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Fashion Voyeur

People will stare, make it worth their while.

Categories: Uncategorized

Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty

“I want to be a purveyor of a certain silhouette, or a way of cutting, so that when I’m dead and gone people will know that the 21st century was started by Alexander McQueen.”

Unless you’ve been living under a seriously well hidden rock you’ll know that the V&A is currently hosting a retrospective of the career of designer Alexander McQueen and as far as exhibitions go, this one is pretty damn magnificent.  The Savage Beauty exhibition began its life at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and has since been expanded and tweaked for its hotly anticipated arrival in London, McQueen’s home, and the city where he honed his craft.

Savage Beauty is as raw as it gets, and walking around the exhibition so close to this body of work, it feels almost voyeuristic, like you’re viewing something sacred and holy which was meant to be kept secret…..

The exhibition is presented over ten rooms which aim to showcase the most prolific of themes that Alexander McQueen himself showed during his runway shows.  Savage Beauty takes you on a journey through McQueen’s entire career from his previously unseen 1992 MA graduate collection through to his final, incomplete FW10 collection.

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As you enter Savage Beauty, the atmosphere is palpable, dark, eerie and bordering on uncomfortable, the air peppered with a recording of McQueen’s voice played over jutting soundbytes, an image of the late designer’s face is projected onto a black wall which slowly morphs into the Skull Lenticular.  The first section of the exhibition, London, concentrates on ten of  McQueen’s more famous early pieces spanning three collections: The Birds (S/S 1995), Highland Rape (A/W 1995) and The Hunger (S/S 1996) and runway footage is played behind the installation.  This is your first glimpse at the world and the mind of Lee Alexander McQueen and it’s beautifully poetic.

1. Installation view of 'London' gallery, Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty at the V&A (c) Victoria and Albert Museum London

The next room, Savage Mind, displays some of McQueen’s very early signature tailoring and his inventive cutting techniques, McQueen always designed from the side, saying that this was the best way to see all of the lumps and bumps and to decide how to skim these.  His Kickback Trousers for example, form a perfect semi-circle when laid out flat, but on the body they drape at the back of the knee and create a flattering elongated kickback shape at the back of the ankle.  In this room the famous “Bumster” trousers are displayed, although rather surprisingly from the front rather than the rear.  A sharp shouldered jacket featuring an image of Robert Campin’s The Thief to the Left Of Christ by the Master of Flemalle c.1430 from the FW97 It’s a jungle Out There collection gives an early glimpse into McQueen’s fascination with gothic symbolism.

2. Installation view of 'Savage Mind' gallery, Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty at the V&A (c) Victoria and Albert Museum London

Alexander_Mc_Queen ready to wear fall winter 1997/98 images-9

The Romantic Gothic room is breathtakingly beautiful, set in an eerily dark and atmospheric room, the display is almost too much to take in.  There are strong references to the Victorian Gothic aesthetic that McQueen excelled in, garments featuring hair as a centrepiece and the famous Black Swan takes centre stage, emanating a certain sadness that you can’t fail to feel when you look at this awesome display of craftsmanship.  It’s this particular room which holds pieces from McQueen’s final unfinished collection and it’s here that you feel part of an important moment in fashion history, McQueen was working on these pieces when he died and they’re dark and twisted and beautifully intricate.

“I don’t think like the average person in the street – I think quite perversely sometimes.”

images-13 Installation view of 'Romantic Gothic' gallery, Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty at the V&A (c) Victoria and Albert Museum London images-14

Romantic Primitivism takes us deeper into the mind of McQueen, in a room where the walls are adorned with skulls and bones reminiscent of a catacomb and in the ceiling a hanging bubble plays the short film Irere directed by McQueen and John Maybury to accompany the SS03 collection.  The smell of leather and skin hits you immediately and it’s the first time you appreciate just how close you actually are to these masterpieces.  This section of the exhibition explores McQueen’s interest in the animal world and in particular the survival of exotic creatures in the wild, his FW97 collection: It’s a Jungle Out There was inspired by the Thomson’s Gazelle with McQueen saying his interest was borne out of the fact that “the life of this particular creature is over before it has even begun”.

