bath in fashion 2016 brings colour & style to the … · bath in fashion 2016 brings colour...
TRANSCRIPT
BATH IN FASHION 2016 BRINGS COLOUR & STYLE
TO THE WORLD HERITAGE CITY
Expect red carpet moments at Bath in Fashion 2016 (18th to 24th April) with a line-up
of stellar designers and fashion experts including Erdem, Julien Macdonald, Nicholas
Oakwell, David Downton, Livia Firth and Zandra Rhodes. As the fashion pack
descends on the World Heritage City, the week-long programme promises
stimulating debate, fast-paced catwalks, plus animation on the streets and in-store
with Bath in Fashion LIVE, a new element for 2016.
Respected commentators like Justine Picardie, Editor-in-Chief of Harper’s Bazaar, Tim Blanks, Editor at Large for The Business of Fashion, Claudia Croft, Head of Fashion at Sunday Times Style and Hilary Alexander join the debate plus
fashion writers like Colin McDowell and Avril Groom leading the conversation.
Topics range from the sartorial style of Cecil Beaton and Sir Roy Strong to the
influence of Valentino and Versace.
Tim Blanks, Editor at Large for The Business of Fashion will be in conversation
with Erdem. Erdem Moralioglu, trained at the prestigious Royal College of Art in
London and is known for his experimental use of textiles, vibrant prints, and detailed
craftsmanship. Erdem has received numerous accolades, including the British
Fashion Council’s Red Carpet Award in 2013 and the Womenswear Designer of the
Year Award in 2014. His dresses have been worn on the red carpet by The Duchess
of Cambridge, Alexa Chung, Keira Knightly and Alicia Vikander.
Justine Picardie, Editor-in-Chief of Harper’s Bazaar takes a thoughtful look at
fashion and talks about her book on Coco Chanel. Dame Zandra Rhodes will be
discussing her life and fabulous work with Sue James, Editorial Director of Woman
& Home. Zandra headed the new wave of London designers in the Seventies and
has stamped her identity on the world of fashion with her bold, colourful and feminine
creations. She has designed for Princess Diana, Freddie Mercury and Diana Ross
and her vintage dresses are much sought after for the Oscars. She founded
London’s Fashion and Textile Museum and also designs for opera.
Bath in Fashion stimulates debate with Avril Groom interviewing special guest Livia Firth, Creative Director of Eco Age Ltd and the driving force behind Green Carpet
Challenge which catapults sustainable style into the spotlight at the world’s most
high profile events. She has recently selected an Edit from the M&S Autumn/Winter
‘15 collection demonstrating how integrity is woven into the fabric of the firm.
A Nicolas Oakwell couture gown, commissioned by No 10’s GREAT Britain
campaign to showcase British couture design around the globe, is heading for Bath
in April. Created for the GREAT Festival of Creativity in Shanghai, this exquisite
gown, designed for super model Erin O’Connor, took 2320 hours and 90 metres of
fabric to create and is embellished with hundreds of rubies and 200,000 ostrich
feathers, each of which were hand sewn in place by students of the Royal School of
Needlework. Nicholas Oakwell whose dresses have been worn by Helen Mirren and
Paloma Faith will be a guest at Bath in Fashion 2016 in conversation with Hilary Alexander, former fashion director of the Daily Telegraph. Illustrator David Downton, who was also involved in the project, will be sharing behind-the-scenes
anecdotes from the world of fashion as he discusses his book “Portraits of the
World’s Most Stylish Women”.
Celebrated Welsh designer Julien Macdonald, known as Fashion’s King of
Glamour, will be talking about his life and work with Colin McDowell. During his
illustrious career Julien held key positions at Chanel and Givenchy before
establishing his own atelier in London in 2013. Julien is among an elite group of
designers whose careers were launched at Graduate Fashion Week which
celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2016. His creations are favoured by red carpet
celebrities including Beyoncé, Cheryl Cole and Jessie J. He creates collections for
Debenhams, who are sponsors for the event, alongside his couture work. Colin
McDowell has written 24 fashion books and is a regular contributor to the Business
of Fashion.
Ben Wild talks about his findings in “A Life in Fashion: The Wardrobe of Cecil Beaton” with illustrious fashion photographer, Tim Walker . Wild says “As a
fashion researcher what strikes me about Beaton's dress is how relevant and
contemporary it still is, some 34 years after his death. Designs by Giles Deacon
reveal his influence, as do those of Savile Row tailor Richard James. According to
Vogue’s Hamish Bowles “Beaton depicted the most stylish people and places of the
twentieth century”.
Bath based designer Joe Richards describes his latest collaboration inspired by the
William Morris archive with Stella Magazine’s Fashion Features Director, Kate Finnigan. Joe is Designer in Residence at Bath Spa University which is
programming a series of talks looking at the inspirational power of pattern with
speakers from Patternity and Darkroom.
British Vogue turns 100 in 2016 and to mark the occasion Bath based fashion
writer Professor Iain R Webb has created the very first grown up Vogue Colouring Book. Inspired by fifties fashion as seen in Vogue, the book features hand drawn
designs of glamorous gowns and dressy ensembles from designers like Dior,
Balenciaga, Givenchy and Chanel. Ian R Webb, who confessed he always coloured
outside the lines, said “it was a decade that went from black and white into colour; an
era of matching gloves, haughty elegance and hour glass silhouettes”. Bath in
Fashion is working with Iain Webb to create a giant colouring wall in the Bath
Anthropologie store.
