amiee squires-wills on miss moncur

Miss Moncur is one of Electric sekki's favourite new e-commerce stores from Australia.  Founded by Monica Rouse, who has lived everywhere from the vibrant area of Notting Hill in London to the cosmopolitan hub of Hong Kong, and is now residing in sunny Sydney, Miss Moncur, "creates fashion with quality craftsmanship," and at a "deliciously obtainable" price-point, too.  So when Monica approached Electric sekki Founder & President, Amiee Squires-Wills to for a feature interview on her site, Amiee was happy to oblige.  Read Amiee's interview with Miss Moncur below and get some insight into how she built the incredible showroom and distribution network in the Asian fashion industry below!

Electric sekki Founder & President, Amiee Squires-Wills.

How is it that you came to do what you're doing?

I started in fashion on the shop floor in sales from here I moved into marketing and then more specifically fashion marketing for a publicly-listed company, the Stirling Group. After working in a corporate environment for 5 years I decided to start my own company of fashion distribution in Asia.

What is the most difficult thing you overcame and what did it teach you?

I think the lesson here is perseverance, consistency and believing in yourself or your idea. When everyone is telling you, "No," keep knocking on the next door and you’ll eventually find a person that is likeminded and understands what you are trying to achieve.

Who inspires you and why?

My mum and dad; I learnt all of my business skills and acumen from them.  Starting a business is always tough, but so worth it.

Most memorable moment?

There are so many memorable moments! I suppose what I appreciate now is looking back at how I’ve grown the company from myself to 3 staff to the current 110 staff in the Hong Kong office, with 6 offices regionally throughout Asia.

What is your signature style?

Jeans and a T-shirt paired with a great jacket and shoes.

What three items are on your Miss Moncur wishlist?

The Gold Rocker Tank, Caviar Stud Tote and the Sequin Stripe Jacket.  All perfect for Hong Kong!

What's your favourite App?

Instagram.  I love capturing the moment.

Best advice you've ever received? 

I’ve received a lot of advice over the years, but I think it’s always best to use it with a combination of your gut instinct.

What item can't you live without?

Fragrance, moisturizer and my shoes-- I love sneakers to heels!

See more from Miss Moncur and shop the collection here.

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supers in sass & bide

By now, we're certain that everybody knows how much we love a supermodel here at Electric sekki--especially when they're seen in one of our labels!  So we were beyond excited to see not one, but two major supers wearing sass & bide on the glossy pages of some of our favourite magazines recently.  First up is one of the original supermodels, also known in the industry as "The Body" for, well, her incredible bod, Elle MacPherson, who graces the page in nothing but a pair of worn-in sass & bide jeans.  Then there's newcomer Rosie Huntington-Whiteley who is not only a Victoria's Secret angel but also a Hollywood blockbuster actress who is also seen wearing nothing but the pair of perfect sass & bide denim cut-off shorts, all wind-blown and gorgeous at the beach.  There's nothing better than seeing gorgeous women in their element, embracing their natural side and wearing classic denim, don't you think?

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the men in our lives

It's nice to know that the men in our lives are dressed well--and when those men include 'mando-pop' star Khalil Fong and upcoming DJ Tedman Lee of Ni. Ne. Mo and the Living Discoheads, well, that's just even better!  Both men seem to have a penchant for ksubi, having worn the brand in two interviews with two of the city's biggest publications recently.  Khalil Fong chose a graphic tee by ksubi in his cover story for ELLE MEN magazine, while Tedman Lee decked himself out for an interview with the South China Morning Post.  Their two styles are vastly different, yet both men wear the brand in their own unique way--proving that the best way to rock an outfit is to rock in your own individual way, with a touch of your unique personality.  And, hey, it doesn't hurt to seriously dig their music, either!

Singer, Khalil Fong in a ksubi tee.

DJ Tedman Lee wears ksubi.

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orange you glad?

