Mademoiselle Robot is the Parisian journalist who relocated to British shores to write a hugely popular fashion blog. Full of style advice and celebrity interviews, drug ask the blog has subsequently spawned another venture; Mademoiselle Style. Services range from a credit crunch consultation on how to look good for less to a lunch time session at your desk or a full blow introduction to vintage fashion.
Can you describe, sildenafil for Amelia’s Magazine, sales an average day in the life of a professional blogger?
I wake up around 7.30, have breakfast while checking my emails, then I shower and get ready for the day. Mornings are spent writing and catching up with my Google Reader. In the afternoon, I do admin and PR stuff, although I now have an assistant to help me with this, so I can focus on editorial in the afternoon. I have a pretty strict routine, because I work from home while looking after my 2-year-old daughter, it can get quite strenuous! I have worked for myself for many years now and I love the freedom it gives me, but I also find that I work about 4 times more than when I worked in an office! I work roughly from 7.30 in the morning to 6, but my brain only stops working when I sleep!
What inspired you to start and how did the blog develop into the style service?
While in Paris, I worked as a journalist for many years and when I moved to London I had to start from scratch so I took on jobs that were interesting but straying from journalism. It was a personal blog to begin with, with ramblings about my life, pop culture to fashion & style.
My blog has been running for almost two years now and it has become my full time job and I am really proud of it. Mademoiselle Style came quite naturally as I was giving style tips on the blog and receiving emails and comments asking for more tips and advice. I thought it would be nice to take all this into real life. I love the internet, but sometimes you feel quite disconnected from the real world. Also, style advice is quite personal, so you can’t beat face to face when it comes to it.
What do you think the impact of credit crunch on what people desire from fashion is?
I am divided about this… On one hand, I think it hasn’t really changed people’s attitude to fashion that much. We all say that it has, but really, if you walk down Oxford street, you still see people carrying loads of bags, shops are buzzing and it really doesn’t look like recession.
On the other hand, it might have helped making people more aware of over consumption in general and possibly drive people away from the high street and towards vintage, charity shops or young designers etc. At least I like to think so. In a perfect world, that would be the positive effect of the Credit Crunch, people would be more discerning about clothes and would stop the high street bulimia.
What do you love about vintage fashion?
I like challenges! It starts with the challenge to find something you really love and suits you. Then when you find said item, it is the challenge to make it your own. It can be difficult to wear an item of clothing that carries a lot of history without being swamped by it. If you find something you love that becomes “you”, then you’ve pretty much made it!
I like the obvious story behind vintage clothes… I like imagining what happened to the people who owned the items before me, I like making up stories about why they made a particular dress (if it is handmade). Vintage clothes are often more durable, I know it sounds like a massive cliché, but clothes were made much better in the past.
People are pretty strapped for cash at the moment, why is investing in a styling session with you a wise move?
I think when you are strapped for cash, it is actually the best time to invest in something durable, like style advice in order to learn how to shop better. That’s the idea behind MademoiselleStyle.
The idea is to learn to know yourself and invest rather than whip out the credit card as if it was some sort of comfort food.
I don’t want to push people to buy clothes all the time, I want them to learn what suits their style and what will help them feel like themselves. When I see people for consultations, I take clients shopping so they can try stuff on, but I have no particular interest in them buying things. My most expensive/comprehensive consultation is £350, but will leave you feeling knowing exactly what to wear. Having discovered that most of it is already in your closet whilst knowing what pieces you need to buy to complete your style.
As a Parisian living in London, are you a London Fashion Week fan, or does Paris Fashion Week hold a special place in your heart?Any highlights this year?
I like London Fashion Week because it’s short and sweet and has a lot of “fun” designers like Eley Kishimoto, Luella and Giles. Paris Fashion Week strikes me as more conservative. I went there when I was younger to see one of Hervé Leger’s first shows (Hervé is a friend of my former stepmum) but apart from that I don’t really have much experience of it other than as an outsider; Fashion wise in general, I am much more of a London fan!
Did you notice a big blogger community presence at LFW this year? Do you think this is changing the way fashion is covered in the press?
I am sorry if I ramble about this, but it actually made me really angry for the whole of LFW. It is an issue that really matters to me.
Let me start from the beginning: when I heard that quite a few bloggers were invited to LFW this year I thought “oh great, some familiar faces”. But actually, once there, apart from a few familiar faces (who had been invited to the previous seasons as well), I mainly found myself facing a lot of poseurs and hangers-on. I did see LOTS of bloggers at shows (mainly at the ON|OFF ones) but I am yet to see some solid coverage, with good photographs. I saw really poor coverage of shows, photos with the date stamp still on them, camera phone pictures. It just looked as if nobody cared about the collections and the designers’ work, they only seemed to care about the bullshit surrounding fashion (the celebs in the front row, the outfits of the fashion week goers etc).
I went there to work and to get some content about new season styles for my websites.
(Photo Credit: Matt Bramford)
The whole thing made me ashamed for the blogging “community” and eager to separate myself from it to tell you the truth. Mademoiselle Robot is my full time job and I have worked very hard as a journalist/editor that I don’t really consider myself a blogger, more of an online editor. I know it sounds poncy as to most people, as a blog is a blog, but especially after LFW, I feel I need to differentiate myself from Fashion Bloggers. I went to LFW before this season, as my website was professional enough to earn me credentials and invitations to shows before inviting bloggers became the thing of the moment.
Favourite shows –
Without a doubt House of Blue Eyes… The show was absolutely amazing. It brought life and fun times to an otherwise fairly dull Fashion Week. There was gold and glitter, disco music, happy faces all around. I was completely mind blown by it. The collection itself was not necessarily something I’d see catching on and spreading into the mainstream come Spring, but the show was fabulous.
Another favourite of mine was Peter Jensen. The presentation had a magical atmosphere and the clothes were beautiful. This time totally wearable too! I love Peter Jensen, so I am biased!
I also really enjoyed Bora Aksu’s interpretation of the rock chick trend that seems to be absolutely everywhere still and Eley Kishimoto was of course flamboyant and totally spot on. Luella’s collection was once more totally drool inducing.
Top tips for autumn/winter 2009?
The denim look leggings paired with the accented shoulder jacket is not one everyone can rock. It’s been everywhere and it is an attractive silhouette to some, but please, take a good look at yourself in the mirror (not the magic mirror) before you step out of the house wearing this tricky trend…
I have quite defined shoulders already, so instead of wearing giant shoulder pads and looking like an American Football Player, I will opt instead for a more feminine, softer shoulder accent, ruffles.
My advice is, if you want to buy a new coat for the Winter, do it now! And buy vintage. Vintage coats are more durable, made of better, warmer fabrics and most of the time they are cheaper than their high-street counterparts.
Mademoiselle Robot is the Parisian journalist who relocated to British shores to write a hugely popular fashion blog. Full of style advice and celebrity interviews, visit this site the blog has subsequently spawned another venture; Mademoiselle Style. Services range from a credit crunch consultation on how to look good for less to a lunch time session at your desk or a full blow introduction to vintage fashion.
Can you describe, pills for Amelia’s Magazine, an average day in the life of a professional blogger?
I wake up around 7.30, have breakfast while checking my emails, then I shower and get ready for the day. Mornings are spent writing and catching up with my Google Reader. In the afternoon, I do admin and PR stuff, although I now have an assistant to help me with this, so I can focus on editorial in the afternoon. I have a pretty strict routine, because I work from home while looking after my 2-year-old daughter, it can get quite strenuous! I have worked for myself for many years now and I love the freedom it gives me, but I also find that I work about 4 times more than when I worked in an office! I work roughly from 7.30 in the morning to 6, but my brain only stops working when I sleep!
What inspired you to start and how did the blog develop into the style service?
While in Paris, I worked as a journalist for many years and when I moved to London I had to start from scratch so I took on jobs that were interesting but straying from journalism. It was a personal blog to begin with, with ramblings about my life, pop culture to fashion & style.
My blog has been running for almost two years now and it has become my full time job and I am really proud of it. Mademoiselle Style came quite naturally as I was giving style tips on the blog and receiving emails and comments asking for more tips and advice. I thought it would be nice to take all this into real life. I love the internet, but sometimes you feel quite disconnected from the real world. Also, style advice is quite personal, so you can’t beat face to face when it comes to it.
What do you think the impact of credit crunch on what people desire from fashion is?
I am divided about this… On one hand, I think it hasn’t really changed people’s attitude to fashion that much. We all say that it has, but really, if you walk down Oxford street, you still see people carrying loads of bags, shops are buzzing and it really doesn’t look like recession.
On the other hand, it might have helped making people more aware of over consumption in general and possibly drive people away from the high street and towards vintage, charity shops or young designers etc. At least I like to think so. In a perfect world, that would be the positive effect of the Credit Crunch, people would be more discerning about clothes and would stop the high street bulimia.
What do you love about vintage fashion?
I like the challenges! It starts with a challenge to find something that suits you and that you really love. Then when you find it, it is the challenge to make it your own. It is difficult to wear an item of clothing that carries a lot of history without being swamped by it. If you find something you love that suits you and that becomes “you”, then you’ve pretty much made it!
I like the obvious story behind the garments side of vintage clothes… I like imagining what happened to the people who owned the items before me, I like making up stories about why they made a particular dress (for handmade stuff). Vintage clothes are more durable, I know it sounds like a massive cliché, but clothes were made much better in the past
People are pretty strapped for cash at the moment, why is investing in a styling session with you a wise move?
I think when you are strapped for cash, it is actually the best time to invest your money in something durable, like style advice, to learn to shop better. That’s the idea behind MademoiselleStyle.
