THE WEEK IN FASHION: OCTOBER 17th-21st

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Welcome to another week of  news from the fashion world, brought to you by FEAL. Happy Weekend!

I'm going to start this week's news on a sort of business-y note as I've been a bit perplexed by a lot of the big money news which seems to have emerged over the past few days, despite the doom and gloom of the financial pages. I'm no economic whizz kid but I do find it baffling that while Europe is apparently in deep crisis, spending at the Frieze art fair was brisk and Marc Quinn's statue of Kate Moss in a rather tangled yoga pose was snapped up for a mere £577,250 at a Sotheby's sale; the lucky owner is apparently a private individual from Europe, lucky them!

Marc Quinn's 'Microcosmos' (Image from Vogue.co.uk)

A couple of big fashion houses have posted massive profits this week as well, and not just due to expansion in the East.  This week LVMH and Dior both reported rises of around 15%. Of course, Asia is where the greatest opportunity lies for luxury brands; LVMH saw a 27% increase in the last four months. That said, Europe and the US are not THAT far behind with profits rising by 7% and 18% respectively in those areas. One of the many brands under the LVMH umbrella is Celine, where Phoebe Philo is still being lauded for her game changing collections;  results were said to have been 'remarkable' there, perhaps showing that it is not just a catwalk phenomenon which Philo has masterminded. It's worth highlighting as well that Dior's lack of solid design direction doesn't seem to have done them much harm at all- clearly perfume and leather goods can ride even the most potent of media storms.

Everyone still wants a bit of Celine, according to LVMH results (Image from FashionGoneRogue.com)

The importance of the Asian market is underlined by the expansion which many brands are currently undertaking. The latest is Vivienne Westwood who opened her first Chinese store in Shanghai earlier this week. Dame Viv is in China to take part in lots of activities promoting the opening including being guest of honour at the opening of Shanghai Fashion Week. Never one to be seen and not heard, she's also promoting her concerns about the environment and sustainability by addressing the 'Can China survive the world green economy?' conference.

Dame Vivienne Westwood at the opening of her new Shanghai shop

Enough of the business chat and on to some excellent images by Steven Meisel for W magazine's annual art issue. He has employed the talents of various stars including Linda Evangelista, Karen Elson, Coco Rocha and Joan Rivers to create fake ads for imagined products dreamed up with a little help from the W team. Among them the predicatable next project of Petra Ecclestone and a retro spin on shampoo promotion. I've included some of the images below and somewhere in there is Anna Dello Russo, can you spot her? Hint: You have NEVER seen her quite like this before.

All images from nymag.com

When I read this next story, it made my skin crawl with its subtly anti-woman undertones. Christian Louboutin has been explaining why he thinks women love shoes so much. He says 'That's why women are happy to wear painful shoes. For some a little discomfort is balanced by something else, which has to do with desire. You feel yourself, empower yourself, know yourself. You are aware of your body. This little act of discomfort pays off in lots of other ways... There is an element of seduction in shoes that doesn't exist for men...The language starts with the shoe and radiates over the whole body. A woman can be sexy, charming, witty or shy with her shoes. Shoes for men are about elegance or wealth; they are not playing with the inner character''

Image from ftape.com

I'll let you make your own mind up about whether there's any element of truth in that account of why we wear heels, and we can't argue against the fact that Louboutin has had an epic effect on what we wear on our feet. In the interests of balance, I thought I'd post an extract from Caitlin Moran's amazing 'How to be a Woman'-
 'The unwearability of high heels is self-evidently all around us- coming to a head at the average wedding reception, a uniformly high-heeled occasion. In our minds we see it as an elegant and serene gathering of women in their finest. One of the big chances of the year to pretend you're at the Oscars, in your stilettos. In actuality, of course, it looks like the annual AGM of the Tina Turner Impressionist Union- women staggering around in unaccustomed verticality; foot flesh pouring out over tight, unkind satin, toes going numb for days afterwards''. 

Image from telegraph.co.uk

Miu Miu's decision to hire Hailee Steinfeld as the face of their AW11 campaign caused quite a stir with the debate divided between those who thought she was freakishly young and those who thought the images were charming and sweet (and lots in between). So, the Resort campaign starring 34- year old Guinevere Van Seenus represents something of a leap for Miu Miu. Guinevere was chosen by Erdem earlier in the year to model his Resort 2012 collection, inspired by Hitchcock leading ladies. In a matter of months, the Miu Miu woman has doubled in age and transformed from childish slip of a thing to assured lady, quite the genius move or confusing?

