LCF and Diaghilev's Ballet Russes (Part Two)

To coincide with the major retrospective at the V&A and the centenary of the Ballets Russes, London College of Fashion and English National Ballet have spent the past year working together on a unique project which examines the Ballet Russes and the incredible legacy of artistic director Diaghilev on dance, art and, of course, fashion. To mark the culmination of this exciting collaboration we decided to talk to Rob Phillips, the Creative Director of the School of Fashion Design and Technology to learn more about the project. In the first part below we set the scene and learn how the project evolved over the course of the year. Here, we learn about the creative and design processes displayed by the students throughout the course of this very special project.

Tailored trousers and jersey drape T-shirt by Deema Abi-Chahine

SS: The project began in 2009 with LCF students having the chance to explore the Ballets Russes through English National Ballet’s performances, rehearsals, set design and importantly, giving students a unique insight into costume design for dance. I'm really intrigued to hear more about the creative processes that the students explored and demonstrated. Could you talk us through some of the processes displayed?

Rob Phillips: The project gave the students amazing opportunities to explore the rich heritage of English National Ballet. The students were given access to Marden in Kent where ENB have their storage facility of costumes and sets. It is a treasure trove of all the performances past and present that ENB have been involved with. We were lucky enough to be given a guided by Head of Costume Wizzy Shawyer. Marden is also where new costumes and sets are made so it really was an unique visit.

Students also visited the rehearsals at the ENB studios in London Kensington where they were preparing for the Ballet Russes season in June 2009 at Sadlers Wells. Some of the students that went along sketched and recorded what they saw.

Fleur Derbyshire-Fox Director of Learning at the ENB gave the students a lecture about the history of Ballet Russes and the ENB which helped the students start to put into context what they were seeing. It also provided them with inspiration for what the ENB was all about. During June 2009 students were able to see performances at Sadlers Wells – for some of them this was the first time they had seen a ballet performance and was a great inspiration for them. So the students really had many experiences to draw upon when they set out on their design process whether this was through drawing or watching and listening to what was around them.

Despite the fact that it was a very creative brief – it was important the outcome was relevant to fashion. One particular menswear student was very inspired by the set, colours and lights and how all of this goes in motion with the movement of the ballet dancers - so her garment was designed to have movement in it, rather than a garment that can be danced in – in fact although the garment looks as though there is movement in it is actually quite restrictive!

The whole process for students is to create and negotiate their own path to answer the brief. The process from there is all about the individual student and the world they create from their own view point. The brief is there to give structure but the outcome is like a jigsaw, it can be played with and essentially it is all about the autonomy of each student and how they decide to interpret the brief.

Ivy printed multi-layered Vest and trousers by Tomi (Wai Yee Ho)

SS: Ultimately, the project has brought together three cultural powerhouses with spectacular results. Looking back over the finished designs and the project as a whole, how proud are you that the students have managed to the incredible legacy of Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes and the significant impact the company continues to have, not only on dance but also on art, design and fashion? I know this must be difficult but do you have any particular highlights?

Rob Phillips: The highlight for me has been watching how each student has developed their ideas. Through this process the students come to realise, that through people such as Diaghilev, elements such as fashion, art, costume, theatre ballet and dance all intermingle – they all affect each other and lend themselves to each other.

This project has opened up the mindset of the students that fashion is not just about wearing clothes and that in the design process other factors come into play – they have seen that fashion designing can be more fulfilling by using different approaches. They have become enriched when given an opportunity which isn’t just about producing designs which are for the everyday – this project showed them about creating an impact and pushing the imagination to be inspired by other practices, such as Diaghilev was. It is great that the students will now take this experience and new ways of working into their final collections – so watch this space!

Appliqué Cotton Top and shorts by Tristan Lahoz

Full Credit list for the shoot is as follows: Creative Director - Rob Phillips. Photography - Sean Michael. Assisted by - James Finnigan. Hair & Make Up -Dora Veronica Simson & Marina Kerecsanyi using M.A.C. Models - Jay, Abella and Jodie all at Nevs. Location - English National Ballet - Marden.

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The finished designs will be displayed at the V&A for one night during the landmark exhibition ‘Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes, 1909-1929’. The display is part of a special evening entitled Ballets Russes Design Perspectives – which takes place at the V&A at 8pm on Friday 19 November and is free (hurray!) to the public.

