Doychinoff at VFS Paris Show Room

After stints at the renowned fashion houses Hussein Chalayan and Roland Mouret, womenswear designer, Maria Doychinova went on to establish her own label, ‘Doychinoff’. The Vienna based brand creates conceptual, high-quality and avant-garde fashion, inspired by art, urban space, architecture and contemporary lifestyle.

Maria sees fashion design as an art form and her approach to Doychinoff’s latest collection, ‘Petroleum,’ highlights this. Exploring similar paneling and pleating techniques from previous collections, Maria has created a range of sleek tops and body con dresses in a black wetlook sheen and ivory silk-satine. Boning and curved structured panels accentuates features of the natural female silhouette whilst tiered layering and gathered laser-cut fabrics creates a delightfully delicate and elegant appearance.

Sarah Barlow

Lislie Yeung at VFS Paris Showroom

If you were unable to visit London Fashion Week this season then perhaps you caught sight of Lislie Yeung’s luxury footwear in Paris instead. A selection of elegant knee high boots, chic wedged heels and striking stilettos all complete with interesting cut-out detailing, have been on display at the Vauxhall Fashion Scout Paris Show over the past few days. Using only the best Italian and French leather as well as exotic skins such as python and stingray, Lislie designs footwear that is originally creative yet surprisingly wearable and practical. For her latest pieces, Hong Kong born Lislie utilises a staple black and white colour palette with silver, taupe and pink highlights, creating a classic and timeless collection, prefect for any outfit ensemble.

Sarah Barlow

Yorkshire Pearl at Vauxhall Fashion Scout Paris Show Room

More wearable art than jewellery, each piece by Yorkshire Pearl is a completely unique collection of fabulous trinkets. The bangles are all handcrafted by Bert Clayton, the brains behind the brand, and are encrusted with vintage gold and silverware, parts of musical instruments, buttons, shells, bits of lace and hundreds of other fascinating and beautiful fragments hoarded and discovered by him over the years.

Clayton, or Bert as he is known by friends, is as eccentric as the treasures he makes - he originally trained in engineering and butchery before being inspired by none other than John Galliano to enter the world of fashion. In 2006 he enrolled in an MA course at the London College of Fashion and has been unstoppable ever since, counting among his many fans Hilary Alexander, fashion editor at The Telegraph, and Yasmin Sewell of Liberty of London.

As if conquering the world of accessories wasn't enough, rumour has it Bert is about to turn his hand to womenswear, with plans to debut his first collection in February of next year. We can't wait to cheer him on from the front row!

Come down to our Paris showroom,  10-12 rue des Coutures Saint-Gervais, and see these beautiful artifacts for yourself. We guarantee you'll find a Yorkshire Pearl of your very own.

Octavia Bright

An Interview with Carianne Moore

We are delighted to have Carianne and Mike of Carianne Moore with us the whole week, here are some small interview with them:




1. How would you sum up your collection in no more than 10 words?


Samuri, Geisha, coral, sci-fi, Art Nouveau, pearls, Swarovski elements, leather and millinery.


2. What's been your season highlight?


Having one of our hats photographed for Vogue by Nick Knight


3. How is Paris fashion week different from London?


Paris is so much larger than London, in terms of the sheer amount of events happening all over the city. London is a great press platform but there are less buyers present. Paris is more about business, while London feels more creative. There's much more variety here, and things are of higher quality - it is the beating heart of couture after all!


4. How are you finding showing in the VFS showroom?


It's really nice - very well organised and a beautiful space. We're enjoying being surrounded by such amazing designers.


5. What has been your favourite moment in Paris so far?


Going to Gareth Pugh's after party and catching up with lots of old friends.

