INTERVIEWS WITH JESS DE WAHLS + NORMAN BUSIGU . HOW TO GET INTO A POP-UP . INSTA-LONDON
PAKISTAN FASHION WEEK LONDON . LONDON PACIFIC FASHION WEEK . MENSWEAR WITH THE WADE TWINS
ISSUE 30 6TH DECEMBER 2018
RRP £9.99
LONDON RUNWAY
CONTRIBUTORS Chief Editor: Rhiannon D'Averc - editor@londonrunway.co.uk Editorial Assistant: Candice Wu - info@londonrunway.co.uk Staff Photographers: Ian Clark and Fil Mazzarino - shoots@londonrunway.co.uk Features Editor: Rachel Parker - features@londonrunway.co.uk Arts Editor: Naomi Purvis - arts@londonrunway.co.uk News Editor: Charlie Whitehand - news@londonrunway.co.uk Music Editor: Neil Dowd - musiceditor@londonrunway.co.uk Staff Writer - Joanna Cunningham - info@londonrunway.co.uk Graphic Design: Alex Panek- design@londonrunway.co.uk Advertising enquiries - info@londonrunway.co.uk Submissions - info@londonrunway.co.uk Contributors: Viktorija Mockute, Luis Bonfiglio, Tim Van Der Most, Elizabeth Morley, Henry Wade, William Wade, and Roberta Chapman Special thanks to Pauline Wong at Lifestyle With Friends, Jess De Wahls, Mia Leigh Spence, Ollie Dodd, Josephine Louison, and Norman Busigu
Get more content and access to special offers and behind-the-scenes at patreon.com/londonrunway Š 2018, London Runway Ltd  and contributors Printed by Pixart Printing and distributed in-house by London Runway Ltd All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without permission from the publisher. The views expressed in London Runway are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily shared by the magazine or its staff.
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EDITOR'S LETTER It's with great joy, and pride in the work of our fantastic team, that I present this milestone 30th issue. We've been through many changes in 2018, always for the better, and what you hold in your hands (or your screen) today represents the next step in the evolution of London Runway. Our brand new cover is not the only thing we are changing, and it's not the only thing set to change over the coming months either. We're set to have a new schedule in 2019 after coming back from our Christmas break, which you'll hear more about in Issue 31, and you will already notice that we have brought in a lot of new recurring features and styles that were not previously part of our arsenal.
This issue is also marked by our first launch party, celebrating the work that we have done and the wonderful contributors who have given us their time and effort. Of course, I can't comment on that just yet as at the time of writing we're still in preparation mode - though we will bring you a full review with plenty of photographs in Issue 31.
Meanwhile, Black Friday has just finally left us behind, with the last straggling Cyber Monday deals petering out. We're reminded again at this time of year, as always, that purchasing fast fashion items at a low price might be good for your wallet now - but it is bad for the planet in the long run, as well as for the workers who make the clothes.
month!
Instead, consider investing your money in statement pieces - things that will last you longer than a few months before falling apart in the washing machine or going out of style. There are plenty of gorgeous sustainable and ethical brands featured in our pages every issue, so no excuses for not knowing where to shop!
If you've ever wondered about how to get into a pop-up then you can find out here, as well as getting some tips on what to wear for your social events this festive season.
It's even more pertinent than ever that we think about this in the lead up to Christmas, as the shops are now full of gift ideas, festive decorations, and endless temptations to buy something that your loved one might not actually want in the end. Let's not even begin on the sales to expect early next
This issue we have some fantastic features for you to browse, including our cover editorial with the Wade brothers. Check out their feature for a hybrid of brands we love and brands they love - all styled expertly by Roberta Chapman.
We've also been chatting to some fascinating people, in the form of a textile artist with a passion for social causes and the Fashion4Africa male model winner for 2018. There's much more to - so I'll let you get stuck in! Enjoy -
RHIANNON D'AVERC
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CONTENTS Visuals Pakistan Fashion Week London - 7 Holiday Bling - 28
New Faces - 31 London's Most Instagrammable Locations - 46 Style (Conscious) Guide: Winter Workwear - 50 Homogeneity (cover editorial) - 57 Neighbourhood Voices: Borough Market - 71
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Your Style Horoscope - 78
London Pacific Fashion Week - 82
Words Fashion News - 4 Anthony and Cleopatra - 26 What Should I Wear on New Year's Eve? - 29 Interview: Jess De Wahls - 37 The Life of a Collection: Luis Bonfiglio - 42 Pop-up Stores: How to Get Your Business Into a Pop-up Store, and More - 51 The Callous Heart: Everything You Need to Know About Creeper - 55 Interview: Norman Busigu - 73
Meet the Team - 111 The Big Question - 117
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FASHION NEWS BY CHARLIE WHITEHAND
YOU MAWO LAUNCHES IN UK MARKET Welcome to the future. YOU MAWO is the German eyewear label that uses 3D printing to produce bespoke frames. A 3D head scan is taken using software that is accessible via an app on the iPad. This allows eyewear to be tailored to achieve the perfect fit. YOU MAWO stands for ’Your Magic World’. The company is based in Munich and was founded by Sebastian Zenetti (IT expert and ptician), Daniel Miko (optician), and Daniel Szabo (corporate innovation/strategic marketing expert). The idea came about six years ago during one of their backpacking trips across Thailand. Sebastian is an expert in parametric 3D design and optics and it is his knowledge that became the basis for the brand concept. YOU MAWO launched in 2016 and is now present in the market, selling their system to around 100 opticians in six countries worldwide, most recently the UK. They have become one of the world leaders in 3D eyewear and are the first company globally to enable mass customisation via 3D printing. The company was started up without any
investors and only €75K/£66K funding, and has since grown from consistent cash flow. There is currently no other brand in the eyewear market that is adapting to the individual needs of each of their customers. YOU MAWO’s 3D printed eyewear offers a range of individually fitted glasses and sunglasses for both men and women in various different styles and colourways to create the perfect frame made just for you. Once the frame has been optimized, the spectacles are individually manufactured in Germany by using the latest additive manufacturing technology, selective laser sintering. The designs are technically optimised based on the analysis of hundreds of faces: each customtailored eyewear frame is based on the individual’s facial topography. They also offer the highest scan precision by adapting 11 dimensions: glass size, nose bridge width, inclination, temple angle, length of temple, inscription in temple, bending of temple, base curve, nose pad size, nose pad angle, and nose pad position, to form the foundation for each individual frame. via YOU MAWO
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PROTEST OVER POVERTY PAY FOR H&M WORKERS poverty and labour rights violations within these facilities. The global week of action is timed around the 5th anniversary of H&M’s unmet commitment. Neva Nahtigal of Clean Clothes Campaign international office said, “H&M cannot hide from scrutiny over the specific and time-bound commitment that it has evidently turned its back on - whilst making deceptive claims to have exceeded its goal! Anyone can do that if they also move the goal posts as they see fit, but we will not let that hypocrisy go unnoticed.” Parcel packers at H&M’s European logistics hub Stradella in Italy joined forces in the action in order to express solidarity with workers across H&M’s global supply chain. One worker wrote a letter to other workers in the supply chain to express her distress, “At the huge warehouse where I work (…), the day shift starts at 4.30 a.m. and we do not know at what time we will be allowed to leave. Sometimes it is 4 hours of work, sometimes 12 in a row.” This statement was given anonymously and other workers are too scared to speak up due to XPO, the company that runs H&M’s
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logistic hub, recently filing a lawsuit against 147 workers and their union for fighting for their rights. Deborah Lucchetti, spokeswoman of Campagna Abiti Puliti (Clean Clothes Campaign Italy) said, “seamstresses in garment factories, packers at logistic hubs and employees in retail shops all have the right to living wages and fair employment conditions”. This was further supported by a statement from David Hachfeld Clean Clothes Campaign Coordinator at the Swiss NGO Public Eye: “H&M's own wage data reveals that H&M is far from securing workers at its supplier factories a living wage.” The week of action marks the newest chapter of the ‘Turn Around, H&M!’ campaign. This is a global alliance of workers and consumers calling for H&M to ensure a living wage without further delay. Its petition has already drawn over 135,000 signatures. via Labour Behind The Label
A global week of protest took place on Black Friday with activists, consumers and employees demanding that the unmet CSR pledge was delivered. This follows on from our previous news piece ‘H&M Violates Labour Laws’ that was featured in Issue 25. Labour Behind the Label have been putting messages in the pockets of H&M clothing. This is a direct call on the brand to follow through on their broken commitment to pay a living wage to 850,000 workers in their supply chain by 2018. The London demonstration was just one of many that happened around the world on the 23rd November. Other areas included H&M stores and facilities in Delhi, Milan, Washington DC, Zagreb, Amsterdam and Berlin along with many more. Workers’ pay slips revealed that H&M was nowhere near paying a living wage at its supplier factories. In fact, new studies have shown that inflation-adjusted wages have even dropped in some H&M facilities. Workers producing H&M clothing are still receiving a fifth of the amount they need to support their families. Many have also reported
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FASHION RETAILERS QUESTIONED ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY The Environmental Audit Committee questioned leading high street, luxury and online fashion retailers on Tuesday 27th November. This formed part of an inquiry into the sustainability of the fashion industry. Representatives from the likes of Primark, ASOS, Missguided, Marks & Spencer, and Burberry were called to give evidence. These retailers have each come under fire for fuelling a throwaway fast fashion culture that has been linked to the exploitation of workers in UK factories. Missguided’s CEO Nitin Passi declined to attend, raising suspicion and creating negative press for the brand. However, the comments from other brands weren’t all that forthcoming either. Concerns were raised at the Committee’s first hearing about UK garment workers not being paid minimum wage. Politicians questioned how these brands could responsibly sell clothes for prices of £5 or less, considering this is below the minimum hourly wage and that it could contribute to huge environmental waste.
you justify selling t-shirts in your stores for as little as £2 or £3, and how can you be making a profit on those?” Lister’s response stated that Primark's lack of advertising allows the brand to keep their prices exceedingly low. Boohoo’s joint CEO Carol Kane was asked how the company could sell dresses for as little as £5 when the minimum wage was £7.83. In her response she said that this only applied to a small number of dresses intentionally sold at a loss, to drive more traffic to the site.
