Which desk-bound fashionista doesn’t love Net-a-Porter, ASOS and all those other great online fashion sites? Fast fashion from your desk is the way forward. Lawfully Chic talks to two young entrepreneurs, former City workers Alice Hastings-Bass and Rebecca Glenapp, about their innovative new approach to online shopping.
Can you tell us a bit more about LUX FIX?
LUX FIX (lux-fix.com) is a site aimed at making buying that key investment piece of the season a fun and exciting online experience. LUX FIX has partnered with the hottest names in British fashion – Pringle, Peter Jensen, Yang Du, BEX ROX, Bamford, Hannah Martin, Twenty8Twelve, Sara Berman, Merle O’Grady, Daisy Knights…and more – to offer members-only prices during exclusive online events.
How does shopping on LUX FIX work?
LUX FIX offers its members two new ways of shopping. Our Flash Events last for a maximum of 45 minutes, the price drops down from RRP and customers click ‘buy now’ to lock in the price they want to pay. And LUX FIX Exclusives offer our members exclusive items in super-limited editions with a group-pricing model – the more buyers the lower the final price.
How did you come up with the concept?
During our corporate careers in private equity (Alice) and digital marketing (Rebecca), we found we just didn’t have the time to trawl through all the fabulous new and shiny things on offer. Spoilt for choice had become inventory overload! We started dreaming of a site that cherry-picked the most exciting new pieces each season from a combination of the hottest up-and-coming and established designers and delivered them straight to our inboxes. That in itself would be exciting, but getting members-only pricing for these items was the icing on the cake.
Any tips for other young entrepreneurs in the fashion world?
Building LUX FIX has been an iterative process and as first-time entrepreneurs our friends, family, and business contacts have all been invaluable sources of advice and encouragement.
Oh, and never take no for an answer!
Interested in trying out LUX FIX? Alice and Rebecca have just started their LUX FIX beta launch season SS11. It’s free to join – to sign up to be a founding member click here.
Waterhouse & Dodd presents a new solo exhibition of Jean-François Rauzier’s Hyperphotos. This French artist was discovered in 2009 by the gallery’s owners who were immediately fascinated by his work. How could one not be enchanted by the fantasy world created by Rauzier?
His large format photographs, called “Hyperphotos”, in reference to the hyper-realistic painters, combine thousands of photographs, digitally stitched together. Rauzier, who started his career in advertising more than 40 years ago, explains that he initiates the process by taking shots of a particular building or scene from every possible point of view. One can see from the variety of work exhibited that the originality of his work comes not only from his choice of venues, objects, characters or animals but from the story he creates behind each work.
Sunha, from the series Les Belles Endormies
C-Type Print Edition of 8
150 x 120 cm
Image courtesy of Waterhouse & Dodd
He composes his photographs like a music composer would create a symphony: he uses original images, adds details to the scenes, creates patterns, repetitions and juxtapositions of buildings, people, animals, objects and then deletes some of the images in order to create the final piece. Following a quick conversation we had the other day at the gallery, I am convinced that he fully enjoys the process from start to end. There is a real sense of freshness and playfulness in his approach.
The result is that the world that we have in front of us has been de-constructed and re-constructed many times: it is no longer the reality we know, the venue and objects sound familiar at first but we are soon transported into a dream-like world, a mysterious and poetic universe in which we, the viewers, are like performers.
Rauzier’s imagination is limitless. In the new “Animal series”, he assigns types of animals to certain monuments (raccoons in Piazza San Marco, flamingos in front of Notre Dame…). The result is so spectacular that one of these Hyperphotos, “Jeux de cirque”, which shows thousands of lions in front of the Colosseum in Rome, has recently been selected as “Picture Story of the Week” in the Sunday Times (News Review, 8 May 2011).
My favorite pieces remain his more intimate works, such as his new Hyperphoto, “Traversées” and the series “Les Belles Endormies” already shown in his 2009 solo exhibition. In “Traversées”, we see a solitary man walking under a “reconstructed” maze of bridges. The man is Rauzier. The artist often appears in his photographs as a mysterious man dressed in black (“the man in black” as he calls him) which I find close to the character of the “bowler-hatted man” in Belgian surrealists Magritte and Paul Delvaux’ paintings.
