Freemasons’ Hall – Page 4

Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Showroom Review: EcoLuxe London

'Ecolooks' EcoLuxe London Exhibition LFW SS12 by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs

‘Ecolooks’ by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs

I was hugely excited that during this London Fashion Week I had the opportunity not only to go and see but also exhibit at the EcoLuxe London exhibition that took place in a beautiful space on the ground floor of the Kingsway Hall Hotel almost next to the Vauxhall Fashion Scout’s Freemasons’ Hall. Ecoluxe London takes place twice a year during London Fashion Week and is a non-profit platform that promotes fashion related ecoluxury brands and aims to raise awareness of ecological issues with the public. Its organisers, information pills Stamo and Elena Garcia, who are sustainable womenswear designers themselves, featured over 40 brands this year and EcoLuxe London is growing every year – here’s only a few examples that took my fancy!

EcoLuxe London LFW SS12 Lucy Harvey Ethical Stylist

EcoLuxe London LFW SS12 Ethical Stylist Lucy Harvey and Hetty Rose

Ethical stylist Lucy Harvey styling shoe designer Hetty Rose with a Plastic Seconds headpiece and necklace.

Upon entering the exhibition visitors were greeted by superbly talented stylist Lucy Harvey and her assistant Charlie Divall, who offered to upstyle them with various pieces from the exhibitors’ tables and then photograph them and tweet about it. I thought in this way Lucy offered a really fun, interactive introduction to the exhibition and a great way of promoting both the designers’ and the visitors’ work.

EcoLuxe London LFW SS12 Lupe Castro wearing Supported by Rain and Plastic Seconds

Stylist Lupe Castro styled by Lucy Harvey with a Supported by Rain coat and a Plastic Seconds headpiece, photo by Charlie Divall

Walking further into the exhibition the first thing to catch my eye was a series of gloriously colourful raincoats by Maria Ampatielou’s new brand Supported by Rain – seen above. Made of recycled umbrellas and end-of-roll waterproof fabrics, these raincoats are not only beautiful but also cleverly fold into their own pockets or hoods, whose insides have remained dry, so that you can put them back into your bag without any soaked diary dramas!

STAMO EcoLuxe London LFW SS12 by Celine Elliott

By Stamo S/S 2012 by Celine Elliott

EcoLuxe London LFW SS12 STAMO belt

By Stamo, which featured in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, is another brand I enjoyed especially because of the theatricality in the designs and the extensive use of found and recycled materials whose original form is often retained – as seen in this bullet belt.

INALA LONDON EcoLuxe London LFW SS12 by Caire Kearns

INALA London S/S 2012 by Claire Kearns

My neighbour exhibitor Alani Gibbon of INALA London showed some designs which were a natural hit with me becuase of their bright colours, but they further impressed me with their cleverness and versatility. For example a hooded short dress could be turned around and worn as an all-in-one playsuit! Not to mention the use of pulped eucalyptus fabric which felt amazing to touch.

OUTSIDER Ecoluxe London LFW SS12 by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs

Outsider Fashion S/S 2012 by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs

I was thrilled to see the brand Outsider winning the JP Selects womenwear award at the end of the show as they stongly promote the notion that ‘ethical’ fashion should just look like very good fashion with their range of classic but very stylish designs.

HEMYCA EcoLuxe London LFW SS12 by Celine Elliott

Hemyca S/S 2012 by Celine Elliott

Hemyca is a multi award winning brand and I was most attracted by this beautifully tailored matching dress and coat.

LFW SS2012 Agnes Valentine Ecoluxe London by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs

Agnes Valentine S/S 2012 by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs

Along with Hemyca above, whom I was not aware of, it was great to discover my dream swimsuit designer Agnes Valentine! The brand sources fine italian eco fabrics and their designs are minimal and classic but with bold colours and very feminine indeed.

EcoLuxe London LFW SS12 Hetty Rose shoes

EcoLuxe London LFW SS12 Hetty Rose shoes worn by Alice Wilby

It was an honour to meet another ACOFI designer Hetty Rose whose fun bespoke shoes are made using vintage Japanese kimono fabrics, Alice Wilby from Futurefrock modelled this pair and did not want to take them off!

