Fashion To Function

Fashion is no longer a commodity to come out of luxury couture houses, ready-to-wear shops, or even as seen on the streets of the world's leading cities. Fashion is everywhere, and you need look no further than the recent collaborations between A-list designers and sportswear brands to see the functional side of the fashion industry.

To look glamorous is no longer confined to cocktail parties and red-carpet moments. These days, traditional fashionable fabrics such as fox fur and leather can be found on performance-wear clothes, and sportswear silhouettes, colour palettes and cut are just as modern and fashionable as the clothes on the runway.

Take for example Stella McCartney's new collection for Adidas. Forget the the basic 3 stripe logo, Stella's pieces are the ultimate in a stylish sportswear wardrobe. Subdued plums mix with anthracite and winter whites, to a make sure you'll look your best on the treadmill.

Nicolas Ghesquiere from Balenciaga is set to design a line of technical jackets for French Alpine brand Moncler. The brand, which has been around since the forties and was the outfitter of the first French Olympic Ski team, have never compromised on fabric nor fit, and Ghesquiere's signature of intricate, yet uncontrived styling will add an extra kudos to the collection.

On the slopes, Burton Snowboards is working with Paul Smith - expect superfluous florals, stripes and an oasis of colour. If snowboarding isn't your forte, try the new skiwear from Rossignol and Emilio Pucci, which will feature the house's signature swirling, technicolor prints.

Eley Kishimoto, the London design duo, is also making skiwear for Italian sportswear brand Ellesse, and Escada Sport. Burberry also has a selection of golf offerings and technical skiwear for next season, and the house has stated that it intends to increase its sportswear offering in the coming year.

19 May 2005

Wedding fever

We all know the perils many a bride has to go through to organize her wedding and find the perfect dress. But it isn't exactly a bed of roses for the guests either. What type of wedding will you be attending? Will it be warm or cold, in door or out, formal or casual, romantic or tongue-in-cheek? These are all considerations in dressing for the occasion.

The fabulous NET-A-PORTER.COM has come up with a number of options for the discerning shopper with enough disposable income to purchase any of the suggestions.

First of all, the site distinguishes between day, evening and beach weddings. Very useful, because you obviously don't want to show up at your cousin's prim and proper country do in a sarong and slippers (as if!). For the daytime, the editor recommends pretty dresses in pastel colours and feminine jackets by Thakoon, Roland Mouret and Moschino Cheap & Chic, high-heeled slingbacks by Jimmy Choo and Narciso Rodriguez and gorgeous bags by Chloe and Jimmy Choo.

For evening weddings, the mood is decidedly darker and the dresses clingier. Lots of black and a beautiful green strapless Grecian dress by Azzaro make up the selection.
A beach wedding gives the guests ample opportunity to don bright, colourful dresses and caftans and sandals. Among the must have brands are Marc Jacobs, Zac Posen and Matthew Williamson and a fabulous purple kaftan by Viktor & Rolf.

A wedding is a tough affair to dress for, but Net-A-Porter has tried to make the situation a little easier on us and for that we are grateful. And do not despair over the prices of the delectable dresses. The high street is bound to have a vast array of suitable alternatives.

www.net-a-porter.com
25 April 2005

Girl with the eye

The one with the best eye for fashion finds gets the plum jobs. So it is for Yasmin Sewell, the woman with the most coveted gig in fashion. She is the buyer for Brown's Focus, the exclusive London boutique, where her assigment is from the famous Browns founder, Mrs Burstein, is to "find the best things in the world".

Sewell told vogue.co.uk that she advises new designers to send pictures of their designs to her, if they want to be discovered. "Send in some really good quality images of your pieces and I'l call you if I think they're right," advises the Sydney native. "It's pointless sending in samples, they might get lost," she continues."And I get about forty phone calls a day - twice that during the buying seasons - from people wanting to show me their stuff. I don't have time for all those calls. If you do something with a a point of difference, people will take notice."

Sewell lists Balenciaga bags and Veronique Branquinho boots among her preferred items, but confesses that there are too many favourite things to name.