LCF and Diaghilev's Ballet Russes (Part One)

To coincide with the major retrospective at the V&A and the centenary of the Ballets Russes, London College of Fashion and English National Ballet have spent the past year working together on a unique project which examines the Ballet Russes and the incredible legacy of artistic director Diaghilev on dance, art and, of course, fashion. Diaghilev imaginatively combined dance, music and art to create 'total theatre'. A consummate collaborator himself, he worked with Stravinsky, Chanel, Picasso, Matisse and Nijinsky, there's no doubt that Diaghilev would have approved of this celebratory collaboration.

The students have been able to immerse themselves in the fantasy and couture world of Diaghilev and let their imaginations and creativity take over. To showcase the results of this hugely successful collaboration, twenty five students have been asked to take their designs, including garments, footwear and accessories, into production. These finished designs will be displayed at the V&A for one night during the landmark exhibition ‘Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes, 1909-1929’. The display is part of a special evening entitled Ballets Russes Design Perspectives – which takes place at the V&A at 8pm on Friday 19 November and is free (hurray!) to the public.

To mark the culmination of this exciting collaboration we decided to talk to Rob Phillips, the Creative Director of the School of Fashion Design and Technology to learn more about the project. Our chat is supplemented with an exclusive look at the students' work with a fantastic look book shot by photography Sean Michael on location at English National Ballet. As we have bombarded you with lengthy, text heavy posts in recent weeks we have decided to split our discussion in two. In the first part below we set the scene and learn how the project evolved over the course of the year...

Jacket, shirt and external front pocket trousers by Sungkyun Yuk

SS: You have spent the past year working closely with the English National Ballet on this wonderfully unique project which examines the Ballet Russes and the incredible legacy of Diaghilev on dance, art and of course fashion. How did the collaboration arise?

Rob: Phillips: The collaboration was formed over a year and half ago when the ENB first approached London College of Fashion through the Fashion Business Resource Studio (FBRS - regarded as a one stop shop for the fashion industry, sharing the creative, business and technical expertise of London College of Fashion with the fashion and lifestyle industries).

ENB essentially came to the table with the idea of the collaboration to partner on a project to celebrate the centenary of Diaghilev. They were keen to work with an educational body with fashion expertise, LCF as the country’s only college to specialise in fashion education, was a natural fit.

Exaggerated contour fit, jersey marl stirrup trousers By Mishaal Mansoor

SS: How did the project evolve throughout the year

Rob Phillips: The aim of the brief was to inspire students through the work of Diaghilev and the Ballet Russes and celebrate the centenary and create a project that fused dance and fashion. The brief was tailored by me to ensure the collections that were produced were not ballet costumes made to dance in – but garments that reflected the beauty, movement and excitement of a Ballet Russes performance.

The brief allowed the students the freedom and autonomy to be creative – a key component of a brief of this kind. The project began back in Autumn 2009, it was a complex process which involved multiple pathways and courses – it is one of the rare projects that was a real cross school collaboration, and involved designers, photographers and illustrators which really enriched the whole process. Initially over 150 students took part and submitted work before Christmas 2009. The final stage of the process was the difficult task of shortlisting – which was undertaken by LCF and ENB staff to decide on which students work would be taken forward for production.

In the true spirit of Diaghilev, we prepared the shortlisted students to present their work in a number of ways including: static exhibition, photoshoot, a live salon show and documentary film. This cross genre execution also echoed the cross course collaboration. The whole project was scheduled to finish with an event at the V&A which would showcase these various outputs.

Devore striped vest and trousers – by Ng Chun Bong Julio

SS: Rarely do students have the ability to immerse themselves in such an exciting world. What was the reaction of the students to the task?

Rob Phillips: The students were really inspired by the rich history of art, music and image that they had access to. The whole Diaghilev scene was so imaginative and ‘out there’, the students celebrated the fact they could just indulge themselves in their designs which were not about being worn or designed for the high street – this project was actually about designing something to honour Diaghilev rather than a practical, wearable garments.

Circle cut sleeve shirt and hook'n'eye shorts by Tomi (Wai Yee Hoo)

Full Credit list for the shoot is as follows: Creative Director - Rob Phillips. Photography - Sean Michael. Assisted by - James Finnigan. Hair & Make Up -Dora Veronica Simson & Marina Kerecsanyi using M.A.C. Models - Jay, Abella and Jodie all at Nevs. Location - English National Ballet - Marden.

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Please do come back later on today for the second part of our discussion where we hear about the creative and design processes displayed by the students throughout the course of this very special project.