EcoLuxe London LFW SS12 Golden Grass Company clutch

Next to Hetty Rose I found the friendly couple behind the Golden Grass Company who design jewellery and accessories for native artisans in Brazil to make out of a naturally golden, light and durable fibre, which is grown without chemicals or pesticides, under fair trade standards – LOVED this clutch!

EcoLuxe London LFW SS12 Monique Luttin headpiece

Sharing a table with me was Monique Luttin who makes intriguing headpieces using offcuts or vintage fabrics and found objects – I particularly liked this bird scull one which has a tribal, ritualistic element to it.

EcoLuxe London LFW SS12 Palstic Seconds printer packaging pendand

And finally a piece from the Plastic Seconds recycled jewellery collection I exhibited made out of the plastic, colourful bits one finds when unpacking a new printer…

As Hannah Bullivant pointed out in a previous post on EcoLuxe London, hopefully sustainable practices in fashion design will become mainstream and the brands that are still termed ‘ethical’ will no longer have to exhibit in separate showrooms and sections such as EcoLuxe or Estethica. Hopefully soon.

All photography by Maria Papadimitriou unless otherwise stated.

Written by Maria Papadimitriou on Wednesday September 28th, 2011 11:25 am

Categories ,Agnes Valentine, ,Alice Wilby, ,By Stamo, ,Celine Elliott, ,Charlie Divall, ,Claire Kearns, ,Classic, ,Coat, ,design, ,designer, ,Dress, ,ecodesign, ,Ecoluxe, ,Elena Garcia, ,estethica, ,Ethical brands, ,fashion, ,Feminine, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Futurefrock, ,Headpiece, ,Hemyca, ,Hetty Rose, ,Inala London, ,jewellery, ,Kingsway Hall Hotel, ,London Fashion Week, ,Lucy Harvey, ,Lupe Castro, ,Maria Papadimitriou, ,minimal, ,Monique Luttin Millinery, ,Outsider, ,Outsider Fashion, ,Plastic Seconds, ,Pulped Eucalyptus, ,Recycled Materials, ,shoes, ,Slow Fashion, ,Slowly the Eggs, ,Supported by Rain, ,Swimwear, ,tailoring, ,Vauxhall Fashion Scout, ,vintage, ,Womenswear

Amelia’s Magazine | Prose Studio: London Fashion Week A/W 2012 Catwalk Review

Prose A/W 2012 by Joe Waldron.

As regular readers will know we’ve been fans of Prose Studio for awhile, so it was very exciting to see them showing once more at London Fashion Week this season – a decision based on the opportunity to show alongside some of the most exciting upcoming designers in fashion, a place that suits Prose well. Designer Miriam Lehle is based in Germany but after an appearance with On/Off in 2009 she returned to the UK last season to show at the main stands in Somerset House. For A/W 2012 she took to the catwalk once more with Fashion Scout.

Prose Studio AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory

Prose A/W 2012 by Natalie Lines.

Each season Miriam Lehle explores a new and very different theme, but a core love of baggy, boxy shapes and unorthodox textures remains essential to each collection. This time around she focused on squared-off shapes in muted tones of midnight, ochre and chestnut, which were adorned with different types of contrasting layered fringing – a look which worked especially well on a round shouldered caplet that was worn with sumptuous harem-style burnt orange velvet trousers.

Prose Studio AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory

Prose A/W 2012 by Claire Jones.

The collection was teamed with sensible lace up shoes, slicked back wet-look hair, strong brows and red lips. A dash of mustard yellow brought a light lift and the exposed back on an asymmetric dress lent a sexy edge to an otherwise slightly androgynous collection.

Prose Studio AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory

Prose A/W 2012 by Sara Pateraki.

Tasselled fringing came in stiffened patent leather, which also appeared as a patchwork material for skirts and trousers. This was juxtaposed against yarn based fringing which created a softer, almost fluffy, silhouette in vertical and horizontal stripes.

Prose Studio AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory

Prose Studio A/W 2012 by Barb Royal.

A favourite garment was a marbled red silk dress which featured the boxy relaxed shape that Prose is known for – and interesting peaked ruffles on the shoulders that echoed the high gathered waist.

Prose Studio AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory

Prose Studio A/W 2012 by Barb Royal.

