Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Catwalk Review: Michael Van Der Ham

Michael Van Der Ham by Joe Turvey
Michael van der Ham S/S 2012 by Joe Turvey

You can tell that Michael has fun with his designs; much like, troche say, fellow Newgen designers Louise Gray and Meadham Kirchhoff. He seems to have a less disciplined and somewhat more carefree vibe that runs through his work and for his Spring/Summer 2012 collection this revealed itself in playful prints that darted from block colour to illustrative lines to teeny-tiny florals. It was gorgeous! And landed itself firmly in my LFW top three.

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-010
Anna Dello Russo, posing as soon as she spotted Amelia‘s camera.

He had the front row that London designers dream of – Alexandra Schulman, Hilary Alexander, Anna Dello Russo (who looked ah-mazing in Prada), good ol’ Harold Tillman and many fashion editors, including ELLE UK fashion director Anne-Marie Curtis (many wouldn’t recognise the ELLE UK team, but I’m a little obsessed. I went into still shock when Rebecca Lowthorpe passed me at Erdem last season; best fashion writer ever). And all without a popstar poser in sight! Okay, I know that it may be fun and exciting to have Marina Diamond or Paloma Faith sit their buttocks on your front row, but there must be something about having this professional fash pack that makes your work feel truly respected.

Harold Tillman BFC at Michael Van Der Ham S/S 2012 - by Georgia Takacs
Harold Tillman, Chairman of the British Fashion Council. Photograph by Georgia Takacs.

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-021

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-025

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-029

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-035

It’s been a treat to follow Michael’s journey since his initial sponsorship by BFC Newgen (OH those Newgen designers!) and his collage creations have always been seen as, well, a little bit mad (see Spring/Summer 2011). And his recent collaboration with equally mad Bjork (I love her) on her Biophilia project is clear patchwork evidence of this. Naturally, however, I have often found his designs so playful and daring that they’re often un-wearable. But with this collection? I wanted it all. And so, I imagine, did every other woman in the room. A bold statement, yes. But with a perfectly balanced Spring/Summer colour scheme, casual-luxe dressmaking and just the right amount of garish glamour, Michael was almost spot on.

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-038

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-043

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-051

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-056

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-059

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-064

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-068

Michael Van Der Ham 2 by Nicola Ellen
Michael van der Ham S/S 2012 by Nicola Ellen

The collection’s appeal all lay in the casual, feminine dresses and pencil trouser/shirt combo that was all oh-so-embellished with colour and print upon a subtle mix of matte, jersey and sheer textures. That extra-long sentence made it all seem too much, I know. But there was absolutely nothing try-hard about this collection. There was no black floor-skimming dress in the finale (it’s done much too much) or crazed props sticking out of heads or hanging off models. It was straight-forward, good womenswear that still remained surprising and unpredictable as each look was revealed.

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-083

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-088

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-095

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-096

And not forgetting the accessories, which were the type that, rather than giving a brief appreciative nod, were all-round oggleworthy; you just wanted to stare at them and look in closer at their bright, ornate detail. These bold, chunky-but-delicate pieces acted as an extension of the mismatched intricate print, as did the sequined colourful clutches (some of which had the overdone Chanel-esque chain straps that I’m no longer a fan of) which were carried by many of the models.

Michael Van Der Ham by Nicola Ellen
Michael van der Ham S/S 2012 by Nicola Ellen

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-102

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-105

Michael Van Der Ham S/S 2012 - by Georgia Takacs
Photograph by Georgia Takacs. All other photography by Amelia Gregory.

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-108

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-116

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-119

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-121

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-125

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-128

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-131

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-133

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-137

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-139

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-141
Photography by Amelia Gregory.

Since his initial sponsorship from BFC’s Newgen, Michael van der Ham has grown up in leaps and bounds. There was a hype around him this season that has evolved from the previous ‘Keep an eye on him! He’s up-and-coming!’ to the sort that screams ‘I’m an established designer, showing my work at London Fashion Week; respect.’ And we do, Michael. We do.

Categories ,Alexandra Schulman, ,Amelia Gregory, ,Anna Dello Russo, ,BFC, ,BFC Newgen, ,bjork, ,british fashion council, ,chanel, ,Collage Dresses, ,Elle, ,Erdem, ,fashion, ,Fashion Illustration, ,Georgia Takacs, ,Harold Tillman, ,Hilary Alexander, ,jewellery, ,Joe Turvey, ,Joseph Turvey, ,lfw, ,LFW S/S 2012, ,London Fashion Week, ,London Fashion Week S/S 2012, ,Louise Gray, ,Marina Diamond, ,Meadham Kirchhoff, ,Michael van der Ham, ,Newgen, ,Nicola Ellen, ,paloma faith, ,Prada, ,print, ,Rebecca Lowthorpe, ,Topshop Newgen, ,Topshop Venue, ,vogue

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Catwalk Review: Michael Van Der Ham

Michael Van Der Ham by Joe Turvey
Michael van der Ham S/S 2012 by Joe Turvey

You can tell that Michael has fun with his designs; much like, troche say, fellow Newgen designers Louise Gray and Meadham Kirchhoff. He seems to have a less disciplined and somewhat more carefree vibe that runs through his work and for his Spring/Summer 2012 collection this revealed itself in playful prints that darted from block colour to illustrative lines to teeny-tiny florals. It was gorgeous! And landed itself firmly in my LFW top three.

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-010
Anna Dello Russo, posing as soon as she spotted Amelia‘s camera.

He had the front row that London designers dream of – Alexandra Schulman, Hilary Alexander, Anna Dello Russo (who looked ah-mazing in Prada), good ol’ Harold Tillman and many fashion editors, including ELLE UK fashion director Anne-Marie Curtis (many wouldn’t recognise the ELLE UK team, but I’m a little obsessed. I went into still shock when Rebecca Lowthorpe passed me at Erdem last season; best fashion writer ever). And all without a popstar poser in sight! Okay, I know that it may be fun and exciting to have Marina Diamond or Paloma Faith sit their buttocks on your front row, but there must be something about having this professional fash pack that makes your work feel truly respected.

Harold Tillman BFC at Michael Van Der Ham S/S 2012 - by Georgia Takacs
Harold Tillman, Chairman of the British Fashion Council. Photograph by Georgia Takacs.

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-021

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-025

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-029

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-035

It’s been a treat to follow Michael’s journey since his initial sponsorship by BFC Newgen (OH those Newgen designers!) and his collage creations have always been seen as, well, a little bit mad (see Spring/Summer 2011). And his recent collaboration with equally mad Bjork (I love her) on her Biophilia project is clear patchwork evidence of this. Naturally, however, I have often found his designs so playful and daring that they’re often un-wearable. But with this collection? I wanted it all. And so, I imagine, did every other woman in the room. A bold statement, yes. But with a perfectly balanced Spring/Summer colour scheme, casual-luxe dressmaking and just the right amount of garish glamour, Michael was almost spot on.

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-038

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-043

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-051

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-056

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-059

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-064

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-068

Michael Van Der Ham 2 by Nicola Ellen
Michael van der Ham S/S 2012 by Nicola Ellen

The collection’s appeal all lay in the casual, feminine dresses and pencil trouser/shirt combo that was all oh-so-embellished with colour and print upon a subtle mix of matte, jersey and sheer textures. That extra-long sentence made it all seem too much, I know. But there was absolutely nothing try-hard about this collection. There was no black floor-skimming dress in the finale (it’s done much too much) or crazed props sticking out of heads or hanging off models. It was straight-forward, good womenswear that still remained surprising and unpredictable as each look was revealed.

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-083

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-088

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-095

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-096

And not forgetting the accessories, which were the type that, rather than giving a brief appreciative nod, were all-round oggleworthy; you just wanted to stare at them and look in closer at their bright, ornate detail. These bold, chunky-but-delicate pieces acted as an extension of the mismatched intricate print, as did the sequined colourful clutches (some of which had the overdone Chanel-esque chain straps that I’m no longer a fan of) which were carried by many of the models.

Michael Van Der Ham by Nicola Ellen
Michael van der Ham S/S 2012 by Nicola Ellen

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-102

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-105

Michael Van Der Ham S/S 2012 - by Georgia Takacs
Photograph by Georgia Takacs. All other photography by Amelia Gregory.

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-108

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-116

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-119

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-121

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-125

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-128

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-131

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-133

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-137

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-139

Michael Van Der Ham SS 2011 review-141
Photography by Amelia Gregory.

Since his initial sponsorship from BFC’s Newgen, Michael van der Ham has grown up in leaps and bounds. There was a hype around him this season that has evolved from the previous ‘Keep an eye on him! He’s up-and-coming!’ to the sort that screams ‘I’m an established designer, showing my work at London Fashion Week; respect.’ And we do, Michael. We do.

Categories ,Alexandra Schulman, ,Amelia Gregory, ,Anna Dello Russo, ,BFC, ,BFC Newgen, ,bjork, ,british fashion council, ,chanel, ,Collage Dresses, ,Elle, ,Erdem, ,fashion, ,Fashion Illustration, ,Georgia Takacs, ,Harold Tillman, ,Hilary Alexander, ,jewellery, ,Joe Turvey, ,Joseph Turvey, ,lfw, ,LFW S/S 2012, ,London Fashion Week, ,London Fashion Week S/S 2012, ,Louise Gray, ,Marina Diamond, ,Meadham Kirchhoff, ,Michael van der Ham, ,Newgen, ,Nicola Ellen, ,paloma faith, ,Prada, ,print, ,Rebecca Lowthorpe, ,Topshop Newgen, ,Topshop Venue, ,vogue

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week A/W 2011 Catwalk Review: Michael Van Der Ham

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Ellie Sutton
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Ellie Sutton.

Those in the business know that I took quite a few years off from attending the shows, medicine but I’ve been gradually creeping back into LFW and this season Amelia’s Magazine really has been out in force. I’ve attended a record number of catwalk shows and presentations, capsule leaving me very little time to actually write or edit photos and commission illustrations. Meanwhile, my wonderful team of contributors have been working their collective butt off. With the result that this is our third blog post about Paul Costelloe… and only my first. And it’s a WEEK since the shows started. Tut tut.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Antonia Parker
Antonia-Parker-A-W-2011-Paul-Costelloe-A
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Antonia Parker.

Last season Paul really cemented his comeback with a well received opener to S/S LFW – which would explain why this show was so much better attended than the last… good words can spread like wildfire in fashion land. This season he did it again, despite rumours swirling around on the day that the label went into receivership recently – a quick google search revealing that a new backer in the form of Calvelex was unveiled on the same day of his A/W show. This time it was not his sons but his towering opera singing red-haired daughter that Paul sent down the catwalk. Does he have anymore offspring squirrelled around somewhere? If not, who will he call on to do the familial duties next season?!

Paul Costelloe A-W 2011-daughter Jessica
Paul’s daughter Jessica opened the show. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Once Amazonian daughter Jessica had left with a cocky smile it was down to business as four pink pyramid-haired ladies strode onto the catwalk en masse, resplendent in emerald and fern green boucle tweed and textured metallic silks swinging coat dresses.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by jenny robins
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Jenny Robins.

The collection swiftly moved through a spectrum of mustards, oranges and red checks on big collared dresses, boxy crop jackets and mini skater skirts, interspersed by the odd splash of luxurious menswear – my favourite being a sumptuous deep red velvet jacket. Swing shapes, splashy flower prints, cowl necks and big collars were the order of the day. Extremely delish, and very more-ish.

LFW A-W 2011-Paul Costelloe family

I managed to sneak a quick photo of Paul Costelloe as he was leaving Somerset House with his massive brood, Paul himself resplendent in a pair of sparkling white pumps.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Ellie Sutton
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Ellie Sutton.

Those in the business know that I took quite a few years off from attending the shows, medicine but I’ve been gradually creeping back into LFW and this season Amelia’s Magazine really has been out in force. I’ve attended a record number of catwalk shows and presentations, shop leaving me very little time to actually write or edit photos and commission illustrations. Meanwhile, view my wonderful team of contributors have been working their collective butt off. With the result that this is our third blog post about Paul Costelloe… and only my first. And it’s a WEEK since the shows started. Tut tut.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Antonia Parker
Antonia-Parker-A-W-2011-Paul-Costelloe-A
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Antonia Parker.

Last season Paul really cemented his comeback with a well received opener to S/S LFW – which would explain why this show was so much better attended than the last… good words can spread like wildfire in fashion land. This season he did it again, despite rumours swirling around on the day that the label went into receivership recently – a quick google search revealing that a new backer in the form of Calvelex was unveiled on the same day of his A/W show. This time it was not his sons but his towering opera singing red-haired daughter that Paul sent down the catwalk. Does he have anymore offspring squirrelled around somewhere? If not, who will he call on to do the familial duties next season?!

Paul Costelloe A-W 2011-daughter Jessica
Paul’s daughter Jessica opened the show. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Once Amazonian daughter Jessica had left with a cocky smile it was down to business as four pink pyramid-haired ladies strode onto the catwalk en masse, resplendent in emerald and fern green boucle tweed and textured metallic silks swinging coat dresses.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by jenny robins
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Jenny Robins.

The collection swiftly moved through a spectrum of mustards, oranges and red checks on big collared dresses, boxy crop jackets and mini skater skirts, interspersed by the odd splash of luxurious menswear – my favourite being a sumptuous deep red velvet jacket. Swing shapes, splashy flower prints, cowl necks and big collars were the order of the day. Extremely delish, and very more-ish.

LFW A-W 2011-Paul Costelloe family

I managed to sneak a quick photo of Paul Costelloe as he was leaving Somerset House with his massive brood, Paul himself resplendent in a pair of sparkling white pumps.
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

You can see more of Antonia Parker and Jenny Robins’ illustrations in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Ellie Sutton
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Ellie Sutton.

Those in the business know that I took quite a few years off from attending the shows, thumb but I’ve been gradually creeping back into LFW and this season Amelia’s Magazine really has been out in force. I’ve attended a record number of catwalk shows and presentations, no rx leaving me very little time to actually write or edit photos and commission illustrations. Meanwhile, rx my wonderful team of contributors have been working their collective butt off. With the result that this is our third blog post about Paul Costelloe… and only my first. And it’s a WEEK since the shows started. Tut tut.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Antonia Parker
Antonia-Parker-A-W-2011-Paul-Costelloe-A
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Antonia Parker.

