_{https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz8n2LxtKfu/}

Saunders, lauded by the British Fashion Council as the ‘One To Watch’ and gracing Forbes’ ’30 Under 30′ 2020 list, is renowned for her multidimensional design ethos that artfully navigates the intersection of tradition and modernity. Drawing inspiration from her Jamaican British heritage, Saunders elevates luxury design with cultural resonance, epitomised by her SS24 Paris Fashion Week extravaganza, ‘Scratch,’ in collaboration with the storied label Farah.

_{https://www.instagram.com/p/CwnXg6UNfj4/}

Under Saunders’ mentorship, students at Istituto Marangoni London are poised for an exhilarating journey beyond the ordinary. Envision masterclasses that transcend the mundane, where Saunders personally unravels the intricacies of creative and technical facets in fashion design. Imagine bespoke feedback sessions where individual designs undergo a metamorphosis, guided by Saunders’ discerning eye. Picture a tapestry of industry insights woven by guest speakers handpicked by Saunders to illuminate the path to fashion excellence.

Valérie Berdah-Levy, the visionary Director at Istituto Marangoni London, exudes enthusiasm as Saunders joins the ranks, citing her creative synergy with the school’s commitment to shattering conventional fashion paradigms. In response, Saunders expresses her honour in being part of this pantheon of mentors, contributing to Istituto Marangoni London’s mission to sculpt the future of fashion.

_{https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz9VuA1P3j-/}

For a glimpse into the world of Bianca Saunders and her latest sartorial saga, head to [Bianca Saunders] https://www.biancasaunders.com/ and revel in the visual feast on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/biancasaunders/

Explore the avant-garde universe of Istituto Marangoni at their digital atelier (https://www.istitutomarangoni.com/en) and get a backstage pass to creativity on

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

_{Written By Carmen Irvona}

^{Header Image: @BiancaSaunders Instagram}

The post Bianca Saunders Becomes The Newest Mentor For Prestigious Fashion And Design School Istituto Marangoni appeared first on Voir Fashion.

^{Courtesy of BFA}

 The Poster Girl is a portrayal of fiercely confident, bodacious female beings who do not back down in the face of ordinary censure. According to the designers, the grime that comes with living in London inspires their designs and helps lend a sense of humour and fun. It is critical for them to keep the majority of manufacturing in London and to support local firms while keeping a high ethical standard. 

 Eroticism can be observed in their creations, and they believe it is a crucial component of self-expression, which is the ultimate goal of fashion. It’s also a compliment to our female counterparts, who sometimes need to be reminded of their own sex appeal. 

^{Courtesy of @poster__girl__offical}

 When they wear our garments, the majority of their customers feel sexy and confident. Confidence in oneself facilitates the release of new energy of independence and inner satisfaction, which is required to obtain from inside rather than from others and their designs elevate your confidence to a next level. Dua Lipa has been a fan of their brand since the beginning, wearing their debut collection in 2017. Many celebrities, like Saweetie, Kali Uchis, Sita Abellan, Nadia Lee Cohen, and Winnie Harlow, have long supported their businesses .

^{Courtesy of @poster__girl__offical}

The brand have just released their SS24 collection and they are to die for! The pink and white colour palette with the lace intricacy has been the key feature and is really sexy. 

^{Courtesy of Poster Girl}

£ 85

Poster Girl Davina Off Shoulder Lace Crop Top

Read article Shop

£ 120

Poster Girl Candice Off Shoulder Lace Mini Dress

Read article Shop

£ 110

Poster Girl Charm Off Shoulder Lace Romper

Read article Shop

Shop the full collection here

_{Words by Alphy Roy}

^{Header Image by Mia Washbrook}

The post The Two Best Friends Creating Fashion For The Bold And Sexy appeared first on Voir Fashion.

How did your journey begin with Khanum’s?

Khanum’s started as a side hustle. I had lost my job through redundancy and was left unemployed for 18 months. After interviewing for jobs non stop everyday and being rejected everyday,  I finally found a full-time role. When I eventually landed this role, I told myself that I needed an additional stream of income with hopes of additional financial security. The only option for me was to start a ‘side hustle’. 

The idea to start a niche evening wear, particularly jackets, stemmed from seeing a gap in the market for affordable, luxury statement pieces. There were several established high end designer brands offering what I wanted to create but the price points were never attainable for women like myself. My personal preference and ‘financial lane’ at the time admired luxury fashion with some high street styling. I loved the luxury customer experience from the quality of clothing to the sophisticated packaging detail and wanted to create a brand which offered this. I thought, what can I do to cater to an aspirational customer like myself, and create something quite luxurious yet affordable at the same time? That’s how Khanum’s started.

£ 460

Khanum’s Kamia Black Blazer

Read article Shop

£ 630

Khanum’s Kamila Black Blazer

Read article Shop

£ 440

Khanum’s Kys Crop Blazer

Read article Shop

You’re an entrepreneur and saw a gap in the market! So, you didn’t have a design background at all?

No, I didn’t. I studied Law at University. It’s quite a broad subject and I feel like it’s equipped me with a lot of analytical and research skills. I specialised in Intellectual Property Law which has proven extremely beneficial to Khanum’s with the design law aspect, protecting my designs etc, so I don’t regret it at all.

With you not having a design background, which is not unheard of, how did you actually get into fashion design? What does that process look like?

Well, I feel like I’ve always been a natural creative.  My parents are Bangladeshi immigrants who came to London in the late 70s and worked in the garment-making industry. They would produce bulk orders at home for a London-based manufacturer which was just round the corner from where we lived in Brick Lane. So, I was fully exposed to garment production at home. I witnessed my mum cutting patterns and fabric on our kitchen dinner table, then stitch all those fabrics into clothing in our machine room. My dad would do the same after he’d come back from working in restaurants. My older sister was artistic too, she’d always be sketching designs. Just from observation I’d see what they’d be doing and I’d sneak off to do it myself. Creativity and design has always been with me. It’s just not something that I chose to pursue because of certain circumstantial challenges.

Wow! When did you feel like it went from a side hustle to the full-time business that it is now? 

I never saw Khanum’s as a business that would become something as amazing as it is now.  I never envisioned that at all. I thought, it’s just a side hustle, a bit of money coming in, and I’ll put it towards savings. I’ll continue my 9-5 job, because that’s the main security. However, within the first few months there was an incredible surge of brand credibility and validation through revenue and brand awareness from social media and influencers that wanted to collaborate with us. 

The first collaboration that we did was with an influencer named Charlotte Emily Sanders, who was incredibly nice. She was happy to borrow a jacket, take a mirror selfie, and from that we had so many influencers requesting to collaborate with us. It was like a domino effect. It was so natural and organic and that’s what really helped increase revenue and generate sales beyond expectation. 

In the first seven months of running the business, as a side hustle from my bedroom, I managed to solely generate six figures. I then thought, maybe I should quit my job? I had a lot of customers, and I couldn’t continue my job as well as running my business outside of that. I was picking and packing orders, responding to customer service emails and DMs, marketing and putting Instagram/email posts together before work, during lunch breaks and after work. It just got to a point where it was a lot to keep up with the demand. I sat on the idea of quitting the day job, because I was scared. The fear of losing financial security lingered from my past experience of being unemployed for 18 months. 

In my mind, I was scarred by the fact that it was hard to finally get a job and here I am now thinking about quitting? What if my business fails? What if I quit my job and I don’t get as many sales as I do right now? It was a really difficult decision. It was only 18 months after I started Khanum’s where I semi took the leap of faith. I had a conversation with my manager and I asked her if I could work part time, and that my business wouldn’t conflict with that job.  She asked if she could have a look at my business, so she looked at my website and social media. Plot twist! She knew my brand, but didn’t know it was mine. It was quite crazy. She was the one to tell me to quit my job and focus on the business. It was the push I needed.

It sounds like it was scary for you, but it’s really paid off, hasn’t it? Were there any other creative influences that you had when you were growing up?

In terms of role models in business and entrepreneurship, when I was unemployed, I read the book ‘Girl Boss’ by Sophia Amoruso. Then, the Netflix adaptation came out, and I watched that five times. If you’ve watched that, or if you’ve read the book, you can see her journey when she’s struggling with her day job, wanting to make a quick buck which then unintentionally exploded. That planted a seed in my mind and thought maybe that’s what I could do as well? 

I also read ‘How to Become an Overnight Success’ by Maria Hatzistefanis, the founder of Rodial Beauty. She detailed her entrepreneurship journey over 10 years which finally led to success. Those two were key inspirations for me in terms of starting up a business. 