The A/W 2012 collection from Prose was confident and polished: without a doubt Miriam Lehle will have converted a whole new army of fans.

Prose Studio AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory

All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Prose A/W 2012 by Kristina Grundberg.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.vimeo.com/37133434" rel="noopener">http://www.vimeo.com/37133434</a>

Written by Amelia Gregory on Wednesday February 29th, 2012 10:32 am

Categories ,A/W 2012, ,Barb Royal, ,catwalk, ,Claire Jones, ,Fashion Scout, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Joe Waldron, ,Kristina Grundberg, ,lfw, ,Miriam Lehle, ,Natalie Lines, ,Prose Studio, ,review, ,Sara Pateraki

Amelia’s Magazine | Lug Von Siga: London Fashion Week A/W 2013 Catwalk Review

Luc Von Siga by Louise Smith
Lug Von Siga LFW A/W 2013 by Louise Smith

At first I stand, then I kneel, and by the time the show starts, I’m sitting on the floor. Hardly the most elegant of positions, but comfortable and as an added bonus; clean-view camera shots can be achieved through this little-known ‘crouching tiger’ catwalk-reporting technique.

Luc von Siga by Louise Smith
Lug Von Siga LFW A/W 2013 by Louise Smith

I’m hooked from the moment the orchestral song starts playing at Lug Von Siga‘s A/W 2013 LFW show in Freemasons’ Hall. The music reminds me of listening to the Peter and the Wolf audiotape as a kid. Unnervingly, what drew me in comes back to haunt me and within minutes it sounds more like the distinctive shower-dagger scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. I suppose they do say you’d have to be crazy to be a designer…

Lug Von Siga AW 2013

All photography by Amelia Gregory

The clothes have a story-time feel to them; modernized fairytale-wear updated for the current era with a lashing of chic and well-cut to add some sophistication. What would a 2013 Little Red Riding Hood wear under her cape? What would a modern day Cap ‘o’ Rushes put on for work? There’s definitely an Upper East Side fairytale Queen among these outfits. A chain-mail like use of silver on one piece feels very knight in shining armour too; female of course.

Lug Von Siga AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory

Turkish designer Lug Von Siga offers this stylish collection on the opening day of LFW A/W 2013. An outfit is even complete with shards of mirror, seemingly confirming my suspicions that the collection is nodding to Snow White, although I soon discover they are actually inspired by Ottoman Empire superstitions. This ancient influence expresses itself through a futuristic look and there’s a hint of 1940s in the block shapes. Elegance is maintained throughout with long gloves and trilby hats. The colours are surprising, with magenta and gold popping up unexpectedly. A shiny jacket with a tinge of astronaut reminds me of Midas and his golden touch as well as hinting at 80s influences. The cherry on top of all this is some rich plum pieces. Combined with the unnerving soundtrack, this magenta makes me think of a certain Cluedo professor and gives the collection an air of mystery. “It was Lug Von Siga’s collection in Freemasons’ Hall with the monochrome that did it for me,” I think to myself.

Lug Von Siga by Rosemary Kirton
Lug Von Siga A/W 2013 by Rosemary Kirton

Lasalle Academy graduate Lug Von Siga has come up with a solid collection; high detatchable collars and androgynous styling define the look. Wool is contrasted against loose fitted jackets and faux-fur is brought into the mix. The pieces are notably well-tailored and there’s a large number of sleeveless garments.

Lug Von Siga AW 2013
Lug Von Siga AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory

I notice a boy in the audience has an almost identical hat to one of the models. I brush the dust-bunnies from my skirt as I move to get a better view. I’m sitting next to the press photographers. All hunched up together, sitting, standing, crouching; an android with two dozen eyes. What would Charlie Brooker say if he saw them, eh?! I imagine he would roll his eyes deliberately. There’s nothing as annoying as the snapping of the pappa’ during a show. The cameras are so loud they actually create an additional soundtrack, like some sort of rogue percussion instrument. I’m desperate to turn my camera on them and start taking pictures, it feels as though there’s something to document just in the press section. I decide this would be an act of defiance of epic proportions and refrain from listening to the itch of my camera. I look at the audience around me and there are cameras everywhere. iPhones, Nikons, even iPads are held up towards the models.

