The only way is Up for Goodone

Goodone - Spring Summer 2011
Oversized panelled T-shirt
worn with contrast jersey leggings.

Goodone  the award-winning fashion label continues to go from strength to strength with each season.  I have been so impressed with the last two collections - Spring Summer 2011 and Autumn Winter 2011 - previewed at London Fashion Week.

Following on from the mentorship with Yasmin Sewell as part of a British Fashion Council scheme, Goodone's Designer and Co-Founder Nin Castle has pushed up-cycling to a "a new level of luxury".  For Spring Summer, Goodone combines re-claimed garments and surplus fabrics with new British produced fabrics to create fashion-forward styles with an Active Sportswear influence, a key look for Summer 2011:  body-con shapes, contrast panels, mesh fabrics and recycled festival tents!

Goodone - Spring Summer 2011
Panelled body-con dress with waffle knit detail
and key hole back

The Spring Summer collection is available online at www.goodone.co.uk

I'll give you a taster of the Autumn Winter collection in a later post.  Be patient.  It's a Goodone.  (Sorry!  Such a terrible pun...I couldn't resist it.)

Goodone - Spring Summer 2011
Linen and jersey jumpsuit

Goodone - Spring Summer 2011
Oversized knitted jumper with woven shoulders
worn with two-tone jersey leggings.

Drawers filled with Style and Salvage - by Rupert Blanchard

Multi Drawer Cabinet Square by Rupert Blanchard.
Created with discarded drawers that were once part of a 40's desk, a fitted wardrobe,
a Victorian chest of drawers, a haberdashery shop cabinet,
a 50's sideboard and a 20's chest of drawers.

Rupert Blanchard is obsessed with drawers.  It began when he was a curious child visiting his Grandma's house, which was furnished with watchmakers cabinets and drawers.  His obsession and curiosity has developed into a creative talent for up-cycling abandoned, unused and unwanted drawers.  Blanchard scours junk shops, car boot sales and market stalls for discarded furniture to re-create into cabinets that will once again be wanted.  Each individual drawer has a story to tell from another era, brought together to create something extremely modern yet timeless.

As Rupert Blanchard says "The main rule I have set myself is to only use objects that no longer fulfill the purpose for which they were originally created, and to make the unwanted wanted again."

Partimi - Autumn Winter Collection at London Fashion Week

Partimi
Autumn Winter 2011 Collection at Estethica
Image by Re-Design for Life

Partimi
Autumn Winter 2011 Collection at Estethica
Image by Re-Design for Life

I first met Eleanor Dorrien-Smith, the designer behind Partimi,  this time last year when she was showing her work at London Fashion Week as part of the Centre for Sustainable Fashion.  It was lovely to catch up with her again to view her Autumn Winter 2011 collection 'Garden', which draws it's inspiration from lush winter gardens, childhood memories and momentum.

Eleanor explained to me how the striking prints in her collection were inspired by photographs of her father playing as a child in the family garden: an overwhelmingly beautiful place.  Another print was inspired by moss and lichen covered benches in the family garden.  The textural 'Lichen' design is digitally printed onto an organic silk satin dress to stunning effect.  One of my favourite pieces in the collection.

Other styles include a photographic palm print dress in organic silk jersey that  tucks and drapes gently around the body.  A luxuriously soft tapered leg trouser and a collar-less jacket

 with a clean silhouette - both in organic wool.  

Eleanor has created a beautiful contemporary collection that is simple yet stunning.  Oh yes!  It's also ethically produced using sustainably sourced fabrics.  The only down-side is that we have to wait until Autumn Winter before we can wear it.  

In the meantime, her SS11 collection 'Dieu Bleu' can be viewed on the Partimi website.

Edun brings elegant ethics to New York fashion week

Edun - AW2011
Image via Style.com

Way, way back in Autumn 2009 I read that the eco-fashion brand Edun - set up by Bono and his wife Ali Hewson - was selling a stake to LVMH.  Yes!  LVMH.  LVMH the world's largest luxury group.  I have to admit I was shocked.  Was Edun selling out?  Would Edun's original ethics - building sustainable communities in the areas where the clothes are produced - be lost behind the luxury corporate powerhouse that is LVMH.

