Fashion Fête Explodes Back Onto Covent Garden Piazza for a Second Year of Eccentric British Fashion Fun

As the buzz of London Fashion Week takes over the capital, Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th September (11am-6pm) will see Covent Garden, home of Fashion Fringe, play host to the tongue-in-cheek fashion extravaganza that is Fashion Fête.

Back by popular demand, Fashion Fête sashays back into town with an entourage of traditional village fête activities, each with a jaunty fashion edge.  2010 Fashion Fête is all about modern-retro with an 80’s twist and set to be bolder, brighter and even more stylish than 2009.

Last years’ favourites will make a reappearance including Vintage Patisserie’s tea party, Hunter wellie wanging, fashion hook-a-duck and the much-loved London Fashion Woof , but this year there’s the chance for all our furry friends to get involved in the fashion antics and strut their stuff on the ‘dog walk’.  If you’ve got a cool cat or a fashionable ferret bring them along to work it at Fashion Fête.  And for the first time ever, Covent Garden will be scouting for dog models with cutting edge animal retailer Pet London, searching for the face of their next modelling campaign.

These Fashion Fete classics will be joined by a flock of wacky new games and fashion kiosks including uber-cool London jeweller ‘Tatty Devine’, celeb favourite, skincare specialist Erno Lazlo, vintage fashion leader, Rokit and the most colourful name in cosmetics, ‘Barry M’, spanning the two day style spectacular.

So get ready to throw on your glad rags on and strut down to Covent Garden – the only place to see and be seen this London Fashion Week!

Fashion-esque fête fun will include:

London Fashion Woof!
Designer “dog-walk” with Pet London
Stylish pups from far-and-wide are invited to compete in a doggy fashion contest. Categories include: ‘Best Outfit’, ‘Best Walk’, ‘Best Groomed’ and ‘Best in Show’.  For the first time ever we’re opening the invitation to more of our furry friends, so if you’ve got a cool cat or a fashionable ferret bring them along to work it on the ‘dog walk’.  Model scouts from cutting edge animal retailer Pet London will be on the look-out for the new face of the animal kingdom – no mutts need apply!

Faux Paparazzi Photoshoot
Turn heads with a model look as you get made over by top make-up artists from Charles H Fox and hair stylists from XXXX, then strut like Kate Moss in front of the paparazzi and screaming fans back drop and get your star moment captured in a photo to take home.

Tatty Devine
Give your style the individual touch and get creative with a jewellery making class by most desired jewellers Tatty Devine – colour your own charms and use pretty ribbons to make beautiful personalised pendants for an instant style update.

Super Super Styling Zone
You’d better dress sharp as the Fashion Fête fashion police will be on site arresting anyone committing a crime against fashion.  Guilty parties will accompanied to the Super Super styling zone where experts from London’s coolest alternative fashion magazine are on hand with advice for style rehabilitation.

Tea, Cakes and Tiaras (sort of) with Vintage Patisserie
True glamour is timeless, so Vintage Patisserie will again be adding a touch of class with their vintage inspired look, complete with dancing tea ladies.  Enjoy a delicious cuppa in beautiful vintage crockery along with a scrumptious cupcake on the tea lawn.

Fashion Week Front Row Fan Booth
This magic photobooth gives an instant re-touched look as the soft lighting and wind machine ensure your photo is good enough for the Vogue cover!  The booth comes equipped with fun face masks, so you can don the looks of Karl Lagerfeld, Anna Wintour and Naomi Campbell and create your own fun Fashion Week front row picture.

Hunter Welly Wanging
See how far you can wang your wellies, only Hunter will do.  The furthest welly wanged wins a pair of Hunter Boots – but watch out, the course is dotted with festival chic models in Hunter wellies – make sure you don’t hit them or you’ll fail the course!

Fancy Dress-Up Boxes
Fancy dress-up boxes are supplied by theatrical costumiers Costume Boutique and hip vintage clothing experts Rokit so you can try out some new looks and make sure you look the part.  If you like what you see, stroll over to the Rokit stall where you can also buy their 80’s retro gear.

Hook a Fashion Duck
Take a rod, chose your target, keep a firm hand, hook-a-duck!  Cross your fingers that your duck has a fashion prize attached.

Ben Sherman Vespas
Calling all wannabe mods – Ben Sherman’s Vespas are cruising into the Piazza for the weekend giving you the chance to hop on and strike a pose for Ben Sherman’s resident photographer and take home your souvenir snap from Fashion Fête.