I put my own SLR down guiltily.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.vimeo.com/59146591" rel="noopener">http://www.vimeo.com/59146591</a>

Written by Jessica Cook on Thursday February 21st, 2013 11:50 am

Categories ,A/W 2013, ,Fairytale, ,Fashion Scout, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Jessica Cook, ,lfw, ,London Fashion Week, ,Louise Smith, ,Lug Von Siga, ,monochrome, ,Orchestral, ,Rosemary Kirton

Amelia’s Magazine | Renli Su: Fashion Scout Ones to Watch, London Fashion Week S/S 2014 Catwalk Review

Renli Su S/S 2014 by Claire Kearns.

Coming up last but by no means least, Chinese designer Renli Su took a very different approach to fashion as one of Ones to Watch. With high aims to create ‘garments that retain physical traces of their past in order to form an intrinsic bond with the wearer‘ her new season collection examined the connection between the lives of working class women in the Victorian era, and the clothes they wore. This translated into a series of earthy toned garments that had more than a touch of the peasant in their boxy shapes, bunched hems, and trailing ribbon ties. The collection was made from a selection of entirely organic fibres, with purposefully loosened hems and distressed seams designed to age appealingly when worn with love over many years. Bonnet inspired headwear, detachable hoods and light weight leg warmers were hand crafted in crochet and knit. This was a sweet collection with some appealing ideas and a big heart at the centre of it all.

Ones to Watch Renli Su SS 2014-photography by Amelia Gregory

Renli Su with her fellow Ones to Watch. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.vimeo.com/74455681" rel="noopener">http://www.vimeo.com/74455681</a>

Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday September 17th, 2013 8:01 pm

Categories ,Chinese, ,Claire Kearns, ,Ecofashion, ,Fashion Scout, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Ones To Watch, ,organic, ,Renli Su

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

Lug Von Siga S/S 2014 by Karolina Burdon

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

Lug Von Siga S/S 2014 by Novemto Komo

Lug Von Siga S/S 2014 by Novemto Komo

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

Lug Von Siga S/S 2014 by Yelena Bryksenkova

Lug Von Siga S/S 2014 by Yelena Bryksenkova

Lug Von Siga Catwalk photo by Amelia Gregory SS 2014

Lug Von Siga SS 2014 photo by Maria Papadimitriou 7

Lug Von Siga SS 2014 photo by Maria Papadimitriou 6

Lug Von Siga S/S 2014 by Novemto Komo

Lug Von Siga S/S 2014 by Novemto Komo

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

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 photo by Amelia Gregory

Lug Von Siga S/S 2014 by Claire Kearns

Lug Von Siga S/S 2014 by Claire Kearns

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 photo by Amelia Gregory

Lug Von Siga SS 2014 photo by Maria Papadimitriou 5

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 photo by Amelia Gregory

Lug Von Siga SS 2014 photo by Maria Papadimitriou 9

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 by Amelia Gregory

Lug Von Siga SS 2014 photo by Maria Papadimitriou 10

Lug Von Siga SS 2014 photo by Maria Papadimitriou 11

Lug Von Siga SS 2014 photo by Maria Papadimitriou HAIR

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 photo by Amelia Gregory

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 photo by Maria Papadimitriou 4

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Lug Von Siga Catwalk SS 2014 photo by Amelia Gregory

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

Written by Maria Papadimitriou on Wednesday September 18th, 2013 7:43 pm

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

Amelia’s Magazine | Lulu Liu: London Fashion Week S/S 2014 Catwalk Review

Lulu Liu S/S 2014 by xplusyequals.

It’s well known that fashion shows rarely start on time, and as a result I like to cut it fine. The trouble is, sometimes that ploy misfires, and instead of racing in with only moments left for the show to begin, I, erm, get there after it has begun. And so it was with Lulu Liu, whose show was the last that I attended this London Fashion Week. There I was, lazily finishing up my lunch in itsu (the fashionista’s choice when attending shows at Fashion Scout in Freemasons’ Hall) and keeping an eye on the PR, who was still stood outside the main entrance. Well blow me down, we sauntered over to find it had only gone and started practically on the dot of 2.30pm, and I felt pretty damn silly the moment I spied the clothing, for this was a lovely collection and I was stuck behind several yards of heads and cameras held aloft. So, I bring you my spy hole view: I think you’ll agree that after several seasons off to have a baby (yay, he even took a turn on the catwalk, but alas I did not catch it) this fashion designer has come back with a corker in her S/S 2014 collection Yarrow Wanda. Think fuchsia pink, chequerboard, ribbon weaves, mega frills and leaves in the hair. Yes, it was just beautiful, and I wish I’d had a better view.

