Having grown up listening to contemporary American R&B and soul, inspired by artists such as Destinys Child and Erykah Badu, newcomer Viv fuses these influences with contmporary electronic sounds creating melodic, forward-thinking pop structures. Come A Little Closer is the 20-year-old singer, songwriter from London’s first track. It showcases her talent for songwriting and as a vocalist through it’s futuristic progressive trip hop beats and mesmerizing sounds. We can’t wait to hear more from this young artist.

Listen to Come A Little Closer below.

soundcloud.com/liv-songs

Tags: Liv

Frieze is one of the largest art fairs around, attracting many collectors, buyers and art aficionados to the city which in turn causes many shows to pop up around town. Geoff Leong has once again joined forces with artist-curator duo Vanya Balogh & Cedric Christie to support and exhibit over 100 artists in the circular 20,000 Sq ft multi storey Q-Park car park beneath Cavendish Square. Whilst unusual in terms of location, this annual event likes to challenge, entice and entertain all art lovers and visitors.

Featuring a range of mediums such as sculpture, film, photography, painting and as well as performative talks and live presentations from both emerging and established artists. This year, the show also includes a marble sculpture by Andy Elton in the gardens of Cavendish Square.

The exhibition runs daily 12-8pm, from 14-19 October 2014. 

Tags: Art Fair, Frieze, We Could Not Agree

To kick off Breast Cancer Awareness month this October, Kate Moss has teamed up with Stella McCartney in a revealing ad campaign. Photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, Moss strips off to reveal the famous pink ribbon.

McCartney has designed a range of pink lingerie – the Gemma Relaxing collection  – which aims to encourage young women to give themselves self-exams when getting dressed. “The main idea was to create something that initiates awareness for women to keep healthy,” says the British designer. “So we decided to make something stylish, with an eye catching pop of colour so that even just opening your drawer and even if you see it and don’t wear it, it’s a reminder.”

Available in store and online soon, all proceeds will go to the Linda McCartney Centre.

stellamccartney.com

Tags: Breast Cancer Awareness, kate moss, Stella McCartney

Martin Provost’s Violette looks at the the real life story of Simone De Beauvoir’s literary muse Violette Leduc. A writer herself, Violette – played by Emmanuelle Devos – led a troubled, emotional life, always wanting what she could never have. Although she was a lesbian, she was prone to falling in love with heterosexual women and gay men alike and became obsessed with De Beauvoir who did not reciprocate.

Full of left bank literary and philosophical history, the film gives us an honest insight into a writer’s world.

Violette opens in cinemas on October 3rd. 

Tags: Martin Provost, Violette

For Autumn/Winter 2014, Charlie May, the womenwear designer with a minimal and monochrome sensibility, called upon knitwear specialists Eleven Everything to create stunning wooly pieces to add to her collection of elegant androgyny. “I’ve admired Kathryn [the designer behind Eleven Everything] and her work for some time,” states May, “so when we met through a mutual friend it was the perfect opportunity to work together. I had been wanting to explore knitwear and the process behind it for my own collections and Kathryn was keen to explore womenswear, so it was a natural collaboration that took form.”

Taking inspiration from the textures of Dartmoor, Devon, the rugged, windswept environment is reflected in her use of pony hair and Mongolian furs. “I was super excited seeing the swatch/sampling process, so many beautiful merino wool styles to choose from but we went with chunky polo’s with long sleeves and origami wrap skirts. The focus is completely on the fabrication in my view, the texture of the rib stands out so beautifully.”

Tags: Charlie May, Eleven Everything

A serum can tend to be rather pricey, but when all you need is a pea-sized amount, those concentrated formulas will last a long time. Think of them as the holy grail to skincare; they target damage and can fight certain skincare issues such as acne, sun damage, ageing or dehydration. The smaller molecules found in them are absorbed by the skin faster and deeper than a moisturiser, and they contain fewer thickening agents, such as nut or seed oils. Most serums are water-based, eliminating oils altogether, leaving your skin feeling nourished and ready to face the day. For best use, apply after toning, wait to dry and then moisturise.

We’ve searched high and low, testing products to give you four of the best serums on the market for all your skincare needs.

