Laura Bailey

Amelia’s Magazine | Sister by SIBLING: London Fashion Week A/W 2012 Catwalk Review

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Sister by Sibling A/W 2012 by Gaarte

Sister by Sibling A/W 2012 by Gaarte

Twinsets, cardigans, and crew-neck jumpers were all over this Sister by SIBLING A/W 2012 collection, but not as you’ve seen them before. One of the reasons I love SIBLING is that this brand was born out of a trio of designers who wanted to give men’s knitwear an overhaul, striking such a covetable and attention-grabbing luxe look that women started wearing the pieces too. Joe Bates, Sid Bryan and Cozette McCreery dutifully provided Sister by SIBLING, the equally loud leopard-printed, skull-brandishing womenswear brand.

Sister by Sibling A/W 2012 by Jamie Chiu
Sister by Sibling A/W 2012 by Jamie Chiu
Sister by Sibling A/W 2012 by Jamie Chiu

Sister by SIBLING A/W 2012 by Helena Maratheftis

Sister by SIBLING A/W 2012 by Helena Maratheftis

Sister by Sibling A/W 2012 by Jamie Chiu
Sister by Sibling A/W 2012 by Jamie Chiu

This presentation in the Portico Rooms was a pretty hot ticket, judging by the intense jostle for seats and a front row full to bursting with fashion editors. Long-term SIBLING fan Laura Bailey smiled sweetly from her seat in a way that only someone who has had a private preview of the collection does, safe in the knowledge of what is to come. I did my best impression of a similar smile of satisfaction as I’d already drooled over this sparkly, lurex, sequined offering from SIBLING in the Somerset House press exhibition room.

Sister by SIBLING A/W 2012 by Alia Gargum
Sister by SIBLING A/W 2012 by Alia Gargum
Sister by SIBLING A/W 2012 by Alia Gargum

Katie Grand’s in-your-face styling definitely woke up the sleepy crowd (who like me, wanted a lie-in and chose the later showing) by mixing acid-bright pinks, oranges, and purples together for a strong visual punch. The most special touch came in the form of face masks that turned models into faceless sparkling mannequins with incredible pom-poms and hand stitched flower clustered defiantly on top of their heads.

Sister by Sibling A/W 2012 by Gareth A Hopkins

Sister by Sibling A/W 2012 by Gareth A Hopkins

The genius behind this collection and the Sister by SIBLING brand is that it’s easy to wear. Attention-seekers can go for the whole look, and those who like a bit of crazy colourful sparkle without much effort (ahem, me) get an instant outfit by pulling on some knitwear over jeans. I particularly liked how something as traditional as a Scottish Fair Isle jumper was transformed with skulls and clashing neon leopard print.

Sister by SIBLING A/W 2012 by Alia Gargum
Sister by SIBLING A/W 2012 by Jamie Chiu
Sister by SIBLING A/W 2012 by Alia Gargum

As the models walked around the room at the end of the presentation and I resisted the urge to ruffle a pom pom or two, I noticed the shoes. In collaboration with Underground, this means that hopefully the trademark Sister by SIBLING leopard prints and skull Fair Isle teamed with ubiquitous pointy creepers and Chelsea boots may be available to buy next season.

Sister by SIBLING A/W 2012 by Alia Gargum
Sister by SIBLING A/W 2012 by Alia Gargum

Another nice little touch was the brand’s collaboration with Barbie, who they dressed up in miniature versions of the collection and displayed along shelves on their exhibition stand. If Sister by SIBLING can make someone as clean-cut as Barbie look like she’s right at home wearing glittering skulls, neon prints and fully sequinned jumpers, then surely the look can work for anyone. Besides, a full face of sequins or sparkly lurex means less time bothering with hair and makeup: a definite win.