Lulu Liu SS 2014-photography by Amelia Gregory

Lulu Liu S/S 2014. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

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Written by Amelia Gregory on Saturday September 21st, 2013 10:13 am

Categories ,Fashion Scout, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,London Fashion Week, ,Lulu Liu, ,pink, ,review, ,S/S 2014, ,xplusyequals, ,Yarrow Wanda

Amelia’s Magazine | Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days at Fashion Scout: London Fashion Week A/W 2013 Catwalk Review

anna october - lfw - aw13 - jenny robins - amelias magazine

For this catwalk show I found myself sat one person apart from the infamous London Fashion Week performance artist Pandemonia. I’m not very good at spotting fashion celebrities (I can to my shame point out someone from Made in Chelsea, even if I cannot name them) but she does rather stand out from the crowd (literally, complete with blow up wig she’s immensely tall). I was playing it cool so I didn’t ask for a picture; as if it’s completely normal to sit next to a giant inflatable Barbie doll. An illusion I have now shattered by going on about it here. The four designers, along with another three contributing to a showcase Campari reception the next day, were over from the Ukraine, part of a growing trend for international designers to show their wares at London Fashion Week.

Kiev fashion days Anna Kolomoets AW 2013-0000

The first designer up was Anna Kolomoets (above), with a kitsch collection featuring plenty of shiny, glossy and fluffy textures. I quite enjoyed the playfulness of it, especially the love heart fake fur mini skirt and the curved flaps on a dress that resembled giant petals. The music cut out suddenly during the catwalk and no attempt was made to carry on, so everyone sat in stunned silence before we skipped straight on to the next designer.

Kiev fashion days Yasya Minochkina AW 2013-0003

Yasya Minochkina started out on a much more utilitarian vibe, with sculpted checks in muted colours and peasant-ish flared ra-ra skirts. There was only a hint of colour in shiny shoes until the arrival of a bizarre electric blue and maroon velvet dress. With zip pockets. Really. I liked the final black dress, with a show stopping ankle flare that made great shapes as it flowed down the catwalk. Thankfully not actually show stopping this time.

paskal - lfw - aw13 - jenny robins - amelias magazine
Kiev fashion days Paskal AW 2013-0007

Ooh look, there’s me on the right – and Pandemonia on the left.

With Iulila Paskal we were back on slightly more familiar territory, with the use of laser cut metallic leather of the kind that has been popular in recent seasons. I liked the combination of sharp tailoring and cut out designs in geometric and organic shapes. The models wore padded headbands in matching shimmery colours, giving them a bit of a Statue of Liberty look. This was matched with the slightly wispy bed-head hair that was the rule for the whole show.

Kiev fashion days Anna October AW 2013-0024

Anna October was the real star of the show though, featured in the Fashion Scout exhibition and highlighted in various publications over the weekend. You can see why too: the full skirted dresses constructed from tinsel-y slimline chevron patterns were especially memorable, and the use of silver a genuine marriage of classic and futuristic references that worked. The combination of ‘tradition’ and ‘modern tailoring’ is an overstated fashion cliché, but I think some of these pieces walked that line elegantly. I wasn’t entirely sure about the oversized jumper of layered glitter, but I guess you can’t please everyone all of the time.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.vimeo.com/59190048" rel="noopener">http://www.vimeo.com/59190048</a>

Written by Jenny Robins on Friday March 15th, 2013 4:26 pm

Categories ,Anna Kolomoets, ,anna october, ,Barbie, ,Campari, ,David Bowie, ,fashion, ,Fashion Scout, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Iulila Paskal, ,Kiev, ,mercedes-benz, ,paskal, ,Statue of Liberty, ,Ukraine, ,yasya minochkina

Amelia’s Magazine | Nova Chiu: London Fashion Week A/W 2013 Catwalk Review

Nova Chiu AW2013 by Gaarte
Nova Chiu A/W 2013 by Gaarte

The ethereal eruption of colour and texture at Nova Chiu was a perfect way to end a tiring first day at London Fashion Week.

