A LA MODE Schedule Feb2011

Just for all of you who are eagerly anticipating the arrival of LGN Events' flagship off-schedule LFW Show in February, I have compiled a little blog post of all the designers exhibiting as a taster of what the guests will be treated to on the 18th and 19th Feb 2011. Excited much?? Yes. Thought so.

FRIDAY 18TH FEBRUARY 2011

Annah Stretton

 

This New Zealand based designer has already made a name for herself in her home country where she has established a stggering 30 own brand stores already! Actively campaigning against animal cruelty, Annah is a forced not to be reckoned with. She has also appeared on America's Next Top Model during a go-see challenge. Her designs are elegant and feminine and sure to get the girly girls riled up in London.

Berit New York

Stalwart of vintage fashion design with a futuristic twist, Brit Frady Williams' label Berit New York debuted at London Fashion Week via A La Mode in September 2011. She wowed the crowds with her beautifully constructed and intriguingly unique collection full of bright, shiny fabrics, piping and alternative tailoring.

RAJADANO

Rajadano showcased at the LGN Events' London Fashion Week Closing Party at Jalouse private members' club last September and has rocketed into the off-schedule event this season. With a unique globally cultural design aesthetic, Rana's bag label Rajadano provides a selection of beautiful, intricately embellished clutches and over the shoulder bags for daytime and evening wear.

MAJINJOO

 Being a member of the LGN Events team, I shouldn't morally have any favourites, but I am really looking forward to seeing what this young designer brings to her first ever London Fashion Week event.  Her MA graduate collection was met with huge praise from Susie Lau of StyleBubble and other well respected online fashion commentators. She uses a very edgy, modern mixture of fabrics in her work and if her previous collection is anything to go by, we ca expect to see glitter and exaggerated structural tailoring in February's A La Mode. Excited doesn't even begin to cover it!

I interviewed Jin Joo Ma of MAJINJOO on Sarah London blog in December. Check it out here

UsTrendy Presents RUMPLEMUNKEH

Super cool stylish website UsTrendy ran a competition last year for their most popular seller to win an all expenses paid trip to London to showcase their work at the off-schedule LFW event A La Mode. The winning designer was Rochelle Carino's fabulously fanciful label RUMPLEMUNKEH. Employing the use of a variety of fabrics and taking inspiration from her local surroundings (in LA) as well as Japanese style and Geisha girls, Rumple Munkeh is sure to strike a chord with the glamorous London Crowd.

Rehmali

 

Maria Rehmali is a self taught designer who started out as a stylist for some of Birmingham's most high flying, demanding individuals. She recognised the fact that everyone needs their own version of couture and set out on a one-woman mission to change the fashion scene ro match her vision. Presenting a range of feminine designs and gorgeous leather bags, Rehmali is a hot new home grown designer. And we all love a bit of Brit-talent don't we!

I interviewed Maria recently on Sarah London Blog. Check it out here

Cristina Nitopi



Australian designer Cristina Nitopi is the last name to add to the bill for the opening night of Fashion Week on Friday 18th February. Her designs verging on the avant garde retain feminine elegance and promote a ladylike aesthetic. Cristina's family originated from Sicily and she combines her heitage with the modern fashion scene to create a truly luxurious feel to her collections. Her designs have been exhibited in New York, Dubai and Hong Kong to name a few and her presence at A La Mode will mark the designers first venture into the UK market. If her previous endeavours are anything to go by, Cristina Nitopi is likely to go down a storm at LFW.

SATURDAY 19TH FEBRUARY 2011

BEVZA 

 Award-winning Ukrainian label Bevza is the first name to list for Saturday's event. In her own words, "Minimalism. aristocratism, simplicity, sensuality, accuracy are brand identity of BEVZA". One of the top ten most popular Ukrainian fashion brands, the minimalistic image Bevza designs emulate will certainly be a hit with the crowds at LFW - especially given the 60s/70s influence and how fiercely on trend this style is set to be for the next couple of seasons.

Belinda Liu

#This Romanian designer made her A La Mode debut in September, marking her first foray into the London fashion scene. Thrilled with the results of showing with LGN Events' flagship show, she is returning this season to wow the crowds again with her delicate, girly, slightly antique inspired collection. Spanning tailored suits to bloomers and corsetry, Belinda Liu is a label that knows no boundaries.

Vjera Vilicnik

Croatian-born Brick-Lane based designer Vjera Vilicnik will hit LW for the first time this season. She has already taken her designs to the Mayfair Catwalk Show and has secured a sponsor from her home country, but this will mark the beginning of a whole new era for her designs. Classically trained in the art of embroidery, Vjera makes good use of her professional education and employs a modern spin on a very vintage method of design. Her collections obviously emulate her heritage but also take inspiration from her current surroundings in the hip, vintage central on London- Brick Lane.

