The Coveted FREE
Supporting & Promoting The Scottish Fashion Industry
on the cover Fashion illustration by Francesca Waddell. (www.francescawaddellillustration.blogspot.com)
info@thecovetedmag.com www.thecovetedmag.com
contents
3 Editor’s Letter 4 All Tied Up 7 Made in the Shade 9 Featured Designer - Kureaa Besu 11 Featured Designer - bebaroque 13 Acrylic: Cut out and Wear 14 Featured Illustrator - Francesca Waddell 17 Pea Cooper Millinery 19 Shop Scottish - Accessories online 21 Heads Above the Rest 23 Take Heid 25 A Vintage Love 29 Diary of a GFW Intern 31 Runway - Top Scots @ LFW 41 Garden Fairy 45 DIY Ya Pie - Cotton Candy Corsage 48 Contribute ADVERTISE / SUBMIT / GET IN TOUCH VOLUNTEER / FEEDBACK / SPONSOR INFO@THECOVETEDMAG.COM
Photo: Sarah Graham
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tweet us. twitter.com/thecovetedmag
Hellooooooo... The stereotypical Scottish person wears a tartan kilt, drinks Whisky, is mean with money and has lots of red hair. At The Coveted Mag, we HATE cultural stereotypes, especially of the Scottish variety when used in relation to promoting Scottish fashion. I am not saying that tartan etc doesn’t have it’s place...I believe it does, but there is SO MUCH MORE! This issue is influenced mainly by the head, the rise in popularity of fascinators, and also by the fact that during, the Autumn and Winter months, a good hat or a hood is a must. I hope this magazine will inspire you to not rely so much on the usual high street chain store fodder and to take a wee peek at what some truly talented Scots are up to in the name of fashion. Hope to see you at the official Launch Night! (More details on the blog soon). Peace. *gives V sign* Sarah Editor in Chief P.S. Don’t forget to sign up to our mailing list and read our daily blog at: www.thecovetedmag.com
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The Coveted 3
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"MM UJFE VQ 1IPUPHSBQIZ 4VTBO $BTUJMMP .BLF 6Q .FSB 'JOEMBZTPO .PEFM -JOETBZ -PXSJF
Photography: Susan Castillo: www.dripbook.com/SCastillo
The Made in the Shade girls are buying their first home together.
a It will be filled with independent design, creativity and vintage lifestyle and they want you to come visit.
by Sarah Graham
The Made in the Shade Maisonette Upper Floor De Courcys Arcade Cresswell Lane Glasgow G12 8AA Opens 30th October 2009. www.wearemadeintheshade.com www.covetables.co.uk www.misofunky.com www.sareypoppins.com
fter each Made in the Shade event, the question on everyone’s lips is ‘When is the next one?’ My most recent MITS experience was at their Homecoming Shopping event in The Lighthouse, Mitchell Lane on Saturday 26th September. I had one aim in mind - to buy a 30th birthday present for my best friend. I did the customary ‘tour’ of all the stalls, looking, touching and chatting to sellers. As I walked through the two floors showcasing over 40 sellers, I made two mental shopping lists, one for the birthday gal, and one for me! I loved the rail of vintage from the Eyes Wide Open girls and bought a fur stole and a 1960s moss green shell top with lace insert. The fur, I would later wear to the birthday bash that night. Instead of buying my mate one big prezzie, I decided to buy her a few smaller things and present them in a goody bag. Here is what I bought: 2 x Cupcakes from Covetables 1 x Liberty print purse from Sarey Poppins 1 x ‘Bless this Mess’ emo-broidery from Miso Funky I thought myself very lucky that the MITS event coincided with my friend’s birthday, giving me the perfect opportunity to shop Scottish and when I heard the news that the MITS gals were opening a permenant retail space in Glasgow’s west end, I thought myself even luckier
Top to Bottom: Vintage Clothing, Happy Shoppers MITS gals: Clare & Carrie
Photos: Garry Maclennan @ YFHphoto and Gilian Hayes @ Prpl Photography
FEATURED DESIGNER
Kureaa Besu www.kureaabesu.wordpress.com
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Dynamic designing duo, Kureaa besu, AKA Claire Hamilton and Beth Newman are definitely a design team to look out for in the future. Currently stocked at Che Camille, Argylle Arcade, Glasgow, their fantastic collection features these gorgeous sweater tops and dresses in a variety of colours with lace panelling and architectural shoulder detail.
