double page
advert spread
Contents 14
62
40
Introduction
Fashion
8 MASTHEAD 11 EDITORS NOTE 12 CONTRIBUTORS
46 HOW BEAUTIFUL YOU ARE NOW THAT YOU LOVE ME H & M Conscious Collection 60 FROM FLUSHED TO LUSH
Event
62 IN A FRIENDLY FASHION Sustainable style look book
14 ETHICAL FASHION SHOW
TREND
76 BEST OF BRITISH A profile of 4 successful eco fashion designers
20 ON THE CUTTING EDGE
DESIGN +travel
FASHION
80 ROUGH LUXE HOTEL
24 LOOK BEYOND THE HORIZON handmade and vintage fashion
JEWELRY
campaign 36 PANTS TO POVERTY
84 AN UNLIKELY TREASURE Recycled Jewelry
ARCHITECTURE
TRANSPORT
40 ECO BOULEVARD - Madrid
92 LOTUS ECO ELISE
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46
www.revivemagazine.co.uk
MAST HEAD Publisher
VITALITY agency
Editor in chief Creative Director
Sarah Taylor
Fashion Director
Sarah Taylor
ISSN 2046-7672
Sarah Taylor
Production/ Assistant Creative Sarah Taylor Director Producer
Sarah Taylor
Editorial COntributions
Sarah Taylor
Photography
Sarah Taylor
Distribution
COMAG
Sarah Taylor
Styling
Sarah Taylor
Lay-out Concept
Sarah Taylor
Graphic Design
Sarah Taylor
Printed by
That’s Bang On 70% Dalum Cyclus Recycled Paper
Head of Sales Sarah Taylor Subscriptions Want to subscribe to REVIVE magazine? Go to www.revive.co.uk For questions regard ing subscriptions send an email to subscrip tions@revive.co.uk Front cover credits: Playsuit People Tree £35.00. Scarf Ada Zandition £40.00
REVIVE Magazine Established 2011
Copy Editing
8
editor's
n ote Welcome to the first issue of
REVIVE magazine!
A journey to exciting places and people, to tradition and innovation. We embrace consciousness of the new and the old, pulling them together towards an eclectic mix for our future. REVIVE looks towards values that matter, of inspired design, natural beauty, use and renewal and handcrafted quality, we find a new definition of luxury through experience rather than through materialistic objects.
Yorkshire. REVIVE also looks into innovative and inspiring architecture in Madrid and takes a spin with the Lotus Eco Elise, exploring new technologies of how renewable energy and natural materials can help us build a better future through design. Our lookbook ‘In A Friendly Fashion’ shows just how sustainable fashion is moving forward to become stylish and sophisticated and how adding just a splash of eco friendly, vintage and handmade garments into your wardrobe can push towards more sustainable style.
REVIVE
is a vibrant cutting edge fashion and lifestyle magazine with a refreshing twist. All photo shoots, celebrity, events, articles and features are linked to sustainability. REVIVE allows you, the fashionable consumer to be inspired by responsible design without sacrificing your style, we do not reflect the dull, hippy, plain stereotype that has followed eco fashion for many years but embrace the potential of what is
In this pioneering issue of REVIVE we seek to uncover truth, knowledge and inspiration towards cutting edge sustainable fashion and lifestyle choices that can enrich our life experiences. The term ‘revive’ means to regain life, consciousness or strength and that is what we are aiming to do for sustainability. We are looking into all the secrets but it is only with shared knowledge that we can step towards a brighter future and push towards that much needed sustainable development.
to come. REVIVE will put sustainable fashion and lifestyle into our conscious minds and make it enjoyable. Sustainability has faced challenge and frustration due to the dull stereotype it has carried along with it for many years, but as our lifestyle choices are continually pushed towards greener solutions it was only a matter of time for fashion innovators and designers to catch up. REVIVE unveils the talents that are doing just that.
We hope you enjoy the experience just as much as we have!
