PREMIÈRE VISION PARIS September edition ushers in new launches and innovative developments

From 19-21 September, the next edition of the prestigious PREMIÈRE VISION PARIS will raise its curtain again.

PV Paris February 2018
Photo © Lucia Carpio 

This autumn, it is held exceptionally from Wednesday to Friday and will offer a formidable showcase for 1,964 international exhibitors representing 57 countries from all sectors of the fashion and associating industries, including yarns and fibres, fabrics, leathers and furs, textile designs, garment manufacturing, accessories and components.

Known as the global leader in upstream fashion trade shows, Première Vision Paris – which takes place at Parc des Expositions across 5 halls - is launching new initiatives to accompany the changes taking place across the global industry, embracing digitalization, eco-responsibility, creative innovations, while providing inspirations to international professionals looking for trends and developments for the autumn/winter 2019-20 collections.

PV Awards 2017 winners and judges
Photo © Lucia Carpio 

Among the highlights on offer this autumn are :
• A strong development of manufacturing sourcing – The Sourcing Connection, with a Country Focus dedicated to Portuguese know-how – and in particular leather manufacturing – with a new specialised Leather Manufacturing area.
• Spotlight on the reciprocal and growing influence of sport and fashion – with a Sport
& Tech forum and space, and dedicated conference cycle.
• A special highlight of textile creation and designs - Designs Factory at Première Vision Designs.

There will also be an updated Smart Square space to introduce eco-responsible fashion, including materials, finished products and services.

And not to be missed is a spotlight on creativity for today and tomorrow as it celebrates the 10th anniversary of the PV Awards, as well as showing Hyères Festival exhibits and the TexSelect® design competition.

Also trade visitors should watch out for RITMOEMOTIVO, ANYTHING WORKS exhibit, and Hair Custom Bar at Première Vision Accessories.  There will also be workshops dedicated to leather working, and conferences dedicated to sport and Portuguese manufacturing.

In terms of digital expansion, the launch of the Marketplace Première Vision via a physical space, will allow visitors to experiment and test out the platform with the help of a dedicated team.

London's designjunction to transform South Bank for its September 2018 show

The designjunction show will take place 20–23 September 2018 at a new venue at Oxo in the cultural hub of London's South Bank.

Due to take place at Oxo Tower Wharf, Doon Street and the Riverside Walkway, designjunction, now in its eighth year, will play host to hundreds of product launches, boutique pop-up shops, bespoke installations, exhibitions, and a specially curated talks programme that will celebrate equality and diversity with 50 world-class speakers.  There will also be dedicated spaces to relax, meet, work and enjoy delicious food.

The Doon Street site, the largest super-structure ever built by designjunction, will house 200 international design brands and temporary pop up shops. The Riverside Walkway will showcase a series of outdoor installations, whilst Oxo Tower Wharf  and Bargehouse will host major brand activations, talks and exhibitions.

Mud Shell developed by Stephanie Chaltiel, Riverside Walkway

The Riverside Walkway will provide a platform for Mud Shell, an innovative housing project marrying ancient earth architecture techniques with the latest drone spraying technology.  Led by architect Stephanie Chaltiel, the project aims to build a simple but sturdy and durable housing system that can be customised depending on the location. Stephanie has developed a unique digital tool that can be piloted or programmed to "Drone Spray" natural materials over a light prefabricated framework until it forms an inhabitable structure.

On one of the jetties overlooking the Thames, the city of Saint-Etienne will showcase the ‘Gateway to Inclusion’, an installation conceived by Lisa White, Head of Lifestyle and Interiors at WGSN, in collaboration with designer François Dumas.  A structure made of steel and ribbon, two of Saint Etienne’s traditional industries, the project aims to promote inclusion in design.

On the Doon Street Site, designjunction is supporting the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust (SLCT) in partnership with RIBA in a year-long campaign, which aims to raise funds and promote diversity and inclusion in the design and architecture industry.

Co-working space designed by Squire and Partners, Doon Street site 

‘The Architect’s Toolkit’ project will be launched at designjunction as part of a co-working space designed by award-winning, Brixton based architecture practice Squire and Partners, using acoustic panels by We Design Silence.

Images from designjunction.

DECOREX INTERNATIONAL once again descends on Syon Park London in September 2018

Once again kicking off London Design Festival, the 41st edition of Decorex International (16th – 19th September) will see the great and good of high-end interior design descend on Syon Park to present the latest in luxury interiors.

This year, the show’s 400 exhibitors will include some of the industry’s best-known names, from Knot Rugs, Ian Sanderson and Dedar to Little Green, Timorous Beasties and Robert Langford. Decorex will also welcome around 50 first-time exhibitors - Officine Gullo, Sahrai, Meisterwerke, Another Country, Sharon Marston and Benott among them.

The acclaimed Future Heritage exhibition, curated by design critic and curator Corinne Julius, will return this year with new work by names including Tord Boontje and Marcin Rusak, while the entrance will see this year’s show theme – ‘Blank Canvas’ – explored through installations by leading British interior designers Henry Prideaux, Simone Suss, Maddux Collective and Brian Woulfe. 

Many will use the occasion of the international audience to launch their new ranges and collections.

For one, Meystyle will unveil its latest collection, Conductivity, of LED wallpaper that combines dazzling natural textures, bold patterns with an unprecedented use of light patterns.  By integrating LED lights and crystals, Meystyle will create deep visual experiences that transforms walls and wallpaper into works of art.  Different wavelengths and levels of light intensity combine to form dynamic compositions, from cascading lines merging into sumptuous light waterfalls, to concentric circles.  A selection of natural meterials, from refined linens and cotton canvases to elegant silk were used. The designs are enriched further by a variety of metal accents, hand-painted details and gilded applications.

Designers Martin Huxford and Louis Jobst will show new geometric lighting at Decorex 2018. 
Huxford’s The Cairo Arch Pendant Light is inspired by the radical geometry of Constructivist art. The design uses the classic forms of circle, triangle and semi-circle, suspending and piercing the shapes, to create a graphic gold and black contemporary light.  Louis Jobst will show the latest editions in his The Monument Collection, designed using simplified geometric forms inspired by architectural component such as arches, columns and monoliths, with references drawn from early 20th century design.

Meanwhile, Decorex is launching a new area called CraftWork for stands showcasing craft design businesses in their infancy, featuring nine companies and makers from varying disciplines offering products of exceptional craftsmanship, the participating businesses have each been operating for fewer than five year and are all showing at Decorex for the first time.

Also an extensive seminar programme will see industry experts including high-profile interior designers, craftspeople and makers, leading journalists, brand founders, marketteers and senior consultants.

Decorex International will welcome a national and international visiting demographic of more that 14,000, including interior designers, retailers, specifiers and architects, to view its platform of some of the industry's very best and up-and-coming designs.

+Photos show exhibits from previous Decorex International events in London.  Photo © Lucia Carpio.

Newark Museum Exhibition Highlights Impact of Japanese Aesthetics on Global Fashions

Japan has long been a major draw for tourism and undoubtedly its iconic ancient architecture and traditions have made it a favourite tourist destination in Asia.

Now this beautiful ancient country of the Far East is the focus of a new exhibition due to be launched  at the Newark Museum, USA which will showcase the impact of Japanese garments, textiles, design and aesthetics on global fashion created by internationally recognized designers such as John Galliano, Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Iris van Herpen and Issey Miyake.

Ensemble by celebrated Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto / Spring/Summer 1995 /
Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute / Photo by Takashi Hatakeyama

Opening October 13, 2018, Kimono Refashioned: 1870s-Now! will feature more than 40 garments by some 30 Japanese, European and American designers.  Co-organized by the Kyoto Costume Institute and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, the Newark Museum is the exclusive East Coast venue for this exhibition, where it will remain on view until January 6, 2019.

Wasteful World: Study reveals our collective delusion on hoarding possessions.

Findings from a recent study reveal one of humans’ most common demons that many of us who have recently moved homes can relate to – and that is we tend to collect too much stuffs than we need, thus resulting in a lot of wastage.

Are we collecting more than we need?
To conduct a recent survey, relocation company Movinga polled 18,000 heads of households in 20 countries with the following questions: What percentage of your wardrobe hasn't been worn in the last 12 months?; What percentage of your grocery shopping ends up as waste?; Since your most recent move, what percentage of your transferred belongings are still not in use? The company then collated the responses with data from the World Bank and other scholarly studies on the topic.

The Berlin-based relocation company Movinga have just concluded a study that reveals the world’s most deluded countries in a bid to highlight our collective issues with waste and hoarding.

Says Glenn Miotke a spokesperson at Movinga:
“With the oceans becoming ever more polluted with plastic, and the fast fashion industry bigger than ever, it’s time to start encouraging individuals to really consider whether they really need more.”  

