Tag Archives: Fashion

Diary of a Fashion Week Intern…

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Having given up my place at the London College of Fashion for Drama School, I have never looked back, but it hasn’t stopped me wondering where I would be now if I did chose to embark on the fashion world instead of the thespian… would I be treading the boards at Elle, Or selling my creations at Portobello Market?  I’m sure if I chose that over acting, I would be sitting here thinking exactly the same. It goes without saying, I have not lost my passion for fashion and continue to build a portfolio of fashion drawings as a hobby. So it was a great pleasure when Catherine Balavage, the esteemed editor of Frost Magazine, was looking for interns to cover London Fashion Week, the most prestigious Fashion event of the capital.

Whether you have been to fashion week before, or not, I’m sure you can imagine the biggest dilemma I am faced with…WHAT TO WEAR????

 

 

Keshini Misha

xx

David Beckham For H&M

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David Beckham celebrates the launch of David Beckham Bodywear for H&M in London

This week in London, David Beckham celebrated the global launch of David Beckham Bodywear for H&M with an in-store launch, followed by a cocktail party at a pop-up gentleman’s club created especially for the occasion. At the in-store event at H&M on Regent Street, David showed the new television commercial, met with fans and signed the collection. Later, celebrities such as Bianca Jagger, Emma Bunton and Jessica Ennis joined David to toast his bodywear range. This debut collection is the first in a long-term partnership between David Beckham and H&M, and is available from today in 1,800 H&M stores worldwide, as well as online.

“I am very proud to launch my Bodywear collection for H&M in London. It was amazing to see the product at the in-store launch after so many months of development and meet with fans. I loved the pop-up gentleman’s club, which felt both traditional and brand new. It’s the same mix I hope men will find in the Bodywear collection. It was an amazing evening to launch my new collection.” David Beckham.

“The debut of David Beckham Bodywear is a very special moment for us at H&M. It marks the beginning of a new kind of long-term partnership for H&M, one based on quality and excellent design to H&M prices. I am very excited to see how our customers will receive the David Beckham Bodywear collection.”
Karl-Johan Persson, CEO of H&M.

At the cocktail party, guests were treated to a unique David Beckham for H&M experience, with decor, food and drink designed to reflect not only classic gentlemen’s clubs but also David’s British roots. Live music was provided by the James Pearson Trio, direct from the infamous Ronnie Scotts club, followed by a DJ set by ”Mani” from The Stone Roses and DJ the Queens of Noize.

The event marks the debut of David Beckham Bodywear for H&M, a new collection which focuses on fit, function comfort and design. Designed by David’s in-house team and sold exclusively at H&M in around 40 countries worldwide, this first collection presents the nine key products which will go on to form the core of the range. The collection will develop seasonally with new styles, new fabrics and new patterns.

“Lots of people have worked with H&M, so why not David Beckham? I think it’s a really good idea. It means that now everybody can have a bit of him.” Suzy Menkes, International Herald Tribune.

WRAP UP AGAINST POVERTY 2012

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EXCLUSIVE CELEBRITY AND DESIGNER CLOTHING AUCTIONED TO RAISE VITAL FUNDS

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2012

With London Fashion Week falling at the end of February, showcasing trends for autumn and winter 2012, charity Elizabeth Finn Care is celebrating all things fashion by auctioning a selection of unique items, donated by top celebrities and designers.

At Elizabeth Finn Care, a national charity whose grants team offers financial support to those in need, we know people can struggle to afford the items of winter clothing they need to stay warm and healthy during the colder months. There are 13.5 million people living below the poverty line in the UK, among them 3.8 million children[i]. Through Wrap Up Against Poverty, money to help buy more people in financial need buy essential clothes.

The inaugural Wrap Up Against Poverty campaign was launched in 2011. Over half the people the charity helps had to go without new clothes before they made the approach. By bidding for the fabulous pieces available, the public can not only boost their style credentials but also enable people in financial need survive the winter months.

Each item available reflects both the style and personality of the individual or designer who has donated it. Bidders can go for the classic look of Sienna Miller’s Doma fleece coat, or follow in Dame Helen Mirren’s footsteps by opting for her beautiful Alberta Ferretti coat. Glamour puss Kimberley Walsh’s plush Louis Vuitton scarf will be up for grabs too, as will a beautiful Alexander McQueen suit from Fern Britton, and stylish winter coats from comedy heroes Mathew Horne and Ruth Jones. To add to a spectacular celebrity list, exclusive designer items including a golden Martina Spetlova shift dress have been donated alongside beautiful items from high street stores such as Ted Baker and Topshop.

