Portfolio - Jem Leslie-24

JEM LESLI E
PORTFOLI O
Selected Contents
FASHI ON NEWS
SHOW REVI EW
STYLI NG WORK

Field Notes
Di t ch t he f l ower cr own: f est i val
dr essi ng j ust got cool agai n
In the wake of Glastonbury, if there?s one thing
that can be learned from the fashion set?s clothing,
it?s that the much decried 'festival fashion'
phenomenon is dead in the water.
It won't be missed. There?s nothing that spells the
death knell for a trend like its adoption by
multitudes of festival-goers, doused in glitter and
plopped into squeaky clean Hunters that haven?t
seen the light of day since the last year?s
celebrations. Festival 'fashion' (inverted commas
entirely necessary) is embarrassing because it is so
at odds with the genuine festival experience: true
festivals are muddy, smelly, sodden, drunken and
off-the-grid. Festival fashion, spawned by
sun-drenched Instagram posts of Coachella and a
thousand high street shops, is the polar opposite.
Dressing for a real festival should pay heed to the
genuine threat of weather, sleeplessness, the lack of
showering and possibility that you will come home
caked in mud and beer and god knows what else
cheesecloth and espadrilles won't cut it.
Granted, Alexa Chung?s vinyl trousers may be
impossible for the average person to wiggle into in a
tent. But the distinct lack of festival dressing (read:
dressing in a manner that would suggest mild
insanity on other weekend spent in the countryside)
does spell the end for poncy flower crowns and
fringes, which can only be a good thing. And it comes
at a time when attitudes towards festival gear is
changing: shifts in technology and the overexposure
of festival 'styles' have tipped its crucial market
towards a different approach.
For the seasoned festival-goer, it has always been
about digging out the ol?trustworthies, plus the odd
useful addition from the normal casual wardrobe.
For millennials, however, this year has seen the high
street forsaken in favour of second hand and vintage
gear from second hand sites like Depop. The summer
sales rails are packed full of useless crochet and
lame multicolour crop tops - and not just because
the weather has been underwhelming. Infinitely
more practical and desirable, a 90?s era Tommy
Hilfiger windbreaker (with hood) has the provenance
and fleck of fashion history that a Topshop
see-through glitter mac just cannot stand up to. It?s
an authentic article for an authentic experience,
designed not with festivals specifically in mind, but
for general life and genuine function.
Alexander Wang SS16
Chloe SS16
how t o do i t : think not 'festival fashion': just fashion ?
adapted for the mud. Feel free to take inspiration from the catwalks:
Chloe and Alexander Wang Spring/Summer16 is as good a place to
start as any. Don't make any sartorial decisions you wouldn't on any
other day out in the country: if you'd rather leave the designer prices
for another day with less mud, hit Depop . There's no shame: all the
cool kids are doing it.
Painted leather bag, £50, Vintage hat, £20, Vintage windbreaker, £10, Cowboy
boots, £60, and Shearling jacket, £50 all Depop. Silver earrings £95, Trouva,
Jeans £505, and Backpack, £1,070 both Saint Laurent, Bandana, £3.99 New
Look, Shearling jacket, £1,595, Coach, Vintage hat, £16.99 and Leather jacket,
£130 both Depop.
Tellingly, Depop, a marketplace that functions
like a social network, shares many design features
with Instagram, the site of the original trigger for
festival-related consumption that the high street
was previously able to market. What this sector
increasingly look for is authenticity, however: where
Depop encourages a dialogue between seller and
buyer and responds to its users' search patterns, the
high street can't keep up. The increasing
hyperconnectivity of millennials means not only are
they aware and skeptical of marketing, but styles
and demands develop at a breakneck pace only
matched by high fashion. So, ultimately, so-called
'festival fashion' loses its edge.
So, the clothes you really should buy for the
festival season, rather than the ones the high street
advises? A fleece, a waterproof, cotton t shirts, a
decent hat for the possible sun, sunglasses that
won?t get caught in your hair, and for god's sake, NO
DUNGAREES (portaloos! Hello!?) Here?s our selection
of the best.

