LIBERTY - LONDON FASHION WEEK SPECIAL

TALK TO ME! - J.W. ANDERSON

After the Asher interview, it's time to ask my favourite innovative designer, Jonathan William Anderson(J.W. Anderson) to tell me a bit about him. I admit I am very late to say I love his clothes at this moment but he is just an amazing person. I know him and his brand after I move to London and totally fell in love with it. I love his pattern and the way he dresses women manly.

I think the most interesting part of Jonathan's career is he wanted to be an actor at the very beginning. He fell in love with the costumes and went to London College of Fashion to study menswear design afterward. He established his business really fast after his graduation. He has his own label in menswear and womenswear. He is also the creative director of a Birtish brand, Sunspel. He does a small collection for Topman as well!

APRIL ISSUE OF ENVISION MARIE CLAIRE HONG KONG

I did a report for the Hong Kong Marie Claire for introducing the innovative shining stars from the previous London Fashion Week!

Being one man crew is really fun and I look forward to meeting more and more creative designers.

TALK TO ME! - LILEE

I don’t know if you still remember the designers of the Bright Young Things in Selfridges’ windows. I love them all personally and I feel so great that I can interview some of them. As one of the designers in Ones to Watch S/S 2011, I did an interview with Lilee in September last year. Her minimal designs just impress me in the show. (I love the pattern most for sure.) Born in Korea, Lilee graduated in London College of Fashion in 2010. Her graduation collection was published in many magazine and Asos invited her to create a special collection for them last Season. And I’ve asked Lilee to share her feeling and her inspiration of the S/S 2011 collection. The collection is full of pleats and femininity. I love the geometric dog print most in the collection.

How do you describe your style?

Elegant and lady-like style, feminine at the same time bold and chic.
As a woman ,I know very well what women want to wear and want to be shown.


Where does your inspiration usually come from?

Womanly something, all about woman, all of the paintings, novels, poems, photographs and movies which have feminine and sophisticated touch. They inspire me.

Which is your favorite design in your latest collection?

Long pleats dress with leather stand collar.

Its style is elegant and feminine but the top is made of see trough fabric which is quite sexy.

What do you think about the fashion industry today?
Nowadays, everyone can to be a fashion expert, it is not a hard job to express one’s fashion opinion through being an internet seller or blogging. Besides as fashion market grows, people are getting more chances to try more clothes. It helps people to have their own taste, not just being a fashion followers.


As a new fashion designer, is there any difficulty when you do your designs and run your brand?

Uhm.. I need more sleep! Sometimes feel pressure before the show but I am quite enjoying my work, and trying not to think negatively.


Who is your favorite designer?

Jean Paul Gautier. He’s the master of fashion. He has everything, something conceptual but wearable, feminine but masculine. At the same time, he is technically perfect designer. Every pieces of him is just GREAT.

What is your future plan?

I will just keep doing my collection to show better collection every season.

Special Thanks Kenny Wang from Vauxhall Fashion Scout

To know more about Lilee and view her full collection, please visit her website

To check her Asos special collection, please visit Asos

To check her Selfridges' window, please click here

To read a Chinese version, please check Hong Kong Marie Claire November 2010 issue.

TALK TO ME! - GEORGIA HARDINGE

I've just done an interview with a London innovative designer, Georgia Hardinge for a Chinese fashion website(Fashion Trend Digest).
I translated it into English since I would like to share it to more readers!
Enjoy!

The first time I met Georgia is the Ones to Watch show from the Vauxhall Fashion Scout in the London Fashion Week last year. The pattern in her S/S 2011 collection just impressed me so much. Graduated from the Parsons Paris School of Art and Design, Georgia has collaborated with Samsung, Swarovski and Victoria’s Secret. In the F/W 2011 London Fashion Week, Georgia just got the Merit Award from the Vauxhall Fashion Scout. She is gonna rock the fashion world!!! It's my pleasure to do this interview with her for sharing her feeling in the industry. Congratulations Georgia!

Where does your inspiration usually come from?
My inspiration always relies heavily on architecture as a base, but I also find myself inspired by mediums such as poets, novelists, installation artists and geometric forms.

How do you feel when you get the Merit Award?
I felt absolutely fantastic - I am so proud to have Vauxhall Fashion Scout to believe in me

How does the collaboration with Victoria’s Secret happen?
Charlotte Stockdale has taken a lot of interest in my work and having seen my AW2010 ‘Cage’ collection she called me one day and invited me in to have a meeting.
When I went for a meeting with her and her Victoria Secret colleagues they explained the brief to me. They wanted to create some innovative showpieces that would highlight the Victoria’s Secret underwear so it was important to ensure that the chest and buttocks could be visible.
I love lingerie and costume so of course I was immediately interested!

