To read the rest of this post go to Drapers on Line

Update:
Designers of New Couture do not copy other designers work - they have the ethics of a fine tailor; they are not like the typical dress maker who will copy a garment.

I met with the super petite designer Ada Zanditon in her super sized jacket! Ada graduated from London Collage of Fashion in 2007. She spent four season interning with Alexander McQueen and in 2007/8 she worked with Gareth Pugh as a pattern maker.

These images are from Ada’s graduate collection. I love the oversized shapes and how everything feels bit like a super hero. Lisa Snowden and Joan Collins have both been photographed wearing her clothes! For her next collection Ada is using ethical/organic fabrics and she presently has a new eco collection available in Oxfam 245 Westbourne Grove, London W11.

You might have see some of her illustrations featured in the London Underground. This autumn Ada will be exhibiting in The Ethical Fashion Show in Paris.

Rakish Heels is a unique quirky new shoe brand. Lona Jones is the owner of Rakish Heels and she knows lots about shoes but most importantly she’s super sweet!
Rakish Heels only launch in February 2008. I’m a lover of spats and Rakish has something just as cool - heel covers! Each shoe comes with a detachable heel cover - it can transform the shoe from day to evening!

Lona in Vegas!

This video really says everything about Rakish - its quirkiness with it’s Victorian inspirations & charm. I really like when designers are just doing their own thing - they’re not following trends or copying others they’re just making & designing items that are an extension of themselves - things that they like.

Yesterday’s shoot was all about Wonderful Hair. I’ve never had hair extensions and have never had the desire to have them - until today that is.

I love how Yulia looks while waiting for her hair to be done. Most models bring a book or something, occasionally I’ve known models who knit to pass the time.

This was a busy shoot as we had lots to accomplish but we really had a great team and worked really well together.
I think too many people are thinking that working in fashion is just like life in The Hills! Although The Hills is my assistant’s favourite show she knows what really happens on a shoot & how much work is really involved.

And yes, sometimes there are perks! The perk was some red hair extentions!!

While on my way to dinner I spotted this Nissan Figaro that’s for sale. I know it’s not practical: I couldn’t fit my luggage in it, I only have a license for an automatic, I don’t like parallel parking - which is all one does in London. But it’s Barbie pink and so cute! I rarely want stuff - I know this might be an odd trait for a stylist but if I can use the things that I love in a shoot I don’t feel the need to possess them. Maybe I don’t need a car but I’d like to be the girl who wears a floral dress with big white vintage ray bans, singing my heart out while driving around town.

Salvatore Ferragamo Christrian Lacroix

Ray-Ban Wayfarer in white, black or blue. Bottega Veneta

Many Canadians never see the Arctic but an adventurous group of employees from Hermès won their dream trip to travel to the Canadian Arctic and learn about the Inuit way of life. The contest was offered by Hermes to their employees worldwide; the employees were asked to submit a dream of any kind, travelling or otherwise. The ten winners were from France, Korea, Hong Kong and England went to Iqaluit and Kimmirut!

A bit of info about Nunavut:
The cost of living in Nunavut is the highest in Canada. The average temperature in January is -30°C and in July is 15°C. In Inuktitut there are 14 words for snow. Iqaluit experiences 24 hours of daylight per day in June, and six hours of daylight per day in December. Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun and English are the main languages. Only 28,000 people live in Nunavut which spans 1,900,000 sq km of land and water. Nunavut became a territory in 1999 but have a culture and history that spans millenniums. There have been people living there for approximately 4,000 years. Usually when someone refers to The North, they mean anything above the 60th parallel.

I love that Hermès gave their employees a trip of a lifetime. How many companies offer this type of experience?! The Hermès team learned to fish, travelled to an iceberg and made tea from fresh ice! One employee has never see snow before! The teams also went to visit the fur production course at the Nunavut Arctic College campus in Iqaluit to see how the Inuit use sealskin. The team were surprised to learn that the entire seal is used for food, clothing, fuel, and arts and crafts! The Inuit believe they must give equal respect to the spirits of the land, animals and plants. Many of the students want to learn & continue their traditional use of the land including hunting and trapping as their ancestors have done.