Time to buy: Isabel Marant
I f you' r e f i ndi ng your sel f gr avi t at i ng t owar ds peasant smocks and
met al l i cs, you' r e r i ght on t he money - i n mor e ways t han one. . .
This all comes at an exciting time for the label, which has
seen its Spring/Summer 2016 designs ? including
Mexican-inspired blouses and silver trousers ? make waves on
the fashion radar on a scale comparable with its bestselling
wedge trainers of 2013 ? trainers that are still feeling their
ripple effect on street style three years on. When you consider
that, despite Vogue et al?s prediction that 2016 would see the
demise of the skinny jean, the enduring appeal of Marant?s
perennially leggy silhouette is especially impressive.
So what does all this mean for the fashion aficionado?
This writer would suggest that the Montefiore investment is a
large-scale reflection of what the Isabel Marant customer
already knows to be true: that the designs have legs. Invest in
Isabel Marant and Isabel Marant Etoile Spring/Summer 2016:
it?s a good vintage, and quite literally, it?s a good investment.
Isabel Marant, the French fashion designer whose
attitude towards personal style is synonymous with her
namesake label, and hitherto, owner of said label is reportedly
looking to sell a majority stake in her design house. This comes
days after the revelation that Balmain, another French fashion
house, was bought by Qatari company Mayhoola, also the
owner of Valentino.
Like many fashion houses named for their founding
designer, the appeal of the Marant brand is very much
connected to the personality of the said designer. Isabel
Marant often designs for herself, and is a great spokesperson
for her label; at the recent Vogue 100 Festival in London she
gave a talk on Parisian style, discussing the insouciance and
eclecticism that encapsulates both our idea of modern Parisian
dressing and the Isabel Marant brand. To hear the
designer speak is to understand her designs, and there?s
no doubt that Isabel Marant is cool ? confident,
intelligent, slightly outspoken, and humorous.
The question is, of course, whether this shift in
ownership means that Marant will take a step back
from her label. When personal vision is so essential to
the integrity of the brand, would an additional
managerial voice cloud its identity? Reassurance is the
message of the day for Marant: speaking to WWD,
Managing Director Sophie Duruflé described the
decision thus:
?We have been growing this company? in a very
spontaneous, natural and sincere manner. We
wanted to be accompanied by people who have
the same vision as us, with a more strategic vision
and skills that we slightly lack today.?
It is also worth noting that in contrast to the
sale of Balmain to a Qatari serial-fashion
investor, Isabel Marant is to become the sole
fashion label within the portfolio of Montefiore, a
French investment fund. When French-ness and
individuality are so central to the identity of the
fashion house, it should come as a relief that the
management will share that same approach.
The change we can predict, however, will be growth.
Isabel Marant is currently valued at an estimated 300 million
euro, with an annual turnover of 130 milion euro ? 80% of
which is recorded overseas. The additional funding would
allow the brand to accelerate development, capitalizing on the
export on that eclecticism and indefinable French-ness that
makes the brand so desirable.
Clockwise from top: Cabella blouse, £269,
Isabel Marant Etoile, Gold and feather
bracelet, £385, Leather skirt, £1085, and
Gold and leather earrings, £234, alll Isabel
Marant, Cotton skirt, £52, Isabel Marant
Etoile, Suede boots, £435, Isabel Marant,
Cotton shirt, £100, Isabel Marant Etoile
Isabel Marant SS16, Isabel
Marant SS16 campaign
Long Ter m I nvest ment s: Look for ethnic-inspired
prints, flowing blouses, jewellery with unusual textures,
butter-soft leather and shoes with a hidden heel..

