Edward Enninful – of The September Issue fame – has been honoured with the prestigious Isabella Blow Award for fashion creator by the British Fashion Council.

Enninful has a history of innovation, becoming the youngest editor of a major magazine when he was appointed Fashion Director of i-D at the tender age of 18. This was soon followed by becoming Contributing Fashion Editor to Italian Vogue and then American Vogue in 1998 and 2005 respectively. Since 2011, he has been at W Magazine as Fashion and Style Director.

His creative vision has also led him to pivotal contributions to advertising campaigns and catwalk shoes at Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Jil Sander, Céline, and Valentino, amongst others.

His work is much lauded by key figures in the industry, including Natalie Massenet CBE, Chairman of the BFC, who said, ‘His influence spans the entire globe, intersecting the worlds of fashion, art and business’.

britishfashionawards.com

Tags: BFC, Edward Enninful, Isabella Blow

London-Los Angeles denim brand FRAME has added to its series of shots inspired by Andy Warhol’s iconic screen prints, entitled GIRLS IN FRAME.  Devised by Jens Grede and Erik Tortensson, the project was intended to celebrate the launch of its t-shirt for autumn/winter 2014.

The latest model to join the series is Australian model Phoebe Tonkin. This recent instalment accompanies the release of FRAME’s resort collection, launching in stores now. Grede and Tortenssion hosted a star-studded dinner to celebrate, with Karlie Kloss, Elin Kling, Tali Lennox in attendance, to name but a few.

FRAME’s chic, minimal style has already garnered followers including Cara Delevingne and Rose Huntingdon Whiteley – this creative campaign is sure to secure them a place at the head of the pack.

frame-denim.com

Tags: Denim, event, Fashion

On 6 November, Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne unveiled a new creative concept that saw Burberry take over the windows, façade and atrium of the iconic Parisian department store, Printemps. Burberry did something undeniably brilliant by pairing Kate and Cara together for a host of ad campaigns, but this latest venture is enchanting all by itself.

‘The Magical Christmas Journey by Burberry’ is the story of a little boy and his teddy bear, as they make the journey from the flagship Burberry store on Regent Street to the Printemps store in the heart of Paris. The eleven windows feature a cast of handmade puppets – the little boy, his teddy and Printemps’ exclusive Bubsy characters – wearing items from the Burberry limited edition Printemps collection.

Ten beautifully executed scenes allow you to follow the little boy as he flies over the English countryside, crossing the Channel on an upturned Burberry umbrella. He and his bear help the Busby puppets sort Christmas gifts before alighting on the roof of the Printemps store and forming a Christmas Choir, and finally, settling at the Christmas table surrounded by Burberry gifts and evening wear.

Social media, too, is being leveraged to make this an extra-special display. Using smartphones, visitors are able to interact with the individual scenes and control their own vantage points, create their bespoke journey and send images from the built-in cameras within the windows directly to their phones. The beautifully festive scene can instantly be turned into a digital postcard, which can then be shared across social media. And for those who aren’t able to visit Paris, the journey can be seen on Burberry’s streams on Twitter and Facebook.

Festivity aside, the display marks the launch of the exclusive Burberry collection of limited edition pieces which have been designed for Printemps, including ready-to-wear, trench coats, accessories, special gifts and collector’s items which all feature in the window displays, as well as Burberry Beauty gifts and the My Burberry fragrance and make up box sets.

burberry.com

printemps.com

Tags: Burberry, christmas, Printemps

Did you know that 1 in 5 women experiences sexual assault in their lifetime? Or that, on average, a woman earns 22 per cent less than a man for doing the same job?

You might find these statistics shocking. But what shocks you more – these outrageous inequalities, or hearing five 6-year old girls dressed as princess tell you the hard facts, peppered with ‘fuck,’ ‘shit’ and any other expletive you can think of?

Pro-LGBT equality, anti-racism and anti-sexism T-shirt company FCKH8.com’s latest campaign demonstrates that society currently seems to find the exploitation of women easier to handle than seeing their darling little girls swear.

The real kicker comes when you realise, according to the stats, one of these girls will be raped. And just to really hammer it home, a 12-year old boy joins in at the end, also dressed as a princess – yet no one comments on how the video might affect him.

Potty-mouthed princesses, it seems, are the very best call to action.

FCKH8.com

Tags: FCKH8, Feminism, t-shirt

Mary Katrantzou has gone from strength to strength since her arrival on the fashion scene just a few short years ago, and her latest collaboration with sports favourites Adidas is no exception.

