Emerging Fervour

Happy Friday everyone! I’ve got the perfect thing for your afternoon: A bit of piece of loveliness, sit back and enjoy!

Eco-aware fashion label, Beautiful Soul, teamed up with photographer Oliver Prout, illustrator Zarina Liew and recording artist Gabby Young, to create a short film to celebrate their Spring/Summer 2011 Collection, ‘Believe’.

What a great way to showcase the talents of so many people! The graphics and sound are perfect for the collection.

Inspired by the recent Grace Kelly exhibition at Victoria and Albert Museum, the new collection focuses on the feminine 1950’s silhouette with a twist of the Orient.

And there is something for the boys too. The all new menswear collection will include a capsule range of casual blazers and tailored suits, upcycled from both vintage kimonos and the retro bird print.

www.beautiful-soul.co.uk

We met Tommy at LFW…he was one of our spotted faces (the category). We stayed in touch with him and he has since forwarded this charity thing called Make Do & Mend he’s organised, showcasing 8 designers. Tommy, full name Tommy Lloyd Baker is a designer and a stylist who felt compelled to raise funds for the two organisations, Bob Champion Cancer Trust and Whipps Cross University Hospital, who helped his father overcome bladder cancer.

Showcasing their Autumn / Winter collection 2010 at the MD&M event, at the T47 at London Bridge on Thursday 10th June 2010 is LDW Atelier, Beautiful Soul, Aaron Ray Dowie, Red Mutha, Victoria Shearing Millinery, Queenie and Ted, Mollies and Léafric Designs, whose original takes on modern vintage, up-cycling, chic couture and bespoke tailoring are complimentary to each other.

Of the event, Tommy mentioned:

“I wanted to say thanks to the people who helped nurse and support my Dad through cancer and raise money for them, so I thought it this would be a fun way to do it as well as a great opportunity to bring together cutting edge designers.

“Whether the designers are re-using vintage techniques, are inspired by 1940′s architecture, conversations on the tube or are using vintage trimmings and materials like Japanese kimonos, all of their collections have a sense of beauty and are wearable pieces of art. They are unique garments which now have a new lease of life, just like my Dad.”

Tommy continued:

So I thought I’d try and get your attention with this massive image, taken during S/S 10 back in September. As I said in my previous post, we’ve just been really overwhelmed with the support we’ve been getting and everyday we’re adding to our things to cover. So I’ve mentioned ON|OFF, which we’re planning on covering extensively, but there’s also Somerset House Exhibitions – which is just my favourite… it’s a place where lots of fabulous designers will be showcasing their collections including accessories, ready-to-wear, installations, Headonism (the millinery exhibition), the Lingerie Boudoir, the NEWGEN exhibition, estethica, the new Digital Presentation Space, Made by Scandinavians showcase and a whole load more.

For a full list of the designers exhibiting at Somerset House, check the Exhibitors section on the LFW site.

Righty… enough with the small talk and time for my top 5 exhibitors at Somerset House this season. As we’ve already covered BodyAmr and Beautiful Soul, we needn’t declare our love all over again…they know we love them!

Ada Zanditon ∨

We’ll also be covering the Ada Zanditon catwalk during LFW – can’t wait!

Omar Kashoura ∨

Everyone is gearing up for this month’s London Fashion Week. The designers are making the finishing touches to their collection, the exhibitors are making sure they have enough marketing material and business cards to hand out, the buyers are finalising their ‘who to see’ plan and the bloggers are scheduling their weeks in the run up to, through and past fashion week.

With so much to cover your first port of call must be exploring the designer exhibitions at Somerset House and the ON|OFF Section at Victoria House. Back in September, we covered BodyAmr, Kron by KronKron, Beekay, Beautiful Soul, Rachael Cassar, Rocio Bags and a few others from the exhibitions and this season we’re planning on covering a lot more!

19TH – 23RD FEB EMERGING DESIGNERS EXHIBITIONS FROM SOMERSET HOUSE ∨

AND ON|OFF 19TH – 22ND FEB∨

You can also check out all the things to do in between shows with the London Fashion Week City Guide A/W 10. In fact, LFW along with Red Maps have provided us with maps that are available on site, you can also open a pdf and print it out, just visit the map page on the LFW site.