In addition, designer label Burberry was left out of many of these conversations until the issue of stock burning arose. In July, the BBC published reports stating that the luxury brand destroyed masses of clothes, accessories, and perfume that add up to almost £30 million to stop them from being sold at a cheaper price. Leanne Wood, Burberry’s chief of corporate affairs,
Labour MP Mary Creagh challenged Primark, asking their head of ethical trade and environmental sustainability Paul Lister: "How can
Via Fashion Network
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shrugged off accusations, telling MPs it was an industry-wide practice and stating they’re “the only luxury business that’s reported it in their accounts…but it is something that happens in the industry.” Overall many of the comments from the brands did not impress the committee, with Creagh commenting after the hearing: "Evidence we heard today justifies our concerns that the current system allows fashion retailers to mark their own homework when it comes to workers' rights, fair pay, and sustainability." It is clear to see that none of these brands are doing enough to reduce their impact on the environment and the majority are shirking all responsibility for their actions, be it for the planet or for the people they employ.
PAKISTAN FASHION WEEK LONDON Photography by Fil Mazzarino
Pakistan Fashion Week London came to our capital again recently to showcase the very best in Pakistan's trends. Forming fusions of modern and traditional dress from the country, as well as the occasional Western touch, these designers all have a creative eye and a mastery of colour. Beadwork is a key element of the looks, with separates ranging from skirts and cropped tops to trousers layered with dresses. A shawl is a girl's best friend. In order, the designers presented here include: Hamna Amir Aisha Imran Aneesa Kiyani Fatima Salamat Komal Nasir Moazzam Abbasi Najib Needle Sadia Mirza Sara Naqvi Zeshan Bari Wala
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ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA NATIONAL THEATRE
Rhiannon D'Averc reviews a current London production. Anthony and Cleopatra at the National Theatre stars Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo Taking on a play that is not one of Shakespeare's best can seem a tall order for even the most established actor. While the stage and the costumes shine, it's not quite enough to make this a memorable production. Ralph brings much of himself and his familiar acting style to the role, though it takes him a fair few acts to warm up and really get into it - only to die just when you think it might be getting interesting. They are using some very convincing squibs
for the death scenes, however, which is a nice touch. Sophie does not play the best part. Much of her scenes are overdone, and one in particular at the end leaves you wishing the asp would hurry up and show itself. There is much volume here with little substance behind it. Her wardrobe, on the other hand, might well be the star of the show. She wears an array of dresses, almost all floaty floor-length frocks with nipped waists and fluttering sleeves. They dance and float around her body as she moves, lending much to the characterisation and the aura of an Egyptian ruler. Not quite as much as, perhaps, an
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Egyptian actress might have done but since representation has at least come on leaps in recent years, we'll leave that argument there. We do have to disagree with the costume designer's choice of finest robe, something Cleopatra calls for late on: a green number with glimmering gold embellishment was the clear winner for us, and yet its appearance was all too brief.
The remaining cast have a few moments of brilliance between them, although most manage to be forgettable. Caesar was on the stage for an embarrassingly long time before it was made clear who he was, which might be a problem of costume: with everyone wearing military formal dress only, an
LONDON RUNWAY admiral might be an emperor. The production manages to be funniest when they go off script. Particular moments include Cleopatra drowning a messenger in the villa pool, Lepidus drunk on the dance floor, and a few gestures and shrugs here and there which lend a new meaning to old words. The famous Olivier stage is used well, with different constructions including an opulent poolside villa, the interior and exterior of a ship, conference rooms, and an urban battleground. However, for all the clever choreography and switches, there still manage to be awkward moments. Characters literally run off stage, some several seconds after the next scene - set in a totally different location - has already begun. What an unnecessary distraction on a stage that is well known for its trickery!
the snake back to its handler before returning to die. Awkward.
Anthony and Cleopatra is on now at the National Theatre.
There are some daring moments here in which the director allows things to feel just a little bit out of control, and ultimately those are the most enjoyable. If only there had been a few more, this might actually have been a great show.
Directed by Simon Goodwin, set design by Hildegard Bechtler, costume design by Evie Gurney.
Photography by Jason Bell and Johan Persson
In the last moments, a real snake provided perhaps the most visceral reaction from the audience of the whole night. A shame, for those who had already left at the interval (we noticed a few). It did, however, also result in the most badly done moment of the production - an actress being bitten by an app, suffering the poison, then having enough time to run through a (supposedly guarded) door to hand
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Cast includes Ralph Fiennes, Sophie Okonedo, Nicholas Le Provost, Tim McMullan, Tunji Kasim, Georgia Landers, Hannah Morrish, Gloria Obianyo, Sam Woolf, Katy Stephens
HOLIDAY BLING Looking for a little sparkle for the festivities? Try the new season jewellery items now available at lifestylewithfriends.com. They are versatile pendant brooches, which can be used either as a pendant or a brooch depending on your mood. The necklace shown here is on sale at ÂŁ290. The other designs. shown here as brooches, are ÂŁ180 each. If you're still looking for a present for that special someone, there's nothing like a bit of glitter to make them smile. The unique compositions put together by designer Pauline Wong are a real conversation piece, and will be your most complimented outfit of the festive season.
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WHAT SHOULD I WEAR ON NEW YEAR’S EVE? This week Viktorija Mockute answers the question on everyone's mind. However you’re celebrating the arrival of 2019, here’s what to wear – no matter the dress code.
Black tie ball Zara Headed to a black tie ball? Steal the spotlight this New Year’s Eve with this show-stopping jumpsuit, with a delicately draped neckline, creating minimalist beauty. Co-ordinate the look to perfection with silver sparkling heels.
Cocktail hour Monsoon Planning to go to a New Year’s Eve party? Light up the room with this embellished mini dress in deep emerald, hand-embellished with sparkling beads on the neckline. Whether you choose to accessorise or keep things simple, these velvet shoes are a total must.
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Champagne dinner Monsoon Starting the new year with a champagne dinner? Whether you’re dining at a restaurant or at a friend’s house, dress the part in a decadent velvet slip in deep purple, hand-embellished with clusters of jewels for film star sparkle, complete with vintage-style court shoes in black.
Rooftop bar River Island From sipping cocktails to watching the fireworks with friends, a rooftop bar makes the perfect venue for New Year’s Eve. Mirror the glamorous surroundings with a plisse wrap dress. Complete the look with your favourite heels.
Pub drinks ASOS If your New Year’s Eve celebrations are a little more simple but you still want to dress up for the occasion, then an embellished top is your party season saviour. Opt for this halter neck top and style it with smart black trousers or skinny jeans.
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NEW FACE Name: Ollie Dodd Age: 20 Location: Birmingham Agency: Frame Perfect How long have you been modelling for? Not that long, only for about six months. Where are you from originally? I’m from London originally.
What would surprise people to know about you? I'm an entrepreneur, I manage big Instagram pages and kind of make a business out of it. What are your modelling ambitions? I know it’s hard in the industry, but I just want to give it my all. I don’t expect to make a living out of it but if I can, then that’s welcome.
Do you have an unusual talent or party trick? One party trick I have is if people are eating food, I like to tell them to close their eyes and count to ten and whilst they’re doing that, I eat their food.
Photography by Rhiannon D'Averc
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NEW FACE Name: Josephine Louison Age: 56 Location: South East London Agency: Freelance How long have you been modelling for? This is my first time modelling! Where are you from originally? My heritage is St Lucian.
Photography by Rhiannon D'Averc
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Do you have an unusual talent or party trick? My talent is to make people laugh. What would surprise people to know about you? People don’t tend to expect that I’m a huge Marvel fan. I dress up and go to all of the conventions. What are your modelling ambitions? On my bucket list, I’d like to see myself in a magazine or a poster.
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NEW FACE Name: Mia Leigh Spence Age: 8 Location: Castleford, near Leeds. It’s taken us over four hours to get here! Agency: Unsigned How long have you been modelling for? About two years. I got started in the Miss British Empire Pageant.
Photography by Fil Mazzarino
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Where are you from originally? Castleford. What are your modelling ambitions? I would like to do photoshoots and I love the catwalk.
JESS DE WAHLS INTERVIEW
In our last issue, Naomi Purvis explored the idea of using art and craft practices as a form of activism and as a way of encouraging the conversation of controversial topics. Jess De Wahls is an international artist, encouraging social change and gender equality, exploring Feminism and embracing recycling and reuse all throughout her intricate embroidery work. Naomi speaks to her to get an insight into her work as well as her opinion of art practices such as embroidery being used as an activism technique. What's your background? Originally, I am from Berlin but have been living in London for 14 years. I am a trained hair stylist and besides my art practice, still run a 2-day salon in Soho Theatre. I have never studied art but have always been passionate about it and wanted to develop it alongside my hairdressing work. Over the years I have become a lot more focused on my art and hope to make this my main job in the future. I spend my time either at my studio, working on new projects, or travelling to places to teach embroidery workshops in the UK and abroad.
How did you get into embroidery? Like everything else within my art career so far, it happened almost accidentally. I was determined to make my Retex Sculptures more intricate and started to simply embroider certain aspects of what had already been pretty detailed pieces. I don’t think I was even aware at that point that what I was doing was already classed as embroidery. I thoroughly enjoyed the process and started to watch tutorials online and learn more about embroidery, which helped me develop my work into what it is today.
