Chic mag

CHIC

BY LEBONCHIC.COM

GOING FROM DIGITAL TO PRINT AND CELEBRATING BRITISH FASHION INTERVIEWING ASHISH | DISCOVERING LN:CC | CHATTING TO PALMER HARDING | HOW LONDON WENT FROM IRRELEVANT TO PROMINENT | THE MAD HATTER | SHOPPING THE LONDON LOOK

Mary Katranzou a/w 2013

Peter Piloto a/w 2013 Sara Japanwalla

illustrates our all-time favourite London Fashion Week looks

inside

chic

6 Editor’s Letter:

Find out what came into my head to create a print version of lebonchic.com and how we celebrate British Fashion

9 SHOPPING:

Prints, bright colours and crazy accessories inspired by the chicest Londoners

15 CAROLINE ISSA: Seeing the entrepreneur and role model at work

17 BEHIND THE SCENES AT LN-CC: Discover the brains behind London’s most influential concept store

19 THE MAD HATTER:

Crazy, eccentric for Londoners with eclectic style

25 A brief history of London Fashion Week: 11 Beyong the Sparkle:

How London went from being ignored to the most prominent fashion capital

Talking to Ashish about sequins, London and his inspirations

27 NOTORIOUS: 13 Spotlight on palmer//harding:

Interviewing the designer duo behind the most perfectly tailored shirts

A fashion story inspired by the blinding lights of Soho’s club scene

chic contributors Natalie Theodosi LCF MA Fashion Journalism student and the blogger behind lebonchic.com What do you love about London?

Its multi-cultural society, evening talks at the V&A and Selfridges

Sofia

Sara Japanwalla

Fashion photography student at LCF with a weakness for pastels. She describes interning for David La Chapelle as a dream come true.

Dubai-based illustrator who specialises in fashion. She has created illustrations for Harvey Nichols, while Grazia Middle East featured her as “one to watch� in the Dubai ever-growing fashion scene

Studencki

Sarah McLean UCL art history student who also happens to model in between lectures. Career highlights include doing the Rimmel London show with Kate Moss and shooting for ELLE magazine.

What do you love about London?

The art galleries, the cute guys and the thousands of fashion opportunities it offers.

What do you love about London?

Camden, the diversity, the nightlife

Ekaterina

Novinskaya Make-up artist from Moscow, shows us what a great difference a good pink lip or a smokey eye can make on the Mad Hatter shoot.

What do you love about London?

Tea and romantic walks in Hyde Park

What do you love about London?

Its innovative print designers and its forward-thinking citizens.

EDITOR’S LETTER

from DIGITAL to PRINT

As a young writer, you tend to become very accustomed to sharing all of your thoughts, bewilderments and obsessions about the magical world of fashion, within the digital sphere. The infinity of possibilities that the Internet can provide is almost impossible to resist. You can create your own digital space free of charge, build an audience and gain recognition for your work, very early on in you career.

As many newfound opportunities as the Internet might provide however, very few will argue that it can replace the physical experience of holding a print magazine in your hands and letting it take you on a journey. It’s that feeling of dreaming while awake as you are reading a magazine that led me to take a leap of faith and leave the familiarity of the online world, to translate my work from digital to print and attempt to call myself an editor instead of a blogger.

This inaugural issue is dedicated to the city that has fed my love of fashion ever since I moved here. London is bursting with creativity, continuously offering an inexhaustible source of inspiration and this is because of the people that are part of its creative industries. In our ‘Industry Leaders’ series we introduce you to some of the most prominent ones. Firstly, there’s Caroline Issa, the stylish fashion entrepreneur who used technology to make a brand and a modern female role model out of herself. The buyers of LN-CC talk about what it takes to create one of the most influential concept stores in the world, while designers Ashish and Matthew Palmer and Levi Harding of palmer// harding both stress how important it is to stay true to your vision

The imagery of the issue was also inspired from the city’s vibrant scene. The girls who love to party and frequent Soho, in anything that’s sparkly and daring, are the main reference of our ‘Notorious’ editorial. As for the Mad-Hatter shoot, it’s a tribute to the ultimate British fashion editor, Isabella Blow, given the moving exhibition about her going on at Somerset House. The hats used on the shoot are by young, millinery designer Claire Tremlett who I am sure Izzy would love if she were still around.

