Amelia’s Magazine | LCF MA Fashion Show 2013, Menswear: London Fashion Week Catwalk Review

LCF MA Na Di AW2013 by Jane Young
Na Di by Jane Young.

It says something about the current climate that four of ten designers at the much lauded LCF MA showcase at the Royal Opera House were showing menswear. In honour of this I’ve decided to split my review appropriately in two. First up, the menswear:

LCF MA Na Di fashion AW 2013-0038
LCF MA Na Di fashion AW 2013-0038
LCF MA Na Di fashion AW 2013-0038
LCF MA Na Di fashion AW 2013-0038
Na Di toyed with our current obsession for all things 90s, applying garish clashing prints to boxy single breasted jackets and matching crop trousers. High peaked baseball caps complimented the theme in a collection bound to have the menswear stylists salivating.

LCF MA octo cheung fashion AW 2013-0102
LCF MA octo cheung fashion AW 2013-0102
For Octo Cheung knitwear was the predominant obsession, with relaxed multi hued jumpers worn over shirts and cravats. This was accessorised with interesting eyewear, fit for a suitably geeky occupation: mending small parts or inspecting tiny specimens.

LCF MA fashion antonia lloyd AW 2013-0148
LCF MA fashion antonia lloyd AW 2013-0148
LCF MA fashion antonia lloyd AW 2013-0148
Tourquoise, fushia and red coloured shorts suits were paired with prints, close fitting jumpers and matching rucksacks in a bright collection by Antonia Lloyd. We first spotted Antonia Lloyd in her graduate showcase back in 2010, read the review here.

LCF MA fashion xin sun AW 2013-0195
LCF MA fashion xin sun AW 2013-0195
LCF MA fashion xin sun AW 2013-0195
LCF MA fashion xin sun AW 2013-0195
Xin Sun took to the outback for her fedora topped collection that looked most at home on a long haired model, his locks swinging in time with his wide legged tie-fronted trousers. Boxy utilitarian coats were paired with cosy oatmeal jumpers and big boots by Underground Shoes.

Categories ,Antonia Lloyd, ,Jane Young, ,LCF, ,London College of Fashion, ,ma, ,menswear, ,Na Di, ,Octo Cheung, ,Royal Opera House, ,Underground Shoes, ,Xin Sun

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Amelia’s Magazine | Find Your Feet’s We Are What We Wear Ethical Fashion Show


Just off Brick Lane, page past the curry houses and down a side street, rx is where Hinshelwood de Borman have set up their newest pop-up shop. My only complaint after spending an hour leafing through the curiosities of ‘Field Work’ is that this isn’t a permanent shop – because it is absolutely lovely.

Cushions by Caitlin de Hinshelwood

The selection by Caitlin de Hinshelwood and Rose de Borman offers steep competition when it comes to picking a favourite, order but I think it’s the printed textiles from Caitlin de Hinshelwood that are the stars of the show. Stacks of cushions are adorned with animal prints – one with giraffes, lions and bears, the next with frogs and snakes, and so on. The patterns are repeated on post cards, purses and on dresses for sale at the back. Soft colours and gorgeous, subtle patterns make for unorthodox and brilliant little outfits – like the dress covered in prints of root vegetables.

Horn spoons

Kitty Farrow Press has created a special range of notebooks for Field Work, all marked with an antlers logo. Continuing the antler theme are spoons cut from antlers by Kirsten Hecktermann – if that sounds like too much the shop also has some carved wooden spoons on offer.

Crockery
Stairs

Other treats include some very cute medieval replica pewter brooches, papier-mâché masks, and lovely old-style screwdriver sets from Elementary Design. The taxidermy is the work of Jazmine Miles-Long, an ethical taxidermist who only uses animals who have died from natural causes. Shipping Forecast Knitwear has some fantastic wooly hats on display, made in the UK from Aran wool but bringing to mind windswept isles in Nordic waters.

Gallery
Neal Jones

Down the stairs is the gallery, and the show is entitled ‘Weird Folk’ with art by Betsy Dadd, Neal Jones and Max Wade. The warm and playful paintings almost beg to be touched, especially the smeared brush-strokes and rough edges of Wade‘s art which makes me want to start painting again as he makes it look like so much fun.

Betsy Dadd

Field Work runs between 15th and 20th March in Spitalfields, at 65 Hanbury Street, London E1 5JP. For more information see our listing. If you miss it there’s an online shop here.


Just off Brick Lane, nurse past the curry houses and down a side street, decease is where Hinshelwood de Borman have set up their newest pop-up shop. My only complaint after spending an hour leafing through the curiosities of ‘Field Work’ is that this isn’t a permanent shop – because it is absolutely lovely.

Cushions by Caitlin de Hinshelwood

The selection by Caitlin de Hinshelwood and Rose de Borman offers steep competition when it comes to picking a favourite, but I think it’s the printed textiles from Caitlin de Hinshelwood that are the stars of the show. Stacks of cushions are adorned with animal prints – one with giraffes, lions and bears, the next with frogs and snakes, and so on. The patterns are repeated on post cards, purses and on dresses for sale at the back. Soft colours and gorgeous, subtle patterns make for unorthodox and brilliant little outfits – like the dress covered in prints of root vegetables.

Kitty Farrow Press has created a special range of notebooks for Field Work, all marked with an antlers logo. Continuing the antler theme are spoons cut from antlers by Kirsten Hecktermann – if that sounds like too much the shop also has some carved wooden spoons on offer.

Other treats include some very cute medieval replica pewter brooches, papier-mâché masks, and lovely old-style screwdriver sets from Elementary Design. The taxidermy is the work of Jazmine Miles-Long, an ethical taxidermist who only uses animals who have died from natural causes. Shipping Forecast Knitwear has some fantastic wooly hats on display, made in the UK from Aran wool but bringing to mind windswept isles in Nordic waters.

Neal Jones

Down the stairs is the gallery, and the show is entitled ‘Weird Folk’ with art by Betsy Dadd, Neal Jones and Max Wade. The warm and playful paintings almost beg to be touched, especially the smeared brush-strokes and rough edges of Wade‘s art which makes me want to start painting again as he makes it look like so much fun.

Betsy Dadd

Field Work runs between 15th and 20th March in Spitalfields, at 65 Hanbury Street, London E1 5JP. For more information see our listing. If you miss it there’s an online shop here.

Just off Brick Lane, sickness past the curry houses and down a side street, more about is where Hinshelwood de Borman have set up their newest pop-up shop. My only complaint after spending an hour leafing through the curiosities of ‘Field Work’ is that this isn’t a permanent shop – because it is absolutely lovely.

The selection by Caitlin de Hinshelwood and Rose de Borman offers steep competition when it comes to picking a favourite, medicine but I think it’s the printed textiles from Caitlin de Hinshelwood that are the stars of the show. Stacks of cushions are adorned with animal prints – one with giraffes, lions and bears, the next with frogs and snakes, and so on. The patterns are repeated on post cards, purses and on dresses for sale at the back. Soft colours and gorgeous, subtle patterns make for unorthodox and brilliant little outfits – like the dress covered in prints of root vegetables.

Cushions by Caitlin de Hinshelwood

Kitty Farrow Press has created a special range of notebooks for Field Work, all marked with an antlers logo. Continuing the antler theme are spoons cut from antlers by Kirsten Hecktermann – if that sounds like too much the shop also has some carved wooden spoons on offer.

Other treats include some very cute medieval replica pewter brooches, papier-mâché masks, and lovely old-style screwdriver sets from Elementary Design. The taxidermy is the work of Jazmine Miles-Long, an ethical taxidermist who only uses animals who have died from natural causes. Shipping Forecast Knitwear has some fantastic wooly hats on display, made in the UK from Aran wool but bringing to mind windswept isles in Nordic waters.

