Fashion Boutique

British Fashion, 2nd March 1967









Carnaby Street, London 23rd May 1964

Mary Quant was one of the first designers to open up to the world her ideas on a hanger in the fashion industry when she opened up her boutique Bazaar in 1955 on London Kings Road. The sixties symbolised liberalism and freedom of expression.
Fashion designers were now experimenting and breaking the classical mould of the use of material now trying various textiles to achieve innovating shapes, patterns, colours and most of all the imagination to think outside the box. Below are a number of Fashion designers that helped to shaped and influence the fashion styles you see in the high street.
There are so many not mentioned but the designers below give a broad spectrum of innovation that is still evolving through our present designers and new designers that are emerging worldwide. Fashion has reached to globally thanks to the media and TV portal, and with this we are privileged to know more designers that have been inspirational of the 21^st century. With this insight we know have a global event of fashion shows from Europe, United States, Banana Republic to the United Kingdom.
We have models that are now reaching epic proportions and all because of the power of the press. You know not only have the catwalk queen for best model; you have face of the year, movies, endorsements, advertisements, shopping mall shows and sponsorship deals. The life of the model is in healthy hands. But unfortunately life on the high street for the Boutique has almost lost its very meaning, the same boutiques that today’s fashion shops have based themselves upon.

The Boutique represented the specialization of elite and fashionable items such as clothing and jewelry, one-of-a-kind but more generally speaking. Instead the majority of these elite shops have succumbed to the mass market selling of generic catwalk copies. This was a place that you could measure yourself in a stylish sense of the latest trend.
We have the talented designers the ideas, but not the high street portal to showcase the styles in fashion that everyone benchmarked them with, the Boutique. We want our place of distinction back; we don’t want to find these fashion pieces of art clustered in the store of mass market production on the high street in well known stores that are selling them in the very same style of a boutique.
They just pepper dust designers work of art all about the shop floor and make out as though they were produced by themselves. The next time you browse around the shop store, notice how many fashion designer names there are, you will be surprised.

Counterculture

Although distinct countercultural undercurrents have existed in many societies from time to time, here the term "counterculture" refers to a more significant, visible phenomenon that reaches critical mass, flowers and persists for a period of time. A countercultural movement expresses the ethos, aspirations, and dreams of a specific population during an era.

As with any counter culture revolution, it normally flowers with the youth and eventually blossoms to the social mainstream with such innovative effect. The coming counter culture evolution is something in society that was simmering in the background detected but not given any credence.

We are talking about a change that was once voluntary in the concept of thought amongst people but is now becoming more apparent with the media coverage around the world of events and scientific updates warning of the planets decline attributed by the worlds over use of consumerism and manufacturing. We have the atmosphere ozone damage, climate changes, mineral resources shortages, energy resources declining, textile materials diminishing.

Ecology movement

The global ecology movement is based upon environmental protection, and is one of several new social movements that emerged at the end of the sixties. As a values-driven social movement, it should be distinguished from the pre-existing science of ecology.

Ecology is the scientific study of the distribution and abundance of life and the interactions between organisms and their natural environment. The environment of an organism includes physical properties, which can be described as the sum of local abiotic factors such as insolation (sunlight), climate, and geology, and biotic ecosystem, which includes other organisms that share its habitat.

The word "ecology" is often used more loosely in such terms as social ecology and deep ecology and in common parlance as a synonym for the natural environment or environmentalism. Likewise "ecologic" or "ecological" is often taken in the sense of environmentally friendly.

The term ecology or oekologie was coined by the German biologist Ernst Haeckel in 1866, when he defined it as "the comprehensive science of the relationship of the organism to the environment. Haeckel did not elaborate on the concept, and the first significant textbook on the subject (together with the first university course) was written by the Danish botanist, Eugenius Warming. For this early work, Warming is often identified as the founder of ecology.

This is going to the way forward in the fashion industry as it will come to a point when resources will diminish so bad, the only course will be to embrace the new age of organic textiles.

