Alternative Fashion Week

Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week A/W 2010 Catwalk Review: Carlotta Gherzi for SADO

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Real Estate Band

I went down to The Lexington a couple of weeks ago to interview Real Estate before they played a sold out gig in a city they had never played before. During the course of the interview Real Estate and I went on a journey… literally, store a journey, price we started off upstairs, health went down stairs, sat in a booth for a while, moved in to a stairwell where the door constantly opened in to my back, but don’t worry, I remained ruthlessly professional in my journalistic pursuit of the truth… sort of.

I met with guitarist/singer Martin Courtney and bassist Alex Bleeker. Martin was really sweet, in a slightly sweaty, nervous kind of way. Alex Bleeker was nice too, but in a more standoffish way, but maybe that’s just the way he talks, I felt like at times he was testing me. The word ‘like’ was used incessantly by both, but in an endearing way which was totally in keeping with their chill-wave-psychedelic-surfer-style music. They gave me 15 minutes of their time to talk Jersey, The Boss, Paul McCartney and the joys of recording in analogue as opposed to digital. Enjoy.

Georgie: How would you define your sound?

Martin Courtney: Um I don’t know its just the sound that like we kind of play we didn’t set out to sound in a specific way, its all kind of like a group process so its kind of like the sound that we make when we play together

G: Was your lo-fi sound a deliberate decision or product of your circumstance at the time of recording?

Alex Bleeker: We decided to record on tape, analogue rather than digital just because we think that sounds better when your dealing with sort of the lower end of the recording process which is all that was available to us, so I guess that was the only sort of aspect of that decision that we consciously made, we feel like lo-fi analogue is better than lo-fi digital.

Martin: If we don’t have the means to record really well then we should probably just embrace the faults that are going to happen.

G: If for the next album if you had the money and time, would you make a more studio base album with a more polished sound?

Martin: I think we would be in to recording in a studio but you can still have it sound more polished and not sound bad.

Bleeker: We would still want it to be homey and warm and unique.

Real Estate Psyche
Real Estate Band

I went down to The Lexington a couple of weeks ago to interview Real Estate before they played a sold out gig in a city they had never played before. During the course of the interview Real Estate and I went on a journey… literally, nurse a journey, we started off upstairs, went down stairs, sat in a booth for a while, moved in to a stairwell where the door constantly opened in to my back, but don’t worry, I remained ruthlessly professional in my journalistic pursuit of the truth… sort of.

I met with guitarist/singer Martin Courtney and bassist Alex Bleeker. Martin was really sweet, in a slightly sweaty, nervous kind of way. Alex Bleeker was nice too, but in a more standoffish way, but maybe that’s just the way he talks, I felt like at times he was testing me. The word ‘like’ was used incessantly by both, but in an endearing way which was totally in keeping with their chill-wave-psychedelic-surfer-style music. They gave me 15 minutes of their time to talk Jersey, The Boss, Paul McCartney and the joys of recording in analogue as opposed to digital. Enjoy.

Georgie: How would you define your sound?

Martin Courtney: Um I don’t know its just the sound that like we kind of play we didn’t set out to sound in a specific way, its all kind of like a group process so its kind of like the sound that we make when we play together

G: Was your lo-fi sound a deliberate decision or product of your circumstance at the time of recording?

Alex Bleeker: We decided to record on tape, analogue rather than digital just because we think that sounds better when your dealing with sort of the lower end of the recording process which is all that was available to us, so I guess that was the only sort of aspect of that decision that we consciously made, we feel like lo-fi analogue is better than lo-fi digital.

Martin: If we don’t have the means to record really well then we should probably just embrace the faults that are going to happen.

G: If for the next album if you had the money and time, would you make a more studio base album with a more polished sound?

Martin: I think we would be in to recording in a studio but you can still have it sound more polished and not sound bad.

Bleeker: We would still want it to be homey and warm and unique.

Martin: We would still want it to be recorded on tape for sure.

Real Estate Psyche

G: Have you found now you have become part of a scene?

Bleeker: I don’t know about giving it names, but there is definitely a nice community that we have become part of that’s really supportive.

G: Do you being labelled is important to prevent it becoming lumped in the ‘Indie’ pile?

Martin: Its more of a tool for journalists, and it can’t hurt when your band gets associated with another band people will have heard of, I guess it helps them decide whether or not people want to listen to it. But its kind of weird because there are so many weird genres that people have invented, even over the past year… like Chill Wave or whatever? They are all, like, so kind of silly.

Bleeker: There are a couple of bands that we have been associated with that we look up to and admire, so that can be really flattering.

G: I saw on your Myspace that one of your influences is Bruce Springsteen?

Martin: Yeah well that’s just, like, we can’t help it; me, Bleeker and Matt all grew up in Jersey…

Bleeker: He’s like the musical paramount.

real-estate sky castle
On Saturday my last show of the day was Carlotta Gherzi for SADO, stomach which showed in the resplendent Freemasons Hall – the venue dedicated to Vauxhall Fashion Scout. Having debuted her label at East London’s Alternative Fashion Week back in 2001, Italian-born designer and founder Carlotta Gherzi, was no stranger to the spectacle of London Fashion Week.

Carlotta-Ghrezi-A-W 2010-gemma-millyIllustration courtesy of the lovely Gemma Milly.

Made from only the finest silk, wool, cashmere and suede, SADO is renowned for her pared-down style and signature attention to detail. With several flowing maxi dresses making their way down the AW10 catwalk, SADO’s collection comprised of several such key pieces updated with a modern-day edge, making them on trend for the coming winter season – but most importantly great investment pieces, that can be worn for many years.

sado 2Additional imagery courtesy of Esper Magazine.

Black dominated the catwalk intermixed with bright flashes of colour, most commonly reflected in the form of beautiful pleated silk and crinoline dresses, in ocean blues and fiery reds – cut to balance and flatter every figure. Other all black outfits were jazzed up and given a softer edge, with an array of glitter woven into the wool based pieces and metallic detailing, reflected in cropped jackets, neck detailing and panels of embroidery.

sado1

Other strong looks were high-waisted trousers, boxy jackets and a landslide of dresses available in every which way known to woman. There were the aforementioned maxi’s, strapless numbers, mini’s, asymmetric, and even the odd bandaged number – making this collection hugely relevant for AW10. Of her collections Carlotta says: “Anyone can get dolled-up and look glamorous, but it’s how people dress on their off days that is the most inspiring” – and we’re inclined to agree with her.

Written by Rachael Oku on Monday February 22nd, 2010 12:38 pm

Categories ,Alternative Fashion Week, ,Carlotta Gherzi for SADO, ,Freemason’s Hall, ,Gemma Milly, ,lfw, ,Vauxhall Fashion Scout

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Amelia’s Magazine | Jasper Garvida: London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Preview Interview, part one

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Jasper Garvida S/S 2012 illustration by Aliyah Hussain

There is nothing I love more than a designer that approaches their creations like an artist about to create a masterpiece that’s also flattering and wearable. One designer that does all of this as well as constantly surprise is Jasper Garvida.

A favourite of Amelia’s Magazine with a flurry of adoring reviews such as this last one on his current Autumn/Winter 2011 collection. A graduate of Central Saint Martins and winner of Sky One’s Project Catwalk show, generic Jasper caught the attention of stylists and editors alike. I visited his studio ahead of unveiling his Spring/Summer 2012 collection at London Fashion Week, which is inspired by Fashion Editor legend Diana Vreeland and a painting by artist Frantisek Kupka. We chatted about style, what women want in an outfit and Kate Middleton with a peek at the new collection illustrated by some very talented people.

Jasper in his studio, photograph by Alia GargumJasper at the sewing machine by Alia Gargum

You’ve been a real rising star of fashion (with a glowing graduate show review from Hillary Alexander, Fashion Editor of the Telegraph while the complete collection was bought out by Nicola Formachetti, previous editor of Dazed and Confused, and a firm Amelia’s Magazine favourite with your feminine, embellished, yet strong creations. Looking over your career so far and your upcoming Spring/Summer 2012 collection how can you describe the journey of the Jasper Garvida brand?
I was so surprised when Nicola Formachetti, Lady Gaga’s stylist of all people, bought my entire graduate collection. My friend Gareth Pugh introduced me to Nicola, who fell in love with the collection and sold it in Japan as well as using it for different publications at the time, giving my work great exposure that led to bigger things. I was incredibly privileged to have met him and the Dazed team, which made me realise that I wanted to do more. I then started creating collections for Alternative Fashion Week, and as every collection I created sold, I realised ‘there’s something going on here’. So I just kept rolling with the collections, although I originally never had the intention of having my own label.

