Erin on The Model Sanctuary’s Closure and the Crucial Need to Re-open in Sept
The Model Sanctuary in action
Dear friends of All Walks,
I'd like to send you my thanks for the time you have taken so far in working with us on the Model Sanctuary. Regretfully, I’m writing to let you know that for reasons beyond my control, The Model Sanctuary did not operate during the recent London Fashion Week (February 2012). This was due to a combination of last minute changes to contributions from sponsors and, despite an incredible response from a number of loyal and enthusiastic supporters, we were unable to find an alternative venue after our home of the last few seasons - 8 Henrietta Street - became subject to a long-term lease. As these issues came to light in the few weeks preceeding LFW, I was left with no time to rectify the situation.
I founded The Model Sanctuary in 2008 with the emphasis of providing health guidance and educational support to the younger and most vulnerable members of our industry. As a not-for-profit organisation, our aim was to honour the eleven recommendations of the Model Health Enquiry.
From small beginnings, The Model Sanctuary project has grown remarkably thanks to an expert team of nutritionists, physiotherapists, osteopaths, fitness instructors, psychologists and advisors who are wonderfully complemented by a truly inspirational group of volunteer art and fashion students together with a number of loyal sponsors and benefactors. For the past eight seasons this incredible and diverse group of people have come together to deliver an extraordinary project, empowering over 250 young people each day to tackle real health and wellbeing issues. The impact thus far has been dramatic, inspirational and, on occasion, life changing for participants and volunteers alike. The feedback we receive every season tells us that this project has become fundamentally important and even crucial to the community we seek to serve. From these experiences, it is clear to me the Model Health Enquiry's recommendations are still valid today.
As I look forward, I have come to the conclusion that for The Model Sanctuary to continue successfully, the project requires, and in fact deserves, the certainty of established premises for the period of each London Fashion Week. To maintain our momentum whilst running The Model Sanctuary from temporary or pop-up venues has become unsustainable and ultimately places the initiative under threat.
I urge the fashion industry, it's partners and key stakeholders to help us secure a permanent home during London Fashion Week so we can continue our valuable work. It is absolutely vital that we prioritise the welfare of young people within our industry and without this assistance I will be forced to close The Model Sanctuary permanently. I hope to hear from you all and I welcome your thoughts and suggestions on how we may re-open our doors in September.
Yours sincerely,
Erin O'Connor
Founder, erinsmodelsanctuary.com
Diversity & Individuality at London Fashion Week AW2012
This season, the menswear shows especially seemed to be stepping away from the Hedi Slimane-style extremity of only thin caucasian models. We saw a healthy mix of from slim to athletic to muscular bodies and a range of ethnicities, especially at Vauxhall Fashion Scout's 'Ones to Watch' show, from designers such as BodyBound:
One of my favorite looks was at Joseph Turvey, who showcased extreme pinks and other bold colours on the catwalk that looked great against a variety of skin tones and reflected a very cool, carefree attitude to the mens clothing which embraces my favorite era in style and models; the 80's.
One womenswear design duo, sisters Tamara and Natasha Surguladze - also known as the brand Tata-Naka - had a fun atmospheric Tea Party presentation this London Fashion Week with alcoholic cocktails served in dainty tea cups and saucers.
With the sound of The Surpremes playing in the background, and walls covered in Tata-Naka print fabric, the room was filled with a real buzz as models lined up playfully posing for the press and bloggers.
With a mixture of skin tones and big afro hair, the models at Tata Naka certainly caught my attention. The 70's spirit of the collection, and the fun way they chose to present it, celebrating the women, generated a really good atmosphere and made it one of my favourite collections of the season from the perspective of diversity and individulity.
These shows give good examples of diversity on the catwalk, but if there still is not enough (there isn't) then there certainly was around Somerset House - the home of London Fashion Week. Here are some street style snaps I took of people that certainly embraced their individuality in cool and quirky ways. You may recognise some of these faces - such as the designer for Sibling and Diane Pernet:
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Post by Michael Williamson, on Twitter @mwfrost
Editor Charlotte Gush, on Twitter @CavaCharlotte
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Michael Williamson is a designer, stylist, blogger and an integral member of the All Walks team, having been with us from the very beginning. Check out his blog, Safety-Pin Charm, to keep your finger on the pulse of all things fashion - especially london based. Follow Michael on You Tube and on Twitter @mwfrost |
All Walks model Valerie Pain walks for Fashion Fringe winner Fyodor Golan
For their S/S collection – that was showcased as part of their winning Fashion Fringe entry, design duo Fyodor Podogrny and Golan Frydman (together forming FYODOR GOLAN) decided to break fashionable conventions by selecting All Walk’s very own mature model Valerie Pain to showcase their collection.