Hand Massages
When carrying all those bags gets too much, stop off for a pamper session and enjoy a luxurious massage courtesy of celeb favourites Erno Lazlo skin care and L’Artisan Parfumeur.

The Lush Airstream

The Lush vintage airstream is rolling in to join the fiesta and will be selling a specially selected range of pampering products for the fashionista and offering fete-goers indulgent hand massages. The Lush team will also be selling a selection of their stunning vintage and own design scarves and offering scarf tying master classes to make sure you rock the look.  Come along and invent your own scarf style and you could be chosen to win a fantastic Lush pamper pack prize.

Kilo Club
A name in the little black book of every vintage fan.  Buy your pre-loved pieces priced per kilo – make sure you bring your oversized bag to carry it all home!

Pearl and Ivy
Because all style guru’s know, accessorising is key… Make sure you stand out from the crowd this season and pick up beautiful hand-made, original vintage inspired hair accessories from London designers Pearl and Ivy.

Create Boutique
Fancy becoming the envy of all your friends with this season’s must have footwear accessory?  Then come down and join a creative workshop with the Create Boutique specialists and learn to make your own cute 80’s inspired bows to adorn your pretty pumps .

Fashion Piñata
The most legal fun you can have with a bat in public!  Break open the Fashion Fête ostentatious 80’s fashion Piñata and get showered with fabulous fashion prizes.

Lara Leirner
Wannabe designers and fashion writers can drop by to visit fashion blogger Lara Leirner, who will be selling her own original clothing designs and advising on how to get started in the fashion industry.

Not only this, there will be nail painting, funky stalls where you can buy everything from earrings and mojitos to doggy couture. Lots of prizes to be won, and much, much more.

www.coventgardenlondonuk.com

Fashion Fête times: Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th September from 11am – 6pm, East Piazza

THE EXPERIMENTAL FOOD SOCIETY SPECTACULAR

THE BRICKHOUSE, LONDON E1 6RU

DAYTIME EXHIBITION 11.00am-5.00pm

EVENING BANQUET 7.30pm – 1.00am

TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED AT : http://www.experimentalfoodsociety.com/society.html

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

* A life sized suckling pig cake by Michelle Wibowo

* Chocolate sculpting with Paul Wayne Gregory

* Food Futurologist Dr Morgaine Gaye giving a talk on the 6 future foods of the next three years

*A ‘live’ and interactive installation by jelly mongers and spectacular food experience creators Bompas & Parr

*Melon Man’s extraordinary melon carvings

*An exhibition of food landscape’s by Carl Warner

*Listen to food soundtracks by the Broken Hearts

* Have your hand sculpted in bread by Sharon Baker

* Taste experimentally flavoured treats by Ginger’s Comfort Emporium

* Watch food model maker Paul Baker in action

* Catch Sophie Edmonds as she performs in a semi edible Marie Antoinette costume

* Kids fun at the Children’s Food Laboratory hosted by Gastronut & TV presenter Stefan Gates

JOIN THE EXPERIMENTAL FOOD SOCIETY ON FACEBOOK

An evening of Dada inspired cabaret madness at the Glee Club, Birmingham brought to you by the certifiable but mostly harmless Ditzy Diamond and some of the most creative, most bizarre, most wonderful performers working in the UK today.

Tickets are £10 online.

http://piffle.yolasite.com

Being held at the Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath on Saturday December 18th, this promises to be a night to remember.

With entertainment from burlesque stars Peski DeVille, Snappy O’Shea and Lady Wildflower, live bands, cabaret and  DJ all being hosted by MC Paul Savage, we’ll get you in the festive mood!

There will be a super duper raffle, with lots of prizes to be won, including A VOUCHER FOR NINAS HAIR SALON, A £40 VOUCHER FOR HEYDAY ONLINE as well as home made cakes, and of course, plenty of festive cheer!

Smart Attire

As more acts are confirmed, we will be sure to update this page, so keep an eye out.

For more information, email info@myvintagedresser.co.uk or call/text 07583 549 841

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! ADVANCE TICKETS ONLY – £20

106 High St, Kings Heath, Birmingham, B14 7JZ

Saints And Sinners, a night of naughty but nice burlesque featuring Darkteaser, Ally Katte, Delilah Galore, The Bay Belles, Violet Noir and more. Hosted by the Marquis De Rita with the Gas Station Bop DJs.
September 23 Doors open at 7.30pm and it’s at The Monkey Cafe, Castle Street Swansea, SA1 1JF

Tickets, priced £9, are available from www.bluestockinglounge.com

If you are in Stafford on the 17th September there will be a fantastic wartime dance at St Leonards club.

