BATH IN FASHION 2016 BRINGS COLOUR & STYLE TO THE WORLD HERITAGE CITY Expect red carpet moments at Bath in Fashion 2016 (18 th to 24 th April) with a line-up of stellar designers and fashion commentators including Julien MacDonald, Nicholas Oakwell, David Downton and Livia Firth. As the fashion pack descends on the World Heritage City, the week-long programme promises stimulating debate, fast paced catwalks and animation on the streets and in-store with Bath in Fashion LIVE, a new element for 2016. Respected editors like Sarah Mower, contributing editor to American Vogue, Claudia Croft, head of fashion at Sunday Times Style and Sue James, Editorial Director of Woman & Home return to join the debate. A Nicolas Oakwell couture gown commissioned by No 10 s GREAT Britain campaign to showcase British couture design around the globe, is heading for Bath in April. Created for the GREAT Festival of Creativity in Shanghai, this exquisite gown, designed for super model Erin O Connor, took 2320 hours and 90 metres of fabric to create and is embellished with hundreds of rubies and 200,000 ostrich feathers, each of which were hand sewn in place by students of the Royal School of Needlework. Nicholas Oakwell whose dresses have been worn by Helen Mirren and Paloma Faith will be a guest at Bath in Fashion 2016 in conversation with Hilary Alexander, former fashion director of the Daily Telegraph. Illustrator David Downton, who was also involved in the project, will be sharing behind-the-scenes anecdotes from the world of fashion as he discusses his book Portraits of the World s Most Stylish Women. Celebrated Welsh designer Julien Macdonald, known as Fashion s King of Glamour, will be talking about his life and work with Colin McDowell. During his illustrious career Julien held key positions at Chanel and Givenchy before establishing his own atelier in London in 2013. Julien is among an elite group of
designers whose careers were launched at Graduate Fashion Week which celebrates its 25 th anniversary in 2016. His creations are favoured by red carpet celebrities including Beyonce, Cheryl Cole and Jessie J. He creates collections for Debenhams alongside his couture work. Colin McDowell has written 24 fashion books and is a regular contributor to the Business of Fashion. Bath in Fashion stimulates debate with special guest Livia Firth, Creative Director of Eco Age Ltd and the driving force behind Green Carpet Challenge which catapults sustainable style into the spotlight at the world s most high profile events. She has recently selected an Edit from the M&S Autumn/Winter 15 collection demonstrating how integrity is woven into the fabric of the firm. British Vogue turns 100 next year and to mark the occasion Bath based fashion writer Professor Iain R Webb has created the very first grown up Vogue Colouring Book. Inspired by fifties fashion as seen in Vogue, the book features hand drawn designs of glamorous gowns and dressy ensembles from designers like Dior, Balenciaga, Givenchy and Chanel. Ian R Webb who confesses he always coloured outside the lines said it was a decade that went from black and white into colour. An era of matching gloves, haughty elegance and hour glass silhouettes. Bath in Fashion is working with Iain Webb to create a giant colouring wall. As the international undisputed fashion bible Vogue has charted the careers of fashion designers through the decades. Drusilla Breyfus author of Vogue on Valentino takes a fresh look at the maestro of Italian Couture whilst Charlotte Sinclair unwraps the world of Gianni Versace in her book Vogue on Gianni Versace with a window into the Versace lifestyle the palazzos and parties and celebrity following. Liberty marked its 140 th birthday in 2015 with a retrospective at the Fashion & Textiles Museum. Many of the exhibits have been loaned by Cleo and Mark Butterfield, owners of the C20 Vintage Fashion Archive. They will be talking about Liberty at Bath in Fashion 2016 with fashion historian NJ Stevenson. Liberty, bastion of Arts and Crafts, was at the heart of the 20th century's most exciting period in British design, music and film. Butterfield says Liberty prints and fabrics
