Iridescent by Lexisam

June 2014

Insightful, chic and sophisticated look into fashion

idescent ÂŁ3.99

“I’m always looking for a cover subject that reflects the magazine, an interest in fashion, in culture, in society.” Anna Wintour

June 2014 4 EDITOR’S LETTER 7 READER’S LETTERS (Marie Claire UK) 8 OPINION (Stylist) Omniomania: friend or foe? 10 NEWS (BBC online, SUN, Daily Mail) 13 REVIEW (Sunday Times) Jean Paul Gaultier is back in London 14 STYLE (ES Magazine) It’s all about the two-tone power 16 FACE (UK Vogue) Karl Lagerfeld and his fashion extravaganza 20 EYE (The Times) Catwalks and politics: let’s send a message 23 FOCUS (The Guardian) Fashion and film through decades 28 FOCUS (The Independent) Art - an essential inspiration in nowadays fashion 32 INTERVIEW (ELLE UK) London-born Fine artist Amy Anderson reveals some jewellery secrets 36 TREND (Shortlist) World Cup 2014 and fashion - a tight relationship Sketches and illustrations by Leila Murseljevic

A letter from the editor A time for a change for this month’s issue, I found myself in a labyrinth of thoughts. Writing about fashion with a fresh perspective needed some deeper insight into the importance of style and haute couture. You might find it odd but while preparing this issue I started reading the new book by Hillary R. Clinton (hopefully the future president of the USA). And somewhere in the beginning she paraphrased her husband telling her to "focus on the trendlines, not just the headlines". And that got me thinking about fashion and where is the border of it mixing with everyday life. Is fashion really everywhere we look? Yes, it is debatable, and that is exactly what I wanted with this issue: to deconstruct the meaning of fashion inside out. And while doing so, to find the Film and fashion: Audrey Hepburn in “little black dress” connections fashion had, and will have. «Why do you think so?» • «Because it makes perfect sense: fashion is everywhere.» «Does that mean we can't let go and live without it?» • «Not necessarily, but when you focus you will notice how it became a movement: a specific action produced from a mix of fashion and any cultural product or art form. The effect is strong.»

es, it all started with a brainstorm, a debate between me and me. By trying to find an internal ally to back me up

I remembered the words of the grand Manolo Blahnik who used to say that almost half of his designs are controlled by fantasy and 15 per cent are total madness. And I guess that my inspiration came from artistic fantasy that ignites my interest in fashion. Because I believe that, in the end, fashion is an art’s genre, despite the opinion of many in this industry. Flm director Steve McQueen was right when he said that art couldn’t fix anything. But it can portray. And fashion became and art object around which you can have an insightful

Eccentric, controversial and superb: Karl Lagerfeld and his muse, cat Choupette debate, because individual style represents someone’s character. Hence why, with the Matisse exhibition opening in Tate Modern in London, I looked upon the art effect on fashion - the clean and contrasting lines and blocks of rich colours for a full-body modernart experience in wardrobes. You can also look through the relationship between fashion designers and movie industry and reminisce some of the most famous dresses through the decades. Last month I had an opportunity to speak to an emerging multi-talented London-based jewellery designer, Amy Anderson who spoke about her start as a designer and inspiration behind her pieces. Along with her life story you can also see some exclusive photographs of her designs, which I’m sure will catch your eye. Besides Amy, the story about the life of one of the greatest designers of modern era, Karl Lagerfeld is umissable. Every time we think we know everything we should know about him, he surprises us. There was a time when I was involved in politics and diplomacy, and was often surrounded by women and men who are constantly trying to find the most effective way to make things better for the country and its citizens. And while that’s easier said than done, the passion for a change was never

inferior. I’m thrilled to see that the same attitude I witnessed then is back in fashion too. With everything that has been going on around the world, like crisis in Ukraine, Nigeria or Iraq, it is refreshing to see that even designers try to be the game changers. The sanctity and mystery fashion creates around itself is important, and this issue looks upon fashion as a game changer – how designers use their passion for higher causes.

here were some groundbreaking thoughts on style vs. money so don’t forget to read through some of your letters regarding this topic. I would love to hear some impressions for the next issue on label addiction vs. quality, so don’t be taciturn and send some. And don’t forget my dear fashionistas, the fashion game can be played in every corner of every sphere of our life. Let's make it memorable!

“Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way to live.” Gianni Versace

LETTERS In the last issue, our key topic was style and whether it’s dependent on cash flow i.e. whether there is a caste concept in fashion. Here we publish some of your brilliant answers, for or against this observation. Style doesn’t depend on brands We all know someone in our circle of friends, colleagues, acquaintances, who effortlessly differentiates in way he/she dresses. They are the masters of mix and match, they know how to use what they own more effectively then the rest of us, they certainly don’t buy too much, and when they do they wear it more. They are usually great bargainers. Categorically, I refuse to think it depends on brands. The brands can be like a garnish on an already very tasty cake, but don’t make a cake. The beautiful and expensive accessories are added value to a perfect look, but they are not necessary; certainly they don’t determine one’s sense of style and elegance. Krista from Barnsley Timeless pieces? No thanks. Often though, high-street brands talk about ‘timeless’ pieces and the reason is so they can put a very high price tag, that way you can justify spending all that money on it? Next season they will come up with another ‘timeless’ dress that you must have and the one from previous season is not ‘in’ anymore. Anyway, why do I need a dress that will last me a decade? No thanks! So in one word ‘yes’, style does depend on how much money you can spend, no matter who you are, but I am sure we can manage with what we have. Virginia from Southampton More independent style, please

I think it’s important to set aside a certain amount of money for some key pieces, such as a good coat, a statement bag, jacket suit and shoes. However, even if it’s expensive, if we don’t know how to wear it and match it properly, we might as well not have it all. Getting a good suit we saw in the shop’s window doesn’t guarantee our good looks. If we pair it with wrong shoes or a bad haircut it loses its effect. I think we should forget about the trend others point us to and create one of our own. Having a Prada piece doesn’t guarantee good looks, but it can always help. If we don’t have that inner natural feeling how to wear clothes, Prada would be useless. Mary from London

LETTER OF THE MONTH Caste system in fashion? Needless to say it exists, like in every other aspect of life. That is why people buy “knock off” pieces. Some top fashion designers are manufacturing them too. We might just take a look at Michael Kors bags! Do they look like LV, Hermes or Prada? Yes, but they do cost 1/3 (or a lot less) of the “real thing”. As far as I am concerned he is “The King of knock offs”. You are after a Hermes bag? Start saving now (you better be 5 year old at this time). Remember Charlotte from the ‘Sex and the City’ saying to the girls that they’re just pretending that they live in a classless society. Well, we didn’t come a long way baby. And isn’t it ironic that we live in an age when high-end fashion is dictated from the bottom: street style of the metropolis. Everyone will agree that it seems like there is nothing more we can ‘create’ in fashion ‘cause it became so practical, so lightweight, so everyday magic that its almost too perfect to reinvent, yet it is ‘reinvented’ every single year - twice, and if you can afford some time and a lot of money, you can splurge in some fancy shopping extravaganza that will satisfy your ego. Lucky you and those who live on your wallet. Jasmine from Manchester Personality plays the key role It all depends on who you are. If the latest fashion trends is what is more important to you it will cost you. You will have to update most of your wardrobe to get the look, but most of the time it will appear ‘over the top’. If the style is what you have, you need to make smaller changes to update your look - a few basic pieces that will make your appearance current and will not take away the image of who you are. Those can cost a bit too if you are selective about the quality, which is the case most of the time, especially for those who care about the style. Nadia from London Role model I know a girl in my city whose salary is definitely not as high, but she always seem to find a way to look special, interesting and trendy, without a high price tag. For me she’s an authentic fashion figure. Masha from Brighton

