Ivona Batuta's creation for The Red Rail

There was a whole new show at last month’s Amsterdam Fashion Week: The Red Rail. A unique collection of 20 outfits from 18 up-and-coming fashion designers sashayed down the catwalk: softly draped pink pastel tops, high waisted trousers, ruffles and statement silhouettes for women, and graphic tees and pale, tailored trousers for men. What made these garments different to anything else at Amsterdam Fashion Week is that they’re not available in the shops for sale. If you want any of these items, you have to give blood.

No it’s not a humane way of feeding the vampires, but a new initiative by Stichting Nobel, bringing together a collective of Dutch designers willing to design and donate clothing for the cause. The aim is to promote the act of blood donation to the health services, encouraging a new, young generation to give their blood to those in need. Most people would agree that donating blood is a good thing to do, but how many people actually get around to it? Giving blood is giving life, and an idea such as this could prove to be a huge boost to reach the young generation.

So how does it work? The clothes were shown at Amsterdam Fashion Week on 16^th July and have since appeared on The Red Rail’s website. Anyone wishing to take part has six months to donate their blood, and once done, they can email the organisers stating the item they have their eye on, contact details, and the all important donor number. Due to the limited number of items available, a lottery system will be adopted to award the clothes to happy donors early next year. In January 2011, all 20 outfits will be displayed in the Young Designers United store for two weeks.

The clothes were designed by emerging new talent in the fashion industry, with Ellen Benders, Ivona Batuta and Studio JUX topping the list. They worked under the gaze and guidance of Dutch designer Claes Iversen and Angelika Groenendijk Wasylewski from Young Designers United. At the show, one girl told the story of how her life was turned upside down by Leukaemia and how receiving blood saved her life. The Nobel Foundation is a Dutch communications agency which initiates creative projects to tackle social issues.

The Red Rail is an innovative idea and sure to be a success. Not only has it already raised awareness for blood donation, but it also celebrates new design talent. Save a life and get a new dress in exchange for giving blood? Sounds like a good deal to us!

Find out more about the initiative on The Red Rail website.

Crazy characters from the Bizarre Bazaar dressing up box

“Men either want to dress up like soldiers or wear frilly dresses,” says fancy dress expert Olivia Rigg. She should know; Olivia has spent the past year touring European festivals with her mobile fancy dress shop.

“I’ve always loved dressing up, and I guess I’m a bit of an exhibitionist really!” Olivia’s bright pink rimmed glasses are the only hint of exhibitionism today, but her tales of Rat Tamers, 1950’s polka dot swimsuits and animal get-up suggest otherwise.

The idea for Bizarre Bazaar started when Olivia took an inflatable crocodile to a party, tied to her wrist with a piece of hot pink ribbon. “Guests kept on asking for the crocodile’s autograph, and I realised this was the kind of craziness that would go down well at a festivals.” Since then Olivia has collected a menagerie of inflatable animals and furry animal suits (including a full size crocodile outfit) to rent out at festivals. Her collection isn’t just about cuddly creatures however, as she also has rail upon rail of vintage dresses, military wear, moustaches, hats, and anything else you could dream of dressing up in.

“Nothing is too weird for the Bizarre Bazaar,” laughs Olivia gleefully. “When they enter the Bizarre Bazaar, people bare their soul by sharing their wildest fantasy for a fancy dress outfit. The Bazette stylists and I can usually create a look that meets or exceeds their expectations; we just love creating characters!” Olivia works with a team of eight hair, makeup and clothes stylists who transform each client into their desired character. A professional photographer documents the final transformation in a set specially designed by the team. Olivia has worked as a fashion stylist for years, so every shoot has a Vogue look to it. Each outfit is for sale on the spot, or you can return it at the end of the festival for a hiring fee if the clothes are still in good condition.

The Bizarre Bazaar pink mobile dressing room will ruffle feathers at a selection of boutique festivals this summer, including: Secret Garden, Cornbury, Kimberly, Standon Calling and Larmer Tree. However if you feel like bringing the bizarre into your home, the team are available for private parties, weddings, festivals and personal consultations. Check out the Bizarre Bazaar website or contact +44 (0) 7814 016169. You can also follow the BB action on Twitter @bizarrebazaaruk and on Facebook.

