spring/summer 10 | cheriecity.co.uk

First Look: Natascha Stolle online!

February 26, 2010 by cheriecity

Fashion East designer Natascha Stolle is set to launch her stunning new online site at the end of the week. Chérie was given a secret password to have a gander around the site before going live, so here’s a preview of the delightful things to come…

Handcrafted by rehabstudio, NataschaStolle.com is more than just an online lookbook, it is a reflection of her cool, kooky design philosophy, with a nod to her awkward teen muses.

Natascha Stolle won the inaugural rehabstudio Design Award in collaboration with Fashion East and her prize was to have a bespoke website created by rehabstudio.

The homepage opens with on an Americana-style prom scene, but the smooching couples and sea of meringue ball gowns have been replaced with Natascha’s troupe of unamused geek chic girls. The scene is dimmed and you can move the spotlight over each of the girls, who then pose, shrug their shoulders or check their watch. The models were sketched in 2D, dressed in key pieces from Natascha’s past collections10 collection and shot on video.

The black and white sketches were produced by renowned illustrator Charlotte Mann and brought to life by rehabstudio’s digital creatives, bringing animation with the user’s mouse movements.

Natascha said: “By combining the cut and paste approach of Charlotte Mann’s signature black line illustrations of girls wearing my clothes, with the humorous and highly personal environment that rehabstudio have creatively animated for the girls to inhabit, they have engineered a website unlike any I have ever seen before and I can’t wait for everyone else to see it!”

Although the design is really sophisticated, the website is easy to navigate, with everything you could hope to find – past and present collections, press coverage, latest news, international stockists, a bio and contact info.

American designer Natascha Stolle studied English Literature at university before moving to London and gaining a placement with Peter Jensen, with whom she stayed for 10 years. After graduating from Central St Martin’s Fashion Design M.A course in 2008, she was snapped up by Fashion East founder Lulu Kennedy and in September 2008 her debut SS09 collection was showcased at London Fashion Week.

Natascha has worked with Asos on an exclusive collection of luxe jersey, chiffon wide-leg trousers and bangle detail leather gloves, and has consulted for b Store. She also exhibited as part of NEWGEN at London Fashion Week, in Somerset House’s East Wing.

Her Autumn/Winter 10-11 grey marl, jersey, twisted chiffon leggings, knotted jersey, slouchy tailoring, rainbow smudge prints, and funnily enough, studded mules – perhap’s they’ll be next season’s clogs!

Fashion, Shopping, Stores, Videos

French Connection go ‘ooh la la’ for Spring!

February 26, 2010 by cheriecity

Alluring, coquettish, enigmatic and knowingly seductive – this is the new French Connection woman. Paying homage to their name, French Connection have reinterpreted their image with a chic new campaign for Spring/Summer 10, inspired by French New Wave cinema.

The provocative FCUK logos that were so synonymous with the brash 90s have been replaced by a demure, intelligent advert with a typically French sense of humour.

The irreverent short film presents a critical study of ‘The Man’ and ‘The Woman’ and builds a story around their emotions, quirks and contradictions. It references the stylish absurdity of French New Wave cinema and French Connection’s Anglo-French heritage with a little bit of ‘franglais’.

French Connection’s philosophy is that it is the woman or man wearing the clothes that gives them life and a unique personality. Their style DNA is based on well-made classics with a fashion-forward edge and as the film suggests, the quality of the clothes speaks for itself.

French Connection has always been about affordable luxury, with feminine tailoring, the perfect LBD and well-cut jeans being the foundation of any wardrobe. They have established their bestsellers and reintroduce them each season, building up a collection of French Connection ‘classics’.

But lets not forget about ‘The Man’! Monsieur is the stereotypical French belle-bête, complete with beard, furrowed brow and philosophical air, modelled on Serge G

Designers, Fashion, London, London Fashion Week

Gemma Slack A/W 10 presentation @ Vauxhall Fashion Scout

February 19, 2010 by cheriecity

Gemma Slack showed her A/W 2010 collection in a presentation at Vauxhall Fashion Scout, complete with a promotional film and a live performance from Chew Lips.

For Gemma’s third collection, the silver tribal collars and oriental hats of Spring/Summer 10 have been replaced with draped gold chains and intricate facial jewellery – a collaboration between Gemma and Katie Rowland Jewellery called Rowland Vs. Slack.

Black leather panelled and sheer body con dresses continue the super heroine, gothic aesthetic, but they are less structured and certainly more wearable than last season’s rigid silver cone skirts.

For the winter season, Gemma has worked with more texture, using wool and embossed leather.