Neal Jones

Down the stairs is the gallery, and the show is entitled ‘Weird Folk’ with art by Betsy Dadd, Neal Jones and Max Wade. The warm and playful paintings almost beg to be touched, especially the smeared brush-strokes and rough edges of some of the art which makes me want to start painting again as the artists make it look like so much fun.

Betsy Dadd

Field Work runs between 15th and 20th March in Spitalfields, at 65 Hanbury Street, London E1 5JP. For more information see our listing. If you miss it there’s an online shop here.

Illustration by June Chanpoomidole

To those of you that have been to any of the Start boutiques in Shoreditch you’ll know they represent a relaxed luxury that more than compliments the clothes. This is most true for the mens formalwear boutique. I love it and could quiet happily spend hours in there. So when I saw that the Mr Start presentation was being held in One Aldwych I was very excited. Having graced the lobby bar with my presence on at least  one occasion to sip their very tasty cocktails, stomach I couldn’t think of a more suitable venue. Sadly we were shuffled downstairs to a tiny and ill-lit room. Pleased we’d arrived early to avoid the mounting queues, troche myself and Matt surveyed the clothes.  


Illustration by Joana Faria

Thankfully the collection more than made up for the choice of venue, dosage as did the dynamicism of Mr Start himself, and the lovely Brix Smith Start. Seeing people passionate about what they do never fails to lift my spirits. Despite living my life in jeans, I have a love of all things formal. I long for the day that dress down Fridays are a thing of the past; I’m just too lazy to do it myself. Very hypocritical, you might say. Suits, jackets and ties are almost always appropriate attire, however, they often take more consideration and thought than I am capable of bleary eyed at 7am on workday morning.  


All photography by Matt Bramford

This collection would inspire me to rise just that little bit earlier and make just a bit more effort. Mixing heritage fabrics such as Harris Tweeds with a modern cut, the collection worked really well. The colours chosen also lifted this collection from being too stayed; crushed grape and turquoise green statement jackets provided a subtle lift to everything. But we weren’t just treated to suits, elegantly tailored shirts in a variety of collar shapes were also a sight to behold. A clean colour palette of white, black and grey, the shirts complimented the suiting without overpowering it; my favourite being a smaller but starkly cutaway collar. I’d say understated luxury for those in the know was a common theme of the whole collection but the deep velvet suit and dinner jackets were far from understated.  


Illustration by Maria Papadimitriou

Another great piece was the double breasted cropped peacoat. We’ve seen these on every boy band and All Saints clone in the past few seasons, but there was still something fresh about this piece. Mr Start’s accessories were equally strong with many of the fashion pack gushing over the suede brogues and loafers. They have a definite place on my wishlist, but I fear no amount of scotchguarding will protect them from my clumsy ways.  

In store this collection will shine even brighter than it did during the presentation, and leaving the store dressed head to toe in Mr Start will be a feat of inordinate self control. It’s just a shame the lighting and crowding let things down a little. Here’s looking forward to next seasons presentation, and a quick/expensive trip to Shoreditch in the meantime.  

See more from June Chanpoomidole and Joana Faria in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration!


Just off Brick Lane, pills past the curry houses and down a side street, is where Hinshelwood de Borman have set up their newest pop-up shop. My only complaint after spending an hour leafing through the curiosities of ‘Field Work’ is that this isn’t a permanent shop – because it is absolutely lovely.

The selection by Caitlin de Hinshelwood and Rose de Borman offers steep competition when it comes to picking a favourite, but I think it’s the printed textiles from Caitlin de Hinshelwood that are the stars of the show. Stacks of cushions are adorned with animal prints – one with giraffes, lions and bears, the next with frogs and snakes, and so on. The patterns are repeated on post cards, purses and on dresses for sale at the back. Soft colours and gorgeous, subtle patterns make for unorthodox and brilliant little outfits – like the dress covered in prints of root vegetables.

Cushions by Caitlin de Hinshelwood

Kitty Farrow Press has created a special range of notebooks for Field Work, all marked with an antlers logo. Continuing the antler theme are spoons cut from antlers by Kirsten Hecktermann – if that sounds like too much the shop also has some carved wooden spoons on offer.

Other treats include some very cute medieval replica pewter brooches, papier-mâché masks, and lovely old-style screwdriver sets from Elementary Design. The taxidermy is the work of Jazmine Miles-Long, an ethical taxidermist who only uses animals who have died from natural causes. Shipping Forecast Knitwear has some fantastic wooly hats on display, made in the UK from Aran wool but bringing to mind windswept isles in Nordic waters.

Neal Jones

Down the stairs is the gallery, and the show is entitled ‘Weird Folk’ with art by Betsy Dadd, Neal Jones and Max Wade. The warm and playful paintings almost beg to be touched, especially the smeared brush-strokes and rough edges of some of the art which makes me want to start painting again as the artists make it look like so much fun.

Betsy Dadd

Field Work runs between 15th and 20th March in Spitalfields, at 65 Hanbury Street, London E1 5JP. For more information see our listing. If you miss it there’s an online shop here.
By Stamo A/W 2011 by Rebecca Strickson
By Stamo A/W 2011 by Rebecca Strickson.

On Sunday 13th March Find Your Feet hosted an ethical fashion show at the Mint Leaf restaurant in the Haymarket. I was invited to donate a copy of Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration for We Are What We Wear by the show stylist, viagra order the lovely Zoe Robinson of Think Style – a women with many sustainable strings to her bow. She works as an actress, visit this site a writer (for Egg Mag) and an ethical image consultant.

Amelia's Compendium of Fashion Illustration Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet Honey's Dance Academy, <a target=pharmacy Photography by Amelia Gregory” title=”Find Your Feet Honey’s Dance Academy, Photography by Amelia Gregory” width=”480″ height=”320″ class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-38157″ />Find Your Feet Honey's Dance Academy, Photography by Amelia GregoryBollywood dancing by Jane Young
Bollywood dancing from Honey’s Dance Academy by Jane Young.

We were treated to some very energetic Bollywood dancing thanks to Honey’s Dance Academy, followed by two short catwalk shows which took place on walkways surrounding the sunken restaurant. Models included youngsters and a couple of more mature women from Close Models, which provided a really uplifting touch.

Junky Styling by YesGo IllustrationJunky Styling by YesGo Illustration
Junky Styling by YesGo Illustration.

Find Your Feet-Junky Styling. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Junky Styling. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Junky Styling. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Junky Styling. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Find Your Feet-People Tree. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-People Tree. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-People Tree. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-People Tree. Photography by Amelia Gregory
People Tree.

Find Your Feet-Bhavna. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Bhavna. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Bhavna. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Bhavna.

Find Your Feet Outsider. All photography by Amelia Gregory.
Outsider.

During the first show we saw a fabulous multi layered pink maxi dress from ACOFI featured designer Junky Styling, cute dresses from People Tree, embellished bamboo dresses from Bhavna, and gorgeous silk classics from Outsider, who I discovered at Ecoluxe this season.

Find Your Feet- Amisha, Zoe, Orsola and the kids. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Amisha, Zoe, Orsola and the kids.

As I had a bar ticket I was able to roam around, and between shows sat with Zoe, Amisha Ghadalli, Maria Papadimitriou of Slowly the Eggs/Plastic Seconds and Orsola de Castro of From Somewhere, who was entertaining her young daughter and her friend. We ate some yummy canapes and watched a magician bend forks, then a Find Your Feet ambassador described the work done by this charity, which includes helping to fund sustainable farming practices. Fittingly, she described how a group of women in rural India bandied together to make the most of the mint growing on local farms – they now have a successful essential oil business.