Codage Serum N°2 Mattifying and Repairing, £64, selfridges.com & This Works Skin Deep Youth Elixir, £38, thisworks.com

Verso Super Facial Serum, £95, goodhoodstore.com & Aesop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Serum, £45, aesop.com

Tags: Aesop, Codage, Serums, Skincare, This Works, Verso

Earlier this year actress Emma Watson was named a U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador, and over the weekend gave a passionate speech on gender and feminism at the U.N. headquarters in New York to launch the HeForShe campaign. She talked about the many misconceptions of feminism, how it can be seen as a dirty word and she pushed back against campaigns such as Women Against Feminism, but her main goal was to ignite male support, stating that feminism is not a single gender issue. She calls for men and boys everywhere to become advocates for ending the inequalities that women and girls face globally. Emma said in her speech:

“I decided I was a feminist and this seemed uncomplicated to me. But my recent research has shown me that feminism has become an unpopular word. Apparently I am among the ranks of women whose expressions are seen as too strong, too aggressive, isolating, anti-men and, unattractive.

Why is the word such an uncomfortable one? I am from Britain and think it is right that as a woman I am paid the same as my male counterparts. I think it is right that I should be able to make decisions about my own body. I think it is right that women be involved on my behalf in the policies and decision-making of my country. I think it is right that socially I am afforded the same respect as men. But sadly I can say that there is no one country in the world where all women can expect to receive these rights.”

To find out more about the HeForShe campaign, head to heforshe.org

You can watch her entire speech below…

Tags: Emma Watson, Feminism, HeForShe

After an incredibly well-received SS15 presentation at the ICA during London Fashion Week, Faustine Steinmetz has collaborated with Opening Ceremony to create an exclusive window installation at their Shoreditch store for the duration of fashion month. The display illustrates Steinmetz’s interesting process – her handwoven fabrics are made using artisanal techniques, everything is woven, worked and finished, with some pieces taking days to complete.

Inspired by the almighty couture houses, the East London based, Parisienne born designer looked at how they can be intrusive, how their countless lines and infinite products are pushed into our lives. Her presentation explored the relationship between those products and the way in which they are presented. She believes it is all about our perception of the product and how they make us feel. To us, a Fasutine Steinmetz piece makes us feel very special indeed.

Opening Ceremony Shoreditch: 106 Shoreditch High Street London, E1 6JQ

faustinesteinmetz.com

openingceremony.us

Tags: Faustine Steinmetz, opening ceremony, Shoreditch

KNITWEAR Chanel to Westwood celebrates the evolution of woollen garments this autumn at The Fashion and Textile Museum. With over 150 pieces on display, the exhibition features rare crocheted evening dresses, original faire isle jumpers and 1930’s swimwear, from the collection of Mark and Cleo Butterfield. Not only will you find designs from Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garcon, Julien McDonald, Ossie Clark and Mary Quant, but you will also see the technical innovations taken place throughout the ages.

Accompanying the showcase is Visionary Knitwear, a look at contemporary fashion clothing from established and graduate designsers. Sandy Black, professor of Fashion and Textile Design and Technology at London College of Fashion pulls together bold designs from creative talents such as Mark Fast, Sister by Sibling, Lucas Nacimento and Julien Macdonald. Highlighting how knitwear is now daring, bold and has a sense of humour.

KNITWEAR Chanel to Westwood opens today and is open until 18th January 2015 at the Fashion and Textile Museum 83 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XF. 

ftmlondon.org

Tags: Chanel, fashion and textile museum, Knitwear, Vivienne WEstwood

As the fashion pack heads to Milan, we look back at the Burberry SS15 show from London Fashion Week. Titled The Birds & The Bees, Christopher Bailey’s vision for spring featured butterfly and honey bee motifs, along with bright bold font designs. Those same prints were hand-painted on the runway and plastered on the transparent roof, further illustrating Bailey’s inspirations. The Mac, more than just a Burberry staple, came in denim, suede or satin, and some were cropped or flared. And of course, everything was tied in a cute tulle sash bow.

