Choolips Entitled ‘A Life Aquatic 1.2’, the SS12 offering from Choolips pays homage to water alongside Wes Anderson’s masterpiece, ‘The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou’. Referencing swallows, fish and the ocean waves through a colour palette of delicate pastel sorbets, silhouettes are understated, chic and versatile, which flows nicely into the capsule collection of unisex scarves. With all scarves hand-printed by locals in Ghana, S&E practices come naturally to Choolips, seeing traditional tribal techniques such as batik and hand-stitching from West Africa and appliqué from Gujarat in India preserved. Creating beautiful collections season after season, Choolips seamlessly blend diverse cultures with the backbone of sustainability, ensuring fair-trade and a low carbon footprint, with limited quantities of water used within production at SOKO. Split into two sub collections; ‘Golden Coast’ and ‘Planet India’ the former utilises up-cycled cotton, a byproduct resulting from local Ghanaian wax print production, with azo and formaldehyde free dyes used to create a cacophony of vibrant colour inspired by the streets of Ghana, it’s music and diverse community. ‘Planet India’ uses 100% Khadi fabric, handspun on spinning wheels and then handwoven and embellished with hand-stitched appliqué detailing. Khadi is a fantastic and environmentally-friendly fabric as it only consumes three litres of water for every metre of cloth in its entire production compared to a similarly popular fabric, mill cloth, which consumes 55ltrs for every metre. German-born founder and designer Annegret Affolderbach beautifully fuses shades of lemon and pistachio with iridescent turquoise and aqua creating an inspired collection without limitation. www.choolips.com
Lucy Jay Inspired by Texas, Lucy Jay’s SS12 fuses a series of kaleidoscopic and psychedelic prints with strong borders and typography highlights. Eschewing the stereotypical cowboy and cactus themes Texas is commonly known for, Jay instead looks to the region of the Deep South drawing on personal experiences of the vast region. A blend of bold digital prints, bright pop colour and intricate detailing, Lucy Jay scarves are statement pieces that liven up any outfit. Made from 100% silk crepe de chine, the colour palette includes rich reds, gold juxtaposed with strong black borders providing an elegant contrast. Worn as pocket squares, neckerchiefs or head scarves, available in two sizes, each and every scarf is as versatile as it is symmetrical. With all production taking place in the UK, S&E fashion is at the heart of Jay’s brand seeing her collaborate with organisations as diverse as Amnesty International and Urban Outfitters, who stock her unique creations. www.lucy-jay.com