Interview with Ring My Bell's Ashley Madekwe

You may recognise Ashley Madekwe as Billie Piper’s protégé on ITV’s raunchy drama, Secret Diary of a Call Girl or from Ashton Kutcher's ill-received model drama The Beautiful Life starring alongside a post-rehab, Mischa Barton. However, another little-known fact about this RADA-trained actress is that she also has her own fashion blog, Ring My Bell Consisting of photographs of Madekwe in an assortment of fashion-forward outfits taken by her boyfriend, it is definitely fashion eye-candy at its finest. Madeweke also provides little snippets of her trans-Atlantic lifestyle – very refreshing if you are sitting behind a desk in grey and rainy London. This is not to say she is not proud of her London-upbringing and looking at her blog, it is nice to see she hasn’t gone ‘all LA’ on us.

 

 How did your blog come about?

 

Ring My Bell started as a kind of online diary and a way to keep my family and friends updated whilst I was travelling a lot for work. It morphed into a blog about personal style because those were (and still are!) the kind of blogs that I most enjoy reading. I was inspired by personal style blogs and though "I could do that!"

 

You are an actress right? Born in London, living in LA – which side of the Atlantic do you think is the most stylish?

 

I'm Londoner born and raised. London will always be home for me. I'm actually back in London at the moment and plan to be here for the rest of the year. Whoooo hoooooo! I think I feel more inspired by fashion when I'm back in London but those LA girls work the casual chic look like no other... They manage to make flip flops look stylish... God only knows how!

 

Who are your favourite designers?

 

My favourite designer changes every season. Right now I'm loving Miu Miu and Alexander Wang.

 

Favourite item of clothing?

 

When I'm not working I start the day with a yoga class and then usually meet a friend for lunch. I spend my afternoon reading scripts and updating my blog. When I am working all routine goes out the window. It's all early starts and long days and I find it hard to focus on anything else until the job is done.

 

 

What inspires in your fashion choices?

 

I'm very fickle with my wardrobe! I play favourites and wear something obsessively for months and then forget about it.... At the moment I'm wearing my suede Miu Miu shoes a lot!

 

Could you give us an insight into your daily routine?

 

I'm inspired by other bloggers, street style, magazines... sometimes the costumes in a film will inspire me. I got really excited by Mila Kunis' wardrobe in The Book of Eli and spent a week emulating it after I first watched the film.

 

Do you believe that blogging culture is changing the face of fashion in that the emphasis is now on real people rather than models and celebrities?

 

I think that blogging adds another layer to the fashion industry but that it in no way detracts from what is already there. 

 

Would you ever consider giving up your career as an actress in favour of a fashion career?

 

I'm hoping that my acting career will co-exist with my blog very peacefully! I adore fashion and I love doing my blog but acting is what I trained to do.

 

Do you miss London? Where are your favourite places to go when you’re in town?

 

I do miss London when I'm away. I like to sit outside Maison Bertaux with a huge pot of tea, a cake and people watch. I adore Liberties. 

 

Who are your style icons?

 

I have a girl crush on Zoe Saldana :)

 

And finally, what’s the most frightening thing you’ve ever done in the name of fashion?

 

I don't think I've made any truly horrific choices... although I do look back on my printed Moschino jeans with a slight cringe. I was young and they were all the rage!

Interview with Gunnar Hammerle a.k.a Style/Clicker

Gunnar Hämmerle is a German street-fashion blogger. He started his blog, Style/Clicker in 2006 after discovering a love for photography whilst at film school in Munich. Since then Hämmerle has established himself as one of world’s most renowned figures in the blogosphere, having held exhibitions of his work in the Rocket Gallery in Munich and at the Arles Photography Exhibition in France. After building up such an extensive reputation, Hämmerle has now been asked to exhibit his work at the NRW Forum Düsseldorf in the largest single exhibition dedicated to a fashion blogger. People of the 21st Century, comprises of almost 1,000 photographs from his blog, depicting people from the streets of cities all over the world. His aim is to create a virtual global city without boundaries, formed of life-size photographs of people from all walks of life. Don’t Panic talk to Gunnar about the changing face of fashion, style and his love for shoes.

First of all, can you explain the idea behind Style/Clicker?

 

It's about interesting people who I spot in the streets. And as the name says, it's about style. Because the way people dress tells a lot about their personality. So I pick people that strike my eye stylewise. But I am not a fashion blogger, I would rather call myself a personality blogger.

 

How did Style/Clicker come into being?

