PAUSE Magazine: Issue 2

I have been writing with PAUSE for a few months now and I have now interviewed both of their cover stars: Mikill Pane (Issue 1) and Vince Kidd (Issue 2). PAUSE is a menswear magazine, documenting everything from styling tips to up-and-coming designers. A lot of hard work goes into the online blog and the printed magazine and I am so proud to be a part of it! You can order your FREE issue here: http://pausemag.co.uk/?p=7126

Everything from the graphics to the photography has really improved this issue, it is definitely a magazine to watch out for. It would be great to get some feedback on my interview with Vince Kidd for any of you who do order a copy! 

Twitter: @Pause_Mag

Website: www.pausemag.co.uk

Email: info@pausemag.co.uk

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Interview with Design by Numbers

Design by Numbers is the brainchild of BA (Hons) Fashion Graphics graduate, Georgina Marmoy. The exclusive t-shirt brand creates collections based on events throughout the year. For her first collection Georgina focused on the supposed end of the world in 2012. Georgina studied at Southampton Solent University and in her final year was chosen, along with 19 others to take part in an entrepreneurial course. This helped to teach Georgina important skills needing in the setting up and running of a business, from book keeping to marketing. Georgina spoke to me about her 2012 Collection and the future of Design by Numbers. 

Tell me a bit about Design by numbers, where did you get the idea?

I’ve always wanted to run my own business, when I was younger I used to make my own t-shirts with iron-on paper. My brand is based on a yearly collection, where I research into an event each year and base my collection around it, for example this year (for 2012) my collection is inspired my theories

relating to the end of the world.

How do you translate your inspirations in your work?

Well, I wanted something abstract, so based on the theory I tested out different techniques in order to get a similar effect, for example my ‘Ice Age’ t-shirt is pictures of crystals that look similar to an ice cube!

"IT IS RUMOURED THAT THE SUN WILL PRODUCE LETHAL ERUPTIONS OF SOLAR FLARES, TURNING UP THE HEAT ON EARTH AND UNLEASHING STORMS STRONG ENOUGH TO FRY THE PLANET! SCARY STUFF!”

What does fashion mean to you?

Fashion is very personal to everyone; it’s about being comfortable in your own skin and having your own style. You should wear what you like and what makes you feel confident, something that’s fun! Life is too short!

At the moment your collection is based on unisex t-shirts, do you have any plans to widen your range?

I do, I’m looking to create different sizes within the t-shirts and expanding the number of t-shirts within my collection. You may see other clothing items being launched,watch this space!

Did you design the prints for the t-shirts yourself? Talk us through the process.

I did, everything you see within this business is designed by me, the graphics, packaging, everything! It begun by photo taking and experimenting (I was freezing marbles in Ice for one t-shirt!) to then experimenting on Photoshop to get the perfect print. This was then placed on a template which was sent to print full bleed in America. The pockets were then designed by illustrating an aspect of the theory, before they were sewn on the printed t-shirts!

Out of your t-shirts my favorite design is the ‘Solar Flare’t-shirt, what is the theory behind this?

It’s a gorgeous summer colour! It’s rumored that the sun will produce lethal eruptions of solar flares,turning up the heat on earth and unleashing storms strong enough to fry the planet! Scary stuff!

What does the rest of 2012 hold for Design by Numbers?

Well hopefully the beginning of a successful business and not the end of the world! Just working on Design by Numbers, graduating and becoming a working grown-up and beginning the 2013 designs!

www.designbynumbersclothing.com

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Interview with NEWGEN designer; Tim Soar

Today the new NEWGEN designers have been announced for Spring/Summer 2013. Earlier in the year I interviewed NEWGEN designer, Tim Soar who was given exhibition space this year. 

Menswear and womenswear designer Tim Soar discusses his views on how the recession has had an effect on the business side of fashion.

Tim Soar is a British fashion designer of both menswear and womenswear, who was one of this year’s featured NEWGEN designers. He is also the owner of the global music consultancy company, Music Concrete, through which he has collaborated with brands such as Fendi and Adidas. Tim’s keen interest in fashion design was first sparked when he established POST Design in the 1980s with the renowned graphic designer, Neville Brody. Since POST Design, Tim has continued to design using menswear as his main focus, and his menswear label SOAR was launched in 2006. 