“Animals fascinate me because you can find a force of energy, a fear that also exists in sex……”

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The adjoining room houses the Romantic Nationalism section of the exhibit and it’s perhaps the most emotionally evoking room in the whole exhibition, and certainly the most dramatic.  Darkly romantic and rebellious, the pieces in this display make a clear statement about patriotism.

“As a place for inspiration Britain is the best in the world, you’re inspired by the anarchy in the country….”

Presented in a room of red walls, on the left plinth the MacQueen tartan takes pride of place and music specially composed by John Gosling is played, creating a sense of spine prickling drama, the dress worn by Sarah Jessica Parker to the 2006 Met Gala is displayed and up close, McQueen’s genius in cutting is evident, matching diamonds and creating lined patterns rather than matching the tartan repeat.  Pieces from the FW08 collection entitled The Girl Who Lived in the Tree are displayed on the right, a collection which was inspired by an Elm tree in the garden of McQueen’s country home near Fairlight cove in East Sussex and a story he created about it in his younger years.  The collection was tinged with irony and pastiche and very romantically nationalistic with swathes of red and white and a million feathers.

His patriotic loyalty is never more evident than in this room, McQueen was once asked about his heritage and what his Scottish roots mean to him, his reply? “Everything.”

images-1 fa3fabf3-7e10-49bf-8ca0-036fb0146603-620x395 5. Installation view of 'Romantic Nationalism' gallery, Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty at the V&A (c) Victoria and Albert Museum London

From here you make your way into the most breathtakingly heart wrenching room in the exhibition: The Cabinet of Curiosities.  This forms the beating heart of the exhibition and the room is double height featuring various screens showing runway footage and iconic pieces displayed in gallery format.  There are over 120 pieces on display in this one room and it’s understandably a lot to take in, it’s overwhelming, like a feast for the senses and when you first enter the room, you literally don’t know where to look.  In the centre of the room is the now iconic spray painted dress from No.13 SS99.  Just laying eyes on this dress pulls on my heart and I feel a real sense of privilege.  The installation is set up to mimic the positioning of Shalom Harlow as she stood centre stage on that spinning disc, minus the Fiat plant robots, and it’s such a powerful display that it actually moved me to tears and I wasn’t the only one who felt it.  There’s a real sense of awe in this room, just being amongst so many amazing pieces reminds you of what a talented and courageous designer McQueen was.  Throughout his entire career, No.13 was the only show that ever made the designer himself cry and when you’re there, right in front of it, you can understand why.

The Yashmak from McQueen’s SS00 Eye collection was painstakingly rebuilt for The Cabinet of Curiosities and is displayed in show on a screen nearby, other pieces on display in this room are the Armadillo boot, first introduced in the SS10 Plato’s Atlantis collection and worn by Lady Gaga in her promo for Bad Romance, the Butterfly headdress made by Philip Treacy for McQueen to accompany his SS08 La Dame Bleue collection and the mask and Crown of Thorns from the FW96 Dante collection.  This is a room that has been designed for viewing, there are bench seats in the centre and you could seriously spend all day looking at these objets de curiosite which have been staged so beautifully.

6. Installation view of  'Cabinet of Curiosities' gallery, Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty at the V&A (c) Victoria and Albert Museum London images-17 3. Spray painted dress, No. 13, SS 1999, Model - Shalom Harlow represented by dna model management New York, Image - Catwalking.