Find Your Feet-magician. Photography by Amelia Gregory
The magician entertains the kids.

Find Your Feet- Charley Speed and bottle top bag. Photography by Amelia Gregory.Find Your Feet- Charley Speed and bottle top bag. Photography by Amelia Gregory.
Charley Speed and bottle top bag.

Then it was on to the auction, where any mention of my book was usurped by the lure of an Outsider dress, as worn by a celebrity – the presenter Charley Speed dashing maniacally around the room to squeeze as much money as possible out of the generous crowd. The whole lot (including a bottle top bag) went for £300, and I can only hope that the recipient appreciated my donation because he probably had no clue what it was.

Ada Zanditon S/S 2011 by Gareth A Hopkins
Ada Zanditon S/S 2011 by Gareth A Hopkins.

Round two featured three Amelia’s Magazine favourites from ACOFI: off-cut drama courtesy of From Somewhere, amazing sculptural pieces from Ada Zanditon and colourful dresses with sunflower decorations from By Stamo. There was also some playful printed dresses from Love Phool.

From Somewhere by Gareth A Hopkins
From Somewhere by Gareth A Hopkins.

Find Your Feet-From Somewhere. Photography by Amelia Gregory
From Somewhere.

Find Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Ada Zanditon S/S 2011.

Find Your Feet-Lovephool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Love Phool.

Find Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia Gregory
By Stamo A/W 2011.

A range of ethical accessories were used to style the show, amongst them some old favourites: LeJu, Nina Dolcetti and Joanna Cave… and some new discoveries: Meher Kakalia, who adapts ancient shoemaking techniques from her home town of Karachi to create modern footwear in Brixton, and Kumvana Gomani, who creates delicate jewellery out of plastic waste.

By Stamo A/W 2011 by Maria del Carmen SmithBy Stamo A/W 2011 by Maria del Carmen Smith
By Stamo A/W 2011 by Maria del Carmen Smith.

Exposing ethical design to more people and raising money for sustainable projects are good things to do, but We Aren’t JUST What We Wear, we are also What We Do in every aspect of life. On my return home I was somewhat saddened to read about a couple of other auction sponsors: it was also possible to win a test track experience with Jaguar or a BMW for the weekend. I know that money has to come from somewhere but there is a distinct lack of joined up thinking in ethical practice: a Mint Leaf waiter could not tell me whether the chicken they served us was freerange or organic.

Find Your Feet-Bollywood

We Are What We Wear was a massive success: raising over £10,000 to support sustainable weaving projects in India, but I wish that there was more recognition within the charity sector that sustainable practice involves more than donating money for dinner to support those less fortunate on the other side of the world, it’s about a holistic way of being. Within this world view I do not include hyping the desirability of extremely expensive energy guzzling cars. Needless to say, mine was the only bike tied up outside the Mint Leaf restaurant.

Categories ,ACOFI, ,Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, ,Amisha Ghadalli, ,Bamboo, ,Bhavna, ,BMW, ,Bollywood, ,Charley Speed, ,Close Models, ,Ecoluxe, ,Egg Mag, ,Find Your Feet, ,footwear, ,freerange, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,Honey’s Dance Academy, ,Jaguar, ,Jane Young, ,jewellery, ,Joanna Cave, ,Kumvana Gomani, ,LeJu, ,Livia Firth, ,London Kills Me, ,Maria del Carmen Smith, ,Maria Papadimitriou, ,Meher Kakalia, ,Mint, ,Mint Leaf, ,Nina Dolcetti, ,organic, ,Orsola De Castro, ,Outsider, ,Outsider Fashion, ,People Tree, ,Rebecca Strickson, ,Silk, ,Slowly the Eggs, ,sustainability, ,We Are What We Wear, ,YesGo Illustration, ,YesGo!, ,Zoë Robinson

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Amelia’s Magazine | Find Your Feet’s We Are What We Wear Ethical Fashion Show


Just off Brick Lane, page past the curry houses and down a side street, rx is where Hinshelwood de Borman have set up their newest pop-up shop. My only complaint after spending an hour leafing through the curiosities of ‘Field Work’ is that this isn’t a permanent shop – because it is absolutely lovely.

Cushions by Caitlin de Hinshelwood

The selection by Caitlin de Hinshelwood and Rose de Borman offers steep competition when it comes to picking a favourite, order but I think it’s the printed textiles from Caitlin de Hinshelwood that are the stars of the show. Stacks of cushions are adorned with animal prints – one with giraffes, lions and bears, the next with frogs and snakes, and so on. The patterns are repeated on post cards, purses and on dresses for sale at the back. Soft colours and gorgeous, subtle patterns make for unorthodox and brilliant little outfits – like the dress covered in prints of root vegetables.

Horn spoons

Kitty Farrow Press has created a special range of notebooks for Field Work, all marked with an antlers logo. Continuing the antler theme are spoons cut from antlers by Kirsten Hecktermann – if that sounds like too much the shop also has some carved wooden spoons on offer.

Crockery
Stairs

Other treats include some very cute medieval replica pewter brooches, papier-mâché masks, and lovely old-style screwdriver sets from Elementary Design. The taxidermy is the work of Jazmine Miles-Long, an ethical taxidermist who only uses animals who have died from natural causes. Shipping Forecast Knitwear has some fantastic wooly hats on display, made in the UK from Aran wool but bringing to mind windswept isles in Nordic waters.

Gallery
Neal Jones

Down the stairs is the gallery, and the show is entitled ‘Weird Folk’ with art by Betsy Dadd, Neal Jones and Max Wade. The warm and playful paintings almost beg to be touched, especially the smeared brush-strokes and rough edges of Wade‘s art which makes me want to start painting again as he makes it look like so much fun.

Betsy Dadd

Field Work runs between 15th and 20th March in Spitalfields, at 65 Hanbury Street, London E1 5JP. For more information see our listing. If you miss it there’s an online shop here.


Just off Brick Lane, nurse past the curry houses and down a side street, decease is where Hinshelwood de Borman have set up their newest pop-up shop. My only complaint after spending an hour leafing through the curiosities of ‘Field Work’ is that this isn’t a permanent shop – because it is absolutely lovely.

Cushions by Caitlin de Hinshelwood

The selection by Caitlin de Hinshelwood and Rose de Borman offers steep competition when it comes to picking a favourite, but I think it’s the printed textiles from Caitlin de Hinshelwood that are the stars of the show. Stacks of cushions are adorned with animal prints – one with giraffes, lions and bears, the next with frogs and snakes, and so on. The patterns are repeated on post cards, purses and on dresses for sale at the back. Soft colours and gorgeous, subtle patterns make for unorthodox and brilliant little outfits – like the dress covered in prints of root vegetables.

Kitty Farrow Press has created a special range of notebooks for Field Work, all marked with an antlers logo. Continuing the antler theme are spoons cut from antlers by Kirsten Hecktermann – if that sounds like too much the shop also has some carved wooden spoons on offer.

Other treats include some very cute medieval replica pewter brooches, papier-mâché masks, and lovely old-style screwdriver sets from Elementary Design. The taxidermy is the work of Jazmine Miles-Long, an ethical taxidermist who only uses animals who have died from natural causes. Shipping Forecast Knitwear has some fantastic wooly hats on display, made in the UK from Aran wool but bringing to mind windswept isles in Nordic waters.

Neal Jones

Down the stairs is the gallery, and the show is entitled ‘Weird Folk’ with art by Betsy Dadd, Neal Jones and Max Wade. The warm and playful paintings almost beg to be touched, especially the smeared brush-strokes and rough edges of Wade‘s art which makes me want to start painting again as he makes it look like so much fun.

