London callin', speak the slang now

London, England

Monday 31^st May, 2010

Welcomed in London

Today we left Antwerp for London. We ended up having to take a later flight because of the British Airways strike at Heathrow. The flight wasn’t long though and we were there before we knew it. When we were collecting our bags we saw actor Simon Baker. He was really friendly and agreed to take a photo with Lauren.

As soon as we got our bags we met our coach and tour guide and went on a brief sightseeing tour of the city. We stopped along the Thames near the Tower of London to take photos. It felt good to be on British soil. When we got back on the coach we headed to our hotel, which is in a really nice area, right next to Hyde Park.

A Quiet Evening

Because our flight was a couple of hours later than expected, our appointment at Zandra Rhodes was pushed back to tomorrow. We tried to go to the famous Ye Old Cheshire Cheese pub on Fleet Street, but it was closed because of the national bank holiday. So instead we got dinner at a nearby pub that was open.

After I finished eating I took the tube to southwest London to visit my family for a bit. By the time I got back to the hotel, the rest of the girls had just got back as well and we were all tired so we went straight to sleep.

Tuesday 1^st June, 2010

Bernard Thorp Printing Works

                This morning we visited the Bernard Thorp printing works, one of Europe’s leading designers and manufacturers of bespoke furnishing fabrics and wall coverings. The company was established in 1971 and operates in New York, Paris and London. We got a chance to see fabrics actually being hand printed and were able to take photos inside. Dilip, one of the people who works there, explained that what they do is similar to screen-printing in that they take the negative of the design, but these fabrics are hand printed rather than digitally printed. He said it takes 3-4 weeks to print the fabric after they’ve received the design. About twelve screens are used for each print, for the different colors used. The fabrics are mostly from England, but the designs come from several countries—a lot of them come from India. Dilip stressed the importance of the eco-friendly materials they use, especially for wallpapers, such as sea grass, hessian and raffia, some of which is imported from China.

Meeting Prudence

                At noon we met with Prudence, who is a couture hat designer, a milliner. She works with designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Yves Saint Laurent, Julian MacDonald, Biba, Gucci, Lacoste and Balenciaga. She also does her own line of hats each season. Prudence studied fashion merchandising and then realized once she began working as a buyer and then later a stylist, that she would much rather be on the design side of fashion. She started making knitwear at first, but had other people working for her and didn’t like that. She met a milliner and was inspired to learn to make couture hats. She found someone to teach her, which was rare to find because most milliners stopped working in the ‘60s. Prudence explained that the popularity of couture hats declined in the ‘60s largely because of the popularity of the Vidal Sassoon bob haircut and because of the fact that one didn’t have to wear hats in church anymore. The woman who taught Prudence, named Rose, had made hats for the queen mother. Her teacher, Rudolph was from Czechoslovakia and had been important to couture millinery. Prudence learned from Rose every day for seven years and by the end of her training she had made about 20 hats. She took 11 of them to Harrods to sell, but Harrods rejected her. She was upset, but was encouraged by her friends and then took her hats to Bergdorf Goodman and Henry Bendel. They loved her hats and sold them there. Eventually her hats landed the covers if Italian Vogue and French Elle. Through this she got PR and began selling her hats at Liberty also. She wanted to work with other people who make things by hand and got in touch with Vivienne Westwood. Prudence explained the design process she goes through with Vivienne Westwood. She collects historical photos and photos of things she likes and then creates a concept from there. Prudence talked about being able to know exactly what you like and what you don’t like and about being honest with yourself. She talked about being able to create high quality work under pressure, for clients with specific demands and under time constraints. Prudence likes mixing different textures and taking classic shapes and changing them by using different fabrics and making them modern. Although hats aren’t used as they once were, as a status symbol mostly, they are still popular in Japan and in Italy and used more as fashion statements than anything else. Prudence was very candid with us and very down to earth. She had a lot to say and it was very interesting.

