Boutique Archives - Fashion Voyeur

Categories: Fashion, North East, Pixie, Uncategorized

Love Niche: The Art of Style

Every season Love Niche stages a runway show in Newcastle to showcase their latest collections and SS16 was no different in that respect. It was however, a huge departure from the regular Love Niche runway show, SS16 brought with it a record number of outfits and a brand new venue.

Following in the footsteps of Karl Lagerfeld, the GodFather of Chanel, Love Niche Owner and Curator Nisha Vedhara, decided to inject a little bit of Paris Fashion Week into her latest show and give every guest a seat on the Frow. That’s right Voyeurs, no rows other than the front row and all named after the fashion capitals of the world. Natch.

Love Niche Fashion Show At Hood Street Club Newcastle Pictures By Alex Alevroyiannis

You’ll know by now from past posts that Nisha and I have become good friends and I champion each collection she brings to the Fash Pack of Newcastle and beyond. A thoughtful designer, Nisha designs for everyone, every shape and every size, there aren’t many places that can boast a bespoke service with such wide appeal and Nisha’s studio and respective lines have that in abundance.

“My number one aim isn’t to sell you clothes in fact; it’s to sell you confidence, self-esteem, self-awareness, pride and a new lease of life.” Nisha

Nisha learned her trade from her mother, watching her pattern cut and create designer led pieces in India, she designs and produces her own collections “Luxe” and “Resort” and travels the world sourcing and buying the best pieces for her Love Niche “Paris” and “London” lines, ensuring there is a price point that all clients can shop, without exclusion. Petite, beautiful and very in demand, Nisha is warm and friendly and probably knows what you want more than you do. In fact, she’s so in demand that she’s the Stylist that Brazilian model and Victoria’s Secret favourite Adriana Lima has on speed dial when an assignment comes up and she needs the best.

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Ok, back to the clothes, Love Niche show off schedule, this means that as the collection is shown, clients are able to shop it right off the runway, no waiting six months for the drop to hit the studio, what appears on the runway is current and relevant to the season we’re in. So, scheduling lesson over, let’s fast forward to The Art of Style, the name of Nisha’s latest runway show at The Biscuit Factory – an art gallery in Newcastle that oozes cool and the perfect place to stage a runway show. On arrival guests were greeted with a cocktail and a smile, and with a dedicated selfie zone and pop up shop, the stage was set for Love Niche’s most ambitious show to date. I wore a hacked up ballgown, a Pearl Jam tee and a Kathryn Russell Country Garden crown – perfectly mismatched chic with an Apple Watch which I’m quick discovering goes with nothing but gym attire.

With everything from resort wear suitable for cocktails by the poolside, through to full length gowns fit for the red carpet, and fun, flirty fashion for the younger client, Love Niche put on a showcase lasting a full 60 minutes broken down into themes and styled with accessories from the Love Niche Details range, carefully curated by Nisha herself.

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Models walked the snake like runway ensuring that all guests were treated to a 360 degree view of each outfit, up close and personal, exactly as it should be and were able to shop the exact pieces right there from their seat on the Frow. With bespoke headpieces, flower crowns and section grips provided by the insanely talented Kathryn Russell, the show had a real flavour of Sicilian glamour, a la Dolce and Gabbana.

If you’re already familiar with Love Niche, you’ll know that a Love Niche runway show needs no introduction, a glamorous affair in some of the best North Eastern venues and a sell out every time, but what you might not know is that Nisha and her talented team offer a bespoke made to measure service. Dotted around the venue were framed sketches of beautiful gowns coupled with swatches of fabric, after the show Nisha tells me that these are all sketches of real dresses which she created for real people.

“Some women come to my Studio looking for one special outfit; some come looking for an entirely new capsule wardrobe complete with accessories – but all women, without exception, come looking to learn a little about themselves. Women know what they want, but don’t always know how to achieve it… they know how they deserve to feel, but don’t always know how to express it. I know.” Nisha

Nisha tells me her bespoke Love Niche clients come back time and time again and I’m not surprised; the Love Niche Studio, tucked away on Clayton Street Newcastle is pure escapism. Once you climb the staircase and are buzzed in, guests are welcomed with a glass of champagne and you feel a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre. It’s a calm and welcoming environment and the team are on hand to dispense advice where needed, there’s no push for a sale, it’s a great place to shop and it’s no surprise that Nisha has many a celebrity client given the level of privacy the studio offers.

