Posted on 2.07.2011
Swarovski
Posted on 30.06.2011
Holly Fulton for Swarovski 2011
Posted on 28.03.2011
Milliner Noel Stewart described the striking hats which he conceived for Holly Fulton’s autumn/winter 2011 collection as “mini berets.” His creations were topped with Swarovski crystal as well as studs and shimmery coral. Their compact shape projected the polish of a a pillbox hat with the chic classicism of a beret. Wouldn’t it be great if Kate Middleton flaunted one in the countdown to the Royal Wedding?
Fulton, a former Lanvin accessories designer, has a flair for creating flashy clothes infused with a young, ladylike edge. Her show was the first of many in London to imaginatively display Swarovski pearls. Sleek tops were made from them and pearls were layered upon a graphic print which combined Art Deco and Surrealist influences. Her standout look – a sleeveless dress which brought to my mind a Geoffrey Beene number Anna Wintour flaunted back in the late eighties – featured a pearl-embellished bodice atop a pastel blue PVC waistline from which descended a marabou mini skirt.
Fulton’s brash, bold signature of dressed up clothes, most of which could work day and night, has won her a strong following among female fashion editors. She strikes me as a talent who could lend a sense of modern craft and originality to the high street. She always collaborates with interesting names to produce her collections and for this one, along with Stewart, she worked with Dashing Tweeds. The textile company produces “21st century tweeds” jointly created by photographer Guy Hills and weaver Kirsty McDougall. “Holly knew what she wanted,” says McDougall of the material she devised for the show. Inspired by Coco Chanel’s trips to Scotland – where the couturier worked with Linton, the Carlisle, Cumbria maker of fine tweeds – McDougall wove mohair, angora, velvet ribbon, strips of snake skin and leather – from which Fulton made the first three looks that graced her runway – an A-line mini skirt, a shift dress and a Chanel-inspired jacket. Edged with jet black goat hair Fulton displayed it with a mesh bikini top from which clear crystal beads playful dripped.
» Watch Holly Fulton on Swarovski TV.
Henry Holland For Swarovski 2011
Posted on 20.02.2011
I interviewed Henry Holland yesterday about this “granny chic” autumn/winter 2011 collection. He is so charming and his work has really come on. The tailoring was superb. His deft use of oversized Swarovski crystal pearls proved to punctuate the “heritage cloth” – as he referred to Harris tweed defining his chic little cocktail dresses. The sheen and opulence of oversized pearls injected his work with a wit and humour which is evocative of Henry’s personality. Shimmering black Swarovski crystal also lent a lovely shimmer to body skimming silk jersey. Jade Parfitt, Dolly Jones and Alexa Chung headed backstage to deliver much deserved congratulations. So did Pixie Geldof, who left with one of the tweed pearl dresses slung over her arm. She loves it. And so do I.
» Watch Henry Holland on Swarovski TV.
London Vs. New York and The Social Network Vs Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Posted on 2.10.2010
I am as excited about fashion as I was when I first started covering the shows in 1993. Maybe it is because I split my time between London and New York. Back in the early Nineties I shuttled between London and Paris. I was educating myself about the business because there was nothing going on in London. (Talk about commitment – there was no Eurostar back then.) When I’m in New York I don’t see a lot of good fashion. But there is always a !wow! moment. Like recently when I held open the door for Iris Apfel and her husband as I exited Loehmann’s and they entered for a Saturday afternoon shop.
So, a few days after London Fashion Week, I was in New York and my time away got me thinking about how the scene at the London shows feels like Paris in the late seventies – a time of distinct creativity. There is just enough business to keep designers here working. (Just as the US market drove Yves Saint Laurent’s boom.) They may not be totally thriving but many – Erdem, Giles, Roksand Ilincic, Christopher Kane – are making outrageously fabulous clothes. And there is a genuine scene. What got me thinking about this were some studio visits I made a few days before the shows like visiting Giles’ setup in the Old Truman Brewery. I made my way to his East End “atelier” by car which turned in on Fournier Street – where Gilbert & George live – and then dropped me on Brick Lane. I walked past Rough Trade Records, climbed a set of back steps and walked through two big black double doors where teams of twentysomethings were busy manually assembling Giles’ spring/summer 2011 collection. A few days later it was on the backs of 46 iconic models striding along his runway in a Spitalfields warehouse. Veruschka provided the grand finale in some fantastic Stephen Jones mohawk style hat. Talk about fun. And I want the clothes.
