Amelia’s Magazine | Vita Gottlieb: London Fashion Week S/S 2015 Catwalk Review

vita gottlieb - llfw - ss15 - jenny robins
Vita Gottlieb by Jenny Robins.

She may only have been creating collections for a few seasons, but Vita Gottlieb has already honed her look to great effect. For her S/S 2015 collection Microworld Vita found inspiration at the bottom of the sea; in the peachy hues of coral reefs and the creature filled waters of the far deep. A sensation of floating was achieved by the use of gossamer light asymmetric panels of georgette, juxtaposed against graphical black blocks on slouchy tees and swing skirts. Signature prints were created from the swirling botanical illustrations of Ernst Haeckel and worked well with stripes of contrast bias binding and delicate layered waist ties. Lacey laser cut gloves, smokey eyes, high hair and spike heeled metallic sandals gave a glamorous edge to everyday pieces, as Vita Gottlieb once more successfully married the avante grade with the wearable.

Scroll to the bottom to watch the video of the show.

Vita Gottlieb by Karolina Burdon
Vita Gottlieb by Karolina Burdon.

Vita Gottlieb SS15 by Isabelle Mattern
Vita Gottlieb SS15 by Isabelle Mattern.

Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
Vita Gottlieb SS 2015 photo by Amelia Gregory
All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Vita Gottlieb SS15 show video from Vita Gottlieb on Vimeo.

Categories ,Catwalk review, ,Ernst Haeckel, ,Fashion Scout, ,Isabelle Mattern, ,Jenny Robins, ,Karolina Burdon, ,London Fashion Week, ,Microworld, ,S/S 2015, ,SS15, ,Vita Gottlieb

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Amelia’s Magazine | Zeynep Kartal: London Fashion Week S/S 2015 Catwalk Review

Zeynep Kartal by Sine Skau
Zeynep Kartal by Sine Skau.

Turkish born Zeynep Kartal is one of the new influx of foreign born designers who are bringing a little red carpet glamour to the Fashion Scout catwalks. Her SS15 catwalk show opened with zingy lemon yellow floor sweeping gowns – backless, strapless, sheer, asymmetric glamour offset with barely there make up and simple locks worn cascading down the back. Zeynep Kartal’s Efflorescence collection featured plenty of floaty dresses covered in subtle rose pink and white florals inspired by the classic novel The Secret Garden, and for those preferring a darker palette there were boxy dove grey satin tops embellished with beaded starbursts and pleated georgette dresses with plunging necklines and cinched-in waists. A glorious rose encrusted A-line dress made for a playful finale from the Manchester based designer.

Scroll down to watch a video of the collection.

Zeynep Kartal Spring Summer 2015, Illustration by Rosa Crepax and Carlotta Crepax, Illustrated Moodboard for Amelia's Magazine
Zeynep Kartal SS15 by Rosa Crepax and Carlotta Crepax of Illustrated Moodboard.

Zeynep Kartal SS 2015-photo by Amelia Gregory
Zeynep Kartal SS 2015-photo by Amelia Gregory
Zeynep Kartal SS 2015-photo by Amelia Gregory
Zeynep Kartal SS 2015-photo by Amelia Gregory
Zeynep Kartal SS 2015-photo by Amelia Gregory
Zeynep Kartal SS 2015-photo by Amelia Gregory
Zeynep Kartal SS 2015-photo by Amelia Gregory
Zeynep Kartal SS 2015-photo by Amelia Gregory
Zeynep Kartal SS 2015-photo by Amelia Gregory
Zeynep Kartal SS 2015-photo by Amelia Gregory
Zeynep Kartal SS 2015-photo by Amelia Gregory
All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Categories ,Catwalk review, ,Efflorescence, ,Evening Wear, ,Fashion Scout, ,floral, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Glamour, ,Illustrated Moodboard, ,London Fashion Week, ,manchester, ,Red carpet, ,Rosa Crepax and Carlotta Crepax, ,S/S 2015, ,Sine Skau, ,SS15, ,The Secret Garden, ,Turkish, ,Zeynep Kartal

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Amelia’s Magazine | Lug Von Siga: London Fashion Week S/S 2014 Catwalk Review

Lug Von Siga S/S 2014 by Karolina Burdon

Lug Von Siga S/S 2014 by Karolina Burdon

Turkish designer Gül Ağış presented her brand Lug Von Siga S/S 2014 collection in the upper halls of Freemasons’ Hall at Fashion Scout on the second day of London Fashion Week. What we saw was an elegant and varied collection that featured evening dresses in luxurious fabrics such as silk crepe, leather and knitwear, as well as some more sportive outfits. The colour palette ranged from black and white to beige, caramel and coral red. Just by looking at Gül Ağış’ S/S 2014 collection one could easily discern influences from her rich cultural and historical heritage. Exposed bellies, see through fabric around hips and low fringed waists all brought to mind images of exotic belly dancers. Three dresses with laced, swirly patterns also reminded me of doilies used as decorations on tables and sofas of Anatolian houses.

Lug Von Siga S/S 2014 by Novemto Komo

Lug Von Siga S/S 2014 by Novemto Komo

But, as it often happens at fashion shows, reading the press release revealed an extra, unexpected layer of meaning and intention to the collection. This season Gül Ağış was inspired by populations around the world recently going back to tribal attitudes to express their anger towards the state of the world and the nature of their governments. More specifically she was inspired by the 2013 protests in Turkey started on 28 May 2013, initially to contest the urban development plan for Istanbul’s Taksim Gezi Park. Prints of tribal masks, which are often used in transitional situations and rituals, appeared writ large on tops and dresses. A mask protects, empowers the wearer spiritually and also gives anonymity, so that one can be aggressive and break the rules; thus here this powerful symbol was used beautifully to illustrate the insecurity towards the future felt by the Turkish people.

Lug Von Siga S/S 2014 by Yelena Bryksenkova

Lug Von Siga S/S 2014 by Yelena Bryksenkova

Lug Von Siga Catwalk photo by Amelia Gregory SS 2014

Lug Von Siga SS 2014 photo by Maria Papadimitriou 7

Lug Von Siga SS 2014 photo by Maria Papadimitriou 6

Lug Von Siga S/S 2014 by Novemto Komo

Lug Von Siga S/S 2014 by Novemto Komo

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 photo by Amelia Gregory-0023

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 photo by Amelia Gregory

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 photo by Amelia Gregory

Lug Von Siga S/S 2014 by Claire Kearns

Lug Von Siga S/S 2014 by Claire Kearns

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 photo by Amelia Gregory

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 photo by Amelia Gregory

Lug Von Siga SS 2014 photo by Maria Papadimitriou 5

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 photo by Amelia Gregory

Lug Von Siga SS 2014 photo by Maria Papadimitriou 9

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 by Amelia Gregory

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 by Amelia Gregory

Lug Von Siga SS 2014 photo by Maria Papadimitriou 10

Lug Von Siga SS 2014 photo by Maria Papadimitriou 11

Lug Von Siga SS 2014 photo by Maria Papadimitriou HAIR

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 photo by Amelia Gregory

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 photo by Amelia Gregory

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 photo by Maria Papadimitriou 4

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 photo by Amelia Gregory

Lug Von Siga S/S 2014. All photography by Amelia Gregory and Maria Papadimitriou.