I don’t want to push people to buy clothes all the time, I want them to learn what suits their style and what will help them feel like themselves. When I see people for consultations, I take them shopping so they can try stuff on, but I have no particular interest in them buying things. My most expensive/comprehensive consultation is £350, but you will leave feeling like you know exactly what to wear, having found out that most of it is already in your closet and knowing exactly what pieces you need to buy to complete your style. The idea is to learn to shop, learn to know yourself and invest rather than whip out the credit card as if it was some sort of comfort food.
As a Parisian living in London, are you a London Fashion Week fan, or does Paris Fashion Week hold a special place in your heart?Any highlights this year?
I like London Fashion Week because it’s short and sweet and has a lot of “fun” designers like Eley Kishimoto, Luella and Giles. Paris Fashion Week strikes me as more conservative. I went there when I was younger to see one of Hervé Leger’s first shows (Hervé is a friend of my former stepmum) but apart from that I don’t really have much experience of it other than as an outsider; Fashion wise in general, I am much more of a London fan!
Did you notice a big blogger community presence at LFW this year? Do you think this is changing the way fashion is covered in the press?
I am sorry if I ramble about this, but it actually made me really angry for the whole of LFW. It is an issue that really matters to me.
Let me start from the beginning: when I heard that quite a few bloggers were invited to LFW this year I thought “oh great, some familiar faces”. But actually, once there, apart from a few familiar faces (who had been invited to the previous seasons as well), I mainly found myself facing a lot of poseurs and hangers-on. I did see LOTS of bloggers at shows (mainly at the ON|OFF ones) but I am yet to see some solid coverage, with good photographs. I saw some really poor coverage of shows, photos with the date stamp still on them, camera phone pictures, anything goes basically. It just looked as if nobody cared about the collections and the designers’ work, they just seemed to care about the bullshit surrounding fashion (the celebs in the front row, the outfits of the fashion week goers etc). I went there to work, to get some good content about new season styles for my websites.
(Photo Credit: Matt Bramford)
The whole thing made me really ashamed for the blogging “community” and very eager to separate myself from it to tell you the truth. Mademoiselle Robot is my full time job and I have worked very hard for so long as a journalist/editor that I don’t really consider myself a blogger, more of an online editor. I know it sounds poncy as to most people, a blog is a blog, but especially after LFW, I feel like I need to differentiate myself from Fashion Bloggers. I went to LFW before this season, as my website was professional enough to earn me credentials and invitations to shows before inviting bloggers became the thing of the moment.
Favourite shows –
Without a doubt House of Blue Eyes… The show was absolutely amazing. It brought life and fun times to an otherwise fairly dull Fashion Week. There was gold and glitter, disco music, happy faces all around. I was completely mind blown by it. The collection itself was not necessarily something I’d see catching on and spreading into the mainstream come Spring, but the show was fabulous.
Another favourite of mine was Peter Jensen. The presentation had a magical atmosphere and the clothes were beautiful. This time totally wearable too! I love Peter Jensen though so I am biased!
I also really enjoyed Bora Aksu’s interpretation of the rock chick trend that seems to be absolutely everywhere still and Eley Kishimoto was of course flamboyant and totally spot on. Luella’s collection was once more totally drool inducing.
Top tips for autumn/winter 2009?
The denim look leggings paired with the accented shoulder jacket is not one everyone can rock. It’s been everywhere and it is a pretty attractive silhouette to some, but please, take a good look at yourself in the mirror (not the magic mirror) before you step out of the house wearing this tricky trend…
I have quite defined shoulders already, so instead of wearing giant shoulder pads and looking like an American Football Player, I will opt instead for a more feminine, softer shoulder accent, ruffles.
My other advice is that if you want to buy a new coat for the Winter, do it now! And buy vintage. Vintage coats are just more durable, made of better, warmer fabrics and most of the time they are also cheaper than their high-street counterparts.
Mademoiselle Robot is the Parisian journalist who relocated to British shores to write a hugely popular fashion blog. Full of style advice and celebrity interviews, approved the blog has subsequently spawned another venture; Mademoiselle Style. Services range from a credit crunch consultation on how to look good for less to a lunch time session at your desk or a full blow introduction to vintage fashion.
Can you describe, for Amelia’s Magazine, an average day in the life of a professional blogger?
I wake up around 7.30, have breakfast while checking my emails, then I shower and get ready for the day. Mornings are spent writing and catching up with my Google Reader. In the afternoon, I do admin and PR stuff, although I now have an assistant to help me with this, so I can focus on editorial in the afternoon. I have a pretty strict routine, because I work from home while looking after my 2-year-old daughter, it can get quite strenuous! I have worked for myself for many years now and I love the freedom it gives me, but I also find that I work about 4 times more than when I worked in an office! I work roughly from 7.30 in the morning to 6, but my brain only stops working when I sleep!
What inspired you to start and how did the blog develop into the style service?
While in Paris, I worked as a journalist for many years and when I moved to London I had to start from scratch so I took on jobs that were interesting but straying from journalism. It was a personal blog to begin with, with ramblings about my life, pop culture to fashion & style.
My blog has been running for almost two years now and it has become my full time job and I am really proud of it. Mademoiselle Style came quite naturally as I was giving style tips on the blog and receiving emails and comments asking for more tips and advice. I thought it would be nice to take all this into real life. I love the internet, but sometimes you feel quite disconnected from the real world. Also, style advice is quite personal, so you can’t beat face to face when it comes to it.
What do you think the impact of credit crunch on what people desire from fashion is?
I am divided about this… On one hand, I think it hasn’t really changed people’s attitude to fashion that much. We all say that it has, but really, if you walk down Oxford street, you still see people carrying loads of bags, shops are buzzing and it really doesn’t look like recession.
On the other hand, it might have helped making people more aware of over consumption in general and possibly drive people away from the high street and towards vintage, charity shops or young designers etc. At least I like to think so. In a perfect world, that would be the positive effect of the Credit Crunch, people would be more discerning about clothes and would stop the high street bulimia.
What do you love about vintage fashion?
I like the challenges! It starts with a challenge to find something that suits you and that you really love. Then when you find it, it is the challenge to make it your own. It is difficult to wear an item of clothing that carries a lot of history without being swamped by it. If you find something you love that suits you and that becomes “you”, then you’ve pretty much made it!
I like the obvious story behind the garments side of vintage clothes… I like imagining what happened to the people who owned the items before me, I like making up stories about why they made a particular dress (for handmade stuff). Vintage clothes are more durable, I know it sounds like a massive cliché, but clothes were made much better in the past
People are pretty strapped for cash at the moment, why is investing in a styling session with you a wise move?
I think when you are strapped for cash, it is actually the best time to invest your money in something durable, like style advice, to learn to shop better. That’s the idea behind MademoiselleStyle.
I don’t want to push people to buy clothes all the time, I want them to learn what suits their style and what will help them feel like themselves. When I see people for consultations, I take them shopping so they can try stuff on, but I have no particular interest in them buying things. My most expensive/comprehensive consultation is £350, but you will leave feeling like you know exactly what to wear, having found out that most of it is already in your closet and knowing exactly what pieces you need to buy to complete your style. The idea is to learn to shop, learn to know yourself and invest rather than whip out the credit card as if it was some sort of comfort food.
As a Parisian living in London, are you a London Fashion Week fan, or does Paris Fashion Week hold a special place in your heart?Any highlights this year?
I like London Fashion Week because it’s short and sweet and has a lot of “fun” designers like Eley Kishimoto, Luella and Giles. Paris Fashion Week strikes me as more conservative. I went there when I was younger to see one of Hervé Leger’s first shows (Hervé is a friend of my former stepmum) but apart from that I don’t really have much experience of it other than as an outsider; Fashion wise in general, I am much more of a London fan!
Did you notice a big blogger community presence at LFW this year? Do you think this is changing the way fashion is covered in the press?
I am sorry if I ramble about this, but it actually made me really angry for the whole of LFW. It is an issue that really matters to me.
Let me start from the beginning: when I heard that quite a few bloggers were invited to LFW this year I thought “oh great, some familiar faces”. But actually, once there, apart from a few familiar faces (who had been invited to the previous seasons as well), I mainly found myself facing a lot of poseurs and hangers-on. I did see LOTS of bloggers at shows (mainly at the ON|OFF ones) but I am yet to see some solid coverage, with good photographs. I saw some really poor coverage of shows, photos with the date stamp still on them, camera phone pictures, anything goes basically. It just looked as if nobody cared about the collections and the designers’ work, they just seemed to care about the bullshit surrounding fashion (the celebs in the front row, the outfits of the fashion week goers etc). I went there to work, to get some good content about new season styles for my websites.
(Photo Credit: Matt Bramford)
The whole thing made me really ashamed for the blogging “community” and very eager to separate myself from it to tell you the truth. Mademoiselle Robot is my full time job and I have worked very hard for so long as a journalist/editor that I don’t really consider myself a blogger, more of an online editor. I know it sounds poncy as to most people, a blog is a blog, but especially after LFW, I feel like I need to differentiate myself from Fashion Bloggers. I went to LFW before this season, as my website was professional enough to earn me credentials and invitations to shows before inviting bloggers became the thing of the moment.
Favourite shows –
Without a doubt House of Blue Eyes… The show was absolutely amazing. It brought life and fun times to an otherwise fairly dull Fashion Week. There was gold and glitter, disco music, happy faces all around. I was completely mind blown by it. The collection itself was not necessarily something I’d see catching on and spreading into the mainstream come Spring, but the show was fabulous.
Another favourite of mine was Peter Jensen. The presentation had a magical atmosphere and the clothes were beautiful. This time totally wearable too! I love Peter Jensen though so I am biased!
I also really enjoyed Bora Aksu’s interpretation of the rock chick trend that seems to be absolutely everywhere still and Eley Kishimoto was of course flamboyant and totally spot on. Luella’s collection was once more totally drool inducing.
Top tips for autumn/winter 2009?
