Shoreditch Design Tringle 2021 to take place in London 18 - 26 September; The Royal Exchange to host The Makers' Market 20 - 24 September

London art and design event organisers are banking on improved social and economic conditions this autumn to bring back physical participation, albeit with online options, when pandemic restraints are more relaxed.

One of them is the Shoreditch Design Triangle, due to return with a wide spectrum of different design-led happenings, reflecting the flourishing creative sector that has taken root in the area, which is international in spirit and permissive in attitude, announced the organisers this week.

Visitors can expect a blend of both experimental and formal ideas, in the guise of product launches, exhibitions, installations, workshops, talks, tours and a few culinary delights, they reported.

Shoreditch is a modern mixed-use inner-city environment located in East London, a stone's throw from the financial district known at the City.  The event is the perfect platform to navigate the area, whether on foot, or on a bicycle (more environmentally-attuned) , and residents, creative industries, the arts, retailers, restaurateurs, party-goers and international visitors all join in. 

With both international and national travel being difficult to plan, organisers are also scheduling an array of different digital experiences to support the event, from online exclusives to event live streams. 

In celebration of 30 years of continuous production of the Balzac armchair by Matthew Hilton, shown here with an ottoman, SCP will exhibit a Special Anniversary Edition of the chair.  It is fully sustainable and upholstered in collaboration with Kvadrat. The Balzac will also be shown in several other locations across London; with Paul Smith in collaboration with Tibor fabrics, at Christopher Farr in collaboration with House & Garden,
and at Kvadrat in a new fabric by Peter Saville.

“We have a dedicated Virtual Events section on our website to promote digital events. Our team is making every effort to ensure the Shoreditch Design Triangle 2021 is accessible to as many people as possible, whether in person or remotely.

International in Spirit, Permissive in Attitude

 

The Shoreditch Design Triangle was first created in 2008 when SCP (a prominent design and furniture retailer in the area) and a few other local companies and designers got together to co-promote their activities during the London Design Festival. Since then, the creative industry in the area has thrived and the SDT has grown into a much larger district - in some years hosting up to 60 different events. Although it has grown, the core ideas behind the SDT remain - local collaboration, community spirit and embracing new ideas. 

Confirmed exhibitors todate include:  Adorno, Ally Capellino, Ella Doran, Floor Story, Hay, Jasper, Morrison Shop, Kingston University, Kvadrat, Labour & Wait, Lee Broom, Milagros, Mosaic Factory, Nolii, Pearson Lloyd, Peer Gallery, SCP, Solid Floor, Studio Tucktite, Tactile Baltics, Takram, Tala  and Toast.

Meanwhile The Royal Exchange, the beautiful and historic building at the heart of the City and home to some of the world’s most coveted luxury brands, is celebrating its 450th anniversary throughout 2021. 

During London Design Festival, from Monday 20th September to Friday 24th September 2021, The Royal Exchange will host The Makers’ Market, a platform for design-led brands and makers to exhibit and sell in a specially created pop-up space on the historic building’s Mezzanine.

 

As one of the first trading centres in the world, The Royal Exchange will display new products from a wide range of creative disciplines, which could include glassware, ceramics, leather, woodwork, and anything between. 

 

Designers are invited to apply for a space at The Makers’ Market at The Royal Exchange. There will be no charge for successful designers to exhibit and sell in the space. Products should not have been seen before, and should be available to purchase.

Noël Coward: Art & Style has opened at London’s Guildhall Art Gallery

The exhibition Noël Coward: Art & Style presently on show at the Guildhall Art Gallery gives valuable insight into the life and theatre, stage and on-screen work of the Master, and specifically into his vestiary style, and how he and his circle of influential luminaries have impacted fashion and culture, from his time up till the present day.

As a unique partnership between the City of London Corporation, The Noël Coward Foundation, and The Noël Coward Archive Trust, the exhibition was finally opened in mid-June this year, delayed from its original 2020 planned dates due to Covid restrictions.  Now running until 23 December 2021, the exhibition marks the 100th anniversary of Noël Coward’s London West End debut as a 19-year-old playwright, and also highlights his multi-faceted talent as a composer, director, actor and singer.