Categories ,Catwalk review, ,Claire Kearns, ,Fashion Scout, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Gül Ağış, ,Karolina Burdon, ,London Fashion Week, ,Lug Von Siga, ,Maria Papadimitriou, ,Masks, ,Novemto Komo, ,S/S 2014, ,Taksim Gezi Park Protests, ,Tribal, ,Tribal Masks, ,Turkish, ,Yelena Bryksenkova

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

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

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

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

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

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Amelia’s Magazine | Pam Hogg: London Fashion Week A/W 2014 Catwalk Review

Pam Hogg A/W 2014 by Marina Muun

Pam Hogg A/W 2014 by Marina Muun

I thoroughly enjoyed the Pam Hogg S/S 2014 catwalk show last September, bathed as it was in a joyous theatrical atmosphere. So I was a little surprised to find that this season the Pam Hogg A/W 2014 show felt like a deflated repetition of last year, with a couple of the outfits seemingly almost identical to those shown for S/S 2014. However, it all made much more sense when, afterwards, I found out more about how and why this collection was created. In fact, Pam Hogg had opted not to show this season, but had a change of heart after a last minute personal request from Amnesty International to give a nod to Russian punk band Pussy Riot during London Fashion Week, especially as the event coincided with the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Therefore, there were only three weeks to put the collection together.

Pam Hogg A/W 2014 by Jenny Robins

Pam Hogg A/W 2014 by Jenny Robins

Pam Hogg A-W 2014 catwalk photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Pam Hogg A-W 2014 catwalk photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Pam Hogg A-W 2014 catwalk photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Pam Hogg A-W 2014 catwalk photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Pam Hogg A-W 2014 catwalk photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Pam Hogg A/W 2014 by Kit Wagstaff

Pam Hogg A/W 2014 by Kit Wagstaff

The show was titled COURAGE and opened with models carrying boards emblazoned with the statements “This is a dedication to Pussy Riot” and “This collection is not for sale“. The first section of the collection featured the distinctive coloured balaclavas which have become a widely-recognised symbol of the Pussy Riot girls, and was a straight dedication to the group. Pam Hogg sent ethereal bridal looks accessorised with ornate gold headpieces down the catwalk on a mixture of male, female and transexual models, perhaps in an effort to highlight the issues around gay marriage, especially in Russia. According to her, gold represents the church and white represents peace and love for everyone. The intense colours that were patchworked into her trademark catsuits were her tribute to the gay community and the richness that it has given culture.

Pam Hogg A-W 2014 catwalk photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Pam Hogg A-W 2014 catwalk photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Pam Hogg A-W 2014 catwalk photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Pam Hogg A-W 2014 catwalk photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Pam Hogg A/W 2014 by Mitika Suri

Pam Hogg A/W 2014 by Mitika Suri

Pam Hogg A-W 2014 catwalk photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Pam Hogg A-W 2014 catwalk photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Pam Hogg A-W 2014 catwalk photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Pam Hogg A-W 2014 catwalk photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Pam Hogg A-W 2014 catwalk photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Pam Hogg A-W 2014 catwalk photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Pam Hogg A-W 2014 catwalk photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Pam Hogg A-W 2014 catwalk photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Pam Hogg A-W 2014 catwalk photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Pam Hogg A-W 2014 catwalk photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Pam Hogg A-W 2014 catwalk photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Pam Hogg A-W 2014 catwalk photo by Maria Papadimitriou

All photography by Maria Papadimitriou.

Categories ,A/W 2014, ,Amnesty, ,Amnesty International, ,Catwalk review, ,COURAGE, ,Fashion Scout, ,Jenny Robins, ,Kit Wagstaff, ,LGBT, ,London Fashion Week, ,Maria Papadimitriou, ,Mitika Chohan, ,Mitika Suri, ,Pam Hogg, ,protest, ,punk, ,pussy riot, ,Russia!, ,Sochi, ,Winter Olympics

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Catwalk Review: Carlotta Gherzi for Sado

Carlotta Gherzi SS12 by Faye West
Carlotta Gherzi S/S 2012 by Faye West

Upon arriving at the Vauxhall Fashion Scout venue, generic I was informed by a harassed-looking security guard that the show was running an hour late. Fortunately, the lovely (and rather pink-haired) Emma of Greene and Sheppard PR came out to meet me and introduced me to some seasoned fashionistas, who were now attending their ninth show of the day. After a lot of waiting and waving of our gold-starred tickets, we got seated on the front row of Carlotta Gherzi’s S/S 2012 show Triassic Glamour where I discovered a black cotton goodie bag that contained a sparkly set of Body Shop make-up.

emma_block_gherzi
Carlotta Gherzi S/S 2012 by Emma Block

This was well and truly a Spring/Summer collection – the first thing out on the runway was a cut-out, one-piece swim suit the perfect greeny-blue colour of an outdoor swimming pool on a balmy day.

Carlotta Gherzi SS12 first dress
Carlotta Gherzi SS12 by Faye West 2
Carlotta Gherzi S/S 2012 by Faye West

Once again, Carlotta’s beautiful and innovative prints underpinned the entire collection. This time they were inspired by the fossil room of the British Museum, and printed on silk jersey, crepe de chine, silk chiffon and lycra and embellished with Swarovski crystals. The models had the feel of just having emerged from a beautiful exotic jungle.

Carlotta Gherzi SS12 black dress

Her models’ make-up was natural and their hair relaxed, as they floated down the runway in sheer printed kaftans and killer heels. 13 cm high heels designed by Carlotta Gherzi herself were encrusted with gems matching the clothes. The next pieces were as functional as they were pretty; metallic jackets, striped leggings and light-as-air summer dresses. The organic form of the prints working perfectly with the movement of fabric and model.

Carlotta Gherzi SS12 floaty dresses

The next few outfits broke with the black, white, neutral and periwinkle blue we’d seen so far, and as they boldly clashed in shades of tangerine and that particularly vibrant shade of purple that some people mistake for blue.

Carlotta Gherzi SS12 purple and orange

The pieces combined structural, body-con elements, with free flowing drapes of sheer fabric, and asymmetry was a reoccurring theme. As different as Carlotta Gherzi‘s pieces were, they were all uniquely flattering to the female form.

Carlotta Gherzi SS12 black orange and purpleCarlotta Gherzi SS12 final dress

The printed chiffon layers of a full-length gown wafted down the catwalk and, with that, the show was over. Afterwards Carlotta Gherzi was kind of enough to answer a few of my questions, and I will be revealing the answers shortly.

Carlotta Gherzi last dress close up

Categories ,Body Shop, ,British Museum, ,Carlotta Gherzi, ,Carlotta Gherzi for SADO, ,Catwalk review, ,Emma Block, ,fashion, ,Faye West, ,Greene and Sheppard PR, ,lfw, ,London Fashion Week, ,review, ,S/S 2012, ,spring summer collection, ,Swarovski, ,The Body Shop, ,Triassic Glamour, ,Vauxhall Fashion Scout

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week A/W 2011 Catwalk Review: Jena.Theo (by Matt)

Les Chiffoniers by Abby Wright

Slinky t-shirts, and seriously sprayed on leggings and rocky accessories have defined Les Chiffoniers for the last four years. With a winning formula, they like to stick to a very tight remit when it comes to their designs and style. Famed for their perfect fit leather leggings, they exploded into fashion consciousness when icon Kate Moss was snapped stumbling round Glastonbury in a shiny PVC pair. Their SS11 collection features the classic black version with double air zippers in PVC and matte, as well as new stone washed suede versions which had a softer appeal. The label, owned by Leena Similu tend to produce a core collection of beautiful leggings, together with chiffon tops and dresses so expect more variations on this selection this season.

Holly Fulton by Avril Kelly

I have loved Holly Fulton’s designs for years and for me, she seems to get it right every time. This year, once again, she is part of the Newgen showcase for LFW. Her SS11 was an absolute triumph: a collection referencing decadent and luxury cruise lining days, it hinted at a myriad of exotic, far flung locations yet her signature geometric, stylised pattering was still key to the look. Over the last four collections she has produced, Fulton has referenced a vast range of inspirations: from Joan Collins to New York skyscrapers, she cleverly transforms each idea into a consistent, and wearable style. A recent collaboration with online retail giant Asos has cemented her status as one of Britain’s top young designers.

