Berlin Fashion Week kicked off last Tuesday, promising to bring an ever impressive collection of fashion names to the capital. Held at the Victory Column in the southern part of Berlin, fashion brands such as Rena Lange and Hugo by Hugo Boss were shown to an eager crowd of buyers, media, trade experts and fashion enthusiasts.
And as Berlin Fashion Week comes to a close today, it only seems fit to look at some of the more wonderful and wacky collections shown over the week.
Underneath the city 600 people were treated to a slightly different change of venue, with Berlin’s Underground Catwalk taking place. Models wore latex, fetish gear and “spirit hoods” whilst trying to balance themselves on the on the running train. The Underground Catwalk is a platform for young German designers to showcase their collections without having to pay the price for a fashion tent show. “Because of the special location, models pretty much walk across people’s laps. There’s loud music blasting, it’s pretty wild and colourful,” said event director Alexander van Hessen.
Hugo by Hugo Boss was one of the most highly anticipated shows at Berlin Fashion Week, bringing front-seaters such as Kate Bosworth, Poppy Delevigne and Jessica Joffe. The show was sleek and sophisticated, with A-line dresses and geometric tops cutting a futuristic silhouette. A different blend of metallic materials was used as an alternative to the gold and silver accents we saw last year, creating an unusual colour palette. Hugo kept it playful with both their womenswear and menswear treating us to some two-tone suits and a few jacket/blouson combinations.
Former costume designer Sebastian Ellrich showed his third collection at Berlin Fashion Week this season, treating the audience to a spicy summer mix of oranges, reds and whites. But the models in this show took it more sitting down - chairs were used as props for the models to strike athletic and artistic poses on. Whether this collection was purposefully made to look like the German gymnastics team or not, the garments still took main focus and Ellrich proved that his wearable designs can still wow the crowd.
It isn’t unheard of to see some unusual make up at fashion weeks, but for Austrian designer Lena Hoschek it seemed as though it were October 31st with her full face painted models. Death masks, similar to a skeleton skull, were used to contrast with the exotic tribal and floral prints that Hoschek sent down the runway. “Maybe the Mayans are right and the world will end this year, but at least we can have cute clothes,” she joked on Wednesday night.
Berlin as of yet isn’t known to the world as a capital at the front of fashion, but more and more international designers are choosing Berlin to host their collections. We look forward to the next installation of German fashion.
For a luxury brand such as Lanvin you might expect to see some of the big names in fashion for their next advertising campaign. Maybe an appearance from fresh faced Daphne Groeneveld, or the ever beautiful Rosie Huntington Whiteley? No, not this year. Instead, the French label have decided to use ‘real people’ for their autumn/winter 2012 campaign, making a star out of 82 year old octogenarian dancer Jacquie “Tajah” Murdock.
Lanvin’s creative director Alber Elbaz has decided to cast ‘real people’ as opposed to models for this years campaign, telling WWD magazine, “I was interested to bring these clothes back to the street somehow, seeing how they look on different ages and sizes.” Only two images have surfaced so far, one showing Jacquie in a deep forest green peplum ensemble whilst the other shows a young lilac-fringed woman in a black and white dress.
The campaign, shot by Steven Meisel, is said to feature stylish men and women plucked from the streets. Many see it as a breath of fresh air and are happy the label is branching out, as so many other fashion houses have become increasingly agist. It has now become almost normal for labels to feature young pin-thin models or shining celebrities as the new face of the brand.
Murdock was spotted on the street by Ari Seth Cohen - the man behind popular blog Advanced Style for older men and women with distinguished personal style. He photographed her and ever since then the dancer has received considerable attention for her style. Cohen helped Lanvin cast its campaign and mentioned Murdock. From there, the rest is history.
So what does she have to say about her high scoring fashion campaign? “Long time coming.” We predict great things not only for her, but for many women out there like her. Fashion has no age limit, and brands like Lanvin are pathing the way for other labels to follow suit.
![Employers encourage graduates to obtain relevant skills in the help to get youth employment back on track.