In this study which studied the collective delusion we face as a society when it comes to hoarding and waste had revealed that the UK, Switzerland, Canada suffer the biggest lapse in judgement on their consumption levels.

UK comes in place 17 with an average delusion of 23.33%, an average delusion of 39% for clothes that people think they wore during a year, an average delusion of 10% for food waste, and 21% for relocation.

The USA wastes the most food, according to the study, but Belgium is the most deluded about their grocery shopping waste and Russians are the most realistic when it comes to their habits.
Overall, Russia was the country with the lowest level of delusion with 3.33% and Switzerland had the highest with 26.33%.

For this unique study, Movinga had conducted a poll among 18,000 heads of households in 20 countries and compared individual’s perception on how much they own versus how much they actually use to reveal the level of cognitive dissonance we live in.

The results revealed that individuals are unable to perceive their own part in the global issues we face in terms of over consumption and waste generation, and Movinga hopes this study can raise consciousness and spark a discussion on how we do our part to help.

“At Movinga, we are personally invested in ways to make the moving process more effective and less stressful for our customers, however we are becoming increasingly aware of our responsibility towards the world we live in.” Says Glenn Miotke a spokesperson at Movinga. “With the oceans becoming ever more polluted with plastic, and the fast fashion industry bigger than ever, it’s time to start encouraging individuals to really consider whether they really need more.”

The full study allows the responses to be filtered based on these categories for a more in-depth exploration of the findings.

You can find the original tables on Movinga’s website. 

Diamonds are a girl's best friend, says survey

Photo from Gemporia.

It’s official! “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend” and British women’s favourite choice of gem to wear, but Tanzanite comes a close second according to research published by  UK online jewellers Gemporia.

One of the murals of film legend Elizabeth Taylor featured by Christie's for a major auction in 2011.

When asked which well-known person across the world they most associated with sophisticated jewellery, most popular (a fifth of respondents alone) voted for the late Elizabeth Taylor (NB – respondents were not given a multiple choice of names – an open response was required).

The Duchess of Cambridge polled second and the Queen came a close third. Other women also highlighted as icons of jewellery sophistication were Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Jackie 0, Princess Diana and Victoria Beckham.

To read article in full, click HERE.

Jewellery for dramatic effects from BaroQco at Paris Fashion Week

Forget minimalism and austerity if you want to take the cue from jewellery designers Imelda and Eduardo whose label BaroQco is best associated with the notion that to be unique you have to be different.

Presenting their Haute Couture jewellery creations this month at Paris Fashion Week for Fall/Winter 2018-19, the designers celebrate their Dutch, Chinese Indonesian and Portuguese roots and embrace diversity as the foundation to their inspiration and creation.

The name of their label, BaroQco comes hails from the Baroque era when European cultural movement takes the turn from simplicity to lively and exuberant detailing.

According to the designers, BaroQco has a unique grandeur with an ability to surprise while achieving a sense of awe. Imelda and Eduardo started to create jewellery as they were looking for a tiara or crown for their wedding day and the search led them to creating their own and from there they expanded the range to include necklaces, cuffs and bracelets, and earrings.

Master painters like Vincent van Gogh and Pierre-Auguste Renoir inspire the designing couple.

« AS WE EMBRACE THE IMPRESSIONISM, WE STRIVE NOT ONLY FOR THE OUTER BUT ESPECIALLY FOR THE INNER-BEAUTY. IN OUR CREATIONS WE WANT TO PUSH BOUNDARIES OF ARTISTIC TECHNIQUES. AND THEREFORE THE BAROQCO IS A BOOK WITHOUT AN END. »

The stones used include opal and Swarovski crystals, and all the metalwork and gold are nickel free, the usage of non toxic plating to makes the jewellery more ecofriendly.

Interior designer launches cushion collections under FifteenFifeen label.

Natalia Petrov, Director/Designer of FifteenFifteen, has launched her first ever cushion collections in luxury fabrics of velvet and a variety of silk, including Habutai and Indian Dupion.

All manufactured in the East End of London, the cushions feature  digitally-printed designs in Worcestershire and have coordinating fabrics and colours  on both sides so one can reverse the design from season to season.

As a finishing touch of luxe, the cushions are featured with gold plated zips and each is supplied with a 85% feather/15% down inserts.

All are delivered in the brand's own bespoke reusable box perfect for storage.

FifteenFifteen will be showing at 100% DESIGN 19 - 22 September 2018 at London Olympia.

