Amelia’s Magazine | Matthew Williamson Exhibition Review


Illustration by Mina Bach

When Flo and I waltzed into Somerset House on a sunny Saturday afternoon, web nurse we were shivering with excitement. An entire exhibition devoted to Matthew Williamson, the King of boho chic? The man who practically invented Sienna Miller’s wardrobe, and garnered serious fashion kudos for bringing a rich, India inspired palette of colours onto the catwalk after years of nineties minimalism? We braced ourselves for a carnival of colour, with endless displays of amazing outfits, and sketchbooks of his designs to drool over.

How wrong we were. The exhibition is free, which should have been a sign it wasn’t going to match up to the epic Victor and Rolf exhibition at the Barbican way back in 2008. Based on the coffee-table tome published by Rizzoli, the show is basically an extension of the book – a couple of blown up photos from across Williamson’s career, some choice quotes from admirers in the fashion industry, and one or two sketches and backstage snaps thrown in for good measure. Quotes came from all the usual suspects: Anna Wintour, Alexandra Shulman and Lucy Yeomans all sing his praises on typed plaques alongside the photos. One of the more interesting observations made by Wintour was her admiration of Williamson’s ability to understand lifestyle as well as style when designing his collections. Comparisons to Celia Birtwell and Zandra Rhodes followed and I think that it would have been great if more had been made of the quotes and the points they made.

All very nice – but with the book splayed out on a sofa for you to flick through, we couldn’t help feeling slightly cheated by the whole thing. Granted, it’s cheaper than buying the book, and the photos do look lovely on the walls – it was fun to see his first catwalk show with all the ‘supers’ lined up in a row, and there are some nice personal shots too – but it took us about five minutes to walk around the whole thing. We left feeling none the wiser as to what makes Matthew tick (more what other people think make him tick). Where was the back story behind his collections, or better still, samples of the clothes themselves? I can’t afford a Matthew Williamson dress, so to just catch a glimpse of his archive would have been nice.Compare that to Viktor & Rolf, where we were treated to a giant room of eerie dolls wearing every single collection they had designed, with the crazy design concepts explained, and videos of the finished look on the catwalk. Pure fashion escapism.

It just seemed that with this exhibition, there was a missed opportunity. I just hope the Dior Fashion Illustration show at Somerset House fares better!.That’s £6 to get into so hopefully the money will go to making the exhibition feel like more of an planned project rather than a marketing tool for the book. So for a window into Williamson’s world of bohemian glam – buy the book – and if you don’t want to fork out forty quid, do go and see the exhibition. Also, If you do, we spotted many autographed copies of the book in the exhibition shop looking rather lonely…

Categories ,Central Saint Martins, ,fashion, ,fashion exhibition, ,Gallery, ,london, ,london designer, ,Matthew Williamson, ,menswear, ,museum, ,photography, ,review, ,Somerset House, ,Womenswear

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Amelia’s Magazine | Mimi Tran AW15: London Fashion Week Catwalk Review

Mimi Tran AW15-photo by Amelia Gregory 54
San Francisco based fashion designer Mimi Tran launched her brand just a few years ago after a former career in Silicon Valley, and chose the Fashion Scout catwalk for the first time this season to showcase a collection which oozed red carpet glamour: think sheer column dresses with wasp waists covered in extravagant embellishments in a palette of black, white, gold, red and royal blue. The Vietnamese born designer shares a curious resemblance (and name) with a very successful US based poker player who has made over a million dollars to date… are they in fact one and the same? Did she use her poker money to reinvent herself and realise a childhood dream of being a fashion designer? Or maybe the similarity is merely a coincidence. I would love to know…

Mimi Tran AW15-photo by Amelia Gregory 11
Mimi Tran AW15-photo by Amelia Gregory 32
Mimi Tran AW15-photo by Amelia Gregory 14
Mimi Tran AW15-photo by Amelia Gregory 41
Mimi Tran AW15-photo by Amelia Gregory 28
All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Mimi Tran AW 15/16 from FASHION SCOUT on Vimeo.

Categories ,A/W 2015, ,AW15, ,Catwalk review, ,Fashion Scout, ,london, ,London Fashion Week, ,Mimi Tran, ,paris, ,Poker Player, ,review, ,San Francisco, ,Show report, ,Vietnamese

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


Bunmi Koko S/S 2011 illustrated by Jenny Goldstone

Vauxhall Fashion Scout plays a huge part in showcasing fresh London talent; the first show this week was that of Nigerian luxury label Bunmi Koko. Promising to present clothes ‘celebrating female empowerment and domination’, I was told that the ‘Matriarchy’ S/S collection was heavily inspired by all-male leopard masquerade (Ekpe) from the secret Efik tribe in Nigeria.

