Fashioned with love
'Tis not yet the season to throw off your duffel coat and embrace the daffodils....but Tib Street's fashion market has a slew of creative designs on offer for when you do
Date Published: 24/02/2010 Updated: 18/06/2010
Imago Drift is the ethereally-named design brain child of embroidery graduate Alex Holt. Her intricate applique techniques are used to embellish simple cotton basics with strange images of the every day. Animals and old cameras transform cotton vests, T-shirts and hooded tops into quirky one-off design pieces embued with just a touch of the surreal.
Alex - who picks up inspiration for her designs whilst browsing and shopping - says by far her most popular images are the pug, the hummingbird and the owl. Quite right too. T-shirts sell for around £25, while the hooded tops go for around £130. In addition, Imago Drift's shell jewellery and Fame-style headbands are the perfect accompaniment for any summer disco.
Laura Baker and Annalisa Davis are the duo behind White Bear. Their handmade, re-worked cotton and synthetic clothes are sourced mainly from second-hand and charity shops. The overall effect is a funky, 80s, graphics style-vibe that leans heavily on geometric, Aztec-esque influences.
"We design for the girl who just wants to feel good walking down the street everyday," says Laura, a fashion graduate of Northumbria University. "We don't just want our clothes to be worn on a night out. We want them to be worn all the time. That is my aim when I design."
Their collections of flirty and fun dresses, skirts, tops and bolero jackets are perfect for the summer. Prices range from £15 for a top, £20 for a dress, and £15 for a skirt.
Quite Contrary Designs create a forties-style range of individually embroidered and hand-stitched woollen garments, as well as quality leather bags and brooches. Designer Mary Shears sources end-of-the-line knitwear, customising cute shrugs, dressy cardis, and delicate jumpers with applique material and leather details.
Sturdy, one-off handbags are hand-stitched in tweed and silk, with individual details like ribbons and buttons complementing the look. Reworked and recycled materials are used to line the bags, lending them a unique but practical feel.
As well as the fashion market, Quite Contrary also have a base in the Northern Quarter's Craft Centre. Cardigans are on sale from £18, and jumpers are priced from £20.
Dontbitchstitch - aka Anne Kelsall - designs her range of hand-crafted bags n' hats from a studio in Islington Mill. A fine art graduate, Anne learnt her sewing skills from her mother. Her wool and fake fur winter hats combine coolness with cosiness, while a range of leather clutch bags are new for the summer, and combine top quality materials with cutting-edge design.
Anne is committed to using locally-sourced materials as much as possible, and buys some cloth from traditional mills in Bradford. But, she says, as more and more suppliers are based abroad, it is becoming difficult to stick to her principles.
Influenced by Scandinavian-style design houses, such as Marimekko from Finland, Anne's new range of cotton holdalls and handbags are crafted from big bold patterned materials. It may be too soon to think about the hoildays, but they're perfect for the beach.
"It's more about an individual kind of look," Anne says. "I'm trying to be funky, but practical as well."
She also works with a range of textures. Material is gathered and frilled to create unique and eye-catching bags that mimic designer aesthetics but - at £25 - represent a fraction of the price.
Mollie Brown captures the essence of the current 80s/ punk/ bag lady vibe sweeping the High Street. But don't fear about looking too much like a Peaches Geldof knock-off. Mollie Brown channels the vibe, but in a completely unique way - ensuring no embarrassing moments in your favourite Northern Quarter bar.
Founder Claire Hart uses vintage materials as well as new fabrics in her handmade bespoke dresses, skirts, tops and accessories. "I would describe my stuff as quirky, yet girly," she says. "All sorts of people buy it."
The effect is Pretty In Pink meets Pixie Lott. As well as clothes, Claire also offers pretty headbands and leather clutch bags bedecked with flower and bow details. And with prices raging just £5 for skirts and accessories to dresses at just £35, you can be the queen of cool for a fraction of the cost of a Topshop spending spree.
Woodchip Boutique bring you the cream of the vintage crop without the trawling through fusty racks of cast -offs. Donna Flowers and her partner-in-design Kim, make a range of very definitely retro-inspired designs.
They rework second-hand garments into cute baby doll dresses, spruce up jumpers and tops with applique, and create tweed and leather bags and brooches all individualised via Woodchip's signature cutesy, flowery style. Pieces are shortened, customised, or sometimes just left as they are. But all are treated to a little bit of Woodchip magic.
Their materials comes from wherever the duo are inspired - including the local upholsterers.
"We get our stuff from all over," says Donna. "We tend to mix up new with second-hand. The look is very quirky and retro."
Scarfs are available from just £3, with dresses on sale for between £20 to £28.
Manchester Fashion Market is located on Tib Street, in between Starbucks and Debenhams, and is open every Saturday from 10am to 5pm.
Quite Contrary
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Dontbitchstitch
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Mollie Brown
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Woodchip
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