If you haven’t yet discovered Love Niche, then make it your next shopping destination, if only for a browse and if you can, get to the next big resportwear show Kool and the Kaftan at Ramside Hall in May 2016, it promises to be another fashion extravaganza and if you have a vacation planned it’s a great way to get the jump on SS16′ s best swim and pool wear offerings.

You can thank me for this tip later!

Pixie x

Categories: Uncategorized

YSL: Style Is Eternal Exhibition

“If Chanel gave women their freedom, it was Saint Laurent who empowered them.” Pierre Bergé

Two years in the making, months of planning and an iconic dress restored to its former glory just in the nick of time. – Of course I’m talking about the arrival of the hotly anticipated Yves Saint Laurent: Style is Eternal exhibition to The Bowes Museum.

Business Partner and one time life partner of Saint Laurent, Pierre Bergé arrived in County Durham on Wednesday ahead of the exhibition’s launch accompanied by staff from his Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent, and long standing friend of the pair, Baroness Helene Ludinghausen.

At 89, Bergé is still very much the lifeblood of the Fondation he so painstakingly created in order to preserve the legacy of Saint Laurent. He admits that still now, he is surprised when he comes across something in the archives that he had forgotten about and how Saint Laurent’s genius is apparent in everything he ever created.

Bergé had a reputation for being cold and hard in the days of the Yves Saint Laurent house of couture, and when Saint Laurent died in 2008 this appeared to soften him. At the press conference for Style is Eternal, Bergé was surprisingly open and frank in sharing his love for Saint Laurent.

“(Saint Laurent) was very, very nice. Very nice. He loved people, his family and his staff were important to him and he loved them. It’s difficult to understand. He was a fascinating man, very, very bright. And as you can see very talented.” – Pierre Bergé, President Le Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent.

Saint Laurent is largely credited with bringing the discussion of gender in fashion to the table, cutting the first trouser suit for women which ultimately lead to the launch of Le Smoking, the now infamous women tuxedo, recognisable the world over. The designer was a perfectionist, and Bergé smiles when talking about this, “I’ve known him ask people to unpick a dress and start from scratch all for a millimetre.”

When asked about the perfect relationship between business and fashion, Bergé is resolute, “When Yves was sick in hospital, after he was dismissed by the house of Christian Dior and I went to see him, he said you know what we need to do? Create a house of haute couture.” and from there the house of Yves Saint Laurent was born. “I didn’t want to be a business man. Absolutely not. So, of course, I became a business man.” laughs Bergé. He says that their success together was down to one thing, their respect for each others role. “I decided to respect the creation above the business. Creation comes first and business after.” Talking frankly, Bergé claims that although there are certainly talented designers around today, fashion is now all about marketing and not about the metier.

“When we started, Yves and I, marketing meant nothing to us. That’s not a language I understand.”

Some of the most iconic pieces in fashion history have been created by the house of Yves Saint Laurent. From the safari jacket to the Mondrian dress, each is instantly recognisable. Described as a fashion maverick, in 1966 , he opened the first prêt-à-porter boutique to bear a couturier’s name, Saint Laurent Rive Gauche and it’s there that he worked to create the modern woman’s wardrobe looking to art and history for inspiration.

“Fashions fade, style is eternal.” – Yves Saint Laurent

So, why The Bowes Museum and not London? Given the success of Savage Beauty at the V&A some would say that Bergé has missed a trick hosting the first ever YSL retrospective in the North of England in a small market town of 5000 people; “Because they asked” says Bergé, “It’s so very like France, I could be in Paris in this beautiful museum in such a beautiful part of the country, it’s perfect and the weather is also beautiful.” A 17th century style French chateau in sprawling English countryside – it couldn’t be more perfect for one of the last real couturiers to allow the public to breathe in his work.

The Bowes Museum, already filled with predominantly French objets d’art, has cleared its existing fashion and textiles hall to make way for the exhibition comprising fifty iconic pieces from the YSL archives including the famous Zephirine dress, created by Saint Laurent during his time at Christian Dior and modelled by his favourite model Victoire Doutreleau in 1958 at Blenheim Palace. The dress was recently rediscovered in storage in the Palais Galliera in Paris and painstakingly restored for this very exhibition – A real coup for both The Bowes and the North East region. There are over 1000 YSL accessories on display too, from hats to earrings and headdresses as well as swatches and buttons.

The exhibition is delivered over three rooms on the first floor; room 2 is where Joanna Hashagen, Fashion Curator at The Bowes Museum has used existing items from The Bowes’ fashion and textiles exhibition, to marry YSL’s most recognisable pieces with their historical influences. With the YSL creation as the headline piece in each of the five themed glass boxes, this room in the exhibition is heavily supplemented with period pieces.