Excuse the cheesy dad-joke pun.  It just couldn't be helped!  But orange you glad we did it?  Did it again!  When orange looks this good, we just can't help but get a little cheeky.  Never has there been so much mouth-watering orange goodness on offer than in recent months.  Most of us here in the Electric sekki office don't own that much orange...yet.  But we have a feeling that that's all about to change.  From D.EFECT's delicious orange 'Coby' coat to Stylestalker's sexy orange 'Power Forward' dress to sass & bide's delectable orange tribal accessories, we just can't get enough orange as of late!  So, here's an homage to some of our favourite orange pieces this season.  And a couple of our favourite orange things in life, too.  Enjoy!  Hope to see everyone wearing more orange soon.

1. D.EFECT 'Coby' coat, 2 & 3. ksubi suglasses, 4. House of Holland clutch, 5. House of Holland lace-up heels.  Tribal necklace by sass & bide.

The Stylestalker 'Power Forward' dress.

Orange sunsets.

 Orange flowers.

 Orange deserts.

Orange leaves.

Orange...oranges.

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mad for plaid

If there's just one piece that you're going to invest in this Fall/Winter 2013 season, let it be something plaid.  The industry has gone mad for plaid this fall.  With the rise of the modern punk look and the return of 90's-chic, plaid has become the it-texture this season.  And nobody does it better than Alessandro Dell'Acqua at No. 21.  Even Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue and the most powerful woman in publishing has taken note.  She put the plaid sweater from look 1 of No. 21's Fall/Winter 2013 show in her all-important September issue.  We love how it was styled with a loose floral print dress and chunky leather boots--a new silhouette that has been taking the editorial world by storm recently.  It's definitely our must have this for fall.  Check it out in all of its glory below!

No. 21 by Alessandro Dell'Acqua sweater featured in American Vogue's all-important September Issue.

No. 21 Alessandro Dell'Acqua look 1 of the Fall 2013 collection featured in Vogue Russia.

Look 1 of No. 21 by Alessandro Dell'Acqua's Fall/Winter 2013 show.

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the man in me

Every once in a while, it's fun to dress up like a man.  Hell, if it's good enough for Diane Keaton in Annie Hall, then it's good enough for us!  ELLE Hong Kong seems to think so, as evidenced by a recent editorial published in their August issue entitled, The Man In Me, featuring menswear-inspired pieces from Nanushka, sass & bide, Chalayan and and N. 21.  When it comes to working a menswear-inspired look, the key is in the tailoring.  Avoid looking like you literally borrowed your boyfriend's closet by choosing pieces that are fit for a woman's body, but tailored in the style of a man's trouser or a pan's jacket.  Go for a very androgynous look by paring these pieces with men's style brogues and minimal make-up, or add a touch of femininity with heels and a smokey eye.  And don't forget: whichever way you go for, make sure to work the look with confidence!  Get inspired by this ELLE Hong Kong editorial and dress for the "man in you" this season.

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meet the judges: kevin carrigan

As the Global Creative Director of ck Calvin Klein, Calvin Klein Jeans and Calvin Klein, Kevin Carrigan oversees the unified seasonal design aesthetic, direction and product design, including fabrics and colour palettes, for the multiple categories for which he is responsible.  Mr. Carrigan collaborates with Calvin Klein Retail, and men’s wholesale arm of Calvin Klein, to ensure consistency of the design direction, and also consults with licensees on Calvin Klein underwear. He joined the group in 1998 initially as Design Director of cK womenswear. He honed his skills as a designer at MaxMara in Italy as well as Nicole Farhi in London. The multitalented Mr. Carrigan also designed costumes for the film Death Becomes Her and the play Body Without a Head, as well as the uniforms for Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s famed Perry Street restaurant in New York City.

Calvin Klein Global Creative Director, Kevin Carrigan.

As a designer, what does the International Woolmark Prize mean to you? 

This is a fantastic opportunity for any designer to participate in a globally-focused project based on Australian wool and Merino. It has a rich history; there’s been so many designers that have been part of the competition and worked with wool.  At the same time, it’s a challenge because wool is a fabric we all wear, yet we need to constantly re-invent it. We need to push forward with new, young eyes to make a fabric that is relevant to consumers today, versus what it was when Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent did it. Or when Missoni did it in the Seventies. Or when I did a project with MaxMara and the International Wool Secretariat, as The Woolmark Company was called then, when I was at the Royal College of Art. So, it’s an amazing opportunity to work with noble fibres, yet it’s a challenge, too. 

