Miss Ballerina.

'Everything about ballet is beautiful.' Robert Hamilton.

Since all my reading material has now turned its focus on Spring/Summer 2011 collections I thought it would be only right to start picking out my favourites, undoubtedly not an easy task but one I am willing to undertake with much enjoyment. Although I was completely mesmerised by many of the future trends coming up, it was Chloe's collection that caught my eye from the sheer elegance and femininity of each beautifully designed piece, creating a whole ballerinaesque image in my head encouraging me to delve much deeper and have a closer inspection of this perfectly pretty collection, fit for any many a beautiful ballerina.



With out a single doubt it was the colour that automatically stopped me in my tracks, some may find it plain and an almost boring choice of colour palette, I however fall in love with any such piece that is created in the skin, flesh, nude tones. And not only was in awe of the colour it had also Incorporated my most loved materials, sheer chiffon and silk, which were all gloriously Chloe-ified with bows and fastened with delicate gold buttons. Could it get any more perfect? No. Is my simple answer to that question.

The collection was created by Hannah Macgibbon, 'women dressing women' a well deserving point that may well attribute to the ending result. It has a very clean, minimalistic take on what it feels like to be a girl, similar to Pheobe Philo for Celine and Stella McCartney and one that I totally agree, 'less is more' The ballerina theme is clearly evident throughout, with wrapped tops, ribbon waisted pleated skirts worn with delicate flat ballet pumps even down to mere details of fresh faced make-up and hair tied in buns. Its clear to see the ballerina theme gradually mature and grow into tan evening dresses accompanied by a flash of red, initially an imposing colour intruder, however its seemed more accepting as there was a clear compromise, red ballet pumps.





It would be only fair to mention that the collection was not all delicate and fairy-like, Macgibbon implied her harsher stamp and chose to include black leather shorts and shirts whose shoulders were smothered in white applique flowers, khaki chiffon bandage dresses and gleaming metallic edges at the neck of collarless coats.

No prints, no complexities, no heels even. Simply genius Miss Macgibbon.

Leave The Boy Alone.

I have to admit I had not even entered this world when BOY London came onto the scene, with their emblazoned t-shirts, hats, sweatshirts and more with its bold logo. Now the label has been revived I'm not willing to miss out this time around. I recently ordered Pamflet (an online zine) and was reading an article titled 'The difference between fashion girls and indie girls' It was an interesting read and I was not falling down the road of 'fashion girl' after reading their views, for instance a true indie girl 'would only be able to wear a band t-shirt if she was actually into the band, and wearing another bands tee (even if it looked better) was totally out of bounds' as opposed to 'fashion girls' fliting from 'trend to trend...with no qualms at all' I have adopted the views, and wearing something like BOY London I felt it would not be deservedly worn, unless I found out about the whole culture behind the brand, instead of just wearing it as it is now sold in Urban Outfitters, open to an easy audience and is the brand to be seen in amongst the trend setters.



Boy London was set up by Stephane Raynor, in the 1970's at the same time that Malcom Maclaren and Vivienne Westwood were causing a stir with their Chelsea store SEX, Raynor along with John Krevine also set up a stall on the Kings Road called Acme Attractions, run by legendary DJ Don Letts. It was the heart of London's Punk scene and attracted everyone from Boy George to Patti Smith and Bob Marley. It even led to one of the capital's greatest club the Roxy to cater for its cool clientele, set up by their accountant.

Raynor and Krevine soon turned their attention to BOY London, opening its own shop on King's Road for the clothing line, starting of as a punk staple, dressing the likes of the Sex Pistols. In the 1980's the brand really came into its own, punk was now dead and the coolest kids in town were kick-starting the New Romantic scene. Raynor showed of his new offerings with shows that were more akin to parties in the hippest nightspots, and before long the brand had an international following, even emerging the Ibiza club scene into his collections. 'No fashion fans wardrobe was complete without a t-shirt emblazoned with the winged logo.' Unfortunately, the brand became so copied that Raynor effectively lost control and the legendary brand fizzled out.

