A gift that's personal will make a perfect Valentine's Day
For people all over the world, St. Valentine’s Day is a celebration of romantic love. For SHERENE MELINDA, it is an opportunity to appreciate the uniqueness and creativity of fashion design.
Last week Sherene was lucky enough to attend the British Fashion Awards at the prestigious London theatre the Coliseum. We caught up with her to learn more about her experience from attending the show.
What did you enjoy most about the show?
I particularly enjoyed the whole glamour of the experience.
I was also inspired by the building itself which is over 100 years old and had a fantastic view on the upper balcony towards the middle looking down at the tables full of the prize winners and celebrities. It is hard to describe how breathtaking and visually striking the Victorian inspired, Edwardian architecture of the building is and I truly felt that a building such as this was a suitable venue to house some of the most talented fashion designers in the world. They had removed all of the seating that is traditionally in place at the Coliseum and instead filled the area with tables and a raised platform in the middle with a podium where the winners of each award were announced. The platform had a walkway leading off back towards the seating area.
What were your expectations before going?
This was my first experience at the show so my expectations were based on what I had read and heard from other people. I knew that Natalie Massenet was the ‘new blood’ of the British Fashion Council having taken over as chairman in 2013 and she had turned the awards in to a big event. She had increased the reputation of London as a fashion hub and made the awards in to something special. Natalie was named Women of the Year by Glamour magazine in 2013 and I feel that she really deserved this because she has given people who aren’t as established in the fashion industry more opportunity to attend the awards.
Did your experience exceed your expectations?
The show well exceeded my expectations. It was completely inspirational. I saw people that were nominated for awards who started out just as I have. It showed me that there are no limits. One brand that really caught my eye for two reasons was Jewellery designers Yunus and Eliza. I admire them because they have used their heritage to drive the inspiration behind their designs, and because they individually handcraft all of their pieces which make each piece more special. My designs are inspired by my South African heritage and I feel that every one of my handbags is unique from each other. Yunus & Eliza have received notable recognition within the fashion industry and have been featured regularly in Vogue and Elle magazines. Our approach to fashion design is similar and if they can receive this level of recognition then there is nothing to stop me from doing the same, and that is why I found them so inspiring.
Who did you see at the show?
I saw Kylie Minogue, Rihanna, the Beckhams, Kate Moss, Cara Delevingne and Anna Wintor the editor of Vogue who made a really fantastic speech which begun with a standing ovation, (below there is a video of the speech). The show was hosted by Jack Whitehall so I obviously saw him as well.
(Source: London Fashion Council YouTube)
Would you attend the show again?
Yes absolutely. Next year hopefully I’ll be on one of the tables myself!
What did you wear to the show?
I wore a SHERENE MELINDA royal blue Haupt Bag, oh, and complimented this with a black evening gown.
Are there any lasting impressions from the show?
Other than feeling very inspired, the show has also reminded me of the importance of London as a main fashion hub. London is home to some of the greatest events in fashion such as London Fashion Week and is considered the fashion capital of the world after New York, reminding me it is the perfect place to start a fashion business.
These sentiments were echoed by various attendees, with Karlie Kloss stating that, 'British fashion is so influential around the world and it's a real breeding ground for talent', and Anna Wintour reminding us that the British fashion industry has 'always been supportive of risk-taking and creativity'.
The British Fashion Awards are one of the industry’s most popular events with multiple celebrities in attendance, all adorned in the stunning designs of Stella McCartney, Erdem, Alexander McQueen and Julien Macdonald. They included Harry Styles, Emma Watson, Kendall Jenner, Pixie Geldof, Ellie Goulding, Alexa Chung and Rita Ora. There were also many fashion models in attendance including Karlie Kloss, Liya Kebede, Joan Smalls, Suki Waterhouse and Karolína Kurková. And of course there were many industry figureheads there including Tom Ford, Nicolas Ghesquière, Mario Testino, Naomi Campbell, and Anna Wintour. It is no wonder that Sherene felt inspired!
Below is a picture of Victoria Beckham receiving the award for best brand. There is a full list of the winners listed underneath the photo.
The 2014 British Fashion Awards Winners:
Emerging womenswear designer: Marques Almeida
Emerging menswear designer: Craig Green
Emerging accessory designer: Prism
Red carpet designer: Alexander McQueen
Model: Cara Delevingne
Special recognition award: Chris Moore
Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator: Edward Enninful
International designer: Nicolas Ghesquière
Outstanding achievement award: Anna Wintour
Creative Campaign: Louis Vuitton
New establishment designer: Simone Rocha
Establishment designer: Preen
Brand: Victoria Beckham
British style award: Emma Watson
Accessory designer: Anya Hindmarch
Menswear designer: J.W Anderson
Womenswear designer: Erdem
SOURCES:
http://www.britishfashionawards.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOTIeIEXL9LkkvoVKZDNr3A
Recently we expressed our happiness with the week’s events at The Spirit of Christmas Fair which took place at Olympia London. For us, however, all the fun and excitement we experienced didn’t solely take place at our stand. We had a great time meeting the gifted people running the neighbouring stands and finding out more about their fascinating products.
Jessica Mary Design
The eye catching stand directly next to us belonged to a mother and daughter team of fantastically talented milliners. The beauty and distinctiveness of their work constantly drew the attention of both us and those walking by.
Jessica Mary Design focuses on creating completely bespoke, unique and original designs. They use authentic materials sourced on a global scale, meaning that each of their styles are different from one other.
