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SANCTIOND AUTOMOTIVE

Thanks to everyone who came out to the launch party of Sanctiond Automotive as we introduced our new car care products. Stay tuned for more details on where you can pick up your kit!!

SHOW AND TELL: WHISTLES SS12

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

We probably don't need to tell you that if you're after cool, modern clothes which nod to the season's trends without being carbon copies of catwalk looks then Whistles is the place to head. But Whistles is on our minds this week, mostly due to a new little friend we've acquired courtesy of the PR team.

Meet our Whistles virtual pet! The little mouse has been distracting me all afternoon, as it demands to be fed, danced and played with. I think I've got more into my Whistles pet than I did my tamagotchi, back 1990-something. Uh oh. Anyway, the little mouse's real purpose in life is to invite us to the Whistles press day which is happening this Thursday. We can't wait to see what Jane Shepherdson and the team have come up with for Autumn/Winter. In the meantime, here's our pick of the Top Ten from what's in store now...

1. and 2. The Wisteria print pyjamas (there's also a tee which goes with this set). These are arguably the stars of Whistles offering this season. The trousers are pretty much sold out at the moment, although there are some available in department stores and hidden away in some Whistles stores. Luckily, the FashEd ordered hers back in October!

Wisteria jacket £150 and trousers £125

3. Pink striped trousers. A little bit more tailored than a pj plus they combine pastels and brights. A trouser with a side stripe is key for Spring/ Summer but will last well beyond that as well.

Wren striped trouser £125

4. Last Summer, Whistles' Carrie was THE skirt to have. Although, they've continued that style in various new prints and colours, the Lottie is just as lovely, especially in this very chic pale blue.

Lottie Skirt £110

5. This is pretty much a genius bag. Why? Because it will look fab all summer and carry all the sunglasses and buckets and spades you require. Then, come Autumn, you'll discover that it is also the perfect shade of winter turquoise (which will be key, trust us) and you can carry on using it right through to next year.

Fleur tote bag £135

6. It's navy and loose and would look amazing with a neon tee underneath. A summer no brainer for when it's not quite as warm as we'd wish.

Beatrice lace knit sweater £110

7. Whistles have invested heavily in this hot pink colour for Spring/Summer and this dress is a standout. It'll get you through many a summer wedding. The fashion edge comes from that the looser, cropped top part.

Josa tiered dress £175

8. Sport is a massive trend for SS12, as I'm sure you know already. I love that this sweatshirt could be styled up with silky joggers or just slung over denim cut-offs at weekends.

Edith drop shoulder sweat £50

9. Fit and flare is here to stay. This dress comes in lots of colours but I like the versatility of the navy. I'm a bit obsessed with the way the waffle cotton this dress is made from feels too.

Milla dress £95

10. This white guipure top is so SS12 it hurts- the cute Peter Pan collar, chunky lace and scalloped edges. It'll also go with just about anything too.

Daisy top £195

Now, if you'll excuse me I must go and play with my little mouse.

NEW TALENT: LEUTTON POSTLE

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

Sam Leutton and Jenny Postle at FEAL HQ

This post has been a long time coming. Ever since the autumn, Sam Leutton and Jenny Postle have been regular visitors to FEAL HQ, coming to show us how they were progressing with their AW12 collection and getting advice from the FashEd who always loves to see what new designers are up to. We've seen the evolution of their ideas from experiments with their quite astounding textiles techniques, into the formation of the collection which was shown at Vauxhall Fashion Scout on the very last evening of London Fashion Week.

A FEAL favourite- the reverse appliqué jacket

The Leutton Postle studio where knitters are constantly hard at work

I'm only in my second season working in fashion, so it's been great to see young designers at every stage from initial thoughts and experiments to showcasing the finished collection in the VFS showroom in Paris. They also helped me out with a talk I recently did about knitting, and how young designers like themselves are pushing the thinking about what can be done with what is sometimes seen as a 'traditional' technique. In fact, that's what Sam and Jenny are all about- they use crafts and look at making them new and right for now. They are sort of the antithesis to the girls who hand knit vintage 1950s patterns of cutesie little jumpers and cardigans.

Up close: the reverse appliqué technique which runs through Sam and Jenny's work.

Another of the techniques used by Leutton Postle: E wrapping

For AW12, a face motif became the anchor of the collection. There were 3D knits, with chunky plaits popping out and cascading towards the floor, as well as more abstract reverse appliqué dresses and trousers. On close inspection, you see the faces peeping out at you, and it's a little bit haunting and very clever. For the show, some of the models even wore face masks, just to hammer home the strong theme. On a visit to their studio a month before the show, Sam and Jenny showed me the mood boards they were working with. There were images of tribal crafts and patterns, face painting as well as colour palettes and scraps of hand knitting experiments. Among their 'inspirational women' were Princess Diana and Camilla Batmanghelidijh. Camilla would look amazing in a piece of Leutton Postle.

Mood boards in the Leutton Postle studio

Shoes by Chris Delapena for AW12

The face masks used in the show, which was styled by Ellie Brown (image from www.retoxmagazine.com)

Leutton Postle AW12 (image from www.retoxmagazine.com)

The absolute best thing about what Leutton Postle is the creative potential of their pieces, which makes them perfect for visually stunning editorials. If we were doing shoots, we'd be calling in Leutton Postle knits, trousers and dresses all the time. As the images below show, the tufts of wool, beautiful fabric combinations and off beat decoration (we loved that they combined gold tinsel and pom pom yarn in their AW12 knits) photograph fabulously. We're pretty sure that all the coolest, most creative women in London will be wearing Leutton Postle before too long.

This image and above from Idol magazine SS12

Leutton Postle in Phoenix, March 2012

Leutton Postle in Bstore magazine

Browns obviously think the duo are onto something too because they've bought pieces from Leutton Postle ever since Sam's graduation collection from the Central Saint Martin's MA course a year ago. If you're not sure about going all sugar sweet, girly pastel for SS12 then Sam and Jenny's super bright, hand crafted pieces could be a just the cool alternative you've been looking for...