Room 3 is where the magic happens. In a similar vein to Claire Wilcox with Savage Beauty, Hashagen has created five main themes: Art, Spectaculaire, Transparency, Masculin / Feminin and The Alchemy of Style. The pieces on display in this room are all showstoppers. Put simply, this is the best of Saint Laurent and it’s right here in the glorious North East.

From the sheer pieces on display in Transparency, which Bergé says were “truly shocking” to people when first unveiled, to the striking tributes to artists Piet Mondrian and Picasso in Art, each piece has its own place in history and the craftsmanship is undeniable. With embroidery, paillette layering and harlequin patching taking centerstage, it’s hard not to be blown away by the magnitude and importance of this small but perfectly formed exhibition.

“We are honoured to host the first exhibition in the UK of Yves Saint Laurent, one of the most influential designers of all time. We are thrilled to work alongside the Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent, on an innovative display that introduces a dialogue between the designers’ body of work and The Bowes Museum’s collection.” – Joanna Hashagen

There are previously unseen sketches, collection boards, toiles, hat blocks and of course, Saint Laurent’s beloved paper dolls on display throughout the exhibition. The dolls were cut from his mother magazines in his teens and he would design outfits for them using paper, giving us a small glimpse at his early genius.

I attended the press launch in advance of the exhibition opening and had a chance to chat with Helene Ludinghausen, former Head of Couture for Yves Saint Laurent who told me that “The Bowes museum is absolutely the right place for this retrospective and Yves would have loved it, everything about it.” And I agree, whilst it’s an unexpected choice for an exhibition of this stature, it’s aesthetically and culturally perfect. she also told me that she loved my Chanel boots and McQueen frock but let’s keep it Saint Laurent…..

Bergé’s parting statement about Saint Laurent is poignant; “You have to understand he was a very shy person, a beautiful, shy person. Shy people are always the strong, tough people.”

With the exhibition opening to the public on Saturday, it’s an absolute must for fashion lovers everywhere and for anyone who understands the cultural importance of Saint Laurent in fashion. Go, soak it up and then go again, it’s probably the only chance you’ll ever get to be around such iconic master pieces and it’s well worth it.

Pixie x

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Categories: Uncategorized

Hard Hat Builders Lunch at the Crowne Plaza Newcastle

I was recently invited to take a VIP hard hat tour of the brand new, as yet unfinished, Crowne Plaza Hotel on Forth Street Newcastle. The upmarket hotel is set to open its doors to the public later this year and is completely different to anything else currently available in the City. A product of years of market research, the Crowne Plaza Newcastle is geared up for corporate clients, city breakers, day spa members and casual diners and has incorporated the needs of each type of client into its intensive planning and two year build project.

“We’re pushing all the time, trying to move the standards in the city forwards and matching the strengths in terms of location and brand.”

In the last few months the development has really started to take shape, no longer just a shell, the glass fronted hotel is a real showstopper and the planned landscaping for the front area will really highlight the trendy Stephenson Quarter as a destination. I donned my work boots, hard hat and hi-vis jacket for a behind the scenes tour of the huge project.

The people behind the Crowne Plaza were adamant that during the design phase, they weren’t going to use a hotel designer for the interior planning. They’re remained resolute and together with Simon Spiteri (Carluccio’s) onboard as interior designer, they’ve created a real boutique hotel feel, despite the enormity of the towering Crowne Plaza – something very different for the corporate client. Sourcing sustainable materials, and using modern finishing techniques, they’ve come up with a cool colour palette of steel blues and greys for the hotels 260+ bedrooms and suites using glass and exposed polished concrete pillars to up the fashion ante. Room furniture will be walnut coloured with chrome accents bringing a modern vibe to the hotel.

The hotel will feature a huge glass atrium with an enormous crystal chandelier taking centre stage and each communal floor area will have a glass balcony overlooking this area adding a dimension of light and space. Walking into the space as it is now, and seeing the projected images of the finished area, there’s no doubt that the Crowne Plaza will have the Wow Factor, and it’s less hotel-like than you might imagine, which is exactly what they’ve gone for.

The hotel is treating its main functional areas almost as separate businesses, meaning that they aren’t bound to keeping the same decor and theme in each zone of the hotel. Breaking the mould, The Crowne Plaza Newcastle will have its very own Gin Bar at street level where residents and customers alike can choose from an initial selection of over 30 varieties of gin. The Gin Bar will strip back cocktail drinking to its very core and focus on the Martini, a traditional cocktail of pure alcohol which requires great skill to get right, Food and Beverage Manager Paul Walker told me that a huge amount of research and planning has gone into getting The Gin Bar on point; from the distilling of their very own craft gin, right through to the New York paperboy style uniforms. Even the furniture has been changed at the last-minute because it was felt the vibe wasn’t quite right. The mood boards for The Gin Bar show a darker, slinkier, more relaxed lounge environment and just looking at the sumptuous colour schemes is getting me excited…..

