Working for Amelia’s Magazine – proud pioneer of fresh talent – it’s always a delight to see a label progress through the seasons. It baffles me how designers make it into showcases like Fashion Scout’s Ones to Watch and then simply disappear. So I was delighted to see that Baartmans and Siegel – the dutch/English design partnership we’d enjoyed in the Ones to Watch show last season – had made it onto the menswear day schedule with their first solo outing. They’re stocked by Harrods and met at Viktor & Rolf, so their joint credentials already have them a high profile.
Unusually I was one of the first attendees into the show space at the Freemasons’ Hall, so I revelled in digging through the goodie bag (I’m pleased to announce I’m fully furnished with Label.M products again, after levels in my bathroom had reached worryingly low levels) and I read through the show notes. This season the design duo sought inspiration from, amongst other things, the Milk Tray man. I was already in love with this collection before everybody had even taken their seats.
Inspiration also came from 1970s British menswear and cinema. Baartmans and Siegel are obsessed with popular culture and it is the Milk Tray man‘s mystery and sense of indulgence that had them captivated in the run up to this show.
The first look featured a meticulously tailored blazer in a rich blue colour, which would become the mainstay. A pocket square of the same colour held the initials B and S, and the jacket was teamed with comfortable grey trousers with silver zips to give a futuristic appeal.
More tailoring followed, with loose-fitting tweed trousers and cashmere blazers worn over chunky knitted rollnecks. Then came sportier ensembles included padded puffa jackets – some with zip details, others with contrasting tweed sections.
The blue kept coming, as did a desirable palette of slate grey and, of course, Cadbury purple in honour of their hero. A classic grey jacket was teamed with jersey trousers with contrasting panels for a contemporary look, and sophisticated overcoats show Baartmans and Siegel’s expertise in dressing the modern man.
This is refined menswear at its best. Baartmans and Siegel expertly marry fashion-forward clothes with traditional techniques. Classic silhouettes, contemporary cuts, luxurious fabrics and deep colours make for an outstanding debut solo show.
Written by Matt Bramford on Monday February 27th, 2012 7:09 pm
The design duo presented this season’s wares in an unused shop on Earlham Street. Inside, their eight models stood on breeze blocks in front of stark white walls, enveloped by a jungle of plants. With A/W 2013′s collection of Arctic-worthy puffas and parkas ingrained in my mind, this was clearly a cohesive move towards spring and summer fun.
I’ve talked about the merits of a presentation vs. a catwalk show before, but this was the perfect example. If these models were to have walked past a lightning speed, you’d never get a flavour of the expert craftsmanship and hidden details that go in to a Baartmans and Siegel collection. You’re also made acutely aware that models are told to Blue Steel into your camera, which can make for hilarious results. I never, ever know what to do after they’ve shot me a look. Sometimes I nod, sometimes I smile, sometimes I pretend to fiddle with the settings on my camera; I’ve even been known to do a little bow or curtsy, which is incredibly embarrassing.
SS14′s ‘South Pacific Aviation‘ sees Wouter and Amber seek subtle inspiration from the joys of adventure and exotic escapism. With elements of military and utilitarian uniform, a resounding feature of a Baartmans and Siegel collection is always a strong focus on the beauty of textures. Rich silks, brushed cottons, jersey, perforated suede, wools – you name it, they make excellent use of it.
Basics like tees and tailored shirts came in off-white, but were dominated by a sea of varying blues and blacks for a masculine effect. Most forms of the jacket were given the B&S once-over; a bomber with silk sleeves, a trench with zip details, an elongated Harrington and parkas in paisley Broderie Anglaise.
Polos and t-shirts were layered in a loose, nonchalant way. Mesh tops added another texture, contrasting with the softness of jacket materials.
Slick, wet-look hair styles, shades and Sauconys added an extra modern dimension to Baartmans and Siegel‘s firmly established classic aesthetic.
Written by Matt Bramford on Monday July 1st, 2013 8:27 am
When did you last hear an amazing story? A tale of derring-do, helpmedical or grand ambition, shop heights scaled, ambulance depths plumbed – simple stand-up human decency or quiet unassuming endurance or some quirky ingenuity fit to inspire generations to come. The kind of stuff they used to sing songs about, and still do.
Sat around their dining table one evening, David and Clare Hieatt pondered. They were rubbing their chins over what they could really do about the things they cared about. They’d started howies back in 1995, something of an awesome inspirational-type clothes company in itself, but this was clearly not enough. From that evening of reflection, they figured that the world’s Doers are the best people to inspire people to go Do something. In David’s words, ‘They show us what is possible. They leave a trail that we can follow. Knowing how they did it helps us to connect the dots about how we can do it. They give us the inspiration, the final push we need to go and do our thing. Whatever that might be. From starting a new business, to inventing something that hasn’t been done before to fighting for your cause, doers seek.’
And so the Do Lectures were born – a series of talks by people who have Done stuff, and might well Do more, if we let them up and at it – a few days gathering each year to share ideas and stories, to meet other fantastic Doers, and thereby get these stories out and about in the world. Here are a few Qs – the As courtesy of David Hieatt – that might give you more of an idea.
Why do people get involved with the Do Lectures?
