Elizabeth Lau - AW10 Collection

Born and raised in London, Elizabeth Lau embodies the style, spirit and diversity of the city in her quirky approach to fashion, aiming to dress women in her fun, fresh and feminine vision, but in a way that is relevant for a 21st century lifestyle.

Every season she consistently designs easy to wear dresses, coats and knits that have the “dress you up in an instant” factor, and AW10 is no different, full of the brand's signature style of contrasts - sweet with a sassy edge, cute with the right amount of chic. As always, lovehearts feature throughout the collection, tempered by subtle menswear details.

The collection was shot by acclaimed fashion photographer Jackie Dixon and in the looks above you can see the Agatha black and white dress, the Lottie red cardigan and the Aurelia black coat, while the rest of the AW10 ELizabeth Lau collection can be found here .

Nigel Cabourn - AW10 "Saving the Nation"

Few collections generate as much excitement and anticipation as Nigel Cabourn when they arrive through the door, and this AW10 was no different – things pretty much ground to a halt when we were unpacking and photographing the collection. But now that the dust has settled and our excitement has turned to obsession we thought we’d take a closer look at a few of our favourite pieces from the "Saving the Nation" collection:

Everest Parka - first made for the Ascent of Cabourn collection in 2003, this iconic design is inspired by the parka worn by Sir Edmund Hillary on his Antarctic and Everest expeditions. Made from 100% Ventile proofed cotton (British Military cotton woven so tightly that it is waterproof) and hand filled Norwegian duck down, considered to be the best and the warmest available.

Cameraman Jacket - inspired by a jacket worn by Wilfrid Noyce on an Everest expedition, the Cameraman jacket has an upper made of Mackintosh, and a lower made of Harris Tweed, to keep the wearer warm in extreme conditions. It features specially made metal clips, and waxed cord in the hood and hem.

US Clip Grey Jacket - based on a US Navy WW2 sweat coat in grey marl woven jersey with curved patch pockets and an army clip fastening – an attachment developed in the late 1930’s for the Army as a functional, strong attachment.

Reversible Repeat Red & Ivory Check Shirt – made from premium Japanese cotton with a reinforced placket.

More from the "Saving the Nation" collection here

Lulu Guinness - "Kiss and Make-Up"

First sold through Liberty’s of London in 1989, Lulu Guinness has become synonymous with old school girly glamour. Awarded an OBE in 2006, many of her pieces have become highly sought after collectible items, with the Florist Basket and the Violet Hanging Basket just two of the designs which have been included in a permanent fashion collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

To this day Lulu Guinness has remained true to her original philosophy: why keep all your most glamorous things for special occasions? Her AW10 collection themed “kiss and make-up” certainly delivers on the glamour, with inspiration coming from vintage handbags, porcelain dolls and 60’s model Peggy Moffit.

Lips, as ever, feature prominently in the collection, with eyes getting a look-in too, especially on the Doll Face and Eyelash Tokyo bags and purses. It’s another wonderful collection full of the glamorous and very British essence that we have come to know and love.

To see the Kiss and Make-Up collection in its entirety click here

Alex Prager Photography

Alex Prager was born in Los Angeles in 1979. Her interest in art began in adolescence, but it was in her twenties that she began to focus on photography after being inspired by the work of William Eggleston. Her first solo show came in 2007 and introduced her as an emerging talent. Several solo and group shows have followed.

Her images are dramatic, taking the look of 1950’s film stills using bright colours and pretty girls dressed in vintage clothing and wigs. Her most recent show entitled ‘Week-end’ opened in Los Angeles, New York, London and Japan this year, while from September she is exhibiting for the first time at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in the New Photography exhibition.

To view Week-End and other projects from Alex Prager click through to alexprager.com

Red Wing Shoe Company - Inventory Magazine Visit

When the Red Wing Shoe Company first started making boots, people still rode horses to work. While much has changed in the century or so that Red Wing has been trading, the core values that characterise the company remain the same; quality, craftsmanship, durability and comfort.

