Saturday, 29 September 2012
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
Sunday, 23 September 2012
Updated Saturday September 22, Updated Saturday September 22, 4.30pm: Jil Sander has made a welcome return to the helm of her eponymous label this afternoon. Delighting the fashion pack - who had all turned out in Sander-esque outifts in her honour - she presented a collection that was clean, streamlined, purposeful, and one that showed she is still at the top of her game. Elsewhere Antonio Marras gave us the antithesis of this by way of flowers, polka dots, and pretty pink. His show was staged as an afternoon tea party, complete with cake, sugared almonds and tea, that proved to be a sweet start to the second half of the day.Milan Fashion Week: Day Five
Updated Sunday September 23, 5:45pm: AS we had hoped, Consuelo Castiglioni began the day full of optimism at Marni, with a collection that celebrated pincic blanket checks and summery silouettes, all carrying the mark of her modernist handwriting. At Trussardi, creative director Umit Benan Sahin was well into his stride, showing his third collection for the house, and one that celebrated luxury for the younger generation; "I don't want it to be Hermes in Italy. I want it to be for the new generation - the bad ass girls," he told us after the show.
As if unable to help themselves, Dolce & Gabbana revelled with delightful summer holiday spirit, again visiting Sicily in their mood boards and giving us a taste of <i>la dolce vita</i>. Nipped-waisted summer dresses and seaside stripes played out in their triumphant collection.
Still to come; Missoni, Salvatore Ferragamo and Giorgio Armani. Stay tuned.
Updated Sunday September 23, 9:12am: MARNI will open today's proceedings with a collection that is likely to showcase Consuelo Castiglioni's signature modernist shapes and clean silhouettes. Castiglioni, who founded the label in 1994, has become famed for her playful use of colour and graphic prints.
Later in the day, the quintessential Italian designer duo, Dolce & Gabbana will take centre stage. For their autumn/winter 2012-13 collection, they took us into the heart of a Sicilian family, with a show steeped in historical and religious connotations. Renowned for celebrating the sensuality and form of women, we are expecting to see a summery collection that will continue in the same vein. This will be the show to go supermodel spotting at.
Missoni and Salvatore Ferragamo will also show this afternoon, with Giorgio Armani, the godfather of Italian fashion, closing the day's proceedings tonight.
As if unable to help themselves, Dolce & Gabbana revelled with delightful summer holiday spirit, again visiting Sicily in their mood boards and giving us a taste of <i>la dolce vita</i>. Nipped-waisted summer dresses and seaside stripes played out in their triumphant collection.
Still to come; Missoni, Salvatore Ferragamo and Giorgio Armani. Stay tuned.
Updated Sunday September 23, 9:12am: MARNI will open today's proceedings with a collection that is likely to showcase Consuelo Castiglioni's signature modernist shapes and clean silhouettes. Castiglioni, who founded the label in 1994, has become famed for her playful use of colour and graphic prints.
Later in the day, the quintessential Italian designer duo, Dolce & Gabbana will take centre stage. For their autumn/winter 2012-13 collection, they took us into the heart of a Sicilian family, with a show steeped in historical and religious connotations. Renowned for celebrating the sensuality and form of women, we are expecting to see a summery collection that will continue in the same vein. This will be the show to go supermodel spotting at.
Missoni and Salvatore Ferragamo will also show this afternoon, with Giorgio Armani, the godfather of Italian fashion, closing the day's proceedings tonight.
Beauty MFW: Working Girl Hair
The inspiration for the beautifully mussed-up hair Paul Hanlon created at Marni today? The girls in the Marni office. "Every time I go there, they have these loose, messy knots. This season we seemed to be going back to the very essence of the Marni woman, so it made sense for me to use the Marni girls themselves as inspiration," he said. Too lovely to restrict to 9 'til 5.Wednesday, 19 September 2012
New York Fashion Week: Marc Jacobs earns his stripes
11 September 2012
For the past five days, the talk at New York Fashion Week has been about softening the edges, but Marc Jacobs changed the conversation - as he often does - after going graphic.
Black-and-white stripes followed by red stripes, tan stripes and more black-and-white stripes came rapid fire down the runway.
There was a mod mood to the spring collection, especially the short T-shirt dresses with scalloped hemlines, but not a hint of Jacob's mystical forest theme he had for the current fall season.
"It was so graphic with no frills," said Adam Glassman, creative director of O, The Oprah magazine. Stylist and fashion commentator Mary Alice Stephenson called it "candy-striper cool."
There were other things other than stripes - including some ruffle-front skirt suits (a lot of skirt suits in general, actually) and a midriff-baring Mickey Mouse sweater - but it was everything horizontal and vertical that would leave the lasting impression.
For the past five days, the talk at New York Fashion Week has been about softening the edges, but Marc Jacobs changed the conversation - as he often does - after going graphic.
Black-and-white stripes followed by red stripes, tan stripes and more black-and-white stripes came rapid fire down the runway.
There was a mod mood to the spring collection, especially the short T-shirt dresses with scalloped hemlines, but not a hint of Jacob's mystical forest theme he had for the current fall season.