Natalia’s work includes painting, fabric and interior design.  Always has a keen interest in Abstract Art and interior design, citing Mark Rothko as her major influence, Natalia participated in a group art exhibition at Brick Lane gallery in 2010 and has since then sold her art internationally.  Having turned her passion to interiors, Natalia graduated with Merit from KLC School of Design in 2014 and went on to work for major interior design studios where she contributed to design and development of hotels, restaurants and residential properties. She also holds a BA in French Studies obtained at Queen Mary, University of London, a Private Client Advice & Management Diploma accredited by CISI and is fluent in Russian and French.

Soothing greenery trend in the home. New survey reveals Britons' sleep habits.

The urban jungle interiors trend is slated to stay even when walks and picnics in the park will be replaced by evenings of watching your favorite movies and series as nights start to draw in early during the autumn and winter months.

Thus soothing greenery motifs in interiors – in the form of live plants, fancy foliage in prints for cushions,  carpets, wallpaper and wall murals with a plant motif, are all suitable elements  to take on to optically enlarge a space or add visual impact.

The sets presented in the pictures above show Pixers®'s Vinyl Wall Murals - matte, durable and ecological material and framed posters, semi-matte finished, thick paper in solid but light frames.
Photos from Pixers®

The choice of plants that we can grow at home is huge, according to green interiors specialists Ola and Weronika from Projekt Rośliny (eng. Project Plants).  And against popular beliefs, some plants for suitable for the bedroom.

"All palms, sanseveiria (aka Mother-in-law’s Tougue), as well as peace lily and ferns are recommended for the bedroom. These are plants that actually release a lot of oxygen into the air, but we always emphasize that any plant is good to enrich the interior with a little bit of nature, and above all they add warmth and uniqueness into our home spaces. "- state Ola and Veronica.

New sleep survey reveals what Britons really get up to behind the bedroom door

A new survey held earlier this year, based on hundreds of responses, has taken a peek behind the bedroom door of UK people to reveal what us Brits really get up to when the lights go out.

The State of the Nation’s Sleep 2018 survey was commissioned by the sleep brand Sid to understand the bedroom habits and sleeping patterns of the United Kingdom.

The survey examined both the generation gap - comparing responses from Baby Boomers (those born before 1964), Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980) and Millennials (those born after 1981) - and regional differences in what happens when the lights go out. 

Sifting through the hundreds of responses to the study, the leading mattress company identified a number of key trends and several slumber-themed surprises:

-The people of Scotland take the title of the UK’s most amorous

- Millennials are bedroom multitaskers, seeing more action than the preceding generations but also more likely to send work emails from their bed

- The most popular bedroom activity is… watching TV!

The UK’s most loved-up region is Scotland, with 44% of respondents saying that ‘getting amorous’ is one of the main activities in the bedroom. This compares to a national average of 25%, and is four-times higher than the South West, where only 11% of people say lovemaking is a major factor in their bedroom. 

We are said to be a nation of pet lovers, and nowhere do people love their furry friends more than the North West. 25% of respondents said they went to sleep with a pet in their bedroom (nationally: 7%).

Also we’re finding it harder and harder to switch off from work, as10% of us say that checking emails is now a ‘major bedroom activity’. Millennials particularly feel the pressure, with nearly double the national average regularly checking in (18% of Millennials). The hardest working region? The East, with 33% of respondents saying they regularly check emails in bed. 

The survey was carried out by sleepwithsid.com

Team Great Britain triumph at European Championships 2018. Nike introduces new running gear.

I hope anyone who’s been watching the European Championships 2018 (concluding on Aug. 12th in Glasgow and Berlin) are impressed with how well the British athletes are doing. See Medal Table on BBC sport.

Great Britain's Reece Prescod won 100m silver in Berlin at this year's European Championship.
Here Prescod models some of Nike's latest performance sportswear and running shoes in Berlin.
Getty Images.
Ahead of the European Track and Field Championships Nike celebrates three promising athletes and shows their hopes, training and preparations for the championship.   Award-winning documentary film maker Ian Derry created Portraits of Speed. A three-part series relating the personal stories of these althletes: 1500/5000m runner Konstanze Klosterhalfen, 100m specialist Reece Prescod and 200m World Champion Dafne Schippers. "My vision for Portraits of Speed was to try and articulate what it takes to become faster“, said Derry.
 Iconic Berlin locations such as Tempelhof Airport and Messedamm Subway provide a rich urban backdrop as Derry reveals candid insights into the mindset of these elite athletes.