Nova Chiu AW 2013 by Amelia Gregory
Nova Chiu AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory

All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Following last season’s showcase of a light and predominantly print-based collection, the house of Nova Chiu brought the label back to it’s roots of heavy embroidery and embellishments for A/W 2013.

Nova Chiu AW 2013 by Amelia Gregory
Nova Chiu AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory

Nova Chiu by Laura Hickman
Nova Chiu A/W 2013 by Laura Hickman

An immensely exciting colour palette was on display – a mix of piercing neons and rich earthy tones, much like ‘The Electronic Super Highway’ by Korean-American artist Nam June Paik, an evident inspiration to the collection. Eclectic blends of material were also used – coloured leather, suede and horsehair blocks with embroideries and beaded trims, giving a three dimensional depth to the clothes.

Nova Chiu AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory

Nova Chiu AW by Amelia Gregory

Nova Chiu by Shy Illustrations
Nova Chiu A/W 2013 by Shy Illustrations

The garments coming down the runway were beautiful and meticulously crafted, but I found myself distracted by how bright the set lights were; unfortunately this made all the models skin look patchy with caked on foundation. Lighting aside, design duo Nova Chiu and Jeff Archer impressed with a dynamic collection that featured designs true to the label’s initial aesthetics and that are wearable enough to sell.

Written by Alex Kessler on Saturday February 23rd, 2013 12:08 am

Categories ,A/W 2013, ,catwalk, ,collection, ,colour, ,fashion, ,Fashion Scout, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Gaarte, ,garments, ,illustration, ,Jeff Archer, ,Laura Hickman, ,london, ,London Fashion Week, ,Nam June Paik, ,Neon, ,Nova Chiu, ,runway, ,Shy Illustrations, ,Texture, ,The Electronic Super Highway

Amelia’s Magazine | Nova Chiu: London Fashion Week S/S 2013 Catwalk Review

Nova Chiu S/S 2013 by Sharon Farrow.

It’s always difficult to follow up a much feted graduation collection: so I had to admire the spunk of Nova Chiu… who seemed to grab the task with relish for S/S 2013. The show opened with images of the open road, waterfalls and trees, setting the scene for what was to come. Rather than reproducing the extravagant layering of last season, the duo concentrated on the creation of some truly stunning placement prints, inspired by their travels around the world.

Nova Chiu SS 2013 Sept 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory

Nova Chiu S/S 2013 by Kristina Vasiljeva.

Loosely draped silk dresses and separates came in a range of cuts; strapless, bat sleeved, cropped, mullet hemmed and tasselled. But the tailoring took second place to the stunning colour combinations chosen to depict fantasy landscapes. Clouds scudding across open skies, water cascading over piled rocks, rustling autumnal trees, fiery sunsets – all seemed to acquire an otherworldly neon Nova Chiu tint.

Nova Chiu SS 2013 Sept 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory

Nova Chiu S/S 2013 by Shy Illustrations
Nova Chiu S/S 2013 by Sheilagh Tighe aka Shy Illustrations.

The outfits were worn with colour matched platform high heels, some covered with oodles of tiny ruffles. Nova Chiu‘s trademark embellishments appeared on miniature barrel bags and in the form of bold jewels by Marina Prokopiva at neck, wrists and ears. The models came in a range of sizes that included sexily curvy, an admirable choice that highlighted the wearability of the garments.

Nova Chiu SS 2013 Sept 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory

Nova Chiu S/S 2013 by Isher Dhiman.

The diminutive Nova made a brief appearance on the catwalk at the end with her partner Jeff Archer. I hope that they are pleased that with the Bon Voyage collection they have retained their signature colourful drama whilst exploring new production techniques so successfully.

