Bath in Fashion Festival: Style in the City

This month sees one of Britain's key fashion cities celebrating its style connections with the Bath in Fashion festival. From 13th-21st April there will be a packed schedule of events and exhibitions to help you indulge your inner fashionista, whether you're into the stunning photography of Norman Parkinson or the modern super stylist Rebekah Roy. Here are some of the highlights:

Mouvements de Femmes: Roland Mouret in conversation with Susanna Frankel (Grazia's Fashion Director) - Monday 15th April, The Octagon at Milsom Place

He's known for iconic dresses such as the Galaxy, seen on A-listers and widely copied by the high street, but you'll see him in a new light here, as the curator of Norman Parkinson's photography exhibition. Obviously someone who appreciates the female form, Mouret will be grilled by the brilliant Susanna Frankel, so expect some juicy soundbites. Tickets cost £20 from Visit Bath.

 Downton's timeless painted illustrations are worth seeing. [Image via daviddownton.com]

David Downton's Illustration Masterclass with model Jade Parfitt - Saturday 20th April, The Grange Suite in the Bath Spa Hotel

I was lucky enough to hear Downton speak at the London College of Fashion a few years ago, where I sat in the audience taking copious notes and lapping up every word - I'm utterly in awe of his work and even used him as inspiration for my AS-Level Art project, back in the day. You'll know a Downton illustration for its expressive and fluid lines, celebrity subjects such as Dita Von Teese and its minimalist finish; he's also the fashion illustrator in residence at Claridges and creates unforgettable couture and catwalk imagery. Tickets have sold out for this event, so if you've managed to score one then I'm incredibly jealous.

BathVA's Vintage Fashion Fair Special - Sunday 21st April, Green Park Station

In a place with so much history, it's only right that vintage style gets a look-in here. Get your hair fixed up like a true retro lady (Marcel wave? Victory rolls? Yes, please) and browse over 50 stalls selling the very best local finds. There's even a dance troupe to entertain you as you shop - what more could you want, except a man in a classic car? Yep, they'll have them too. Entry is free and it runs from 9:30am to 4:00pm, so there's plenty of time to track down a bargain, but you may want to get there early for the best selection (of vintage, not men in cars). 

Aside from these picks, there will be plenty of exhibitions at the Holburne Museum, including 50 Fabulous Frocks and an installation by artist Julie Verhoeven, or you can pop to the famous Fashion Museum to see the Dress of the Year 2012. In between all of this, you might want to explore the Roman Baths or take a boat trip down the river, as I've done when I've visited over the years.

With talks, art displays and pop-up shops to check out, there really is something for everyone on the festival schedule. Well done to Visit Bath for an incredible line-up - I just wish I could be there myself!

Uniqlo Launches Heattech: As Seen in Vogue, with music by Violet

 The scene was set for the Uniqlo x Vogue party on Oxford Street.

This Thursday I headed off to Oxford Street and was whisked into a winter wonderland at Uniqlo, only with a more practical (rather than Christmassy) vibe. British Vogue has teamed up with the clothing brand to shoot its Heattech range, which insulates your body using seriously clever microfibre technology, and the results were pure fashion. 

Heattech Styled by Vogue: My Verdict

I think it was a great way to break some of the myths surrounding style, i.e. 'beauty is pain', 'you have to suffer to look this good', etc., by showing that you can wrap up warm without looking like a stuffed mushroom and still look cool. So often we drag ourselves out on a cold Saturday night without a coat, because it ruins our outfit, or we brave the elements in a miniskirt and 10 denier tights because we don't want to look too 'sensible' for that hot date (in my case, the hot date is probably with the reduced cake aisle at Tesco, but hey ho...). The thing about Heattech is that it doesn't involve bulky layers but it creates wearable pieces that you wouldn't mind being seen in. 

 Awkward angle, but that's actually Gizzi Erskine at the bar. 

Famous faces who brushed past me included Nat and Leah Weller (who both look impossibly cool in real life), the TV chef and columnist Gizzi Erskine, and the truly beautiful fashion designer Charlie Casely-Hayford, who I was too scared to take a picture of. There were also several bloggers that I recognised from LFW, including Stella from Stella's Wardrobe.

 My sister (and fashion event partner in crime) enjoying an apple cocktail.

 Guests were a mixture of bloggers, celebrities and people from the fashion industry.

 All quiet on the rail front - the tills were silent but the stock looked good.