Check out their full range of hats, jewellery and photography here:
http://www.jessicamarydesign.co.uk
iWood Amp
The unique products offered on this stand caught our attention whilst we were exploring the fair. iWood Amp represents everything The Spirit of Christmas Fair is about, showcasing talent and innovation that you wouldn’t find on the high street.
Their product, a practical and high quality tablet stand, is a must have. They are handcrafted and made using a various range of the finest, sustainably sourced wood. The most intelligent feature about these stands is there is an acoustic curve carved in to the back, which allows sound to be both amplified and projected towards the direction of the room. We were shown a demonstration, and you can clearly hear the difference.
The iWood Amp is the perfect solution to watching movies or reading on your tablet and doesn’t rely on any source of power.
Have a look at their website and full product range here:
Anna Söderström
For those of you who don’t know, The Spirit of Christmas Fair is located in one of London’s most prestigious areas, Kensington. The week of the show offered us the opportunity to experience a different commute to work and enjoy the historic architecture of the area. However, with October having turned to November, it was a bitterly cold journey to Olympia London, and Anna Söderström’s stand began to look very appealing.
Their stand was decorated with the most beautiful and stylish knitwear. Inspired by Swedish heritage, their range of scarves and hats represent a knitting community that dates back hundreds of years. With an emphasis on authenticity, creativity, originality, and quality over quantity; Anna Söderström frequently reminded us what this show and those who exhibit there is all about.
All of their designs are handcrafted here in London and can take anywhere from several hours up to a few weeks before they are completed. They have an extensive range covering men, women, children, babies and even pets; which you can view here:
agnes & norman
If you haven’t been to Olympia London before, it is hard to describe just how inspiring the building is. As the end of the day crawled slowly nearer, and you had spent the majority of it on your feet, sometimes it was the stunning architecture of this historic and renowned location that kept you motivated.
Similar to Olympia London, it is qualities such as inspiration and vintage design that agnes & norman represent. Their ever-growing range of shoes, hats, handbags and scarfs are made with an antique style that incorporates essential modern features such as the shape of the shoe and wearable heels.
Their ethos and focus is driven by the idea of allowing people the opportunity to adopt a vintage style; and also enjoy the quality of how clothing accessories used to be made. You can view their unique range here:
http://www.agnesandnorman.co.uk
Get ready for next year
If you didn’t make the show this year, here is just a small glimpse of what you are missing out on. The Spirit of Christmas Fair is a great place to experience all of the quality and originality in shopping that you don’t usually find on the high street. Please show your support for the talented and dedicated work done by those above through spreading the word or sharing this article with your friends.
It has recently been a busy period at SHERENE MELINDA. Leathers have been sourced, bags have been stitched, and plans have been made; all in preparation for The Spirit of Christmas Fair that took place last week. Prior to the event we were working hard to ensure that our newest style, the Haupt Bag, was completed on time. Once all the hard work had been done, we were feeling fairly nervous as we finished setting up our stand (number GH57) and the happy customers began making their way through the doors.
Olympia London was truly a spectacle, seeing the hundreds of stands lined up against each other, each one representing different brands and showcasing various gems. The atmosphere in the hall was of equal magnitude to the view, constantly buzzing with excited chatter and the eager footsteps of hundreds of shoppers looking to find that perfect gift for themselves or somebody special.
And so the week had begun, there was no going back now; all we could do was anxiously wait to observe the response to our unique and distinctive handbags. As the week progressed, we became increasingly encouraged by the overwhelmingly heart-warming reaction to our handbags.
Many people commented on the versatility our newest handbag offers. Other people were drawn to our stand by the springbok hair-on-hide and the varying range of colours.
The reaction in particular to our newest style, the Haupt Bag, was important to us because we had spent a lot of time and put in a lot of work to finish the handbag before the show began. The response was very positive, across the week people were regularly trying the bags on, and a large number of people entered our competition to win one of the bags; which closed on the final day of the show.
It wasn’t just our newest style that grabbed the attention of passers-by. Our oversized leather clutch bags, our leather tote bags, and our leather crossbody bags all received the same level of attention and adoration. It was obvious, as the week progressed, that the time and effort we put in to arranging our stand and presenting our handbags, the uniqueness of our design and the strikingly brilliant colours of the springbok hair-on-hide had clearly succeeded in the job of attracting an audience.
Journey away from our own stand, and the experience was equally as enjoyable. We had a great week finding out more about the other stands located near us and throughout the fair. There was a never-ending supply of terrific and tasty food to try, a multitude of art work created by very talented painters and sculptors to gaze at, and a treasure chest of unique gifts that you wouldn’t find on the high street.
If you visited our stand at any point throughout the show we want to take this opportunity to thank you. For all those who entered the competition to win one of our newest handbags, the Haupt Bag, which ended on Sunday; we will be announcing the results in the next few days, so keep an eye on your email!
We have a lot of exciting news to share with you over the next few months; so if you haven’t already then please like our Facebook page to stay up to date. Once again good luck to everybody who entered the competition and we hope you enjoyed the show.
We are delighted that SHERENE MELINDA has been invited to exhibit our handbags at the prestigious Spirit of Christmas Fair at London Olympia this year. See us on the upper gallery level at Stand Number GH57.
It is a great pleasure to share my experiences with you. If you like what you read then please sign up to our Newsletter and let us know what particular experiences you would like to read about next.
Thank you for your support,
Committed to lifelong learning; Inspiring you to enjoy a vibrant life with freedom of self-expression.
