Archive for July, 2009

July the 2nd 2009 saw the opening of ‘KiosKiosK’, the innovative ‘pop-up shop’ solution for creative entrepreneurs in London unable to find affordable retail space. Designers Wayne and Geraldine Hemingway, creators of Red or Dead, have launched this project in a bid to give new creative enterprises the opportunity to stat up their business in these difficult times.

KiosKiosK, designed by the Hemingways and supported by both the London Sustainable Development Commission and the Mayor of London, provides rent-free retail space for individuals or small companies who sell creative products, from ceramics, to artwork and fashion. The scheme will be running between July 2nd and September 2nd 2009 and is located outside of London’s City Hall.

Wayne Hemingway announced, when talking about the project “I am calling on people with creative products to wow the world to come forward to take advantage of KiosKiosK this summer.” Hopefully this initiative will provide a model for future projects around the country, an provide assistance for budding businesses trying to make in the competitive, high-cost retail sector. 

For more information click here

Image source: Kioskiosk.co.uk

Emma Cook for Topshop

Topshop and Emma Cook have been working together for several years, producing much-coveted clothing and accessories that have caused a sensation. Following hot on the heels of the success of her recent shoe collection, Topshop introduces a seven-piece capsule collection for summer, in-store from 24th July 2009.

The latest collection by Emma Cook for Topshop is influenced by Emma’s SS09 collection for her own label, taking the naïve animal motifs she has become known for and translating them for the high street. Deers, zebras, lions and stags stalk across fine silk tunic tops and dresses in the palest of greys and hide out on simple jersey separates, some of which have ruffle-front hems and lace bib inserts. Whilst prints are playful and child-like, shapes are decidedly chic and grown-up. Colours are soft and muted, with grey, stone and pastel pink taking centre stage.

Stand-out pieces include the silk vest dress with the repeating animal motif, and the effortlessly simple tunic dress emblazoned with the head of a deer. In jersey, the vest mini dress with the ra-ra frill hem is the perfect summer dress.

Emma has also designed two quirky statement shoes for Autumn/Winter 2009, in-store from the end of August. The first has a wedge heel with a fringed ankle and patent utilitarian laces, and comes in either zebra-print or dalmation-print pony hair, or wine coloured leather. The second style, again with a wedge heel, has a zip-front and tassles, and is available in taupe or black. Like Emma’s SS09 ‘brothel creeper’ boot, these are attention-grabbing shoes that make the most fashion-forward of statements.

This is Emma’s fifth collection for Topshop. She currently shows her mainline collection in the Topshop show space in London, the latest range will be available in the Oxford Circus, White City and Manchester stores, the Selfridges concession and the New York flagship.

Price range £35 – £80.

Markus Lupfer for Topshop

Following the success of his previous 8 season’s collaborations, Markus Lupfer and Topshop re-join forces. Markus’ iconic sequinned motif sweaters return, this time in a lighter cashmere mix for summer.

Available nationwide at stores from July, the range of sweaters are emblazoned with oversized sequinned pop-art images; a pineapple, a parrot, a leopard print heart and the classic bow design.

Markus Lupfer for Topshop will be available in-store July 28th 2009, at New York, Oxford Circus, Topshop.com and all main stores nationwide.

All jumpers are priced at £85.

On July 20th 1969, one the greatest adventures in history and the greatest technological accomplishment unfolded before our eyes as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first human beings to ever land on the moon.

On July 16th 1969, three astronauts – Edwin Eugene “Buzz” Aldrin, Neil Alden Armstrong and Michael Collins – set off from the Earth’s atmosphere on the Apollo 11 mission with the intention of being the first men on the moon.  The mission fulfilled President Kennedy’s goal of reaching the moon by the end of the Sixties and also returning him safely to Earth.  The two astronauts spent 21 hours walking the surface of the moon, while colleague Michael Collins orbited the “Columbia” command Module around the no longer lifeless Moon.  Yesterday saw the celebration of the 40th anniversary of this ground-breaking and historic event and we at Mpdclick have taken a moment to appreciate this phenomenal occurrence and its profound impact on humankind and technology. 

