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Focus On // Shala’s Rabbit Hole By Shala Monroque

Friday, January 6th, 2012


Image from Shala’s Rabbit Hole by Shala Monroque. Courtesy of Shala Monroque.

Suzy Menkes of the International Herald Tribune is notably quoted as saying – The world changed when fashion instead of being a monologue, became a conversation.

That quote for me sums up the allure that the online holds for me. It encapsulates the power that a blog can have. It is the reason why I am as excited about print as I am by its online building block.

I am of the belief that a good blog creates conversation. It provokes thought and gives you new perspective on something already seen.

One of my favorite blogs is Shala’s Rabbit Hole. Written by Shala Monroque, Creative Director of Garage Magazine (Monroque was formerly Editor-at-large of Pop Magazine), it continually challenges me to thought.

Monroque’s ability is one of all great dreamers; the ability to draw you into their dream, the challenge to think for oneself, the call to imagine without boundary or border.


Image from Shala’s Rabbit Hole by Shala Monroque. Courtesy of Shala Monroque.

I was honored to interview Shala on her site, the things that inform it and more.

Her answers are a revelation, it is an honor to share them with you.

1. Hello Shala, thank you for granting with reference to your blog, Shala’s Rabbit Hole. What inspired you to start the site and how would you best describe it to someone who has never had the pleasure of reading it?

I stumbled on blogging when I was the Editor-at-Large for Pop Magazine. When I left I wanted to continue on my own platform and so I created Shalasrabbithole.com. The site is meant to be one of inspiration hence no advertising. I didn’t want it to have any distractions. I’ve been playing around in my head with the idea of randomness for a long time now and that’s a big part of the blog. Like how two things together may not make sense but if you stare at them or think of them next to each other long enough you will come to make it mean something. Often the images have nothing to do with the text, but I juxtapose them based on my feelings, not thought. Really it’s meant to be a glimpse of how things are processed in my head.


Image from Shala’s Rabbit Hole by Shala Monroque. Courtesy of Shala Monroque.

2. The name of the blog references Charles Lutwidge Dodgson’s Alice in Wonderland. Is this a favorite of yours and how did you settle on the name?

When I started traveling extensively, I often felt like I’d fallen down the rabbithole. I felt a bit like Alice in Wonderland, things were not the way they were supposed to be. One example of this is in the summer months I would go to various art fairs in different cities and in every city I landed in I would see some of the same people. That to me seemed like an odd dream. I think of a rabbit hole, in the way that Lewis Carroll describes it as a sort of black hole, a place that exists in the imagination or memory even, yet maybe only one person can experience it this way. I sought to create my own rabbithole.

3. Yours is a way that is distinctive in its bearing. What is your opinion on the strength of your perspective?

I’m a daydreamer and I’m also very curious, I spend a lot of time digging deeply like a mole through the recesses of my mind. I have lots of memories and I like rearranging them, not necessarily in order. I like to call it “fictitious memory”


Image from Shala’s Rabbit Hole by Shala Monroque. Courtesy of Shala Monroque.

4. What to you is the making of a good blog and which ones are you currently reading?

It depends, I mainly troll through fashion blogs, but there are all types of blogs in every field. I think at best a blog is one that constantly creates interesting and unique content. In fashion I like Tmagazine’s blog because it has such broad coverage on fashion, art, design and it’s always news, I especially like its “chic in review” section for its cheek.

Tommy Ton’s Jak & Jil is also at the top of the list. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of fashion and it shows in his photographs. That’s really what separates him from all the other street-style photographers, his eye is so sharp he instinctively knows what’s next.

And then I love Tumblr because I love images.


Image from Shala’s Rabbit Hole by Shala Monroque. Courtesy of Shala Monroque.

5. You run the gamut of everything from wistful images taken in foreign locale to current day events. All written in that voice unique to you. What informs and inspires your site?

I love art. I love beauty. I love images and words. I think these things form the foundation of the blog.


Image from Shala’s Rabbit Hole by Shala Monroque. Courtesy of Shala Monroque.

6. The categories of the blog are so poetic in their being. What is the story behind each; Basin Jamet, The Crystal Tearoom, Tuning In To Josephine and River of Beauty and Youth?

Basin Jamet, is an actual place in the mountains of St.Lucia, the island that I’m from. It’s meant at once to be an inside joke and also a marker. Basin Jamet is a river pool where the girls would go swimming and scream very loudly, basically there they were uninhibited, the true essence of themselves. Sometimes I feel so many restrictions are placed on women, women could never get away with a lot of the things that men do. But there, at Basin Jamet the women did as they pleased, they bathed naked, they got along, they laughed really loud and they didn’t care what anyone thought. A jamet means a loose woman. It was not necessarily a positive word but I like to think of them in a positive way because in my child’s eye, they genuinely seemed happier than women who were tied down to societal conventions.

This category on the blog is a celebration of the freedom of women.

I came up with the name, The Crystal Tearoom whilst dancing at Club Plastic in Milan. There is a room in the club where the ceiling is covered in chandeliers. Whilst dancing and again daydreaming I was thinking that it could be a great place for conversation on any topic and this room would be in the middle of nowhere, a dark hall sparkling with lights and hushed conversation. Since it was probably never going to be a reality I thought well why not make it a place on the blog.

River of Beauty and Youth is an imaginary place as well where beauty abounds.

“…I improvised, crazed by the music…Even my teeth and eyes burned with fever. Each time I leaped I seemed to touch the sky and when I regained earth it seemed to be mine alone.”

I used to have this quote from Josephine Baker on my Pop blog and I thought it to be so powerful. All the odds were against Josephine Baker and yet she had such a powerful sense of self. Imagine, even today if she did what she had done all these decades ago she would still be criticized. But she delved deep, and she brought to the world such a gift that only she could have dug up, and it was so necessary. But it took strength, courage an understanding that isn’t ordinarily found. It is the gift of the artist to go this far.


Image from Shala’s Rabbit Hole by Shala Monroque. Courtesy of Shala Monroque.

7. On reading your blog it is seemingly obvious that you are in love with words. Would you say this was the case and if so what is it about them that compels?

Yes I have always loved words. I’m not sure where this love comes from. I tried writing long before I could, and I made up stories from my books based on the pictures when I did not yet know how to read. So eager was I to understand the world. I was also always juggling two languages, English and French Creole and then there was the language in between the broken-English. The little differences were always interesting to me.


Image from Shala’s Rabbit Hole by Shala Monroque. Courtesy of Shala Monroque.

8. Everything from the blog name to your story like telling nature of posts encourage readers to think, imagine and dream. How important is this for you?

If you’re not thinking for yourself then you pass over your power to someone else. I do not believe in that. Imagine if Josephine Baker had listened to the people who told her to put her clothes back on. Everyone has the ability to see the world differently, but sometimes we doubt ourselves and just follow the pack, but what of the Steve Jobs’, Barak Obamas, Nicolai Teslas, Nat King Coles? Can you imagine what the world would be like had they not been dreaming?

The whole point of the blog is to inspire thought, imagination and exploration and to dream.


Image from Shala’s Rabbit Hole by Shala Monroque. Courtesy of Shala Monroque.

9. What are your thoughts on online as medium?

Well first of all it’s brand new. We’re still grappling with it. I’m not sure what it will grow into but at the moment it has incredible reach and that’s valuable.


Image from Shala’s Rabbit Hole by Shala Monroque. Courtesy of Shala Monroque.

10. Shala’s Rabbit Hole is synonymous with?

Exploration.

Many kind thanks to Shala for the interview.

Explore Shala’s Rabbit Hole and visit her Tumblr.

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Focus On // Maki Oh By Amaka Osakwe

Saturday, December 24th, 2011

I am excited by the work of Amaka Osakwe. Her Maki Oh label which is at once sensual and intelligent, provokes thought.

Having featured the Maki Oh autumn winter 2011 lookbook video here and reviewed her spring 2012 collection, it was a pleasure to interview Osakwe on her work.