The denim look leggings paired with the accented shoulder jacket is not one everyone can rock. It’s been everywhere and it is a pretty attractive silhouette to some, but please, take a good look at yourself in the mirror (not the magic mirror) before you step out of the house wearing this tricky trend…
I have quite defined shoulders already, so instead of wearing giant shoulder pads and looking like an American Football Player, I will opt instead for a more feminine, softer shoulder accent, ruffles.
My other advice is that if you want to buy a new coat for the Winter, do it now! And buy vintage. Vintage coats are just more durable, made of better, warmer fabrics and most of the time they are also cheaper than their high-street counterparts.
Mademoiselle Robot is the Parisian journalist who relocated to British shores to write a hugely popular fashion blog. Full of style advice and celebrity interviews, find the blog has subsequently spawned another venture; Mademoiselle Style. Services range from a credit crunch consultation on how to look good for less to a lunch time session at your desk or a full blow introduction to vintage fashion.
Can you describe, rx for Amelia’s Magazine, an average day in the life of a professional blogger?
I wake up around 7.30, have breakfast while checking my emails, then I shower and get ready for the day. Mornings are spent writing and catching up with my Google Reader. In the afternoon, I do admin and PR stuff, although I now have an assistant to help me with this, so I can focus on editorial in the afternoon. I have a pretty strict routine, because I work from home while looking after my 2-year-old daughter, it can get quite strenuous! I have worked for myself for many years now and I love the freedom it gives me, but I also find that I work about 4 times more than when I worked in an office! I work roughly from 7.30 in the morning to 6, but my brain only stops working when I sleep!
What inspired you to start and how did the blog develop into the style service?
While in Paris, I worked as a journalist for many years and when I moved to London I had to start from scratch so I took on jobs that were interesting but straying from journalism. It was a personal blog to begin with, with ramblings about my life, pop culture to fashion & style.
My blog has been running for almost two years now and it has become my full time job and I am really proud of it. Mademoiselle Style came quite naturally as I was giving style tips on the blog and receiving emails and comments asking for more tips and advice. I thought it would be nice to take all this into real life. I love the internet, but sometimes you feel quite disconnected from the real world. Also, style advice is quite personal, so you can’t beat face to face when it comes to it.
What do you think the impact of credit crunch on what people desire from fashion is?
I am divided about this… On one hand, I think it hasn’t really changed people’s attitude to fashion that much. We all say that it has, but really, if you walk down Oxford street, you still see people carrying loads of bags, shops are buzzing and it really doesn’t look like recession.
On the other hand, it might have helped making people more aware of over consumption in general and possibly drive people away from the high street and towards vintage, charity shops or young designers etc. At least I like to think so. In a perfect world, that would be the positive effect of the Credit Crunch, people would be more discerning about clothes and would stop the high street bulimia.
What do you love about vintage fashion?
I like challenges! It starts with the challenge to find something you really love and suits you. Then when you find said item, it is the challenge to make it your own. It can be difficult to wear an item of clothing that carries a lot of history without being swamped by it. If you find something you love that becomes “you”, then you’ve pretty much made it!
I like the obvious story behind vintage clothes… I like imagining what happened to the people who owned the items before me, I like making up stories about why they made a particular dress (if it is handmade). Vintage clothes are often more durable, I know it sounds like a massive cliché, but clothes were made much better in the past.
People are pretty strapped for cash at the moment, why is investing in a styling session with you a wise move?
I think when you are strapped for cash, it is actually the best time to invest in something durable, like style advice in order to learn how to shop better. That’s the idea behind MademoiselleStyle.
The idea is to learn to know yourself and invest rather than whip out the credit card as if it was some sort of comfort food.
I don’t want to push people to buy clothes all the time, I want them to learn what suits their style and what will help them feel like themselves. When I see people for consultations, I take clients shopping so they can try stuff on, but I have no particular interest in them buying things. My most expensive/comprehensive consultation is £350, but will leave you feeling knowing exactly what to wear. Having discovered that most of it is already in your closet whilst knowing what pieces you need to buy to complete your style.
As a Parisian living in London, are you a London Fashion Week fan, or does Paris Fashion Week hold a special place in your heart?Any highlights this year?
I like London Fashion Week because it’s short and sweet and has a lot of “fun” designers like Eley Kishimoto, Luella and Giles. Paris Fashion Week strikes me as more conservative. I went there when I was younger to see one of Hervé Leger’s first shows (Hervé is a friend of my former stepmum) but apart from that I don’t really have much experience of it other than as an outsider; Fashion wise in general, I am much more of a London fan!
Did you notice a big blogger community presence at LFW this year? Do you think this is changing the way fashion is covered in the press?
I am sorry if I ramble about this, but it actually made me really angry for the whole of LFW. It is an issue that really matters to me.
Let me start from the beginning: when I heard that quite a few bloggers were invited to LFW this year I thought “oh great, some familiar faces”. But actually, once there, apart from a few familiar faces (who had been invited to the previous seasons as well), I mainly found myself facing a lot of poseurs and hangers-on. I did see LOTS of bloggers at shows (mainly at the ON|OFF ones) but I am yet to see some solid coverage, with good photographs. I saw really poor coverage of shows, photos with the date stamp still on them, camera phone pictures. It just looked as if nobody cared about the collections and the designers’ work, they only seemed to care about the bullshit surrounding fashion (the celebs in the front row, the outfits of the fashion week goers etc).
I went there to work and to get some content about new season styles for my websites.
(Photo Credit: Matt Bramford)
The whole thing made me ashamed for the blogging “community” and eager to separate myself from it to tell you the truth. Mademoiselle Robot is my full time job and I have worked very hard as a journalist/editor that I don’t really consider myself a blogger, more of an online editor. I know it sounds poncy as to most people, as a blog is a blog, but especially after LFW, I feel I need to differentiate myself from Fashion Bloggers. I went to LFW before this season, as my website was professional enough to earn me credentials and invitations to shows before inviting bloggers became the thing of the moment.
Favourite shows –
Without a doubt House of Blue Eyes… The show was absolutely amazing. It brought life and fun times to an otherwise fairly dull Fashion Week. There was gold and glitter, disco music, happy faces all around. I was completely mind blown by it. The collection itself was not necessarily something I’d see catching on and spreading into the mainstream come Spring, but the show was fabulous.
Another favourite of mine was Peter Jensen. The presentation had a magical atmosphere and the clothes were beautiful. This time totally wearable too! I love Peter Jensen, so I am biased!
I also really enjoyed Bora Aksu’s interpretation of the rock chick trend that seems to be absolutely everywhere still and Eley Kishimoto was of course flamboyant and totally spot on. Luella’s collection was once more totally drool inducing.
Top tips for autumn/winter 2009?
The denim look leggings paired with the accented shoulder jacket is not one everyone can rock. It’s been everywhere and it is an attractive silhouette to some, but please, take a good look at yourself in the mirror (not the magic mirror) before you step out of the house wearing this tricky trend…
I have quite defined shoulders already, so instead of wearing giant shoulder pads and looking like an American Football Player, I will opt instead for a more feminine, softer shoulder accent, ruffles.
My advice is, if you want to buy a new coat for the Winter, do it now! And buy vintage. Vintage coats are more durable, made of better, warmer fabrics and most of the time they are cheaper than their high-street counterparts.
Mademoiselle Robot is the Parisian journalist who relocated to British shores to write a hugely popular fashion blog. Full of style advice and celebrity interviews, prescription the blog has subsequently spawned another venture; Mademoiselle Style. Services range from a credit crunch consultation on how to look good for less to a lunch time session at your desk or a full blow introduction to vintage fashion.
Can you describe, sales for Amelia’s Magazine, information pills an average day in the life of a professional blogger?
I wake up around 7.30, have breakfast while checking my emails, then I shower and get ready for the day. Mornings are spent writing and catching up with my Google Reader. In the afternoon, I do admin and PR stuff, although I now have an assistant to help me with this, so I can focus on editorial in the afternoon. I have a pretty strict routine, because I work from home while looking after my 2-year-old daughter, it can get quite strenuous! I have worked for myself for many years now and I love the freedom it gives me, but I also find that I work about 4 times more than when I worked in an office! I work roughly from 7.30 in the morning to 6, but my brain only stops working when I sleep!
What inspired you to start and how did the blog develop into the style service?
While in Paris, I worked as a journalist for many years and when I moved to London I had to start from scratch so I took on jobs that were interesting but straying from journalism. It was a personal blog to begin with, with ramblings about my life, pop culture to fashion & style.
My blog has been running for almost two years now and it has become my full time job and I am really proud of it. Mademoiselle Style came quite naturally as I was giving style tips on the blog and receiving emails and comments asking for more tips and advice. I thought it would be nice to take all this into real life. I love the internet, but sometimes you feel quite disconnected from the real world. Also, style advice is quite personal, so you can’t beat face to face when it comes to it.
What do you think the impact of credit crunch on what people desire from fashion is?
I am divided about this… On one hand, I think it hasn’t really changed people’s attitude to fashion that much. We all say that it has, but really, if you walk down Oxford street, you still see people carrying loads of bags, shops are buzzing and it really doesn’t look like recession.
On the other hand, it might have helped making people more aware of over consumption in general and possibly drive people away from the high street and towards vintage, charity shops or young designers etc. At least I like to think so. In a perfect world, that would be the positive effect of the Credit Crunch, people would be more discerning about clothes and would stop the high street bulimia.
What do you love about vintage fashion?
I like challenges! It starts with the challenge to find something you really love and suits you. Then when you find said item, it is the challenge to make it your own. It can be difficult to wear an item of clothing that carries a lot of history without being swamped by it. If you find something you love that becomes “you”, then you’ve pretty much made it!
I like the obvious story behind vintage clothes… I like imagining what happened to the people who owned the items before me, I like making up stories about why they made a particular dress (if it is handmade). Vintage clothes are often more durable, I know it sounds like a massive cliché, but clothes were made much better in the past.