Sister by SIBLING A/W 2012 by Alia Gargum
Sister by SIBLING A/W 2012 by Alia Gargum

All photography by Alia Gargum and Jamie Chiu

Written by Alia Gargum on Saturday February 25th, 2012 1:09 pm

Categories ,Alia Gargum, ,Barbie, ,chelsea boots, ,Cozette McCreery, ,Crepe Sole Creepers, ,Gabriel Ayala, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,Helena Maratheftis, ,Jamie Chiu, ,Joe Bates, ,Katie Grand, ,knitwear, ,Laura Bailey, ,Leopard Print, ,London Fashion Week A/W 2012, ,Neon, ,Portico Rooms, ,Sequins, ,Sid Bryan, ,Sister by Sibling, ,Underground Shoes

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Amelia’s Magazine | Nina Dolcetti: an interview with ethical shoe designer Elisalex Grunfeld de Castro

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Martina Spetlova S/S 2011 by Krister Selin
Martina Spetlova S/S 2011 by Krister Selin.

Fashion designer Martina Spetlova hails from Bohemia in the southern part of the Czech Republic. She studied Chemistry and Biology at university in Prague before coming to London where she was accepted onto a print design BA at Central Saint Martins, sickness despite the absence of a portfolio. Having recently graduated from her MA she is now working on her second collection. En route she has won several prestigious competitions. Studying for an MA at Central Saint Martins seems to open doors.

During her year out from Central Saint Martins she set up a fairtrade embroidery network with women in Pakistan, stuff spending six months living in the area to network between communities and fashion designers, which was great fun but also a lot of responsibility. There was an exhibition in London but sadly the project didn’t last much longer after she left. I am now busy with my own label but I hope to incorporate similar projects into my work in the future. Thanks to her print design background Martina is able to fund her label from the sale of her printed textile designs and she also teaches pattern cutting to a small group of ladies…

Read the rest of this interview and see more illustrations of Martina Spetlova’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.
Nina Dolcetti by Natsuki Otani
Nina Dolcetti by Natsuki Otani.

Were you already considering how to make ethical shoes whilst you were studying at Cordwainers?
Absolutely. I come from a family of ethical fashion pioneers (Orsola de Castro of From Somewhere is my Mum), doctor so it was a no-brainer for me. I know too much about the quantity of waste produced by the fashion industry and the exploitation of people and environment, medicine so of course I was set on running my label as ethically and morally as I could.

When did you first start to work with your signature wedge and what was the process of finding the perfect shape?
The first drawing I did of my signature curved wedge was in a quiet moment at my first Estethica exhibition at London Fashion Week in 2008, when I was eight months pregnant. The wave of inspiration for my next collection had just hit me and I was absorbed in my new designs. It wasn’t until much later that I realised that the curve of the wedge was the exact line, only reversed, of the instep. And thinking about it now, I think the pregnancy definitely had something to do with it too!

Where do you source your materials from? 
I source my offcuts from anywhere and everywhere. I’ve found amazing textured leathers in markets in Spain, been given boxes of beautiful offcuts from other designers, and raided bins in factories. I can find a use for even the smallest scraps. The vegetable tanned leather comes from Italy, and the heels and platforms in cork and wood are hand turned in Norfolk…

Read the rest of this interview and see more illustrations of Nina Dolcetti’s shoes 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.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday February 1st, 2011 3:32 pm

Categories ,ACOFI, ,Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, ,Cordwainers, ,Eco fashion, ,Elisalex Grunfeld de Castro, ,estethica, ,Ethical Fashion, ,footwear, ,From Somewhere, ,Laura Bailey, ,lfw, ,Natsuki Otani, ,Nina Dolcetti, ,Norfolk, ,Offcuts, ,Orsola De Castro, ,spain, ,vegetable tanning

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2011 Esthetica Review

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Illustration by Annejkh Carson
Partimi Dress by Joana Faria
Partimi by Joana Faria.