Hello Maki, thank you for honoring Mariankihogo.com with this interview. Congratulations on the intrinsically memorable spring summer 2012 collection. The collection entitled REDS, notably draws inspiration from French artist, Henri Matisse and his use of color and form. What initially drew you to the Fauvist stylization and rawness evident in his work?

Hi Marian, thank you for having me on here. I was drawn to the Fauvists because of the ideology that the function of the artist is not to translate an observation but to express the shock of the object on his/her nature, and this one of Maki Oh’s main beliefs. I honed in on Henri Matisse when I learnt of his love affair with the colour indigo, his fascination with the female form and his love for African art and textiles. But, it really all started at indigo. Indigo is a colour that I hold very dear to my heart. The colour represents the Africa I dream of.

Your Autumn 2011-2012 offering explores the tumultuous throes of love as inspired by Ludovico Einaudi’s ‘Love is a Mystery’. This season, it is Matisse’s uncanny prowess in pooling the tribal into the modern. Both the Einaudi and Matisse inspiration have an untamed but intelligent sensuality about them that seems to be an ongoing underlying theme of your work. Is this intentional and if so, what is it about the uninhibited and sensuous that compels?

Like I explained about the Fauvists, it’s the emotion and shock that these subjects evoke in me that I try to express my work and my work is one medium where my emotions can be totally unrepressed. The hedonistic color palette boasts a coral almost carnal in nature, a languid nude, sensual blues whilst texture is as equally all about the senses; velvet, silk charmeuse, silk organza’s and chiffon.

How do you balance such rich color and decadent texture so seamlessly?

This collection is about the extreme seductress. Her feminine wiles are unfathomable, but she draws one in nonetheless. Her walk, her smile, her aura all come together and make up this genius art form – the art of seduction. The colours and textures in this collection are my interpretation of the emotions that she evokes in anyone who she so much as glances at.

As with the work of Henri Matisse, you explore angular form in this new lineup. This is further reiterated with clever placement of embellishment. As a fashion designer what is more important to you, function or form?

Form over function. In the words of Henri Matisse, “There are always flowers for those who want to see them”.

Who is the quintessential Maki Oh woman and how would you like to see your designs worn?

The Maki Oh woman is a multi faceted being with a strong sense of identity.

Ideally, I will like to see Maki Oh pieces worn as conversational/communication mediums in the same way traditional Nigerian garments were worn to convey a message or tell a story. Either that, or with well-manicured nails.

Your use of Adire has become signature for each collection. Seeing that your work is not confined to the obvious, it is no surprise then that Ankara and other African prints and textiles are not employed. Tell us about your treatment of Adire and why it is a Maki Oh staple?

Maki Oh’s use of natural indigo and the Adire dyeing processes is our little contribution to preserving a dying Nigerian art. Adire is one of the few authentic Nigerian fabrics we have. Traditionally, everything from the growing of the cotton to the dyeing of the fabric was (and still is) done on Nigerian soil, and this authenticity appeals to me. Maki Oh’s adire fabrics are locally dyed in southern Nigeria using methods that have been passed down, unchanged from generation to generation. Adire has also been a staple in the collections as a means to educate the world (this includes Africans) about true African fabrics. Ankara/African print fabric does not appeal to Maki Oh’s sensibilities because it is not African.

Each collection sees you employ an indigenous feature. With spring summer 2012 it is the Nigerian local sponge. Why is it of importance for you to employ an indigenous feature per season and what was the creative process for juxtaposing the local sponge with your streamlined silhouette?

Everything in fashion has really been done before, so I strive to use indigenous materials in innovative ways, to bring something “new” to the table. Local sponge was used in the ss12 collection because as it is with everything Maki Oh, there’s a hidden meaning behind every pattern, silhouette, fabric etc. This collection tells the story of the extreme seductresses – ‘The Lagos Reds’. The root of the plant that the sponge is derived from is traditionally used as a contraceptive medicine, so I’ve used this material to serve as a social message that says ‘use a condom’. The streamlined silhouette in this collection simply serves as blank canvas used to create the story of each seductress.

Yours is an uncanny ability to make the brazen take on refined and elegant sensibility. Is this a conscious ethos?

I have always been fascinated by how the Japanese designers like Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto, took their culture and traditions and made it modern, even futuristic. I’ve tried to bring this concept into my design ethos, by taking the raw and updating it. I’m glad to hear this is translated to you as refined and elegant.

Maki Oh is synonymous with?

Conversations, complex-simplicity “simplexity”, and ethical and sustainable fashion.

Thank you to Amaka for the interview.

Explore Maki-Oh here.

Catwalk images: MTN Lagos Fashion & Design Week

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Focus On // Fashion156.Com & Guy Hipwell

Thursday, November 24th, 2011


Screen shot of Fashion156.com courtesy of Fashion156.com. Photography: Fabrice Lachant | Styling and creative direction: Guy Hipwell | Hair & Makeup: Verity Cumming, Teola Wittorff-Lecoq | Models: James Cooper, Marc Massa at Premier| Fashion assistants: Tom Bloomfield, Anna Tatton | Shot on location at the Biscuit-Factory with thanks to Barbara Acheampong

As an avid enthusiast of the digital fashion sites like Fashion156.com as founded by Guy Hipwell has become an important tool.

The online magazine which gives a visual voice to emerging talent, has shaped the way we look at digital fashion.

It was an honor to speak to Founding Editor and Creative Director Hipwell about his online platform, his thoughts on the evolution of blogging, enthusiasm for emerging talent etc.

1. Guy thank you for saying yes to this interview! I am a fan of your work and the voice that Fashion156.com gives emerging talent.What propelled you in 2006 to launch the online magazine platform?

As a freelance stylist I kept seeing all these great new designers breaking through in London. Even some of the more directional magazines I worked for still insisted on inclusion of a list of advertisers in stories -which is understandable – but sometimes they just did not fit the style of the shoot at all. So really Fashion156 came about due to this frustration – I wanted to create a magazine and just be able to place a brand new graduate on the front cover and mix in emerging labels into my shoots.

2. You have been fundamental in the digital fashion. What is it about online fashion that inspires you?

What is exciting is the immediacy. I can see a show or collection and post something about it straight away and within seconds send this information around the world. Moving image and film really inspire my work so it is also great to shoot footage of our editorials and see the clothing moving and coming to life.


Photography: Fabrice Lachant | Styling and creative direction: Guy Hipwell | Hair & Makeup: Verity Cumming, Teola Wittorff-Lecoq | Models: James Cooper, Marc Massa at Premier| Fashion assistants: Tom Bloomfield, Anna Tatton | Shot on location at the Biscuit-Factory with thanks to Barbara Acheampong

3. What are your thoughts on blogs and how do you see them evolving? Which do you read if any?

To be honest I really believe a slight backlash is starting against blogs – in my opinion there are too many and the standard can be variable. The last year or so I have severely cut back on the blogs I read, as many are just churning out the same press releases sent by the PR’s. Some of my favourites seem to have just ‘sold out’ too much and in their quest to monetize have lost the independent voice that made them interesting in the first place. I have always been into film and prefer to watch clips on YouTube for research (shooting a Northern Soul dancing story next week, so doing loads towards that) and look at lots of business sites and slightly more random sources such as News Scientist

It would be great though if some of the newer bloggers trying to break through were given a chance, as rather bored seeing the same individuals mentioned continually. You would think there were only 5 or 6 great blogs around to listen to some commentators.

4. You have obvious love for the emerging talent. How can you tell who will last the long haul and who do you find exciting right now.

What is so impressive is the quality of the collections some of the new designers are producing. A few years back graduate pieces would literally fall to pieces as soon as you put them on a model to shoot, but things are changing, designers have realized to be taken seriously they need to up their game. These are the individuals I admire the most and try to pick out and support – they have a real chance of being successful. There are so many designers I work closely with but a few stands out are Agi & Sam, Shaun Sampson, recent CSM graduate Anabel Luton and many of the designers I curated recently for the Vauxhall Fashion Scout Graduate Showcase.

