Flaws Magazine by Elizabeth Fowler

FLAWS ISSUE ONE

â&#x20AC;&#x153;In dreams and in love there are no impossibilities.â&#x20AC;?

issue one

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome to the very first issue of Flaws magazine. Flaws magazine was created for one purpose; to expose and celebrate the beauty we find in world and in fashion today. We exclusively welcome you into our world, Flaws is for anyone that loves to dream and admires all thinks extravagant and

beautiful. In this issue expect a whole lot of pastels, dreams, future fashion stars, a sprinkle of Louis Vuitton and much more. In recent weeks I have been lucky enough to visit the most wonderful city of all, Paris. It was my second visit and I told myself I would do something that I didn’t do on my last trip, and I lived up to my promise well and truly. I visited Versailles, which was absolutely breathtaking (read all about it on page 23). The second highlight of the trip was most definitely Marc Jacobs’ exhibit taking a look at the legend himself Louis Vuitton and Jacobs’ work at the house over the past 15 years, most definitely worth checking out. If you can’t make your way to Paris this year be sure to read our article all about it on page 17. Living in Britain means we don’t see a whole lot of summer, before we know it autumn will be upon us once more. Here at Flaws we have taken care of your winter wardrobe, starting on page 5 we have selected the ten biggest trends that you will be sporting by the end of the year. Enjoy!

Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Fowler 03

FLAWS issue one whats inside...

FOR THE LOVE OF FASHION our top ten picks from AW2012

THE MAGIC SEASON a look at SS2012’s magical collections

YOU SHALL GO TO THE BALL

Ballgowns: British Glamour since 1950

WHATS ON a look at two of the biggest exhibitions to visit this year

THE TWO PIONEERS

a celebration of the work of Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs following the exhibit at the Les Arts Decoritifs

WELCOME TO THE FUTURE let us present to you the raw talent emerging from Fashion Lab Birmingham

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

The students from Fashion Lab talk to Flaws about their collections

THIS IS FASHION LAB

I WANT CANDY

RAFS FINAL BOW

the place to go for creative education the accessories maketh the woman as Raf Simons leaves Jil Sander we take a retrospective look at his seven years of work for the house

THE BIG QUESTION

STYLE ETHICS

LET THEM EAT CAKE

THE END

ISN’T SHE LOVELY

should interns be paid?

Versailles – the place to visit this summer

sustainability is the new black Flaws bids you adieu

this season is all about pastels. Are you ready to fall in love?

FOR THE LOVE OF FASHION

The clothes that y ou will be wea r i n g th i s w i n ter . H ere are our top picks from fall two th o u s a n d a n d tw el v e.

PETER JENSEN

DSQUARED 2

MARIOS SCWAB

MAXMARA

MARC BY MARC JACOBS

_________ YOU CAN LEAVE YOUR HAT ON ONE

ANNA SUI

TRACY REESE

LOUIS VUITTON

MARC JACOBS

CHRISTIAN DIOR

TOMMY HILFIGER

BURBERRY

PRABAL GURUNG

MICHAEL KORS

RALPH LAUREN

Fall 2012 is the season of the words by Elizabeth Fowler hat; from New York to Paris designers graced each models head with amazing headwear. We saw caps, visors, top hats, furry hats, fascinators and fedoras to name a few. Not a hat person? Too bad. Not often has an accessory dominated a whole season as the hat for fall 2012, most memorable perhaps were Marc Jacobs extravagant furry creations. Here at Flaws we noticed that a lot of the hats seemed to be menswear inspired, Donna Karan went for tiny fedora like fascinators with sharp tailoring, Burberrys newsboy caps, Hilfiger opted for the jockey cap and Moschino’s cowboy hat to name a few, its like playing dress up with a little boy’s toy box. Flatten your hair girls, hats are here to stay.

THREE

SHINE ON

TWO

MILITARY

Wether you love it or hate it the military trend is back. This seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trend is less pomp and more circumstance. Chic navy britches at Altuzarra and great jackets worth their weight in wearability at Burberry Prorsum and Barbara Bui have more footing than the trendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s former, more decorated self.

In a season filled with over-the-top embellishment, looks rendered in sparkly fabric are an obvious bedfellow. Marc Jacobs embraced shine at both his namesake labels while other designers toyed with neo-disco lurex separates, and even a jumpsuit.