With the youth employment rate still at a disappointing 19%, many employers and careers advisers are calling for students to explore different skill sets that could help them gain an advantage over other job candidates.[[MORE]]
The recession hit the UK in 2008 bringing not only financial crisis, but sharp rises in unemployment. Since then, students and graduates alike have found obtaining a job increasingly hard. When King786, a user of thestudentroom.co.uk, graduated 2 years ago, he went through the grueling process of job application after job application. With a 2:2 degree in Business and ICT from Sheffield University, the graduate discovered he was in the midst of one of the worldʼs worst recessions. “Since february 2011 I have had over 35 interviews for a range of part time, call centre, retail and primarily graduate level jobs. I was only successful in obtaining part time employment in retail during that period. I tried and applied for various placements but was completely unsuccessful.” He was just one of the 2 million people back in 2009 searching for employment. In more recent times statistics from the Higher Education Statistics Agency have shown that 20,000 students were still unemployed 6 months after leaving university in 2011, resulting in a bleak outlook for anyone trying to graduate this year.
So what is the real issue behind why students are finding it so hard to acquire work? A Raconteur study in The Times newspaper recently revealed that 55% of companies say university graduates do not have the relevant skills for customer facing roles. Many companies found when it came to hiring students for sales roles they werenʼt qualified, regardless of their degrees. Dr Ian Davies of the University of Bath says “55 per cent of companies believe graduates are not leaving university with the relevant skills to move directly into customer-facing roles. This is further complicated by the 70 per cent that feel their companies do not train the saleforce sufficiently; therefore leaving the companies reliant on candidates walking through the door readymade.”(1)
Companies are becoming so swamped with applications (an average 73 students apply for each job (2)) they are now looking for candidates who have a ʻcompetitive edgeʼ to distinguish themselves from others with similar qualifications. Favourable skills give an advantage, especially when companies are starting to pay more attention to an applicants extra curricular activities. Being involved in teams, societies and clubs at university show a candidate is more likely to have picked up “softer skills” such as responsibility, self- management and etiquette. These are all valuable skills that companies acknowledge when sifting through applications. “Employers say many graduates lack ʻsoft skillsʼ, such as team working. Candidates are normally academically proficient but lacking in soft skills such as communication as well as verbal and numerical reasoning.” says The British Association of Graduate Recruiters.
There has been a change in opinion over the last decade as many societies now acknowledge the importance of softer skills. Mastering ʻhard skillsʼ i.e. a degree, was rated first and soft skills were not necessary, but this opinion has been turned upsidedown. Career management consultant Challa Ram Phani published an article in 2007 under the headline “The top 60 soft skills at work” listing and discussing those 60 skills which according to his study are “the personal traits and skills that employers states are the most important when selecting employees for jobs of any type.” Safety, courtesy and honesty were among the top 5 skills shown.
However, there is a major flaw in the way some companies choose to select possible candidates. Itʼs cheaper and easier to sift through applications by degree level first, with many companies specifying a 2:1 minimum before a person can even be considered. Michael Barnard, a product manager at Milkround, the graduate careers advice site, recently told the Telegraph that the UKʼs financial industry is driving the trend to filter applicants by academic achievements. “Graduates canʼt expect to just walk into a decent job any more. If you want to work in London – God forbid, itʼs the hardest place to find a job in the world – you will have to accept that you probably need to live in a house-share with five strangers, work in a café to pay the bills and start at the bottom with a big employer”(2) he says.
A study conducted on graduate employers found that in 70% of cases the company demanded at least a 2:1 degree (High Fliers Research). “The majority of employers specify a 2:1 minimum, many candidates with 2:2 degrees or lower wonʼt get the chance to show off how “rounded” they are if they cannot apply to start with,” Martin Birchall, the managing director of High Fliers Research reported to The Telegraph(2). “The volume of applications is so high that companies could fill their places three or four times over with good candidates. They will regret that they canʼt view all candidates – itʼs incredibly harsh, but many good ones slip through the net.”
Many other professionals agree the application process can be unfair, leaving perfectly suitable graduates struggling to find work. Tanya de Grunwald, founder of GraduateFog, a careers website, and who is leading a campaign against unpaid graduate internships, agrees: “Companies just canʼt be bothered to think of a new way to sift applications. There are plenty of reasons why people get 2:2s – perhaps they had family issues, or an illness, or maybe theyʼre not academic. But theyʼre good at other stuff, such as building networks or communicating with people, which is essential in careers such as sales.”
