Beyond the Yonderland

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>> It felt like I was renourishing myself yesterday as I finally got to do the things I like doing which is pottering around London with no specific purpose other than to LOOK at things.  This hasn't really been the case in the last week where the whole day has been timetabled to a tee… too much force-fed fashion isn't healthy even for people with high-fash tolerance levels. 

Anyway, I stopped by Beyond the Valley yesterday and was delighted to find that they had gone back to their roots of stocking fresh fresh graduates whilst pushing their in-store label as well as an eclectic roster of names that include Finsk, Fernanda Pereira and Ostwald Helgason.   I was especially happy because I happened to be familiar with the two grads and was wildly shrieking "Ooh she's from xxx uni isn't she?" like a mad lady.

For A/W 09 they have taken a risk and bought into Nicola Morgan, who I first saw at Graduate Fashion Week.  A graduate from Northumbria, her 'Alterpretations' collection was a pretty amazing technical feat as she developed a method of joining fabric together without creating a permanent seam.  So where there are seams, there are interlocking links that is reminiscent of giant lego or the skeletal forms…

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BYTV are also selling a range of her accessories… these half-moon half-gloves are selling like hotcakes apparently and are available on the e-store.

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In stark contrast to Morgan's collection is Blandine Bardeau's plastic jewellery collection.  I loved the way she used those familiar strands (did anyone else go through the plastic friendship bracelet phase in their teens, just after the cotton thread one?) to make something quite raw and tribal looking that sat amazingly with her graduate collection at the CSM BA show.

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In other BYTV developments, they have gotten their in-house design team to hook up with Harris Tweed, which the boyf did an extensive profile of recently on his blog.  They have come up with a few staple items that include this pretty spectacular belted cape coat, as modelled by my friend Isobel.

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And as always, BYTV have a pretty substantial range of the KaPowWow jersey jewellery pieces..

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I did leave with nothing in hand but it just feels bloody good to be looking at STUFF on my own terms…

16 comments

  10. The interlocking fabric garments are fabulous. I love when the functionality of a piece also becomes part of the decoration.
    Its terrible to admit that I was actually too old for those plastic bracelets but my sister went through a phase of making them all the time! Those necklaces sort of bring back memories! 🙂

  12. Plastic lace/gimp jewellery is amazing especially the catwalk pics. Bought a ton of this stuff two years ago thinking I could make something creative out of it and failed miserably. I see that she has somehow managed to find the kind that comes on large rolls, I only found the pre-cut kind.
    Perhaps I will try again, newly inspired by the possibilities of this humble childrens craft material

  15. Love the knit jewelry and the interlocking garments! I love innovative and fresh new designers. Thanks fer sharing! 🙂

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