Future cultural mainstream fashion

Clothes and textiles - Organic textiles

Replacing cotton with organic textiles is slowly being marketed by the likes of UK Soil Association. Other Clothing items can be manufactured:-

It's not just cotton – organic leather jackets and sheepskin rugs are available, and you can even knit your own jumpers using organic wool. Find suppliers in the Organic Directory.

The Soil Association has formed an organic directory that lists a category of textiles and companies certified by them.

Fashion Designer Bio’s

Prue Acton

Born 1943 – Australia (Benalla, Victoria) Fashion Designer Prue a central figure in the Australian fashion industry for thirty years, established a fashion design in the 1963 in Flinders lane, Melbourne. Acton's repertoire of styles and design elements have included: 'gangster' pants suit; the baby vamp; the mini skirt; pintucked baby doll; the cat suit; the romantic look; capes; leatherwear; hardware (chains, brass buttons, studs); the pants dress; culottes; battle jackets; peasant style; cut-outs, the wet look; the maxi; the tunic top; the coat dress; fun faux fur; the midi; delta style; poncho; the layered look; bib and braces; gaucho; animal prints; little knitted tops; cropped jackets; Beardsley-influenced prints; the tartar look; the tapestry look; mix and match; pinafore pants; hotpants; brickie knickers; patchwork suede’s.

Ossie Clark

Ossie Clark was a fashion designer who was famous for outrageous designs for the rich and famous mainly in the 1970’s but started as a leading figure in the Swinging Sixties in London. Ossie is now famous for his vintage designs, the contemporary fashion era being characterised by past influences and a retro feel.

Today, Ossie Clark vintage clothing is highly collectible where many of his dresses fetch hundreds of pounds and he is the celebrity’s choice when it comes to wearing vintage fashion.

Mary Quant

Mary Quant was one of the designers who took acclamation for the creation of the miniskirt and hot pants. Born to Welsh parents, Quant studied at Goldsmiths College before taking a job with a couture milliner. She is also famous for her outstanding work on pop art in fashion. In the modern climate Mary Quant no longer designs clothes but her unique style is instantly recognisable by vintage enthusiasts throughout the world because of the unique “daisy” insignia that adorns her range of clothing.

Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood is a fashion designer famous for introducing modern punk and new wave fashions into the high street during the 1970s. She is associated with the Sex Pistols through Malcolm McLaren and their popular boutique on Kings Road, Chelsea during the 1970s which had a wide range of loud, erotic and punk fashion and of course some stunning platform shoe. Now a political activists she still designs for a more mainstream audience and her brand is readily available via her chain of boutiques - but you can still see her unique style which is why vintage lovers’ crave for her originals.

Biba - Barbara Hulanick

Biba was an inspirational and popular fashion boutique in the 1960s and 1970s. Under founder Barbara Hulanicki the brand of Biba revolutionised consumer fashion by lowering prices so that trend followers could afford the latest cutting designs of the era. In 1975 Biba went under but the Art Deco influenced fashion house was re-introduced in May, 2006 but it is the early pieces of vintage clothes that fetch hundreds of pounds at auction today.

Jean Varon (John Bates)

John Bates is perhaps the most under rated of all the important British fashion designers. Working in the golden age of the “boutiques” in the 60s John Bates designed under another name - Jean Varon and under this label Bates contributed a wide range of youthful designs to the 60s and 70s fashion picture. Bates is best known for designing black leather costumes for Diana Rigg in the role of Emma Peel in the British TV series The Avengers.

Pierre Cardin

Pierre Cardin was born on July 7, 1922, near Venice, Italy, to the parents of French origin. His father was a wine maker and was preparing his son to take over the family trade.

Young Cardin was fond of ballet and theatre, he was dreaming of an acting career, and was also fascinated with the beauty of costumes and stage designs. In 1936, at the age of 14, he started as a tailor's assistant. In 1945 Cardin moved to Paris, France. There he studied architecture and worked with Paquin, then with Schiaparelli. In 1945 Cardin met Jean Cocteau and Christian Berard with whom he made numerous costumes and masks for several films, such as 'Beauty and the Beast' (1946). In 1947 he began to work for 'Christian Dior'. In 1950 Cardin created his own fashion house on Rue Richepanse in Paris.

