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Amelia’s Magazine | University of Central Lancashire: Graduate Fashion Week 2012 Catwalk Review

Hayley Harrison GFW 2012 UCLan by Alice Hair

Hayley Harrison by Alice Hair

Before attending my first Graduate Fashion Week show, I had a little look around the stands to see what would jump out at me without the glitz and glamour of the catwalk. University of Central Lancashire immediately got my attention thanks to full-sized toiles of Xiaoping (Fiona) Hwang‘s intricately pleated clothing on display. I chatted with UCLan lecturer Kate Ball, who gave me her tips of who to look out for on the catwalk. Xiaoping was on her list, as well as Claire Acton‘s hair-inspired silhouettes with oversized perspex hair clips, Talia Golchin who created silhouettes based on old Victorian brothel imagery and Emma Guilfoyle who experimented with large-scale prints of John Major. “It all sounds a bit mad but it’s done in a really innovative way,” assured Kate, and after flipping through student portfolios and seeing amazing use of colour, pattern and a healthy dose of illustration (always good) I was ready for the catwalk show.

Claire Acton

Claire Acton GFW 2012 UCLan by Alia Gargum

Claire Acton opened the show with, well exactly what lecturer Kate Ball described, but much better than I imagined. Fun ideas are great, but fun ideas produced to this standard are amazing. Fabric was turned into strong graphic lines by clever strips cut to look like hair, pinned out of the way of the printed faces peeking underneath. Young, exciting and colourful, Claire was a perfect choice to open the show with, and the use of perspex accessories (which seemed to be everywhere this graduate fashion week) was spot-on. Claire has already been raved about in the press for her impressive collection, as well as a runner-up for the Gold Award. I’m expecting we’ll see more of her brilliantly executed work soon.

Talia Golchin

Talia Golchin GFW 2012 UCLan by Alia Gargum

For Talia’s collection curvy, illustrated female figures balanced on top of oversized masculine boiler suits or floaty dresses printed with lips and moustaches. It may not be to everyone’s taste, but I could appreciate the strength of the concept here: much like something a Vivienne Westwood or Masion Martin Margiela in-the-making would do, it was bold wearable art that challenged what you would expect to see on a catwalk.

Hayley Harrison

Hayley Harrison GFW 2012 UCLan by Alia Gargum

Hayley Harrison‘s collection was full of loud, eye-popping colour, but done in an exceptionally smart way. Strong lines, crisp structured white shirts and plastic draped as if it was silk made me want to look, look, and look again at her workmanship. Lecturer Kate Ball summed up this year’s graduates by commenting on how much they all experimented with surface pattern and print, which was evident in the hazy polka-dot neon pattern used for this collection.

Hayley Harrison GFW 2012 UCLan by Alia Gargum

I love polka dots- japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, the ‘Princess of Polka Dots‘ uses them in everything, (and has recently collaborated with Louis Vuitton) and while using so many variations in one look could be over-crowded, Hayley Harrison added just enough to each outfit.

Emma Guifoyle

Emma Guilfoyle GFW 2012 UCLan by Alia Gargum

Thatcher-ite style seems to be in big favour recently, and graduate Emma Guilfoyle took it to an incredible level with conceptual fashion. The illustrative John Major print made an appearance with an Andy Warhol-like punch, framed by extended version of 80′s power shoulders. Emma made it beautiful with excellent colour combinations such as mint and white or pink and brown tweed sections, adding little touches such as iridescent pailettes or rosettes emblazoned with ‘Vote!’. I also like that she included a matching bag – a massive part of any female politician’s trademark look.

GFW collection by Emma Guilfoyle
Graduate collection by Emma Guilfoyle

Emma Guilfoyle GFW 2012 UCLan by Alia Gargum

Steph Cunningham

Steph Cunningham GFW 2012 UCLan by Alia Gargum

Trompe l’oeil digital prints with a hint of 90′s Versace: Steph Cunningham hit the mark with patterned suits, dresses and separates in an array of rich colours. I loved the gilded frame print used as an edging to the bottom and waist of a skirt or as the lapels on a coat (reminiscent of Mary Katrantzou), as well as the jumble of images that reminded me of a tapestry, echoing the feminine silhouettes perfectly.

