Things to look back upon and love about 2012.

Honest by  Bruno Pieters

Honest by Bruno Pieters
Marl sweater made from recycled wool
Creased cotton wrap skirt

Honest by

The launch in January, 2012 of Honest by.

Honest by, is the creation of the highly regarded Belgian designer, Bruno Pieters.  Pieters has created the first company in the world to have 100% transparency for it's supply chain, allowing Honest by customers to shop for innovative fashion in a completely conscious way.

Honest by

Honest by Bruno Pieters
Organic silk chiffon dress

Honest by

Honest by Bruno Pieters
Recycled wool caban coat
organic cotton facings, bindings and thread.

Honest by

Partimi 2012 collections

Partimi
Spring Summer 2012

One of my favourite sustainable fashion brands.  I love the simple silhouettes,  easy style and captivating prints depicting photographic images from designer, Eleanor Dorrien-Smith's childhood.   I loved both of Partimi's 2012 collections.  Looking forward to 2013.

Partimi

Partimi
Spring Summer 2012

Partimi
Autumn Winter 2012
Photograph by:  Nicole Maria Winkler

Partimi
Autumn Winter 2012
Photograph by:  Nicole Maria Winkler

NEWGEN sponsorship winners

A special mention to three of the designers who have been awarded sponsorship to present their collections at London Fashion Week in February, 2013.   J JS Lee, Lucas Nascimento and Christopher Raeburn.

J JS LEE
Spring Summer 2013 collection

J JS LEE
Spring Summer 2013 collection

J JS LEE
Spring Summer 2013 collection

Lucas Nascimento
Spring Summer 2013 collection

Lucas Nascimento
Spring Summer 2013 collection

Lucas Nascimento
Spring Summer 2013 collection

Christopher Raeburn
Spring Summer 2013 collection

Christopher Raeburn
Spring Summer 2013 collection

Christopher Raeburn
Spring Summer 2013 collection

Rutzou award for sustainable fashion

Rutzou
Sustainable design challenge, 2012

Danish fashion designer Susanne Rutzou, won the sustainable design challenge in May this year.  The competition - part of the Copenhagen Fashion Summit - was set to raise awareness of sustainable textiles.

Rutzou

Rutzou
Sustainable design challenge, 2012

  

NORRBACK - maintaining style & integrity

NORRBACK
Autumn Winter 2012

Its at this time of year - when I've often over eaten, over socialised and over dressed, over a number of weeks - that I feel the need to wrap and cocoon myself in gentle layers. To venture on long walks.  To enjoy nature's winter silence.

All images from Norrback's Autumn Winter collection.
Consciousness.  Integrity.  Quality.  Style.  NORRBACK

NORRBACK
Autumn Winter 2012

NORRBACK
Autumn Winter 2012

Ada Zanditon - Discovery Dress

Discovery Dress by Ada Zanditon

featured in Vision China Magazine

I am captivated by the mysterious beauty of this image from Vision China Magazine, featuring Ada Zandition's Discovery dress.

Army surplus gets a sophisticated edge . Christopher Raeburn - SS13

Christopher Raeburn
Spring Summer 2013

Photo by Fillipo Flor - Go Runway.com

Readers of this blog will know that I have been a fan of Christopher Raeburn's work since seeing his collection of outwear and parkas in 2008, which was created from up-cycled army parachutes and military jackets.  I have always admired his thoughtful creativity and meticulous attention to detail.

But!  Wow!  His SS13 catwalk show - at London Fashion Week today - marks a transition for his work.  Raeburn has created a sleek collection of wearable pieces with a sophisticated urban edge.  He has managed to do this without losing his signature utilitarian style.

Stand out pieces in the collection were iridescent nylon shirt dresses, lace patterned parkas and hooded bomber jackets, grosgrain taped seams and camouflage inspired prints.

Christopher Raeburn
Spring Summer 2013

Photo by Fillipo Flor - Go Runway.com

Christopher Raeburn
Spring Summer 2013

Photo by Fillipo Flor - Go Runway.com

Christopher Raeburn
Spring Summer 2013

Photo by Fillipo Flor - Go Runway.com

Christopher Raeburn
Spring Summer 2013

Photo by Fillipo Flor - Go Runway.com

Huishan Zhang - Label of the Month

Huishan Zhang
Autumn Winter 2012 Collection
Photograph by Victoria Tang

As London Fashion Week approaches, I have been checking out the New Generation designers who will be showing their Spring Summer '13 collections there at the end of next week.

Huishan Zhang, a Central St. Martins graduate, immediately captured my attention with his elegant and contemporary designs.  Influenced by Chinese culture and tradition, Zhang creates elegant pieces with a  modern twist by layering and fusing shapes, pattern and colour.  The "sexy and feminine" cheongsam dress is re-created throughout Zhang's collections to create his signature style of "Chinese tradition meets Western influence and modernity"

Huishan Zhang is my Label of the Month. 

I will come back to you soon with a review of his Spring Summer '13 collection.  

