Ada Zanditon and Jo Whiley (Green Innovators) for Chevrolet Volt

LFW Diary AW12: Ada Zanditon (part 2)

Introducing her new collection, ‘Simia Mineralis’ via an enthralling film presentation on the inaugural day of this season’s LFW, Ada Zanditon’s AW12 collection is a triumph. With a title meaning ‘ape of the mineral’, Zanditon’s new offering depicts ‘the human thirst for technology and the consequences of our greed for it’ through an intense colour palette of red, grey and black.

A journey of awaking, the collection deftly uses expressions of shape and form to explore the past, present and future of the human race. Signature silhouettes are reworked, taking inspiration from the structure of metals at the atomic level and layers of the earth from an archaeological yet modern perspective.

With an undercurrent of the Victorian era bubbling beneath the surface, prints are inspired by Pan, the god of nature and the wild, created from intricate repetitions of the designer’s drawings, photographs and paintings of animals.

In keeping with the film short directed by Thomas Knights, the mood and tone of ‘Simia Mineralis’ is frantic and conflicted, seeing swathes of silk geometric prints drawn together effortlessly to create a plethora of glamorous evening dresses and staple jackets and coats.

The showpiece of the collection is a dramatic, yet elegant conceptual tailcoat inspired by the Silverback male gorilla and features a shock of sustainably sourced human hair – highlighting a controversial and expanding sector of the hair and beauty industry. An animal with whom humans share 95-99% of our DNA, Zanditon has an affinity for the Silverback gorilla, exploring the impact of mining on primate species and the consequences of human conflict and poaching which result in increased habitat loss.

An immensely gifted and intellectual designer, Zanditon is in her own league, eschewing cyclical trends and mainstream inspirations to instead reflect her passion for ecology and in particular conservation, exploring the individual and social struggles to resolve both natural and manmade conflicts through a series of simple choices.

A collection of juxtapositions, there is a tension between fluid shapes and strong structures throughout, with a range of textures and cuts creating a cacophony of beautiful garments of varying volume. A scholar of sustainability, this season sees Zanditon work with several luxurious S+E fabrics including fair-trade organic velvet, denim and cotton sateen, British woven wool, up-cycled Chanel tweeds, eel skin and vegetable-tan leather.

Keeping waste to a bare minimum, Zanditon has gone one step further for AW12, reapplying fabric residue from her SS12 collection to create the interior architecture of many of the intricate pieces.

Once again geometric jewellery is produced in collaboration with the wonderful Luca Romanyi, seeing laser-cut and etched walnut dominate, with organic paint, eek skin and vegetable-tanned leather providing exciting accents and embellishments. Lifting a key print of this collection from Zanditon’s original artwork, Romanyi has effortlessly translated it to wood, creating an expertly crafted collection of architectural inspired pieces.

LFW Diary AW12: Ada Zanditon (part 1)

SIMIA MINERALIS HD720 from Thomas Knights on Vimeo.

When I first watched the film presentation to accompany Ada Zanditon’s evocative new collection ‘Simia Mineralis’, I was both stunned and scared in equal measure. A striking and stunning representation of the new range, the film features flame haired model Skye Victoria directed by filmmaker Thomas Knights.

Shot at Dennis Severs’ House, the plot sees a regency maiden relaxing in an ornate house enjoying tea and cupcakes by the fireplace and retiring to bed. It’s at this point that the protagonist’s evening takes a turn for the worse seeing our maiden awake from her slumber in a zombie-like state with raven hair, covered in scratches and bruises.

A short that could have been plucked straight from the mind of Tim Burton himself, the sky is like a churning cauldron and there are horrible sounds and strobing lights accompanying the music, which gets louder and louder to an almost suffocating extent.

Trapped and being chased through a gothic mansion, the protagonist is depicted screaming, recoiling and snarling in between the flashing lights until, when the strobing stops, we see her discover an unconscious – perhaps dead – version of herself on the floor.

Rising from her bed an unquantifiable amount of time later, everything is as it was and the house is still. A fantastic concept this is one of the most progressive and relevant depictions of fashion I’ve seen of late and there is something new to spot with each viewing.

LFW Diary SS12: Ada Zanditon

Each and every season (AW10, SS11, AW11) I wax lyrical about how much I love Ada Zanditon and naturally this season is no exception. As anyone who has met the designer will testify, she is one of the nicest designers around, however it is and always will be her brilliant designs that garner the most attention.

