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

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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-Climate Camp paddling pool
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
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?

YouTube Preview Image

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
Anna Log
My Luminaries
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
Kirsty Almeida
Danny and the Champions of the World
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
Kyla la Grange
Patch William
Patch William
Dry the River
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 the Temp
Pete Lawrie
Pete Lawrie
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.
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

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Amelia’s Magazine | Sir Philip Green and his Topshop billions get the UK Uncut treatment.

by


Heart / Target by Patrick Thomas. All images courtesy of Outline Editions.

Outline Editions’ pop-up shop is tucked away behind stalls on Berwick Street Market, prostate healing but the bright shop front is still hard to miss. Decorated by graphics wunderkind Kate Moross, mind inside the shop is a virtual “who’s who” of Britain’s graphic art world. This was part of what founders Camilla Parsons and Bill Tuckey wanted to achieve – having both spent years commissioning art works for music and print, they saw a gap in the market for a place where these artists and illustrators could show their work in a more permanent manner. ‘We have taken the high-end graphic artists and put them under one roof,’ says Camilla Parsons.

And the list of contributors to Outline Editions’ pop-up shop really does demonstrate that these are some very sought-after graphic artists and illustrators. Starting with Kate Moross, whose name is known from Dazed & Confused, Topshop and Vogue – all the way to Anthony Burrill, the so-called godfather of graphic arts. Universally known for his ‘Work Hard and Be Nice to People’ poster, his work has been seen everywhere from Tate Modern to the Underground.


Robin by David Foldvari

The shop on Berwick Street in Soho shows a mixture of works from the newly commissioned love-theme, which was unveiled on 2 December, and works from ‘Into the Forest’, which opened in November. The shop also has prints from last summer’s London-themed show.

‘We have commissioned a range of graphic artists and illustrators who work in music and pop culture,’ says Parsons, as she shows me around the space. ‘Many of these are one-off works that we have commissioned, all signed and in limited edition.’ She shows me the works by by David Foldvari; ‘he’s a very big name, you’ll recognise his style as you open a paper or magazine’, and HelloVon; ‘we chose him as his thing is animals. Look at it – it’s incredibly detailed and realistic, but also a bit spooky.’


Bird by HelloVon

The works commissioned by Outline Editions were themed, but Parsons says the artists appreciated the chance to create works with a large degree of freedom. ‘They do a lot of commercial work and this was unrestricted, so they found it exciting.’

Also on the wall is works by Supermundane; ‘he’s very prolific’, Kate Moross; ‘the girl of the graphic art scene’, and Klaus Haapaniemi; ‘he does very high end work.’ We stop a while next to Takayo Akiyama’s nautical chart of London, an intriguing little piece which shows the detail of London planet set on a globe, as if it were the only thing in the world. For those of us who live here it feels like that sometimes, doesn’t it.

London Nautical Chart by Takayo Akiyama

While initially focused on established names in the graphic world, Parsons doesn’t rule out the possibility of taking on more unknown names. ‘As time goes on we will start to encompass lesser known names. The main thing is to make sure the work is accessible. We cover all forms of graphic arts. The cement is that they all work in music, fashion and pop culture.’ The accessibility also extends to pricing: works start at £15 and go up to £185.


By James Joyce.

The Central London location for the pop-up shop was a deliberate move to bring the graphics genre to a wider audience. ‘There are lots of print collectives in East London. We wanted to bring it out West, to take it to a new audience. … We wanted to incorporate people with a variety of styles as well, to show something to everyone’s taste.’

‘Our premise is to keep it exciting and fresh, and to keep doing new things,’ says Parsons. She already has a few aces up her sleeve for Outline Editions’ next projects. She makes me promise not to say too much, but it’s hard – it sounds excellent and I for one can’t wait to see what comes next.


Pelican by Jamie Portch

‘Love in the Forest’ runs until 31 January at 94 Berwick Street, Soho, London W1. The works are also available on the Outline Editions website. For more information see our listing.

Heart / Target by Patrick Thomas. All images courtesy of Outline Editions.

Outline Editions’ pop-up shop is tucked away behind stalls on Berwick Street Market, viagra 100mg but the bright shop front is still hard to miss. Decorated by graphics wunderkind Kate Moross, viagra inside the shop is a virtual “who’s who” of Britain’s graphic art world. This was part of what founders Camilla Parsons and Bill Tuckey wanted to achieve – having both spent years commissioning art works for music and print, they saw a gap in the market for a place where these artists and illustrators could show their work in a more permanent manner. ‘We have taken the high-end graphic artists and put them under one roof,’ says Camilla Parsons.

And the list of contributors to Outline Editions’ pop-up shop really does demonstrate that these are some very sought-after graphic artists and illustrators. Starting with Kate Moross, whose name is known from Dazed & Confused, Topshop and Vogue – all the way to Anthony Burrill, the so-called godfather of graphic arts. Universally known for his ‘Work Hard and Be Nice to People’ poster, his work has been seen everywhere from Tate Modern to the Underground.


By Kate Moross

The shop on Berwick Street in Soho shows a mixture of works from the newly commissioned love-theme, which was unveiled on 2 December, and works from ‘Into the Forest’, which opened in November. The shop also has prints from last summer’s London-themed show.

‘We have commissioned a range of graphic artists and illustrators who work in music and pop culture,’ says Parsons, as she shows me around the space. ‘Many of these are one-off works that we have commissioned, all signed and in limited edition.’ She shows me the works by by David Foldvari; ‘he’s a very big name, you’ll recognise his style as you open a paper or magazine’, and HelloVon; ‘we chose him as his thing is animals. Look at it – it’s incredibly detailed and realistic, but also a bit spooky.’


Bird by HelloVon

The works commissioned by Outline Editions were themed, but Parsons says the artists appreciated the chance to create works with a large degree of freedom. ‘They do a lot of commercial work and this was unrestricted, so they found it exciting.’

Also on the wall is works by Supermundane; ‘he’s very prolific’, Kate Moross; ‘the girl of the graphic art scene’, and Klaus Haapaniemi; ‘he does very high end work.’ We stop a while next to Takayo Akiyama’s nautical chart of London, an intriguing little piece which shows the detail of London planet set on a globe, as if it were the only thing in the world. For those of us who live here it feels like that sometimes, doesn’t it.


Love Geometry by Anthony Burrill

While initially focused on established names in the graphic world, Parsons doesn’t rule out the possibility of taking on more unknown names. ‘As time goes on we will start to encompass lesser known names. The main thing is to make sure the work is accessible. We cover all forms of graphic arts. The cement is that they all work in music, fashion and pop culture.’ The accessibility also extends to pricing: works start at £15 and go up to £185.


By James Joyce.

The Central London location for the pop-up shop was a deliberate move to bring the graphics genre to a wider audience. ‘There are lots of print collectives in East London. We wanted to bring it out West, to take it to a new audience. … We wanted to incorporate people with a variety of styles as well, to show something to everyone’s taste.’

‘Our premise is to keep it exciting and fresh, and to keep doing new things,’ says Parsons. She already has a few aces up her sleeve for Outline Editions’ next projects. She makes me promise not to say too much, but it’s hard – it sounds excellent and I for one can’t wait to see what comes next.


Pelican by Jamie Portch

‘Love in the Forest’ runs until 31 January at 94 Berwick Street, Soho, London W1. The works are also available on the Outline Editions website. For more information see our listing.
UKuncut Topshop-police amelia gregory
Topshop, viagra 40mg with your welcoming entrance you are spoiling us…

If you are on twitter you will probably have noticed the mutterings of the #UKuncut hashtag – from small beginnings it has grown to become the standard bearer of the cuts demonstrations. And to think it all started only a few weeks back, cialis 40mg when I got a frantic phone call from one of my friends on the first UK Uncut Vodafone demo. “We’ve got a trending hashtag” he exclaimed somewhat maniacally. “but we’ve misspelled Vodaphone, stuff you’ve got to help us!!” I assured him that a quick glance at twitter confirmed that he didn’t need my twittering powers one iota. And frankly I think it’s Vodafone who’ve got their spelling wrong. Now, thousands of people follow the @UKuncut twitter feed and the #UKuncut hashtag stream is used to communicate between anti-cuts protests up and down the country. Makes you dead proud of your mates it does.

UKUncut by Avril Kelly
UKUncut by Avril Kelly.

I didn’t manage to get along to that first demo due to my head being buried in the creation of my new book about fashion illustration and ethical fashion design, but I have been avidly following the progress of the cuts protests. And when I heard about the next major target for UK Uncut I was most excited: the Topshop flagship store in Oxford Circus. Regular readers of this blog will no doubt be able to guess that I am not exactly a big fan of Topshop – I know too many small designers who have been ripped off, they have an atrocious human rights record, and I find the association with Kate Moss frankly tedious. Suffice to say I won’t be covering any Topshop collections in Amelia’s Magazine in the near future.

UK uncut sinister pics
Photograph by Sinister Pictures.

Instead, I hope to be joining more protests. Why? Well, a while ago the papers exposed Sir Philip Green‘s cunning tax avoidance trick that enables him to siphon vast profits out of the country and safely into the hands of his Monaco dwelling wife. There was a surge of interest and then the news disappeared. But the cunning folks at UK Uncut have decided to resurrect the gripe. Why? For the simple reason that this country is in the grip of savage cuts to almost everything imaginable. And yet the very rich are able to take our money out of the country: it is the very reverse of the ethos behind the resurgence of local currencies triumphed by Transition Towns. If you use the Brixton Pound in Brixton it enables local money to stay in a local area, enriching the lives of everyone who partakes in the local economy. If you use your pounds in Topshop they leak straight out of the UK, benefiting none of us at all.

Pay your Taxes Ross McEwan
Illustration by Ross McEwan.

Why is it that the richer people get the more greedy they become? Surely once you’ve earnt your first billion there’s little reason to keep chasing more? But no, the super rich, chums of our millionaire Con-Dem cabinet (Philip Green has the audacity to advise on austerity measures) together avoid £25 billion in tax by removing it from the country. One argument says that if the UK was to make it less amenable for large businesses to run their services here they would simply take them elsewhere. I fail to see the logic in this: Philip Green runs a British company, Topshop. He isn’t about to pack up and ship it over to Dubai never to be seen again, is he?

topshop riot by kellie black
Topshop protest by Kellie Black.

So it was that on a cold Saturday morning I jumped out of bed and sped into the centre of town. I missed the first noisy influx into the store by a few minutes and the main entrance was already blocked by security. However, although I very rarely get sucked into Topshop these days, I know well that there are several entrances so I zipped straight in via the side door.

UK_UncutTopshop2_byAlisonDay
UK Uncut Topshop Protest by Alison Day.

Inside about thirty protestors were already staging a sit in, chanting as bemused shoppers gazed on, uncertain what to do. They were a mix bunch from different movements, including climate activists and peeved students. “Philip’s Green’s taxation could pay for our education” was but one of many clever chants I heard.