Hitting stores November 15th, the collection sees apparel and footwear transformed by abstract florals, stripes and laces. The inspiration behind the zip-up dresses, neoprene tops and kaleidoscopic footwear was feminine strength at every age.

‘This collection has encouraged me to push the boundaries of what is possible technically,’ says Katrantzou, ‘That’s something I will incorporate into future collections.’

marykatrantzou.com 

Tags: adidas Originals, Designer Collaboration, Fashion, Mary Katranztou

This year, Freize London adds to its repertoire of platforms for performance-based installations with ‘Live’, fashionably supported by Alexander McQueen, the Associate Sponsor of the art fair for the second year running.

Visitors will be able to watch a restaging of Robert Breer’s self-propelled Floats, and experience the sensation that they themselves are moving whilst actually remaining motionless, or relax by ‘vacationing’ during an installation from Tamara Henderson. Another of the 6 selected galleries, Shanzhai Biennial, will reconceive Frieze as a lifestyle brand, with products available for purchase.

‘Live’ is a major new initiative that is designed to integrate an important part of Freize’s history into the modern fair – the continuing commitment to showcasing the most experimental and ambitious art to capture visitor’s imagination.

freizelondon.com

Tags: Alexander Mcqueen, Art, Frieze, london

hi you are are beautiful how are you is the product of a two year relationship between photographer Valerie Phillips and Swedish artist/model Arvida Byström.

The pair was initially introduced by a mutual friend who predicted the creative collaboration that followed; Phillips and Byström first met on Skype before eventually working on 3 zines together.

As a photographer, Phillips likes to observe her subjects in their natural environment, living the lives they lead. hi you are beautiful how are you does exactly that, with Byström as the focus. She becomes all the more intriguing because of her eccentric lifestyle and fashion choices.

The result of this quirky friendship is a narrative portrait of a young feminist, questioning modern ideas of beauty and demeanour.

valeriephillips.com

Tags: book, photography, Valerie Phillips

St Petersburg native Timur Kim continued to hone his signature patchwork technique for SS15, as seen at LFW last month. Updating denim with digital prints, the show saw models marching down the runway in pleats, tailoring and clean silhouettes.

With the precision of an architect, Kim focuses on the structural integrity of each garment. Each item is handmade in his Dalston studio, where he produces both his RTW collections and one-off bespoke pieces.

Having worked with fashion greats including, Alexander McQueen, the fusion of bold colour and striking shapes in his latest collection has a distinctly retromodern feel that is uniquely Kim’s own.

timurkim.com

Tags: LFW, SS15, timur kim

Did you ever dress up in your mother’s pearls and lipstick when you were a kid? Watching your mum’s beauty ritual has probably profoundly affected your own make up routines and tricks. But this can work two ways – Dove’s latest research reveals that 34 per cent of mothers admit that their child mimics their negative beauty behaviour. So keeping this mind, Dove has created a new film to inspire women to pledge their positive beauty legacy, and asks them to share who in their life inspires them using #FeelBeautyFor. The film, Dove: Legacy, highlights how important it is to see your own beauty so you can instil these qualities in younger women around you.

This is the latest instalment in Dove’s Self Esteem Project, which has reached over 14 million young people with self-esteem building programmes.

dove.co.uk

Tags: beauty, Dove, film

Karl Lagerfeld, fashion innovator – and psychic? In light of current events, the Chanel fashion show on Tuesday was even more on point than usual. The Boulevard Chanel, constructed down to the very last detail including puddles and panes of glass, was the elegant backdrop to a revolution. Of course, Lagerfeld actually conceived the idea for the latest show many months ago, taking France’s love for la revolution as inspiration.

Distinct parallels can be seen with the infamous manifestations of Mai 68. Back then, the smell of both personal and political freedom was in the air, which Lagerfeld translated into his clothing for his SS15 collection. The catwalk was a riot of colour and print, with 60s and 70s style separates dominating the silhouette. The collection was not tied down to a single colour, pattern nor shape, celebrating our precious liberty and independence to choose. No doubt the feminist movement of Mai 68 would approve.

chanel.com

Tags: Chanel, Feminism, Karl Lagerfeld, PFW, SS15

London born and based jewellery designer Rachel Boston showed her first fine jewellery collection at London Fashion Week. Full of beautifully wrought, geometric pieces, the items in the collection have the potential to become treasured heirlooms. Twin chats to the New Designer of the Year nominee.