Paris show review
Nicholas Ghesquiere?s AW16 collection
for Louis Vuitton was an exercise on
perspective. And more than that, it
was an exploration of the subjects of
cultural permanence and prominence
and which of these pervade in the
assessment of cultures, eras and
design that we make from a distance of time or
space.
In other words, Ghesquiere asked his
audience, when we think of other societies or
decades past, what are their key defining
characteristics ? and what are our own? What
makes its way into collective consciousness, and
what is filtered out and forgotten? Let's not
forget that Louis Vuitton is a long-established
global brand with travel at its epicentre. The
interplay between different cultures and its own
legacy lies close to its heart.
The set of the Louis Vuitton show laid the
foundations. It was futuristic, yet firmly rooted in
the past: 57 concrete columns covered with
shattered glass resembled an ominously
postmodern, space-age metropolis that drew
parallels with ancient archaeological digs. The
effect gave a sense of timelessness, while the
many-mirrored surfaces played with the physical
proportions of the room to alter perspectives on
space.
So far, so arty. But the clothes made a strong
case for the academism. As a whole, the
collection had an overarching sense of
completeness ? the work of a storyteller who is
able to neatly recount beginning, middle and
end, and a tastemaker who can step back and
deftly address the balance between the different
inferences of his designs? cuts and styles.
Perspective clearly was at work here on a holistic
scale, but up close, the theme was more
progressive.
Influences came from all over: a navy
suit-come-corset hinted at Gaultier; white slits in
navy fabric recalled Tron and the military; Refat
Oxbek?s American Indian bone jacket was
replicated in uniform-esque colour blocking;
flowing silks with rope patterns echoed of
Hermes. Bondage was explored through
Courreges-inspired patent leather harnesses that
wiped away any smutty overtones to become
assertive, the leather becoming supportive (even
comfortable?) rather than repressive.
Subverting expectation ? changing our
perspective ? was evidently something
Ghesquiere was keen to explore.
The skeletal patterning in his
body suits turned out, on close
inspection, to be cashmere. He
treats traditional luxury fabric
with a method linked with
synthetic sportswear. On a
superficial level, Ghesquiere also
built perspective into the
clothing, altering and
readdressing proportions to
emulate the change in shape we
see as we move around an
object, changing our material
viewpoint.
But it was Ghesquiere?s
eclectic range of influences and
ideas, and how these were combined
intelligently with his own developing signature
of pajama prints, Motocross-like trousers and
modern sports-luxe aesthetic, that was the real
talking point. Ghesquiere showed how he can
skillfully call to mind a design influence though
recreating a cut or print or texture. From his
all-seeing viewpoint, he isolates the essential,
and moves these into modernity by infusing each
with his own design blueprint.
The idea of using fashion's ?greatest hits?
wasn?t just an exercise on succinct emulation,
however. It?s experimentation on a pattern.
Throughout history, inventions of style have
come and gone, but those elements that remain
culturally and practically relevant remain.
Ghesquiere is looking to the landscape of
modern fashion and is examining what is
essential to it: what sticks when everything else
has faded away with the changing trends. And
he?s also attempting to forge and predict the
new classics by invoking these sticky styles and
updating them; looking at how
women wear clothes, and
reinterpreting the construction
to fit in with this.
This is, of course, what all
designers must do to some
degree. They have to be able to
envision how their designs would work on a
practical level, and where they will harmonize
with progressions in culture and society. The
question is, has Ghesquiere come up with a new
classic? Has he correctly guessed just what the
modern woman wants to wear? The answer will
present itself in due course - because (and but) it
is, as always, a matter of perspective.

