The Fashion Closet Archives - Page 24 of 29

London Fashion Week FW17: Chanel Joan Elkayam presents La Sola Rosa

London Fashion Week is always exciting, it’s a hotbed for fresh talent and in terms of ‘The Big Four’, it’s the one we look to for micro trend inspiration. It’s a great place for spotting emerging design talent and the FW17 season saw several designers make their debut, a few of whom stand out for all the right reasons. Jessie Western showed their first runway collection this season to huge success and another young designer to break the mound is Chanel Joan Elkayam.

Elkayam has been on my radar for a little while now, she’s an interesting girl and I’ve followed her career to date with curiosity after she contacted me a couple of years back. Elkayam has an impressive CV and a list of awards and accolades as long as the train on her finale gown. Whenever I read about her, I’m always curious to find out more. The reason I’m so interested in her is that she’s just 19 years old. Yes Voyeurs you read that right, this is a fully fledged fashion designer who not only creates her own collections, but produces her own elaborate shows, all at the tender age of 19.

Elkayam is a Womenswear student studying at Central St. Martin’s, she’s been around on the tradeshow scene for a little while now but in 2016 the girl blew up in a big way. Major players started to take notice, she was invited to show at Paris Fashion Week for FW16 and in doing so, became the youngest designer to show a couture collection during Fashion Month. Since then, she’s shown at New York Fashion Week for SS17 and spoken at several conferences about women in business. She may be just 19 years old but the girl is a powerhouse; at the 2016 New York Fashion Awards, Elkayam was awarded the ‘International Designer of the Year’ by industry professionals.

Her FW17 collection, La Sola Rosa was a story of Love and loss. Inspired by poet Vera Brittain who was given a single red rose by her fiancé at the train station on their last day together during World War 1. Elkayam sought to portray raw beauty, emotion, power and romantic sensuality though her collection and did this with drama and flair.

Guests took their seats and the lights were dimmed before the show began. Models walked the runway with a strong Dolce Vita inspired beauty look reminiscent of Dolce & Gabbana’s Sicilian princesses, a timeless red lip and a single red rose to compliment Elkayam’s debut accessory line. A largely monochrome palette with flashes of red and tapestry brocade, the collection showcased the female form using traditional shapes with a focus on the waist using leather waspies to cinch and create an hourglass shape.

When you’re watching a show with as many looks, comprising both a fashion collection and an accessories line, it’s hard to remember that Elkayam is still in her first year at Central St Martin’s. Detailing throughout the collection is uniform and exquisite, her eye for detail is mature well beyond her years and whilst the shapes are simple, Elkayam clearly knows where her strengths lie.

Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing how Elkayam’s career progresses, with preparations already underway for SS18, I’ll be back on the frow in September so keep it here Voyeurs and remember the name Chanel Joan Elkayam, you’ll be hearing it a lot more….

Pixie xo

Introducing Muse by Berta at Si Bridal

There’s nothing quite like bridal couture to make you truly appreciate the talent of a great designer, and a wedding deserves something extra special right? Particularly when it’s yours…

My most recent Belle Bridal column discussed the rise of the Couture Bride and how it’s no longer restricted to the super rich. With the likes of Inbal Dror, Flora and Berta readily available to the masses, it’s not a difficult task to create a stunning visual effect with the right dress and with boutiques up and down the country hosting their own trunk shows, finding a couture supplier has never been easier.

The house of Berta has been attracting attention from not only brides, but fashionistas globally, the one and only reason for this incredible success story is the product itself. BERTA completely disrupted the fashion industry, by presenting a couture level of quality, with retail prices that are closer to those of mass production brands. With a whole new aesthetic for bridal wear, the fashion industry just couldn’t afford to ignore this emerging powerhouse brand.

Not only a bridal wear house, Berta incorporates its famous luxury bridal line, a brand new RTW collection and it’s latest offering, a diffusion bridal line which was launched at this season’s couture showcase.

Newcastle bridal boutique Si are the only Berta stockist in the North and they’ll be holding a Trunk Show to launch the brand new Muse collection from the house of Berta. Muse is vintage inspired, with a modern boho vibe, it’s couture for sure, but it’s wonderfully current. It’s a younger, fresher collection with more sex appeal – nude tulle, intricately embroidered bodices with plunging necklines and soft, flowing fabrics that appear lighter than air.

Si will be holding an exclusive viewing of Muse by Berta at their Newcastle boutique and viewing is strictly by appointment. April 28th – 30th is your chance to get a sneak peak at Muse and to try on and even purchase your dream wedding gown. Not only that, but Si are 10% off Muse by Berta to brides who choose to purchase their gown throughout the event. Appointments are limited so if you like the look of Muse, make sure you get in and try on a few styles to find the right one for you.

With couture as dreamy as this, who needs a wedding? I’m thinking I need to throw me a White Party….