Now Raynor is back with a small boutique, SICK, in Brick Lane, selling all things vintage Boy London, after recently visiting the shop, its whole lay-out has an original BOY feel to it, you are almost transported back to when it was first emerged. It has also been revived, with Raynor collaborating with Urban Outfitters to create a small range of uber-cool branded pieces.



Where is my Boy? London?

Let The Sun Shine Super Lucia

Before you read this and think I am getting way ahead of myself and its only January, but I'm sure, and I defiantly am, everyone cant wait for a bit of sunshine. And one hundred million percent my choice of sunglasses has been solved by SUPER Lucia. I no the Wayfarers will still be in existence as they are a true classic, even the Aviator style, and the Clubmaster and I think it can be handed deservedly to Rayban for supplying us all with these classic styles, there is no doubt that Rayban was, for many of us, a go to Classic, history showed that since the glasses first appeared in the thirties the Rayban brand was one to stay, whether its embracing one of their modern current frames or opting for the classic Wayfarer for their retro appeal, its fair to say they have come a long way, from the 'Army approaching them and asking for eyeglasses that would not just protect them from the sun, but would look good to.' The rest as they say, is history.

And although Rayban have created 'Round Metal Sunglasses' which I'm guessing will be on many a trendy faces in our summer, I think its time to explore what the rest have to offer us, and step away from the cult brand, and I am going down the Super Lucia route and I'm guessing I wont be alone?
The Super Story...Daniel and Simon Beckrman are the creators, and are also publishers of PIG Magazine, the most prestigious independent music and fashion magazine in Italy together with PIG radio, one of the most influential indie music web-radios on the Internet. The idea came when Daniel realised there was no eyewear brand that was representing a certain type of fashion culture. 'All the company's that are in the market today are leaded by people that are interested in different. standard and established markets, what about all the other street couture brands? Together with this nobody was playing fun in eyewear like the great expressions you can see in the clothing business...where are the shades for me and my friends?'


Not only are the designs catering for a whole new audience, they are handmade in Italy with the best manufactures using the best materials, and not just a fashion accessory, they have decided to adopt Zeiss lenses, which guarantee an extremely high level of protection to the eyes in all conditions.



It is unsurprising that since their introduction, artists, celebrities, sports athletes, trendsetters have all been representing the Super brand, they have been featured in prestigious international magazines, Vogue, i-D and WAD.



'Super sunglasses hit the scene in a big way this summer and as the rest of the world catches on, are set to continue as a must have item.'

'Best Designer Of The Year' Markus Lupfer.

So a new post, leads to a new research project and in the spotlight today I have placed London-based designer Markus Lupfer. Whilst manically scouring the sale rails in Selfridges I came across a dress-heavy charcoal fabric, mini in length with long sleeves creating a body-con silhouette, and in the middle of the dress was layered material of a woman's body, hard to describe but I imagine it would be instantly recognised by any Lupfer fan, the 'Lounge Bodice Dress' Looking at the label rang no bells, however that didn't interfere in influencing my decision to immediately take a liking to the unusual design. From looking at that one dress I am able to completely agree that 'Lupfer's unique style breathes new life into the everyday basics and refreshes the concept of classic knitwear, creating wearable clothing with an ornamental feel.'



The German-born designer graduated from the University of Westminster with a first-class honours degree in 1997. Lupfer didn't have to wait long for commercial success, his critically acclaimed final year collection was immediately bought by fashion boutique, Koh Sumai. Lupfer became a regular on the London Fashion Week schedule, until he joint the Spanish Fashion House-Armand Basi, where he remained design director until 2009.



