Clearly not upsetting the rhythm, Noisettes female vocalist, Shingai Shoniwa showed us how to broach the gap between A/W ’09 to S/S ’10 by swapping blazers and harem pants for hot, hot pantaloons whilst still retaining the regal 80s power dressing stance. Nipped waist, sculptured shoulders and statement hair complete this look.
Shy Sailor – Navy blazer with white trim. Check. High Waist shorts with brass buttons. Check. One large statement neck piece. Check. We love the attention to detail and the pillar-box red tights that complete this cute ensemble. All aboard! ...
Dear Deirdre! – Loving this look! This outfit build shows how a hybrid of different pieces can work so well! With 90s stonewash denim, black blazer and satchel (huge trend accessory for S/S) – this is conservatism masqueraded by a laissez-faire plume feather shawl piece. The glimpse of leopard print spots a la top and shades make this a puurfect look.
What’s the time Mr. Wolf? - Big furry coats are set to be a staple style for A/W due to Burberry, Gucci and Chanel – this piece is worn in comfort, hiding harem pants whilst displaying what looks like a coral clutch.
A focus on the statement furry coat, with a sneak preview of a S/S trend delight, stonewash denim and an All Saints tee. The outfit is topped off with a nod to an upcoming autumn style- velvet bow head pieces- Gorgeous!
Bottoms up! – 3 statement coats, all big, all furry – Yet these are three tres different looks. 1) Skinnies and Heels 2) Wet Look Leggings and Shoe Boots 3) Leggings and relaxed boots, mix it up to find a style ….
From Armani to Escada , Basso and Brooke to Browns, Karen Millen to M&S , fashion lines whether high end or high street are delivering an evolution of style. Its given name is geek or cyber chic due to its pixilated take on digital prints and graphics. A decade after McQueen’s post-modern vision in his aptly titled A/W ’99 collection Weird Science –inspired by hyper-reality- designers Basso and Brooke opened the lid on an explosion of intense colour, sculptured silhouettes and digitally-inspired tailored blazers in their S/S 10 collection Science and Fiction. This key season trend is all about mixing nature with the synthetic, with Williamson’s and the late McQueen’s S/S 10 shows being stream-lined on to the high street in beautiful vibrant shades and amazing, abstract prints. An apocalyptic vision of the future or just refreshing rainbow prints? The future seems bright, so go forth, be bold, and join the cyber tribe in this final frontier of fashion.
Having graduated from Bournemouth Arts Institute in 2009, Harald Lunde Helgsen has since caught the attention of the global fashion world with his debut graduate collection, 2509 BC, an exploration of colour separation and conceptualized by the focus on eastern archeologists. The research and process is like a metaphorically sift through layers to find the hidden treasure. Inspired by eastern influences, the collection also gives a complimentary nod to western influences also. HLH took time out to discuss Hyeres Fashion and Photography Awards, catching the gaze of fashion writers Diane Pernet and Jefferson Hack and his latest collaboration…
When you first meet Harald, his approach and character lead you to feel incredibly endeared towards him. Wearing his trademark black leather baseball cap, red Russian flower scarf and pink adidas jacket he giggles and smiles profusely as he talks about his debut graduate collection which has gained such great recognition. At 24, the Belgium graduate seems sweet, shy and very modest on his great success in the often overcrowded fashion industry. Rory Straton of fashion brand Self-Service was attracted to both his collection and charming manner, revealing “I really like the work of Harald… he’s a really sweet guy”.
So what compels Helgesen to design? “I don’t really feel compelled to design; ‘doing’ fashion is more of a choice of vehicle for my ideas. The culture of fashion reaches everyone and exists in so many different levels. I feel I have chosen a field in which I can always develop and grow, even change direction without abandoning what I have built up so far”. With the fashion field being interpreted as a creative outlet, HLH seems liberated by the lack of constrictions and boundaries often placed on designers. Was this outlook honed in his three years studying at the seaside resort of Bournemouth? “Competition was not really an issue in Bournemouth; we had to look somewhere else for motivation and inspirations. We had to search within ourselves, where inspiration and influences are around you all the time. I think the output is more interesting coming from a place inside instead of being a mix of outside influences”. So was it a good or bad thing that he learnt his trade outside of the fashion hub of London? He ponders and reveals, “When I am looking back at it now, I think it was a good thing”.
