Lulu Guinness x Joseph Steele

What a better way to fuse the world of art and fashion than by literally splatting some handbags with paint. For her latest project handbag designer Lulu Guinness collaborated with artist Joseph Steele to create a range of limited edition handbags, using her design expertise and his chaotic style. What's even better is Grazia invited me and my crazy friend Nicola along to enjoy the launch party. After a catch up over a glass of wine or two, myself and Nicola headed to the Old Sorting Office not quite sure what to expect. With unlimited vodka/redbull cocktails, live photo shoots and a very exclusive crowd I knew this was going to be a great night. Known for her luxury lip shaped clutch and handbags Lulu Guinness pushes the boundaries within her designs, perhaps one of the reasons she is so successful. I spotted three of my style crush's Jamella Jamil, Laura Whitmore and Angela Scanlon all under one roof. After leaving the party and a night cap or three, it's safe to say myself and Nicola weren't feeling too fresh the next day.

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Tramp in Disguise A/W 13

Some designers own experiences influence them, others look towards the streets. For Tramp in Disguise A/W '13 collection the book 'One Thousand and One Nights' forms the inspiration behind the collection entitled 'Arabian Nights'. The story tells the story of a Persian king who marries a succession of virgins who he then executes because he suspects their fidelity. He then marries a women called Scheherazade who begins their marriage by telling the king a tale- but when she doesn't complete the story the king, curious to here the conclusion, postpones her execution. Her story telling continues for 1,001 nights covering everything from historical tales to burlesques and various forms of erotica. 'Arabian Night's features print motifs drawn from these tales and includes daggers, mosques, architectural geometric patterns and belly dancing clothing. 

Tell us a bit about Tramp In Disguise. How did the brand begin? 

 I started Tramp In Disguise in 2010 after finishing an MA in Fashion knitwear design at the Royal College of Art.

Your latest collection 'Arabian Night's in inspired by the book One Thousand and One Nights. What made you turn to literature as inspiration? 

I wanted to do an Arabian themed collection and I remembered this book from my childhood and started to read it for inspiration. It’s always good to design from a story where you can take inspiration from many things, so you will create something unique and unexpected.

Your designs are full of wonderful patterns and luxurious fabrics, where do you source your fabrics? The prints are designed by me, so I source the fabrics for printing normally from the print manufacturer’s selection. I do normally use silk, wool and cotton fabrics.

How do you engage with your target audience? Is Social Media Important to you? 

I wasn’t so big of a user on social media before but it’s really important now. In today’s world social media has got a great importance to engage audience. 

You work a lot of color within your collections. What colours will you be wearing this Summer? 

The colours I wear depend on my mood in the morning. If I’m on a good mood I wear bright colours if I feel tired or more serious I often wear dark colours. I don’t follow trends in regards to the colours that I wear.
  

What does the future hold for Tramp in Disguise? 

We have a fully sponsored catwalk show in Croatia in Zagreb fashion week in May. We are launching our diffusion line My Galavant also in May, so we’ll be working with two lines in the future.

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Aqua PR Press Day

I have been so busy working full time that not only have I not been blogging very often but I haven't been able to attend many press days this season. With an invite to the Aqua PR press day at the Radisson Blu Hampshire in Leicester Square, I knew I had to attend. What is great about Aqua PR is the diversity of the brands they cater, with everything from beauty and fashion to home interiors. 

The team at Aqua believe in looking at the bigger picture when it comes to fashion PR and offer a great service for brands with that added extra touch. The location, choice of brands and of course the goody bag were all fantastic!  The Goody bag is the best part of press days and featuring Smooch Cosmetics, W7 Make Up and Sranron I was very impressed.

Smooch Cosmetics offer a great range of make-up from great shades of lipsticks to nail varnish. Their new collection is beautiful and if I must say some shades are very similar to mac (a cheaper alternative-you heard it here first!).

The Spring '13 Collection by Lisbeth Dahl will add that girly edge to your house this spring. With beautiful floral prints and pastel colours it gives you a perfect excuse to throw a tea party filled with cupcakes. Now all we need is this beautiful weather to stay with us a while longer.

I fell in love with this bag at the Aqua PR press day and I must say I am still thinking about it. The on trend tangerine shade and the simplicity in it's design makes it a summer essential. A girl can never have too many bags, shoes or clothes, no matter what your boyfriend may say!