Graduate Collection by Steph Cunningham

Xiaoping (Fiona) Huang
For each graduate’s work I saw, I would put a star next to my notes against a few who really impressed me, and Xiaoping Huang was definitely one of them. Already intrigued by the toiles on the UCLan stand and the heads up from a lecturer, I was not prepared for the incredible collection about to come down the catwalk. Incredible – and I mean incredible as Xiaoping has since been awarded the Zandra Rhodes Textiles award for her work – variations of accordion pleats in a ton of primary colours came bounding down the catwalk. Models changed from stiff structures to delicately shrouded forms in Issey Miyake-like softly pleated silks, then to bouncing, walking, jack-in-the boxes.

Xiaoping (Fiona) Huang GFW 2012 UCLan by Alia Gargum

It was like Xiaoping Huang wasn’t just designing, she was playing with her skills, visually exploring the ways she could stretch her abilities. There was so much to see, and so many details that you could spend forever pouring over. Lecturer Kate Ball told me that Xiaoping is even involved in creating a set of ‘shrinkable furniture‘ and I began to see correlations between her work and Hussein Chalayan‘s famous collapsable, wearable furniture collections.

Graduate Collection by Xiaoping Huang

Seeing how successfully this collection turned out from looking over a teaser toile at the UCLan stand was the perfect end to the show. I cannot wait to see more from Xiaoping Huang, as well as the other graduates from such a talented group. Look out fashion world, there are some super-designers in waiting.

Xiaoping (Fiona) Huang GFW 2012 UCLan by Alia Gargum

Written by Alia Gargum on Friday June 15th, 2012 12:09 pm

Categories ,90s, ,Alice Hair, ,Andy Warhol, ,Claire Acton, ,Earls Court, ,Emma Guilfoyle, ,Gold Award, ,Graduate Fashion Week, ,Hayley Harrison, ,illustration, ,Issey Miyake, ,John Major, ,Kate Ball, ,Louis Vuitton, ,Maison Martin Margiela, ,Mary Kantrantzou, ,shrinkable furniture, ,Steph Cunningham, ,Talia Golchin, ,Textile Award, ,University of Central Lancashire, ,Versace, ,Vivienne Westwood, ,Xiaoping Huang, ,Yayoi Kusama, ,Zandra Rhodes

Amelia’s Magazine | MOSCHINO: London Collections: Men S/S 2015 Catwalk Review

Moschino S/S 2015 by Krister Selin

Moschino was the hottest ticket during London Collections: Men, and the 300-strong queue outside Lindley Hall was testament to that. Inside, the wall had been branded with a huge Moschino decal; cameras whirled above our heads on enormous tripods. The noise was deafening. Everybody seemed a bit sexier and they all had Moschino french fries iPhone cases.

My naivety, and inability to attend fashion weeks other than London-based ones, meant that I felt like I had been transported to a Versace show in Milan in the 1990s. My absolute favourite kind of fashion is trashy Italian fashion – the style of unashamed glamour that the Italians do so well, introduced in the 1980s and infamous in the 1990s. It brought us supermodels, leather chaps on the runway and more ghetto gold than you can shake a stick at. So when I found out that Moschino were to show at London Collections: Men, in our great city for the first time, I knew I’d bend over backwards to get in. Luckily I didn’t have to do that.

Moschino S/S 2015 by Krister Selin

Nobody seemed to be getting in from outside, and as I stood next to a woman dressed head-to-toe in that ridiculous, brilliant McDonald’s inspired ensemble, I envisaged a mass scrum and hours of waiting. I was surprised the show began a mere 20 minutes late. What happened after this is a bit of a blur, the atmosphere was so electric that I think I may have blacked out from excitement at one point.

