Barbara I Gongini - Regular, Irregular and Pieces

All images by Julie Helquist

Barbara Ì Gongini caught my eye when putting together the pieces for Noush Skaugen’s album shoot back in September. Now not only do I find out Gongini is yet another young designer committed to sustainability, but also one who believes in interdisciplinary co-operation with other artists within music, photography and film. She describes the SS10 collection, which is at this stage is 70% sustainable, by saying ‘it has a wide scope within the three segments Regular, Irregular, and Pieces; Regular is the basic, timeless and conceptual series, directed at both segments. Irregular and Pieces include moderate as well as ultra-feminine preludes, with great shape-diversities placed in the latter part of the category.’ This is then enhanced by the muted colour palette which moves from light to dark, restricted to black, white, grey, sand and blue. In fact, just to view the Look Book (below), due to this progression throughout the collection of shape, style and colour, is amazing alone. It is very Nordic in feel; raw, edgy, gritty yet very simple. However, it would not be out of place in London, and I would happily own every piece in this collection.

Her Press Release states the SS10 Collection is a correlation between functional clothing and shape-experiments, with multi-functional clothes and recycling as the two main ingredients in the construction, seeking to broaden the usability of each item, thus promoting the sustainability. I think, with particular reference to a correlation between functional clothing and shape-experiments, she has been highly successful. The multi-functional aspect, wearing pieces in a number of ways, is also another interesting approach to sustainability. As part of ‘Next Generation: Bright Green Fashion’, a collaborative project organized by the Creative Forum Copenhagen and the Berlin-based designers’ network CREATE Berlin, a forum where ten young and talented designers present their vision of sustainability in fashion design, Barbara is helping to build an international creative network. It aims to share knowledge in the field of fashion design and to access new potential markets and to discover ways of implementing sustainable designs into existing and future collections. Their ultimate goal is 100% sustainable products.

Trompe L'Oeil

The Oasis Designer Collaboration, this time featuring London College of Fashion student Rosalind Keep, is in stores from 7th December. The collaboration aims to support emerging British textile and design talent graduating accross the country, giving them a platform to launch from. Rosalinds collection features oversized tees and racer back vests working with the rather witty trend for Trompe L'Oeil - literally a 'Trick of the Eye'! Great fun. Comme des Garcons, below, also worked Trompe L'Oeil for AW09.

Image thanks to Vogue.com

Lucy and Bart Stalking Fashion

Great interview by Dazed and Confused with Lucy and Bart, who work on what they call an 'instinctual stalking of fashion'. Fashion fringe art installation like I've never seen before, definitely worth reading the full interview.

Elena Garcia - Fairtrade Fashion

Look out for Elena Garcia, a luxury Eco designer, whose creations are resolutely feminine. As a member of the Ethical Fashion Forum, along with the pretty amazing Christopher Raeburn and Rani Jones, Elena sees that designers and business owners quite simply have a responsibility to preserve our world. In fact I believe it is thanks to these ethical roots that her design are as innovative and unique as they are. She blends daring design, traditional techniques and luxurious Eco-friendly textiles. Expect sheer, softly draping exquisite fabric, perfectly frayed or delicately appliqued detail and an innovative use of wool and other unusual textile embellishments. By working from the confines of sustainability she pushes her imagination and creativity further, and the results are magical.

Photographer Martin Dagucci
Stylist Ella Pearce Heath
Make-uo Joella Butler
Hair Chelsea De Main

An interview by Hattie MacAndrews

I was recently interviewed by Hattie MacAndrews and this is the final piece she has just sent over!


Ella Pearce Heath

Stylist. Journalist. Thinker.

Compelling. Petite. Passionate. Ella Pearce Heath has been inflicting her British sense of style upon rock’n’rollers, classical beauties and influential designers all around London. Having styled the likes of Noush Skaugen, winner of the Rising Star category at the Download Music Awards and Escala the electric string-quartet for the final of Britains Got Talent on ITV, Ella’s thirst for styling hasn’t gone unnoticed. Having got into the industry through working with ‘bands and musicians and making wacky clothes to shoot with a photographer friend’ her clients have evolved to include publications such as the Financial Times ‘How To Spend IT’, J-FW Magazine, Vanity Fair and the Daily Mail.