(As on the final day, Aug. 12th 2018, Great Britain were second on the medal board with 74 medals total, 24 of which are gold, while the leader Russia had 31 gold out of 66 medals total.)

On the field and track championship in Berlin, team GB’s Dina Asher-Smith won three gold while setting a new British record while Zharnel Hughes & Reece Prescod won 100m gold & silver.

Four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson, a regular sports commentator on BBC, referred to GB’s success as a "new era", saying "I just hope these guys can continue on this trajectory - continue to improve and continue to win medals as the next World Championships come round and then the Olympics.
He added: "The new crop are thinking, 'I want to be up there with the best’."
Dina Asher-Smith was labelled as "world class" by BBC commentator Steve Cram, having triumphed in 10.85 seconds, the joint fastest time in the world in 2018.

World class athletes showcasing Nike's latest performance sportswear ahead of the European Track and Field Championships 2018 in Berlin.

Obviously a lot of these successes are down to hard work and talent.  But many can argue having the right gear is helpful too, and sportswear companies are keen to utilise major international championships to promote their latest garb to a captive audience especially when a healthy lifestyle is very much a norm even for amateur athletes like myself.

Shortly before the European Track and Field Championships, German sports brand Nike Running showcased the Nike Fast Lab's latest product innovations and fast running shoes that are ideal for both competition and daily exercise. 

The Nike Fast Lab is open to all visitors this week for all to experience a series of training sessions, seminars and races.

Kristina Fidelskaya launches Resort SS 2019 collection

These images from Kristina Fidelskaya showcasing her recently launched Resort SS 2019 ready-to-wear collection provide a breath of sweeping breeze to ease the current heatwave we are experiencing in the UK and many parts of Europe.

The elongated yet chic silhouette in earthy colours against an arid landscape of sand dunes and parched land reflect a feminine statement with a monastic asceticism.

The colour palette draws from Piero Manzoni’s Achromes to explore the transparent yet immutable presence of natural elements, according to the Dubai-based designer.

The palette of blond sand and sand stone, offset by vegetable tones, tobacco brown and sage green, along with onyx and ocean blue are echoed in a textural feast of washed canvas and evanescent parachute silk, technical poplin and Garza crepe, raw cotton and viscose twill.

Though elegantly refined, there is a sense of carefree sensibility about the collection, with a note of nomadic charm, seemingly striding aimlessly across the desert landscape.

The stylishly oversized tailoring and billowing shapes allow an urban look, appropriate for city lifestyles.

Robust drawstrings and contrast piping hint of references from the sportswear wardrobe.

Note the equally carefree rustic slides and ready-to-move on sack-bags to carry the look.

Stylish visors and caps by London designer Karen Henriksen

Eastbourne takes pride in itself as the Sunshine coast 
of southern England. 
It boasts six miles of beaches along the English Channel coastline.  
Photo © Lucia Carpio 2018

The reputation of our British summer weather is in tatters this year.  The way the strong sun beats down on us in these two months is like nothing we had experienced before in the UK.   Disbanding the image of a wet British summer to distant memory, the Southern coast facing the English Channel can make most days feels like the Mediterranean coast as the heatwave continues.  Which is why it is ever so important to have proper protection for our heads against harmful UV rays.

Karen Henriksen's visor - the Bali classic - in panama.

Hats made of straw are ideal this time of the year, either for going about in town or country.
Usually when we think of straw hats, we think of a Panama, the traditionally brimmed ones “made from the plaited leaves of the Carludovica palmata plant or toquilla palm found in South America, or Ecuador to be exact,” according to Wikipedia.

At the SCOOP trade fair held at the Saatchi Gallery in London last week, I was pleased to find stylish and lightweight Panama straw visors designed by Karen Henriksen which she has made in her London studio.  Its flat semi-circular shape means it can easily fit into one's bag when not in use. A new version features a visor with an attached cap which makes a lot of sense for added head protection.

Karen Henriksen's Filey in panama.

Karen Henriksen's cap design in violet-fade Irish linen. 

Also on offer is her a new cap design made in Irish linen, as shown her in the pictures above and below.

The Inge which sports a generous pleat on one side, echoed by the small pleat detail on the peak.

Karen applies innovative pattern-cutting and brings her passion for a milliner's aesthetic to everyday headwear designs.  

For more of Karen Henriksen's lovely creations for his and hers, you can visit her website.