Afternoon Tea at Harvey Nichols

                After meeting Prudence we took the tube to Harvey Nichols, Knightsbridge most fashionable store. Their window displays were so creative. We made our way to the fifth floor café of the store where we had afternoon tea with scones.

Afterwards we split up into smaller groups. My group met with the brand manager for the Alexander McQueen boutique in the store and he guided us through a tour of the store. He allowed us to take photos of the displays within the store and explained how each brand has set up its own boutique within the store and how the visual merchandisers have created central displays to form a creative and cohesive store environment. The music playing was very cool and varied from urban and indie to ethnic and classical. Our guide explained, as we moved down to the men’s floors that the women’s floors were set up with a more open feel because women tend to shop around, whereas men know exactly what they’re looking for and which brands they like, so each brand in the men’s department has more of a boutique feel to it.

After our tour was over I had some time to go back to the women’s department and look at all the shoes as part of my retail comparison report.

Zandra Rhodes Workshop

From there we went to the Zandra Rhodes workshop where we met Ben, the head designer. Ben deals with the shapes of the designs, while Zandra Rhodes creates the prints, which is what she is best known for. She studied textile design at the Royal College in London in the ‘60s. She started her own line and first began working in the States. She was featured in Diane Freelands, Henry Bendel and in American Vogue. She then came back to the UK and brought inspiration from her travels with her. She mostly works with silk fabrics and prints her own silkscreen prints. She did a print inspired by cowboys, a few inspired by Mexico, one inspired by Manhattan, a few inspired by Egypt and Kenya, and a punk inspired collection of prints. Zandra Rhodes likes to use natural fabrics, especially silk. They usually do loose fitting garments as they’ve found that their target customer is not always small in size and ranges from age 18 to 88. They don’t design for the general public or follow trends, but stay true to their own aesthetic. Zandra Rhodes is drawn to nature and loves flowers and mountains and bright colours. Ben’s aesthetic is more simple and plain than hers, but he brings to the brand his fashion design background while she brings her textile design background. He’s worked with Zandra Rhodes since he graduated from college. Though he dabbled in a few other things, such as theatre costumes and hospital uniforms, he’s spent most of his career designing for her.

Ben let us try on any of the outfits, including a YSL/Mondrain inspired dress and the top worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in an episode of Sex & the City.

Ye Old Cheshire Cheese Pub

                In the evening we went to Ye Old Cheshire Cheese pub and we all bonded as a group. I ordered fish and chips and sticky toffee pudding for dessert—typically British dishes. By the end of the day we were all tired and we had a long day ahead of us so we went to sleep early.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Wednesday 2^nd June, 2010

Locharron Mill

                Today we were up bright and early to catch our flight to Edinburgh. When we got there we had to take a coach out to the Locharron tartan and cashmere mill, which was another hour and a half drive from the airport, but the countryside, which we got to see along the way, was absolutely gorgeous. Scotland is so clean and seems so untouched. The drive there was nothing but green hills and fields and lots of sheep and cows. The mill was so interesting and the people that worked there seemed somewhat surprised to get a group of young people that were genuinely interested in what they do. They took us through the manufacturing area where they dye the yarn, warp the fabric, knot, weave, and darn. They first wind the yarn on to what they call a “cheese” and then dye it in vats. The yarn is spun dried and then dried in ovens. In the looms the shafts lift and drop the warp. Weft passes through the shed. Reed beats the weft into place and then the cloth is ready for darning and finishing. The cloth is then carefully inspected for any mistakes before any finishing, such as washing, drying, milling, brushing, pressing, cropping, Teflon or fireproof finishing can be done. They get their materials from all around the world and use materials like cotton, mohair, vicuna, lamb’s wool, alpaca, cashmere and silk. We then got a chance to see the design studio and talk to one of the designers. The Locharron mill works with fashion labels like Vivienne Westwood, Pringle and Comme de Garçons to create unique tartans

Touring Edinburgh

After our tour of the mill was over we got back on the bus and our kilt-clad tour guide took us back to Edinburgh and showed us the city. While Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland, Edinburgh is the capital city and it is still quite large. We saw all of the main sights and drove through the high street where all of the main high fashion shops were, including a Harvey Nichols. We stopped at a castle where the changing of the guards was about to take place and then we stopped at a cemetery, which overlooked part of the city, and took photos there. At this point it was almost time to check in for out flight and we were all hungry and tired so we headed to the airport, got some food and made our way back to London.

