Georgia Hardinge

London Fashion Week SS15

Published on September 23, 2014September 23, 2014 by Alicja JasnikowskaLeave a comment

With the fashion crowd moving onto the final week of catwalks and the first shows in Paris about to begin, I thought it high time I not only posted a blog (apologies about the huge gap in posts – it was a summer of filming abroad) but also filled you in on what I saw at London Fashion Week this month.

My sparkly Kurt Geiger sliders have an outing at London Fashion Week SS15

Whilst the catwalk shows attract the most media attention, I also like to peruse the designer stands in the stunning Somerset House, looking closely at the collections that have just been shown and speaking to new up-and-coming designers. Despite dedicating over 3 hours to this I only managed to cover one floor this season, focusing on contemporary and emerging talent. Sadly for all shoe lovers I didn’t quite manage the accessories hall. Here is a virtual tour of the designers that stood out for me and what to expect for Spring Summer 2015 (all website details at end of page).

Flying the flag for London

First up the lovely Jean-Pierre Braganza whose SS15 show I also attended this season. A fantastic collection with his signature mix of masculine tailoring, quirky print and fabulous outerwear. Expect monochrome with a little added sparkle. A quick five min chat with the man himself revealed that he had slept a total of six hours in three nights in the lead up to the show. Ouch!

Designs from Jean-Pierre Braganza SS15 (above) and as seen on the catwalk (below)

Another favourite Fyodor Golan pulled out all the stops with neon colouring, oversized sequins and dramatic floral applique. Definitely not one for the faint-hearted, expect to see these designs on celeb fans Rita Ora and Katy Perry pronto.

The delightful Georgia Hardinge showed me around her collection for next Spring, which featured clever architectural-inspired pleating and intricate silk prints, in a particularly strong palette of cornflower blue and chartreuse. Along with five others, Georgia was chosen for this years BFC Contemporary initiative, which included creating a capsule collection for eBay to coincide with Fashion Week. Expect many more exciting collaborations ahead.

For those who like their clothing of a Scandi persuasion, the simplicity and clean lines of Swedish brand Deitas should appeal.

Voluminous shapes and luxury fabrics and prints stand out at Fitriani. I love this beautiful collection!

The prints in the Yuzzo London collection really caught my eye. Subtle and pretty, with an Eastern influence, these gorgeous pieces would work well in any wardrobe.

Next up is Zoe Jordan, also chosen for this years BFC Contemporary Initiative. Her use of abstract print, geometric lines and cracked leather makes for a feminine look with an urban edge. This collection was inspired by Berlin and her printed leather dress (as seen below) was spotted on Poppy Delevigne that same week.

Next the urban sport luxe designs of Jamie Wei Huang caught my eye. I was meant to attend this show but sadly couldn’t make it. The unusual use of colour and texture and the quirky menswear detailing make this collection really stand out for me.

A step further into the world of quirky is New York brand Betina. Starting off as a luxury T-shirt line, the label has since expanded and was recently named as one to watch by vogue.com. Combining a Philappino heritage and US sports influences this collection is a riot of clashing textures, contrasting fabrics and embellishment. Cute!

On to Emerging Talent and the clean lines, boxy silhouettes and succinct colour scheme of label Heohwan Simulation caught my eye.

Another emerging designer with an eye for texture is Ming Pin Tien. The hand-knotted tassles that adorn the garments lift the simple shapes out of the ordinary. And I just adore these crazy furry flats. Fab, fun and sure to get a lot of attention.

And just when I thought London Fashion Week had become all clean lines and commercial shapes, I came across the surreal kitsch designs of Yang Du. The Chinese born, London based designer sure knows how to put the fun into fashion. She may divide a room with her bold designs, but with Susie Bubble as a fan she’ll go far. & why the hell not add some colour to your life. Or an animal backpack…

http://www.jeanpierrebraganza.com; http://www.fyodorgolan.co.uk; http://www.georgiahardinge.co.uk; http://www.deitas.com; http://www.fitriani.com; http://www.yuzzo-zhou.com; http://www.zoe-jordan.com; http://www.jamieweihuang.com; http://www.betina-ny.com; http://www.heohwansimulation.com; http://www.mingpintien.com; http://www.yangdu-duyang.com;

Another darn good collaboration…

Published on November 19, 2013November 20, 2013 by Alicja JasnikowskaLeave a comment

Sometimes I feel all I write about is designer high-street collaborations, so sorry if you’re a little tired of the subject, but there have been so many awesome ones of late that I find it hard not to mention them all. Isabel Marant for H&M, L’Wren Scott for Banana Republic, Meadham Kirchoff for Topshop – the list is constantly being added to. Today’s announcement is about the lovely British designer Georgia Hardinge (whom I have met and can attest is both gorgeous and supremely talented) and her new range for River Island, which launches in-store and online tomorrow. If you think this sounds familiar, you’re not mistaken, as this is Georgia’s second collection for the high-street store (the first was clearly a winner) and coincides rather nicely with the forthcoming party season.

