underwear

still corners singer

Illustration by Joana Faria

At the top of Marylebone High Street lurks a lingerie shop with attitude. Surrounded by fashion-favourite names and organic cafés, generic it’s both niche-market neighbour and rebellious relative. Meet Apartment C, ‘a fashion retailer that just happens to sell lingerie’. And a lot more besides.

Invited to join Apartment C’s owner Kenya Cretegny for a teacup of G&T, I arrive  feeling excited, curious and thrilled to escape London’s relentless chills. While my eyes dart around the dramatic window-display, the door opens and I’m cocooned by an intense warmth that’s almost hypnotic. Falling further under Apartment C’s ‘spell’, I recline on a cherry-coloured chaise longue while Kenya explains her design-inspiration: “the home of Serge Gainsbourg” meets “the apartment of Coco Chanel at the Ritz”.

Photographs by Kate Ingram

Forget white-washed minimalism à la nearby boutiques. Here, it’s black walls, wax candles, red-tinted photographs and “a bit of taxidermy”, creating a boudoir-showcase for lacy, racy and eye-catching lingerie. Yet this is no ordinary ‘boudoir’; it’s grown-up and fashion conscious. No red-light-seediness or clichéd kitsch. Escapist? Definitely. And, deliciously naughty. But it’s also a place where you “feel free to stay and visit for a while”. Boys are welcome too.

Illustration by Matilde Sazio

A Central Saint Martins graduate, Kenya always envisaged Apartment C as a concept store, designing interiors herself, “right down to creating foam board models of the space”. First stop from the high street is the “Lounge”, where lingerie displays are instantly different, adorned with dramatic jewels and paper eyelashes. Walk through to the “Library” and discover a treasure-trove of accessories, swimwear, fashion books, trashy romance novels and G&T’s served from a retro 1930’s bar (an enviable eBay purchase). Furniture, generally, is a cool blend of Art Deco and 1960’s pieces, which seemingly never belonged anywhere else. I sense that the “Library” is Kenya’s favourite part; almost the inner workings of her imagination, to which you are granted access. Play along and purchasing possibilities are endless; who’s thinking about the rain, or recession now? With soft carpet underfoot and French perfumes spritzing the air, I’m soon agreeing with Kenya’s friendly team that I could happily move into this stylish apartment, I mean, shop.

Illustration by Cat Palairet

So, which lingerie labels are seducing the Apartment C woman (or her G&T-fuelled lover on the chaise longue)? While “primary focus” is upcoming talent, Kenya and her team stocks “fashion-forward lingerie brands that [they] consider innovators”. A diverse selection, including Princesse Tam Tam, Stella McCartney, Lascivious, Fleur of England and Marlies Dekkers, appeals to many forms of femininity. Kenya shares insightfully: “women are multi-faceted and sometimes we want lingerie that is romantic, sometimes it’s fashion-focused and sometimes it’s sexy…and sometimes we just want to sit in something lovely and comfortable and have a cup of tea.” Save for a few ‘dominatrix’-style pieces, there’s nothing too intimidating about Apartment C, nothing too outrageously sexy. Even the mannequin ‘posing’ provocatively on the bar, appears refreshingly innocent. Particularly so, considering other, more overt versions of sexuality, which reinforce the psychology that women only wear lingerie for someone else. Kenya longs to change such attitudes. Wearing good underwear for yourself? “It’s like saying I love me. We all need a bit of that!”

Illustrations by Joana Faria

Kenya has become a self-made ambassador for emerging lingerie designers, but  her finely-crafted backdrop to the bras and bodices has likely led to equal recognition (namely, “Vogue’s favourite lingerie boutique”). Where did the concept for Apartment C originate? Copenhagen. “We heard the most glorious party… the tinkling of glasses, music playing softly in the background, the quiet rumble of voices and then deep, throaty laughter….the whole experience felt so decadent and wonderful and alive.”

Ah, the mysterious ‘C’ refers to Copenhagen? Or, Cretegna? Neither. It’s based on Kenya’s discovery that people living in ‘Apartment C’ always seem to host the best parties! Kenya’s passion for her business is tangible, from meticulously arranged costume jewellery, to spacious changing rooms, to her personal style: “…dependent on my mood, and what kind of conversation I would like to have with the world on that particular day.” Well today, Kenya’s skinny leather trousers worn with A/W 2010 aplomb are pitch-perfect ‘Apartment C’. Feminine, but strong. Sexy, but not too much. Fashion-forward and charismatic, despite  extraordinary surroundings. A fashion retailer that just happens to sell lingerie? I couldn’t agree more.

