Dec 7
Previous On|Off Visionary Award Winner Louise Amstrup, AW11
On|Off - the international fashion showcase – has announced Land Rover as the headline sponsor for On|Off London & Paris AW12, taking place during London and Paris Fashion Weeks this February. FashionBite has been the official blogger for On|Off during London Fashion Week for the last few seasons and most recently Paris Fashion Week… Read more
Oct 5
What inspired the Lee Lapthorne SS12 collection?
The AW11 collection sold really well, so this season was really an evolution of that. I was inspired by the organic bone-like features of the blooming Wisteria which grows along my cottage wall at home. The collection is abstract and dark and features my own photography as well. Read more
Charlie Le Mindu has done it yet again with an outstanding and provocative SS12 catwalk show at the new On|Off venue in Paris. Inspired by Arabia and the film ‘Dance of the 7 Veils’, he explored the themes of ‘concealment, exposure and empowerment’ in a striking and captivating runway show, which featured the stunning Rossy de Palma as lead model.
The SS12 collection, entitled ‘Burka Curfew,’ was a powerful and symbolic depiction of female power with voluptuously seductive shapes which modernized the traditional Middle Eastern silhouette.
Jet black hair, vast crown hair pieces, translucent black veils, dark blood red lips and smoky, black Kohl eyes helped create the iconic ‘Queen of the Night’ and Cleopatra looks which dominated the collection. Fashion hair pieces were created using the highest quality natural human hair extensions, in a palette of midnight blue and black. A nude model appeared with a winding Swarovski crystal black snake creeping up from her lower stomach towards her heart, a bold and striking image…
See my blog for On|Off, Paris blog to read the full article.
FashionBite xx
Sep 29
FashionBite’s Emily Seares is writing the blog for On|Off at Paris Fashion Week again this season, which kicks-off tomorrow at the Espace Commines, 17 Rue Commines, 75003 in Paris.
On|Off has moved its catwalk venue to Paris for this first time this September - it has traditionally always shown during London Fashion Week - but creative director Lee Lapthorne felt it was time for a fresh direction… Read more
Louise Gray, one of my favourite London Fashion Week designers, has been awarded NEWGEN sponsorship to showcase her Spring/Summer ’12 collection in a catwalk show at London Fashion Week this September.
Gray has shown with On|Off (the innovative fashion showcase) at LFW for the last few seasons, and her collections are brilliant- fun, fresh and so colourful!
Mar 2
Singer/songwriter Paloma Faith was a regular on the front row at On|Off during London Fashion Week.
FashionBite caught up with her after the Ashley Isham show. See FashionBite’s post Ashley Isham AW11 Catwalk Report.
Faith said: “The dresses in Ashley Isham’s collection were fab and there are definitely pieces that I could see myself in. His collection was colourful. It is always nice to see a colour used in autumn/ winter shows.
“However, I am into 1950 styles and so normally only go for pencil or fuller-length skirts. Some of the pieces in this collection were a bit too short to me.
“Ashley Isham’s use of hats and floral headdresses in the show was absolutely great. I would definitely like to try and one of these creations.
“I am going to a lot of shows at this year’s fashion week. I have a long list of designers that I want to see.”
Paloma Faith also attended the Pam Hogg AW11 show at On|Off, see FashionBite’s post Pam Hogg AW11 Catwalk Show.
After the show, Faith told On|Off director Lee Lapthorne: “This was my favourite show of all London Fashion week. It was amazing, it was most in keeping with what I’d wear on stage. I love the On|Off venue.”
FashionBite reporters Amy Golding and Emily Seares xx
Feb 22
Charlie Le Mindu’s graphic AW11 show opened in darkness. As twisted electronic music blasted out, a lone, nude model appeared on the runway dripping in blood red paint and wearing a sign balanced on her head emblazoned with the word ‘Violence.’ The scene was set.
Presenting his third collection at On|Off, Le Mindu took us on a journey to the sexual underground of wartime Berlin, including huge graffiti sprayed Mohicans and an eagle headdress with long flowing lace trains dipped in blood.
Inspired by the glamour and grit of the Berlin brothel ‘Salon kitty,’ the film ‘Carrie’ and the ostensibly repressed era of the Second World War, Le Mindu said he explored the extremes of femininity and sodomy in his shocking show. Stained lace, transparent PVC and off-white fur were combined with masks, metals, military and graphiti art spray paint, as the show closed to the harrowing sound of squeeling pigs at the slaughterhouse. It was phenomenal.