What makes wool an interesting fabric to work with?

Funnily enough, I’ve personally been working on wool-denim development. Denim has had a huge effect on our industry over the last 30 years, and it’s really taken over every aspect of our lives in the last eight to 10 years. For a guy, you can go to a black tie event, put on a tuxedo, but you can still wear jeans. So, the idea of putting denim and denim weaves into wool to become a part of men’s or women’s tailoring is very interesting.

There are many things you can do with wool as a fibre and I think that’s why it’s held its esteem. You can: boil it, felt it, embroider it, knit it lightweight, have heavy weights of it, bond it, put it next to leather, bond it to leather. You can horsehair it, use it in couture, then bring it down to denim. It has a real accessibility.  At the moment, I think there’s a trend away from futuristic fabrics back to the natural, the sensual, something that has a little bit more integrity and honesty. 

ck Calvin Klein's Fall 2013 ad campaign, overseen by Kevin Carrigan.

What have been your impressions of emerging talent from Asia?

It’s been really interesting to be a part of this and to see the regional designers from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and China. I’ve been coming to China for 20 years, it’s one of Calvin Klein’s number one markets, and we have offices here. 

When the judging panel looked at the candidates, it wasn’t just about their success regionally. The question was, “Can they make it globally?” Like a Calvin, a Donna, and a Ralph of their day. Like a Marc Jacobs, a Michael Kors, and the new generation of Altuzarra, Jason Wu, Alex Wang. These young designers want to be on the international platform, like Rei Kawakubo did in the Eighties or Yohji Yamamoto - strong designers that have a voice.   Some of the candidates we saw already have successful businesses within the region. The question is where can they go next? Can they sell and be recognised internationally, represent the region and Woolmark, and do it successfully? I think everyone wants that to happen. All of us around the world sell so much fashion in Asia, we need to also support the growing talent here to then sell around the world, too.

Calvin Klein Global Creative Director, Kevin Carrigan.

How important is the IWP to emerging designers and to the fashion industry in general?

I think they’re very important. You get feedback from your peers, which I don’t think you’d normally get. I was talking to Angelica Cheung about going forward with the regional prize for Asia. I don’t want to just say, “You’re the winner.” It shouldn’t be about just the prize giving. What’s next for them? How we can teach them and help them grow? I don’t think they have a lot of people they can talk to. Now, they can call me or send me an email. That’s what’s great about the BFC and the CFDA. Calvin never had that when he was launching. That infrastructure is really important. We need youth, talent, new houses to break through, fresh eyes that are relevant and useful. 

See more from the Woolmark Prize here.

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meet the judges: bartley ingram

As the head of art and visual for luxury retail emporium, JOYCE, Bartley Ingram oversees the creative direction for all of their stores stores, as well as their two art galleries (in Paris and Beijing), from its Hong Kong headquarters, regularly collaborating with artists, photographers and designers to create one-of-a-kind exhibitions and displays.  Mr. Ingram arrived in New York in 1992 to work for Barneys New York; it was there that he met Mrs. Joyce Ma, who convinced him to move to Hong Kong to work for JOYCE in 2001.  He has also lived in London from 2002 to 2005, working for De Beers LV on the opening of their flagship store on Bond Street.  He moved back to Hong Kong to work with Lane Crawford for the opening of their flagship store in ifc, before returning to JOYCE in 2008.  With this vast experience in both fashion retail and gallery curation, Bartley Ingram was a natural choice to be a part of this year's Woolmark Prize Asia judging panel.

Each judge on the panel has unique industry experience.  What perspective did you bring to the competition?

Some of the judges are more on the design side, some are more on the production side, some are more on the editorial side, but I’m looking at it from the perspective of a retail environment.  The designers are Asian and JOYCE is based in Asia, but the stores have an international perspective.  We look at it from a point of view of, “Would a girl in New York wear that?  Would a girl in Paris wear that?”