The tribal influence was immediate as the show opened with a terrific giant colourful pompom man who came shuffling on with an excellent shaky shaky dance to Kanye West’s Love Lockdown.

The show, although slightly chaotic at the beginning and very embarrassing for one girl who had to be ushered out of her front row seat to make way for a short bearded man, was a visual treat. As we all sat and waited for it to begin, I counted a surprising number of ‘slebs’ in the front row – Calum Best, Mutya Buena who used to be in the Sugababes (didn’t everyone?) and Becca from Hollyoaks all cast their critical eyes over the collection.

Still dazed by the wonders of a bright dancing furby-esque creature, the rest of the show began with four monochrome outfits complete with feather masks and the occasional pineapple looking cane. The oversized pom poms were back, but this time used with (a little bit) more restraint and made from rayon raffia.


Bunmi Koko S/S 2011 illustrated by Jenny Goldstone

Compared to other shows I attended yesterday, Koko’s was not as obviously ‘spring/summer’ and featured much stronger colours (deep reds, mustard yellows and two tone prints), with heavy black accents defining each model’s outfit. Most of the looks mixed different textures of feathers, wool, small embellishments and tiered rows of layering on the skirts. For S/S 2011 Bunmi Koko offers a very tailored, and sharply silhouetted collection, with nipped in structured jackets, above the knee dresses and tapered trousers.


Bunmi Koko S/S 2011 illustrated by Jenny Goldstone

Categories ,Bunmi Koko, ,catwalk, ,fashion, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,lfw, ,london, ,London Fashion Week, ,Luxury, ,New Talent, ,pom-poms, ,S/S 2011, ,University of East London, ,Vauxhall Fashion Scout, ,Womenswear

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

Illustration by Eugenia Tsmiklis

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

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

Illustration by Eugenia Tsmiklis

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

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

Shoes at Basso & Brooke

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

LFW Daks Catwalk Show Spring Summer 2011

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

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

Daks Spring Summer 2010 collection illustration by Abi Daker

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

Daks Spring Summer 2011 fashion illustration by Abi Daker

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

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

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

ISSA catwalk collection S/S 2011

With Illustrations by Natasha Thompson

Hold on to your hats kids, abortion the turban is back! Or it is if Issa has her way.

According to the Brazilian-born designer S/S 11 is also going to be an Indian Summer, discount as she (like the Daks show I saw on Saturday) sent a collection of exotic, richly coloured jersey and silk looks down the catwalk, complete with gem-encrusted accessories and shoes, and jewel-toned turbans wound around the models’ heads.

Apparently ‘India’s evolving cultural influences and imperious architecture’ inspired the collection – but let’s not get too bogged down in the detail. What we saw was a complete summer wardrobe of whimsical day dresses, punchy prints and glammed up evening wear.

There’s nothing challenging here – Issa makes super flattering beachwear and glam, fail-safe party frocks for the Kings Road set – and is known for her dresses that can take you “from the beach to the office and then onto the red carpet”. After five days of non-stop shows, the fash pack were in need of light relief – and Issa’s bright and breezy show seemed to be a welcome antidote to more directional collections. The photographers were certainly grateful – they let out a collective whoop of “Last show of fashion week – wooooooooooarghh!” before it-girl Poppy Delevigne had even taken her seat.

ISSA catwalk collection S/S 2011

Some of the show was a Brazilian take on Bollywood glitz, injected with a shot of sixties glamour. What can only be described as a ‘sexy sari’ appeared in several guises – one shoulder, midriff baring bandeau tops paired with palazzo pants or swishy skirts in Pucci-esque prints. Teamed with antique jewellery from Lucy in Disguise (hence Lily Allen and baby bump on the front row) and strappy bejewelled sandals, these outfits were made for posing poolside with a martini.

The rest was rather a mixed bag – a couple of airy white sundresses here, some eye-popping lace dresses there. The signature party frocks – long with Grecian style draping, or short, cinched in and flirty – were out in full force. But sometimes I just wasn’t getting into that Indian groove.

Luckily, hair and makeup spiced up the show. Apparently the brief was “Veruschka starting out on a road trip in Rajasthan but ending at Burning Man” with “hallucinogenics…definitely involved”. So, naturally, we had turbans aplenty, hair piled high and wild, kohl rimmed eyes.