I probably shouldn’t do this because I actually don’t believe the ghettoisation of ethical designers is a particularly good thing, more about but for ease of storytelling in the grand scheme of things it makes sense to cover the interesting stuff I came across at Esthetica altogether. This is by no means all the stuff I loved, purchase but I’ll be covering others in my upcoming book Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration (with an ethical bent) so for now I’ll just stick to a few that may not have been covered on this blog before….

Martina Spetlova
The Centre for Sustainable Fashion were promoting the work of Martina Spetlova, prescription another MA graduate of Central Saint Martins who has a first degree in chemistry and has set up a fair trade embroidery network between women in Pakistan and designers in the UK. She creates clothes made of interchangeable panels and her recent collection features some interesting garments sponsored by waste from the YKK zip company. She is currently building relationships with mills to use more end of line products that are well suited to the small runs of high end designers, but I do wonder what happens once all that waste has been scooped up.

Somerset House SS2011 Martina Spetlova
Somerset House SS2011 Martina Spetlova
Somerset House SS2011 Martina Spetlova
Octavi Navarro - Martina Spetlova
Martina Spetlova by Octavi Navarro.

Little Glass Clementine
I was really pleased to see my friend Clemmie from Little Glass Clementine exhibiting at Esthetica for the first time. We’ve covered Clemmie before, both for her work drawing attention to the imperilled island of Tuvalu and for her beautifully made jewellery.

LFW SS2011 Little Glass Clementine

I feel quite proud that her necklaces, constructed from found objects and lovingly sourced vintage items, are now finding a much wider audience. Read an interview with her here.

LFW SS2011 Little Glass Clementine
LFW SS2011 Little Glass Clementine
All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Sägen
Over in the Scandinavian corner I was most intrigued to discover the finely detailed work of Sägen, also showing at Esthetica for the first time. This is upcycling at it’s best – taking shards of old porcelain and reinvigorating them for a new life as a piece of delightful one off jewellery.

Somerset House SS2011 Sagen

Choose from twee rose patterns or more modern classic Scandinavian leaf designs, all set in nickel free silver. One massive downside: the website does not seem to cater to the English speaking customer, so one can only hope some UK based buyers have bought into the range.

sagen-katie-harnett
Sägen by Katie Harnett.

Nina Dolcetti
I tried on a pair of Nina Dolcetti bouncy platform shoes at Esthetica, and instantly fell in love… perhaps I could even ride a bike in a pair of these?? Inexplicably the head designer is not called Nina Dolcetti. Elisalex de Castro Peake is a Cordwainers graduate who launched her first upcycled shoe in September 2008 and the brand name Nina Dolcetti – meaning Little Sweets – comes from a combination of her nickname and her grandmother’s maiden name.

Somerset House SS2011 nina dolcetti
Somerset House SS2011 nina dolcetti
Somerset House SS2011 nina dolcetti

All shoes are made in a small factory run factory in East London from off cuts and pre-consumer waste, and she utilises only vegetable tanned leather and sustainably sourced cork and wood. So want a pair to bounce around in, but they’re a leetle bit pricey for me. Well worth it if you earn a decent wage though: I urge you to check them out.

LFW-Nina Dolcetti by Chris Morris
Nina Dolcetti by Chris Morris.

Partimi and Joanna Cave
I love Partimi‘s clean simple designs. Designer Eleanor Dorrien-Smith named her label after the architectural term parti, meaning the conceptual starting point for a project, and she makes beautiful wearable dresses adorned with simple graphic prints.

emma_block_partimi
Partimi by Emma Block.

This season she paid homage to costumes from Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes that her mother had collected at auction. I particularly loved her collaboration with ethical jewellery designer Joanna Cave, and am lusting after a pair of graphic cut out dangly earrings.

LFW SS2011 Partimi
Partimi Long dress by Joana Faria
Partimi earing by Joana Faria
Partimi by Joana Faria.

Oria
This jewellery range is the baby of creative duo Tania Kowalski and Synnove Saelthun, who have worked in the jewellery industry for a combined 25 years. Increasingly concerned wih the social and environmental impact of mining they created Oria in 2007 with an intention to make the supply chain transparent.

