A fashionista reflects on Friday morning, help wearing a McQueen scarf
When the news of Lee Alexander McQueen’s untimely death broke only a week before the start of London Fashion Week, everybody quite rightly predicted that the event would become a tribute to the late designer.
Harold Tillman, chair of the British Fashion Council, opened Fashion Week paying tribute to McQueen, speaking of his ‘extraordinary impact’ on both British and international fashion, and inviting us to join in a minute’s silence.
Sarah Brown continued the tributes, to a crowd of McQueen wearers, saying that fashion week would be ‘a reflective time with the passing of Lee McQueen’.
A tribute wall, erected in the main area, was covered in hand-written postcards in only a number of hours. These included Sarah Brown herself, esteemed designers, colleagues, press and the public alike.
Over at On|Off, a bunch of iPods had been set into the wall, each containing a different McQueen collection, inviting the attendees to scroll through the images. I could have looked at this for hours.
Dig out your sartorial best, gents – it’s that time of year again!
The British Fashion Council dedicates it’s last day of the schedule to showcase our lovely city’s finest and most fabulous menswear designers. Yep, Menswear Day takes places on Wednesday 24 February. Here’s Amelia’s Magazine’s top tips for this season…
Carolyn Massey
Massey dazzled us with her gentleman-cum-millitary collection for SS 2010, seeking inspiration from a fishing village at threat from a nuclear power station.
English satorilism, lightweight, loose trenches and industrial fabrics made for a sharp, sophisticated collection, and we’re wide-eyed to see how Massey translates her signature style for Autumn/Winter.
Lou Dalton
It’s a testament to Lou’s rising popularity that she managed to pack about a million people into the Portico Rooms of Somerset House for her SS 2010 showcase last September. Okay, I exaggarate, but this was one hot over-subscribed ticket that Amelia’s Magazine was lucky to get there hands on.
Her nautical-themed collection, with chunky knits, gold tricornes and tailored chambray shirts, had a gaggle of journos clacking and whooping with delight. Dalton’s AW1011 show will no doubt deliver again.
Tim Soar
Sports-lux and tiptop tailoring were on the menu last season, when Tim Soar launched both his flagship concession in London’s Selfridges and his first on-schedule catwalk show.
His love of graphic prints and aesthetic fabrics makes for statement dressing for the fashion-forward man, through effortless and unfinished tailoring combined with graphic prints. I covet these black high-gloss shorts, and I’d love to get my hand on a pair of Soar sling-backs.
Wintle
I write this as my Jsen Wintle pea-coat (cough, cough – Jsen Wintle for M&S, I’m ashamed to admit) hugs the back of my rather uncomfortable office chair. I love it. I was surprised to see this collaboration; in the past the line-up of M&S ‘designers’ hasn’t been anything to shout about.
Wintle is one of the rising stars on the menswear circuit, and his SS 2010 collection dazzled, with gradient suits and muted, pastel colours. He counts David Walliams, Joely Richardson and JeffHack as friends/fans, and if he’s good enough for them, he’s good enough for us.
Elliot J Frieze
Welsh born Elliot J Frieze is the one to watch this season. Little is known about what Frieze’s debut solo collection might hold, but if his work on collaborative label Qasimi was anything to go by, we’re in for a treat. Qasimi fused couture techniques with wearable dresses for womenswear.
Frieze’s solo collection promises a’ sophisticated, modern collection of classic and hybrid tailored cuts’ for the fashion-concious gentleman. Inspired by British heritage, this is one collection we can’t wait to see.
Written by Matt Bramford on Thursday February 18th, 2010 6:08 pm
NB: At Amelia’s Magazine, cheap we do not promote real fur of any kind. We hope all of these looks use only faux fur, remedy but there are still some people who think it’s acceptable. It’s the 21st century, and it really isn’t. Please don’t wear fur.