People are pretty strapped for cash at the moment, why is investing in a styling session with you a wise move?
I think when you are strapped for cash, it is actually the best time to invest in something durable, like style advice in order to learn how to shop better. That’s the idea behind MademoiselleStyle.
The idea is to learn to know yourself and invest rather than whip out the credit card as if it was some sort of comfort food.
I don’t want to push people to buy clothes all the time, I want them to learn what suits their style and what will help them feel like themselves. When I see people for consultations, I take clients shopping so they can try stuff on, but I have no particular interest in them buying things. My most expensive/comprehensive consultation is £350, but will leave you feeling knowing exactly what to wear. Having discovered that most of it is already in your closet whilst knowing what pieces you need to buy to complete your style.
As a Parisian living in London, are you a London Fashion Week fan, or does Paris Fashion Week hold a special place in your heart?Any highlights this year?
I like London Fashion Week because it’s short and sweet and has a lot of “fun” designers like Eley Kishimoto, Luella and Giles. Paris Fashion Week strikes me as more conservative. I went there when I was younger to see one of Hervé Leger’s first shows (Hervé is a friend of my former stepmum) but apart from that I don’t really have much experience of it other than as an outsider; Fashion wise in general, I am much more of a London fan!
Did you notice a big blogger community presence at LFW this year? Do you think this is changing the way fashion is covered in the press?
I am sorry if I ramble about this, but it actually made me really angry for the whole of LFW. It is an issue that really matters to me.
Let me start from the beginning: when I heard that quite a few bloggers were invited to LFW this year I thought “oh great, some familiar faces”. But actually, once there, apart from a few familiar faces (who had been invited to the previous seasons as well), I mainly found myself facing a lot of poseurs and hangers-on. I did see LOTS of bloggers at shows (mainly at the ON|OFF ones) but I am yet to see some solid coverage, with good photographs. I saw really poor coverage of shows, photos with the date stamp still on them, camera phone pictures. It just looked as if nobody cared about the collections and the designers’ work, they only seemed to care about the bullshit surrounding fashion (the celebs in the front row, the outfits of the fashion week goers etc).
I went there to work and to get some content about new season styles for my websites.
(Photo Credit: Matt Bramford)
The whole thing made me ashamed for the blogging “community” and eager to separate myself from it to tell you the truth. Mademoiselle Robot is my full time job and I have worked very hard as a journalist/editor that I don’t really consider myself a blogger, more of an online editor. I know it sounds poncy as to most people, as a blog is a blog, but especially after LFW, I feel I need to differentiate myself from Fashion Bloggers. I went to LFW before this season, as my website was professional enough to earn me credentials and invitations to shows before inviting bloggers became the thing of the moment.
Favourite shows –
Without a doubt House of Blue Eyes… The show was absolutely amazing. It brought life and fun times to an otherwise fairly dull Fashion Week. There was gold and glitter, disco music, happy faces all around. I was completely mind blown by it. The collection itself was not necessarily something I’d see catching on and spreading into the mainstream come Spring, but the show was fabulous.
Another favourite of mine was Peter Jensen. The presentation had a magical atmosphere and the clothes were beautiful. This time totally wearable too! I love Peter Jensen, so I am biased!
I also really enjoyed Bora Aksu’s interpretation of the rock chick trend that seems to be absolutely everywhere still and Eley Kishimoto was of course flamboyant and totally spot on. Luella’s collection was once more totally drool inducing.
Top tips for autumn/winter 2009?
The denim look leggings paired with the accented shoulder jacket is not one everyone can rock. It’s been everywhere and it is an attractive silhouette to some, but please, take a good look at yourself in the mirror (not the magic mirror) before you step out of the house wearing this tricky trend…
I have quite defined shoulders already, so instead of wearing giant shoulder pads and looking like an American Football Player, I will opt instead for a more feminine, softer shoulder accent, ruffles.
My advice is, if you want to buy a new coat for the Winter, do it now! And buy vintage. Vintage coats are more durable, made of better, warmer fabrics and most of the time they are cheaper than their high-street counterparts.
Fashion Scout now in it’s 7th year, cialis 40mg has once again brought us a well balanced diet of young innovators and box fresh talent.
Their four course “Ones To Watch” was a menu of gothic grandeur, tea stained Venuses, spiny beaded suits and eco constructivism. The designers culled for this presentation are Serbian Marko Mitanovski, celebrity autopsy inspired Hermione DePaula, CSM grad Dean Quinn and conceptual designer Ada Zanditon.
The ancient Serbian forests and dark folkoric characters must have provided a bottomless source of imagery for Marko Mitanovski’s collection of black leather creations.
I was glad that the slow pace of the models allowed deep detail gazing of the Snakepits of leather laces crowned with furry antlers. The designs were reminiscent of Ebony tree nymphs crossed with the witch whose poisoned apple sent Snow White to slumberland.
According to Mitanovski the outfits were the result of a 15 strong studio team who ruched, wove, beaded and laced scaled-up versions of Elizabethan collars shaping them into skirts, capes and collars with wire and boning supports.
Vintage beauty stylists from Nina’s Hair Parlour wrapped the life size foam antlers in hair, instantly elevating the looks to showpiece status. Mitanovski kept the production of the designs local by sourcing materials from local manufacturers and having his accessories, shoes and bags all produced in Belgrade.
This dark knight has no limits on creativity, the performance was set to the sounds of (his favorite) a Nirvana track, reworked by his friends’ quartet.
The sweet compliment to Mitanovski’s rich palette was Hermione DePaula’s hand painted chiffon washes of nude, caramel and ivories. These washes displayed the body through delicate shapes, created through the frayed and tightly clustered burgundy chiffon collars over bodysuits and billowing trousers. Her pieces possessed sensual magnetism, that could be attributed to DePaula’s muse being the anatomical Venus’s that were said the origins of this extremely feminine collection.
The inspiration for the collection started with the ultra realistic life-sized wax models used in the teaching of medicine. These dolls were often made with real hair and wore ornamental jewellery. DePaula was inspired by these wax “Venus’ multi-colored interior with removable parts that reveal the mystery of the inner workings of the female body.” She took the idea a step further by dubbing the collection “Las Venus” in a nod to our tabloid fascination with celebrity and those papers’ knack for catchy nicknames with which to brand our those fallen stars.
Dean Quinn, whom we spotted at CSM’s BA show this spring brought his graduate collection of Blade Runner inspired beaded suits ( i implore you to fight the urge to think of Elvis onesies right now) in film noir blacks and whites.
Sharp satin suits with the occasional exaggerated shoulder have little domino tracks of baguette beads running up and down them. The porcupining beads were, as much great art is, an accident of miscalculation. When threaded too tight the little beads are forced to stand on end. A delicate thing to control but it does so to great effect.
Wildcard designer Ada Zanditon was all haexagons in a geometric bleu blanc rouge of cocoon coats, high waisted trousers and cropped tops. Her beehive inspired collection carried the theme through heavy cottons, silks and folded organza petals.
The conceptual designs are not surprising, when considering that Ada Zanditon has previously worked for Alexander McQueen and Gareth Pugh. However Zanditon remains steadfast in the eco couture ring (see Amelia’s Magazine coverage of The Ethical Fashion Fair in Paris for details on Zanditon’s commitment to sustainable fashion).
Check out Amelia’s Magazine April 09 interview with Ada
Fashion Scout now in its 7th year, buy has once again brought us a well balanced diet of young innovators and box-fresh talent.
Ones To Watch” provided a menu of gothic grandeur, cialis 40mg tea stained Venuses, beaded suits and eco constructivism.
The designers culled for this presentation are Serbian Marko Mitanovski, celebrity autopsy inspired Hermione DePaula, CSM grad Dean Quinn and Ada Zanditon.
The ancient Serbian forests and dark folkoric characters provided a bottomless source of imagery for Marko Mitanovski’s black leather creations.
The slow pace of the models allowed for detailed gazing at the leather laces crowned with furry antlers. The designs were reminiscent of Ebony tree nymphs crossed with the witch whose poisoned apple sent Snow White to slumberland.
According to Mitanovski the outfits were the result of a 15 strong studio team who ruched, beaded and laced scaled-up versions of Elizabethan collars shaping them into skirts, capes and collars.
Vintage beauty stylists from Nina’s Hair Parlour wrapped the life-size foam antlers in hair, elevating the looks to showpiece status. Mitanovski kept the production of the designs local by sourcing materials from local manufacturers and having his accessories, shoes and bags produced in Belgrade.
The performance was set to the sounds of (his favorite) a Nirvana track, reworked by his friends’ quartet.
A sweet compliment to Mitanovski’s rich palette was Hermione DePaula’s hand painted chiffon washes in nude, caramel and ivories. The body was displayed through delicate shapes created by frayed and tightly clustered burgundy chiffon collars over bodysuits and billowing trousers.
The pieces possessed a sensual magnetism that appears in accordance to the inspiration for the collection. DePaula started by looking atthe ultra realistic life-sized wax models used in the teaching of medicine. These dolls were often made with real hair and wore ornamental jewellery, DePaula was inspired by these wax “Venus’ multi-colored interior with removable parts that reveal the mystery of the inner workings of the female body.” The idea was taken a step further by dubbing the collection “Las Venus” in a nod to tabloid fascination with celebrity.
Dean Quinn, whom we spotted at CSM’s BA show this spring brought his graduate collection of Blade Runner inspired beaded suits ( i implore you to fight the urge to think of Elvis onesies right now) in film noir blacks and whites.
Sharp satin suits with the occasional exaggerated shoulder were detailed with domino tracks of beads. The porcupine beads were, as much great art is, an accident of miscalculation. When threaded too tight the little beads are forced to stand on end. A delicate thing to control but a great effect.
Wildcard designer Ada Zanditon produced haexagons in a geometric bleu blanc rouge of cocoon coats, high waisted trousers and cropped tops. Her beehive inspired collection carried the theme through heavy cottons, silks and folded organza petals.
