Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty - V&A to open throughout the night due to popular demand

If you still haven't seen the immensely popular Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty which is on at the Victoria & Albert Museum until August 2nd, you may be pleased to learn that the V&A has announced that  the exhibition is to open throughout the night for its final two weekends, releasing additional 12,000 tickets, due to unprecedented demand.

While on-line advanced booking maybe closed, tickets are available on day of visit at the V&A, London.  And it's worth the £16 they charge for standard admission unless you've joined the membership then of course it's free.
For full information, click HERE.

The legacy of McQueen needs no introduction and this retrospective exhibition does not disappoint.

While McQueen's ingeneous work on show are awe-inspiring, throughout the exhibition one feels the presence of the designer by the quoting of McQueen's own words offering valuable insights into the thinking behind his visionary creations.

Here is a sampling of some of McQueen's great words:-

"You've got to have the rules to break them.  That's what I'm here for, to demolish the rules. but to keep the tradition."

"I oscillate between life and death, happiness and sadness, good and evil."

"I want to be the purveyor of a certain silhouette cutting, so that when I'm dead and gone, people will know that the 21st century was started by Alexander McQueen."

See if you can spot them at the exhibition.

Photos above by Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect.

London's Fashion and Textile Museum extends Riviera Style swimwear exhibition due to poppular demand.

As the temperature soars, you  may choose to stay indoors, or go look at something that can cool you down.
Now here's something for you to admire, if you haven't been there yet, and is the next best thing to going to the seaside.

The Fashion and Textile Museum in London has extemded their “Riviera Style” exhibition until September 13th.

According to the FTM, the Riviera Style exhibition, which showcases 100 years of swimwear from 19th century bodysuits and Fifties’ bikinis to the 21st century burkini and mankini, is attracting record numbers to the Museum in Bermondsey with visitor figures up 19% on the same period last year.

Due to this, the show, which opened on 22nd May and originally scheduled to close on August 30th,  is to be extended to 13th September.

The museum has also seen record sales of exhibition prints thanks to a partnership with UK art publisher King and McGaw, with the most popular image being the Clacton-on-Sea Butlins’ poster designed in 1941 for London North East Railway (top), closely followed La Plage de Calvi by Roger Broders c.1929 (at right ).
Picture credits: (top) Butlin’s Clapton-on-Sea, LNER Poster, 1941. Design J. Greenup © NRM / Pictorial Collection / Science & Society Picture Library
[right] La Plage de Calvi, Corse, 1928 (Colour Litho) by Roger Broders (1883-1953). Private collection. Photo © Christie’s Images / Bridgeman Images.

The Cass to stage Fabric of the City in mid-July to celebrate the legacy of the Huguenot Weavers

I am very pleased to learn that The Cass, London Metropolitan University is staging a major contemporary textile exhibition called Fabric of the City, to celebrate the legacy of the Huguenot Weavers in Spitalfields, East London coinciding with the Huguenots of Spitalfields festival, taking place during the summer across the capital. 

To be honest, I did not know much about the Huguenots but my interest in them increased recently after seeing British actress Julia Sawalha on the BBC programme Who do you think you are? in which she traced her maternal ancestry through her grandmother and found that she is a descendant of the Huguenots, French protestants who migrated to the UK in the 17th century and settled down in the Spitalfields.

Cass course leader and curator, Gina Pierce comments: “It’s surprising how few people have heard of the Huguenots, as their influence on craft and design was incredibly widespread, with the legacy of the weavers in Spitalfields having a lasting effect on the local textile industry.’’

Pierce added that the upcoming Fabrics of the City exhibition will highlight the creativity of 14 East London-based textile and fashion designers - including CuteCircuit, House of Flora, Jane Bowler and Alison Willoughby to name a few – who were invited to respond to the rich heritage of the Huguenots silk weavers that made Spitalfields a leading textile centre in the 17th Century, and create original work to be displayed in the Cass Bank Gallery.

One example of the stunning designs created for the high society by the Huguenots is The Fanshawe Dress (above), on display at the Museum of London.   An exceptional example of their highly skilled workmanship, this piece features signature silver thread and lace - distinctive features in the Huguenots’ designs, which have served as a starting point for the new designs exhibited in Fabric of the City. 

With first-hand access to archive material from the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Museum of London, the designers carry the legacy of the Huguenot Weavers to their contemporary practices - from the choice of materials to the use of cutting-edge techniques – to craft unique exhibits, celebrating the skills and creativity in fashion and textile design of East London as well as the continued influence of the Huguenots on the textile courses run by the Cass.

