Leeds City Centre Vision Conference 2010

Last Friday I attended the City Centre Vision Conference at Clarence Dock, Leeds. I had immediate thoughts and ideas in my mind on Friday, but wanted to wait and think about what I wanted to post. Usually I will either post my immediate reaction or not post at all on these kind of events, so as to avoid debates about things I can not effect, but here goes...

The day featured key speakers from various sectors and backgrounds. Some of the speakers I found passionate and interesting but others seemed nervous with the upcoming spending review always in their thoughts. I personally think that although the current financial situation is going to hurt in the short term, it provides the perfect chance to 'rip up and start again' in certain areas. It also means that in my specialist area: international projects and collaborations, there will be smaller, more targeted campaigns and this is how we love to work anyway.

The Speakers

We heard interesting comments from the two most influential figures at the council: Tom Riordan and Keith Wakefield, the two seemed genuinely interested in improving the city and protecting frontline services under threat from the spending review. Sir Richard Needham spoke a lot about his time in Northern Ireland and Italy, and although sailing close to the edge with a couple of comments, seemed to entertain the crowd. I did not personally take much from the talk, perhaps because many of the stories were from before my time :s 

Gerald Jennings from Land Securities spoke about the new Trinity scheme currently under construction on Briggate (he also gave me a 'shout out' in his speech, which was nice!) I have spoken with Land Securities about Trinity on a number of occasions and retain my belief that the project has a long-term, strategic plan that is routed in deep research of Leeds and it's people.

Sally Anne Greenfield spoke about some of the work the Leeds Community Foundation undertakes and spoke with true passion.

Creative Cities

After lunch we heard from Evert Verhagen. I felt very much on the same wavelength as Evert. So much of what he said, I have been saying behind closed doors and during meetings in the past 12 months. It was interesting that, in my opinion, the most 'real' comments came from someone who has travelled and has an international perspective on things. 

Sometimes it takes some time away from a city to truly appreciate it. It allows you to get a real feel for it's international standing and reputation. By being away you miss things and remember things you did not appreciate while living there. Also you can see the comparison between your city and the others you live in. I certainly found this when living in Barcelona. Some things in Leeds are fantastic, others need work, but this is the same in any city, let us not kid ourselves that everywhere else is great and Leeds is bad. 

The thing that most interested me about the talk from Evert was when he spoke about the talent within a city and how that becomes your most valuable commodity. It must have hurt a few people in the room, when he suggested that the best creative people in Leeds may be thinking about the quickest way to get to London for the best opportunities. Of course there are exceptions, but this statement is certainly true for a lot of my peers.

Evert spoke a lot about how the world is now all about cities. We looked at various charts of the ‘best’ cities in the world, the obvious candidates were at the top: London, New York and Tokyo, but there were others on the list that really intrigued me. Copenhagen, Taipei and obviously Barcelona are cities that I know well and I think show what is possible by putting the talent at the forefront of a strategy and creating a culture and structure that facilitates innovation rather then stifles or modifies through outdated measurement tools and processes. 

From a personal point of view, I did notice the trend when graduating from the European Institute of Design only last year. Here was a class of around 150 fresh new creative talents who were looking to hit the world’s most interesting cities and begin/continue their careers. Some ended up in London and New York, but others chose other interesting cities: Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Sydney, Milan and others stayed in Barcelona. I would of loved to have suggested to some of these people that Leeds was a place to consider as a first stop after Barca, but unfortunately we do not have the right things in place to position ourselves on this list.

I made improving the city in this area and attracting the top talent and building that creative, innovative community my main priority after graduating. I graduated top of the class so could of gone to another city and easily done some of the projects I have had to fight tooth and nail to get off the ground in Leeds. I do it though, because I love this city and always find more reward in creating something new rather then joining something that is already underway and doing well. 