Nova Chiu SS 2013 Sept 2012-photography by Amelia Gregory

Nova Chiu S/S 2013. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.vimeo.com/49679090" rel="noopener">http://www.vimeo.com/49679090</a>

Written by Amelia Gregory on Friday October 5th, 2012 7:25 pm

Categories ,Bon Voyage, ,Fashion Scout, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Isher Dhiman, ,Jeff Archer, ,Kristina Vasiljeva, ,lfw, ,Marina Prokopiva, ,Nova Chiu, ,S/S 2013, ,Sharon Farrow, ,Sheilagh Tighe, ,Shy Illustrations

Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2011 Catwalk Review: Romina Karamanea

Illustration by Rob Wallace

JW Anderson’s Autumn Winter 2010 collection was a celebration of the understated. Opening the rather quiet menswear day at the BFC on September 23rd, buy information pills the designer’s Spring/Summer 2011 collection unleashed models dressed as Liberty sponsored waif and strays.

All Photography by Matt Bramford

The collection was luxe hippie, medicine a perennially popular look that rarely translate into the everyday, unless you happen to be a rock star from years’ past. Nevertheless, it is wonderfully pretty, especially when the boys came highly reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix’s flowery rock attire crossed with the early portraiture of Walker Evans.

Following his video presentation earlier during the week. JW Anderson choose to unleash his recent expansion into faery-esque womenswear onto the menswear catwalk, drawing a few raised eyebrows from a front row settling in for a day of uninterrupted menswear.

Inspired by the photography of William Gedney the collection captured a sense of youthful naive freedom last seen in the work of Sally Mann at The Photographers Gallery.

Illustration by Rob Wallace

A nod to American Youth subcultures, (everything is a nod these day, a rehash, a reminiscence) the clothes arrived as bleached out dreamy tie dyes combined with floral print trousers for the boys and long sheer skirts fitted underneath fisherman knits for the girls.

The collection, a homage to youthful runaways on the Great American Road trip was heavy in the literary romanticism in which JW Anderson excels.

For the finale, the models (beautifully styled by Robbie Spencer) sauntered to the youthful dissatisfaction of Jarvis Cocker’s Pulp, underneath the eery green light provided by lasers more commonly seen at Fabric.

Illustration by Rob Wallace

JW Anderson’s Autumn Winter 2010 collection was a celebration of the understated. Opening the rather quiet menswear day at the BFC on September 23rd, website like this the designer’s Spring/Summer 2011 collection unleashed models dressed as Liberty sponsored waif and strays.

All Photography by Matt Bramford

The collection was luxe hippie, look a perennially popular look that rarely translate into the everyday, cialis 40mg unless you happen to be a rock star from years’ past. Nevertheless, it is wonderfully pretty, especially when the boys came highly reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix’s flowery rock attire crossed with the early portraiture of Walker Evans.

Inspired by the photography of William Gedney the collection captured a sense of youthful naive freedom last seen in the work of Sally Mann at The Photographers Gallery.

Illustration by Rob Wallace

The collection, a homage to youthful runaways on the Great American Road trip was heavy in the literary romanticism in which JW Anderson excels.

Illustration by Rob Wallace

JW Anderson’s Autumn Winter 2010 collection was a celebration of the understated. Opening the rather quiet menswear day at the BFC on September 23rd, pharmacy the designer’s Spring/Summer 2011 collection unleashed models dressed as Liberty sponsored waif and strays.

All Photography by Matt Bramford

The collection was luxe hippie, a perennially popular look that rarely translate into the everyday, unless you happen to be a rock star from years’ past. Nevertheless, it is wonderfully pretty, especially when the boys came highly reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix’s flowery rock attire crossed with the early portraiture of Walker Evans.

Inspired by the photography of William Gedney the collection captured a sense of youthful naive freedom last seen in the work of Sally Mann at The Photographers Gallery.

Illustration by Rob Wallace

The collection, a homage to youthful runaways on the Great American Road trip was heavy in the literary romanticism in which JW Anderson excels.

Romina Karamanea skirt by Joana Faria
Romina Karamanea by Joana Faria.

For the past two seasons the good PRs for Romina Karamanea have ensured that there has been a ridiculously long queue of baying fashionistas gathered outside the venue before they will let anyone inside. And so it was that I found myself being battered around on the steps of the Freemasons’ Hall on Tuesday evening: it was late in the week and it wasn’t really what I wanted to deal with. My ex flatmate, for sale a stylist that I used to work for at The Face – we fell out – elbowed her way through with a bit of a hissy fit. I was seriously considering just calling it a day and going right home. But then security announced that it was “too late for stars” meaning that the complex sticker system on invites was about to be ditched, and the PRs next to me agreed that the most important people were at the front anyway – that would include me! love it when I feel less of a pleb – and it all looked good to go.

