CHARLI COHEN: SPORT MEETS YOUNG TALENT

Posted by Bethan Holt, Junior Fashion Editor at Large

When was the last time you heard about a young designer doing sportswear? Not fashion sweatshirts and tees but expertly cut stuff which would hold out for a 5-mile run, high intensity circuits class or hard session at the gym. Probably a long time ago, if ever. The sportswear market is dominated by big brands which have huge teams dedicated to discovering the next big thing in technology which is brilliant, obviously. But it's also why I so admire Charli Cohen, a super fit young designer and personal trainer who, with backing from Lycra, has launched her very own high performance sportswear. Charli is a one-person powerhouse whom I first encountered via Twitter. Her ever-enthusiastic responses and advice are often enough in themselves to leave you feeling a bit more energised and a quick glance at her feed is evidence of her awareness that great communication can take a new start-up brand a long way.

A few weeks ago I finally got to meet Charli in person at the launch of her collection, entitled VIS. It's a year since she completed her degree at Kingston University and the flurry of activity which ensued after being nominated for some of the biggest graduate fashion awards including Vauxhall Fashion Scout, Graduate Fashion Week and the WGSN Global Fashion Awards. Now she's pulled together a pretty slick selection of grey and neon yellow sportswear which feels like the kind of thing which would power you through a particularly gruelling spinning class but also beg to be worn just for the suberbly-flattering-hell-of-it on a rest day. One of the most interesting things about Charli though is that her approach is so holistic; she is just as interested in how to eat well as how to dress to do sport. She comes along at the perfect time really, now that your latest juice combination or fitness class discovery carries just as much cachet as a new designer purchase or ingenious styling combination. I asked Charli a few questions about how she got where she is today and how on earth she manages to bring it all together...

Yoga/ Dance demo at the VIS launch

 Why did you choose sportswear design?

I was seeking a way to consolidate my two passions - fitness and fashion are often seen as mutually exclusive. Sportswear was a logical outlet and I saw a huge gap in the market for stylish, luxury performance-wear.

You're a personal trainer as well as designer. How does that influence your design decisions?

Movement and physiology are my key inspirations. From a creative perspective, they inform the silhouettes and style lines of my designs. In terms of function, my work as a PT enables me to understand the practical needs of performance wear, how to make the garments ergonomic, supportive and flattering.

Why did you choose  to start your own line and how have you achieved it?

I’d never really considered anything else! I started my own T-shirt line aged 15, then had a womenswear capsule collection made before I started uni. When it came to my graduate collection, I decided to create a complete brand identity rather than just designing the clothes - I wanted a strong platform to move forward from after Graduate Fashion Week. I was fortunate enough to be awarded part-sponsorship from Invista (creators of Lycra). This funding enabled me to get stuck straight into my own line a few months after graduating. I was determined about what I wanted to do and it seemed to fall into place!

What sports do you most enjoy?

Weight lifting – I’ve been training for about six years now and I absolutely love it. It’s the ultimate stress relief and the only time I can switch off from everything else that’s going on!

 I noticed that your sportswear is Made in Britain, how important and useful is that for you?

Manufacturing my collection in the UK means I can maintain control over both the quality and the accurate development of my designs. I'm also keen to support local industry - fashion manufacture is slowly picking up again in Britain and it's nice to know I can contribute to that in some small way.

 How do you balance fashion with performance?

With certain garments – leggings, tank tops etc. - you’re very limited with the silhouette, so it’s about what you can do inside that with colour and panelling. It’s also really important for me to have great, versatile outerwear pieces that can be worn over performance baselayers. Although I create these in functional, technical fabrics, I have far more scope for design and can take more of a ready-to-wear fashion approach to silhouette.

There's been a huge move over the past few years towards sportswear being fashionable as well as functional. I get the impression this has influenced you a lot, can you elaborate?

There’s been a huge movement towards well-being in general – people are now starting to seek a sustainable healthy lifestyle rather than a quick fix. There’s far more fitness and health related content in fashion media than ever before and because we’ve (largely) moved on from diet and exercise fads, it’s not going to go away. Retailers are picking up on this too and an increasing number are adding activewear brands or at least lifestyle/leisurewear brands to their ranges. It’s perfect timing to be doing what I’m doing and that’s very exciting!