 

My brother who is a software developer and I thought about new ideas for the internet. Style/Clicker was one of those ideas. I started taking pictures of people in my home city Munich and at first it was just a passionate side project. That was over three and a half years ago. Now it has become my profession. Crazy world!

 

 

Can you give us an insight into the world of a street-style blogger?

 

The best thing is that I am very free in what I do. I am my own boss: photographer, editor, publisher all in one person. I don't have do make any compromises. I just love freedom. It’s great to meet so many amazing people. I always have a good reason to start talking to strangers and ask them for a picture. Travelling a lot isn't too bad, either. And I make my living with what I love to do: photography.

 

Can you please explain the idea behind your recent exhibition at the NRW-Forum Düsseldorf, People of the 21^st Century?

 

I see my work as a logical continuation of August Sander's work Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts. We are living in a global, very diverse world. I want to show this diversity of people. Sander worked with classifications: farmers, artists, women, etc. He tried to show prototypes for each class. But today, you cannot tell what occupation someone has or which class he belongs to by his outfit. Some millionaire could look like a bum and some poor guy like a rich person. At the same time, the photographic approach is very similar to Sander's: I want to show people just how they are. And I don't want anything in the picture to distract from the person in it. There are no other people in the background and my ‘models’ look into the camera lens. Through that, I try to give the spectators a glimpse of the interaction that is happening between me and the people I am photographing.

 

 

With your new exhibition, you are trying to create a “virtual city”, would you like to live in a city where everyone is as impeccably styled as the people depicted in your photographs?

 

I wouldn't say that they are styled impeccably. Human beings can never be impeccable. And that's just fine. Style is a very individual thing, just the contrary of fashion. Somehow, you have to be a bold person trying to find your own style instead of wearing what other people tell you. People doing so are simply very interesting to me. Those are the ones breaking out from the mass trying to go their own way. I believe, they are all rather self-reflective people which is good from my point of view. So yes, I would like to live in a city with people like that.

Post SS11 Berlin Fashion Week Patrick Mohr Interview

Patrick Mohr is a German designer who caused quite the stir when he used bald, bearded and in some cases, half-naked female models in his catwalk debut at Berlin Fashion Week. A self-styled eccentric, Mohr started off as a model before venturing into the world of fashion design. He graduated from Munich’s Esmod Fashion School in 2007 after which he worked for Henrik Vibskov in Copenhagen before starting his own label in 2008.

By blurring gender boundaries and challenging traditional ideas of beauty, his use of shock tactics seem to transcend the importance of the clothes themselves, despite the fact that the collection is actually very wearable. Like it or loathe it, Mohr’s collection has definitely got people talking. Having previously used homeless people and transvestite body builders in his shows, Mohr is no stranger to controversy. Don’t Panic talk to the designer about trannies, facial hair and how he finally feels he has been accepted by the fashion elite.

 

Firstly, what were the main inspirations behind your SS11 collection?

 

I perceive males and females as a unity, even though we’re not 100% alike. That’s why I’m into creating fashion that disguises the female anatomy. 

 

Can you explain why you decided to use bald models with beards – was it to create an antithesis of beauty or just simply because you wanted to shock?

 

I create fashion with a deeper meaning. I want people to discuss my shows. To realize how close men and women are. I want to create something new, something from the heart.

 

Do you think female facial hair will come into vogue after your show?

 

Italian Vogue had a homeless chic cover last summer. I’m pretty sure I was just part of rejuvenating the homeless trend last summer—it’s also called bum chic.

 

 

 

In your previous collection, Are We Shaved? you used extremely tanned-bodybuilders and thong-wearing transvestites with breast implants. Do you think you have a preoccupation with debasing traditional gender roles? Where did that come from?

 

That came out of my own life. Until five years ago, I didn’t know what I was. Everything I do is deeply connected to my heart. You know, I used to walk into H&M and grab stuff from the women’s collection. I used to ask myself: Why shouldn’t I go there? Why shouldn’t I use women’s perfume?

 

Some people have criticised your recent show at Berlin Fashion week by saying that your use of freakish-looking models took the emphasis away from the clothes themselves – what would you say to that?

 

My stuff will never be easy to take in. However, I think this latest collection made people realize I’m not only an agitator, but also a designer who’s actually making wearable clothes.

 

You have previously used homeless people as models – was this another attempt to overrule so-called ‘fashion’ stereotypes?

 

Glitter and glamour is not my world. In my past I once almost became homeless. That experience has shaped me. Even if I wanted to provoke, in effect I just wanted to show that there is not just wealth in the world.

 

 

As the fashion industry is so preoccupied with beauty and glamour – where do you feel you fit in as a designer?

