Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Interview: Carlotta Gherzi

Carlotta Gherzi by Emma Block
Carlotta Gherzi S/S 2012 by Emma Block

Carlotta Gherzi for Sado was one of the first catwalk shows I ever attended, page and I was enchanted from the start.

Garlotta GherzI by Lako Bukia
Carlotta Gherzi S/S 2012 by Lako Bukia

emma_block_A/W 2011 carlotta_gherzi_
Carlotta Gherzi A/W 2011 by Emma Block

Since she completed her BA in Fashion Design & Fashion Marketing at the American University in London, Carlotta Gherzi has been a firm fashion week favourite. Her 2011 A/W collection Frozen Flora took the audience to a world of ice queens in dresses the colour of iced lattes with thick wool capes like rain clouds.

Carlotta Gherzi S/S 2012 sheer dress
Triassic Glamour, her S/S 2012 catwalk show, similarly captured the attention and imagination of the assembled LFW audience and, after the show, I was offered the chance to head backstage and find out a little bit more about her inspirations and working process.

Carlotta Gherzi S/S 2012 By Lydia Fee 1
Carlotta Gherzi S/S 2012 by Lydia Fee

Carlotta Gherzi S/S 2012 purple dress
Have you always wanted to be a fashion designer? How did you first get into it and what advice would you give to fashion graduates today?
I always wanted to be a designer since the age of 6. My grandmother was a tailor so I grew up looking at her sewing dresses for herself and my mum. Graduates should look at and acknowledge the business side of the industry, as it’s very easy to take the wrong decisions…

Carlotta Gherzi S/S 2012 cream dress
How do you begin a collection? Does it start with sketchbooks, notebooks, photos, scrapbooks, in your head etc?
It’s a long process, first I look at fabrics; choosing what I like, then I select a theme and I start looking at it in more detail. Than sketching, dreaming and toileing makes it come to life.

Carlotta Gherzi By Lako Bukia
Carlotta Gherzi S/S 2012 by Lako Bukia

Where do you go to be inspired?
Wherever is sunny and sandy does it for me. It makes me feel happier and I’m inspired by raw nature. For S/S 2012 I was inspired by fossils, re-designing them by hand into my new print. I then decided to use the color palette from the movie avatar; bright orange, blue-purple , sabbia, black and shades of ivory. I also go back in time, metaphorically speaking, looking at films from the past. For my new collection I was inspired by Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Casablanca, looking at the 1930’s silhouette, and re-inventing it for the modern woman. This is why I called the collection Triassic Glamour.

Carlotta Gherzi S/S 2012 aqua dress
Which bit is your favourite part of the process from initial conception to catwalk?
Playing with fabric weights and sketching fast. Then if I am not sure I enjoy modifying the final garment to suit the initial drawing.

Carlotta Gherzi by Lako Bukia
Carlotta Gherzi S/S 2012 by Lako Bukia

How have these different countries you lived in and different cultures you’re experienced influenced your work?
I’m inspired by women from around the world. I really like the quirkiness of London and the sometime carefree look. I admire the New York look with nothing out of place or order. I laugh at yet admire the super careful match of colours going on in Italy, the brand loving in Russia…. I think about all these women when designing my clothing.

Carlotta Gherzi S/S 2012
Who would you most love to wear your clothes?
When designing I take my favourite characteristics in women and then I unite them all in one. I try to read the mind of many women and I try to understand what they want and what I would look for in an outfit myself.

Carlotta Gherzi S/S 2012 swimwear
Which designers do you most admire?
I love Balenciaga and Isabel Marant.

Carlotta Gherzi S/S 2012 black dress
All photography by Emma Block.

What’s coming up next for SADO?
A possible diffusion line…

Carlotta Gherzi S/S 2012 By Lydia Fee 3
Carlotta Gherzi S/S 2012 by Lydia Fee

Make sure you check out my review of Carlotta Gherzi‘s S/S 2012 catwalk show as well.

Categories ,1930s, ,American University, ,Balenciaga, ,Breakfast at Tiffany’s, ,Carlotta Gherzi, ,Casablanca, ,Emma Block, ,fashion, ,Fashion Design & Fashion Marketing, ,fossils, ,Frozen Flora, ,interview, ,Isabel Marant, ,lako bukia, ,London Fashion Week, ,Lydia Fee, ,Triassic Glamour, ,Vauxhall Fashion Scout

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Presentation Review: Teatum Jones


Teatum Jones S/S 2012 by Faye West

On Friday afternoon I took myself up the Strand to the RSA‘s grand London venue, viagra 60mg a little past the Savoy. It’s a bloody nightmare trying to get up the Strand these days. You’re either barging tourists out of the way with your London Fashion Week tote bag or stopping to give them directions. I hate that Londoners have such a mean reputation when it comes to tourists so I always smile and say ‘yes, the Ly-SEE-um is just that way, m’love’ and save my expletives until they’re out of earshot.


Teatum Jones S/S 2012 by Emma Block

I was heading for a presentation by Catherine Teatum and Rob Jones – collectively Teatum Jones, who promise ‘effortless chic‘ and ‘contemporary elegance.‘ Well, they certainly served up heaps of this on Friday. I first heard about them six months ago when they were listed on the BFC’s emerging talent roster, so it was exciting to finally get the chance to check out their wares in person.

It’s so easy to get a presentation wrong. This miserable age of austerity that we’re currently living in has forced many designers to abandon the catwalk in favour of a static set-up, but you never really know what you’re going to get. Sometimes it’s a film screening, sometimes one model stooped and forlorn in a corner while people ‘yah, yah‘ around him or her. This was a good presentation, thankfully; an amazing one, in fact. I knew it was going to be good when a gentleman who wouldn’t look out of place on a runway thrust me a vodka martini. At last: a big ol’ drink.