OPINION

Omniomania – an illness, pure pleasure or a big concern?

am not sure whether this happens to you, but every now and then when I go to bed I spend a certain amount of time joggling what to wear the next day. Whether it’s a business meeting, a shopping day, or just a common Sunday walk down the Southbank, I spend approximately 15 minutes mixing and matching the pieces from my closet in my head. And almost every time I struggle to combine the pieces the way I want to (regardless of the fact that my wardrobe is overfull). I bet there are a lot of women around the world who, like me, spend the nights doing the same. There’s always something missing, hey? Fashionistas often dream about a certain outfit, most probably due to the constant scanning of fashion magazines each month. And this daydreaming may lead to a specific concept that appears often in a fashionista’s life when, while walking trough streets in London just a few days before the payday, they notice some clothing item in the shop’s window that they must have, regardless of its price (or let’s just be Frenchy and say that they “leche les vitres”). But, does the window really stop us? When we can’t afford an item (even though we might think we desperately need it), are we really that much in control not to go through the door and spend the last amount on our credit card? According to numerous researches, people who do go through this have a mental disorder. But what is behind this disorder? And can we consider it a mental illness? Scientists are constantly

warning that the number of men and women who suffer from compulsive shopping disorder is increasing rapidly. Commonly known as compulsive shopping, CBD or shopping addiction, omniomania is a term used to describe a very difficult state of mind, which many researchers characterize as mental illness. Allegedly, compulsive buying disorder (CBD) is characterized by excessive shopping cognitions and behaviour that leads to distress or impairment. Expectedly, data has shown that this affects women more than men. How many times did you find it difficult to save money? Do you occasionally treat yourself with something nice and luxurious just to cheer up a bit? And, most importantly, how many times did you get something that ends up on the bottom of your wardrobe still wrapped and never used? Let’s be honest, we have been in these situations time and again. I guess it’s like any other type of addiction: people go out and buy things to get a “high”, or get a “rush” while shopping for things

they don’t really need. And I really feel that once in a while all of us have that rush. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad one, does it? A lot of things can cause this rush to appear. Scientists say that over-indulgence and deprivation, either material or emotional can cause this behaviour. Additionally, some traumatic events can also trigger it since that it can result in pain, emptiness and loss. And, apparently, there’s no better way to fight these emotions but shop. I admit! I am one of those people. When I feel blue, restless or annoyed, I’m out trough the door to a shopping mall, TkMaxx, Regent Street, Selfridges, Soho or through streets around and in Covent Garden. And yes, I always feel better when I spend money on something, even if I didn’t really need it (which is almost always a case). But to call it a disorder? Hm. Let’s think about this for a moment. Before we try to make a conclusion and disregard the so called fact that excessive shopping can be called a mental disorder, we need to ask ourselves a very important question: does true happiness lies on the bottom of a nice, slick, shiny and overpaied shopping bag?

e love to be, chic and modern, and we love to indulge ourselves with exclusive stuff on weekly basis, and we should not feel bad . Because, in the end, if we don’t push the limits we wouldn’t know what they are. g

Five things that are good about shopping: 1. It’s good for your heart 2. You’re psychically and mentally active 3. Burns calories 4. Improves your mood instantly 5. Retail therapy?!

“Buy less. Choose well. Make it last. Quality, not quantity…Instead of buying six things, buy one thing that you really like. Don’t keep buying just for the sake of it.” Vivienne Westwood

NEWS

V&A celebrates Italian fashion The exhibition documents luxurious materials, designs, craftsmanship and the rise of not only Italian, but also European fashion and glamour in the post-war period, and its development to the present day. With deep historical context, this story of Italian haute couture unveils key fashion houses and designers who contributed to quality, style and artisanship through decades. The exhibition also focuses on the future of the Italian fashion and the influence of their fashion houses to the fashion

world nowadays. On display are around 100 clothing items both womenswear and menswear, as well as accessories by some of the leading Italian fashion houses, such as Valentino, Gucci, Missoni, Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Versace and more. The exhibition is open until 27 July 2014. g

Twerking Italian glamour on display in London Italians are 100% business. But glamorous business They are well known for parties and dressing for the occasion. And the new exhibition in the Victoria and Albert Museum shows how well Italians do it. Until July 27th you can brace yourselves with post-war Italy, which made history in and with fashion, and this new exhibition is all about that. “The Glamour of Italian fashion 1945 – 2014” combines almost 100 outfits

and numerous shoes, which represent almost 70 years of stupendous fashion history as never seen in the UK before. It includes robes by some of the leading fashion mansions, such as Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Missoni, Prada, Valentino and Versace. The exhibition also displays photographs and films about some of the most famous moments and people behind the concept of fashion of six

Dolce & Gabbana’s stiletto embroidered boots

NEWS

London’s attempt for glamourama

Diamond and emerald Bulgari necklace worn by Elizabeth Taylor

Italian glamour and exclusive historical fabrics and designs outshines conventional UK as the new exhibition in Victoria & Albert museum unveils collections from the boot-shaped country

Roberto Capucci’s evening silk dress gown

and a half decades. The centre of this showcase is a beautiful evening gown worn by Ava Gardner in 1960 and Elizabeth Taylor’s emerald and diamond Bulgari necklace, with 23.44 carat emerald pendant. Among other famous luxurious accessories, Dolce & Gabbana black leather stiletto ankle boots with embroidery, crystals and sequins will definitely steal your breath away. Bank holiday or weekends are perfect opportunities to ease up the steam, as fashion has its moment at the V&A. You’re in for a special treat! g

Until July 27th visitors of the V&A will have the opportunity to see some of the Italian most famous designs made throughout the years: since the austerity of the Fascist era to nowadays. The exhibition “The Glamour of Italian fashion 1945 – 2014” demonstrates fashion game changers, oozed glamourama and Italian high street glowing clothing shined to perfection. Looking good is everything to Italians and this fashion spectacle unmasks that fact. Hence, power, money and strong personality are the face of this exhibition. Even though it’s divided through decades and the historical events that influenced European fashion, the centre of the stage in the V&A focuses on something else: the connection between fashion, celebrities and

Hollywood glamour. Thus, among other items, visitors can see the famous diamond and emerald Bulgari necklace that Elizabeth Taylor wore on her wedding day to Richard Burton; a well-known evening dress of embroidered net and matelassé coat worn by Lee Radziwill in 1966 New York Black and White Ball, as well as many dresses worn by Audrey Hepburn, for whom they were specially made. Still not convinced you should go Londoners? You can also see a suit that belonged to former US President John F. Kennedy. And if you’re lucky enough, you may be able to find some evidences and finally break the silence about his alleged relationship with Marilyn Monroe - if you find a trace of her popular red lipstick on the suit! g

“Fashion is about what you look like, which translates to what you would like to be like.” Jean Paul Gaultier