UKuncut Topshop-amelia gregory

Within moments I was hustled straight back out the main entrance due to my very large camera, but I just went right back around and came back in with my iphone camera instead. Eventually I heard these magical words over the tanoy system: There has been an incident: please exit the store immediately. And so it was that we were able to close down the main branch of Topshop for well over an hour on a busy Saturday in the run up to Christmas. The sour faces of thwarted shoppers peered down at us as the streets got busier, but most of them seemed fairly content to visit Urban Outfitters next door instead. A gaggle of protestors then spread up and down Oxford Street, shutting Dorothy Perkins and BHS (both also part of Philip Green’s Arcadia empire) and revisiting Vodafone. In fact, just the threat of our arrival was enough to close most stores before we even got to them.

UK Uncut sinister pictures
Outside BHS. Photograph by Sinister Pictures.

As I was twittering through the protest I received a reply from a small fashion brand that has a concession in Topshop – But what about the independent labels that are losing business? – she said. I do think that if you get into bed with a corporate brand you can expect to experience the pitfalls as well as the bonuses, but our quibbles are obviously not with the independent designers who stock Topshop (and at any rate in this case she definitely supported us) or the workers in the store, who may well have lost income if we had blocked the entrances more effectively and they had been told to go home.

Abi Daker - Topshop protest 2010
One Woman Topshop protest 2010 by Abigail Daker.

It is very hard to protest without some unwanted fallout, which is why I so love this inspiring one woman protest: whilst we were causing mayhem at Oxford Circus Bryony went along to her local Wandsworth Topshop equipped only with flyers and chocolate, and on the purchase of a Breton top politely explained that she would not be able to pay the VAT because she didn’t trust Philip Green to give it the HMRC. She handed out information to the other customers and chocolates to the confused employees as they tried to accommodate her request by calling head office. What a clever way to raise awareness in a totally calm and collected manner, but the real success has been in the telling of the story – which has been bouncing around on the #UKuncut hashtag, attracting glowing comments from others who may well be inspired to do the same.

UKuncut Topshop-amelia gregory outside

For naturally this story is far from over: the students are still revolting on the streets and UK Uncut have announced yet another day of action: this time I urge you to join them and protest against the greedy fat cat billionaires who are currently free to move the money we spend on their products out of this country and away from where it might be put to good use. On Saturday 18th December Topshop and Vodafone will be targeted in high streets across the UK. Find out all the details here.

Find out how fashion should be made and sold in my new book, Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, featuring the very best in ethical fashion design.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Thursday December 9th, 2010 1:54 pm

Categories ,#UKuncut, ,Abigail Daker, ,Alison Day, ,Arcadia, ,Avril Kelly, ,BHS, ,Billionaire, ,Brixton Pound, ,Con-Dem, ,Dorothy Perkins, ,hashtag, ,HMRC, ,Human Rights, ,Kate Moss, ,Kellie Black, ,My One Woman Topshop Protest, ,Oxford Circus, ,Ross Mcewan, ,Sir Philip Green, ,topshop, ,transition towns, ,twitter, ,UK Uncut, ,Urban Outfitters, ,Vodafone, ,Vodaphone

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Amelia’s Magazine | Sir Philip Green and his Topshop billions get the UK Uncut treatment.

by


Heart / Target by Patrick Thomas. All images courtesy of Outline Editions.

Outline Editions’ pop-up shop is tucked away behind stalls on Berwick Street Market, prostate healing but the bright shop front is still hard to miss. Decorated by graphics wunderkind Kate Moross, mind inside the shop is a virtual “who’s who” of Britain’s graphic art world. This was part of what founders Camilla Parsons and Bill Tuckey wanted to achieve – having both spent years commissioning art works for music and print, they saw a gap in the market for a place where these artists and illustrators could show their work in a more permanent manner. ‘We have taken the high-end graphic artists and put them under one roof,’ says Camilla Parsons.

And the list of contributors to Outline Editions’ pop-up shop really does demonstrate that these are some very sought-after graphic artists and illustrators. Starting with Kate Moross, whose name is known from Dazed & Confused, Topshop and Vogue – all the way to Anthony Burrill, the so-called godfather of graphic arts. Universally known for his ‘Work Hard and Be Nice to People’ poster, his work has been seen everywhere from Tate Modern to the Underground.


Robin by David Foldvari

The shop on Berwick Street in Soho shows a mixture of works from the newly commissioned love-theme, which was unveiled on 2 December, and works from ‘Into the Forest’, which opened in November. The shop also has prints from last summer’s London-themed show.

‘We have commissioned a range of graphic artists and illustrators who work in music and pop culture,’ says Parsons, as she shows me around the space. ‘Many of these are one-off works that we have commissioned, all signed and in limited edition.’ She shows me the works by by David Foldvari; ‘he’s a very big name, you’ll recognise his style as you open a paper or magazine’, and HelloVon; ‘we chose him as his thing is animals. Look at it – it’s incredibly detailed and realistic, but also a bit spooky.’


Bird by HelloVon

The works commissioned by Outline Editions were themed, but Parsons says the artists appreciated the chance to create works with a large degree of freedom. ‘They do a lot of commercial work and this was unrestricted, so they found it exciting.’

Also on the wall is works by Supermundane; ‘he’s very prolific’, Kate Moross; ‘the girl of the graphic art scene’, and Klaus Haapaniemi; ‘he does very high end work.’ We stop a while next to Takayo Akiyama’s nautical chart of London, an intriguing little piece which shows the detail of London planet set on a globe, as if it were the only thing in the world. For those of us who live here it feels like that sometimes, doesn’t it.

London Nautical Chart by Takayo Akiyama

While initially focused on established names in the graphic world, Parsons doesn’t rule out the possibility of taking on more unknown names. ‘As time goes on we will start to encompass lesser known names. The main thing is to make sure the work is accessible. We cover all forms of graphic arts. The cement is that they all work in music, fashion and pop culture.’ The accessibility also extends to pricing: works start at £15 and go up to £185.


By James Joyce.

The Central London location for the pop-up shop was a deliberate move to bring the graphics genre to a wider audience. ‘There are lots of print collectives in East London. We wanted to bring it out West, to take it to a new audience. … We wanted to incorporate people with a variety of styles as well, to show something to everyone’s taste.’

‘Our premise is to keep it exciting and fresh, and to keep doing new things,’ says Parsons. She already has a few aces up her sleeve for Outline Editions’ next projects. She makes me promise not to say too much, but it’s hard – it sounds excellent and I for one can’t wait to see what comes next.


Pelican by Jamie Portch

‘Love in the Forest’ runs until 31 January at 94 Berwick Street, Soho, London W1. The works are also available on the Outline Editions website. For more information see our listing.

Heart / Target by Patrick Thomas. All images courtesy of Outline Editions.

Outline Editions’ pop-up shop is tucked away behind stalls on Berwick Street Market, viagra 100mg but the bright shop front is still hard to miss. Decorated by graphics wunderkind Kate Moross, viagra inside the shop is a virtual “who’s who” of Britain’s graphic art world. This was part of what founders Camilla Parsons and Bill Tuckey wanted to achieve – having both spent years commissioning art works for music and print, they saw a gap in the market for a place where these artists and illustrators could show their work in a more permanent manner. ‘We have taken the high-end graphic artists and put them under one roof,’ says Camilla Parsons.

And the list of contributors to Outline Editions’ pop-up shop really does demonstrate that these are some very sought-after graphic artists and illustrators. Starting with Kate Moross, whose name is known from Dazed & Confused, Topshop and Vogue – all the way to Anthony Burrill, the so-called godfather of graphic arts. Universally known for his ‘Work Hard and Be Nice to People’ poster, his work has been seen everywhere from Tate Modern to the Underground.


By Kate Moross

The shop on Berwick Street in Soho shows a mixture of works from the newly commissioned love-theme, which was unveiled on 2 December, and works from ‘Into the Forest’, which opened in November. The shop also has prints from last summer’s London-themed show.

‘We have commissioned a range of graphic artists and illustrators who work in music and pop culture,’ says Parsons, as she shows me around the space. ‘Many of these are one-off works that we have commissioned, all signed and in limited edition.’ She shows me the works by by David Foldvari; ‘he’s a very big name, you’ll recognise his style as you open a paper or magazine’, and HelloVon; ‘we chose him as his thing is animals. Look at it – it’s incredibly detailed and realistic, but also a bit spooky.’


Bird by HelloVon

The works commissioned by Outline Editions were themed, but Parsons says the artists appreciated the chance to create works with a large degree of freedom. ‘They do a lot of commercial work and this was unrestricted, so they found it exciting.’

Also on the wall is works by Supermundane; ‘he’s very prolific’, Kate Moross; ‘the girl of the graphic art scene’, and Klaus Haapaniemi; ‘he does very high end work.’ We stop a while next to Takayo Akiyama’s nautical chart of London, an intriguing little piece which shows the detail of London planet set on a globe, as if it were the only thing in the world. For those of us who live here it feels like that sometimes, doesn’t it.


Love Geometry by Anthony Burrill

While initially focused on established names in the graphic world, Parsons doesn’t rule out the possibility of taking on more unknown names. ‘As time goes on we will start to encompass lesser known names. The main thing is to make sure the work is accessible. We cover all forms of graphic arts. The cement is that they all work in music, fashion and pop culture.’ The accessibility also extends to pricing: works start at £15 and go up to £185.


By James Joyce.

The Central London location for the pop-up shop was a deliberate move to bring the graphics genre to a wider audience. ‘There are lots of print collectives in East London. We wanted to bring it out West, to take it to a new audience. … We wanted to incorporate people with a variety of styles as well, to show something to everyone’s taste.’

‘Our premise is to keep it exciting and fresh, and to keep doing new things,’ says Parsons. She already has a few aces up her sleeve for Outline Editions’ next projects. She makes me promise not to say too much, but it’s hard – it sounds excellent and I for one can’t wait to see what comes next.


Pelican by Jamie Portch

‘Love in the Forest’ runs until 31 January at 94 Berwick Street, Soho, London W1. The works are also available on the Outline Editions website. For more information see our listing.
UKuncut Topshop-police amelia gregory
Topshop, viagra 40mg with your welcoming entrance you are spoiling us…

If you are on twitter you will probably have noticed the mutterings of the #UKuncut hashtag – from small beginnings it has grown to become the standard bearer of the cuts demonstrations. And to think it all started only a few weeks back, cialis 40mg when I got a frantic phone call from one of my friends on the first UK Uncut Vodafone demo. “We’ve got a trending hashtag” he exclaimed somewhat maniacally. “but we’ve misspelled Vodaphone, stuff you’ve got to help us!!” I assured him that a quick glance at twitter confirmed that he didn’t need my twittering powers one iota. And frankly I think it’s Vodafone who’ve got their spelling wrong. Now, thousands of people follow the @UKuncut twitter feed and the #UKuncut hashtag stream is used to communicate between anti-cuts protests up and down the country. Makes you dead proud of your mates it does.