All photography by Matt Bramford

Dishy models that must have been shipped in from Italy, or perhaps paradise, strode out to the sounds of a 1990s playlist. The first section turned soft drinks and pop culture into suits, t-shirts and swimwear. Then came brightly coloured tops, sweatshirts and bikinis emblazoned with enormous Moschino type.

Chanel 2.55 knock offs with gold Moschino letters replacing the interlocking C’s eveloped one model (above), one of my favourite looks from this show.

Next, on the World Cup bandwagon and a 1990s tip, models wore prints that were happy hardcore smiley faces featuring international flags. More 90s ephemera came in the form of oversized sweatshirts, nylon bomber jackets and black mesh pieces, with a yellow tailcoat tuxedo thrown in for good measure, naturally.

Then came a sort of homage to a range of luxury fashion houses – a mock Louis Vuitton monogram print appeared on jackets and trousers, the LVs replaced with serif Ms. A ‘Fauxchino‘ motif, added to my wishlist, looked so trashy that it could have been bought from a seaside market.

Want to dress like an Hermès carrier bag? Well now you can with Moschino‘s bright orange denim jacket and jeans with black Moschino logo strips. If Hermès isn’t your bag, perhaps a Versace-esque black and gold suit will suffice?

Rhinestone dollar signs and logo sweaters completed this collection:

I love the shocking, shameless abuse of other designer brands to glorious end. That’s a somewhat difficult sentence to type amidst outrageous alleged cases of high street copycats and even fashion powerhouses ripping off London designers, but Jeremy Scott and the label pull off the plagiarism with such panache that nobody seems to bat an eyelid. This blatant disregard for intellectual property has been at the heart of the brand since Franco Moschino launched his eponymous label in 1983. And, if this collection is anything to go by, Scott is without doubt the best person to take the Moschino crown. I’m praying he brings his army of merry men and women back next year.

Written by Matt Bramford on Friday June 27th, 2014 11:18 am

Categories ,1990s, ,catwalk, ,fashion, ,Gucci, ,Hermés, ,Italian, ,Jeremy Scott, ,LCM, ,LCMSS2015, ,Lindley Hall, ,London Collections Men, ,Louis Vuitton, ,menswear, ,Monogram, ,Moschino, ,pop culture, ,review, ,SS15, ,Swimwear, ,Versace, ,Womenswear

Amelia’s Magazine | Jean-Pierre Braganza: London Fashion Week A/W 2012 Catwalk Review

Jean-Pierre Braganza AW 2012 by Catherine Meadows

Jean-Pierre Braganza A/W 2012 by Catherine Meadows

Although Chandelierium was inspired by ‘the sensuality of being covered’ and Victorian women driven to madness by the repression of their concealing clothes, Jean-Pierre Braganza turned constrictive silhouettes into a very wearable collection. As his current S/S 2012 collection was about 1920′s silhouettes and free movement (which I reviewed last London Fashion Week and loved, read about it here) A/W 2012 is all about figures being tailored and moulded by sharp lines. Jean-Pierre Braganza never does things in an expected manner, and played with the idea of how women embraced the dark side of such strict dress to remain in control.

Jean Pierre Braganza AW 2012 by Alia Gargum

All photography by Alia Gargum

After a bit of a wait and shuffle to the Embankment Gallery Show Space and spotting fashion writer legend Colin McDowell, we were let in to get seated and into the mindset of ‘the sensuality of being covered’. It seems that Victorian dress is a big influence for next season, almost a backlash against the vampy vixen type of looks we saw this winter from fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton. Of course, Mr Jean-Pierre Braganza worked his magic and made an originally repressive silhouette just right for 2012. The models stomped down the runway powerfully and with ease, adorned with simple makeup except a metallic lip and beautifully mad hair piled high and cropped short at one temple as if done in a fit of delirium.

