London College of Fashion’s exclusive magazine Pigeons and Peacocks (P&P) is proud to be collaborating with Carnaby Street to bring you P&P DOES… Coinciding with the Carnaby Catwalk on September 11. LCF students will be offering fashion and styling advice and scouting for people with a unique and individual look.

P&P DOES Style Advice … Ever wanted an expert to help you put together the perfect outfit? Or fallen in love with something that goes with nothing else in your wardrobe? Well, you need look no further! Our roving student stylists will whisk you round the shops and help you find what you are looking for with free 30 minute sessions.

P&P DOES Personal Portraits …  LCF photographers will be scouting for people with a flair for fashion and style.  The best snaps will end up on pigeonsandpeacocks.com and winners will be picked by the magazine’s editorial team. Prizes will include goodie bags and LCF catwalk show tickets.

P&P DOES Course Advice …. If you’ve ever wondered how to get into the Fashion Industry or how to design and make your own clothes our expert advisors from the world famous LCF will be on hand in Kingly Court to help you find the course that is right for you. You can also enter a free prize draw to win a LCF Short Course voucher.

P&P DOES… will be based in Unit G4 in Kingly Court (in between Traffic People and Marshmallow Mountain) where you can come and pick up a copy of the magazine– also keep an eye out for stylists and snappers throughout the day whilst you’re out and about on Carnaby Street.

P&P looks forward to seeing you there!

The time has come for the industry to witness the talent of LCF’s design and technology graduates. Last night on Carnaby Street, in the sweltering heat, Emma Grace Bailey (second year BA (Hons) Fashion Journalism) reports on the upcoming ventures of those who are just setting foot into the big wide world of fashion.

I could go on about how fitting a location Carnaby Street is for this exhibition of young creative talent – and it is, I’m not going to lie. It has the perfect ambience, the ideal reputation not to mention a standard of passing traffic that would make any new fashion-graduate weak at the knees (oh, look at that I went and did it anyway.)  For me, however, it was what lay behind one of the more elusive facades on the street that was of most intrigue. It was here that I found a veritable feast of mouth watering talent, (That sounds like such a cliché, I know but it has to be said.) From Cordwainers Footwear designs to menswear – one of which was so good someone felt the need to pilfer it – to womenswear and beyond from the Fashion Design and Development course, tonight was their time to shine and shine they did.

As I walked into the LCF’s newly acquired exhibiting space I was overwhelmed; firstly by the blistering heat and secondly by the work which surrounded me. Taking my first tentative steps into the space I heard a fellow onlooker exclaim, “It looks amazing!” – I pushed forward, my intrigue spiralling. I wasn’t disappointed. Manoeuvring my way through the eclectic array of people – which included Matt Horne I might add, but more about him later – I picked up hints of jubilation, excitement and apprehension. This urban setting – a three storey building held together with scaffolding and concrete – encases the results of a long, hard year for all of the contributing students, and it was my duty to find out just how well it was received.

My first port of call, after a considerable amount of persuasion, was, naturally, the lovely Mathew Horne who was guest of LCF alumna Beatrix Ong. His most favoured piece transpired to be an old school satchel designed by Minako Tsuda – a Japanese student who is returning home to take up a job offer.

The inspiration behind my work comes from the design of 40’s and 50’s English men’s shoes…The bottom of the satchel is adorned with a set of heels.

Matt Horne, Beatrix Ong and guest

Work from Harriet Holt

The bondage theme seemed to be fairly recurrent at this year’s showcase. There was many a restraining strap and fiercely dominating heel to be seen. As fashion blogger Dean Aladay said,

There’s a lot of leather and studs going on today.

Perhaps we should take note – skeletons may well be leaving our cupboards any day now.  The leading colour way, however, was that of nudes, neutrals and pastels which ran throughout the entire three floors. Whether as a nod to the current high street trend or a narration on the recent turbulent times one cannot tell but it definitely made for a calming and enticing effect.

As I edged my way through the crowds I came across the work of Helen Furber, a graduate from Cordwainers Footwear, who had, in addition to her final piece, taken the initiative to publish a magazine showcasing the work of her fellow designers. (A smart step in my opinion, any publicity is good publicity as they say.) Helens shoe design had attracted my attention before I’d even stepped foot in the building and I was anxious to find out more about it. The inspiration, I discovered, came from an internship she did at Adidas where she realised that, for the sake of the planet,

we can’t keep making shoes in the same way that we are now.

