Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Menswear Day: Fashion East Installations


Astrid Andersen S/S 2012 by Antonia Parker

The Fashion East Menswear display always guarantee a treat at fashion week. The grandiose rooms around the courtyard at Somerset House are transformed into mini installations of the various menswear designers, sildenafil and it’s grand to see so much talent side by side.

This season was no exception. I started at the main entrance, naturally, where burley bouncers were insisting anyone let inside had pre-registered with the British Fashion Council. So, for example, if one of the designers’ grandmothers wanted to see the fruits of their grandchildrens’ successes, they had to go to the other side of Somerset House to register. A bit silly, I thought.

Nevertheless, once I’d presented my credentials I was allowed inside and I quickly necked a champagne. Here’s a whistle stop tour via the wonderful mediums of illustration and photography.

WILLIAM RICHARD GREEN

William Richard Green S/S 2012 by Rukmunal Hakim

ASTRID ANDERSEN


Astrid Andersen S/S 2012 by Celine Elliott

MATTEO MOLINARI


Matteo Molinari S/S 2012. Amazing sunglasses that I’m already saving up for. That is all.

CASSETTE PLAYA

Cassette Playa by Gabriel Ayala

AGI & SAM

Agi & Sam S/S 2012 by Claire Kearns


All photography by Matt Bramford

Watch some highlights from the installations here:

Categories ,Agi & Sam, ,Antonia Parker, ,Astrid Andersen, ,Cassette Playa, ,Celine Elliott, ,Claire Kearns, ,Creepers, ,Fashion East, ,Gabriel Ayala, ,Gym, ,lace, ,London Fashion Week, ,Matteo Mollinari, ,menswear, ,MenswearSS12, ,Newgen, ,Rukmunal Hakim, ,S/S 2012, ,Somerset House, ,Sunglasses, ,video, ,William Richard Green

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Minna: an interview with ethical fashion designer Minna Hepburn


Vintage fashion, stomach illustrated by Matilde Sazio


Vintage shop, price illustrated by Karolina Burdon

What gave you the idea for Preloved, Reloved in the first place?
Well I always like to dress a little differently. My style is mainstream with a retro edge, I suppose. I always seem to end up with a daft New Year’s resolution – last year I cycled from London to Paris for The Institute of Cancer Research. I like using my time to help others and spread awareness.

Were you a fan of vintage and upcycling before you started the project?
Yes! I always admire my friends’ outfits; well, those who wear vintage and second-hand fashion. Upcycling is something I have experimented with for ages at home and now is the time to make sure I actually finish some projects!

Where will you source your outfits?
Charity shops, vintage stores, eBay, my mum’s wardrobe…! I made a lined cape last night from linen and satin for balmy summer nights (booking a holiday soon!).


Charity shops, illustrated by Rukmunal Hakim

What does the project hope to achieve?
I want to raise awareness of numerous charities related to my Dad’s illnesses. I want my friends to know that too much of an unhealthy lifestyle is probably going to lead to an early demise. I also want to raise the profile of vintage and second-hand fashion; I remember as a kid we use to take the mick out of anyone who dressed from a charity shop. I myself as a student had a stigma against them. Now it’s become kitsch, cool and quirky. It’s good for the enivroment.

How much do you hope to raise and what are the funds likely to be used for?
£2500 is my Just Giving target – it goes directly to Macmillan. However, with my shopping at many different charity shops, my cash goes straight to them – win win all round! I have my thinking cap on about how to expand the project though.


eBay! Illustration by Avril Kelly

Why did you choose Macmillan?
My dad (and his dad) had cancer – he died last week unfortunately. And it wasn’t the cancer that killed him, it was his heart and his adult-onset diabetes. A poor lifestyle in his twenties and thirties caused it and he was only 57 when he passed. So as I said before, this project benefits other charities focussing on these causes too through me spending money at their outlets.

Not that far in, but have you come accross any problems so far? Has anything that happened that you weren’t expecting?
Avoiding shops is quite hard as I realised I can’t just pop into the Topshop sale and treat myself – which I suppose is good for my wallet and I’m going to do less impulse-buying on the way home from work.
With my Dad passing, I haven’t had as much time to go browsing shops as much as I’d like. This weekend, however, I’m going to the Girls of Guildford vintage fair and gig – for some serious retail therapy, cupcake-nomming and also to check out some great live music away from the bustle of London.


Vintage, illustrated by Jess Holt

What are you wearing today? Where’s it all from?
Dark blue skinny jeans, leather knee boots that I already owned with black and cream patterned blouse from River Island that I bought from Cancer Research UK. I’m also wearing red rose earrings from Magnolia Jewellery.

Do you plan to make or alter any of your clothes? If so, how?
Yes – I love sewing and making jewellery too – I made a cape last week and have upcycled a pair of old, torn jeans from my uni days into a denim mini. I have a small collection of retro patterns including a lovely dress with a pussy bow. I love being able to create something out of fabric I love: last year I went to a lovely Indian wedding and couldn’t find The Outfit – so I made a purple maxi-dress with a halterneck and glammed it up with ribbons dangling down my back. Saved myself a fortune too!


Illustration by Gilly Rochester

What else do you get up to?
I run Never Enough Notes – a music e-zine, and I’m cycling the London-Brighton this summer with my brother and friends to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.

What would be your perfect Preloved, Reloved outfit?
For daytime it would easily be vintage jeans, brown boots that look a bit worn-out, a floaty shirt or cheeky tee, a tweed jacket and a battered satchel.
For evening, I love ball gowns and retro dresses so would be something glam that I could wear with a pair of 1970s heels! Oh there’s way too much choice, I love it!
Faye West Gossypium Sewing Kit
Gossypium with Amelia’s Magazine Sewing Kit A/W 2008, mind featuring print design by Brie Harrison. Illustration by Faye West.

Gossypium worked with Amelia’s Magazine and Brie Harrison to create a Clothkits-inspired kit fashion dress and bag to accompany the final print issue of Amelia’s Magazine. Run by Abigail and Thomas Petit, it is a family business based in Lewes, East Sussex.   

What is your process of creating your garments?
We do things the opposite way around to the rest of the fashion industry. I was working as a textile engineer with Indian farmers when we started Gossypium, so fabric comes first: from the spinning of the yarn to the final stitching of the garments is a long and complicated process. We have an extremely close working relationship with our producers and a huge respect for their hard work and care of the environment.

Why is transparency more important than certification?
In some instances enforced standards have some value, for example it is good to be able to label something organic or fairtrade, but sometimes the point of certification gets clouded and this can limit good honest business practice. Transparency and brand trust are the most precious and valuable assets. Knowing our trade and suppliers so well shows in the quality of our products, and this benefits our customers. And it means that no one can copy us or take those relationships away.  

Why did you decide to collaborate with Amelia’s Magazine and Brie Harrison?
We are pioneers who have built our entire business from scratch so it was lovely to concentrate on something that was more fashion-based for a change. Working with Amelia’s Magazine allowed us to have a fantastic burst of creativity and we sure enjoyed that moment. Nula Shearing, who is a daughter of the Clothkits family, has just created a lovely tea towel for us, and we hope to do more fashion-led designs in the future… 

Read the rest of this interview with Gossypium in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, alongside interviews with 44 other ethical fashion designers and 30 fabulous fashion illustrators. You can buy the book here.

You can still buy issue 10 of the Amelia’s Magazine which comes with a free Brie Harrison designed kit bag from my website here, and you can also still buy the kit dress from the Gossypium website here.
Minna S/S 2011 by Gemma Milly
Minna S/S 2011 by Gemma Milly.

How has the way you create your clothes progressed since you first started out?
I think fashion should be fun; I just love to put on a dress which brings a smile to my face. We have kept our feminine, patient vintage inspired, view playful style but the collection is a bit more grown up, ask which has helped us to find a new audience. Lace still plays a big part in the collection but we have also started to use heavier fabrics such as wool jersey. I prefer to keep our colourways simple but we are designing a print to use for linings and dresses in our next collection. The recession has also played a role in our design process – we have had to think about our price points and make sure that our pieces are multi-functional. We still focus on UK-made fabrics and all production is based in London, since this is integral to the brand.

