LOVE the WOOD WOOD concept store in Denmark, Aarhus 

Beautiful selection 

Fave item the WOODCHIP print

WANTWANT

Aarhus has a lovely selection of indies lining it's clean cobbled streets, city to watch.

GET INVOLVED TODAY ON

FASHION REVOLUTION DAY

THE FIRST OF BE APART OF NEW BEGINNINGS...

USE THIS LINK FOR EVENT INFO & DETAILS

http://fashionrevolution.org/

PEACE & LOVE

HELLO! 

I seem to have done it again... I've neglected my blog even though it's been on the top of my 'To Do' list... for months!

Now I'm back and to sum up my summer I'm going to start with the glorious holidays I've had and some of the brilliant places I've been.

Amsterdam

Manu and I, classic tourist pic for the mums and yours truly....

The National Film Institute which, was being built when I last came and now looks more spectacular than I could have imagined. Grab your bikes and hope over on the bus-ferry then dinner at Hotel Goudfazant (a little secret that a very well informed local told me)

A great day out shopping at Hutspot a new and very select concept store, Amsterdam's version of Merci, Dover Street but with more of a thought through environmental/eco edge, as seen... 

here! Custom made BAMBOO BIKE, love/want!

Followed by dinner at THE BEST kept secret in Amsterdam shared with me by the cool local mentioned before you have to call the chef, Nico to request for this very special restaurant to open. With only 5 tables and your 15 dishes (and that's just the antipasti) descriptively explained by Nico and made as he says 'With love' you really can't help falling in love! I like to call the place Nico's but Nico calls it, Sogni Del Sud

MOVING ON UP! 

After 25 yrs 2 trucks and 3 containers we have sold our family home... on to the next chapter

Tip - I could not have moved without the brilliant team from J Fisher Removals they are flexible, supportive, quick, efficient, mussel-y and fairly priced all you want from a team you can trust with all your precious possessions

After a hard days work it's off to the West End to see Charlie...!

SAM MENDES - CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY!

I SPY the AMAZING (god father) PAUL MEDFORD who plays Mr Beauregarde but not forgetting the UMPA-LUMPA's!

Magical! Unforgettable! A MUST SEE!

It's been a busy few weeks... Here's what I've been up to

Opening Night

RICHARD ROGERS AT THE ROYAL ACADEMY

Another joyous event at the RA wonderfully presented with a fine spread and champagne - RA team you make my week nights all the better!

He designed the Pompidou Centre and re-designed one of my fave London arts centre The South Bank Centre - this is a brilliant exhibition highlighting the very best of his best work and character - particularly well high-lighted with the Pop theme colours running throughout

A MUST SEE! 

LA GRANDE FETE

BEST PARTY

St.Tropez#Birthday party#Well dressed#Free-flowingRose&Champagne

BEST CULTURE FIX

The (BEAUTIFUL) Marguerite Foundation - the Giacometti courtyard 

Other artists include Miro/Chagall/Braque/Tapies/Leger and many more - A MUST GO

The Musee Picasso, Antibes - Fabulous collection also featuring Giacometti figures lined along the wall, against a sparkly blue sea - ALLEZ!

Finishing off the sunny weekend with a chilled sun-set-sea-view BBQ

Word for the weekend? 

Effervescent!

SHAKE SHACK/CLOVE CLUB/ST.TROPEZ

Brilliant time at the opening of Shake Shack in Covent Garden 

all thanks to the clever pair behind The Clove Club - THANKS Jonny and Danny!

Now packing for a fun filled weekend in Marseille

SUN/SEA/ST.TROPEZ/ROSE/AND(I HOPE)

TIME FOR A BITTA CULTURE - MARSEILLE BEING THE EURO CAPITAL '13

Mexico - A Revolution In Art 1910-1940

I had a wonderful time at the opening of the Royal Academy of Arts 'Mexico' exhibition

Beautiful setting, yummy canapes and lots of wine with George and the lovely Gabriella 

Fabulous Gabriella with big Frida Kahlo brows!

Truth Behind the Labor - Hanawala - Factory Visit

I met a guy over dinner one night who questioned me on Ethical Fashion 

Him: "What IS Ethical Fashion?" 

Me: "I don't know - it means different things to different people - what does it mean to you?" 

Him: "My workers are happy and treated fairly UNTIL you (he means 'the west') make last minute changes to your orders or design, want the delivery a week earlier and argue over pushing the margins down by even a rupee every season - that, is when we are forced to change OUR ethics'"

Me: "Humm tell me more"...

And so I went down to his factories in Hanawella to take a look for myself.

This factory makes clothes for some of the UK's biggest retail outlets - at a closer look and a chat with the department head teams, including some of the English speaking workers It is sad to say that their biggest problems in fair trade production come from the decisions that we make over here...

So, What is the answer? And who has them? 

New Look are training their staff on the production process as a whole with emphasis on the impact that their changes and decisions have on the makers this, is a good start but much more can be done.

People to talk to? 

The Centre for Sustainable Fashion give great advice on trading and alternative methods of production 

A Boy Named Sue have great examples of how to source sustainably 

As do UK, Isle of Wight based brand Rapanui

Une petite balade

Excuse my silence!

I have been on wonderful adventures and in the midst of having too much fun I've neglected my blog!

Any way, back now and here's a summery of what's to come

I fell in love... with a France, Corsica, Italy, Mallorca and a lovely man from Marseille 

Paris for 6months

First stop on our 3month road trip the beautiful Marseille 

Back to London and ready to start a 6month Pop-Up project with coolest charity

The Environmental Justice Foundation 

Stay tunned!