Last season Paul really cemented his comeback with a well received opener to S/S LFW – which would explain why this show was so much better attended than the last… good words can spread like wildfire in fashion land. This season he did it again, despite rumours swirling around on the day that the label went into receivership recently – a quick google search revealing that a new backer in the form of Calvelex was unveiled on the same day of his A/W show. This time it was not his sons but his towering opera singing red-haired daughter that Paul sent down the catwalk. Does he have anymore offspring squirrelled around somewhere? If not, who will he call on to do the familial duties next season?!

Paul Costelloe A-W 2011-daughter Jessica
Paul’s daughter Jessica opened the show. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

Once Amazonian daughter Jessica had left with a cocky smile it was down to business as four pink pyramid-haired ladies strode onto the catwalk en masse, resplendent in emerald and fern green boucle tweed and textured metallic silks swinging coat dresses.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by jenny robins
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Jenny Robins.

The collection swiftly moved through a spectrum of mustards, oranges and red checks on big collared dresses, boxy crop jackets and mini skater skirts, interspersed by the odd splash of luxurious menswear – my favourite being a sumptuous deep red velvet jacket. Swing shapes, splashy flower prints, cowl necks and big collars were the order of the day. Extremely delish, and very more-ish.

LFW A-W 2011-Paul Costelloe family

I managed to sneak a quick photo of Paul Costelloe as he was leaving Somerset House with his massive brood, Paul himself resplendent in a pair of sparkling white pumps.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Read Matt Bramford’s review of the show here, and Jemma Crow’s review here. You can see more of Antonia Parker and Jenny Robins’ illustrations in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Ellie Sutton
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Ellie Sutton.

Those in the business know that I took quite a few years off from attending the shows, thumb but I’ve been gradually creeping back into LFW and this season Amelia’s Magazine really has been out in force. I’ve attended a record number of catwalk shows and presentations, sales leaving me very little time to actually write or edit photos and commission illustrations. Meanwhile, thumb my wonderful team of contributors have been working their collective butt off. With the result that this is our third blog post about Paul Costelloe… and only my first. And it’s a WEEK since the shows started. Tut tut.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Antonia Parker
Antonia-Parker-A-W-2011-Paul-Costelloe-A
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Antonia Parker.

Last season Paul really cemented his comeback with a well received opener to S/S LFW – which would explain why this show seemed so much better attended than the last… good words can spread like wildfire in fashion land. This season he did it again, despite rumours swirling around on the day that the label went into receivership recently – a quick google search revealing that a new backer in the form of Calvelex was unveiled on the same day of his A/W show. This time it was not his sons but his towering opera singing red-haired daughter that Paul sent down the catwalk. Does he have anymore offspring squirrelled around somewhere? If not, who will he call on to do the familial duties next season?!

Paul Costelloe A-W 2011-daughter Jessica
Paul’s daughter Jessica opened the show. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

Once Amazonian daughter Jessica had left with a cocky smile it was down to business as four pink pyramid-haired ladies strode onto the catwalk en masse, resplendent in emerald and fern green boucle tweed and textured metallic silks swinging coat dresses.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by jenny robins
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Jenny Robins.

The collection swiftly moved through a spectrum of mustards, oranges and red checks on big collared dresses, boxy crop jackets and mini skater skirts, interspersed by the odd splash of luxurious menswear – my favourite being a sumptuous deep red velvet jacket. Swing shapes, splashy flower prints, cowl necks and big collars were the order of the day. Extremely delish, and very more-ish.

LFW A-W 2011-Paul Costelloe family

I managed to sneak a quick photo of Paul Costelloe as he was leaving Somerset House with his massive brood, Paul himself resplendent in a pair of sparkling white pumps.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Read Matt Bramford’s review of the show here, and Jemma Crow’s review here. You can see more of Antonia Parker and Jenny Robins’ illustrations in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Ellie Sutton
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Ellie Sutton.

Those in the business know that I took quite a few years off from attending the shows, viagra dosage but I’ve been gradually creeping back into LFW and this season Amelia’s Magazine really has been out in force. I’ve attended a record number of catwalk shows and presentations, find leaving me very little time to actually write or edit photos and commission illustrations. Meanwhile, my wonderful team of contributors have been working their collective butt off. With the result that this is our third blog post about Paul Costelloe… and only my first. And it’s a WEEK since the shows started. Tut tut.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Antonia Parker
Antonia-Parker-A-W-2011-Paul-Costelloe-A
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Antonia Parker.

Last season Paul really cemented his comeback with a well received opener to S/S LFW – which would explain why this show seemed so much better attended than the last… good words can spread like wildfire in fashion land. This season he did it again, despite rumours swirling around on the day that the label went into receivership recently – a quick google search revealing that a new backer in the form of Calvelex was unveiled on the same day of his A/W show. This time it was not his sons but his towering opera singing red-haired daughter that Paul sent down the catwalk. Does he have anymore offspring squirrelled around somewhere? If not, who will he call on to do the familial duties next season?!

Paul Costelloe A-W 2011-daughter Jessica
Paul’s daughter Jessica opened the show. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

Once Amazonian daughter Jessica had left with a cocky smile it was down to business as four pink pyramid-haired ladies strode onto the catwalk en masse, resplendent in emerald and fern green boucle tweed and textured metallic silks swinging coat dresses.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by jenny robins
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Jenny Robins.

The collection swiftly moved through a spectrum of mustards, oranges and red checks on big collared dresses, boxy crop jackets and mini skater skirts, interspersed by the odd splash of luxurious menswear – my favourite being a sumptuous deep red velvet jacket. Swing shapes, splashy flower prints, cowl necks and big collars were the order of the day. Extremely delish, and very more-ish.

LFW A-W 2011-Paul Costelloe family

I managed to sneak a quick photo of Paul Costelloe as he was leaving Somerset House with his massive brood, Paul himself resplendent in a pair of sparkling white pumps.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Read Matt Bramford’s review of the show here, and Jemma Crow’s review here. You can see more of Antonia Parker and Jenny Robins’ illustrations in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Ellie Sutton
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Ellie Sutton.

Those in the business know that I took quite a few years off from attending the shows, but I’ve been gradually creeping back into LFW and this season Amelia’s Magazine really has been out in force. I’ve attended a record number of catwalk shows and presentations, order leaving me very little time to actually write or edit photos and commission illustrations. Meanwhile, my wonderful team of contributors have been working their collective butt off. With the result that this is our third blog post about Paul Costelloe… and only my first. And it’s a WEEK since the shows started. Tut tut.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Antonia Parker
Antonia-Parker-A-W-2011-Paul-Costelloe-A
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Antonia Parker.

Last season Paul really cemented his comeback with a well received opener to S/S LFW – which would explain why this show seemed so much better attended than the last… good words can spread like wildfire in fashion land. This season he did it again, despite rumours swirling around on the day that the label went into receivership recently – a quick google search revealing that a new backer in the form of Calvelex was unveiled on the same day of his A/W show. This time it was not his sons but his towering opera singing flame-haired daughter that Paul sent down the catwalk. Does he have anymore offspring squirrelled around somewhere? If not, who the hell will do the familial duty next season?

Paul Costelloe A-W 2011-daughter Jessica
Paul’s daughter Jessica opened the show. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

Once Amazonian daughter Jessica had left centre stage with a cocky little smile it was down to business as four pink pyramid-haired ladies strode onto the catwalk en masse, resplendent in emerald and fern green boucle tweed and textured metallic silks swinging coat dresses.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by jenny robins
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Jenny Robins.

The collection swiftly moved through a spectrum of mustards, oranges and red checks on big collared dresses, boxy crop jackets and mini skater skirts, interspersed by the odd splash of luxurious menswear – my favourite being a sumptuous deep red velvet jacket. Swing shapes, splashy flower prints, cowl necks and big collars were the order of the day. Extremely delish, and very more-ish.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011. All photography by Amelia Gregory.LFW A-W 2011-Paul Costelloe family
I managed to sneak a quick photo of Paul Costelloe as he was leaving Somerset House with his massive brood, Paul himself resplendent in a pair of sparkling white pumps.

Read Matt Bramford’s review of the show here, and Jemma Crow’s review here. You can see more of Antonia Parker and Jenny Robins’ illustrations in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Ellie Sutton
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Ellie Sutton.

Those in the business know that I took quite a few years off from attending the shows, prostate but I’ve been gradually creeping back into LFW and this season Amelia’s Magazine really has been out in force. I’ve attended a record number of catwalk shows and presentations, tadalafil leaving me very little time to actually write or edit photos and commission illustrations. Meanwhile, recipe my wonderful team of contributors have been working their collective butt off. With the result that this is our third blog post about Paul Costelloe… and only my first. And it’s a WEEK since the shows started. Tut tut.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Antonia Parker
Antonia-Parker-A-W-2011-Paul-Costelloe-A
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Antonia Parker.

Last season Paul really cemented his comeback with a well received opener to S/S LFW – which would explain why this show seemed so much better attended than the last… good words can spread like wildfire in fashion land. This season he did it again, despite rumours swirling around on the day that the label went into receivership recently – a quick google search revealing that a new backer in the form of Calvelex was unveiled on the same day of his A/W show. This time it was not his sons but his towering opera singing flame-haired daughter that Paul sent down the catwalk. Does he have anymore offspring squirrelled around somewhere? If not, who the hell will do the familial duty next season?

Paul Costelloe A-W 2011-daughter Jessica
Paul’s daughter Jessica opened the show. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

Once Amazonian daughter Jessica had left centre stage with a cocky little smile it was down to business as four pink pyramid-haired ladies strode onto the catwalk en masse, resplendent in emerald and fern green boucle tweed and textured metallic silks swinging coat dresses.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by jenny robins
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Jenny Robins.

The collection swiftly moved through a spectrum of mustards, oranges and red checks on big collared dresses, boxy crop jackets and mini skater skirts, interspersed by the odd splash of luxurious menswear – my favourite being a sumptuous deep red velvet jacket. Swing shapes, splashy flower prints, cowl necks and big collars were the order of the day. Extremely delish, and very more-ish.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory
Paul Costelloe A/W 2011 by Amelia Gregory

Paul Costelloe A/W 2011. All photography by Amelia Gregory.LFW A-W 2011-Paul Costelloe family
I managed to sneak a quick photo of Paul Costelloe as he was leaving Somerset House with his massive brood; Paul resplendent in a pair of sparkling new white pumps.

Read Matt Bramford’s review of the show here, and Jemma Crow’s review here. You can see more of Antonia Parker and Jenny Robins’ illustrations in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration.

I spent London Fashion Week staying at my parent’s house. My childhood home with a new kitchen, buy information pills dog ‘brother’, central heating that works and a bath. I’m not going to lie, I enjoyed having my porridge made in the morning. Maple syrup on the side, and a herbal tea, packed lunch filled with snacks. That’s right, I lapped it up. Although Charlie is an excellent boy/man, there is nothing quite like the mother. However they live a few miles outside of Brighton, in a village. Thus the trek to London, the long days and write ups – intense. All because I LOVE it. I deliberated with coming to London for ONE show. But I have in my mind, ‘NO HELS! SAY NOT TO NOTHING!’ at all times. I’m following my writing dream after all. This causes me great pleasures and enormous pains. So, of course, one show or not, I was on that train to London Victoria. And am I glad I made the effort for Fashion Mode?

YES.

Three shows; three excellent shows. I’m going to split Fashion Mode into three posts, because each designer deserves the love. So we will start with Floriet Jayet. Initially I was slightly terrified and in awe of the models coming out. Nothing different to every show you might say. But, this was different, because the models had metal contraptions of their heads that made them look like a cross between special aliens and orthodontic patients. Four strips of silver metal came over their heads from the back, to touch their faces, with an enormous roller at the back. After my initial fear, I decided that they looked cool, as inevitably happens at LFW. See: ‘Urg… ahhh.. yah, I totally get that now. I want one.’ Although I’m not sure I would wear one of these creations, I would certainly consider wearing the dresses, which the metal complimented perfectly. Wiggle space lady, that’s what you are. With lasers from your eyes and hips.

Florian Jayet is a graduate in Biology which explains his science appreciative designs. The dresses featured strong shoulders, midi length skirts and padded fabrics. The shape of the woman is celebrated and appreciated as if it is meant to be seen and not covered – raw biology. The models remind me of those in Huxley’s; Brave New World. Perfect, angular and although feminine, are minus the romanticism and emotional sentimentality, that are sometimes conjured by designers. In a sense Jayet’s pieces are actually a mix of old and our vision of future ideologies. The restricted, but beautiful shapes of the 40s have been fused with modern and excessive details; i.e. the shoulders. The contemporary complimenting the past, and particularly French houses; Chanel and Dior. This makes for a very sophisticated and composed look. It made me want to look closer, at every detail, and know more. As opposed to held within the ruffles, the corset and the red heels, everything seemed so wrapped up, with the story inside. It was whimsical in its own way, but also impenetrable. These outfits are those that I would hope to find in the corner of a cafe in Paris, smoking, mysterious, alone – with a steely, but far away look.

I adored the padding details and the shrug wraps. The space lady, dressed for dinner. The long dresses had a Japanese feel to them, geisha like and graceful. Florian Jayet said that the focus is to create; ‘a fetish wardrobe, pieces that a woman can keep forever, bringing them out on special occasions when she needs to be propelled into confidence and strength.’ It’s fair to say that you would feel empowered wearing Jayet’s pieces. The creams and blacks, shoulders, padding and midi length skirts would have me stomping and demanding like a glossy magazine Editor with somewhere to be. However at the moment it’s more probable I would be in the cafe, with a cigarette and eyes reliving or hoping for something. With an unreadable face, it’s unclear as to whether that may or may not, or will ever happen.


Illustration by Artist Andrea

Well well well Michael Van Der Ham, online what a stunningly beautiful show you have. Velvet and sumptuous jewel colours are fast becoming the only thing to be seen in for A/W 2011 and Van Der Ham was no exception. Being his third season, approved the Dutch designer is known for his collaging of fabrics and this show, in the arched Topshop venue in Old Billingsgate, didn’t disappoint. And it was a first for the designer to show outerwear at one of his shows. Exciting times to come.

So the show opener was a vivid red velvet dress; think asymmetric to the extreme. With one sleeve cut long and one bare shoulder, the image was mirrored in the hemline with (you guessed it) one side short and one side longer. The cut detailing of the pieces was really well thought out and only showed how prolific a designer Van Der Ham will become.


Illustration by Artist Andrea

Although this was a collection mostly about the dresses (isn’t it always), there was a distinct presence of trousers. Now this season does seem to be all about the lady but there’s a small section of wider leg trousers coming through in sensual evening fabrics. Van Der Ham showed his in silky ochres and burnt oranges but the more stand out pieces were the fringed ballet pink trousers; delicious and the mad piece of the collection.