 

My creations are eccentric, somewhat provocative, outspoken, and very straightforward. My fashion ranges between avant-gardism and street wear.

 

Do you think that your debut at Berlin Fashion week is a sign that you have been accepted?

 

The Fashion Week was a big step for me. None the less it’s more important to establish the label in the commerce. This year were a lot of international buyers in my show at the Fashion Week and have watched my fashion. I think that is a sign that people accept my work.

 

And finally, just how long did it take to make your models bald and give them beards?

 

You’d normally need an hour per model, minimum. Some girls had hair all the way down to their butts, which they all had to put up with pins. Except for two girls complaining about the pain when they removed their latex caps afterwards, the whole thing was pretty relaxed.

 

See more at www.patrickmohr.net/

Jena.Theo Interview

Design duo, Jenny Holmes and Dimitris Theocardis met in 2002 at the London College of Fashion. After a brief career as a buyer and fashion tutor respectively, they decided to collaborate for Fashion Fringe at Covent Garden in 2009 and their label, Jena.Theo was born. Don’t Panic talks to them about their AW10 collection, their inspirations and what it was like to meet Donatella Versace.

You are an Anglo-Greek collaboration – how does this influence your designs?

The combination of two different backgrounds makes the creative process more interesting. The two different heritages is an infinite source of inspiration.

Your AW10 collection was inspired by twentieth century icons such as Marlene Dietrich, Ginger Rogers and Charlie Chaplin – who do you think are their modern day equivalents in terms of style?

Tilda Swindon, Johnny Depp, Naomi Watts.

In your AW 10 collection you focus a lot on creating structure and playing with proportions – what were you trying to achieve by doing this?

We always question the female form and conventional shapes often used in pattern cutting, and drive it as part of our identity. We want to create drama and movement in our pieces to make her feel powerful and in control of what she is wearing.

What comments do you think your collection makes about social change?

For our A/W collection, we looked at the evolution of the female silhouette through the twentieth century, characterized by times of conflict, financial crisis as well as social changes. We referenced the 30s, the great depression and the French Resistance. This all came about because of the fast paced environment we live in today. We wanted to celebrate times gone by.

You collaborated with artist, O. Two on your latest collection – what visual message were you trying to create?

To collaborate with an artist like O. Two was really exciting, as he brought a new graphic impact to our collection. We wanted to combine the movement and volume of the clothing with a message, and tailored the clothes to suit the placement of the typography he designed, pushing the shape around the form of the print.

You were chosen as winners of the Fashion Fringe Event at Covent Garden in 2009 which was chaired by Donatella Versace – what was that like? Did Donatella offer you any helpful advice?

It was a great honour to be chosen among the other four finalists by Donatella Versace and she also offered us the opportunity to visit her studio in Milan as part of the mentoring. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to visit the Versace atelier as we got to see a sneak preview of their couture collection.

As part of your prize you were given a studio in Somerset House – what’s it like working in such an important fashion institution?

It makes us feel like we’re really part of the fashion industry – and it’s brimming with history so it really inspires us. It’s also great getting support from Somerset House, as well as seeing so many exhibitions and events taking place there.

How has your success at Fashion Fringe impacted on your career?

Fashion Fringe at Covent Garden has given us a great platform to build on and we've gained invaluable knowledge and support from being part of their family.

If you could dress anyone – alive or dead – who would it be and why?

Helena Bonham Carter for her quirkiness and unconventional style.

What are your plans for the future in terms of your label?

We are working hard to establish the brand, selling in prestigious boutiques and aim one day to open our own concept boutique.

Have you got any tips for young graduates hoping to have a successful career in fashion design?

It's about getting yourself out there and staying focused on your goals. Get as much experience as you can and keep persevering.

Any tips for SS 11? What direction are you going to take creatively?

We’ll tell you closer to the time!

See more at http://www.jenatheo.com/

Racism in Fashion? Surely Not!

Again, this article was written a while ago but Mario Epanya delcared it his 'favourite interview' and because he is such a fantastic character I thought I'd post it on here.

Mario Epanya is a Cameroon-born fashion photographer who is currently living in Paris. Alongside his work as a photographer he has been campaigning for an African edition of international fashion bible, Vogue. Epanya has created a series of fictional covers for the magazine using exclusively African models. However the magazine’s publisher, Condé Nast, have rejected the proposal, sparking outrage from across the world. Don’t Panic spoke to Epanya about the impact of the decision on African fashion, African women and ideals of beauty.

What was your initial reaction when you heard Condé Nast’s decision to reject your proposition for a Vogue Africa?

