A Small World and Net-A-Porter

Wednesday 24th September 2008

A Small World ( the private online community who are about to relaunch their online magazine) and it's gorgeous editor-in-chief Sabine Heller hosted a Fall 08 trunk show for Net-a-Porter along with Vogue's Valerie Boster, Jessica Joffe, Ferabee Bishop Taube and Coralie Charriol Paul on W 14th Street.I went along to see the girls and the schmutter with Tanya Jensen-Hawver...


Sabine Heller and the lovely English stylist Frances Tulk-Hart


Jessica Joffe


Tangie Silva from The Daily / Fashion Mini with writer Tanya Jensen-Hawver.


The Net-a-Porter girls.

"Migration" and More

Saturday 20th Sept 2008

Doug Aitkin's new show at the 303 Galleries in Chelsea ( both the new and the existing one) was my first stop tonight.

I then had to run over to Plumm on W14th Street for the wrap party of "Inseam". This is a new documentary series for web TV (www.inseamshow.com) backed by Cotton Inc., and hosted by Eric Villency that focuses on the work and experiences of 3 women designers; myself, Nicole Romano and a bridal designer Lara Helene that has been filmed over the last 6 weeks.

With a bit more filming over and I was dying to find my friend Amir Zia and his sister Saira who were at a friend's loft birthday party on Canal Street...I wanted a dance!


STAR , by Doug Aitkin. I really loved this tweaked view over LA.


A shot of Doug Aitkin's video installation. A Reindeer in a motel room upstate somewhere.The imagery was quite beautiful.


Lara Helene, Eric Villency, Nicole Romano and me at the "Inseam" party


I loved working with film director James Merendino, who filmed the documentary with his sister Lisa.


Amir Zia later that night with Nat Hays from Plus One Music.


Saira Zia who is now a buyer for Saks, with part of someone's Robert Downey Jr outfit...I'd forgotten (as had most people) that it was fancy dress.


This was that morning on my doorstep ...lederhosen!

The Rest of my NY Fashion Week

Monday 8th - Saturday 13th September 2008

The rest of my fashion week started on Monday with Marc Jacobs show and finished the following Saturday with Lifetime Television's biopic on Coco Chanel, staring Shirley MacLaine. I really didn't manage to go to half the events I'd planned to, I was still so knackered from work, but I did manage to catch some of the fun ...


One of my icon's, Kim Gordon backstage at Marc Jacob's.


J Lo and Victoria Beckham, holding hands.


Yet another pathetic attempt of mine to capture the genius of Marc's show. The mirrored set was stunning.


Catherine Baba, James Gardner and myself at the Marc party.


Rachel Zoe stopping traffic looking for her limo.


Maestro British milliner Stephen Jones.


James was still milking his birthday, so we squeezed in a celebratory curry before the evening really started, with Heifara Rutgers and Drew Cramer.


Cute! At the Marc Jacob's afterparty at the new Greenwich Street Hotel.


The kids at Marc's


Photographer Gavin Bond and his girl


Being a British but NY based designer I was roped into flying the flag and joining the Marchesa girls and menswear designer Keanan Dufty at the" Britannia Rules" event hosted by OK ! Magazine and Gen Art on Weds 10th.
Here's actress Leven Rambin wearing my emerald satin drape dress to the OK! event.
(Photo Wireimage)


A model wearing my taffeta bow dress from spring at the British Invasion party.


Me with the glamourous Marchesa girls, Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig.


Mick Rock concentrating on DJ-ing, here at the OK party ( he was in demand that night).


Next stop was the City Magazine re-launch party at the New Museum on the Bowery.
Here's the lovely Leigh Lezark on the balcony of the New Museum, with the night skyline of the East Village in the background.


Stylish Julie Ragolia, the new fashion editor of City Magazine.


Elise Overland and blogger Susan Kirschbaum at the New Museum.


Finally a bit of normality.My parents had come over from England to give me a bit of a hand with Kitty during and leading up to fashion week. Unfortunately I hardly saw them but here we are at the Russian tearooms which was a real treat.
My dad, me, Kitty, Paud and my mum having a much needed fashion break.


The extraordinary glass juggling bear fish tank. Kitty's eyes were on stalks!


Then just what I needed to finish off the week, Saturday night home in front of the TV watching Shirley MacLaine as an aging Coco Chanel with Malcolm MacDowell in the foreground on Lifetime TV's biopic...bliss!

Club Sandwich hits NYC

Sunday 7th September 2008

After the exhaustion from the endless weeks of non-stop work put into getting my collection together, and the having to get up and sell it the following day at 9 am, I didn't manage to do anything fashiony until Sunday, the day of my dear friend James Gardner's birthday extravaganza. The legendary Club Sandwich kids from Paris flew over to host his disco spectacular at the Norwood. I don't think the Norwood has ever seen anything quite like it.....


The sensational Catherine Baba, James Gardner and me leaving Soho House where we started the evening with dinner by the pool, before making an entrance...!



Fay Cantor-Stephens plus headdress .(I have no recollection where this headdress appeared from but it's in half my photos.)


My boyfriend Paud Roche, plus that headdress.



Vogue's Hamish Bowles, anxiously texting on the disco dancefloor.


Yassa Khan and Joanne Furnace, looking knockout.


Catherine showing a bit of flesh and another old friend from Europe, Thomas Jibogan,( who is also my casting director.)