Traversées
C-Type Print Edition of 8
150 x 250 cm
Image courtesy of Waterhouse & Dodd
In the series “Les Belles Endormies”, Rauzier creates 16 different “tableaux” inspired by Japanese writer Kawabata’s book “House of the Sleeping Beauties”. Each work has a different atmosphere and is located in a different venue with different objects. Every time you look at the work, you discover new details, and “foreign” or odd elements appear from the scene. What is fascinating with Rauzier’s work is that it contains so many layers both technically and intellectually. There are so many images and so many references, obvious or less explicit, to literature and art history.
At Lawfully Chic, we believe that fashion has the power to do good – and make us feel good – in style. Over the next few months, we’ll be blogging about fashion’s fairest and finest: those who are leading the way in merging style with sustainability.
As the world of luxury continues to evolve, with effects trickling down to the high street, we’ll comment on Hermès’ ‘Petit h’ Upcycled collections, how Prada have answered the heightened demand for provenance with its ‘Made in’ range, and how PPR continues to drive change with its CSR commitment.
We’ll talk to Debra Bourne, the co-founder of the initiative Beyond the Catwalk, about the era of digital image retouching that we live in and the impact that fashion and the media have on women and their body image. Never has there been greater need for ‘feel-good fashion’ in the truest sense of the term.
With our continued focus on supporting emerging talent, we’ll also interview those to ‘watch out for’ alongside some well-known names. Among these are the exciting new designers shortlisted in the Fashion Discovered and Fashion Fair competition at Fashion Press Week. We’re passionate about the importance of mentoring and the need to provide a platform for emerging designers who have a wealth of talent but who lack the budget to be able to compete with established brands when it comes to the likes of marketing.
From Somewhere With Speedo, one of the Fashion Fair brands showcased at Fashion Press Week S/S2011.
And we’ll offer insight into some of the most inspirational fashion-focused social enterprises that are producing designs worthy of presentation in any high end magazine. We keep finding fashion brilliance that shows there’s no need for compromise on any level.
Optimism is in the air and it’s an exciting time for fashion. Runway to Green has shown that amazing things can happen when people join forces and we look forward to further collaborations in the world of couture.
We all know that binning clothes, without consideration for where they’re going to end up, is pretty darn shameful. However, us Brits are responsible for throwing away approximately 2 million tonnes of clothing every year.
Thankfully, this throwaway fashion culture’s days are numbered.
Meet Tara Nash-King, the founder of Chic and Seek, (ex Wholesale Exec at Anya Hindmarch), a pioneering stylista who is offering sassy solutions for time-starved fashion-loving Londoners.
Chic and Seek redistributes designer fashion…. taking the hassle out of selling ‘once loved’ couture and offering the most desirable labels at the most desirable prices.
Tara not only offers a constantly updated boutique of hand-picked, pre-owned, designer garments and accessories, in mint condition (including Chanel, Stella McCartney, Missoni, Lanvin and Matthew Williamson), she also collects your unwanted pieces (from anywhere in London, without charge) to find new owners who’ll love and cherish them like you once did.
There are further benefits of being a Chic & Seek client: “My buyers have a one on one personal shopping experience and I will contact them when new items come in that they have requested or I think they will like.” Leave Tara with your sizes, your ‘Lust List’ and your social calendar, and she’ll seek out must-haves on your behalf.
Shop online or book a one-to-one appointment at the beautiful Notting Hill Mews HQ. www.chicandseek.com
London-born ‘cultural entrepreneur’ Philip Levine is ‘heading’ towards iconic status in fashion and art circles. The founder of creative agency Two Penny Blue and co-founder of the Lazy Gramophone, a couture arts and design label that supports emerging talent, spends part of his life as a walking work of art. Since 2006 he’s been using his head as a canvas; last month he appeared as a living exhibit at the Victoria & Albert museum’s Hintze Sculpture Gallery.
Philip, a member of the Observer Future 500 2011 (supported by Courvoisier), is inspiring both the folically-challenged and the artistic community with his sublime scalp.
“I never thought using my head as a canvas for creativity would be such an invigorating part of my life. It has taken me on such a unique journey.”
Philip’s 1000- Swarovski crystal headpiece (created with more than a little help from friend and colleague, the professional body artist, Kat Sinclair).
If you’ve missed the posters of Philip’s different head designs, dotted around the capital (with thanks to long-term supporter Art Below) or the digital projection at Liverpool Street tube station, you’ll be pleased to hear that the Gillette-sponsored artist’s first solo exhibition is about to start at the NL, Dutch Cultural space in London’s Fitzrovia. Launching on Wednesday 4th May from 6pm, and showing ‘til 9th May, noon- 6pm daily. For further information or guest list requests email: askphil@philsays.com
We hope to see you there.