When did you decide you wanted to go into jewellery design?
I knew that I wanted to design jewellery from very early on. I always liked working with my hands so would use my parent’s toolbox and take apart my sister’s jewellery and put it back together in different ways – which I’m sure she didn’t enjoy too much. I then started basing all my projects in my Design and Technology class around jewellery so that I could build up my portfolio and work towards getting in to a jewellery course at university, which I did.

Why did you decide to study at the Gemological Institute in New York rather than stay in the UK?
I grew up in London and also stayed here for university at Central Saint Martins, so really felt like I needed to experience what it was like to live somewhere else, even for a short while. New York has always had such an allure to it for me that when I found out they did the course there it seemed crazy not grab the opportunity. It was the best decision I ever made. I met so many amazing people on the course from all over the world but also met my boyfriend whilst living out there and we’ve been doing long distance for almost 3 years now, which seems crazy to most people but works really well for us.

You showed your first fine jewellery collection at LFW; why did you decide to move into fine jewellery?
Making jewellery that wasn’t trend based and seasonal has always been very important to me. I’ve wanted to create pieces that could be worn forever and passed on as gifts to others so I decided it was necessary that the materials reflected this also. The price point is higher because it’s 18ct gold now instead of plated, but you have the reassurance that these are pieces that will not tarnish, the gold will not fade and you can theoretically pass these onto your grandchildren and they will stay in good condition. The history and the meaning that is given to jewellery and how people become attached to it is one of the reasons I fell in love with it in the first place, so making fine jewellery has happened very naturally.

Do you craft each piece by hand yourself?
I do. As of right now every piece is made in my studio off Hatton Garden (London’s jewellery district) and all the materials are sourced locally. As the business keeps growing this won’t be feasible for me making every piece as it’s a huge amount of work but I’d like to keep it in the studio and based in the UK as I’m a big supporter for British craftsmanship.

What is your favourite piece so far?
It changes all the time but from the new fine collection I think the Jera ear cuffs or the hinged Dagaz ring. The hinged ring is really comfortable and I barely notice I’m wearing it so it’s a great statement piece you can wear everyday. I love the Jera earrings because they fit the ear really nicely and I have the white sapphires specially cut here in London so I they’re very special because it’s such an unusual cut to have.

What is your favourite item of jewellery? Earrings, necklaces, bracelets or rings?
With me more is always more so I like layering necklaces, playing with different lengths and piling rings on for more of a statement. I tend to dress quite casually for the studio, generally just jeans, plain tee and a leather jacket so I love wearing a lot of rings to create more of a statement.

What are the key jewellery trends coming up for SS15?
The market is definitely leaning more towards fine jewellery these days, which I’m really happy about. I think people are starting to realise how much better it is to invest in one significant piece then spending lots of little bits of money on high street jewellery which falls apart so quickly.

What are your plans for your brand – where will you be this time next year?
I’m doing a lot more bespoke engagement ring work which I adore doing. It’s a huge honour to be asked to create someone’s ring that they intend to wear forever and I love working with couples to create something unique, so I definitely would like to do more of that. Otherwise I want the brand to keep growing both in the UK market and internationally and at some point open a small store in London.

What would your advice be to someone who wants to go into jewellery design?
I think it’s important to learn patience and how to figure out your own path and style. I definitely think you have to build a strong foundation on the technical side as well and not just fob it off and give everything to someone else to do for you, you don’t learn that way and you don’t end up pushing yourself.

Who is your ultimate jewellery/fashion inspiration?
Most of my favourite fashion muses are from bygone eras but I love the androgynous style of my heroines like Patti Smith and Joan Jett; they exude this amazingly powerful energy and are such strong women so anything they wear looks automatically cool.

rachelboston.co.uk

Tags: Design, fine jewellery, jewellery, LFW, Rachel Boston

Ukranian by birth but Italian by adoption, Svetlana Taccori developed a passion for making dresses for her dolls from a young age. Heavily influenced by her family of knitting fanatics, she decided to use the pieces in her closet as the basis for setting up her own knitwear label, and Tak.Ori was born. Her debut collection of knitwear has already been snapped up by Browns, Colette and ModaOperandi, and her AW14 collection will be available from Net-A-Porter and Matchesfashion.com

With knits on the horizon as a key winter trend, Twin chats to Svetlana to find out more about recasting fashion’s idea of the traditional woollen jumper.

What kicked off your love for wool?
I grew up in a cold country so I know the challenges of being well dressed and warm. Knitted items were always in my wardrobe and from a very early age I developed a passion for the softness, the volume and the warmth that comes from it so I suppose I’ve always had a love affair with wool even if I was unaware of it.