Minna 2010 by Faye West
Minna by Faye West.

Where do you source your fabrics from?
Sourcing fabrics is a big part of the job so we do a lot of networking. I am lucky to have designer friends who are happy to share information about their suppliers, and sourcing fabrics online has improved massively over the last two years, but I still find it very difficult to source UK-made fabrics: we desperately need a good supplier database. Sourcing vintage lace is a fun part of the job because I love strolling around antique markets. Unfortunately I have very little time to do that these days so I go on Ebay instead and when travelling I can’t resist visiting the local antique fairs. Lace can be very expensive if you go to proper antique shops so I rely on local grannies who know where to buy it in bulk.

How do you ensure a commercial collection?
We buy Scottish lace in massive quantities and mix it with other fabrics, but we don’t produce entire one-off pieces because these would be tricky to sell online. However, because most of our pieces are embellished with offcuts and antique lace they are unique. This is very labour intensive so the price has to reflect that…

Read the rest of this interview and see more illustrations of Minna’s clothing in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, alongside interviews with 44 other ethical fashion designers and 30 fabulous fashion illustrators. You can buy the book here.

Categories ,ACOFI, ,Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, ,Eco fashion, ,Ethical Fashion, ,Faye West, ,Gemma Milly, ,lace, ,Minna, ,Minna Hepburn

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Paradise Lost: London College of Fashion ‘Digital Catwalk’ Second Year Student Show 2012

amelias magazine - london college of fashion - paradise lost - Digital Catwalk Angela Cote

All photographs by Milan Mosna

There was an impressive array of design flair, organisational wizardry and interesting pattern design on show at the London College of Fashion last Wednseday, especially considering the majority of the designs were from 2nd year BA students, and that many of these hold down jobs as well as studying. As the press release was at pains to point out, these are challenging times for budding creatives and it’s good to see the sheer bloody-mindedness that it takes to put on this sort of event still going strong in the student body.

I’m only sorry I can’t point you to more information about some of these “potential fashion leaders of tomorrow” on the web as, busy and second year as they are, they don’t seem to have sorted blogs or portfolios that I can find online, though they are obviously at least halfway to realising that promotion is nine tenths of success because the reception space was full to the brim.

amelias magazine - london college of fashion - paradise lost - Digital Catwalk -  2FDR by Gareth A Hopkins
Illustration by Gareth A Hopkins of dress by Sunny De Las Alas

The small space we were all crammed in also featured a display on widescreen tvs of the work from the Fashion Media course, although it was soon too busy to see the screens properly, let alone make one’s way to the supply of Cava and biscuits. obviously I contrived to do both; had lots of Cava and biscuits and managed to note down at least the name of Leah Patel whose highly saturated promo shots I loved.

amelias magazine - london college of fashion - paradise lost - Digital Catwalk - Taj Chelvaiyah
Clear flowing lines from Taj Chelvaiyah

amelias magazine - london college of fashion - paradise lost - Digital Catwalk - Nicole Quadrio
Exciting moth-like scultural prints from Nicole Quadrio

Once we got into the show space I nabbed a space on the floor; annoying the photographers with my novelty oversized briefcase (I came from school) as I like to do. The high tech addition of twin powerpoint presentations of the students’ pattern designs and inspirations was cute, especially the classic marbling shot and messed up fashion collage. But the obvious inspiration and skill in many of the garments themselves was anything but cute.

amelias magazine - london college of fashion - paradise lost - DIGITAL-CATWALK SHOW-2FDR-JuneChanpoomidole
More highly evocative designs from Taj Chelvaiyah as illustrated by June Sees

I don’t know what second year fashion student’s work usually looks like, but I overheard some front row LCF old hats saying what a quality group it was, not to mention having ‘a good dynamic‘, and being ‘much better than last year‘. Sorry if you were in last year’s cohort (presumably graduating this year), I can’t personally comment. Some definite highlights for me were Hope Freeman‘s lasercut ‘Full Circle‘ collection, especially the full length black dress (below).

amelias magazine - london college of fashion - paradise lost - Digital Catwalk -  Hope Freeman 2
She calls this technique ‘a new lace for the 21st Century‘ and talks about the circle as a reflection of eternity. Bumf aside, this piece was a crowd pleaser, and would be a definite head turner on a red carpet, managing to be sleek and simple in a very pretty intricate way, so 21st Century lace seems a fitting description. I also loved the interplay of nostalgia and modern associations in Sunny De Las Alas (yes, she has a twitter)’s lamp-post print dress, which at the time I thought was the main thing I liked about the dress, but looking at the images now it’s clear in both these pieces that the drapery is equally important, showing great interplay of shape and shine.

amelias magazine - london college of fashion - paradise lost - Digital Catwalk - Sunny De Las Alas 2 dress
amelias magazine - london college of fashion - paradise lost - Digital Catwalk - Sunny De Las Alas cityscape prints
Dress by Sunny De Las Alas and the print designs on their own.

amelias magazine - london college of fashion - paradise lost - Joanna Michalska
Joanna Michalska was a guest contributor from the Third year Design programme, but her work fitted well into the show and I very much enjoyed the denim sunset flag effect of this dress.

amelias magazine - london college of fashion - paradise lost - Digital Catwalk Angela Cote 2
Exemplifying the digital print brief, Angela Cote‘s work was inspired by toy kaleidoscope’s view of the world, refracting colour into a million repeated shapes. The designs were made with minimal wastage, employing techniques of edge to edge cutting and using as few seams as possible. Her pieces were as seductive as they were unsettling, like looking through a kaleidoscope is.

amelias magazine - london college of fashion - paradise lost - Digital Catwalk Qimei
amelias magazine - london college of fashion - paradise lost - Digital Catwalk - Qimei Print
Another favourite for me was this fabulously colourful piece by Qimei Gai, evoking images of a lost Chinese childhood (above).

amelias magazine - london college of fashion - paradise lost - Digital Catwalk - Mina Jugovic
Finally these more subtly hued pieces from Min Jugovic made me a bit nostalgic: there was a lot of serious-faced playfulness in the show as a whole that I liked, perhaps reflecting the central idea of paradise lost – a determined dedication to beauty and opulence in austere times.

Here are my sketches:
amelias magazine - london college of fashion - paradise lost - Digital Catwalk -  jenny robins sketches 1
amelias magazine - london college of fashion - paradise lost - Digital Catwalk -  jenny robins sketches 2
amelias magazine - london college of fashion - paradise lost - Digital Catwalk -  jenny robins sketches 3

Categories ,2012, ,Angela Cote, ,BA, ,Digital Catwalk, ,Fashion Media, ,Full Circle, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,Hope Freeman, ,Joanna Michalska, ,June Chanpoomidole, ,June Sees, ,lace, ,LCF, ,Leah Patel, ,London College of Fashion, ,Milan Mosna, ,Min Jugovic, ,Nicole Quadrio, ,Paradise Lost, ,Qimei Gai, ,Sunny De Las Alas, ,Taj Chelvaiyah

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Post-London Fashion Week Interview: Minna

Masters of Reality return with their latest mind altered offering to master their, treat cialis 40mg well, reality.

Masters of Reality’s sixth and latest record Pine/Cross Dover is a welcome return of the classic American desert kings who have many rock and roll fingers in many Palm Desert pies. Although released in 2009, the record is making waves over in the UK now. Presented as two halves, the question is Pine/Cross Dover, their first record in five years, any good?

As a pretty big Queens of the Stone Age fan, I was keen to dip my toe into the pool of rock and branch away from my Tension Head (a track which has incidentally been on my top five records for the last decade), let my ears broaden their taste and listen to fellow desert rockers Masters of Reality, which although I was quite familiar with them I hadn’t fully appreciated. Main member and founder Chris Goss has produced many QOTSA records, and so it’s a clear lineage many make associating the two bands together. To my bountiful joy I was pleased with what I heard in the shape of Pine/Cross Dover, kicking off with King Richard TLH, epitomizing from the outset the classic chugga chugga desert rock sound in a nutshell. This song makes me want to get up to get down, swing my limbs around the room and air drum to the max. Which, after doing so left me injured, but on a futuristic trip through nostalgia at the cusp of the desert rocking it’s best.