This issue of REVIVE shows the uprising of sustainable fashion as we cover how the Eco Luxury trend has evolved, we see brands like H & M jumping on board with their new Conscious Collection with the ‘How Beautiful You Are Now That You Love Me’ shoot. We go back to old traditions of handmade garments and vintage clothes in ‘Look Beyond the Horizon’ where we ventured out to the beautiful scenery of Flamborough in North
Sarah Taylor Editor in Chief
11
FEATURED contributors
JORDAN NAYLOR
Jordan is a freelance hair and make up artist living in London, her broad variety of experience with theatrical make up and photoshoots made her an easy addition to the team to work with. Her work ethic is second to none.
LAUREN WOOD
Lauren is an extremely talented creative director, her style is very unique as she treads the fine line between storytelling and documentation. She is currently embracing the film side of her work moving to Australia in a few months time to put together 3 short films.
TESS ASHWIN
Tess is our in house make up artist, relatively new to the industry her looks are refreshing and bring vibrant new ideas to the table for our shoots. Her professionalism and talent are as if she has been in the job for years.
LAURA HEAVERSEDGE
Model and young entrepreneur Laura Heaversedge owns a health and beaury spa in Yorkshire, she has been modelling hair and beauty shoots for many years now for brands such as Toni and Guy and MAC. Her flawless skin and enthusiastic attitude are shown through her amazing work, whether its 24 hours notice or a week she will always be happy to help and delivers 100%.
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Sustainable Chic hits Fashion Capital Words Sarah Taylor
Fashion can be a form of escapism from the physical, mental and emotional stresses that today’s world brings. The fashion industry is an incredibly huge market worldwide and is the driving force of job and wealth creation. The prosperity of this should then in turn become a cataylst for sustainable development and social justice. However this isn’t a major goal for a lot of fashion brands and designers but it is what the Ethical Fashion Show strive to achieve. Every year since 2004 The Ethical Fashion Show has brought cutting edge designers
together from all over the world who are inspired by a better way of living, designers who respect the environment and the quality of life. Selected designers are required to adhere to a code of conduct which include designing fashion that preserves local skill and favouring the use of raw materials and agents, which have the least possible impact on the environment during its production, use, and removal. The seventh edition of the Ethical Fashion Show confirmed its importance by locating its event in the Docks-en-Seine,
City of Fashion and Design in Paris.The 2010 show attracted 1,500 daily visitors and which has been a constantly increasing number from previous years, The Ethical Fashion Show opens the door to developing countries’ influences by learning about their cultures and encouraging their economic development, it allows ethical designers to meet textile buyers, along with show rooms, exhibitions and runway shows. Now on it’s 8th edition, this 4 day event is becoming increasingly mainstream and will once again bring ethical designers from
all over the world into the fashion capital at the Carrousel de Louvre from the 1st - 4th September 2011. Last year saw the first sustainable fashion show at London fashion week, as well as a vibrant and busy Estethica showcase, each creating increasing platforms to showcase design with a green twist. Organisers are determined to make Paris the capital of ethical fashion and to create an increasingly large impact on this industry’s future.
Š Luc Valigny
© Matthieu Granier
© Matthieu Granier
© Matthieu Granier
17
O The
n
Cuttin g Ed ge Eco Fashion Future
If someone were to ask us what eco fashion is, it would be a very hard question to answer. There are many ways to look at sustainable fashion so this only makes it harder for us to make conscious decisions when there is so much false marketing out there.
There is currently no industry-standard environmental certificate for the fashion industry which makes it hard for fashion conscious consumers to make educated buying decisions when it comes to sustainable fashion. REVIVE talked to a number of fashion eco professionals on this matter and it seems that the general consensus was to introduce a labelling system with a universal standard such as the food label.