What is your favourite kind of wool?
I love merino and cashmere for their softness but in general I like experimenting and mixing the different types of wool. I’m constantly trying out new techniques, which will allow me to mix different wool fibres and colours together to create pieces which are easy to wear and that don’t react badly when washed.

Do you know how to knit? What kind of techniques do you use and which are your favourites?
I grew up in a household of knitting fanatics! I was eight when I had my first knitting classes and that’s when I learned how to turn a heel and make mini socks on five needles. I prefer to knit smooth surfaces using different colours as though I am painting on a canvas. In fact, I would have loved to be an artist and that’s partially due to how much art and literature combined to influence me while I was growing up, but my career path always seemed as though it would involve a needle and yarn. My love for fashion won out in the end!

Many people regard wool as quite casual and traditional – how would you dress it up?
I agree, knitwear was traditionally considered casualwear and at the beginning of the last century, it ended up in our closets because it was comfortable and cozy, making it a redundant textile in high fashion. But that’s an outdated concept for me. Wool is sustainable, renewable and eco-friendly, it’s also one of the most versatile yarns out there and it needs to be celebrated. I want to show that high fashion can be both beautiful and comfortable. I want to use its wholesome and pure image but add a rebellious and seductive element that’s both elegant and fun. In a way, I want to revolutionise the fashion knitwear scene and this is my way of rewriting the story of wool by showing that even an evening dresses can be knitted and look amazing. Wool pieces give you a freedom of movement that you don’t always get with other fabrics.

Who are your style icons?
I’m inspired by a bygone era of bold, outrageous women. Women who were intelligent, bright, charming and eccentric, yet elegant and chic at the same time. No doubt this is because we don’t really know them personally, and don’t see them in everyday situations which means they can’t disappoint. Today we seem to live in a society that favours exhibitionism over substance – I call it the Herostratus effect! My AW14 collection is influenced by the Marchesa Luisa Casati. She had a strong personality, she was charming, shocking and had a certain je ne sais quoi that made her the most fascinating and fashionable woman in Europe at the turn of the 20th century. I also love Nan Kempner. Her style is timeless but also very appropriate for today.

Where did you learn your craft? Have you worked with other designers?
At thirteen my grandfather gave me a sewing machine for my birthday. My parents had mentioned to him in passing that I was hand-sewing dresses for dolls. Every time I was given a doll, actually, the first thing I would do was to rip the clothes it came in off and make new outfits for them. So when I received my sewing machine there was no stopping me, and I moved on from making clothes for dolls to making clothes for my mum, sisters and school friends.

What prompted you to start your own label?
I’ve spent the past 15 years working in the fashion business for some of the most well-known luxury brands in the world, but I always felt it was inevitable that one day I would set-up my own label. Since my teens, I’ve been collecting hats and scarves everywhere I go (I have over a hundred hats and seventy scarves). It was after a trip to Cortina that I finally found the courage and felt that the time was right to go and do my own thing.

What inspired your SS15 collection?
As I mentioned earlier, knitwear and jersey came into our lives and into our closets in the 1920’s and this was a time of major change for women. I am intrigued by the way the suffragettes used their clothing as placards to fight for the vote. I wanted to dedicate my collection to that era and I wanted to celebrate and thank those women who made the freedoms many women enjoy today possible. These women were bold and, if you like, revolutionaries. So for my spring summer 2015 collection I wanted to create a modern interpretation of their strength and femininity as well as a contemporary view of the clothing worn by them. By using knit and jersey, which at the time were considered second-class fabrics and used solely for underwear and sports clothing, I feel it embodies the spirit of the suffragettes.

Are you influenced by your dual nationality?
I think we’re all influenced by our environment but our childhoods no doubt have the strongest influence. I can honestly say I feel very comfortable wherever I am. I love exploring the traditions and history of all the countries I visit – I will read the literature, listen to the local music, visit the art galleries, watch the movies, look at the colours and talk to as many people, young and old, as I can. I feel this willingness to learn helps to influence me in creating collections that appeal to people from different countries and continents. Of course it’s inevitable that I am also influenced by my Ukrainian roots and Italian adoption and, although I don’t rely on these elements for direction, I think you can see the bold, vibrant but traditional Ukrainian fused with the well cut, urban Italian chic in my designs, but luckily I’m a fan of dualities.

What can we expect from you in the next year?

