Friday 11 June 2010

Sara Berman introduces extensive Spring/Summer collection

The Spring/Summer 2010 collection from Sara Berman includes summer dresses, leather jackets, cashmere knitwear and handbags. The Sadie Mae Prom dress emphasises an hour-glass shape, with a long V-neck to draw attention down to a streamlined waist created by the wide band and then over hips to fabric that falls in folds. As well as the Liberty floral print, which includes hiding tigers, the dresses are also available in a fresh white dotted style. For a more relaxed look, the Orlah Flurry Sleeve Tunic (pictured above right) is an easy dress that can be thrown on, worn loose with sandals or with heels for the evening, this dress suits all shapes and sizes. Adding to the different designs is also the Valentine Tea Dress (pictured above left), a loose fitting design that boasts cute button details and is available in a pastel Liberty print as well as a brighter orange and pink tone. Finally, the Bow Back Dress brings elegance to the collection, with bold colours and a bow detail, this dress can be worn slouchy or cinched in with a statement belt. The new collection is available now exclusively on the website, www.saraberman.com, priced between £125.00 and £218.00.

The Observer Ethical Awards 2010 winners announced

The winners of The Observer Ethical Awards 2010, in association with Ecover, were announced at last-nights ceremony in London, presented by Colin Firth and Lucy Siegle. Among the winners was fashion brand From Somewhere which won the Fashion & Accessories category sponsored by Marie Claire. From Somewhere's viper dress has been stocked in Tesco as part of its F&F range. The entries for the awards have been selected for the final round by a panel of judges that included Colin Firth, actor; Ben Fogle, TV presenter; Sue Perkins, comedian; Kate Humble, TV presenter and Ben Okri, author, and was chaired by Lucy Siegle, ethical living correspondent, The Observer. A full list of winners is shown below:

Daniel Blake launches new luxury men`s shirt label

E One Six London is a new luxury line of men's shirts which launched this week. The E One Six London collection has been created by fashion designer Daniel Blake (known for his womenswear label). The fabrics and shirts are produced in a single European factory, with at least 35 separate parts going into the construction of one shirt. Designs in the 2010 collection will retail at around £140.00 depending on the style. The debut collection from E One Six London is available via the website which went live this week and also from luxury menswear retailers in the near future. www.eonesixlondon.com

Graduate Fashion 2010 Winners announced

Graduate Fashion Week took place this week, with the top prize - the River Island Gold Award - going to Rebecca Thomson from the Manchester University School of Art (pictured). The prize was judged and presented by Alberta Ferretti, Kim Jones, Lorraine Candy, editor-in-chief of Elle, GQ Editor Dylan Jones and Naomi Dominique; title sponsor River Island’s Womenswear Design Director. The judging criteria for the River Island Gold Award outlined that the collection should demonstrate exceptional ability in Design, Cut and Construction as well as excellent use of colour and fabric. Rhea Fields from Northbrook College was the successful winner of the Womenswear Award. She was selected for her award by the panel of Gold Award judges.

BFC announces 21 designers to receive BFC NEWGEN sponsorship

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced the names of 21 of London’s fashion design talents that will receive BFC NEWGEN sponsorship to show at London Fashion Week (LFW) in September 2010. NEWGEN is an internationally recognised talent identification scheme, with alumni including British designers Alexander McQueen, Matthew Williamson, Boudicca, Giles Deacon, Jonathan Saunders and more recently; Christopher Kane, Marios Schwab, Richard Nicoll, Erdem and Meadham Kirchhoff.

The recipients of NEWGEN, sponsored by Topshop are: