Erin O'Connor is set to testify in a trial against her former PA, Michelle Knox-Brown, with charges alleging that Knox-Brown stole more than £45,000 from the renowned model during a three-year period. The charges claim that O'Connor's then-assistant took £30,000 through improper credit card use, £7,000 in petty cash and about £8,000 in taxi rides.
Knox-Brown has so far denied the charges, and she's been bailed until her trial, which is scheduled for next March.
Jezebel asks: Is fashion smart? [Jezebel]
Erin O'Connor releases She Died of Beauty t-shirts [Vogue UK]
Inside Pamela Love's Spring '11 collection [The Cut]
Express vs Forever 21: the court battle [WWD]
Summer's over. Get a cardigan [Refinery29]
Caryn Franklin, Debra Bourne and Erin O'Connor set up their All Walks Beyond The Catwalk initiative with the intention of "[acknowledging] the positive power that fashion can have, when communicating to women about their bodies", Franklin explains. So on Saturday, the fashion scheme met with a nationwide consortium of UK educationalists to consider how the future generations of fashion designers and image makers can approach individuality and inclusiveness within the curriculum.
Professor Wendy Dagworthy, Head of School of Fashion and Textiles at the Royal College of Art agrees that educationalists can make a difference, particularly in collaboration with the All Walks Beyond The Catwalk Forum, which launched on Sunday. "Designers can lead the way in challenging cultural definitions of what is beautiful. College or university can be the first opportunity for a student to process their ideas and challenge the status quo."
Counting Dracula as their inspiration, the twin sisters behind Felder Felder sent out a collection that used contrasting panels of leather and wool, with sheer, ruffled and chained detailing in neutral colours, resulting in a range of young and edgy pieces that attracted the likes of Little Boots, Jaime Winstone and Erin O'Connor to the front row.
The underwear as outerwear trend popped up again in the form of bra tops over nude vests, corset bodices and ruffle-hip nude leather leotards, and it was the leather panels that popped up often throughout the collection that hardened up a series of otherwise feminine skater dresses. Tapping into the current mini-trend of gorilla style fashion, another highlight of the twins' AW10 collection was the fur-sleeved, long-line coats - the black version of which created the perfect finale to another fantastic show.
Erin O'Connor is one supermodel who has always had a reputation for being a good ambassador for the industry. Since being spotted at age 15, she has experienced most facets of the fashion industry - she has graced couture catwalks, enjoyed national-treasure status as one of the faces of Marks & Spencer and currently sits as the vice chair of the British Fashion Council. She also founded the Model Sanctuary, which serves as a retreat with a full-time nutritionist available to very young models, and which sees her "play mother hen."
In an interview with the Guardian, Erin shares her impetus for wanting to take on her new SEWA project, which is partly funded by Traid. She explained, "I suppose I've had one version of the fashion industry and now I'm going out having a tweak here and there." She certainly will be doing more than tweaking the rag-trade if her ethical fashion experiment is a success. This new project sees Erin raising awareness for the All India Federation of Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) an organisation which has set up embroidery centres in East Dehli, with the aim of providing skilled home workers with considerably improved wages. "The wages paid to home workers are nowhere near even close to minimum wage," explains Sanjay Kumar a representative of SEWA.
In the early days of my modelling career, I think the industry was uncomfortable with how strikingly different I was. For example, I was told to have a nose job and get my breasts done. But I suddenly got very stubborn and thought, "Well, no."
”The model tells the Telegraph
It goes without saying that there isn't an investment buy like a classic coat, especially one that will last you not only AW09, SS10, but years to come too. Without a doubt, the camel coat fits the description. If camel isn't your colour, stick to neutrals for a classic investment piece, and pick a shape to suit. This season there's been a fair share of the new cocoon shape, but we'll be going with the timeless trench - and how could we not after seeing so many global trench styles on the new Burberry Art of the Trench website?
Friendly Fires
In the midst of all the fashion-week running around, sometimes it's good to feel like a kid again. At least the Mulberry team think so. The brand's after-party was on of the rockingest carnivals we've ever seen - complete with thousands of balloons, real-life merry-go-rounds, funhouse mirrors, cotton candy and spiked lemonade.
Every it girl showed up for the run. "Right, I'm going straight for the face paint," Alexa Chung said when she entered the hall. Her name was one of the temporary tattoo designs on offer, since Mulberry named a bag after her this season and all.
Model-turned-designer Ben Grimes, though, was left remembering unfortunate times. "I've lost all my mates, which is what would always happen when I was a kid," Grimes joked near the photo booth, where revelers posed for pictures on a giant horse. "This is bringing back some rough childhood memories."
Around midnight, Friendly Fires took the stage. Needless to say, it was a long night, but we loved every moment of it.
London Fashion Week is kicking off with a fresh air of optimism, enthused by London womenswear designer, Caroline Charles. With five changing themes, Charles kicked off with Cruise, a cutesy collection of poppy polka dots, romantic ruffles and flirty shorts. The designer, who was awarded an OBE after celebrating her 40th anniversary in fashion, then followed with Resort, an exotic compilation of fifties style tunics and cropped trousers, accessorising with heavily beaded necklaces, chunky bracelets and baker boy, trilby and sun hats. Regatta showcased a series of classic cotton shirting, chinos and gingham, contrasted next by Rancho, with its tribalesque headwear, animal prints and harem pants. Charles finished off with the overtly feminine White Night, where antique white lace dominated, embellished heavily with sequins, net, embroidery, ruffles and ladylike pearls.
Image Copyright Rankin
I learned a few things about Hannah Marshall when interviewing her for Nylon. First, she thanks Erin O'Connor for helping her rise to recognition. Second, she has great taste in music. And third, she's staying in the countryside, thanks.
Care to know what else is on Britain's latest design star's mind?