Albam's Factories

You all know how much I enjoy a spot of factory porn. I love little more than visiting my favourite factories in nooks and crannies across the country. In a collaboration with photographer John Spinks, Albam have opened up the doors to their craftsmen and workspaces with Factories. I first learned about the project during my visit to Albam's Islington store back in May. My factory porn appetite was whet by two framed images which were hung on the downstairs wall. Ever since that sighting I had been keen to get my hands on the fruits of countless factory visits, picture taking, numerous sittings, conversations, lighting adjustments and the occassional loss of cameras. Last Thursday was the launch event in collaboration with Esquire but as the well turned out masses descended on their Beak Street store I was unable to get my excited hands on a copy. Damn Albam's popularity. On Saturday afternoon I returned and finally picked a copy up for myself.

Albam are of course involved in the entire manufacturing process and their factories are obviously a fundamental facet of the brand. This book is about the making process, the people and the places behind the products. When James Shaw and Alastair Rae started Albam, people told them that you could not make anything in England anymore. Of course Albam proved these naysayers wrong but the small workforce that exists are just a rumour of what existed before. If they decide to retire tomorrow, then the industry's gone. Factories celebrates the craftsmen of the label and British industry as a whole while making consumers consider how their wardrobe favourites have been made. To mark the launch, I had a quick chat with James Shaw and alongside our resulting discussion I can share a selection of my favourite pages...  

SS: One facet of the brand is to bring as much product back to Britain and you've spent the last few years building a business which is enabling your British factories to grow and develop with you. 'Factories' feels like a celebration of all of this work and acts as a real showcase for the people, the unsung craftsmen who help make Albam what it is. Was this the driving catalyst for the project?

James Shaw: FACTORIES has been the culmination of two years worth of picture taking. It started with a conversation about what happens if they factories/industry was to stop tomorrow and had it been recently documented. As there doesn't seem to have been a document of the factories we use for a number of years it seemed like a great idea to capture the people that we work with and have done since we started. The conversation between John and myself in the front of the book gives the most detail but I am so excited by the people we work with because there is so much more to them than just making clothes. The way they interact with their tools and surroundings, they just make you want to be in the spaces they work in and get making great products.

SS: When we last spoke to you back in November of last year, you mentioned that the British manufacturing industry is a close knit community which relies heavily on word of mouth discovery. The book offers a welcome insight. How conscious were you of the sense of opening the doors of a seemingly hidden world?

James Shaw: It doesn't feel like opening a hidden world really as it is all around us in each city and it is the world that Albam operates in alongside having stores in London. Our studio in Nottingham is the centre of the garment making district that is sadly minute and it feels quite poignant for the book to be released just as we open our studio up here. Where clothes come from is becoming important as it is in other industries, food for example. The people that go into making Albam what it is are not just in the stores the customers see, but they go back through people in the book and those that didn't make it in the final edit.

SS: How has the relationship with your factories evolved in recent years?

James Shaw: The relationship has just got stronger, they are very important to us as we are to them. There is a sense of doing something in the right way and the results are hopefully worth it for those who wear our clothes and other products. Long may it continue on all fronts!

SS: The images are stunning, how did come to work with John Spinks for this project?

James Shaw: John came into the store in our second week of opening our first store and sent us an email on the Saturday evening he came in the store. I seem to remember details like that! He liked our approach and we liked his approach to image making and then we worked on our AW08 shoot and the relationship started. As we are all from the Midlands we maybe share a certain approach and affinity to our respective professions.

SS: Ultimately, what do you hope the project will achieve?

James Shaw: Apart from selling the book, we would like to think that it will cause people to think about what they are buying, where it is made and also for some they may see that there is something very satisfying about getting involved in this industry. It is hard work, but we wouldn't change it for the world and if people can get the satisfaction we get then that would be worthwhile.

SS: What's next for Albam?

James Shaw: There is so much to do, behind the scenes, in the stores, with the range that there would be too much to list. The future is certainly looking very exciting and this goes from a business perspective to getting the wash perfect on garments. Imminently we have a new website that will launch and should give a clearer insight into what we are doing with the brand and bring out the personality more without it becoming cliche. In short there is lots happening so watch this space!

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Even if you are not in to your factory porn as much as I am, I do hope you can see that it is a beautiful book. The 'Made in England' label has been discussed in length throughout the blogosphere. What does it actually mean? Factories helps to answer this very question. A compilation of stunning imagery depicting the people, spaces, materials, machinery and tools that make up Albam. Factories is currently available at three store locations but will no doubt be available on their website shortly. 