Huishan Zhang
Autumn Winter 2012 Collection
Photograph by Victoria Tang

Huishan Zhang
Autumn Winter 2012 Collection
Photograph by Victoria Tang

Huishan Zhang
Autumn Winter 2012 Collection
Photograph by Victoria Tang

Huishan Zhang
Autumn Winter 2012 Collection
Photograph by Victoria Tang

Sofia Retro Bazaar

Sofia Renewall

Spring Summer 2012

Image courtesy of Sofia Retro Bazaar

United by their passion for fashion and a relentless curiosity for everything that is arts and crafts, designers - and best friends - Llaria Tranfa and Rita Molina have created, Sofia Retro Bazaar.  A brand to represent responsible fashion.

The designers have created two collections incorporating re-used materials and hand-crafted techniques.  All pieces are made in Italy with controlled production.

Their jewellery collection - Plexy Couture - is a collection of limited edition modern pieces created from re-cycled plexiglass.

Sofia Renewall is a distinctive collection of clothes, bags, lingerie and beachwear combining romance with a strong edge.  Each unique piece is hand-made using carefully selected vintage scarves and precious fabrics including silk and organza.

Clothing - Sofia Renewall

Jewellery - Plexy Couture

Image courtesy of Sofia Retro Bazaar

Clothing - Sofia Renewall

Jewellery - Plexy Couture

Image courtesy of Sofia Retro Bazaar

 Sofia Renewall
Image courtesy of Sofia Retro Bazaar

Something to treasure from Lilygrace Originals

Lilygrace Originals is a new online store selling unique, handcrafted, one of a kind jewellery inspired by the colour, gothic drama and visual imagination of Frida Kahlo; the intricate and unusual jewellery designs of Miriam Haskell and the surrealism and humour of Elsa Schiaparelli.

Frida Blanco
Frida Kahlo black and white cameo earrings
by Lilygrace Originals

Images used are courtesy of Lilygrace Originals

Each piece of jewellery is lovingly hand-made in the UK by Hazel Mathiot, a fine artist based in Wiltshire.  Vintage rhinestones and English cut glass beads are used together with hand modelled polymer clay shapes, antiqued brass chains and up cycled vintage photographs to create one-of-a-kind and limited edition pieces.

Blue Rose Geisha
Vintage photo violet, sky and teal cameo earrings
by Lilygrace Originals

Images used are courtesy of Lilygrace Originals

Mirror Mirror
Red and yellow naughty pin-up girl cameo earrings
by Lilygrace Originals

Images used are courtesy of Lilygrace Origianls

 Influenced by the current trend for earrings and cameos, I have chosen to show these stunning cameo earrings.  The complete collection of jewellery is available online www.lilygraceoriginals.com.

Pretty as a Peacock
Blue green iridescent Show Girl cameo earrings
by Lilygrace Originals

Images used are courtesy of Lilygrace Originals

Suno continue to captivate

Since starting this blog back in 2008, around the same time that the label Suno was launched, I have been captivated by the brand's creativity.  Now a regular at New York Fashion Week, Suno continues to produce directional collections with an innovative use of print, colour and fabrics.  

Suno have also continued to be true to the brands initial ethics of supporting communities and economies in countries including Kenya, India and Peru.

Below are a few of my favourites from Suno's latest Resort collection.

www.sunony.com

Suno
Resort Collection
Image by Suno via style.com

Suno
Resort Collection
Image by Suno via style.com

Suno
Resort Collection
Image by Suno via style.com

Suno
Resort Collection
Image by Suno via style.com

Nuue by Jungeun Lee

Nuue
by Jungeun Lee
www.studiokoya.com

Jungeun Lee graduated from London's Royal College of Art in 2011 with an MA in Mixed Media/ Textiles.  Through experimenting and researching unconventional methods of creating garments, Jungeun created the Nuue project.

Nuue, a Korean word that means cocoon, is a collection of zero-waste garments produced by wrapping and heating synthetic fibres around a form.  The result is unexpected sculptural silhouettes that have a flexible texture. 

Although this innovative process eliminates the wastage associated with traditional garment and textile production, it cannot be ignored that the materials that Jungeun uses for Nuue are petroleum based.  That said, it does not take away from her creativity or the potential of her discovered technique.  The results, of which, are unconventionally beautiful.

www.studiokoya.com

Nuue
by Jungeun Lee
www.studiokoya.com

Nuue
by Jungeun Lee
www.studiokoya.com

Nuue
by Jungeun Lee
www.studiokoya.com

Fabrica Social - innovating and empowering Mexican women

The Dzitnup
a co-operative to innovate and empower Mayan women

Image via Hand Eye magazine

I have been meaning to share these images for some time now ...

The Dzitnup
a co-operative to innovate and empower Mayan women

Image via Hand Eye magazine

I also want to share with you the work of Fabrica Social.  Fabrica Social is a Mexican non-profit organisation, which works with co-operatives in artisan communities throughout Mexico.  It's objective is to empower and innovate indigenous women through design and garment making skills.

One of the co-operatives associated with Fabrica Social is The Dzitnup, which works with a group of Mayan women in Valladollid, Yucatan.  Women in this area create the traditional "huipils", which are  hand-crafted blouses that are embroidered with brightly coloured designs.  The elaborate designs incorporate vibrant florals and geometric motifs together with symbols of fertility and beauty.

Huipils are wearable art works, which represent the women's Mayan heritage.

The Dzitnup
a co-operative to innovate and empower Mayan women

Image via Hand Eye magazine

Complete article: http://handeyemagazine.com/content/fabrica-social-0