Artist: Karen Nicol

"Karen Nicol is an embroidery and mixed media textile artist working in gallery, fashion and interiors with a London based design and production studio established for over twenty-five years. She specialises in Irish, Cornelly, Multihead, beading and hand embroidery. 

Clients include : Anthropologie, Clements Rribeiro, Bamford, The King of Qatar,the Pope, People Tree, Marc Jacobs, Chloe, Vera Wang, John Rocha, Julien Macdonald, Betty Jackson, Matthew Williamson, Preston Knight (Maxfield Parrish), Bruce Oldfield, Markus Lupfer, Tracey Boyd, Michiko Koshino, Givenchy, Chanel couture, John Boyd Textiles, Louella, Osman Ousafzada, Antonio Beradi, Whistles, Browns, Lulu Guinness, Mulberry, Marks and Spencers, Courtaulds, Jaeger, Harvey Nicholls, Harrods, Anne Tyrrell, Libertys, Mario Testino, Grey Advertising, Scott Henshall, and Cashmere Studio."
--http://www.karennicol.com/index.html

Independent: Disorder Boutique Birmingham

I used to live in Birmingham for five years, one day I looked around the city center I discover a cool shop in an alley. It's called Disorder. It's a small boutique, and all of the clothes in the shop were designed by the owner himself, and were made in England. This independent brand won many awards during these years, even on magazines. I really like the design and style of it and I bought a black vest with printed design on it that day. I came out of his shop with the desire of having my own shop one day.

"Disorder Boutique is Birmingham's Award Winning Best Independent Menswear and Womenswear Retailer, and it is easy to see why once you enter the unique store, located on Needless Alley, just off New Street, Birmingham. Defined as, 'super cool' by Sixty Nine Magazine, recommended as one of 5 reasons to visit Birmingham by The Guardian, and endorsed as, 'one of the cleverest retailers I have seen in the UK in years,' by international Brand Consultant Mary Portas. 

 Disorder Boutique has its' own menswear label, specializing in truly ground breaking tailoring, made in the city itself and it combines art with graphics giving it an inconceivable edge. A beacon to those who love creatively made clothes with design integrity. 'A very special shop even by world standards,' Vogue Magazine, you must pop in next time you are in Birmingham!"

--http://www.disorderboutique.com

"Husband and wife team Mark and Thiri opened Disorder 15 years ago in Needless Alley.  Prior to setting up the business, Mark exhibited his own paintings that later formed some of the early designs for the boutique’s clothing and Thiri had a love for clothes and designs, travelling all over the world for inspiration.
The combination of Mark’s artistic qualities and Thiri’s design talent gave them the perfect base to launch the store in 1998 and grow their business based on using only British cloth makers and tailors.
The store stocks a combination of art and graphic work with an oriental twist, Italian cuts and British quirkiness, all in response to its customers needs and desires. The duo also design clothing for upcoming new artists looking for a unique style.

“90% of product sold in the shop is designed by ourselves.”

The store has been awarded several impressive accolades over the years including a Retail Birmingham ‘Style’ award for best independent retailer, a recommendation as one of 5 reasons to visit Birmingham by The Guardian and an endorsement as, ‘one of the cleverest retailers I have seen in the UK in years,’ by international Brand Consultant Mary Portas.

“Birmingham is a big city but feels small and local. The atmosphere around city is fantastic with a community feel.”

When asked what was they believe is the key to success for new independent retailers, the couple advised keeping an eye on costs and negotiating, embracing online activity, always having a USP that will compete with big brands and ultimately treating customers well – good service is very important.

“Our brand is unique, quirky and global in look but made in Britain in a sustainable way.” "
--http://disorderboutique.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/independent-spirit-meet-minds-behind.html

The t-shirts are all with cool design printed on, and the shirt and coat shows very good skill of fabric cutting and manipulation. Many of his design are with oriental theme, like Japanese elements, even the logo of his brand looks like Japanese characters.

Fashion designers

Maison Martin Margiela 

(cut/fabric manipulation)

Born: April 9, 1957

Country: Belgian

Brand: Maison Martin Margiela (MMM) 

             MM6

Concept: Deconstruction

"During the 1980s, the Japanese avantgardists, with Rei Kawakubo—creator of the label Comme des Garçons—had turned the fashion scene upside-down with their eccentric and ground-breaking designs. Martin Margiela and the Antwerp Six would carry on the work, revolting against the luxurious fashion world with garments of oversized proportions such as long arms, and with linings, seams and hems on the outside. The concept of deconstruction (also embraced by Kawakubo) is important for the understanding of Margiela's fashion statement. Margiela famously redesigns by hand objects such as old wigs, canvases and silk scarves into couture garments."

-wikipedia

 

Dries Van Noten

Born: May 22, 1958

Country: Belgian

Education: Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp

Brand: Dries Van Noten

Concept: "poetic, ethnic-eclectic"

"One of the original Antwerp Six, the group of emerging Belgian designers who transformed the city into an epicenter of avant-garde fashion design in the eighties...

