Welcome to Angy's Romantique Couture Blog

Romantique Couture
1 Atkinson Court
Fell Foot
Newby Bridge
Ulverston
Cumbria
United Kingdom
LA12 8NW

T: 015395 30648
M: 07812 210880

Email: angy@
angymorton.com

Angy's Blog August 2010

The trials and tribulations of a fashion designer in the Lake District!

ARCHIVE: my previous entries:

JUNE - JULY 2010 Fashion Mavericks - Pyromania - Catwalk Curves - Victorian Wedding Dress - Quest for an Orchid
MAY - JUNE 2010 London Calling - Little Black Dress - Dress Sizes - Holiday Hangover - Pam Carter - Skye - Mackintosh
APRIL 2010 Spring is here - Howay the Lads! - Kirkby Stephen - April Fools - BUTiQ - Leeds Catwalk pics
FEBRUARY - MARCH 2010 Stadium of Light - Leeds United Wedding Show - Spring - London Fashion Week Catwalk Show
JANUARY 2010 Life is a Roller Coaster / Alexander McQueen - Tyne Tees TV Interview - LFW - New Year 2010
DECEMBER 2009 White Christmas - Liverpool Debacle - Stolen Dreams Facts - Haverthwaite - Miss Sundlerland - Show Pics & Clips
NOVEMBER 2009 Lavish & Luxe - The Big Flood - Stolen Dreams - Censored Dreams
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2009 Stolen Dreams - Gambling Man - Autumn - Laughing Stock - Justice - Broken Promises

Bottom of Page for more Archive Pages

USEFUL LINKS:

CLICK for: JALOUSE LFW CLOSING SHOW video clips on YouTube
CLICK for: LAVISH & LUXE: STOLEN DREAMS video clips on YouTube
CLICK for: STOLEN DREAMS LAUNCH video clips on YouTube
CLICK for: SPECTRUM IN FOUR SEASONS catwalk pictures
CLICK for: SPECTRUM IN FOUR SEASONS video clips on YouTube
CLICK for: FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION Cumbria Life - 5.2mb PDF
CLICK for: MySpace
CLICK for: Fashion Industry Network

EVENTS DIARY 2010:

17-18 SEPTEMBER 2010: Fashion Mavericks at London Fashion Week:

LONDON FASHION WEEK - FASHION MAVERICKS
Strand Palace Hotel, 372 Strand, London WC2R 0JJ (near Somerset House)
Nearest underground: Charing Cross, Temple or Covent Garden

17 SEPTEMBER 2010 (FRIDAY) - EXHIBITION from 13:00-19:00 (no invitation required)
18 SEPTEMBER 2010 (SATURDAY) - CATWALK SHOW at 16:30 - INVITATION ONLY
See below for invitations

Click here for full Fashion Mavericks Catwalk Schedule (144KB PDF)
London Fashion Tweet: Fashion Mavericks Event Schedule
Fashion Mavericks website

Angy Morton
For all press enquiries or invitations please contact
press@angymorton.com

4 NOVEMBER 2010: AM Models Charity Fashion Event: As You Like It, Jesmond (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) - in support of childrens cancer

PYROMANIA py-ro-ma-nia: - an irresistable impulse to set fire to things for personal gratification

PYROMANIA py-ro-ma-nia: - the exciting, new collection from Angy Morton

PYROMANIA is the new concept collection I am currently working on with a view to releasing the first completed designs on the catwalk in September, during London Fashion Week, at Fashion Mavericks. My PYROMANIA creations comprise a mix of limited edition 'hand made' lines, which can be made to measure on order, and designs which will subsequently be manufactured in the United Kingdom as limited edition 'prêt-à-porter' lines. The 'hand-made' range will be available from my new online BUTiQ from late September, and exclusive runs of 'prêt-à-porter' designs from select boutiques or online, later in 2010.