The RSA‘s venue is quite something. Its Georgian interior couldn’t have been a better match for this stunning collection of exquisite clothes. The room where the presentation was held had huge ceilings, enormous fireplaces and period features; the pastel colours of the walls appearing as if they had been painted especially for the occasion. A mock sort of sitting room-like set had been constructed in the centre, and people filed around this voyeuristic set-up in practical silence. A soundtrack of the Flamingos’ I Only Have Eyes For You (the second time I’d heard that song that day – TREND ALERT) and Patsy Cline’s Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray almost made me weep – saved from tears only by the feeling of excitement that this design duo had got it so right.

Illustrator/contributor extraordinaire Emma Block and her live fashion illustrations

I should probably stop banging on about the bloody room and talk about the clothes, right? Well, they were equally flawless. A handful of models, positioned on a central island, moved slowly around various pieces of furniture in flowing frocks with huge trains. Each frock featured discreet digital prints in gorgeous muted pastel colours, and the models were styled with a hint of 1920s/30s glamour – full red lips, tight curls. They didn’t smile much (that would have ruined it) but as they playfully crept around the set, an imposing chandelier hanging above, it actually looked like they were enjoying themselves. Result!


Teatum Jones S/S 2012 by Faye West

These dresses were expertly cut and the craftsmanship was faultless – that’s another good thing about a presentation, it sorts the men from the boys (I mean, it exposes poorly made garments). Layers of fabric had been fused together in a slightly oddball fashion but this provided a perfect marriage of classic and contemporary. In their own words, there’s ‘structure and fluidity‘. I couldn’t have put it better myself, which is why I copied it.

A row of static mannequins along the window edge displayed the rest of the collection – more dreamy yet subtle colours mixed with vivid yellows. These pieces showed Teatum Jones‘ commercial flair, but the winners were the show pieces, best viewed with a martini through a fake window.


All photography by Matt Bramford

Categories ,1920s, ,1930s, ,Catherine Teatum, ,Emma Block, ,fashion, ,Faye West, ,London Fashion Week, ,Martinis, ,Matt Bramford, ,pastels, ,Patsy Cline, ,Presentation, ,review, ,Rob Jones, ,rsa, ,S/S 2012, ,Savoy, ,Strand, ,Teatum Jones, ,The Flamingos, ,Trace PR, ,Trace Publicity, ,Womenswear

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Presentation Review: Teatum Jones


Teatum Jones S/S 2012 by Faye West

On Friday afternoon I took myself up the Strand to the RSA‘s grand London venue, viagra 60mg a little past the Savoy. It’s a bloody nightmare trying to get up the Strand these days. You’re either barging tourists out of the way with your London Fashion Week tote bag or stopping to give them directions. I hate that Londoners have such a mean reputation when it comes to tourists so I always smile and say ‘yes, the Ly-SEE-um is just that way, m’love’ and save my expletives until they’re out of earshot.


Teatum Jones S/S 2012 by Emma Block

I was heading for a presentation by Catherine Teatum and Rob Jones – collectively Teatum Jones, who promise ‘effortless chic‘ and ‘contemporary elegance.‘ Well, they certainly served up heaps of this on Friday. I first heard about them six months ago when they were listed on the BFC’s emerging talent roster, so it was exciting to finally get the chance to check out their wares in person.

It’s so easy to get a presentation wrong. This miserable age of austerity that we’re currently living in has forced many designers to abandon the catwalk in favour of a static set-up, but you never really know what you’re going to get. Sometimes it’s a film screening, sometimes one model stooped and forlorn in a corner while people ‘yah, yah‘ around him or her. This was a good presentation, thankfully; an amazing one, in fact. I knew it was going to be good when a gentleman who wouldn’t look out of place on a runway thrust me a vodka martini. At last: a big ol’ drink.

The RSA‘s venue is quite something. Its Georgian interior couldn’t have been a better match for this stunning collection of exquisite clothes. The room where the presentation was held had huge ceilings, enormous fireplaces and period features; the pastel colours of the walls appearing as if they had been painted especially for the occasion. A mock sort of sitting room-like set had been constructed in the centre, and people filed around this voyeuristic set-up in practical silence. A soundtrack of the Flamingos’ I Only Have Eyes For You (the second time I’d heard that song that day – TREND ALERT) and Patsy Cline’s Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray almost made me weep – saved from tears only by the feeling of excitement that this design duo had got it so right.

Illustrator/contributor extraordinaire Emma Block and her live fashion illustrations

I should probably stop banging on about the bloody room and talk about the clothes, right? Well, they were equally flawless. A handful of models, positioned on a central island, moved slowly around various pieces of furniture in flowing frocks with huge trains. Each frock featured discreet digital prints in gorgeous muted pastel colours, and the models were styled with a hint of 1920s/30s glamour – full red lips, tight curls. They didn’t smile much (that would have ruined it) but as they playfully crept around the set, an imposing chandelier hanging above, it actually looked like they were enjoying themselves. Result!


Teatum Jones S/S 2012 by Faye West

These dresses were expertly cut and the craftsmanship was faultless – that’s another good thing about a presentation, it sorts the men from the boys (I mean, it exposes poorly made garments). Layers of fabric had been fused together in a slightly oddball fashion but this provided a perfect marriage of classic and contemporary. In their own words, there’s ‘structure and fluidity‘. I couldn’t have put it better myself, which is why I copied it.

A row of static mannequins along the window edge displayed the rest of the collection – more dreamy yet subtle colours mixed with vivid yellows. These pieces showed Teatum Jones‘ commercial flair, but the winners were the show pieces, best viewed with a martini through a fake window.