Between 1670 and 1710, up to 50,000 Huguenots fled to the UK from France, and particularly to Spitalfields, bringing with them their exceptional silk weaving skills. Spitalfields had always had a silk weaving industry but the influx of such skilled craftsmen, along with the increase in the availability of silk, made the area a leading fashion production centre for the British upper class.

Today, London designers use distinctive features found in the Huguenots designs as a starting point for their creative works exhibiting in Fabric of the City.

Jane Bowler's Copper Dress

One such piece is Jane Bowler’s Copper Dress (on the right here), which draws inspiration from the use of metallic thread.

The Copper Dress has been constructed using hand-cut plastic multiples in combination with soft metallic strips, hand-woven throughout the garment, allowing the material to organically grow over the body of its wearer.

Bowler’s fascination with material innovation, process and craftsmanship – practised by applying traditional techniques with a modern twist – also mirrors the Huguenots’ inventive choice of materials and skilled craftsmanship.

CuteCircuit, The Eliza Dress, Pink and Black

Separately innovative use of materials is also a key aspect of the work of Shoreditch-based designer label CuteCircuit which creates haute couture clothing that has micro-electronics embedded into the fabrics, pushing the boundaries of wearable technology to create beautiful, interactive garments. For Fabric of the City, CuteCircuit continues to push the boundaries of this technology by presenting the K-Dress, a ready-to-wear version of the bespoke CuteCircuit creation worn by Katy Perry to the 2010 Met Gala. The delicate pleated silk chiffon seamlessly merges with the micro-lighting smart textile to create a magical garment that can change colour controlled by an iPhone App.

Fabric of the City runs at the Cass Bank Gallery from 10 -31 July 2015.  A number of workshops and talks will run throughout the exhibition.  These will include a Fabric of the City Symposium at The Cass (14 July), featuring talks by speakers from the V&A and the Royal College of Art, looking at different aspects of fashion-making in the area of Spitalfields, from 17th Century uses through to today.

Lorna Syson's new plant/storage pots & make up bags soon available online

British designer Lorna Syson has a knack of translating her experience of the British countryside into memorable designs to be enjoyed in the comfort of one' home.  

She brings the British Songbirds indoors depicting them on cushions, lampshade wallpapers, fabrics and wallflowers.  These have won fans all over.  Most recently Lorna's bird cushions were featured this week at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show - in the City Twitters Garden . You may have spotted them on BBC2's coverage on Monday 29th June co-presented by Rachel De Thame.

Award winning British designer Lorna Syson set up her home wear brand in 2009 with help from the Princes Trust Business development loan. Since then the brand has grown from strength to strength and Lorna’s products are now found in respectable interior shops and boutiques across the globe.

Among Lorna's latest designs are the new plant/storage pots & make up bags which will be available online in July. 

These were tested at the Cockpit Arts Summer Open studios back in May and after making a few tweaks, which include water proof linings, the new and improved versions are ready to be launched in a couple of weeks on Lorna Syson's website, so keep your eyes peeled.

For Nomads et al ...

These and other designs are hand-picked additions to a collection of jewellery called Nomad by Dower & Hall, featuring their signature multi-textured hammered finish. Mixed metal bangles, free-formed pendants and bold geometric shaped earrings add a contemporary feel to the free-spirited range.

Husband & wife, Dan Dower & Diane Hall are the creative duo behind the brand and are heavily influenced by their travels around the globe. 

Nomad takes inspiration from the organic shapes and patterns that are found in nature, from pebbles washed up on British seashores, to the outlines that are formed in the dry deserts landscapes of the great continent of Africa.

Now, is it unrealistic or naive for a modern 21st century person to dream about leading a nomadic life?  Or in a land far away from society?

Two television series this month have offered in-depth looks into living in unconventional ways.  Grand Design presenter Kevin McCloud's new series Escape to the Wild on Channel 4 shows him visiting four British families who have chosen to leave the UK, away from the comfort of "conventional lives" and their jobs in favour of an alternative "low-impact" existence, a self-sufficient life in far-off lands: a remote island or deep in the jungle or in deep snow. Away from the maddening crowd. Meanwhile BBC's presenter Kate Humble's new programme series called Nomads feature her visiting and living with nomadic people in remote corners of the world. B
oth programmes stir up a yearning for life of adventure with a raw sense of freedom.  