This season Burberry partnered up with YouTube, giving us unrivalled access to the SS15 show highlights and much more. Watch the video below.

burberry.com

Tags: Burberry, LFW, SS15

Jessie Ware is set to release her second album Tough Love next month. She’s given us a couple of tracks to tie us over and has just released her latest video for Say You Love Me. The British singer is full of emotion while she gives a stunning performance of her most heart-felt song to date.

“When I found out Tell No One were interested in directing Say You Love Me, I was so confident they would deliver something visually beautiful and provocative,” said Jessie. “They are such talents and I have been a fan of their work for a while. I was an absolute pleasure to work with them on this. It was probably the most technically challenging thing I have worked on, but for them, it looked like a walk in the park. They have such confidence in what they do, it was inspiring to watch.”

Tough Love is released on the 13th October. Pre-order from itunes.com 

Tags: Jessie Ware

Marta Jakubowski caught our attention with her MA graduate collection, when it walked down the Royal College of Art’s Graduate Showcase back in June. Meters of red, white and black fabric connected the models, creating a fluid line of design, from train to metallic headpiece. Intrigued, we caught up with the young designer to find out more.

Tell us a little bit about your background – where did you study?
I started my degree at University of Applied Sciences Trier in Germany, took a year out to study at Central Saint Martins and finished my MA at Royal College of Art this summer. In between, I worked with Bruno Pieters, Jonathan Saunders, Alexander Wang and Hussein Chalayan.

You’ve lived in many cities – Berlin, Antwerp, London and New York. Does this influence you as a designer?
I’m not sure how it influenced me as a designer yet – it definitely influenced me as a person. It used to be so exciting for me to move to new cities with one suitcase, sometimes not even sure where to live and creating my own little life from scratch. I was always very lucky to meet amazing people. There was a time where I couldn’t stay longer than six months in one place, I would get bored and had the need to move on. London is different – it feels home and that’s nice.

What was the inspiration behind your MA graduate show?
It’s about the loss of my mum and how much I love and miss her. It’s about the endless connection after being separated. I was trying to capture emotions, all the sadness, madness and sickness in my silhouettes. I was very angry and depressed while I was working on the collection. Now I feel more peaceful if I look at the collection. I guess to deal with it was the best therapy.

Why red, white and black?
They were the colours I was seeing, feeling and thinking at that moment. There wasn’t another option. Red for love, black for sorrow and white for a new beginning.

What design houses or fashion brands do you aspire to be like or find inspiration from?
I love the late 90’s early 2000’s, especially the work of Hussein Chalayan, Helmut Lang and Martin Margiela at that time. It’s was so subtle, effortless and had a great concept.

What have you been up to since graduation?
I had a great summer in London, it’s so good to be able to spend more time with my friends again. Besides that, I’m still trying to earn a lot of money. Lately, I was preparing for London Fashion Week, where I’m showcasing part of my collection in the British Fashion Councils’ ‘Once to Watch’ installation in Somerset House – that’s very exciting!

Marta Jakubowski‘s London Fashion Week exhibition opens today as part of the Designer Showrooms at Somerset House. 

Photographer Niko Mitrunen captures Marta Jakubowski in her studio. 

Tags: AW14, london fashion week, Marta Jakubowski, Niko Mitrunen

KENZO’s creative directors, Carol Lim & Humberto Leon have teamed up with TOILETPAPER magazine creatives Maurizio Cattelan, Pierpaolo Ferrari and Micol Talso for the third time to create the advertising campaign for the autumn/winter 2014 collections. Inspired by the new season’s line, along with David Lynch and his oeuvre, they came up with yet another bright and bold campaign – one that is not forgotten easily.

To celebrate, they are also releasing the third volume of KENZINE, which will feature unseen images from the campaign shoot. With a limited run of only 2000 copies, we suggest getting to your nearest store stat. On September 27th that is, when they go on sale exclusively in KENZO stores worldwide and from March 2015 in other selected retail stores.