To be a true Issa girl you evidently need:

a) A slamming body – a lot of the looks are clingy and cut to show off a gym-honed physique, or a tan gained Greek island hopping.
b) A jet-set lifestyle that warrants a wardrobe of slinky party dresses, and a one-shoulder, draped swimsuit.

Looking around at my neighbours, I can see the shiny Eurocrats and glossed up It-girls in the crowd donning Issa’s creations this summer. But what if you aren’t a regular on the pages of Tatler?

Well, being pale, pasty and poor, I am probably NOT an Issa girl – but the clothes still made for a rather fabulous end to fashion week.

Categories ,Bollywood, ,brazil, ,fashion, ,illustration, ,Issa, ,jersey, ,Jewels, ,lily allen, ,london, ,London Fashion Week, ,review, ,S/S 2011, ,Somerset House, ,turban, ,Womenswear

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

ISSA catwalk collection S/S 2011

With Illustrations by Natasha Thompson

Hold on to your hats kids, abortion the turban is back! Or it is if Issa has her way.

According to the Brazilian-born designer S/S 11 is also going to be an Indian Summer, discount as she (like the Daks show I saw on Saturday) sent a collection of exotic, richly coloured jersey and silk looks down the catwalk, complete with gem-encrusted accessories and shoes, and jewel-toned turbans wound around the models’ heads.

Apparently ‘India’s evolving cultural influences and imperious architecture’ inspired the collection – but let’s not get too bogged down in the detail. What we saw was a complete summer wardrobe of whimsical day dresses, punchy prints and glammed up evening wear.

There’s nothing challenging here – Issa makes super flattering beachwear and glam, fail-safe party frocks for the Kings Road set – and is known for her dresses that can take you “from the beach to the office and then onto the red carpet”. After five days of non-stop shows, the fash pack were in need of light relief – and Issa’s bright and breezy show seemed to be a welcome antidote to more directional collections. The photographers were certainly grateful – they let out a collective whoop of “Last show of fashion week – wooooooooooarghh!” before it-girl Poppy Delevigne had even taken her seat.

ISSA catwalk collection S/S 2011

Some of the show was a Brazilian take on Bollywood glitz, injected with a shot of sixties glamour. What can only be described as a ‘sexy sari’ appeared in several guises – one shoulder, midriff baring bandeau tops paired with palazzo pants or swishy skirts in Pucci-esque prints. Teamed with antique jewellery from Lucy in Disguise (hence Lily Allen and baby bump on the front row) and strappy bejewelled sandals, these outfits were made for posing poolside with a martini.

The rest was rather a mixed bag – a couple of airy white sundresses here, some eye-popping lace dresses there. The signature party frocks – long with Grecian style draping, or short, cinched in and flirty – were out in full force. But sometimes I just wasn’t getting into that Indian groove.

Luckily, hair and makeup spiced up the show. Apparently the brief was “Veruschka starting out on a road trip in Rajasthan but ending at Burning Man” with “hallucinogenics…definitely involved”. So, naturally, we had turbans aplenty, hair piled high and wild, kohl rimmed eyes.

To be a true Issa girl you evidently need:

a) A slamming body – a lot of the looks are clingy and cut to show off a gym-honed physique, or a tan gained Greek island hopping.
b) A jet-set lifestyle that warrants a wardrobe of slinky party dresses, and a one-shoulder, draped swimsuit.

Looking around at my neighbours, I can see the shiny Eurocrats and glossed up It-girls in the crowd donning Issa’s creations this summer. But what if you aren’t a regular on the pages of Tatler?

Well, being pale, pasty and poor, I am probably NOT an Issa girl – but the clothes still made for a rather fabulous end to fashion week.

Categories ,Bollywood, ,brazil, ,fashion, ,illustration, ,Issa, ,jersey, ,Jewels, ,lily allen, ,london, ,London Fashion Week, ,review, ,S/S 2011, ,Somerset House, ,turban, ,Womenswear

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

Illustration by Lesley Barnes

London Fashion Week is a breeze by bike, ask mind after starting the day super early at My Beautiful Fashion, shop Fashion Editor Matt Bramford and I hot-stepped it via bike to see Craig Lawrence’s beautiful collection (see Matt’s review here) in the elegant setting of the Portico rooms. Afterwards I dashed up to Covent Garden before returning for Betty Jackson at 1pm in the BFC tent, buy more about Somerset House. I can’t put my finger on it but something really entrigued me about what it was that Betty Jackson would present, a long standing figure on the London Fashion Week on schedule, this is a designer I know incredibly little about. I appeared to be the only one either, the tent located in the Courtyard of Somerset house was packed to the rafters and there appeared to be a pile up as people dashed towards the front row.