The lovely lady herself – Georgia Hardinge

An image from her first collaboration launched in-store in April 2013.

Renowned for her stunning use of digital prints, voluminous shapes and a savvy way with an origami fold, Georgia’s designs are inspired by her passion for architecture and sculpture. Her main collection has been worn by fashion icons and new label champions such as Jessie J, Florence Welch, Lady Gaga and Nicole Sherzinger – who looked stunning in her printed frock (& is that a cake pop I see there?)

Nicole Scherzinger, Jessie J & Florence Welch – all sporting pieces from Georgia’s main collection

The book sculpture that inspired her latest print (as seen below)

Georgia’s 13-piece collection for River Island includes dresses, skirts, crop tops and leggings. My best-seller predictions are the printed cap-sleeve dress, and the chic knee-length number with folded waist detail, which comes in bold cobalt or classic black. All three would be perfect for a Xmas party and would look stunning paired with a chunky gold choker and sexy stilettos.

From top: Structured printed dress, £80; cobalt blue dress, £60; black dress, £60, all Georgia Hardinge for River Island AW13.

For those that are a little braver the printed leggings are amazing and would look great with a biker jacket and long line tee. Or if you have killer abs, then pair the neoprene cropped top with the pencil skirt and shrug on an oversized white jacket to channel this season’s key minimalist trend.

From top: Printed leggings, £30; printed top, £35; cobalt blue crop top, £35, and cobalt blue miniskirt, £40 (both also available in black), all by Georgia Hardinge for River Island AW13

With prices starting at £35 for a top and peaking at only £80 for the structured dress, this is the perfect way to tap into some edgy, in-the-know designer chic at an affordable price. And with the unique prints and architectural shapes these garments will ensure that you stand out under the mistletoe this year. So go on, treat yourself, it’s nearly Christmas (well, sort of) and you’ve been such a good girl…

Georgia Hardinge for River Island AW13 launches in key stores and online on 20^th November at http://www.riverisland.com/women/design-forum

Vivid Lines

Published on October 18, 2013October 31, 2013 by Alicja JasnikowskaLeave a comment

Today sees the second issue of Exalt magazine hit newsstands, featuring a shoot I styled way back when the sun was still shining (it appears to be the fortnight all my July shoots are published). I have been (impatiently) waiting for this 8 page shoot to come out for some time as I loved the concept and was very excited about seeing the final result. Here are a few of my favourite published shots.

All images photographed by Rossella Vanon for Exalt magazine – Issue 2

Shot by the talented photographer Rossella Vanon, the inspiration was volume with strong graphic lines. In order to focus on the silhouette of the garments, the story was shot in black and white and features AW13 designs by the likes of Jean-Pierre Braganza, Georgia Hardinge, Sorapol, Ashley Isham and Malgorzata Dudek. The stunning jewellery was a mixture of Sarah Angold Studio, Bjorg jewellery and Julia Clancey. Despite a rather manic few days of prep – which saw me travelling the length and breadth of London – the shoot day itself went brilliantly. Unique hair by Yoshifumi Masuda and stunning make-up by Beth Alderson ensured the final looks were supremely strong. Furthermore, our gorgeous model Stephanie from Storm was amazing, and really worked those poses despite the overbearing heat in the studio. Below are some behind-the-scenes shots. I hope you like…

Amazing architectural jewellery by Sarah Angold Studio

Yoshifumi preparing the wigs

The lovely model Steph

The shoot begins with paint splattered trousers by A La Disposition

Photographer Rossella takes to the floor to shoot look 2 (Jean-Pierre Braganza skirt, I.D. Sarrieri bra and Julia Clancey necklace)

The dress I nicknamed ‘The jellyfish’ by Malgorzata Dudek

A stunning embroidered lace coatdress by Sorapol

A quick hair change – this time a triple bun

Steph strikes a pose in a Maryling coat and Emmanuel Katsaros glasses

One of my favourite looks (dresscoat by Georgia Hardinge, ear cuff by Bjorg jewellery, bodysuit by Dans la Vie)