Somerset House SS2011 Oria

They source from fair-trade companies, all materials are traceable to point of origin and then the jewellery is made in their London studio. I love the delicate dangly cutout earrings featuring bees and birds.

Oria by Faye West
Oria by Faye West.

Michelle Lowe-Holder
I knew Michelle Lowe-Holder as a clothing designer, but after a break from the industry she’s decided to make a come back as an accessory designer. This was prompted by the realisation that she was always most interested in the details so she decided to be more sustainable and make use of the oodles of waste fabric from old collections – that she still has lying around in her studio – to create some stunning accessories: giant arm, neck and leg pieces are stacked to create dramatic silhouettes.

LFW SS2011 Michelle Lowe-Holder
LFW SS2011 Michelle Lowe-Holder
Michelle Lowe by Michelle Urvall Nyrén
Michelle Lowe-Holder by Michelle Urvall Nyrén.

From Somewhere
From Somewhere has been upcycling waste luxury materials since 1997, and as a bastion of sustainable fashion it was to designer Orsola de Castro that the BFC came when they wanted to set up Esthetica in 2006.

LFW SS2011 Orsola From Somewhere
Orsola de Castro.

This season she has been working with offcuts from Speedo to create a lovely limited edition capsule collection.

speedo_by Alia Gargum
Speedo From Somewhere collaboration by Alia Gargum.

Made
Having just returned from a Fashion Business Club get together with the unexpectedly lucid Laura Bailey I thought I would also mention Made, a jewellery brand “by the people for the people” that is reasonably well known thanks to some high profile branding and wide distribution. They are big on their “designer” collaborations, though not designers I’ve ever heard of: since when was Laura Bailey a jewellery designer anyway? Boy do I want her job. I’m not a massive fan of a lot of their stuff (looks wise), but they do undeniably good things by providing trade for impoverished communities in Africa.

made by natsuki otani
Made by Natsuki Otani.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Friday October 1st, 2010 5:21 pm

Categories ,Alia Gargum, ,Central Saint Martins, ,Centre for Sustainable Fashion, ,Cordwainers, ,Ecofashion, ,Elisalex de Castro Peake, ,Emma Block, ,esthetica, ,ethical design, ,Fashion Business Club, ,Faye West, ,From Somewhere, ,jewellery, ,Joanna Cave, ,Katie Harnett, ,Laura Bailey, ,Little Glass Clementine, ,MADE, ,Martina Spetlova, ,Michelle Lowe-Holder, ,Michelle Urvall Nyrén, ,Nina Dolcetti, ,Octavi Navarro, ,Oria, ,Orsola De Castro, ,Partimi, ,recycling, ,Sägen Butik, ,scandinavia, ,shoes, ,Speedo, ,sustainability, ,Synnove Saelthun, ,Tania Kowalski, ,Tuvalu, ,Upcycling, ,YKK

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2011 Esthetica Review

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Illustration by Annejkh Carson
Partimi Dress by Joana Faria
Partimi by Joana Faria.

I probably shouldn’t do this because I actually don’t believe the ghettoisation of ethical designers is a particularly good thing, more about but for ease of storytelling in the grand scheme of things it makes sense to cover the interesting stuff I came across at Esthetica altogether. This is by no means all the stuff I loved, purchase but I’ll be covering others in my upcoming book Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration (with an ethical bent) so for now I’ll just stick to a few that may not have been covered on this blog before….

Martina Spetlova
The Centre for Sustainable Fashion were promoting the work of Martina Spetlova, prescription another MA graduate of Central Saint Martins who has a first degree in chemistry and has set up a fair trade embroidery network between women in Pakistan and designers in the UK. She creates clothes made of interchangeable panels and her recent collection features some interesting garments sponsored by waste from the YKK zip company. She is currently building relationships with mills to use more end of line products that are well suited to the small runs of high end designers, but I do wonder what happens once all that waste has been scooped up.