Compare this to my time in New York. “Nice shoes,” I said complimenting a designer backstage at Lincoln Centre. “Thanks!” he said looking down at his own white leather high-tops. I said: “No – not yours. The ones Nicholas Kirkwood designed for your show.”
I felt vanity was a characteristic shared by the young New York designers with whom I interfaced. It seemed that all it takes is a bit of love from Anna Wintour or Carine Roitfeld and a New York up & comer thinks he is Tom Ford.
I visited a China Town studio of a designer who I profiled as he was on the rise – to his current on the rise status. I was so enthusiastic seeing him again. His studio was a bit like Erdem’s – white, a bit rough around the edges but filled with incredibly beautiful things. So after his PR and I made nice, I said, ‘I’d love to see the collection,” referring to the s/s 2011 work that was soon to be displayed. I had been following the designer’s progress and I was genuinely curious about his direction. “You can’t see it,” she snapped and her mood changing from friendly to officious. “Okay – what about the autumn/winter collection. Can I see it in your office upstairs?” I ventured. “You can see it at Saks.” Ouch. Whatever. And never.
So now on to film. I’m interviewing Michael Kaplan on Tuesday. He’s the costume designer who collaboratively produced the wardrobe for Blade Runner and trained with Bob Mackie. Burlesque – his most recent project – is soon to be released. And I saw The Social Network and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps back-to-back last week. The former outclasses the latter. The Social Network is a thriller and there is a fascinating sense of mystery to it, reflecting the fact that the average viewer will never be able to decipher the machinations of Mark Zuckerberg as he devised his Facebook empire.
Justin Timberlake will get a best supporting actor nomination for his masterly portrayal of Sean Parker (the Napster founder who mentored Zuckerberg). It is Timberlake’s breakthrough screen role and his sudden appearance in the film commences its long yet fascinating third act. The one thing that left me slightly disappointed about The Social Network is that there are is no wardrobe highlight to this film and I’m into costumes. But, it seems, every background aspect of this film – the music, the sets – was so expertly calculated to heighten the performance of its standout ensemble cast. The production is so tightly controlled. I have not seen a movie made this way in years.
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps – what a let down. Why Oliver Stone thought David Byrne and Brian Eno were appropriate to score this film makes me think that he has some sort of Rip Van Winkle ailment. I don’t know any hedge funder or banker who would recognize either musician’s name and their music is so slow paced and dated that it just drags this movie down. Maria Callas would have been better. There is one good moment in the film – Michael Douglas lands in London and goes on a Jermyn Street shopping spree. Unfortunately there is no panoramic view of Mayfair. There is an establishing shot of Zurich which made me laugh and wonder if the production ran out of money and couldn’t get to Zurich and just went with a stock shot. There are far too many establishing shots of Manhattan – which seem to patch over something that dropped on the cutting room floor. And they are curious shots. Two aerial views of Barry Diller’s Frank Gehry designed IAC headquarters in Chelsea made me wonder if these were some sort of payback shots. The Chinese restaurant Shun Lee’s neon sign gets more screen time than the Bulgari boutique facade. (Free Chinese food for Oliver Stone, I guess. I would have gone for the diamonds.) The best thing about the Wall Street sequel is Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko. And I hope the studly acting legend is holding up okay.
The Clothes I Want to Wear Are Designed in London
Posted on 26.09.2010
It was one of the best London Fashion Weeks I have attended in many years. If not ever. Fresh, creative, fun. Wearable. I want to wear so much of what I saw on the London runways.
Aside from the excitement of seeing new fashion and the genuine party atmosphere – which was enhanced by the sun which shone all week – a feeling of accomplishment enhanced the mood.
