THIS WEEK IN FASHION- 6TH-10TH JUNE

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large.
Additional Assistance from Bethan Holt

1. Gareth Pugh is to create a range of make-up with MAC. Gareth has been extremely canny and global about his trajectory from gothic costume designer at London Fashion Week to a junior global player with mens and womens shows in Paris and events in Florence as well as his brilliant fashion film presentations with ShowStudio. Though he now sells his collection globally, Gareth admits he still grapples with the commerciality of creativity in fashion.

Gareth and his artist boyfriend Carson, by Nick Knight (via ShowStudio.com)

'If you, as a fashion designer, you do shows but you don’t sell, it kind of becomes a bit of a vanity project,’ he admitted recently. ‘You know, that’s kind of how I started and that’s how I got going but... the two need each other, business and creativity. I’ve made my peace with that.' (Elle.uk.com)

So who is Gareth Pugh for Mac Make-Up for? And what will it do for the person wearing it?  "You put on make-up and your transform yourself, " Gareth told Alex Fury in a ShowStudio.com film last year  "from something that you are, to something that you want to be. The crux of what we do, I think, is selling people a dream to be something they haven't been before. As a designer I don't sell things that complement a lifestyle [laughs a bit to self] I create things that make your lifestyle a little bit more interesting." Hear hear to that! I'm very much looking forward to seeing what is revealed next month in New York when Mac and Gareth Pugh unveil their collaboration in make-up.

Meanwhile, here is a Pugh/Box look

2. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge's wedding dress by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen is to go on show this Summer at Buckingham Palace. I wonder if it is the actual gown, or a back-up? From 23rd July buy tickets from http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/

3. Frida Giannini 4 Florence Welch. Frida, (she who created the most copied AW11 collection), has long been talking about how much she adores Florence. She cited her as inspiration for her Autumn/winter 2011 show and as a muse for her Spring 2011 show too and now lo! she is to "design" Florence Welch's tour outfits! Though looking at the sketches, these are exits lifted directly from her AW11 show. They are perfect for the very leggy Florence, and will look brilliant on stage where Fl ouses her legs to maximum effect. Don't think those fabulous T-Bar shoes will stay on for long. Flo likes to go barefoot..


Some of Frida's designs (from People.com)

 4. The unstoppable Mary Katrantzou has designed two costumes for a dance for ICA's retrospective exhibition exhibition of Pablo Bronstein's work: Sketches of Regency Living. "It was a great challenge to design the costumes for the performances that Pablo Bronstein has choreographed for ICA," Katrantzou told Vogue. I've never heard of Pablo Bronstein myself, but if Mary K is involved it must be worthwhile. Mary is also doing a talk about her career tonight at the ICA with  head of St Martins Fashion MA, Louise Wilson.

Mary's designs for her Pablo Bronstein collaboration (From Vogue.co.uk)



5. Hussein Chalayan changes name of his company to CHALAYAN and launches diffusion line

A Chalayan design collaboration with Swarovski (from Independent.co.uk)

6. Update on Prada's market plans


The Power of Prada- Anna Wintour in the now iconic skirt from the SS11 collection

 7. One of my favourite designers of the last two decades, Hedi Slimane WILL make a design comeback. Though he is still musing on when and how.

8. I know its week old news, but the new Fashion East line-up is looking good, and I wanted to share

Laura Bailey wearing James Long SS11

See more of denim design duo Marques'Almeida at their site



I love Maarten Van Der Horst's fun Hawaiian frou-frou collections. See more here



9. Helena Bonham-Carter is the new face of Marc by Marc Jacobs. I KNEW her fashion moment was coming when her madcap outfits started to look cool to me about five months ago. 

Helena Bonham Carter has her best fashion moment yet, shot by Juergen Teller for Marc Jacobs (Image from CatwalkQueen.tv)

10. The World's Oldest Supermodel to be honoured by London College of Fashion 

Carmen shot by Ruven for Vanity Fair Italy in March (from Models.com)

11.New Duran Duran super video...Everyone remembers George Michael's Freedom video which starred all the supermodels of the 1990s. Now, Duran Duran are releasing a new single and have gathered together Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford for a video and cover shoot for Harper's Bazaar. The cherry on the cake is that Dolce Gabbana are doing the clothes... WE CANNOT WAIT TO SEE THE RESULTS!