Written by Matt Bramford on Sunday February 21st, 2010 8:52 pm
New years eve. After the refuel and resupply we are back at sea, order enjoying cake, drinks and a super vegan buffet. The sea is rough and outside it is pitch black. As we clear the EEZ boundary the spy ship is nowhere to be seen. Last we heard it was waiting for us just south of Hobart. Our plan of sneaking out under the cover of darkness and in bad weather seems to work. When we left in December the whalers had hired surveillance planes under false pretences so they could track our movements. This worked for a while, until the hire company found out what the real deal was. Even if they were able to find someone to hire them a plane, the weather might be too bad for them to come out. A group calling themselves ‘Taz Patrol’ later announced on Twitter that the spy ship was still waiting for us at the EEZ boundary when we had already sneaked out and were way out of their reach. Hurray!
Dusk aboard the M/V Steve Irwin (Photo: Eric Cheng / Sea Shepherd Conservation Society)
We sail straight south towards the Commonwealth Bay area, where we were not more than a fortnight ago. An Antarctic cruise ship spotted the whalers and some of the passengers informed us. The Ady Gil is roughly in the same area, though low on fresh water and fuel, they are waiting on us to be resupplied. As we are heading down, another vessel is coming in from the west. Kept secret until now, this is our third vessel, the ice-classed Bob Barker, named after the American TV presenter and animal rights campaigner who purchased it for us. It has been at sea for over a month now, trying to reach the whaling grounds to join in on the action. With the Ady Gil south east of the fleet, the Bob Barker coming in from the west and us bearing down on them from the north, there is literally nowhere for them to run.
The Bob Barker (photo: JoAnne McArthur / Sea Shepherd)
We have quite a way to go yet, about two and a half days sailing. The Bob Barker is closing in too and briefly meets with the Ady Gil. This is when things get ugly. The Bob Barker has located the whaling fleet and sets course for the factory ship Nisshin Maru. This ship, where the whales are hauled onto and processed once they have been caught, is at the hearth of the whaling fleet. You shut it down and the rest of the ships are unable to operate. The Nissin Maru starts running at full speed. Meanwhile, the other whaling ships scatter in different directions. It seems the chase is on.
photo: Glenn Lockitch / Sea Shepherd
We are on watch in the engine room. The phone rings, it is the bridge. ‘Hey guys, have you heard the news?’ I listen intently as the story unfolds. The Ady Gil is drifting close by the Bob Barker, waiving and cheering before leaving to meet up with us, still some distance away. The vessel is drifting, not accelerating, and the some of the crew sit on the aft deck. In the distance the spy ship Shonan Maru No 2 is approaching at full speed. It is getting closer and closer and at a distance of about a hundred meters it starts to turn sharply towards the Ady Gil. When the crew realize what is going on, they fire up the engines and start to pull back, hoping to avoid a collision, but to no avail. The more than 800 tonnes heavy harpoon ship throws itself into the much smaller trimaran. It crashes into the vessel, tearing open its hull and cutting off 4 metres of the bow.
Whalers Ram Sea Shepherd Ship Ady Gil (photo credit: JoAnne McArthur / Sea Shepherd)
The Ady Gil starts sinking. A MAYDAY distress signal is sent out and the Bob Barker changes course and rushes to its aid. It gets there just in time to rescue the 6 crew members from the vessel. The Japanese whaling fleet ignores the emergency distress signals and steams away, hoping to loose us and continue their illegal whaling operation elsewhere. The Shonun Maru No 2 ignores the distress signal at first but later agrees to stay nearby after the Bob Barker makes numerous radio calls to them, relaying the urgency of the situation. The rest of the whaling fleet runs far west.
Ady Gil Sinking (Photo: Glenn Lockitch / Sea Shepherd)
The next day, everyone on the ship is catching up with the impact that the ramming and sinking of the Ady Gill is having. On the international stage, media wise and in turn how it effects people all over the world who hear about what is going on and are starting to ask questions. From the emails we are receiving and the reports we are reading, it seems that the world media is all over this. It has definitely put whaling back on the map, though I doubt that governments will finally live up to their obligation to uphold the laws they undersigned to protect these whales. In a sense it feels like governments aren’t even part of this whole situation anymore. It is down to us, the only force in the Southern Ocean to protect these gentle giants of the sea from the deadly harpoons that are after them. Looking to shoot, pull, haul up and process, what in business terms will be another few boxes of whale meat on the inventory. Another product in the freezer storage ready to be distributed once the fleet arrives back in Japan. Another statistic on the books for the whaling company. That is what it is for the whalers, for those with no regard for the sacredness of life, with no understanding of the importance that a healthy ocean and therefore healthy planet has to all of us.