David Koma by Gareth Hopkins

I don’t even need to write that David Koma is one to watch. Since his debut, his status has risen so much so that celebrities including Lady Gaga and Rihanna are clamouring to get into his dresses. At the astonishingly young age of 24, he has already achieved the holy grail of young designer aspirations – a collaboration with Topshop, and was also awarded NEWGEN sponsorship last season. Koma’s style is bold, blocky and futuristic. Using interesting adornments such as bent or tubular pieces of metal and reflective pieces of Perspex, his body conscious designs are edgy and confident.

Last season we enjoyed his refined show of grown up and elegant pieces, but were surprised at the use of python skin in a number of the dresses – Amelia had the chance to ask him about it and you can read the interview here. It will be interesting to see which materials he uses for AW, watch this space (until Monday, that is!)

Eudon Choi by Karolina Burdon

Eudon Choi started his eponymous label 2 years ago after stints at Twenty8Twelve and All Saints. With clothes that reflect these experiences, his pieces are utilitarian in character, featuring masculine detailing and reworked vintage garments. Last year he received both the VFS Merit Award and the BFC/Elle Talent Pad. His collection will show on Friday, the first day of LFW; read our review of his SS11 collection here.

One of our faves, knit fanatic Craig Lawrence will be showing his new collection in the Portico rooms this February, the same as last season – read Matt’s review of his SS11 collection here.

Craig Lawrence by Rukmunal Hakim

Simplistic and assured, Lawrence is a pro when it comes to seeking out and appropriately using the best wool yarns (my sister is a textile designer and I know how hard this actually is). The movement within the pieces sets him apart as having an in-depth knowledge of the materials he’s working with and the ability to use them in an ethically minded way. We Like. A Lot.

MariaFrancescaPepe by Sandra Contreras

‘The underworld, amulets and Salvador Dali’ provide inspiration for MariaFrancescaPepe’s new collection. Pioneering the concept that jewellery should be the focal point of an outfit, Jewellery-Wear is her brainchild and has produced the iconic MFP tubular – a signature necklace which appears in every collection in different variations.

Christopher Raeburn by Gemma Smith

Christopher Raeburn’s designs differed from the majority of SS11’s collections, gone were floaty dresses in florals and pastel, and not a chino in sight. Instead he produced a number of festival-worthy parkers and jackets made from old parachutes and featuring cute dotty patterns. The effect was visually impressive as the lightweight material was slightly transparent so all the seams and joins were exposed. As an exciting and inventive designer, I am looking forward to see how he uses these qualities to create a warmer, AW collection.

Illustration by Maria Papadimitriou

I’ll never say a bad word about Mr Paul Costelloe. His was the first on-schedule show I ever saw, treatment back in 2008. It was a disaster – you can read my review here (my have we come a long way with our fashion week reviews). Despite that particular experience being pretty traumatic, I always look forward to what he’ll present us each season, and I genuinely believe he’s the most underrated designer on the schedule – AND he always gets that hideous graveyard 9.30am opening slot. Anyway, enough of the pity, I’m sure he gets along just fine.


Paul Costelloe chatting outside the tent, post-show. All photography by Matt Bramford

Of course, this wouldn’t be fashion week without a cycling trauma, and it was on Friday morning that my back brake completely went so I was left only with the front one, guaranteed to send me flying over the handlebars should I actually need to stop. A quick trip into miserable Evans Cycles soon sorted this but meant I had to dash like a lunatic to Somerset House and just managed to leg it inside before the show started.


Illustration by Lesley Barnes

I was disappointed not to be saddled up against those two lovely old dears I met last time – this time I endured a rather unforgiving fashion blogger. I tend to stand at the top of one of the aisles to secure good pictures, but said fashion blogger deemed it acceptable to stand in front of me. I politely explained that I had chosen that spot on purpose, and I would really appreciate it if she’d take her enormous Mulberry bag and ridiculously large coat somewhere else. She moved an inch to the left. Cheers, then!

God I’m going on a bit, aren’t I? Well, the show itself was brilliant. This season saw Costelloe move in a more sophisticated direction. The catwalk was awash with luxurious tweeds and tartans in vibrant colours. Structured twin-sets with a contemporary edge stood side-by-side a-line dresses in unusual materials; delicious floral prints were teamed with cropped blazers, while hints of military on more a-line dresses were complimented with a roaring forties/fabulous fifties soundtrack of Bobby Darin and The Andrews Sisters (maybe). Poker-straight red wigs added a sexy, playful edge to what is a more mature range of womenswear.

Last season I wasn’t that struck on the menswear, but this year I am ALL OVER IT. Again, taking a more sophisticated direction, sharp suits (in similar tartans and tweeds to those seen on the girls) were aplenty. Floor length coats and double-breasted blazers really complimented the womenswear. Contrasting trousers in really bright colours were paired with tame blazers, allowing Costelloe’s men to be quirky but smart at the same time.


Illustration by Maria Papadimitriou

It was a massive collection – the biggest I saw during the day – but each piece had been carefully selected to compliment the next and never was it boring. The only way I could have enjoyed the show more was if Unforgiving Fashion Blogger hadn’t been such a knob. Hilariously she was fighting for my prime photographer’s spot to take pictures with her Blackberry! Well, I ask you.

Another great outing for PC, though. Long may he reign – in a sea of often miserable A/W 2011 dark collections, his whimsical approach and playful colours are a ray of sunshine.

All photography by Matt Bramford


Illustration by Antonia Parker

The On|Off venue this year isn’t the best, cialis 40mg I have to say. Located at Mercer Street Studios, it’s absolutely tiny, roasting hot and there are fewer seats than usual. Having been awarded an invitation with an orange sticker on, mind, I was ushered to the front and glamourously made my way inside. I don’t know if I’m just getting on a bit, but there seems to be a helluva lot of people at fashion week this season. For this, the Jena.Theo show, the room was full to bursting (I’m not sure what the HSE would have to say about some of the goings on in these pokey venues) but this design duo thoroughly deserve the mass attention they are getting.

‘Hilary’s here! Hilary’s here!’ began the whispers, and a gap on the front row, directly across the aisle from me, was created. At fashion week it could only be one Hilary they were so frantically trying to seat – our Hilary Alexander, who looked gorgeous in a feather-trimmed top. As the show was about to start, a tiny photographer with a lens the length of my arm positioned himself on the floor, right in my shot, between me and Hils. I was livid. I asked him politely to move the hell out of my way (another trend this season…) but he failed to take any notice. Sigh.

Look, here he is:

Despite moaning about the venue being tiny, I do adore the addition of an enormous screen at the back of the catwalk, which made for stark and interesting photographs and emphasised the pieces – a wondrous addition here with Jena.Theo’s exaggerated silhouettes.

On with the show, and extremely tall models emerged wearing all sorts of sculptural shapes. I really like Jena.Theo’s aesthetic – it’s contemporary (futuristic, even) but also wearable for the fashion-forward woman. The models really stood out in-front of the blinding LED screen; curved silhouettes had a Japanese influence with enormous sleeves and garments that gave out at the waist.

There was a definite unfinished aesthetic at play – ma, maybe, like the great Japanese couturiers. Hems were raw and luxurious silks were layered on top of each other. There wasn’t much in the way of colour – a splash of denim for an over-sized cape was a welcome break from this pretty much all black collection, but I guess that’s Jena.Theo’s style.


Illustration by Antonia Parker

I especially enjoyed the additions of leather, particularly on one patchwork piece that I’ve since deemed my fave. Black stripes across models faces added a sinister twist, but flattering shapes that emphasised curves and bare flesh allowed this collection to remain sexy and sophisticated. Capes were like sexed-up graduation gowns, while a huge padded jacket would sit happily in a Yohji Yamamoto exhibition.

