LFW Diary AW12: On|Off at the Rook + Raven Gallery

On|Off at the Rook + Raven Gallery from On|Off TV on Vimeo.

On Thursday I attended perhaps the most visually exciting and bizarre pre-LFW event of the AW12 season, On|Off’s ‘Stoboscopic showcase’ held at the Rook + Raven Gallery.

An exclusive soirée held in conjunction with Land Rover, this preview celebrated the best of On|Off’s forthcoming Paris line-up in the format of an intimate one off evening showcasing fashion, film, performance and art. Highlights included exclusive live performances and DJ sets from:
Amanda Lepore ft. Charlie Le Mindu
Martin Creed ft. Matteo Molinari
Natt Weller ft. Lee Lapthorne
Ryan Styles ft. Yang Du
Irina Lazareanu ft. Raphaelle H’Limi
Brendand Courtney ft. Bronwen Marshall
Early Morning Rebel and Marques Toliver

With just 80 guests the evening was a blur of striking visual art with performance artists as diverse as Amanda Lepore – the world’s most famous transsexual and an effervescent fixture on the New York scene, for those who don’t know – Ryan Styles and while not strictly performance, there is something overtly theatrical about the designs of both Charlie Le Mindu and Yang Du which were brought to life through dance and mime.

With several video projection screens set up and performance areas dotted around the Soho gallery, guests huddled together and were taken aback when a performance would spring up to their left or directly in front of them. I had the pleasure of seeing Marques Toliver up close and was genuinely blown away.

A gifted violinist and emotive vocalist, Toliver’s story is amazing - he cut his teeth supporting himself through busking with his violin and working in a vintage store in Brooklyn before travelling to the UK as part of Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson’s band, and is perhaps my best discovery this month!

Also on the evening the On|Off Visionary Award winner for 2012 was announced. Judged by On|Off founder Lee Lapthorne, Editor-in-Chief of LOVE magazine Katie Grand and model and Rankin’s other half Tuuli to name but a few, design duo Cunnington and Sanderson were the victors.

"I'm really thrilled to be asked in the selection for On|Off. I've always respected their taste in designers and think they have a completely unique vision, which is interesting and slightly subversive. This year's winner, Cunnington and Sanderson are new stars in the making. Their presentation was professional and thought provoking. I wish them the very best of luck for the future." – Katie Grand

Two lethal Corvoisier cocktails were served, one long; with apple juice and ginger beer and one short; with triple sec and a dash of lemon juice. I remember one being called a Sidecar and I distinctly recall overindulging in both.

A star studded evening, fashion heavyweights Zandra Rhodes, Jane Shepherdson and Dr Frances Corner OBE, Head of London College of Fashion, were out in full force making this one of the hottest dates in the LFW calendar.
*Images throughout courtesy of On|Off and Canoe PR.  

LFW Diary AW12: Anna Dello Russo Q+A at the V+A

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On Friday night Italian beer Peroni hosted a special fashion week themed talk at the V+A between Gianluca Longo (style director of ES magazine) and fashion icon, editor at large and creative consultant of Vogue Japan and now blogger, Anna Dello Russo.

One of many talks in the Peroni Collaborazioni series, the idea is to celebrate the great legacy of Italian design, with this tête-à-tête looking in particular at Italy's rich heritage in crafts, fabric and workmanship, renowned the world over for the unique 'made in Italy' aesthetic.

Providing a unique insight into the hard life of being an international fashion icon staying in the most expensive hotel suites in the world and sitting front row of every fashion show, jokes aside, fashion is a full-time job which Dello Russo has dedicated her life to.

A self-confessed 'maximalist' there is done, over-done and then there is Anna Dello Russo. A great ambassador for fashion and Italian fashion in particular this lady was witty, self-deprecating and her passion was palpable.

Confessing to owning in excess of 4,000 pairs of shoes, at which point I gasped, Anna is a collector of fashion, and one of her swear-by rules is to never wear an outfit twice or at least at her level of the game not to be pictured in the same thing twice). As someone who believes in, works in the field of and is an ambassador of sustainable fashion, I'm choosing to take this statement with a pinch of salt.

All in all a great and insightful talk well worth missing the closing shows on the inaugural day of LFW AW12 for!

**Anna wears: Fausto Puglisi customized dress, Tom Ford boots, Alan Journo hat and YSL cape.

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).