Liberty marked its 140th birthday in 2015 with a retrospective at the Fashion & Textile
Museum. Many of the exhibits are on loan from Cleo and Mark Butterfield’s, C20
Vintage Fashion Archive. They will be talking about Liberty at Bath in Fashion 2016
with fashion historian NJ Stevenson. Liberty, bastion of Arts and Crafts, was at the
heart of the 20th century's most exciting period in British design, music and film.
Butterfield says “Liberty prints and fabrics encapsulated 60s radicalism and 70s
wearable art, mixing grooviness with the magical and pastoral to create mesmerising
boutique fashion.” King of Vintage, William Banks-Blaney is back to share
his expertise.
As the international undisputed fashion bible Vogue has charted the careers of
fashion designers through the decades. Drusilla Breyfus author of Vogue on Valentino takes a fresh look at the maestro of Italian Couture whilst Charlotte
Sinclair unwraps the world of Gianni Versace in her book Vogue on Gianni Versace
with a window into the Versace lifestyle – the palazzos and parties and celebrity
following.
Eminent historian and dedicated follower of fashion Sir Roy Strong will talk about
his lifelong delight in clothes with Ben Whyman from the London College of Fashion.
Strong has bequeathed his extensive wardrobe to the Fashion Museum where the
talk will be staged. Manager, Rosemary Harden will also be treating the Bath in
Fashion audience to a very personal “behind the scenes” tour to view some of the
100,000 objects which are not on display, ranging from perfectly preserved gloves
from the reign of James I to a collection of hats by Christian Dior worn by prima
ballerina Dame Margot Fonteyn and a pair of pristine shoes by Manolo Blahnik.
The glittering Assembly Rooms will host Bath in Fashion’s 2016 runway shows are
curated by top stylist Rebekah Roy and produced by John Walford, one of the founders of Graduate Fashion Week 25 years ago. The catwalks showing
Spring/Summer ‘16 fashions “reflect the strength of Bath’s retail offer” according to
Sarah Mansfield, Chair of Bath in Fashion. Sarah continued, “Bath is a cosmopolitan city, one of the most stylish and elegant cities in Europe. The
festival brings designers, commentators and influencers from the world of fashion to
the World Heritage City. It is now firmly established on the fashion calendar – a week
to showcase current trends and share inspiration”.
Bath in Fashion is managed and funded by the Bath Business Improvement District in partnership with Bath Tourism Plus and created as collaboration by Bath
businesses to put the city in the fashion spotlight. New for 2016, Bath in Fashion
LIVE maps participating retailers highlighting the best of Bath’s fashion and
accessory scene. Retailers like Jolly’s, one of Europe’s oldest department stores
now operated by House of Fraser will be paving the way with a programme of
engaging and exciting events. Sue James, Editorial Director of Woman & Home will
be in store with her fashion team offering style counsel.
A series of workshops include a Wearable Tech Masterclass and The Royal School of Needlework. Bath in Fashion 2016 is planning another community
crochet project led by local designer maker Emma Leith who will also lead a
hands-on workshop.
Fashion Your Future, gives an insight into roots into fashion, with a panel of experts
chaired by Louise Pickles, who leads the acclaimed fashion design course at Bath
Spa University; Bath in Fashion on Film screens a series of fashion-inspired films
at the Little Theatre Cinema; the BathVA Vintage Fashion Fair takes place on Vintage Sunday at Green Park Station with glam Hollywood hair by Artizan.
The Bath of today was a shaped by extra ordinary imagination, a world class city that
was in the Eighteenth Century both radical and bold. Sarah Mansfield said “For the
21st century this inspiring environment continues to attract inventors, artisans,
entrepreneurs and future-thinkers. It is against this canvas that Bath in Fashion has evolved over the past six years combining the vision of designers with the creative energy of the World Heritage City.”
Bath has been fashionable since the Eighteenth Century, when it was a favourite
with celebrity society; and contemporary Bath supports a vibrant retail scene with a
high proportion of independent fashion boutiques alongside leading high street
fashion brands. Bath’s Fashion Museum holds one of the finest collections of historic
and fashionable dress in the world; and Bath Spa University’s award-winning fashion
design course has developed a reputation for producing highly individual and
creative designers.
Tickets will be on sale from early February. For further information and to register
interest please visit bathinfashion.co.uk.
For media enquiries and images please contact Nicky Hancock on 01225 332299 or
e-mail: {HYPERLINK"mailto:[email protected]"}
Date: 23 January 2016
AboutTheBathImprovementDistrictCompanyBath in Fashion is a Bath BID (Business Improvement District) Company initiative. The Bath BID Company organises specialist events to raise the profile of the city and attract visitors to support businesses within the city centre. The Bath BID Company acts as a catalyst to creating a fashion event which is distinctive, unique and unlike any other in the UK. With commitment to providing support for the business community, events like Bath in Fashion are born from a collaboration between public and private sector; retailers and landlords and both independent and high street retailers. Visit {HYPERLINK"http://www.bathbid.co.uk/"}