Front Row To Front Bench Podcast

For this episode of the Front Row to Front Bench podcast, Tamara Cincik speaks with writer, fashion critic and curator Charlie Porter about his new book, ‘Bring No Clothes: Bloomsbury and the Philosophy of Fashion' published by Penguin Random House. 

Charlie is one of the most influential fashion journalists of his time, and has written for the likes of the Guardian and iD magazine, as well as co-running the London queer rave Chapter 10. 

The book, rather wonderfully, uses clothing as a way to look at six iconic Bloomsbury figures, while seamlessly addressing the evolution of how we dress today. This leads on to the fact that clothing can be an intellectual and sexual liberation, or conversely an instrument for patriarchal power.

The book came about after Charlie was asked to curate an exhibition called ‘Bring No Clothes: Bloomsbury and Fashion,’ at Charleston in Lewes. Through the inaugural exhibition Charlie explored the dynamic relationship between the Bloomsbury group. Here, clothing provided a route into learning more about the key figures in the Bloomsbury group and how, for some, fashion provided a language with which to explore their break away from tradition. This ultimately fed into the process of researching and writing his book. 

The conversation centres around the beginnings of the Bloomsbury group, who were at the vanguard of a social and sartorial revolution. Virgina Woolfe and her sister Vanessa Bell escaped to Bloomsbury from an oppressive and abusive upbringing, rejecting the fashions of the time for something new and this is unpicked. 

Homosocialism comes into the conversation where Charlie discusses his own experience of being gay from a working class background, and connecting this to E. M Forster and his struggle to be gay. The connection between Isabella Blow and Lady Ottoline Morrell is also explored by Tamara and the similarities of how they hosted and nurtured talent, but were mocked relentlessly. 

Finally, Charlie and Tamara talk about Vanessa Bell and the way she made her own clothes and how this has played out in a life-changing way for Charlie where he now makes his own clothes with a new philosophy of living and consuming fashion.

 

To learn more about Charlie’s amazing work or to buy the book, click below: 

 

Buy the book here 

Follow Charlie Porter here

Bring No Clothes: Bloomsbury and Fashion: Exhibition details here 

Book tickets to visit Charleston House here

Victoria Jenkins co-chairs our Representation and Inclusion Committee and is a garment technologist with 14 years of experience in the fashion industry who became Disabled in her 20s. She is behind the sustainable adaptive fashion brand Unhidden. The idea was born after a chance encounter with a woman with cancer that changed the course of her life. As she watched the woman during her own hospital stay, she realised that there were no adaptive clothes on the market and this is how Unhidden was born. 

Now Victoria is listed as one of Vogue’s Top 25 Powerhouse Women, redefining Britain and co-presents and designs on Channel 4’s Unique Boutique. A must-watch where inclusive fashion lovers and designers create bespoke outfits for every-body in a custom-built shop. 

Meg Pirie and Victoria speak about future plans for a not-for-profit arm of Unhidden, training people with disabilities and chronic health conditions how to sew adaptive alterations so they can then work as and when they choose making adaptive alterations for any one who doesn't sew. There are also plans for workshops that will cover how to adapt clothing you already own yourself so there is no barrier to accessing adaptive clothing and re-loving your existing wardrobes.

Finally, Victoria shares her key policy asks to ultimately make fashion more inclusive.

A full transcript can be found on our Substack here. 

To learn more about Victoria’s amazing work:

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Simon Costin's journey into fashion might be described as a happy accident – when a student at Central Saint Martins wanted to borrow some of his conceptual jewellery – little did Simon realise the designer would turn out to be the eponymous #AlexanderMcQueen and the start of a firm creative working friendship. Simon talks of other industry heavyweights he has collaborated with, from legendary artist and filmmaker #DerekJarman, to his work more recently with Gareth Pugh and Charles Jeffrey and existing within this highly creative oxygen.

As well as his work as a leading British fashion-set-designer, Simon runs two museums: the British Folklore Museum and the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic. The British Folklore Museum exists to promote, celebrate and revitalise the folk heritage of Britain. The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic was established in 1949 and is the world’s largest collection of objects related to witchcraft and the occult.

