Plumes Magazine

PLUME S Summer 2012, issue n° 1

£12 €14.50 $18 Printed in the UK

Photography by Jan Lessner

INDEX 9

Editor’s Letter

11

Contributors

14

Modern Couture Mary Katrantzou and Atelier Lesage team up for a fantastical collaboration

16

Aesop’s Natural Luxuries A look at the plant-based Aussie remedies

18

1000 Flavours Exploring Nopi's flavours

22

Taroudant Calm Bazaars in January

38

Less But Better A look at Thomas Tait’s subtle revolution

42

The Business of Creativity Following the buyers at London Fashion Week

51

Dungeness A day in the Shingle

72

First Thursdays A visit to Vyner Street open-air art fest

76

Maypole A preview

7

Photo from petsdaus.com

Editor’s Letter What’s new? What’s the season’s top trend? What’s should I be wearing this summer? These are not questions Plumes is trying answer. We observe the world, whether fashion, travel or culture and present interesting and alternative perspectives. In fashion, Plumes strives to present the most exciting young talents the world has to offer. We’re focusing on London’s designers in this issue. I sat down with Thomas Tait, the extremely talented but reserved star of the London fashion scene to talk about his approach to designing his timelessly elegant pieces. During the London shows in February, I followed Ken Downing, the fashion director of American retail giant Neiman Marcus, to several shows and spoke to him and several other buyers about their approach in selecting young talents for their very different stores.

Dungeness, a sleepy village in Kent, was our destination for the photo shoot by Jan Lessner where we spent a very windy day between light houses, abandonesd fishing boats and Derek Jarman’s house presenting the best of the season focusing on sharp cuts and colour.

Our travels took us to Taroudant in the south of Morocco, a beautiful and unexplored city in a country oversaturated with touristic offerings.

It also helped that twenty degrees Celsius in January is bitter cold winter for Moroccans, which minimised the often-dreaded hassle of the streets and markets.

In the culture section, we looked to East London’s Vyner Street where galleries open their doors late for the art-hungry and wine-thirsty once every month. We also give you a preview of our exclusive film ‘Maypole’ in collaboration with filmmaker Thomas Durrant, which can be viewed on our website.

We hope you enjoy this first issue and please save the date for our trunk show with Thomas Tait on the 15th of June!

9

Contributors

Sara Varela – Art Direction

Jan Lessner – Photographer

The Portuguese-born graphic designer was the voice of reason behind this publication.

Sara is a soon-to-be graduate from Central Saint Martin College of Art and Design, a design fanatic and talented photographer.

Jan does not believe in easy. His eye for lighting and composition makes for an eery glamour so crisp that retouch becomes an afterthought. He is currently based in Germany working between Hamburg and Berlin.

Ross Cosgrove – Hair Stylist

Camila Fernandes – Make-up Artist

Not only was Ross responsible for our cover model’s beautiful locks, he also ensured a safe journey to the location by reminding the very European designated driver to watch the road.

He currently works at Vision in Shoreditch and works freelance on set.

Freelance make-up artist Camila has been working on shoots, shows and with celebrity clients for years. Her creativity is definitely on par with her zen attitude. She made our day shooting in Dungeness a very relaxed affair.

Photos courtesy of Dan Burn-Forti

NOTES

Photo from animaldiscovery.com

PLUMES | Notes

Modern Couture Mary Katrantzou and Atelier Lesage team up for a fantastical collaboration.

G

reek-born maven of print Mary Katrantzou has been

Spring/Summer 2011 saw her breakout collection featuring

one of the most sought-after designers on the London

prints of art deco furniture, swimming pools and fringed

Fashion Week schedule for the past few seasons.

lampshade skirts contradicting the seemingly cacophonous

International stockists including Dover Street Market in

references with perfect symmetry and knife sharp cuts.

London and Hong Kong’s Lane Crawford have embraced

Topshop’s Newgen scheme, which supports emerging

her colourful and cerebral but also flattering and wearable

designers in London by providing a space for their shows

pieces. Her inspiration taken from interiors and everyday

and a several international showrooms for buyers and

objects translates very literally into her designs.

press to attend, has helped Katrantzou enormously.

PLUMES | Notes

“It was great that I was able to grow in this environment,” she said about the London Showrooms initiative which takes the selected designers’ collections to showrooms in Paris, New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong to name a few.

Throughout the following seasons, she has continued her crusade for prints with skirts painted as Ming Dynasty vases, Swarovski encrusted images of dumpsters against a sea of tulips and, most recently for Autumn/Winter 2012, antique Swiss typewriters, an army of crayons and a giant print of a blue plastic watch stretching over a dress like a wrestler’s trophy belt.

Ironically, it was her Autumn collection’s seemingly banal references that introduced her into the hallowed ranks of haute couture.

The Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture is a tightly controlled institution with only a handful of members such as Chanel, Christian Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier and strict rules regarding the acceptance of new designers. Yet for her Autumn/Winter 2012 collection, the fabled Parisian embroidery atelier Maison Lesage collaborated with Katrantzou on embellishments that pushed the envelope for everybody involved. The house most famous for its decades-spanning partnership with Chanel Haute Couture had never worked with a London-based designer in the past and rarely ventures out of the realms of unique pieces, yet this collaboration will definitely be a milestone for both parties.

Embroidery was fully integrated into her prints, sometimes only visible upon closer inspection. Though sometimes obscured, they give a three-dimensional feeling to the garments. What appeared to be a fitted printed dress with a yellow swirl on its skirt turned out to be the upper halves of HB pencils, meticulously applied

by Lesage after Katrantzou and her team had “bought up and cut every pencil in East London.”