Erdem Resort 2012 (Image from fashionologie.com)

In an interview the FashEd did with Donatella Versace a while back, she told us that the Versace for H&M collection would revive lots of the prints which the label was famous for back in the nineties. True to her word, there is a wealth of fabulously flamboyant baroque references in the full lookbook for the collection which we got to see for the first time this week. It's so darn bellisima, bring on November 17th!

Versace for H&M- Image from telegraph.co.uk

Finally, we may not all be able to fork out the £60,000 paid for a Tracey Emin at Frieze but for a mere tenner you can get your hands on Emin engraved soap at Liberty's Beauty Hall. The project is part of Emin's support for Art Against Knives project which she is involved in 'Because I am against people stabbing each other. Full stop'. Each soap comes wrapped in a poem which Emin has composed especially for the collaboration. If you can't make it to Liberty then you can purchase yours here.

BELLA FREUD'S SEXY FASHION FILM (avec Susie Bick, Abbey Lee, Nick Cave) OH MY!

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

There's fashion film, and there's Fashion Film. Most fashion films are essentially a moving image fashion shoot. A lot feel quite amateur to the eye, or akin to a dreamy perfume advert. But we have to accept this form of fashion media is still in its infancy. The best kind of fashion film jolts you into a deeper appreciation of the clothes than can be gained from a still shoot. The recent Lanvin campaign by Steven Meisel managed to work both ways. Also noteworthy is the excellent work created by Mr Porter over the summer. I loved the Amsterdam Cyclists one, as it was so direct in its fashion message while being totally honest.

Now, onto Bella Freud, perhaps British Fashion's ultimate hipster. I'm a long-term fan of Bella's ouevre and ethos, and I have always absolutely adored her totally original jumpers. They are quite possibly the best jumpers in the world. Even more appropriate now as jumpers are wildly fashionable for Fall/Autumn. I've been wanting a Ginsberg is God one for years, but they were rare pieces in their heyday, and eventually Bella took them out of production so I forgot about them until last week when a little bird told me there are some available from Bella's archive.


from Bella Freud.co.uk



When I heard Bella was making a short film to showcase her Fall/Autumn range starring the delectable Susie Bick with current supermodel Abbey Lee Kershaw accompanied by Nick Cave music, I was suitably intrigued. I didn't make the premier party last week as I had to attend a business dinner with the wife, but needless to say Kate Moss-Hince was there to watch it with the London party crowd and it looked like a fun night.

It took a wee while, but at last I have the short film, Submission, here on the blog for your viewing pleasure. The film is the result of a collaboration between Freud and BAFTA award winning film maker Martina Amati, and I can see what the fuss was about. Gorgeous girls grappling each other to the floor as they practise Brazilian Jiu Jitsu  in a knitwear range named "Fetish" created by Bella in collaboration with her best friend Christian Louboutin. Really, what more could you ask for?

Submission from ama on Vimeo.

Here's the crib sheet: ‘Submission’ is set in the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu where you learn to use your opponent’s strength to vanquish them. The unlikely winner engages us in her internal dialogue, remembering the moment in her childhood when she discovered how she wanted clothes to serve her as a protective armour. ‘Submission’ is a portrait of a group of unique women rolling on the mat in exclusive costumes. Here's an edited selection of the Fetish range, Christian Louboutin's  drawings translate really beautifully onto the knits.

Pink boot mini dress jumper £350

Fetish mini dress jumper £260

"Spike" jumper £240

Yellow leotard, £400, made to order

Love this one from the "Bowie" collection, £238, part of the SS11 range, and available at http://www.bellafreud.co.uk/

ENJOY THE FILM!

Tell me what you think of it...  

SWAROVSKI LFW PREVIEW: MARK FAST

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Mark Fast (above) is to show his first solo catwalk show at London Fashion Week this coming Monday. Previously he showed back-to-back with Mary Katrantzou. Fast, who specialises in highly worked, super-tight knitwear dresses became notorious a year ago at London Fashion Week when he poured "plus size" models (i.e size 12-14) into his dresses and had a disagreement with his stylist who felt the models he chose were not the gold standard in their category. The pair mutually decided to end their working arrangement, but that was not the end of it. The press got hold of the story and the outcome was a media furore which Fast milked for all it was worth, thus fast-tracking his brand name from zero recognition to sought-after in a matter of days.  So here we are at his veeery east London studio, in an old Evangelist church hall, and he is prepping up to 35 looks.