WHAT TO BOOK:
MARC QUINN TOXIC
SUBLIME
An exhibition exploring the degradation of the ocean
at White Cube, Bermondsey
BY JEM LESLIE 11 AUGUST 2015
smoothing process of the sea. The result is both beautiful
and thought-provoking.
If you are looking to buy, we suggest bypassing the
exhibition?s eponymous wall hangings for something
altogether shinier. Of the shell sculptures, Frozen Wave (The
Conservation of Mass), would be our pick, if only just to be
able to run a hand over the rough and smooth surfaces of
the distorted mirrored metal. At over seven-metres long
however, you may need to find some space first.
Image courtesy of the White Cube Gallery
Marc Quinn?s new solo exhibition at the White Cube in
Bermondsey is now open, providing a chance to see the
artist?s confrontational new work, which blurs the
boundaries between painting and sculpture.
The subject of the exhibition ? the contemplation of man?s
effect on the environment ? initially sounds quite tame for
Quinn; after all, this is the man who gave the world the Self:
a cast of his head made with his own blood. However,
despite the use of much more traditional media, Quinn?s
enduring fascination with contortion is what makes this
exhibition so interesting.
Under Quinn?s hand, seashells and sunsets ? ordinarily the
stuff of cliché ? become haunting subject matter, illustrating
stories of destruction and transformation. The Toxic Sublime
are a series of seascapes that have been spray-painted and
subjected to the grime of London streets before being
warped over a sheet of aluminium. Any trace of the tranquil,
natural world is distorted: these pieces are urban and
aggressive.
Alongside these sculpture-painting hybrids are Quinn?s
Frozen Waves ? a series of sculptures cast in stainless steel
and white concrete, inspired by the eroded remnants of
shells. Two of the sculptures are modelled from shells that
were broken into by people trying to extract the flesh
inside. Quinn asks his viewer to examine the process of
reshaping, contrasting mankind?s impulsive and violent
alteration of organic structures with the gradual natural
Marc Quinn, Frozen Wave (The Conservation of Mass) 2015
?The Toxic Sublime?by Marc Quinn is at White Cube
Bermondsey until 13 September.
whitecube.com

THE HOTLIST: 20 ?
26 JULY
This week's style, art and culture picks
BY JEM LESLIE 20 JULY 2015
The Pop-Up
The Moroccan Sky Riad, a North African-themed pop-up
dining experience at Searcy?s, opens its doors on 20 July.
The restaurant on the 40th-floor of the Gherkin is usually
open to members only, and boasts 360-degree views of
London. Try the ?Art of Spice?tasting menu, with one of the
herb and spice-inspired cocktails infused with vibrant
saffron and muscovite sugars, and take advantage of this
unique opportunity. A treat for all the senses. Visit
searcysthegherkin.co.uk.
The Screening
On 29 July, laid-back Hoxton basement bar the Book Club
will be hosting a special preview screening of IRIS: the
new documentary about the 93-year-old style icon Iris
Apfel. Inspired by Apfel's maverick attitude, the screening
will be followed by a discussion on fashion as
self-expression. Fashion editors Pandora Sykes and Kim
Howells will be among those on the panel. A must for any
self-respecting style aficionado. Tickets start at £10; the
event is from 7-10:30pm. Visit wearetbc.com.
The Sellout
Founded by Josh Ozersky (formerly restaurant editor of
Esquire magazine), Meatopia returns on September 19 and
20 ? but we advise booking tickets today as the two-day
festival celebrating high-quality, ethically sourced meat is
a guaranteed sellout. Held at Tobacco Dock in London?s
Wapping, this event is not for the herbivores among us:
guest chefs ? including Hawksmoor?s Richard H Turner and
Kurobuta?s Scott Hallsworth ? are famed for their deft way
with barbecues and butchers?cuts. There will also be an
area devoted to craft beer to wash it all down. Tickets start
at £30. Visit meatopia.co.uk.
The Styling
Luxury boutique hotel Belgraves is partnering with the
leading stylists Martha Ward (pictured) and Suzanne
Bernie to offer an exclusive personal styling service.
Starting this week, customers will be taken on a tour of the
best Belgravia fashion destinations ? all a stone?s throw
from the hotel?s prime location near Knightsbridge ? while
the two stylists use their expertise to offer a tailored
insider experience. Fancy indulging in the latest season?s
highlights followed by a Champagne afternoon tea? We
don?t blame you. Packages start at £500. Contact
infobelgraves@thompsonhotels.com.
The Exhibition
From 27 July, the V&A will present Facing History:
Contemporary Portraiture, a display of 80 artworks by over
20 artists including Julian Opie and Grayson Perry that will
explore the theme of portraiture over the past two
decades. Taking inspiration from the artistic tradition, the
collections will examine the ways in which the portrait is
used in today?s modes of identification. Keep an eye out
for Brian D Cohen?s Man with Eyes Closed (Walter White);
you may recognise the subject from Breaking Bad. The
exhibit will run until 24 April 2016, and entrance is free.
Visit vam.ac.uk.
The Collaboration
Furniture designers the Galvin Brothers and whiskey
brand Jameson have teamed up to launch the ultimate
drinking pop-up at London?s Reverend JW Simpson bar on
Goodge Street. The liquor den will be holding their
Spirited Sermons with Jameson Irish Whiskey on Tuesday
28th July; a one-off master-class where guests will learn
how to shake and stir Jameson?s famed cocktails. If you?d
rather leave the mixology to the experts, however, we
recommend ordering the ?Galvanised Jameson? ? the
mixture of whiskey, tea syrup, lemon juice and elderflower
will be sure to have you in high spirits. Visit
galvinbrothers.co.uk.

