Designer Profile: Simon Ekrelius

Simon Ekrelius - London Fashion Week S/S 2010.

A fellow Swede, the London-based designer Simon Ekrelius, is making headlines all around town right now. I am personally stunned by his latest SS 2011 collection. With inspiration from the London Gherkin (Norman Fosters tower 30 St Mary Axe) and the fabulous Grace Jones´ silhouette, he has presented a collection full of contrasts and drama.

And it is all there, everything that make up good design; straight lines, a “strict” colour palette (black, grey, silver and white) and a wide mixture of textures. My personal favourites in this collection were the harlequin style, black and white jumpsuits which are wearable as well as stand-out-from-the-crowd outfits.   Architectural design with a personal twist, I would call it. Love it!

Designer Profile: Mrs. Press

I would wear any one of these outfits. That’s wearable fashion for you! Having paid a bit more attention to Australian and New Zeeland fashion designers lately, I came across the Mrs. Press label. I found out that the designer behind the label, Clare Press, is a fashion writer, blogger “and former Voguette” as she refers to herself. Inspired by things such as 1930s silk chemises, French knickers, fragile kimonos, champagne breakfasts and ancient lace, Clare has created a fun and much wearable label for modern girls described by Mrs Press as such: “Our girl loves to loll about at home dressed to thrill. She loves parties too, of course. Who doesn’t? Sometimes it feels as if life is one big party. Thank heavens for the divinely scented Mrs. Press candles – we all need to relax sometimes, no?”

I tried to find some clothes to buy on Mrs. Press website, but the webshop has very few garments for sale. Instead you can find this in the flagship Sydney boutique as well as other boutiques in Australia. Gaaah! It’s time to get in touch with my lovely Aussie friends Jono and Sam. I really hope that you can find this label in both Melbourne and Perth.

All pics from Mrs. Press website.

Designer Profile: Ingrid Starnes

It is not too often that I hear about designers from Australia and New Zeeland, but lately I heard a lot of people talking about the Auckland designer Ingrid Starnes. She recently hit the fashion market with her first collection for Winter 2010 with a style described as vintage-inspired with modern shapes. As you know I like quality and prefer that in front of quantity. A well-crafted garment is vital if you want to look and feel great and will last a long time. It is essential for today when we need to pay attention and show awareness to our environment. Ingrid’s design shows a love of quality fabric, construction and craft and is committed to New Zealand production.

Before setting up her own label, Ingrid worked in the design room for Kate Sylvester for three years before she left to become a mother of twins. A few years later she decided that the time was right to start her own label.

It is obvious that Ingrid’s beautiful collection of subtle, feminine garments is inspired by her love of vintage clothing.  Many times her clothes have a touch of the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s which comes through in the silhouettes.

All pics from Ingrid Starnes website.

Designer profile: Erdem

During London Fashion Week I discovered the ready-to-wear line Erdem established in 2005 by Erdem Moralioglu which can best be described as blurry, digitally manipulated floral prints, silk and lace, echoes from the past but modern at the same time. And unusually for a designer, Erdem's sizes go up to a 16. Which he comments like this: "It's a great thing when you see a dress you have designed and it works in different ways. It's one thing to design a size eight catwalk dress, it's another to make sure that dress will proportionally fit someone who is a size 16. And who are the women who buy designer clothes? If you're buying a dress for £4,000, chances are you might not be a size-six, 18-year-old girl."

His career as a designer started in London where he studied at the Royal College of Art. After graduating, he took a job in New York as an assistant designer for Diane von Furstenberg. Moving back to London in 2005 he won the Fashion Fringe competition for young designers, which gave him the chance to show his first small collection. The following season, he sold his full collection to Barney's, the prestigious US department store. He now has stockists in 26 countries.

In March, he won the British Fashion Council and Vogue's first Fashion Fund award to help develop his business. According to British Vogue's editor, Alexandra Shulman, he "has the creativity and application that is needed to become a global business. He makes beautiful clothes that already have a recognisable stamp that is his alone."

You can tell that this Canadian born designer loves London and finds his inspiration on the streets. When asked what encapsulates fashionable London for him, he answers; “Kingsland Road - from Stoke Newington, down through Dalston and into Shoreditch - you see all walks of life. This mix is what makes London so exciting.” And then continues; “London is a city where everything starts. It’s also a city full of secrets, from the beautiful backstreets of Spitalfields to the storage facilities of the V&A. It’s a great place to get lost and that’s inspiring.”

Designer Profile: Louise Goldin

During London Fashion Week and at the press day for Relative Mo, the London/Paris PR agency, at Somerset House I discovered Louise Goldin and her wonderful sculptured clothes.

As many other successful designers she, of course, studied at Central Saint Martins followed by work as head designer at Tereza Santos in Brazil for two years.

Louise Goldin herself describes her design signatures as follows; “Innovative programmed techniques where I create my own knitted fabric and textures, combined with structured, sculpted garments.” And about her clients she says; “A woman who has her own sense of style. She can integrate a Louise Goldin piece into her wardrobe and wear it effortlessly!”

Born and raised in London she is still not tired of the buzzing city where she gets a lot of her inspiration: “There is such a buzz and creative flow in London! I love creating here. I get inspired by all museums - the V&A, The British Museum, Tate and scientific research libraries... I love looking into science: chemistry, biology and physics.”