JONNY WOO AS MARY PORTAS - GENIUS!

Posted by Melanie Rickey, Fashion Editor at Large

The legendary performance artiste Jonny Woo has decided that my nearest and dearest is well worthy of parody, and I couldn't agree more!

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HOW NEWGEN TOPSHOP T-SHIRTS HELPED SAVE LONDON FASHION WEEK

Posted by Melanie Rickey, Fashion Editor at Large

When I first started out in this career in 1996 Topshop wasn't the fashion hero it is today. Designers moaned about how high street stores like Topshop copied their ideas without paying for them. And they were right to moan. High street stores did copy, often brazenly. For designers, the high street was the Big Bad Wolf come to gobble them up.

Back in 1998 two visionary women working at Topshop decided to see if they could reverse the dynamic. Jane Shepherdson, then Brand Director of the store (now CEO of Whistles) and Sarah Mower MBE, esteemed American Vogue fashion critic and nowAmbassador for Emerging Talent for the BFC was then Fashion Director of Arcadia Group. They had the bright idea to invite designers to collaborate with the store, giving them the opportunity to reach new consumers and make money to help grow their businesses. Topshop also part sponsored their catwalk shows.

"Young designers had zero tolerance of the high street and it was my mission to make sure that [if they collaborated with Topshop] they wouldn't be raped [by the experience]. Over  my dead body," Sarah Mower, told me this morning. "Among the first designers we worked with were Hussein Chalayan and Clements Ribeiro.  We had a dream that London would become the world number one centre for emerging talent. Today when I look at the number of people that have come though NewGen, like Christopher Kane, Erdem and Jonathan Saunders, I feel we have achieved that."

Spookily enough, while researching further into this story I came across a piece I wrote in 1998 in the Independent about the advent of Topshop's work with young designers. (I worked at the Indy as fashion writer from 1996-1999.)

In 2002, seeing further mileage (and now doubt enjoying its rehabilitated image as the saviour of young designers, rather than the usurper) Topshop began its headline sponsorship of the NEWGEN program. Today it not only sponsors NewGen, but also Fashion East and it has created the Topshop Show Space at London Fashion Week, which offers a free venue and production for the hottest young British designers. This brings us neatly to the photos you see here, the store's way of celebrating their 10 years of supporting NewGen.

On February 17th on the first day of London Fashion Week, Topshop owner Philip Green is scheduled to do a presentation that will outline his plans for his next ten years of fashion industry support.  Also on the 17th these T-shirts launch in-store and online at topshop.com. In the meantime enjoy 10 of the 20 £30 T-shirts shot by Scott Trindle on a selection of new models (all profits go to homeless charity Centrepoint) and decide which one/s you want to get your hands on. I love the Erdem, Chris Kane and Mary Katrantzou tees... What about you? You can catch the other 10 T's in this weekend's edition of The Times.

                                                                        Francesca wearing JW Anderson

Ashleigh wearing Erdem

Mia wears Marios Schwab

Grace wears Christopher Kane

Georgina wears Jonathan Saunders

Sara wears Peter Jensen 

Olga wears Meadham Kirchhoff

Agnes wears Holly Fulton

Natasha wears Mary Katrantzou

Jaz wears Roksanda Ilincic

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THE QUEEN BY CECIL BEATON AT THE V&A

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

Yesterday marked the 60th anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne. For me, and for most of you reading, we've always known her as the head of the Royal Family and a stalwart of British life. I can't quite imagine life without her. But as a 24 year-old, I only know a few 'versions' of Her Majesty. Growing up in the 90s, she was just 'The Queen'- a distant, almost unreal figure. Later, I started reading my Mum's Hello! magazines and she became a matriarch, quietly looking over the dramas which were playing out in the lives of her children and grandchildren. Of course, the Queen is a real person with a real family, but hers is a unique situation because millions of people feel a kind of claim over her. This means that the Royals have to develop a way of communicating who they are, or who they should be, to the nation. Official photographs are a pretty key way of doing that, and tomorrow the Victoria and Albert Museum in London celebrates the Jubilee by opening the doors on Queen Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton. 

The Official Photo released yesterday to mark the Diamond
 jubilee, by John Swanell (image from thediamondjubilee.org)

The image above is the 2012 way of doing an official portrait, but in the early years, Cecil Beaton was one of the family's favourites for that job.