19 April 2005

Blass for sale?

American couture house Bill Blass is rumoured to be for sale. Since the designer retired in 1999, there have been rumours of unrest as the house went through four different designers in quick succession. The first to go was Yvonne Miller, who had previously been Blass's muse and head of the public relations side of the business. After just one season she was replaced by Steven Slowik. He in turn was succeded by Lars Nilsson, who designed six collections before it was decided that he was not the right man for the job. Now it is Michael Vollbracht, Blass' collaborator and friend, who is the house's designer.

Women's Wear Daily reported that industry insiders had noted that the chairman of Blass's biggest licensee, Haresh T. Tharani of the The Resource Club Ltd, was looking to dispose of his 60 per cent equity stake in the house in order to invest in other ventures and grow his sleepwear business. Blass's ceo, Michael Groveman, owns the remaining 40 per cent. Yesterday he admitted that he has heard these rumours but was unable to comment.

12 April 2005

Dress Code

As jeans get replaced by livable, easy dresses that function just as well as a pair of your favorite pair of denims, ISSA of London, designed by the Brazilian beauty Danielle Issa Helayel, is gaining ground on the international fashion scene. Seen on It girls Scarlett Johanssen, Jasmine Guinness, and Lily Cole, and icons like Madonna, this four-year-old line was conceived on a beach in Rio and a studio in Paddington.

ISSA is now pumping out 6,500 dresses a year and selling to Fred Segal in L.A.; Calypso in New York; and Liberty, Browns, Matches, and Blossom in London. Helayel's rich jersey creations reproduce prints and solids better than Diane Von Furstenberg's, and the silhouettes are both flattering and versatile.

Strategic nips and tucks, deep V-neck halter tops, and pleats and draping mixed with a fierce color palette of intense solid hues and prints reminiscent of a garden fete all add up to pieces that are easy to dress up or down. The same dress works with round-toed stilettos or with a pair of low-heeled ankle boots and nubby tights. From garden party to street, ISSA is poised to explode.

Will ISSA's success be as intense as the wrap dress of the seventies? Will we soon know…

5 April 2005

Fashion's It girl

It's like fashion reruns. Edie Sedgwick, who was Andy Warhol'd muse and the darling of New York society in the 60s, is dominating the fashion scene once again, according to Ellen Brookes Burney of The Guardian.

Indeed, it appears to be the case. John Galliano, for one, announced that both his haute couture and his ready-to-wear collections for Christian Dior were inspired by Sedgwick. Furthermore, It girl of the moment, Sienna Miller, is playing Edie Sedgwick in the upcoming movie Factory Girl. The latter is in reference to Warhol's studio, which was known as the Factory.

As you can imagine, Miller will be endlessly imitated as a modern day Sedgwick. Recently the shops have been showcasing all Miller's favourite items, like the cowboy boots, Balenciaga bags, long flowing hippie skirts and floppy hats. And we are always looking for the next hot thing. Hence the return of Edie Sedgwick.

Sedgwick was known for her black-kohled eyes, gamine silver crop, dark eyebrows, endless legs in black opaque tights and quirky dress style. She loved to wear leotards that showcased her body. Betsey Johnson, who was then an up and coming designer, used her as a fitting model. She remembers her in Jean Steins's 1984 biography: "Edie was my first fitting model…very boyish, in fact she was the very beginning of the whole unisex trip. The jersey-bodied, T-shirty, silver, second skin. That was Edie. Her body was very important to her."

Segdwick used to pair long, dangling earings with t-shirts and tights. She would attend dinners barefoot, wear leotards with loads of jewellery and nothing else. Sometimes she would wear nothing more than a mink coat. She had a style all her own that everyone adored. And we are about to adore her all over again.

So if you really want to be ahead of the game and are blessed with a boyish figure, start wearing those tights and little t's and tons of bangles and dangling earings. But above all, do what Edie did, and play up your assets, no matter what they are.

