DEVIDOLL POLYVORE FILES - II: A LIGHT TOUCH OF COLOUR

A big thank you to Mariska1441 of the Slovak Republic for reminding us with these soft summer colours that the best of European weather is just around the corner.

The mandarin Trame clutch from La Vie Devant Soie is a personal favourite of mine so this is extra gratifying! But the real cherry on top is the fact that Mariska has put DeviDoll's very own, self-chosen and oft-proclaimed 'celebrity-that-defines-DeviDoll' -- Uma Thurman. Serendipity indeed....if others can see the union, then its probably not just in our minds!

AT THIS POINT A QUICKIE IS A MUST

There are times when a quickie is an absolute must, and this is such a time: this isn't a regular blog entry, its a quickie just to say "Hi, hello, we're still alive at DeviDoll blogistan HQ".

Our elongated silence is the result of a combo of reasons including business development, usual new season manic-ness (more soon on SS09 collections: Doie's 'Los Angeles', Deborah Lindquist's 'Island Girl Goes to the Desert' and Mociun's 'the Vast Expanse' and Fin's 'Nasturtium'), extensive travel (saw 2 tigers in India earlier this month, as the general election got under way, many, many political animals surfaced too) and office relocations.

But we're still here and will soon be back with our views, news, happenings, thoughts from the world of fashion, especially of the ethical, green, eco and sustainable kind.

We leave you with this.....if you missed DeviDoll's mega SpringFling back in March, don't fret, DeviDoll has another one planned for just before we all break up for summer (ie, early July). Stay tuned.

PROPHETIK LFW AW09 - BEACH BLANKET BABYLON AND BEYOND

Thoroughly enjoyed myself at Prophetik's AW09 show and party at Beach Blanket Babylon last night. When I first got there I couldn't see a single LFW-esque fashionable person (not to be confused with regular old fashionable people, trust me) in the heaving crowd. A kindly waiter directed me upstairs to the 'ballroom' and that, I was relieved to see, was chocka with LFW-esque fashionables.....not to mention other LFW/Estethica luminaries.

L-R: Jocelyn Whipple, Element23; Livia Firth, Eco-Age; Lucy Siegle, journalist/Observer's ethical living expert; Orsola de Castro, founder From Somewhere and co-founder Estethica. Behind Livia are her twin brothers, Nicola and Alessandro who work with her at Eco-Age.

Orsola catches me having more fun photographing her and Lucy deep in conversation, than paying attention to the show.

The show was good - a little less darkness would have helped but no harm done, really. Summer Rayne Oakes, good friend and perhaps (purely my speculation) a muse of sorts to Jeff Garner, founder of Prophetik, modelled a Prophetik dress (her own) which was painted by the elephants that Jeff helps rehabilitates. This aspect of Prophetik's work I need to learn more about.


While we are on topic of muses, I wonder if Jeff even needs one, he is such a creative, free spirit himself. He surfs (in Malibu, where he lives part of the time) and rides horses (outside, Nashville Tennessee, where he lives the rest of the time; by the way, horses feature big in Prophetik's image...there was a beautiful brown one parked outside Beach blah blah blah last night for the duration of the revelries), models in his own (very dramatic) photo shoots and generally has a very artistic vibe.


I like Prophetik's stuff -- it has the right mix of quality and laid back cool that I think fashion, in this economic environment, wants to and will embrace. I look forward to meeting Jeff again as the exhibition starts today and of seeing much more of Prophetik in these parts going forward.

LONDON FASHION WEEK IN THESE TIMES

So LFW is upon us once again -- and this time celebrate its 25th anniversary! Last time it was 'that time of year', ie, the autumn 2008 there was a measure of uncertainty in the air. The economy wasn't looking great, mighty banks rumbled at their foundations and retail looked headed for slower times. Buyers dithered over order sheets in the tents at the Natural History Museum.

That was then. Now many mighty banks have simply crashed, the economy is into one of the worst recessions ever, retail has not just slowed, in pockets its simply stopped and buyers, well, many of them don't have jobs at all. What a difference 5 months can make.

But what difference is this context making to fashion? Well, lets see --
1) cavalier, 'i-need-a-new-trend-a-week' spending has declined. GOOD. Now those of us who have been banging on about buying seasonless, trend-neutral but high quality clothing, are likely to gain a more sympathetic audience. More important, the joy of shopping for, possession of and caring for one's wardrobe can be experienced (for some 20 year olds, this might be a first). In itself such a change will have a wonderfully healthy effect on one of ethically sound fashion's goals, ie, slowing things down (you just have to do some minimal googling on the disasterous effects of fast fashion, to understand why this is such a key goal...start here if you like).

2) high quality design and designers will get a more air-time. GOOD. As people become more concerned about spending intelligently they will seek out more than just what the latest glossy touts as a must-have. Part of the new wave, I predict, will be designers who have in some way, built in green/ethical/eco responsibility into their collections. Quality is likely to be associated more than ever with the entire product rather than just its media stickiness. And independant, responsible, talented designers, who would have otherwise been lost among those that had the financial muscle to flood the space with great PR, glamourous lookbooks and celebrity backing, will get a fair chance to shine.

3) the love of adorning oneself, the thrill of shopping for something beautiful and the general joys of fashion won't go away, rather, the focus will shift. GOOD. Accessories and staples (jeans, the perfect white shirt) with a creative twist, a special something, will get more attention. These are items with many lives and with great CPW - they will work hard for what they are worth and justify their presence in your closet.

Also styling will become more than just a buzzword among fashionable types and/or a way to describe some people's entire career (the 'stylist industry', btw, I predict will be a big area of lay-offs). Style will become about knowing what works on you, digging deep in your wardrobe for pieces that become you and putting your look together based on this knowledge. It will move away from looking like what fashion editors tell you you ought to look like.

All this makes me look forward, more than ever, to London Fashion Week. As has been pointed out in the mainstream and online press, it may not have the money or glitz of nyc or milan, but London has the talent and the edge. I would like to add that, as Estethica's growing success shows, London Fashion Week also has the conscience to suit these times than perhaps any other of its competitors.

There are some exciting new names at Estethica this year including Ada Zanditon, Butcher Couture Eyewear, M.I.A. (winner of 2008's Make Your Mark in Fashion, which DeviDoll was proud to sponsor) and Numanu plus those we know but whom never fail to surprise and delight, such as From Somewhere, Beyond Skin (launching a new logo and look this season) and Anatomy.

DeviDoll is proud to sponsor LFW on greenmystyle because we're proud to be part of the thinking and innovation behind what is truly, genuinely and rightly, fashionable.

DEVIDOLL POLYVORE FILES - I: GO FOR COLOUR THIS SPRING!

Harpweaver puts together a great combo, including Aoki's David Jeans from DeviDoll, on Polyvore.

Very few things come close to being as satisfying as being recognised and loved by fashionistas out in cyber-space because DeviDoll resonates with their style sense, vision and aspiration.

And few platforms allow this happy union as well as Polyvore does. So from today expect to see the Polyvore Files on this blog -- recognising the fashion sensibilities of people across the globe as expressed through their engagement with DeviDoll -- and giving it further voice.

We're honoured to be featured in these creative collages. Thank you for noticing and for including us in your style vision and conversations.