Cecil Beaton by Curtis Moffat, 1930

The shows curator Susanna Brown splits the 100-image exhibit into several sections, and in so doing demonstrates how Beaton adapted his imagery from fantastical, fairytale portrayals of the young Princess to relatable, intimate images of the Queen as a Mother. These are yet more 'versions' of the Queen for us to compute. 

Brown pointed out that Beaton's images served a very particular purpose as 'great PR images' for the Royals. These are not simple photos like those that you and I might take to record the birth of a child or a special family occasion. No, these were published in papers to be be lapped up by a public who, in a pre-internet age, were made to get their fix from a few carefully selected portraits. There were no pap shots as there are now of Duchess Kate shopping on the King's Road or Harry on the lash. The Royal family had a great deal more control over how they came across. Although, the exhibition notes do mention that the press would often break the embargoes which they were given, such was the demand for a new picture of the Queen and her family. 

A proper Princess- The Queen at Buckingham
Palace, 1945, by Cecil Beaton (image courtesy of the V&A)

Beaton's talent as a photographer  was to 'rise to the occasion', as Brown puts it, knowing the appropriate mood for the sitting. Indeed, perhaps he knew what the public wanted from their royal family a little better than the family themselves. A letter from Queen  Elizabeth, The Queen Mother suggests that they were quite aware of that fact, 'as a family we must be deeply grateful to you for producing us, as really quite nice and real people'. I got the impression that the Queen Mother might have been the real driving force behind the Royal Family's relationship with Cecil Beaton. On the day of the coronation, Beaton wrote in his diary 'All at once and because of her, I was enjoying my work’. She was also the one who initially recruited him.

Beaton's cuttings book

In fashion, things move fast. Working with Vogue and Vanity Fair meant that Beaton was acutely aware of that. The exhibit describes how Beaton befriended David Bailey in the early 60s. That could be quite surprising given that by then, Beaton had a well-established style which now so beautifully recalls the fantasia and escapism of the post war period. The decadence and sweetness of his floral backdrops (put together with cuttings from his own garden) and demurely posed women in the most ostentatious of ball gowns became the antidote to real-life rationing and austerity. But Bailey called Beaton 'Rip Van With-it' because of his willingness to try a new way of doing things once the 60s ushered in a less stylised approach.

The Queen's coronation, June 1953, buy Cecil Beaton (image courtesy of the V&A)

Vogue's coronation special is on display at the exhibition

After the grandeur and obvious royal-ness of Beaton's portraits up to the coronation,  the images of Her Majesty with her two younger children, Edward and Andrew, highlight how Beaton responded to a new hunger for seeing the royals as real. They are more simple, allowing the emotion of the subjects to take centre stage rather than the paraphernalia of props and costumes.

The Queen with Prince Andrew in 1960 by Cecil Beaton (image courtesy of V&A)

Despite Beaton's apparent ability to move with the times, his relationship with the Queen seems to have come to an abrupt end. Before he took the iconic portrait of the Queen in the admiral's boat cloak in 1968, he wrote in his diary, ‘the difficulties are great. Our points of view, our tastes are so different. The result is a compromise between two people and the fates play a large part’. It seems like a sad end to a partnership which produced so many images which will become some of the most enduring of the 20th century.

Cecil Beaton's last portrait of the Queen, in 1968 (image courtesy of the V&A)

Queen Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton is on at the V&A from tomorrow, 8th February until 22nd April. It will also be touring to Leeds, Newcastle, Norwich and Dundee. Another 'version' of the exhibition is going to Australia and Canada

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SHOW + TELL SS12 : MANOLO PUMP POWER

Posted by Melanie Rickey, Fashion Editor at Large

For those of you too young to remember when shoes were not gimmicky, odd-looking, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink affairs with platforms, wedges, frills, multi-colours and ugly heels, here's a surprise. Once upon a time not very long ago, high-heeled fashion shoes were simply beautiful. They had sleek lines, no gimmicks and were generally a joy to behold. You slipped then on, they elevated the body by a few inches, lengthened the legs pushed out the hips at a certain sexy angle and that was it - good for a sexy sashay, and if needs be, to sprint a bit too.

The go-to man for beautiful shoes was Manolo Blahnik. Then along came the very lovely Mr. Louboutin, Mr. Kirkwood, Prada, Miu Miu, YSL and co adding more and more inches to their platforms until the day someone, somewhere said ENOUGH! Marc Jacobs was one of them. For both his Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs shows, his shoe designs directly referenced Manolo Blahnik signature mules and stilettos, and they were gorgeous, and now much copied on the high street.

