MARGIN AUGUST 2008

Yesterday I ventured down to Margin to check out the show & see the Boards we had created , & get a general over view of one of my favourite shows in LONDON.

1stly there was no TBC this season & PURE was on, but I wanted to hear & see the traffic that hopefully would pass through.

At 1st sight it seemed busy enough for 1.00pm on a Monday afternoon, but I went a dug a little deeper to see what was good & what I found interesting.

SO I am not going to give it to you by section...I am just going to Ramble about the labels that I like.

VIOLENT ELEGANCE
Stefan & Jana have got something here. This is a T-Shirt company based in Berlin & they are very inspired by The Bauhaus. Simple Prints with excellent colour choices of Fluros, Black & White. The stark contrast in the colours & monochrome mixes makes something so simple into something very special. I real like what they are & probably my favourite thing in the show.
They have been going for a year now & with their ethic & style...I think they will be around for a few more years to come.

SHOE MISSY
Ok You all know I got a thing for Shoes...& these shoes are no exception. Anna has been at this for 4 years. She started making commissioned orders & offering a Bespoke service, & then moved on to On Line sales which accounts for appx 60% of the sales made. Love a good On Line story : )
Last season was all based on the UK Burlesque scene, & this season is all based on 50’s travel. Excellent shoes at very competitive prices.

ME & ZENA
Really nice quirky & pop jewelry. No your usual stuff & very on point. The pendants are really nice & there is a lot to like.

BROWN NY
A new venture for this company who makes some excellent Coats in Fleece, Wool & Knits. As well as some nice corsetry & dresses. There are even a few cheap & cheerful dresses that would a few ladies I know happy. It is the 1st jump into the UK & Europe, so stop by & show them some love.

PITCHBLACK
No here is a man who has his eye on the Luxury Lifestyle market & intends to attack it bit by bit & make his mark.
Started by making bespoke orders for the soft tailoring that they offer, & now have expanded the collection into something a little more, & something that opens up the vision & intent of Pitchblack. Good stuff.

KYOTO DENIM
Always like a good story behind a product. Kyoto DEnim have taken all the technique for making traditional Kimono’s and applied it to denim. The way they dye & print is all following an ancient tradition. A time consuming process that ends up with a really nice, special product. They are Jeans, but not as we know it.

GONSALVES & HALL
I was drawn to them by their Buttons, yes they use Liberty Print Buttons on all their product which for me was a nice touch. Really nice coats & separates. Lots of flowing ties around the neck lines & waist that create really extensive bows & the like. I like this line & can see it doing rather well.

INFECTED
I like Eddie Williams, the owner of INFECTED, he really knows what his label is about & what he is trying to do. They have been going for a while now & have a big presence on line &have been regular suppliers to URBAN OUTFITTERS.
All their product is UK based & UK inspired...touching on the Multi Cultures of the UK & how they have sprung subcultures that continue to inspire the world over. Loved their shirting...excellent.

MYSTIC BULGARIA
I was curious about this label, as I wanted to know if they were from Bulgaria or was it just a name. But yes they are from Bulgaria, & they have something of their own going on. Their Denim was quirky & had a Lolita feel to it. The printed Satins of next season offer another angle to what it is they are doing. Nice people & good to see something like that coming out of Bulgaria. Keep it Up.

VAULT
Loved the colour palette...& the colour palette was inspired by just that...a Bank Vault with all the steel & the colours that reflect of the metal etc. Really nice product & the concept is packaged really well. This label would sit well in any store...& they are such nice people too. Modern Urban wear & Classic Tailoring...you can not really go wrong.

JOHNNY LOVE
‘The missing link between Hugo Boss & Levis’ was how John described it to me, & yes I can see it. All about shape & fit...patterns take precedent here. I did like the vibe of the label & more to the point liked how they looked to securing their Local Norwegian market before attempting to take on the world.
Loved the Nylon Jackets...really nice, & yes...the fit is Good.

ELANORE DE RUUK
Now I really like creative pattern making & Elanore does not let me down. She has some excellent pieces in her collection & the panelling & way the garments work look really nice & you can see that this lady is passionate about what she is doing. If I could say that there was one label a little lost at Margin it is Elanore’s...not because it is not right, more that is it out there & has no place to put it. Elanore has some thing special going on...take a look & you will see what I mean.

TROUSERS LONDON
Hands down my No 1 of Margin...consistency is a good thing & these people do just that. They stay with their vision & there jeans are excellent. & for a basic loving person like me...thanks for doing a basic 5 pocket for old school fools like me. No on the real go & buy this denim, if only to be working with such excellent people.

Well that is my brief report on Margin...but to get it for real...go their yourself & check it out. You may find what i say is all rubbish, as you may find something else that gets you...but you will not unless you get down there.

Be Well.

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