Aside from the belting opener, stand out tracks include the blissful Always, pounding with its repetitive drum beats and guitar riffs commonly associated to bands in the Palm Desert scene. The instrumental Johnny’s Dream, broadens the sound and style of Masters of Reality to something more then what many have said to be within the realms of stoner rock. Johnny’s Dream is pure end credit music and an awakening to the bands’ previous explorations. Further tracks to download include Absinthe Jim and Me, and the juggernaut Up In It, with Dave Catching playing guest guitar on the former – a fellow member of the desert rock scene and collaborator to many Josh Homme projects, including touring with Eagles of Death Metal last year. Masters of Reality, who add a dash of dark riff house blues to complete their newest record, are for anyone who has overplayed their Queens of the Stone Age records (which does happen) and are after a darker and deeper foray into the light of desert rock at it’s best. Due to tour the UK supporting The Cult in early 2011, if you’re into psychedelic, desert rock and dirty riffs, this is a band you don’t want to miss.

Masters of reality Pine

Masters of Reality return with their latest mind altered offering to master their, price well, dosage reality. Their sixth and latest record Pine/Cross Dover is a welcome return of the classic American desert kings who have many rock and roll fingers in many Palm Desert pies. Although released in 2009, buy the record is making waves over in the UK now. Presented as two halves, the question is Pine/Cross Dover, their first record in five years, any good?

As a pretty big Queens of the Stone Age fan, I was keen to dip my toe into the pool of rock and branch away from my Tension Head (a track which has incidentally been on my top five records for the last decade), let my ears broaden their taste and listen to fellow desert rockers Masters of Reality, which although I was quite familiar with them I hadn’t fully appreciated. Main member and founder Chris Goss has produced many QOTSA records, and so it’s a clear lineage many make associating the two bands together. To my bountiful joy I was pleased with what I heard in the shape of Pine/Cross Dover, kicking off with King Richard TLH, epitomizing from the outset the classic chugga chugga desert rock sound in a nutshell. This song makes me want to get up to get down, swing my limbs around the room and air drum to the max. Which, after doing so left me injured, but on a futuristic trip through nostalgia at the cusp of the desert rocking it’s best.

Chris Goss
Chris Goss – something of a character!

Aside from the belting opener, stand out tracks include the blissful Always, pounding with its repetitive drum beats and guitar riffs commonly associated to bands in the Palm Desert scene. The instrumental Johnny’s Dream, broadens the sound and style of Masters of Reality to something more then what many have said to be within the realms of stoner rock. Johnny’s Dream is pure end credit music and an awakening to the bands’ previous explorations. Further tracks to download include Absinthe Jim and Me, and the juggernaut Up In It, with Dave Catching playing guest guitar on the former – a fellow member of the desert rock scene and collaborator to many Josh Homme projects, including touring with Eagles of Death Metal last year. Masters of Reality, who add a dash of dark riff house blues to complete their newest record, are for anyone who has overplayed their Queens of the Stone Age records (which does happen) and are after a darker and deeper foray into the light of desert rock at it’s best. Due to tour the UK supporting The Cult in early 2011, if you’re into psychedelic, desert rock and dirty riffs, this is a band you don’t want to miss.

Masters of reality Pine

Masters of Reality return with their latest mind altered offering to master their, approved well, approved reality. Their sixth and latest record Pine/Cross Dover is a welcome return of the classic American desert kings who have many rock and roll fingers in many Palm Desert pies. Although released in 2009, the record is making waves over in the UK now. Presented as two halves, the question is Pine/Cross Dover, their first record in five years, any good?

As a pretty big Queens of the Stone Age fan, I was keen to dip my toe into the pool of rock and branch away from my Tension Head (a track which has incidentally been on my top five records for the last decade), let my ears broaden their taste and listen to fellow desert rockers Masters of Reality, which although I was quite familiar with them I hadn’t fully appreciated. Main member and founder Chris Goss has produced many QOTSA records, and so it’s a clear lineage many make associating the two bands together. To my bountiful joy I was pleased with what I heard in the shape of Pine/Cross Dover, kicking off with King Richard TLH, epitomizing from the outset the classic chugga chugga desert rock sound in a nutshell. This song makes me want to get up to get down, swing my limbs around the room and air drum to the max. Which, after doing so left me injured, but on a futuristic trip through nostalgia at the cusp of the desert rocking it’s best.

Chris Goss
Chris Goss – something of a character!

Aside from the belting opener, stand out tracks include the blissful Always, pounding with its repetitive drum beats and guitar riffs commonly associated to bands in the Palm Desert scene. The instrumental Johnny’s Dream, broadens the sound and style of Masters of Reality to something more then what many have said to be within the realms of stoner rock. Johnny’s Dream is pure end credit music and an awakening to the bands’ previous explorations. Further tracks to download include Absinthe Jim and Me, and the juggernaut Up In It, with Dave Catching playing guest guitar on the former – a fellow member of the desert rock scene and collaborator to many Josh Homme projects, including touring with Eagles of Death Metal last year. Masters of Reality, who add a dash of dark riff house blues to complete their newest record, are for anyone who has overplayed their Queens of the Stone Age records (which does happen) and are after a darker and deeper foray into the light of desert rock at it’s best. Due to tour the UK supporting The Cult in early 2011, if you’re into psychedelic, desert rock and dirty riffs, this is a band you don’t want to miss.


Illustration by Faye West

Recently in the midst of London Fashion Week (S/S 2011 already I hear you say?!) I had the chance to interview a designer who’s no stranger to the bi-annual tradition, buy nor Amelia’s Magazine. Her last interview with us took place before Fashion Week in February when the Minna brand was early in its second year and we have since seen her A/W 2010 collection provide a culmination of gothic lace and textured velvet loved by many.

But this year Minna was back to show at Estethica again, view so it was time to catch up with her whilst eyeing up her S/S 2011 look.


Minna at Estethica. All photography by Jemma Crow

So you’re back for another season within Esthetica, illness how do you think this collection is different to your others and what are you hoping to offer to the customer?
Well this season we are going back to what we do best; hand finished and truly-vintage looking pieces. We wanted each piece to look like it was a ‘one of a kind.’ This is something we achieve by tea dying vintage lace and leaving the hemlines slightly frayed. The end result is a collection of beautiful feminine pieces that are designed to suit every shape and size. I’m very excited about this collection as we’ve put into good use everything that we’ve learnt about the customer and what she wants for the past two years.


Illustration by Antonia Parker

Sounds exciting. So what has been you real drive and inspiration behind the SS11 collection?
Well I love summer so designing this collection is always the easiest for me and is always lots of fun; the only problem is that I had too many ideas to put into work. I suppose the inspiration me and my team worked from was based around the ‘Alice in Wonderland’ movie of which my daughter is a huge fan (and Minna herself could watch all day long), both other inspirations came from laid back summer afternoons in the South of France where I spend a lot of time with my family. I think it’s the slow pace of life there and the beautiful architecture to see that puts me into a creative mood.

The A/W 2010 looks on the website are beautiful and very gothic. The Claudia dress especially is amazing and very inspirational. Who do you see as your customer and where do you imagine her wearing the pieces? Is it something that you bear in mind when you create the look?
In the winter I am always craving darker pieces so that’s what I love to create for my customer. I also a big fan of creating pieces that are functional and think dresses are the perfect mix of functionality and fashion; that’s the reason there were no tops in my A/W 2010 collection. I think I directed [the collection] towards a more mature audience and I think it’s apparent that as I get older so does my design style. But it’s about not being too serious; I think its important to pay attention to the little details and the collar on the Claudia dress (very Peter Pan-esque) adds just the right amount of playfulness.