David Longshaw at VFS Paris Showroom

For many designers, inspiration comes from an external source; a piece of architecture, a painting or perhaps a particular person or ‘muse’, but for womenswear designer, David Longshaw, this is not the case... Interestingly David utilises his boundless skills in writing and illustration to create quirky and original short stories as inspiration behind his collections. A few days ago I was fortunate enough to talk to the man himself to discover the story behind his designs for SS ‘11. He told me the tale of a group of youths who break into a stately home. After entering the house, the groups’ initial intentions of theft are soon dismissed after they become distracted and fascinated by a display of period costumes: ‘They start to dress up and the fun soon begins’ explains David.

Ruffles, pleats, feathers, ornate fabric manipulation, and other features you would expect to find upon period attire are all present in David’s SS ‘11 collection. A key colour palette consisting of a light ivory, powder blue and pastel purple is captured on a combination of simple silk camis, tightly fitting mini skirts and wispy summer dresses. Original drawings from the inspirational narrative are also used to create signature prints that are placed onto garments, adding an element of humour and quirk to David’s designs. My personal favourite; an illustration of a stereotypical ‘chav’ bulldog printed onto a beautifully delicate loose ivory dress, creates a wonderfully ironic juxtaposition of ideas.

For accessories this season, David has yet again teamed up with womenswear and jewellery designer, Kirsty Ward, who too has taken the fashion world by storm at late. In keeping with the collection’s theme and soft pastel palette, as well as her own signature style, kirsty has created sets of statement neck pieces complete with fabric ruffs, glass crystals and bullion fringing.

Sarah Barlow

View David's SS 11 collection at the Vauxhall Fashion Scout Paris Showroom at 10-12 rue des Coutures Saint-Gervais, 75003, Paris Today!

Dover Street Market, Liberty of London, Joyce, Vogue Italia and Collezione all visit Fashion Scout’s Paris Showroom this weekend...

The VFS showroom has been super busy this weekend, with the likes of Vogue Italia, British Vogue, Collezione and The Guardian paying us a visit, to name but a few. With 116 people through the door, we've also had buyers such as Dover Street Market, Liberty of London, Alan Journo, Joyce, Opening Ceremony, Traffic, Layers UK and Left (who came all the way from Melbourne!) dropping in for a chat and a look around, and Comme des Garçons' Rai Kawakubo even made it in yesterday afternoon...


Octavia Bright

Maude visits the VFS showroom

While we were out to lunch the charming Maude popped in to visit our Paris showroom. Luckily the talented David Longshaw documented her visit for us. Pop back for a croissant any time Maude!!


Amy Finch

Iris Van Herpen for Madame Butterfly

As well as her ten piece strong Amsterdam collection and the seven pieces that make up her mini-collection for the VFS Paris showroom, Iris has designed sixty pieces (and accompanying wigs!) for a production of Giacomo Puccini's "Madama Butterfly". It premiered at the Theater Osnabrük in Germany on September 5th, and will travel internationally over the next few months. The production is directed by Nanine Linning, a highly acclaimed Dutch choreographer, and places as much emphasis on dance and movement as it does on the music.

The three-act opera guides its audience through different sentiments, and Iris' costumes aim to enhance this emotional journey. The first act is full of optimism as Butterfly and her American lover Lieutenant Pinkerton fall in love and marry, but by the second act he has been gone for three years and she is alone, pining for him with their newly born son. The third act sees Pinkerton return, but with a new American wife in tow, spelling the end for heartbroken Butterfly. Iris' designs reflect the torment suffered by Butterfly, beginning in optimistic, colourful tones that gradually get darker as the performance continues.

Iris worked very closely with the opera's atelier through all stages of production, and encouraged them to use various techniques she has been working on for creating architectural shapes with fabrics. Pleats feature heavily, making a nod to the traditional Japanese use of the fan. Butterfly's wedding dress is a tour de force of pleats, with layer upon layer splayed out into fan shapes, creating a column of white semi-circles rising up from the ground.

Iris' designs aim to emphasize the fluidity of the dancers' movements as they travel around the stage, and she has said that this experience of designing for dancers became a huge inspiration for her Paris mini-collection, which incorporates strips of laser-cut plastic that create a rippling exoskeleton that undulates with every movement.