"It was so graphic with no frills," said Adam Glassman, creative director of O, The Oprah magazine. Stylist and fashion commentator Mary Alice Stephenson called it "candy-striper cool."
There were other things other than stripes - including some ruffle-front skirt suits (a lot of skirt suits in general, actually) and a midriff-baring Mickey Mouse sweater - but it was everything horizontal and vertical that would leave the lasting impression.
Sunday, 16 September 2012
American Idol’ Confirms Addition of Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban
American Idol’ Confirms Addition of Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban
By BILL CARTER
The Fox network on Sunday morning made official the long-reported final additions to the judging lineup for “American Idol,” television’s dominant show of the past decade, and the new names were, as expected, the rap star Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban, one of the most popular singers in country music.
The two will join an expanded judging panel made up of one holdover, Randy Jackson, who has been with the show from its start, and what amounts to an all-star lineup of new performers, with Mariah Carey already having signed on.
Fox was under pressure to get deals finalized with Ms. Minaj and Mr. Urban because the first tapings of auditions for a new season of “Idol” begin Sunday night in New York; the shows will begin broadcasts in January. The network had held off from confirming the widespread rumors of their selection because they had not signed their contracts until this weekend.
The new judges replace Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, who both left “Idol” last spring after two seasons.
The musical firepower now on the “Idol” panel reflects both the show’s continuing importance to the music business and the need to add fresh appeal to a show whose ratings fell about 30 percent last year.
In addition, “Idol” now contends with two copycat singing-competition shows, “The Voice” on NBC and “The X Factor” on Fox. Both of those shows, which are also stocked with superstar performers as judges, have been successful but have seen ratings decline this season.
That only adds to the pressure on the show’s producers — and its new trio of high-profile judges — to steady the flagship of Fox’s prime-time lineup.
By BILL CARTER
The Fox network on Sunday morning made official the long-reported final additions to the judging lineup for “American Idol,” television’s dominant show of the past decade, and the new names were, as expected, the rap star Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban, one of the most popular singers in country music.
The two will join an expanded judging panel made up of one holdover, Randy Jackson, who has been with the show from its start, and what amounts to an all-star lineup of new performers, with Mariah Carey already having signed on.
Fox was under pressure to get deals finalized with Ms. Minaj and Mr. Urban because the first tapings of auditions for a new season of “Idol” begin Sunday night in New York; the shows will begin broadcasts in January. The network had held off from confirming the widespread rumors of their selection because they had not signed their contracts until this weekend.
The new judges replace Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, who both left “Idol” last spring after two seasons.
The musical firepower now on the “Idol” panel reflects both the show’s continuing importance to the music business and the need to add fresh appeal to a show whose ratings fell about 30 percent last year.
In addition, “Idol” now contends with two copycat singing-competition shows, “The Voice” on NBC and “The X Factor” on Fox. Both of those shows, which are also stocked with superstar performers as judges, have been successful but have seen ratings decline this season.
That only adds to the pressure on the show’s producers — and its new trio of high-profile judges — to steady the flagship of Fox’s prime-time lineup.
Big 4 fashion weeks get new company - Style - International Herald Tribune
Big 4 fashion weeks get new company - Style - International Herald Tribune
LONDON — Style hounds sniffing out new trends are sure to be doing a lot of traveling this year - and not just to the traditional four fashion capitals of Paris, London, Milan and New York.
In the past few years, dozens of smaller fashion weeks have popped up in all parts of the world - making for a packed international calendar. Fashion weeks are being held by cities in India, Turkey, Iceland, Malaysia and Australia. The Russian Fashion Week in Moscow is now the largest fashion event in Eastern Europe.
Just in the past few months, the Vitrina Moda Fashion Week in Cali, Colombia, has highlighted some sizzling new South American designs and South Africa Fashion Week in Johannesburg has showcased more traditional garb.
In July, the Imam Khomeini Mosque in Tehran staged Iran's first Islamic fashion week, at which ankle-length overcoats were de rigueur.
"Having just been invited to attend Iceland Fashion Week, I can honestly say that fashion week events are springing up in many places simply because they work so well," said David Wolfe, creative director at the Doneger Group, a fashion trend consulting firm in New York.
"They generate publicity, provide photo-ops for all - the designer foots the bill for the models, the stylist and the lighting - and showcase a designer's vision," he said. "Paris, London, Milan and New York are not the only places that produce fashion."
If done right, fashion weeks can be huge generators of revenue. Many are tied to the tourism industry, but local designers benefit by getting a chance to show their wares to global buyers.
First staged in 2001, New Zealand Fashion Week in Auckland is an event with a major impact on tourism and on the economy.
An economic impact report on the 2004 event found that it generated 33 million New Zealand dollars, or $21.6 million, for the New Zealand economy in terms of total output, an estimated 30 million dollars for Auckland, and millions more in incremental foreign exchange earnings for designers.
"Our ability to compete in a global creative economy is critical to New Zealand's future economic growth and fashion is an important component within that context," said Mapihi Opai, chief executive of the nonprofit Fashion Industry New Zealand.