5. The pace of fashion seems to get faster with each passing day. How is digital fashion and the role of social media influencing this?

With site such as NowFashion uploading runway images in real time I think the pace is now too fast. Even though I am an online editor I do feel the industry needs to rethink, and make some changes. Consumers are seeing runway shots and want to buy the pieces straight away, it will just need some really big players to decide to change things and then the rest will follow. One thing I would love to see banned are those awfully blurred/out of focus phone shots you see posted on Twitter – if I was a designer would certainly not want that to be the first image people see after 6 months of my hard work.


Photography: Fabrice Lachant | Styling and creative direction: Guy Hipwell | Hair & Makeup: Verity Cumming, Teola Wittorff-Lecoq | Models: James Cooper, Marc Massa at Premier| Fashion assistants: Tom Bloomfield, Anna Tatton | Shot on location at the Biscuit-Factory with thanks to Barbara Acheampong

6. Your current Fashion156.com issue is dedicated to head-wear. If the catwalk is anything to go by it would appear that head-wear seems to be having a moment. Why was it important to explore this?

I have always loved to use hats and headpieces in my shoots and like how they totally transform a look. For SS12 there is also this whole move towards facial concealment with fascinates me as it is the total opposite to celebrity ‘look at me, look at me’ culture. I believe people are feeling over exposed – everything we do now seems to be documented and uploaded to Facebook, and so hats, veils, statement sunglasses can just act as a barrier and allow people to keep something in reserve.

7. What is your favourite or editorial from the The Headwear Issue?

I really enjoyed using the fresh floral garlands for our Cardboard Box editor (it rained continually on the shoot day, so the box acted as a massive umbrella like shield) and the amazing hat dresses by Paul Stafford

8. Fashion156.com is seemingly a beautiful conversational-curation of the fashion of our times. Is this intentional?

‘Conversational’ is a word I use a lot actually as that is the way I ask our writers to communicate via our daily blog. Even though I am bit crazy about fashion – at the end of the day it is just a few frocks; we are not saving lives, so I try to ensure we keep a level of realism in the tone of our articles and mix in vintage and high street pieces. Fashion156 is all about images though; that has always inspired me the most and so I dedicate a huge amount of time to our shoots and try to incorporate the latest influences I have seen on the street and at the shows.

9. How vital is for fashion to be a dialogue?

To me it is vital. Unless you engage your audience and give them the opportunity to comment and offers opinions on your work there is no point being online.

10. In an ever-evolving industry, where do you think your platform will be in five years?

We are looking for more global contributors as I worry Fashion156 can be too London-centric at times. I know about London but would love to investigate more about say what is going on in China or Brazil. We have just started interviewing bloggers from around the world to get an idea of what is emerging for them locally, so hopefully this will broaden our appeal. For the future – a dream would be to produce a bi-annual print issue perhaps and even a book of our editorials on really amazing quality paper.

Many kind thanks to Fashion156 Founding Editor and Creative Director Guy Hipwell for this wonderful interview. His insightful answers inspire.

Please visit the Fashion156 site here.

More in this segment here.

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Focus On // New African Fashion by Helen Jennings

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011


Jacket cover of New African Fashion by Helen Jennings. Design by Maki-Oh.

New African Fashion by one of Europe’s pre-eminent fashion journalists and ARISE magazine editor, Helen Jennings, delves into contemporary African fashion. Starting with a brief historical overview of African fashion, Jennings puts the focus on the best in fashion design, modeling and photographic talent from the continent and diaspora.

Notably, she explores why African fashion is currently having a moment on mainstream catwalks.

I was honored to speak to her about the book. Please read on for our conversation.

Helen, thank you for honoring my site with this interview. Your book New African Fashion was sorely needed. What inspired you to write it now and what was the creative process like for you?

As editor of ARISE for the past three years, I’ve had the privilege of traveling around Africa discovering different fashion scenes and meeting the industry’s movers and shakers. ARISE also hosts its own fashion events, most notably our collective shows at NYFW and ARISE Magazine Fashion Week in Lagos. In this time I’ve witnessed the rapid growth and improvement in African fashion as well as the international interest in it. It feels like a seismic moment in African fashion right now, which deserves a book dedicated to it. The creative process was intense – I only had a few months to do all the research, interviews and writing – but it was also a very rewarding experience as almost every person I approached was enthusiastic to be part of the project.

Africa has long been an inspiration to designers. What is about Africa as a whole that has designers returning to it as a reference point?

Africa is a vast continent encompassing so many different cultures, tribes, religions, traditions, textiles, landscapes and dress practices, each with their own rich history and significance, that there’s simply so much to be inspired by. Although there are those abiding (and sometimes colonial) references international designers have leaned on over the decades – animal prints, headwraps, safari suits and so on – the best designers from all over the world dig deeper to tap into the vast well of African styles and materials that have yet to be seen on a catwalk. Better still, they are now also beginning to collaborate with African designers and artisans and basing production in Africa (e.g. Suno, Edun, LemLem etc). Africa has for centuries prized appearance and adornment so it’s little wonder it offers endless stimulation for those who can see past the ‘exotic’ to what is truly original and meaningful.


Tiffany Amber by Joseph Hunwick, page 97 from New African Fashion by Helen Jennings

New African Fashion explores the profiles of designers such as Duro Olowu, Black Coffee and Jewel by Lisa. How has this new wave of African design emerged and how are they different from the likes of Xuly Bët of the 90’s?

This is a big question! But briefly, as Africa has opened up to the world and grown in influence both economically and culturally, so too has its fashion industry. Improved infrastructure, education and good governance has allowed creative industries to prosper. The Obama effect and the World Cup also shined a light on all things African. Whereas a generation ago, fashion was not seen as a worthy or viable occupation, now stylish Afropolitans are showing the west how African fashion is really done. Today’s designers don’t have to be defined or limited by their origins or be making a political point with their designs (if they choose not to). Instead they can concentrate on making desirable, well-made, well-marketed collections.

How did you chose which labels to profile and how does their work go beyond the stereotypical cliché with reference to aesthetic and translation?

I included a cross section of designers from around Africa and the diaspora who represent the kaleidoscope of aesthetics within African fashion now. Some are more Afro-centric, others make clothes that don’t at first glance seem African at all, but I hope that viewed together they reflect the talent and diversity the scene has to offer and prove that these designers are creating contemporary ready to wear that can compete with the best in the world.


Eric Raisina by Misha Taylor, page 53 from New African Fashion by Helen Jennings

In the last few years we have seen celebrities like Kelis, Solange and Beyoncé champion this new wave of African design. Would you say that this multi-culturalism a reflection of what is happening socially or is this just a passing trend?

The ascension of Africa fashion is definitely a reflection of a growing multiculturalism. More and more people think globally, travel globally and are aware of life beyond their own backyards so it’s only natural for clued up, educated individuals to show an interest in creative output from other cultures. This is of course also aided by the growth in social and new media and e-commerce worldwide. Trends do come and go – wax prints will be in one season and out the next – but the more quality output African fashion produces; the more the people will sit up and take notice.

Designers like Kenzo Takada successfully managed to bridge that cultural divide between East and West. Venturing outside labels such as ‘Far Eastern designer’, his became a global brand. One that the consumer both in the Far East or West could relate to. How can African based, high fashion design talent, become internationally recognized labels?

The best African designers combine local and traditional influences with international ones. By balancing the demands of the global fashion seasons and trends while maintaining an authentically African sense of style, African fashion is offering the world something that feels fresh. Challenges remain though in terms of infrastructure, transport, production and access to materials and trained staff, which hinder small designers from fulfilling substantial orders from abroad to the required standards and time frames. Governments need to financially support their local industries more in order for them to compete effectively. Also designers should come together to form a pan-African body to promote themselves and campaign for improvements.