“In the fragile seagrass beds of England’s southeast coast, lives the mythical Poseisus. She begins her metamorphic journey towards the distant tropical shores of Haiti as the rumbled call of the Haitian Kanaval drums ripple and swell the ocean tide, drawing in the ornate Seahorse. She finally emerges from the glistening crystal water, her outer skin transformed into a magnificent Kanaval dress as she steps onto the sand in human form.”

Having presented a film showcasing her SS12 collection entitled Poseisus at Somerset House on the inaugural day of LFW, in some ways you could say that this offering is a departure from what one might expect from this innovative brand. Fusing an East London graffiti cool backdrop with a contrasting colour palette of rather wintry charcoals and blacks, the kooky digital presentation created in collaboration with film makers Andrew and William Ho is fun, memorable and is a great example of how Ada’s eponymous brand continually reinvigorates itself, diversifying and growing with each season.

Another ingenious title for SS12, Poseisus explores themes surrounding Poseidon, the Greek God of the sea, and the fantastical Pegasus, the gleaming white winged horse. Anchored solely in mythology, perhaps more than in previous collections, the fairytale and eccentricity of the collection really shines through, not offering clothes to merely dress-up-in, instead a chance to adopt a piece of theatre into your wardrobe.

Also referencing the form of Greek Goddesses and the elegant structured beauty of the two native species of British seahorse; The Spiny Seahorse and The Short Snouted Seahorse, Poseisus yields enchanting and breathtaking results. Highlighting several new shapes that mimic the structural form of the seahorse and the fluidity of its aquatic environment Ada has created structured crisp outerwear and light, fluid, and voluminous dresses alongside pieces that play on the designer’s trademark geometric cuts. Quirkily referencing the shape of the exoskeleton and the elegant fanned dorsal and caudal fins (that seahorses use to propel themselves as they dance through the water), each appear on the garments as crisp cut shapes and ruffled details extruding from sculptural and heavily structured silhouettes.

The showpiece of the collection, the Athena dress fuses contrasting fluid kaleidoscopic prints with three dimensional structured organza detailing and a distinctive voluminous shoulder. Thematically the collection expresses the interconnected global fragility of island coastal environments in linking British coastal life with the strength, resilience and fierce spirit of Haitian Island life. Echoing both British regality and the creative tribal energy of the Haitian Kanaval in the style and ambience of the pieces, the juxtaposition is also achieved through a combination of luxurious fabrics such as Crepe de chine, French chiffon, a mixture of organic fair-trade materials; cotton shirting, crossweave, denim and jersey. End of the line up-cycled Cumbrian linton tweed and vegetable tanned leather complete the designs and further qualify Zanditon as one of the most prolific S&E designers of her generation.

LFW Diary SS12: Ada Zanditon

ADA Zanditon ss12 from Andrew + WIlliam Ho on Vimeo.

LFW Diary SS12: Ada Zanditon

LCF launch SHOP

Necklace by Michela Carraro

Shoes by Xia Xiao

 Peter Pan collar by Emma Hamshare

Lasercut leather shawl by Natalie Brown

Last week I was thrilled to be invited down to the launch of the LCF pop-up space in central London’s Kingly Court, quirkily and simply titled SHOP. The first ever retail venture of the illustrious fashion university, the SHOP will be open until 28th September. Stocking exclusive and one-off creations by the soon-to-be and internationally famous alumni, the labels on the racks were rather surreal in that they reminded me of a top independent boutique – credit to LCF’s superior teaching and knack for mentoring some of British fashion’s brightest young things, and those of the future.

Artwork by Cecelia Ku

 

Shoes by Aase Hopstock

When myself and two fellow bloggers arrived, the space was sparkling, and funnily, smelt of paint fumes, but in the good way where you get a slightly pleasant head rush and enjoy the newness of a pristine white space. Too many great designers are stocked to mention them all: the ever-lovely Ada Zanditon was giving an interview while we perused – William Tempest, Beatrice Boyle and Hasan Hejazi, to name but a few.

 Pleating by Ewa Kajana

Xia Xiao / Michela Carraro

Laid out rather like a gallery space, student illustrations give the walls some creative impact, while shelves are dotted around cleverly enabling you to walk around them giving two angles to each product. Much like series of art works, each design sold in the SHOP has a unique item number and is signed by the designer and also comes with a statement of authenticity (this reminds me slightly of the concept of Tracey Emin’s bonds – kinda.

 

With special events running throughout the month, celebrities vying to get involved and surprisingly reasonable prices (SHOP canvas print bag £10, free with purchases over £50; many items are between £100-£250, with prices starting at £20 for student work).