The master at work. (Photo:Michael Roberts)

Mmmanolo!

Another was American Vogue editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley, who told the New York Times in a very prescient feature last October, "Fashion had to turn on its heel and return to beautiful shoes. They're a staple, something you have to have in your refrigerator like butter, or milk." My favourite line in the story was what the writer, Guy Trebay, saved until last. It was a quote from Sarah Jessica Parker, who should have shares in Manolo Blahnik, or at least a lifetimes supply, after she popularised Blahnik through her character Carrie's obsession with the shoes. "I walked in and looked around and saw all these shoes, and then I spotted the Manolos and it was like water in the desert," she said. "I was just so excited to see a simple black pump."

I'm with them. My latest shoe purchase is the "Opyum" by YSL. A beautiful shoe. Or as the Americans say a beautiful "pump".

Opyum 

The other day I was re-arranging my shoe cupboard so I could lend my little sister a pair for a wedding, and I came across an old pair of YSL platform ankle boots. You know the ones with a gold line around the platform?  At one point in about 2006 or 7 every fashion editor I knew had a pair. At the time, they felt like serious platforms. I wiped the dust off them and slipped one on for old times sake. They felt like wearing nothing. To think they once they seemed so high.

For sure, there is now a backlash in place against gimmicky shoes. Perhaps for now they have scaled their highest heights and reached the weight limit for studs and other hardware. That isn't to say I don't love Nicholas Kirkwood's shoes for Meadham Kirchhoff. I LOVE, but I would look like a clown in them.

Nicholas Kirkwood for Meadham Kirchhoff SS12

Louis Vuitton SS12

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Fashion went Live

Yesterday at Fashion Live! by Ozon Raw.

Stylists picked clothes, make-up artists enchanced faces, hairdressers did hair, photographers shot pics and bloggers spoke of blogging. I left before the party, so I'm waiting for you to tell me more about how that...

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At OZON's Fashion Live

Trousers and shoes, courtesy of BLANCO. Canvas and leather bag, Lee 101. Stripes t-shirt, vintage Levi's. Cardigan, ZARA. Wing ring, ASOS. Necklace, CASA di MINEA via YOOX.

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THE WEEK IN FASHION: 30th JANUARY- 2nd FEBRUARY

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

It's cold outside, here's some fashion news to warm you up...

Jonathan Saunders SS12

Congratulations to the super wonderful Jonathan Saunders who has won the BFC/ Vogue Fashion Fund Award. He'll get £200,000 and specific mentoring to help his business grow. It's clear to me that Saunders 'gets' something about what women want from their clothes which is why his sales have skyrocketed by 118% in the past year; for the London shows, every other front rower was wearing a piece of Saunders. We're really pleased for you Jonathan! Let's not forget the runners-up who must have made the panel's decision pretty tough; Peter Pilotto, Mary Katrantzou, Roksanda Ilincic, Richard Nicoll, Zoe Jordan, Nicholas Kirkwood, Marios Schwab and Meadham Kirchhoff.

When  Jonathan's win was announced, Lulu Kennedy (who supported Jonathan through her Fashion East scheme early in his career) tweeted a picture of Natalia Vodianova wearing a Saunder's dress on the cover of Vogue in 2004. I thought it'd be nice to share- thanks Lulu!

Jonathan Saunders covers Vogue in 2004- image from Lulu kennedy's twitter

A look from Stine Riis' collection (from wwd.com)

The first winner of the H&M Design Award was announced at Stockholm Fashion Week yesterday. Stine Riis is originally from Denmark but recently graduated from London College of Fashion. She wins 50,000 euros as well as the opportunity to have pieces from her collection sold in H&M stores in the Autumn. Check out the video below for all the action from the final...



Talking of LCF, the FashEd and I had a brilliant and inspiring time on Tuesday night at the college's MA exhibition. We heard lots of great stories and saw some beautiful work. Look out for our full report next week.

 Last year, Robin Derrick left British Vogue to work on the re-launch of the US edition of Harper's Bazaar. The fruits of his challenge to revamp the title were revealed this week with a stark monochrome cover starring Gwyneth Paltrow. According to our favourite New York tweeter @jimshi809 the 'Redesigned Harper's Bazaar US is one-inch bigger w/ thicker paper & new fonts & every new section starts w/ the world "the."' Now we know!