Wrap Up Against Poverty was a huge hit in 2011, raising both funds and awareness of the fact that millions of people in the UK are living in financial need and many can’t afford to clothe themselves through winter. Wrap Up Against Poverty 2012 will be even greater and grander.

Malcolm Tyndall, Director at Elizabeth Finn Care, said: “We hope that, with the generous support of top celebrities and the fashion industry, not to mention an incredibly enthusiastic public, Wrap Up Against Poverty 2012 will enable us to help even more people find and access the help they desperately need.”

Following the move to the digital catwalk, Elizabeth Finn Care’s auction will be hosted on eBay from Thursday 26th January, and will close on Sunday 26th February. The list of donations is growing longer by the day. For more information please visit www.elizabethfinncare.org.uk/WrapUp

 

 

How To Clear Out Your Wardrobe.

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I have always wanted to be one of those women who wear matching underwear everyday, and are always effortlessly stylish. That is not me however, and I have decided being myself is much better. However, I am so busy that I have become obsessed with being organised and keeping everything in it’s place. I started with my wardrobe, and this is what I learned.

Take all of your clothes out of your wardrobe and try everything on. It can be quite overwhelming bringing everything out at once, so you can do half at once, or maybe just a drawer. Everything that doesn’t fit, put in one pile. Be realistic about this pile. Are you going to lose weight? Then put everything else into three other piles.


Keep

Unsure

Charity shop/Ebay/Recycle.

Get ride of stuff that doesn’t suit you, in poor condition and hasn’t been worn in 12 months.

Another good thing to do is have a one in and one out policy. Everything you buy something new, get ride of something old. Keep only a few old clothes for decorating or housework.

Things that need dry cleaning should only be in your wardrobe if you really love them or have money.

Put things that need alterations or mending. As well as shoes that need re-soled.

Everything in the keep pile should be put back in the wardrobe. Arrange the clothes by type, then colour. Everything in the get ride pile should then be put in another three piles (!) sell, give away, and recycle. Sell anything you think you can on Ebay or to a designer outlet, give away the stuff that you are not selling to charity (get gift aid so you can claim it against your tax.) All of the other stuff can be recycled, don’t just throw it away. There are charities that can recycle your old clothes.

Your maybe pile will probably make you indecisive. Ask a friend or a partner for their opinion, put all of the clothes in a bag and hide them away, if you don’t miss it after a few months then throw them out.

Get ride of things that don’t enhance your life.

Sales of sewing machines are up by 50%.

    Don’t buy something in the sale just because it’s cheap. You’re not ‘saving’ money, you are buying a problem.
    Know your body shape and what your comfortable in.
    Buy investment pieces.
    Learn from your mistakes.
    Take an inventory.
    Throw out cloths that you haven’t worn for 6 months.
    Find a style that suits you and stick with it. Have the courage to ignore what is fashionable and go for timeless elegance.

Organise your wardrobe. Buy some Vacuum sacks [£11.78 , lakeland.co.uk] to keep out of season clothes in and get some cedar or Lavender balls to repel moths.

Storage boxes are great and can be bought cheaply. These ones are cheap and can be stacked on top of each other As can hanging racks and hooks. Hooks Value Pack

Sewing kit. Learn how to sew. Take a class in dressmaking.

No wire hangers. They ruin clothes

Keep bags and accessories accessible. Stuff bags and shoes and keep them in their original packaging. Keep bags in the dust covers that they come with.

If you can afford a Hand-held steamer, get one. They are a great investment.

Fold knitwear, once horizontally and then put arms across the body for fewer creases. It will stretch if hung.

Dry-clean only clothes should be removed from packaging as soon as possible, as the chemicals can cause damage.

Get shoes resoled regularly. Buy the most expensive shoes you can afford and then look after them. Buy a shoe tree to keep them in tip-top condition. Wood Shoe Tree

Riding boats never go out of style.

Hang everything in the same direction.

Store clothes with acid-free tissue paper, to keep out moisture and damp.

If your leather shoes are too tight, heat them with a hairdryer and wear them with a thick pair of socks.


Some items of clothing that never go out of fashion.

A pencil skirt

Trench coat.

Plain court shoes

White Shirt

Good quality jeans.

Silk blouse

Pale, fuss-free underwear.