Pyromania will comprise two themes based around the elegant, sinuous curve of 'Midnight Sun', and the stylish, angular, low cut back of 'Wildfire'. I may not be granted permission to literally set the runway on fire, but hopefully these new outfits will ignite a spark of pleasure! I am now busy juggling my new creations with existing commitments but expect a selection to be ready for the September launch. I am not giving too much away at this stage other than to say that the outfits will be available in either dazzling fiery reds, oranges and yellows, or in monochromatic themes. They all bear names reflecting the fascinating Pyromania theme, from which I have drawn my inspiration - from the explosive 'Krakatau' to the serene 'Fuji', the elegant curves of 'Pacaya' and foaming streams of 'Kilhauea' to the twisted geology of 'Pahoehoe' lava, the smoke and sulphurous funes of 'Ijen', and the electrical, energy of 'Astraphobia'. ... so, watch this space!

See ANGY'S BLOG and BUTiQ for further details and regular updates

IJEN - is one of a group of active volcanoes, situated inside the 20km wide Ijen caldera, in East Java. It is known for its turquoise-coloured, acid crater lake, and a labour intensive sulphur mining operation. It is a surreal place, a harsh environment of noxious gases, where miners tap hot liquid sulphur, from the vents. The solid yellow sulphur is broken off in huge chunks by the men who then carry them on their backs, out of the crater and down the mountain.

IJEN - is an asymmetrical, silver-grey and champagne-gold, taffeta evening gown. It is a close-fitted dress, with a collar at the front and a gathered, low-cut back. Intricate, stitched pleats at the front represent the paths from the crater, while the gathered, yellowish fabric at the back represents the sulphur.

27 AUGUST 2010 - HOUSE OF FRASER, CARLISLE

I was invited to the opening of the newly-refurbished House of Fraser in Carlisle by Leah from AM Models in Newcastle. I was in two minds whether or not to attend as I have so much to finish with LFW now only three weeks away. However, Leah is very dear to my heart so I accepted. Mike had another appointment so I took the train and spent the afternoon in Carlisle catching up with business and trawling round the shops for ideas. It was a glorious day and there was a European market in the main square so there was a real buzz to the place.

A corner of the historic city centre of Carlisle: Old town hall and clocktower, St.Alban's Row

AM Model Agency Ltd
Newcastle & the North East
Telephone: 0191 233 142
www.ammodels.co.uk

The House of Fraser evening was excellent in the end, and the new store really looks very smart, with a huge range of designer and other clothing concessions. It was also great to catch up with Leah. Her catwalk show reminded me why I prefer to use the services AM Models, for photo shoots and events. I also made some useful contacts and bumped into a few familiar faces including Richard Eccles from Cumbria Life and my good friend Lana from Aspire - what would I do without her quick thinking! I even met the current Miss Cumbria, Kirstie Day who is hoping to move closer to becoming MIss England at the end of the month - good luck Kirstie. All in all, it was a fab evening so I'm glad I sacrificed my precious time - ta again Leah!

Leah is putting together a charity fashion show to take place in Newcastle on 4th November. I will be exhibiting a selection from my collections and plan to auction an exclusive, bespoke outfit to raise funds for a very worthwhile cause. I will let you know more about that in due course. Meanwhile make a note of the date and drop me a line if you would like an invitation.

21 AUGUST 2010 - READY-TO-WEAR WITH A DIFFERENCE

STOP PRESS: My new PYROMANIA collection will ultimately lead to my first 'pret-a-porter' limited edition lines manufactured here, in the UK. However, to fund production I have decided to trial something rather unique - a collection that sits firrmly between one-off, bespoke creations and a more rigid ready-to-wear line. I have selected five of my new Pyromania designs to form this unique collection of 'hand made' clothing. Each design will be limited to just ten individually numbered dresses. These can be ordered from mid September from both of my BUTiQ pages.

What is unusual, and ground-breaking, is that each outfit will be hand-crafted from excellent fabrics, to my highest standard of quality. This means that you wll receive a rare, high-quality, designer dress, made-to-measure, but at a 'pret-a-porter' price bracket. The five designs will be loaded on the BUTiQ pages over the next three weeks and will be available on a first come, first served basis. They will all be priced at approximately £ 750.00 per dress. Additional colours will be available on request at an extra premium. So, watch this space.