Image Source: paranormalknowledge.com

Britain’s prestigious London College of Fashion is highly esteemed for the caliber of its design graduates with a winning reputation for nurturing the talents of fashion’s future stars. LCF’s latest aspiring ‘one to watch’ is MA Fashion Footwear Graduate, Weronika Lesniak. The talented creative was one of five finalists for the coveted 2009 Independent Handbag Designer Awards (IHDA) nominated in the ‘Best Shoe in Overall Style and Design’ category for her must have menswear range. Lesniak’s final collection drew precious inspiration from the current financial crisis, though she developed the oppressive theme in a new and innovative way.

Titled ‘War of the Banks’ the collection, that features eight pairs of shoes, explores the protective qualities of formal menswear as part of a modern suit of armor. She explains that in the designing of this collection she was “drawing parallels between bankers and medieval armor”. Her research found that “modern financial institutions are the direct inheritors of the medieval feudal system: controlling of the land through mortgages, fighting wars, conquering and absorbing one another through mergers”. In the designing of her range she was literally dressing modern bankers for their war.

Combining traditional shoe making, intaglio techniques and modern laser etching she represents this heritage with symbols of the top UK banks, the horse, eagle, griffin and deer. Lesniak’s interpretation of subversive themes of greed, war and financial battle is both delicate and considered resulting in beautifully crafted footwear with widespread appeal.

Mpdclick note the burgeoning talent who can already boast a placement at Vivienne Westwood and a collaboration with Turner Prize winning artist Grayson Perry as one to watch in coming months.

Image source: Weronika Lesniak/akio

“So at long last Google is making its move.  It is poised to strike at the heart of Microsoft’s software empire,” said Tim Weber the Business Editor of the BBC news website, in response to the news of Google’s development of an operating system (OS) called Google Chrome.  The news has come merely months before Microsoft is due to launch Windows 7, the latest version of their own operating system.

Google Chrome OS is a direct challenge to computing superpower Microsoft’s Windows OS.  It will initially be aimed at small netbooks/laptops and then eventually be further developed for use on PCs.  Google are expecting netbooks with the Chrome OS to be available by mid 2010. 

The idea is that instead of having a computer that runs one of the three variants of Operating Systems (Windows, Mac Os and Linux) that in turn have different applications for them to look at the web, create emails, write simple documents like letters and spreadsheets etc, Google is aiming to satisfy the needs with the arsenal they already have:

• A good email system – Gmail
• Documents creation (Docs.google.com comprising of a word processor, a spreadsheet application, a presentation tool and in the future there is a possibility of PDF creation which could mean any number of interesting possibilities).
• Web Browser – Google Chrome (this is a leap forward for browsers, at a time when Microsoft are dismissing the JavaScript engine speed as irrelevant, Google create a browser aiming at the title of fastest JavaScript engine, this is absolutely crucial for web applications like Google Docs and Gmail).
• And, last but by no means least…Google Search itself

Nine months ago, Google launched a new browser called Chrome, which was said to be designed for those people who spend the vast majority of their time on the internet whether it be searching for information, shopping or simply checking emails.  The Chrome OS is an extension of the previously launched Chrome browser and is expected to be fast and simple, getting users onto the internet in a matter of a few seconds.  They are also attempting to redesign the security features of the system so that malware, security updates and viruses will become inconvenient issues of the past.  “It should just work,” is what Google has stated about the system in their official blog.

Image source: onecomics.it/ Federico Fieni

Roll up, roll up and get involved in the latest trend to hit the runway; for s/s 10 trousers should be tapered, cropped and cuffed revealing a healthy portion of the ankle. Milan Menswear Fashion Week offered the first glimpse of the new ‘must have’ trouser shape with a plethora of top designers showcasing the ‘rolled up’ look. The delightfully suave trend offers an air of relaxed sophistication, suggesting a leisurely walk along the seafront or a day’s sailing, of course it wouldn’t do to moisten one’s slacks’ so the turned up hem is the time honoured solution.

Dolce & Gabbana are renowned for consistently offering satirical ‘gentleman’s’ looks and were the first to send ankle grazers down Milan’s notorious runways showing jewel encrusted blazers paired with full trousers that tapered into cropped cuffs. Frankie Morello pushed a charming preppy look complete with trompe l’oeil ‘blazer’ sweaters, leather brief cases and of course cropped cuff slacks.

