Review: Gray’s School of Art Fashion Show 2013
For some the degree fashion show feels like the end but last week GUM attended the Gray’s School of Art Fashion Design Runway Show and there was certainly a sense of action and motivation. Only a few days after obtaining their degree, finding out that two of their graduates are nominees for the Scottish fashion awards and many finding out about Masters degrees and jobs, before the show even started there was already a great sense of achievement.
The evening kicked off with a collection from Laura Sherriff. The collection paid great attention to detail and set the tone for the night. The next hour was a display of workmanship and new gen design.
Persimmon, A Selective Colour was the sleek show stopping collection by Debbie Mcleod. Her designs were minimalistic and masculine although the use of mohair knit softened the collection. Her use of colour was most interesting as the oranges against the gray, black and white proved both tasteful and modernist. When asked about her collection McLeod stated it was: “A simplistic outlook…blending each design into the background as if it were its own creation”.
Fashion Update: Rockabilly
What started in the 1950s with the merging of rock-and-roll and country (or “hillbilly”) music by artists like Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash gave rise to a rebellious way of life and a fashion sense known as rockabilly that’s still in vogue today. As the popularity of vintage clothing continues to rise, designers are offering up new fashions that give off a retro 50s-and-60s vibe.
Modern rockabilly style harkens back to an era when people dressed up every day, a time when women didn’t leave the house without hose and make-up and men wore jackets to work. Today, the rockabilly look has taken on an edge. It’s glamorous, outrageous and, most importantly, fun. Here’s how you, too, can rock today’s trendy rockabilly look.
Tops and Bottoms Rockabilly clothing can be difficult to describe, but you’ll know it when you see it. Think bombshell. Go for a bold and sexy look with polka-dotted halter tops or tie-at-the waist blouses paired with tight black capri pants or a pair of cropped, cuffed, tight-fitting jeans. Bust out of a slinky sweater worn with a slim-fitting skirt, and don’t forget to add a pair of heels. For the summer months, form-fitting retro shorts or a saucy little sailor suit might be in order. Dresses are a staple of rockabilly wardrobes, and a must-have for anyone who wants to pull off this look. Choose sexy, form-fitting, vintage-look dresses in bold colors like red or hot pink and patterns like black-and-white polka dots. The bolder, the better. Stripes, checks, gingham…rockabilly chicks get noticed. Dresses with bigger, flared skirts can be rockabilly, too. Look for one with an off-the-shoulder or halter top. If it shows off a tattoo or ten, even better.
Interview: Chouchou
The Glasgow fashion scene is bursting at the seams with creative talent, so it’s no surprise that Italian-born designer Silvia Pellegrino decided to start up her own label here. Chouchou creates unique hoods with a couture feel which appeal to the city’s fashion-forward, individual style. Unsurprisingly, Pellegrino’s range of Hollyhoods have attracted quite the following, and GUM were lucky enough to feature one of her striking pieces in our latest issue. Flick to page 20 of our ‘Blackout’ feature to see the Hollyhood Rose in action. We caught up with the designer again to talk hoods, hoods, hoods!
How did Chouchou get started?
It started when I was an intern for a company called Kucoon in LA in 2007, that was one of the best experiences of my life, I met so many talented designers. I find in California there are a lot of inspirational people, so working for Kucoon was the best thing that could have happened at the time, and when the internship was over the designer Andrea Spratt asked me: “do you want to stay?” and I was really tempted to just say yes. At the time I was so determined to start something of my own so I went back to Italy and invested my savings into the creation of our first S/S collection, and this collection for one reason or another was going to be shown here in Glasgow. So, at some point I decided it would be a great idea to move to Scotland altogether because I always had great connections here. I moved here in 2009 and started the company here in 2010 and it just grew from there
How did you come up with the name? What does the name Chouchou mean?
The name came from another trip that I did in South Africa, passing through Paris. The word Chouchou came out and my French friend explained that it’s a term used with a person you love. Chouchou means loved one. Once I was doing a market in Italy and this now famous photographer came up to me and said: “What’s your company name?”, and I said Chouchou and he said to me, “Wow that’s so much fun”, because in Naples when you see a hot girl on the street and you know her name you simply go: “sciu’sciu’!”. (read as Chouchou)
Review: The Pokey Hat and Jeffrey Campbell Launch
This Tuesday, GUM attended a highly anticipated fashion show organised by online fashion boutique the Pokey Hat to celebrate the arrival of the Jeffrey Campbell shoe collection into the Pokey Hat stores. The fashion show was in trendy new club FabrIQ on Queen Street. After being seated in front of the catwalk, I looked through my goody bag, which featured candy jewellery – my favourite kind. The show started with a bang, dancers with black lace dresses twirling and whirling on the catwalk so close you could touch them. Then came the models wearing Pokey Hat clothes; a collection of both vintage and modern clothing by Scottish fashion designers. The models were wearing Jeffrey Campbell shoes with its characteristic wavy shapes and studs. It was difficult to know where to look as both the clothes and shoes were stunning. Our favourite piece was a woollen hat with spikes which is a must have this winter, making you feel warm and look cool at the same time. Who said fashion can’t be practical?
