We Heart; Lifestyle & Design Magazine » Fashion

Selfridges’ Bright Young Things Windows 2012

James Davidson — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:34:11 +0000

Maarten van der Horst

Last week we featured StudioXAG’s turquoise explosion for Future Map’s window at Selfridges’ annual Bright Young Things showcase. Well, we’ve had pictures through for all of the windows that were dressed by the cream of the country’s young creatives – and, quite frankly, we could do a detailed feature on pretty much every one. They’re mind-bogglingly good.

From Tinker and Tailor‘s full on recreated studio to Oliver Ruuger‘s elegantly surreal scene; the acute detail, creativity and sheer artistry on display, is enough to put most major retailers to a great deal of shame. Bright young things? They sure as hell are…

Alex Mattsson

Sorcha O’Raghallaigh

T.Lipop

Tinker and Tailor

Archie McLeish

Astrid Anderson

Becky Sloan

Nuha Razik

Future Map

Oliver Ruuger

Jack Coleman

Maarten van der Horst

MASC

Shaun Samson

William Richard Green

Adam Andrascik

Alice Lee

Group Window

Prada’s 24 h Museum

James Davidson — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:02:28 +0000

Blink and you missed it. This collaboration between fashion giant Prada, architecture icon Rem Koolhaas’ research studio – AMO, and celebrity obsessed artist Francesco Vezzoli, opened on January 24th and – as the name suggests – was gone by the 25th. Vezzoli’s sculptures – photographs mounted onto foamboard – of classical figures with celebrity faces, lined the main hall of the delightfully shocking pink ‘cage’, whilst elsewhere the “Salon des Refusés” – inspired by museum’s ‘hidden archives’ – shrouded a discreet disco dance floor.

Unsurprisingly the celebs turned out in force, with the likes of Marianne Faithfull and Anna Wintour allegedly throwing shapes to a Kate Moss DJ set – how very A-List, darling. But, forget the glamour, forget the mwah-mwah fashion set, what’s intriguing about Prada’s 24 h Museum is the examination of the concept of iconography and Vezzoli’s satire on celebrity. Will the human race be looking back at Courtney Love or Natalie Portman in a few centuries? Who knows, but we’ll bet our bottom dollar that they’ll still be admiring Koolhaas’ breathtaking spaces…

Images courtesy OMA

Dover Street Market SS12 Tachiagari

James Davidson — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:10:55 +0000

It’s probably (well, unquestionably) fair to say, that Dover Street Market is London’s most notable destination for bleeding-edge haute couture. The brainchild of Comme des Garçons’ über-creative founder, Rei Kawakubo, DSM undergoes a bi-annual Tachiagari (Japanese for beginning), where the 6-floor marketplace of “beautiful chaos” shuts down for 3 days, only to be reborn with new spaces, collections and concepts – many of which the designers themselves get involved in. 2012′s first Tachiagari has just unveiled itself on the beautiful creatures of London town; and with revamped spaces from Hussein Chalayan, Ann Demeulemeester, and the introduction of Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, it is – as ever – one of planet fashion’s most influential ports of call…

Camper Together, Rotterdam

James Davidson — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:49:56 +0000

Camper Together‘s latest international opening is a swirling, metropolitan fish tank with dazzling neon shelving as its showy coral display. Slap bang in the middle of the Netherlands’ first pedestrianised street, Alfredo Häberli‘s playful store design is the latest in a long line of collaborations with the Spanish brand; with Barcelona, Seoul, London and Rome being just some of the many cities where his humorous style has been showcased. Its bold, brave colours and unique appearance make for an unmistakably arresting boutique. There’s no room for ‘refined elegance’ or ‘understated style’ here, Häberli’s brazen concept is literally screaming in your face as you walk down the street; but that’s what makes it all the more charming, all the more original and refreshing. This is a store that doesn’t fit a mould, doesn’t care for convention, and for that, we love it all the more…

Photography: Sánchez y Montoro

Acne; 3 Rue Froissart, Paris

James Davidson — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:24:08 +0000