Betsy Dadd

Field Work runs between 15th and 20th March in Spitalfields, at 65 Hanbury Street, London E1 5JP. For more information see our listing. If you miss it there’s an online shop here.

Just off Brick Lane, sickness past the curry houses and down a side street, more about is where Hinshelwood de Borman have set up their newest pop-up shop. My only complaint after spending an hour leafing through the curiosities of ‘Field Work’ is that this isn’t a permanent shop – because it is absolutely lovely.

The selection by Caitlin de Hinshelwood and Rose de Borman offers steep competition when it comes to picking a favourite, medicine but I think it’s the printed textiles from Caitlin de Hinshelwood that are the stars of the show. Stacks of cushions are adorned with animal prints – one with giraffes, lions and bears, the next with frogs and snakes, and so on. The patterns are repeated on post cards, purses and on dresses for sale at the back. Soft colours and gorgeous, subtle patterns make for unorthodox and brilliant little outfits – like the dress covered in prints of root vegetables.

Cushions by Caitlin de Hinshelwood

Kitty Farrow Press has created a special range of notebooks for Field Work, all marked with an antlers logo. Continuing the antler theme are spoons cut from antlers by Kirsten Hecktermann – if that sounds like too much the shop also has some carved wooden spoons on offer.

Other treats include some very cute medieval replica pewter brooches, papier-mâché masks, and lovely old-style screwdriver sets from Elementary Design. The taxidermy is the work of Jazmine Miles-Long, an ethical taxidermist who only uses animals who have died from natural causes. Shipping Forecast Knitwear has some fantastic wooly hats on display, made in the UK from Aran wool but bringing to mind windswept isles in Nordic waters.

Neal Jones

Down the stairs is the gallery, and the show is entitled ‘Weird Folk’ with art by Betsy Dadd, Neal Jones and Max Wade. The warm and playful paintings almost beg to be touched, especially the smeared brush-strokes and rough edges of some of the art which makes me want to start painting again as the artists make it look like so much fun.

Betsy Dadd

Field Work runs between 15th and 20th March in Spitalfields, at 65 Hanbury Street, London E1 5JP. For more information see our listing. If you miss it there’s an online shop here.

Illustration by June Chanpoomidole

To those of you that have been to any of the Start boutiques in Shoreditch you’ll know they represent a relaxed luxury that more than compliments the clothes. This is most true for the mens formalwear boutique. I love it and could quiet happily spend hours in there. So when I saw that the Mr Start presentation was being held in One Aldwych I was very excited. Having graced the lobby bar with my presence on at least  one occasion to sip their very tasty cocktails, stomach I couldn’t think of a more suitable venue. Sadly we were shuffled downstairs to a tiny and ill-lit room. Pleased we’d arrived early to avoid the mounting queues, troche myself and Matt surveyed the clothes.  


Illustration by Joana Faria

Thankfully the collection more than made up for the choice of venue, dosage as did the dynamicism of Mr Start himself, and the lovely Brix Smith Start. Seeing people passionate about what they do never fails to lift my spirits. Despite living my life in jeans, I have a love of all things formal. I long for the day that dress down Fridays are a thing of the past; I’m just too lazy to do it myself. Very hypocritical, you might say. Suits, jackets and ties are almost always appropriate attire, however, they often take more consideration and thought than I am capable of bleary eyed at 7am on workday morning.  


All photography by Matt Bramford

This collection would inspire me to rise just that little bit earlier and make just a bit more effort. Mixing heritage fabrics such as Harris Tweeds with a modern cut, the collection worked really well. The colours chosen also lifted this collection from being too stayed; crushed grape and turquoise green statement jackets provided a subtle lift to everything. But we weren’t just treated to suits, elegantly tailored shirts in a variety of collar shapes were also a sight to behold. A clean colour palette of white, black and grey, the shirts complimented the suiting without overpowering it; my favourite being a smaller but starkly cutaway collar. I’d say understated luxury for those in the know was a common theme of the whole collection but the deep velvet suit and dinner jackets were far from understated.  


Illustration by Maria Papadimitriou

Another great piece was the double breasted cropped peacoat. We’ve seen these on every boy band and All Saints clone in the past few seasons, but there was still something fresh about this piece. Mr Start’s accessories were equally strong with many of the fashion pack gushing over the suede brogues and loafers. They have a definite place on my wishlist, but I fear no amount of scotchguarding will protect them from my clumsy ways.  

In store this collection will shine even brighter than it did during the presentation, and leaving the store dressed head to toe in Mr Start will be a feat of inordinate self control. It’s just a shame the lighting and crowding let things down a little. Here’s looking forward to next seasons presentation, and a quick/expensive trip to Shoreditch in the meantime.  

See more from June Chanpoomidole and Joana Faria in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration!


Just off Brick Lane, pills past the curry houses and down a side street, is where Hinshelwood de Borman have set up their newest pop-up shop. My only complaint after spending an hour leafing through the curiosities of ‘Field Work’ is that this isn’t a permanent shop – because it is absolutely lovely.

The selection by Caitlin de Hinshelwood and Rose de Borman offers steep competition when it comes to picking a favourite, but I think it’s the printed textiles from Caitlin de Hinshelwood that are the stars of the show. Stacks of cushions are adorned with animal prints – one with giraffes, lions and bears, the next with frogs and snakes, and so on. The patterns are repeated on post cards, purses and on dresses for sale at the back. Soft colours and gorgeous, subtle patterns make for unorthodox and brilliant little outfits – like the dress covered in prints of root vegetables.

Cushions by Caitlin de Hinshelwood

Kitty Farrow Press has created a special range of notebooks for Field Work, all marked with an antlers logo. Continuing the antler theme are spoons cut from antlers by Kirsten Hecktermann – if that sounds like too much the shop also has some carved wooden spoons on offer.

Other treats include some very cute medieval replica pewter brooches, papier-mâché masks, and lovely old-style screwdriver sets from Elementary Design. The taxidermy is the work of Jazmine Miles-Long, an ethical taxidermist who only uses animals who have died from natural causes. Shipping Forecast Knitwear has some fantastic wooly hats on display, made in the UK from Aran wool but bringing to mind windswept isles in Nordic waters.

Neal Jones

Down the stairs is the gallery, and the show is entitled ‘Weird Folk’ with art by Betsy Dadd, Neal Jones and Max Wade. The warm and playful paintings almost beg to be touched, especially the smeared brush-strokes and rough edges of some of the art which makes me want to start painting again as the artists make it look like so much fun.

Betsy Dadd

Field Work runs between 15th and 20th March in Spitalfields, at 65 Hanbury Street, London E1 5JP. For more information see our listing. If you miss it there’s an online shop here.
By Stamo A/W 2011 by Rebecca Strickson
By Stamo A/W 2011 by Rebecca Strickson.

On Sunday 13th March Find Your Feet hosted an ethical fashion show at the Mint Leaf restaurant in the Haymarket. I was invited to donate a copy of Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration for We Are What We Wear by the show stylist, viagra order the lovely Zoe Robinson of Think Style – a women with many sustainable strings to her bow. She works as an actress, visit this site a writer (for Egg Mag) and an ethical image consultant.

Amelia's Compendium of Fashion Illustration Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet Honey's Dance Academy, <a target=pharmacy Photography by Amelia Gregory” title=”Find Your Feet Honey’s Dance Academy, Photography by Amelia Gregory” width=”480″ height=”320″ class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-38157″ />Find Your Feet Honey's Dance Academy, Photography by Amelia GregoryBollywood dancing by Jane Young
Bollywood dancing from Honey’s Dance Academy by Jane Young.