MARK FAST SS11 INSPIRATION

"Its getting busy in here," says Mark gesturing to his three main assistants and five interns. "They've been in here everyday for a month working the machines," he says pointing at the ancient looking knitting machines that dot the studio, (they go for a fortune on eBay apparently) before leading us to the back wall and his mood board, above.

"I've been feeling a darkness in the air all summer, what with the oil slick and volcano.." he says and nods at the board. "Its a feeling of wetness and danger than I'm trying to translate into the clothes. But this collection is actually less dark than usual; it has injections of colour and then fades to white. The idea is to mix the danger of an alligator with the fragility of the butterfly. The Swarovski people even found me a stud crystal that has the look of reptilian scales when it is applied densely." To untutored ear, the previous quote may look like it belongs in Pseuds Corner (Private Eye) but when you see what he is doing with his collection of webby knits it makes a kind of sense. He shows me a go-go dress in Barbie pink hung with fringing and the arms heavy with Swarovskis densely positioned like scales. The workmanship and inspiration may be intense, but the the result, as always, is an amazing party dress. 

The young design graduate above has been working on this fringed cape for days.

These Louboutin platforms are beyond fabulous. Bring on the 70s glamous trend!

A close up view of the reptilian Swarovski studs

Photos by Fashion Editor at Large

Assisted by Fashion Junior at Large



CAN A CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN FLAT BE AS DESIRABLE AS A 9 INCH HEEL?

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Inside an unremarkable building in east London resides the Christian Louboutin press office. But as soon as you step through the door you notice red carpeted stairs. It's all looking a bit plusher. More like what you might expect from Louboutin.

It's the foot-wear label of most people's dreams, and when you picture a Louboutin shoe you probably picture a spindly sky-scraper heel don't you? I do. Or at least I did until I set eyes on the designer's AW10 collection and realised how much more he has to offer. 

The new look Louboutin heel

My favourite - thicker heel in electric blue

The Strictly Come Dancing shoe...Or is it Dancing On Ice? I don't know but you get the idea.

The unfathomably expensive shoe (each crystal / stud is attached by hand. Does that justify a price tag which is pushing £2000?)

 The trainers I might actually be able to work. (FYI they have the Louboutin trademark red sole)

The velvet lace-up - proving Christian Louboutin can make a flat as desirable as a 9 inch heel.

Right now on Fashionair.com you can watch a video of the man himself tap dancing. We LOVE Fashionair, and 'Dancer in a Daydream' might just be their best video yet. Click through for 5 minutes of pure joy!

BARBIE MANIA!

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

This morning was one of those mornings where everything just comes together really neatly. I popped into the Mandi Lennard PR press day to have a ganders at AW10 Gareth Pugh and Roksanda Ilincic (both gorgeous up close) and emerged with a pair of Vivienne Westwood for Melissa shoes and a Barbie doll.

There are 12 dolls in the Barbie Basics range, and four different accessories packs to choose from. Meet Fashion Junior Barbie...

Long dark hair. Thick fringe...

Magazines, and (most importantly) a laptop. Make your own now on ASOS.

Next stop was the Christian Louboutin press day (more of which later) where I spied the Louboutin Barbie collection (complete with skinny ankles. In a recent interview the designer was quoted as saying 'I said to them that the one thing that could really give her perfection is to give a curve to her ankle. It's not like she's going to suffer for it'). The new red carpet Louboutin Barbie (in the booklet below) goes on sale soon.

Finally, on Mandi's recommendation, I headed to Selfridges to check out the Barbie pop-up store in the Wonder Room. Curator Sharmadean Reid (of WAH Nails), has assembled a cultural retrospective of black Barbie dolls. As a child of the 90s this was my favourite:

'Barbie and The Beat: In the wake of the 90s revival, this Barbie is very much a cultural icon of history in a time when black clothing and music started to become mainstream in America. The 1990s was a time for De La Soul, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, the movies of Spike Lee and Yo MTV Raps! and Barbie and the Beat reflects the adoption of black music and language into the homes of little girls everywhere. This Barbie looks very much like a Californian girl who could have had a cameo in Saved By The Bell' - Sharmadean Ried

There's also an entire wall of Barbies playing house:

(Check out Beyonce dancing up a storm on the telly)

These So In Style dolls (which are dressed in Rocawear by the way) were created by Stacey McBride-Irby - an African-American mother who wanted to make a collection of Barbie dolls that her daughters and community could relate to.

The dolls retail for £25 each and will hopefully be sold on Selfridges' new website at some point soon.