Although, as any couturier will confirm “thou shalt not speak of your clients”, rumour has it that Katrantzou has already established a base of customers who order her clothes in all their jewel-encrusted and architectural glory. Katrantzou just might be on her way to reinvent Haute Couture for the modern woman. AF Photos courtesy of Mary Katratzou

www.marykatrantzou.com

15

PLUMES | Notes

Aesop’s Natural Luxuries A look at the plant-based Aussie remedies

T

he brown glass bottles and jars in Aesop’s shops are

Testing the products, smelling them and feeling them on

not unlike an antique pharmacy’s old assortment. The

the skin are an integral part of the Aesop experience. The

Australian skincare company was founded in 1987 and

sales assistants, or Retail Consultants as the company calls

has remained independent ever since. At the cosmetics

them, are engaging but know when to leave the customer

company’s Shoreditch boutique in East London, wooden

to browse in peace. It is during the consultation that the

shelves and matte metal sinks suggest an old-world

sink – prevalent in every store – comes in handy; the tap

aesthetic. Outside the entrance on Redchurch Street,

starts running and the air fills with a herbal scent while

two pump-bottles of moisturisers invite passers-by to

the consultant lathers up the customer’s hands with the

test the products.

Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser.

Photo courtesy of Aesop

16

PLUMES | Notes

After the gentle wash and drying off, a moisturiser is suggested

Dozens of glass bottles lined on the shelves invite the

for the customer’s skin type. Although somewhat unexpected

customer to open them and smell the products In Aesop’s

in theory, Aesop’s hands-on retail assistance is a very personable

case, the nose seems to be a very important factor in choosing

experience. The products range from facial cleansers,

the right products, although the company claims that smells

moisturisers and shampoos to more niche mixtures such as

are just a consequence of the carefully selected plant-based

facial oils, laundry detergents and even a pet shampoo.

ingredients. Twenty-five years into the brand’s existence, Aesop’s focus is still first and foremost the ingredients and

Sold in freestanding boutiques from London to Hong Kong and

benefits of the products. With every product developed

selected retailers around the world, Aesop is definitely a silent

and tested in the company’s own laboratory in Australia,

brand in terms of self-promotion and marketing. Information

the products are constantly evolving by relying on research

about the company seems to travel by word of mouth as people

and customer feedback. On April 1st, 2012 the company

often find themselves lured in by the shops’ exteriors and stay

proved their sense of humour when they released the “post-

because of the captivating smells. Indeed, an Aesop boutique

poo drops,” a powerful scent in a pipette bottle designed to

seems to be conceived for exploring.

minimise the olfactory impact of a visit to the restroom. AF www.aesop.com

17

PLUMES | Notes

1000 Flavours Exploring Nopi’s flavours

Y

otam Ottolenghi’s first high-end restaurant makes a

It had been a busy day in Central London on the Saturday

surprising first impression. Nopi’s walls are entirely tiled

I visited Nopi for the first time. Shoppers and tourists were

with white ceramic squares. Though this might sound

scurrying through the streets umbrellas overhead, trying to escape

cold and sterile in theory, the mixture of wooden floors

the moody spring weather but once I entered the restaurant just

and minimalist oil lamps of brass and glass along the walls

off Regent Street, a certain calm came over me as I inhaled the

make for a very welcoming atmosphere, quite the feat for

subtle scent of Middle Eastern spices wafting through the air.

an up-market restaurant that has caused a big stir around

Nopi’s waiters are dressed in black with a single brass circle on

London and endless waiting lists for reservations since its

their shirts’ collar, a recurring theme in the restaurant representing

opening in autumn, 2011.

the letter O from the establishment’s name.

Photos courtesy of Nopi

18

PLUMES | Notes

The brass O also appears in the form of napkin rings, on the brim of

Nopi’s dishes are decidedly less rustic in comparison to Ottolenghi’s

espresso cups and above hanging above the entrance like an antique

typical dishes. Vast plates of appetisers and salads are on display

store symbol.

in the middle of the room, where the waiters portion the food individually for guests. This makes for a very homely atmosphere.

The dashing Ottolenghi hails from Tel Aviv and has lived in London for

On the day of my visit I chose the burrata on blood orange slices

over fourteen years. Upon finishing Le Cordon Bleu, the classic French

topped with coriander seeds for starters. The cheese had the texture

cookery school, in Marylebone, he started working as a pastry

of buffalo mozzarella but the inside was much more creamy and

chef before opening his first eponymous restaurant in 2002. Since

rich in flavour which was complimented by the spicy crunch of the

then he has developed a new language of cooking with fruits and

seeds. After this, I opted for roasted pork belly, which was incredibly

vegetables creating signature dishes such as burned mushrooms with

soft and combined with caramelised Nashi pear and a grape mustard

cinnamon and lemon juice or honeyed sweet potato with spinach

jus. The crushed potatoes with roasted garlic were too intense with

and chickpeas made even more popular with a weekly column in the

the pork but complimented the green lentils that I had ordered

Guardian. Although heavily influenced by his Israeli roots, Ottolenghi’s

as a side. Portions are small and meant for sharing, which is very

dishes do not taste distinctly Middle Eastern. Through a versatile

much advisable as trying the complex flavours Nopi has to offer are

and imaginative use of ingredients from around the world, he fuses

probably the best part of the experience. AF

cuisines seamlessly.

www.nopi-restaurant.com

19

DESTINATION

Photo by BBC

TAROUDANT Photography by Zsolt Fekete

PLUMES | Destination

Taroudant Calm Bazaars in January

A

fter a two-hour flight from London, the bumpy ride

through the Atlas Mountains was a suitable introduction to the unexplored side of Morocco. Rocks, olive trees and cacti that line the road from Marrakesh form stunning scenery that appears nearly untouched by the mountains’ residents.

The sun setting over the snowy peaks made the near endless slalom up and downhill a meditative experience in itself.