In terms of key role models, without sounding cliché, I saw my mum as a great role model. I saw her raising seven kids at home, an amazing full-time mum, she was a housewife, but was also working to make ends meet. She was making clothes for all of these brands and was doing so whilst raising all of us. I just thought; she’s a woman that’s so efficient, so militant, and gets everything done. I admired that, and recognised her determination with zero excuses at all. If this woman can do all that? Why can’t I, as a woman working 9-5, with a side hustle, and also being a mother to only one child? So, in terms of resilience, efficiency and dedication, my key role model has always been my mum.

£ 1640

Khanum’s Khatt Kimono

Read article Shop

£ 216

Khanum’s Khefali Top

Read article Shop

£ 260

Khanum’s Kira Maxi Dress

Read article Shop

What advice would you give to aspiring creatives or people that want to go into the fashion business? 

Many say that the fashion industry is extremely saturated, but I feel like there’s a space for everyone. I think the key is to really research the market that you want to go into and find a niche. You have to stand out from the crowd and you need to have a unique selling point. Master your niche/USP, then the next key is finding methods of communicating why your brand is IT. You also need to consider your niche as finding a solution to a lot of people’s problems. For me, I thought, I’m young and I want to buy statement pieces. I love jackets, but the only other brands I saw that did those kinds of jackets are very high fashion, established brands, selling them for thousands of pounds which wasnt attainable for me. I wanted to create an affordable, luxury brand and provide the customer service and experience of a luxury brand. That way it’s honed in on both experiences, but you’re not paying the price. My advice would be to find a unique selling point and figure out the experience that you’re going to be providing for that customer.

You’ve had some exciting influencers and cool people wear your clothes. Who would you say has been your favourite person to work with so far?

Seeing Nicole Scherzinger wear a Khanum’s blazer. She was always a woman crush for me. So that was amazing.  

Is there anything exciting that you’re allowed to share with us that you’ve got coming up? 

We are launching our bridal collection next March, which is going to be incredible.. We’ve been working through the embellishment swatches and designs, we’re getting there! Khanum’s Bridal is not your traditional bridal gowns, it’s not going to be anything like that. It bridges the gap for the non-conventional bride and provides a 360 wardrobe for the brides entire wedding journey abnd experience and journey from engagement party to honeymoon fits.  That’s the niche I’ve discovered for bridal, and that’s what I want to push into. 

£ 220

Khanum’s Kiyah Maxi Dress Ivory

Read article Shop

£ 268

Khanum’s Kerl Mini Dress Ivory

Read article Shop

£ 630

Khanum’s Kamila Blazer Ivory

Read article Shop

Interview by Jyoti Matoo

^{Graphics Header Image By Mia Washbrook}

The post An Interview with Khanum’s Founder: Rokeya Khanum Chats Past, Future and Brand Success with Us appeared first on Voir Fashion.

From the music videos of Saweetie to ArrDee, Arctic Army’s colourful, crystal-embellished casual wear has been worn by rap legends across the globe; defining itself as a label that draws inspiration from the 90s R&B scene to dress the rap heroes of today.

The brand’s establishment came right on time for the global pandemic as casual wear became a day-to-day staple due to more and more people working from home. While many casual wear labels reproduce the same sweater/jogger combinations, Arctic Army brings a fresh and innovative approach to casual fashion. The label uses overlock stitching and garment dye processes to ensure dressing casually doesn’t mean sacrificing luxury. From reflective puffers to fur trims, the brand is dedicated to creating unapologetically bold outerwear.

The brand’s growth reached new heights recently after launching nationwide at British luxury fashion retailer Flannels. At Arctic Army’s Flannels launch party last November, major celebrities like Ivorian Doll performed while wearing the brand’s daring pieces, demonstrating just how far the brand has come since its humble beginnings after first launching with just two jackets.

We sat down with the brand’s co-owner Ed Jefferson to discuss how the label began, who inspired it, and what’s in store for the future of Arctic Army.

How did you get into fashion and what inspired you to set up your brand?

I think I’ve always been into clothes and fashion. As a kid, I was always asking for my mum’s clothes to stick gems on and glitter glue to make outfits from; it’s always been in my blood to make clothes. So, it was a natural thing for me to do. I didn’t study fashion but when I left school I started my own boutique where I made pieces and sold them.

Then I moved on to work for a costume company where I met Paul (the other co-creative director of Arctic Army). Paul owned the costume company and I worked for him for many years designing dance costumes like those on Strictly Come Dancing. There were lots of over the top silhouettes, feathers, and Swarovski crystals, so that’s how I ended up in fashion.

Then it evolved, we were doing amazingly creative things in such a niche area, between us we had many designs and ideas, so it was only natural we went into mainstream fashion.

That sounds like quite a change! How was that?

It was a change! The dancing side of things was very much over the top crystals and dresses, but Paul’s brand also had a merchandise side to it. He would design hoodies and sweatshirts which organically rolled onto ideas like ‘can we do jackets?’ I always wanted a Mr and Mrs Italy parka but I could never afford one as they were three and a half grand. So we thought maybe we can bring something to the market that combines a super-luxury fur trim with a better price point that the masses could buy.

We trialled it with our customer base and they went crazy for it. It just snowballed from there! We started an Instagram for the jackets, then before we knew it we had a website. Now a few years later we’re in Flannels, Harrods, and we’re online, it’s gone crazy!

How did you come up with the name Arctic Army?

We’ve always had a following since my previous job and it was all about creating a similar feel for our new brand where you feel a part of something. We say things like our customers are going to ‘ join the army’ or become ‘recruits’.

Our original jacket was like an MA1 bomber with a hood trim; so it was an amalgamation of the army-style bomber and creating a sense of belonging (that inspired the brand’s name).

Being an army based brand is also how we came up with the Arctic Army logo, which is a soldier beetle that symbolises a war medal. It all fit together in the sense of being a part of something.

Your designs draw a lot of inspiration from the 90s R&B scene, what drew you to this period of fashion? Is it something you felt you could relate to?

MTV Cribs, Jlo, Timberland boots, and fur trims are from the era that I grew up with. I love the luxury and the idea that everything was branded and over the top; that’s where the inspiration came from. Jennifer Lopez is one of our muses and it was the period just before Y2K when I grew up watching television that inspired our big puffers, silhouettes and the supercharged, over the top-ness of it all- it’s all very us.

Your products are very relevant to the current Y2K trend, but they’re also timeless, would you agree?

It is timeless! Although we do some fashion-forward pieces, our key pieces like shiny puffers and gilets with big fur trims and big silhouettes are a forever product. Everybody always needs a coat, they’re essential, and a puffer never goes out of style, does it? Whether you’re designing Balenciaga or Yeezy, they’re still using puffers as the main silhouette. Even though it is a day-to-day product, you can still create some amazing high fashion silhouettes with what we do!

We noticed you’ve had some cool celebrities wearing your product recently, like Saweetie, who would you love to see in it?

Jennifer Lopez is at the top of the pyramid- very close to Kim Kardashian- I do love Kim! But I think Jlo would be perfect for the brand.

You launched in Flannels, is this something you always saw for the brand? Was it easy to get there?

It has been a lot of hustle! It has been a crazy rollercoaster. I used to listen to people who have brands and they would say ‘it’s a lot harder than it looks’- and it has been- but it does pay off.

We still have a long way to go as we are still a very new brand but we’ve definitely got our foot in the door in those places and I think the only way is up!

How has your brand evolved since you were established in 2016?

When we established in 2016, we literally had two jackets. We had a bomber and a parka in different colours. It was literally just an Instagram page with two products. Since then we’ve built into a big range, we’re launching spring/ summer for the first time, which is a full collection (it will be available in Flannels and online).

Before it was something you could only buy in the winter, now we want our customers to be able to buy something whether it’s for the beach, a festival, or wherever they’re going in the summer; we’re expanding to become a 360 brand.

You pledged to work with ethically sourced fur, tell us about your views on ethical furs

We only use SAGA approved sources, which have the highest ethical practices in the industry. As far as fur goes, it is the most ethically sourced. We are doing all that we can to be the most ethical, I believe that the fact fur products can be recycled and reused for years without ending up in landfills is a good argument for their use.

However, I do feel that the current attitudes are changing towards the use of fur and that is definitely something we are aware of and we are considering whether to phase it out. As such a young brand that has founded itself on such a unique, iconic product, it takes us a bit longer to understand what our customer wants. So it’s something we’re looking at for the future.

You mentioned you’re launching a spring/summer collection, can you tell us more about that or anything else we should look forward to?

We have a really exciting summer planned for the brand. We have new products dropping, it is our first time doing light outerwear pieces, which will be dropping soon. We’re launching a new MA1 bomber, which we’re naming our ‘logo bomber’. This will be a really cool oversized bomber. We have new jerseys, light outerwear, and hybrids- so a lot more of a light offering- as until now everything we have produced has been super heavy. This is our first time dipping our toe into a product that is a lot lighter.

Also our jersey- one of my favourite parts of the brand- shows luxury isn’t just expensive suits and dresses anymore; luxury can be casual wear like hoodies and joggers. The quality of our products means it isn’t just another hoodie or T-shirt. We use garment dye process, washes, and overlock stitching, so our products are very well thought out and of high quality.

I recently returned from Portugal where I visited the dye houses that we use and it was incredible to see the processes and the labour-intensive parts that go into the jersey we’re making. I saw the high build 3D embroidery that we’re launching and the processes behind that and it was really incredible!

So, I’m really excited about the summer as we have some great new launches coming, which is great!

Shop Voir’s favourite Arctic Army styles below:

£ 150

Arctic Army AA Hoodie in Washed Black

Read article Shop

£ 295

Arctic Army Women’s Chalk Gilet

Read article Shop

£ 795

Arctic Army Women’s Parka with Fur in Black

Read article Shop

£ 110

Arctic Army Women’s Bear Oversized T-Shirt in White

Read article Shop

£ 135

Arctic Army Women’s AA Sweatpants in Baby Blue

Read article Shop

£ 695

Arctic Army Women’s Puffer in Monochrome Print

Read article Shop

Words By Olivia Booth

_{Photo Credit: Arctic Army Instagram}

The post An Interview with Arctic Army: The Label Redefining Luxury Fashion appeared first on Voir Fashion.

The capsule contains eight items, including clothing and accessories, with prices ranging from £85 to £230. The collection’s aesthetic references trends of the early 2000s and embodies Devon’s style: a combination of minimalist, 90s silhouettes with the loud colours and bold prints of the 1970s and 2000s.

These items have been created with a transitional power to be styled from summer to winter, as baby tees can be layered with oversized, puffy jackets and slip dresses to keep you cool during warm days, or can be paired with tights and knee-high boots as temperatures begin to slip. 

One of the most comfortable items, a matching cropped hoodie and straight-leg sweatpants are adorned with redesigned Marc Jacobs monograms to include Devon’s dog, Marty. The lowrise sweats and cropped hoodie can easily be recognised as the silhouette of the early 2000s, when athleisure was becoming mainstream and comfort became a priority.

Another matching set is the tangerine ‘shrunken shorts’ and Devon baby tee. A staple of Devon’s style, the baby tee is easy to style and an accessible garment. The loud orange colour and cyber Y2K print pair perfectly as a set, or can be styled separately with simple, chic denim or complementary blue and green tones.

Often worn by Devon, the babydoll silhouette has also been included in the capsule. A chic black slip dress with baby blue ruffled detail can be transformed from casually running errands with trainers or boots, to a late-night out in strappy heels.

Inspired again by the 1990s, the Devon charm purse is a formal mini bag, with fun detailing of colourful bubble letter charms spelling out ‘MARC JACOBS’.

Pieces are already selling out from the collection; this collaboration is an example of the power Devon has garnered through her various social media platforms.

The collaboration embodies the transition of trendy fashion from the 1990s to the early 2000s, both of which are eras of reference in Devon’s style. Collaborating with Marc Jacobs who was fueling fashion trends of those periods, the collection references a wide array of returning trends. From babydoll dresses and chunky chains of 1990s grunge to bubblegum pink, bold and bright early 2000s logomania, the capsule contains some of the most beloved fashion references which remain fashionable today.

£ 230

Marc Jacobs Devon Slip Dress

Read article Shop

£ 230

DEVON CHARM PURSE

Read article Shop

£ 85.00

Marc Jacobs Devon Baby Tee

Read article Shop

£ 200.00

Marc Jacobs Devon Cropped Zipped Hoodie

Read article Shop

£ 170.00

Marc Jacobs Devon Sweatpants

Read article Shop

Words by Caitlin Sahin and Graphics by Emily Chapillon

The post Marc Jacobs x Devon Lee Carlson Has Arrived appeared first on Voir Fashion.