Henry Holland's 'Debut' - Charity Event & Exhibition (London, UK)

There's nothing better than spending money on something when you know it's for a good cause. Which is why the combination of fashion and charity is such a great mix. The last time I posted about a charity collaboration, it involved designer dolls, which some of you (and yours truly) deemed to be a bit creepy at times. An event that happened this week titled Debut was decidedly less sinister, since it involved actual clothing, art and other memorabilia.

Launched by Henry Holland, Debut saw the designer recruit the help from fellow British creatives and friends, resulting in a large collection of coveted pieces which were first featured in a pre-event exhibition, then auctioned off on March 24. All proceeds went to Cancer Research UK, the world's leading charity dedicated to beating cancer through research.

A gorgeous venue: auction pieces displayed in the converted church that is One Mayfair.

I got a chance to catch a glimpse of some of the pieces prior to the auction event, all of which were presented in the stunning One Mayfair venue (a converted former church dating back to 1825). The lots up for auction focused on British fashion through the ages, featuring donations from the likes of Christopher Kane, Nicholas Kirkwood, Kate Moss or Paul Smith to name a few - while Agyness Deyn starred as a DJ during the actual auction.

Loved the pink-black combo of the seating area. The official booklet listed all auction items and the event schedule.

Below you'll find a few of the pieces that went up for auction. Which item(s) would you have bid on? Let me know!

Left: Peter Pilotto dress; the design was worn by Kate Bosworth. Right: Dress by Erdem, designed for Browns boutique to celebrate 40 years of British Fashion.

Donations by Henry Holland himself, included the signature House of Holland slogan shirts and an afternoon out with the man himself (left). A beautiful creation by milliner Stephen Jones (top right) and an autographed photograph of Kate Moss during Alexander McQueen's 2004 runway show, photographed by Richard Young.

Left: Christopher Kane red bandage dress from his first collection, as worn by Victoria Beckham. Right: Richard Nicoll dress featuring artwork by Linder Sterling.

Fashion as art: David Downton illustration of Erin O'Connor (top left), oversized limited edition signed Mary Quant stamp (lower left), painting from Alex Echo, who's art inspired Paul Smith (center), Simon Claridge pop-art of Kate Moss (top right), Dior by John Galliano photograph (lower right).

Left: Erdem floral dress. Right: Bellville Sassoon evening dress.

Top: Kate Moss for Longchamp bags designed exclusively by Kate for Debut (incl. handwritten note). Bottom: Nicholas Kirkwood shoes designed exclusively for Sarah Jessica Parker.

Left: House of Holland wedding dress reading 'Who needs a husband I've got House of Holland'. Right: 'History of Rainbows' dress by Tracey Boyd, exclusively for Debut.

More impressive shots: Twiggy (top left), Sid Vicious (bottom left), Tamara Rojo photographed by Paul Smith (center), David Bowie (top right), signed copy of Alexandra Schulman's first publication of Vogue UK as acting editor (lower right).

Vintage items, incl. a sparkly cardigan from the 20s (left).

If you missed 'Debut', you can always donate to Cancer Research UK via the official page. Henry Holland will be doing more charitable work next month when he runs the London Marathon for Oxfam along with a few friends (including Agyness once again). Donations for that can still be made via this fundraising page.

On a final note, if you happen to be in London this weekend, eco-brand People Tree is running a 'Sample Sale for Japan' until March 27 (near Aldgate East), with all proceeds going towards 'The Second Harvest Charity', which will provide food for the victims of the recent earthquake/tsunami in Japan.

Sale Away with Nicholas Kirkwood (London, UK)

The venue of the sale: Swarovski Crystallized Lounge (images: Swarovski)

Sample sales can be a scary thing... for a shopper. But what if you as a designer show up to your own sale? I always imagined I'd be somewhere between amused and disgusted at seeing people pounce on my wares like they were life-saving, while elbowing fellow shoppers out of the way. But I never imagined I'd eventually see the creative mind behind a fashion label show up to one of these events - until last Thursday that is.