In a time of heightened environmental consciousness, how is African inspired to the African made, more relevant now?

As most designers have their own ateliers and tailors and source materials locally, African fashion is by and large very ethically and environmentally conscious. Designers are helping to keep indigenous textiles and crafts alive, creating much-needed employment and producing hand made, feel good fashion that appeals to shoppers both at home and abroad.

You edit award-winning magazine, ARISE. You have worked with the best models and photographers from the continent of Africa and diaspora. Which of this talent has been most memorable to date and how does New African Fashion bring them to light?

A lot of my work with ARISE has been fed into New African Fashion. Shooting Oluchi on a rooftop in Johannesburg during Africa Fashion Week, going to New York to interview Alek Wek for the World Cup issue cover, feeling the excitement at ARISE Magazine Fashion Week in Lagos, meeting the Smarteez in Soweto, judging the M-Net Face of Africa competition, going to Nairobi for FAFA… almost every page is a reflection of my ARISE experiences.

Duro Olowu by Andrew Osunmu, page 23 New African Fashion by Helen Jennings
Finally, who is New African Fashion for and why is it a coffee table must have?

I hope New African Fashion has a broad appeal. It’s a useful compendium for anyone in the industry, it’s an eye opener for the casual reader, it’s educational for fashion students and it’s an investment for lovers of glossy coffee table books.

New African Fashion by Helen Jennings as published by Prestel is £19.99/$35.00. It is available in the UK here. and US here. and Amazon US here.

More on New African Fashion here and here.

Many kind thanks to Helen Jennings for the interview.

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Focus On // Pippa Small

Monday, August 8th, 2011


Pippa Small. Courtesy of Pippa Small.

Jeweller Pippa Small is as much known for designs that encapsulate a hand made organic feel (featuring precious and semi precious stones) as she is known for her social consciousness.

With a background in Anthropology, the jewellery designer has seamlessly forged her interest in human rights and the alleviation of poverty with her continued efforts at reviving old traditional jewellery methods.

Barneys New York started selling her jewellery about 14 years ago. Small opened her first London based store in 2007, this was followed by one in Brentwood, Los Angeles.

Her work has seen her work at Bamford, Gucci with Tom Ford and Chloé under Phoebe Philo. Collaborating with the Nicole Farhi and Christina Kim at Dosa.

Small’s interest in social consciousness has seen her work in Central America and Southern Africa, exploring jewellery making methods and reviving old traditional skills. In Bolivia she worked with the world’s first registered Fairtrade gold mine. The designer also works with fairtrade company, MADE in Kiberia, Kenya and with prestigious charity Turquoise Mountain in Afghanistan.

Given her tireless efforts and improving Human rights among minorities, it is no wonder she was made an Ambassador of the Human Rights Organization in 2008.

It was an honor to interview the inspiring jewellery designer.


Design by Pippa Small. Courtesy of Pippa Small.

1. Hello Pippa, thank you for honoring Mariankihogo.com with this interview. You studied Anthropology and went on to achieve a Masters in Medical Anthropology. How did you move from this, into the foray of professional jewellery design?

Thank you so much for asking me!

That is a difficult question because the answer is I just don’t know!! Life has a strange way of pulling you subtly in directions you are unaware of. For my Masters thesis I went to Borneo to do some research on mental illness and its meaning and understandings in Sarawak.
Before I went I was already very interested in Human Rights and the issues in particular of indigenous or Tribal minorities rights, I was an active member of Survival International, a charity I am very proud to say I am an ambassador to now – the issues of land rights, cultural rights, language rights and indigenous knowledge were fascinating to me and I started to work with a local grass roots NGO in Sabah in Northern Borneo – it was a fascinating time.

Meanwhile… I have always made jewellery even as a child I strung beads and buttons, shells and pebbles around my wrist, I was a great believer as a child in the power of stones and the importance of memory associated through material things and the comfort and strength they gave.

As I grew the designs of the jewellery I was making became more defined and instead of the primitive tangle of my talismans I started to work with different materials, buying a small drill and working with shells and drilling and tumbling rough gems and stringing them together. I started to make jewellery for a few friends and then a shop asked for some and so it slowly and very organically grew.

My life now is full of contrasts – going from Afghanistan to New York fashion week, from the slums of Nairobi to showrooms on Bond Street – I find it all fascinating facets of human life…

The interest in the jewellery grew and I started to work in India to produce it and loved my life creating in India with such talented craftsmen and in time I was able to marry the interests of working with communities and the jewellery fashion world by collaborating with craftsman all over the world and bringing their work to other markets and new appreciations.

2. You have worked with a host of designers including the likes of Tom Ford while at Gucci and Phoebe Philo at Chloe. What has been your most memorable collaboration to date?

Working with Gucci was such a thrill, I remember when I got the call to come in I was convinced they had made a mistake and were talking to the wrong person, I even said so in the interview! I had no design training or technical drawing ability – had never worked with a big company – I was humbled by how open and encouraging they were. At first I was to work in their studios but they quickly saw that my creativity flourished in other environments and sent me back to India to create freely without confines of briefs or specs.

I remember the day my first collection was being viewed by Tom Ford in Florence, there was always the reverence of a god around him and everyone was running around and whispering and such tension as he went to inspect it, I was then brought in the room and he was so kind and said he loved it! There was a palpable sigh of relief from everyone! I learned so much working in a team and in a big company – it was wonderful.

Working with Christina Kim of the American label Dosa was wonderful too – to learn from her thoughtful and immaculate creative process. We travelled all over the world together designing collections of jewellery for her beautiful clothing company.

Design by Pippa Small. Courtesy of Pippa Small.

3. In your work you have always seemingly championed human rights, alleviating poverty and fair trade. How important has this been to the Pippa Small brand?

It is the essence of it in a sense, it is where my heart is where my interests lie, and I am very passionate about this area. Jewellery and craft are universal, every peoples in the work create and decorate and adorn. I believe very firmly that working with communities to empower and provide an income; to raise the often battered self confidence of people who have been marginalised and persecuted, through their creativity; to work with them on traditional designs and materials and be able to create something that is valued and shown and sold in the West helps them see that what they do and make and who they are is beautiful.

The recent certification of the fair trade gold in Bolivia has been a triumph and I am so proud, I was in Bolivia a few months after the certification and so pleased to see what this means to the miners and the environment around the mines in terms of the recycling of the mercury and the fair pay for the gold with a premium that goes into the community around the mine and improving conditions for the miners.
Working with MADE was also a joy – learning about recycled materials and seeing things we throw away in this country becoming beautiful pieces of jewellery.

4. Your designs have seen you work with charity, Turquoise Mountain in Afghanistan. Please tell us a bit about this; what it involves and how it came about?

I was asked to go and teach in the newly set up school of jewellery that Turquoise Mountain had set up in Kabul nearly 4 years ago. The aims of Turquoise Mountain were to do architectural restoration in the old part of Kabul, and to make schools that would revive and train young people through the older masters the traditional craft of Afghanistan, wood work, calligraphy, ceramics, and jewellery. The students learn English, business skills, and have teachers from all over to provide them a broad skill base in design and technical abilities.

I was also asked to design a collection that could be sold in the west to open a market for TM and the young Afghan graduates – I have worked with Javid Noori and his workshop in Kabul for 4 years now. I try and draw on inspiration from central Asia, and the silk roads to make sure it is relevant to the craftsman’s history and culture. We use all the gems available in the country – the beautiful Lapis Lazuli from the ancient mines of Badakshan and emerald from Panshir and tourmalines and aquamarines. It has been so rewarding now the first lot of women graduates have joined the workshop and to see the work in shops like Barneys NY and we hope to continue to grow their collaborations with other designers and open other markets.

The most wonderful part of it has been the friendships and relationships that have grown from the collaboration with the craftsmen and women.

Design by Pippa Small. Courtesy of Pippa Small.

5. Amongst your many achievements includes being made Ambassador of the Human Rights Organization in 2008. What has been your favorite achievement in the course of your career to date?