Workshops

Back to the conference and next up during the afternoon session was a series of ‘workshops’ where you could speak with fellow delegates about a certain subject. I had chosen ‘innovation’ before the event and found myself on a table with some interesting people. It seems innovation can mean different things to different people but overall I had the sense that we were all ‘kind of’ agreeing on what innovation was. We spoke about how in order to encourage or facilitate innovation the right conditions must be in place. I explained my ideas for creating a central hub or group where perhaps the seeds of a creative, trends-driven community could grow, but sitting in a room consisting mainly of council members and property developers my advice of ‘prepare to fail’ and ‘take risks’ did not seem to sit too easy. 

Final Thoughts

Overall I enjoyed the conference, it is always good to gain an insight into what other people in the city are thinking. Wether I agree or not with what was being said is not the most important thing, everyone in city has an ‘angle’ or area they are coming from so of course there are going to be disagreements. I know the area I am interested improving/creating in Leeds and have a really clear idea of how we can begin to do it, maybe by attending events like the one on Friday, I can get an even clearer understanding of what everyone else in the city wants and see if my vision fits into that or not.

Interview: Leeds Fashion Show

Hebe Media’s Shang Ting and Stacey interviewed Sherelle Davidson and Rhonda Richards from Leeds Fashion Show earlier this week. With the show just 5 days away they reveal to us the reason for holding the event at Leeds Museum; the layout of the show; and, most importantly, how they intend to come back bigger and better than ever.

Leeds Fashion Show is in its 5th year this year, how did it all begin?

It was initially put together as a place for someone wanting to get into the industry. After graduating university, you’re not really set-up to go into the industry and it’s quite hard getting the experience so it was an ideal situation to offer.

Would it be fair to say that Leeds Fashion Show focuses on working primarily with recent graduates?

Definitely.

How do you feel about the venue? Why did you choose Leeds Museum?

It is the 5th year and we want to come back bigger and better. We had a few ideas when choosing the venue. We considered Royal Armouries, Leeds football stadium, Alea Casino, we just wanted it somewhere other than the night clubs. We normally have it in the nightclub setting, which opens the audience to a younger age group. And in choosing the museum, even though we have got a bar there, there’s no age limit.

From the footage last year, it seems like Leeds Fashion Show had a very intimate, gig-like feeling. Is it going to be a similar vibe this year?

We’d probably say a bit of a mixed vibe. One, because the theme is glamorous so when you're dressed up you want to feel more sophisticated, and two, although the venue is big, the layout of the stage, which you will see on the night, still keeps it very intimate.

How do you select the music acts?

We have chosen two acts this year. One is a violinist, which will be something new and different and we’ll have a singer as well. We normally hold auditions because of all the talent out there, but we already had people in mind last year, so we approached them. We normally have dancers but because of the glamorous theme we thought it might not be appropriate.

The layout of the show?

We open the show with entertainment and we have two people co-hosting the show. Then it goes on to the actual shops and designers' showcase. That’s the first half followed by a break. The second half will have more entertainment and a competition. What we also have this year is a competition with Lotherton Hall, put on by Philip Treacy. It‘s call Ruffled Feathers and it’s all to do with kids getting involved by making hats. It’s a competition for them to win a prize from Philip Treacy. We thought that it fits quite well with the venue and it helps kids get into the creative industry. Six of the winning hats will be showcased on the catwalk.  We will also have a charity auction and raffle. We've got some wicked prizes this year so we do remind you to bring your wallet with lots of money in it. After all that we sign off and go to the after party at Revolution in Electric Press where we have a photo shoot area, so make sure you go take a picture and that’s something you can take away.

How do you decide on the winner?

For the designers, it is done in stages. The designers will send us their mood board, designs, and materials. One of the judges will be Accent, which is sponsoring the award. And one of the other judges is a secret which we will reveal on the night.

What is the highlight of the show this year?

This year will be something new to us: the venue, the shape of the catwalk, the theme of the event, and being part of Leeds Loves Shopping. But each year it has to be different. And what we want out of this is success for all of our models, all of our designers and all of our photographers. 

Introducing: James Steward

Last week we went to see our friend James Steward, without doubt one of the very best fashion designers we have in Leeds. We talked about his latest collection, his upcoming trip to Vancouver Fashion Week and a perfectly placed star-sign column which provided a motto James lives and works by.

