Feb 2015

NEWS
Bella Freud Mary McCartney
Circular
LOGIC
Celebrated British jewellery designer
Bec Astley Clarke – whose services to the
jewellery industry were recognised with an
MBE in 2013 – has devoted her career to
convincing women to “go precious every
day” by creating jewellery that uses gems in
playful settings. For the new Muse collection,
Astley Clarke takes on the ancient craft of
micro-mosaics and gives it a thoroughly
modern makeover. Pavé diamonds stud the
Icon and Eclipse pendants in white or yellow
gold, and rose gold respectively, while the
Cadence pendants have concentric circles of
pavé diamonds set in rose or white gold.
Astley Clarke pendants from £850. Available
from Luxury Jewellery, Ground Floor
Sweetness
and light
For over 50 years Oscar de la Renta
designed feminine, elegant and
sometimes extravagant dresses.
Born in the Dominican Republic
in 1932, he began his career as an
apprentice to Cristóbal Balenciaga
in the early 1950s. He then moved
to Lanvin, and launched his own
label in 1965. His SS15 collection
– which, sadly, was his last – was
a tour de force. The designer
riffed on florals, creating delicate
monochromatic motifs in broderie
anglaise and organza. From left
Oscar de la Renta top £1,525
and skirt £1,775; jacket £3,175
and skirt £1,099. Available from
International Designer, First Floor
PEAK SEASON
Classic bags in lizard and crocodile are
signatures of Analeena, the accessories
label founded in 2008 by Lina H, a
designer who honed her skills working
for the likes of Gianfranco Ferré and
Hermès. Analeena’s new Twin Peaks range
builds on these trademarks. The cleverly
constructed bags open on both sides and
have a removable shoulder strap. Lina H’s
legendary attention to detail can be seen
in the rose-gold-threaded seams.
Analeena bag £8,250; exclusive to
Harrods. Available from Luxury
Accessories, Ground Floor
BELLA FREUD
y f vou te things
British designer Bella Freud
studied fashion in Rome before
launching her eponymous
knitwear label in 1990. Since
then, her quirky, pop culturereferencing
slogan sweaters have
been worn by the likes of Kate Moss, Courtney
Love and Madonna. Freud talks to Harrods
Magazine about the poetry book that prompted
her interest in words.
“Something I treasure is a poetry book called
Cautionary Tales for Children by Hilaire
Belloc. My dad [the late artist Lucian Freud]
gave me a copy on my
ninth birthday. He didn’t
give presents very often,
but the ones he did give
were quite special.
“The moral of each tale
is about how children
ought to behave. So,
for example, you have
Matilda, Who told Lies, and
was Burned to Death, or
Lord Lundy, Who was too
Freely Moved to Tears,
and thereby ruined his Political
Career. It was first published
in 1907, but it hasn’t dated.
Children’s stories from that era
are typically ghoulish,
FROM TOP Bella Freud
but these are also
Love T-shirt £105 and 1970
hysterical. And sweater £275. Available
the drawings by from Fashion Lab, Fourth
Basil T Blackwood Floor; and harrods.com
are terribly funny too.
“There are similarities in Belloc’s way of
looking at the world and the things my
family and I find funny; it’s a mixture of
black humour and old-school humour with a
touch of irreverence. The stories have stayed
in the back of my mind. Words tend to do
that; they don’t melt away or fade into the
background like images or other memories.
I’ve kept returning to Cautionary Tales, and
I also read it to my son.
“I’ve always admired Belloc’s economy,
and the way he used flourishes in unlikely
places. Often, ideas for my work come from
things I’ve read. Of course, I’m always looking
around; but I usually start my design process
by sketching out words rather than imagery
or garments, which is why my knitwear
often uses typography or slogans. I’m a visual
person, but in my career I’ve ended up using
words the way other people use patterns.”
– By Lindsay Macpherson
HARRODS MAGAZINE 39