We were treated to some very energetic Bollywood dancing thanks to Honey’s Dance Academy, followed by two short catwalk shows which took place on walkways surrounding the sunken restaurant. Models included youngsters and a couple of more mature women from Close Models, which provided a really uplifting touch.

Junky Styling by YesGo IllustrationJunky Styling by YesGo Illustration
Junky Styling by YesGo Illustration.

Find Your Feet-Junky Styling. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Junky Styling. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Junky Styling. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Junky Styling. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Find Your Feet-People Tree. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-People Tree. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-People Tree. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-People Tree. Photography by Amelia Gregory
People Tree.

Find Your Feet-Bhavna. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Bhavna. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Bhavna. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Bhavna.

Find Your Feet Outsider. All photography by Amelia Gregory.
Outsider.

During the first show we saw a fabulous multi layered pink maxi dress from ACOFI featured designer Junky Styling, cute dresses from People Tree, embellished bamboo dresses from Bhavna, and gorgeous silk classics from Outsider, who I discovered at Ecoluxe this season.

Find Your Feet- Amisha, Zoe, Orsola and the kids. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Amisha, Zoe, Orsola and the kids.

As I had a bar ticket I was able to roam around, and between shows sat with Zoe, Amisha Ghadalli, Maria Papadimitriou of Slowly the Eggs/Plastic Seconds and Orsola de Castro of From Somewhere, who was entertaining her young daughter and her friend. We ate some yummy canapes and watched a magician bend forks, then a Find Your Feet ambassador described the work done by this charity, which includes helping to fund sustainable farming practices. Fittingly, she described how a group of women in rural India bandied together to make the most of the mint growing on local farms – they now have a successful essential oil business.

Find Your Feet-magician. Photography by Amelia Gregory
The magician entertains the kids.

Find Your Feet- Charley Speed and bottle top bag. Photography by Amelia Gregory.Find Your Feet- Charley Speed and bottle top bag. Photography by Amelia Gregory.
Charley Speed and bottle top bag.

Then it was on to the auction, where any mention of my book was usurped by the lure of an Outsider dress, as worn by a celebrity – the presenter Charley Speed dashing maniacally around the room to squeeze as much money as possible out of the generous crowd. The whole lot (including a bottle top bag) went for £300, and I can only hope that the recipient appreciated my donation because he probably had no clue what it was.

Ada Zanditon S/S 2011 by Gareth A Hopkins
Ada Zanditon S/S 2011 by Gareth A Hopkins.

Round two featured three Amelia’s Magazine favourites from ACOFI: off-cut drama courtesy of From Somewhere, amazing sculptural pieces from Ada Zanditon and colourful dresses with sunflower decorations from By Stamo. There was also some playful printed dresses from Love Phool.

From Somewhere by Gareth A Hopkins
From Somewhere by Gareth A Hopkins.

Find Your Feet-From Somewhere. Photography by Amelia Gregory
From Somewhere.

Find Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Ada Zanditon S/S 2011.

Find Your Feet-Lovephool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Love Phool.

Find Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia Gregory
By Stamo A/W 2011.

A range of ethical accessories were used to style the show, amongst them some old favourites: LeJu, Nina Dolcetti and Joanna Cave… and some new discoveries: Meher Kakalia, who adapts ancient shoemaking techniques from her home town of Karachi to create modern footwear in Brixton, and Kumvana Gomani, who creates delicate jewellery out of plastic waste.

By Stamo A/W 2011 by Maria del Carmen SmithBy Stamo A/W 2011 by Maria del Carmen Smith
By Stamo A/W 2011 by Maria del Carmen Smith.

Exposing ethical design to more people and raising money for sustainable projects are good things to do, but We Aren’t JUST What We Wear, we are also What We Do in every aspect of life. On my return home I was somewhat saddened to read about a couple of other auction sponsors: it was also possible to win a test track experience with Jaguar or a BMW for the weekend. I know that money has to come from somewhere but there is a distinct lack of joined up thinking in ethical practice: a Mint Leaf waiter could not tell me whether the chicken they served us was freerange or organic.

Find Your Feet-Bollywood

We Are What We Wear was a massive success: raising over £10,000 to support sustainable weaving projects in India, but I wish that there was more recognition within the charity sector that sustainable practice involves more than donating money for dinner to support those less fortunate on the other side of the world, it’s about a holistic way of being. Within this world view I do not include hyping the desirability of extremely expensive energy guzzling cars. Needless to say, mine was the only bike tied up outside the Mint Leaf restaurant.

Categories ,ACOFI, ,Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, ,Amisha Ghadalli, ,Bamboo, ,Bhavna, ,BMW, ,Bollywood, ,Charley Speed, ,Close Models, ,Ecoluxe, ,Egg Mag, ,Find Your Feet, ,footwear, ,freerange, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,Honey’s Dance Academy, ,Jaguar, ,Jane Young, ,jewellery, ,Joanna Cave, ,Kumvana Gomani, ,LeJu, ,Livia Firth, ,London Kills Me, ,Maria del Carmen Smith, ,Maria Papadimitriou, ,Meher Kakalia, ,Mint, ,Mint Leaf, ,Nina Dolcetti, ,organic, ,Orsola De Castro, ,Outsider, ,Outsider Fashion, ,People Tree, ,Rebecca Strickson, ,Silk, ,Slowly the Eggs, ,sustainability, ,We Are What We Wear, ,YesGo Illustration, ,YesGo!, ,Zoë Robinson

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Amelia’s Magazine | Graduate Fashion Show Gala Show 2014 Review

Holly Jayne Smith by Sine Skau

Holly Jayne Smith by Sine Skau.

I have been attending Graduate Fashion Week for six years now and every year I wonder how such young designers manage to be so creative. Once again the final 25 collections showcased in last week’s Gala Show were truly outstanding and revealed a wide range of talent to watch. The night began on a poignant note with a moment’s thought for the late Louise Wilson, the formidable Central Saint Martins tutor who was integral in the training of luminaries such as Christopher Kane, Jonathan Saunders and Mary Katrantzou. Here’s hoping that one of these finalists and winners goes on to as much success.

GFW Aimee Dunn by Gareth A Hopkins

Aimee Dunn by Gareth A Hopkins.

GFW Menswear Award: Aimee Dunn – Nottingham Trent University
I know it’s menswear but who doesn’t love stealing their boyfriends clothes? Dunn’s collection of monochrome looks were superbly put together and with Thatcher on the front of a jumper you’re never going to avoid attention. Dunn also picked up the Menswear award at the end of the evening – well deserved.

Grace Weller GFW 2014 Bath Spa Uiversity by Jenny Robins

Grace Weller by Jenny Robins.

Grace Weller by  Julie J Seo

Grace Weller by Julie J.Seo.

George Gold Award winner and GFW Womenswear Award: Grace Weller – Bath Spa University
The embroidery and workmanship that had gone into Grace’s beautiful collection of Erdem-esque floral and sheer dresses was astounding. Not only did Grace pick up the Womenswear Award but she walked away with the £10,000 Gold Award to kick start her label.

Rebecca Rimmer by Vicky Scott
Rebecca Rimmer by Vicky Scott.

Rebecca Rimmer – UCLAN
Brightly coloured clothes painted onto bigger clothes. Sounds ridiculous, works really well on the catwalk, as Rebecca Rimmer proved. Her cartoonish collection was fun and original as well as having a high impact on the audience as it closed the show.

Holly Jayne Smith by Hye Jin Chung_2

Holly Jayne Smith by Hye Jin Chung.

