Fashion Business Club

CEO of discount e-tailer Koodos and FBC member, Miriam Lahage is moving onward and upward, as the company has been sold to the E-Trader Group. The E-Trader Group is a software development company founded by fashion entrepreneur, FBC member, and chairman of the British Fashion Council, Harold Tillman. The online company allows retailers and manufacturers to sell bulk stock online to trade buyers through its website www.stockshifters.com.

The takeover could mean great success for Tillman, as Koodos will allow E-Trader to move into the consumer market with more than 200 brands including Chloe, Diesel and Original Penguin at discount prices.

Miriam Lahage

FBC caught up with Miriam to chat about the recent development and her plans for the future:

Q: Are you staying in London or moving back to the States?
A: I am staying in London. How can I leave this great city?

Q: What are you going to do next?
A: I am helping with the transition for the next few weeks. Not sure what my next gig is after that, but I am looking at a lot of things, and have a feeling that I will be making a decision quite soon. I will definitely be looking at projects in the online fashion world, so feel free to connect me to people who are doing interesting things. You know me–I love to meet new people and explore new ideas.

Q: How are you? Koodos has been your passion.
A: I am actually great, thanks for asking. Koodos is in good hands with a solid team. It is all good.

Anne Look FBC Member & Fashion Stylist

FBC’s media partner, Drapers hosted an amazing party at DreamVault to note a landmark year in British fashion. 2009 marks 25 years of the British Fashion Council and London Fashion Week, 100 years of Selfridges and 125 of Jaeger, amongst other noteworthy fashion anniversaries.

Harold Tillman

We were all given a commemorative book titled Drapers Great British Fashion and both Drapers editor, Jessica Price-Brown and FBC member and chairman of the British Fashion Council, Harold Tillman spoke about the industry’s heritage, the milestones, and the exciting future of British fashion. Attended by some of the most influential people in the business, FBCers were no doubt in great supply.

FBC member and former CEO of koodos, Miriam Lahage

FBC member and senior account director at EdenCancan, Jonathan Kirkby with My-Wardrobe brand partnerships manager, Antony Hawman

FBC members Frances Card of the Frances Card Consultancy with vente-privee.com’s UK country sales manager, Bunty Stokes

FBC members Lauretta Roberts, digital development manager at WGSN and chairman of the Fashion Summit 2009 with Stine Brogaard, Swarovski’s marketing operations manager

Liberty’s creative director Tamara Salman with Fran

Tamara is not yet a member of FBC, but she did attend the infamous Alexandra Shulman/Dolly Jones meeting, and she will be a member come January after she’s been our guest speaker – it will be on the 28th, if you want to save the date.

FBC’s Martyn Roberts, co-director of Vauxhall Fashion Scout was also there, but managed to elude the camera.

Agenda’s will be going out soon for the next meeting on the 26th of November where Jonathan Saunders and Erin Mullaney of Browns will be interviewed by FBC board member and editor of Vogue.com, Dolly Jones.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Courtney Blackman Co-Founder & Co-Chairman

FBC member Lauretta Roberts is chairing the largest fashion event of the year.  Not only that, she’s re-shaped it and brought on board the most amazing line-up of speakers, panellists and advisors.  I caught up with Lauretta and got the inside track on the Fashion Summit 2009.  Read the interview on Drapers:

Pre-Fashion Summit 2009 Interview

Remember members, if you would like to attend the Summit, we have our very own FBC discount.  Just ring +44 (0)20 7554 5807 and quote priority code ‘FBC‘ to get up to £295 off!

Myka Volney Press Director

The Ford Models Supermodel of the World UK Search takes place on Tuesday the 3rd of November at Il Bottaccio and there are loads of FBC members involved!

FBC co-chairman & co-founder Courtney Blackman is PR’ing the event under her company, Forward PR; fellow board member and editor of Vogue.com, Dolly Jones is sitting on the judging panel; FBC blog editor and über fashion stylist, Rebekah Roy is styling the event with clothing from Jaeger – the official clothing sponsor (and also owned by FBC member Harold Tillman); FBC member Frances Card is hosting the show; and FBC member Georgina Goodman is providing the shoes, and of course the audience will be teeming with FBC members.