Finding new season clothes to shoot or photographers to work with when you have a budget of zero might have been a challenge at first but one that was surpassed because I live in a city that houses young, creative minds in its every corner. Sofia Studencki kindly translated my initial vague ideas into beautiful fashion images, Sara Japanwallah added an artistic touch with her illustrations, while Ekaterina Novinskaya showed me what a difference a good smokey eye can make. We can only hope you’ll have as much fun reading as we had putting this issue together.

Natalie Theodosi

Beyond the Sparkle A conversation with Ashish

When you hear the name Ashish you immediately think of sequins. A conversation with the designer himself however, reveals that behind the sparkling party dresses there’s a man with a confident vision and independent thought. That also explains why all those buying into his brand are in fact, also buying into his forward-thinking lifestyle.

Four years ago, I was shyly walking around Somerset House, very proud of my newly acquired press accreditation yet disappointed at the discovery that it could not get me into all the London Fashion Week shows, as I had initially assumed. When it was time for the Ashish show I decided to join the queues anyway and seconds before the show began, I found myself standing in a corner right next to the runway with the perfect front-row view of the ripped denim, glistening, hand-beaded check dresses and Union Jack sequin shorts that made their way down the catwalk a few minutes later.

From the very first glance anyone could understand that these were clothes that made a pretty bold statement and are reserved for the daring amongst us. What else would a cutout sequin check dress with a ripped cardigan layered over it or an oversized t-shirt with the words “Holy Crap” printed on it communicate, after all? That wasn’t the end of it however; watching the models walk

walk up and down the runway you felt that there was something more to this than girls wearing sequin party frocks. They exuded an attitude of confidence and nonchalance. The Ashish girl was the kind of girl who will wear her sequin dress on a night out, but she will also match it with distressed denim and creepers the morning after, just because she’s too cool to care.

Meeting Ashish in person four years later, everything made a lot more sense, his down-to-earth attitude and independence of thought is the very source of this fierceness that the girls have in his shows. No wonder that the designer has gained an almost cult-like following, with fans saving up to make sure they can buy at least one piece each season. This is a brand that is not only selling clothes but an attitude and a lifestyle as well.

When asked about who these loyal followers are, Ashish explains that there is no definitive answer to the question. He sees everyone from

fashion students to wealthy, older women wearing his clothes, the common thread between this wide demographic being “interesting taste and a sense of humour…you have to be quite tongue-in-cheek to buy it”. As for the well-known Ashish fans, the designer remembers what an emotional moment it was to see Madonna perform live in a jacket he designed for her. He also expresses his liking for Miley Cyrus who fell in love with his half-denim, half-tracksuit trousers; “hats off to her… I think she has the balls to pull it off.” Interestingly, he even appears completely unmoved by the backlash of negative comments from Miley haters who took the liberty to rename his trousers Franken pants; “these people really thought I was the child of Satan for designing them… But who cares? Cool people had already bought all of them.”

Talking of his latest Spring/Summer ’14 collection, it’s fascinating to discover that one of the main sources of his inspiration was his local corner shop; “it’s run by an Arab

family so they stock exotic products like dates next to things like cheddar cheese.” And so Ashish went on to integrate beautiful Arabic calligraphy on shirts and tracksuit-like trousers (the writing reportedly translates as ‘thank you, come again’) along with Coca-Cola logo beaded dresses and t-shirts. Talking of his Coca-Cola collaboration, he says that it proved a perfect opportunity to express his interest in American pop-culture and the Warholian attitude that whether rich or poor the Coca-Cola you drink is the same.

“You have to be quite tongue-incheek to buy my clothes” It’s equally captivating to hear about the organic procedure that is involved in styling his shows. In the case of the SS14 show, the initial intention was to keep accessories minimal yet the team ended up with velvet ballet pumps covered in giant gemstones because otherwise it would be “fucking boring,” as the designer blantly puts it. “They were so hideous they were amazing, because this was something a crazy granny would wear with weird socks walking in Primrose Hill”.

As for the response he receives from fashion critics for his collections, he expresses mixed feelings. He loves looking at Twitter and Instagram to get an immediate response, he

learned to ignore the kind of people who clearly don’t understand his vision, if it’s constructive criticism he’ll try to get where the journalist is coming from and there are also certain people whose opinion he values immensely, Louise Wilson, his former professor at Central Saint Martins, being one of them.

Talking to Ashish you get an immediate urge to become part of his sequin-wearing, freethinking and party-loving lifestyle. Not only do you want to wear his clothes, you also want to emulate his independent attitude that has always remained intact even when people were appalled at the sight of his first collections; “it just made me want to do it even more”. Any fashion-devotee will tell you how grateful they are he did insist on staying true to his aesthetic.

We can only hope that his expressed wishes to create a strong, sexy-smelling perfume and to experiment with other creative mediums like photography and film, will be realized soon and the Ashish identity will expand across the creative industries. Because we could all probably benefit from a little bit of the Ashish sparkle and forward-thinking attitude, sprinkled over our everyday lives.

“Hats off to Miley she has the balls to pull it off”

Caroline ISSA A business woman who loves fashion

You have very likely seen pictures of Caroline Issa in your favorite streetstyle blogs because everyone from the Sartorialist to Tommy Ton and Bill Cunningham have been seduced by her impeccably tailored, bright-coloured suits, her enviable collection of high heels and graceful elegance.

Issa however, happens to be a lot more than a front-row fixture with a designer wardrobe who loves to get her picture taken outside the shows. TANK into a viable business,. She had In fact she has come up with a per- absolutely no guarantee that it would fect job description for herself as a work out of her, yet work out it did. “businesswoman who loves fashion.”

Today, TANK happens to be one of No description could be more fit the most well-respected indepento characterize Issa, who might be dent publications, that sheds light known for her glamorous globe- on the more intellectual side of fashtrotting during Fashion Month yet ion. In the meantime, Because has she dedicates the rest of the year in just released its first print version, a her London office. To be precise, she magazine with pages that come alive spends her days working extreme- when they are scanned with a smartly hard as the Editor-in-Chief of phone, offering even more exciting becauselondon.com and the Fash- content in the form of fashion films ion Director of TANK magazine. that compliment the print content What’s even more intriguing to dis- perfectly. “So glad you like Because, cover is that ten years ago, she left hope you were able to download a very secure, well-paid position in the Fashion Scan to really enjoy all management consultancy to work the digital layers triggered by the as a fashion entrepreneur and turn print” Issa told me, showing how genuinely passionate she is about her and her team’s new venture to marry the digital and print worlds Having had the chance to intern at TANK and to peak inside this wonder woman’s world, it was simply fascinating to see how her days would unfold. Starting with a meeting with the financial

director, preparing for a shoot in LA, quickly changing into a Jason Wu lace trench for the Vogue Japan photographers to shoot her outside the office (she did her own make-up in five minutes and still looked impeccable), passing by the set on Sunday to make sure the fashion shoot is going well and the list could go on for ever. And she does it all with a smile on her face and a pair of very high heels on, that as of lately also happens to be of her own design.

Because for those who haven’t heard she also designed a capsule collection in collaboration with L.K.Bennett of bohemian, pom-pom adorned shoes that are beautiful enough to frame. It might also be worth mentioning her project with Jimmy Choo as their London ambassador.