Fairer Fashion Footprint (written for SIX Magazine)

At the end of May the SIX team descended on the West-End store of Swedish vintage hipsters Beyond Retro for a sophisticated evening of wine, debate and perhaps more importantly, sustainable shopping. Out in full force for the London School of Economics Student Union Fairer Fashion Footprint event were many an eco-pioneer including several SIX friends such as the Ethical Fashion Forum’s SOURCE magazine and one of SIX’s favourite S+E designer the delightful Ada Zanditon.

Lured to Beyond Retro for such a worthy cause, our motivation was ever-so-slightly boosted by keynote speakers Lucy Siegle and Livia Firth. Offering what could be described as a thrilling and informative overview of the state of the S+E fashion market, the social justice issues associated with fast-fashion and consumer awareness of S+E fashion in the UK.

Having formed a close bond through working on the Green Carpet Challenge for Vogue.com back in 2009, Firth and Siegle often join forces to highlight the social benefits of  S+E fashion, something which was evident in their interaction. Both ladies were firmly on point, with Siegle in particular reeling off the statistics, proving the breadth of her knowledge and in-depth research into the trends, product ion and side-effects of fashion leaving us all in no doubt that she knows the world of S+E fashion inside out.
Read the full article here.

Fresh From The Production Line: Fairtrade Collective

Fairtrade Collective stand at Estethica

As always visiting the British Fashion Council’s Estethica exhibition during LFW is an eye-opening experience, guaranteed to uncover the newest brands and initiatives promoting fair-trade as a global multi-faceted concept, and in this case, sustainable fashion. This season proved to be no different with the Fairtrade Foundation introducing the Fairtrade Collective; uniting the Fairtrade Foundation with producers, designers and ASOS to make a big impact on fashion as we know it.

Design by Julie Verhoeven

Teaming up with 14 designers including - one of my favourites - Julie Verhoeven, Holly Fulton, Ada Zanditon, London Undercover, Tim Soar and Marios Schwab to name but a few, Fairtrade Collective has created a bespoke range of highly exquisite and desirable scarves - for both men and women - made from fair-trade certified cotton, sold exclusively by influential fashion e-tailer and market leader, ASOS.

Design by London Undercover

Using only the finest in digital printing techniques, each scarf bears the handwriting of its designer, acting like a signed piece of art – which will hopefully exude the same ‘priceless’ qualities. Choosing a combination of the established old guard and a staple of new generation talent, each designer has created a unique scarf that is on-trend for the forthcoming season and screams luxury.

Design by Tim Soar

Available from ASOS since the end of February to mark Fairtrade Fortnight (28 February - 13 March), each scarf purchased will come packaged in a beautiful draw-string bag made from fair-trade certified cotton repeating the same fabric choice and design of the scarf itself, cleverly maximising its longevity.

Design by Holly Fulton

On her involvement with the Fairtrade Foundation, Holly Fulton says: “It’s vital to utilize cotton in a modern fashion through strong design. Hopefully projects such as this will encourage that; I certainly look at fair-trade in a different light now.”

LFW Diary AW11: Ada Zanditon

A concept designer whose bold collections I genuinely look forward to seeing every season is Ada Zanditon (pictured above with her collection), whose talent and international renown has gone stratospheric since I was first introduced to her work in October 2009 through a writing assignment for Amelia's Magazine. Taking a different approach for this AW11 season, Zanditon's collection, entitled The Cryoflux, premiered with a short film inspired by the collection (directed by Andrew and William Ho), accompanied by a static presentation at On|Off's new show space at The Mercer Studios. As a must-attend event off-schedule, Ada's presentation created so much buzz that guests had to queue to take pictures of each mannequin in a very orderly and classically British fashion.

Season after season Zanditon continues to show why she's at the forefront of ethical fashion, winning awards for her pioneering, creative and intellectual approach to womenswear. Continuing to persu her trademark aesthetic for sculptural and architectural design, this season Zanditon takes inspiration from the extreme climates of Antarctica. Reflected through a cool colour palette of navy, marine and flame, Zanditon plays to her strengths utilising the fluidity and structural elements of her heavily textured fabrics: melton wool, Scottish tweed, Ocean Buckingham shantung, firebird, marine double ombre chiffon and black vegetable tanned leather – bet you've never heard of some of those fabrics before!