2. Butterfly headdress of hand-painted turkey feathers, Philip Treacy for Alexander McQueen, La Dame Bleu, Spring Summer 2008, copyright Anthea Sims images-7 IMG_1465

as you move through The Cabinet of Curiosities, you find yourself in a viewing area with a pyramid set up to display the haunting Pepper’s Ghost created for the finale to the FW06 The Widows of Colloden finale, using a technique pioneered by Harry Swan in the 19th century, the spectral image of Kate Moss is conjured and it is completely mesmerising.  For the short period of time that the spectre appears, the room is silent and the surrounding people are as transfixed as I am, the whole spectacle utterly draws you in and is tinged with an almost palpable sadness.  I spot more than one person wiping away tears as they exit this section of the exhibition and it’s hard not to be moved.  Not one to shy away from a spectacle, McQueen was fascinated by death and the macabre and insisted that “death is part of life, I‘ve always been fascinated with Victorian views of death…. when they used to take pictures of the dead.  It’s not about brushing it under the carpet like we do today, it’s about …celebrating someone’s life.  and I don’t think it’s a bad thing.  I think it’s a very sad thing but it’s [also] a very romantic thing because it means the end of a cycle and everything has an end… it gives room for new things to come behind you“.

There’s a real shift as you enter Romantic Exoticism, this section of the exhibition explores McQueen’s interest in eastern culture and influence.  On display are the designers take on traditional Japanese kimonos and silk trousers all with that dark twist synonymous with McQueen.

“Fashion can be really racist, looking at the clothes of other cultures as costumes.  It’s mundane and it’s old hat.  lets break down some barriers…”

7. Installation view of 'Romantic Exoticism' gallery, Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty at the V&A (c) Victoria and Albert Museum London 11. It's Only a Game, SS 2005. Image firstVIEW

At the end of this room is another sinister installation, one you are almost forced to take in.  Part of the SS01 Voss (AKA “Asylum”) runway show, McQueen put on a completely unexpected live finale based entirely on a 1983 Joel-Peter Wilkin photograph entitled “Sanitarium” which depicted a glass box housing a voluptuous, masked woman connected to a stuffed monkey via a breathing tube, McQueen selected fetish writer Michelle Olley to play the part in the finale and the image has become synonymous with the Voss collection.  McQueen later said of Voss: “It was about trying to trap something that wasn’t conventionally beautiful to show that beauty comes from within.  It’s to do with the politics of the world – the way life is – and what beauty is”

8. Installation view of 'Voss', Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty at the V&A (c) Victoria and Albert Museum London images-10 images-6

“I find beauty in the grotesque like most artists.  I have to force people to look at things…“

As you move away from the Earthy Voss display, you enter the Romantic Naturalism section and it’s exactly that.  There are flowers and beautiful delicate lace in the pieces in this room and it’s almost too pretty for words, each piece is displayed in its own glass case and each piece flows seamlessly into the next like a passionate and romantic story, the lace dress pierced by resin antlers from the FW06 The Widows of Culloden is centre left and up close appears almost fluid.  On the opposite side is the razor clam shells dress from the SS01 Voss collection as worn (and originally trashed) by Erin O’Connor and it’s a sight to behold.  Seeing this piece in print is one thing but being right up in front of it is another thing altogether, you simply can’t describe the craftsmanship and the beauty of this piece, it’s almost other-worldly.  McQueen wasn’t a designer to conform or be limited by materials and fabrics and took pleasure in using unexpected items to create his masterpieces.

“It was time to come out of the dark and into the light.”

9. Installation view of 'Romantic Naturalism' gallery, Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty at the V&A (c) Victoria and Albert Museum London  5. Tulle and lace dress with veil and antlers, Widows of Culloden, AW 2006-07. Model Raquel Zimmermann, Viva London. Image firstVIEW c381590c-bba2-498d-9e0b-bcf229f4c8b7-320x480 111111111

The finale of the exhibition is Plato’s Atlantis.  McQueen’s last fully realised collection shown for SS10 and based on a predicted future in which the polar ice cap would melt and life on earth would have to evolve in order to live beneath the ocean once more or perish; humanity would return to the place from where it came.  Displayed in front of a giant screen showing the same short film used in the runway show featuring Raquel Zimmerman writhing and twisting as she morphs into a semi-aquatic creature, Plato’s Atlantis is futuristic, fresh and delightfully strange.  This is the collection which unveiled the Armadillo boot silhouette for the first time, the Bell Jar dress and the JellyFish print which spawned so many high street tributes.  Hailed as McQueen’s greatest achievement, Plato’s Atlantis is so far removed from anything we’ve previously seen from the designer, and perhaps alluded to a new direction for him, sadly we’ll never know what McQueen had planned for us for beyond FW10 but we do know that it would have been spectacular, and awe-inspiring and beautiful.