I just want to talk about the shoes for a second too. Not that they’re actually part of the designer’s collection but they complimented the pieces so well they’re already on my wish list. And they’re simply a pair of black suede wedge shoe boots but they made the legs look super long (not that they needed to) so a great choice to team with the dresses.

Showing a slightly more muted side the second half of the collection was a montage of (again) ballet pink chiffon skirts, black boiled wool jackets and silky blouses. The outerwear and the knits were the new foray for Van Der Ham which suited him well, definitely something to continue for the seasons to come.

I know I’ve said this before (only sparingly but still….) but this was one of my favourite collections by far this season. Everybody’s got to love a bit of velvet in fashion and when it’s dressed in the sumptuous colours that Michael Van Der Ham showed. And if its good enough for all of Team Guardian and Team Elle (who waltzed straight into the venue) then its good enough for me.

See more of Artist Andrea’s illustrations in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration.

Categories ,A/W 2011, ,Artist Andrea, ,Catwalk review, ,Champagne, ,Elle, ,fashion, ,Fringing, ,Guardian, ,lfw, ,London Fashion Week, ,Michael van der Ham, ,Old Billingsgate, ,Risotto, ,topshop

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Amelia’s Magazine | Graduate Fashion Week 2012 Gala Awards Ceremony: Part One


Matthew Williamson by Ruth Joyce

Twelve hundred students descend on Earls Court Two for Graduate Fashion Week every year. About a quarter of them get the opportunity to showcase their collections during one of the 16 fashion shows that are held over four days. In a dramatic climax – the Gala Awards show – 10 students are selected to present their work for a second time in the hope of receiving the coveted Gold Award.


All photography by Matt Bramford

So, like the fashion industry itself, chances of making it are pretty slim. 10 incredible collections graced the catwalk in the finale and I honestly couldn’t pick a winner – celebrity judges like Matthew Williamson and Julien Macdonald commented on the incredible standard exhibited of not only those who had been selected as a Gold Award nominee, but every college.


Julien Macdonald by Claire Kearns

Here’s a photographic whistle-stop tour of the awards ceremony:

INTERNATIONAL AWARD


Yvonne Kwok – Amsterdam Fashion Institute


Zhu Liyuanzi – Istituto Marangoni Milan


WINNER: Karen Jessen – ESMOD Berlin, presented by Julien Macdonald, Sara Maino from Vogue Italia & Caroline Burstein from Browns.

STUART PETERS KNITWEAR AWARD


Emma Walsh – Nottingham Trent University


Jousianne ProppManchester Metropolitan University


Caitlin Charles Jones – Kingston University


Judges Ruth Chapman from Matches, Erica Peters from Stuart Peters and knitwear designer Mark Fast couldn’t decide, so Caitlin and Jousianne both scooped the award!

ZANDRA RHODES TEXTILES AWARD


Daisy Lowe by Ruth Joyce


Amelia Smith – Northumbria University


Dae-Byn Lee – Nottingham Trent University


Roz Lamkin – Manchester Metropolitan University


WINNER: Xiaoping HuangUCLAN, presented by Daisy Lowe and Mary Katrantzou

BARCLAYS NEW BUSINESS AWARD


Holly Reid – UCLAN, presented by Tabitha Somerset-Webb (Project D) and Michelle Mone OBE

FASHION INNOVATION AWARD


Ami Collins – UCLAN, presented by Lorraine Candy of ELLE magazine and designer David Koma

MEDIA & DESIGN AWARD


Kerrie Donelly – UCA Epsom, presented by Fashion Editor-at-Large Melanie Rickey and ID magazine‘s Jefferson Hack (swoon)

STAND DESIGN AWARD


Edinburgh College of Art, presented by designer Fred Butler and Harvey NicholsYuri Nakamura

GEORGE BEST OF BRITISH AWARD


Susanna Yi – University of East London, presented by TV presenter Caroline Flack and ASDA fashion director Fiona Lambert

GEORGE CHILDRENSWEAR AWARD


Harriet Simons – Colchester, presented by singer Louise Redknapp and Fiona Lambert

MULBERRY ACCESSORIES AWARD


Laura Smallwood – Kingston University, presented by Mulberry‘s Tori Campbell

ETHICAL AWARD


Sarah Murphy, Northumbria – presented by stylist Jocelyn Whipple and film producer/eco hero Livia Firth

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD


Legendary catwalk photographer Chris Moore, presented by designer Jeff Banks

Part Two, featuring the major players and the menswear, womenswear and Gold Award winners, coming soon…!

Categories ,accessories, ,Amelia Smith, ,Ami Collins, ,Amsterdam Fashion Institute, ,ASDA, ,Awards, ,Caitlin Charles Jones, ,Caroline Flack, ,Caryn Franklin, ,Catwalking.com, ,Ceremony, ,Childrenswear, ,Chris Moore, ,Claire Kearns, ,Colchester, ,Dae-Byn Lee, ,daisy lowe, ,David Koma, ,Earls Court Two, ,Eco Age, ,Elle, ,Emma Walsh, ,Erica Peters, ,ESMOD Berlin, ,Essex, ,fashion, ,Fiona Lambert, ,Fred Butler, ,Gala, ,George, ,Gold Award, ,Graduate Fashion Week, ,Harvey Nichols, ,Holly Reid, ,ID Magazine, ,international, ,Istituto Marangoni Milan, ,Jeff Banks, ,Jefferson Hack, ,Jousianne Propp, ,Julien McDonald, ,Karen Jesson, ,Kerrie Donnelly, ,Kingston University London, ,knitwear, ,Laura Smallwood, ,Lifetime Achievement, ,Livia Firth, ,Lorraine Candy, ,Louise Redknapp, ,Manchester Metropolitan University, ,Mark Fast, ,Mary Katrantzou, ,matches, ,Matt Bramford, ,Matthew Williamson, ,Melanie Rickey, ,menswear, ,Michelle Mone OBE, ,Mulberry, ,New Business, ,Northumbria University, ,Nottingham Trent University, ,Project D, ,Roz Lamkin, ,Ruth Chapman, ,Ruth Joyce, ,show, ,Stuart Peters, ,Susanna Yi, ,Tabitha Somerset-Webb, ,Tori Campbell, ,UCA Epsom, ,UCLan, ,UEL, ,Womenswear, ,Xiaoping Huang, ,Yuri Nakamura, ,Yvonne Kwok, ,Zhu Liyuanzi

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with fashion designer Masha Ma


Masha Ma, discount AW 2011, illustrated by Holly Exley

Womenswear label Masha Ma, described as “semi-couture”, features fabulously chic and powerful silhouettes with a contemporary yet elegant feel. The stunning structural tailoring is shown beautifully through dramatic styling and inspirational photography.  

Masha completed her MA in Womenswear at Central Saint Martins in 2008, where her collection was selected to be shown at London Fashion Week and went on to be bought by B Store. She then went on to win the ‘Mouse Ji Best International Innovation’ Award at 2009′s China Contemporary Design Contest. 

This year she will also be presenting her collection at the Palais du Louvre during Paris Fashion Week in October. And with publications such as Vogue, Elle, Pop, Harper’s Bazaar, AnOther Magazine, Cosmopolitan, L’Officiel and even French Playboy featuring the label it seems well on it’s way to global success. 
I caught up with Masha during her busy schedule… 


Images from Masha Ma AW 2010/11, Resort, courtesy of Masha Ma

I love your latest collection, there are some stunning silhouettes and the styling and photography is beautiful! What was your inspiration?  
The collection was inspired by Nancy Sinatra’s song, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. The garments had prints with bullets on them and safety pins as embellishments all in combination with soft feminine fabrics.  

How would you describe your design principles to anyone who wasn’t familiar with your work?  
Chic, modern arrogance, semi-couture with designs that are bold yet intricate and focus on the unraveling of the female form.  

You must be excited for your London Fashion Week debut as well as your up coming collection presentation at the Louvre. How has the preparation been?  
It is an incredibly exciting time now and even though it has been so busy, my team and myself are having a great time working towards it.  

What shows are you looking forward to seeing at London Fashion Week?
We’re so busy with our own show, I don’t think I will have time to see any other shows.  

Is music important in your studio? What’s been on the stereo recently?  
Our studio has a very eclectic sound coming out of it; with so many different people working together we have all sorts of different music playing all the time. From Lady Gaga to Nouvelle Vague and Rachmaninov, we’ve got all areas covered.  


Masha Ma, SS 2010, Illustrated by Aniela Murphy

What advice would you give to anyone with the dream of pursuing a career in fashion?  
Stay focused, work hard and don’t forget to have fun. 

Are there any blogs you read religiously? Or any you find interesting or inspiring?  
I try to read as many blogs as possible; it is such an amazing new media you just can’t ignore. It would be hard to pick a favourite but I have been reading Amelia’s magazine for quite a while! 

And finally, what’s your next goal?   
Right now all the focus lies in creating the new SS11 collection. I guess my immediate goal would be, successfully getting through our London Fashion Week show and our trip to Paris. 

Categories ,Aniela Murphy, ,Another Magazine, ,b Store, ,Central Saint Martins, ,China Contemporary Design Contest, ,Cosmopolitan, ,couture, ,Elle, ,Harper’s Bazaar, ,Holly Exley, ,Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, ,L’Officiel, ,Lady Gaga, ,London Fashion Week, ,ma, ,Masha Ma, ,Nancy Sinatra, ,Nouvelle Vague, ,Palais du Louvre, ,paris, ,Paris Fashion Week, ,photography, ,Playboy, ,pop, ,Rachmaninov, ,vogue, ,Womenswear

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Amelia’s Magazine | The Art of Fashion at the Whitechapel Gallery: In Conversation with Erdem Moralioglu

Joe Worricker by Karina Yarv
Joe Worricker by Karina Yarv.

Joe Worricker was indeed wearing stars on his face, generic as declared on twitter twenty minutes before I arrived at his gig. I could hear Joe’s idiosyncratic voice even as I raced into this industry thick showcase at new venue XOYO, buy located just behind the main Old Street thoroughfare. He was also wearing the same clothes that he sports in his Finger-Waggers video (digital download out this week, sales though as Joe was only too happy to admit, easily downloadable somewhere online for free.)

Joe Worricker-XOYO-Photo by Amelia Gregory
Joe Worricker at XOYO. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Joe Worricker by Sarah Ushurhe
Joe Worricker by Sarah Ushurhe.

A whole 45 minutes later I was still somewhat struggling to describe Joe, who sings with a session-type band that wouldn’t look out of place on the X Factor – but then this is the lad who auditioned for that very show… and was turned down. “I think they were scared of my voice” he told me in our earlier interview. And he does indeed have an almighty set of curiously old-fashioned lungs, somewhat at odds with his outwardly trendy demeanour.

Joe Worricker by Fay Morrow
Joe Worricker by Fay Morrow.

He swung through a set which included some slow tempo tales of weddings and fairytales, before returning to his trademark upbeat tracks. “We’ve got two fun ones now, don’t worry,” he told his many friends in the audience, including what I can only presume was his granny sat pride of place in the front row, and another relative who was doing his best impression of the funky chicken.

Joe Worricker at XOYO. All photography by Amelia Gregory.
Joe Worriker by Sarah Ushurhe
Joe Worricker by Sarah Ushurhe.

Joe Worricker is an intriguing proposition for Rough Trade. He’s poppy – he fronts a band without an instrument – dance-y, and a whole lot of soulful. Who knows where he fits into the current market place, but that distinctive voice paired with some jaunty tunes could well make him the next big thing. One thing’s for sure, anyone who puts their granny in the front row at their debut gig gets my vote. And bless, being the polite lad he is, he even thanked me on twitter.

Joe Worricker XOXO granny

Go check him out. And read my interview with him here.
Joe Worricker was indeed wearing stars on his face, about it as declared on twitter twenty minutes before I arrived at his gig. I could her Joe’s idiosyncratic voice even as I raced into this industry thick showcase at new venue XOYO, viagra 100mg located just behind the main Old Street thoroughfare. He was also wearing the same clothes that he sports in his Finger-Waggers video (digital download out this week, though as Joe was only too happy to admit, easily downloadable somewhere online for free.)

A whole 45 minutes later I was still somewhat struggling to describe Joe, who sings with a session-type band that wouldn’t look out of place on the X Factor – but then this is the lad who auditioned for that very show… and was turned down. “I think they were scared of my voice” he told me in our earlier interview. And he does indeed have an almighty set of curiously old-fashioned lungs, somewhat at odds with his outwardly trendy demeanour.

He swung through a set which included some slow tempo tales of weddings and fairytales, before returning to his trademark upbeat tracks. “We’ve got two fun ones now, don’t worry,” he told his many friends in the audience, including what I can only presume was his granny sat pride of place in the front row, and another relative who was doing his best impression of the funky chicken.

Joe Worricker is an intriguing proposition for Rough Trade. He’s poppy – he fronts a band without an instrument – dance-y, and a whole lot of soulful. I’m not entirely sure where he fits into the current market place, but that distinctive voice paired with some jaunty tunes could well make him the next big thing. One thing’s for sure, anyone who puts their granny in the front row at their debut gig gets my vote. Go check him out.

Being the polite lad he is, he even thanked me for coming on twitter.

Joe Worricker was indeed wearing stars on his face, this site as declared on twitter twenty minutes before I arrived at his gig. I could her Joe’s idiosyncratic voice even as I raced into this industry thick showcase at new venue XOYO, recipe located just behind the main Old Street thoroughfare. He was also wearing the same clothes that he sports in his Finger-Waggers video (digital download out this week, though as Joe was only too happy to admit, easily downloadable somewhere online for free.)

A whole 45 minutes later I was still somewhat struggling to describe Joe, who sings with a session-type band that wouldn’t look out of place on the X Factor – but then this is the lad who auditioned for that very show… and was turned down. “I think they were scared of my voice” he told me in our earlier interview. And he does indeed have an almighty set of curiously old-fashioned lungs, somewhat at odds with his outwardly trendy demeanour.

He swung through a set which included some slow tempo tales of weddings and fairytales, before returning to his trademark upbeat tracks. “We’ve got two fun ones now, don’t worry,” he told his many friends in the audience, including what I can only presume was his granny sat pride of place in the front row, and another relative who was doing his best impression of the funky chicken.

Joe Worricker is an intriguing proposition for Rough Trade. He’s poppy – he fronts a band without an instrument – dance-y, and a whole lot of soulful. I’m not entirely sure where he fits into the current market place, but that distinctive voice paired with some jaunty tunes could well make him the next big thing. One thing’s for sure, anyone who puts their granny in the front row at their debut gig gets my vote. And bless, being the polite lad he is he even thanked me on twitter.