22 March 2005

Ethical Fashion

A note to all fashion junkies: fashion can be a redeeming, morally sound addiction. At least, this is what Anti-Apathy has been trying to prove.Anti-Apathy is an organisation that works with the New Economics Foundation (NEF) and dedicates itself to social and environmental progress in areas like free trade and fashion.

The organisation set up a month-long experiment - which ended last week - to see if a group of high fashion addicts could rethink their wardrobes and their ideas about dressing. Twelve London-based fashionistas agreed to participate in the experiment, during which they met with experts for weekly 'dress-up' sessions to learn about recycling and secondhand shopping. Stylists Tess Carr, Harriet Cotterill and Tasmin Lejeune, and Kelly Seager from Junky Styling provided advice throughout the experiment.

Results of the experiment are still outstanding, but we may assume that we could all benefit from such an experiment - grissly as it may sound.

9 March 2005

Fashion PHLY

PHLY is certainly brightening up the lives of fashion loving residents of London's fashionable Muswell Hill. PHLY sells labels including Triple 5 Soul, Prada Sport and Marithé et François Girbaud, alongside the highly sought after (apparently) We/Adidas collaboration. And as if that's not enough, what you really need are Kohzo's latest hi-tech denims: Kevlar jeans (used in bullet proof vests and helicopter rotors) or Sasawashi therapeutic jeans, which absorb excess water and block ultraviolet radiation.

Furthermore PHLY also offers such diverse services as "organic nutrition, life coaching and emotional renewal - over a glass of their own PHLY label champagne. And for the customer requiring more privacy, the store can be closed for private shopping and private views by appointment".

Who knew there was a demand for such things in Muswell Hill? But then Warhol was right: In the suburbs, everyone can be a Beckham for 15 minutes. PHLY, 128 Crouch Hill, N8, 020 8340 4411

28 February 2005

Alternative Fashion Week

Following a hectic London Fashion Week, it will soon be Alternative Fashion Week 2005's turn. AFW runs from 14-18 March, although this time the show will move to Truman Brewery from Spitalfields Market, where it was held for over a decade.

AFW, which runs from 14-18 March, will feature 60 designers showcasing their creations on the catwalk, while another 50 will be selling their designs at the Fashion Market. In the past, the Fashion Market has proved to be an excellent and affordable catalyst for designers, with stalls costing a mere GBP10 per day to rent. It's especially good for new labels like last year's Ruby Two Shoes, who use it to launch to the public.

This year the organisers have managed to land Swatch as a sponsor for the second time in a row. The company will be backing both The Face of Swatch, a model competition with Premier, and an Individual Designer Award, a College Award and Swatch Aid - a package including one sewing machine, 4 dress stands, GBP1000 and a masterclass with a designer, who is yet to be confirmed.

22 February 2005

Best in fashion

The one thing that is more fun than watching celebrities, is scrutinizing the way they dress. And there is nothing more satisfactory than being able to rate their sense of style. We, as mere mortals, always need to have a say in these matters.

Glamour magazine gave an overview of who's hot, who's not and who's in between. It could not have been to anyone's surprise that Kate Moss won the global style stakes yet again, beating Jude Law's fiancée Sienna Miller to the punch. According to celebrity hairdresser Nicky Clarke, Moss can do no wrong: "Kate gets it right every time. Her wardrobe is amazing."

Miller, who is as much a boho chic enthusiast as Moss, has often been accused of copying the supermodel's style, although not everyone agrees about this: "Sienna's not only the most glamorous woman in Britain, she's one of the sexiest too. Fantastically chic, fantastically sexy and fantastically cool," said GQ editor Dylan Jones.

Sarah Jessica Parker - she of Sex and the City Fame and the countless Manolo's - came in at third place, while Victoria Beckham dropped to fourth place. Ah yes, there's no accounting for taste here. Jennifer Aniston placed fifth, followed by Nicole Kidman. Gwyneth Paltrow made eighth place, while teeny-bopper millionairess Mary-Kate Olsen came ninth. Tenth place was awarded to Spidey's main girl, Kirsten Dunst.

