London Fashion Week’s prodigious presence may make it seem like it’s been around forever but in reality, its 39 years of history makes it the youngest of the Big Four. Following the birth of the British Fashion Council in 1983, the first LFW was held a year later in a carpark. Fast forward to 2023, London Fashion Week showcases over 250 designers to a global audience, engaged through a hybrid of digital and physical events sprawled across the British capital.
Setting it apart from Milan and Paris, London Fashion Week’s characterised by celebrating forward-thinking design that promotes fearless imagination, empowering designers to dare to be different. Showcasing digitally at London Fashion Week for the 4th time this February, we embodied this feeling of rebellion and fortitude through the theme, ‘Circularity Fused with Social Mobility Impact’.
Striving For Progression
Debuting on our Digital Designer Profile, the Cordelia collection was spotlighted in our latest editorial campaign and stood out amongst more traditional, genuine leather accessories as a vegan leather product. Reminiscent of previous designs like our hemp tweed shoulder bag, Chae, and wheat straw clutch, Kiaz, the Cordelia beautifully marries together recycled PU and woven wheat straw panelling. The adjustable split-chain strap means it can be carried as a hand, shoulder, or cross-body bag, for maximum versatility. Its best feature? Beneath the surface, the Cordelia is progressive for being our 1st circular product created from remnant materials that are recycled in a new elegant design.
On March 1st, the Cordelia will launch on our website in 3 versatile colourways: Nude Oasis, Havan Tan, and Midnight Blue. However, be warned, Cordelia won’t be around forever. Released in the spirit of slow fashion as a Limited Edition collection, the Cordelia goes against the environmental damage of mass production that results in overconsumption. The result is a high-quality and luxurious handbag that has been made to last whilst having a minimal environmental impact.
An Unexpected Collaboration
Following the design process that bloomed a gorgeous handbag, an inspiring collaboration flourished. Our CEO and Creative Director, Keri Andriana, had the fortune of being introduced to the Bristol-based, specialist creative education provider, boomsatsuma. Self-proclaimed ‘innovators and unapologetic change makers’, boomsatsuma create pathways which ‘close the gap between creative courses and creative industries’. With their mission connected to our own of creating creative chances in fashion, Keri Andriana decided to give boomsatsuma photography students the ultimate real life brief: delivering our London Fashion Week, February 2023 editorial campaign.
On a freezing day in January, we met with an enthusiastic team of budding creatives for the campaign shoot at Bristol’s Artist Residence and were greeted by a log fire. Recently opened in 2022, the boutique hotel is an old boot factory, now converted into a fun and friendly community hub that offers some of its rooms for event hire. On set, the Living Room’s shabby chíc interior that fuses vintage and modern influence was glowing with aureate natural lighting, confirming that the decision to shoot there instead of a London studio was the right one.
Face of The Campaign
The campaign shoot also saw the making of another brand friendship, this time with the gorgeous muse, Freselam. Despite having little experience as an up-and-coming model signed to Bristol-based modelling agency ‘Gingersnap’, her natural talent and the help of the photography team allowed us to create this glamorous, retro campaign. Aside from being able to embody the essence of a campaign, Freselam spends most of her time studying nutrition at the University of Bournemouth, from where she committedly travelled on the early morning of the shoot day. Astonishingly, this was her first time in a professional campaign photoshoot focused on showcasing an ulterior product to herself, the Cordelia handbag.
We have exciting things in the works with Freselam that you do not want to miss out on! Check her out @_friszy on Instagram – we promise you won’t regret it!
Highly Inspired
Throughout the creation of this campaign, we immersed ourselves in nostalgia to deliver a retro-modern fantasy. We have taken inspiration from the new releasing Cordelia bag, sticking to the colours, patterns, and materials, but also a 70’s-inspired shabby chíc theme that feels luxurious and mysterious. When we think of the 1970s, social issues like the feminist movement often come to mind, as well as rebellious fashion trends such as flares, short hemlines, platform heels, and bohemian dresses. For this campaign, we combined these elements with an Amschela twist, adding an element of glamour that has elevated and reflected Amschela’s signature style that runs deep throughout every project.
The Amschela-Way
We’ve always liked to do things our own way at Amschela, and perhaps even more so than ever with this LFW campaign. Rather than following the conventional narrative of using professional photographers, top models, and London sets, we broke conventions and gave young students creative agency and invaluable experience that will help them enter the industry. As a result, we were rewarded with a catalogue of visionary editorial images and a behind-the-scenes campaign video that blew us away.
Made in Bristol and by Bristol creatives, our LFW Cordelia campaign celebrates our Bristol roots and the City’s creativity.
Special thanks to the boomsatsuma team and Freselam.
Credits
Amschela Team
Keri Adriana: CEO & Creative Director
Claudia Dupé: Senior Social Media & Content Executive
Sibella Chauveau: Senior Marketing Executive
Lydia Jenkins: Senior Accessory Designer
Joe Chappell: Junior Accessories & Fashion Designer
Megan Keogh: Junior Accessories & Fashion Designer
Maneli Dabbagh: Junior Designer & Operational Assistant
boomsatsuma Supervising Team
Reece Morrell : Project Manager
Sam Fordham : Course Leader, Documentary Photography & Print
boomsatsuma Students
Tara Grace : Photographer (Creative Digital Media Student)
Amber Mylius-King : Photographer (Documentary Photography & Print Student)
Anna Richards : Videographer (Filmmaking: Production Student)
Amy Howe: Video Editor (Creative Digital Media Student)
Samuel Simpson-Pattison : Digital Operator (Documentary Photography & Print Student)
Campaign Model
Freselam Tekie
Co-written by Claudia Dupé & Sofia Kamgang
