Putting on my festival face

Still on the festival tip, have decided to go all out and make a sartorial effort for Glasto this weekend, including actually putting some make-up on. This is mainly based on how rough I look in all the photos last year. I can't let myself fall so low again.

So quick pitstop into MAC after work today to pick up a luminescent Liquidlast Liner in Aqualine - a sparkling neon turquoise - to sport with my Paintpot (a creamy-eyeshadow) in Delft, a petrol blue metallic. Have the same liner in a gilt shade and it NEVER comes off, so in theory I can pass out in my sleeping bag and wake-up looking as fresh as a daisy (if daisy's wore full make-up). Am thinking dark, smoky blue eyes, ultra-wide electric eyeliner and - possible - a smattering of iridesccent glitter. Back to the Princess Sparkle persona of my university days. Lush.

Oh, and, very excited to learn that if you take six empty plastic or glass MAC products back to the shop, they give you a FREE lipstick of your choice. That's what I call recycling at its best. I'm saving.

Festival goggles - Rayban or not to??

I feel that I have been neglectful of late; almost six days have passed but no post. My whole other life was beginning to go to the dogs, and all the excitement of degree shows had addled my brain, so forgive me.

So yesterday, the shopping revved up again, as I found myself preparing for festival season in true Brit style - undertaking the ominous task of buying suitable waterproof. Have I mentioned that at last years Glastonbury the weather was so bad that I cried. Well I did. It was horrible. Of course, yes, I could've eschewed Glasto altogether, what with it being year of the 'boutique festival' after all, but it's all for charity and the kids in Nicaragua need every penny they can get.
Let's just say that in my Craghoppers Aquadry - men's style not women's as they were in lame-O colours - I look like Ian Brown gone female. I reckon I can style it up mind, and found myself in Toppers (ie. Topshop) trying on dozens of pairs of cheap sunglasses. I have a fantasy that I own a pair of wayfarers, but then forget whether that was because I believe everything I see and/or read, or whether it's because I actually like them. I think I do, and I think it's because it reminds me of every cool 80s film - Lost Boys, Pretty in Pink, and on and on - and also of my mum and her cool friends who, c. 1985, all looked like the stars of those films but cooler still.

Feel like I should have taken a few more pics!!

Barbican stages The House of Viktor & Rolf

I have just checked out The House of Viktor & Rolf exhibition at the Barbican, which opens tomorrow and runs til September 21. The fashion-meets-art Dutch duo were present, and will no doubt be presiding over a fabulous affair at tonight's private view, which I couldn't blag my way into - waah! These guys always make the headlines for their show-stopping looks, and what this showcase really brought home was how much went into each of these looks, but also how much of it was, ultimately, commercially viable and exciting, wearable fashion.
The two floor exhibition (I nearly missed the second floor!) delves into the past 15 years of the designers' work, from 1996's Launch, a scaled-down workshop, catwalk show and photoshoot and shop, isnpired by the atelier dolls of the post WW2 period (you may have seen at the V&A's Age of Couture?) and fake concept perfume, via the 2004 pink and black, be-ribboned and bows collection which promoted Flowerbomb, their first fragrance, through to the most recent catwalk extravaganzas. For any fashion fans, this is absolutely unmissable - I loved it.
A focal point of the exhibition is a six metre high dolls' house which reminded me of the royal dolls' houses in the RijksMuseum in Amsterdam (and thinking about it that is probably were they were inspired, given they are Dutch!) - each room was inhabited by porcelain dolls in the Victorian style, with glass eyes and real hair styled by a hairdresser, each wearing a miniature version of one of the Viktor & Rolf designs. Some were arranged in tableaux, such as the Flowerbomb collection on ladders a la the famous Dior models portrait of 1957, and The Fashion Show models, with their personal catwalk rigging. Have you read the Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aitken? Let's just say that this house brought part of that story to life - it's more or less the ultimate dolls house for the spoilt little rich girl.
Other than the dolls' house, a mixture of installation and life-sized mannequins with doll heads were used to display the actual garments, usually accompanied by a film of the associated catwalk shows; this included Maggie Rizer in the Russian Doll collection, still on arotating stand, like a music box ballerina, being dressed, layer after layer, from a hessian and gilt slip through to a padded cape which obliterated her form. I was transfixed by a film of a collection inspired by Yves Klein blue, in which increasing amounts of the blue screen blue were incorporated into outfits, and images - snowscapes, city ringroads, coral reefs - projected onto the models' bodies.
I could wax lyrical about the exhibition all day, but I won't, instead I urge you to sample it for yourself - this is the first UK exhibition from Viktor & Rolf and is a perfect opportunity to ensure that you have mastered all the basics of their approach and are ready for whatever they throw at us next.

Central Saint Martins throws open degree show doors

Central Saint Martins was officially my last pitstop on my whirlwind tour of graduate shows last week. On Friday, June 13, the college hosted the private view for its fashion and fine arts show at its Charing Cross Road building, which is now open to the public.
It is shameful to admit it, but I hadn't previously visited the hallowed halls of this building, which sweep the visitor up into its excitement. The space had a brilliant, electric vibe and I can see whay Louise Wilson, who is Course Director of the MA, is so aghast at their impending move to King's Cross. It made me want to go back to college, and soon, just to have had the experience of working in its shabby studios and stashing my work in its school-like lockers.
The work itself was high calibre, with some of the menswear graduates really standing out for their illustration and minutely observed flats - I always appreciate well-executed technical drawings! And the fashion communication course was ultra-inspiring, and a reminder of how vibrant and challenging publishing can be.
University of the Arts London hosts a Graduate Week, June 30-July 4, to offer advice and support to all students about to embark on their careers. I was very excited to be given one as in my mind it was because I looked like one of the students, but in reality was probably because everyone was being given them (I still choose to add it to my bank of ID-ing situations...). There are lots of criticism for some of the university's courses not offering enough support, but this course, which runs just as the graduates have got their heads around no longer being in education seems timely and useful.