Hormazd Narielwalla's Hat Parade

Hormazd Narielwalla's Hat Parade

There have been many golden eras where a man would consider an outfit incomplete, consider himself naked even, without a hat but now they are rarely even considered in the construction of the everyday outfit. As EJ mentioned in her campaign for hats, 'just look at the street scenes in almost any film made the 50s or earlier to see how commonly the hat used to be worn and how much better it makes almost everyone look.' However, the modern decline of hat wearing amongst men is obvious. I have to confess that despite admiring many hats from afar, I'm yet to fully commit to donning one. There is however, a great deal of inspirational hat donning out there. None more so than the creations of Bernstock Speirs. Inspired by the underground club and music scene, the design duo began creating men’s and women’s headwear which challenged the traditional ideas of millinery. A new generation of hat wearers has since been seduced by their innovative creations. An upcoming exhibition at their Brick Lane store will showcase the work of Style Salvage favourite, Hormazd Narielwalla.

Narielwalla’s fascination with pattern blocks has taken him on a trip up north of the body and drawn inspiration from shapes created for the head. The work features military figures composed of collage, photography and illustration sporting the designers AW10 hat collection. Using hat pattern blocks from Bernstock Speirs’ archive along with uniform drafts extracted from military cutting books and the all important masculine ingredient – facial hair. In his evocative work Narielwalla illustrates a new take on patterns, as they have never been seen. Bernstock Speirs have created a capsule range of hats to accompany the exhibition which will run from 15th of October until the 15th of November. The time for a new era of hat wearing is now my friends.

Narielwalla's New Dandies

I first encountered the work of Hormazd Narielwalla gracing the walls of "A Fairytale About Fashion", an exhibition which ran during the festive season 0f 2008 at the EXIT gallery. Narielwalla's Dead Man’s Patterns was a design story that excited my sartorial imagination and I have kept a close on his artistic development ever since. Just last week, the current LCF PhD student informed me of the various recent advancements that have helped propel his work to a wider audience. These include a new website, fresh illustrative undertakings, an exhibition and another book. Over the coming months I will no doubt fill you in on every one of these nuggets of news but for now, I'd just like to share another body of his work, Trams. As soon as I visited his new site my eye was drawn to this series of artworks. Through a combination of photography, his own sketches and digital composition collages, this series is yet another playful collection of artwork that truly excites. The driving concept for this body of work is to capture a new-age dandy stuck between the past and the present. All the while questioning how a man should dress. These characters have a dandy-esque approach to life, spotless, immaculate and seemingly effortlessly stylish...

As you should all know by now, the artists work originates from sets of bespoke patterns. These patterns have recorded a history of intimate dialogues of customer measurements and fittings over a lifetime but no longer have any practical use to the cutter and are often discarded. Narielwalla takes these fragile pieces of parchment out of their original context and breathes fresh life in to them. The creases and careful folds, finely traced pencil marks and measurements are reimagined. The patterns are reinterpreted and resurrected. In Trams, Narielwalla has once again foraged his way through tailoring archives and shaken a heady cocktail of visual methods to narrate untold stories. I'm left contemplating the modern dandy.

Gosha Rubchinsky's articulation of post-Soviet youth

At the ripe age of twenty six (an age shared by this blogger) and having only completed three collections since the founding of his eponymous label in 2008, Gosha Rubchinskiy has enthused something of a cult following both at home in Moscow and abroad for his articulation of post-Soviet youth. I first stumbled across this all encompassing creative last season, when the young Russian menswear designer set up a teenage bedroom at the Fashion East Menswear installations for AW10. As with previous collections, Rubchinsky dealt with themes of youth culture struggling in post Soviet, modern-day Russia and with an almost solitary outlook that translated well to his soulful sportswear. However, it soon became quite clear as I wandered the space that by mixing influences from the streets of Moscow and the surrounding subcultures, Gosha Rubchinskiy creates more than fashion. I was hooked. Now, Gosha Rubchinskiy’s photography of Russian youth is currently being exhibited at 032c workshop / Joerg Koch until August 21^st 2010. The cult German fashion and culture magazine invited Rubinskiy to show a retrospective of his work. Fortunately for us, our ever eager menswear correspondent, Susie, took a few photos of the exhibition space for the blog...