AO.com ousts John Lewis as Britain’s Best Retailer for customer satisfaction

How can that be that my favourite retalier in the UK John Lewis has been overtaken by AO.com as Britain's Best Retailer for 2015, according to market and retail analysts Verdict.

By winning Verdict’s prestigious Best Retailer Award for 2015, AO.com demonstrates that selling online only is no longer a barrier to delivering great customer satisfaction.

The electricals pure-play retailer won the accolade at Verdict’s Customer Satisfaction Awards, which were held at the Banking Hall, London earlier this week, preventing John Lewis from a hat-trick of wins, having won in 2013 and 2014. AO.com’s victory marks both the first time an online pure-play retailer and the first time an electricals specialist has taken the top prize.  Does that mean consumers are now spending more disposable incomes on gadgets and appliances than on clothing? Not necessarily.

I'm pleased to say John Lewis, which was runner-up overall, still took home three awards. It came top for clothing and homewares, and also managed to beat AO.com to win in electricals, but it missed out on the Best Overall Retailer prize due to its performance in other product areas in which it operates.

The awards are based on two surveys of 22,000 shoppers carried out by Verdict, in which AO.com scored highly across all areas of service, with standout scores in delivery options and returns policies, price and value for money.

Patrick O’Brien, Content Director at Verdict, said: “AO.com has been pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved online. Its extensive use of video, customer reviews and detailed product information and knowledge are clearly appreciated by its customers, backed up with free next day delivery and low prices.”

In the online awards, which were sponsored by Royal Mail, Very.co.uk came out on top, showing that the retailer’s high investment in personalisation is resonating with shoppers, while Next won the click & collect award for the second year running, despite much greater competition this year as many retailers have invested heavily in this area.

Here are the winners:-

Award	Winner	Second	Third
Best Retailer	AO.com	John Lewis	Apple
Best Food Retailer	Waitrose	Aldi	Marks & Spencer
Best Clothing Retailer	John Lewis	ASOS	Next
Best Footwear Retailer	Clarks	Marks & Spencer	Next
Best Electricals Retailer	John Lewis	AO.com	Amazon
Best Homewares Retailer	John Lewis	IKEA	Next
Best Furniture Retailer	IKEA	Amazon	B&Q
Best Health & Beauty Retailer	Avon	Boots	Amazon
Best DIY & Gardening Retailer	Screwfix	Amazon	IKEA
Online awards sponsored by Royal Mail
Best Online Retailer	Very	John Lewis	Amazon
Best Online Fulfilment Retailer	AO.com	Amazon	Next
Best Click & Collect Retailer	Next	John Lewis	Boots

Thomas Pink's new SS 2016 collection celebrates British charm and character

Thomas Pink's new Spring/Summer 2016 collection offers a wide spectrum of options for the modern man, empowered by features of various British eras and regions.

As the season commences, the collection captures the nonchalant mood of the 90s brit pop era – famed for its style-icon musicians and hedonism. Slim tailored silhouettes and a punchy colour palette - spanning indigo, pink, turquoise and citrus - merges tradition and rebellion. Fine Italian shirting encompasses mini ginghams, Bengal stripes, traditional Jermyn Street stripes and checks of varying sizes - with a strong focus on texture, a key trend for the season.

As the season progresses, the collection draws inspiration from Scotland, where, when the sun comes out, vibrant colours reflect off the magnificent landscape and blue skies inspiring a modern take on tartans and plaids with shirting and accessories in tattersalls and blown-up madras checks. 

Lightweight outerwear comprises a de-constructed wool navy blazer with shirt fabric lining, a summer tweed linen blazer and a new reversible jacket in light grey ticking stripe with a shell camouflage interior – a spring summer highlight. A British summer always needs an option for rainy days, in this case a reversible rain-mac in Prince of Wales check/navy. Key suiting is found in fine wool Loro Piana fabric, while chino shorts debut with bleached denim shirting.

The season finale is inspired by the archetypal seaside resort of Blackpool - with its promenade, piers, fortune-tellers, fairground rides and tattoo parlours. A colour palette of citrus, candy floss pink, turquoise, sky blue and lilac echoes the town’s bright carnival mood, perfectly captured in linen shirting. Ties, silk pocket squares and socks featuring swallow and heart motives and candy stripes perfectly capture the essence of the iconic seaside town.