New in the top 50 were, amongst others, Kate Beckinsale, Mischa Barton, Kate Winstlet and Natalie Portman. Glamour also chose to name the five worst-dressed celebrities in the world. These questionable accolades went to Jordan, Jodie Marsh, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.

15 February 2005

Fashion with allotta heart

It is always a welcome feeling to realize that fashion does more than dress people and that major fashion events can be used to bring attention to major health issues.

Last Friday, during New York Fashion Week, the red dress was celebrated as the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness for the second season. A list of top designers participated in the collection, as did a surprising group of models on the runway.

As the campaign's national ambassador, Barbara Bush enjoyed a standing ovation before taking her seat in the audience. Last season, she hosted the show. Also making a second appearance was singer and actress Vanessa Williams, who modelled last season and did so again last week. Furthermore, she took over the role of host from Mrs. Bush.

Creations by major designers like Nicole Miller, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Baby Phat, Carolina Herrera, Diane von Furstenburg, Narciso Rodriguez, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Zac Posen and Marc Jacobs were modelled by the likes of supermodel Christie Brinkley, the president's niece Laura Bush, Sarah Ferguson, Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell, actress Rosanna Arquette, singer Sheryll Crow and tennis superstar Venus Williams.

TV's Katie Couric, who attended the show, said: " I think it's an incredibly wonderful effort. The fashion community, as an industry, really cares about women. Of course they care about beautiful clothes, but they also really care about women." She then added: "I love red so I'm glad it's coming back."

The event was organized in conjunction with the Heart Truth campaign, for which the dresses were exclusively designed.

www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth
7 February 2005

Politics of Fashion

Working in the public eye brings with it an extraordinary amount of public scrutiny and criticism. When you are the Vice President of the United States of America, the scrutiny can have far reaching effects.

However, when you are the Vice President representing your country at the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, you have a responsibility to dress with a certain amount of decorum.

Vice President Dick Cheney caused quite an uproar when he recently represented his country in Auschwitz wearing an olive parka embroidered with his name, a knit ski cap with the words "Staff 2001" on the front and brown hiking boots. Amid a sea of heads of state wearing dignified black coats and hats, Cheney stood out like a sore thumb.

The Washington Post described his appearance as "the kind of attire one typically wears to operate a snow blower". Apparently Cheney is not the type to suffer cold all that much, as he demonstrated while sitting through the inauguration two weeks ago in freezing, snow-driven weather, wearing only a suitable overcoat. It is therefore bemusing to find him braving the forces of nature in wildly inappropriate name-tagged attire.

The fact of the matter is that a ceremony like Auschwitz deserves the proper respect. Not that anyone is questioning Cheney's feelings about the event, but one does have to question his state of mind when he was getting dressed. Even his wife Lynn managed to don a black parka that conveyed the gravity of the event.

When it comes down to the way we are perceived, what we chose to wear helps people to form an opinion of us. No doubt many people now think Cheney a bit of lout for chosing his own comfort over the nature of the event he was attending. He might have suffered a little more out of respect for the atrocities that the Jewish people suffered in Auschwitz.

1 February 2005

Fashion Chavaganza

You may be forgiven for having thought that all things associated with Chavs - the tribe best described as the branded-sportswear-loving, cheap-gold-jewellery-wearing-mega-shoppers are quickly running out of fashion - but think again. Although chavs may disregard all the rules of taste and class, they have shown what we in fashion-land have known all along: that glamour is accessible to everyone.

Whether your Louis Vuitton is real or fake, it doesn't matter a tot. That is why the look can be found at every level of the social spectrum and from high street to haute couture. And while the style-conscious may not be wearing their beloved labels all in one outfit (think Juicy, Burberry, Vuitton, Dior, Uggs and a mini-dog), a dash of 'chav couture' is stylish and a real 'chavaganza.'

13 December 2004

Pop culture's fashion icons

The fashion market is catching onto a new trend. Although the term "new" is debatable. Pop culture's up-and-coming stars are selling fashion better than any supermodel ever could. Popular shows and teen movies are featuring hot young things sporting looks that appear to be lighting a flame inside the bellies of many teen fashion wannabes.