We worked with James earlier this year on a project called Leeds in Barcelona and since then we have spoken regularly about the Leeds fashion scene and his career to date but before talking about upcoming events, we should speak a little about James' past:

Background

Having moved to Rome in 1998, James received an apprenticeship at the internationally acclaimed, Gattinoni Couture, the fashion powerhouse with an enviable list of clients spanning its rich history. Audrey Hepburn, Eva Peron, Arabian royalty and even the Pope have all worn clothes by Gattioni, and it was here that James was exposed to dress design, pattern cutting and embroidery design, using the most luxurious fabrics and finest Swarovski crystals. Although the credit went to Gattioni, James’ designs were gracing the pages of Italian Vogue, photographed by the likes of Peter Lindbergh, Ellen Von Unwerth and Steven Meisel.

Upon his return to the UK and Leeds, James set up Aqua Couture with a friend and the brand had a big effect on the Leeds fashion scene. We still have fond memories of Aqua being one of the main reasons we would visit the Corn Exchange (which back then was quite different to what it is now!) During this time his designs could be seen on important fashion opinion leaders such as Victoria Beckham and Kylie Minogue.

Since going his own way and leaving Aqua, James has created ready-to-wear collections for ASOS and many independent boutiques.  His couture bridal range has been a huge success and resulted in James receiving numerous awards. He was also brought in to work with the costume department at ITV to create the dresses for the on-screen weddings on popular British soap opera: Coronation Street.

Challenges

It has not always been plain sailing however for James. In a world dominated by disposable fashion, to stick to your beliefs and retain a dedication to quality of craft is not easy. These beliefs and dedication were ingrained in James during his time in Milan and still run through every piece of work he produces today. There are times when the easy option would of been to 'sell out' or mass produce some of his designs but James did not want to compromise quality for quantity. 

We all have moments during our careers or even our lives when we question the path we are on and if the all the hard work is worth it, James was no different. One afternoon, during one particularly hard day James began to question whether he was doing the right thing by sticking to his principles. Just at that moment a random flick through a magazine provided him with the words he needed to hear at exactly the right time. When glancing a the star-signs page, one sentence on his sign's reading jumped out of the page and provided the kick that he needed - 

Focus on your true talents and be rewarded

It is a line James now has written across the top of his studio white board and it serves as a constant reminder to stay true to his beliefs. His dedication to quality and craft now looks like it is paying off. 

Vancouver Fashion Week

A sneaky peak at James' Vancouver collectionJames international profile is set to soar to greater heights with his showing at this year's Vancouver Fashion Week in November. With the help of his awesome PR: Sam Ward (more coming soon on Sam) and Marketing Leeds, James will showcase his Spring/Summer collection and in doing so become the first British designer to show at the Canadian event. Although the collection is being kept under wraps, we got a sneak peak at some of the designs and we are very excited to see the final show. James describes the collection as 

"a cross between greek mythology and science fiction!"

It will be great to see Leeds' talent showcased to an international audience and James is obviously excited by the opportunities 'Leeds in Vancouver' creates

"It’s always an honour to be involved in these projects. Leeds in Barcelona worked by generating a huge amount of interest in the James Steward brand, and in Leeds as a city both through individuals and the media. Next stop is Leeds in Vancouver, an amazing project which sees Lisa Jayne Dann and I show our S/S11 collections at Vancouver Fashion Week. The opportunity here is incredible; with international media and buyers attending the event, it’s the perfect way of showcasing the wealth of design talent here in the city – we couldn’t have done it without the support of Marketing Leeds"

Our View

Vancouver presents a great opportunity for one of our city's best talents to showcase his work. This is a designer who has learned his trade and worked very hard to forge a successful career. His beliefs and ethics are admirable in a society seemingly obsessed with Primark and £1.50 T-Shirts. James deserves all the success he gets moving forward and hopefully the Vancouver project provides another stepping stone towards an even brighter future and career for one of Leeds' most talented creatives.

