London Fashion Week AW 2010 trends
March 11, 2010 by Eleni Sardi · Leave a Comment
With Paris Fashion Week making headlines, we’re still buzzing with the trends seen at London Fashion Week trying to figure out the looks that we’ll be wearing come September when the nude craze will be old news and we’ll be itching for something new to keep us warm and stylish during the British winter. Eleni Sardi writes.
London Fashion Week Party Insider: Ethical Fashion Forum, Ada Zanditon and the February rains
February 27, 2010 by Jen Marsden · 1 Comment
If you haven’t already noticed from this week’s editorial, the Greenmystyle.com team was out in force at London Fashion Week – and that included the wonderful parties. Jen Marsden writes.
EXCLUSIVE Interview with Brat & Suzie founder
December 1, 2009 by Maria Kaski · Leave a Comment
Brat & Suzie, the urbanwear eco label renowned for its fitted T-shirts and canvas bags, will be showcasing at the Clothes Show Live this December. Launched just over a year ago, the brand has already gathered interest from fashion magazines including ELLE and Drapers. Polly Vickery, one of the brand founders and designers, talks to Lucie Goulet about animal inspiration, being sold in Topshop and making the move from employee to fashion entrepreneur.
Currently sold in eight shops throughout the UK, including Topshop on Oxford Street, Brat & Suzie is now expanding towards Brussels and Japan.
The A/W collection includes cute, quirky and easy to wear tops adorned with unexpected pets such as a flying bat or an eating giraffe in punchy pink and grapefruit, white and red stripes or plain white. The menswear displays the same originality with green rabbit and red monkey tees. Prices range from £8 for a canvas bag to £22 for the T-shirts.
How did the idea for Brat and Suzie come about?
As a creative and artistic person, I have always thrived when producing my own garments. Another one of my aspirations has always been to have my own company and have full control over all aspects of the business. I worked in various companies for 7 years and during this time I gained the business skills I needed to be independent and confident enough to make the transition. When I met Louise, my fantastic designer, I decided it was time to take the plunge and really reach my full potential. Brat and Suzie are the names of my childhood pet cats and I felt it was the perfect way to combine my artistic talents with my own personal style and well learned business know-how!
What sort of women and men are your clothes aimed at?
Brat and Suzie appeals to smart, fun loving guys and girls who have an eye for fashion and are looking for something unique. The prints are detailed and edgy giving the Brat and Suzie customer a chance to create a fresh and young look.
Where does the design inspiration come from? How do you choose the animals which adorn the T-shirts/bags?
Our inspiration comes from all kinds of things; from Japanese fashion magazines to a dog seen in the street. Louise often adds her own quirky, unexpected flair which creates the final Brat and Suzie touch!
Which schemes do you have in place to make Brat and Suzie an eco-aware company?
Being an eco-aware company has always been one of the main objectives when creating the Brat and Suzie brand. At the moment it is not possible to make absolutely everything ethically sound, so I chose to focus on making the oversized T-shirts EARTH POSITIVE, in order to gain a foot on the eco-conscious ladder. As the brand matures I hope to have more eco-aware products, as this is an important part of my strategic direction. I do not wish to preach the eco-aware ethos of my company, as this is something that I feel consumers should be able to take as standard rather than as added value.
What is the main hurdle facing ethical designers these days?
One of the biggest problems is ensuring that the sources you use are in fact ethical, as there are many issues with sub-contracting in the industry. Being ethical often means more expensive production so it can be really hard to compete with cheaper fast fashion brands. It is also hard to get customers to understand why garments are more expensive. The fashion industry is characteristically fast paced, dynamic and ruthless. When products demand such a narrow time frame from design to in store, being ethical is often easily disregarded but must be seen as a core competency at all times.
Which eco brands do you admire?
I think Lowie Knits have just about the cutest collection! I love their transparency and honesty about their supply chain and that they tell the story of where their raw materials come from. I also think Beautiful Soul’s recycled kimono collection is fantastic. And I especially admire the way they have implemented a zero waste policy; this is both innovative and commendable.