This has been my greatest achievement, I am so proud of the work Survival does its so vitally important, it is David and Goliath – the voiceless and invisible people of the world who’s rights have been for so long abused have in Survival a voice that shouts loud and clear to the public and to governments and large developers who in the name of ‘progress’ destroy the land and homes of the tribes people who live and protect that land for future generations.

6. What inspired your latest collection?

My latest collection in Afghanistan was inspired by both Mogul and Mongol – the first Mogul Emperors came from Afghanistan and their almost baroque use of gems and gold has inspired the Shah collection full of beautiful tumbled mixed gems stones, blues and watery greens of aquamarine and kunzite, the hot pinks of rubelits and greens of emeralds in cascading necklaces with silver gold plated to give warmth and richness to the pieces.

The other side was inspired by the nomadic Mongols who travelled through Afghanistan and the use of the woven silks of the country to stitch lapis stones to create chokers and wrist bands in silk as I imagine the marauding nomads to have worn.

Always, the collections are fundamentally about something beautiful – to bring beautiful jewels out of a country at war to show that life still goes on and war is not the only thing to be going on there.

7. How important are seasonal trends to you, with reference to the creation of your designs?

Not at all!!

Design by Pippa Small. Courtesy of Pippa Small.

8. Your jewellery seemingly possesses a traditional aesthetic to it. Would you stay this was the case and if so is it intentional?

I am very inspired by ancient classical Greek, roman, campucian, Javanese gold work as well as tribal andethnic work, there is so much symbolic value as jewellery was then to perform a function, to protect from evil and draw positivity, good health and wealth. I love when jewellery has a story – it makes so much sense to me!

Design by Pippa Small. Courtesy of Pippa Small.

9. Who is the Pippa Small woman?

She is independent, creative and has a strong social conscious – to be able to buy and wear pieces that are empowering people in areas of the world which lack the opportunities we are used to here is something she is proud of. She is chic and discerning and has great style.

10. One jewellery tip for my readers?

Buy jewellery that you will love forever and wear it all the time, not just for special occasions, let it become part of you end enjoy it. Check the sources of the materials and when you can, chose sustainable sources.

Design by Pippa Small. Courtesy of Pippa Small.

More on her work here.

Many kind thanks to Pippa Small.

More in the Focus On segment here.

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Focus On // Postcards From The Edge Of The Catwalk By Iain R Webb

Monday, October 25th, 2010


Cover Image taken from Postcards from the Edge of the Catwalk By Iain R. Webb. Published by ACC Editions.

Iain R Webb’s ‘Postcards From The Edge Of The Catwalk’ is a personal photographic portfolio that spans 30 years of iconic catwalk moments and all the glamorous uproar surrounding it.
A collection of intimate images taken by Webb, from the front row at couture and ready to wear shows, memories captured at hard to access fashion events and all the glitter of the fashion world.

I reviewed the 272 page book in my ‘On the Coffee Table’ segment here.

I was honoured to interview fashion journalist and lecturer, Iain R Webb (as featured in below image) whose career has including working as fashion editor at The Times, ELLE and Blitz.


Photo of Iain R Webb. Photography by Iain R Webb. Courtesy of Iain R Webb.

1. Hello Iain, thank you for taking the time out to grant this interview. ‘Postcards from the edge of the catwalk’ takes its reader beyond the velvet rope at hard to access ready to wear and couture shows across a span of 3 decades. What gave you the presence of mind to capture these wonderful and many never seen before images?

Hello Marian. Thanx for inviting me to talk about my new book. To tell the truth the book is a bit of a happy accident. I never imagined this kind of outcome when I was snapping away at the shows. I have always taken photographs – at the collections, on fashion shoots and at parties – as a kind of visual diary I guess. It was a way of documenting the weird and wonderful situations that I was lucky to find myself in as fashion editor of Blitz, The Times and Elle magazine. Some of these photographs were occasionally published over the years.


Images taken from Postcards from the Edge of the Catwalk By Iain R. Webb. Published by ACC Editions.

2. How did your personal portfolio of the fleeting magic of the catwalk turn into this must have book?

‘Must have’. I like that. While I was working on my last book ‘Foale and Tuffin. The Sixties. A Decade in Fashion’, I pitched the idea of a postcard-style photo book to my commissioning editor Matthew Freedman at ACC Publishing Group. The format was inspired by the way I had the photographs processed at Snappy Snaps. They would be printed like holiday snaps and I would make little photocopy layouts. I wanted the book to show some of the wonderful moments I have experienced. Luckily Matthew and his team were equally excited by the project.


Images taken from Postcards from the Edge of the Catwalk By Iain R. Webb. Published by ACC Editions.

3. What was the process of compiling it like for you?

The hardest thing for me was deciding what would go into the book. I am a habitual hoarder so my archive of source material is vast – I have hung onto all sorts of odds and sods picked up along the way from invitations and notes from designers to shoot schedules and sketchbooks stashed away in folders, boxes and suitcases. They aren’t particularly organised either although this is something I am now trying to sort out. So, at first I had to locate photos that I knew I had, unearth negatives for prints that remained hidden and then go about identifying designers, locations and seasons. I kept increasing the number of photographs I wanted to include and fortunately my publisher was happy to up the page count. But I still had to edit at least half of my original selection. I am happy with the final edit but I am still finding photos that I wish I could have included!


Images taken from Postcards from the Edge of the Catwalk By Iain R. Webb. Published by ACC Editions.

4. Your book captures some of the most important moments in fashion, what are your favourite images in it?

This changes all the time. I like different pictures for different reasons. I really like the straightforward nature of many of the portraits – the lucky one-in-a-million shot of Gwyneth Paltrow at the Gaultier show (page 58) or the happy-snap mood of Isabella Blow sparkling in iceberg size jewels (page 35). I really like the more obscure images of the catwalk shows – the picture of a model exiting Yves Saint Laurent’s catwalk, in her beaded lace and pink feather hat she merges into the floral bower decorating the stage (page 237), the line-up of McQueen models on page 235 or Jacquetta’s legs at Helmut Lang (page 46 as seen below). I also love the Gaultier cowboys on page 160. That was a WILD (West) show!


Images taken from Postcards from the Edge of the Catwalk By Iain R.Webb. Published by ACC Editions.

5. Seeing that the images span 30 years of fashion change and evolution, would it be fair to say it was a photographic document of fashion history?

Gosh, that makes it sound a bit grand! The book definitely documents a part of the fashion experience – the craziness that surrounds the international collections. And I suppose it is a personal history.


Images taken from Postcards from the Edge of the Catwalk By Iain R. Webb. Published by ACC Editions.

6. How are you hoping for the book to be received by the fashion industry and fashion enthusiasts at large?

I am thrilled with how people have already responded so warmly to my book. It has received great coverage in the press and there have been some very enthusiastic reviews. One reviewer said a more appropriate title for the book might be ‘A Love Letter from the Edge of the Catwalk’. I really like that. I would like to think that it is an affectionate reminder for those who were there and hopefully an inspiration for those who were not.


Images taken from Postcards from the Edge of the Catwalk By Iain R.Webb. Published by ACC Editions.

7. What do you think constitutes to making a memorable catwalk show experience?

A lot of people think that a memorable catwalk moment must mean a big bells-and-whistles production. While I have adored the shows of Galliano and McQueen and Mugler and Kenzo before them (and count myself lucky to have seen such amazing staging free of charge!) I also believe that a low-key presentation can be equally compelling. Rei Kawakubo sometimes shows her Comme des Garcons collections in complete silence. Sometimes the over-emphasis on hair, make-up, accessories and staging can detract from the frocks (the designers intention?!!). When designers get it right the production is an extended narrative that showcases their wonderful frocks. But small and quiet can be more beautiful. And the flick of a models wrist or the drape of a neckline can be equally memorable.


Images taken from Postcards from the Edge of the Catwalk By Iain R. Webb. Published by ACC Editions.