At the end of the day, it only makes sense that so many different companies, across the fashion retail spectrum, choose Issa to represent them. She stands as the perfect indication of an ideal modern-day woman who has multi-tasking as her middle name: she can negotiate a business deal, style a shoot as well as model in it and look stylish enough for Tommy Ton to run after her at Fashion Week.

palmer // harding talk to Natalie Theodosi atthew Harding and Levi Palmer are the de signer duo who have made a name for them selves for creating a brand that revolves around the white shirt. Pleated, cinched around the waist, perfectly tailored and with sleeves that are just the right amount of oversized, palmer// harding reminds us why the white shirt is the single most needed item in every woman’s wardrobe and gives us plenty of ways to make it look more fashion-forward and less corporate.

Here they talk about the stylish fashion entrepreneurs who have influenced their work, how London’s cultural mix and surprisingly, its weather are a source of creativity and their plans to grow into a full lifestyle brand, yet at a slow, steady pace, because staying inspired happens to be at the top of their priorities.

NATALIE THEODOSI: What led you to decide to develop your brand identity around the white shirt?

PALMER//HARDING: We both graduated in the recession. At that time all young designers were focused on the party dress and it just didn’t seem relevant to design specifically for a single facet of life. We felt design should be a part of all aspects of daily life and not just for a single event. The white shirt was the garment that encapsulated this concept, as its versatility allowed it to form to this idea.

NT: Apart from beautifully constructed shirts, we’ve seen you add wide-leg trousers, midi skirts and Bermuda shorts to your SS14 collection. Do you plan on experimenting more with different silhouettes in the upcoming seasons?

PH: We always intended to expand the brand to incorporate a full lifestyle range, however we wanted to be known for a singular garment first. This focused on the shirt has allowed our brand to maintain an identity as we grow.

NT: To my eyes the woman who wears palmer// harding values comfort and likes to keep things classic but at the same time she has a very modern, forward-thinking attitude. Do you have a muse or an ideal customer in mind when you are designing?

PH: Carmen Borgonovo, Caroline Issa and Jan Strimple have all been huge influencers towards the idea of our woman. I think they all have those attributes you described, and apart from that they are incredibly inspiring women as NT: What does showing in London as opposed to any other city mean to your business? Does the city’s lifestyle and the way people dress here influence your work in any way?

PH: We have a theory that London’s creativity stems from the horrid weather we are faced with on a regular basis. When your surroundings are grey, wet and less than desirable you need an escape and style can be such an optimistic outlet that combats the humdrum climate we live in. I’m sure London style influences us, its such a mix of cultures and ideas. This is a city where it doesn’t matter how you are dressed as long as you make an effort and there’s something really refreshing in this outlook.

NT: What are some of your other sources of inspiration?

PH: We go to the theatre and dance performances often and adore a good gallery visit. We also are quite interested in politics, though we find more often than not that we are upset by current situations. Being confronted with problems you want to change can be the best source of inspiration NT: You have both graduated from the Central Saint Martins. Not only is this course known for nurturing the talent of some of the greatest industry creatives like Galliano and the late McQueen, but every designer who has come out of the course always refers to the CSM experience as extremely influential. What was your time there?

PH: Central Saint Martins is such an inspired place, not because they teach you anything specific but because they nurture you to be an independent thinker and a creative individual. The college does

not settle for mediocre. Your classmates are some of the most inspired individuals from around the world, refined and edited into this one beautiful establishment. As a student you couldn’t ask for a more nurturing, exciting and compelling environment than that.

“We felt design should be part of daily life and not just for a single event. The white shirt was the garment that encapsulated this concept” NT: What is the design process like when working as a team of two? How do you share inspirations and who is better at doing what?

Levi: Matthew is definitely better finding the gaps that are missing when designing. He’s excellent at multi tasking and works incredibly fast. He can be stubborn when it comes to finding solutions, (which can be frustrating) but is so inspiring when you have a rough day and you just want to give up, he is there to encourage you to keep going.

Matthew: Levi is a great pattern cutter and drapes beautifully. He likes to think his designs through before committing them to paper, which can make the design process slower than I would prefer, but the pieces he creates usually turn out to be my favorite when looking back.

NT: How would you like to see your brand develop in the future?