There isn’t a set of talks like it in Britain. The talks have sustainability at its heart. Their reason to exist is to make a positive change. The speakers do not get paid but we do cover their expenses. Speakers come from all over the world to tell their story. They want to share their learning, they want to share their new ideas, they want to share their journey. They want to tell the world about the change they have made or are seeking to make. It might be a small tent but there are some big ideas being shared. They have a story to tell. People remember stories. They forget facts.
How do you choose your speakers for the Do Lectures?
We spend the year researching the speakers. We find out who has written the most interesting books, written the most thought provoking articles, who is doing the bravest thinking in their field, and then we pull from that research and start to compile a short list. We already have some of the speakers booked for next year. We also have a number of Do mentors throughout the world. They report back to us from time to time. They tell us who their doers are in their part of the world. They we literally get on the phone to the people we are going to invite. Even in the second year, an invite is starting to carry some kudos.
What is the most unusual topic for this year’s Do Lectures?
Maybe, Mount Everests binman. Or a school that aims to create chaos and not order. Maybe the man wants to change how concrete is made. Or maybe the man who’s doodles have ended up on the big screen for what could be the biggest film of the year: Where the Wild Things Are.
Where do you see the Do lectures in 5, 10, 20 years’ time?
In 5 years – There will be a series of How to Do books. That cover the subjects that the talks cover from clean tech to inventing to climate change. Global talks. The talks will take place all over the world. From Sydney, to Bangalore, to Stockholm, to Tokyo, to San Francisco, to Beijing. The talks will over time become an important set of talks, respected throughout the world. In 10 years – The aim for the Do Lectures over the next decade is to build a world resource for Doers and to supply that knowledge for Free for the world to use. To make a positive change. In 20 years – To build A Do school. There will be a physical and a virtual library available free to the world.
So here’s a gathering with a difference. At one thousand pounds a place, you’re less buying a ticket, more contributing to the speakers’ expenses and the future free distribution of the lectures. David and Clare are thinking big – what is fast becoming a respected annual event should attract over a million people across the world this time around to get inspired for free. If you can go, I most humbly and slightly jealously urge you, go. And if a back seat is the order of the day – well, don’t make a habit of sitting there. Once this year’s stories are out and available, I think there’ll be more than enough get-up to go. Yes, I surely Do.
One of Amelia’s Magazine‘s favourite graduates from the Central St Martins MA back in March was knitwear designer Morgan Allen- Oliver, treatment with a selection of horse jockey- meet- Soviet minimalist graphic patterned jumpers. We caught up with him to find out how the last few months have been treating a designer with very British sensibilities.
Hi there! How are you doing? You have nice hair.
Hello, approved thank you. I think both my hair and I are feeling the effects of a rather busy couple of weeks!
What have you been up to?
Well I’ve had my brothers wedding in Somerset, diagnosis where I was making waistcoats for the wedding party, and then I’ve been at the Avalon Camp, the charity I work with (a week in a very rainy, muddy field with 32 children, trying to give them a summer holiday!!) then straight back to London to reacclimatise to city life!
You graduated in March – what have you been up to since then?
I needed a break. It was 18 months of near hell, I loved almost every minute of it but it was emotionally, physically and financially draining – I loved it! Then after a couple of weeks lying in a darkened room, I went back to my old uni, Ravensbourne, to help some very talented young designers pull their collections together ready for Graduate Fashion Week. It was fun but strange at the same time – working so hard only to see someone else get the glory! I have not done that before but I suppose it gets you ready for the real world! Then I started doing some work for Christopher Shannon and Natascha Stolle, sort of knitwear consultancy I guess you could call it? This has actually been very beneficial and given me a lot of creative freedom.
Describe your design aesthetic in three words.
British. Elegant. Me.
Who do you see wearing your clothes?
It is odd, but I always have my friend Ed in the back of my head when I design – I think, “would he wear it?” Then I go with it. I also see my clothes as really easy-to wear, and could work on anybody who wants to wear them – as long as they are happy, I am happy. I think that as long as people are confident in their clothes, they will look good! Man that sounds cheesy!
Who do you admire within the industry? Any other heroes?
A strange choice but I am always really excited to see the new Miu Miu shows when they come out. I know it is mainly womenswear and not my forte, but there is always something fun and new that really gets me. Every now again Burberry come out with some beautiful knitwear that makes me wish I had designed it!
Why knitwear?
As stupid and as lazy as it sounds, when I was in my last year at Ravensbourne, no one was doing it so I thought it would be a good way to stand out, and it was. You need to stand out in fashion, however possible! But as I got more into it, I actually started to like it and really enjoyed the process, designing as I knitted and being so much freer than when I was working with wovens. I must have enjoyed it I guess as I went on to specialise in it at St Martins!
As a knitwear specialist, are you pleased to see a lot of recent students showing an interest in knitting?
I really am. It was amazing that only two years after I left Ravensbourne as the only only pure knitter, there were six or seven people doing it when I went back, all of whom were doing some of the best and most beautiful work I have seen. I was also really pleased to see so much on show at GFW. I sat through nearly all the shows and the knitwear was definitely the highlight in most shows.