A firm favourite with editors of so-hip-it-hurts glossies around the world, Jonny Johansson’s ACNE have come a long way since 1997 – when he gave out 100 pairs of jeans to his friends and family in Stockholm. Now Johansson – the creative force behind one of the world’s most in-demand lifestyle labels – is opening a second boutique in Paris; and continuing to ply the brand’s minimal Scandinavian aesthetic… “Let’s just say it’s not French. I absolutely love Paris, but I had to do something Swedish. Especially the colour, it’s very non-Parisian”. The remnants of crude, industrial walls are all that remain of this former garage; bold, crisp yellows and reds now accompany elegant aluminium partitions where the cars and oil once were, whilst avant garde furnishings and contemporary LED lighting complete the typically uncompromising space…

The Chalk Room at Hostem

James Davidson — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:16:21 +0000

Since featuring Redchurch Street’s Hostem early last year, the super-stylish menswear boutique has quickly found itself as one of London’s hottest retail outlets; and, in scooping ‘Best Retail Interior’ at The World Architectural Awards, has seemingly made big waves internationally. The artist/designers behind the original street-level store have returned to unveil a triumphant new basement space. Hannah Plumb and James Russell – aka JAMESPLUMB – are famed for their ‘assemblages’, giving dog-eared antiques and abandoned objects a new life as delightfully vintage, atmospheric interior spaces; and Hostem‘s new downstairs space, ‘The Chalk Room’, is no exception. Dark, moody, and riddled with enchanting curiosities – the specially converted 19th century Chesterfield and leaning Victorian wardrobe are particular highlights – even if the space wasn’t jam-packed with some of the capital’s most unique sartorial finds, it’d be more than worth a visit all of its own…

Home / Unusual Store; Venafro, Italy

James Davidson — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:29:03 +0000

Home / Unusual Store; the architect’s vision is in the name. Luigi Valente states his intention for the retail space to be “a place like home”, but on the contrary “a fantasy place that projects the client far away”. It’s perhaps a paradox too far, unless you live in the future, but what Valente has undeniably achieved, is a thoroughly exciting retail space that belies its diminutive space. Exposed concrete, monochrome colour scheme, arty lighting and Zaha Hadid-esque seating; it’s all very en vogue, and all very effortlessly realised. Luigi Valente’s Home / Unusual Store may not be a fantasy-land cum home, but it’s a bloody good looking shop, and surely that’s all that matters…

Photography: Stefano Pedretti

Walter Van Beirendonck; Dream the World Awake

James Davidson — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:12:02 +0000

W.&L.T. S/S 1996 – Killer/Astral Travel/4D-Hi-D
Photography: Ronald Stoops

Alongside Dries van Noten and Dirk Bikkembergs, Walter Van Beirendonck was one of the Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts’ graduates who, in the early 1980s, were christened ‘The Antwerp Six’. Like his contemporaries, Van Beirendonck went on to achieve international success, but always in his very own inimitable style. Dealing with ecology, fetishism, ethnography, S&M and mass consumerism; Van Beirendonck is famed for his uncompromising approach, an approach that owes just as much to art as it does to fashion. Designing the costumes for U2′s landmark PopMart tour, the Belgian designer pioneered ‘cyberpunk’ clothing with his high-tech ‘techno’ fabrics; and with collections such as Sado, Sexclown, and the politically charged Stop Terrorizing Our World, he’s never been shy of controversy and confrontation. Since the tail end of last year, and until 19th February, the brilliant Antwerp Fashion Museum has played host to an exhaustive retrospective of Van Beirendonck’s work and his inspiration; with Walter’s Wonderwall – a 60 metre collage of images, slogans, objects and videos – and a new collaboratin with fashion photographer Nick Knight/SHOWstudio.com, stylist Simon Foxton and GQ Style UK accompanying his key works from the last 30 years…

Dazed & Confused, August 2010 ‘The Joy of Six’
Photography: Scott Trindle, Styling: Robbie Spencer

Walter Van Beirendonck A/W 2011–12 – Hand on Heart
Photography: Ronald Stoops

Dazed & Confused, August 2010 ‘The Joy of Six’
Photography: Scott Trindle, Styling: Robbie Spencer

Walter Van Beirendonck S/S 1989 – King Kong Kooks
Photography: Ronald Stoops, Illustration: Jan Bosschaert

Walter Van Beirendonck A/W 2011–12 – Hand on Heart
Photography: Ronald Stoops

Louis Vuitton Island Maison, Singapore

James Davidson — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:32:03 +0000