Southern Ocean, Jan 2010 (Photo: It’s a Wildlife)
After the sinking of the Ady Gil we turn at full speed in pursuit of the whaling fleet. After 10 days they are still running from us. When they are nearing the boundary of the area they have allocated themselves to conduct their ‘research’ in, an announcement is made that the area is to suddenly be expanded by another 1000 nautical miles west. Very convenient. We are forced to change course to meet the Bob Barker as they are running low on supplies.
Humpback breaching, Southern Ocean (Photo: It’s a Wildlife)
‘Attention all crew, whales breaching off the bow, whales breaching off the bow’. The announcement makes everyone jump into action straight away.
‘Whales! Quick quick!’ We all rush up the stairs and onto the deck. There, about 50 meters from the ship, two humpback whales jump out of the water, throwing their huge bodies up in the air, and crashing back down, causing huge eruptions on the surface. We all stand there in awe. So far, we hadn’t seen many whales at all. Quite a discouraging observation when you consider a vast industrial whaling fleet is looming about. But they’re definitely here and happy to show off their tricks. Under the sound of cheering and clapping from the ever growing spectator crowd on deck, they continue to breach, flip and dive back down. When you see these animals in the free, open ocean, their wilderness, their world, it gives you strength to carry on. Inspiration to pursue our goals in shutting down these pirate whalers.
Humpback breaching, Southern Ocean (Photo: It’s a Wildlife)
For latest updates and news, please see the Sea Shepherd website
The Welsh Designer Collective is a handpicked selection of Wales’ emerging fashion design talent. The Welsh are GOOD. Who knew?
They certainly know how to plug Wales, adiposity for starters. I hope everybody noticed even the seats had been given the Welsh treatment – covered in fabulous geometric fabric by Melin Tregwynt.
The goodie bags contained Welsh cakes, online Welsh socks, order Welsh whiskey and Welsh spring water. Alright, we get it! They’d really missed a trick with the ambient music – a Sir Tom or Dame Shirley track would have been far more appropriate, considering.
Onto the show, where Josie Beckett’s collection appeared first. Models sported hair that was a hybrid of Bride of Frankenstein and soft, cloud-like forms. Some great stuff here, influenced by the Tudors. Puffed shoulders, typical of the era, were given a modern flavour – taking the fashions of the Elizabethan upper-classes and making them wearable and dynamic.
Hem-lines were very high indeed, not particularly appropriate for Queen Liz I but very, very now. The collection was relatively simple, but extremely effective, and also included prints of infamous faces from the Tudor period. I loved the Henry VIII tee. Make one for the boys please, Josie.
Elinor Franklin’s collection was sports-lux meets disco-glam, making great use of the aesthetics of leather and silk. These materials were juxtaposed across tops and skirts, developing into bolder winged forms, shaped like graduation gowns.
Both silk and leather were panelled into the same garments, and creases, twists and knots flattered the female form. An Elinor Franklin woman is confident and downright sexy.
Emma Griffiths also made great use of materials, contrasting the aesthetic properties of varying forms. Totally body-concious, the models were literally wrapped in leather and PVC.
Patches of PVC were applied to yet more body-con dresses to echo the female form, and were pretty futuristic. Playful gemoetric jackets were structured and left little to the imagination. I loved Griffiths’ black and nude colour palette, which oozed sophistication.
Cymru Am Byth!
Written by Matt Bramford on Monday February 22nd, 2010 6:51 pm
If you go down to Bond Street today, seek or throughout Fashion Week, sickness in fact, thumb you’re sure of a big surprise.
I’m sure their windows always look lovely (most of the stores in this highly desirable area probably have bigger visual merchandising budgets than some designers have for their collections) but Farhi’s windows are currently adorned with illustrations by the lovely Esther Coombs.
Esther usually works on more smaller mediums – she rescues ornate and delicate china from charity shops and customises each piece by hand with ceramic ink. Her linear doodles of buildings old and new bring fresh life to dated objects.
Commissioned by Farhi, Esther has created huge drawings on canvases, acryllic pop-ups and the windows themselves. They provide a welcome change to the morose ‘decadent’ displays one tends to spot on Bond Street, and vivid colours combine with monochromatic sketches for dramatic effect.