Past collections hanging in the studio

Studying at Central Saint Martins was an incredible experience, where you are pushed into being more creative, but in terms of commercial design this can’t always be realistic. So I next worked for the high street, designing for different labels such as Evans, Wallis, and Miss Selfridge, creating clothes for different body shapes and age ranges. I took me a while to understand what the average woman looks like and what would flatter them. I learnt about cut, what skirt length that average woman would prefer and things like how a maximum neckline drop of 18cm is sexy, and beyond that is a no-no. I also found out how to flatter a fuller figure, because bigger women need to feel sexy too. This got me into the habit of looking at women on the tube, in the street, asking myself, ‘how can I make it better for them?’ thinking about what they need and what they want. However, working for high street brands made me miss the whole creative process of having your own label, and for a while I felt a little lost as a designer. As you know, the high street relies heavily on trends and I really wanted to do something of my own. I then figured out that the only way to do this was to open my own company and combine all my experiences so far. So I started the brand in November 2008, and it has taken a while to build up the label. In the beginning we thought about figuring out a gap in the market and where we would have liked the label to go, experimenting as we went along. I now feel very positive about S/S 2012 and that this season is our strongest. The collection is the direction in which I want to head and I feel that this is delivering what our customers wanted to see more of.

More previous collections

How does a collection begin in the mind of Jasper Garvida?
I always start a collection based on how I feel at the time, absorbing what’s going on and thinking about what’s going to happen in the future. For some reason I have this intuitive ability to tell what’s going to happen in fashion or what colour will be next. I think you learn that from working in the industry and especially from working for high-street brands where you’ve got to know what the next big thing is. I always ask myself, ‘what do women need now?’ and this is something that always changes, which is good. Fashion is like a cycle, from day to night, always moving. If it doesn’t change it becomes dated, but style is something that always remains.

Jasper Garvida S/S '12 illustrationsIllustrations of the S/S ’12 collection by Jasper Garvida.

When I started the S/S 2012 collection I looked at what was happening in fashion at the time, and I noticed a lot of colour. It was also a time in my life where I felt that the absence of colour for summer wasn’t a bad thing, and I felt so strongly about black and white, which isn’t something I’ve done before. For me black and white symbolises purity, and opposites, which has always been a theme in what I do. I never like to be in-between, I always feel like ‘if you’re going to do more, do more, if you’re going to do less, do less’, but never in-between as I feel that it’s average and I like exploring different extremes. Black and white together also create balance, and at this time in my life I’ve found balance. When I came back from Paris, feeling like this, I immediately painted the entire flat black and all my furniture white, so I kind of lived it. I wanted to share that experience with everyone through the S/S 2012 collection. I also find that when I am bombarded with colours it’s hard to think, and sometimes I just want to breathe and have a moment where I can be calm. Afterwards, I can start again and return to colours. So I feel that this collection is not only a reflection of me as a person but me as a designer, and hopefully it is another step forward.

More gorgeously detailed S/S ’12 illustrations by Jasper
There has been an intelligence and depth to every collection you’ve created; inspired by artistic movements, literature, and always a celebration of the female form and femininity. As you have grown as a designer what have you found most inspiring about women?
I grew up with three sisters (six siblings in total) whom I was very close to, as well as my mum, which gave me a great amount of respect for women. And being gay as well, I feel that I have a huge admiration for women, sometimes I want to be one! I feel that the most important thing I discovered about women is that there is strength there. Women have been undervalued for years, and it’s been said that they’re not strong individuals, so I always try to promote the strength of women. For years women have fought for equality with movements like the Women’s Liberation Front and other campaigns towards women’s rights. My mother is such a strong person and is a huge inspiration to me. I didn’t grow up in a rich background; I am from a working class family and I saw my mother bring up my brothers and sisters and me with this incredible inner strength. She’s a real working class woman who managed to look after her family while making the effort to dress up for parties at the same time. I am still in awe of how women find the time to do this; I’m baffled by it. I know as a guy, I wake up, don’t even comb my hair and just throw something on. Women still have a lot of pressure imposed on them to look like they’ve made an effort with their appearance, so my admiration for them continually grows.

Find out more about how the collection came together in the second part of the Jasper Garvida S/S ’12 London Fashion Week preview interview.

Written by Alia Gargum on Thursday September 15th, 2011 6:49 pm

Categories ,Alia Gargum, ,Aliyah Hussain, ,Alternative Fashion Week, ,Amelia Gregory, ,Central Saint Martins, ,Dazed and Confused, ,Diana Vreeland, ,Evans, ,Frantisek Kupka, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,Gareth Pugh, ,jasper garvida, ,Kate Middleton, ,Lady Gaga, ,lfw, ,London Fashion Week, ,Miss Selfridge, ,Nicola Formachetti, ,preview, ,S/S 2012, ,Sam Parr, ,Spring/Summer 2012, ,Wallis, ,Womenswear, ,Women’s Liberation Front

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Amelia’s Magazine | Diesel Party 2007: Paris

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The last time I saw Final Fantasy was in the tiny Spitz venue. Tonight he is playing to full capacity at the Scala; word has clearly spread and expectations are high. I am here on my own with only a monster coldsore for company. Prior to the gig I sit down at a table opposite a morose and unenthusiastic man in his mid-30s (that point where the unfulfilled of the gender start to become manically desperate) who is nevertheless keen to talk to me – his profession changes from writer on the blag to “actually I work at an internet company and I am a frustrated musician” at the drop of my job description. Not so worth trying to impress me, purchase buy eh?! I persuade him that Canadian impresario Owen, decease the man who is Final Fantasy, will be well worth watching. Post-set I am vindicated, but Mr. Morose is nowhere to be seen.

Owen takes to the stage with his inimitable banter in full flow, and proceeds to play his entire set on his lonesome, with just his trusted viola, a keyboard, and some looping mechanism (that I can’t hope to understand) for company. Oh, and a lovely young lady, who stands with her back to the crowd in front of an old fashioned projector that she proceeds to masterfully manipulate. Final Fantasy‘s music has been set to acetate drama, and the result is mesmerizing, even if I have to struggle to see the events unfold through the lighting rig that obscures my view on the top balcony.

Final Fantasy is on a one-man misson to coax as many sounds as he can possibly can from a viola, and in his looping hands this one instrument becomes a full orchestra, and the crowd loves it. There is even a lady at the front of the audience whose frantically waving hands can’t decide whether they are vogueing or conducting throughout the entire set. “Has anyone got any questions?” he asks at one point. “Any constructive criticism?” “No, I don’t normally do poppers!” he replies to the one query he gets. “Lesson learned, never talk to the audience!” Even when things go slightly pear-shaped with the looping business, which they inevitably do, he carries on in such a postive manner that no one minds. As the climax is reached and the star-crossed silhouette of lovers finally meet on the projection screen, Owen lifts his miniature partner into the air and they both stumble off stage. There will be a wave of enquiries into viola lessons across the capital shortly.

Did you know that the man who designed Battersea Power Station (Sir Giles Gilbert Scott) also designed the classic red phone box? Clearly a talented guy. I went to see the Chinese exhibition at the Power Station (as it has now been rebranded) for the same reason as everybody else was there – mainly to see the station before it is at last transformed. The art I could give or take – it was haphazard and I was unsure of its meaning, remedy although I particularly enjoyed the fermenting apple wall (mmmm, store yummy appley smell) – the other stuff was merely an adjunct to the amazingly damp interior of the building, (you will find out a lot more about Chinese contemporary arts by reading my new issue). I really hope that the ludicrously long-in-the-planning development will do this amazing building justice – the ominous and ugly “luxury resort hotel” going up next to it must surely be one of the ways in which they have at last found funding. I hadn’t realised how much I treasure the iconic shape of the station, what with me being a sarf-Londoner and all.