Taroudant, the “Grandmother of Marrakesh”, is one of the last regions places in Morocco untouched by budget tourism and the westernisation that the constant tourist influx through low-cost airlines has forced upon many other places in the country. Indeed, visitors are often greeted (if greeted at all) in a very laid-back way, quite unlike the hassle and hollering of market vendors in Fez or Marrakesh. The city’s low-key and relaxed pace attracts people who seek a private and unique escape. Farah Diba, the wife of the late Shah of Iran spends months in her Taroudant Riad and former French president Jacques Chirac is a yearly guest at La Gazelle d’Or, a five-star lodge hotel claimed to be one of Africa’s most luxurious.

January is an unusual time to visit but the combination of winter calm and sunshine in 20 degrees gave the experience quite a authentic feel because the lack of travellers makes the town relatively independent on foreign money. This allows for an unspoiled insight into a Maghreb trader town that has changed little in the past centuries.

I stayed at Riad Dar Dzahra, a renovated Moroccan-style townhouse hidden in the Medina, the old core of the city surrounding the bazaar. Yves, the charmingly French owner and manager, acquired the house three years ago in a state of ruin. “You cannot build a house without a donkey here,” he told me, “because no car or truck gets through these narrow streets to transport building material.”

You cannot build a house without a donkey here”, he told me, “because no car or truck gets through these narrow streets to transport building material.

24

The vaults of a traditional Agadir with wooden doors holding the villagers’ grains and other valuables.

After two years of meticulous work and dedication using ancient

Hand-carved beds and wardrobes and mosaic bathrooms evoke

Moroccan building techniques, he turned the old house into a

a distinctly Oriental feeling without the regrettable kitsch that

ten-room auberge, meaning hostel in French, but is much more

often confront travellers in the Maghreb.

comparable to a very luxurious bed and breakfast. A rather inconspicuous door leads into a yard with a mosaic fountain

Considering that I travelled outside the tourist season, I was

surrounded by yellow mud walls covered in green plants and

not surprised that the Riad was nearly empty. The swimming

beautifully crafted metal lanterns. Brahem, the rather shy but

pool in the garden was empty yet the parasols and sun loungers

friendly porter, waiter, concierge, and assistant cook, and Samia

were set up as if to say that the sun could be enjoyed but it’s

the chef are the only visible employees of the Riad during the

still winter for Moroccans. Don’t make yourself look like a fool

slower winter season. The rooms are decorated with meticulous

in your bikini while we’re still wearing the parkas.

detail and craftsmanship.

25

PLUMES | Destination

Taroudant is located in the Sous Valley, a savannah region

Indeed, the mix between Berber and Arab culture is still

in the country’s southwest separated from the Sahara

very prominent in the city. Berber women with tattooed

by the Anti-Atlas. Driving through the countryside, the

hands hailing from the mountains come to the souks –

Atlas mountains are nearly always visible in the horizon,

typical oriental markets – to sell their jewellery and knitted

especially in the winter when the snow on the peaks still

hats in the shade of the minarets. The city has two big

provides a stark contrast to the dark, earthy tones of the

souks inside the city walls consisting of rows and rows

region. There are virtually no hills around Taroudant. The

of stands and little shops selling leather goods such as

flat and pebbly Sous is enclosed by the mountains and

sandals and bags from goat or camel skins dyed and

the Atlantic.

ornamented by local craftsmen, vast assortments of spices and herbs and perhaps the most famous good of the

A large ochre wall surrounds the Medina like a fortress,

region: argan oil. This tree looks much like a spiky olive tree

underlining Taroudant’s rich history of conquerors and

and is endemic to the Sous. “People have tried growing the

traders. The Saadians, a royal Arab dynasty ruling Morocco

tree all around the world but it can only grow here,” said

between the 16th and 17th centuries, were responsible

Yves. The tree’s oil is available in dozens of stalls and shops

for turning the city into a major trade centre for the

throughout the city and some even sell pure argan oil,

goods of the Sous, including indigo, sugar and cotton.

which is nearly impossible to buy outside Morocco.

Inside Taroudant's old Souk 26

PLUMES | Destination

The oil is pressed cold and has been used as a beauty product

Agadirs were used by villages to store their grains, oil and

for skin and hair for centuries yet the recent interest from

other belongings that the residents could not keep in their

the West has led to many vendors selling either impure or

homes. Arriving from the main road, the village was only

overpriced argan products now. Yves guided me to a man in

accessible through a pebbly road leading through rock

the souk, hardly advertising his product because the locals all

formations and dried out riverbanks up to the top of a hill.

trusted him the most. The Riad Dar Dzahra’s kitchen also make

The village itself appeared to be a ghost town but I was never

great use of this national treasure; argan oil is used as dip for

to find out, as the two tour guides spoke neither English or

the delicious flatbreads that are bought fresh out of the oven

French. Walking through ruins of houses overgrown with cacti

in the souk’s bakeries, drizzled over salads with fresh parsley

and vines, I kept wondering what the actual Agadir would

or made into a sweet spread that tastes like a heartier and

look like or whether I had already seen it without noticing, but

more healthy Nutella.

the two men led me further down the hill until I saw a vast rectangular structure made of rocks. Nothing except walls all

Taroudant’s location makes it ideal for day trips in the

around, the Agadir looked impenetrable. I was greeted by an

surrounding area. Yves suggested I see an Agadir about 60

old man who was the guard of the Agadir. Yves had told me

kilometres from Taroudant. Although these centuries-old

to look for Monsieur Ibrahim, who has watched the village’s

granaries share a name with the popular but entirely overrun

proud monument for decades, but the guided tour was, again,

beach resort on the Moroccan Atlantic coast they could not

a silent one due to the language barrier.

be any more different from each other.

Tifnit, a scenic fisherman village by the Atlantic Coast 27

Monsieur Ibrahim, the Agadir’s loyal guardian

PLUMES | Destination

Ruins in the mountain village where old Agadir is located

30

PLUMES | Destination

31

PLUMES | Destination

The walls visible from outside were indeed just walls protecting the granary. This is made up of an impressive structure of stone vaults, sealed off with wooden doors and thin rock steps reaching out from the walls to allow access to them. The view of corridors of rock vaults under the open sky is a unique sight as one is surrounded by stone walls from every side. Monsieur Ibrahim made for a great and rather enthusiastic host, constantly explaining the Agadir’s stories in Berber, serving tea and biscuits and even climbing into a vault to demonstrate how spacious they are.

The culinary side of Taroudant outside the tourist season would have been a somewhat bleak experience as most of the city’s restaurants offer the same lamb stews and skewers, yet the Riad’s chef Samia prepared a different three course dinner from local produce every night of my 6 day visit. My last dinner was definitely the most memorable. Yves and his chef spent hours preparing pastilla, the “jewel of Moroccan cuisine” as he explained.

Pastilla is a cake made of puff pastry and filled with either pigeon, spices and nuts or vermicelli and shrimp dusted with powdered sugar. What seems like a fairly odd combination makes for a fantastic mixture of flavours and an extremely filling dish. In a way, pastilla symbolises Morocco: a fascinating mix of impressions. www.dzahra.com

Adrian Fekete

32

PLUMES | Destination

A view of Tifnit from the beach

33

PLUMES | Destination

An Argan tree in the mountains 34

PLUMES | Destination

35

ENCOUNTERS

Photo from www.greenwebsitedesign.com

PLUMES | Encounters

Less But Better A look at Thomas Tait’s subtle revolution.

Photos courtesy of Thomas Tait

38

PLUMES | Encounters

The derelict Shoreditch warehouse housing Thomas Tait’s

Trousers were micro-pleated and coated with a shiny substance

Autumn/Winter 2012 show was slowly filling up on this Sunday

to evoke the effect of sequins and jackets were tailored to

afternoon in February. The third day of London Fashion Week

perfection. Every seam, every collar, every shoulder was given

had editors, buyers and models competing for taxi drivers’

attention that was not unlike Haute Couture. One of the

attention to get from one venue to another. As show time

standout pieces was a white t-shirt, which underlines his almost

approached, town cars, black cabs and official Fashion Week

manic search for perfection. As most of Tait’s pieces, it appears

buses gathered outside the building. The inside, the show

simple and minimal at first only to reveal real craftsmanship

space itself, was surprisingly cold for a mild day ‘Dyson was

upon closer inspection. ‘It’s one of my favourite pieces,’ he

sponsoring heaters but they were not helping,’ Tait remarked

explained. ‘I’ve taken so much time developing it and have had

later. In a dark, sparse warehouse two rows of benches were

it in my collections for several seasons. It’s nice to have one of

set up along a catwalk made of real grass. The room was

your babies and develop it.’ The shirt itself, which retails around

only lit sporadically, causing anticipation in the audience. PR

£500, is made with a woven cotton blend that is rigid yet

assistants served hot tea and coffee to comfort the guests in

flattering with an almost architectural fit. It is clearly not just a

their winter coats. For an emerging designer’s fashion show

T-shirt, which in a way is a signature that follows through all of

held right after Vivienne Westwood’s with editors running late

Tait’s collections.

and shows running even later, the atmosphere at Thomas Tait was very calm and relaxed. ‘It’s not my goal to get in as many people as possible,’ he explained. ‘I want people to feel like they understand why they’ve been invited and be a part of it because they’ve encouraged me and I can personally identify with them. It just makes for a calmer atmosphere at the show, which I feel much more comfortable working around.’ When the show started, the friendly rapport of the room switched to full attention as the lights went bright over the soft green catwalk.

In his fourth seasons of showing at London Fashion Week, Thomas Tait has made a name for himself with his streamlined, less-but-better approach to modern tailoring. Although at 24 is one of the youngest designers working today, he has established a certain mature minimalism that sticks out in a crowd of loud, heavily embellished dresses offered by his peers. Talking about women wearing his creations, Tait makes clear that he does not aim to make showstoppers. ‘They’re definitely not something that people want to buy because they want to look sensational and have their photo taken,’ he said in the interview for this article. ‘It’s nice that you if you go to a party and somebody says, “Oh, you’re wearing Thomas Tait,” it’s not as if somebody was saying, “Oh, you’re wearing the hottest trend of the season.” It’s more like “I like Thomas Tait, too! It’s our little thing.”’For the Spring/Summer 2012 season, Tait presented a collection of stark whites, mint greens and pale pinks. The Nike sneakers and shorts made for a sporty feel but the execution was razor sharp precision.

Thomas Tait - Autumn / Winter 2012

I never thought it’s me against Montreal. It’s me doing it for myself and I want to do it on a much grander scale.

39

PLUMES | Encounters

Tait, who is tall and lithe with long brown hair, was born to a British father and a Canadian mother in Montreal and moved to London to study on the notoriously selective MA Fashion course at Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design. He describes his middle-class suburban childhood as very normal, even boring, where he spent a lot of his time playing video games and sketching. Art and fashion seemed far away for Tait as he was never actively exposed to them growing up. Perhaps, his creativity grew out of dissatisfaction.‘I think I wasn’t unhappy but I always felt like things could be better,’ he elaborated, ‘things could be visually more interesting.’ In high school and around his friends, he felt out of place and even embarrassed to discuss the things that interested him.