REVIEW

Gaultier's extravaganza strikes London When an avant-garde French l’enfant terrible sends his most famous items to London, you should be there to testify that. Especially when we’re talking about one of the most creative fashion designers of the modern era: Jean Paul Gaultier

ately you must have noticed a certain trend for museums and galleries and fashion collaborating together and creating exhibitions to the delight of all interested parties: art lovers on one side and fashionistas on the other. And for only £9 (I played the student card once more, £14.50 is the regular price) you have an extraordinary opportunity to see the creativity in live of one of the fashion’s most talented designers, whose work not only celebrates the great designs, but also explores the cultural and sexual differences, which transfer through all items showcased in the Barbican. “The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk” is a retrospective of some of the 165 designer’s unique garments. The show is divided into eight thematic sections: The Odyssey of Jean Paul Gaultier, Punk Cancan, Muses, The Boudoir, Metropolis, Eurotrash, Skin Deep and Urban Jungle. Each section has a series of attentively picked mannequins, of which some have faces projected onto their heads, bringing carefully their figures to life. They communicate with you gently in several ways, as if they want to prove their liveliness to the world. The exhibition also includes special rooms dedicated to Gaultier’s muses, including Kylie, Madonna, Kate Moss and Amy Winehouse. Additionally, this sort of theatrically-staged exhibition brings together iconic costumes for music, film and performance

made from the early 1970s to the present day. Those include the famous bra and corsets Madonna wore during her 1990 Blonde Ambition World Tour and stage costumes designed for Kylie Minogue. Also on display are famous costumes for films such as “Kika” by Pedro Almodovar and that iconic Milla J o v o v i c h ’s outfit in Luc Besson’s “The Fifth Element”, which marks the time when Gaultier’s avant-garde fashion creations met the film industry. J . P. G a u l t i e r ’ s collaborations with renowned artists and photographers such as Miles Aldridge, David LaChapelle, Pierre et Gilles, Peter Lindbergh and Andy Warhol, among others, are also shown together with the footage from several catwalks, concerts, music videos, films and dance performances. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine an exhibition being interesting to watch when it includes some clothes hanging around. And more often, they’re dubbed as characterless and emotionless. However, if this was a fact to

some, it will be reversed after seeing Gaultier’s dramatic showcase. It doesn’t only offer his famous designs and costumes, it also gives us a glance of fashion spirituality that might have been forgotten during the years. Hence why, in the end, “From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk” is not only an exhibition of clothes. By mixing so many art forms under one big roof, this showcase is also a fashion response to the domino effect of several art movements and the globalization of fashion. A selfthought designer, Jean Paul Gaultier was born in 1952 in a small commune called Arcueil. Before Pierre Cardin hired him as an assistant in 1970, Gaultier began his fashion career by sending sketches to then famous couture designers. He launched his first individual collection in 1976. Nowadays he’s known as l’enfant terrible, one of the biggest rebels of world’s fashion. g “The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier” is at the Barbican, until August 25.

STYLE

There’s nothing like the BRETONTONE Scrap the multicolour for the remarkable two-tone – there’s nothing ordinary about this simple luxurious summer trend

ummertime in a big city may hold some surprises. Whether it’s raining or sunny, it’s nice to wander around tirelessly outfitted with sneakers, tennis shoes or high-tops that take their technical features from the world of sports into our daily outfits. Especially when they’re so simple that you don’t have to think twice. With a holiday feel in the air and a sparkling, blazing rhythm of summer, we tend to release the summer ghosts from our wardrobes as well. And normally, when we say summer we think colours, colours and more colours. However, this summer we’re changing the record and thinking duotone! And we have to admit that the power of duotone is the strongest in Breton stripes. It’s only normal for us to blend into the nature in the same colours sea and sky do, isn’t it? The importance and the power of duotone and stripes is rooted deep in the French history, when the striped Breton shirt was introduced in 1858 Act of France as the uniform for all navy seamen. After visiting the coast of France, in 1917 Coco Chanel introduced the mariniere shirt in her nautical collection. At that time the Breton top became a symbol of haute-bourgeois during the pre-war years. However, the shirt needed Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot and Jean-Paul

Gaultier to make it popular. As the ambassador of the stripes himself, Gaultier likes to point out occasionally, it is somehow a part of his vocabulary and his definite signature. And thanks to him, nowadays, the stripy marine shirt is not only a symbol of chic Parisian style, but also a must for everyone throughout the year. And just like then, at the beginning of the previous century, the overwhelming winner for fashion trend of this season is this marine duotone. A mainstay on the colour palette, subtly balanced between marine blue and plain white, is absolutely perfect when combined with a sandy beach and/or a boat. Thin lines and broad bands sail together in a perfect symmetry on squared shopping bags, soft clutches, shoulder décor, flip-flops and maxi wedges.

Burberry Brit striped shirt dress

And this unmistakable mix of two colours is blending in the latest range seen in haute couture runways, especially in the accessories departments. Chanel and Ralph Lauren focused on bags, Burberry on shirts and dresses and Marni used it on the high-top sandals. What makes the stripes so glam is the fact that they have something very normcore in them. This unpretentious yet glamorous way of matching clothes is another type of “dress to impress” magical formula. New York and Paris fashion shows were showered with the normcore style proving how powerful this casual trend can be. However, the simplicity of the stripes gives a modern touch to formal dressing as well. To be honest, I cannot think of a year when there wasn’t at least one marine item on the S/S catwalks. And the power of those stripes probably lies in its asymmetrical appearance. No matter if it’s horizontal or vertical, when combines with a slick white trousers or wide puffy skirt, a mariniere shirt gives an unmistakable trendy look. And rather simple as well. Using the words of Coco Chanel herself “the simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance”. It is certain that the trendy stripes prove that point. And if we can’t rely on her words when it comes to style and trend, whom else can we confine in? g

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Design is a constant challenge to balance comfort with luxe, the practical with the desirable.â&#x20AC;? Donna Karan

FACE

Outspoken fashion Pope With his immaculate taste for fabrics and designs, Karl Lagerfeld has not only conquered the fashion world, but also became one of the most influential dressmakers who managed to turn a profit on haute couture. After supermarket runway and bringing Chanel to Texas and Dubai, he’s in the search for new Cara Delevingne

t’s mid-June and London has that summer glow combined with a few drops of rain that carefully fall on the pavement of Regent Street. I am standing in the front of Karl Lagerfeld store, his largest European boutique to date and I am not sure how, but that scenery immediately reminded me of Chanel ready-to-wear 2010 fall collection, which had a rather unusual accessory in the Grand Palais in Paris that March: a giant iceberg brought from Sweden! With intense cul-de-sac expression, edged black suit and sharp white shirt as his biggest protégé, perky polyglot Karl Lagerfeld has a rather beguiling personality. As the french writer and editor Patrick Mauries said in the foreword for the book of quotes “The World According to Karl”: “To meet Karl Lagerfeld, or even simply see him on screen, is to know his incredible presence of mind.” And it was his ‘irregular’ attitude (once seen in Coco Chanel herself) that brought him to one of the largest labels in the world in 1983. →