Bringing together never-before-seen materials from the Coward Archive, there are original pieces from Sir Noël’s productions, his homes and personal wardrobe, plus original artworks by the playwright himself and his designers. 

There are original set and costume design sketches, original vintage dresses by couturiers Molyneux, Hartnell and Stiebel, as well as contemporary fashions by designers influenced by Coward such as Georgina von Etzdorf and Anna Sui.

Other artwork included were by Oliver Messel, Cecil Beaton, Doris Zinkeisen, Oliver Smith, Gladys Calthrop, Clemence Dane, William Nicholson, and Rex Whistler.

Wendy Hyde, Chair of the City of London Corporation’s Culture, Heritage and Libraries Committee, said in an August 2020 interview that this free and widely anticipated exhibition is “a must-see for anyone interested in visual art, costume and stage design, and the history of British theatre, as well as admirers of Coward’s plays, songs and films.”

Additionally Brad Rosenstein, curator of Noël Coward: Art & Style, said Coward is especially celebrated for his verbal wit, and that his original productions were also visual feasts for their audiences, a vital element of his theatrical world shaped by the extraordinary designers with whom he worked, and his own brilliance as a director. “These productions had an international influence on fashion and were reflected in Coward’s personal style – from his wardrobe to home décor – and just like his plays and songs, still seem fresh, contemporary, and surprising today,” he said.

According to Elizabeth Scott, the City of London Corporation’s Principal Curator, Guildhall Art Gallery, Noël Coward was an icon of his time, and the exhibition features some remarkable pieces of art, costume, and memorabilia to pay tribute to Coward’s enduring style and legacy. 

Photos by Lucia Carpio (C)

London Fashion Week presented by Clearpay to run in September 2021 as a physical-digital hybrid

London Fashion Week will run from Friday 17th to Tuesday 21st September as a physical-digital hybrid. Announcing a provisional line-up of 105 designers, British Fashion Council said the schedule will combine both physical and digital activation from designers including Molly Goddard, Rejina Pyo, Nicholas Daley, Simone Rocha, Feng Chen Wang and Vivienne Westwood. The digital platform will host 69 digital activations with an additional 95 designers activating their profiles off schedule. The 41 physical activations will take the form of catwalks, presentations and appointment listings across the city, as well as 9 morning and evening in-person events.

JW Anderson SS21

The LFW digital platform, is the Official Digital Hub and will be freely accessible to everyone.

Temperley London 

The September event will incorporate catwalk shows, presentations, appointments, events, digital content and activations throughout London.  The dynamic schedule will include events and activations in partnership with key retailers, cultural institutions, and businesses.  A full schedule of activities and how to get involved will be announced later in the summer.

In partnership with its Principal Partner Clearpay, London Fashion Week will celebrate the reopening of London by relaunching a City-Wide Celebration programme across the capital, making the best of British fashion accessible to consumers, supporting retail to get back on its feet and opening access to new audiences and communities, according to the British Fashion Council.

Ziad Nakad COUTURE Autumn/Winter 2021/22 Collection

Renaissance is the title of ZIAD NAKAD COUTURE's Autumn WINTER 2021 2022 COLLECTION.

As a designer passionate about architecture, Ziad Nakad's Autumn/Winter 2021/22 couture collection in all its finery and extravagance was inspired by the famous Château de Chambord of the 16th century in the Loire region of France and its glamorous grounds and interiors, including its open double spiral staircase.

The collection is tinted with pastel colors, and elaborate hand-embroidered details administered in the designer's atelier in Beirut.

Note the silhouettes of a column, the architectural fitted dresses, and the lightness of impeccable pleats and flowing flounces.

Then come the sexy and airy fluid dresses, in shimmering colors: purple, yellow, blue, a tribute to the historic tapestries and paintings of the castle. 

The majestic, hand-embroidered wedding gown closes this dream collection.

Photos by Greg Alexander © Méphistophélès Productions

MATEREZA COUTURE Collection for Autumn/Winter 2021/22

The MATEREZA COUTURE Collection for Autumn/Winter 2021/22 entitled « À Cassandre » was shown online during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week.

Inspired by Ronsard's poem, MaTereza, gives us an idyllic vision of beauty, fragile, ethereal and precious. 

Silk, satin, tulle, adorned here and there with hand cutted flowers. We travel from aqua green to black, from white to red, following the phases of the blossoming of a flower woman.