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LONDON RUNWAY Explain your use of 'Retex Sculpture' - how did you decide to use recycled textiles in your work? Throughout my work with embroidery, I have always I used recycled fabric for many reasons. For one, I wanted to create something for my gorgeous goddaughter and thought that reusing old textiles would be much more tactile and personal than I felt a painting could ever be. So, I started creating little funny looking plush monsters, made from my old clothes, because I loved the idea that they are made from cloth that I used to wear but I was giving them a new lease of life. What’s more, I can’t deny my East German heritage, and in that recycling, upcycling, and a heightened awareness of the wasteculture we now live in, has always been part of how I see the world. I also see the utter waste and lack of solutions all around us every single day and I always use recycled fabrics of clothes that have been given to me, even throughout my workshops. Another aspect of Retex is that I created a self-imposed rule onto myself, so that I can only use what I have, and I am not ‘allowed’ to buy matching fabrics should I run out of a particular colour or texture. What that creates is an environment where I have to be creative with what I have, which I believe is a brilliant way to flex your creative muscle.
And last but not least, using recycled fabrics provides me with a myriad of different colours, texture and prints, that if I had to buy all of that, I wouldn’t be able to afford, or even store it in my studio.
#PatchYourselfHappy - what inspired you to start it? How did it come about? There are two kinds of people in the world: Excuse-seekers and Solution-finders. I am the latter. So, while thinking about how to actually tackle our textile waste crisis, I decided that instead of telling people not to buy cheap fashion that won’t survive laundering twice, to provide a solution instead. This way I could encourage people to use what they already have and to not just dump clothes that have gone out of fashion as they are still perfectly functional. So, I designed, crowdfunded and manufactured a vast collection of beautiful, intricate floral patches, which I am introducing slowly but surely to shops and retailers.
"EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE WHEN YOU TRUST YOUR GUT"
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Has feminism always been an inspiration for your work? What else inspires you? It hasn’t, simply because feminism, including its history and modernday meaning, was something that I started to only grasp around the age of 27. I was always very engaged in standing up for female rights and equality, not knowing that my acts have always been inherently feminist. But growing up in East Berlin which was governed by a communist-socialist sentiment meant that I grew up surrounded by people who often to this day are entirely unaware or even against the idea of feminism, which to me is utterly bizarre, and there is certainly a future explorative exhibition carved in stone. So, with my move from illustration and painting to textiles, also came feminism, which is interesting when you look at the connection of feminism and textile art throughout history, though it was at that point not at all deliberate. How do you feel about craft practices such as embroidery being used as activism? Speaking from a personal perspective, I see embroidery every bit an art practice as I see painting or sculpting. I think the advantage of using embroidery for activism is that you can create political imagery and slogans that can be worn directly on, or as part of, clothing, and in that way spark conversations.
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In fact, many of my Big Swinging Ovaries Embroidery Patches are quite bold images through which many people with ovaries not only identify themselves, but by wearing them, they open themselves up to conversations, which in my opinion is one of the most powerful forms of activism. You have to talk to people to inspire change. What key messages do you hope to portray within your work? I don’t really think about it that way. I absolutely live through my work, so whatever I work on is an extension of what I currently go through or explore. I love that my work speaks to so many people, but in all honesty, the person I have to please first and foremost with it is myself. Additionally, regardless of whatever message I would hope to portray in my work, art has a way of being interpreted by the viewer, often despite of the original intention of the creator, which of course is part of the beauty of it. Having said that, if I had to bring it down to one thing in particular, I would have to say that whoever sees my work and feels touched by it in any way - I hope they understand that everything is possible when you trust your gut, follow what feels right to you. You mentor for the Hand & Lock embroidery prize - what does this entail and how did it come about?
Being a mentor came about as organically as everything else so far and social media has certainly played a huge role in how Hand & Lock became aware of my work, approached me and asked if I’d like to get involved. Being a mentor can mean many different things, from giving advice on how to potentially improve upon a piece, to acknowledge when there is nothing to add or take away, and sometimes it’s simply helping with logistics or just being there at the event for support. I always try to be as transparent and straight with the finalists I work with as humanly possible. By that I mean I will make sure that my advice or criticism is as objective as possible, and sometimes that means that there isn’t really much to do because the work is already excellent. How do you see your future? Any new projects? With everything that has been going on over the past few years such as Brexit and Trump to name but a few, I have somewhat resigned from trying to control my future. Nobody can in any case, but that didn’t stop me from trying. What I can control is the here and now, so I keep creating work that matters to me and thankfully speaks to others. I continue to run not only creative embroidery workshops, but
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coming up for early 2019, which sadly I am not yet allowed to speak about.
also the kind that allow me to actively create change, such as the one I run with Florence of the Vagina Museum, where half of all proceeds go towards funding an actual bricks and mortar vagina museum in the future. Or my workshop that supports the fantastic efforts of #bloodygoodperiod, by teaching to stitch and raise money to help end period poverty. That’s certainly something I want to do even more of over the next few years, which also
means a lot more travelling for me, me, which I love. I want to give up hairdressing entirely eventually and just be a living and breathing artist. All of next year is already dedicated to creating work for my next Solo Show ‘No Common Thread’ with which I will return to Australia for another solo exhibition in early 2020. I am writing a book about creative embroidery, and generally speaking, there are some major exciting things
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Where can people find your work? Are you exhibiting anywhere at the moment or in the future? Currently the best way of finding out about any kind of exhibitions I am involved in is to sign up to my newsletter as I like to try and add regular updates when I can. It’s also the best way to find out about upcoming workshops. I also hope to be able to share some very exciting plans for 2019, which I will announce as soon as I can but hopefully will give people a chance to view my work. Keep up to date with Jess’ work at jessdewahls.com or on Instagram at @jessdewahls All images via Jess De Wahls
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THE LIFE OF A COLLECTION: LUIS BONFIGLIO This season, we're following designer Luis Bonfiglio as he puts together a collection - from the first inception of the designs through to the finished pieces. This issue, we hear about the process of starting to create designs for a new collection.
PART TWO: MARKING, DRAPING, PINNING, AND SEWING THE DESIGN What are the next steps after I have created my moodboard and colourboard, and sketched all my finalised designs? After choosing the design I would like to realise, the next step is creating the pattern. There are two ways in which you can create a pattern, either by drawing them on sheets of paper or by draping with
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muslin on the dress form. My personal preference is to use both techniques and with this collection, the pattern making consisted of 80% draping and 20% of drawing on paper.
So, let’s start these amazing and incredible steps.
LONDON RUNWAY 1) Marking: Marking is the first step before draping the muslin on the dress form. I begin by using marking tape to mark all the lines from my sketch onto the dress form. I mark the shape of my neckline, the armscye and all the other lines I need for my pattern. This procedure is done on the front and then repeated on the back of the dress form. If I have a design which has the same pattern on both the left and right sides eg. a skirt, I normally mark only half of the dress form as one side mirrors the other side. However, if I have to create an asymmetric design, then I need to mark the entire dress form because, in the end, I will have pattern pieces that will look different from each other.
2) Draping: Once I have marked all the lines of the design, I will start to drape the pattern. This is actually my favourite part, to be honest, as it’s pure handwork and very interesting. I do all of my drapings with muslin. What is muslin? Muslin (also mousseline) is a cotton fabric of plain weave. It is made in a wide range of weights. From delicate sheers to coarse sheeting. Muslin is used for making test garments before using the original and more expensive fabrics. I prefer to use a mid-weight. I cut out a large piece from my roll and I iron it first, just in case it might shrink a bit. Most fabrics will shrink a bit after washing or ironing it. I usually start with the front part. I pin the muslin on the centre front and then use my hands to mould the fabric into shape to where I marked the dress with marking tape. This needs a lot of delicate handwork because you have to feel how to use the fabric and how to mould it organically into shape. Depending on the design, sometimes you have to listen to the fabric and you might end up doing little changes from what you sketched originally. After I've completed draping the muslin, I pin everything nicely into position and also ensure that the darts are pinned. As the muslin has a mid-weight and is slightly seethrough, you will perfectly see all the marked lines from your marking tape. I then use a pencil and mark all the lines on the muslin. I mark all the outlines and all the seams that I will sew together. The darts need to be marked as well. I do this with all the pieces from the front and back sides. Sometimes I end up with only two pieces of patterns, and sometimes I end up with ten different pieces which will be sewn in double together (but the sewing part will be explained next time). When I drape, often I get some tension on the neck and on the armscye area, this tension needs to be cut out or in with small cuts into the fabric. Once I have marked all the lines I need, I double check everything before I take all the pins off.
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LONDON RUNWAY 3) I put all the fabric pieces flat on the table which are marked with the pencil, I cut all around the lines, and I leave one centimetre sewing allowance on the edges. When I've finished cutting all the pieces out, I double check them to see if all the pencil markings look nice and are correct.
4) Now comes the first test. As I've left one centimetre sewing allowance, I use this allowance to pin all the seams together and close all the darts as it would look when it’s sewn. This is the first test that is done to see what the pattern looks like and If there are any changes I need to do. If there are changes to be done, I mark them with a different colour pencil or marker. After pinning all the pieces together, I place it on the dress form and check the design. Again if anything needs changing, I mark it with a marker and If I’m happy with the first test, then I take the pattern off the dress form, remove the pins and then iron the pattern so that it's totally flat.
5) Now is the time for sewing the prototype. I sew the prototype also with muslin first. So I cut out the amount of muslin needed and place the muslin patterns on the fabric. I then pin them together and cut out the pieces. I then sew all the pieces together, including the seams and darts. I try to sew the prototype as I would sew it with the original fabric, as accurate as possible and this will save you so much time later on. From my experience, when I sewed the prototypes, I often noticed which techniques I have to use later on and which steps are to follow first etc. For the prototype, I don’t use any zippers as it would be a waste of time and money, I just pin the place where the zipper should come in together. Once I completed sewing the prototype, it is placed on the dress form and I check it thoroughly to ensure that the design looks perfect and just as I wanted to have it or if there is anything to change for later on. All the required changes will be written down on a piece of paper like “give five millimetres extra on side seam” or “Darts at the back need to be one centimetre longer” or so. If I’m happy with the result, then I take a picture from the front, side, and back. I like to keep these pictures with me for reference when I go to purchase the original fabrics. But you will read all about that in another issue of London Runway. Photography by Tim Van Der Most
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LONDON RUNWAY
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LONDON'S MOST INSTAGRAMMABLE LOCATIONS We went on a tour of London with Elizabeth Morley, better known as @eli.fashionlover, to find out what her top pick of locations would be to hang out on the ‘gram. Two cafes and a nail salon made it onto our list – and we’d bet you’ve probably spotted at least one of them on a hashtag somewhere.