But in addition to giving the economy a lift, playing host to a fashion week sends the signal that culturally a country has arrived.
"A refreshing sense of national identity and pride has emerged from the achievements of our creative sectors - something that has otherwise traditionally been restricted to feats of sporting prowess," said Opai, adding that its benefits go well beyond the fashion world
Iceland has made a name for itself in the fashion world by holding fashion weeks since 2000, set in unusual open- air locations like the tops of glaciers.
With Iceland's endless summer sunlight, catwalks have been known to take place at the annual July event at all hours - even at 1 a.m.
Other countries, too, are increasing their attention to holding fashion events that are off the beaten path.
"Japan said recently that it will do more with fashion shows, and there's bound to be more in China," said Kim Winser, president and chief executive of Aquascutum, a British label. "There are a lot of people connected to the fashion industry in these places who could never have the opportunity of getting to the big four, so it's fabulous to have something more localized."
Fashion experts say they are thrilled by the spread of fashion weeks and that they do not detract from the major shows in Paris, London, Milan and New York.
"In places like India and China, there are enormous markets that have been really rather untapped when it comes to fashion," said Tim Gunn, chairman of the fashion design department at Parsons the New School for Design in New York.
In India, for example, some 60 designers sent their lines down the catwalks at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week in New Delhi in early September. The five-day biannual event attracted about 160 buyers, including 70 international ones.
India's fashion business, estimated at $50 million, is diminutive when compared with the rest of the world. But it's expanding by about 11 percent a year.
With a boom in the retail market and an economy growing at about 8 percent, Indian designers have started pushing ready-to-wear clothing after years of designing mostly lavish bridal wear.
"The industry is important to our economy as it creates wealth, employment generation, and earnings for different service providers, while also preserving the traditional crafts skills that add value to garments and give us as a comparative advantage," said Ruchi Sharma, manager of events at the Fashion Design Council of India.
She said the success of fashion week has had a ripple effect. "It has led to the setup of many design hubs where designer wear is easily available," Sharma said.
Elsewhere in Asia, fashion weeks also have become big business.
At a recent news conference, Malaysia's deputy tourism minister, Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai, indicated that his country would like to get in on the act. "Globally, the fashion industry has proven to be able to attract tourists, and Malaysia should not miss out."
He said Malaysia International Fashion Week, scheduled in November, would feature the work of more than 50 local and international designers with the hope of drawing more tourists. Tourism already is the second-largest contributor to the country's revenue after manufacturing.
Sally Bain, a retail analyst at Mintel in London, said the proliferation of fashion weeks has been especially good for international buyers on the lookout for something different.
"Places like Harvey Nichols and Selfridges will tell you that their buyers go to a lot of shows besides Paris and London because they can't just stock Gucci and Armani," she said. "They won't go to every show, but they'll go to spots like São Paulo to supplement their stock."
According to Bain, smaller fashion weeks also can act as solid springboards for new designers.
"These shows cater to designers who are not the A-list designers, and it's good for them because it gives them a less expensive way for them to show their designs," she said. "I think the smaller fashion weeks are nothing but positive."
LONDON — Style hounds sniffing out new trends are sure to be doing a lot of traveling this year - and not just to the traditional four fashion capitals of Paris, London, Milan and New York.
In the past few years, dozens of smaller fashion weeks have popped up in all parts of the world - making for a packed international calendar. Fashion weeks are being held by cities in India, Turkey, Iceland, Malaysia and Australia. The Russian Fashion Week in Moscow is now the largest fashion event in Eastern Europe.
Just in the past few months, the Vitrina Moda Fashion Week in Cali, Colombia, has highlighted some sizzling new South American designs and South Africa Fashion Week in Johannesburg has showcased more traditional garb.
In July, the Imam Khomeini Mosque in Tehran staged Iran's first Islamic fashion week, at which ankle-length overcoats were de rigueur.
"Having just been invited to attend Iceland Fashion Week, I can honestly say that fashion week events are springing up in many places simply because they work so well," said David Wolfe, creative director at the Doneger Group, a fashion trend consulting firm in New York.
"They generate publicity, provide photo-ops for all - the designer foots the bill for the models, the stylist and the lighting - and showcase a designer's vision," he said. "Paris, London, Milan and New York are not the only places that produce fashion."
If done right, fashion weeks can be huge generators of revenue. Many are tied to the tourism industry, but local designers benefit by getting a chance to show their wares to global buyers.
First staged in 2001, New Zealand Fashion Week in Auckland is an event with a major impact on tourism and on the economy.
An economic impact report on the 2004 event found that it generated 33 million New Zealand dollars, or $21.6 million, for the New Zealand economy in terms of total output, an estimated 30 million dollars for Auckland, and millions more in incremental foreign exchange earnings for designers.
"Our ability to compete in a global creative economy is critical to New Zealand's future economic growth and fashion is an important component within that context," said Mapihi Opai, chief executive of the nonprofit Fashion Industry New Zealand.
But in addition to giving the economy a lift, playing host to a fashion week sends the signal that culturally a country has arrived.