A fantastic outing for this twosome, I can’t wait to see what direction they take all this in. I’m now off to drink the Chambord from the goody bag and smother myself in Elemis for ladies (I’m actually not, I’m off to another show, I just wanted to give them a plug).

Also got slightly distracted by what Dame Hilary might have been scribbling, so took a few cheeky shots of her notebook…

All photography by Matt Bramford

See more of Antonia Parker’s illustrations in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration.

Categories ,A/W 2011, ,Capes, ,Catwalk review, ,Chambord, ,Dimitris Theocharidis, ,Elemis, ,Essence Communications, ,fashion, ,Hilary Alexander, ,Jena.theo, ,Jenny Holmes, ,London Fashion Week, ,Mercer Street Studios, ,onoff, ,Silk, ,The Telegraph

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week A/W 2011 Catwalk Review: Maria Grachvogel


All illustrations by Maria del Carmen Smith

Now Maria Grachvogel was a strange set up from the start. Arriving very late anyway (fashionably late you may say) we were 15 minutes late sitting down and so were all ushered in to a very grand looking ballroom with a photographers pit on opposite ends of the room with a bunch of guests looking uncomfortable standing in the middle of the room. The set up was so that the models could come out of one corner and walk in a square around all of the guests giving everyone a perfect picture shot. Great in theory, this site not so great in practice.


All photography by Jemma Crow

What essentially happened was crowds of eager spectators standing in the line of the photographers, malady being shouted at to “move in” and then the sudden rush of people to the free front row seats available at the last minute; I almost ended up on Hilary Alexander’s lap due to my frantic positioning.

But that settled, price the models started to do their thing. To be honest I didn’t have such high hopes for an earth-shattering collection, and it wasn’t. But there was some nice attention to detail. Dresses were fitted at the front so that they could drape at the back in a cross over motion; very feminine and beautiful to show off the erogenous area less used. Some muted prints came out towards the middle of the collection in flowing silky dresses and jumpsuits, as did a burst of orange from a standout dress, but nothing particularly out of the ordinary.

The main niche of Grachvogel’s pieces is the fit process on “real women” which apparently makes the clothes flatter all sizes. Now that’s all well and good and it’s something they pride themselves on, but why then go and show your whole collection on super skinny models? Don’t you know there’s a trend to use non-skinny models this year? Tsk.

Categories ,A/W 2011, ,Catwalk review, ,Hilary Alexander, ,Jumpsuits, ,Lancaster Room, ,lfw, ,London Fashion Week, ,Maria del Carmen Smith, ,maria grachvogel, ,plus size, ,print, ,Real women, ,Savoy Hotel, ,Skinny models, ,Strand

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week A/W 2011 Catwalk Review: Ashley Isham

Olivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Olivia Rubin A/W 2011 by Jane Young
Olivia Rubin A/W 2011 by Jane Young.

Every now and again London Fashion Week throws out a curveball and you end up in the most random of places with the most ridiculous collection of people, buy wondering what the hell is going on. The Olivia Rubin show was just such an occasion.

I was very early to this show – a confluence of circumstances that left me standing at the front of a line outside the Jalouse nightclub in central London until I was completely numb with cold. From my prime vantage point I was able to ogle as the paps pounced on a series of D-Z list celebrities. I recognised Konnie Huq and footballer’s wife Danielle Lloyd but after that it was anyone’s guess. In my mind it’s never a good idea for the guests to overshadow a fashion show, this and especially not if I haven’t got a clue who they are.

Once the celebs had been swept into the hallowed basement of Jalouse I too was invited in. I picked up a drink and swiftly headed towards the sunken seating area, click ignoring the protestations of the press girl to wait and see if there was space later on. As if! We’ve run an extensive interview with Olivia Rubin on this website and I didn’t much feel like standing around on my own anymore, so I plonked myself down next to a friendly looking bunch of people on a curved sofa. I soon discovered that the lad next to me was on work experience at a fashion magazine and somewhat in thrall to his first fashion week. Herein is revealed the ridiculousness of seating arrangements at fashion shows – at the end of the day they are completely arbitrary. Depending on who you know and whether you’re bolshy enough you can sit wherever you want, be you intern or editor.

Olivia Rubin by Karolina Burdon
Olivia Rubin by Karolina Burdon.

As guests slowly filled the club the celebrities stepped up on to the catwalk at my head height to pose for the paps. First Danielle, swishing her hair this way and that like a prime racehorse. Then, to my delight, Laura Goodger and friends from The Only Way is Essex. Don’t worry, I had to look up her full name. I did watch a few episodes, but I’m not THAT SAD. By this point I was gobsmacked by the stunning level of celeb-dom in attendance. I later discovered that another fashion PR had been approached for tickets by the *cast* of The Only Way is Essex, but had rapidly turned them down as way too tacky. I must say, I don’t really understand the logic. Rather than making me think, way-hey, this must mean Olivia Rubin is really cool, it makes me utterly distracted… anthropologically fascinated by these strange creatures. The result? I spent the entire catwalk show trying to capture Lauren pouting and preening, rather than concentrating on the clothes – which in any case were hard to see against the glare of flashbulbs. Famous model Olivia Inge certainly enjoyed herself too; gunning at friends in the audience as she pranced down the catwalk.

In a way it’s a shame that there was so much flimshaw surrounding this show because Olivia Rubin makes very cute clothes that feature colourful, fun prints and simple 80s styling. To my mind not at all Essex.

As soon as the show was done the music leapt up to dancing volume, and yet more Essex girls headed to the toilets to touch up their wondrously over-wrought get ups that must surely have taken all day to perfect. I could happily have stayed next to the basins with my camera all night but Matt and I instead drank free cocktails and put the world to rights.

You can read Matt Bramford’s fabby review here. Read our interview with Olivia Rubin here.

Olivia Rubin A/W 2011 by Jane Young
Olivia Rubin A/W 2011 by Jane Young.

Every now and again London Fashion Week throws out a curveball and you end up in the most random of places with the most ridiculous collection of people, purchase wondering what the hell is going on. The Olivia Rubin show was just such an occasion.

I was very early to this show – a confluence of circumstances that left me standing at the front of a line outside the Jalouse nightclub in central London until I was completely numb with cold. From my prime vantage point I was able to ogle as the paps pounced on a series of D-Z list celebrities. I recognised Konnie Huq and footballer’s wife Danielle Lloyd but after that it was anyone’s guess. In my mind it’s never a good idea for the guests to overshadow a fashion show, and especially not if I haven’t got a clue who they are.

Olivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Olivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

Once the celebs had been swept into the hallowed basement of Jalouse I too was invited in. I picked up a drink and swiftly headed towards the sunken seating area, ignoring the protestations of the press girl to wait and see if there was space later on. As if! We’ve run an extensive interview with Olivia Rubin on this website and I didn’t much feel like standing around on my own anymore, so I plonked myself down next to a friendly looking bunch of people on a curved sofa. I soon discovered that the lad next to me was on work experience at a fashion magazine and somewhat in thrall to his first fashion week. Herein is revealed the ridiculousness of seating arrangements at fashion shows – at the end of the day they are completely arbitrary. Depending on who you know and whether you’re bolshy enough you can sit wherever you want, be you intern or editor.

Olivia Rubin by Karolina Burdon
Olivia Rubin by Karolina Burdon.

