This month has been a busy one for Pringle of Scotland. This pre-fall season marked the first for the house under the direction of their new creative director Alistair Carr and to help celebrate, the collection has just dropped on Italian e-commerce website, The Corner, along with their own mini-store.
If you're still unfamiliar with The Corner, it's definitely worth checking out. The online shopping space has become so saturated over the last few years but the site, which is part of the successful Yoox Group, has managed to separate themselves from their competitors by giving customers access to the world of the given featured designer in their personalised virtual 'corners' on the site. Multimedia content like videos accompany designers' products in their customised 'mini-stores' and that's exactly what they've done with Pringle of Scotland with their two latest collections. Tilda Swinton, the long-time face of the brand, was brought on board to quizz Carr on the new resort collection, his design process and what it was like to take the reigns at such a much-loved heritage brand.
In the interview Carr explained that he will always respect the brand's heritage but it's important for him to also take it forward. In light of that, the brand's new collaboration with Central Saint Martins students make sense. Under the watchful eye of Louise Wilson, MA students were given the opportunity to go through the brand 196 year old archive collection to design a capsule collection of 12 pieces that served to reconnect the present with the brand's long history.
Kanye West definitely knows how to create a hype, or actually let's call it the Tom Ford effect meaning all things mysterious and undisclosed. For anyone that's been following the story about his alleged clothing line launch next week, the last few months have been full of speculation about whether or not the show will happen, where and all the details in between. Louise Wilson and Harper's Bazaar Australia have both confirmed the reports and during menswear day at London Fashion Week Katie Eary reiterated that the show is happening.
While West sat front row at her show and refused to speak to the press, Eary was more than happy to confirm to journalists backstage that she is collaborating with the rapper on the project."I’ll be [at the studio] tomorrow. For the next eight days — we’re going to hammer this out," she said. "I absolutely love working with him,’ [Eary] said. ‘He’s such a dedicated designer. It’s not what everybody would think—he’s more dedicated than I am. The time and the travel that he puts in is unbelievable. I feel jealous at his commitment. We bounce ideas off each other, sketch on the same page... we make a really good team. He’s obviously piloting it, and we’re working alongside.’
Louise Wilson confirmed that Kanye West's line is definitely in the works and will be ready for the world come September but if you were still unconvinced, we have more proof. Yesterday Harper's Bazaar Australia confirmed that their fashion editor Christine Centenera has been consulting for the brand. After the pair met at Paris Fashion Week back in March, the editor and freelance stylist has been travelling to Paris twice a month to prepare for the debut.
Anne McCleod, from Harper's Bazaar Australia, revealed that:
It’s all very hush-hush at this stage, and Centenera refuses to discuss it when she is actually in the office, stating that West is a very private person and that it’s not her place to comment. However, this writer sits next to said fashion editor in the BAZAAR office, so one plus one equals two, right? We’ll keep you posted.
Thus week we reported that Kanye West has brought Louise Goldin on board to help with his womenswear debut this September and on Friday Louise Wilson, course director of MA Fashion at CSM, confirmed the reports.
Talking to British Vogue she said:
"I have known Kanye for about two years," Wilson, the course director of the MA Fashion at CSM, told us. "He is very knowledgeable about fashion and interested - he is also interesting, he has an individual point of view. He has visited the college twice - most recently about employing interns to work on a variety of projects. He has supported the fashion school (with its fundraising regarding its move to Kings Cross) with a donation. I have not however been working closely with him on a collection but I certainly wish him well."
Last month The Telegraph reported that Kanye West is settling in Paris as he works on his first womenswear line for his new fashion brand after his former brand, Pastelle folded back in 2009. Reports alleged that the collection will be presented in a presentation-style format in Paris in October but recent reports are claiming otherwise.
Grazia report that Yeezy will actual debut his first collection during New York Fashion Week and has brought knitwear designer Louise Goldin on board to oversee the collection and is relying on the advice of Louise Wilson to get the collection ready. According to the magazine, "excellent sources" report that the rapper has studios in New York and London but will definitely be showing in New York.
It's no secret that Kanye West is a bit of a fashion fan but if recent reports are anything to go by, he's planning to take that interest one step further. Before heading to Paris for the shows last week, West allegedly flew in to London to go to Central Saint Martins. The singer has applied for the an MA in fashion at the college and was invited for an interview with course leader, Louise Wilson.
So can expect to attend Kanye's MA show at London Fashion Week in the near future? Only time will tell.....
Back in February we joinedProfessor Louise Wilson and many others to admire the work of the five lucky Central St Martins finalists in the prestigious college's collaboration with luxury Swiss brand Bally. The students, all in their first or second years at CSM were chosen by Wilson to create women's shoe designs, focusing on a "high editorial value and strong luxury feel".
This September sees the finished collection finally hit Bally stores worldwide, with the launch in conjunction with Vogue's infamous Fashion's Night Out. As well as being available online at bally.com, the shoes will hit the following Bally stores; Beijing Shing Kong Place, Berlin, Beverly Hills, Hong Kong IFC, London, Milan, New York City, Paris, Singapore Ion, Vienna and Zurich.
"We are very excited about this collaboration with the students from CSM," Bally's CEO Berndt Hauptkorn said, "We see this as a long term partnership and a key part of Bally's evolution as a modern heritage brand in the world of luxury." OBE Louise Wilson also praised the collaboration, "It is always good news when brands choose to support young creative talent; Bally has given these students the opportunity to realise their designs and an invaluable insight into the operations side of their chosen field."
The relaxed environment at the Bally and Central St Martins collaboration today seemed a far cry from the busied blur of London Fashion Week so far. To calming background music, guests mingled with tea and canapes in the Brown's Hotel, Mayfair, and between two rooms the winning 10 designs from Central St Martins students were showcased whilst OBE Louise Wilson showed her support.
The original brief saw 15 students from both the first and second years at Central St Martins chosen by Louise Wilson creating shoe designs for Bally with a focus on maintaining a 'high editorial value and a strong luxury feel', though the lust-worthy heels shown today had been whittled down from 15 designers to five, with a final winner to be chosen soon in time for AW10 production. The winning designer will see both of their final two designs produced and sold alongside the mainline collection this fall, and will be chosen by a select judging panel from both Central St Martins and Bally.
There might have been an air of the '80s in David Koma's architectural minidresses, but that needn't put you off. A series of black on black, dark grey and nude looks strutted fiercely down the runway for Koma's AW10 show, with some fantastic power jackets and party wear for the body-brave. Although the collection saw minidress after minidress parade in all its angular glory, don't be fooled into thinking that it was a monotonous one - we couldn't pick between the statement party dresses that proudly appeared with tiers of ruffled zip teeth, or the dynamic dresses that cleverly juxtaposed heavy felt and leather.
An obvious fan of the zig-zag, the triangular pattern could be seen running throughout not only the shapes of the dresses, but in the seam construction as an unusual touch on the back of a jacket, and was followed through into the model's hair parting - showing Koma's attentive eye for detail, such a good eye for detail in fact that it meant the relatively new designer had both Louise Wilson and Mrs Brown sitting front-row.