All photography by Matt Bramford

Categories ,1920s, ,1930s, ,Catherine Teatum, ,Emma Block, ,fashion, ,Faye West, ,London Fashion Week, ,Martinis, ,Matt Bramford, ,pastels, ,Patsy Cline, ,Presentation, ,review, ,Rob Jones, ,rsa, ,S/S 2012, ,Savoy, ,Strand, ,Teatum Jones, ,The Flamingos, ,Trace PR, ,Trace Publicity, ,Womenswear

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2011 Catwalk Review: Daks

Illustration by Eugenia Tsmiklis

After pegging it down the strand, ampoule I arrived at the BFC tent with less than 30 seconds to spare. My desperate dan demeanour must have won me brownie points somewhere as I was ushered into the catwalk seating area so fast my feet barely touched the floor. Expecting the Issa show to begin, erectile imagine my suprise when Basso and Brooke creations started to walk their way down the catwalk…there must have been some awful mistake?…yes, troche indeed there was Mr Matt Bramford (who must be reading his timetable upside down last night).

A 9am Sunday morning treat: great turnout (including model Amber Rose – front row), amazing prints and a seamless show. To be able to mix so many colours, prints, patterns and styles into pieces of clothing is a talent few can boast. I have never trained as a fashion designer but I imagine that there comes a time early in their lives, perhaps as a kid choosing between a pencil and a box of crayolas, when their speciality is set for life. In my view, all designers have not so much a signature look as a part of the DNA clothing they excel at: silhouette, colour, print, cut. Some designers can change the way we see the body – I’m thinking of Miuccia Prada –and some fill in the outlines of fashionable shapes with their own individual colour, pattern and texture.

Illustration by Eugenia Tsmiklis

Prints were the order of the day with a slight All Saints (edgy brand not 90s girlband) feel to some of the ones with italic scripting and antique maps running across. After reading the press release, it turns out that the writing is actually handwritten notes by Da Vinci, Tolstoy, Balzac and others in a nod to the non digital past. Digital prints are then sliced into the notes and maps, creating more dramatic, eclectic mixes. Other prints included trompe l’oeil images of ruched fabrics, mainly used in larger panels on the back of dresses but occasionally inserted onto the front. I am personally a huge fan of print design (I was a colour-change felttip pen sort of kid), which I think often gets ignored in favour of more flashy, and by definition, flesh-revealing options (anyone designing an elaborately printed bikini has rather missed the point). There’s something depressing about an off-the-shelf pattern you end up seeing on clothes everywhere, from high street shops to market stalls. I want someone to have sat down and designed the images that appear on the surface of clothes with as much care and dedication as they did every other aspect.

Basso and Brooke’s S/S11 show didn’t pioneer any particular dress shape, although all their clothes look wearable: lots of skater-skirted party dresses, a collared blouse and skirt and filmy jumpsuitst. The skirts had great shape and movement to them, especially the shorter kicky ones; the dresses made use of clashing prints on the front and back and thought had also been put into matching shoes to each look. However, what they do to a tee is the print; everyone knows that when you go to their show you’ll get lovingly rendered prints galore. This also means subtle use of colour, and when the models took their turn all together, it added up to a handwritten, map inspired rainbow.

Shoes at Basso & Brooke

Some of the choices surprised me at first: leopard print? Hermes-scarf style illustrated floral squares? But because they were digitally chopped up with gold foil sections that seemed to creep over the garish parts, or set against a background of pearly grey silk, I think it worked. There is a trend now for mixing up complicated prints, which when it works, looks incredible. One good thing about animal print is that you can’t really beat nature for creating a pleasing whole and by sticking to the silvery sheen of water, brown and rusty orange of animals spots and mineral metallics, there’s a good chance an outfit will hang together, just like Basso and Brooke’s show.

LFW Daks Catwalk Show Spring Summer 2011

I rolled into Daks at the bright and early time of 9am on a Saturday morning – expecting to be one of the few who made in out of bed. But the crowd was bright eyed and bushy tailed – shame some of the models looked pale and in need of some shut-eye!

When the Daks press release proclaimed the collection was inspired by a “British traveller on a journey through India” I envisaged either a ‘gap yah’ nightmare or colonial outfits complete with G&T’s. Thankfully what ended up on the catwalk was far from it. Daks S/S 2011 was an easy, symptoms breezy collection of crisp designs in white, medicine pale grey, and stone.

Daks Spring Summer 2010 collection illustration by Abi Daker

Rather than going for swathes of layers, embroidery and hippy trippy designs, Daks decided to translate the ‘traveller’ theme in a much more sophisticated way – splashes of mustard yellow (my FAVOURITE colour) were meant to represent the spices of India, and the lightweight fabrics were chosen to be suitable for hot climates. I can’t see myself donning a drop waisted skirt and chic leather satchel to trek through the Himalayas, but Dak’s ‘grand tour’ was fun to watch – and felt oh-so English.

Daks Spring Summer 2011 fashion illustration by Abi Daker

Referencing the 1930s, there were some gorgeous mid length pleated skirts, high-waisted trousers and a standout mustard yellow shirt dress. I was even convinced that I needed the knitted shorts and onesies in my life. But considering how great the accessories were in the rest of the collection – with little round sunglasses and convertible leather rucksacks – the shoes (cheap looking wedges and flip flops) seemed a bit of an afterthought.

Categories ,1930s, ,daks, ,fashion, ,illustration, ,India, ,leather, ,lfw, ,london, ,London Fashion Week, ,pleats, ,review, ,rucksack, ,S/S 2011, ,Somerset House, ,Sunglasses, ,traveller, ,yellow

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Behind the Scenes: Elisa Palomino

Elisa Palomino - SS 12 LFW by Amber Cassidy

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 by Amber Cassidy

If you’ve read my Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 preview interview with the designer, viagra sale you’ll know I’m already in love with her designs. The designer had invited me to pop backstage before the show to view her spring/summer collection up close and as I’d not experienced before, prostate the behind the scenes affairs of a fashion show, my curiosity was most definitely piqued!