After the catwalk, we caught up with On|Off sponsor Catherine McMahon, portfolio manager for L’Oreal Professionnel, who said: “It was great to see Charlie Le Mindu using hair so creatively at On|Off today. He contrasted an extravagant mohican with classic French plats. He used hair fringing on outfits. Hair is a fashion accessory and our partnership with On|Off helps our stylists explore this. On|Off’s creativity is reflected by our stylists, creating a fantastic working environment.”
Naomi Scroggins, of L’Oreal Professionnel products, added: “We’ve been working with On|Off for a long time as we have a great synergy. We both want to support emerging talent. Many of our stylists who begin their catwalk careers at On|Off go on to become head stylists for leading designers. After working at On|Off stylists return to their salons inspired.”
Charlie Le Mindu was the recipient of On|Off’s Visionary Award this AW11 season. He also presented an installation at On|Off, collaborated with On|Off’s art direction and worked on a collaborative t-shirt collection.
I chatted to the beautiful Daphne Guiness after the show (serious girl crush now!), who said: “Charlie Le Mindu is so inspiring. I thought the show was incredibly interesting. It represents everything I love about London. I have admired Charlie’s work for a long time and worked with him previously on shoots.”
Backstage Beauty
When bottles of blood and a children’s paddling pool are found backstage you know controversial Charlie Le Mindu has arrived in the studio.
The designer took on the role of butcher behind the scenes at his AW11 show. “Charlie, do you want to do the blood?” yelled a stylist. Wearing a beige apron, Le Mindu rolled up his sleeves and prepared to get dirty.
A shrieking model stood naked in the paddling pool while Le Mindu drenched her in blood – theatrical rather than real – we think. Stylists cried “who wants some!” as models, dressed in gas masks and bird wings, backed away from the pool. Elsewhere body paint was applied to models’ skin to create an eerie mannequin-like look.
In another room, a model with a two-foot mohican had her face pressed sideways on a table whilst stylists smothered her hair in L’Oreal Professionnel holding products. Le Mindu then spray-painted the finished hair creation with graffiti.
FashionBite reporters Emily Seares and Amy Golding xx
Feb 22
Louise Gray’s fun, fresh and frenetic AW11 collection was a riot of graphic colour, tartan texture and layered fabrics. Gray said: “I took a spot, a stripe a check and then played around.”
Tartan checks, which formed the foundation of many of the pieces, came from the plaids and tartans of Gray’s home in the North East of Scotland. Garments were constructed to have a 3D effect, which was core to the collection, appearing on oversized mohair coats with gold foil spots. Layering is also strong for autumn/winter, a red bomber jacket with mohair plaid is overlaid with a pixellated print of plaid.
The shirt is a key piece for Gray’s AW11 look, not worn as a blouse or dress however, it is intended to be the perfect long layer on which to show the effect of Gray’s pixellated patterns.
Gray’s knitwear deconstructed the Aran sweater, with contrasting panels of red and green. Dresses were made from oversized circles squares and rectangles, while Indian beading added another layer to draped dresses overlaid with plaid.
The front row of the Louise Gray show read like a who’s who in the fashion world including British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman, internationally renowned fashion journalist Sarah Mower and world leading fashion commentator Colin Dowell.
Photography Geoff Pugh.
Backstage Beauty
Backstage at Louise Gray was a circus. Literally.
Models with polka dot-painted faces changed into the clown-inspired collection and donned larger-than-life gold whistle earrings.
Stylist helped models perform the acrobatics necessary to put on their outfits. The team hoisted girls into the air to then drop them into the spotted knee-high, heeled wellington boots they would later walk down the catwalk in.
Make-up, by James O’Riley at Premier and the Mac Pro team, was playful. Faces were dotted with colourful spots on a simple matt base.
Hair, by L’Oreal Professional, was backcombed, pulled up into ponytails and finished off with square-shaped quiffs.
After grabbing a sneaky peak of all the action, photographers and journalists were promptly ushered into front-of-house to give stylists the space to strap party-balloon headpieces to each model’s head.
FashionBite reporters Emily Seares and Amy Golding xx
Feb 21
FashionBite has also been writing the blog for On|Off during London Fashion Week, see http://www.onoff.tv/season/feb11/blog/
FashionBite xx
Feb 19
FashionBite's Emily Seares
Emily wears a dress by Mary Katrantzou, vintage ’70′s bomber jacket and suede ankle boots from Chinese Laundry.
FashionBite's Amy Golding
Amy wears a vintage cocktail dress and shoes from Office.
FashionBite xx
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