FOUR

SUIT UP

Forget the statement skirt, this season itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about the pantsuit. Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a cropped and flared retro pair, or a modern layered ensemble, designers resurrected the pantsuit for fall.

FIVE

THE NEW LEATHER

Leather was recreated for fall, glossy and laminated finishes stood out on the runways in the form of outerwear, separates and accessories.

MICRO TREND the sheath dress

SIX

VELVET

Perfect for the crisp fall weather, designers from Gucci to Ralph Lauren endorsed soft velvet as the texture of the season.

EIGHT

PEPLUMS

If Spring ‘12 wasn’t indication enough of peplum’s resurgence, then Fall ‘12 surely has you convinced of its flared ruffle staying power. The waist-specific fit-and-flare silhouette was seen on a huge array of runways this season.

SEVEN

ALL WHITE

Colour phobes rejoice, winter whites are here. For fall, designers put a new twist on winter white, embracing the monochromatic look for the season with skillful tailoring and a knack for looking cool. Go for an all white outfit to work this trend, just remember to stear clear of lipstick and coffee, red wine etc. 09

NINE

FIT FOR A QUEEN

The use of elaborate beading, brocade, and embroidered details had everyone raving about old-world techniques applied to thoroughly modern pieces. While opulence comes at a heavy price, it’s easy to imagine a modern-day Marie Antoinette greedily placing a personal order for each of these looks.

TEN

ROOM TO GROW

Bigger is better, as designers from Phoebe Philo at Céline to Nicolas Ghesquière at Balenciaga proved with their oversized outerwear and roomy trousers.

THE MAGIC SEASON

Summer 2012 was the season on dreams. Pastel shades, ladylike silhouettes and magical embellishments reigned supreme. words by Elizabeth Fowler

Summer 2012 saw the return of the girlie girl, the flirt, the girl you hated in school. Summer 2012 was all about getting dressing up not down, the casual collections were overshadowed by the extravagance and delicate beauty displayed by the likes of Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen and Meadham Kirchhoff. Being a 90’s child, I was brought up in to the world of grunge and terrible dress (combats, scrunchies, the entire skater trend. Need I say more?!) luckily I was of a very young age so, in my defence, I hope that I wont be held responsible for the way I dressed (I hope). It was, however, when I reached the age of about 15 when I decided I wanted to be become a girls girl. I wanted to float about on my tiptoes in pink flowing dresses and drink tea out of vintage teacups. Unfortunately I have never had the characteristics for the idealistic girly girl; I’m sarcastic, too short and stout and sadly was graced with a droning deep voice. For me, summer 2012 was a highlight, in my years of following fashion some of the summer collections were the most beautiful I can recall. Summer 2012 set the girls apart from the boys, in complete contrast to past androgynous style collections, summer 2012 saw the return of the lady. The beauty was sweet and girly with dewy eyes and rosy cheeks and the garments were feminine and pale.

This is how we would all look if I could live in a alternate fantasy world. Never has a season felt so magical, so dream like as summer 2012. In a time of depression and economical slump perhaps what we all need is a little light. To be shown what fashion is really still about, the joy of clothes, fun and beauty. It wasn’t just the clothes that set our hearts racing, the sets we saw were breath-taking as well. We can always rely on Karl Lagerfeld to take us on a journey to some of the most magical places of his mind (fall 2010’s ice world, I rest my case). For summer Karl created his own little brilliant white underwater kingdom. Marc Jacobs’ awed us all with his magnificent circulating carousel at Louis Vuitton and Meadham Kirchhoff had their own little party balloons and all. Sarah Burton’s summer collection for McQueen was not all light and girly but she managed to find the absolute perfect balance between light and shade. Delicate laced masks and frills a-plenty kept us wanting more. Girls, its time to chuck out your black leather pants and swap for some pastel pyjama print pants, exchange your Givenchy crucifixes for Tisci’s latest botany prints and ditch the darks to invest in some much needed sorbet shades. I’m afraid to say it probably wont get you laid but girly is the look for summer 2012.

YOU SHALL GO TO THE BALL Visit the V&A this spring to see their latest exhibition celebrating the theatre of red carpet dressing.

Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950, is an exhibit tracing the history of gowns from debutante balls to red carpet events. Featuring two floors of over sixty beautiful dresses for you to immerse yourself in. This is your chance to take a closer look at fairy tale gowns worn by the likes of BeyoncĂŠ, Daphne Guinness, Bianca Jagger, Queen Elizabeth and Diana, Princess of Wales to name a few. Moreover will feature exquisite work from some of the biggest names in British fashion design, such as Zandra Rhodes, Hussein Chalayan, Giles, Erdem and Alexander McQueen among many others. Innovative British designer Gareth Pugh, who is renowned for his surrealist style, has created a stunning leather metallic dress especially for the exhibition, which will be well worth a look. Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950 opens at the V&A from 19 May to 6 January 2013. Enq vam.ac.uk

Coco Rocha in a Giles gown photographed by Tim Walker

words by Elizabeth Fowler

exhibition

IN A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN If you’re heading state side this summer be sure to visit one of the biggest exhibitions in fashion this year. Met’s Costume Institute Exhibit celebrates two of Italy’s most influential designers: Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada, better known to most simply by their last names and that of their respective fashion houses, Schiaparelli and Prada. The exhibit, Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations, showcases the similarity between the two fashion houses - one past, and one present. Elsa Schiaparelli, who was born in 1890, was the Italian rival to France’s Coco Chanel.

She was a nonconformist, with innovative creations that drew outside the lines. Miuccia Prada on the other hand was born more than half a century later, in 1949. In line with Schiaparelli, Miuccia looks to deconstruct the ideas of beauty, “to make ugly appealing”. Both women grew up in very different eras but are inspired by creating their own form of fashion and beauty, creating something to move things forward. ‘Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations’

opens

the

Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, from 10 May to 19 August 2012 Enq: metmuseum.org

GODS GIFT TO WOMEN

2012 sees the design museum take a retrospective look at the work of Christian Louboutin, shoes glorious shoes. We’d recognize that iconic red sole anywhere; Christian Louboutin has taken the shoe to extreme heights over his twenty year career, creating footwear that is elegant, feminine and beautiful. Bringing together a selection of his famous shoes in a huge retrospective, the Design Museum is the first UK venue to host an exhibition of his work. Visitors to the Christian Louboutin exhibition can see the likes of a pair of cerise velvet cut-away round-toed heels, with crystals on the heels and a pair of black patent stilettos with a silver studded toe cap. Christian Louboutin: The Exhibition opens at the Design Museum, London, on 1 May to 9 July 2012 16

Since the birth of the partnership between these two innovators in 1997, the house of Louis Vuitton has gone from strength to strength with each beautiful, innovative collection. The exhibit at the Les Arts Décoratifs, running from 9th March to the 16th September, offers the chance to observe, analyze and celebrate the work of both Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs and to see how the house of Louis Vuitton has expanded and altered over the years. There couldn’t have been a more perfect setting than the the exhibition elegant streets of Paris as the home for the celebration of two of the most influential males in the fashion industry. The Les Arts Décoritifs will play host Musee les arts decoratifs is housing one of the most talked to a selection of some of Louis about exhibitions this year, we take an exclusive look at the Vuitton’s most memorable celebration of two of the most influential men in fashion; Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs. and amazing garments and accessories, offering an exclusive Words by Elizabeth Fowler look in to the amazing world of Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton. >>

TWO THE PIONEERS

As previously stated the exhibit spans over two floors, each floor dedicated to one of the two men. On entrance you are welcomed by two portraits, one a 19th century illustration of Louis Vuitton, the founder of the house himself and the other a recent portrait of Marc Jacobs from legendary ‘’I’m in a position photographer Rankin. of being respectful Slowly make your way through and disrespectful, I the first floor and we can get our want to do something glimpse in to the unseen world of rebellious, and also to Louis Vuitton. First established celebrate this icon.’’ in 1854, the Louis Vuitton house Marc Jacobs marketed and defined itself as a luxury ‘packaging’ establishment. Round each corner we’re presented with more and more beautiful classic Louis Vuitton trunks all bearing the infamous Louis Vuitton pattern. One display has cases upon cases displaying the shear talent and quality behind Louis Vuitton’s work. Not only are there trunks, but also glass cases containing Couture gowns and accessories from the 19th century, each as exquisite as the last. As you ascend the stairs it hits you without any obvious sign that we are making our way in to Marc Jacobs territory, bringing you instantly from the 19th century to the 20th and 21st century Jacobs has adorned the walls with a myriad of small interactive screens featuring stills and clips of the likes of >>

