Fjaba: Bringing you an unforgettable fairy tale with wicked thought!

Showcasing their outstanding creations during Fashion Week this season is sister duo label Fjaba! We quickly caught up with them to learn more about this International Brand...

What is it like working together as sisters ?

The best!, as it is very easy, honest and open, .

You originate from Croatia, How would you compare the fashion scene in England to that in Croatia?

In Croatia there are very creative people and designers; also high professional events to present the collection, but in London you have the whole industry and British Fashion Council behind it and of course huge market of showrooms and potential buyers whom you can present the collection.

You first showcased your designs in Croatia in 2006, how has your designs changed since then?

We have developed in the meaning of creating and finalising the idea in whole concept.

You design Pret a Porter Fashion, is there a technique you have to follow for this?

We are always starting from the thought, what we would dress; we like to use the idea of including high designed fabrics into the daily use, and make them affordable to anybody.

For each of your collections you describe where you got your inspirations for it. For your Current collection, you said your inspiration was Africa. How do you incorporate your inspiration into the designs?

By choosing a colors, printed motives, natural fabrics, plain lines with straps...

You will be showcasing your new collection During London Fashion Week in February. What can we expect?

unforgettable fairy tale with wicked thought

Fjaba will be showcasing their new A/W 11 range during London Fashion Week on 20th Feb at the Charing Cross Hotel. For further information please contact their UK representitive Karine Laudort at Kay Flawless Fashion Email: info(@)kayflawlessukfashion.org.

Catching up with Hoisery Haven Itsocks...

We caught up with 'A La Mode' London Fashion Week Sponsor Itsocks to learn more about this fantastic hoisery shopping haven!!!!!! Founder Anna gives us an insight on the company and what there is to come...Read on to learn more...

1. Tell us a bit about itsocks?
Itsocks is an online fashion retailer specialising in selling hosiery including socks, tights, leggings and more. We always focus on the originality of the product, good quality and a competitive price.

2. When was it established?
The company is relatively new, Itsocks was established in April 2008. However it took a year to develop the website and research the suppliers and so we only started trading in April 2009. I set up the company after graduating in BA Hons in Fashion Management from London College of Fashion. I love fashion and tights can be a very exciting part of your outfit.

3. What have been some of the highlights?
Primarily focusing on the UK market we found ourselves trading to overseas customers including countries like Mexico, USA. We also enjoyed very much sponsoring the A’la mode Fashion Show in September 2010 in cooperation with Veneziana. It is extremely rewarding to see one of the brands you sell receiving a positive feedback from fashionistas. Also I feel strong about promoting new talent and A’la mode is a great showcase of new international designers.

4. How do you go abouts deciding which brands to stock?

We are always on the lookout for new, upcoming brands or brands established outside of the UK but less known here. We like to discover new talent and offer our customers something more original and exciting . One of our great discoveries is Israeli brand Zohara with lovely patterned tights and footless tights designed by the group of international artists.

5. What is your best selling product at present?
Our hottest product this season are Hold ups Ar Costina II by Veneziana- ribbed hold ups with a beautiful lace finish, also tattoo tights Martina by Fiore has been a bestseller ever since they were first introduced.

6. What trend's are you looking foward to this spring/summer?
We have noted a big rise in sale of hold ups and stockings , as all the fashion catwalks for Spring/Summer are full of bright coloured dresses coloured hold ups would work well. We have just received a new hold ups with Pink Lace by Lores No 183 Rosa

7. What new brands/products can we expect to see from Itsocks this year?
Lores is not a new brand but we have widened the selection available due to the huge customers demand. We are also on the lookout for some brands offering exciting mens tights.

