Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week A/W 2011 Catwalk Review: Joanne Hynes and Helen Steele

Find Your Feet Outsider. All photography by Amelia Gregory.
By Stamo A/W 2011 by Rebecca Strickson
By Stamo A/W 2011 by Rebecca Strickson.

On Sunday 13th March Find Your Feet hosted an ethical fashion show at the Mint Leaf restaurant in the Haymarket. I was invited to donate a copy of Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration for We Are What We Wear by the show stylist, information pills the lovely Zoe Robinson of Think Style – a women with many sustainable strings to her bow. She works as an actress, medications a writer (for Egg Mag) and an ethical image consultant.

Amelia's Compendium of Fashion Illustration Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet Honey's Dance Academy, Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet Honey's Dance Academy, Photography by Amelia GregoryBollywood dancing by Jane Young
Bollywood dancing from Honey’s Dance Academy by Jane Young.

We were treated to some very energetic Bollywood dancing thanks to Honey’s Dance Academy, followed by two short catwalk shows which took place on walkways surrounding the sunken restaurant. Models included youngsters and a couple of more mature women from Close Models, which provided a really uplifting touch.

Find Your Feet-Junky Styling. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Junky Styling. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Junky Styling. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Junky Styling. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Find Your Feet-People Tree. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-People Tree. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-People Tree. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-People Tree. Photography by Amelia Gregory
People Tree.

Find Your Feet-Bhavna. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Bhavna. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Bhavna. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Bhavna.

During the first show we saw a fabulous multi layered pink maxi dress from ACOFI featured designer Junky Styling, cute dresses from People Tree, embellished bamboo dresses from Bhavna, and gorgeous silk classics from Outsider, who I discovered at Ecoluxe this season.

Find Your Feet- Amisha, Zoe, Orsola and the kids. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Amisha, Zoe, Orsola and the kids.

As I had a bar ticket I was able to roam around, and between shows sat with Zoe, Amisha Ghadalli, Maria Papadimitriou of Slowly the Eggs/Plastic Seconds and Orsola de Castro of From Somewhere, who was entertaining her young daughter and her friend. We ate some yummy canapes and watched a magician bend forks, then a Find Your Feet ambassador described the work done by this charity, which includes helping to fund sustainable farming practices. Fittingly, she described how a group of women in rural India bandied together to make the most of the mint growing on local farms – they now have a successful essential oil business.

Find Your Feet-magician. Photography by Amelia Gregory
The magician entertains the kids.

Find Your Feet- Charley Speed and bottle top bag. Photography by Amelia Gregory.Find Your Feet- Charley Speed and bottle top bag. Photography by Amelia Gregory.
Charley Speed and bottle top bag.

Then it was on to the auction, where any mention of my book was usurped by the lure of a People Tree dress, as worn by a celebrity (Livia Firth) – the heavily make-up caked presenter Charley Speed dashing maniacally around the room to squeeze as much money as possible out of the generous crowd. The whole lot (including a bottle top bag) went for £300, and I can only hope that the recipient appreciated my donation because he probably had no clue what it was.

Ada Zanditon S/S 2011 by Gareth A Hopkins
Ada Zanditon S/S 2011 by Gareth A Hopkins.

From Somewhere by Gareth A Hopkins
From Somewhere by Gareth A Hopkins.

Round two featured three Amelia’s Magazine favourites from ACOFI: off-cut drama courtesy of From Somewhere, amazing sculptural pieces from Ada Zanditon and colourful dresses with sunflower decorations from By Stamo. There was also some playful printed dresses from Love Phool.
Find Your Feet-From Somewhere. Photography by Amelia Gregory
From Somewhere.

Find Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Ada Zanditon S/S 2011.

Find Your Feet-Lovephool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Love Phool.

Find Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia Gregory
By Stamo A/W 2011.

By Stamo A/W 2011 by Maria del Carmen Smith
By Stamo A/W 2011 by Maria del Carmen Smith
By Stamo A/W 2011 by Maria del Carmen Smith.

A range of ethical accessories were used to style the show, amongst them some old favourites: LeJu, Nina Dolcetti and Joanna Cave… and some new discoveries: Meher Kakalia, who adapts ancient shoemaking techniques from her home town of Karachi to create modern footwear in Brixton, and Kumvana Gomani, who creates delicate jewellery out of plastic waste.