Somerset House SS2011 Martina Spetlova
Somerset House SS2011 Martina Spetlova
Somerset House SS2011 Martina Spetlova
Octavi Navarro - Martina Spetlova
Martina Spetlova by Octavi Navarro.

Little Glass Clementine
I was really pleased to see my friend Clemmie from Little Glass Clementine exhibiting at Esthetica for the first time. We’ve covered Clemmie before, both for her work drawing attention to the imperilled island of Tuvalu and for her beautifully made jewellery.

LFW SS2011 Little Glass Clementine

I feel quite proud that her necklaces, constructed from found objects and lovingly sourced vintage items, are now finding a much wider audience. Read an interview with her here.

LFW SS2011 Little Glass Clementine
LFW SS2011 Little Glass Clementine
All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Sägen
Over in the Scandinavian corner I was most intrigued to discover the finely detailed work of Sägen, also showing at Esthetica for the first time. This is upcycling at it’s best – taking shards of old porcelain and reinvigorating them for a new life as a piece of delightful one off jewellery.

Somerset House SS2011 Sagen

Choose from twee rose patterns or more modern classic Scandinavian leaf designs, all set in nickel free silver. One massive downside: the website does not seem to cater to the English speaking customer, so one can only hope some UK based buyers have bought into the range.

sagen-katie-harnett
Sägen by Katie Harnett.

Nina Dolcetti
I tried on a pair of Nina Dolcetti bouncy platform shoes at Esthetica, and instantly fell in love… perhaps I could even ride a bike in a pair of these?? Inexplicably the head designer is not called Nina Dolcetti. Elisalex de Castro Peake is a Cordwainers graduate who launched her first upcycled shoe in September 2008 and the brand name Nina Dolcetti – meaning Little Sweets – comes from a combination of her nickname and her grandmother’s maiden name.

Somerset House SS2011 nina dolcetti
Somerset House SS2011 nina dolcetti
Somerset House SS2011 nina dolcetti

All shoes are made in a small factory run factory in East London from off cuts and pre-consumer waste, and she utilises only vegetable tanned leather and sustainably sourced cork and wood. So want a pair to bounce around in, but they’re a leetle bit pricey for me. Well worth it if you earn a decent wage though: I urge you to check them out.

LFW-Nina Dolcetti by Chris Morris
Nina Dolcetti by Chris Morris.

Partimi and Joanna Cave
I love Partimi‘s clean simple designs. Designer Eleanor Dorrien-Smith named her label after the architectural term parti, meaning the conceptual starting point for a project, and she makes beautiful wearable dresses adorned with simple graphic prints.

emma_block_partimi
Partimi by Emma Block.

This season she paid homage to costumes from Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes that her mother had collected at auction. I particularly loved her collaboration with ethical jewellery designer Joanna Cave, and am lusting after a pair of graphic cut out dangly earrings.

LFW SS2011 Partimi
Partimi Long dress by Joana Faria
Partimi earing by Joana Faria
Partimi by Joana Faria.

Oria
This jewellery range is the baby of creative duo Tania Kowalski and Synnove Saelthun, who have worked in the jewellery industry for a combined 25 years. Increasingly concerned wih the social and environmental impact of mining they created Oria in 2007 with an intention to make the supply chain transparent.

Somerset House SS2011 Oria

They source from fair-trade companies, all materials are traceable to point of origin and then the jewellery is made in their London studio. I love the delicate dangly cutout earrings featuring bees and birds.

Oria by Faye West
Oria by Faye West.

Michelle Lowe-Holder
I knew Michelle Lowe-Holder as a clothing designer, but after a break from the industry she’s decided to make a come back as an accessory designer. This was prompted by the realisation that she was always most interested in the details so she decided to be more sustainable and make use of the oodles of waste fabric from old collections – that she still has lying around in her studio – to create some stunning accessories: giant arm, neck and leg pieces are stacked to create dramatic silhouettes.