It seemed stitching and sowing in Britain’s ‘sunshine strip’ did pay off, with an invite, showcase and scooping the ‘Swarovski Elements Award’ bringing HLH to the attention of fellow Belgium designer and artistic director of Dior Homme, Kris Van Assche, I-D and Dazed and Confused founder and fashion writer, Jefferson Hack and French film director, Jean-Pierre Blanc. On the Hyeres Fashion and Photography Awards, Harald divulged,
“It was an amazing experience from beginning to end. I don’t think you can get a better start of a career in fashion. Having the interest from such great personalities for a week in the beautiful surroundings of the Villa Noailles was fantastic!”
With previous designer greats such as Viktor&Rolf and Charles Anastace winning the Grand Prix award, ‘The Swarovski Elements Award’ was new to Hyeres in 2009. “The jury said the criterion for this award was creativity, so I was very happy to have won it, especially as I didn’t use any crystals in my collection!” giggles Helgesen. Van Assche spoke of the event, “Something creative happened in every corner of the house… It is a very interesting project; it is not just clothing or performance or something artistic it encompasses everything” Set in the idyllic and picturesque southern France countryside, the Awards looked at ten fresh new designers and photographers, unique to the scene in 2009. Not only allowing the designers a creative stage to showcase, Helgesen was also permitted to create a capsule perfume to create a ‘spirit’ to his collection. “The scent I created in collaboration with one of the ‘noses’ at Givadan is perfect. To have my collection and concept translated into scent was another dimension which really completed the supported package to the showcasing of my collection. Music, lighting, choreography, a garden show room and perfume created an experience for all the senses!”
Having caught the interest of great fashion writer, Diane Pernet in Hyeres, how did it feel to have gained such great recognition for the graduate collection 2509 BC? “I love Diane Pernet, her work and what she represents in the world of fashion – and she has the coolest voice in the industry! This kind of recognition has helped me to believe I have a place in the industry, which very often seems overcrowded…”
So what now for 2010? “The past few months I have been working on a project with a dance company in France. Working for stage production has made me be able to explore ideas in relation to fashion and dressing I didn’t think conventional contexts of fashion would allow. I have worked with pieces made to be worn by several people at the same time, geometric shapes, which zip together to form coats or little houses and garments which blur the boundaries of where one body stops and another one starts, fusing groups of people together as one.”
“The première of the dance show is being held in Marseille in July. I ‘m working on a new collection and in 2010 will work towards getting the business and production up and running- I find this part of the job fun, I get to pretend to be a businessman!”
Nearly a year after graduating from Bournemouth Arts Institute with the collection Mass Ration, Felicity Doubleday has been nominated for the ‘Jon Adams Portfolio Award’ at GFW, been provided a platform on The Clothes Show stage, worked with both Allegra Hicks and Manjit Deu and is now focusing on multiple collections for completion in A/W 10. Phew, did you get all that?
Having a stall at the upcoming Alternative Fashion Week in April, Felicity took some time out of her very hectic schedule of freelance commissions and bespoke wedding dress designing to discuss the past 12 months of recognition, nominations and showcases (as well as her future goal to sell her pieces in Brown’s one day soon…)
“I relish designing and styling my female muse: independent, confident and exuding a relaxed quirkiness. As it's the festival time of year, this seemed an apt setting for an ethically-based outfit. A festival is particularly appealing for the 'eco-chica', who has a passion for sourcing a variety of garments and accessories in order to create an innovative outfit. This way of approaching fashion may help encourage individuality and customisation, and therefore ethical thinking.”
