Fashion for Relief at London Fashion Week

more news from the London Fashion Week…

Naomi Campbell hosted her third Fashion for Relief catwalk show last night in aid of the White Ribbon Alliance with the help of over sixty celebrities…

In pictures: Fashion for Relief at LFW “What am I doing? I’m an old age pensioner,” said Cilla Black as she was handed an Yves Saint Laurent corset. Star studded: Naomi hosts the Fashion for Relief catwalk show But the smile and gleam in her eyes suggested the 65-year-old queen of telly knew exactly what she was up to; indeed, I don’t think she could wait to flash those famous pins in the outfit she described as “a cross between Sally Bowles and the Artful Dodger.” Cilla Black virtually stole the show at Naomi’s Fashion for Relief catwalk gala at the Natural History Museum last night in aid of the White Ribbon Alliance, the global organization which helps pregnant women and newborns. Sarah Brown, the wife of the Prime Minister, who is patron of the charity, joined a starry cast in the front row which included Princess Eugenie, the billionaire tycoon, Richard Caring, Mischa Barton, Trudie Styler, David Tang and Nick Knight. Backstage before the event – the third Naomi has organized in as many years – there were scenes of organized chaos as more than 60 stars, Olympic medallists, celebrities, singers and television personalities queued for make-up, hairdressing and wardrobe. “I’ve eaten too much, but I don’t care. I love food,” said Naomi as her long, shining tresses were flattened and straightened into submission. Naomi, both the brains and the beauty behind the event, had three different designer dresses to wear – by Azzedine Alaia, Yves Saint Laurent and an extraordinary peacock feather creation by Zac Posen – a gown which was subsequently bought in the auction by her Russian boyfriend, Vladimir, who calmly bid £25,000. Kelly Hoppen’s locks, meanwhile, were being lovingly and lengthily tended by boyfriend, the celebrity hairdresser, Nicky Clarke. Ronnie Wood’s wife Jo had accessorized her vintage gold sequined gown with a cute, brass-buttoned military jacket from her own wardrobe and Alice Dellal was planning to wear her own studded, platform ‘biker’ boots with whatever she was given.

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Romantic Rocha adds colour to black Monday

so fashion serves as a light in the dark yay

JOHN ROCHA’S lovely show on the second day of London Fashion Week gave a lift to an otherwise black Monday in which the sudden chill in the city air reflected the darkening banking crisis. Known for his monochrome style and offbeat elegance, Rocha’s spring collection was more shapely and structured than usual, more feminine in spirit.

Though the snowy Linton tweeds that opened the show were sweetly embroidered with white ribbon, there was less superfluous decor in the crinoline dresses and standaway jackets that flared airily from the waist. “I was thinking of ballerinas and the play on proportions,” he said backstage. White-faced models, their hair scraped into buns, wearing blocked-toed shoes drove the ballet reference home.

Mixing ideas of masculinity and femininity, “disarray versus control”, his slim and flattering tunics, occasionally backless, added extra elegance to long black lace dresses while severe menswear pieces were enlivened with small but noticeable decorative touches. Even trench coats came in lengths that could be worn swagged or swinging at the back.

The big surprise was the colour – georgette dresses thick with petals in shades of mint, raspberry and royal blue were hung with collars of heavy Jaipur crystal closing a stellar show, arguably his best ever.

Currently a nominee for the Elle Deco award to be announced in London at the end of October, Rocha has just been made an honorary patron of Trinity College’s Philosophical Society and is to address “the Phil” in mid-November.

If Rocha’s collection was romantic, Jasper Conran seemed to throw his customary refinement to the winds with a collection that was raunchy and saucy with frilled knickers, nude silks, corseted tops and barely-there dresses. But he is too much of a sophisticate to go too far and the mood was playful and tongue in cheek with titles like “Miss Demeanour”, “Rough Crossing” and “Dollita”, the latter a confection of ruffles, pleats and frills in sugary georgette.

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Fashion Week dumps model health checks

well this approach might have had a chance…

MODELS will not be forced to have health checks at London Fashion Week after other major cities refused to go along with the idea.

The idea was recommended by the British Fashion Council after last year’s size zero debate but it’s already been ruled out in New York, Paris and Milan, BBC Radio reports.

London Fashion Week kicked off yesterday.

Officials in the three cities said forcing models to produce a medical certificate was too invasive.

Eating disorder charities have criticised the decision.

The size zero debate began when two South American models died from eating disorders.

In response, the British Fashion Council came out with 14 proposals last September in a report called the Model Health Inquiry.

One of the main proposals was to introduce health certificates for models on Britain’s catwalks.
Catwalk models make up only 10 per cent of the modelling population.

But officials in New York, Paris and Milan did not agree with the proposals.

They said the measures were unworkable and discriminated against other models who didn’t appear on the catwalk.

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London Fashion Week starts amid fears for its future

let´ s hope the best for London

London Fashion Week got under way Sunday with seasoned Irish designer Paul Costelloe presenting his spring-summer 2009 collection, but the event faces a battle for survival.

London, a traditional testing ground for new and experimental designers, is under threat from a scheduling row with the more powerful New York fashion week, which takes place directly before London.

The event in the British capital faces a cut from six days to four because the New York organisers want to push their shows a few days later to give designers more time to prepare their spring-summer collections.

London, which is immediately followed by the Milan shows, is refusing to move because it fears that slimming down to four days could make it less attractive to big-name British designers such as Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood who might decide to go directly from New York to Milan.

The issue is to be thrashed out at a meeting in London Tuesday between the organisers of the world’s big four fashion weeks — Paris, New York, Milan and London.

While London appears set to lose the battle, organisers said they were optimistic.

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Why London is still a fashion capital

so if you have any doubts you may read this article

The last seams are being neatened and seating plans finalised – London Fashion Week opens tomorrow for another season of hype and delight. Next year’s event will be the 25th since it started as a few exhibition stands in a London hotel. Now it’s a thoroughly professional outfit, with more than 50 official shows, nearly as many off-schedule ones and several major exhibitions – the showcase for a £750 million designer-fashion industry that exports £500 million worth of clothes annually, not to mention acclaimed designers to work worldwide. Even the Prime Minister’s wife is throwing a party.

Fashion Week is the subject both of effusive reporting and vexed debate – everyone agrees that London is inspiring and exciting, but short of funds and manufacturing facilities. In the words of Hilary Riva, of the British Fashion Council, it will “never be Milan or Paris, but its creativity and diversity are the best”. The people who make it happen – from designers and models to editors and retailers – care passionately about it. We asked those who are most influential right now what London fashion means to them.

Jane Shepherdson
CEO, co-owner and creative overseer of Whistles, where her input is starting to show. The former managing director of Topshop, she set up its New Generation designer sponsorship scheme, and has worked with ethical fashion company People Tree.

“I couldn’t imagine working anywhere but London. The rawness, energy and dynamism are unique. We take more fashion risks and we’re more irreverent. British people are not afraid to be different, try new silhouettes, even look a bit silly. Women here aren’t desperate to look sexy, slick and glossy.

“We have youngsters of all nationalities in our design studio, but 99 per cent of them are British-trained. The lack of investment in this country is not in people but in facilities. Whistles, for example, has only five per cent of its manufacturing here – and that’s in really specialist areas. The reason may be historical – we simply don’t have those long-established, European-style luxury companies.

“It’s hard for designers to rise above the £600,000 turnover level – investors start at £2 million. We’d like to help with that, and, likewise, the ethical side, by using small suppliers. Our customers demand it – another area where Britain is ahead of the curve.”

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