So how did you answer those questions after seeing the collections presented for the IWP?

I think a Hong Kong girl would wear almost anything we saw because it’s such a metropolitan, cosmopolitan city and people adopt to fashion trends very quickly here.  Many presented modern, new ideas.  The ways they worked with wool were incredible:  everything from knits to laser cuts to felting to hand-painting on wool.  I appreciate the fact that they all took this challenge to work with a material that they might not normally use, and I think that they all pulled it off.  They all came up with innovative ways that were still true to their aesthetic.  We asked a few of the contestants, “Would this be part of your normal collection?”  They immediately said, "Yes."

As a judge, what do you look for in a potential winner?

I look for something I haven’t seen, and I saw a lot of that.  I learned about the way each designer thinks.  All the contestants had to do a mood board and then a final collection.  Sometimes, the two didn’t match, but what was interesting was that they all had completely different points of view.  It was exciting, but it made it more difficult to judge.  In general, I looked for simplicity, elegance, modernity, use of the material that I had not seen before. 

What opportunities do the International Woolmark Prize and similar fashion awards around the world create for young designers?

The financial reward means that they can experiment and do more new things, but what’s really great about this prize is that it comes with a certain cache and makes it easier for them to go into the market.  The emerging talent we saw are already established as designers, doing collections and selling in a few stores.  They already show in Paris and in Tokyo, but it’s much easier when a buyer comes to the showroom and the designer has a sign that distinguishes them as the Woolmark Prize winner.  It gives you prestige and puts you on a different trajectory.

We think of Paris, Milan, London and New York as the centres of fashion.  What part does Asia now play in the industry?

It’s very interesting to me that all the great talent I saw is Asian.  I feel like saying to them, “Where have you been?” I think this is a really good time for anyone in Asia who wants to get into design, because around the world everyone is looking for an Asian brand.  I cannot tell you how many times people have asked me to help them find a Chinese designer.  They’re out there, it’s just hard to find them, and that’s what makes the prizes like these so valuable. 

Are Asian designers in any way different from their counterparts in Europe or the US?

This year, the winner from Asia will go on to compete in the international competition.  That proves to me that Asian designers are being taken seriously.  I think there is a different aesthetic, especially among the Japanese and South Korean designers we saw.  Their work is so methodical, so meticulous, and I couldn’t believe the detail in the construction of the garments, even the inner linings were amazing. The Asian sensibility is so much more thoughtful than anything else’s.  You usually see edgy or pretty design, and I didn’t see either, which I was quite happy about.  I saw really well-constructed, cutting edge, very modern garments, and that is Asia.

See more from the Woolmark Prize here.

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meet the judges: simon lock

Simon Lock is an international fashion expert with specific experiene in the growth and development of fashion weeks, award programs and festivals across the world. In 1995, Mr Lock launched Australian Fashion Week, the first fashion week in the southern hemisphere to be recognised on the international fashion week circuit.   Australian Fashion Week has since expanded into a world-class fashion event attracting thousands of fashion industry insiders from all over the world and has recently become backed by Mercedes-Benz, who is also the flagship sponsor of New York Fashion Week.  He was Managing Director of Fashion for Asia Pacific with New York-based International Management Group, before launching his own strategic consulting services business, and now works closely with the International Woolmark Prize each year, scouring the world for new design talent to embrace and support.

Why are awards like the International Woolworth Prize (IWP) important?

The International Woolworth Prize really stands on its own. There is not another global emerging designer programme of this type. Certainly, there are many fashion designer competitions which tend to be territory-based, but the International Woolmark Prize is in fact global, encompassing: North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia, and it will hopefully expand to embrace the entire world.   Here in Asia, we really stepped up the game. Last year only encompassed China. This year we’ve expanded to Hong Kong, Japan and Korea. It’s opened up a greater depth of talent in the region, the caliber of the design has been really great, and it’s given Asia the a greater opportunity to knock out the competition and take the international prize.