There surely can’t be many people that enjoy housework. Perhaps the rich and famous (that have flunkies and a hard-working staff to run around after them), might delight in indulging in a little light tidying, but this is simply because it’s out of the ordinary for them. Just as we might enjoy sipping lychee martinis on a yacht moored off the Costa Smeralda; this could make a welcome change from the usual Friday night Happy Hour promotions…

Slip on the Sunday Dress and Housework Heels and get started!

So how on earth can one make Sunday housework a little more palatable? Think back to the gloriously glamorous housewives of the 1950s and make cleaning about playing house! Of course, this isn’t going to transform vacuuming into a delightful pursuit but it certainly improves things. Housework in Heels calls for two things; firstly some heels, and secondly the Sunday Dress.

You can choose a nipped-in-at-the-waist, chic fifties number, but for comfort we recommend opting for something that fuses elegance and practicality, such as Fendi’s Flutter Sleeve dress in bright buttercup yellow.

Yes, you could think that cleaning in Fendi might be as crazy as those mentally-unstable celebs enjoying a little ironing, but with 50% off at The Outnet, this is in fact a very sensible choice. An investment even, for all of those Sundays that you’re planning to tackle some glamorous housework. The dress even has two side pockets for you to stash dusters and bits and bobs mid-transit to ‘The Place Where I Put Things When They Don’t Belong Anywhere, And That I Should Probably Just Throw Away’. The pleated skirt and flirty cap sleeves ensure a feminine silhouette and the deliciously sunny colour will brighten your pre-cleaning mood.

Next, choose some Housework Heels. Again, these items must be practical, yet make you feel as alluring and sophisticated as a 1950s siren. Brian Atwood’s slip-on patent mules are just the ticket as you can pop them off when you’re hopping on a chair to clean those hard-to-reach spots. Protect your hair and add the finished fifities flourish with a headscarf – Ossie Clark’s silk chiffon scarf would do nicely.

Part of the Housework in Heels/Sunday Dress routine is that you MUST plan an enchanting soirée for once you have ticked off all of the to-do boxes on your cleaning checklist. To this end, we suggest popping your hair in rollers under the silk scarf for an ‘Et Voila!’ moment as you dust the last vase. Cleaning over, slip off your Housework Heels and find some sparkly evening shoes; we love Oscar de la Renta’s metallic rosette slingbacks which add a delicate, dressy touch to the Fendi gown. Before you head towards cocktails, choose a pretty bag to carry your essential items in (duster not included!), such as Roberto Cavalli’s printed silk bracelet clutch. And thus you can totter towards a cocktail or three, hair and heels high, smug in the knowledge that your home is a domain of domestic bliss. These may not necessarily be lychee martinis in Saint Tropez…

Any smart housewife would assure you that organisation and sensible budgeting is essential, so plan ahead and you could be buying your Sunday Dress and Housework Heels for a 1950s price. For one day only on April 16^th The Outnet’s 1st Birthday Party will be the fashion event to attend. The site will host a pop-up sale where all items will be available at the giveaway price of $1/£1/€1.  Thousands of products will available for this frankly ridiculous price including ready to wear, bags, shoes and accessories.

But as with all of the best parties, you do need to RSVP; you can gain entry by registering on www.theoutnet.com until April 11th – tomorrow!

And just how has one been explaining these seemingly frivolous purchases to fashion refuseniks/the other name on the joint account/the bank manager? Well, it’s Chic-onomics, darling! It might seem like pure folly to splash out on full price designer pieces, but when Stella McCartney’s exquisite (and ethical) shoes are on sale with 60% off; this is, without doubt, an investment buy! In short, we are big fans of The Outnet. They like fashion; we like fashion. They like saving money; we really should try and save money.

Our perfect Birthday Party ensemble. It's Chic-onomics darling!

Over the past year, we have enjoyed the frisson of their Flash Sales, but to celebrate its first anniversary the site has a special sale planned is guaranteed to induce a tingly sensation of excitement and anticipation.

For one day only on April 16^th The Outnet will host a pop-up sale where all items will be available at the giveaway price of $1/£1/€1. Do not readjust your set; the most fashionable of fashion outlets really will be offering delectable designer items for less than the price of a skinny latte. Thousands of products will available for this frankly ridiculous price including ready to wear, bags, shoes and accessories from the 200+ brands available on the site.