Holly Jayne Smith by Sine Skau

Holly Jayne Smith by Sine Skau.

Holly Jayne Smith – Birmingham City
Foot-high hats and a pop art colour palette ensured this collection caught our attention and made us rethink light blue as a staple. The models also carried co-ordinated bright sports back packs which I loved.

GFW Shan Liao Huang by Gareth A Hopkins

GFW International Winner: Shan Liao Huang by Gareth A Hopkins.

Lauren Lake – Kingston University
Coloured fur made its mark last season and Lauren Lake’s first model strode out in a huge over sized, pink fur-lined shearling coat, so it was always going to be a winner. The silver metallic skirts and block boots, pink PVC and top knots ticked all the boxes, just amazing.

Colleen Leitch – Edinburgh College of Art
80’s glamour is back in Colleen Leitch’s collection of exquisite looks brought together by scattered sequins and dark colours in draping fabrics clinched at the waist for maximum femininity.

HANNAH DONKIN BY JANE YOUNG

Hannah Donkin by Jane Young.

GFW Creative Catwalk Award: Camilla Grimes – Manchester School of Art
Pink fur again, hopefully not real, (trend alert!) but this time alongside a more delicate and feminine ensemble that had hints of Jonathan Saunders about it (never a bad thing). Sheer embroidered shirts and a hooded bomber jacket were just two of the items I want in my wardrobe.

Fashion graduates of 2015, I can’t wait to see what you’ll have in store!

Categories ,2014, ,Aimee Dunn, ,Bath Spa University, ,Birmingham City University, ,Camilla Grimes, ,Central Saint Martins, ,Christopher Kane, ,Colleen Leitch, ,Edinburgh College of Art, ,Gala Show, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,Grace Weller, ,Graduate Fashion Week, ,Hannah Donkin, ,Holly Jayne Smith, ,Hye Jin Chung, ,Jane Young, ,Jenny Robins, ,Jonathan Saunders, ,Julie J Seo, ,Kingston University, ,Lauren Lake, ,Louise Wilson, ,Manchester School of Art, ,Mary Katrantzou, ,Nottingham Trent University, ,Rebecca Rimmer, ,review, ,Shan Liao Huang, ,Sine Skau, ,Truman Brewery, ,UCLan, ,Vicky Scott

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Amelia’s Magazine | Jean-Pierre Braganza: London Fashion Week A/W 2013 Catwalk Review

Jean-Pierre Braganza A/W 2013 by Daniel Alexander
Jean-Pierre Braganza A/W 2013 by Daniel Alexander.

For A/W 2013 Jean-Pierre Braganza once again explored geometry, this time influenced by Cosmic Symbolism, Fantasy and an imagined Sci-Fi world where women are leaders. Starkonnen was dominated by this season’s favourite minimalist colours of black and white, here given a utilitarian space ship vibe with Braganza‘s signature sharp panelled tailoring and the addition of a round pattern intersected with lines, reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci‘s infamous image of the Vitruvian Man. Apparently this arrangement of circles and lines forms perfect geometry in which every known shape appears. Matching fractal designs were inspired by the scales of a dragon and appeared as placements prints intersected with jagged bursts of peachy coral or across oversized collars and draped around legs on maxi skirts. A glowing teal blue was the only other highlight, used in large swathes for a simple shift dress and elegant trouser suit.

Jean Pierre Braganza AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Jean Pierre Braganza AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Jean Pierre Braganza AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Jean Pierre Braganza AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Jean-Pierre Braganza A/W 2013 by Daniel Alexander
Jean Pierre Braganza AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Jean Pierre Braganza AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Jean-Pierre Braganza A/W 2013 by Daniel Alexander
Jean-Pierre Braganza A/W 2013 illustrations by Daniel Alexander.

Long fabric waist ties were inspired by ‘samurai silhouettes‘ and gave a softer vibe to the dramatic lines, intended to convey ‘power, wisdom and elegance‘. Around the necks hung beautiful beaded and knotted necklaces by Janine Barraclough, and the occasional model swung an elegant leather clutch bag by Bracher Emden. Sleek hair hung parted from the middle and swished smoothly, apart from at the crown, where a neatly bound top knot perched. I imagine that Jean-Pierre Braganza must have watched a few Sci-Fi films as research for Starkonnen as this all added to the impression that these women could be tribes from a far off galaxy, elegantly swishing through an intergalactic ship amongst many other races.

Jean Pierre Braganza AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Jean Pierre Braganza AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Jean Pierre Braganza AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Jean Pierre Braganza AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Jean Pierre Braganza A/W 2013 by Jane Young
Jean Pierre Braganza A/W 2013 by Jane Young
Jean Pierre Braganza A/W 2013 by Jane Young.

Jean Pierre Braganza AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Jean Pierre Braganza AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregoryc
Jean Pierre Braganza AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Jean Pierre Braganza AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Jean Pierre Braganza AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Jean Pierre Braganza AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Jean Pierre Braganza A/W 2013. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Jean Pierre Braganza by Angela Lamb
Jean Pierre Braganza by Angela Lamb.

Categories ,A/W 2013, ,Angela Lamb, ,Bracher Emden, ,Cosmic Symbolism, ,Daniel Alexander, ,fantasy, ,Jane Young, ,Janine Barraclough, ,Jean Pierre Braganza, ,Leonardo Da Vinci, ,London Fashion Week, ,London Kills Me, ,Sci-Fi, ,Starkonnen, ,Vitruvian Man

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Amelia’s Magazine | British Fashion Designers at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia A/W 2011: Louise Gray

Louise Gray A/W 2011 by Abi Heyneke
Louise Gray A/W 2011 by Abi Heyneke.

For almost the entire trip to Russia I was convinced that Louise Gray was another girl in the Fashion East entourage… it was only when she stepped out to take her bow on the catwalk that I realised she was the very tiny blonde girl in sky high heels. Louise is a textile designer at heart, remedy and her colourful vision has attracted an almost unfeasible amount of hype in recent years: I tried to see her show this season at London Fashion Week but arrived too late to get into the tiny On/Off venue. This was a great way to see her show in a slightly less pressurised arena, site in front of an audience who might not be quite so frantically enthusiastic about her amazing technicolour palette.

Louise Gray A/W 2011 by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly the Eggs
Louise Gray A/W 2011 by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly the Eggs.

Louise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 by Abi Heyneke
Louise Gray A/W 2011 by Abi Heyneke

Her A/W 2011 collection lived up to expectations: all clashing primary tartans and devilishly playful spotty make up which had been slightly toned down from her London show. The first model strode down the catwalk with an amused smile upon her lips as well she might given that she was sporting a metallic blue ruffled shorts suit accessorised with helium heart balloons that drifted above her head. The range encompassed dresses, shirts and mohair coats, all worn with thigh high patent spotty boots. Peel away a few of the garments and there was usually one that could easily be worn alone by someone less daring than the Louise Gray archetype. A lot of fun, but one can only wonder what the much more conservative Russian audience thought of it all. Here’s hoping they went away inspired by the possibilities of what fashion can be.

Louise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia GregoryLouise Gray A/W 2011 Russia Photography by Amelia Gregory
Louise Gray A/W 2011. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Louise Gray A/W 2011 by Abi Heyneke
Louise Gray A/W 2011 by Abi Heyneke

Categories ,Abi Heyneke, ,Clashing, ,Fashion East, ,Helium Balloons, ,London Fashion Week, ,Louise Gray, ,Lulu Kennedy, ,Maria Papadimitriou, ,Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia, ,Moscow, ,Multi-coloured, ,onoff, ,prints, ,Russia!, ,Slowly the Eggs, ,Technicolour, ,textiles

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Amelia’s Magazine | Charlie May: S/S 2014 Preview Interview

Charlie May S/S 2014 by Rebecca May Higgins
Charlie May S/S 2014 by Rebecca May Higgins.

