HIGHLIGHTS
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CHLOE IS COMING! The Paris fashion maison arrives for a residency directed by Clare Waight Keller: a talk about Chloe’s feminist spirit, a show and an exhibition, with a special guest.
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THEME OF THE YEAR: The Eighties Now! Inspired by this year’s astonishing rise of 1980s influences, we’re mixing imagery, clothes and makeup from then with now. There’s a show spectacular - cast on festival-goers - and weekend-long chances to get Eighties-styled hair and makeup with M•A•C and Bumble and bumble.
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SPECIAL SPECIAL! Our inaugural Wardrobe Department shop for one-off clothes, bags, jewellery and brilliant mad and useful things made specially for festival fans by Ed Marler, Matty Bovan, Rottingdean Bazaar, Claire Barrow, Sadie Williams, Daniel Fletcher and Ellie Mac Embroidery. An enterprise set in a shed built to the size of Paul Smith’s original store, and kindly run by Paul Smith volunteers. Donations to support the British Fashion Council Education Foundation from Comme des Garcons Good Design Shop, Katharine Hamnett for YMC and Marques Almeida.
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GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY! Molly Goddard, London’s genius of outstanding tulle party dresses, leads her immensely popular fashion art class, with girls wearing her collection
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BRILLIANT CLASS OF 2016: Sarah Mower’s choice of three inspired fashion graduates of the year will launch and talk about their collections: Jessica McGrady of the Royal College of Art and Michael Halpern and John Skelton of Central Saint Martins.
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Wardrobe Department 2016 line-up: Chloé’s Clare Waight Keller, Barbara Hulanicki, Stephen Jones, Matty Bovan, Rottingdean Bazaar’s James Thesus Buck and Luke Brooks, Damien Cuypers, Ed Marler, Matthew Josephs, Molly Goddard, Jenny Dyson and the Pencil Atelier, Louise Gray, Jessica McGrady, John Skelton, Matthew Josephs, Piers Atkinson, Sarah Mower, Alexander Fury, Sandy Powell, the Warren sisters, Katie Jones, M•A•C, Bumble and bumble, Claire Barrow, Sadie Williams, Marwood, Daniel Fletcher, Terry Barber, Denim, Cleo & Mark Butterfield, NJ Stevenson, The Flower Appreciation Society, The Garden Gate Flower Company, Hush
• Cornwall’s finest festival returns to beautiful ancient estate
Each year, at the end of July, Port Eliot Festival fills a beautiful ancient estate on Cornwall’s Rame Peninsula with a collection of some of the most invigorating performers, thinkers, artists, writers and idlers assembled in one place at the same time. Port Eliot Festival runs from 28-31 July 2016 at St Germans, south east Cornwall. Full information at www.porteliotfestival.com
Sarah Mower, British Fashion Council’s Ambassador for Emerging Talent and Chief Critic of Voguerunway, is curator of the Wardrobe Department, which bring collaborators and commentators from all over the world of fashion. The annual line-up is designed to encourage encounters with the most celebrated and soon-to-be-celebrated movers and shakers in fashion, and anyone who has an interest in all the creative arts of dressing up. She says:
“It’s an open-air ideas factory, part-party, part-performance place. Over five years, The Wardrobe Department and the Theatre of Fashion has ended up putting countless inspiring children, teenagers, graduates and young designers on a path leading to a myriad creative futures. That’s what makes it fun and important, and why so many spectators are magnetised to see the newest talent popping up, and what happens here.”
Sarah Mower explains further:
The Chloé Girls are Coming - Clare Waight Keller, creative director of Chloé, is arriving for a scene-making weekend at Port Eliot this year. Chloé’s relationship with young women and the arts means Clare is packing delightful surprises for the festival, along with trunks-full of amazing new and historically precious Chloé clothes. Over the weekend, Clare will discuss the energy of Chloé’s spirited tradition of designing for young women with Sarah Mower, who told the story of the label in the book Chloé: Attitudes; all the while, the summer collection - all festival influences and dreamy dresses - will float by, worn by Port Eliot girls.
On Saturday evening, Chloé will also present a special guest in the Theatre of Fashion, dressed by Chloé. And the stunning history of Chloé’s romantic lace, lawn and chiffon dresses will flutter into the eau-de-nil surroundings of the Drawing Room by the master architect of space and light, Sir John Soane, for a special exhibition running throughout the weekend.
The Eighties Now! Fashion’s obsession with the 1980s is at a huge-shouldered, crop-topped, stone-washed, gender-bending, pouf-skirted high and Port Eliot will stage the ultimate flash-back: a fashion-crash of wild London street style, Dynasty glitz, political fashion, Sloane Rangers, Wag-Club kids and Buffalo boys. The festival will call an open-casting for girls and boys to walk in the Theatre of Fashion extravaganza. A mix-match of Katharine Hamnett, BodyMap, John Galliano, Belville Sassoon, Wendy Dagworthy, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Mugler and more will be styled up to the max by Ed Marler and Matthew Josephs with new-‘80s fashion fresh from the runway. The team at the M•A•C tent will bring make-up inspired by everyone from Boy George to Joan Collins and lay out free play-tables of M•A•C colour products for festivalgoers to experiment with DIY face-painting.