 Pixie Geldof performed with her band, Violet, who I'd never heard before but they had a really tight set and were well suited to the event. 

If you get the chance to see them live then do.

 The guitarist set the tone for facial fuzz throughout the evening.

 I have never seen so many moustachioed and bearded men in close proximity.

Looking good, guys! (And I hope some of them were for Movember).

 There was a little bit of shoegazing.

I then dropped the bottom of my glass (well, it literally fell out in front of my face) and I was left holding the top of the glass and some ice cubes and a straw. Slightly awkward.

Trust me to have a Miranda moment at a fashion event...

 The crowd watched (and texted, in the foreground).

Quite pleased with how this photo turned out.

 A closer look at Pixie's shoes - heeled clogs with tiny studs.

 [All images my own].

And here's a glimpse of the Vogue shoot for the collaboration.

[Image via Uniqlo].

It was a great evening and I really enjoyed being able to see the combination of magazine editorial and high street style.

Fashion Calendar: November and December - Maison Martin Margiela, iPhoneography and Refinery29

So, Christmas is coming and your downtime is suddenly thin on the ground, right? (I know mine is). It can be mind-boggling trying to stay on top of what's going on in the fashion world at the best of times, but I find that we all seem to go into a state of tunnel vision from now until December 25th, possibly due to an overdose of Wham! and Slade, and time just disappears. So I've put together this quick guide to three of the hottest fashion and culture events over the coming weeks - just cherry-pick your favourites.

November 15th = Maison Martin Margiela for H&M

 Over-sized draped dress, £99.99, Maison Martin Margiela.

Sam Taylor-Johnson shot these images, which have a beautifully crisp finish.

 Draped dress in black, £99.99.

I'd style this with Vivienne Westwood suede ankle boots and a statement over-sized earring.

 Jacket, £59.99; trousers with front seam, £59.99; wedge shoes in nude with plexi detail, £149.99.

 Having recently picked up very similar shoes from Office, I can definitely see the allure of the nude shoe with a plastic heel. They look challenging but would be fun to wear.

That sweet wrapper clutch bag, £34.99; nude body with bra print, £29.99; oversized jeans, £39.99.

If I had the washboard stomach I'd be adding this bodysuit to my shopping basket.

In the mean time, the pop art-style clutch will do nicely, thanks.

[Images via British Vogue].

You might have read recently about American eBay mysteriously gaining some MMMxH&M merchandise ahead of the official product launch, seemingly from the recent celebrity-laden press event. Light-fingered stars aside, you can't truly get your hands on any of the goods until 15th November, in selected stores from 9am. I'll be attending the exclusive preview event on 14th, courtesy of Vogue and one very lucky ticket draw, and I will be reporting back on the blog about what I find in Regent Street.

This is something of a dramatic contrast to H&M's previous collaboration, which was with the fashion editor du jour Anna Dello Russo, who is top fodder for street style bloggers around the world. Maison Martin Margiela is the opposite of fashion chameleon Anna, as the company's inner workings aren't well documented and the mysterious figurehead actually left the company several years ago. The brand itself continues to be enigmatic but always strives to push the boundaries of convention and conceptual thought. If you think fashion is art then you will love this collection. What's more, a mainline piece of Margiela will set you back hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds (case in point: a camel coat for men costs over a grand), so this is the one time us plebs have a chance of affording it. Thank you, MMM.

November 17th - December 15th = iPhone Photography Workshop, The Photographers' Gallery, London

This is a five week workshop that would be perfect for those of you who own an iPhone and want to be more than a casual snapper (I'm still on an utterly terrible Blackberry with a shooting capacity that looks like every photo is taken through a keyhole, but I will grit my teeth and not be jealous of you lot...). The Photographers' Gallery is an excellent place to learn new skills and they really are passionate about all forms of making and sharing photos. I participated in one of their projects several years ago, which was a magazine project and live art installation in Selfridges, and it was a fascinating and fun experience that pushed me out of my comfort zone.

If you want to participate in the iPhone workshops then clear your schedule for five Saturdays from 2pm-5pm and make some room for new apps on your phone. It sounds like a great opportunity to learn a new skill that you'll be able to use all the time in daily life, especially if you're looking to create more shareable images.

