Unpicking the seams... My Coat, My Gift

Taking part in Wooyoungmi's My Coat, My Gift

Wooyoungmi began showing in Paris in July 2002 with her eponymous line. With an eye for advanced sartorial details, the designer has since established herself as a must-see show on Paris' packed Sunday schedule. From the very beginning, the designer has been fond of straight and clean graphic cuts and has constructed a design signature of simple, modern and carefully crafted pieces. Each season, her garments are streamlined and enriched with details and styled finishes that reinvent the wardrobe for men without frightening them. Wooyoungmi offers a quiet revolution. Back in June I was fully woo'd by Wooyoungmi. Now, I have long been a member of this party but it wasn't until my trip to Tokyo that I was able to be outfitted for my own covetable uniform. Shortly after I was sent one of the most exciting emails that I've ever received. It was an invitation to take part in the London edition of a Wooyoungmi collaborative project. My Coat, My Gift is a celebration of both the classic Wooyoungmi coat 'No. 51' and the rising creative talent of the world's principal cities. With its slim cut, the No. 51 has become a best seller and is a key component of the brand's offering. Joining forces with Selfridges, My Coat, My Gift offers a selection of creatives the opportunity to re-imagine this classic all for charity. Supporting Art Against Knives, Wooyoungmi are holding an online auction of coats that have been re-imagined jewellery designer Jordan Askill, set designer Gary Card, Selfridges menswear buyer Reece Crisp, Dazed Digital editor David Hellqvist and...me. Now, I'm not ashamed to admit that I let out a little squeal as I read the email because who wouldn't want to collaborate with one of your favourite designers whilst supporting a great charity in the process. However, my initial excitement was then replaced with a feeling of 'why me?!' and a realisation that aside from Crisp, we all could have been related!

With absolutely no background in design and little talent with a pencil it feels extremely odd to think that I've played some part in creating two items. In this instance I was intrigued by a particular Wooyougmi quote. As a menswear designer Wooyoungmi's work is always objective. She sees a real danger of beginning to design what she herself wants to wear, and this she sees as "the worst crime a designer can commit; selfish design." As a menswear designer she can continuously design for her ideal, fresh and ageless man. However, I'm not a menswear designer, I'm just an enthusiast. So, I decided to do the opposite and design for myself whilst hopefully making the most money I possibly could for Art Against Knives.  So, as with my approach to the sixbysixbloggers project, I thought about what I'm obsessed with during this season. When I'm not kicking my way through Autumn leaves, I confirm my love of layers and fabric combinations. For me, one of the real highlights of Autumn is getting dressed on those chilly mornings. I can layer, wrap and protect myself in an assortment of comfortable and practical fabrics.

Given that I was already a huge fan of the No. 51 coat and new its streamlined nature well, my first task was to create a mood board. Once again as a starting point, I turned to Fantastic Man's October Look from 2009 because this layered harvest festival celebration of an Autumn outfit is forever imprinted on to my tiny mind. Then my thoughts bounced from Celine's minimal mastery to Casely-Hayford's protective armour showcased in recent Autumn/Winter collections. Once accumulated these images were accompanied with the key words...texture, layers, protection, fabric play (leather, tweed, wool, waxed cotton) With the help of Wooyoungmi's talented design team, the task to transform my excited ramblings in to a cohesive garment was a surprisingly simple one...

The first sketch of My Coat, My Gift.

The talented bunch at Wooyoungmi managed to accumulate and make sense of my wants and wishes in their very first sketch. It was full of texture, layers and fabric play. They had even included arm tubes for added protection! What could be more perfect? All that was needed on my part was a few tweaks. These minor alterations included greater leather detailing on the cuffs and collar whilst making the wooly arm tubes detachable. Alongside the sketch I was given a choice of six tweed swatches that were to be used on the body. After some umming and arghing, I made my decision and then that was pretty much that. Two weeks later and the design elves had been hard at work to realise my coat.

My coat!

The resulting collaborations are currently being showcased in a special pop up event inside Selfridges men's contemporary section on the 1st floor. The launch event was a couple of weeks ago now so apologies for the delay in this write up (the lovely Anastasia Duck has already offered his) but I wanted to give it the thought it really deserved. The space is quite something so if you can please do pop in to have a closer look at the finished coats... 