One of the many brilliant personalities in the Cunningham film,  Shail Upadhya, a
Nepalese UN representative and one of Bill's regular subjects.

This week, I spent an amazing evening at the UK premiere of 'Bill Cunningham New York', Richard Press's new documentary about the 80 year-old New York Times photographer. The event was sponsored by Grazia, and afterwards Paula Reed hosted a Q&A with Chris Moore, legendary catwalk photographer and owner of catwalking.com. His is a completely unique career which has seen him chart 'true' trends from the past half century. As well as paying attention to what's happening on the catwalks, Bill tirelessly scours the streets of NYC to discover what people are REALLY wearing and how they're wearing it. Many call him the original street style photographer. Although I think that's true, there's definitely much more to it than that which is why I am very happy to see the film's blurb describe him as a 'cultural anthropologist'. His observations are sharp and his knowledge of fashion and trends is encyclopaedic. His comparison of the work of Rei Kawakubo at Comme des Garcons in the 80s with the style of the bag women living on the streets of New York at the time is still playing on my mind, and shows the unique position he is in to marry the pavement and the catwalk. The film is a must-see, even if fashion is not your thing. It's out at selected cinemas in March. 

Cunningham's fab picture of Isabella Blow (from lightbox.time.com)

Another month, another round of magazine covers. Elle and Vogue have both gone with Louis Vuitton's sugar sweet broderie anglaise for their fronts covers. Lana del Rey is Vogue's new cover girl demostrating the astonishing speed of her rise from unknown to virtually notorious; her newly released album has not received the best reviews yet she is number one in multiple countries. But if Vogue puts her on the cover then it confirms that there is something of the zeitgeist about her. Given that Love magazine editor Katie Grand also consults for Louis Vuitton, we thought ice cream girly prettiness was a given for the publication's latest edition. How wrong we were. The cover line reads 'The End of Elegance' which seems a direct challenge to the ladylike loveliness which is clearly the prevailing mood. Does this mean pastels might be as fleeting an obsession as Lana del Rey?

Lana (by Mario Testino) prettified for Vogue (image from www.vogue.co.uk) 

Linda Evangelista covers Love, shot by Mert and Marcus(image from @thelovemagazine)

Fragile: Linda Evangelista in Giles (image from @thelovemagazine)

FEAL is mostly about womenswear but that doesn't mean we don't appreciate a well-dressed man. Both of us think Tinie Tempah is a rather fab dresser so we are happy to see that he has been named Britains' Best Dressed Man by GQ. In other news from the list, Prince William didn't make it into the top 50 despite that bright red Irish guards wedding outfit. Wills, if you're upset at GQ's decision we suggest ditching the flat caps and 'cashmere jumper round shoulders' as starting points for sartorial transformation in time for next year, or ask your Dad who scraped in at no. 50.

Tinie does bow ties and monochrome (image from telegraph.co.uk)

After revelations about extravagant mid-recession halloween parties, we'd have thought the Obamas would be keen to avoid any more big spending sprees- not such great publicity in election year. So the story that Michelle paid a visit to the Madison Avenue branch of Agent Provocatuer and picked up $50,000 worth of goodies- lucky Barack- seems very unfortunate. She was apparently accompanying Sheikha Mozah, the Queen of Qatar, during her trip to the US last year. However, Jay Carney, the White House Press Secretary, strongly denied the story telling WWD:

'In this case, it’s utterly false, and it’s irresponsible of an American news organization to repeat the story, even allowing that it could be true. So it’s wrong.'

Apparently The White House was unable to provide 'evidence' that the First Lady had not visited the purveyors of sexy underwear- the mind boggles. While Michelle cannot be too pleased about the story, Agent Provocateur say the 'unexpected famous names' who patronise the business have contributed to its continued growth.

The Obamas are joined by Tim burton at their halloween do in 2009 (image from chicksontheright.com)

As part of the cultural programme to coincide with the Olympics, the BFC is hosting an International Fashion Showcase across London. Nineteen embassies and cultural institutes will showcase the work of up and coming designers from the countries they represent. Sarah Mower will be chairing a panel of judges which will examine the work of the 80 or so designers set to participate. On 19th February, a winning country will be announced. 

Belgian designer A.Knackfuss is set to be a highlight of the
showcase (image from mussola.style.it)

Finally, while we thought the images for Prada's SS12 campaign were a bit boring but the accompanying video, released this week, adds a bit more attitude to the concept, don't you think?

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