Illustration by Gemma Randall

The collection was beautiful simplicity with Jackson updating 1940′s land girl outfits, the essence of which was most recently seen on Keira Knightly and Sienna Miller in the Dylan Thomas Biopic “The Edge of Love”

It is -especially on a cold London September day- easy to forget you are watching Spring Summer, especially when designers tempt you with instead beautifully thick knits and wool infused trousers.

Illustration by Lesley Barnes

Luckily after lulling me into a gentle consideration of how warm those knit would be. Jackson threw a curve ball with the appearance of a swimsuit and blouse adorned with club tropicana prints before the collection returned to soft muted browns, mind you was rather partial to the above jumpsuit illustrated by Gemma Randall. At this point I glanced around the room – fashion fhows are a great place to watch people’s expressions – I noticed a very beautiful Jo Wood standing (looking completely unperturbed) by the photographers, it must have been a real scrum at the door for Rock Royalty to be left standing.

Illustration by Gemma Randall

A luxurious collection, the shapes were simple but well made and the designer certainly knows how to maintain a crowds attention with the occasional loud print or teeny tiny swimming costumes, interdispersed within sophisticated summer glamour of long simply cut black skirts. Mind you, what is it about all designers obsession with lots of flesh (mainly leg) and teeny tiny shorts? They LOVE it, as showcased in our excellent coverage of Charlie Le Mindu seen here and here!

Illustration by Lesley Barnes

London Fashion Week is a breeze by bike, web after starting the day super early at My Beautiful Fashion, troche Fashion Editor Matt Bramford and I hot-stepped it via bike to see Craig Lawrence’s beautiful collection (see Matt’s review here) in the elegant setting of the Portico rooms.

Afterwards I dashed up to Covent Garden before returning for Betty Jackson at 1pm in the BFC tent, ambulance Somerset House. I can’t put my finger on it but something really entrigued me about what it was that Betty Jackson would present, a long standing figure on the London Fashion Week on schedule, this is a designer I know incredibly little about. I appeared to be the only one either, the tent located in the Courtyard of Somerset house was packed to the rafters and there appeared to be a pile up as people dashed towards the front row.

Illustration by Gemma Randall

The collection was beautiful simplicity with Jackson updating 1940′s land girl outfits, the essence of which was most recently seen on Keira Knightly and Sienna Miller in the Dylan Thomas Biopic “The Edge of Love”

It is -especially on a cold London September day- easy to forget you are watching Spring Summer, especially when designers tempt you with instead beautifully thick knits and wool infused trousers.

Illustration by Lesley Barnes

Luckily after lulling me into a gentle consideration of how warm those knit would be. Jackson threw a curve ball with the appearance of a swimsuit and blouse adorned with club tropicana prints before the collection returned to soft muted browns, mind you was rather partial to the above jumpsuit illustrated by Gemma Randall. At this point I glanced around the room – fashion fhows are a great place to watch people’s expressions – I noticed a very beautiful Jo Wood standing (looking completely unperturbed) by the photographers, it must have been a real scrum at the door for Rock Royalty to be left standing.

Illustration by Gemma Randall

A luxurious collection, the shapes were simple but well made and the designer certainly knows how to maintain a crowds attention with the occasional loud print or teeny tiny swimming costumes, interdispersed within sophisticated summer glamour of long simply cut black skirts. Mind you, what is it about all designers obsession with lots of flesh (mainly leg) and teeny tiny shorts? They LOVE it, as showcased in our excellent coverage of Charlie Le Mindu seen here and here!

Illustration by Lesley Barnes

London Fashion Week is a breeze by bike, click after starting the day super early at My Beautiful Fashion, price Fashion Editor Matt Bramford and I hot-peddled it to Craig Lawrence’s beautiful collection (see Matt’s review here) in the elegant setting of the Portico rooms.

After dashing back up to Covent Garden, I returned easily in time for my appointment with Betty Jackson at 1pm in the BFC tent, Somerset House. For reasons I can’t put my finger on, I was (and still am) strangely intrigued about what Betty Jackson would present. A long standing figure on the London Fashion Week on schedule, this is a designer whose name I am familiar with, but whose work I know incredibly little about. It appears I am the only one who is so clueless as the tent was packed to the rafters and the usual dash to seat the VIP’s as the catwalk covering is removed and the lights start to dim caused something of a pile up as people jumped into their alloted positions.

Illustration by Gemma Randall

After the door scrum was settled and the late comers quietly ushered in, the removal of the overhead lighting plunged everyone into darkness as the first model stepped out onto the catwalk. A strange hush descends upon the crowd, the murmur is instantly replaced by scribbling pens, tapping on phones and the constant wizz of a camera’s flash. For S/S 2011 Betty Jackson presented a collection that was beautiful simplicity in her update of 1940′s land girl outfits, the essence of which was most recently seen on Keira Knightly and Sienna Miller in the Dylan Thomas Biopic “The Edge of Love”

It is -especially on a cold London September day- easy to forget you are watching Spring Summer, especially when designers tempt you with instead beautifully thick knits and wool infused trousers.

Illustration by Lesley Barnes

Luckily after lulling me into a gentle consideration of how warm those knit would be. Jackson threw a curve ball with the appearance of a swimsuit and blouse adorned with club tropicana prints before the collection returned to soft muted browns, mind you was rather partial to the above jumpsuit illustrated by Gemma Randall. At this point I glanced around the room – fashion fhows are a great place to watch people’s expressions – I noticed a very beautiful Jo Wood standing (looking completely unperturbed) by the photographers, it must have been a real scrum at the door for Rock Royalty to be left standing.

Illustration by Gemma Randall

A luxurious collection, the shapes were simple but well made and the designer certainly knows how to maintain a crowds attention with the occasional loud print or teeny tiny swimming costumes, interdispersed within sophisticated summer glamour of long simply cut black skirts. Mind you, what is it about all designers obsession with lots of flesh (mainly leg) and teeny tiny shorts? They LOVE it, as showcased in our excellent coverage of Charlie Le Mindu seen here and here!

Illustration by Lesley Barnes

London Fashion Week is a breeze by bike, there after starting the day super early at My Beautiful Fashion, Fashion Editor Matt Bramford and I hot-peddled it to Craig Lawrence’s beautiful collection (see Matt’s review here) in the elegant setting of the Portico rooms.

After dashing back up to Covent Garden, I returned easily in time for my appointment with Betty Jackson at 1pm in the BFC tent, Somerset House. For reasons I can’t put my finger on, I was (and still am) strangely intrigued about what Betty Jackson would present. A long standing figure on the London Fashion Week on schedule, this is a designer whose name I am familiar with, but whose work I know incredibly little about. It appears I am the only one who is so clueless as the tent was packed to the rafters and the usual dash to seat the VIP’s as the catwalk covering is removed and the lights start to dim caused something of a pile up as people jumped into their alloted positions.

Illustration by Gemma Randall

After the door scrum was settled and the late comers quietly ushered in, the removal of the overhead lighting plunged everyone into darkness as the first model stepped out onto the catwalk. A strange hush descends upon the crowd, the murmur is instantly replaced by scribbling pens, tapping on phones and the constant wizz of a camera’s flash. For S/S 2011 Betty Jackson presented a collection that was beautiful simplicity in her update of 1940′s land girl outfits, the essence of which was most recently seen on Keira Knightly and Sienna Miller in the Dylan Thomas Biopic “The Edge of Love”

It is -especially on a cold London September day- easy to forget you are watching Spring Summer, especially when designers tempt you with instead beautifully thick knits and wool infused trousers.

Illustration by Lesley Barnes

Luckily after lulling me into a gentle consideration of how warm those knit would be. Jackson threw a curve ball with the appearance of a swimsuit and blouse adorned with club tropicana prints before the collection returned to soft muted browns, mind you was rather partial to the above jumpsuit illustrated by Gemma Randall. At this point I glanced around the room – fashion fhows are a great place to watch people’s expressions – I noticed a very beautiful Jo Wood standing (looking completely unperturbed) by the photographers, it must have been a real scrum at the door for Rock Royalty to be left standing.

Illustration by Gemma Randall

A luxurious collection, the shapes were simple but well made and the designer certainly knows how to maintain a crowds attention with the occasional loud print or teeny tiny swimming costumes, interdispersed within sophisticated summer glamour of long simply cut black skirts. Mind you, what is it about all designers obsession with lots of flesh (mainly leg) and teeny tiny shorts? They LOVE it, as showcased in our excellent coverage of Charlie Le Mindu seen here and here!

Illustration by Lesley Barnes

London Fashion Week is a breeze by bike and is thoroughly recommended for hot tailing it between the various venues dotted around Bloomsbury. Actually I throughly recommend traveling London by bike, generic one word of warning, once you start it becomes increasingly difficult to pour yourself into the tube. Anyway, I digress and their are posts dedicated to the joys of cycling in the web archive of Amelia’s Magazine, in fact why not read Amelia’s interview with Bobbin Bicycles? But back to day two of London Fashion Week, in which Fashion Editor Matt Bramford and I met super early at My Beautiful Fashion for Bernard Chandran, we hot-peddled it to Craig Lawrence’s beautiful collection in the elegant settings of the Portico Rooms.

After dashing back up to Covent Garden via the trusty bike, I easily returned in time for my first ever appointment with Betty Jackson at 1pm in the BFC tent, Somerset House. For reasons I can’t put my finger on, I was strangely intrigued about what Betty Jackson would present. A long standing figure on the London Fashion Week on schedule, this is a designer whose name I am familiar with, but whose work I know incredibly little about. It appears I am the only one who is so clueless as the tent was packed to the rafters and the usual dash to seat the VIP’s as the catwalk covering is removed and the lights start to dim caused something of a pile up as people jumped into their alloted positions.

Illustration by Gemma Randall

After the door scrum was settled and the late comers quietly ushered in, the removal of the overhead lighting plunged everyone into darkness as the first model stepped out onto the catwalk. A strange hush descends upon the crowd, the murmur is instantly replaced by scribbling pens, tapping on phones and the constant wizz of a camera’s flash. For S/S 2011 Betty Jackson presented a collection that was beautiful simplicity in her update of 1940′s land girl outfits, the essence of which was most recently seen on Keira Knightly and Sienna Miller in the Dylan Thomas Biopic “The Edge of Love”

It is -especially on a cold London September day- easy to forget you are watching Spring Summer, especially when designers tempt you with instead beautifully thick knits and wool infused trousers.

Illustration by Lesley Barnes

Luckily after lulling me into a gentle consideration of how warm those knit would be. Jackson threw a curve ball with the appearance of a swimsuit and blouse adorned with club tropicana prints before the collection returned to soft muted browns, mind you was rather partial to the above jumpsuit illustrated by Gemma Randall. At this point I glanced around the room – fashion fhows are a great place to watch people’s expressions – I noticed a very beautiful Jo Wood standing (looking completely unperturbed) by the photographers, it must have been a real scrum at the door for Rock Royalty to be left standing.

Illustration by Gemma Randall

A luxurious collection, the shapes were simple but well made and the designer certainly knows how to maintain a crowds attention with the occasional loud print or teeny tiny swimming costumes, interdispersed within sophisticated summer glamour of long simply cut black skirts. Mind you, what is it about all designers obsession with lots of flesh (mainly leg) and teeny tiny shorts? They LOVE it, as showcased in our excellent coverage of Charlie Le Mindu seen here and here!

Lako Bukia fashion illustrations
With illustrations by Andrea Peterson.

It was a bum fight at Vauxhall Fashion Scout, viagra 60mg as hoards of people turned out for one of the most highly anticipated collections of the schedule – Lako Bukia’s first runway collection ‘Surati’ S/S 11.

Lako Bukia looked to her homeland, with a collection that was ‘dedicated to Georgian culture’ (as in the country, not Jane Austen) and inspired by Soviet Union Architecture. The obligatory Soviet Red was there in full swing, with bold, all-red outfits opening the show.

LFW-LakoBukia-Andrea-Peterson

But this was a romantic collection, despite the model’s severe slicked-back buns. Instead of brutal tower blocks we had sharp, structured shoulders on every jacket, and instead of a bleak grey landscape, she gave us a soft palette of blue, pink and beige. I was whisked away by the dreamy drop-waist dresses, and full skirts in chiffon, crepe and organza, and can see why her pieces have been snapped up by buyers already – the organza ‘cage’ dress – sheer but with leather trimming was divine.

And the accessories! Bukia collaborated with Georgian artist Aleksandre Mikadza to create handmade glass and stone pendants, and the models strutted down the catwalk on a very soviet take on Mary Janes – finally someone paid attention to the shoes!

Categories ,accessories, ,Andrea Peterson, ,artist, ,catwalk show, ,fashion, ,georgia, ,lako bukia, ,lfw, ,london, ,London Fashion Week, ,mary janes, ,review, ,S/S 2011, ,Vauxhall Fashion Scout, ,Womenswear

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2011 Party: Tatty Devine


Illustration by Joana Faria

Nearing the end of fashion week, ed stuff everyone begins to look forward to a little light relief and a break from running from venue to venue – maybe some music, a bit of dancing and a drink or two? The Tatty Devine party ticked all the boxes and added an abundance of their snazzy jewellery to oogle at.