"A refreshing sense of national identity and pride has emerged from the achievements of our creative sectors - something that has otherwise traditionally been restricted to feats of sporting prowess," said Opai, adding that its benefits go well beyond the fashion world
Iceland has made a name for itself in the fashion world by holding fashion weeks since 2000, set in unusual open- air locations like the tops of glaciers.
With Iceland's endless summer sunlight, catwalks have been known to take place at the annual July event at all hours - even at 1 a.m.
Other countries, too, are increasing their attention to holding fashion events that are off the beaten path.
"Japan said recently that it will do more with fashion shows, and there's bound to be more in China," said Kim Winser, president and chief executive of Aquascutum, a British label. "There are a lot of people connected to the fashion industry in these places who could never have the opportunity of getting to the big four, so it's fabulous to have something more localized."
Fashion experts say they are thrilled by the spread of fashion weeks and that they do not detract from the major shows in Paris, London, Milan and New York.
"In places like India and China, there are enormous markets that have been really rather untapped when it comes to fashion," said Tim Gunn, chairman of the fashion design department at Parsons the New School for Design in New York.
In India, for example, some 60 designers sent their lines down the catwalks at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week in New Delhi in early September. The five-day biannual event attracted about 160 buyers, including 70 international ones.
India's fashion business, estimated at $50 million, is diminutive when compared with the rest of the world. But it's expanding by about 11 percent a year.
With a boom in the retail market and an economy growing at about 8 percent, Indian designers have started pushing ready-to-wear clothing after years of designing mostly lavish bridal wear.
"The industry is important to our economy as it creates wealth, employment generation, and earnings for different service providers, while also preserving the traditional crafts skills that add value to garments and give us as a comparative advantage," said Ruchi Sharma, manager of events at the Fashion Design Council of India.
She said the success of fashion week has had a ripple effect. "It has led to the setup of many design hubs where designer wear is easily available," Sharma said.
Elsewhere in Asia, fashion weeks also have become big business.
At a recent news conference, Malaysia's deputy tourism minister, Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai, indicated that his country would like to get in on the act. "Globally, the fashion industry has proven to be able to attract tourists, and Malaysia should not miss out."
He said Malaysia International Fashion Week, scheduled in November, would feature the work of more than 50 local and international designers with the hope of drawing more tourists. Tourism already is the second-largest contributor to the country's revenue after manufacturing.
Sally Bain, a retail analyst at Mintel in London, said the proliferation of fashion weeks has been especially good for international buyers on the lookout for something different.
"Places like Harvey Nichols and Selfridges will tell you that their buyers go to a lot of shows besides Paris and London because they can't just stock Gucci and Armani," she said. "They won't go to every show, but they'll go to spots like São Paulo to supplement their stock."
According to Bain, smaller fashion weeks also can act as solid springboards for new designers.
"These shows cater to designers who are not the A-list designers, and it's good for them because it gives them a less expensive way for them to show their designs," she said. "I think the smaller fashion weeks are nothing but positive."
Sunday, 9 September 2012
Just-so story
Just-so story
There is a point in my interview with Thomas Tait where he puts his hand up to mine and we marvel at his long fingers – a good two inches longer than mine – and then I can’t stop thinking about Edward Scissorhands. It’s not just his ability in the cutting department. Or that he’s as thin as a shadow and as pale as a ghost. Tait is softly spoken. A loner. Remote. Shy. Otherworldly. He could also be Gareth Pugh’s long-lost brother. Not that Gareth Pugh has a long-lost brother, as far as I know, but they look a lot alike.
We meet in his studio in Hackney, where he works and sleeps. I’m expecting a hive of activity, but he is alone in this neat, whitewashed space with fresh flowers in vases. His ‘proper’ studio, where his small team is based, is located at the Centre for Fashion Enterprise (CFE) over in Mare Street, but he says it’s too crazy there and he’s suffering from a bad cold and he just wanted to be somewhere quiet.
Tait is from the new batch of Central Saint Martins supertalents: the MA class of 2010, which also produced Simone Rocha, Matthew Harding (of the cotton-couture shirtmakers Palmer//Harding), J JS Lee and Tze Goh. All peas from the same minimalist pod. They are Anti-Decorators. At least anti anything as loud and speedy as a digital print – the very stuff that has, over the past few seasons, put London Fashion Week front and centre stage.
“I don’t really understand the whole print thing,” croaks Tait, in a soft, high whisper, stroking his throat with one long hand, while pouring himself a “medicinal” orange juice with the other. “I just don’t get why that print thing is so modern.” And why should he? Tait is 24. He has grown up with the internet and Photoshop. “Where’s the mystery in a digital print?” he asks, mystified. “It’s a printer. Where’s the craft in it? The patience? It doesn’t involve someone’s hands. There’s no brush stroke.”
What Tait and his peers share is an obsession with construction; it’s the building of clothes, the inner workings and hidden seams, and their apparent simplicity. It’s slow fashion; fashion to take your time over. The opposite of instant messaging; an essay, not a tweet. You’re not supposed to get it in a nanosecond. “I wouldn’t want to make something that people can just look at for a second and know all about it,” he says. “I’d rather build it more slowly and gain the respect and attention span of my customer.”