Ravensbourne's Jessica Au takes Gold at River Island GFW Gala

Last night the UK fashion industry's cognoscenti decended on Earl's Court 2 for the Graduate Fashion Week Gala, the 17th annual awards ceremony for graduating fashion students. Caryn Franklin, probably one of my formative fashion inspirations, hosted the event, at which River Island CEO Richard Bradbury confirmed a further year's sponsorship of GFW - confirming my earlier blog at the beginning of the week (you heard it hear first, fashion punters!).
Ravensbourne, which had gained plaudits for its show on Sunday, scooped two awards in the form of Jessica Au, who won both the top accolade of the River Island Gold Award and the Zandra Rhodes Catwalk Textiles Award for her menswear collection of wool and satin tailored suits and separates printed with clashing, blown-up floral forms in pinks, purples, reds and whites - kind of a radioactive Paul Smith pushed to its limits.
The winner of the Womenswear Award was Nabil El Nayal, from Manchester School of Art, whose monochrome collection of voluminous Victoriana nightgown, blouses and dresses, as well as high waisted tux trousers in chiffon, satin and cotton had been my personal favourite at that college's show.
Ria Thomas, of Nottingham Trent University, picked up the Pringle of Scotland Visionary Knitwear Award, and quite rightly so - her open knit dresses in sea blue-greys and cream were ultra-sexy, body conscious and innovative, and felt v. pleased with myself for having picked out another winner.
The Menswear Award went to Domingo Rodriguez, who had played with textures and transparencies in his slim-cut tailored collection in black and grey chiffon, knit, leather.
Notably, this year the British Fashion Council came on board as a sponsor, presenting the BFC Creative Cutting Award, developed to encourage technical skills among fashion students - this was won by Tim Rhys Evans, Manchester School of Art, whose toile and final piece was brought on stage to demonstrate his working method.
The fashion promotion and media awards continue to go from strength to strength, as the work entered gets better every year, and the winners are (deep breath!!): Strategic Marketing Award - Thomas Hopkins, University of Central Lancashire; Creative Marketing Award - Emily Bell, Northumbria, Fashion Marketing; Dalziel + Pow Stand Design Award - Northumbria, Fashion Marketing; Jon Adam Portfolio Award - Poppy Diver, Kingston; Society of Dyers and Colourists Award - Laura Fauvel, Ravensbourne; Mulberry Accessories Award - Sarah Kennedy, Northumbria, Fashion; Fashion Innovation Award - Thomas Rothery, Manchester School of Art; National Magazine 'First Word' Journalism Award - Jennifer Weibking, UCCA Epsom (which delivered all the nominees in this category!); and Media and Design Award - Lesley Schofield, University of Salford. Phew! Make a note of those names and these should be the names we are looking out for in the future. I made a note of Thomas Rothery's details, as his collection was ultra-bike friendly, and perfect for the bike catwalk show being planned later this year (the one I was wittering on about yesterday).
A key focus of the GFW team has been to underscore the professionalism of graduates' work, making sure that the global industry sits up, takes notice, and gives as many a job as possible. Certainly, last night's show exuded professionalism, and I have no doubt that each of the 16 design finalists have every chance to make it, as do the finalists in the fashion promotion and media awards, which were presented before the catwalk show. Before this, the potential of the finalists was highlighted with a mini showcase of former GFW graduates' work, with a look from the collections of: Julien Macdonald - 1993, Brighton; Amy Molyneaux, PPQ - 1999, University of Central Lancashire; Thea Bragazzi and Justin Thornton, Preen - 1993, University of Central Lancashire and Winchester, respectively; Richard Nicol - 2002, Central Saint Martins; Giles Deacon - 1992, Central Saint Martins; and Christopher Bailey - 1991, Westminster (he was the first ever GFW Designer of the Year, factfinders!). I really, sincerely hope that some of the names who won yesterday might be in a position to take place in a similar showcase, five, 10, 20 years down the line.
At the champagne reception and the aftershow party, the space was a buzz with positive feeling about the direction that GFW is heading, and also the new venue and iniatives at the event; no doubt it will continue to evolve on the same trajectory.
\\\\ PS. note for diary - bit premature possibly, but - next year's Graduate Fashion Week is set for June 7-11, 2009, same place.

GFW catwalk show: Manchester Metropolitan University

This was the last show of the day and, despite it being a consistently excellent course, I was surprised to see so many empty seats as I would have thought lots more would want to check it out. Perhaps there is call to start the shows earlier in the day - although am sure that after 18 years GFW know what they are doing!
This was another show, like Nottingham Trent, which has a high degree of professionalism. That said, I felt it had more of the humour that was slightly lacking from NTU.
...design highlights to follow...

GFW catwalk show: Edinburgh College of Art

Edinburgh is one of the new kids on the GFW block to some extent, having joined the line up within the last seven years. I am not very familiar with the college, but my understanding is that the fashion course is derived from a strong textiles background - fitting, given the strength of the Scottish textiles industry - and has strong links with its fellow art courses, in inspiration if not fact. It is the only Scottish college to show at the event and takes full advantage of the country's rich textiles tradition - certainly Scotland is keen to promote its wares at LFW, so I imagine (and would hope) that it is also a big supporter of its fashion graduates.
...design highlights to follow...