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Amelia’s Magazine | Sheena Matheiken’s The Uniform Project

Glastonbury-June-2009-Climate Camp
Can it really be a year since the last Glastonbury? In 2009, viagra sale more about for the first time, Climate Camp was given it’s very own space in the Dragon Field just above the Craft Field as you wend your way down to Shangri La. This year we’re back to once again educate and entertain festival goers at our beautiful site only a few minutes walk from the Old Railway Line.

Glastonbury-June-2009-Climate Camp workshop

Glastonbury-June-2009-First Aid Kit
Workshops, at play, and First Aid Kit playing at the Climate Camp Tripod Stage in 2009.

In 2010 Climate Camp is targeting the Royal Bank of Scotland, which has been bailed out with £50 billion of public money that is now being used to finance the extraction of fossil fuels across the world, with no regard for climate change or the destruction of communities that it causes. We will be camping near the RBS global headquarters in Edinburgh, Scotland, between 19th-25th August, but in the meantime to find out more about why we decided to focus on RBS this year come along and take a look at our exhibition at Glastonbury, then pick up a copy of our Never Mind The Bankers newspaper to peruse over a cup of tea or share with friends. We will be running DIY screenprinting workshops where you can learn how to screenprint your clothing with an anti RBS slogan. Simply bring your own or print onto one of our tshirts or bags. A great activity for kids! There will also be a chance to take part in Tripod Training: Tripods are used to blockade and secure a space on a direct action protest; come find out how to put them up and climb them safely. Good fun, and no previous experience or skills required.

Glastonbury-June-2009-tripod training

Tripod Training.

Then of course there is our fabulous music, poetry and comedy line up, put together by yours truly. Read on to find out who will be gracing our Tripod Stage…. Pyramid Stage eat your heart out, this is where the real talent is.

Green-Kite-Midnight
Green Kite Midnight.

When I wrote up about the Climate Camp presence at Glastonbury in 2009 in my blog I talked about my hope that my band Green Kite Midnight would be able to play as the Climate Camp house band in 2010, so I’m very excited to report that we will be doing daily gigs this year. Five years ago I co-founded the barndance troupe Cutashine out of a desire to make traditional collective dancing more fun: after all, what’s better than a dance where you get to meet other people and really work up a sweat?

With Cutashine I played at gigs all over Glastonbury for several years, then left to start Green Kite Midnight through my contacts in Climate Camp; a band that supports and plays at direct action protests. Our first gig was at the Climate Camp in Bishopsgate during the G20 in April last year, we played to 800 people at the Blackheath Climate Camp in August 2009, and more recently we went on a 10 day solidarity bike ride together to play gigs to support the struggle against the Shell gas pipeline at Rossport in Ireland. With myself as emcee (I’m a gobby shite, so turn your mind away from those boring barn dances you might have attended as a child) we can teach anyone how to barn dance, so please come and join us.

And now for the rest of our fabulous line-up:

Anna Log

My Luminaries, photography by James Dean White.

On Thursday we kick off four days of renewably powered music with a fabulous folky female. Anna Log – singer with pop folk band We Aeronauts – will be doing a solo set accompanied by her trusty uke. After our first ceilidh Glastonbury Emerging Talent winners My Luminaries round the evening off with a special semi-acoustic set of their epic indie rock.

Kirsty Almeida

Danny and the Champions of the World

On Friday Kirsty Almeida opens for us with her bass heavy soulful Bayou blues, then we’re pleased to welcome the epic musical dreamscapes of Newislands, described as Pink Floyd meets Depeche Mode. After that it’s time for some other Climate Camp regulars, Danny Chivers, Claire Fauset and Merrick, to grace the stage with their “triple-headed tag team political poetry extravaganza”. They’re all friends of mine that I’ve seen perform before so I highly recommend their set, which will be repeated on Sunday afternoon. As a closer we have the country-tinged big band folk of Danny and the Champions of the World.

Kyla la Grange

Patch William

Dry the River

To kick the day off on Saturday we welcome an exclusive Glastonbury appearance from a talented newcomer with a stunning voice; Kyla La Grange creates soaring melodies and is nearing completion of her debut album. Then comes Patch William – the dreamy lovechild of Nick Drake and Jimi Hendrix, who are followed by the scuzzy rock sound of York boys The Federals, described as a cross between the White Stripes and The Beatles. Then, time for a very special guest. Following my interview with Robin Ince a few weeks he very kindly promised to come by and do us a *special secret set* which will be a must see for all comedy fans at the festival. Tell all your friends! And come on by for a very intimate set from this well known comedian. Dry the River end the day with their beautiful melodic folk, singing songs of religion, history and community to rival those of Fleet Foxes and Mumford & Sons.

Pete the Temp

Pete Lawrie

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.

On Sunday we’ve got another packed day to end the festival. Pete the Temp returns to wow us with his comedic eco-political music and spoken word, then we look forward to hearing the bittersweet gospel blues of latecomer Pete Lawrie, who confirmed just as our flyer had gone to print. I am particularly pleased to welcome Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. the official moniker of singer songwriter Sam Duckworth. He will be showcasing music from his new album due for release later this year, and I’ve got a soft spot for him because he appeared in the print version of Amelia’s Magazine. Robinson will play a gypsy cajun folk set before we round off the festival with our GRAND RAFFLE. If you see our outreach team out and about please give generously to support Climate Camp and come along to our grand prize giving, which will be hosted by the inimitable Danny Chivers.

Glastonbury-June-2009-Grand Raffle presented by Danny Chivers
The Grand Raffle presented by Danny Chivers in 2009.

Don’t forget to follow myself and Climate Camp on twitter to find out how the festival is going; we can always live in hope that 3G reception will be better than it was last year! But most of all, don’t forget to come and visit us… and bring your friends along with you. I will of course write up a full report on my return. For a reminder of what to expect read my blog from last year here.

For a map and full timing information for all bands and workshops see this listings page.