As well as homeware Lisbeth Dahl also makes beautiful umbrellas, jewellery and bags. Although I'm hoping we won't need the use of our umbrellas too much until winter.

All pictures are via Instagram | katiehandybeith

Aqua PR

My Interview with Proudlock

You probably best know Proudlock from his role in hit tv show 'Made In Chelsea', but with a background in fine art and a successful fashion business; Serge DeNimes, proudlock has so much more to offer than your average reality tv star. I first met Proudlock at his 'bloggers breakfast' last December and have been closely following the progress and movements of the brand ever since. Last week Ollie presented 'Proudlock's Carnival '86' at Intimate Modern to showcase some of his mum, Lena Proudlock's photography from Rio in the seventies. Photography from the book Rio Carnival has then been transferred onto a range of t-shirts and jumpers for Serge DeNimes. I popped down to Intimate Modern to spend an evening with other likeminded journalists, bloggers and the odd Made In Chelsea star thrown in for good measure. I met Proudlock to talk Serge DeNimes, his collaborations, and the use of denim in his designs in the very near future.

You have a background in fine art, how do you think this benefits the brand?

I've specified in art since I was about thirteen, through my mum I am a very creative person. Even when I used to paint and create stuff on canvas and have exhibitions I always used to print my stuff onto t-shirts as well. From a young age I was always linking art and fashion, so for me as apposed to putting my creativity onto canvas by using paint, I'm just doing it in a slightly different art form. It was a really natural development so for me it just felt right and I hope that that benefits the brand. The three most important things for the brand are music, art and fashion. Serge isn't just about fashion, it's about a lifestyle and I want the brand to act as a platform for up-and-coming musicians, artists and designers. We have recently started Serge OffBeat Sessions, we find unsigned acts and musicians, we shoot them in a cool location on Shoreditch High Street. We lots of people coming down to the event they wear the clothes and then play some great music. For me being able to do other things not just designing the clothes makes the brand stronger and builds a community. Bringing everything back to creativity to me is important.

You must be so proud to have your mum's photography on one of your collections.

Yeah I have my mums photography in my Rio collection and it's great because ultimately all of my creativity comes from her. This whole thing is mainly about my mums photography rather than the clothes. We obviously have a little pop up shop down here at the moment so it's about merging the two. For me obviously the story behind that first collection and the Rio collection has come from my mum and her first husband when they went to Rio in the Seventies. They made this amazing book and I've always just been in love with it and thought the images were amazing. I've always wanted to do something with them and for me to be able to do a small collection and push this whole Rio theme is great. I wanted to put on this show for mum and showcase some of her original art works and showcase them in an art form and show people where the images came from. The event last week was a great turn out and everyone had a great time.

Tell us a bit about your collaboration with Oliver Sweeney.

I've built a brand under my own name, Oliver Proudlock where I will be doing a lot of design collaborations and this will be my first one, with Oliver Sweeney. I set up my style blog last year, it's a really simple concept, a different look each day. I wanted to do it to show that I have my own kind of style and to build relationships with other brands. The Oliver Sweeney collaboration actually came about thanks to my style blog. They were interested in getting some stuff to me to wear on the blog and from their I built a great relationship with the brand. It's great now to see the products and the samples, the attention to detail and the quality of the product is just amazing. They will be available to pre-order at the end of April and then they will be in stores in May. We are shooting the campaign at the end of the month, which I will be modelling in. It's nice to do something slightly different and it gives me an insight into different products. Later down the line if I want to start doing shoes for Serge DeNimes then I have a great insight into the process.

So what can we expect from your new collection?

Our new collection is slightly bigger, we still are continuing with our t-shirt ranges and we have extended some of them. We now have the cross range, our logo t-shirts, and our good life tee's. Then we started on sweatshirts , we have been playing around with floral prints and printing on the sleeves etc. We have our beanies and jewellery and our new snapbacks which come out at the end of this week. I didn't want to overload everyone with too much stuff, I want the brand to organically grow. I love working on new products and for the winter I want to start looking at bomber jackets and what I really want to start focusing on is using the material denim.

How do you plan to incorporate denim within your designs?

We are slowly touching upon using denim now as in the future we want to be a denim based brand. We are starting off with snapbacks that are all made of denim and then add denim touches to t-shirts and sweatshirts. We want to slowly add little bits of denim and then eventually just work with denim and eventually go into jeans. I just wanted to establish the brand on one product, which was the t-shirt, something that I'm really familiar with and then slowly build up the brand. I think working with jeans and denim is a big task in itself and to just all of a sudden bring out jeans wouldn't be good.