How does the IWP create new opportunities for the up-and-coming designers? 

What’s great about it is the fact that over the past six months, there have been about 50 designers involved in the programme, so 10 nominees from each of the five regions. They’ve been taken on a journey to the final and along the way, they got a lot of help, support, and advice.  The 10 designers who we’ve nominated in Asia have had the opportunity to speak and work with people like Kevin Carrigan of Calvin Klein, Angelica Cheung of Vogue China, Bartley Ingram from Joyce. They’re now connected to these people.  The process, the journey has been rewarding already for those 50 or so who were nominated. 

For the winner, the cash prize is fantastic, but I think ultimately it’s the journey that becomes important, the relationships, and what they learn. Five people will be taken to Milan Fashion Week to be judged, and the one who wins there will receive an enormous amount of money. More importantly, they’ll receive an enormous amount of wholesale orders from some of the leading buyers from around the world. That’s more valuable than anything else. 

What does it mean for a designer to be associated with the Woolmark logo?

It has a point of difference. Wool is a natural, luxury fibre. Consumers are understanding more and more that it has a premium value at the point of sale, and that adds value to any designer’s name and garment. It’s not a synthetic or a technical fabric; It’s beautiful to touch, feel and wear. 

How have you found young designers work with wool?

I’m amazed at the technology and innovation that’s driven the development of wool fibre over the years. It was once regarded as a scratchy wool jumper. So, to see these beautiful, fine, cool summer-weight fabrics, or to see the way it can knitted, woven, incorporated or laminated, it’s quite incredible. The thing that I’m finding most exciting is that young designers are saying, “We’re not going to look backwards, we’re going to look forwards,” and that’s adding a new dimension to the Woolmark brand. 

Europe has historically been the global fashion centre. What role does Asia now play?

I think Asia and Asian consumers have always looked to international brands for the status quo. So, there hasn’t been much respect for homegrown designers, apart from in Japan with Yohji Yamamoto, Comme des Garcons, and a few others. But I think we’re about to see a huge interest in Asian designers. It’s as a result, quite frankly, of the Asian heritage designers who are now making their mark about the world. Alexander Wang, Jason Wu, and Philip Lim weren’t necessarily born in Asia, but they are Asian and I think that’s sparked the attention of the fashion world. They’re creating a new generational pathway for Asian designers. I’d like to think that some of the designers we’re identifying with the International Woolmark Prize can follow in their footsteps. 

See more from the Woolmark Prize here.

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meet the judges: angelica cheung

Angelica Cheung has been editorial director of Vogue China since she launched it in 2005.  She has used the pages of Vogue China to bring the Chinese fashion industry to international prominence and has provided a vibrant platform for local fashion talent.  Therefore, she was a natural fit to be on the judging panel of this year's Woolmark Prize Asia, alongside International Woolmark Prize 2012 winner Christian Wijnants, global head of creative for Calvin Klein Kevin Carrigan and JOYCE's Bartley Ingram.  The ever glamourous and ever gracious Angelica had a lot of interesting things to say about the Woolmark Prize, the use of wool and, of course, fashion in Asia.

Vogue China Editor-in-Chief, Angelica Cheung.

What is the significance of the International Woolmark Prize for designers and for the industry in general?

Because of Woolmark’s heritage and its commitment to discovering new designers, this is a very important award.  All the designers know it; People who study fashion know about this prize, and that attracts talent. Woolmark obviously has a responsibility to promote wool as a raw material, but they also encourage the designers to treat wool in modern, innovative ways.  

Is it all about being the winner? 

Ultimately, only one person wins the right to participate in the international competition, but the process is very important for all the participants.  With Woolmark and Vogue as a partner, we try to provide a lot of the training, a lab and the material sources.  Therefore, even the participants who do not win have an experience that they otherwise would not have had.  I feel that’s actually much more meaningful than being the winner.

What do you look for when judging the candidates of the IWP?

