FLORAL | afrow

November 20, 2013

SPOTLIGHT ON: ‘KITTY FERREIRA UK’… AN EXTREMELY ‘GOODE’ BRAND!

‘You know it when you see it’, is a phrase which is often bandied-about, with such frequency, as to become cliché. However, let it be known, that in referring to ethical womenswear-brand ‘Kitty Ferreira UK’, no other phrase will fit-the-bill!

Living-the-dream of designing the range is Founder/ Creative M.D., Valerie Goode, and if ever a moniker described both a person and a mission, it is hers! As I type, the question ‘What qualifies this statement, Afrow?’, is undoubtedly winging its way through to my side of the Blogosphere… Well, my having spent a day-in-the-life with Miss Goode should serve as due qualification!

You see, last week, yours truly was given free-reign of ‘ The Ideal Home Show Christmas’ event, at Earl’s Court! Yes, another wonderful PR Company (in this case, that of ‘Incentive Media’), gifted me a press-pass for the entire 5-day duration and, for an ‘I.H.S Xmas’ newbie, it was AMAZING!!!

Imagine a Noughties-Narnia (except a lot warmer!), lit by an indoor aurora-borealis, a floor filled with stands, as far as the eye could see, scents saturating the atmosphere with the most divine Yuletide fayre and mood-music, apt for retail-merriment! The scene reverted this visitor into a jaw-dropped juvenile, in anticipation of being a tinsel-halo-wearing angel in the Nativity play and sharing memory-making, festive family-fun!

Now, Afrow-Family, follow me to Wednesday 14th, which I have come to address as ‘Kitty Ferreira Day’, in part, because her designs were runway-bound to the Ideal Home Show Christmas Catwalk for an exclusive showcase of exceptional UK design-talent and also because that evening, her collection was to be displayed at a Pop-Up Fashion Exhibiton, curated by online UK-fashion boutique, ‘London Ethnic’ and held at the exclusive private members club, ‘Apartment 58’.

Without further ado, I must explain the riches of Miss Goode’s ‘Kitty Ferreira’ designer label! Heartwarmingly named after her late Grandmother, whom she described to me in one of our many email communiqués, as being ‘fierce like a lion, soft like a cat’, the line comes with this familial brand-boldness, yet delicacy of a bespoke design-aesthetic, which is woven into the warp and weft of every bolt of fabric!

Engrained in the ‘Kitty Ferreira’ ethos, is the stalwart passion to produce high-end pieces, manufactured solely in the U.K, the carbon footprint of which is closely-monitored, due to her personally sourcing top-quality, upcycled materials. Otherwise destined for landfill, these same fabrics, are eco-dyed, in a variety of natural stains, with her latest derived from pomegranates and onion skins, as can be seen in her stunning SS14 garments. As with such tried-and-tested dyeing methods, the beauty of the resultant pieces stems from the drying process, which facilitates unique variations-on-a-theme. Thus, each will be a bespoke creation, perfectly reflective of she who chooses to buy and wear her own idiosyncratic example of craftsmanship.

Following in the tradition of all-things with a bespoke, there is an air of exclusivity to Goode’s goods, bucking-the-trend for batch-process uniformity, whilst helping to save the bucks, with purse-friendly prices! Not only does this serve to satisfy the ‘one-off template’ within us all, but it is ever-more marvellous to see, at close-quarters, the fruition of harmonic parallels between the ideal of ethical manufacturing and the production of such timeless separates. Furthermore, the fast-turnaround of her ‘luxe-for-less’, limited-edition collections, offered in a rainbow of size-silhouettes, ranging from 6 to 26, only adds to their desirability, whilst perpetuating the element of having acquired something extra special, for one’s wardrobe. It is this desirability which has already seen celebrity-endorsement by such names as ITV Newscaster, Charlene White, and earmarks the trans-seasonal/ transferable glamour of a ‘Kitty Ferreira’ garment as a go-to option, as suited to a high-stakes work environment, as to the atmopshere of a restful afternoon tea or a playful party-vibe!