“For the third instalment in our collaboration with TOILETPAPER for our advertising campaigns, we worked with Maurizio, Micol and Pierpaolo to take people on a mysterious journey to an unfamiliar world. A place where the ordinary is slightly distorted, mirrors lead to other dimensions, and the strange and beautiful coexist in singular harmony. We love that David Lynch’s skewed and somewhat disruptive sense of storytelling seamlessly fits with how the TOILETPAPER approach image making and the final results speak for themselves. Needless to say we’re delighted with the outcome and hope everyone else enjoys the images as much as we do.” – Carol Lim & Humberto Leon

kenzo.com

Tags: Kenzo

Ralph Lauren introduced it’s new Polo line for women in a new, revolutionary way at New York Fashion Week.  The models walked a runway that was projected above Manhattan’s Central Park, appearing like beautiful mirages using four-story-tall holographic effects.

“I really wanted to do something big for the new Polo Women’s brand — something set in the city — that felt modern. We
returned to Central Park, a place I love, and captured the spirit of Polo with a truly innovative mix of fashion and
technology,” said Ralph Lauren.

To find out more, watch the behind the scenes film below.

ralphlauren.co.uk

Tags: NYFW, Ralph Lauren, SS15

When the models walked the catwalks back in February, there was one accessory that came out on top – the wide brim hat. The beanie reigned supreme for many winters, and although some will find it difficult to say goodbye it’s seems it’s finally time for a new hat to rule. Many designers this season have given us their version of the trilby and fedora, all with an exaggerated brim to keep those unwanted voyeurs at bay. Here we pick our top four styles of the season, so all you need to worry about is that pesky hat-hair.

Etudes Studio Midnight Hat in Grey, £185, etudes-studio.com & Maison Michel Fara Wide-Brimmed Fedora, £300, selfridges.com

Saint Laurent Wide-Brimmed Fur-Felt Hat, £705, matchesfashion.com & A.P.C. Dark Navy Felt Trilby, £145, avenue32.com

Tags: APC, AW14, Etudes Studio, Hats, Maison Michel, Matthew Gregory, Saint Laurent

Experimental electro-pop chic Grimes has, finally, released a new video for her latest track. The song came out in June and features a collaboration with another Canadian musician Blood Diamond, but apparently Claire Boucher wrote Go for Rhianna. We’re just thankful the pop-princess turned it down.

The video was inspired by Dante’s Inferno, and was co-directed by Grimes and her brother Mac. It takes us to a world of dancing mimes, club scenes and sand dunes, with flashing lights, fish-eye shots, and even features some very en vogue Adidas slides. We just hope the next visual instalment doesn’t take as long.

grimesmusic.com

Tags: Blood Diamond, Grimes

Linda Farrow’s AW14 offering only furthers their diverse and adventurous exploration of eyewear. Introducing thirteen new sunglasses and eight new optical styles in either acetate, metal and of course, snakeskin. You’ll find the fashion frames in sun-bleached hues and subtle tones of storm, deep coral, oyster, shell, apricot, and mink, as well as bright contrasting colours and the classic black and white.

The AW14 collection also introduces two new Superchunk shapes, providing thick acetate frames up to 9mm – for those who love to go bold. Every piece has the extraordinary finish and attention to detail that Linda Farrow is renowned for.

lindafarrow.com

Tags: AW14, Linda Farrow, Sunglasses

Goodhood opened in East London back in 2007 and have been growing as a brand and store space ever since. This September sees the launch of their biggest expansion yet, moving their flagship to a two-storey, 3000 sq feet store in the heart of Shoreditch. Co-founders Kyle Stewart and Jo Sindle have a ‘curational’ style of buying, rooted in design, quality and creativity, making the concept store, along with Goods by Goodhood (the store’s in-house collection of tees, tops, stickers, bags and homeware), the first name that comes to mind when you think luxury casualwear.

We caught up with both Kyle and Jo to find out what the big move means to them, what we can expect and of course, what the future holds for Goodhood…

When did you realise that you had outgrown the original store?
I think last Christmas. It was when our stock room started to expand, up the stairs, in to our office, in to our studio and on to our desks.

Apart from size and location, how will it differ from Coronet Street store?
All the new additions will be what makes this store different from our beloved Coronet street; the cafe, the kidswear collections, an expanded print section, an exhibition space, a dedicated cosmetic zone,  more from the brands you already love and some exciting new ones.