Andre Courrèges

Courrèges, André, 1923–, French fashion designer whose designs were especially popular and influential during the 1960s. He worked for the couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga from 1950 to 1961, when he opened his own house. Often using white, Courréges created space-age, unisex styles and is known for dresses and trouser suits featuring straight, flat lines and sheer tops that sometimes sported cut-outs.

He is often credited with the invention of the miniskirt, which he frequently paired with shiny white boots. He later experimented with such looks as “gladiator” and ethnic outfits.

Foal & Tuffin

Marion Foal

Sally Tuffin

After graduating from Walthamstow Art School, friends Marion Foale and Sally Tuffin studied at the Royal College of Art under Janey Ironside, then head of the diploma course in fashion design. Determined not to make 'elderly clothes' for an established manufacturer, they set up their own business in 1961. Under the Foale and Tuffin label they created a range of bright, fun dresses, skirts and tops, which they sold through department stores and their shop in Carnaby Street. They were among the first to experiment with making women's trousers into flattering, sexy garments.Sally Tuffin is now a ceramicist, and Marion Foale designs knitwear

Emilio Pucci

Emilio Pucci (Marchese Emilio Pucci di Barsento), 1914-92, Italian fashion designer. After establishing showrooms in Florence, Capri, and Rome, he began his signature look with elegant sportswear, especially ski outfits. He created his own multicoloured printed fabrics with geometric and organic patterns for use mainly on thin silk blouses and women's shirts. He used brilliant colours in silks, bulky knit sweaters, underclothes, scarves, and towels. His designs included accessories, perfumes, and objects Nina Ricci Couture house in 1950 became famous for his use of bold patterns, and brilliant colour. He became a member of the Italian parliament in 1965.

Nina Ricci

Italian by birth (born in Turin Italy, 1883) and French by upbringing (moved to France in 1900), Nina Ricci founded her company in 1932 when she was 49 years old. Together with her son Robert, they started in a one-room atelier wherein in 7 years, the business had expanded to occupy 3 buildings. Nina Ricci started as an apprentice dressmaker at 14 in Paris. When she was 18, she was already designing and selling her creations to other fashion houses. Her genius does not lie in making something revolutionary, but more on making the female form more feminine. Leaning on haute couture during that time, Nina Ricci is a master of draping and can make a dress very special to her wealthy client by adding something special in the detailing for the wearer that makes the dress her own. There is always ease of movement in her clothes, yet keeping its femininity. In short, it was the woman wearing it that made the clothes.

Paco Rabanne

Rabanedacuervo is a fashion designer who was born on 18 February 1934 in Saint Sebastian of the Basque Country of Spain. He fled Spain for France with his mother when the Spanish Civil War broke out. He originally had an architect's education but became known as the enfant terrible of French fashion world in the 1960s. Brief introduction on the history of fashion design and designers Fashion design is the art dedicated to the creation of wearing apparel and lifestyle.

Yves Saint Laurent

The Past and the Present Fashion Designer Yves Saint Laurent was born 1936 in Oran, Algeria. After winning first prize in the International Wool Secretariat contest for his asymmetrical cocktail dress in 1954, Saint Laurent went immediately to work for Christian Dior. Saint Laurent became Haute Couture designer when Dior died in 1957. He introduced the trapeze dress in his first collection for Dior in 1958. He was replaced by Mark Bohen in 1960, when he fulfilled his military obligations. Afterwards, he opened his own couture house, financed by Pierre Berge, in 1962. The Rive Gauche boutiques for women were established in 1966, and men's wear was added in 1974. His CEO is still Pierre Berge, volatile critic of the Chambre Syndicale. His muse has been Catherine Deneuve for many years. Saint Laurent frequently uses ethnic themes in his garments, as well as bright colours contrasted with black. His day clothes have a slightly masculine flavour, and his luxurious evening wear is tinged with fantasy. He is famous for "Le Smoking" tuxedo jacket, see-through blouses (1968), peasant blouses, bolero jackets, pantsuits, and smocks. Although a shy person, Saint Laurent believes he is the last true couturier. He maintains the highest standards of classic cut and tailoring, and he receives a standing ovation after every collection is presented.