I interviewed Vjera recently on Sarah London Blog. Read it here

Dima Ayad

Lithuanian born, Dubai based designer Dima Ayad has dreamed of showcasing her work at London Fashion Week ever since she visited the capital one year on her birthday. She is a champion of the female form and is eager to show the UK market that you can still wear elegant, floaty fabrics and show off a beautiful figure without hiding behind dull colours or ill-fitting designs. Dima Ayad is a master of drapery and knows exactly where to place a hitch or a hem. Her collection is eagerly anticipated by the whole of the London fashion scene and has already received a number of previews on various womens fashion sites.

I interviewed Dima Ayad on Sarah London Blog. Check it out here



Gloria Wavamunno

Ugandan designer Gloria will be providing the A La Mode event with a culturally divserse collection which takes inspiration from the designers African heritage. The company was only established in 2009 and is already hitting the runway at London Fashion Week.  Previous collections which she exhibited at 2010 African Fashion Week have explored structured shoulders, bright, vibrant colours with bold silhoutte prints and the full range of skirt lengths meaning this collection will suit every height, shape and size. Perfection!!

Some of Gloria's previous work can be viewed in this article on Bella Naija











Alana Hale

LA based designer Alana Hale has already dressed American Idol judge Paula Abdul and her shoe designs have been spotted on Keri Hilson, so it's a safe bet that her presence at February's A La Mode will attract some of London's tele icons! Her collection is modern and youthful, employing feathers, leather and netting to give a cutting edge appeal to her work.




I interviewed Alana Hale recently on Sarah London blog. Check it out here









Birthday Suits

German label and brainchild of Louise Walleneit Birthday Suits will be gracing the A La Mode catwalk in February. Her collections incorporate an unusual combination of fabrics such as faux hair and silk, creating a very soft yet artistic aesthetic. In her own words, "the ideas and products of birthday suits develop in a transdisciplinary space between fashion, art and research." which provides a great prospect for those attending the event in February








If the lineup has well and truly got you hyped up for A La Mode, drop us a line and let us know! Any bloggers, journalists or reporters wishing to preview any of the designers' work on their websites or publications should contact myself at sarah@lagenevenorth.co.uk. All press release, guestlist and photo enquiries should also be directed to this address.

PANTS!

The delightful people at cool heritage brand Fruit Of The Loom are confirmed as official sponsors of February 2011's A LA MODE event and will be providing some very exciting goodies for all the lucky guests at the event! I enlisted the help of a man who is very picky about his pants to test Fruit Of The Loom's men's undercrackers to see how the hold up and whether he would buy them.

So the pairs come in packs of two in some very spunky colours! I personally love the bright green - very fetching and adds a splash of colour to an outfit - and the white pair balances it out for more formal occassions.

My model, Mr Picky, is not one to wear just any old knickers and he likes to know he will be supported from all angles in his pants. He loved these Fruit of the Loom pants and has informed me he will definitely be purchasing them in the future! He loved the colours and the size and shape and was delighted by how sturdy and comfortable they were. The waistband has a subtle imprint of the logo which he liked as it meant they were not plain but was not glaringly obvious branding like certain other brands or pants. My model gave these pants 10/10 all round and is now pestering me for tickets to the show for more! Cheeky beggar....


Fruit of the Loom pants (which also come in womens designs) come in a wide range of colours including Black and Pink, Blue and White, Stripes and ed and Black.

Fruit Of The Loom will be sponsoring LGN Events off-schedule London Fashion Week show kicking off on February 18th and 19th 2011

Check out Fruit of the Loom products by clicking here

See the full line up and more info on the A La Mode show by clicking here

All press and buyers wishing to attend the event should contact Sarah@lagenevenorth.co.uk to apply for tickets.

INTERVIEW: REHMALI

Birmingham-based young designer Maria Rehmali will be showcasing her debut collection at London Fashion Week in February. I managed to squeeze myself into her very busy schedule to find out how she gets her inspiration and why she decided to become a designer - check it out below!

Hi Maria! To kick off, can you tell us a little about how you set up the Rehmali brand and what inspired you to become a designer?

At a young age I did not know what I wanted to do, going through college and university, I noticed that fashion was always a big topic more than your final year exams!

Everyone I had noticed had a unique dress style, I knew then I wanted to apart of this culture. As I was always complimented on the way I had always pulled together an everyday outfit,  I decided to go into styling.

