Sandra‘s Closet

In a special tribute to RICHARD NICOLL, London Fashion Week February 2017 salutes his talent with a colour dedicated to him, NICOLL BLUE. Chosen by a group of close friends, the blue is said, by Laurie Pressman of the Pantone Color Institute who developed the colour, to embody “the elegance and sensitive spirit of this much beloved designer whose innate kindness, loving soul and good natured sense of humour held a special allure to all that entered into his orbit.“

The Arundel St and main entrance to The Store Studios, 180 Strand; the central hub of LFW, have been painted in Nicoll Blue to honour the designer after his sudden passing in October, 2016. The 39-year old died from a heart attack in his home town Sydney.

ABOUT RICHARD NICOLL

Born in London and brought up in Australia, Richard Nicoll graduated from Central Saint Martins MA in 2002. His entire graduate collection was famously purchased by Dolce & Gabbana right after. He launched his eponymous label in 2005 and quickly found fans in the likes of Kylie Minogue, Kate Bosworth, and Julianne Moore. He emerged as a member of the new wave of London talent, whose original take on modern sportswear fused with relaxed tailoring won him NEWGEN sponsorship in 2006 and three Association Nationale pour le Développement des Arts de la Mode (ANDAM) awards. His experience beyond his eponymous label included freelance design for Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton, the creative direction of Cerruti 1881, Fred Perry and later of youth label Jack Wills. In June 2012 he launched his debut menswear line at London Collections Men (now London Fashion Week Men’s). In 2015, he shuttered his namesake company and moved from London to Sydney.

Before his death, he had been preparing to start a new job as creative director at adidas in January 2017.

Richard Nicoll loved blue, here a look from his F/W 2014 collection.

To honour Richard, a minute’s silence will be observed just before the Central Saint Martins MA show on Friday 17th February. Plans are underway for a multifaceted, retrospective exhibition of the designer’s work to launch later in the year.

YOU CAN SHOP SOME OF THE LAST PIECES OF RICHARD NICOLL AT THE OUTNET BY CLICKING HERE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Richard Nicoll (courtesy of Jack Wills),  Yannis Vlamos / Indigitalimages.com

So long, miniskirts! Say hello to longer hemlines as they swing their way back into our closets this fall.

Interesting to know is the hemline theory which says that when hemlines go up, it is a sign that stock prices rise. When the knees are seen, it is a bull market. When the skirts get longer, it is a bear market, and prices will fall. Is the longer hemline an indicator for a global recession? Can fashion explain today’s erratic swings in the stock market? Will see…
Probably the reason is that during bad economy, ladies do not want to spend their money on cellulite cream and hair removal. The longer hemline works then to their advantage and so the theory would be correct.

During F/W 2010 fashion weeks last spring, editors were almost tripping on their skirts, taking boho to the max and they were absolutey right.

Inside on the runways, the long skirts made their comeback to daily life, from floor-sweeping to still showing a bit of leg, but most importantly keeping it well below the knee.

Above, you will see my pre-selection of gorgeous long skirts that are all available at the moment.

Love this look: Skirt and scarf by LOUIS VUITTON, worn with a coat by CELINE, a belt by HERMES and boots by FENDI. Photo by Phil Poynter for German Vogue September 2010.

If you go for the trend, I will recommend pairing it with a cropped jacket, tucked in blouse or a belted-top for a nice silhouette. Especially if you are small-framed, you have to make sure that you are not swallowed by the floor grazing skirt. If you like you can also opt for the “Olsen Twins look” with a long knitted cardigan on top, but still try to get the proportions right.

I hope that you have enjoyed seeing the economy through the eyes of a fashionista!

LoL, Sandra