Hopeful models queuing for the first casting

Who else is involved? Fashion designer William Tempest is also on the judging panel, along with former Ford model and show producer Reaya Goldman; amazing make-up artist Lan Nguyen will be leading a team of AOFM artists using MAC; Tim Furssedonn will be heading up the Toni&Guy team for hair and Wolford are providing tights.

Who will measure up?

It’s going to be quite a show and I for one am excited to see which of the 12 finalist models will go on to represent the UK in the world finals in São Paulo!

See a full gallery of the first casting on photographer Magnus Arrevad’s site: Ford Models Supermodel of the World UK Search 1st Casting

…and visit Vogue.com to see which models got shot for Street Chic.

Myka Volney Press Director

Strut along to his Holland Park studio this Wednesday 28th October between 5:30pm – 8:30pm to preview his Spring Summer 2010 collection.

Unit 6, 225-227 Walmer Road, W11 4EY

RSVP: laila@bryce-danice-aime.com

See you there!

*Private orders available at wholesale + VAT (cash or cheque only).

www.bryce-danice-aime.com

Anne Look FBC Member & Fashion Stylist

Ashish, international fashion designer and an original FBC member, made a musical appearance this week – in the form of Cheryl Coles’ first solo music video, Fight For This Love. The twenty-three year old starlet rocked some of the designer’s stunning signature pieces, including a pair of sequined, leopard print trousers and a tiger print hoodie.  The collection- both eclectic and eccentric- are a compilation of textures, designs, and colours, adding spice to any ensemble.

It appears that the renown designer, whose pieces are both recognized nationally and abroad, is about to go bigger, this time hitting up the music industry. Ashish loves his women to ‘make an entrance’ with his designs and pieces, and with Cole, did rightly so. Click on the image and check out the video! Now if that’s not worth a ‘fight for’, I don’t know what is.

Cheryl Cole's "Fight For This Love"

Jimmy Ho has been in FBC since the beginning and is one of the few founding members.  He’s the designer and owner of OMyJimmy - a men’s and women’s eco and sustainable t-shirt label, and is the founder and editor of Clique Magazine, which treats its readers to all things fashion, beauty, lifestyle, art, design and anything uber-cool. Read about Jimmy’s journey on Drapers:

FBC Member Spotlight: Jimmy Ho

Myka Volney Press Director

Daisy de Villenueve for Uniqlo (top right)

Jil Sander is not the only one making waves at Uniqlo.  FBC’s own board member, Daisy de Villeneuve is causing her own commotion. The designer, illustrator and author is now a face for Uniqlo’s global 2009 Winter Fleece campaign.

The campaign features talented, young creatives from around the world, and Daisy stands (holding one of her iconic illustrations) alongside celebrities from Asia and America including Damian Kulash, the lead singer of L.A.-based indie band, OK Go. Daisy is the only British icon featured in the campaign – a giant coup. “I’ve always been a huge fan of Uniqlo, so was excited to be asked to be in their campaign.”

Daisy in the window of Uniqlo in London

How did Daisy get the job? It was secured by FBC members Ian Warren and Neely Reyes of of emerging London-based agency, Sapphires Model Management. “It was a pleasure working with Daisy,” says Neely. “The job was negotiated between L.A., London, and Tokyo, so there were a few late nights involved! Thankfully Daisy was professional and accommodating; I wish all the people I worked with had Daisy’s work ethic as it would make our lives a lot easier!  We really look forward to working with her again!”

…and they will be. Daisy recently signed to Sapphires Model Management’s ’special bookings’ division, which seeks to sign talented individuals within the creative arts for work beyond traditional modelling campaigns.

That’s one of the best FBC success stories yet.  Congratulations, Daisy, Neely and Ian!

Courtney Blackman Co-Founder & Co-Chairman

As a fashion stylist I’m always looking for something new, so fashion blogs are an essential part of my research, but sometimes it’s difficult to find sites with first hand information. This season FBC members Martyn Roberts and John Wolford of Vauxhall Fashion Scout have added a fashion blog as part of Fashion Scout.

