H ISSUE Updates
2 new fashion stories HIT the site.
check the out.
H & H NAILS.
Make up artist Holly Silius and jewellery designer Hannah Warner joined their professions and have pushed the boundaries to create a range of 2D and 3D metal nails under the name H&H. We caught up with the lovely Holly and Hannah of H and H nails to hear about there past, present and what they are looking forward to in the future.
Tell us a bit about yourselves.
We both met in Miami in 2010, at a music festival, through mutual friends trying to change our friends flat tyre. We spent 2 weeks partying and having fun and then prolonged our flight so we could stay a bit longer! We both have travel interest and love for art and design, architecture and have strong creative backgrounds including sculpting and painting. I, Holly, studied art and have a degree in prosthetics, sculpting and wigs at London College of fashion, I went on to work in film, theatre then fashion taking a little from each industry and using it all in designing. Hannah studied Design and jewellery design at London Metropolitan before moving to New York and studying Gemmology at GIA and then set up HannahWarnerJewellery. We both love jewellery/gems/stones and precious metals so the collaboration was perfect for adorning the body in as much metal and jewels as possible.
What has been your favourite project/collaboration since you’ve worked together?
They are all fun, we can’t pick a favourite as we have been given so many amazing opportunities in such a short space of time of launching our brand. From being invited to the Mugler show in Paris, March 2012, where our first collection was used by the renowned manicurist Marian Newman, the thistle nails stood out so perfectly and then being invited for our collection to be used in the window displays of Harvey Nichols London in September 2012 and most recently Beyonce using them for her promo tour video!
Nail style/colour for SS13?
Its got to be polished rose gold for us in the Scraper design.
What are or were your aspirations at the age of 26?
Working in fashion and being creative and successful in something we love
Pick a word beginning with the letter ‘H’ that best sums you up.
HAPPY
For each letter of the alphabet, pick a word followed by a sentence that inspires you.
A- Africa- LOVE AFRICAN TRIBAL COLOURS and prints
B- Beyonce because she’s cool, effortless but sexy and edgy
C- Cats…love their sexy slanted catty eyes and arrogance
D- Darkness of the night, midnight deep blue endless
E- Ecstasy feeling of fun, frivolity and letting go
F- Feminine- love the sculpture of the female torso curvature, boobs and bum
G- Gratitude to be able to have the opportunity to do what we love and keep on doing it.
H- Horse - galloping away and the adrenaline you get is like a surge of creativity
I- Indigo- the deep indigo colours of ancient Egypt deeply influence H&H
J- Jaguars, their speed and mysterious beauty
K- Kindness…a very important quality
L- Luminosity- the vibrancy of summer and its colour enhancing your mood
M- Moody attachment to the dark in our designs
N- Naughty…everyone deserves a little bit of this!
O- Opportunities in abundance create more ideas so keep taking them!
P- Picasso paintings
Q- Quitting…its NEVER an option!
R- Rhianna’s endless style change ups and personalities that shine through
S- Shapes we love angles
T- Tamara de lempicka- beautiful feminine strong bodies
U- Universe…the world we live in
V- Vivienne
W- Westwood hardworking ethic and her amazing progression through the fashion industry is iconic and so inspiring for young designers
X- xxx we love kisses
Y- Yves saint laurent- his art collection is the best we have ever seen would love to have sat in his house sketching
Z- Zeitgeist- of the now, be in the present and enjoy
You can contact Holly and Hannah Here.
WENDY BEVAN AT THE COB GALLERY
Running from the 11th - 14th April 2013 at The Cob Gallery in Camden is an exhibition of sensational photographer Wendy Bevan.
Known for her surreal aesthetic and a tender, sympathetic portrayal of the feminine form, Bevan works exclusively from Polaroid film producing work free of digital manipulation rendering her work fresh, distinct and precious.
The exhibition features work from Bevan’s 10 year career with images that have featured in Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Nylon, the works. Should you fall in love with these unedited snapshots they are available for purchase framed and signed beginning at £150.