© Cuba Gallery
Lizzie Harrison founder of ReMade Leeds commented:
“The label would need to be transparent and clear. Also it would need to support both big and small organisations ie it would cost so much for me to get my brand accredited at the moment.� Sourcing is one of the main problems for designers who want to produce sustainable lines. Fabrics such as organic cotton have been given an unfair advantage and exposure in the mainstream as an easy way out for retailers who want to generate the eco vibe within their brand. All cotton, organic or not requires a massive amount of water to produce, this is quite a disturbing fact as it is generally grown in developing countries already facing life threatening water shortages. Source4style founded by model and young entrepreneur Summer Rayne Oakes is a great online resource for designers to source sustainable materials. Synthetic textiles make up two thirds of the fibre consumed world-wide. In the past the eco conscious consumer has been trained to keep away from synthetics due to many of the materials being petroleum derived. However when looking at sustainability we need to look at the entire life cycle of a product and therefore it seems that synthetics could be a preferred way to go, less washing, ironing and overall care is needed for such materials which can also be dyed using a lot less water than a natural fibre.
Š Sarah Brimley
Another key factor to the rise in sustainability is the advancement of technology. Dying processes are being developed which use air instead of water (AirDye) where no hazardous waste is created and water is not polluted. Also lower energy requirements means lower cost. Emerging fashion label Costello Tagliapietra pioneered the use of AirDye in their 2010 collections, innovations such as this dye technology allows us to scratch the notion that clothes which are eco friendly and green must sacrifice beauty. They can be colourful and striking with the correct manufacturing technique. The AirDye process enables designers to create interesting shades that cannot be achieved through standard printing , the effect is
very similar to that of a water colour painting, full of texture and shading. Recycling materials has become a major trend in itself from food products to paper, bottles to garden waste . It is only a matter of time for fashion to jump on the bandwagon of creating garments out of waste materials, and doing it well. The two main kinds of recycled material is post consumer waste , which is something that has been used previously by the consumer, and pre consumer waste which are cut offs and process waste from factories. British designer Christopher Raeburn famously uses parachutes and military fabrics to create parkas and outerwear. The Eco Luxury trend is being driven by various key factors, as with most trends we find ourselves on the verge of change when one way of consuming and behaving starts to die out and where another then starts to evolve to the extent that we can then identify it as a new major trend. The most influential catalyst for change in our consumer behaviour has been the recession which has affected us worldwide and allowed us to rethink and realign our beliefs. Having lived through a fairly wealthy decade the recession hit people hard especially in the West. The need to differentiate consumer attitudes from mass consumer branded goods was essential. Several distinct movements are beginning to be put into place by the luxury sector of exclusivity, innovation, craftsmanship and eco potential. Brands are having to reevaluate what they stand for and eco luxury is a good way to do this as it promotes a feel good factor for their consumers to buy into. One consumer group which is having a massive impact on this trend driving forward is the eco celebrity, providing an instant boost and credibility to brands that are wanting to promote their eco status. A vast majority of celebrities are involved with good causes and are very much aware of the economic situation, so, instead of flaunting their wealth, many are becoming associated with eco projects and values. Colin Firth’s wife Livia created her buzz by setting herself the challenge of only wearing ethical and environmentally sustainable dresses on the red carpet, thinking not just about the aesthetics of the
garments but their structure, manufacture and lifespan.A blog was created on the Vogue website to document her outfits at various red carpet events. Brands must now boost their eco credentials to be endorsed by celebrities and exposed to the public as an environmentally aware brand. Eco products are becoming more and more sophisticated, we no longer need to wear hessian or have a large slogan printed across our clothing to show that it is environmentally friendly. As the eco trend continually grows, basic products are just not going to be enough Enviromental and ethical issues are reawakening the need for innovation and creativity in designers through natural desire. The two trains of thought for new eco fashion products are a mixture between the old and the new, old