December = Refinery29, leading US fashion website, comes to the UK

I'm already a fan of Refinery29, the website that scouts for the best deals and trend updates in fashion and beauty, so I was pretty pleased to discover that a UK branch of the site is being launched in December (exact date unconfirmed). Just in time for Christmas, you'll be able to discover what fashion is like behind the scenes, with an emphasis on sneak peeks at the hottest designers and nightlife, but also a personable feel that gives you localised knowledge about the shops near you.

I've also read that there will be Brit It Girls, though there's no word as to who they will be. I'm praying it's not the 'stars' of Made in Chelsea and hoping for insiders who we can see as role model-esque figures - maybe more along the lines of Lily Cole (who is equal parts model/History of Art graduate/actress/charity and environment campaigner). The website sees itself as a 'global style hub' and I am looking forward to seeing who its Brit ambassadors will be; hopefully people with a unique insight and sense of what the trends mean to them.


With the calendar complete, which events are tempting you for the next month or so? Share them around and spread the word - let's make the run up to Christmas about doing something different and squeezing in more fashion than festive panic.

A Fashion Postcard from Berlin

 A snapshot of Berlin from my travels.

I've just got back from a whistlestop tour of Berlin, Colditz and Dresden (yep, I don't do holidays by halves) and it seemed only fitting to share some of the sights of the German capital which is known for being a gathering point for hipsters. 

Local residents are so sick of trendy gangs of youths - think Dalston but with Euros instead of pounds being dropped on achingly cool fashion and overpriced cocktails - that they've told them to leave Berlin alone. Having managed to avoid most of the scenesters on my trip, I can safely say that the city is fascinating enough without paying them much lip service.

 The leaves were beautifully rusty around the city centre.

If you want a style reference, think Christina Hendricks' hair.

 A mime artist reclines by the Brandenburg Gate.

 If you want to buy authentic vintage that gives back to charity, go to Humana.

 The Humana store in Alexanderplatz is an affordable treasure trove. I loved the coats!

 The woman on the left had some amazing baggy harem pants that caught my eye.

 Someone should tell Miuccia Prada that a nail salon in the U-Bahn rather likes her name.

 A short walk from Potsdamer Platz, I spotted this man deep in hipster thought.

 How to do brand awareness, German style: dress up your workers in lederhosen and other traditional costumes. Add copious amounts of Schnapps and some fake gold bars.

 I'm pretty chuffed with how this photo of the Berlin Wall turned out.

This particular section had an almost pebble-dashed chewing gum pattern.

The poster art promoting the film museum was really interesting.

[All photos my own. Please ask before reproducing].

This is just a small portion of what I got up to on my travels, but I hope you'll excuse the absence from blogging. I did take my iPad and intended to blog but the Wi-Fi costs in hotels still remain ridiculously high (and I refuse to pay them) and also my trip was utterly packed with little down-time, so I decided to focus on photography for a bit. 

If you're thinking of going to Berlin then I'd thoroughly recommend it, whether you're into fashion or not; there's so much to see and I certainly don't feel that I've done enough.

LFW S/S13 - A Snippet of Street Style

 A typically eclectic slice of menswear from the courtyard at Somerset House.

[All photos my own.]

 Kate Nash arrives at London Fashion Week, dressed as a space marshmallow. 

 Ada Zanditon shows her new collection, Tigress Reign, with a Kill Bill-inspired video to boot.

 The Exhibition drew me to plenty of fascinating accessories - this is just one of many. 

More photos to follow.

 Stylist Alexis Knox listens to the soundtrack for the Phannatiq video at the Felicities PR event.

 Last year's Fashion Fringe winners, design duo Fyodor Golan, stood next to me!

 This lady was incredibly stylish and I couldn't resist a snapshot.

 2012 Fashion Fringe winner Haizhen Wang lifts his trophy as one of his models looks on.

Here's a selection of what I brought home.

There are so many images still to upload onto the blog, so please do bear with me. I'll eventually put everything on Flickr as well, because there are far too many photos to include on here (yes, really!). 

Some of my catwalk shots did disappoint me, as strangely my fresh-out-the-box Nikon P510 bridge camera wasn't as effective as my Canon SX210IS, where I can always manage to rely on the fail-safe 'Kids and Pets' mode if it all goes tits-up in terms of bright lights and fast moving models. Instead I've ended up with lots of ghostly white outlines of the clothing and the camera has paid too much attention to what the crowds were doing, which is a shame (and doubtless my own fault) but is something I will be rectifying by illustrating what I saw instead. If all else fails, turn to pen and paper. 