 I started to style in a major well-known fashion retailer as a personal stylist; I had many customers coming in through the door from the wealth and fame to just everyday professional customers. They were all seeking my knowledge and expertise in creating a lifestyle for them in the way they would like to been seen in the public eye.

My own creativity to design has come from my clients. There was always something wrong with a cut of a garment or not liking a certain aspect of an outfit etc, so I decided to take evening classes and increase my knowledge of fashion design. From this I had started my Rehmali label.

What is your favourite piece you have designed so far?

 

As I create a collection there is always a special garment that you would call your ‘favourite’, all my pieces are unique and each has their own spark!

I have do have a favourite piece which I am currently in process of putting together.

How exciting! So whose style do you admire?

I don’t have a certain style that I follow but I feel that Oliva Palermo has a great trend sense and a great fashion eye. I admire people who don’t have stylist and can pull garments together themselves, and this is really fashion!

But I do admire designer such as Armani as his a great talent and a believer in his creation.

If you could dress any celebrity, who would it be?

As my designs are very vintage Hollywood but with a modern twist and a hint of film festivals, I would like to dress Sophia Lauren and Audrey Hepburn. With regards to modern celebrities I would like to dress Victoria Beckham, Angelina Jolie or Megan Fox as I feel that they do still carry on the old Hollywood glamour.

Your designs are very classic - how would you describe the “Rehmali woman”?

The Rehmali woman is a powerful, strong minded woman who knows what she want and goes for it, She is very diverse and unique and stands out from the crowd - and always looks fabulous!

Where do you see the Rehmali brand in 5 years time?

In 5 years time I see Rehmali will have on-schedule fashion shows in and out of Europe, also I will have opened stores either in or out of Europe.......

But it does not stop there!

What are you looking forward to most about exhibiting at A La Mode?

At the show I am looking forward to meeting the LGN Events team and also the press and buyers which will help me to make lasting relationships and expose myself and my brand. Also, I am looking forward to showcasing my collection to all of London!

Maria Rehmali will showcase her exciting new collection on the first day of London Fashion Week, Friday 18th February, as part of LGN Events eagerly anticipated off-schedule event A LA MODE. 

Check out the full lineup of the show here: www.lgn-events.co.uk

INTERVIEW: Flik Hall

 I caught up with Flik Hall last week to ask her a few quick questions about what inspires her and how she goes about designing pieces for her collections. She's a very talented young designer and, being home-grown talent, I couldn't pass up the chance to pick her brains on where those ingenious patterns and textures combos came from! Check out her story below...

You use an awesome mix of fabrics in your work - I love the combination of hessian
with leather! How do you find which materials work best with each other and what are
you planning on experimenting with for your next collection?

The materials that I use each season depend very much on what has inspired my work and
the effect I want to provoke. I find it interesting to work with material that are unorthodox
or foreign, those with a purpose perhaps more commonly associated with something other
than clothing; or materials that we don’t get to see used very often - used in an unexpected
way. It’s more exciting because it’s about discovery and the unfamiliar. I’m currently more
inclined to choose fabrics that oppose each other in their qualities and characteristics. I love
to choose fabrics that look would be perceived as awkward together when in conception,
but combined in a configured way really work for each other. I love leather at the moment
because I’m finding it so versatile and dynamic and amenable to the ideas that I have. For my
next collection I am continuing to work with leather but with new twists!

What has been the highlight of your fashion career so far and what are you looking
forward to?

I would definitely have to say the shoot for my first collection ‘Scope of Time’. Although
I have been much more excited by more recent things, for me when you actually see your
clothes work as a piece of art for the first time....apart from in your imagination that has to be
the strongest memory.

I love the dolls arms on your SS11 collection! Where do you get your ideas for the
prints you use?

I took imagery from looking into the lives of Mexican families and the composition of
alters that they display in their homes. The alters would appear chaotic but seemed very
beautiful to me at the same time. Many of the alters are juxtapositions of items such as family
memorabilia, a white horse, dolls, cords, religious paintings and even sweet corn. I became
particularly interested by alters that were present in the home in memory of children that had
died. They would be filled with dolls of all description in various outfits, some bigger and
smaller than others. I was fascinated by the interesting spaces shaped in-between the dolls
which was what led me to experiment with porcelain dolls arms for my print. Much of the
colour palette was inspired by the state the walls had been left in the home during various
hurricanes. The hessian I used in the collection is a fabric that plays a great part in their lives
used as table clothes, clothing and even as bags for collecting sweet corn.

Do you dress in your own designs? If not, what sort of style do you adopt?

IRIS APFEL

Yes, I do wear my own designs, all of the items I design I resonate with. Sometimes part
of my inspiration is thinking about what’s not out there; or what is, but improved upon or
expanded upon (subjectively). I think that although it is important to know your market,
having enthusiasm for a garment you would love to wear yourself brings about a much
stronger piece.