I don’t know what to expect from myself! My main objective will be to continue to create contemporary, luxurious and innovative garments, and my fascination with fabric and wool technology knows no bounds. My fascination with experimentation helps push me creatively, especially during our spring summer collections as I have to focus on delivering wearable and interesting luxury pieces that are breathable and comfortable. We have big plans though and, I definitely want to improve my English!

tak-ori.com

Tags: Fashion, interview, Knitwear, Q&A, Tak.Ori

Although the fashion crowd will be flocking to Milan for its beloved MFW from the 17 September, the afternoon of Sunday 21 sees Marni presenting an entirely different kind of show.

The Marni Flower Market, to be held in the baroque Rotonda della Besana, will feautre bundles of flowers interspersed with house-like stalls showcasing their wares. This display of freshness and vitality, hustle and bustle, is intended to accentuate the brand’s Italian roots; fitting for a house that is often floral-inspired.

Carolina Castiglioni, Special Creative Director, is heading up the event with Stefano Rabolli Pansera, the architect and curator of the Angola pavilion at the 55th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia.

There will be a variety of items for sale, from PVC vases decorated with archive Marni prints and Japanese porcelain pots complete with flower seeds, to animal sculptures handcrafted by a group of Columbian women.

The Flower Market also marks a collaboration with the Museo dei Bambini di Milano. A series of children’s workshops will be available to the public, and exclusive items such as gardening aprons and tool bags, hand-painted in Zambia, will be on offer. The project underlines Marni’s commitment to philanthropy, with part of the proceeds from the sale of these limited edition products being donated in support of children’s organisations.

marni.com

Tags: culture, flowers, Marni, MFW, Milan

This year at the Venice Film Festival on 30 August, fashion giant Miu Miu screened its Women’s Tales project, paying homage to talented women of the silver screen.  The series of eight short films were directed by up-and-comers like Zoe Cassavetes, Lucrecia, and Miranda July. These fashionable featurettes, with their wacky but pensive subjects, are all accessorised by beautiful clothing and fabrics from Miu Miu (of course).

The latest instalment is Somebody, by writer, filmmaker and artist Miranda July. July wrote for the first issue of our very own Twin magazine, and has been going from strength to strength ever since.

Somebody accompanies the release of the eponymous app, a new messaging service that enables you to say something difficult to someone you love. Her ironic, witty and touching short film includes a tragedy featuring a sick mother, a devastating break-up, and a bizarre ménage-a-trois between two prison guards and pot plant named Anthony.

This quirky analysis of society’s hunger for communication and technology feels fantastically surreal, but with a striking element of truth.

miumiu.com

somebodyapp.com

Tags: app, Fashion, film, Miu Miu, technology

It seems, this season, that the world of fashion is still captivated by the roaring twenties. Chanel’s new fine jewellery collection of geometric shapes, dripping in diamonds, evokes art-deco glamour, accompanied by the romantic backstory of the legendary Gabrielle Chanel’s stratospheric social rise and her love of the ‘café society’.

Within the collection, the Symphony series, a composition of light around different diamond cuts, features a long string of jewels looking almost like bars of music. Likewise, the Charleston series’ square medallions and fringes of gemstones conjure up the elegance of days gone by.

The house of Chanel was born at a time when society was starting to rebel against puritan conventions. Arts were on the rise – the ‘cult of talent’ would create an aristocracy of taste, as poets, musicians and socialites flocked to the French Riviera to carouse in the sunshine. The decade was known for extreme extravagance – and what better way to bring it back than a collection drenched in diamonds?

chanel.com

Tags: 1920s, art deco, Chanel, diamonds, jewellery

For aficionados, fashion is much more than a frivolous indulgence in the latest trends. It is about self-expression, identity and creativity. This is what the major autumn exhibition at the London Design Museum intends to celebrate. Women Fashion Power opens on 29 October, looking at the ways in which women are using fashion to define and enhance their place in the world. Fittingly, the exhibition is designed by Dame Zaha Hadid, the first and only woman to have won the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004. She herself is well known for her fashion statements, currently sporting pink ombré hair.

It will feature exclusive interviews, an immersive multimedia journey including archive photography and film footage, and historic pieces of clothing to illustrate a timeline of fashion over the past 150 years, from restrictive corsets to Louboutin’s statement heels. There will be an iconic Yves Saint Laurent ‘Le Smoking’ suit, a Mansfield suit worn by Margaret Thatcher and a Jacques Azagury dress worn by Princess Diana, amongst others. To add to the excitement, over 25 contemporary women will be featured in the exhibition, and each of them has donated one of their outfits. Naomi Campbell, Dame Vivienne Westwood, Livia Firth (wife of Colin), Roksanda Ilincic and Natalie Massenet (of Net-A-Porter) are just a few of the famous names.