Morgan’s BA collection from Ravensbourne
Now for the important question…you inherit 5 million dollars the same day aliens land and say they’re going to blow up the world in two days… what do you do?(Editor’s note: definitely not lifted from anywhere)
Well I don’t believe in aliens. But if I inherited 5 million pounds (we are in England!) and then the world ended that night, I would probably be too panicked to come up with a coherent plan, so would no doubt waste my time thinking about what to do!
Who or what is your greatest enemy?
Time. There is never enough and I waste it terribly.
Who would you ideally like to work for, and what’s the future for Morgan Allen-Oliver?
I want to work for one of the classic British houses. I feel that is where my style sits best. Then who knows, one day go out on my own? When I was younger, and still finding my style, I always thought New York was the place for me, and actually in the past week, two opportunities have come up over there, but we will wait and see!
To get in touch with Morgan (and maybe get yourself one of those jolly nice jumpers) pop him over an e-mail by clicking here.
Like trojan horses in thrift store suits, edAndy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno are the corporate world’s bêtes noires, find causing mayhem and creating chaos in the buttoned up business sector. Seeing that they describe their favourite hobby as posing as the heads of corporations that they hate, this the results of which have caused losses of millions of dollars on the stock market, you can see why these men strike fear in the otherwise impenetrable world of big business.
The exploits of Andy and Mike, otherwise known as The Yes Men, make up “The Yes Men Fix The World”, the optimistically titled documentary which details their journey into some of the biggest, baddest corporations in the world. Before you think that these two are merely time-wasting pranksters, bare in mind that they only go after the organisations which have blood on their hands, and their ultimate mission is to “expose the corporate greed which is destroying the planet”. Their tried and tested manner of political activism is done by ” criticizing those in power with a smile and a middle finger”, a disarmingly effective method which always delivers. The film details one of their most infamous and audacious hoaxes yet – impersonating a Dow Chemical spokesperson on the BBC. A little back history to put this in the correct context; in 1984 a chemical plant in India which was owned by Union Carbide (since purchased by Dow Chemical) leaked 27 tons of the deadly gas methyl isocyanate which spread into the city of Bhopal. Called the worst industrial disaster in human history, the effects were far reaching and horrific. Over 500,000 people were exposed to the gas, and 20,000 have died as a result. It is estimated that 120,000 people still suffer from ailments caused by the leakage, which include blindness, extreme difficulty in breathing and gynecological disorders. Babies born since have been blighted with disfigurements. Since Dow Chemical purchased Union Carbide in 2001, they have refused to clean up the side, provide safe drinking water or compensate the victims, saying that the settlement reached by Union Carbide had fulfilled the financial and moral responsibilities of the victims.
With this in mind, the dogged determination of The Yes Men to focus in the spotlight on Dow by any means possible is quite understandable. In 2004, Andy Bichlbaum appeared on the BBC as Jude Finisterra, a Dow Chemical representative, accepting responsibility for their actions, pledging to clean up the site and compensate the victims.
The fallout was fast and unexpected – Dow’s share price fell 4.2% in 23 minutes, causing a loss of $2 billion in market value. This leads to a Yes Men realisation. As they explain; “we have created a market system that makes doing the right thing impossible, and the people who appear to be leading are actually following its pathological dictates. If we keep putting the market in the driver’s seat, it could happily drive the whole planet off a cliff.”
The film follows Andy and Mike around conferences as they try to explain the ramifications of this situation. Of course, the methods which they employ to do so are not always legit (but funny for us). For example, pitching the concept of a ‘golden skeleton’- which represents lucrative skeletons in the closet, to a London Dow Conference. Surprisingly, those attended loved the concept and afterwards scrabbled to be given skeleton key chains and memorabilia.
The documentary also unveils SurvivaBalls, (which can best be described with photographic examples) on a unsuspecting audience. While they may suspiciously look like fat suits, they in fact “Save managers from abrupt climate change – an advanced new technology will keep corporate managers safe even when climate change makes life as we know it impossible”. As long as the heads of the corporations are alright, eh?
The Yes Men press have this to say about the films release:
COME SEE THE YES MEN GET SERVED?
If you happen to live in the U.K., the Yes Men will be attending the London
preview screenings August 7-10 and will appear live at the nationwide simulcast on
August 11. These are great opportunities to serve the Yes Men legal papers should
you or anyone you know wish to sue them. Please get tickets early to reserve a
seat for these potentially lively events! Note as well that the Yes Men will give
a free “Special Edition” New York Times to anyone who comes to any daytime
screening, or to one of the Monday-Wednesday evening screenings at the Odeon
Panton Street London between August 7-13.
There will also be the chance, a la The Age Of Stupid, to organise screenings in schools and public work places. For full screening dates and times, and to buy advance
tickets, please visit http://www.theyesmenfixtheworld.com/scre
Antwerp has a lot to answer for. It has for the last decade been a fertile hotbed for not only cooler than thou talent emerging from the Fashion Academy but a steady stream of artists, about it photographers, see illustrators and graphic designers. One man who has his fingers in all the fore mentioned creative pies is Frederik Heyman, hospital an Antwerper born and bred, who has been artistically active since the tender age of 7. With not one but two master degrees, one in graphic and illustration design and one in photography, Heyman is more than a hobbyist with a passion.
