Style Addict – Fashion News & Views from the Capital – 14th October 2005

 

From London to Auckland via Lisbon…

 

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The New York, London, Milan and Paris circuit may well have drawn to a close but that fashion wheel keeps on turning. This week Lisbon Fashion Week opened its doors to showcase creations from the likes of Story Tailors, Ricardo Dourado, Aleksandar Protich and more. Keeping the event oh so civilized the earliest show starts at 3pm in the afternoon with a focus on evening events.

 

Lisboa Fashion Week continues until the 16^th October at Armazém 23, Rua Cintura do Porto, à Ponte-Cais da Matinha, Lisboa, Portugal

 

 

{mosimage}Meanwhile, down under in Auckland preparations are underway for Air New Zealand’s fifth Fashion Week installment. Managing Director of Air New Zealand Fashion Week Pieter Stewart commented: “The fifth Air New Zealand Fashion Week looks set to be one of the strongest yet. Not only are more labels showing than ever before, but the Exhibition area is completely sold-out for the first time ever, strengthening the overall offering of the week to buyers, media and visitors alike.” On show will be the likes of: Trelise Cooper, Yvonne Bennetti, RJC, High Society, Zambesi and Karen Walker.

 

Air New Zealand Fashion Week takes place: Tuesday 18^th October to Friday 21st October  

 

 

 

Fashion Rocks in Glitzy Monaco

 

More fashion fun, this time courtesy of the Prince’s Trust. Yes, it’s time for Fashion Rocks where music and style collide to create multi-sensory extravaganza. This year the event takes place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco with Jerry Hall and Jeremy Irons presenting the proceedings. This years musician/designer couplings are as follows:

 

{mosimage}Amerie & Giorgio Armani

Zucchero & Roberto Cavalli

Blondie & Tommy Hilfiger

Skin & Alexander McQueen

Special Guest Performance for Swarovski

Roisin Murphy & Vivienne Westwood

Kasabian & Burberry

Lee Ryan & Dolce & Gabbana

Craig David & Calvin Klein

The Kills & Prada

Mariah Carey & Versace

Jamie Cullum & Viktor & Rolf

 

Fashion Rocks 2005

 

When: Monday 17^th October 2005

 

Where: The Grimaldi Forum, Monaco. There are still a few tickets left for this unique and incredibly stylish event visit www.princes-trust.org.uk/swarovskifashionrocks

 

 

 

TopShop TopShop TopShop

 

{mosimage}During an extremely packed Karen Walker show I had the pleasure of squeezing next to a rather excitable model and her booker. “Lily, Lily, Lily!” She mockingly said to him as the doll faced Lily Cole reappeared on the catwalk. Well, yes, Lily indeed is having her high profile fashion moment – and the same could be said for high street giant TopShop.

 

Hands up – I admit to being a TopShop fan and find it hard to resist the stores magnetic pull whenever I exit Oxford Circus tube – but it’s not the only great fast-fashion store this country has to offer. Truth is, while other stores provide high standard fast fashion of their own TopShop keeps ahead with some excellent PR tactics. Who else on the high street would have the balls to put on a London Fashion Week show alongside top-end designer labels? And on-schedule too.

 

Not one for mincing his words Colin McDowell wasn’t impressed, he commented in Style Magazine: “High-street clothes must be made down to a price, not up to a standard, as designer fashion should be. Hoist on its own economic petard, TopShop Unique did the only thing it could: it{mosimage} showed a variety of trends but with no point of view. It was like proffering a bowl of rice, having hyped it as caviar. This is an experiment the BFC would be unwise to repeat.” Elsewhere, reviews were mixed but the turn-out was great with plenty of celebrity front row faces insuring some fantastic press coverage. You’ve got to hand it to them TopShop thinks big.  

 

TopShop Unique has already gained a New York stockist and now the chain is on the lookout for flagship sites in Paris and New York in a bid to gain an international presence. Philip Green believes that he can build on the TopShop brand overseas via online retailing. TopShop’s online sales grew by 140 per cent last year, but it has been restricted by a battle for ownership of the name, which another organisation had registered in the U S. Philip Green recently bought back the name and is about to start pushing TopShop online globally.

 

Add this to TopShop’s UK expansion, made-to-measure service, shoe line, designer ranges and pre-Xmas shopping events and you can see why success is the only option – approval or not.

 

 

 

Get Knitting with Weardowney

 

{mosimage}Weardowney are known for their charming knitwear designs and are quite happy to share their knowledge with all and sundry…

 

Seasonal knitting Classes:

 

Suitable for all knitting stages; those who have never picked up a pair of knitting needles, to those who have been knitting forever and just want to join in! Weardowney will help take you through patterns selected for your ability, teach you new stitches or simply help you conquer knit and pearl.

 

Courses commence before the season starts, so you’re piece is finished in time to wear through out the new season, running fortnightly on Tuesday evenings from 7pm to 9pm, for 3 months.

 

For winter – course starts Tuesday October 25th ’05 to 31st January ‘06

 

For spring – course starts Tuesday January 10th ’06 to 18th April ‘06

 

For summer – course starts Tuesday 14th March ’06 to 27th June ‘06

 

For autumn – course starts Tuesday 6th June ’06 to 12th September ‘06

 

There’s no giving in. You’re not allowed to go till you’ve finished the pattern!

 

The 3 month course costs £75 per place, excluding knitting kits which range from £20 and up, payment is necessary in advance to secure your place. Places are limited so book your place as soon as possible, contact Weardowney: tel: 0207 725 9694 or e-mail:

info@weardowney.com

 

For further information on Weardowney and examples of what you could be knitting visit www.weardowney.com all patterns are exclusively designed by Weardowney for the course.

 

 

By JoJo Iles