Brat and Suzie is now on sale at Topshop. How did you reach this partnership? Has it changed the way you design the clothes?
Working with Topshop has been one of my biggest achievements to date and has really provided a springboard to establish the brand and gain recognition. The partnership was first made when I exhibited at the London Edge show. I gained some contacts with Topshop at the show, and I was in talks with the brand for some months. They decided to stock the brand in the London Oxford Circus branch and it has been a fantastic opportunity, which I hope will flourish in the future.
In terms of the effect on the design of the clothes, it has changed the pace in which I work rather than the aesthetic. As a fast fashion retailer Topshop expects a high turnover of stock and demands new products often. As an eco-aware company I found this challenging because I always want to maintain high standards of production for the end consumers.
Why did you decide to show at the Clothes Show Live?
The Clothes Show Live is a huge part of the UK fashion calendar, and it is a way to not only reach those in industry but also the end consumer. The Brat and Suzie brand is based on the idea that customers can receive a personal touch. By attending events such as the clothes show they can have some direct contact, which they cannot have on a day to day basis as I do not yet have my own store. Moreover, it is a great promotional tool and I hope to gain some new customers just in time for Christmas!
Brat and Suzie
http://www.bratandsuzie.com/
Brat & Suzie, the urbanwear eco label renowned for its fitted T-shirts and canvas bags, will be showcasing at the Clothes Show Live this December. Launched just over a year ago, the brand has already gathered interest from fashion magazines including ELLE and Drapers. Polly Vickery, one of the brand founders and designers, talks to Lucie Goulet about animal inspiration, being sold in Topshop and making the move from employee to fashion entrepreneur.
Silky, sexy & stylish Christmas party frocks
November 13, 2009 by Maria Kaski · Leave a Comment
Dare to bare your legs this festive season as we reveal the top 10 thigh skimming and mid-length party dresses that will have you turning heads whatever the occasion. Maria Kaski writes.
Beautiful Soul at the V&A
November 12, 2009 by Maria Kaski · Leave a Comment
Beautiful Soul is off to the V&A
Beautiful Soul’s eagerly awaited collection ‘Miss Butterfly’ will be available at the prestigious Victoria &Albert Museum from Spring/ Summer 2010. The eco luxury fashion label is currently in the spotlight now that the world’s largest museum of art and design has decided to feature its newest collection in its very fashionable gift shop. Eleni Sardi writes.
The V&A is famous for exhibiting fashionable dresses, jewellery and accessories from the 17th century to the present day. It boasts one of the biggest collections of fashion costumes on display, including items of contemporary designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Chanel, Givenchy and Christian Lacroix.
Beautiful Soul sees the collaboration with V&A as a step in the right direction pushing ‘responsible’ fashion forward into the mainstream.
Inspired by Giacomo Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, the highly exclusive ‘Miss Butterfly’ collection is produced from the finest vintage Japanese (dating back to the 1940’s) and saris, Ahimsa peace silk, Fair-Trade organic jacquard, handloom cotton, and bamboo jersey.
Embellishments and accessories are hand-made by a small cooperative (Umdoni Creek) that Beautiful Soul helped set up in South Africa in 2008 and feature indigenous upcycled materials and fabric remnants, providing a solution to ‘zero’ waste.
The collection’s silhouettes are directional, yet timeless and echo femininity, with each style being developed carefully throughout the design process.
In September 2009, Beautiful Soul debuted at London Fashion Week’s Estethica ,and showcased at the Interstoff Asia, Hong Kong promoting sustainable fashion design.
Beautiful Soul will be showcasing at the Clothes Show Live, with the support of Fashion Capital, in December 2009 and is a finalist of Fashioning the Future 2009 (Centre for Sustainable Fashion).
Beautiful Soul
(www.beautiful-soul.co.uk).
