Emauel Ungaro was born on the 13th February 1933, he was the son of Italian immigrants, who fled from Francavilla Fontana in Southern Italy to escape Mussolini’s fascist dictatorship. His father worked as a tailor, and gave his young son a sewing machine, and taught him the trade. Ungaro moved to Paris in his early 20s to launch his own career in fashion. He initially worked for a well-known men’s tailor, called Christiani before being hired to work under the Spanish designer, Cristobal Balenciaga.
Emanuel Ungaro pinning up a model in Paris 1968.
An Italian high-end textile brand, Loro Piana is synonymous with heritage, outstanding quality fabrics and innovation. Loro Piana has achieved this by developing exclusive relationships when sourcing the best raw materials from around the world including vicuña, cashmere, merino wool and cotton, resulting in setting the benchmark and creating the most luxurious fabrics.
Haute Couture is a phrase which is often misused and that actually has very specific rules for the qualification and use of the word on a garment. Literally translated from French, Haute Couture means ‘high sewing’ and is often referred to as high dressmaking. These luxury one-off garment creations are always made by artisans (often in shift work to complete them on time) and commissioned by private clients, they require multiple fittings so that the garments are meticulously tailored for the wearer's measurements, resulting in a perfect fit. An Englishman called Charles Frederick Worth from the 19th century is considered to be the father of
Daniele Bull arrived in the UK in the early 60’s, 20 years old, and a newlywed. Her husband, Joel, was selling fabric in market stalls across East Anglia and London.
Iconic designer. Stylistic visionary. A man whose fashion artistry helped to shape the entire industry as we know it, during a career spanning more than 60 years. Today we remember Karl Lagerfeld, who sadly passed away this morning at the age of 85.
The Endless Talent...
An early Lagerfeld sketch for the House of Tiziani, 1960s.
A printed calfskin coat designed by Lagerfeld. His original sketch for luxury Italian brand, Fendi, for which he served as Creative Director.
Lagereld at work in Paris for Chloé. Here he fits top model, Inès de la Fressange, in the brand's studio, 1983.
'I think that a woman dressed in red is always magnificent.' - Valentino
Ever seen anyone looking awful wearing Valentino? Nope, us neither.
Valentino recognized the power of sartorial red so distinctively that he created his own 'Valentino red' hue back in the 50s when he presented his very first collection. The 'red dress' became a Valentino signature and the fashion house never designs a line without one. So, you know how Yves Saint Laurent has le smoking jacket, and Chanel has its tweeds? Well, Valentino has the red dress.
The legendary fashion designer fell in love with the colour as a student, when he attended an opera in Barcelona.
'Enthralled, I saw a woman with grey hair in one of the boxes, very beautiful, dressed in red velvet. Among all the colours worn by the other women, she looked unique, isolated in her splendor.'
The first Louis Vuitton store in London opens on Oxford Street in 1885.
‘Rockers are the nicest people to photograph. They have no inhibitions.’ - David Bailey
David Bailey, CBE, is an iconic British portrait photographer, whose creative lens and striking imagery successfully revolutionised the world of fashion photography.
‘Fashion is a language. Some know it, some learn it, some never will – like an instinct.'
Edith Head was an iconic Hollywood costume designer whose notable work in the film industry inspired the creation of the Academy Awards category for Best Costume Design. She was subsequently nominated for the honour thirty-five times and won eight, thus receiving more Oscars than any other woman in history.
Born to Jewish parents in California in 1897, Head was raised as Catholic from early childhood after her mother remarried a Catholic man. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Letters and
‘A girl should be two things - classy and fabulous’ - Coco Chanel
Fashion designer Coco Chanel was already a formidable force in the fashion world when she discovered the functionality of inexpensive tweed fabric in the 1930s and began, somewhat revolutionarily, using the rough, unfinished wool in her couture designs.
The History of Denim
Yves Saint-Laurent once said, “I wish I had invented blue jeans: the most spectacular, the most practical, the most relaxed and nonchalant.” He had an expression, “modesty, sex appeal, simplicity – all I hope for in my clothes.”
Starting life as the uniform of the working class, denim has transcended all fashion trends and is the one piece of clothing you can never go wrong with.
From bohemian to chic to edgy, you can shape and wear your denim any way you like.
The Origin of Blue Jeans
In 1853, a Bavarian immigrant, Levi Strauss, moved to California to sell his goods. After seeing the miners harsh working conditions, Strauss partnered with his tailor, Jacob W Davis, to create strong, sturdy pants for miners. The jeans worked so well that they decided to patent them!
‘A woman’s perfume tells more about her than her handwriting’
- Christian Dior
Christian Dior was a French Couturier best known for his eponymous fashion house, which is often referred to as just Dior. Although his parents had different hopes for him, Dior was always artistically inclined and after leaving school, took over a small gallery selling art from famous artists such as Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso.
He was called up for military service in 1940 and upon finishing in 1942, began working as a primary designer for couturier Lucien Long.
In February 1947, Dior presented his first collection in Paris.
His collection, entitled ‘The New Look’, went on to become