Sweetheart, let’s see if the rose

That this morning had open

Her crimson dress to the Sun,

This evening hasn’t lost

The folds of her crimson dress,

And her complexion similar to yours.

Ah! See how in such short space

My sweetheart, she has on this very spot

All her beauties lost!

O, so un-motherly Nature,

Since such a beautiful flower

Only last from dawn to dusk!

So if you believe me, my sweetheart,

While time still flowers for you,

In its freshest novelty,

Do take advantage of your youthful bloom:

As it did to this flower, the doom

Of age will blight your beauty.

Photos by Greg Alexander © Méphistophélès Productions

Première Vision's FASHION RENDEZ-VOUS in Paris deemed a success

Première Vision's FASHION RENDEZ-VOUS held on June 30 and July 1st in the heart of Paris welcomed more than 2,800 international visitors from the fashion and textile industries, reported the organisers, surpassing their expectations.  As predicted, the majority of the professional visitors were from France.  Nevertheless, there were also buyers from Italy, Belgium, Spain, Holland and Germany. 

This was their first physical event for the upstream fashion industry since the Covid-19 crisis began that saw cancellation of their original in-person events during the last year.  

Staged in the Grand Palais Ephémère in Paris - the new temporary event site at a centralised location - across from the Eiffel Tower in the heart of the world's fashion capital - showcased the autumn/winter 2022-23 collections from nearly 2000 exhibitors.

Gilles Lasbordes, General Manager of Première Vision, said “The show was very beautiful in the Grand Palais Ephémère, which we almost inaugurated! And the industry seemed happy to finally be in Paris, and what’s more in this exceptional place.   This recovery is encouraging for the whole sector. And  for our part, we’re continuing digitally, this time with the Digital Denim Week (on currently on-line), then physically with Première Vision New York, Première Vision Sport (Portland & Boston), Made in France Première Vision, and Première Vision Paris, which will be both physical and digital. See you soon!”

 Organized in compliance with health constraints in force, 

PREMIÈRE VISION FASHION RENDEZ-VOUS featured:

▶ An international offer of 194 exhibitors, all of whom meet Première Vision’s selection requirements. Among the countries represented at the event were France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Japan, Turkey, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria.

▶ A presentation of collections expanded to all market levels: new material developments and early directions for building autumn winter 22-23 collections.

▶ 4 activity sectors that are fundamental to fashion creation: Fabrics, Accessories, 

Leather and Designs.

▶ 2,812 targeted visitors, 87% of whom were French, but also international (and mainly European), with Italy, Belgium, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, Poland, the United Kingdom and Portugal in the top 10, in that order.

The dates for the current and forthcoming shows of the year mentioned by Monsieur Lasbordes are as follows:-

THE DIGITAL DENIM WEEK BY DENIM PREMIÈRE VISION

a 100% digital event from 5 to 9 July 2021 (www.premierevision.com)

PREMIÈRE VISION NEW YORK

20 & 21 July 2021 (Center415)

MADE IN FRANCE PREMIÈRE VISION

8 & 9 September 2021 (Carreau du Temple, Paris)

PREMIÈRE VISION PARIS

21, 22 & 23 September 2021

a hybrid event with two simultaneous and complementary events: 

- A physical show at Parc des Expositions de Paris Nord-Villepinte (Halls 1, 2, 3 & 4)

- A Digital Show on the Première Vision website www.premierevision.com

PV SPORT IN PORTLAND

29 & 30 September 2021 (Oregon Convention Center)

NEW: PV SPORT IN BOSTON

4 & 5 October 2021 (Hynes Convention Center)

PREMIÈRE VISION SHENZHEN

from 13 to 15 October 2021 (Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center - Futian)

DENIM PREMIÈRE VISION

13 & 14 October 2021 (Supertsudio Più, Milan), a physical and digital event.

BLOSSOM PREMIÈRE VISION

7 & 8 December 2021 (Carreau du Temple, Paris)

Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture Digital - Najib Alioua's Orient Express for Autumn/Winter 2021/2022

Najib Alioua invites us to board the Orient Express for his Autumn/Winter 2021-2022 Couture collection. 

