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We were contacted recently by a student organisation called DONT WALK which runs a series of inspiring fashion events throughout the year. The charity (it received registered charity status recently) was set up in the wake of the 9/11 bombings in the US 10 years ago. This unique fashion focused organisation was established by students of St Andrews University in Scotland as a means of raising money for those affected by the disaster, through a celebration of the spirit of New York.  The charity has since gone on to support a number of charities across the globe and has so far raised over £100,000 since 2001. This year the charity is ZamCog, an NGO dedicated to providing education and shelter for students at the Shitima Boarding School in Zambia.

DONT WALK holds events throughout the year including film screenings, talks and exhibitions to raise awareness of the work it carries out, amongst students and the general public, and the impact of the charities supported.  The events culminate each year in an artistic spectacle and fashion show which showcases the best in student photography, fashion and design.  Internationally renowned for it’s eclectic mix of urban and designer fashions, DONT WALK has worked with the likes of Yves Saint Laurent, Missoni, Barbour and the House of Chanel, as well as leading model agencies such as Next Model Management and Models 1.

The work of DONT WALK has been recognised and supported by a number of celebrity patrons including Claudia Schiffer, Kate Moss, David Furnish, Alan Rickman and Dame Judi Dench.

We’ve been blown away by what DONT WALK has achieved and continues to achieve, and are keeping our fingers crossed we might just get an invite to the next event, which is the 2012 fashion show in March!  If you want to find out more go to www.dontwalkfashion.com .

We think you’ve either got a hat head or you haven’t.  There are women who look exquisite in a dainty hat, a beret, a fedora or a fascinator (we’ve always thought this was a fabulous name for an accessory!) and then there are those that can’t even get away with a cute beanie on a cold winter’s day.  If you do have a hat head and enjoy a little vintage memorabilia on your bonce or an elegantly and artfully constructued creation on your head, then look no further than Robyn Coles Millinery .

Robyn recently moved back to Wales after spending 10 years working in the fashion industry in London, as a buyer/merchandiser.  She worked for respected brands Armani, Liberty and Browns. She decided to retrain recently though to make her own creative contribution to the fashion industry and took a millinery course at London College of Fashion.

Robyn makes a range of hats and fascinators, and works closely with clients to make bespoke creations, she also sells a range of ready-to-wear hats with prices from approx. £85 – £250.

Find out more at www.robyncoles.co.uk or you can catch her debut catwalk show collection at a unique event being held in London on the 21st February, intriguingly titled ‘Naked London Fashion Week’, a collaboration with a group of Welsh designers.  Keep an eye on Robyn’s website for more details.

I have to admit to being a bit of a tech-geek and I am a loyal fan of anything Apple related.  So when I was sent details recently by LA based artist Morrisa Maltz of her unique i-phone snap on cases, I couldn’t resist sharing them with you.  Morrisa is an artist by trade and works with other artists to produce her Mofone designs.  She’s a graduate from Columbia University and has come up with these fun fashion, retro and slightly impractical cases for the sleek and slim i-phone.   Urban Outfitters has been stocking them for Christmas and we understand will be re-stocking them, and they are also available at select Nordstrom stores and various gallery/design stores worldwide.

They’re a little bit crazy and definitely won’t fit in your pocket, but they make us smile, and are a welcome bit of tech geek fun in an often too serious world.

Other designs include a LEGO brick version, an antler design  and more.

For further details and stockists visit www.mofones.com

I studied Fashion Illustration years ago in Sydney and throughout my life have always had a passionate interest in both fashion and general illustration. I collect books on the subject and love discovering new illustrators I’ve not come across before. So it was with pleasure that I met local fashion illustrator Adele Page earlier this year, at the Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair, in Cardiff.

Adele works  and lives in Cardiff and has a ‘day job’ but she has been receiving commissions and interest for her work also.  A designer friend of mine has recently been in touch with her about potential collaboration too.

I personally love the light lines, the soft colours with strong accent splashes, the expressions and personalities of her figures.

Adele studied a Foundation course in Art, Design and Media in Portsmouth and also completed a BA (Hons) Illustration at the Arts Institute of Bournemouth in 2008. Adele takes commissions and is interested in collaborations also.