Fashion, it seems, is growing ever more important as a tool of empowerment, for building a reputation, attracting attention, and asserting authority. You might want to think on that when you plan your next outfit…

Women Fashion Power at the London Design Museum, from 29 October to 26 April.

designmuseum.org

Tags: exhibition, Fashion, london, London Design Museum, Women

Dover Street Market, the oh-so-stylish retail outpost from Japanese label Comme Des Garçons, is about to break its conspicuous social media silence with the launch of its Instragram, @doverstreetmarketlondon.

While it is obviously not the first fashion brand to turn to the world wide web for creative inspiration, it is somewhat surprising given that, until now, DSM has been abstemious when it comes to social networking. So what has prompted this move online?

The Instagram heralds a series of celebrations to mark DSM’s ten-year anniversary. Since opening its doors in London on 10 September 2004, DSM has well and truly established itself as a fashion haven, and these festivities will be its crowning moment.The entire store will undergo some exciting changes, and the exclusive collaborations will have fashionistas in a frenzy.

After three days of closure, the store will reopen on September 1, with a completely transformed basement and second floor, while the first floor will be entirely given over to Louis Vuitton for the duration of AW14. The Rose Bakery will be enlarged, as will the jewellery and wallet display on the ground level. The basement will be home to a new NikeLab, to be celebrated by the release of a special edition shoe, and Tokyo’s Good Design Shop (a collaboration between Comme Des Garçons and D & DEPT). There will be event spaces dedicated to different designers that will change each week, and four open days throughout September when these designers will be in store to greet customers.

Perhaps most exciting will be ‘Market Street Dover’, some temporary market stalls that will be set up all through the building selling special collaborations and products celebrating ‘ten years future and past’ of DSM. The stalls will be hawking a bevvy of limited-edition creations from Sacai, Simone Rocha, Rick Owens and Phoebe English, to name but a few.

The festivities will kick off on September 1 with the launch of Pharrell Williams’ GIRL fragrance, as well as the unveiling of an installation designed by Comme Des Garçons’ creative director Rei Kawakubo that will cover the entire building’s façade. A happy birthday indeed!

doverstreetmarket.com

Tags: Dover Street Market, Fashion, london

Where better to reveal a killer collaboration between a hot designer and a high street stalwart than a rollicking party at Coachella in April of this year? Both Kate Bosworth and Katy Perry were in attendance, while Iggy Azalea was on hand to perform after the big announcement.

New Yorker Alexander Wang will be latest designer to collaborate with H&M, and is the first American to do so. This seems like the perfect partnership. The king of sport-luxe and the Swedish fashion brand will be working together on both men’s and womenswear, while also producing a line of lifestyle items.

So far the items have been kept firmly under wraps, so fans will have to wait until the range launches instore and online on 6 November.

hm.com

Tags: Alexander Wang, H&M

On Wednesday 20 August, a steady stream of suits, hipsters and minor celebrities (Samwell Tarly from Game of Thrones – yes, really) flooded into Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen’s performance area. In the darkened room, lit with blues and pinks and reds, an audience was assembling to see a hotly-tipped, up-and-coming musician.

The lady in question was Blackburn native Charlotte O’Connor, aka Charlotte OC. Despite being tapped as the sound of 2014, Charlotte’s path to stardom has had a rather slow beginning. Although she had a record deal in her teens, she was dropped and the album never saw the light of day. In the ensuing years she worked in her mum’s hairdressing salon.

But talent will out, and now this slight, leather-clad figure, complete with perfect, blunt-cut fringe, captivated the audience from the get-go. Her rich, soulful voice filled the room, accompanied by two keyboard players.

The stand-out track is her latest EP, Strange. An ethereal, haunting song with distinctly dark undertones, its electro feel was bewitching in the performance space. The tempo changed for a ballad, and then poppy Hangover’s toe-tappingly good beat swept the audience to the finale. During Colour My Heart, Charlotte’s voice developed a raw and emotional quality that contrasted with her previously upbeat songs.

Charlotte OC is clearly going somewhere. The only complaint was that the set was all too brief. Strange releases on 22 September.

charlotteoc.com

Tags: Charlotte OC, Hoxton Square Bar & Grill, Twin magazine