Roger Vivier

Roger Vivier was a French fashion designer born in 1913, who specialized in shoes. He died in 1998. His best known creation was the Stiletto heel. He designed extravagant richly-decorated shoes that he described as sculptures. He is credited with the invention of the stiletto heel by using a thin rod of steel encased in wood or plastic to support the wearer's weight. He has been called the "Fragonard of the shoe" and his shoes "the Faberge of footwear" by critics.
Ava Gardner, Gloria Guinness, Queen Elizabeth II and The Beatles were all Vivier customers.

Carla Zampatti

Born in Italy, Carla settled with her family in Australia in 1950. In 1965, she produced her first small collection for Zampatti Pty Limited, followed two years later by a national launch, and in 1970, by the establishment of Carla Zampatti Limited, a label that was to become a by-word for beautiful clothes, which combine Australian creativity with Italian style. Over the years, she has continually expanded her retail network to create a chain of 30 Carla Zampatti boutiques and concept stores across Australia. Today her clothes are a distinctive part of the modern Australian lifestyle.

Bob Schulz

His ready-to-wear designs were all the rage in American stores, from Bloomingdale's and Bendel's in New York to Neiman Marcus of Dallas. In 1967, Women's Wear Daily described Schulz as looking like "a young Kirk Douglas – and his clothes look terribly right... typical of the new wave of London designers combining classic good tailoring with a young mood". In London, during the Swinging Sixties, Schulz’s designs were ubiquitous, always wearable and feminine and refreshingly free of gimmickry. He enjoyed a huge success in the UK with Young Jaeger, the line he pioneered and ran from 1959 until 1965, when he accepted an irresistible offer from the Milan store La Rinascente and moved to Italy for several years.

SovaCollection Fashion Boutique

Organic cosmetics - is it organic?

The market for natural and organic cosmetics has exploded in recent years, helped by the rising ranks of "green" consumers who are ready to pay a premium for environmentally friendly goods. Or, at least, goods that they perceive to be environmentally friendly: growth in this niche market has been driven by consumer concerns "over the perceived harmful effects of man-made chemicals rather than a desire to support the organic farming industry.

With this urgency of changing lifestyle and the way we use food and cosmetics; Consumers are haphazardly changing their buying habits with cosmetics. Changing to organic cosmetic products, which in itself is fantastic to know that contribution to the environment of saving and using products that are less demanding to our resources is good.

But so many people are not researching enough into an un-tested arena of products relatively new to the market, in some cases untested. This makes the need even more important for people to be extra vigilant in choosing products and to read and know what they are buying into.

With the emphasis on "green living" became an increasingly hot issue, makers of products are pushing natural and ethical claims as a way to differentiate their goods; Cosmetics design Europe, According to preliminary research from Organic Monitor, the European market for natural and organic cosmetics is continuing to grow as consumers seek out products that are ‘chemically-clean’ as well as having eco-friendly qualities.

Large retailers, like Wal-Mart Stores in the United States, or Tesco in Britain, have all started their own lines branded as natural and organic, competing with established cosmetic brands like Estée Lauder and Kiehl's. Consumers can buy almost any toiletry in an organic form, from body scrub and face cleanser to lip balm and shampoo.

Yet the labeling of "organic and natural" cosmetics is virtually unregulated by governments, leaving consumers to rely on industry self-regulation. Some companies have adopted private certification rules developed by groups like the French organic certifier Ecocert, the Soil Association in Britain and the recently established Oasis, or Organic and Sustainable Industry Standards, in the United States.

So what you have is a confusing worldwide separate body governing their own country, but globally everyone is confused as to what consensus agreement to have as regards to an agreed formula for what constitutes as Organic in the industry.

Made from organic means no hydrogenation, sulfation or synthetic preservation of ingredients are allowed, nor are any petrochemicals allowed, and 70 percent organic content is required. Now to a lot of people that is not what they are looking for, when it comes to information. Consumers what to know what is bad for them and to know how do I know the product I am looking at is genuine organic?