The MTV reality hit "Newlyweds", starring clean-cut Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, has catapulted Simpson to star-status and fashion icon. Every item of clothing she wears is scrutinized and copied. Particularly the luxurious crocheted wrap worn by Simpson repeatedly throughout the show, has spawned an enormous trend. The wrap, which was created by Argentinean designer Cecilia de Bucourt, has become one of the most widely copied items of this season and the designer is suddenly inundated with orders. It is therefore no wonder that Simpson was recently appointed spokeswoman for Tommy Jeans.

Tommy Hilfiger is always quick to cotton on to the latest trend, and therefore continues to appeal to the younger generation. His latest perfume campaign, "True Star" with Beyonce is a tribute is his branding savvy.

Dooney & Bourke, the bag retailer, recently teamed up with teen movie star, Lindsay Lohan, for its autumn/winter 2004 ad campaign. Lohan replaced Mischa Barton, another iconic teen actress and star of the hit show The O.C. According to designer Peter Dooney, Lohan was chosen to represent the youthful spirit of the new collection. And no doubt to attract a more youthful public that has assumed increased purchasing power. As a survey that was held earlier this year by US market research firm, Teenage Research Unlimited, has shown, teen girls prefer shopping to almost every other activity. They have therefore become an exceedingly important target group for the fashion industry.

3 November 2004

Look like a fashion icon

If you dream of looking like your fashion idol, look no further than the site net-a-porter.com. For all the looks from the catwalks and the front row at the fashion shows, a simple click of the button will allow you to adopt the same looks. All you have to do is click on your choice of bag, shoe or outfit and within hours the item will be delivered to you.

www.net-a-porter.com
2 November 2004

Pretty Pooches

Who says your pet can't be fashionable? The Americans have been known to indulge their pooches and to play dress-up with them. To the point where a pug might be mistaken for a four-year-old Southern beauty queen. And now the Brits are starting to follow suit.

Yesterday Harrods hosted a fashion show for dogs. No expenses were spared for the super-model pooches, who paraded down a real catwalk in designer dog wear. Tickets to the show were £25 a head, and were sold out in advance.

This is the second show of its kind hosted by Harrods together with the UK charity The Dogs Trust. This show marked the launch of Harrods' dog-a-logue, a new catalogue which enables pet owners to order dog accessories from the comfort of their own homes. British labels available for purchase for your dog include Burberry, Aquascutum, Hunter and Fox and Hound. The brands appear to have expanded their range to suit the more discerning dog of today. The UK website, Pucci Petwear (no relation to the Italian brand), is providing pet lovers with a wide range of diamante dog collars, hair clips and backpacks. What dog would not want to go through life wrapped in cashmere and diamonds?

www.puccipetwear.com
28 October 2004

Fashion And Fantasy

The motto of haute couture has always been one of freedom, fantasy and beauty. A world where handmade dresses of fine silk are embellished with jewels, where an exquisite corsage will take hours to make, where exotic muses guide designers' hands.

Haute couture is an area of fashion where designers - unfettered by practicality or price - find their most flamboyant expression. For John Galliano at Dior, that meant a vision of Sissi, empress Elizabeth of Austria, in jewel-coloured, corseted mermaid gowns and lavish embroideries; for Jean Paul Gaultier; swaggering musketeers in draped chiffon and sequined capes. Fashion is intimately entwined with fantasy, whether it's a bejewelled shoe or a couture gown. Long live their imagination.

10 October 2004

Cherie's bad fashion sense

The French designer Sonia Rykiel has spoken out about Cherie Blair's fashion sense. She told British reporters that she thought the first lady of Britain dressed badly. She compared Cherie's style of dress to that of the Queen's, stating that this came across as funny although she doubted that this was Cherie's intention.

Rykiel, who opened a shop on Brook Street two years ago, is not afraid to speak out or to be political in her messages or her fashion designs. She believes that fashion is also about politic, as well as being "intellectual and humanitarian". And she is not all talk. Last week the models at her fashion show in Paris sported 'Peace and Love' slogans.

