Portfolio - Jem Leslie-24

More documents

Recommendations

Info

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..
Page 1: JEM LESLI E PORTFOLI O Selected Con
Page 5 and 6: WHAT TO BOOK: MARC QUINN TOXIC SUBL
Page 7 and 8: DENIM STRAYS Shr edded denim & boyi
Page 9: EXPERIENCE JEM LESLIE - CURRICULUM

Portfolio - Jem Leslie-24

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?