What you’ve been to since fashion week?
AD – Since making my catwalk debut at London Fashion Week with Vauxhall Fashion Scout I have been working on production of Spring Summer for the for London boutiques Beyond The Valley and Digitaria and also immediately starting work on my next collection for Autumn Winter 2010. I have been organising my first sample sale, which will be at my stockist in Soho, Digitaria on the 26th & 27th of November. It’s going to be a really fun evening on the 26th from 6.30 – 9.30 pm with fabulous singer songwriter Bishi screening her video and Notion Magazine teaming up with me for the evening to do a promotion and giveaway of their new fashion supplement.

I also had an amazing time at the Estethica press day at the May Fair Hotel, where I was one of six designers to win the ethical mentoring award from the British Fashion Council which means I will be working with Bev Malik (previously buyer at Browns & Harvey Nichols) to develop my collection and business. It’s an amazing opportunity and I am really thrilled.

You showed as part of The Ones To Watch – was it a successful fashion week for you?
AD – Yes, the response has been excellent and it’s great to see the images on Vogue.com. Vauxhall Fashion Scout really provided a brilliant platform for my debut, the venue (Freemasons Hall) was spectacular and the show was absolutely packed. There was an immediate and very positive response on Fashion 156 as well as much other online press including Amelia’s magazine.

Will you be showing next season?
AD – I am planning to show or present my next collection with Vauxhall Fashion Scout as they are such a good team to work with and provide all round support including excellent hair and make-up teams. I think the overall quality of the designers showing with them is great and is going from strength to strength with every season.

What advice do you have for the high street in regards to ethical fashion?
AD – I definitely would encourage high street brands to be open to using ethical materials and creating ethical ranges within their own ranges.
It is encouraging to see how many high street retailers have signed up to the ethical trading initiative and have introduced ethical products in store. Top Shop have introduced a wide range of eco products and done well at promoting the ethical ranges they have in store. It’s great to see Marks and Spencer have excelled at communicating about their environmental policy Plan A and really embraced using organic cotton and recycled PTA.
I would also advise that high street brands consider the merits in hybrid designs rather than feeling under pressure to create products that are 100% purist eco friendly, that is still very challenging and so much good can be done by increasing the use of eco & fair trade fabrics by percentages. The high street has a fantastic potential to make an enormous difference as they are the ones producing volume and when they purchase more ethical fabric in bulk more becomes available on the market as demand has increased. This benefits smaller designers too when production is increased.

• Would you ever consider creating a capsule collection for the high street?
AD – Absolutely! I would love to! It’s one of my main goals and ambition’s. I think that it is great that in recent years we have seen brands like Giles Deacon, Comme des Garcons and Stella doing excellent ranges for the high street. It enables consumers to buy into designer brands at affordable prices. I think that there are equal amounts of creativity and innovation required at each market level and the added bonus is that you might actually get to see people walking down the street in your clothes often!

Related Posts Vote for your favourite green designer! Ecouterre has nominated seven designers, not only for their groundbreaking designs, but also for their commitment to sustainability and... Haunted Spaces – The Ghosts of St Pancreas This story was Inspired by Queen Boudicca haunting Kings Cross St Pancreas. I styled this story a while back but couldn't show you the images... Beautiful Soul Spring/Summer 2012 Beautiful Soul is known for its bespoke Kimono Collection and this is Nicola Woods second ready to wear collection which is called ‘Summer... 123 Bethnal Green Road 123 Bethnal Green Road is one of my favourite shops. Its supports many young designers, including designers that I've worked with like Alice... Junky Styling – Wing Dress I love this bird wing dress at Junky Styling. Popup Mall? The worlds largest popup mall is going to open in August opposite Shoreditch House. Roger Wade, the former owner of Boxfresh clothing, is the... Designer Profile: Elizabeth Lau Elizabeth Lau is one of the sweetest designers you'll ever meet and you see this in her collection. The collection is so pretty and wearable... Designer Interview – Caycee Black A while back I was at the Design Museum in London and by chance met the very lovely American fashion designer Caycee Black.  Black designs... Angel Jackson – Ethical Luxury at it’s best! Angel Jackson was set up in 2005 by sisters Katie and Millie Smith. They have been short listed for BFC's Vogue Fashion Fund and won Topshop's... Designer Interview – Carolyn Massey I never really loved menswear until I moved to London, and then of course I fell in love with it. The men just seem to have more style and more...

