Stephanie Aman and Clare Copland met when they studied fashion at Middlesex University. Aman Copland will make their début appearance at On|Off showcasing their individually made womenswear in the designer exhibition area. Aman Copland is a luxury brand with the delicate end results attributed to the duo’s inexhaustible eye for detail and perfect finish. The garments are always 100% natural featuring silk chiffon, jersey, tuille, velvet, crepe, leather and cashmere. With an almost romantic, feminine feel, this collection will appeal to the woman who looks for a couture accent in her day and evening wear, appreciating the uniqueness of every garment she wears.
Marcus Wilmont is one half of the London-based design duo AminakaWilmont: this is their second season showing men’s and womenswear. The collection for S/S07 has an exclusively aristocratic flavour and draws inspiration from Marquis de Sade - the famous sexual pervert notorious for his risqué contributions to French literature - and from Casanova, the greatest lover the world has ever known. A collection that exudes power and eroticism with tinges of death and insanity. Many of the garments are made of Ingeo which are corn-based fabrics and 100% biodegradable. On|Off is proud to present AminakaWilmont’s men’s and womenswear collections in the exhibition stand of the Royal Horticultural Halls in September 06.
Anja Austa was born in Germany. She followed an education as a seamstress and did an intensive practical training at Escada. After her degree, she went to Hamburg university of Applied Sciences on a scholarship where she studied under professor Greiter. She then launched her own label in 2003 and has opened a shop in the trendy and arty area of Antwerp South (Kloosterstraat 175). The shop is an inspiring place designed in Anja’s typical feminine, elegant style. Her designs are playful with a careful eye for detail. Presently, she loves to work with mixed materials. Anja believes strongly in individuality and uniqueness. Not in trends. Anja Austa will be in the exhibition stands at On|Off for buyers to view the collections.
Brazen Studios was established by jewellery designer and maker, Sarah Raffel with the aim to showcase the best and most diverse new jewellery collections from across the UK. With the Glasgow based boutique now going from strength to strength, Sarah is returning to her love of design and craftsmanship to generate Brazen’s own in-house collections which will feature beautiful hand-made pieces that play on the traditions of jewellery while offering a collection that is cutting-edge and stylish. Brazen is receiving support from Glasgow City Marketing Bureau at this autumn’s On|Off.
“My shoes are more design object than footwear” says FINSK designer Julia Lundsten, who graduated with a Masters degree in Footwear Design from London’s Royal College of Art in 2003. Her collection features beautifully crafted heels, coloured Finnish birch wood and three dimensional exaggerated seam details as decoration. The new method of colouring wood has been patented in Finland. Her influences come mainly from Japanese and Scandinavian nature and architecture, but also from observing people in the streets in central London where she works and lives. Manolo Blahnik says of Julia’s footwear, “I am captivated by her work. It is like nothing anybody is doing at the moment, exquisite, divine, perfect” (W, Sept 04).
‘The Forgotten Treasure of the Infamous Aguila Dorada’ - the new collection of pirate gold and ill-gotten treasure for men who have dark secrets and faces that speak of adventure. This is jewellery for the wild, the untamed and the ruthless, inspired by guns and galleons, villains and vagabonds. Huge black Tahitian pearls are pierced with shards of red gold, solid gold ropes knot around fingers, carved eagles heads and golden shackles are encrusted with sapphires and diamonds. And men beware, your light-fingered women will only have eyes for your gold.
Greek born Ioannis Dimitrousis moved to London five years ago to study at the London College of Fashion. Whilst studying he gained experience working for designers such as Luis De Gamma, Jonathan Saunders, Roland Mouret and Marco Matysik. He graduated in 2005 and by February 2006, Ioannis exhibited his first official collection Ioannisdimitrousis during London Fashion Week. A big part of his work is handmade crochet using embroidery and glass, metal, ceramic, crystal and pearl beads. His designs are exclusive pieces and most of the materials he works with are natural. Ioannis’ S/S07 collection will be exhibited again during LFW at On|Off.
Won the ‘On|Off New designers One Year On’ award this year at New Designers giving Ramsay the opportunity to showcase her creative furniture at On|Off. Ramsay has previously showcased her work in the DKNY flagship store in London. Her trademark Winston sofa is a sturdy, hard wearing, deep buttoned, leather armchair. He is unashamedly British and draws upon the visual cues of 19th century armchairs, although the new donut shape attracts a modern audience. He’ll age with dignity and character and like the bulldog that inspired him, will be a companion for life. At On|Off Ramsay will feature the single seater Winston in white leather and the two seater in black - the leather is buttery soft and the chairs look wonderful.