Visit www.itsocks.co.uk

Edgy Embroidery to Hit LFW – Vjera Vilicnik Announced for London Fashion Week

Immediate Release

London, UK (December 2010); Croatian-born, Brick-Lane-based designer Vjera Vilicnik will exhibit her latest intricate yet cutting edge designs at LGN Events’ off-schedule London Fashion Week Show “A La Mode” in February 2011

After studying Haute Couture embroidery at the prestigious Ecole Lesage, Vjera has had the honour of working with such stand out designers as Roksanda Ilincic, Tom Ford, Max Mara and WGSN. These experiences have armed her with a wealth of knowledge about the industry and taught her to work hard to achieve her dream. Her designs, in her own words, are “classical with a twist, long lasting and handmade with love”.

Embellishment is often a key theme in her collections and her AW11 range will be no exception. Vilicnik has a passion for embroidery which she developed during her time at Ecole Lesage and wants to prove that,

despite its dated reputation, it can still be modern and on-trend. A glance to her SS11 collection shows carnations lovingly crafted out of silk chiffon and feathers hand-sewn onto garments giving the look that tough edge.

Vjera Vilicnik is a designer set for great things. Her skill and mastery of tailoring and embroidery matched with her unique aesthetic make her debut AW11 collection one not to be missed at London Fashion Week.

LGN Events’ seasonal “A La Mode” Show exhibiting a myriad of international emerging designers will take place at The Charing Cross Hotel, Strand on 18th-19th February 2011.

Press and buyers wishing to attend should contact sarah@lagenevenorth.co.uk

W: www.lagenevenorthevents.co.uk

W: www.vjeravilicnik.com

5 Mins with designer Annah Stretton

We caught up with New Zealand based desinger Annah Stretton who will be showcasing her fabulous Chameleon Calamity Collection at the LGN Events’ off-schedule London Fashion Week show “A La Mode” in February 2011...Read on to find out more about her new collection ...

1. Your previous collection shown at New Zealand Fashion Week was entitled 'Calamity - A Life Less Ordinary.'’ What was the thought process behind building a collection around this character?

Calamity was all about risks and bravery, a woman comfortable in her own skin, doing her own thing and living a life less ordinary. Our clothes are all about Calamity, they juxtapose, and clash, yet still work creating individual looks that truly set women apart, just as Calamity would never be deemed ordinary, nor will we!

2. You have now published two books, been awarded various honours for your contributions to the fashion industry and business, you work on various charitable campaigns, as well as run your own fashion label with over 30 outlets in New Zealand. Where do you find the time to work on all of this and how did you transition to writing come about.

There are three elements to a great life and a great business; discipline, passion and integrity. I love what I do, every damn day, and have built up a strong team to support me so it becomes easy to do more. It is important for me to run my business with Heart, that is to pay it forward when I can, whether I mentor, or work philanthropically. The books came about as I simply have so much to offer women in business, sure I have learnt from the school of hard knocks, but they don’t need to. Hence it was a way that I could pass on some of the strategies that I engage in each day that enable my business to go from strength to strength.

3. With so many awards and successes, I am sure this is going to be a tough question, but what has your professional highlight been to-date?

I was awarded the Verve Clicquot Businesswomen of the Year in 2009, it was an award that I was nominated for and came up against some incredibly capable NZ women. To win was a huge honour, and a reality check as to how far I had come. The prize wasn’t bad either! A trip to Reims in France, the Champagne region, where I got to network for 3 days with 13 other women who had won the award from around the world, as well as being wined and dined on wonderful food and champagne.

4. What should London expect to see from the Annah Stretton collection in February?

A Chameleon Calamity Collection - Chameleon being the only frock that a women needs to own and we intend to introduce it to a world stage - www.frockingchameleon.co.nz

5. So what is next for Annah Stretton?

The World… with the Chameleon frock, and the Stitch 'n' Bitch collections ... here I come!

Don't miss Annah Stretton's London Fashion WeeK Show. For more information visit www.lagenevenorthevents.co.uk

UsTrendy Presents RumpleMunkeh at ‘A La Mode’ London Fashion Week Event

Immediate Release :-

London, UK (January 2011); UsTrendy - the website dedicated to supporting emerging designers has just announced that California-based label RumpleMunkeh will be whizzed off to London to take part in the off-schedule London Fashion Week show “A La Mode” this February.

