Heritage Fashion Exhibition Designer Bios
27-04-2012
BEAUTIFUL SOUL
“I’m an admirer of Nicola Woods, designer of ‘Beautiful Soul’ and I’ll treasure my one-of-a-kind jacket made out of a vintage kimono…Timeless and unique, I’ll wear it with my everyday scruffy jeans, or more glamorously at night… ” Laura Bailey
Beautiful Soul is a British, luxury womenswear label based in London’s Notting Hill. The label’s signature is a blend of timeless evolving style with true global consideration. Quintessentially English with a wholly international appeal, it is a fresh and innovative label that emits sophistication.
British designer Nicola Woods, the Founder and Creative Director of Beautiful Soul, turned to fashion later in life after a longstanding corporate career.
After working in a fast-paced career in corporate insurance for 11 years, Nicola took a sabbatical to travel globally and on this journey, she began to envision her career path from a different point of view – one with endless opportunities. Whilst in Tokyo, surrounded by boutiques, feeling mesmorised, excited and inspired, Nicola realised that she needed to make radical changes to her lifestyle and revisit her childhood ambition of design.
Returning to London, she trained at the London College of Fashion, earning a BA(Hons) in Fashion, Design and Technology (Creative Pattern Cutter) in 2008. Nicola launched her luxury womenswear label, Beautiful Soul, in November of that same year.
Focused on two distinct collections which beautifully complement each other, Beautiful Soul offers both a Ready-to-Wear collection ‘Beautiful Soul London’ and a bespoke ‘Kimono Collection’, which is available to buy all year round.
Beautiful Soul understands the balance and reconciliation between fashion, style and sustainability. The label is committed to a conscious approach to fabric sourcing and environmental impact and is committed to local, UK-based production.
Adhering to these principles, Beautiful Soul employs the most exquisite fabrics and works with an ever-expanding library, incorporating unique signature prints, luxury vintage fabrics, British wool, British lace and sustainable organic fabric, giving customers an alternative, more ethical choice that does not compromise luxury.
Beautiful Soul’s attention to detail and standards of quality are superior with a strong emphasis placed on product longevity. Material remnants feature as fastenings and embellishments, adhering to the policy of zero-waste whereby every last thread of fabric is used in the creative process.
Beautiful Soul has gained recognition for its creative, intelligent and open-minded approach to design. The label has won numerous awards including the International Ethical Fashion Forum’s INNOVATION Award and the Future 100 Award for changing the face of everyday business and improving commerce’s impact on the wider world.
Nicola was appointed to the judging panel for the WGSN Global Fashion Awards (2011), judging entries in the sustainable and ethical category. She has also been appointed as an Ambassador of the International Ethical Fashion Forum and was short-listed for the Hospital Club 100 Award 2010 in association with The Independent newspaper.
Attracting mass media attention through involvement in major fashion exhibitions including London Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week and Interstoff Asia in Hong Kong, Beautiful Soul has been featured in international press including British Vogue, VOGUE.COM UK, The Sunday Times Style, Drapers, Tatler Asia and Grazia.IT. Key Beautiful Soul pieces have been seen on globally renowned British models, Laura Bailey and Lily Cole and on British songstresses Kate Nash and Gabby Young.
BORA AKSU
London-based Turkish designer, Bora Aksu received his first acclaim when he graduated from the prestigious Central Saint Martins MA course in 2002. Quoted as “the star of the show” by broadsheets such as The Independent, The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian, Aksu’s collection attracted not just the press but Domenico Dolce and Stephano Gabbana who purchased pieces as inspirational items for themselves. This same collection also caught the attention of the ARG equation group where he won a sponsorship award from them, giving him the opportunity to make his debut off-schedule catwalk show at London Fashion Week, February 2003.
Once again, Aksu’s show received raving reviews and an impressive turnout. Suzy Menkes was in attendance and CNN introduced him as the rising new name. His show was also quoted as “one of the top five shows in London” by the Guardian. Aksu went on to received the Top Shop New Generation Award and was subsequently placed on the official London Fashion Week calendar for the following season. His Spring/Summer 04 collection drew inspiration from everyday objects and created such a stir that it caught the attention of leading department stores including Liberty, Selfridges and Barneys.