Are there any other collaborations coming soon?
I would love to work with The Royal Ballet in costume design, and also with an architect or a set-designer. And of course with Victoria’s Secret again!
I have a couple of other amazing collaborations up my sleeve but I’ll have to let you know when they can be publicized!

Do you mind to tell us a bit about the latest collection? Are there any key pieces in the collection?
'Spined' Collection is one that embodies pure empowerment as my signature architectural style and striking silhouettes are coupled with detailed, sculptured contour design. The collection has a strong and skeletal feel; jackets, dresses and leggings have strips of folded and pleated leather and wool running down them in spine-like fashion, while it is the rather distinctive muscular, hand-crafted, vein-like print that enhances each garment.
I know you’ve just launched you online store, what do you feel about the online market?
The online market is the future! It is clear that it is growing rapidly. Even Mark Zuckerberg is investing in online retail outlets – it just goes to show. I am really excited about the future potential of my online shop!

What is your plan? Menswear collection?
What is next? Nobody ever knows! My dream is to become even more involved in costume design as well as building on the foundations of a very high end design house.

Photos by Christopher Dadey
Special thanks Kenny Wang from Vauxhall Fashion Scout

To know more about Georgia and to visit her online store, please visit her website.
To read the Chinese version please click here.

LONDON FASHION WEEK F/W 2011 REPORT 2 - ANN-SOFIE BACK ATELJE

The first time I met Ann-Sofie Back is in a S/S 2011 press day last year.

I knew nothing about her and her designs just felt those clothes were so amazing.

I found a book in my school library which talked about her and discover that her brand was built in 2001 and it's almost 10 year anniversaries right now.

Graduated from Beckman's College of Design, Back is from Sweden originally but based in London until 2009.

Back went back to Sweden to be the creative director of Cheap Monday and developed her brand at the same time.

Back's own brand has just rebrand in the previous season and I just met her designs at that time.

For the second collection after rebranding,
This season is an extension of the last season.
continuing the Theme, PORN, Back would like to show the relation between porn and comsumption, especially  the relationship of men and cars and men and porn.
The collection are inspired by the designs of cars, the speed, the relections and even the moulded shapes of cars.

 This head piece is my favourite of the show.

 The metal details at the hem line just made the dress having a very nice flow when walking.

(photos from style.com)

The sharp tailoring in the collection totally shows the elegance and toughness of a woman.

Those irregular pleats of the skirts are developed by car compressing.
The accessories of the collection are the must-pick for me.

Back's accessories just show how feminine and tough a woman is.

Special thanks Miho and Adam from A.I.

For more details of Ann-Sofie Back, please visit her page of the London Fashion Week and her website.

LONDON FASHION WEEK F/W 2011 REPORT 1 - GOODONE

It's not my first time to meet Nin Castle, the director of Goodone.

She is one of my favourite innovative designers since I met her last year.

Aim at changing the fashion world positively, Goodone design their collections by mixing recycled fabrics and new fabrics.

The F/W 2011 collection brings us a colourful season.

Becasue of the mixture of fabrics, the collection is full of patchwork elements.

The Cable Dress in look.1 is the key piece of the collection.
Base on the classic panelled dress, Nin added some crochet and hand knitting decorations to give this dress a life.

As I said before, the Panel Dress in look.4 is one of the classic items of Goodone.
The new cutting and colour range makes the dress become sexier and and bring more femininity to the dress.

The Biker in look.5 is another key item in the collection.
Goodone combined different suede with knit and rib to create this lovely jacket.
It's the first time I see Goodone using suede as their materials.

My favourite piece is the Drape Front Cardigan in look.7.
The long scarf is just so brilliant.
I can imagine the effect when someone wearing it in a windy day.

Besides those garments, It's the first time for Goodone making their own accessories.
They are aran knit mittens and muffs and a chunky knit belt(in 3 colours).

As one of the leaders of fast fashion, H&M starts to produce a sustainable collection.
We really have to start taking care of our planet.
Excepting to follow Vivienne Westwood to stop buying clothes in 6 months, Goodone is another good choice for eco-friendly shoppers.
As Nin said "Sustainability and high-end luxury are not mutually exclusive."

Small notes:
Goodone do personal adjustment if you get their clothes at their online store.
You can have a perfect fit design with their professional team.

To get more details of Goodone and thier collection or visit their online store, Please visit their website.