Fashion Night Out: Superdry

 

Last night I partook in my first Fashion Night Out and popped down to the Superdry store to peruse the new SS12 footwear collection. Having not visited the Thomas Neal Centre for a while, it was impressive to see how Superdry have invaded the retail space, demonstrating what I’ve been reading in the business section of the broadsheets over the past few months; stock is up and the retail expansion is going full-steam ahead.

 

With some fantastic launches planned for next year including their Regent Street superstore, an expansion of accessories and the introduction of a ladies perfume, one of the most intriguing stories will be the new-look footwear. Expect sleek silhouettes, light-weight fabrics, superior design and a plethora of colour. For those who always need a bit of height – watch the space for the Superdry heels.

Dr. Jimmy Cliff at the IndigO2

Last night I was extremely excited to be offered tickets to see the legend that is Dr. Jimmy Cliff. A musician I grew up listening to with my sister - who accompanied me to the gig for what was her third time – Dr. Cliff is never someone I imagined I’d be fortunate enough to see.

With an AMAZING band, Cliff was energy personified wining and strutting across the stage, jumping and doing running dances with great fervour whilst singing pitch perfect notes. Opening the show with You Can Get It If You Really Want, Cliff’s rich and soulful voice is as thick as it is on his records, proving that he is a force to be reckoned with – live!
A singer, songwriter, musician and actor far from his 63 years, Cliff was in great spirits and was dressed in a red jacket and Jamaican flag scarf – as is his trademark stage uniform. Sticking true to his protesting guns, Cliff dedicated Treat The Youths Right to the recent riots in London. For a time it wasn’t quite clear whose side (if any) Cliff was on; the rioters or justice. However with the lyrics; “Treat the youths right instead of putting up a fight. Treat the youths right or you'll been playin' with dynamite”, there was no doubt that he wants to see youth empowerment.
With an electric atmosphere filling the intimate IndigO2, the crowd were eager to get the party started enjoying the DJs before the show. Scheduled to come on at 9 pm, Cliff surprised us all by coming onto the stage five minutes early – a punctuality unheard of in live music.
Uplifting the crowd with anthems such as The Harder They Come, I Can See Clearly Now, Vietnam and Sitting In Limbo, I had a great time. ultimate favourite tracks were Many Rivers To Cross; which was as superb as I’d imagined and the meditative Rivers Of Babylon; which was simply mesmerising – holding a special place in my heart as this was the first song I learnt to play on the keyboard.
With out-of-this world backing vocals, the Cliff classics really came to life aided by beautiful trumpet and saxophone playing. The drummers were also amazing and on several occasions Cliff picked up a guitar and sat at his own drums, giving the crowd some strong reggae beats to move our hips to.

A cross-section that I’ve not seen at any other gig to date, there were fans of all nationalities and ages united by a love of reggae. Teasing the eager crowd with several encores; the first of which had us chanting “Just One More”, Cliff re-emerged with Wonderful People, Beautiful World leaving us all on a musical high.

Next up at the IndigO2 is Grammy-nominated, Soul and R+B star Charlie Wilson of 80s group The Gap Band on 16th September. Having collaborated with artists from Kanye West and R. Kelly to Jamie Foxx and Justin Timberlake, expect to hear hits such as Oops Upside Your Head, Party Train, Yearning For Your Love and Outstanding.

Zandra Rhodes and Adele Marie at Pure

Today I attended Pure London for the first time and I have to say, it was rather good. Whilst I always try (and ultimately fail) to go each season, today I had an extra special reason to go: to attend a brief Q+A session with designer extraordinaire Zandra Rhodes and jewellery designer Adele Marie on their collaboration; Zandra Rhodes Jewellery.

Launching their first collaborative collection this month, the duo have breathed a new lease of life into Rhodes most iconic prints and symbols from her illustrious back-catalogue, including faces 'wiggles' and 'seaweed' patterns. A renowned jeweller in her own right Adele is stocked in London's most iconic department store, Harrods. Feeling that she could re-interpret Rhode's work, broadening its appeal to entice a younger demographic, theirs is an ideal marriage.

Aiming to create something 'special for everyone', many items in the collection are statement pieces made from a selection of mixed metals and resin casts. Retailing between £30-120 Rhodes cool design aesthetic has never been so accessible, with each piece created being jewellery that Rhodes herself would wear, ultimately creating 'a piece of her that other people can purchase'.