An extra look that wasn’t published made 9 in total. Phew! (Jumpsuit by Jean-Pierre Braganza, leather harness stylists own, glasses by Bjorg Jewellery)

A behind-the-scenes feature from the mag

Credits for main images as seen in Exalt Magazine http://www.exalt-magazine.com/blog/:

Photography, creative direction & retouching: Rossella Vanon

Styling and fashion direction: Alicja Jasnikowska

Hair: Yoshifumi Masuda

Make-up: Beth Alderson at Carol Hayes

Model: Stephanie Rad at Storm

Photographer’s Assistant: Drew Morgan

London Fashion Week SS14 at Somerset House

Published on September 17, 2013September 17, 2013 by Alicja JasnikowskaLeave a comment

Yesterday I finally made it down to Somerset House to check out the London Fashion Week SS14 showrooms. The Courtyard houses the main tents where models take to the catwalk in the designers visions for Spring 2014. Yes, just as normal folk are beginning to pull on jumpers and dust off their coats, the fashion folk are projecting what will be the hottest trends when the sun reappears sometime around March. Here is a summary of what I saw and what I loved.

London Fashion Week SS14 New Gen entrance hall

First stop was the Topshop sponsored New Generation hall where the next big things in fashion tout their wares. My favourite shoe designer of the moment, Sophia Webster, showed off a display of her signature candy coloured, kooky heels, predicting bold colours and clever heel detailing for next spring. Oh and jelly heels! My particular fave is the ‘Killer’ stiletto, surely the shoe Bridget Fonda’s rival should have worn in Single White Female…

Shoes, such pretty, pretty shoes by Sophia Webster for SS14

A lot of the New Gen hall was empty as catwalk collections by the likes of J. JS Lee and Simone Rocha hadn’t made it to the showrooms yet, so I headed upstairs to the Ready to Wear Emerging and Contemporary collections.

First stop was Zoe Jordan who showed at the early hour of 9am on Saturday morning, and put out a collection inspired by a grown up skater girl. Expect sports influenced pieces such as white punched leather tees married with printed silk dresses, in a palette of white mixed with bold hues.

Fresh from the catwalk: Zoe Jordan’s ‘Pretty Vandals’ SS14 collection

Christopher Raeburn’s collection also had an overlying sportswear feel (a trend that refuses to go away) with high-tech fabrics worked into chic printed separates.

Christopher Raeburn’s SS14 vision

Georgia Hardinge has this year decided to focus on her buyers and will be presenting a show in Shanghai next week, but for London she was on hand to explain her pretty printed silk dresses and clever pleat inserts. Collaborating with a specialist, she has created intricate origami shapes hidden within her box pleat skirts and tops. Beautiful!

The designer herself, Georgia Hardinge wearing a pleated piece from her SS14 collection

Another brand that caught my eye was Paper London, which featured gorgeous laser cut jackets and wide sculptural garments in a tight palette of white, red and navy.

Paper London’s intricate cut-outs for SS14

Onto emerging talent where Jane Bowler’s hand-cut leather and PVC plastic creations were drawing attention. Strong editorial garments, plus amazing jewellery and reworked trucker caps means this brand will be a winner with the streetwear and music crowd.

Hand cut leather and PVC plastic pieces from Jane Bowler SS14

Finally I loved the pleat work, colour combinations and printwork of Heohwan Simulation’s SS14, who showed off-schedule on Day 1 of London Fashion week. Definitely one to watch…

Monochrome and yellow at Heohwan Simulation SS14

In the afternoon I managed to catch a presentation at the stunning Freemasons’ Hall showcasing the work of Natasha Zinko – a cute floral stage and pretty ethereal vibe in a succinct collection.

Natasha Zinko SS14

I was supposed to attend the dramatic Pam Hogg show at 5pm, but after queuing for over 30 minutes with what felt like half of London my tired feet got the better of me and I decided to give it a miss. I hear it was quite the crazy with magpie hats and more refined silhouettes mixing with the usual latex catsuits.

London Fashion Week SS14 draws to a close today and the crowds of fashionistas in towering heels will move onto Milan for the next round of shows. Although not until they have partied at tonight’s closing parties, put on by the likes of Harper’s Bazaar and Dazed and Confused. When in Rome…

London Fashion Week SS14 runs from 13-17 September 2013 http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk/ at Somerset House

For further details of featured designers: www.sophiawebster.co.uk; www.zoe-jordan.com; www.christopherraeburn.co.uk; www.georgiahardinge.co.uk; www.paperlondon.com; www.janebowler.co.uk; www.heohwansimulation.com; www.natashazinko.com.