recycled materials vs new advancements in technology to create exciting outcomes. The Eco Luxury trend is one marking the conscious return to a simpler life, youths are looking towards old fashioned hobbies and crafts taking influence from the older generation of home baking, handcrafting and scrapbooks. A trend that represents the hand-me-down style. The post recession world forgets the material excess and frivolous attitude we once had in favour of a more humble and wholesome existence, where simplicity, purity and honesty take the front seat. The familiarity and comfort of this home inspired trend brings elements of nostalgia and appreciation of life, replacing reckless spending with a more refreshing approach. Ethics and geniuneness are aspects depicting timeless life values and optimistic considerations for the future. Words Sarah Taylor
Dress Handmade Vintage Necklace MADE Jewelry ÂŁ.50.00 Bracelets Models Own
Look beyon d
the horizon
Photography & Styling Sarah Taylor Hair & Make Up Artist Jordan Naylor
Both Pages: Crochet Dress Urban Renewal Bikini Topshop ÂŁ18.99 Accessories Stylists Own Sandals Stylists Own
Both page: Custom made scarf dress Ringlit Leather Belt Vintage Fabric Bracelet Michelle Lowe Holder ÂŁ125.00
Opposite page: Aztec Dress Urban Renewal £45.00 Sandals Stylists Own Bracelet MADE £20.00
Opposite page: Dress H & M Conscious Collection ÂŁ19.99 Sandals Stylists Own
Š Central Saint Martins
Take one look at this picture and you don’t need to take a second glance to realise that something rather abnormal is going on. A parade of half naked people walking down the streets of central London in a perfectly regimented line would pose a few questions. Such as, have these people gone mad? What exactly are they doing? It is an act to surely turn heads any day of the week. Normally walking around in public in your underwear would get you arrested however this cheeky parade of youths consists of Central Saint Martins students taking part in a campaign to show solidarity for West Africa’s cotton farmers who are struggling with the global economic downturn, trade rules and subsidies. The pants parade took place earlier this year from Charing Cross Road to Covent Garden and is demonstrating how fashionable Fairtrade fashion has become. Communications company Seven Hills were newly appointed by Pants to Poverty at the beginning of this year and are revolutionising a lot of what the brand do and how they work. The pants parade is an excellent communication strategy to raise awareness of the issues that cotton traders in India and West Africa are facing. A campaign such as this also highlights how London is a fairtrade city and can lead the way to the development of ethical fashion in the future in a fashionable and engaging way. It is refreshing to see such a fun, lighthearted campaign as opposed to an angry protest and is sure to get people talking in a more positive way and increase the popularity of Fairtrade fashion.
Words Sarah Taylor
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pants to pov vertorial
verty ad-
Š Central Saint Martins
Š Emilio P. Doiztua + Roland Halbe
E B
co
ouleva rd
41
Public spaces are to be shared by everyone, acting as supports for events and activities, they are spaces where citizens can act spontaneously and in freedom. Vallecas, a neighbourhood in Madrid had all the characteristics (or should we say lack of) of surburban development, with little vibrancy, vitality and spiritual nature. Award winning architects Ecosistema Urbano had a radical vision of ‘air trees’ to show environmental responsiveness and social status through the eco-boulevard structure. They were very aware that the best adaptation of a public space is that involving thick and solid trees, to bring life to the lack of activity due to irresponsible planning. The presence of nature in day to day life is recognised by us as a source of reflection on life. People often search for nature to relax and escape the city, structures such as these in Madrid help them to combine the two, thus emerging the new generation of urban gardens. Two key objectives for this project were, one of social nature to generate more activity and one of environmental nature, to improve the microclimate through a bioclimatic adaptation of an outdoor space. The three cylinders of which this structure consists, work as a support which houses an air circulation system, regulating temperature and humidity whilst also creating a frame for climbing plants to grow upwards. These systems are evapotranspirative systems which are often used in green houses creating a climatic adaptive environments. These spaces are 8 to 10 degrees cooler than the rest of the city in the summer making it a comfortable social activity place for the public to hang out and participate in and watch entertainment shows. Inside each pavilion the space is focused inwards providing an escape from the urban surroundings. Circling the top of the eco boulevard structure are numerous solar photovoltaic panels allowing the pavilions to be completely self sufficient for energy. It