When Glaswegian designer Niki Taylor set up her label Olanic (an anagram of Nicola), her vision was that it would not exist in the fashion world alone. The result is a series of crossover projects. “I’ve always felt I could make fashion more interactive and that working with artists and film-makers would give an added dimension. I’ve built up a network in the film and art worlds and collaborated with the Scottish film-maker Sandy Hutton to create video that has backed up my look books - it’s worked well as an alternative to an expensive show.” Olanic is for the wild woman with a rock ’n’ roll aesthetic but post boho and post Sienna. Niki will exhibit the Olanic S/S07 collection at On|Off during LFW thanks to support from Glasgow City Marketing Bureau.
Spanish designer, Ramon Gurillo was a fashion stylist for glossy magazines and advertising agencies in the early 90s. He also worked as a booker and model scout in Madrid and Miami. In 1998, he moved to London to start his own design business, developing a team of expert knitters and crafts people from around his home town of Valencia, using a range of very refined techniques from re-embroidered crochet to sophisticated hand knits. His garments owe less to seasonal trends and more to a personal aesthetic developed since his student days. He has been selling very successfully since S/S 2000 in stylish boutiques and stores like Browns and Liberty’s.
Richard Sorger studied fashion at Middlesex University, where he now teaches. He ran a womenswear label with Benjamin Kirchhoff called SorgerKirchhoff and clients included Kirsten Dunst and Bjork. His range of embellished pieces use traditional couture techniques which subvert our expectations of beauty and traditional luxury. The embellishments are about density, structure, sophistication and unconventional glamour. Sorger works with couture traditions to make informal garments and accessories that lie somewhere between jewellery, clothing, tradition and experimentation. He will be taking orders for his unique pieces at On|Off in the designer exhibition area.
Athens-born designer, Romina Karamanea moved to the U.K. to study Art & Design followed by fashion at Central St. Martins. Romina worked with designers such as Clements Ribeiro, Robert Cary-Williams and Preen before concentrating on her own label. Her love for historical costumes and tailoring techniques motivates her to explore and develop new ways and styles for the seductive modern female that combines sensual sophistication with mystery. Cut and proportion are the leading elements in Romina’s work.
Rui studied menswear and womenswear at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie before focusing on footwear at the RCA, where his graduation collection received press accolades especially for his spiked heels and sharp toe stiletto boots for men. Rui then took part in the ‘It’s Three’ Manolo Blahnik awards in Italy and the ‘Future of Menswear Exhibition’ at the V&A. Rui sees himself as a designer of contradiction, blurring the boundaries of rational and chaos, peace and mayhem, masculinity and femininity. Clothes are the medium for him to project his provocation. His designs represent rebellion and aggravation as his adaptation of male/female features in garments indicate i.e. the tight fitted leather trousers with chunky exposed zipper fly that looks severely butch but with attached heels at the hem of the garment makes it oddly elegant.
Rui Leonardes will return to On|Off with a film projection of his latest work. His unconventional tailoring will also be on view in the designer stands.
Studiomold is a multi-disciplinary group of creative designers. Founders Vanessa Battaglia and Brendan Young focus on developing original designs for furniture, products and interiors. Their expertise in generating both special edition, as well as mass producable designs is driven by a passion to create beautiful contemporary objects and spaces. Studiomold will be providing On|Off with white bespoke booths for the designers’ areas on the first floor, incorporating vintage lighting and mirrors for a boutique-like effect. The press area will also boast Spaghetti Princess chandeliers with threaded electric flex in perspex creating a baroque feel along with benches made from reclaimed chairs and a chaiselongue for press to relax or work from. Pieces are created using limited edition furniture and lighting together with new materials.
Ivan Lan is a new and provocative designer on the UK fashion scene. Originating from Taiwan, his recently established studio “YUCHI” produces some unique, cleverly-cut and intelligently stylish designs. Traditional tailoring is digitally manipulated to express a new aesthetic in drapery. His work expresses a sense of beauty with luxurious fabrics and ultra modern cutting. Prior to establishing his growing studio, Lan worked with a number of influential designers in both Asia and the UK – most recently Boudicca and Jens Laugesen. Lan holds a B.A. (Hons) in Fashion Design from London College of Fashion, and an M.A. in Fashion Design at the University of Westminster.
Yuchi will be exhibiting his S/S07 collections at On|Off.