UsTrendy first sent designer Dilly Daisy to take part in the high profile event last February, and this season, they are back again providing young designer Rochelle Carino and her label RumpleMunkeh with the opportunity of a lifetime.

The label represents women of all ages who want to look and feel beautiful. With nods to an old-school Hollywood era combined with a sexy impulsive Sin City influence, the latest A/W 2011 collection is sure to attract attention and be the start of big things for this talented young designer.

UsTrendy presents RumpleMunkeh can be seen at the Charing Cross Hotel, Strand on Friday 18 February 2011 from 7.30pm as part of the eagerly anticipated “A La

Mode”. Don’t miss it!

Press and buyers wishing to attend should contact

sarah@lagenevenorth.co.uk

W: www.lagenevenorthevents.co.uk

W: http://www.ustrendy.com/store/rumplemunkeh

OR http://www.rumplemunkeh.com/

Former Stylist to Debut Own Label at London Fashion Week

Immediate Release

London, UK (December 2010);

Birmingham based stylist cum designer Maria Rehmali will showcase her debut womenswear and luggage collection on the first day of February 2011’s London Fashion Week as part of LGN Events’ flagship off-schedule catwalk show, A La Mode.

The Rehmali brand is born of Maria’s recognition of an individualistic approach to couture. Having earned her stripes in fashion cred by working as a personal stylist, Maria realised that each client wanted a unique garment which they felt comfortable in. It was

this that gave her the determination and spirit

to design her own range.

Growing up in Birmingham, Maria has been

exposed to a vibrant, colourful cultural

environment which is credited with enhancing

much of her creative influences. She has also

embarked on insightful travel experiences which

she feels benefit her collection immensely,

claiming she has learnt about the world and

how fashion impacts on an individual’s creativity

through the colour, scenery, climate and social

status of locations she has encountered.

Employing lace, velvet, printed fabrics, chiffon

and georgette, Rehmali dresses draw upon

inspiration from such renowned designers as

Roberto Cavalli, Balmain and Giorgio Armani.

Rehmali also boasts a range of handbags and luggage which have been customised in Marrakech. The bag designs are constructed using high quality leather with a unique printed lining. The current season will display tans to chocolate shades in a range of sizes from over the shoulder to holdalls.

Rehmali will be taking to the catwalk on Friday 18th February 2011 as part of LGN Events’ A La Mode show at the Charing Cross Hotel, Strand. Don’t miss this young modern brand’s first foray into London Fashion Week!

Press and buyers wishing to attend the show should contact sarah@lagenevenorth.co.uk

W: www.rehmali.com

W: www.lgn-events.co.uk

5 Mins with Designer Jin Joo Ma

We caught up with Korean designer Jin Joo Ma who will be showcasing her label MAJINJOO at the LGN Events’ off-schedule London Fashion Week show “A La Mode” in February 2011...Read on to find out more about her new collection ...

Where do you get most of your inspiration?

I always try to get inspiration from anywhere and anything. But it seems to be a much more powerful effect on design when I experience an unexpected situation, for example, I have stumbled upon unique pleats in crumpled tissue paper in a trash basket.

What I have been impressed by lately is the people in Elliot Erwitt and Charles Freger’s photographs. It is enjoyable work for me to combine images from the outside with my imagination.

What prompted you to start your own fashion label?

Weirdly, I’ve been thinking this job is just me since childhood. It is kind of my responsibility and what is the most important thing is that it brings me the moments the most alive and happy in my heart. It would be hard to realize it without the support and encouragement I get from my parents and hubby. I always appreciate them.

Describe the person you are designing for?

I hope she is born to be elegant and humorous. She doesn’t wear too many trends but knows what the chic is. And the most essential thing is that she is wise with a truly sweet heart.

Which celebrity would you love to see wearing your designs?

