Why does Pandemonia get FROW?

As another fashion week passes yet more articles are published about the Front Row debate. It is becoming more and more likely that celebrities are just being payed to attend shows rather than for the love of fashion. With Rihanna reported to getting $100,000 dollars per appearance it's slowly ruining what fashion shows are about. Earlier in the year I started to look into the front row debate and became fascinated with Pandemonia Panacea who is a regular front row icon. Take a look at my article for Third Floor Publication earlier in the year.

Me and Pandemonia at LFW

Interview with fashion designer, Hasan Hejazi.

http://thirdfloorpublication.co.uk/ http://www.hasanhejazi.co.uk/

The Hasan Hejazi woman is confident, fun and powerful. Hasan discusses with Third Floor his opinion on the fashion industry and how to remain positive in this difficult climate.

Since graduating, up-and-coming womenswear designer Hasan Hejazi has already achieved a tremendous amount and shows no signs of slowing down. Hasan graduated two years ago from The London College of Fashion with a master’s in Fashion Design. His graduate collection consisted of glamorous and powerful evening gowns that combined decadent luxurious fabrics with an indigo colour palette. The collection was showcased at the V&A and soon after was selected and stocked in Harrods as part of the ‘Harrods Launches’ initiative. “My first collection got picked by Harrods and it sold really well, which was amazing.” Growing up, Hasan had a keen interest in fashion design and at a young age he began experimenting by sketching dresses. “When I was really young I started designing wedding dresses for my mum. She was already married though, so I’m not too sure why I did that.” Hasan’s passion for dresses still influences the main body of his work today, with his signature luxury gowns and dresses accounting for the majority of his designs.

When it comes to fashion design, Hasan has always been persistent and determined when it comes to fashion design: he applied to study at Manchester University and, after being knocked back the first time, he pursued his dream and a year later was finally accepted. After graduating from Manchester University, his talent was recognised by London College of Fashion and he secured a place on their master’s Fashion Design course.

Hasan’s design aesthetic combines luxury garments with a fresh sporty edge, and for him the strong relationship between celebrities and his brand is extremely important. When designing, Hasan has been known to name his dresses after the celebrities they have been inspired by: “One of the most inspirational women to me is Madonna, so I named one of the dresses M because I didn’t want to be too obvious about it.” Another dress, the ‘Kylie’, was navy and chiffon, and immediately Hasan thought it would suit the celebrity: “I found the e-mail address for Kylie’s stylist, William Baker, and he said they loved the collection and a fitting with Kylie was arranged. Unfortunately, Kylie wasn’t very well so the fitting didn’t go as well as planned. However, they told me she tried on one dress which she fell in love with and it turned out to be the dress I named after her, before she even knew what it was called!”

Kylie Minogue, Marina and the Diamonds, Fergie from The Black Eyed Peas and, more recently, Jessie J have previously worn Hasan’s designs. His garments have graced the pages of Dazed and Confused, Tank and Vogue India, and the highly respected photographer Rankin shot his Spring/Summer 2011 collection look book. Scott Clark, the stylist for Marina and the Diamonds, contacted Hasan about Marina wearing one of his designs for the NME music awards. Hasan and Scott built up a strong working relationship. Scott also happened to work as a stylist for Rankin’s shoots: “It all came about from connections and he loved what I did. I found myself completely star-struck by him.”

When talking about his typical customer, Hasan describes her as: “A woman who is sure about who she is. She is powerful, but sometimes she might feel more powerful by putting on one of my dresses. I get inspired by lots of different types of women.” For his second collection, Hasan decided to name his dresses after women that he has found inspirational throughout his life. “Sometimes I will design a dress and I think it would suit a certain celebrity or musician so for my second collection I decided to name all of my dresses.” During the design process, colours, as for any designer, are extremely important for the talented Hasan. It was after his graduate collection that he made the decision to include pink in every collection, and it is now established as his trademark colour. “Somebody once wrote that Valentino has his red and I have my pink. Pink can be really fun and sexy, and then really sophisticated at the same time. Last season, even if a dress was white or green, the lining was always bright pink; it is my trademark colour.”

Despite the current economic climate, Hasan remains optimistic and has a positive mind- set when it comes to designing. “To be creative doesn’t cost money; I love sketching and will happily sit and sketch away, although it can often be disheartening knowing some designs might not get made.” Offering advice to those starting out in the fashion industry, Hasan states: “If you haven’t got passion and designing isn’t something that excites you every minute of the day, I would say give up now.” However harsh a reality this may seem, Hasan’s passion for fashion design has had a huge impact on the success he continues to have today. “The fact that I love designing so much helps me stay positive and excited.” With regular celebrity commissions and private consultancies coming in thick and fast, Hasan has made the decision to go against the grain, taking a couple of seasons out to design what he wants and when he wants.

Words by Katie Handy-Beith

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

Graduate Fashion Week Day 4!

I had a brilliant day today at Graduate Fashion Week, helping out at Southampton Solent University's interesting stand. Created by the Fashion Management and Marketing students the stand certainly attracted the right crowd and was a great talking point! As a Fashion Photography Graduate of 2012 I thought I should do my bit my helping out at the stand and talking to possible students about the diverse range or courses at Southampton Solent. There was so much to do and see at Graduate Fashion Week and the 4 day long event really is a must for anyone Graduating next year. 

Southampton Solent University stand, 2012. 