FACE Karl was born in 1933 (or in 1935, the world is still confused over his birth) in pre-war Hamburg as Karl Otto Lagerfeldt (he removed the letter ‘t’ from his surname because, as he wrote in his book “The Karl Lagerfeld Diet, this way “it sounds more commercial”) to a wealthy German father and Swedish mother, who was into lingerie designs. Dubbed as pretentious, mystique, and misunderstood, the eye for the perfect cut in clothing and accessories he inherited from his mother, who he mentions pretty often in most of his interviews. When he was 14, Karl immigrated to Paris to finish his secondary school at the Lycée Montaigne, where he majored in drawing and history. His breakthrough happened through Pierre Balmain who hired him as an assistant after Lagerfeld won the design competition in 1955 in the coats category. After three successful years at Balmain, he worked with Jean Patou where he designed his first two haute couture collections. Lagerfeld began to freelance for the French fashion house Chloé in 1964, designing a few pieces each season. He first started designing furs after joining Fendi. A decade after Coco Chanel died, Lagerfeld was invited to join Chanel in 1983. Not long ago after that he finally decided to launch his own Karl Lagerfeld label, for which he says that “channels intellectual sexiness.” Now the head designer of both Chanel and Fendi, and his own label, his influence on fashion is reaching unparalleled heights. While Chanel and Fendi are supremely luxurious and expensive, Karl Lagerfeld’s own label takes a more

light-hearted approach to getting dressed. The prices are lower but the quality remains. There is not a slightest doubt that Karl changed the general view of fashion, especially at the beginning of his solo career, when his collections didn’t quite please the audience. At the end of the 50s and the beginning of the 60s the press and the public criticised him and his pieces. Whether it was a widecut short or a low-cut long black dress, he was l’enfant terrible of the post-war era. Nowadays however, Karl’s eye for trends is equal to photographer’s eye for frames: everything is in its right place. No wonder he is both, a very successful fashion designer and successful photographer. ately however, Lagerfeld’s glory and fame don’t go alone. Almost as famous as her owner, his cat, a pet and a muse, Choupette is an Internet star. Given to Lagerfeld by the French model Baptiste Giabiconi in 2011, Choupette hit the stardom when her Twitter account started. Choupette has two maids, a driver and a doctor who does her manicure. According to Lagerfeld, she doesn’t meow or purr. She does everything with eyes. Two maids spend hours together with her and do her beauty jobs, especially hair. “She loves playing with unordinary toys, like pieces of wood, paper or even shopping bags”, said Lagerfeld to Harpers Bazaar. Choupette even travels with style in her personalized Louis Vuitton travelling case, presented to Lagerfeld by Bernard Arnault. Having a famous cat as a muse had a positive

“I always see myself next to me. Two of us, with one making fun of the other who sees things clearly...” 18

FACE

impact on Karl as his influence on the fashion world is climbing. At the age of 80 he remains one of few designers who focuses on simplicity and gives everything to a nice-cut white shirt and black jacket: “One is never underdressed or overdressed with a little black dress or a little black jacket.” He clearly enjoys every minute of designing, and he often reminds us of that. Often criticized over contemptuous comments towards plump women and how none would want to see them in the fashion world, Lagerfeld is always surrounded by young people, and he tends to preserve that. Book of his quotes, “The World According to Karl” reveals a lot of controversies and sharp sides of his personality, especially those surrounded with youth and beauty: “I hate looking at ugliness”, being one of the strongest. I guess Karl wouldn’t be Karl if he is not surrounded by the tale of controversy. The Islamic community went furious in 1994 when he embroidered the phrases from the Koran onto dresses in his spring collection. At that time Chanel had to hire a bodyguard for Claudia Schiffer to protect her from fundamentalists. It is quite often that he criticise ones around him, especially people in the fashion industry. “When you hear designers complaining about the challenge of their profession, you have to say: don’t get carried away, it’s only dresses.” His Diet Coke is his mental and psychical protégé as he never eats. “I know how to open a fridge, but I don’t know how to cook”, unveils his book of the quotes. In 2001 he lost approximately 42 kg in 13 months, because, as he said he wanted to wear clothes designed by Hedi Slimane “which were modelled by very, very slim boys—and not men my age—it required me to lose at least 40 kg.” Dr. JeanClaude Houdret designed the diet especially for him and in 2004 Karl published a diet book called “The Karl Lagerfeld Diet”. In March this year Regent Street in London delivered a new baby, a personalized Karl Lagerfeld store, his largest European boutique to date. While in the store everywhere you look you either see his face or a glance of his posture. Besides men’s and women’s ready-to-wear items and accessories, the store also offers removable collars (one of Karl’s style signatures) and tokidoki dolls of Karl and, naturally, his muse Choupette. He likes to shock the world once in a while. For Chanel AW2014/15 collection, Lagerfeld has chosen a rather unusual environment: a supermarket! It was a purpose built Chanel superstore in the Grand

Palais in Paris which survived a fashion riot in a choreographic mode. The runway included shopping trolleys, kitchen goods with the Chanel sign on them, such as ketchup, detergent and potato chips. The zoom of the collection were tweed tracksuits and holographic trainers. The critics dubbed the runway as one of his greatest thought-out performances. nown for courting controversy by referencing local customs in hyperbolic fashion, after bringing Chanel rodeo in the heart of Texas, Dallas, as part of Chanel’s latest Metiers d’Art show, Lagerfeld set Chanel’s Resort 2015 collection on an island in Dubai in mid-May. He created a desert spectacle, a Chanel’s oasis (which took two months to construct!) at dusk in a gold-and-glass structure, with a roof supported by artificial palms, on a man-made island from which you can see all the futuristic skylines of Dubai. “We built everything — toilets included,” Lagerfeld noted. “I think those islands in the middle of nowhere are quite poetic. It’s kind of an Oriental Atlantis,” said Lagerfeld to the press prior to runway. At the moment Lagerfeld is searching for the next Cara Delevingne. #WALKWITHKARL has been set up by Ford Models and the Karl himself to find a new runway star. In an incredible double coup, the winner will walk for both Chanel and Fendi’s SS15 shows – two of the most high profile slots on the Fashion Week schedule. The designer and photographer will also shoot his winner for an exclusive editorial in the “V” magazine. Karl Lagerfeld’s success has happened both because and in spite of the numerous critics and controversies that surrounded him for years. However, the custodian of the house of Chanel is a person who likes to judge and not only others, but himself as well. “I always see myself next to me. Two of us, with one making fun of the other who sees things clearly”, says the book of his quotes. His biography line doesn’t exist. For him, you need to live your autobiography, not write it. However, if he ever decides to write one, I am more than sure it will be sold in endless number of copies. He might be a controversial character, a persona who might have been in the front row for Billy Wilder’s film noirs in the end of the 40s. He might also be a misunderstood figure, a caricature of himself, as he reminds us often enough. However, despite of his puritanism, egoism and harsh personality, Karl will remain a “Labelfeld”, one of the strongest living human labels, born on the crossroad of the 20th and 21st century. g

EYE

Fashion shows equals promotion Do designers and brand houses use their fashion shows to send a certain message? Are designers becoming more agitprop? The latest trends says so

Lily Cole presenting the collection of Vivienne Westwood on London Fashion Week

s technologies evolve and social media networks and platforms such as Facebook and YouTube become stronger and more effective in reaching and connecting larger and varied audiences, fashion shows are available to far more viewers and decision makers than any time before. In comparison to a decade ago, when fashion shows were seen to be ultra-conservative and stiff upper lip, nowadays the role of the catwalk has changed. With its emphasis on novelty and spectacle, as fashion theorists suggest, fashion shows and catwalks became a switching station for postmodern identities. And the change is taken seriously. In the last decade, certain designers saw an opportunity to take their fashion shows to another

level and use the models, i.e. the clothes and accessories, as walking persuasion messages. Their vision of the fashion shows is interweaved through their certain beliefs, regarding social or political movements. We had an opportunity to see some of the most direct messages through catwalks of some of the biggest fashion designers of the modern age. One of the freshest examples is Milan Men’s Fashion Week 2014 and Miuccia Prada’s collection, in which she mixed womenswear into menswear collection. I know what you are thinking: it doesn’t seem that unordinary. However, there was an important subliminal visual text she wanted to send: "I think the combination is more real. It is more today. Otherwise it looks like we are

in classes, in the time of my grandfather, when women were divided from men. I think to people, not gender", said Miuccia to the press after the show. The men behind Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld has lifted a few of his catwalks on a performance level. However, in the last couple of seasons that performance effect has hit yet another level – the level of raising awareness. For instance, two seasons ago his vision froze the audience the most important accessory on the catwalk for A/W 2010 was a huge melting iceberg in the centre stage, which had been shipped specially from Scandinavia! The frozen landscape and the melting ice caps put the global warming into Chanel’s, and therefore global spotlight. However, the biggest master

