Thursday 9 October 2014

Focus on New Fashion: Le Photographe by Christopher Beales

Models backstage at the Le Photographe collection, designed by Christopher Beales and held at Fashion Scout’s Freemasons Hall in London. It was a surprising mix of sleek couture and ready to wear pieces. Photograph by Mike Rolls
During fashion week in London, Milan & Paris there are also special collections of new and upcoming designers and labels. Our correspondent Limor Helfgott with photographer Mike Rolls visited the Fashion Scout shows in London and met designer Christopher Beales, the creative mind behind the new brand Le Photographe

EXCITING new labels and designers showcase their work at the innovative off-schedule catwalks taking place all over London during fashion week. Celebrating its seventh year, Fashion Scout is the United Kingdom’s largest event for presenting emerging and innovative new talents and helping to build a new generation in the fashion industry. 

Designers such as Peter Pilotto, David Koma, Eudon Choi and Fyodor Golan all showcased their designs at Fashion Scout and are now regular names in the on-schedule shows at Somerset house.

Fashion Scout has become renowned for finding and promoting the most creative design talents and creating an international showcase for designers from all over the globe. It is always exciting to see new and creative talents. Many of the designers’ catwalks showed a kind of extravagant creativity ~ from fuzzy fur coats to unfinished cuffs. But one of the shows stood out for its sophistication and style. 

The Le Photographe collection, designed by Christopher Beales and held at Fashion Scout’s Freemasons Hall, was a surprising mix of sleek couture and ready to wear pieces. The designs were glamorous but accessible, alternating between contemporary and traditional tailoring.

Christopher Beales has a stellar background including working as a senior tailor for womenswear at Alexander McQueen and Tom Ford. In 2012, he also travelled to Mumbai to establish a workshop at a top embroidery and manufacturing house.

We caught up with the designer right after his show in London to hear his thoughts and inspirations behind his Garden of Temptation collection. Christopher Beales says he has been thinking about starting a new brand for a long time. 

“Then there comes a moment when you have a chance to present your work and you go for it,” says the designer. “As this is the first season of working together as a team we wanted to explore our ideas of shapes, embroidery and textiles to create our own signature.”

Beales said he was very happy with the results after seeing the show: “Watching the girls walk out on to the catwalk was very emotional. It’s actually seeing what you’ve been doing for a long time become real. You are never quite sure how it will look until it’s done ~ and when it all comes to life it is a great feeling of achievement.” 

Choosing the models was also a very important part in presenting the collection: “We wanted girls that could demonstrate elegance, confidence and power. It wasn’t only the fact that they were my designs, it was the way it was presented that made it all look fantastic and it felt like something powerful was happening out there”.

Beales’ Garden of Temptation collection was clearly dedicated to emphasising the feminine form and showed looks that combined a sense of strength with a more romantic elegance: floral draped waterfall skirts and flowing shapes, pencil skirts and tailored jackets. The collection was accented by embroidery that gave a feel of classic couture while the use of woven cotton gave a wearable and modern touch. 

The color palette included touches of red, fuchsia and lemon yellow on a base of black and white. The strong floral influence gave a summery feeling all throughout the collection. To complete the look, the models’ hats were a very important accessory. The graphic eye make-up and natural lips added to the strong yet feminine feel.

Overall it was a beautifully-tailored and flamboyantly creative collection for Le Photographe, making Christpher Beales one of the most exciting designers to watch in upcoming seasons.

Click on photographs for full-screen slideshow

Designer Christopher Beales has a stellar background including working as a senior tailor for womenswear at Alexander McQueen and Tom Ford. Photograph by Mike Rolls






The Garden of Temptation collection was glamorous but accessible, alternating between contemporary and traditional tailoring. Photograph by Mike Rolls 




The collection highlighted the feminine form and showed looks that combined a sense of strength with a more romantic elegance: floral draped waterfall skirts and flowing shapes, pencil skirts and tailored jackets. Photograph by Mike Rolls



The strong floral influence gave a summery feeling all throughout the collection. To complete the look, the models’ hats were a very important accessory. Photograph by Mike Rolls

Choosing the models was also a very important part in presenting the collection: “We wanted girls that could demonstrate elegance, confidence and power,'' says designer Christopher Beales. Photograph by Mike Rolls


The collection was accented by embroidery that gave a feel of classic couture while the use of woven cotton gave a wearable and modern touch. Photograph by Mike Rolls


 “As this is the first season of working together as a team we wanted to explore our ideas of shapes, embroidery and textiles to create our own signature," says Christopher Beales. Photograph by Mike Rolls


The color palette included lemon yellow on a base of black and white. Photograph by Mike Rolls


The graphic eye make-up and natural lips added to the strong yet feminine feel. Photograph by Mike Rolls


 In 2012, Christopher Beales travelled to Mumbai to establish a workshop at a top embroidery and manufacturing house. Photograph by Mike Rolls


Overall it was a beautifully-tailored and flamboyantly creative collection for Le Photographe, making Christpher Beales one of the most exciting designers to watch in upcoming seasons. Photograph by Mike Rolls


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