UKUncut by Avril Kelly
UKUncut by Avril Kelly.

I didn’t manage to get along to that first demo due to my head being buried in the creation of my new book about fashion illustration and ethical fashion design, but I have been avidly following the progress of the cuts protests. And when I heard about the next major target for UK Uncut I was most excited: the Topshop flagship store in Oxford Circus. Regular readers of this blog will no doubt be able to guess that I am not exactly a big fan of Topshop – I know too many small designers who have been ripped off, they have an atrocious human rights record, and I find the association with Kate Moss frankly tedious. Suffice to say I won’t be covering any Topshop collections in Amelia’s Magazine in the near future.

UK uncut sinister pics
Photograph by Sinister Pictures.

Instead, I hope to be joining more protests. Why? Well, a while ago the papers exposed Sir Philip Green‘s cunning tax avoidance trick that enables him to siphon vast profits out of the country and safely into the hands of his Monaco dwelling wife. There was a surge of interest and then the news disappeared. But the cunning folks at UK Uncut have decided to resurrect the gripe. Why? For the simple reason that this country is in the grip of savage cuts to almost everything imaginable. And yet the very rich are able to take our money out of the country: it is the very reverse of the ethos behind the resurgence of local currencies triumphed by Transition Towns. If you use the Brixton Pound in Brixton it enables local money to stay in a local area, enriching the lives of everyone who partakes in the local economy. If you use your pounds in Topshop they leak straight out of the UK, benefiting none of us at all.

Pay your Taxes Ross McEwan
Illustration by Ross McEwan.

Why is it that the richer people get the more greedy they become? Surely once you’ve earnt your first billion there’s little reason to keep chasing more? But no, the super rich, chums of our millionaire Con-Dem cabinet (Philip Green has the audacity to advise on austerity measures) together avoid £25 billion in tax by removing it from the country. One argument says that if the UK was to make it less amenable for large businesses to run their services here they would simply take them elsewhere. I fail to see the logic in this: Philip Green runs a British company, Topshop. He isn’t about to pack up and ship it over to Dubai never to be seen again, is he?

topshop riot by kellie black
Topshop protest by Kellie Black.

So it was that on a cold Saturday morning I jumped out of bed and sped into the centre of town. I missed the first noisy influx into the store by a few minutes and the main entrance was already blocked by security. However, although I very rarely get sucked into Topshop these days, I know well that there are several entrances so I zipped straight in via the side door.

UK_UncutTopshop2_byAlisonDay
UK Uncut Topshop Protest by Alison Day.

Inside about thirty protestors were already staging a sit in, chanting as bemused shoppers gazed on, uncertain what to do. They were a mix bunch from different movements, including climate activists and peeved students. “Philip’s Green’s taxation could pay for our education” was but one of many clever chants I heard.

UKuncut Topshop-amelia gregory

Within moments I was hustled straight back out the main entrance due to my very large camera, but I just went right back around and came back in with my iphone camera instead. Eventually I heard these magical words over the tanoy system: There has been an incident: please exit the store immediately. And so it was that we were able to close down the main branch of Topshop for well over an hour on a busy Saturday in the run up to Christmas. The sour faces of thwarted shoppers peered down at us as the streets got busier, but most of them seemed fairly content to visit Urban Outfitters next door instead. A gaggle of protestors then spread up and down Oxford Street, shutting Dorothy Perkins and BHS (both also part of Philip Green’s Arcadia empire) and revisiting Vodafone. In fact, just the threat of our arrival was enough to close most stores before we even got to them.

UK Uncut sinister pictures
Outside BHS. Photograph by Sinister Pictures.

As I was twittering through the protest I received a reply from a small fashion brand that has a concession in Topshop – But what about the independent labels that are losing business? – she said. I do think that if you get into bed with a corporate brand you can expect to experience the pitfalls as well as the bonuses, but our quibbles are obviously not with the independent designers who stock Topshop (and at any rate in this case she definitely supported us) or the workers in the store, who may well have lost income if we had blocked the entrances more effectively and they had been told to go home.

Abi Daker - Topshop protest 2010
One Woman Topshop protest 2010 by Abigail Daker.

It is very hard to protest without some unwanted fallout, which is why I so love this inspiring one woman protest: whilst we were causing mayhem at Oxford Circus Bryony went along to her local Wandsworth Topshop equipped only with flyers and chocolate, and on the purchase of a Breton top politely explained that she would not be able to pay the VAT because she didn’t trust Philip Green to give it the HMRC. She handed out information to the other customers and chocolates to the confused employees as they tried to accommodate her request by calling head office. What a clever way to raise awareness in a totally calm and collected manner, but the real success has been in the telling of the story – which has been bouncing around on the #UKuncut hashtag, attracting glowing comments from others who may well be inspired to do the same.

UKuncut Topshop-amelia gregory outside

For naturally this story is far from over: the students are still revolting on the streets and UK Uncut have announced yet another day of action: this time I urge you to join them and protest against the greedy fat cat billionaires who are currently free to move the money we spend on their products out of this country and away from where it might be put to good use. On Saturday 18th December Topshop and Vodafone will be targeted in high streets across the UK. Find out all the details here.

Find out how fashion should be made and sold in my new book, Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, featuring the very best in ethical fashion design.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Thursday December 9th, 2010 1:54 pm

Categories ,#UKuncut, ,Abigail Daker, ,Alison Day, ,Arcadia, ,Avril Kelly, ,BHS, ,Billionaire, ,Brixton Pound, ,Con-Dem, ,Dorothy Perkins, ,hashtag, ,HMRC, ,Human Rights, ,Kate Moss, ,Kellie Black, ,My One Woman Topshop Protest, ,Oxford Circus, ,Ross Mcewan, ,Sir Philip Green, ,topshop, ,transition towns, ,twitter, ,UK Uncut, ,Urban Outfitters, ,Vodafone, ,Vodaphone

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Amelia’s Magazine | R. D. Franks – R.I.P?

by

Our Broken Garden Golden Sea
Ashley Dean by Russty Brazil
Ashley Dean, thumb as depicted by Russty Brazil.

I recently reviewed the superb second album from Our Broken Garden, page so when Ashley Dean got in touch to tell me he was making their latest video Garden Grow I couldn’t resist taking a peek… it’s a delightful lo-fi Fraggle Rock inspired few minutes that should tickle even the coldest of hearts, and here’s the story of how it was made…

What inspired the treatment for the video? 
The starting point for this video was a suggestion by Simon Raymonde of Bella Union. He said he’d love to see Anna of Our Broken Garden performing in a Muppet Show style set. It was this video that inspired him, so we started off from there… I love the Muppet Show, but my favourite Jim Henson creations are Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. They were big inspirations for the look of this video and it was a challenge to do justice to these great fantasy works, but lots of fun at the same time.

The little beasties are great… where did you get the idea from them from?
The three main puppets (the Spider, the Bird and the Tree Beast) were based on the Guitarist, Bassist and Drummer from Our Broken Garden; Søren, Moogie and Poul. My collaborator, Kevin Roper did some great concept sketches of the guys as animals and we ended up making the models pretty close to those original drawings. The little white things in the mines (we called them ‘Pale Moles’) were inspired by the Doozers from Fraggle Rock. I wanted to create a rich and detailed world for Anna to perform in; these creatures were a another layer of the eco-system, and an excuse for me to do some animating..!


The video for Garden Grow by Our Broken Garden.

Who made the little knitted spider monsters?
The jumper that the Spider wore was knitted by my Mum over 20 years ago! I thought it would look great on Søren so Kev cut it up and re-made it with 8 sleeves. I sculpted Søren’s face in clay and cast it in latex, then we used all kinds of techniques to bring the puppets to life. I like to use recycled materials in my work; Moogie is a big bundle of old clothes coated with feathers from a discarded pillow. 

How did you make the video, and where was the studio set? 
We worked in a old flax mill in Leeds called Temple Works. It is an amazing, vast place and they have big plans for the future of it. 
It took myself, Kevin and my parents a week to construct the set. The trees took a long time, with Kev spending several days coating the skeletons I made with wall paper paste and brown paper. We bought out the entire stock of gaffer tape at the local Maplin, I think we got close to consuming a mile of the stuff! On the last day of the set build, Graham Pilling from Army of Cats came to the set and painted the background scenes then my wife, Lydia helped me finish everything off on a final, exhausting Saturday. There were so many details that had to be designed and manufactured on site, I was amazed when we were finally ready to light and shoot the video! I brought in Danny North to be Director of Photography (a long time collaborator with Amelia’s Magazine:Ed) and Tim Blackwell was my assistant director and puppeteered Søren. My parents were in charge of the catering. There was a great community feel during the whole process.

What was it like to work with Anna?
Anna Bronsted came over from Denmark to star in the video. She was a pleasure to work with and was willing to try out any of the shots and effects we had planned. We she feints amongst the apples, she is leaning against a step ladder that I gradually let fall backwards… That required a lot of trust from Anna and there are a lot of out-takes where I was a bit too enthusiastic with the simulated fall. 

Any funny stories from the shoot that you can tell us about?
Although Kev didn’t find it at all funny, it was a very peculiar atmosphere on set when everyone was operating their puppets. My Dad was making Moogie bounce around on his branch, Tim was hidden behind a tree, straining to put his hand up the back of Søren, and Kev was dressed in the Poul Costume, crouched behind another tree in a horribly painful position. When all the puppets came to life, it was a magical sight and we shot dozens of takes of the ‘band’ all playing together. Eventually we took a break so that everyone could relax, but as we were getting a coffee, an anguished groan came from the set. I had totally forgotten Kev was still in his costume and he had almost passed out from the pain he was in and couldn’t move (or take his mask off, which was tied on to his head). His legs didn’t work properly for days afterwards and he cursed the day he offered to go in the Poul suit. He didn’t like it when I became Poul for a scene in his absence though, so I get the impression he was at least quite proud of his exertions…

Garden Grow Group shot
The whole ‘Garden Grow’ crew on set with Anna Bronsted of Our Broken Garden.

Do you have any plans to work with Our Broken Garden again?
I would love to. It will depend on both our schedules, but the rest of the album is great and Anna is a fantastic creative force to work with. She did mention that she wanted to make some more trees and characters to take with her on tour, but they will have to be a lot less fragile than the ones we made for the shoot!