This halloween at midnight will be Simon’s 10th year anniversary of being the present custodian of the Museum. The conversation leads to the fact that witchcraft is having a revival of interest and Tamara’s obsession with Powell and Pressburger. Simon’s recent project curating the exhibition for the  BFI Southbank – #PowellandPressburger, ‘The Red Shoes Beyond The Mirror’ opening 10th November leads to more on Powell and Pressburger’s subversive and  breathtakingly inventive cannon. 

You can follow Simon Costin here

 The British Folklore Museum

https://www.instagram.com/museum_of_british_folklore/?hl=en  

 The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic 

https://www.instagram.com/museum_of_witchcraft_and_magic/?hl=en

Tickets to the British Film Institute Southbank ‘The Red Shoes Beyond The Mirror’ – more here

In 2019, Alden Wicker was asked to comment on a lawsuit that was being filed by a Delta flight attendant against Lands’ End, because the newly introduced uniform had caused a myriad of health issues, such as skin rashes, shortness of breath, hair loss, anaphylaxis and in one instance death. 

 In her book, ‘To Dye For’, award-winning journalist and sustainability expert, Alden Wicker, decided to break the story of unregulated toxic chemicals in fashion and their impacts on health and wellbeing. 

 Historically, in The Victorian era, women garment workers dyed fabrics using arsenic green dyes, and the blame lay on the women for consuming this fashion and not the men who owned the factories or dye houses. Skip forward to this century and the issue remains the same. In her research, Alden discovered the patriarchal issue that almost all of the experts and consultants were male, when it is the women who are far more likely to be affected by the toxins that are in fashion in every way. 

What follows is a candid conversation about how dyes can affect our immune systems; how this affects women far more – from those working in fashion, to those consuming fashion, and those in caretaking roles of children with ailments such as asthma. In the US, endocrine disruptors were found in school uniforms, and so Alden talks in detail about ways in which we can reduce our exposure, including staying away from items with productivity promises such as ‘easy care’ or ultra fast-fashion with drop shipping. 

The conversation leads to how we can better legislate against these issues. Particularly with new trade deals in the pipeline, deregulation on textiles and dyes could result in a saturation of fast fashion. 

 

To buy Alden Wicker’s book:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dye-Toxic-Fashion-Making-Fight/dp/0593422619 

Hive books:

https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Alden-Wicker/To-Dye-For--How-Toxic-Fashion-Is-Making-Us-Sick---and-How-We-Can-Fight-Back/28571586 

 

Read our 'in conversation' interview with Alden here: https://www.fashionroundtable.co.uk/news/in-converstion-with-alden-wicker 

 

Publisher:  Penguin Random House 

Website: EcoCult 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aldenwicker/ 

Instagram: EcoCult 

An honest and thought-provoking conversation – Public Policy Editor Peter Foster of the Financial Times, speaks with Tamara Cincik about his book, ‘What Went Wrong With Brexit: And What We Can Do About It’. 

Foster is one of the few editors who is tracking Brexit and the ever adjusting life after the single market. A fashion-centred conversation of what leaving has meant for business; the realities of the barriers to trade; the confrontational relationship which ‘Brexit at all costs’ has created between ministers, civil servants and industry; and the need for policymakers to make decisions based on the reality of the issues that industry as a whole is facing. 

Finally, while there’s no quick fix, Foster describes the importance of the relationships that are negotiated moving forward with the EU and the call for transparency about the trade-offs that come with trade deals. 

