Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week AW15 Exhibition Stands Report including Fashion Scout and Me London

Typical Freaks
In my final AW15 London Fashion Week round up I take a peek at a few of the designers on the stands. At Fashion Scout I got chatting to Sonia Xiao of Typical Freaks, which is a collaborative project with partner Seun Ade-Onojobi. The new collection was inspired by the chaos of dog shows and features baggy layer able hand painted and embellished clothing in pastel brights. Loved it!

Cats Brothers pompoms
At the main London Fashion Week stands my eye was immediately attracted to this massive coat covered with pompoms by Cats Brothers, who specialise in heavily embellished garments that strike a statement.

Pitchouguina
This season Pitchouguina was obsessed with drawing hands, adding unusual statement embroideries such as this to the front of garments.

Emma Shipley
The Emma J Shipley luxury scarf brand goes from strength to strength thanks to her detailed drawing skills and eye for beautiful colour combinations. She recently collaborated with Disney to produce a special Tinkerbell range, profiled on her excellent blog.

Achtland flamingos
Achtland is brand new to LFW, founded by German duo Oliver Luhr and Thomas Bentz but now headquartered in London. I absolutely adored this fun flamingo applique sweat top from the latest collection.

Sadie Williams flowers
Sadie Williams clothing
I love the work of New Gen designer Sadie Williams, who specialises in the application of fancy textiles techniques such as quilting and applique, combined with sheers in a signature bright metallic palette. Love the quirky flower arrangement too.

Min Wu
Min Wu earrings
The new collection by Min Wu features supercute details like these metallic pocket ruffles. Her 3D printed earrings can be made in any colour way and featuring removable spinning interiors.

JD Cruz bags
As a former textile designer I was attracted to the fabulous colourful splashes on these printed leather bags by JD Cruz.

Beautiful Soul lollipops
At the Fashion at Me London showcase I caught up with Nicola Woods of Beautiful Soul, whose floral covered collections grow ever stronger. Loved the stand covered in false hydrangeas and featuring these fabric covered lollies.

Frank by David Longshaw
This little guy is called Frank, the newest character created by fashion designer David Longshaw, who skilfully combines illustration and fashion design to create unique garments.

Vielma dark tales
Finally, Vielma showcased new collection Dark Tales in the bitterly cold entrance to the hotel, featuring expert tailoring and skeleton prints.

Categories ,A/W 2015, ,Achtland, ,AW15, ,Beautiful Soul, ,Cats Brothers, ,Dark Tales, ,David Longshaw, ,Emma J Shipley, ,Fashion at Me London, ,Fashion Scout, ,Frank, ,JD Cruz, ,London Fashion Week, ,me london, ,Min Wu, ,New Gen, ,Nicola Woods, ,Oliver Luhr, ,Pitchouguina, ,Sadie Williams, ,Seun Ade-Onojobi, ,Show report, ,Sonia Xiao, ,Thomas Bentz, ,Typical Freaks, ,Vielma

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Amelia’s Magazine | Fashion Scout Graduate Showcase 2013: New Talent at London Fashion Week S/S 2014

Xiao Lin SS 2014 1 by xplusyequals
Xiao Li S/S 2014 by xplusyequals.

A rainy Sunday London Fashion Week afternoon was spent uncovering a treasure trove of new talent at the Fashion Scout Graduate Presentation at Freemason’s Hall. Here is an insight into what the finest fashion graduates in the UK are producing during the early stages of their career.

LFW Sept 2013-Angus Chiang
Neon floral spacesuit by Angus Chiang.

LFW Sept 2013-Maiko Takeda blue
LFW Sept 2013-Maiko Takeda
Maiko Takeda by Saara Karppinen
Maiko Takeda by Saara Karppinen.

The selection varied immensely, from a bold giant floral spacemen by Angus Chiang from the Shih-Chien University in Taiwan, to the architectural spiked perspex head pieces by Royal College of Art graduate Maiko Takeda.

