Scottish (as opposed to French) and Saunders

So Fashionista hotfooted it to the Swarovski Crystallised Lounge to listen to the rather luscious Jonathan Saunders being interviewed by Vogue.com editor Dolly Jones at the recent Fashion Business Club event.

The interview started with a discussion about the relationship between fashion designers and fashion journalists. Scottish-born Saunders, who seems to have a very positive relationship with the media (given that British Vogue featured one of his designs on the cover only a few months after his graduate show from Central Saint Martins) talked about the importance of being aware of the perception being created around his designs and understanding his customer. Although its a creative business, Saunders thought that designers still needed to be aware that they are selling a product to a customer (and clearly the media can influence this perception).

Fashionista's ears pricked up when Saunders revealed that he is launching his first transactional website in just two weeks' time and was interested to hear his thoughts on the internet in general i.e. "it gets rid of elitism and makes everything available to everyone". For young designers, Saunders thought that the internet provided an invaluable way to develop a business "without getting into masses of debt, like having a shop without the overheads" which enables designers to stay independent for longer without having to give away valuable shares in their business.

In terms of high street tie-ups, Saunders confirmed that he had never gotten the impression that it was a "dumbing down" thing and thought it was about making the product accessible.

Fashionista thought it was heartwarming to hear that there is no feeling of competition amongst Saunders and his fellow London designers and Saunders attributed this comaraderie to the fact that most are colleagues from Central Saint Martin days and the fact that all share the same passion for what they are doing and are sufficiently different to not feel like that are competing directly.

This left Fashionista feeling all warm and fuzzy - or perhaps that was down to the glasses of champagne afterwards?

Life is good: Jenden's not jaded

Fashionista has been busy this week! On Thursday afternoon she attended the most recent Fashion Business Club meeting, at which Aquascutum's head of womenswear Michael Herz interviewed Diane von Furstenburg's Creative Director Nathan Jenden. The interview came hot on the heels of Jenden's successful show at London Fashion Week which, for Jenden is the best showcase for a brand. When commenting on the use of films to promote brands as an alternative to a fashion show, Jenden quipped "It's all about the show".

Having worked in Paris for John Galliano and Kenzo, and in the US for Tommy Hilfiger and Daryl K, Jenden joined forces with Diane von Furstenburg: his self styled icon and brand - preferring to see her in Dior menswear on a Harley Davison, than in couture. Now designing for both DvF and his eponymous brand, Jenden was asked how he manages to keep the two brands separate.

Fashionista mused: this must surely be a difficulty faced by any designer having to wear two design hats, whether in the case of Jenden, seeking to design for two separate high end brands; or whether in the case of designers such as Matthew Williamson, Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney, who have designed for both high end brands and high street stores. How do designers recreate the signature styles associated with their names without blurring the distinction between brands?

For Jenden, the two brands are easy to separate. His designs for his Nathan Jenden brand tell his story and, whilst he loves working for DvF, his DvF designs tell Diane's story. "A collection should feel like a part of life" Jenden explained, and so, a DvF "Lawrence of Arabia" themed collection was based on a holiday Diane took in Oman. Fashionista suspects that the job may be harder for luxury brand designers who agree to create a range for a high street store. They have the difficult job of showcasing their brand to a different audience at a reduced price level, whilst not diminishing the value of their brand - which justifies the price tags that the main collections can demand.

Ultimately: times are good for Nathan Jenden. Maybe its the thought behind the designs that is a winning formula. The prints, the colours, the styles: they are tailored for his market to ensure that garments are going to suit whoever tries them on. But the most important thing? Remembering that fashion is about attitude; about being fun, upbeat and not too serious - it is not really about clothes.

An enlightening "behind the scenes" look into the life and work of such a busy man, and Fashionista is already looking forward to the next FBC meeting...

Sister Act

Fashionista was thrilled to receive an invitation from the Fashion Business Club to attend their recent event at the Institute of Contemporary Arts. Daniela and Annette Felder, the talented twin sisters behind the Felder Felder brand were interviewed by illustrator, Daisy De Villeneuve and provided insight into the inspirations behind their unique designs.

During the interview, the audience was shown a video of their A/W 08 and 09 collections which were inspired by such icons as Courtney Love, Kurt Cobain and Iggy Pop. The interview charted their origins in a small village in Germany, the influence of their fashionable mother and their love of music, through to their studies (they were accepted separately) at Central St Martins and finally to starting their own brand for "women who like to show the different sides of their personality".

The sisters hope that the Felder Felder brand will expand internationally - it is now stocked by Browns Focus - and have recently been asked to design the uniforms for Nobu, Berkeley Square, which will "have the essence of Felder Felder" but won't be exact copies as few people would want to be served by a waitress wearing the same dress as them!

Fashionista then took the opportunity to mingle with other members of the Fashion Business Club over a drink. Fashion Business Club is a members-only club, created on the basis of bringing bright-minded, fashion business professionals together six times a year at an informal venue to listen, learn and do business together. For more details of the Fashion Business Club and their future events, click here