Photos of Iris' incredible designs can be seen here. We're all desperate to see the production and hope it comes to London asap!

Octavia Bright

Gemma Slack at VFS Paris Showroom

For SS ‘11, British born designer, Gemma Slack, rejects the conventional bright and bold summer palette and chooses to yet again remain ‘noir,’ although hints of colour such as a bruised pink and plum purple are introduced into the collection through the use of print: Erotic photographs of the nude female form are digitally printed onto spandex leggings, bodycon dresses and sheer silk crop tops, to name a few.

Nonconformist in nature, Gemma’s latest collection is heavily focused around leather; a rather unusual fabric choice for the summer season but a feature non-the-less that has become something of a trademark to Gemma’s designs. Panelled dresses, biker jackets, tailored shorts and even swimwear form part of the leather-coated garment offering, all of which reflect elements of a gothic inspired aesthetic whist still maintaining a strong sense of sophistication and femininity.

After a successful collaboration with jewellery designer and fellow Vauxhall Fashion Scout exhibitor, Katie Rowland last season, Gemma has decided to once again include stylised accessories within her collection by teaming up with milliner, Noel Stewart to create a range of delicate head scarves and wide brimmed structured sun hats.

Sarah Barlow

Visit Gemma's SS '11 collection at the Fashion Scout Paris Showroom at 10-12 rue des Coutures Saint-Gervais, 75003, Paris Today!

Fashion Scout dine with Émilien Bouglione

 Backstage at Cirque d'Hiver

 VFS Sales Manager Emma Crosby with Émilien

 5 Generations of the Bouglione Family

 Émilien Performs

A Young Émilien

 Émilien strikes a pose for us!

Last night, Fashion Scout had the privilege of dining with local legend, Émilien Bouglione.

Escaping the rain to the comfort of a dimly-lit Parisian bar, and using our collective, somewhat limited, French vocabulary we were invited to a private, midnight guided tour of the infamous Cirque d’Hiver with Émilien himself.

Émilien Bouglione is true circus royalty. He was born into the world of high trapezes and exotic animals at Paris’ stunning Cirque d’Hiver, where he still reigns as its director. 

The circus itself was built in 1852 for Napoléon III, and has been under the Bouglione family’s rule since 1934. As a young boy, Émilien’s father and uncles instructed him in the ways of their surreal and flamboyant world, training him as an acrobat, trapeze artist, clown and lion tamer, not forgetting as fodder for the human canon. His equestrian show, however, is what really made him his name, and he has toured it all over France.

Bouglione’s shows are famous for their dynamism, combining ancient circus traditions with fresh and contemporary ideas. 

The tour concluded with a private performance from rehearsing jugglers and an introduction to Émilien’s pet panther, ‘Tiger’. A truly amazing experience, Fashion Scout feels honoured to be invited in to such a magnificent, personal establishment. Merci beaucoup Monsieur Bouglione!

Iris Van Herpen at VFS Paris Showroom

With previous experience working for the inspirational Alexander McQueen and the fabulous design-duo Viktor and Rolf, it is no surprise that womenswear designer, Iris Van Herpen, possesses a passion for avant-garde and experimental fashion.

After previewing ten pieces from her SS ‘11 collection earlier this summer at Amsterdam International Fashion Week, Iris recently revealed the complete collection in London and is now on display in Paris at the VFS showroom.

Entitled 'Crystallization', Iris’s latest designs are inspired by the transformation of liquid to solid, or more specifically, water to crystal. With help from Product design specialists, MGX by Materialise, Iris has created 3D features on her conceptual pieces representative of flowing water and icy particles. Panelled, woven and pleated ‘Ecco’ leather in shades of icy white and shiny taupe together form intricate dresses with a futuristic edge. For this season, Iris has also collaborated with United Nude to design and create several pairs of stunning shoe boots, decoratively draped with small silver chains and leather cording, adding a stylistic feature in tone with the entire collection.

