Amelia’s Magazine | Fashion Scout Graduate Showcase 2013: New Talent at London Fashion Week S/S 2014

Xiao Lin SS 2014 1 by xplusyequals
Xiao Li S/S 2014 by xplusyequals.

A rainy Sunday London Fashion Week afternoon was spent uncovering a treasure trove of new talent at the Fashion Scout Graduate Presentation at Freemason’s Hall. Here is an insight into what the finest fashion graduates in the UK are producing during the early stages of their career.

LFW Sept 2013-Angus Chiang
Neon floral spacesuit by Angus Chiang.

LFW Sept 2013-Maiko Takeda blue
LFW Sept 2013-Maiko Takeda
Maiko Takeda by Saara Karppinen
Maiko Takeda by Saara Karppinen.

The selection varied immensely, from a bold giant floral spacemen by Angus Chiang from the Shih-Chien University in Taiwan, to the architectural spiked perspex head pieces by Royal College of Art graduate Maiko Takeda.

LFW Sept 2013-Xiao Li
LFW Sept 2013-Xiao Li close up
Xiao Li MA Show Fashion Illustration by Rose Petal Deer (Emily Katherine Reader)
Xiao Li by Rose Petal Deer (Emily Katherine Reader).

But it was the knitwear that really stood out to me, with two graduates in particular pushing this traditional craft into modern new realms. Plump pastel knitwear by Royal College of Art graduate Xiao Li had a wonderfully voluminous shape, combining innovative materials and head turning proportions to make a real impact. Who says wrapping up has to be just about comfort?

Xiao Lin
Xiao Li, photography by Kerry Flint.

Jaimee McKenna
Jaimee McKenna, photography by Kerry Flint.

LFW Sept 2013-Jaimee Mckenna
Jaimee Mckenna by Esther Hong
Jaimee Mckenna by Esther Hong.

Central Saint Martins graduate Jaimee Mckenna had also produced a striking collection of cobalt blue knit dresses that stood out in the dimly lit hall. Closer inspection revealed intricate pleating and multiple layers of knitted lambswool that had been expertly crafted by Jaimee Mckenna to form strong rigid structures that still had movement.

LFW Sept 2013-Lauren Smith Edinburgh
LFW Sept 2013-Lauren Smith Edinburgh close up
Close up detail of dress by Lauren Smith from Edinburgh College of Art.

LFW Sept 2013-Carrie Ann Stein CSM
LFW Sept 2013-Carrie Ann Stein CSM
Intricate textured fabrics by Carrie Ann Stein from Central Saint Martins.

LFW Sept 2013-Min Wu LCF
Dress by Min Wu from the London College of Fashion.

LFW Sept 2013-Sadie Williams
Amazing red metallic A-line maxi dress by Sadie Williams of Central Saint Martins.

This well curated showcase of work by the best UK fashion graduates was an arousing insight into the rapidly changing future of the fashion industry, and for now, it seems, the future is in knit.

All photography by Amelia Gregory unless otherwise stated.

Categories ,Angus Chiang, ,Carrie Ann Stein, ,Central Saint Martins, ,Emily Katherine Reader, ,Esther Hong, ,Fashion Scout, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,graduates, ,graduates 2013, ,Jaimee McKenna, ,knitwear, ,Lauren Smith, ,London College of Fashion, ,London Fashion Week, ,Maiko Takeda, ,Min Wu, ,New Talent, ,Rose Petal Deer, ,Royal College of Art, ,Saara Karppinen, ,Sadie Williams, ,Shih-Chien University, ,Xiao Li, ,xplusyequals

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Berlin dance band Claire, and review of new EP Broken Promise Land

Claire By Lynne Datson
Claire by Lynne Datson.

The new EP from Berlin based band Claire features a series of anthemic dance tunes that will get stuck in your head in the best possible way. Sultry female lead vocals are supplied by Josie Claire Burkle, with the boys in the band providing pretty harmonies that makes this music to get lost in…. It has taken a while to catch up with this busy band that prides itself on a DIY ethos, but let’s find out more…

Claire by Rose Petal Deer (Emily Reader)
Claire by Rose Petal Deer (Emily Katherine Reader).

What inspired the songs on your EP?
We inspire ourselves a lot, all coming out of slightly different genres we started playing all sorts of music to each other. Stuff of which you knew the other one doesn’t know but might be into it. So we started this private Facebook group, were without the other giving a comment on it you can post music. A few songs out of these we try and put on our tumblr.
 
Claire Illustration by Hollie McManus
Claire Illustration by Hollie McManus.

How did you spend your ‘adolescence in the underground’ and how did you all meet up and start playing music?
We all had a really different time growing up but for some reason we all fell in love with music. In the end it is just a big coincidence that we started doing music together. After working on our first song together, which was actually just thought as a song for a short-film of a friend, we started by doing a bit more together, because the feedback was really great on it and we had fun doing music together.