What I’m looking for is the total package.  We had a very good judging panel this year; each judge really had the experience and the eye to evaluate the nominees.  It can be quite hard.  In some candidates, you see really beautifully made, good quality clothes.  And then you have to ask yourself, “Does the world really need another one like that?”  Then you might see some really interesting ideas, but they’re not well executed.

Vogue China, July 2013 cover.

Which qualities in particular make up the winning total package? 

First, the designer really has to respect wool.  We want to see good ideas for how to use this material. 

Secondly, you need to be able to imagine people wearing the clothes because we want the winner to be successful as a brand, not just as an artist.  We can only give you the prize once.  After that, you have to generate your own money to sustain your business, which means you have to sell your clothes. 

Third, on the basis that the clothes will sell, you need to add a little twist.  Everybody knows MaxMara sells, but if you do a “MaxMara” why would anybody go to you - a nobody - instead of something that already exists?  So I look for something that will give people that reason to go to a young designer. 

Fourthly, I feel I need to look at the person’s communication skills.  In today’s business, it’s very important that the designer knows how to sell himself or herself.  They can't just get the message across with good design, they also must be very good with people.  You get a feeling for whether the person would be good with the media, with partners.  In order to run a successful business, you need to be able to work with people.  

  

The fifth element to me is the quality.  Along with the ideas, the commercial side, all that, the person needs to have an innate sense of quality, which I find lacking in young designers sometimes.  At the end of the day, if the clothes look good but the buyer buys it then finds a seam rubs uncomfortably or a button drops off after a few days [it’s a problem].  You cannot sustain success if you don’t have good quality. 

Vogue China's Angelica Cheung with Woolmark Prize Asia winners from Hong Kong, ffiXXed.

See more from the Woolmark Prize here.

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meet the judges: christian wijnants

In 2012, the charming and talented Christian Wijnants not only won the European regional finals of the Woolmark Prize, but also went on to wow the judges at the global final, winning the coveted International Woolmark Prize.  His winning IWP entry started with the idea of exploring a single piece of yarn's full potential; Wijnants employed the shibori technique and created a unique shape which moulded wool around the body, as a sculptor might mould clay around a figure.  Wijnants has been showing at Paris Fashion Week for over 18 seasons and is stocked in over 60 stores around the world--if there's anyone who knows a thing or two about the talents needed to make it as an emerging designer, it's this guy!  Which is why he was the perfect choice to be a part of this year's Woolmark Prize Asia judging panel, alongside Vogue China's Angelica Cheung, global head of creative for Calvin Klein Kevin Carrigan and JOYCE's Bartley Ingram.

  

What impact does an award like the International Wool Prize have on participating designers?

It’s very important for a young designer’s career.  It’s a very good opportunity to show your work to a very wide audience: journalists, buyers, people in general.  I’ve done a couple of competitions, but this is definitely the one that brought me the most visibility, new customers and new buyers coming in to buy the collection.  It’s great to have this event to help designers express themselves – it’s very important. 

What does it mean to have the Woolmark logo associated with your brand?

It’s a symbol of a quality that is timeless and has longevity.  You want to associate your brand with this type of trademark, a sign that the brand is on a certain level.  That’s what I also enjoy about Woolmark.  Almost everyone can afford to have a Merino sweater, so it’s also luxury, but a very affordable, accessible luxury.  It’s not just promoting a brand.  There’s something noble in a natural fibre that the Earth is producing, that has heritage.

We often hear about cashmere, silk and innovative new fabrications, but what is so special about wool?

What nature has created is good for many reasons, like the natural elasticity and comfort in wool.  There is the fact that it keeps you warm in winter, and then in the summer it keeps the body temperature at a certain level.  There are also many ways to use the fibre in contemporary interpretations.  It can be mould around the body in very sensual, feminine ways.  You have so many variations and options, I would almost say there is no reason to invent new ones, but of course people always like to change and to try other thinks.  Thanks to the IWP, it’s great to see what else can be done with wool and to educate younger generations to respect nature, to see what our planet has to offer. You can do so much with wool, you don’t have many boundaries.

How did you use wool in your winning design?