One thing is for certain, it proves that LVMH is taking a serious interest in sustainability. As Suzy Menkes of the International Herald Tribune said "For the forward-looking in the industry, ethics is the new elegance, and doing things right carries more weight than doing things fast"

Edun's AW2011 collection brings ethics and elegance to the international catwalks.  Whilst remaining committed to the brand's fair-trade principles, Edun's designer Sharon Wauchob has created a collection with so many I-Want-One-of-Those pieces.

Edun - AW2011
Image via style.com

Edun - AW2011
Image via style.com

Edun - AW2011
Image via style.com

Edun - AW2011
Image via style.com

Edun - AW2011
Image via style.com

Edun - AW2011
Image via style.com

Ekaterina Kukhareva - Undercover Queen

Ekaterina Kukhareva
Spring Summer 2010 - Undercover Queen

As we come to the end of an Autumn Winter season dominated by chunky cable knits, oversized boyfriend cardigans and sloppy 'grunge' inspired jumpers - all of which I have succumbed to with open arms - it is so refreshing to come across Ekaterina Kukhareva's Spring Summer collection - Undercover Queen.

This high-end, sexy-chic knitwear collection takes it's inspiration from a mythological Egypt, ancient Queen Cleopatra and the techniques used by designers Herve Leger and Azzedine Alaia.

Each beautifully hand-crafted piece in the collection can take Kukhareva up to seven days to construct, including two days to make the fabric.  Traditional techniques of macrame, fringing and crochet have been used with opulent embellishment to create timeless pieces for strong, sensual, modern women.

See the complete range at www.kukhareva.com

Ekaterina Kukhareva
Spring Summer 2010 - Undercover Queen

Ekaterina Kukhareva
Spring Summer 2010 - Undercover Queen

Ekaterina Kukhareva
Spring Summer 2010 - Undercover Queen

Ekaterina Kukhareva
Spring Summer 2010 - Undercover Queen

Ekaterina Kukhareva
Spring Summer 2010 - Undercover Queen

LOVE Monsoon for Spring Summer 2011

LOVE Monsoon Spring Summer 2011
Image by Re-Design for Life

Monsoon - the global fashion retailer and sponsor of Estethica at London Fashion Week - launches it's LOVE range this month.

The range of feminine pieces has been developed to create a fusion of clean, modern design with Indian crafts, recycled materials and organic fabrics.   The designs make use of Monsoon off-cuts, recycled glass and pearl trims and beautiful button detailing.

LOVE Monsoon - Elements
Spring Summer 2011
Image by Re-Design for Life

 LOVE Monsoon Elements evokes the rich craft tradition of Monsoon, using hand block printed organic cottons, vegetable dyed silks, organic jersey and crushed Mother of Pearl embellishments.

LOVE Monsoon - Ethereal
Spring Summer 2011
Image by Re-Design for Life

LOVE Monsoon Ethereal has an entirely Ivory colour palette of modern, feminine pieces including delicately embroidered organic cotton tops, organic lace scarves and an organic cheesecloth maxi dress embellished with crushed beads.

I hope other fashion retailers will be inspired by Monsoon's LOVE range.  Inspired to create sustainable collections using their own off-cuts.  Inspired to use organic fabrics and dyeing methods.  Inspired to incorporate traditional methods of printing and embellishment into their ranges.

One thing's for sure, it will certainly make the UK high street a more interesting and creative place to shop.

A Dream of Mystery and Elegance - Veronica B Vallenes -SS11

Veronica B Vallenes
Spring Summer 2011

Norwegian designer Veronica B Vallenes has combined vintage elegance with contemporary coolness to create a spring summer collection that is both feminine and edgy.  Each understated piece is created in a neutral palette, with a shot of black to contrast against the softness.


Veronica B Vallenes will be showing her AW11 collection at Copenhagen Fashion Week on Friday 4th February.

Veronica B Vallenes
Spring Summer 2011

Veronica B Vallenes
Spring Summer 2011

Veronica B Vallenes
Spring Summer 2011

Veronica B Vallenes
Spring Summer 2011