You used to be in iliketrains, which I love (and were featured in the printed version of Amelia’s Magazine many a moon ago). Why did you leave the group?
It was the band’s decision. Our label Beggars Banquet had recently dissolved and they wanted a new start, and I think they thought it was a bit of a luxury to have a projectionist as a full time member of the group. I was quite relieved when we had the final conversation; I would have never had the heart to leave, but my film making ambitions were starting to clash with the schedule of the band and in the end, it was the best option for us all. I still have a good relationship with the guys, and I’m pleased to see how well their recent Pledge campaign (to raise money for the new album) went. I’ll just be sorely jealous when they play Glastonbury or shoot a video in the Bahamas…

Are you still making your own music?
My cornet is gathering dust under a table, just like it did in the years between school and joining the Trains… But I do have a couple of (barely) musical projects on the back burner. One involves making my own instruments and singing in Japanese. Me and Guy from iLT recorded 3 songs together years ago and I would love to bring the idea back to life one day…

What other stuff are you working on with your company Broken Pixel?
My next project is with Napoleon IIIrd. We are going to make some crazy, mashed-up projections using all kinds of old technology. I’ll be trying to bring my Super8 projectors back to life and we’ve got some old OHPs to play with. It should be a fun day out. I’ve got a couple of long term film projects in production and I’m always interested to work with new bands. I recently got a part time job as a chocolate taster (seriously!) and I’m about to launch a range of miniature sets, built into the back of canvases and inscribed with a fragmented, intertwined narrative.

My brain doesn’t sleep.
Our Broken Garden Golden Sea

Our Broken Garden is fronted by vocalist Anna Bronsted, troche sometime keyboardist with Efterklang, this web the Danish group fabled for the same lush orchestrations that sweep throughout her second album Golden Sea. It was recorded in the countryside with friends Søren Bigum on guitar/keyboards, Moogie Johnson on bass and assorted other musicians when needed.

The ebb and flow of the ocean has influenced not just the name of Golden Sea but the entire rhythmical feel of the album, over which Anna’s luscious vocals float like the call of a modern day siren. It opens with the undulating notes of The Departure, a gentle wash of sound like the sleek undertow of waves, then moves into a more grandiose classical feel in the rich production of The Fiery and Loud, where choppy strings set the tone to create a dramatic backdrop for the staccato vocal. It’s as if the swell of the sea has picked up. “I’m all on fire… burns and blood…” Anna’s lyrics do not always make conventional sense, but the fluidity of English as a second language is poetically evocative.

In Garden Grow the beats have become more tribal. “Rip out my heart, if you have to…” Behind the angelically sweet notes there’s the dramatic threat of lurking doom but by Nightsong all is calm again as Anna channels the ethereal lyrics of Bat For Lashes, sighing of moons and tears… Share hypnotises with an intensely beating heart and The Darkred Roses ends with the lyrics “and the black waters arising…” before the eery sounds of a church organ emerge gently as if from the sea mists.

A totally hypnotic album to soundtrack those long winter nights. Golden Sea by Our Broken Garden comes out today on Bella Union.

Listen to it streamed on Sound Cloud here, or check out their myspace. They have just announced their biggest UK headline show at St. Giles-In-The-Fields, the parish church in the heart of London’s West End, on Wednesday 17th November. Tickets can be bought here.

The Departure by Our Broken Garden:
YouTube Preview Image


Illustration by Paul Shinn

R. D. Franks has, sale since 1877, visit this site been a hub for fashion students and journalists alike. The store, which recently relocated to Winsley Street, stocked everything a fashion fan could desire: every international edition of Vogue, rare trend magazines, the latest coffee table books and a whole load of reference literature for budding fashion designers.

So it came as a bit of shock a few days ago when R. D. Franks curiously sent Twitter users into a frenzy, tweeting ‘R. D. Franks is now closed until further notice. Kindest regards to all our lovely customers.’ Are they closed for refurbishment? Are they closed for good? Maybe they’re just swishing up their opening hours, which were bizarre enough anyway – closed on Saturdays? Ridiculous!

I’m currently putting together a feature of the best places to buy fashion literature in London, and R. D. Franks was to be top of the list. It was a big supporter of Amelia’s Magazine when we were in print, flogging many copies despite being difficult to deal with (Amelia’s words, not mine!) It was the one-stop-shop for research and bagging those hard-to-find copies of books and magazines that you couldn’t source anywhere else. I’d asked our fantastic contributor Paul to illustrate the stores I’d selected and R. D. Franks was the first one he produced, so this is somewhat of a sneaky opportunity to also showcase his brilliant drawing.

If they are closed for good, it’s a real shame, but not the world’s greatest surprise. Their stocklist had declined slightly in previous months and the few times I’d been in recently there was never much of an atmosphere. Add to the mix difficult opening hours and your business isn’t going to flourish.

So, R. D. Franks – if this is the end, thanks for being there and we’re sorry to see you go. You will be missed! (If it isn’t, what the hell is going on?)

If you know any more, do let us know!

Written by Matt Bramford on Tuesday November 9th, 2010 1:24 pm

Categories ,books, ,fashion, ,literature, ,Magazines, ,Paul Shinn, ,RD Franks, ,RIP, ,students, ,twitter, ,vogue, ,Winsley Street

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Amelia’s Magazine | R. D. Franks – R.I.P?

by

Our Broken Garden Golden Sea
Ashley Dean by Russty Brazil
Ashley Dean, thumb as depicted by Russty Brazil.

I recently reviewed the superb second album from Our Broken Garden, page so when Ashley Dean got in touch to tell me he was making their latest video Garden Grow I couldn’t resist taking a peek… it’s a delightful lo-fi Fraggle Rock inspired few minutes that should tickle even the coldest of hearts, and here’s the story of how it was made…

What inspired the treatment for the video? 
The starting point for this video was a suggestion by Simon Raymonde of Bella Union. He said he’d love to see Anna of Our Broken Garden performing in a Muppet Show style set. It was this video that inspired him, so we started off from there… I love the Muppet Show, but my favourite Jim Henson creations are Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. They were big inspirations for the look of this video and it was a challenge to do justice to these great fantasy works, but lots of fun at the same time.

The little beasties are great… where did you get the idea from them from?
The three main puppets (the Spider, the Bird and the Tree Beast) were based on the Guitarist, Bassist and Drummer from Our Broken Garden; Søren, Moogie and Poul. My collaborator, Kevin Roper did some great concept sketches of the guys as animals and we ended up making the models pretty close to those original drawings. The little white things in the mines (we called them ‘Pale Moles’) were inspired by the Doozers from Fraggle Rock. I wanted to create a rich and detailed world for Anna to perform in; these creatures were a another layer of the eco-system, and an excuse for me to do some animating..!


The video for Garden Grow by Our Broken Garden.

Who made the little knitted spider monsters?
The jumper that the Spider wore was knitted by my Mum over 20 years ago! I thought it would look great on Søren so Kev cut it up and re-made it with 8 sleeves. I sculpted Søren’s face in clay and cast it in latex, then we used all kinds of techniques to bring the puppets to life. I like to use recycled materials in my work; Moogie is a big bundle of old clothes coated with feathers from a discarded pillow. 

How did you make the video, and where was the studio set? 
We worked in a old flax mill in Leeds called Temple Works. It is an amazing, vast place and they have big plans for the future of it. 
It took myself, Kevin and my parents a week to construct the set. The trees took a long time, with Kev spending several days coating the skeletons I made with wall paper paste and brown paper. We bought out the entire stock of gaffer tape at the local Maplin, I think we got close to consuming a mile of the stuff! On the last day of the set build, Graham Pilling from Army of Cats came to the set and painted the background scenes then my wife, Lydia helped me finish everything off on a final, exhausting Saturday. There were so many details that had to be designed and manufactured on site, I was amazed when we were finally ready to light and shoot the video! I brought in Danny North to be Director of Photography (a long time collaborator with Amelia’s Magazine:Ed) and Tim Blackwell was my assistant director and puppeteered Søren. My parents were in charge of the catering. There was a great community feel during the whole process.

What was it like to work with Anna?
Anna Bronsted came over from Denmark to star in the video. She was a pleasure to work with and was willing to try out any of the shots and effects we had planned. We she feints amongst the apples, she is leaning against a step ladder that I gradually let fall backwards… That required a lot of trust from Anna and there are a lot of out-takes where I was a bit too enthusiastic with the simulated fall. 

Any funny stories from the shoot that you can tell us about?
Although Kev didn’t find it at all funny, it was a very peculiar atmosphere on set when everyone was operating their puppets. My Dad was making Moogie bounce around on his branch, Tim was hidden behind a tree, straining to put his hand up the back of Søren, and Kev was dressed in the Poul Costume, crouched behind another tree in a horribly painful position. When all the puppets came to life, it was a magical sight and we shot dozens of takes of the ‘band’ all playing together. Eventually we took a break so that everyone could relax, but as we were getting a coffee, an anguished groan came from the set. I had totally forgotten Kev was still in his costume and he had almost passed out from the pain he was in and couldn’t move (or take his mask off, which was tied on to his head). His legs didn’t work properly for days afterwards and he cursed the day he offered to go in the Poul suit. He didn’t like it when I became Poul for a scene in his absence though, so I get the impression he was at least quite proud of his exertions…

Garden Grow Group shot
The whole ‘Garden Grow’ crew on set with Anna Bronsted of Our Broken Garden.

Do you have any plans to work with Our Broken Garden again?
I would love to. It will depend on both our schedules, but the rest of the album is great and Anna is a fantastic creative force to work with. She did mention that she wanted to make some more trees and characters to take with her on tour, but they will have to be a lot less fragile than the ones we made for the shoot!

You used to be in iliketrains, which I love (and were featured in the printed version of Amelia’s Magazine many a moon ago). Why did you leave the group?
It was the band’s decision. Our label Beggars Banquet had recently dissolved and they wanted a new start, and I think they thought it was a bit of a luxury to have a projectionist as a full time member of the group. I was quite relieved when we had the final conversation; I would have never had the heart to leave, but my film making ambitions were starting to clash with the schedule of the band and in the end, it was the best option for us all. I still have a good relationship with the guys, and I’m pleased to see how well their recent Pledge campaign (to raise money for the new album) went. I’ll just be sorely jealous when they play Glastonbury or shoot a video in the Bahamas…

Are you still making your own music?
My cornet is gathering dust under a table, just like it did in the years between school and joining the Trains… But I do have a couple of (barely) musical projects on the back burner. One involves making my own instruments and singing in Japanese. Me and Guy from iLT recorded 3 songs together years ago and I would love to bring the idea back to life one day…

What other stuff are you working on with your company Broken Pixel?
My next project is with Napoleon IIIrd. We are going to make some crazy, mashed-up projections using all kinds of old technology. I’ll be trying to bring my Super8 projectors back to life and we’ve got some old OHPs to play with. It should be a fun day out. I’ve got a couple of long term film projects in production and I’m always interested to work with new bands. I recently got a part time job as a chocolate taster (seriously!) and I’m about to launch a range of miniature sets, built into the back of canvases and inscribed with a fragmented, intertwined narrative.

My brain doesn’t sleep.
Our Broken Garden Golden Sea

Our Broken Garden is fronted by vocalist Anna Bronsted, troche sometime keyboardist with Efterklang, this web the Danish group fabled for the same lush orchestrations that sweep throughout her second album Golden Sea. It was recorded in the countryside with friends Søren Bigum on guitar/keyboards, Moogie Johnson on bass and assorted other musicians when needed.

