IDOL FRIDAY: Mary Quant

It's been 60 years since Mary Quant opened her first boutique, Bazaar, on Kings Road so I thought she would be the perfect choice for this weeks Idol Friday.  She brought fun to fashion by bringing us the mini skirt and hot pants in the 1960s and her use of bold and colourful fabrics has been a big inspiration to me personally.

Quant, 81 last week, started making clothes as a little girl, cutting up bedspreads or any other bits of fabric she could find at home. Eventually she managed to persuade her parents, probably bored of late night raids on the linen cupboard, to send her to Goldsmith's College of Art in London. This is where she met and fell in love with her husband, Alexander Plunket Greene.

When Greene inherited £5000 on his 21st birthday, they teamed up with fellow student and photographer, Archie McNair, and went into business together. In 1955 they rented Markham House  - a three storey building with a restaurant, Alexanders, in the basement and a boutique on the first floor. And so the first Bazaar was born.

Quant started out by purchasing stock for the shop but soon had the frustrating realization that she couldn't find the youthful styles that she was craving for. Never one to be defeated, she started making her own designs and hired a dressmaker to work through the day whilst Quant worked through the night, making sure she had made enough stock to sell in the shop the next day. From the late 1950's she had been experimenting with shorter hemlines, leading to the creation of the miniskirt in 1964. Quant herself would go on to admit that she didn't think it was solely her creation, more a reaction to the demand of the Kings Rd. girls that would visit the shop.

Quant was one of the first designers to bring affordable fashion to the high-street. Before, to keep up with fashion trends, you would either have to visit a couture house or rip a page out of a magazine and take it to a dressmaker. It's easy to see why her simple and clean cut dresses were popular with the London girls of the 60's! The shorter hemlines allowed it's wearer to have more freedom to move and were designed with running for a bus in mind.  Just two years after opening her first shop, she had a team of machinists working for her and was busy opening a second branch in swanky Knightsbridge, with a layout designed by Terence Conran. 

Raincoats from the 'Wet Collection'

In 1962, she entered the American market with J.C Penny and soon enough she was selling her clothes worldwide in over 150 shops. Quant's popular designs gave girls a chance to embrace a fun, affordable and youth defining look. Her bold colours and usage of fun materials was a breath of fresh air from the drab and boring fabrics left by years of war rationing.

When discovering PVC, Quant put together a whole range called the 'Wet Collection', first shown in Paris, 1963. Working with this new fabric was a steep learning curve, taking her 2 years to work out how to effectively use the material and perfecting issues like bonding the sleeves successfully. It was fabulous for making raincoats and she would sew white PVC peter pan collars onto mini dresses giving them a futurist look.

By the Seventies and Eighties, Quant was using her design skills to make other creations. She was the first designer to commercialise tights, as well as an early pioneer for designer cosmetics. Her line of make-up boomed in Japan and was eventually bought by a Japanese company in 2000. She had wonderful opportunities to put her unique style into a number of things such as the chic air hostess uniforms for Court Line Aviation in 1972. I wish uniforms looked like this today. I used to work as cabin crew years ago for Excel Airlines and my uniform was SO boring compared to this!

She also collaborated with Mini Cooper, designing the interior of the Mini Quant in 1988. The car featured black and white striped seats with red trimming, along with red seat belts. The steering wheel also had her signature daisy logo in the center. Just 2000 of this very limited edition were released in total in the UK. 

Quant's determination and creativeness has been an enormous influence on me. I've always admired her ability to put her hand to new things and always make something singular, unique. She went to art college to study illustration, but became one of the biggest names in the fashion industry. Her eye for trends, persistence and dedication over the last 60 years has had a massive role in shaping the fashion world as it is today. From short hemlines to tiny cars, the girls done it all. 

Thank you Mary Quant :)

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IDOL FRIDAY: Guy Bourdin

Welcome to the first of a new weekly series; Idol Friday! This week we are looking at French fashion photographer, Guy Bourdin. Since his death in 1991, Bourdin has been hailed as one of the greatest fashion photographers of all time. He was never a natural self-promoter or preserver of his work and wanted it destroyed after his death. Fortunately for us, his art had many admirers and much  was saved by private collectors.  You can currently go and see the largest UK exhibition of his works at Somerset House. The exhibition features over 100 pieces, including unseen material found at his estate.

Bourdin was born in Paris in 1928 and received his first photography training as a cadet in the French Air Force taking aerial shots. He was an aspiring artist and his main medium at the time was to draw and paint. It wasn't until he saw Edward Weston's 'Pepper' image that something stirred in him, pushing him towards photography. Influenced by Surrealism,  Bourdin became a great admirer of Man Ray who was a huge inspiration. After several attempts to visit Ray at his home and each time being turned away by his wife, Bourdin finally managed to introduce himself to his idol and they soon became firm friends, helping each other with various exhibitions and projects.

At the age of 27, Bourdin landed himself a job with Vogue Paris. Whilst there, he worked alongside Helmut Newton and they'd often get competitive with how much sexuality they could push into their work and to the limits of what could be published in the magazine. Although there was rivalry, their work complimented each other beautifully. So much so, in fact, that if they hadn't been working on the same magazine it's likely their audience probably wouldn't have received them as well. One of Bourdin's major clients whilst at Vogue was shoe designer, Charles Jourdan. He worked on Jourdan's ad campaigns between 1967-1981. He had full creative control, which frightened the company a little but his narrative power exceeded the bounds of conventional photography advertising. Because of this his work was greatly anticipated by the media.

As you can see from his images, Boudin liked to use hard acid colours and play on reflections. This was a contrast to Newton's work who was the complete opposite and loved working in black & white with S&M influences. Inspired by the memory of his Parisian mother, Bourdin would pick models with a deathly palour & their make-up had to have a doll-like quality. He was definitely a perfectionist and would often work for days on one piece until he felt he had created his vision. But once a piece was created to his liking it would very often get disposed of once published in a magazine. It was as if he preferred the process of perfecting a shot rather than the end result.

Even today, at first glance, it's hard to tell that some of his photos are 40 - 50 years old.

On the other side of the lens, Bourdin was often described as troubled and impish. It was observed that his wife, Sybil, who sadly committed suicide, was not allowed to leave their home and the many glamorous models who would work with him were often dismayed at the remoteness and squalid conditions that Bourdin lived and worked in. Many blame this on the abandonment he faced from his parents as a child. As with many revered artists, it seems that his talent stemmed from trauma.

It would be intriguing to know what Bourdin thought of his work now, being exhibited in such a large exhibition and hailed as one of the top fashion photographers of all time. He was definitely a pioneer and was the first to show the product as a secondary subject in an image and also the first to truly connect with the lower and middle classes. His images brought them a brighter future, parallel to a darker side, images with a cinematic quality, containing suspense and anxiety.

What do you think of Guy Bourdin's work? Have you been to see the exhibition yet?

Big love,

Guy Bourdin: Image Maker exhibition is running until 15th March 2015 at Somerset House. Tickets are only £9 and you can buy them in advance here

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KATIE JONES: Granny Takes a Trip SS15

I love Katie Jones! She is a woman after my own heart. Her skill of combining crocheting and fashion is truly mesmerizing, always causing my heart to skip a beat. I was first introduced to Jones at Brighton Fashion Week's Zeitgeist show in 2013.  Her Slab City collection (read what I thought about the show in this feature I wrote for Pretty Litter Mag) stood out and I fell in love straight away. 

I've been following her since and she hasn't disappointed. Her stunning new collection, Granny Takes a Trip, takes inspiration from childhood visits to the Brighton seaside. Jones, combines colours from memories of eating ice cream, visiting the pier, carousel and Pavilion with this fabulous crochet ensemble. The craftsmanship she displays is of artisan quality and I just want to fill my wardrobe with each and every piece.

Which is your favourite item?

Big love,

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Interview with Daniella Christina Timms

Daniella Christina Timms is a local Brighton designer who makes beautiful, vintage inspired clothing. Her new collection, Made in Britain: Brocade Parade, has just been released and is available to buy on her brand-spanking-new website. The collection oozes with quality. A combination of 1940s - 50s silhouettes and British heritage fabrics. 

I caught up with Daniella a few days ago to talk about her new collection, new website and to try and find out a little bit more about just where her inspiration came from.

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Hi Daniella. So, the new website has launched and along with that you have designed your second collection, Made in Britain: Brocade Parade. Tell us about it...

The new website has been a work in progress for sometime and I've been lucky to have very talented, creative friends that have helped me launch the site (Matt - Southern Retro). It's like a baby that I am very proud of!

The new collection is inspired by British heritage and 1940s-50s silhouettes. Reflecting back to vintage 'Balenciaga', the designer's elegant design style captured the decade. Balenciaga designed a collection of evening gowns in 1952, with floral fabric, sculpturing the faminin shape of the time 

I like the fact your dresses are made to order, does that give customers a bit more flexibility with the design?

Yes, customers can choose from a selection of fabrics and designs.

How did Daniella Christina Designs start and what was the initial idea behind it?

The label started with support from The Prince's Trust organisation, helping young people start up in business, which I think is really the only thing left these days to support the new generation. The idea for the fashion label had been with me from a young age, I was always fascinated by 'old' Hollywood films and icons. Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Marlene Dietrich looked so elegant and charismatic, so I wanted to design clothes inspired by them for the modern  day woman.

What were your aspirations as a child? Did you always want to work in fashion?

When I was younger, I was always creative and intrigued by fashion history. My mum was studying Economics when I was a child so I would always get dragged along to the library, where I found myself immersed in fashion history books.

You seem to be involved in a lot of things: running a local magazine, designing your own label and also assisting amazing designer, Joanne Fleming. How do you manage your time?

What time, haha! I work about 12 hour day, leave one job and start another but I love my career, so every moment is a pleasure.

What advise would you give to young designers who might be looking up to you right now?

Work hard and have faith in your dream. It sounds cliche but people don't just wake up one day and have their dream job, you really do have to work for it.

What's been your favourite moment in your career so far? You've worked for some pretty big names (Burberry, Gresham Blake and American Apparel). Anything you're still aiming for?

I had some great experience and some bad ones. Working in the industry can be hard but this just makes you appreciate the good opportunities. My best experience so far, would have to be working for 'Preen' fashion label at London Fashion Week and launching my first collection.

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Like what you see? Well, Daniella is giving away a full-circle skirt from her new collection to one lucky reader. To be in with a chance of winning visit this page on Daniella's blog and share it on Facebook and Twitter. The winner will be chosen at random on 30th May 2014.

I think Daniella shows real promise with this new collection. The tailoring is exquisite and the fact that each piece is made to order means that the fit will always be flawless. With a label and magazine under her belt, it's wonderful to see so much success in such a passionate young woman. You can follow Daniella on her journey on Facebook and Twitter

Ta ta for now!

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LFWeekend: Pretty in Pink Trend

So. Guess who got in the press pit at London Fashion Weekend's Trend Show on Saturday? Yep. Me! Park Cameras offered 30 lucky people the opportunity to take their photographic weapon of choice and snap away at the wonderful trends that we have to look forward to this Autumn and Winter. This is my second experience in a press pit and was glad that I decided to bring two lenses. With just my 18mm I would've felt most inadequate! I managed to get some good shots though and I'm pretty pleased with the results.

London Fashion Weekend took place at the same place as London Fashion Week, Somerset House. Even though London Fashion Week has finished and moved on to Milan, The British Fashion Council, re-opens the catwalk to the public and you get to see the creme de la creme and get your hands on some amazing designer clothes at almost half the price.

The show comprised of four trends. In the first of four posts covering my exploits at the event, I present to you the first Trend, curated by Pandora Lennard, Pretty in Pink. Lennard is a London based Stylist and Fashion Consultant who expertly styled this key look, which featured heavily in Antipodium, John Rocha, PPQ, Roksanda Ilincic and Tata Naka's AW catwalks. The styling was perfect and I loved how she teamed metallic socks with candyfloss pink which were also combined with a wide range of fabrics from sheer to textual. Still keeping it girly but with more of an edge.

Get inspired and say hello to the Pretty in Pink trend...

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Interview with Eco fashion warriors, Dumpster Design!

In 2007, Daisy Harris-Burland started something that a lot of peple told her not to do. Now down the line she has really made a name for herself. You may know her as the brainchild of Dumpster Design! Dumpster Design brings us 100% Eco friendly couture and it really takes recycling to another level. Each garment is handcrafted and manipulated with materials she has found, giving them a new lease of life. Her dresses start from £700 and she has worked with big names like Benefit Cosmetics, Suzuki, Brighton Fashion Week and Waitrose. I had the chance to interview the lovely Daisy and this is what she said....

HMO - Hi Daisy. So, I first discovered you at Brighton Fashion Week 2012 and you recently showcased again at BFW2013 in their new Eco fashion show, Sustain, which I also saw. You must have been pleased that Eco and sustainable clothes has been recognised in the fashion industry to be given its own show?

DAISY - Yes, it is great to see that sustainable fashion is finally being recognised as a viable option in the industry. More than anything it raises peoples awareness, many people do not realize that it is even possible to create a collection 100% eco friendly. So it was amazing to have a whole show dedicated to doing just that.

HMO - Brighton is certainly the perfect place to showcase your designs. Are there plans to go international?

DAISY - Absolutely. I would love to go international, as I’m sure any designer would. However I think I need to crack the UK before I go gallivanting off to other countries. It would be interesting to see how my designs change in accordance to the location as every country specialises in different materials.

Dumpster Design at BFW2013 Sustain Show. Images courtesy of Clive Flint & Gareth Gregg

HMO - What inspired you to develop the idea of Dumpster Design?

DAISY - Haha...well, when it comes down to it Dumpster Design was formed because I was (possibly still am) a massive cheap skate. I was 16 and had my prom coming up… everyone was buy £400 dresses and I didn’t have that sort of money so I went into my kitchen and made a dress with what I found under the sink. This was all very well and good until my friend spilled a drink on me at prom and I was left standing in the middle of the dance floor with my cardboard dress disintegrating around me (I ended up having to go to reception and ask for substantial amount of duck tape). But that’s where it all started, with the attention and interest that one dress generated I knew there was a business to be made.

HMO - One of the things I liked about your show is that you could recognise what some of the dresses were made from. Is that something quite important to you? Is it intentional?

DAISY - In all honesty I try and make it so you don’t immediately realise what the dresses are made from. As everything I use is still in its raw state (I don’t paint it or change its natural appearance in anyway) it means it can be very obvious what it is. If you stuck a roll of kitchen roll to a top you’d know it was a roll of kitchen roll stuck to a top if you get what I mean? I love the fact that you don’t realise that these are all throw away house hold items until you get up close and really see the intricacy involved in every design. I love watching peoples reactions when they realise a dress is made from jay cloths haha

HMO - What has been the most unusual material you've used to make an item?

DAISY - Man, there have been so many. Umm...most unusual I guess would be deckchairs, maybe? Oh or liquid latex-that was an odd one!

HMO - What would be your dream material to use?

DAISY - My dream material...hmm...it would probably be from the inside of a space satellite or huge computer. Anything that would leave me with loads of micro chips and memory boards, along with meters and meters of wiring. I would love to see what I could make with that!

HMO - You must do a lot of experimenting. Do you find it quite easy to manipulate materials in the way you want them to go? Is there a material you're still tackling?

DAISY - When it comes to manipulating materials I am fully at the mercy of the material in question. If I try and fold something and it is clearly saying ‘I aint foldin’ like that!’ then that’s it, cant do it. I have to find another way to work with it. It is all about pushing each material to its limits stretching it to the exact point just before it breaks. But I have to listen to the material and work in a way that suits it best, as every item has different properties. But that’s what I love to find out, and that’s why each of my designs are so different depending what they are made of. But for material I am still tackling.. I just made a dress out of cling film and that wasn’t easy to say the least, its just so...clingy?! I was about ready to wrap it round my head and call it a day on more than 2 separate occasions haha.

HMO - Where do you source your materials? Do you go out looking for things, do people donate?

DAISY - Oh my word, here there and everywhere! Im always sending out some bizzareo request to my friends and family. ‘This week its lottery tickets guys!’ or ‘don’t forget to pick up any old porn mags you have lying around on your coffee table, I'm making a 'Lust' dress'. They are used to it by now! It is surprising how much stuff you can generate though just by asking around. And of course, if I'm making a dress for a company, then they supply the branded materials themselves.

HMO - What are your career highlights so far? Anything you're still aiming for?

DAISY - Career highlight? Well, once I was sat in a park and a total stranger walked past me and said ‘excuse me, are you Daisy Dumpster?’ that’s not my name, but still, that was pretty cool. Oh and obviously working with huge brands such as Benefit Cosmetics, Dior, L’Oreal and Suzuki blah blah.

HMO - What advice can you give other budding designers out there?

DAISY - It sounds cliché but just don’t give up. I had so many people tell me ‘no’ when I was first starting out. I even had to quit my degree course (which was fashion?!) because they didn’t like what I was doing. But I carried on and have never looked back.

HMO - Any exciting projects coming up?

DAISY - Lots of exciting things at the moment. I am currently working on a 7 dress collection based on the 7 deadly sins, this is for the Radical Designer Awards in London in October. I am also doing Front Row fashion show in November and…save the best ‘till last… I have just had conformation on a collaboration with Dior, DIOR?! It still surprises me to say it! VERY excited to get stuck into this one!

You can follow Daisy and Dumpster Design's journey on Facebook and Twitter. If you are interested in getting a bespoke garment made please contact Daisy via her website. I also get to try out one of Daisy's dresses in my next Style post. You can find it here!

WARNING!! You are about to witness a sneak preview of current work in progress on the  new 7 deadly sins collection

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