During London Fashion Week information and illustrations are posted moments after a show is finished. They also have access to backstage interviews and all the designers so they have a lot of great reading on the blog!

Martyn Roberts is a very technology-aware producer, and I asked him about the blog:

“Fashion blogs can be very important to emerging designers. The bloggers talk directly to a very savvy and fashion interested audience in a personal way that this audience relates and reacts to. For many new designers bloggers are the first to cover them – in a lot of ways discovering them and promoting them to this vital audience. It is often after this stage it seems that the traditional media begin to notice these designers – although it may be quite a lot longer before they begin to cover them. What bloggers consider to be emerging designers and what the national newspapers and most magazines are very very different. The bloggers are the ones with their fingers truly on the pulse of new talent.”

- Rebekah Roy FBC Blog Editor & Fashion Stylist

FBC member Giovanna Velasquez is the creator of the fashion label Magenta 8. Each garment is intricately handmade in Peru using only the finest baby alpaca wool, so much work goes into each piece, for instance it takes three people just to make the buttons, which are hand carved bull-horn.

What inspired the collection?
Magenta 8 – My inspiration for most of my collection will always be based on the first 50 years of the 20th century. The 30’s with its art deco and the production of amazing movies at Hollywood –such glamour-, the 40’s with its austerity, the creative ideas that came out of lack of resources, and the 50’s my favourite time, where so many talented designers came to influence fashion, for me the 50s are the classic novel that no matter how many times you read it, it still enchants you.

Why did you choose to work with Alpaca?
Magenta 8 – Alpaca’s natural qualities and characteristics makes an ideal fiber to work with, also I found that not many people where familiar with Alpaca, which made the whole product even more interesting to work with.

What makes Alpaca different?

Magenta 8 – Alpaca is different to some fibers due to its qualities. It is light weight or heavy weight, depending on how it is spun. It is soft, durable, luxurious and silky. It is warmer than sheep wool and has no lanolin which makes it hypoallergic. Its a very fine and light fleece, it does not retain water, is thermal even when wet and can resist the solar radiation evenly and has the bonus qualities of been naturally water-repellent. It is silky and glossy and gentle to touch.
For me the two extra bonus, is that Alpaca is sustainable as a fiber, and is naturally organic. Alpacas as animals are soft on the environment, making alpaca a truly green textile offering agricultural opportunities and sustainability to many in its country of origin, Peru.

How long does it take to make each piece?

Magenta 8 – Some garments can take a day others two days we take great pride in our final touches.

Many fashion designers  are ethical because of the fabrics that they use. You have an ethical ethos to how you do business, can you tell us more about this?

Magenta 8 – It’s very simple, Magenta 8 is a fashion brand based on values. For us being ethical is part of who we are, yet it is NOT our selling point, it is our brand. We do not sell garments or accessories, we sell you our values our commitment to quality and never compromise for anything less. If you believe in what we do you will be attracted to our products, yet I refuse to be seen as an ethical brand. I believe being ethical is a given is not something that I would need to communicate. With the people we do business with we share the same ethos. We do what we say and we sell what we do.

What is your fashion background?

Magenta 8 – I was not professionally trained to be in fashion yet my background is more in business. Eventually I got myself all well informed and educated into the fashion industry, but nothing teaches better than been there knocking on peoples doors and asking if they are interested in your products. There is no M.A. that can teach you that experience. I had once a teacher at Central Saint Martins that told me “what I am teaching you is information, the more informed you are the better equipped you are, the rest falls with you, what you are willing to do with this information is your determination”. Until now, he knows how grateful I am for his words.

Why is being an FBC member important to you?

Magenta 8 - FBC, is my growing friend. We grew up together, honestly! When I joined we were only a handful, and look at it now, it’s amazing what Courtney and Alison have done for all of us. Networking is vital for the business to grow, any business. In the time I have been with FBC, I’ve been referred to and I have referred people as well. I have met lovely and supportive people, some are clients of or others are part of Magenta 8. The Fashion Business Club, is personally very close to my heart!

Contact Details
Giovanna Velasquez  07961 145 787
www.magenta8.com

- Rebekah Roy FBC Blog Editor & Fashion Stylist