I think that style is a continuous evolution so if I was to attempt to categorize my style
it would be an inaccurate description very soon. For the moment I would say I am quite
unbounded and flamboyant, how I dress communicates who I am from day to day.
Whose style do you admire?

I love Iris Apfel, her style; attitude and vision are so unique; she is one of a kind and totally
exotic! I also really admire Francoise Hardy’s effortless elegance.

Flik Hall moved to London following her school years and moved into Hackney soon after. She enrolled at Central St Martin’s college where she pursued her options, and quickly developed her curiosity in fashion design. Flik Hall discovered and developed a love for print design in particular. She then left college to take placements with various designers such as House of Holland and Giles Deacon, where she engaged in all areas of the design studio. During her time there, she began setting up her own label. She launched her first season SS10 “Scope of Time” soon afterwards.
Flik Hall’s work is brightly hued where the garments movement and print takes centre stage. Employing a wide range of prints nothing is quite what it seems in Flik's work where contrast is key. Flik’s SS11 collection, “Mannequin Parade”,  is a showcase of Flik’s signature aesthetic of bold silhouettes and captivating prints.

Flik Hall's work is available to buy on Not Just A Label.com

Check out Flik's website  by clicking here

SALES SALES SALES

I have put together a little review of some my favourite fashion websites' sales. (Apologies for the delay with this post to those of you who were expecting it sooner!) Below are collages of some of the items in each store's sales with ratings (out of 10) which rank their:

- VARIETY - The amount of different lines and items in the sale
- PRICE - The size of discounts applied to goods
- QUANTITY - The size of the sale as a whole
- OVERALL - A mark for how good the sale was based on how much I wanted to buy (or did buy!)

Let me know if you bought anything from any of the sales this year, personally I was quite disappointed!

TOPSHOP:

(WWW.TOPSHOP.COM)

A number of Meadham Kirchoff dresses and Marios tops made their way into the sale along with a few other designer additions to Topshop's offering. The pricing of the goods was on the whole reasonably low. There were substantial discounts off of a lot of items including dresses reduced from £160 to £50 and tops down from £240 to £100. The sale was however, unfortunately, not to my taste and included a lot of very bland mainstream items. In the past I have been amazed at the amount of cool, edgy pieces left in the sale but Topshop was a tad disappointing this time around for such styles.

- VARIETY - 3/10

- PRICE - 8/10

- QUANTITY - 8/10

- OVERALL - 6/10

TOTAL         25/40

ASOS:

(WWW.ASOS.COM) 

Overall, I have to say, ASOS sales always get me, and this was no exception! I bought myself a nice couple of tube skirts, one with an awesome galaxy print (see outfit post coming soon!). The sale is always extensive when it comes to this site, they have a huge offering that far exceeds that of any of it's competitors and that goes some way to explaining why the sale is always so big. The prices, however, are not huge reductions. Pieces which were originally reasonably cheap, (which is what ASOS started with all the years ago!), will go down to tiny prices but if you didn't want to pay a rather miniscule price for it beforehand, why would you pay now? The designer items come down so far but not far enough for some of us mere mortals. They must be congratualted, however, on their ability to provide such a huge variety of items and styles to suit all budgets and images. Their delivery system is also impeccable with a great support base who are very vocal on social networking sites, making you feel certain you can sort out a probem should one arise.





- VARIETY - 9/10

- PRICE - 6/10

- QUANTITY - 10/10

- OVERALL - 8 /10


TOTAL              33/40

TATTY DEVINE:

(WWW.TATTYDEVINE.COM)

I love this quirky jewellery and accessories brand and was very pleased to find that they were holding a fair sized sales for their considerably small range. A couple of the items included are event or phase related items (such as the fireworks) but they are largely interesting, valued, quality items so I was very pleased to come across this sale! Most of the prices are discounted as half of the original price which for a brand whose products on average tend to cost upwards of £20, is very good. I only wish the name necklaces were in the sale!!!!!



- VARIETY - 7/10

- PRICE - 8/10

- QUANTITY - 7/10

- OVERALL - 8/10


TOTAL             30/40







I could have done a couple more reviews but generally the brands I shop with beyond these are more niche market so perhaps next week I will do best of the rest in the alternative sectors. Let me know if you think you'd appreciate that! I also wanted to limit it to brands I deal with as I wouldn't want to promote the services of a brand which I had not dealt directly with myself. I have had good experiences with all the brands reviewed here and will happily shop with them again in the future...(perhaps the very near future seeing as I've just been scouring their sales!!!)




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