Sharp Blazer

Black Trousers

Little Black dresses.

Hang trousers upside down from clip hangers to avoid creases.

Got any tips of your own?

Social Fabric Exhibition

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Social Fabric Exhibition: 19 January–10 March 2012

 

Iniva (Institute of International Visual Arts) presents Social Fabric exhibition at Rivington Place, in which textiles are used to explore colonial history, international trade, labour and militant politics. In the 19th Century Karl Marx’s account of the cotton industry tracked fifty years of boom and bust and the effects this had on workers in Britain and its colonies (and in particular India). Social Fabric cross references different accounts of textile history, focusing on works by two contemporary artists Sudhir Patwardhan and Alice Creischer, presented alongside extensive range of recent and historical archival material.

 

Alice Creischer’s installation Apparatus for the Osmotic Compensation of the Pressure of Wealth during the Contemplation of Poverty tracks the threads that connect cycles of investment, disinvestment and decline. Inspired by a trip to India, the work looks at the economic and social impact of European colonialism and subsequent globalisation. The craze for Indian Chintz caused protest amongst Spitalfields weavers in 1719 and devastated whole sections of its textile industry. This led to Gandhi’s choice of the spinning wheel as a symbol of decolonisation, and caused Nehru to comment that – ‘the history of cotton and textiles is not only the history of growth of modern industry in India, but in a sense it might be considered the history of India.’

 

Since the mid-1970s, Sudhir Patwardhan has depicted Mumbai and its urban proletariat. His painting Lower Parel (2001) shows ‘Girangaon’ (mill village) the place where the cotton mills that transformed the city’s economy and led to the Indian industrial revolution were located. By the 1970s textiles employed one in three of the city’s workers and sucked in migrants from surrounding regions. New social institutions evolved with forms of cultural expression including street theatre, poetry and music and it was a hub for trade union activity and left politics. This painting depicts the area after the mills closed down in the early 80s, superimposing different urban strata – the defunct factories, new small scale enterprises and high rise luxury apartments, invoking the workers’ struggle to keep the mills going and resist gentrification.

 

These two complex works are examined through an extensive display of archival loans and artist interventions, including Company Paintings, Indian Chintz, original journals from Marx, films, photographs, newspaper articles and recordings of mill workers’ testimonies. A curtain and two support structures, a table and wall unit, have been designed by artist Celine Condorelli to display the archival material.

 

There will also be an extended programme of talks and events running alongside, including a symposium on textiles; and workshops with activist and writer Meena Menon. Social Fabric is curated by Grant Watson, in collaboration with Christine Checinska, Nida Ghouse, Shanay Jhaveri, Nada Raza and Karen Roswell.

 

Social Fabric will tour to Londs Konsthall from 6 April until 27 May.

 

Dates: 19 January – 10 March 2012

Venue: Rivington Place, London, EC2A 3BA

Rivington Place public opening hours:

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 11am – 6pm

Late Thursdays: 11am – 9pm (last admission 8.30pm)

Saturday: 12noon – 6pm

Admission: free

 

www.rivingtonplace.org

 

Tubes: Old Street/Liverpool Street/Shoreditch High St

Rivington Place is fully accessible, for parking & wheelchair facilities call +44 (0)20 7749 1240

 

Golden Globes 2011. George Clooney and Meryl Streep Win.

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Ricky Gervais hosted the Golden Globes for the second time, despite his controversial first effort.

However, the Los Angeles Times  says this time Gervais was “surprisingly subdued”. In 2011, Gervais shocked with comments about the Hollywood elite. It lead the Hollywood A-lister to comment on the jokes being “mean-spirited and mildly sinister”.

Gervais said the Globes were to the Oscars what US reality TV star Kim Kardashian was to Kate Middleton – “a bit louder, a bit trashier, a bit drunker and more easily bought, allegedly”.

The Los Angeles Times noted that the British fared well.

Downton Abbey won best TV mini-series and Kate Winslet won for lead actress in a TV mini-series or movie, for Mildred Pierce.

They also said: “When Idris Elba took to the stage to accept the award for lead actor in a miniseries for Luther, one did begin to wonder how many Brits it takes to screw in a Golden Globe.”

 

Meryl Streep also swore in her acceptance speech and looked shocked when she won. A full list of winners is below.