10. Installation view of  'Platos Atlantis' gallery, Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty at the V&A (c) Victoria and Albert Museum London  Fashion Week e68204d0-8656-417f-892d-99e17a37b184-803x1020

If you’re a lover of fashion, and even if you’re not, the Savage Beauty exhibition at the V&A is an absolute must see, there is no doubt that you will be transfixed and it’s unlikely that such an incredible body of work from such an iconic designer will ever be on display like this again.  Curator Claire Wilcox was given unrestricted access to the McQueen archives in order to create this exhibition and has done an amazing job in creating the ambience to match each of the definitive themes featured here.  There are footnotes to each piece and in some cases these are hard to find and even harder to read given the sheer volume of people making their way through the exhibition at any time.  I would have loved to see more biographical information about McQueen, his heritage and his rise to become fashion’s enfant terrible, there are many subtle references to Isabella Blow, long time muse of Alexander McQueen but any reference to their tempestuous relationship is notably absent.  However, the exhibition was always going to be about the clothes.

I’ve talked you through what I took from the exhibition but at the risk of sounding like a cliché, this is something you need to experience for yourself, it’s so much more than just looking at beautiful clothes, it’s a feeling, an ambience, a collective experience for the senses.  So give yourself up to fashion and soak up the dark gothic atmosphere of Savage Beauty, and then go and do it all again because you’ll never get another opportunity to be a part of something of this magnitude and you’ll definitely leave there with more questions than you entered with but you’ll absolutely feel inspired.  And if you really do want to know more about Lee Alexander McQueen, splash out and buy the book that accompanies the exhibition, it’s a gorgeous book that you’ll pick up repeatedly in the days following your visit(s) to the exhibition.

“There is no way back for me now, I’m going to take you on journeys you’ve never dreamed were possible…”

Pixie x

The exhibition runs until August 2nd 2015 at the V&A Museum and tickets and further information can be found here: http:/www.vam.ac.uk/savagebeauty

All quotes used in this article are by Lee Alexander McQueen.

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Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, in partnership with Swarovski, supported by American Express, with thanks to M∙A∙C Cosmetics, technology partner Samsung and made possible with the co-operation of Alexander McQueen, runs from 14 March – 2 August 2015. www.vam.ac.uk/savagebeauty

Categories: Uncategorized

Rising Star: Kelly Shaw London

Last Sunday saw the close of Capsule in Paris; Capsule is the premiere gathering of the finest apparel and accessories brands from around the world. More than a tradeshow, the brands who participate in Capsule make up a community that is shaping the future fashion landscape.

The FW15 Capsule collective set up shop in Tapis Rouge for three days to coincide with Paris Fashion Week and provided a platform for fresh and emerging talent to showcase their FW15 womenswear collections.  Amongst the designers presenting at Capsule was Brit Kelly Shaw who set up her womenswear label Kelly Shaw London in 2011.    Part of the Young British Designers collective, Shaw is undoubtedly one of the most innovative and exciting designers to emerge from London and her FW15 collection entitled The Liminal Journey, is testament to that.  Clearly influenced by Victoria Beckham, Shaw’s collection is made up of clean, simple lines and bold proportions.