Pattern-cutting, provided by her highly-skilled assistant, Katie, is a dream-of-precision, underpinning the sublime tailoring which is present in the exquisite apparel. For example, a rich mustard-hued pant, with the most sumptuous pleating detail, is an utter triunph and a joy to see, styled with her sheer, silk ‘Saffron Shirt’ with the signature ‘notch’ pocket. In fact, it was this look, which all-but stole the Ideal Home Catwalk Show, and was one of many which had guests at the London Ethnic fashion showcase, flocking to meet-and-greet her! Having witnessed a selection of the collection in-motion, it is easy to see why so many sought to celebrate the fruits of her creative labour! There is no mistaking Miss Goode’s couturière-eye-for-detail, which is absorbed throughout the design, as expressed through a fine floral motif, here, or a high-necked front, balanced by a revealing backless ‘moment’, for the ultimate in effortless, elevated drama. The overall effect pronounces the ‘Kitty Ferreira Woman’ as one of distinct elegance, presence and allure, with a stylisitic self-awareness and an ability to fearlessly experiment with it.

As Valerie herself says, ”…fashion can tell a story not only based on style or an era, but based on values”*. Thus, the most wonderful element for me, is the fact that one can be safe-in-the-knowledge that a purchase from the line is not just another acquisition, which might, all-too-soon, be forgotten! No, a ‘Kitty Ferreira-wearer will always know that she has made an eco-friendly retail choice, not only in support of the best-of-British manufacturing, but also in contribution to the development and success of one of the best-of-British design-talents.

In Afrow’s words… ‘That’s not simply a Goode thing, but a great thing!’

* www.kittyferreira.co.uk ~ www.londonethnic.com ~ www.idealhomeshow.co.uk ~ www.apartment58.com ~ www.incentivemedia.co.uk

Many thanks to Valerie for inviting me to such a special day and to Incentive Media for inviting me to such a special event!

September 21, 2013

MFW: I’M READY-TO-WEAR ‘ERMANNO SCERVINO’!

Picture it…

…Backstage, models sit calmly, hair being tailcomb-teased, face being made exquisitely, Terry Barber-ready, whilst front-of-house, conversations clatter like talking-typewriters! Suddenly, a cry of ‘EHH-OHH!‘, loosely-translated as ‘SILENCE!‘, splits the air into pin-drop reverence…

Now, imagine a host of supermodels, amongst them Alek Wek and Karolina Kurkova, leading a runway of risng-stars, with the aplomb of their 90’s predecessors and you’ll understand the significance of the Scervino brand. If you even dared to blink, you would have missed an almost endless-string of timeless looks, worthy of their own reference encyclopaedia! Whilst we had seen the ‘Pastel/ Metallic/ Midi-Maxi Length/ Column-Hourglass/ Embellishment’ stories, favoured in the vestments of fellow MFW designers, Scervino interpretations seemed to renew them.

For example, skirts took on ice-skater-like proportions, pleats were more than couture-concertinas, reframed as flitting-gaudets… and embellishments, whilst beaded and embroidered, were off-set in position and oriental in theme. Metallics were not simply silver, but gunmetal and gave a more experimental edge when used in conjunction with the traditional silhouettes. Yes, lemon, taupe, mint, black and white all featured, however, peacock added strength to blues and something in the way that peach was colour-blocked, gave it the power of a full-on-primary. Fabrics perused PVC, took a departure into denim, suede injected a new joie-de-vivre to the vestments and silk-taffetta was accompanied by satin-trim, which was a signpost, not only to the superb eye-for-detail on display, but also an attention-to-distinctive-detail.

It is with this in mind, that I take you on a whistle-stop tour of the most unique moments.

PVC won my ‘Return-of-the-mac’ prize for being a funky piece of outerwear, printed in lemon-hued houndstooth! The award for ‘Best Use of Embellishment’ was a split decision between a taupe, tailored-jacket with cluster-beading, set on the inner-edge of the tuxedo-collar (which, incidentally, did win ‘Best Placement of Embellishment’), and a stunning gun-metal-coloured sweater, with a silver-bead-encrusted accent around the crew-neck.

The ‘Prize-for-Prettiest-Pleating’ had to go to an amazing, chalk-white, column-dress, gathered from shoulder-to-waistline, with its pleating gathering pace to the hem…all cunningly-accompanied by a thigh-high split, for epic Grecian glamour! Coming in a close second, was a black, hour-glass gown with crystal-embellished gaudets at the tail.