Go check him out. And read my interview with him here.
Joe Worricker was indeed wearing stars on his face, story as declared on twitter twenty minutes before I arrived at his gig. I could her Joe’s idiosyncratic voice even as I raced into this industry thick showcase at new venue XOYO, story located just behind the main Old Street thoroughfare. He was also wearing the same clothes that he sports in his Finger-Waggers video (digital download out this week, buy information pills though as Joe was only too happy to admit, easily downloadable somewhere online for free.)

A whole 45 minutes later I was still somewhat struggling to describe Joe, who sings with a session-type band that wouldn’t look out of place on the X Factor – but then this is the lad who auditioned for that very show… and was turned down. “I think they were scared of my voice” he told me in our earlier interview. And he does indeed have an almighty set of curiously old-fashioned lungs, somewhat at odds with his outwardly trendy demeanour.

He swung through a set which included some slow tempo tales of weddings and fairytales, before returning to his trademark upbeat tracks. “We’ve got two fun ones now, don’t worry,” he told his many friends in the audience, including what I can only presume was his granny sat pride of place in the front row, and another relative who was doing his best impression of the funky chicken.

Joe Worricker is an intriguing proposition for Rough Trade. He’s poppy – he fronts a band without an instrument – dance-y, and a whole lot of soulful. I’m not entirely sure where he fits into the current market place, but that distinctive voice paired with some jaunty tunes could well make him the next big thing. One thing’s for sure, anyone who puts their granny in the front row at their debut gig gets my vote. And bless, being the polite lad he is he even thanked me on twitter.

Go check him out. And read my interview with him here.
Shea Alchemy by Cat Palairet
Shea Alchemy by Cat Palairet.

I am a big fan of cottage industries – after all, cialis 40mg I am one myself. In the first of an ongoing series that will profile ethical skincare and makeup brands, let me introduce you to Shea Alchemy founder Sally Mumford. Having discovered her creams some years ago (at a market) I can indeed testify that they are very yummy… Here she talks about how she set up her business and why it is possible to avoid spending a fortune on good quality natural skincare.

Shea Alchemy founder Sally Mumford by Charlotte Hoyle
Shea Alchemy founder Sally Mumford by Charlotte Hoyle.

What did you do before you set up Shea Alchemy?
I was marketing manager at Random House publishers. Absolutely nothing to do with skincare. After having my kids I wanted to be around at home more so I went freelance from home as a graphic designer and copywriter. This all sounds totally unrelated but has actually helped me set up the business as I haven’t had to pay designers or marketing people which would have cost a fortune and I did know about running a business.

Shea Alchemy pots

What prompted you to set up shop? Where did you learn how to make skincare products and where would you recommend that budding skin magicians go to train?
I went to stay with a friend in the States when I was a freelance designer and met a woman who was really into natural skincare who told me all about all the rubbish that is in so many commercial skin creams. I was pretty horrified and bought some ‘natural’ creams made by a company called Arbonne. I loved them but they were INCREDIBLY expensive. When they ran out I looked at the ingredients list and, being a practical kind of person, (and miserly), I thought I’m sure I could make this myself and save myself £100’s. So, I bought a natural beauty recipe book from Amazon and with Claire, my daughter, I set off to Neal’s Yard and spent a fortune on natural ingredients (far more than £100 in the end) and came home and had fun in the kitchen. We squashed beetroot through sieves, blocked the sink with melted beeswax and made all kinds of weird and wonderful concoctions. That was just the beginning but I got hooked on it. I did loads of reading, experimenting and talking to various chemists and toxicologists. I researched ingredient properties and finally, once I had decided I wanted to sell my creams, rather than just giving them to friends and family as I had been – I went on a course run by Aromantic in Fulham to find out how to make sure they didn’t curdle or go off and to learn about the legal side of things.

Shea Alchemy by Alison Day
Shea Alchemy by Alison Day.

Why Shea Butter? Do you ever feel tempted to throw another substitute product in the mix?
On that first Neal’s Yard trip in 2003 we bought some shea butter just because it was in one of the recipes I fancied making. I really liked its texture and the feel of it on my skin. When I read about its properties I decided to make it the theme of my creams. Shea butter is fantastically good for the skin and has been used for centuries in Africa as a natural skin moisturiser. It helps heal scars, offers natural sun protection, soothes eczema and a whole range of dry skin conditions and is also used as a hair conditioner. We mix it with other ingredients though as in its basic unrefined form it is hard and wax like and needs warming before use.

How do you source your shea butter? What led you to Ghana?
We get our fairtrade, unrefined shea butter via a child rights organisation in Ghana called Afrikids and it is made in a woman’s fairtrade cooperative. Ghana is the main place for Shea butter and as a friend of mine had some Ghanaian contacts it seemed the natural place to head for.

SheaAlchemyBottleIllustration_by_JessGu
Illustration by Jess Gurr.

What other products do you add to the shea butter and where do you find these?
We use organic oils such as olive, apricot kernel, thistle and avocado, aloe vera, horse chestnut extract and cocoa butter. We use spring water which we get from my cousin’s farm in Northants where they have a natural spring. They bottle and sell their water and I am sure this is why our creams are so good for sensitive skins because our water is SOOOO pure. We use an emulsifier – cetyl alcohol, which comes from coconut oil – to blend the fats and the water together. We scent the creams with organic essential oils. All our ingredients are sourced from different companies.

Can you explain a bit of the process behind the making your products?
It’s a cross between cooking and chemistry! Lots of heating, cooling, whisking and stirring. Heating has to be very precise and timing is crucial. In the early days we had loads of disasters with curdled messes in saucepans but now we have it down to a fine art. The cooks in the company are Prue (my sister), Emma (my oldest friend) and me. Emma has a science background and that helps a lot.

Shea Alchemy by Karina Yarv
Shea Alchemy market stall by Karina Yarv.

Why is selling in markets so important to you, and which markets do you sell in?
Selling at markets is great because it really keeps you in touch with the people who buy our stuff and what they want. We love the feedback and because we are a tiny company we can actually act on it. If people say they love the smell of geranium for example – we go and get organic essential oil of geranium and add it to stuff. If people show interest in hemp oil for example or blackcurrant seed or blackseed oil etc (as they have done) we can add it to products. We do have to get every recipe toxicology tested though before selling it so its not totally ad hoc. We sell at Broadway Market in London Fields every Saturday and Brick Lane Upmarket in the Truman Brewery on Sundays. We also do one off markets in York (we are there loads over Christmas), Suffolk, Brighton etc. Our website is regularly updated with our plans for the next month and every Friday we confirm our venues via twitter. I chose Broadway and Brick Lane as regular markets because they are GREAT venues and I love being there! Lots of people, lots of great stalls and really friendly stall holders. If I am going to spend my weekends working I want to make sure I am going to enjoy myself.

How do you work between Crouch End and York?
I am based in Crouch End and make stuff in my kitchen and sell at markets in London. Emma makes it in her kitchen in York,  services most of the web orders and sells at York markets. My sister, Prue, makes creams in her kitchen in Northants and brings batches of cream up to me on a weekly basis.

SheaAlchemy by Reena Makwana
Illustration by Reena Makwana.

What are your new products?
Our new products are Cyclists’ Sore Bits Cream and Cyclists All Weather Face protection because we have had loads of cyclists asking for specialist creams – particularly on Broadway market. We also do a blusher and tinted moisturiser because it is simple to just add mineral tints to our existing creams. We don’t have plans to extend the make up range but these two products fit comfortably with the rest of our products.

All your products come in distinctive little tins and pots – why have you decided to package them in this way and what inspired the distinctive bright design?
I just liked the idea of tins because they are really practical, unsquashable and have a kind of basic honesty about them – no fake bottoms here. I did some basic market research before becoming a Ltd company and the results of the survey I did showed that people wanted something a bit different that would stand out from the endless white boxes. I design all our packaging myself and I love bright colours. I looked at lots of Ghanaian batiks for inspiration and the borders of all our tins are based on a batik I liked.

Shea Alchemy Stall by Charlotte Hoyle
Shea Alchemy Stall by Charlotte Hoyle.

Why are gift boxes such a good idea for a small brand like yours?
I think people like to buy presents that are packaged in some way so it made sense to put combinations of creams together. I have to admit I love little bags, boxes, tissue and ribbon so it gave me a great excuse to go and spend loads of money at the packaging factory!

What are your dreams for the future of your brand?
Oh wow … Well, I think we want to stay small. This company is a lifestyle for us rather than an ambition to make mega bucks. We like messing around in the kitchen and making lovely products. If we were to go into shops and get big, our recipes would have to be made in a factory, we would need a distribution network and a production line and who wants to spend their days dealing with all that hassle and the stress of borrowing large amounts of money? If we just sell online and at markets the other great thing is we can keep our prices very competitive because our overheads are massively reduced.  We do want to make a bit more money than we do at the moment though … I think online sales are the way to go. So check out our website www.sheaalchemy.co.uk and start doing your christmas shopping!
What did you do before you set up Shea Alchemy?
I was marketing manager at Random House Publishers. Absolutely nothing to do with skincare. After having my kids I wanted to be around at home more so I went freelance from home as a graphic designer and copywriter. This all sounds totally unrelated but has actually helped me set up the business as I haven’t had to pay designers or marketing people which would have cost a fortune and I did know about running a business.

What prompted you to set up shop? Where did you learn how to make skincare products and where would you recommend that budding skin magicians go to train?
I went to stay with a friend in the States when I was a freelance designer and met a woman who was really into natural skincare who told me all about all the rubbish that is in so many commercial skin creams. I was pretty horrified and bought some ‘natural’ creams made by a company called Arbonne. I loved them but they were INCREDIBLY expensive. When they ran out I looked at the ingredients list and, salve being a practical kind of person, pharmacy (and miserly), diagnosis I thought I’m sure I could make this myself and save myself £100’s. So, I bought a natural beauty recipe book from Amazon and with Claire, my daughter, I set off to Neal’s yard and spent a fortune on natural ingredients (far more than £100 in the end) and came home and had fun in the kitchen. We squashed beetroot through sieves, blocked the sink with melted beeswax and made all kinds of weird and wonderful concoctions. That was just the beginning but I got hooked on it. I did loads of reading, experimenting and talking to various chemists and toxicologists. I researched ingredient properties and finally, once I had decided I wanted to sell my creams, rather than just giving them to friends and family as I had been – I went on a course run by Aromantics in Fulham to find out how to make sure they didn’t curdle or go off and to learn about the legal side of things.

Why Shea Butter? Do you ever feel tempted to throw another substitute product in the mix?
On that first Neal’s Yard trip in 2003 we bought some shea butter just because it was in one of the recipes I fancied making. I really liked its texture and the feel of it on my skin. When I read about its properties I decided to make it the theme of my creams. Shea butter is fantastically good for the skin and has been used for centuries in Africa as a natural skin moisturiser. It helps heal scars, offers natural sun protection, soothes eczema and a whole range of dry skin conditions and is also used as a hair conditioner. We mix it with other ingredients though as in its basic unrefined form it is hard and wax like and needs warming before use.

How do you source your shea butter? What led you to Ghana?
We get our fairtrade, unrefined shea butter via a child rights organisation in Ghana called Afrikids and it is made in a woman’s fairtrade cooperative. Ghana is the main place for Shea butter and as a friend of mine had some Ghanaian contacts it seemed the natural place to head for.

What other products do you add to the shea butter and where do you find these?
We use organic oils such as olive, apricot kernel, thistle and avocado, aloe vera, horse chestnut extract and cocoa butter. We use spring water which we get from my cousin’s farm in Northants where they have a natural spring. They bottle and sell their water and I am sure this is why our creams are so good for sensitive skins because our water is SOOOO pure. We use an emulsifier – cetyl alcohol, which comes from coconut oil – to blend the fats and the water together. We scent the creams with organic essential oils. All our ingredients are sourced from different companies.

Can you explain a bit of the process behind the making your products?
It’s a cross between cooking and chemistry! Lots of heating, cooling, whisking and stirring. Heating has to be very precise and timing is crucial. In the early days we had loads of disasters with curdled messes in saucepans but now we have it down to a fine art. The cooks in the company are Prue (my sister), Emma (my oldest friend) and me. Emma has a science background and that helps a lot.

Why is selling in markets so important to you, and which markets do you sell in?
Selling at markets is great because it really keeps you in touch with the people who buy our stuff and what they want. We love the feedback and because we are a tiny company we can actually act on it. If people say they love the smell of geranium for example – we go and get organic essential oil of geranium and add it to stuff. If people show interest in hemp oil for example or blackcurrant seed or blackseed oil etc (as they have done) we can add it to products. We do have to get every recipe toxicology tested though before selling it so its not totally ad hoc. We sell at Broadway Market in London Fields every Saturday and Brick Lane Upmarket in the Truman Brewery on Sundays. We also do one off markets in York (we are there loads over Christmas), Suffolk, Brighton etc. Our website is regularly updated with our plans for the next month and every Friday we confirm our venues via Twitter. I chose Broadway and Brick Lane as regular markets because they are GREAT venues and I love being there! Lots of people, lots of great stalls and really friendly stall holders. If I am going to spend my weekends working I want to make sure I am going to enjoy myself.

How do you work between Crouch End and York?
I am based in Crouch End and make stuff in my kitchen and sell at markets in London. Emma makes it in her kitchen in York,  services most of the web orders and sells at York markets. My sister, Prue, makes creams in her kitchen in Northants and brings batches of cream up to me on a weekly basis.

What are your new products?
Our new products are Cyclists’ Sore Bits Cream and Cyclists All Weather Face protection because we have had loads of cyclists asking for specialist creams – particularly on Broadway market. We also do a blusher and tinted moisturiser because it is simple to just add mineral tints to our existing creams. We don’t have plans to extend the make up range but these two products fit comfortably with the rest of our products.

All your products come in distinctive little tins – why have you decided to package them in this way and what inspired the distinctive bright design?
I just liked the idea of tins because they are really practical, unsquashable and have a kind of basic honesty about them – no fake bottoms here. I did some basic market research before becoming a Ltd company and the results of the survey I did showed that people wanted something a bit different that would stand out from the endless white boxes. I design all our packaging myself and I love bright colours. I looked at lots of Ghanaian batiks for inspiration and the borders of all our tins are based on a batik I liked.

Why are gift boxes such a good idea for a small brand like yours?
I think people like to buy presents that are packaged in some way so it made sense to put combinations of creams together. I have to admit I love little bags, boxes, tissue and ribbon so it gave me a great excuse to go and spend loads of money at the packaging factory!

