The New Zealand brand Stolen Girlfriend’s Club is a big favourite of ours here at NOA, so when we heard about their collaboration with Urban Outfitters we got a little (over) excited. The capsule collection features seven pieces, all with an athletic style and brimming with teenage angst. The Neoprene ‘WTF’ Tee is our top pick. Although the collection is sold on the US site, it can be purchased world-wide. This editorial features the collection and was shot and styled by Zara Mirkin.
Zooey Deschanel has made her directorial debut with the latest music video for I Could Have Been Your Girl. The track is from She & Him’s latest album titled Volume 3. Influenced by 60s movies, the video is just as adorable as the girl herself and if you haven’t bagged yourself the album yet, what you waiting for?
THE WHITEPEPPER started as a Tumblr page in 2011, and in just two years they have gone on to launch their own website and are selling internationally. Intrigued by their success story and the way styling is incorporated into the aesthetics of the brand, I just had to know more…
How does one go from Tumblr to ASOS, then e-store?
For us it was a very natural progression from Tumblr to Marketplace to then our own site, mainly driven by demand from our fans. We were so excited to have our very own website as it gives us the opportunity to involve some aspects unique to the brand, for example our styling, blog and inspiration pages. But THE WHITEPEPPER tumblr is still going strong alongside!
What was the inspiration behind the Tumblr, what did it feature/Is the inspiration still the creative vision for the brand?
Our Tumblr (which began waaaay back in 2011), has always been street-style inspired, and that is very much still the creative vision for the brand today. The tumblr has always featured exclusively our own designs, products and images, which we believe makes it stand out amongst other tumblr blogs as a coherent story of THE WHITEPEPPER brand.
Tumblr has been integral to the development of the brand as it’s been so useful for us to see which pieces, models and styling are best received, and the hype which has been created around some of our pictures has even led to us redesigning certain pieces for our new collections. This was the case with our denim pinafore dress from our first ever collection: after being so popular on Tumblr (with over 6000 reblogs!), we have recently remade it as part of our Summer 13 collection.
What is it about your brand that lends itself to international design, as well as East London street-style inspired ensembles?
It seems that the styles themselves transpire very well internationally, we think it’s the relaxed, oversized WHITEPEPPER silhouette which has been so well received all over the world!
How does the styling fuse with the designing process?
The styling is absolutely integral to the design process, as we want our collections to be full of pieces which interlink with each other, styled with different pieces for a variety of looks which are wearable all year long.
What does a WHITEPEPPER boy and girl do on a Sunday morning?
A WHITEPEPPER boy or girl can be found wandering around Broadway Market or Brick Lane, drinking coffee and hunting out vintage pieces from markets to go with their favourite WHITEPEPPER items!
What is THE WHITEPEPPER’s next step?
We’ve just launched our Summer 13 collection, as well as another line for ASOS.COM. We’re also launching our very own magazine which we’re so excited about, whilst working on expanding our jewellery and shoe collections – busy busy!
Last month it was announced that Bad Boy artist Cassie would be fronting Forever 21‘s summer campaign. The collection mixes 90′s Los Angeles street-wear with the laid-back California beach-bum style and boasts the leopard print harem pants as a key piece. Yesterday Forever 21 released a fashion film to accompany the summer 2013 line, which is now available in store and online.
It was all the way back in 2006 that Cassie released You & Me, but we love the ViLLAGE remix of the track so much, we thought it relevent to share.
One trend that makes me very happy this spring is the hologram movement. I love how mesmerizing the finish can be, and so when designers such as Jonathan Saunders, Prada and Raf Simmons showcased their holographic creations, I got a little giddy. Making its way from the catwalk to the high street, the trend will see us through summer and I intend to try and momentarily startle passers-by - with my super-reflective shoes of course – as I lay in the sun. When it finally returns, that is.
This first one is for the boys…
RAF SIMONS WHITE & BLUE LEATHER HOLOGRAPHIC SPACE SNEAKERS, Ssense, £534.78
KTZ shiny cropped top, Farfetch, £80.33
SOMEWHERE NOWHERE SMALL HOLOGRAM CLUTCH, BENGTFashion, £41
JONATHAN SAUNDERS Aaron metallic bomber jacket, Net-A-Porter, £850
CROSSOVER SLING BACK HOLOGRAM SANDAL, Zara, £59.99
Unif Cake Dress, Unif Clothing, £58.40
Last year I was extremely lucky to be part of ELLE UK’s first Edited By The Interns initiative. 11 lucky interns were chosen and we got to spend the summer working with the talented ELLE team, putting together what ended up being a very special issue. I learnt so much, but most of all it gave me the confidence to push harder and find my place in this busy industry. Words can’t really explain how I felt seeing my first printed by-line in the pages of the biggest selling fashion magazine.