Universities prepare their students through careers advice services for the working world in the hope their graduates wonʼt be forced into unemployment. But should they be teaching softer skills too? At a time where having an advantage over other candidates can be the different between finding a job and not, these extra skills seem vital to have.PoliticsStudent, another user on thestudentroom.co.uk, only found temp work after completing his degree, but has since become unemployed again. He praises experience more than a degree, viewing the skills he learnt there to be of more importance to companies than his actual degree. “Due to the highly amount of applicants per post I am almost always out done on experience. Even with volunteering in a charity shops I have received feedback from an application saying that they don’t accept unpaid experience and as such my part time and temporary jobs are not enough to get me an interview.” Having spent the summer after his BA degree trying to find a job, which included 200+ applications, he was never offered any interviews. Surprisingly he seems to have followed everything by the book, even tailoring his CV with the help of his university careers service. But he disagrees that his lack of softer skills is down to the university: “Universities are here to give academic training with a range of transferable skills. They are not some expensive hand holding career service. I personally hated all the career focus they put into the actual course. I would not want the university to be even more career focused and it is not the university’s responsibility to find me a job. Essentially it comes down to blind luck if I will find work anywhere.”It is perhaps disappointing to see graduates with high degree levels moving back home and getting a low skill job to make ends meat. The Office of National Statistics found nearly 36% of graduates in 2012 are currently employed in low skill jobs, and that four in ten failed to get work that requires their qualifications. Isabelle Dann, 22, who graduated from the University of Manchester this summer with a 2:1 in English literature, told the Daily Mail she has ended up working in a pub near her family home in North London. “I get less and less hopeful as the days go on,” she said. “The problem is that there are a lot of people who already had good jobs but have been made redundant and are looking below their skill level. Graduates are competing with these people.”(3) The numbers of graduates seeking employment in the current economy has created a higher proportion of graduates in non-graduate employment. It seems the more recent statistics are becoming increasingly worrying as 70% of graduates earned below £15,000 in their first job according to a study by the Higher Education Careers Services Unit.
So what can universities do? Preparing students for interviews, for example, is something that can potentially show off their softer skills, like communication skills and etiquette. Being approachable, friendly and having good body language would all help a candidate in selling themselves convincingly. Many universities, like the Institute of Education, scored surprisingly high on a recent report of university graduate employment rates(4). 100% of their students found work after graduating. The university offers workshops and coaching sessions as well as practice for interviews: “We offer a range of professionally endorsed and externally accredited courses that will enable students to gain professional qualifications and registration with professional bodies,” say IOE on their webpage, “Our Foundation degree courses and many of our masters degrees are developed in partnership with employers so that we’re able to help our students develop key skills, preparing them for work.” Their extra attention on interview preparation could be one of the reasons why other universities are falling by the wayside. London South Bank was the lowest scoring university reported, with only 78.1% of their graduates finding full time work. They claim to offer an “Employability & Careers Service” which fails to acknowledge a need for workshops and session to help with interview techniques.However, many companies are in fact “crying out” for graduates and struggling to recruit because they are a lesser known company, reports Tanya de Grunwald, founder of GraduateFog, a careers website, speaking to The Telegraph. Metaswitch Networks is a fast-growing technology company based in Enfield and at present hires around 40graduates per year, with no specific requirements on academic grades. James Madeley, graduate recruitment manager, recently told The Telegraph: “Academic ability is an indicator of how clever someone is, but for us itʼs about how graduates can logically think through a problem and solve it. We interview and test for that, as a specific skill, rather than degree attainment.”
There is always the counter argument with any discussion on employment that a degree can in fact be harming. PoliticsStudent from thestudentroom.co.uk, found it tough even when looking for low-level skill employment: “The degree opens doors but when applying for a job in retail for example your degree is meaningless even potentially undermining. They are looking for someone who will stay in a dead end job for years rather than take a graduate who will move onto better things at the first change.”
Every university tries to ensure graduates are ready for the real world, but even the best can struggle when our economy is so difficult and companies continue to cut corners in looking for the best candidates. Many graduates still battle to find even the most basic of experience, so how can the government expect our rate of unemployment to go down?But there can sometimes be a happy ending as King786, who was interviewed at the start of this feature, has since been able to find himself work relating to his graduate course.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/39c16304c1913b6da32c56110c909495/tumblr_mkqexyZb0T1qfxkeoo1_500.jpg)
Employers encourage graduates to obtain relevant skills in the help to get youth employment back on track.
With the youth employment rate still at a disappointing 19%, many employers and careers advisers are calling for students to explore different skill sets that could help them gain an advantage over other job candidates.
Read More
LAKO BUKIA AW12
A chilly evening at Freemasons Hall saw the return of highly acclaimed, Central St Martins graduate, Lako Bukia. The Georgian-born designer has captivated audiences from all over the globe ever since her first show at LFW in 2010.