There are references to Jean-Paul Gaultier’s exaggerated femininity with the integrated suspender belt, structured bustiers and ‘pierced nipples’ holding up a layer of diaphanous chiffon.

Gemma Slack’s woman is part fierce biker girl and part elegant vamp. Many of the pieces are actually based on classic tailoring, like the asymmetric, long black dress and the sculptural tulip skirt.

The Autumn/Winter 10 collection doesn’t make such an intense impact as the last season’s but it’s the attention to details like leather-trimmed hems and the contrast between the fuzzy and smooth fabrics that really appeal.

There’s a bit of Gareth Pugh (Gemma’s one-time mentor) in the cropped jacket with an almost blow-up leather collar and the jumper with studded elbow pads echoes Ashish.

Despite the Catwoman and 80s references, Gemma Slack’s pieces are very modern and simultaneously complement and fetishise the female body. It would have been great to see the garments on female models, as the sheer panels and cut-away sections leave some styling questions. Plus, it would make the clothes look even damn sexier!

All photos: Cherie City

Designers, Fashion, France, Paris

Paris Haute Couture S/S 10: Futuristic vs Historical

February 7, 2010 by cheriecity

At the bi-annual couture shows in Paris, the collections and sometimes the models wearing them gets everyone gossiping, but this year it was 13-year old fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson, who was ruffling feathers with her ill-advised piece of Stephen Jones headwear ‘obscuring’ the view on the front row of Dior.

As Tavi smartly pointed out, she is about half the size of the average fashion ed/celeb and the offending bow was shot with holes. Would any editor dare to strip Diane Pernet of her signature raised veil? Non, pas du tout! So really, the crux of the matter is that the teen fashion prodigy has fast-tracked her way to the privileges that editors have spent years trying to cultivating and maintain and surprisingly enough, they don’t like it!

Couture is an industry clawing on by its teeth, so it’s no surprise that designers are consciously trying to appeal to a younger market – hence Tavi at Dior, Lady Gaga sporting Armani Privé and Valentino’s woodland neon nymphs.

The direction of the house of Valentino has been somewhat vague since the departure of Valentino Garavani. His second set of predecessors and former Valentino accessories designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli began their assault on a new look brand with their romantic, sculptural A/W 09 collection, but this season they’ve gone wild and thrown the rulebook to the wind.

Valentino’s elegant woman has put her prim little suit in storage and turned into a to a cyber partygirl with a new best mate, Alice Dellal. Blush and nude shades are carried over from the Autumn/Winter ready-to-wear collection, but this time they’re set off with flashes of fluorescent pink and yellow and silver (with more than a nod to Pam Hogg’s panelled catsuits).

Underneath the neon and sparkle, there are whispers of classic Valentino, with beautiful draping, volume and embellishment, but the pair really stick the knife in with their interpretation of the iconic ‘Valentino red dress’. There are three red dresses in the collection, the most outrageous being a red leather mini dress with waves of leather ruffles.

The sheer visors and ‘exotic bird’ make-up seem to reference Avatar and the models certainly have an eco-warrior vibe. This unashamed attempt to appeal to a younger, ‘new money’ crowd hasn’t gone unnoticed, and their new rock ‘n’ roll image has sent shockwaves through Valentino’s clique.

Valentino’s partner Giancarlo Giammetti labelled the collection a ‘ridiculous circus’ and told WWD that both he and Valentino “are always supportive of the designers of Valentino, even if we don’t approve of their effort to be cool at all costs.”

A polar opposite collection was John Galliano’s historical, equestrian collection that looked back to the work of Belle Epoque designer Charles Lamb, who was also the inspiration for Christian Dior’s New Look collection in 1947.

Galliano cracked the whip, as models were sent down the catwalk in Edwardian riding jackets with nipped-in waists and peplums, checked skirts with bustles and top hats with veils. Next up was cocktail hour with the most beautiful jewel coloured, gathered chiffon skirts, embellished jackets, halter-neck bustier shirts and draped dresses in Duchesse satin.

For evening wear, it was all about the most incredible ball gowns and Galliano found inspiration with ‘The Gibson Girls’, the illustrated feminine ideals at the turn of the century. There were delicately structured satin bodices with voluminous, sculptural skirts in exquisite fabrics and a colour palette including dusky pink, raspberry, petrol, mauve and ice blue.

You can tell that Galliano lives for creating couture and the colours, craftsmanship and historical references make his shows the most anticipated of all. Suzy Menkes acknowledged the beauty and emotion of the collection, but suggested that “it would be a fine thing if Mr. Galliano could just once make the starting point of Dior couture not fashion’s sweet memories but a clean sheet of paper on which he writes 2010.”

It’s interesting that designers who have been at the helm of Valentino for just over two seasons should cut away from the house’s heritage so significantly, while Galliano, who has made Dior his own since his arrival in 1996, still references Christian Dior’s most prominent collections like an old friend.

With rejuvenated houses such as Balmain, Givenchy and Balenciaga excelling commercially but losing part of their original identity (plus the closure of Christian Lacroix), I would personally drape myself in raspberry tulle in support of Galliano’s nostalgia over a label who is in the painful midst of a personality crisis.

Designers, Fashion, France, London, News, Paris, Photography, Shopping, Stores

Mark and Josephine snuggle up for Zadig & Voltaire

February 6, 2010 by cheriecity

Mark Ronson just can’t seem to do anything wrong sartorially at the moment. Not only was he voted Britain’s Best Dressed Man in GQ last year, but his particularly daring, dandyish style caught the eye of Zadig & Voltaire founder Thierry Gillier.

Mark and his actress/model/singer girlfriend Josephine de la Baume are the new couple featuring in Zadig & Voltaire’s Spring campaign, taking over from last season’s lovers Sean Lennon and the impossibly gorgeous Charlotte Kemp Muhl. Fittingly, Mark and Josephine met at a club in Paris and even ‘got married’ last year for a Jalouse cover shoot, in an ethereal ceremony with only their closest and dearest hipster friends (at least I think they knew all of the guests).

The well-dressed couple were shot on Paris’ Left Bank in Saint-Germain by art curator and Purple founder, Olivier Zahm. True to form, Zahm has captured those amazing, spontaneous moments that tell a story and let you into their private world.

Despite Josephine’s lineage (her parents are the Baron and Baronne de la Baume) and transatlantic lifestyle, she’s a proper ‘downtown girl’ with a wardrobe full of Alexander Wang, Rick Owens, Opening Ceremony, Number 6 and presumably now Zadig & Voltaire. Shunning the BCBG look, she invests in more creative, avant-garde designers include Rodarte, Gareth Pugh and Ricardo Tisci for Givenchy.

I’m not such a fan of Z&G’s clothes, as they can be a bit flashy with all the diamante skulls, but where they really get me is on the accessories! Every collection taunts me with ‘the bag of my dreams’, with an equally whimsical price tag and then there’s the boots, the belts, the smokey wood candles…*sigh*.

The only person to come close to the Zadig lifestyle that I know is Steven, who is the proud owner of a silver Z&G watch with black skull face that I bought him for his birthday in Paris a few years ago.

With my other favourite French brand The Kooples already using ‘cool couples in love’ in their ad campaigns, I’m more convinced than ever that there’s just something so magical and magnetic about Paris. Call it clever advertising or capitalising on the city’s romantic image, but take a walk along the Seine or the Canal St-Martin and tell me you don’t feel it too…I bet Mark and Josephine do!

Accessories, Designers, Events, London, News, Shopping, Stores

Daisy Lowe x Swarovski Crystallized

January 15, 2010 by cheriecity

I must admit, I have a bit of a girl crush on Daisy Lowe. More than being impossibly gorgeous, with those smoky feline eyes and raven locks, she’s very aware of her own sense of style and seems to have this enchanting, carefree attitude.

So, for Spring/Summer 10, Daisy was invited to bring her ideas and design skills to create a limited edition, three-piece collection for Swarovski Crystallized. The rather mystical pieces incorporate star and moon charms in jet black, midnight blue and emerald shades.

Daisy took inspired from the elements and the result is a collection of seductive and pretty pieces that can be worn day or night.

Last night, Daisy celebrated the collection at her launch party at Swarovski Crystallized on Great Marlborough Street, in partnership with Ponystep. Toasting the collection were fellow model friends Tolula Adeyemi and Ben Grimes, the Weller kids and lots of fashion folk.

Prices range from £52 to £90 and very appropriately, 20% of the proceeds will go to Climate Concern. The collection is so hotly anticipated that there’s actually a waiting list! Hopefully it will be a bit easier to get your hands on than Daisy’s mate Alexa Chung’s metal skull necklace for MADE that sold out quicker than a flash…it’s still a sore point for me!

Daisy Lowe for Swarovski Crystallized is available in stores from 19 January.

Accessories, Fashion, London

Fam Love Gays…and sailorgirls!

November 18, 2009 by cheriecity

I’ve already grown tired of dressing appropriately for the cold weather, although I’ve still been trotting round in a tweed blazer rather than a full-on winter coat, so taking a peak at Fam Irvoll’s SS10 collection has lifted my fashion spirits (which took a dent after seeing Heidi Montag wearing those sequinned Miu Miu socks early this morning).