Linda Smock with Open Back £349
Linda Smock with Open Back £349
British Mohair Tartan Coat with Patch Pocket Detail £1200
British Mohair Tartan Coat with Patch Pocket Detail £1200
Julia Wool Shift Dress £399
Julia Wool Shift Dress £399
Roberta Swing Cotton Dress £299
Roberta Swing Cotton Dress £299
White Dolly Shirt with Concealed Placket £190 & Wool Skirt with Multi Twist Panel Detailing £420
White Dolly Shirt with Concealed Placket £190 & Wool Skirt with Multi Twist Panel Detailing £420

 

Kelly Shaw has a close working relationship with artist Jem Doulton who creates bold oil paintings borne out of Shaw’s thoughts and ideas and these, in turn, are scanned and turned into digital prints on fabric.  For this particular collection Shaw was inspired by the process of self-transformation, complex human emotions and the paradox of good and bad, of light and dark.

A clever and original way of working this collaboration ensures that the designers personality and flair is translated into each individual piece.  Shaw is confident, her mantra is this; discover your soul, be bold, be yourself, create, rebel, revolutionise and above all, enjoy.  Each piece in her current collection depicts a quiet protest, from the slogan tees and dresses to the bold prints on delicate silk.  Shaw uses British materials and produces her collections in the UK, this is truly a girl who is proud to be British and supporting the British fashion industry.

Metallic Cosmos Shift Dress £425
Metallic Cosmos Shift Dress £425
Liminal Digital Print Skirt £320 & Slogan Tee £65
Liminal Digital Print Skirt £320 & Slogan Tee £65
Liminal Dress with Digital Front Panel £440
Liminal Dress with Digital Front Panel £440
“Metalic Cosmos” Organic Jersey Sweatshirt £280
“Metalic Cosmos” Organic Jersey Sweatshirt £280
Stripe Scarf 100% Wool £210
Stripe Scarf 100% Wool £210
Liminal Scarf 100% Wool £210
Liminal Scarf 100% Wool £210

 

Despite her roots being firmly in the UK, Kelly Shaw took her FW15 collection to present in Paris, why you might ask?  Well the answer to that is an interesting one and requires some background….

Producing a collection costs money.  Lots of it.  The biggest issue for a young designer fresh to the fold is having the cashflow to meet the level of supply and demand for their current collection, but to also fund the next collection and be able to present it to the masses.  This is something Shaw knows only too well and after taking to the streets during London Fashion Week SS15 in September 2014 with the Occupy movement to protest against the fashion industry’s lack of support for British designers showing at London Fashion Week, Shaw set up a crowd funding project in order to present her FW15 main line collection offering up personal notes, collection pieces, drawings and whatever she could to those who contributed in order to draw attention and backing for the project, and it worked.  Shaw raised the full capital amount required to show her collection during arguably the most prolific event of Fashion Month; Paris Fashion Week.

Fast forward to March 2015 and Kelly Shaw has packed up her collection and her team and travelled to Paris to show her collection at Tapis Rouge, an amazing venue in the centre of Paris steeped in history and a fantastic place to present a fashion collection.  Shaw’s star is rising and Paris may just send her stellar, Kanye West was spotted browsing and as we know, anything Kanye gives the seal of approval has a tendency to skyrocket.

If you’re a fan of British design and British fashion this is one designer you should back; Kelly Shaw has real talent, with a knack for knockout simplicity and a “fuck you” attitude to conforming, Shaw is not afraid to push the boundaries or to challenge proportions.  Edgar Allen Poe once said “There is no exquisite beauty without some strangeness in the proportion” and Shaw’s designs are the very definition of this, with each collection she comes more into her own and with The Liminal Journey I think she’s found her niche.

Prices for the Kelly Shaw London FW15 collection start at a very reasonable £65 for a slogan tee up to £550 for an evening dress and that divine British mohair coat that so many of you have asked about is £1200.

Fashion Voyeur and Kelly Shaw London have teamed up to offer readers a fantastic 20% discount on pieces from the FW15 collection if ordered before March 30th 2015.  This is an exclusive offer not available anywhere else and the collection is not currently available to purchase so you’ll be amongst the first to get your hands on it when it drops in August 2015 for the FW15 season. 