The ebb and flow of the ocean has influenced not just the name of Golden Sea but the entire rhythmical feel of the album, over which Anna’s luscious vocals float like the call of a modern day siren. It opens with the undulating notes of The Departure, a gentle wash of sound like the sleek undertow of waves, then moves into a more grandiose classical feel in the rich production of The Fiery and Loud, where choppy strings set the tone to create a dramatic backdrop for the staccato vocal. It’s as if the swell of the sea has picked up. “I’m all on fire… burns and blood…” Anna’s lyrics do not always make conventional sense, but the fluidity of English as a second language is poetically evocative.

In Garden Grow the beats have become more tribal. “Rip out my heart, if you have to…” Behind the angelically sweet notes there’s the dramatic threat of lurking doom but by Nightsong all is calm again as Anna channels the ethereal lyrics of Bat For Lashes, sighing of moons and tears… Share hypnotises with an intensely beating heart and The Darkred Roses ends with the lyrics “and the black waters arising…” before the eery sounds of a church organ emerge gently as if from the sea mists.

A totally hypnotic album to soundtrack those long winter nights. Golden Sea by Our Broken Garden comes out today on Bella Union.

Listen to it streamed on Sound Cloud here, or check out their myspace. They have just announced their biggest UK headline show at St. Giles-In-The-Fields, the parish church in the heart of London’s West End, on Wednesday 17th November. Tickets can be bought here.

The Departure by Our Broken Garden:
YouTube Preview Image


Illustration by Paul Shinn

R. D. Franks has, sale since 1877, visit this site been a hub for fashion students and journalists alike. The store, which recently relocated to Winsley Street, stocked everything a fashion fan could desire: every international edition of Vogue, rare trend magazines, the latest coffee table books and a whole load of reference literature for budding fashion designers.

So it came as a bit of shock a few days ago when R. D. Franks curiously sent Twitter users into a frenzy, tweeting ‘R. D. Franks is now closed until further notice. Kindest regards to all our lovely customers.’ Are they closed for refurbishment? Are they closed for good? Maybe they’re just swishing up their opening hours, which were bizarre enough anyway – closed on Saturdays? Ridiculous!

I’m currently putting together a feature of the best places to buy fashion literature in London, and R. D. Franks was to be top of the list. It was a big supporter of Amelia’s Magazine when we were in print, flogging many copies despite being difficult to deal with (Amelia’s words, not mine!) It was the one-stop-shop for research and bagging those hard-to-find copies of books and magazines that you couldn’t source anywhere else. I’d asked our fantastic contributor Paul to illustrate the stores I’d selected and R. D. Franks was the first one he produced, so this is somewhat of a sneaky opportunity to also showcase his brilliant drawing.

If they are closed for good, it’s a real shame, but not the world’s greatest surprise. Their stocklist had declined slightly in previous months and the few times I’d been in recently there was never much of an atmosphere. Add to the mix difficult opening hours and your business isn’t going to flourish.

So, R. D. Franks – if this is the end, thanks for being there and we’re sorry to see you go. You will be missed! (If it isn’t, what the hell is going on?)

If you know any more, do let us know!

Written by Matt Bramford on Tuesday November 9th, 2010 1:24 pm

Categories ,books, ,fashion, ,literature, ,Magazines, ,Paul Shinn, ,RD Franks, ,RIP, ,students, ,twitter, ,vogue, ,Winsley Street

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Catwalk Review: Ziad Ghanem

by


Ziad Ghanem S/S 2012 by Aysim Genc

In the hotbox that is Vauxhall Fashion Scout‘s Freemasons Hall venue, approved Ziad Ghanem was about to return to the catwalk in dramatic fashion, symptoms and we would not expect anything less. He’d already tweeted that he’d received up to 3000 ticket requests for his show, about it and while I’m not sure there were that many there, it was bloody packed. We were asked to make more and more room for new guests, to the point where I was almost spooning the girl sitting next to me. And it was SO HOT.


Marnie Scarlet for Ziad Ghanem S/S 2012 by Gilly Rochester

One guy, wearing an outfit only suitable for the front row, idled up and down the catwalk in the hope that someone lesser dressed would offer up his seat. Luckily they managed to squeeze him in a little further down from me. Thank God, I thought – imagine wearing a toilet seat on your head and having to sit fifth! Mortifying.

As I made eyes at Amelia across the catwalk, something rather dramatic happened in the photographer’s pit. A loud bang, as if somebody had fallen, came first – everybody spun to see what was going on. A girl was struggling to maintain her balance and let out a yelp and it was clear that there were some photographers missing. The guy sitting next to me was certain he’d seen fisticuffs; as the photographers vied for space, one had lamped another. It was all very confusing and a little distressing, not least to resist the urge to stand up and cry ‘FIGHT!‘ Ziad, being the gentleman that he is, took to Facebook post-show to offer any injured parties a free outfit. What a lovely man.


Photography by Amelia Gregory

There ain’t no better show suited to a bit of pre-start drama. After the hysteria had settled down and I’d lost a few more pounds in sweat (never a bad thing), the show commenced. This particular collection is inspired by profound Polish film Matka Joanna (Mother Joan); a dark tale of the demonic possession of nuns. Well, what were you expecting? Floaty floral dresses? I don’t think so.


Ziad Ghanem S/S 2012 by Rukmunal Hakim

It’s hard to describe what really happens at a Ziad show. You can’t say ‘the dresses were long’ or ‘the skirts were short’ because every piece is unique and that’s just how Ziad does it. We had a couple walk first, the gent in a cropped white organza jacket, the lady in a glamorous pale pink dress, both with flowers atop their heads and big red eyes.


Photography by Tim Adey

We had performance artist Mr Pustra, who skipped in wearing an exaggarated black ensemble and red PVC gloves, and Marnie Scarlet, wearing one of Ziad’s bridal creations – layer upon layer of white silk and tulle, teamed as any bride would with white PVC leggings. Marnie entered the arena with a PVC umbrella that showered her with rose petals when she opened it.


Photography by Matt Bramford

Intense colours are always the flavour of these shows – this time around monochrome and red threaded the collection together. We had a floor-length translucent number, worn sans underwear. The funny thing is I was thinking I hadn’t seen any vaginas this season after VaginaGate a year ago, and I thought to myself I really wish I hadn’t thought to myself that I hadn’t seen any vaginas, because I suspect that’s why I did.


Ziad Ghanem S/S 2012 by Helena Maratheftis

The rest of the couture pieces celebrated Ziad Ghanem‘s exceptional talent when it comes to making clothes, and it wasn’t all about spectacle. A fishtail gown with incredible lace detail brought audible gasps from the audience and had that timeless quality like the grand dressmakers that precede him. Of course, it was sexed up with leather gloves. Then came a selection of paint-splattered pieces in allsorts of vibrant colours that would have made for a complete collection (and were borderline wearable) if this had not been the mighty Ziad.

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory


Photography by Amelia Gregory

The show featured the usual roll call of weird and wonderful models, including DJ Jackee Word, dancer Laura Cherry (who modelled the aforementioned fishtail dress) and singer Tanya Valensi who looked fiece in a less whacky micro dress with incredible embellishment. My favourite model in this show (and in any, for that matter) has to be Ziad‘s ‘favourite niece’ Janet Younan. A girl aged no more than 10 or 11 sashayed down the catwalk like a bridesmaid from a fairytale with as much confidence and swagger as any other model could muster. The crowd went NUTS for this, and quite rightly – Janet really werked it and looked overjoyed when she brought her uncle out for a post-show bow.


Ziad Ghanem S/S 2012 by Claire Kearns

Amelia and I both remarked that this collection was a little less cohesive than previous seasons, but then this is Ziad Ghanem we’re talking about – master of craftsmanship, creator of drama and intensity and master couturier. Some of the shows you see begin with one outfit and change very little throughout, sometimes making you ponder if they’ve actually made a mistake and sent the same model in the same frock out twice. But you’d never get that at a Ziad Ghanem show – no way José. This was a celebration of haute fashion, of everybody’s beauty, and of a designer’s ability to do whatever the hell he likes.


Photography by Matt Bramford

Long live Ziad Ghanem.

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review

Watch the show in full here:

Written by Matt Bramford on Saturday September 24th, 2011 5:49 pm

Categories ,Amelia, ,Aysim Genc, ,Claire Kearns, ,couture, ,Fight, ,film, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Front Row, ,Gilly Rochester, ,Helena Maratheftis, ,Jackee Word, ,Janet Younan, ,Laura Cherry, ,London Fashion Week, ,Marnie Scarlet, ,Matka Joanna, ,Matt Bramford, ,Mr Pustra, ,Nuns, ,Organza, ,Photographers Pit, ,Polish, ,review, ,Rukmunal Hakim, ,S/S 2012, ,SS12, ,Tanya Valensi, ,twitter, ,VaginaGate, ,Vaginas, ,Vauxhall Fashion Scout, ,Ziad Ghanem

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Catwalk Review: Ziad Ghanem

by


Ziad Ghanem S/S 2012 by Aysim Genc

In the hotbox that is Vauxhall Fashion Scout’s Freemasons Hall venue, Ziad Ghanem was about to return to the catwalk in dramatic fashion, and we would not expect anything less. He’d already tweeted that he’d received up to 3000 ticket requests for his show, and while I’m not sure there were that many there, it was bloody packed. We were asked to make more and more room for new guests, to the point where I was almost spooning the girl sitting next to me. And it was SO HOT.


Marnie Scarlet for Ziad Ghanem S/S 2012 by Gilly Rochester

One guy, wearing an outfit only suitable for the front row, idled up and down the catwalk in the hope that someone lesser dressed would offer up his seat. Luckily they managed to squeeze him in a little further down from me. Thank God, I thought – imagine wearing a toilet seat on your head and having to sit fifth! Mortifying.

As I made eyes at Amelia across the catwalk, something rather dramatic happened in the photographer’s pit. A loud bang, as if somebody had fallen, came first – everybody spun to see what was going on. A girl was struggling to maintain her balance and let out a yelp and it was clear that there were some photographers missing. The guy sitting next to me was certain he’d seen fisticuffs; as the photographers vied for space, one had lamped another. It was all very confusing and a little distressing, not least to resist the urge to stand up and cry ‘FIGHT!‘ Ziad, being the gentleman that he is, took to Facebook post-show to offer any injured parties a free outfit. What a lovely man.


Photography by Amelia Gregory

There ain’t no better show suited to a bit of pre-start drama. After the hysteria had settled down and I’d lost a few more pounds in sweat (never a bad thing), the show commenced. This particular collection is inspired by profound Polish film Matka Joanna (Mother Joan); a dark tale of the demonic possession of nuns. Well, what were you expecting? Floaty floral dresses? I don’t think so.


Ziad Ghanem S/S 2012 by Rukmunal Hakim

It’s hard to describe what really happens at a Ziad show. You can’t say ‘the dresses were long’ or ‘the skirts were short’ because every piece is unique and that’s just how Ziad does it. We had a couple walk first, the gent in a cropped white organza jacket, the lady in a glamorous pale pink dress, both with flowers atop their heads and big red eyes.