And Bumble and bumble will join forces with the original 80s/Now! maestro Stephen Jones on head-work transformations, with more than a hint of Bananarama, Shy Di and the Human League.
Special Special - The new Wardrobe Department shop will be a space for emerging designers to sell unique products specifically designed for the festival, as well as donated products from fashion brands, with proceeds from sales going to the British Fashion Council’s Education Foundation charity. Ed Marler, Matty Bovan, Claire Barrow, Sadie Williams, Marwood, lf Markey, Daniel Fletcher, Charles Jeffrey, James Buck & Luke Brooks, Rottingdean Bazaar, Bodymap, Kiko Standi, Christopher Kane, Comme des Garcons Good Design Shop and YMC will all be joining in and making one-off items for Port Eliot. Based upon Paul Smith’s first 3mx3m retail space in Nottingham, the shop will be run by Paul’s most savvy sales staff, alongside a parade of guest shopkeepers.
Fashion’s Classiest of 2016: Jessica McGrady, John Skelton, Michael Halpern
Since the launch of the Wardrobe Department, Port Eliot Festival has championed emerging fashion talent, hosting designers who have gone on to become the leading stars of the British fashion industry. This year, three graduates of the class of 2016 have been selected by Sarah Mower and given the opportunity to display their graduate collection as a visual presentation in the festival grounds. Sarah will host an onstage discussion with the graduates about their experiences of the fashion industry and offer tips to festival goers who aspire to a career in fashion design.
Port Eliot’s Snail Mail Postbox - A chance to avail yourself of some beautifully-illustrated postcard art by the likes of Molly Goddard, Claire Barrow, Louise Gray, Joseph Larkowsky, Ed Marler and Edward Meadham and send yourself a souvenir that has a fighting chance of getting home before you do.
The Tweenie Fashionista University is a massively popular fashion illustration tent run by Biba founder, the great Barbara Hulanicki and offering drawing classes all weekend, hosted by the likes of multi Oscar-winner and Scorsese’s costume designer of choice, Sandy Powell.
The Pencil Atelier is back with Jenny Dyson and her merry gang of incredible seamstresses and makers to provide workshops of wearable wonder and a creativity injection for all that take part. Inspired by the fashion, style and vibes of 1984, expect to make ra-ra skirts and giant slogan T-shirts riffing on Port Eliot Says Relax, Make Love Not War and more.
M•A•C - Sarah Mower talks with radical creative, Charles Jeffery, and M•A•C Director of Makeup Artistry, Terry Barber, about their outrageous nightlife experiences and how they use makeup to transform themselves. Both are particularly inspired by the early 1980s, and will discuss the influence of that era on their work.
• Matty Bovan Doodles with M•A•C - Fashion designer, stylist and makeup artist Matty Bovan takes over the M•A•C tent, decorating it with his signature aesthetic. All guests will receive a bespoke Matty Bovan face chart.
• Get Ready with Charles Jeffrey - Stop by the M•A•C tent for an eccentric styling session with nightlife icon Charles Jeffrey. Get ready for Saturday evening in the woods with a look inspired by his outlandish London club night, LOVERBOY.
• Denim masterclass with M•A•C & Bumble and bumble - Drag supergroup and girl band DENIM lead the ultimate master class, as they make live transformations into their fabulous, razor-sharp looks.
Bumble and bumble – The hair magicians offer appointments with stylists with a 1984-themed dry styling menu, ‘80s-themed braiding and workshops where the audience will be invited to customise their own souvenir tote bag.
Hush - Laidback clothing co. Hush will bring its sense of style to its own venue at Port Eliot, which, besides fashion talks and design workshops, will be the place for film screenings under cosy blankets, with a ready supply of drinks, popcorn and chocolate.
FESTIVAL INFORMATION
Port Eliot Festival: 28-31 July 2016
Tickets and full festival info:
www.porteliotfestival.com or
@PortEliotFest
Child and family tickets all available. Children 7 and under free.
Day tickets: £60 for adults, available online in advance from
www.porteliotfestival.com
Port Eliot Estate, St Germans, Saltash, Cornwall, PL12 5ND
For further information and images, please contact Michael Barrett on 020 8295 2424, 07813-558772, mb@thepressoffice.uk.com or follow @
mbpressoffice
• Port Eliot – history: The House at Port Eliot has been lived in for over 1000 years and believed to be the oldest continually inhabited dwelling in the UK. The earliest written reference to Port Eliot is from the 5th century AD, while the earliest remaining evidence of a dwelling on the site is a 1500-year-old glazed tiled floor, dating from the late Iron Age. In the 18th century, Sir John Soane remodelled the Grade I-listed priory and house and landscape gardener Humphrey Repton created the gardens and park. Port Eliot is full of the accumulated treasures of its long history, from works by Sir Joshua Reynolds and Van Dyck to a mural by Robert Lenkiewicz.