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Amelia’s Magazine | 8 Tips for Making a Successful Impression at Alternative Fashion Week

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Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010
All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Alternative Fashion Week is a wonderful thing, visit this site truly, no rx but as I have written about it over the past week the one thing that has struck me time and time again is the lack of information surrounding the event and its participants. As I tried to research the designers it has, at times, felt a bit like I have adopted the mantle of a detective. I am truly flabbergasted at the lack of facts available to any interested parties wanting to chase up a fashion designer.

Quite often within the arts there seems to be huge support to launch a creative endeavour, and then zero ongoing relationship, including making it as easy as possible for someone to contact a designer or artist. The sheet that I received listing the designers showing at Alternative Fashion Week was almost impossible to read. Not only did it bear no relevance to who showed on what day (understandable – I am sure things changed around at the last minute) but the designers weren’t even listed in alphabetical order. I mean c’mon folks, I know money must be tight, but this was an unforgivable error. I tried to be as accurate as possible in my reviews but it took so long to cross check the names that a lazier journalist would simply have given up, thus denying the designers promotion.

Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Immani da silva
This is not fashion by the way, this is glamour modelling.

I imagine sponsorship money was quickly prioritised for other things: a (naff) band, a proper stage, marquees etc. But in my opinion the part that was neglected is one of the most important, and that is providing the selected designers with the knowledge and networks to ensure that their catwalk show wasn’t a one-off shot at recognition. This should come in the form of advice not only of how to maximise impressions on the day, but also before the show, and well beyond. Alternative Fashion Week doesn’t even have it’s own website, but a grotty html page on the Alternative Arts website. It’s pretty pathetic, truth be told. Alternative Fashion Week should at least have it’s own blog: hardly a costly thing to set up. It should be on twitter, and it should have a website presence of its own with profiles of every designer involved, with links to their own websites.

And this is where I get really irked: almost none of the designers involved had a website, or any kind of web presence. Believe me, I spent enough time googling all of them to know what is out there. There’s really no excuse for this – the first thing anyone does if they want to find out about something – anything – these days, is to google it. It takes moments to set up a blog, twitter feed, LinkedIn profile or Facebook fan page, and it’s such an easy way to let people know what you do and how they can find you. Neither did many of the designers have a business card on them ready to hand out. And there’s more…

Alternative Fashion Week Day 5

In the absence of any visible web support from the people behind Alternative Fashion Week, here then is my DIY guide to fashion designers who want to make an impression, based on my observations backstage at the 2010 shows in Spitalfields Market. I don’t by any means offer this as a conclusive list, but something that will hopefully be helpful for anyone taking part in a similar event in the future. And this applies to any catwalk show anywhere in the world, or at a push, to almost any creative event (apart from the model bit obviously):

8 Tips for Making a Successful Impression at Alternative Fashion Week:

Beforehand:
1. I know you’re busy, we all are. But if you are going to do a massive promotional event, make sure that you take a tiny bit of time to set up some kind of web presence beforehand. It takes MOMENTS to set up your profile on a social network. You should really have a professional presence on your own website or blog, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, but if you’re too busy to get your head around all of them I would absolutely implore you to set up a twitter feed with a good url that reflects your professional name. It literally takes no time at all. Start twittering about everything that is happening in the run up to your catwalk show – all the hard work, who you are speaking to, where you source your materials from, all of that kind of thing – a few weeks before hand. And set up a blog to post photos of your work. This is also really simple, and you can link it to your twitter every time you post something.

Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Am Statik
Models for Am Statik.

2. Send out a promotional email to anyone you think might be interested. Amy Day of Am Statik sent me an email a week or so before Alternative Fashion Week which I skim read. I’d never heard of her before but she included some nice photos, which not only reminded me to attend all of the shows, but meant that I remembered her name when she presented her clothes on the catwalk. She was also there handing out business cards and being photographed with her models at the end. And she has a website, a Facebook page and a twitter feed. Take note: this is how it should be done.

On the Day:
3. Make sure you have got business cards in your hands at all times (or in a pocket, or in a bag over your shoulders) These should have a contact email and any web presence printed on them. Plus an image of your collection wouldn’t hurt either so that people will remember which one it is. Business cards are extremely easy and cheap to print these days. Try Moo.com. If someone looks interested, for god’s sake don’t wait for them to ask, just give them a business card. Even an interested person will find it really hard to remember your name when they’re watching so many shows. And ask them for their business card, or their name (and remember it). If your hands are full find a willing friend to help you out – maybe they can go around handing out promotional postcards to the audience whilst you are running around backstage liking a whirling dervish?

4. Models: I would highly recommend that you find your own models. Quite a lot of people at Alternative Fashion Week were sharing models which meant they didn’t have time to stop and pose after the catwalk. Yes, it can seem daunting to find your own, but it is possible, and they don’t have to be perfect. Either cajole friends into doing it, or go chat up some cute people on the street (otherwise known as street-casting, a great way to talk to attractive people!) If you have to hand your models over to another designer straight away then they won’t be able to hang around backstage and in the audience, showing off your designs and generally being available for lots of lovely photographs.

5. Make sure your models know that the camera is their friend on the big day – your friend/mum/sister may normally hate posing for photographs but it is their job to make your clothes look fabulous – so tell them to pose like their life depends on it, or artfully continue what they’re doing (photographers like natural documentary style reportage too) whenever they see a camera pointing in their direction, even when they have left the catwalk. Being shy is no good, so if at all possible pick your most exhibitionist cohorts to model. You want as many fabulous photos of your designs to be taken as is humanly possible because you never know where those pictures are going to end up. They could just make the front page. Which is not to be sniffed at, even if it is just the front page of East End Life.

Alternative Fashion Week Elif Muzaffer
Elif Muzaffer makes sure she is in the photo with her models. I would not always recommend this – make sure the photographers are also able to get shots of the models alone.

Afterwards:
6. If anyone showed interest in your collection then you should follow them up in the first few days after the show. Do not rest on your laurels! This is your chance, so grab it. If they gave you their card send them a friendly email to say it was nice to meet them, and if they didn’t go and google them – if they are professional they will have a website presence (as you should do) – and then get in touch. Elif Muzaffer was very proactive in contacting me after I gave her my business card; not only did she email me that very night, but she promptly set up a blog when I asked how I could link to her. She did it there and then, complete with pictures from the catwalk, so that I could link to it from my online review. It’s never too late to get on top of your web presence.

7. Update your social media as soon as possible – get on twitter and start raving about how great your catwalk show was. Post pictures of your collection on your blog. Get into the habit of googling your name and that of your professional fashion brand to see who is talking about you. It’s what every professional does! Use Google Alerts for this – a very handy service that tracks who is talking about you so you don’t even need to. Then twitter about all this lovely press you are getting, so people can see how well you are doing. It’s all about creating that elusive “buzz” if you want to have a stella career in fashion.

8. Don’t ever just expect to sit back and relax. The work never stops in this industry – you’ve got to be constantly promoting yourself, and if you’re serious about becoming a fashion designer this aspect of your chosen career will never let up. Your exposure on the catwalk at Alternative Fashion Week is merely the start. As with every creative industry, it doesn’t matter how talented you are, if you don’t promote yourself then you will never be as successful as you could be. Unless you were born with famous parents of course. Peaches Geldof, Lily Allen, ahem.

Good Luck! and if you’ve got any other tips, I’d love to hear them in the comments below.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Friday April 30th, 2010 5:41 pm

Categories ,Alternative Fashion Week, ,Am Statik, ,Amy Day, ,Blogging, ,Buzz, ,East End Life, ,Elif Muzaffer, ,Facebook, ,Google Alerts, ,lily allen, ,LinkedIn, ,Modelling, ,Peaches Geldof, ,photography, ,spitalfields, ,Tips, ,twitter

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Amelia’s Magazine | 8 Tips for Making a Successful Impression at Alternative Fashion Week

by

Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010
All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Alternative Fashion Week is a wonderful thing, visit this site truly, no rx but as I have written about it over the past week the one thing that has struck me time and time again is the lack of information surrounding the event and its participants. As I tried to research the designers it has, at times, felt a bit like I have adopted the mantle of a detective. I am truly flabbergasted at the lack of facts available to any interested parties wanting to chase up a fashion designer.