Against a luxurious, refined, chic and elegant setting, the collection is equally enchanting, featuring Calais Solstiss lace and hand-embroidered details.  

Note the corolla sleeves in the shape of a robust flower, along with other fine textiles such as cotton velvet and tweed, giving vitality to dresses in trapeze shapes, as well as a long coat worn over shorts, and pantsuits. Najib's attention to detail and structure was perfectly matched and executed in his workshops in  Marseille.

The key word is cross-breeding, says the designer. A mix of cultures and inspiration like an invitation to travel. Najib Alioua pays tribute to his wife, a woman of the world, seeking quality and originality, preferring comfort to ostentatious.

To view the collection on video (by Méphistophélès Productions), click HERE.

Images by Greg Alexander © Méphistophélès Productions

The 2nd Edition of Digital Denim Week by DENIM PREMIÈRE VISION is taking place online from JULY 5 to 9, 2021

Following the successful inaugural Digital Denim Week held last November by Denim Première Vision, organisers were hoping to be able to stage a physical event in Milan this year which was planned for May 25 and 26.  However that didn't happen due to the ongoing Covid-19 developments.

Now for the Autumn Winter 22-23 season, the teams have decided to renew the successful experience of the last edition by hosting an entirely online event on the Première Vision single website incorporating all the shows and the Marketplace - Denim Première Vision, which takes place from July 5 to 9.

The DIGITAL DENIM WEEK allows virtual visitors to dive into the heart of the season's decodings - including trends, the latest product developments and new collection materials, and participate in  targeted discussions by select key players and experts of the textile industry, along with a program of conferences and masterclasses to address the industry's new challenges.

According to Fabio Adami Dalla Val, the Show Manager of DENIM PREMIÈRE VISION, DIGITAL DENIM WEEK is a meeting place for the international denim community.  Highlights will include the material collections of a curated list of companies, know-hows and the latest technological and creative innovations proposed for Autumn Winter 22-23 from the most innovative movers and shakers in the global creative-denim industry, including weavers, garment makers/laundries/finishers, accessory makers and technology developers, representing Italy, Turkey, Spain, Pakistan, India, Tunisia, Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates and more.   All talks, seminars and vides are available on the show’s website.

On schedule is DENIM Autumn/Winter 22-23 fashion seminars due to take place on Tuesday 6 July at 11 am and on Thursday 8 July at 2 pm.  These seminars hosted by Manon Mangin, Head of Fashion Products at Première Vision will cover new trends, products and ecological developments in terms of yarns, materials, accessories and finished products.  

Ms Mangin will also host DENIM SPECIAL ‘LIVE SOURCING’ scheduled also on  Monday 5 July at 2 pm on the show’s social media platforms.

There will be a programme of presentations to watch online on the Denim Première Vision website:

Two Smart Talks on the challenges facing the industry in terms of sustainable development, is to be led by Giusy Bettoni, sustainable development consultant for Première Vision.

Also a mini fashion series called E-MOTION IN-MOTION featuring four video episodes produced by Denim Première Vision and FLMRS Studios to dive into the denim ecosystem and discover fashion places where you can find inspiration through the eyes of four designers in Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and Florence.

Episode 1 : Paris – Earl Pickens on Monday 5 July at 12 pm

Episode 2 : Amsterdam - Jonathan Christopher on Tuesday 6 July at 12 pm. 

Episode 3 : Berlin - Andrea Bonfini on Wednesday 7 July at 12 pm 

Episode 4 : Florence - Andrea Grossi on Thursday 8 July at 12 pm

On Wednesday 7 July at 2 pm is SMART TALK 1 : FASHION, WHAT’S NEXT? in which host, Ms Giusy Bettoni, CEO & Founder of C.L.A.S.S. (Creativity Lifestyle And Sustainable Synergy)  will be speaking to experts Carlo Capasa, President of the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana and Pascal Morand, Executive President of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode.  

They will be looking at a new generation of values where health, ethics, transparency regarding company behavior and environmental impact are key. Opportunities are also emerging and the European textile system is fully prepared to face a new era where responsible innovation and a circular economy approach are core values. Spearheading this forward-looking era of change are two industry pillars: Carlo Capasa, President of the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (the Italian Chamber of Fashion), and Pascal Morand, Executive President of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode.

