Enduring Influence of British Beauty & Style at Charlotte Tilbury's House of Rock 'n' Kohl

On Thursday, I travelled up to London for the 'British Style' talk which was part of Charlotte Tilbury's House of Rock 'n' Kohl concept store at Selfridges . As you will know from my previous post, I was really looking forward to this event. I had a full day in London, so I also managed to go and see the Erwin Blumenfeld exhibition at Somerset House. I will save that for another blog post though.

Sophie at the entrance to the concept store

As well as looking forward to listening to the super-stylish quartet of Laura Bailey; Alice Temperley; Charlotte Tilbury and Caroline Issa give their thoughts on British style, I was also looking forward to meeting my Twitter friend Sophie in person for the first time.

As I approached Selfridges I was immediately struck by this holographic portrait of Kate Moss by Chris Levine in the window which had been commissioned for the event. I took the Vine to try and give you an idea of the effect.

After meeting Sophie inside, we took our seats in the front row. The layout and design of the store and staging area (see the image below from Temperley) meant that there was a really intimate feel to the event, and it almost felt like we had been invited into Charlotte's own house to listen to a group of (super stylish) friends having a conversation. I am sure that you won't be surprised to hear that all of the panel looked supremely stylish. After seeing them close-up I am coveting Caroline's 'Parrot' shoes from her collaboration with L.K. Bennett even more than I was before! Laura Bailey's 'Girl' jumper by 'Bella Freud' has also gone on my wishlist.

Caroline Issa started proceedings by asking the panel what British style meant to them. One thing that all of the panel agreed on was the irreverence, originality and individuality which lies at the heart of British style, combined with a respect for our heritage. Alice Temperley noted how British designers live and breathe history and art, and are able to fuse heritage and patterns, and are not afraid of being original. She cited Vivienne Westwood as the classic exemplar of British style, mixing a love of heritage with a sense of subversion and humour. Alice believes that the current crop of new British designers are the most exciting that we have had for a decade.

When asked about the biggest influence on British style today, everyone agreed that it had to be social media. It was interesting to hear the panel's perception of social media as a double-edged sword, which can be both empowering and frightening e.g. they cited social media as being responsible for the rise of Cara Delevingne,whilst also discussing how social media shots straight from the side of the catwalk have made it so much easier and quicker for brands to copy a designer's collection.

Fashion is a global business, so it was no surprise to hear the panel discuss the enormous influence of Britain on international fashion markets. Apparently 70% of Paul Smith's business comes from Japan, where they can't get enough of British style, especially diffusion lines. Charlotte Tilbury also noted how designers such as Tom Ford are constantly influenced by British heritage. However, judging by Charlotte Tilbury's impressions of Carine Roitfeld's reactions to Britsh floral designs, it would appear that not everyone is as enamoured of all aspects of British style!

All of the panel were in agreement that in response to the fashion world 's current obsession with all things fast-paced and digital, there was likely to be a a backlash to the effect of technological innovation. In the future there would come a yearning for craft, etiquette and individualism; hand-written thank you letters and special party dresses.

British style is ever evolving, so it was interesting to hear what items the panel felt would define British style in 2013 if they were to be placed in a time capsule e.g. a fit and flare digital print dress (Alice Temperley);  a Christopher Kane 'Pretty in Pink' dress (Laura Bailey) and anything by Alice Temperley or Tom Ford (Charlotte Tilbury).

At the end of the session, Caroline Issa invited questions from the audience. Sophie grasped the opportunity to ask them what the last item they had purchased, and also what was top of their wish lists:

Charlotte Tilbury: 'Dolce & Gabbana' dress (this was very topical as 'Dolce & Gabbana' had just been found guilty of tax evasion, which Charlotte hadn't yet heard). Wishlist: More kaftans by 'Alice Temperley'.