For more info and images go to www.adelepage.com

First I should apologise that I haven’t posted on Cardiff Fashion for a little while, for anyone following the blog. The last couple of weeks have been manic with work (I have a daytime job or two!), I’ve had a deadline for the fashion book I’m writing, and much more to get done. But no excuse really, everyone’s busy this time of year.  I am a long way off finishing my Christmas shopping too, which with only 5 shopping days to go, is starting to worry me a little!

So, I thought I’d give some ideas for a couple of last minute pressies that might be good for one of your loved ones, or even for yourself, hinted at for someone else to buy you of course!

I was contacted by some very friendly PR people recently who told me about Volume Two of Keel’s Diary. It’s published by Taschen, and as I buy a lot of their fashion books, I was surprised I hadn’t heard of the diaries before.

It’s not your ordinary diary, as it offers you a set of options to fill in each day, sort of multiple choice and asks really thought provoking questions for you to answer.  Every day is different and from the questions you fill in and the way it guides you to record your thoughts I can imagine it would be quite revealing to read a year or so later. It would give a real insight into what was happening and how you were feeling at the time.  They are really unique, and since I’ve been filling mine in, I’ve sort of felt a little bit of calm amongst the chaos each day.  You also don’t have to fill them in every day as you determine the date yourself at the top of each page.  The cost around £10 (you can buy them from Amazon and other Taschen stockists) and they come in a range of bright colours. Apparently the colour you choose says something about you too!

My next gift idea is this fabulous Joy Division T-shirt from Urban Outfitters.  A bit of retro cool! I must admit to being a bit of a Joy Division fan, before they became New Order. It’s just £32.00 and according to the UO site I think there’s still time to order before Christmas.

Last but not least are these gorgeous Nordic Vintage mittens from Lunacy Boutique. They’ve been reduced to £21.25 and are handmade and fairtrade and made from 100% merino lambswool.

Hope that gives you some ideas for last minute presents. Keep an eye on the blog over the festive season as there are loads more goodies and stories to come. I’ve got some time now to catch up with the load of brilliant info and images sent to me, by some very talented people, over the past few weeks.

The very best Seasons Greetings for now, from Cardiff Fashion!

We’ve covered her before, but take a tip from Cardiff Fashion and keep an eye out for Jayne Pierson fashion designer. If you haven’t heard of her yet, she’s a Welsh designer, and is fast becoming a favourite on the international fashion week scene. She’s exhibited and had shows at London Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week. Vogue Italia, Harper’s Bazaar and French Vogue have covered her recent collections, she’s designed for Florence Welch (Florence & the Machine), La Roux and many others. Her collection film was also the subject of a prestigious fashion film award, at Diane Pernet’s ‘A Shaded View of Fashion’ Film Awards, held recently.

Her latest collection is a collaboration with knitwear designer Derek Lawlor, under the name Pierson Lawlor. Mobius Strip was seen on the catwalk on the beautiful and exquisitely toned bodies of professional ballet dancers, and quite frankly the whole show took our breath away! Take a look at the look book images of the latest collection below. (Images: Robert Rowland/Grass Studio) For more on her catwalk show and the fashion film visit www.jaynepierson.co.uk.

If you like a bit of iconic glam in your wardrobe, you may have noticed a ‘little’ launch last Thursday that hit St David’s 2 in Cardiff. Selected as one of only 6 stores across the UK to launch the Versace collaboration collection with H&M, the Cardiff store opened its doors early for exclusive shopper access to the eagerly awaited ladies wear and accessories ranges.

Versace’s collection for H&M is full of pieces that have made the house of Versace legendary. Dominated by colour, print and cut, the brand’s Creative Director, the inimitable Donatella Versace has gone back to the archives to bring some classics to a whole new audience.

Cardiff store interior

Items from the collection include some of Versace’s iconic shapes and designs, such as a classic black crepe dress with gold Grecian buttons on its patent straps, a floor-length goddess gown with a boned bodice, as well as multi-coloured sequin dresses covered in archival Versace prints.

There are also day dresses, short pleat skirts, velvet bomber jackets, leggings and jeans; along with leather items, and of course the accessories, boots, high-heeled sandals and bags. There’s also a range of homewares as part of the collection.