Too right that they’re not too serious (and who in fashion should be?!). I have a bit of a crush on that piece right now to kick start my autumn winter look. And from a (recently) London girl what do you think of the style in our capital? How does it compare with the Finnish style you experienced at home?
What I love about the Brits is that they’re not afraid of breaking the rules; and I’m a big believer that the rules are there to be broken. People over here aren’t just following the trends, they have their own individual style that they translate into so many different looks in their outfits. I think you’re lucky to have the British High Street here as it’s the best in the world; its cheap and accessible but it also makes it very hard for smaller brands to compete with the Primark and Topshop’s of the world.
Finland is completely different and it’s a very expensive and tricky market to break into but if you can crack it then Finnish customers are amongst the most loyal I know. In fact you can probably count on one hand the number of brands in the market. Weather is also a big issue out there though and the Finnish need like their pieces to be simple and serviceable whilst still following the trends. They have to be functional and people have to have a functional winter wardrobe to get through the seasons.
Saying this I am surprised every time I visit Finland again as there’s a new generation of fearless fashionista’s emerging who but their pieces over the internet and aren’t afraid to experiment with fashion. After all, Fashion should be fun and that’s what I try to create with my pieces and what I hope the customer gets from them too.

Thank you so much, Minna. Sounds like a great philosophy to have when looking at a collection and SS11 sounds like it will be a great year for you. I’m looking forward to it already! And put me on the list for a Claudia dress too, as you say everyone needs a functional winter wardrobe. Thanks and congratulations for London Fashion Week.

Categories ,Antonia Parker, ,estethica, ,ethical, ,Faye West, ,finland, ,interview, ,lace, ,London Fashion Week, ,Minna, ,S/S 2011, ,vintage

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2011 Catwalk Review: Spijkers & Spijkers

Illustration by Andrea Peters

The title of Spijkers & Spijkers S/S 2011 collection “Where the Wild Roses Grow, physician ” takes it name from the ballad made famous for it’s unexpected pairing of “good girl” Kylie and bad man “Nick Cave.” In the infamous video Kylie character Elisa Day, seek a nameless murder victim drifts in the river reeds as a modern Ophelia. Nick Cave, medicine describing the murder in the first person, documents the fallout from a desire to preserve beauty as it is for ever more in the place “where wild roses grow”.

Illustration by Andrea Peters

Stories or Ballads are often the source for inspiration behind a designer’s collection, which can be translated into the feel of the collection or the materials used however, in the case of Spijkers & Spijkers the creation of multiple Elisa Day’s being sent down the catwalk. The series of dresses, trousers and jumpsuits where the main characteristic could be described as desired innocence, the lace panels and the application of roses indicate a relationship between the designers and the idea of innocence lost through a desperate act of preservation.

The collection consisted of digital print, high cut flared shorts, 70′s silk shirts and several skirts that were so short you could only wear them if you were born with bambi legs. Which is really only a look of the very young or those who have a pedant for crimp hair.

Innocence is often portrayed as a positive characteristic and innocence lost is continually mourned – as so brilliantly shown in Oscar Wilde’s The Portrait Of Dorian Grey – and easily manipulated. This S/S 2011 collection is definitely Spring like in the use of material, more often associated with childhood holidays in Mid-Summer France, with dresses and skirts made from polka dotted thick cotton in a bright clean white.

Illustration by Naomi Law

The press release details the designers’ desire to bring out the beauty in women of all ages, rather than only in youth as documented in “Where the Wild Roses Grow,” whilst a commendable idea (one portrayed in the Guardian’s Fashion Spread “All Ages”) the collection adorned only a singular type of women on the catwalk itself, tall, slim and blonde. If this was a collection to challenge ideas of beauty where was the young, the old or even a model average size?

spijkers en spijkers by Alia Gargum
Illustration by Alia Gargum

Spijkers and Spijkers have previously been described as designers who challenge concepts of femininity, a challenge currently lost in white lace and their singular choice of model. Whilst the clothes are very wearable in their continuation of the presence of the 70′s on all catwalks, for A/W 2011 lets hope the designers return to questioning female stereotypes in the production of beauty which denies the inherent misogyny of “Where the Wild Roses Grow”.

Categories ,Blow PR, ,Kylie Minogue, ,lace, ,London Fashion Week, ,Nick Cave, ,onoff, ,Rose Print, ,S/S 2011, ,Spijkers & Spijkers, ,Victoria House, ,Where the Wild Roses Grow

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2011 Catwalk Review: Spijkers & Spijkers

Illustration by Andrea Peters

The title of Spijkers & Spijkers S/S 2011 collection “Where the Wild Roses Grow, physician ” takes it name from the ballad made famous for it’s unexpected pairing of “good girl” Kylie and bad man “Nick Cave.” In the infamous video Kylie character Elisa Day, seek a nameless murder victim drifts in the river reeds as a modern Ophelia. Nick Cave, medicine describing the murder in the first person, documents the fallout from a desire to preserve beauty as it is for ever more in the place “where wild roses grow”.

Illustration by Andrea Peters

Stories or Ballads are often the source for inspiration behind a designer’s collection, which can be translated into the feel of the collection or the materials used however, in the case of Spijkers & Spijkers the creation of multiple Elisa Day’s being sent down the catwalk. The series of dresses, trousers and jumpsuits where the main characteristic could be described as desired innocence, the lace panels and the application of roses indicate a relationship between the designers and the idea of innocence lost through a desperate act of preservation.

The collection consisted of digital print, high cut flared shorts, 70′s silk shirts and several skirts that were so short you could only wear them if you were born with bambi legs. Which is really only a look of the very young or those who have a pedant for crimp hair.

Innocence is often portrayed as a positive characteristic and innocence lost is continually mourned – as so brilliantly shown in Oscar Wilde’s The Portrait Of Dorian Grey – and easily manipulated. This S/S 2011 collection is definitely Spring like in the use of material, more often associated with childhood holidays in Mid-Summer France, with dresses and skirts made from polka dotted thick cotton in a bright clean white.

Illustration by Naomi Law

The press release details the designers’ desire to bring out the beauty in women of all ages, rather than only in youth as documented in “Where the Wild Roses Grow,” whilst a commendable idea (one portrayed in the Guardian’s Fashion Spread “All Ages”) the collection adorned only a singular type of women on the catwalk itself, tall, slim and blonde. If this was a collection to challenge ideas of beauty where was the young, the old or even a model average size?

spijkers en spijkers by Alia Gargum
Illustration by Alia Gargum

Spijkers and Spijkers have previously been described as designers who challenge concepts of femininity, a challenge currently lost in white lace and their singular choice of model. Whilst the clothes are very wearable in their continuation of the presence of the 70′s on all catwalks, for A/W 2011 lets hope the designers return to questioning female stereotypes in the production of beauty which denies the inherent misogyny of “Where the Wild Roses Grow”.

Categories ,Blow PR, ,Kylie Minogue, ,lace, ,London Fashion Week, ,Nick Cave, ,onoff, ,Rose Print, ,S/S 2011, ,Spijkers & Spijkers, ,Victoria House, ,Where the Wild Roses Grow

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2011 Presentation Review: Eun Jeung

Illustration by Jo Cheung

The organised chaos of London Fashion Week has begun (NB: at the time of writing, find it was the end of the second day) and apart from the excitement at spotting various London boutique owners, pills mild celebrities and the increasing chances of seeing a model stumble from the heady heights of unstable shoes. The week is of course, about FASHION.

From the stalwarts of John Rocha and Betty Jackson to the increasing number of designers titled as “ones to watch,” it is a (to put it mildly) a frantic dash from venue to queue to venue to queue and back to the BFC for a quick cuppa before starting all over again. London Fashion Week is an incredibly enjoyable dash to get to all the events in time, but a dash none the less.

On Friday (17th September 2010) Amelia’s Magazine had the pleasure of touching base with Eun Jeong’s S/S 11 static presentation in the alcoves of the Russell Chambers in Covent Garden. The designer’s studio presentation was set amidst the odd jumble of relics frequently obtained during the industrious weeks leading up to London Fashion Week.

The press pack moved hapazadly through the three rooms of the exhibition documenting the clothes positioned on mannikins or the exceptionally pretty seated or standing models who occupied the fringes of the space, within and enclosed by the detritus of the design process.