After six years working successfully as a menswear designer, Tim made the decision to branch out into womenswear: “I love menswear but there came a point when I thought womenswear is definitely going to be the way to establish my business and to move forward in fashion.” For his womenswear collections, Tim carries over his signature style into his collections, but altered with a feminine touch. Through his NEWGEN sponsorship, Tim’s Autumn/Winter 2012 womenswear collection was allocated exhibition space at London Fashion Week in which his collection was showcased. This year, his Autumn/Winter collection was heavily inspired by Japenese culture: “There are a lot of Kimono and Samurai armour references and an a-symmetry indication that was drawn from traditional Japanese clothing.”

Tim’s womenswear line takes aspects from his menswear collections, such as sharp tailoring and strong silhouettes with a fresh sporty edge, and adapts them in a way that is suitable and appealing for a female market. Tim discusses how the economic climate has been partly responsible for his switchover into women’s clothing design: “I wanted to make some money and womenswear is a much, much bigger market. It is very easy in fashion to have a business that doesn’t make money and it’s even easier to do so in menswear.” The recession means that it has been a very difficult time for fashion designers and Tim plans to use his womenswear collection as a way of establishing his business and making a name and profit for himself: “Notoriously, the late Alexander McQueen only started going into profit three or four years ago and he was one of the biggest designers Britain has ever produced.” For the time being, Tim’s main focus will be predominantly womenswear, but he still continues a menswear collection, with his eventual aim to bridge back into menswear. 

For Tim’s womenswear collection, NEWGEN has been a huge contributing factor to his success. “I knew about the BFC [British Fashion Council] from my menswear, so it was natural to apply for NEWGEN with my womenswear.” NEWGEN is one of the world’s most internationally recognised talent schemes, working in conjunction with the fashion industry, and in the past has supported designers such as Alexander McQueen, Matthew Williamson, Christopher Kane and, more recently, Meadham Kirchhoff and Mary Katrantzou. Discussing the benefits of NEWGEN, Tim states: “It is fantastic and a great platform for designers. London Fashion Week is internationally known, the BFC is internationally known, and therefore to be associated with it is just amazing!” London Fashion Week is very different when compared to other fashion capitals in terms of its strong support network for up- and-coming designers: “London has a great artisan history; something similar to NEWGEN doesn’t exist in Paris and it doesn’t really exist in New York or Milan. London is great because it has eclecticism.” London has a huge influence on the fashion industry worldwide and, in August 2011, took the fashion capital of the world top spot from New York, according to a survey by Global Language Monitor, conducted each year. “One of the biggest things that London has given to the fashion industry in the last ten years is vintage as a concept. It’s all about mixing style together and eclecticism, mixing old and new with expensive and old.” 

When it comes to the inspiration behind Tim’s designs, he uses a combination of physical and mental artefacts, as he says taking these mental references and turning them into designs is about “developing the mental picture in my head”. “I have been involved in the fashion industry for a long time now and have a huge mental reference of the last 30 years of fashion.” When it comes to physical artefacts, Tim loves vintage clothing: “I buy a lot of vintage pieces, and will often take a mood from them.” 

Within Tim’s designs, resilience remains an important factor for both his menswear and womenswear collections. “All of my garments are made with really good fabric that I know is going to last, and I think that is really important. There are some pieces which you know are going to be season pieces. They may not be physically tired but you know that, visually, people will want to have moved on. As a designer, it’s important that the price of your garments is heavily reflected in terms of quality. Your clothes have got to last – if people are paying a lot of money for your designs, then the clothes have got to last.” 

While the turbulent economic climate continues to have an effect on the fashion industry, for Tim the ‘sale’ aspect is something that he takes into account when designing his collections: “The fashion industry is going through a tough time, the general economic situation is not good and that leads to stores being more conservative about what they sell and becoming ruthless if items aren’t selling. It has to be a business, so to a certain degree this can limit what you’re doing, as you need to acknowledge that you need to make money. Fashion isn’t fine art, it is making clothes for people; and if your clothes don’t sell, then you aren’t doing your job properly.”

Word by Katie Handy-Beith

katiehandybeith@gmail.com

My interview with Graduate Fashion Week chairman, Rob Templeman for Third Floor Publication

Recently appointed chairman of Graduate Fashion Week, Rob Templeman discusses his extensive retail experiences, Graduate Fashion Week and how businesses can succeed in the tough economic climate.