Photography by Tim Adey

We had performance artist Mr Pustra, who skipped in wearing an exaggarated black ensemble and red PVC gloves, and Marnie Scarlet, wearing one of Ziad’s bridal creations – layer upon layer of white silk and tulle, teamed as any bride would with white PVC leggings. Marnie entered the arena with a PVC umbrella that showered her with rose petals when she opened it.


Photography by Matt Bramford

Intense colours are always the flavour of these shows – this time around monochrome and red threaded the collection together. We had a floor-length translucent number, worn sans underwear. The funny thing is I was thinking I hadn’t seen any vaginas this season after VaginaGate a year ago, and I thought to myself I really wish I hadn’t thought to myself that I hadn’t seen any vaginas, because I suspect that’s why I did.


Ziad Ghanem S/S 2012 by Helena Maratheftis

The rest of the couture pieces celebrated Ziad Ghanem’s exceptional talent when it comes to making clothes, and it wasn’t all about spectacle. A fishtail gown with incredible lace detail brought audible gasps from the audience and had that timeless quality like the grand dressmakers that precede him. Of course, it was sexed up with leather gloves. Then came a selection of paint-splattered pieces in allsorts of vibrant colours that would have made for a complete collection (and were borderline wearable) if this had not been the mighty Ziad.

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory


Photography by Amelia Gregory

The show featured the usual roll call of weird and wonderful models, including DJ Jackee Word, dancer Laura Cherry (who modelled the aforementioned fishtail dress) and singer Tanya Valensi who looked fiece in a less whacky micro dress with incredible embellishment. My favourite model in this show (and in any, for that matter) has to be Ziad’s ‘favourite niece’ Janet Younan. A girl aged no more than 10 or 11 sashayed down the catwalk like a bridesmaid from a fairytale with as much confidence and swagger as any other model could muster. The crowd went NUTS for this, and quite rightly – Janet really werked it and looked overjoyed when she brought her uncle out for a post-show bow.


Ziad Ghanem S/S 2012 by Claire Kearns

Amelia and I both remarked that this collection was a little less cohesive than previous seasons, but then this is Ziad Ghanem we’re talking about – master of craftsmanship, creator of drama and intensity and master couturier. Some of the shows you see begin with one outfit and change very little throughout, sometimes making you ponder if they’ve actually made a mistake and sent the same model in the same frock out twice. But you’d never get that at a Ziad Ghanem show – no way José. This was a celebration of haute fashion, of everybody’s beauty, and of a designer’s ability to do whatever the hell he likes.


Photography by Matt Bramford

Long live Ziad Ghanem.

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review

Watch the show in full here:




Written by Matt Bramford on Saturday September 24th, 2011 5:49 pm


Categories ,Amelia, ,Aysim Genc, ,Claire Kearns, ,couture, ,Fight, ,film, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Front Row, ,Gilly Rochester, ,Helena Maratheftis, ,Jackee Word, ,Janet Younan, ,Laura Cherry, ,London Fashion Week, ,Marnie Scarlet, ,Matka Joanna, ,Matt Bramford, ,Mr Pustra, ,Nuns, ,Organza, ,Photographers Pit, ,Polish, ,review, ,Rukmunal Hakim, ,S/S 2012, ,SS12, ,Tanya Valensi, ,twitter, ,VaginaGate, ,Vaginas, ,Vauxhall Fashion Scout, ,Ziad Ghanem

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

by


Illustration by Krister Selin

I was very excited to see what NEWGEN winner Michael Van Der Ham would have in store this season at his first solo show. He’s quickly rising up the fashion ranks – he only bloody graduated a year ago, discount for God’s sake, tadalafil and it was inevitable that this was going to be a good ‘un.

A quick cycle across Waterloo Bridge took me to the erstwhile Eurostar Terminal at Waterloo Station. London Fashion Week is SO much better by bike. Despite the odd trauma here and there, specific to my unlucky self, to be able to zip between the many venues without relying on public transport is a Godsend.

The building is like a ghost town these days since the firm’s relocation to St Pancras. Apparently it’s costing millions to upkeep, so hopefully Topshop’s little foray into hosting fashion events there has helped. Sir Phillip Green certainly doesn’t need the money, that’s for sure.

Directed by awkward looking teenagers dressed in grey branded bolier suits, we were ushered through the labyrinth that is left behind. There’s something a bit spooky about it – escalators are motionless, luggage belts are empty and all electrical devices like light-up signs for directions are, of course, turned off. There’s also a sense of poignancy in the air in this abandoned haunt. Nobody else seemed to sense this misery as they clacked around on their heels, so this might have been due to the eight coffees I had consumed that morning. Arriving at the top with the beautiful afternoon light bathing through the glass roof was quite something, though.

I had a little wander around, Ham-ing it up and taking a few pics of people glugging booze, and then a loud speaker announced that we should take our seats. The catwalk was the very last platform on the south side of the building, with tiered seating on one side only. Those models sure were close to the track. I did worry, especially after the trend of tumbling models we’ve seen this season.

The usual front rowers were there, including Alexandra Shulman, Brix Smith Start, Anna Dello Russo, and Sarah Mower. While it was nice to be in the daylight, the building doesn’t allow for any dramatic changes in light, so without any prior warning the show began. It’s a long catwalk n’all – there I was, worrying again that these models might not have eaten and would pass out from all that exercise.


Illustration by Krister Selin

Michael Van Der Ham’s clothing is a little odd when you first view it – seams are all over the place, fabrics are diverse, colours clash, outfits are classifiable on one side and then something totally different by the other. But somehow, they work. Rich tones of blue, pale and hot pinks, graphic patterns and pale colours all combine to make unique pieces and were styled very simply to allow them to have maximum impact. Themes like disco and dance spring to mind.

Because of Michael’s expert fusing of varying fabrics and cuts, there isn’t really any kind of silhouette to talk about – skirts were short, and then long; necklines were high, and then low; waists were diagonal and then horizontal, sleeves were short and then high – there was bias cut, flattering fabrics, body-con fabrics, the lot… I was a nervous wreck by the time the show finished. It’s all pretty baffling but beautiful to look at.

My favourite elements were crushed velours and velvets, embellished skirts, skirts that had been gathered to create gorgeous, soft shapes, and floating translucent fabrics that were attached like super-hero capes.

It’s a brave woman that can pull off the Michael Van Der Ham look. But those who can, should.

Illustration by Krister Selin

I was very excited to see what NEWGEN winner Michael Van Der Ham would have in store this season at his first solo show. He’s quickly rising up the fashion ranks – he only bloody graduated a year ago, information pills for God’s sake, thumb and it was inevitable that this was going to be a good ‘un.

A quick cycle across Waterloo Bridge took me to the erstwhile Eurostar Terminal at Waterloo Station. London Fashion Week is SO much better by bike. Despite the odd trauma here and there, specific to my unlucky self, to be able to zip between the many venues without relying on public transport is a Godsend.

The building is like a ghost town these days since the firm’s relocation to St Pancras. Apparently it’s costing millions to upkeep, so hopefully Topshop’s little foray into hosting fashion events there has helped. Sir Phillip Green certainly doesn’t need the money, that’s for sure.

Directed by awkward looking teenagers dressed in grey branded bolier suits, we were ushered through the labyrinth that is left behind. There’s something a bit spooky about it – escalators are motionless, luggage belts are empty and all electrical devices like light-up signs for directions are, of course, turned off. There’s also a sense of poignancy in the air in this abandoned haunt. Nobody else seemed to sense this misery as they clacked around on their heels, so this might have been due to the eight coffees I had consumed that morning. Arriving at the top with the beautiful afternoon light bathing through the glass roof was quite something, though.

I had a little wander around, Ham-ing it up and taking a few pics of people glugging booze, and then a loud speaker announced that we should take our seats. The catwalk was the very last platform on the south side of the building, with tiered seating on one side only. Those models sure were close to the track. I did worry, especially after the trend of tumbling models we’ve seen this season.

The usual front rowers were there, including Alexandra Shulman, Brix Smith Start, Anna Dello Russo, and Sarah Mower. While it was nice to be in the daylight, the building doesn’t allow for any dramatic changes in light, so without any prior warning the show began. It’s a long catwalk n’all – there I was, worrying again that these models might not have eaten and would pass out from all that exercise.


Illustration by Krister Selin

Michael Van Der Ham’s clothing is a little odd when you first view it – seams are all over the place, fabrics are diverse, colours clash, outfits are classifiable on one side and then something totally different by the other. But somehow, they work. Rich tones of blue, pale and hot pinks, graphic patterns and pale colours all combine to make unique pieces and were styled very simply to allow them to have maximum impact. Themes like disco and dance spring to mind.

Because of Michael’s expert fusing of varying fabrics and cuts, there isn’t really any kind of silhouette to talk about – skirts were short, and then long; necklines were high, and then low; waists were diagonal and then horizontal, sleeves were short and then high – there was bias cut, flattering fabrics, body-con fabrics, the lot… I was a nervous wreck by the time the show finished. It’s all pretty baffling but beautiful to look at.

My favourite elements were crushed velours and velvets, embellished skirts, skirts that had been gathered to create gorgeous, soft shapes, and floating translucent fabrics that were attached like super-hero capes.

It’s a brave woman that can pull off the Michael Van Der Ham look. But those who can, should.


Illustration by Krister Selin

I was very excited to see what NEWGEN winner Michael Van Der Ham would have in store this season at his first solo show. He’s quickly rising up the fashion ranks – he only bloody graduated a year ago, cure for God’s sake, and it was inevitable that this was going to be a good ‘un.

A quick cycle across Waterloo Bridge took me to the erstwhile Eurostar Terminal at Waterloo Station. London Fashion Week is SO much better by bike. Despite the odd trauma here and there, specific to my unlucky self, to be able to zip between the many venues without relying on public transport is a Godsend.

The building is like a ghost town these days since the firm’s relocation to St Pancras. Apparently it’s costing millions to upkeep, so hopefully Topshop’s little foray into hosting fashion events there has helped. Sir Phillip Green certainly doesn’t need the money, that’s for sure.

Directed by awkward looking teenagers dressed in grey branded bolier suits, we were ushered through the labyrinth that is left behind. There’s something a bit spooky about it – escalators are motionless, luggage belts are empty and all electrical devices like light-up signs for directions are, of course, turned off. There’s also a sense of poignancy in the air in this abandoned haunt. Nobody else seemed to sense this misery as they clacked around on their heels, so this might have been due to the eight coffees I had consumed that morning. Arriving at the top with the beautiful afternoon light bathing through the glass roof was quite something, though.

I had a little wander around, Ham-ing it up and taking a few pics of people glugging booze, and then a loud speaker announced that we should take our seats. The catwalk was the very last platform on the south side of the building, with tiered seating on one side only. Those models sure were close to the track. I did worry, especially after the trend of tumbling models we’ve seen this season.