Illustration by Jo Cheung

One of the presentation rooms consisted entirely of props painted white, which rather effectively set off the crystal-embellished shoes. The white dresses saw a return to the draping with which Eun Jeung won the Fashion Fringe award in 2008.

The main room – whose entrance was achieved after a brisk walk up five flights of stairs – where the models were positioned, produced an eye catching jumpsuit, whose beautifully delicate floral pattern was reminiscent of Future Classics.

The third attic room occupied solely by mannikins included a dress which resonated in its simplicity. The tunic was completed by intricate black beading contrasted with delicate drapes across the breadth of the dress.

Looking at the standard of Eon Jeung’s designs for S/S 2011, it is hard to believe that it was only a few years ago Eun Jeong graduated from THAT Central Saint Martin’s MA.

Illustration by Jo Cheung

During the lead up to the S/S 2011 collections, Amelia’s Magazine heard the rather exciting news that Eun Jeong is also an illustrator – Eun we would love to see your drawings!

Categories ,british fashion council, ,draping, ,Eun Jeong, ,Fashion Fringe, ,floral, ,illustrations, ,Jo Cheung, ,lace, ,London Fashion Week, ,S/S 2011, ,Saint Martins MA, ,SS11

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Catwalk Review: Inbar Spector

Inbar Spector SS12 by Gilly Rochester
Inbar Spector S/S 2012 by Gilly Rochester.

I was entirely new to Inbar Spector this London Fashion Week, advice having heard of the Israeli born designer from devotee Gabby Young just a day before the show. Gabby frequently wears Inbar Spector on stage and was of course in attendance on the front row.

Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 by Jane Young
Inbar Spector S/S 2012 by Jane Young.

The fabulously named Inbar Spector has become well known for complex constructions and rich fabrics, and this seasons collection was no different. It featured a strong gothic 80s feel in favoured materials such as zips, chains, lace and faux leather (in line with her strict vegetarian beliefs). For her S/S 2012 collection Inbar Spector was inspired by a great fire which destroyed the majority of her home town in Israel: visions of violence, fire and terrifying medical situations were all fed into the mix. She writes on the press release about the anticipation and excitement that is tinged with fear when Israelis go to any big public event or party in Israel. Hence a certain spikiness in the styling.

Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory

The show opened with a lacy garment over which was worn a loose patchwork metallic embossed jacket. Models were styled with scary haystack hair, a line of grips stacking up behind their ears. It was certainly a break with current hair styling trends.

Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
LFW Inbar Spector S/S 2012 by Celine Choo
Inbar Spector S/S 2012 by Celine Choo.

Severe catwalk lighting meant that models gained a beautiful backlit halo as they neared the photographers’ pit, with every contour highlighted. Luckily the models also stopped right in front of me to allow the audience a closer look at the garments. An oversized silvery coat was my favourite of the outerwear but the faux leather worked just as well in a short golden dress. Delicate materials wrapped around the body in tangled layers, melding with the metallics.

Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory

Then out strode a model wearing the most breath-taking bubble dress made out of gossamer light material as if to resemble a wonky christmas fold out paper decoration. Another shorter tutu style dress in palest peach was paired with gold leather and yet another version entirely encased the body in intricate folds. I have no idea how Inbar Spector achieved these looks but they were quite staggering. The final two dresses were even more spectacular – the first in heaped tiers of frothy cream that wrapped around the model’s neck. The second showstopper would have been fit to dress a fairy atop the christmas tree – a vast concertina-ed dress made entirely in laser cut gold fabric. Astonishing and very unique.

Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory
Inbar Spector S/S 2012. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Inbar Spector SS 2012 review-photo by Amelia Gregory gabby young
The beautiful Gabby Young.

Categories ,80s, ,Celine Choo, ,Fashion Scout, ,Faux Leather, ,gabby young, ,Gilly Rochester, ,gothic, ,Inbar Spector, ,Israel, ,Jane Young, ,lace, ,leather, ,lfw, ,London Fashion Week, ,London Kills Me, ,review, ,S/S 2012, ,Task PR, ,vegetarian, ,Violence

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week A/W 2011, Catwalk Review: Bernard Chandran (by Helen)

Eudon_Choi_BY_Avril_Kelly
I’m going to say saddles. And horses. It’s not just because there was a saddle on the invite to the show. You couldn’t escape the leather straps at Eudon Choi. I wasn’t entirely sure what they were all for, page but they were clearly beautifully soft and of the highest quality. One of the outfits a model wore, discount involved an all in one – I think, check I’d have to study it at closer range – contraption, that worked like braces and a belt. The braces went down to the top of the thighs and featured gold loops and studs. Worn with a white shirt and beige skirt, it was very old English, equestrian. Open toe wedge boots were worn with short black dresses. Navy, orangey browns, tans, greys and rusty colours were prominent. Nothing too artificial, or over the top. You could imagine wearing these to work. The funnel neck coats, a line skirts, three quarter length sleeves and loose shouldered pieces, were all positively clean and sharp. I personally liked a long sleeved floaty dress, with a wide diagonal off white stripe across the body, from the neck to the hemline. It had a very high waisted leather belt, almost making it empire lined, and looked feminine and understated.

The skirts got shorter and then wider as the show continued. A wide grey/cream, short coat, made an appearance. It featured two strips of brown leather towards its hem, and looked tailored to perfection. The floatier dressses hit midi length and full length, with slits to the thigh. This were looser and strapless or had a single knotted strap, over the shoulder.

Everything felt very structured, slightly confined and purposeful.
Eugon_Choi2_by_Karolina_Burdon

Eudon Choi LFW A/W 2011 Collection, illness illustration by Karolina Burdon
I’m going to say saddles. And horses. It’s not just because there was a saddle on the invite to the show. You couldn’t escape the leather straps at Eudon Choi. I wasn’t entirely sure what they were all for, but they were clearly beautifully soft and of the highest quality. One of the outfits a model wore, involved an all in one – I think, I’d have to study it at closer range – contraption, that worked like braces and a belt. The braces went down to the top of the thighs and featured gold loops and studs. Worn with a white shirt and beige skirt, it was very old English, equestrian. Open toe wedge boots were worn with short black dresses. Navy, orangey browns, tans, greys and rusty colours were prominent. Nothing too artificial, or over the top. You could imagine wearing these to work. The funnel neck coats, a line skirts, three quarter length sleeves and loose shouldered pieces, were all positively clean and sharp. I personally liked a long sleeved floaty dress, with a wide diagonal off white stripe across the body, from the neck to the hemline. It had a very high waisted leather belt, almost making it empire lined, and looked feminine and understated.

Eudon_Choi_BY_Avril_Kelly

Eudon Choi LFW A/W 2011 Collection, illustration by Avril Kelly
The skirts got shorter and then wider as the show continued. A wide grey/cream, short coat, made an appearance. It featured two strips of brown leather towards its hem, and looked tailored to perfection. The floatier dressses hit midi length and full length, with slits to the thigh. This were looser and strapless or had a single knotted strap, over the shoulder.

Everything felt very structured, slightly confined and purposeful.
Eugon_Choi2_by_Karolina_Burdon

Eudon Choi LFW A/W 2011 Collection, abortion illustration by Karolina Burdon
I’m going to say saddles. And horses. It’s not just because there was a saddle on the invite to the show. You couldn’t escape the leather straps at Eudon Choi. I wasn’t entirely sure what they were all for, this but they were clearly beautifully soft and of the highest quality. One of the outfits a model wore, involved an all in one – I think, I’d have to study it at closer range – contraption, that worked like braces and a belt. The braces went down to the top of the thighs and featured gold loops and studs. Worn with a white shirt and beige skirt, it was very old English, equestrian. Open toe wedge boots were worn with short black dresses. Navy, orangey browns, tans, greys and rusty colours were prominent. Nothing too artificial, or over the top. You could imagine wearing these to work. The funnel neck coats, a line skirts, three quarter length sleeves and loose shouldered pieces, were all positively clean and sharp. I personally liked a long sleeved floaty dress, with a wide diagonal off white stripe across the body, from the neck to the hemline. It had a very high waisted leather belt, almost making it empire lined, and looked feminine and understated.