What are your ambitions for the future?

Like any brand, I aim to be stocked internationally – a global reach would be fantastic. In a few seasons’ time, I’d like to branch out into accessories and menswear and it would be amazing to collaborate with one or two of the big name brands on footwear or a diffusion line.

You're incredibly entrepreneurial and self-motivated. Do you have any tips or advice for any other young designers out there?

Thank you! My key pieces of advice:

Be super-organised. When you’re running a business (especially a fashion business) if something can go wrong, it probably will. You need to be on top of everything all the time - leave nothing to chance.

Be open to every opportunity: even if you’re not sure it’s right for you or that it’ll lead anywhere, have the conversation and find out more. You never know what might come of it!

And finally, don’t give up! It’s not easy but if you have the talent or product people want, perseverance, determination and passion will take you far.

Charli's VIS collection is available to pre-order now here. 

Images courtesy of Charli Cohen

GETTING SPORTY WITH STELLA MCCARTNEY

Posted by Bethan Holt, Junior Fashion Editor at Large

There are plenty of brands around who you may think are trying to sell you a pair of shoes, or a jumper but really it's all about the life. Ralph Lauren and his wholesome all-American good life comes to mind as a classic example.  But if there's one woman who represents a perfected version of modern life, and can sell you must of the stuff you need to look the part, then Stella McCartney is your woman. Obviously, if you're going to look good in your strapless jumpsuit then exercise should be a key component of the Stella way of living, hence her almost decade long collaboration with Adidas. With that in mind, I popped over to Stella's Adidas store on Brompton Road to have a peek at the new Spring/ Summer collection and meet the woman herself.

Stella and I

"It's so much easier to lie on the sofa watching TV and eating a brownie" is one of the first things Stella tells us, "this collection is really about encouraging and inspiring something which isn't always so easy". The store is dotted with pieces which look almost too good to get sweaty in; icy blue metallic shorts, leopard print jackets, ditsy English garden florals and a very appealing tennis dress called The Barricade. On the walls, are zinging, psychedelic campaign images with models doing back flips, leaps and sprints. It really does make you want to get up and go.

"These are the pieces women deserve" Stella McCartney

It's easy now to take for granted that us girls have plenty of choice when it comes to really stylish yet technical and functional sportswear. But it was Stella McCartney's Adidas hook-up which really spurred on the world of sport to play fashion catch-up. It all began with a respect for the technical prowess of sportswear. "I wanted to do a sneaker on the runway, but I've never been a huge fan of fashion sneakers. I like sneakers to be technical, then bring fashion to it" Stella says. And so, women finally had something really desirable to wear when they exercised, rather than apologetically throwing on their boyfriend's musty old t-shirt. There's still progress to be made though Stella insists, "women in sport are totally undervalued. Men drive the industry, they have more investment. Football is king. These are reasons to encourage women to do sport".

Multiple collections, forays into many sports and one Olympics design job later, Stella's outlook is still pretty empowering. She uses words like "bold"and "celebrate" in reference to the latest offering. "Let's not apologise for anything" is the mantra. Her own latest exercise obsession is paddle boarding, so naturally she's catered for that. "I love that you're just outside, experiencing nature. If you get a chance to paddle board outside in the freezing cold Thames it's pretty delightful" she enthuses, though perhaps we should wait until it heats up a little for that foray?

Stella McCartney for Adidas SS13. All about "the real joy of working out"

"I'm over feeling ashamed that you might bump into someone you know when you're running.
When I run I want to feel like if I run into someone, I'm proud of the way I look" Stella McCartney

There are elements of Stella's ready-to-wear which have crept into the Adidas collection, despite efforts to keep them quite separate over the years. The Resort collection leopard print, the SS13 ditsy florals and popping bright colours, but all given a techy acid makeover. McCartney denies that sportswear being fashionable is any new thing, "there's always been energy in sportswear. I don't think it's just now. Think of the 80s. At some stage everything ends up on a runway. It's always been part of what I do". The added benefit of an Adidas x Stella McCartney product is that it will be infused with technology like Climacool or Techfit or some cutting edge new invention like water-free dye. It's a level of functionality which you don't see on most brands. And ethics, which we all know is a huge part of the no fur, no leather Stella life. But not even she is completely flawless; it was up to Adidas to teach her about the harmful effects of PVC.