He compares London’s established digi-printers and his generation with film directors Quentin Tarantino and Sofia Coppola. No prizes for guessing which camp he’s in. And yes – his clothes are not unlike her films, in that not very much seems to happen but you’re gripped nonetheless.
Tait is Canadian. He was born and brought up in a suburb on the outskirts of Montreal – “lots of nice trees, golf courses, very quiet”. His mother is French-Canadian and teaches English at a secretarial college. His father, who was born in Scotland, works as a mechanic at Bombardier, the aeroplane manufacturer, following a string of jobs that included delivering newspapers, driving school buses and managing an exclusive yacht club. “He’s kind of opposite to me,” says Tait, “he never had a set goal for a career. He’s always shifted around.” He has two older sisters and is particularly fond of the one who is the most opposite to him. “She’s stocky, short and a lesbian. She plays tackle football. We’re like X-rays of each other.”
You’d expect someone as “goal-driven” as Tait to have been obsessed with fashion from birth, but this is not the case. He was more determined to become a black belt in karate (which he studied for nine years) than a fashion designer. “I didn’t read fashion magazines or watch fashion TV or anything like that. I didn’t wear designer stuff. God, no. I didn’t know anything about that,” he says. An observer, he’d watch his classmates – the girls in Juicy Couture tracksuits and Von Dutch baseball caps, and the boys in board shorts and Puma t-shirts – and just know that he wasn’t one of them. “I guess people wrote off my weirdness as homosexuality, but I realised there was more to the story than being ‘just some gay kid’,” he says.
The tipping point was drawing. “I was always sketching people, their posture, angles. And I was thinking about the way things felt and the way things looked and how people presented themselves, and I always had this idea that they could be better.” He enrolled at LaSalle College in Montreal on a fashion programme that focused on the technical side of making clothes. This suited him well, as he discovered his ability – like all great cutters – to see flat cloth three-dimensionally. It was during this time that he started to find out all he could about fashion and its world. He became “completely obsessed” with moving to London to study at Central Saint Martins. “It was the time of BoomBox and these crazy young kids, like Gareth Pugh and Henry Holland. I was fascinated by how free they were to just do whatever they pleased. In LaSalle and in Montreal that was always an issue. I mean, when students don’t understand why you’re a boy studying womenswear, you can only imagine how it’s quite a leap to get them to understand runway fashion.”
So for the next six months, he worked through the night on his portfolio; he couldn’t apply to Central Saint Martins with paper patterns and a spec sheet. Yet he must have created a stellar portfolio, because he was accepted without interview and aged only 20 – one of the youngest students to ever gain entry on the MA course. “I kind of became a bit OCD about the whole thing. I really wanted to make a statement and get noticed,” he says, wincing. So what got him the prized place? “Oh, it wasn’t pretty,” he says with a laugh. “It was all about posture, so I went through a long period of looking at horrific photos of bone diseases. It was all very creepy and dark, a bit sick. And a million miles from anything I’d do now.”
For someone who had pinned his dreams on being at Central Saint Martins, it was all a disappointment, he says. He became so overwrought with the need for approval from his tutors and older classmates that he almost failed his first year. But the determination
(“I always need to finish what I start”) kicked in and, in 2010, he graduated with a strikingly accomplished and mature all-black collection.
It requires incredible balls to start up your own collection, I say. But as he sees it, “I didn’t have anything to offer anybody else. I didn’t really know that much about fashion – I still don’t. Unless I’m talking about something personal, what do I have
to say?” But it didn’t take long before he was reaping the benefits of being a young designer in London: sponsorship and prizes came thick and fast. He won the Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize, the Topshop-sponsored BFC NEWGEN and the CFE. Asos has also enlisted him to develop a small range of leather goods.
“We felt strongly about his future the first time we saw his work, and immediately got excited about the possibilities of working together,” says Caren Downie, womenswear fashion director at Asos. “His designs have a precision that is rarely seen in the work of someone his age; the construction is meticulous to the point where each garment is as beautifully executed on the inside as it is on the outside. Combined with a very determined head on his young shoulders, that makes him such an exciting talent to come across.”
Ruth Runberg, buying director at Browns, is equally smitten. “Thomas has a discipline and focus of vision that is rare for a young designer. While other collections attract consumers with obvious design bells and whistles, such as embellishment or bold prints, Thomas’s subtly elegant designs require us to take the time to appreciate the smallest, quietest details that certainly are much more difficult and time-intensive for him to design and produce.’
Among Tait’s international stockists are 10 Corso Como in Milan, and Louis Boston, Blake and Linda Dresner in the US. And he is learning a lot from the buyers, he says. “How clients don’t like to show their arms, or they’re sensitive about their calves and knees. If you spoke to a man about that, he’d say, ‘You’re crazy! It’s just an arm! It’s just a knee!’ But there’s something really impressive about how intricate it can get, and I have that in the back of my mind all the time when I’m cutting. How it will feel.”