I wanted to bring homage to that fibre, and to try to show that you can really bring excitement, freshness and novelty to a garment with just one yarn.  So I challenged myself by using just one yarn, knitting and hand-dyeing most of the collection by hand.  I find it very interesting that you can do so much with even raw, untreated wool, and that’s why I also enjoyed seeing how this year’s candidates interpreted it.

As one of the judges for the 2013 prize, what did you look for amongst the nominees?

There is the emotional impact, when you just feel it’s right.  Of course, the whole idea of the IWP is to choose an ambassador who is going to use and promote wool in new and innovative ways.  So creativity and innovation are important to show how young people can bring a new perspective on this fibre.

What do you think of young Asian fashion designers?

I’ve been to Asia many times before, but this was my first experience looking at Asian designers.  It was very interesting because I sometimes think that, in Europe, we don’t accord as much importance any more to traditions or to our own culture.  While here, I saw a few collections still had that touch.  I find it’s a very noble thing to do, to reflect your roots and your history, but to still try to interpret it in a new way.  

See more from the Woolmark Prize here.

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sass & bide in black & white

When ELLE Hong Kong Deputy Fashion Editor, Winnie Wan, came to Electric sekki with an editorial request for a black-and-white shoot, we immediately suggested that she check out sass & bide's Spring/Summer 2013 collection, which debut at London Fashion Week last year.  The collection was a real statement for the girls at sass & bide, who showed, for the first time, a collection almost entirely devoid of any colour.  Known primarily for their bright beading and vibrant tribal influences, sass & bide had become beloved in worldwide for their colourful designs.  But, if their Spring/Summer 2013 collection and this editorial in ELLE Hong Kong is what sass & bide in black & white looks like, then bring on more monochrome collections, please!  We love it!

The model wears a pair of tribal-accented black & white shorts in ELLE Hong Kong, shot by Matt Hui.

The model wears a white skirt with black piping in ELLE Hong Kong, shot by Matt Hui.

Cara Delevigne modelling the same skirt at the London Fashion Week sass & bide Spring/Summer 2013 show.

More black & white goodness backstage at the London Fashion Week sass & bide Spring/Summer 2013 show.

Chinese mega-celebrity Zhang Zi-yi has also wore the pants shot by Elle Magazine, earlier this year, finishing off the outfit with a top and caped jacket also by sass & bide.

The perfect little shorts for summer!

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superga: if these shoes could talk

Today, Superga launched their 'If These Shoes Could Talk' campaign, a collaboration between the brand's Creative Directors Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, The Sartorialist's Scott Schuman and blogger Garance Dore, aimed at revealing the special relationship that five individual tastemakers have with their Superga's.  Scott and Garance filmed each individual in their own environment, travelling across the United States from Los Angeles to Miami to New York City.  And these are what you might call 'every day' people; a stylist in Los Angeles, a blogger and a sportsman in Miami, a market editor and an art history student in New York.  The whole idea behind the campaign was the simple question, "If your Superga's could talk, what would they say?"  The first installment starring Jessica De Ruiter, is out this week and the final four tastemakers' photographs will be released over the next two weeks, so make sure to keep checking back for more!  You can see the full campaign, including the photographs and the video at the Superga website here.  

Superga commissioned The Sartorialist's Scott Schuman to photograph and Garance Dore to film five individual tastemakers in their own environments, revealing each of their relationships with their Superga's; you can view the full video and campaign at the Superga website here.

Head to the Superga website to view the full video here.

Each week, Superga introduces its customers to a new tastemaker; from a stylist in LA, to a blogger and a sportsman in Miami, to a market editor and an art history student in New York, these are the stories of 'everyday' people and their relationship with their Superga's.

First up is Jessica De Ruiter, a stylist based in Los Angeles.

Despite the fact that Garance brought a suitcase full of Superga's from which Jessica could choose to wear in the video, the story goes that she turned them all down and said, "Actually, I'd prefer to wear my own."  And so, she was photographed by Scott and filmed by Garance in her favourite beat-up old pair of 2750's in classic white.

View the full campaign at the Superga website here.

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