“This s/s we were looking for the essence of a woman. We wanted to show her journey through our story and how with her struggles she accepts herself for what she is. We wanted to show her sexuality, strength, melancholia and beauty. We admire women of all ages and believed it was crucial for our story and to portray our thoughts to have a mature woman that will encompass the qualities we admire so much.
When we met Valerie she gave us so much drive and energy. She is a very unique woman and she told our whole story with one look. The layers and depth of her life and character swept us into her world and we knew from the start that she was who we were looking for”
Their collection, ‘Flowers of Evil’ was inspired by artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, resulting in a dark and dream like presence being felt from the runway. Embroidered flowers, rigid tailored dresses and detailed laser cutting all featured in a wash of greens and yellows to gothic blacks.
We admire Fyodor Golan for their open minded attitude as new designers and very much look forward to seeing more of their work in the near future.
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Words by Hanna Fillingham
Hanna Fillingham is a second year Journalism student at Cardiff University. During the summer of 2011, Hanna worked as an intern for Caryn Franklin. Hanna has a blog here, and is on Twitter @hannafillingham
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Editor Charlotte Gush, on Twitter @CavaCharlotte
Our London Fashion Week Highlights
This season, for the first time since our launch in September 2009, we decided not to produce a high-profile industry campaign during fashion week. The reason for this is that we have been focusing all of our attention on the educational side of our work, helping to shape the mindset of future industry players - designers, writers, image makers - towards emotionally considerate practice. To this end, All Walk's founders Caryn and Debra will continue to tour the country, speaking to students at university level about the All Walks way.However, the spirit of All Walks has continued to have a presence on the catwalks during fashion month, and I would like to share these highlights with you. At All Walks, we love to see the people we work with doing really well, and this London Fashion Week has certainly made us proud.
You may have read in a prevous post, written by our Editor Charlotte Gush, about one of the original All Walks pairings, of designer Alexandra Groover and model Lucy Freeman, reuniting this season to make a film together for London Fashion Week.
I was also pleasantly surprised when I received an email containing the images below, of William Tempest's All Walks model Laura Catterall walking in the Elena Miro show in Milan, where she is channelling the perfect Mad Men silhouette with her femme fatal curves:
Coming back to the UK from Milan, spreading the spirit of our campaign at London Fashion Week was All Walks model Valerie Pain, who walked for Fyodor Golan, this year's winner of Fashion Fringe. Pain, the amazingly stunning 70-year-old model, told me that when she attended the casting, she walked in and, on sight of the samples, announced to the casting agent, "I'm not going to waste your time, they won't fit me."
However, the designers were so impressed by her that they redesigned an outfit and fitted it to Valerie's own body shape so that they could have her walk in their show. And just look how confidently she walks and how beautiful she looks in her show-stopping outfit in the short film, below:
To watch more, visit the Fashion Fringe section of the LFW website.
Until next time, I would like to leave you with this thought:
Whatever shape you are, whatever age you are, the women in this post show that being unique is the most beautiful trend to have emerged from fashion week, and I hope you can use this inspiration to embrace your individuality with pride.
Images courtesy of 12+ UK Model Management
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Post by Michael Williamson
Michael is a designer, stylist, blogger and an integral member of the All Walks team, having been with us from the very beginning. Check out his blog, Safety-Pin Charm, to keep your finger on the pulse of all things fashion - especially london based. Follow Michael on You Tube and on Twitter @mwfrost
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Editor Charlotte Gush, on Twitter @CavaCharlotte
En Pointe: Pierson and Lawler Redefine the Runway
Ten principal dancers from the Royal Ballet glide down the catwalk en pointe; like models in heels, but oh so vibrant and joyful. Their movements are choreographed to a soundtrack which is mixed live during the show; it had previously been co-composed by the designer herself along with the Brit-award winning and Oscar-nominated composer Nick Wollage. For me, this added a glorious new dimension to the idea of what a ‘runway show' can be.
Of course, there was design artistry and the collaboration of Jayne Pierson and Derek Lawler tackled pre-conceptions of textiles, like leather - often associated with fetish, and wool - old-fashioned connotations, but there was also a skillfully applied human connection so often missing from shows where young women, some incarcerated in rigid and restrictive sample garments parade gingerly and fearfully (ill conceived footwear permitting) down the runway.
Wearing their ballet shoes and sporting crimped beehive hairstyles, the dancers in possession of natural eleganceand muscular, graceful bodies, compelled every iPhone owner in the building to record the spectacle.
No, it didn’t obstruct the viewing of the clothes. Yes, I did feel uplifted and excited. Let others write about the collection.
I know I will be including this catwalk show in all the student presentations I do for All Walks this coming season, to show that diversity and individuality can be played out in many interesting ways.
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Post by Caryn Franklin, Co-founder of All Walks Beyond the Catwalk. On Twitter @Caryn_Franklin
Photography by Ross Pierson
Editor Charlotte Gush, on Twitter @CavaCharlotte
Diane Pernet’s “Shaded View” of the Model Sanctuary
Today we met with Diane Pernet who is Co-Editor in Chief of Zoo magazine and owner of one of the most famous fashion blogs, A Shaded View on Fashion. Diane took a trip down to Erin's Model Sanctuary to find out more about the emotionally considerate side of fashion.
Diane and I spoke about new technology and the speed that everything is updating; a speed that does not always allow for your body to cope with the pace needed to keep up.
With stress as the topic, at one of fashion creatives' most stressful times of year, we both agreed that places like the Model Sanctury are crucial to nurturing the young minds that walk through those doors.
After a tour around the Sanctury, including a look at the Rankin portraits which are displayed in the hall as a mini-installation, Diane posed for me on our famous calico that is full of positive messages with the All Walks campaign in mind.
If only I had remembered to get her to sign the calico too! But Diane, our Blogger in black, was warm hearted, loving and very accommodating as she did an interview for another blog post for the Model Sanctuary.
As you can see below, Diane has supported All Walks since the start, championing our very first All Walks brochure the 25th anniversary London fashion week celebrations.
Black may be a classic, but nothing is more chic than diversity and love, as agreed by Diane and I.
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Words and all images by Michael Williamson
Michael is a designer, stylist, blogger and an integral member of the All Walks team, having been with us from the very beginning. Check out his blog, Safety-Pin Charm, to keep your finger on the pulse of all things fashion - especially london based. Follow Michael on You Tube and on Twitter @mwfrost
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Editor Charlotte Gush, on Twitter @CavaCharlotte
Erin’s Model Sanctuary launches on eve of London Fashion Week
So, it's the night before London Fashion Week and the parties have already started!TODAY, All Walks co-founder Erin O'Connor launched The Model Sanctuary 2011 to the press. And All Walks went to pay a visit and to support this brilliant sister organisation which nurtures models and students during London Fashion Week.
Whilst we were there, we were fortunate enough to bump into All Walks model Naomi Shimada relaxing in the Sanctuary where she couldn't resist a quick snap and a catch up with us.
We are also happy to tell you that Erin is championing the All Walks cause, introducing it to all the models that attend the Sanctuary, by featuring the All Walks SNAPPED campaign images, shot by Rankin, which we exhibited earlier this year at the National Portrait Gallery. They are displayed on the walls of the Santuary's stairways as well as in an area called The Creative Factory, which allows models to express themselves artistically through art.
IMAGE: The All Walks team using the calico
This calico sheet has travelled the country with Co-Founder Caryn Franklin on her journeys to design colleges to give seminars about All Walks and it was also displayed at the National Portrait Gallery last season (AW10) for LFW, when it also spent some time in The Model Sanctuary.
Click here for related blog
So, as promised we will keep you updated on the journey of this calico - it is growing every time we have an event, with more messages written onto it and it doesn't look like stopping any time soon!
Fear not! The blog will not end here. Myself and fellow Blogger Charlotte will be blogging and tweeting all over Fashion Week.