Romina Karamanea pants by Joana Faria

Romina Karamanea by Joana Faria.

Ushered into one of the gorgeous upper halls I was seated only three chairs down from my nemesis, who of course refused to acknowledge me. Which is just fine, our relationship never recovered after she moved out of my house and refused to pay her outstanding rent. But it did make me smile. Oh happy days. A funny little girl in latex stockings was placed between us and quickly presented me with her card and a badge. I had to spend the whole show trying to take photos around her as she leaned into the catwalk to take hers, but in the grand tradition of fashion week poseurs she sure was good at attracting attention.

Romina Karamanea SS2011 photo by Amelia Gregory

Romina-Karamanea-by-Lisa-Stannard
Romina Karamanea by Lisa Stannard.

For this season Greek born, Central Saint Martins trained Romina looked to abstract expressionism for inspiration, though as her press release cheekily says, basically “the designer had popped to see her artist friend Hermes for a glass of wine.” Three colour stories of white, bluey green and red explored passionate brush strokes and the patterns of natural phenomena and geology. Opposing structures morphed into one garment, voluminous swathes of chiffon colliding with cleanly structured tailoring. It was a big collection that included a smattering of menswear but my favourite pieces were undoubtedly the final ones, glorious rich red undergarments topped with sweeping patterned dresses. Utterly divine.

Romina Karamanea by Joana Faria.

I wasn’t aware that Romina Karamanea was an advocate of sustainable design until I found a leaflet featuring her work in the basement at Esthetica, where the Centre for Sustainable Fashion had a corner stand showcasing some of the designers they work with. This organisation was set up by the London College of Fashion, with the aim of “challenging and provoking the established fashion system to work towards the goals of promoting human well being and respecting nature’s limits, whilst creating beauty and style.” Fashion designers are invited to attend workshops and one to one mentoring sessions about how to implement sustainable design practices and apparently Romina is one of their ambassadors, which is very exciting news.

Romina Karamanea SS2011 photo by Amelia Gregory

Romina-Karamanea-by-Lisa-Stannard
Romina Karamanea by Lisa Stannard.

But a line in the first paragraph of her blurb immediately made my heart sink just a tiny bit. And not just because of the bad grammar. “Each piece is designed to be loved and kept forever getting better over-time, hopefully like the wearer.” Along with the notion of upcycling (now a far trendier way to say recycling in fashion circles) and making the most of factory waste – both of which I hasten to add are admirable choices when it comes to making fashion – creating clothes to be worn for a long time has become a bit of a get out quick clause for designers. It’s an easy statement to trot out because high fashion is invariably all about luxury and has a price tag to match. Not many people who invest in designer pieces are likely to throw away their purchases every season.

Romina Karamanea SS2011 photo by Amelia Gregory

All photography by Amelia Gregory.

But let’s just stop and think a bit more here. The reality is that these designers continue to show new collections, and we are inevitably urged to delve deep and create ourselves a new wardrobe each time a new season comes around. I only very rarely buy new clothes myself but I can’t claim to be completely removed from the process because I also get really excited about new creativity on the catwalks. It’s an innate human excitement that you can’t take away, but it’s how we deal with that feeling that counts. Of course I am against throwaway mass produced fashion, but sustainability cannot be achieved merely by saying that people should treasure clothes forever, not whilst producing a new collection twice a year with no deeper links to sustainable practice.

Romina Karamanea SS2011 photo by Amelia Gregory

Reading on, I applaud Romina Karamanea‘s efforts. She is careful to fully research her supply chain, reduce fabric waste, utilise low impact digital printing techniques and organic cottons. She’s an edgy designer with a big following who can really affect people’s perception of working in a sustainable way. But it’s interesting that none of this information was on the press release for the catwalk show, or on her website: after all, who wants to be pigeonholed? It says a lot about how we still perceive an ethical imperative in design.

Romina Karamanea SS2011 photo by Amelia Gregory