TWENTY6 had the pleasure of interviewing Wendy at the preview launch on Wednesday night. As the Sacred Spirits G&T’s flowed we asked the photographer:
What inspires your work? Desire, mystery, nostalgia, romance, drama, characters, identity…
What word beginning with the letter H describes your work? Haunting
What were your aspirations at the age of 26? To keep working, keep creating, keep making, keep dreaming…
Expert advice from an inspirational creative, we aim to do the same.
The Cob Gallery is located at 205 Royal College Street, London, NW1 0SG
Cristo Johns
H ISSUE
Out now
‘ISSUE H’ HAS NOW LAUNCHED!
H ISSUE OUT IN APRIL!
Watch this space…
TWENTY6 Magazine
Here comes Issue H.
For the 8th instalment of TWENTY6 we have collaborated with Art Directors Paul Underwood & Charlotte Heal employing the photographic prowess of Luke Bennett
It introduces the H Issue with explosions of coloured ink in water, capturing the excitement of things to come in the next edition.
We love and we hope you do to.
TWENTY6 HQ x
Last night saw guests flocking to Portobello Roads best kept secret, fashion boutique “Chic Freak” to toast the arrival of exclusive Spring/Summer 13 pieces from London based designer Ada Zanditon. Guests were treated to the screening of Ada’s SS13 video, Tigress Reign as well as a window installation to mark the event named ‘The Golden Girls Easter installed by Ada and her team.
“I love the eclectic and bohemian boutique that the Chic Freak team have created - their store is unique, fun and a treasure trove of innovative London based brands. I was thrilled when they approached me about carrying my SS13 collection Tigress Reign and it’s been great fun creating the golden girls Easter window display.” Ada Zanditon
Chic Freak is fast becoming the go to destination boutique in West London, stocking the best of British including Pam Hogg, Rodnik Band, Bordelle and Claudine to name a few. Founder Tamarisk East Rigby’s experience at Hyper Hyper has greatly influenced Chic Freak and encouraged her to support fun, young, London brands that the modern consumer craves for.
“She is the epitome of Chic Freak with her black hair and dark pointy nails and yet her latest collection is so feminine and reminds me of an Indian summer of pastel sweets. The shapes are super feminine and are super flirty and sexy. It’s like a fire-work of colours.” Tamarisk East Rigby
Refreshments were provided by POPChips, Lindtt Eggs and FireFly Tonics, as guests listened to live entertainment provided by The Delta Ladies, acoustic with guitar.
As the name implies, Billionaire Italian Couture is a brand with luxury, quality and wealth at its core. At the brands flagship store on London’s exclusive Sloane Street press were invited to preview the Autumn/Winter 2013 collection. Inspired by the traditional English “Lord and Lady of the manor” the collection which is primarily menswear with a smaller capsule collection of womenswear that mirrors the mens is opulent with bursts of gold, green and purple.
The Billionaire style being, for want of better words, “a bit bling” remains undeniably tasteful by enhancing classic cuts and silhouettes with fabulous details in exotic dyed skins from purple crocodile and fox fur to fuchsia python. The collection continued with silk printed jackets, a wide variety of finely cut denim and an enviable selection of velvet and leather slippers.
The brand does not show at fashion weeks but has been running since 2005 and is fast approaching 30 stores worldwide. The exclusivity and privacy of remaining off show adds to the brands culture and with its niche market firmly in its mind, Billionaire is a brand that will power forward in years to come.
If you are looking for a jaw-dropping piece this winter start saving now and make sure you get it from Billionaire.
Cristo Johns
Flocking to the town house show space at 33 Portland Place, attendees were treated to a visual spectacle from London based Thai fashion designer Sorapol Chawaphatnakul. AW13 is SORAPOL’s fourth collection. Entitled “Immortal” and drawing inspiration from the Chinese folk tale “The Story of the Xiaohe” the decadent and extravagant collection was a celebration of silk and lavish prints.
Oriental influences abound, from ornate metal headpieces and towering wooden jenga-block shoes the collection was fused by the strong design motivation. Rich and regal, each demi-couture piece was wildly expressive and the accompanying make-up provided by Illamasqua blended perfectly with the aesthetic.