Alister Mackie, who just can't ever keep his clothes on either , having a shimmy.


My mates the boys from Parsons, who all really gave me a helping hand during the past week, Aaron Bakalar, Pat McGrath and Jordan Bach.


Grant Woolhead, the new fashion editor of Out..grr!!


T Magazine's Armand Limnander


Elle's Joe Zee.


Nicole Brown looking hot in one of my dresses.


Ben Copperwheat, Chris Apple and Lee Copperwheat.


Me with Ben Pundole


Casey Spooner on the right with the lovely locks.


What a finale. Mademoiselle Mercedes, cabaret star of the night, with James.

My Spring 09 collection

Thursday September 4th 2008

My Spring 09 collection is an ultra-feminine take on modern romance, with a high-gloss, sporty edge.

I held a focused presentation of 18 looks on the kick-off day of New York fashion week this season. Thankfully it was glorious hot weather as I held it on the rooftop of a building on W14th Street overlooking the river at sunset, so the light turned out to be divine. Downstairs we had a cocktail party hosted by the ever lovely Arden Wohl and The Supper Club NY.

Initial inspirations were the beautiful and infamous pictures of teenage girls by early seventies photographer David Hamilton, John Singer Sargent’s portraits and the restrictive sexiness of Edwardiana...and Spandau Ballet. This loosely set the mood for the collection, which is dreamy and romantic in colour and execution but young and glamourous in feel.

Highlights of the collection include softly embroidered Broderie Anglaise and polka dot cotton tulle dresses, draped skirts and high -necked ruffle shirts, silk satin and taffeta colour blocked party dresses, shorts and jumpsuits, slouchy tailored tuxedo sportswear, a beautiful watercolour “Blushing Rose” print by artist Deanne Cheuk as well as my signature hand - screen prints, with a colour palette of black, ivory, neutrals and make-up colors with accents of violet, hyacinth and peony....


Diana Moldovan in dress of clear sequins over Deanne Cheuk's "Blushing Roses" watercolour print with a backdrop of the NY skyline. You can't get much more romantic than that.


The fantastic 2 Mandy DJ's rocked the evening and looked amazing in my clothes too.


Arden Wohl in the Starlight dress from my Fall collection.


Vogue's Meredith Melling-Burke and stylist Susan Joy.


Tamsin Lonsdale from the Supper Club and me


Here's Fay Cantor-Stephens doing a final bit of hair straightening before she thankfully helped me out on the door along with Drew Elliot from Paper Magazine.True troopers.


Hair super-stylist Ashley Javier doing his magic with a modern take-on Gibson girl hair and a satin headband. It worked!

I was really thrilled with the strong turnout I received at the start of another hectic and exhausting fashion week.Maya Singer who writes for style.com told me that she had rsvp'd for 94 events in the coming week!I was feeling lucky that one my sponsors was Skyn Iceland again, who gave me some much needed pick-me-up facial products in my gift bags. My beyond stressed out skin was hauled back from the edge just in time with their hydro - cool firming eye gels that actually work. I glowed again!


Anyway here is someone who never looks exhausted,the eternally effervescent Mickey Boardman from Paper and the charming Julia Frakes ( who does have a bit of a Bubbles / Jane Horrocks lookylikeiness going on, but only in looks might I add..)


Gisella Lemos covering for Brazilian Vogue.com looking a stunner in my matching printed silk jersey dress and leggings. One of my favourite ensembles ever!


Crystal Slattery and Roderick Angle


Bayo and Jody. My old friends from London the vogueing twins.


One of my favourite dresses from Spring, a violet silk taffeta and tulle dress on Alexandra.


"Blushing Roses' digital watercolour printed silk shorts and a hand-screened silk corsage top on Angelika.


Natasha wearing a black tulle and silk feather bias -cut dress.


Alexandra in a colour-bocked taffeta Bow dress.


Danielle in my top favourite dress of the season, the make-up colour silk ruff backless dress. This was the very last thing I designed.


I always do a jumpsuit...and it turned out this season so did everyone and his wife too! Here's my silky sportif version on Nika in make-up pink.


Jill wearing the hand-screen printed corsage printed top in cream with tuxedo suiting peg-top shorts.


Angelika in the first look, the hand-screen printed corsage batwing dress in cream.


Natasha in a semi-sheer black Swiss dotty voile ruffle shirt and tuxedo suiting peg-top shorts.


Nika in a black striped cotton tulle ribbon top with a tuxedo suiting draped pencil skirt.


Dei wearing a hand-embroidered cream tulle ruffle dress


Jennifer in the cream tuxedo jacket, cummerbund ( I went a bit cummerbund crazy!) and tuxedo peg-top pants.


A few days before my presentation ( literally the day after labour day..it was hell getting all this organised when basically everyone's still on a beach )we shot our spring lookbook. My amazing talented friend , photographer Mark Squires shot it on the gorgeous Sheila from One Models.Here she is on set at my studio....


Mark Squires


Here's my intern Taryn with Katie Toker hard at work getting the collection together.


Macky Dugan, who shares my studio, getting roped into helping me!


Another of my hard working interns, Feride.


One of Mark Squires campaign photos that he shot, this one of the jumpsuit


Another of Mark's beautiful photos...


...and another, this is the ruffle skirt and hand silk-screened corsage top.Dreamy!