For the past six seasons, Dutch born Iris has presented previous collections at Amsterdam and Tokyo Fashion Weeks: Now with support from Vauxhall Fashion Scout, world wide press attention and well received showcases at both London and Paris Fashion Week, word of the Iris Van Herpen label has become international...

To see her new SS11 collection head down to the Fashion Scout Paris Showroom at 10-12 rue des Coutures Saint-Gervais, 75003, Paris!

Sarah Barlow

Katie Rowland

 

Alexander Burke was wearing Katie Rowland's new St Tropez rainbow druzy cuff in a Telegraph shoot. We are lucky enough to have it with us in our Paris Show Room.

To see the cuff that Alexander loved and her new SS11 collection head down to the Fashion Scout Paris Showroom at 10-12 rue des Coutures Saint-Gervais, 75003, Paris!

Kenny Wang

Una Burke on Dazed & Confused October Issue

Una Burke is featured in Dazed & Confused's October issue alongside Alexander Mcqueen,  as styled by Robbie Spencer and photographed by Anthony Maule.

Una is exhibiting in our Paris Showroom, and from tomorrow she will also be exhibiting at Premiere Classe's Paris Showroom at Jardin des Tuileries, Terrassc des Feuillan, 75001, Paris until Tuesday 5th October. 

To see a selection of her new SS11 collection head down to the Fashion Scout Paris Showroom at 10-12 rue des Coutures Saint-Gervais, 75003, Paris!

Kenny Wang

Vauxhall Fashion Scout's Paris Showroom Opens its Doors!

This morning Fashion Scout open its doors to our exclusive Paris Showroom! Already attracting a keen interest and with an air of excitement, here is a sneak peak of the new showroom...


Open from Thursday 30th - Tuesday 5th October from 10.00 - 19.00 each day, you can find us at: 10-12 rue des Coutures Saint-Gervais, 75003, Paris.

The Shoe Galleries at Selfridges

Picture this: 4,000 pairs of stylish shoes, displayed within six uniquely themed galleries and eleven luxurious designer boutiques, all stretched over 35, 000 square feet of glamorous retail space… No readers, this is not one of your delightful ‘Carrie Bradshaw’ daydreams; this is the scene of Selfridges’ newly opened Shoe Galleries. With a record-breaking title of ‘largest shoe department in the world,’ this is quite literally shoe-a-holic heaven!

Located in the Oxford street store’s second floor, the chic shoe space designed by Canadian architect, Jamie Fobert, houses fun and quirky footwear themed features such as a giant Cinderella-style glass shoe, display tables created completely out of old wooden shoe-lasts and an instore photo booth where shoppers can pose with their wishful purchase.

The extensive galleries and boutiques (or should I say ‘shoe-tiques’) are home to over 150 different labels ranging from high-street favs, Topshop and River Island, to mid range brands including L.K Bennet and Kurt Geiger… and of course, any shoe gallery wouldn’t be complete without classic Louboutins and Jimmy Choos, amongst an array of further high-end designers.

Selfridges’ wide offering of different styles, sizes and price tags creates a shopping experience accessible for all; from teenage girls wishing to treat themselves to a brand new pair of party heels, to the retailer’s regular and wealthier clientele.

After a fun-filled preview party on the eve of London Fashion Week, the doors to the Shoe Galleries officially opened last Friday by British actress and model, Gemma Arterton. In conjunction with the launch, Selfridges revealed their first ‘Shoe Galleries’ ad-campaign, shot by fashion photography great, Bruce Weber: A series of photographs depicts a ‘shoeper hero,’ who saves the day by solving the shoe crisis and fulfilling all shoe dreams… aaaah how nice!

With London quickly becoming the world’s favorite luxury shopping destination, Selfridges will surely become the heart and ‘sole’ (excuse the pun) of shoe shopping worldwide.