What are your dreams for the future of your brand?
Oh wow … Well, I think we want to stay small. This company is a lifestyle for us rather than an ambition to make mega bucks. We like messing around in the kitchen and making lovely products. If we were to go into shops and get big, our recipes would have to be made in a factory, we would need a distribution network and a production line and who wants to spend their days dealing with all that hassle and the stress of borrowing large amounts of money? If we just sell online and at markets the other great thing is we can keep our prices very competitive because our overheads are massively reduced.  We do want to make a bit more money than we do at the moment though … I think online sales are the way to go. So check out our website www.sheaalchemy.co.uk and start doing your christmas shopping!
What did you do before you set up Shea Alchemy?
I was marketing manager at Random House Publishers. Absolutely nothing to do with skincare. After having my kids I wanted to be around at home more so I went freelance from home as a graphic designer and copywriter. This all sounds totally unrelated but has actually helped me set up the business as I haven’t had to pay designers or marketing people which would have cost a fortune and I did know about running a business.

What prompted you to set up shop? Where did you learn how to make skincare products and where would you recommend that budding skin magicians go to train?
I went to stay with a friend in the States when I was a freelance designer and met a woman who was really into natural skincare who told me all about all the rubbish that is in so many commercial skin creams. I was pretty horrified and bought some ‘natural’ creams made by a company called Arbonne. I loved them but they were INCREDIBLY expensive. When they ran out I looked at the ingredients list and, rx being a practical kind of person, healing (and miserly), buy more about I thought I’m sure I could make this myself and save myself £100’s. So, I bought a natural beauty recipe book from Amazon and with Claire, my daughter, I set off to Neal’s yard and spent a fortune on natural ingredients (far more than £100 in the end) and came home and had fun in the kitchen. We squashed beetroot through sieves, blocked the sink with melted beeswax and made all kinds of weird and wonderful concoctions. That was just the beginning but I got hooked on it. I did loads of reading, experimenting and talking to various chemists and toxicologists. I researched ingredient properties and finally, once I had decided I wanted to sell my creams, rather than just giving them to friends and family as I had been – I went on a course run by Aromantics in Fulham to find out how to make sure they didn’t curdle or go off and to learn about the legal side of things.

Why Shea Butter? Do you ever feel tempted to throw another substitute product in the mix?
On that first Neal’s Yard trip in 2003 we bought some shea butter just because it was in one of the recipes I fancied making. I really liked its texture and the feel of it on my skin. When I read about its properties I decided to make it the theme of my creams. Shea butter is fantastically good for the skin and has been used for centuries in Africa as a natural skin moisturiser. It helps heal scars, offers natural sun protection, soothes eczema and a whole range of dry skin conditions and is also used as a hair conditioner. We mix it with other ingredients though as in its basic unrefined form it is hard and wax like and needs warming before use.

How do you source your shea butter? What led you to Ghana?
We get our fairtrade, unrefined shea butter via a child rights organisation in Ghana called Afrikids and it is made in a woman’s fairtrade cooperative. Ghana is the main place for Shea butter and as a friend of mine had some Ghanaian contacts it seemed the natural place to head for.

What other products do you add to the shea butter and where do you find these?
We use organic oils such as olive, apricot kernel, thistle and avocado, aloe vera, horse chestnut extract and cocoa butter. We use spring water which we get from my cousin’s farm in Northants where they have a natural spring. They bottle and sell their water and I am sure this is why our creams are so good for sensitive skins because our water is SOOOO pure. We use an emulsifier – cetyl alcohol, which comes from coconut oil – to blend the fats and the water together. We scent the creams with organic essential oils. All our ingredients are sourced from different companies.

Can you explain a bit of the process behind the making your products?
It’s a cross between cooking and chemistry! Lots of heating, cooling, whisking and stirring. Heating has to be very precise and timing is crucial. In the early days we had loads of disasters with curdled messes in saucepans but now we have it down to a fine art. The cooks in the company are Prue (my sister), Emma (my oldest friend) and me. Emma has a science background and that helps a lot.

Why is selling in markets so important to you, and which markets do you sell in?
Selling at markets is great because it really keeps you in touch with the people who buy our stuff and what they want. We love the feedback and because we are a tiny company we can actually act on it. If people say they love the smell of geranium for example – we go and get organic essential oil of geranium and add it to stuff. If people show interest in hemp oil for example or blackcurrant seed or blackseed oil etc (as they have done) we can add it to products. We do have to get every recipe toxicology tested though before selling it so its not totally ad hoc. We sell at Broadway Market in London Fields every Saturday and Brick Lane Upmarket in the Truman Brewery on Sundays. We also do one off markets in York (we are there loads over Christmas), Suffolk, Brighton etc. Our website is regularly updated with our plans for the next month and every Friday we confirm our venues via Twitter. I chose Broadway and Brick Lane as regular markets because they are GREAT venues and I love being there! Lots of people, lots of great stalls and really friendly stall holders. If I am going to spend my weekends working I want to make sure I am going to enjoy myself.

How do you work between Crouch End and York?
I am based in Crouch End and make stuff in my kitchen and sell at markets in London. Emma makes it in her kitchen in York,  services most of the web orders and sells at York markets. My sister, Prue, makes creams in her kitchen in Northants and brings batches of cream up to me on a weekly basis.

What are your new products?
Our new products are Cyclists’ Sore Bits Cream and Cyclists All Weather Face protection because we have had loads of cyclists asking for specialist creams – particularly on Broadway market. We also do a blusher and tinted moisturiser because it is simple to just add mineral tints to our existing creams. We don’t have plans to extend the make up range but these two products fit comfortably with the rest of our products.

All your products come in distinctive little tins – why have you decided to package them in this way and what inspired the distinctive bright design?
I just liked the idea of tins because they are really practical, unsquashable and have a kind of basic honesty about them – no fake bottoms here. I did some basic market research before becoming a Ltd company and the results of the survey I did showed that people wanted something a bit different that would stand out from the endless white boxes. I design all our packaging myself and I love bright colours. I looked at lots of Ghanaian batiks for inspiration and the borders of all our tins are based on a batik I liked.

Why are gift boxes such a good idea for a small brand like yours?
I think people like to buy presents that are packaged in some way so it made sense to put combinations of creams together. I have to admit I love little bags, boxes, tissue and ribbon so it gave me a great excuse to go and spend loads of money at the packaging factory!

What are your dreams for the future of your brand?
Oh wow … Well, I think we want to stay small. This company is a lifestyle for us rather than an ambition to make mega bucks. We like messing around in the kitchen and making lovely products. If we were to go into shops and get big, our recipes would have to be made in a factory, we would need a distribution network and a production line and who wants to spend their days dealing with all that hassle and the stress of borrowing large amounts of money? If we just sell online and at markets the other great thing is we can keep our prices very competitive because our overheads are massively reduced.  We do want to make a bit more money than we do at the moment though … I think online sales are the way to go. So check out our website www.sheaalchemy.co.uk and start doing your christmas shopping!
What did you do before you set up Shea Alchemy?
I was marketing manager at Random House Publishers. Absolutely nothing to do with skincare. After having my kids I wanted to be around at home more so I went freelance from home as a graphic designer and copywriter. This all sounds totally unrelated but has actually helped me set up the business as I haven’t had to pay designers or marketing people which would have cost a fortune and I did know about running a business.

What prompted you to set up shop? Where did you learn how to make skincare products and where would you recommend that budding skin magicians go to train?
I went to stay with a friend in the States when I was a freelance designer and met a woman who was really into natural skincare who told me all about all the rubbish that is in so many commercial skin creams. I was pretty horrified and bought some ‘natural’ creams made by a company called Arbonne. I loved them but they were INCREDIBLY expensive. When they ran out I looked at the ingredients list and, viagra order being a practical kind of person, (and miserly), I thought I’m sure I could make this myself and save myself £100’s. So, I bought a natural beauty recipe book from Amazon and with Claire, my daughter, I set off to Neal’s yard and spent a fortune on natural ingredients (far more than £100 in the end) and came home and had fun in the kitchen. We squashed beetroot through sieves, blocked the sink with melted beeswax and made all kinds of weird and wonderful concoctions. That was just the beginning but I got hooked on it. I did loads of reading, experimenting and talking to various chemists and toxicologists. I researched ingredient properties and finally, once I had decided I wanted to sell my creams, rather than just giving them to friends and family as I had been – I went on a course run by Aromantics in Fulham to find out how to make sure they didn’t curdle or go off and to learn about the legal side of things.

Why Shea Butter? Do you ever feel tempted to throw another substitute product in the mix?
On that first Neal’s Yard trip in 2003 we bought some shea butter just because it was in one of the recipes I fancied making. I really liked its texture and the feel of it on my skin. When I read about its properties I decided to make it the theme of my creams. Shea butter is fantastically good for the skin and has been used for centuries in Africa as a natural skin moisturiser. It helps heal scars, offers natural sun protection, soothes eczema and a whole range of dry skin conditions and is also used as a hair conditioner. We mix it with other ingredients though as in its basic unrefined form it is hard and wax like and needs warming before use.

How do you source your shea butter? What led you to Ghana?
We get our fairtrade, unrefined shea butter via a child rights organisation in Ghana called Afrikids and it is made in a woman’s fairtrade cooperative. Ghana is the main place for Shea butter and as a friend of mine had some Ghanaian contacts it seemed the natural place to head for.

What other products do you add to the shea butter and where do you find these?
We use organic oils such as olive, apricot kernel, thistle and avocado, aloe vera, horse chestnut extract and cocoa butter. We use spring water which we get from my cousin’s farm in Northants where they have a natural spring. They bottle and sell their water and I am sure this is why our creams are so good for sensitive skins because our water is SOOOO pure. We use an emulsifier – cetyl alcohol, which comes from coconut oil – to blend the fats and the water together. We scent the creams with organic essential oils. All our ingredients are sourced from different companies.

Can you explain a bit of the process behind the making your products?
It’s a cross between cooking and chemistry! Lots of heating, cooling, whisking and stirring. Heating has to be very precise and timing is crucial. In the early days we had loads of disasters with curdled messes in saucepans but now we have it down to a fine art. The cooks in the company are Prue (my sister), Emma (my oldest friend) and me. Emma has a science background and that helps a lot.

Why is selling in markets so important to you, and which markets do you sell in?
Selling at markets is great because it really keeps you in touch with the people who buy our stuff and what they want. We love the feedback and because we are a tiny company we can actually act on it. If people say they love the smell of geranium for example – we go and get organic essential oil of geranium and add it to stuff. If people show interest in hemp oil for example or blackcurrant seed or blackseed oil etc (as they have done) we can add it to products. We do have to get every recipe toxicology tested though before selling it so its not totally ad hoc. We sell at Broadway Market in London Fields every Saturday and Brick Lane Upmarket in the Truman Brewery on Sundays. We also do one off markets in York (we are there loads over Christmas), Suffolk, Brighton etc. Our website is regularly updated with our plans for the next month and every Friday we confirm our venues via Twitter. I chose Broadway and Brick Lane as regular markets because they are GREAT venues and I love being there! Lots of people, lots of great stalls and really friendly stall holders. If I am going to spend my weekends working I want to make sure I am going to enjoy myself.

How do you work between Crouch End and York?
I am based in Crouch End and make stuff in my kitchen and sell at markets in London. Emma makes it in her kitchen in York,  services most of the web orders and sells at York markets. My sister, Prue, makes creams in her kitchen in Northants and brings batches of cream up to me on a weekly basis.

What are your new products?
Our new products are Cyclists’ Sore Bits Cream and Cyclists All Weather Face protection because we have had loads of cyclists asking for specialist creams – particularly on Broadway market. We also do a blusher and tinted moisturiser because it is simple to just add mineral tints to our existing creams. We don’t have plans to extend the make up range but these two products fit comfortably with the rest of our products.

All your products come in distinctive little tins – why have you decided to package them in this way and what inspired the distinctive bright design?
I just liked the idea of tins because they are really practical, unsquashable and have a kind of basic honesty about them – no fake bottoms here. I did some basic market research before becoming a Ltd company and the results of the survey I did showed that people wanted something a bit different that would stand out from the endless white boxes. I design all our packaging myself and I love bright colours. I looked at lots of Ghanaian batiks for inspiration and the borders of all our tins are based on a batik I liked.

Why are gift boxes such a good idea for a small brand like yours?
I think people like to buy presents that are packaged in some way so it made sense to put combinations of creams together. I have to admit I love little bags, boxes, tissue and ribbon so it gave me a great excuse to go and spend loads of money at the packaging factory!

What are your dreams for the future of your brand?
Oh wow … Well, I think we want to stay small. This company is a lifestyle for us rather than an ambition to make mega bucks. We like messing around in the kitchen and making lovely products. If we were to go into shops and get big, our recipes would have to be made in a factory, we would need a distribution network and a production line and who wants to spend their days dealing with all that hassle and the stress of borrowing large amounts of money? If we just sell online and at markets the other great thing is we can keep our prices very competitive because our overheads are massively reduced.  We do want to make a bit more money than we do at the moment though … I think online sales are the way to go. So check out our website www.sheaalchemy.co.uk and start doing your christmas shopping!
I am a big fan of cottage industries – after all, order I am one myself. In the first of an ongoing series that will profile ethical skincare and makeup brands, let me introduce you to Shea Alchemy founder Sally. Having discovered her creams some years ago (at a market) I can indeed testify that they are very yummy… Here she talks about why it is possible to avoid spending a fortune on good quality natural skincare.

What did you do before you set up Shea Alchemy?
I was marketing manager at Random House Publishers. Absolutely nothing to do with skincare. After having my kids I wanted to be around at home more so I went freelance from home as a graphic designer and copywriter. This all sounds totally unrelated but has actually helped me set up the business as I haven’t had to pay designers or marketing people which would have cost a fortune and I did know about running a business.

What prompted you to set up shop? Where did you learn how to make skincare products and where would you recommend that budding skin magicians go to train?
I went to stay with a friend in the States when I was a freelance designer and met a woman who was really into natural skincare who told me all about all the rubbish that is in so many commercial skin creams. I was pretty horrified and bought some ‘natural’ creams made by a company called Arbonne. I loved them but they were INCREDIBLY expensive. When they ran out I looked at the ingredients list and, being a practical kind of person, (and miserly), I thought I’m sure I could make this myself and save myself £100’s. So, I bought a natural beauty recipe book from Amazon and with Claire, my daughter, I set off to Neal’s yard and spent a fortune on natural ingredients (far more than £100 in the end) and came home and had fun in the kitchen. We squashed beetroot through sieves, blocked the sink with melted beeswax and made all kinds of weird and wonderful concoctions. That was just the beginning but I got hooked on it. I did loads of reading, experimenting and talking to various chemists and toxicologists. I researched ingredient properties and finally, once I had decided I wanted to sell my creams, rather than just giving them to friends and family as I had been – I went on a course run by Aromantics in Fulham to find out how to make sure they didn’t curdle or go off and to learn about the legal side of things.

