Bubble London June Spring/Summer 2012 Collections

Bubble London, held at the Islington Business Design Centre, on the 19th-20th June, was a visual feast of elegant and quirky collections for Spring Summer 2012. It was fantastic to see so many old favourites amongst impressive newcomers, each with very individual styles.

Once again, Tend Bible presented gorgeous displays of their predicted trends for the season. 'Golden Days' is the classic story of Nostalgia, vintage style clothing and accessories, which draw inspiration from childhood memories and classic English stories. Surf Safari is a beachy look, referencing jungle and surf scenarios with vibrant colours and prints, 'Play by Numbers' is a retro geometery look with bold logos and referencing to school days, and 'Electric Dreams' is an exciting and vibrant story which centers aroundastronomy and molecular structures. These are four great trends for kidswear, and were absolutely reflected in the collections which were shown at Bubble.

Winner of the 'Stand Out' competition, for the most creative use of stand space, was Green Baby, with their unique 'Green' stand, reflecting the organic nature of their clothing. Scarecrows took the place of mannequins, and sheds, tools and picket fences all added to the Cottage Garden feel of the stand. It was fun, refreshing, and added to the wholesome feel of the brand. Gorgeous!

New to Bubble, Mila-Moo is a quintessentially British collection, handmade using Liberty print fabrics in a vintage style, drawing inspiration from the 50s, 60s and 70s. The brains behind the brand is Francesca, a mother of 2, and her vision was to design a capsule collection of clothes that encapsulate childhood memories, that any parent would love to see their children wearing. A truly beautiful collection of dresses and nappy covers, and I hope that we see a lot more of Mila-Moo in the future! Visit the blog at http://mila-moo-and-ronnie-too.blogspot.com

Rachel Riley's Spring/Summer '12 styles were of course fabulously nostalgic, with classic styles and summery prints, from Nautical Stripes and spots, to Candy Stripes, and fun summery animal-inspired prints and even an Olympic Games inspired range.

Little Esop, all the way from the USA, had the wildest stand and some lovely wildlife-inspired prints and lovely fabrics! Truly inspirational.

Finally, a really exciting new brand, Jessie and James, exibited their first collection at Bubble. Created by former Vivienne Westwood designer James New, and Creative Head Pattern Cutter Jessica Richard, and inspired by their baby son Billy, the ethos of Jessie and James is to produce "high quality modern kids wear clothing with a strong unique identity" which is reflected in the first range, which is entitled "Under Construction".

Overall, a really inspiring and enjoyable Bubble London! We cant wait until the next event in January!

The Enchanted Palace

I finally made it to the Enchanted Palace Installation at Kensington Palace. A fantastic mixture of Fairytale, History and Fashion, it was an experience that did not disappoint! It tells the stories of the seven princesses involved in the Royal Court: Princess Mary, Princess Anne, Princess Caroline, Princess Charlotte, Princess Victoria, Princess Margaret, and Princess Diana. I was particularly fascinated by "The Room of Dancing Princesses", an eerie room featuring dresses which belonged to Princess Diana and Princess Maragaret, and captured the sadness of events in both of their lives. I absolutely loved "The Room of a Sleeping Princess", a visual representation of Victoria's last night as a princess,with mattresses piled high and fantastic painting of her marriage to Prince Albert by Sir George Hayter. When leaving the exhibition you descend down the Kensington Staircase, which famously, Victoria had to walk down whilst holding the hand of an adult until the day she became Queen.

A fantastic experience and a delight for any little girl (no matter what age). I would absolutely love to return before the palace is once again transformed! 

Sarahsaurus Film

Sarahsaurus + RPS Magazine Video from Nathan Middleton on Vimeo.

Preview of Sarahsaurus Promotional Film

Here is a preview from today's film shoot for the Sarahsaurus Spring/Summer '11 collection. Photograph's taken by Nathan Middleton, all clothes and styling by Sarah Brigginshaw, directed by Claire Hadley, and modelled by Harley, Hayden, Eliza and Caycee. The footage is looking absolutely gorgeous, and we are all very excited to see the finished film, coming soon!

Inspiration for Sarahsaurus Promotional Film

Rock Paper Scissors are collaborating with Sarah Brigginshaw, on a promotional film for her Sarahsaurus line, to be produced by media graduate Nathan Middleton and and student George Layne.

As Art Director, I have started to look into sources of inspiration for this Rockabilly style film, and iconic British Band posters. Images follow:

Armani Junior

Burberry Childrenswear Spring/Summer 2011

Baby Dior Spring/Summer 2011

Terranova Kids Spring/Summer 2011

The RL Gang

Guess Kids Spring/Summer 2011

Stella McCartney Promotional Film

The Enchanted Palace

The Enchanted Palace is an absolutely stunning new installation at Kensington Palace, which tells the stories of Kensington's past princesses. Princess Diana's former home has been transformed into an explosion of Fashion, Theatre and Design, featuring installations by Vivienne Westwood, William Tempest, Stephen Jones, Boudicca, Aminaka Wilmont and Echo Morgan, and one of the particular highlights is Queen Victoria's bedroom (where she woke to find out she was Queen) which features an outstanding Tempest creation with 2000 origami birds. Guests are also be confronted with live performance from the Wildworks Theatre Company, providing interactive theatre, to add authenticity and fantasy to your visit. It is the best installation I have seen in a very long time, and an absolutely fantastic day out for the family, particularly is it is in Kensington Palace, Kensington Gardens, which is also the home to the Peter Pan inspired Princess Diana Memorial Playground. 

If you, like me, love fantasy, escapism, and fairytales, then this is an event that absolutely cannot be missed!

The Real "Up"

Whilst browsing, I read an article on the National Geographic website, about a group of people in Los Angeles who attempted to create their own version of the floating house from Disney Pixar animated film, "Up". They used over 300 giant helium balloons to recreate the initial scene where the old man lifts off from the ground. What a fantastic madcap idea, coming across these images certainly brightened my day, and I think that it is a brilliant project, an injection of FUN into a society in which we sometimes take ourselves far too seriously. Good work guys!

Winnie The Pooh Film Poster

Dinky Vintage

I have recently found out about a specialist Children's Vintage clothing shop in Brighton, called Dinky Vintage. They stock a range of vintage products, from victorian christening gowns to 70s Dungarees and a range of traditional toys. I hope to write a feature about this wonderful shop for the magazine, and shall be visiting Brighton this coming week. Located at 39b Sydney Street, it is definitely worth a visit.

David Handley Photography

David Handley is the multi award winning Childrens photographer, who has worked for commercial editorial clients such as Junior Magazine, Ralph Lauren, Boden, M&S and Next. In 2010 he won the 'Sony World Fashion Photographer' award. These photos depict a childrens camping trip, and are highly inspirational to myself as the creative director for Rock Paper Scissors Magazine's upcoming 'Pyjama Party' photo shoot.