LFW Sept 2013-Xiao Li
LFW Sept 2013-Xiao Li close up
Xiao Li MA Show Fashion Illustration by Rose Petal Deer (Emily Katherine Reader)
Xiao Li by Rose Petal Deer (Emily Katherine Reader).

But it was the knitwear that really stood out to me, with two graduates in particular pushing this traditional craft into modern new realms. Plump pastel knitwear by Royal College of Art graduate Xiao Li had a wonderfully voluminous shape, combining innovative materials and head turning proportions to make a real impact. Who says wrapping up has to be just about comfort?

Xiao Lin
Xiao Li, photography by Kerry Flint.

Jaimee McKenna
Jaimee McKenna, photography by Kerry Flint.

LFW Sept 2013-Jaimee Mckenna
Jaimee Mckenna by Esther Hong
Jaimee Mckenna by Esther Hong.

Central Saint Martins graduate Jaimee Mckenna had also produced a striking collection of cobalt blue knit dresses that stood out in the dimly lit hall. Closer inspection revealed intricate pleating and multiple layers of knitted lambswool that had been expertly crafted by Jaimee Mckenna to form strong rigid structures that still had movement.

LFW Sept 2013-Lauren Smith Edinburgh
LFW Sept 2013-Lauren Smith Edinburgh close up
Close up detail of dress by Lauren Smith from Edinburgh College of Art.

LFW Sept 2013-Carrie Ann Stein CSM
LFW Sept 2013-Carrie Ann Stein CSM
Intricate textured fabrics by Carrie Ann Stein from Central Saint Martins.

LFW Sept 2013-Min Wu LCF
Dress by Min Wu from the London College of Fashion.

LFW Sept 2013-Sadie Williams
Amazing red metallic A-line maxi dress by Sadie Williams of Central Saint Martins.

This well curated showcase of work by the best UK fashion graduates was an arousing insight into the rapidly changing future of the fashion industry, and for now, it seems, the future is in knit.

All photography by Amelia Gregory unless otherwise stated.

Categories ,Angus Chiang, ,Carrie Ann Stein, ,Central Saint Martins, ,Emily Katherine Reader, ,Esther Hong, ,Fashion Scout, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,graduates, ,graduates 2013, ,Jaimee McKenna, ,knitwear, ,Lauren Smith, ,London College of Fashion, ,London Fashion Week, ,Maiko Takeda, ,Min Wu, ,New Talent, ,Rose Petal Deer, ,Royal College of Art, ,Saara Karppinen, ,Sadie Williams, ,Shih-Chien University, ,Xiao Li, ,xplusyequals

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Amelia’s Magazine | Ikebana AW15: An interview with fashion designer Sadie Williams

Sadie Williams by Bonaramis
Sadie Williams by Bonaramis.

Fashion designer Sadie Williams was inspired by the 1962 Best of Ikebana book on Japanese flower arranging to create a bold and innovative AW15 collection that features multiple textile techniques and a glorious mash up of fabrics. Here she tells us more…

Sadie Williams AW15
Where did you study on BA and MA and what were the best aspects of your courses?
BA in Fashion Design at Brighton. Best aspects were the technical training this gave you, and the amazing tutorship of Jane Shepherd, who introduced us young, clueless first years to many many brilliant and inspiring aspects to this vast industry. She also and helped us to develop into stronger designers, and taught us that we should be unafraid of creating something extreme, bizarre or seemingly ‘anti-fashion’.

Sadie Williams AW15
MA on the ‘Textiles For Fashion’ pathway of the MA Fashion course at Central Saint Martins. This is where I finally felt like I found ‘my thing’, through lots of learning through mistakes! It was tough, but the best thing I have ever done. I feel honoured to have been taught by my textile tutor Fleet and the late great Louise Wilson.