Exposing ethical design to more people and raising money for sustainable projects are good things to do, but We Aren’t JUST What We Wear, we are also What We Do in every aspect of life. On my return home I was somewhat saddened to read about a couple of other auction sponsors: it was also possible to win a test track experience with Jaguar or a BMW for the weekend. There is a distinct lack of joined up thinking in ethical practice: a Mint Leaf waiter could not tell me whether the chicken they served us was freerange or organic.

We Are What We Wear was a massive success: raising over £10,000 to support sustainable weaving projects in India, but I wish that there was more recognition within the charity sector that sustainable practice involves more than donating money for dinner to support those less fortunate on the other side of the world, it’s about a holistic way of being. Within this world view I do not include hyping the desirability of extremely expensive energy guzzling cars. Needless to say, mine was the only bike tied up outside the Mint Leaf restaurant.

By Stamo A/W 2011 by Rebecca Strickson
By Stamo A/W 2011 by Rebecca Strickson.

On Sunday 13th March Find Your Feet hosted an ethical fashion show at the Mint Leaf restaurant in the Haymarket. I was invited to donate a copy of Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration for We Are What We Wear by the show stylist, diagnosis the lovely Zoe Robinson of Think Style – a women with many sustainable strings to her bow. She works as an actress, abortion a writer (for Egg Mag) and an ethical image consultant.

Amelia's Compendium of Fashion Illustration Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet Honey's Dance Academy, <a target=order Photography by Amelia Gregory” title=”Find Your Feet Honey’s Dance Academy, Photography by Amelia Gregory” width=”480″ height=”320″ class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-38157″ />Find Your Feet Honey's Dance Academy, Photography by Amelia GregoryBollywood dancing by Jane Young
Bollywood dancing from Honey’s Dance Academy by Jane Young.

We were treated to some very energetic Bollywood dancing thanks to Honey’s Dance Academy, followed by two short catwalk shows which took place on walkways surrounding the sunken restaurant. Models included youngsters and a couple of more mature women from Close Models, which provided a really uplifting touch.

Find Your Feet-Junky Styling. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Junky Styling. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Junky Styling. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Junky Styling. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Find Your Feet-People Tree. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-People Tree. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-People Tree. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-People Tree. Photography by Amelia Gregory
People Tree.

Find Your Feet-Bhavna. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Bhavna. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Bhavna. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Bhavna.

Find Your Feet Outsider. All photography by Amelia Gregory.
Outsider.

During the first show we saw a fabulous multi layered pink maxi dress from ACOFI featured designer Junky Styling, cute dresses from People Tree, embellished bamboo dresses from Bhavna, and gorgeous silk classics from Outsider, who I discovered at Ecoluxe this season.

Find Your Feet- Amisha, Zoe, Orsola and the kids. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Amisha, Zoe, Orsola and the kids.

As I had a bar ticket I was able to roam around, and between shows sat with Zoe, Amisha Ghadalli, Maria Papadimitriou of Slowly the Eggs/Plastic Seconds and Orsola de Castro of From Somewhere, who was entertaining her young daughter and her friend. We ate some yummy canapes and watched a magician bend forks, then a Find Your Feet ambassador described the work done by this charity, which includes helping to fund sustainable farming practices. Fittingly, she described how a group of women in rural India bandied together to make the most of the mint growing on local farms – they now have a successful essential oil business.

Find Your Feet-magician. Photography by Amelia Gregory
The magician entertains the kids.

Find Your Feet- Charley Speed and bottle top bag. Photography by Amelia Gregory.Find Your Feet- Charley Speed and bottle top bag. Photography by Amelia Gregory.
Charley Speed and bottle top bag.

Then it was on to the auction, where any mention of my book was usurped by the lure of a People Tree dress, as worn by a celebrity (Livia Firth) – the heavily make-up caked presenter Charley Speed dashing maniacally around the room to squeeze as much money as possible out of the generous crowd. The whole lot (including a bottle top bag) went for £300, and I can only hope that the recipient appreciated my donation because he probably had no clue what it was.

Ada Zanditon S/S 2011 by Gareth A Hopkins
Ada Zanditon S/S 2011 by Gareth A Hopkins.

From Somewhere by Gareth A Hopkins
From Somewhere by Gareth A Hopkins.