Of course, it was amazing to have the opportunity to rework one of my favourite designer's most recognised pieces (not to mention meet the lovely sister's themselves) but the real reason for this whole collaboration is to raise money for Art Against Knives, a charity using creativity to tackle knife crime in the capital. One of these Wooyoungmi collaborator coats can be yours...

Our first boy band photocall.

I believe that the live auction will run on Wooyoungmi's twitter space from midday November 1st and will close at midnight November 6th but to be on the safe side please do register beforehand. Once bidding opens you can make yours by @woo_youngmi @stevewooyoungmi 'amount bid'… happy bidding!

Introducing... Jacket Required

Over the lifetime of the blog I've covered a number of menswear tradeshows and have clocked up more airmiles than posts in the process. I've perused Paris' double offering of (capsule) and Rendezvous, wandered in wonder at Florence's Pitti Uomo and burrowed deep in to Berlin's Bread&Butter to name but a few. As cities across the continent have grown and evolved a number of well attended tradeshows, London has sadly lurked in the shadows and been left lacking. Thankfully, three well respected names synonymous with London menswear have united to fill the void. Born from a collaborative idea between Mark Batista, Andrew Parfitt and Craig Ford, Jacket Required is a welcome response to the increasing demand amongst international and domestic buyers for a dedicated under-one-roof destination during the real buying season.

Over the weekend of the seventh and eighth of August, Jacket Required will take over the Rochelle School and will feature over thirty five brands. The list is a drool inducing mix of established and emerging labels including familiar favourites such as Pointer, Penfield, Garbstore and Chapman Bags, US brands including anything, Gourmet and Raleigh Denim who will also be showing alongside Japanese brands such as Bedwin and The Heartbreakers who have been persuaded to show in Europe for the very first time. With the momentous weekend approaches, we caught up with trio of minds behind the show to discuss it in more detail...

Jacket Required's Mark Batista, Craig Ford and Andrew Parfitt.

SS: What were your inspirations, your dreams, and the driving catalyst behind Jacket Required?

Jacket Required: Going to all the fantastic shows around the world and realising a huge need for something of the same standard in London. We all had a common belief that London was lacking and greatly deserved a credible and relevant men's tradeshow to reflect the strength of what is happening in the UK market right now. London fashion is fantastic at the moment and the UK has some amazing stores, some don't travel abroad so now they can get the same experience at Jacket Required.

SS: How did the three of you come together for this project?

Jacket Required: We all knew each other personally and what each of us were doing in the UK market. After a discussion over a couple of pints one night, we found that we were on the same page within our views and set about launching Jacket Required.

SS: Can you tell us a bit about the dynamic that exists between you?

Jacket Required: Between the three of us, we are all able to bring our individual strengths and experience to the show.

SS: What does Jacket Required mean to each of you?

Jacket Required: A coming together of like minded sought after brands, retailers and individuals to offer an appropriate setting for business to be conducted.

SS: For us, Jacket Required is a much needed and fitting drive to renew the credibility of trade shows in our corner of the world. In your opinion, why has London been left in the shadows of the menswear buying season in recent years?

Jacket Required: Following the demise of TBC, buyers have just got used to going abroad to the shows as nothing else replaced it. The likes of Berlin, Paris and Florence became even stronger in their offering of men's brands and with the quality of store buyers that attended these European shows constantly improving, London was left behind and became irrelevant, both in the minds of international and domestic brands and retailers. With our relationships in the industry, every brand we approached could see where we were coming from in striving to put London back on the circuit.

SS: How have you approached Jacket Required to differentiate it from tradeshows across the continent and beyond?

Jacket Required: Between the three of us, we have been to every men's show that has been showing SS2012 collections and whilst there is an amazing selection of brands at all of these shows, there seems to be no surprises. We have strived to offer new labels in to the UK/European market that have either never shown in Europe before, or in some cases, have never shown anywhere in the world before. We have a long list of world exclusives at jacket Required that will not have been seen at any trade show until now. At Jacket Required we will always work in this way p keep sourcing emerging collections but also strike a balance with proven winners.