Quite often within the arts there seems to be huge support to launch a creative endeavour, and then zero ongoing relationship, including making it as easy as possible for someone to contact a designer or artist. The sheet that I received listing the designers showing at Alternative Fashion Week was almost impossible to read. Not only did it bear no relevance to who showed on what day (understandable – I am sure things changed around at the last minute) but the designers weren’t even listed in alphabetical order. I mean c’mon folks, I know money must be tight, but this was an unforgivable error. I tried to be as accurate as possible in my reviews but it took so long to cross check the names that a lazier journalist would simply have given up, thus denying the designers promotion.

Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Immani da silva
This is not fashion by the way, this is glamour modelling.

I imagine sponsorship money was quickly prioritised for other things: a (naff) band, a proper stage, marquees etc. But in my opinion the part that was neglected is one of the most important, and that is providing the selected designers with the knowledge and networks to ensure that their catwalk show wasn’t a one-off shot at recognition. This should come in the form of advice not only of how to maximise impressions on the day, but also before the show, and well beyond. Alternative Fashion Week doesn’t even have it’s own website, but a grotty html page on the Alternative Arts website. It’s pretty pathetic, truth be told. Alternative Fashion Week should at least have it’s own blog: hardly a costly thing to set up. It should be on twitter, and it should have a website presence of its own with profiles of every designer involved, with links to their own websites.

And this is where I get really irked: almost none of the designers involved had a website, or any kind of web presence. Believe me, I spent enough time googling all of them to know what is out there. There’s really no excuse for this – the first thing anyone does if they want to find out about something – anything – these days, is to google it. It takes moments to set up a blog, twitter feed, LinkedIn profile or Facebook fan page, and it’s such an easy way to let people know what you do and how they can find you. Neither did many of the designers have a business card on them ready to hand out. And there’s more…

Alternative Fashion Week Day 5

In the absence of any visible web support from the people behind Alternative Fashion Week, here then is my DIY guide to fashion designers who want to make an impression, based on my observations backstage at the 2010 shows in Spitalfields Market. I don’t by any means offer this as a conclusive list, but something that will hopefully be helpful for anyone taking part in a similar event in the future. And this applies to any catwalk show anywhere in the world, or at a push, to almost any creative event (apart from the model bit obviously):

8 Tips for Making a Successful Impression at Alternative Fashion Week:

Beforehand:
1. I know you’re busy, we all are. But if you are going to do a massive promotional event, make sure that you take a tiny bit of time to set up some kind of web presence beforehand. It takes MOMENTS to set up your profile on a social network. You should really have a professional presence on your own website or blog, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, but if you’re too busy to get your head around all of them I would absolutely implore you to set up a twitter feed with a good url that reflects your professional name. It literally takes no time at all. Start twittering about everything that is happening in the run up to your catwalk show – all the hard work, who you are speaking to, where you source your materials from, all of that kind of thing – a few weeks before hand. And set up a blog to post photos of your work. This is also really simple, and you can link it to your twitter every time you post something.

Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Am Statik
Models for Am Statik.

2. Send out a promotional email to anyone you think might be interested. Amy Day of Am Statik sent me an email a week or so before Alternative Fashion Week which I skim read. I’d never heard of her before but she included some nice photos, which not only reminded me to attend all of the shows, but meant that I remembered her name when she presented her clothes on the catwalk. She was also there handing out business cards and being photographed with her models at the end. And she has a website, a Facebook page and a twitter feed. Take note: this is how it should be done.

On the Day:
3. Make sure you have got business cards in your hands at all times (or in a pocket, or in a bag over your shoulders) These should have a contact email and any web presence printed on them. Plus an image of your collection wouldn’t hurt either so that people will remember which one it is. Business cards are extremely easy and cheap to print these days. Try Moo.com. If someone looks interested, for god’s sake don’t wait for them to ask, just give them a business card. Even an interested person will find it really hard to remember your name when they’re watching so many shows. And ask them for their business card, or their name (and remember it). If your hands are full find a willing friend to help you out – maybe they can go around handing out promotional postcards to the audience whilst you are running around backstage liking a whirling dervish?

4. Models: I would highly recommend that you find your own models. Quite a lot of people at Alternative Fashion Week were sharing models which meant they didn’t have time to stop and pose after the catwalk. Yes, it can seem daunting to find your own, but it is possible, and they don’t have to be perfect. Either cajole friends into doing it, or go chat up some cute people on the street (otherwise known as street-casting, a great way to talk to attractive people!) If you have to hand your models over to another designer straight away then they won’t be able to hang around backstage and in the audience, showing off your designs and generally being available for lots of lovely photographs.

5. Make sure your models know that the camera is their friend on the big day – your friend/mum/sister may normally hate posing for photographs but it is their job to make your clothes look fabulous – so tell them to pose like their life depends on it, or artfully continue what they’re doing (photographers like natural documentary style reportage too) whenever they see a camera pointing in their direction, even when they have left the catwalk. Being shy is no good, so if at all possible pick your most exhibitionist cohorts to model. You want as many fabulous photos of your designs to be taken as is humanly possible because you never know where those pictures are going to end up. They could just make the front page. Which is not to be sniffed at, even if it is just the front page of East End Life.

Alternative Fashion Week Elif Muzaffer
Elif Muzaffer makes sure she is in the photo with her models. I would not always recommend this – make sure the photographers are also able to get shots of the models alone.

Afterwards:
6. If anyone showed interest in your collection then you should follow them up in the first few days after the show. Do not rest on your laurels! This is your chance, so grab it. If they gave you their card send them a friendly email to say it was nice to meet them, and if they didn’t go and google them – if they are professional they will have a website presence (as you should do) – and then get in touch. Elif Muzaffer was very proactive in contacting me after I gave her my business card; not only did she email me that very night, but she promptly set up a blog when I asked how I could link to her. She did it there and then, complete with pictures from the catwalk, so that I could link to it from my online review. It’s never too late to get on top of your web presence.

7. Update your social media as soon as possible – get on twitter and start raving about how great your catwalk show was. Post pictures of your collection on your blog. Get into the habit of googling your name and that of your professional fashion brand to see who is talking about you. It’s what every professional does! Use Google Alerts for this – a very handy service that tracks who is talking about you so you don’t even need to. Then twitter about all this lovely press you are getting, so people can see how well you are doing. It’s all about creating that elusive “buzz” if you want to have a stella career in fashion.

8. Don’t ever just expect to sit back and relax. The work never stops in this industry – you’ve got to be constantly promoting yourself, and if you’re serious about becoming a fashion designer this aspect of your chosen career will never let up. Your exposure on the catwalk at Alternative Fashion Week is merely the start. As with every creative industry, it doesn’t matter how talented you are, if you don’t promote yourself then you will never be as successful as you could be. Unless you were born with famous parents of course. Peaches Geldof, Lily Allen, ahem.

Good Luck! and if you’ve got any other tips, I’d love to hear them in the comments below.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Friday April 30th, 2010 5:41 pm

Categories ,Alternative Fashion Week, ,Am Statik, ,Amy Day, ,Blogging, ,Buzz, ,East End Life, ,Elif Muzaffer, ,Facebook, ,Google Alerts, ,lily allen, ,LinkedIn, ,Modelling, ,Peaches Geldof, ,photography, ,spitalfields, ,Tips, ,twitter

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Amelia’s Magazine | Alternative Fashion Week 2010 at Spitalfields Market: a review of Day 2

by

doves promo
Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010

Alternative Fashion Week is a funny old beast, look one that I’ve been getting to know rather well over the past week. And really getting to become rather fond of. Every day I rock up at 1.15pm with no idea of what the day’s catwalk show will bring. Generally I come skidding to a halt on my bike just as the stout lady with the microphone finishes giving her daily spiel to the audience, which is a funny old mixture of family, friends, industry pundits (apparently, though I didn’t seen anybody I know) and interested city boys and labourers.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010

On Tuesday I was still a novice, so I asked the lady at the back with a clipboard if I could sit down – being as I was press and that’s what it said on my ticket. “No.” She told me bluntly. “Not if you haven’t reserved a seat.” Oh alright then.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010
Don’t hassle this lady. She’s very busy. She ensures that everyone gets out on the catwalk on time.