Illustration by Maryanne Oliver

School’s almost out for summer. Soon blazers and ties will be ditched, adiposity with delight, cost for butterfly-bright bathers; and mortar boards tossed in glee at graduations everywhere. Uniforms may seem the antithesis of lazy, check hazy holidays and fantastic futures, but in cyberspace there’s one – albeit self-imposed – uniform showing us there’s a wealth of creativity to be found in the economical and ethical capsule wardrobe. Will the Uniform Project please stand up!

May 1st 2010 saw the Uniform Project graduate with flying colours. An “exercise in sustainability”, in 2009, one Sheena Matheiken had pledged to wear one Little Black Dress, everyday for one year, for the Akanksha Foundation – a not-for-profit organisation educating kids in Indian slums. Sheena and designer friend Eliza Starbuck, created a LBD which could be worn front, back, undone, for every season and all occasions. And for anyone wondering, “When did she wash the blighter?” she had seven all the same; adapting and accessorising with trinkets and treasures found on eBay, Etsy, or donated by ethical designers, like London’s own, Goodone – oh, and Sheena’s mother!

Throughout its daily blog posts, the UP showed us how to put individual style into sustainable dress. From Day 1, “Albeit the rain and the swine”, in “classic black form”, through homage to Michael Jackson chic on Day 57, an Indian Independence Day sari ensemble, even an ‘evil sea sprite’ costume on Halloween – “Sprite seaweed and ocean foliage made entirely from UP accessory donors’ packaging material” – the UP proved there was more creativity to be had in one LBD than the whole Haus of Gaga. Well almost.

In fact the LBD became the perfect backdrop for designers to display their wares. Day 191 saw Sheena sporting a cape by Raffaele Ascione, “handcrafted from a satin overthrow blanket his grandmother used to own.” A Central Saint Martins student keen to raise funds to support his MA, Ascione’s designs have been donned by Lady Gaga herself, and in donating pieces to the UP he’s gained a web-wide audience eager to lap up his ethical ingenuity.

Illustration by Maryanne Oliver

With some 5,500 Twitter followers and even more Facebook fans the UP has created an on-line social network to be reckoned with. At a recent New York symposium, Sheena said some of the UP’s ideas, like LBD Fridays, where supporters, worldwide, wore their own LBD ‘uniforms’ in aid of the project, had come directly from the UP community. Philanthropy, she said, should be ‘fun’, “… it’s about engaging on an intimate level and creating awareness in a way that allows people to really be a part of the change you are instigating.”

At the ‘end of term’ party the UP celebrated kitting out over 260 Indian children for school. And in the true spirit of sustainable style its Head Girl, Sheena, graduated in a “ reclaimed, recycled, renovated and refashioned” LBD; signalling the future’s not just bright for the kids it has helped into education, but also for the UP itself.

When Chanel declared the LBD “the new uniform of modern women”, back in the 1920s, its simplicity symbolised freedom. Freedom from status anxiety and constrictive fashion – another uniform of sorts, only one we didn’t always knowingly sign up to. Perhaps because the perfect LBD is glorified as style’s holy grail the simplicity of its message is often lost amongst all-consuming fast fashion fads. But it’s this very simplicity which has made the UP so successful. Thus the Uniform Project has proved to be a much needed less-on to us all, to “Aspire. Achieve. Be the change.” (Akanksha Foundation motto).

Written by Helen Davis on Wednesday June 23rd, 2010 12:10 pm

Categories ,1920s, ,Akanksha Foundation, ,Central Saint Martins, ,chanel, ,ebay, ,Eliza Starbuck, ,etsy, ,Facebook, ,goodone, ,Hallowe’en, ,Helen Davis, ,India, ,Lady Gaga, ,LBD, ,Little Black Dress, ,london, ,Maryanne Oliver, ,Michael Jackson, ,new york, ,Philanthropy, ,Raffaele Ascione, ,Sheena Mathelken, ,sustainability, ,Sustainable Style, ,The Uniform Project, ,twitter

Amelia’s Magazine | Yves Saint Laurent : Retrospective : Petit Palais, Paris

A couple of weeks ago, order I was sifting through work emails and idly wondering how my forthcoming weekend was going to shape up; it seemed to be taking on the familiar pleasures of the default setting – drinks, lazing around Shoreditch Park, catching a gig or two, having a coffee at Columbia Road flower market; the same old same old essentially, and then an email dropped into my inbox that quickly made me revise my plans. It was from Ben, an old friend of Amelia’s Magazine from French-Music Org, and Liz from Brittany Tourism who were both involved in the French music festival des Vieilles Charrues in Brittany, and wanted to know if Amelia’s Magazine was interested in coming along to check it out. Being a champion of all kinds of festivals, both in England and abroad, but at the same time staying true to the ethics of not flying wherever possible, I was pleased to see that the festival encourages all non-flight forms of travel, and had a good deal with Brittany Ferries worked into one of the ticket packages that also includes transfers to and from the festival. I had a quick look at the line-up, which included performances from Phoenix, Midlake, The Raveonettes, Fanfarlo and Julian Casablancas. Then I checked my ipod and saw that apart from a little Francoise Hardy and Charlotte Gainsbourg, it was woefully lacking in French music and decided that this Gallic version of Glastonbury could be my guide to France’s vibrant music scene, especially seeing that Chapelier Fou, Revolver, Indochine, Fefe and the brilliantly named Sexy Sushi were all headlining. So that was that. All I needed to do was grab my trusty pillow and I was off to France! A few hours later, after a bumpy ferry ride that unfortunately took place on the windiest day of the year, I found myself in the picturesque town of Carhaix, home of the festival, and about 45 minutes inland from the coast.

Sune and Sharin of The Raveonettes give us a shock and awe performance.

Watching The Raveonettes with my friends – wet and bedraggled but happy.

