Music for the First Dance

It has been a year of many royal weddings, and I have received more news about weddings than ever before.  This one has nothing to do with the fashion, and more to do with creating the right mood.
Having the right music for the first dance at a wedding is important to get the party off to a swinging start, especially if the couple can afford a live band. 

British band Surrey-based "Rollercoaster"(the band's picture above), which plays live at parties, specialises primarily in weddings, corporate and private functions.  They have now come up with their own "First Dance Album'  so if you can't afford to have a real live band at your wedding, you can simply play this album, if it's got what you want.

"The idea of 'The First Dance Album' came about towards the end of 2010.  We had played around 50 weddings that year, and had been asked to play and learn most of the first dances. We would always do this to the highest standard, and it seemed a shame to leave it at that (often the first dances are one off songs - unique to the bride and groom). The band had the strongest line-up, live, and in the studio, and we had recorded and released countless tracks with our original band Redwood - tracks that were played on TV and radio worldwide. So we figured we could apply that knowledge and experience to recording an album for Rollercoaster. The aim was to create a unified sound. And hopefully we achieved that. Thanks to the happy couples of 2010-2011 for the inspiration - it was great fun recording. Volume 2, here we come..."

The key to the Rollercoaster sound lies in a band that have been making music together for the past 20 years. Alistair and Rob met in school, formed a band called Redwood, which Chris later joined on drums. Redwood landed a major record deal, toured the UK, released albums worldwide, national press, TV etc.

All the songs are performed by the band, and here's the Tracklist (with original artist to remind you their origins):-
1.Rule The World - Take That
2.One Day Like This - Elbow
3.Better - Tom Baxter / Boyzone
4.Stay Together - Al Green
5.Be Mine - David Grey
6.Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
7.Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles
8.Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
9.Hungry Eyes - Eric Carmen
10.Better Together - Jack Johnson
11.Loving You - Minnie Ripperton
12.Can’t Take My Eyes Off You - Andy Williams
13.Groovy Kind Of Love - Phil Collins
14.Use Somebody - Kings Of Leon
15.Pride And Joy - Stevie Ray Vaughan

I think this is a pretty good list. Even for a romantic dinner or special night in.

Live, Love and Decorate - by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard

Launching his new book entitled Live, Love, & Decorate, Martyn Lawrence -Bullard, interior designer to Hollywood stars and A-listers of the world,  spoke about his design career and inspirational ideas at the Decorex interior trade fair for professionals, held this week at Royal Hospital in London's posh Chelsea.

Bullard is a Briton although he travels profusely, and is known for his glamorous and luxurious interiors for high profile and celebrity clientele that runs the gamut, from Cher to Sir Elton John and David Furnish, Christina Aguilera, Eva Mendes, Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo, Kid Rock, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne and Tamara Mellon, founder and President of Jimmy Choo.   His slide presentation at Decorex showed his interior projects which are also featured in his new book, demonstrating his attention to furnishing details and clever use of colours and mixing ideas.


Many of Martyn Lawrence-Bullard's interior
decorations are infused with oriental cultures,
such as those of Indonesia and Bali.

 He said he does not decorate in one style, and design to his clients’ specifications and customize every project to suit the clients' lifestyle and personality.  Very often, the celebrities want to live out their fantasies, and he helps them to turn these personal fantasies and desires for sanctuaries into luxurious realities.  However he does get to work in fantastic high-end locations, and often in a grand scale, which often involves knocking down walls and creating big spaces.  He has picked up inspiration from various sources, notably the near and Far East, such as Indonesia, India and Bali, and Mexico, sometimes marrying these influences with colonial touches.  He also stressed the joy of seeking out unusual items in his travels.

Bullard ends his talk with a push for his new book and a book-signing ceremony.
What's next for Martyn Lawrence -Bullard is product development which includes rugs, fabrics, candles and furniture.  He said he designs everything that bears his name.

For more on Martyn Lawrence-Bullard, you can click here to go his website.
While Martyn likes to select items from around the world for his interior designs, the October edition of " The World of Interiors magazine " (of Conde Nast group) has very successfully demonstrated a fantastic photo shoot by taking interior objects to a faraway location in the Far East.

Stylists Jessica Hayns and Miranda Sinclair had brought a good selection of fabrics from this year's fabric exhibitors at the Focus and Decorex trade fairs to the steppes of cenral Mongolia. I must congratulate the team for their insightful use of locations - from pages 156 to 200. 