Jean Pierre Braganza AW 2012 by Alia Gargum

Jean-Pierre Braganza A/W 2012 by Gareth A Hopkins

Jean-Pierre Braganza A/W 2012 by Gareth A Hopkins

Jean-Pierre Braganza A/W 2012 by Alia Gargum

I particularly liked how corsets, nipped-in waists and high necklines were referenced yet brought into modern day with beautifully psychedelic prints. Chandelierium was the name of one, which was also used on the invite. Each print gave the impression of falling into an image, surrounded by swirls of purples, reds, lilac pink and green, offset by shimmering metallic fabrics. The best thing was that this collection gave the impression of multiple-layered Victorian dress but kept fresh with a mini skirt here and there, relaxed yet oversized sleeves and flowing silks. As the show continued, it was almost as if Jean-Pierre Braganza was referencing women breaking free of the constriction, mixing dropped-waist trousers with some beautifully patterned knitwear or adding a loosely gathered dress.

Jean Pierre Braganza AW 2012 by Alia Gargum

Jean-Pierre Braganza A/W 2012 by Alia Gargum

Jean-Pierre Braganza AW 2012 by Illustrated Moodboard

Jean-Pierre Braganza A/W 2012 by Illustrated Moodboard

As the girls fiercely stomped en masse at the end of the show (perhaps to emote that bit of Victorian madwoman unpredictability) I couldn’t think of anyone who would have difficulty finding a piece just right for them in this collection. Loud prints, structured black and deep purple dresses, beetle-bright metallic jacquard, or simple printed silks were all there but didn’t seem to crowd each other. Jean-Pierre Braganza doesn’t just conjure up a fantasy, he makes it wearable and desirable. As Bad Girls by M.I.A. played the girls out and Jean-Pierre Braganza in to do his final bow, I had to smile as I almost got my camera smacked out of my hands by a model’s hip. These women didn’t feel constricted at all, they were ready to knock A/W 2012 right out.

Jean Pierre Braganza by Jaymie O’Callaghan.

Written by Alia Gargum on Monday February 20th, 2012 11:07 am

Categories ,Alia Gargum, ,Catherine Meadows, ,Chandelierium, ,Colin McDowell, ,Embankment Galleries, ,Embellishment, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,Illustrated Moodboard, ,Jaymie O’Callaghan, ,Jean Pierre Braganza, ,knitwear, ,London Fashion Week, ,London Fashion Week A/W 2012, ,Louis Vuitton, ,M.I.A, ,Madness, ,Metallic, ,print, ,Silk, ,tailoring, ,Victorians, ,Womenswear, ,wool

Amelia’s Magazine | A Review of 50 Fabulous Frocks at the Fashion Museum, Bath

Illustration of 1900s champagne fancy dress costume, unknown maker, by Freddy Thorn.

Like any good birthday bash, it begins with champagne; a bottle of 1904 Veuve Clicquot to be exact, taking the form of an elaborate Edwardian fancy dress ensemble.

Recently listed by CNN as one of the top ten fashion museums in the world, Bath’s Fashion Museum has come a long way since its creation by Doris Langley Moore and the Bath City Council in 1963. This is a varied exhibition, featuring 50 of the fashion museums ‘greatest hits’ with dresses spanning across the ages, from one of the oldest dresses in any UK museum (a 1660 piece affectionately known as the ‘Silver Tissue Dress’) to a fresh-off-the-catwalk 2012 Louis Vuitton piece. Eveningwear sits comfortably by poolside attire, sportswear next to corsets; each dress a snapshot of fashion history.

Illustration of 5 of the 50 dresses by May Van Milllingen.

There are plenty of ‘celebrity’ frocks here: a Christian Dior dress from the 1950s, a Chanel from the 1960s and a Jean-Paul Gaultier from the 1990s just a few of the gems in this collection. With dresses that have graced the pages of Vogue alongside cages and crinolines, these pieces form a dynamic exhibit exploring dresses across the centuries.

Photos of red and navy lace Erdem and black Rocha dress by Chris Moore.