London, England

Thursday 3^rd June, 2010

Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace

                This morning we went to Westminster Abbey, which I don’t think I’ve ever been inside of—or if I have, I don’t remember. But anyways, it was beautiful and the gardens were really nice. The weather was perfect to be outside. Besides the gardens, the part I liked the most was Poet’s Corner where several writers, poets, and playwrights have been buried and remembered—including Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling, Jane Austen, William Blake, Charlotte Bronte, Robert Burns, Lewis Carroll, T.S. Eliot, William Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, William Wordsworth and many more.

Then we walked to Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guards, but by the time we got there, there was already a big crowd and we couldn’t watch it from up close.

V&A Museum and the Grace Kelly Exhibit

From there we took the tube to the V&A, quickly got lunch and then met our guide Olivia, who gave us a fashion-oriented tour through the museum. There we saw early maternity wear, shoes, dresses and historic costumes. We also saw an exhibition that featured early work by Versace, Prada, Moschino, Missoni and Jean Patou as well as early Ferragamo shoes.

Then we had access to the Grace Kelly exhibition. Grace Kelly was a famous American actress in the ‘50s and later the Princess consort of Monaco. She was known for her beauty, elegance and her exquisite personal style. The exhibition featured clips from her films as well as a collection of her on screen and personal wardrobes, featuring clothes, shoes, purses, jewellery and sunglasses. Some of her favorite designers that were shown include Dior, Balenciaga, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Hermès and Madame Grès. The exhibit was spectacular, but I felt like we didn’t have enough time there to really absorb everything.

Harrod’s

                From there a few of us went to Harrod’s. The store is so big and busy that I got separated from the rest of the group, so I just did a quick tour through the women’s department, the toy department and then the food halls and then met up with a few of the girls in front of the store. Their window displays were, as always, amazing. Right across the street from Harrod’s is Topshop and a few of the girls wanted to shop so I went to check it out with them. We only had about half an hour there before we had to catch the tube back to the hotel to get ready for the group dinner.

Dinner and a Show

                I was a bit disappointed with dinner, but the theatre afterwards made up for it. We saw Wicked, which I’ve seen in London before, but it was still just as captivating. I particularly love the songs and the costumes.

Friday 4^th June, 2010

JC de Castelbajac

This morning we went to see Carnaby Street and Savile Row just as all the stores were getting ready to open. We had an appointment in the area at the Jean Charles de Castelbajac boutique. Although people think, because of their style, that they are a new brand, they were established in the ‘60s. In college JC de Castelbajac turned his blanket into a coat and from there his coats became really popular. He includes new coats made from unusual materials in each of his fall/winter collections. The brand is best known for its bright rainbow colors and use of Disney characters in their prints and designs. Many people consider their clothes to be more like pieces of art than clothes. In the ‘70s the brand was popularized by hip hop stars, the Charlie’s Angels actresses and Andy Warhol. Now they dress celebrities like M.I.A., Lady Gaga, Madonna, Beyonce, Santogold and Rihanna. JC de Castelbajac loves doodling and cartooning. He has hand drawn all of the cartoons and doodles around the store, on the walls and in the changing rooms. He worked with Antoine, author of The Little Prince, to create his own illustrated story book. He has a very big personality and knows a lot of people. He has a knack for spotting rising talent. At all of his shows he features live bands, singers and DJs. He has fun with fashion and often uses Kermit the Frog as a joke because people call the French frogs. His customers vary and range in age from 18 to 65. He does rugs, wallpapers and plates as well as clothes. He started his business when he was 18 years old and it was very controversial because he is of French nobility and his family did not approve of his career path until he gained fame. His style is highly associated with the UK Grime culture, which is a branch of hip hop. JC de Castebajac’s s sense of humor appeals to the underground culture. He is very in touch with his fans and to give back to them he has created a diffusion line at a lower price-point which he sells at Selfridges called JCDC. JC de Castelbajac lives in Paris but visits the London store quite often and has a close relationship with the team that works there. The displays are done by the team, but JC de Castelbajac’s influence is apparent throughout the store.