Philip says, “Walking around London town and traveling are the best inspirations for (his) art.”
Philip continues to support CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably), a charitable initiative that raises awareness of depression among young men. A bespoke poster image supporting the cause is on display at Gloucester Road tube station.
Images provided by Philip Levine. Photographer Daniel Regan.
BOUND, the exhibition at All Visual Arts’ new space in Kings Cross is the brooding exhibition featuring new and significant works by Alice Anderson (‘Fort-Da’) and Kate MccGuire (‘Corvid’). Walking into the space is akin to finding yourself in an Edward Gorey drawing or lost in the tunnels of Gormenghast. On the floor is a writhing, endless feathered knot, and standing parallel is a towering cotton reel, the taut thread around it being a rope of auburn hair.
Those familiar with Kate MccGuire’s work will be familiar with seeing her serpentine works, safely encased in museum cabinets, or at the very least in a smaller size. Here her work is a free, crow-black loop of rippling anaconda – something both fascinating and repellent, without beginning or end. It does not take much to imagine this sinister form hunting the streets at night. The obsessive nature of this work also has links with Anderson’s study of childhood anxiety. In this work McGuire used crow feathers, (she also uses pigeon and magpie feathers sent by gamekeepers and farmers), to create this work- the crow itself being strongly associated with a knowing sense of foreboding, a harbinger of bad news.
Fort- Da is equally compelling. You cannot tell if the auburn hair twisted round the 3 metre cotton reel is ravelling or unravelling. The work references a game invented by Sigmund Freud’s one-year old grandson who would repeatedly throw and retrieve a reel on a string from his cot. Freud believed the child to be stating “Fort” and “Da” – gone and there - which Freud believed to be a coping mechanism to deal with the absence of his mother. Anderson used this, and her own childhood compulsion of winding hair – her own way of dealing with maternal absence, in this work, the bobbin representing her attachment. The colossal dimension of the work makes this anxiety all encompassing.
It is not a comfortable exhibition, it is not meant to be and certainly should not be missed.
BOUND is open Tuesday- Sunday 10-6pm
1-30 April 2011
All Visual Arts (AVA)
2 Omega Place, London N1 9DR
The Green House is a breath of clean, fresh air for Bournemouth’s hotel scene. They claim to be the greenest hotel in the UK and one could well believe it. The Green House’s emphasis on sustainability and all things eco-friendly whilst remaining impeccably stylish is an impressive feat.
The Greenhouse Hotel – eco-conscious Chic
Fabulous wooden floors from sustainable sources; carpets from 100% sheep’s wool from up the road in Salisbury; beautifully reclaimed Victorian roll top baths; filtered water not bottled; intelligent lighting; Liberty & Green toiletries; solar panels and a CHP unit meaning they produce extra electricity and sell it back to the grid – the list goes on with an attention to detail that could only come from the dedication of a true eco-enthusiast.
The great worry of course, when there is so much focus on all of this is whether or not it’s actually much cop as a hotel. It is. The beds are eminently comfortable (made in the UK by Hypnos with all natural materials since you ask) and the rooms are beautifully decorated with wallpaper by St Martin’s design students alongside eco-paint from Farrow & Ball.
Conscious comforts in The Greenhouse Hotel bedrooms
And the food is fantastic. There’s a new chef called Gordon on the block. Gordon Jones, previously with The Royal Crescent in Bath, is running the kitchen at the hotel’s restaurant and is producing some seriously good cooking. Alongside the A la Carte Menu, he offers a six course tasting menu which draws on a wide range of local, seasonal and organic ingredients of the very highest quality. On our visit Jones and his small team delivered a powerful range of flavours, combining classical techniques with flair and ambition. The tasting menu kicked off with a delicate Jerusalem Artichoke veloute that had some chorizo (yes, from the UK) chunks to give it some extra punch. It was a brilliant start to the meal, light but full of flavour. Pigeon eggs were new to me; scrambled into an emulsion and served with an outrageously good black pudding. A perfectly cooked piece of salmon judiciously left to shine with simple spring flavours was outstanding, as was an excellent citrus tart with feather light pastry to finish. This restaurant creates excellent dishes and if there’s any justice it will be full every night. For the faint hearted, there are plenty more conventional choices on the menu, either way it is highly recommended. And keep an eye out for Gordon the kitchen hotshot, part deux.