An ostrich feather 1960s Yves Saint Laurent concoction made for ballerina Margot Fonteyn catches my eye as does a Dame Vivienne Westwood regency style dress nestled among the kinds of dresses it’s emulating. A 1940s pink Mickey Mouse aertex dress sits next to a polka-dot housecoat lined with gingham and there’s even a wedding dress from the 1890s among the ranks. These clothes are famous; there’s a red mini dress worn by Ernestine Carter, a former Fashion Editor of The Sunday Times, as well as an Ossie Clark dress literally taken straight out of a David Hockney, Tate painting.

Photos of Poirot dress, Alexander McQueen dress and cream silk ball gown provided by Fashion Museum, Bath & North East Somerset Council.

I go to the exhibit twice, once with my friends on a sunny Saturday and we whizz through it in true tourist fashion (pun intentional) as I snap a few photos. We amble through the corsets and cages, pantsuits and Burberry raincoats, quickly and hungrily. We notice a group of young female museum-goers all wearing the same outfit in alternate colours, each one clad in a pair of converse paired with brightly coloured jeans. I note that in this exhibit, the tables have turned, and the dresses, behind the security of their glass cases, are the audience for our own catwalk as we prance back and forth.

A Vivienne Westwood dress (centre) alongside two dresses from the late 1800s, illustration by Karolina Burdon.

The second time I go by myself on a rainy Sunday and I listen to every single commentary for each dress, writing notes as I go. The other gallery-folk are, like the dresses, a melting pot: families with young children; a few fashion students drawing the dresses in their sketchbooks. Amongst the chatter I can hear loud, excited French. Thirty or so people come and go while I examine the collection.

All photography by Jessica Cook.

While I sit on the floor sucking the end of my pen and agonising over the spelling of ‘Vuitton’, there is a mother and her two children in the museum providing an alternative narrative to the info handsets. “Mummy, what is it?” says child no1. The mother pauses for a second as though thrown off balance by the question, “It’s dresses from the last 50 years,” she says, which is wrong, and I feel the same wince I had as a kid when I first realised that parents aren’t infallible. The exhibition is a celebration that the Fashion Museum is 50 years young, but the dresses themselves span across the ages as far back as the 1600s. Her mistake is understandable, as the date underneath the sign does read 1963- 2013 after all.

Red wool mini dress by André Courrèges, black Ossie Clark gown and 1930s evening dress, illustration by Gareth A Hopkins.

“Wow!” says child no2 as he reaches a dress from the 1800s. “Isn’t it amazing?” says the mother, her eyes alight. “Just like mummy used to wear,” she says pointing at a short, red little number. The children press their faces against the glass as though they are looking into the past.

Photo of champagne bottle dress provided by Fashion Museum, Bath & North East Somerset Council.

The 50 Fabulous Frocks exhibition at the Fashion Museum, Bath is open from 2 February 2013 to the 31st December 2013. Entry is £2.

Written by Jessica Cook on Friday February 8th, 2013 7:33 pm

Categories ,50 Fabulous Frocks, ,Alexander McQueen, ,Bath, ,Bath City Council, ,Birthday, ,celebration, ,Champagne, ,Christian Dior, ,CNN, ,corset, ,David Hockney, ,Doris Langley Moore, ,Dresses, ,Edwardian, ,Erdem, ,Ernestine Carter, ,Eveningwear, ,exhibit, ,fashion, ,Fashion Museum, ,Freddy Thorn, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,history, ,Jean Paul Gaultier, ,Karolina Burdon, ,Louis Vuitton, ,Margot Fonteyn, ,May van Millingen, ,Mickey Mouse, ,museum, ,Ossie Clark, ,Silver Tissue Dress, ,Tate, ,The Sunday Times, ,Veuve Clicquot, ,Vivienne Westwood, ,vogue, ,Wedding Dress, ,Yves Saint Laurent

Amelia’s Magazine | University of Central Lancashire: Graduate Fashion Week 2012 Catwalk Review

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