This fuelled an interest in debating in Tait so he decided to take a law course but quickly came to the realisation that there was ‘no arguing with an idiot’ and that law was not for him. As he grew older, his sketches and doodles became more focused on people and the silhouettes of their clothing. After many suggestions that he should look into working in fashion, Tait decided to apply for LaSalle, a technical college in Montreal. Here he spent three years learning the skills and know-how of the garment industry but grew increasingly frustrated as he realised that he was being trained to design for the Canadian high street.‘I was amazed that nobody bothered to look at fashion on a global scale,’ he said, ‘and I never thought it’s me against Montreal. It’s me doing it for myself and I want to do it on

‘I became totally obsessed with finishing my studies in

a much grander scale. Make it the best I can make it.’ Tait

Montreal and going straight on.’ Because of the fact that

began working part-time at Reborn, a small, independent

his diploma at LaSalle was not a creative one, however, he

boutique in the touristic Old Port area. Reborn is known

had six months to not only finish the final collection for his

for introducing many cutting-edge designers to Canada

technical diploma but also produce a creative portfolio of

including Raf Simons and Gareth Pugh. Here, seventeen-

his work in order to apply to Saint Martins, all the while still

year-old Thomas not only made his first contact with high

working part-time at Reborn. The stress of multi-tasking

fashion but also learnt about people who get it (European

fuelled by his perfectionism took a heavy toll on him. ‘For

and American visitors), and those who don’t. ‘They come

six months in a row, I got three hours of sleep at night.

in and they’re immediately intimidated even though I was

By the time I sent over my application, I had ulcers in my

17, in braces, the biggest geek behind the counter.’

mouth from stressing myself out so much.’ Fast-forward almost two years and Tait had just finished his outstanding

It was a mixture of his yearning to break away from the

MA collection at Central Saint Martins. Unlike many of his

technical tedium of his school and the contact with avant-

colleagues on the course, he decided to focus on creating a

garde fashion at Reborn that led Tait to look into the

wardrobe for a modern woman. He presented an array of

possibilities in fashion outside of Canada. He decided very

coats, trousers, jackets, skirts and shorts and spent a long

quickly that London’s Central Saint Martins would be the

time perfecting every garment to the same extent instead

perfect fit for him.

of replicating one standout piece.

40

PLUMES | Encounters

Newgen’s support system has a vast influence on the British fashion industry and has been criticised for imposing rules on their prodigies and even copying their designs for Topshop’s high street shop floor. Tait says he is aware of the expectations that often come from sponsors but he keeps outside influence under control. ‘There’s only a certain amount of flexibility allowed to someone who’s sponsoring me,’ he said ‘regardless whether it’s financial aid or not. My priority is what I feel like doing as a creative person and how I choose to run the business.

Regardless of how much someone wants to get involved, there’s always the fundamentals of how I want things to be stabilised.’

Business for Thomas Tait has been growing steadily in his label’s four seasons. Big retailers started showing interest from his very first collection that was shown at the Wilkinson Gallery in London’s East End in September 2010. By now he has around eleven stores carrying his label worldwide and their orders have nearly doubled. Corso Como 10 in Seoul is his strongest retailer so far. ‘It’s really nice to see that an emerging luxury market like Korea is embracing a young designer from the get-go.’

Tait, however, is not keen on expanding his number of outlets stating that he prefers for him and the stores to retain a sense of exclusivity. ‘I would like the stores to be the only ones in their region to carry the brand in order to establish the relationship not only with the buyers but, more importantly, the customers who will hopefully return to buy Thomas Tait.’Back at London Fashion Week on the February afternoon of Thomas Tait’s ‘I thought, I have come all the way from Montreal, I had to pay

show, the models started to descend onto the grassy catwalk

international student fees; I’m not going to make eight dresses

from a concrete staircase. Again, the clothes evoked instant

with variating hemlines and different bits and bobs on them.’

associations in the audience: street- and utility-wear in the form of denim, varsity jackets and baseball caps. This description,

He not only became the youngest ever graduate from Saint

however, only scrapes the surface of the complex design of this

Martins’ MA womenswear program but was also awarded the

collection. Leather was micro-pleated and applied on the fronts

initial Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize just eight months

and turtlenecks of jumpers; denim was precisely tailored to

after graduation. Selected by a jury that included Manolo

elongate the models presenting them. Leather trousers in New

Blahnik, Daphne Guinness and Giles Deacon, Tait was awarded

York taxi yellow and grass green jackets and capes had an almost

£25,000 which was a vital aid in the expansion of his fresh

perverse beauty as they contradicted the colour palette that

eponymous label. In addition he was made part of Newgen,

classic womenswear celebrates. As a pale, barefaced model in a

a program sponsored by Topshop that supports emerging

moss green velvet jumper paired with slim leather trousers and

designers not only financially but also with business consultancy

low-heeled boots strode by, viewers seemed to stop the free

workshops and exhibition spaces during London Fashion Week.

associations they were forming in their heads and just enjoyed this directional fashion moment created by determined young

There’s only a certain amount of flexibility allowed

man from suburban Montreal.

to someone who’s sponsoring me, regardless whether

www.thomastait.com

it’s financial aid or not.

41

Adrian Fekete

PLUMES | Encounters

The Business of Creativity Following the buyers at London Fashion Week

Backstage at Peter Pilotto Photography by Morgan O'Donovan for Dazed Digital

42

PLUMES | Encounters

It is somewhat ironic that invites for emerging designers’ shows are the hardest to obtain during London Fashion Week as under regular circumstances young creatives in any industry struggle for all the press coverage they can get. London, however, is a different story. As I sent out my requests a month before the shows, I knew that it would be near impossible to get a hold of tickets for Jonathan Saunders, Peter Pilotto and Christopher Kane.

For years the British capital was seen as the least important among the four main fashion weeks. New York is known for easy, approachable fashion, Milan is home to big advertisers like Armani and Prada and Paris is the city of Haute Couture and the most established fashion houses. Yet in recent years, London has gained immense industry credibility for nurturing young talent.