As guests slowly filled the club the celebrities stepped up on to the catwalk at my head height to pose for the paps. First Danielle, swishing her hair this way and that like a prime racehorse. Then, to my delight, Laura Goodger and friends from The Only Way is Essex. Don’t worry, I had to look up her full name. I did watch a few episodes, but I’m not THAT SAD. By this point I was gobsmacked by the stunning level of celeb-dom in attendance. I later discovered that another fashion PR had been approached for tickets by the *cast* of The Only Way is Essex, but had rapidly turned them down as way too tacky. I must say, I don’t really understand the logic. Rather than making me think, way-hey, this must mean Olivia Rubin is really cool, it makes me utterly distracted… anthropologically fascinated by these strange creatures.

Olivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Olivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

The result? I spent the entire catwalk show trying to capture Lauren pouting and preening, rather than concentrating on the clothes – which in any case were hard to see against the glare of flashbulbs. Famous model Olivia Inge certainly enjoyed herself too; gunning at friends in the audience as she pranced down the catwalk.

Olivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Olivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

In a way it’s a shame that there was so much flimshaw surrounding this show because Olivia Rubin makes very cute clothes that feature colourful, fun prints and simple 80s styling. To my mind not at all Essex.

As soon as the show was done the music leapt up to dancing volume, and yet more Essex girls headed to the toilets to touch up their wondrously over-wrought get ups that must surely have taken all day to perfect. I could happily have stayed next to the basins with my camera all night but Matt and I instead drank free cocktails and put the world to rights.

You can read Matt Bramford’s fabby review here. Read our interview with Olivia Rubin here.

Olivia Rubin A/W 2011 by Jane Young
Olivia Rubin A/W 2011 by Jane Young.

Every now and again London Fashion Week throws out a curveball and you end up in the most random of places with the most ridiculous collection of people, generic wondering what the hell is going on. The Olivia Rubin show was just such an occasion.

I was very early to this show – a confluence of circumstances that left me standing at the front of a line outside the Jalouse nightclub in central London until I was completely numb with cold. From my prime vantage point I was able to ogle as the paps pounced on a series of D-Z list celebrities. I recognised Konnie Huq and footballer’s wife Danielle Lloyd but after that it was anyone’s guess. In my mind it’s never a good idea for the guests to overshadow a fashion show, cialis 40mg and especially not if I haven’t got a clue who they are.

Olivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Olivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

Once the celebs had been swept into the hallowed basement of Jalouse I too was invited in. I picked up a drink and swiftly headed towards the sunken seating area, viagra buy ignoring the protestations of the press girl to wait and see if there was space later on. As if! We’ve run an extensive interview with Olivia Rubin on this website and I didn’t much feel like standing around on my own anymore, so I plonked myself down next to a friendly looking bunch of people on a curved sofa. I soon discovered that the lad next to me was on work experience at a fashion magazine and somewhat in thrall to his first fashion week. Herein is revealed the ridiculousness of seating arrangements at fashion shows – at the end of the day they are completely arbitrary. Depending on who you know and whether you’re bolshy enough you can sit wherever you want, be you intern or editor.

Olivia Rubin by Karolina Burdon
Olivia Rubin by Karolina Burdon.

As guests slowly filled the club the celebrities stepped up on to the catwalk at my head height to pose for the paps. First Danielle, swishing her hair this way and that like a prime racehorse. Then, to my delight, Laura Goodger and friends from The Only Way is Essex. Don’t worry, I had to look up her full name. I did watch a few episodes, but I’m not THAT SAD. By this point I was gobsmacked by the stunning level of celeb-dom in attendance. I later discovered that another fashion PR had been approached for tickets by the *cast* of The Only Way is Essex, but had rapidly turned them down as way too tacky. I must say, I don’t really understand the logic. Rather than making me think, way-hey, this must mean Olivia Rubin is really cool, it makes me utterly distracted… anthropologically fascinated by these strange creatures.

Olivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Olivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

The result? I spent the entire catwalk show trying to capture Lauren pouting and preening, rather than concentrating on the clothes – which in any case were hard to see against the glare of flashbulbs. Famous model Olivia Inge certainly enjoyed herself too; gunning at friends in the audience as she pranced down the catwalk.

Olivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Olivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

In a way it’s a shame that there was so much flimshaw surrounding this show because Olivia Rubin makes very cute clothes that feature colourful, fun prints and simple 80s styling. To my mind not at all Essex.

As soon as the show was done the music leapt up to dancing volume, and yet more Essex girls headed to the toilets to touch up their wondrously over-wrought get ups that must surely have taken all day to perfect. I could happily have stayed next to the basins with my camera all night but Matt and I instead drank free cocktails and put the world to rights.

You can read Matt Bramford’s fabby review here. Read our interview with Olivia Rubin here.

Kyla La Grange by Anna Casey
Kyla La Grange by Anna Casey.

A couple of weeks ago I met with angsty new folk popstrel Kyla La Grange at her management offices in central London. Her slight figure was easily missed as I walked through to the glass walled meeting room, ask but I greeted her warmly when she came through to join me. Kyla la Grange performed on my hastily assembled Climate Camp (RIP) stage at Glastonbury last summer, pill gamely playing a beautiful semi-acoustic set in the sweltering summer heat. Today she releases her first official single – the anthemic Walk Through Walls – so let’s find out a bit more about this intriguing new musician…

Kyla La Grange at Glastonbury 2010 on the Climate Camp stage
Kyla La Grange at Glastonbury 2010 on the Climate Camp stage. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

Kyla La Grange by Rukmunal Hakim
Kyla La Grange by Rukmunal Hakim/YesGo Illustration.

She may look very young but don’t be fooled by Kyla’s youthful exterior – she’s actually a 24 year old Cambridge University graduate. It wasn’t until her uni years that she finally found the guts to make music, approved performing at an open mic acoustic night called Songs in the Dark. “It was a good place to cut my teeth.” The process was very organic. She met other musicians, formed a few bands and played in some Battle of the Bands competitions. “Basically it was all very low pressure.” She loved studying philosophy, and admits that she misses the academic stimulation. “Being at Cambridge was like living in a magical piece of history… but I am incredibly grateful to be making music now.”

Kyla La Grange by Rebecca Strickson
Kyla La Grange by Rebecca Strickson.

When the outside world of work beckoned she found herself working long hours in a high end bar, making it hard to go into the studio every morning and be creative. That and the odd bit of secretarial work kept her afloat until she was discovered by management company ATC via Rollo of Faithless fame, who discovered her songs on Myspace. She is eager to emulate the likes of Mumford and Sons and do things her own way, without the controlling hand of a label. “ATC let their artists go away and get on with it. They don’t view me purely as a money making machine; they are in it for the long haul. But I don’t anticipate selling a lot of records, ever,” she blithely tells me.

Kyla La Grange at Glastonbury 2010 on the Climate Camp stage
Kyla La Grange at Glastonbury 2010. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

The last year has been devoted to the creation of her debut album which so far hosts “too many songs” including the luscious Vampire Smile, a darkly beautiful blast of longing. But she’s in no rush. “The album will come out as and when it’s finished; the worst thing I could do would be to rush its release.” She expects it will finally see the light of day in early 2012.

YouTube Preview Image

All Kyla’s influences come from “sad music”. Having been introduced to Cat Power by a former boyfriend, You Are Free is a constant presence in her life alongside Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. But she also likes a lot of modern bands – Elliott Smith, Bright Eyes, Yeasayer, Matthew And The Atlas, Marcus Foster, Alex Winston and Band of Horses. “I only write because I’m often quite sad…” she tells me. “I don’t think I’d write if I was a genuinely happy person.” In the age old tradition of the angst-ridden artist, writing music has become Kyla’s best form of catharsis, “like running into a big open field and screaming until you feel better.” It’s as if she feels an unstoppable need to release her feelings out into the open.

Kyla la Grange by Gemma Smith
Kyla la Grange by Gemma Smith.