Pixie x

To book your appointment contact Si Bridal by emailing enquiries@sibridal.com or call 0191 4878145

Categories: The Archives, The Fashion Closet

London Fashion Week FW17: Jessie Western

By now you know all about my love for Jessie Western and it’s eclectic mix of handmade cowboy boots, ponchos, suede skirts and fine jewellery. The super small but mighty store is found in the heart of Portobello Market and it’s ripe with the heady smell of leather as you enter – something I look forward to every time I visit.

Jessie Western is more than just a shop, sisters Vicky and Jessie actively support over 4000 artists on the Arizona reservations they’ve been visiting for over 28 years. With Jessie’s individual dress sense and keen eye for design, the brand has gained a legion of celebrity fans including Brad Pitt, Anna Dello Russo Kate Moss and Cameron Diaz.

It’s no surprise there’s such a cult following, it’s Western done right, no fakery, no mimics, it’s real Navajo clothing and accessories with a couture twist. There’s a definite Jessie Western aesthetic, one which when you see it, you know it’s quintessentially Jessie Western and it made total sense for the brand to make its debut at London Fashion Week for the Fall / Winter 2017 season.

Jessie Western show, Autumn Winter 2017, London Fashion Week, UK - 17 Feb 2017

With a backdrop of Western landscape and cactus plants in an open plan warehouse space, the co-ed show shone a spotlight on the brand and opened up western dressing to the masses. Vogue Paris took note, citing it as revolutionary, and the British Fashion Council have since guaranteed Jessie Western a main schedule show for SS18, a real coup following their first show season.

Blanket coats, leather laced trousers and waistcoats and the obligatory cowboy boots were the order of the day, adorned with real Navajo jewellery and topped with stetsons and fur trappers. The jewellery was a real talking point amongst showgoers with their signature turquoise and aquamarine pieces amongst the showstoppers.

Obviously I’m a big Jessie Western fan, not only of the aesthetic but also of the brand’s ethos; sisters Vicky and Jessie are very different but when it comes to their fashion and jewellery range, they’re united in their shared passion for giving their Native American artists a platform as well as sustainability. The urban showspace with it’s polished concrete floor was an awesome venue and lent itself well to the Jessie Western look, dreamcatchers hung from the ceiling and an awesome soundtrack played out.

After the show models mingled with guests in their runway outfits as drinks were served. Fashion Editors had the chance to hold impromptu post show interviews with Jessie and Vicky to discuss their inspiration for this curated collection and find out more about Jessie’s line of fine jewellery set with rare and unusual stones.

Jessie Western is a brand that has long been on Vogue’s radar, it’s a favourite of Porter magazine and only now is it coming to the forefront of fashion with it’s first mainline show at London Fashion Week. After huge success this season and a dictatorial stance on trends, Jessie Western will be one to watch, with an on schedule show pencilled in as part of the official LFW show schedule for SS18, you could be seeing huge things from Jessie Western come September. The Jessie Western look is a commitment, it’s top to toe and damn is it effective, you can of course take parts of it and incorporate it into your wardrobe but if you want to see it done right, visit the store in Notting Hill and just take a look at Jessie, she works this look like she invented it and damn is it good. So good in fact, it’ll make you want to rethink your whole wardrobe…

Pixie xo

Photo credit Marc Atken

Categories: The Fashion Closet

London Fashion Week FW17: N&S GAIA presents The Hybrid

SS17 has given fashion lovers more trends, sub trends and micro trends than we can shake a stick at, each of them totally wearable and lustworthy. (I’m looking at you gingham). If I’m honest, SS17 is when Fashion Month got its mojo back (with the exception of NYFW which was a soaking wet, drowning squib). FW17 had a tough act to follow and early shows out of the gate at NYFW showed promise. Now Voyeurs if you don’t know, pay attention: LFW is the younger, fresher, funkier sister of NYFW, the one that everyone loves and wants to cheat with, so as all eyes turned to the British fashion capital we expected great and wonderful things….

The early days of every capital’s Fashion Week are designated for the relatively unknown, new or emerging design talent and these are often some of the best shows you’ll see. With these showcases and presentations there’s zero expectation, often because we haven’t seen seasons previous or the label hasn’t quite established its niche. Enter N&S GAIA, a rising star in Indian fashion and originating from New Delhi, the label has contributed to the successful rebirth and modernisation of Dakmanda – a hand-woven embroidery technique of the Garo tribe in North East India. The brand is also a major proponent of the exploration of upcycling and use of sustainable fabrics. Dedicated to its pillars, the ‘N’ and ‘S’ in N&S GAIA standing for Nature and Sustainability.