LFW SS2011 Michelle Lowe-Holder
LFW SS2011 Michelle Lowe-Holder
Michelle Lowe by Michelle Urvall Nyrén
Michelle Lowe-Holder by Michelle Urvall Nyrén.

From Somewhere
From Somewhere has been upcycling waste luxury materials since 1997, and as a bastion of sustainable fashion it was to designer Orsola de Castro that the BFC came when they wanted to set up Esthetica in 2006.

LFW SS2011 Orsola From Somewhere
Orsola de Castro.

This season she has been working with offcuts from Speedo to create a lovely limited edition capsule collection.

speedo_by Alia Gargum
Speedo From Somewhere collaboration by Alia Gargum.

Made
Having just returned from a Fashion Business Club get together with the unexpectedly lucid Laura Bailey I thought I would also mention Made, a jewellery brand “by the people for the people” that is reasonably well known thanks to some high profile branding and wide distribution. They are big on their “designer” collaborations, though not designers I’ve ever heard of: since when was Laura Bailey a jewellery designer anyway? Boy do I want her job. I’m not a massive fan of a lot of their stuff (looks wise), but they do undeniably good things by providing trade for impoverished communities in Africa.

made by natsuki otani
Made by Natsuki Otani.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Friday October 1st, 2010 5:21 pm

Categories ,Alia Gargum, ,Central Saint Martins, ,Centre for Sustainable Fashion, ,Cordwainers, ,Ecofashion, ,Elisalex de Castro Peake, ,Emma Block, ,esthetica, ,ethical design, ,Fashion Business Club, ,Faye West, ,From Somewhere, ,jewellery, ,Joanna Cave, ,Katie Harnett, ,Laura Bailey, ,Little Glass Clementine, ,MADE, ,Martina Spetlova, ,Michelle Lowe-Holder, ,Michelle Urvall Nyrén, ,Nina Dolcetti, ,Octavi Navarro, ,Oria, ,Orsola De Castro, ,Partimi, ,recycling, ,Sägen Butik, ,scandinavia, ,shoes, ,Speedo, ,sustainability, ,Synnove Saelthun, ,Tania Kowalski, ,Tuvalu, ,Upcycling, ,YKK

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2011 Event Review: Estethica Brunch at Somerset House

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Illustration by Gabriel Ayala

So okay maybe fashion isn’t the most eco conscious industry (shallow, approved us?!) but Estethica is trying to change all that. And, ailment as if you didn’t know, drug it has been for the past four years. Keep up now.

So to celebrate their dedication to producing fair trade clothes for the fashionable crowd they held a brunch at London Fashion Week S/S 11 on Sunday morning (who doesn’t love a glass of fair trade champagne before breakfast?) in Somerset House surrounded by the designers the initiative supports.

And despite starting half an hour late (a room full of fashionista’s sure does heat up) it was an inspiring speech on the perils of how some retailers are bad and some are ever so good. So good in fact that they look after their farmers whilst still making us look good in the clothes we are wearing. Supported by Monsoon, the scheme aims to push eco-fashion to its boundaries by ensuring that their fresh young designer are as creative and relevant to the fashion industry as possible whilst retaining their own creative style.

And a fashion brunch wouldn’t be complete without a speech from the spokesperson; step up to the microphone Miss Laura Bailey! Coincidently the model/designer/writer is launching a collection for Made (by the people for the people) following on from her trip to Africa to experience the work that goes into the pieces first hand. And as a fashion conscious retailer, Made always does some beautiful simple pieces (remember that skull necklace from the Alexa Chung collection) so its no surprise that Bailey has some cute but kitsch earrings and rings to flaunt in her wares.

Illustrated by Gareth Hopkins

When they’re doing such a good thing then it can never be wrong. Right!