British High Street giant Topshop’s financial involvement with the Newgen scheme that supports emerging designers played a very important role in this. They not only acted as sponsors but in collaboration with the British Fashion Council also built a support system involving business workshops and design collaborations between Topshop and the designers associated with the scheme.

Perhaps the biggest problem in the years before London’s fashion revolution was that fashion journalists, editors and buyers often simply skipped the London shows because of the lack of financial

Franca and Carla Sozzani Photo courtesy of Style.com

potential they saw in the city’s designers as everybody seemed to leave the city as soon as they could afford showing somewhere else. With the British Fashion Council’s overhaul of fashion week however, several established British brands including Paul Smith, Vivienne Westwood and Burberry made the move back to London in an effort to create a bigger media buzz for the city. With several of the most important shows of the industry at London Fashion Week, retailers and the media are happy to see what emerging talents have to offer as well.

In an attempt to understand what makes a young designer not only creatively but also commercially successful, I decided to speak to the buyers as they arguably hold the most power over a designer’s commercial fate. I was waiting in line for the Simone Rocha show, a recent Central Saint Martins graduate and new recipient of Newgen support, when I spotted Ken Downing, the tall blond fashion director and senior vice president of American luxury department store Neiman Marcus.

Ken Downing Photo courtesy of Style.com

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PLUMES | Encounters

Although I was not invited to the show the PR agent manning the door waved me in as she saw that I was in the right company. The show was kept mostly in white featuring transparent PVC skirts with lace insets and various other experiments in fabrics. It seemed obvious that Neiman Marcus would not be stocking up on Rocha’s designs for the autumn season so I wondered why Downing still attended. ‘When we see potential in a designer’s work, we like to follow their progress over the seasons,’ he explained.

‘Even if we would want to stock a certain young designer, their production capacity has to be on a certain level to keep up with our demand but we like to stay ahead of the game and know what new hopefuls are up to.’

With over forty branches across the United States Neiman Marcus is one of the biggest luxury retailers worldwide.

As fashion director, Seattle-born Downing is one of the most important driving forces of high fashion. Although the Burberry show is probably the biggest magnet for international press and buyers in London, Downing takes the time to see as many emerging designers as possible.

According to him the quality of their work has greatly improved recently. ‘In the past few seasons the quality of what we’re seeing on the runway, the quality of the shows, even the quality of the styling, the hair, the make-

Christopher Kane Autumn / Winter 2012 Photo courtesy of Moda Operandi

up, the models has so much more improved than what it was a few years ago,’ he said. ‘We’re also seeing a greater understanding of fashion business from a lot of

When I spotted Downing at the Paul Smith show in Chelsea

the young designers here.’ Indeed, one of the issues for

the following day, we continued our conversation as I rode

young designers is gaining an understanding of the industry.

along with him and his driver to the Jonathan Saunders

Editorial coverage is not necessarily hard to get as London

show in Shoreditch. I was curious to know what drove

has as many aspiring stylists and photographers as it has

luxury shoppers to buy young designers at Neiman Marcus

emerging designers, but in order for a brand to survive

as the stores offer a huge variety in many different price

it has to sell clothes. ‘It’s the balance of commerce and

points but considering their location in less fashion forward

creative and understanding that at the end of the day,

places like the Midwest or Texas, buyers might often opt for

fashion is a business and it’s not just creating a picture or

more approachable pieces. ‘At the end of the day, all

not just getting a story written about you in the magazine

women want is to be beautiful,’ Downing offered. ‘They

but understanding the nuts and bolts,’ Downing told me.

want clothes that are going to enhance their body, they want clothes that will celebrate their femininity and even

He wasn’t able to give me an interview after Simone

if you want to be on the edge, there has to be a sense of

Rocha’s show as his suitcase had gone missing on the way

beauty in the clothes.’ It does seem like young designers

from New York and had to be retrieved in time for a black

sometimes forget about for whom they design, which is a

tie dinner later that evening, but he told me to meet him

woman who wants to look good in a dress she’s spent a lot

at any other show if I wanted to talk some more.

of money on.

I always say if clothes need instructions they sit on the selling rack

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PLUMES | Encounters

Backstage at Christopher Kane Photography by Morgan O'Donovan for Dazed Digital

The Jonathan Saunders show I accompanied Ken Downing to was

The next morning started with Belgian designers Peter Pilotto

on the unfinished nineteenth floor of a skyscraper in the financial

and Christopher de Vos who work together under Pilotto’s

district. Laser beams forming rhythmic patterns lit concrete

name and have made a name for themselves with sharp, sexy

floors and a spectacular view of London unfolded in front of

dresses featuring graphically abstract, striking prints. Spring/

the three rows of benches that had been put up for the show.

Summer 2012 saw them draw inspiration from sea creatures

The show started just in time for sunset and painted the room

but for Autumn/Winter the concept switched to Japanese trucks

orange as the models walked by in tailored skirts and dresses

covered in hundreds of coloured lights, which were printed on

in primary colours and jackets in varying shades of grey. Having

bondage-style figure-hugging dresses, puffer jackets and scarves

been in the business for more than a decade, the Scotsman in

of dyed fox fur. ‘Our customer is going to love the puffer jackets,’

his early thirties is not an emerging designer anymore but as a

Downing told me after the show. I tried to find out more about

small, independent label the pressure to create not only visually

what the Neiman Marcus woman wants as I struggled to picture

striking but also wearable clothes is high.

a well-heeled woman in Aspen in a Light Truck puffer jacket.

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PLUMES | Encounters

Downing explained that ‘the majority of the women that

Christopher Kane’s show came, maybe the most sought-after

shop with us want something really special. And that could

ticket of London Fashion Week, as his beautifully twisted

be because the designer puts a lot of special ideas and

collections are growing in popularity but not in venue size.

sensibility into the clothes. She wants things that are not as

Outside the show space at the new shopping centre opposite

widely distributed; she wants things that not everyone in

St. Paul’s Cathedral the crowd was waiting to be let inside.

the world is going to have.