Taking its name from the company’s home, Red Wing City in Minnesota, Red Wing was built on America’s great promise; if one worked hard enough one could achieve anything. So when Charles Beckman, a Red Wing main street shoe merchant could not find footwear that met his requirements he decided to make his own, and in 1905 the Red Wing Shoe Company was born. Today, a third generation of employees are located just around the corner from the original Red Wing site, applying a modern interpretation to classic boots, still designed to withstand the rigours of hard work and the brutality of harsh weather.

Inventory Magazine recently took a trip around the Red Wing factory, providing a glimpse into the production process and their closely associated leather tannery.

You can view the full spread over on Inventory Magazine and the AW10 Red Wing collection on Coggles.com

Photo Of The Day: 1979-1997

This is the remarkable story of Jamie Livingston, who in 1979 while studying at Bard College bought a Polaroid camera. Upon realising that he was taking about one photo each day, he made a point of continuing to do so until finally succumbing to cancer in 1997 on his 41st birthday.

In order to keep the project alive, his friends Hugh Crawford and Betsy Reid digitally photographed the Polaroid’s and reproduced them for an exhibition at Bard. The photos have also been loaded onto a website so that Jamie’s 18 year journey can be experienced in its entirety.

It is a stunning and very moving account of a man’s life and death.

Offset Festival, Hainault Forest London - September 4-5

Back for its third year, Offest Festival was set up as an antidote to the proliferation of overly commercial and unimaginative festivals. With a booking policy that joins the dots between the best new bands and the artists who influenced them, Offset has already gained a reputation as The UK’s best alternative festival. Playing this year include Atari Teenage Riot, Caribou, festival favourites Mystery Jets, Mount Kimbie and many more – over 150 in total – across 7 stages.

Set in beautiful Hainault Forest just 30 minutes from London on the Central line, Offset makes for great weekend escapism with camping, organic food stalls, art, a funfair, kids areas and a rare-breeds farm adding to the excellent lineup.

For more details click through to the Offset website

Belstaff - AW10 Collections

Way back in 1924 Belstaff was first to create a waterproof and breathable fabric - a waxed cotton with which they made their all-weather motorbike jackets. With patrons such as thirties motorross legend Sammy Miller, revolutionary Che Gevara, Lawrence of Arabia and film idol Steve McQueen, it's little surprise that Belstaff has become one of the most iconic brands of all time.

Both men's and women's new season collections are arriving here at Coggles.com now so here are a couple of great options for the girls this autumn/winter:

Bradford - Belstaff's 3/4 length shooting jacket with quilted paisley lining

Triumph - The iconic leather motorbike jacket in an aged, vintage finish

Trialmaster - Handcrafted leather motorbike boots with a distressed, waxy finish

Roadmaster - The classic motorbike jacket in 8OZ waxed cotton

 

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

This is the 3rd album from Canadian ensemble Arcade Fire.

It was always going to be a difficult task to follow two of the most inventive and extravagant albums of this decade - Funeral and Neon Bible - but it has been accomplished in a way that is unlike either of its predecessors. The Suburbs highlights just how impressive this band really is. Violins, xylophones, harpsichords and brass accompany guitars and drums to add depth to a truly signature Arcade Fire sound, but assembled in a way that takes you in a different direction than before, while the sincerity and craft in every track make it easy to follow and even easier to thoroughly enjoy.

The CD is available in 8 different covers, all allocated randomly. More details on the Arcade Fire website.

Universal Works AW10 Collection

Founded in 2008 as an antidote to everything “fashion”, the Universal Works brand is stripped down to the single most important element – the product.

Inspired simply by great British workwear and outdoor clothing, Universal Works is about good honest menswear, never over designed but with an attention to detail and emphasis on quality that speak volumes.