Dolce and Gabbana with Naomi, Helena, Eva, Yasmin and Cindy. For more pics see Stefano Gabbana's Tumblr

12. After being honoured at the CFDAs on Monday, the BFC threw a farewell party for Hilary Alexander on Thursday night at the Renaissance Hotel in St Pancras. It was a very moving and fun evening. Suzy Menkes gave one of her heartwarming speeches, and The Daily Telegraph team created an animated precis of Hils career, complete with a cartoon Hilary smoking and drinking wine. Having worked with her all their observations were hilarious, especially when cartoon Hilary was smoking and drinking with one hand, while one-finger typing with the other as the room filled with smoke....

Hils has a chat with an even more diminutive version of herself, a puppet created by Matches and gifted by Tom and Ruth Chapman  (from 10magazine.com)

Fashion Editor at Large with Hilary Alexander

13. It's all change at Vogue as Kate Phelan leaves to become Creative Director at Topshop and Robin Derrick leaves to pursue new projects. At Hilary's party last night TopShop  MD Mary Homer told me "It was time we had a creative on board to oversee all elements of TopShop. The whole team is delighted that she is joining us, as am I." Kate Phelan herself is equally upbeat. "I am thrilled to be joining the Topshop team as Creative Director. Topshop is the most influential, dynamic fashion brand on the high street, a pioneer in both store experience and designer collaborations. I look forward to contributing to Topshop's next chapter" (via Telegraph.co.uk)

Kate Phelan at the shows (from showstudio.com)

Kate Phelan's previous styling for Topshop campaigns (from CLMUS.COM)

AW11 - BEHIND THE PRINTS

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

It's safe to say that the AW11 collections in London were all about print. Our eyes were bombarded from every side with a rich feast of colour and shape blended into graphic patterns, and it was exciting to see so many designers embracing the allure of prints. We were transfixed, so decided to put our art-historian hat on to discover what the inspirational pieces which may have inspired the London designers.

Three stand-out collections deserve a closer look: the amazing prints at Erdem, Jonathan Saunders and Mary Katrantzou.

Erdem

We always have high expectations of Erdem's exquisite print designs, and this season their stunning beauty took on a new level of depth.

This statuesque column dress features an array of vibrant jewel tones; the velvet fabric adds to the rich depth of colour and gives the impression that different fabrics have somehow been burnt and fused together.

This trench - which no doubt be gracing many a Fashion Editor's back come next Fashion Week - has distinct echoes of Monet's Waterlillies series of paintings.

Blood red, stunning floral explosions and dappled colour. There is something about the drama and romanticism of these prints makes me think of Pre-Raphelite paintings.

Monet's Reflections of Clouds on the Water

Nymphs Finding The Head Of Orpheus by John William Waterhouse

La Belle Dames Sans Merci by John William Waterhouse

Jonathan Saunders

This collection was breathtaking in it's simple, yet beautiful elegance, and Saunders' amazing use of colour. The incredible repeated floral prints and bird imagery had strong similarities to the William Morris aesthetic of the late 1800s, but the colour palette ensured the looks felt contemporary.

The primary motifs were these intricate floral and botantical designs...

...interspersed with these blocky graphic shapes, which recall 1930s styles.

 

This lovely bird print was confirmation that birds will be EVERYWHERE by the time autumn comes around.

Prints upon prints upon prints! Inspired by nature, but made much more exciting with these bright hues!

William Morris ceramic tiles from the late 19th Century

The Strawberry Thief by William Morris

Snakeshead by William Morris (1867)

An original 1930s dress pattern, which echoes the shape and prints of Jonathan Saunders AW11

Mary Katrantzou

Quite possibly the best collection of the week, Mary's designs were spectacular, each print a complex hybrid of artistic references, including the superlative extravagance of Fabergé eggs, traditional Oriental designs and Russian Orthodoxy.

This painting-within-a-print is a beautiful example of ancient Japanese artistry.

The combination of graphic shapes and floral designs call to mind the decadent interiors of Russian cathedrals...

...while another Russian influence is clear to see: the gorgeous artwork of Fabergé eggs.

The Rose Trellis Fabergé egg, created in 1907 - a direct reference for Katrantzou's AW11 collection

The original Fabergé Imperial Clover egg, created in 1902 for the Tzar, Nicholas II, to give to his Tzarina. We'd settle for a piece from Mary Katrantzou AW11!

The interior of St Basil's Cathedral, with its beautiful floral designs

Traditional Japanese painting and kimono fabric, a distinct inspiration for the collection.

 

The scene has officially been set: prints will be at the forefront of fashion for AW11, and this time around they are intricate, bold and entirely beautiful.