Tilda Swinton and Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg. Both of them are actresses who I have loved for a long time and are my muses. They are just the same images as those in the person I described before.

Where do you see your designs in 5 years’ time?

My designs have attracted a lot of press and I have received many proposals from stylists and photographers, but I think that it is more crucial for people to relate to my designs because I am a designer who makes people feel desire to wear mine. So, it would be the very first step to work out my signature design and how to communicate with customers. As I have studied in London, it may be that my designs are best tailored to the European market but I’d like to work globally as a London-based designer.

What are you looking forward to most about LFW?

I hope I can hear the comments from many presses and buyers. These can be hard moments as a designer but it definitely will help to get positive feedback on my work.

What advice would you give to other aspiring independent designers?

There are plenty of successful fashion designers and designs. Following trends is like a flood that you can get lost in. Establish your own signature design so you don’t lose the core. That will be your asset.

Don't miss Joo Jin Ma's Fashion Week show.For more information visit www.lagenevenorthevents.co.uk

5 Minutes with Model Holly from last season...

We quickly caught up with Holly of Top Model UK who graced our London fashion Week catwalks last season...Read on

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Name: Holly Location: London/Wales

Designers you walked for last season: Berit new york, Z-mode, Kate Williams, Zed Eye

Who was your favourite designer last season and why? Zed Eye, because the fashion was different and edgy with alot of use of bright colours which I loved.

What were some of your overall career highlights last year? Walking in A la mode and a photoshoot for a hair salon, it was very satisfying seeing my photo displayed in the salon.

What are your tips on keeping fit? I believe that you should eat 3 healthy meals a day, exercise frequently, especially cardio and now and then you should allow yourself a treat for all the hard work!

What can we expect to find in your handbag? lipbalm! A mirror, chewing gum, paracetamol, mobile, purse and perfume!

What is your must-have beauty item? My night cream and my lipbalm!

What is your fashion must have this season? Super high heeled ankle boots and converse trainers! Oh and skinny jeans :)

What are your interests outside modelling? Surfing, going to the gym, hanging out with friends and family, science, reading and buying alot of clothes!

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To book Holly or find out more about her management TMUK visit www.topmodeluk.com

5 Minutes with Model Rosie from last season...

We quickly caught up with Top Model UK contestent Rosie who graced our London fashion Week catwalks last season...Read on

Name: Rosanna Location: London

Designers you walked for last season: Z-Mode, Malam, Berit New York and Lida O'Reilly.

Who was your favourite designer last season and why?
Richard Nicoll. I loved his line of blue velvet maxi-dresses.

What were some of your overall career highlights last year?
Walking for the A La Mode shows during London Fashion Week and having my images published in Lumine Style magazine.

What are your views on the trend ‘curve’?
I'm looking out for the brocade trend seen at Balmain and Cavalli.

What are your tips on keeping fit?
Going to a high energy gym class. Something like aerobics is great because it's fun and the routine is already worked out for you.

What can we expect to find in your handbag?
My blackberry, MAC lipsticks, a copy of Grazia magazine and thousands of hair grips!

What is your must-have beauty item?
At the moment it's Soap and Glory's 'Heel Genius'. Ideal for when you've been wearing heels all day!

What is your fashion must have this season?
I liked the use of luxe fabrics this season and am looking forward to wearing neon brights in Spring.

What are your interests outside modelling?
I love theatre and looking for inspiration for my work as a fashion writer.

To book Rosie or find out more about her management TMUK visit www.topmodeluk.com

Top Model UK: In Search of the UK’s next best Model!

Top Model UK is a hugely prestigious model search campaign and fashion event in the UK, and one of the largest runway fashion show weekends outside of Fashion Week.