[Source: Northern News Services]

I went to Manchester the other day and it was hot and sunny. It’s great how everyone dresses up to celebrate the weather and all the summer dresses appear!

Spotted at the Hospital, a private members club for people in the creative
industries: Courtney Blackman, Director of the Fashion Business Cub and Brook Taylor of Aganovich!!

There are lots of rooms at The Hospital: studios, a gallery, a roof terrace, a cinema as well as bars and lounges. In London there are quite a few members’ clubs. It’s hard to know which one to join; they all seem to have an industry-specific clientele. I must do some research and check them out!
They seem to have some great events!

I’ve always liked pets and animals. I think it’s an important trait that as a human being, we like to look after other species. So when I heard about the Cat Cafe Calico, I thought what could be better! In Toyko there are now 3 cafes were you can rent a cat for about £3 for an hour or £9 for 3 hours. Takafumi Fukui is the founder of the first and very popular Tokyo’s Cat Cafe Calico. There are 14 very clean cats to pet - they are shampooed and brushed regularly and you must have a thorough hand wash before entering the lounge. It’s very difficult to have a pet in Japan so the cafe offers a very unique and relaxing service! How cool is that!

I like seeing animals out and about, especially when I see a dog sitting comfortably on the floor at a pub or outside a cafe. While dining out in Paris, I was trying to enjoy my dinner but at the table across from me, a women had her small dog on the table, eating from her plate -that didn’t really work for me, but the Cat Cafe Calico sounds purrfect!
Source: Reuters

Sketch is a very popular club & restaurant. You might have seen the club used for fashion shoots and lots of fashionable, trendy people hang out there. I think I like it better in the day, lunch is very nice and you can go in the afternoon for tea & cake!

Jeffrey Reed a.k.a. ‘Distronaut’

Betsey @mot models

Me with Courtney Blackman, Co-Founder & Vice Chairman of Fashion Business Club

If you don’t have time to download your own music or you want someone to customize the music for your own party Audio Sushi will do it for you! I find this service quite amazing - it’s very niche!

Summer Couture Hats

If I’m looking for inspiration and a good cup of tea I head to Sloane Square, where I will find my hatter. I have known Louise Mariette for some time now, and I think he might be one of the most fabulous people I will ever meet. You expect a hatter to be flamboyant, to glide across the dance floor, perhaps with a cup of tea in hand. I must say Louise is all this and more; he’s one of the most sincere and honest people you’ll ever meet - which makes him delightful. All said, he’s very creative and has discussed at length with me the art of hat making - which I find fascinating.

Louise has just launched a new range, called Bejewelled - a diffusion headpiece and accessory collection. The Bejewelled collection includes headbands, tiaras, hatpins, brooches, bracelets, and necklaces. I’ve been trying them all on! I’d like to be the kind of girl who wears a tiara but I can’t seem to make it work (boo hoo!), but there are lots of other pieces that I love and actually look good in!

The Dame Agnes

Hepburn Patent

Body Part Pump
John Fluevog and Peter Fox founded Fox & Fluevog in 1970, in Vancouver. They were selling brand new turn of the century shoes. In the 80’s Peter Fox moved to New York and specialized in wedding shoes. Fluevog took over the business and designs all the shoes. They even have a couple of vegan styles called Veggie Vogs. The uppers are made of hemp-cotton blend and a memory foam insole for maximum comfort. Lined with nylon, 100% natural gum rubber soles and water-based adhesive.
Fluevog has always been designing cool shoes, great colours with sculptured heels - and now they are all in fashion!

Spitafields Market - there have been so many changes & renovations here I wasn’t sure how much I was going to like it, I was afraid that it wouldn’t have the same charm. It did - just more polished. In the few years I’ve been in London I’ve noticed lots of things change. It will be interesting to see what happens to Camden market, it’s already changed so much. I just wonder about all the vendor - where will they all go?