8. What is your most treasured catwalk/backstage memory to date and why?

Goodness, there have been so many! Fashion is very subjective. I guess I treasure the more intimate things. From Art School onwards I have been incredibly lucky to meet so many fabulous people who share the same fascination with frocks. Getting to know people whose work I admire – designers, writers, photographers, etc – has been a real gift.


Images taken from Postcards from the Edge of the Catwalk By Iain R. Webb. Published by ACC Editions.

9. The photo captions truly bring each image to life. How did you go about writing these?

What surprised me most was how I could almost instantly recognise a dress from twenty odd years ago especially considering how many dresses I must have seen during my career. I used my show notebooks and PR contacts to confirm dates and also referred to magazines and websites to double-check. At times it was like an Agatha Christie mystery. Indeed there are a couple of photographs that have no captions because no matter how I tried I could not discover the designer, date or location. I love the Index section – it looks like a book in its own right. Simon Cryer of Northbank Design who designed the book did a brilliant job with the layouts.


Images taken from Postcards from the Edge of the Catwalk By Iain R. Webb. Published by ACC Editions.

10. One reason why ‘Postcards from the edge of the catwalk’ is a must for every coffee table?
For anyone who is a fashion freak like me, it’s the perfect Christmas gift!
Thanx
Iain x


Photography by Iain R Webb. Courtesy of Iain R Webb.

Postcards From The Edge Of The Catwalk By Iain R Webb is published by ACC Editions, priced £24.95 and available from all good bookshops and online at www.accpublishinggroup.com

More information on the book here.

Images taken from Postcards from the Edge of the Catwalk By Iain R.Webb. Published by ACC Editions.

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Focus On // A Life At The Airport: A Heathrow Photographer By Dennis Stone

Thursday, October 21st, 2010


Dennis Stone. Courtesy of Dennis Stone.

With a foreword from Sir Richard Branson, A Life At The Airport: A Heathrow Photographer’ by Dennis Stone is photographic look back at Stone’s 64 year career at Heathrow, specifically 40 of those spent as residential photographer.

The book sees a rare collection of the travels of the world’s most recognised personalities and celebrities as captured by Stone with footnotes. Over the course of his work as Heathrow’s longest serving resident photographer, he has captured the portraits of everyone from the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, Elton John, the Beatles, Muhammad Beatles, Prince, the late Princess Diana, Sonny & Cher, the late Princess Grace of Monaco, Eddie Murphy, Nelson Mandela, Britt Ekland, the Rolling Stones to much more.

I was honoured to interview Dennis Stone on his book and remarkable career.

1. Hello Dennis, it is an honour to speak to you with reference to your book. How did the book come about?

“I’ve wanted to publish my photos for a while – if only to show my children and grandchildren what I’ve done all these years. I was talking about my idea with a few people from Heathrow and the ball started rolling from there.”


Brad Pitt. Photography by Dennis Stone. Courtesy of Dennis Stone.

2. There is a heartfelt foreword by Richard Branson. How did this come about?

“I’ve known Richard through the job for almost 20 years now and he’s become a firm friend. As has his family who often join him for inaugural flights. Richard’s mum, Eve Branson, who is featured in the book was one of the first people I sent the book too.”

3. You have captured hundreds of images over your career of some of the biggest icons of fashion, film, music and sport. One of my favourite photos in ’A Life At The Airport: A Heathrow Photographer’ is the one of the Queen’s dogs disembarking from the plane ahead of the Queen. Which celebrities have been your most memorable subjects to shoot and why? What is your favourite image?

“I am very fond of my plane pictures – particularly those of Concorde – but probably my most memorable photo was taken on an inaugural Virgin Atlantic flight from Las Vegas. Most of the press were either drinking or sound asleep, but I decided to have some fun. I asked a stewardess who always looks after Eve Branson, Richard’s mum, whether she had a spare uniform. Eve used to be a stewardess on British South American Airlines when they flew Lancastrians. I said, ‘Eve, why don’t you put on a red uniform and become a stewardess on your son’s aeroplane?’ She liked that idea, so she got ready and went downstairs and got in position. Richard was sat in economy as he often does, nattering to one of his managers. Eve came down to wait on him and said, ‘Excuse me sir, would you like a drink?’ He went, ‘Oh!’ He laughed and said, ‘Thank you Dennis that was rather nice’.”


Photography by Dennis Stone. Courtesy of Dennis Stone.

4. How did you settle on the final line-up of photos to include in the book?

“I have taken thousands of photographs at Heathrow so it was very hard to choose which pictures would make the cut! The ones in the book are only a handful of my favourites and were chosen together with Heathrow.”


Paul McCartney and family. Photography by Dennis Stone. Courtesy of Dennis Stone.

5. Long before society’s obsession with celebrity and the rise of reality TV, you had privileged close access to celebrities. How has the current obsession with fame affected your work over the years?

“There has always been an interest in celebrities – I remember when thousands of fans came down to Heathrow just to see David Cassidy – but it has definitely become more intrusive. I try to stay away from this. My privileged access to the comings and goings of celebrities is in more demand than ever but I have never succumbed to keyhole journalism. I guess this is why over the years a number of the celebrities I have photographed have become friends. Joan Collins always sends me a Christmas card every year! I think she likes the fact that I am one of the few people older than her! I used to play squash with Tommy Steele and often shared the odd drink with the likes of Peter O’Toole, Oliver Reed and Richard Branson – the latter on numerous glamorous promotional trips overseas. Liz Taylor is just wonderful too. I’ve photographed her so many times that I promised to take her out for her favourite meal of sausage and mash, then take her on an open-top bus round London because she’d never done that. It’s our joke. Liz would always do a great model pose for me, looking very glamorous.”


Joan Collins. Photography by Dennis Stone. Courtesy of Dennis Stone.


Elizabeth Taylor. Photography by Dennis Stone. Courtesy of Dennis Stone.

6. Each photo has the story behind how it was captured. With such a long successful career and a multitude of photos taken at the airport, how do you still remember the story behind each image?

“It’s getting harder but I often get asked to talk about the stories behind my photos so it’s amazing how they stick! I’m also lucky to have captured some pretty amazing people and moments which are difficult to forget.”


The Spice Girls. Photography by Dennis Stone. Courtesy of Dennis Stone.

7. Over the period of your tenure, you have had insights to the most interesting celebrity moments. Which would you say has been the most random?

“One of the most random photographs I captured was of Robbie Williams wearing a plastic mask at Heathrow, which looked very strange. He’s always awkward with press but it made a good photo though and everyone wanted it.”

8. August 12th 2011 will mark the 65th mark of working at Heathrow airport and your 79th birthday. What has inspired such a longstanding career?

“I’m someone who likes to be busy so it’s hard to walk away from a job which I see less as work and more as a passion. It’s allowed me to capture such unique moments and events – few people are lucky enough to have a job like this so I guess I’ve never wanted to let it go!”


Clint Eastwood. Photography by Dennis Stone. Courtesy of Dennis Stone.

9. Finally, how will you like for ’A Life At The Airport: A Heathrow Photographer’ to be received?

“I am absolutely amazed at the response to my photos and the book. I am often asked about the celebrities I have met but I had no idea people would be so interested in my career. It has been a real honour to share my stories and photographs with passengers.”


Photography by Dennis Stone. Courtesy of Dennis Stone.

‘A Life At The Airport: A Heathrow Photographer’ By Dennis Stone is published by BAA Airports Limited,

More information on the book here.

Photography by Dennis Stone. Courtesy of Dennis Stone.

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Focus On // Isabella Blow By Martina Rink

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010


Photo Credit: Isabella Blow by Martina Rink book cover. Courtesy of Thames & Hudson

Isabella Blow was a style icon, international magazine editor, former assistant to Anna Wintour and noted style muse to Philip Treacy.

She is credited for discovering and nurturing talent near and wide, such as the likes of the late Alexander McQueen, Sophie Dahl, Hussein Chalayan and Philip Treacy etc.