Elisa Palomino SS12 LFW Backstage by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino SS12 LFW Backstage by Akeela Bhattay

Zooming past the infinite queue at Vauxhall Fashion Scout, I am escorted backstage by the lovely people of Blow PR, to the organised chaos of the catwalk performance in construction. I’m told Elisa is preoccupied right now, but if I return after the show, I may speak to her then. In the meantime, I decide to hover for a while, take in the scene and take some pictures.

Elisa Palomino SS12 LFW Backstage by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino SS 12 LFW by Joana Faria

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 by Joana Faria

Elisa Palomino SS12 LFW Backstage by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino SS12 LFW Backstage by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino SS12 LFW Backstage by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino SS12 LFW Backstage by Akeela Bhattay

With about twenty odd statuesque and fat free women towering over me, I’m feeling a little like a munchkin, but they look as nervous as I’m feeling, so I smile in support and swoon over their exaggerated 1920s style make-up and exquisite head-pieces. One minute they’re having their make-up applied and the next they’ve changed into one of Elisa’s opulent garments; everything is moving dizzyingly fast and the anticipation is transparent.

Elisa Palomino SS12 LFW Backstage by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino SS12 LFW Backstage by Akeela Bhattay

I spy Elisa, attired in her signature pink and adorning a pretty floral head-piece – she flits from one model to another, making sure all is as it should be. I realise I may be getting in the way as the phrase “excuse me” is directed at me for the umpteenth time and so I withdraw from the orderly pandemonium and retreat to the beautiful amphitheatre to await the performance.

Elisa Palomino SS12 LFW by Hannah Hope

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 by Hannah Hope

Read my review of the Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 catwalk show.

All photography by Akeela Bhattay

Categories ,1920s, ,1930s, ,A Fairy Dance, ,Akeela Bhattay, ,Amelia Gregory, ,Angel Amor, ,Appliqué, ,Article, ,backstage, ,behind the scenes, ,bird cage, ,BLOW online, ,Blow PR, ,Bobbin, ,catwalk show, ,Christian Dior, ,Diane Von Furstenberg, ,Elisa Palomino, ,embroidery, ,Emma Block, ,Flapper, ,gabby young, ,Gabby Young and Other Animals, ,Gilly Rochester, ,hair pieces, ,Hannah Hope, ,head dress, ,Hummingbirds, ,interview, ,Japanese art, ,Joana Faria, ,John Galliano, ,Lan Nguyen, ,Lillies, ,London Fashion Week, ,Madrid, ,Maria Papadimitriou, ,Pre-Raphaelites, ,qa, ,queues, ,review, ,Roaring Twenties, ,Roberto Cavalli, ,S/S 2012, ,Spiga 2, ,The Body Shop, ,Tony & Guy, ,Vauxhall Fashion Scout, ,Victorian Fairy Painting Movement, ,vintage, ,Yamato-e

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Behind the Scenes: Elisa Palomino

Elisa Palomino - SS 12 LFW by Amber Cassidy

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 by Amber Cassidy

If you’ve read my Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 preview interview with the designer, you’ll know I’m already in love with her designs. The designer had invited me to pop backstage before the show to view her spring/summer collection up close and as I’d not experienced before, the behind the scenes affairs of a fashion show, my curiosity was most definitely piqued!

Elisa Palomino SS12 LFW Backstage by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino SS12 LFW Backstage by Akeela Bhattay

Zooming past the infinite queue at Vauxhall Fashion Scout, I am escorted backstage by the lovely people of Blow PR, to the organised chaos of the catwalk performance in construction. I’m told Elisa is preoccupied right now, but if I return after the show, I may speak to her then. In the meantime, I decide to hover for a while, take in the scene and take some pictures.

Elisa Palomino SS12 LFW Backstage by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino SS 12 LFW by Joana Faria

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 by Joana Faria

Elisa Palomino SS12 LFW Backstage by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino SS12 LFW Backstage by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino SS12 LFW Backstage by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino SS12 LFW Backstage by Akeela Bhattay

With about twenty odd statuesque and fat free women towering over me, I’m feeling a little like a munchkin, but they look as nervous as I’m feeling, so I smile in support and swoon over their exaggerated 1920s style make-up and exquisite head-pieces. One minute they’re having their make-up applied and the next they’ve changed into one of Elisa’s opulent garments; everything is moving dizzyingly fast and the anticipation is transparent.

Elisa Palomino SS12 LFW Backstage by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino SS12 LFW Backstage by Akeela Bhattay

I spy Elisa, attired in her signature pink and adorning a pretty floral head-piece – she flits from one model to another, making sure all is as it should be. I realise I may be getting in the way as the phrase “excuse me” is directed at me for the umpteenth time and so I withdraw from the orderly pandemonium and retreat to the beautiful amphitheatre to await the performance.

Elisa Palomino SS12 LFW by Hannah Hope

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 by Hannah Hope

Read my review of the Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 catwalk show.