Beautiful Soul’s eagerly awaited collection ‘Miss Butterfly’ will be available at the prestigious Victoria & Albert Museum from Spring/Summer 2010. The eco luxury fashion label is currently in the spotlight now that the world’s largest museum of art and design has decided to feature its newest collection in its very fashionable gift shop. Eleni Sardi writes.EXCLUSIVE Interview: Katherine Poulton talks grannies and supermodels
November 6, 2009 by Maria Kaski · Leave a Comment
Launching at the end of the month, The North Circular is set to change the way we consider ethical knitting. Katherine Poulton, model and one of the label’s founders, answered Lucie Goulet’s question on hipster wool, the meaning of being an ethical label and the main aims of The North Circular.
How did the idea for The North Circular come about?
Lily (Cole) and I have been friends for years. As well as painting the town red, we would always bounce around the idea of a knitwear line with grannies hand knitting, more as a joke than a reality.
We began crystallising the plan when my gran started knitting the circular neck snug (it partly inspired the name of the company). We both became involved with Izzy Lane, through working with the charity Trees for Cities (a charity dedicated to “the planting and protection of trees everywhere, and in particular inner city areas”). The combination of our knitting ideas and her amazing animal rescue wool seemed too good to be missed.
Between us we envisioned a company that would return value to the hand-made product, personalize the process of production, rekindle the relationship between the producer and the purchaser – knitter and scarf wearer. (Through The North Circular website, customers can write and thank their knitter!)
How did you get Lily Cole involved? How is her involvement different from all the celebrity endorsements we see those days?
Lily was involved from the conception of this idea, and so she is not a celebrity endorsement, but an intrinsic part of the brand and its great ethos.
Where does the design inspiration come from?
It comes from designing items we would love to wear, high fashion wearable, chunky knits, while keeping the traditional hand knit elements strong with fisherman’s ribs, traditional diamonds, cables and beautiful moss stitch.
What sort of women are your clothes aimed at?
We have designed a range that is accessible to everyone. The more sculptural pieces, the necklace, collar, cuffs and fingerless gloves are aimed at the hip crowd; the classic diamond and cable knits are more interesting for the older client.
Men all love our diamond scarf and beanie, and also we have miniaturised 4 of our designs for children… who can resist a kid in a knitted hat with a big bobble on?
What has the response to The North Circular been so far?
Everyone is very excited about us. We are a community company and supporting the UK industries, the sheep, handcrafts, donating money to charity, making beautiful long lasting goods, what is there not to like? Everyone can relate to the pleasure of having something lovingly handmade for them.
What is the main hurdle facing ethical designers these days?
The main hurdle is that we have to carry the label “ethical”, while normal designers don’t have to carry the label “NON ETHICAL” if they are not making moves to be more ethical.
Not that I want to be compared to a vegetable, but its the same issue that organic vegetables are having: “NON ORGANIC” veg should be labeled so, and consumers should receive an explanation as to why they are getting something so cheaply and what it is costing the earth. Then it would be clear to people why they should be willing to spend that little bit more on something that has good ethos and is an investment
What schemes do you have in place to make The North Circular an eco-aware company?
First of all, we are going to great lengths to keep all parts of our production in the UK and therefore lower mileage. We hope to produce a really unique product that supports UK industries and doesn’t cost the earth by being shipped/flown around the world.
We are also keeping packaging and printing to a minimum, using recycled cardboard and hand stamping wherever possible.
We only use the completely natural product wool to make our clothes by manpower, no big factory machines are involved.
We are using Eco and non-harmful dyes for our wool, and our sheep graze on organic land.
We will be donating a percentage of our profits every year directly to a charity of our choice. Our first charity is the Environmental Justice Foundation.
We plan to do supporting the elderly events, including Christmas hampers to old people’s homes and knitting events. One of our ethical aims is to revive cross generation relations through knitting.
We will be organizing live knitting events around London and the UK, supporting passing on the tradition of hand knitting.
What other eco brands do you admire?
We admire From Somewhere, we think the recycling of fabrics they do is amazing.
Beautiful Soul was another newcomer at Estethica who makes new versatile clothes out of vintage kimonos and silk. I love Katherine Hammnett, who has been strong and beautiful since the dawn of ethical fashion.