Fam is a Norwegian designer who shows at Oslo Fashion Week and has just been taken on by Blow PR, so we’ll be seeing much more of her nutty knitwear over here.

After studying at the Ecole Supérieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode, Fam came to Central St Martins for her BA (Hon) in Fashion Knitwear, graduating in 2008.

Fam’s colourful past collections have featured shrunked dolly dresses, sweaters with 3D ladybirds and ice lollies, ruffled prom dresses and a quirky mouse bustier top – all in eye-popping colours. My personal diagnosis of Fam’s style would be part Sonia Rykiel crossed with Grayson Perry and My Little Pony – not a bad combo, I might add!

Celeb fans already include Mika and Lady Gaga, who apparently called up Fam and ordered a 3D cherry sweater and a cake headpiece.

But quickly on to Fam’s SS10 collection, I Love Gays, which is dominantly nautical with Hawaiian and 50s rockabilly influences. It’s very sailor girl meets Dorothy with a bit of Dolly Parton thrown in for good measure.

For summer, Fam has traded in her magenta and purples for more primary colours like banana yellow, pillarbox red and cobalt blue.

The collection features embellished denim, flirty sailor dresses, tutti frutti prints, cherry print skirts, playtime tomboy shorts and a striped jumpsuit with a proud-looking 3D flamingo standing guard.

I absolutely adore the sparkling sailboat headpieces and there are plenty of other accessories to keep your wardrobe entertained, like blue and red bow bobby socks, ruby slippers and berry and floral headbands in the style of Brazilian samba queen Carmen Miranda. It would really make my day if there was a Fred Butler or Tatty Devine collaboration on the cards – I reckon they could make some mad pieces together.

Fam runs her own club night, Neverland, in Oslo with her equally creative friends and like the name suggests, she gets inspiration from fairytales and east London/Oslo club kids. You can follow Fam’s crazy adventures and adorable outfits on her blog.

Prices start from £40 and you can find stockists by contacting Fam on her website.

Designers, Events, Fashion, London

Romeo Pires Spring/Summer 10 @ LFW

October 5, 2009 by cheriecity

Romeo Pires’ Spring/Summer 10 show kicked off with cosmos and mojitos, which is always better than queuing in the rain. This is design duo Nicholas Humphrey and Sergio Pires’ second collection at LFW and they picked up where they left off last season with their signature art-inspired graphic prints.

The collection featured diaphanous silk collared shirt dresses and jumpsuits, beginning with monochrome and graduating into colour-bursting prints.

The monochrome pieces showed a more feminine, dreamy take on a tuxedo and skeleton prints were also featured.

The second part of the collection saw graphic colour prints emblazoned with checkerboards, apples, Roy Lichtenstein-inspired tableaux, mystical swirls and geometric blocks.

The majority of the collection was created using silk and includes sheer blouses, tailored shorts and beautifully draped jumpsuits. A perfectly wearable and cohesive Spring/Summer collection if ever there was!

Designers, Events, Fashion, London, London Fashion Week, News

Vauxhall Fashion Scout at LFW SS10

September 22, 2009 by cheriecity

I wish I’d got to see more Vauxhall Fashion Scout shows this season – I did catch Bryce d’Anice Aime and Romeo Pires – but sadly you can’t be everywhere at once.

The Bryce show was absolutely packed with people even standing on the ledges to get a better view. I loved the kind of hush-hush, secret society vibe of the Freemasons Hall – such an interesting venue!

Bryce d'Anice Aime

Bryce’s Spring/Summer 10 collection combined chic, 50s Parisian style with a contemporary ‘London body-con’ look and futuristic detailing. This season’s woman has grown up and is a sophisticated bombshell with a whole lot of attitude.

Bryce d'Anice Aime

The collection was divided into 3 different styles – he kicked off with sheer structured dresses, a panelled bodysuit adorned with some fierce Lady Gaga-esque fabric spikes, all in a palette of black and gold-spun beige. The next look was a lot softer and more playful with two-tone dresses featuring a gorgeous bold circle print. They still had the obligatory statement shoulders and the spikes ran through the collection. The last instalment focused on the black body-con dress and skirt suit in stretch satin with beautifully draped red chiffon. There were also flashes of glittering pillarbox red on the skirts and leggings.

Thanks to Fashion Mongers for use of Bryce d’Anice Aime catwalk images.