“Broken Mirrors” was the title of Lako’s newest collection, which took inspiration from a broken mirror in which the designer sees herself in, and the challenges and fears she must face to show her strength. However the collection didn’t show any signs of fear, as the first garment down the runway was a full length, open back, silver evening gown, which left much of the crowd stunned.
The show continued in much the same way; metallic silvers were dominant, and were teamed with mesh shirts and black pleated skirts. Material was shaped like shards of mirror and placed on mesh shirts to - no pun intended - reflect the image of a broken mirror. Lako played with shapes, intertwining black and metallic silver to create some daring shirts, showing just a touch of skin. Full length silver skirts were teamed with chunky heels, whilst some interesting patterned leggings left us eager for more.
The show ended with a bang - literally. The final gown, which was nothing short of a show-stopper, glided down the runway, and was met with a huge bang and a down-pour of confetti. The dress, interesting enough, had the top half covered in actual pieces of mirror, beautifully assembled in an asymmetrical shape to compliment the full length mesh gown. Models joined each other on stage to do a Channel-style walk off, marching down the runway together whilst the audience members applauded. The show was a triumph; feminine, cool and very sexy.
ASHISH AW12
Sequin jackets in zebra print, florals and fruit. This could only be the work of Delhi-born mastermind, Ashish. The PR’s were out in force on the last day of womenswear at London Fashion Week, a couple sporting the colourful embellished jackets from his pervious collection.
After the huge success of Ashish’s Spring Summer collection, I was literally on the edge of my seat waiting for the show to start (although this could also have been due to the over crowded benches). The fun and surprise never ceased during the 20 minutes show. The collection, titled “Bollywouldn’t”, kept a smile on our faces from start to finish, and included a huge amount of sequins, rainbows and vibrant prints.
We saw a wave of inspiration from traditional Indian fashion, including kurta-inspired skirts and tops. Knitted jumpers had smiley faces printed all over, whilst sequin jackets were covered in rainbow and tie dye patterns. The collection was quirky and humourous, and even featured a couple of menswear looks.
The fun kept going right down to the feet, where rainbow platform boots only added to the barmy display of colour. Dupatta scarfs printed in softer tones were wrapped around the models upper half, whilst intricate nose rings added another touch of traditional India.
The final outfit was, not surprisingly, a fully sequined black jumpsuit, with a bright orange jumper around the waist that read “Be Happy” on the back. It was a great finish to an even greater show. Ashish is fastly becoming a front runner in British fashion, and it’s not hard to see why.
MICHAEL VAN DER HAM AW 12
One thing about the Topshop show room in Old Billingsgate, is how daunting it must be to show there. A huge catwalk with seats not only on either side but in the middle as well, this space deserves to have something great shown on it. With Topshop Unique showing there just 24 hours previous, Michael Van Der Ham had to pull something special out of the bag.
The collection was full of metallics, florals, interesting new prints and a great contrast of colours. It was the most ready to wear that I’ve seen during fashion week, and showed how far Michael had come with the backing of Topshop.
Turquoise blue was a dominant colour during the collection, and was mixed with metallic silvers and poppy reds. Splashes of orange and dark blue were seen on some of the dresses, which were beautifully form fitting. Michael’s signature patchwork techniques were present in a couple of his two piece garments, showing his skill and ability to apply attention to detail. Hair was finger waved into a Hollywood pin up style giving the collection a little hint of the 1930’s era.
The last outfits shown on the catwalk were a couple of sequin two pieces. Both glided down the catwalk, sparkling under the overhead lights, leaving a lasting impression on everyone. The collection was a great success, and we all really look forward to seeing what Michael Van Der Ham produces in the future.
PAM HOGG AW 12
Having seen the previous work of Pam Hogg I can’t tell you the excitement that I, and everyone around me, was feeling. Sunday evening, and whilst many fashionistas are heading home from the busy weekend, a huge crowd had formed outside Freemasons Hall. The venue turned out to be so packed that standing tickets were turned away, and extra chairs has to be brought in!
The collection was, as you can imagine, phenomenal. Nothing disappointed the crowd, even after a 45 minute late start. Models were sent down the catwalk with painted faces mimicking dolls, and wore 1850’s style American Western bonnets. The show started strongly with skin tight catsuits in red and black, followed quickly by some futuristic metallics. Full circle skirts mixed up some shapes, whilst dresses with fur trimmings added a great contrast of fabrics.