His portfolio is extensive yet he remains clearly selective about working with people he resonates with; local folk such as Bruno Pieters and Christian Wijnants, as well as red hot publications such as Zoo Magazine (the trendy Berlin based one, not the British poor man’s playboy) Delvaux Magazine, and Mode Depesche.
When I asked him about his most admired artists he explains that while admiration can have negative connotations for him which in turn can kill creativity once you strive for emulation, he has a lot of respect for certain artists and thinks the prospect of collaboration is tricky when you contend with “egos bumping”.
As someone who explores more than one avenue of expression, I wondered whether he had a preference between creating illustrations and shooting photographs. “I believe for me one is inseparable from the other; there is a lot of crossover. I illustrate my images and the atmosphere by putting it on film and vice versa. I believe I’m more of an illustrator who uses a wide range of media, including photography.” Perhaps the attraction of dealing with a range of medias is that it keeps one’s mind and occupied; Frederik claims that if he wasn’t an artist his life would probably be a lot more structured.
One theme that struck me immediately in Heyman’s work is his use of the human form. I was curious where his fascination with bodies came from, especially when he is in turn quite shy of his own. “It’s not a fascination; it’s more the endless possibilities you have with the tool called ‘a body’. It’s more of an automatic feature that sneaks in rather than a present subject in my work. With the body you can sculpt your image, it can be subtle, or it can support the action from the background. Every little movement or gesture can reroute the atmosphere in an opposite direction.”
When the conversation matured into more of a chit chat, I discover that Frederik is lost without his mobile phone, “I can’t stand the silence of not hearing people in a day passing by”, that he can’t deny the musical presence of the Pet Shop Boys in his life “they are permanently in my top 25 listened to tracks!”, and that his only real nemesis is sleep, “I suffer the physical weakness of body and time. I find the days run too short for all the possibilities.”
His work has received widespread interest from a number of blogs and websites; the diversity of his appeal is to his credit, and I’m sure will mean his success can only continue to flourish. Collina Strada designs some very nice bags. And like most things fashion-related around here at Amelia’s Magazine, physician they have a heart and soul, viagra 40mg with a passionate concern for environmentally friendly fashion. Made from organic canvas and using vegetable dyed leathers, medications these new ‘It’ bags truly deserve the label; they really are so much more than just a bag (if such a thing even exists!)
The genius behind the designs is LA based Hillary Taymour, who has brought her vast fashion and business education from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising to her business; covering all aspects of initial design work, production and marketing. Hillary is Collina Strada! Combining her Californian education with her Egyptian background, Hillary’s bags showcase the modernity of American fashionistas mixed with ethnic prints and ethical fabrics no doubt inspired by her African roots. Think zebra stripes meeting modern shapes, expect tribal diamonds printed on envelope bags.
The collection is made with the fashion-forward woman in mind, no surprise considering Hillary’s location. Already celebrated on inspirational fashion blog, rackk and ruin, it’s definitely correct to say that once you have the blogosphere’s support, good things are on their way. Something that makes the bags stand out is their individuality; each bag is different, nothing matches, yet the excellent tailoring and construction hold the designs together.
Inspired by bag-making-legends ranging from Prada, to Balenciaga, to Hermes, Hillary certainly knows her handbag royalty. Alongside her education and background, these formative influences can truly be spotted in the ‘It’ factor to her designs, making functional and modern bags that at the same time stand out as somehow timeless, vintage-look pieces. Look at the effortless draped shape of the Ferra bag, or the dramatic rouching of the Zeba bag, and you’ll see what I mean. Can’t you picture the photos of Sienna, Alexa and the gang parading around London town with these beauties on their shoulders already?
Collina Strada – Where does the name come from?
The name for the collection derived from my name Hillary people call me Hill, in Italian Collina means Hill and Strada means Street.
What was the inspiration behind the collection?
The inspiration for the line was to create a beautiful silhouette with buttery leathers and eco-conscious materials, I wanted to create something beautiful that could allow every woman to show off their individual style.
What do you think makes your bags stand out?
The bags stand out through their unique silhouette with a clean aesthetic, the bags speak for themselves without any added hardware.
What’s in store for the future of Collina Strada?
The future of Collina Strada is expanding, I will be creating functional abstract leather pieces that are not necessarily handbags, I would love to see Collina Strada move forward into a head to toe contemporary women’s collection.
Hillary states on her website that she strives to provide bags that “break free from the rest”. Looking at her 09 collection, they certainly do that.
Written by Becky Cope on Thursday August 13th, 2009 3:48 pm
A new spring title by Vivays Publishing, Wearable Vintage Fashion is written by the owners of Second Hand Rose, a vintage boutique in Worcester. Jo Waterhouse and Clare Bridge aim to provide readers with a visual reference point for any anyone interested in vintage fashion, focusing on easily attainable looks to suit a range of budgets.
All photography by Caitlin Sinclair, page spreads courtesy of Vivays Publishing
The book is helpfully divided up into fashion according to decades, using colour-coded sections that range from the 1920s to the 1980s. A one-page introduction to each decade gives context, discussing the impact of societal circumstances on fashion trends, and with some brief tips on recreating looks. For instance, the 1950s introduction covers the new youth culture and how it opened up a fashion market for a generation of young people with disposable income. It’s an approachable way of thinking about the socio-economic and practical considerations embedded in fashion.