Designers, Events, Fashion, London, London Fashion Week

New Designers at London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 10

September 20, 2009 by cheriecity

It’s all GO at London Fashion Week and I’ve made it my mission to check out all of the best new off-schedule designers that are soon to be the next Marios, Emilio or Louise – Gray or Goldin, both pretty fab in my opinion!

I missed the ioannisdimitrousis show on the first day, as I was still working away – freelancers can’t make such outrageous demands, y’know. But from what I’ve seen, his Spring/Summer 10 collection, he has continued his fishnet knits and added disc sequins, flower embellishments and contrasting panels, aka stripes. But he has really embraced the spirit of Spring with his fresh take on monochrome and delicate silver and the collection features cropped tuxedo jackets, romantic button-down skirts, checked shirts and modified summer dresses. There’s something Chanel Cruise collection about this dress – I love it!

ioannis

So, my first show of the season was Blow PR’s catwalk show at Royal Festival Hall. Blow always pick up on the most imaginative emerging designers and I was just dying to see Charlie Le Mindu’s hair sculptures in ‘real life’.

First up was a quick guest appearance from Joe, of Blue Peter fame (I’m sorry, I don’t know who he is) modelling… some clothes – best ask someone else about that one.

Charlie Le Mindu opened the show with an amazing Eiffel tower headpiece and from there we had hair-covered giant lips (think a Lulu Guinness purse after a blowdry), a plaited hair burka, hair-covered sunglasses and . There was even a tufty fringe of hair on the amazing Tuk for Charlie Le Mindu brothel creeps! Kap Bambino were responsible for the amazing soundtrack and I know that L7 was definitely played, but I forget what else, as I was so astounded by the models.

Charlie Le Mindu

Next up was Gemma Slack with her superheroine-inspired second collection of badass leather, proper studs and metal armour plates. Cones play a massive part in the collection, from Gaultier-style cone bra tops (complete with pierced nipples) and circular skirts to a futurist metal e-collar and oriental hats.

Like the Motley Crue soundtrack would suggest, her vision comes from 80s hair-metal girls and fetishised comic book characters. Gemma’s girl is unapologetically sexual and powerful and of course has an incredible cutaway bikini for lounging ’round the pool on Sunset Strip…jealous, moi?

Gemma spent two years as an apprentice to Gareth Pugh and it’s clear that the experience has made her into a bit of a perfectionist, creating really well-formed, striking pieces. I could go on about her for ages, but I’ll move on…

. Gemma Slack

Up next was Lina Osterman with a sophisticated, gothic and well-tailored collection. It was her first catwalk show since graduating from Central St Martins and it also showcased her new jewellery collection featuring chunky silver rings and dirty metal chains.

Like many Swedish designers, Lina is more interested in design than colour and used a palette of black, navy and a momentary flash of white. The collection features cropped blazers, belted coats, skin-tight jeans with studded knee-pad details. Lina has developed a darker edge from the simple deconstruction aesthetic of her first label Pudel and the faces half covered with net and bowl cuts (styling by Robbie Spencer) add a subdued goth rock element.

Lina Ostram

Iris Van Herpen finished the show with an exquisite, fluid and complex collection. Iris explores the movement of the human body, focusing on waves and radiations surrounding it. She interprets how these lines may appear through the incredible manipulation of leather and ponders a future where we can actually see them.

This would explain the great energy of the pieces, from endless spirals and almost tribal marks to uniformly abbrasive ‘metal shavings’. Iris also referenced Burmese ornamental neck rings, metal animal skulls and the concept of waves attacking and protecting the body. The beige and gold dress was breathtakingly detailed and the oil-slick black pieces really expressed Iris’ rather fearful vision of the future.

Iris Van Herpen

So, after such a great and varied show, I went to check out what was going on at Blow PR Presents…Juniors downstairs. The kids were having a blast, getting their hair and make-up done, putting together their own outfits even crazier than those in the East End and being snapped by We Are Photogirls. Future fashionistas in the making, for sure!

Later on, I hit the exhibition, drank some Chambord and champagne in the media lounge and caught up with some of the ELLEuk.com girls of past and present taking street style pics and making good use of the Toni & Guy Blow-Out Bar.

Next stop, Steve J and Yoni P presentation followed by the Bryce d’Anice Aime show…more to follow!

Fashion folk and spottings: V.V Brown, Diane Pernet, Kate Nash, Paloma Faith, Katie Jane Garside, Caryn Franklin, Brix Smith-Start, Portia Freeman, Michael Tempranillo, Dani Stahl, Johnny Make-up, Jameela Jamil, Tommy Ton, Angela Buttolph.

All images (expect ioannisdimitrousis) by Neily Alimohamadi/cheriecity