Wednesday 27 March 2013

Spring/Summer 2014 inspiration


I can't believe I'm already starting work on Spring/Summer 2014 when, as I write, there appears to be little sign that Spring 2013 is even remotely on it's way. However, I always love this stage in the design process, when the last collection is done & dusted and new ideas begin to flow.

Having just returned from a much-needed break in South East Asia, I feel ready to dive back into my work. Here are some images of just a couple of the things I saw that helped to kick-start my creative brain....

Tuesday 26 March 2013

Interview: My Chic City visit the studio


My Chic City came by the studio recently to chat with me about the brand, as well as raiding my wardrobe. I'll admit I was a little apprehensive about being in front of the camera (I'm far more comfortable behind the lens), but those guys are so easy to be around, I enjoyed it more than I thought. Here are a couple of shots the girls took using my iPhone. You can see the rest and read the interview on MyChicCity.com.


[Top photo: jacket by Vivienne Westwood, skirt Amy Hall S/S 2012 - click here to buy in sale, clutch Bracher Emdem, necklace Celia B. Left: silk coat Shanghai Tang, dress vintage Ossie Clarke, shoes Alexander Wang]

Tuesday 12 March 2013

The Justine Cardigan

With the Autumn/Winter 2013 collection out in the open, I thought it would be a good idea to explain a little about how it came about and where some of the pieces' names came from.

After a rummage at my Mum's on the Isle of Wight last year, I unearthed a load of my old CDs from my teens - albums by Garbage, Elastica, Massive Attack, Tricky and, going back a bit further, Shakespeare's Sister and Tori Amos, to name a few. It got me thinking about the music specifically and that time in my life in general. I was a fairly upbeat and happy teenager but a lot of that music was quite angst-y and moody, which pretty much the vibe at the time.

So I returned to London with an armful of my old CDs and proceeded to listen to all of them, reminiscing in that gleeful, indulgent way that you do when you rediscover gems that you'd forgotten all about. The music inspired a feeling that harked back to the 90's and the grunge period and so the seed for the AW13 collection was sewn. The dark reds, blues and greys all reflect a mood that was inspired by that music.

One of my favourite pieces from this collection is the Justine cardigan, named after Justine Frischmann of Elastica (below - I'm sure I tore this picture out of the NME and had it on my wall). When 'Stutter' first came out I couldn't get enough of it - I remember waiting for it to come on the radio and frantically pressing record on the cassette so I could tape it. It had pride of place on one of my favourite mix tapes which, sadly, has long since disappeared. I thought Justine was super cool and her love triangle with Brett Anderson (who I had a bit of a crush on) and Damon Albarn only made me admire her even more.

The cardigan itself is based on a bestselling shape from a previous season and is so dense it could easily be worn in place of a coat. It's knitted in a British blend of cashmere & lambswool, so is incredibly warm and the shape means it's versatile enough to go with almost anything in your wardrobe.



Wednesday 6 March 2013

End of season sale

Spring is on it's way, hooray! But we're still experiencing a few chilly snaps, which is why you should peruse our reduced Autumn/Winter 2012 stock while you can. As well as stock, we also have a few press samples, which are barely worn but priced accordingly.

You will also find some clearance stock from Spring/Summer 2012 - a good opportunity to brighten up your wardrobe as the warmer weather approaches!

Shop all of the above here.