Written by Jemma Crow on Monday September 20th, 2010 9:50 pm

Categories ,british fashion council, ,estethica, ,ethical, ,Fair Trade, ,Laura Bailey, ,London Fashion Week, ,MADE, ,Somerset House

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Amelia’s Magazine | Fashion Business Club: Dolly Jones Interviews Laura Bailey

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Illustration by Katie Harnett

Held at the Swarovski Lounge, information pills just off Regent Street, and myself and Amelia enjoyed the hour long talk between Dolly and Laura. Hosted by the Fashion Business Club, drugs it was the first eco talk FBC had ever had. Beginning with some general questions from Dolly about the whys and wheres she got involved, Laura was very realistic and frank about the current situation where sustainable fashion is concerned and the direction it needs to take. She also spoke very openly about her career as a model, and juggling working full time with being a mother: ‘My system is chaos, I sometimes work all night as I don’t want to miss a football match, a ballet recital or anything’.

One of the main issues which cropped up was that ethical fashion is still struggling to find a place in the industry which placing it on an equal footing to mainstream fashion. The reality is that not enough people are supporting the use of sustainable processes and local materials and until this changes it will be difficult to make a significant impact. Another interesting point raised was that many independent fashion designers are green without necessarily labelling themselves as an ‘eco-designer’. Small scale designers tend to work using a much simpler and less costly process, for instance with local rather than international suppliers.

Laura is keen to see her work towards reaching a larger recognition for ethical fashion as ‘a journey to take rather than a message to preach’. I agree, it is so important that consumers understand the importance and take on the idea of sustainable fashion wholly rather than as a fad.


Illustration by Katie Harnett

However, the importance of a trend in the quest to become more ethical is not to be sniffed at. A sustainable Christopher Kane collection at Topshop would fly off the rails. The Vogue.com Green Style Blog is a hit. It’s about finding a way to bring together of the moment, must-buy pieces with a long-term awareness of ethical fashion that is ingrained in the industry. Obviously this is not going to happen overnight and Bailey understands this but refuses to consider herself the ‘eco-warrior’ some have labelled her as. That term is a ‘cliche’ she says, who disregards it quickly when asked by an audience member how she feels about it.

During the question and answer session, some very interesting debates emerged, concerning the real (as opposed to the oft optimistic reported) reaction to ethical clothes. Truth be told, many people will buy stylish clothes at a fair price regardless of how sustainable they are – sustainable fashion needs to be fully intergrated with mainstream fashion for it to survive in the marketplace. I left the talk feeling a mixture between optimistic and somewhat disheartened. Bailey is knowledgeable and honest about how ethical fashion and fair trade is at the moment, and unfortunately it is struggling.

Laura Bailey is an ambassador for Barnados, Oxfam and the fairtrade foundation as well as contributing to several blogs including Vogue’s Green Style and collaborating with ethical fashion label Made.

Written by Florence Massey on Wednesday October 6th, 2010 3:06 pm

Categories ,Courtney Blackman, ,Dolly Jones, ,Ethical Fashion, ,fashion, ,Fashion Business Club, ,FBC, ,Laura Bailey, ,MADE, ,Swarovski, ,Swarovski Crystallized

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Amelia’s Magazine | Fashion Business Club: Dolly Jones Interviews Laura Bailey

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Illustration by Katie Harnett

Held at the Swarovski Lounge, information pills just off Regent Street, and myself and Amelia enjoyed the hour long talk between Dolly and Laura. Hosted by the Fashion Business Club, drugs it was the first eco talk FBC had ever had. Beginning with some general questions from Dolly about the whys and wheres she got involved, Laura was very realistic and frank about the current situation where sustainable fashion is concerned and the direction it needs to take. She also spoke very openly about her career as a model, and juggling working full time with being a mother: ‘My system is chaos, I sometimes work all night as I don’t want to miss a football match, a ballet recital or anything’.

One of the main issues which cropped up was that ethical fashion is still struggling to find a place in the industry which placing it on an equal footing to mainstream fashion. The reality is that not enough people are supporting the use of sustainable processes and local materials and until this changes it will be difficult to make a significant impact. Another interesting point raised was that many independent fashion designers are green without necessarily labelling themselves as an ‘eco-designer’. Small scale designers tend to work using a much simpler and less costly process, for instance with local rather than international suppliers.

