Making Life more Beautiful
The origins of the 1960s shift dress lie in the 1920s when the short, usually sleeveless, shapeless and simplified dress allowed women to “shift” around, whether in terms of work, sports or dancing. This dress from about 1926 is attributed … Continued
Introduction How would you describe modern Japanese fashion? Architectural, folded, structural, challenging, monochromatic, deconstructed? However you look at it, I think it is important to see its roots in the Kimono. A kimono, the quintessential traditional Japanese garment, is made from … Continued
Three years ago I went to see an amazing exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum, featuring the works of Yohji Yamamoto, who I had never heard of before. We were lucky enough to see one of the catwalk shows … Continued
I am still looking for a colourful cardigan. I have months left before my final SWAP collection, but I have been thinking about how to create a colourful cardigan and have been given some advice by my knitting friend Galina. … Continued
Sam Tennakoon is a member of Notting Hill’s committee, a senior civil servant and a dear friend. I have known her well for a few years now and when I saw her at Notting Hill’s annual strategy day I asked … Continued
I love Turner – England’s foremost painter. I love the colour and the light in his painting – Turner’s amazing, superb ability to capture the environment, especially the sky and the sea. We are especially fortunate in London that many … Continued
The Plan to date I am making progress as most of the ten garments are now decided. Here is a summary of my sewing plan, so far. Each of the ten hand-made items needs a fabric and a pattern by … Continued
Fabric choices This is the week I examined the fabrics that I already owned and my new purchases. I have enough fabric to complete two or three SWAPs to be honest and sometimes you have to know when to stop. … Continued
The Bloomsbury group were a group of artists, writers and philosophers based in Bloomsbury (WC1, not far from Euston station) in the early years of the last century. The names associated with the group include: Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant, Virginia … Continued
Burberry is famous for the Trench coat. Yes, the coat the senior officers wore in the trenches in the First World War. This autumn Christopher Bailey has excelled himself with a marvellous set of hand painted trench coats and other … Continued