From the BT Tower to the Houses of Parliament, a range of iconic buildings get the Coombs treatment for a limited time only. Catch ‘em while you can.
Written by Matt Bramford on Saturday February 20th, 2010 7:51 pm
If coping with sashaying around London Fashion Week’s Menswear Day from show to show wasn’t enough, try there was also the incredible Fashion East Menswear installations, more about which never fail to impress.
It’s great to see some previous Fashion East designers progressing to catwalk shows, approved which no doubt most of these will too.
Here’s a (very brief) round-up of what we saw yesterday…
Lou Dalton
We’ve been a fan of Lou Dalton for a while now, and her show last season was a nautical treat. She’s a designer for the young, hip kind – a category I sadly don’t fall into but still have a huge appreciation for her skillz.
This time around, Lou moves into checks and even more knitwear, whilst still retaining that modern-tailoring-with-classic-British influence. She’d clearly instructed her models to do their best blue-steel too, which made for good photographs…
Florian
Florian is, apparently, a jewellery designer. I did see some racks of jewellery, briefly, but I failed to look at it as I was mesmerized by this strange creature (read: poor young bemused model who had to wear fake tusks on his arms for four hours, changing poses when anybody entered the room).
Matthew Miller
Fantastic tailoring suitable for the sartorial dresser. Great styling in the room, too – made up a heap of good-looking man-about-town types chatting away. What larks.
Mr Hare
Very, very nice shoes. That is all.
Martine Rose
Bit of an odd set-up here, with live models playing Nintendo hand-held consoles (I’m sure they have a real name, but I’m damned if I know what they’re called). Very little fashion, but what I did see – tailored shirts featuring patches of contrasting colours – were fun and wearable.
Sibling
Sibling invited us to delve into the world of zombies and other horror-related imagery with the launch of their spooky collection. A rather charming film that made use of 1950-60s b-movie style horror movie imagery and graphics played in the background. There collection consisted of intricate knitwear which used bright and neon colours and playful graphics. By far one of the best installations in the building!
Written by Matt Bramford on Thursday February 25th, 2010 7:10 pm
Who cares if womenswear is wearable? As a gent, sickness I certainly don’t. Hair stylist to the stars, Charlie Le Mindu opened the On|Off shows yesterday – winning zero points for wearability, but a whopping 10 out of 10 for wow factor.
Charlie has been styling hair for shoots and shows for ages now, but his first catwalk show, as part of Blow Presents, was only last year. In the six months between then and now, he’s had time to polish his wares, and this time we had an even deeper delve into his psyche…
With the sound of church bells welcoming a funeral cortege, the first model appeared with a giant, jewel-encrusted cross atop her sleek black wig. Wearing a most provocative outfit made of lace, Le Mindu’s pieces lie somewhere between your wildest dreams and your darkest nightmares.
As the pounding music kicked in, with screams of ‘CHARLIE” peppered in the track, the stream of models slowly sauntered down the catwalk, expressionless and lost in their own thoughts. The outfits became racier – with one model, wearing a huge hair-trimmed construction, having little but a thick pony tail to hide her modesty.
While Charlie’s SS 2010 show was all about the blonde, AW 2010 was definitely all about black. Black, black black. Black lace, black hair, black shoes and black knickers. The use of any other hues would have ruined the drama of fashion’s favourite colour.
The most prominent theme was undoubtedly death, with crucifixes, ashen skin and hair/head pieces influenced by the mantilla. Whilst some might find Le Mindu’s creations a little on the silly side, the craftsmanship, attention to detail and range of techniques he employs are outstanding. He’s comparable to the few designers who really push the boundaries, and, like dearly beloved McQueen, he toys with raw and emotive subjects. And when it’s not hair, it’s stoles with cuddly-toy heads or bird feathers.
Amongst a hell of a lot of designers who’ve taken to playing it safe in these turbulent financial times, thank GOD for Charlie Le Mindu*.
*Except, if that’s real fur you’re using Charlie, please don’t. It’s the 21st century, and there really isn’t ANY need. Thanks.
Written by Matt Bramford on Saturday February 20th, 2010 10:26 pm