It was straight to the festival and to the front of the crowd to watch The Raveonettes do a typically kinetic set of howling, fuzzy guitar riffs, liberally sprinkled with lots and lots of noise. Just how the audience like it. The Danish duo, made up of Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo are a dark force to reckon with and played an incredibly tight set, featuring songs from their fourth album, In And Out Of Control. I hadn’t see them play before and I came away thinking that the bands waiting in the wings such as Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Crystal Castles and Vivienne Girls still have a long way to go before they steal the crowns off of these two. Later I managed to get in some talk time with Sune who refused the offer of dinner with his bandmates in favour of shooting the breeze over mugs of vodka cranberries for a whole hour. (Interview to come in the next few weeks)

The next day, when I was a little less exhausted from twelve straight hours of travelling, and no sleep, I was able to properly explore the festival and see it through renewed eyes. Truth be told, it was refreshing to find myself at an overseas festival. The crowd were relaxed, extremely friendly (stand next to any random group of strangers and within a few minutes you will be conversing away happily in a garbled mix of Franglais) and the FOOD (and drink)! It doesn’t matter how many boutique festivals are springing up over England, festival des Vieilles Charrues trumps us with champagne bars all over the site (to be sipped insouciantly while you watch French rock gods Indochine) and food tents which can provide you cheese plates and fruits de la mer to go with your choice of wine. It being slightly earlier in the day, I was trying out the regional cider which was so tasty it practically made me weep, and made my way over to watch the Fanfarlo set. Unexpectedly, this was probably my favourite performance of the festival. Having toured constantly for the past year (watch the mini documentary on their website which painfully documents their incessant and exhaustion-inducing schedule), the performances of the songs from their 2009 release Reservoir have taken on a whole new level. Each band member seamlessly flitted between a myriad of different musical instruments; no-one ever held onto a guitar, trumpet, violin, mandolin or musical saw for more than a few minutes before doing some musical-chairs. I’m not sure how well France was aware of Fanfarlo, but the full audience loved every song they played, and noisily demanded an encore – which unfortunately they didn’t get, but then, the band do only have about twelve songs in their back catalogue.

Fanfarlo talk about life on the road and divulge the little known fact of lead singer Simon’s childhood love of ham radios.

Traditional Breton music. Everyone knew the dance moves but me.

Night time gave me a chance to flit between the bands playing. I watched Midlake, the indie Texans who are fast gaining popularity over on this side of the pond, serenade the audience as the sun set, their hazy Americana sound drifting over the breeze and through the fields. Then it was a hop, skip and a jump to watch Sexy Sushi, the raw Parisian rap of Fefe and – I didn’t see this coming – some traditional Breton music involving some old men, a couple of accordions and a lively crowd who were all versed in the dance moves that accompany the traditional folk style. Then the midnight hour was upon us and the audience was heading in droves to watch Phoenix, who are clearly the prodigal sons of France. I’ve heard before that some of the French don’t appreciate the fact that Phoenix record all of their tracks in English, as opposed to their mother tongue, but there was no such bad feeling in the crowd that stood around me that night, sending waves of love and adulation towards the stage which prompted lead singer Thomas Mars to briefly lie on the stage in slightly dazed wonder at this epic night.

It was frustrating to have to leave on Sunday, as I missed performances by Pony Pony Run Run, Julian Casablancas and Etienne De Crecy, but work commitments dictated an early departure. Nonetheless, I had such a great time that I am already planning next years Festival des Vieilles Charrues (which will be the 20th anniversary of the festival). Brittany was the perfect setting for such a chilled festival, and a welcome addition to the festival calendar.

Yves Saint Laurent, buy information pills illustrated by Kayleigh Bluck

When in the fashion capital, sildenafil to miss a much talked about exhibition that focuses on the ‘prince of fashion’ would be a crime. Two years on from Yves Saint Laurent’s death in June 2008, information pills the Petit Palais Museum in Paris hosted a magnificent showcase of his work, his life and his history and I went to check it out.

A queuing time of one hour and a ticket price of 11 euros later, I arrived at the beginning of the exhibition which was a history of himself and through to ‘The Dior Years’; a fascinating look at how he was recognised for his beautiful fashion sketches and taken onboard by the famous couturier. Spending much of his time at Dior doing mundane tasks such as decorating, doing the paperwork and designing accessories, Yves Saint Laurent continued to submit his own sketches for new collections which, in time, lead to him being appointed to succeed as designer after Dior, who died suddenly at the age of 52 from a heart attack, promoting YSL sooner than expected and at only 21 years old.

Tribute to Piet Mondrian, 1965, illustrated by Lesley Barnes

The exhibition moved through to his first collections including the famous ‘Trapèze’, which were not approved of as he had hoped and slated by the press who didn’t think too highly of his beatnik designs. A long line of mannequins, donated from the Foundation Pierre Berge-Yves Saint Laurent, modelled his wonderful safari jackets, skin tight trousers and the famous Le Smoking suit, which were so perfect and impeccably designed. As the first French couturier to produce a prêt -a-porter line, his rise in fame is recognised with yet another dozen or so mannequins showcasing his ‘silhouette’ designs and a room dedicated to the film Belle de Jour, starring Catherine Deneuve and many of his garments. Film clips of the beautiful actress wearing his suits and dresses lit up the room alongside his very desk where he worked on his fashion drawings and paperwork as he left it and of course, those famous glasses of his which added such a personal and almost emotional touch to the whole exhibition. An almost pitch black room beside it showing beautifully constructed evening gowns and video clips of his inspiration, ranging from old movies to photographs of Marilyn Monroe and pieces of art such as Van Gogh, Mondrian and Matisse. Leaving this, several areas full of his more exotic work which had taken inspiration from the far flung places Yves loved to visit such as Russia, India and Morocco to name but a few, showed a different, refreshing side to his talent.

Le Smoking, illustrated by Abi Daker

As his prêt-a-porter line became more and more popular with the public, despite it’s initial reputation, YSL became considered one of the ‘Paris Jet Set’ which, although glamorous, created a worrying relationship with alcohol and drugs and a lack of interest in the production of his work. Despite this sad self destruction, his work was evidently still as fantastic as it was years before. A room decorated in red carpet and full of his best evening gowns, named as ‘The Last Ball’ shimmering underneath the spotlights and producing a lot of gasps and ‘wows’ from visitors, proved that his talent was ever-growing despite his sad personal life. Moving on to his final designs, ‘The Collision of Colours’ which were slightly different in that they were modern, classic and slightly more tamed than the extravagant previous collections, the exhibition came to a close with a few words about his last movements.

