New launches spotted at SCOOP International fashion fair in London

This season’s SCOOP International fashion trade fair held in London earlier this week, held concurrently at the Saatchi Gallery on King’s Road and also Phillips Gallery near Victoria Station, was a good opportunity to seek out new and  interesting British brands, especially in the area of bags, footwear and scarfs.

Among those that caught my eye was the new British handbag and scarf brand Mury which showcases designer Anja Mury’s ability to combine urban chic with functionality for her range of simply shaped bags, shoulder pouches, clutches and shopping bags, as well as cotton scarfs that sport the same geometric designs.

The debut Mury collection features 3D graphic designs screen-printed on canvas with a definite London Urban feel.  While the bags are made in Britain, the materials are made in high-tech fabrics developed in Italy.   The canvas is first coated with PVC before being printed, then a textured finish is applied to create a 3D effect. And Anja's passion for blending experimentation with functionality are evident in the range of modern designs. The bags are padded and have a luxurious touch, while answering to the demands of modern urban living. Although the brand is just one year old, designer Anja Mury had worked for a number of top names in the industry, including Vivienne Westwood, Pringle of Scotland under Clare Waight Keller (now Chloé) and under Alistair Carr (ex Balenciaga) and Peter Pilotto.

Also making a debut launch this season was footwear brand NEON.  Emphasising the brand’s Born in Britain concept, managing director Sarah-Jayne Newey, explained that NEON focuses on British craftsmanship and manufacturing.   

Wearing one of her new trainers in an electric blue,  Sarah-Jayne explained that the shoes are comfortable to wear because they are inbedded with a memory foam that cushions the feet.   Sarah-Jayne said she has more than 10 years’ experience in the footwear fashion industry working for large retailers, but noticed a real gap in the market for a luxurious, stylish and yet comfortable trainer, so NEON was born.  “I am always on the go, I like to look good  and with my finger on the pulse of up and coming fashion trends and market changes,  I wanted to create a shoe that fit my look, and got me from meeting, to event, to exercise class – all form part of the inspiration for NEON."

Many of the NEON trainers feature the entire shoe, including the wedge and laces, in a single block colour and for the Autumn/Winter 14-15 collection the colours are rich and bold, and the leather ranges from a beautiful soft nubuck in Peroxide White to a fine grain leather in Pool Blue.  

“After spending years working with factories abroad and import/export regulations I decided to look at what the UK had to offer in terms of footwear manufacture.  We pride ourselves on British craftsmanship when it comes to luxury items such as yachts, motor cars and fashion clothing so why not offer the same precision service when it comes to shoes? Our materials are all sourced in the UK; a favourite of mine has to be the Kid skin – it is supple and velvety,” said Sarah-Jayne.
Surely, Neon is on the right track.  The trainer is one of the hottest footwear trends to-date, in-line with the current sportswear movement, as demonstrated by Chanel where Karl Lagerfeld models wore trainers with their couture outfits at the Spring/Summer 2014 show. 

Photo by Lucia Carpio for MyFashionConnect.

Beautifully designed scarfs in silk as well as wool at Age of Reason also caught my attention, where designer Ali Mapletoft was keen to show off her range of alluringly designed digital prints translated onto oversized scarfs, headscarves, snoods and wraps - all made in England.
The colours of Age of Reason AW14 collection are amazing - blazing from phosphorescent blues to vibrant hues of pink and yellow, accentuated by Ali's confident strokes.

Photo by Lucia Carpio for MyFashionConnect.

When the conversation touched on design concepts, Ali said she draws inspiration from a wide range of subjects, from African Art to Japanese print and infrared technology.  There is also one of a punky Tudor queen and a few featuring surreal landscapes.  There are shawls also fringed with pom-poms or feathers for a luxurious touch.  

Ali showed me one particular head-scarf measuring 70x70 cm (as seen here) that has been selling extremely well in the new Galeries Lafayette department store just recently opened in Shanghai, China.  It sports the message - I will never Surrender - that gives it an edgy touch.  That's the quirky sense of humour that makes British designers so sought-after in China and around the world.