MACHINE-A: London Fashion Week Party

MACHINE-A's Paul Joyce and Stavros Karelis, Paul's incredible top is by Lina Osterman.

Ok, let's cut to the chase, I'm a huge fan of this shop and gallery, they totally won me over at last year's fashion week and I'm delighted that this business is gaining some real torque on the London 'fashion map'. You can read how it all started in my post from last year. 

Showcasing an achingly intelligent selection of work from emerging designers and artists, it's a stylist's dream and I imagine one day this Soho shop will be talked about with the same mythical fervour now evoked by Vivienne Westwood's 70s shop SEX. 

Monday night was MACHINE-A's London Fashion Week party...

Designer Gabriella Marina Gonzales beside her A/W 2010 Victorian Sci-fi Surgery collection. Gabriella told me she hand cuts and polishes all the components herself.

Click here for Gabriella's blog

Designer Asger Juel Larsen, who also had some fabulous chain-mail garments in the windows on my last visit.

These are metal tubes!

A short film featuring Asger's work.

Cute knockers from Designer Gemma Slack who I was really keen to meet but even with Stavros and Paul on look-out, the party was so busy that it was all a bit "Oh, she was just here but she definitely went that way..." So sadly, I ended up without a pic of Gemma.

Stumbled on the brilliant work of accessories and jewellery designer Russell "Random Bangle" just before Fashion Week last Autumn. I dropped him an email and got no response but resolved to keep an eye open for any clues as to who the mysterious "Random Bangle" might be. When I did the previous post on Digitaria (as MACHINE-A was formerly named) I'd ommited to ask this chap his name in order to credit him. Yip, you guessed it, the person who waved me through when he couldn't find my name on the guest list back in September was Random himself. I've just confessed all to him which is probably why he's mischievously chuckling!

Maker of sublimely beautiful music, Jim "Warboy".

Anna Volosenko from Stylistique blog

Gabriella Marina Gonzalez

Chun P.Lin, Photographer

Stavros

This coat intrigued me because it looked like toile fabric, turns out it is a sort of toile but fully lined and from the workshop of Westwood! 

Millie from MACHINE-A

Sculptor Henry Mackay-Bull wearing a wonderful chain made by a friend's Father from bone!

Love's KT, designer.

MACHINE-A  (Digitaria)

60 Berwick St

London

W1F 8SU

www.machine-a.com

Peony in a floppy hat

Peony, History of Art student, at Somerset House.

Andrew Thomas & Ed - Soho

St Martins fashion students Andrew Thomas and Ed in Soho last night. Andrew studies Menswear and Ed Womenswear.

The French House...

Was feeling off duty and enjoying a Kir in The French House when I spied James and Kristofj at the bar, how could I resist...

Interior designer James. D. Dwyer and fashion photographer Kristofj Von Strasss.

Most of their fabulous attire has been sourced from vintage emporium Beyond Retro.

The French House, Soho

Kristofj Von Strass Fashion Photography

Hatted in Hoxton

Spotted this fellow in Hoxton yesterday and loved his sombre silhouette, the hat is McQueen.

As the images uploaded, I was instantly reminded of some pics I took last year of my friend, the superb artist Omar Zingaro Bhatia....

Borough Market

Borough Market yielded a few pleasant surprises yesterday...

Steve, musician in a great naval coat from Portabello Market.

Menswear designer Freddie, nice shoes.

Made-up

Spotted this pair from the window of Camden's El Parador, on the right is Make up artist Sammm Agnew.

A word can get a thousand looks...

Someone actually once asked me,

"Why are you talking like an Edwardian?"... (Eh?)

My crime? I'd answered a humdrum question spontaneously - but had made the mistake of using a 'biggish' word.

Threatening.

Thing is, I can't even remember what I'd said, I honestly hadn't contrived to use a big word, my head just formed the sentence and out it popped.

So after years of 'stick', I'm considering my options:

I could assume everyone I meet is lexically challenged and contrive to replace any, clearly inflammatory, 'biggish' words that come into my head, with a clumsy cluster of short, not quite as perfect ones. It's inverted snobbery of a sort and I feel ashamed when I do it but it certainly avoids that chorus of "Oooh, who ate their dictionary for breakfast then"?

Actually, I don't think I'll do that - so in a (small) word..."No!". Hell I don't even care if I'm using the wrong word, I'll take a punt, just for fun.

Watch out, they don't even have to be big, anything unfamiliar sounding is also a minefield. On being asked how my day had been, I once answered "Frenetic". Won't do that again. Here's another recent example:

Me: (In response to the M&S moussaka we're eating) "Really good, not at all watery - it's like the all vegetables have been cooked off before assembly."

Oh, got major grief for that one…

He: "Assembly!!!?"

Me: "OK, what would you have said?"

He: "… putting it together".

Me: "That's 3 words where one did fine!".

I'm going to argue further that my one big word is more akin to 'slang' in that it abbreviated the sentence.

Come to think of it, that was the same person who hasn't given me a single game of scrabble since I got 'oxymoron' on a triple word score...

- Word up!