Seeing the line up for the London a la Mode Pop-UP Showroom, which is going to open its door between 2nd and 26th February to buyers, we wish we could get our own ‘limited’ stock.

Ada Zanditon, Beautiful Soul, Michelle Lowe-Holder, Viking Wong, Lako Bukia, Neurotica, Harriet’s Muse, Miss Kiki Salon, Darkest Star, Cute Circuit and Jeffrey Michael Design will be showcasing their collections.

Ada Zanditon

Beautiful Soul

Michelle Lowe-Holder

Viking Wong

Lako Bukia

Neurotica

Harriet’s Muse

Darkest Star

Cute Circuit

Jeffrey Michael Design

What a fine line up of British Designers and we’ll be down like a shot to check it out when the doors open. How exciting to see their collections in the flesh (and maybe try one or two things… )

And don’t worry, we’ll keep you updated on where these fab designers stock their items soon.

If you’re lucky enough to be a buyer or press, email Emma at info@londonalamode.net for an appointment.

Has it really been a whole year? Oh how time is flying by when you are having fun! And although we know there has been a lot of hard work for Beautiful Soul in the last year we’re delighted to sing Happy Birthday!! Well done on an amazing year and we’re chuffed to have been part of it.

We’ve been following Beautiful Soul since the London Fashion Week and as the doors open again this February, Beautiful Soul will be celebrating its first year of exponential growth.

Ethics and luxury have never seemed to walk side by side, but the arrival of Beautiful Soul last year has shaken up the fashion industry and proven that aspirational high end fashion can have it’s roots in ethical design and manufacturing principles.

One year on, lets take a look at the success of Beautiful Soul

♥ February 2009
Winner of the Ethical Fashion Forum’s Innovation award.

♥ September 2009
Beautiful Soul launches its website and online boutique (www.beautiful-soul.co.uk) in order to retail its debut collection ‘smallprint’.

We’ve met Beautiful Soul at the London Fashion Week and have been following her ever since.

Her eco-friendly approach is inspiring and we wanted to find out more about Beautiful Soul and how it all came about.

How did it all start?

Beautiful Soul: As a young girl, my dream was to be a fashion designer and I even remember writing to ‘Jim’ll Fix It’,  to make this possible!

Life has twists and turns and as a head strong at 16 year old, I just wanted to leave school and earn my own living. I ended up working in the Insurance Industry, and soon became wrapped up in the rat race.

I worked as an Insurance Broker for 11 years and the lifestyle it provided me seemed to outweigh my lack of passion for my work. I dressed in a suit daily and the most creative duty I had was producing PowerPoint presentations for my clients! …Crazy!

When Nicola from Beautiful Soul asked us if we’d wanted to see the catwalk she was showcasing her ‘Miss Butterfly’ collection in, she didn’t have to ask us twice. It didn’t disappoint and we loved seeing her garments strutting down the catwalk together with pieces from Nancy Dee and Tammam, some perfectly completed with hats by Harvash.

What we didn’t realise until we arrived was that the catwalk was part of the Islington Contemporary Art & Design Fair which this weekend showcased fashion, textile & jewellery.

After the show we explored the exhibition which is held over two floors and is showcasing some amazing new talents.

Here are a few of our favourites:

A Alicia (I had to drag Tracey away and the broche nearly came with us)

Cabinet (We first met Gemma & Zara at the London Fashion Week and we love their knitwear and jewellery. Watch this space as we’ll get to know the girls better and show you some more of their amazing first collection)

Oh yes we will!! Just check out the stunning ‘Miss Butterfly’ Spring/Summer 2010 collection and you will too. We fell in love with ‘Beautiful Soul’ at the London Fashion Week and it is hard to believe it was Nicola’s debut.

Inspired by Giacomo Puccini’s, Madam Butterfly and produced from Japanese vintage komonos (dating back to the 1940’s), vintage saris, Ahimsa peace silk, Fair-Trade organic jacquard, handloom cotton, and bamboo jersey, each piece is exquisite and on top of that exclusive!! We just love the thought of going a bit greener and how easy would it be with garments like this?!

We’re so excited about ‘Beautiful Soul’ and welcome them with open arms. We’ll be getting to know Nicola a bit better so watch this space as we’ll find out what is in store for ‘Beautful Soul’.

If you can’t wait until next season, get a piece for this winter from one of the following stockists:

• Beautiful Soul
• Ascension