LFW Diary SS12: Orla Kiely

 

 

A Point Of Design: John Makepeace

Imagery throughout courtesy of Watershed PR

An exhibition that has been high on my agenda of things to go and see this spring is the eagerly anticipated John Makepeace’s Enriching the Language of Furniture, currently showing at Somerset House; where an array of 25 privately and publicly collected works will be displayed together for the first time.

Celebrating Makepeace's half century at the forefront of British design alongside his international renown for revolutionising the way we view furniture –  encouraging us to see and eventually appreciate it as a form of contemporary art. Enriching the Language of Furniture showcases the famous ‘Mitre’ chair created in celebration of HM the Queen and Prince Philip’s Silver Wedding Anniversary and ‘Ripple’; a chest carved with wave forms penetrating the surface of the oak, from a tree planted in 1740 and harvested in 1980.

Respectfully known as the father of British furniture design, Makepeace's design aesthetic and unique manufacturing processes represent a marriage of classic and modern, embodying workmanship of the highest standard whilst striving for and championing sustainability.

Taking his Inspiration for cutting-edge furniture design from Danish pioneers working at the time of his emergence in the ‘50s, a young Makepeace achieved national acclaim by creating a series of retail products for Heals and the Centenary Dining Room for Liberty’s. By the '70s Makepeace had become a founding member if the Crafts Council and went on to become somewhat of a household name for setting up the now infamous Parnham College.

Better known in his formative years for addressing some of forestry’s most pressing economic concerns, Makepeace explored the environmental potential, bringing together foresters, chemists, material scientists, structural engineers and designers to research and develop sustainable new technologies and building systems.

Most recently, Makepeace became an OBE in 1988 for services to furniture design, received the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Furniture Society (of America) in 2002 and was recently nominated for the Prince Philip Designers Prize 2010 where he received a Special Commendation.

Makepeace says: “In a world where so much attention is given to the short-term and superficial, our relationship with craftsmanship is more important than ever. Beautifully made and designed pieces that will endure and become heirlooms are a necessary antidote to the virtual reality that now permeates the culture.”

Garment Of The Week: David Koma

Having recently viewed his graduate/ SS11 collection at Somerset House during LFW (where he was sponsored by NEWGEN), I couldn't not write about David Koma for GOTW. After studying fine art in St Petersburg where he showed his first collection aged just 15, Koma later studied at CSM where his name became synonymous with body-con.

Favouring heavily embellished statement dresses which have unsurprsingly caught the eye of red carpet heavyweights; Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Megan Fox and Alicia Keys (to name but a few) – Koma is fast establishing himself as a fashion force to be reckoned with.

Already a household name at the tender age of 25, Koma is inspired by the works of Geoffrey Beene and Thierry Mugler, exploring masterful, heavy techniques to create uniqie forms of embellishment season after season. Currently stocked in Topshop as a collaboration for SS11, Koma's strong, architectural shapes evoke empowerment, are incredibly sexy, and with this diffusion range – are affordable too!

LFW Diary AW11: Michael Van Der Ham

A designer rather new to me is Michael Van Der Ham, whose NEWGEN sponsored AW11 collection caught my eye in the Somerset House exhibition a couple of weeks back. A Dutch designer famed for his trademark patchwork, Van Der Ham has changed direction for his third season. With the emphasis on a clean silhouette, Van Der Ham still experiments with fabrics - particularly velvet - to create a kooky home economics kind of look with aplomb. A delicious collection of pastel gelatos, this collection is good enough to eat!

A Point Of Design: Fotis Evans

Image courtesy of Fotis Evans

Having graduated from a BA in Furniture and Product Design just last year, Fotis Evans is a great design talent to keep an eye out for in 2011. Having worked with none other than Somerset House back in 2009/10, Fotis designed the Somerset House Book Stall System, which is a clever multifunctional book display and storage solution, which fulfils the needs of the small space comprising Somerset House’s newest Bookshop.

Borrowing elements from book flea market displays, the Book Stall System is a combination of three objects, a table and two bookshelves. The bookshelves are made from ash and are lightweight, which makes the crates easy to be transported and transformed into several functional storage and display solutions. The crate bookshelves are routed and finger joined in a way to create square corners inside the bookcases.