Held in their Covent Garden store on Monmouth Street, there was a lively crowd from seven onwards mixing those who had turned up for the party, with the people spilling out from nearby pubs and bars. The Severed Limb were playing on and off with my favourite member playing something which when I asked, was told (in an its-matter-of-fact-way), that it was the wash board.

So…the dulcet tones of the washboard, the bass, and the accordion accompanied the Can Do dancers from Pineapple Studios. With their amazing ruffled, flared skirts and Tatty Devine jewellery, the party was literally jumping by 8 o’clock. Western themed jewellery matched the music with fringed necklaces, brooches, horseshoe earrings and cowboy boot charms.


Illustration by Joana Faria

I have always enjoyed the quirkiness of Tatty Devine jewellery and their new pieces do not let the brand down. The moustache and pipe rings are great, as are the famous name tag necklaces and the pom pom earrings Amelia spotted when she popped down later. Rifling through my goodie bag, I was delighted to find a pipe ring included – definite style win.

We’ve always been fans of Tatty Devine and I was pleased to see that they are still going strong with their collaborations. At the moment, Rob Ryan jewellery (who collaborated with us for our second issue) is available from their online store as well as in Covent Garden. Other designers they are working with include Mrs Jones and Gilbert & George.



All photography by Florence Massey

Categories ,Collaborations, ,Covent Garden, ,Cowboy Boots, ,Gilbert and George, ,Horseshoe Necklace, ,jewellery, ,london, ,Monmouth Street, ,Mrs Jones, ,Nametag Necklace, ,rob ryan, ,Tatty Devine, ,The Severed Limb, ,Western

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2011 Party: Tatty Devine


Illustration by Joana Faria

Nearing the end of fashion week, ed stuff everyone begins to look forward to a little light relief and a break from running from venue to venue – maybe some music, a bit of dancing and a drink or two? The Tatty Devine party ticked all the boxes and added an abundance of their snazzy jewellery to oogle at.

Held in their Covent Garden store on Monmouth Street, there was a lively crowd from seven onwards mixing those who had turned up for the party, with the people spilling out from nearby pubs and bars. The Severed Limb were playing on and off with my favourite member playing something which when I asked, was told (in an its-matter-of-fact-way), that it was the wash board.

So…the dulcet tones of the washboard, the bass, and the accordion accompanied the Can Do dancers from Pineapple Studios. With their amazing ruffled, flared skirts and Tatty Devine jewellery, the party was literally jumping by 8 o’clock. Western themed jewellery matched the music with fringed necklaces, brooches, horseshoe earrings and cowboy boot charms.


Illustration by Joana Faria

I have always enjoyed the quirkiness of Tatty Devine jewellery and their new pieces do not let the brand down. The moustache and pipe rings are great, as are the famous name tag necklaces and the pom pom earrings Amelia spotted when she popped down later. Rifling through my goodie bag, I was delighted to find a pipe ring included – definite style win.

We’ve always been fans of Tatty Devine and I was pleased to see that they are still going strong with their collaborations. At the moment, Rob Ryan jewellery (who collaborated with us for our second issue) is available from their online store as well as in Covent Garden. Other designers they are working with include Mrs Jones and Gilbert & George.



All photography by Florence Massey

Categories ,Collaborations, ,Covent Garden, ,Cowboy Boots, ,Gilbert and George, ,Horseshoe Necklace, ,jewellery, ,london, ,Monmouth Street, ,Mrs Jones, ,Nametag Necklace, ,rob ryan, ,Tatty Devine, ,The Severed Limb, ,Western

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2011 Presentation Review: Ascher Scarves


Prangsta, ailment illustrated by Joana Faria

Now, ask here’s a treat. Hopefully you caught Georgia Takacs’ wonderful insight into the awe-inspiring world of Prangsta Costumiers last week: the celebrated (if somewhat unconventional) Alice in Wonderland-esque bazaar in New Cross.

Now I would never in a million years suggest that readers of Amelia’s Magazine come to the site just to look at pretty pictures, rx what with our bursting-at-the-seams stock of fabulous writers, but in order to bring a little sunshine and entertainment to a so far grey Wednesday, feast your eyes on some glorious images and illustrations from Prangsta.

Georgia, who wrote the article, took part in a shoot with the team there, capturing the many faces that pass through the doors and even more of the craft-packed corners of this wonderful find. So here they are. I’m convinced you could look at this place all day and never get bored – I hope you agree!