PEGGY PORSCHEN First off, we just had to sample some cakes at Peggy Porschen. No matter the time of day, there is a long queue to wait for an indoor seat at this tiny but very, very pink café. Being indoors at this time of year felt like the right choice, however – everyone sat outside was shivering under blankets as the twilight fell. Already kitted out with Christmas decorations including deliciouslooking decorative biscuits, the cramped interior is also where you will find their counter displays. Here there are a range of cupcakes, slices, bakes, and more to choose from – though sadly their luxury mince pies were not yet available when we visited. We did get into the festive spirit with a hot chocolate complete with reindeer stencil, however! Between us, we tried the cookies and cream cupcake (which holds a hidden Oreo – and has just the most amazing icing); the lemon, raspberry and rose layer cake; and the ‘Glorious Victoria’ layer cake, which sadly was not baked well. Actually, the cakes were a bit of a let-down after seeing how popular the venue is, and it’s sure to be in question whether Instagramfriendly décor will be enough to keep up the hype. All images via Rhiannon D'Averc and Elizabeth Morley
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LONDON RUNWAY
ELAN CAFÉ After battling our way across Oxford Street almost immediately following the Christmas lights turn on ceremony, we found ourselves at an even more Instagram-friendly location: Elan Café. The floral walls complete with neon phrases have to be one of our hot favourites, although it is worth saying that they’re starting to look a bit out of season. The food is all prepared to look magnificent, although after stuffing ourselves silly with cake we didn’t have room to try any. There’s also usually no shortage of people standing around on the pavement waiting to take a photo with either the bike or the floral arch outside the café, which means you can always get someone to take a shot for you if you don’t want to selfie.
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LONDON RUNWAY
NAIL’D IT! As you can probably guess from the name, this is indeed the nail bar we teased earlier. It is located within Duck & Dry, which makes for a bit of a confusing Google Maps address and an even more confusing location on Instagram’s tags. There are actually a number of Nail’d It bars across the capital, each of which has its own unique floral instalments. The added bonus at this particular site, just a brief stop from Elan Café, is that the Duck & Dry area of the room also has its own installations. These include a lovely hanging swing, which is sturdy enough to sit on even if it looks a bit worrying at first.
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LONDON RUNWAY
STYLE (CONSCIOUS) GUIDE ethical and sustainable style guide selected by Rachel Parker
MYO at Uhuru Beehive Necklace Green Onyx £269
Eileen Fisher
Velvet Notch Collar Blazer £495.31 H&M Conscious Knitted Jumper £19.99
Werner 244 Notch Front Mules £90
Dai Make Strides Trousers Black £210
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POP-UP STORES
HOW TO GET YOUR BUSINESS INTO A POP-UP STORE, AND MORE... Joanna Cunningham lets you in on the secrets to pop-up store success. Pop-up retail is the act of setting up a temporary shop or stall to sell goods and wears. Take Christmas markets, for example - these are a really useful and resourceful way to not only sell off your stock, but to get your name out there, especially if you’re a small business. This can make a great alternative to purchasing an actual store, and can benefit a business in many ways. That being said, for someone who might be thinking of getting themselves into a pop-up, here are some tips and tricks that will help you to reach your goal....
1. Firstly, figure out if your next step should be a pop-up
This is a great place to start, as you need to work out whether your business will benefit from a pop-up before deciding anything else. Julie Nicaisse, who owns a bespoke jewellery business and is very familiar with setting up pop-ups herself, thinks that they are are a great way of doing market research to see what people think of your new products. Lalla Bronshtein, who worked with the London Organic pop-up team to house her clothing brand, LALLAXRR, agrees with this. She feels that a pop-up helps you to get to know your customers more, allowing you to showcase your products in a more personal outlet.
All images via Pexels
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Of course, starting up a business is incredibly difficult, and sometimes what you might think would be a useful product or service might not be what the majority of people are looking to buy! There’s no point in putting yourself out there to receive inevitable failure. Therefore, this type of market research will allow you to scout out your potential buyers, a little bit like Dragon’s Den, but from the masses. Ultimately, if you produce products that people want, then you will be successful!
Julie also thinks that pop-up stores are “a great way to connect with new customers and introduce your brand”. Stephanie Fleming from Lone Design Club, a pop-up store hosting fashion and lifestyle brands,
LONDON RUNWAY rightly notes that nowadays everything is online, so it is important to retain an offline element, especially for smaller businesses. Getting yourself noticed in a world of such business saturation and competitiveness is a marathon. Therefore, by putting your business out there in a tangible medium, rather than just online, people can see and touch your product for themselves. Indeed, according to science (bear with me on this one), you’re more likely to purchase a product if you’ve physically touched it. It’s science, guys, so it must be true… Nevertheless, even if a customer does not purchase anything from the pop-up there and then, having seen the product in reality, they are more likely to shop online for it later, or recommend it to a friend. By putting your product out there, Stephanie believes that it gives the business owner “the opportunity to interact with their customers, build relationships and gain valuable feedback which may not be possible online or through a traditional retailer”. By increasing awareness for your brand, and creating meaningful relationships with customers, you’ll gain customer loyalty, potentially leading to repeat sales. Overall, a pop-up is a fantastic outlet for any sort of business as long as you recognise your end goal, Stephanie remarks.
2. Next step, do your research It certainly wouldn’t be worth setting up a pop-up in the wrong place, at the wrong time. You need to really suss out the ropes and decide a location and a great building or temporary fixture to use. The design of your pop-up is a key aspect of making this decision. Lalla advises you to “make sure it’s spacious and bright” to compliment the products you’re selling, as you want to show them off in their best light! It’s also really important to make sure you find a great area to host your pop-up to raise the maximum interest, remaining within your price-point. Julie says she has only done pop-ups in London, which is ultimately the most expensive area to set yourself up. Therefore, if money is a major factor in deciding your location, think about going further out of London, or maybe to another city, such as Cardiff or Edinburgh. This will purely depend on your products themselves, so if you sell highend products, you need to sell in an area where people can actually afford your products - know your audience. In order to gauge all of this, Stephanie visits the potential location multiple times, identifying key markers which
may reveal more about the particular audience in that area, such as the clothes they wear or the shops they enter. Perhaps just pop into a nearby coffee store and people watch for a while to get to grips with the local audience. This will help to understand the customers available in that area, and whether they will suit your brand. Julie also states that she makes sure to visit the pop-up location before agreeing a deal to make sure it would make a suitable venue. However, she notes that, most of the time, that’s not the case. Therefore, this is a major step to ensuring you get the maximum benefits from your pop-up experience. In general, a great place to start is to select busy high streets, as you’ll always have curious passers-by. 3. Utilise the people you already know As you're aware, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know! Therefore, it’s so handy to use your current personal connections to gain potential business exposure be savvy! Julie does this herself, as she is a member of several jewellers’ and designer-makers’ associations, who sometimes organise their own pop-up events. Due to her connections, she will usually get an invitation to participate via email, and then she will fill out an application form to see if she is a good fit to participate. Therefore, if you are part of any groups, Julie and Lalla both urge you to “make sure you check if they run their own pop-up shops”, as this is usually the best and the cheapest option! Jaron, who works for Artisan & Fox, an ethical jewellery, home, and lifestyle business, also advocates the “spirit of collaboration”. For their company, “opening a pop-up store in London is all about collaboration and learning from one another”, as retail is so competitive these days, and rents are really high. By collaborating with other brands, you can get the best of both worlds, by using less money, and getting your brand out there with other, perhaps more well-known brands.
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LONDON RUNWAY 4. Persuade the pop-up that they want YOU Once you think you’ve found a pop-up shop you think could represent your brand, you can’t simply rest on your laurels; you have to prove to them why they should represent you. Julie says that a good way to do this is by visiting the shop and bringing a few samples with you to show the person in charge. If the person you need is not available, make sure you get their email address. Otherwise, just introduce yourself to those who look after the popup, and ask if they are looking for new designers to showcase their work. After visiting, wait a few days and then drop them an email, containing a business portfolio with photos and visual aids for added flair. By doing this, you will remain on their radar, so they may call on you later. 5. Organise the when, what, and who Once you’ve organised where to showcase your business, you must decide all the details. This includes when you’ll have your event, which should be on a day when you know the pop-up area will be busy, for example, on a weekend. Then, decide exactly how to design your pop-up store. Julie advises on a fabulous design, which will draw people’s eyes, and which will really showcase your products to their optimum potential.
Lalla also advises you to work out how much to sell your items for in the pop-up, as if they’re too overpriced, you won’t be able to sell off your stock, but if they’re underpriced, you may not make a profit, and you’ll underrepresent yourself. Again, it all depends on the area of the popup. Lalla also says to think about what would make your pop-up different to any other shops around, to stand out from the crowd. Stephanie agrees, noting that “the space should be clean”, with a less-is-more vibe. She goes on to say that “people are seeking an experience more and more, so adding that experiential
element can enhance the popup”. Ultimately, it is just best to be “extremely welcoming” to everyone who walks in the door, giving them a warm greeting; anything to draw in your target market.
businesses, particularly smaller ones; they allow them to expand and reach a wider audience for a minimal cost. Hopefully this has been a helpful insight into how to get your business into a pop-up store, from people who have done it all themselves. Good luck!