With this in mind she strived to come up with a completely new design concept which would not only be sustainable but luxurious at the same time. The result is the ‘Icica concept wedge’ which is made up of several different layers that all attach together – The design rethinks the traditional ways of making shoes, you see. With this successful endeavour behind her she is looking forward to the next phase of her life. A phase which many of the students I spoke to are anticipating with excitement and slight trepidation – a natural response I feel.

And so, as the two hours of creative juice slowly ebbed away I waved goodbye and wished good luck to a graduating year unafraid to push the boundaries. A year that, I think, have got their foot firmly in the fashion door.  (See what I did there? Funny? No. Oh well)

The exhibition will be open to the public until Wednesday 14th July.

• View exhibition details
• Words by Emma Bailey, second year BA (Hons) Fashion Journalism
• View more of Emma’s work on the e-initiative blog
• Images by Olivia Sykes, 2010 Graduate BA (Hons) Fashion Photography
• View Olivia’s Showtime Profile
• View Olivia’s Blog ‘Minnie Mouse Built This House’

Come along and watch Noro Kim, AKA the Pig Man, and his course colleagues collaborate on canvas!

School of Media and Communication exhibition at 57 Carnaby Street is open until Monday 21st June.

Industry professionals mingling with LCF’s finest, it can only mean one thing-yes you guessed it, graduation is upon us once again. Showcased in a brand, spanking new loft-style building on Carnaby Street, 2010’s graduate exhibition is inspiring to say the least. Featuring work from Photographers and Illustrators, to Journalists and Broadcasters, the private viewing saw a few familiar faces including Head of Photography Ed Barber and Principle Lecturer in Broadcast Maggie Norden. As well as a few faces I’m sure everyone was eager to become familiar with including editor of 125 magazine Perry Curties.
A highlight of the evening, aside from the champagne, included a magazine entitled Viper. Lily Mercer, recent graduate and editor of Viper, explained the idea behind her publication.

Mine is a concept magazine that deals with social issues. I started to realise that young people today are really, really angry and whether they’re voicing it or not there is an underlying anger that needs to come out creatively.

Articles within the magazine range from a criticism of the British prison system to a more personal piece looking at the judgment incurred by those who own Staffordshire bull terriers, a dog associated with violence. When asked about the last three years, Lily replied with a knowing grin:

The last three years have been intense but really educational. I think it was about discovering your own voice and becoming a stronger writer.

So what are Lily’s plans for the future?

I don’t want to be just another generic fashion writer. I’m more into the grittier scene, not necessarily aggressive but definitely street…it’s great because these days fashion isn’t just fashion…it’s a lifestyle…LCF is really good because they encourage you to think of fashion as more than just clothes

With handshakes and conversation being exchanged, comments on final pieces ranged from ‘superb’ with reference to Matjaz Tancic’s photograph series, which is set in futuristic 3D to ‘chic’ with regards to Daina Gribuste illustrations. Remarked on as both ‘stylish’ and ‘intriguing’, Madelaine Barlow’s black and white photos featured a series of male models in ‘broken’ and ‘damaged’ scenarios, whilst still remaining in the context of fashion.

Despite the full crowd, I managed to speak to graduating broadcaster Gabrielle Lenson about her final project. Her film is a music documentary following the “indie” group, The Holloways. Having had success in 2005 with a song entitled ‘The Generator’,The Holloways soon disappeared from the music scene. Gabrielle’s documentary charts their return to music and in her own words looks at “the sort of DIY aspect of building a band back up and getting back into the industry.”

So how did she feel about her final piece and also about the future?

I’ve done a lot of films, which afterwards I can’t believe I’ve filmed…with this one, it was my final year and I threw my heart and soul into it. It was my life from January till May. I followed the band, I went on tour with them and we became a family. The ultimate success for me is not something high and mighty but I would just like to have my life be me going to gigs and then writing about them.”

On leaving the event passing comments from visitors included ‘impressive’, ‘success’ and simply ‘wonderful’. All in all a superb beginning to a fine end.

Words by Peig Meehan – second year BA (Hons) Fashion Journalism

Images by Ridhima Sekhri – second year BA (Hons) Fashion Photography

The School of Media and Communication Exhibition is open until  21/06/10

As the creative industry’s future Harriet Quicks, Katy Grands and Nick Knights take to centre stage for a final encore, Lauren De’Ath takes a stroll down a very iconic street to preview their work and sing a few praises while she’s there.

Carnaby Street is alive with the celebratory sound of its fiftieth year when I arrive at the School of Media and Communication exhibition. The bare-chested cast of Hair have just ushered in the Age of Aquarius and as I wend my way through the throngs of summer lovin’ revellers I yearn for cooler climes in the twenty seven degree heat.

There could be no better residency for the 2010 London College of Fashion graduates; set on the corner of Carnaby Street and Beak Street, the exhibition boasts three floors of la crème de la crème of BA degrees Fashion Journalism, PR, Illustration, Styling and Broadcast to name but a few. If my industrial spidey senses are anything to go by, these are students who will have been cajoled by the overwhelming influence of modern media.  The question for many of them, however, was how to produce pieces of ‘art’ in such a clashing creative environment. Work from the likes of Matjaz Tancic, whose styling repertoire was partly a 3D installation and required the viewer to wear 3D glasses to see the images in their full glory, managed to create beautiful ‘modern’ imagery without compromising on taste. One illustration student had left the confines of pen and paper behind completely for her final piece and had trapped ink lucidly in a glass box. The result was extremely effective and although tiny was a stand-out piece for me.

With only a handful of people inside, the calm monochrome interior deceives the reality that many graduates are facing this year. Comments anxious Fashion Journalism graduate, Esther Coombes on leaving the relative safety of full-time education for the big, bad wide world, “I’m not alone in feeling nervous- I know it’s something that a lot of people on the course have mimicked. For a lot of journalists, in particular, we have work for free and financially this shall require parents’ support, which is massively inconvenient.” These are times when graduates not only have results to worry about but whether or not employers from up and down the country and indeed the world are ready to extend employment to them. Nervous times, indeed.

The Broadcast effort was mysteriously hidden behind a black curtain and kindly Esther had to coax me inside lest I would have gone by ignorant. A fun-looking short about a band. But alas I am too hot to remain behind that stifling curtain for long. Outside in the cool, I note a distinct colour theme amidst the white-washed walls and concrete floor space: everything is very pared back. Neutral colours, calm and hushed reign supreme for 2010. Nothing is shout-out-loud look-at-me like there has been in the past few years with graduates. These are the colours of realism. Each and every selected piece is intransient: a worthy lesson learnt from the dreaded R-word, yes, the Recession.

So, a round of applause and the best of luck to a year, finally, where graduates are using tact and subtlety to grab our affection and attention.

Words by Lauren De’Ath – second year BA (Hons) Fashion Journalism

Images by Felipe Fonseca  – John Princes Street Receptionist

The School of Media and Communication Exhibition is open until  21/06/10

DJs Goldierocks and Frankmusik (an LCF alumnus) both played sets at last Wednesday’s exclusive Puma event at the Carnaby space. Read more here.

Sportswear giant Puma has teamed up with BA (Hons) Fashion Design Technology: Womenswear design students, school children from local schools in Hackney and some of the UK’s biggest rising music stars, including Sway and Nate James, to swap ideas and collaborate on a range of t-shirt designs that will go on to be sold on ASOS.com. The exhibition will showcase winning designs and will celebrate the collaboration between the world of music and fashion.

Stay up to date with the full Carnaby schedule.

Photograph by Peter Knapp.

It looks like many of you have been taking photos of our popup gallery exhibitions down on Broadwick Street. 

If you use the photo-sharing site Flickr, feel free to tag any relevant images with ‘lcf@carnaby‘. They will then appear in the sidebar on the right-hand side of Snapshot.

Global shampoo legend Vidal Sassoon visited the LCF Carnaby pop up space today to launch Cuts, Curls & Crimpers, our year-long celebration of hair.

Mr Sassoon met students and staff from the Foundation Degree Fashion Styling and Photography.

Julia Patrick

Lauren Wintle

Carol Hutchison

Sandra Jawad

Kyu-ah Chae

All the work is the creative output of our BA (Hons) Fashion Illustration students. View a larger gallery in Showcase.