Laura is keen to see her work towards reaching a larger recognition for ethical fashion as ‘a journey to take rather than a message to preach’. I agree, it is so important that consumers understand the importance and take on the idea of sustainable fashion wholly rather than as a fad.


Illustration by Katie Harnett

However, the importance of a trend in the quest to become more ethical is not to be sniffed at. A sustainable Christopher Kane collection at Topshop would fly off the rails. The Vogue.com Green Style Blog is a hit. It’s about finding a way to bring together of the moment, must-buy pieces with a long-term awareness of ethical fashion that is ingrained in the industry. Obviously this is not going to happen overnight and Bailey understands this but refuses to consider herself the ‘eco-warrior’ some have labelled her as. That term is a ‘cliche’ she says, who disregards it quickly when asked by an audience member how she feels about it.

During the question and answer session, some very interesting debates emerged, concerning the real (as opposed to the oft optimistic reported) reaction to ethical clothes. Truth be told, many people will buy stylish clothes at a fair price regardless of how sustainable they are – sustainable fashion needs to be fully intergrated with mainstream fashion for it to survive in the marketplace. I left the talk feeling a mixture between optimistic and somewhat disheartened. Bailey is knowledgeable and honest about how ethical fashion and fair trade is at the moment, and unfortunately it is struggling.

Laura Bailey is an ambassador for Barnados, Oxfam and the fairtrade foundation as well as contributing to several blogs including Vogue’s Green Style and collaborating with ethical fashion label Made.

Written by Florence Massey on Wednesday October 6th, 2010 3:06 pm

Categories ,Courtney Blackman, ,Dolly Jones, ,Ethical Fashion, ,fashion, ,Fashion Business Club, ,FBC, ,Laura Bailey, ,MADE, ,Swarovski, ,Swarovski Crystallized

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Amelia’s Magazine | Esthetica – Christopher Raeburn – Parachute

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christopherraeburnParachutes B of B small

The Parachute provides stability whilst free-falling in mid air, dosage in the work of CHRISTOPHER RAEBURN however, view it is not stability that inspires his designs. Conscious of the unpredictable, and even volatile, current conditions of our climate, the garments have been made through the appropriation of old military parachutes. With the Earths sources and materials becoming increasingly scarce, his contemporary designs reform our past’s waste into functional and elegant macs, ponchos and parkas.

RaeburnMacAW09

Following this thread of transformation, the delicate aesthetic of RAEBURN’s garments is quite a world away from the brutality of the materials original military function. The almost transparent qualities of the garments possess a fragility and odd resemblance to the visuals of a jellyfish.

christopherraeburb

Bending the lines of the silhouette with the fabrics play on light, the figure becomes fluid and elusive, deceitfully fragile looking when in reality, cleverly protected from day-to-day urban living.

RAEBURN_PARACHUTEBOMBER

Sustainable clothing’ can’t be just another buzzword that will come and go with the fashions; it is a reaction to a concern and has occurred due to designers having the initiative to take responsibility for the things they produce. Our environment will constantly be changing, and only through sensitive and innovative design will our industries continue.

ChristopherRaeburn

By unearthing the fragments of our past RAEBURN manages to tailor a present equipped for flux and adventure. Adapting a device that functions as a precaution to a dangerous collision, between the impact of man falling hard down to earth, isn’t only a revealing metaphor for the reality shock of industry resource exploitation, it simultaneously demonstrates the ability to successfully (and stylishly) do something about it. These clothes are a sign of combat, ruthless self-critique and action.

Written by Natalie Marie Dray on Thursday October 1st, 2009 2:33 pm

Categories ,Christopher Raeburn, ,design, ,esthetica, ,Ethical Fashion, ,Jackets, ,Parachutes

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