18 AUGUST 2010 - CUMBRIA LIFE

It's that time of the month again - I've just picked up a copy of my favourite local lifestyle magazine - Cumbria Life. There are plenty of excellent articles as always - a nice apple recipe, ideal for somebody who always has and apple in her hand like me. a feature about my favourite pub - the White Hart at Bouth - and walks I wish I had the time to try out. I always tell people to pick up a copy as this is the magazine for and about our unique community, crammed with information and ideas, and always supporting the creative people who are drawn to this inspirational county. It is far superior to many of those glossy mags that have nothing but photos and endless who's who photos - Cumbria Life also has serious, well-written editorial content which means it is always excellent value. Anyway, I digress. Not only was I excited to find a snippet about myself, but there was also a feature about Charlotte and Alex's wedding ... and I received a mention for my unusual, side-saddle wedding dress. If for any reason you don't subscribe, or can't pick up a copy check out the following:

Romantique on the LFW catwalk (Cumbria Life - September 2010) - 644 KB PDF

Vintage Wedding for Charlotte and Alex (Cumbria Life - September 2010) - 1.1 MB PDF

FUJI - or Fuji-san, is the highest mountain in Japan, and one of its three 'Holy Mountains'. The almost symmetrical, snow-capped cone is a well-known symbol which is frequently depicted in Japanese art. It is even visible from Tokyo. Fuji is a sleeping giant, an active volcano which last erupted in 1707. However, it is also a relatively 'young' volcano which could erupt again.

FUJI - is an asymmetrical, black and white, evening gown, which forms part of my ready-to-wear PYROMANIA collection. It is a close-fitted dress, with a low-cut back, which cascades into a tail on one side. FUJI is one of the monochrome designs in my collection, in this case the colours representing basalt and ash, snow and ice. There is more to fire than flames!

13 AUGUST 2010 - LONDON FASHION WEEK SCHEDULE

Mayhem at the moment so apologies if my posts are becoming rather erratic. Wedding dresses to finish, new collection to complete and an exciting new project which I cannot say anything more about at the moment - oh yes, and all of them need to be ready for the start of London Fashion Week on 17 September. Panicking? No, but may have to sacrifice the eating and sleeping bit! Anyway, you can find the full schedules for catwalks and designers on the Fashion Mavericks site. More information will be loaded there, and here, as the date gets closer. Meanwhile, it'sback to work!

See:
Fashion Mavericks Catwalk Schedule (144KB PDF)
Fashion Mavericks (website)

8 AUGUST 2010 - LADIES, GENTS, ... FASHION DESIGNERS!

Come on guys, give me a break ... be original! Be creative! I know I've covered this subject before but to be honest, I’m fed up with people claiming to be what they are not ... or at least, people with no knowledge of fashion or without a dressmaking background, who overnight decide to call themselves ‘fashion designers’. Especially when they are copying me! I mean, do people just wake up in the morning and decide to call themselves a doctor or a dentist, or an architect? Of course not. So what is it with fashion? And, why I am so annoyed?

I call myself a fashion designer because that is what I do. It is what I am passionate about. More important it is what I am qualified to do. So when somebody comes along and calls themselves a 'fashion designer' just because I am, I have a right to feel aggrieved because it cheapens my profession. So, what are the definitions?

SEAMSTRESS - a woman who sews, especially one who earns her living by sewing.
DRESSMAKER - a person whose job is making women's clothes
TAILOR - a person whose occupation is making fitted clothes such as suits, trousers, and jackets to fit individual customers.
FASHION DESIGNER - a person who combines art, design and engineering in clothing and accessories.
COUTURIER - a fashion designer who manufactures and sells clothes that have been tailored to a client's specific requirements and measurements

I'm not very good at blowing my own trumpet as anybody close to me knows. But, I can tick all of those boxes. I have the qualifications - diplomas in tailoring and in dressmaking and textiles, gained from a long apprenticeship, and I have the experience - years and years of it. I have been doing this since I was six years old, under my grandma’s guidance. I’m extremely creative as you can see from my website, and everything I have so far achieved has been achieved off my own back - there has been no sugar daddy, no celebrity partner, no 'connections' to help me break through, just lots of hard work and determination. So am I annoyed? You can say that again!