With 10 shows under his belt, and a total of four Top Shop New Generation Awards, his collaborations and projects with various artists carries on. Always happier in the background and rarely giving interviews Bora prefers to let his designs do the talking. Through his career he has developed a very distinct signature. Romantic but always with a darker twist his demi-couture pieces are full of elegance, intrigue and seduction.
During his career Aksu has collaborated with other international brands like Nike, Converse, Anthropologie and People Tree and had seven windows at Selfridges. He has also created costumes for signers Clare Maguire, Tori Amos, Little Boots and dance company The Cathy Marston Project while dressing Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller for film junkets and collaborating with the Dali Institute and Design Museum.
EMMA COOK
Cook is not afraid to take risks surrounding her designs, “There’s no middle ground. It’s either disgusting. Or it works.” this is not how one might expect a designer to describe her own work. However, while the work in question looks similar to the sort a fashionably minded young woman might like to wear, it’s also full of the kind of bizarre and at times even twisted humour that Cook has made her own. Instead, the most delicately pretty, hand-made lace and lace prints rub shoulders with tie-dyed latex are replaced with dandelion clocks and shuttlecocks with leather and fringing and much more.
Emma’s fashion education began at Brighton University where she completed a degree in fashion, textiles and business studies. Cook designs clothes, now as always, heavily influenced by her friends, finding both their different characters and body shapes inspiring.
Cook returns to the London Fashion Week catwalk this season after an absence of a year – spent designing her collection but also looking after her young baby, she admits “we’ve gone a bit crazy”.
GOAT LONDON
Ten years ago, the individual, understated luxury that designer Jane Lewis so craved to wear was nowhere to be found. And so, she decided to create her own. An eight-piece mini capsule collection later, and spurred on by such a resoundingly positive response from her friends, Goat was born.
Goat, so called because a few of those initial pieces were made from cashmere, was soon established as the go-to label for effortless chic. While the horn-buttoned cashmere cardigan became a Goat signature, the luxury woven pieces that now adorn everyone from Sienna Miller and Kirsten Dunst to Elle Macpherson and Gwyneth Paltrow have become equally synonymous with the brand.
Quintessentially quiet, Goat creates luxury stripped back to its absolute essence, using the very best materials and most subtle design details. Jane Lewis and her team pride themselves on always delivering the pieces you need right now.
A quiet glamour runs through Goat, from its mink collared sheepskin coat that looks as if it has stepped out of a 1950s couture salon to the more accessible Goat Library range which can boast the same fit and trimmings as the mainline collection.
‘The simplest things are the absolute hardest to achieve. To make luxury look this effortless is hard. We really look at every single detail,’ says Lewis. Little wonder then that Goat, a very British brand, is so firmly established with 50 stockists across the UK.
HEMYCA
“HEMYCA is the UK’s most sought after new designer”
Daily Telegraph.
HEMYCA is a dynamic British fashion label, providing unique high-quality tailoring for the contemporary woman. Designers Helen and Myra, both graduates of the London College of Fashion, worked for leading designers including Ben de Lisi and Roland Mouret before launching the label in 2006. HEMYCA has gone on to show for 3 seasons with Vauxhall Fashion Scout.
Hemyca’s strengths lie firmly in their exquisite tailoring. Clean strong lines with an emphasis on the waist providing a powerful and ultra-feminine silhouette. Their expert choice of using Saville Row fabrics and Italian menswear tailored cloths is the reason why their range of luxury separates and dresses are so desirable. The HEMYCA Atelier also offers a bespoke tailoring service available in London .
With a growing list of celebrity clients including Cheryl Cole, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Sally Hawkins, Lisa Snowdon, Tori Amos, Camilla Dallurup, Kimberley Stewart.
JEAN-PIERRE BRAGANZA
Jean-Pierre Braganza represents a dark and unique aesthetic infused with the unexpected. Black, androgynous and sleek is the dominating look but unconventional colour, silhouette and detail make appearances that provide the potent edge that Braganza has become known for. He is obsessed with the shadowy corners of the imagination and the paradoxes within. Associated with a rock ‘n roll clientele, the brand remains uncompromisingly hard-edged with an ear to the London underground.
Jean-Pierre was born in London but grew up in Canada. He was always an Anglophile, and was influenced by British music such as The Smiths, The Expoited, Led Zeppelin and The Stone Roses as a teenager. He knew that he would someday return to London, and when he realized that fashion design was his calling he applied to Central Saint Martin’s College, knowing it’s reputation as the world’s best fashion college. He graduated in 2002.
Music plays a huge part in his inspiration; where others would name an individual as a muse, Jean-Pierre would name his favourite bands. A career highlight for Jean-Pierre was in 2008 when he was commissioned to create garments for the latest Nine Inch Nails video, with Trent Reznor being one of his heroes.
In fact, 2008 has been his most exciting year to date, starting with the Australian Wool Innovation-sponsored.
For Jean-Pierre the visual is connected to the intellectual, and his aesthetic is a language that speaks directly to his clients. While he references the sartorial, his detailing is completely modern, looking to dress and address a post-apocalyptic future. At the same time rigid and flowing, it is the sophisticated manipulation of shapes and fabrics into garments that are more than clothes but fragments of his soul.
His celebrity clients include The Kings of Leon, Joan Jett, Rufus Wainwright, Alison Goldfrapp, Placebo, Keith Richards, Nine Inch Nails and Estelle.
www.jeanpierrebraganza.com
Jeff Banks
Jeff Banks has been an influential contributor to British Fashion since starting in business in 1964. He has been British Designer or the year twice and Retailer of the year once. He was awarded a CBE in 2009 for services to the fashion industry. He remains President of Graduate Fashion Week which he originated in 1990.
Apart from his own eponymous label which launched in 1969 he also created the Warehouse concept in 1976.
Jeff Banks is now a designer at Debenhams with 280 departments in 140 stores. He has sixteen stand alone shops in Britain seventy outlets in Japan as well as selling his products to some 350 outlets in Japan. He has seventy outlets in Australia and in the last year has opened 10 shops in mainland China.
He also won a BAFTA award with the BBC Clothes Show and was menswear journalist of the year while presenting the show which he created in 1987. He was also responsible for the creation of a live exhibition of the TV show which still runs at the NEC today.
Jeff Banks is an honorary Doctor at two universities and has been awarded honorary degrees at a further eight universities. He won the C.H.E.A.D medal for services to higher education in 1990 and won the Minerva medal for design in 1994.
John Rocha
Born in Hong Kong and of Chinese and Portuguese descent, John Rocha moved to London in the 1970s to study fashion. The choice of Irish linen for his graduate collection inspired his move to Dublin in the 1980s where he has lived for the past 30 years, working closely with his wife and business partner Odette.
Creating a relaxed and contemporary collection through a mixture of beautiful textures, luxurious materials and exquisite embellishment, John Rocha offers an easy approach to designer styling with a unique and distinctive twist for the wardrobe or home.
In 1994, John was awarded the prestigious title of British Designer of the Year; and in 1997 the John Rocha at Waterford Crystal collection was launched. This range can be found on the Debenhams website and in store.
In February 2002, in recognition of his long-standing contribution to the fashion industry, John Rocha received a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) award from Her Majesty the Queen.
Autumn/Winter 2000 saw the launch of Rocha.John Rocha, with the initial collections ranging over five departments for Debenhams. These consisted of Menswear, Womenswear, Childrenswear, Accessories and Homes. The Rocha.John Rocha collections have gone from strength to strength and continue to develop and grow through the seasons.
Jonathon Saunders
Scottish born print designer Jonathan Saunders graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 1999 with a BA in Printed Textiles, going on to graduate from Central Saint Martin’s in 2002 with an MA with distinction in Printed Textiles, subsequently winning him the Lancôme Colour Awards 2002. In September 2006, he was awarded the Fashion Enterprise Award by the British Fashion Council.
Saunders coordinates designing his own label alongside consulting for some of the world’s largest fashion houses. Recent collaborations have included Topshop and U.S. brand Target. Following nine on schedule shows in London, Jonathan Saunders then moved his catwalk show to New York in February 2008 and has presented three show’s to date as part of New York Fashion week. As a special invitation from the BFC for SS10, September 2009 fashion week, Jonathan Saunders presented back in London for the 25th anniversary of London fashion week.