Always striving to diverge from the standard presentation. Models paraded through four rooms across three floors creating an intimate feel. Filled to capacity the show was thoroughly entertaining and the accompanying Tequila Sunrises were a delicious touch.
Brava to the Sorapol and Pop PR teams.
Cristo Johns
BETSEY JOHNSON, one of America’s most iconic designers, launched her new dress collection in the windows of Macy’s Herald Square in New York on Wednesday, March 13th, 2013.
BETSEY JOHNSON transformed an all white window display into a true Betsey masterpiece; painting the walls, the glass and styling the mannequins with her favorite looks from her new line. Betsey put her finishing touch on the display using all of her favorite items including lipstick, champagne bottles, and studs and sparkle galore.
The new Betsey Johnson dress collection is a whimsical line of great fitting, fun silhouettes. Encapsulating everything Betsey, these sexy, flowing dresses incorporate bursts of bold color, playful prints and modern shapes. Betsey Johnson dresses bring a sense of excitement, confidence, and individuality anyone who wears them.
Betsey comments, “I’m back!!! Doing my dress thing. Pretty and punk, sweet and sexy, always rock n’ roll.”
Betsey Johnson’s new dresses launched at Macy’s for the Spring/Summer 2013 season and will retail between $99 and $249.
INTERVIEW WITH LUBELLULE
We caught up with Crickett Lapeyre and Leigh Reveley of New Orleans-based line LIBELLULE (libby-lool). Here’s what they had to say about their latest collection.
What were/are your ambitions and aspirations at the age of 26?
When I was 26, I wanted to be a fashion designer, but was restoring rotten textiles for museums and auction houses. When Crickett was 26, she wanted to train children to be champions in acrobatic sports.
Pick a word beginning with the letter “H” that best sums you up.
Our favorite word for the letter H is Healing. We believe beauty is healing. That you feel more alive when you are in its presence. We like creating beautiful things, and we hope people feel more live whether they are looking at them or wearing them.
Pick a word that best sums up your Autumn/Winter 2013 collection:
A word that sums up our AW 2013 Collection is CELESTIAL. It is inspired by the early jewelry of Coco Chanel, with lots of starbursts and moon beams.
C :Classic
E: Elegant
L: Luxurious Fibers
E: Environmentally Friendly
S: Stars
T: Timeless
I: Intricate
A: Angelic
L: Locally made
Images courtesy of Jason Kruppa.
ASHLEY KNOX
Andrea Loest is a New Orleans-based artist and fashion designer who uses handmade cloth, existing garments, collage, and experimental pattern drafting systems to make garments that create connections between style, language, and materiality.
1. What were/are your ambitions and aspirations at the age of 26?
When I was 26 years old, I was in a very odd place. I had started my first clothing line at the age of 23, and it had grown and I was just in the development of its launch. Then, Hurricane Katrina hit, and my life completely changed. I thought at 26 that I was going to push forward with my business, but the displacement hurt my ability to produce and I was forced to go in another direction. It ended up being a really great thing, because I got to change my life and go back to pursuing my artistic practice. I went to graduate school at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and received my MFA in fiber and material studies. Now I have the best of both worlds. My career revolves around the intersections of art and fashion.
2. Pick your favorite letter and a word beginning with that letter that best sums you up
My favorite letter has always been A. I don’t have a favorite word, but I would pick the word aspire. I love to explore the potentiality of anything, how something is constantly becoming, growing, evolving beyond what I expect or what I have seen possible. My goal when I aspire is to attempt to not set an agenda (all A’s) so that I live in a great state of surprise.
3. Pick a word that best sums up your A/W ‘13 collection.
I’d pick the letter F for fearless. My collection was inspired by the story of Snow White and the quote she says after running through the dark forest. “ I’m awfully sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you. But you don’t know what I’ve been through. And all because I was afraid. I’m so ashamed of the fuss I made.” Snow White
When I design, it needs to come from a place of optimism. The story I tell may be about the aspects of encountering veils of confusion and darkness, as in this collection, but I’ve found that happens because there’s so much light and discovery on the other side. It’s amazing how often fear will prevent us from reaching that insight. That’s why I chose to revisit a classic fairytale with this collection.
Ashley Knox