As the show continued, the clothes started to fall back into Pam Hogg’s signature style, one which left many front row jaws on the floor. Catsuits became a little more risque, with only a thin piece of metallic silver covering one of the models private parts. There was even an outfit made entirely of ribbon, which, I tell you now, didn’t cover a lot.
After a show filled with near nakedness, it’s not hard to guess that Pam Hogg is never afraid of a little risk. She continued to stun us all for her last 2 outfits which had the crowd applauding even before the end of the show. A full sequin gown - complete with a sequin encrusted bonnet - glided down the catwalk and left us all in utter awe.
The surprises kept rolling all night, including Jaime Winstone as a guest model (who skipped and twirled her way down the runway, even in 6 inch wedges). Pam Hogg came to give her thanks to the crowd, to which she was met with a well deserved standing ovation.
HOLLY FULTON AW12
It was one of the most anticipated shows of the day. Streams of people queued in the courtyard, trying and get themselves a seat for a glimpse of the Holly Fulton show.
Known for her exquisite jewellery, Fulton has secured herself a legion of fans ever since launching her range in 2009. After quite a kerfuffle of trying to get into the show space, we took our seats, the lights were dimmed and an explosion of colour was unleashed.
Bright pinks and blues strode out onto the catwalk, teamed with geometric patterns and interesting cuts. Classic layering worked in harmony with multi-toned black and blue shades, whilst the accessories added and eye catching aesthetic.
Each outfit was styled with Fulton’s signature bold jewellery, and the occasional simple clutch bag. The favourite accessory of the show was undoubtably the black furry tote bag, which complimented the sophistication of the garment.
There was a hint of Versace with the bold pinks and blacks, but Fulton made it her own by mixing her signature modern materials with intense graphic prints. Excelling in quality and style, the only let down during the show was the restriction on colour, as we would’ve loved to have seen some experimentation with oranges and reds.
The show was a psychedelic dream, taking us on an adventure through the workings of Fulton. There wasn’t a dull moment, and we can only hope to see more of this eclectic work in the next season.
FELDER FELDER AW12
Felder Felder is one of those names that you know means business. Not only did they have a crowd queueing round the corner, but the show space was, once again, jam packed. Having snuck my way into the Somerset House room without a ticket, I settled myself on a spare seat on the second row - a big sorry to whoever it was from Dazed & Confused magazine that ended up seat-less.
Twin sisters Annette and Daniela, the dynamic duo between Felder Felder, have been a huge crowd pleaser ever since their launch in 2007, and have secured some famous fans such as Alexandra Burke and Brix Smith along the way. But it’s not hard to see why, as this collection was filled with colour, prints, and beautifully structured garments, that left the crowd oo-ing and arr-ing.
Autumny colours were used on sheer dresses, skirts and leggings, which were matched perfectly with nude knitwear, including a few lighter coloured jumpers. Some real, earthy tones were used when creating the colour scheme for this collection, which worked in perfect harmony with the shape of the jumpsuits and dresses. Metallics were also present in flippy skirts and wedged heels, whilst colours that brought a real ethnic feel to the collection were seen in some beautiful full length gowns.
Felder Felder are known for their outstanding ready to wear collections, and this seemed to be no exception as the crowd powerfully applauded the sisters. The collection was daring, elegant and kept to the German sister’s house style.
BORA AKSU AW12
With fashion week well underway, Bora Aksu had a lot to live up to after their triumph back in September with a stunning Spring/Summer collection. By 1pm, the fashionistas and their many assistants were piling into Somerset House’s catwalk space, follow closely by a gaggle of press and reporters. Running fashionably late, Bora Aksu started the show with a beautiful knitted two piece, complete with a bow tie and ruched detail. Then followed a display filled with soft hues and intricate lace subtleties, which complimented the form fitting knitted dresses beautifully.
It wouldn’t be a Bora Aksu show without the mention of their signature monochrome tights. Each season, Bora Aksu bring a new and unique style to their leg wear. Flowers and polka dots were printed in white to contrast against the dark tights this season, and were met with chunky lace up boots to complete the look.
Not only were we treated to some interesting shapes by Bora Aksu - pleated tulip skirts and enhanced shoulders to name a few - we were pleasantly surprised to see the use of orange and fuchsia tints in a couple of their bolder pieces. We also love the subtle detailing that hinted to the Regency period, with one short tailored jacket and collar wrapped in a cravat tied.
Bora Aksu impressed and inspired us with their latest collection, right through to the very end. Experimenting with colour, they were able to create a show that won over the hearts of the crowd yet again for another season.
