Wool Week

Sheep Herding in Savile Row

While we are all familiar with the glamorous round of Fashion Weeks - New York, London, Milan, Paris - a number of ''alternative'' events have recently been established here in the UK offering a more nuanced engagement and showcasing of specific aspects of the fashion industry. Following hot-on-the-heels of High Street Fashion Week in September comes today's opening of Wool Week (11th-17th October 2010) as a showcase of all things wonderful and woolly. Not only limited to London, with stores such as Harvey Nichols, Liberty and Jigsaw dedicating windows to the event, this initiative of the British Wool Marketing Board also includes events in Cumbria and at the Shipley Art Gallery in Gateshead. This promotion of wool is part of British Wool Marketing's ''Campaign for Wool'', which even has the backing of HRH Prince of Wales, who attended its original launch in January. Now in the midst of autumn it is an appropriate time to turn our attention to wool as we seek out new winter coats in the shops, or search in the back of cupboards and drawers for old favourite scarves or pullovers. This is also an interesting example of a re-configuring of the idea of a Fashion Week to focus on a specific aspect of what is a sometimes forgotten aspect of Britain's rich textile culture. It is also a reminder that there are many mills in the North of England and Scotland, in particular, who remain key-players as producers of woollen cloth, sought out for their high-quality products. While it might be possible to pick up a cashmere sweater from M&S or Uniqlo for £60 or so there remains nothing quite as satisfying as pulling on a pullover made out of 100% wool, a fibre that has helped to keep as both warm and stylishly attired for hundreds of years. A bastion of the British fashion industry, Savile Row is also to be seen backing the event, in spectacular style, with a ''greening'' of the Row complete with grass and a heard of sheep!



For more information visit the British Wool Marketing Board at: http://www.britishwool.org.uk

The Power of Fashion

Holly Fulton, London Fashion Week New Gen designer and RCA Graduate

On the eve of London Fashion Week the British Fashion Council today unveiled a report it has commissioned from Oxford Economics entitled The Value of the UK Fashion Industry. This report is a particularly timely ''snap-shot'' of British fashion, particularly in light of the current economic state, with ''fast-fashion'' firms considering how to pass on rising costs due to scarcity of cotton supplies and the immanent VAT rise to 20% in January 2011. Fashion is often perceived by ''outsiders'' as flaky and frivolous, yet the summary of the report shows the industry is worth £21 billion to the UK economy, which surely is not a sum of money anyone, least of all government officials can ignore. The report also cites that the fashion industry is not only UK's 15th largest (similar in size to the food/beverage and communications sectors) it also the largest of the so-called ''creative sectors''. An interesting facet of this report, and one I aim to look at further, is that it takes into consideration the role of different fashion organisations, not just designers, brands, manufacturers and retailers, but also seemingly overlooked aspects of the fashion, including educational institutes, trend forecasting and the media, which all have an impact on the state of the British fashion industry, and equally contribute to its success. In the words of BFC Chairman Harold Tillman:

Fashion is a great British success story and this landmark piece of research underlines its true scope and economic impact.

The full report is available to view on the British Fashion Council/London Fashion Week Website at:

http://www.britishfashioncouncil.com/valueoffashion

New Shops: London

Colonisation, in a sense, can work both ways, particularly in the context of the exchange of fashion culture. While big name high-street and luxury brands are well-known to have the power and resources to open shops in far-flung destinations such as Dubai, China, Russia and India, brands from so-called ''developing'' countries are developing the resources and confidence in their product to do so too. In London, Turkish brand Desa, well-known for its leather heritage, is preparing to open, not one but two large stores, with one in Hampstead and a ''flagship'' in Covent Garden. Desa already operates 60 stores in its home market, plus a franchise operation in Saudi Arabia. Given the number of Middle Eastern visitors who like to spend their money on clothes in London, it would seem this is a canny move by the brand.