There are lots of really interesting projects and collaborations taking place in Leeds' fashion and music scenes at the moment and we can not wait to make some announcements of our own in the next few weeks. On another personal note it is great to see this project being supported by Marketing Leeds: this is exactly the type of project that has both international and local appeal, with James being the first British designer to showcase in Vancouver. We hope more and more projects like this get the green light and support in the city. The days of big budget advertising campaigns are gone, lets create more targeted projects that showcase the talent Leeds has to offer.

Leeds Street Style: 11/10/2010

James

Top: G-Star
Bottom: Nudie Jeans
Coat: Lee
Shoes: Flossy
Necklace: Yum Yums
Bracelet: Grenson shoe lace

James' favorite Leeds clothes shop: Accent/ Blue Rinse
Describe the Leeds fashion scene in 1 word: Metropolitan

Polly Wilson

Dress: Australian Vintage
Coat: Vintage
Shoes: Flossy
Sweater: French Connection

Polly's favorite Leeds clothes shop: Best Vintage Leeds
Describe the Leeds fashion scene in 1 word: Unique

Stephen Bahooshy

Top: Topman
Bottom: Topman
Shoes: Dune
Bag: Reusable bag
Belt: Hugo Boss
Watch: River Island
Umbrella: Topman

Stephen's favorite Leeds clothes shop: Zara
Describe the Leeds fashion scene in 1 word: Unique

My Thoughts:

It was just the greatest experience meeting James, Polly, and Stephen. They were some of the nicest strangers you can ever expect to meet while out taking pictures. I always think proportion is the most important thing when you're going for a vintage style, because when you spot a good vintage piece in the shop it normally won't be your size and this couple had the perfect balance. And I also like the way Stephen uses the oversize bag and boots along with his slim, fitted style.

UK Observing Diary

Last week you may have seen a post on the Guardian Leeds website about the UK Observing Diary. Here we will give a little more information on the project, it's background, future and how it is helping to raise awareness of Leeds in the Far East.

Background

Last year our very own Shang Ting Peng arrived in England after studying in Barcelona for three years. During her early days here in the UK she began to photograph and document interesting places, products or projects. This led to her creating the Facebook Page: England Observing Diary. Since then, a friend in London also contributes to the page giving a unique insight into both the North and South of England. The page now focuses on two cities: Leeds and London.

Having studied Fashion Communication at the European Institute of Design in Barcelona, Shang Ting already had a considerable amount of experience in blogging, cool-hunting and trend research. She already had a blog that attracted 1000s of monthly visitors, but this project had a different setting:

"I arrived in England an year ago from Barcelona, and I never been to this country before. I thought it’ll be interesting to document the stage of what I feel about being in a total new country. So I ask my friend in London which she lives there for quite a few years to observe England’s life with me, and putting on facebook fanpage. We always trying to make it relaxing, fun, visual, and most important, we try to keep a heart of a tourist, to be curious about every little thing in England, I think with all these elements, the readers can relate to the content."

The Page

The page has gone from strength to strength and now has more then 6000 members. Every week there are hundreds of comments and interactions with people in the far east asking questions and giving their response to the content created, Shang Ting expands further: 

"Our fans are mostly from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China. At the moment we have daily pictures, of things we find interesting that day. We also have cool-hunting, interviews, local knowledge guides and event reports. Me and my partner’s backgrounds are both in fashion, so we love to post fashion related things. Because of The Guardian’s post and other attention, we have started to have more English fans, so now we try have both Chinese and English language posts. I guess it’s interesting for English people to see what foreigners think of their country too"

The Future

There are exciting developments happening behind the scenes at the page at the moment and discussions with international news agencies are taking place. Shang Ting has a clear aim of what she wants to achieve with page:

"I think it’s important to establish Leeds as a city outside of Europe. I’m not saying I know what Leeds represents yet, but while I observe the city’s life style, fashion, and culture, I invite England Observing Diary’s fans to get to know Leeds with me"

We will keep you up to date with developments on this project and Shang Ting's work on this blog. There are really interesting potential projects and collaborations talks taking place at the moment and we are sure that this is just the start for Shang Ting and England Observing Diary.