When news of the Kirkwood sale fluttered in my mailbox I was pretty hyped - and petrified. I had visions of queuing up for two hours only to fight my way to a pair of heels that weren't even my size (friends had reported such stories about the Alexander McQueen and Christopher Kane sales, which I missed as I was still in Paris). However when I showed up with a pal 20 minutes before the sale started, we were already allowed in and the swanky Swarovski Lounge was occupied by a mere eight shoppers. I guess few others had been cheeky enough to take a lunch break at 11:40...

So many shoes... I need more feet... And a view of the area when it got a little more crowded.

While I was arranging around a dozen shoes around me to try on, I noticed a nondescript guy with a shy smile helping the other SAs put out shoes and pile boxes. I recognized him instantly, but the thought seemed too bizarre. Things got even more confusing when more women streamed in to the sales area and Nicholas Kirkwood himself actually started fetching shoes for customers or rummaged through boxes looking for missing pairs. A few finally did recognize him and immediately asked him to sign their newly bought heels - which he obligingly did. At one point, when the room really filled up and SAs were running around like madwomen looking for footwear, he shook his head and slapped his hand against it, but all in all, he didn't seem all that fazed by the experience and chatted happily with acquaintances who had come to see him (and buy shoes of course). About an hour into the sale, it seemed he'd had enough - and I saw him sneak out the back exit.

Nicholas Kirkwood fetching shoes (left) and giving style advice (right).

Piles of boxes filled with shoes...

Shoe heaven. The heels span several seasons. Unfortunately I could barely walk in some of these.

The sale itself was excellent by the way. It did get very busy 30 minutes into the sale (when these pics were taken), but nothing I hadn't witnessed before. As some may know, I'm a huge fan of Kirkwood's statement heels, so seeing them go for high street prices was a dream come true. Even the FW10 collection was already available, including the pearl suspended sandals, and the incredible Rodarte shoes made an appearance as well - though most girls couldn't walk in them. If you missed the sample sale, don't worry, his shoes are marked down during the regular sales as well - but of course there's no guarantee Mr. Kirkwood will make an appearance then.

Nicholas Kirkwood was kind enough to sign a few of his shoes for customers queuing at the cash desk (left), which is where I found more heels standing in a row (right).

This isn't my pile, but it could have been... (left) and even the furry boot went on sale.

More eye candy including the famed Rodarte heel (lower left), retailing for 400 GBP (down from 2K I believe).

Alice in Wonderland @ Printemps (Paris, France)

If, like me, you've been looking forward to one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year, you'll most likely have already drooled over the various editorials, movie set photos and anything else remotely related to Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. When I heard that French department store Printemps had collaborated with a few of the biggest fashion designers, allowing them to decorate a window, create outfits and interpret their version of Alice as they saw fit, I knew we were in for a treat. I saw sketches of the windows a while ago, but thought it would be better to share the real thing. These windows went up this week and will be on display until March 14.

(All quotes were taken from style.com and as usual, images can be enlarged by clicking on them.)

Bernard Willhelm

The first window on the street. Gotta love those socks...

Christopher Kane / Nicholas Kirkwood

“I think my favorite Alice character is the March Hare. You can see I’ve made his watch rather prominent. This was a different design process for me, because I’m not usually so applicative—typically, I’m thinking about line, silhouette. But this time, I figured, why not just pile as much as I can on top?” —Nicholas Kirkwood

The shoes that stole the show... note the small watch on the left foot (top image; style.com).

I will say that the Kirkwoods were as spectacular as I though they'd be, although a little tricky to photograph. These shoes were made on commission for Printemps and were not available for sale. Since the store window version is the only pair in the world, I was determined to catch every detail... which resulted in me smacking my forehead against the glass several times as I crouched on the street floor. Very elegant (and sadly not the first time this has happened).

Ann Demeulemeester

“I’ve always been intrigued by cutout silhouettes. They are so intriguing, so poetic—the shadow of a soul. They tell everything about a character and they are open to be filled with one’s own imagination.” —Ann Demeulemeester

One of my favorite designs... the thigh-high boots were very cool, as were the cutouts on the dress. The figures represent both Alice and the Mad Hatter.

