Julian And Sophie's Slumber Party
London Fashion Week Fall 2003
By Mari Davis
Photos by Ian Gillet
More Photos: 1 | 2
Apr 15, 2003/ FW/ --- Julian Roberts is starting over... From the successful 'Nothing Nothing'
label, which he closed and eventually, sold, he started Julian And.
It sound unfinished, right? Yes, it was unfinished, because Julian was just waiting for the
right partner.
During the Spring 2003 season, Julian Roberts found the right one - Sophie Cheung. Their
collaboration became the label Julian And Sophie.
For their second season in London, the design duo opted out of their scheduled runway show
slot at the Duke of York Headquarters. Instead they held a 'bed-in' at the Great Eastern Hotel.
Reason: Their whole collection is bedroom wear, as in pyjamas, robes and sleep shirts.
The timing was right also. London Fashion Week started on the Feb 15, day after Valentine's
Day. Julian and Sophie started their week-long bed-in on the 14th, the designated day for
lovers.
For one week, the editors and photographers came in to 'visit' to see the models 'in bed',
where the clothes are going to be worn.
Call it, 'clothes in action'.
The bed-in is a great idea, and in a way, a stroke of genius.
The cutesy pink plaid with bear prints or the polka dot pink hearts with 'goochy' printed on it
would have not translated well on the runway.
They would look great in the bedroom, so, that is where Julian and Sophie brought everyone.
Though the collection is 'cutesy and whimsical', the duo showed and proved that they are
serious about the collection.
Julian who is known for his experimental approach in fashion, coming out with raw and
edgy designs has been tempered with Sophie's soft touch.
And like Julian's earlier designs wherein diverse elements are converged as one, the
Julian and Sophie label is turning out to be an artistic collaboration of two experimentalists
who have developed a synergy.
You see Julian's touch with the unfinished edges and hems and the 'seemingly mismatched'
cuts and prints.
You see Sophie in the 'rainbow' filled with bears and flowers and hearts.
And as it has been said here before, with Julian, you don't take anything for granted,
because the sum is usually more than the total of its parts.
His collaboration with Sophie shows that he can bring his art to another level. And
with the synergy between Julian and Sophie, this fledging label will be more than
an artistic expression.
It will be bigger than the two designers if they work separately. As the saying goes,
'two heads are better than one.'
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