Round two featured three Amelia’s Magazine favourites from ACOFI: off-cut drama courtesy of From Somewhere, amazing sculptural pieces from Ada Zanditon and colourful dresses with sunflower decorations from By Stamo. There was also some playful printed dresses from Love Phool.
Find Your Feet-From Somewhere. Photography by Amelia Gregory
From Somewhere.

Find Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Ada Zanditon S/S 2011.

Find Your Feet-Lovephool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Love Phool.

Find Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia Gregory
By Stamo A/W 2011.

By Stamo A/W 2011 by Maria del Carmen Smith
By Stamo A/W 2011 by Maria del Carmen Smith
By Stamo A/W 2011 by Maria del Carmen Smith.

A range of ethical accessories were used to style the show, amongst them some old favourites: LeJu, Nina Dolcetti and Joanna Cave… and some new discoveries: Meher Kakalia, who adapts ancient shoemaking techniques from her home town of Karachi to create modern footwear in Brixton, and Kumvana Gomani, who creates delicate jewellery out of plastic waste.

Exposing ethical design to more people and raising money for sustainable projects are good things to do, but We Aren’t JUST What We Wear, we are also What We Do in every aspect of life. On my return home I was somewhat saddened to read about a couple of other auction sponsors: it was also possible to win a test track experience with Jaguar or a BMW for the weekend. There is a distinct lack of joined up thinking in ethical practice: a Mint Leaf waiter could not tell me whether the chicken they served us was freerange or organic.

We Are What We Wear was a massive success: raising over £10,000 to support sustainable weaving projects in India, but I wish that there was more recognition within the charity sector that sustainable practice involves more than donating money for dinner to support those less fortunate on the other side of the world, it’s about a holistic way of being. Within this world view I do not include hyping the desirability of extremely expensive energy guzzling cars. Needless to say, mine was the only bike tied up outside the Mint Leaf restaurant.

By Stamo A/W 2011 by Rebecca Strickson
By Stamo A/W 2011 by Rebecca Strickson.

On Sunday 13th March Find Your Feet hosted an ethical fashion show at the Mint Leaf restaurant in the Haymarket. I was invited to donate a copy of Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration for We Are What We Wear by the show stylist, dosage the lovely Zoe Robinson of Think Style – a women with many sustainable strings to her bow. She works as an actress, health a writer (for Egg Mag) and an ethical image consultant.

Amelia's Compendium of Fashion Illustration Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet Honey's Dance Academy, Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet Honey's Dance Academy, Photography by Amelia GregoryBollywood dancing by Jane Young
Bollywood dancing from Honey’s Dance Academy by Jane Young.

We were treated to some very energetic Bollywood dancing thanks to Honey’s Dance Academy, followed by two short catwalk shows which took place on walkways surrounding the sunken restaurant. Models included youngsters and a couple of more mature women from Close Models, which provided a really uplifting touch.

Find Your Feet-Junky Styling. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Junky Styling. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Junky Styling. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Junky Styling. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Find Your Feet-People Tree. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-People Tree. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-People Tree. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-People Tree. Photography by Amelia Gregory
People Tree.

Find Your Feet-Bhavna. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Bhavna. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Bhavna. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Bhavna.

Find Your Feet Outsider. All photography by Amelia Gregory.
Outsider.

During the first show we saw a fabulous multi layered pink maxi dress from ACOFI featured designer Junky Styling, cute dresses from People Tree, embellished bamboo dresses from Bhavna, and gorgeous silk classics from Outsider, who I discovered at Ecoluxe this season.

Find Your Feet- Amisha, Zoe, Orsola and the kids. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Amisha, Zoe, Orsola and the kids.

As I had a bar ticket I was able to roam around, and between shows sat with Zoe, Amisha Ghadalli, Maria Papadimitriou of Slowly the Eggs/Plastic Seconds and Orsola de Castro of From Somewhere, who was entertaining her young daughter and her friend. We ate some yummy canapes and watched a magician bend forks, then a Find Your Feet ambassador described the work done by this charity, which includes helping to fund sustainable farming practices. Fittingly, she described how a group of women in rural India bandied together to make the most of the mint growing on local farms – they now have a successful essential oil business.

Find Your Feet-magician. Photography by Amelia Gregory
The magician entertains the kids.

Find Your Feet- Charley Speed and bottle top bag. Photography by Amelia Gregory.Find Your Feet- Charley Speed and bottle top bag. Photography by Amelia Gregory.
Charley Speed and bottle top bag.