Velvet and satin evening dress, 1983, illustrated by Emma Block

With the historical photographs, films and words alongside real life evidence of his blossoming talent from assistant to famous couturier, the exhibition was personal, thorough and highly favourable of this talented French designer whose contribution to the fashion industry is colossal. After a total of 307 of prêt-a-porter and haute couture designs and around two hours of wonderful education, I walked away feeling that I could definitely go back for another visit and would hope that any visitor to Paris would make time to go and be amazed too. He may be gone in person, but his talent lives on in memory and those who took over. If it is good enough for the fashion capital, who’s to say otherwise?

Written by Siobhan Fagan on Monday August 2nd, 2010 11:57 am

Categories ,Belle de Hour, ,Catherine Deneuve, ,Christian Dior, ,france, ,Hollywood, ,India, ,Le Smoking, ,Marilyn Monroe, ,matisse, ,Morocco, ,paris, ,Paris Jet Set, ,Petit Palais, ,Pierre Berge, ,Piet Mondrian, ,Pret-a-porter, ,Red carpet, ,Russia!, ,Silhouette, ,Trapeze, ,van gogh, ,YSL, ,Yves Saint Laurent

Amelia’s Magazine | Yves Saint Laurent : Retrospective : Petit Palais, Paris

Yves Saint Laurent, illustrated by Kayleigh Bluck

When in the fashion capital, to miss a much talked about exhibition that focuses on the ‘prince of fashion’ would be a crime. Two years on from Yves Saint Laurent’s death in June 2008, the Petit Palais Museum in Paris hosted a magnificent showcase of his work, his life and his history and I went to check it out.

Tribute to Piet Mondrian, 1965, illustrated by Lesley Barnes

Le Smoking, illustrated by Abi Daker

Written by Siobhan Fagan on Monday August 2nd, 2010 11:57 am

Amelia’s Magazine | Nancy Dee: the ethical fashion range from sisters Tamsin and Seraphina Davis

Emete Yarici by Jenny Lloyd http://jennylloyd.co.uk

It’s impossible to miss the Make Lemonade pop-up shop as you walk up Chalton Street Market, treat with big windows displaying the warm and cosy scene for everyone to see. Even standing across the street you can see Make Lemonade founder Emete Yarici pottering around, ed accompanied by her interns Holly-ann Ladd and Bettina Krohn.

Make Lemonade pop-up shop

Step inside and you’ll find a myriad of treasure, starting with clothes from the Make Lemonade range of one-off vintage finds. As Emete talks me through the contributions from the various designers and artists around the shop it becomes clear this is very much a collaboration. ‘I have been working on getting a shop for over a year, but it’s been a mad rush at putting everything together as I only found out I was getting this shop last week,’ says Emete.

Illustration by Joana Faria

Holly-ann has been collecting vintage charms and made them into necklaces, explains Emete, while more accessories are on display from knitwear designer Louise Dungate. The walls are covered by charity shop finds, as well as prints from graphic designers Dan Sayle and Oschon Wespi-Tschopp. This comes from a tie-up with environmentally friendly printers Hato Press. ‘We will be doing a live screenprinting session here on Saturday, where people can choose a design and have it printed on a bag,’ says Emete.

On Wednesday 26th there will be a free styling evening, followed by a music night on the 28th. Norwegian pop and jazz singer Jenny Moe will provide entertainment, alongside the group The Youth. ‘People can bring their own drinks and there will be lots of cushions, so people can come and talk and chill out,’ says Emete. More details of this and other events, including a film screening yet to be confirmed, can be found on the Make Lemonade Facebook page.

Textile print designer Temitope Tijani has provided a special range of her colourful handmade bags and jewellery, while Supermarket Sarah has created a wall of items from the shop – these will go on sale from Supermarket Sarah’s website from 31st January. In addition to clothing, this includes a 1970s coffee set and a very clever apple-a-day calendar from Ken Kirton, who is also responsible for the Make Lemonade logo.

Temitope Tijani illustrated by Genie Espinosa

‘I wanted the shop to be a platform for many people to show their work, not just for our own stuff,’ says Emete, adding that most of the artists are friends, or friends of friends. Camden Council sponsors Make Lemonade’s rent for the pop-up shop, as part of a scheme to bring new business to Somers Town. This area between Euston and King’s Cross stations isn’t necessarily a retail destination, but the locals have been very welcoming, says Emete.

Make Lemonade will exist mainly on the internet for a while to come, but Emete doesn’t rule out a permanent shop down the line. But the next goal to get the brand into shops as permanent concessions, as well as continuing the collaboration with Asos and focusing on the blog. Along with Bettina, Emete will go to Paris this spring to scout for some higher-range vintage lines, but she wants to stay true to the initial idea of creating a reasonably priced vintage shop – something that isn’t that easy to find in London. ‘We want to make sure we stay close to our roots and remain a brand people want to be part of,’ says Emete, suddenly all shy when she has to be in front of the camera instead of behind the scenes.

Emete Yarici

It’s impossible to miss the Make Lemonade pop-up shop as you walk up Chalton Street Market, click with big windows displaying the warm and cosy scene for everyone to see. Even standing across the street you can see Make Lemonade founder Emete Yarici pottering around, website accompanied by her interns Holly-ann Ladd and Bettina Krohn.

Make Lemonade pop-up shop

Step inside and you’ll find a myriad of treasure, ask starting with clothes from the Make Lemonade range of one-off vintage finds. As Emete talks me through the contributions from the various designers and artists around the shop it becomes clear this is very much a collaboration. ‘I have been working on getting a shop for over a year, but it’s been a mad rush at putting everything together as I only found out I was getting this shop last week,’ says Emete.