How is everything going with the brand?

The brand is going well the brand awareness is picking up and we are getting into a lot more stores. The brand is moving in the direction and at the speed that I can control. I think as soon as you get to the point where you can't control it, it starts to go downhill. Especially with online sales and with social media if things don't go well people can destroy your brand. At the moment I am happy with the way it's going. Maybe when some of the other things I'm doing starts to slow down then we can think about taking it to the next level.

Do you like to keep your role in Made in Chelsea separate to the brand?

Yes I definitely want to keep them separate as they are very different but at the same time I recognise that I need to use the profile that I've got from the show to push the brand. They are separate entities but they are two major parts of my life and I have to use them to help each other. It is hard to keep the two separate and trying to find the right balance.

Interview by Katie Handy-Beith

Takin' care of business

 

Even though I don't regularly practice as a photographer my degree in Fashion with Photography keeps me interested in the latest editorials, adverts and fashion films. There are a lot of talented photographers and stylists out there but often the concepts behind the editorials lack imagination and blend in amongst the rest. However, when I saw 'Takin' care of business' for Bon Magazine I loved it. 7 women are styled in their usual attire for work and an image of their work place is posted opposite. I'm not sure that my mechanic looks quite so stylish when I pop in for my yearly MOT but the juxtaposition of the contrasting images works brilliantly. The simplicity in the styling and the layout adds to the impact of the concept. Well done Bon Magazine- a great editorial.

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London Fashion Week A/W '13. Pringle of Scotland

When I found out I was covering Pringle of Scotland, Autumn/Winter 2013 show for Who's Jack Magazine I couldn't wait. It was a presentation and not a catwalk show, but this isn't always a bad thing. There may not be the same type of buzz that you get at catwalk shows, trying to snap your pictures quickly and get a glimpse of the FROW. Saying that presentations are obviously more resilient in our economic climate, and so much more informal. Arriving an hour after the presentation begun it was peak time as the gallery was very busy. The Autumn/Winter 2013 collection was beautiful, and the great thing about a presentation is you have the time to appreciate each garment and of course take some great pictures. I wanted to share with you some of my photos from the Pringle of Scotland collection  let me know what you think.

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London Fashion Week. A/W '13 Day 3 Highlights

Day 3 was another busy day at London Fashion Week, with British designers brimming with talent and imagination once again. Mary Katrantzou was the show I had personally been waiting for after her amazing Spring/Summer 2013 collection, filled with stirking prints and bold colours. I can gladly say she didn't dissapoint with her Autumn/Winter 2013 collection either with lots of what she does best, dresses and mesmerising prints. The collection inspired by landscapes would probably suit a Parisian Autumn/Winter than a British one, but even so I can't get enough of Mary Katrantzou. 

Preen's Autumn/Winter was once again absolutely stunning with every piece as beautiful as the next. Although at a first glance it might not be obvious but Preen are showing that punk is more certainly not dead, showing punk in a more glamourous form. There was lot's of leather and tartan mixed with leopard print (yes we aren't too sure either), but somehow the collection worked so well. Preen showed us once again that embellishment is set to be huge this Autumn/Winter 2013. Everyone got a great view of not only the collection but also of London, did I mention the location was the very high in the sky, Heron Tower?

Topshop Unique show is always a very popular event for stars and fashionistas alike, and for the Autumn/Winter 2013 collection this was no different. With the likes of Olivia Palermo (in my perfect FROW), Pixie Geldof, Kate Bosworth and Daisy Lowe in amongst the well known faces on the FROW it was set to be a great show. With Topshop and Topman catwalk collection there is always so much to choose from, they never push the boundaries too far, but for the high street brand to bring consistency each season works so well. There was a lot of colour, PVC and oversized coats, perfect for your winter wardrobes. It was another very successful show for Topshop Unique.

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London Fashion Week. A/W '13 Day 2 Highlights

As part of the NEWGEN sponsorship J.JS Lee's last collection got great reviews making the Autumn/Winter collection a highly anticipated event. With J.JS Lee less is definitely more taking a sharp approach to tailoring for the modern women. The pastel colours of pink and blue stood out diffused by simple all black and white outfits. The collection was inspired by 'the innocence and purity of clouds and shadows from the window view of an airplane', explaining the great choice of pastel colours. The Saint Martin graduate shows that she is taking a consistence approach to her designs but in this instance steering away from O.T.T is a great choice. 