Training at the Royal Academy of Music for three years seems like an unlikely origin; from a musical marvel to a conversant stylist. It was recognising something in the industry that is often easy to overlook that ensured Ella stuck to her belief in fashion as an ‘art form that can reflect our society in a way that many other parts of the arts cannot.’ Clothes became an interest ‘Because not only are they objects of beauty worthy of admiration and a route of identity forming transformation, but they are also part of a multi-million pound industry across the globe that cannot be ignored’. Holding an awareness surrounding the importance of fashion within our society has not only influenced Ella’s style and aesthetic, but the people she works with too.
The look that Ella creates, both for her clients and herself, is ‘British Eccentricity’. Drawing inspiration from everyday life to create looks that are fresh and exclusive, ‘I’m inspired by everything around me – nature, architecture, art, literature, cultures, politics, history, tradition and probably most importantly, people with a unique voice that aren’t afraid to stand out and go against the mainstream’.

Certainly not one to suppress any sense of creativity, Ella delves into the deeper depths of fashion through her writing (www.ellapearceheath.com). But which does she prefer, styling or writing? ‘I think they need to go together, how can I write effectively if I don’t work hands on in the industry. Similarly, how can I style without understanding the wider cultural implications, and having my own theory on beauty. I couldn’t pick between them.’ Unlike many ‘Fashion Journalists’ today, Ella doesn’t just write for the sake of writing. Nor has she succumbed to the ease of writing about ‘must-have items’ and celebrity trends. She writes about the role of Fashion in Society ‘because you can’t fully understand anything until you place it in its context’. Constantly scouring the city for fresh designers untainted by the artistic restraint of sponsorship, it was Ella who recognised Fannie Schiavoni as an emerging new talent before she was acknowledged by the likes of Browns and Tank Magazine. But why choose to use young, unrecognised designers? ‘Because they often are still in the position to place the aesthetic, a unique voice/message and forward thinking at the forefront of their collection as they haven’t yet been compromised by the buyers need for ‘2 of this in 3 different colour-ways attitude’. Not to be misunderstood, Ella is of course aware of the importance of influential high-end brands such as Alexander McQueen, Lanvin and Iris Van Herpen, and her inspiration and admiration is still drawn by ‘Prada for innovation and single-mindedness, Stella McCartney for feminine simplicity and Antonio Berardi for amazing dresses’.

The next step for Ella is preparing the Look-Book for Komodo, an ‘ethical, hempy and hand-made’ brand. Individuality and artistic exploration are both equally as important as sustainability, influencing Ella’s belief that the future of fashion ‘must move away from celebrity; collections by non-designers just trying to make money or boost their fame etc are just a gimmick. True fashion is an art form, and this needs to be recognised’. How can the effects of the recession be seen in Fashion? ‘I think it has bred a new wave of designers who realise we aren’t infallible as a society or a people, and therefore has resulted in a rise of ecological and sustainable fashion designers who see a responsibility to our world’. It seems that Ella’s plans for the future are simple and to be honest, slightly understated , ‘I hope to make people think and to make beautiful images! Can that be a plan, even if it’s an ever so naive one?’ She’s headstrong, determined and knows exactly what she wants, and how she wants it done. Her ideal clients include Alexander McQueen, Gareth Pugh and Vivienne Westwood – who would be ‘pretty fantastic to work with, with all her rebellious attitude and strong opinions’. Perhaps there’s a little bit of Vivienne in all of us…?

Interview by Hattie MacAndrews, November 2009

Dare to Dream - Noush Skaugen

Here are a few stills from Noush Skaugen’s official Run Baby Run video shoot. She, with her message of ‘Dare to Dream,’ is capturing everyone’s imagination. Noush has said in a recent interview with Kontraband:

"People need real music; life influences music and conversely music influences life." … It used to seem like it could change the world, like Dylan playing at the Martin Luther King Jr. 'March on Washington' or Woody Guthrie with his guitar labelled "This Machine Kills Fascism". But music seems like a long way from that now, it's at a weird place.

This inspiring attitude acknowledges the real relationship between the arts and society. It is important that, obviously in its place alongside a broad spectrum of all styles in music or art or fashion, that there are some voices that like Noush’s that seize on what is real. The series of bespoke ‘Dare to Dream’ t-shirts I made Noush for this video hopefully capture her spirit!

Read the rest of the interview at Kontraband.

Run Baby Run Video Shoot 2009
Photographer Ian Harding
Stylist Ella Pearce Heath
Hair and Make-up Joella Butler