Sadie Williams AW15
You’ve been much feted since your MA collection caught imaginations, what has been the best outcome of this?
Being able to continue working creatively and express myself and my vision, sometimes this is in collaboration with another brand or project and more recently under my own label. I have also loved being able to travel and meet so many brilliant people along the way. It’s all still very much a learning curve.

Sadie Williams AW15
Your collections are defined by sleek silhouettes, what is it about such graphic shapes that appeals to you?
For me, I really focus on creating the textiles, often quite laboured (multi-layered, printed, quilted, appliqued, embossed etc). I love clean simple silhouettes and feel that partnering them with my textiles is both cool and necessary way to present my work in a stronger and clearer way, and avoid the danger of fussy garments being overworked or theatrical.

Sadie Williams AW15
How do you source so many different types of metallic fabrics?
Always on the look-out! But also, I create a lot of different metallic fabrications through altering/re-working existing fabrics using various techniques, for example bonding shimmering transparent fabrics over satins or lurex, weaving metallic ribbons into fabrics, or stiffening flimsy loose-weave lurex by embossing and bonding it.

Sadie Williams AW15
What fabrics are your favourite kind to work with and why?
I think it’s clear that I rather like lurex! But honestly, I just really love working with all sorts of textiles. I love being set a project/job where I have to work with a fabric that I wouldn’t normally select myself, for example, one of my favourite projects form the CSM MA was working with lace, which I doubt I would ever have considered before.

Sadie Williams AW15
I understand you are in the process of moving studios, where is the new one and what would we see if we came to visit?
It’s in East London, Haggerston, right by the canal! There’s a lot of rolls of fabric! Shelves full of books and mags, lots of portfolio boxes, my heat-press, sublimation printer sewing machine, mannequin etc. Lots of crafty things like wire, plasticine, coloured acetates and tons of different kinds of papers (which I often use for making our animations). All the things I need to do what I do!

Sadie Williams AW15
I loved your latest collection, inspired by Ikebana flower arrangements, what was the process of translating the Best of Ikebana books into wearable garments?
It was more the idea of translating the spirit of those beautiful 1960’s images of floral arrangements into my work, rather than a visual translation. I liked the way that they were subtly vibrant, and very playful and fun yet so composed and still at the same time. I hope that makes sense! I worked with my friend Georgina Norris to create accompanying floral arrangements using the leathers that were featured in my collection, so we used these in my installation spaces at London and Paris fashion week, and I always intended to pair them up with imagery of my garments into a printed and digital lookbook.

How did you include techniques such as weaving, quilting and applique?
I wove together some brilliant vintage Indian ribbons that I sourced from a market stall in Shepherds Bush. In fact I bought up all his stock! I appliqued these as decorative patched onto the fronts of tops. I also used applique to apply metallic leather onto fine silk-prganza, which was actually pretty tricky and took a lot of sampling. It’s a multi-step process involving machine-sewing the leather and organza between layers of a specialist translucent quilting paper, which you can then tear away. I quilted a few lurex garments, by sewing around the print design through lyers of wadding and onto a backing fabric.

Sadie Williams AW15
Do you have any other collaborations with your brother Joe Williams on the horizon?
He is currently on a trip travelling for a few months, but we have an agent, and so when the right projects come up and we are both available, then yes! And I would love to work with him again to illustrate some of my own work again in the near future.

What’s next for Sadie Williams, can we expect another full collection next season and if so can you give us a clue about your new inspiration?
I am definitely going to be applying for NewGen sponsorship again for SS16, so fingers crossed! And I am afraid I’m going to keep my lips sealed at the moment!

Categories ,AW15, ,Best of Ikebana, ,Bonaramis, ,Central Saint Martins, ,East London, ,Fleet, ,Georgina Norris, ,Haggerston, ,Ikebana, ,interview, ,Jane Shepherd, ,japanese, ,Joe Williams, ,Louise Wilson, ,Lurex, ,Metallic, ,Newgen, ,Sadie Williams, ,University of Brighton

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