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The Coveted 10
FEATURED DESIGNER
bebaroque www.bebaroque.co.uk
Buying tights used to be dull. Choosing between ‘opaque black’ and ‘granny tan’ was hardly the highlight of any shopping trip. However, since textile designers Mhairi McNicol and Chloe Patience joined forces to create bebaroque, the leg and body wear industry has had the kick up the bum that it so desperately needed. Stockists include Scottish luxury lingerie store Boudiche, where The Coveted Mag recently attended to view the launch of bebaroque’s new collection. More info and pictures can be found on our blog.
£69.95
£25
ACRYLIC: cut out and wear
Plastic Bat Camera Necklace, £20 www.plastic-bat.co.uk
I AM ACRYLIC Cloud Brooch, £10 www.jclgifts.com
Antoinette Blood Necklace, £24 www.antoinette.bigcartel.com
Swank Bullet Earrings, £12 www.hannahzakari.co.uk
CUCU Acrylic Embellished Sweaters Che Camille, Argylle Arcade
ILLUSTRATION by francesca waddell
The Coveted 14
Illustrations: Francesca Waddell: www.francescawaddellillustration.blogspot.com
PEA IS FOR PERFECT
Words: Sarah Graham
Milliner of the Year Finalist and Winner of Best Commercial Collection, Paris 2009. The first time I met Paula (pictured), or Pea as she is known to her friends, I was with my mate Ally, and we were sitting across from her at a craft fair, minding our own business and trying to hawk our vintage clothing to the punters. I have never been one for hats, ever since my mother told me that I had a big, square head, you know, like Frankenstein. Cheers mum. So at first, I didn’t dare try anything on. After egging each other on a bit first, we ventured over to her stall, oohing and ahhing at all the lovely hats and headpieces on display and commenting on her fab 1960s dress (Paula has a rather impressive vintage wardrobe). Paula was lovely, instantly pooh-poohing my (possibly imagined?) big-square-headedness and finding Ally and I our dream hats in the
shape of an updated victorian-esque bonnet and a 1920s style riding hat respectively. Making Frankenstein look good in a hat is worthy of an award in itself, so it was no surprise when Paula told me she was off to Paris for the finals of Milliner of the Year. She was pipped to the post, but came home with the award for Best Commercial Collection, her prize, to design a collection for the biggest seller of Panama hats in the world who are based in Ecuador! Go Pea! You can find Pea Cooper Millinery stocked at The Dresser, 47 Skirving St, Glasgow. www.peacoopermillinery.co.uk
Photos: Brian Nixon
Shop Scottish
Showpony Vintage Purse, £10 www.showpony.co.uk
Haberdash House Theodore the Tiger Brooch, £14 www.haberdash-house.com
The Bestest Accessories Christopher Kane Leopard Print Gloves, £160 www.netaporter.com
Doloris Petunia Zipper Necklace, £68 www.hannahzakari.co.uk
Keira Leather Hair Bow, £28.50 www.boudiche.com
Flossy and Dossy Pleated Rose Scarf, £25 www.flossyanddossy.co.uk
Hilary Laing Ilaria Bracelet, £10 www.hilarylaing.com
We are the Robots Lego Ring, £2.99 www.wearetherobots.org
from the web Christopher Kane Eyelet heels, £125 www.topshop.com
Circa Vintage Vintage Dior Sunglasses, £65 www.circavintage.co.uk
Torres Three way snood with hood, £35 www.torresincolour.co.uk
Photography Susan Castillo Make Up Mara Fernandez Model Aelrid Turner
Heads above the Rest
Photography: Susan Castillo: www.dripbook.com/SCastillo
!"#$%&'() By Joanne Wilkinson
I suppose it makes perfect sense that us Scots have a preoccupation with our heads when it comes to fashion. Our country sits proudly at the head of the United Kingdom, yet this part of our anatomy has often been a focus of negativity: the stereotypical image of a flame-haired Scot, complete with the ubiquitously naff see-you-Jimmy hat, ready to plant a Glasgow kiss on an unsuspecting friend or foe the minute the whisky consumption reaches preposterous levels, is all too frequent in both fact and fiction. The ugly head of the Scottish stereotype rears itself on far too many occasions for our fashionable liking. The high street may have been littered with stylishly snug snoods last winter, but the Scottish origin of the garment has connotations of a distinctly unfashionable nature. The Scottish snood, a narrow circlet or ribbon fastened around the head, was worn primarily by unmarried women as a sign of chastity in the 17th and 18th centuries. Think about that when the fashion press are drooling over the latest crop of cashmere snoods in autumn/winter 09! It takes ‘branded’ headgear to a whole other level. Look down Buchanan Street on any given day and you may be forgiven for thinking that the Scottish style staple is the headdress of shame: the baseball cap. Doubly unfashionable when worn with that other socially unacceptable and sartorially criminal garment, the hoodie, the baseball cap has replaced the snood as many a young Scottish lady’s headdress of choice. Quite