We get up to look at his new collection. Neat line drawings, pinned precisely to a board, reveal colour – mustard and chocolate – and a deep green velvet, which has been screen printed (note: not digitally) to resemble moss? “Yes,” he says, “or some kind of bacterial disease.” The clothes look modern, easy to wear, simple enough, but it’s hard to tell from drawings, so I ask to try something on. He produces a large, black wool coat from a previous season. It has metal “Thomas Tait” buttons and, despite its size – a large cocoon shape – is very light. I slip it on and the collar caresses the back of my neck, the sleeves swoop to a precise cuff, the length is perfect, my hands feel the softness inside the pockets.
He says, “Pretty much everything I do, I do for myself, which might sound very selfish. This is my little life and it’s not for everyone. I don’t want to take over the world or make a revolution, and I kind of want people to feel the same way. You spend a lot of money, but you’re smart about the way you spend it. You feel good in your clothes; you’re not doing it to impress your boyfriend or to get your photo taken; you’re doing it because it feels right; it just makes you feel good about yourself. That’s how I approach the design process, and hopefully that’s how the consumer is going to approach it.”
Standing here in his coat, I know exactly what he means. I get it. And it feels good
Vodafone London Fashion Weekend
Vodafone London Fashion Weekend
As soon as the last model has stepped off the catwalk at London Fashion Week, Somerset House is instantly transformed into a unique 4-day designer shopping emporium. Set within the stunning grounds of Somerset House, Vodafone London Fashion Weekend is the complete experience.
Style-savvy label lovers can get their wardrobe fix from heritage British brands such as Pringle of Scotland, Jaeger London, Rigby and Peller and Oliver Spencer to some of London’s best emerging designers including Holly Fulton, Sophie Hulme and Maria Francesca Pepe. Find all your favourite brands selling one-off pieces at reduced prices.
Vodafone London Fashion Weekend also offers the rare opportunity to experience our trendsetting catwalk show in the official British Fashion Council Show Space. This exclusive opportunity gives visitors the chance to soak up the unique atmosphere as we showcase an array of spring/summer 2012 trends to inspire you before purchasing your new wardrobe essentials. Also discover the hottest hair trends and get your own new look with Toni&Guy, get skin care and makeup advice from Elizabeth Arden and be pampered throughout the event with manicures, eyebrows and much more.
Tickets sell out fast and capacity is limited so book your tickets early to avoid disappointment visit: www.londonfashionweekend.co.uk
Join us for a fantastic day out with your friends, an after work style fix or a fabulous wardrobe update. Fashion Weekend moves in and takes over Somerset House from Thursday 20th September - Sunday 23rd September. Tickets range from £12.50 - £125.
Join Vodafone VIP for free to buy tickets 48 hours before general release.
Style-savvy label lovers can get their wardrobe fix from heritage British brands such as Pringle of Scotland, Jaeger London, Rigby and Peller and Oliver Spencer to some of London’s best emerging designers including Holly Fulton, Sophie Hulme and Maria Francesca Pepe. Find all your favourite brands selling one-off pieces at reduced prices.
Vodafone London Fashion Weekend also offers the rare opportunity to experience our trendsetting catwalk show in the official British Fashion Council Show Space. This exclusive opportunity gives visitors the chance to soak up the unique atmosphere as we showcase an array of spring/summer 2012 trends to inspire you before purchasing your new wardrobe essentials. Also discover the hottest hair trends and get your own new look with Toni&Guy, get skin care and makeup advice from Elizabeth Arden and be pampered throughout the event with manicures, eyebrows and much more.
Tickets sell out fast and capacity is limited so book your tickets early to avoid disappointment visit: www.londonfashionweekend.co.uk
Join us for a fantastic day out with your friends, an after work style fix or a fabulous wardrobe update. Fashion Weekend moves in and takes over Somerset House from Thursday 20th September - Sunday 23rd September. Tickets range from £12.50 - £125.
Join Vodafone VIP for free to buy tickets 48 hours before general release.
New Genration
New Genration
In 1993 the British Fashion Council created New Generation (NEWGEN), one of the world’s most internationally recognised talent identification schemes. NEWGEN continues to showcase and promote new designer businesses today.
The scheme is sponsored by Topshop who have been supporters since 2001. AW12 saw the 10th anniversary celebrations of Topshop's continuous backing of the scheme at London Fashion Week. Major celebrations of the ten years which have taken a myriad of London NEWGEN designers to the top are planned for 2012.
NEWGEN offers catwalk designers financial support towards their show costs and the opportunity to use the BFC Catwalk Show Space. Others receive sponsored presentation or exhibition space to showcase their collections, offering an important introduction for young UK-based designers to influential press and buyers from around the world. NEWGEN also provides business and mentoring support through the BFC in partnership with Shoosmiths, Baker Tilley and Lloyds TSB.
Since NEWGEN's inception, its roll call includes Alexander McQueen, Boudicca, Matthew Williamson, Julien Macdonald, Lara Bohinc, Ann-Louise Roswald and more recently Christopher Kane, Marios Schwab, Richard Nicoll, Erdem, Mary Katrantzou and Meadham Kirchhoff.
