Sccop London draws European brands such as Mhudi and Kyomai

London is an aspirational market for emerging European brands.

At Scoop, held at Saatchi Gallery this week (until July 23)  in the heart of London, Italian label Mhudi's designer Francesca Passeri hopes her own range of headwear made with selected fabrics will bring Italian know-how, culture and crafts from to London, a city she loves.  Her speciality lies in her ability to choose coordinating or contrasting fabrics for reversible designs which would give the wearer flexibility.  Some of the designs are shaped like a beanie hat, another is like a turban with interesting twisted fabrics and decorations.  Others are like headbands.


Another brand eyeing the British market is French label Kyomai, which uses traditional Obi belts or sashes to created clutch bags handmade in France. 

Nicolas Amouroux, president of the company, had lived in Kyoto, Japan's ancient capital, for some years and was a collector of the Obi fabrics worn traditionally with kimonos.  Since his return to France, he had decided to turn his passion to good use.

His communication manager Julia Drouet was happy to showcase a couple of designs to coordinate with her kimono-inspired jacket she was wearing at Scoop.  The bags come with a chain for added functional flexibility.

Each Obi belt features uniquely jacquard silk woven with gold, silver and platinum threads.  One belt can be transformed into 3 - 5 clutchbags.  Each bag is also numbered and thus limited editions thus ideal as collector's items.

All photos© Lucia Carpio 2019.

Want to be holiday-ready? Be sure to pack creative artwork in luxury silk.

Today in a world that often appears to be swirling out of control, it is utterly important to take time off to clear our minds and allow us some peaceful moments on a more controllable personal level.

A Travel Collection, from silk dresses to scarfs and jewellery,
sequin bags and cashmere jumpers ...
 the list of luxury travel essentials goes on
at The NottingHill travel collective event in June.

But with what valuable space we have in our bags when packing for the much-anticipated summer holiday, taking pride of place among the sun cream, hats, swim suits, sarong and sandals must be the all-essential, versatile scarf.

Catering for our varying styling needs, a number of designers have taken the scarf to a whole different level, transferring their creative ideas and inspirations onto beautiful silks that allow us to embrace luxury and benefit from the practical fashion solutions that scarfs offer to the discerning voyager.

So it was great to find among the artwork on display at London's Saatchi Gallery last week emerging London-based designers who have taken the opportunity of the Scoop International boutique trade fair to showcase their illustrious work on scarfs to entice fashion buyers and press.



Showing in the newly launched Scoop Salon space of the fair dedicated to UK and international accessories brands, designer Ira Avezov (originally from Russia) was keen to show her "wearable images" that she had transferred onto her beautifully made silk scarf sold under her IA London label.

Seen here holding one of her designs - the All of Me scarf featuring the many faces of one woman, Ira explained that for every design she makes, she always starts with an image in her mind, and is often a story behind the images, then the imagery she creates will be digitally printed onto luxury silk.

© Lucia Carpio 2017 

© Lucia Carpio 2017 

© Lucia Carpio 2017 

But of course Ira's designs are not just for our summer get-away but for use all year round, having that distinctive fashion forward edge.   Ira layers her designs with a profusion of brush-stroke colours or creates monochrome effects on abstract images.

© Lucia Carpio 2017 

Working with high quality silk and using meticulous UK workmanship, Ira is also transferring her designs onto men's tops launched this summer and has plans to show womenswear in the autumn.  Ira only started her brand a year ago and already has attracted wide attention through other shows such as the London Fashion Week.  Can't wait to see her new collection under development.

Also showing at Scoop Salon was the scarf label DolceRoopa founded by Roopa Sachidanand (in photo at right), originally from New York.

Her luxury range highlights the designer's wanderlust inspiration featuring her travel experiences in Europe, London and New York.

Roopa said each illustration is intricately watercoloured by hand before being designed  and digitally printed.  The Italian Riviera and Marrakech collections draw upon colour, pattern and the dynamic use of print offering lavish pops of colours for varying styling options.