6. Advertise, advertise, advertise Don’t forget, you need to tell people about your pop-up store! The great thing about social media these days is you can get the word out a lot easier. Just plaster the event all over your social media pages and website, tell all your friends, and encourage people to share. If you have the means, you could even give a little bonus to the first couple of people who turn up - perhaps a free gift or a deal? Something to treat your first customers and entice people. 7. Do it all over again… Finally, once you’ve done all this and it’s been a successful event, you may have hopefully made some valuable networking connections, and you can do it all again! By opening up pop-ups in different locations, you can spread the word about your business, and get yourself more and more connections along the way. Overall, it is clear how important pop-ups are for
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You can keep up to date with Joanna’s work by reading about it on her blog, itstartedwithrebecca.wordpress.com, or follow @itstartedwithrebecca on Instagram, and @iswrebecca on Twitter.
LONDON RUNWAY
PLAYMAKER
LIVE AT THE MONARCH, CAMDEN Playmaker have been a busy band for the last 12 months. Their track The Girl Who Thought She Could Fly was picked up by BBC Introducing in February 2018, and they released a new album titled The First Day Of The Rest Of My Life in the same month. The band has also been given a Galaxy Music Debbie Appleby Award, for a performance at the time in the now-defunct Bar 12 in Soho. Our photographer, Ian, caught up with them as they played an all-day gig at the Monarch in Camden alongside other rock bands. Photography by Ian Clark
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THE CALLOUS HEART
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CREEPER Neil Dowd introduces a band that you may not yet be aware of, and tells you why you should be although it may be too late. “To die would be an awfully big adventure” is a well-known quote from the beloved book Peter Pan. So when this quote was posted to the band Creeper’s website on the night of Halloween, it was taken as nothing more than another appreciative gesture from a band whose very essence is drenched in fantasy. However, following the occurrences at their headlining show at London’s KOKO, many fans fear that these words are something they have taken to heart, after announcing that this show would be their last before blaring a rendition of ‘Misery’ that sent a sea of deeply invested fans bursting into tears. I am aware that many of you reading this may be asking the question, “who are Creeper?”. And this article is here to answer just that. Formed in Southampton in 2014, Creeper are an English rock band. The group is comprised of lead vocalist Will Gould, guitarists Ian Miles and Oliver Burdett, keyboardist and backing vocalist Hannah Greenwood, bassist Sean Scott and drummer Dan Bratton. As of 2018, the band have released a total of three EPs entitled Creeper, The Callous Heart and The Stranger and released their debut album Eternity, In Your Arms in March of 2015. The band’s members met and formed through their mutual involvement in the hardcore music scene revolving around their hometown, and the breakup of Will Gould and Ian Miles’ former band Our Time Down Here, a name derived from the cult film The Goonies. Musically and stylistically influenced by
Alkaline Trio, AFI and The Bouncing Souls, Creeper are often categorised as ‘horror punk’. However, it is additionally noted that Gould, one of the primary writers for the band, regards glam-rock icon David Bowie as his all-time favourite musician. Despite their short time together as a band, the band have been acclaimed by critics as one of the best new rock bands since their formation, with their Kerrang! and Metal Hammer Golden Gods awards acting as evidence to the validity of these statements. Before delving into their individualistic visual aesthetic and the theatrical intricacies of their conceptual lyrical content, it may be helpful to first look into the components and imagery of the horror punk genre in order to better understand the roots of the band’s inspiration. For anyone unfamiliar with the genre, horror punk is a musical genre that combines punk and gothic sounds with imagery and lyrical content that are inspired by or reference horror films. The Misfits, along with their founding member and former lead vocalist Glenn Danzig, are considered to be the pioneers of the genre, with Screaming Dead and The Damned being recognised as old school bands of the genre. Although the music of The Misfits may be something you’re unfamiliar with, the skeletal figure featured on the single cover for the band’s third single ‘Horror Business’ has gone on to become a recognised logo across both merchandising and popular culture, still being used on tshirts today.
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The image first came into the public eye in 1979 and was inspired by a poster from the 1946 film serial The Crimson Ghost, the last film from renowned serial director William Witney. The skeletal skull became the band’s logo and mascot for the remainder of their career, due to its immense popularity across their fanbase. Looking at the image of the logo, it is clear to deduce that the design is quite simplistic in nature. However, the skeleton’s gaping mouth along with the addition of the upward looking pupils combine to create a sinister and unsettling image, as if the skeleton is directly addressing the audience.
Looking at images from photoshoots, it is clear that Creeper still aim to embody the aforementioned elements of the horror punk genre. In this image, the band can be seen dressed in completely black attire, with each member wearing either a leather or denim jacket to support their outfit. Although each member of the band is looking at the audience in this image, the stern facial expressions and body language capture the carefree and nihilistic ethos of the punk movement, particularly with
LONDON RUNWAY
frontman William Gould who can be seen crossing his arms. On the far right of the image, guitarist Ian Miles and bassist Sean Scott can be seen wearing heavy amounts of eyeliner. This beauty choice was popularised in the mid 2000s as part of the emo subculture and conveys more current stylistic influences from bands such as My Chemical Romance. Musically, the band’s sound intertwines elements of pop punk, glam rock and posthardcore into their horror punk roots, with these styles revealing themselves through the lyrical content and musical components. Their debut album Eternity, In Your Arms is described as a concept record, following the disappearance of James Scythe, a fictional paranormal detective. Much like the aforementioned Halloween post to their website, the story conveyed on this album also draws inspiration from Peter Pan and is a continuation of the narrative started on The Callous Heart and The Stranger EPs. The Callous Heart logo is regarded by many in the alternative music scene as the modern day equivalent to the skeletal figure of The Misfits in terms of its significance in the genre. The
image depicts a ghoulish skeleton wearing a hooded robe, and looking off into the distance. In background, you can see the moon and stars in white, whilst the clouds manifest from the purple frame which is in the shape of a love heart. Much like The Mistfits’ logo, The Callous Heart has become a prominent figure across the band’s merchandising and promotion, with each member having the image sewn onto the backs of their jackets. This is a trend which the band have also encouraged amongst their fanbase, who have taken to it quite well. “Off all the shows we’ve played in the last four years, this one will remain with us for the longest because not only is it the last show of this album, but it’s the last show that we’ll ever do.” This is the announcement that shook audiences at KOKO on that night at KOKO, as Gould gave an almost word-for-word callback to David Bowie’s infamous speech at the Hammersmith Apollo, where he killed off the character Ziggy Stardust. The set ended with each member of the band hanging up their The Callous
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Heart embroidered jackets on the stage, marking the end of an era, and possibly the band.
Images via The Misfits and Creeper
Images via As It Is
HOMOGENEITY Photography - Rhiannon D'Averc Assistance - Fil Mazzarino Styling: Â Roberta Chapman Models: Henry Wade and William Wade Influencers Henry and Will lead us through some of their favourite pieces, alongside items carefully curated from our favourite brands. Whether you're going for the smart look or street style, take a page out of their book! All uncredited items are Henry's or Will's own, or stylist's own
Henry wears: Red top and tracksuit - price on request, Catherine Denniss
Will wears: Red top and tracksuit - price on request, Catherine Denniss; Glasses - Kaleos Eyehunters
Will wears: Red top and tracksuit - price on request, Catherine Denniss
Henry wears: Burgundy check suit - Burton Menswear
Will wears: Black roll-neck top - Burton Menswear
Will wears: Handy Long Sleeve T-Shirt - £39.50, Dirty Velvet Henry wears: Burgundy check suit - Burton Menswear
Henry wears: Red top and tracksuit - price on request, Catherine Denniss; Glasses - Kaleos Eyehunters
Henry and Will wear: Striped shirt - Farah; Jeans - ASOS
Above: Henry wears: The Wolf Within Pullover - £58.95, Dirty Velvet Will wears: Death Mask Pullover- £58.95, Dirty Velvet Both wear: Classic honey scarf in red - £90, Danny Lee Design; Jeans - ASOS Above: Henry wears: The Wolf Within Pullover - £58.95, Dirty Velvet
Will wears: Death Mask Pullover- £58.95, Dirty Velvet; Jeans - ASOS
Will wears: Black roll-neck top - Burton Menswear
Above: Will wears: Jacket - Burberry; Large diamond honeycomb scarf in white - £90, Danny Lee Designs Right: Henry and Will both wear: Handy Long Sleeve T-Shirt - £39.50, Dirty Velvet; Jeans - ASOS
Henry wears: Jacket - Burberry; Woven 001 scarf - £77.5, Danny Lee Designs
Henry wears: The Wolf Within Pullover - £58.95, Dirty Velvet Will wears: Death Mask Pullover- £58.95, Dirty Velvet
Both wear: Classic honey scarf in red - £90, Danny Lee Design
Henry wears: Red Ruffle Sleeve Dress - £59.99, Mango; Woven 001 scarf £77.5, Danny Lee Designs Will wears: Clothes - £29, Brand; Large diamond honeycomb scarf in Olivia wears: Sleeveless Cotton Shirt - £90, Suyeon Choi white - £90, Danny Lee Designs Both wear: Jeans - ASOS
Will wears: Striped shirt - Farah
Henry and Will wear: Striped shirt - Farah; Jeans - ASOS
LONDON RUNWAY
NEIGHBOURHOOD VOICES: BOROUGH MARKET Candice wanders into the food-filled Borough Market by London Bridge to record more neighborhood voices. The Borough Market is a classic, family-friendly food market filled with all the fresh produce, delicious baked goods, and food stands galore. Situated by London Bridge, it’s open 6 days a week. It is almost always bustling and jam-packed with locals and tourists wanting to get a taste of London’s delicacies, and the range of foods that can be eaten is complemented by the diversity of the people and styles that frequent this market. Throughout the whole market, here are a few of the voices I heard that broke through the crowds.
