Sat 7th Noc: Tara Darby @ Aubin & Wills

I can't believe Tara's last exhibition was in June!  Where has this year flown?.....................

So from the steel-drum summer private view in Dalston to an Autumnal opening in Westbourne Grove at the cosy flagship of Aubin & Wills.  Tara has shot a beautiful fashion spread for their latest Almanac and to reinforce their association Aubin & Wills have given her their walls to exhibit some of her iconic images.  Amidst the antique shop fixtures of chunky cable knits and stripey socks are Tara's softly lit sensitive snaps of Bat for Lashes, Uffie,  Alexa Chung, Jethro Cave...........all for sale, individually priced...........ready to be snapped up for Christmas............

Fri 6th Nov: Sh'mon Laura

Here is Laura Bradley who has just spent her last day working as Fashion Features Editor at SHOWstudio.  Its been a full circle of 4 years since she entered the mirrored hall of Ironmonger Row in Nov 2005 and left through the Shop door of Bruton Place.  Of course there was an interim of her degree where she created the best magazine I own in my weighty archive (that is giving one corner of my bedroom subsidence).  The Fashion Almanac has been on hold whilst she dedicated her energies to SHOW, but little trickles of collection equations can be found via her twitter to feed your appetite for reference recipes: "Holiday Postcards + Crisp Packets + Post-it Notes + Prada S/S 2010 = Maison Martin Margiela S/S 2010".

So what honeytrap has seduced Laura away from the safehaven of SHOW?  *Now for the exciting part* i-D are re-structuring their online output and head-hunted Laura to take up the mantle.  To accessorize that mantle she may well walk into her new office wearing a pair of Jil Sander killer heels which were her leaving gift from the family at SHOW.  Other parting treats included a cat cake and a mix tape of 'My Girl', 'Laura' by Scissor Sisters, 'Don't Stop Me Now....................so Laura, don't stop!  Keep up the maverick work and have a blast giving i-D a make-over............we can't wait!

Thurs 5th Nov: SHOWing Out

After Rasharn's shoot earlier in the week.........the end of the week is being wrapped up by SHOWstudio's Nick Knight in person...........with his peers and regular collaborators shooting a story for British Vogue.  Nick often (always?!) films his shoots but of course any documentation on set is always secret until the final edit is published..............that's industry standard.  So this is really quite exceptional!  You can see Michael Howells set and the specially commissioned designer garms made for the feature..........here you can see Natalia in a one-off Prada ensemble made for Lucinda Chambers and the "Fairytale" theme.   All of these outfits will be auctioned off after the shoot to raise money for Natalia's charity "The Naked Heart Foundation".

Thanks to the fury that is Alex Fury of SHOWstudio for sending me these snaps live from the action.  I like the inclusion of the rainbow rack of colorama in the background in keeping with my blog aesthetic (also loving Marion ensconced in texting, making the most of Natalia's time in mittens, LOL!)

For everyone at their computers and not down at Somerset House to witness it in person, follow the live stream here, its been upgraded ...........

http://www.showstudio.com/projects/fashionrevolution/live/

Contributors: Model - Natalia Vodianova, Photographer - Nick Knight, Fashion Director - Lucinda Chambers, Hair stylist - Sam McKnight, Make-up artist - Val Garland, Nails - Marian Newman,Set Designer Michael Howells

Thurs 5th Nov: Good(ley) Times

I headed to Dover Street yesterday for the Goodley PR press day to check out Natashca Stolle's  latest collection..............and also pleasantly stumbled across Holly Fulton............whose art deco prints wreeeeeeek of me and it would be criminal if weren't added to my wardrobe...............I if only I were shopping for my own Christmas list ............I would like it all please...........oh and these William Tempest sexy silk swirl numbers (very Cremaster 3!) in what only can be described as a cantaloupe melon orange.

(Top to Bottom 1-5 Holly Fulton, 6 William Tempest, 7-8 Natascha Stolle)

Weds 4th Nov: Hannah Marshall

Last evening Hannah Marshall held a special up-close-and-personal preview of her S/S 2010 collection in what is now her own shop.............for a month!  How exciting!  She has had the opportunity to take over a lease of a West End space on New Quebec Street to share with Jean Pierre Braganza.  Here she is with another visitor browsing the rails and looking quite frankly FIERCE in one of Hannah's slinky m'linkzy sexy short, short dresses...........the name to the legs being Katie Bain of the British Fashion Council.  

I could write a little report on these beautiful garments but I'm going to hand you over to Naomi Attwood as its her birthday!  (HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVEN!).  Naomi wrote up a report from Hannah's LFW show for me and I never uploaded it at the time as we didn't have images.  So please place yourself back to September when you read this great review and here are some backstage snaps to jolt your memory  from Morgan O'Donovan.

If you are Stateside............Hannah is bringing her collection to NYC next Thursday along with other British designers including Peter Pilotto.........who have been fitting out Michelle Obama so what better time to cross the pond .......

