100 Ideas that Changed Fashion

This is by no means a marketing pitch but I simply urge anyone interested in fashion to go and buy '100 Ideas that Changed Fashion' So I received this today from Amazon and it is absolutely stunning and some of the issues raised are extremely interesting. It sweeps over fashion history to give you an insight into trends and events which have had a major impact on fashion and what we wear and consider fashionable! Once I've had a proper read I will be picking up on some of the issues raised to write about in this blog... Stay tuned :)

100 Ideas that Changed Fashion

Lacuna- the relationship between lace and skin

I had a walk down to the Bonington Gallery today at NTU to visit the current exhibition- Lacuna, by Joy Buttress which explores the relationship between lace and skin. Nottingham is historically renowned for it's lace making. This process has long stopped but Nottingham remains proud of this heritage and the industry lives on through interpretation in art, an area in the city called Lace Market, and a small collection of designers who are trying to revive the industry on a small scale all together. Lacuna in art refers to a blank spot, something that does not adhere- I have never thought of the relationship between lace and skin before.

Buttress' initial inspiration stems from a botanical design portfolio from 1910 found in the University's archives. The intricate drawings have had a major impact on the collection of work which Buttress has produced. Many of the lace designs found in the archives have a reoccurring theme of natural forms. It is well known that lace was once used as a material for gloves and it is gloves which make up much of Buttress' work in this exhibition. Vintage leather gloves are concealed in plywood boxes around the exhibition space. There are tiny holes which allow us to look at the work and also help us to direct our focus on one particular element which highlights the delicacy of lace and the body of work. The gloves have been embellished with a variety of materials, such as beads, iron fillings, human hair, threads and wax, to give the impression of natural forms on the gloves. It may be naive of me to say this but many of the embellishments reminded me of maggots protruding from the gloves, and moth like laser cuttings, as if the boundary between nature and glove (human) is truly unrecognisable. Similarly many of the embellishments are reminiscent of mould/natural growths. These uneasy forms parallel with the beauty of the lasercut stamens and tiny flowers dotted on other gloves. The natural forms working with the gloves as if they are one. The delicacy of lace is a metaphor for the delicacy of a human being. Other exhibits around the room show Buttress exploring the relationship with lace and skin, which several panels of latex "skin" and a quilted piece of fabric on a rocking chair reminding us of a bygone tradition of craft- but again with extraordinary growths of buttons to form button backing and beads scattered across as if an unusual disease. Buttress has been recorded saying that she tried to achieve beauty and repulsion simultaneously; I think this has been achieved. The collection is quite simply beautiful.

Lacuna is free to the public and runs until Friday 2nd March.

A/W 12 highstreet trends predicition

Capes, high necks, collars, ruffles, pleats, strong tailoring, highlighting/exaggerating curves, Dior New Look style suits, soft greys, navy, plum, orange.

We'll see if I am right :)

Julian Hake masterpieces

Just reflecting on my days at London Fashion Week and I realised I had missed out one of my all time favourite exhibitors based in the showrooms at Somerset House. JULIAN HAKES. Well what about him I hear you ask? These:

These beautiful sculptural forms are in fact shoes! With a difference of course as they have no footplate!Hakes launched his designs in 2009. At London Fashion Week Feb 2012 there was certainly a lot of hype around the stand! Apparently this is not a new concept as  It is interesting to learn that Hakes is in fact an architect (he is described on Twitter as a bridge designer!), and explains some of the architectural elements of the shoes. It also goes to show that time and effort has gone in to creating a ergonomic structure. Having tried a pair on I can safely say that they are extremely comfortable. It just goes to show that all that is needed is proper support in the ball and heel to make a comfortable high heel. The upper is made of carbon fibre, the inner is made of soft leather. The sole is made of rubber which helps provide comfort and friction with the ground. They come in a range of colours. I particularly like the ones with neon colours inside which really glow when worn- a must have for spring 2012!  Definitely going to invest in a pair!

Tatty Devine- How Claire they! *pun*

This post is basically a rant. I come home to find Twitter blowing up about this: Claire's Accessories has totally ripped off Tatty Devine's gorgeous jewellery designs.

