There’s this ‘thing’ in the social media world where you’re supposed to find your tribe. But IRL (In real life) and in the online sphere I’ve never felt like I’ve belonged to a group, a niche or a tribe. I’m individual. Which has its good and bad moments. Some days I feel amazing, ruling the streets with my idiosyncratic style and other days I walk into a room and it feels as though everyone pities me and is thanking god they aren’t me.
So turning up to yesterday’s Colour Walk was a total revelation. I felt accepted, finally. I’ll explain why shortly, but first have a scroll through these outfits I came across at the event…a mere sample of the incredible artistry on display at the Old Spitalfields Market Colour Walk.
With legendary Colour Goddess Sue KreitzmanThe one-of-a-kind beauty Sophie CochevelouNeon super heroineFantastic energy from Akimbo MoonchildSally from Golden Yoga making Japanese ski wear look super stylishDiane Goldie’s incredible appliqué jackets were a fave choice of outfitThe Masked Minxs
Now that’s what you call headgear! Florent Bidois
It’s nigh impossible to pick out a favourite, everyone had curated a look that signified something about them and that therein lies the beauty of fashion: wearing what makes YOU feel good.
In my mind I assumed I’d turn up and discover a clique of people who all looked amazing but were probably so tight as a group they’d be chatting away with in-jokes and me a newcomer would be there smiling but feeling very awkward. I could not have been more wrong.
The event, spearheaded by artist and fashion designers Sue Kreitzman, Sophie Cochevelou and Florent Bidois was a hive of activity when I arrived. And I felt immediately welcome. Everyone was chatting to eachother, welcoming new faces, telling everyone how amazing they looked and lots of cameras were flashing. Breaking into conversation was so easy. It wasn’t like all those horrific networking events where you find yourself in a room wondering who to make eye contact with and who to tag onto – this was a gathering of artists, creatives, lovers and appreciators of fashion and personal sense of style.
Every single person I spoke to had a genuine interest in me asking about every outfit detail, where things were from, commenting how well thought out the whole ensemble was, every detail was appreciated and it felt amazing. It was also a very different feeling to when random strangers in the street mention what I’m wearing, sometimes that’s nice other times it feels uncomfortable. People call me ‘colourful’ and ‘colour queen’ all the time most just think it’s costume, but not here.
Sue takes to the stage to introduce Spitalsfield’s Silk SeriesClose up of Sue’s jewellery
At the event Sue gave a speech where she reiterated that the event and colour walk was people being normal and being themselves that it’s ‘just us’ and it was so poignant. I wear colour because colour fuels my energy and strength. On cold grey days (and we’ve had a lot in London lately) wearing colour is my fuel for living. To some I look like a clown or a novelty, or I’m dressing to young or too weird but at the Colour Walk everyone was ‘normal.’
It made me question all the other times I’ve tried and failed to fit into a tribe – I’m not a typical travel blogger, I’ve often felt rejected from the craft world, I don’t attract much of a South Asian following, I don’t fit into ‘alternative’ categories, I’m too old to fit in with Millenials, too young to use the hashtag #advancedstyle….but here in an East London market surrounded by likeminded rainbow hued souls I felt I’d found my place.
Spotted the lovely ladies who work at The Southbank Centre, London
So thank you to each and every single person who stopped to chat to me and made me feel so welcome. If I have to pick a tribe to align myself to it’s this one – Colour Lovers of London. I am with you.
The Colour Walks take place monthly in Old Spitalfield Market, East London. To find out when they are get in touch with Florent.
More pics from the event below. Enjoy!
With Love Louie LouArtist Ela Guru ArtSerious duck dress envy
Market stall holder at Old Spitalfields Market Chrity Tase
Seriously amazing #advancedstye going onSaving up for Sophie’s egg topSophie’s new jewellery collection launched at market at colour walk
Seriously. What is it with people who do nothing on their birthday? It astonishes me when friends claim they ‘don’t bother anymore’, ‘they are too old’, blah, blah, blah. The day you were born is an essential celebration in my books, after all; we’ve survived another year. If we honestly care about ourselves, then birthdays are the time to show it.
Creating a ‘birthday suit’ is something I love doing. In previous years I’ve sewn new dresses, but this year I wanted something a little bit different. So I thought about all the things I love. Batman is high up on the list. My favourite superhero, I’ve long wanted to be Bat Girl. And that’s when it clicked; I’d create my own Bat Girl Suit…but not a conventional one. I designed an ensemble that represents me and my story: my very own Bat Sari. Keep reading to see how I created it…
Make-up, styling and photography: Halima @MakeUpSurgery
CHOOSING MY DESIGN
Clothing is a form of self-expression though not everyone takes advantage of the possibilities. Designing my own sari was a chance to play with six whole metres of fabric so I opted to tell my own story through the design.
It starts from the bottom: my very own pink Bat Girl logo. Every super hero has their own logo and a pink bat was exactly what I wanted: fierce yet unashamedly kitsch. I then created a border of a Gothamesque city but it’s not a crime ridden fictional town, it’s infact a silhouette of the Taj Mahal: built in India to commemorate the Mughal Empress Mumtaz after her death, who I’m named after. I mounted it on a photograph of a sunset I took one Christmas in Brighton, where I was a student. It looks like a painted backdrop but it’s an untouched actual photograph of a magical horizon.
Sunset in Brighton (no filters or re-touching!) just Mother Nature
I’m a sunset chaser, every time I travel seeing the sunset is my number one priority so seeing one on my sari makes me happy and proud, knowing it’s my phoneography skills.
Collage samples & embroideries I created
The main visible section of the sari is called the pallu, this is the area that gets styled over the shoulder and this was the area I couldn’t wait to create. As a crafter I’m most comfortable when I’m sewing and collaging so that’s what I did.
Materials from my stash
I gathered all my fabrics, beads, sequins, gemstones, broken jewellery, made some handmade paper, raided my trim stash and used these items to create a pattern that depicts my love for colour and appreciate of textiles and texture and were all sourced from different times of my life, including a beaded trim I bought in Kenya and a sample from a handbag I made back in 2001.
DIGITAL PRINT FABRIC
Visiting Fashion Formula HQ
I am utterly obsessed with digital print. If I was Graphic Designer I would be translating all my ideas onto fabric…hang on a minute. Should it stop me just because I don’t have the skills? Hell no. I may not be a dab hand with Illustrator, In-Design or Photoshop (or whatever other packages designers use) but I do know how to sew and craft things. And I know designers – a perfect excuse to collaborate. So that’s what I did. Of course there was also the question of printing fabric. My friend Tree who knows about these things suggested I check out Fashion Formula who allow you to print your own designs onto fabric and wallpaper and then sell your designs via their website.
OOH. So much lovey fabric at Fashion Formula to choose from
They have over 50 fabrics to choose from, from craft felt (imagine the possibilities) to luxury velvet and waterproof shower curtain material. It’s mind-blowing when you think about the potential but I had to reign myself in. I was looking for the perfect sari fabric, that had to be light and floaty. I had no idea where to start so I popped into their West London office to have a good feel of their fabrics. Oh my. It was like being in fabric heaven. Seeing so many different textures lined up isn’t something you can witness in normal fabric shops. You don’t need to trek to West London though, Fashion Formula send out sample books. They are only £1 and they help you compare the feel and weight of the fabric before you choose.
I knew I wanted something floaty and light to give my sari a touch of Bollywood romance (I’m a sucker for watching those) so I asked the Fashion Formula team what they recommended and they suggested a silky soft, light crinkle chiffon lurex which has a natural glistening stripe to it and is new on their fabric list. As I knew my sari would feature images of shimmering, glittering stones it was perfect.
DESIGNING MY SARI
The design for my pallu
My sari is a collaboration piece, I knew I couldn’t do it all myself to I had a think about all the awesome people I know and Graphic Designer & Stylist Sally Hughson came to mind. She designs the fliers for the Craft Night I co-run with my friend Mia, The Make Escape and her ideas are always so imaginative. Sal helped me turn my collages into a digital design while my friend Tree also assisted with creating the patterned section on the main body of the sari. The three of us constructed the design of my dreams, and it was great to have their support rather than me spend hours alone trying to figure out how to cut out and blow up photos of giant jewels.
SARI STORY
It took Fashion Formula just a couple of days to print my sari and though they post out nationally and internationally I was too excited to wait, so I went to collect it.
First look at my printed sari fabric at Fashion Formula
When I arrived the sari was wound around a cardboard pole, I actually couldn’t believe my vision was alive. Alex from Fashion Formula unwound the fabric to show me the pattern and I was utterly amazed, the finished print surpassed all my expectations. The material printed faultlessly and the patterns were so clear and beautiful.
BIRTHDAY PHOTOSHOOT
Checking into the MakeUp Surgery
Again collaboration was in order. I teamed up with Halima @MakeUpSurgery who shares a similar vision to me about fashion and styling: that it’s a form of art and expression and that there is absolutely no reason to conform to any ideals other than your own.
We spent an afternoon at her East London ‘creative surgery’ where she did my make-up, styled me for the shoot and did the photography – with this much skill, she’s clearly a Wonder Woman herself. Halima opted for purple lashes and a gorgeous white shimmer on my skin and dressed me in Adidas tracksuit bottoms and white gloves. I felt like I could conquer the world. We took over 1000 photos and all of them were incredible.
I felt so proud wearing a sari that represents me: a British, Bangladeshi, South Asian, Muslim, Londoner, Colour Addict, Craft Queen, Batman loving, Urban Warrioress who is a firm believer in freedom – freedom to be who you want, live where you want, love who you want, go where you want and do what you want as long as it makes you happy. Life is precious and short. Sieze it, do it, say it, be it. And as my friend Karen Arthur says ‘wear your happy.’
Oh and I’ve decided Birthday Photoshoots should be A Thing so celebrate being alive and do one too.
VOILA!
Happy Birthday me!
It’s my birthday today and my sari is the ultimate present to myself. Making it was one of the best uses of my time all year. Every second I spent on it made me happy so I’ve decided not to stop here. In 2018 I’ll be launching my own range of sarees, designed for the modern woman who loves dressing up. I’m also keen to collaborate with other designers and artists so if you want to work with me on a sari, get in touch.
Now where’s the cake…
Craft and Travel 