Founded by designer, Sidharth Sinha in 2013, the brand made its second LFW runway appearance at Fashion Scout this show season. I hotfooted it over to the Freemason’s Hall wearing the most perfect vintage skirt and an incredibly rude tee to bring you the lowdown on this relatively undiscovered label.

Following on from the SS17 collection, which was shown in both London and Paris, and given a coveted Vogue Online collections report, N&S GAIA carries forward its signature style of colourful flowing silks punctuated by wide-legs, exaggerated ruffles, sweeping hems, bold, painterly appliqué and tapestry embroidery.

Exploring a deep, dark facet of meta-modernism, the FW17 collection, entitled The Hybrid, is centred on nature photography and existential transformation. Models walked the runway wearing simplistic pieces which grew bolder as the show progressed, starting relatively tame and occasionally rising above the parapet with something more dramatic. Soft, blurred lines adorned with tapestry embroidery and shapes which reflect the brand’s Indian heritage were the order of the day set in a muted colour palette, sometimes accented with a pop of metallic.

Shapes were fluid with constructed drapes offset by elements like wide flares, pleating and voluminous sleeves. Surfaces including the handwoven details of the Dakmanda mix with metallic embroidery echoing the hybrid forms in nature.

Nature starts with almost nothing, just a molecule; where humanity plays the role of the transformation.

A pioneer of sustainability in Indian fashion, N&S GAIA aims to use a balance of hand-woven textiles blended with mill-woven fabric and natural dyes in an effort to push the brand to the forefront of the fashion industry’s natural progression. Textile and craft are at the core of N&S GAIA and that’s evident in both the craftsmanship and the attention to detail in the embellishment.

Yes, it’s tame compared to some of the stalwarts of Fashion Month but it’s not just about the drama. This collection is wearable, relatable and ultimately, sustainable. This is a brand with a vision and some sense of direction, there are consistencies throughout the collection and that’s great news for a relatively new label. Measurable progression is key in the fashion industry and time is a key ingredient for progression. Fashion Scout is known for nurturing design talent so I’m interested to see how the RTW collection is received following show season.

I’ll be back for more in September for SS18 and N&S GAIA’s next power move…

Pixie xo

Categories: The Archives, The Fashion Closet

London Fashion Week FW17: David Ferreira Presents The Freakball

As you know Voyeurs, Fashion Month’s FW17 season has been fresh and exciting and full of new talent as well as big changes for established labels. Mulberry took a bold step for FW17 with a collection like nothing we’ve seen in seasons gone by and David Ferreira took us to the circus with his awesome Freakball showcase at London fashion Week.

I had a front row seat for this exclusive look at the Lisbon based designer’s first collection following his prestigious Les Etoiles Mercedes Benz win in Paris in 2016.

Inspired by the strikingly unusual and unique, Ferreira’s FW17 collection entitled The Freakball, was a rollercoaster from start to finish. Fuschia pink, baby pink, chartreuse yellow and cobalt blue collide in a vivid, texture rich collection that’s a real treat for the senses. Models were painted up to look like a clown / doll hybrid to great effect and they posed as they walked giving off a circus freak show vibe. (It’s no surprise that Bjork is a fan).

Research for the collection began at the circus and its origins, but it was in sideshows and freak shows that he found his true inspiration for his FW17 showcase.

Even though the foundation of the David Ferreira Fall / Winter collection lays in the film Freaks (1932), the book Freak Show by Roben Bogdan, The Victorian Freak Show and the work of photographer, Joel-Peter Witkin, the collection isn’t a literal inspiration of human deformities and biological rarities, instead it is a celebration of the beauty of singularity, of individuality and of rarity.

These days we know that uniqueness is the true definition of luxury. Exclusivity and rarity are highly covetable and we all know there’s nothing more exclusive than the singular. Ferreira’s pieces play with the shape of a woman’s silhouette by creating a visual spectacle that blurs the lines between garment and person, using uniqueness and rarity as the driving force behind the collection, as the thing most coveted. My standout piece from The Freakball was a pale pink fitted, duchess satin dress with a point of ruffles at the front.

The Freakball collection is a collective celebration of individuality, of not fitting into society’s stereotype of ‘normal’. It’s a collection that takes conventional proportion and flips it on it’s head, amping up the volume with ruffles, godês, gatherings, non conventional pattern cutting and straightened Mongolian lamb hair.

The most exciting part of this collection for me, was the extreme texture clash; silk, double duchess satins, silk satins, silk crepe satins, Mongolian lamb, tulle and woven metal fabric combine for absolute sensory mayhem on the Ferreira runway and the final piece changed the silhouette entirely by adding volume to the waist and nipping in the ankles, an pleasantly unexpected aesthetic and one just wacky enough to make you sit up and take notice of Ferreira. He was awarded the Merit Award by Fashion Scout last year earning three seasons of sponsorship so there’s no doubt the best is yet to come from this exciting, bold designer.

Pixie xo