I’m also very supportive of Vivienne Westwood’s Save the Rainforest campaign because, as she says, once the rainforests are gone, all our days are numbered.
Environmental Justice Foundation HYPERLINK “http://www.ejfoundation.org/” http://www.ejfoundation.org/
Related GMS article: HYPERLINK “http://www.greenmystyle.com/lily-cole-and-friends-launch-the-north-circular/” http://www.greenmystyle.com/lily-cole-and-friends-launch-the-north-circular/
Having launched in October, The North Circular is set to change the way we consider ethical knitting. Katherine Poulton, model and one of the label’s founders, answered Lucie Goulet’s question on hipster wool, the meaning of being an ethical label and the main aims of The North Circular.
12 Covetable Coats for Winter
October 26, 2009 by Maria Kaski · Leave a Comment
12 stylish coats for winter
Shield yourself against blustery English weather with our pick of 12 stylishly ethical coats. From bright, stand out cover-ups to classic styles that will last a lifetime, we’ve got something to satisfy even the pickiest of shoppers. Amiee Jones writes.
Classic
1 – Sika Ghanian raincoat
Raincoat’s are a wardrobe essential for every fashionista looking to keep dry during winter and this Sika coat is a classical version that will remain a key piece for years. The printed ghanian cotton, with it’s slight sheen, the thick buckle belt and traditional double breasted style exude a grown-up type of sophistication that is both practical and luxurious. Currently retailing at £189
2 – Ivana Helsinki Star raincoat
Finnish designer Ivana Helsinki excels in creating classic pieces with an edge. The vintage style of this beautiful coat harks back to screen icons of the fifties who wore masculine, spy style coats draped over the most glamorous of dresses. The fullness of the skirt, combined with the cape-like material that falls over the shoulders and tiny gold buttons running up the centre give it a healthy dose of femme fatale appeal. £690
3 – Eloise Grey Toklas tweed coat
This sweet tweed coat is ideal for a leisurely country walk, with its simple print and traditional shape. Its ‘oyster’ pocket, which is a play on the ticket pocket used on gentleman’s tailoring, adds an unexpected twist to the design. Made versatile by its unfussy aesthetic, it will look just as at home over a floral dress as it will with your favourite pair of jeans. Available at eloisegrey.com for £820
Slouchy
1- Beautiful Soul Aimi coat
After introducing you to this label’s debut collection recently, we’re still in awe of its masterful cuts and exquisite prints. This coat will undeniably make a fantastic focal point in an otherwise simple outfit. The rich colour palette and original japanese kimono fabric render it a true show stopper that will stay in your affections year after year. Grab in at Ascension for £295
2 – Prairie Underground Moth coat
A clever mix of casual fabric with an interesting silhouette is what sets this coat apart in the style stakes. The almost avant-garde shape is pared down and made instantly wearable by using thick jersey in discreet colours that whisper luxury in hushed tones. There’s a definite sense of sports luxe about this coat that embodies a easy, laid back attitude. $253 (£156) at tobi.com
3 – People Tree Jacquard drape jacket
Monochrome prints are set to be a key trend this Autumn/Winter and the gorgeous, go-with-anything, cut of this coat can be slung easily over masses of outfit combinations. This draped, unstuctured style is a typically eighties shape which has recently resurfaced due to its addictive throw-on-ability factor and canny way of flattering all body types. Made of 100% handwoven cotton, it is a available at Equaclothing.com for £94
Cosy
1- Fin organic wool coat
Scandinavian designers Fin have been compared to Brit favourite, Stella McCartney, due to their ability to create simplistic yet luxurious pieces, utilising clean lines and gorgeous materials. Made entirely from black organic wool, this statement coat features an oversized collar and cuffed sleeves that give it a preppy, school girlish feel. Adorable with thick tights and some brogues to complete the look, it’s a super cosy way to wrap up this winter. Pre order it for £630 from fashion-conscience.com
2 – Merino wool cape by Lowie
Specialising in handmade accessories, Lowie’s knitwear is simultaneously retro and modern. Balance out the volume of this grey cape with a narrow bottom half of skinny jeans or tights. A sweet, less cumbersome alternative to a coat, it’s a great way to experiment with layering or show off this season’s elbow length gloves. This retails at £190.