Charles Anastase

“I went to John Tenniel’s original illustration of Alice for inspiration. She’s seated at a table having tea, and her dress looks much more asymmetrical and theatrical than that boring Walt Disney version. It was also an auto-reference to my collections, as Lewis Carroll’s work has been one of the main inspirations of my label since its creation. Alice Liddell, the real little girl with long dark hair who inspired Carroll, is one of the very few icons that I have. The pictures of her are a constant inspiration for me.” —Charles Anastase

Another beautiful piece. The giant bottle reads 'Buvez moi - Drink me'.

Chloé

“Running around careless and free in a romantic dress, falling down the rabbit hole, chasing time in a dreamlike state of mind, meeting unexpected characters with many tales to tell—sounds like many a girl’s night out!” —Chloé design team

The cute pleated dress was probably the most wearable creation. Macarons on the left made to look like pebbles courtesy of Ladurée.

Alexander McQueen

I love McQueen and even though this isn't a dress I would wear, I couldn't take my eyes off the ruffle detailing on the trumpet sleeves.

Manish Arora

One of the funkier pieces, the playing cards were made of the same foam material as the dress and featured small crystals which don't come across in the photos.

Maison Martin Margiela

“Alice’s silhouette is a blue upside-down dress with cage sleeve, as if she walked through the mirror and her dress completely reversed. A long ball gown has been reworked, upside-down, into a minidress. The bustier in taffetas becomes a pleated miniskirt. The petticoat in plonge becomes an asymmetrical draped top. The skirt in ‘plumetis’ tulle becomes a veil. A cage sleeve of whale-boned velvet ribbon is embroidered with pearls, crystals, and recycled jewels.” —Maison Martin Margiela

Margiela's Alice & the Mad Hatter. Another favorite of mine. I thought the concept behind the upside down dress was brilliant. It also prompted me to tilt my head upside down standing in front of the window. Again... not very elegant.

Haider Ackermann

“My favorite character is the Duchess, who at first seems nearly as unpleasant as the Queen of Hearts. But she’s the antagonist of the queen, and at the end was only respectful and friendly, despite her tremendous ugliness. When I was designing this piece, I was seeing Alice running, escaping through the forest destroying her shiny dress.” —Haider Ackermann

The giant bunny, made out of fake roses almost stole the limelight...

In addition to the window displays, Printemps had the Alice theme going on in-store as well. Smaller versions of the plastic mushrooms could be found next to mannequins on the 2nd floor, but another collaborator stole the show: Ladurée, didn't just provide the yummy macarons in the Chloé window... they also hosted their own Alice in Wonderland tea party in the basement of the store. Shoppers could indulge in sweet delicacies while sipping hot tea and marvel at the four floor-to-ceiling shelves that were crammed with books, macarons, bags and other bits and pieces. The tea room itself featured a mix of chess board and grass floors, surrounded by fake greenery sculpted into animals.

The giant 'Mad Hatter' shelves, spanning several storeys were crammed with goodies and featured images from the upcoming movie (left). Another oversized tea pot could be found dangling from the ceiling (right).

The 'Alice' shelves.

Some of the tempting desserts (left), books and figurines on display (right).

Care to join the tea party? The tea room in the basement viewed from the top (left) and ground (top right). The very dangerous dessert counter (right).

Nicholas Kirkwood, Pierre Hardy & FNO (London, UK)

Even though I was in London during Fashion's Night Out, I only caught part of it (towards the beginning) as I had a dinner date with my better half to celebrate our one year wedding anniversary. I figured ditching him to hang with designers, models and socialites probably wouldn't be the nicest thing to do. Nevertheless, I did see a lot of FNO related stuff happening on the day - mainly in the stores - as they were preparing for the event.

One of the things I was most looking forward to seeing, was the launch of Nicholas Kirkwood's first ever official shop space in Rei Kawakubo's Dover Street Market. I've been waiting forever for this guy to get his own boutique, but I guess this is the next-best thing for now. DSM has always had the best selection of his shoes and I was slightly bummed I would be missing the actual FNO event where the man himself would not only be present (fortunately I've met him before at the Browns Shoes opening) but unveil his first ever flats. That didn't stop me from checking out his shop-in-shop though and despite the fact that it was smaller than expected, there was still plenty of shoe goodness to look at.