only consumes what can be produced through the panels, selling surplus energy created back to the grid on a feeding tariff system. This extra income helps to finance the maintenance of the structure. A self-sufficient creation that can be easily dismantled and replicated throughout other parts of the city to create an atmosphere that invites and promotes social activity in public space. The outer structure of these pavilions can then later be dismantled for the future. When inactivity and climatic adapatation problems are resolved, steel frameworks can be left that will be covered by densely growing vines with incredible aesthetic appeal just as if it were a clearing in the forest. Innovations such as the eco boulevard are creating a new generation of creative architecture where urban and nature can be entwined. Words by Sarah Taylor Photos Š Emilio P. Doiztua + Roland Halbe
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Dress H & M Conscious Collection £34.99 Hat H & M £7.99
“How
beautiful now that you
lo ve me” - Marlene Dietrich
Photography and Styling Sarah Taylor Hair and Make Up Artist Tess Ashwin
you are
Both Pages: Dress H & M Conscious Collection ÂŁ29.99
Top H & M Conscious Collection ÂŁ14.99 Shorts Stylist own
Shirt H & M Conscious Collection ÂŁ29.99
Growing in popularity and fashionable status eco living is becoming a lot easier due to the rapid increase in green choices readily available for consumers today. Whether it is the food in our fridge, the cars that we drive or the skin products we choose, we can now opt for a range of sustainable products to go alongside the recycling and conserving we do to help with our environment. So it seems ironic that the most fashionable trend driven industry of all has never previously seemed to find the right allure for sustainability. The dull stereotype that eco fashion has been widely associated with in the fashion world has not been able to shift for many years due to the rapid increase of fast fashion on the high street not paying it much attention. Tons of textile waste goes into UK landfill each year due to the driving force of throw away trends inspired by the catwalk season by season. There is an abundance of highly respected brands within the UK that we all
know and love that would not have the nerve to be completely transparent in their production process. To tell us how they achieved to create the products that we are yearning for would be too shameful, however Fairtrade fashion is on the uprising and more and more brands are eager to get involved. H & M’s new Conscious Collection for Spring/ Summer 2011 is a breath of fresh air for the high street consumer who is struck by this brand new range as soon as they walk in the shop. The whole collection is in different shades of white with a flash of floral prints, a major trend this season carrying a romantic theme across the womenswear range with light flowing skirts, shirts and tunics with lacey details and English embroidery playing a large part of the collection. Materials include organic cotton and linen, recycled polyester and wool, Tencel and recycled plastics for their accessories range. The fabric that strikes as most unfamiliar
within this list is ‘Tencel’ which is a brand name from a fiber generically called lyocell. It is accepted as a natural fiber in the fashion industry and is a soft, draping, luxurious and breathable fabric which is in fact environmentally sustainable but not necessarily healthy. To transform Lyocell fibers into fabric can use the same harsh chemicals and processes used in the conventional fabrics, it is difficult for dyes to bind to it due to its relatively low surface energy. However the white and cream palette throughout the collection boasts that no toxic dyes have been used to produce the garments and for the products to display the green label that is attached onto this collection it must be at least 95% sustainable materials. Therefore H & M shoppers are confident in what they are purchasing as an environmentally conscious buy. The only contradictory fact to this section of the store that is called ‘The Conscious Collection’ is that when you go to purchase your items you receive a plastic bag with the words ‘Conscious
Collection’ branded on it, quite the oxymoron to the sustainable message the brand is trying to send out and promote to customers. REVIVE were extremely impressed by the quality and attractiveness of the H & M Conscious Collection for our photo shoot and applaud the mainstream brand for their efforts of making sustainable style easily accessible and beautiful. And this time eco-conscious and organic materials doesn’t mean more money, as the H & M Conscious Collection comes at affordable prices. Whilst there is still a little room for improvement they are a step in the right direction and a good prototype to show us what’s to come for the brand and also set a good platform for other high street brands to follow. REVIVE are keen to see the sustainable movement become a fashion revolution and it is big brands like H & M that are the ones to make it happen.