The conceptual designs are not surprising, considering that Ada Zanditon has previously worked for Alexander McQueen and Gareth Pugh. However Zanditon remains steadfast in the eco couture ring (see Amelia’s Magazine coverage of The Ethical Fashion Fair in Paris for details on Zanditon’s commitment to sustainable fashion).
Check out Amelia’s Magazine April 09 interview with Ada
Fashion Scout now in its seventh year, physician has once again brought us a well balanced diet of young innovators and box-fresh talent.
Ones To Watch” provided a menu of gothic grandeur, page tea stained Venuses, beaded suits and eco constructivism.
The designers culled for this presentation are Serbian Marko Mitanovski, celebrity autopsy inspired Hermione DePaula, CSM grad Dean Quinn and Ada Zanditon.
The ancient Serbian forests and dark folkoric characters provided a bottomless source of imagery for Marko Mitanovski’s black leather creations.
The slow pace of the models allowed for detailed gazing at the leather laces crowned with furry antlers. The designs were reminiscent of Ebony tree nymphs crossed with the witch whose poisoned apple sent Snow White to slumberland.
According to Mitanovski the outfits were the result of a 15 strong studio team who ruched, beaded and laced scaled-up versions of Elizabethan collars shaping them into skirts, capes and collars.
Vintage beauty stylists from Nina’s Hair Parlour wrapped the life-size foam antlers in hair, elevating the looks to showpiece status. Mitanovski kept the production of the designs local by sourcing materials from local manufacturers and having his accessories, shoes and bags produced in Belgrade.
The performance was set to the sounds of (his favorite) a Nirvana track, reworked by his friends’ quartet.
A sweet compliment to Mitanovski’s rich palette was Hermione DePaula’s hand painted chiffon washes in nude, caramel and ivories. The body was displayed through delicate shapes created by frayed and tightly clustered burgundy chiffon collars over bodysuits and billowing trousers.
The pieces possessed a sensual magnetism that appears in accordance to the inspiration for the collection. DePaula started by looking atthe ultra realistic life-sized wax models used in the teaching of medicine. These dolls were often made with real hair and wore ornamental jewellery, DePaula was inspired by these wax “Venus’ multi-colored interior with removable parts that reveal the mystery of the inner workings of the female body.” The idea was taken a step further by dubbing the collection “Las Venus” in a nod to tabloid fascination with celebrity.
Dean Quinn, whom we spotted at CSM’s BA show this spring brought his graduate collection of Blade Runner inspired beaded suits ( i implore you to fight the urge to think of Elvis onesies right now) in film noir blacks and whites.
Sharp satin suits with the occasional exaggerated shoulder were detailed with domino tracks of beads. The porcupine beads were, as much great art is, an accident of miscalculation. When threaded too tight the little beads are forced to stand on end. A delicate thing to control but a great effect.
Wildcard designer Ada Zanditon produced haexagons in a geometric bleu blanc rouge of cocoon coats, high waisted trousers and cropped tops. Her beehive inspired collection carried the theme through heavy cottons, silks and folded organza petals.
The conceptual designs are not surprising, considering that Ada Zanditon has previously worked for Alexander McQueen and Gareth Pugh. However Zanditon remains steadfast in the eco couture ring (see Amelia’s Magazine coverage of The Ethical Fashion Fair in Paris for details on Zanditon’s commitment to sustainable fashion).
Check out Amelia’s Magazine April 09 interview with Ada
Fashion Scout now in its seventh year, try has once again brought us a well balanced diet of young innovators and box-fresh talent.
Ones To Watch” provided a menu of gothic grandeur, order tea stained Venuses, beaded suits and eco constructivism.
The designers culled for this presentation are Serbian Marko Mitanovski, celebrity autopsy inspired Hermione DePaula, CSM grad Dean Quinn and Ada Zanditon.
The ancient Serbian forests and dark folkoric characters provided a bottomless source of imagery for Marko Mitanovski’s black leather creations.
The slow pace of the models allowed for detailed gazing at the leather laces crowned with furry antlers. The designs were reminiscent of Ebony tree nymphs crossed with the witch whose poisoned apple sent Snow White to slumberland.
According to Mitanovski the outfits were the result of a 15 strong studio team who ruched, beaded and laced scaled-up versions of Elizabethan collars shaping them into skirts, capes and collars.
Vintage beauty stylists from Nina’s Hair Parlour wrapped the life-size foam antlers in hair, elevating the looks to showpiece status. Mitanovski kept the production of the designs local by sourcing materials from local manufacturers and having his accessories, shoes and bags produced in Belgrade.
The performance was set to the sounds of (his favorite) a Nirvana track, reworked by his friends’ quartet.
A sweet compliment to Mitanovski’s rich palette was Hermione DePaula’s hand painted chiffon washes in nude, caramel and ivories. The body was displayed through delicate shapes created by frayed and tightly clustered burgundy chiffon collars over bodysuits and billowing trousers.
The pieces possessed a sensual magnetism that appears in accordance to the inspiration for the collection. DePaula started by looking atthe ultra realistic life-sized wax models used in the teaching of medicine. These dolls were often made with real hair and wore ornamental jewellery, DePaula was inspired by these wax “Venus’ multi-colored interior with removable parts that reveal the mystery of the inner workings of the female body.” The idea was taken a step further by dubbing the collection “Las Venus” in a nod to tabloid fascination with celebrity.
Dean Quinn, whom we spotted at CSM’s BA show this spring brought his graduate collection of Blade Runner inspired beaded suits ( i implore you to fight the urge to think of Elvis onesies right now) in film noir blacks and whites.
Sharp satin suits with the occasional exaggerated shoulder were detailed with domino tracks of beads. The porcupine beads were, as much great art is, an accident of miscalculation. When threaded too tight the little beads are forced to stand on end. A delicate thing to control but a great effect.
Wildcard designer Ada Zanditon produced haexagons in a geometric bleu blanc rouge of cocoon coats, high waisted trousers and cropped tops. Her beehive inspired collection carried the theme through heavy cottons, silks and folded organza petals.
The conceptual designs are not surprising, considering that Ada Zanditon has previously worked for Alexander McQueen and Gareth Pugh. However Zanditon remains steadfast in the eco couture ring (see Amelia’s Magazine coverage of The Ethical Fashion Fair in Paris for details on Zanditon’s commitment to sustainable fashion).
Check out Amelia’s Magazine April 09 interview with Ada
Fashion Scout now in its seventh year, about it has once again brought us a well balanced diet of young innovators and box-fresh talent.
Ones To Watch” provided a menu of gothic grandeur, advice tea stained Venuses, beaded suits and eco constructivism.
The designers culled for this presentation are Serbian Marko Mitanovski, celebrity autopsy inspired Hermione DePaula, CSM grad Dean Quinn and Ada Zanditon.
The ancient Serbian forests and dark folkoric characters provided a bottomless source of imagery for Marko Mitanovski’s black leather creations.
The slow pace of the models allowed for detailed gazing at the leather laces crowned with furry antlers. The designs were reminiscent of Ebony tree nymphs crossed with the witch whose poisoned apple sent Snow White to slumberland.
According to Mitanovski the outfits were the result of a 15 strong studio team who ruched, beaded and laced scaled-up versions of Elizabethan collars shaping them into skirts, capes and collars.
Vintage beauty stylists from Nina’s Hair Parlour wrapped the life-size foam antlers in hair, elevating the looks to showpiece status. Mitanovski kept the production of the designs local by sourcing materials from local manufacturers and having his accessories, shoes and bags produced in Belgrade.
The performance was set to the sounds of (his favorite) a Nirvana track, reworked by his friends’ quartet.
A sweet compliment to Mitanovski’s rich palette was Hermione DePaula’s hand painted chiffon washes in nude, caramel and ivories. The body was displayed through delicate shapes created by frayed and tightly clustered burgundy chiffon collars over bodysuits and billowing trousers.
The pieces possessed a sensual magnetism that appears in accordance to the inspiration for the collection. DePaula started by looking atthe ultra realistic life-sized wax models used in the teaching of medicine. These dolls were often made with real hair and wore ornamental jewellery, DePaula was inspired by these wax “Venus’ multi-colored interior with removable parts that reveal the mystery of the inner workings of the female body.” The idea was taken a step further by dubbing the collection “Las Venus” in a nod to tabloid fascination with celebrity.
Dean Quinn, whom we spotted at CSM’s BA show this spring brought his graduate collection of Blade Runner inspired beaded suits ( i implore you to fight the urge to think of Elvis onesies right now) in film noir blacks and whites.
Sharp satin suits with the occasional exaggerated shoulder were detailed with domino tracks of beads. The porcupine beads were, as much great art is, an accident of miscalculation. When threaded too tight the little beads are forced to stand on end. A delicate thing to control but a great effect.
Wildcard designer Ada Zanditon produced haexagons in a geometric bleu blanc rouge of cocoon coats, high waisted trousers and cropped tops. Her beehive inspired collection carried the theme through heavy cottons, silks and folded organza petals.
The conceptual designs are not surprising, considering that Ada Zanditon has previously worked for Alexander McQueen and Gareth Pugh. However Zanditon remains steadfast in the eco couture ring (see Amelia’s Magazine coverage of The Ethical Fashion Fair in Paris for details on Zanditon’s commitment to sustainable fashion).
Check out Amelia’s Magazine April 09 interview with Ada
Mademoiselle Robot is the Parisian journalist who relocated to British shores to write a hugely popular fashion blog. Full of style advice and celebrity interviews, viagra the blog has subsequently spawned another venture; Mademoiselle Style. Services range from a credit crunch consultation on how to look good for less to a lunch time session at your desk or a full blow introduction to vintage fashion.
Can you describe, sildenafil for Amelia’s Magazine, price an average day in the life of a professional blogger?