Day and eveningwear pages in each section are filled with selected items of clothing and accessories, alongside descriptive text outlining the classic shapes and textiles from each era. ‘Get the Look’ pages are places where old candid and street photographs are used as inspiration for creating on-the-page outfits and to describe common trends.
The garments and accessories shown are incredible, with colourful, multi-textured and authentic pieces from each era featured alongside modern-day alternatives, for those that might not be able to access the real items. What lets the reading experience down however is the way garments are laid out in a collage format -without mannequins or models (or in some cases, ironing) the pieces can’t be displayed to full effect, which is a shame given how precious some of them are.
Later on in each chapter are ‘Icons’ pages, where the authors interpret a signature look from the decade, for example, Farrah Fawcett from the 1970s. While the intentions here are admirable – to easily recreate a look for a party or event – the styling and images aren’t of a high enough quality to appeal in a book format. It’s difficult to tread the line between a do-it-yourself guide and a higher-end coffee table book, but in this case the extraordinary subject matter warranted that closer attention be paid to the visual design.
More appealing are the look books, where double page spreads show the full breadth of a fashion decade including day and eveningwear. I adored the 1940s spreads in particular, with pale knitted cardigans, a sweet pink bakelite elephant brooch and an original Pendleton ‘49er’ tartan jacket.
The final part of the book is ‘Vintage Street Fashion’ where the authors document how various fashion bloggers and enthusiasts wear vintage clothing on a day-to-day basis. As with previous sections, the styling and quality of the images varies dramatically and appears visually inconsistent, but if you can ignore this, the insight into the lives of these women and their relationship with certain vintage pieces is worth the read.
Since Ewan MacGregor sang to Nicole Kidman to the light of a Moulin Rouge, viagrainformation pills or perhaps since Don Quixote tilted heroically over the hills to La Mancha at those giant-like shapes, cialis 40mg they’ve caught our hearts as surely as Windy Miller once did, waving to us from the music box as an episode of Camberwick Green came on telly. Given the topicality of their gleaming three-pronged younger brothers, the turbines bedecking our beloved bemoorlands, eyes turned to Vestas’ factory on the Isle of Wight, I thought I’d glance back a little, to quieter ages.
They were the great technological innovation of the twelth century, at least in Northern Europe. The Persians had been happily pumping water with wind power 1500 or so years earlier, and the Greeks on the Cyclades out-sourced their grain grinding expertise to the mainland, charging a nifty 1/10 of the flour fee. Their three pronged modern successors are the best developed shot at renewable energy we’ve properly developed yet.
When you scratch the surface of windmill history, you come across the attractively-named International Molinological Society, whose members meet every four years or so to talk over anything from ‘oblique scoopwheels’ to industrial espionage – mill technology from the USA in the early 19th century was carried across the ocean by the German spies Ganzel and Wulff to form the start of a new development in european mill technology. Can you imagine the excitement and tension in that debriefing room?
Darrell M Dodge (of Littleton, Colorado)’s Illustrated History of Wind Power Development calls windmills ‘the electrical motor of pre-industrial Europe’. They did all sorts : pumping water from wells, for irrigation, or drainage using a scoop wheel, grain-grinding, saw-milling wood, and processing spices, cocoa, paints and dyes, and tobacco.
To see the first main kind of northern european windmill, you can take a trip down to Outwood, Britain’s oldest still-functioning windmill, built in 1665 by Thomas Budgen of Nutfield. It’s a post mill : the whole body, weighing around 25 tons, rotates on a central post made of a single enormous oak tree, to bring the mill round into the wind.
The post mill was the most common design in the twelfth century, when they were just getting going (the first reference to a British windmill is in 1191). By the end of the thirteenth century, though, the masonry tower mill had been introduced. These had the neat innovation of a turning timber cap, built on a stone tower – so the moving bit was lighter, and the windmill could be built taller with larger sails to get more power.
William Cubitt was a curious engineer from Norfolk, obsessed with the efficient use of energy. He straightened out an unsatisfactory bit of canal north of Oxford, and invented the prison treadwheel, a device which perhaps sums up that mechanical, peculiarly Victorian vision that every cog and wheel of society should find its place, in workhouse, town house or courthouse. He installed the first one in Bury St Edmunds Gaol in 1819, followed enthusiastically by ones at Cold Bath Fields (London), Swaffham, Worcester, Liverpool and probably more besides.
On the more picturesque side of his engineering, in 1807, he invented and swiftly patented a new type of sail, known from then on as ‘Patent Sails’, which combined the innovations of a Scottish millwright, Andrew Meikle (‘descended from a line of ingenious mechanics’ according to his tombstone) and Stephen Hooper. Meikle developed spring sails in 1772 made of a series of parallel shutters that could be adjusted according to windspeed, and had springs which let them open a little more if the wind gusted. Hooper invented a device in 1789 which let the sails be adjusted without ever stopping – he called it the roller reefing sail. Patent Sails became the basis of self-regulating sails, avoiding the need for tiresome constant supervision – and proved successful. Windmills on this design outlasted steam power and the industrial revolution – they were still in use as drainage pumps on the Norfolk Broads until 1959.