To order at the discounted price simply:

  1. Browse the full collection in the gallery at the bottom of the post
  2. Choose your favourite piece(s)
  3. Email kelly@kellyshaw.co.uk to place your order quoting Fashion Voyeur for your exclusive 20% discount
  4. Sit back and gloat knowing you’re amongst the first to pre-order the Kelly Shaw London FW15 collection and that you got it at a knockout price

Top of my shopping list from this collection:

Grey Wool Dress £385
Grey Wool Dress £385
“Living The Dream” Unisex Screen Printed Sweatshirt £120
“Living The Dream” Unisex Screen Printed Sweatshirt £120
Liminal Digital Print Skirt £320 & Printed Silk Top £240
Liminal Digital Print Skirt £320 & Printed Silk Top £240
British Mohair Tartan Coat with Patch Pocket Detail £1200
British Mohair Tartan Coat with Patch Pocket Detail £1200

 

I absolutely have to have the grey Cloud type dress, (I feel that it will improve my life exponentially & it absolutely will as I’ve already ordered it) and the oversized slogan sweat speaks for itself.  The trend for co-ord dressing shows no signs of abating and this two piece with the mix of print and proportion is absolute perfection.  Lastly the British mohair coat, just look at it, it’s a thing of beauty and in the midst of a British Winter we all need something beautiful!

To find out more visit www.kellyshaw.co.uk, the FW15 collection will be available from August 2015 via the Young British Designers website at: http://www.youngbritishdesigners.com/designers/arising/kelly-shaw/ or you can currently shop the SS15 collection via the same website.

Here’s the full Liminal Journey collection, pick out your favourite pieces, take advantage of the fantastic discount offer, and circle August in your diaries.

Pixie x

Want to engage with Kelly Shaw London on social media?

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kellyshawlondon

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/kellyshawlondon

“Living The Dream” Unisex Screen Printed Sweatshirt £120
“Living The Dream” Unisex Screen Printed Sweatshirt £120
Slogan Tee £65 & Berry Red Wool Shorts £240
Slogan Tee £65 & Berry Red Wool Shorts £240
Liminal Digital Print Skirt £320 & Slogan Tee £65
Liminal Digital Print Skirt £320 & Slogan Tee £65
Liminal Digital Print Skirt £320 & Printed Silk Top £240
Liminal Digital Print Skirt £320 & Printed Silk Top £240
Berry Red Wool Shorts £240
Berry Red Wool Shorts £240
Linda Smock with Open Back £349
Linda Smock with Open Back £349
Linda Smock with Open Back £349
Linda Smock with Open Back £349
“Metalic Cosmos” Organic Jersey Sweatshirt £280
“Metalic Cosmos” Organic Jersey Sweatshirt £280
White Dolly Shirt with Concealed Placket £190 & Wool Skirt with Multi Twist Panel Detailing £420
White Dolly Shirt with Concealed Placket £190 & Wool Skirt with Multi Twist Panel Detailing £420
Emma Trapeze Dress with Raw Edge Hem Detail £520
Emma Trapeze Dress with Raw Edge Hem Detail £520
Marianne Layered Dress with Bias Cut Paneling and Raw Edge Hem Detail £550
Marianne Layered Dress with Bias Cut Paneling and Raw Edge Hem Detail £550
Wool Dress with Multi Twist Panel Detailing £899
Wool Dress with Multi Twist Panel Detailing £899
Kirsty Trapeze Dress with Square Hem Panel Detail £325
Kirsty Trapeze Dress with Square Hem Panel Detail £325
Liminal Dress with Digital Front Panel £440
Liminal Dress with Digital Front Panel £440
British Mohair Tartan Coat with Patch Pocket Detail £1200
British Mohair Tartan Coat with Patch Pocket Detail £1200
Julia Wool Shift Dress £399 & Liminal Scarf £210
Julia Wool Shift Dress £399 & Liminal Scarf £210
Julia Wool Shift Dress £399
Julia Wool Shift Dress £399
Grey Wool Dress £385
Grey Wool Dress £385
Roberta Swing Cotton Dress £299
Roberta Swing Cotton Dress £299
Metallic Cosmos Shift Dress £425
Metallic Cosmos Shift Dress £425
Categories: Uncategorized

Holly Fulton SS15 London Fashion Week

This is my first post on the new domain and it’s about one of my favourite subjects: London Fashion Week!  I was lucky enough to be invited to Fashion Week this year by fashion and beauty PR Agency Media Hubb and attended the SS15 show of one of my favourite British designers, Holly Fulton.

