Ted Baker SS12 Preview Show

Last Wednesday, Style & Then Some were invited to attend Ted Baker’s SS12 preview catwalk show.  This affair is usually only witnessed by the company’s sales staff as a way of familiarising them with the next season’s collection before it hits the shop floor.  However, this season the invitation was opened up to press, and Style & Then Some’s good friend Jessica Chan was on hand to photograph the key items which will no doubt be falling into the pages of every SS12 magazine trend report as well as in to our wardrobes.

Trends…

1.  Now, I may get annihilated for admitting this, but I have never seen an episode of Mad Men.  Despite this, it being such a popular point of reference for the high street and designers alike in recent years, I am still aware of all the characters and their styles through reading numerous catwalk reports citing it as ‘the big trend’.  A trend that supposedly will still be in attendance in SS12.  This may have something to do with Men’s fashions taking longer to evolve, or perhaps everyone just isn’t ready to let go of their Don Draper look just yet.  Either way, boys, you are looking dapper…

2.  With regards to the ladies key looks, it seems the label has pushed for an eclectic mix of styles which each, in turn, compliment the Men’s line.  So whether your man appreciates the androgynous look, or you prefer full-on feminine, there is something for everyone.  I’m talking Bow Ties, waistcoats, loose, tailored city shorts,  to fun, floaty and even Marilyn Monroe-esque outfits (THAT yellow dress), the catwalk was awash with peplums, peter pan collars and nipped in waists.  So if you aren’t a fan of androgyny, don’t worry, Ted hasn’t left you out.

Pop-Up Design @ Le Garage

Roll up, roll up, get your trendy bums down to Le Garage for Pop-Up Design- A showcase of purchasable raw talent from some of London’s finest graduates.  Pick up original works across the disciplines of photography, textiles, jewellery, fashion, illustration and more at Le Garage until the 27th November. 

 

All details can be found on the poster above, and being open until 8:30 at night thurs-sat, it’s a perfect excuse for a bit of original late night shopping.  Showcasing hand printed scarves by the likes of recent Chelsea MA graduate Jessica Chan, it is your chance to snap up some original pieces before these talented artists hit the main arena!

Happy shopping!  Be sure to share with us what great pieces you pick up!

Photos from Style & Then Some’s first ever Tweet up

Firstly, on behalf of myself, Katie, Sophie and Sophie C, I want to say a massive THANK YOU for everyone who made our first ever Tweet up last thursday (8th September).

When Katie first had the idea to organise a ‘tweetup’ (a social with the people we have virtually met through Twitter, email, Facebook etc) we never expected it to go as well as it did.  More often than not, in the ‘blogosphere’ you rarely get to put faces to names, so we had an amazing time meeting our new friends in the flesh!

We’ve put a whole album of the photos up on the Style & Then Some Facebook page. Click here to head over there – and  don’t forget to tag yourself.

We would like the thank @jamielondonboy, the ladies from Essence Communications, Emma Corbett from Greene & Sheppard, Lisa Bickerstaffe (@lisajbick), Jacki Wadeson (@JackiwadesonPR), Daniel Thomas (@DanielTFashion), Jennifer Roberts (@RubyBrowning) @OliviaPinnock, Emma Hill (@Ems_EJSTYLE), Alice from Running in Heels (@RIHmagazine), Ruth Wright (@Ruthie_W), Jaclyn Craig (@MissJacCraig), Katherine Warwick-Adkins (@KMMWAdkins), Jessica Chan and many more people who kindly came.

We will definitely be hosting another evening in the future, and look forward to seeing you all again soon!

(Hand) Made In Chelsea

There is nothing that divides people more than art.  Some people struggle with concepts that are not literally translated for them whereas others revel in the unknown.  I heard an analogy years ago that perfectly explained this.  It was a conversation between two people at an art gallery, looking at a piece of art depicting a rip in a canvas.  One person argues that anyone could do that (the logical thinker), whereas the other mused back ‘but no one has bothered before’ (the creative mind).

I was reminded of these feelings (as I have always felt somewhere in the middle of these two opposites) when I was taken round the Chelsea College of Art & Design MA show.  Now, I have to say, the work on display was mighty impressive, as you would expect, but I kept getting drawn to the work I felt I couldn’t wholly understand, and which left an after taste of mystery.  For example, the printed fabrics created by Jessica Chan stood out the most for me:

Perhaps it was because her thought processes that led to her designs could only be explained by the gorgeous patterns she had created, or the eye-catching colours she used.  Or perhaps that her accompanying sketchbook did not need words to provide the viewer with any literal translation.  Either way, I have no desire to probe, as I found her work stunningly thought-provoking and enticing.  After all, why explain the mystery away in a few seconds, when you can leave people guessing forever. 

Perhaps this means I am less logical after all.

To contact Jessica Chan directly, please email jkmchan@hotmail.com, or alternatively visit her blog www.forallmywork.blogspot.com.