It's so blatant it hurts! They haven't even tried to change ANYTHING about the design! It is clear where Claire's have got their inspiration from but surely what they have done is against the law! Intellectual property/copyright come to mind. In a time where independent shops and creativity should be celebrated, a huge multinational chain brand takes full advantage of someone else's creativity and waves it right in front of everyone's face! What is more frustrating is that Claire's to me epitomises tacky. And that is totally not in a snobbish way- it reminds me of plastic, cheap, 12 year olds. This is not an adjective I would use to describe TD's elegant and sophisticated line. Claire's should be absolutely ashamed of themselves. I hope TD give them as much agro as possible! See the Tatty Devine article in full: http://www.tattydevine.com/blog/2012/02/can-you-spot-the-difference/ Anyway peace and intellectual property to you all... I'm off to bed.

Who's that girl

So it is 60/70's night for the Fashion Society @NTU. I'm not going as am in London but I start researching hippie "style" and come across this lovely image:

This photo kind of reminds me of Nicole Ritchie circa 2009... It's the whole laid back attitude that caught my attention. The defined eyes from the eye make up, the oversized hat, the flowing hair with beads. LOVE LOVE LOVE. I might try to channel this vibe this summer coming

Ozwald Boateng

April and I briefly attended the Ozwald Boateng presentation on Saville Row. In fact we were the first people into the showroom which was quite intimidating. Some said to come to them if we wanted to buy any of the items! Boateng presented sharp tailoring with an soft, oriental twist. His suits were combination of modern and heritage looks. A very strong collection from a rising star in the tailoring world.

Last day- menswear

I was absolutely shattered by this point that I gave out the press passes, met my Godmother for lunch then headed off home. All in all, LFW has been a great opportunity and one that money cannot buy. I hope to be involved in LFW A/W13 in some way. Better start contacting people!

Susie Bubble

Does she need an explanation!? Saw her walking calmly and with no followers after the David Koma show then again talking to photographers. AMAZING

MAC makeup makeover- twit twooow

So I was scheduled in to have an appointment at 11.30. I don't wear a lot of makeup and told the consultant this but yet my face ended up caked in foundation for a "natural look" My face was grainy from the amount of powder, which also made me look really old again =/ Waaaa I'm only 18! My eyebrows were "filled in" without the need to fill them in =/ The eye shadow colour was very nice as it complimented my eyes. I did also receive a goodybag with over £80 worth of goodies in, so definitely worth the visit. I felt very made over when I ventured onto the Strand!

David Koma

I didn't know what to except having naively never heard of Koma before. I was not disappointed that is for sure. I had a sitting ticket which felt like absolute luxury. The PR people before the show were looking panicked and were seen rushing about as there was hardly anyone in the room and half the front row had not turned up late I presume from being caught up with watching the Mary Katrantzou show in a different location! So it began very, very late- fashionably late? Oh dear. Haha! Koma's collection consisted of very structured panelled dresses and shirts. Again ruffles were a major feature along with accentuating the models' womanly "curves" (on a model? Well that was the illusion!) Capes complimented the ruffles around the hips, and added volume to the linear structures created from the garments. A reoccurring theme was chains/links which added even further to the contrast- linear vs organic shapes. The chain embellishment was even present in the hair of the model's which was in a ponytail held in place with a link from a chain. The palette was subdued with black, dark plum and navy being the main colours. Rainbow patterned trousers and ruffles lifted some of the garments. Overall a very strong, consistent and wearable collection from David Koma.

Toni and Guy

I made an impromptu visit to the Toni and Guy press salon. No shows to see so why the hell not! There was a space free to get my hair cut there and then. I wanted a good trim and so that my hair was not so heavy and triangular! Here is the result:

I personally think it has aged me by about 10 years. Hopefully I will grow to like it! Reminds me of Linda Barker off Changing Rooms. Haha! Oh well. Was very nice to be pampered and get a free hair cut! I will try to style it out better in the days to come!