Barbara Streisand, Liza Minnelli, South Park, Marie Antoinette, The Wizard of Oz and SpongeBob Square pants. This is Marc Jacobs’ mood board, his massive collection of inspiration and musing over his years as creative director of Louis Vuitton. Around the corner is what may be considered the pinnacle of this extraordinary exhibit, a gigantic wall sized chocolate box of Louis Vuitton’s most iconic handbags quaintly placed in chocolate cases. Over the years the handbag has become the emblem of the Louis Vuitton label, as the wall beautifully indicates. Throughout the rest of the exhibition there are several glass cases containing mannequins, some smoke headed some with balloon heads and others sporting animal heads, wearing some of the most beautiful pieces from Louis Vuitton’s most recent collections. When talking of his exhibition Marc Jacobs was at first apprehensive, as he himself stated he has never been a fan of fashion museums or exhibitions so it took him a while to work out how he could turn his exhibit in to a beautiful, enjoyable presentation whilst still ensuring that it captured Marc Jacobs the joy of fashion. Perhaps Jacob’s was being modest, with work as precious and beautiful as his there was no way in which this exhibition could be boring. Each corner you turn amazes you even further, the exhibition compliments the work perfectly making each piece feel as precious as it should. I could not imagine a more perfect way to display, celebrate and analyze the work of two of the fashion industries most noted innovators, the exhibition is amazing, precious, beautiful and iconic. Louis Vuitton’s nurses from Spring 2008 bid us a fond farewell as we make our return to reality.

“My favourite colour is shiny”

• The Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs exhibition will open at Les Arts Décoratifs in Paris on March 9 until September 16

the big question

SHOULD INTERNS BE PAID? Lets be honest. What do we really know about interns? For the majority of us, our knowledge of fashion interns comes from too much time spent watching idealistic unreal portrayals on The Hills and Gossip Girl. In recent years however, as the debate of unpaid vs. paid internships has gained huge popularity, websites have emerged where you can, so to speak, ‘rate your internship’. As you can imagine (this is the world wide web we are talking about) the majority of things said are negative and hostile, assuming those who put there internship to good use are in full time paid work by now and have no time to browse around the web. That being said, as the employment rate slumps to an all time low millions of people,

young and old, are willing to work for free purely for the experience and so as to not leave a gap in their résumé. This is not only a problem in the UK but all over the world. In the USA talk show host Ryan Doyle stated that “the only way that employers nowadays can combat the lackadaisical attitude [and] the over-expectations that kids have when they come out of university and college,” going on to argue that the internship-related foot-in-the-door and networking opportunities are forms of payment. His comments caused somewhat of an uproar amongst online blogs. In the U.K. particularly, however, the rising use of unpaid internships has recently garnered headlines for perpetuating inequality between those who can afford to work for free and those who cannot. Then in a drastic turn around in late 2011, HM Revenue and Customs, following the move welcomed by deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, sent 102 letters to British fashion houses warning them 21

move forward. When you consider the entire debate however it is true that perhaps it is all worth it if you Only 4% of make the most companies admit to of it. It is in the using unpaid interns hands of both the ________ employer and the employee. If In 2008 employers your employer extended job offers to has you as their nearly 70% of their gofer running for interns, up from 57% coffee every day in 2001. and giving you no ________ valuable handson experience, 90% of students unpaid, in our opinion this is from the University wrong. of Westminster You are there to have worked for learn from people free and 60% say who have many the experience is not v a l u a b l e years experience for later in beneficial in the industry, not life, it is also be their personal a golden slave. opportunity After trawling through the to get your face known and vast array of negative feedback develop your contact book. from ‘rate your internship’ Moreover the rate of interns we eventually stumbled on a going in to paid work after their internship has slowly risen over the years, even in the current ‘If they are not playing by the rules, climate. Even if your internship now is the time to put things right. doesn’t turn into a job at the Non-payment of the national minimum particular company you’re interning at, the experience wage is not an option.” you will have gained can make Michelle Wyer, an assistant director of HMRC. it easier to obtain employment elsewhere. We have evidenced here that internships can be hugely useful couple of positive comments placements or internships are for those aching to get their stating that the majority of all fully paid with a pro rata foot on the fashion ladder, but interns do not put much effort salary - these include graduate should they be paid? Living in in to their experience and leave internships and university a big city is an expensive job, after a couple of weeks. placement year internships,” it can companies afford to hire Those who have stayed on say said. and pay interns in the current that the experience they have It is evident that the problem financial climate? Where do gained and the skills learned has been noticed and is starting you stand? have been hugely insightful and to about non-payment of the minimum wage of £6.08 an hour for those aged 21 and over. If they continue offering unpaid internships they could face prosecution. Houses that received letters included Burberry, Paul Smith and Mulberry among others. Clegg, said: “I strongly urge fashion houses and designer labels to make sure they are treating interns fairly. Where an individual is entitled to the minimum wage they should receive it. “Internships provide valuable opportunities and should be available to everyone, not just those who can afford to work for nothing.” The Stella McCartney fashion house recently changed its internship policy and will from the New Year only offer paid placements. Mulberry said it used unpaid interns for short work-experience placements of up to four weeks with travel and lunch expenses paid. “Any longer work experience