Why Shea Butter? Do you ever feel tempted to throw another substitute product in the mix?
On that first Neal’s Yard trip in 2003 we bought some shea butter just because it was in one of the recipes I fancied making. I really liked its texture and the feel of it on my skin. When I read about its properties I decided to make it the theme of my creams. Shea butter is fantastically good for the skin and has been used for centuries in Africa as a natural skin moisturiser. It helps heal scars, offers natural sun protection, soothes eczema and a whole range of dry skin conditions and is also used as a hair conditioner. We mix it with other ingredients though as in its basic unrefined form it is hard and wax like and needs warming before use.

How do you source your shea butter? What led you to Ghana?
We get our fairtrade, unrefined shea butter via a child rights organisation in Ghana called Afrikids and it is made in a woman’s fairtrade cooperative. Ghana is the main place for Shea butter and as a friend of mine had some Ghanaian contacts it seemed the natural place to head for.

What other products do you add to the shea butter and where do you find these?
We use organic oils such as olive, apricot kernel, thistle and avocado, aloe vera, horse chestnut extract and cocoa butter. We use spring water which we get from my cousin’s farm in Northants where they have a natural spring. They bottle and sell their water and I am sure this is why our creams are so good for sensitive skins because our water is SOOOO pure. We use an emulsifier – cetyl alcohol, which comes from coconut oil – to blend the fats and the water together. We scent the creams with organic essential oils. All our ingredients are sourced from different companies.

Can you explain a bit of the process behind the making your products?
It’s a cross between cooking and chemistry! Lots of heating, cooling, whisking and stirring. Heating has to be very precise and timing is crucial. In the early days we had loads of disasters with curdled messes in saucepans but now we have it down to a fine art. The cooks in the company are Prue (my sister), Emma (my oldest friend) and me. Emma has a science background and that helps a lot.

Why is selling in markets so important to you, and which markets do you sell in?
Selling at markets is great because it really keeps you in touch with the people who buy our stuff and what they want. We love the feedback and because we are a tiny company we can actually act on it. If people say they love the smell of geranium for example – we go and get organic essential oil of geranium and add it to stuff. If people show interest in hemp oil for example or blackcurrant seed or blackseed oil etc (as they have done) we can add it to products. We do have to get every recipe toxicology tested though before selling it so its not totally ad hoc. We sell at Broadway Market in London Fields every Saturday and Brick Lane Upmarket in the Truman Brewery on Sundays. We also do one off markets in York (we are there loads over Christmas), Suffolk, Brighton etc. Our website is regularly updated with our plans for the next month and every Friday we confirm our venues via Twitter. I chose Broadway and Brick Lane as regular markets because they are GREAT venues and I love being there! Lots of people, lots of great stalls and really friendly stall holders. If I am going to spend my weekends working I want to make sure I am going to enjoy myself.

How do you work between Crouch End and York?
I am based in Crouch End and make stuff in my kitchen and sell at markets in London. Emma makes it in her kitchen in York,  services most of the web orders and sells at York markets. My sister, Prue, makes creams in her kitchen in Northants and brings batches of cream up to me on a weekly basis.

What are your new products?
Our new products are Cyclists’ Sore Bits Cream and Cyclists All Weather Face protection because we have had loads of cyclists asking for specialist creams – particularly on Broadway market. We also do a blusher and tinted moisturiser because it is simple to just add mineral tints to our existing creams. We don’t have plans to extend the make up range but these two products fit comfortably with the rest of our products.

All your products come in distinctive little tins – why have you decided to package them in this way and what inspired the distinctive bright design?
I just liked the idea of tins because they are really practical, unsquashable and have a kind of basic honesty about them – no fake bottoms here. I did some basic market research before becoming a Ltd company and the results of the survey I did showed that people wanted something a bit different that would stand out from the endless white boxes. I design all our packaging myself and I love bright colours. I looked at lots of Ghanaian batiks for inspiration and the borders of all our tins are based on a batik I liked.

Why are gift boxes such a good idea for a small brand like yours?
I think people like to buy presents that are packaged in some way so it made sense to put combinations of creams together. I have to admit I love little bags, boxes, tissue and ribbon so it gave me a great excuse to go and spend loads of money at the packaging factory!

What are your dreams for the future of your brand?
Oh wow … Well, I think we want to stay small. This company is a lifestyle for us rather than an ambition to make mega bucks. We like messing around in the kitchen and making lovely products. If we were to go into shops and get big, our recipes would have to be made in a factory, we would need a distribution network and a production line and who wants to spend their days dealing with all that hassle and the stress of borrowing large amounts of money? If we just sell online and at markets the other great thing is we can keep our prices very competitive because our overheads are massively reduced.  We do want to make a bit more money than we do at the moment though … I think online sales are the way to go. So check out our website www.sheaalchemy.co.uk and start doing your christmas shopping!
I am a big fan of cottage industries – after all, pharm I am one myself. In the first of an ongoing series that will profile ethical skincare and makeup brands, cialis 40mg let me introduce you to Shea Alchemy founder Sally. Having discovered her creams some years ago (at a market) I can indeed testify that they are very yummy… Here she talks about why it is possible to avoid spending a fortune on good quality natural skincare.

What did you do before you set up Shea Alchemy?
I was marketing manager at Random House Publishers. Absolutely nothing to do with skincare. After having my kids I wanted to be around at home more so I went freelance from home as a graphic designer and copywriter. This all sounds totally unrelated but has actually helped me set up the business as I haven’t had to pay designers or marketing people which would have cost a fortune and I did know about running a business.

What prompted you to set up shop? Where did you learn how to make skincare products and where would you recommend that budding skin magicians go to train?
I went to stay with a friend in the States when I was a freelance designer and met a woman who was really into natural skincare who told me all about all the rubbish that is in so many commercial skin creams. I was pretty horrified and bought some ‘natural’ creams made by a company called Arbonne. I loved them but they were INCREDIBLY expensive. When they ran out I looked at the ingredients list and, viagra 40mg being a practical kind of person, (and miserly), I thought I’m sure I could make this myself and save myself £100’s. So, I bought a natural beauty recipe book from Amazon and with Claire, my daughter, I set off to Neal’s yard and spent a fortune on natural ingredients (far more than £100 in the end) and came home and had fun in the kitchen. We squashed beetroot through sieves, blocked the sink with melted beeswax and made all kinds of weird and wonderful concoctions. That was just the beginning but I got hooked on it. I did loads of reading, experimenting and talking to various chemists and toxicologists. I researched ingredient properties and finally, once I had decided I wanted to sell my creams, rather than just giving them to friends and family as I had been – I went on a course run by Aromantics in Fulham to find out how to make sure they didn’t curdle or go off and to learn about the legal side of things.

Why Shea Butter? Do you ever feel tempted to throw another substitute product in the mix?
On that first Neal’s Yard trip in 2003 we bought some shea butter just because it was in one of the recipes I fancied making. I really liked its texture and the feel of it on my skin. When I read about its properties I decided to make it the theme of my creams. Shea butter is fantastically good for the skin and has been used for centuries in Africa as a natural skin moisturiser. It helps heal scars, offers natural sun protection, soothes eczema and a whole range of dry skin conditions and is also used as a hair conditioner. We mix it with other ingredients though as in its basic unrefined form it is hard and wax like and needs warming before use.

How do you source your shea butter? What led you to Ghana?
We get our fairtrade, unrefined shea butter via a child rights organisation in Ghana called Afrikids and it is made in a woman’s fairtrade cooperative. Ghana is the main place for Shea butter and as a friend of mine had some Ghanaian contacts it seemed the natural place to head for.

What other products do you add to the shea butter and where do you find these?
We use organic oils such as olive, apricot kernel, thistle and avocado, aloe vera, horse chestnut extract and cocoa butter. We use spring water which we get from my cousin’s farm in Northants where they have a natural spring. They bottle and sell their water and I am sure this is why our creams are so good for sensitive skins because our water is SOOOO pure. We use an emulsifier – cetyl alcohol, which comes from coconut oil – to blend the fats and the water together. We scent the creams with organic essential oils. All our ingredients are sourced from different companies.

Can you explain a bit of the process behind the making your products?
It’s a cross between cooking and chemistry! Lots of heating, cooling, whisking and stirring. Heating has to be very precise and timing is crucial. In the early days we had loads of disasters with curdled messes in saucepans but now we have it down to a fine art. The cooks in the company are Prue (my sister), Emma (my oldest friend) and me. Emma has a science background and that helps a lot.

Why is selling in markets so important to you, and which markets do you sell in?
Selling at markets is great because it really keeps you in touch with the people who buy our stuff and what they want. We love the feedback and because we are a tiny company we can actually act on it. If people say they love the smell of geranium for example – we go and get organic essential oil of geranium and add it to stuff. If people show interest in hemp oil for example or blackcurrant seed or blackseed oil etc (as they have done) we can add it to products. We do have to get every recipe toxicology tested though before selling it so its not totally ad hoc. We sell at Broadway Market in London Fields every Saturday and Brick Lane Upmarket in the Truman Brewery on Sundays. We also do one off markets in York (we are there loads over Christmas), Suffolk, Brighton etc. Our website is regularly updated with our plans for the next month and every Friday we confirm our venues via Twitter. I chose Broadway and Brick Lane as regular markets because they are GREAT venues and I love being there! Lots of people, lots of great stalls and really friendly stall holders. If I am going to spend my weekends working I want to make sure I am going to enjoy myself.

How do you work between Crouch End and York?
I am based in Crouch End and make stuff in my kitchen and sell at markets in London. Emma makes it in her kitchen in York,  services most of the web orders and sells at York markets. My sister, Prue, makes creams in her kitchen in Northants and brings batches of cream up to me on a weekly basis.

What are your new products?
Our new products are Cyclists’ Sore Bits Cream and Cyclists All Weather Face protection because we have had loads of cyclists asking for specialist creams – particularly on Broadway market. We also do a blusher and tinted moisturiser because it is simple to just add mineral tints to our existing creams. We don’t have plans to extend the make up range but these two products fit comfortably with the rest of our products.

All your products come in distinctive little tins – why have you decided to package them in this way and what inspired the distinctive bright design?
I just liked the idea of tins because they are really practical, unsquashable and have a kind of basic honesty about them – no fake bottoms here. I did some basic market research before becoming a Ltd company and the results of the survey I did showed that people wanted something a bit different that would stand out from the endless white boxes. I design all our packaging myself and I love bright colours. I looked at lots of Ghanaian batiks for inspiration and the borders of all our tins are based on a batik I liked.

Why are gift boxes such a good idea for a small brand like yours?
I think people like to buy presents that are packaged in some way so it made sense to put combinations of creams together. I have to admit I love little bags, boxes, tissue and ribbon so it gave me a great excuse to go and spend loads of money at the packaging factory!

What are your dreams for the future of your brand?
Oh wow … Well, I think we want to stay small. This company is a lifestyle for us rather than an ambition to make mega bucks. We like messing around in the kitchen and making lovely products. If we were to go into shops and get big, our recipes would have to be made in a factory, we would need a distribution network and a production line and who wants to spend their days dealing with all that hassle and the stress of borrowing large amounts of money? If we just sell online and at markets the other great thing is we can keep our prices very competitive because our overheads are massively reduced.  We do want to make a bit more money than we do at the moment though … I think online sales are the way to go. So check out our website www.sheaalchemy.co.uk and start doing your christmas shopping!
I am a big fan of cottage industries – after all, cheapest I am one myself. In the first of an ongoing series that will profile ethical skincare and makeup brands, let me introduce you to Shea Alchemy founder Sally. Having discovered her creams some years ago (at a market) I can indeed testify that they are very yummy… Here she talks about how she set up her business and why it is possible to avoid spending a fortune on good quality natural skincare.

What did you do before you set up Shea Alchemy?
I was marketing manager at Random House Publishers. Absolutely nothing to do with skincare. After having my kids I wanted to be around at home more so I went freelance from home as a graphic designer and copywriter. This all sounds totally unrelated but has actually helped me set up the business as I haven’t had to pay designers or marketing people which would have cost a fortune and I did know about running a business.

What prompted you to set up shop? Where did you learn how to make skincare products and where would you recommend that budding skin magicians go to train?
I went to stay with a friend in the States when I was a freelance designer and met a woman who was really into natural skincare who told me all about all the rubbish that is in so many commercial skin creams. I was pretty horrified and bought some ‘natural’ creams made by a company called Arbonne. I loved them but they were INCREDIBLY expensive. When they ran out I looked at the ingredients list and, being a practical kind of person, (and miserly), I thought I’m sure I could make this myself and save myself £100’s. So, I bought a natural beauty recipe book from Amazon and with Claire, my daughter, I set off to Neal’s yard and spent a fortune on natural ingredients (far more than £100 in the end) and came home and had fun in the kitchen. We squashed beetroot through sieves, blocked the sink with melted beeswax and made all kinds of weird and wonderful concoctions. That was just the beginning but I got hooked on it. I did loads of reading, experimenting and talking to various chemists and toxicologists. I researched ingredient properties and finally, once I had decided I wanted to sell my creams, rather than just giving them to friends and family as I had been – I went on a course run by Aromantics in Fulham to find out how to make sure they didn’t curdle or go off and to learn about the legal side of things.

Why Shea Butter? Do you ever feel tempted to throw another substitute product in the mix?
On that first Neal’s Yard trip in 2003 we bought some shea butter just because it was in one of the recipes I fancied making. I really liked its texture and the feel of it on my skin. When I read about its properties I decided to make it the theme of my creams. Shea butter is fantastically good for the skin and has been used for centuries in Africa as a natural skin moisturiser. It helps heal scars, offers natural sun protection, soothes eczema and a whole range of dry skin conditions and is also used as a hair conditioner. We mix it with other ingredients though as in its basic unrefined form it is hard and wax like and needs warming before use.

How do you source your shea butter? What led you to Ghana?
We get our fairtrade, unrefined shea butter via a child rights organisation in Ghana called Afrikids and it is made in a woman’s fairtrade cooperative. Ghana is the main place for Shea butter and as a friend of mine had some Ghanaian contacts it seemed the natural place to head for.