Looking through his current and past collections Lupfer's attention to detail and ground breaking use of fabric is highly noticeable and it is no surprise to find out that it captured the attention of many brands including Topshop, he was given the opportunity to create capsule collections for the high street which he continues to do till this day. His recognised talents also led him to various collaborations and consultancy projects which included Mulberry and Cacharel. Through this recognition it has gained Lupfer a devoted following, Daisy Lowe, Lilly Allen, Jade Jagger and many more continue to appreciate his exceptional knitwear and inspired approach to jersey tailoring as well as his innovative use of print and experimentation with embroidery and graphic embellishment.




















The Markus Lupfer label, as his own label, was created in 1998 and is now available in few stockist, exclusive boutiques, net-a-porter, ASOS and also department stores worldwide including Selfridges and unsurprisingly it is shifting faster than it can be replenished. With ever increasing sales and press attention the brand continues to grow internationally.





One of my favourite recognisable pieces of Lupfers collection are his experimental and exceptional approach to sequined embroidery, acclaiming him a cult fan base. 'Lupfer been very clever in making his sequined sweaters an item with a bit of cult following that draws followers from a really surprisingly broad customer-base. They strike such a great balance between easy and dressed up and witty and smart, pieces to make people from teenagers to adults smile and feel good in it almost anywhere.'

The Beginnings Of Our Fashion Bibles.

am-bi-tion

1. An eager or strong desire for success, achievement or distinction.
2. something so desired; goal, aim.

'Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in' and another one, 'Ambition is enthusiasm with a purpose' Ambition, in my view is never a bad thing, it is the reason for everyone in the Fashion World, and any world as such, to carry on and reach there goals whatever they may be. I seem to get most of my inspiration from various reading material, of that there is so much I will never be able to cover it all. Fashion magazines go a long way to support many aspects of the Fashion World, and who are these people that discovered them and developed them to what they are today, and are now in the well deserved position to influence others with their choices and decisions that are then read and enjoyed by their huge, or sometimes, niche audiences. And how would they of ended up sitting today as successful creators of well known magazines? through being ambitious and having the desire to complete their goal. Aim. Completed.

I am well aware that there are hundreds of well respected magazines associated with fashion, of which I have carefully chosen a few of my favourites to research and explore their beginnings, resulting in me being able to lazily enter at the last stage of production, purchasing each creation and thoroughly enjoying the journey each issue takes me on. Lets start with i-D Mr Jones.



i-D is a British magazine dedicated to fashion, music, art and youth culture. It was founded by designer and former Vogue art director Terry Jones in 1980. The first issue was published in the form of a hand stapled fanzine (see all of the zines out there have a chance! Pamflet keep going) with text produced on a typewriter, consisting of 40 pages that held a mirror up to British subculture and street style of the time, it was clamped together with three staples and cost 50p. It was a fashion magazine like no other, distributed around London from the boot of a Cadillac. It wasn't about glossy ad's or posh clothes i-D was, and still is, all about attitude. Over the years the magazine did evolve into a mature glossy but it has kept street style and youth central to every issue, it is recognised for its innovative photography and typography. Many talented photographers have passed through the magazine as it was ample opportunity for fresh talent to progress and grow, Nick Knight, Chris Dowling and Terry Richardson to name but a few. i-D is easily recognisable on a whole shelf of fashion material, tipped on its side the 'i-D' typographic logo represents a 'winking smiley' and in turn most covers of i-D have featured a winking cover model. The magazine is also responsible for the the style of documentary picture-making pose 'Straight Up' this was used frequently in the magazine to photograph youth found on English streets, who were simply asked to stand against any nearby blank wall, the resulting pictures the subject facing the camera and seen from 'top to toe.' This is recognisable even from an in-experienced photographer like myself, i-D has a strong identity branding that is clearly associated with the magazine without even seeing the title.



i-D has gone from 50 copies sold in a newsagent to now 67,000 copies a month in the UK, not that its creator Jones is interested in banal sales figures, it has lead to its competitors holding their hands up, Blitz, The Face, Sleazenation. In the first years, it was realistically, a 'f*ck it lets get it out there' raw, Innocent form of communication that was not at all precious. Its house style evolved into a chaotic mix of wonky typewriter text, photo collage, stencilling scrawls, ticker tape headlines and wild graphics. Its what Jones called 'instant design' or 'controlled chaos' He wanted to get back the physical side of design where it was made with a sense of urgency and the idea that it was made just before you picked it up and read it.