SS: How has the reaction been from brands, buyers and press alike been?

Jacket Required: Unbelievable! Everyone I have spoken to is really excited about the whole project. The goodwill and positivity has been really overwhelming.

SS: The list of participating brands is a drool inducing mix of established and emerging labels. Is there anything that you are particularly excited to show?

Jacket Required: We collectively believe in the formula to a successful and interesting (for buyers) show is to have a combination of cutting edge and exclusive yet proven, credible money makers available. We are one hundred per cent excited and proud to have every brand in the show and do not feel we have compromised in any way. It is a great line up and we thank everyone for their support.

SS: What attracted you to the Rochelle School?

Jacket Required: We initially had a three thousand square feet gallery on Redchurch Street which fell through but this proved to be a blessing in disguise as it led us to find Rochelle School (a redeveloped Victorian Junior School) just around the corner. The whole area is a huge inspiration and will continue to be over the next few years, especially in menswear. We believe the location and its surroundings will be an added bonus for the buyers and press that attend.

SS: Finally, how do you see the tradeshow developing over the next couple of seasons and beyond?

Jacket Required: We are looking to double the amount of exhibitors for the AW2012 exhibition and beyond that, we will just take it one show at a time. In saying that, we already have lots of interest from brands who want to sign up for the second show so we will certainly grow, the main thing is ensuring that the right balance is struck.

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During the build up to Jacket Required we will speak to a number of our favourite brands and will preview their SS12 collections.

Hannah Martin's The Man Who Knows Everything

Hannah Martin's The Man Who Knows Everything.

With a prestigious Central St Martins design education and a handful of awards behind her, it should come as no surprise that Hannah Martin is shaking up the world of luxury jewellery as we know it. Her luxurious and decadent collections are described as ‘jewellery for men, that girlfriends will steal’ and if I had a piece in my possession I would certainly sleep with one eye open from fear of Susie pilfering it. Each time I see her well crafted designs I am utterly blown away. Well this evening, he London based jewellery designer managed to trump everything that has preceded it. For her fifth collection, entitled The Man Who Knows Everything, Hannah has launched with an awe inspiring installation at Dover Street Market, an exclusive fashion film and a unique augmented reality experience that allows fans to wear one of Martin's creations in virtual reality. A triangulated launch that will blow more minds than just mine.

The character that this collection is based upon is the Comte de St Germain. Ordinarily the designer makes up her characters but this alchemist has popped up at various points in history. In fact, the infamous Comte de St Germain appears throughout history across the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. In each account he remained the same age, always impeccably, yet simply, dressed to fit with his transient surroundings. His only remarkable refinery was the bountiful precious stones that adorned his hands, set into buttons, which covered the buckles of his shoes, and filled his travelling cases and trunks.

"He is supposed to be an alchemist, someone who can obviously live forever because he has been noted throughout time and always described in the same way. When we began researching him on the Internet there are some people who think he is still around somewhere. With this in mind I wanted the collection to be both ancient and super modern."

Hannah Martin on the Comte de St Germain

Now, the challenge the designer always faces is telling the story of the collection in a way that people can experience and understand. The narrative of this collection might be less specific than in previous ones, but it is certainly more mystical and the designs themselves deserve a grand scale. So, the Hannah Martin team devised a triangulated launch that allows as many people as possible to try, play, ponder and marvel.

The Euphoria of Lights encased in Waldemayer's obelesque

Firstly, the Dover Street Market Installation that I was fortunate enough to explore this evening. for myself. For the next two weeks, this installation, designed in tribute to the man who can seemingly travel time, is the main focus in Dover Street Market’s infamous ground floor window. Moritz Waldemayer, the great unsung hero of the design world has offered his pioneering eye for light and monumental structure and created an imposing yet elegant obelesque thanks to the craftsmen of Corian – all focused on a single ring taken from this first series within the fifth narrative, the Euphoria of Lights - the Comte's Pyramid Ring. A cage of lasers (yes lasers!) surround the special piece and when interrupted by wanting hands, the lasers let off different sounds, allowing visitors to create their own soundscape as they reach for the ring. This multifaceted presentation takes you from reality to the fantastical and back again in a disorientating manner. It is a real feast for all of the senses. If you are in London over the course of the next two weeks you have to experience the installation for yourselves.