Nicholas Kirkwood @ DSM (top image: DSM).

DSM had some other special edition items for sale for the occasion, such as the Comme des Garçons 'Play' Converse sneakers and a DSM Swiss Army Knife, but if you're like me and a bit of a shoe addict, you'll probably want to head either to the second floor (where you'll find the general shoe area) or the third floor, which is where the Kirkwood selection can be found.

Some of the eye candy I spotted. Love those boots. Not sure about the furry things on the lower right.

While I was perusing this bit, and getting slightly distracted by the newly revamped Lanvin area next to it, I noticed two French gentlemen out of the corner of my eye, chatting with a member of staff who was showing them something. I didn't pay much attention, until I headed to an area displaying Pierre Hardy's newest FW09 shoe and handbag range. It was only when I was trying to check the price of a stunning gold heel and the two men came towards the area, I suddenly realized that one of the guys was Pierre Hardy himself.

Monsieur Pierre Hardy and an associate, critically eyeing their own display.

He seemed delighted someone was checking out his collection, though I'm sure his delight faded when I decided not to buy anything. He and his colleague went straight to work, which involved them standing there, looking at the display for one minute. Then Hardy would go over, move a few shoes around, go back to where he stood before and they'd assess the layout again. This went on for a while and was fascinating to watch. I couldn't resist snapping a pic, but decided to leave after a few minutes before I started looking suspicious. Hardy is a genius though... those who aren't familiar with his line might know him as Balenciaga's official shoe designer and of course more affordable versions of his shoes can now be found in a special collaboration with Gap.

A selection of the Pierre Hardy FW09 collection (images: Pierre Hardy).

Pop-up stores seemed to be all over London when I was there and most of them were of the 'here's a Vogue display' variety (i.e. Topshop, Mango etc.). H&M previewed the Jimmy Choo collection later that evening, but the high-street store that made the best effort to bring something new to the fashion world was probably Urban Outfitters, who unveiled a pop-up store for upcoming indie designer and London College of Fashion graduate Simon Preen (not related to the 'Preen' label). Most of his designs came in a monochrome palette and involved a lot of leather, lace, lycra, shoulder pads and leggings, i.e. goth meets 80s. The collection officially launched on Monday, so there's probably more to come.

Simon Preen @ Urban Outfitters. The 'garter' dress (lower left) was one of the key items.

And just some quick impressions of the Alexander McQueen flagship's store windows as inspired by the FW09 runway. I know some hated it, but I personally thought it was refreshing compared to all the 'safe' shows everyone else did. Yes, I'm very biased towards McQueen. He also designed two special egg chairs for FNO in the signature houndstooth motif.

Windows at Alexander McQueen and the special edition egg chairs. The zip at the top is embellished with skulls (of course).

Unfortunately my camera died by the time FNO actually went underway - check out the Vogue UK homepage for extensive coverage. Everyone from Claudia Schiffer to Burberry's Christopher Bailey to Alice Dellal were in attendance. Browns probably had the coolest event, with designers such as Henry Holland, Hussein Chalayan and Marios Schwab to name a few, working away in-store at the cashier, as personal stylists or as visual merchandisers. Like most cities, there were special 'limited edition' tees on sale. The UK ones, designed by Vogue fashion director Lucinda Chambers, were pretty snazzy and only cost £10 (with all proceeds going to charity). They were still available the next day in most high street stores, so it's worth checking in if you're still looking for one.

The FNO Vogue charity tee as sported by Sienna Miller (left) and in the Emporio Armani window (middle, lower right).

But my favorite special edition of the evening came from Marni. This collection wasn't exclusive to London, but I thought it was a cute idea: three dolls and two bags were designed to be sold that evening, along with customized versions of the Vogue tee.

Limited edition Marni dolls, totes and customized Vogue tees.

I've since read numerous reports about the NYC event, but if any of you have your own stories to tell - regardless of which city it was in, please let me know! I'd also be curious as to how successful this was. Minds are divided regarding the London one - some SA's said their sales tripled, while others (including those of established designer flagships) said they didn't sell anything. I guess it probably depended on who was in-store that night and what each shop organized. In general, I think it was probably still a great idea though.