Internationally recognised as a prestigious launch pad, this scheme is a showcase of the best up-and-coming British fashion talent. It also acts as an important introduction for young UK-based designers to influential press and buyers from around the world.
The scheme has become a key draw for the international fashion media and buyers attending London Fashion Week. NEWGEN designers are among the must-see collections on schedule every season.
The scheme is sponsored by Topshop who have been supporters since 2001. AW12 saw the 10th anniversary celebrations of Topshop's continuous backing of the scheme at London Fashion Week. Major celebrations of the ten years which have taken a myriad of London NEWGEN designers to the top are planned for 2012.
NEWGEN offers catwalk designers financial support towards their show costs and the opportunity to use the BFC Catwalk Show Space. Others receive sponsored presentation or exhibition space to showcase their collections, offering an important introduction for young UK-based designers to influential press and buyers from around the world. NEWGEN also provides business and mentoring support through the BFC in partnership with Shoosmiths, Baker Tilley and Lloyds TSB.
Since NEWGEN's inception, its roll call includes Alexander McQueen, Boudicca, Matthew Williamson, Julien Macdonald, Lara Bohinc, Ann-Louise Roswald and more recently Christopher Kane, Marios Schwab, Richard Nicoll, Erdem, Mary Katrantzou and Meadham Kirchhoff.
Internationally recognised as a prestigious launch pad, this scheme is a showcase of the best up-and-coming British fashion talent. It also acts as an important introduction for young UK-based designers to influential press and buyers from around the world.
The scheme has become a key draw for the international fashion media and buyers attending London Fashion Week. NEWGEN designers are among the must-see collections on schedule every season.
Simple sleek cuts
Simple sleek cuts
lindex kimono
gina tricot top
zara shoes
fashionology knuckle ring
asos swarovski ring
Wore my new ewa larsson for lindex kimono for dinner out tonight! This was swedish designer larssons second collection for lindex. The fact that she works for acne explains why she always manages to get it so right - and why I own almost every single piece.
don't forget to take part in my xmas giveaway!
gina tricot top
zara shoes
fashionology knuckle ring
asos swarovski ring
Wore my new ewa larsson for lindex kimono for dinner out tonight! This was swedish designer larssons second collection for lindex. The fact that she works for acne explains why she always manages to get it so right - and why I own almost every single piece.
don't forget to take part in my xmas giveaway!
Behind the scenes of '5 inch and up for Nelly'
Behind the scenes of '5 inch and up for Nelly'
The collection consists of 15 pieces, including shoes and some hair accessories. Sleek, I guess you could call it ‘sporty minimalism’ with many easy to wear, pre-layered pieces. A lot of neutral colors and a deep purple to bring the range to life. That thick hairband was one of the first thing I designed back in December, I think it’s time to bring thick 80’s hairband back.
We photographed the lookbook in a cool abandoned factory in Sweden just outside Gothenburg. A bit creepy but such an awesome place, you know I love those distressed brick walls..
A big thank you to the whole team who made the day so fun and easy! I can’t wait to share the final images with you all, some items from the collection will definitely be popping up on the blog over the next few weeks so stay tuned!
I’m so excited for the weeks to come, there will also be a launch party to which I’ll be giving away a bunch of invitations for my readers, as I want many you to be there! Thank you again for making this all possible for me, you are the best xxx
Thank you Lisa for the photos
So I've been rewriting this first sentence a few times, but I guess what I'm trying to say it that HERE IT IS. A first and exclusive look at my 5 inch and up for Nelly collection!! It feels insane, a bit nerve-wracking but above all so good to finally give you an idea of what the collection will look like. The full lookbook will be out soon, but before that an exclusive preview of some behind the scenes shots!
I’m so excited for the weeks to come, there will also be a launch party to which I’ll be giving away a bunch of invitations for my readers, as I want many you to be there! Thank you again for making this all possible for me, you are the best xxx
Thank you Lisa for the photos
Heavy chains
Heavy chains
ACNE bag
ASOS top
GINA TRICOT skirt
GINA TRICOT jeans
EBAY cap
ZARA shoes
MICHAEL KORS watch
COS rings
I was not expecting to get excited by heavy chains at this point, but I’m never to say no to a extraordinaire shoulder bag like this. I’m not going to say it’s the perfect classic little black bag with a twist (although it is) but even without the 3 year in design school I’ve really grown to hate that expression.
ASOS top
GINA TRICOT skirt
GINA TRICOT jeans
EBAY cap
ZARA shoes
MICHAEL KORS watch
COS rings
I was not expecting to get excited by heavy chains at this point, but I’m never to say no to a extraordinaire shoulder bag like this. I’m not going to say it’s the perfect classic little black bag with a twist (although it is) but even without the 3 year in design school I’ve really grown to hate that expression.
The ‘5 inch and up for Nelly’ boots
The ‘5 inch and up for Nelly’ boots
Introducing the 5 inch and up for Nelly boots! I named them ‘Sprint’ and they are of course super high, but with a platform so in other words an everyday shoe and very comfortable. They are cut slightly lower in the front on the ankle to give a bit of extra length to the legs. I've been dying to show these to you, I hope you like them! My collection is set to launch 11.9.