So, though grinding grain for bread has mostly been swapped for juicing up the national grid, some of the old guard hold on. And though I’d love to get confused about upwind turbines and Betz limits – why exactly the new wind power is generated from only three pretty fine blades slicing through the sky, we’d best leave it there for now.
What is the magic formula that the Secret Garden Party have got their bejeweled mitts on? Having just spent a weekend with them – and 6, for sale 000 happy, friendly campers – I would go so far as to say that there are cosmic forces at work which have taken all the ingredients needed to turn a great festival into a glorious one. For those who are as yet uninitiated, The Secret Garden Party is ever so much more than a weekend away listening to top tunes. It’s a soul liberating free fall of wonderment and the bizarre; a playground for grown up children to indulge in fairy tales and fantasy. I succumbed to such an extent that I feared returning to the harsher edges of reality would be a painful bump, but it turned out that the magic dust managed to stick and I awoke Monday morning with a serious dose of the happy’s.
Our arrival didn’t have the most auspicious beginning. What should have been a mornings car journey turned into a 6 hour stint on the M25 and M11, where roadworks defied us at every turn. By the time we dragged our sorry selves to the camp site we were tired, hot and irritable. “This better be bloody brilliant” I muttered to myself as I hastily assembled my tent. (minor lie – my wonderful Amelia’s Magazine colleagues assembled it; I couldn’t erect a tent if my life depended on it). Yet, as we walked into the site, all grumblings melted away.
The afternoons dark clouds had gave way to a glowing sunset which bathed everyone in a soft light. Not knowing what to expect, we were instantly struck by how beautifully visual our new surroundings were. Every inch of the vast grounds are designed in a way that your senses take a direct hit every time you turn your head. The activities take place around a great lake; lit up at dark, and open for swimming by day. At the centre is a floating island, home to the Tower of Babel (which serves a very important purpose later on in the weekend). Feeling very much like a group of Alice’s heading down the rabbit hole to a more peculiar, colourful world, we ventured over bridges, through patches of woodland, past strange sculptures, finding cosy hiding spots wherever we went. And the outfits we saw! It is common knowledge that dressing up is encouraged at SGP, but I wasn’t prepared for the dizzy heights that many had taken their creativity. Thousands of people had clearly had a determined rummage in the dressing up box; glitter adorned most, fairies mixed with pirates who consorted with mythical creatures who hung out with boys in dresses and feathers who were making friends with girls in top hats and tails.
Eventually, our adventures took us to the main stage, which was perfect timing, because Phoenix were headlining, and they were one of the must-see bands on my list for the weekend. Grabbing a delicious dinner to go (think Moroccan Mezze rather than greasy noodles or burgers), we found a patch on the hill to watch the French alternative rockers have such a great rapport with their audience that they invited a couple of hundred to get up on stage and sing along, until the stage was so full that the band had to climb up equipment to make themselves seen.
The rest of the night was a heady mix of dancing, drinking, sometimes being spectators and sometimes participating. Our packed schedule of what to see gave way to a more relaxed amble, stopping off when something took our fancy. Translated – we stopped every 10 feet. As we found ourselves in the ‘salacious hothouse of Babylon’ (the region south of the lake), it was only to be expected that we were treated to earthy pleasures of the flesh; once we found the pole dancers, we were transfixed. The boys around us were almost too incredulous to be turned on. “My God, that girl must have thighs of steel!” I heard one marvel to his girlfriend.
It’s hard to recall too much more about the night, but pictures document wild dancing on bales of hay to seventies disco tunes in a heaving tent, and discovering that the party was clearly going on in the wildly popular One Taste venue, home to a mixture of live beat-boxing and ska, cheering crowds, and a bar dispensing deliciously spicy chai teas. We watched night turn into morning on the Eden side of the lake, (also known as the oasis) in the Laa of Soft Things, a tent where straw bales doubled as fluffy clouds and turned us into rag dolls. Limbs entwined, friendships were quickly formed over the common ground of happy tiredness and sensory overload.
Saturday dawned to brilliant sunshine, which made swimming in the lake an extra special and necessary experience. For those who wanted more than music, a multitude of informative events and discussions had been laid on, such as The Bohemian Artists Studio, The Poetry Playhouse, and the Dodge Ball Tournament, to name but a few. Early birds could participate in the yoga sanctuary, ( I think you can guess that we didn’t make that one). Instead, we lazed the afternoon away watching some of our favourite bands; Soku, The Dø, Slow Club (interviewed in Issue 9 of Amelia’s Magazine) and Noah and The Whale, as well as our newest discovery, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, described as acoustic folk rock metal, with a Spanish flamenco twist.
The highlight of the weekend had to be the events of Saturday night. As dark descended, Thai lanterns were released into the air, floating away and burning bright. We followed the crowds towards the lake to witness the epic spectacle of The Burn; the wooden Tower of Babel set ablaze and lighting up the night sky. As the organisers of SGP explained, this was the marriage and the end of the divide between Babylon & Eden. The SGP team had obviously learnt a lot from their trips into the Nevada desert to take part in The Burning Man Festival, and this union of art, nature and performance was the perfect example of the box of tricks which the Secret Garden Party have up their sleeve.