Eudon_Choi_BY_Avril_Kelly

Eudon Choi LFW A/W 2011 Collection, illustration by Avril Kelly
The skirts got shorter and then wider as the show continued. A wide grey/cream, short coat, made an appearance. It featured two strips of brown leather towards its hem, and looked tailored to perfection. The floatier dressses hit midi length and full length, with slits to the thigh. This were looser and strapless or had a single knotted strap, over the shoulder.

Everything felt very structured, slightly confined and purposeful. Asked how he would describe an Eudon Choi woman, the designer said: “She likes to stand out from the crowd yet look stylish and sophisticated. She looks individual, with an edge.” That’s perfectly achieved.

Eugon_Choi2_by_Karolina_Burdon

Eudon Choi LFW A/W 2011 Collection, healing illustration by Karolina Burdon
I’m going to say saddles. And horses. It’s not just because there was a saddle on the invite to the show. You couldn’t escape the leather straps at Eudon Choi. I wasn’t entirely sure what they were all for, order but they were clearly beautifully soft and of the highest quality. One of the outfits a model wore, involved an all in one – I think, I’d have to study it at closer range – contraption, that worked like braces and a belt. The braces went down to the top of the thighs and featured gold loops and studs. Worn with a white shirt and beige skirt, it was very old English, equestrian. Open toe wedge boots were worn with short black dresses. Navy, orangey browns, tans, greys and rusty colours were prominent. Nothing too artificial, or over the top. You could imagine wearing these to work. The funnel neck coats, a line skirts, three quarter length sleeves and loose shouldered pieces, were all positively clean and sharp. I personally liked a long sleeved floaty dress, with a wide diagonal off white stripe across the body, from the neck to the hemline. It had a very high waisted leather belt, almost making it empire lined, and looked feminine and understated.

Eudon_Choi_BY_Avril_Kelly

Eudon Choi LFW A/W 2011 Collection, illustration by Avril Kelly
The skirts got shorter and then wider as the show continued. A wide grey/cream, short coat, made an appearance. It featured two strips of brown leather towards its hem, and looked tailored to perfection. The floatier dressses hit midi length and full length, with slits to the thigh. This were looser and strapless or had a single knotted strap, over the shoulder.

Everything felt very structured, slightly confined and purposeful. Asked how he would describe an Eudon Choi woman, the designer said: “She likes to stand out from the crowd yet look stylish and sophisticated. She looks individual, with an edge.” That’s perfectly achieved.

Eugon_Choi2_by_Karolina_Burdon

Eudon Choi LFW A/W 2011 Collection, information pills illustration by Karolina Burdon

I’m going to say saddles. And horses. It’s not just because there was a saddle on the invite to the show. You couldn’t escape the leather straps at Eudon Choi. I wasn’t entirely sure what they were all for, shop but they were clearly beautifully soft and of the highest quality. One of the outfits a model wore, involved an all in one – I think, I’d have to study it at closer range – contraption, that worked like braces and a belt. The braces went down to the top of the thighs and featured gold loops and studs. Worn with a white shirt and beige skirt, it was very old English, equestrian. Open toe wedge boots were worn with short black dresses. Navy, orangey browns, tans, greys and rusty colours were prominent. Nothing too artificial, or over the top. You could imagine wearing these to work. The funnel neck coats, a line skirts, three quarter length sleeves and loose shouldered pieces, were all positively clean and sharp. I personally liked a long sleeved floaty dress, with a wide diagonal off white stripe across the body, from the neck to the hemline. It had a very high waisted leather belt, almost making it empire lined, and looked feminine and understated.

Eudon_Choi_BY_Avril_Kelly

Eudon Choi LFW A/W 2011 Collection, illustration by Avril Kelly

The skirts got shorter and then wider as the show continued. A wide grey/cream, short coat, made an appearance. It featured two strips of brown leather towards its hem, and looked tailored to perfection. The floatier dressses hit midi length and full length, with slits to the thigh. This were looser and strapless or had a single knotted strap, over the shoulder.

Everything felt very structured, slightly confined and purposeful. Asked how he would describe an Eudon Choi woman, the designer said: “She likes to stand out from the crowd yet look stylish and sophisticated. She looks individual, with an edge.” That’s perfectly achieved.

Eugon_Choi2_by_Karolina_Burdon

Eudon Choi LFW A/W 2011 Collection, advice illustration by Karolina Burdon

I’m going to say saddles. And horses. It’s not just because there was a saddle on the invite to the show. You couldn’t escape the leather straps at Eudon Choi. I wasn’t entirely sure what they were all for, but they were clearly beautifully soft and of the highest quality. One of the outfits a model wore, involved an all in one – I think, I’d have to study it at closer range – contraption, that worked like braces and a belt. The braces went down to the top of the thighs and featured gold loops and studs. Worn with a white shirt and beige skirt, it was very old English, equestrian. Open toe wedge boots were worn with short black dresses. Navy, orangey browns, tans, greys and rusty colours were prominent. Nothing too artificial, or over the top. You could imagine wearing these to work. The funnel neck coats, a line skirts, three quarter length sleeves and loose shouldered pieces, were all positively clean and sharp. I personally liked a long sleeved floaty dress, with a wide diagonal off white stripe across the body, from the neck to the hemline. It had a very high waisted leather belt, almost making it empire lined, and looked feminine and understated.

Eudon_Choi_BY_Avril_Kelly

Eudon Choi LFW A/W 2011 Collection, illustration by Avril Kelly

The skirts got shorter and then wider as the show continued. A wide grey/cream, short coat, made an appearance. It featured two strips of brown leather towards its hem, and looked tailored to perfection. The floatier dressses hit midi length and full length, with slits to the thigh. This were looser and strapless or had a single knotted strap, over the shoulder. The look was very together. Like the women who carry small tubes of expensive moisturiser and have ipad covers made from baby goat leather. And an actual ipad or four. The woman who is organised and controlled. Wears Chanel’s Red No.5 lipstick and doesn’t mind a bit of hard business with her espresso. She doesn’t even have time to look at you up and down darling, she’s too busy looking ahead.

Everything felt very structured, slightly confined and purposeful. Asked how he would describe an Eudon Choi woman, the designer said: “She likes to stand out from the crowd yet look stylish and sophisticated. She looks individual, with an edge.” That’s perfectly achieved.

Eugon_Choi2_by_Karolina_Burdon

Eudon Choi LFW A/W 2011 Collection, this site illustration by Karolina Burdon

I’m going to say saddles. And horses. It’s not just because there was a saddle on the invite to the show. You couldn’t escape the leather straps at Eudon Choi. I wasn’t entirely sure what they were all for, information pills but they were clearly beautifully soft and of the highest quality. One of the outfits a model wore, information pills involved an all in one – I think, I’d have to study it at closer range – contraption, that worked like braces and a belt. The braces went down to the top of the thighs and featured gold loops and studs. Worn with a white shirt and beige skirt, it was very old English, equestrian. Open toe wedge boots were worn with short black dresses. Navy, orangey browns, tans, greys and rusty colours were prominent. Nothing too artificial, or over the top. You could imagine wearing these to work. The funnel neck coats, a line skirts, three quarter length sleeves and loose shouldered pieces, were all positively clean and sharp. I personally liked a long sleeved floaty dress, with a wide diagonal off white stripe across the body, from the neck to the hemline. It had a very high waisted leather belt, almost making it empire lined, and looked feminine and understated.

Eudon_Choi_BY_Avril_Kelly

Eudon Choi LFW A/W 2011 Collection, illustration by Avril Kelly

The skirts got shorter and then wider as the show continued. A wide grey/cream, short coat, made an appearance. It featured two strips of brown leather towards its hem, and was tailored to perfection. The floatier dressses hit midi length and full length, with slits to the thigh. These were looser, most strapless or with a single knotted strap, over the shoulder. The look was very together. Like the women who carry small tubes of expensive moisturiser and have ipad covers made from baby goat leather. And an actual ipad or four.