I wake up around 7.30, have breakfast while checking my emails, then I shower and get ready for the day. Mornings are spent writing and catching up with my Google Reader. In the afternoon, I do admin and PR stuff, although I now have an assistant to help me with this, so I can focus on editorial in the afternoon. I have a pretty strict routine, because I work from home while looking after my 2-year-old daughter, it can get quite strenuous! I have worked for myself for many years now and I love the freedom it gives me, but I also find that I work about 4 times more than when I worked in an office! I work roughly from 7.30 in the morning to 6, but my brain only stops working when I sleep!
What inspired you to start and how did the blog develop into the style service?
While in Paris, I worked as a journalist for many years and when I moved to London I had to start from scratch so I took on jobs that were interesting but straying from journalism. It was a personal blog to begin with, with ramblings about my life, pop culture to fashion & style.
My blog has been running for almost two years now and it has become my full time job and I am really proud of it. Mademoiselle Style came quite naturally as I was giving style tips on the blog and receiving emails and comments asking for more tips and advice. I thought it would be nice to take all this into real life. I love the internet, but sometimes you feel quite disconnected from the real world. Also, style advice is quite personal, so you can’t beat face to face when it comes to it.
What do you think the impact of credit crunch on what people desire from fashion is?
I am divided about this… On one hand, I think it hasn’t really changed people’s attitude to fashion that much. We all say that it has, but really, if you walk down Oxford street, you still see people carrying loads of bags, shops are buzzing and it really doesn’t look like recession.
On the other hand, it might have helped making people more aware of over consumption in general and possibly drive people away from the high street and towards vintage, charity shops or young designers etc. At least I like to think so. In a perfect world, that would be the positive effect of the Credit Crunch, people would be more discerning about clothes and would stop the high street bulimia.
What do you love about vintage fashion?
I like challenges! It starts with the challenge to find something you really love and suits you. Then when you find said item, it is the challenge to make it your own. It can be difficult to wear an item of clothing that carries a lot of history without being swamped by it. If you find something you love that becomes “you”, then you’ve pretty much made it!
I like the obvious story behind vintage clothes… I like imagining what happened to the people who owned the items before me, I like making up stories about why they made a particular dress (if it is handmade). Vintage clothes are often more durable, I know it sounds like a massive cliché, but clothes were made much better in the past.
People are pretty strapped for cash at the moment, why is investing in a styling session with you a wise move?
I think when you are strapped for cash, it is actually the best time to invest in something durable, like style advice in order to learn how to shop better. That’s the idea behind MademoiselleStyle.
The idea is to learn to know yourself and invest rather than whip out the credit card as if it was some sort of comfort food.
I don’t want to push people to buy clothes all the time, I want them to learn what suits their style and what will help them feel like themselves. When I see people for consultations, I take clients shopping so they can try stuff on, but I have no particular interest in them buying things. My most expensive/comprehensive consultation is £350, but will leave you feeling knowing exactly what to wear. Having discovered that most of it is already in your closet whilst knowing what pieces you need to buy to complete your style.
As a Parisian living in London, are you a London Fashion Week fan, or does Paris Fashion Week hold a special place in your heart?Any highlights this year?
I like London Fashion Week because it’s short and sweet and has a lot of “fun” designers like Eley Kishimoto, Luella and Giles. Paris Fashion Week strikes me as more conservative. I went there when I was younger to see one of Hervé Leger’s first shows (Hervé is a friend of my former stepmum) but apart from that I don’t really have much experience of it other than as an outsider; Fashion wise in general, I am much more of a London fan!
Did you notice a big blogger community presence at LFW this year? Do you think this is changing the way fashion is covered in the press?
I am sorry if I ramble about this, but it actually made me really angry for the whole of LFW. It is an issue that really matters to me.
Let me start from the beginning: when I heard that quite a few bloggers were invited to LFW this year I thought “oh great, some familiar faces”. But actually, once there, apart from a few familiar faces (who had been invited to the previous seasons as well), I mainly found myself facing a lot of poseurs and hangers-on. I did see LOTS of bloggers at shows (mainly at the ON|OFF ones) but I am yet to see some solid coverage, with good photographs. I saw really poor coverage of shows, photos with the date stamp still on them, camera phone pictures. It just looked as if nobody cared about the collections and the designers’ work, they only seemed to care about the bullshit surrounding fashion (the celebs in the front row, the outfits of the fashion week goers etc).
I went there to work and to get some content about new season styles for my websites.
(Photo Credit: Matt Bramford)
The whole thing made me ashamed for the blogging “community” and eager to separate myself from it to tell you the truth. Mademoiselle Robot is my full time job and I have worked very hard as a journalist/editor that I don’t really consider myself a blogger, more of an online editor. I know it sounds poncy as to most people, as a blog is a blog, but especially after LFW, I feel I need to differentiate myself from Fashion Bloggers. I went to LFW before this season, as my website was professional enough to earn me credentials and invitations to shows before inviting bloggers became the thing of the moment.
Favourite shows –
Without a doubt House of Blue Eyes… The show was absolutely amazing. It brought life and fun times to an otherwise fairly dull Fashion Week. There was gold and glitter, disco music, happy faces all around. I was completely mind blown by it. The collection itself was not necessarily something I’d see catching on and spreading into the mainstream come Spring, but the show was fabulous.
Another favourite of mine was Peter Jensen. The presentation had a magical atmosphere and the clothes were beautiful. This time totally wearable too! I love Peter Jensen, so I am biased!
I also really enjoyed Bora Aksu’s interpretation of the rock chick trend that seems to be absolutely everywhere still and Eley Kishimoto was of course flamboyant and totally spot on. Luella’s collection was once more totally drool inducing.
Top tips for autumn/winter 2009?
The denim look leggings paired with the accented shoulder jacket is not one everyone can rock. It’s been everywhere and it is an attractive silhouette to some, but please, take a good look at yourself in the mirror (not the magic mirror) before you step out of the house wearing this tricky trend…
I have quite defined shoulders already, so instead of wearing giant shoulder pads and looking like an American Football Player, I will opt instead for a more feminine, softer shoulder accent, ruffles.
My advice is, if you want to buy a new coat for the Winter, do it now! And buy vintage. Vintage coats are more durable, made of better, warmer fabrics and most of the time they are cheaper than their high-street counterparts.
Mademoiselle Robot is the Parisian journalist who relocated to British shores to write a hugely popular fashion blog. Full of style advice and celebrity interviews, remedy the blog has subsequently spawned another venture; Mademoiselle Style. Services range from a credit crunch consultation on how to look good for less to a lunch time session at your desk or a full blow introduction to vintage fashion.
Can you describe, for Amelia’s Magazine, an average day in the life of a professional blogger?
I wake up around 7.30, have breakfast while checking my emails, then I shower and get ready for the day. Mornings are spent writing and catching up with my Google Reader. In the afternoon, I do admin and PR stuff, although I now have an assistant to help me with this, so I can focus on editorial in the afternoon. I have a pretty strict routine, because I work from home while looking after my 2-year-old daughter, it can get quite strenuous! I have worked for myself for many years now and I love the freedom it gives me, but I also find that I work about 4 times more than when I worked in an office! I work roughly from 7.30 in the morning to 6, but my brain only stops working when I sleep!
What inspired you to start and how did the blog develop into the style service?
While in Paris, I worked as a journalist for many years and when I moved to London I had to start from scratch so I took on jobs that were interesting but straying from journalism. It was a personal blog to begin with, with ramblings about my life, pop culture to fashion & style.
My blog has been running for almost two years now and it has become my full time job and I am really proud of it. Mademoiselle Style came quite naturally as I was giving style tips on the blog and receiving emails and comments asking for more tips and advice. I thought it would be nice to take all this into real life. I love the internet, but sometimes you feel quite disconnected from the real world. Also, style advice is quite personal, so you can’t beat face to face when it comes to it.
What do you think the impact of credit crunch on what people desire from fashion is?
I am divided about this… On one hand, I think it hasn’t really changed people’s attitude to fashion that much. We all say that it has, but really, if you walk down Oxford street, you still see people carrying loads of bags, shops are buzzing and it really doesn’t look like recession.
On the other hand, it might have helped making people more aware of over consumption in general and possibly drive people away from the high street and towards vintage, charity shops or young designers etc. At least I like to think so. In a perfect world, that would be the positive effect of the Credit Crunch, people would be more discerning about clothes and would stop the high street bulimia.
What do you love about vintage fashion?
I like challenges! It starts with the challenge to find something you really love and suits you. Then when you find said item, it is the challenge to make it your own. It can be difficult to wear an item of clothing that carries a lot of history without being swamped by it. If you find something you love that becomes “you”, then you’ve pretty much made it!
I like the obvious story behind vintage clothes… I like imagining what happened to the people who owned the items before me, I like making up stories about why they made a particular dress (if it is handmade). Vintage clothes are often more durable, I know it sounds like a massive cliché, but clothes were made much better in the past.
People are pretty strapped for cash at the moment, why is investing in a styling session with you a wise move?
I think when you are strapped for cash, it is actually the best time to invest in something durable, like style advice in order to learn how to shop better. That’s the idea behind MademoiselleStyle.
The idea is to learn to know yourself and invest rather than whip out the credit card as if it was some sort of comfort food.
I don’t want to push people to buy clothes all the time, I want them to learn what suits their style and what will help them feel like themselves. When I see people for consultations, I take clients shopping so they can try stuff on, but I have no particular interest in them buying things. My most expensive/comprehensive consultation is £350, but will leave you feeling knowing exactly what to wear. Having discovered that most of it is already in your closet whilst knowing what pieces you need to buy to complete your style.
As a Parisian living in London, are you a London Fashion Week fan, or does Paris Fashion Week hold a special place in your heart?Any highlights this year?