But as with all of the best parties, you do need to RSVP; you can gain entry by registering on www.theoutnet.com until April 11th. This sale has probably already knocked your very fashionable socks off, however one lucky lady (cue serious amounts of finger crossing) will be chosen at random to preview and shop the sale before the rush ensues. Plus they’ll be ably assisted by a stylist from The Outnet to choose a five-piece outfit for the eye-popping sum of $5/£5/€5!

So what would you wear to this uber-fashionable extravaganza? We’re thinking sophisticated, stylish cocktail party chic; investment items with a modern twist – which is really what we love The Outnet for in fact! Zac Posen’s deep indigo silk jacquard strapless frock is the perfect mix of sexy and pretty; exactly what a modern Cinderella would choose to wear to the ball. Our party shoes of choice would have to be these sparkly, diamante-embellished satin courts from Olivia Morris, and we’d be stashing our essential items in Sara Berman’s studded suede clutch (with a leopard print lining!). This bow detail twill jacket by Chloé oozes sixties chic and is an absolutely timeless piece. Kenneth Jay Lane’s bauble crystal bracelet provides a sophisticated finishing touch – with such a sumptuous dress (and shoes, bag…and jacket), piling on the glitz is a no-no. So there you have it: our five party picks for a fiver. Can we feasibly keep our fingers crossed until April 16th?!

Register online here for more information and to RSVP to the most fashionable fashion party!

Girl Meets Dress: A gorgeous Milly frock available to rent

Most of us have borrowed clothes from a friend for a big night out, or perhaps swapped older or unused items for newer ones.  Some of us may even have customised our clothing in order to extend its life span, but how many of us have rented our outfits and accessories? More importantly for all of us fashonistas, simply put, the question is: could we really deal with the heartache of returning a perfect dress back to the shop after just a few days wear?

According to The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the British Government’s waste watchdog, we should all be helping the environment by ditching bulging wardrobes for streamlined ones and, ideally, renting our clothes instead.

In a recent report, WRAP claims that resource efficiency could reveal itself to be the ‘secret weapon’ in meeting climate change targets.  The report states: ‘Of the total household spend in 2004 of £732 billion; we have identified £143 billion of expenditure on goods that householders could have used for longer. For example, clothing is only being used for 66% of its lifespan when it could be used for the full 100%.’

Logically, these proposals make a lot of sense.  In our fast-paced society we often fall into the trap of consumerism, always craving that which is new: new cars, new jobs, new partners, new clothes; we’re never satisfied.  But the concept of renting clothes is actually not so new.  Clothes rental services have been around for some time, offering the perfect solution for new mums, yo-yo dieters and anyone in need of an outfit for a special occasion.  Web sites such as Closet Infinite offer a unique service in which you can rent clothes for free in exchange for donating an item of your own.

Other sites such as Rent Not Buy allow you to rent a wide variety of items from categories such as electronics and computing, art and collectables, home and garden and vehicles and sport. You can even rent a selection of clothes hangers for £1 per day!

There’s also good news for the fashion conscious among us: many clothes rental web sites offer designer fashion at cut prices, with the opportunity to borrow everything from the latest Jimmy Choo patent clutch to dresses from designers such as Temperley, Jasmine Di Milo and Luella.

Limited edition Chanel from Je Loue du Luxe

Sites such as Girl Meets Dress offer designer labels at up to 10% off retail prices with the chance to rent items for two nights, a week or even a month.  Items can also be browsed by ‘occasion’ with a variety of pieces suitable for work wear, graduation ceremonies or weddings.  Similarly, Bag Borrow Or Steal lets members borrow designer handbags, jewellery and accessories from such coveted designers as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior, Tiffany and Co. and Swarovski.  It’s designer heaven!

Over the channel, French rental web sites such as Mon Dressing Secret and Je Loue du Luxe offer a similar service, for example, a three day rental of a Prada dress from Je Loue du Luxe costs 150 euros.

Borrowing instead of buying need not mean compromising on style, and as well as the important issue of helping the environment, there are also the advantages of being able to wear dresses by your favourite designer or as seen on a celebrity.  You can also avoid those last minute dashes to over-crowded stores and sweaty dressing rooms and in the fickle ever-changing world of fashion, renting clothes and accessories means that you will always be bang up-to-date with the latest trends.