Saunders uses traditional silk screening techniques, developing the concept of engineering prints around pattern pieces. In effect each garment has its own specifically designed print rather that one standard print being used throughout a collection. Saunders uses up to twenty silk screens per design and will have as many as twenty prints within one collection, thus individualising his pieces and creating a visually exciting collection.
Pearce Fionda
Reynold Pearce and Andrew Fionda formed an instant friendship from their first meeting. This lead to the development of their internationally recognised brand; Pearce Fionda.
The pair met at Nottingham Trent University in 1985, where they were both embarking on degrees in fashion. After graduating, Reynold began working with John Galliano before completing a master’sdegree at the prestigious Central St. Martins and Andrew undertook an MA at the Royal College of Art.
After completing their studies, both began working within the fashion industry. Reynold worked as a design assistant for Ronald Klein whilst Andrew designed for established fashion houses within theUK and in Hong Kong, producing collections for the American market.
By 1994, after accumulating a wealth of experience, Reynold and Andrew felt ready to launch the first collection of their newly formed label Pearce Fionda. Their first capsule collection was shown atthe New Generation Show of London Fashion Week in 1995.
The pieces created by Pearce Fionda aim to provide luxurious womenswear, emphasising chic yet modern designs for the day, with sophisticated and elegant eveningwear. Attention to detail is a keyaspect of their work, with particular emphasis on cut, silhouette and proportion.
The pair’s combination of creativity, innovation and professionalism has secured them various awards, including the British Appeal Export Award for Best New Designer in 1994, the New Generationaward at the Lloyds Bank British Fashion Awards in 1995, and in 1996 they received the International Apparel Federation (IAF) World Young Designers Award. They also won the British Glamour Designer ofthe Year award from the British Fashion Council in 1997.
Autumn 1997 brought the launch of Andrew and Reynold’s diffusion line as part of the Designers at Debenhams range. Pearce Il Fionda aims to provide enchanting eveningwear at high street prices. The pieces capture the essence of the designer duo’s main collection whilst adding some individual twists, unique to the Debenhams range.
PPQ
In London, 1992, Amy Molyneaux and Percy Parker launched fashion label PPQ creating the inimitable style that continues to set the beat for London’s fashion drum today
From the early days there were zeitgeist design moves; PPQ spearheaded the drainpipe jean revolution dressing music maker’s including Amy Winehouse and Peter Doherty. The label’s signature smocks and modern cocktail dresses soon became fashion insider staples. Fashion’s best kept secret inevitably rolled off tongues and on to London Fashion Week’s official show calendar to continued success.
Today, the design duo craft cutting-edge collections in strong shapes and bold prints incorporating elaborate fabrics in a spectrum of directional colours.
Loyal PPQ fans include some of today’s hottest style icons and artists including Kirsten Dunst, Sienna Miller, Rihanna, Lily Allen, Naomie Harris, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Daisy Lowe, Alexa Chung and Peaches Geldof.
Marrying music with style, PPQ also run a record label, 1-2-3-4 Records, launching acts including Whitey, The Bishops, The White Sport, Trafalgar, Objects and Cosmetique. 1-2-3-4 Records hosts an annual festival in Shoreditch, London, which fast became a UK summer festival highlight.
Preen
Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi first met at the age of 18 in the Isle of Man, where they both grew up.
Setting up shop in Notting Hill’s Portobello Road with only one-off pieces to sell was an Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi first met at the age of 18 in the Isle of Man, where they both grew up.
Setting up shop in Notting Hill’s Portobello Road with only one-off pieces to sell was an unorthodox start-up plan, but it was not long before their designs were flying off the rails. Right from the beginning, their early one-off creations displayed many of the themes that Preen would revisit over the next decade: Victoriana, recycling, deconstruction and utilitarian clothing, always with that masculine and feminine hard soft mix that the couple bring to their designs.
Their debut collection at London Fashion Week for SS01 was comprised of punkish elements; vintage lace and plaited leathers with hand crafted effect, a sartorial tradition clash with a very British sense of tongue-in-cheek chic. Receiving rave reviews, this collection put Preen firmly on the fashion map.