As the duo is constantly designing, this is only the beginning of what looks set to be a lengthy collaboration. Keep your eyes out for the second collection due in November!

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.

Last Night I Got Lucky With Aldo

Last night I attended a spectacular launch event for Aldo’s new AW11 collection Get Lucky, held in one of my favourite venues, the resplendent One Marylebone. Bursting with celebrities such as a radiant looking Aldo spokesmodel Lily Donaldson, Henry Holland, Jade Parfitt, Jasmine Guniness and Sunday Girl spinning the decks, this soiree proved to be the evening’s hottest ticket.

Jade Parfitt and Jasmine Guniness / Lily Donaldson and Aldo's Douglas Bensadoun - courtesy of Surgery PR

Celebrity spotting aside, guests were treated to an endless flow of vodka sours cocktails, champagne and delicious canapés while we looked around a glitzy array of new designs from the Aldo holiday collection. Several presentations by the brand’s creative director Douglas Bensadoun, kept us up to date on all the progress in Aldo land (they love it so much in London they’re opening up a design studio here). Quirky campaign videos were also unveiled for Get Lucky (seeing the brand once again work with Lily Donaldson and Terry Richardson), themed around a Las Vegas vibe; think poker chips, cards and magicians hats (complete with white rabbits, of course).

Dotted around the vast space were several capsule collections, among which was a rather chic premium menswear collection called Mr B’s, alongside a brand new capsule collection by New York designer Christian Cota. The Christian Cota collection is part of Aldo’s most exciting project to date – Aldo Rise. This initiative sees the footwear giant collaborate with rising talent in the UK and US with their British partners announced as Mark Fast, JW Anderson and Preen. With collaborations seemingly being the key to Aldo’s ever-increasing success, there was something on display for every fashion fanatic, including the opportunity to meet the UK stalwarts.

If any of the shoes take your fancy, do not fear for they will be on sale across the UK a little later in the year!

The salt of the Earth; hairdressing at its best

On Thursday I was invited to attend a bloggers evening at Earth Hairdressing salon located behind Oxford Street. A stone’s throw from the main shopping drag, Earth is tucked just around the corner from Topshop.

Greeted by a vast spread of gorgeous sushi, hand and head massages, threading and facials from luxurious organic brand Meltiva, there were plenty of activities to indulge in and I was made to feel very welcome.

A concept hair salon founded in Japan, with 21 years of experience, 210 salons and 3,000 employees, Chairman Toshiharu Kokubun knows just how to pamper a variety of clientele. With cafes, dog parlours, a nightclub and hair salons, it's no surprise that Earth are leaders in the Japanese hair industry.

What impressed me most about the East Castle Street salon was its vastness, with four floors, of treatment rooms and a plethora of hair stylists able to recreate every style imaginable. With a VIP room and free Wi-Fi thrown in for good measure, I’d recommend Earth to anyone looking for a day of pampering.

In terms of Earth’s hair expertise, initially I was hesitant as I ignorantly presumed they wouldn’t cater to my mixed race hair, but I was delighted to find two Afro-Caribbean hair stylists on hand giving expert consultations. I was thoroughly impressed with my personal consultation which discussed every aspect of my hair care from the shampoos and styling products I use to how much heat exposure my hair gets and how regularly. I was recommended to use a great range of products by Mizani (named after the Swahili word for ‘balance’), a division of L’Oréal. I’m yet to try them out, but I’ll keep you posted on the results.
Earth Hairdressing, 37 East Castle Street, London, W1.

LCF class of 2011 BA Design and Technology catwalk show

Images throughout courtesy of Alex Maguire

Last night I attended the LCF class of 2011 BA Design and Technology catwalk show held at the new sprawling LCF showspace The Studio, in Paddington. A bit of a trek west, I was worried I wouldn’t make it in time, however as it turned out my arrival was perfectly timed and I had the opportunity to catch up with one of my former university lecturers, Tony Glenville (now LCF Creative Director, School of Media + Communication), before taking my back row seat, before being bumped to the frow (due to no-shows).

Featuring presentations from 25 groundbreaking designers (from a combination of Womenswear, Menswear and Surface Textiles courses), the innovation displayed was breathtaking and surpassed all of my expectations – with each annual show consistently smashing through the ceiling of previous successes. Packing a socker-punch straight to the kleptomaniac and magpie regions of my brain, every collection had its strengths and intriguing elements, with no designers taking the easy route, each creating a myriad of layers and displaying exquisite attention to detail that resulted in the most superior design execution and innovation I’ve seen in London for a long time.