The Cardiff store saw only the ladies wear collection arrive, although the full collection includes menswear.

We heard that there were a few people that slept over night outside the store in anticipation of the official wristband distribution at 8am. The limited edition wristbands were given to shoppers in the queue to spend 10 minutes each viewing the collection before buying.

We got there a little after 11 (I know not very dedicated!) and there wasn’t much left of the collection, and security guards were still restricting access. We weren’t allowed to take any photos on the day, but the friendly people at St David’s did send us some images of the store and the collection, for you to feast your eyes on.

Let us know what you think about the pieces and if you went to queue first thing in the morning too!

We’ve featured Ali Johnson on Cardiff Fashion before as we think she’s a talented fashion photographer. So, when Ali contacted us recently to take a look at her final major project for her degree course at Newport Uni, we took a look and were intrigued by the concept.

The project is based around the Roland Barthes quote: “In front of the camera I am simultaneously who I think I am and who I’d like to think I am.”

Ali worked with models, stylists, make-up artists, all young and all interested in participating, and took a series of photos of each. She first took photos of the models as they see themselves, in their choice of outfit and styling, and then she took a second series of photos of the models modeling, or as they perceived a model would act in a photoshoot.  These photos were styled by professional stylist Alex Gaulton.

The premise was ultimately to take a look at how the models perceive themselves to be in reality, and also how they see themselves as models.  We’ve included two examples below of Loui and Max, see if you can guess which is Loui ‘modeling’, and then Loui as ‘himself’, and the same with Max.

Loui 1

Loui 2

Max 1

Max 2

Viewers who visit the site that Ali has compiled are invited to make a judgement of which photo is which, of each of her subjects.To see all of the images go to http://ajimagery.4ormat.com/men

Aminaka Wilmont SS12

As the gloom sets in and the days get considerably shorter already, we all suffer a little, we think, from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Yes we know with winter on it’s way, we can look forward to new season’s coats and fabulous new boots along with chunky knits, scarves and perhaps even a’70′s reminiscent hat. But if, you’re happiest in warmer climes, then thoughts can turn to fashion that seems a little more colourful and lighthearted, even if the idea of wearing it, feels a long way off.

As Fashion Weeks across the globe wind down until the next onslaught in the New Year, we thought we’d gather together some inspiring and hopefully ‘warming’ images of the floral trends predicted for SS12.  If you can’t wait for Spring, you can of course order some real sprigs in the meantime from a local supplier, flowers Cardiff, otherwise take a look at these gorgeous expressions of this popular trend.

Florals have seen a significant  revival for a couple of seasons now, and whilst we weren’t that enamoured of some of the ’80′s inspired floral prints, the new more contemporary take on the trend, is really taking our fancy.

Take a look at Peter Som’s fabulous trouser suit, for example, with it’s vivid colours, slim fit trousers and boxy jacket. We think it combines traditional shapes with a print that’s bold and uplifting, whilst still incredibly wearable, okay only if you can afford the rather generous price tag perhaps. It will be interesting to see how the High Street responds to this look.

Following a show at LFW earlier this year, that apparently made some fashion insiders cry (with pleasure we assume), we took a closer look at designer of the moment, Christopher Kane’s take on florals. And there were a lot of examples to choose from. Cute dresses, coats, skirts, shorts with a modern edge, strong shoulder lines and some sharp cut hems, combined with colours and prints that were fresh and vibrant.

This sheer fabric floral was one of our favourites, and teamed with chunky flats, it’s a look that we’ll definitely be on the hunt for come the warmer months!

But if those delectable florals don’t tempt you, you could go all patriotic (if you’re Welsh that is) and take a look at some of the more specific floral prints, like the exquisite Oscar de la Renta daffodil dress! It made us think of wood nymph bride! You can be sure they won’t be stocking any of these in your local florists in Swansea though!

photo credit: Imaxtree/marieclaire.com

For High Street alternatives of the trend at more affordable prices, we’ll have to wait a little longer to see what the new season brings.  But we feel a little cheered already at the prospect of some lighthearted floral influence!

If you can’t wait until Spring to express your ‘wood nymph’ side you can always order some real blooms and add them to a Winter outfit, by getting a local flower delivery from Bridgend, Newport anywhere, in fact!