In case you live on Planet Zog, you will be aware that it was Stella who was responsible for Team GB's kit at last year's olympics, all those slinky racing suits and peplum podium jackets. However she's actually just like you (maybe) and me (definitely) when it comes to what the Olympics meant. "My memory of it is more just experiencing it, like all of you guys. It was so surreal that I'd worked on it and when I watched it, those were things I designed. It was just too huge and surreal to think of it that way". Luckily, she's up for doing it all over again too, "I'd love to do it again, I'd do it forever and ever".

Images courtesy of Stella McCartney/ Adidas. Visit the Stella McCartney for Adidas store at 97, Brompton Road.

WORK OUT LIFE: YOGA IN STYLE

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

Rebecca and Tamal from Work Out Life

Some people just seem to have it all sorted don't they? Rebecca Quade, founder of hot new lifestyle brand, Work Out Life, has an exciting, ever expanding business, a new baby and is also a super-fit, qualified yoga instructor. She could be held up as one of those have-it-all girls but when you speak to her, it's clear that it's not quite that simple. Quade has come a long way to get to where she is when I meet her at the yoga class she is hosting to show off Work Out Life's great range of exercise gear at Shoreditch House. She's flown in from LA which, yes, is a long way but what I really mean is that she has been on that journey from mega busy life running her own advertising company in Sydney to a kind of zen happy medium which involved yoga teacher training and this, her new venture. It's not like that huge change was really such a surprise though. Quade tells me "All through my twenties I was doing yoga and my friends were out partying, now all of a sudden they're interested in getting into yoga."

Rebecca helping out during the class

Tamal's head stand

Rebecca brought yoga teacher Tamal Dodge- whose training course she completed after arriving in LA- along with her for the Work Out Life class. Tamal took us through a 45 minute Vinyasa Flow class which ended with a few minutes of enormously relaxing down time with Tamal singing to us and playing his guitar. Work Out Life put on some yummy health drinks and kitted us all out in our own Work Out Life gear. The afternoon summed up rather neatly the brand philosophy which is to try and make busy lives and exercise an easier blend to achieve. There is a big focus on the fashion element; the range is designed by Ebru Ercon, previously from Stella McCartney for Adidas. Quade tells me that she didn't want people to think her concept was about "some girl who thought she knew about designing clothes". The collection is split into three moods- the "work" which focuses on hard-working gym clothes for high impact sport, "life" which should take you from yoga class to coffee and "out" which is targeted at easy pieces for down time and travelling. It all fits nicely into Quade's own lifestyle which involves plenty of travel, exercise and general multitasking.

Yummy drinks courtesy of Nina Curtis

Oh dear, really need to work on my 90 degree leg bend in Warrior pose!

Highlights from Work Out Life include super comfortable and flattering floral printed leggings which I tested in the class as well as for my flight to NY last week. I also love the all-in-one hot yoga suit (which I think would also be a great going out outfit too, if you're brave enough) and am told that the running shorts are some of the best around. I also got one of the sliced out shoulder tops which I would happily wear every day, not just for exercising. Ebru and Rebecca have also created some awesome jackets, highlights are the boxy wool style and the shiny bomber.

There's a longer term vision beyond the clothes range, although the site is already full of healthy living advice and tips. "I'd love one day for people to be able to check in to Work Out Life at whichever hotel they are staying in and do a yoga class we provide" Quade explains. Obviously it's a certain kind of woman who really lives the lifestyle which Work Out Life is kitting out. However it's part of something bigger which we can all get on board with. "Ten years ago you would never have got all these twenty-somethings into a yoga class" Quade observes, looking around at the assembled journalists and bloggers. "I think there's an undercurrent of knowing we need to be healthier" she adds. As a twenty something who takes my running and yoga quite seriously, I can totally identify with this. And stylish clothes to do it in make it all the more appealing.

GET INSPIRED WITH TAMAL