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.  

Art-iculate: Simeon Farrar's Of Rainbows and Halos

Last weekend I went down to the heart of London’s Carnaby district to view the fantastic new art installation by esteemed designer and established painter Simeon Farrar. Having caused quite the stir with his LFW stand back in September, Farrar displayed a rainbow paint splattered shed with an endearing cloud covered roof to embody the theme for his SS12 collection, Great British Weather.

Best known for his iconic portraits of Kate Mouse (of course based on supermodel Kate Moss), which get updated each season (this time with a Ziggy Stardust vibe), Farrar puts his other creative streak to good use, decorating his garments with his trademark iconoclastic prints.

In this new exhibition entitled Of Rainbows and Halos, Farrar take his magical shed into a kooky basement, where it is placed alongside dozens of works which utilise a variety of media; from screen printed t-shirts and paintings to lino prints on paper and what appear to be resin casts of bottles.

One of the most versatile and colourful artists I’ve had the pleasure to meet, Farrar continues his exploration of the dire British summer with panache and fervour, giving fans and shoppers alike the opportunity to explore his perspective.

With new works being added to the exhibition during its duration and old ones taken away, Farrar builds up a rapport with his visitors, keeping them engaged and leaving them wanting more – a canny move which has led to a near sell-out show.

An innovative use of an awkward space, Farrar’s wit and creativity come to the fore and this really is a musty-see exhibition.

Of Rainbows and Halos is showing at The Basement Gallery, 10 Newburgh Street until tomorrow!!

LFW Diary SS12: Design Collective Scotland

Creative-Idle mentioned on Masato Guardian - 27th Oct

The lovely chaps at Masato Guardian mentioned me/ linked to today's LFW blog post (about the lovely and talented Brooke Roberts). Thanks very much! http://paper.li/masatostudio/1305885547

LFW Diary SS12: Brooke Roberts

Brooke Roberts is another designer I met whilst working at Amelia’s Magazine and is incidentally the first person I ever interviewed. Having followed her work at the On|Off exhibition each season, this year at the Somerset House exhibition it was a lovely surprise to bump into Brooke and hopefully I’m a bit different to the bashful person who quizzed her in 2009 about her unique and intriguing combination of knitwear and radiography.

After interviewing Brooke in her Hackney studio I remember quite clearly going home, being inspired and thinking that there aren’t really enough nice words to describe Brooke. She’s super-smart, extremely passionate and is extremely gifted. Whilst it must be extremely hard juggling working for the NHS with managing, designing and sourcing for your own label, Brooke juggles with great aplomb and I’d bet good money this Australian loves every minute of what she does.

I particularly like these fantastic colour block belts (above) created by Eye Of The World Designs for Brooke Roberts!

LFW Diary SS12: Henrietta Ludgate

A true designer’s designer, Henrietta Ludgate is an Estethica staple, whose collections are the very definition of ‘sculptural’.

LFW Diary SS12: Design Collective Scotland

Showing as part of Estethica, I met wonderful womenswear designers Marc Ross (top collection), who makes exciting geometric and oscillating prints and Iona Crawford (towards the bottom), who creates sleek silhouettes in the most beautiful of silks.

 

 

 

LFW diary SS12: FAD

Each season (AW10, SS11) the primary highlight of my LFW isn’t the ultra glamorous shows, the press lounge or after parties, instead it’s the FAD show which usually always takes places at Vauxhall Fashion Scout on the last day of the women’s schedule. With SS12 being no different, creative charity FAD put on a corker of a show with all of the 25 talented teenagers from London and Manchester, putting on a great display of youth talent.

2011 FAD JUNIOR AWARDS Winner_Sabine Bindere

Now in its seventh year, the Fashion Futures initiative aims to provide teenagers with a realistic insight into what it means to work in the creative industries. FAD encourages hands on experience and uses fashion as a tool to develop vocational and professional skills, helping disengaged teenagers get on track in both their professional and personal lives.
Unfortunately there can only be one winner. Originally selected from 100 young people who participated in FAD’s Fashion Futures 2 workshops earlier this year, the 25 finalists spent a week at the FAD Summer School, held at the University of East London. Supported by a team of tutors and student mentors, the 16 – 19 year olds had only 5 days in which to construct their designs for the catwalk final.

At last month’s show and award presentation 17-year-old Sabine Bindere, from Barking + Dagenham College earned the top accolade. Praised by the industry judging panel for its edgy wearability, Sabine’s double hooded dress featured a unique graffiti paint print created by the designer herself, earning her a two week design placement with FAD retail partner George at Asda.

2011 FAD JUNIOR AWARDS Runner-up_Yasemin Cakli

Runner-up, and winner of a two week placement with Marks + Spencer, was 17-year-old Yasemin Cakli from City + Islington College for her fluoro orange jumpsuit and print trimmed plastic cape. Two additional awards were also presented on the evening to Gemma Halliwell, 17, from Bury College (Manchester) for Commercial Design and Francesca Espinosa-Baster, 18 from St.Philomena’s Catholic School for Girls (South London) for Innovative Design + Cut.

LFW Diary SS12: David Longshaw

David Longshaw is a designer I adore. Bursting with quirky stories and illustrations, each season’s theme is inspired by a short story with this season’s being Father Said...

“For this season I’ve written a story called Father Said about a girl who takes her boyfriend on a fateful seaside trip. As well as creating the story and illustrations, I’m also working on a short animation of the story depicting the main protagonist, Sophie wearing pieces from the new collection. Father Said starts off with all going well. Sophie takes her boyfriend on her trip to the seaside…”

“The sun is shining, they have fish and chips and walk on the beach then they spot the chance to row to Puffin Island. With all the talk of puffins, as she rows, Sophie suddenly has a flashback to a nightmare she had after reading a sweet book her boyfriend had given her, about a puffin with a disproportionate head, with one eye big and one eye small. She suddenly lashes out with the oars in hand and smashes her boyfriend over the head with one. The blow is fatal… so as all rational people do, she rows to shore and buries him – planting flowers over where he lays. For the rest of her life she plans to wear a flower each day in his memory.”

Deftly utilising collaborator Kirsty Ward’s chunky statement jewellery to great effect, Longshaw has also teamed up with milliner Katherine Lee this season on a special show piece. Walking a perfect line between tough and whimsical, Longshaw’s beautiful and characterful illustrations no doubt offer his customers individuality and empowerment in equal measures.