Delicious delights from Gordon Jones
With summer just around the corner, The Green House is in a perfect location for a weekend by the sea; just a 2-minute stroll from the cliff walk down to the beach. Take a picnic and hire one of the beach huts for the day to enjoy ‘the English Riviera’ in all its sunburnt glory. It’s well placed for conference goers too and no doubt an infinitely more enjoyable experience than many of the tired hostelries in the area. For a boutique beach break with a conscience, The Green House is hard to beat – it’s a little slice of guilt-free luxury.
The glittering, emerald and sea green dress worn by Ellen Terry, the Victorian actress known as the “Queen of Theatre”, has been restored after a mammoth 1300-hour process.
Decorated with over one thousand green iridescent beetle wings, the shimmering dress was worn by Ellen Terry for the role of Lady Macbeth at the Lyceum Theatre in 1888. It was an iconic piece for its time and has strong associations with the actress who was painted by John Singer Sergeant (“Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth”, 1889, Tate Gallery) wearing the dress. (Note the former inhabitants purportedly shed their wings naturally!)
The dress can be seen at the National Trust’s Smallhythe Place, Tenterden, Kent- the former home of the actress. For opening times and further information, visit http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ or telephone 01580 762334
Corrado Sassi’s work, exhibited at “Fast and Steady” the recent show of Marcelle Joseph Projects, held in conjunction with Charlotte Artus Art, experiments with the interference between the viewer and the subject of the image.
Sassi, based in Rome, took the images in Manhattan and upstate New York on a 35 mm camera. His practice is to employ a “fast and steady” mode of photography, taking “snaps” without the use of a view finder and holding the camera at chest level. From this method Sassi’s work has a narrative quality- you are positioned as a voyeur witnessing a slice of an unfolding tale. This is heightened by the bifurcation of a number of these images such as “Grill” which gives a sense of catching glimpses from a car or train.
Corrado experiments by fragmenting his photographs in a number of ways, both splitting works horizontally and, at its most subtle, in the series entitled “Voile” where images are printed on aluminium in the background, layered with a print on a transparent voile fabric in the foreground, and contained within an artist-made wooden box. The complete gauzy images are hard to read, and it is difficult to ascertain if the work is complete or a fading ghostly after image.
There is something both filmic and fairytale in Sassi’s work. The controlled use of red seen in the monochrome setting of “Fiocco”, where a single red bow hangs above the empty, snowy road, or the girls’ red coats in “Family” recall Little Red Riding Hood. The careful consideration that Sassi has given to the palette is seen also in John Constable’s paintings such as the flash of red skirt in “Helmingham Dell” and also the sinister red in Nicholas Roeg’s film “Don’t Look Now.” Sassi makes us feel that we have chanced upon these images, and, by the same token, Sassi makes all the decisions as to what we are allowed to see.
For more information contact:
Marcelle Joseph Projects -http://www.marcellejoseph.com/
Corrado Sassi’s work will be next exhibited at:
WHEN IN ROME: THIRTY WORKS OF ART BETWEEN NOW AND THEN APRIL 20-MAY 21, 2011, Isituto Italiano Di Cultura, Hammer Museum, and LAXART, Los Angeles, CA
April 20–May 21 2011
The UK charity Bottletop and clothing brand Fenchurch continue their captivatingly clever and creative collaboration with the launch of The Bottletop Band’s album, ‘Dream Service’. The star-studded collective behind the exceptional and eclectic sounds, includes: Eliza Doolittle, Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals), Matt Helders (Arctic Monkeys), Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, Sam Sparro, Reverend and The Makers.
Following on from the hugely successful ‘Sound Affects’ album series, ’Dream Service’ is aimed at raising funds and awareness for the charity’s work. As well as designing and producing ethical and eco-friendly fashion products, (see our post featuring ‘The Clever Clutch to Cling to’ here), loved by the likes of Kate Moss and Paris Hilton and generating employment in Salvador and Brazil, Bottletop also supports grass roots education projects in Brazil, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda and the UK. Cameron Saul, the son of the Mulberry founder, and friend Oliver Wayman are the brains behind Bottletop, a charity aimed at empowering young people to take control of their lives. What they do is very clever and inspirational; creating highly desirable products, structuring sustainable business models and transforming young lives.
A single from the new album is available for free download – ‘Fall of Rome’ – a collaboration featuring Carl Barât (Libertines), Andy Nicholson (ex-Arctic Monkeys) and Drew McConnell (Babyshambles). Download it here: http://www.bottletopband.com/
The Bottletop Band will be performing live at various venues – keep checking the website for dates…..