Socialites and It-girls like Alexa Chung or Poppy Delevigne attracted hoards of photographers as Emmanuelle Alt, the

And that’s why when we look for things, we look

editor-in-chief of French Vogue hurried inside gratefully having

for the really special things. We don’t have to fill

avoided the media blitz that usually surrounds her at shows.

a store with a black turtleneck from everyone

Inside the venue the smell of new carpet filled the vast empty

because a black turtleneck is easy to understand.

floor and as we entered I saw the big purple structure that was built to stage the show. Three rows of benches above

I was curious to see how buyers from more niche boutiques

each other and a seemingly endless catwalk all covered with

sought out designers from London for their stores. After

the same violet carpet.

Ashish , a young London-based designer with a penchant for sequins, presented his Indian hippy-inspired show at Somerset House, I stopped Sarah Andelman, the gamine owner of Colette, the Parisian temple of cool, to see what draws her to young talents. ‘As long as the quality is good and they deliver on time,’ she told me, ‘I buy what I find the most interesting. I don’t like to make a distinction between young and old designers. My approach to buying for the shop is very instinctual so I don’t look at things like reputation too much.’ Considering the quantities required to stock one shop in Paris, however, it is very different from buying for a whole fleet of stores.

The financial crisis has obviously affected the luxury market too but it is interesting how that has translated into a heightened extravagance instead of austerity with women who shop at Neiman Marcus. Downing pointed out an interesting new trend that has emerged from London fashion: prints were a distinct recurring theme in the collections of young designers. ‘I love how they now have made London known more for being a fashion capital of prints than being a fashion capital for punk,’ he said. ‘It’s interesting because for so many years London would rest on its punk laurels and these young designers have actually brought a young modern elegance and their love of print has really changed the face of fashion.’ As fashion week continued, prints were definitely standing out from many collections including Mary Katrantzou, Erdem and Richard Nicoll to name a few.

Sarah Andelman Photo courtesy of The Sartorialist

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PLUMES | Encounters

The collection Kane showed was extraordinary. Impeccable

‘It’s not a personality trait, it’s a work in progress,’ she said, ‘Many

tailoring and sumptuous furs were almost appetisers compared

creatives often stick with one idea if it works for them but people

to the cashmere jumper embroidered with plastic tubes and the

like Christopher [Kane] know that fashion has to move and a true

matching skirt made of silver chain mail with embroidered chiffon.

original produces something that is theirs and not taken from other

It’s Kane’s masterful research process and execution that keeps

sources as “inspiration.”’ The question remains, however, how these

the people constantly interested in his young label but he has

originals are selected from an immense surplus of design talent in

also achieved something that many emerging designers struggle

London, or indeed, any other fashion capital.

to achieve. His collection of printed t-shirts that accompany every collection is selling very well allowing Kane to expand on

It seems that through the collaborative effort of Topshop’s support

his creativity while not only keeping the company afloat but also

system and the British Fashion council, London Fashion Week has

making enough profit to grow.

indeed reinvented itself but whether a monopolised scheme to aid young designers is a democratic approach might be questionable.

This is something that buyers relate to immensely. Carla Sozzani,

There are still dozens of young London talents who at their off-

the Alaïa-clad owner of Milanese boutique Corso Como 10 told

schedule shows do not get a chance to present their collections

me at a party hosted by Italian Vogue for emerging Italian talent

to the industry.

that when looking for young designers she’s not looking for originality but originals.

Backstage at Jonathan Saunders Photography by Morgan O'Donovan for Dazed Digital

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Adrian Fekete

THE SEASON

Photo by Jailbird

DUNGENESS Photography by Jan Lessner Styling by Adrian Fekete

Millitary Cape Vintage Raglan sleeve shirt with patent cuff Wool trousers: Isabell Yalda Hellysaz

PLUMES | The Season

Printed shirt Peplum skirt: Carven

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PLUMES | The Season

Cashmere jumper: petite at Brick Lane Wool trousers: Isabell Yalda Hellysaz Snabeskin sandals: Zara

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PLUMES | The Season

Lace inset jumper Dungaree dress Carven Suede boots: Stylist’s own 54

PLUMES | The Season

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Pleated jacket: Issey Miyake Pleats Please!

60s dress: Street Vintage Shoes/socks: Stylist’s own

PLUMES | The Season

Cashmere cardigan: Chanel Archive

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PLUMES | The Season

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PLUMES | The Season

The Dungeness beach by sunset

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PLUMES | The Season

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PLUMES | The Season

Embroidered wool, shameena and patent gilet Angora sweater Wool trousers: Isabell Yalda Hellysaz

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PLUMES | The Season

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PLUMES | The Season

Trench coat: Dior Homme Dress: Calvin Klein 64

PLUMES | The Season

Organze shirt: Strut Vintage Jumper: Raf Siomons 65

PLUMES | The Season

Cashmere cardigan: Chanel Archive

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60s Linen coat: Strut Vintage Cahsmere cardigan: Chanel Archive Wool trousers: Isabell Yalda Hellysaz Shoes: Stylist’s own

Styling: Adrian Fekete Hair: Ross Cosgrove Make-up: Camila Fernandez Model: Lianna Michelle Special thanks to Dungeness Trust

CULTURE

Photo from www.forumsantabanta.com

PLUMES | Culture

First Thursdays A visit to Vyner Street’s open-air art fest Photography by Sara Varela

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PLUMES | Culture

Approaching Vyner Street on the first Thursday of a month

Today, respectable art dealers have offices in Shoreditch,

is like entering a vintage fair combined with a folk concert.

