Need to know..

London - one of fashion's capitals of the world. Twice a year we get to see the best of British designs, and with that we get to see what the future of fashion will look like with an abundance of emerging designers. So we have put together a little list of just some of our favourite designers that if you're not aware of, then you should be.

Bobby Abley

 

Launched in 2012, Abley is known for his unique take on menswear - with a nostalgic, playful take on some of our favourite Disney classics - including Aladdin, The Little Mermaid and The Jungle Book - combined with contemporary designs, his aesthetic is instantly recognisable.

Mimi Wade

Part of emerging designers scheme, Fashion East, based here in Shoreditch, Central Saint Martin's graduate was selected to showcase her debut AW16 collection back in February. Known for her prints, her 'Debutante Drunk' collection takes inspiration from Old Hollywood featuring edgy yet appropriate evening attire, from leather dresses with matching opera gloves, hand-painted with scenes from horror movie classics.

Christopher Shannon

 

From fine tailoring foundations, Shannon's mission, since 2008, is to create modern, relevant garments that have been influenced by diverse references both in menswear and womenswear. His most recent LC:M SS17 collection took inspiration from the Sports Direct with the use of their carrier bags and a spin on the logo, opting for a more current feel within fashion - Lovers Direct and Haters Direct.

Clio Peppiatt

 

Featured within the pages of i-D, Dazed and Hunger, as well as being a favourite of blogger Susie Bubble, Clio's tongue-in-cheek sense of humour is perfectly represented within her designs as she explores the themes of modern day femininity. With a vibrant colour palette, she aims to create unique, individual clothing to make women feel happy, bold and fearless. She recently collaborated with SkinnyDip for a collection of phone accessories.

  

 

 

 

 

Ashley Graham for Vogue

 

 FINALLY! There is a plus-size model on the cover of British Vogue..

The model, who has not only gained top model status within the past couple years, is a true adovcate of positive body image. She has even been made into her very own Barbie and will be a judge on the America's Next Top Model revamp!

We cannot get enough of this cover, and can't wait to see more plus-size models grace the covers of all our favourite magazines.

MoM

It's beginning to look  a lot like Christmas at AP. Our model of the moment, Natalie is busy busy busy today.

@fittingsdivision

History of Mannequins

As we previously told you about the latest Internet craze, the mannequin challenge, a few weeks ago we thought we'd do some digging into the history of mannequins. Especially because we work with human mannequins.

The word mannequin comes from the French word, mannequin, which had the meaning, "an artist's jointed model." Whereas within the UK, when mannequins were first introduced, the word referred to the models themselves. They were later called dummy, as they were used during the 1950's for nuclear tests to help show the effects of nuclear weapons.

The first fashion mannequins appeared in France, where they were surprisingly made of papier-mache in the mid-19th century. Later there was demand for a more lifelike appearance, and they started to be made from wax with false teeth, real hair and glass eyes from then on. But change was soon round the corner, and wax was then swapped for a more durable material - often combined with plaster.

Modern day mannequins can be found to be made out of anything, but the main materials being fibreglass and plastic. Retailers now more than ever are trying to be more innovative with the appearance of their mannequins within their stores with the use of glitters, sequins, mirrors combined with different poses - customers now look to the mannequins as a form of inspiration. With some stores even go as far as planning their entire year around the reveal of their window displays.

(Bergdorf Goodman's window display)

Stores such as Bergdorf Goodman's, Liberty and Selfridges go to great lengths in making sure that their window displays are the talk of the town - even going as far as turning to designers for bespoke, one-off pieces for the display.

An interesting fact that some may not know, is that when it comes to changing of the mannequins clothes, this must be covered. Back when mannequins first came onto the scene, a law was put into place that required the window displays to be covered when changing the clothes, in a way to protect the innocence of these some-what realistic figures.

Grace and Thorn

How adorable is our little office plant thanks to our new neighbours, Grace and Thorn!

@fittingsdivision

Model of the Moment

Name:

 Natalie.. Smith is my maiden name.

Wright is my married name and I still don't know which name I'm supposed to go by!

Age:

 38

Nationality:

 British

Hometown:

 Eastbourne, East Sussex

What were you doing before you became a fit model:

 I was a dancer

What do you enjoy most about your job:

 Getting to see the new designs before everyone else

Essentials you take to castings:

 My phone - I'd be lost without Google Maps, a comb and perfume!

Dream job:

 Victoria's Secret angel - you said 'dream' right?!

Currently listening to:

 Bruno Mars

Favourite movie:

 Dirty Dancing

Obsessed with right now:

 Pilates!

Guilty pleasure:

 Laying in bed all morning on a rare day off

Last book you read:

Dying to be me by Anita Moorjani

Biggest pet peeve:

Negativity

Twitter or Instagram:

 Instagram

Favourite emoji:

 😘

What do you get up to in your spare time:

 I love going for long walks with my dog, spending time with my friends and family and trying to get to Pilates classes

If you have another job, how do you find a balance between the two and how do you cope:

 I'm a certified Pilates instructor as well as a model and feel very fortunate that I have a nice balance between the two and enjoy both! Pilates is great because it keeps my body in shape and my mind calm. It does normally mean that I work extra long days through trying to fit Pilates clients in before/after shoots and fittings

Sum yourself up in three words:

 Determined, positive and stubborn!

Highlight of your career:

 I was lucky enough to fulfil most of my dreams as a dancer, but if I had to pick one it would probably be dancing for Whitney Houston. It was one of my first big jobs when I left college

What does the rest of 2016 hold for you:

 Lots more work up til Christmas, seeing all my loved ones over the festive season and then seeing the New Year in in Barbados

Robson

 

A sneak peek and behind the scenes look at Robson's shoot from today

@fittingsdivision