PH: The long-term goal is for palmer//harding to become synonymous with the white shirt. However for the time being we are happy continuing to grow our brand at a speed that allows us to have a healthy balanced life. At the end of the day it’s important we stay inspired

DISCOVERING LN-CC

As we are bombarded with more and more content of what to buy for each occasion, the hottest new designer names to know and the myriads of pieces that are worthy of immediate investment, a need for a point of view and curated sites or stores has risen. This is why concept stores have been enjoying increasing popularity; they turn shopping into a special retail experience, inviting us to experience a lifestyle rather than just feeding onto the ever-growing consumerist culture.

East London’s LN-CC is one of the most celebrated concept stores and the reason for its worldwide recognition mainly lies in the vision of its forward-thinking team. Speaking to Jack Cassidy, from LN-CC’s buying team, further confirms this view.

He encourages us not to be intimidated by their ‘appointment only’ policy, as its aim is to make the LN-CC experience personal for their customer who can shop, listen to music or have coffee at their own leisure this way. As for their intriguing offering of Givenchy, Yang Li, vintage vinyls and Guy Bourdin books (Jack says that the buying process is based on instinct rather than strategy), it makes it hard to resist picking up the phone straight away and booking an appointment to visit the store.

NATALIE THEODOSI: One of the most striking characteristics of LN-CC is its mysterious aura as you can only come in ‘by appointment.’ How did this decision come about and why do you stay so loyal to it despite the store’s increasing popularity?

JACK CASSIDY: The idea of appointment only came about as we wanted the store to feel super personal and for it to be a place where we could interact with our customers and they could come alone/with friends/family and shop, read books, listen to music without feeling rushed. We have always been very vocal in encouraging customers to not be put off by the appointment only aspect of the store and made sure to create a very personal, down to earth customer experience. We have always been of the belief that there is no pressure for customers to buy anything and we are more than happy for them to come and experience the space and play records or read books.

NT: Who is the customer who regularly books appointments to visit the store?

JC: Our customers are very varied between repeat seasonal visitors who live locally and also travel in from other areas of London, and also a lot of first time visitors and tourists who use our website in their home country and make a conscious effort to visit the store when they are in London. This fusion between online and offline is becoming ever more important and the boundaries are blurred. In fact the way many of our store customers behave is that through our store staff they will request a list of particular product that they have seen on our website and are interested in, which we will then insure is at the store ready for them at the time of their visit.

NT: Is it hard to secure an appointment?

JC: I recommend that customers book approximately a week before they would like to visit in order to secure the most suitable time for them but we are also very flexible and will fit in last minute appointments. A higher quantity of footfall was never our goal and we would never set targets for how many customers need to visit each week. The store contributes to roughly 10% of our overall sales and we see it very much as a way to meet our customers and for them to have the full LN-CC experience from clothing, music and books rather than having an emphasis on solely sales. Which is why we receive so many repeat customers who don’t necessarily buy on each occasion but they connect with the atmosphere and environment that we have created in the store which differs compared to other retail experiences.

NT: You have an incredible mix of very established labels and less mainstream ones. Is there an element that you are always looking for when buying into a brand, despite its name or popularity?

JC: Following my instinct is key and I try to maintain a vision rather than paying attention to overriding trends or stocking repeat best selling styles. The LN-CC offering is driven by the pieces that we find the most exciting and progressive each season from the brands that we have a connection to. The point-of-view needs to be consistent, focused and feel that it is coming from an honest place where the designer is passionate about their aesthetic and it doesn’t feel directly references from an obvious influence that has come before. It isn’t an issue for me if a label is unknown or not popular yet, if I connect with the product and the designer’s product I will take the chance and place an order.

By sticking with the label a customer base will develop over time and this is one of the most rewarding parts of being a buyer, when you take the risk and it pays off and the brand begins to sell well through the way you have bought it.

NT: What has it meant for your business to be located in London and particularly in the creative hub that is Dalston, as opposed to any other fashion capital?