14 October 2004

Fashion Plays Dress-Up

Bare midriffs, utility trousers and wife beater vests are officially last season. The public are rebelling against the tyranny of cool to enjoy the fine art of dressing up. Grown-up, proper and polished or elegant chic, is the new fashion movement in full flow. The seeds were planted some time back as men adopted tailored jackets with jeans and women fell head over heels with little tweed lady jackets and round-toed shoes.

For autumn/winter, the 'proper' movement is in evidence everywhere with numerous designers world wide cottoning onto a popular desire for a more elegant and put together style. You could tell things were shifting when those arch-ironists Dolce & Gabbana sent out models in floral print pussycat bow blouses and mincy pencil skirts wrapped with strings of pearls.

Marni, usually a Mecca for Bohos, delivered sober tweeds and slipper satin skirts in shades of blue and stone with little cropped jackets hung with that ladylike essential; brooches and fur tippets. The pussycat bow blouse and pencil skirt - once favourite of your high-school librarian - looks like the quintessential outfit for the new season with numerous versions featured at Moschino, Chloé and Giles Deacon.

Men are dressing up too, with a new repertoire of pieces to play with. Smart suits and shirts, trench and city coats and proper shoes from the likes of Dolce, YSL and Gucci are very in vogue. And rather than look so minimal and basic, there's a real interest in the trimmings. Corsages, tie pins - even cravats - all point to dandyish indulgence.

1 October 2004

Basso & Brook Win Fashion Fringe

Basso & Brooke, the Brazilian/Anglo duo won the top award at Fashion Fringe yesterday with a collection that showcased beautiful prints. Selfridges car park played host to one of the largest audiences of the week, eager to see what the winners of a UK-wide Sunday Times competition to find the next big thing would come up with.

Basso & Brooke's brand of optimistic fashion was alive with bold, vivid prints ranging from sunset orange to green chevron. Shoulders were strong and square 8ºs style or soft and draped. The finale strapless dress with chocolate bustier and full, floor length draped skirt in candy pink, sunset orange and caramel, provided enough full-voltage colour to light up the dingiest corners of the car park.

23 September 2004

iPod: The Fashion Must Have

The iPod has become as ubiquitous in 2004 as any fashion item of the past. Perhaps it has even surpassed previous trends and has become as much as a staple as the boombox during the 80s. But with so many iPods around, how do you distinguish yourself from the rest of the fashion pack?

Thankfully the major fashion houses know how to follow a trend as much as to set one and have designed some very desirable gear to personalise your iPod to make you stand out of the crowd.

From Louis Vuitton to Gucci, you can cover your iPod in the must luxurious of ways. The key to deciding which cover reflects your style is to know where you stand on the fashion continuum. If you like your logos instantly recognisable then the Gucci double g logo-covered case is the fashion fabulous option for you. Or, if you prefer bright colours and bold statements, opt for Paul Smith's vivid pattern case.

If you prefer your case to be functional over fashionable, Dunhill has created an elegantly patterned canvas, a most refined yet understated way for transporting your tunes. If you treasure easy access to your iPod opt for the remote control case by Coach. Coach has made sure your MP3 player never has to leave its comfy leather home by having convenient cutouts in its design case so control is at your fingertips.

For all you retro fans, you probably have no desire to cover your iPod. You treasure its beautiful sleek white design and wouldn't dream of tucking it away in an indiscernible leather case. After all, you'd probably say you can't beat the original.

30 August 2004

Boho Spirit

As the fashion pack are buying up the new autumn collections, a certain boho spirit is livening up wardrobes.

The new look on the streets is definitely one of boho chic. Wearing lots of layers and combinations is, to the discerned fashion-follower, what makes putting your winter wardrobe together fun. Boho is about spirit; casually clashing and artily dishevelled, though not too hippy. Where hippy has lost its sexiness, boho becomes playful with a little injection of vavavoom.

Wear something floral, something knitted (though not too chunky as you want to layer) and something brown. Flimsy knits can be worn over one another, such as thin roll neck worn under a v-neck sweater.