Then it was on to the auction, where any mention of my book was usurped by the lure of a People Tree dress, as worn by a celebrity (Livia Firth) – the presenter Charley Speed dashing maniacally around the room to squeeze as much money as possible out of the generous crowd. The whole lot (including a bottle top bag) went for £300, and I can only hope that the recipient appreciated my donation because he probably had no clue what it was.

Ada Zanditon S/S 2011 by Gareth A Hopkins
Ada Zanditon S/S 2011 by Gareth A Hopkins.

Round two featured three Amelia’s Magazine favourites from ACOFI: off-cut drama courtesy of From Somewhere, amazing sculptural pieces from Ada Zanditon and colourful dresses with sunflower decorations from By Stamo. There was also some playful printed dresses from Love Phool.

From Somewhere by Gareth A Hopkins
From Somewhere by Gareth A Hopkins.

Find Your Feet-From Somewhere. Photography by Amelia Gregory
From Somewhere.

Find Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Ada Zanditon. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Ada Zanditon S/S 2011.

Find Your Feet-Lovephool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-Love Phool. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Love Phool.

Find Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia GregoryFind Your Feet-By Stamo. Photography by Amelia Gregory
By Stamo A/W 2011.

A range of ethical accessories were used to style the show, amongst them some old favourites: LeJu, Nina Dolcetti and Joanna Cave… and some new discoveries: Meher Kakalia, who adapts ancient shoemaking techniques from her home town of Karachi to create modern footwear in Brixton, and Kumvana Gomani, who creates delicate jewellery out of plastic waste.

By Stamo A/W 2011 by Maria del Carmen SmithBy Stamo A/W 2011 by Maria del Carmen Smith
By Stamo A/W 2011 by Maria del Carmen Smith.

Exposing ethical design to more people and raising money for sustainable projects are good things to do, but We Aren’t JUST What We Wear, we are also What We Do in every aspect of life. On my return home I was somewhat saddened to read about a couple of other auction sponsors: it was also possible to win a test track experience with Jaguar or a BMW for the weekend. There is a distinct lack of joined up thinking in ethical practice: a Mint Leaf waiter could not tell me whether the chicken they served us was freerange or organic.

We Are What We Wear was a massive success: raising over £10,000 to support sustainable weaving projects in India, but I wish that there was more recognition within the charity sector that sustainable practice involves more than donating money for dinner to support those less fortunate on the other side of the world, it’s about a holistic way of being. Within this world view I do not include hyping the desirability of extremely expensive energy guzzling cars. Needless to say, mine was the only bike tied up outside the Mint Leaf restaurant.

Rebekka Karijord by Karolina Burdon
Illustration by Karolina Burdon

When you have the radio on all the time, viagra sale it’s inevitable that you will discover new things. I discovered Rebekka Karijord when I was baking a Nigella Lawson chocolate cake for my boyfriend. The notepad next to the radio was left heavily smudged with chocolate as I scrawled her name down before it left my thoughts and sailed off onto the ‘wish I could remember island’. If you are fond of a female artist, piano notes and heart felt lyrics, you might like Karijord too. She’s smokey, delicate and sounds as if she is singing only for herself. The audience a dark blue mist, she is alone on a long boat sailing along the river of her thoughts, with only the midnight blue sky comforting her. Karijord disarms you almost on her first note. Her own honesty is just off uncomfortably raw. Perfect.

rebekka-karijord-1

Rebekka Karijord was born in 1976 to two artists. Although born in Norway, she moved no less than 17 times before she hit the age of 18. She composed her first song at aged three, recording her fist demo with her own written songs, when she was eight. She began learning the violin and piano from five years old and started composing in English at 12. Later she attended the Norwegian Musical Theatre, Academy of ballet and the Royal Academy of Acting in Stockholm.

Her family are Swedish, and she feels as if she is both Norwegian and Swedish, but it is inevitable she would feel slightly confused after moving constantly from birth. However she eventually set down solid roots in Sweden’s Stockholm, after releasing two albums; Neophyte and Good or Goodbye, and travelling the world. Karijord wrote and recorded ‘The Noble Art of Letting Go’ in various locations around the woods and city of Stockholm. There is no denying the heartbreak and fear in the notes.