encapsulated 60s radicalism and 70s wearable art, mixing grooviness with the magical and pastoral to create mesmerising boutique fashion. Eminent historian and dedicated follower of fashion Sir Roy Strong will talk about his lifelong delight in clothes with Ben Whyman from the London College of Fashion. Strong has bequeathed his extensive wardrobe to the Fashion Museum where the talk will be staged. Curator and Manager Rosemary Harden will also be treating the Bath in Fashion audience to a very personal behind the scenes tour to view some of the 100,000 objects which are not on display ranging from perfectly preserved gloves from the reign of James I to a collection of hats by Christian Dior worn by prima ballerina Dame Margot Fonteyn and a pair of pristine shoes by Manolo Blahnik. Ben Wild talks about his findings in A Life in Fashion: The Wardrobe of Cecil Beaton. Wild says As a fashion researcher what strikes me about Beaton's dress is how relevant and contemporary it still is, some 34 years after his death. Designs by Giles Deacon reveal his influence, as do those of Savile Row tailor Richard James. Beaton was also an important chronicler of people's dress and his commentaries and criticisms reveal much about twentieth-century vogues. The glittering Assembly Rooms will host Bath in Fashion s 2016 runway shows produced by John Walford from London Fashion Week with top stylist Rebekah Roy. The catwalks show Spring Summer 16 fashions reflect the strength of Bath s retail offer according to Sarah Mansfield, Chair of Bath in Fashion. Sarah continued, Bath is a cosmopolitan city, one of the most stylish and elegant cities in Europe. The festival brings designers, commentators and influencers from the world of fashion to the World Heritage City. It is now firmly established on the fashion calendar a week to showcase current trends and share inspiration. Bath in Fashion is managed and funded by the Bath Business Improvement District in partnership with Bath Tourism Plus and created as collaboration by Bath businesses to put the city in the fashion spotlight. New for 2016, Bath in Fashion LIVE maps participating retailers highlighting the best of Bath s fashion and accessory scene. Retailers like Jolly s, one of Europe s oldest department stores
now operated by House of Fraser will be paving the way with a programme of engaging and exciting events. Sue James, Editorial Director of Woman & Home will be in store with her fashion team offering style counsel. A series of workshops include Wearable Tech by Annie Lywood, The Royal School of Needlework and Fashion Factory curated by Amanda Riley encouraging participants to create their own outfits. Bath in Fashion 2016 is planning another community crochet project led by local designer maker Emma Leith who will also lead a hands-on workshop. Fashion Your Future, gives an insight into roots into fashion, with a panel of experts chaired by Louise Pickles, who leads the acclaimed fashion design course at Bath Spa University; Bath in Fashion on Film screens a series of fashion-inspired films at the Little Theatre Cinema; the BathVA Vintage Fashion Fair takes place on Vintage Sunday at Green Park Station with glam Hollywood hair by Artizan. The Bath of today was a shaped by extra ordinary imagination, a world class city that was in the Eighteenth Century both radical and bold. Sarah Mansfield said For the 21 st century this inspiring environment continues to attract inventors, artisans, entrepreneurs and future-thinkers. It is against this canvas that Bath in Fashion has evolved over the past six years combining the vision of designers with the creative energy of the World Heritage City. Bath has been fashionable since the Eighteenth Century, when it was a favourite with celebrity society; and contemporary Bath supports a vibrant retail scene with a high proportion of independent fashion boutiques retailing niche and designer labels alongside leading high street fashion brands. Bath s Fashion Museum holds one of the finest collections of historic and fashionable dress in the world; and Bath Spa University s award-winning fashion design course has developed a reputation for producing highly individual and creative designers. Tickets will be on sale from early February. For further information and to register interest please visit bathinfashion.co.uk.
For media enquiries and images please contact Nicky Hancock on 01225 332299 or e-mail: { HYPERLINK "mailto:nicky@hancockcomm.com" } Date: 10th November 2015 About The Bath Improvement District Company Bath in Fashion is a Bath BID (Business Improvement District) Company initiative. The Bath BID Company organises specialist events to raise the profile of the city and attract visitors to support businesses within the city centre. The Bath BID Company acts as a catalyst to creating a fashion event which is distinctive, unique and unlike any other in the UK. With commitment to providing support for the business community, events like Bath in Fashion are born from a collaboration between public and private sector; retailers and landlords and both independent and high street retailers. Visit { HYPERLINK "http://www.bathbid.co.uk/" }