versailles LET THEM EAT CAKE words by Elizabeth Fowler

My first memories of Versailles are of watching Sofia Coppola’s tragically beautiful ‘Marie Antoinette’ featuring Kirsten Dunst, the beautiful garden scenes constantly had me weeping about my dull boring life. How could something so perfect be real? Since then I always wondered if the beauty of the Palace of Versailles was an exaggeration or misleading just to add to the ‘pretty’ of the film, on a recent trip to Paris I found out for myself how wrong I was. If you’re ever lucky enough to visit Paris, make it a priority to venture out of the big city to the beautiful grounds of Versailles, even if your partner grumbles and moans and your feet start to ache from treading on the cobbles in the however-many-hour queue, hang on! It’s all about to get 100 times better. The palace of Versailles is tucked away some 20 kilometers south west of the city, just far enough away from the hustle and bustle of Paris and is truly like heaven on earth. The tapestries, the ceilings, the artwork all amaze you even more as you make your way through the grand palace.

As for a brief history of the palace; built in 1631, this fabulous palace was originally Louis XIII’s modest hunting lodge, set in the relatively poor and barren area of Versailles until Louis decided to move his entire court to the palace. Over 800 rooms were added along with North and South wings. Over 36,000 workmen and 6,000 horses were used during the construction of the Palace, which covers 37,000 acres and had 1400 fountains. At it’s height, the Palace accommodated 20,000 people, including 9,000 soldiers and 5,000 servants. Perhaps the most famous rooms in the house are both the Hall of Mirrors and Marie Antoinette’s bedroom. The Hall of Mirrors is 75 m long and 10m wide; one wall was entirely made up of 17 mirrors onto which the rising morning sun would shine directly. Today it is known that the room holds 26 large chandeliers and 10 smaller ones, which all together hold 1,000 candles. Marie Antoinette’s bedchamber was required to be large as it needed to hold several hundred visitors who came to see the Queen give birth. All the births of her children were in public as was tradition.

The palace and gardens are set on 19,262 acres, and are bigger than modern day Paris and the island of Manhattan.

________

On my visit this There are over 700 rooms in was the room which the palace. immediately took my ________ heart, the extravagant bed post and chandeliers, the floral Construction of the palace, based on existing records, hangings and sheets to cost 116,438,892 livres, keep the Queen in the which is around £1.5 lap of luxury, quite million sickening when you return to your dreary box room. But I guess this is the whole charm of Versailles, as soon as you step through the shimmering golden gates you feel like you have entered a dream and its just a magical feeling Recently Versailles was completely recreated as a putrid, mosquito infested palace for a new film, “Les Adieux à la Reine” (“Farewell, My Queen”), which focuses on her final days in the palace before her execution. My many thanks go out to Karl Lagerfeld however, for bringing Versailles back to what it really is; reuniting me with the lighthearted Arcadian glamour of an age of Gallic grandeur. The Chanel Cruise 2013 collection screamed “Liberty, equality, frivolity”. Perhaps there were even too many ruffles and candy colours here for Marie Antoinette herself. Versailles was everything I expected it would be; it captures the heart of Paris, the style, the grace, the elegance and the extravagance.

isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t she

photography by Jacob Glasby fashion by Elizabeth Fowler

Annie wears half lace dress in green £28.00 by Glamorous at Republic, brown brogues models own worn throughout. Ellie wears half lace dress in pink £28.00 by Glamorous at Republic, tan brogues £10.00 by Primark worn throughout, lace trim ankle socks £3.50 by Topshop worn throughout