While a brooding, intellectual quality has evolved as the hallmark of Belgian designers, Van Noten continually balances it with what Vogue refers to as his "poetic, ethnic-eclectic" aesthetic. His loyal following remains so thanks to his artful and dynamic prints, intricate embroidery, and the wearable nature of his designs. His signature looks include the floral tent dress, the iris-print blouse, and a chunky sweater layered over pants or a skirt in contrasting patterns."

- http://www.style.com/fashionshows/designerdirectory/DVNOTEN/seasons/

The brand does not offer haute couture; all of its designs are ready to wear and available at retail: "'I'm a little naive but I don't like the idea of showing things that you don't sell in a store", said Van Noten in a recent interview.

              

Eley Kishimoto

Founder: Mark Eley, Wakako Kishimoto
Specialist: Print

"Designers Mark Eley and Wakako Kishimoto founded Eley Kishimoto in the early nineties as print designers. Their imaginative and pretty designs worked their way onto the catwalks of Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen and Jil Sander among others. Following this success, Eley Kishimoto branched out into its own main range of womenswear. Today’s Eley Kishimoto label includes menswear, childrenswear, accessories and homeware, all reflecting their distinctive print designs."
- farfetch designer information

Yohji Yamamoto
(fabric manipulation)

Born: October 3, 1943
Country: Japan
Brand: Yohji Yamamoto
             Y's
             Y-3
Concept: traditional Japanese culture,
                 black colour,
                 oversized silhouettes,
                 unisex style

More:

Manish Arora (print and embroidery)
MaryKatrantzou(print)
Boudicca (manipulation)
Viktor and Rolf (concepts)
GharaniStrok(Print)
Hussein Chalayan (concepts/cut/manipulation)
Issey Miyake (manipulation)
Azzedine Alaya (concepts/manipulation)

Top End

• Basso and Brooke
• Dolce and Gabbana
• Alexander McQueen
• Victor and Rolf
• Vivienne Westwood
• John Galliano
• John Paul Gaultier
• Roberto Cavalli
• Marc Jacobs
• Stella McCartney
• Clements Ribeiro
• Loewe
• Etro
• Anna Sui
• Sophia Kokoslaki

• Lacroix
• Lanvin 
• Prada 
• Preen 
• Pucci
• Sonia Rykiel 
• Kenzo
• Balmain

"Concept Stores": LN-CC & Dover Street Market

“Concept store” describes a store which is identified by a special mix of brands and products. It’s a modern experience of shopping, always in motion and highly innovative. The store addresses particular groups of customers: e.g. luxury, – design-, streetwear-customers. They’ll find (all) the products, they identify with in one store. A typical mix of products and brands in a concept store would be: fashion, shoes, (home-) accessories, books/cd’s, cosmetics, food, toys, hardware for daily use. The range is wide and some stores even change theyrselfes and the products regularly, to stay flexible and surprising.
A concept store (for us) is NOT: classical departmentstore, mono brand (flagship) store, fashion boutique, furniture store, mall, etc.

http://slowretail.wordpress.com/concept-stores/

LN-CC  -18 Shacklewell Lane, London E822EZ

RICK OWENS MEN'S SCARPA SHEARLING BIKER JACKET

LN-CC is a progressive retail concept which combines the roots of traditional bricks and mortar retailing, housed within an art based installation. This is twinned with an online store that is run with the same attention to detail and forward thinking approach as the space.

BY WALID MEN'S UZBEKI MIRROR JACKET

Both platforms are filled with brands from all areas of the product world, including international mainline designers through to underground Japanese street-wear. We also house informative and enlightening collectables within our library, such as hard to find/exclusive vinyl and out of print/1st edition rarities in our book selection. An ever-growing selection of audio hardware also features, from some of the most innovative and world acclaimed brands in their respective fields,alongside the more underground, emerging pioneers of sound. These are interesting to us as people, rather than just what we think we can sell.

Everything in our mix is carefully considered, showcased and wrapped up in a way that we would appreciate them being presented if we were the consumer. Essentially this is a non-compromise, non-prejudiced and non-exclusive project, from the first to the last detail, inclusive of everything in-between.

Our platform is about a point of view. This point of view is always evolving but the place it is coming from will never change.

LN-CC

Dries Van Noten Men's Midas Sweater

http://www.ln-cc.com

THAMANYAH MEN'S DERVISH COLLAR SHORT SLEEVE SHIRT

Yohji Yamamoto

GIVENCHY WOMEN'S PRINTED T-SHIRT

THAMANYAH WOMEN'S DEMI TRENCH PANTS

GIVENCHY WOMEN'S LONG SLEEVE COWHIDE LEATHER TOP

Dover Street Market -17/18 Dover Street, London W1S4LT

"Dover Street Market is a multilevel fashion retail store created by Rei Kawakubo of Japanese fashion label Comme des Garçons."

-wikipedia

"I want to create a kind of market where various creators from various fields gather together and encounter each other in an ongoing atmosphere of beautiful chaos: the mixing up and coming together of different kindred souls who all share a strong personal vision." 

       --Rei KAWAKUBO