3 – Prairie Underground Town coat
Known best for its hoodies, Prairie Underground has combined features from its hoodies with those of a coat to come up with something truely unique and marvelously duvet-like. Made from organic cotton, with double breasted buttons, large pockets to thrust cold hands into and a neck that can be fastened right up to the nose – not much will get past this heavy duty number. $310 (£190) at beklina.com
Bright
1 – Christopher Raeburn yellow parker
Gathering a following for his innovative use of reclaimed military parachute fabric, Raeburn’s coats are both visually striking and completely waterproof. This sunshine yellow style seems an ironic, yet exciting colour to wear during wet weather. Featuring a large hood, adjustable waist and hem, it’s an absolute must if you’re intent on arriving at the office smugly dry. It retails at £595 and is available at Browns.
2 – Cecilia Hammarborg red mandarin coat
Emulate Little Red Riding Hood, minus the hood, in this cute as pie red swing coat. Puffed shoulders nod to this season’s current shoulder obsession and the deep pleats allow the fabric to fall in a flattering way to just below the derriere. The happy colour alone is enough to bring a smile to one’s face on the most bleak of winter mornings. £245 at Equaclothing.com
3- Ascension Kayla coat
A basic shape provides a blank canvas for bold and beautiful winter florals in this printed Ascension coat. The print used on this striking coat is inspired by the iconic ikat designs of the middle east. A contrasting palette of pink, blue, black and white makes for an eye-catching combination, the black ensuring that it looks winter appropriate. Not advised for wallflowers, it retails at £159 at Ascension.
Shield yourself against blustery English weather with our pick of 12 stylishly ethical coats. From bright, stand out cover-ups to classic styles that will last a lifetime, we’ve got something to satisfy even the pickiest of shoppers. Amiee Jones writes.
Catwalk Review – Conscious Designers Collective
October 17, 2009 by Maria Kaski · Leave a Comment
A host of ethical designers from the Conscious Designers Collective (CDC) showcased their SS10 collections at the Candid Arts Centre, London, on 16th October. Maria Kaski writes.
Beautiful Soul launches AW09 range at Ascension
October 2, 2009 by Maria Kaski · Leave a Comment
Beautiful Soul launches its debut collection at Ascension with an impressive array of reworked 1940s Japanese vintage kimonos and saris. Mandy Barder writes.
Ascension’s London flagship store to open in November
September 16, 2009 by Maria Kaski · Leave a Comment
This November will see online eco fashion store, Ascension, put down roots in London’s west end. Amiee Jones writes.
The store will be the first of its kind in our bustling capital; a sanctuary of solely ethical fashion and home ware from a host of both new and established designers. No longer will eco-fashion fans have to make do with a painfully small selection of organic cotton T-shirts in the corner of luxury fashion stores, but will be able to browse an entire shop full of guilt-free brands to their hearts desire.
A smattering of luxury designers and knowledgeable staff on hand will ensure a trip to Ascension is nothing short of indulgent. The sweeping 1800 sq ft store will be home to designs by Edun, Annie Greenabelle, and Black by Noir as well as Ascension’s own labels. The generous size of the store means that men are also catered for.
Up and coming brand, Beautiful Soul’s kimono inspired debut line will also be stocked, amongst essential basics such as denim, and sumptuous organic cotton sheets. This blend of the exclusive-meets-the-everyday means the store is literally a one-stop-shop for all your eco needs, soon to be on every eco-fashionistas hit list.
So come November give your computer mouse a rest and head down to the West End for some retail therapy where you won’t be inwardly groaning at the never ending ‘made in China’ labels.
Ascension
This November will see online eco fashion store, Ascension, put down roots in London’s west end. Amiee Jones writes.