Well in a very conservative world, I knew the answer would be negative, but I wanted to have a confirmation of that, at the same time there's no reason to continue the innovation.

Where did your idea to do the mock covers come from?

Gosh, that's a long time dream darling! I was born with a Vogue in my hand. Seriously, my mother is a tailor and she lives in Africa – she has been buying Vogue since 1970. She has a huge collection and I remember splendid times in her atelier looking at Vogue magazine. I ate Vogue, I drank Vogue, I slept Vogue... till now, but sadly, there's not enough diversity. Then last year I decided to do the covers… it’s that simple.

What made you decide to do the campaign?


I was tired of seeing titles like, "she was the first black model to ‘grace’ the cover of Vogue.” Tired of seeing this ten times about the same model... ALLO! We're around! We read and we are buyers too... come on! And as I said, one word – DIVERSITY darling, DI-VER-SI-TY!

There are some very successful African models such as Alex Wek and Iman, don’t you think they represent African women in the fashion industry?

Of course, Iman, Alec, Liya… my fierce Naomi (love her) are my girls and they represent black beauty proudly, but that doesn't mean we should stand and clap ours hands because we’ve got ten supermodels – give me a break! And fashion is not only about modelling, there's an industry behind it: designers, shows, advertising, magazines, agencies, photography, beauty, cosmetics, and jewellery.

What’s more, all this creativity has got to be seen and taken to a higher level and I’m sorry, right now only Vogue can do that – no matter what people and haters say – because Vogue is not only a magazine, it's an institution that reveals talent to the world! Look at me – I've been around for almost 15 years now working in fashion. Do you think I'll be here today answering to your questions if I did not mention Vogue!? Vogue makes miracles ok?

Some bloggers have suggested that a Vogue Africa would not be a celebration of African beauty but rather Africans trying to confirm to white ideas of beauty – what do you think about this?

Well, I think if Africa gets involved in what they want to see in magazines and how they see themselves, it can be interesting. People talk, talk and talk, but still in some countries in Africa, a beautiful woman will have lighter skin and weaves whereas a darker-skinned woman is considered ugly. That's the explanation for this horrible bleaching problem in the African community, but I think a magazine should educate too and talk about all this and as I said, diversity.

Now that the idea has been rejected, are you going to carry on campaigning?

LOL, the campaign is carrying itself! The internet coverage is AMAZING, even USA Today and The New York Post are talking about it – Oprah and CNN are the next goals. I think this is going to be a passionate debate and I can't do anything about it, but personally I have turned the page – I’ve done my last mock up cover. I’m working on new projects.

You are a beauty photographer – from your experience why do you think the fashion industry is so preoccupied with ideals of white beauty, when it is an industry based on innovation and new ideas?

Well, well, well, tough question, but I’ll try to answer it in a very simple way. I think it's political. The market was made for the Western countries, and people were always taught things will never change, but the fact is that the world is changing. China, Brazil, India, South Africa are the new market, with trillions of people, with different cultures. The big question is: do they want Western culture or their own? I think culture is about sharing for a better culture don't you?

Do you think Vogue Africa would be relevant to the native population?

Vogue Africa is just a symbol dedicated to all people of African descent no matter where they are: Africa, America, Australia, Europe, West Indies, Brazil, Jamaica...We all have the same Motherland.

What are the main inspirations behind your work?

Africa, Beauty, Nature, Creativity, Culture.

If you could put anyone on the cover of Vogue who would it be?

A group of black women readers from every part of the world.

Mary Katrantzou

Mary Katrantzou is a fashion designer with a penchant for unique bold and graphic prints. With her label in its third season, this new-kid-on-the-block has already developed a strong identity in the fashion world and judging by the standard of her latest AW10 collection we will not be seeing the last of her yet.

An alumnus of the Central Saint Martins MA Fashion course, Greek-born Mary Katrantzou burst onto the scene at their A/W graduate fashion show in 2008. Through this she managed to gain sponsorship from New Generation for a second season and showed her AW09 collection at London Fashion Week in February 2009. Her innovative designs have included a response to the way in which fashion houses such as Gaultier and Givenchy traditionally create perfume bottles that pay homage to the female body. Katrantzou decided to design a series of dresses in which she placed the perfume bottle on the woman rather than the other way round, therefore creating the illusion of an hourglass silhouette and placing emphasis on the female form.

Her AW10 collection is inspired by eighteenth century society paintings – a move away from the hyperrealism she has explored in previous years. Referencing paintings by artists such as Jean-Honoré Fragonard and Jean-Marc Nattier she focuses on adapting eighteenth century dress to the twenty-first century woman. The opulence of the eighteenth century is adapted through the addition of luxury details such a tulle and lace ruffles, which create a three-dimensional silhouette – a move away from the symmetrical graphic shift dresses of her SS10 collection.

