Draping and Honesty from Jean Pierre Braganza

"The only way that any new design concept will really come to light is when aliens come to earth and teach us new things."

And so the draping session with LFW designer Jean Pierre Braganza began. The self proclaimed heavy metal thrasher (hence the NIN song! They are his fave!) and sci-fi geek took a few hours out of his hectic schedule to teach us a basic draping lesson in the middle of Selfridges.

The draping aside (it was a super basic session to be fair), there were some serious life and fashion business related pointers that JPB was all to happy to impart. Frankly - it is this type of lesson that all aspiring designers need before entering the real world!

                   

 

Tips:

1. Take your time once you graduate and don't necessarily jump right in and use your name as your label name (although this is what he did!) It isn't an easy business and if it fails, you have not wasted your business name on a fledgling learning venture.

2. Be realistic about the fact that fashion is a business and isn't necessarily for arts sake - someone has to wear it! Jean Pierre's most interesting point was that many people in fashion are of the mindset "Ya well, I think outside the box" Which is absolutely fine but they seem to forget altogether that the box still exists!

3. Be kind to people. It is a very small world and an incestuous business and sometimes it pays to be on the right side of people. (And why not? Who wants to be a nasty fashion hag anyway?!)

4. Many opportunities and offers may come up but stick to what you want for yourself and your brand. You may be offered a lot of money but you may have to give up something you don't wan't to - is it worth it?

5. Push yourself. Jean Pierre is not financially backed as a designer and has had to be very frugal and decisive about the steps that he takes in his business.

6. Surround yourself with people who inspire you. JPB has kept his friends very close as they are mostly strong and intelligent females who know their own minds and have something to say about the world. On top of powerful alien fantasy women, these act as his muses.

7. Put on some loud music, light up a cigarette and get lost in draping through the night in whatever you have that can act as a studio. This is where his best (and worst!) design idea's have come from.

8. Allow yourself to have 2 parts. The strong, driven, business side and the real, down to earth, childlike version of yourself as both of these will shine through when you need them to. 

9. Know what home is and go there, as time so easily slips by and you may one day realise that there was something there you were missing.

Thanks for the lesson Jean Pierre! You have armed me with some great knowledge and I shall  enter this industry with the mind of a realist, the inspiring friends of my childhood and I hope to still think outside the box but might use it as a stool to sit on during a 2:00AM break from draping in my studio....

Simone Rocha Has The Best Laugh We Have Ever Heard!

Vogue's Jessica Bumpus leads the talk with the stunning Simone Rocha

With all the prep that has been going on at Pandora’s Thoughts for the impending London Fashion Week, I was contemplating hooking a caffeine drip straight to my veins as Jordanna & I made our way to Selfridges on Wednesday night. Little did I know, the best pick-me-up I could have hoped for was waiting for us in store, by way of the genuine article that is Simone Rocha.

Arriving a little early on the 3^rd floor of the renowned department store, Jordanna of course dragged me to Cos first to squeeze in a little jacket oogling before it all kicked off (and believe me when I say, she knows the price of every item without looking!).

As we made our way to the Bright Young Things section, a few more people had congregated around the table spilling over the edges with printed look books, press cuttings and surrounding garments. Everyone took their seats – or giant chess piece stools – and the lovely Vogue.com fashion journalist Jessica Bumpus, who was leading the talk, dove straight in by introducing Simone, who by the way could not be mistaken for anyone else but John Rocha’s daughter!

Simone was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland and graduated from The National College of Art & Design with a BA in Fashion. Although for Simone, being the daughter of a fashion designer, college was not her first introduction to the world of fashion, so when was it?

“Oh I worked this out the other day” she recalls “I was born and then my dad had a show, so I was about 6 months old”. Most people who have memories from that young an age remember being in their pram looking out at the world, however Simone’s would be of looking out at the catwalk world, which would certainly go some way towards explaining why fashion is as she puts it “in my blood”. 

She goes on to explain that she started off helping out at shows when she was just 11 years old, to the point of heavily assisting at 16. It’s no wonder she was aware of the smart move she was making when she chose to follow her heart to London and do her Fashion MA at Central Saint Martin’s under Louise Wilson.

CSM’s Louise Wilson, who has been described as razor tongued and lacking in tact to say the very least, immediately kicked it out of Simone whose daughter she was and encouraged her to be her own person with her own talent, and let me tell you that looking at the creations on mannequins either side of us I could only think – damn straight!

Since starting her MA, to graduating, to now, I think it would be fairly accurate to say things have snowballed for Simone. She has seen many sides of the fashion industry which she feels has given her a more rounded vision of all the aspects which go into everything coming together(making her dream a reality), and includes playing the editorial intern at French Vogue and D&C, to running around collecting vintage pieces for Marc Jacobs in New York.

And how does it feel to be snapped up for Lulu Kennedy’s pioneering initiative Fashion East?

“I feel extremely lucky to have the opportunity, especially as I think London is the best place for young designers”. It’s not surprising, but show’s her natural humility, that Simone feels lucky, because Fashion East meant that barely 6 months after graduating from CSM she was making her debut at London Fashion Week…scary?


“It’s definitely more nerve wracking to do it as a student” she harkens back to the excitement and nervousness of last September, “You want to do something fresh and interesting while you are still trying to develop your identity and that’s difficult”.

It was an amazing opportunity to sit and hear Simone speak about her incredible work and what is in store for her in the future. We can't wait to see what she shows this week! And we just have to say, she really does have he best laugh we have ever heard. Wraspy and full and real - just perfect!