Whitechapel, Bethnal Green and Hackney. One example is

Twentysomethings with beers in hand, wearing skinny jeans

Maureen Paley, the American-born gallerist, who represents

or 50s dresses roam the streets of east London on their way

Turner Prize winners Wolfgang Tillmanns and Gillian Wearing

to the galleries that stay open until nine o’clock on this day.

among others. She was a pioneer of the London art scene’s

Located just off Regents Canal and Mare Street, any other day

east movement, setting up shop in Hackney and later in a

the cobbled road could easily be mistaken for a deserted street

warehouse on a Bethnal Green backstreet. Her eponymous

full of warehouses but on First Thursday the street is overrun

gallery was one of the first to take part in First Thursdays.

with a mix of art students, creative types and collectors making

Although the summer months are arguably the best time of

their way from one gallery to the next (and picking up their

the year to visit Vyner Street, even a rainy day in spring makes

complimentary glass of wine or bottle of Corona on the way).

for an enjoyable evening out. The First Thursday of May 2012 did not look promising during the late afternoon hours. Dark

Vyner Street is only a small part of the First Thursdays initiative

clouds and even cold winds made for a gloomy atmosphere

that was started in order to attract visitors to the East End,

but the galleries started to fill up as the sun started setting

London’s former gritty working class district. For more than two

over the empty gas tank structures on Regents Canal. The

decades, galleries have been moving deeper east taking over

offerings at the galleries vary from established exhibitions of

warehouses and other seemingly abandoned sites not unlike

sculpture, painting and installations to performance and fine

Berlin’s galleries expanding their influence on former GDR turf.

artists of questionable backgrounds.

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PLUMES | Culture

Hada, a gallery project, which forms a sort of exchange

Arthaus was especially busy on that night with a queue

program between artists from Seoul and London,

forming outside the venue even before the masses

featured scarily realistic sculptures by South Korean

started arriving. Inside, the exhibition space was laid out

artist Gwon Osang from his ‘Harper’s Bazaar’ series, in

like a flat with a bathroom, kitchen and bedroom where

which he mapped entire bodies with photographs and

interior designers and artists collaborated on one big

plastered them over a model of the same size creating

bricolage spectacle including a Warhol themed kitchen

an eerie replica. Another, arguably more low-brow and

and a fallen angel’s wings spread out on the bed.

seemingly unnamed gallery featured the works of three British artists, of which all three had fought drug abuse

There was certainly a lot to explore but this was made

or mental illness, as the badly worded press release

somewhat difficult by the mass of visitors. The guest

emphasised. One of them, Lawrence Hentall exhibited

list did not help. Some galleries certainly invite visitors

a variety of mixed-material pieces featuring somewhat

to stay and browse, engage in conversations with the

vulgar one-syllable words made of metal cans and is

owners and curators as was very much the case with

known to sign his pieces with the alias ‘Giga’ who is his

Hada but more often than not it is advisable to get a

imaginary friend. It is this variety of high and low not

first impression of the art work on a First Thursday and

only in art but also in visitors that makes Vyner Street

come back on any other and considerably less busy day

a unique experience.

as the crowds make for a constant flow of people like one big queue moving through several buildings.

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PLUMES | Culture

Vyner Street tends to evoke the feeling of being in a large

Of course serious art dealer-types in black designer coats

museum as the same people move through the same galleries

and glasses make sure not to miss the event either but it is

at the same pace. Visitors are rarely alone, which causes a

clear that First Thursdays attracts not only the art-hungry but

constant noise level in the galleries that is only partially fuelled

also exhibitionists aplenty. The street’s friendly atmosphere is

by the wine. Some of the most memorable characters of that

definitely underlined by the Victoria, a pub in the middle of the

night included a group of young Hungarians including a young

street where visitors gather, talk and drink more. Just opposite

woman with two pink horns of hair and shaved eyebrows and

the pub, a hippy couple selling traditional Bengali snacks from

her very tall companion wearing a varsity jacket patterned like

a heavily decorated and incense-laden van. Whether you are on

Fred Flinstone’s prehistoric attire while a middle-aged woman

the search for emerging talents of the East End art scene or

wore a lace dress and face mask made of chrome featuring a

want to take in the cultural mix of the local creative crowd, a

protruding horn on her forehead.

visit to Vyner Street on a First Thursday is more than an art fair. www.firstthursdays.co.uk

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Adrian Fekete

PLUMES | Culture

Maypole A Preview

A gathering of young women in the woods at dusk

Adrian Fekete styled the film but decided to let the

is the setting for Thomas Durrant’s exclusive film in

clothes be an afterthought instead of putting them in

collaboration with Plumes. Ritualistic dances, dashes of

the foreground of the action. Filmed on location in the

colour illuminated by spots of light and the wetness of

Hackney Marshes, an area of grassland in London’s East

English spring weather define this short film by the South

End, he used three cameras and filmed the women

African video artist and filmmaker with a penchant for

from various distances and angles while they swayed

electrical beats. A mix of evening drizzle, goosebumps

to the music. Thomas prefers organic movement so he

and Danish rap induced a state of happiness that Thomas

let the women improvise their movements throughout

captured in ‘Maypole’.

the short film. Get a glimpse into the film here and visit Plumesmag.tumblr.com for the full video.

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PLUMES | Culture

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Special Event

Trunk Shows: Thomas Tait For a personal talk and trunk show with Thomas Tait hosted by Plumes’ editor-in-chief Adrian Fekete join us on June 15th at the Wilkinson Gallery in Bethnal Green at 5pm. Thomas will be presenting his new collection in an intimate setting catered

by East London’s favourite Bistrotheque. After a small presentation, you will be able to pre-order the pieces months before they hit the shop floor.

Plumes and Thomas Tait are looking forward to seeing you!

Photos courtesy of Thomas Tait

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