With so much choice, and often the opportunity to extend the borrowing period if you need to, returning rented clothes and accessories need not equal upset: why not exchange for another item?

So, the next time you feel the urge for something new, have a look online at some of the rental web sites available and see how borrowed fits instead.

Jonathan with Dolly Jones

He’s a Scottish designer hailed for his use of prints and colours. She is the editor behind Vogue.com, one of the most authoritative fashion websites in the UK. At the last Fashion Business Club of 2009, Jonathan Saunders and Dolly Jones discussed the power of the fashion press, of fashion buyers and the wonder generation of Scottish créateurs in a season-appropriate Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED Lounge. Saunders’ relationship with the press started with a rather encouraging January 2004 Vogue UK cover, which came “out of the blue” and was “a bit of a shock”.

Since then, the press has been very encouraging, a fact he attributes to UK journalists liking “the idea of creative your own business straight out of college”. Saunders’ business grew in parallel with the explosion of the internet fashion sphere. Rather than being wary of the evolution, which makes “everything attainable by everyone”, Saunders has embraced it. He will launch his own transactional website in ten days. At the moment, Net-a-Porter is one of his most successful stockists.

One of the most impressive things about Saunders is how quickly he rose from Central Saint Martins graduate to having his own label, a collaboration with Topshop and designing for Pollini. Whereas many in the profession look down on high-street lines, Saunders considers that “making the product accessible is important” and even more crucially that his work for Topshop taught him skills he reused in his own business and collections.

Saunders with FBC members

Of course, Saunders isn’t the only talented Scottish designer on the fashion scene at the moment. When asked by Jones why they didn’t seem in competition, he explained that: “Christopher Kane is amazing at what he does,” Saunders said. “He and I came to London and set up our businesses without the financial support from our parents that some designers have. We all come to what we do with a love to fashion. Richard Nicoll was in my class at university, Chris was two years below, Louise Gray I’ve known since we were in Scotland. We all support each other.”

The Fashion Business Club was founded by Alison Whelan and Courtney Blackman. The idea was to create “a global business club where fashion professionals can meet, listen, talk, connect, inspire, laugh and support each other”.

The club meets six times a year at prestigious venues to network and listen to an industry speaker. Past speakers have included Michael Herz, Aquascutum’s head of womenswear, Malika Dalamal, London Editor for Daily Candy and Nathan Jenden.

Fashion illustration was once famously described as the “poor relative” of fashion photography. If this is the case, then it is the impoverishment of an aristocrat that has suffered with the decline of his class whilst at all times retaining his essential refinement and magnificence! Elena’s impressive repertoire and list of collaborations (Chanel, Cosmopolitan, Loewe…) shows that there is still a need for dynamic and distinctive illustrators within the fashion industry.

And Elena’s art is nothing if not singular. He claims to take inspiration from classical Spanish and international portrait painters, such as Velazquez, Mengs, Sorolla and Sargent as well as the iconic 20^th Century illustrator Rene Gruau. So it came as a surprise when his earliest images were so markedly cartoon-like.

Inhabited by angular girls with wispy cinched waists and exaggeratedly long limbs, the illustrations made it apparent that Elena is an artist who has always had a very clear image of how his pictures should look.

Perhaps then, it was just unfortunate that this vision veered dangerously close to the world of animation. The first illustration was encroached upon by a plethora of comic-strip worthy details in ninja-turtle green, and upon seeing the third, a self portrait in the style of Disney, I wondered if Elena had in fact chosen the wrong career.

Yet the “patent evolution of his artistic trajectory” promised in the exhibition leaflet was duly delivered. The illustrations gradually shed their Disney overtones, and the jagged exaggerated limbs softened and became more reminiscent of Claudia Schiffer than Cruella DeVil. As Elena began to master his technique and sense of disproportion, the images grew to be more akin to the sophisticated and nonchalant beings we are used to seeing in photographs. Except that, paradoxically, the girls in the drawings had much more personality than most of today’s real models.  Whilst Elena’s girls may have extrapolated legs that the likes of Twiggy could only dream of, these insectival women are far from mere clotheshorses: they embody the clothes they wear.