EYE of using a fashion show for persuasion purposes and raising awareness is Vivienne Westwood. Since she started working with the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), Dame Westwood used her runway occasionally to promote her social and political ideals, especially global warming and climate change. s a famous fashion provocateur, at the last year’s London Fashion Week she opened her fashion show with an eerie modern dance, along with the appeal for the audience to fill in a postcard, which will be sent to the UN to raise climate awareness. The opening dance, performed by Lily Cole, an English model and actress, expressed Westwood’s concerns about this issue. The designer’s environmental messages were visible also on her collection, with the word ‘climate’ featuring on T-shirts. At the end of the show Cole and the designer came out carrying a postcard that said 'This Is My Voice'. The designer also used Lily for her first short film with Sky Rainforest rescue, to the aim of inspiring people to protect the environment and tackle climate change. Last year’s London Fashion Week wasn’t the first time Dame Westwood used a fashion show to promote an idea. For the S/S 2009 menswear Milan show called ‘Tolerance’, the designer used Roma gypsies as models. Driven by the notion that fashion is a “cultural and artistic force that has the power to challenge people’s prejudices”, the designer wanted to draw attention to cultural differences, aiming

specially at Italy and its immigration issues. Naturally, Milan council criticised the show and the designer. The Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI), an organization that supports the work of thousands of women microproducers from marginalized African communities, also worked hard on raising awareness through fashion. They collaborated with big designers as well, including, naturally, Dame Vivienne again. For instance, her A/W 2012 African Collection has been created using recycled canvas, reused roadside banners, unused leather offcuts, and recycled brass. Her pieces were produced in Nairobi, where discarded padlocks and car pieces were collected then melted down. As fashion’s production goes ever faster, the designer’s vision and creativity for the look of the fashion show is in the spotlight. When designing, the imperative for them is to be able to follow through with the detail that makes the product unique. And in the same way they cannot overlook the details

on a specific garment, they cannot overlook the visualization and the statement effect their fashion shows can make. Ultimately, they need to ensure their fashion show is memorable. The creativity can be a powerful tool. When combined with a certain personal notion regarding a global issue, the creativity becomes more of an influence and dominance. The power of a fashion show and the power of what is showcased within are indispensable and unavoidable. And without an additional effort, a designer is able to send a type of subliminal stimuli through the show. In the same way we follow trends after fashion weeks, we might as well follow the message portrayed through it. In the end, it is on us whether to act on it or not. In the fullness of time, by doing so, does a designer become a politician? The catwalk show has moved into the arena of culture and movement. They are not in the business of fashion, they are in the business of idea promotion. g

Iceberg on Chanel's catwalk for A/W 2010

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The dress must follow the body of a woman, not the body following the shape of the dress.â&#x20AC;? Hubert de Givenchy

FOCUS

The tales from the film couture From iconic Givenchy’s dresses for Audrey Hepburn and Armani’s suits for Richard Gere, to Gaultier’s bandage costume for Milla Jovovich, rich history of collaborations between fashion designers and film industry fundamentally changed the image of both films and fashion

hey say that if it wasn’t for that day in 1953, when Hubert de Givenchy met his future muse Audrey Hepburn we might never experience and notice the beauty and the importance of a statement dress in motion pictures. For as long as movies have been made, costumes have been an unavoidable element in creating and defining a certain film’s character. Yet, prior to the mentioned encounter, the costumes in the movies were not as memorable as after this encounter. There, in the mid 50s, a new movement was born – a trend that will not only live for the next few decades, but will be mandatory in the nowadays flow that goes between film and fashion industry. Of course, Givenchy was not the first designer who created pieces especially for a movie.

It started sometime in 1931, when, reportedly Samuel Goldwyn, an all-time famous American film producer, gave $1 million to Coco Chanel for designing the costumes for films produced by the MGM. Her first costume collaboration was that same year for the film Palmy Days, a musical comedy with Charlotte Greenwood. Eight years later Coco collaborated with Jean Renoir on “The Rules of the Game”, with Nora Gregor in the lead role. By finding the common language, which gave them an additional profit, these two industries began their, to this date, endless journey. And here we present some of the most famous examples through the decades, when they successfully managed to refine and upgrade the image of the perfect relationship film and fashion have. →

Audrey Hepburn in Givency in the opening scene of "Breakfast at Tiffany's" 23

and she’s playing a prostitute. Deneuve and Laurent collaborated also on La Chamade (1968) and Mississippi Mermaid (1969). The Queen Elizabeth’s favourite fashion designer Hardy Amies designed the wardrobe for Cary Grant in 1960 The Grass Is Greener and some famous garments for Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 sci-fi 2001: A Space Odyssey. Even Paco Rabanne tried the film industry. He designed the costumes for Barbarella, 1968 French-Italian sci-fi film, with Jane Fonda in the title role.

Catherine Deneuve in "Belle de Jour" 50s Even though all started back in the 30s, the 50s were the decade where this relationship developed more firmly. And, as often happens, it started with a controversy – allegedly, Edith Head, the 1954 Sabrina’s official costume designer made an iconic black cocktail dress for Audrey Hepburn’s role for the film. However, French designer Hubert de Givenchy claimed that Head made the dress, but using his design. Later on, Head won an Oscar for her designs for the film. Givenchy collaborated with his muse Audrey for her role in the 1957 musical Funny Face, which includes the iconic red gown. After her success in the 30s, in 1958 Coco Chanel collaborated with the French genius Louis Malle for his ground-breaking classic Les Amants, in which Jeanne Moreau wore a series of stunning Chanel dresses.

"The Great Gatsby" 1974 70s American designer Ralph Lauren marked the 70s with two big hits – 1974 Jack Clayton’s romantic drama The Great Gatsby and iconic 1977 Woody Allen’s Annie Hall, with Diane Keaton. Lauren specially focused on her khaki pants, vests, and the tie worn thorough the film.

60s

80s

The 50s were successful, but not as much as the beginning of the 60s, thanks to 1961's Breakfast at Tiffany’s, for which Hubert de Givenchy dressed Audrey again i.e. Holly Golightly. He was responsible for one of the most iconic pieces of fashion in the history of cinema - Hepburn's little black dress worn in the film. Worn with a set of pearls, this dress remains one of the most notorious garments ever featured on the screen. Six years after Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Yves Saint Laurent was responsible for another fashion hit - he dressed Catherine Deneuve’s character in Luis Bunuel’s 1967 Belle du Jour. Ironically, Deneuve’s clothes is rather unsexy

Although the film was officially costumed by Bernadene C. Mann, Giorgio Armani was the one who designed the suits for Richard Gere in American Gigolo (1980). Armani also designed the wardrobe for the Brian de Palma’s The Untouchables, (1987). He also designed specific pieces for the stars' wardrobes, e.g. for Eddie Murphy in 48 Hours (1982). The 80s brought another fashion genius and eccentric to the movie screen, Jean Paul Gaultier. His first film collaboration was on the wardrobe for 1989 The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover, directed by CBE Peter Greenaway. However, eight years later, Gaultier will make his most famous piece.

