A WEEK IN CT #6 with Antonia O'Brien

This week we had A Week in Charlotte Taylor with a difference as we went on the road with fashion writer and presenter Antonia O'Brien, visiting her all over London as she wore her favourite pieces from the SS13 collection.

Job title: 

Fashion writer and TV Presenter 

  

 What's the best bit about your job?

Presenting live from the red carpet at the BAFTAs and Oscars; once you're live that's it, the adrenaline makes is brilliantly scary and exciting. 

  

 Favourite London haunts?

For delicious coffee and brunch, Providores on Marylebone High Street is perfect. For pizza and a killer Bloody Mary, go to Pizza East in Shoreditch, the only place to go on Sunday with a hangover.  

 What's on your iPod right now?

I've got both  Aluna George and Flume on repeat. 

 What's on your wishlist?

Shiny foil and metallic separates from Christopher Kane's A/W '13 - both chic and sci-fi.  

 Summer plans? 

I'm currently developing a TV show which will be going live in summer, so watch this space, and then Sonar festival in Barcelona with my boyfriend and friends. 

 What would you call a pet penguin?

Spiderman 

  

 And finally, what is your favourite piece from the CT SS13 collection?

I love the blue and white marble print mini skirt - such a cool flared cut. 

A WEEK IN CT #5

... with make-up artist and hair stylist Camilla Hewitt.

Job title: 
Make up Artist & Hair Stylist

Zebra-print minidress

 
What's the best bit about your job?
Every day is different, I get to meet so many amazing people and I've made some great friends on shoots.

 Who's the best person you've ever styled?
Emeli Sande because I get to hear her sing... she is incredible live!
 
Any insider horror stories / difficult people / funny anecdotes from behind the scenes at shoots/shows? (don't have to mention any names...)
Hmm that would be telling!

Marble-print sleeveless shirt

Five favourite products?
For lips: Estee Lauder Vanilla Truffle
For eyes: Mac Paint Pots
For cheeks: Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge
For hair: Bumble&Bumble Surf Spray
For nails: OPI

Weave-print tube skirt

Favourite London haunts?
Richmond park for Sunday walks, Liberty to lust over Annina Vogel jewellery, The V&A for exhibitions (we are so spoilt for museums in London).
 
What's on your iPod right now?
Haim, Bastille, Rudimental and JT... might be suffering from a little crush!

Chiffon blouse

What's on your wishlist?
A holiday!
  
Summer plans?
Hopefully work, work, work! And sunny weekends on the Isle of Wight.

Quilted bomber

What would you call a pet penguin? 
Pete (after my dad) 
  
And finally, what is your favourite piece from the CT SS13 collection?
Definitely the zebra mini...

A WEEK IN CT #4

...with our very own Carol Taylor (a.k.a. Mum)

Marble-print shirt

Zebra-print blouse

Taj-print shirt-dress

Tile-print T

Peacock feather-print bomber

Name: Carol Taylor

Job: Director of Chartwell healthcare

Your favourite haunts?

Joe's Brasserie, Zara and my home sweet home!

What's on your iPod right now?

Blake ! Michael Buble, Emily Sande, some strange Eukele player?! (our dad)

On your wishlist?

C.T. to hit big time and Neptune Energy (another family project) to come good.

What would you call a pet penguin?

Manuel

And finally, what's your favourite  piece from the SS13 collection?

Peacock Print quilted bomber and the zebra print mini dress

A WEEK IN CT #3

... with Bex Waite, costume stylist.

Cow print maxi

Grape-print culottes

Peacock print quilted bomber

Zebra-print chiffon maxi

Tile-print cotton T

Name: Bex Waite

Job title: Freelance costume stylist

What's the best bit about your job?

 The people, the unusual locations, the access to places that the general public don't get to go to, the incredible sets and beautiful clothes and costumes

Favourite London haunts?

 For food Bistrotheque in Bethnal Green, for shopping The Dark Room on Lambs Conduit Street, Frae for frozen yoghurt on Notting Hill Gate, The Coronet cinema and The Brunswick Cafe in Vauxhall

What's on your iPod right now?

 Haim, Joey Bada$$, Jefferson Airplane, Bonobo and Madonna's The Immaculate Collection

What's on your wishlist?

 Cashmere stripy cushions from The Dark Rooms

Summer plans?

 Chamonix for a mountain wedding then Glastonbury, Wilderness and Boomtown

What would you call a pet penguin? 

Geronimo or Nancy Tucker

And finally, what is your favourite piece from the CT SS13 collection? 

I love the peacock print quilted bomber

TRADITIONAL INDIAN QUILTING

One of the main techniques I fell in love with in India was their hand and
machine quilting. This technique can mainly be seen on home furnishings like
bedspreads and cushions, but also on clothing.

The quilting is either done by hand or machine, giving completely different
effects. I was in Rajasthan and we visited a number of factories and towns who
specialised in the technique. I am not aware of whether this is a national
technique but it is very apparent in Rajasthan. My mum even bought 3 of the
enormous hand quilted throws for her house!