Elena’s eye for detail and understanding of how clothes are made has endowed him with the prodigious ability to reproduce all different fabrics, cuts, textures and colours with almost photographic accuracy. But it is never simply the outfit that he seeks to represent. His illustrations are more aspirational than any fashion photograph because he is not just drawing the garments, but creating an aesthetic, a lifestyle and an attitude which are defined by the clothes and which complement them entirely. Possessing the clothes would never be enough. Having snubbed these peculiarly-shaped women, I found myself wanting to be them.

It was not so much the technique that evolved, as Elena’s ability to capture a moment, a hidden air that reveals the true power of an outfit in way which photography rarely manages. These women marched us past 25 years of fashion with their heads held high and handbags aloft. I was left staring longingly at them.

The Arturo Elena exhibition runs until January 10th 2010.

http://museodeltraje.mcu.es

]]> http://runninginheels.co.uk/articles/arturo-elena-madrid/feed/ 0 http://runninginheels.co.uk/articles/fit-for-a-princess/ http://runninginheels.co.uk/articles/fit-for-a-princess/#comments Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:44:29 +0000 Nina Smith http://runninginheels.co.uk/?p=11890

Paloma Faith's gorgeous Mindy’s Closet prom frock

The world of celebrity fashion flings open its doors once again with an eBay charity auction.  If your usual eBay purchases range from vintage accessories to cut price designer skincare, then why not make a philanthropic fashion investment?

Celebrities such as Twiggy, Beth Ditto, Geri Halliwell, Paloma Faith and Joanna Lumley have donated some of their most fabulous frocks to benefit the Princess Alice Hospice, based in Surrey. The collection is available to browse online from 8pm on October 19th and includes dresses from Hervé Leger, Temperley, Matthew Williamson and Alberta Ferretti alongside pieces from British high street favourites Hobbs, New Look and Warehouse. There is truly something for everyone in the collection, for all ages, shapes and sizes; from tres elegante maxi-dresses and vintage-inspired prom frocks to risqué short suits and an eye-popping python mini-dress.

Princess Alice Hospice must raise millions of pounds each year in order to continue to offer free, top quality end-of-life care and support to terminally ill adults and their friends and family.  Providing services such as physiotherapy, occupational and speech therapy and a Bereavement Service, the Hospice aims to provide innovative multi-faceted support for patients.

Princess Alice Hospice is no stranger to working alongside celebrities, not just to raise the funds they need, but also to offer a touch of glamour and sparkle to the care that they provide.  Hairdresser Trevor Sorbie and Sloaney fashionistas Trinny and Susannah are all regulars at the Hospice, providing makeover advice but more importantly, a welcome distraction from the reality of  medical treatment.

To add a touch of celebrity sparkle to your wardrobe and contribute towards the essential work of the Princess Alice Hospice, visit  www.ebay.co.uk and search for ‘Fit for a princess’. The dresses are currently on display at the Bentall Centre in Kingston.

To find our more about the Princess Alice Hospice visit: www.pah.org.uk.

London

Fashion tips from the Vogue staff: a gorgeous Joseph sequinned sweater

A week before the opening of Fashion Week (this year celebrating it’s 25th anniversary in the capital), London’s fashionstas are already buzzing with excitement! There are such a lot of events taking place that shoppers are getting ready to run in heels to attend as many as possible; however Vogue’s staff have already sagely made their choices of where to spend the evening and have even kindly compiled a list of AW09 on-trend items to purchase. The iconic magazine will be staging a live photoshoot at the Chanel store, styled by Kate Phelan, featuring London It-Girl du jour, Daisy Lowe. Other industry insiders will be put to work too; Brown’s will welcome designers including Henry Holland and Marios Schwab to advise customers and giftwrap purchases; Dover Street Market will have Christopher Kane and Giles Deacon (amongst others) on hand to sell their wares and Jordan Dunn will be styling fans in Topshop. The fashionista’s tipple of choice, champagne, is being served almost everywhere but if you have a sweet tooth, head to Diane von Furstenburg for brownies, Smythson for Primrose Bakery cupcakes or Tommy Hilfiger for pink chocolate truffles. For something slightly different, have your tarot cards read at Roger Vivier! All of the events planned can be found online here.