Spitafield was great, there were so many things that were inspiring and I just like being out and about. The sun was shining, no rain and lots of people just hanging around looking fashionable. I also went to the Sunday Up market which has a cooler feel to it. I’m sure the stalls cost less… I saw a cool jeweller but he didn’t want me to take a picture of his stand. Lots of designers are afraid of people coming to steal their designs and I’m sure it happens.

Hats by Chapeau Claudette!

The are so many great finds at Spitafields market and of course there is always cake!

I have always loved hats - so living in London is the right place to explore this love. Canada is a place more suitable for a functional “I don’t want any more frostbite” kind of hat. I tend to like hats that are small and understated. I don’t want to be the annoying kind of person that if you’re sitting behind me at a movie or show you can’t see a thing.

This is a hat by Victoria Grant, she’s really lovely! A while back I was doing a shoot in a studio complex and realized that Victoria had her studio there so I couldn’t resist popping in and saying hello! She’s made hats for Top Shop, Julia Clancey, Cacharel, Michiko Koshino and Jean-Pierre Braganza!

First you need a great place to go for tea and cupcakes. So on a grey and ever so slightly snowy day I would recommend The Hummingbird Bakery in Notting Hill, 133 Portobello Road. If you’re not able to find that perfect vintage dress in dusty pink here are a few suggestions.

Lipsy, Pleated Silk Bib Dress, £55

Arrogant Cat, Flower Leaves Dress, £148

Asos, Premium Vintage Lace Dress £40.00

Like many Canadians who grew up in English Canada I am fascinated with Montreal. The rule is Torontonians live to work and Montrealers work to live and on some level I find this to be true. Personally, I want to work to live! I love Montreal and although it’s a much much smaller city than London, Montreal style is just as eclectic! It might be -9°C and flurries but Montreal fashionistas will still be looking fabulous!
The mission of Montréal Fashion Week is to promote Québec designers to the fashion industry, buyers and journalists. This is the 14th edition of Montréal’s biannual fashion week, presenting designers’ autumn/winter 2008 men, women and children’s collections on the catwalk and in showrooms. It’s organised by the Montréal Fashion Network, in collaboration with P&G Beauté.

Tuesday 25 March 2008 - Friday 28 March 2008
Montréal Fashion Week - a/w 2008
Location: Marché Bonsecours, Montréal
www.montrealfashionweek.ca
Contact: Sophie Des Marais (Sensation Mode) 00 1 514 234 4736

I often get asked about trends and if eco fashion and recycling are just a passing fad. I hope that they’re not. Trends come and go and if people become more environmentally aware because of a trend well that’s great. If they do some thing about it, even better. These pictures were taken down town in Calgary at the Bay. It’s good to know that department stores are creating awareness, it’s a starting point. I’ve always found Canada good for recycling. One summer in Toronto there was a garbage strike and I really learned to recycle: we had a compost heap, bought things with little or no packaging and found ourselves with little waste. I remember when my grandmother went shopping, she always brought her own carrier bag. I don’t remember when plastic became the norm, I do remember paper bags - but they were only good if your drove, anyway now I have a large carrier bag that I use all the time.

As a kid I hated road trips but this trip has really been great! It felt like the kind of trip that you take with your girlfriends and most of us have already worked together so it made everything super easy. We’re all Canadian with one American so we’ve all experienced the childhood road trip; a four hour drive is nothing to us. Some good music, the occasional animal or bird spotting, some snacks and we’re good to go! We’ve been to so many places: Calgary, Banff and Lake Louise all in just a couple of days! It was lots of work but we had great weather and scenery and of course a great model, Renee Lacombe! So of course we had a successful shoot!

I was staying in a log cabin for a couple of days for a photo shoot. This was the best bed I’ve ever slept in but I’m not quite sure if it’s because I was so tired from all the hard work or just jet lagged. Anyway the bed was so high that you had to be careful not to roll off and I slept like a log!