Anyway, stay tuned for more LFW images throughout the next few days, and some doodles too.

Vogue US Hits 916 Pages With September Issue

Lady Gaga works it on the cover. 

[Images via Fashion Gone Rogue, one of my favourite sites].

Vogue US is considered by many slaves to fashion as the Bible, and it'll be even harder to shake that reputation with their ground-breaking September issue, totaling a massive 916 pages. I can't speak for the content because it's not out here in the UK yet, but by the sounds of the cover descriptions then it's going to be going for all-out style worship, creating a retrospective. 

Who better, then, to grace the front page than Lady Gaga? Arguably she knows about going stratospheric, considering her legions of fans and the uber-cool Haus of Gaga at her disposal to create outfits. Here she's styled by the legend that is Grace Coddington and photographed by Mert & Marcus, inside the shoot.

 

 

I can't say that I actually buy Vogue US that regularly (maybe once a year, if that, as it isn't half as good as its Italian counterpart, though I always skim through it and look out for any shoots featured on Fashion Gone Rogue) but I'm definitely set to buy this issue. If a magazine can churn out that many pages then I'll be keen to see top quality interviews with top designers, editors and creatives, as well as working out whether the advert-to-content ratio is worth their 'biggest ever' page claim. 

 

Another interesting proposition is 'Fall Fashion for All' - I'll have my politically correct radar going off for that one, as it'll be worth seeing just how diverse this gets. Will we see tokenism or actual genuine inclusion of women outside the 'white, size 0, very young' category? I really hope that 'for all' means what it says.

As for the 'Hair is the New Make-Up' feature? That's surely one for the Neophiliacs column in Private Eye magazine...

Photo Essay: Hotel Missoni's Bar, Edinburgh

 The view of the bar at Hotel Missoni: sleek design.

We didn't stay at Missoni's Edinburgh hide-away (sadly our budget didn't stretch that far) but my mum and I managed to pop in for a drink and a rare sit down on our Edinburgh mini-break. The welcoming staff outside the hotel were really genuine and didn't discriminate against non-guests such as ourselves, even though we were blatantly gawping at the decor and weren't set to have a full meal here. We never felt looked down upon, which is one of the most important considerations for me when visiting somewhere that's beyond my budget. I'd been wanting to come here ever since I read about Missoni opening the hotel and I'm so glad it lived up to expectations.

 My mum, mid-conversation, at our table.

 Looking at the decor. Those glossy red tables were like lacquered nails.

 Screens showed the catwalk to bring home Missoni's design legacy.

About to tuck into the signature hot chocolate (£3.95 but worth it).

 What I presume is a giant cotton reel showing some of the brand's typical colour clash prints.

A larger-than-life vase is given an edgy geometric look.

If you're in the neighbourhood and wondering whether or not to step inside the foyer, definitely take the leap. You'll be able to enjoy top-notch design and a little oasis of calm in the heart of the city at this five star hotel.

1 George IV Bridge

Edinburgh

Lothian

EH1 1AD

In Praise of 100 Beards: Interview with Jonathan Daniel Pryce

 Ali, British Library, London. 

[All photographs by Jonathan Daniel Pryce].

 Atip, Shoreditch High Street, London.

I've been an admirer of the photographers over at street style blog Les Garcons de Glasgow for quite some time, as well as offshoot men's style blog Another Garcon, and was pleased to see that Jonathan Daniel Pryce was launching a new project, 100 Beards. The idea is simple but very engaging: snap a different man and his beard for 100 days, recording the results on a dedicated Tumblr. Seeing this week that he'd completed the first quarter of the project, I was keen to find out how things were going. 

"The beard trend has been growing for the last five or six years, I'd say, and it's now reaching public consciousness on a widespread level," says Jonathan. He believes that it has "another three or four years" before the fuss dies down. Not only is now the perfect time to look at facial fuzz in terms of it's value in fashion, but also because it's something that really interests Jonathan: "I think there is a real subculture - every man with a beard seems to have a knowing look in his eye."

 Gregory, Swanfield Street, London.

The current hot favourite in terms of popularity is the portrait of Gregory on Swanfield Street, which has been the most shared photo so far. My personal favourite is Ali, photographed at the British Library; there's a real intensity to the image and I also love how his beard merges into the rest of his hair and yet it's a completely different style, peppered with grey. I'm also drawn to Derek in London Fields, the knowing look of Michael on Leonard Street and the piercing that cuts through Atip's beard (shot on Shoreditch High Street). What's more, Atip's stripy loose-fit Comme des Garcons t-shirt is cleverly set against rigid striped shutters, making for an interesting mixture of lines.