All photography by Akeela Bhattay

Categories ,1920s, ,1930s, ,A Fairy Dance, ,Akeela Bhattay, ,Amelia Gregory, ,Angel Amor, ,Appliqué, ,Article, ,backstage, ,behind the scenes, ,bird cage, ,BLOW online, ,Blow PR, ,Bobbin, ,catwalk show, ,Christian Dior, ,Diane Von Furstenberg, ,Elisa Palomino, ,embroidery, ,Emma Block, ,Flapper, ,gabby young, ,Gabby Young and Other Animals, ,Gilly Rochester, ,hair pieces, ,Hannah Hope, ,head dress, ,Hummingbirds, ,interview, ,Japanese art, ,Joana Faria, ,John Galliano, ,Lan Nguyen, ,Lillies, ,London Fashion Week, ,Madrid, ,Maria Papadimitriou, ,Pre-Raphaelites, ,qa, ,queues, ,review, ,Roaring Twenties, ,Roberto Cavalli, ,S/S 2012, ,Spiga 2, ,The Body Shop, ,Tony & Guy, ,Vauxhall Fashion Scout, ,Victorian Fairy Painting Movement, ,vintage, ,Yamato-e

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Catwalk Review: Elisa Palomino

Elisa Palomino - SS 12 LFW by Amber Cassidy

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 by Amber Cassidy

Having had the chance to see the behind the scenes activities for the Elisa Palomino show, ask I am super excited and eager for the show to begin. Unlike the other shows I have seen at the Freemason’s Hall, thumb this one is to be performed in a majestic chamber upstairs; a room very well suited for Elisa’s A Fairy Dance collection. I am early, so I sift through the press materials and study the inspirations behind the clothes.

Elisa Palomino SS 2012 LFW by Amelia Gregory

Elisa Palomino SS 2012 LFW by Amelia Gregory

Elisa Palomino SS 2012 LFW by Amelia Gregory

Elisa Palomino SS 2012 LFW by Amelia Gregory

Photography by Amelia Gregory

The culture of Madrid played a significant part in the creation of the stunning collection, with the conception of the intricate embroidered motifs taking root from pieces like the traditional shawl, a garment very much present in the city’s fiestas even today. Elisa’s S/S 2012 collection aspires to reawaken the opulence of a far away era, as well as paying homage to the Asian influence on embroidery and the Victorian Fairy Painting movement and in particular the narratives of Pre-Raphaelite fairy paintings. The collection is an expedition from Victorian suppression and lament to the luxury of uninhibited freedom.

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 LFW by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 LFW by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 LFW by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 LFW by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 LFW by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 LFW by Akeela Bhattay

Photography by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino SS 12 LFW by Joana Faria

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 by Joana Faria

Elisa Palomino SS12 by emma block

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 by Emma Block

Slowly but surely, the room is teeming with guests and familiar faces, all ready to enjoy the treasures of Elisa Palomino‘s collection. An ethereal melody fills the air and out drifts a fairy in mourning, attired in tense black taffeta, net and leather and freckled in contrasting white floral print. The glossy onyx hairpieces resemble frightful inanimate crows, harbingers of bad news. The extensive palette of colours range from bold black, red and white, to the pretty; powder blue and candy-floss pink and the tones of an Indian summer; sand, caramel and antique gold.

Elisa Palomino SS 2012 LFW by Amelia Gregory

Elisa Palomino SS 2012 LFW by Amelia Gregory

Elisa Palomino SS 2012 LFW by Amelia Gregory

Elisa Palomino SS 2012 LFW by Amelia Gregory

Elisa Palomino SS 2012 LFW by Amelia Gregory

Photography by Amelia Gregory

Floral cut-work mutate into giant white butterflies, set for flight and ready to escape to a brighter existence. Rich crimson robes float across the runway giving way to pretty pastel coloured organza with flora and fauna motifs, carefully embroidered using the bobbin technique. Iridescent and visceral fabrics, in 1930s silhouettes and increasingly impressive headpieces command the stage next. Once again the embroidery is intricate and enchanting and there’s a chorus of “ooh-ing” and “aah-ing” from somewhere behind me as images of Chinese tea-houses and pagodas sweep past.

Elisa Palomino SS 12 LFW by Joana Faria

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 by Joana Faria

One of my favourite details is the row of fabric coloured buttons trickling down the side of floor skimming, pin-tuck detailed and appliquéd café au lait dresses. It’s a good thing I do not lack self-restraint or I’d very likely be tackling the models to the ground and fleeing with the stunning garments they are wearing. And what of the hairpieces? Are they not extraordinary? I especially have my eye on the bird cage design and make a note to find out more about the designer, Angel Amor.

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 LFW by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 LFW by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 LFW by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 LFW by Akeela Bhattay

Photography by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino’s A Fairy Dance collection is undoubtedly worthy of the label couture and I can easily see celebrities wearing such opulent garments at red carpet events.

Elisa Palomino by Gilly Rochester LFW SS12

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 by Gilly Rochester

A resounding applause fills the room as the show ends and I make my way backstage in hope of a meeting with the designer and comments on her S/S 2012 collection. Elisa greets me enthusiastically and insists I should have introduced myself earlier, though she’d obviously been incredibly busy. For somebody who boasts such a remarkable curriculum vitae, Elisa comes across as incredibly humble and sincere.

Elisa Palomino LFW SS2012 by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs

Her family and friends are eager to congratulate her, but she encourages me to go ahead and ask her a few questions. So she can get to celebrating her beautiful show, I keep the interview very brief before heading home for a cup of tea and daydreams filled with sheer fabrics, lilies and hummingbirds and glorious headgear. Read my post show interview with Elisa Palomino below:

What did you make of that reverberating applause?
It was very exciting to hear!
Were you pleased with the performance of the catwalk show?
Well, it’s difficult to say when you’re backstage, but the girls look really happy. I think the make-up and hair were really amazing; the team from Tony & Guy and Lan (Nguyen) were so divine. They perfectly translated the entire theme.

Elisa Palomino SS 2012 LFW by Amelia Gregory

Elisa Palomino SS 2012 LFW by Amelia Gregory

Elisa Palomino SS 2012 LFW by Amelia Gregory

Elisa Palomino SS 2012 LFW by Amelia Gregory

Photography by Amelia Gregory

How long did it take to build the collection with all the intricate detailing involved?
Oh, a long time. About seven or eight months.
Will you be taking some time out to relax now?
Oh no, there’s never time to take a break unfortunately. Since I started designing my own collections I haven’t had the opportunity to take a break or a holiday. There’s always work to be done. I guess it requires a lot of devotion!