Hawthorns, the in-house restaurant, will serve “good, wholesome, healthy food” to residents and diners alike. The dining area has been well thought out and aims to integrate large corporate groups, single diners, couples and mobile office workers with a variety of different height seating areas, booths and benches maximising space and light. It’s a more responsive environment which shuns the traditions of other restaurants allowing customers to select their own table and seats based on their needs.

The corporate and conferencing facilities in the Crowne Plaza are second to none, with a huge central conference room acting as a hub, it’s been planned with serious attention to detail. from the acoustic ceiling and targeted lighting, to the coloured wash lighting which can be altered to fit a specific company’s requirements, every little detail has been considered at the planning stage. The Crowne Plaza is banking on corporate business and it shows, in a big way. With a number of function rooms, conference suites and break-out areas available, it’s clear that they’ve set their sights on being the best in their field.

Hotel car parking will be designated in the multi-storey carpark currently in development just behind the hotel, although the carpark operator is as yet unknown, the Crowne Plaza have reserved bays for the use of hotel and spa guests only. The hotel will also benefit from super fast free WiFi Boost meaning that no matter where you are in the hotel there will be no black spots, in addition, each bedroom will also have infinity charging points which charge your gadgets fast and continue to do so after your key card is removed from its dock. neat, huh?! Rooms have been kitted out with the best quality bedding and there will designated Quiet Zones throughout the hotel for light sleepers, the Crowne Plaza have really gone all out to make sure your stay is a comfortable one.

The Crowne Plaza suites, although currently just bare shells, look set to be a real draw for the hotel. Situated on a corner of the structure looking out over Newcastle Central Station and beyond, the rooms are fully soundproof and feature floor to ceiling glass windows allowing undisturbed views of the city. Our tour guide told us that since taking over the operation of the station, Network Rail have announced plans to landscape the area of the train station overlooked by the hotel and there are plans underway to build either a bridge or a tunnel to link hotel residents to the train station directly, fancy right?!

Down in the basement area, like many hotels, The Crowne Plaza Newcastle will house a spa area, named The Mineral Room in homage to the site’s heritage, equipped with a 10 metre pool, whirlpool, steamroom and sauna, as well as three large treatment rooms equipped to provide the latest state of the art beauty treatments. There will also be a gym with the usual standard machines and free weights, but with the added benefit of 1:1 personal training for guests giving a far more bespoke service.

The pool area feels very upmarket; it’s dark and decadent and benefits from super high windows at street level which act as a source of natural light without giving pedestrians a view into the spa. The spa is a welcome addition to the hotel, and something the City has been clamouring for as it’s been starved of an upmarket hotel with really great spa facilities for so long. For non hotel residents, there will be a membership programme for the hotel gym and pool with an as yet unknown monthly rate, which will also give members access to exclusive discounts across the hotel, Hawthorns and The Gin Bar.

There are some real nice touches in the Crowne Plaza Newcastle, the green credentials for example, there are two seed grass roof areas which provide a pretty view to guests on the Northern side of the hotel with South facing windows. Also, the hotel have tried to stay true to North East heritage when planning the development, the menu will be Northern with food sourced in the North and the house gin will also be distilled in the North.

As the prospective opening date of September 2015 draws closer, it’s easy to see, even at this early stage, that the hotel is going to be a crowd pleaser. With the Stephenson Quarter development gathering pace and new phases unveiled it could be that this becomes the new area to see and be seen, there’s talk of a micro-brewery popping up in the old JT Dove building and with the Royal Mail building now up for development who knows what could crop up next on this über trendy site. A new residential development of executive apartments is in the pipeline further down Forth Banks which will bring a whole new clientele into the mix for the brand new Stephenson Quarter.

I don’t know about you but I’m excited about this, it brings jobs to our glorious city and adds another pillar to our amazing skyline as well as opening up a whole new zone of the city which was relatively unexplored……….until now. So if you’re around the Forth Street area on the Quayside approach, stop, take a look at the new Crowne Plaza building, it’s well on the way to looking like it does in the plans and you might just be looking at the next big thing in Newcastle when The Gin Bar opens its doors in August.