So dig out those heels and work your look, but remember confidence is the best look for every season!
Sites and Tweets to Read this week:
All Walks, of course ;)
Erin's Model Sanctuary Website
Twitter:
Follow the founders on:
@MsDebraBourne
@Caryn_Franklin
@Erin_O_Connor
All Walks Team on LFW:
@MWfrost
@CavaCharlotte
@iamFenia
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Words and all images by Michael Williamson
Michael is a designer, stylist, blogger and an integral member of the All Walks team, having been with us from the very beginning. Check out his blog, Safety-Pin Charm, to keep your finger on the pulse of all things fashion - especially london based. Follow Michael on You Tube and on Twitter @mwfrost
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Editor Charlotte Gush, on Twitter @CavaCharlotte
Designer Alexandra Groover teams up with All Walks model for fashion film
ALEXANDRA GROOVER 'LIFE' SS12 TRAILER from au matt on Vimeo.
Californian-born designer, and friend of All Walks, Alexandra Groover has created a short film to be shown alongside her Spring / Summer 2012 collection during London Fashion Week. The film, entitled 'LIFE', sees Groover team up with plus size model Lucy Freeman for a second time. They have previously worked together on All Walk's 'Size Me Up' campaign, where Alexandra created a bespoke dress for Lucy to wear in the campaign imagery, shot by Kayt Jones.
'LIFE' is the second film in a trilogy that started with 'BIRTH', a film which accompanied Alexandra's Autumn / Winter 2011 collection. The second film continues to explore the concepts of origin and separation, as well as dealing with the topics of growth and indepedence from the family-unit.
In LIFE a large black rosebud slowly begins to blossom on the shoreline of Southern California, only to reveal the intense fuchsia faces of five performers who uncoil themselves into a meandering line of one, long interconnected dress. As they twist and turn across the screen, the slashes of fabric joining them together billow in the wind, and their snake-like procession exits into the bright sunlight of San Diego and re-emerges against the awe-inspiring backdrop of London’s Hampstead Heath where it all ends in an explosive finale.
Alexandra Groover created the dress worn by Lucy (below) for All Walks' "Size Me Up" campaign. The campaign saw eight models selected by All Walks, of a diverse range of shapes, sizes, ages and ethnicities, pair up with eight up-and-coming British designers; Mark Fast, David Koma, Avsh Alom Gur, Hannah Marshall, William Tempest, Georgia Hardinge, Cooperative Designs and Alexandra Groover. The designers each created a bespoke outfit for their model and photographer Kayt Jones shot the images for i-D Magazine.
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Post by Charlotte Gush
Charlotte is a freelance fashion writer, blogger and editor based in Manchester, as well as the Online Commissioning Editor for All Walks. She has previously spent 6 months working for All Walks at the London office as a social media, marketing and production intern. Charlotte writes a fashion, street style and personal style blog, 'CAVACOMA.com', with a dedicated Facebook fanpage here, and a Twitter account @CavaCharlotte
Alex Nobel, GaGa and the Crypt…
Alex Nobel, was one to watch today... with the Presentation held in The Crypt in St Martins Lane, The Designers Choice of Location worked well with the clothes playing Homage to the Macabre.
The Styling Inspiration was not just on the clothes but in fact the Crypt to!
with An emphasis on the Human body but in a more atomically way you can see the designer was influenced down heavily on the Body even down to the embellishment on the clothes.
What really got All Walks going though was this has been the only show/Presentation we have been to this season that has stepped away from the Caucasian Girl and moved on to an Ethnic Models only in the show.
This Presentation was Also filmed by MTV as Lady Gaga is a wearer of Nobel's work. and Rumour has it in the studio that Nobel has just dressed GaGa for the Next video.
Here at All Walks we could see that collaboration happening very easily !