Illustration by Krister Selin

The latest shoot focuses on a somewhat macabre Snow White, shown with an array of weird and wonderful friends:






Illustration by Rachel de Ste. Croix


Prangsta, story illustrated by Joana Faria

Now, medical here’s a treat. Hopefully you caught Georgia Takacs’ wonderful insight into the awe-inspiring world of Prangsta Costumiers last week: the celebrated (if somewhat unconventional) Alice in Wonderland-esque bazaar in New Cross.

Now I would never in a million years suggest that readers of Amelia’s Magazine come to the site just to look at pretty pictures, what with our bursting-at-the-seams stock of fabulous writers, but in order to bring a little sunshine and entertainment to a so far grey Wednesday, feast your eyes on some glorious images and illustrations from Prangsta.

Georgia, who wrote the article, took part in a shoot with the team there, capturing the many faces that pass through the doors and even more of the craft-packed corners of this wonderful find. So here they are. I’m convinced you could look at this place all day and never get bored – I hope you agree!


Illustration by Krister Selin

The latest shoot focuses on a somewhat macabre Snow White, shown with an array of weird and wonderful friends:






Illustration by Rachel de Ste. Croix

Prangsta also worked with ethereal fashion photographer Ellen Rogers, and the result is astonishing. Rogers’ photographs make heavy use of photographic techniques from long ago, evoking (for me at least) images of Marlene Dietrich in Hot Venus and the eery portraits of death popular in the Victorian age. Whatever they evoke, this marriage of Prangsta and Rogers is incredible.




Photographs by Ellen Rogers

To read the original article about the wonderful world of Prangsta, click here.


Image courtesy of Ascher

On Tuesday I went to see a beautiful collection of scarves from Ascher London, order presented in a suite at Number One Aldwych. Marking their first collection of scarves in thirty years, the collection consists of some brand new designs sitting alongside classic designs from the Ascher library, reworked in new colourways.

Ascher was founded as a fabric house in 1947; their fabrics graced the catwalks of an amazing list of couturiers including Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Givenchy, Schiaparelli, Lanvin and Mary Quant. A husband and wife team, Lida designed and Zika printed the fabrics.


Rose Pom Pom, designed by Ascher studio, was featured prominently in a collection of dresses in Christian Dior’s 1954 collection

Fabric shortages during the Second World War lead to a rise in the popularity of colourful headscarves as an easy way to liven up dull uniforms. During the 1940s Ascher took advantage of this trend, initially reproducing nineteenth-century prints in vivid new colourways.


A selection of scarves from the Ascher archive

Later, they became the first studio to approach and join forces with artists to produce scarves from illustrations and paintings, boasting another impressive list of those involved: Matisse, Derain, Berard, Moore, Cocteau, Nicholson and Sutherland.


Image courtesy of Ascher

Sam Ascher, grandson of Lida and Zika, talked me through the current collection along with some vintage scarves and artwork from the Ascher archive. This included a rare opportunity to see some original and never-used ink illustrations by Cecil Beaton, complete with his handwritten instructions outlining the repeat pattern.

All of the scarves are made in Italy using luxurious silk twill, silk chiffon, cashmere and modal with hand rolled edges and the quality is immediately apparent.

Screen printing (rather than digital printing) allows the designs to be reproduced exactly, so that each design is as perfect as if it had been hand-painted. Some multi tonal scarves are produced using up to ten screens, ensuring each of the artists’ original brushstrokes is retained in perfect detail. There is definitely no cutting of corners where Ascher is concerned.

The collection look book features an illustrated guide of How To Wear Your Ascher Scarf. Names like The Sports Car and The Parisian Loop conjure up images of glamorous femme fatales racing around the Home Counties in classic cars. The whole collection captures the optimistic glamour and elegance of the post-war era.


Images courtesy of Ascher

One of the scarves designed by Henry Moore is described in the look book as Bridging the gap between fashion and fine art, Aschers designs are described as equally at home in a frame or worn on an evening out.

The designs were celebrated with a retrospective at the V&A back in 1987 and they are still held in many museum collections, evident by the two Henry Moore wall hangings on display, which I was told had been unexpectedly sent over by the Tate that morning.

All photography by Naomi Law, unless otherwise stated

Categories ,Ascher, ,Cecil Beaton, ,Dior, ,Givenchy, ,Henry Moore, ,How to Wear, ,Lanvin, ,london, ,London Fashion Week, ,Mary Quant, ,matisse, ,Number One Aldwych, ,S/S 2011, ,Sam Ascher, ,Scarves

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