Rubchinksiy grew up in the aftermath of Gorbachev’s political and economic restructuring, or Perestroika—a key factor in the fall of Communism. Once an avid reader of OM magazine, Russia’s answer to The Face, Rubchinskiy infiltrated his country’s burgeoning fashion scene as a stylist and makeup artist, and after five years on the circuit, he decided to begin his own label, thereby splitting with Moscow’s sartorial glamor. His work has been described as '"a personal take on the 'fetishistic uniformity of Moscow street gangs’ suburb sportswear, mixed with political paraphernalia.”

The 032c vitrine included Rubchinsky’s photography of his subjects, photo-collages vividly colliding Russian architecture—both Orthodox and Soviet—with skate culture, and the designer’s own esoterica-inspired accessories and streetwear. To accompany the exhibition, 032c and Motto Distribition will co-publish a catalogue edition of Rubchinskiy’s photography in a limited print-run of three hundred. Susie was kind enough to pick one up for me. Below are a few of my favourite scans...

Going further than a label might, his work is a totality, where orthodoxy meets black metal, sports and skateboard culture; a "gesamtkunstwerk" involving casting photography, design and artistic direction.

“Fashion is just a part of this world I’m building. The kids that inspire me are the goal of my work, I do it for them first of all.”

Gosha Rubchinskiy

Into Africa via the Darkroom

Into Africa store event at the Darkroom

The Darkroom opened its doors on the characterful Lamb’s Conduit Street in Bloomsbury just late last year and since discovering it in early February I've popped in at every opportunity. The concept store comprises a curated mix of interior and fashion accessories alongside bi-monthly art and sculpture exhibitions. This summer, the Darkroom is going colourful with their latest in-store event, titled Into Africa. Kicking off in April, the showcase explores modernist interpretations of indigenous Africa textiles, jewellery and art. Designs include a limited edition range of laptop and pouch bags by Harris Elliott, a range of hats made from vibrant Africa cotton by Noel Stewart, limited edition prints from David David’s archive of bold geometric patterns, jewellery pieces by Florian, Corrie Williamson and Fred Butler using Brie Harrison prints, as well as a range of leather wallets in vibrant colours by menswear designer Kenneth MacKenzie of 6876.

As you all should know, the H by Harris line initially began with beautifully made laptop cases crafted in London from the softest leathers. The offering has since grown and developed in to a luxury luggage brand. For this season, he has teamed up with the store to create one off designs comprising laptop cases and pouch bags, each lined with bold African prints.

Butter wouldn't melt...

Fred Butler joined forces with Brie Harrison to develop a stunning and exclusive African print design for the Darkroom, masterfully crafted in to both neck and wrist accessories.

Fred Butler and Brie Harrison combine

Store owners Rhonda Drakeford and Lulu Roper-Calderbeck have handpicked a selection of designs and showpieces by various talented designers, which are displayed alongside pieces from Darkroom’s own collections. As I explored the store event temptation was staring blankly at me, from Lynn Cockburn's braided belts and key rings (more on that one day soon) to Anglo's weaved belts.

A bench that had me reaching for my wallet...

For the benefit of those of you who are unfamiliar with Anglo Leathercraft, it is a British brand and has found huge following in Japan, yet are little known in the UK. Their leather belts and bags are all made in England using the finest and most intricate leatherworking techniques. The ones seen here are ideal for the warmer months ahead.

A bowl of bow ties caught my eye

Just as I was leaving the event my eye caught sight of a bowl of colourful print bow ties and handkerchiefs. They reminded me of my temptation to give the styling of Casely-Hayford's SS10 presentation a try but before I cover my arms in eye catching hankersleeves I might just liven up the breast pocket of an old jacket with one of Darkroom's own brand printed pocket squares.

These would certainly liven up any jacket.

Thirty years of Ally Capellino

Raising a glass of Prosseco to the thirtieth anniversary of Ally Capellino

To mark the thirtieth anniversary of Ally Capellino's accessory and fashion label, the Wapping Project is home to an impressive retrospective exhibition of the designer's work. Last night I was fortunate enough to take my place at the opening and duly raised a glass of nicely chilled Prosseco to the label. The exhibition shows the evolution of the brand, from the clothing where it all started during the big hair and shoulders era of the 80's through to the modern 90s and then on to the accessory collection that we have all come to love and associate with the name Ally Capellino...