The fashion industry and the world at large lost this shining, enigmatic talent, incredible eye, arbiter of style and natural mentor when she tragically committed suicide in 2007.


Photo Credit: Martina Rink. Image by Billa Baldwin

Till her death, her personal assistant was Martina Rink, as pictured above. Martina met Isabella at the Savoia in Milan and is now the fashion director of Mode Magazine. She is a style consultant and also founded Fashion Spotlight, an agency based in Berlin.

This month, the much anticipated book, Isabella Blow by Martina Rink, as published by Thames & Hudson (image of cover as seen above in first image) was launched to good reviews.

The hardcover book pays homage to Blow through a collection of letters by her closest family, friends including some of the biggest names in fashion such as Manolo Blahnik and Mario Testino. With foreword by beloved milliner, Philip Treacy, the book also includes images by the worlds most renowned photographers.

Rink’s book also features a transcript of the speech Anna Wintour gave at Blow’s funeral in 2007.

With these contributions from the people who loved and knew her best, the book by Rink comes across as it were written by them all as a collective.

I was honoured to interview Martina Rink with reference to the book that celebrates Blow. Please read on for her incredibly honest and insightful answers.

1. Hello Martina, Thank you for the honour of this interview. I attended the recent London launch of your book, ‘Isabella Blow’. You worked as personal assistant to the late Isabella Blow till her tragic passing. What inspired you to write your book now?

Hello Marian, I hope you had a good time at our book launch? I remember Issy wishing and stating several times to be remembered as an icon, therefore it has been logic to go and do the book in this particular way.


Photo Credit: Martina Rink. Image by Billa Baldwin

2. Isabella Blow was truly a remarkable person. Seeing that she inspired and nurtured talent abound, how did you go about deciding what contributors and memories to include in the book?

I have kept collecting and then selected the most sincere and most beautiful contributions with a small circle of Issy’s closest friends and family.


Courtesy of Thames & Hudson

3. What are your favourite contributions/letters in the book?

ALL, each complements the other, however it is a huge honour to have Philip contributed with the foreword .

4. Would you call the book a living tribute to her?

YES of course, and it is very educational for all kids outs there who are crazy for McQueen, but piss their pants when one asks if they ever heard the name Issy Blow.

5. How important was it for you, to set the tone of the book?

I had the idea, mission and vision, the book itself developed thanks to Paul Sloman & Philip what it is today. You know when you have so many amazing people contributing it can only be a success to work as a team and listen to each individual’s wishes and try to find a middle way to make the best for all involved.

6. What was the process of compiling it like personally for you?

Therapy, it helped me to understand Issy much better and why she has decided to go, I feel I am closer than ever to her these days!

7. On the cover is a stunning image of Isabella looking like a magnificent bird of prey by Donald McPherson. How did you settle on this as your cover image?

I must confess this has not been my personal first choice, but I got outnumbered so I went along with it, and I am so happy I did, I love it, the more I look at it the more I get thrilled about it, it is so powerful and that’s so ISABELLA BLOW > POWERFUL !

8. What are your thoughts on the other recently launched, books on Isabella?

I have heard about Lauren’s that it is meant to be really funny , and I only judge once I read all books , as I would not like people to talk about my book without actually reading it. Detmar (Detmar Blow was Isabella Blow’s husband) and myself started around the same time for our book research, he wished me well and has been kind ever since which I am grateful for. I am reading BLOW by BLOW at the moment, so you have to ask me more about this in a couple of days.


Courtesy of Thames & Hudson

9. How will you like for this book to be received?

I already received to me the most important feedback. The family, all her friends, the press and even people who doubted it in the beginning are all pleased which is pretty surreal and of course my publisher they are very delighted with the outcome and they have been a great support, but last and not least my wonderful family, friends and team they are really amazed and we all enjoy this wonderful achievement together.


Courtesy of Thames & Hudson

10. Did the fashion and creative industries grasp how inspiring and unique Isabella truly was?

No, this is why I did this book!!! I always felt that it is a crime if the world does not know Isabella Blow for what she has actually given to our world and the huge impact she had!


Courtesy of Thames & Hudson

Isabella Blow by Martina Rink is published by Thames & Hudson, priced £29.95 and available from all major bookshops.

More information on the book here.

Many kind thanks to Martina Rink.

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Focus On // Style BooK: Fashionable Inspirations By Elizabeth Walker

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010


Cover image of Style Book: Fashionable Inspirations by Elizabeth Walker.

Yves Saint Laurent once famously stated that Fashion fades but style is eternal.

The new must have book, Style Book: Fashionable Inspirations by Elizabeth Walker, clearly reiterates that style is far more than seasonal trends and fashion.

Walker’s book consists of over 400 images as accompanied with captions, that span across the scope of street style, the everyday, film sets etc.

This a spell binding and thought provoking book of contrasts. Think photographs from different fashion eras and decades side by side with those of notable figures, the exotic and unexpected.

Ever since I received Style Book: Fashionable Inspirations I have not been able to put it down. It is one part, style inspiration and one part, uncanny social documentation.

Elizabeth Walker’s inspiring background includes working at Harpers & Queen, the Times, Saturday Telegraph, Sunday Times. She also worked as Executive Fashion and Beauty Editor on Marie Claire.

She currently works as a freelance fashion consultant and writer.

I was honoured to meet and interview her about her new book.


Elizabeth Walker. Image courtesy of Elizabeth Walker.

1. It is an honour to interview you today. The book is wonderfully compelling. I think it is a bit like a fashion and social document as it were. What was your inspiration to compile it?

Well I hope so. What I really hope is that it is not just for fashion folks, which is what I said before. It is for people, anything and the pictures and through that came a bit of social documentation because when you see the change of the figure, which is fascinating. What people perceived in the twenties and thirties to be a fit body, we would not perceive that at all. Shape has just absolutely changed and also the clothes too, like women in swimming costumes, the advent of Lycra and all that sort of thing.

I think what we tried to do was do a real juxtaposition; I think most spreads work well in that way. We tried to mix men and women well together, not in all cases, but certainly from different countries and generations. We also tried; I think which I succeeded about eighty percent in showing pictures people have not seen before. It is quite funny though; there is a marvellous picture of either Portuguese or Spanish fisherman in a suit and to my horror in Selfridge’s book shop the other day and it has been used on the cover of a cook book. I had never seen it before. So in most cases there will pictures people have not seen, particularly the cover with Jackie O, and I have more books on her than you have had hot dinners.

So that is what we tried to do.

Also, we tried to keep it at a price, where you could give to a girlfriend as a present without actually breaking the bank.


Photo Credit – Getty Images

2. In the book you cover everything from exoticism to denim. How did you decide what sections to feature within the book?

Well at one stage, we were going to do two books in a box set, one on men and one on women but I didn’t really think that would be interesting enough or work as well. So I did not want to do things like, so yes we have the section called ‘Button Up’ which is largely suiting but I did not want to make it too fussy and scare the people who were not in fashion. I wanted to make it a bit more general than that and so that is how I came up with these sorts of sections and hopefully that works.


Photo Credit – Getty Images

3. How did you pick the images, I think you have such a wonderful eye?

Well, I started life as a graphic designer, so I have always loved pictures. I have also always had a personal passion for paintings and things too. So from my art director type head, I have always loved photographs and I mean I think we are just short of 500 images as there are 450 images in this book. If you imagine we probably printed out about twice that amount (I’m guessing) and we’d go through them going love it, love it… hate it, not sure. Then every time we looked at it we’d condense it.

Then I decided where I was going to put them and there was one section we called ‘All in one’. Which was quite contemporary as there are a lot of all in one jumpsuits on the catwalk anyway and at one stage, I didn’t think I had enough images because when you look closely at some of these images, they weren’t actually all in ones. There is one in there of Diana Ross in stripes and I am still not convinced that she is in an all in one. I think she has got on trousers and a top that may look like an all in one. It was such a great stripy picture that I thought, it could pass.