Gareth A Hopkins Rebekka Karijord
Illustration by Gareth A Hopkins

Rebekka made a statement years ago, saying she never just wanted to be able to sing beautifully, her desire has always been to project a story as well. This she clearly does with every song in ‘The Noble Art Of Letting Go’. As I pottered around my kitchen, the wind whipping up outside, I felt the ache of understanding, empathy and sadness. We all know that facing our buried ghosts and hidden distresses is what we should do. But when unguarded in a safe place, to hear a song that brings these buried thoughts to the surface without warning, is a shock and a liberation. Perfect for seeing the leafless back of winter and sitting within spring’s rebirthing attributes. Getting the self ready to make a whole host of mistakes to mull over when the clouds darken again.

Rebekka

Wear it Like A Crown, The Noble Art of Letting Go and Paperboy are three of my personal favourites from the album. The former two are serious, full of high, slow notes and the piano- soft, cantering and adding the necessary punctuation. They are both centered very much around rejection, fear and following the heart. In contrast to the piano’s melancholy, Paperboy’s harp is as light as cherry blossom. Yet, like all the tracks there is heartbreak in the lyrics. Parking Lot is a jumpier song, depicting love, hopes and dreams – RECKLESS LOVE – as horses being unleashed and spinning wheels. Fitting and excitable, it spells a desired destruction.

Fellow Nordic singer, Ane Brun joins Karijord for the final track on the album and another of my favourites; Morning Light Forgives The Night. Here they sing so tenderly, it’s as if listening to petals fall. The harp and strings compliment their high, ethereal voices, as they wander off into the distance. A calming end to the album that stays with you. Similar to the end of a film leaving you stunned. Or when something has happened that you’re unsure whether to welcome. It leaves your mind ticking over, revelling in the change you can feel you’re on the brink of.

Although it all sounds relatively melodramatic, Rebekka Karijord’s album is in fact refreshing and very enjoyable to listen to. Her voice is light enough to carry the heaviness of the words. It’s worth your pennies. Her album is available now on Lil Facit.
Rebekka Karijord by Karolina Burdon
Illustration by Karolina Burdon

When you have the radio on all the time, price it’s inevitable that you will discover new things. I discovered Rebekka Karijord when I was baking a Nigella Lawson chocolate cake for my boyfriend. The notepad next to the radio was left heavily smudged with chocolate as I scrawled her name down before it left my thoughts and sailed off onto the ‘wish I could remember island’. If you are fond of a female artist, this web piano notes and heart felt lyrics, you might like Karijord too. She’s smokey, delicate and sounds as if she is singing only for herself. The audience a dark blue mist, she is alone on a long boat sailing along the river of her thoughts, with only the midnight blue sky comforting her. Karijord disarms you almost on her first note. Her own honesty is just off uncomfortably raw. Perfect.

rebekka-karijord-1

Rebekka Karijord was born in 1976 to two artists. Although born in Norway, she moved no less than 17 times before she hit the age of 18. She composed her first song at aged three, recording her fist demo with her own written songs, when she was eight. She began learning the violin and piano from five years old and started composing in English at 12. Later she attended the Norwegian Musical Theatre, Academy of ballet and the Royal Academy of Acting in Stockholm.

Her family are Swedish, and she feels as if she is both Norwegian and Swedish, but it is inevitable she would feel slightly confused after moving constantly from birth. However she eventually set down solid roots in Sweden’s Stockholm, after releasing two albums; Neophyte and Good or Goodbye, and travelling the world. Karijord wrote and recorded ‘The Noble Art of Letting Go’ in various locations around the woods and city of Stockholm. There is no denying the heartbreak and fear in the notes.

Gareth A Hopkins Rebekka Karijord
Illustration by Gareth A Hopkins

Rebekka made a statement years ago, saying she never just wanted to be able to sing beautifully, her desire has always been to project a story as well. This she clearly does with every song in ‘The Noble Art Of Letting Go’. As I pottered around my kitchen, the wind whipping up outside, I felt the ache of understanding, empathy and sadness. We all know that facing our buried ghosts and hidden distresses is what we should do. But when unguarded in a safe place, to hear a song that brings these buried thoughts to the surface without warning, is a shock and a liberation. Perfect for seeing the leafless back of winter and sitting within spring’s rebirthing attributes. Getting the self ready to make a whole host of mistakes to mull over when the clouds darken again.