CLAIRE
Games
 
Why is it so important to you that you maintain credibility in a sea of plastic pop, and how do you act to ensure this?
In our case, we do everything ourselves and that is what makes it credible for us. We started of with not just us five being Claire but also a whole bunch of friends and family members who helped us from day one to create everything that goes with the music. Christoph Schaller, a old friend of Flo’s (he is also the one we did our very first song for) does most of our videos and band pictures, Messel’s brothers are doing the artwork and our website and many many more to be mentioned and we are really thankful for all the help. Even if we are now signed to a major label we are still able to keep it the same as when we started.

Claire- Broken Promise Land ep cover
I love the artwork for your for your album sleeve, who designed it and what was their brief?
Again, Thanks to Alex (Messel’s brother)… Actually as he has been doing our artwork from day one on. He also formed the image we wanted to convey. We often give him a free hand in what he wants to do, and up until now we think it worked very well.

CLAIRE by Gemma Cotterell
CLAIRE by Gemma Cotterell.

What next for Claire?
We are preparing for our fist headliner tour in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in November and after that we are taking a few weeks holliday over Christmas and New Year. Then we are really hoping to play as much live as we can and hopefully do a bit more travelling in the next year.

Broken Promise Land by Claire is out now.

Categories ,berlin, ,Christoph Schaller, ,Claire, ,Emily Katherine Reader, ,Fidolin Achten, ,Florian Kiermaier, ,Games, ,Gemma Cotterell, ,Hollie McManus, ,interview, ,Josie Claire Burkle, ,Lynne Datson, ,Matthias Hauck, ,Nepomuk Heller, ,Passion Pit, ,Rose Petal Deer

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Amelia’s Magazine | Lily and Madeleine introduce their new single and video: Devil We Know

Lily & Madeleine by Rose Petal Deer (Emily Katherine Reader)
Lily & Madeleine by Rose Petal Deer (Emily Katherine Reader).

Lily & Madeleine are sisters hailing from Indianapolis. Both are still in school, but possessed of effortless harmonies and lyrical prowess beyond their years. I asked the girls to talk about the making of their video for new single Devil We Know (which can be viewed at the bottom of this post).

Lily and Madeleine by Katie Craven
Lily and Madeleine by Katie Craven.

Lily & Madeleine‘s self titled debut album comes out with Asthmatic Kitty Records on 28th Oct 2013.

Lily and Madeleine by Sandra Contreras
Lily and Madeleine by Sandra Contreras.

This album is our first full length and it’s our biggest project so far. We recorded it in about two weeks last summer in a really neat church-turned-studio in Bloomington, IN. The single from our first full length album is Devil We Know. This song is about beginning a new chapter in our lives. We’ve received a lot of really exciting opportunities recently and this song is about leaving behind all the doubt and just diving in to this new adventure. Arranging and producing this song was so fun! We wanted to create the sound of a rainstorm to mimic the imagery in the lyrics. The video is special because it shows us working in the studio with some amazingly talented musicians: Kenny Childers, Wade Parish, Matt Tobey, Heidi Gluck, and Shannon Hayden. We’re very proud of the album because it shows how we have grown since we first began this adventure, and we hope others have as much fun listening to it as we did making it!

YouTube Preview Image

Categories ,Asthmatic Kitty Records, ,Bloomington, ,Devil We Know, ,Emily Katherine Reader, ,Heidi Gluck, ,Indianapolis, ,Katie Craven, ,Kenny Childers, ,Lily and Madeleine, ,Matt Tobey, ,Rose Petal Deer, ,Sandra Contreras, ,Shannon Hayden, ,Wade Parish

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Amelia’s Magazine | Hannah Georgas: an interview with Hannah Georgas about her self-titled album

Hannah-Georgas-by-Morgane-Parma
Hannah Georgas by Morgane Parma.

We in England may not be too familiar with flame haired singer songwriter Hannah Georgas, but back home in Canada she has understandably been making major waves since she launched onto the scene with her debut album This is Good in 2010. In her new album she deftly combines a delicate acoustic feel with catchy melodies and a lush wall of electronic beats. From stunning opener Elephant, through the beautiful but revengeful Somebody to the thoughtful Robotic this whole record continues in an elegantly wonderful vein that perfectly suits Hannah’s crystal vocals. Here’s hoping she will return to visit us again soon.

Hannah Georgas_Tristan Casey
How did you learn to sing and make music?
My mom put me into piano lessons when I was very young. As soon as I started to figure out my way around my instrument I started writing songs. My dad was a really incredible blues piano player and was always playing and practicing his music in front of my family. I think his passion for music rubbed off on me.

Hannah Georgas by Rose Petal Deer (Emily Katherine Reader)
Hannah Georgas by Rose Petal Deer (Emily Katherine Reader).