One major issue with this event is the lack of surrounding information – Alternative Fashion Week doesn’t have much of an online presence and the bumpf that I got sent in the post was basic to say the least. It certainly didn’t warn me that I needed to RSVP or go fuck myself. I always find it amusing how, because of the way I dress and the fact that I carry a big professional camera with me (photographers generally being the scum of the earth and all that), I am treated in a certain way. Oh world of fashion, you do make me larf. Still, I like to travel incognito, so it suits me.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010
Some of the audience really aren’t going to help you get ahead in fashion – bemused city workers look on.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010
The band. They’re quite naff.

Now I actually think that the lack of a seat was a blessing in disguise – I spent about ten minutes on day one attempting to watch the catwalk shows front stage before realising that there was far more fun to be had hanging around the back, where a big old melange of models, designers, city workers, pervy middle aged male photographers and screaming organisers raced about like mad things – it made for far more interesting photos, and I got to boss the girls around when they come off stage. (Something none of the other photographers seemed to do. It must be something to do with my background as a fashion photographer because I have no qualms with telling a model how to pose. Though of course the rest of the cameras descended in front of me like locusts once I’d arranged a shot.) So whilst I can report generally on the outfits, I have no idea what any of the catwalk presentations were like. Not that I think that matters – it’s the clothes that are important, right?

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010
“Hello young lady, can I take a photo of you because you don’t appear to have a bra on.” Believe me, there was only a pair of nipple tassles under that jacket.

The standard at Alternative Fashion Week is massively variable but amongst the huge quantity of stuff there are some really interesting designers to be found – ones that I would wager money on becoming successful. So it’s important to give into the undeniable exuberance of the occasion: everyone is quite simply having a ball. Some of the “models” may be slightly ropey, some of the designs outstandingly bad, but the fact that such an event exists to promote up and coming talent is a good thing. It’s just a shame they don’t have more resources to make sure that each designer gets as much promotion as possible: I had real trouble trying to figure out which was which. And that I at least had the choice of a seat if I had wanted.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010
Model or mum? You decide. Perhaps both. There are all comers here.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010 Alex Seroge
Alex Seroge showed a very strong collection.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010
Great styling from Hayley Trezise.

Over the week I have got better at making a note of who all the designers are, no mean feat when juggling camera, iphone and twitter updates. So if you see your work on my website and it hasn’t been properly credited do drop me a note and let me know. I’ve also learnt a lot about what you should and shouldn’t do at Alternative Fashion Week if you want to make an impression – and that shall be the subject of another post.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010
Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Kimberley Startup.

Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Havering College get ready to go on stage.

Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Adel Andic.

Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Maartje de Man.

Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
It’s tough when your bum is hanging out in the street.

Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Checking through the running order backstage.

Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010

Having free-fallen into the darkest depths of despair after the imploding of his band The Czars in 2004, page John Grant now makes a welcome return to the music scene with the help of Texas soft-rockers Midlake, sick who provide the acoustic backdrop for his rich, sickness delicate, velvet-lined vocals.

Drawing on the musical influences of early 1970s Americana, reminiscent of Jackson Browne, Neil Young and – dareIsayit – Elton John, Grant’s debut solo offering does have an easy AM melody radio vibe to it; however, don’t be fooled as the stark contrast of the subject matter demands a closer listen.

Queen of Denmark is a heartbreaking and soul-baring record dealing with the joys and pains of love, depression, destruction, isolation, being gay, wanting to kill yourself, and redemption – so pretty light-hearted stuff, really.

The album opens with ‘TC and Honeybear’, a poignant torch song about insecurity, love and loss, showcasing Grant’s tender baritone bursting with emotion against neat finger picking, fluttering flute and celestial soprano. This is followed by ‘Marz’, a track with dreamy sentiments which wouldn’t sound out of place for an eerie film’s closing credits about lost youth. Here we are projected back to the comfort blanket days of Grant’s youth when life’s complexities passed him by. Grant wistfully reflects on the beauty of childhood innocence by listing the fantastic Willy Wonka-style names of sweets and treats of his local candy store.

Even when Grant is battling with his own crippling insecurities, he manages to do this with heart-clutching humour and sincerity. ‘Sigourney Weaver’ opens with melodramatic-infused synth, where he compares himself to the actress when she battles with the aliens; a parallel that he draws to how he was feeling following his move from Michigan to Colorado, on the cusp of puberty, and being ostracised at school for being gay.

In dealing with gloom, Grant often uses humour and wit as an antidote for his pain and suffering, which he demonstrates aptly in the sprightlier ‘Silver Platter Club’. As orchestral string arrangements are traded for Beatles-inspired ragtime, complete with parade-style trumpet, Grant gets his own back by poking fun at the ‘jocks’ he went to school with who had the looks, athleticism and natural effortless masculinity, which he longed for when he was growing up, along with the durable personality: ”I wish I had no self awareness like the guys I know…who float right through their lives without a thought”.

This upbeat pace continues to weave itself into the record’s tapestry in ‘Jesus Hates Faggots’, where Grant draws on his traumatised experience of growing up gay in a religious household in small town America to direct his bile against his family and conventional society as a whole. Grant dramatically opens with: “I’ve been uncomfortable since the day I was born” to muted synth and dirty bass, with further revealing lyrics about having to face his internal demons about coming to terms with his sexuality: “I can’t believe that I’ve considered taking my own life because I believed the lies about me were the truth”.

In ‘Caramel’, Grant adopts a Jeff Buckleyesque vibrato to expose himself like an egg without as shell on one of the strongest tracks on the album. Essentially a tale of an overwhelming and consuming love, the honest and tender lyrics accompanied by simplistic piano and hypnotic synth leaves you with the feeling of being suspended into the thick darkness of space, drifting to the edges of the unknown, whilst admiring the luminous beauty of the stars from afar.

The album comes to a dramatic close with title track ‘Queen of Denmark’, which takes on a Nilsson-cum-Meatloaf slant, lyrically delivered with heartbreaking yet humorous candour: “I wanted to change the world but I couldn’t change my underpants…(my hairline) keeps receding like my self confidence”. A highly charged ballad that deals with relationship and self-destruction alike, Grant’s vocals swell with his distaste for himself and the world in general to the point where he is almost exploding with anger and frustration. A bipolar track which has Grant swinging between emotional extremes like a pendulum, it’s a raw and honest account of a person on the verge of complete annihilation and a fitting grand finale to an album fuelled by a deadly cocktail of impossible pain, regret, fear, alienation, hatred, anger and self-discovery.

Despite the danger of being labelled as just another emotionally battered singer-songwriter, Grant manages to succeed where others have failed by combining his deeply sad experiences with caustic wit and foresaking his dignity to gain compassion and sympathy. However, all of this is not without credit to Midlake. If Grant’s warm baritone and heartfelt lyrics are a high-rolling Michelin-starred gourmet meal then Midlake’s flawless orchestral arrangements would be the fine vintage wine washing it down.

The path of transforming pained experiences into exquisite art forms is a well trodden one and Queens of Denmark is certainly Grant’s testament to this. For someone who has suffered such debilitating self-criticism and self-hatred throughout their lives to the point where they have even questioned the notion of living, you can’t help but want Grant to succeed.

And with the album released to critical acclaim, a US tour already underway and a European tour starting in June, Mr Grant’s darker days may have well and truly found their place behind him.
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Hayley Trezise
Hayley Trezise at Alternative Fashion Week 2010. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Day two at Alternative Fashion Week was my first full day in attendance at Crispin Place in Spitalfields, cheap and the minute I rounded the corner into the market I was met by Hackney Community College lined up to go on stage. From a brave man bearing streaks of red body paint and what looked like an extremely bad Doctor Who monster costume to the girls in towering swathes of messed up material, pilule it looked like there had been a serious riot in the art department. A promising start it was not, but such is life at Alternative Fashion Week.

Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Hackney Community College
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Hackney Community College
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Hackney Community College
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Hackney Community College
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Hackney Community College
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Hackney Community College
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Hackney Community College
Hackney Community College “wows” at Alternative Fashion Week.