I’ll post the full outfit soon, now I need to catch up on sleep, as boring as it sounds..
I’ll post the full outfit soon, now I need to catch up on sleep, as boring as it sounds..
Camouflage
Camouflage
ZARA mens shirt
VINTAGE belt
H&M skirt
MICHAEL KORS watch
5 INCH AND UP x NELLY boots
The rest of what I paired with my Nelly boots! I was totally planning to post these before the weekend but ran out of time as I spent a really nice few days at our annual family get-together in Finland. Now back in London again where I picked up this camo shirt at Zara’s mens, a department that should not be forgotten this season where everything oversized looks more right than ever.
VINTAGE belt
H&M skirt
MICHAEL KORS watch
5 INCH AND UP x NELLY boots
The rest of what I paired with my Nelly boots! I was totally planning to post these before the weekend but ran out of time as I spent a really nice few days at our annual family get-together in Finland. Now back in London again where I picked up this camo shirt at Zara’s mens, a department that should not be forgotten this season where everything oversized looks more right than ever.
Thin stripes
As a change I invested in a smart jacket instead of a pair of shoes. Pinstripes was a bit o a surprise for me as well, but Acne did it so well. The loose, straight shape and dropped shoulders makes it a lot less strict than the usual navy pinstriped blazer.
Starring in McArthurGlen’s Designer Outlet Fashion Month campaign
Starring in McArthurGlen’s Designer Outlet Fashion Month campaign
I’m excited to finally be able to reveal a campaign that I have been working on since spring! Europe’s leading Designer Outlet Group - McArthurGlen is launching UK’s first ever Designer Outlet Fashion Month with its three new brand ambassadors: Beautiful model and fashion persona Laura Bailey, new singer superstar Delilah and me (!)
The month-long event will see McArthurGlen’s seven UK centres host exclusive shopper evenings and offer enviable discounts on top of the usual reductions of up to 60% less. I will also be hosting a giveaway where one of you will win an all expenses paid shopping trip to the Cheshire Oaks designer outlet, accompanied by me and a £500 gift certificate to spend on the day, so stay tuned!
McArthurGlen has also teamed up with young British designer Holly Fulton, who has designed an exclusive tote for the Designer Outlet Fashion Month. Visit mcarthurglen.com/dofm to download a voucher to get your own designer tote, as well as an exclusive 10% saving which can be used at McArthurGlen Designer Outlets throughout September.
From the long impressive list of brands inc. Armani, The Kooples, Jaeger, Mulberry, Nicole Farhi and many more (there is actually over 250), we are all wearing pieces from McArturGlens current stock in the campaign which you can now spot in fashion magazines around the UK.
The month-long event will see McArthurGlen’s seven UK centres host exclusive shopper evenings and offer enviable discounts on top of the usual reductions of up to 60% less. I will also be hosting a giveaway where one of you will win an all expenses paid shopping trip to the Cheshire Oaks designer outlet, accompanied by me and a £500 gift certificate to spend on the day, so stay tuned!
McArthurGlen has also teamed up with young British designer Holly Fulton, who has designed an exclusive tote for the Designer Outlet Fashion Month. Visit mcarthurglen.com/dofm to download a voucher to get your own designer tote, as well as an exclusive 10% saving which can be used at McArthurGlen Designer Outlets throughout September.
From the long impressive list of brands inc. Armani, The Kooples, Jaeger, Mulberry, Nicole Farhi and many more (there is actually over 250), we are all wearing pieces from McArturGlens current stock in the campaign which you can now spot in fashion magazines around the UK.
Somewhat west
Somewhat west
H&M coat
ZARA shirt
VINTAGE belt
GINA TRICOT jeans
RAY-BAN sunglasses
ZARA shirt
VINTAGE belt
GINA TRICOT jeans
RAY-BAN sunglasses
Basics on an off season beach the back in Finland from last week. I’m looking for few western shirts to ad to my wardrobe. I’m trying to avoid the Isabel Marant purchase although that would be ideal. I had to start from Zara but what I really would want is a cheesy American cowboy one with embroidery and all, the kind that Marant made a nicer version of.
Saturday, 8 September 2012
Dressing up with McArthurGlen
Dressing up with McArthurGlen
PRINGLE waistcoat - was £1095 now £250
L.K BENNETT belt - was £90 now £50
L.K BENNETT bag - was £245 now £195
L.K BENNETT pants - was £165 now £95
L.K BENNETT belt - was £90 now £50
L.K BENNETT bag - was £245 now £195
L.K BENNETT pants - was £165 now £95
(H&M top private)
NICOLE FARHI jumper - was £850 now £250
ALL SAINTS pants - was £250 now £125
ALL SAINTS pants - was £250 now £125
NICOLE FARHI coat - was £570 now £395
L.K BENNETT belt - was £90 now £50
WOLFORD socks - was £13 now £8
L.K BENNETT belt - was £90 now £50
WOLFORD socks - was £13 now £8
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)