Liberty of London

                From there we visited Liberty, which had a very old home feel to it. They carry a unique selection of high fashion clothes and they also have a floor of artwork and interior decor. I picked up that the customer service in London, compared to Paris, is a lot more similar to American service—even in a high end store like Liberty.

Dover Street Market

                At noon we met with Sam, who we met in Paris at the Yves Saint Laurent exhibit. He is also close friends with Prudence and knows a lot about the fashion industry. He walked us through the Dover Street Market, the Vivienne Westwood store, the Stella McCartney store and the Matthew Williamson shop, all of which had amazing displays. The Dover Street Market is a concept by Rei Kawakaba, the designer for Comme des Garçons. It mixes well known designers with lesser known designers and antique pieces. Each piece in the store was designed exclusively for Dover Street Market. The interior decor of the store is really different and walking through the store is truly a unique experience.

Oxford Street

                After we were done with our appointments a few of the girls and I walked to Oxford Street, where most of the main shops are. I went into River Island, which is comparable to Forever 21 at home, to look at shoes as part of my retail comparison report and then I met up with the rest of the girls at Topshop, which is huge. Topshop was a bit overwhelming for Daisy, Jolie and I so we walked over to Urban Outfitters while the rest of the girls were shopping. When they were done we took the tube back to the hotel, ordered pizza and called it a night.

Saturday 5^th June, 2010

Portobello Road Market

                Today was our free day, but this morning Lauren and I met the rest of the group in the lobby to go to Portobello Road Market. I’d never been there before and it was nothing like I’ve ever seen. They sell everything there—vintage clothes, purses, jewelry, antiques, furniture, paintings, fresh fruit, ethnic food, old cameras and everything else you could possibly think of. The area is really nice too and Notting Hill actually looks like it does in the movie Notting Hill, with the bright colored houses. I loved the busy atmosphere of the market.

National Portrait Gallery and Tate Modern

                After that the rest of the group went to the Tower of London, but because I’ve already seen it I decided to go to the National Portrait Gallery. There was an exhibition of Irving Penn’s portraits and I really didn’t want to miss it because tomorrow is the last day it will be there. Irving Penn is a famous photographer, most well known for his black and white portraits of several celebrities as well as his extensive work for Vogue and Vanity Fair magazines. He’s one of my favorite photographers. I could have spent hours in the exhibit looking at his work. He uses plain backgrounds and really focuses on trying to bring personality out of his sitters. He mostly uses natural light and he thinks of poses for his sitters that are subtle, but strikingly expressive. After looking at the Irving Penn exhibit I checked out the rest of the gallery and then made my way to the Tate Modern Museum, where I saw contemporary art. I didn’t spend a long time there though because I met up with Lauren on Oxford Street when she was done at the Tower of London.

Our Last Evening

I went with Lauren to return a few things and then we met up with the rest of the girls at the hotel. We ordered pizza again and then we walked in Hyde Park and walked to Notting Hill, where all of the fashionable restaurants, bars and cafes are. It was a really pleasant evening and then we came back to the hotel to pack and get ready to leave the next day. While the rest of the group would be heading back to the States, I would be going to my uncle’s house in Isleworth, which is in southwest London, and spending a month there.