JC: We chose Dalston as the location to open LN-CC as it was an area which we were familiar with through living and spending time in the area; there were already various creative things happening at that time but nothing on a great scale so we felt the area could take the type of project that we were planning. But most importantly finding a space in London that was big enough was difficult so discovering a vast 5,000 square foot ex-boxing gym that was discreetly housed in a basement felt like the perfect match. Dalston has with no doubt changed so much over the past three years with new restaurants, clubs and cafes open on and around Kingsland Road every month, but it still has an eclectic character.

NT: Were there any breathtaking moments from the SS14 shows that really influenced your buying?

JC: Julien Dossena’s first season as the Creative Director of iconic brand Paco Rabanne (since leaving Balenciaga where he worked as a Senior Designer alongside Nicolas Ghequiere) felt like the beginning of a key relationship between the designer and a brand that is steeped in history. I think this is the beginning of a very modern and exciting luxury brand. The sleek cuts and fabrications felt very fresh - I am excited to add Paco Rabanne to our SS14 brand mix.

London is the one fashion capital that only got in the Fashion Week game in the 80s and its start also happened to be a very humble one, with shows taking place in a West London car park. Even though a lot of great things happened in that car park, namely John Galliano’s debut show, London kept loosing its native talent to New York and Paris and London Fashion Week was the one that all prominent editors famously skipped. In the last few years the same editors and buyers are putting London on top of their list, praising its creative, young talent and the free-thinking spirit of its stylish residents. But exactly how did the city go from being ignored to the most exciting of all the fashion capitals?

A brief

HISTORY

Looking back, it seems undeniable that there was a very strong spirit of rebellion in the British capital and it was always manifested through fashion. Names like Mary Quant and Vivienne Westwood immediately come to mind, when thinking of fashion moments that went down in history in London, long before Fashion Week was even established.

In the swinging 60s, along with the newfound freedoms of homosexuality no longer being considered a criminal offense or the removal of the decree of what could be presented on stage, there was Mary Quant with her King’s Road boutique selling clothes targeting young people, a very unusual offering for the time. Quant’s clothes were anything but discreet; they came in loud, bright colors and the skirts and dresses were a couple of inches above the usual knee-length.

Then there was Vivienne Westwood, another influential designer who started with a boutique on King’s Road that became famous for provoking social norms and constantly pushing people’s boundaries. She created fashion clothing by taking inspiration from the Sex Pistols in the late 70s and objects of sexual fetishism, creating the media sensation now remembered as ‘Punk Rock.’ In 1981, her debut Pirates show, inspired by Native Americans and ethnic cuts is still remembered as one of the greatest moments in fashion.

Westwood continued to stage many legendary shows, including Mini Crini in 1985 where she went against the current trend of big shoulder pads and inspired by Victorian crinolines and the tutus from the ballet Petrushka, created the infamous mini crinis.

Despite these legendary designers and the ongoing burst of creativity in London’s fashion scene that was imminent ever since the 60s, London Fashion Week, as we know it today, wasn’t established until much later. The successful PR Lynne Franke, is the woman credited for founding the event which initially took place in a West London car park in 1984. Even though initially successful, as it debuted talents like Betty Jackson and John Galliano, London always seemed to be the weakest link of Fashion Week. In the early 90s when the recession hit the country, LFW was limited to a few designers who discreetly showed their collections in a few rooms the Ritz; compare it to today’s packed 5-day schedule and the colorful, outlandish scene that’s going on at Somerset House and the scale of the change becomes clear.

Even the scattered bright moments of London Fashion Week in the 90s, like Alexander McQueen’s debut show that

of LONDON FASHION WEEK launched his infamous ‘bumster’ jeans or the presentation of Stella McCartney’s graduate collection that was modeled by Naomi Campbell and Yasmin Le Bon, were overshadowed by both designers signing for Parisian powerhouses Givenchy and Chloé respectively and leaving their hometown. In 2002, London also lost Matthew Williamson, Luella, Roland Mouret and Preen to New York, following 9/11 and American journalists being less willing to travel for long periods of time.