Hannah Marshall  Show Report by Naomi Attwood

The Old Sorting Office, re-named the Redbull Fashion Factory, is a venue with very special fashion vibes, because Vivienne Westwood held her first ever shows here back in the day. Anyway, it’s a charming and quite democratic space for a fashion show, since the catwalk is triangular, rather than straight up and down means each row gets a better view of the models and the outfits process for rather longer than usual . . . so you really get your money’s worth, whatever your status, front row or standing.

 Hannah Marshall was one of the most eagerly anticipated shows this season and the spectacle was suitably dramatic, with industrial beats blaring out as the lights went down.

 Marshall is known for her addiction to black minimal outfits sans decoration, pattern or colour which allow their strong, architectural outlines to do the talking.  This collection was no exception and the shapes that were left imprinted on the assembled press, buyers and fans were as followed:

 Rectangular, thanks to padded shoulders on loose fitting blouses (in silk) and boxy, below the hip blazers (in black leather) that had been built up to the size of shoe boxes.

 Egg timer, due to the body-con mini dresses, constructed of beautiful mesh panels inserted into leather structures. One even featured two jet-encrusted spikes, pointing down from the hip bones.

 Chaka Khan, with gorgeous flowing high-waisted pants paired with cropped bustiers creating the next erogenous zone du jour – slice of tummy betwixt the belly button and ribcage. Erin O Connor closed the show in her sparkly-topped version while Fred particularly admired the violet version of this (plus the giant-shouldered suede jacket) of the same colour.

 Triangular, which took a number of forms, such as a mini-dress with built up shoulders that were not padded, but constructed from intricate pleats on the outside of the sleeves, as well as another ingeniously constructed folded fin from the nape of the neck to the lumbar on the back of another dress and some more Elizabethan inspired shapes, with the emphasis on the hips.

 As the entire gang of models paraded to finish the show, Erin clasping the designer’s hand and leading her around, the bleak music changed to the Rolling Stones’ rousing ‘Paint It Black’. Whoever said minimalists don’t have a sense of humour? A stunning show, and plenty to think about before the coming season starts in reality.  

Weds 4th Nov: Its Christmas!

Yes that's right..........according to Oxford Street where the lights got turned on last evening and the street was blocked off ........which I don't notice for a good 10 mins stood waiting for a 73 that never came..........that's enough info on my stupidity, I'm sure there is a good Essex girl joke there somewhere........

So here are some hats that Rosy and I whipped up for the Selfridges Christmas Window theme...........some mini CUTE crowns that were ridiculous fun to make, a HUGE puss'n'boots musketeer hat and a red velvet Captain Hook hat.  If you are in Manchester you can see more of the same that we shipped up there..............thanks to Selfridges fantastic 3D creative team ......

Tues 3rd Nov: The House that Henry Built

Not quite sure whats going on but last evening I went to visit Henry Holland hanging out at his new house..........well not exactly.........its a mini "House of Holland" that he has built for a project with Vice Magazine.  My favourite thing was the light fittings..............

Here is his tweet from yesterday that may explain more:

Building actual House of Holland today for a Vice mag project. Polka dot walls, check. Tartan roof, check. Colour change chesterfield, check.

Mon 2nd Nov: Tenuous Link

Er..........this post is really very tenuous but basically GO AND BY ARENA HOMME PLUS NOW.  Ive only just been tipped off about it and so glad I didn't miss it (thanks Reuben!).  The whole issue is dedicated to the memory and work of Ray Petri...............with a wealth of contributors who have amassed a mag full of great imagery and text.  There is one profile of Judy Blame shot in his home by Juergen Teller...........

..........here is a fantastic portrait of him from fashion week at Somerset House by Orlando Gili...........where Rasharn's shoot is happening today..........whose mentor is Simon Foxton.........whose inspiration in turn was Petri...........it all links in..........

(image from the Daily Blog)

Ive also included a video link from the NYTimes site where Armand Limnander talks through a whistle-stop tour of Petri's career for anyone needing a de-brief to all things Buffalo..........
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/fashion/20070311_PETRI_FEATURE/blocker.html

Mon 2nd Nov: Rasharn's Rebel Revolution

Rasharn Agyemang from menswear label  Jaiden RVA James  is taking over the SHOWstudio live space at Somerset House to shoot a story for his 'RE-BEL' project.  Between 10-6 today and tomorrow he will be working with photographer Christian Oita and a guest styling collaboration from Simon Foxton on Tues morning.  

SHOWstudio embraced the Internet to transform the medium of fashion editorial by turning stills into motion..........now they are embracing the context of an exhibition and again re-inventing the traditional expected  experience.  For the duration of their "Fashion Revolution" retrospective at Somerset House there is a packed schedule of artists coming in to collaborate and work within the live stream studio to create images that anyone can witness...........remember, you saw it here first............

(Top image from the JRVAJ show at LFW, 2nd image from when Rasharn came to visit my New Gen exhibit with Kim Howells, 3rd image lifted from Rasharn's blog when he snapped me on the last day of fashion week..............we all love a bit of colour!)