When I grow up I want to wear…Sophie Hulme

Known for her love of trinkets and  charms, Sophie Hulme has incorporated these treasured embellishments into her collections, from dinosaurs to small leather swatches and military figurines.  This quirky edge contrasts a very classic, structured handwriting which sees her small collections designed and handcrafted for longevity without too much emphasis on hitting trends or creating ‘looks.’  Her inspiration comes from practical menswear pieces and armoury which explains her preoccupation with metal detailing.

Having just graduated in 2007 from Kingston university, the British designer has achieved a lot in just 5 years and has her collection stocked at luxury outlets such as Net-A-Porter, Selfridges and Liberty.

Hulme has collaborated with ASOS and is rumoured to be following up with a third collection next season. I bought a belt from the last collection but was left feeling a bit empty when browsing some of the kitschier items.  I loved the cute military inspired prints but the £100 trolley print scarf.  Eh?

Other collaborations include Nike, Casio, Absolut and Globe-Trotter, bringing her signature brass hardware to vodka bottles and bespoke briefcases alike.

I love the simple, wearable aesthetic of Hulme’s style and the sturdy, quality materials which give the garments a ‘forever’ authority.  My wish list includes the boxy cape winter coats and the minimal leather handbags with notable gold hardware trimming.

Her age and attitude are refreshing:  Mathew Dixon, director of recruitment firm Hudson Walker, says: “Sophie is a composed individual and focused on the goals of her business. She is very professional in her business dealings and deliveries….. she possesses that very rare mix of creative passion combined with a sharp business brain.”  

Amidst a sea clogged with celebrity ‘designers’ (see Chloe Green, Paris Hilton, Petra Ecclestone blah blah blah….) who no doubt rely on others to do the excel spreadsheet bits,  Sophie Hulme is  British designer to be reckoned with.

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Book Porn | Selfridge’s Pop-Up Library

Last week saw what some silly statisticians term as ‘Blue Monday’ – the most depressing day of the year. Worked out using an equation (that can be found here) that factors in debt and the weather, the man-made event dominates endless headlines and becomes a convenient scapegoat for our post-Christmas lethargy

Thankfully, I was untouched by the hoo-ha and decided to take direct action to combat any potential blues, and ducked into Selfridges to have a casual browse. Down in the basement they have created yet another fantastic temporary installation – a pop-up library- that is as beautiful as it is informative.

A side note here: I have a bit of a thing for books – not just reading them, but adorning any wall, table or floor space with stacks of them. When I lived briefly in Paris, I was more preoccupied with packing three giant boxes of them and completely forgot to take any underwear or socks. Nice one. When I came across Decorating with Books by Marie Proeller Hueston and the Book Porn tumblr site, it was like the mother ship calling to me.

Anyway, the pop-up library was out of this world: covering a massive 3,500 square feet, covered wall-to-wall in some of the store’s most beautiful books-  predominantly fashion, photography, art and poetry – and curated by publishing houses Penguin, Taschen and Faber. Chatting to one of the sales assistants – a lovely man named Brian who also moonlighted as a radio producer – he explained the logic behind the book selected: “We’re happy to have these beautiful books displayed here, because even if they are expensive, people are much more likely to flick through a photography collection or a couple of poems than read an entire novel.”

I ask which ones have been the most popular and he directs me to two Taschen collections – A Chronicle of the Crusades: 1474 Manuscript and an Atlas of Human Anatomy & Surgery from the 19th Century. They are quite beautiful and provide brief respite before I’m slowly lured to the other parts of the installation. One wall has been dedicated to celebrity book recommendations, featuring the likes of Olivia Palermo, Sophie Dahl and Will Ferell (see pic). There are also some pretty interesting classes run by the Idler Academy, including calligraphy classes and an Introduction to Greek Philosophy.

There is a bigger story here though- as the library forms part of Selfridges ‘Words, Words, Words’ initiative, designed to draw attention to planned library closures throughout the UK and to celebrate the written word. If you have the time, check it out. It’s a sure fire way to beat off those (hypothetical) January blues.

What do you think about the phenomenon that is Blue Monday? Is it all just media hype? Tweet us @Style_ThenSome to let us know what you think!

Image credit: REX / DA

Going Dutch: Vogue Netherlands set to Launch in 2012

It is with giddy anticipation that I write these words:  Vogue is going Dutch!  That is, to be more precise, the power house known as Conde Nast has decided to launch the Fashion Bible in the Netherlands, thus giving Vogue its 19th international edition.