With fewer garments showcased than I recall seeing in previous seasons, the collection had a great impact none-the-less, with many of the bloggers, fashion editors and stylists in attendance 'coo'ing over each and every piece. With a strong collection of show stopper dresses (perhaps out shining the separates), references to the natural formation of unbroken Antarctic waterfalls were bountiful. Eye-catching separates included the garbadine flared shorts and a stunning double silhouette maxi skirt. Coats also featured heavily, as you'd expect from a winter collection, with a variety on offer to suit any occasion (military, pea, trench and puffa), geometrically cut in an endless variety of digital prints and glacial silks. Building upon their prior collaborations, once again Zanditon has teamed up with chic jewellery designer Luca Romanyi to produce a magnificent range of geometric statement necklaces, created using a combination of printed tiles, silver chain and vegetable tanned leather.

Not necessarily how I would have chosen to present en mass on the inaugural day of LFW, somehow it worked, and yet again Ada Zanditon has triumphed, proving ethical and sustainable fashion can be just as chic, visionary and exciting as non, if not a hundred times better – and as an added bonus you get to enjoy your wardrobe with a squeaky clean conscience.

Adaz gets festive in Belgique

My favourite ethical designer - most certainly of 2010 if not of all time - Ada Zanditon has launched a stunning Christmas window display at the Halelujah Store in Brussels, perfectly demonstrating the versatility of her creative and intellectual design approach. Capping off a hugely successful season, Ada was approached to create a display based on her SS11 Pyramora collection. The stark, moody display includes trees inspired by her epic Nepthea dress, utilising her trademark pyramids and iconic symbols of the Christmas tree to create sculptural surfaces using repeating geometric shapes.

With icicles constructed from isosceles triangles, suspended from chains with small silver bells stitched onto the tips so they jingle in the breeze, Adaz has taken the concept one step further incorporating AW10 collection pieces including a puffa jacket displayed on a spiked mannequin standing in the midst of a forest full of icicles. Perpetuating the festive theme and adding a finishing touch to the window display is a unique mobile of halos created from jewellery by Ada Zanditon and Luca Romanyi, which I'm certain will entice shoppers inside the Halelujah store, located on Rue Antoine Dansaert, Brussels.

LFW Diary SS11 Highlights: Estethica Exhibition

Founded over four years ago by the BFC, each season the Esthethica exhibition is a highlight on my LFW schedule and this time round I attended the champagne brunch. It was really nice to see designers whom I've worked with previously: Henrietta Ludgate, Lu Flux and Little Glass Clementine for a catch-up, whilst also discovering some cool new brands such as Michelle Lowe-Holder (below), Max Jenny and She Died Of Beauty.  

 Partimi is one of those labels I absolutely love when I see it at exhibitions and press days and stupidly forget about until I next see it, kicking myself for missing out on owning a piece from the previous collection. Entitled Dieu Bleu, founder/designer Eleanor Dorrien-Smith's SS11 offering is designed in homage to costumes her grandmother collected from a 1969 Sotheby's sale of Diaghilev's Ballet Russes costumes.

 It was great to see a sneak peak of Ada's superb SS11 collection; The Pyramora before the fashion show took place later in the week (read my review). Up-close Zanditon's geometric shapes were concise and meticulously constructed, her colour palette and textures rich and strong.

 

 Among the many labels exhibiting were supermodel Lily Cole, Isobel Davies (of Izzy Lane), Katherine Poulton and Alice Ashby's brand, The North Circular, who had some really great chunky knitwear.  

What I love most about Little Glass Clementine is how each of her pieces is entirely unique, weaving together the precious and the discarded, encouraging clients to contribute objects that hold special memories. An environmental activist and jeweller Clementine James recycles and remakes jewellery in the hope of retelling a story. I am a huge fan of Clementine and think her pieces are an exquisite fusion of past and present treasures, juxtaposed with found objects such as pebbles creating dramatic ruffs and statement pieces.

 Always a firm favourite Scottish Luxury Textile label Henrietta Ludgate was really impressive. I loved her departure from linen, utilising beautiful fabrics and cuts to create an eye-popping collection that for me at least, had a 60's romance to it. My favourite garment was the navy blue coat modelled for me below. I love the quilting, the patching and the cord trim - another item for my wish list.

The next designer I caught was the lovely Lu Flux whose collections I adore and this season I really like the menswear too and can really see myself in the jacket (above left) and the shorts (below).

 Nestled between two rooms was She Died Of Beauty, the ethical and organically produced label founded by Supermodel Erin O'Connor and Kate Halfpenny which produces printed bags and t-shirts.

 Last of all I spotted Max Jenny who creates abstractedly printed waterproof jackets that are pretty cool and would definitely aid your discovery if lost on a mountainside.