‘Best Floral Motif’ was shared (I know, I know, there should only be one winner..but, my made-up competition, my rules!)…. The two stand-out creations were an oriental spray-of-orchids, perfectly-placed upon a strapless peach dress, in a diagonal formation, from empire-to-hemline and a peacock-blue, fitted, scoop-necked, mini-dress, with florals, off-set, on either side of the bodice, spilling into the skirt. ‘Best New Silhouette’ was a shoe-in, for a black, lace, nehru-collared cape with asymetric-opening and credit for ‘Best New Fabric’ could only go to……DENIM!!! The ink-blue offerings of v-necked crop-top, short-pant and denim-lined, white jacket were utterly irresistible!

We’re nearly there now, so, drum-roll please… because it’s time for ‘Best-In-Fashion-Show’…….which was…wait for it……the glorious Jackie-O-inspired, midi-length, silk dress and collarless-overcoat ensemble, both in that lightning white, effortlessly worn by the magnificent Alek Wek!!!! Congratulations!!!

So, there you have it, fashion-friends….A whirlwind tour of a tour-de-force collection, which gave us a collation of attire, reprising the traditional with a directional twist.

It’s safe to say that I absolutely adored what I saw…and if you want to reconnect with looks of vintage-modernity, then the designs of Ermanno Scervino are a great place to start!

September 20, 2013

MFW DAY 3 OFFERS COOL SOPHISTICATION FROM BLUMARINE…

If, like me, you are an aficionado of the home-makeover/ home-build genre of t.v. programmes, then you will already be aware of a clever little design-touch of adding mirrors, to give the illusion of increased space…

Gucci employed the method upon their catwalk and Blumarine went that extra mile, in constructing a floor-to-ceiling, mirrored wall, which subsequently made the low-lit, u-shaped runway look as if it went on for miles!!!

‘Sophistication’ was the buzzword, with a little bit of ‘edge’ thrown in to keep things cool! What better musical metaphor to use for the show, than to feed the mesmerising voice of Moloko’s Roisin Murphy into the vast space.

The stories came thick-and-fast, beginning with razor-sharp tailoring to be found in calf-length cut-offs, body-skimming skirts and a striking white jacket with slash, asymetric-opening and deftly-defined shoulders. (Now, we are not talking about power-dressing of the 80’s, here, more an understated authority of the noughties, which we can all work!). The neutral black companion was heralded by a ‘sheer’ theme, depicted in delicate, cap-sleeved tops, apt for summer days, and a neat, leather, knee-length pencil-skirt, perfect for a balmy evening. Nigh-on floor-sweeping dresses, both sleeved and sleeveless, were luxurious, being débuted into the collection, with the contrasting white, floral, motifs overlaid onto the fine fabric.

Indeed, this was a neat segway into the ’embellishment’ element of the show, which saw the first inclusion in any presentation, thus far, of a butterfly, on a sparkling, knee-length dress. Later on, the design would be developed into a ‘metallic’ rendition with sequinned wings, strikingly-placed upon gossamer-gowns, to retain a lady’s modesty! Another welcome thematic entrée to Milan Fashion Week was the ‘polka-dot’, depicted in silver and, once more, overlaid to impressive effect, onto a black maxi-dress. This led into a stunning column-creation, featuring a fish-tail hemline, which was wittily accentuated by fastidiously-fastened appliqué in fabric, cut to mimic scales.

However, an iridescent-gold, knee-length dress, styled with a darkly-hued, tailored jacket, served to retain the harmonic adaptability of the trends, whilst also underpinning an enticing design-edge. This mood matured through an unusual, ‘paint-splash’ print, in red, white and black and would mark the beginning of a carefree, celebration of colour, revealed in a burnt umber, scoop-necked number and a garment so dazzlingly yellow that, aside its fitted, silk nature, you would believe it to, literally, be a sun-dress !

The finale wowed with sequin-studded bodices, which, when reprised against the sheer-black backdrop, would fill the pass with walking constellations and the ravishing, white feathered variation which followed, gave a goodbye-embrace to embellishent.

In all, the collection embodied inspired designs of accomplished dexterity, with looks as suited to the red-carpet, as they are the edgiest of streets-scenes…and if that sounds like you, then ‘BLUMARINE’ might just be the next label you put down, in capitals, upon your show-shopping list!