I wanted to ask Jonathan if there was any correlation between how a man keeps his beard and how he dresses, assuming that the neatness of one would equal the neatness of the other:

"What I have noticed is those with sculpted beards tend to dress in a sporty, high street looks. My favourite though is actually an inverse correlation, which is something I find quite frequently. By that I mean a big, bushy, unkempt beard with a sharp, tailored suit and button down shirt."

The project already seems to be spreading like wildfire, with Twitter users in particular getting excited about both the concept and execution. "People feel they have ownership over it, which is a great feeling," says Jonathan. "I'm really pleased with how it's going, although it's much harder than first expected!"

 John, Evelyn Street, London.

These days it's not uncommon for blogs to turn into books or for bloggers to become hot property. So where does he see the project going? "In terms of end results, I'm really looking forward to the exhibition which I'm planning at the moment and looking into getting a book published." I can certainly see these images working on a larger scale and lighting up a gallery. There's also Jonathan's other project, Superior Interior, which finds out if your dress sense extends to how you dress your home, and is hosted on Another Garcon.

One concern that Jonathan has is that "I don't want it to just become the hipster show," referring to the current trend for beards (and what I called the 'Shoreditch/Hoxton hipster style'). His solution is to be as diverse as possible, "selecting a broad range of facial hair." You can definitely see this just by scrolling through a small range of photos, but on a grander scale it's going to be a fascinating look at different approaches to the beard. I had no idea it was such a personal and idiosyncratic thing, but now I can see that it's a huge form of self-expression for those who decide to put down the razor. Not only that, but individual participants have their own stories to tell. Jonathan enthuses:

"The most touching photo for me is John. He emailed me last week thanking me, as his mother has days left to live and smiled for the first time in weeks when shown the photograph. It's those sorts of moments that mean a lot to me."

If you want to see the photos and learn how to participate in 100 Beards then do check out the Tumblr site and see for yourself, as well as looking for the #100Beards hashtag on Twitter. It's great to see that men's style is being given platforms such as these, and I look forward to seeing how it concludes.

Fashion Raindrops: The Virgin Suicides

 On the Stairs.

"We felt the imprisonment of being a girl, the way it made your mind active and dreamy, and how you ended up knowing which colors went together. We knew that the girls were our twins, that we all existed in space like animals with identical skins, and that they knew everything about us though we
couldn't fathom them at all." (Jeffrey Eugenides, The Virgin Suicides). 

Every summer I find myself turning to The Virgin Suicides, one of my favourite books, and also the film adaptation by Sofia Coppola. It creates this beautiful hazy American vintage atmosphere, the kind of thing that designers would kill to evoke for a Spring/Summer collection, where people run barefoot and everything's a bit more innocent. I certainly feel like this year is full of yet another evocation of whiter-than-white dresses with lace, of floral headbands and knee-high socks, worn Lolita-style. It always makes me turn back to that book, for a more authentic and beautifully worded slant on sun-drenched afternoons and a little bit of heartache.

The other week I came across this amazing vintage dress at Brighton's Vintage Nation, featuring a gorgeous floral 1970s print and bell sleeves. I was hooked. £25 and a little restoration with some Vanish and I had myself a look that was almost worthy of the Lisbon sisters in the novel. 

So much of the text is about the local boys' perceptions of the girls and their appearance or behaviour, through the briefest of glimpses or through anecdotal evidence from their school-friends who have managed to get inside the sisters' world. When they try to liberate themselves at the school prom, with their sack-like dresses as imposed by the domineering Mrs. Lisbon, we see how they can go beyond the superficial, with conservative clothes unable to provide a barrier to their freedom.

 

Glowing White.

 “It didn't matter in the end how old they had been, or that they were girls, but only that we had loved them, and that they hadn't heard us calling, still do not hear us, up here in the tree house with our thinning hair and soft bellies, calling them out of those rooms where they went to be alone," (Jeffrey Eugenides).

If you get the chance to read The Virgin Suicides, then do. It's one of my favourite summer reads and it stays with you long after the last page is turned. Whether you're a fashion lover or you just like a good book, I can thoroughly recommend it.

[All photographs my own. Please ask before reproducing].