By the time I reached my teenage years I was discovering my own style, playing with fabrics, textures, cuts and colours. My grandma was a professional dressmaker, her sister was a bridalwear designer, and my great grandfather was a tailor. It runs in my family. My grandma's flair helped me on my way. She was a tough woman and never gave me a break until an outfit was finished properly. I think that is why I have become such a perfectionist - I'm never satisfied unless everything is just right. I won't compromise. So, as you can imagine, by the time I came to get my first fashion qualification, I was the best in the school. My final task was a baby blue three-piece suit for the headmaster's son.

I always wanted to be different. I hated the blind 'sheep following sheep' culture ... all my friends were envious of me but I was always busy making things for them. However one particular ‘friend’ said that if I could do it so could she - ignoring the experience and qualifications she would need. The creative minds out there may recognise this pattern. A couple of weeks later she emerged with a portfolio full or sketches and ideas from which I recognised more than just a few as my own. Her problem was she got stuck on the technical stuff and fell at the first hurdle ... so, it may be easy to call yourself a ‘fashion designer’ because you know how to sew or to sketch but to use algebra, engineering and imagination to turn those fantasies into real fashion is a different matter altogether.

I suppose I should take heart from the fact that in the end I will be judged on my own merits. I know there are people out there who can pay to be successful, but does that really give them satisfaction?

So what is with Ladies and Gents you ask? Well, I saw a site last week where the sections for ladieswear and menswear were simply described 'Ladies' and 'Gents' ... nothing wrong with that I suppose, only it immediately brought to mind a strong smell of disinfectant and memories of my recent trip to Rothesay where I was honoured with an 'inspection of the rather splendid 'Gents' urinals (left)! :)

3 AUGUST 2010 - A DESIGNER'S WORST NIGHTMARE

What is the worst thing that can happen to a very busy designer? Fabrics not delivered in time? Clashing shades and textures? Losing inspiration?....No!! a broken sewing machine!

Last week was a nightmare... commissions to finish and a collection to start. And then my beloved machine crackled, flashed and died! No matter what I did I couldn't breathe any life back into it. I just stared at it until I couldn’t bear it anymore and tears poured down my cheeks. Why can’t things run smoothly? Why can’t I just get on with my work? Why now? But, life is full of surprises just when you least expect ... and, luckily I found a dealer not far away who answered my cries for help. My lovely wonderful sewing machine is sick but, after an anxious, nail biting weekend, I was advised that it can be cured. So, we took it to the 'Sewing Machine Hospital' in Carlisle, and left it in the expert hands of Paul, my Good Samaritan. In the meantime I now have a much more basic machine which will suffice until my baby comes back home! So, if you live in Cumbria or the Borders and your machine begins to misbehave just get in touch with Paul at the Superior Sewing Centre - www.sewingknitting.co.uk

As the anxiety regarding my machine died down, we decided to make the most of the day and drove first along the River Eden, then over the border via Gretna and Annan to see Caerlaverock Castle. We had been fascinated after seeing it on the telly, on 'Coast'. Since Carlisle is only a stone's throw away it was a relatively easy detour.