The dance is in support of Katherine House Charity, providing palliative care to patients in North Staffordshire and Help For Heroes, please come along get involved and support these two excellent charities!

It will be run by a local dance school, Groove Academy (so people will dance!) This also means that there will be a great range of dancing capabilities with teachers on hand to hone your technique, teach you some new moves or get you started on the basics so everyone can join in! There will be stalls from local dealers of vintage fashion and costume hire, the WI are providing refreshments as well as St Leonards bar. Tickets are only £13.50 and more information is on the Groove Academy website under the events section: www.grooveacademy.co.uk

8.00.pm – St Leonards Social Club, St Leonards Avenue, Stafford, Staffordshire, ST17 4LX

Opening Soiree Thursday 16^th September 6 till 8pm with an after party at Fun City, George & Dragon, 2-4 Hackney Road. 8-12 midnight!

17 – 23 SEPTEMBER | 11AM TO 7PM DAILY

Retro starting from a quid? Yes please. Performance art from Scottee? Alright then. All curated by the fabulous Princess Julia (who we had the immense pleasure of meeting at Caligula with Bishi) – Hell yes!

During London Fashion Week The Glorified £ Shop will be taking over the basement of Shoreditch’s favourite store MAIDEN. London legend and music editor of i-D Magazine Princess Julia has assembled a vintage “A Team” consisting of Josh Quinton, Hannah Hooper, Felicity Hayward (we loved ‘Finders Keepers‘) and Lilee Cathcart who have searched far and wide to source a breathtaking array of original and specialist vintage pieces to entice and amuse one and all.

Clothing, shoes and accessories from 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 00’s have been especially selected for this unique house of design. The Glorified £ Shop is an ideal opportunity to source and be inspired by styles and looks of by gone eras.

Princess Julia said “The interest in retro and recycled style has never been more inspiring; by mixing the traditional with the radical- the trad with the rad- style icons of London have never been more vibrant and varied. At The Glorified £ Shop we hope to reveal the secrets of developing personal style with a twist and with prices starting from £1 they’ll be something to suit budgets big and small”.

Each day we will be having an in-store ‘happening’

*Friday September 17th Acclaimed performance artist Scottee will be performing a concept piece every 15 minutes. Times to be confirmed.

*Vintage Hair Dresser Sami Knight will be dressing hair. £15.00 for a new you!

*Jeanette, (James Main) style icon and owner of Jeanette’s store will be conducting catwalk lessons in store!

It’s Christmas!

Saturday 11th – Sunday 12th September 2010
Dockside Activities from Noon
Tickets to the Enclosure are available in advance only via Ticketweb and cost £15
Dress Code – Nautical Glamour Through The Ages

The Thames Revival is an annual event that celebrates vintage glamour, classic boats and the golden days of sailing and will be taking place from Saturday 11th to Sunday 12th September 2010.
Taking place in St Katharine Docks in the shadow of Tower Bridge, The Thames Revival will feature beautifully restored classic boats and stylish vintage dress, forming an eye catching gathering never seen before in central London.

Over fifty classic boats, including vintage Oyster Smacks, Thames Barges, Oxford and Cambridge boats and Classic Yachts will moor in St Katharine Docks for the occasion, representing London sailing throughout the ages. Making the spectacle even more charming, the sailors will be in classic sailing costume that is particular to the era of their boat, reviving the timeless elegance of English boating. Over Saturday and Sunday, St Katharine Docks will be awash with nautical revelry as guests decked out in their finest vintage regalia gather on the dockside enclosure and floating pontoons. Throughout the day, live swing and jazz bands will play as guests dance between the bunting and fairy lights strung between the boats, while others can enjoy old-fashioned deck games and boat-themed activities.

The bar, run by Bourne and Hollingsworth, will serve signature classic cocktails and Champagne, while beer enthusiasts can enjoy a selection of Ales from barrels rolled straight out of the Shepherd Neame Victorian Thames Barge anchored nearby. Peckish sailors will be able to choose from a selection of British hearty fare, including a succulent Hog Roast and sausage sandwiches. The more dainty can enjoy Afternoon Tea while taking a break from a strenuous game of shuffleboard.

Delighting sailing and vintage enthusiasts alike, The Thames Revival is a unique and quintessentially English event that after a successful launch last year has grown significantly and is set to become an iconic fixture on the London summer festival circuit.