For SS13 we took our idea to an Indian factory in Mumbai to perfect the
technique in the country that it originated from. We were working on two
pieces. The quilted dress and quilted bomber jacket. The jacket has quilting
in between the cotton self and lining to give it structure, but the dress
just has the quilting stitch for design purposes. Both have been so
successful and we all love them!

Buy SS13 quilted pieces here

A Week in CT #2

... with.... Charlotte Taylor!

Peacock print quilted jacket - online tomorrow

Taj print shirtdress

Marble blouse

Marble skirt

Tile print T-shirt

Name: Charlotte Taylor

Job title:  
Creative Director and owner of Charlotte Taylor LTD
  
What's the best bit about your job? 
Hmm so many things. Probably when people just love the product as much as I do ­ its so rewarding and reassuring too!! I love being creative and when you
have a clothes label this filters through into so many different aspects, not just designing the clothes. Its about thinking outside the box and I love that
challenge.
   
Favourite London haunts? 
Battersea car boot sale ­ does that count?!?!?
  
What's on your iPod right now? 
 Celine Dion ­ haha! Don¹t judge me!

If you had a pet penguin, what would you call it? 

Ooooh that¹s a  hard one...Something random like Dave probably but id have to think about it for weeks....
  
Summer holidays?
Morocco surfing = heaven

 What are you up to this weekend?
On my own at my parents house have some time out to design new line we are
developing...
  
Who's your favourite person to follow on Twitter/Instagram?
Hannah Rochelle is funny on twitter from the Times Fashion pages. She has a very dry sense of humour ­ makes me laugh.
   
 What's on your wishlist right now?
Some sun!!!!
  

And finally, which is your favourite piece from the CT SS13 collection?
I love the tulle dress and the zebra mini -­ cheating I know!
   

A Week in CT #1...

We have asked some of our most stylish friends and family and our favourite fashionable folk and to spend a week wearing their most loved pieces of the current Charlotte Taylor collection. SO without further ado we bring you A Week in CT #1...

... with Harriet Stewart, fashion editor of The Sunday Times Style magazine.

Marble jeans

Taj print quilted dress - online soon

Zebra print mini-dress

Marble sleeveless shirt

Zebra print chiffon blouse

Name: Harriet Stewart




Job title: Fashion editor at Sunday Times Style




What's the best bit about your job? Seeing the shows, it's still so exciting to me and I hope it will be years down the line.




Favourite London haunts? The Cow on Westbourne grove - cliché but I love a cliché, you're guaranteed a good time. Brixton Market for the best £5 cocktails and delicious food. And my roof terrace on a sunny weekend with all my flat mates.




What's on your iPod right now? Listening to a lot of Bakermat wishing I was dancing in the sunshine.




If you had a pet penguin, what would you call it? Napoleon Dynamite.




And finally, which is your favourite piece from the CT SS13 collection? I love the zebra print dress. If I was an animal I'd definitely be a zebra.

A MARBLING MASTERCLASS

Seeing as we had such amazing feedback from the mini-mini marbling masterclass in this week's Look magazine we thought we'd elaborate a little with a step-by-step guide. So here you go, gloves at the ready...

Step 1

Buy some ink from an art store or online. We used easy Marbling
inks. I would suggest you need 3+ colours per design.

Step 2

Decide what you want to marble. We marbled 45cm x 135cm silk
scarves, but you can marble pretty much anything.

Step 3

Fill a trough with water. We made some to fit our scarves. They
were 10cm wider all round and only 40cm deep. You only need to fill it up
a few cm, so the whole base is covered. You can get plastic troughs from
garden centres or even a paddling pool, but it must have a larger surface
area than you fabric/ paper as you can't double dip!

Step 4

Quickly sprinkle over the inks onto the surface of the water. You
are literally painting your picture so what you see on the surface will
end up as your design. The inks set so you must be very quick at this.
Swirl them around a bit with a metal fork or something similar.

Step 5

Place your fabric or card on the surface of the water. It must be
flat and pat it down so all of the surface touches the water. If you have
a large surface area its better to get a friend to help. Lift it up after
10 seconds or so and be careful not to touch the water again.

Step 6

Step 6: Hang up you design to dry and stand back and admire!

Top tips

1. Use at least 1 dark colour to gain a strong contrast within your design.
2. Wear gloves - the inks are oil based and tough to get off. You will need
white spirit to remove it.
3. If you print on fabric you can generally hand wash them and they will not
run.

Enjoy!

(You can have a look at some of our SS13 marble print pieces in our online shop...)

AUTUMN | WINTER 2013

“LOST AND FOUND”

Lost and found was born through a tale of forgotten

fantasies and redundant possessions.

The forgotten toy – discarded.

Childhood fantasies of circus & performance – forgotten.

A world of shadows and distant dreams.

This is the stage for our AW13 collection.

complemented and enlightened by Navajo totems

and spirits, and as always vibrant colours and clashes.

Welcome to the thought provoking world of

CT Autumn | Winter 2013.

Let the show commence.

Photographer: Michelle Beatty

Stylist: Victoria Sekrier

Hair Stylist: David Wadlow

Make-up Artist: Camilla Hewitt

Model: Manuela @ Models 1