For English readers who might not know you as well, what has been your career to date?
I’m a Canadian pop singer/ songwriter born and raised in Newmarket, Ontario. My music career was jump started where I’m now based in Vancouver, BC. I released my first ep in January of 2009 and since then I have followed up with 2 full length records. I’ve toured extensively over the years and especially this past while in support of my latest self-titled record. I made my latest record in Toronto, Ontario with an incredible producer named Graham Walsh (frontman of an electronic band called Holy Fuck). I’ve been really fortunate to collaborate and tour with artists I adore and admire.

Hannah Georgas by Antonia Parker
Hannah Georgas by Antonia Parker.

How has being a Vancouverite impacted your approach to music, and what is the scene like in your hometown?
Vancouver has inspired me in many ways. I was embraced by the music scene as soon as I started putting myself out there (open mics, recording, playing shows, etc..) CBC radio has been an incredible support for me and I’ve met many talented musicians that have become close peers. I’ve written the majority of my work in Vancouver. It seems to have an inspiring affect on me.

Hannah Georgas by Claire Kearns
Hannah Georgas by Claire Kearns.

YouTube Preview Image
What was the treatment for the Somebody video and where was it shot?
I reached out to a production company based out of Vancouver called Amazing Factory and asked them if they would be interested in directing a music video for me. They do awesome work and I wanted them to try something for me. They sent me a treatment for Somebody that was an interesting and beautiful approach to the song. Their ideas consisted of having me perform in a variety of different reflections and film the reflected version of me. The piece was intended to be visually stunning, cinematic and simple in its presentation.

HANNAHGEORGAS_album cover
What inspired the lyrics on your self-titled new album?
I spent a solid few concentrated months writing this record. I made an effort to sit down as often as I could and just work on music. I would make time to practice almost everyday and hope that I could get the creative juices flowing. The lyrical content that came out was based a lot on what I was going through at that time. It’s often that I write music that comes from a personal place and if it’s not exactly about me, I’m affected by something and I make it personal. The record is reflective, introspective and dark at times but it’s also very hopeful. A little playful as well.

Hannah Georgas Elephant by Slowly The Eggs
Hannah Georgas: Elephant by Slowly The Eggs.

What was the highlight of working with Graham Walsh, a well known Canadian producer?
There are many highlights that I have working with Graham. He’s a lovely individual and I now consider him a great friend. He’s incredibly innovative and authentic and I learned a whole lot while working with him. He’s just a good guy. We just had a lot of fun hanging out together.

Hannah Georgas_Mark Cohene
Will you be visiting us anytime soon, and where can we catch up with you live?
I’m hoping to be back I’m the new year. I post news all the time on my website at www.hannahgeorgas.com and all of the other social media outlets we use these days. Hopefully we can catch up live again next time I’m back!

Hannah Georgas by Clementine Neild
Hannah Georgas by Clementine Neild.

Hannah Georgas by Hannah Georgas is out in the UK on 25th November 2013.

Categories ,Amazing Factory, ,Antonia Parker, ,BC, ,Canadian, ,CBC radio, ,Claire Kearns, ,Clementine Neild, ,Elephant, ,Emily Katherine Reader, ,Graham Walsh, ,Hannah Georgas, ,Holy Fuck, ,Morgane Parma, ,Newmarket, ,Ontario, ,Robotic, ,Rose Petal Deer, ,Slowly the Eggs, ,Somebody, ,This is Good, ,Toronto, ,Vancouver, ,www.hannahgeorgas.com

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Amelia’s Magazine | Annie Dressner introduces her new single Don’t Feel The Same

Annie Dressner by Rose Petal Deer (Emily Katherine Reader)
Annie Dressner by Rose Petal Deer (Emily Katherine Reader).

We introduced you to singer songwriter Annie Dressner earlier this year, and now she’s back with a new single Don’t Feel The Same, accompanied by a lo-fi video that suits her conversational style down to the ground. Here Annie explains her inspiration and process.

“I never like to give away too much about what specifically inspires my songs, but to put it in two words, the song is about: unrequited love. Rather than writing from the perspective of a forlorn lover, I thought it would be interesting to write about someone who wished they could love someone back, but couldn’t. That’s where the title Don’t Feel The Same comes from. My conclusion is that love is weird.

Normally when I write a song the music and lyrics come at the same time. This time it was a bit different. I sat down with a pen in hand and put lyrics to the melody.

Lost in a Car: Annie Dressner by Briony Jose
Lost in a Car: Annie Dressner by Briony Jose.

I thought it would be really fun to make a quirky video for this song, but unfortunately I had no budget. I found myself at home alone on a Friday night and decided “tonight’s the night.” I took out my iPhone and danced around my house for about two hours and edited it. Five hours later, after losing all of the the footage and reshooting it, my video was born.”

Well, we think it looks brilliant. Ain’t modern technology great? You can preorder Don’t Feel The Same by Annie Dressner right here.

Categories ,Annie Dressner, ,Briony Jose, ,Don’t Feel The Same, ,Emily Katherine Reader, ,Rose Petal Deer, ,video

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