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

The Lady's Just Gaga for 'House of Blue Eyes'

Lady Gaga sporting a PVC cape from House of Blue Eyes on her new album cover. Well done Johnny and the House of Blue Eyes collective.

Want a piece of the action yourself? For two weeks, Johnny Blueeyes will be showcasing and selling selected items from the 'unique archive of his life' as a music industry stylist and designer. And it's all happening in one of my favorite London boutiques, Digitaria, now known as MACHINE-A after an adroit name change at the end of last year. Drop by the shop between 4pm-5pm daily to see what Johnny's up to in the window...maybe he'll just be taking tea!

Johnnyblueeyes 'Love For Sale'

MACHINE-A

60 Berwick St,

SOHO.

OPEN 16 – 30 JANUARY, MONDAY TO SATURDAYS, 11AM – 6PM

For one on one afternoon tea and chat appointments with Johnny, contact Johnny@houseofblueeyes.com

Style Scanner @ Digitaria London Fashion Week Party

This is Stavros Karelis, Creative Director of Digitaria, the designer boutique, gallery and performance space in what was a tailor's shop in Soho.

Karelis, in collaboration with Greek fashion designer Eleftheria Arapoglou, launched the Digitaria label. Given the success of the Athens showroom, they've now brought the concept to London. Performance artist Scottee is the current curator.

Digitaria also work with lots of talented new designers and help them to promote their collections. Garments can be made to measure and designer collaborations abound.

In the silver jacket beside Stavros is stylist Paul Joyce who is the buyer for Digitaria

Yes it's Johnny Blue Eyes.

Scarlett forgave me for not knowing who she was...whoops!

This headpiece was extraordinary and I'm kicking myself for not trying it on, it even has blinkers for God's sake. I'm sure I heard someone say the plume is real human hair which can be dyed. Pieces like this are a stylists dream. Just imagine, boring & boring have asked you to style their next ad campaign for a good few pony, you normally "only do editorial stuff" but what the hell, it's a bit quiet this time of year anyway. Stick this on the model wearing the company's best selling (most boring) 'hacking jacket' and things start to get a bit exciting.

This freaky Wallpaper was designed by illustrator James Unsworth.

Hope you stuck some mothballs in there Scottee!

I tried the pom-pom headband on, just in case it was fabulous on me. See below for the general consensus...

No shortage of hospitality in the basement either, Paul mixes up some crazy Thai cocktails to get the creative juices flowing - that's the second time I've encountered a graffiti wall in 2 weeks, didn't see that coming or I'd have practiced!

I've always found the fabric shops on Berwick Street really helpful and friendly, I'm normally pestering them down the phone from Glasgow - " When you say 'ivory' is that like a 'creamy ivory' or more a 'cool off white'?...great, and can you get that to Glasgow by tomorrow A.M.?" They always do. So I shouldn't have been at all surprised that this collective, who've made Berwick Street their base, was one of the friendliest and forthright I'd encountered in fashion for a while. Not at all cynical or 'distant' like some of the bigger names at fashion week. Very refreshing.

Not sure if it was the Thai cocktails or the 'buzz' from all those marker pens but the sentiment was there, right?

I took some film for atmosphere.

σας ευχαριστώ για τη φιλόξενη μεταχείριση

(Thank you for your hospitality Digitaria)

Digitaria

60 Berwick St

Soho

London

WIF 8SU