• Art Aginst Knives – DESIGN + MAKE

    Last week I went to Ally Capellino to celebrate the achievements of this year’s DESIGN+MAKE project participants. DESIGN+MAKE is a collaboration between London College of Fashion, Art Against Knives and Sir John Cass’s Foundation, which provides support to young adults who are, or have been, at risk of violent crime to create their own positive futures. The…

  • Margate

    I’m currently spending a couple of days in Margate for meetings. It’s the perfect place to clear a head and reflect, as we approach the end of the academic year. I love being by the sea, something about the calm water and huge skies. Our meetings have taken place in the Turner Contemporary, a stunning…

  • Inku: Universal Utility

    “Invisible permanent clothing, made in England” This is the intriguing sign welcoming customers to ‘Inku’ a bamboo-bordered shop on a quiet corner of Warren Street. The statement reminded me of a sort of Zen Koan, a little paradox of sorts, that I was sure hid a truth or two about fashion. “Most people don’t really…

  • Blackhorse Lane Ateliers

    “I came across an Indian prophet who told me my future. He suggested I needed to set three things free, an insect, a tortoise and a bird.” Like most, Toby Clark, a former design consultant for Margaret Howell, didn’t think too much of it at the time. Until three years later, whilst residing on Waiheke…

  • Kathryn Sargent

    On Friday I went to visit the new shop of the bespoke tailor Kathryn Sargent. Always keen to see women leading the fashion industry, I had read a piece in the Guardian about her becoming the first ever female master-tailor on Savile Row, and was interested to find out more about her. Kathryn founded her…

  • FARA – Totes For Everyone

    Last weekend I was pleased to see my social media streams full of people asking #whomademyclothes and supporting Fashion Revolution Week. Amongst the label selfies, I spotted a few of these beautiful bags and I couldn’t wait to share them. I always love seeing projects that combine fashionable design and social responsibility and this scheme…

  • Here Today Here Tomorrow

    Last month, I paid a visit to Here Today Here Tomorrow in Dalston, the current shop and studio for this sustainable fashion brand. I was greeted with a chair and a cup of tea by Anna and Julia, two of the founding members, and we spoke about their business journey. I have long been impressed…

  • Frieda Gormley – House of Hackney

    Frieda Gormley is the co-founder of interiors, fashion and lifestyle brand, House of Hackney (HOH). I am a big fan of the way the brand, based in Shoreditch, presents modern takes on traditional English designs. This, along with their ‘Made in England’ ethos, often reminds me of the work of one of my favourite artists,…

  • Barnard College Global Symposium

    I was very excited to be invited to this year’s Barnard College Global Symposium, entitled Women Changing Europe. Female leaders from all over Europe came together in Paris to discuss some of the current events and rapidly changing policies that are influencing women’s roles throughout Europe. Of course, I was there to talk fashion, with my…

  • #IWD: A Sporting Chance

    The battle for gender parity is one that has been played out on a sporting field, sometimes quite literally. When Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in “The Battle of The Sexes” match in 1973 it sparked a change in the way women were treated in tennis. King quickly convinced colleagues to form the Women’s…