What will you be doing next? Have you already conceived ideas for your next collection?
Oh yes, I’m already working on my next collection.
Can you offer any hints as to what we might expect?
I am taking inspiration from eccentric women and there will always be the influence of the same kind of periods, the 1920s and 30s.

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 LFW by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 LFW by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 LFW by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 LFW by Akeela Bhattay

Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 LFW by Akeela Bhattay

Photography by Akeela Bhattay

You can purchase Elisa Palomino designs from Spiga 2, the concept store from Dolce & Gabbana in Milan, Eleonora – Rome, Lilliane Romi – Paris, Al-Ostoura – Kuwait, Front Row – Beirut, Harvey Nichols and Al-Mayass in Riyadh.

View images from behind the scenes of the Elisa Palomino London Fashion Week S/S 2012 show

Watch the show here.

Elisa Palomino SS11 Full Show from VAUXHALL FASHION SCOUT on Vimeo.

Categories ,1920s, ,1930s, ,A Fairy Dance, ,Akeela Bhattay, ,Amelia Gregory, ,Angel Amor, ,Appliqué, ,Article, ,backstage, ,behind the scenes, ,bird cage, ,BLOW online, ,Blow PR, ,Bobbin, ,catwalk show, ,Christian Dior, ,Diane Von Furstenberg, ,Elisa Palomino, ,embroidery, ,Emma Block, ,Flapper, ,gabby young, ,Gabby Young and Other Animals, ,Gilly Rochester, ,hair pieces, ,Hannah Hope, ,head dress, ,Hummingbirds, ,interview, ,Japanese art, ,Joana Faria, ,John Galliano, ,Lan Nguyen, ,Lillies, ,London Fashion Week, ,Madrid, ,Maria Papadimitriou, ,Pre-Raphaelites, ,qa, ,queues, ,review, ,Roaring Twenties, ,Roberto Cavalli, ,S/S 2012, ,Spiga 2, ,The Body Shop, ,Tony & Guy, ,Vauxhall Fashion Scout, ,Victorian Fairy Painting Movement, ,vintage, ,Yamato-e

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Catwalk Review: Spijkers en Spijkers

Spijkers en Spijkers S/S 2012 by Emmi Ojala

Spijkers en Spijkers S/S 2012 by Emmi Ojala

I’d found myself in unfamiliar surroundings for this show, drug over in West London at the Show Space on Grosvenor Place. The queue outside had been pleasantly short, and I was ushered smoothly into the building, with none of the usual cattle herding behaviour experienced at other London Fashion Week shows. The room was grand, with decorative white walls and high ceilings. I read from the press release that the inspiration was the Middle Eastern tale One Thousand and One Nights – a story about a young girl who uses her wits to enchant and win over a King. I wasn’t overly familiar with the Spijkers sister’s work, but had previously read Sally Mumby-Croft’s review of the sisters’ S/S 2011 collection, and was excited at the prospect of some opulent Persian splendour on a Saturday afternoon.

Spijkers en Spijkers photo by Tim Adey
Photography by Tim Adey.

The show was running late, by about 10 minutes, and I got chatting to the girl next to me, an illustrator from Access Fashion, about the rush to get over here from Somerset House from the Ashish show. This down time was ruined by a chirpy PR girl, who perhaps could sense I was slightly hungover, and playing on this vulnerable state, kept asking me and my new illustrator friend to shuffle up and down on the very wobbly bench. She tried joking and laughing, but on the 4th move, with no new people to be seated, it wasn’t amusing anymore, and I scared her off with a look, and a fierce rattle of the bag of popcorn I’d found in my goody bag.

Spijkers en Spijkers S/S 2012 by Miranda Williams
Spijkers en Spijkers S/S 2012 by Miranda Williams
All photography by Miranda Williams

The lights finally dimmed, and I was surprised. The first look was an ivory and black star panelled dress with a fringed hem. It was completed with a wide head scarf, which also had the heavy black fringe. This look emanted the style of early 1930′s flappers, not a Persian Queen as I had expected. Nevermind I thought, as the next look pleased – a tapered leg pantsuit with an oversized silk satin blazer, again in ivory and black, which had a sort of Katherine Hepburn feel to it.

Spijkers En Spijkers S/S 2012 by Gilly Rochester
Spijkers en Spijkers S/S 2012 by Gilly Rochester

As the looks continued, I understood that the collection was deeply dress focussed, and alot of the intricately panelled dresses looked like sophisticated underwear to me. With an added tease, cheeky hemlines were split right up to the top of the thigh, and the silk twill and satins of the bias cut dresses clung neatly to the models bodies. This was definitely more F. Scott Fitzgerald, but it didn’t matter, I was enchanted by the glamorous flapper girls walking before me. The models were also completely gorgeous – and the romantic styling helped. Their hair was tousled, and they were made up with a slick of lime green eye shadow, glossy bronze cheeks and neutral lips. Perfect.

Spijkers en Spijkers S/S 2012 by Miranda Williams
Spijkers en Spijkers S/S 2012 by Miranda Williams

One of the first looks that I really liked was a beautiful deep cut satin dress, in cream and ivory. It was made up from diamond shaped panels, and didn’t cling to the body, but held against it, showing chest, but just the right amount. This was also featured with one of the heavily tasselled headscarves, which became a real addition to each outfit. Creatively draped around the models head’s, I did understand some reference to the exotic Middle East with these accessories. Pop colours were also brought in as the palette developed on from the base of black and ivory, with the addition of coral and lime green.