I wonder what has prompted such a downbeat personality. “Some people just have a default mode,” she explains. “They wake up and feel a bit black inside.” She admits that this is something she has battled for a long time but insists that her mood is not affected by the outside world… she just tends to feel down most of the time. “Most people fall into one of two camps – they are either upbeat or see life from behind a big grey cloud. Everyone is a product of their genes and their experiences when they are young.” But she is absolutely clear that she doesn’t blame her parents for the way she has turned out. “Even though I wasn’t a very happy child my parents were both fantastic.” Her parents had been involved in the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa before settling in Watford, and she felt very different from everyone else at her school. “Kids can be vicious.” They were massive music fans, between them inspiring her to listen to many different genres. “Dad loved folk, blues and country. Mum loved classical, rock and indie.” She now lives between Stockwell and Vauxhall. “I like the mix of people and place, the beautiful old squares next to housing estates… it’s unpretentious.”

YouTube Preview Image

I wonder if such a sensitive personality will still be able to write songs from the heart if she becomes famous. She has thought about this. “I don’t think the drive to write songs will be lessened just because people like them,” she says, “it’s not the only reason I write. I think all the best artists write primarily to get something out of the experience and I want to convey raw honest emotion because that makes the most meaningful music.”

Kyla La Grange in February 2011
Kyla La Grange in February 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

It comes as no surprise that lyrics are hugely important to Kyla, although she likes the odd “non-sensical song by The Beatles.” She can’t really describe her writing process, although it is the part she loves the most. “It’s such a strange, solitary thing. You get so swept up in what you’re feeling, engrossed in emotion.” She can’t tell me what comes first, melody or lyric. “They tend to come together.”

Kyla doesn’t want to be pigeon-holed into any musical movement, so it’s no surprise to find that she lists herself as Black Metal/Children/Grindcore on Myspace. “There have been so many genres flung at me but I never think about what I belong to – the songs just come out.” I think she has a kind of dark indie pop sensibility that is all her own, and not fitting in to any musical clique suits her well. “I suppose my music is a bit all over the place, like me.” She gets thoroughly annoyed by the suggestion that women must fit into any type of separate musical category. “Music is not a sport so why do there need to be different categories and awards?”

I ask her whether she is in general quite a solitary person, although I think I already know the answer. “Definitely. I’m not terribly good with people and I much prefer talking one to one. Groups of people are scary.” But she has grown accustomed to working with her band of four and she’s easy and down to earth when talking to me, even if an overwhelming undertow of sadness never quite leaves the room.

You can access a free download for Walk Through Walls from SoundCloud right here. The official launch party is at Notting Hill Arts Club tomorrow night, Tuesday 8th March, with the brilliant Daughter providing a support set and DJing from the Maccabees. After that she’s off to SXSW in Austin, Texas to play the Neon Gold show and she’s sure to be playing some festivals in the UK this summer. Make sure you catch Kyla La Grange soon, before she hits the big time.

You can read my review of Kyla’s performance at Glastonbury last summer here.

Olivia Rubin A/W 2011 by Jane Young
Olivia Rubin A/W 2011 by Jane Young.

Every now and again London Fashion Week throws out a curveball and you end up in the most random of places with the most ridiculous collection of people, nurse wondering what the hell is going on. The Olivia Rubin show was just such an occasion.

I was very early to this show – a confluence of circumstances that left me standing at the front of a line outside the Jalouse nightclub in central London until I was completely numb with cold. From my prime vantage point I was able to ogle as the paps pounced on a series of D-Z list celebrities. I recognised Konnie Huq and footballer’s wife Danielle Lloyd but after that it was anyone’s guess. In my mind it’s never a good idea for the guests to overshadow a fashion show, case and especially not if I haven’t got a clue who they are.

Olivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Olivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

Once the celebs had been swept into the hallowed basement of Jalouse I too was invited in. I picked up a drink and swiftly headed towards the sunken seating area, ignoring the protestations of the press girl to wait and see if there was space later on. As if! We’ve run an extensive interview with Olivia Rubin on this website and I didn’t much feel like standing around on my own anymore, so I plonked myself down next to a friendly looking bunch of people on a curved sofa. I soon discovered that the lad next to me was on work experience at a fashion magazine and somewhat in thrall to his first fashion week. Herein is revealed the ridiculousness of seating arrangements at fashion shows – at the end of the day they are completely arbitrary. Depending on who you know and whether you’re bolshy enough you can sit wherever you want, be you intern or editor.

Olivia Rubin by Karolina Burdon
Olivia Rubin by Karolina Burdon.

As guests slowly filled the club celebrities stepped up on to the catwalk at my head height to pose for the paps. First Danielle, swishing her hair this way and that like a prime racehorse. Then, to my delight, Laura Goodger and friends from The Only Way is Essex. Don’t worry, I had to look up her full name. I did watch a few episodes, but I’m not THAT SAD. By this point I was gobsmacked by the stunning level of celeb-dom in attendance. I later discovered that another fashion PR had been approached for tickets by the *cast* of The Only Way is Essex, but had rapidly turned them down as way too tacky. I must say, I don’t really understand the logic. Rather than making me think, way-hey, this must mean Olivia Rubin is really cool… it makes me utterly distracted… anthropologically fascinated by these strange creatures.

Olivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Olivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

The result? I spent the entire catwalk show trying to capture Lauren pouting and preening, rather than concentrating on the clothes – which in any case were hard to see against the glare of flashbulbs. Famous model Olivia Inge certainly enjoyed herself too; gunning at friends in the audience as she pranced down the catwalk.

Olivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryOlivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Olivia Rubin A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

In a way it’s a shame that there was so much flimshaw surrounding this show because Olivia Rubin makes very cute clothes that feature colourful, fun prints and simple 80s styling. To my mind not at all Essex.

As soon as the show was done the music leapt up to dancing volume, and yet more Essex girls headed to the toilets to touch up wondrously over-wrought hair and make-up that must surely have taken all day to perfect. I could happily have stayed next to the basins all night with my camera, but Matt and I instead drank free cocktails and put the world to rights.

You can read Matt Bramford’s fabby review here. Read our interview with Olivia Rubin here.

Kyla La Grange by Anna Casey
Kyla La Grange by Anna Casey.

A couple of weeks ago I met with angsty new folk popstrel Kyla La Grange at her management offices in central London. Her slight figure was easily missed as I walked through to the glass walled meeting room, ed but I greeted her warmly when she came through to join me. Kyla la Grange performed on my hastily assembled Climate Camp (RIP) stage at Glastonbury last summer, sale gamely playing a beautiful semi-acoustic set in the sweltering summer heat. Today she releases her first official single – the anthemic Walk Through Walls – so let’s find out a bit more about this intriguing new musician…

Kyla La Grange at Glastonbury 2010 on the Climate Camp stage
Kyla La Grange at Glastonbury 2010 on the Climate Camp stage. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

Kyla La Grange by Rukmunal Hakim
Kyla La Grange by Rukmunal Hakim/YesGo Illustration.

She may look very young but don’t be fooled by Kyla’s youthful exterior – she’s actually a 24 year old Cambridge University graduate. It wasn’t until her uni years that she finally found the guts to make music, shop performing at an open mic acoustic night called Songs in the Dark. “It was a good place to cut my teeth.” The process was very organic. She met other musicians, formed a few bands and played in some Battle of the Bands competitions. “Basically it was all very low pressure.” She loved studying philosophy, and admits that she misses the academic stimulation. “Being at Cambridge was like living in a magical piece of history… but I am incredibly grateful to be making music now.”

Kyla La Grange by Rebecca Strickson
Kyla La Grange by Rebecca Strickson.