Illustration by Joana Faria

Temitope Tijani illustrated by Genie Espinosa

Emete Yarici

Make Lemonade pop-up shop will be at 24 Chalton Street, London NW1 1JH until 1st February – after that find them on their website. For more information see our listing and the Make Lemonade Facebook page.
How do you start to design each new collection?
I usually list ideas that I am wondering about – thoughts about philosophy, cialis 40mg science and how we should live – in my note book. Then I pick out the most interesting of these topics. Maybe some philosopher or artist has already found an answer but I like to discover things through my own ideas and research.

In what way does fashion allow you to combine all your creative ideas?
I create artwork in two dimensions as well as making music and video. Fashion feels more real because it is created in three dimensions, case and I try to make clothes that combine all the dreaminess and fantasy of my other creative endeavours. I work on music at the same time as I work on designs for my clothing so that it will match the catwalk show when I put them together.

Why did you decide to name your collective after yourself?
We work as a team on ideas that mostly come from my brain. I feel as though I am a percolator, stomach I’m inspired by all the feelings that come from my friends which I filter through my own internal world. Satoshi Date is just a device: percolate Satoshi Date machine and breathe out. I believe that I am connected to everyone in the world and I am just a representative.

How do you work with others to complete each collection?
We get the main idea together and do lots of research before we even think about the clothing. We read, write, listen, draw, collage… developing the idea deeper and deeper. Then we start designing and sampling with textiles and prototypes until the final garments are ready to be made.

MaxJenny by June Chanpoomidole.

Wearable art.
Maxjenny Forslund was inspired to create her label when she discovered her mother’s paintings in the cellar. Her mother Margareta Forslund is also a designer and together they create the bright print designs (some of which are based on self-portraits) that characterise her line of Street Sculptures signature waterproof capes. The capes are based on a circular pattern that drapes over the contours of the body, cialis 40mg and are perfect for riding a bike in the rain.

Intelligent sustainable materials.
Maxjenny capes are created from a recycled material made out of plastic PET bottles. Dye sublimation printing is used as an even more environmentally friendly substitute to digital printing. The sourcing of good quality materials is a big part of Maxjenny’s job…

Read the rest of this interview and see more illustrations of Maxjenny’s clothing in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, seek alongside interviews with 44 other ethical fashion designers and 30 fabulous fashion illustrators. You can buy the book here.

Nancy Dee by Kellie Black.

Tamsin and Seraphina Davis are sisters in ethical fashion design. Nancy is a long standing family name and Dee simply stands for the initial of their surname, information pills Davis. They settled on the label Nancy Dee because it is a little bit kitsch and reflects the style of their designs.

How did Nancy Dee come about?
Seraphina is my younger sister by four years and she has the background in fashion design whereas I have worked in the film industry and studied economics and social policy, more about so I am better suited to managing the business side. We started working together because Seraphina wanted to market her designs and she needed a partner. I had just finished my studies and wanted to work on something related to social policy. We launched Nancy Dee in 2008 to create garments that bridge the gap between style, viagra 60mg versatility and ethical production.

How do you manage to keep your designs both retro and up to date?
Fashion is cyclical by nature, and all trends are developments on past ideas. We take the shapes and references that appeal to us from history and update them by using new eco fabrics and modern colours. The prints play a large part; they are designed by us but influenced by older designs.

How did you hook up with the family-run factory in India that makes your clothes?
We were actually approached by them whilst at a trade show which was lucky because it wasn’t working out with another factory, so we were actually searching for someone to take over production. Fate intervened: we met the owner in London, then travelled over to Delhi later that season to check over the factory conditions, meet the staff and work on samples.

How will you further reduce your environmental impact?
Video conferencing and daily phone calls enable both Seraphina and I to work from home (I live in Leicester while she is in London). Skype is an amazing invention that helps us to keep in touch with the factory, reducing the need to visit so often. We’re constantly looking for ways to reduce our environmental impact, such as the use of degradable packaging for the webshop – but it is an ongoing job. We want to start some production in the UK since one of our biggest environmental impacts is caused by the delivery of stock from India. Many UK factories lost a huge portion of their income when it became so much cheaper to produce garments in Asia, so it will be nice to bring some work back here…

Read the rest of this interview with Nancy Dee in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, alongside interviews with 44 other ethical fashion designers and 30 fabulous fashion illustrators. You can buy the book here.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday February 1st, 2011 11:38 am

Categories ,ACOFI, ,Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, ,Carbon footprint, ,Eco fashion, ,Ethical Fashion, ,India, ,Kellie Black, ,Nancy Dee, ,Seraphina Davis, ,Skype, ,Tamsin Davis

Amelia’s Magazine | Nancy Dee: the ethical fashion range from sisters Tamsin and Seraphina Davis

Emete Yarici by Jenny Lloyd http://jennylloyd.co.uk

Make Lemonade pop-up shop

Illustration by Joana Faria

Temitope Tijani illustrated by Genie Espinosa

Emete Yarici

Make Lemonade pop-up shop

Illustration by Joana Faria

Temitope Tijani illustrated by Genie Espinosa

Emete Yarici

Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday February 1st, 2011 11:38 am

Categories ,ACOFI, ,Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, ,Carbon footprint, ,Eco fashion, ,Ethical Fashion, ,India, ,Kellie Black, ,Nancy Dee, ,Seraphina Davis, ,Skype, ,Tamsin Davis

Amelia’s Magazine | New Designers 2011 Part One: Jewellery Graduate Show Review

New Designers review 2011-Michelle Scicluna Me Me Jewellery
Me Me Jewellery by Michelle Scicluna.

The jewellery section of New Designers also really brought home to me how important it is to see a university’s individual show where possible: when the work is crammed into such small stands it’s easy to miss the impact of an individual collection. I’ll be skipping those I’ve already covered in more detail: read about Central Saint Martins and Middlesex University in previous blogs (just click on the links).

New Designers review 2011-William Huynh
Having said everything above, viagra 100mg I did discover one jeweller that I missed at the Middlesex University Free Range show: William Huynh presented a great domed crystal in a gold winged bangle.