Middle Image: Third Floor Publication.
Photography by Jennifer Frazer
Styling by Sophie Hawkes
http://www.thirdfloorpublication.co.uk/

Top Image: Photography by Nia Alexandra Baldwin
http://niaalexandra.4ormat.com/ 

Photography by Jade Kennedy
Model: Karla Kuhn

Photography by Holly Corsie

Third Floor Publication
Photography by Jennifer Frazer
Styling by Sophie Hawkes
http://www.thirdfloorpublication.co.uk/ 

Main Image: Photography by Nia Alexandra Baldwin
http://niaalexandra.4ormat.com/

Graduate Week as you may or may not know is sponsored by George @Asda this year. They had a lot organised for the week and events designed to help Graduate's from CV building to going through your portfolio.Today they also had Fashion Writer, Colin McDowell doing a Q&A session with the one and only Henry Holland! When I found this out my day was complete and I thought I had to abandone the Solent stand for a bit to go and see what Henry had to say and maybe even ask him a question myself. 

Left to right: Henry Holland, Colin McDowell and Hilary Alexander

Henry Holland at Graduate Fashion Week

Henry Holland at his Q&A session with Colin McDowell

To start with Colin McDowell asked Henry some questions of his own to give the audience an idea into the background of how Henry Holland originally went into print making, onto a journalism course and then his career as a designer. Then it was time for us to ask the questions but at first everyone seemed a bit reserved and shy. 

I finally plucked up the courage and asked Henry 'I have recently graduated in a Fashion Photography degree but I now want to become a fashion journalist, what advise would you give me in this difficult climate?'. 

I can't remember exactly what his answer was as I feeling a bit starstruck, but he told me to not be put off by the fact that my degree isn't in journalism and to get as much experience as possible. He said when interning he had a job working in a bar to make ends meet and he advised I did the same. By this point I was relieved that I was even chosen to ask a question! Of corse I forgot my camera so when I stopped Henry after the Q&A to get a picture, to my luck it was blurry!

 

Me and Fashion Designer, Henry Holland :)

Other highlights at GFW

While at GFW I also took the time to check out FamousForFifteen's pop up store in association with Elle. They are a new niche brand that provides unique, customised vintage clothing. Check out me at there pop up store today:

Me at FamousForFifteen's pop up store at GFW!

Draper's Press Board at GFW

Student's showcasing their work at GFW

Daphne Guiness at GFW Front Row

My favourite collection at GFW 2012

Caryn Franklin speaking at GFW 2012

Winner of the Gold Award 2012 went to Chloe Jones. http://www.artsthread.com/p/chloejones 

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

A picture within a picture..

Third Floor iPhone/iPad APP!

Third Floor Publication is a magazine/fashion publication that I have been working on over the past couple of months as Features Editor. Today this years iPad/iPhone app was launched and I must say it is very exciting! I don't have an iPad so haven't seen it on there yet but it is looking great on an iPhone.

If you have either an iPhone or iPad check it out for free now: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/thirdfloor/id528239516?mt=8

Southampton Solent Graduate Fashion Show.

Last night was Southampton Solent Graduate Fashion show part of Free Range at The Truman Brewery, Brick Lane. The whole event was a group event and  I was pleased to be part of the final product. As you may know I am Features Editor of Third Floor publication and we had a stand selling this years issue at the fashion show. At only £5 if you haven't got yours then get it soon, you won't be disappointed. www.thirdfloorpublication.co.uk

This year Third Floor featured visual merchandiser and chief expert Jonathan Baker and he attended the event. Read his blog post on the fashion show and also this years Third Floor:
http://www.retailstorewindows.com/2012/05/graduate-fashion-shows-2012.html. It was an honor to feature him this year and also to receive such great feedback from one of our contributors.

The designers that showcased their work at Truman Brewery were to of a high standard and the models hair and make up was all immaculate.  Overall it was a great event for all that attended. As well as a catwalk show there was also a selection of photography, promotion and graphics students final work displayed in a gallery.

Third Floor on the VIP Front Row.

Third Floor has arrived!!

I have finally finished my degree BA (Hons) in Fashion with Photography! It is such a good feeling yet scary as I now know that I have to find full time work and enter the world of the adults. No more Jeremy Kyle and student nights drinking £2 Jagabombs for me!

For my final major project I was hand-picked for the role of 'Features Editor' for Third Floor Publication, the insightful and innovative fashion memoir for creative individuals. 

Photography:Jennifer Frazer. Graphics: Sarah Morris Model: Nia Alexandra Baldwin

 This year I arranged interviews with various important people in the fashion industry for Third Floor: Alexis Knox, Jonathan Baker, Rob Templeman, Hasan Hejazi, Nikita Karizma, amongst many others. Last night was Southampton Solents Graduate Fashion show and Third Floor had a table at the event. Watch out, Third Floor is on sale from 1st of June 2012.

Right to left. Features Editor: Katie Handy-Beith (ME!) Stylist: Sophie Hawkes. Graphic Designer: Sarah Morris. PR/Project Manager: Emma Rehling. 

Website: www.thirdfloorpublication.co.uk

twitter: 3rd_Floor_

email: thirdfloor@live.co.uk

'A Picture within a picture'

Take a look at some pictures I have taken recently.

I love still life shoots and thinking of a concept to make the shoot interesting. This shoot was shot for Third Floor Publication (http://www.thirdfloorpublication.co.uk/).

Photographer: Katie Handy-Beith

Styling: Emma Rehling & Katie Handy-Beith

Take a look at my facebook page for other updates and pictures:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Katie-Handy-Beith-Fashion-Writing/170790226307828?ref=tn_tnmn

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.