Advertisement by 7 For All Mankind


New denim stores are also set to open, with 7 For All Mankind, the ''original'' American premium denim brand, to open its first British store in Westbourne Grove. Dutch brand Denham, meanwhile, has turned its attentions to the East End, with the prospective opening of its third wholly-owned store in Shoreditch's Charlotte Road (the brand's other two concept stores are in Amsterdam and Tokyo). It appears as if each of these brands is taking advantage of favourable exchange rates, and a perhaps slight dip in rental prices, proving that even in a recession, London is still viewed as place of opportunity for fashion brands wishing to make their mark in this ''World Fashion City''. Having a presence in London, it seems, retains its caché.


Denham Jeans, look for the brand's ''scissor'' symbol

Since the ‘’explosion’’ of the Japanese designers in the late 1970s and early 1980s in Paris (names like Kenzo, Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto), there has since not been such a concentrated number of designers emanating from one place making a significant impact on the global fashion scene. From within Europe itself, perhaps only the ‘’Antwerp Six’’ can compare to this. Yet since the 1980s the nature of the fashion industry has perhaps changed considerably, with a larger amount of monetary resources needed to launch a fully-fledged fashion label to begin with, and also the development in technology, particularly, the Internet, meaning that connections between places are now much ‘’closer’’, taking away the need to travel to present collections before an international audience. Rather than a ‘’collective spirit’’ there also seems to be a move towards more designers striking out on their own, not necessarily setting up business in a ‘’World Fashion City’’ like London or Paris, but instead choosing to remain, or return to, their home town, building a local clientele before branching out abroad. It will be interesting to see if Desa is the first of many Turkish brands to begin on an international expansion, opening shops or franchises, especially as the country has built up a reputation for high-quality products, both ready-made clothes and textiles. For the European market, their proximity to the main Western European fashion markets of Germany, France, Italy, UK and Spain, mean many retailers are looking to source their own product from there, particularly in light of recent problems with deliveries from countries further away, such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Thailand.


Advertising Image by Vlisco

In a reversal of this, and perhaps reflecting the seemingly, almost ‘’circular’’ nature of the fashion industry, the Dutch firm Vlisco is little known in its home-market, yet it is a household brand across West Africa, famed for its intricately, brightly patterned batik prints, or ‘’Dutch Wax’’. Although, incidentally, some of its products can also be found in the less exotic confines of Brixton market, the best place to view the full range of its very luxurious products is in the firm’s flagship stores in Benin, Nigeria, Togo or the Ivory Coast. Vlisco certainly challenges the notion of so-called ‘’authentic’’ textile products, since these prints begin life in Helmond rather than Lomé.

Style Centre: Copenhagen

CPH Style - Drapers Magazine Cover Feature


Drapers Magazine, the UK fashion industry’s trade ‘bible’, has over recent years given an increasing amount of coverage to trade fairs and Fashion Weeks that are, on the surface, well away from the usual merry-go-round that is New York-London-Paris-Milan-Tokyo . Perhaps in light of its own confidence and influence on the North European fashion scene Copenhagen Fashion Week was given the accolade of being featured as Drapers cover-story. The cover itself featured an outfit from the By Marlene Birger catwalk show, a brand that is now a popular and reliable staple in many a British ‘indie’ boutique. The success of Danish fashion in the UK and elsewhere can perhaps be summed up by Drapers reporter Laura Weir’s assertion that:

Whether scoping the streets for inspiration or pounding the halls of mainstream behemoth Copenhagen International Fashion Fair (CIFF), the city’s fashion landscape has a preoccupation with sophisticated, quality product.


Advertisement from By Marlene Birger

While the style of clothing produced by Spanish, Italian, Portuguese or even French brands is sometimes considered a bit too ‘continental’, many UK retailers have found a trip to Copenhagen has a more suitable offering in terms of styling, especially in terms of a having a shared understanding of what it means to live in a ‘colder’ climate. Danish brands Drapers highlighted in its report included womenswear brands Edith & Ella (as well as sister brand Epoque), Best Behaviour, Bøgelund-Jensen and Lysgaard, ethical T-shirt brand A Question Of, and mens/womens brand Mads Nørgaard, all of which were cited as good examples of fashion brands with potential for UK retailers. For the more general reader, however, perhaps the most interesting aspect was a shopping report giving an overview of some of the most interesting boutiques in the city of Copenhagen itself. The newest of these included Wardrobe 19, open for just over a month, selling menswear by Han Kjobenhavn, amongst others. Pede & Stoffer, with two stores, one for men, one for women, was cited as being a good place to view the Danish take on low-key, yet high-end design. ParisTexas was included as a welcoming place to find pieces by well-known avant-garde designers like Rick Owens. Quirkier options included Sneaky Fox, whose owner regularly rotates the labels she stocks to keep things fresh, and Carmen Vintage, which was given as place to experience the Danish concept of ‘’hygge’’, or ‘’cosiness’’.