New Designers review 2011-Muireann Walshe
Muireann Walshe from the National College of Art and Design in Dublin won the Future Makers award for her unique broaches, inspired by historical finds from Ireland’s ancient history. Her jewellery is an echo of the famous Tara Brooch discovered at county Meath in 1850 and much copied in design. Muireann Walshe incorporates contemporary colour and pattern partly inspired by the Memphis School of design. Instead of a pin, these brooches are attached with magnets. I liked the fact that they were vaguely 80s, and also unlike anything else in the show. I’m always attracted to those designers who go out on a limb and don’t just follow trends.

New Designers review 2011-Hayley Lamb

At Truro College Hayley Lamb embedded fabric in her bold rings.

Emma Louise Simmonds, UCA, SGJ, crystallise necklace

From UCA Rochester Emma Louise Simmonds held centre stage with her stunning gems. She has developed a special new technique that challenges the usual methods of holding gemstones; using laser welding technology she traps cubic zirconia within metal casing without damaging the crystals, there by taking full advantage of the shape and cut of the gemstones.

New Designers review 2011-Emma Louise Simmonds
She has recently won a Goldsmith’s Craft and Design Council Award as well as Graduate Rising Star 2011 and I was most impressed with the press pack she pressed into my hands. Follow Emma Louise Simmonds on Twitter. Highly unusual and clever.

New Designers review 2011-Jong Bin Kim
Also from UCA Rochester Jong Bin Kim showed curvy jewellery that echoed the shapes of underwater sealife.

New Designers review 2011-Lucy Seddon's Paper Memories
At Sheffield Hallam Lucy Seddon‘s Paper Memories took a more ecological approach: material was sourced from old newspapers, maps and envelopes.

New Designers review 2011-Bucks New University Niti Khanna
Moving on to Bucks New University Niti Khanna was inspired by Indian architecture – the domed shapes created in modern forms out of metals and acrylic using CAD design. Super cool, I’d love some of this jewellery for myself. Niti has recently accepted a job as a jewellery consultant and plans to head back to India shortly, but I hope that she does continue to design herself as she’s got something special.

New Designers review 2011-Duncan of Jordanstone Jessica Ruth Howarth
At Duncan of Jordanstone Jessica Ruth Howarth‘s friend demonstrated how to lift her jewellery out of bespoke enamelled mini sculptures. Very sweet and different. I love enamelling, but there was barely a whisper of it at this show. I can’t think why it is so out of favour – other than it is extremely hard to do well. I studied enamelling at my local adult education college for a year and became totally hooked – after all, what’s not to like? Plenty of colour, infinite possibilities for pattern…

New Designers review 2011-Michelle Scicluna Me Me Jewellery
Michelle Scicluna of Sir John Cass London Metropolitan University had run out of cards – always a good sign! I was told to check out their website, which was emblazoned across the stand and yet is curiously uninhabited, so not sure why they would advertise it so widely. Fortunately Michelle herself is more savvy. She has a website and she’s also on Twitter. Go check her out. The Dhana Collection is made up of reinforced paper and metal, with shapes inspired by many years spent living in the ashrams of Thailand and practicing Buddhism. Really quite special.

New Designers review 2011-One Year On Li-Chu Wu
One Year On Li-Chu Wu of Birmingham City University drew me in with her multiple layer papercut jewellery. Particularly loved this nature inspired piece in sultry yellow. Follow Li-Chu Wu on Twitter.

Overall there was an awful lot of wonderful jewellery to look at but it does make me wonder, and worry, how on earth all these graduates will make a living: jewellery is an amazing addition to any girl’s life (and some boy’s…) but jewellery is not a necessity as clothing is. Expensive pieces are bought only seldomly, which is just as well because precious jewellery is incredibly carbon intensive to produce as well as desperately in need of an ethical practice overhaul. Fairtrade gold will only go so far… but I really do hope that this new generation of designers will fly the flag for ethical practice as well as good craft practice.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Friday July 8th, 2011 12:24 am

Categories ,80s, ,Birmingham City University, ,Bucks New University, ,CAD design, ,Central Saint Martins, ,Dublin, ,Duncan of Jordanstone, ,ecological, ,Emma Louise Simmonds, ,Enamelling, ,Fairtrade gold, ,Free Range, ,Future Makers Award, ,Goldsmith’s Craft and Design Council Award, ,Graduate Rising Star 2011, ,Hayley Lamb, ,India, ,Jessica Ruth Howarth, ,Jong Bin Kim, ,Laser Welding Technology, ,Li-Chu Wu, ,Lucy Seddon, ,Me Me Jewellery, ,Memphis School, ,Michelle Scicluna, ,Middlesex, ,Muireann Walshe, ,National College of Art and Design, ,Niti Khanna, ,One Year On, ,paper, ,Paper Memories, ,Sheffield Hallam, ,Sir John Cass. London Metropolitan University, ,Tara Broach, ,Tara Brooch, ,Thailand, ,The Dhana Collection, ,Truro College, ,UCA Rochester, ,William Huynh

Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2011 Catwalk Review: Daks

Illustration by Eugenia Tsmiklis

After pegging it down the strand, ampoule I arrived at the BFC tent with less than 30 seconds to spare. My desperate dan demeanour must have won me brownie points somewhere as I was ushered into the catwalk seating area so fast my feet barely touched the floor. Expecting the Issa show to begin, erectile imagine my suprise when Basso and Brooke creations started to walk their way down the catwalk…there must have been some awful mistake?…yes, troche indeed there was Mr Matt Bramford (who must be reading his timetable upside down last night).

A 9am Sunday morning treat: great turnout (including model Amber Rose – front row), amazing prints and a seamless show. To be able to mix so many colours, prints, patterns and styles into pieces of clothing is a talent few can boast. I have never trained as a fashion designer but I imagine that there comes a time early in their lives, perhaps as a kid choosing between a pencil and a box of crayolas, when their speciality is set for life. In my view, all designers have not so much a signature look as a part of the DNA clothing they excel at: silhouette, colour, print, cut. Some designers can change the way we see the body – I’m thinking of Miuccia Prada –and some fill in the outlines of fashionable shapes with their own individual colour, pattern and texture.

