Omar Mansoor Summer 23 Collection - Margilan

 Named after Margilan, a city in the Fergana region of easter Uzbekistan, Omar Mansoor's collection uses black as his main colour palette with pops of multi-colour ikat fabric, handwoven in Uzbekistan.

Omar's black represents the confidence, assurance and vividness whilst the multi-colour trimmings and sleeves depict vibrancy.

Ikat is a unique textile patterned by dyeing the threads before weaving by using environmentally friendly dyes.

The city of Magalan has been famous for its traditional weaving of silk since the old days, and is still preserving this tradition focusing on high quality handmade goods - feeding their silkworms with mulberry leaves, dyeing the silk with natural mineral and vegetable dyes to weaving the silk.

As a campaigner of sustainability in fashion, Omar uses fabrics made up of a mix of new and recycled fibres in his collection as a means to care about our planet and the future of the fashion industry. This is also a step forward towards shifting fashion from a linear to a circular model.

He also proved that evening wear made from recycled fabric can look equally glamorous.

This year, Omar showcased his collection during London Fashion Week at the Fashion London UK runway show held in the Royal Horseguards London Hotel.

'MARY pre-loved' Up-cycled clothing launch

Up and coming designer Mary Benson has been working on something really special - she is hosting a series of workshops alongside a pop-up-shop this month at Crabtree & Evelyn Islington Townhouse, London, N1 2TU  from 17th May to 19th May

Mary says: ' It’s a project that has come from working within the fashion industry for many years and discovering where I sit as a designer within this fast, frantic and frivolous industry. My constant question to myself is: How can I help contribute to changing fashion for the better and what can I do to inspire people in the same light through my work? Now that high street prices are lower than ever, and throw-away culture is at its highest point, I thought it was even more important to take my brand one step further this year, and launched MARY pre-loved'.

Mary continues: 'With MARY pre-loved, I am showing that existing garments can be fashionably renewed, and made special and unique. I am making once loved garments magical again, and they are sustainable and affordable, matching fast fashion high street prices. So everyone can own their own one-off MARY garment. Garments are up-cycled with a variety of fresh changing seasonal prints with buttons to match'

 This season is abstract pretty florals for day, and glamorous moons & stars for night. Sizes available include plus size. Every piece I make is truly unique and timeless.

Mary's aim is to inspire people to choose vintage and second hand more instead of always buying new, giving our planet a break and to encourage the start of a new way of thinking when buying clothing and accessories.
 Her website is

https://www.marybenson.london

Tolu Coker AW19 show at London Fashion Week

Tolu Coker is the winner of the AW19 Merit Award.

She aims to showcase her identitiy throughout her work by embracing duel heritage and cultures by reconstucting the black identity within the Western world - adding prints, embellishments and personal old polaroid photos of her family.

Video of the show's finale:




Consideration for sustainability, Tolu uses reworked denims

and recycled leathers.

Also re-used plastic and lace scraps

Ones To Watch: Maddie Williams AW18 at London Fashion Week

Selected from a long list of emerging fashion designers, Maddie Williams, graduate of Edinburgh College of Art, was chosen to feature in Fashion Scout's Ones to Watch show.

For AW18, Williams is inspired by ancient fertility figurines like the Venus of Willendorf/

Bum bags and appliques are in the shape of a fang representing female power and strategically placed at the front as Williams quotes Meander, the ancient Greek play writer who said ''To give a woman an education is to give a serpent fangs”,''

Williams creates soft feminine slanted shoulders rather than the usual big masculine style. The necklines are high slanting down to give the effect of a narrow shoulder.

Hips and belly are exaggerated to emphasise fertility.

Williams plays with silhouette and texture crossing the boundaries between fashion, costume design and fine art.

Her collection is eco friendly and avant garde proving that eco fashion does not have to be minimistic.

Video of Maddie Williams taking a bow after the show

Amesh Debut Collection at London Fashion Week SS18

Amesh Wijesekera showcased his debut collection at London Fashion Week SS18 in collaboration with SRI, a luxury sustainable lifestyle label launching in February 2018.

In Sanskrit, ‘SRI’ means resplendent, a name which encapsulates the unique beauty of the design but also the pride and wonder of a nation looking to its future.

 SRI is an inspiring bridge between two worlds. This trans-seasonalbrand (womens and gender neutral) is a unique and creative meeting of the millennia-old wisdom of South Asia and the progressive, technologically advanced demands of global high fashion.

 Low-tech meets high-tech in a progressive new addition to the luxury design market.

 An alumnus of the AOD Colombo in Sri Lanka, Amesh captures the essence of his home country; celebrated by the sophisticated traveller as a tropical paradise, the island is filled with pristine white-sand beaches, lush tropical forests and breathtaking mountains.

The debut collection for SRI perfectly depicts the cultural inspiration of Early Ceylon; the history, lifestyle and fashions whilst Amesh creates a modern and contemporary range appealing to a cultured, carefree, adventurous consumer.

 SRI is unique and Amesh has worked closely with design leaders in his native homeland; the range is a mixture of local craft blended with modern techniques; dip dyeing and screen prints are expertly blended with hand woven silks.

 Working with local weaving villages, local craftspeople have highlighted their expertise through their intricate handcrafted overshots, twills, ombre and herring bone effects.

 SRI serves as a source of comfort, self-confidence and self-expression as effortlessly in the urban jungles of London and New York in winter as amidst the rainforests and beaches of their island of origin in the blaze of summer.

www.sri.fashion

www.ameshwijesekera.com

London Ethnic UK Designer Showcase

On the relative serenity of the opening night of London Fashion Week, London Ethnic hosted an intimate reception for press and buyers, showcasing some of London’s emerging designers at the Terrace Pavilion of the Houses of Parliament.

Karen Gold collection

 The event was created to allow the fashion crowd to enjoy a night before the busy week ahead with a glass of wine, canapes and to see designers who embody London Ethnic’s ethical values at one of the most iconic buildings in London, Terrace Pavilion inside Westminster Palace.

All showcased labels ‘Polosophia’, ‘Karen Gold’ and ‘Diaso London’ are ethical & sustainable brands based in London who produce in the UK. The catwalk showcased bright African patterns, lace silhouettes & story-telling garments in a natural & floral makeup moodboard, all put together in ethical fabrics.
Diaso London is known for combining West African culture with European fabrics. All the designs are created to make a powerful statement using bold detail with daring sheer elements.

Karen Gold is a contemporary British brand - the collections is Made in Britain using hand loomed heritage fabrics from Sub Saharan Africa. For AW17, Karen gold explores the merging of sustainable fashion with classic styles bringing newness and innovation to silk hand embroidered fabrics of textural intensity explored through rich, heavy textures, contrasting elements of weightlessness and transparency.

Polosophia garments are made of natural and organic materials in London. Each garment comes with a collectable book chapter

Attendees, including well-known ethical fashion advocates like Baroness Lola Young, learnt more about the designers inspirations & background work through interviews with them before their catwalk shows. “Congrats to all @LondonEthnic promoting diversity & sustainability in LFW. Lovely show in Houses of Parliament.” (Baroness Lola Young of Hornsey)"
And yours truly attended:

frumpy to funky

 London Ethnic is a fashion house celebrating the best of London Fashion. The company supports emerging designers and established labels and is driven by ethical and sustainable principles in fashion. London Ethnic helps brands from the initial stages of design, pattern cutting and sample making through production to promoting designs using a personal PR approach and ultimately having them showcased and sold.