If you were with us on day 1 and you thought we had peaked with the eloquence and inspiration of Harpers Bazaar UK Editor in Chief Justine Picardine or the genius of Tim Walkers musings on Cecil Beaton then we were all wrong because day 2 at Bath in Fashion turned out to be just as fascinating, stimulating and awe inspiring.
Day 2, the round up.
It goes without saying that the team that delivers our events is packed out with talent, and none more so than the ladies of the Royal School of Needlework who delivered a wonderful ‘Magical Millinery workshop for us yesterday first thing sat aside perhaps their greatest triumph, Nicholas Oakwell’s Great Dress.
For the first time this week we traded our opulent surroundings at the Assembly Rooms for an equally exquisite work place and headed to The Gainsborough Bath Spa hotel. A befitting establishment to house two #VogueOn talks by eminent fashion writers Charlotte Sinclair and Drusilla Beyfus. Versace and Valentino were their subjects and what a pictorial and insightful treat we enjoyed, whilst simultaneously back at HQ, our friends at the RSN were enthralling us again with their CEO Susan Kay-William, discussing the resurgence of embroidery.
Sir Roy Strong wooed his packed out audience with witty anecdotes and tales of his fashionable flare. ‘People don’t dress up anymore, its dead dreary’ he told us. Dreary he wasn’t and it was all over far too quickly.
Our head line act for the day, possible for the week, was the experimental celebrity favourite designer Erdem. In conversation with long time BIF friend, the wonderful BOF’s Tim Blanks, Erdem told us that his advice to fashion students was ‘Be friendly, and turn up’ and was good on his word. He shared much about his inspiration for his collections and love of drawing women that he has done since a 10 year old boy. It really was a spellbinding hour that sadly had to end.
And finally, a fun evening with Queen’s Brian May and his collaborative partner Denis Pellerin who share a love of the Victorian image viewing mechanism the stereoscope; the pair have used this to bring to life the fashionable disaster the crinoline….really! We saw original crinolines from the 1860’s and their recent renaissance with designers Vivienne Westwood, Zandra Rhodes (who is with us Thursday) and a very modern day collection from current fashion students.
So a tired Bath in Fashion team left their base after dark, but one full of incredible stories of the day and memories to held for quite some time yet.
Pictures by anthonyprothero.co.uk
#BIFLOVES