Everything felt very structured, slightly confined and purposeful. Asked how he would describe an Eudon Choi woman, the designer said: “She likes to stand out from the crowd yet look stylish and sophisticated. She looks individual, with an edge.” That’s perfectly achieved. Organised and controlled, a wearer of Chanel’s Red No.5 lipstick. She positively thrives over a bit of hard business with her espresso. Not a second to spare, she doesn’t even have time to look you up and down darling. Too busy looking ahead.

Eugon_Choi2_by_Karolina_Burdon

Eudon Choi LFW A/W 2011 Collection, ambulance illustration by Karolina Burdon

I’m going to say saddles. And horses. It’s not just because there was a saddle on the invite to the show. You couldn’t escape the leather straps at Eudon Choi. I wasn’t entirely sure what they were all for, but they were clearly beautifully soft and of the highest quality. One of the outfits a model wore, involved an all in one – I think, I’d have to study it at closer range – contraption, that worked like braces and a belt. The braces went down to the top of the thighs and featured gold loops and studs. Worn with a white shirt and beige skirt, it was very old English, equestrian. Open toe wedge boots were worn with short black dresses. Navy, orangey browns, tans, greys and rusty colours were prominent. Nothing too artificial, or over the top. You could imagine wearing these to work. The funnel neck coats, a line skirts, three quarter length sleeves and loose shouldered pieces, were all positively clean and sharp. I personally liked a long sleeved floaty dress, with a wide diagonal off white stripe across the body, from the neck to the hemline. It had a very high waisted leather belt, almost making it empire lined, and looked feminine and understated.

Eudon_Choi_BY_Avril_Kelly

Eudon Choi LFW A/W 2011 Collection, illustration by Avril Kelly

The skirts got shorter and then wider as the show continued. A wide grey/cream, short coat, made an appearance. It featured two strips of brown leather towards its hem, and was tailored to perfection. The floatier dressses hit midi length and full length, with slits to the thigh. These were looser, most strapless or with a single knotted strap, over the shoulder. The look was very together. Like the women who carry small tubes of expensive moisturiser and have ipad covers made from baby goat leather. And an actual ipad, or four.

Everything felt very structured, slightly confined and purposeful. Asked how he would describe an Eudon Choi woman, the designer said: “She likes to stand out from the crowd yet look stylish and sophisticated. She looks individual, with an edge.” That’s perfectly achieved. Organised and controlled, a wearer of Chanel’s Red No.5 lipstick. She positively thrives over a bit of hard business with her espresso. Not a second to spare, she doesn’t even have time to look you up and down darling. Too busy looking ahead.

emma_block_chandran_2_AW11

Bernard Chandran LFW A/W 2011, pilule illustration by Emma Block

I’d call the day: ‘mizzley’. This is a term I robbed from the Cornish, as it so aptly describes the mix of misty rain, murk and the consequential frizzy hair. Joy. Thus standing in the rain, not so fun. Luckily the power of the coloured sticker, whizzed me and my companion for the day, illustrator Emma Block, straight through the monster doors. We were seated in a grand hall. A ballroom, a destination for pretty dresses, pizazz and parties. How fitting that Bernard Chandron is promising so many modern twists to this whole ball swirling around the room, soiree into the small hours, affair.

‘With a futuristic yet luxurious feel, the designs are functional and sexy with an effortless edge. Known for his sharp cuts and innovative silohettes, we see new refinements in the cut. The silohettes are structured, with nipped in waistlines. The sleeves are inspired by sportwear but given a chic treatment.’

Bernard_Chandran_by_Madi

Bernard Chandran LFW A/W 2011, illustration by Madi Illustrates

I don’t normally quote press releases, but I kept reading this paragraph over and over. Imagining the designs. I do adore some future luxury, don’t you? I mean, what is it? Sounds modern. In my mind I was thinking distinctly ball like. I was hoping for some edgy, sporty dancing numbers. They’d be so perfect in this chandelier rammed, gold edged haven. After I had finished pondering on this, I realised, with a half empty hall, there was obviously going to be a wait before the show started. So I arranged my English weather paraphrenalia again, before checking I hadn’t lost my camera another four times. Then had a proper look around. I saw the gentleman who appears to be a fixture on the front row. Always enormous, with the sheer quantity of his multi-coloured/fabric type layers, and looking distinctly as if he has just eaten something vile. Relatively old, I hold on to the hope that he was a lesser known design extradordinaire in the 60s. With a shop somewhere on King’s Road, he left to live in a caravan in Peru, before returning in the 90s. To kick some fashion ass. And take up the FROW. You just know he has been wearing velvet slippers and long, silk dressing gowns as everyday wear since ‘The Start’.

I asked Emma if she could see anyone she recognised. Perhaps a super, hot shot Editor, or a celebrity? She said she could only see Matt Bramford. I say only, but in reality, we both acknowledged his obvious celebrity. He couldn’t see us however (and DO people wave at LFW?). In the row before us, a lady sat with enormous, spiked shoulders. I looked down and Emma had drawn her, beautifully. I looked down at my own notebook, with bizarre doodles and random words ‘TEAL’, ‘GOTHIC’, ‘POW’, etc. strewn all over it. Hmmm.

emma_block_chandran_AW11

Bernard Chandran LFW A/W 2011, illustration by Emma Block

It was nice being with Emma, who was very excited to see her first show. I couldn’t wait to see her illustration in full action as well. And eventually, it went dark. Then stayed dark for absolutely ages, before super cool music started banging out and the models began their parade. Clearly unafraid of colour, Chandran‘s pieces were bold; organges, pinks, reds and electric blue, with black punctuating the pops of colours. Everything felt structured, indeed – like space – but also fun and actually joyously fluid. Some of the pieces had a little dominatrix vibe, with zips, points and tighter structures. Most of these were fitted close to the body and pencil shaped. A number also came with a hard, curvy little peplum, sticking out on one side, adding to the futuristic vibe and pizazz. In contrast, if the aforementioned fitted dresses were the futuristic, luxury space women, the show’s feathered dresses were the residents of a brightly coloured planet, like Bond’s Dr No. Juxtaposing the closely fitted pieces,Chandran‘s show featured a few of these utterly gorgeous feather pieces. These were looser, shorter, and came with the addition of beautiful movement. The tiny, brightly coloured feathers danced together with the strides of the models. With a life of their own, they were swirling, liberating and modern. These dresses stood out for me.

Chandran uses leather, silk, wool, velvet, jersey and lace. He also uses a top stiching technique, which involves the mixing and matching of fabrics to create tartans. One of which in the show, involved a diamond cross hatch effect, and was coloured grey, with black detailing. This was a stand alone, gorgeous dress, but it also complimented the bright pallette, and thus would look utterly fantastic with super bright shoes. Detailing was also very evident in Chandran‘s show. Zips, 3D buttons and the peplums, strongly featured throughout. The overall look was a strong, confident woman. Unafraid of the future, she wears unusual details, with innate attitude, and colour with relish. Bright inspiration, I wondered how Emma would replicate the strength of colour and movement with her pencils. Sure that she would with ease. Her eyes were alert with all that they had seen. I took a photo of her by the catwalk and we wandered off for a cup of tea down the road. Shame London looked so grey today.

Categories ,Bernard Chandran, ,colour, ,Emma Block, ,fashion, ,Helen Martin, ,lace, ,leather, ,lfw, ,LFW 2011, ,LFW A/W 2011, ,Madi Illustrates, ,Matt Bramford, ,Northumberland House

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week A/W10 – Iris Van Herpen Catwalk Review

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_2

When the news of Lee Alexander McQueen’s untimely death broke only a week before the start of London Fashion Week, about it everybody quite rightly predicted that the event would become a tribute to the late designer. They were right.

Harold Tillman, approved chair of the British Fashion Council, information pills opened Fashion Week paying tribute to McQueen, speaking of his ‘extraordinary impact’ on both British and international fashion, and inviting us to join in a minute’s silence.