To buy Peter Foster’s book, follow this link:

https://www.waterstones.com/book/what-went-wrong-with-brexit/peter-foster/9781805301257

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterfostertelegraphjournalist/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/pmdfoster 

 

More on how Brexit has affected the fashion sector: 

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1431a1e5dd5b754be2e0e9/t/63309fbfdcdec6661dbcc7e1/1664131009325/Fashion+Roundtable_Brexit+FollowUp+Report_060521.pdf 

 

Not to be missed! As #SecondhandSeptember ramps up, Tamara Cincik speaks with vintage queen Bay Garnett. Drawing on their shared backgrounds as international stylists, they discuss how second-hand shopping allows for a more creative and dynamic experience to storytell through clothes – sustainably; the iconic Anita Pallenburg; Bay’s iconic ‘banana top’; getting to the source of iconic designer inspiration via vintage and charity shops; and of course Bay’s collaboration with Oxfam for #SecondhandSeptember and her concept to extrapolate the idea into a visual fashion campaign. 

Website: https://www.baygarnett.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baygarnett/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bay_garnett?lang=en 

 

For more on Secondhand September and statistics, please visit: https://www.oxfam.org.uk/get-involved/second-hand-september/ 

 

Fashion Roundtable's Meg Pirie is in conversation with Ruth Rands, founder of British knitwear brand Herd. 

 

They discuss Ruth’s mission to bring heritage and quality back to British wool, with provenance at its heart. Ruth talks honestly about what is possible here in the UK, sourcing everything within 150 miles; how Kate Moss just bought one of her knits; and her long-term vision for her aspirational label. 

 

https://www.herdwear.co 

https://www.instagram.com/herdwear/ 

 

Fashion Roundtable's Meg Pirie is in conversation with UK charity Heritage Craft’s Executive Director, Daniel Carpenter. 

They discuss the Heritage Crafts ‘Red List of Endangered Crafts’, the importance of a STEAM curriculum and practical subjects being taught in schools and what it would take for the UK government to ratify the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. 

As well as Heritage Craft’s latest campaign in partnership with Folksy, ‘BUY LESS, BUY BETTER, BUY HANDMADE’ and their hope of what this may achieve in supporting makers across the UK. Particularly in time for Christmas.

An interesting conversation about heritage, crafts and the need for government support.

www.heritagecrafts.org.uk/

For this podcast, Tamara Cincik from Fashion Roundtable speaks to Carolyn Harris MP about her working class background, what it means to be a working class Welsh woman in the Houses of Parliament, her vital work as the leading voice lobbying the government on the issues facing women and the menopause. 

Carolyn's work on this issue cannot be underestimated and her insights on the impacts for generations of women who have been misdiagnosed or ignored, are powerful.

She also speaks about her path to a leadership role, while remaining grounded and the other campaigns, including food poverty and gambling, that Carolyn is also working hard on. 

For key insights into effective politics with common sense and authenticity at its core, this is an important conversation.

For this podcast, Tamara Cincik from Fashion Roundtable speaks to Naomi Smith, CEO of Best for Britain about her drive to lead an internationalist organisation working with the world.

The Board at Best for Britain is chaired by Lord Kim Darroch, is the former UK Ambassador to the United States and previous advisor to the Prime Minister on European Affairs

This podcast discusses Naomi's fascinating transition from working in the corporate sector as an accountant, into her stark career change into political leadership, showing that it is never too late for someone with a calling to follow their ambitions and use their voice as an agent for change.

It also discusses Naomi's decision to launch the UK Trade and Business Commission, co chaired by Peter Norris Chair of the Virgin Group and Hilary Benn MP, with a cross-section of MPs from all political parties and business leaders, including Tamara who represents the fashion industry.

An interesting conversation about Brexit impacts, female leadership and internationalist values in a recent trip that Naomi and the Commission took to Northern Ireland, seeing the reality of red tape on the ground and offering her vision for what an inclusive, internationalist truly global Britain could be.

In conversation with Diane Pernet, legendary fashion doyenne. Paris-based American-born former designer of her eponymous brand which showed in New York, international fashion critic and founder of the international ASVOFF (A Shaded View on Fashion Film) festival.

Tamara Cincik from Fashion Roundtable speaks to Ed Vaizey, Baron Vaizey of Didcot, who served as the longest ever running Culture Minister for the coalition and then Conservative governments. The conversation covers why culture matters, the breadth and importance of the creative industries, and why fashion is crucial to the UK economy and talent. The podcast also discusses the importance of cross party collaboration, diversity in parliament and the creative sector and  Ed's parents in shaping his values and work ethic.