MOYA LOTHIANMCLEAN (WRITER AT STYLIST MAGAZINE, HEREFORDSHIRE) What and who are your fashion inspirations? Interesting question as I think they’re more subconscious than anything. I don’t have one person I look to emulate, mainly because I’m aware that I’m on a budget and have a tendency to want to buy, buy, buy if I think I’m lacking the pieces to create looks. If I had to pick specific people I admire, Tracee Ellis Ross, Zendaya and Hannah Bronfman all make the list, but putting together outfits that suit my body type and emotional state will always take precedence over any influences from celebrities/bloggers. I’d say it’s the feeling their style gives me that’s the real inspiration – I want to elicit the same satisfaction looking in the mirror at myself that I get when scrolling on Tracee’s page. As for go-to style: I love a high waisted, wide-legged trouser and some kind of crop. Will never say no to a statement jacket either. I’m 5’1 so I like clothes that lengthen my body and have a presence. I wouldn’t say I’m that interested in fashion; I think that’s a specific area that includes keeping up with runway trends and designers. But I’m very into style. We all are, whether we know it or not. Style is how you express yourself to the world. What goes into your decision process when dressing and presenting yourself? The way I dress is all about what role I’m going to take on that day. If I’m going to work, I’ll often just throw on trousers and a plain top because it’s easy. But when I have more time to play it’s very much about how
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Do you go to the Borough Market often? Why? I don’t go to Borough much anymore; I live in the East now and crossing the river is a trek. But I lived in the Borough for my first year of university and then Elephant and Castle for the next two, so it’s somewhere I’m well acquainted with. It’s changed quite a bit, but still, not somewhere I’d spend huge amounts of time - it’s a place to go in the daytime, not at night. Although The Old Blue Maid is infamous…
LONDON RUNWAY
ALEX GIBSON (CONSTRUCTION WORKER / ST.BENEDICT’S SCHOOL, EALING) What and who are your fashion inspirations? I have always been quite simplistic, in terms of fashion. I will usually avoid loud, bright colours because I think 'less is more' still stands true today. In terms of inspirations, I wouldn't say I have any particular style icons. I tend to just pick up certain ideas from social media, for example. I like high neck things so tend to look for things in that vein. Growing up I was really into the indie/mod scene (wearing a lot of Fred Perry and etc.), so there are still influences from that considering I shop at Pretty Green a lot (Liam Gallagher's brand).
about how I dress or causing any negative attention now that I'm older. Do you go to the Borough Market often? Why? I don't come to the area that often because it's a bit of a trek for me. I am only here today to buy porcini mushrooms from the Borough Market!
ALLY LAN (ANALYTICS MANAGER, A BIT OF EVERYWHERE) What and who are your fashion inspirations? I don’t assume it was reflected on what I was wearing, but it’s Alexander McQueen.
What goes into your decision process when dressing and presenting yourself? My main consideration when dressing is comfort, hence why I wear a lot of baggy tops and trousers, and it's rare to find me in anything other than trainers. I'm from an area where certain parts could be considered a bit 'rough', so when I was younger, I would avoid dressing to stand out too much, which may have had some impact on why I avoid any particularly loud clothing, even if I'm not worried
What goes into your decision process when dressing and presenting yourself? Occasion and weather. Do you go to the Borough Market often? Why? I work in the Shard, so Borough Market is a lunch place.
You can see more of Candice's work on Instagram by following @Candice_x9.
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NORMAN BUSIGU INTERVIEW
Rachel Parker caught up with Norman Busigu, model and winner of Face of Fashion4Africa UK 2018, to discuss Afrocentrism, self-confidence and balancing modelling with a career in law. How did you first get into modelling? It's a funny story. Firstly, it was my interest in arts generally, especially spoken word. When I was at university studying law I used to perform poetry at mic nights and also showcase at universities, so through that I got used to the idea of being on the stage and performing. That's one side of how I got into modelling. In October 2017 I had just started working in a private investment firm, but I knew that I wanted to continue my attachment to the arts world. Around that time a friend of mine who is one of the founders of Made in Africa London Apparel, which is a brand that debuted at Africa Fashion Week this year, brought me to my first show. I went down and there was just something about seeing the runway, seeing people wearing the clothes, and the excitement and energy—I was like ''I want to do this''. At this point I had only done one photoshoot, through a friend of mine who got me a voucher to go and get pictures done. I had my first shoot in January and it was kind of like a roll-on thing. In July I had three runway shows, and then I won Fashion4Africa in September. So that's how I got started really.
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LONDON RUNWAY How did you find out about Fashion4Africa? It was my friend—we started modelling around the same time and he just sent me a poster and told me I should go to it. I met Anna, who's the director of Fashion4Africa, at the casting and I could tell she was very serious from the way she was talking. I could tell she knew what she was talking about in the industry. So yeah, that's how I got involved. Can you tell us a bit more about Fashion4Africa and what it's about? Anna is great in the sense that she puts a lot of focus on talent in product of the diaspora. I'm first generation British-African in the sense that my parents migrated from Uganda in the 90s, and there's a whole generation of people like me whose parents came over to the UK in the 90s or the 80s. I think Fashion4Africa is embracing creativity, black excellence and Afrocentrism. If you look at what's happening in pop culture and society in general, there are a lot more conversations about diversity. If you look at people in London they're wearing a lot more head wraps, a lot more African-inspired apparel, and I think Fashion4Africa is all about bringing that connect between Africa and Western fashion. Things here are still to some extent Eurocentric in terms of how we look at beauty and fashion, but there's this growing focus on diversity. Why do you think it's important to celebrate African models and designers? It's so important because I think we need to shed light on what is happening. I'm very fortunate in that I've been to Africa four times now. I'm from Uganda and I went to Uganda in 2007, 2011 and 2015. In 2015 I went to do legal work out there, and I went to Ghana in 2016 to do legal work. I had the opportunity to see things first-hand on the ground, whereas a lot of people haven't. I think if you haven't been to Africa it might be hard to find that connect. If you live in London all your life, fashion can be an amazing way to plug that disconnect between us and them, because you feel like "This came from there". Visually I think it's so important to have that.
On a global platform as well, I think the fact that it was exclusively Africaninspired apparel makes it more authentic and more believable. What was it like to win?
First of all, I didn't expect it, because fashion was always just a hobby for me and an external release. I find photoshoots to be very calming for me, as is runway, it’s just so much fun. So to win was crazy. I didn't really know what winning meant—Anna did keep telling me ''It's going to be crazy" but I didn't really think about it too much. I thought I might get some endorsements and some clothes but when I won on Friday 14th
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September, I got home at 4 am and was in Central London the next day as a runner at a Julian McDonald London Fashion Week show. I know runners typically don't do that much but there were only four of us and we were hands on for everything, backstage with all the DJs and designers—I was standing right next to Jimmy Choo. I was seeing how high-end fashion really works at that level. I've also been invited to parliament with the Uganda UK Health Alliance and Uganda High Commission to talk about contentious issues going on in Uganda and what we can be doing to help young talent over there and just focus on health initiatives over
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"I FEEL A SORT OF RESPONSIBILITY TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON OUR CULTURE AND FASHION" there, and start-ups and NGOs. Was that something you wanted to promote specifically if you won? Yeah, in the promotional video I did in the lead-up to Fashion4Africa I spoke about how it would be a great opportunity for me to educate people more about Ugandan culture because it is so rich. It's the pearl of Africa, it's got the source of the Nile and a very rich history and culture. People go there and say it's one of the best countries in East Africa to visit. I'm very proud of it and my parents have instilled that in me. I think having had the privilege of going there so many times I feel a sort of responsibility to educate people on our culture and fashion. East Africa is still emerging, economically and in terms of pop culture, whereas I would say West Africa is more advanced. Beyond that I just want to celebrate Afrocentrism, black excellence and creativity with the amazing platform Fashion4Africa has given me.
What do you think are the main problems facing the modelling industry at the moment? I think there's a perception that you can't get in. When I started people were like ''Norman you're crazy, you're going to embarrass yourself''. When I said I wanted to be a model everyone laughed, nobody understood. But I work full-time in the legal industry and for me it was an artistic endeavour, so even if it didn't work out it would just be something I had tried, and I didn't really have anything to lose. But now that I've sort of crossed over to the other side and been signed, I can see that the perception that it's hard to break into the fashion industry is so superficial. Some female friends have said to me "When I was sixteen I wanted to be a model and I went to an agency, but they said I wasn't the right kind of look, so I gave up there and then." I think with anything you have to have a sort of DIY approach to it. It's not like a regular job interview where you can learn the nuances of what to
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say, fashion is different. To a certain extent it's about luck, but it's also about having the right energy and gravitas and developing as you're going along. You can make your own portfolio and connect with photographers— it's pure networking. I think that one of the biggest issues in the fashion world is accessibility, but one thing I'm learning as I get deeper in is that beauty is subjective, so one casting director might think "He's the right fit" whereas the next person might not. But even though they might disagree on who's beautiful, they always look at your technique. The person with technique can get you the shot, and showcase the clothes on the runway perfectly, and they're more likely to go with that person. More could be done to express the fact that anyone can get in, it's just about how you approach it and how you look at it. Do you think that's a good way to gain self-confidence, by looking at modelling as something technical?