There’s just one thing I’m a little disappointed about….. I didn’t get to keep the hard hat.

Pixie x

Categories: Uncategorized

MM6 Maison Margiela Fashion Event

When I was invited by Grazia magazine to attend a fashion event hosted by MM6 Maison Margiela and the chance to get an exclusive preview of the new collection, I just couldn’t say no, after all the MM6 leisure wear is legendary and I have so much of it in my wardrobe it made sense to snap up an opportunity to top up my collection…

I hot footed it from my Bayswater apartment to Bond Street to get to the store hosting the event. Not in my intended outfit I might add (long story), but still feeling pretty collected in distressed Paige jeans and a Deathly Hallows tee with grey suede Prada shoes.

The MM6 London store is located on Conduit Street, a busy shopping street off Regent Street bursting at the seams with stylish boutiques and designer stores. Once inside I’m greeted with champagne, cocktails and various delicious looking canapés, even better, I’m told that tonight not only do we get an exclusive preview of the Fall Winter 15/16 collection but we can also shop it ahead of everyone else with 30% off. Bonus.

Each guest is given a look book from the FW15/16 collection with each runway look shown individually and the store is stocking some of the show collection for us this evening so I’m already uber excited to get my hands on it. I spot a supersized heavy denim shirt dress that looks amazing and that’s my first purchase sorted, I haven’t even been here five minutes…..

The Spring Summer 15 collection is also available in store and there are some great leisure wear pieces including a long line split side sweater, and a hooded zip through which will slot nicely in to my gym wardrobe. On the leisure wear theme, there are also an amazing pair of shearling trimmed sneakers perfect for pounding the pavements during Fashion Month, I adore fashion sneakers and these will give my trust Chanel sneaks a well deserved break.

The rest of the collection is as diverse as you would expect from Margiela, relaxed separates and oversized soft lines juxtaposed with luxurious heavy fabrics such as tan suede, alcantara and leather used for trousers, dresses and waistcoats. The shoe collection is strong, block heeled boots, espadrilles (everyone is doing them) and flatform sandals stand out across the range and there are a pair of cute black d’Orsay style shoes that catch my eye. Interestingly heels are sparse across the collection with only a few block heels across the entire range.

Bold Pucci-esque prints adorn the standard shapes throughout the Spring Simmer collection with shirt dresses, palazzo pants and relaxed jumpsuits leading the pack, the great thing about these particular pieces is the variety of ways in which they can be worn.

The tailoring section is made up of pleated shirts and dresses and the oversize theme runs into this part of the collection too, with stiff shirts challenging proportions and cape backed swing dresses being the stand out pieces. Fall Winter sees a palette of plums and purples standing out against monochrome staple pieces, with more bold print making its way into the collection. I caught up with Charlie Miller, Executive Fashion Director at Grazia magazine, who told me that “the MM6 Margiela collection has a number of great dresses at that magic price point of £300 – not so low that it looks poorly made and not ridiculously expensive either, it’s accessible and with 30% off it makes it that bit more affordable”. Charlie told me that having had a chance to browse before the event began, she had a head start on picking out her favourite pieces including an asymmetric pleated shirt in crisp white.

The Mikita Maison Margiela sunglasses collection is both stylish and innovative, these super lightweight beauties are slick in design using only tiny slivers of stainless steel to bind the frame and no screws at all, instead the arms pivot on a looped hinge design. They’re so thin and light that it literally feels as if you aren’t wearing glasses, they’re virtually indestructible too as I’m invited to test, and true to the claims, they behave elastically when bent.

The collections are rounded off with fragrance and accessories, from mega bright woolly bobble hats to silver fishnet effect clutch bags, the whole sideline collection is futuristic; think flashes of silver with luminous yellow and cobalt blue as the accent colours and you’re on the right track. Jewellery offset with rope cord designed to look like parachute rip cords gives the collection a street spin.

So, if you’re thinking of upgrading your leisure wear I can highly recommend MM6 Margiela as a starting point but also for some great relaxed oversized pieced. If you’re bored of the norm and you want to push the boundaries and challenge proportion a little then Margiela is an excellent place to start, with wide legged heavy denim jeans (yes, these came home with me too) and loose relaxed fit shirts you’ll be in with the Fash Pack in no time and the tailoring is an easy way to upgrade your workwear wardrobe without breaking the bank. It’s a great stepping stone between high street and designer and with MM6 Maison Margiela in your wardrobe you’ll have Fall Winter 15 all sewn up.

Pixie x

MM6 Maison Margiela is at 6 Conduit Street, London.

With thanks to Grazia magazine for inviting me.