Elsewhere at Scoop and moving away from scarfs, I was intrigued by the Longstaff Longstaff brand where its silk loungewear are so pretty and soft they should be worn beyond the boudoir.

© Lucia Carpio 2017 

Sourced and manufactured in the UK, the brand was founded in 2014 by Sophie Barnard who has a Russian lineage that led to a passion for bold, highly decorative patterns and vibrant colours.

While modelling one of her kimono designs for me to show its versatility (as shown in photo above), Sophie said she hand-paints her original prints which are digitally transferred onto luxurious silks.

© Lucia Carpio 2017 

She launches her Komo collection this summer with the influence of Japanese art, featuring watery flowers and silver, inspired by illustrations from the 19th century using water and ink.

Poetically, the pinks and reds bleed together in her bold flowers while the petals fade at the edges and drift into the water.

She has used some of her signature prints for scarfs with which she has modeled again for me to show off its wonderful effect.

Happiness is ... the Mademoiselle Privé exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London

Despite the long queues, the Mademoiselle Privé exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London is where one can find happiness because it allows you to experience stimulants to your five senses.  

From the colours and the sound of birdsong at the specially-created garden prior to the entry of the building to the audio commentary provided by Mademoiselle Chanel, the delightful installations and sculptures and the sweet fragrant of the sensory lab, to the feel of textures provided by floor to ceiling draping curtains and the sight of alluring couture designs and beautiful jewels.....

Be sure to download the Mademoiselle Privé app before entering the exhibition, which enhances the experience with interactive content that is revealed throughout the visit.

This is the final week and the exhibition finishes on 1st November.  

If you haven't been yet, click HERE for the link to the website.

All photos by Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect.

Hermès launches' "Wanderland" exhibition in London

The name Hermès needs no introduction thus the usual marketing strategy to increase awareness of the brand is not necessary and it is much preferred to go down the route of connecting with the world of arts to further establish the luxury brand's genre.

Saatchi Gallery, London

Thus “Wanderland” - the name of a new exhibition by the luxury French fashion house - has just been launched at London’s Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, a most fitting venue.  

The exhibition will run until May 2 and be then travel to Paris, Italy and China in the autumn.

Dedicated to flânerie, the art of "urban wandering", the exhibition is spread over 11 rooms and features objects from Hermès´ archives, including a series of installations in various media, created by a number of artists and set against a backdrop of a Paris-inspired landscape.

The exhibition was created by Bruno Gaudichon, curator of La Piscine-Musée d'Art et d'Industrie in Roubaix, and includes objects from the Hermès archive, the museum collection of Emile Hermès at 24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris, and Hermès’ contemporary collections.

Made in Italy CenCe Tak shoes introduced at SCOOP London

CenCe Tak which literally means “without heels” in Italian is a footwear brand that was recently introduced at the SCOOP International London fashion trade show held earlier this month concurrently at two venues - the Saatchi Gallery and Phillips.

On hand to explain the brand’s ethos were Nicoletta Dileno, Simona Dellutri & Tiziano Picogna (himself an haute couture tailor and designer).

What CenCe Tak does have is a unique story about its origin which is based on an ecological upcycling concept and hand-made tradition that produce these comfy unique and timeless footwear.

The shoes – for men, women and children – are 100% Made in Italy. They are made out of natural fabrics, and assembled only by sewing the pieces together without using glue, thanks to the 19^th century tradition of the Friulani craftsmen and craftswomen who still loyally preserve the technique and tradition. 

CenCeTak is offered a variety of “friulane” styles, in velvet, leather, silks, brocade, and recycled materials (such as canvas coffee sacks), and the designs can be customized with brooches or decorative feathers.

Traditionally the “Friulane” were hand-made using left over fabrics, old dresses or cut outs - referred to as “blecs” – and then the shoes were moulded into a design that has never changed throughout the years and is as modern today as it was in the 1800s.

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.