CFW Sunday 26th

Having not got any images of Sunday's show - I've put together a few... better late than never

Sunday's Highlights 

Rizwan Beyg's beautiful blues

Right, white looks simply gorgeous but fitting it on in two minutes really wasn't... smudged make-up - hair everywhere - pulled - screams - three people to de-tangle all the tie details - lots of sweating!

Arugam Bay

Highlights... Just ADAM!

Agatha Ruiz De La (not Le) Prada

Subject: LOVE

William Richard Green

Thugish Charm

Fringe Shows

I was most excited about organising the CFW Fringe Show's which are a platform for the very best emerging designers from top SriLankan Universities. So, when (on my first day) they told me that I would be presenting the Fringe Shows however doubtful I was I ended up agreeing to do it and am so glad I did because it really was an honor to introduce these talented and very passionate young ladies...

Best Of

 Lanka Institute of Technology

Purple left - Akhila Karunaratne who was inspired by SrilLankan Murals and used traditional production methods such as handloom.

This collection was sporty, bright and full of texture by Shamara Alles.



University of Moratuwa (UOM)

Mihiri Bandumali 

Academy of Design (AOD)

AOD, otherwise known as the Ethical Design Hub, has created a new breed of fashion entrepreneurs, ethical award winners and designers who are highly skilled and at the same time conscious of their surroundings and there really couldn’t be a better two to best represent this AOD’s ethos. 

First up we have NITHYA. Her inspiration came from native SriLankan women, their traditional costume the “osariya” and the way they draped their saree. The production techniques used in this collection range from warp printing to traditional handloom weaving and last year At Srilankan Design Festival NITHYA was awarded the Best Innovative Textile Designer Award. 

Next up we have LONALI who lovingly transforms unwanted luxury textiles, trims and clothing into stylish, original and wearable art. This particular collection was made using factory cut offs and discarded clothes labels which, Lonali shredded to get this furry, feather-like effect. The designs aim to celebrate life through innovative and unique designs while reducing the environmental impact in processing. She was the winner of the Ethical Fashion Award 2010 at the SriLankan Design Festival and has been approached by Orsola De Castro, the founder of Esthetica which is the Ethical side to LFW.

Keep up to date with the lovely Lonali here 

Not only are these two young ladies lovely but there passion, innovation and ability to balance style and ethics so brilliantly is totally inspiring! I was very pleased to see that the lovely Mathilde from HiTv Magazine also felt the same way - this is a pic of the girls interview after the show.

Colombo Fashion Week, SriLanka

Day 1

Meet the team - one of which hands over to meet as she'll be in China a week before the show (thanks, Niro) aaand get badly ripped off by a tuk tuk guy - need to work on my haggling - how could I be mad though?

Day 2 & 3

Having had a heads up from Roshnee, it was clear that this weekend would be my only beach time and that's exactly where I stayed all weekend

Day 4

Team brief for the week ahead - Volunteers confirmed - all is going smoothly until...

Day 7

When after having spent the best part of each sunny day trying to pin down a truck as well as make-up&hair, models&music, rails&hangers etc... the truck fell through... fail. Luckily Naila came to the rescue... The SriLankan Red Cross... why didn't I think of that!

Days 5 & 6

Were spent at various opening parties, talks and shows for the Colombo Art Biannual all thanks to mum for being Mrs Arts. Here's just a few of the many snaps I took...

Party on Park Street

The Warehouse Project

Big Gold Digger. National Museum of Art

Hand loom at the Barefoot Gallery

Day 8

Pick up day - is when you drive around all day long in the heat picking up all the backstage necessities  - thank god we had a brilliant team to help!

Days 9 & 10

Moved into the Hilton (not literally) and ready to roll with the first day of fit-ons

Taylor ... check

(Naila: Hang on isn't that Rani's dress? Me: he wanted to keep busy?...!)

            

                                                   

The BEAUTIFUL collection by local designer Deneth who won this years Best Designer Award. She makes her cotton collections in a small village called Kurunegala outside of Colombo.

Day 11

Rehearsals

              

Day 12

Pre-party at the Dutch Hospital

Day 13

Friday 23rd and the first day of Colombo Fashion week '12

Lilian Pereira

Highlights - her quilted silks

Gaetano Navarra

Highlights - EVERYTHING but the gold belt is top of my wish list! 

     

                                                    

KT Brown

Makes all her collection in her Park Street store 

After party at The Elephant Room - I paced myself well

Day 14

Bibi Russell 

Highlights - her bright pop colours and watching the models dance there way down the catwalk - smiling!

                                         

The Delightful Deneth Piuma

Highlights - her floral suit - Yinka style!

                                                              

Gihan

Highlights - the light light silk and such strong, block colour

After party at The Elephant Room - less said about that the better!

Highlights - William Richard Green on the decks... although it was more of a shall we say pop crowd - no complaints from his assistant Russell though! 

 

Day 15 

And the last day of the show - 4 volunteers down (must make a rule to allow them to the closing party only) 11 designers to go and a very sore head. That, combined with the fact that we had four models each to look after meant that sadly I missed all the Sunday shows...

But here are some manic backstage snaps and I will follow up with a cover of Sunday's show at a later date with, better photo's! 

Hair & Make-up and goody bags (late and very very last minute)

Four very tired ladies - Niro, Naila, Roshnee & Rani still made it to the Closing Party - Well kind of, I did fall asleep on the dance floor...

THE END

until next year that is

I have much much more to share but for now I'm off to a well deserved staff party - thank you Ajai. 

Coming soon, a big piece on the afternoon Fringe Shows, more about some of the designers and a factory visit....