ironic, especially when you consider what the snood symbolised in its day and what the baseball cap/hoodie combo most probably does not connote with regards to a young woman’s chastity. But let’s not judge on millinery credentials alone. With all these pejorative connotations attached to Scotland’s head-dressing status, it’s a relief to find that a few talented Scottish designers are ready to reposition our heads as the nation’s talking point for all the right reasons. Milliner William Chambers’ spring/summer 09 collection has a very timely 80s feel to it, with fantastical oversized bows, wide brims and net veils that are surely looking for some strong eyebrows and a painted-on beauty spot to sit atop of. Amongst the monochrome and leopard print in the collection, flashes of tangerine spark this collection to life, giving the shade of the season a perfect platform to make a fashionable statement. Also making headway in the fashion world is Glasgow-born jewellery designer Karen Morrison, who has wisely decided to look to the head for inspiration in her latest collection. Her first foray into the fashionable world of headbands sees her create a selection of sterling silver and 22 carat gold bands, adorned with glistening gems and rainbow brights. From the wedding-ready (mother of pearl, freshwater pearl and onyx) to the poolside-perfect (turquoise, fuchsia dyed jade and purple amethyst), these eye-catchingly colourful creations will add the finishing touch to many a summer outfit this year. With coveted creations like these, it looks like we may finally be fashionably fit to sit smugly at the head of Great Britain The Coveted 23
Fascinator byJacqueline Elizabeth Bespoke Millinery www.jacquelineelizabeth.co.uk
Photography: McBeth Photography Make Up: Uzma Model: Sara Miller
A Vintage Love
Photography Dylan Drummond Styling Sarah Graham Make-up/Hair Louise Ballantine Models Sam Morrison @ Model Team & Michelle MacDonald @ Superior
Vintage Wedding Dress - Pistol Whip Vintage Headpiece - William Chambers
Vintage Wedding Dress & Fur Stole - Pistol Whip Vintage
Dress - As before Headpiece - William Chambers
Photography: Dylan Drummond: www.sonofthesea.net
Stockists www.pistolwhipvintage.com www.williamchambers.co.uk
Diary of a
GFW intern by Veronique A. A. Lapeyre
As 2009’s Glasgow Fashion Week rolls around next month, the hype just makes me recall the Red Bull fuelled craziness of last year’s GFW. In my 4th year of Uni studying what can only be described as the complete opposite of fashion (Classics and Anthropology) I volunteered at GFW ’08 and it was my first foray into the world of fashion proper. I’m going to be completely honest with you - it was manic, shambolic and stressful but, I enjoyed every second of it! Glasgow Fashion Week promotes itself as ‘the official international fashion week in Scotland, designed to the highest standards steadily establishing itself as a young and directional alternative to the world’s more traditional fashion week’. With fourteen shows across three days, GFW ’08 aimed to offer an international selection with designers such as Veronica de la Canal, Ricky Sarkany and Andreas Geogiou and also Scottish Designers such as Henrietta Ludgate, Jane McMilan, Boudiche, Eurbuyya, Bill Baber and milliners Tantrums & Tiaras. All the volunteers were summoned two days before to the Merchant City’s Winchester Club, a tad scruffy but nicely decorated club. I quickly realised that the volunteers were split into two gangs. The Wanky Too Cool 4 Skool kids vs. the Nice as pie lot. Of course, I joined the latter, as I felt I was too old to be cool. This division only came about after I accidently tried to make chit-chat about Jonathon Creek the magician’s assistant/crime solver to wannabe fashionistas, who were all 19 and way too trendy to watch TV - it didn’t go down well. Unsuccessful team bonding aside, the volunteers were required to wander aimlessly up and down ‘the golden Z’ and do some in-store PR by pitching the event to managers. Many of them didn’t realise that GFW was even happening; they seemed responsive but I never saw anyone I approached in the audience. This lack of carefully planned and accurately timed publicity was a big failure. Some shows, particularly earlier ones, were not full and required the volunteers to sit in the audience. Maybe this could be solved by having the event during a bank holiday weekend, when more people have spare time. The management team’s mantra was that this year wasn’t about financial growth but rather about generating interest and gaining a greater fan base. But their sentiment and actions appeared out of line. You would have thought the mix of designers featured would have interested more press yet coverage was slim both inside and outside of Scotland. Any glitzy fashion show, at the end of the day is a trade show designed to display the wares to press and buyers and failing on either one of these areas requires action. Perhaps this lack of press is due to the fact that GFW ’08 wasn’t outwardly supported by Glasgow City Council or the Scottish Fashion Council, who both focus on their own events. Surely, if this fashion week was a collaborative effort between all boards to promote Scotland as a fashion destination we would succeed better. Yet, with the Council pushing the ‘Glasgow: Scotland with Style’ idea and plowing money into helping quasi-established Scottish designers and artists to get more exposure at London Fashion Week, GFW approach is to be commended. The Coveted 29