There’s a fair bit of dollar knocking around the Southeast Asian city-state of Singapore. A major player in gambling, oil-refinery and the world’s largest oil-rig producer; it’s ranked number 5 in the ‘global power city index’, and a bottle of 62-year-old single malt from our pals The Dalmore recently sold at the city’s Changi Airport for £125,000. Exactly the sort of place to plonk a great, whacking glass behemoth of a flagship store in the middle of a marina then! Shiny wood, expensive leather and a polite palette complete the bland aroma of over-opulence inside Louis Vuitton‘s Island Maison, but the exterior façade of this Peter Marino designed über-shop is undeniably impressive. The fact alone, that very few brands could bring forth an establishment of such decadence, such extravagance, is enough to ensure that LV’s Island Maison is one the most essential retail openings of the year…

Kobi Levi Shoes

James Davidson — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:12:48 +0000

Blow-up sex dolls, the Queen of pop, animals, foods and gender confused brogues… Israeli designer Kobi Levi is not your average shoe maker; and his shoes are not your average shoe. Choosing to blur the lines between art and fashion, Bezalel academy of art & design graduate Kobi creates handmade “wearable sculptures” that entertain, challenge and perplex their audience. With the shoe as his canvas, Kobi – who we had the pleasure of meeting at his studio recently – uses humour and social satire to fashion absurdly original footwear that has been exhibited around the world. Having designed commercial footwear in Italy, China and Brazil, Kobi is currently collaborating with both Israeli and international companies to develop his own women’s shoe line; and if that commercial line is anywhere near as fearless or smart as his custom pieces then messrs Louboutin and Choo beware…

BOFFO + The Lake & Stars + SOFTlab

James Davidson — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 18:04:15 +0000

Photograph © Evan Joseph

Pushing the boundaries of what a retail space can be; We Heart favourites SOFTlab have taken the reigns for the last two weeks at TriBeCa’s unique BOFFO Building Fashion space, in collaboration with markedly stylish lingerie brand The Lake & Stars. The New York design studio have created a ‘store within a store’ installation that presents a series of “view cones” through which visitors attention can be led to particular details in the garments displayed behind. With the interior coated in a white, reflective, glossy skin, and the outer being clad in soft, black material – to absorb extraneous light – focussed light, with the helping hand of New York architectural lighting designers Focus Lighting, is pushed through the cones to create a vibrant, human scale kaleidoscope that draws in the attentions of its visitors. It may look like the most elegantly elaborate peep-show in history, but the concept of using interaction to highlight specifics within a collection or within an individual garment is a fascinating one, and one that SOFTlab have so smartly executed…

Photograph © Alan Tansey

Photograph © Alan Tansey

Photograph © Evan Joseph

Photograph © Evan Joseph

Photograph © Alan Tansey

Photograph © Alan Tansey

Photograph © Alan Tansey

Photograph © Evan Joseph

Photograph © Alan Tansey

Photograph © Evan Joseph

Studio Swine Eyewear for Jane Bowler S/S 2012

James Davidson — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:56:30 +0000

After causing a stir at this year’s Royal College of Art postgraduate show with their Hair Glasses – spectacles made from human hair – design duo Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves have teamed up with fellow RCA graduate, and rising star in the world of fashion, Jane Bowler. The duo, who work under the name Studio Swine, have followed Bowler’s central theme for her S/S 2012 collection – that of Greek mythology’s Icarus – by offering playful takes on early aviator goggles that signify the son of Daedalus’ pioneering, yet doomed flight. Wickedly inventive and delivered with effortless style, the duo can add another resounding success to their burgeoning portfolio. With their star firmly in its ascendency, Studio Swine are ones to be watched for 2012 and beyond…

Spots and Stripes; Desirable Details

James Davidson — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:16:26 +0000

Sponsored Post

Spots and stripes are huge this season – but where have the trends come from and how can you introduce the look into your own wardrobe?

Stripes have underlined fashion trends for a few seasons now, and were omnipresent in this year’s spring/summer collections. Moschino, Prada and Jil Sander were among the top designers to champion the striking look, mixing up horizontal and vertical stripes and clashing colours and prints to offer up a fresh take on classic design detail. Stripes remain a style favourite for autumn/winter, but with yet more twists in the fashion tale: Sonia Rykiel worked with sheer burnt orange fabric and bold black lines to create daytime midi dresses and added a colour-popping green sash to a slinky silver and black stripe dress for evening glamour.