Opposite, Annie wears yellow flower embellished shell top £26.00 by Next, pink fantasy mini skirt £29.99 by Zara, set of pink bracelets £14.00 by Next Ellie wears white lace shirt models own, midi skirt with pleats in mint £35.00 by asos available at asos.com, set of blue bracelets £12.00 by Next, necklace stylists own This page, as before

Ellie wears lilac shirt with scalloped collar £25.00 by asos available at asos.com, pink fantasy mini skirt £29.99 by Zara, pink jewel necklace £14.00 by Next

Annie wears embroidered lace shirt ÂŁ29.99 by Zara

Ellie wears floral print shirt stylists own, relaxed tapered trousers £38.00 by Topshop Annie wears skater dress with lace detail £35.00 by asos available at asos. com, pink jewel necklace (just seen) £14.00 by Next

Floral print shirt as before, lilac plastic round sunglasses ÂŁ16.00 by Topshop

This page, Annie wears embroidered lace shirt £29.99 by Zara, Moto high waist lilac hot pants £28.00 by Topshop Ellie wears lilac shirt with scalloped collar £25.00 by asos available at asos.com, pink fantasy mini skirt £29.99 by Zara Hair and make up by Laura Evans, Fashion assistant Laura Evans, Models Annie Meek and Ellie Maybury, Shot in Sutton Park with special thanks to Adam Shrigley

let us present to you the raw talent emerging from fashion lab birmingham photography by Jacob Glasby fashion by Elizabeth Fowler

LAURA RICHARDS Orimorphosis

KIMBERLEY STANSFIELD Fading Mentality

ELIZABETH FOWLER Empirical Menswear

HARRIET SCOTT Perfection

ADAM FENTY Brand New

CHANEL FOLKES Itemised Biomimicry

Hair and make up by Elizabeth Fowler, Model Ellie Maybury, Shot in Matthew Boulton campus, With special thanks to all students who gave permission to use garments

LAURA RICHARDS Orimorphosis

Metamorphosis comes in many forms, from magical transformation to manmade alterations. For this collection I focused on the life cycle of butterflies and dragonflies and how they metamorphose through their life cycle. I also linked in the ancient Japanese art form of origami and fabric manipulation. The colour palette I chose was all white. The wings of dragonflies inspired the bodice.

ADAM FENTY Brand New

The inspiration for my collection came from a trend call hyper culture. The trend was heavily based on the ‘east meets west’, futurism, Arabic calligraphy And Islamic art. I came across a Muslim superhero comic, which really inspired the front panels of the dress. I know the Muslim religion is very modest I wanted to add a bit of my design ethos. Which is to make the female body look and feel beautiful and elegant in a very different way. By using sheer panels, the very low back and the fish tail skirt.

KIMBERLEY STANSFIELD Fading Mentality

In a time when ignorance was not bliss, a girl goes throughout her life being slowly and entirely consumed by a mental illness. My collection expresses her thoughts, how the disease has spread throughout her life and her fading mentality. They are extremely vulnerable and their life becomes almost transparent which I have used jersey and sheer fabrics to demonstrate.

HARRIET SCOTT Perfection

Perfection is a word shrouded with relativity – since the dawn of time, humanity has strived to achieve this subjectional state of mind, but what is perfection? I wanted to challenge the public perception that beauty if perfection. I discovered that we consider symmetry as beauty. I incorporated this in to my design ethos, perfect construction, perfect pattern cutting and a perfect colour, white.

IN THEIR OWNWORDS The six budding designers tell us all about their collections and what inspired them.

ELIZABETH FOWLER Empirical Menswear

I created this botany-inspired print shirt for men. The print was taken from a photo I took at the botanical gardens, I was immediately drawn to the image and the shapes created by the leaves, Mongolians and Mongolian dress have inspired the silhouette of the shirt, I was drawn to their way of life and traditional dress, which is where the mandarin collar came from. I wanted to fuse the classic shirt shape with that of a Mongolian shirt to keep it fresh and contemporary.

CHANEL FOLKES Itemised Biomimicry

Modern day architectural designs resonate from a period where designs were mainly created from group discussion between individuals. Today’s architecture is influenced by biomimicy; the design practice of looking to natures functions to create sustainable and environmental friendly technologies. The influential aspects of my designs stemmed from entomology (scientific study of insects),The beetle strongly influenced the ideas behind my structural designs whilst the intricate compilation of a bees hive features strongly throughout.

