Sat 29th May: Stephen Doherty Interviewed by Craig Lawrence

Whilst we were blogging for FASHION 156 last week, Craig interviewed illustrator Stevie but due to technical reasons the entry was never uploaded.................so, hey presto, here it is for all to see............with introduction by Craig..........

"Stephan Doherty

Stevie is my rock, if it wasn’t for Stevie I’d be a right mess, more of a mess than I am now! A legend in the making Stevie is one in a million! And he does nice drawings. Oh and he needs a new boyfriend so please take a bit of time out of your day to chat him up on facebook!"



Who are you?
Stephen Doherty

What do you do?
When I’m not busy dropping out of Saint Martins I’m usually drawing/designing. I worked at Gareth Pugh for a while but I’ve been helping out Craig Lawrence for the last couple of years. You might also see me pulling the odd pint down The Joiners.

Where are/did you study?
Central Saint Martins. I’m heading back after the summer.

Why Fashion Design?
I enjoy dressing the body. I chose womenswear because I prefer the fluidity of the female form. I try to explore the figure and even the movement of the body in order to re-address the way I see it.

What would you like to be doing in a couple of years time?
I’d like to be working in my own studio and hopefully having finally graduated.

Has your home town affected your design work?
I don’t think so. I do miss home though. Every now and then I have to jump off the merry-go-round and pop back to Manchester for a sit down and a cup of tea.

Who's your favourite person?
Whoever wants to drop a tonne of money on my head in return for dresses.

What's your favourite dinner?
Ooh, depends. Anything that comes with fresh warm bread. I just woke up hung over with my flatmate and she went and got us Thai food – she’s a genius.

Any bad habits?
Being late – is that a habit? Procrastinating.

If you were a member of Girls Aloud which one would you be?
Ermmm… I think Nadine – doesn’t she live in LA? That’d be nice to try out.

Thurs 27th May: ASVOFF Milano "Lights" lit by Mario Salvucci

Dotted between the vast flat screens were beautiful "Electric Flowers" sculptural light fixtures by jewellery designer Mario Salvucci. Not only are they beautiful objects that function as lamps but they cast magical shadows on their surrounding surfaces..........check out all of Mario's floralicious lights here

Thurs 27th May: ASVOFF Milano "Lights" Series

The "Light" series consists of 26 different 1 minute films from an international selection of directors ranging from established artists such as Sofia Delaporte, Kayt Jones through to emerging talent experimenting with the medium. Here is just a small selection of snapshots that I took whilst circumnavigating the multi screen installation. The exhibition is on until the the end of the month and the films will also be previewed in snippets online either on vogue.it or Diane's site.

(Stills top to bottom: 1-3 "J'ai faim!" Miho Kinomura, 4-5 "LX" Malcolm Pate, 6-7 "Katie Eary" Kathryn Ferguson, 8 "Blind Strobe" Pierre Debusschere

Weds 26th May: Milano Day 2 ASVOFF vs. vogue.it opening

ASVOFF launched its new project "Light" yesterday in Milan in association with vogue.it. Franca Sozzani and Anna Piaggi attended the opening reception for the event to view the 1 minute film project that they have supported. Here are curators Diane Pernet and Antoine Asseraf who commissioned a crop of directors to fulfill the brief and invited them to come together from all the cities across the world to meet each other for the grand unveiling. The "Light series" was latterly opened up and turned into a competition which resulted in 2 winners Zaiba Jabbar and Miho Kinomura..........which you can view here.
I will write more about the actual films tomorrow but firstly here is a proud picture of Elisha Smith Leverock who made the film "Sunshowers" which was used in the trailer and invitation artwork. Elisha was thrilled to finally meet Diane and Antoine after a year or more of email exchanges. We also had an unexpected bonus to bump into Anna Piaggi who I regard as a key inspiration for wearing bonkers clothes with total disregard to interpretation but done for total self satisfaction and happiness. Her necklace was made of jelly like rubber fish and atop her blue Marcel Wave the hat was adorned with dry pasta shapes................I'm guessing its a Stephen Jones number for that witty addition! Perfect for a Milanese outing............if the canapes didn't suffice, she had a little something to hand for later.

Weds 26th May: Milano Day 2 Corso Como

With very limited time in the city, my absolute top priority was to make a pilgrimage to Corso Como. It is something I have only read about and never quite imagined seeing for myself. I was not at all dissapointed. Wow. Obviously "taste" is totally down to personal opinion and individual notions and feelings BUT this place is just the essence of "good taste". From every fixture and fitting to every hand picked product on display, it is ooozing delectable disirability. You want to plant yourself on the mosaic patterned and rose planted roof terrace to bathe in sun beams before stepping downstairs to sit in a Vernor Panton swivvle chair to leaf thru every concievable fashion photography annual or try out some choice records on a perspex turntable. I generally can't be bothed with shoes but this place has re-issue rainbow Ferragamo platforms and Memphis monographs on display between Tabitha Simmons paper boots. Ay, ay, ay, not to mention the accessories section with just the most heavenly pulled together selection of designers that I don't even know............alongside past season's pieces by Bless just incase you missed the projects the first time round. Inbetween all of this is a Margiela floor with "paint by numbers" wallpaper and yet more jewellry that made me go weak at the knees for its surreal simplicity.........necklaces hanging on necklaces, rings mounted on rings, a magnifying glass made from just one side of a pair of glasses..............even a white rug like virgin snow with deer tracks embossed in the pile.
Elisha and I doused ourselves in Diptique and dreamed of the day we might return with some lire to lay down on the concentric circle logo counter. Until then, we just did we know best and took lots of tourist type situational photos of each other infront of the various vantage points. Cest chic.

May 26th: Milano Day 1

Diane kindly invited us to her friend's place for a quiet dinner to welcome us and a few other directors who had flown in from different countries for the event. We visited the office of her architect friend Massimiliano Locatelli and sat around a candlelit table on the terrace. It was quite difficult for me to get outside in the first place as the bookcase wall inside the offices groaned with titles I wanted to wade through. The corridors were strip lighted with neon tubes and a massive circular dinning table was lit with a low hanging shade that was the exact same circumference as the table, echoing its ginormous dimensions.
Here I am being a prize prat perving over my dream car on the walk home - Citreon DS.

In summary, I wouldn't mind a house decked out in Italian interior design and a French automobile to park outside. Hmmmm.

Mon 24 May: Elisha on tour

Elisha Smith Leverock and I have flown to Milan to join Diane Pernet for her ASVOFF vs. Vogue.it
Here is the film Elisha directed for Diane's comission on the theme of "Light" which we shot in Febuary using pieces from my A/W collection featuring special designs by Rosy Nicholas for the project under my name............

For up to date news on the event, check in with Diane here.

Sun 23rd May: Bishi Rocks

Craig and I went down to Brighton with an East End invasion tour.............read more over on the FASHION156 blog tomorrow morning for full details of Matthew Stone and Theo Adams performances............and the train ride with Bistrotheque Moscow Mules..........
But for now, delight in beauty that is Bishi............. having a the ride of her life!