FOCUS While Gianni Versace made costumes for Judge Dredd (1995), Nino Cerruti created the entire wardrobe for Pretty Woman (1990). In 1998 Donna Karan helped Alfonso Cuaron capture the magic of the famous Dicken’s story in Great Expectations. 00s and the upcoming film couture

In 1997 he created a total of 954 costumes for Luc Besson’s futuristic sci-fi film The Fifth Element. However, the most illustrious piece among those was the white bandage dress worn by Milla Jovovich. He also created the neon orange tank top worn by Bruce Willis. Gaultier focused on the film industry almost entire decade, collaborating with Pedro Almodovar on several movies. He shocked the audience with a dress with exploding bloodsplattered plastic breasts worn by Victoria Abril in 1993 Kika.

Gaultier's designs for "The Fifth Element"

90s

Richard Gere in Armani, "American Gigolo"

After Kika, Gaultier and Almodovar worked together again on 2004 Bad Education, on Gael Garcia Bernal’s ball gown, and upcoming The Skin I Live In. For this purpose, he used a version of his all over flesh-coloured bodysuit that he showcased back in 1991 Paris Winter show. For her 2006 film Marie Antoinette Sofia Coppola asked the Spanish shoe master, Manolo Blahnik to design shoes fit for the Queen of France. The collaboration ended with fabulous frilly, candy-coloured shoes worn by Kirsten Dunst. Design sisters Laura and Kate Mulleavy of Rodarte designed some of the most memorable ballet costumes for the 2010 film Black Swan and the leading role, the Oscar winner Natalie Portman. Mulleavy sisters also made some practise tutus and a white feather cape, which unfortunately never made it to the film. While Giorgio Armani designed the suits for Jodie Foster’s character in 2013 Elysium, Raf Simons for Jil Sander designed Tilda Swinton's wardrobe for the film I am love. However, this decade is marked by 40 stunning pieces created by Miuccia Prada for the last years Baz Luhramn’s The Great Gatsby. The looks were inspired by some examples from the Miu Miu and Prada archive. →

FOCUS

Sisters Rodarte for "Black Swan" Manolo Blahnik for "Marie Antoinette"

As far as the upcoming collaborations, Raf Simons comes back in the film industry. On behalf of the Christian Dior house, he will costume Luca Guadigno’s film Body Art, starring Isabelle Huppert and Sigourney Weaver. Undoubtedly, the impact of the connection of fashion and film goes far. Depending on the nature of a character, the result of deciding and reasoning of the outfit for every role in a film can be crucial. By picking a specific designer, film directors take into consideration several elements, and emotions are surely one of the most important ones. They need to know how to transfer the character’s feelings onto the garment. Because, in the end, the designer’s dress highlights Audrey Hepburn’s hopelessness or Catherine Deneuve’s impurity. Fashion is an essential tool in the craft of conveying a meaning through film. We can even say that films provide a dictionary and an archive for fashionable quotations, whether verbal or visual. What’s said and seen on the film may be followed in the same way people follow trends from the catwalks. And people would want to dig and find out who made it. Is it true when they say that a film offers fashion to the masses, thus being an avenue to its democratisation? Possible. But what is definite is that, when working together, they work in both fashion and film’s favour. g

"Isn't elegance forgetting what one is wearing?" Yves Saint Laurent

FOCUS

Keeping the art on the catwalk With fashion designers constantly getting inspiration from the various art forms, we look back and forward of how the art, when transformed into an illustrated inspiration primer, brings new life to clothing and accessories

Tate Modern opens its As doors for Henri Matisse

and the exhibition of his paper collages, and catwalks are embracing the art look, the bond between fashion and art today seems even stronger than it was a decade ago. Paintings, drawings, sculptures, artwork, dance – from traditional art, the Renaissance, the Humanism era, through 16th century explorations, through the Rococo and the NeoClassicism, the Romanticism, the Realism and the Art Nouveau, to nowadays modern and contemporary and abstract forms, fashion and art have been linked for centuries. And the importance of this link has been manifested through aesthetics of catwalks, in advertising campaigns, editorials and street fashion, therefore embracing the everyday cause and effect relationship that

fashion and art experience. This two-way communication goes back to at least the Renaissance era, states Alice Macrell in her book “Art and Fashion”. Artists like Jacopo Bellini, Antonio del Pollaiuolo and Antonio Pisanello, were not only depicting fashion in their paintings, they were also creating costume models and designing textile patterns and embroidery. Leaving the Renaissance era, the Flemish Baroque artist known as Rubens was producing costume studies for his subject paintings and portraits. Thomas Gainsborough, English portrait painter, captured the liveliness of the Rococo through fashion. Later on, through the Neo-Classical movement and the Romanticism, fashion became more fresh and individual. Along with the Impressionism and the Realism,

the artwork brought the new contemporary way of dressing up, transforming women into a modern vision of the painter’s imagination. When the Art Nouveau created a diversity of trends, the Surrealism struck with the new image of a woman. By translating it into the clothing, that surrealistic image was brought by none else than Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel. With the father of the Surrealism himself, Salvador Dali, Elsa Schiaparelli made a new avenue in fashion. They collaborated on two of the most iconic dresses of the 1930’s, with the organza dress with painted lobster being one of them. Naturally, the dress was inspired by Dali’s famous surrealistic object, “The Lobster Telephone”. But over the recent years, it seems that the relationship

between art and fashion has hit a new level, and that one of the biggest trends in fashion is to tie it in what’s seen in the galleries. Ready-to-wear collections are becoming more closely related to the drawings, expressed through colours and shapes of art forms. A lot of big brands are now putting more energy into designing their pieces with a splash of art. These movements reflect the profound comfort that occurs when the fantasy behind the paintings comes alive on the catwalk. For many the creativity is the key – the bridge that connects these two spheres. The imagination must never stop travelling and through decades and centuries that imagination gave some pretty effective bold lines in clothing, rectangular and trapezoid-shaped accessories, which seem to give off a scent of a gallery land. The pieces are often taken from the image of a kaleidoscope, and therefore highlight the importance of art being biggest liaison to fashion. The proof of fashion’s equal cultural relevance as art is vividly everywhere. Pierre

Celine

Bergé, the keeper of the Yves Saint Laurent’s legacy used to say that Saint Laurent was an artist, underlining that even Andy Warhol himself had proclaimed YSL as “the biggest French artist of our time.” The exhibition “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York placed the designer among very traditional artists, which additionally gave his evening gowns almost the same value as some art objects from centuries ago. During his creations Henri Matisse was always interested in fashion, and a lot of designers still reference him and his work. For example, Paul Smith was always captivated by the “exceptional way he puts colours together and mixes patterns”. So what’s the situation nowadays? Where is art on the catwalk? As far as the fashion industry, 2014 was definitely inspired by several art forms, and catwalks were walking exhibitions. It seemed like the designers spent hours in the galleries before making the collections. This season portraits were splashed across shirts and skirts, and coats were edged with giant brushstrokes. Jil Sander used collage prints inspired by Alighiero Boetti, a famous Italian conceptual artist, while Roksanda Ilincic tuned in with Cubist jugsaw artwork by Gary Card, a designer and illustrator. LK Bennett included a Monet paint splatters on shoes, YMC had Rothko’s bold brushstrokes on dresses and Chanel has sprayed the graffiti on bags, thus paying an homage to street art. S/S 2014 Celine runway was full of their trademark covetable totes with a glance of art effect. Trademark colours were replaced with graffiti strokes and this art theme continued on their accessories as well, and not only bags but also

Burberry

jewellery. With a hint of some of the most recognisable Piet Mondrian’s motifs, this season is playful, practical and very chic. For its S/S 2014 collection, Zac Posen borrowed some lightness from the Impressionist era to effectively highlight his vision of a woman, and latest Dolce & Gabbana accessories have a dash of Sicilian rococo flow. Even Salvatore Ferragamo turned to architecture for his S/S 2014 inspiration. Influenced by the work of the architect Miguel Angel Aragones, the designer made very sharp geometric pieces, focusing on Miguel’s minimalism. London Fashion Week was surely the place to be for the clash of art and fashion, vividly present on the Burberry catwalk. The first women →