Last season I was most impressed with the new collection from up and coming designer Charlie May: sadly this time around I missed her show at St Martins Lane Hotel. Here the talented young designer talks about her love of minimalism, working with British mills to create bespoke materials, and teaming up with Hudson shoes.

Charlie May S/S 2014 by Claire Kearns
Charlie May S/S 2014 by Claire Kearns.

Where does your love for sleek minimalist designs come from – can you trace it back to any early influences or inspirations?
That’s a tough one – I think coming from a farm where it’s always busy and messy and you have to dress for the mud, you natural want to create the opposite. I’m always inspired by the feeling I get from being in the countryside, there’s a calmness that I like to translate into my collections.
 
Charlie May S:S 2014
Charlie May S:S 2014
The Charlie May girl wears a lot of white and pale colours – any tips for keeping the look fresh and clean?
Every season I plan to use black and I always manage to phase it out! I think it’s got something to do with a clearer cleaner vision and the same goes with personal style. I always feel like I’m dressed better when I’m wearing lighter colours. At the moment I love the look of black shoes with a white look, I think that looks fresh and not overdone.
 
Charlie May S/S 2014 by Slowly The Eggs
Charlie May S/S 2014 by Slowly The Eggs.

I understand you worked closely with mills to create a range of exclusive fabrics this season, what was that process like?
It was really fun and quite eye opening. I’m used to working with exclusively natural materials, so weaving polyester and silk together created something quite unique to me. I think it was a natural step for me to push for more creative fabrics and something that’s not readily available, I’m looking forward to doing it again for AW14.


Charlie May S:S 2014
Charlie May S:S 2014
You used some stunning pearlescent and metallic print fabrics for S/S 2014 – where did you source these from? 
Thank you, it started with working with the mills on the pink metallic woven fabric, and when I saw the butter soft blush foil leather I knew it would be the perfect accompaniment. The collection was meant to be a bit tongue in cheek with references to my youth and the spice girls – so it goes without saying that pink leather was meant to be there! 


Charlie May Dress by Claire Kearns
Charlie May S/S 2014 by Claire Kearns.

How did you get involved with Hudson shoes and what was the process of producing a limited edition shoe? where can fans buy a pair?
I met Hudson through my blog, Girl a la Mode. We quickly got talking about collaborating on a shoe for my SS14! I love their classic, elegant brogues and boots and knew they’d be the perfect choice. They will be a limited edition, available to buy through my site (www.Charlie-May.co.uk) from January. 
 
Charlie May S:S 2014
Charlie May S:S 2014
What are your aspirations for the coming year?
I hope to keep growing as I am and developing the collections and brand image, I’m excited to develop knitwear for AW14 too. 

Categories ,Charlie May, ,Claire Kearns, ,Girl a la Mode, ,hudson, ,interview, ,London Fashion Week, ,Rebecca May Higgins, ,S/S 2014, ,Slowly the Eggs, ,St Martins Lane Hotel

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Amelia’s Magazine | Fantastic Flaçons: A look at iconic perfume bottles


‘Chanel No.5′ designed by Jean Helleau. Illustration by Sandra Contreras

When Freud pondered the question of ‘what women want, pharmacy ’ someone should have told him that there are few things more desirable than a beautiful bottle of scent. Since the early 20th century, viagra 100mg the perfume flaçon (small bottle) has taken on many weird and wonderful guises – some of which have gone on to become cultural artefacts and artist’s muses. By no means a comprehensive list, here is a small selection of some of the most jaw-dropping flaçons you’ll ever encounter – some of which even manage to upstage the scents they contain.

Chanel Nº 5
“I always launch my collection on the 5th day of the 5th month, so the number 5 seems to bring me luck – therefore, I will name it Nº 5,” proclaimed Mademoiselle Chanel after putting her initial doubts to one side and deciding to branch out into fragrance. The name itself summed up the scent’s abstract nature, and was a two-fingered salute to the other flowery perfume names at the time. Launched in 1921, No. 5 made greater use of synthetic ingredients, resulting in a blend of rose and ylang ylang that is rich, intoxicating but decidedly ‘unfloral.’ The first bottle was designed by the lady herself, modelled on the Charvet toiletry bottle that once belonged to her then-lover Captain Arthur ‘Boy’ Capel. The resulting flaçon we know and love was created in 1924 by Jean Helleau, and went on to become the subject of Andy Warhol’s famous ‘pop art’ prints, as well as being on permenant display in New York’s Musuem of Modern Art (MOMA) since 1959. The rich gold coloured liquid seen vividly through the glass of the minimalist square bottle, with its simple black letters and jewel-like stopper simply screams luxury. 86 years on, it is still capable of stopping women’s hearts – my fair own included.

Shalimar by Guerlain

‘Shalimar’ designed by Raymond Guerlain. Illustration by Stéphanie Thieullent

Named after the Shalimar Gardens in Lahore, and meaning ‘temple of love’ in Sanskrit, you could half expect a genie to emerge from this fan-shaped bottle with sapphire-coloured stopper, but the sweet vanilla fragrance inside is just as mesmerising. Designed by Raymond Guerlain in 1925 and manufactured by Cristal Baccarat (who along with Lalique, first turned the perfume flaçon into an objet d’art) the design of Shalimar was inspired by the fountains one might find in Indian palaces, and was displayed at the Decorative Arts Exhibition in the same year. The bottle has recently been given a modern make-over by jewellery designer/socialite Jade Jagger, who hasn’t strayed that far from the original, and produced a slightly sleeker version that Raymond himself would have been happy with.

Flower by Kenzo

‘Flower by Kenzo’ designed by Serge Mansau. Illustration by Kayleigh Bluck

I love the beautiful simplicity of Flower by Kenzo – how the tall thin glass leans gracefully to one side like a delicate stem in a summer breeze, echoing the sweet floral fragrance within – with a trompe l’oeil image of a flower appearing as if it were inside the bottle itself. Launched in 2000, the flaçon was designed by Serge Mansau, a French glass sculptor and stage decorator, who had already honed his craft designing flaçons for the likes of Dior and Hermés. He was given the concept of a flower by Kenzo’s artistic director Patrick Geudj, who wanted to highlight it as a powerful symbol for peace, and was particularly inspired by photographer Marc Ribaud’s image March in Washington (21st of October 1967) in which a girl holds a flower in front of a gun that is being pointed at her. Who knew a perfume could be political?

Shocking by Schiaparelli

Schiaparelli’s ‘Shocking’ designed by Leonor Fini. Illustration by Joana Faria

Inspired by a bust of Mae West, who was one of Schiaparelli’s major clients, 1937’s “Shocking” was designed by Argentine painter Leonor Fini, and best exemplifies Schiaparelli’s role in the surrealist movement (her designs included her famous lobster dress, and a hat in the shape of high heeled shoe.) The name was inspired by Cartier’s famous ‘shocking pink’ diamond the Tête de Belier (Ram’s Head) and Shocking’s encasing box was dyed in the same pink shade to match. In an era where few fashion houses were releasing perfume, ‘Shocking’ was Schiaparelli’s attempt to compete with her nemesis Chanel (although sadly unlike her rival, the label did not adapt to the changes brought about by WWII and closed in 1954.) The scent itself – a rather dry powdery bouquet of honey rose and jasmine – may not be to everyone’s taste, but the bottle still remains a little piece of perfume history.

