London Edge- definitely not boring!
London Edge is a trade event showcasing the best of vintage, festival, and alternative inspired fashion- as a Swing dancing Goth with a split wardrobe to go with my diverse lifestyle, this is a dream come true!
Ready to hit London Edge! Wearing my fave “vintage” Lip Service skirt
My day was spent chatting with designers and creatives, watching fashion shows, checking out the upcoming collections from massive scene brands like Collectif, Hell Bunny, and New Rock, discovering new labels (highlights below), as well as a blowout at one heck of an after show party!
Read on to see my highlights from the September 2017 event!
Crime City Clothing
Crime City Clothing
Crime City Clothing offer fierce designs with real heart: each T-Shirt, patch, and sticker illustration is inspired by friends and family of Swedish designer, Cecilia. All the designs have their own story, and there’s even a little book explaining the background and inspiration. I was lucky to meet some of the real “characters”, as many were part of the crew at the stall for the day!
Even better, their clothing is ethical: made from organic, fair trade cotton. Special printing techniques are used to ensure no cracking or fading- this means they will be in your wardrobe for years, so no fast fashion here!
Rainbow nails <3
They had genuinely awesome, creative, and friendly people representing the brand – a pleasure to meet the entire crew. They even took me under their wing and we ended up at a Thai restaurant! I’m now a customer and proudly wear my “Heading for Hell” tank at yoga class 🙂
Offend My Eyes
Offend My Eyes is an LGBT owned, non-binary label with no menswear and womenswear divides- all clothing is designed to be worn by all gender identities, and available in sizes XXS to 5XL. Loving the inclusivity!
Jack and Nick, founders of Offend My Eyes
The key feature of the brand are the electric prints, all designed by Nick and Jack. I’m super drawn to these colour fueled designs with “adult themes” camouflaged into the prints (can you spot the narcotics and sex toy references?! It took me a while!). Their mantra is: “we’re not normal, and we’re proud of it”- amen!!
Nick told me that the designs were going down a storm at festivals, and I can see why! The attention to detail sings out with this label- they even had a branded welcome mat at their stall (and check out Jack’s amazing glitter shoes!!) A real shining beacon on the future of inclusive fashion.
Amazing shoes!!
Collectif
Vintage reproduction and alternative influenced label, Collectif, have a special place in my heart, as I feel their style development has mirrored my own journey- I remember their early days with a predominantly alternative aesthetic, but over the years, they have expanded into vintage repro. scene, and now beautifully combine these influences (i.e. my style ambition!).
Launching in 2000 with a modest stall in Camden Market, in 2017, they have three retail stores and are the main sponsor of the Edge event. They were showing their AW17/18 and the SS18 collection, plus I glimpsed a sneak peak of the exciting new upcoming bridal collection! This included vintage inspired styles in different price brackets, which I’m sure will be popular.
Collectif SS18
Their soon to be released Autumn collection included “Sandra Dee” inspired rockabilly pieces in faux leather, alongside sweet plaid classics- summing up their brand identity nicely! My favourite piece was a cute jumper with adorable bobbles available in black, red, and soft pink (red one for me I think…).
I’m also excited for the Spring/Summer ‘18 looks- candy stripes galore and Mexican influence with pom pom trim and rik rak trims! I’m also loving the revamp of their watermelon dress, this time in a really beautiful shade of yellow.
After Party!!
The party was held at Electroworks- otherwise known as the venue for the biggest and longest running Goth club in the UK, Slimelight in Angel. As an old factory, the venue is suitably industrial- add in some DJs and burlesque performance by the incredible Marie Devilreux, and the atmosphere was perfect!
Burlesque show from the amazing Marie Devilreux!
Such an inspiring day and a real privilege to meet with such creative people- already looking forward to the next edition in February 2018!