Laura Bailey: The aforementioned 'Bella Freud' jumper. Wishlist: Always 'Charlotte Olympia' shoes and definitely Charlotte Tilbury's Magic Cream. Laura described herself as more of a "random walk past a window and fall in love with something" person as opposed to a wishlist creator.

Alice Temperley: Cherry mirrored glasses. Wishlist: Alaia crisp white shirts.

I was really interested to hear the panel's response to a question on the difference between Northern and Southern girls, as I spent four years living in Liverpool. Charlotte Tilbury summed it up with "bare legs in Winter, and lots of makeup." Alice Temperley was quick to acknowledge that her Northern customers and stockists are incredibly savvy about fashion, eg. she mentioned 'Cricket' boutique in Liverpool, and noted that Manchester is very often the second city in the UK that a designer will open a store in after London.

When it came to choice of staple products, I probably would have come down somewhere in the middle of all of the responses:

Charlotte Tilbury: Mascara; eye-liner; great shoes and accessories

Alice Temperley: Lipstick

Laura Bailey: Blusher; Chanel compact, and a classic YSL white shirt.

Sophie managed to ask a second question, which focused on whether any of the panel had plans for further collaboration with other brands. Alice Temperley was very quick to say that she had no plans for further collaboration, which was very interesting in light of her recent collaboration with John Lewis (The black silk top I purchased from the 'Somerset by Alice Temperley' range which I love is one of my go-to pieces, so I will be disappointed not to see another collection). Charlotte told us all that her own makeup range would be launching in September, and that she loved working in an industry where she was surrounded by so many creative people.

I did use my Selfridges gift card to purchase some items from Charlotte's edit of products, but I will blog about those in another post. I had a fabulous time at this event. It was fascinating to hear from four ladies who have been responsible for influencing British fashion, whether it be as a designer, a makeup artist or a street-style icon.

You can watch some of the highlights of the talk on Charlotte's  YouTube channel. And while you are there, take the opportunity to  watch some  of her fabulous makeup tutorials.

When Lou Lou met Tom Ford (sort of!)

As Thursday afternoons go, I can think of a lot worse ways to spend an hour than listening to Tom Ford discussing his career in the fashion industry; his proudest moments and his attitude to life. I was lucky enough to be able to attend the Grazia 'Meet the Designer' session at the 'Apple' store on Regent Street. Fashion geek that I am, I was like a child at Christmas the night before, looking forward to hearing what Tom, who has been described as "the very definition of sophistication and glamour", had to say. Apparently I am not the only one interested in what Tom has to say, as Paula Reed revealed that he is the most Googled fashion designer alive, with 91.1m results.

Over 150 people were there to hear Tom in conversation with Paula Reed, Style Director of 'Grazia' magazine. And we definitely weren't disappointed. After Paula introduced Tom, there was a short film showing the world of Tom Ford. And my what a stylish world it is!

On being a fashion legend
"No, not at all. My feet are really kept on the ground by Richard Buckley (Tom's partner of 25 years)....People who feel compelled to achieve, never really think they have achieved. I think that once you feel that you have achieved everything, then you stop thinking and moving, and that is when you really stop achieving."

On starting his training as an architect
"To me, architecture is about building and constructing. It is the same in fashion. A shoe is a piece of architecture, that stands on its own. It has a vocabulary that it has to relate to, and the proportions must be right. When I am designing, I constantly ask myself, "why?"; "who needs it?", "where am I going with this?" It is a combination of both intuition and something cerebral."

On doubting himself
"In fashion you need to doubt yourself right up to the last minute, the night before the show. You constantly have to question yourself."

On arriving in New York
"I arrived in New York wearing an Armani jacket, Calvin Klein jeans and cowboy boots. I had been reading GQ 1977 and that was the look. My jeans were a bit tight. That probably helped my career, that they were too tight!"

On being successful in fashion - What is more important? Talent or hard work?
"Definitely hard work. Talent isn't enough. There are many designers who have much greater talent as a designer than I do, but they may not have my drive, they may not work as hard, they may not have the focus, the desire."