There was also a raffle to win a pair of Jeffrey Campbell shoes, I bought a ticket but didn’t win. I almost ended up crying in the corner, but the fact that my feet were already bleeding from a pair of ordinary heels almost made me grateful I didn’t win.
Review: Nightwalk
If you like your fashion dark and sexy with a hint of crazy you’ve come to the right place. Nightwalk is more of an experience than just a fashion show, which is evident from its setting in The Arches, Glasgow’s most charismatic music and club venue.
After this year’s Autumn/Winter Nightwalk was rescheduled due to a blackout we were excited to finally witness what up-and-coming Scottish designers had to offer. From the neatly tailored shirts by the Swedish-born Jennie Lööf, or the entirely white collection of dresses entitled ‘White Noise’ by Betty Spoke, to playful latex creations by Betsabelle, each of the 14 designers had a unique vision. Womenswear clearly dominated the show however admirers of menswear (and male models!) were not disappointed by male design duo Nothing and several colourful designs by Brian Chan and a few other designers.
Bold Souls: Pop-Up Fashion at it’s Best
It’s November. Which can only mean one thing in the shopping world: sharpen your elbows, you’re going to need them. Yes, Christmas fever is almost upon us. But what if we told you that this year there’s no need to sweat it out on the high street, fighting over mass-produced items and spending hours in seemingly endless queus? Bold Souls Stardust has come to save us all.
Bold Souls is a fashion Pop-Up, created two years ago by Glasgow-based designer Silvia Pellegrino and blogger Jonathan Pryce of Les Garçons de Glasgow and Another Garçon. Offering a unique shopping experience the event brings a plethora of local designers together under one roof, and give shoppers the chance to buy one-off items and personalised pieces. GUM spoke to organiser Silvia to find out how Bold Souls was conceived:
“What we wanted to do was to promote local talent and expand the community, meet more people that we could work with, meet more customers. We wanted to have a very seamless, open and fresh place where people could go to find unique fashion instead of buying high street and mass made fashion, that we find a lot of the time doesn’t really have spirit”. It is this community aspect which gives Bold Souls it’s buzzing atmosphere, uniting designers, creatives and customers alike over canapes and complimentary Kopparberg.
One year on from the last Bold Souls, Stardust promises to be bigger, better – and yes – bolder than before. Thursday 22nd November 2012 will see Flat 0/1 and Lucky 7 packed out with more than 20 stalls, where you can pick up one-off pieces from a host of local designers, both up-and-coming and established. As Pellegrino explains: “We try to keep it colourful and diverse, everybody’s got their own style, we’re trying to have different tastes; the taste of our customers.” With such a variety of designers offering up everything from womenswear and menswear to accessories and jewellery, there really is something for everyone. Plus each item is beautifully crafted, high-quality and totally unique: this is a chance to see independent fashion at it’s best.”
Say it BOLD! Bold Souls pop-up Xmas Edition
Yasmin Ali
Event, 12th December, 4-9pm
Silvia Pellegrino of Chouchou Couture heads up an entourage of talented Glasgow-based fashion and accessories designers for the second winter edition of Bold Souls hosted at GN Salons. The Christmas special pop-up featured fashion designers like retro re-styling from Jennie Loof; bold colourways from Rebecca Torres; fine knits and edgy detailing from Nicola Beedie; knitwear and fashion designer Stephen Tarnawski, and of course, Silvia’s sportswear-luxe label Chouchou which showcased a brand new line of bespoke fabric earrings made with recycled material and 925 silver.
On Beauty: Girls’ Day Out Nov 5-7th SECC
Yasmin Ali
Girls’ Day Out is in its second consecutive year at Glasgow’s SECC. Smaller than the Clothes Show Live, but bigger than GLAM in the city, it’s an affordable and enjoyable afternoon out for girlie groups. Attendees looking for cheap thrills of beauty freebies, samples, discounts and pampering were not to be disappointed.