Photographer Ricardo Labougle's wonderful shots have captured the essence and the flavour of Mongolia - the architecture, carefully chosen interiors, people and camels included.   A hefty section but what marvelous results, cleverly showing off the fabrics in apt settings.  The range of photographs are some of the most inspirational on-location shots I've seen for a long while.

London a magnet for talents from Italy

While recentl yI had reported that international markets are important for the growth of UK's fashion industry, on the other hand, the UK, especially London, is a magnet for international talent to come to find exposure to their creativity. Perhaps the saying that the grass is always greener on the other side is true.

Silvia Beccaria, an accessories and contemporary jewellery designer unlike no other. An Italian born in Turin, Silvia calls herself a fibre artist, who creates her designs with a hand-weaving technique, using traditional materials such as leather as well as synthetics such as latex (balloons), plastic, and rubber.

One of Silvia's latest designs is the Trocadero necklace made with balloons and woven by hand into a three-dimensional wearable art objects, including a range of collars or ruffs that can add a sculptural and visual dimension to any plain outfits as seen in picture above. Silvia’s work has been picked up for feature in French Vogue (September edition) and boutique of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and in shops around Italy. She hopes to find an agent in London that’s why she participated at London Fashion Week.

Laura Galasso wearing her own Tee shirt featuring "Sonia" and holding up a Tee shirt featuring "Dalia" with red shoes to  mark her own passion for shoes.

Another young Italian lady now making London her home is Laura Galasso who was recently featured at a pop-up shop hosted by London Style Collective at Duke of York Square in Chelsea.

As a lead-in to her design career, Laura has opted to launch her own cotton Tee shirts printed with her own fashion illustrations. The first range are dolls in her own fashion designs, reflect the femininity of the designer.  Some of the designs feature red lips and red shoes to mark the designers' passion for shoes.

 The cotton Tee shirts carry a Fair Wear Foundation label. FWF is an international verification initiative dedicated to enhancing workers' lives all over the world.

All photos by Lucia Carpio.

Bold British Designs from Sarah-Jayne Guest and Lorna Syson

Spotted at the 100% Design trade fair for contermporary interior design at the weekend was British designer Sarah-Jayne Guest (of SJGuest Designs), whose cheerful illustrations are often translated onto textiles for cushions, and used for lampshades and upcycled furniture.  She has now also extended her portfolio to include a range of bespoke sandblasted stone surfaces for use as work tops, wall and floor tiles, splash backs, bar tops and tables, featuring her distinctive patterns for indoor and outdoor uses.  Sarah has been sponsored by Compac for the launch, and displayed a collection of tiles to compliment the "Imagination" range. She uses a unique process that sandblasts designs into the surface of stone. The restaurant chain Zizzi have commissioned the stone ranges for table tops in her designs for several of their restaurants, along with complimentary fabrics.

 At 100% Design, Sarah also showcased new fabrics to add to her current collection of cushions and lampshades.

The new fabric collection includes London inspired pigeons, British countryside flowers entwined with pocket clocks, complimented by bold geometrics. The colours are bolder, brighter and feel fresh for 2012.
Sarah said the textile collection shows off a mix of eclectic imagery inspired by things around her.  "The collection is meant to be fun and has no serious undertones," she explained.
All SJGuest products are hand-made in the UK in small quantities.  While the products are available online, and in boutiques as well as Selfridges, she also takes on bespoke commissions from her home studio in the Essex Countryside.

Framed wall designs by Lorna Syson.

Meanwhile, another British designer who also caught my attention at 100% Design was Lorna Syson who produces a range of textiles for the home, inclusive of cushions, wallpapers, and other wall decorations, all handmade in her studio in South London.  But she is best known for her oversized wall flowers and hearts.  

At 100% Design, Lorna launched two prints from her Berry collection. The optical geometric Bradbury print is comprised of graphic triangles. Each triangle has been meticulously slotted together to form a giant jigsaw to give an impression of a three dimensional structure on a two dimensional print.  The Bradbury print comes in two colour ways named Worcesterberry and Elderberry, both complementing the existing cushions and wall flowers in not just colour tones but also the integral nature of sustainability. "The berry collection was conceived when picking berries. The angular and structured shapes created by the bushes, leaves and fruit, intrigued me. The fruit mainly influences the contemporary colours and it is possible to see a wide range of purples found in Worcesterberries in the wild reflected in the print," said Lorna. 
Lorna's textured wall flowers used in both residential and commercial interiors are now also uniquely framed, and she has also created the new triptych ruffle piece created to play with light and shadow.

London designers in Paris Sept. 29th - Oct. 6th

Designs by Simone Rocha, daughter of the award-winning Irish designer John Rocha, will be among the designers to be featured in London show Rooms Paris Sept. 29th - Oct. 6th.

LONDON show ROOMS PARIS will showcase womenswear designers' collections for SS12 at a new venue:-
Le LOFT, just off 28 rue Saint Antoine, Impasse Guéménée, 3 Cour Bérard, Paris 75004 (nearest Metro: Saint Paul-Bastille).  Dates are from Thursday 29th September - Thursday 6th October 2011.
Participating designers include Simone Rocha (pictured above) and the following ...

Holly Fulton

Christopher Raeburn



Felicity Brown

Louise Gray

Todd Lynn

Mary Katrantzou

 London Cultures and nightclubbing are inspiration behind Nasir Mazhar's designs. 

Fun and eccentrically wearable head wear are designed by Piers Atkinson.

Meanwhile, Vauxhall Fashion Scout, which organises an independent showcase for new and upcoming designers to media, buyers and style leaders that is held at the same time as London Fashion Week, is to present its line-up of designers for its Paris Showroom. The designers have been carefully selected to represent the best of innovative design talent. It will feature in total 15 new womenswear, menswear and and accessories designers, including designers that were not on show at our London event. Now in its fourth season, Vauxhall Fashion Scout's Paris Showroom is located in the heart of the Marais, next to the Picasso Museum.

Designs by Nicola Morgan, one of the featured designers of the Vauxhall Fashion Schout Graduate Showcase held at Freemasons' Hall in Mid-September.
Below are designs by Helen Turner at the same event.  These photos are by Lucia Carpio.

Coincidentally, Martyn Roberts, Co-founder and Director of Vauxhall Fashion Scout has been announced as the new Managing Director of London's Graduate Fashion Week, from the beginning of October, ahead of the event’s 21st Anniversary celebration next year. This came as news that after 10 years as Graduate Fashion Week Managing Director, June Barker has decided to step down to concentrate on new projects.

Martyn Roberts comments: “My work with Vauxhall Fashion Scout picks up where GFW finishes, so it will be fantastic to be working with such exciting talent from the grass roots."

Graduate Fashion Week has announced the addition of two new trustees to the existing Executive Committee. They are: - fashion luminary Hilary Alexander and British Designer Mark Eley. Hilary and Mark will join fellow Trustees including Jeff Banks CBE, founder and president of Graduate Fashion Week and Professor Wendy Dagworthy OBE of the RCA.

Hilary Alexander comments: "Being asked to be a Trustee of Graduate Fashion Week is very exciting and a big responsibility. I have always been a huge fan of GFW. It is the most important launch-pad for emerging talent in Europe. And it offers the first and only place where we can talent spot from amongst the 1,000-plus collections on the catwalk and in the exhibition. I'm looking forward tremendously to my new role."

Graduate Fashion Week, which was launched in 1991, will celebrate its 21st Anniversary 10-13 June 2012 at Earls Court 2, in London.

The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor at Christie's, London

It was a rare opportunity for myself and many of us who were at Christie's auction house in London today to view some of the most beautiful personal jewellery, art, paintings, couture evening gowns and fashion from Elizabeth Taylor’s private collection.  Some £100 million worth of wonderful exhibits were on display.

It was the closest we could get to catch a glimpse of the extraordinary life and legacy of the iconic Elizabeth Taylor, to imagine her glamorous life through this amazing and fabulous collection.

Intricate beading on a Tiziani kimono made for Elizabeth Taylor as Flora "Sissy" goforth in the 1968 Universal Film "Boom!".  Guide price: US$4000-6000.



A diamond and emerald "snake" bracelet watch by Bvlgari.  Guide price US$12000 - 15000.



The Elizabeth Taylor diamond - a Rectangular-cut diamond ring of 33.19 cts.  Guide price: US$2.5 m - 3.5 m.

The Mike Todd antique diamond tiara.  Guide price: US$60000-80000.



The daisy parure - a suite of diamond & multi gem "reine Marguerite" jewellery by Van Cleefs & Arpels.  Guide price: US$200,000 - 300,000.  An art nouveau enamel & multi-gem brooch (shaped like a butterfly) by Boucheron. Guide price: US$10,000-15,000.



A selecti8on of diamond jewellery by Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels.