I like London Fashion Week because it’s short and sweet and has a lot of “fun” designers like Eley Kishimoto, Luella and Giles. Paris Fashion Week strikes me as more conservative. I went there when I was younger to see one of Hervé Leger’s first shows (Hervé is a friend of my former stepmum) but apart from that I don’t really have much experience of it other than as an outsider; Fashion wise in general, I am much more of a London fan!
Did you notice a big blogger community presence at LFW this year? Do you think this is changing the way fashion is covered in the press?
I am sorry if I ramble about this, but it actually made me really angry for the whole of LFW. It is an issue that really matters to me.
Let me start from the beginning: when I heard that quite a few bloggers were invited to LFW this year I thought “oh great, some familiar faces”. But actually, once there, apart from a few familiar faces (who had been invited to the previous seasons as well), I mainly found myself facing a lot of poseurs and hangers-on. I did see LOTS of bloggers at shows (mainly at the ON|OFF ones) but I am yet to see some solid coverage, with good photographs. I saw really poor coverage of shows, photos with the date stamp still on them, camera phone pictures. It just looked as if nobody cared about the collections and the designers’ work, they only seemed to care about the bullshit surrounding fashion (the celebs in the front row, the outfits of the fashion week goers etc).
I went there to work and to get some content about new season styles for my websites.
(Photo Credit: Matt Bramford)
The whole thing made me ashamed for the blogging “community” and eager to separate myself from it to tell you the truth. Mademoiselle Robot is my full time job and I have worked very hard as a journalist/editor that I don’t really consider myself a blogger, more of an online editor. I know it sounds poncy as to most people, as a blog is a blog, but especially after LFW, I feel I need to differentiate myself from Fashion Bloggers. I went to LFW before this season, as my website was professional enough to earn me credentials and invitations to shows before inviting bloggers became the thing of the moment.
Favourite shows –
Without a doubt House of Blue Eyes… The show was absolutely amazing. It brought life and fun times to an otherwise fairly dull Fashion Week. There was gold and glitter, disco music, happy faces all around. I was completely mind blown by it. The collection itself was not necessarily something I’d see catching on and spreading into the mainstream come Spring, but the show was fabulous.
Another favourite of mine was Peter Jensen. The presentation had a magical atmosphere and the clothes were beautiful. This time totally wearable too! I love Peter Jensen, so I am biased!
I also really enjoyed Bora Aksu’s interpretation of the rock chick trend that seems to be absolutely everywhere still and Eley Kishimoto was of course flamboyant and totally spot on. Luella’s collection was once more totally drool inducing.
Top tips for autumn/winter 2009?
The denim look leggings paired with the accented shoulder jacket is not something everyone can rock. It’s been everywhere and it is an attractive silhouette to some, but please, take a good look at yourself in the mirror (not the magic mirror) before you step out of the house wearing this tricky trend…
I have quite defined shoulders already, so instead of wearing giant shoulder pads and looking like an American Football Player, I will opt instead for a more feminine, softer shoulder accent, ruffles.
My advice is, if you want to buy a new coat for the Winter, do it now! And buy vintage. Vintage coats are more durable, made of better, warmer fabrics and most of the time they are cheaper than their high-street counterparts.
Fashion Scout now in its seventh year, cheap has once again brought us a well balanced diet of young innovators and box-fresh talent.
Ones To Watch” provided a menu of gothic grandeur, unhealthy tea stained Venuses, beaded suits and eco constructivism.
The designers culled for this presentation are Serbian Marko Mitanovski, celebrity autopsy inspired Hermione DePaula, CSM grad Dean Quinn and Ada Zanditon.
The ancient Serbian forests and dark folkoric characters provided a bottomless source of imagery for Marko Mitanovski’s black leather creations.
The slow pace of the models allowed for detailed gazing at the leather laces crowned with furry antlers. The designs were reminiscent of Ebony tree nymphs crossed with the witch whose poisoned apple sent Snow White to slumberland.
According to Mitanovski the outfits were the result of a 15 strong studio team who ruched, beaded and laced scaled-up versions of Elizabethan collars shaping them into skirts, capes and collars.
Vintage beauty stylists from Nina’s Hair Parlour wrapped the life-size foam antlers in hair, elevating the looks to showpiece status. Mitanovski kept the production of the designs local by sourcing materials from local manufacturers and having his accessories, shoes and bags produced in Belgrade.
The performance was set to the sounds of (his favorite) a Nirvana track, reworked by his friends’ quartet.
A sweet compliment to Mitanovski’s rich palette was Hermione DePaula’s hand painted chiffon washes in nude, caramel and ivories. The body was displayed through delicate shapes created by frayed and tightly clustered burgundy chiffon collars over bodysuits and billowing trousers.
The pieces possessed a sensual magnetism that appears in accordance to the inspiration for the collection. DePaula started by looking atthe ultra realistic life-sized wax models used in the teaching of medicine. These dolls were often made with real hair and wore ornamental jewellery, DePaula was inspired by these wax “Venus’ multi-colored interior with removable parts that reveal the mystery of the inner workings of the female body.” The idea was taken a step further by dubbing the collection “Las Venus” in a nod to tabloid fascination with celebrity.
Dean Quinn, whom we spotted at CSM’s BA show this spring brought his graduate collection of Blade Runner inspired beaded suits ( i implore you to fight the urge to think of Elvis onesies right now) in film noir blacks and whites.
Sharp satin suits with the occasional exaggerated shoulder were detailed with domino tracks of beads. The porcupine beads were, as much great art is, an accident of miscalculation. When threaded too tight the little beads are forced to stand on end. A delicate thing to control but a great effect.
Wildcard designer Ada Zanditon produced haexagons in a geometric bleu blanc rouge of cocoon coats, high waisted trousers and cropped tops. Her beehive inspired collection carried the theme through heavy cottons, silks and folded organza petals.
The conceptual designs are not surprising, considering that Ada Zanditon has previously worked for Alexander McQueen and Gareth Pugh. However Zanditon remains steadfast in the eco couture ring (see Amelia’s Magazine coverage of The Ethical Fashion Fair in Paris for details on Zanditon’s commitment to sustainable fashion).
Check out Amelia’s Magazine April 09 interview with Ada
Fashion Scout now in its seventh year, information pills has once again brought us a well balanced diet of young innovators and box-fresh talent.
Ones To Watch provided a menu of gothic grandeur, tea stained Venuses, beaded suits and eco constructivism.
The designers coralled for this presentation are Serbian Marko Mitanovski, celebrity autopsy inspired Hermione DePaula, CSM grad Dean Quinn and Ada Zanditon.
The ancient Serbian forests and dark folkloric characters provided a bottomless source of imagery for Marko Mitanovski’s black leather creations.
The slow pace of the models allowed for detailed gazing at the leather laces crowned with furry antlers. The designs were reminiscent of Ebony tree nymphs crossed with the witch whose poisoned apple sent Snow White to slumberland.
According to Mitanovski the outfits were the result of a 15 strong studio team who ruched, beaded and laced scaled-up versions of Elizabethan collars shaping them into skirts, capes and collars.
Vintage beauty stylists from Nina’s Hair Parlour wrapped the life-size foam antlers in hair, elevating the looks to showpiece status. Mitanovski kept the production of the designs local by sourcing materials from local manufacturers and having his accessories, shoes and bags produced in Belgrade.
The performance was set to the sounds of (his favorite) a Nirvana track, reworked by his friends’ quartet.
A sweet compliment to Mitanovski’s rich palette was Hermione DePaula’s hand painted chiffon washes in nude, caramel and ivories. The body was displayed through delicate shapes created by frayed and tightly clustered burgundy chiffon collars over bodysuits and billowing trousers.
The pieces possessed a sensual magnetism that appears in accordance to the inspiration for the collection. DePaula started by looking atthe ultra realistic life-sized wax models used in the teaching of medicine. These dolls were often made with real hair and wore ornamental jewellery, DePaula was inspired by these wax “Venus’ multi-colored interior with removable parts that reveal the mystery of the inner workings of the female body.” The idea was taken a step further by dubbing the collection “Las Venus” in a nod to tabloid fascination with celebrity.
Dean Quinn, whom we spotted at CSM’s BA show this spring brought his graduate collection of Blade Runner inspired beaded suits ( i implore you to fight the urge to think of Elvis onesies right now) in film noir blacks and whites.
Sharp satin suits with the occasional exaggerated shoulder were detailed with domino tracks of beads. The porcupine beads were, as much great art is, an accident of miscalculation. When threaded too tight the little beads are forced to stand on end. A delicate thing to control but a great effect.
Wildcard designer Ada Zanditon produced haexagons in a geometric bleu blanc rouge of cocoon coats, high waisted trousers and cropped tops. Her beehive inspired collection carried the theme through heavy cottons, silks and folded organza petals.
The conceptual designs are not surprising, considering that Ada Zanditon has previously worked for Alexander McQueen and Gareth Pugh. However Zanditon remains steadfast in the eco couture ring (see Amelia’s Magazine coverage of The Ethical Fashion Fair in Paris for details on Zanditon’s commitment to sustainable fashion).
Check out Amelia’s Magazine April 09 interview with Ada
We have been gathering, sale preparing, joining with hundreds of others and almost ready to swoop for the most exciting mass action of the year.
Illustrations by Michael Maitland
Coal power is the biggest source of carbon emissions, with over 200,000 people dying each year from climate change alone, the government still isn’t taking it seriously. With only a one seventh of the amount bankers received in their bonus packages being put towards green stimulus projects shows we need to take action into our own hands to get the government to do more.
The Great Climate Swoop is happening this Saturday the 17th and 18th October; the plan is to take over Ratcliffe-on-soar coal-fired power station for at least 24 hours. There has already been a wave of international protests against coal power stations this year from Australia (an action we covered at Amelias magazine) to Denmark and we aim to make our action even bigger and better.