FOCUS collection by the new Burberry’s CEO Christopher Bailey was full of Matisse-like big flowers spread on every single piece of clothing and accessories. Bailey focused on art inspired pieces as if they were splashed directly with brushstrokes on the cape-like trench coats and opentoe ankle heels that perfectly match with oversized handbags. And Milan Fashion Week followed the trend, with Miuccia Prada’s colour-burst collection. The collection was entirely inspired by Mexican muralists and the film industry - the famous German film noir “The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant” by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. The dresses were splashed with huge specially commissioned portraits. Thanks to Prada’s bold overcoats with zingy orange patterns on the catwalk, shopping became a fun and technicolour dance with clothes and accessories. Even the resort collections couldn’t avoid the art effect. Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli referenced the magical, colourful world of Frida Kahlo for Valentino resort 2015. With Frida Kahlo as one of their jumping-off points for Resort, parrots and monkeys— both of which appeared in the artist's famous self-portraits— played starring roles in their new collection. The art hits the jewellery designs very often. Austrian jewellery mansion Frey Wille

has a special art-inspired collection every year. In the last decade, the collections included motifs by some of the most famous artists in the world, such as Gustav Klimt, Claude Monet and Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Mayfair jeweller Lucas Rarities has 14 abstract expressionism pieces, which were manufactured in the 1960s, inspired by the works of Wassil Kandinsky. However, the loudest examples of the communication between art and fashion are through collaborations. Stella McCartney’s newest collaboration includes fabulous drawings of women and their faces by Gary Hume, an English artist who is famous for drawings of people portrayed through two or three colours. McCartney said that this collaboration represents the marriage between fashion and art by bringing Gary’s work to life. On the other side of the English Channel, Marni used the works of three visionary artists for the latest range of its shirts and totes, as part of their pre-fall collection. The works of Francois-Xavier TavySacley, Christophe Joubert and Stefano Favaro will be the covers of Marni’s casual clothing and accessories. Design collaborations nowadays are considered a mandatory thing. And every year H&M surprise its fans with some unusual one. To commemorate the retail’s flagship store opening in New York’s Fifth Avenue, H&M is partnering with Jeff Koons, a

Prada very famous American artist of banality and balloon art. Koon’s most famous “Yellow Balloon Dog” will appear on the limited edition bag available from July 17. And the art effect doesn’t stop there! H&M’s store will be shaped as an art museum, with herringbone woodwork, mirrors, vitrines, and pillars. Sometimes dubbed as the poor statement of an art form, fashion managed to prove its power in the inevitable mixture of these two forms. After all, the relationship between a woman and her objects de désir is quite intense. And if we use art to reconstruct emotions and communicate the sentiments, I’m sure that fashion too screams the way we scream, and cry the way we cry. Undoubtedly, the relationship between art and fashion has ambiguous interpretations. Today’s fashion industry plays by the same rules art did and still do, and their respective realms of creativity permeate through this liaison which can, overnight, easily become a new art form. Maybe it already is? g

Jeff Koons and H&M

“Fashion is not necessarily about labels. It’s not about brands. It’s about something else that comes from within you.” Ralph Lauren

“I’m all about quality of life and less stress“

silent and colourful Cheshire Street, in the heart of Shoreditch in London, quite effectively mirrors the beauty of a little store I’m about to enter. Located between two artisan shops and surrounded by numerous vintage ones, a jewellery studio called “Comfort Station” undoubtedly stands out. Wonderful and talented owner a Londonborn Fine Artist Amy Anderson arrives in the studio on a bike, which momentarily reminds me of Vivienne Westwood. With a cheerful smile and natural appearance, she kindly invites me in and asks me to wait for a few minutes. Although the studio is rather small, its plainness and evident beauty surely compensate for its size. In accordance with that plain ambience, the conceptual jewellery is nicely placed on antique books, wood cases and white walls. Just across the main entrance beautiful crockery and porcelain is placed on an antique table, which reflects the store’s uniqueness. While looking around the studio and thinking what and how should I photograph the jewellery, I realised how easy hard work, talent and skills can drive you to your aim, and how lucky you should be if you achieve it. “Comfort Station” is exactly that – a true image of what London’s talent can offer nowadays. Maybe I wasn’t that lucky to become a prima ballerina (I shouldn’t have left the ballet school after 5 years of dancing), but I was lucky enough to speak to the wonderful and talented Londoner, Amy Anderson. 32

INTERVIEW Iridescent: Have you always wanted to design jewellery? Amy: No, I fell into this by accident. I studied Art, Sculpture and Photography. When I left college I set up a market stall with clothes, handbags and some accessories. [Before that] I went to India and I bought lots of fabrics of which I made a few things. I came back here and started selling them [on the market stall]. I focused on handbags for a really long time. Besides the market stall, I started selling them to other shops. After that I started doing some designs for the London Fashion Week, after which I begun selling to even more shops. And finally, I got this shop. I stopped with the market stall, and continue selling to other shops. I always struggled with the factories, and getting into production. While I was doing one particular collection my samples didn’t arrive. I was waiting for 40 handbags and people from the factory kept saying “they’re coming, they’re coming”. But they never came. Two weeks before the show I was like ‘I’ve got these very expensive shows to do and I can’t get the money back, what am I going to do’. So I thought, ‘I’ll just make some jewellery’ so that I have something to put on the stand. After eight sample handbags arrived, I put lots of jewellery with them. And at the end everyone went crazy for the jewellery. So I thought, ‘Hm, this is a lot easier than dealing with the factory’. Next season I did more jewellery and less handbags, and the next even more jewellery… gradually, the jewellery just went crazy. Iridescent: The number of jewellery just went up I guess… Amy: Yeah, and then I was like ‘I love handbags and I love designing them’ but the problem with production and getting them made…it’s so hard. With jewellery you can oversee it all. All factory is basically here… Ir: You made yourself your own boss… Amy: I can guarantee the quality, I can guaranty the delivery and I can guaranty everything. It’s so much less stressful. I’m all about quality of life and less stress. It’s just as enjoyable and you can turn this immediately. It is much less waist. Ir: What do you think is the reason we wear jewellery? Are we trying to express something in particular with it? Amy: I think a lot of people wear jewellery for a lot of different reasons. Jewellery is really nice because it is a sentimental thing, much more than clothing for example. People give them as gifts, people give it to mean things, to express things and to symbolize things. And that’s what’s really nice. We do a lot wedding rings and similar. People use it to say sorry.