                                                  (All photos above by Lucia Carpio.)
It was a rare moment to ever get to know the beautiful Ms. Taylor who had played many roles on the silver screen, including the epic Cleopatra of Eqypt.  To me, among the most interesting groups of exhibits was a portrait of her by Andy Warhol as seen below.

Lucia Carpio posing in front of a portrait of Elizabeth Taylor by Andy Warhol at Christie's in London. 

The exhibition will close at 12:30 pm on 26th Sept. 2011.

Photo by Alan Tyler.

And one must also admire Ms. Taylor's good taste in art, such as the painting above by Vincent van Gogh, and others  including Augustus John and Camille Pissarro.

The selection of the collection on show at Christie's forms a landmark series of public exhibitions and special events over three months, culminating in four consecutive days of sales and auction to take place in Christie's New York in December. 

A portion of profits from the sale of select publications, exhibition admissions and event sponsorships will be directed to The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF).

Auctions will take place in New York: 13-16 December 2011
3-17 December 2011 will be for Online Only Auction.

London designers exhibition to expand showing in overseas markets

Paul Costelloe opened London Fashion Week last week, presenting his SS12 womenswear inspired by the classic 1962 film, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, featuring baby doll dresses cut from brocade and stiff organza, in champagne and eau de nil neutral shades.  His men’s collection featured an eclectic combination of influences of Eswardian conservatism.  The 68 catwalk shows and 37 presentations that place over 6 days of London Fashion Week, as well as more than 200 brands and labels in the exhibition, pulled in an audience of more than 5000 multiplatform fashion press and media, international buyers and VIP’s to the British capital.

While it was estimated that London Fashion Week contributed some £20 million to the capital's economy, orders of over £100m is expectedly placed during LFW each season, and the International Guest Programme alone generates over £50m of orders.

The UK fashion industry is estimated to support 1.3 million jobs, equivalent to 4.5% of total employment, and is the largest employer of all the creative industries, it is vitally important that it continues to grow by giving extra push to its export business potential.  Therefore it is great news that the British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced its plans to expand its international showcasing initiative, LONDON show ROOMS, to key markets overseas, notably the US and China.  Building on the success of this initiative in Paris and New York, . LONDON show ROOMS, supported by Sarah Mower, BFC Ambassador for Emerging Talent, will take a selection of London’s design talent to Los Angeles and Hong Kong for the first time in the coming months.

Creative techniques for sustainable fashion and accessories by Michelle Lowe-Holder, one of the exhibitors at Esthetica, during London Fashion Week. 

LONDON show ROOMS L.A. will take place 17th – 19th October, giving US west coast buyers and press the opportunity to view the collections and the designers the opportunity to expand in this market. LONDON show ROOMS Hong Kong will take place 31st October – 1st November, 2011 with Li & Fung joining as official sponsor. The decision to showcase in Hong Kong supports the China Britain Fashion Alliance, established July 2011, an initiative between the BFC, the Beijing International Brand Management Centre and the China-Britain Business Council to promote British Fashion in China. Designers participating in LA and Hong Kong are previous Fashion Forward alumni and BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund shortlist and British Fashion Awards Menswear and Accessory Designers of the Year 2010. Paris and New York showcases designers who have received NEWGEN, Fashion Forward and Fashion East support.
For the latest information and updates on LONDON show ROOMS and full list and biographies of the designers showcasing, please click HERE.

Sibling menswear collaborates with Japanese artist Yuko Kondo

Menswear knitwear label Sibling, which was on show during London Fashion Week, is using printed illustrations for the first time for its Spring/Summer 2012 collection, by announcing their collaboration with Japanese artist Yuko Kondo who is famous for his cult illustration and animation.  It is a fun inspired by British fun fairs, balmy summer evenings and in happy, candy-floss colours (because your sweater should match your snack) along with teal, pinks and pale sorbet yellows.  There are Tee shirts, Argyle polo shirts, cardigans and crew-neck sweaters.

Kondo's three key artworks for Sibling are: the twisted Tattoo design, Skeleton carousel motif and the "I love Hot Dog" emblem.

Sibling which was launched in May 2008, is a collaboration of three like-minded designers - Joe Bates, Sid Bryan and Cozette McCreery - each bringing with the individual’s strong heritage of experience with top name designers. Between them they’ve worked with, amongst others, the late Alexander McQueen, Giles Deacon, Gallliano, Lanvin, Jonathan Saunders and Bella Freud.
Photos by Lucia Carpio.