Favouring natural yarns and dead stock fabrics where possible, Universal Works garments are brought to life by highly skilled people working in factories that have stood the test of time; crafted, not mass-produced, the sense of satisfaction derived from Universal Works comes from the silent exclusivity of the label – stylish because the wearer makes it so.

The AW10 Universal Works collection is one of our favourites form the season: fairisle knits, check workshirts and pocket t's in colour palette of navy, grey and maroon, as well as our favourites - the Norden waistcoat and the Todmorden jacket - make for an easy to wear and very handsome Autumn wardrobe.

The AW10 Universal Works collection is available now at Coggles.com

Bompas and Parr - Jelleymongers

Blending desserts with architecture and performance art, Bompas and Parr design spectacular food adventures to blow the minds, and taste buds, of all that experience them.

Formed in 2007 by old school friends Sam Bompas and Harry Parr, Bompas and Parr made their name making jelly, inspired by the 19th century culinary eccentricity from the likes of Agnes B Marshall, who from as early as the 1890’s was using liquid nitrogen in the kitchen. This creativity, mixed with cutting edge technology and Parr’s architectural background result in spectacular jellies, like miniature St Paul’s cathedrals and a jelly map of the USA.

More recent projects include a vast glowing jelly installation for San Francisco MOMA and Alcoholic Architecture - a walk in cloud of breathable G&T , while this weekend at the Big Chill festival, Bompas & Parr is building the Ziggurat of Flavour, a pyramidal installation containing a cloud of breathable fruit. Visitors will be able to contribute to their five-a-day just by breathing.  

“The Ziggurat of Flavour will be a monolithic structure on the hills overlooking the Big Chill Festival. After negotiating the dense mist of vaporized fruit, visitors emerge onto a slide at the top of the structure. As they slide back down to the festival their kinetic energy will be harnessed to make the cloud even denser.”

Head on over to Nowness for more on Bompas and Parr and a glimpse inside their studio.

Our Legacy - AW10 Collection

Swedish label Our Legacy started out in 2005 with a small t-shirt collection that quickly gained recognition from Scandinavia’s top stores. Three years later Our Legacy founders Christopher and Jockum launched their first full collection, their easy to wear, ‘thrown together’ style appealing to effortlessly cool Scandinavians and style conscious customers further away from home in The US, Europe and Japan.

Rather than be led by seasonal trends, the Our Legacy starting point is to focus on classically designed pieces constructed from the best fabrics, which are typically sourced from Italy, Portugal and The UK. There’s a strong heritage feel which arises from the choice of fabric and classic design, yet playful and irreverent deconstruction gives Our Legacy a relaxed, almost nonchalant appeal that is contemporary in every way.

For AW10 Our Legacy maintains focus on the simple wardrobe essentials: perfectly cut t-shirts, relaxed sweats and great outerwear in a suitably subtle colour palette of blues, creams and browns. One of our favourite labels of the moment...

Bike By Me

Bike By Me allows you to build the bike you really want.

The colour of practically every element of the bike, from tyres and rims to frame and even the chain can be customised to suit your style.  At the moment the bikes only come in one model, but within this are thousands of variations for your customising pleasure - all for a very reasonable €499.

Click through to Bike By Me to have a go yourself!

Foto8 Summershow 2010

Whittled down from over 2500 images, the final selection for the Foto8 Summershow comprises 156 prints now hung floor to ceiling on the walls of London’s HOST Gallery. Famous names and unknown photographers alike submitted work covering a wide variety of genres, including landscape, portraiture, fashion, street and conceptual.

“If one identifiable change has occurred since last year’s judging took place, it would be that the idea of what constitutes ‘good photography’ is changing, as is the industry itself, and the people who populate it. No longer do practitioners feel they have to emulate the great and the good of yesteryear. Contemporary image-makers are creating a new aesthetic, one that is less formal, perhaps, and harder to define”.

A slideshow of all 156 images can be found on the Foto8 website here