LONDON RUNWAY Yes, I think so. So how do you deal with the rejection that comes with modelling? I'm happy I've come into it at the age of 22, especially when I am working as well. I think it's important to come into fashion with a sense of self. I know people do it from very young ages, but I couldn't imagine myself doing it at 16 because you are faced with so much criticism. Because I have that experience from law of not taking things personally, I know it's not personal, it's just business. You get constructive criticism at work or during an appraisal, and it's not an attack on you, it's just your technique or how you are performing. Having that same mentality in modelling means that I view it as work, so that if I go to a casting and I'm having an off day I know that it's not a personal attack on me but rather a judgement on how I am performing. I know some people have felt it's about them or their look, but I think you have to be quite emotionally detached from it. You have to be invested but you can't let it consume you. Especially with the arts, where you are essentially putting yourself out there as a canvas to the world. If you take every single comment deeply it will affect you badly. Can you tell us a bit about your personal style? I think there are three components to it. Firstly, there's the Afrocentrism, which growing up was important to my family, especially my mum. If you come to my house there's lots of oldschool photo albums and looking through those pictures at my grandparents when they first came to the UK or family gettogethers in the 90s, everyone is dressed in traditional clothing and I think “Wow, that's so cool”. That culture has always been embraced in my family and that's definitely rubbed off on me, so I try and wear it as much as possible. Then there's urban hiphop style; I love my rap and my hip-hop, so I love street style and the reality of what's going on around you. Then the other
element is more smart-casual, which has come about since I've been working in the City. We've got dress-down Fridays, but even though my idea of dressing down is street style I can't really wear that to work. I've had to learn what real smart-casual looks like, and I am growing to like it more and more.
coming from his background and having the affiliations he has, and just the kind of things he represents in terms of black creativity, he's opening a realm of understanding for people. I think it's really important to have someone like him in fashion and that's why he's one of the most important designers right now.
How do you find the interplay between the two sides of what you do? It's interesting. I have won awards like the Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Scholarship, and in that area the fashion is becoming almost an extension of my character. There's nothing contentious on my portfolio and I'm using modelling as a platform to speak on certain issues and help bring about positive change in society.. I gave a speech at the University of Law as part of the Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Scholarship and I was talking about my experiences working in the white-collar world, but also how in my free time I do fashion. I think it's important to have different facets to yourself, to avoid burning out and to keep the mind working in different ways. Things I have learned from work, such as maintaining relationships with clients and being professional, have been useful to bring into modelling. So I think the interplay is very interesting, and the deeper I get with this the more overlap I think there is. When you bring in my legal work in Africa and then Fashion4Africa, it's sort of like through no control of my own it's all tying itself together.
How do you feel as a male model in terms of the role of masculinity in fashion? When I first started, for a guy to say they are an aspiring model, I think people questioned my ego. I think for a guy it's harder because until you get to a certain threshold, in terms of getting signed or getting some kind of recognition, you are always going to be looked at in a kind of shaky way and it's kind of frowned upon. On the other hand, when I would have rehearsals for fashion shows, the choreographers would always talk about masculinity and say that to be a male model, it's all about believing you're the best and inner confidence. You feel very bare and people are always analysing every element of you, like how your hands are positioned and how your head is tilted and whether your shoulders are held forward or back. The most minute things are judged, and I think to model is an amazing feat because you have to have a confidence in who you are. What are the biggest challenges you've faced? One of the biggest things is time. Compared to some of my friends
Which designers do you think are doing great things right now? One of my favourites is Virgil Abloh, the creative director for Louis Vuitton menswear. He's got very strong connections to Kanye West, and everyone knows Kanye, love him or hate him. I think someone like Virgil is one of the most important individuals in fashion, or just in the world. He's important because Louis Vuitton is one of those top brands and fashion at that level is so removed from the average person, and I think by him being there and
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LONDON RUNWAY who have more time in the week and aren't tied down because they're working flexi-time or part time, I can’t go to as many castings and do as many shoots. But I always knew that was an issue I would face, negotiating the role this plays in my life alongside working full-time. It’s not really an issue per se because I am happy with my working arrangements and I truly like the profession I am in.
How do you make the time and keep focus? It's a sacrifice. It has impacted my social life, because even though I am at events all the time the people there aren't my friends exactly. My social life has been cut, so if I have choice between a fashion show on a Friday night or going out for a burger, I will go for the fashion opportunity. It's about prioritisation, so you just have to think about the cost and value. Do you do something that has more intrinsic value or something that will give you more short-term enjoyment? Because my time is so short anyway because of the way I work, I like my free time to be as jam-packed and enriching as possible. The energy for fashion comes because I enjoy it, pure and simple. Having said that, I’m not perfect by any means, and am always trying to strike the right balance. Though sacrifice is important, I am also working on finding the medium between work and play – it’s a real challenge.
I think that’s the main issue for a lot of people trying to make it in fashion, just trying to make the time and stay committed to it. Do you have any advice for models just starting out? Just go straight in. Do loads of practice shoots but try not to pay for shoots—there are loads of photographers who will do it for free. Networks are everything, as in any industry, so build those connections. Go to shows, which will often be free or only around £10. That's what I did at the start, I went to two shows and connected with brands I ended up working with. Just see what a runway looks like, talk to models who are doing this and understand what you have to do. Just do your homework really,
and I think that's the best way to do it. Don't be afraid of what your peers will say, because as with any kind of art people will look at you and think "What are they doing?". Set yourself some benchmarks, so for example I decided that within six months I wanted to do ten shoots, work with eight brands and do one runway. I smashed all those, but I think having the benchmarks gave me a degree of focus. Just try and be as creative as possible, so take inspiration from what's out there but try not to recycle what has been done.
I think one issue is that in the era of social media people are able to blow up and excel very quickly, but are they around after two or three years? I think as millennials we are in the microwave era where things blow up very quickly and come back down very quickly, but we don't look at staying power or persistence. With the modelling world, especially with Instagram, people think it's possible to make it after five pictures or to become a star overnight, but that's an illusion. What's next for you? Fashion4Africa has kept me very busy, but I know I need to keep developing my modelling abilities as far as going to rehearsals and training is concerned. One of my goals is to get on Africa Fashion Week London, so if I can do that next year I feel like I can do many more things. I want to do a few more shoots abroad, so I have got my eyes on France next. I'm already scheming on that and hopefully within the next few months that will come to fruition. So yeah, doing more shoots and runways. And longer term, what ambitions do you have for your career? I want to be doing runway abroad, and even other pageants. I know there are a few other titles that I might try my hand at competing for. Maybe, if I can, getting signed to a very big agency. What do you think your biggest achievement has been so far? I think the biggest one isn't winning or being signed, it's just actually being around for this long
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and having staying power. I have seen a lot of people come and go, and one of the things I say to people is a little acronym PAC, which stands for persistence, authenticity and consistency. I feel like I've had all of those things throughout the year. So that's my biggest achievement, not backing out after three months and thinking that I don't know what I'm doing. I'm still in the game and still progressing, I feel like I am not at a dead end. I'm just beyond the glass ceiling and I have a platform to do bigger things. That's pretty cool. Follow Norman on Instagram @norman.mdl See more from Rachel at twitter.com/rachelfrances_ mages via @kraiziekat
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YOUR STYLE HOROSCOPE Back with another horoscope style guide, Candice curates some festive sweater ideas to put you in the holly jolly spirit and combat the chilly months to come!
Aries March 21 - April 20
Because of your competitive and fiery nature, this knitted fireplace sweater from Morphsuits will be perfect for that family sweater competition. With a phone pocket in the center to put a live fire lock screen, your own version of this animated sweater will definitely be hard to beat.
Taurus April 21 - May 21
With lots of Christmas shopping on and to-do lists, they’ll be running from place to place getting things done, and this multi-colored vintage Christmas cardigan at Ragstock will keep the reliable and trustworthy Taurus warm and stylish during the rush.
Gemini May 22- June 21
Here are two Primark options for the social butterfly Gemini, who’ll need them for all the Christmas parties they’ll be flying off to. Because of their flirty nature, these Christmas dress sweaters will be the perfect pieces to complete their look. Be the tree. Be Santa.
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Cancer June 22- July 22
For the gentle and loving Cancer sign, this cute red Llama sweater from Primark will go nicely with any ensemble they have.
Leo July 23- August 21
For the attention-loving Leo, why not add some lights to your Christmas sweater with this twinkling option from Primark. You’ll be outshining all the Christmas lights, even the tree!
Virgo August 22- September 23
Realist Virgos won’t be as open about their Christmas cheer if they even have any at all, but they still don their sweaters because they’ve been secretly wanting to wear them since October! This Grinch sweater from Etsy store PeaceLoveAndMoxie is perfect for the closet Christmas enthusiast who still want to partake in the festivities.
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Libra September 24- October 23 For the fun-loving Libra, this 3D dinosaur from Ugly Christmas Sweater will definitely start some conversations and infectious laughter! And, if you’re asking why a T-rex, why not?
Scorpio October 24- November 22 This passionate and emotive sign will definitely be going all out for Christmas, and they’ll have no time for the grinches trying to bring down their spirit. These sweaters from Etsy by Superhotapparel will reflect that. Add some Christmas tinsel or balls for some color as well!
Sagittarius November 23- December 22
For the Christmas fanatic Sagittarius, here’s a whole suit from Opposuits for you! Your love for the holidays needs to be shown, and what better way to do that than to be dressed head to toe in Christmas?
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Capricorn December 23- January 20
This multi-person Christmas sweater from Next will be the perfect fit for the family-orientated Capricorn! Cosy up in it with your mum, your significant other, or a close friend. If you want to add more people, just cut one more hole into your sweater, maybe even two or three more because the more the merrier!
Aquarius January 21 - February 19 Aquarius signs DGAF, and this Christmas sweater from Tipsy Elves will reflect that. Add your own quotes to help get your message across to those prying family members who always have something to “advise” you on.
Pisces February 20 - March 20
For the floating and disconnected Pisces, their heads will, like always, be up in the clouds. Instead of joining in on the Christmas drunken arguments or political debates, they’ll be humming the “Baby Shark’ song. Incorporate your own favorite lyrics to your sweater from GreenTurtleTshirts on Etsy!
You can see more of Candice's work on Instagram by following @Candice_x9. All images via respective retailers
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LONDON PACIFIC FASHION WEEK A range of designers from across the Pacific came to showcase during London Pacific Fashion Week. It's so refreshing to see styles that are traditional or breaking out in other cultures, particularly those that are from the other side of the world. With materials, cuts, and colours reminiscent of breaking waves, shells on the sand, or even sea creatures, there was a real paradise feel to the garments. Starting with Forkleaf from Australia, we take you through the full list of designers. If you didn't attend the show yourself, you can also get a taste of what attendees saw at the end of this gallery, with dancers and performers in traditional costume!