Why am I so excited?  Only because some of the slickest styles and emerging brands of late happen to be flooding out of Holland and its neighbouring countries (and into Britain no less, with Cheap Monday and Monki both setting up shop in Selfridges this year).  So it makes perfect sense that Vogue will muscle its way on to the stands of every news agents and the shelves of every stylish woman in that part of the world next year.

With Dutch Glamour’s current editor jumping ship to take the reins at the newest Vogue, all eyes will be on Karin Swerink next year.  Maybe it would be wise to consult French Vogue’s top dog, Emmanuelle Alt, for tips on dealing with the Conde Nast pressure after she seamlessly replaced Carine Roitfeld as editor-in-chief earlier this year.

With 18 editions already available worldwide, do you think Vogue Netherlands will stand out as much as I am hoping?  And which Vogues do you, our darling readers, prefer?

Our pick of the Selfridges winter tech line-up

There’s nothing worse than a smartphone or laptop accessory that’s pink and diamante’d up and the only option other than plain old black or silver. Fashion tech accessories are now a huge market and Selfridges is stepping up its game – they sent us a preview of their winter line-up and here are our favourites.

Mulberry Simple Croc iPad Sleeve £165

The clue is in the name: Mulberry’s series of iPad and MacBook sleeves are simple, chic and much more affordable than a handbag. You might not want to get your iPad out of this pink croc version.

Nixon Nomadic headphones £80

Nixon make great, stylish over-ear headphones like the Nomadic line-up that will also provide good padding for your ears and head. Who needs earmuffs when you’ve got these?

Etre Fingerpoint Gloves £40

You might have already experienced the first-world problem of your gloves not being compatible with your touchscreen but if you haven’t already, you will soon. The answer is to splash on a pair of specially made gloves that will allow you to use your phone without getting frostbite.

LG Giles Deacon 3D Passive glasses £28

If you’re sat at home with a huge LG 3D TV, chances are you’re more into tech than being seen out and about in the latest trends. But with more and more of us having 3D film nights over at friends, you might want to think about an alternative to the horrid free (often white) ones that come in the box.

Do men really buy this stuff? Introducing the Man-Gro, the onesie for men

I was under the impression that jumpsuits (and playsuits, and onesies, and whatever else you want to call them) were distinctly unpopular with men. I thought, despite being loved by females of all varieties – from hipster girls to WAGS in the making – that they fell under the heading of man-repelling, along with dungarees, turbans, biker boots and harem pants. But apparently that doesn’t mean men don’t want to jump on the jumpsuit bandwagon themselves: introducing the Man-Gro. That’s right, it’s like a babygro, but for a man. Made by American Essentials, the Man-Gro is an all-in-one pyjama suit, designed for men who don’t want to be ‘disturbed by rising tees shirts or falling shorts’ at night. Is that really an existing problem? I had no idea.

Does anyone else find the Man-Gro concept really quite weird, and a bit too close to the adult baby phenomenon (google at your own risk) for comfort? Or is snuggling up during the cold winter months in his and hers sleepsuits your idea of a great night in? Personally I’m not convinced, and I’m putting the Man-Gro firmly in the woman-repelling category.

The Man-Gro, £95, by American Essentials, will be available in Selfridges and at Selfridges.com from October 2011.

In photos: Selfridges Christmas preview

What do you mean you haven’t started your Christmas shopping yet? Don’t you realise there are only 155 shopping days left before 25th December? I know this because last Wednesday Helen and I went down to Selfridges, where the Christmas shopping is encouraged even at the height of Summer. On Wednesday, the Ultralounge (I’m not entirely sure what makes it more ultra than your average lounge) was transformed into an all-white winter wonderland complete with Christmas trees, fake snow scattered on the floor and Mariah Carey warbling ‘all I want for Christmas is yooooou’ in the background. It was all designed to get journalists and bloggers in the mood for the festive season because the Selfridges Christmas shop will be open by the end of July. Yep, you read that right, July – although the exact date is a closely guarded secret. Can’t wait to get started? Here are a few snaps of the sort of goodies you’ll be able to find there, and throughout Selfridges, in the run up to Christmas – from tiny Vivienne Westwood bears to a giant Dior bear in a box, plus possibly the coolest advent calendar I’ve ever seen.

Vivienne Westwood bear charm necklaces

Markus Lupfer pug jumper

Burberry Prorsum white double breasted 'Pattinson' coat

Roland Mouret white strapless dress

Issa white evening dress

Vivienne Westwood white evening dress

Dior bear in a box

The front of a luxury Lancome advent calendar...

