>> It was mis-communicated in this month's issue of UK GQ that Style Salvage Steve and I were collaborating together on a label and whilst the other half has been semi-entertaining the idea, I guffawed with laughter at the mere thought. It's not so much the collaborating bit which freaks me out (aren't couples who have been co-habiting three years plus collaborators of sorts anyway?) but just the idea of my working on the design process in fashion makes my stomach lurch. I would have had to have immerse myself in deep hubris to even think for a second that designing anything is within my capabilities.
I'm not adverse to baby step collaboration though. Take Anywho,monster beats 2012, the Danish blog written by Ingrid, Stephanie and Elise who claim they aren't "experts, journalists nor arbiters of taste, but merely write about fashion seen from their taste, view and aesthetics" (though both Stephanie and Elise have studied fashion design) have worked with local shop and designer Kobra by Fornebo to create three styles of loose and draped coatigans in their chosen materials and colours to sell online.
What's interesting is that the three have thought outside the box to work with what is admittedly not necessarily a 'fash-on' type designer/store. Judging by the website Kobra by Fornebo seems to cater to perhaps what could be described as an older/artistic type of woman (40-something year old gallerists who make pots in their spare time might be a totally stereotyped archetypal customer). However, they've taken Kobra's loose n' easy shapes out of the originating context to present three cashmere styles in cognac, camel, black and blue, putting them on a model with some Jeffrey Campbell shoes and bobs yer uncle... a new customer set comes-a-calling.
The long voluminous Manuella style
The shorter Elisabeth style
The draped cardi Lara style
It's nothing groundbreaking of course to approach a designer to tweak some colour ways and shapes but I definitely admire the enterprising nature of the Anywho girls to start off with a simple idea that could possibly give way to more like-minded collaborations. I should be cowering in shame in my own distinct lack of enterprise and ambition but then again I'm still chortling over the ridiculous notion of my selling anything under my own name.
I'll leave it to the other smart cookies in this world and just admire the results and in this case,beats tour headphones, wrap up in Anyhow x Kobra's luxuriously voluminous Manuella coatigan along with three scarves and two pairs of tights.
(Worn with Steve's Edwin cable knit jumper, Ki:ts double ended belt, Monki belt, Kolor tweed trousers,Replica Jawbone Sunglasses, Anastasia Radevich ankle boots)