Rob Templeman is a widely respected businessman, perhaps best known for his positive work towards the turnaround of Debenhams during his time as chief executive of the company. More recently, Rob has been appointed chairman of the largest graduate fashion event in the world – Graduate Fashion Week (GFW). This year he will take over from Terry Mansfield CBE who has been chairman for the past seven years, and will be working with a fresh new team that Martyn Roberts, co-founder and director of Vauxhall Fashion Scout and newly appointed managing director of GFW, will overlook. This highly important fashion event gives graduating fashion students the opportunity to showcase their final collections and exhibit their portfolios, with the hope of kick-starting a career in the fashion industry. GFW is quite a contrast to Rob’s past accomplishments; previously he has spent time in senior management roles at both Homebase and Harvey’s. Rob is currently chairman of Gala Coral Group, the RAC and the British Retail Consortium, as well as a trustee for Children with Cancer. Through his commitment to the retail and fashion industry and his success at Debenhams, Rob was awarded the prestigious Draper’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011; this is a moment in his career of which he is very proud. Rob told Third Floor: “I was very proud to win that award and a lot of it is about having a good team around you.”

GFW is an important fashion event, with more than 40 UK and international universities showcasing their work; what led you to the role of chairman? 

Jeff Banks, one of the founders of Graduate Fashion Week, and I go back quite a few years and he approached me regarding the role. What appeals to me about Graduate Fashion Week is that it was initially put into place to help students and introduce them to the fashion industry as a whole, with the aim of helping them find work, whether it be in design, retailing or manufacturing. At the moment it is particularly hard for students and graduates to find work. I think that was the biggest drive for me, it was an opportunity to help. I also happen to have a daughter who is a fashion student, so it is very close to home.

This year you have taken over the role from the inspiring Terry Mansfield; how would you like to see Graduate Fashion Week progress this year? 

Terry has done a fantastic job; he has been the chairman for the last seven years, but moving forward we have a whole new team at GFW now. This year we are going to be based at Earl’s Court and it is going to be slightly different to previous years. I think the following year is when we are going to take Graduate Fashion Week to a slightly different dimension and bring it more central to London, and to perhaps widen it so it becomes the premier employment forum on the internet for graduates, as well as the shows and the events. I also think it is important to encourage the whole industry to participate a lot more in it.

With the current economic climate, it is a difficult time for young people graduating; what advice would you give to a young person delving into the fashion industry in order for them to succeed? 

Currently 1.5 million 16–24 year olds are out of work and I think that is a number that will continue to rise. I think the government needs to come together to help find these students and graduates and help them find work. The first advice I would give is that you need to decide what you want to do in the fashion industry, because there is a lot more work in the fashion industry than just being a designer, and other pathways can be incredibly rewarding and very well paid. Most people tend to look at Graduate Fashion Week centred just around the design side, and what we are trying to do now is encourage people to realise there is a much bigger world out there in the industry. Another bit of advice would also be work experience; it certainly helps to crystallise what it is you want to do as an individual.

What does fashion mean to you?

I think fashion is one of the most vibrant industries you could come into. It is all about the product, and the great thing about fashion is that it has no boundaries for talent, in terms of age and gender – anybody can make it as long as they have talent.

In the current economic climate, what do you think makes a company resilient?

The management of a company has a huge sway over the future and I think if you have forward-thinking management that can anticipate or predict what the future might hold, that is very key. Strong balance sheets are also extremely important and people that can interpret the consumer’s thoughts, as understanding the customer is absolutely key. I think what people want to see from management is a clear sense of direction and how you are going to deal with issues. I tend to take obstacles in my stride because it is a fact of retailing that you are going to face tough times.

What gives you hope for the future?

I am positive about the future; we have had two very tough years, but if you look at some of the commodity prices, they have come down. The government is doing a good job dealing with some of the deficits and the issue. As a nation, we are a nation of shoppers and we are resilient. Consumers have been a lot stronger over the last 18 months than people thought they would be.

Words by Katie Handy-Beith

Schon! Magazine #17 Ellen Von Unwerth

Schön! Magazine #17 Review

Top American fashion model, Crystal Renn graces the latest cover of Schön! Magazine. The striking image is one of the strongest covers to date and is certainly an eye-catching work of art. The bold image was shot by renowned fashion photographer Ellen Von Unwerth whose editorial work also features inside this issue of Schön!