Whilst running between the two venues organising guest lists, looking for the models’ lost shoes, bags, and you name it, they lost it or pretending I could speak Spanish, I managed to catch some actual shows. My favourite was Boudiche and Tantrums & Tiaras’s show where they coordinated lingerie and headpieces based on the theme of love; the outfits moved from the intial courting, to the big wedding day and then the divorce. It was very tongue in cheek and theatrical compared to some other shows. The fact it started randomly with two small girls dressed in traditional Chinese clothes doing a traditional dance was unexpected and unusual. Oh and I loved their soundtrack . I enjoyed Henrietta Ludgate’s designs for her use of colour, interesting shapes and fun headgear, it was a very polished collection. The event finale was Jane McMilan who’s colourful printed dresses gave a new and exciting twist on Celtic/Rennie Mackintosh style patterns. But, the bad and ugly came in the form of gaffer tape bras as seen at Makushi, it was all a bit Jodie Marsh, the models just wearing their own underwear would have been better. GFW claim that they are ‘a young and directional alternative’ to other shows and while they certainly are young compared to London Fashion Week, I’m not quite sure how they can be described as a directional alternative. I think my biggest critique of GFW ’08 is that the event didn’t represent the Glaswegian sense of style, that is anarchaic, fun and always with a sense of humour. It would have been more exciting to merge fashion with the thriving Scottish music and arts scene to create interesting one off events (in the style of Che Camille, Glasgow). Including graduates of Scotland’s art collages would also be an improvement by injecting some new blood and energy to the event. Especially as we need to encourage these up and coming designers to stay in Scotland if we really do want to be taken seriously as a fashion destination. However, a really positive thing about GFW was that the models they used were racially diverse (even if not all were from Scotland), in a time when only a handful of magazines and designers employ black models it was an unexpected and a refreshing change. When one of the models fainted backstage, they found her replacement amongst the volunteer dressers backstage. Compared to me (a size 12 to 14) this dresser was thin, thin, thin but you could see a real difference between a standard size model and a normal curvy size 6 to 8. Sure it was partly by accident but the inclusion of different body shapes and ethnic minorities was a positive and daring step for a fashion show. Despite its flaws I do praise GFW; it’s making an effort, its putting Scotland out there even if it doesn’t quite succeed. I think this is a kind of Scottish trait - I mean just take a look at the our football team Editor’s Note Unfortunately, due to The Lighthouse going Unfortunatel into administration, Glasgow Fashion Week will no longer be taking place in November. I have been told that it will be rescheduled when a suitable venue is found. It will be interesting to see their approach in the event's third year. Despite any misgivings and cringe-heavy memories I have of their financial difficulties and footballer-wives-esque models wearing slutty tartan dresses in their 2007 promo materials, I will go to as many shows as possible this year and view the whole thing with an open mind. Go to www.gfashionweek.com for more info. In the meantime, have a wee look at our pick of the best Scottish designers who showed at LFW last month.
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photos: David Coleman www.thefashionscoutsept09.blogspot.com
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photos: David Coleman www.thefashionscoutsept09.blogspot.com
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Photography David Stanton Styling Jacquie Bruin
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The Coveted 41
Photography David Stanton www.stantonimaging.com Make Up/Hair Jacquie Bruin www.slavetomakeup.co.uk Model Gemma Elise Gerber Photographers Assistants Ksenia Kamotskia and Philip mack. Words Diana Greenwood
!"#$#%$&"'((( This month’s DIY tutorial comes from REBECCA @ COTTON CANDY CORSAGE. www.cottoncandycorsage.com
Now pay attention...
Headpiece
You will need: • Your chosen ‘hair’ medium – fabric hairband, plastic comb or metal clip • Scissors – preferably fabric scissors! • Needle & thread – the needle should be slim enough to fit through any buttons/beads you want to decorate your design with, and the thread should be the closest match to the fabrics/colours of your chosen design • Fabric to make the corsage part – I have used cream and black tulle here which can be picked up at low cost at any fabric store • Beads, buttons, bows, crystals – any fun trims that you want to use. It can make a design really individual if you use trims that are special to you, for example, I often use vintage buttons straight from my nana’s old button tin! You can also try charity shops or even an old cardigan for interesting ‘finds’, or a funky (smallish) jewellery brooch • Optional – fabric flowers to use instead of making a corsage, feathers to really go to town, millinery net for additional glamour
Time:
Dependent on your existing sewing skills and the complexity of any decoration/beadwork, however you should be able to produce a simple, statement design within 1.5 hours
The Coveted 45
Step 1: • Cut approx 35cms of folded tulle, 7cm deep (can be adjusted less/more depending on the effect you want to achieve).
Step 2: • The great thing about tulle is that it doesn’t fray, so don’t worry if you don’t have a sewing machine or overlocker. The ends can be left raw, and a quick running stitch sewn along the bottom edge (approx .5cm from the edge), which is then secured at one end, and gently pulled from the other to result in a soft gather which will add depth to the finished corsage. • If you do have a sewing machine then you could run a line of stitching .5cm from the edge, down each side, iron, then turn the right way round for a more ‘finished’ look. The gather stitch could then be done by using a number 4 stitch width (to ensure it is loose enough to gather without snapping the thread). Run 2 lines of stitching leaving long threads at each end, then starting from the end you finished at, start gently pulling as above, to achieve a gently gathered effect.
Step 3:
• Now sew up the corsage, starting from the right-hand edge (unless you are left handed as it may feel more comfortable to start from the left!), and start folding the bottom edge into itself, and using small stitches to secure it as you go. Make sure not to pull it round too tightly as this will result in a very tightly packed corsage with not much scope for decoration. Play about with how it will look and don’t be afraid to pull it about a bit. You may also want to try pinning it together initially before you start sewing.
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Step 4: • The fun part! Now you can start adding your buttons, beads etc. You may want to cluster them into the middle, or scatter them one by one. Try mixing different sizes and shapes of beads in co-ordinating colours, or lots of colours. Here I am using black, white and silver for a sophisticated, go-with-anything look. There are Swarovskis, a large ceramic bead at the centre, pearls and tiny seed beads.
Step 5: • Once you are happy with your corsage, you are ready to attach it to the hairband. There are lots of hairbands to choose from, but I would always opt for a medium to slim fabric hairband to enable you to sew into it when attaching anything. With a plastic hairband you have no option but to use glue, which I avoid as a general rule… • First choose which ‘side’ you want your decoration to go. You might want to pin it on first and see what you think in front of the mirror. If you have chosen to use feathers, you might want to lay these over the hairband so they sit under the corsage, peeping out, otherwise you can just start sewing round the base of the corsage where you have pinned. You can then tease out the tulle layers and catch an edge onto the hairband to cover up any stitching. This would be a nice way to add a few extra beads, cascading from the main design. You could also continue this a little bit along the hairband, to add additional eyecatching sparkle. • I have added a layer of black tulle underneath the cream, with cream satin trapped between the two layers to give my design additional depth, and give a more advanced example of how you can create a stunning hair accessory relatively easily.
Step 6:
• Make sure that the hairband looks good from all angles – no stray bits of thread hanging down, or obvious stitching where it is possible to hide it. • Position the hairband, strike and pose and you’re ready to rock and roll!
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Optional Extras: • If you want to get even fancier, then you could add a swoosh of veiling. It comes in all colours and again, can be bought easily from most fabric stores with black and white the most popular colours stocked. If you are looking for something a bit more fancy, then VV Rouleaux (Glasgow/London) or McCulloch & Wallace (London) are you best bets. The latter do mail order. You could also try eBay. • Depending on the effect you are looking for, cut a width of the veiling wider than the area you want to use it for, fo so maybe 30 cms for the hairband, and then pin it around the front edge, folding it gently as you go, so it puckers out to allow for the face. The excess hanging down could then be pulled up at one side to form a gently sweeping cover for the face/some of the face, and bunched up next to the corsage and dotted with co-ordinating beads etc. The great thing is you can pin it on, then try it out and if you don’t like it, you can just take it off! • For additional fullness, you could make 2 or 3 smaller corsages in different colours/sizes, to result in a more heavily decorated hairband. Just follow the Steps 1&2 again, experimenting with the sizes you cut. • The same corsage decoration could be applied to a metal hair clip or comb by sewing or using glue to attach it. If using a comb, you would wind thin ribbon between the teeth to give you something to sew into.
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