My-Wardrobe to focus on UK as part of administration

As reported on Drapers - My-Wardrobe.com to focus on UK as part of administration deal.

This week Alex Cadwallader and Neil Bennett, directors at insolvency company Leonard Curtis were appointed joint administrators of My.Wardrobe.com, before selling the business to Growth Capital Acquisitions. Drapersonline revealed this week that chief executive David Worby has left My-Wardrobe as part of a restructuring. My-Wardrobe co-founder Andrew Curran will take over responsibilities from Worby with immediate effect. Curran, who rejoined the business six months ago, said it could “now face the future with confidence”. “We are refocusing our efforts on the UK,” he told Drapers. “There is Chasing a deal: Eggleston and Duffy significant growth to be had in the UK and too much focus has been on markets further afield.” The business will also focus on digital marketing and “innovative shopping concepts”. Curran said he would look to address the pricing structure by buying lower-priced products from the etailer’s existing brands rather than switching to new names. “Our product offering has been slightly north of what it should be, as it was too expensive and too fashion forward,” he added. My-Wardrobe is in the process of merging its London and Nottingham offices, resulting in all but the buying team relocating and at least 18 departures

Fashion East Unveils AW14 Mens Line Up

Fashion East unveils AW14 menswear line-up

Up-and-coming menswear talents Liam Hodges, Tom Ryling, Nicomede Talavera, Roxanne Farahmand and Massimo Casagrande have been revealed to take part in Fashion East's autumn/winter 2014 menswear installations at London Collections: Men. 

Fashion East has teamed up with Red Bull Catwalk Studio for the first time, which sees the drinks brand provide the soundtrack for the event. Fashion East menswear installations takes place January 6 in Covent Garden

Felicities Issue launches with 9 new brands

Felicities are well known for the support they give for young brands and have discovered some of the most exciting talent in London over the last few years. So we were not surprised to hear that they have launched a new initiative for creative start-up businesses. The new project Felicities Issue is a unique PR and business support package for start up labels and new lifestyle brands. The brands that join will be part of a collective and they will send out an online magazine promoting their brands and their latest news

The project will only take on a maximum of 10 brands and Felicities have announced the first 9 Felicities Issue designers which include a host of really exciting new labels – Allumer, Catherine Marche, Charli Cohen, D”ALBERT, Daniele Bardis, DeMASI London, Keungzai. Linnie Mclarty and Shanti Sundays

We will be popping in to the Felicities Showroom soon to find out more about these designers and see the collections  

The Glamour of Bellville Sassoon

Another girly day - another glamorous location - this time at the Fashion and Textile Museum to view the beautiful creations of Bellville Sassoon - an exhibition exploring the history of British couture through the work of Bellville Sassoon, from the 1950s to the present day.

From the 1960s onwards, Belinda Bellville and David Sassoon established themselves as the go-to couture house for young, glamorous and exclusive designs. Their fashion-forward approach, combined with luxurious workmanship, offered an exciting alternative to the conservative styles of traditional couturiers.

The beautifully curated display of dresses and rich contextual material, explores how the formality of the post-war years gave way to the Swinging Sixties and a new generation of aristocrats and celebrities wanting clothes to get them noticed. The season’s most lavish coming-out parties, most influential weddings and high-powered balls all fuelled demand for beautiful, bespoke and fashionable clothes.

Bellville Sassoon dressed royal clients including Princess Margaret, Princess Anne, Princess Alexandra and Princess Diana – and pieces from the Royals include Diana’s going away dress.

Designer Dolls for Unicef

Children’s charity Unicef has tapped 42 designers to participate in the eleventh Les Frimousses designer dolls initiative.

Each doll, designed by the likes of Chanel, Dior and Lanvin will be displayed at the Petit Palais in Paris from November 26 to December 1, before being auction to raise month for Unicef’s project to help vaccinate children in Sudan’s Darfur region.

This year, a total of 93 pieces feature in the exclusive auction, and also includes dolls designed by Alexis Mabille and Anne Valérie Hash, as well as seven interior designers and 36 artists including Ali Mahdavi.

Last year, the bidding for each one-of-a-kind designer doll began at 500 euros. The auction will take place at the George V hotel in Paris on December 2.

Dear Santa - please can I have this dress!

Dear Santa
I have been a very good girl this year so please can I have this Beautiful Soul dress for Christmas
Thank you
xx

LVMH Young Designer Competition

LVMH is launching a contest for young designers and in ultimate X-Factor style, the winners will be chosen by some serious industry heavyweights including Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs, former Balenciaga designer Nicolas Ghesquière, Raf Simons, Phoebe Philo, Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci and Kenzo creatives and Opening Ceremony founders Humberton Leon and Carol Lim.

The competition is open to any designer between the ages of 18 and 40 who has presented and sold at least two collections of women's or men's ready-to-wear. There will also be three €10,000 (£8,334) scholarships awarded to three fashion graduates alongside a one-year placement in the design studio of an LVMH brand.

Crowd Funding For Fashion Businesses

Dressing the Downton Abbey way

On a grey miserable November afternoon the girls in the office have all decided that we needed some glamour in our lives and were discussing how we wished we lived in another era. Discussions soon turned to Downton Abbey and the romance of the Edwardian era - with the dashing young men who knew how to treat a lady – but also the opportunity to dress in beautiful, chic gowns with hats, gloves and jewels a plenty!

Here are a few of our favorite Downton Abbey inspired looks ….

Pearly 

From Louise Black 

Mad Cloth