Its rewarding to find out that i-D now has full-time staff and offices in Shoreditch as opposed to a procession of moon lighters who would put the magazine together in Jones West Hampsted home and take turns distributing it from the back of a car boot. Jones now recalls that what he is 'amazed at is the stuff that no-one was interested in 1980. Street fashion is what everyone's interested now' With whole Japanese magazines dedicated to 'street trends' and the 'as seen' pages in Vogue go to prove that Jones may have left 27 years ago, but his influence has more than returned.



The successful creator has now turned 60, with 300 issues under his belt he is anything but jaded, dressed in his low-key uniform of jeans, converse and his work wear jacket. Someone put it to him that he is the epitome of cool. 'I don't really understand the principle of cool. Cool is probably the reverse of what I do, what I've always tried to do is to produce something that has an energy, that has a life of its own. Whereas if you make something cool it has a dead quality. Which just wouldn't be i-D would it now?'

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall/What Is The Fairest Texture Of Them All? You Velvet, Are Fairest Of All.

The connotations I initially associate with velvet are words such as, traditional, royalty, extravagant, nobility. In retrospect, it looked grand and luxurious on Kings and Queens in history, King Richard II of England directed in his will that his body should be clothed in velvet and many a King and Queen have been seen perched on rich jewel coloured thrones. However it was seen as a frumpy choice of clothing in the 80's, this has been turned around by the likes of Proenza Scholer, Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney and Erin Fetherson, turning the jewel colours, emerald, sapphire,and ruby into head turning sleek cocktail dresses, low waisted trousers and beautifully crushed shirts; it has been cleverly revitalised with glossy colour, pretty burn-out effects and graphic splicing.





I recently stayed at the Crazy Bear Hotel, the whole room was covered in velvet, from the walls to the cushions, to the long draping curtains, it had that magnificent grand feeling, and it made me start thinking about everything that has recently been created in velvet, bags, leggings, dresses, coats and so forth, the texture has that special ability to be able to transform something so simple as leggings into a eye-catching, individual creative look. Not only does it have its own unique look, velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed, with a short dense pile, giving it that distinct feel, that you cant help to touch.






















Its no surprise that velvet could claim its place as one of this seasons most beloved materials, it adds the dimension of texture and creates that heavy rich look no matter which form. Black velvet, I consider the easier option of slowly entering the world of velvet wearers, sleek and minimalist, however coloured velvets most associated with velvet represent the material traditionally, burgundy, forest green and midnight blue. Rebelling against these colours, give the texture a more modern look for the summer, outrageous neon if your brave enough?







Looking at the Fashion Houses that have chosen to incorporate velvet in their collections, its easy to see why, Prada stuck to the traditional reds, creating mid length dresses. Velvet has that unique ability to be worn by a vast audience, and each individual being allowed their trademark stamp to put on it and creating a completely different look, from say Anna Wintour in her Prada velvet dress. Chloe's black jumpsuit automatically jumped to a whole new level whilst adopting the new material, and once again Diana Kruger, managed to make it her own. And this is all from the high fashion status, velvet is being used everywhere and styled into trendy, individual looks, from casual to special occasions. And for all the characteristics of velvet that I love, I think the main one is that you can take this material in any shape or form and make it your own, where ever your going, whatever your budget, and whatever your style. It on its own creates something magical 'A throne is only a bench covered in velvet' Napoleon Bonaparte.







Long Live The Velvet.