Rebekka

Wear it Like A Crown, The Noble Art of Letting Go and Paperboy are three of my personal favourites from the album. The former two are serious, full of high, slow notes and the piano- soft, cantering and adding the necessary punctuation. They are both centered very much around rejection, fear and following the heart. In contrast to the piano’s melancholy, Paperboy’s harp is as light as cherry blossom. Yet, like all the tracks there is heartbreak in the lyrics. Parking Lot is a jumpier song, depicting love, hopes and dreams – RECKLESS LOVE – as horses being unleashed and spinning wheels. Fitting and excitable, it spells a desired destruction.

Fellow Nordic singer, Ane Brun joins Karijord for the final track on the album and another of my favourites; Morning Light Forgives The Night. Here they sing so tenderly, it’s as if listening to petals fall. The harp and strings compliment their high, ethereal voices, as they wander off into the distance. A calming end to the album that stays with you. Similar to the end of a film leaving you stunned. Or when something has happened that you’re unsure whether to welcome. It leaves your mind ticking over, revelling in the change you can feel you’re on the brink of.

Although it all sounds relatively melodramatic, Rebekka Karijord’s album is in fact refreshing and very enjoyable to listen to. Her voice is light enough to carry the heaviness of the words. It’s worth your pennies. Her album is available now on Lil Facit.
Joanne Hynes and Helen Steele A/W 2011 by Matilde Sazio
Joanne Hynes and Helen Steele A/W 2011 by Matilde Sazio.

I wasn’t invited to Joanne Hynes and Helen Steele, pharmacy but the door staff spotted myself and Susie Bubble wandering aimlessly around in the entrance hall of Freemasons and urged us on towards the show… so we crept in at the back after it started. I managed to pick up a press release that explained this collaboration but in the intervening weeks it’s been lost, about it so I’ll just say that the hefty bit of promotional literature was a crazy mix of pattern and excessive colour, a bit like the clothes which were a collaboration between a pair of Irish ladies: Joanne Hynes, who is a fashion designer, and Helen Steele, who is an artist. An interesting concept I am sure you will agree…

Joanne Hynes and Helen Steele A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryJoanne Hynes and Helen Steele A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryJoanne Hynes and Helen Steele A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryJoanne Hynes and Helen Steele A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryJoanne Hynes and Helen Steele A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryJoanne Hynes and Helen Steele A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryJoanne Hynes and Helen Steele A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryJoanne Hynes and Helen Steele A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryJoanne Hynes & Helen Steele AW 2011 by Nancy Straughan
Joanne Hynes & Helen Steele AW 2011 by Nancy Straughan.

The collection was called Les Guerriers, in reference to the fierce warrior women of which Ireland is enormously proud, and was a mish mash of textures: wools, tweed and brocades, aran knitwear and metallic leathers, all styled with birds nest hairdos, literally, in the case of some models, who sported vast twig hats. Shoes were frankly barking: cutaway platforms at least half a foot off the ground. There were a couple of draped and ruched dresses with studded crystal pan collars that stood out and I liked the cute psychedelic digitally printed swing dresses which had been abstracted from Helen’s paintings, but I was instantly turned off by vast copious quantities of real fur. Bleurgh. Susie lost interest after just a few outfits.

Joanne Hynes and Helen Steele A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryJoanne Hynes and Helen Steele A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryJoanne Hynes and Helen Steele A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryJoanne Hynes and Helen Steele A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryJoanne Hynes and Helen Steele A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryJoanne Hynes and Helen Steele A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryJoanne Hynes and Helen Steele A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Loving that stance!

Joanne Hynes and Helen Steele A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryJoanne Hynes and Helen Steele A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryJoanne Hynes and Helen Steele A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryJoanne Hynes and Helen Steele A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryJoanne Hynes and Helen Steele A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory
And WHAT is that last outfit?! Do the words Dog and Dinner come to mind?

All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Categories ,Digital Prints, ,Fashion Scout, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Fur, ,Helen Steele, ,ireland, ,Irish, ,Joanne Hynes, ,Joanne Hynes and Helen Steele, ,Les Guerriers, ,Matilde Sazio, ,Metallic, ,Nancy Straughan, ,painting, ,platforms, ,Susie Bubble

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