With an underlying concern for the future sustainability of design in what is termed as the product’s afterlife, Fotis is continually searching for solutions: “It is very important when we design products to think of their afterlife. One way of course is to make them easy to be recycled, but for me this is not enough. The factories that the recycled products are going to end up in, will consume even more energy in order to create reusable material sources. This means that we don't just have one stage that a product is in a factory but two. For that reason all my product are created using interesting geometries and forms to create afterlife product functions.”

LFW Diary SS11: Christian Blanken

On the final ladieswear day of SS11, I raced from work to the Portico Rooms at Somerset House to view the Christian Blanken presentation. One I was very much looking forward to, I was far from disappointed with the luxury sportswear on display in monochrome. With super tight leggings and jeans, juxtaposed with billowing Grecian empire lines, and strong directional metallics, the collection was very interesting indeed and I certainly can’t wait until AW11.

LFW SS11 Diary: Orla Kiely

The queen of kitsch print (who’s nearest rival - if of course we had to pin one down - would be Cath Kidston), wowed once again with an eye-catching presentation in the Portico Rooms of Somerset House on the inaugural day of LFW SS11.

Last season we saw models premiering the AW10 collection delicately rotating around the very same space; however this year Orla Kiely enlisted the help of several oversized cardboard cut-outs to create something slightly edgy, unexpected – and I’m guessing, a little more cost effective.

A great icon of design it’s hard to believe that in just ten short years Kiely has become a huge household name producing fashion and accessories in addition to homeware and perfumes for her eponymous brand.

With a beautiful collection of tea dresses and shifts in beautiful florals and iconic 60’s cut outs and shapes, this collection is one of Kiely’s strongest yet, affording her customers the chance to really step into her world – hinting at twin sets and demure cover-ups, typical of the era she has transported back into the populous. With a hardback book entitled Pattern out next month, this season you can find out all you need to know about Kiely’s empire (from prints to techniques), and better yet, what inspires this Irish maverick.

As with any Great British legend, they receive numerous offers to cross collaborate in the form of branding products in other fields. Following this trend, the obligatory collaboration with a car manufacturer has come to the fore, so as Sir Paul Smith lent his signature stripes to Mini, Kiely has lent her iconic 60’s inspired logo to Citroën’s DS3.

To keep visitors entertained there was a mini cinema booth placed in the centre of the presentation space, complete with plush velvet curtains and eight standard cinema seats, and two pin-up styled stewards daintily handing out popcorn. The short film, From London With Love by Gia Coppola, was played on a loop depicting models in what appeared to be an informed nod to swinging sixties London – perfectly encapsulating the unique aesthetic for which Kiely is now renowned.

Maison Martin Margiela ’20’ Exhibition - opens on Thursday

Images throughout courtesy of Somerset House.

Next week I'm going to the preview party for the new Maison Martin Margiela ’20’ Exhibition, at my favourite venue; Somerset House - and am very excited indeed.

© Ronald Stoops

Running from 3 June - 5 September, this show will explore the designer’s artistic and conceptual approach to fashion looking at Margiela's unique aesthetic and vision spanning the past 20 years, by incorporating installations, photography, video and film.

© Ronald Stoops

Conceived in close collaboration with Maison Martin Margiela and curated by the Mode Museum, Antwerp, this exhibition is aiming to provide an opportunity for the public to learn more about the brand and its philosophy through a visual examination of themes that underpin the essence of the fashion house since its creation - from its deconstructivist, subversive design aesthetic and avant-garde couture to its understated branding, unusual boutique interiors and ‘trompe-l’oeil’ or optical illusion and its couture atelier white coats.

© Ronald Stoops

Various iconic pieces from both the women and menswear collections will be on display, such as the highly replicated ‘Tabi’ boots, as well as specially recreated garments for the exhibition.

© Marina Faust

This is a must-see this summer!

Models of Diversity

During LFW I was accosted outside Somerset House by an enthusuastic bunch promoting a great cause, Models of Diversity. Keep up the good work guys!!

Random structure on Kingsway

Earlier today (or yesterday) I stumbled across this bizarre crumbling building when walking between VFS and the BFC tents at Somerset House.