When the outside world of work beckoned she found herself working long hours in a high end bar, making it hard to go into the studio every morning and be creative. That and the odd bit of secretarial work kept her afloat until she was discovered by management company ATC via Rollo of Faithless fame, who discovered her songs on Myspace. She is eager to emulate the likes of Mumford and Sons and do things her own way, without the controlling hand of a label. “ATC let their artists go away and get on with it. They don’t view me purely as a money making machine; they are in it for the long haul. But I don’t anticipate selling a lot of records, ever,” she blithely tells me.

Kyla La Grange at Glastonbury 2010 on the Climate Camp stage
Kyla La Grange at Glastonbury 2010. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

The last year has been devoted to the creation of her debut album which so far hosts “too many songs” including the luscious Vampire Smile, a darkly beautiful blast of longing. But she’s in no rush. “The album will come out as and when it’s finished; the worst thing I could do would be to rush its release.” She expects it will finally see the light of day in early 2012.

YouTube Preview Image

All Kyla’s influences come from “sad music”. Having been introduced to Cat Power by a former boyfriend, You Are Free is a constant presence in her life alongside Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. But she also likes a lot of modern bands – Elliott Smith, Bright Eyes, Yeasayer, Matthew And The Atlas, Marcus Foster, Alex Winston and Band of Horses. “I only write because I’m often quite sad…” she tells me. “I don’t think I’d write if I was a genuinely happy person.” In the age old tradition of the angst-ridden artist, writing music has become Kyla’s best form of catharsis, “like running into a big open field and screaming until you feel better.” It’s as if she feels an unstoppable need to release her feelings out into the open.

Kyla la Grange by Gemma Smith
Kyla la Grange by Gemma Smith.

I wonder what has prompted such a downbeat personality. “Some people just have a default mode,” she explains. “They wake up and feel a bit black inside.” She admits that this is something she has battled for a long time but insists that her mood is not affected by the outside world… she just tends to feel down most of the time. “Most people fall into one of two camps – they are either upbeat or see life from behind a big grey cloud. Everyone is a product of their genes and their experiences when they are young.” But she is absolutely clear that she doesn’t blame her parents for the way she has turned out. “Even though I wasn’t a very happy child my parents were both fantastic.” Her parents had been involved in the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa before settling in Watford, and she felt very different from everyone else at her school. “Kids can be vicious.” They were massive music fans, between them inspiring her to listen to many different genres. “Dad loved folk, blues and country. Mum loved classical, rock and indie.” She now lives between Stockwell and Vauxhall. “I like the mix of people and place, the beautiful old squares next to housing estates… it’s unpretentious.”

YouTube Preview Image

I wonder if such a sensitive personality will still be able to write songs from the heart if she becomes famous. She has thought about this. “I don’t think the drive to write songs will be lessened just because people like them,” she says, “it’s not the only reason I write. I think all the best artists write primarily to get something out of the experience and I want to convey raw honest emotion because that makes the most meaningful music.”

Kyla La Grange in February 2011
Kyla La Grange in February 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

It comes as no surprise that lyrics are hugely important to Kyla, although she likes the odd “non-sensical song by The Beatles.” She can’t really describe her writing process, although it is the part she loves the most. “It’s such a strange, solitary thing. You get so swept up in what you’re feeling, engrossed in emotion.” She can’t tell me what comes first, melody or lyric. “They tend to come together.”

Kyla doesn’t want to be pigeon-holed into any musical movement, so it’s no surprise to find that she lists herself as Black Metal/Children/Grindcore on Myspace. “There have been so many genres flung at me but I never think about what I belong to – the songs just come out.” I think she has a kind of dark indie pop sensibility that is all her own, and not fitting in to any musical clique suits her well. “I suppose my music is a bit all over the place, like me.” She gets thoroughly annoyed by the suggestion that women must fit into any type of separate musical category. “Music is not a sport so why do there need to be different categories and awards?”

I ask her whether she is in general quite a solitary person, although I think I already know the answer. “Definitely. I’m not terribly good with people and I much prefer talking one to one. Groups of people are scary.” But she has grown accustomed to working with her band of four and she’s easy and down to earth when talking to me, even if an overwhelming undertow of sadness never quite leaves the room.

You can access a free download for Walk Through Walls from SoundCloud right here. The official launch party is at Notting Hill Arts Club tomorrow night, Tuesday 8th March, with the brilliant Daughter providing a support set and DJing from the Maccabees. After that she’s off to SXSW in Austin, Texas to play the Neon Gold show and she’s sure to be playing some festivals in the UK this summer. Make sure you catch Kyla La Grange soon, before she hits the big time.

You can read my review of Kyla’s performance at Glastonbury last summer here.

Kyla La Grange by Anna Casey
Kyla La Grange by Anna Casey.

A couple of weeks ago I met with angsty new folk popstrel Kyla La Grange at her management offices in central London. Her slight figure was easily missed as I walked through to the glass walled meeting room, visit this site but I greeted her warmly when she came through to join me. Kyla la Grange performed on my hastily assembled Climate Camp (RIP) stage at Glastonbury last summer, tadalafil gamely playing a beautiful semi-acoustic set in the sweltering summer heat. Today she releases her first official single – the anthemic Walk Through Walls – so let’s find out a bit more about this intriguing new musician…

Kyla La Grange at Glastonbury 2010 on the Climate Camp stage
Kyla La Grange at Glastonbury 2010 on the Climate Camp stage. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

Kyla La Grange by Rukmunal Hakim
Kyla La Grange by Rukmunal Hakim/YesGo Illustration.

She may look very young but don’t be fooled by Kyla’s youthful exterior – she’s actually a 24 year old Cambridge University graduate. It wasn’t until her uni years that she finally found the guts to make music, performing at an open mic acoustic night called Songs in the Dark. “It was a good place to cut my teeth.” The process was very organic. She met other musicians, formed a few bands and played in some Battle of the Bands competitions. “Basically it was all very low pressure.” She loved studying philosophy, and admits that she misses the academic stimulation. “Being at Cambridge was like living in a magical piece of history… but I am incredibly grateful to be making music now.”

Kyla La Grange by Rebecca Strickson
Kyla La Grange by Rebecca Strickson.

When the outside world of work beckoned she found herself working long hours in a high end bar, making it hard to go into the studio every morning and be creative. That and the odd bit of secretarial work kept her afloat until she was discovered by management company ATC via Rollo of Faithless fame, who discovered her songs on Myspace. She is eager to emulate the likes of Mumford and Sons and do things her own way, without the controlling hand of a label. “ATC let their artists go away and get on with it. They don’t view me purely as a money making machine; they are in it for the long haul. But I don’t anticipate selling a lot of records, ever,” she blithely tells me.

Kyla La Grange at Glastonbury 2010 on the Climate Camp stage
Kyla La Grange at Glastonbury 2010. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

The last year has been devoted to the creation of her debut album which so far hosts “too many songs” including the luscious Vampire Smile, a darkly beautiful blast of longing. But she’s in no rush. “The album will come out as and when it’s finished; the worst thing I could do would be to rush its release.” She expects it will finally see the light of day in early 2012.

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All Kyla’s influences come from “sad music”. Having been introduced to Cat Power by a former boyfriend, You Are Free is a constant presence in her life alongside Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. But she also likes a lot of modern bands – Elliott Smith, Bright Eyes, Yeasayer, Matthew And The Atlas, Marcus Foster, Alex Winston and Band of Horses. “I only write because I’m often quite sad…” she tells me. “I don’t think I’d write if I was a genuinely happy person.” In the age old tradition of the angst-ridden artist, writing music has become Kyla’s best form of catharsis, “like running into a big open field and screaming until you feel better.” It’s as if she feels an unstoppable need to release her feelings out into the open.

Kyla la Grange by Gemma Smith
Kyla la Grange by Gemma Smith.