House of Evolution After Party

So I had made eyelashes done- I felt party ready. Me and April were hanging about for ages in Pret-a-manger in Carnaby Street waiting for the club (Cirque du Soir) to open.We turned up bang on 8pm when it was meant to start only doing a trip round the block for fear of looking too keen and early. We ended up sitting in Starbucks waiting. Finally we built up the courage! We were ticked off the guestlist and made our way down the stairs. Random thought but have you ever thought: the night club combination of loads of stairs and alcohol is just such a bad idea! The insurance must be loads! On arrival we are greeted by waiters with free cocktails of which I take one sip and nearly spit it out for being so full of vodka! We take a pew in a booth and I go back to the bar to take advantage of the free cocktails on offer- they soon ran out! We knew nobody! And the thing about the fashion industry is that it is hard to meet people without knowing a mutual friend first- it is all very clicky and snobby. We slowly sipped our drinks as we didn't want to be rude and be the first to leave. Lights flash, circus music begins and circus dancers and fire-eaters appear to perform. At first it was a novelty as they danced away but went on and on. It was all a bit seedy to be honest. The dancers were virtually naked, and the clothes they did wear were not very tasteful. The guys in the room craned their necks to get a better view. It was at this point that we decided to leave... Take our coats and head out of the manic circus come striptease and off back home. Still a better atmosphere than the Fashion Insider party!

Paperself- fluttery paper eyelashes

Highlight of my day at LFW! Getting these put on my eyes:

Such a treat to get to a stand in the Rock Vault at LFW which is full of very expensive jewellery and the like, to get something for free! I have seen Paperself eyelashes in Urban Outfitters a while back and thought at the time that they were such a quirky idea! They definitely make a difference from the usual fake eyelashes. I have never tried to wear fake eyelashes before so I cannot give a full description of how they compare. Being made of paper they are certainly very light; they also didn't obstruct my vision. I will certainly look the business when I go to the House of Evolution after party tonight!

http://www.paperselfstore.com/
https://twitter.com/#!/PAPERSELF

Organising other people

Pet hate: People that turn up late. What I hate more is when people do not have the decency to tell me they are running late. I spent a large amount of time hanging around waiting for people to turn up to collect their press passes. Not overly amused! It is just bad manners not to tell someone you are running late and then to not even apologise! OUTRAGEOUS!

Jayne Pierson and Laura Theiss

On my way home I was handed an invite to attend a Pierson and Theiss presentation.  Such amazing designs and the fact that they have previously worked with McQueen was evident in the lace head coverings and that they had worked with Westwood was evident in the exaggerated sizes and eccentricity running through. Both equally strong. I will be looking out for more of these two in the future!

Press Lounge

Today I successfully secured 10 passes for Fashion Insider magazine to use during London Fashion Week. My day involved organising the other interns and so I did not attend ANY shows... Not hugely impressed but I did spend my time in the press lounge. I was also present when they bought lunch out! AMAZING! Cake, macaroons, fruit, cheese... Also not to mention free cups of tea and coffee all day! Love it. Did manage to book a MAC makeup appointment for Tuesday which should be fun! Not an overly successful day. Tired!

Bora Aksu

Absolute heaven! To start with I thought there was going to be another monochromatic palette but then a model graces us in vibrant pink, and another in zingy orange. Both colours more commonly associated with a spring/summer wardrobe than an autumn/winter. It was actually rather refreshing. The oranges, peaches, pop pink contrasted wonderfully with the soft grey which was prominent in the first garments. Lace was a common theme- lace tights, Alexander McQueen-esque lace masks, lace embellishments. Brocade embellishments also made an appearance. The intricacy was delightful on the tailored grey suits. Pleats and ruffles also made an appearance along with nipped in waists and flared tops exaggerating hips in a rather Dior New Look style. Hooded capes also reoccurred throughout. The tailored appearance of the garments were softened by the dreamy colours of the collection. Romantic, military style heeled boots added drama to the show with the severe sounding music. As if you didn't already think this collection would have been suited to S/S collection, the models hair was loosely tied in a bun with a careful attitude associated with dreamy summer days. Brilliantly refreshing.