Both Pages: Top Stylists Own Skirt H & M ÂŁ29.99Bracelet Vintage
Both Pages: Shorts H & M Conscious Collection ÂŁ14.99 Accessories Vintage Top Models Own
From
Flushed To Lush Designer Laura Dreger has showcased her talents by producing a paper couture dress out of the least glamourous material imaginable. 520 toilet seat covers were used to create this unique masterpiece which took the designer a total of 100 hours to produce. Although the paper dress may not be the most sustainable piece in the world Laura Dreger certainly shows that fashion can be what you want it to be and not always from mainstream materials. Products that were designed to go down the toilet have been cleverly developed into a couture design. Projects such as this generate great inspiration for fellow designers to find beauty in what would normally be branded as rubbish, it is the fabulous art of upcycling to create a product and transform it into higher luxury status than it was previously before. Gina Cicero contributing make up artist for the Toletta Campaign commented:
“There’s nothing sexy about public toilets. But when you mix high fashion with a product like this amazing things can happen.” Toletta are a premium brand known to produce luxury toilet seat covers which fit into womens purses, ideal for when they are out and about and have to use public facilities which can often be well below standard. The covers are 20% larger and 42% thicker than other brands and come in a handy carry case. A percentage of their proceeds go to Breast Cancer Research and Child Poverty Awareness. Words Sarah Taylor 60
In a Frien dly
Fa shion
Photography and Styling Sarah Taylor
Make up Artist Jemma Jewitt
Both pages : Jumpsuit People Tree by Laura Ashley £85.00 Shoes H & M £30.00 Belt Stylists own Bracelet Vintage
Both pages: Dress Urban Outfitters Renewal ÂŁ45.00 Hairband Stylists own Bracelet Topshop ÂŁ12.99
Both pages: Dress Urban Outfitters ÂŁ45.00 Shoes Models Own Hairband Miss Selfridge ÂŁ10.99 Bracelets Stylists own
This page: Top Urban Outfitters £40.00 Opposite page: Jacket Topshop £45.00 Renewal Levi’s 501 Turn Up Denim Shorts £50.00 Belt Vintage Flower band Stylists own Bracelet H & M £4.99
Both pages: Top Vintage This page: Linen Shorts Komodo £38.00 Shoes H & M £30.00 Belt Topshop £16.00 Headband Stylists Own
Bes t of British Four unique and inspiring British designers who each bring somethingunique and interesting to the fashion industry are commended for their sustainable yet cutting edge designs. These are designers that make us proud to be British and are ones to watch on a national and global scale.
Katy Bell Designer
© The Lost Property of London
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After graduating from Central St Martins in 2006 and working with numerous design companies, Katy Bell founded the brand The Lost Property of London. The ethos of this brand is to create items made from vintage leather jackets to coffee cups that have been dumped on the street. All products of this brand are completely handmade therefore championing an envrionmentally friendly production process. This allows every piece to be unique and bears the name of the street where it was ‘found’. Abandoned fabrics are taken and transformed into fashionable upcycled bags, the care and attention put into each and every piece makes The Lost Property of London a sweet, loving and highly respected brand.
Ada Zandition Fashion Designer Ada Zandition is an innovative and ethical fashion designer who has created her platform from ‘The Ones to Watch’ category at Vauxhall Fashion Scout in 2009 and has since gone on to showcase her 2011 collections at a presentation with ON/OFF. Her designs are cutting edge and exciting with sustainability being the core ethos of the brand. For her A/W 2011 collection Ada Zandition takes our imagination into Antartic Ice, inspired by the rich colours of King and Emperor penguins, the prints are broken and scattered like cracking glaciers and ice in the ocean. Ada Zandition uses a range of organic and natural fabrics and non cargogenic dyes, she is commited to transparency in business practice and believes that people, planet and profit should be equally important.