Taking pride of place in the frow was BFC chairman Harold Tillman and continued LCF supporters Jodie Harsh and Jo Wood, whom I’ve seen at numerous shows over the years. Other celebs dotted around included the legendary Barbara Hulanicki, model Daisy de Villeneuve and one of the most influential women in fashion, Jane Shepherdson.

Featuring models discovered through LCF Loves - an open street casting which aimed to find unique individuals who reflect the diversity of this year’s collections - I was really impressed by the level of ethnic diversity on the catwalk across both womenswear and menswear. It’s of my personal opinion that the African male models really brought a different edge (not seen in other shows), and reminded me of some of the beautiful models favoured by Simon Foxton in the early i-D days.

Reflecting fashions from near enough every era imaginable, I felt that each and every student was a winner, however as is always the case there could only be three winners on the night.

Barnett Lawson Award for the best use of trimmings - Charlotte Barry (22):
Hailing from Liverpool Barry was praised for her incredible detailing and superior use of embellishment and trimmings in a year where every designer went for broke. Reminiscent of Mary Katrantzou’s beautiful SS11 collection, Barry utilised tassel shoulder detailing to create perfect proportions. My pick for this award, Barry sampled beautiful brocades in rich golds, with appliqué and a delight of trimmings and embellishments reading like a master-class in Asian textiles. Perfectly completing the ethereally styled looks were stacked textured bangles to match the dresses and mock-croc effect shoes also embellished.

Biddle Sawyers Silks Award for innovative use of fabrics - Stine Riis (28):
Hailing from Copenhagen, Denmark Riis was celebrated for her innovative use of silk with wool, chiffon and patent leather. With an array of stunning blue, white and green pieces I feel Riis would be perfect for a Milan fashion house, with each of her garments made with such precision and attention to detail that they reminded me of Miu Miu and Celine under the helm of Phoebe Philo.

Collection of the Year - Wun Wun Nova Chiu (24):
Originally from Hong Kong, Chiu was judged to have phenomenal technical skill and creative flair by the panel. On my note pad, upon seeing this collection, the first words I wrote were ‘jingle, jingle’ as small (but loud), silver bells featured heavily throughout the collection. Brightly dyed furs dominated, coupled with the most intriguing tribal inspired headdresses. Beads, plait detailing and of course bells, were a signature appearing everywhere including on beautiful two-tone platform sandals.

Stay tuned for another LCF post later in the week with details of my (other) favourite designers from the showcase, who sadly missed out on the awards.

Amelia's Compendium of Fashion Illustration

Image courtesy of Amelia Gregory

A couple of weeks back I was invited down to Bethnal Green Road’s ethical fashion emporium, 123 Store by the lovely Amelia Gregory (of Amelia’s Magazine fame), to celebrate the launch of her second self-published book, Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration (ACOFI). Closely following on the heels of the internationally successful Amelia’s Anthology of Illustration, the Compendium features a plethora of fashion illustrations that were created during 2010 exclusively for Amelia's Magazine.

Illustrator Jenny Robins doing some live sketches, image courtesy of Amelia Gregory

Image courtesy of Amelia Gregory

Susie Bubble and Amelia Gregory, image courtesy of Matt Bramford

Published just in time for Christmas, ACOFI features the work of 30 emerging world-class illustrators who were chosen via an open brief, alongside in-depth interviews with some of the world’s foremost ethical fashion designers such as: Ada Zanditon, Beautiful Soul, Christopher Raeburn, From Somewhere, Henrietta Ludgate, Little Glass Clementine, Lu Flux, and Prophetik to name but a few.

6 Day Riot, courtesy of Amelia Gregory

The Pipettes, courtesy of Amelia Gregory

Regretfully being unable to attend on the night, I missed a great party which saw entertainment from hotly tipped band 6 Day Riot, a DJ set from The Pipettes and several activities such as live illustration and saddest of all a ceremonial cutting of Lily Vanilli's themed cake.

The cutting of the cake, image courtesy of Matt Bramford (Fashion Ed at Amelia's Mag)

ACOFI is sold in the Tate galleries, Design Museum, Louis Vuitton, Magma and Colette to name just a few of the most prolific stockists, but if you are interested in buying a copy I’d recommend buying from Amelia directly here!