LCF - Mariya Kotova

London College of Fashion is presenting work from their graduate students. This dress is made by Mariya Kotova and is called "Russian Spirit". She attends the BA (Hons) Fashion Design Technology: Surface Textiles. Colourful, innovative and I love it. It doesn't hurt a bit that my favourite colour is blue.

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Anna Cerclay

Christina Kalicharan you might remember from older postings. My friend from London College of Fashion. She has recently started her own company and her own label, Anna Cerclay. If I have understood it correctly she will concentrate on accessories but I also saw a lovely sweater that she had made. She gets cashmere sweaters and makes bags like the ones you see on the picture out of the material. I think they call it reupcycle, that you recycle something and make it into a new desirable thing. I think the concept is brilliant considering the enviroment and the amounts that we produce and consume. I love Christina's stuff and I'm sure she will do well in the future and that we will see her items in Selfridges. You read it here first.

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The LCF-Mafia

Today we had a bit of a reunion, me, Christina and Irina. The LCF-Mafia as we can call us. LCF stands for London College of Fashion. It was years ago we attended that college and look at us now. The three of us have our own companies and are at different stages of entrenpneurship. Not bad if I say so myself. If you have a goal it needs to be pursued and to the best of your abilities conquered.

We had a lovely meal on the terrace this quite warm Good Friday. The salads were the best as ever, Irina. :-)

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John Lewis

In London on Oxford Street we have one department store after another. One of these is John Lewis. In the building next to John Lewis I went to college, London College of Fashion if you happen to have forgottten. We went into John Lewis quite often, at least on the ground floor and that was because of the section with fabrics. We needed fabric samples for all our different projects and John Lewis had a very good selection and very good staff that helped us. I suppose they were used to having students running there all the time asking for fabric swatches.

I can't say that I explored so much more of John Lewis. The image isn't exactly of the hippest, hottest or most fashion forward but it is an institution on Oxford Street. Now I think it would be fun to go exploring and discover what I didn't then. How about it, Irina? Should we take a reminiscing tour of John Lewis and perhaps LCF as well?

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Matteo Molinari

As I always do I take trip to my old college's webpage (London College of Fashion) and keep myself updated. Found this Matteo Molinari who studies at the MA Fashion Design and Technology and who has won a prize for his collection. I like that he has done everything in black and that the pictures are in black and white. Of course there are certain limits to what one can do with men's fashion but I think that Matteo Molinari manages to push the envelop as far as it can go. I'm sure he will be hotting up a brand soon if he doesn't set up shop for himself but no matter what we will see great things.

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Rifat Ozbek

Here you see the man who is partly responsible for me going to London to study fashion, Rifat Ozbek. He was born in Turkey in the 1950s and moved to London to study architecture but ended up doing fashion instead and graduated from Central st Martins in 1976. He started his own business and has been going strong ever since.

He has a style that is western but with lots of exotic and ethnic influences which I have always liked. In the picture above we see Kate Moss in the beginning of her career and that was the fashion Rifat Ozbek presented when I was in London and it was gorgeous.

When I went to Sixth Form College in Sweden I wanted to go out in the world and learn about design. I wanted to be in Paris, because Paris is fashion! But I didn't speak French. That didn't stop me from sending a letter to Jean-Paul Gaultier. He actually answered. A big thing when you are eighteen.

Then I set my sights on London and I thought it would be cool to work for Rifat Ozbek. He advised me to apply to London College of Fashion, which I did. That is why Rifat Ozbek is partly the reason why I ended up in London and I am eternally grateful to him because what an adventure I experienced.

One day in London I actually ran into him in the street, stopped him (naturally), introduced myself ... nearly jumped his bones ...

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John Richmond

When I studied in london one of my favourite spots were John Richmond's shop just off Carnaby Street. At that time he had a dark grey shirt with a zipper and two embroidered skeletons in black that I desperately wanted. Come on, it was in the 1990s!

I just love the cardigan in the picture above. Nice shoes as well. Oh, I like the whole thing.


John Richmond is today based in Milan but he was born in Manchester in 1960 and started his career in London in 1982. He has close ties with the world of rock music and has many celebrities as his clients like Annie lennox, Madonna and Mick Jagger.

A black suit is always a must and the shoes are cool even if you have to choose with care the occasions you wear them.

It takes a particular man to pull off shorts like the ones we see above. A bit of a tan helps. Pasty white doesn't really hack it. Blue tinted sun glasses I like, a lot.

I'm not a big fan of white. You could say that I blend in and disappear. On the other I like the suit above. Probably because the fabric has a pattern.

There is definitely a touch of rock over John Richmond's designs and I feel that one can sum up his style in one word ... cool.

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London College of Fashion

LCF BA Hons Costume for Performance, Charlotte Rose Brazier

Sometimes I surf into the website of my old college, London College of Fashion, to update myself on what is going on there. It is nice to have such an easy access. It wasn't like that when I attended the college but that was back in the Stone Ages. I found this delightful ensemble made by Charlotte Rose Brazier made for the final show of the course for Custome for Performance in 2010.

I love the clear blue colour of the jacket and the style of a 19th century gentleman. I have always had a fascination with peacock feathers. I think that they are so beautiful. In this custome there is also a play with gender when it comes to humans and animals. In the animal world it is the males that are colourful to in that way attract the females. If you look back in time men have had more flamboyant styles when it comes to clothing and you can't escape the fact that also we humans dress to attract the atention of others.

In recent years we have seen a return of men playing with different styles and being more flamboyant again. It is so much more fun that way, I think.

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Tanya Chalkin

One of my friends of old, Tanya Chalkin, has carved herself a nice bit of reputation as a photographer. Back in the Stone Ages she went to London College of Printing and I attended London College of Fashion. Her picture, The Kiss, has become a cult picture and a production company is developing a film inspired by the photograph. You go, girl!! And I am eagerly awaiting your coffee table book.

Tanya was a real laugh and a pleasure to be with. I remember when me, Tanya and her girlfriend Jo walked down Kings Road hand in hand. It was to make it easier for them to hold hands in public. I guess I was their beard. :-) I have lots of memories from that time. Remember, Tanya?

Ralph West Halls of Residence, 49 Hambalt Road, getting pissed at The Windmill, me and Jo mooning outside of that restaurant, clubbing at Raw and Heaven, pigouts in front the telly, lighting fireworks at Clapham Common, eating hamburgers in the middle of the night in the middle of Oxford Street, running inbetween moving traffic on the way to the pub ....

We were young and thought ourselves to be invincible .... and it was one hell of a ride.

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