Spijkers en Spijkers photo by Tim Adey

Star panels emblazoned the front and sides of most of the looks, in neutral creams and ivories, but also in black and silver. I much preferred this detail when the star panels were in the muted colours, across some of the simpler silk dresses. As I felt there was a sort of costume effect in some of the looks that had the bright silver stars splashed across the chest. The metal chains on the back of the dresses were a clever and fine detail, acting as both the construction and decoration of each. This reminded me of the costumes of exotic dancers, with gold chains wound around their bodies and limbs, attached to their clothes, and doubling as ornamentation.

Spijkers en Spijkers photo by Tim Adey

Vibrant colours filtered through towards the end of the run – pink, and also a colour that seems to be very on trend for S/S 2012, purple. One of the signature looks was a purple silk satin dress, with thin straps, lime green panels and a pink star on the right side of the chest. Worlds apart from my usual choice of black, and more black, I thought it was simple, super pretty, but importantly, fun. Another detail that the Spijkers sisters used in excess, and which has appeared across other catwalks this year was tassels. They were heavy and stitched onto to the bottom of hems. They added great movement to the dresses, with the addition of one or two splits running up the front legs of dresses, helping the fringing to sway with every pace.

Spijkers en Spijkers S/S 2012 by Miranda Williams

What I felt really worked in the collection were the loose fitting jumpsuits with crinkle silk satin blazers, and simple cut dresses with fewer panels. These were classic shapes that were sleek and sophisticated. I wasn’t so keen on the last couple of looks – which introduced brown linen, in a blazer jacket and a pair of ¾ length trousers. It felt out of place in the collection – was it a last minute addition for another fabric or element? Bit of an odd choice I thought. However, the shoes were great – high platforms with black or metallic star panels that screamed 1970′s glamour!

Although the show had lacked the richness of the Persian fairy tale I had read about, it certainly brought a taste of the compelling and hedonistic 1930’s. Since the labels conception in 2000, the sisters have become known for their use of graphic prints and colours, and they certainly delivered on that level. They have not strayed from their ‘signature’ style – which worked in its own charming way. Truus and Riet Spijkers showed a S/S 2012 collection that was feminine and fluid, wearable and well designed pieces, which looked as beautiful from the back as it did from the front.

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Categories ,1930s, ,1970s, ,Emmi Ojala, ,fashion, ,Gilly Rochester, ,Glamour, ,Grosvenor Place, ,Katherine Hepburn, ,lfw, ,London Fashion Week, ,London Fashion Week S/S 2012, ,One Thousand and One Nights, ,Persian, ,Persian Queen, ,Popcorn, ,S/S 2012, ,Sally Mumby-Croft, ,Show Space, ,Somerset House, ,Spijkers en Spijkers, ,The Show Space

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week A/W 2011 Catwalk Review: Eun Jeong (by Georgia)


Illustration by Jenny Robins

I remember blogging about Eun Jeong eons ago, drugs enticed by her pretty minimalism with a crisp all-white palette one season. For me, web she most certainly stood out amongst even the top hot-ticketers of London Fashion Week and I had an inkling she wouldn’t be a one-seasoner. I was therefore thrilled and curious upon bagging an invitation to one of her two fashion shows in Covent Garden during fashion week.??


All photography by Georgia Takacs

I sat next to a lovely blogger named Hannah Newton of London Town’s a go go in another clever catwalk invention of a loop around the room, order with audience-members sitting on rows inside and outside of the square. We both shamelessly ruffled through our large goody bags with tiny goodies – cosmetics and a little heart-shaped purse by Kipling. And we didn’t bother with ‘acting the part of a fashionista’ all nonchalant and ‘oh! I get free overpriced make-up on a daily basis, sweetheart. It’s no biggie.’  We’re students and we were blooming happy with our freebies.??


Illustration by Kerri-Ann Hulme

We just knew that the intimate set-up would result in bagging some great up-close shots of the clothes and getting a good look at the detail and fabric. Then, after a long wait sitting by the runway (as is always the way with fashion shows), 1930s music was suddenly bouncing off the walls and the models took to the oddly-shaped catwalk.

It looked to me as if the collection had been inspired by Britain in war-time. Every model wore bronzed make-up with bronzed skin all over their body and the clothes themselves were British in many respects – pleats and wool and ruffles with lady-like cuts all over the joint. There were elegant camel-coloured coats and full-skirts that began at the waist and dropped to the floor in pressed pleats.


Illustration by Madi Illustrates

Bows and lace were everywhere. They both seem to be a common theme this season. Delicate bows were placed on skinny leather waist-belts and thick white lace acted as beautiful underskirts.

It wasn’t all classic tea-party tailoring, however. There were a fair few twists and turns along the way. Pleated skirts bore asymmetric ruffles and tails down one side and a certain set of dresses definitely seemed to stand-out amongst the thick fabrics and classic lady-wear – bright yellow numbers that screamed out an utterly architectural print, resembling the Golden Gate Bridge.

Jeong’s seemingly favourite design ethos of white white white reappeared this season with a fair few outfits almost entirely in creams and white that flowed down in thick luscious fabric – a pure and almost evangelical look that passed off beautifully.

I now know why I was taken with Eun Jeong right from her Fashion Fringe debut. Her clothes are beautiful, classic, unique and, most of all, wearable. I could, for example, most definitely see an strong office woman walking into work every day and turning heads in Eun Jeong’s statement-take on both the classical and the quintessentially British. I loved it.

See more of Jenny Robins’ illustrations in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration!