The Talents of Louise Gray.

Through starting this blog, it has inspired me to want to gain diverse knowledge of all things associated with fashion. From new talented designers to discovering new reading material, to new collections being released mainstream and finding new blogs that are being written by talented, knowledgeable individuals and which I thoroughly enjoy reading through and finding out new things that in turn I would like to research and find out more, I feel that through something I enjoy reading about and looking through it has open my eyes in discovering a whole new world that is Fashion, it covers such a vast amount of material and talent that I feel I will never ever be able to cover it all, but that's one of the aspects I love; that each individual has there own taste so will naturally be attracted to different aspects of the whole subject and in turn have their own interpretations and way of appreciating peoples work and involving it in their own style, either through writing about it, incorporating it within their style or simply just enjoying it.

So from following this method, I have chosen Louise Gray a talented designer, which I have found out about through other bloggers firstly, then backed up by my own research and interpreting her designs from my own personal view, not through expert designer knowledge or even knowing the method carried out to create a collection; this is uninfluenced by others, instead expressed through initial thoughts from looking at images of her work and writing down my views and ideas, agree or disagree, which is the whole enjoyment of opinions and how different individuals review others talents.

Researching, occasionally represents certain patterns when researching similar talents, for example, take clothing designers. It is a common sentence I come across, no different to Louise's background, 'went on to graduate with an MA from Central Saint Martins in London.' What happens in this mysterious place? Not that I'm complaining, it seems generations of renowned artists, designers and performers-individuals whose work has transformed or defined our times, began their creative journeys from Central Saint Martins. Founded by William Letherby in 1989 with the merging of two other collages. They are able to boast that they were the beginning of the new wave of exciting talent of British designers, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney, to name just a few of the well known.

Back to Louise, immediately following her graduation she was selected by Fashion East and showed three seasons there. If being read by a experienced fashion insider, you will be well aware of Fashion East, but like all my research I am always being lead down different paths, trying to gain more knowledge of all these different Institutions. Fashion East is a non-profit initiative established by the Old Brewery in 2000 to nurture emerging young designers through the difficult early stages of their career, receiving some of its sponsorship funding by Topshop. Each season they offer three designers (both womenswear and menswear) the opportunity to represent a catwalk collection to the international press and buyers attending London Fashion Week. Successors include, House of Holland, Holly Fulton and the designer we are currently discussing Louise Gray.

I feel that the best description of her work, comes from her own personal biography, who can describe it better than the lady herself...she has created a label 'based on brightly hued, boldly textured garments whose shapes are simple and where movement and embellishment takes centre stage. Employing a wide range of materials, nothing is quite what it seems in Gray's work. Contrast is key and Gray reworks traditional stitches and embroidery techniques to create modern folk details and trompe l'eoile effects.

I completely adore the whole look Gray has created, and nothing does a designer more justice than their items to be instantly recognisable and linked to the designer's work. The brightly colours makes even the simplest round neck t-shirt a resemblance to her design decisions.

Her latest collection involves a whole contrast of prints, textures and shapes, created using various layers and remarkable details of ragged material draped beautifully in a messy art form, styled in the hair and falling perfectly unorganised over the clothes. The vast amount of materials used, in a varying colour palette, knotted and tied in various forms to create a collection of stark shorts, sheer skirts, dresses, shirts and beautifully knotted pale grey trousers once again complemented by brightly coloured tshirts layered with strips of knotted, patterned fabrics. And all topped of with a pastel raffia pom pom in each models hair, a perfect finishing touch to Gray's outstanding ambitious creations. Perfectly imperfect.

And although, unfortunately, there are few stockist's in the UK that allow us to be able to purchase such beautiful clothing, I have come across it on ASOS recently, a perfect opportunity to buy into such a talented designers work.

Louise Gray, it was a pleasure to have a sneak peek into your wonderful world of designing, I'm looking forward to watching you and your amazing creations grow...