AND WELL DONE TO
Nobel for such an intresting Presentation
Blog by
M.W
All Walks Designer Osman never fails to impress…
Art has been an ongoing influence with Osman, who recently worked with All Walks beyond the catwalk for 'Snapped' at the National Portrait Gallery shot by Rankin. Unfortunately for the latest show we didn't have an amazing photographer taking the pictures this collection truly deserved which was just shown within the past hour but All Walks Blogger Michael Williamson was snapping and tweeting throughout on his Blackberry. The Catwalk was a beautifully done piece of fabric that trailed along and was hand painted by water colours , Osman's Choice in Models was exciting for us all here at All Walks, where there was a healthy mixture of diversity shown within Race on the runway... The collection had some bright colour's And a range of fabrics such as leather, Alpaca wool and cashmere. And breaking away from the tones of Grey to vibrant Blue and vivid pinks and oranges. with less close jersey fits and more and more tailoring involved this could be perfectly suited for an older woman as well as young here at All Walks Catwalk, we say well done OSMAN Report and pictures by M.WJohn Rocha stole the day yesterday in wearable chic
Yesterday we were at John Rocha, who made a strong emphasis on texture, with tinseled yarns, sheer silks and lambskins; which would make a comfortable and yet stylish dress for the Autumn/Winter.Rocha had a combined runway, with a mixture on menswear and womenswear. The All Walks team liked that the womenswear included dropped shoulders - to play with proportion on the woman's figure creating a flattering shape for more sizes - and the heavily worked pieces where garments that could be seen on a range of ages and sizes once this comes into the shops.
To watch more, visit t5m.com
Today we will be reporting On Osman's Show. One of All Walks Beyond the Catwalk Snapped designers and we are all excited here at All Walks.
Keep posted for more on All Walks looking at LFW from a different perspective.
Post by M.W
All Walks Beyond the Catwalk” guides Fashion Students of the Future
“All Walks Beyond the Catwalk” guides Fashion Students of the Future Caryn Franklin, one of the co-founders of “All Walks Beyond the Catwalk”, gave a truly inspirational talk to the Fashion students of Southampton Solent University today. One of the most important points of the talk was to change our views, as the next generation of designers, journalists, and photographers, on the way fashion and models are perceived. We were made aware of how the current fashion industry could be having a damaging effect on men and women of all ages, both mentally and physically. Caryn commented on the fact that current models on the catwalk are a “dysfunctional representation of womanhood.” As she was a previous editor of i-D Magazine and has been involved with Clothes Show Live for 22 years now, Caryn has seen the ways in which fashion is portrayed to the masses first hand. All Walks want to bring back individuality and to give the public - no matter what age, gender, shape, size or colour they are - some faith in themselves and prove that one size doesn’t fit all and it shouldn’t have to. Currently more than half of women have a distorted image of what their bodies look like. Caryn was keen to get feedback from students on the issues highlighted by ‘All Walks’ and all students were encouraged to write a message on a large piece of calico, which will be made into a garment for display at their Forthcoming national Portrait Gallery event The Press launch for the 2011 Campaign will be in January but their main impact will be made by the spring/summer 2011 campaign and will hopefully change people’s views of what they are presented with at London Fashion Week By Kirsty Geddes, Writing Fashion & Culture, 1st Year, Southampton SolentVideo Highlights from London Fashion Week:
Video Highlights from London Fashion Week:
At All Walks Beyond the Catwalk, We love Fashion as always and following our designers that we have worked with in the past and present following the eight designers that we have worked on we have managed to find some great Pages and Video's. for you to have a relaxing evening and chill and feel you at the shows. Unfortunately we haven't sourced all the shows as of yet but as soon as we do they will be up as with any more Info as soon as they come.GILES DEACON JOINS EMANUEL UNGARO:
London Fashion Week: Vivienne Westwood Red Label spring/summer 2011:
video here: and if you want to see the whole Blog on this that we saw click linkMatthew Williamson:
http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk/lfw_tv_video.aspx?id=2939 on LFWTV for Matthew Williamson LinkBetty Jackson:
click hereStella McCartney:
Hope you enjoyed that selection for today Until next time M.W Michael Williamson for All Walks
we Heart Diane at NYC
backstage last year at the Burberry Party for September London fashion week, I managed to get talking to Diane Pernet about 'All Walks Beyond the Catwalk' And what we stood for. super cool and super lovely I was happy to find as I have been a fan of Diane's work for ages who was to know a year later while we planning our next fashion week excitements that Diane would be interviewing us with 'All Walks' supporter Sarah Perpich (click link here for interview by Sarah for Diane) we heart NYC and we Heart Diane who is shown bellow supporting the campaign pictures taken by Katy Lubin report by M.W