On his proudest moment
"31st December 2011 - My 25th anniversary with Richard Buckley. Professionally, it was the screening of 'A Single Man' at the Venice Film Festival, when the audience all stood and applauded for 10 minutes when the film finished."

On 'A Single Man'
"Style without substance is useless.....The message of the film for me was that you must live every day to its fullest."

On his future plans
"I have an original screenplay ready. But I am currently working on a little thing called womenswear... and eyewear, and fragrance, and menswear." [At this point Paula Reed commented that Tom is the only man she knows who "multitasks like a Mum"!]

"I used to have a 5 year and 10 year plan. Now I have a daily plan....to be happy."

On London as a fashion capital
"London fosters young talent. I am not sure why it doesn't make money from the talent. The industry can't support it. Here, eccentricity is admired. Americans are afraid of style. Too much style is seen as a bad thing."

On being called "the King Canute against the tide of casualwear" by Paula Reed
"I enjoy the formality of wearing a suit. When you are in a public place, you inflict yourself on them. We have these beautifully designed buildings.....and then, all these people who look like hell! It is a show of respect to other people who have to look at you!"

On having moments of clarity
"Moments of clarity are very rare. They happen when I feel connected with the Universe and Nature eg. at my ranch in Santa Fe."

On what shaped him as a business person
"It is innate....a survival mechanism. Common sense is not that common!"

On being creative
"The most challenging part is creating on demand. If you are a creative person, creativity comes naturally to you, but it might come to you one month and then.....not for a few more months. Fashion is completely repetitive. I can tell you what I am doing on March 21st, 2013."

On designing menswear
"I had to turn inward to create my brand, e.g. I like big lapels. I think small lapels look sad. A brand is all about the personality and DNA of the designer, e.g. Miuccia Prada is the 'intelligent designer'; Donatella Versace is the 'sexy designer'. I am just starting my brand."

On being described as "eternally curious" by one of the members of the audience
"I am curious on demand. If I want to do something I am curious about it. It is important to have a vision and to create an environment to encourage people's creativity."

On disposable fashion
"My fashion is the opposite of disposable fashion. My pieces are designed to be worn by women for 25 years and then passed on to their children."

On the rumours of a H & M collaboration:
"I have never had a conversation with them. I am amused every time I read that."

This Q & A session was a real treat for me. It is not often that you get the chance to hear from one of the foremost names in the fashion industry. Tom was everything I expected: charming; interesting, witty and eloquent. Tom Ford: Style AND substance! 

Visionaries: Inside The Creative Mind - Tom Ford

Style Forum Special from Music Guy on Vimeo.

I just wanted to share this great Tom Ford documentary with you. It was aired in the U.S.A. earlier this year, on the Oprah Winfrey Network, as part of a five documentary series which focused on creative artists from Tom Ford to James Cameron. The films take a look at how prominent figures in the art and design worlds create their work.

The Tom Ford film is a great combination of behind-the scenes footage from the launch of his own womenswear collection for S/S 2011, and Tom talking to camera about his experiences and what motivates him.

I loved Tom Ford's 'Studio 54' style collections for Gucci in the mid-90s, and I had the images on my bedroom wall as a student. Looking back, those images provided a much-needed dose of glamour to my room in student halls, in amongst the politics and history textbooks!

Sadly, the only Tom Ford item I own is the 'A Single Man' DVD, so it was interesting to hear him talk about why he wanted to make the film, which he describes as his "mid-life crisis on screen".

A number of items from his makeup and fragrance collection are on my wishlist, but until such time as they are on my dressing table, this documentary will have to provide me with my Tom Ford fix!

Here are some quotes from the film:

"Style is someone who figures out who they are; what works on them; what they feel good in, and develops that and their character. The outer expression of their character is what is style."

"You've got to figure out what you love in life. You've got to do what you love."

"If it's not fun, I'm not going to do it."