The weekend drew to a close for us in the sweetest way possible – getting to watch Au Revoir Simone play their beautifully crafted melodies to a rapt audience. The girls sound more divine with each listen, and treated us to the songs from their sublime new album Still Night, Still Bright. As our regular readers know, Au Revoir bring out the fangirl in Amelia’s Magazine, so I shamelessly sang along at the top of my lungs to their harmonies. Thank God their keyboards were loud enough to drown me out is all that I can say in sober hindsight. By the way, I thought the guy that I was standing next to was absolutely adorable, but I was a little shy about saying hello, so if you were wearing a straw hat and a baggy red jumper, and are reading this, then get in touch!
All that is left to add is to encourage you all to do whatever you can to get your hands on a ticket to 2010′s SGP. The organisers are already promising that they will ‘blow our minds’ with what they have in store. I don’t doubt that for a moment. From now on, I have complete faith that what whatever the Secret Garden Party organises, it will be like nothing that you have ever experienced. Now if you will excuse me, I’m off to plan my outfits for next years festivities.
We owe a great deal to the 1970s. I shudder to think where we might be today without the post it note, pill without Punk, symptoms and of course without the phenomena that is The Roller Disco. Every element of the theme has triumphantly survived the three decades since it first hit the dancefloors and is still as much of a thrill today as it was then; pumping nightspot glam pop tunes serenading couples holding hands circuiting the room gripping to each other equal parts lust and fear; the wallflowers carefully inching along the handrails with unsure feet, the solo regulars strutting their fierce routines with every right to be showing off; everyone dressed in all that is spangly and sequined, flared and cropped; fuelled by diner dogs and sugary slushies, it was and still is the perfect night out.
Tonight sees a huge homage to the roller disco down at Shoreditch’s top warehouse venue Village Underground, hosted by Vauxhall Skate and it promises to knock our knee high socks off. The all important music accompaniment is in the very capable hands of DJs ex Libertines Carl Barat, Smash and Grab darlings Queens of Noize, recently Mercury Prize nominated Florence Welch of ‘& the Machines’ fame, Alfie Allen, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Richard Jones and a last minute addition to the bill, NYC’s Cory Kennedy.
Florence Welch
Queens of Noize
The roller skating part is pitched as entirely optional, but for those who are concerned that having not been on a pair of skates since childhood might result in rather a lot of shameful cringing better watch out for the fabulous Jonny Woo, who will be hosting a ‘car-aoke’ sing song courtesy of Lucky Voice, with a brimming dressing up box full of props. No event would be complete without the option to update or completely overhaul one’s look, so thank the lord that the very talented Lyndell Mansfield will be joining the crew for the night with her ‘pit-stop salon’ for free hairstyling.
Jonny Woo
Kate Moross
In terms of visuals the guests are for a real treat. Kate Moross who has designed shop windows for Diesel, poster artwork for Animal Collective and covers for Vice and Fact magazines, has customised her first car, a Vauxhall Corsa, especially for the party in her signature cutting edge style. The Vauxhall Corsa was wrapped in white vinyl while Kate painted directly onto it with acrylic paint and Posca semi permanent markers. The colours were chosen because of the rainbow spectrums and light fields used in SciFi imagery, a key influence in the ‘Vauxhall Skate’ set design. ‘Vauxhall Skate’ extends Vauxhall‘s commitment to driving excitement on four wheels. the car company has also created a unique pair of roller boots, in true Corsa style, which will be showcased in all their glory on the evening. Other cars to be on show include a Car-aoke Vauxhall Corsa adorned with retro green UV wire frames and a rotating mirror-ball Vauxhall Tigra, most recently seen at the Vauxhall Style catwalk shows.
Catering includes free hot dogs and cupcakes, and the all important bar is kindly provided by Bacardi Mojito. Tickets for the evening were solely allocated on a lottery basis to all those that RSVPed and entered the draw. If you managed to get your hands on a pair then congratulations are in order. If you were less lucky, then panic ye not- Dazed Digital and Vauxhall have partnered up to give away 35 pairs of free tickets. Click here to enter your email address for a chance to win. Alternatively, have a go here.
The Village Underground
Vauxhall Skate
The Village Underground
54 Holywell Lane
London, EC2A
Wednesday July 29th
8pm – 1am
Free, but invitation only.
It might be worth arguing that more than any form of artistic expression, page fashion can be indicative of the societal state of mind. In particular we can witness changing attitudes towards gender norms within different social spheres – this is one of the premises that the exhibition at the Photographers’ Gallery ‘When You’re a Boy: Men’s Fashion Styled by Simon Foxton’ grounds itself in, diagnosis and indeed one that Foxton has worked with throughout his whole career.
The fact that it’s rare to for a stylist’s work to be put on show like this denotes that it’s a role that’s underrated by many, diagnosis but here’s a retrospective that vindicates the work of a stylist as a real agent of social commentary, working with ideas as well as clothes. Foxton in particular has admitted to “using clothes as a tool” to make a statement, paradoxically suggesting that while these are examples of photographs that might appear in fashion magazines, they are not necessarily about the clothes themselves.