Subsequent collections have built on this early success with increasing sales and extensive press attention. As a regular must see at London Fashion Week, Preen made the decision to move their twice yearly runway shows to New York Fashion Week for SS08, and are now a much anticipated park of the New York show calendar. Since showing in New York, the international exposure of Preen has magnified and the sales have doubled.
SS08 saw the launch of ‘Preen Line’ their contemporary line, giving the designers an avenue for the rock and roll element of their design aesthetic that their clientele know and love. With a strong and individual look of effortless everyday cool, as well as a lower price tag, ‘Preen Line’ has had great success worldwide.
They now design 6 collections a year, with a style that is described as deconstructed chic, with a minimal opulence. Justin and Thea have grown their label from a tiny shop in London to dressing the very best of young Hollywood, and with their designs now stocked in over 35 different countries worldwide, Preen are set to go from strength to strength.
Preen designs are instantly recognisable as cool and desirable, and are worn by many high profile clients including Kate Moss, Scarlett Johansson, Carey Mulligan, Sienna Miller, Amber Valletta, Cindy Crawford, Gwyneth Paltrow, Beyonce and Michelle Obama.
Sophia Kokosalaki
Sophia Kokosalaki was born and brought up in Greece, where she studied literature at the University of Athens and graduated from the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London in 1998.
In 1999, she started her own eponymous label, based in London. She received the Elle Designer award and Art Foundation Award for Fashion in 2002 and New Generation Designer award in 2004, and receives regular editorial from Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and W magazines. She was chosen to design the opening and closing ceremonial outfits for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games, which were staged in her home town of Athens. In autumn 2006, she was appointed Creative Director of the Vionnet fashion house but resigned in May 2007, stating that she would concentrate on the development of her own label.
Her trademark style often features classic Grecian draping combined with handcrafted elements. Her specialty is soft flowing dresses, and work with knitwear and leather.
Thomas Tait
Canadian-born Tait is a fashion designer with British roots. After completing a three-year technical diploma at La Salle College in 2008, Thomas began work as a Freelance Designer. He graduated with an MA in women’s wear from Central Saint Martins in February 2010, making him the youngest student to ever complete this course. Thomas Tait’s autumn/winter 2010 collection was selected by Central Sint Martin College of Art and Design to be featured in London Fashion Week 2010 as part of Central Saint Martin’s graduate show. Thomas Tait’s spring/summer 2011 debut collection was shown in Wilkinson gallery in east London. The show was a small, private presentation for a select number of guests.
Tait was announced as the winner of the inaugural Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize 2010. He was awarded £25,000 and the opportunity to host an event of his choice in any of the group’s hotels. In addition, Thomas has been selected by ASOS to launch their new design venture “ASOS INC”. The project gives designers the opportunity to have a range of products professionally developed and produced. The range of goods is separate and complimentary to the designer’s own line. Thomas has chosen to develop a collection of leather goods which will be available to purchase exclusively on asos.com in 2011.
Tait’s most recent accomplishment, his spring/summer 2011 collection, demonstrated a strong focus on structure, lending the garments and footwear a clear and unique design aesthetic. Thomas resides in London and is working currently under his own name.
Todd Lynn
Todd Lynn takes centre stage, stepping out from behind the scenes where he has been quietly creating wardrobe for the music industry’s elite. He is Rock and Roll’s best kept secret. His clients include: U2 – Bono and Adam Clayton; The Rolling Stones – Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood; Marilyn Manson; Soft Cell’s Marc Almond; Courtney Love and P.J. Harvey.
Todd Lynn launched his much anticipated eponymous menswear collection in London to press and buyers in September 2006. His collection embodies the easy, dark and beautiful rock and roll cool that his music industry heavy hitters have long appreciated. The collection incorporates the hybrid fusion of perfect tailoring and casual deconstruction. Once the sole domain of his celebrity bespoke clientele, now the world-at-large can access the Todd Lynn aesthetic.
The style conscious and the Rock and Roll fan alike can get their hands on the goods at the world’s top fashion retailers.