...and all the Lancome goodies inside

Helen and I in the Selfridges white winter wonderland

Watch out, the near naked flash mobs are about

If you happen to be out and about in London tomorrow (Tuesday 19 July) and come face to face with many a scantily designer clad lady, don’t panic.  Lingerie Francaise are hosting the Lingerie Parade, an interactive lingerie flash mob dance throughout the day, using 50′s style pin-up girls to celebrate some of France’s biggest lingerie brands here in the UK.  And what else screams guaranteed publicity like near-naked ladies?

Kicking off at 18 Grovesnor  Square at 10:30, going via Selfridges, Fenwicks, Harvey Nichols, Harrods, Fortnum & Mason and finishing off at Rigby and Peller, let’s just hope those girls don’t cause any accidents (remember the car crashes Eva Herzigova’s ’Hello Boys’ Wonderbra billboard caused in America?)

While there is no doubt this is a playful, harmless act of guerilla marketing, there is the element of irony given the recent SlutWalk demonstration here in London. The SlutWalk movement started in Canada, as a response to police officer Michael Sanguinetti’s advice to a group of students that ‘women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimised’.

So what will the SlutWalk movement make of tomorrow’s flash mobs?  Could it be seen as an extension to their cause, or is it demeaning given the gravity of SlutWalk’s aims compared to underwear promotion? What do you think?

Witness the Lingerie Parade flash mob for yourself at these central London locations:

10.30am Grosvenor Square

11.30am Selfridges

12pm Fenwicks

1pm Harvey Nichols

1.30pm Harrods

2.30pm Fortnum and Mason

3pm Rigby and Pellor, Conduit Street

Roland Mouret, the world according to…

To Selfridges this week, to see not one but two fashion icons in conversation – Roland Mouret and Colin McDowell. The former, the creator of the most curve loving, figure flattering dress of the last decade – the Galaxy. The latter one of my favourite fashion journos who, funnily enough, admitted he hated shopping. His excuse? He’s a man.

The maverick Frenchman was in town to promote his Menswear collection, MR (available with his womenswear at Selfridges) and he let slip that he would be moving into leather goods and accessories like shoes. What he didn’t mention was the fact that he has just been made creative director of the French footwear label Robert Clergerie- announced yesterday. So you know that if you need a secret keeping, Roland’s your man.

Here’s some of what the designer did talk about with Colin:

Roland on the first dress he sold: “It was to a tough American woman from Boston. She came to see my collection in Paris. I said ‘I can’t sell that. I don’t have an order sheet.’ I didn’t know how to make button holes and I used hat pins because I couldn’t make a zip.”

Roland on fashion journalists: “I felt like a fake. And fashion journalists they rub butter on your skin, like they’re going to fry you.” Colin McDowell: “They’re got a lot to answer for.”

Roland on the Galaxy dress: “I wanted to go back to the first dress that I didn’t finish, something really close to the body and it wasn’t right for fashion at that moment. Women like Scarlet Johansson and Dita Von Teese, I didn’t have anything for them in my collection.”

Roland on dressing curves: “What do you do with a bra and that neckline? I had to pinch the waist to make a little roundness on the hip – I learned this from cabaret friends – and soften all the little mistakes of the body.”

Roland on the effect of women’s fashion on men: “Part of my success is that men get it. Men would love to undress the women I dress. And women would love to borrow from the men I dress. When you pass someone in the street and look back, people leave a memory like a perfume. That’s why I like to make a beautiful back on the dress.”

Roland on designing shoes and accessories: “I have never done shoes and never done bags. There’s no point showing on the catwalk if I don’t deliver. Part of my success is my partners. But if I find the right factory..”

My very stylish week part 1: A model interview

A visit to Selfridges for a clothing launch and a private view at the new Somerset House exhibition made for a rather fashionable few days for me last week. Stay tuned for more about the exhibition later this week.

Last Monday I took an extended lunch break (my boss is super nice like that) to pop over to Selfridges on Oxford Street and, in my capacity as London correspondent for Melbourne-based Fashionising.com, interview Australian model Jess Hart about her fashion range Neon Hart. With a five minute photocall and a fifteen minute interview scheduled I thought it would be over in a flash but, as usual with all things fashion, they were running late and I ended having to leg it back to the office way later than intended. I had a go at being a fashion photographer with a borrowed SLR too, the results of which you can see here. What do you mean I shouldn’t give up my day job?

Jess was discovered at the age of 15 in a model search competition run by Australian teen magazine Dolly. Now 24, she hit the big time a few years ago when she appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition and modeled for Victoria’s Secret – that’s right, she has an amazing body. She also has great style, in that tomboyish, resident New Yorker kind of way, and put her eye to good use by collaborating with an Australian retailer to create Neon Hart. Jess was in London to launch the range here, available exclusively at Selfridges.

Click here to read my full interview with Jess Hart on Fashionising.com

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