Categories ,1930s, ,A/W 2011, ,british, ,catwalk, ,Covent Garden, ,Eun Jeong, ,Fashion Fringe, ,Golden Gate Bridge, ,Kipling, ,London Fashion Week, ,London Town’s a go go, ,pleats, ,review, ,Ruffles, ,Wartime, ,Womenswear

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week A/W 2011 Presentation Review: Piers Atkinson


Illustration by Krister Selin

Christopher Shannon burst back on to the catwalk on Menswear Day at London Fashion Week in typical chav-luxe fashion. Menswear day was a bit hot and cold this season – some of the shows were extremely busy, information pills but when I arrived at Christopher Shannon’s there didn’t seem to be that many attendees, no rx so I plonked myself on the front row and fiddled with my iPhone in a bid to look belonging and important. I even adjusted my crumbling posture (which is hella difficult after the cruel strains of back-to-back slumping at shows).


Illustration by Michelle Urvall Nyrén

The show soon filled up, viagra sale mind, and I was squashed along the frankly miserable BFC benches. Shannon’s infamous taste in music with which I wholeheartedly side (Rihanna’s What’s My Name and Te Amo being this season’s choice tunes) began the show, and out popped the street-cast models we’re familiar with. Some of them look terrified, some achingly nonchalant, but all are suited to Shannon’s unique take on menswear.


All photography by Matt Bramford

A mix of jersey sweatshirts, scarves and oversized rucksacks started the show – each with a Shannon twist. Shirts were cut through the middle to mix up the patterns – this time with a more ‘worldly’ influence. His obsession with sportswear derives from the fact that wherever you go, ‘there’s always sportswear’ – too true – and Shannon has drawn upon the variations of sportswear in different cultures for this ‘Hold Yer Head Up’ collection.


Illustration by Oscar Rubio

Bolder prints – abstract forms that have a more biological feel (influenced by his affection for David Attenborough!) make up the body of designs. Later came shirts separated down the middle in varying ways – sometimes texture, sometimes colour. Some shirts had woven-blanket details with different kitsch embellishments – a surprising move but a welcome one nonetheless.

Shannon’s clean nylons were spiced up with some frou-frou details this season – I wouldn’t be seen dead in any of this (mostly because my friends would snort, point and laugh) but I think the aesthetic of it is just fabulous. The lights, imposing over the catwalk, bounced in between each ruffle to give a shiny, futuristic look. A colour palette of navy blue, black, grey came with splashes of colour from the woven elements and bits of baby pink to remind us that this is still sportswear. Flat caps and flashy vibrant trainers complimented each outfit.


Illustration by Maria Papadimitriou

Much preferred the Eastpak collaboration rucksacks this time – again, the woven blanket details showed up and looked ace.

But, in spite of all this, I’ll forever remember Christopher Shannon’s A/W 2011 outing for those incredible Frank Sidebottom-esque hair-dos and embellished eyebrows. Why, you might ask? Because this is FASHION, darling.

See more of Krister Selin and Michelle Urval Nyrén’s illustrations in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration!


Illustration by Michelle Urvall Nyrén

On Saturday 19th February I wandered down a rainy Frith Street to see milliner Piers Atkinson’s A/W 2011 collection.

Atkinson has an interesting background having originally studied graphic design, viagra before becoming involved with millinery he worked in PR for Zandra Rhodes, Mandi Lennard and Blow. He then became fashion editor at Disorder magazine before establishing The Daily for London Fashion Week. To ‘let off steam’ during this time he produced a small series of hats that would become his debut collection.


Illustrations by Joana Faria

Presented in Franny’s Pop Up Gallery opposite Ronnie Scott’s, the restaurant venue didn’t really give an indication of what would be on display, but Frith Street (just off Old Compton Street) was the ideal location given the themes in the collection.


Illustrations by Karolina Burdon

Atkinson drew on 1930s Paris for inspiration for Autumn Winter 2010, taking his cues from cabaret, bygone opium dens, drag queens, showgirls and back alley romance.  Familiar base shapes in a palette of navy, aubergine, black and gold were adorned with eccentric oversized fruits, giant pom poms, glitter and ostrich feathers. The range of avant-garde pieces would make Lady Gaga proud; she is already one of Atkinson’s high profile fans having worn a piece constructed from telephone components.


Illustrations by Ankolie

Also on display were photographs of Atkinson’s infamous acquaintances along with some of his lesser-known friends.  Mostly shot in Dalston back streets after dark, they could just as easily have been taken in 1930s Paris.

Obviously hard-to-miss were the eye-catching berets topped with neon lights, while classic shapes in suede were punctuated with gold plated studs. Veils were accented with diamantes… and glittering aubergines with 24 carat gold leaf. ‘Les Fruits de la Nuit’ featuring ‘hyper cherries’ and Atkinson’s signature lips embroidered on a tulle veil was a real winner, too!

More hyper cherries, this time in 24 carat gold leaf:

Illustration by Michelle Urvall Nyrén

‘L’Heroine’ with fab ‘chinchilla coque feather overdose’:

Illustration by Michelle Urvall Nyrén

Unfortunately I couldn’t make it to the party in the evening, but apparently whilst guests watched a performance by Anna Piaggi, two of the hats were stolen, but luckily for Piers and his team they were returned just as promptly as they disappeared.

See more of Joana Faria and Michelle Urval Nyrén’s illustrations in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration!

Categories ,1930s, ,A/W 2011, ,Ankolie, ,Blow, ,Cabaret, ,Cherries, ,dalston, ,Diamante, ,Disorder Magazine, ,Drag Queens, ,Frannie’s Pop Up Gallery, ,hats, ,Joana Faria, ,Karolina Burdon, ,Lady Gaga, ,London Fashion Week, ,Mandi Leonard, ,Michelle Urvall Nyrén, ,millinery, ,Naomi Law, ,Opium Dens, ,paris, ,piers atkinson, ,Presentation, ,review, ,Zandra Rhodes

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