A great investment for the season will be lovely leather boots. To wear over jeans, with three-quarter length trousers or culottes (head to Madeleine Press for a most flattering cut) or wear them with anything tweed.

Accessorise with coloured tights, printed bags, velvet jackets, knitted ponchos and cardigans. The latter should be long and belted thinly in the waist.

Don-Alvin Adegeest
7 August 2004

British Fashion Contrasting Fortunes

Contrasting fortunes in the high street were highlighted yesterday as clothing retailer Austin Reed informed the market with a profit warning, while fashion house Burberry said first-quarter trading had seen good sales. The different performances also had management implications, with Burberry saying chief executive Rose Marie Bravo had extended her contract for two years.

However, David Lowbridge, managing director for Austin Reed's British retail arm including the troublesome Country Casuals brand, has carried the can for the profit warning, and will leave the company. Austin Reed's shares dropped 6p, or nearly 5 per cent, to 127.5p, as the group said it would make a first-half loss because of slowing sales at its Country Casuals range.

Nick Hollingworth, Austin Reed's chief executive, said: "Country Casuals was a particular look that appealed to a particular woman who liked dressing up. Those women still like dressing up, but as if they were 35 not 55 and we have not changed enough." Austin Reed forecast a loss before tax and exceptionals, of GBP2.5 million to GBP3m for the six months to 14 August. That compares with a profit of GBP1.1m in the same period last year. In the 23 weeks to 10 July, sales of Country Casuals, which account for half of Austin's Reed's turnover, were down 10 per cent on a same floorspace basis.

Meanwhile, Burberry, whose colourful new lines include a pink trench coat, ponchos and mini capes, said revenues for the three months to end-June rose 14 per cent at constant exchange rates to GBP111m, with retail sales pushing 15 per cent higher to GBP60m.

21 July 2004

Fashion For Thought

These days, keeping track of what's hot and current in fashion is not as easy as it once was. Not so long ago browsing store windows of directional fashion outlets or thumbing through the popular consumer magazines was enough for fashion insight, however diluted. Nowadays it's the off-the-trodden-path shops - such as Martin Margiela's store - that are setting the trends just as much as fashion and challenging magazines such as Frank and Strippedbare.

On the publishing front, a new wave of cultural arts magazines has appeared and it's changing the underlying structure of the dialogue between fashion and art. Publications such as Berlin-based 032c, Strippedbare, and The Berliner, along with New York's Archis, and Milan's Boiler, have become required reading for multidisciplinary designers such as Hedi Slimane and Helmut Lang. Picking up where magazines like Purple started a few years back, these journals delve into heady discussions about the uncertainty of the interrelations between commerce, art, fashion, literature, and technology, while uncovering a wealth of ideas and creative possibilities.

Each challenges established notions of readers' definitions of beauty, form, and prose with a visceral intensity that provokes us to distort and re-evaluate our visions for the future. In contrast to the prettied-up images of conventional publications, these magazines create a new architecture of language (in both text and image) which shows the current landscape to be bleak and apocalyptic.
Voices of dissent declare war against topics such as the obvious, perception, solitude, ignorance, and of course, the status quo. With a roster of contributors that reads like a veritable who's who of fashion, art, and contemporary lit, we are, without question, witnessing a revolution in how the creative world will convey ideas to its audience.

21 June 2004

Fashion For The Dog House

If you thought the market for fashion accessories had reached its saturation point, think again. There might be only so many shoes and handbags a person can buy, but there are many little extras that can be brought to your look with one little four-legged accessory - a dog.

People spending money on their pets has long been a fashionable trend - from Madonna's pitbull to Paris Hilton's schnauzer - and the global market is quickly reacting to the demand of pet-owners wanting to pamper their pooch.

Fast fashion got its claws in when H&M launched a capsule accessories and dogwear collection, with Ikea fast on its heels with an expanded range of practical and lifestyle goodies for hounds. But it isn't all mass market, as the profusion of doggie styles from names including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Hermès, and Burberry shows. You can even buy vintage dogwear from Lucytags.com, hoodies from Girlonthestreet.com, and Fifi & Romeo in Los Angeles produces hand-knitted canine cashmeres.