With the recent back out by E.ON on creating two new coal power stations at Kingsnorth, as well as the end to plans for a 3rd runway at Heathrow which were coincidentally both venues for past Climate Camp shows that we can really make change.
It is an exciting time to be involved in activism with the climate change issue really heating up it is time to get involved and be part of the movement.
With a group of volunteers spending months working hard for the swoop to be an success, the plan is in place and it is sure to be an engaging action that will spurn many new activists as well as pushing the debate on for no coal power. Maps are available to download and a text message service has been set up to keep everyone informed about what’s happening on the day.
Local neighborhoods meet up regularly and have organized a range of activist cut-price buses from around the country to descend to Nottingham at the end of the week. There really is no excuse not to be there.
The action has been split into four blocs, and each offers different objectives to suit every activist. FOOTSTEPS TO THE FUTURE will get to the main gate and create a vision of a better future, TAKE THE POWER BACK mission is to get to the control room and take back the power, FALSE SOLUTIONS will go to the coal pile and expose the false solutions and CAPITALISM IS CRISIS is the decentralized bloc which means affinity groups can take there own actions. The power station is going to be inundated with young and old, students, weathered activists and all in between to show we want to kick start massive transition to a low carbon future and we don’t see coal power as relevant in today’s world.
If you’ve left sorting out transport with your local group too late, don’t worry just get to Nottingham train station for 10am this Saturday and join the hundreds of protesters there ready to swoop. There will also be bike blogs setting off from Leeds on the 15th, and Sheffield on the 16th and Nottingham on the 17th all leaving from the train stations at 10am, the critical mass will even have boom pedal powered tunes to spur you on and bloc any of those high vis vehicles on the day.
We have been gathering, health preparing, stomach joining with hundreds of others and almost ready to swoop for the most exciting mass action of the year.
The Great Climate Swoop is happening this Saturday the 17th October; the plan is to take over Ratcliffe-on-soar coal-fired power station for at least 24 hours. There has already been a wave of international protests against coal power stations this year from Australia to Denmark and we aim to make our action even bigger and better.
With the recent back out by E.ON on creating two new coal power stations at Kingsnorth, ailment as well as the end to plans for a 3rd runway at Heathrow which coincidently were both venues for past climate camp shows that we can really make change.
It is an exciting time to be involved in activism with the climate change issue really heating up it is time to get involved and be part of the movement.
With a group of volunteers spending months working hard for the swoop to be an success, the plan is in place and it is sure to be an engaging action that will spurn many new activists as well as pushing the debate on for no coal power. Maps are available to download and a text message service has been set up to keep everyone informed about what’s happening on the day.
Local neighborhoods meet up regularly and have organized a range of activist cut-price buses from around the country to descend to Nottingham at the end of the week. There really is no excuse not to be there.
The action has been split into four blocs, and each offers different objectives to suit every activist. FOOTSTEPS TO THE FUTURE will get to the main gate and create a vision of a better future, TAKE THE POWER BACK mission is to get to the control room and take back the power, FALSE SOLUTIONS will go to the coal pile and expose the false solutions and CAPITALISM IS CRISIS is the decentralized bloc which means affinity groups can take there own actions. The power station is going to be inundated with young and old, students, weathered activists and all in between to show we want to kick start massive transition to a low carbon future and we don’t see coal power as relevant in today’s world.
If you’ve left sorting out transport with your local group too late, don’t worry just get to Nottingham train station for 10am this Saturday and join the hundreds of protesters there ready to swoop.
We have been gathering, sick preparing, page joining with hundreds of others and almost ready to swoop for the most exciting mass action of the year.
The Great Climate Swoop is happening this Saturday the 17th October; the plan is to take over Ratcliffe-on-soar coal-fired power station for at least 24 hours. There has already been a wave of international protests against coal power stations this year from Australia to Denmark and we aim to make our action even bigger and better.
With the recent back out by E.ON on creating two new coal power stations at Kingsnorth, stuff as well as the end to plans for a 3rd runway at Heathrow which coincidently were both venues for past climate camp shows that we can really make change.
It is an exciting time to be involved in activism with the climate change issue really heating up it is time to get involved and be part of the movement.
With a group of volunteers spending months working hard for the swoop to be an success, the plan is in place and it is sure to be an engaging action that will spurn many new activists as well as pushing the debate on for no coal power. Maps are available to download and a text message service has been set up to keep everyone informed about what’s happening on the day.
Local neighborhoods meet up regularly and have organized a range of activist cut-price buses from around the country to descend to Nottingham at the end of the week. There really is no excuse not to be there.
The action has been split into four blocs, and each offers different objectives to suit every activist. FOOTSTEPS TO THE FUTURE will get to the main gate and create a vision of a better future, TAKE THE POWER BACK mission is to get to the control room and take back the power, FALSE SOLUTIONS will go to the coal pile and expose the false solutions and CAPITALISM IS CRISIS is the decentralized bloc which means affinity groups can take there own actions. The power station is going to be inundated with young and old, students, weathered activists and all in between to show we want to kick start massive transition to a low carbon future and we don’t see coal power as relevant in today’s world.
If you’ve left sorting out transport with your local group too late, don’t worry just get to Nottingham train station for 10am this Saturday and join the hundreds of protesters there ready to swoop. There will also be bike blogs setting off from Leeds on the 15th, and Sheffield on the 16th and Nottingham on the 17th all leaving from the train stations at 10am, the critical mass will even have boom pedal powered tunes to spur you on and bloc any of those high vis vehicles on the day.
We have been gathering, rx preparing, joining with hundreds of others and almost ready to swoop for the most exciting mass action of the year.
Coal power is the biggest source of carbon emissions, with over 200,ooo people dying each year from climate change alone, the government still isn’t taking it seriously. With only a one seventh of the amount bankers received in their bonus packages being put towards green stimulus projects shows we need to take action into our own hands. Coal power is not the answer.
The Great Climate Swoop is happening this Saturday the 17th and 18th October; the plan is to take over Ratcliffe-on-soar coal-fired power station for at least 24 hours. There has already been a wave of international protests against coal power stations this year from Australia to Denmark and we aim to make our action even bigger and better.
With the recent back out by E.ON on creating two new coal power stations at Kingsnorth, as well as the end to plans for a 3rd runway at Heathrow which were coincidentally both venues for past Climate Camp shows that we can really make change.
It is an exciting time to be involved in activism with the climate change issue really heating up it is time to get involved and be part of the movement.
With a group of volunteers spending months working hard for the swoop to be an success, the plan is in place and it is sure to be an engaging action that will spurn many new activists as well as pushing the debate on for no coal power. Maps are available to download and a text message service has been set up to keep everyone informed about what’s happening on the day.
Local neighborhoods meet up regularly and have organized a range of activist cut-price buses from around the country to descend to Nottingham at the end of the week. There really is no excuse not to be there.
The action has been split into four blocs, and each offers different objectives to suit every activist. FOOTSTEPS TO THE FUTURE will get to the main gate and create a vision of a better future, TAKE THE POWER BACK mission is to get to the control room and take back the power, FALSE SOLUTIONS will go to the coal pile and expose the false solutions and CAPITALISM IS CRISIS is the decentralized bloc which means affinity groups can take there own actions. The power station is going to be inundated with young and old, students, weathered activists and all in between to show we want to kick start massive transition to a low carbon future and we don’t see coal power as relevant in today’s world.
If you’ve left sorting out transport with your local group too late, don’t worry just get to Nottingham train station for 10am this Saturday and join the hundreds of protesters there ready to swoop. There will also be bike blogs setting off from Leeds on the 15th, and Sheffield on the 16th and Nottingham on the 17th all leaving from the train stations at 10am, the critical mass will even have boom pedal powered tunes to spur you on and bloc any of those high vis vehicles on the day.
Down in the darkest depths of Deptford lurks a little patch of light and warmth in Kit and Cutter, discount with illuminating sorry tales of errant sheep and a surprisingly high number of songs about murdering one’s girlfriend.
Veteran songsmith Tom Paley, information pills who has played with legendary chronicler of changing American times Woodie Guthrie, gave us an introduction to the murder ballad. It seems, there’s two types: either there is a reason given as to why the gentleman in question has snuffed his girlfriend, or there isn’t. It turns out that American audiences were much more prudish than European ones so any mention of a pregnancy was expunged from the lyrics of the song, leaving the intentions of the panicking father-to-be a mystery. Paley played tunes straight off the Harry Smith anthology, from Sweden and more, on a selection of banjos, fiddles and guitar with freshness and laconic humor.
Kit and Cutter, a folk night dedicated to traditional folk, scored big when they invited Tom Paley, now incredibly in his eighties, to play, as he schools all the young folkies with his finger-picking and old-fashioned charm.
Younger gun Birdengine, above, fills the alt. folk singer-songwriter quota with sweet and mournful songs that reveal a darker edge with surreal lyrics (sample: “I spent my summer cutting the heads off dogs, I spent the winter trying to sew them back on”).
Some of the loveliest parts of the night were the floor spots from members of the audience, as above, singing songs about internet dating or the old country, depending on their level of quirkiness. One floor spot later joins Tom Paley on the jew’s harp for an impromptu collaboration, below. That’s the folk club spirit. Hosts Katie and Helen also contribute a song – the one about sheep – and generally make the event a raucous and fun one.
A lot of folk nights lose the good will of the audience when they get too precious about maintaining a reverential silence. The acts held their own against people with varying levels of reverence from the main part of the pub popping through on their way to the toilets.
Kit and Cutter is back on this Saturday and the line-ups get better and better. Venture to the South East for the club’s next installment and you’ll sample the delights of unaccompanied English folk at its best with north London husband-and-wife duo Peta Webb and Ken Hall. If you like your folk trad, but not to feel like you’re sitting in a church, this night is definitely for you.
Written by Satu Fox on Tuesday October 13th, 2009 5:24 pm
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