In recent years Birmingham has opened up a whole new range of exciting possibilities for budding creatives around the midlands. The FEED initiative was created to deliver impeccable creative education to those hoping to extend in to the industry. The idea for FEED began with the development and build of several studios within the Millennium Point, Birmingham. All studios are well equipped with amazing facilities and are all of industry standard. A big focus of FEED is its contacts and the links within the industry which can help excel the students in the industry, give them vital contacts and give them real life experience with live briefs. A recent example of working with industry insiders includes when recent Fashion Lab students supported Gok Wan in the filming of Fashion Fix for Channel 4 and managed backstage at the Sunday Times Style Birmingham Live event FEED intends to transform young, fresh students from school leavers to young professionals. Part of FEED is the Fashion Lab which links with Birmingham Metropolitan College to house its BTEC fashion students. The award winning Fashion Lab is an industry standard studio with a wide range of facilities from pattern cutting tables, professional Bernina sewing machines and over lockers and experienced tutors. The fashion lab has also played host to several of the courses end of year fashion shows, which have all be a huge success and received rave reviews from the local press.

Most recently the students of Fashion Lab all helped backstage at Style in the City and hosted their own pop up shop and catwalk show in the center of Birmingham. The shop gave students the opportunity to experiment with visual merchandising and managing a small shop. Students from Fashion Lab have gone on to continue their studies at prestigious universities such as Nottingham Trent, Ravensbourne and the London College of Fashion to name a few. So if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re interested in becoming a professional, stylist, graphic designer, creative director or fashion designer Fashion Lab could be the place for you.

i want the accessories maketh the woman photography by Will Bakes & Jacob Glasby styling by Elizabeth Fowler

This page: boston clear frame glasses £15.00 by AJ Morgan at asos. com, blouse with crochet collar £25.00 by Topshop Opposite: pearl hair grips set of three £6 by Accessorize

Round lilac plastic sunglasses ÂŁ16.00 by Topshop, blouse as before

This page: hazel alice band ÂŁ12.00 by Orelia available at Topshop Opposite: pearl bow tie ÂŁ6.50 by Miss Selfridge, blouse as before

This page: studded nude brogue £24.99 by New Look, lace trim ankle socks £3.50 by Topshop Opposite: white lace gloves £6.00 available from asos.com, blouse as before

Opposite: feather necklace ÂŁ20.00 by Topshop, blouse as before Hair and make up by Ellie Maybury. Model Annie Meek. Fashion Assistants Poppy Caulwell and Laura Evans

RAFS FINAL BOW

After seven successful years, Raf Simons bids adieu to Jil Sander. Flaws takes a retrospective look at his iconic work from over the years words by Elizabeth Fowler 64

It all got very emotional in Milan for fall 2012 Simons then began his own label specializing fashion week; Raf Simons departure from Jil only on menswear, he was known as much for Sander marked an end of a truly exciting era. his interests in teen subculture as for his cool, After building up seven strong years as the Kraftwerkesque, eighties-tough clothes. He was, houses creative director, Simons has certified in fact, so identified with the male side of the himself as a true pioneer in the industry, and is business that The New York Times called him owed for making Jil Sander the iconic, beautiful “the most influential menswear designer of the house it is today. last decade.” It was made all the more emotional by his His work before becoming creative director at seemingly perfect, beautiful goodbye show. Glass Jil Sander cemented him a place among some cases held beautiful flowers down the runway of fashions biggest pioneers, he received praise and the garments were all perfectly minimal from the likes of Tom Ford and was featured (in classic Jil Sander in Vogue magazine style) featuring lovely “I don’t mind the association with heavily before he futurism, as long as that’s not ladylike silhouettes even began to design with a beautiful, soft interpreted as using an aesthetic womenswear. yet powerful, colour However in the already known as futuristic. We palette. The finale summer of 2005 like to make things modern,” was one to beat, he was appointed Simons received such creative director of Jil a reaction that it reduced him (and the majority Sander, no one knew then that Simons would of the crowd for that matter) to tears. take the house to exceptional heights with his Raf Simons began to make his mark on the beautiful design ethic. Simons took like a fish fashion industry in 1990, this is when he to water within his new role, his fall 2006 debut began an internship with designer Walter Van collection received rave reviews from an array of Beirendonck, who took Simons to see Maison acclaimed critics. Martin Margiela’s all-white collection. “Nothing In the modern day fashion industry, adoration else in fashion has had such a big impact on me,” is so difficult to come by. Everyone is too proud Simons stated later in life. or hard to please, but that is where Simons just got it right.