I was invited backstage before the show to really get an idea of the thought behind the show and was very interested to hear that Holly thinks of her show as a view into her world.  This is far more than a twenty minute runway show, this is an experience, and it begins when the models are cast.  Holly wanted the models skin to almost drip with luminescence and health and in order to achieve this models were gifted with beauty devices from leading home beauty device brand; Silk’n.  These included the Glide hair removal, Silhouette contouring and Sonic Clean Plus devices, all of which contributed to that flawless glow the models had on the runway.

“Fashion and beauty have the same aspiration, to make women look and feel beautiful” says Holly, “My SS15 collection is set off by illuminating skin which is smooth and soft to the touch, thanks to Silk’n revolutionary products”

models hair was kept simple in low slung ponytails with added weaves for extra length, I spoke to Hair Stylists Loui Ferri and Mags about the look and they said that it was all about a sleek look so that the focus would be on the models “glow”

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Holly hails from Edinburgh and is known for her striking graphic prints.  Her SS15 runway show theme was alluded to with the printed show invite and the show itself did not disappoint.  Nestled in the Courtyard showspace at London Fashion Week hub, Somerset House, a white reflective runway was concealed by yellow plastic as we took our seats.

The FROW was a hotbed for fashion editors, bloggers, celebrities and fashion lovers all eager for a first look at the collection dubbed “an ode to sun-worship, folk art and free expression”

The creations were decorated in folkloric magic but grounded in the precision of Modernism.  True to form, Holly sent models cascading down the runway in her signature monochrome panelled with crystal and laser cut components and bonded patent strapping.

Models wore sunglasses from Holly’s own collection; Holly Fulton for Cutler and Gross and powered down the runway to the beats of Jonjo Jury.

Holly Fulton for Cutler & Gross
Holly Fulton for Cutler & Gross

I swear my heart skipped a beat when the graphic printed silk coat appeared on the runway and my eyes seemed to naturally filter out everything else for a moment, a thing of rare beauty and craftsmanship, and something that screams Holly Fulton to anyone within shouting distance.

After a gorgeous finale with colours so sharp they looked like they had been processed with a Chrome filter, Holly made a brief appearance on the runway stopping only to wave to the crowd before disappearing again.  One thing is for sure though, the Great British High-street will be awash with tributes to this collection come February 2015 and we’ll all be back in graphic print with perspex detailing, strapping and accessories.

Pixie x

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Holly Fulton SS15
Holly Fulton SS15
Holly Fulton SS15
Holly Fulton SS15
Holly Fulton SS15 Details
Holly Fulton SS15 Details
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Holly Fulton for Cutler & Gross
Holly Fulton for Cutler & Gross
Holly Fulton SS15
Holly Fulton SS15
THAT printed jacket
THAT printed jacket

Pixie Tenenbaum 2024

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People will stare, make it worth their while

Pixie Tenenbaum

FASHION VOYEUR

Freelance Fashion and Beauty Writer
Currently taking review slots
Hire Me: pixie.tenenbaum@gmail.com

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THE material girl Madonna has made her way to the #MetGala. 💅

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voguemagazine Vogue Magazine @voguemagazine ·
6 May

#Rihanna is pregnant! The singer announced her pregnancy in the most fashionable way ever: the 2025 #MetGala. See all of the details here: https://www.vogue.com/article/rihanna-2025-met-gala-red-carpet-fashion

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eentertainment E! Entertainment @eentertainment ·
6 May

She’s glowing! Cardi B looks stunning at the #MetGala. #LiveFromE

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