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Private View of Hartnell to Amies: Couture By Royal Appointment

Friday, November 16th, 2012

The Fashion and Textile Museum in Bermondsey has put together another lovely exhibition. I can heartily recommend Hartnell to Amies: Couture By Royal Appointment. The private view was good fun and busy, but not too crowded, and with plenty of old friends to greet.

       

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Caroline Groves, couture shoemaker

Tuesday, November 6th, 2012

The workshop of Caroline Groves looks out over a field of docile cattle in rural Gloucestershire. The clients for her beautiful bespoke women’s shoes, however, tend to be metropolitan dwellers, from London to Hong Kong to Moscow. Having spent 15 years learning shoe making with an orthopaedic footwear specialist, Caroline knows how to create comfortable shoes and boots. The workmanship and attention to detail in astonishing. More can be seen at www.carolinegroves.co.uk

(Thanks to Andy Barnham of www.billionaire.com for the images of Caroline Groves).

     

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Networking in Colchester

Tuesday, November 6th, 2012

Fireworks were crackling overhead on November 5 as I co-hosted the latest networking evening on behalf of FAB (the Fashion Association of Britain). The venue was the MUSA cafe within the Firstsite arts centre  in Colchester and once again my able partners were Samantha Bleasby and Louisa Valvano of www.yourbrandspace.com, which offers an online platform for brands that want to serve independent retailers.

I got to know John Deane-Bowers many years ago on a study tour organised by the Menswear Association of Britain, a precursor of FAB. He now runs an excellent menswear store in Bury St Edmunds (www.trotteranddeane.com).

We had an eye-catching display in the arts centre reception.

FAB committee member Lynne Wiltshire of Loula Lingerie in Leigh-on-Sea with Siobhan Graham of Lady Muck Couture.

Sam Bleasby of www.yourbrandspace.com with Mike Deans, manager of Metro menswear store in Colchester (www.metromenswear.com)

All ready to present.

Thanks to Louisa and Sam for another networking gathering. Here’s to next year.

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A new dawn for UK textiles

Friday, November 2nd, 2012

Today the Clothworkers’ Hall in the City of London was the venue for a very impressive conference entitled A New Dawn: Rebuilding UK Textile Manufacturing. Congratulations must go to James Sugden of Johnstons of Elgin for acting as the catalyst to bring together some very enthusiastic supporters of the Made in UK concept. Sir Paul Smith and Business Minister Vince Cable were among the speakers. Plenty of old friends were among the audience, which gave me confidence that the UK textile sector is a versatile and vibrant industry. It’s clear that the industry will have to help itself, but I have no doubt that it will go from strength to strength. Let’s hope that this new dawn is just the start of a new day.

     

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