He had a place in the heart of the fashion industry, from the finale of his final collection this fall when the audience screamed, shouted, stormed the runway and even cried, an amazing first in our eyes, to his huge reeling of celebrity fans. His designs represented forward thinking, and he has become a main innovator in the fashion industry over his seven years at the house. While still recognizably minimalist (as the house has always been), his collections at Sander were a reaction to what he has called “the psychological strictness of the old Jil Sander.” Focusing on the body, he offered sharp-angled, futuristic accessories and an extra dash of seduction (via dress-up clothes that revealed the figure in unexpected ways, giving subtle peeks through fringe or peek-a-boo transparencies). “That was very much the intention,” he told one reporter, “that I would make people think that this brand can be sexual and sensual.” As his time progressed at Jil Sander, however, Simons’ tastes began to change. In 2010 he presented the first of three couture-inspired collections, which all played with the shapes, colours, and proportions associated with haute couture, and were his most feminine to date. When it was announced that Simons would unfortunately be leaving Jil Sander, rumours flew about what would be his next move. It was a rumour shadowed with doubt but in April 2012, Raf Simons was chosen as the creative director for Dior, after John Galliano’s departure. It was somewhat of a shock after Simons seven years of creating minimalistic garments to move to Dior, what with it’s classic extravagant and flamboyant style, could this really work for Simons? We will all be able to answer that question when Simons reveals his debut couture collection in July of this year, but can he really do any wrong? It doesn’t look like it to us. Opposite are some of our favourites from Raf Simons’ career at Jil Sander, his strongest and most beautiful collections to celebrate this icon. It has been confirmed that Jil Sander will return to the label in Simons place; Raf Simons has had such a massive impact on the label and made it what it is today, here’s hoping Sander respects that.

When I say ‘eco-friendly fashion?’ you say, green? Hippies? Tie-dye? Bare feet? Ugly clothes? Think again. In recent years, the problem of global warming has increased to the point that we can no longer ignore it or push it to the back of our minds, we have to come to terms with it and try to stop things from escalating further. Step forward Christopher Raeburn, John Patrick; of Organic by John Patrick, and eco warrior queen Katharine Hamnett. These are some of the few designers who are making sustainability look good. In 2012 the taboo of sustainable fashion has been lifted, today sustainability is sustainability is the new black, here’s cool, fresh and forward to the designers leading the revolution thinking. Christopher Raeburn in particular has our full attention; he has taken cool, British fashion to whole new levels with his cool sports-inspired collection. He created beautiful garments for those looking for ethically intelligent and innovative fashion. Every garment created by Raeburn is made from redeployed military fabrics, he states his reasoning for using these fabrics as, they are waterproof (needed for his classic parkas) and they are functional. His spring 2010 collection was made using recycled parachutes; he states that he finds it “frustrating and fascinating that there are warehouses full of this stuff”. Not only does Raeburn use recycled materials but also eco friendly dyes.

something to think about

STYLE ETHICS

Recently, however contradictory it may seem, punk queen Vivienne Westwood has released a manifesto about how we should all buy less and help save the planet. She also recently united with sustainable groups to create a line of eco friendly handbags. To put it shortly, The fashion industry is the Sustainability is in. it is second largest user of water the fresh, thoughtful and in the world. exciting way to make _________ your mark on the fashion In the UK alone, 1.8 million industry. tonnes of clothes and textiles Its not just the are thrown away every year. environment that is _________ harmed by the use 10,400 people in the U.S. of synthetic dyes and die each year from cancer pesticides, its also the related to pesticides farmers and workers who are around it daily. How can we damage others just for fashion? Most specifically when there are perfectly reliable other methods of creating the same product. This subject is getting massive in the industry; it has become a movement in itself. So, what will you do to change the world today?

the end

I would like to thank Jacob Glasby and Will Bakes for the beautiful photography and the wonderful models Annie Meek and Ellie Maybury without whom it would not have been possible. Other various thank yous; Laura Evans, Poppy Caulwell, Adam Shrigley and Kathryn Fowler. Flaws could not have been created without the help of all these wonderful people.