What I mean by this is that everyone looks to London based designers from something new. And not only do they deliver beautiful cutting edge clothes but several designers who are always classified as “young” displayed that they have matured by delivering collections that were decidedly confident and sophisticated yet are still imbued with a spontaneous sense of creativity which the industry admires about the London fashion scene.
First up was Henry Holland and I think this was the show that really exemplified the edgy refinement that characterized the spring/summer 2011 London shows. Henry is known for being a club kid and his clothes have always had a fast fashion spirit. He did stage a disco inspired show – set to great music by Donna Summer and Grace Jones – but the clothes were more grown up then ever.
Holly Fulton staged her first London Fashion Week show. A young Joan Collins was an inspiration and instead of diamonds there was crystal beautifully applied to her raffia fringed sun dresses, Christian Louboutin shoes and defined the wonderful graphic necklaces which proved the shows statement pieces. I see Holly as the next Karen Millen meets Topshop or LK Bennett meets Topshop and when I say this I mean she could create a retail chain which sells directional, high quality, top-to-toe glamour at high street prices.
Michael Van Der Ham and Mark Fast staged their first solo shows this season and the critical acclaim they both received was due to the bold shots of colour which permeated their runways. Michael’s used Swarovski crystal to play up the colour – and as it dripped from his evening bags and shimmered from his Grecian-cut dresses – it was as though the crystal pushed up a volume button from seven to nine and got everyone’s attention focussed fully on his clothes. His shoes were the best of the week. Nicholas Kirkwood created them for Pollini. I really want a pair!
For Mark Fast, colour was a new direction and the shades of his knitwear were soft such as raspberry and aquamarine. The crystal also appeared soft and this really is telling about Mark’s expertise as a knitwear designer. His creations are handmade and, similarly, the crystal is manually applied. There is one word which describes Fast, this season as well as his work – and his way of creating with crytal – and it is refined. I’d like to see him create ready-to-wear.
Show stopping is the one word to describe the Giles show. There were 46 looks flaunted by a line up of 46 models – from Stella Tennant to Veruschka. I am placing an order for the drop waist taupe mini-ish dress with a pleated skirt featuring his groovy band aid print. Loved it.
Erdem – he is the It Boy of London fashion. The theme of his collection is the Ballet Russe and the crystal enhanced its folkloric mood. But this is 21st century folklore and as I always say to Erdem whenever I see this energetic soul – ‘Go Erdem!’ He is headed straight to the top.
Marios Schwab’s collection was about sophisticated tailoring. Though this designer is twentysomething he sculpts clothes to the body with a masterly hand. Swarovski tattoos perked up his strong spring/summer 2011 collection and I’d say help motivate its glam grunge theme. I loved it.
The most inventive Swarovski creations of the season appeared on Richard Nicoll’s runway. He worked with Swarovski knit to create jaw dropping elegant evening cardigans. These to me were the must haves of the spring/summer 2011 London fashion season. I could just see one being flaunted on the red carpet by one of Richard’s customer’s like Yasmin Le Bon.
My two favorites of the week? Roksand Ilincic – for the hot pink and lavender shades and the expert sexy tailoring. I’m wearing her cruisewear – a chic chartreuse and black trousers and top ensemble – to the New York Film Festival’s Friday night premiere. And I also loved Giles because it was so daring, fun, sexy and beautifully conceived.
Thomas Tait
Posted on 19.09.2010
Spring/Summer 2011
Thomas Tait became the first of the five designers shortlisted for the Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize to display his spring/summer 2011 collection at London Fashion Week and his Friday night show was a beautiful moment. Its venue was Vyner Street’s Wilkinson Gallery and Amanda Wilkinson – who owns it with her husband Anthony – has long wanted to stage a fashion event in their sweeping, airy two-story exhibition space. When a mutual friend of hers and Tait’s – Sarah McCrory, the London curator in charge of Frieze Projects – let Amanda know that he was looking for a show venue, their shared penchant for minimalism sealed the deal.