 

MOTION PICTURES
– Picture, Drama: “The Descendants.”
– Picture, Musical or Comedy: “The Artist.”
– Actor, Drama: George Clooney, “The Descendants.”
– Actress, Drama: Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady.”
– Director: Martin Scorsese, “Hugo.”
– Actor, Musical or Comedy: Jean Dujardin, “The Artist.”
– Actress, Musical or Comedy: Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn.”
– Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, “Beginners.”
– Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, “The Help.”
– Foreign Language: “A Separation.”
– Animated Film: “The Adventures of Tintin.”
– Screenplay: Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris.”
– Original Score: Ludovic Bource, “The Artist.”
– Original Song: “Masterpiece” (music and lyrics by Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry), “W.E.”

TELEVISION
– Series, Drama: “Homeland,” Showtime.
– Series, Musical or Comedy: “Modern Family,” ABC.
– Actor, Drama: Kelsey Grammer, “Boss.”
– Actress, Drama: Claire Danes, “Homeland.”
– Actress, Musical or Comedy: Laura Dern, “Enlightened.”
– Actor, Musical or Comedy: Matt LeBlanc, “Episodes.”
– Miniseries or Movie: “Downton Abbey (Masterpiece),” PBS.
– Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Kate Winslet, “Mildred Pierce.”
– Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Idris Elba, “Luther.”
– Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Jessica Lange, “American Horror Story.”
– Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones.”

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED
Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award: Morgan Freeman.

Photo: Capital M.

The May Fair Hotel Plays Host To London Fashion Week.

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This February will see the illustrious fashion set descend on the capital as London Fashion Week takes hold.  The May Fair Hotel is proud to announce its status as the official hotel of London Fashion Week, for the fifth year running. Last year Frost had lots of fun at the venue learning to walk in high heels.

A hotel located in the heart of the Mayfair village, the May Fair is THE fashion hotel. An ideal location for industry stalwarts to conduct impromptu meetings, host events and off course the ultimate place for those looking for some respite from the relentless round of parties. The hotel has a stunning selection of world- class signature suites in which to showcase collections, fashion brands and more besides. Its plush portfolio of offerings also includes a stunning Penthouse, the Crystal Room, the Danziger Suite, the Quince Salon, plus a private cinema for special event screenings.


For those who feel in need of some reviving spa time, the May Fair Spa has created a number of express treatments to deal with LFW fatigue, in particular The Crystal ‘Face of Fashion’ Massage (30 mins £55), which will leave you feeling fresh-faced and glowing with radiance. For those suffering with tired, aching feet the Fashion Eco Chic Pedicure (50 minutes £65.00) nourishes and softens. Only organic products are used, leaving you revitalised with aromas of peppermint, lavender and geranium.

The London Fashion Week experience continues in to the hotel’s May Fair Bar, where you can sample the latest cocktail creation from the bar’s renowned mixology team – The Show Stopper.

For further information please visit http://www.themayfairhotel.co.uk/fashionweek

Vivienne Westwood's 'Frozen Planet' Collection

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 Autumn – Winter 2012/13

 

Our collection is in support of David Attenborough’s documentary series ‘The Frozen Planet’, which will go to America but unfortunately without the final episode where he explains that we humans are responsible for the ice melt. So we took the polar explorers as our heroes and we love polar bears. Barack Obama never mentions the words climate change.

If our leaders would admit the fact of climate change and conduct their politics from that perspective then we might have a chance – we have 10 years at the most to stop it.

 

How impossible it is for us to imagine ourselves victims of disaster.  We suffer for the poor people who were thrown into the sea from their cruise ship off the coast of Tuscany, some losing their lives.  Imagine a world of accelerating natural disasters, one after the other so that nobody can help anyone else.

 

Public opinion is the only thing that will save us.

 

 

GreenUp! Europe Campaign

 

I was approached by the United Nation Environmental Programme to design a t-shirt for their GreenUp! campaign – when you start doing things you find people come to you. They’re starting with a terrific idea which is to plant corridors of trees to link Europe’s forests. This new initiative is about triggering new habits for a greener Europe and for greener economies.  I have created a design for UNEP in support of the project.  It’s a really practical idea and it raises public awareness – it’s great for the environment, great for people, great for animals.

 

My design has been printed on a t-shirt provided by sustainable manufacturers, ANVIL. The ‘Tree-shirts’ will be sold exclusively through YOOX.com on a worldwide level and in our Milan shop during menswear fashion week with all proceeds to be donated to the GreenUp! fund, helping to re-plant trees in Europe’s worst affected regions.

 

 

For more information on the project please visit www.unep.org