DENIM STRAYS
Shr edded denim & boyish tailor ing take centr e stage.
M ood Boar d

Photogr apher : Eddie W r ey
M odel: N atalie Feltham
M ake Up Ar tist: Bethany Ric
Styling: Bar bor a Kozusnikova, Jem Leslie

EXPERIENCE
JEM LESLIE - CURRICULUM VITAE
CONTACT
07780469950
jem.leslie92@gmail.com
Condé Nast Int ernat ional (Press Assistant Intern)
January 2016 - present
Assisting in the coordination of international press
concerning British Vogue's centenary, including the
Vogue 100: A Cent ury of St yle exhibition at the
National Portrait Gallery and the centenary issue,
Condé Nast International brands and events
including the Condé Nast Int ernat ional Luxury
Conference.
Writing Press Releases and reports and distributing
these internally and internationally, assisting with
press requests and the upkeep of the website.
Assisted at the Vogue 100 opening party and
managed the London office during the Condé Nast
International Luxury Conference.
For a month of my tenure I joined the Press office
at Condé Nast Brit ain to assist with the Vogue
Fest ival, the Vogue 100 Gala Dinner and the
Glamour Women of t he Year Awards.
The Sunday Times St yle Magazine (Fashion
Intern)
December 2015
Transcribed interviews, assisted with call-ins,
returns and maintained the fashion cupboard.
Took on responsibilities of the Fashion Assistant
while she was away, including assisting Pandora
Sykes on a fashion features shoot.
Kinvara Balfour: Fashion in Conversat ion -
Apple Talks (Assistant Intern)
November 2015 - present
Transcribing past interviews and preparing social
media content.
Assisting on talks including 'Peter Pilotto and
Christopher De Vos in Conversation' and 'Sandy
Powell: The Power of Costume in Film' at the V&A
museum.
Condé Nast Brides Magazine (Lifestyle Intern)
October 2015
Researched and generated ideas for editorial
content for the fashion and lifestyle teams.
Assisted on lifestyle shoots, with call-ins and
returns, and maintained the lifestyle cupboard.
Supported the team at 'Brides: The Show',
including creating coverage for the event.
Harper 's Bazaar UK (Features Intern)
July 2015, September 2015
Assisted with admin and research tasks and
created cuts and transcripts for interviews,
including a piece that was left verbatim.
Wrote extensively for harpersbazaar.co.uk,
including art exhibition and restaurant reviews, spa
guides and weekend guides. My writing also
featured in the print magazine.
Peachy PR (PR Assistant)
November 2014 - January 2015
Created imaginative campaign ideas, assisted on
shoots and with client product placement.
Wrote Press Releases; monitored coverage, created
PR plans and managed clients' social media and
blogs.
Richmond Towers Communicat ions (PR Intern)
September 2014
Worked on events for Beefeater Gin and Chapel
Down Wines, including researching venues and
event planning.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Vogue Certificate
Condé Nast College of Fashion &
Design
2015
Bachelor of Arts (English) 2:1
University of Nottingham
EDUCATION & SKILLS
2010 - 2013
SECONDARY EDUCATION
Rugby School
United Kingdom
2005 - 2010
A levels: English Literature A* ,
INTERESTS
Classically trained singer
Biology A, Art A*
SOFTWARE SKILLS
InDesign, Photoshop
Microsoft Office
Knowledge of CMS
REFERENCES
Available upon request