Fashion Voyeur

People will stare, make it worth their while.

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.

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.

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.

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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: Pixie, Uncategorized

Sunderland Fashion Weekend

With more regional Fashion events cropping up all over the country, it’s Tyne & Wear’s turn to get in on the action with the launch of Sunderland Fashion Weekend.  From April 21st to 24th, The Bridges Shopping Centre in Sunderland will host the city’s debut Fashion Weekend with four jam-packed days of shows featuring clothes and accessories from the centre’s leading retailers.

 

With a whole host of major players set to showcase their wares, including Debenhams, Miss Selfridge, New Look, TopShop and Primark, Sunderland Fashion Weekend looks set to turn the spotlight to affordable and accessible fashion in Tyne & Wear.

“We have a wide variety of retailers at the Bridges with clothes for both men and women and for all ages, The Fashion Weekend gives us a fantastic opportunity to showcase what we have to offer in what promises to be a number of fun and exciting shows.  We are delighted to see so many of our leading retailers getting behind the event and we look forward to welcoming lots of fashion conscious visitors.” Andy Bradley, Centre Director.

Runway shows will take place throughout the day at various times, ensuring that everyone can get a look at what The bridges, and Sunderland, has to offer the North East fashionistas.

In addition to regular runway shows in the shopping centre, a fashion show will also feature as part of the Retail and Style Awards being held at the Bridges on Saturday April 23, in an evening which includes a black tie dinner and performances by top musical acts Lawson, Izzy Bizu and the Lake Poets.  A VIP runway show will take place on the evening of Thursday April 21st  and Ill be on the FROW (natch) to bring you all the latest from Sunderland Fashion Weekend as it unfolds.

Like the sound of this, then head to The Bridges Shopping Centre in Sunderland city centre April 21st to 24th to grab a piece of the action and if you spot me, don’t be shy, come say “Hi!”

Keep it #FashionVoyeur for more updates on Sunderland Fashion Weekend as I get them…

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…..

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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

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.

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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.

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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.

Categories: Uncategorized

NE1’s Fashion Futures presents: FASHION

Northumbria University is one of the leading educational establishments for Fashion Design outside of London and 2015 marks the Fashion departments 60th anniversary.  That’s right, they’ve been churning out successful Fashion Designers and Promoters for 60 years.  Because of this, in place of the usual Newcastle Fashion Week fixture, NE1 have planned an event dubbed Fashion Futures to showcase the work of the current crop of graduates from the university.

Northumbria University’s BA (Hons) fashion programme is renowned for the calibre of its business-ready and media-savvy graduates, with 97% of students in full time employment within six months of graduating, some of whom are now big names in the world of fashion.

I was invited along to FASHION, a Textile Collections Exhibition and runway show at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art;  The runway show marks the beginning of the 2015 graduate presentation, the collections included have been in development for months prior.  Each student is showing a small collection of either three of five looks in either Menswear or Womenswear, and other textile work is on static display for the duration of the Fashion Futures event.  I wanted to make an impression so I threw on some Topshop Unique leather culottes with a black & Other Stories tank and a fringed suede jacket.

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A colossal 57 students / Designers from Northumbria University’s past and present showcased their collections at FASHION, each using professional models and their own chosen soundtrack.  From conceptual and minimalistic to wacky and fun, FASHION has it all.  One thing that shines through during the runway show is the individuality of each student, there’s nothing generic about this fashion presentation, each designer has brought their own personality to their collection, it’s all very diverse and very exciting.

The show opens with Sophie Dring, who shows a clean cut, Victoria Beckham inspired collection of five pieces.  It’s contemporary but very wearable and I’m instantly scribbling her name in my pad as someone to watch. We’re off to a good start….

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The whole show is a slick and well put together affair, far superior to what we’ve seen in previous years from Newcastle Fashion Week, (kudos to NE1) and the auditorium set up gives the entire audience the chance to get a great view of each collection.

It’s quickly apparent that we have a huge spectrum of talent in the North East, considering that some of these collections have gone from conception to completion by undergraduate students, it’s amazing to see how much these students have achieved in that short time, and how each Designer has managed to portray a running theme through each piece comprising their mini collection.  There is some real standout design talent amongst the running order, for example Charlotte Byrne, showing a collection which wouldn’t look out of place in an alexander Wang runway show, models were sent down the runway in a hybrid of ski goggles and welder masks.

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Fei Fei Chen showed a collection with more than a nod to the military trend and with a touch of hunter chic thrown in for good measure, the craftsmanship in this collection is exquisite.

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It’s clear that each student has paid attention to fashion trends and manufacturing techniques past and present, and it’s easy to see where they pick up their influence.  During their time at University, they’re deciding what kind of Designer they want to be and by the time they’ve created their final collections, whether they’ve decided or not, it’s evident that each falls into a distinct category.  Hannah Chant for example shows a collection not dissimilar to the Missoni collections of the early 00’s, 70’s inspired and bohemian but with a modern twist.  Jessica Bretherton shows real talent, showing a collection similar in style to Ralph Lauren, easy relaxed tailoring with an American casual vibe.  Yee Ting Chan sent models down the runway wearing surgeons masks in a collection reminiscent of early Alexander McQueen, there was something raw and exciting about this collection.

Eleanor Rowlands told a story through her post apocalyptic collection, she’s surely one to watch as there were whisperings around the runway when her models glided on to the runway.

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Jessica Bailey showed a fun Under the Sea themed collection with underwater scenes, pearls and pompoms, very Henry Holland or Jeremy Scott.  She’s someone I could imagine dressing stars such as Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus in a few years.  Olivia Pink’s collection had a hint of 60’s styling with round pocket detailing, think Raoul, but with added body armour.  Both Billie Toole and Emma Cummings’ showed retro Amish style collections, Cummings showcased skirts with coloured patterns giving the effect of a deep box pleat.

In stark contrast, Rosie Hargreaves showed soft tailoring in pastel colours whilst Lucy Doyle presented an uber chic monochrome collection.  By far the most wearable and commercial collection to be presented at the event came from Julia Barstow who exhibited a high street ready five piece collection of clean lines and a simple yet effective colour pallete of blue, white and orange.

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With 57 Designers showing at FASHION, it would be too difficult to go through each one individually, suffice to say that there’s a diverse mix of incredible talent at Northumbria University, with each designer bringing something different to the market.  From urban sportswear to vintage inspired tailoring, there’s something here for every Fashion Voyeur.  Undoubtedly there are some students here who will go on to achieve great things in the fashion world, and judging by some of the work on display this evening, there are a definite select few who have the talent and individuality to go on to create and run their own successful labels.

From this runway show, twenty-five students will be selected to show their collections as part of the industry runway show at Graduate Fashion Week in London on may 31st.  The design portfolios of these students will be available for viewing on the Graduate Fashion Week stand from May 30th – June 2nd before returning to Newcastle to be shown as part of the Degree Show REVEAL at Northumbria University’s City Campus from June 16th – 27th.

If you love fashion, I’d strongly recommend you visit the University Campus to view the collections, after all, the next big thing could be amongst that crop of students, right here in Newcastle….

Pixie x

For more information on the Fashion programme at Northumbria University, please click here.

The collections shown at FASHION can be viewed below:

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