There is a growing concern that inadequate regulation of the personal care industry "is going to destroy consumer confidence in the integrity of the organic program, which is essentially a 'truth in advertising' labeling program."

Cosmetics Toxic Ingredients
Instead of simply relying on labels that read “organic,” you should look at the label and choose products that contain few or no artificial fragrances or other unwanted items. If you need to do research on the ingredients in your cosmetics to make sure you are making a wise decision, Information can be obtained of the latest reviews into the safety and progress of the use of organic products.
The cosmetic, toiletry and fragrance association is now the personal care products council


Toxic Cosmetics

The skin is the largest organ of the body. It is our most important immune defence barrier and our largest organ for eliminating waste. Substances applied to the skin can get absorbed into the blood stream. Some experts say that up to 60% of substances applied to the skin can be absorbed into the blood stream.

Many of the skincare products on the market call themselves natural but they are actually full of chemicals. Skincare products only need 1% of natural ingredients to call themselves natural! It is a misleading marketing trick but it sells and it is not illegal.

There are thousands of petroleum based chemicals used in the cosmetics industry - mineral oils and mineral emulsifiers, artificial colours, perfumes and preservatives. Many of them are highly toxic and they can cause all kinds of health problems. Some of them can be absorbed into the skin and even into the blood stream. They can cause all kinds of health problems such as respiratory problems, skin rashes, premature ageing, headaches, cancer etc.

The following is a list of some of the nasty ingredients to watch out for.
Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS)
Sodium Laureth Sufate
Ammonium Laureth Sulphate (family of SLS)
Aluminium
Animal fat
DEA, MEA, TEA
Dioxins
Elastin
Formaldehyde
Fragrance
Flourocarbons
Mineral Oil
Petrolatum
Padimate-0
Imidazolidiny, Urea and DMDM Hydantoin
PVP/VA Copolymer
Synthetic Colours
Propylene Glycol - Used in antifreeze and also used in caustic spray-on oven cleaners

Fragrance on a label can indicate the presence of up to four thousand separate ingredients, many toxic or carcinogenic.
Symptoms reported to the USA FDA include headaches, dizziness, allergic rashes, skin discoloration, violent coughing and vomiting, and skin irritation. Clinical observation proves fragrances can affect the central nervous system, causing depression, hyperactivity, and irritability.

Mineral Oils, Emulsifiers and Waxes
Mineral oils are detrimental to the skin, they coat the skin like plastic, interfering with the bodies healthy functioning, blocking pores and inhibiting the skins ability to eliminate toxins. Some of them sit on the surface of the skin, clogging the pores and making germs more likely to get in and toxins less likely to get out of your body. Mineral oils do not give any nourishment to the skin because they do not contain fatty acids and therefore have no affinity with the skin and cannot be absorbed by the skin.

Ingredients in some products

1. Antibacterial Overuse of antibacterial can prevent them from effectively fighting disease-causing germs like E. coli and Salmonella enterica. Triclosan, widely used in soaps, toothpastes and deodorants, has been detected in breast milk, and one recent study found that it interferes with testosterone activity in cells. Numerous studies have found that washing with regular soap and warm water is just as effective at killing germs.

2. Coal Tar Coal tar is a known human carcinogen used as an active ingredient in dandruff shampoos and anti-itch creams. Coal-tar-based dyes such as FD&C Blue 1, used in toothpastes, and FD&C Green 3, used in mouthwash, have been found to be carcinogenic in animal studies when injected under skin.

3. Diethanolamine (DEA) DEA is a possible hormone disruptor, has shown limited evidence of carcinogenicity and depletes the body of choline needed for fetal brain development. DEA can also show up as a contaminant in products containing related chemicals, such as cocamide DEA.