Top Model UK is currently in its fifth successful year. Its search for the UK’s next best model is an extensive and vigorous process, taking place over a six month period, from September to March, seeking out the very best new model talent in the UK. The show provides huge exposure for any young girl, whose dream it is to be one of the great names of the model industry. Previous winners have gone on to walk in major shows, and twelve of the 2010 finalists have since walked at London Fashion Week. It offers its competitors incredible career opportunities. The entire campaign and competition provides unrivalled first class experience, excellent media and press exposure and professional training, acting as a springboard for any young, inexperienced model. The 2010 winners, for example, have also since been photographed for top European designers and all received incredible array of genuine prizes.

The previous five shows have proved to be a huge success and the competition for 2011 will be no different as it sets out to break all records! 119 finalists will be taking part a three day event of amazing shows which will include the work and input of 18 top designers, 25+ major awards, three main UK categories and, for the first time, a international worldwide category finals and show!

In addition TMUK are an official ‘A La Mode’ LFW Catwalk show sponsor!

Tickets for the final, which is to be held on Friday 25^th March 2011 can be found atwww.topmodel.com/tickets

Hot 2011 Style Trends!

2010 was the first year in recent history which saw the colours black and grey, normally ever present as the staple colours in our wardrobes, to be overthrown by the colour camel. Today it would be hard to find anyone without a camel coat (a huge favourite of 2010), camel knitwear or a pair of camel trousers. However, as the New Year of 2011 unfolds expect another huge and very unexpected change to take place to our colour palette. One of fashions big colours this year is the pure and lustrous white. No longer used as just a mere accent colour to highlight, accentuate and compliment the more bold and daring colours inhabiting your wardrobe, instead, s/s of 2011 gives white its first lead role in the fashion world. The event that kick-started the trend was Ricardo Tisci’s autumn couture collection for Givenchy and has spread, rather unexpectedly, right through to the great Alexander Wang. Usually known for his effortlessly cool looks, combing biker jackets with jeans, Wang showed an almost completely white collection for this coming spring. Prepare yourselves for a total wardrobe re-vamp, white this coming season, will no longer be taking the backseat, but will be up in front, worn head to toe, there are no limits to white’s domination of the fashion colour palette this coming season.

But, why white I hear you ask. Any white item of clothing gets dirty within seconds of putting it on and for most of us who aren’t blessed with the flawless bodies of the Jessica Alba’s and Megan Fox’s of the world, white has an awful habit of highlighting all our lumps and bumps which we spend so much time trying to ingeniously disguise. As a result many of you, like myself, have probably spent most of their life-time strictly avoiding the colour and are consequently quite shocked by the colour choice of our fashion masters for this new year. The colour white, however, is symbolic of peace and hope (Noah’s dove) thus resonating the general feeling across the globe, perhaps, that this new year might bring with it a new beginning, an end to a decade of tumultuous warfare, crippling economic depression and unnerving natural catastrophes. White suggests new life, a clean palette, a fresh start and who can blame us for wishing for such a gloriously clean and fresh start to this new decade.

Image credits - www.vogue.com, www.blog.squa.re

5 Minutes with Model Lizzie from last season...

We quickly caught up with Top Model UK 2010 winner Lizzie who graced our London fashion Week catwalks last season...Read on

Name: Lizzie Location: Northamptonshire/ London.

Designers you walked for last season: Amato Couture by Furne One. johnathon liang, Z-mode, Valery Kovalska, Malam.

Who was your favourite designer last season and why? Amato Couture by Furne One, because his designs were very extravagant and the handcraft of jewels onto the garments was incredible.

What were some of your overall career highlights last year? My London Fashion Week Debut.

What are your tips on keeping fit? to have a healthy diet, and to stay active.

What can we expect to find in your handbag? Vaseline for lips, Perfume, purse, ipod, glasses, hair brush, gloves.

What is your must-have beauty item? Vaseline for lips! It keps your lip soft and moisturised and gives a gloss effect at the same time!

What is your fashion must have this season? Faux Fur, I love the wintery look.

What are your interests outside modelling? Drama, fashion, art.

To book Lizzie or find out more about her management TMUK visit www.topmodeluk.com