PARISTEXAS, Copenhagen



In recent years a number of other Danish designers and brands have to prominence, including Bruuns Bazaar, Ann-Sofie Back, Henrik Vibskov, Jens Laugesen, Noir, Sand, By Marlene Birger, Part Two, Martinique, InWear, Jackpot and Cottonfield, demonstrating how Danish fashion runs the gamut from ‘’avant-garde’’ through to ‘’ethical’’ and ‘’high-street’’ or ‘’mass’’ fashion. It appears CPH Vision and its sister show Terminal 2 are developing as the ‘’go-to’’ events for buyers looking for a quality-made, well-considered collections, while for journalists it offers a place to scope out what is happening in Scandinavia. At the same time, Copenhagen also appears to offer a more ‘’formal’’ clothing offer than it’s near neighbour Stockholm, which appears to be carving out its own niche in denim and street-wear brands such as Acne, Whyred, and WESC, not to mention the unstoppable growth of H&M. With Helsinki gearing up to become ''Design Capital of the World'' in 2012, and Norway also developing its international presence on the fashion scene with retailers such as Bik Bok expanding overseas, it will be interesting to monitor developments as Scandinavian fashion increases in confidence at all levels of the market. In particular, as the region has a particularly strong and rich history in the design of interiors, furniture and product design, Danish fashion designers are perhaps well-placed to capitalise on fashion’s ability to evolve and develop its reach into these areas too. It is not inconceivable to imagine a Noir range of ethical textiles for the home, Ann-Sofie Back ceramics, Sand furniture or InWear wallpaper.


Noir Fashion


Resources:

Trade Fair

CPH Vision/Terminal 2: http://www.cphvision.dk/

Brands:

Mads Nørgaard – www.madsnorgaard.com
Lysgaard – www.bylysgaard.dk
Edith & Ella/Epoque – www.edith-ella.com
A Question Of – www.aquestionof.dk
Best Behaviour – www.bestbehaviour.dk

Shops:

Sneakyfox – www.sneakyfox.dk
ParisTexas – www.paristexas.dk
Pede & Stoffer – www.pedestoffer.com

Fashion Victims

Photo by Guy Bourdin

As part of my research into the Fashion City, and looking at practices within the fashion business, The Guardian newspaper published an interesting, if dis-heartening, article last weekend. Entitled ''Fashion Victims'', the focus of the article was on the tough conditions faced by those working in the ''glamorous'' industry of fashion. Rather than looking at the appalling conditions of factory workers in developing countries, which perhaps no-one can now deny happens, instead this article focused on a situation much closer to home: that of the fashion intern.

For many aspiring fashion designers looking to get a foot-in-the-door, the fashion internship, or work placement, has become a rite of passage. Working un-paid, or on the basis of receiving ''expenses'' for travel, has become a standard practice here in the UK. As this article high-lights, for many a start-up fashion brand this kind of labour is not just a temporary option, it is often essential to the running of a fashion brands operations, particularly in the build-up to events such as London Fashion Week. In particular, having the experience of working for a smaller firm has the advantage that as internee you are often given greater levels of responsibility, working on aspects of a business that can make a real difference. Yet this article investigated much more alarming practices, not at a start-up firm, but that of a well-established and internationally-known name, that of Alexander McQueen. While it might seem rather disingenuous of The Guardian to focus on the operations of the recently deceased McQueen, it certainly focuses attention on a ''hidden'' aspect of the fashion industry that is not widely known to the general public. Currently, in the UK interns, i.e. those working in unpaid positions, can only be ''hired'' for one month, with flexible working hours and conditions, i.e. days and time worked is to be negotiated, so for example a student could work 2/3 days to fit in with study or paid work commitments. After this time period, the firm who has contracted them must draw up a contract and pay them the minimum rate of pay as set by the UK government. Yet according to the example in the article, some interns have been expected to work beyond this time limit, with no pay, and often working 12 hour days, 6 or 7 days a week. While astonishing that this can happen in 21st Century London, it is, unfortunately, not entirely surprising.