Clashing of colours and lots of prints, from leopard to floral, were huge for Sister by Sibling this season. Chunky neck pieces and headgear were hugely popular for the Sister by Sibling known best for their knitwear pieces. After making a huge name for themselves at London Collections: Men earlier in the year, their designs that push the boundaries for knitwear have everyone talking about them once again. The show opened with the one and only Cara Delevigne, we'd love to know which show she isn't covering this fashion week? Another great collection, you go sister!

‘This season we wanted to explore the idea of Paula Yates’ feminine sexuality,’

House of Holland is always a catwalk favourite of mine, especially spotting Henrys very exclusive friends on the FROW. There were some extraordinary pieces in the Autumn/ Winter collection that was bursting with a seventies vibe. Some outfits looked like they had been fast forwarded straight from the seventies and others that had been updated with a modern edge. My favourite pieces were those embellished with gems and 'H' logos for Henry Holland himself. I personally cannot wait for the pink embellished jumper to be on sale!

Photography by Catwalking.

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London Fashion Week A/W '13. Apu Jan

Today is Day 1 of London Fashion Week and each season seems more exciting than the last. Following on from London Collection's I will be covering London Fashion Week for Who's Jack again so make sure to check out the website for updates!! My favourite show of the day was Apu Jan, a Taiwanese designer who studied in London but still uses the East as inspirations for his collections. His Autumn/Winter 2013 Collection entitled 'petroleum' ran veryyyy behind but it was well worth the wait.. I thought I would share with you a couple of pictures.. They were taken on my iphone so sorry about the quality but I still think you can get a feel for the collection, which was showcased for Fashion Scout at Freemason's Hall.

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Valentine's Giveaway with W7 Make Up

It's January everyone is a bit strapped for cash, what better than a giveaway? I have teamed up with W7 Make up to launch my first ever beauty giveaway just in time for Valentine's Day. It's simple all you have to do is follow the instructions below, and one lucky winner will be announced on the 13th of February. So if you don't have a date planned for Valentine's Day-don't worry you may have some lovely make up on it's way to you. The W7 Make Up Goody Bag includes:

-3 x nail varnishes

-2 x lipsticks

-1 x mascara

-1 x liquid eye liner

-1 x bronzer (not in picture)

Good Luck x

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Juergen Teller-Woo

For those of you feeling a little glum because Tim Walker's 'storyteller' exhibition has now ended, don't worry Juergen Teller's exhibition at Institute of Contemporary Arts is now open! The artist and photographer is best known for his portraits of Vivienne Westwood, Lily Cole and Kurt Cobain, as well as shooting most of the advertising for Marc Jacobs, Helmut Lang and Celine. 

Juergen Teller-Woo

23 January 2013-17 March 2013

Institute of Contemporary Arts

The Mall, London SW1Y 5AH

Free Admission

Closest Tube: Charring Cross

The exhibition opens with a very open view of Dame Vivienne Westwood herself. It's not exactly how every 71 year old would like to be portrayed but it looked and felt so right. Vivienne Westwood was very much a part of the punk genre and has a typical 'I don't care' attitude. I think it's brilliant that at her age she has the confidence to bare all in from of the huge amount of people who will visit the exhibition. 

 What is brilliant about Juergen Teller's work is that it is so versatile but always fascinating. Whether he is photographing Kate Moss or a cute kitten there each image is as brilliant as the next. As well as exhibition space Juergen Teller's work took up 'The Fox Reading Room' at ICA. It was a room with top to bottom Juergen Teller tear out's from some of his most well known photography and advertising campaigns. The only grime I had about the exhibition was this room was far too small, apart from that it is a brilliant day out and it is FREE!

I would definitely recommend visiting the Juergen Teller exhibition on a week day as it will be a lot quieter. It is a brilliant exhibition for anyone interested in fashion or photography and shows some of Juergen Teller's best work. Be warned there is ALOT of nudity!! Also you are not actually allowed to take pictures, so you have to get your iphone out and take them on the sly. A girl there had a disposable camera and I thought this was a brilliant way to get some pictures that will actually look half decent. I will definitely keep this in mind in the future! Let me know if you go to the exhibition and what you think.

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