Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2011 Catwalk Presentation: Ashley Isham (reprise)

On any average, dosage abortion non LFW weekend, unhealthy you might find me at one of London’s plethora of craft fairs, order vintage markets or fetes, and what I’m always really impressed by is how wonderfully sellers exhibit their wares. Running a handmade products company myself, I know how testing it can be lugging a dollshouse across town in order to sell handmade stationery from its little rooms;but I’m always convinced its worth it when buyers comment on how much they like the stall set up. So I was surprised and decidedly disappointed to see that many of the exhibitors in Somerset House made little effort to do more than lay their good out on a table. When buyers and journos are looking at tens of jewellery sellers in one location on one day, they really need to do everything they can to make their stall stand out. As creative, inventive individuals, you’d imagine they’d jump at the chance to decorate their own little space, but many simply hung their clothes or spread their pieces out on a surface. So I’m dedicating this post to those who really made an effort, creating settings that reflected their work and really caught my eye. Presentation is no less important on a stall than it is on a catwalk!

Bark jewellery had a traditional British feel,designed by Miwako Yoshioka ; incorporating vintage sheet music and old mannequins in her display.

Comfort Station also excelled themselves with their delicate necklaces exhibited on antique books assembled on the wall.

Jacey Withers’ collection channeled a sort of nautical highway woman; using treasure boxes and other props to present necklaces bearing intricate pirate’s chests, stingrays, shells and rifles.

In the Hedonism room curated by Stephen Jones, hats like Mister Smith’s were beautiful, but none so elaborately displayed ad Piers Atkinson’s hat ‘garden’ with wonderful floral headpieces, novelty fascinators and some less ostentatious veiled hats with beautiful embroidery.
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Ashley Isham’s amazing headdresses, illness by Hayley Warnham.

I’m never really sure how to take Ashley Isham. On the one hand some of his dresses are quite fabulous, shop he seems to attract quite a cool crowd and has a pretty good rep… on the other hand some of his dresses are frankly tacky.

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Paloma Faith and the singer from the Noisettes by Stephanie Parr.

It’s almost as if he’s cornered the market in awards ceremony frocks for the slightly oddball celebrity: outre, but not too out of place on the red carpet. Hence, I guess, the front row presence of the kooky Paloma Faith and that girl whose name I can never remember from the Noisettes.

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Ashley Isham by Hayley Warnham.

I’ve only skim read Matt’s blog so that I don’t get swayed by his opinions of the show, but it was enough to note that his photos are way better than mine are: it’s interesting, if you’re taking photos from the audience so much of it is down to pot luck. And this time – despite my seat very close to the pop darlings – I was in quite a shite position for good photos: changing light levels meant I had to change my ISO setting manually as they walked. Not easy I can tell you. And not that I’m making excuses you understand. Still, if you want to see some superb pics I suggest you scurry over to Matt’s blog. They are really quite wonderful. But mine do give ample cause to marvel at the wonderful cut paper surround to the catwalk entrance.

Ashley Isham S/S 2011 photo by Amelia Gregory

There was lots of sheeny satin fabrics, frothy feathers and splashy coloured prints, all accessorised with what I can only describe as some really rather marvellous Hawaiian Geisha headpieces. After the show I espied stylist Tamara Cincik peeking out from backstage. I can only presume these were her doing, and very fabulous too. Now what I’d like to see is someone stride down the red carpet in a posh frock… and one of these hectic hair adornments. Then maybe they’d give that Lady Gaga a run for her money.

Ashley Isham S/S 2011 photo by Amelia Gregory