What other products do you add to the shea butter and where do you find these?
We use organic oils such as olive, apricot kernel, thistle and avocado, aloe vera, horse chestnut extract and cocoa butter. We use spring water which we get from my cousin’s farm in Northants where they have a natural spring. They bottle and sell their water and I am sure this is why our creams are so good for sensitive skins because our water is SOOOO pure. We use an emulsifier – cetyl alcohol, which comes from coconut oil – to blend the fats and the water together. We scent the creams with organic essential oils. All our ingredients are sourced from different companies.

Can you explain a bit of the process behind the making your products?
It’s a cross between cooking and chemistry! Lots of heating, cooling, whisking and stirring. Heating has to be very precise and timing is crucial. In the early days we had loads of disasters with curdled messes in saucepans but now we have it down to a fine art. The cooks in the company are Prue (my sister), Emma (my oldest friend) and me. Emma has a science background and that helps a lot.

Why is selling in markets so important to you, and which markets do you sell in?
Selling at markets is great because it really keeps you in touch with the people who buy our stuff and what they want. We love the feedback and because we are a tiny company we can actually act on it. If people say they love the smell of geranium for example – we go and get organic essential oil of geranium and add it to stuff. If people show interest in hemp oil for example or blackcurrant seed or blackseed oil etc (as they have done) we can add it to products. We do have to get every recipe toxicology tested though before selling it so its not totally ad hoc. We sell at Broadway Market in London Fields every Saturday and Brick Lane Upmarket in the Truman Brewery on Sundays. We also do one off markets in York (we are there loads over Christmas), Suffolk, Brighton etc. Our website is regularly updated with our plans for the next month and every Friday we confirm our venues via Twitter. I chose Broadway and Brick Lane as regular markets because they are GREAT venues and I love being there! Lots of people, lots of great stalls and really friendly stall holders. If I am going to spend my weekends working I want to make sure I am going to enjoy myself.

How do you work between Crouch End and York?
I am based in Crouch End and make stuff in my kitchen and sell at markets in London. Emma makes it in her kitchen in York,  services most of the web orders and sells at York markets. My sister, Prue, makes creams in her kitchen in Northants and brings batches of cream up to me on a weekly basis.

What are your new products?
Our new products are Cyclists’ Sore Bits Cream and Cyclists All Weather Face protection because we have had loads of cyclists asking for specialist creams – particularly on Broadway market. We also do a blusher and tinted moisturiser because it is simple to just add mineral tints to our existing creams. We don’t have plans to extend the make up range but these two products fit comfortably with the rest of our products.

All your products come in distinctive little tins – why have you decided to package them in this way and what inspired the distinctive bright design?
I just liked the idea of tins because they are really practical, unsquashable and have a kind of basic honesty about them – no fake bottoms here. I did some basic market research before becoming a Ltd company and the results of the survey I did showed that people wanted something a bit different that would stand out from the endless white boxes. I design all our packaging myself and I love bright colours. I looked at lots of Ghanaian batiks for inspiration and the borders of all our tins are based on a batik I liked.

Why are gift boxes such a good idea for a small brand like yours?
I think people like to buy presents that are packaged in some way so it made sense to put combinations of creams together. I have to admit I love little bags, boxes, tissue and ribbon so it gave me a great excuse to go and spend loads of money at the packaging factory!

What are your dreams for the future of your brand?
Oh wow … Well, I think we want to stay small. This company is a lifestyle for us rather than an ambition to make mega bucks. We like messing around in the kitchen and making lovely products. If we were to go into shops and get big, our recipes would have to be made in a factory, we would need a distribution network and a production line and who wants to spend their days dealing with all that hassle and the stress of borrowing large amounts of money? If we just sell online and at markets the other great thing is we can keep our prices very competitive because our overheads are massively reduced.  We do want to make a bit more money than we do at the moment though … I think online sales are the way to go. So check out our website www.sheaalchemy.co.uk and start doing your christmas shopping!
I am a big fan of cottage industries – after all, pharm I am one myself. In the first of an ongoing series that will profile ethical skincare and makeup brands, let me introduce you to Shea Alchemy founder Sally. Having discovered her creams some years ago (at a market) I can indeed testify that they are very yummy… Here she talks about how she set up her business and why it is possible to avoid spending a fortune on good quality natural skincare.

What did you do before you set up Shea Alchemy?
I was marketing manager at Random House publishers. Absolutely nothing to do with skincare. After having my kids I wanted to be around at home more so I went freelance from home as a graphic designer and copywriter. This all sounds totally unrelated but has actually helped me set up the business as I haven’t had to pay designers or marketing people which would have cost a fortune and I did know about running a business.

What prompted you to set up shop? Where did you learn how to make skincare products and where would you recommend that budding skin magicians go to train?
I went to stay with a friend in the States when I was a freelance designer and met a woman who was really into natural skincare who told me all about all the rubbish that is in so many commercial skin creams. I was pretty horrified and bought some ‘natural’ creams made by a company called Arbonne. I loved them but they were INCREDIBLY expensive. When they ran out I looked at the ingredients list and, being a practical kind of person, (and miserly), I thought I’m sure I could make this myself and save myself £100’s. So, I bought a natural beauty recipe book from Amazon and with Claire, my daughter, I set off to Neal’s Yard and spent a fortune on natural ingredients (far more than £100 in the end) and came home and had fun in the kitchen. We squashed beetroot through sieves, blocked the sink with melted beeswax and made all kinds of weird and wonderful concoctions. That was just the beginning but I got hooked on it. I did loads of reading, experimenting and talking to various chemists and toxicologists. I researched ingredient properties and finally, once I had decided I wanted to sell my creams, rather than just giving them to friends and family as I had been – I went on a course run by Aromantic in Fulham to find out how to make sure they didn’t curdle or go off and to learn about the legal side of things.

Why Shea Butter? Do you ever feel tempted to throw another substitute product in the mix?
On that first Neal’s Yard trip in 2003 we bought some shea butter just because it was in one of the recipes I fancied making. I really liked its texture and the feel of it on my skin. When I read about its properties I decided to make it the theme of my creams. Shea butter is fantastically good for the skin and has been used for centuries in Africa as a natural skin moisturiser. It helps heal scars, offers natural sun protection, soothes eczema and a whole range of dry skin conditions and is also used as a hair conditioner. We mix it with other ingredients though as in its basic unrefined form it is hard and wax like and needs warming before use.

How do you source your shea butter? What led you to Ghana?
We get our fairtrade, unrefined shea butter via a child rights organisation in Ghana called Afrikids and it is made in a woman’s fairtrade cooperative. Ghana is the main place for Shea butter and as a friend of mine had some Ghanaian contacts it seemed the natural place to head for.

What other products do you add to the shea butter and where do you find these?
We use organic oils such as olive, apricot kernel, thistle and avocado, aloe vera, horse chestnut extract and cocoa butter. We use spring water which we get from my cousin’s farm in Northants where they have a natural spring. They bottle and sell their water and I am sure this is why our creams are so good for sensitive skins because our water is SOOOO pure. We use an emulsifier – cetyl alcohol, which comes from coconut oil – to blend the fats and the water together. We scent the creams with organic essential oils. All our ingredients are sourced from different companies.

Can you explain a bit of the process behind the making your products?
It’s a cross between cooking and chemistry! Lots of heating, cooling, whisking and stirring. Heating has to be very precise and timing is crucial. In the early days we had loads of disasters with curdled messes in saucepans but now we have it down to a fine art. The cooks in the company are Prue (my sister), Emma (my oldest friend) and me. Emma has a science background and that helps a lot.

Why is selling in markets so important to you, and which markets do you sell in?
Selling at markets is great because it really keeps you in touch with the people who buy our stuff and what they want. We love the feedback and because we are a tiny company we can actually act on it. If people say they love the smell of geranium for example – we go and get organic essential oil of geranium and add it to stuff. If people show interest in hemp oil for example or blackcurrant seed or blackseed oil etc (as they have done) we can add it to products. We do have to get every recipe toxicology tested though before selling it so its not totally ad hoc. We sell at Broadway Market in London Fields every Saturday and Brick Lane Upmarket in the Truman Brewery on Sundays. We also do one off markets in York (we are there loads over Christmas), Suffolk, Brighton etc. Our website is regularly updated with our plans for the next month and every Friday we confirm our venues via Twitter. I chose Broadway and Brick Lane as regular markets because they are GREAT venues and I love being there! Lots of people, lots of great stalls and really friendly stall holders. If I am going to spend my weekends working I want to make sure I am going to enjoy myself.

How do you work between Crouch End and York?
I am based in Crouch End and make stuff in my kitchen and sell at markets in London. Emma makes it in her kitchen in York,  services most of the web orders and sells at York markets. My sister, Prue, makes creams in her kitchen in Northants and brings batches of cream up to me on a weekly basis.

What are your new products?
Our new products are Cyclists’ Sore Bits Cream and Cyclists All Weather Face protection because we have had loads of cyclists asking for specialist creams – particularly on Broadway market. We also do a blusher and tinted moisturiser because it is simple to just add mineral tints to our existing creams. We don’t have plans to extend the make up range but these two products fit comfortably with the rest of our products.

All your products come in distinctive little tins – why have you decided to package them in this way and what inspired the distinctive bright design?
I just liked the idea of tins because they are really practical, unsquashable and have a kind of basic honesty about them – no fake bottoms here. I did some basic market research before becoming a Ltd company and the results of the survey I did showed that people wanted something a bit different that would stand out from the endless white boxes. I design all our packaging myself and I love bright colours. I looked at lots of Ghanaian batiks for inspiration and the borders of all our tins are based on a batik I liked.

Why are gift boxes such a good idea for a small brand like yours?
I think people like to buy presents that are packaged in some way so it made sense to put combinations of creams together. I have to admit I love little bags, boxes, tissue and ribbon so it gave me a great excuse to go and spend loads of money at the packaging factory!

What are your dreams for the future of your brand?
Oh wow … Well, I think we want to stay small. This company is a lifestyle for us rather than an ambition to make mega bucks. We like messing around in the kitchen and making lovely products. If we were to go into shops and get big, our recipes would have to be made in a factory, we would need a distribution network and a production line and who wants to spend their days dealing with all that hassle and the stress of borrowing large amounts of money? If we just sell online and at markets the other great thing is we can keep our prices very competitive because our overheads are massively reduced.  We do want to make a bit more money than we do at the moment though … I think online sales are the way to go. So check out our website www.sheaalchemy.co.uk and start doing your christmas shopping!
I am a big fan of cottage industries – after all, dosage I am one myself. In the first of an ongoing series that will profile ethical skincare and makeup brands, web let me introduce you to Shea Alchemy founder Sally. Having discovered her creams some years ago (at a market) I can indeed testify that they are very yummy… Here she talks about how she set up her business and why it is possible to avoid spending a fortune on good quality natural skincare.

What did you do before you set up Shea Alchemy?
I was marketing manager at Random House publishers. Absolutely nothing to do with skincare. After having my kids I wanted to be around at home more so I went freelance from home as a graphic designer and copywriter. This all sounds totally unrelated but has actually helped me set up the business as I haven’t had to pay designers or marketing people which would have cost a fortune and I did know about running a business.

What prompted you to set up shop? Where did you learn how to make skincare products and where would you recommend that budding skin magicians go to train?
I went to stay with a friend in the States when I was a freelance designer and met a woman who was really into natural skincare who told me all about all the rubbish that is in so many commercial skin creams. I was pretty horrified and bought some ‘natural’ creams made by a company called Arbonne. I loved them but they were INCREDIBLY expensive. When they ran out I looked at the ingredients list and, being a practical kind of person, (and miserly), I thought I’m sure I could make this myself and save myself £100’s. So, I bought a natural beauty recipe book from Amazon and with Claire, my daughter, I set off to Neal’s Yard and spent a fortune on natural ingredients (far more than £100 in the end) and came home and had fun in the kitchen. We squashed beetroot through sieves, blocked the sink with melted beeswax and made all kinds of weird and wonderful concoctions. That was just the beginning but I got hooked on it. I did loads of reading, experimenting and talking to various chemists and toxicologists. I researched ingredient properties and finally, once I had decided I wanted to sell my creams, rather than just giving them to friends and family as I had been – I went on a course run by Aromantic in Fulham to find out how to make sure they didn’t curdle or go off and to learn about the legal side of things.

Why Shea Butter? Do you ever feel tempted to throw another substitute product in the mix?
On that first Neal’s Yard trip in 2003 we bought some shea butter just because it was in one of the recipes I fancied making. I really liked its texture and the feel of it on my skin. When I read about its properties I decided to make it the theme of my creams. Shea butter is fantastically good for the skin and has been used for centuries in Africa as a natural skin moisturiser. It helps heal scars, offers natural sun protection, soothes eczema and a whole range of dry skin conditions and is also used as a hair conditioner. We mix it with other ingredients though as in its basic unrefined form it is hard and wax like and needs warming before use.

How do you source your shea butter? What led you to Ghana?
We get our fairtrade, unrefined shea butter via a child rights organisation in Ghana called Afrikids and it is made in a woman’s fairtrade cooperative. Ghana is the main place for Shea butter and as a friend of mine had some Ghanaian contacts it seemed the natural place to head for.

What other products do you add to the shea butter and where do you find these?
We use organic oils such as olive, apricot kernel, thistle and avocado, aloe vera, horse chestnut extract and cocoa butter. We use spring water which we get from my cousin’s farm in Northants where they have a natural spring. They bottle and sell their water and I am sure this is why our creams are so good for sensitive skins because our water is SOOOO pure. We use an emulsifier – cetyl alcohol, which comes from coconut oil – to blend the fats and the water together. We scent the creams with organic essential oils. All our ingredients are sourced from different companies.

Can you explain a bit of the process behind the making your products?
It’s a cross between cooking and chemistry! Lots of heating, cooling, whisking and stirring. Heating has to be very precise and timing is crucial. In the early days we had loads of disasters with curdled messes in saucepans but now we have it down to a fine art. The cooks in the company are Prue (my sister), Emma (my oldest friend) and me. Emma has a science background and that helps a lot.

Why is selling in markets so important to you, and which markets do you sell in?
Selling at markets is great because it really keeps you in touch with the people who buy our stuff and what they want. We love the feedback and because we are a tiny company we can actually act on it. If people say they love the smell of geranium for example – we go and get organic essential oil of geranium and add it to stuff. If people show interest in hemp oil for example or blackcurrant seed or blackseed oil etc (as they have done) we can add it to products. We do have to get every recipe toxicology tested though before selling it so its not totally ad hoc. We sell at Broadway Market in London Fields every Saturday and Brick Lane Upmarket in the Truman Brewery on Sundays. We also do one off markets in York (we are there loads over Christmas), Suffolk, Brighton etc. Our website is regularly updated with our plans for the next month and every Friday we confirm our venues via twitter. I chose Broadway and Brick Lane as regular markets because they are GREAT venues and I love being there! Lots of people, lots of great stalls and really friendly stall holders. If I am going to spend my weekends working I want to make sure I am going to enjoy myself.