Ashish put its trademark grunge stamp on the trend with holey jumpers and boyish cardigans, pairing mustard with black and brown with cream. And Balmain worked at the other end of the style spectrum to create luxe dresses, mini-skirts and jackets from sparkling gold, silver and emerald blue tactile textiles – the perfect Christmas party wear.

Invest in: Mustard and brown stripes on tops and dresses for a 1960s mod look, or colour clash pieces for stand-out style. And you can’t go wrong with a classic Breton top.

Photo: Marcus Tondo/GoRunway.com

Dotty for spots

But it’s not just stripes that are causing a stir with the fashion press. In August’s issue of Vogue, Tilly Macalister-Smith wrote that “suddenly spot matter is everywhere”, citing Stella McCartney and Marc Jacobs as helping to propel polka dot detailing into fashion focus. Indeed, McCartney’s revealing polka dot tulle paneled black dresses have proved a huge hit with celebrity fans including Liv Tyler, Kate Winslet and Natalia Vodianova, all of whom have helped champion the trend by being photographed in the figure-hugging statement pieces.

The designers behind Marc Jacobs’ retro-inspired autumn/winter collection also went dotty for spots this season, with circles adorning everything from mid-century style pencil skirt suits, sharp shirts and fur trims on women’s coats, to 1980s-style twinkling tulle maxi skirts. Working with a colour palette that encompasses blues, pinks and greens, it’s clear that this look isn’t constrained to monochrome. However, simple black and white polka dot pieces remain among this season’s statement buys.

David Koma was another big name designer to showcase spots on the a/w 11 catwalk, using oversized full circles to create a futuristic, almost reptilian look on body con dresses. And Unique took inspiration from Dalmatians with dotty monochrome detail on dresses, faux fur jackets and trims as well as accessories including women’s shoes, belts, gloves and boxy handbags.

Invest in: Polka dot tights, as seen on the Marc Jacobs runway, are a must have this season and will help inject a slice of fashion fun into any outfit. Look out for polka dots on scarves, socks and bags to add discreet design detail, or go all out for a polka dot party dress.

Lead Image © Vogue Italia, February 2011

Topman General Store

James Davidson — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:07:40 +0000

Having spent the majority of the last decade metamorphosing from everyman high street chain into the UK’s most achingly hip fashion brands, Topman‘s unlikely transformation is now seemingly complete; with the opening of its first standalone concept store in east London’s eternally-hip hotbed of all things creative, Shoreditch. Curated by the brand’s design director Gordon Richardson and the creative director of b store – Saville Row’s cradle of cool – Matthew Murphy, Topman General Store sports that kind of early 1900s sideshow Americana look that’s oh-so en vogue right now, without ever erring towards the forced-eclecticism that All Saint’s international outlets have succumbed to.

Their ‘Design’ and ‘LTD’ collections are given the opportunity to shine in this pared back environment, whilst seasonal collaborations and choice brands sit comfortably alongside limited edition art prints, books from Paris’ 0fr and temporary installations in the store’s custom built displays. Burying, for good, any lingering beliefs that a high street chain can’t possibly be cool, Topman General Store is as bold a move as we’ve seen from a menswear retailer of this size; let’s hope it doesn’t remain a one-off outlet for too long…

Burying, for good, any lingering beliefs that a high street chain can’t possibly be cool

Vertical Garden Installation, Replay Barcelona

James Davidson — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:05:45 +0000

Walking up and down Barcelona’s Passeig de Gràcia last week, there was one shop window that habitually caught our eye; we’re used to all manner of innovative, arty window installations, but there’s something strangely captivating about the 100m2 vertical garden staring right back at you from Replay‘s Barcelona flagship store. Having been working on such projects since 2004, Swedish landscape architect Michael Hellgren has garnered somewhat of an international reputation for his mesmerising vertical garden installations, and if this lavish, tropical wonder is anything to go by then his accolades are justly deserved. There’s all manner of begonias, ferns and aroids involved in Hellgren’s installation for the Italian denim brand – the latest in a line of European flagship stores for the label, led by architects Studio 10 – but let’s not pretend we know the slightest bit about all that; it’s the drama and the presence that enchanted us and here’s hoping it does you too…