Then on Thursday 8 July at 11 am is SMART TALK 2 : BANKERS, INVESTORS AND CONSUMERS TELL BRANDS: “GO GREEN OR GO HOME”.  Here Host Ms Bettoni, CEO & Founder of C.L.A.S.S. will discuss with Sébastien Thevoux-Chabuel, Head of ESG about how fashion and luxury brands are ramping up their sustainability efforts and access the risks that impact on their value and reputations.

Simultaneouslty, an international offer can be found on the Première Vision Marketplace, with a highly efficient interactive digital catalog to facilitate both product presentation and buyers’ sourcing.  This is a valuable marketplace for exhibitors to quickly upload on-line their collections and materials to their e-shops, without any limit to the number of products, and the ability to create private catalogs for special customers.

As for buyers, the marketplace allows them the ability to easily select, pin, sample and order products from an expanded and optimized range of functions and features to boost networking through the site, thus helping fashion brands and suppliers to strengthen their interactions, discussions and generate business.  This provides the tools for efficient customer/supplier link-ups, thus improving direct contact and remote business interactions, including the launch of video conferencing appointments via the video-call features of WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, to personalize meetings and making it easy to present material collections.

Visitors to the Marketplace will find more immersive multimedia links to company profiles to energize the presentation of each exhibitor’s business activity, with information about company contacts, know-hows, specificities, etc. - illustrated by images, texts or videos, and the ability to highlight specific product information via photos or videos.

Texworld Evolution Paris - Le Showroom opens July 5th as a physical show

For months now due to the continuous development of the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisation of in-person physical trade fairs has not been possible except for virtual or web-based attendance.  Now by and by, as more people are vaccinated and more markets are confident that the virus is under reasonable control, events are starting to return in the more traditional sense.  That is, accepting in-person attendance.

Returning this week is Texworld Evolution Paris - Le Showroom textile trade fair being staged from July 5 to 9, 2021 in two exclusive locations in the heart of the French Capital: the Atelier Richelieu and, a few steps away, at 5 rue du Mail. 

This sourcing itinerary for fabrics, garments and accessories will bring together an expanded offer of more than 7,500 samples selected by 160 companies from 15 countries who will be showcasing their Autumn-Winter 2022-23 collections, according to organisers at Messe Frankfurt France, featuring twice as many exhibitors and three times more products than the last February 2021 show.

The February 2021 edition of Texworld Evolution Paris - Le Showroom

Albeit in a hybrid format, Texworld Evolution Paris will also see the broadcasting of two series of Podcasts dedicated to textile innovation: the Trend Casting series dedicated to decoding trends; and the Avantex Casting series to highlight tech nuggets and talk about disruptive innovations with a first episode produced with the innovation office derigueur.tech!

Le Showroom presents two main areas:

The Fashion Library displaying, per categories, several thousands of fabric samples, garments and accessories from selected manufacturers.

The Trend forum imagined by TexworldArt Directors highlighting the most promising textile samples and garments from selected companies.

Focus on China

A dedicated area will present 15 Chinese brands, featuring a strong involvement in sustainable supply chains, manufacturing know-how and flexible capacity.  A dedicated webinar will also take place on July 9th at 10 AM (CEST) to provide insights on the Chinese brands Chinese and the China Textile & Apparel industry.

Separately, Dance Worldwide from Taiwan and A Jin Corporation from South Korea will be participating for the first time, offering knit fabrics, along with Mandarin Enterprises International, a premium silk manufacturer. Many exhibitors have renewed their presence, such as the Korean silk specialist Great Duksan, and the two embroiderers Kaskas (French-Lebaneese) & SN Mukara (India), showcasing handmade products.

Two Madagascan manufacturers, Index OI and Vector International, are represented for the first time at the show. Nearby additional sourcing destinations will be provided by the German manufacturer Black Q, the Polish Rascal Industry & the Portuguese Valerius Texteis. Two exhibitors will present their collection of alternative materials to leather and fur.  Several exhibitors will be present for "face to face" appointments, including Index OI of Madagascar and the 2 Sisters from Bangladesh. Fabric manufacturers Noteboom from the Netherlands and Hemmers of Germany will send sales representatives to the event, as well as the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) and the Korean Textile Industry Federation (Kofoti).