Not only did Ellen’s work in this issue of Schön! stand out to me because I am a huge fan of her work and style of photography but also because of the insightful and meaningful interview with her by Saskia Reis. The questions she asked Ellen throughout the interview are really insightful and dig deep, giving the reader an in depth understanding into Ellen’s life and accomplishments to date. It has always fascinated me that Ellen Von Unwerth has had no training in photography and taught herself and to me, this is what makes her work so spectacular. As a reader learning about how Ellen’s interest in photography grew is both insightful and as a reader you feel you are getting to know her better; “My boyfriend was a photographer and he taught me how to print black and white pictures, that’s actually how I got into it”. Looking at Ellen’s work the extent of professionalism is evident throughout; it would never occur to me that she has no formal photographic training.

Following Saskia’s insightful interview with Ellen comes the outstanding editorial CHAMPION where Ellen shoots cover star, Crystal Renn. The styling by Brett Bailey compliments Ellen’s trademark style of pushing the boundaries when it comes to sexuality in her images. Ellen works in a way with her models that capture the models beauty in a way that perhaps male photographers don’t. This editorial uses an array of jewelry by Stephen Webster that adds an element of edgy aesthetic to the shoot. Brett Bailey’s styling is simply phenomenal with his intricate attention to detail and powerful statements.

The lighting on Ellen’s shoots is always so brilliantly crafted and with CHAMPION this is most certainly the case. Ellen’s trademark eroticism is brought into this editorial with playful nudity covering some of the pages. The pages are well balanced with a mixture of both black and white and colour photography, a style that has become popular with fashion editorials over the past couple of years. The black and white images speak for themselves but the editorial is broken up and its impact strengthened with colour photography.


Written by Katie Handy-Beith

Interview with footwear designer: Chi Yuen

Chi Yuen is a footwear designer who was born in Hong Kong. She studied for her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree at the School of Art Institute of Chicago and graduated with a degree in Fashion Design. She then went on to study MA Fashion Footwear at Cordwainer’s College of London. She has worked for Celine, Alexander Wang, Pollini and Nicholas Kirkwood. She is currently based in London, UK.

Third Floor’s features editor, Katie Handy-Beith was able to talk to Chi about her career and life…

Please tell us a bit more about yourself and why you chose to do a MA in fashion footwear.

Before I became a footwear designer, I specialized in womenswear fashion design, having obtained my Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Fashion Design at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I previously worked for Celine and Alexander Wang. I enrolled in the MA Fashion Footwear course at LCF to learn more about footwear design and to further develop my project management skills.

How do you think doing a masters helped you?

The MA made me more confident in my designs and it polished by project management skills.

When designing what are your main inspirations?

My main inspiration comes from my surroundings and seeing women with great styles. I also take inspiration from art and architecture.

I love your final MA collection, the attention to detail is fascinating. What was the main inspiration behind this collection?

The collection was inspired by surrealism with a focus on Oppenheim’s Fur Breakfast, Margritte’s Les Amants and Dali’s Persistence of Memory. Misplacement of texture and materials on ordinary objects provoke immediate responses because of its unordinary qualities.

What is your favorite part of the design process?

Putting the designs into production, seeing the finished product and knowing that the idea works.

When planning your designs, do you consider resilience and how long your designs will last?

It depends on the designs. Part of the collection is more dramatic and less wearable as they were aimed at attracting attention. The rest of the collection is designed to be more wearable.

Tell us a bit about the materials that you use.

The materials I used include high quality calfskin leather sponsored by Les Rives srl in Italy and mink fur sponsored by SAGA FURS in Denmark and vegetable tanned leather.

What can we expect from Chi Yuen in 2012?

I will be looking to work for other footwear brands and setting up my label to continue a few projects.

Are there any projects that you are currently working on?

I am starting on a commercial fusion line of my MA collection.

What does fashion mean to you in 2012?

Femininity.

How would you cope with a fashion crisis?

Put on a pair of high heel shoes. Height gives you confidence.

Being a fashion designer can understandably be stressful at times, how do you cope with this?

I usually watch a film that is unrelated to fashion, which takes my mind off my work.

Do you have any other interests in fashion design that you might pursue in the future?

I am also interested in bags and other accessories.

Tell me three things about your job that you love.

Creativity, developing designs into finished products and every project is different from the last.

Katy Perry goes burlesque for Inteview magazine.

Katy Perry look's astonishing on the front cover of Interview magazine, showing Russell Brand exactly what he is missing! I honestly thought it was Liz Hurley at a first glance. I love the use of colour on top of the black and white image, it really is eye-catching which is so important for a front cover. Photography: MIKAEL JANSSON