How do you work between Crouch End and York?
I am based in Crouch End and make stuff in my kitchen and sell at markets in London. Emma makes it in her kitchen in York,  services most of the web orders and sells at York markets. My sister, Prue, makes creams in her kitchen in Northants and brings batches of cream up to me on a weekly basis.

What are your new products?
Our new products are Cyclists’ Sore Bits Cream and Cyclists All Weather Face protection because we have had loads of cyclists asking for specialist creams – particularly on Broadway market. We also do a blusher and tinted moisturiser because it is simple to just add mineral tints to our existing creams. We don’t have plans to extend the make up range but these two products fit comfortably with the rest of our products.

All your products come in distinctive little tins – why have you decided to package them in this way and what inspired the distinctive bright design?
I just liked the idea of tins because they are really practical, unsquashable and have a kind of basic honesty about them – no fake bottoms here. I did some basic market research before becoming a Ltd company and the results of the survey I did showed that people wanted something a bit different that would stand out from the endless white boxes. I design all our packaging myself and I love bright colours. I looked at lots of Ghanaian batiks for inspiration and the borders of all our tins are based on a batik I liked.

Why are gift boxes such a good idea for a small brand like yours?
I think people like to buy presents that are packaged in some way so it made sense to put combinations of creams together. I have to admit I love little bags, boxes, tissue and ribbon so it gave me a great excuse to go and spend loads of money at the packaging factory!

What are your dreams for the future of your brand?
Oh wow … Well, I think we want to stay small. This company is a lifestyle for us rather than an ambition to make mega bucks. We like messing around in the kitchen and making lovely products. If we were to go into shops and get big, our recipes would have to be made in a factory, we would need a distribution network and a production line and who wants to spend their days dealing with all that hassle and the stress of borrowing large amounts of money? If we just sell online and at markets the other great thing is we can keep our prices very competitive because our overheads are massively reduced.  We do want to make a bit more money than we do at the moment though … I think online sales are the way to go. So check out our website www.sheaalchemy.co.uk and start doing your christmas shopping!

Erdem, online illustrated by Katie Walters

The Whitechapel Gallery is, this month, hosting a series of talks which see a host of London-based fashion designers in conversation with curator Kirsty Ogg. The first of these talks saw Turkish/English/Canadian designer Erdem Moralioglu take to the stage. 

Personally I’m a massive fan of Erdem and the inherent beauty he’s displayed across collection after collection. Amelia’s Magazine supported the designer since his first show, with an interview and feature in Issue 08 of the printed magazine. It’s a shame, then, that we didn’t get a ticket to his most recent show so we haven’t covered his work in a while. Yes, they probably go faster than Take That tickets, but, y’know, we’ve been on the Erdem wagon longer than it takes to correctly spell his surname.

Above: Erdem S/S 2011 Below: Erdem S/S 2010, illustrated by Michelle Urvall Nyrén

After a warm introduction from Elle‘s fashion director Anne-Marie Curtis, who thanked Erdem for her wedding dress (cringe), the conversation began, as these things tend to, rather awkwardly. We got a brief synopsis of Erdem the man so far – he relayed stories from his childhood, described his Virgin Suicides-esque hometown and discussed his fascination with right and wrong. He’s a man after my own heart who has always been fascinated by women and the impact that fashion has on their lives. The contrast of cultures – a Turkish father, an English mother, a Canadian upbringing – has had a massive impact on the designer’s work and life. He has always been obsessed by reality, fantasy and femininity.

This unusual series of talks see fashion designers talk about the influence of the art world, generally speaking, on their work. Each designer has been asked to pick 10 pieces of art that they feel have been most inspirational. Erdem had hand-picked a wide range of pieces that had been influential, from centuries-old paintings to the work of modern photographers.
From Ryan McGinley‘s ethereal firework images to Singer Sargent‘s oil paintings, all genres were covered, with an unsurprising theme of women and figures running throughout. Here are a few of his picks:

Seeing Peter Doig’s White Canoe (1990-1) in oils appeared like a close-up image of Erdem’s many digital prints, but also evoked his own memories of growing up near this ‘large lake’…

Singer Sergant’s Madame X conveyed Erdem’s fascination with mysterious women…(detail)

Ryan McGinley’s Fireworks Hysteric was a combination of the female form and his obsession with reality…

Inspiration from Tina Barney’s Matador, from the conscious influence of Erdem’s detailing to the juxtaposition of the elaborate jacket with the crispness of the shirt and tie… 

While there’s no doubt that art and fashion are physically and psychologically intertwined, it did feel at times that the emphasis was on the deeper and often patronising themes that existed in Erdem’s choices. I would have happily listened to his dulcet Canadian tones wax lyrical about fashion than hear him struggle somewhat to form concepts from pieces of art that just weren’t there. ‘There isn’t really a meaning, love!’ I kept thinking to myself as Ogg tried to worm out themes from his choices. ‘Leave him alone!’ I forced myself not to say aloud. ‘LEAVE MY ERDEM ALONE!’ It was a little like sitting in on a psychiatrist extract information from a sane person who didn’t really need to see a psychiatrist.  

Generally, the idea of a fashion designer discussing his influences, and purely artistic ones, is a great concept, but what it didn’t need was patronising drivel. Just my philistine opinion, obviously.  


Illustration by Katie Harnett

You can catch Marios Schwab in conversation with Daniel F. Herrmann on Wednesday 24th November. Click here for more details.

Categories ,Anne-Marie Curtis, ,art, ,canada, ,Elle, ,England, ,Erdem Moralioglu, ,fashion, ,John Singer Sargent, ,Kirsty Ogg, ,Peter Doig, ,Ryan McGinley, ,Take That, ,Tina Barney, ,Turkey, ,Virgin Suicides, ,Whitechapel Gallery

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Swedish musician Lykke Li


Photography by Lee Goldup

Sweden is a small country but it has produced some big exports. Whether it’s infectious pop, this web affordable furniture or fashionable, well-priced clothes (take a stab at guessing the brands!), the Swedes know what it takes to satisfy their consumers. Now if we extend these categories to ‘hip young musicians’, you’ll find that they have their bases covered here too.

We first featured Lykke Li back in February 2008 when she was just an emerging artist, relatively fresh to the gig circuit. Since then, she has well and truly blossomed amongst the underground and commercial elite of the music scene, building up a set of credentials to leave most of her peers looking on with green-eyed envy.

She released her debut album ‘Youth Novels‘ to critical acclaim in 2008 and has since performed with The Roots and hip hop legend Q-Tip, collaborated with Kayne West and MIA, and currently features on a track called ‘Miss It So Much’ on Roysopp’s latest album. As if that weren’t enough, she also penned the track ‘Possibility’ for the second installment of lovey-dovey vampire Twilight saga ‘New Moon’, gaining herself a healthy teen following in the process.

On the award front, Lykke’s musical talent and fashion sense have not gone unnoticed; she has received nominations for “Best Video” and “Best Female Artist” at the Swedish Grammy Awards and was voted “Best Dressed Woman” at the Swedish Elle Magazine Awards in 2009. Is there an end to this list of fabulousness?? (And she’s only 24!)


Photography by Lee Goldup

Dressed in an oversized black tassled jacket, a short black mini-skirt, bulky black boots and lashings of thick black eye make-up (and with few words), on meeting Lykke, I couldn’t help but feel that she exuded the demeanor of a slightly irked teenager.

I caught up with the Swedish starlet briefly, prior to her set at the Volvo Subject 60 launch party in London last week, for a rather intriguing interview in a drafty stairwell to talk about her international background, performing in front of big crowds and desert island necessities…

So how are you feeling about your set tonight?
Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. I’m going to do some new songs tonight which I haven’t done before. The sets are also going to be more acoustic so it will be different and quite interesting.

You’ve had a very international upbringing – have you found that this has influenced your music?

I don’t know because I’ve never known any different. I don’t know how I would write music if I only lived in one place. I feel that my music comes more from within – not so much from the outside.


Photography by Lee Goldup

Who are your biggest musical influences to date?
There are just so many. I don’t really listen to a lot of new music. I get really inspired by weird chanting, like Voodoo music. I recently found these field recordings from the 1920s which I’ve been listening to a lot.

What bands currently excite you?
I really enjoy Beach House – the singer has a great voice and their songs are very well written. I am also listening to The Big Pink and a lot too who have an interesting sound. Of course, there’s always Leonard Cohen.

How have you found the transition of playing in big venues compared to small venues?
It’s been fine although I still enjoy playing small venues the most because there’s more of an intimacy you share with your audience.

How do you find playing in front of a UK audience in comparison to a Swedish audience?
It’s kind of crazy because I almost never play in Sweden; it’s so rare. I guess every audience is different but I find that in big cities, people tend to be slightly more reserved – there’s more of an effort that people make to be cool.

What has been your most memorable gig to date?
Last summer there was a festival on an island just outside Holland so we had to take the smallest boat to get there, but it was during severe storms and the water was really rough. Everyone on the boat thought that we were going to die. And then there was the coming back part when we were super drunk in the middle of the night. It was crazy but we had a great time.

Who would you most like to work with?
Leonard Cohen as always.

What’s the best piece of advice you can offer someone starting out?
It’s hard to maintain yourself in this industry. I think the main thing I would say is to be honest and always stay true to yourself. It’s clichéd but it’s true.

What are you most looking forward to this summer?
I’m looking forward to going for a swim in the lakes in Sweden when it’s finished. It’s going to be a long summer for me as I’ll going to be in the studio for most of it. It’s exciting but I can’t sleep anymore because I’m thinking so much – my brain is working all the time.

What three items would you bring with you if you on a desert island?
A hot man, a Swiss army knife and some erotic novels by Anaïs Nin.

Categories ,Anais Nin, ,Beach House, ,CSI, ,Elle, ,Grey’s Anatomy, ,Kanye West, ,Kat Phan, ,leonard cohen, ,Lykke Li, ,MIA, ,Q-Tip, ,Royksopp, ,the big pink, ,twilight, ,Volvo S60, ,Voodoo

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Swedish musician Lykke Li


Photography by Lee Goldup

Sweden is a small country but it has produced some big exports. Whether it’s infectious pop, affordable furniture or fashionable, well-priced clothes (take a stab at guessing the brands!), the Swedes know what it takes to satisfy their consumers. Now if we extend these categories to ‘hip young musicians’, you’ll find that they have their bases covered here too.

We first featured Lykke Li back in February 2008 when she was just an emerging artist, relatively fresh to the gig circuit. Since then, she has well and truly blossomed amongst the underground and commercial elite of the music scene, building up a set of credentials to leave most of her peers looking on with green-eyed envy.

She released her debut album ‘Youth Novels‘ to critical acclaim in 2008 and has since performed with The Roots and hip hop legend Q-Tip, collaborated with Kayne West and MIA, and currently features on a track called ‘Miss It So Much’ on Roysopp’s latest album. As if that weren’t enough, she also penned the track ‘Possibility’ for the second installment of lovey-dovey vampire Twilight saga ‘New Moon’, gaining herself a healthy teen following in the process.

On the award front, Lykke’s musical talent and fashion sense have not gone unnoticed; she has received nominations for “Best Video” and “Best Female Artist” at the Swedish Grammy Awards and was voted “Best Dressed Woman” at the Swedish Elle Magazine Awards in 2009. Is there an end to this list of fabulousness?? (And she’s only 24!)


Photography by Lee Goldup

Dressed in an oversized black tassled jacket, a short black mini-skirt, bulky black boots and lashings of thick black eye make-up (and with few words), on meeting Lykke, I couldn’t help but feel that she exuded the demeanor of a slightly irked teenager.

I caught up with the Swedish starlet briefly, prior to her set at the Volvo Subject 60 launch party in London last week, for a rather intriguing interview in a drafty stairwell to talk about her international background, performing in front of big crowds and desert island necessities…

So how are you feeling about your set tonight?
Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. I’m going to do some new songs tonight which I haven’t done before. The sets are also going to be more acoustic so it will be different and quite interesting.

You’ve had a very international upbringing – have you found that this has influenced your music?

I don’t know because I’ve never known any different. I don’t know how I would write music if I only lived in one place. I feel that my music comes more from within – not so much from the outside.


Photography by Lee Goldup

Who are your biggest musical influences to date?
There are just so many. I don’t really listen to a lot of new music. I get really inspired by weird chanting, like Voodoo music. I recently found these field recordings from the 1920s which I’ve been listening to a lot.

What bands currently excite you?
I really enjoy Beach House – the singer has a great voice and their songs are very well written. I am also listening to The Big Pink and a lot too who have an interesting sound. Of course, there’s always Leonard Cohen.

How have you found the transition of playing in big venues compared to small venues?
It’s been fine although I still enjoy playing small venues the most because there’s more of an intimacy you share with your audience.

How do you find playing in front of a UK audience in comparison to a Swedish audience?
It’s kind of crazy because I almost never play in Sweden; it’s so rare. I guess every audience is different but I find that in big cities, people tend to be slightly more reserved – there’s more of an effort that people make to be cool.

What has been your most memorable gig to date?
Last summer there was a festival on an island just outside Holland so we had to take the smallest boat to get there, but it was during severe storms and the water was really rough. Everyone on the boat thought that we were going to die. And then there was the coming back part when we were super drunk in the middle of the night. It was crazy but we had a great time.

Who would you most like to work with?
Leonard Cohen as always.

What’s the best piece of advice you can offer someone starting out?
It’s hard to maintain yourself in this industry. I think the main thing I would say is to be honest and always stay true to yourself. It’s clichéd but it’s true.

What are you most looking forward to this summer?
I’m looking forward to going for a swim in the lakes in Sweden when it’s finished. It’s going to be a long summer for me as I’ll going to be in the studio for most of it. It’s exciting but I can’t sleep anymore because I’m thinking so much – my brain is working all the time.

What three items would you bring with you if you on a desert island?
A hot man, a Swiss army knife and some erotic novels by Anaïs Nin.

Categories ,Anais Nin, ,Beach House, ,CSI, ,Elle, ,Grey’s Anatomy, ,Kanye West, ,Kat Phan, ,leonard cohen, ,Lykke Li, ,MIA, ,Q-Tip, ,Royksopp, ,the big pink, ,twilight, ,Volvo S60, ,Voodoo

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