Style: MLPR Day at the Westbury Hotel: Tatty Devine, Hannah Warner, Eley Kishimoto and more…

Bold designs from Ingenue

Guest post by Nadia Ramoul 

As a gal who clocks in at just over five feet tall, fashionable clothes are not my friend. While my tall chums float gracefully like maxi-dress clad angels I lurk hunched – no, not hunched, standing perfectly erect but you would be forgiven for viewing me as hunched – in oversized knitwear scowling and ruing my feeble genetics.

Thank the lord above, then, for accessories! They are my chums, my constant companions, my allies. You can’t be too short for a statement necklace, hoo no. I was overjoyed then, when invited to the MLPR Press Day to have an exclusive look at some of the next few seasons items…

Concentration face. I am honestly excited..

The press day took place in Mayfair’s gorgeous Westbury hotel, a place so upmarket it took three guys to open the main door. Honestly. Free champagne flowed, manicures were had and staff were energetic and friendly. The stalls were a well-placed mixture of mid-range price bags, shoes, jewellery, underwear and clothing.

Of course my first port of call was the lairy perspex explosion that is Tatty Devine. I love this stuff, truly and their 2013 Spring / Summer collection is a vibrant and unique collection true to their playful style. This season’s pieces are more muted in wood and honey perspex with animal motifs and shapes, very autumnal and warm. Some of their classic items were also on display including a wooden version of the ‘Argh’ necklace, above (please ignore my looming face and obnoxious iphone case…)

Dawww, how cute. Tatty Devine Fox Brooch

They also had a lucky dip box in which I got a cute little gingerbread heart necklace, thanks guys!

Score!

Like a big horrible magpie I made a beeline for the next shiniest things in the room, cheerful little clutch bags from Wilbur and Gussie. Themed with a different animal as the centrepiece for each clasp, these little bags are fantastic. In bold colours, patterns or shimmering metallics there is a wide variety in the Spring / Summer collection. My favourite was the ‘Coco,’ in spangly silver glitter with a huge gold bug clasp. Ooof.

The ‘Coco’ clutch. Wilbur and Gussie

Next to this was jewellery more to my everyday taste from Hannah Warner, inspired by taxidermy and ancient egyptian artefacts. Taxidermy style is pretty big at the moment, so you won’t neccessarily feel like a hulking great big goth if you step out with teeny replica lamb skulls dangling from your neck. And even if you do it can only be a good thing, right? Right.

Hannah Warner Egyptian beetle rings

Hannah Warner’s pieces are absolutely beautiful, referencing death, decay and natural forms in solid, bulky rings and bracelets that really stand out. Her collections follow on organically from eachother and are truly fantastic. These designs can be ordered from her site here: http://www.hannahwarner.com/site/ and I would you advise you do so as my photos don’t do them justice.

Claws

While that was pretty much my lot for bizarre accessories, honourable mentions must go to incredible Eley Kishimoto and Ingenue for their lovely bold patterns and floaty garments in styles that may even suit us more diminutive girls. Hooray!

Argh, how nice is this?

In particular I loved the Eley Kishimoto cat prints, perfect for a more cute Halloween-y look. After providing patterns for Marc Jacobs and Alexander McQueen, their collection in silks and unisex items was full of daring repeat pattern designs with colour blocks and wide shapes. While the price tag on these pieces is pretty high, fear not, there will be a Clarks collaboration coming soon with shoes under a hundred quid.

Eley Kishimoto x Clarks collaboration

While I would love to yammer on about all the lovely things I saw, we would be here for hours yet and I fear I may end up sounding like quite a tit. But suffice it to say I had a rollicking good time checking out these lovely collections and my Christmas list has grown by a grotesque amount as a direct result. I am steeled for profound disappointment.

Thanks to MLPR for inviting me along!

Twitter – @NadiaReads

For more photos from this event please check out my Pinterest board: http://pinterest.com/nadiaramoul/ml-pr-press/

Style: Bloody Gray Press Day SS13 – Spotlight on Maria Piana, Barbara Allan and Gabriella Ingram

Guest post by Caner Daywood 

ACCESSORIES! Scream it loud, scream it proud.