It is clear that Katrantzou is keen to move forward and develop her line with a new emphasis on tailored pieces and different textures. The paring of a Napoleonic jacket with wide-legged trousers depict both feminine romanticism and authority; demonstrative of the conflicted world of the modern woman. The inclusion of extravagant brass statement jewellery made out of furniture parts (custom made in Katrantzou’s mother’s factory in Athens) which are then combined with Swarovski crystals compliment the collection perfectly by creating a microcosm of the relationship between utility and luxury that this collection represents.

Generation 10

Here is a feature I wrote for Don't Panic in July 2010 on an exhibition at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in London entitled Generation 10. I know it was a while back now but I loved all the artists so much that I couldn't resist letting all the Fashion Magpie's out there take a look...

Photography by Tim Ferguson

There seems to be a huge buzz around the young British art scene at the moment – the creative hub of the country focusing around some of London’s most prestigious art schools. Held in conjunction with the Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill, partner to Frieze Art Fair and Candlestar, London’s leading cultural consultancy, Generation 10 is an exhibition of work by ten young artists who have graduated this year from Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon schools of art. Upon entering the library, the youthful exuberance in the room is evident with the majority of the artists being under the age of 25. The underlying theme of the exhibition is ‘Myth and Memory’ with each artist using a wide variety of techniques to interpret this. Don’t Panic went down to speak to a few of them about their inspirations.

Sophie Bevan who created Acrylic/Perspex masterpiece, N.D (above), described her inspiration as stemming from her interest in ‘surface’ and “creating something that looks entirely mechanical but that is actually home made”. The intense graphic design derives from her interest in perspectives, “I do a lot of photography so things like corridors, natural material and interiors. I got a lot of stuff from magazines”.

Chris Golle’s haunting oil painting, Hotel Room (above) pays homage to the film noirs of Alfred Hitchcock and nightmarish odysseys of David Lynch. “I’ve been trying to create that sort of atmosphere – that sort of charge of mystery and anxiety, but also something quite attractive – I’m trying to get that sort of balance right in the painting to draw you in.” Citing Magritte as an inspiration, Golle’s work incites a feeling of timelessness as it “hovers in between spaces so in that sense in can seem like a dream or a memory that is fading away”. It comes to no surprise that Golle has just been chosen as a finalist in the Signature Art Awards with one of his works being part of an exhibition at the Degree Gallery on Vyner Street in August.

Jennifer Baldock’s Untitled Image x 1 (below) demonstrates her interest in connecting art and literature, “I’m really interested in visual imagery and how you can generate that from writing and how that would work in creating the image in the painting itself”. This places emphasis on the importance of self-discovery, which seems to be very prevalent in Baldock’s work, “instead of presenting the viewer with an image they sort of create it themselves and therefore it brings in all sorts of phenomenological elements so it’s quite a personal image in the end.” Inspired by artists such as Ed Ruscha, Glen Ligon and Richard Prince as well as Minimalists such as Pierre Soulages and Jason Martin Baldock’s work allows the viewer to create an image that is very dependent on their own memories, leaving room for self-reflection. Literary influences are also evident with Baldock citing Ernest Hemmingway, Cormac MacCarthy and Joseph Conrad. Baldock considers herself as much a writer as an artist, “I’ve written for longer than I’ve painted so I suppose that’s where the original inspiration will lie.”

The work of Benjamin Bridges has a very ethereal quality. In Hallowed Lights (below) he explores ideas of Ancient Greek mythology, focusing on the Hyperboreans, a race of people who lived beyond the North wind.

“There is this idea that runs throughout history, of the north as being somehow of the same world but somehow different – somehow sort of alien so with my paintings I explore these ideas so it fits into that sort of northern romantic tradition.”

He uses his work as being part of an unexplored myth, and describes the rock crystals depicted in his painting as being ‘frozen in paint’ in a sense that the viewer can delve no deeper than the image that is in front of them. Bridges therefore portrays his work as contributing to the re-mystification of the North. With several exhibitions coming up later this year including his first solo exhibition in Amsterdam, a studio in London Bridge with Tannery Arts, and a possible MA in the pipeline the future looks promising for the 25 year-old.

Generation 10 shows that we are not wrong to be excited by young British artists, with these ten recent graduates injecting some newfound perspective into the rather austere world of British art. Watch this space; we have definitely not seen the last of them.