Wishing the Summer Away #5: Charlotte Taylor A/W 2010

Earlier this year I interviewed up-and-coming womenswear designer, Charlotte Taylor, who showcased her debut collection at Vauxhall Fashion Scout's exhibition at London Fashion Week. I thought that, as Charlotte prepares to show her Spring/Summer collection at London Fashion Week in association with Vauxhall Fashion Scout as a part of its "Ones To Watch" show, it was time to revisit Charlotte's Autumn/Winter collection as a part of my Wishing the Summer Away series:

I am ready and waiting to get my very own signature penguin scarf from Charlotte's very first collection. See here for information on how to get one for yourself.


What do you think of Charlotte's Autumn/Winter collection? Are you as excited as me to see Charlotte's collection for Spring/Summer 2011?

Penguins are officially my favourite animal...

After watching 50 First Dates (not for the first time) on TV one evening recently I fell in love (again) with penguins. I mean, how cute are they? The way they walk - waddle - gets me every time!


You might remember that I interviewed budding womenswear designer, Charlotte Taylor, earlier this year. So I was only too please to see Charlotte Taylor's first collection - entitled Harold and Barbara - which she launched at London Fashion Week this month.


Charlotte cites, as her inspirations, "trashy grannies, penguins, old soap operas, movies and the eccentric".


The collection - which is the first for the Charlotte Taylor label - is grown-up and yet captures an element of fun. It is made up of flirty, floaty dresses and flowing, hooded capes which look both tailored and warm. The contrast between the tweed and silk is inspired!


Here are a few of my favourite photos from the Lookbook:

I love the cape in the first photo (top left) and obviously the dress in the final photo (bottom right) but would love just to be able to get my hands on one of the penguin print scarves (worn as a handband in the photo, bottom left).


To see more of Charlotte's collection, check out her blog here.


Which is your favourite piece?


I'd also like to take this opportunity to say, congratulations to Charlotte! Sorry I couldn't make it to London but do hope that all went well!


More soon. Love, SG

New girl on the block!

Charlotte Taylor is a womenswear designer who is launching her fashion label - CHARLOTTE TAYLOR - at London Fashion Week in less than a month's time. Since October she has been documenting her progress as she puts her Autumn/Winter 2010 collection together on her blog. Here, she tells me about what and who inspires her, her love of carrot cake and many other things!

MY VERY FIRST FASHION MEMORY IS... my pink dress. It was so over the top. Some horrible 80's meringue creation but I loved it. I was dressed for much of my childhood in my brothers' hand-me-down rugby shirts so it was a sweet blessing every time an occasion popped up to don the pink meringue and strut my stuff in front of the other kids' less puffy creations. Magic.



MY GREATEST INSPIRATION IS... old stuff. Anything with a history or a story to. My obsession started with my grandmother, whose face in itself was art - a maze of lines, I was completely fascinated. I ended up studying it within my art a-levels and with that my grannie "crush" began. It has since progressed onto the general elderly population, old cars, historic buildings, traditions, ancient cults etc. I like a good story, one that is not all fairytales and sugar coated cakes.

MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN THE WORLD IS... 5am: mid-summer, Isle of Wight, sunrise, clear skies, flat water, wakeboarding at priory bay, flask of tea, fresh fruit and silence = heaven on earth.


 THE THING I LIKE MOST ABOUT MY APPEARANCE IS... that it resembles my parents. I am seriously proud to be their daughter. They rock.

MY CLOSET IS... mostly fancy dress. I am on Facebook and I was looking through my photos the other day- it took me until after the 100th photo to find one of me in normal clothes. I have a problem.


I OWN SO MANY... random figurines. The creepier the better. My favourites are: dancing donkey aka Burt and door stop frog aka Jim.


 YOU MAY NOT KNOW THIS... but I am accident prone. I never slow down in time and have broken my wrist thrice running into walls. I also rugby tackled a guy in a club in France once who kindly moved out the way as I was in the midst of a full charge, revealing my new opposition, a wall... I lost. badly. I still have the bump on my head 8 years later.


 MY MOST FABULOUS MOMENT... will be when I launch my new womenswear label in February 2010 at London Fashion Week at the Freemasons' Hall with Vauxhall Fashion Scout!

 THE PERSON THAT CHANGED ME IS... my dad. He went to heaven earlier this year for 3 minutes before he was brought back to life. He had a heart attack whilst driving and his survival story is a miracle. He had a police car behind him and one in front. They got to him within 3 minutes and did CPR on him for 20 minutes with no reaction until the ambulance arrived. On the 3rd attempt the zappers worked and his heart started again. We were not aware that you can keep someone alive in this way for so long and I don't think many people are. We owe those police officers everything. Dad was in hospital for over a month and has now made a full recovery. We are all much stronger people as a result.


 MY STYLE ICON IS... anyone over 70 and Audrey Hepburn.


 MY HOME IS... the Isle of Wight. this was reluctantly at first. A proud Lancashire lass I was devastated when my folks told me about their move. The day I finished school the van pulled out the drive and we headed south. I was so against the idea I tried to convince them that they were stupid because the island would sink soon because of global warming! Although I moved straight to London and have lived there ever since my recent relocation, the island is now very much my home. I am hooked and can totally understand why people are reluctant to leave. It is super special.


HOW DID I EVER LIVE WITHOUT... tea, carrot cake and the internet.


Good luck Charlotte! Hopefully we'll catch up with Charlotte again after her LFW experience!


Love, SG xx