Accessories probably mean more to me than clothes or being able to afford dinner (even my Twitter handle is @BowTieBoy_CD) so you can imagine my delight when I was invited to Bloody Gray’s SS13 Press Day showcasing the UK’s newest brightest talent with star accessories designers such as Culietta, Gabriella Ingram and Maria Piana.

Taking place at the trendy Gallery in Soho this event was a great presentation of the next seasons collections, and old friends from my LFW experience popped up including Jayne Pierson and Martina Spetlova who were greeted with the usual double peck air kiss whilst I scanned the room. Now everyone at the showcase had bundles of talent, dynamic concepts and marketability but 3 collections really shone out for me: Maria Piana, who does the most amazing Wonder Woman/Sci-fi-esque jewellery; Barbara Alan, a team of two that create utilitarian laser-cut clothes that are effortlessly chic and wearable; and finally Gabriella Ingram, who makes some of the zaniest,  wearable handbags I have. ever. seen. Let me break it down.

Maria Piana – Wonder Woman/ Gladiator Jewellery which everyone man, woman and child should have and all fashionistas are coveting.

Maria’s collection is inspired by the ‘notions of power and femininity’ which are both consistently emerging themes across women’s fashion trends right now and which she executes to a great degree. The innovative design and structure to the abstract pieces make them so distinct and identifiable, which is something every fashionista in London craves – to be truly unique. In addition to the artistic, warrior-esque power of the pieces Maria hand-forms and produces these pieces in London which adds a nice hand-made, bespoke feel to these eccentric items. The contrast of sharp and soft lines for the necklaces and in the ornate arm pieces (below – my faves) shows why Maria Piana will have such a bright future in the industry and why she already has such a great following including the queen of abstract herself, Lady Gaga.

Think these will be added to the Christmas wishlist pronto – who doesn’t need warrior armor bands for everyday/cocktail parties etc.

Barbara Alan – hot, cool designers who make laser-cutting an art form and wearability a science.

Barbara Allan showcased a wonderful capsule collection which was effortlessly chic, laser-cut beautifully to show no stitches or design imperfections and represented easy ready-to-wear pieces you could take off the hanger, wear instantly and feel comfortable whilst still looking utterly elegant. In this they are pioneering, this effortless, comfortable chic which every fashionista is craving deep down BA have down to a tee. The meticulous attention to detail that Alan and Barbara described and showed me excited me as much as a fashion lover as it did as a consumer which is so important because we are now such demanding and knowledgeable consumers, we want to know everything. From dresses that cascade from front to back like a waterfall to sheer, sexy crop tops that have no stitches or visible imperfections, this collection was natural feeling, forward thinking and effortless – defo something Tilda Swinton would be bopping anyday.

Hot crop top anyone? All laser cut

Gabriella Ingram – the arty beaut who makes the snazziest, zaniest, Willa Wonka-funnest bags you will see this season.

Wow factor much? Hell yea

My final ode or spotlight at this press day was Gabriella Ingram whose collection of abstract handbags blew me away with their usability (unlike half of my Timmy Woods bags that can just about fit my keys in and that’s it) and their absolutely refreshing design. She had bags that lit up at the bottom which you could have flashing at all times and recharged with a USB to on-trend wooden bags made of MDF and then oiled, greased, polished whates finished with a wonderfully ornate, baroque-style handle (see below). TO DIE FOR.

Also on the Christmas list *note to self – must marry millionaire soon*

The Gabriella Ingram bags are one of a kind but are also so much fun and usable because they are so roomy inside which shows just how much thought and time she has put into making each of these pieces, and why she should get involved in even more fashion offerings as well as artistic showcases because I am definitely buying a bag real soon.

The innovation and thought of all these designers was refreshing and uplifting and underlined the fact that fashion too is changing within these ‘constrained times’ with designers really thinking about usability as well as comfort and aesthetic – that’s why I see such a brilliant future for all of them.

Final note – if any of these designers fancy sending the Ohdearism team some samples or even joyous gifts I can assure you that we will accept them like hungry fashion hippos and eat up their fabulousity with extreme delight.

Twitter – @BowTieBoy_CD (DM me for more details).