Madrid

In Madrid, Fashion’s Night Out has been simplified for the city’s fashionable folk, with three areas to choose from. A difficult decision…For fashion and music head to Zone C; at Elisa Bracci, The Blessing Dogs will be performing; Oliphant will host a violin and cello concert and for a jazz ambiance, pop along to Pez. A special night calls for some extra special items; at Yves Saint Laurent, you can personalise the brand’s new Roady bag with your initials; Missoni has an exclusive collection of just 100 bags on sale at €30 each and Gant will offer customers personalised sweeties(all in Zone B). Alternatively in Zone A, combine shopping and eating! Start with canapés at Pomellato before moving on to the sushi bar at Felipe Varela and finish off with prosecco and chocolates at Gucci. Even fashionistas need to eat… Find all of the events in this handy PDF guide.

Milan

Blumarine's limited edition t-shirt

One of the most glamorous fashion capitals has, of course, organised one of the most glamorous evenings for fashion fans; Vogue Italia has created a open air living room on Via della Spiga, complete with red carpets, parasols and comfortable seating so that fashionistas can rest tired feet between boutique-hopping!  If you’d like a memory of your serata di moda, pop along to Louis Vuitton or Giuseppe Zanotti where professional photographers will be going retro, snapping polaroids of customers. Fashion’s Night Out is history in the making and the ephemeral nature of fashion will be celebrated with designers creating limited edition items; some extra special dolls wearing the AW09 collection will be on sale at Marni; Just Cavalli has designed a colourful silk scarf and Blumarine’s Anna Molinari has some incredible floral t-shirts. However the lasting contribution of Fashion’s Night Out will be through the sale of “Adotta un Albero” t-shirts which will help finance the planting of one million trees in the city. Fashion = good. Fashion + a greener city = better! And if you still just can’t make up your mind what to buy, 40 stylists from Vogue, Glamour and other Conde Nast fashion publications will be on hand to offer advice! A list of the events is available to download here.

Berlin

Running in heels? Not in Berlin. A special shuttle service has been set up to ferry fashionistas around for Fashion’s Night Out! The German capital is a centre of culture as well as fashion and you can experience video installations at Gabrielle Strehle, a very special premiere of Marcus Tomlinson’s FOOT BALL video at Hermes, fashion shows at Jil Sander and live music and DJs at KaDeWe. If you’re looking for fashion tips, Vogue staff will be hanging out at Louis Vuitton to advise customers and if you haven’t yet invested in a winter coat, hop along to Burberry for their trenchcoat raffle! Not an unfashionable currywurst will be in sight; Moschino have created some special cocktails for the evening, the “Red Catwalk” and the “Passion Fashion” and Galleries Lafayette will be feeding its customers macarons, yum! To be washed down with champers, not a stein of beer of course… Find out all about it here.

Vogue Paris

Paris

Paris hosts an upscale Fashion’s Night Out, with events taking place around the oh-so-chi-chi Avenue Montaigne, meaning less running in heels! Vogue Paris’ impeccably dressed editor-in-chief, Carine Roitfeld will be on hand with fashion tips; if you’re not sure what to buy for AW09, this is some style advice you should definitely listen to! The Vogue staff have also compiled a list of their top fashion picks from each boutique participating in the event. Champagne will, of course, be served to Parisiennes as they peruse the shops in the Triangle d’Or, and our favourite pretty Parisian boutique, Manoush will be offering sweet treats too. Avenue Montaigne is very exclusive, as is the event, so don’t forget your invite! If you haven’t got one, you can download it online here.

Athens

Athens’ Fashion’s Night Out will offer the city’s fashionistas discounts in a huge range of stores and the chance to give something back too! If it’s time for a wardrobe clear-out, let this be the moment as special collection points have been set up for Athenians to hand over last season’s clothes and shoes which will then be distributed to the city’s homeless. If you’re reluctant to part with the contents of your closet, you can still help out, by purchasing a Fashion’s Night Out t-shirt; 50% of the profits will go to Antistigma: Athens, an organisation which helps fight discrimination against marginalised social groups such as the disabled, mentally ill, homeless and immigrants. Once you’ve done your bit for charity, head to the Ralph Lauren store for an evening of cocktails and music with the Love Affair Big Band, or if you’re attending Fashion’s Night Out with your boyfriend, he’ll certainly appreciate the body painting which will be taking place at the MAC store! See a list of all of the events here.