Lots of shops are closing, so why has Suzannah opened a shop during a recession when so many other shops are struggling? What can the designer boutique offer that the big retails can’t?

When did you open the shop?
September 7th 2009

You opened the shop during a recession, were you hesitant?
Well, the recession has its advantages too, with better deals to be sought with property and business rates, and coupled with increased sales from a steadily growing loyal customer base which has grown through the website and selling events, I felt that I had enough of a platform to know that this wasn’t a total gamble or a gut instinct! Although of course there is always a touch of going with what feels right!

How did you choose the location? Little Venice isn’t really a fashion destination?
I wanted a destination which was a little different. A destination which offered a very new, but at the same time nostalgic and considered way of shopping. Little Venice is one of my favourite locations in London. It is a very beautiful, charming and calm place. It is interesting, quirky, and immaculate, with pockets of vibrance from the amazing flower nursery to the most amazing cafes, restaurants and bars,…not to forget the canal! It is a romantic haven. For me, it created the perfect back drop for the most amazing experience for a customer coming to the store or for discovering it for the first time. I wanted it to appear discreet, creative and imaginative.

I stumbled across the shop by chance…I do feel like it was meant to be! With just enough room to be able to work at the back!,…and it has lots of light, from bright daylight through to lamp light from the street lights outside,..which I feel creates a fabulous atmosphere of ‘cocktail hour’ for the fun cocktail dresses for which the brand is becoming renowned.

Can you tell us about the photos inside you shop?

Ah Yes,… The photographs in the shop were given to me by a friend, for the opening. They were taken by her father, the photographer, Cornel Lucas, who was the in-house photographer for Rank Film Studios from the 1940-70s, photographing most of the major icons of the day from Marlene Dietrich to Diana Dors and Brigitte Bardot. We selected three of the shots: Diana Dors in Venice! (perfect of course for the location!!!), the portrait of Marlene Dietrich, and a stunningly fabulous location shot of the iconic fashion models of the 60s taken on scaffolding in Portobello! The shots were all hand printed bromides by Cornel Lucas in his dark room in Kensington. He’s 90 years old and still shooting!

What is the average price point?
The average price point of the cocktail dresses are around £370  and the daywear dresses £285.

What other services do you provide?
We also offer a tailoring service for the cocktail dresses, which depending how complex can be integrated into the make of the garment. As the cocktail element of the range is made individually in London.

Suzannah
6 Bristol Gardens
Little Venice, W9 2JG

Related Posts eBay Fashion Outlet at the W Hotel I was invited to an eBay Fashion Outlet event hosted by their Creative Director, Andrea Linett. Before heading up eBay Fashion she co-founded... London Fashion Weekend & ShopStyle My team and I had a great time at ShopStyle at London Fashion Weekend. It was great to meet so many people who just loved fashion. After styling... Summer Dressing It was so hot on the tube today that I found myself dreaming of little summer dresses. I feel like I've been waiting for summer and then it's... Wedding Dresses This season it's all about the wedding dress - royal or not. Really isn't every wedding a bit royal? Getting married should be fun - it's... Bra Shopping Online! I don't know any women who actually enjoy bra shopping even though we love lingerie and appreciate a good bra. When I go bra shopping I know... Vogue.com’s Fashion’s Night In At My-Wardrobe Vogue.com's Fashion's Night In at My-Wardrobe.com was the perfect event for staying in and shopping online. First we had Vogue's Fashion's Night... Bird Print Tea Dress I'm quite fond of tea dresses and bird prints so when Very.co.uk offered me a dress this one fit the bill. It's a bit longer than I like but... Heal Fashion Lab – Animated Ecommerce Thumbnails! I just love Heal Fashion Lab and how they show their collection - cute animated ecommerce thumbnails! (You have to check out the site to see the... The Holiday Dress Every holiday season I seem to have a favourite dress. It started from a very young age. When I was little we used to go to England for Christmas... Boutique Profile – London Ormonde Jayne Perfumery Choosing a perfume is very personal. Most of my life I've been given perfume and happily worn them but to choose a scent for oneself is quite...

Holidays are comin…

Eek! Christmas is just around the corner. The coke adverts are on the TV, the central heating is going on and the umbrellas are going up. I don’t know about you but I’m getting excited, crack open the Baileys cuz I’m starting to feel the festive cheer.

I love everything about Christmas, I love the twinkly lights, the cheesy music, the fashion (of course); this year there are lashings of leather, lovely lace and an endless supply of embellishment, I’m one happy shopper. Then we have the Christmas parties; work colleagues and booze – never a good combination let’s agree, but hey any excuse for a pretty frock and a free bar.

But my favourite thing about Christmas? Presents. Ah I bet you thought I was going to say something wise, sincere and profound but ‘fraid not – I’m as shallow as a puddle.

Here is my dream Christmas list:
1. A pair of Christian Louboutin’s, hardly original I know but life would be oh so much sweeter if I had a pair of red soles to call my own. I don’t want a fancy pair with huge bows and crystals, I’m opting for the high-shine black jazz Décolleté pumps, and I’d wear these with everything from mini dresses to tailoring. The heel is only about 4 inches so at least I’ll be able to walk in them. £375 from net-a-porter.com

2. The Mulberry for Apple Melanie zip folio, ahhhh it’s neon pink and it’s beautiful. I want it and I want it now. £250 from Mulberrry.

3. I best ask for an Apple Mac while I’m at it, the white one please. £799 from www.apple.com/uk/

4. I’m not usually a delicate necklace type of girl, I like my chunky statement jewellery but as soon as I saw Blair Wardorf wearing the Tiffany’s diamond key necklace I wanted one. There are lots of different style but the one I want is £1,750. Blair Wardorf prices of course. Purchase from Tiffany & Co.

5. World Peace of course (I’m not that shallow)

xoxo

Related Posts The Long Dress Normally I don't bother looking around when I'm on the tube, far too many miserable commuting faces to be honest. I like to keep my head... Say Cheese – Wedding Photos Of all the celebrity wedding pictures I've seen over the years there is only one that stands out. Remember Brad Pit and Jennifer Aniston's... New Girl Crush – Sweet Caroline Caroline? Caroline who? I may hear you ask. Why she is my newest girl of the moment. We all know I'm a huge fan of Olivia Palermo but well,... FCUK Me Strolling down Oxford Street amidst LFW madness I happened to notice French Connection's new advertising campaign and for some reason I just... London Baby! It's all kicked off in London. Fashion Week has begun and I for one am excited - it's a good indication it's going to be a goodun when Kate Moss... There’s a new teen in town! What really drives fashion week, apart from the collections on the runway are the celebrities that attend the shows. Which celebrities will grace... Girls on Film I'm amazed at how many films have influenced my style in one way or another, whether it be the kids from Fame dancing away in their leg warmers... Daisy Lowe Rocks Swarovski Crystallized I love all things glitzy, even my bed spread and pillow cases are embellished with diamontes come to think of it. So due to my love of glitz you... To Ugg or not to Ugg? Don't get me wrong, I've thrown a few snowballs in my time and I've even been skiing on a school trip (I cried every day) but I'm just over this... Sex and the City 2 [youtube TiDuWnwCrF0&NR=1] Brace yourself girls… the trailer for the new Sex and the City film, and oh my god I cannot wait to see it. Like...

I met the legendary Barbara Hulanicki, creator of Biba! How cool is that?

The Drapers Fashion Summit’s first day was very exciting – in addition to the Barbara Hulanicki’s on-stage interview there was another panel with Lulu Guinness, Betty Jackson and Anne Tyrrell, and today we’re going to see Diane von Furstenberg and Harold Tillman interviewed by Hilary Alexander – how many fashion icons can you have at one event?

