She has a thing for Priests and Authority figures, and has the habit of always exaggerating things to a more dramatic scale 
:) 