Taking its title from the David Bowie song, ‘Boys Keep Swinging’ the tight selection of images span Foxton’s collaborations with photographers Nick Knight, Alasdair McLellan and Jason Evans. Addressing issues of gender, race and class amongst others, we see our attitudes mirrored often by sartorial contradiction, through a process of revealing and concealing.
Take the images from i-D magazine (shot by Nick Knight) under the title ‘English Heritage’, with one showing an image of the traditional English couple ‘Mr & Mrs Andrews’ with the husband standing dutifully behind his wife perched in an armchair. Yet in their place two muscular black male models, wearing leather bondage gear and a gimp suit respectively, subverting our preconceptions of hegemonic masculinity and femininity that are implicitly nothing more than societal constructs.
Elsewhere, by continually addressing issues of butchness and effeminateness through the references to gay subcultures, we see the capacity of visual media to reconstruct and recreate by using fantasy (potentially) as a weapon.
Foxton seems to share with Oscar Wilde a wry amusement about the way masculinity has been appropriated historically, by juxtaposing strange images and affronting us with a sense of disorder and fantasy to ask us questions about what we understand as normal. Race is also explored, with Jason Evans’ ‘Strictly’ series, uncannily presenting black models wearing plus fours and hunting jackets against urban backdrops, posing questions about ethnicity and Englishness, as well as masculinity at the start of the 1990s.
The extensive and indiscriminate cultural references evident in Foxton’s scrapbooks are striking, with torn out images of tribal warriors wrestling in the dust sharing page space with flyers for gay leather club nights. Foxton is definitely a visionary, and one of fashion’s black sheep as somebody who has never followed trends, instead preferring to choose garments with a cultural reference. Styling here proves itself as an intellectual platform, a means of capitalising on what a readership attaches to a particular fashion – questioning our subscription to their ideals by playing on discrepancies. Fashion has been said to be about fiction and fantasy – but Foxton has proven that a far more interesting arena to be explored is, in fact, reality.
Written by Jonno Ovans on Wednesday July 29th, 2009 5:41 pm
As we made our way through Victoria House for Agi & Sam‘s A/W 2014 presentation, models stood on plinths holding placards bearing the slogan ‘Watu Nguvu‘ (people power in Swahili) and oil company logos. They created a sombre atmosphere; part protest, part decoration. They were setting the scene for what would become an incredibly personal collection.
Banished were the vibrant fabrics of London transport of last season; gone were the matchy-matchy suits or block fluorescent colours that the duo have become famous for. In fact, gone was colouring altogether; only two pieces in this collection veered from the monochrome theme. It was a bigger surprise as any from the duo renowned for their worldly and energetic use of colour.
By this stage my camera had pretty much given up altogether. I have probably taken about 300,000 photographs with it, and it’s probably decided that it’s had enough of men and women walking backwards and forwards, so if anybody has a spare £2K to buy me another one that would be great, thanks. Despite this, I really like the shots I got here. There’s something about the soft focus (read: blurred) quality of them that suits this presentation.
The collection combines Western workwear with African tribal features, exploring the exploitation of African society and the stereotypes of the notion we call ‘The West’. Long silhouettes dominated this outing, as did box-shaped shoulders and ankle-length pants. Black cropped blazers and jackets with hidden fastenings toyed with the workwear theme with reflective band details. Traditional patterns like Masai check and African weaves were interpreted across coats and cropped jackets.
I particularly enjoyed the injection of oversized tees that featured Western oil conglomerate logos, providing a welcome burst of colour, and a long nylon coat that gave a utilitarian aesthetic without diverging from the key themes.
It’s easy to see why Agi & Sam were awarded the Emerging Talent accolade at last year’s British Fashion Awards: in just one season they’ve moved from playful prints to a slick collection with a political message that had been handled in a intelligent, provocative way.
Written by Matt Bramford on Wednesday January 29th, 2014 10:40 am
I love Agi & Sam. A recent collaboration with Topman, ‘The Owls‘, featured a range of football-kit inspired clothing and gave a taster of things to come. I am hoping that ‘The Owls’ was a nod to Sheffield Wednesday. I couldn’t give two hoots (geddit?) about the team, but I love that city.
Two enormous owls sat amongst the crowds at their S/S 2014 show last Sunday. Yes, I know I’m behind. I was genuinely surprised when the show began with mostly all black looks. Agi & Sam are renowned for their glorious use of colour and so it seemed a bit curveball. A speckled black suit worn over a crisp white shirt appeared first, styled with visor shades. An oversized black shirt came next, featuring a discrete monochrome pattern.
It wasn’t before long that the design duo’s inimitable prints appeared, though. This season inspiration had come from public transport seating patterns, the bloody geniuses. If you want to look like the back seat of the number 8 bus, as I certainly do, then Agi & Sam are for you. Rich fabrics carried hallucinogenic patterns in vibrant colours, some discrete, some so obvious that even the models wore large black visors to protect their eyes. All trousers maintained a clean cut with a tapered leg, cropped at the ankle.
Box-shaped blazers, some with cropped sleeves and others full-length, appeared in block colours, from powder blue to acidic orange.
Accessories included black oxfords embellished with bright stripes (in collaboration with Oliver Spencer) and large black luggage that featured some of the transport soft furnishings patterns.
Written by Matt Bramford on Thursday June 27th, 2013 8:58 am