And now, it’s that time again, you can apply to be part of this years issue on the ELLE website. Explaining what it’s all about and how it helped shape our careers, Sophia Chemaitelli, Alex Murphy and I, who were last years Picture Editor, Editor and Features Editor respectively, feature in this behind the scenes video for a shoot which will be in next months pages. WATCH HERE.
London Grammar have released the video for their latest single, Wasting My Young Years today. Directed by Bison, this haunting visual is the perfect accompaniment to Hannah Reid’s ethereal tones. Having wowed me with Hey Now and Metal & Dust, I predict great things from this three-piece. They spent most of 2012 in the studio working on their debut LP, so 2013 is time for them to show and tell.
Kendrick Lamar just released the video for his track Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe. The Good Kid, m.A.A.d City single is one of my favourites off the debut album Kendrick released last year. In the video we see Kendrick and friends attending a funeral which soon turns into a party featuring a limo, and baptism in a pool of alcohol. The release follows on from Poetic Justice which came out in February, hopefully we don’t have to wait too long for the next.
Iggy Azalea has released the video for her latest single, Bounce. The Aussie rapper takes us on an Indian journey full of colour, dance and of course, elephants. When Azalea was quoted saying this video will be bringing dance back to rap, in a Missy Elliott circa 2009 way, it got me all excited, especially after hearing the location for the video was Asia. However, this music video doesn’t quite Work It, but it certainly entertains and we find Azalea in a much less ‘hoochy’ fashion.
Marina Guergova is the designer of silk-focused brand Marina London. Having scored high points from the fashion blogosphere, Marina and her designs are pushing forward and looking into a bright future. Each season Marina creates investment pieces and wardrobe classics in silk – a material sometimes forgotten. Having sensed a gap in the market, Marina London brings the world of silk and contemporary fashion together.
Can you tell me a little about your background?
I am Bulgarian born and bred until the age of nine when I came to study in UK and have stayed here ever since. After school I studied at Kingston University and then did my BA (Hons) course at Central Saint Martins.
How did the course at CSM set you up for a career in fashion?
I did the Fashion Design with Marketing course and we were more encouraged to think about creating a ‘brand’. Towards the middle and end of my course I just got excited about the meaning of fashion. Yes it can be expressive and wild, but it’s also utilitarian and pragmatic. I love this kind of fashion – the ‘I’m getting stuff done’ kind of vibe. But I guess the obvious answer is: I can say that I graduated from there.
Why did you choose to specialise in silk? What is it you love about the material?
I love silk for so many reasons. I feel like it has resurrected in the last few years. I am into simple/sporty shapes and silhouettes and silk is one of those fabrics that should be let to drape and just hang there with minimum fuss, minimum seams. Slip it on and off. It’s tactile and the main kind of silk that I use is heavy, sand-washed Crepe de chine, which has such a satisfying weight to it; it’s like butter. I wanted to be a specialist in this fabric and that’s how it started. It love it because it’s a noble fabric; it’s romantic.
When it comes to design, what inspires you?
I love the 70’s in a big way. High waisted pants, billowy tops, long hair. I feel like that decade runs through my veins everyday. That’s my nostalgic inspiration and on the other end I am inspired mainly by street style. It’s the practical part of me that loves following what happens on the streets. What are real people wearing? How is that changing? Who is ahead of the curve on the street? Street style is not always trend driven, which is why I love it. I’m not into trends. They are annoying and totally over-rated. No, I don’t want to look like a leopard or a Mongolian child for 4 weeks this season – I’m fine. Really.
Having previously worked for Alexander McQueen, Proenza Schouler and David Szeto, when did you realise you wanted to start on your own?
I realised a year and a half after graduating. I can get lost in my brain sometimes and I come up with all sorts of things and I do get excited in my own way. I love mulling over ideas and then doing tons of ‘surfing’ online, I love that you can surf online. Internet waves are easy. I just slowly began getting momentum for this idea and I followed through.
You create wardrobe staples, but what is yours? What piece couldn’t you live without?
Good question. I guess I love my ‘Man Repeller’ jumpsuit a lot. It’s mega simple, but it really hits the spot for me. Never have I ever found a good jumpsuit. And what I mean by that is that I have never found one that I don’t have to mortgage my life for. Mine is £500 and it’s a killer. Apart from that I love high waisted pants, I love a great shirt buttoned all the way up. And the wedge sneaker is one of those things that I shouldn’t admit to, but I love wearing them. I really do.
What can we expect for AW13?
AW13 is taking silk back to it’s romantic roots, colour-wise. Expect jewel colours (deep teal and fig) with a few of my staple styles as well as a few new shapes as always with subtle sports-luxe references.
How would you like to see the brand grow?
I would love to see the brand in Harvey Nichols and Net-a-Porter.com. It would do so well there. I would love to start selling to even more international markets such as Japan and Asia in general, as well as grow further within the European market. I would love for it to reach it’s full potential as a specialist brand. To be known for making silks that people can afford at a quality that is as good as any mainstream design house, which would otherwise charge you twice as much.
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