“It’s one of the first decisions you have to make as a fashion designer. Do you want to be corporate or do you want to be free? It’s very hard to be free, you will have to work more, you will make less money or no money. You will have to suffer, but you have your freedom. Do you choose the obvious or the not so obvious? I guess I’m the not so obvious.”
Bernhard Wilhelm, Apartamento magazine
[Image: Daniel Trese/Apartamento]
Here’s the latest weekly DRG STYLE INDEX ranking, featuring the brands currently buzzing on on my radar…
1. PAULA GERBASE HEADS TO JOHN LOBB
This is rather exciting news for John Lobb. The British shoemaker, owned by Hermes, has appointed Paula Gerbase as artistic director. I don’t know the full story but I’m guessing the brand wants to expand beyond footwear (Berluti-style), and hiring a buzzy young luxury designer is a good way to do it. (more…)
Last month saw the 33rd year of the Afro Hair and Beauty Live show at Islington’s Business Design Centre, the biggest show of its kind in Europe. Knowing how big the UK black beauty market is (black women are said to spend six times more on hair and beauty), I intended to go to this but in the end had conflicting commitments. Instead, TOLU OGUNSOLA attended on my behalf and here she reports on her top three finds…
Just as I expected, I was greeted with a great buzzing atmosphere as I entered Afro Hair And Beauty Live. People were talking excitedly here, there and everywhere about what products they wanted to buy and blaring music further amped up the excitement for all involved. Natural hair has definitely taken off in the past year or so, with women of colour taking a vested interest in returning back to their roots as it were. (more…)
What better way to spend a weekend than heading down Oxfordshire way to Bicester Village? If you do, you’ll be well rewarded, with the fifth British Fashion Council Designers’ Collective pop-up offering plentiful pickings of our celebrated womenswear talent. Curated by Yasmin Sewell, this year’s edit is the best yet (no filler!) and better still, it comes with a new art twist. The Royal Academy has jumped on board, so there are limited edition prints to buy from Royal Academians including Gary Hume and Grayson Perry. (more…)