After a tacky collection of short leather skirts that might be favoured by the denizens of Essex nightclubs things quickly began to look up. Charlie Chambers recycled old clothing to show an eclectic mash up of print and colour on barefoot girls.

Alternative Fashion Week 2010
Tacky.
Alternative Fashion Week Day1 2010 Charlie Chambers
Alternative Fashion Week Day1 2010 Charlie Chambers
Alternative Fashion Week Day1 2010 Charlie Chambers
Charlie Chambers. Not tacky.

Sample Remix is the label of designer Stacey Richards, who had named her collection Acedia, meaning “state of torpor“, often the result of spiritual atrophy. To describe this out of balance state she used strange proportions. The result? A collection chockfull of corsetry and bondage references, which meant it was a great hit with photographers. I particularly liked the delicate metal mouth muzzles which were made in conjunction with a jewellery designer. Not practical by any means, and I’m not sure what they mean, but a lot of fun visually and bound to be a hit with stylists.

Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Sample Remix by Stacey Richards
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Sample Remix by Stacey Richards
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Sample Remix by Stacey Richards
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Sample Remix by Stacey Richards
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Sample Remix by Stacey Richards
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Stacey Richards
Stacey Richards of Sample Remix.

A towering collection of blonde girls had been selected to model Kimberley Startup’s collection, titled Come On Now Kimi, Grow Up. In brightly coloured shoes and socks they sported sculptural clothing in pastel shades of lime, orange and lilac. A puffball dress inspired by the stackable rings of a children’s toy was perhaps not the most flattering of outfits, but the styling was clever, particularly the use of actual toys – I enjoyed the wooden train set over shoulder look. Better than a fur stole any day.

Alternative Fashion Week Day 2 2010 Kimberley Startup
Alternative Fashion Week Day 2 2010 Kimberley Startup
Alternative Fashion Week Day 2 2010 Kimberley Startup
Alternative Fashion Week Day 2 2010 Kimberley Startup
Alternative Fashion Week Day 2 2010 Kimberley Startup
Alternative Fashion Week Day 2 2010 Kimberley Startup
Kimberley Startup herself.

Next up was a highly polished collection from Georgia Nash, also heavy on the wooden toy front. Based on the Nutcracker – ‘The nut was too strong to crack’ – it even featured painted toy soldiers attached to the heels of shoes and a strong colour palette of red, black, cream and forest greens. I loved the layered ruffles in different fabrics and the use of oversized pearl beading embellishments. When I spotted Georgia herself backstage she was also wonderfully dressed in cascading layers.

Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Georgia Nash
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Georgia Nash
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Georgia Nash
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Georgia Nash
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Georgia Nash
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Georgia Nash
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Georgia Nash
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Georgia Nash
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Georgia Nash
Georgia Nash backstage.

Tanya Smith showed The Natural Look, with a purple and coral collection featuring huge rounded shoulders and massive print collars inspired by the shapes of exotic flowers at Kew Gardens. There were a few very promising pieces in this collection and I look forward to seeing what she does next.

Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Tanya Smith
Tanya Smith.

Dorota Damian is a petite blonde Polish girl and for this show she took inspiration from the traditional shapes and embellishments of her homeland to present a strong monochromatic tailored collection. Her website may be naff, but if you can overlook that there were some very pretty and accomplished garments in her line up.

Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Dorota Damian
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Dorota Damian
Dorota Damian.

Hayley Trezise won my styling award of the day, thanks to her troupe of frizzyhaired feathered models in gently tailored ruffled concoctions in a range of neutral tones. Better still, her Raggedy Compare Readings collection used entirely recycled fabrics. I’d love to know more about this designer.

Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Hayley Trezise
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Hayley Trezise
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Hayley Trezise
Hayley Trezise at Alternative Fashion Week 2010

Look out for my next blog post, day three, coming soon…

Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday April 27th, 2010 4:14 pm

Categories ,Alternative Fashion Week, ,Charlie Chambers, ,Dorota Damian, ,Essex, ,Georgia Nash, ,hackney, ,Hayley Trezise, ,Kimberley Startup, ,Sample Remix, ,Stacey Richards, ,Tanya Smith

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Amelia’s Magazine | Alternative Fashion Week 2010 at Spitalfields Market: a review of Day 3

by

CIS:T.201-1984

One lovely spring day in March, website like this I found myself in the company of fellow Amelia’s Magazine writer Satu Fox (see her quilt here) on a trip to see the Victoria and Albert Museum’s Quilts exhibition. I was excited and intrigued to see what form this exhibition to take – thinking as I travelled along the Piccadilly line through the swarms of excited tourists: how to display quilts? How to convey their memories and the time taken to craft them without overwhelming the audience with text? Fascinated by the process of recording oral history I was keen to experience history that had been stitched, adorned, tessellated, hung on walls and spread across beds.

It turns out the exhibition is simple in concept; quilts are laid on beds or hung upon walls, spilt into bite sized chunks of quilting history namely: Making a living, Meeting the Past, Virtue and Virtuosity, Private Thoughts – Political Debates and the Domestic Landscape. Enabling the visitor to move between quilts – viewing the changes between quilts from different areas, houses and for different purposes. Throughout, modern quilts are interjected amongst the archive; their use of structural materials a stark contrast to the homely nature of the rest. It is intriguing to see the consideration of quilt as an art object due to the stance of the modern artist, however I think an unexplored potential of this exhibition is the latent object hood inherent in quilts. They are expressions of being confined to a single space of existence. Modern artists differ perhaps because they make a more aggressive exploration of the notions of femininity and the worth of different types of work. Art and Craft (A debate intensified during the establishment of the Royal Academy of Art under Joshua Reynolds) have long been in argument about their ‘status’.

Whilst I found it difficult in the exhibition to do anything other than absorb them visually, the exhibition is well documented with the quilts placed into context through accompanying letters.

Not surprisingly, considering the emphasis placed on an idea called home, the exhibition is incredibly popular. Quilts is reminiscent of the permanent exhibition at the Geffrye Museum, a fascinating insight into the development of the modern home. Quilts enables us to trace the development of ideas on comfort, sleep and protection whilst demonstrating a continued desire for beautiful objects. Whilst I can no longer read the illustrations present on them, these quilts act as memory holders for lost stories and precious family moments.

Quilts is an interesting glimpse into the V&A’s extensive collection, and exictingly the museum are encouraging people to upload their quilts onto the website developing a new archive of homemade quilts from the 21st Century. They are also hosting extensive workshops on making quilts, the hidden history of quilts and a variety ways to make quilts find more information here.

You can also read the curator of Quilts blog.  

Quilts 1700 – 2010
Until 14th July, £10 adults, £6 students, free for members

Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Am Statik by Amy Day
All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Day 3 at Alternative Fashion Week started with an amalgamated collection by the BA students of Havering College. From tweed and checked evening wear for both men and women to blowsy blue shot silk evening gowns, recipe there was a lot to admire in this offering.

Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Havering College
Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Havering College
Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Havering College
Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Havering College
Havering College womenswear.

Nicola Sawyers’ Ringmasters Boutique worked in a narrow palette of white and red inspired by a Victorian circus to create softly tailored looks.

Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Nicola Sawyers
Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Nicola Sawyers
Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Nicola Sawyers
Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Nicola Sawyers
Nicola Sawyers.

Adel Andic works in leather with muted tones of beige and mocha – admittedly this is never going to be my favourite combination given my penchant for bright colours and prints, abortion but this was nevertheless a well put together collection, styled simply with swept back hair and thigh high shiny black boots.

Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Adel Andic
Adel Andic.

Probably my favourite designer of the day came up next in the form of Mary Ratcliffe, who showed a youthful collection on a huge team of girls with mussed up hair. In what was beginning to emerge as a trend this collection (like those of Kimberley Startup and Georgia Nash) used childish styling in the form of robot carry cases, sweetie like plastic building abc blocks attached to jumpers and stuffed animal backpacks. Again the clothes were layered in a jumble sale fashion and looked to be created from recycled clothes. I just wish there was a website easily google-able and able to tell me more…

Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Mary Ratcliffe
Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Mary Ratcliffe
Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Mary Ratcliffe
Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Mary Ratcliffe
Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Mary Ratcliffe
Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Mary Ratcliffe
Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Mary Ratcliffe
Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Mary Ratcliffe
Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Mary Ratcliffe

Watching quietly from the sidelines I espied a girl sporting a fabulous bag which she told me was also created by Mary Ratcliffe, who sells regularly in Spitalfields Market under the name Mary Lu. Is this true? If only I could confirm it.

Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Mary Ratcliffe

London Printworks Trust is a charitable organisation in Brixton that provides space for textile based designers and they had collectively put together a series of outfits inspired by the movies. Much of it passed me by in a bit of a mush but a few key pieces stood out, I think by the same designer. Unfortunately I don’t know who she is except that she was in a wheelchair (according to the model, don’t quote me).

Alternative Fashion Week 2010 London Printworks Trust
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 London Printworks Trust
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 London Printworks Trust
I loved this last outfit by one of the London Printworks Trust designers: so cute.

Amanda Wai Yin Ng works in black. Frozen Illusion/Internal Torment flashed past me very quickly and I always struggle to notice much when it comes to any kind of black clothing, but it looked to be an accomplished collection of asymmetrical tailored chiffon – if you like that kind of thing.

Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Amanda Wai Yin Ng
Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Amanda Wai Yin Ng
Amanda Wai Yin Ng.

Elisabeth Hamlyn wowed us with her holey knitwear inspired by Celtic knotwork… styled with grey woollen lampshade hats drawn down close over the models’ eyes. Standing together the collection got the photographers in a right old tizz.

Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Elisabeth Hamlyn
Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Elisabeth Hamlyn
Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Elisabeth Hamlyn
Elisabeth Hamlyn knitwear inspired by Celtic knots.

Colchester School of Art & Design showed a collaborative menswear collection entitled ‘Recycled uniforms for the London Mens Gay Chorus’. It featured printed capes, embellished cuffs and an extraordinary soldier-meets-chorus-girl hat, worn by the model with a knowing smirk (the only way, let’s face it).

Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Colchester
Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Colchester
Alternative Fashion Week day 3 2010 Colchester
Menswear from Colchester School of Art.

Amy Day works under the name Am Statik – which must surely describe some kind of electrical effect felt when wearing large amounts of latex, though not being an aficionado I can’t be sure. Her Celestial Macabre collection was not entirely a surprise to me as Amy was very pro-active with her PR drive pre Alternative Fashion Week, and she’d sent me an email to let me know of her show. Amy, hailing from sunny Swindon, seeks to reinterpret this fabric with a more fashion based audience in mind, and never throws any bit of latex away: it all resurfaces as decoration or jewellery. With opposing dark peacock and nude outfits, this was a strong collection, though I think she may be a way off persuading most of us to adopt latex on a day to day basis.

Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Am Statik by Amy Day
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Am Statik by Amy Day
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Am Statik by Amy Day
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Am Statik by Amy Day
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Am Statik by Amy Day
Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Am Statik by Amy Day
Am Statik by Amy Day.

I almost entirely missed Maartje de Man before falling over the designer lined up with her models just as the encore called them back onstage. Imaginary Escape featured ethnic ikat designs, flouncey rara skirts, pom-poms in the hair and lots of clashing turquoise and red tones. Right up my street then!

Alternative Fashion Week 2010 Maartje De Man
Maartje De Man with her models.

You can read my blog about day 2 at Alternative Fashion Week here.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday April 27th, 2010 10:22 pm

Categories ,Adel Andic, ,Alternative Fashion Week, ,Amanda Wai Yin Ng, ,Celtic, ,Circus, ,Colchester, ,Elisabeth Hamlyn, ,Ethnic, ,Georgia Nash, ,Havering College, ,Kimberley Startup, ,knitwear, ,London Printworks Trust, ,Maartje de Man, ,Mary Ratcliffe, ,Nicola Sawyers

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Amelia’s Magazine | Alternative Fashion Week 2010 at Spitalfields Market: a review of Day 4

by

Alternative Fashion Week Day 4 2010 Nicole Gill
All photography by Amelia Gregory.

By Day 4 at Alternative Fashion Week things start to go a little hazy – and the other bloggers who were so keen earlier in the week seem to have all gone quiet so it’s much harder for me to cross check my facts and be sure that I have the right credits for the right designers. Do let me know if I’ve got it wrong or I’ve missed out a link.

As I arrived a bevy of scantily clad beauties were lining up for a photo call at the back of one of the dressing tents. They were modelling the lingerie designs of Nicole Gill, story case whose collection was described as being inspired by the Balinese Barong dance, whatever that is. Now, I’m no specialist on Balinese culture but I’m fairly certain that they don’t dance in their underwear or wear corsets. Non obvious influences aside, these were sexy pieces for sure. Bemused labourers looked on.

Alternative Fashion Week Day 4 2010 Nicole Gill
Alternative Fashion Week Day 4 2010 Nicole Gill
Alternative Fashion Week Day 4 2010 Nicole Gill
Alternative Fashion Week Day labourers
Alternative Fashion Week Day 4 2010 Nicole Gill
Alternative Fashion Week Day 4 2010 Nicole Gill
Lingerie by Nicole Gill.

Inside Crispin Place Alex Seroge was ready to go, lined up with his models in an imposing group. Apparently an amalgamation of middle eastern and Persian influences, there was also something of the Edwardian country squire-ess to this collection, which mixed tweeds with exotic head wraps and prints in every shade of spice.

Alternative Fashion Week day 4 2010 Alex Seroge
Alternative Fashion Week day 4 2010 Alex Seroge
Alternative Fashion Week day 4 2010 Alex Seroge
Alex Seroge.

Next up with a fabulously-over-the-top-despite-being-all-cream collection of big knitwear was George Strood; props to her models for posing so perfectly with the shaggy knitted bag. And loving the shaggy trousers, inspired by Mr Tumnus, the fawn in Narnia?

Alternative Fashion Week day 4 2010 George Strood
Alternative Fashion Week day 4 2010 George Strood
Alternative Fashion Week Day 4 2010 george Strood
Alternative Fashion Week day 4 2010 George Strood
Knitwear by George Strood.

The University of Derby passed by without me particularly noticing – apart from this one fabulous piece, like a wearable lampshade made from a giant spidersweb. Judging by the silver make up I think the boy in the pink may have been part of the collection too.

Alternative Fashion Week day 4 2010 Derby
Alternative Fashion Week Day 4 2010 Derby
Alternative Fashion Week day 4 2010 Derby

Barnet College also showed with Zero Waste – from the title I can only presume it was all recycled. I liked this lady because as she was standing on the steps waiting to go onto the catwalk I realised that she had a cupcake tattoo on her bum. Taking the fetishising of cupcakes to a whole new level!

Alternative Fashion Week day 4 2010 Barnet
Alternative Fashion Week day 4 2010 Barnet
Alternative Fashion Week day 4 2010 Barnet
Check the cupcake on arse!

Alternative Fashion Week day 4 2010 Barnet
Barnet College.

I found the sports menswear collection by Thomas Lovegrove unoriginal. When Kim Jones first put the bright back into menswear a decade ago it was smart and new, but now it just looks tired and done. You can find sportswear like this in any high street shop these days.

Alternative Fashion Week day 4 2010 Thomas Lovegrove

Alice Barcham paraded a collection of tailored whites inspired by the Sydney Opera House crossed with Audrey Hepburn and LuaSarcy showed some dreadful wedding wear. Well, not dreadful, but just weddingy. i.e. not very exciting. Certainly not what I would call fashion at any rate.

Alternative Fashion Week day 4 2010 Alice Barcham
Alice Barcham.

Alternative Fashion Week Day 4 2010 LuaSarcy
LuaSarcy.

On the knitwear front Gemma Maher showed a delightfully understated collection called Firebird, inspired by the ballet apparently. Can you see the connection? Not sure I can but anyhoo.

Alternative Fashion Week day 4 2010 Gemma Maher
Alternative Fashion Week day 4 2010 Gemma Maher
Alternative Fashion Week Day 4 2010 Gemma Maher
Gemma Maher.