With the Mass Ration collection being reflective of sentimentality, memorabilia and treasuring family possessions in our Recessionista times, Doubleday clearly stitches ethical credentials into each design, a cause which she wears on her metaphorical green sleeves (Sorry, we couldn’t resist…). With fashion houses waking up to the fresh-fashion -forward idea of sustainability, from Portland Fashion Week (The new Seattle) to The Green Fashion Show held in London just last month (and attracting Nicole Farhi to the front row), it seems the future is no longer orange.
With admiration for designers such as Hussein Chalayan (“He is a real inspiration to me - his revolutionary vision to experiment and push boundaries of the dress.”), Westwood and the late McQueen (“For their rebellion and shock factor in Fashion.”) as well as Viktor&Rolf (“For their beautiful designs that represent something close to their hearts.”), she reveals:
“I find it fascinating to constantly learn about how new technologies and processes develop to help towards creating a more green future in fashion, which I feel would lead to a lot more respect for real technical and beautiful long-lasting fashion garments.”
With this revelation, it is understandable that Doubleday has a current interest in upcoming designers Iris Van Herpen and Louise Goldin, both whom showcased their A/W 10 collections at LFW. Herpen’s exquisite armor-style pieces take power-dressing to a complete new level together with her mesmerizing headpieces and mermaid-esque dress sculptures (adopting the look of precious cocooned coral). Goldin’s studded heels are now available at TopShop courtesy of Philip Green for a cool £150 and the directional knitwear designer has just scooped The Fashion Forward designer prize for 2010.
Having interned with organic resort queen Allegra Hicks and Couture designer Manjit Deu early in her career, Felicity has gained a cosmopolitan experience within the industry, continued to keep an open mind and is now looking full frontal towards her fashion career. So has Hicks’ elegant wear influenced her designs?
‘It was a wonderful opportunity and certainly made me approach my own designing with a new found interest for using chiffon and velvet. The print designing probably gave me the confidence to design the tights and placements of the images on the high-waist trousers. Furthermore, I was extremely grateful to her for sponsoring me by providing some of the fabrics for my graduate collection!’
And what ultimately attracted her to work with newbieDeu? “I was really intrigued to work with Manjit as he is very new on the fashion scene, yet doing extremely well so early on in his career. His dresses are beautiful. It has been an inspiring experience working with him on his Harrods collection.”
So, with recognition, nominations, experience, aspirations and true talents Doubleday is set for a great 2010, and she gave MA a little exclusive into the year ahead: “I was really pleased to have been nominated for the [Jon Adams Portfolio] Award, it really challenged me to push the boundaries and be as creative as possible in the way I presented my work. It was such an honour to be asked to lend some of my pieces to The Clothes Show. For 2010, I hope to gain more experience in the industry and I am hoping to complete another collection by the end of the year.’
Close your eyes. Imagine a summer day. Light breeze yet intense heat. ' The concept of the shoot for the s/s 10 collection came from the beauty of the Island'. Shot in Santorini, Greece, the fashion photography really encapsulates the essence of the collection.
The fashion house was inspired by Agnez Dereon, Tina Knowles' mother who's creativity, determination and spirit allowed her to accomplish success as a seamstress in the face of segregation, prejudice and racism in the 1930s American deep south. Two generations later, grand-daughter Honey Bee is the new generation of self- expression and confidence...
The ethos of the House is to fuse celebrity power and design artistry into a brand of global importance... a house of inspiration and aspiration. Hautefly fave's are the Silk Butterfly Print Gown and the Green Silk Watercolour Print Halter Gown worn by Queen B herself. Enjoy...
With Ms. Carter- Knowles gaining plenty of , ahem, exposure from both collaborations with Gaga, Hautefly had a little peak at her clothes line, ( House of ) Dereon, to give the little freakum dresses the green light... Watch out for the Queen Ruffle Dress in Sunflower (the perfect pastel for spring) and the aptly titled Video Phone Star Tee and black Juliet Shoe.
After the Tarantino bloodshed, Gaga's light-hearted poisoning and flesh baring,the power-house that is BK (from Texas) looked like a modern day Wonder Woman in her star and stripe ensemble. Yet it was Gaga who added a cock-rock twist with headband,bikini and extreme thigh high silver boots.