Alien by Thierry Mugler

‘Alien’ designed by Thierry Mugler. Illustration by Karolina Burdon

Designed by Mugler himself, Alien is a bright amethyst and gold flaçon, made to appear like a ‘sacred stone’ and bringing to mind 1980’s sci-fi films such as Blade Runner and Tron –  and is a good example of the designer’s flamboyant, theatrical style (check out Beyoncé’s motorcycle corset for a better idea). Alien was Mugler’s second fragrance, which he described as a nod to ‘ultra-feminity’ and contains notes of sambac jasmine and cashmeran wood, creating a soft woody- amber bouquet. The flaçon according to the designer “symbolises thoughtfulness and peace of mind” despite appearing as if it’s going to hatch a new life form on a mission to destroy all humanity as we know it, HG Wells-style.

Categories ,1980s, ,Alien, ,Andy Warhol, ,Balde Runner, ,beyonce, ,Bottle, ,Cartier, ,chanel, ,Cristal Baccarat, ,Decorative Arts, ,Flaçon, ,Flower, ,Guerlain, ,Jade Jagger, ,Jean Helleau, ,Joana Faria, ,Karolina Burdon, ,Kenzo, ,Lahore, ,Lalique, ,Leonor Fini, ,Mae West, ,Marc Ribaud, ,MOMA, ,No.5, ,Patrick Geudj, ,Perfume, ,Pop Art, ,Raymond Guerlain, ,Sandra Contreras, ,Schiaparelli, ,Serge Mansau, ,Shalimar, ,Shocking, ,Stéphanie Thieullent, ,Thierry Mugler, ,Tron, ,Viola Levy, ,WWII

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Amelia’s Magazine | Belle Sauvage: London Fashion Week A/W 2013 Catwalk Preview Interview

Belle Sauvage A/W 2013 by Laura Hickman
Belle Sauvage A/W 2013 by Laura Hickman.

The Belle Sauvage label was launched in 2008 by design duo Virginia Ferreira and Chris Neuman, who are based between London and Luxemboug. Combining avant-garde silhouettes with intricate digital prints, their signature look is sleek, sophisticated and feminine. I caught up with the designers in advance of their London Fashion Week catwalk show next week.

Belle Sauvage A/W 2013 by Harry Williams
Belle Sauvage A/W 2013 by Harry Williams.

You’re known for your amazing digital prints: what training do you have?
Virginia studied Fashion Design (Diploma course) at the London College of Fashion and Chris has an B.A in Media Design and an M.A in Arts (Filmmaking).

How did you both meet and decide to work together, and what is the process behind the creation of each collection?
We met in Argentina and them moved to London to finish our studies. The initial idea was to combine both of our talents and interests. Apart form the designing, Chris goes on drawing the artwork for all of our labels and both designers now create four collections a year. Next to our two labels we also provide design concepts and artwork through our third line Vicious East mainly sold in Japan and China. 

Belle Sauvage A/W 2013 by Karina Järv
Belle Sauvage A/W 2013 by Karina Järv.

As we work on so many collections a year the design process is quite organised. We always start on the main line Belle Sauvage. It has the least compromises regarding design as it is high end Ready To Wear and targets fashion forward thinking individuals. We then adapt the design to the diffusion lines, keeping the markets, audience and budgets in mind.

How do you work between London and Luxembourg?
We do all our professional work in London. This goes from sales meetings to sampling. As we manufacture in Spain and Portugal apart from the U.K we have to move around quite a bit and find it great to have a relaxing home in Luxembourg to calm down form time to time.

 Belle Sauvage A/W 2013 by Sara Gelfgren
Belle Sauvage A/W 2013 by Sara Gelfgren.

What made you decide to present your collection in London?
We started the brand in 2008 in London and were grounded in the new upcoming designers. We had our first press agency in London and that is really where everything started. London Fashion Week is really not that important in terms of sales but it is a good place to present your new collection. London is really about the crowd. We love the fashion people in the city, and are happy to be part of it.

For A/W 2013 you have drawn inspiration from the gothic to the baroque to the renaissance, including motifs of tigers and dragons: where did you look for imagery and ideas?
You can find both motifs in Asian philosophy. They are opposite symbols and we liked the idea behind it as we love both creatures. As we have baroque influences in the line, we see it as the Asian counterpart of our western world.

Belle Sauvage A/W 2013 by Laura Hickman
Belle Sauvage A/W 2013 by Laura Hickman.
 
Trims are an important part of your designs: how do they fit in with your more tailored and sleek fitting aesthetic and how do you recommend that customers wear/style your designs?
Fur and trims have a decorative element, which is very persistent in baroque aesthetics. The A/W 2013 line has a very wearable approach. We truly believe that the current lines in fashion look for a minimal approach and actually work with the body shapes instead of imposing too much volume or construction. We use fake fur apart from sheep.
 
It’s been awhile since I went to a Belle Sauvage catwalk show: what can we expect from the new season?
You saw our A/W 2010 collection. The collection is of course different but the spirit and attitude is the same. We have a very clear image on the Belle Sauvage woman. The style changes but the attitude stays consistent.

Belle Sauvage A/W 2013 by Marianna Madriz
Belle Sauvage A/W 2013 by Marianna Madriz.

Belle Sauvage can be bought online at Shop Belle Sauvage. The brand takes to the catwalk on Friday 15th February 2013 at Freemasons’ Hall. Watch out for our review of the show!

Belle Sauvage AW 2013 preview
Belle Sauvage A/W 2013 preview image.

Categories ,A/W 2013, ,Argentina, ,Belle Sauvage, ,Chris Neuman, ,Fashion Design, ,Fashion Scout, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Harry Williams, ,interview, ,Karina Jarv, ,Laura Hickman, ,London College of Fashion, ,London Fashion Week, ,Luxembourg, ,Marianna Madriz, ,preview, ,Sara Gelfgren, ,Vicious East, ,Virginia Ferreira

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Amelia’s Magazine | RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2011: Alice’s Adventures Scarecrows

Hampton Court Flower Show by Jane Young
Hampton Court Flower Show by Jane Young.

There was one part of the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show that truly tickled my fancy… the amazing scarecrows put together on the theme of Alice’s Adventures by primary school kids from the South East of England.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia GregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia GregoryHampton Court Flowers by Jane Young
Hampton Court Flowers by Jane Young.

Even though there was a plea for scarecrows to be robustly made to withstand all weather conditions I did feel a bit for them…. some had blown over in the high winds, ailment and they would have to contend with some truly torrential rain.

RHS-Hampton-Court-Flower-show-review-2011
Bloody British summers.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia GregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia GregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia GregoryHampton Court Garden Show Alice in Wonderland Scarecrows by Sam Parr
Hampton Court Garden Show, Alice in Wonderland Scarecrows by Sam Parr.

That said they were an absolutely charming bunch, and a joy for illustrators to recreate. Here’s just a few of what was on display.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
Mad cat in RHSHampton Court by Bern O'Donoghue
Mad Cat in RHS Hampton Court by Bern O’Donoghue.

Flower show guests were encouraged to vote on their favourite scarecrow via a ballot box. I don’t know who won, but I reckon there were many potential winners amongst this bunch.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
RHS Scarecrow by Gareth A Hopkins
RHS Scarecrow by Gareth A Hopkins.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
RHS scarecrow by Illustrating Rain
RHS scarecrow by Illustrating Rain.

Don’t forget to check in with my RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show blogs on garden trends and flower trends too!

Categories ,Alice’s Adventures, ,Bern O’Donoghue, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, ,Illustrating Rain, ,Jane Young, ,RHS, ,Sam Parr, ,Scarecrows

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