The usual front rowers were there, including Alexandra Shulman, Brix Smith Start, Anna Dello Russo, and Sarah Mower. While it was nice to be in the daylight, the building doesn’t allow for any dramatic changes in light, so without any prior warning the show began. It’s a long catwalk n’all – there I was, worrying again that these models might not have eaten and would pass out from all that exercise.


Illustration by Krister Selin

Michael Van Der Ham’s clothing is a little odd when you first view it – seams are all over the place, fabrics are diverse, colours clash, outfits are classifiable on one side and then something totally different by the other. But somehow, they work. Rich tones of blue, pale and hot pinks, graphic patterns and pale colours all combine to make unique pieces and were styled very simply to allow them to have maximum impact. Themes like disco and dance spring to mind.

Because of Michael’s expert fusing of varying fabrics and cuts, there isn’t really any kind of silhouette to talk about – skirts were short, and then long; necklines were high, and then low; waists were diagonal and then horizontal, sleeves were short and then high – there was bias cut, flattering fabrics, body-con fabrics, the lot… I was a nervous wreck by the time the show finished. It’s all pretty baffling but beautiful to look at.

My favourite elements were crushed velours and velvets, embellished skirts, skirts that had been gathered to create gorgeous, soft shapes, and floating translucent fabrics that were attached like super-hero capes.

It’s a brave woman that can pull off the Michael Van Der Ham look. But those who can, should.

All photography by Matt Bramford


Illustration by Krister Selin

I was very excited to see what NEWGEN winner Michael Van Der Ham would have in store this season at his first solo show. He’s quickly rising up the fashion ranks – he only bloody graduated a year ago, abortion for God’s sake, and it was inevitable that this was going to be a good ‘un.

A quick cycle across Waterloo Bridge took me to the erstwhile Eurostar Terminal at Waterloo Station. London Fashion Week is SO much better by bike. Despite the odd trauma here and there, specific to my unlucky self, to be able to zip between the many venues without relying on public transport is a Godsend.

The building is like a ghost town these days since the firm’s relocation to St Pancras. Apparently it’s costing millions to upkeep, so hopefully Topshop’s little foray into hosting fashion events there has helped. Sir Phillip Green certainly doesn’t need the money, that’s for sure.

Directed by awkward looking teenagers dressed in grey branded bolier suits, we were ushered through the labyrinth that is left behind. There’s something a bit spooky about it – escalators are motionless, luggage belts are empty and all electrical devices like light-up signs for directions are, of course, turned off. There’s also a sense of poignancy in the air in this abandoned haunt. Nobody else seemed to sense this misery as they clacked around on their heels, so this might have been due to the eight coffees I had consumed that morning. Arriving at the top with the beautiful afternoon light bathing through the glass roof was quite something, though.

I had a little wander around, Ham-ing it up and taking a few pics of people glugging booze, and then a loud speaker announced that we should take our seats. The catwalk was the very last platform on the south side of the building, with tiered seating on one side only. Those models sure were close to the track. I did worry, especially after the trend of tumbling models we’ve seen this season.

The usual front rowers were there, including Alexandra Shulman, Brix Smith Start, Anna Dello Russo, and Sarah Mower. While it was nice to be in the daylight, the building doesn’t allow for any dramatic changes in light, so without any prior warning the show began. It’s a long catwalk n’all – there I was, worrying again that these models might not have eaten and would pass out from all that exercise.


Illustration by Krister Selin

Michael Van Der Ham’s clothing is a little odd when you first view it – seams are all over the place, fabrics are diverse, colours clash, outfits are classifiable on one side and then something totally different by the other. But somehow, they work. Rich tones of blue, pale and hot pinks, graphic patterns and pale colours all combine to make unique pieces and were styled very simply to allow them to have maximum impact. Themes like disco and dance spring to mind.

Because of Michael’s expert fusing of varying fabrics and cuts, there isn’t really any kind of silhouette to talk about – skirts were short, and then long; necklines were high, and then low; waists were diagonal and then horizontal, sleeves were short and then high – there was bias cut, flattering fabrics, body-con fabrics, the lot… I was a nervous wreck by the time the show finished. It’s all pretty baffling but beautiful to look at.

My favourite elements were crushed velours and velvets, embellished skirts, skirts that had been gathered to create gorgeous, soft shapes, and floating translucent fabrics that were attached like super-hero capes.

It’s a brave woman that can pull off the Michael Van Der Ham look. But those who can, should.

All photography by Matt Bramford

Louise Amstrup by Stephanie Parr
Louise Amstrup by Stephanie Parr.

Now, cheapest I was going to write something really nice about how underrated Louise Amstrup is… how she deserves wider recognition and a bigger audience. The clothes were understated but clever. I enjoyed the show.

Louise Amstrup SS2011 photo by Amelia Gregory
Louise Amstrup SS2011 photo by Amelia Gregory
Louise Amstrup SS2011 photo by Amelia Gregory
All photography by Amelia Gregory.

And then, whilst I was eating my tea last night I finally decided to go through the goodie bag, and discovered a big promotional catalogue for a fur brand. Missed the fur piece – this was the spring/summer collection for cripes sake, I wasn’t looking for fur. Must have tuned it out. So far so not particularly acceptable, but I have grown to accept that the odd bit of fur will creep into the collections of those who aren’t bothered by its production or ethics. And inevitably its presence will have been sponsored, for what up and coming designer has the readies to splash on dead animals reincarnated as extra curricular human hides?

Louise Amstrup SS2011 photo by Amelia Gregory
Louise Amstrup SS2011 photo by Amelia Gregory
Louise Amstrup SS2011 photo by Amelia Gregory
Louise Amstrup by Stephanie Parr
Louise Amstrup by Stephanie Parr.

So Louise quite likes her fur. I think we’ve got the point, but was that it? Oh no…. I was in for a much bigger treat. And one that was guaranteed to hack off anyone who is remotely anti-fur. I know, why not wipe out a whole group of possibly complimentary press by agreeing to give away A FUCKING FUR KEYRING. So there I am, munching on my dinner, when I unsuspectingly open a little pouch, and I kid you not, out flopped the tail of a fucking mink. Slithered right onto my table like it was still half alive. FUCKING EWWWWWW. Why?! Why antagonise a whole section of press?

Louise Amstrup SS2011 photo by Amelia Gregory
Louise Amstrup SS2011 photo by Amelia Gregory
Louise Amstrup SS2011 photo by Amelia Gregory

So. With that over with, enough of the fucks and on with the show… Well, under attended as I’ve said, but then it was Sunday and it’s always a little slow and sleepy, attracting only the most hardcore fashionistas.

Louise Amstrup SS2011 photo by Amelia Gregory
Louise Amstrup SS2011 photo by Amelia Gregory
Louise Amstrup SS2011 photo by Amelia Gregory
Louise Amstrup by Stephanie Parr
Louise Amstrup by Stephanie Parr.

Dewy eyed models strode into the lights in a selection of high waisted trousers, shorts or floaty print dresses accessorised with carefully layered bib like kercheifs and protected with wide brimmed hats and floaty scarves. The colour palette was muted – predominately sand, beige, cream and dusty purples and blues. This collection was apparently inspired by the vast expanses of the American desert *what the fuck do I need a fur coat there for? I’d be blooming sweltering* Sorry woops thought I was going to steer clear of the swearing there for a moment, but I seem to have developed temporary Tourettes.

Louise Amstrup SS2011 photo by Amelia Gregory
Louise Amstrup SS2011 photo by Amelia Gregory
Was this the fur coat? Hard to tell really.

And I really enjoyed Hilary Alexander‘s enthusiastic whooping as the models hit the catwalk for a final turn, but I can’t remember what the track was I’m afraid because I was too busy smiling at Hilary’s outfit… let’s just say I’m very glad to know that one is never too old for leopard print leggings. And whilst I’m on the subject of Hilary – have you seen her twitter feed? The woman is even more celeb obsessed than the rest of us. The woman is a fucking legend. Oh dear, there I go again.

Hilary-Alexander-London-Fashion-Week-S-S-2011-Antonia-Parker-Amelias-Magazine-A
Hilary Alexander in her superfly leopard print leggings, by Antonia Parker.

So, how would I sum up? Well, next season: less fur, more Dr.Hauschka please. Did I mention that the goodie bag was very full, and I was decidedly more keen on the offerings from this “cult, biodynamic, pioneering skincare brand.”

Louise Amstrup SS2011 photo by Amelia Gregory
Louise Amstrup SS2011 photo by Amelia Gregory
Louise Amstrup SS2011 photo by Amelia Gregory
Louise Amstrup SS2011 photo by Amelia Gregory

Written by Amelia Gregory on Monday September 20th, 2010 6:49 pm

Categories ,Antonia Parker, ,Dr.Hauschka, ,Fur, ,Hilary Alexander, ,lfw, ,London Fashion Week, ,Louise Amstrup, ,onoff, ,Stephanie Parr, ,twitter, ,Victoria House

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2012: Catwalk Review: Holly Fulton

by

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Megan Thomas

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Megan Thomas

I was blown away by Holly’s debut in A/W 2009 – a collection of designs influenced by my favourite movement, generic art deco. Mix that with jewel colours, rx luxurious materials and contemporary shapes, and I don’t see what there isn’t to love. When my ticket arrived, I didn’t care that it was standing, I was in that queue at 1.30pm, ready and waiting. I checked Twitter before the show, and saw that Marie Davies, the Junior Fashion Editor at Drapers had tweeted details from the show notes as being ‘dressed for Vegas but holidaying in Margate’, and that she was expecting ‘fruit machines and neon lights’. I thought that Holly’s previous collections had already channelled a little bit of Vegas ‘glamour’, but what would come of the British seaside resort combination?

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Geiko Louve

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Geiko Louve

When I got into the BFC Tent, I was determined to ensure that I got a good spot to take photos of Holly’s creations. I found myself at the end of the catwalk, and deliberated on where to stand – floor, or step, floor or step. The lady next to me, also holding a camera, smiled at me, and made way for me to stand next to her. I asked her if she had spotted who was on the front row (Hilary Alexander flying the Fulton flag in one of her printed dresses). She told me that she hadn’t noticed anyone, and that Holly was one of the few shows she attended, and solely because of her ‘pretty special’ jewellery. Suddenly, this lady’s name came to me, Julia Hutton-Squire, the editor of Adorn London, a jewellery-dedicated website that I read religiously. She was welcoming and friendly, and it was a pleasure to meet and enjoy the show with her.

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Miranda Williams

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 – All photography by Miranda Williams

In the darkness, the Aeroplane remix of the Cassius song The Sound of Violence began to play, a favourite of mine, so a very good start. To match this upbeat tempo, Holly opened her show with a signature bright canary yellow look. A pair of wide cut trousers, detailed with a black deco print, and a short sleeve checkerboard pattern top, in the same colours. And straight off, some jewellery! As the model walked, a huge pair of sea shell hoop earrings swung from her ears. Holly’s press release had said the show would take some influences from the sea, shell grottoes actually… were sea themed accessories going to be it? Mermaid-models having finished dressing in their eclectic outfits, to load themselves up with the spoils of the sea bed? Fantastic!