Caerlaverock Castle, one of a series of important border fortresses, is very unusual with three towers, and three curtain walls surrounded by a wide moat. It stands on the Solway marshes near to the sea, and was beseiged twice - first by Edward I in the Middle Ages, and then by the protestants in the the 17th century. The south wall was bombarded and breached by siege engines. A reconstruction of one of these massive 'trebuchet' machines stands near the castle. The castle was left to nature as a romantic ruin, but has subsequently been restored and is now under trhe care of Historic Scotland. For more information see:

Undiscovered Scotland
Historic Scotland

Left to Right, top to Bottom:

River Eden at Rockcliffe, view upstream towards Carlisle
River Eden at Rockcliffe, view downstream toiwards the Solway, with Castletown House
Caerlaverock Castle, near Dumfries
Meadow by the River Eden

KRAKATAU - or Krakatoa, in the Sunda Strait between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra, is famous on account of its eruption in 1883, one of the most violent volcanic eruptions in recorded history. It ejected some 21 cubic kilometres of rock, ash and pumice in a cataclysmic explosion which was heard 5000 km away, caused devastating tidal waves, and affected weather patterns round the globe for five years. Over 36,000 people died though some estimates suggest it could have been up to three times more than that, while the island of Krakatoa was reduced in size by some two-thirds. Since 1927 a new island, Anak Krakatau (Child of Krakatau), has been rising from the sea in the middle of the caldera, and continues to grow through frequent eruptions.

KRAKATAU - is an unconventionial, contemporary fitted wedding dress which forms part of my new PYROMANIA collection. It features a low cut front and a close-fitted skirt and is crafted from burnt orange taffeta, shot with deep red. The train of Krakatau resembles a river of burning, molten lava.

For excellent pictures of Anak Krakatau check out the following article: Will Krakatoa rock the world again?

STOLEN DREAMS:
Click here to
download my leaflet;
Bespoke Fashion -
with a Difference
PDF (1mb)

My previous Posts:

JUNE - JULY 2010 Fashion Mavericks - Pyromania - Catwalk Curves - Victorian Wedding Dress - Quest for an Orchid
MAY - JUNE 2010 London Calling - Little Black Dress - Dress Sizes - Holiday Hangover - Pam Carter - Over the Sea to Skye - Mackintosh
APRIL 2010 Spring is here - Howay the Lads! - Kirkby Stephen - April Fools - BUTiQ - Leeds Catwalk pics
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2010 Stadium of Light - Leeds United Wedding Show - Spring - LLFW Catwalk Show
JANUARY 2010 Life is a Roller Coaster / Alexander McQueen - Tyne Tees TV Interview - LFW - New Year 2010
DECEMBER 2009 White Christmas - Liverpool Debacle - Stolen Dreams Facts - Haverthwaite - Miss Sundlerland
NOVEMBER 2009 Lavish & Luxe - The Big Flood - Stolen Dreams - Censored Dreams
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2009 Stolen Dreams - Gambling Man - Laughing Stock - Justice - Broken Promises
AUGUST 2009 Lavish & Luxe - Weddings - Chaos - Photo Shoot at St. James' Park - Harvest Time
JUNE - JULY 2009 Sir Bobby Robson RIP - Mannekins - Liverpool - Georgian Splendour - Price of Fame - Detox
MAY - JUNE 2009 (Toon in Tatters - Fashion Communism - Ele Horsleys - Kittiwakes - Stolen Dreams - Bluebells
MARCH - APRIL 2009 Made in England - Stolen Dreams - Easter Sunshine - Victoriana - Alan Shearer - Funland
FEBRUARY - MARCH 2009 (Favourite View - Punk Revival - Fast Fashion v. Recycled Fashion
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2009 (In Search of Winter - A Favourite Place - Catwalk Videos - Winter Chill
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2008 (ROCS - Florence No2. - Winter-Mere
OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2008 (Cumbria Life - Glitz & Glamour Haggerston Craft Show
OCTOBER 2008 (Woman Event - Catwalk Photos - Radio Cumbria - Brochure Download
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2008 (Newcastle United Wedding Dress - Wedding Shows
AUGUST - SEPT. 2008 (Fashion Designers - Spectrum Collection - Sara Gadd
JUNE - JULY 2008 (Haute Couture - Vivienne Westwood - Dorset Buttons - Magna Carta
FEBRUARY - MAY 2008 (Lake District Inspirations - Long Blondes - Wedding Show

We are on

Angy's Blog is written by Angela Morton, Fashion Designer & Dressmaker
Photographs copyright of Mike and Angy Morton

Copyright Romantique Couture 2010