Photography by Rabi Sultan
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/// VARU COOK ISLANDS
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/// ANNA AMOSPAPUA NEW GUINEA
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/// AMATALINES - NAURU
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/// PROTON CREATIONS - SOLOMAN ISLANDS
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/// EXCLUSIVE BY OFFDAROCK AMERICAN SAMOA
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/// CECILIA KEIL SAMOA
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/// SHANNON BRETT AUSTRALIA
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/// SARAH HOADA TODD PAPAU NEW GUINEA
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MEET THE TEAM We haven't introduced ourselves for a while, and there have been plenty of changes since we last gave you a 'meet the team' feature. So, to mark this 30th issue, here's the London Runway team!
Name: Rhiannon D'Averc Role: Chief Editor Link: twitter.com/rhiannondaverc I'm the Chief Editor and founder of the magazine, and also bring my photographic skills to the team. With over a decade's expereince as a freelance writer and photographer, I am also the author of 'Boy Under Water Dennis Nilsen: The Story of a Serial Killer', currently available in ebook and paperback format on Amazon. My greatest excitement comes from discovering new talent, particularly in unexpected places, and I enjoy championing the small or young brands that are doing something really different.
We get lots of emails and messages from people interested in contributing to the magazine, so here's a timely reminder that you can always work with us by heading to our guidelines at londonrunway.co.uk/submit. All the information you need is there - and if you impress us, you might even be featuring in our next introduction pages!
Name: Candice Wu Role: Editorial Assistant
aren't limited to, my black, wide legged jeans, forest green Link: instagram.com/candice_x9 oversized teddy coat, and black Dr. Marten boots. I consider myself to Hello! I’m Candice, a Chinese be a pretty active, yet still lazy American San Francisco native person. I have a lot of hobbies and currently in London studying activities to keep myself busy music in my 2nd year. I’m the with, such as taekwondo, singing, editorial assistant for London work, and lectures, but I also love Runway where I’m tasked with home days on my bed while binge doing just a little bit of everything. watching Netflix or chowing down Writing, proofreading, and on a whole pizza. I'm a musician, emailing are one of the things that dancer, baker, writer, and forever I really love doing, as nerdy as it student who's pretty proud of how might sound, and I've always been much I've grown, developed, and interested in fashion. My style learned throughout the years. reflects my personality. People often describe me as chilled and laid-back, so some staples in my closet include, but definitely
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Name: Rachel Parker Role: Features Editor Link: instagram.com/
rachelfrances_ I’m an English Literature graduate, freelance writer (among other things) and Features Editor at London Runway. Since starting at the magazine in March I have loved working with new writers, creatives and brands, and helping out with everything from reading submission pitches and creating new features to interviewing designers in coffee shops and running around holding a reflector on photo-shoots. It has been great to watch the magazine grow so much in less than a year and I am excited to see what 2019 holds!
Name: Ian Clark Role: Staff Photographer Link: instagram.com/photo.by.ian Since early childhood I have had an overwhelming draw and passion for photography, following in the footsteps of my parents. As I have grown and evolved, so has the industry and I am hugely proud to be a part of it and to have received recognition for my work. This ranges from having my work in magazines
both online and print such as Vogue and London Runway to artwork on albums and single releases for a number of musicians and bands. We are now in a world which embraces culture and diversity. This is something that truly excites and inspires me to continue this journey. I am privileged to be in the position that I am in and to have worked with some amazing people that I have photographed, both within the fashion industry and wider fields.
Name: Fil Mazzarino Role: Staff Photographer Link: instagram.com/filmazzarino Beauty is everywhere and I love to frame it forever. Editorial, Fashion and Event photographer. @filmazzarino on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Page
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Name: Charlie Whitehand Role: News Editor Link: instagram.com/chemrow
I am currently a student at the Fashion Retail Academy studying a degree in Fashion Marketing and Communications. As a side project and to complement my studies I started writing for London Runway as their News Editor and have been with the magazine since August. I’m a massive animal lover and I love going to gigs and travelling the world. I hope to do this more in the future as part of my career.
Name: Naomi Purvis Role: Arts Editor Link: instagram.com/
naomimariiee Currently the Arts Editor, covering all things art related whether that’s events, exhibition reviews or interviews with London’s up and coming artists. I studied fashion design at The University of Leeds and just graduated this year and moved down to London. Although I love writing , I also currently work full time at Net-aPorter in the product library, surrounded by all things designer!
Name: Neil Dowd Role: Music Editor Link: instagram.com/notneildowd Singer and musician with Over My Head, and music journalist!
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As well as fashion and writing I also love to travel and see new places. I’m hoping London Runway will give me the chance to develop my writing and discover new artists and events around London!
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Name: Alex Panek Role: Graphic Designer Link: instagram.com/ alexpanek_design I'm Alex, an aspiring graphic designer with ambition to deliver high quality designs. I'm enthusiastic, determined and keen on learning new skills and taking any challenges in order to grow as a designer. Apart from design I love bikes, travel, cats, coffee and chill out with good book or a movie.
Name: Joanna Cunningham Role: Staff Writer Link: instagram.com/joannamc97 My name is Joanna Cunningham, I am 21, and I am in my final year at Cardiff University studying Ancient and Medieval History. I am a cat lover, makeup geek, and shoe enthusiast, hoping to move to London soon to pursue my career aspirations. Over the years, during my school and university holidays, I have tried my hand at a number of work roles. These include waitressing, bartending, teaching, and retail, and office roles in financial advice, events, and furniture. However,
Name: ?? Role: ??? Link: ?? We have a couple of new team members scheduled to join us very soon, and we're excited to welcome them. Watch this space...
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nothing has quite drawn my attention like writing. Therefore, over the summer of 2018, I finally set my eyes on a career in writing and journalism. After finally realising this goal, I pitched my first article to London Runway on high-street clothing sizes, and they (thankfully) loved it! Since then, I’ve written for almost every issue, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed myself. My ultimate goal would be to write for a big fashion magazine, so I am so lucky to have landed myself a role here at London Runway. Dream big, people - your aspirations are just around the corner xx
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FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM! Want to get the inside scoop on all things London Runway? We've got lots of content waiting for you over on Instagram, where we're @londonrunwaymag! Come follow us there for all kinds of highlights, such as our IGTV videos and story shares, and...
See images from our editorials, catwalk shots, interviews, and more - and easily follow any of the brands or individuals we work with by tapping the photo to find their tags! Join in with The Big Question and have your say. We publish your answers every issue!
Tell us what you think - what your favourite looks are from each of our features, which designers are your favourites, which shows you wish you could attend... Get involved with our NEW hashtag, #londonrunwaystyle, to see yourself in our pages. We're looking for your best street style looks to feature for the rest of our readers!
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Need a photoshoot?
London Runway's shoot team, consisting of three photographers, multiple assistants, and a range of partnerships with makeup artists and stylists, is at your disposal. As well as shooting editorials for publication in the magazine itself, we are also available for private hire throughout London. Lookbooks, event coverage, editorials, commercial photography, business images, product catalogue shots, and more - all of this is available when you sign up for a shoot with us. For more information, head to lead photographer and Chief Editor Rhiannon D'Averc's website at pcistudio.co.uk/services. Let us bring your brand to the eyes that need to see it.
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Q A THE BIG QUESTION
We asked, you answered
WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?
&
“I wanted to be a veterinarian. I really love animals but I’m allergic, so I can’t be a veterinarian. It was my dream!” – Natalia Zobova, designer
“News/TV presenter and hip hop rapper”
"A LION TAMER!"
– Rachel Parker, Features Editor
“Anything in fashion. I came from a line of patternmakers, seamstresses, all that, so I started off modelling. I guess I wanted to be a model, and then that developed to I want to be a makeup artist, then that developed to I want to be a stylist, and then that went to I want to be a fashion designer”
– Norman Busigu, Face of Fashion4Africa 2018
""LIKE A LOT OF KIDS I WANTED TO BE A VET, UNTIL MY CAT DIED AND I REALISED YOU WERE WORKING WITH SICK ANIMALS AND NOT HEALTHY ANIMALS." - Rebekah Roy, stylist
- Alycia Marie Dean Johns, fashion designer at Holidolls “I thought I would be a pilot because I love to travel around the world and I've been following that path till 18. Now I'm a happy photographer and keep travelling” - Fil Mazzarino, Staff Photographer
“A HELICOPTER, BUT THEN I GREW UP AND REALISED IT'S MORE FUN BEING A CREATIVE” – Miles Lucien, model
“I actually wanted to be a fashion designer, so I am kind of on the right path!” – Francesca Palumbo, designer
“I wanted to be many things, almost everything. However the first thing I ever thought of becoming from a very very young age was a model. I remember watching America's Next Top Model and trying on heels that belonged to my mother just so I could feel tall and imitate the models on TV” – Shamica Stanley, model
“A model! I grew up watching America's next top model along with Britain's and Australia's and would put on my mum's heels as a toddler and show her how I could walk better than the girls on TV” - Vanessa Watkins, model
"I WANTED TO BE A NINJA OR A SPY BECAUSE I LOVED HIDING AND JUMPING EVERYWHERE" - Candice Wu, Editorial Assistant
“I always changed my mind between different jobs like an astronaut or mechanic. It wasn’t until I was 18 that I decided I wanted to be a big entrepreneur” - Ollie Dodd, model and entrepreneur
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LONDON RUNWAY Find London Runway: londonrunway.co.uk patreon.com/londonrunway instagram.com/londonrunwaymag twitter.com/londonrunwaymag facebook.com/londonrunwaymag pinterest.com/londonrunwaymag/ info@londonrunway.co.uk Front cover: Henry and William Wade by Rhiannon D'Averc Back cover: Henry and William Wade by Fil Mazzarino