Photo Credit – Getty Images

4. What do you think makes a great image?

I think it is one that you really remember. For instance, that image of the New Look skirt that was photographed in the boulevard in Paris that is such a memorable image. There are ones in my mind stick out, probably for colour, Rod Stewart with a girlfriend. I cannot remember which girlfriend it was with in the most revolting yellow satin, he was in tartan. You won’t forget this when you see this as there was argyle, yellow and tartan.

In contrast to that you have got the, which is one of the first pictures is a Sheikh Army camp and it is in the Indian army. He is totally in national dress, the turban and khakis and you know everything else but he is in tartan and it is so bizarre. You think how come this Northern Indian is dressed up in head to toe tartan. It is just bizarre and I don’t think he was with the Scottish regiment or anything. It made no sense.

It is pictures you remember, be it that it is a marvellous image or just fascinating.


Photo Credit – Getty Images

5. My favourite image is the cover image of Jackie O. How did you decide to make that specific image the cover?

I was quite certain about it, various people suggested otherwise and I just said no. What I did not want to do was put a Jackie O image that everyone would know. On the back there is the contrast, you have a young boy from Darfur and in those days it was really quite unusual for them to wear American style clothes and again in my mind the contrast of those two cover images, sum up the contrast of what is inside. So we have an unknown but stylish young man, celeb, contrast. We have done (it is quite funny really) a Spanish edition and they wanted different covers and on the front and they would not be budged about this, they chose a picture of Marilyn Monroe. I had no objection to that but I found about six images of Marilyn Monroe that I had never seen before but off course they chose one that people will know.


Photo Credit – Getty Images

6. How are you hoping for the book to be received?

Well I hope that it is received well. I was very nervous because you have to get the quotes of certain people on the back and I was told I had to ask them as I know them but I was too embarrassed. I was so thrilled that the first person to reply, literally about half an hour, the post arrived was David Bailey who I used to work with in the early eighties.


Photo Credit – Getty Images

7. Are we to expect more books from you?

My publisher wants me to do another book. I don’t know about doing an actual second volume but it will probably be on some sort of style. Someone suggested one on accessories but because I now know the image library pretty well, I don’t think there is enough accessory images to merit a book so I am tossing ideas around.


Photo Credit – Getty Images

Style Book: Fashionable Inspirations by Liz Walker is published by Endeavour London, priced £20 and available from 14th September at all major bookshops.

Images are used with kind courtesy of Getty Images.

Kind thanks and regards to Elizabeth Walker for granting the interview.

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focus on // Maria Grachvogel

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

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Photo Credit: Fashion designer Maria Grachvogel. Image courtesy of Maria Grachvogel.

British designer Maria Grachvogel as pictured in the above image, counts the likes of Yasmin Le Bon, Scarlett Johansson, Angelina Jolie and Rachel Weisz as fans of her work.

Her London based label was set up in 1995 and the designer went on to show her first collection at London fashion week the following year.

Since that debut collection, she has showed many praised collections and her fans of her work include the likes of Angelina Jolie, Yasmin Le Bon, Scarlett Johansson, Victoria Beckham and Rachel Weisz to name a few.

She is known for bridging the gap between the timeless and innovative cut, creating clothes for women which have been fitted on real women.

Her designs balance the delicate line between art and functionality. Creating pieces that both transform their wearer and stand the test of time.

Her trousers are the industry’s best kept secret, with a wonderfully flattering fit cut from a single piece.

I was honoured to speak to the designer on her autumn winter 2010 – 2011 collection, her unique print technique and her design ethos.

1. Your designs are always distinct in silhouette. As a designer what would you say is more important to you, structure or function?

Well actually that is an interesting question. I see design perhaps in the same way a architect sees a design. It needs to do a bit of both. The word design to me needs to have function, it needs to work. It needs to work within a woman’s wardrobe, it needs to wear well, it needs to make her feel really really good about herself, it needs to do stuff and work for every day in her life. So I think structure and function work hard in hand.

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Photo Credit: Maria Garchvogel autumn winter 2010 -2011. Image courtesy of Maria Grachvogel.

2. You are known for your design integrity, your designs have great integrity. What are your thoughts on this?

It has always been really really important to me. It is that whole of idea of great cut, fit, functionality. Kind of like any product designer wanting their product to be around in 10, 20 years time. So I look at my work in that kind of way, that it should have that design integrity.

3. Your autumn winter 2010 – 2011 collection seemingly had a Seventies feel, what with the button front dresses etc. What the Seventies inspiration for this collection in any way?

It is not how I work oddly enough. I tend not to work with specific references or eras but rather clothes and the woman who wears them. It is hard to explain but it rather about clothes that define that fine art, design and functionality. So when designing I kind of start thinking about feelings and what kind of feelings I want to create with the clothes. So for this collection, for me it was about a fluidity, free flowing garments that fall away from the body, great tailoring, strong shoulders.

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Photo Credit: Maria Garchvogel autumn winter 2010 -2011. Image courtesy of Maria Grachvogel.

So for me it is about form, clothes and the feelings they create as opposed to a look.

4.If my readers were to invest in one piece from your current
collection. Which one would you suggest and why?

I would suggest the the Cumulus dress, it is my personal favorite from
the AW10 collection. I showed it in the Artwork print at London Fashion
Week (look 20). It really is the most versatile dress. I have sold it to
women from age 20 – 70 and it is chic, modern and comfortable. I wore it all throughout my pregnancy and it looked just as fantastic with a huge bump underneath!

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Photo Credit: Maria Garchvogel autumn winter 2010 -2011. Image courtesy of Maria Grachvogel.

6.The Maria Grachvogel brand is known for it?s unique prints. Are these digitally mastered, hand done or a combination of the two?

I hand paint each of the prints and digitally engineer them to work in
harmony with the shape of the garment and the silhouette I am creating.

Each piece is printed, cut and made one by one and each garment takes on average 5 days to paint, so it really is like wearing a piece of art.

The Artwork print concept is something that I have developed and as far as I am aware I am the only designer mad enough to do it!

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Photo Credit: Maria Garchvogel autumn winter 2010 -2011. Image courtesy of Maria Grachvogel.

7. What can we expect in your next collection?

You will have to wait and see!

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Photo Credit: Maria Garchvogel autumn winter 2010 -2011. Image courtesy of Maria Grachvogel.

8. Your designs are both innovative in cut and timeless classic. How do you achieve this?

In my opinion, what makes a design a timeless classic in any product
category whether it be a car, a piece of furniture or item of clothing,
is a consideration for both art and function. I see my role as a fashion
designer to create beautiful, innovative pieces that fit with a woman’s
body, character, wardrobe and life.

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Photo Credit: Maria Garchvogel autumn winter 2010 -2011. Image courtesy of Maria Grachvogel.

9. Who is the Maria Gravogel woman?

Every woman. I design for all women. This is why I use real women as opposed to a fit model.

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Photo Credit: Maria Garchvogel autumn winter 2010 -2011. Image courtesy of Maria Grachvogel.

10. A Maria Grachvogel design is synonymous with?…

Innovative cutting and pushing the boundaries of conventional methods of fitting, to create clothes that truly work in harmony with a woman’s body; creative and transformative cut and fit for all women. I believe great design is an essential and delicate combination of art and functionality and I see myself as an architect for the female form.

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I am a big fan of Maria’s vision and aesthetic. I like that her pieces flatter the female form. I think that it is inspiring that she uses real women to fit her designs on as opposed to fit models. Thus making sure that there is something in collection for every woman, whatever her unique body shape is.

For more on Maria Grachvogel please visit her website here.

The stunning Maria Grachvogel boutique is located at 162 Sloane Street, London, SW1X 9BS and can be contacted on Tel : +44 (0) 20 7245 9331.

Special thanks to Maria Grachvogel and Seren at Bryan Morel PR.

Photo Credit: All Images courtesy of Maria Grachvogel.

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