To further explain the dog phenomenon, and fight "doggist attitudes," comes DQ. A canine quarterly from Brit journalist Toby Rose, with contributions in the most recent issue from Bruce Weber, Goldfrapp, and Amy Winehouse, DQ is bowing in such locations as Harrods and Colette. Further expanding the celebrity dog notion, Rose awarded a "Palme Dog" at Cannes to Moses the dog from the film Dogville for the best screen performance by a canine.

Assouline recently published Chic et Chien written by François Baudot which explores a pictorial history of dogs and style, while UK journalist and fashion historian Judith Watt is currently penning two tomes about the relationship between dogs and men and dogs and women, respectively. The books, tentatively due later in the year, examine the anecdotal stories behind the wonderful images of dogs and their famous, and often infamous, owners, running the gamut from Gloria Swanson to Picasso to Jane Birkin to Madonna, and establishes that, like handbags and hemlines, dog breeds also go in and out of fashion. For now, any breed is man (and woman's) best accessory and friend.

8 June 2004

Fashion Hype

Constantly on the look-out for the next big thing, the fashion scene is never fickle, nor one to stand still, and a new breed of emerging talent is making its way to a store near you, getting its deserved media attention on the way.

One new label, Corto Moltedo, is an accessories line designed by 25 year-old designer Gabrielecorto Moltedo. Moltedo, who's parents were once the owners of superluxe leather label Bottega Veneta, started his career with leather cutting on the factory floor and moving into the creative departments of the Gucci Group brand to open new stores before starting his own line. His beautiful clutch bags are sure to be a hit next season. For stockists, surf to www.cortomoltedo.com.

Also making furore with the fashion press are Wendy & Jim, an Austrian fashion duo, that designs entire collections around a single theme or idea. Think viktor & Rolf, but half the price tag. The fact that Helmut Lang was one of their tutors during the late nineties might explain why their work is often bundled into the brainy-fashion bracket. Whatever you do, don't call their work conceptual. Designer Helga Schania says people get scared when they hear that word.

3 June 2004

Fashion At Belsay

Fashion designers Eley Kishimoto are collaborating with architect Ga for their installation at the Fashion at Belsay exhibition. This summer, Belsay hall in Northumberland will be taken over by the cream of British fashion - however the likes of Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney have been asked to produce art rather then clothes; art that responds to the austere Greek revivalist building.

The Eley Kishimoto husband and wife team will use their distinctive prints to liven up buildings, in a collaboration with Ga to play with the possibilities. Following a printed catwalk at London Fashion Week in February, the partnership has expanded the experiment at Belsay by transferring lush patterns onto standard construction materials.

Fashion at Belsay runs from May 29 to September 30. For more details call 01661 881636

1 June 2004

LA-Based Fashion

All good things seem to be coming from LA, and not just your average Hollywood blockbuster. New designers such as Louis Verdad are being hailed by Anna Wintour, the editor of US Vogue, and Madonna alike.

While established companies like Juicy Couture and new kid on the block C&C California continue to create a buzz around their collections, other designers such as Jennifer Nicholson (yes, daughter of Hollywood pillar Jack Nicholson) and Erica Davies (St Martins graduate and former Marc Jacobs design assistant) are making their way out of the Hollywood hills onto the catwalks.

Soon to be seen in a shop near you.

25 May 2004

Fashion Meets Furniture

Magazines like Wallpaper and Surface have long attracted more than just the architectural and urban planning readers. Catching the 90s lifestyle trend at is peak, they fused the divide between fashion and furniture to create a fashionable lifestyle in one.

The recently held Milanese furniture tradeshow, called Salone Internazionale del Mobile, shows the synergy between fashion and furniture is still prevalent in the naughties. Fashion lovers were shown prints, fabrics, paillettes and colours intertwined with textiles, chairs, homeware and even glassware.

For the ultimate in furnished luxury and fashion head to Fendi (or Casa Fendi) where the fashion team decide which colours and motifs are designed for its homewares.

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23 April 2004

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