Did you work with a designer?
Nope. It’s all been done in-house by the Goodhood founders and team.

Was there any other London areas in mind for the new flagship? Or is it all about East London?
We would only ever consider being in East London as a home. However watch this space for future developments!

Tell us about the Goodhood Cafe. What tasty treats can we expect?
We’ve gone in to partnership with Brett Redman, owner and chef of Elliot’s, so will be providing some world class coffee, complimented by open sarnies, seasonal produce and an exclusive GH menu.

Goodhood has become a leader in terms of luxury casualwear. What do you look for when it comes to the designers and brands you stock?
We are interested in selling clothes, we’re not so interested in fashion or trends, obviously we do feel it, but we like to see garments that are rooted in culture, and the history of clothing, workwear etc.

Are there plans for stores in other locations? What’s next for Goodhood?
We will be working on expanding our own product range in the future. Our dream is to open stores in LA, Tokyo, and Ibiza.

The new store is located at 151 Curtain Road, EC2A 3QE and is open for business. 

goodhoodstore.com

Tags: Concept Store, East London, Goodhood, Menswear, Womenswear

Before starting his eponymous label, Patrick Li worked for some of fashion’s most established designers of avant-garde. Names such as Hussein Chalayan and Viktor & Rolf, and as a graduate of Royal College of Art’s MA Womenswear course, he is a true master of his craft. The pieces he creates are sculpted from his imagination, giving us an insight into Li’s world of expression. One we can’t wait to see more of.

Patrick Li will be showcasing his SS15 collection at London Fashion Week, but we caught up with the designer before the fashion season rush to find out more about the man behind the clothes.

When did you decide on a career in fashion?
Growing up I was always drawn to art and crafts, anything creative. I knew that it was something I was good at and felt great doing. Although fashion was not something that crossed my mind at first, it was the stimulating images in glossy fashion magazines that drew me in. I took a foundation course in art and design and tried out different disciplines in alternative creative areas. As a result I came to study fashion and have never looked back.

What does fashion mean to you?
Fashion is visual and a medium of self expression.

What attracted you to London as a place to start your brand?
London is one of the most creative and exciting cities to live and work in, I have liked it ever since my first visit. There are less boundaries and rules about fashion in London, which gives it the edge over other fashion capitals. It helps promote creative start-ups.

Your designs are heavily detailed and intricate. What inspires them?
The inspiration is drawn from various elements of research, mostly from visual imagery, which I then develop from there. I have taken quite a relaxed and free approach when beginning to gather thoughts and inspiration for AW14. Instead of focusing on a singular theme, I listened to 90’s and early millennium electronic tunes, and looked at abstract black and white photography of urban objects and city landscape. I was especially inspired by the composition of repetitive patterns and regimented lines in the images. The aluminum chain details were developed from there.

What are your favourite materials to use?
I tend to work with different contrasting materials every season, however, there are always silks in my collections.

Describe the Patrick Li design ethos in three words…
Modern, clean and graphic.

Your SS14 collection was very light with flashes of neon, whereas AW14 is very dark and broody. Can we expect another bright collection for SS15?
SS15 will be light and a bit more playful. Spring/Summer is always light for me, whereas Autumn/Winter needs a stronger and more protective feel.

patrick-li.com

Tags: LFW, Patrick Li

Charlotte Gainsbourg is known as an actress, singer/songwriter and muse, but now she can add designer to that too. In collaboration with denim brand Current/Elliot, the French beauty has created four exclusive capsule collections all inspired by her own chic and understated style.

“For me, denim has always been a fabric that can take on the personality of the person who wears it,” stated Gainsbourg, who designed denim jackets, coats, jeans and blazers for the collection. Serge Azria, CEO and creative director of Current/Elliott, said that “we both wanted to create something special, not a large line; the best shirt, the best jean, the best jacket.” And that, it seems, they have.

The Charlotte Gainsbourg x Current/Elliot collection is now available at Net-A-Porter, MATCHESFASHION, Harrods and Harvey Nichols. 

Tags: charlotte gainsbourg, Current/Elliott