In conversation with Dominique Muller from NGO Labour Behind the Label. Labour Behind The Label exposed the Leicester garment manufacturing scandal leading to a national outcry at the pay and working conditions of some in our UK supply chain, leading to a clear commitment by brands, local and national government to change these practices.

Website: https://labourbehindthelabel.org/ 

Caroline Nokes MP is a former Immigration Minister and currently Chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee. For this podcast, Caroline discusses her career path as an MP, as a woman in a leadership role, the importance of the committee she chairs and her thoughts on the fashion industry. A fascinating conversation the Website: https://www.carolinenokes.com/

For this conversation, Tamara Cincik spoke to Clare Press a leading voice in fashion sustainability.

Clare is an author, the first Sustainability Editor for Vogue, a fashion critic and an advisor to many fashion and policy organisations, including the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Fashion Revolution and as Global Sustainability Expert for Fashion Roundtable.

Listen to this conversation to hear Clare's thoughts on the climate crisis, fashion and how to support your brand's path to sustainability with her new Wardrobe Crisis Academy and channels.

Website: https://thewardrobecrisis.com/

Instagram: @mrspress

Twitter: @mrspress

Photo: Dvora

Fashion Roundtable's Tamara Cincik in conversation with Dilys Williams.

Dilys is the Director of Centre for Sustainable Fashion, a University of the Arts Research Centre, which she established in 2008, supported by London College of Fashion, the centre’s base.

Guiding the centre’s exploration of fashion and sustainability, her work contributes to the study of fashion as a life well lived within ecological boundaries and practices of human equity. Through design practice, this is applied to new forms of education, business, public and political dialogue.

As Special Advisor to the House of Lords All Party Parliamentary Group on Fashion, Sustainability and Ethics, she brings a range of climate and social change considerations to the attention of key political figures, creating space for a range of voices for change to be heard.

Born in Cheshire, and schooled in Liverpool, Stephen Jones burst on to the London fashion scene during its explosion of street style in the late seventies. By 1980, Jones had opened his first millinery salon in the heart of London's Covent Garden.

Since the early 80s Stephen Jones has collaborated with designers from Vivienne Westwood and Claude Montana through to his current work with Thom Browne and Christian Dior, Jones' hats have been an integral component in some of the most memorable runway spectacles of the past quarter century.

Now, as ever, at the forefront of fashion, his beguiling hats routinely grace the most celebrated magazine covers and enliven window displays of the world's most stylish stores. From runways to race-courses, from pop-promos to royal garden parties, millinery by Stephen Jones adds the exclamation mark to every fashion statement.

Fashion Roundtable's Tamara Cincik is in conversation with Vicki Sarge.

As an original founder of the jewellers Erickson Beamon, Vicki’s artistry has been celebrated by designers and collectors the world over. Vicki Sarge began collecting jewellery as a child. Today, she produces sought after costume jewellery. Mixing semi-precious stones with adventurous and advanced materials, VICKISARGE jewellery is designed and made on site at the workshop within her flagship boutique in London's Belgravia.

 

While the painstaking craftsmanship and fashion-forward spirit defining her work recalls legendary bijoux de couture handmade in Paris for leading couturiers, Vicki draws her inspiration from myriad sources including her own life, the energy of the late Seventies Manhattan nightclub scene, Eighties fashion, architecture, film and contemporary and ancient culture.

Fashion Roundtable's Tamara Cincik is in conversation with Jane Shepherdson CBE

Jane Shepherdson CBE is a British retail veteran, overseeing the rise of Topshop in the late 90s early 00s, she went on to revitalise charity shopping at Oxfam, to Whistles, and is now championing the rental fashion model at My Wardrobe HQ.

This week, Tamara and Jane discuss bringing a new generation of British designers to the masses at TopShop, the rise of fast fashion, creative skills vs data, the future of fashion business, and the promise of clothing rental.