Illustration by Eugenia Tsmiklis

Prints were the order of the day with a slight All Saints (edgy brand not 90s girlband) feel to some of the ones with italic scripting and antique maps running across. After reading the press release, it turns out that the writing is actually handwritten notes by Da Vinci, Tolstoy, Balzac and others in a nod to the non digital past. Digital prints are then sliced into the notes and maps, creating more dramatic, eclectic mixes. Other prints included trompe l’oeil images of ruched fabrics, mainly used in larger panels on the back of dresses but occasionally inserted onto the front. I am personally a huge fan of print design (I was a colour-change felttip pen sort of kid), which I think often gets ignored in favour of more flashy, and by definition, flesh-revealing options (anyone designing an elaborately printed bikini has rather missed the point). There’s something depressing about an off-the-shelf pattern you end up seeing on clothes everywhere, from high street shops to market stalls. I want someone to have sat down and designed the images that appear on the surface of clothes with as much care and dedication as they did every other aspect.

Basso and Brooke’s S/S11 show didn’t pioneer any particular dress shape, although all their clothes look wearable: lots of skater-skirted party dresses, a collared blouse and skirt and filmy jumpsuitst. The skirts had great shape and movement to them, especially the shorter kicky ones; the dresses made use of clashing prints on the front and back and thought had also been put into matching shoes to each look. However, what they do to a tee is the print; everyone knows that when you go to their show you’ll get lovingly rendered prints galore. This also means subtle use of colour, and when the models took their turn all together, it added up to a handwritten, map inspired rainbow.

Shoes at Basso & Brooke

Some of the choices surprised me at first: leopard print? Hermes-scarf style illustrated floral squares? But because they were digitally chopped up with gold foil sections that seemed to creep over the garish parts, or set against a background of pearly grey silk, I think it worked. There is a trend now for mixing up complicated prints, which when it works, looks incredible. One good thing about animal print is that you can’t really beat nature for creating a pleasing whole and by sticking to the silvery sheen of water, brown and rusty orange of animals spots and mineral metallics, there’s a good chance an outfit will hang together, just like Basso and Brooke’s show.

I rolled into Daks at the bright and early time of 9am on a Saturday morning – expecting to be one of the few who made in out of bed. But the crowd was bright eyed and bushy tailed – shame some of the models looked pale and in need of some shut-eye!

When the Daks press release proclaimed the collection was inspired by a “British traveller on a journey through India” I envisaged either a ‘gap yah’ nightmare or colonial outfits complete with G&T’s. Thankfully what ended up on the catwalk was far from it. Daks S/S 2011 was an easy, symptoms breezy collection of crisp designs in white, medicine pale grey, and stone.

Rather than going for swathes of layers, embroidery and hippy trippy designs, Daks decided to translate the ‘traveller’ theme in a much more sophisticated way – splashes of mustard yellow (my FAVOURITE colour) were meant to represent the spices of India, and the lightweight fabrics were chosen to be suitable for hot climates. I can’t see myself donning a drop waisted skirt and chic leather satchel to trek through the Himalayas, but Dak’s ‘grand tour’ was fun to watch – and felt oh-so English.

Referencing the 1930s, there were some gorgeous mid length pleated skirts, high-waisted trousers and a standout mustard yellow shirt dress. I was even convinced that I needed the knitted shorts and onesies in my life. But considering how great the accessories were in the rest of the collection – with little round sunglasses and convertible leather rucksacks – the shoes (cheap looking wedges and flip flops) seemed a bit of an afterthought.

Written by Lauren Smith on Monday September 20th, 2010 8:43 am

Categories ,1930s, ,daks, ,fashion, ,illustration, ,India, ,leather, ,lfw, ,london, ,London Fashion Week, ,pleats, ,review, ,rucksack, ,S/S 2011, ,Somerset House, ,Sunglasses, ,traveller, ,yellow

Amelia’s Magazine | Lazy Summer Days with Handmade Ethical Clothing from Lowie

Lowie by Emma Jardine.

Lowie was set up by Bronwyn Lowenthal – born in the UK, site raised in Tanzania, with Jewish roots and a Welsh name. She was trained in marketing and went on to become brand manager for Ben Sherman before setting up Lowie nine years ago, which she started by importing Turkish made hats and socks to sell in Portobello Market. She quickly realised that there was a niche for brightly coloured handmade knitwear and found a supplier to produce larger quantities for her in Hong Kong.

I Love Lowie handmade ethical clothing by Kathryn Edwards.

Lowie Playsuit by Alejandra Espino.

The Lowie Parlour Dress.

Lowie has now expanded into ‘wovens’ – pretty cotton fabrics that feature darling floral sprig prints, all printed in a fair-trade factory in India. These are made into flirty dresses with full skirts and nipped in waists and cute little playsuits. The brand is sold in Heals, Anthropologie and ASOS to name but a few.

Lowie by Avril Kelly.

Lowie Crochet Bow Dress by Michalis Christodoulou.

Lowie didn’t start life as a specifically eco brand but has gradually moved in that direction over the years. At one point Lowie was the only brand producing eco knitwear in jewel bright colours, so they have helped to lead the market away from boring ethical neutrals, opening the door for some of the much more exciting eco fashions that are around today.

Lowie by Jane Young.

The Lowie Culotte Playsuit.

All wool jumpers and accessories are now made in China from wool that is produced in Australia. Although all Lowie cotton products are organic the wool is not, so they are currently looking into new types of eco yarns, for example those made from bamboo, which can feel as good or even nicer than wool.

Press Days March 2011-Lowie red bow
A close up of the bow detailing at press days.

Press Days March 2011-Lowie
A couple of the Lowie girls looking pretty in Lowie dresses. Hannah on the left manages the studio.

In the meantime Bronwyn travels overseas a few times a year to overlook factories and ensure production fits ethical fair-trade standards – all clothes are manufactured by home workers who run small domestic workshops in their living space.

Press Days March 2011-cupcakes Forward PR
A totally self indulgent photo of cupcakes at the Lowie press day. Just because they were so pretty.

You can find the new Lowie collection on their website. I absolutely adore the breezy Lowie style, especially for summer.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Monday June 13th, 2011 10:34 am

Categories ,Alejandra Espino, ,Anthropologie, ,ASOS, ,australia, ,Avril Kelly, ,Bamboo, ,Ben Sherman, ,China, ,cotton, ,cupcakes, ,Dresses, ,eco, ,Eco fashion, ,Emma Jardine, ,ethical, ,fairtrade, ,florals, ,Forward PR, ,handmade, ,Hannah, ,Heals, ,Hong Kong, ,India, ,Jane Young, ,Kathryn Edwards, ,knitwear, ,London Kills Me, ,Lowie, ,Michalis Christodoulou, ,Playsuits, ,Portobello Market, ,Press days, ,print, ,Turkey, ,Welsh, ,wool

Amelia’s Magazine | Lazy Summer Days with Handmade Ethical Clothing from Lowie

Lowie by Emma Jardine.

I Love Lowie handmade ethical clothing by Kathryn Edwards.

Lowie Playsuit by Alejandra Espino.

The Lowie Parlour Dress.

Lowie by Avril Kelly.

Lowie Crochet Bow Dress by Michalis Christodoulou.

Lowie by Jane Young.

The Lowie Culotte Playsuit.

Press Days March 2011-Lowie red bow
A close up of the bow detailing at press days.

Press Days March 2011-Lowie
A couple of the Lowie girls looking pretty in Lowie dresses. Hannah on the left manages the studio.

Press Days March 2011-cupcakes Forward PR
A totally self indulgent photo of cupcakes at the Lowie press day. Just because they were so pretty.

You can find the new Lowie collection on their website. I absolutely adore the breezy Lowie style, especially for summer.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Monday June 13th, 2011 10:34 am

Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week A/W 2010 Catwalk Review: Falguni & Shane Peacock

Falguni & Shane by Xenab Lone Jamil

Falguni & Shane by Xenab Lone Jamil.

The invite for Falguni & Shane Peacock showed a plethora of jewelled leopards photoshopping their way out of a bodiced mannequin, symptoms in a shower of what looked feasibly like a large quantity of blood. Rendered in soothing hues of beige, closer dissection of what appeared at first glance to be quite tasteful revealed an image that was a little more disturbing. What could it all mean?

Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, the design of the invite bore little relevance to the Falguni & Shane Peacock show early on Sunday morning at Victoria House, notable in it’s organisation for being quite disorganised. Looked after by Blow PR this weren’t. People piled in and sat wily nily where they fancied. No press bitches to move us along… always good for a front row seat I find. And the audience was indeed very different from other shows – featuring a preponderance of bejewelled, sunglass-bearing Asians and identikit gay men with badly bleached hair and orange skin.

Falguni & Shane by Xenab Lone Jamil.

It came as no surprise to discover that Falguni & Shane Peacock are from India, with a publicity shot straight out of the Bollywood school of chic. “Where other designers travel thousands of miles for the luxury of the world’s largest selection of high quality fabrics and embellishments, the dynamic designer couple have it all at their fingertips,” trumpeted the publicity blurb. “They create and manufacture in-house at their factories and employ over 200 highly skilled seamsters and embroiderers.” Er, I’m sorry but I’m not sure that’s a particularly special feature if we’re talking clothing made in India. I think, for instance, that our very own Monsoon could probably claim the same kind of thing. Now what I would be interested in is the conditions of said employees, having spoken widely to designers working in the Indian fashion industry for issue 10 of Amelia’s Magazine, and being well aware of the level of equality (or lack thereof) for garment workers in that part of the world.

But maybe I’m just being mean, because Falguni & Shane also “support many charity causes relating to children and cancer.” Do you see what they did there? Children and cancer folks. You don’t get much more saintly than that.

Falguni & Shane Peacock. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Anyway, I digress. What were the clothes actually like? Well, there was no blood and no leopard print (very disappointing for an animal print fan like myself). Instead a succession of dresses in ultra sheer fabrics skimmed over naked bottoms unadorned with the bright geometrics applique and metallic frippery that adorned the fronts. According to the press release inspiration came from the abstract graphics of the 80s, but it’s amazing how an Indian sensibility can transform this into something so much more, well, glitzy. It isn’t hard to picture these clothes worn by Bollywood starlets – even, or perhaps because of, their revealing nature, for times have changed on the sub-continent, even if a taste for maximalist embellishment lives on.

The most interesting piece was a sculptural turquoise dress, unfortunately worn by a particularly galumphing model who did its shape no justice. It was interesting to note that Falguni & Shane chose to totally eschew Indian models – maybe we don’t have enough, utter madness given the huge Asian diaspora in the UK – in favour of a host of slightly ropey models in every other colour under the sun.

Falguni & Shane by Xenab Lone Jamil.

But what really intrigued me is why Falguni & Shane decided to show in London at all. It must have cost a fortune to put this show together, and their sensibility is very much geared towards their home audience. Perhaps they have their sights set on a potentially lucrative ex-pat community, which further begs the question, why not find models better suited to show the collection? Or perhaps the presence of the orange over-coiffured gays signifies a desire to hit the ex Page Three girl market. I might mention Jordan briefly here. There, I just did it. Jordan. See, did it again. Wonder how this will affect my website stats? Move along now… Sorry, no fake boobs/badly dyed wigs/car-crash marriages here.

And I’m not sure about that legendary craftsmanship – apparently the runway was littered with beads and bits of applique once the show was over.

Falguni & Shane Peacock. Aw, they look very sweet don’t they? Have I been too mean…

Written by Amelia Gregory on Thursday March 4th, 2010 3:10 pm

Categories ,80s, ,abstract, ,Blow PR, ,Bollywood, ,Embellishment, ,Falguni & Shane, ,Geometrics, ,India, ,Jordan, ,Monsoon, ,Orange Gays, ,Page Three, ,Peacock, ,Sculptural, ,Sheer, ,Victoria House

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