Sarah Brown continued the tributes, to a crowd of McQueen wearers, saying that fashion week would be ‘a reflective time with the passing of Lee McQueen’.

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_MAIN

A tribute wall, erected in the main area, was covered in hand-written postcards in only a number of hours. These included Sarah Brown herself, esteemed designers, colleagues, press and the public alike.

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_4

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_3

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_11

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_5

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_6

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_7

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_8

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_9

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_10

Over at On|Off, a bunch of iPods had been set into the wall, each containing a different McQueen collection, inviting the attendees to scroll through the images. I could have looked at this for hours.

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_1

Read our full tribute here.
LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_2

When the news of Lee Alexander McQueen’s untimely death broke only a week before the start of London Fashion Week, dosage everybody quite rightly predicted that the event would become a tribute to the late designer. They were right.

Harold Tillman, view chair of the British Fashion Council, order opened Fashion Week paying tribute to McQueen, speaking of his ‘extraordinary impact’ on both British and international fashion, and inviting us to join in a minute’s silence.

Sarah Brown continued the tributes, to a crowd of McQueen wearers, saying that fashion week would be ‘a reflective time with the passing of Lee McQueen’.

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_MAIN

A tribute wall, erected in the main area, was covered in hand-written postcards in only a number of hours. These included Sarah Brown herself, esteemed designers, colleagues, press and the public alike.

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_4

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_3

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_11

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_5

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_6

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_7

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_8

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_9

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_10

Over at On|Off, a bunch of iPods had been set into the wall, each containing a different McQueen collection, inviting the attendees to scroll through the images. I could have looked at this for hours.

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_1

Read our full tribute here.
LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_2

When the news of Lee Alexander McQueen’s untimely death broke only a week before the start of London Fashion Week, order everybody quite rightly predicted that the event would become a tribute to the late designer. They were right.

Harold Tillman, drug chair of the British Fashion Council, opened Fashion Week paying tribute to McQueen, speaking of his ‘extraordinary impact’ on both British and international fashion, and inviting us to join in a minute’s silence.

Sarah Brown continued the tributes, to a crowd of McQueen wearers, saying that fashion week would be ‘a reflective time with the passing of Lee McQueen’.

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_MAIN

A tribute wall, erected in the main area, was covered in hand-written postcards in only a number of hours. These included Sarah Brown herself, esteemed designers, colleagues, press and the public alike.

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_4

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_3

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_11

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_5

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_6

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_7

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_8

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_9

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_10

Over at On|Off, a bunch of iPods had been set into the wall, each containing a different McQueen collection, inviting the attendees to scroll through the images. I could have looked at this for hours.

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_1

Read our full tribute here.
LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_2
A fashionista reflects on Friday morning, erectile wearing a McQueen scarf

When the news of Lee Alexander McQueen’s untimely death broke only a week before the start of London Fashion Week, ambulance everybody quite rightly predicted that the event would become a tribute to the late designer. They were right.

Harold Tillman, chair of the British Fashion Council, opened Fashion Week paying tribute to McQueen, speaking of his ‘extraordinary impact’ on both British and international fashion, and inviting us to join in a minute’s silence.

Sarah Brown continued the tributes, to a crowd of McQueen wearers, saying that fashion week would be ‘a reflective time with the passing of Lee McQueen’.

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_MAIN

A tribute wall, erected in the main area, was covered in hand-written postcards in only a number of hours. These included Sarah Brown herself, esteemed designers, colleagues, press and the public alike.

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_4

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_3

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_11

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_5

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_6

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_7

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_8

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_9

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_10

Over at On|Off, a bunch of iPods had been set into the wall, each containing a different McQueen collection, inviting the attendees to scroll through the images. I could have looked at this for hours.

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_1

Read our full tribute here.
LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_2
A fashionista reflects on Friday morning, cheapest wearing a McQueen scarf

When the news of Lee Alexander McQueen’s untimely death broke only a week before the start of London Fashion Week, dosage everybody quite rightly predicted that the event would become a tribute to the late designer. They were right.

Harold Tillman, chair of the British Fashion Council, opened Fashion Week paying tribute to McQueen, speaking of his ‘extraordinary impact’ on both British and international fashion, and inviting us to join in a minute’s silence.

Sarah Brown continued the tributes, to a crowd of McQueen wearers, saying that fashion week would be ‘a reflective time with the passing of Lee McQueen’.

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_MAIN

A tribute wall, erected in the main area, was covered in hand-written postcards in only a number of hours. These included Sarah Brown herself, esteemed designers, colleagues, press and the public alike.

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_4

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_3

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_11

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_5

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_6

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_7

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_8

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_9

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_10

Over at On|Off, a bunch of iPods had been set into the wall, each containing a different McQueen collection, inviting the attendees to scroll through the images. I could have looked at this for hours.

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_1

Read our full tribute here.
LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_2
A fashionista reflects on Friday morning, ambulance wearing a McQueen scarf

When the news of Lee Alexander McQueen’s untimely death broke only a week before the start of London Fashion Week, capsule everybody quite rightly predicted that the event would become a tribute to the late designer.

Harold Tillman, healing chair of the British Fashion Council, opened Fashion Week paying tribute to McQueen, speaking of his ‘extraordinary impact’ on both British and international fashion, and inviting us to join in a minute’s silence.

Sarah Brown continued the tributes, to a crowd of McQueen wearers, saying that fashion week would be ‘a reflective time with the passing of Lee McQueen’.

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_MAIN

A tribute wall, erected in the main area, was covered in hand-written postcards in only a number of hours. These included Sarah Brown herself, esteemed designers, colleagues, press and the public alike.

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_4

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_3

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_11

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_5

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_6

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_7

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_8

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_9

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_10

Over at On|Off, a bunch of iPods had been set into the wall, each containing a different McQueen collection, inviting the attendees to scroll through the images. I could have looked at this for hours.

LFW_AlexanderMcQueen_1

Read our full tribute here.
The Dutch diva of leather manipulation continues to impress with an absolutely stunning parade of shimmering leather lace body halos and sweeping dresses. First appearing 3 seasons ago with fine wire cages made of umbrella spokes, cost Van Herpen’s successive collections have seen her finesse leather into an altogether stunnning feat of material manipulation.

irisvanherper-aw10-katie-harnett
Iris Van Herpen illustrated by Katie Harnett

This season’s helios-orange shimmer-backed leather laces were twisted to reveal and conceal as they wrapped around arching shoulders, ampoule floor length dresses and even massive platforms. A performer herself, ambulance most of these dresses are stage ready and we can easily guess which songstress in particluar will be bouncing about in one of these in her next video.

Fear not though most pieces in this collection were extremely wearable for ladies… and the occasional gentleman as she demonstrated by sending a young man down the runway in one of her more basic boxy frocks. And in those platforms, without a single misstep, we girls now have no excuse!

IrisVanHerpen1
Iris Van Herpen A/W10 photo courtesy of: Sabrina Morrison

One minidress with bustier detailing is elegantly adorned with pinches and twists of laser cut leather strips, finishing in a halter neck. A gorgeous example of her handicraft paired with what appeared to be etched leather.

Iris11
Iris Van Herpen A/W10 photo courtesy of: Sabrina Morrison

A long pigeon grey dress shifted a harness of elegantly draped leather laces from knee to knee the model strutted down the catwalk turning to reveal a sheer black back. Appearing in her usual palette of ecru, black and copper there was also the occasional accent of purple to offset the glowing metallics.

Iris7
Iris Van Herpen A/W10 photo courtesy of: Sabrina Morrison

A graduate of Artez Academy in Holland, Van Herpen has drawn past imagery from ancient Egyptians, smoke and birds. This season it was radiation waves. Her frequent allusions to corsetry both in structure and surface detail are still fully present. What is fantastic to see is that as her ambitious pieces develop so is her flattering sense of the human form. Materials no longer dictate and demand but now seem to be taking cues from their handler.

Categories ,artez, ,designer, ,dutch, ,fashion, ,Iris Van Herpen, ,lace, ,leather, ,London Fashion Week, ,textiles

Similar Posts: