Tag Archives: #VogueFest

#VOGUEFEST…LUCINDA CHAMBERS

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Lucinda Chambers, Fashion Director at British Vogue is someone I have always admired; not only is she an inspiring style icon (her ability to mix and match prints has always fascinated me) but she has created some of Vogue’s most memorable photo shoots and covers during her time at the magazine. I was so pleased to be able to hear from her again at #VogueFest during the ‘My Fashion Life’ session on the Friday morning.

Lucinda and I discussing her recent Vogue cover with Kate Moss, at Vogue House last year.

I was of course lucky enough to meet Lucinda last year when I was doing Winchester Fashion Week and interview her about her position at Vogue and experiences in fashion; but at Vogue Festival she revealed even more fascinating stories and so I thought I’d share the best bits…

What I love about Lucinda is she likes to make it clear she never intended to end up in fashion. She was always interested in clothes but never fashion and being an ‘underachiever’ at school she said all she wanted was “to be a secretary and get married.” Little did she know the potential she had!!

Lucinda speaking at Vogue Festival

She ended up getting interested in fashion as Lucinda and her mother decided they were both going to apply for art college. They both created a rough art portfolio for the interview process; apparently they involved a lot of pasta shapes and wool!!! They must have been some very unique and inspired pasta/wool creations as she got into the art college, and whilst fashion was frowned upon she began making jewellry in the plastic workshops. Lucinda would sell these to friends and as she got more and more into it one day Lucinda’s earrings ended up appearing in a magazine! This was the first moment that she suddenly had an interest in fashion magazines and their power.

My favourite story of Lucinda’s is how she got into Vogue magazine. ”Smoking got me my first job,” she said…

“At the time when I joined Condé Nast as an assistant, all the office was partitioned. One day, my boss left for lunch and I quickly lit myself a cigarette. She forgot something and came back, so I threw my cigarette over the partition and it landed on the desk of the assistant to the then-editor of Vogue - Beatrix Miller. Luckily, she was a smoker too and she got me an interview at Vogue.”

Wow oh wow!! How did she get away with that?! She really came across as quite cheeky, and obviously isn’t afraid of hard work or a challenge. Working on shoots she said “I want all the people I work with to think that they wouldn’t want to be anywhere else that day. Celebrities are often nervous, bored, not in their comfort zone so they can be the most challenging.”

One of my recent favourites styled by Lucinda Chambers

And you know you’re a good fashion stylist when a US train driver steals your luggage containing hundreds of thousands of pounds-worth of couture and you still manage to pull off a Vogue cover debut for the gorgeous Emma Watson!! What a star Lucinda is. How did she do it??? I hear you cry!! Well…

“So the shoot started with me finding a pair of sunglasses in my bag – picture one -and Emma wearing the assistant’s hat – picture two. All the while I had her assistant there saying: “Emma’s been waiting for this moment for 10 years, you’re losing her here.”

Amazing. And the result…effortlessly stylish of course.

More #VogueFest posts to come of course…there is just SO much to tell you all! I’m afraid they will be broken up over the next few weeks though as I have so many things going on, working on a massive uni project, interning on a new fashion TV show, trying to organise photo shoots, visiting garden centres, WFW 2012 meetings….the list is endless! So don’t forget to subscribe to http://www.vikkilondon.com to hear the latest as soon as it’s posted!! Have a great evening!! x

#VOGUEFEST…CHRISTOPHER BAILEY

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HOLA! So I literally have half a note book CRAMMED with my notes from the Vogue Festival as it was just SO good! I’m not quite sure how I’m going to cover everything but I shall certainly try!

So Christopher Bailey was first up on the schedule and what a man to start the show. Alexandra Shulman introduced the session with a short video on what Burberry is today. Wow. This video could have brought a tear to my eye, it was epic! It really opened my eyes to how Burberry really is MASSIVE, they cover every angle of fashion that’s physically possible and I believe when it comes to digital innovations in fashion, Burberry is definitely one of the leaders of this field.

Christopher firstly spoke of when he came to Burberry. Coming from Donna Karen which was “very New York” and Gucci which was “very Italian” when he arrived at Burberry he felt like he was coming home; Burberry was part of his culture, with memories of his Grandfather owning a Burberry trench coat. He described Burberry as an “incredibly beautiful diamond that hadn’t been given the love it should be given”, he commented on how “it wasn’t a brand, it was a company…it had no life and soul in it” and so from this moment Christopher Baileys’s relationship with Burberry began and flourished into what it is today.

Christopher emphasised the importance of the team when it came to Burberry, and described them as the “be all and end all”. With 9000 people worldwide they manage to stay connected with an internal social media site (like a Facebook for Burberry) called ‘Burberry Chat’ which connects head offices and stores worldwide. With this new technology it ensures there is “one Burberry culture” shared worldwide, but ultimately everything comes out of London.

When it comes to the design process Christopher starts with a mood, feeling or spirit. He admitted he’s “not very good with themes” and will discuss a mood or feeling with his team so the design process is overall very organic. The factories themselves also inspire his designs, as he believes “there’s something really beautiful about hand craft.” So far I was literally falling in love with Christopher, his love for his company and team really shone and he is a very emotionally driven character. He spoke highly of Britain and finds “the poetry of the British weather magical”….well I wouldn’t go that far Christopher?!  All this rain is a bit much for me…but then again I don’t yet own a Burberry trench…maybe that’s the answer!!

In true fashionista style, Christopher was jetting off to Tai Pei in China later that day, where they were holding a big event at their new store. Trying not to reveal too much Christopher described it as an “emmersive 360 experience”…I don’t know about you but I’m intrigued!! Apparently it was to be video and music experience that surrounded every angle of the room, inspired by the weather…at this point Alexandra jumped in to question this ‘experience’ as a possible “brainwashing technique?” But Christopher ensured us it wasn’t and said it was about inspiring people, and letting them personally experience what the brand should be about.

So do you want to know what Christopher Bailey does in his spare time?? Well the answer is spend as much time in Yorkshire as possible and watch his favourite TV shows including Downton Abbey, Master Chef and The Voice – apparently he admires Will.I.Am…future face of Burberry?? Nah maybe not!

Emma Watson as the face of Burberry

He wouldn’t reveal who the next face of Burberry is but he seemed very excited as they had just recently shot the campaign. When it comes to the face of the brand Christopher said it’s important for him to get to know the person properly first; before Emma Watson starting modelling for Burberry, Christopher met her socially and they became friends long before any modelling discussions occurred.

When the Vogue Fest session was opened to questions from the audience someone really put Christopher on the spot and asked whether he would have taken the position at Dior instead of Raf Simons!!! After some nervous laughter from the audience at Christopher’s delayed response and a bit of um..ahh..and errr-ing he spoke of the potential of Dior but that Burberry was his “baby” and that he said: “I wish Raf the best of luck…he’s going to be a rock star there.” Good answer Chris! 

Of course one question that occurred AGAIN AND AGAIN at Vogue Festival was ‘how do I become a successful designer?’ I loved Christopher’s answer:

“Everybody has brilliance, but culture is the most important aspect”

He said it’s all about “Passion…people that love people…people who are results driven and will translate talk into action, people who want to learn and stay humble to learning.” Ultimately his advice was to, “stay curious.”

The final question of the session was ‘what project/achievement are you most proud of?’ His answer? “The team we’ve built. The team constantly astound me…they have such passion and inspire me every single day.” 

What an amazing man. Stay tuned for more on my experiences at #VogueFest! x