Photo by Guy Bourdin

A few years ago, as this article also highlights, I too was interning, with experience of firms in both the fashion and cosmetic sectors, where it was not unusual for interns to outnumber actual, full-time employees of the company. In this situation, you do begin to wonder if this is really ''normal'', or indeed sustainable practice, not to mention begin thinking if such ''experience'' gaining is really so worth while when you are not getting proper recognition for your input i.e. payment. For instance, during one placement it happened that one manager and my fellow intern had a day off, and the other manager was sick, so I was expected to effectively be ''in charge'' of running the PR office for that day, and while, luckily, nothing came up that I wasn't able to manage, it was the day when almost the entire cohort of UK top-glossy magazines called up to request information or product samples. The subsequent monetary value of this press coverage from this day ran into thousands of £s, all good ''experience'' (there perhaps isn't an editor I now couldn't handle), but it does make you think twice about how it is possible that it can be ''okay'' for you to do a job for free that other people get paid (a significant) amount to do. There is perhaps no easy answer to this solution, particularly for those who come from less ''privileged'' backgrounds who cannot afford to work for free, in-definitely, in the hope of getting hired for a ''real'' job. Yet seeing as this practice is very much considered a ''rite of passage'', with many I have spoken to in the industry stating they have all had to work unpaid at some point, it seems there is little incentive for changes to be made. Yet it seems that rather than interns completing an internship or series of internships with the incentive of a gaining a paid job, it seems as if many firms are happy to rely on an ever changing pool of fresh and naive aspirants wishing to gain ''experience''. Yet the very nature and quality of this experience needs to be addressed. It seems that once again the fashion industry is having the mirror held up to reveal its warts and blemishes. Rather than turning away from its responsibilities, perhaps it is time for the industry, including colleges, fashion designers and brands, and relevant bodies like Skillset and the British Fashion Council, to band together and look again at how to improve and regulate the fashion intern schemes, perhaps through a bench-marking system.

Quote of the Month

Bettina Ballard at work in the studio, photo by Nat Farbman

The fashion world is akin to the political world – a good place in which to exert power, influence people, and give expression to the ego. Like political careers, fashion careers are open to talented, personable amateurs who often rise to fame meteorically, only to fall with the whims of fashion arbiters. Fashion, like politics, is an ever-changing picture, with its own fluctuating foreign policy, its moods of isolationism, its factions, its jealousies, its internal politics. Even the words for fashion success have a political ring – king of fashion, fashion arbiter, leader, dictator – not a single, soft, gentle, feminine noun amongst them. The fashion world is no place for timid dedicated souls; it is a field for strong, determined egotists who have an innate desire to impose their wills on the world – wills of iron disguised in rustling silks and beautiful colours.

Ballard, Bettina, 1960, In My Fashion, London: Martin Secker and Warburg Ltd. pp:v

This month's quote comes from the preface of Betina Ballard's autobiography In My Fashion. This book is an intriguing insight into Ballard's experiences of working in fashion journalism for Vogue, tracing her journey from humble assistant to Edna Chase in 1930's New York, to fully-fledged Fashion Editor, perching on a gilded chair in the Parisian salons of the grand haute couturiers. In particular, this quote pithily summarises some of the internal workings of the fashion world, noting wryly the steeliness underneath the so-called frivolity of those who succeed within its confines. In my research of the fashion city it is intriguing to note how many 'key players', such as fashion editors, fashion school department heads, designers, PR's and boutique owners, influence the fashion cultures of the cities they operate in. For Ballard fashion is very much a business in which it is these characters, those that act as decision-makers (and who too, inadvertently, fuel the businesses' dose of gossip and intrigue), actually 'make' the industry what it has become.