To close the first day I styled a fashion presentation with Fashion Scout International. The clothes were from a lot of different sources – all either speaking at the event or on the board of Drapers: from Diane Von Furstenberg and Jaeger to Debenhams, Warehouse, New Look, Matches, Ghost, Reiss, and quite a few more brands. It’s always a challenge to find the best order of the clothes for a fashion show but it’s even more difficult when they all belong to different designers – you want to show each brand at it’s best and be as true to the brand as you can while bringing them all together to create a Drapers event. I had so many great pieces to choose from. It was actually the first time the Drapers Fashion Summit did a show and of course it was a great way to celebrate a great day of fashion talks!

…and today I’m speaking too – I’m on the panel about "The Power of the Style Press" – should be fun!

Related Posts Graduate Fashion Week Designers at The Fashion Summit   Today was the first day of the WGSN Drapers Fashion Summit and I styled a fashion show featuring 6 recent graduate designers. It's always... Drapers Awards Celebrating its 20th anniversary! Sometimes it's easy to forget that fashion is actually a business. It's fun, it's something we experience, something we wear  - but it is a... Drapers Fashion Summit – The Power of the Style Press I was part of a panel at the Drapers Fashion Summit - The Power of the Style Press, with  Colin McDowell, Founder & Creative Director of Fashion... Drapers Fashion Summit VIP Party I was invited to attend a cocktail party for the  Fashion Summit. It was like the who's who of the fashion world but most importantly I got to... Drapers Fashion Summit The Fashion Summit is a two-day business conference, designed to be the “live” and interactive version of Drapers magazine and the WGSN... Young British Designers at The Drapers Fashion Summit Alex Noble was interviewed by Grazia's Paula Reed at the Drapers Fashion Summit this week. Alex is only in his second year but before creating... E-commerce Excellence at Fashion and Textile Museum I'm part of an event tomorrow about E-Commerce Excellence at The Fashion and Textile Museum  with Leon Baily Green. We will be sharing tips and... Barbara Hulanicki – Beyond Biba Loved this video! You can meet Barbara Hulanicki at the Fashion and Textile Museum on Friday June 11th. She'll be signing copies of her DVD and... Drapers Interview – Sarah Curran, CEO of My-Wardrobe.com To read this interview with Sarah Curran please visit Drapers. Drapers Interview with FTape FTape is an online fashion resource and they just gave their first interview on Drapers. To read the full interview check out Drapers.

Choosing a perfume is very personal. Most of my life I’ve been given perfume and happily worn them but to choose a scent for oneself is quite special. I used to always wear perfume. I’d wear it out, I’d wear it after a bath and to bed and then I stopped wearing perfume and I’m not sure why. Maybe there were just too many scents in my life: scented shampoo, deodorant, soap, laundry soap, hand soap, face cream etc. It was just too many scents so I started buying everything unscented.

When we look at clothes we are often influenced by things like trends, magazines and friends but scent is still a rather pure sense. It’s just so personal.

I recently received a perfume sampler from Ormonde Jayne. It’s delightful to test scents. I’ve been to wine and even scotch tasting events but I think a perfume sampling event would be a wonderful idea! In the sampler there are 11 fragrances in a 2ml mini spray. Some scents you just love and some scents you don’t like at all!

I think Osmanthus – a citrusy floral – is my favourite, at least for today!

12 Royal Arcade
London, W1S 4SL
+44 20 7449 2999

Related Posts Boutique Profile – Suzannah Lots of shops are closing, so why has Suzannah opened a shop during a recession when so many other shops are struggling? What can the designer... Boutique Profile – Squatters   Berlin designer Karolin Maier-Hauff, a former designer for Vivienne Westwood, with her husband Sean Violante have opened the boutique... Cow in Nottingham – Vintage Shops! Last Thursday evening, I took a well-earned break from my almost finished dissertation and went to Cow in Nottingham, which is a new-ish vintage... Fashion Icon – Joan Burstein creator of Browns There are some people who have a gift of making you feel special, they take time when they speak with you and look you in the eye - it sounds so...