What did seem to be quite a hopeless situation, just like a game that you know you’ll lose before you even start playing, was brightened up by the kind of fashion moments that are still remembered today for bringing into light London’s signature vigor and authenticity. There was Naomi Campbell walking topless for Phillip Teacy, Sophie Dahl’s runway debut which sparked off the body-image debate for the first time and Hussein Chalayan, who made sure to blur the lines between fashion, art and architecture with masterpieces like his infamous table dress of 2002.

Fast-forward a few years later, when Topshop became one of the first high-street brands to start showing on the runway and founded the NEWGEN scheme which helped designers, from Ashish to Henry Holland and Mary Katrantzou come into the spotlight and you’ll start seeing how the capital that was frowned upon for its irrelevance was starting to transform into fashion’s most creative hub. Even the designers who migrated across the Atlantic were starting to make a return. In fact Jonathan Saunders could not wait to move back from New York during the British Fashion Council’s 10th anniversary; “I didn’t have to think twice… I don’t even like Americans that much to be honest” he humorously says.

Adding a group of Central Saint Martins’ brightest alumni to the recipe only served to make things that much more interesting. There was Mary Katrantzou, who decided to teach herself Photoshop, a decision that led to the creation of the most coveted digital prints and to what is now a worldwide trend. As for Roksanda Ilincic, she very intelligently identified a gap in the market and started creating feminine cocktail dresses that the Duchess of Cambridge now swears by.

With new names continuing to pop-up in lightning speed, from Lucas Nascimento and his minimalist wool creations to Eudon Choi who gets inspired by Russian matrioshkas one season and Korean princesses the next, there’s only one remaining certainty: London Fashion Week will only be getting bigger and better every season so you better be paying attention.

the mad hatter These days we switched from haute millinery to beanies with not-so-classy sayings on them (does Comme des F**ck Down ring a bell?). If we remember Isabella Blow however, one of the most creative British fashion editors there ever was, who discovered Alexander McQueen and wore Phillip Tracy hats that resembled vacuum cleaners to work, we’ll probably be reminded that hats are not reserved for old-fashioned weddings and Halloween.

Young millinery designer Claire Tremlett is another firm believer of this view.

That’s why we styled her beautifully hand-crafted hats to on-trend, everyday and very often inexpensive pieces, from the sell-out Marks&Spencers pink coat to a vintage, boyish shirt left unoppened just like at the Alexander Wang show.

Just imagine how much more exciting the world would look if we all added an outrageous hat to our everyday outfits. Spiked, feathered or in neon yellow, everything goes....

Vintage Shirt, Beyond Retro, Hat by Claire Tremlett

“Have I gone mad?”

“I’m afraid so. You’re entirely bonkers.

But I’ll tell you a secret.

All the best people are.”

Coat by Moschino, Hat by Claire Tremlett

Dress by Topshop, Hat by Claire Tremlett

Coat by Marks & Spencer, Hat by Claire Tremlett

Coat by Moschino, Hat by Claire Tremlett

DANCING THE NIGHT AW In the midst of the blinding lights whose source is a intriguing mix of sex shops, prohibition bars and very exclusive burlesque clubs, she wonders around looking for adventure, ready to let all her inhibitions go.

he notorious way she parties is similar to the way she dresses: she just got a a new SS14 Henry Holland dress, in seethrough lace and a very bright pink, she loves, statement accessories that almost look like weaponryl, abstract prints and if you don’t see her in a sequin dress dancing the night away at the Box she’ll probably be in her sheer-panelled 3.1 Phillip Lim pants. Because both in fashion and in life a risk is always worthwhile..

Styled by Natalie Theodosi.

Photographed by Sofia Studencki.

Pink Lace Dress by Henry Holland

WAY

T-shirt Cos, Printed scarf

by ArteeCollage

“I wanted change and excitement and to shoot off in all directions myself like the coloured arrows from a fourth of July rocket�

Sylvia Plath

Fashion Frenzy at Somerset House