Though the trend prevails for tailored trouser styles in fine fabrics our favourite interpretation comes from Missoni (left) who pepper a happily bohemian collection with rolled up, cropped full cut jeans. The bleached out blues work perfectly with the houses signature slouchy knits in sand and ocean shades.

Unsurprisingly the fashion hungry members of ‘Generation Y’ have spotted this trend already with both male and female stylisters customising their own versions (see below). Take note now and begin to merchandise both slacks and full jeans with dapper rolls and turn ups. Be sure to bring ankle grazing crops into your ranges to cater for upcoming demand.

image souces: main image (above): missoni, below: facehunter 

Does the possible demise of the Christian Lacroix label indicate the beginning of the end for Haute Couture?

In business, very few figureheads are congratulated and cheered after filing for bankruptcy protection having never made any profits. However in the bizarre world of Haute Couture this is exactly what has happened in the case of French designer Christian Lacroix.

Most couture labels struggle to succeed other than as a small part of a large multiproduct corporation, usually used only as a marketing exercise aimed at promoting sales of products with higher profit margins. Originally Haute Couture existed by selling high class fashion to the very rich but increasingly now they are seen merely as a way of big brands to raise their profile and create a buzz.

In reality sales of the Haute Couture itself often result in a loss for the brand and are propped up by the sale of high margin items such as perfume, sunglasses and handbags. In fact it is very similar to the set up of Formula One Racing – where unrealistic and huge budget projects are used to raise brand profiles and explore new directions which can be later mass produced.

If Christian Lacroix SNC, which is owned by Falic group do not find a buyer by the end of July then Mr Lacroix will be forced to dramatically cut his staff. The iconic designer, famous for the bubble skirts of the 1980s, has recently had an unsuccessful perfume launch, which clearly had a massive effect on the business. As well as this the recession has hit hard, with the company now running at a 10 million dollar loss.

Others in the market, such as Nicole Ricci and Ungaro have already ceased their Haute Couture shows, to concentrate on ready-to-wear – clearly recognizing that without this Haute Couture cannot exist. Paris Haute couture shows have already been reduced from four to three days and it is predicted that further cuts will be made.

So it begs the question – is it beginning of the end for Haute Couture or will this famous fashion tradition survive?

The enterprising duo responsible for innovative womenswear store Project No.8. Brian Janusiak and Elizabeth Beer have launched their latest New York boutique, ‘No.8b’ a concept store in the new lower east side. The new must stop shop for the stylish man, boasts an impressive line up of local and European names. A cache of progressive designers lining the simple metal racks includes top names and brands such as Bless, Kostas Murkudis from Berlin, Natalia Brilli from Paris, Stephan Schneider from Antwerp and New York’s own Salvor and Kiosk. The savvy pair have also managed to negotiate a new menswear collection by Belgian designer Christian Wijnants, exclusive to No.8b securing the store as a not to be missed shopping destination. Both apparel and accessories are straight from the runway and we are certain that the exciting boutique is bound to earn itself a renowned place in the ever more stylish suburb.

As with the duos previous projects, the spacious, minimalist yet quirky interior stocks rare pieces with exceptional detail and distinctive style that will turn heads and evoke a sense of individualism.  The space presents themes that are ever evident in their collections “concerns with distribution, collaboration, sustainability, digression and the creation of fluxuating communities”. No.8b’s unique ethos reinforces Mpdclick’s upcoming Sobriety trend which supports sustainable and considered purchasing along with a collaborative design approach.

Image source: jc report

An innovative new body paint called Bare is a non-metallic, yet conductive paint that allows small amounts of electricity to pass through it. The paint makes it possible to light up LED’s to transmit data from person to person and even human to computer. Of course the paint is non-toxic and can be washed off with water, and can be easily applied using a brush, spray or stamp.

This exciting new medium has been utilised in a recent experiment entitled ‘music box’. Dancers were invited to choreograph movements within an interactive space, holding various different poses inside a wired up chamber. Each time a dancer came into contact with the chamber wall musical sounds and patterns were created, resulting in a uniquely progressive performance.

The conductive body paint is an intuitive non-invasive piece of technology creating a direct link between man and technology that in the future could spread further into the dance world, music, computer interfaces, communication and medical devices.