4. 1, 4-Dioxane 1, 4-Dioxane is a known animal carcinogen and a possible human carcinogen that can appear as a contaminant in products containing sodium laureth sulfate and ingredients that include the terms "PEG," "-xynol," "ceteareth," "oleth" and most other ethoxylated "eth" ingredients. The FDA monitors products for the contaminant but has not yet recommended an exposure limit. Manufacturers can remove dioxane through a process called vacuum stripping, but a small amount usually remains. A 2007 survey by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found that most children's bath products contain 10 parts per million or less, but an earlier 2001 survey by the FDA found levels in excess of 85 parts per million.

5. Formaldehyde Formaldehyde has a long list of adverse health effects, including immune-system toxicity, respiratory irritation and cancer in humans. Yet it still turns up in baby bath soap, nail polish, and eyelash adhesive and hair dyes as a contaminant or break-down product of diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea and quaternium compounds.

6. Fragrance The catchall term "fragrance" may mask phthalates, which act as endocrine disruptors and may cause obesity and reproductive and developmental harm. Avoid phthalates by selecting essential-oil fragrances instead.

7. Lead and Mercury Neurotoxic lead may appear in products as a naturally occurring contaminant of hydrated silica, one of the ingredients in toothpaste, and lead acetate is found in some brands of men's hair dye. Brain-damaging mercury, found in the preservative thimerosol, is used in some mascara.

8. Nanoparticles Tiny nanoparticles, which may penetrate the skin and damage brain cells, are appearing in an increasing number of cosmetics and sunscreens. Most problematic are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles, used in sunscreens to make them transparent. When possible, look for sunscreens containing particles of these ingredients larger than 100 nanometers. You'll most likely need to call companies to confirm sizes, but a few manufacturers have started advertising their lack of nanoparticle-sized ingredients on labels.

9. Parabens (methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, butyl-, isobutyl-) Parabens, which have weak estrogenic effects, are common preservatives that appear in a wide array of toiletries. A study found that butyl paraben damaged sperm formation in the testes of mice, and a relative, sodium methylparaben, is banned in cosmetics by the E.U. Parabens break down in the body into p-hydroxybenzoic acid, which has estrogenic activity in human breast-cancer cell cultures.

10. Petroleum Distillates Possible human carcinogens, petroleum distillates are prohibited or restricted for use in cosmetics in the E.U. but are found in several U.S. brands of mascara, foot-odour powder and other products. Look out for the terms "petroleum" or "liquid paraffin."

11. P-Phenylenediamine Commonly found in hair dyes, this chemical can damage the nervous system, cause lung irritation and cause severe allergic reactions. It's also listed as 1, 4-Benzenediamine; p-Phenyldiamine and 4-Phenylenediamine.

12. HydroquinoneFound in skin lighteners and facial moisturizers, hydroquinone is neurotoxic and allergenic, and there's limited evidence that it may cause cancer in lab animals. It may also appear as an impurity not listed on ingredients labels.





Organic Cosmetics Governing Bodies
To be called 'organic' a product has to be certified as having met the criteria set by the organic-certifying body of the country it is produced in. Unfortunately, there is currently no international standard and so each country independently decides its own criteria for defining 'organic'.

However, one European certification organisation, ECOCERT, is now recognised in 70 countries. Here in the UK organic certification is given by the Soil Association, which has the most comprehensive organic standards worldwide for health and beauty products.

The Soil Association launched its standards for health and beauty products in 2002 and now certifies a wide range of companies and products to the standards. The standards were launched in response to companies that were making organic beauty products that wanted independent verification that was geared towards these types of products, and also in response to consumers who wanted to know which products truly were organic.

Representatives of UK, Europe & US
ECOCERT - France
OASIS – USA
SOIL Association – UK
Cosmetic organic standard- Europe

At last: decision on European natural cosmetics standard
It took several years of negotiations to reconcile all the interests of the important labellers of natural cosmetics in Europe but, since 3 November 2008, the new European guidelines for certified natural cosmetics have been on the internet, and they will come into force in January 2009. The new standard will make it possible to compare products, and the conditions for international trade will be improved. Passing the guidelines has brought to an end an intensive round of many discussions by the certification organisations Ecocert (France), the Soil Association (Great Britain), AIAB/ICEA (Italy), Ekogarantie (Belgium) and BDIH (Germany).

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