Written by Kate Ingram on Thursday December 2nd, 2010 4:48 pm

Categories ,Apartment C, ,Boudoir, ,boutique, ,Central Saint Martins, ,Coco Chanel, ,copenhagen, ,Fleur de England, ,G&Ts, ,Kenya Cretegny, ,Lascivious, ,lingerie, ,london, ,Marlies Dekkers, ,Marylebone High Street, ,Princesse Tam Tam, ,retro, ,serge gainsbourg, ,Stella McCartney, ,The Ritz, ,underwear, ,vogue

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Apu Jan LFW A/W 2013 by Karolina Burdon

“Did you see it?” Another writer asks me after the show. “See what?” I say. “I can’t believe I missed it,” I exclaim after I’ve been informed, shaking my head. “It would have been the highlight of my day.” There’s some kind of strange non-sexual delight that can be taken from witnessing a public nip-slip, perhaps because of how the British press deals with nudity, perhaps because there’s a trace of irony in an unintentional birthday-suit reveal during a show that’s meant to focus attention on clothes. This sneak-peek also undermines the potential wear-ability of garments, if with so much preparation the models still experience accidental over-exposure. I feel slightly disappointed in myself for being right there in the heart of the action and missing this accidental nudity mid-show. Although, I’m informed that rather than the full-package it was just a quick flash of some nipple-tape. I pledge to pay more attention in future.

Apu Jan A/W 2013 LFW by Rosemary Kirton

As one of the first shows of Autumn/ Winter 2013 London Fashion Week, I find Apu Jan‘s collection a little disappointing. This collection, entitled Petroleum, features some oriental elements with a twist of modernity. The ocean was a big inspiration, which is reflected in the palette. The oversized knitwear adds a touch of androgyny to the outfits and a pair of neon-blue heels on one model catch my eye and compliment her same-shade outfit. A few of the pieces are dusted with sexuality and have revealing cuts that seem out of place in this collection.

Clearly black is the new black. This is illustrated not just in the show, but also the audience. I can only assume that this slimming and stylish colour is the unofficial uniform of London Fashion Week and I missed the memo.

Photos by Alex Kessler

The models sport blue braids woven into their hair, likely a continuation of the sea theme. The make-up has a tint of David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane album cover, although perhaps unintentionally.

My first taste of the exaggerated polo neck, neck-brace like concoction appears here: I see something similar in later shows too. It’s not really to my taste, after all, who wants to look like they were just in a car accident? The most redeeming feature of this show is a grey print which is sky-like and busy; I would love to see it close-up. Although initially it has a grey ‘camo’ feel, on further inspection it seems a bit more magical. The aqua of the show’s theme is also echoed in a lone member of the audience; a young man clad in bright blue trousers and a turquoise cardigan paired with neon yellow shoes. A stark contrast to the black ‘uniform’ of other attendees.

Apu Jan LFW 2013 by Melissa Angelik

Despite the criticism, there are pieces I like in this collection, the theme is after my own heart; who doesn’t love the seaside? Blue is a calming colour after all. The big knitwear looks comfortable and I can imagine myself vegging out on the sofa wearing it. I also like the over-sized sleeves on one of the models. I love the pattern on a black and blue piece which reminds me of kimono and the colours in general make this collection aesthetically pleasing. One of the outfits feels a little air-hostess although I can’t put my finger on why. A piece I suspect of being the offending nip-slip garment is probably my fave, and manages to be both sensual and modest, although it perhaps needs some extra tailoring to prevent awkward moments! I can’t help but think that one of the cobalt blue dresses is a tad too short. Overall, the oriental style pieces are the ones I think have the most potential.

Photos by Jessica Cook

As this is my first show the self-conscious part of me is more worried about what I’m wearing than the models. Picking an outfit for London Fashion Week is hard work and I was forced to veer myself from my natural impulse – an ironically sported Kigu dinosaur onesie – and towards the higher-end of the wardrobe. I’m wearing Cinderella silver ballet pumps (they cost £4… shhh… noone will ever know) with black leggings that have seen one wash too many and a silver dress which is probably from Miss Selfridge but no longer has a label. This is topped off with a plain button-down black cardie (embarrassingly this is from M&S). I’m wearing earrings too. I never wear earrings. I have an expensive brown bag by Osprey that’s been everywhere with me for the last two years and is probably the only thing with me that would pass the style test. It’s a little battered though from carting around the weight of the ‘kitchen sink’ that I carry with me everywhere.

Photo by Jessica Cook

They say it’s not over until the fat lady sings, but at LFW a show’s not over until the designer makes an appearance on the runway. More often than not, the designers are what you least expect; sculptured cutting-edge femme designs are revealed to be made by petite men, risqué negligees by voluptuous middle-aged redheads. This show is no exception and the Taiwanese designer makes a seemingly shy, speedy appearance with a model towering above him at the end of his debut collection. Brief and anticlimactical, it feels comforting that your expectations of the face behind a collection can be shattered. If nothing else it’s a reminder to keep your assumptions in check, both on and off the catwalk.

Apu Jan LFW A/W 2013 by Alex Fernandez

Written by Jessica Cook on Monday February 25th, 2013 9:36 pm

Categories ,A/W 2013, ,Alex Kessler, ,Apu Jan, ,Fashion Scout, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Jessica Cook, ,Karolina Burdon, ,lfw, ,London Fashion Week, ,Melissa Angelik, ,Nip-slip, ,Nudity, ,Petroleum, ,rca, ,Rosemary Kirton, ,Taiwanese

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