© Sarah Brimley
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Nin Castle Fashion Designer - Goodone Goodone is an award winning fashion label that reflects contemporary London through conscious design. Upcycled, fashion forward collections are consistently produced each season for cutting edge and unique design.The brand combines new fabrics with post consumer , industrial waste and end of roll fabrics to allow for mass production and efficient use of ‘waste’ materials.Goodone has produced collections for Tesco, ASOS and Topshop. Nin Castle doesn’t aim to stand away from the mainstream fashion industry but to encourage positive change from within. The target audience of this brand is the fashion conscious consumer who wants to feel good about what she wears.
© Goodone
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Junky Styling Designer Brand Junky Styling are the masters of innovative upcycling. The work of this designer brand consists of one off ‘Wardrobe Surgeries’ tailoring to specific customer requirements transforming treasured garments and unworn items into desirable designs.The ready to wear collections do not follow fashion trends as they create bespoke, desconstructed, timeless pieces. Junky styling have a signature edge that makes them stand out by using menswear suits and shirts and transforming them into tailored, figure hugging unique designs for both men and women, they also create accessories such as scarves and cuffs from the sleeves of men’s shirts.
Words by Sarah Taylor © Junky Styling
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Rough Luxe
The Rough Luxe brand is a concept for hotels, restaurants, shops, food and drink outlets and distribution businesses. It redefines luxury by emphasising the intellectual value of objects and the creations around us such as art, the environment, people and nature. It is a brand that owns businesses incorporating the Rough Luxe brand philosophy and also can develop relationships and partners to be approved as a Rough Luxe brand. The brand pursues a personalised human approach to their relationships with their customers, staff and buildings. Rough Luxe are sending out a message and revealing an inspired way of life which is based on diverse cultural experiences and ethical lifestyle, along with educated consumption. The Rough Luxe concept provides us with a key trend to focus on for summer 2011 of understated luxury which enriches our lives through authentic experiences and meaningful objects.
“Luxury is a moment in time, not only part of an object of consumption, luxury is an enriching personal experience, not only ownership of an expensive object.” The Rough Luxe philosophy
Take the Rough Luxe hotel in King’s Cross, London, with cracked peeling paintwork, shredded and faded wallpaper it takes the definition of shabby chic to a whole new level. Upon initial refurbishment of this Grade II listed building in 2008 designer and gallery curator Rabih Hage revealed decoration ideas from centuries ago by peeling away layers of wallpaper and he decided to keep it that way. The idea of this hotel is to find the sentimental meaning of the word ‘luxury’ looking into the things that really matter, redefining it as a moment in time rather than a materialistic value. As you enter the building there is fascinating art that is displayed all around. The hotel is a complete antithesis to the typical hotel decor we see today, i.e. of neutral colours and marble floors. This small unique hotel balances the raw elements of urban archaeology, bare floorboards and chipped paint with the sophisticated opulent wallpapers and exquisit art. It successfully creates the fascinating blend between the ‘Rough’ and the ‘Luxe’. What is clever about the Rough Luxe brand is its ability to capture the spirit of now . The company consists of a chain of hotels, lodges, restaurant and bar chains based in locations such as Switzerland and Spain. Along with shops and excursion programs, they are looking at different business ventures and combining it with a network of those who have like minded ideas and values to become a part of this lifestyle club. An inspiring brand that is not for the narrow minded it is a brand for those of us who want to cherish the experience rather than the materialistic value , a new definition of luxury has arisen. Words Sarah Taylor Photos Rough Luxe The Rough Luxe Hotel London 1 Birkenhead Street London WC1H 8BA www.roughluxe.co.uk
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AU T n
nlikely
reasure
What you see as waste I transform to beauty
Photography Sarah Taylor Styling Sarah Taylor Hair & Make up Artist Laura Heaversedge