Sarah Barlow

Carianne Moore SS11 Fashion Film Sponsored By Swarovski Elements

Earlier this month The Fashion Scout revealed news that VFS designer, Carianne Moore, was to collaborate with Swarovski to create a fashion film, campaigning her new SS 11 collection... and it’s finally here!

If you are unable to visit Carianne’s exhibition stand at our Paris Show Room this weekend, then why not catch a glittery glimpse simply by clicking play above! Enjoy!



An Interview With David Longshaw

David Longshaw SS '11

Upon graduating from London’s RCA in 2007 with a masters degree in womenswear, David Longshaw has received copious award nominations, worked for the prestigious Italian design houses, Max Mara and Alberta Ferretti, and debuted his label at our very own ‘Ones to Watch’ last season with his AW ‘10 collection entitled ‘Escaping Emily.’ For this season David will once again be gracing us with his presence, this time at the VFS Paris showroom, commencing Thursday 30th September. In between his well-received SS ‘11 showcase in London and his forthcoming display in Paris, David took time to tell me about his success since Ones To Watch, the story behind his latest collection and his future plans and aspirations...

How has your womenswear label progressed since showing as one of Vauxhall Fashion Scout’s ‘One’s To Watch’ last season?

I won the BFC/ELLE Talent Launch Pad, which has been great for helping raise my profile  (and it was nice seeing Helena Christensen in one of my dresses in ELLE!) I've also found that more stores have been getting in touch since hearing about my win, so hopefully I should have some exciting new stockists for my S/S ‘11 collection.

You create whimsical stories as inspiration behind your collections; tell me a bit of the story behind your SS ‘11 collection?

‘Shaz! Shaz! over 'ere, look at this prick with all the  ruffles and shit on. Na, I bet I’d look well boss in that!’ 

It’s summer and a group of hoodies, bored and with nothing in particular to do, have broken into a stately home. With good intentions of petty vandalism and theft, they are distracted by the period costumes on display. They start to dress up and the fun begins....

Have you got a favourite piece from the collection?

It changes everyday, put probably the one that Vauxhall Fashion Scout shot for the preview. It combines a print I created with one of my illustrations and photos together with sculptural fabric manipulation.

Do you think your previous work at the Italian Fashion Houses, Alberta Ferretti and Max Mara, has had an influence on your own style of design?

It was incredibly valuable working in Italy for two big fashion houses to help me understand the business side of the industry… Working for myself allows me more creative freedom though.

Describe the 'David Longshaw woman'?

Complicated and feminine. 

What has been your greatest achievement as a designer so far?

People with a fashion pedigree like Mary Quant, Alberta Ferretti and Isabella Blow, complimenting my work.

As well as a fashion designer, you are a contributing writer to Fashion 156, the creator behind Maudezine and a fantastic illustrator… is there anything you can’t do David?

Cook! I'm appalling; I once tried to grill a pizza (worryingly one of my friends was helping!)

You are currently stocked at Sister Japan and Young British Designers, where else would you love to see your pieces stocked?

I want my pieces to be stocked in stores that really love my work; I don't have a particular dream store. To be stocked in the fashion capitals and key cities is a long-term aspiration.

For the last two seasons you have collaborated with jewellery designer, Kirsty Ward, are there any other designers you would like to form a collaborative relationship with in the near future?

Well I also collaborate with milliner Katherine Lee; she has worked with me in different ways each season (not actually on a hat yet) since my RCA (MA) days. The last two seasons I've also worked with knit designer Lily Hibbert.   

When and if you ever have time away from working, what are your guilty pleasures?

Going to the cinema with my girlfriend and buying pick and mix.

And finally, you are exhibiting at the Vauxhall Fashion Scout Paris show room this season: What are your plans once Paris Fashion Week is over?

To finalise orders, start production for the S/S ‘11 collection and start designing for A/W ‘11, which I'm already getting excited about.

For more details on David and his whimsical creations please visit his WEBSITE

Sarah Barlow