Ally Capellino's timeline is wonderful illustrated form on the leaflet I was handed upon entering the space. Notice the launch of menswear in 1986. I remember it well (I was two, ha).

This retrospective was borne from the fact that their faithful client base frequently boast about having owned this or that for twenty years or more and that they can't throw it away or, in some cases are even still wearing them! From the bin liners of designs and accessories donated they have managed to create a representative line up of that illustrates the narrative of the label perfectly.

A wall of portraits depicting people and their AC's. Portraits by Donald Christie and assisted by Tom Sloan.

Together with accessories from the archives, art director Rupert Blanchard has created a number of striking installations but I was particularly taken by Michelle Noel's impressive 'Wall of Bags' creation. The wall is a mix of vintage, new styles as well as a number of prototypes and ideas for the future. In addition to the obvious impact of seeing them all on one wall, it is important to stress that each bag has its own story. I personally love how the vintage bags have aged, the leathers and fabric get better as the years go by.

The Wall of Bags by Michelle Noel

Now, when I think of Ally Capellino my mind is full of covetable classics for men and women, satchels made from canvas and leather with names like Vanessa, Lionel and Jeremy which are all timeless and modern. However, the accessories line that I am most familiar with was not launched until 2000. The label has a past spanning twenty years that I had absolutely no idea about. So as I walked around the well curated space I followed the progression of the label, right from it's first womenswear collection in 1980, to the launch of Hearts of Oak in 1983 to designing Girl Guides and Brownie Uniforms in 1999. The area that obviously interests me most though is the launch of its menswear line in 1983...

I loved looking over the early menswear adverts and news pieces

"I'm very proud of the men's clothing that we did at Ally Capellino between 1985 and 1995. Our reputation for tailoring started by breaking rules blossomed under Juno's careful skills. Our fabrics were subtle in colour and cut and he always wore them well. We began with five button jackets and anchor sweaters and worked through linen shorts, suits and shirts. Our tailoring was done in Leeds at 'Sumrie' clothing which had been one of the big successful tailoring and outerwear manufacturers." Ally Capellino

One of the first menswear designs (please excuse my shadow!)

While admiring the suit pictured below I actually bumped in to the owner. The proud chap informed me that he had worn the suit at the Hong Kong handover ceremony in 1997. It was in remarkably good condition but he confessed that he had saved it for only special occasions. Simply tailored and it certainly would not look out of place in my wardrobe today. Having seen a few of the pieces up close a large part of me wishes that the label still produced menswear...

One of the early suits

Collaboration has been a key facet of the recent development of the label. In 2006, Ally created a collection of bags for Margaret Howell, Topshop and the bestselling artist’s set (pencil case, apron and satchel) for the Tate Modern Gallery. In 2008 the label created one of their most interesting collaborations with Apple. AO sees original Alley Capellino bags and sleeves tailor made for the variety of mac products, from leather sleeves for your Air to a despatch satchel for your pro. My particulat favourite is the below canvas sleeve. As part of the iconic AO range, it embodies quality and utilitarian design, neatly wrapping a notebook in quality canvas and leather...

My favourite piece from the AO range.

The exhibition concludes with a more familiar sight (to me atleast), the timeless, but never dull, range of bags that I'd happily sell an unnecessary body part in order to own. Each piece is made from beautiful durable leathers and fabrics that only improve with age and boy do I want to grow old with them. With their quiet branding they are meant to be worn, used and loved. “People should add something of themselves, so that the bags become theirs not mine,” comments Ally.

Temptation at every turn.

In addition to this exhibition, Ally Capellino has collaborated with Liberty to continue her thirtieth birthday celebrations. She has reworked two of her existing bags into exclusive styles for the homely department store. The ever popular (and one of my favourite) Frank rucksack has been produced in soft blue leather with contrasting tan leather buckles and lined with Liberty fabric. Ever since I saw it in March I've been in love. In addition to offering these bags exclusively Liberty is home to a Rupert Blanchard installation in the main stairwell.

No words can do this justice.

Apologies, I was momentarily sidetracked by a beautiful bag. Back to the retrospective exhibition for a moment...I urge you to make the trip to the Wapping Project if you can. The exhibition officially opens today and runs until the 6th June. If not, I'm sure you'll join me in toasting thirty years of Ally Capellino and if you are interested in seeing more from the collection then look out for an upcoming post from Susie (I excitedly shot a number of womenswear pieces and she'll no doubt want to feature the exhibition when she returns from New York).