Tate’s s/s 2011 collection was composed of evening wear ensembles executed in a spare colour palette – jet black, flashes of white and nude. Void of print, pattern – and dresses – it seemed as though Tate’s entire collection was devoted to deconstructing the tuxedo. Though there were references to age-old classics – namely Yves Saint Laurent’s Le Smoking – what made Tate’s collection fashion forward is that any retro inspiration was barely detectable. (His subtle sampling brought to my mind how YSL conjured Elsa Schiaparelli.)
There were pieces in his collection which commenced as shorts, trousers, shirts and jackets. But Tate will have to invent his own vocabulary and derive original names for his garments because their inventively curvilinear construction renders traditional obsolete. Though Tate’s cut is exacting, there’s a gentleness to it. Maybe this is the sartorial manifestation of his characteristically Canadian politeness (He’s from Montreal). “Sensual,” said Amanda Wilkinson. “I really admired the way his clothes are structured around the body.”
What was also impressive is that – top to toe – Tate’s models wore Tate. He designed the clothes, footwear, handbags and accessories (thanks to ASOS) that appeared on his catwalk. And though this was his debut show, any one of his looks could tear up a red carpet. I’d love to see a stylish film star flaunt Tate s/s 2011 at an awards ceremony next year like the BAFTAs. Or the Screen Actors Guild Awards. They are that gorgeous.
There were a few technical glitches during his show such as a longish wait for it to commence. “Is this normal?” asked His Excellency, James Wright, the High Commissioner of Canada, who – with his wife, the author Donna Thompson – came along to support Tate.
Midway through the show, the overhead lights suddenly went off. So a lot of the collection was displayed amidst dim light. Yet somehow this mishap heightened the atmosphere and in no way diminished the quality of Tate’s first display. After all, dusk is appropriate lighting for his evening wear. When the lights went down, I started thinking about the iconic Helmut Newton photo of a model wearing YSL’s Le Smoking beneath a Paris street lamp and I also concluded that Tate’s
s/s 2011 collection is infused with a glamour and modernity which will turn heads and stop traffic even in late night darkness.
Coco Chanel and Chau Har Lee
Posted on 16.09.2010
Rarely do I attend parties in shops. I vowed never to go to them when I worked at Vogue. Tonight I made an exception. My friend Sophie Headley had invited me to the launch of Selfridges new ‘Shoe Galleries.’ I had heard about the groundbreaking redesign of Selfridges shoe department when I was writing a story about Nicholas Kirkwood in the summer. It is huge. It is glossy. More on it, after I explain another reason why I attended its launch. The party was on my route home from another one – Claridges’ launch of my friend Justine Picardie’s great biography of Coco Chanel. So I figured why not?
First – Justine’s book. Chanel – I own a lot. I bought loads – with Justine – when we worked at Vogue. I still wear pieces I purchased in 1997 and they look fab. I think it was the Chanel I bought at their annual sample sale which taught me about the value of buying great clothes – they last. (I never shopped high street until Uniqlo came along.) Anyway, appropriately, Chanel hosted Justine’s book launch. I immediately bought a copy. It is beautifully assembled. Justine took time and care researching the photos – and that’s important for this book. Few Chanel biographies are any good. I’ve read all of them. Dull. I have yet to read Justine’s but from what she told me when I saw her at the Port Eliot literary festival, she has dug deep and come up trumps. She has been researching this book since 1998. She is a great writer. Somehow the book feels as crisply and exacting as a sharply cut Chanel suit. It will be a page-turner and it is now my autumnal read.
So on to Selfridges’ Shoe Gallery. Wow – there are so many great shoe boutiques within the vast, sweeping, glossy, 35,000 square foot department. I saw the boots that I will buy later this year. And I also spotted incredible constructions by Chau Har Lee – the Royal College of Art graduate who has been shortlisted for the Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize. Chau’s landed a worldwide exclusive with Selfridges and though I only saw one pair of her shoes on display, they were among three stand-out pairs I saw amidst the 4000 on display. The other two were by Prada and Michael Kors. So go girl!
