But if for me it’s the last day, for Dior this is the first day of an exhibition arranged on the 4th floor.
Someone told me this exhibition is even better the one Chanel had last year and we all know Chanel does it big!

So after my shift I went through the child department, across screaming babies and excited parents paying hundreds of pound to buy a Fendi mini puffer jacket and… The exhibition was closed! It closed at 6pm, just 30mins before the end of my last shift! What a pity!!! Anyway I took some pictures to give you an anticipation of what you (and I) will see as soon as I have a day off…

As is traditional, Shoreditch Town Hall was the scenario for this extravaganza that each year gives the chance to meet independent UK designers creating jewellery, fashion and interiors as well.

I was glad when one of the organiser invited me to the preview on the 6th of December.

The Guardian wrote this show is “the place where to pick up Tomorrows products today”. To me, more than products, it’s a place where people want to talk, to share their ideas, to tell their stories, to show that creativity carries on in despite of the recession. They’re an example of proactivity, of willingness to express.

I selected the most interesting products to me and I want to share them with you:

I met Amedeo from Urban Lab, he told me the scarves are inspired from street art from all over the world:

Alisa from Coucou Heart showed me her little potions:

Gizelle Renee  and her gloves:

‘It’s not me it’s you’ is the brand for affordable and funny leather from Italy:

Ceramic rings from Moko:

Alison Haddon told me she has an obsession with birds and eggs:

The ceramist Vanessa Conyerst:

Diane Turner creates wooden jewels with a special technique:

My attention was immediately captured by a 100% wool jumper belonging to menswear brand D.S. DUNDEE. During these days is very hard to find a jumper made entirely of wool (just for £75) an I decided to talk about it with someone working for the brand to understand this choice better.

I had the pleasure to interview Courtney, she is the production manager for D.S. DUNDEE. The brand is based at Dalston Department store. Close to their display area there’s a little door that hides a small universe made of fabric, samples, laptops and coffee.

Dalston Department Store è un aggregatore di nuovi indipendenti talenti britannici. Situato in un edificio del 21 secolo vi si accede tramite un vecchio ascensore metallico più simile a un montacarichi.

La mia attenzione è stata subito attirata da un maglione 100% lana appartenente al brand di abbigliamento maschile D.S. DUNDEE. Di questi tempi è difficilissimo trovare un maglione fatto interamente di lana (per di più alla modica cifra di £75) e ho voluto parlarne subito con qualcuno di più competente per capire di più in merito a questa scelta.

Ho avuto il piacere di intervistare Courtney, la production manager di D.S. DUNDEE basato al Deapartment Store. Vicino al loro angolo espositivo vi è una piccola porta dietro la quale si aconde un piccolo universo fatto di stoffe, campioni, computer e caffè.

Courtney told me the brand was established in 2008 by two university friend Jim and Oliver. In the team there are two designers, Markus the senior and Matt the junior designer and the pattern cutter Abdullah.

Courtney mi ha raccontato che il brand è stato fondato nel 2008 da due compagni di università, Jim e Oliver. Il team è inoltre composto da Markus il senior designer, Matt il junior designer, Abdullah il pattern cutter.

Even if based in East London, the founders are from Dundee in Scotland. It’s from that region their brand gets its inspiration. Their menswear comes from hunting tradition, from life in the woods and from British fabrics. For this reason we can find 100% wool garments to keep you warm and waterproof jackets to keep you dry and protect from wind.

Pur essendo basati nell’est di Londra, i fondatori sono originari di Dundee in Scozia, ed è proprio da quella regione che il loro brand trae ispirazione. E’ dalla tradizione della caccia, dalla vita nei boschi e dai tessuti inglesi che creano il loro abbigliamento maschile. Per questo motivo possiamo trovare capi 100% lana, che tengano caldi e prodotti impermeabili per tenere asciutti e riparati dal vento.

Their best sellers:

I loro best sellers:

More brands at Dalston Department Store:

Altri brand presenti:

I know the Queen

Aubrey

Oscar

Jessica De Lotz

Gizelle Renee

Brains

Lestie Lee

Bird & Wolfe

Alice Menter

Bianca Hall

Unfortunately I was working during the day and I didn’t queue in front of any store selling it.

In the late afternoon I went with Davide to Knightsbridge where he works.

There’s a big H&M shop there and this was one of lucky ones selling the pieces of the last designer collaboration. He told me he saw a huge queue in the morning waiting for the store to open.

I remember when Versace collection was launched, everything was sold within the first hours. I thought there was nothing left for me but on the first floor there was a nice area with some garments and shoes left.

I found a dress, a lovely black dress from the a/w 1993-94 collection. It’s a fusion of a short and a long dress. Looking for the sizes; excited as I was, I didn’t find my size and I thought I could squeeze in a smaller size just to have that dress! After recovering from my enthusiasm, after trying the smaller size and realizing it was to hard to take off the dress by myself, I went on a mission for a second research… And there it was, the right size for me.

The price was good to be a designer piece and I took it straight to the cashier. I didn’t had the time to take my wallet that Davide’s debit card was already in the reader! So at the and I was happy twice: I had my Margiela dress and it was a gift!

And… I also got the white hanger in my white bag

I like my new team, the atmosphere is more relaxed then I was expecting and of course we have special uniform allowance.

Here my last purchases:

Black cardigan with see trough detail on the sleeves

 Sequin dress (mine is all black)

Jacquard prom dress

I love the V back

Images via Karen Millen

Now that I’ve done a fashion show production course at London College of Fashion I feel free to check the details of the fashion show and tell what I didn’t like.

The music wasn’t appropriate and there was no harmony with the rhythm of the models walk.

The catwalk was miserable, and some wires were very close to the area where the models had to walk.

The show has been too long so that, because of the length and the music, my final opinion is: boring!

Regarding the outfit, I liked only some of them:

the oriental print dress, the black feathers dress and the black, grey and white symmetrical dress.

Here you can find some pictures I took with Davide’s iPhone…

Finally the pictures are ready!

Hope you like my styling projects about 20s fashion with my friends and the photographer Davide Fortuna from Madfocus photography.

The exhibition was amazing, there was a 3D show of Dita Von Teese anh a wonderful collection of shoes! There was also an impressive photographic gallery about Loubutin shoes and fetichism.

These pictures are for everyone who missed it!

Here is what I bought…

A black knitted top with a little beaded detail on the neck

and an on trend bag: ox blood colour!!!

I will use this big bag to go to work instead of my old Tokidoki backpack, I really hope it will do a good job!