Backstage at Firday June 15th: Graduate Fashion Week Gala: James Walker

It was so exciting being backstage to see the rotation from one stellar collection to the next and having close proximity to give the garms a feel.  Especially this one by James Walker from UCA Epsom which was out of control in the very best way!  Tweed tailoring with a traveling twist - each look incorporated features from function in luggage such as this extendable zipper shoulder jacket. The accordion skirt addition was a cute and cunning twist on classic suiting and all the leather buckle fastenings were exquisitely finished.  This is what a graduate collection should be about  - running wild with your ideas and being the most creative you care to be........... this is your last chance to go bonkers, so do it.............. there is a whole future of fear to calm down and become accessible to sell............. so in the words of Prince "Lets Go Crazy"!!  Well Done James - I would love to see this in an exhibition for more people to have a look! 
Catch catwalk shots over on Vogue to see the whole collection.

Thurs 16th June: Backstage at Graduate Fashion Week Gala Winners: Claire Acton

Here is my absolute favourite collection of the Galla by Claire Acton from The University of Central Lancashire with curby-grip fringes and pop-art style prints.  So, so clever and immdediate - I really want this perspex hairclip necklace! <3

Thurs 16th June: Backstage at Graduate Fashion Week Gala Winners: Fiona Xiaoping Huang

Fiona Xiaoping Huang, from University of Central Lancashire won the Zandra Rhodes Textiles award for these incredible concertina constructed and colour block printed garments - truly unique and beautifully crafted!!

Thurs June 14th: Graduate Fashion Week Gala judges

On Monday I spent the day down at the Graduate Fashion Week exhibition to judge the best Stand Design Award with Yuri Nakamura from Harvey Nichols.  Whilst we were comparing chip-board cupboards and upcycled plan chests of portfolios, David Koma and Elle's Lorraine Candy were leafing thru the rails of garments judging innovation.  Each day various industry experts had a category to oversee including Mark Fast for knit, Carolyn Massey for menswear, Jefferson Hack and Melanie Ricky for Media & Design, Julien McDonald for International and a new Ethical award presented by Livia Firth to Sarah Murphy of Northumbria University.  Here is Livia in the green room with Mary Katrantzou who awarded Xiaoping Huang best textiles with a lovely chat full of feedback as they came offstage afterwards.  Here is host Caryn Franklin who glued the whole event together seamlessly by introducing each and every guest, winner and section of the show - an absolute pro - which made it a little more comforting to step on stage when she was there to greet you to the lectern and auto-que!  Here is also a great moment I snapped of Hilary Alexander Tele-Tweeting about Bip Ling's manicure......... Hilary looking lush in a total Zandra Rhodes look.  I myself wore lots of sparkle and shimmer to act as a human mirror ball to distract from my dyslexic public speaking with jazz-hands envelope opening........ congratulations to Edinburgh College Of Art who we chose to win the stand award for their incredible hard work and professionalism in putting together a superb set and stand.

To see more about all the various awards, head over to the Graduate Fashion Week site.

Weds 13th June: RCA Fashion Womenswear: Trine Hav Christensen

My favourite collection of the RCA show came at the end of the running order when my camera memory became full and unable to take any more photos - nightmare.  But luckily Kathryn Ferguson was albe to put me in touch with the designer Trine Hav Christensen who she knows from collaborating on the costumes for her film 

MÁTHAIR, made whilst at the RCA.  Here are images of Trine's process from mood boards, samples, sketches, toiles and final garments in her studio space which she has collated for us to give a complete picture of her major project. 

"My collection is mainly inspired by a synthetic underwater world with a hint of boudoir and classic haute couture elements.  The mix of water and fire within a garment is made with iridescent elements that change colour from blue to orange.  This is also interpreted with resin sea fan leafs inspired by the artist Janet Kelman and her sea fan glass vases.

The mood is heavily inspired by the artist Pipilotte Rist whose luscious and colourful videos interprets a hyper natural version of a garment and colourful 3D prints.  Engineered to work perfectly with organic shapes that are framed by PVC ruffles with iridescence."

Each garment is a tornado of colour, spectrum, shine and multi-faceted textures and unidentifiable textile layers.  I would absolutely love to wear any of these components and it was a joy to see clothes come to life in such a way that it was evident how much fun she had in putting them together.  There was nothing inhibited or cautious in the composition, as if Trine has totally thrown herself into this collection and that passion comes across in the final pieces.  Have a look over the imagery above and absorb some of the uplifting cosmic energy!

See more Trine's catwalk photos here.

Tues June 12 BBC Radio1 Hackney Academy

Here are a couple of snaps from a panel discussion with dj Gemma Cairney that I took part in on Saturday for BBC Radio 1 Hackney Academy which is a month of creative events open for Hackney residents to join for free. Our session was specifically discussing having a USP in the music industry from collaborating on style with designers hence speakers Paloma Faith and Labyrinth's stylist Ayishat Akanbi. There are many amazing events with musicians worth checking out in the programme from Dizzie Rascal to Tim Westwood hosting seminars on broadcasting and classes on production etc. I'm hosting accessories workshops alongside other "Work It" girl artists including Chrissie Abbott, Rose Blake, Anna Lomax and Rosy Nicholas...........so you can learn and try out illustration, art direction, making your own tshirts and fanzines etc........... Find out more info at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01d77xq/features/academy-home

Sun 10th June: Middlesex University - FDSP - Moema Meade

Here is Moema Meade exhibiting in the FDSP display, showing an installation and intermittent screenings of her Super8 film which she had edited herself with tape and projected onto the mirror of her cabinet of curiosities.  When she span the cogs to kick-start the trailer, she hit the play button on a separate cassette recorder for the soundtrack.  In this day and age of watching everything on slick digi screens this was a very welcome and refreshing nostalgic experience for a fashion film format.  Not only has Mo gone to great attention to detail in the analog technology, she has also set up and shot fashion stories which appear as tiny little photo-copies in her shrine installation............ one Ive included below here.  The concept for amalgamation of characters is carried on from initial porcelain dolls she cast in colours to represent the different hues of Voodoo spells.  There are lots of facets to explore within this sculpture with plastic pockets containing trinkets and accessories including her hair-roller bow ties (being demonstrated by Mo herself)!  See more from "Who is Mrs Magoo" here.

                           

Sun 10th June: Middlesex University - FDSP

An added bonus of going to the Middlesex Fashion Show was discovering the static show of all the creative courses upstairs in the exhibition space of The Truman Brewery.  My favourite was this course  "BA Hons Fashion Design, Styling and Promotion" which I would have definitely signed up for when I went to college if such a degree had existed!  It's funny that all the jobs in the fashion industry now have tailor-made degrees these days instead of learning the ropes from internships.  
Here are examples of some of the work on display and the rainbow iridescent foil which they lined the tables with and used as the lettering on their catalogue! <3
(top to bottom:  Postcard catalogue of the course,  Wood Magazine and t-shirt by Daniel Comrie, Fashion TV Dinner by Lucy Hubbard, Wood rings by Lucy Watts, kebab themed bomber jackets by Holly -Jane Clelford)

Sun 10th June: Middlesex University Fashion Show - Athanasia Amvrosiou

The other larger-than-life accessories of the Middlesex Fashion Graduate show were these cartoon shape hairpieces by Athanasia Amvrosiou to match the tubular textiles of her garments.  I love the tactile nature of this collection and the fact that the headwear is an essential and integral part of the complete package.  The French Fries and Smarties digital prints were an added winner for the colour clash and the lego luggage.  Here are snaps from the runway and a page from the course's fab look-book, laid out with graphic templates of my favourite dodecahedron shapes!