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Miranda Williams

Holly’s Versace influences became clear over the next few looks – when I spotted a peek of zebra print in a clutch bag that a model wearing a retro style brown and orange printed playsuit carried with her. This animal print stood out, in the middle of the looks, and worked as the collection’s most Vegas-fabulous designs. The first was a zebra print bomber jacket, cropped enough to rise and show an enviable flat stomach, which was paired with a white mini skirt, printed with an art deco and zebra pattern. The second was a flowing, European-esque jumpsuit, teamed with those shell earrings again. In a later look, a zebra pattern strapless top was worn underneath a white patent leather mini skirt, which was embroidered with a beautiful red coral design. This strapless top, from my position, looked like silk, but I learned later that it was actually intarsia knit, and part of a collaboration with Caerlee Mills, a Scottish textile mill who produced a number of pieces for this collection. Looking back at the photos from the show, these pieces are now easy to spot, but it is only with close inspection that you can see they are knitted and not printed silk. I loved the combination of these woven materials with Holly’s usual printed silks.

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Emmi Ojala

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Emmi Ojala

The exotic vibe carried on, with Holly presenting some of her signature body-con mini dresses and a couple of sexy swimwear looks. Holly also cited the work of American photographer Slim Aarons as an influence, who notably took photos of the social elite. It is his 1960’s pool-scene photos that reverberate in this collection. I was previously familiar with Aaron’s work, as one of my favourite jewellery designers, Merle O’Grady, was influenced by the same set of photos for her S/S 2011 collection. The photos are supremely kitsch and stylish, and I would recommend that you go and check them out. The bandeau swimwear was great, a nice addition for the range – although the white and black deco print bikini was worn by the most gorgeous model, and it was actually her I couldn’t keep my eyes off, rather than the bikini!

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Miranda Williams

On either side of the swimwear, were some fantastic mini dresses that were adorned with pop colour fringing, macramé beads and sequins. The sea theme continued through with shell, coral and wave prints popping over the dresses in blue and pink hues. This was definitely a show that said ‘Welcome to Summer‘. All Holly needed to top these off was a fantastic pair of shades – and there were Cutler and Gross to step in with some pretty special acetate sunnies to complete the look.

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Joana Faria

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Joana Faria

Holly loves a contrast, and we spanned a decade to the 1970’s with some silk wide leg trousers and a grand flowing maxi dress in sea flora prints. These were stark black, mixed with electric turquoise and would work as a glam evening choice. The continued narrative of prints, the sea, animal or natural, really helped bring this collection together. The illustrations of the coral, the seahorses, and the waves were kitsch, playing back to Slim Aaron’s photography. These looks also made the best of the Louboutin mules in patent black. It really is Holly’s choice of accessories that make her stand out for me – this run saw glossy totes, angular bags, in monochrome checks, studded cuffs, and of course the necklaces, which have become part of the Holly Fulton signature as much as the mini dresses.

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Miranda Williams
The show closed with a short mini shift, that came down the catwalk as a delicious offering of influences all at once – tribal zebra, delicate sea shells, and clashing colours, orange, black and white, finished off with dreamy pink tones. Add the pink sea shell earrings and patent peep toe shoes, and it was signature Holly Fulton.

Some critics may say that this collection didn’t see Holly push any boundaries, and show us something new, but for me it was a confident show, and she is building an aesthetic that her brand will no doubt grow steadily and successfully upon. Let’s give dues to a designer who can make the unlikely combinations of sequin, fringing and body con work with seashells, zebra print and Vegas influences. For me it was fantastic Fulton.

Written by Miranda Williams on Friday September 23rd, 2011 11:58 am

Categories ,1960s, ,1970s, ,Aaron Slims, ,accessories, ,Adorn London, ,Art Deco, ,bodycon, ,Caerlee Mills, ,cassius, ,Cutler and Gross, ,Drapers, ,Emmi Ojala, ,fashion, ,Geiko Louve, ,Hilary Alexander, ,Holly Fulton, ,jewellery, ,Joana Faria, ,knit, ,lfw, ,London Fashion Week, ,Louboutin, ,Megan Thomas, ,Merle O’Grady, ,Merle O’Grady, ,print, ,rca, ,S/S 2012, ,scotland, ,Slim Aarons, ,Swimwear, ,twitter, ,Vegas, ,Versace, ,Womenswear

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2012: Catwalk Review: Holly Fulton

by

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Megan Thomas

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Megan Thomas

I was blown away by Holly’s debut in A/W 2009 – a collection of designs influenced by my favourite movement, generic art deco. Mix that with jewel colours, rx luxurious materials and contemporary shapes, and I don’t see what there isn’t to love. When my ticket arrived, I didn’t care that it was standing, I was in that queue at 1.30pm, ready and waiting. I checked Twitter before the show, and saw that Marie Davies, the Junior Fashion Editor at Drapers had tweeted details from the show notes as being ‘dressed for Vegas but holidaying in Margate’, and that she was expecting ‘fruit machines and neon lights’. I thought that Holly’s previous collections had already channelled a little bit of Vegas ‘glamour’, but what would come of the British seaside resort combination?

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Geiko Louve

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Geiko Louve

When I got into the BFC Tent, I was determined to ensure that I got a good spot to take photos of Holly’s creations. I found myself at the end of the catwalk, and deliberated on where to stand – floor, or step, floor or step. The lady next to me, also holding a camera, smiled at me, and made way for me to stand next to her. I asked her if she had spotted who was on the front row (Hilary Alexander flying the Fulton flag in one of her printed dresses). She told me that she hadn’t noticed anyone, and that Holly was one of the few shows she attended, and solely because of her ‘pretty special’ jewellery. Suddenly, this lady’s name came to me, Julia Hutton-Squire, the editor of Adorn London, a jewellery-dedicated website that I read religiously. She was welcoming and friendly, and it was a pleasure to meet and enjoy the show with her.

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Miranda Williams

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 – All photography by Miranda Williams

In the darkness, the Aeroplane remix of the Cassius song The Sound of Violence began to play, a favourite of mine, so a very good start. To match this upbeat tempo, Holly opened her show with a signature bright canary yellow look. A pair of wide cut trousers, detailed with a black deco print, and a short sleeve checkerboard pattern top, in the same colours. And straight off, some jewellery! As the model walked, a huge pair of sea shell hoop earrings swung from her ears. Holly’s press release had said the show would take some influences from the sea, shell grottoes actually… were sea themed accessories going to be it? Mermaid-models having finished dressing in their eclectic outfits, to load themselves up with the spoils of the sea bed? Fantastic!

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Miranda Williams

Holly’s Versace influences became clear over the next few looks – when I spotted a peek of zebra print in a clutch bag that a model wearing a retro style brown and orange printed playsuit carried with her. This animal print stood out, in the middle of the looks, and worked as the collection’s most Vegas-fabulous designs. The first was a zebra print bomber jacket, cropped enough to rise and show an enviable flat stomach, which was paired with a white mini skirt, printed with an art deco and zebra pattern. The second was a flowing, European-esque jumpsuit, teamed with those shell earrings again. In a later look, a zebra pattern strapless top was worn underneath a white patent leather mini skirt, which was embroidered with a beautiful red coral design. This strapless top, from my position, looked like silk, but I learned later that it was actually intarsia knit, and part of a collaboration with Caerlee Mills, a Scottish textile mill who produced a number of pieces for this collection. Looking back at the photos from the show, these pieces are now easy to spot, but it is only with close inspection that you can see they are knitted and not printed silk. I loved the combination of these woven materials with Holly’s usual printed silks.

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Emmi Ojala

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Emmi Ojala

The exotic vibe carried on, with Holly presenting some of her signature body-con mini dresses and a couple of sexy swimwear looks. Holly also cited the work of American photographer Slim Aarons as an influence, who notably took photos of the social elite. It is his 1960’s pool-scene photos that reverberate in this collection. I was previously familiar with Aaron’s work, as one of my favourite jewellery designers, Merle O’Grady, was influenced by the same set of photos for her S/S 2011 collection. The photos are supremely kitsch and stylish, and I would recommend that you go and check them out. The bandeau swimwear was great, a nice addition for the range – although the white and black deco print bikini was worn by the most gorgeous model, and it was actually her I couldn’t keep my eyes off, rather than the bikini!

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Miranda Williams

On either side of the swimwear, were some fantastic mini dresses that were adorned with pop colour fringing, macramé beads and sequins. The sea theme continued through with shell, coral and wave prints popping over the dresses in blue and pink hues. This was definitely a show that said ‘Welcome to Summer‘. All Holly needed to top these off was a fantastic pair of shades – and there were Cutler and Gross to step in with some pretty special acetate sunnies to complete the look.

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Joana Faria

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Joana Faria

Holly loves a contrast, and we spanned a decade to the 1970’s with some silk wide leg trousers and a grand flowing maxi dress in sea flora prints. These were stark black, mixed with electric turquoise and would work as a glam evening choice. The continued narrative of prints, the sea, animal or natural, really helped bring this collection together. The illustrations of the coral, the seahorses, and the waves were kitsch, playing back to Slim Aaron’s photography. These looks also made the best of the Louboutin mules in patent black. It really is Holly’s choice of accessories that make her stand out for me – this run saw glossy totes, angular bags, in monochrome checks, studded cuffs, and of course the necklaces, which have become part of the Holly Fulton signature as much as the mini dresses.

Holly Fulton S/S 2012 by Miranda Williams
The show closed with a short mini shift, that came down the catwalk as a delicious offering of influences all at once – tribal zebra, delicate sea shells, and clashing colours, orange, black and white, finished off with dreamy pink tones. Add the pink sea shell earrings and patent peep toe shoes, and it was signature Holly Fulton.

Some critics may say that this collection didn’t see Holly push any boundaries, and show us something new, but for me it was a confident show, and she is building an aesthetic that her brand will no doubt grow steadily and successfully upon. Let’s give dues to a designer who can make the unlikely combinations of sequin, fringing and body con work with seashells, zebra print and Vegas influences. For me it was fantastic Fulton.

Written by Miranda Williams on Friday September 23rd, 2011 11:58 am

Categories ,1960s, ,1970s, ,Aaron Slims, ,accessories, ,Adorn London, ,Art Deco, ,bodycon, ,Caerlee Mills, ,cassius, ,Cutler and Gross, ,Drapers, ,Emmi Ojala, ,fashion, ,Geiko Louve, ,Hilary Alexander, ,Holly Fulton, ,jewellery, ,Joana Faria, ,knit, ,lfw, ,London Fashion Week, ,Louboutin, ,Megan Thomas, ,Merle O’Grady, ,Merle O’Grady, ,print, ,rca, ,S/S 2012, ,scotland, ,Slim Aarons, ,Swimwear, ,twitter, ,Vegas, ,Versace, ,Womenswear

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