Whenever I go to a trendy do in Shoreditch or Hoxton I always feel a bit like someone's mum who got invited by mistake (possibly because I use words like 'trendy' and 'do').
And last night's S/S 2012 collection launch party for new(ish) label Christopher Waller was no exception. It was a painfully cool and gorgeous bash in an adorable venue (which you have probably already heard of if you're hip) called NinetyEight. (Hint: it's underneath a gallery on Curtain Road just along from from The Queen of Hoxton night club...)
There was a wrought iron spiral staircase. There were tealights in teacups. There were furry bar stools. I'd recommend a trip just to peruse the decor.
The labyrinthine underground space was certainly put to good use by the chaps at Christopher Waller, who had lovingly prepared their exhibition of the collection with a lot of patience, (and some long sticks), on washing lines in a high-ceilinged atruim overlooked by cute balconettes and some impressive indoor foliage. I thought it was a really lovely and effective idea, and very in keeping with the style of the new collection, which is inspired by glamorous holiday destination Monaco. The designs are light and fluid, mixing stretch and non-stretch fabrics cleverly and adhering to a mute, classic palette. My favourite elements are the grown-up cuts, the magpie two-tones, and the detailed touches like the contrast cuffs on this signature shirt:
The rather precocious fledgling label, put together by well-experienced (but still young and fresh-faced) duo Simon Christopher Waller and Mark Dodds, is only a year old but seems to be flying already. Hatched from a market stall on Portobello road, it has now nestled comfortably on the shelves of some of the swankier (and trendier) boutiques in town, including Wolf & Badger and LN-CC, and the word is that a sturdy handful of international buyers are now snooping around it with greedy glances too.
I had a chat with the twosome and they told me plenty of useful and interesting things about their journey into the business, but I will share those with you another time. For now, have a squint at their collection below and then go and visit them at ChristopherWaller.com. (And do tell them I sent you - I've got to do something to pay them back for all the free punch...)
All in all it was a fun night, (made all the better by our charming hosts and their charming exhibits), and I think I just about passed for a hipster (for more instructions on how to do this click here.)
However, the impression may have been slightly marred when I exclaimed on my way out the door at 9:45pm, in front of the smoking collective camped outside: "Hurrah! Now let's go and eat something, then snuggle up in bed!"
Tim looked mortified. He had been looking very pro with his new camera all night.
"Sorry, darling," I muttered, as we shuffled away through the drizzle. The partiers queuing outside The Queen of Hoxton watched us go. I resisted the urge to tell them to button up against the cold and get home at a reasonable hour.
After all, I'm not that old.
Well, not yet.
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