Calum Harvey: Not Just A Label

Calum Harvery is a good bloke.  Not only does he regale me with amusing stories, delays getting back to his studies to ensure that I get back to the Midlands when the Tube decides to be rubbish but he also gets drunk with me at inappropriate moments.  These moments are very sporadic, we don't see each other anywhere near as much as I'd like, but if someone will sit outside a bar wearing an oversized jumper, rescued in a recycling mission, that has a black bin bag fused to the front all in the name of experimentation then you know they're special.

And he is.  So special Not Just a Label have featured him on their front page.  He moves randomly around the page but he's there.  Check it out because his clothes are pretty good too.  He's another Graduate Fashion Week 2009 winner, nabbing himself the Textiles Award.  Awwww.  Shame people have now taken our crowns.  Read the amusing tale from our Graduate Fashion Week Winners Reception for more tales of Calum.

And Calum if you read this yes I am rubbish at keeping in touch even when I start the communication.  I am messaging you back in just a moment.

A reception with Mr Mulberry

Well...not exactly Mr Mulberry.  Mr Nick Roberts actually, retail extroadinaire at Mulberry.  On Thursday lunch time I and some of the other Graduate Fashion Week winners were welcomed into Mulberry's Sherperds Bush offices for lunch and a chat.

I am not very knowledgable about Mulberry to be honest, I always get confused as to whether or not they just go handbags or whether they were originally a fashion company.  Well both are wrong!  Mulberry will be 40 in 2011 and still hold onto their roots in Somerset, where they make all of their best bags...that'll be those over £395.  Originating with small leather goods Mulberry's founder branched into to leather bags that are their success.  The brand has recently branched out into shoes and also has a womenswear collection.

Mulberry seem to be unphased by the recession, actually improving their turnover by 33% in the last year.  Genius?  Some might say so...well done Emma Hill (creative director) for her fantastic work.  With continued success of their best loved bags Roxanne and Bayswater, Mulberry have gained a huge amount of interest in their Alexa bag made in honour of Alexa Chung.

Nick spoke fondly of Mulberry, possessing a genuine passion for the brand, descibing the need for honesty in a brand (the reason they don't pretend that all their products are made in England) and the brands love of creating a quality product that uses natural vegetable dye so the product ages with it's owner.  I was impressed.

Mulberry's Spring/Summer 2010 Collection

We had an amazing day.  Thank you very much Mr Mulberry for an enlightening lunch and for the very cute present...an oh so sweet pink animal print leather bow bracelet.  In fact, Mulberry have been amazing with us.  They hosted Wednesday night's drinks reception in their fabulous show room inspired in design by a print from their Spring/Summer 2010 collection...complete with carousel horses, printed wallpaper and lots of balloons.  Amazing.

Here's us at the meeting thanks to Calum Harvey's photography...

...check out what he thought of the meeting at Scrap vs Luxury, his very own blog.

Graduate Fashion Week Winners Reception

I have been absent for a few days because I decided to grace London with my presence.  Wednesday night I headed to the Graduate Fashion Week winners reception, which turned out to be an amazing experience.  I didn't expect to have Orla Kiely come over to introduce herself but I am so glad she did because I don't think she could have been nicer.  If I look, act and dress like she does when I'm her age I'll be happy.  There's something spectacular about her, all elegance and grace...two things I don't really have as I am so clumsy its unbelievable.

Orla Kiely in her home in London

Image taken from The Independent online

Believe me though, speaking to all these important people is not as easy as it seems.  Calum Harvey, winner of the Textiles Award, had a conversation with Katie Greenyer of the Pentland Group that went something like this:

Calum: I love your glasses, where are they from?
Katie: Red or Dead.
Calum: Oh, I have some Red or Dead glasses.  They're amazing aren't they?
Katie: Well, I am Red or Dead.
Calum: I've just embarassed myself haven't I.
Katie: Yes you have.

Needless to say Calum was embarassed, however, simply starting our careers it is simply impossible for us to know everything about every person we will meet.  Ok, so we did have prior knowledge as to who we were to meet, however, each of us merely brushed up on those we thought we could learn most from.  It seems that was our mistake, because each of the mentors has so much more to offer than advice on what they are labelled with.  Katie Greenyer, for instance, does a lot more than work in "Manufacturing" as the Graduate Fashion Week organisers told us.  Looks like you can't judge a person by their title, rather like you can't judge a book by it's cover.

I also believe that without experience it is hard for us to know where we want to be in 10 years time.  Katie Greenyer managed to worry me when she told me I should know exactly which segment I should want to work in (high street, luxury etc) because the choices I make now will lead my potential into the future.  Apparently in the luxury sector, for instance, they are unlikely to employ someone from the high street level.  Following this ignored me and spoke to Charlotte Webb, winner of the Media and Communication Award, who was stood next to me at the time.  Guess I'm not worth speaking to until I have sorted where I want to be.  So, any ideas?  I'm rather at a loss.