Cambridge Style Week 2013

Last week our great city was home to its first ever major fashion event Cambridge Style Week. We were lucky enough to be a part of it and here's how  it went:

Retrovert's Pop Up Shop

We had lots of fun choosing what vintage fashions to showcase on our stall. We went for a mix of classic vintage labels - Horrockses, Frank Usher, Lee Bender... and out there vintage pieces like this 70s velvet coat and a psychedelic backless jumpsuit for the more adventurous fashionista! We couldn't resist taking a collection of vintage bags and purses and also debuted our collection of vintage jewellery, which went down very well. A personal highlight was Mum winning a Scudamores season ticket for punting, so expect to see us out on the river this summer in our vintage apparel! 

Our Fellow Boutiques

It was a pleasure to have the company of inspiring local businesswomen throughout the week. Alison from TweedVixen was showcasing her quintessentially British fashions made from tweed with a contemporary twist. A particular favourite of mine was a purple tweed shoulder bag, which got snapped up by a lovely visitor to the fashion show on the last day. They still have a fabulous version of the bag available in red, which you can find here. Belynda from B Jewellery was there with her beautifully handcrafted jewellery made from silver and semi precious stones. I loved her upcycled rings made from old silver spoons. There was also a bold and bright display from jewellery maker Caterina Wills and an array of stunning dresses from Georgia and Susan of GD Designer Style Hire. 

Also showcasing their local businesses were Wendy from Design Essentials and Cambridge interior designer Mary with a contemporary interior display. This was complemented by floral designs from the lovely Claire of Waterbaby Flowers. I just love the way they injected colour into the set and took on a sculptural form to complement the homewares around them. 

And now onto the catwalk shows....

Best of British

The first night kicked off with a Best of British Gala and you can see my favourites from the night in my previous blog here. As a business that loves knowing at least 90% of what we sell was made in the UK (albeit some years ago!) we thought this was a great theme to start of the event. Fittingly, my mannequin donned this fabulous 60s mod dress in red and white that was made in good old Great Britain. 

Emerging Talent - Future Fashion 

On Thursday night we were treated to a thrilling show of designs by Cambridge School of Art students from Anglia Ruskin. This sculptural dress is what stood out most for me. It is handmade from nuno felt and the designer, Asia Prusinowska, said it took 3 months to make! You can find some of her wearable art in her Etsy shop. 

Ethical and Sustainable 

Friday night showcased ethical and sustainable fashions, so as an eco business we were thrilled that this emerging area of fashion was recognised. These were my favourite dresses from the show:

I loved the bold batik style print of this dress from online boutique Curious Orange. 

A turquoise stunner from GD Designer Style Hire topped with a creation by SB Millinery. 

This was another great dress from Curious Orange with a fab colourful print.

Zoe Boomer's collection used luxurious floating fabrics and I loved the late 60 styling of this dress.

Spring Summer and Lingerie

My highlight from Saturday's finale had to be the eyewear on show from Clamp Optometrists. I spotted a pair of 50s style cat eye frames that I might just have to pop in and try on! 

This was the final tableau that drew much appreciation from the crowd. The brightly coloured underwear was from Bjorn Borg at John Lewis, though I'm sure that's not what you're looking at ; )

So there you have it! It was fabulous week of fashion and we can't wait for next year. Thanks to everyone involved, particularly Nicky Shepard, for all their hard work putting the event together. 

All the wonderful pictures in this post are by local photographer Alex Bright and you can find her photography at www.alexbright.co.uk If you are looking for a talented and friendly photographer, I would definitely recommend her!