Ir: To say something personal… Amy: Yeah, or for a very big birthday for example. People hold on to jewellery because it has that kind of a heritage thing. I’ve got a couple who just got married and they had their wedding rings from their family who are Hungarian. They kept it secretly from the Nazis and it didn’t fit them. But we melt it down and made their wedding rings with it. Ir: I noticed you mix a lot of things. You don’t only focus on one type of metal, silver for example, you mix a lot. Is that important for you? Amy: I don’t think there’s a specific meaning in mixing things, it’s a matter of visual aesthetics. I just don’t like focusing on one thing. I find just silver boring, or just gold boring. I like to do some all silver or all gold thing, but that’s just a matter of variations. There are a lot of our customers who only want gold, or only want silver, but some don’t even care. Ir: I noticed that a lot of your collections have sea or ocean elements. Amy: Each of our collection has a different theme. The current collection is called “Into the deep” which has a nautical element. And that one is about ocean. But we have done collections on “luck”, “star”, “poison”…lots of different things. Ir: You’ve been on London Fashion Week as you mentioned before. How important was that for you and your work, especially being a Londoner yourself? Amy: Not very. (laugh) I like London Fashion Week, but I wouldn’t say that was that important. I think its profile is taking quite seriously but it’s not the show that it used to be when I started. It was a much bigger thing and it pulled a lot more buyers from around the world. However, now it’s a quite affair. It’s much more the profile of it rather than the actual trade show, which is a shame. That’s the reason I stopped doing it. Ir: Have you ever collaborated with a fashion designer? Amy: I have done some collaborations in the past. I think it should fit; if it is the right person, I would do it. I like doing collaborations. I’m trying to get a different artists friend to do the crockery at the moment. I’ve designed my latest collection, but I’m hoping to get a friend of mine who’s an amazing

Scan the code for exclusive photographs and close-ups of the finest jewellery pieces from "Comfort Station" →

INTERVIEW illustrator to do a little range for us. I like the idea of having different artists doing different pieces. Ir: What are you working on right now? Amy: For our tenth birthday this spring we are finishing up a special one-off piece which will be available online and in the shop. Ir: And you won’t uncover anything else ? (laugh) Amy: No, no, I can (laugh). It’s really nice. It’s a personalized piece. You will be able to put your own coordinates in it and get that engraved on a pendant. Ir: That’s amazing! A lot of designers did that this year. A lot of them included the engraving into their pieces, making clothing and handbags personalized. For example, Longchamp made a collection where you can put your initials on the bag… Amy: Oh yes, it’s very cool. It’s something we have been doing for years in the shop. We do it with rings. A lot of people get their wedding rings personalized with coordinates. Coordinates are one of our signature pieces. Ir: Let’s talk about your designs for a moment. Do you draw them on a paper, or you use the computer? How difficult do you find this process? Amy: I do a lot of sketching. I tend to scribble and note down what’s in my head. I am quite manual, and I do a lot of actual designing on the mannequin. There are very few things I have from start to finish in my head. Normally it’s only a part of the design in my head. Ir: And you’ll finish it on the way… Amy: Yeah, it’s still a manual job… Ir: Approximately, how long does it take for a piece to be made? A ring for example, from start to finish…the design and than making the piece? Amy: I can spend forever designing something. Once the design is finished, making it doesn’t take very long. It’s a nightmare to make some pieces because it requires a lot of your time. Some are really labour of love and some are really cost effective. It depends on the item. But it can happen that you spend ages on some items. We have rings here that are not so difficult to make, but the engraving takes a lot of time because it needs to be perfect. Ir: It doesn’t apply here that if something is bigger it’s more difficult to make? Amy: Generally the cost shows how difficult something was made. Ir: I was just about to ask how do you decide on the prices… Amy: A lot of the pricing is down to the amount of precious metal it has. In some cases it has a lot of

The designer Amy Anderson in the store setting the jewellery stand gold and less silver. Some pieces are very simple but sometimes there’s a big amount of metal in it. Some pieces are much easier to polish and some take more time…Normally it’s a mixture of the amount of precious metals and time. Ir: I have a very difficult question that probably all designers hate…your favourite piece is...? Amy: I really don’t know. (laugh) That depends on the day. Ir: How about on a rainy day like today? (laugh) Amy: Yesterday I was all about the sirens. Today maybe some of the old pieces…Maybe my favourite piece is not even in the store because we sold a lot of items. Ir: What advice would you give to young, aspiring jewellery designers? Amy: It changed so much since I started out. I would probably advise them to gain as much experience as they can. You don’t really have the experimental markets as you used to, so it’s a lot harder to set up a shop now. However I would say that they should get as much experience with some other ateliers and see how all works. g

â&#x20AC;&#x153;What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language.â&#x20AC;? Miuccia Prada

TREND

Kick off and kit ON! What the stars are wearing at the World Cup that will help them compete on the pitch, whatever their skill level is

This month we are talking about football from several angles, and this one, for some, might be the most unusual: football and fashion. However, the proofs of the importance and the success of the mix of sport and fashion can be seen on almost every corner. Aside the fact that Stella McCartney makes collections for Adidas every season, she was the one behind every piece of Olympic and Paralympic kits for the 2012 London Olympics. Across the Ocean, Ralph Lauren kitted out the US Olympic team both for London and the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. The pitch fever is starting on 12th of June and football fans are making serious preparations for the 21-day long camping in front of the TV. Along with the snacks and beer, the most important and inevitable accessory for watching a football match is the kit. Whether old, new or the vintage one, wearing a country’s kit while the ball is rolling on the TV screen gives an additional impetus to your cheer. So what about the designs of the 2014 World Cup kits? Every time Euro or World Cup is held, they become the biggest warzones for the fight over the kits, and that fight is usually between Nike and Adidas. And for the first time Nike is winning: they kitted out more teams - 10 out of 32 finalists - including the hosts, Brazil. Adidas on the other hand designed the kits for the nine teams, including reigning champions Spain, Argentina and Germany. The footballers, when leaving the lockerooms, are being stylish believe it or not. So let’s see some of the most stylish jerseys from this year’s World Cup. g Note: Even the FIFA World Cup 2014 trophy travels in style – in a Louis Vuitton suitcase!

The 2014 England features tailored fit ventilated sweat-wicking fabric for pro-level comfort. Nike focused on the simplicity and elegance, with the upper V, which gives additional macho effect. The kit goes with nowadays trend of white combined with the blue Nike’s sign. White is always trendy, no?

A special double-knit fabric made for comfortable warmth and lower collar and sleek design, gives this Nike kit a very modern look. A darkish red colour and red hoops makes the kit smart and sharp. Additionally, V-neck and bright red underneath, with white highlighted Nike makes it memorable.

Adidas climacool simple stripy shirt with typical Argentinian look. A golden stripe on the side of the jersey, underlining the colour of their badge, gives this jersey a less dull look. However, I am sure Lionel Messi won’t be bothered much by the potential effect of a dull kit. His skills are his spotlight.

TREND

Missoni

Dolce & Gabbana

Balmain

Marni

If there is a competition on this year’s World Cup for the most interesting and unique kit, Ghana would win. While the jersey is generally white, the new Puma’s kit for Ghana is very stylish yes simple, with a dash of fashion surprise. It all goes to the collar of the jersey, where Puma made a very specific design inspired by the Kente cloth, a multi-coloured pattern of bright colours, typical for this country.

WORLD CUP 2014 BALL

Nike introduced the new cooling technology, along with laser cut side panels for added ventilation where the players need the most. Engineered mesh back is added with ultra soft dry-fit fabric that keeps body cool and comfortable. Colours on the kit highlights the geography and demographics.

Adidas has been designing and supplying the match ball for the World Cup since 1970 and will continue to do so at least until 2030. However, this year Adidas has some big names as competition. Around 31 fashion mansions decided to contribute to the World Cup 2014 and created a special edition football. Those include Balmain, Roberto Cavalli, Marni, Dolce & Gabbana and Missoni, among others. Under the project “Make Kids Happy”, organised by Adidas and luxury shopping site LUISAVIAROMA, by using the Adidas 2014 World Cup ball designers made their own stylish versions. The balls will be on Ebay auction on Monday 16th June, and all the money from the auction will go to the Gol de Letra Foundation, a Brazilian NGO that develops projects with the aim of assisting children and young people to embrace knowledge, culture and citizenship. www.luisaviaroma.com