Day 4 got so out of control that I have split it into two parts: you can read part two of this post here.
You can read up on day 2 here and day 3 here.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Wednesday April 28th, 2010 11:59 am

Categories ,Alex Seroge, ,Alice Barcham, ,Alternative Fashion Week, ,Audrey Hepburn, ,Barnet College, ,cupcakes, ,Derby, ,Dragons, ,Gemma Maher, ,Kim Jones, ,knitwear, ,lingerie, ,LuaSarcy, ,Nicole Gill, ,Renata Suchanova, ,tailoring, ,Thomas Lovegrove

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Amelia’s Magazine | Alternative Fashion Week 2010 at Spitalfields Market: a review of Day 5

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Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Kim Seoghee
All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Kim Seoghee may not be Flemish (I’m gonna bet he isn’t) but his work sure as hell feels the touch of Belgium. With a team of skinny stoney faced pretty boy models and ethereal girls, try Kim showed us a classic example of the sulky European genre. Eyes emphasised with kohl, order the models lined up to show Another 7th Day, a pick ‘n’ mix collection in black, grey and cream. Amongst the upbeat surroundings of Alternative Fashion Week their cool collective attitude stood right out, but they’d fit right in at Paris or London fashion weeks proper.

Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Kim Seoghee
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Kim Seoghee
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Kim Seoghee
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Kim Seoghee
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Kim
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Kim Seoghee
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Kim Seoghee
Kim Seoghee with his models.

Laura Panter showed a clever collection – ‘This collection cries adolescent’ – God knows what being a teenager had to do with it though. The clothes were a curve enhancing mix of pastel chiffon and wool with bondage inspired straps and belt features.

Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Laura Panter
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Laura Panter
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Laura Panter
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Laura Panter
Laura Panter.

She was followed swiftly by the work of another Laura. Laura Fox had put together a cute series of outfits inspired by ‘British Heritage, Harris Tweed and Oilskin’ – with the aim of promoting manufacturing in the UK. Her love for classic British designers such as Christopher Bailey for Burberry were clear in what I thought was a sweet and mature collection, and that was before I discovered that Laura is wheelchair bound. She has a good web presence with a Carbonmade website and a twitter feed so she clearly hasn’t let a little thing like a disability stop her from keeping busy. And my friends over at Creative Boom have also blogged on her here. Dead impressed.

Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Laura Fox
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Laura Fox
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Laura Fox
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Laura Fox
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Laura Fox
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Laura Fox
Laura Fox had business cards to hand: the way it should be done!

Sarina Hosking showed a couple of pieces titled Beauty and the Beast. I have to say I was pleasantly amused by the title – during a week when titles often bore abstract relevance to the collections they were attached to (at best), this did exactly what it said on the tin. The girl that really got all the photographers salivating was a sexy grown-up version of Little Red Riding Hood, complete with red lacy veil. An elegant gent in wolf mask looked on. They were a distraction from the rest of the collection but heck, why not mix and match your fairytale references? According to her myspace Sarina is principally a theatrical designer, so it all begins to make sense.

Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Sarina Hosking
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Sarina Hosking
Sarina Hosking.

Transform by Elizabeth Wilcox was described as ‘Sportswear creating capsule wardrobe’. It was certainly sporty but I am not sure I was feeling the marl grey highlighted with neon sculptural thing.

Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Elizabeth Wilcox
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Elizabeth Wilcox
Elizabeth Wilcox.

Viveka Goyanes put together cutesy cream printed shirts with carefully styled black and white tailoring to present a mature collection called Brummella the Dandella. I particularly loved all the little touches, like the ripped and accessorised socks. It always pays to look down!

Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Viveka Goyanes
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Viveka Goyanes
Viveka Goyanes: what cute socks!

If I have wrongly credited anyone in this blog post please do let me know. I’ve tried my best with limited knowledge at my fingertips…
You can read the second half of my blog post about day five of Alternative Fashion Week here.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Wednesday April 28th, 2010 5:13 pm

Categories ,Alternative Fashion Week, ,Elizabeth Wilcox, ,Kim Seoghee, ,Laura Fox, ,Laura Panter, ,sportswear, ,tailoring, ,Viveka Goyanes

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Amelia’s Magazine | Alternative Fashion Week 2010 at Spitalfields Market: An Introduction.

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Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010

Alternative Fashion Week is a funny old beast, stuff one that I’ve been getting to know rather well over the past week. And really getting to become rather fond of. Every day I rock up at 1.15pm with no idea of what the day’s catwalk show will bring. Generally I come skidding to a halt on my bike just as the stout lady with the microphone finishes giving her daily spiel to the audience, which is a funny old mixture of family, friends, industry pundits (apparently, though I didn’t seen anybody I know) and interested city boys and labourers.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010

On Tuesday I was still a novice, so I asked the lady at the back with a clipboard if I could sit down – being as I was press and that’s what it said on my ticket. “No.” She told me bluntly. “Not if you haven’t reserved a seat.” Oh alright then.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010
Don’t hassle this lady. She’s very busy. She ensures that everyone gets out on the catwalk on time.

One major issue with this event is the lack of surrounding information – Alternative Fashion Week doesn’t have much of an online presence and the bumpf that I got sent in the post was basic to say the least. It certainly didn’t warn me that I needed to RSVP or go fuck myself. I always find it amusing how, because of the way I dress and the fact that I carry a big professional camera with me (photographers generally being the scum of the earth and all that), I am treated in a certain way. Oh world of fashion, you do make me larf. Still, I like to travel incognito, so it suits me.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010
Some of the audience really aren’t going to help you get ahead in fashion – bemused city workers look on.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010
The band. They’re quite naff.

Now I actually think that the lack of a seat was a blessing in disguise – I spent about ten minutes on day one attempting to watch the catwalk shows front stage before realising that there was far more fun to be had hanging around the back, where a big old melange of models, designers, city workers, pervy middle aged male photographers and screaming organisers raced about like mad things – it made for far more interesting photos, and I got to boss the girls around when they come off stage. (Something none of the other photographers seemed to do. It must be something to do with my background as a fashion photographer because I have no qualms with telling a model how to pose. Though of course the rest of the cameras descended in front of me like locusts once I’d arranged a shot.) So whilst I can report generally on the outfits, I have no idea what any of the catwalk presentations were like. Not that I think that matters – it’s the clothes that are important, right?

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010
“Hello young lady, can I take a photo of you because you don’t appear to have a bra on.” Believe me, there was only a pair of nipple tassles under that jacket.

The standard at Alternative Fashion Week is massively variable but amongst the huge quantity of stuff there are some really interesting designers to be found – ones that I would wager money on becoming successful. So it’s important to give into the undeniable exuberance of the occasion: everyone is quite simply having a ball. Some of the “models” may be slightly ropey, some of the designs outstandingly bad, but the fact that such an event exists to promote up and coming talent is a good thing. It’s just a shame they don’t have more resources to make sure that each designer gets as much promotion as possible: I had real trouble trying to figure out which was which. And that I at least had the choice of a seat if I had wanted.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010
Model or mum? You decide. Perhaps both. There are all comers here.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010 Alex Seroge
Alex Seroge showed a very strong collection.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010
Great styling from Hayley Trezise.

Over the week I have got better at making a note of who all the designers are, no mean feat when juggling camera, iphone and twitter updates. So if you see your work on my website and it hasn’t been properly credited do drop me a note and let me know. I’ve also learnt a lot about what you should and shouldn’t do at Alternative Fashion Week if you want to make an impression – and that shall be the subject of another post.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010
Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Kimberley Startup.

Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Havering College get ready to go on stage.

Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Adel Andic.

Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Maartje de Man.

Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
It’s tough when your bum is hanging out in the street.

Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Checking through the running order backstage.

Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Backstage for Eliza Maher.

You can read many more blog posts about Alternative Fashion Week 2010 on this site.
Blog post on Hatastic! on day 1
Blog post on day 2
Blog post on day 3
Blog post on day 4 and second part here
Blog post on day 5 and second part here
Blog post on day 5 Chelsea BA Textiles Show
Plus my 8 Tips for Making a Successful Impression at Alternative Fashion Week

Written by Amelia Gregory on Friday April 23rd, 2010 11:46 am

Categories ,Adel Andic, ,Alex Seroge, ,Alternative Fashion Week, ,Havering College, ,Hayley Trezise, ,Kimberley Startup, ,Maartje de Man, ,photography, ,spitalfields

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