I wonder what has prompted such a downbeat personality. “Some people just have a default mode,” she explains. “They wake up and feel a bit black inside.” She admits that this is something she has battled for a long time but insists that her mood is not affected by the outside world… she just tends to feel down most of the time. “Most people fall into one of two camps – they are either upbeat or see life from behind a big grey cloud. Everyone is a product of their genes and their experiences when they are young.” But she is absolutely clear that she doesn’t blame her parents for the way she has turned out. “Even though I wasn’t a very happy child my parents were both fantastic.” Her parents had been involved in the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa before settling in Watford, and she felt very different from everyone else at her school. “Kids can be vicious.” They were massive music fans, between them inspiring her to listen to many different genres. “Dad loved folk, blues and country. Mum loved classical, rock and indie.” She now lives between Stockwell and Vauxhall. “I like the mix of people and place, the beautiful old squares next to housing estates… it’s unpretentious.”

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I wonder if such a sensitive personality will still be able to write songs from the heart if she becomes famous. She has thought about this. “I don’t think the drive to write songs will be lessened just because people like them,” she says, “it’s not the only reason I write. I think all the best artists write primarily to get something out of the experience and I want to convey raw honest emotion because that makes the most meaningful music.”

Kyla La Grange in February 2011
Kyla La Grange in February 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

It comes as no surprise that lyrics are hugely important to Kyla, although she likes the odd “non-sensical song by The Beatles.” She can’t really describe her writing process, although it is the part she loves the most. “It’s such a strange, solitary thing. You get so swept up in what you’re feeling, engrossed in emotion.” She can’t tell me what comes first, melody or lyric. “They tend to come together.”

Kyla doesn’t want to be pigeon-holed into any musical movement, so it’s no surprise to find that she lists herself as Black Metal/Children/Grindcore on Myspace. “There have been so many genres flung at me but I never think about what I belong to – the songs just come out.” I think she has a kind of dark indie pop sensibility that is all her own, and not fitting in to any musical clique suits her well. “I suppose my music is a bit all over the place, like me.” She gets thoroughly annoyed by the suggestion that women must fit into any type of separate musical category. “Music is not a sport so why do there need to be different categories and awards?”


Kyla La Grange performing on the Climate Camp stage at Glastonbury.

I ask her whether she is in general quite a solitary person, although I think I already know the answer. “Definitely. I’m not terribly good with people and I much prefer talking one to one. Groups of people are scary.” But she has grown accustomed to working with her band of four and she’s easy and down to earth when talking to me, even if an overwhelming undertow of sadness never quite leaves the room.

You can access a free download for Walk Through Walls from SoundCloud right here. The official launch party is at Notting Hill Arts Club tomorrow night, Tuesday 8th March, with the brilliant Daughter providing a support set and DJing from the Maccabees. After that she’s off to SXSW in Austin, Texas to play the Neon Gold show and she’s sure to be playing some festivals in the UK this summer. Make sure you catch Kyla La Grange soon, before she hits the big time.

You can read my review of Kyla’s performance at Glastonbury last summer here.


Illustration by Sanna Dyker

On the evening of Friday 18th February, viagra after a brief sprint via Freemasons Hall to collect my tickets, adiposity I arrived at Mercer Street Studios in Covent Garden to see Ashley Isham’s show at On|Off.

Ashley Isham is known for his dramatic red carpet frocks so it was no surprise that a few familiar faces turned out to see his Autumn Winter 2011 collection. Brendan Cole (of Strictly Come Dancing infamy) was near the front of the scrum waiting to get into the show, approved looking less than impressed that he had been made to queue with everyone else. Lots of shouting from the organisers suggested that those with a silver star on their ticket would be allowed to enter first; following a host of panicked people waving their tickets in the air it turned out most of these people had been given photocopies with a black star, oh the drama. After flashing my ticket (red spot, much less confusing) I settled into my seat, spotting Paloma Faith posing for photos on the front row.  

The inspiration for the collection was the enchanted forest, and the show began with floral printed velvet micro dresses in a vivid palette. Oversaturated pansies and berries were set against bright turquoise and forest green, punctuated by dark leaves and roses.


Illustration by Madi Illustrates

The models wore elaborate headresses with a taste of the orient; clouds of tulle were pierced by tasseled chopsticks, joined by silk peonies and blossom branches. Dark lips were a reminder that this was a winter collection. In contrast to the floral themes, the collection featured flowing layers in soft metallic gunmetal and brocade bodices with heavy embroidery and black sequins. Some darker pieces were verging on gothic, with structured capped shoulders and tulle trains. Safe Grecian draping was presented in cobalt, teal and gunmetal and featured obligatory red carpet one-shouldered shapes.


Illustration by Jo Cheung

There was a dramatic moment when one of the frailer-looking models tripped and fell after becoming entangled in her long sheer tulle skirt. A room full of gasps ensued and the poor girl had to limp off in skyscraper heels and a brave attempt at nonchalance. The combination of influences in the collection did seem a little discordant when the outfits were shown one by one on the catwalk, but when all the girls returned for the finale there was a more cohesive feel.

Overall it was an interesting and elegant collection but I wouldn’t call it adventurous. The theatrical make up and headdresses added a certain something which would have been lacking had the dresses been accompanied by a more neutral look. Having said that, I’m certain that the collection will definitely continue to appeal to the celeb masses; there was living proof on my way out back to the real world with Kimberley Walsh proudly perched on the front row…

All photography by Naomi Law.

See more of Jo Cheung’s illustrations in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration!

Categories ,A/W 2011, ,Ashley Isham, ,Brendan Cole, ,Catwalk review, ,fashion, ,Grecian, ,Jo Cheung, ,London Fashion Week, ,Madi Illustrates, ,Mercer Street Studios, ,onoff, ,Oriental, ,paloma faith, ,Sanna Dyker, ,Sexy No No No, ,Strictly Come Dancing, ,Womenswear

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week A/W 2011 Catwalk Review: Maria Grachvogel


All illustrations by Maria del Carmen Smith

Now Maria Grachvogel was a strange set up from the start. Arriving very late anyway (fashionably late you may say) we were 15 minutes late sitting down and so were all ushered in to a very grand looking ballroom with a photographers pit on opposite ends of the room with a bunch of guests looking uncomfortable standing in the middle of the room. The set up was so that the models could come out of one corner and walk in a square around all of the guests giving everyone a perfect picture shot. Great in theory, this site not so great in practice.


All photography by Jemma Crow

What essentially happened was crowds of eager spectators standing in the line of the photographers, malady being shouted at to “move in” and then the sudden rush of people to the free front row seats available at the last minute; I almost ended up on Hilary Alexander’s lap due to my frantic positioning.

But that settled, price the models started to do their thing. To be honest I didn’t have such high hopes for an earth-shattering collection, and it wasn’t. But there was some nice attention to detail. Dresses were fitted at the front so that they could drape at the back in a cross over motion; very feminine and beautiful to show off the erogenous area less used. Some muted prints came out towards the middle of the collection in flowing silky dresses and jumpsuits, as did a burst of orange from a standout dress, but nothing particularly out of the ordinary.

The main niche of Grachvogel’s pieces is the fit process on “real women” which apparently makes the clothes flatter all sizes. Now that’s all well and good and it’s something they pride themselves on, but why then go and show your whole collection on super skinny models? Don’t you know there’s a trend to use non-skinny models this year? Tsk.

Categories ,A/W 2011, ,Catwalk review, ,Hilary Alexander, ,Jumpsuits, ,Lancaster Room, ,lfw, ,London Fashion Week, ,Maria del Carmen Smith, ,maria grachvogel, ,plus size, ,print, ,Real women, ,Savoy Hotel, ,Skinny models, ,Strand

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