Nywele Necklace MADE £85.00 Earrings MADE £15.00
Bracelet Michelle Lowe Holder ÂŁ125.00
Wima Bracelet MADE £20.00 Red Bracelet MADE £10.00 Necklace MADE £50.00
Words Sarah Taylor Photo Š Lotus Group
Hemp It Up e
Eco Lotus Elis
- REVIVE take a look at this carbon neutral machine The Lotus Eco Elise isn’t something you would immediately associate with the countryside, yet that is where the materials which it is made from are being grown. Upon looking at its aesthetics and specification you would see it as another high performance sports car with a big engine, slim line shape and fast pace. The key ingredient that makes this car different from a regular sports car is Hemp, which is used in the body panels, spoiler and also in the manufacture of the seats. Hemp is said to come from the same plant family as Cannabis so was therefore banned in England until 1993, post that year it was realised that you cant get drugs from this crop so it is now back in our fields and grown to produce a variety of products. Other uses for hemp are in fashion products such as shirts, trousers and shoes and it is also breaking into the construction industry to build walls. The demand is increasing and farmers are taking advantage of the new opportunities which hemp offers, with a good profitability margin and low chemical intake this coarse material is refined, opened up and cleaned to produce high tech materials such as insulation. It is simple to use and so versatile, this is a carbon neutral material of the future. Soon we could regularly use it to manufacture our cars, clothes and even our homes. The Eco Elise has a largely reduced carbon footprint due to the body of the car incorporating hemp as opposed to fibre glass. Hemp that is used to manufacture this car is grown locally and is a good strong material that absorbs CO2 whilst growing as a plant. The car also sports other renewable materials such as eco wool and sisal, which provide natural and biodegradable engineering materials. The brown wooden sport stripe down the front of the car shows the hemp exposed, making the Eco Elise easily
identifiable and unique. The roof of this car sports two solar photovoltaic panel strips that generate electricity to power components such as the air conditioning and the stereo,. This saves the alternator a lot of work thus using less fuel whilst promoting renewable energy generation. Mike Kimberly, CEO of Group Lotus plc stated
“The Eco Elise is a great example of the advanced and affordable green technologies Lotus is developing. We are at the cutting edge of environmental technology and are determined to push forward with our green agenda.� Regular Lotus cars have red shift lights ,which allow the driver to get maximum performance out of their car. However, a green light gear change display has been integrated into the Eco Elise dashboard to promote efficient, greener use. Back to the manufacturing process even the paint is eco friendly, with the latest water based paint technology it saves energy and reduces emissions of solvents into the environment. The Eco Elise seats are made from a biodegradable woollen fabric, which is ethically produced and does not use any harmful dyes or processing techniques. With lighter weight due to specialist lightweight wheels and stereo system this car is still a true Lotus at heart. The lighter weight will put much less stress on the parts such as the brakes, pads and tyres so it is much more tolerant of the wear and tear that sports cars receive. It would seem the Eco Elise would still prove to have the same high performance on the track, showing a reduction in running costs therefore being more accessible for sports enthusiasts, a demonstration vehicle to show what is yet to come in the world of environmental technology.
STOCKISTS A F www.freepeople.com www.adazanditon.co.uk www.fromsomewhere.co.uk www.americanapparel.net www.asos.com G www.goodone.co.uk B www.burberry.com H www.burtbees.co.uk www.henriettaludgate.com C www.hm.com www.calvinklein.com J D www.junkystyling.co.uk www.darkroomlondon.com L E www.lostpropertyoflondon.com www.emesha.com www.luflux.co.uk
M www.made.uk.com www.manoloblahnik.com www.marcjacobs.com
T www.thakoon.com www.tomford.com uk.tommy.com www.topshop.co.uk
N www.net-a-porter.com
U www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk
O www.oscardelarenta.com www.osklen.com
V www.viviennewestwood.co.uk
P www.peopletree.co.uk www.prada.com
Y www.yoox.com www.ysl.com
R www.rag-bone.com www.remadeinleeds.org
www.123bethnalgreenroad.co.uk
S www.stellamccartney.com
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