However, thankfully this is not a London centric launch. Those of you who live outside of the capital and beyond can all still experience the collection's unveiling thanks to genius minds of Holition. Leaders in creative ‘augmented reality’ for luxury brands, this Curtain Road based company have partnered on this unique event and have brought the future closer by offering an international audience the ultimate shopping experience where they can virtually “try on” one of Hannah’s definitive pieces and experience a little of the Dover Street Market magic...

Download A4 PDF to cut out your own ring.

Wear the Comte's Pyramid ring in a virtual reality.

As much as the launch installation was jaw droppingly amazing it was busy and dark and altogether not very conducive to this blogger's snaps. Thankfully, the talented folks at Showstudio have created an installation video...

The Hannah Martin installation at Dover Street Market, 17 March 2011 shot by Zoe Hitchen for Showstudio.

Now, Hannah Martin is used to challenging the craftsmen of Hatton Gardens with her architectural designs but now she is turning her attentions to exploring the possibilities of online. Anyone can now download an application and cut out their own ring for the opportunity to engage with Hannah’s most pioneering work to date, and try on this definitive piece of jewellery from the comfort of their own home in the process. The difficulty always faced lies in demonstrating the tactical nature of jewellery and in telling the story of her narrative rich designs, with the help of the geniuses of Holition, Martin has done just that.

LCF and Diaghilev's Ballet Russes (Part Two)

To coincide with the major retrospective at the V&A and the centenary of the Ballets Russes, London College of Fashion and English National Ballet have spent the past year working together on a unique project which examines the Ballet Russes and the incredible legacy of artistic director Diaghilev on dance, art and, of course, fashion. To mark the culmination of this exciting collaboration we decided to talk to Rob Phillips, the Creative Director of the School of Fashion Design and Technology to learn more about the project. In the first part below we set the scene and learn how the project evolved over the course of the year. Here, we learn about the creative and design processes displayed by the students throughout the course of this very special project.

Tailored trousers and jersey drape T-shirt by Deema Abi-Chahine

SS: The project began in 2009 with LCF students having the chance to explore the Ballets Russes through English National Ballet’s performances, rehearsals, set design and importantly, giving students a unique insight into costume design for dance. I'm really intrigued to hear more about the creative processes that the students explored and demonstrated. Could you talk us through some of the processes displayed?

Rob Phillips: The project gave the students amazing opportunities to explore the rich heritage of English National Ballet. The students were given access to Marden in Kent where ENB have their storage facility of costumes and sets. It is a treasure trove of all the performances past and present that ENB have been involved with. We were lucky enough to be given a guided by Head of Costume Wizzy Shawyer. Marden is also where new costumes and sets are made so it really was an unique visit.

Students also visited the rehearsals at the ENB studios in London Kensington where they were preparing for the Ballet Russes season in June 2009 at Sadlers Wells. Some of the students that went along sketched and recorded what they saw.

Fleur Derbyshire-Fox Director of Learning at the ENB gave the students a lecture about the history of Ballet Russes and the ENB which helped the students start to put into context what they were seeing. It also provided them with inspiration for what the ENB was all about. During June 2009 students were able to see performances at Sadlers Wells – for some of them this was the first time they had seen a ballet performance and was a great inspiration for them. So the students really had many experiences to draw upon when they set out on their design process whether this was through drawing or watching and listening to what was around them.

Despite the fact that it was a very creative brief – it was important the outcome was relevant to fashion. One particular menswear student was very inspired by the set, colours and lights and how all of this goes in motion with the movement of the ballet dancers - so her garment was designed to have movement in it, rather than a garment that can be danced in – in fact although the garment looks as though there is movement in it is actually quite restrictive!

The whole process for students is to create and negotiate their own path to answer the brief. The process from there is all about the individual student and the world they create from their own view point. The brief is there to give structure but the outcome is like a jigsaw, it can be played with and essentially it is all about the autonomy of each student and how they decide to interpret the brief.

Ivy printed multi-layered Vest and trousers by Tomi (Wai Yee Ho)

SS: Ultimately, the project has brought together three cultural powerhouses with spectacular results. Looking back over the finished designs and the project as a whole, how proud are you that the students have managed to the incredible legacy of Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes and the significant impact the company continues to have, not only on dance but also on art, design and fashion? I know this must be difficult but do you have any particular highlights?

Rob Phillips: The highlight for me has been watching how each student has developed their ideas. Through this process the students come to realise, that through people such as Diaghilev, elements such as fashion, art, costume, theatre ballet and dance all intermingle – they all affect each other and lend themselves to each other.

This project has opened up the mindset of the students that fashion is not just about wearing clothes and that in the design process other factors come into play – they have seen that fashion designing can be more fulfilling by using different approaches. They have become enriched when given an opportunity which isn’t just about producing designs which are for the everyday – this project showed them about creating an impact and pushing the imagination to be inspired by other practices, such as Diaghilev was. It is great that the students will now take this experience and new ways of working into their final collections – so watch this space!

Appliqué Cotton Top and shorts by Tristan Lahoz

Full Credit list for the shoot is as follows: Creative Director - Rob Phillips. Photography - Sean Michael. Assisted by - James Finnigan. Hair & Make Up -Dora Veronica Simson & Marina Kerecsanyi using M.A.C. Models - Jay, Abella and Jodie all at Nevs. Location - English National Ballet - Marden.

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The finished designs will be displayed at the V&A for one night during the landmark exhibition ‘Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes, 1909-1929’. The display is part of a special evening entitled Ballets Russes Design Perspectives – which takes place at the V&A at 8pm on Friday 19 November and is free (hurray!) to the public.

LCF and Diaghilev's Ballet Russes (Part One)

To coincide with the major retrospective at the V&A and the centenary of the Ballets Russes, London College of Fashion and English National Ballet have spent the past year working together on a unique project which examines the Ballet Russes and the incredible legacy of artistic director Diaghilev on dance, art and, of course, fashion. Diaghilev imaginatively combined dance, music and art to create 'total theatre'. A consummate collaborator himself, he worked with Stravinsky, Chanel, Picasso, Matisse and Nijinsky, there's no doubt that Diaghilev would have approved of this celebratory collaboration.

The students have been able to immerse themselves in the fantasy and couture world of Diaghilev and let their imaginations and creativity take over. To showcase the results of this hugely successful collaboration, twenty five students have been asked to take their designs, including garments, footwear and accessories, into production. These finished designs will be displayed at the V&A for one night during the landmark exhibition ‘Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes, 1909-1929’. The display is part of a special evening entitled Ballets Russes Design Perspectives – which takes place at the V&A at 8pm on Friday 19 November and is free (hurray!) to the public.

To mark the culmination of this exciting collaboration we decided to talk to Rob Phillips, the Creative Director of the School of Fashion Design and Technology to learn more about the project. Our chat is supplemented with an exclusive look at the students' work with a fantastic look book shot by photography Sean Michael on location at English National Ballet. As we have bombarded you with lengthy, text heavy posts in recent weeks we have decided to split our discussion in two. In the first part below we set the scene and learn how the project evolved over the course of the year...

Jacket, shirt and external front pocket trousers by Sungkyun Yuk

SS: You have spent the past year working closely with the English National Ballet on this wonderfully unique project which examines the Ballet Russes and the incredible legacy of Diaghilev on dance, art and of course fashion. How did the collaboration arise?

Rob: Phillips: The collaboration was formed over a year and half ago when the ENB first approached London College of Fashion through the Fashion Business Resource Studio (FBRS - regarded as a one stop shop for the fashion industry, sharing the creative, business and technical expertise of London College of Fashion with the fashion and lifestyle industries).

ENB essentially came to the table with the idea of the collaboration to partner on a project to celebrate the centenary of Diaghilev. They were keen to work with an educational body with fashion expertise, LCF as the country’s only college to specialise in fashion education, was a natural fit.

Exaggerated contour fit, jersey marl stirrup trousers By Mishaal Mansoor

SS: How did the project evolve throughout the year

Rob Phillips: The aim of the brief was to inspire students through the work of Diaghilev and the Ballet Russes and celebrate the centenary and create a project that fused dance and fashion. The brief was tailored by me to ensure the collections that were produced were not ballet costumes made to dance in – but garments that reflected the beauty, movement and excitement of a Ballet Russes performance.

The brief allowed the students the freedom and autonomy to be creative – a key component of a brief of this kind. The project began back in Autumn 2009, it was a complex process which involved multiple pathways and courses – it is one of the rare projects that was a real cross school collaboration, and involved designers, photographers and illustrators which really enriched the whole process. Initially over 150 students took part and submitted work before Christmas 2009. The final stage of the process was the difficult task of shortlisting – which was undertaken by LCF and ENB staff to decide on which students work would be taken forward for production.

In the true spirit of Diaghilev, we prepared the shortlisted students to present their work in a number of ways including: static exhibition, photoshoot, a live salon show and documentary film. This cross genre execution also echoed the cross course collaboration. The whole project was scheduled to finish with an event at the V&A which would showcase these various outputs.

Devore striped vest and trousers – by Ng Chun Bong Julio

SS: Rarely do students have the ability to immerse themselves in such an exciting world. What was the reaction of the students to the task?

Rob Phillips: The students were really inspired by the rich history of art, music and image that they had access to. The whole Diaghilev scene was so imaginative and ‘out there’, the students celebrated the fact they could just indulge themselves in their designs which were not about being worn or designed for the high street – this project was actually about designing something to honour Diaghilev rather than a practical, wearable garments.

Circle cut sleeve shirt and hook'n'eye shorts by Tomi (Wai Yee Hoo)

Full Credit list for the shoot is as follows: Creative Director - Rob Phillips. Photography - Sean Michael. Assisted by - James Finnigan. Hair & Make Up -Dora Veronica Simson & Marina Kerecsanyi using M.A.C. Models - Jay, Abella and Jodie all at Nevs. Location - English National Ballet - Marden.

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Please do come back later on today for the second part of our discussion where we hear about the creative and design processes displayed by the students throughout the course of this very special project.

Albam's Factories

You all know how much I enjoy a spot of factory porn. I love little more than visiting my favourite factories in nooks and crannies across the country. In a collaboration with photographer John Spinks, Albam have opened up the doors to their craftsmen and workspaces with Factories. I first learned about the project during my visit to Albam's Islington store back in May. My factory porn appetite was whet by two framed images which were hung on the downstairs wall. Ever since that sighting I had been keen to get my hands on the fruits of countless factory visits, picture taking, numerous sittings, conversations, lighting adjustments and the occassional loss of cameras. Last Thursday was the launch event in collaboration with Esquire but as the well turned out masses descended on their Beak Street store I was unable to get my excited hands on a copy. Damn Albam's popularity. On Saturday afternoon I returned and finally picked a copy up for myself.

Albam are of course involved in the entire manufacturing process and their factories are obviously a fundamental facet of the brand. This book is about the making process, the people and the places behind the products. When James Shaw and Alastair Rae started Albam, people told them that you could not make anything in England anymore. Of course Albam proved these naysayers wrong but the small workforce that exists are just a rumour of what existed before. If they decide to retire tomorrow, then the industry's gone. Factories celebrates the craftsmen of the label and British industry as a whole while making consumers consider how their wardrobe favourites have been made. To mark the launch, I had a quick chat with James Shaw and alongside our resulting discussion I can share a selection of my favourite pages...  

SS: One facet of the brand is to bring as much product back to Britain and you've spent the last few years building a business which is enabling your British factories to grow and develop with you. 'Factories' feels like a celebration of all of this work and acts as a real showcase for the people, the unsung craftsmen who help make Albam what it is. Was this the driving catalyst for the project?

James Shaw: FACTORIES has been the culmination of two years worth of picture taking. It started with a conversation about what happens if they factories/industry was to stop tomorrow and had it been recently documented. As there doesn't seem to have been a document of the factories we use for a number of years it seemed like a great idea to capture the people that we work with and have done since we started. The conversation between John and myself in the front of the book gives the most detail but I am so excited by the people we work with because there is so much more to them than just making clothes. The way they interact with their tools and surroundings, they just make you want to be in the spaces they work in and get making great products.

SS: When we last spoke to you back in November of last year, you mentioned that the British manufacturing industry is a close knit community which relies heavily on word of mouth discovery. The book offers a welcome insight. How conscious were you of the sense of opening the doors of a seemingly hidden world?

James Shaw: It doesn't feel like opening a hidden world really as it is all around us in each city and it is the world that Albam operates in alongside having stores in London. Our studio in Nottingham is the centre of the garment making district that is sadly minute and it feels quite poignant for the book to be released just as we open our studio up here. Where clothes come from is becoming important as it is in other industries, food for example. The people that go into making Albam what it is are not just in the stores the customers see, but they go back through people in the book and those that didn't make it in the final edit.

SS: How has the relationship with your factories evolved in recent years?

James Shaw: The relationship has just got stronger, they are very important to us as we are to them. There is a sense of doing something in the right way and the results are hopefully worth it for those who wear our clothes and other products. Long may it continue on all fronts!

SS: The images are stunning, how did come to work with John Spinks for this project?

James Shaw: John came into the store in our second week of opening our first store and sent us an email on the Saturday evening he came in the store. I seem to remember details like that! He liked our approach and we liked his approach to image making and then we worked on our AW08 shoot and the relationship started. As we are all from the Midlands we maybe share a certain approach and affinity to our respective professions.

SS: Ultimately, what do you hope the project will achieve?

James Shaw: Apart from selling the book, we would like to think that it will cause people to think about what they are buying, where it is made and also for some they may see that there is something very satisfying about getting involved in this industry. It is hard work, but we wouldn't change it for the world and if people can get the satisfaction we get then that would be worthwhile.

SS: What's next for Albam?

James Shaw: There is so much to do, behind the scenes, in the stores, with the range that there would be too much to list. The future is certainly looking very exciting and this goes from a business perspective to getting the wash perfect on garments. Imminently we have a new website that will launch and should give a clearer insight into what we are doing with the brand and bring out the personality more without it becoming cliche. In short there is lots happening so watch this space!

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Even if you are not in to your factory porn as much as I am, I do hope you can see that it is a beautiful book. The 'Made in England' label has been discussed in length throughout the blogosphere. What does it actually mean? Factories helps to answer this very question. A compilation of stunning imagery depicting the people, spaces, materials, machinery and tools that make up Albam. Factories is currently available at three store locations but will no doubt be available on their website shortly. 

Hormazd Narielwalla's Hat Parade

Hormazd Narielwalla's Hat Parade

There have been many golden eras where a man would consider an outfit incomplete, consider himself naked even, without a hat but now they are rarely even considered in the construction of the everyday outfit. As EJ mentioned in her campaign for hats, 'just look at the street scenes in almost any film made the 50s or earlier to see how commonly the hat used to be worn and how much better it makes almost everyone look.' However, the modern decline of hat wearing amongst men is obvious. I have to confess that despite admiring many hats from afar, I'm yet to fully commit to donning one. There is however, a great deal of inspirational hat donning out there. None more so than the creations of Bernstock Speirs. Inspired by the underground club and music scene, the design duo began creating men’s and women’s headwear which challenged the traditional ideas of millinery. A new generation of hat wearers has since been seduced by their innovative creations. An upcoming exhibition at their Brick Lane store will showcase the work of Style Salvage favourite, Hormazd Narielwalla.

Narielwalla’s fascination with pattern blocks has taken him on a trip up north of the body and drawn inspiration from shapes created for the head. The work features military figures composed of collage, photography and illustration sporting the designers AW10 hat collection. Using hat pattern blocks from Bernstock Speirs’ archive along with uniform drafts extracted from military cutting books and the all important masculine ingredient – facial hair. In his evocative work Narielwalla illustrates a new take on patterns, as they have never been seen. Bernstock Speirs have created a capsule range of hats to accompany the exhibition which will run from 15th of October until the 15th of November. The time for a new era of hat wearing is now my friends.

Narielwalla's New Dandies

I first encountered the work of Hormazd Narielwalla gracing the walls of "A Fairytale About Fashion", an exhibition which ran during the festive season 0f 2008 at the EXIT gallery. Narielwalla's Dead Man’s Patterns was a design story that excited my sartorial imagination and I have kept a close on his artistic development ever since. Just last week, the current LCF PhD student informed me of the various recent advancements that have helped propel his work to a wider audience. These include a new website, fresh illustrative undertakings, an exhibition and another book. Over the coming months I will no doubt fill you in on every one of these nuggets of news but for now, I'd just like to share another body of his work, Trams. As soon as I visited his new site my eye was drawn to this series of artworks. Through a combination of photography, his own sketches and digital composition collages, this series is yet another playful collection of artwork that truly excites. The driving concept for this body of work is to capture a new-age dandy stuck between the past and the present. All the while questioning how a man should dress. These characters have a dandy-esque approach to life, spotless, immaculate and seemingly effortlessly stylish...

As you should all know by now, the artists work originates from sets of bespoke patterns. These patterns have recorded a history of intimate dialogues of customer measurements and fittings over a lifetime but no longer have any practical use to the cutter and are often discarded. Narielwalla takes these fragile pieces of parchment out of their original context and breathes fresh life in to them. The creases and careful folds, finely traced pencil marks and measurements are reimagined. The patterns are reinterpreted and resurrected. In Trams, Narielwalla has once again foraged his way through tailoring archives and shaken a heady cocktail of visual methods to narrate untold stories. I'm left contemplating the modern dandy.

Gosha Rubchinsky's articulation of post-Soviet youth

At the ripe age of twenty six (an age shared by this blogger) and having only completed three collections since the founding of his eponymous label in 2008, Gosha Rubchinskiy has enthused something of a cult following both at home in Moscow and abroad for his articulation of post-Soviet youth. I first stumbled across this all encompassing creative last season, when the young Russian menswear designer set up a teenage bedroom at the Fashion East Menswear installations for AW10. As with previous collections, Rubchinsky dealt with themes of youth culture struggling in post Soviet, modern-day Russia and with an almost solitary outlook that translated well to his soulful sportswear. However, it soon became quite clear as I wandered the space that by mixing influences from the streets of Moscow and the surrounding subcultures, Gosha Rubchinskiy creates more than fashion. I was hooked. Now, Gosha Rubchinskiy’s photography of Russian youth is currently being exhibited at 032c workshop / Joerg Koch until August 21^st 2010. The cult German fashion and culture magazine invited Rubinskiy to show a retrospective of his work. Fortunately for us, our ever eager menswear correspondent, Susie, took a few photos of the exhibition space for the blog...

Rubchinksiy grew up in the aftermath of Gorbachev’s political and economic restructuring, or Perestroika—a key factor in the fall of Communism. Once an avid reader of OM magazine, Russia’s answer to The Face, Rubchinskiy infiltrated his country’s burgeoning fashion scene as a stylist and makeup artist, and after five years on the circuit, he decided to begin his own label, thereby splitting with Moscow’s sartorial glamor. His work has been described as '"a personal take on the 'fetishistic uniformity of Moscow street gangs’ suburb sportswear, mixed with political paraphernalia.”

The 032c vitrine included Rubchinsky’s photography of his subjects, photo-collages vividly colliding Russian architecture—both Orthodox and Soviet—with skate culture, and the designer’s own esoterica-inspired accessories and streetwear. To accompany the exhibition, 032c and Motto Distribition will co-publish a catalogue edition of Rubchinskiy’s photography in a limited print-run of three hundred. Susie was kind enough to pick one up for me. Below are a few of my favourite scans...

Going further than a label might, his work is a totality, where orthodoxy meets black metal, sports and skateboard culture; a "gesamtkunstwerk" involving casting photography, design and artistic direction.

“Fashion is just a part of this world I’m building. The kids that inspire me are the goal of my work, I do it for them first of all.”

Gosha Rubchinskiy