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Taken from the Autumn Issue of Wonderland

Roll neck JOHN SMEDLEY at Selfridges, hat JODIE’S OWN 

“Look at that, that yoghurt looks amazing!” Despite having a mouth full of SNOG (jealous) it seems as if Jodie Abacus could break into song at any moment. The south London- born songwriter was weened on the soulful vocals of pop icon Michael McDonald’s lullaby, “Sweet Freedom”. “His were probably the first set of lyrics that I tried to copy as a child… going diagonally across the page.” Alongside his radio DJ father, Abacus grew up with a diverse array of musical influences, masters of showmanship such as “Stevie [Wonder], Prince and Michael [Jackson]”. “The radio always used to be played in the morning before I went to school, in the car, you name it! So I had the chance to absorb all of the different types of music that there was; from rock to hip hop, to electro, reggae and even country music.”

As you’d expect from a man with such a diverse musical upbringing, Abacus is known for his pop-infused melodies, soulful funk and harmonious blending into one soul-stirring whole. Due to tour the UK later this September for what might just be the most cheery set of performances you’ll see, he’s hitting the road with pure pop gems Ekkah and teen funk rascals, The Age of L.U.N.A. You’d be forgiven for thinking Abacus’ back catalogue stretched back years deep, but with hit singles “Good Feeling” and “I’ll Be That Friend” circulating the airwaves, and festival appearances this summer locked on both sides of the Atlantic, he’s very much part of 2016’s fresh talent cannon.

He isn’t all sunshine and light. Abacus’ lyrics reveal some of his most intimate and challenging experiences. “Music is supposed to be something that can take you away,” he explains. “It’s supposed to give you a piece of someone else’s life, someone else’s dream. If I’m angry or if I’m swearing in one of my songs, there’s got to be a moral to what I’m talking about. It’s not just loosely said: all in all, I have to tell the truth.”

Catching pneumonia and ending a five year relationship all in the space of a year prompted Abacus to take a brief hiatus from music back in 2014. The spell of bad luck inspired the lyrics for his first single “I’ll Be That Friend.” “I felt the lowest I’d felt in my whole entire life,” he recalls. “Trying to do the very best, trying to tick all the boxes, trying to do something right in your life and then all of that happened when I was working really hard. I needed a hug…”

Photographer: Barney Frost

Hair: Jason Crozier at Stella Creative Artists using Milk + Blush Hair Extensions

Makeup: Sarah Mierau at Stella Creative Artists using MAC Cosmetics

Words: Sophia Ahmadi

Thanks to Shelford Place Studios 

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 House of Holland, A/W 15, Sam Wilson photography 

Money Fashion makes the world go round

Little did you know that the fashion industry contributed £26billion directly to the UK economy (GDP) in 2014, and this was up from £21billion in 2009.

Fashion is now at our fingertips every second of the day, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week thanks to the World Wide Web. Our spending online reached £10.7 billion in the UK in 2014, and those clever economists have predicted that this will nearly double by 2019 to reach £19billion a year.

Not only that, tastes are expensive , with luxury goods making up 2.2% of the UK’s GDP. £32.2billion contributed in sales from the British luxury goods industry in 2013, and this is set to go up to £51.1billion by 2019).

The hype of LFW leads people to put in £100 million worth of orders in on that one week each season.

We’re all about giving

There are 797,000 jobs supported by the UK fashion industry and 158,000 employees predicted to be hired by the luxury goods industry by 2019.

It’s an obsession

Every year £160million is spent on media coverage of London Fashion each season!

32,000 hours of London Fashion Week content is watched in the UK, and 28,000 hours of London Fashion Week content is watched in the US.

In the past two years there has been a 400% rise in consumers watching ‘fashion week’ content on YouTube (2012-2014)

During LFW SS15 196 countries watched the LFW live streams.

On Twitter, 94% of users aware of LFW and 74% have an interest in LFW

The #LFW tag was used on 121,000 images during London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter in February 2015.

The fun facts of fashion week

There were 15,000 Official LFW tote bags designed by Gareth Pugh in collaboration with Sunglass Hut this season.

An estimated 15,000 bottles of Evian Water are to be drunk at LFW SS16

…and 30,000 Lavazza espressos served with 200kg of Lavazza coffee beans used.

There are more than 3,000 Sunglass Hut stores in 45 countries globally celebrating London Fashion Week this year.

There will be 4 Sunglasses Hut ‘Punk it Up’ branded Official LFW buses to transport press, buyers and photographers between shows and presentations.

There will be a pop up ‘screening area’ in London’s Oxford Street Topshop dedicated to the live stream of Topshop Unique’s SS16 show

There will be 78 designers showing on schedule this season: 52 catwalk shows and 26 presentations.

Global brands include: Anya Hindmarch, Burberry Prorsum, Hunter Original, Paul Smith, Pringle of Scotland, Topshop Unique and Vivienne Westwood Red Label, Christopher Kane, David Koma, Emilia Wickstead, Jonathan Saunders, JW Anderson, Mary Katrantzou, Peter Pilotto, Simone Rocha, Sophia Webster and Thomas Tait.

Designers Ashish, Erdem, Gareth Pugh, Nicholas Kirkwood and Roksanda are celebrating their LFW 10^th Anniversary!

New features to LFW

Alexander Lewis, Edeline Lee Natasha Zinko and Versus.

Former creative direction at Mulberry, Emma Hill will showcase her new accessories collection Hill& Friends.

John Smedley’s first womenswear line.

Heikki Salonen’s diffusion line for Maison Margiela- MM6.

A new accessories collection by former Mulberry Creative Director (Emma Hill) -Hill & Friends.

Heikki Salonen’s diffusion line for Maison Margiela MM6.

Return of the prodigal sons Peter Jensen and Zandra Rhodes.

emerging designers Kilt, Marques’Almeida, Phoebe English and Marta Jakubowski.

Exciting extras

Georgia May Jagger will host the Minnie Mouse Style Icon Exhibition launch.

Hussein Chalayan MBE will celebrate 21 years in business.

The Louis Vuitton Series 3 Exhibition Opening Gala.

The Versus SS16 After-Party.

Topshop Unique AW15, Philip Trengrove photography 

For full events listings click here.

Fashion Film sponsored by River Island has supported films from Mary Benson, Zandra Rhodes and Zoë Jordan.

This season LFW opens its doors to the public through London Fashion Week at Golden Square, for full details see Celebrate LFW.

Words: Abigail Southan

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‘Singular’, John Smedley’s new unisex collection will be hitting stores next month. Comprised of merino wool jumpers and crew neck tees in honeycomb texture in the brand’s signature palette. Inspired by womenswear’s current obsession with boyfriend cuts and oversized looks, John Smedley are tapping into women’s love for menswear and creating the ultimate luxury basics.

Men will wear the pieces in a slim tailored fit and on a women it’s a relaxed look. As with all John Smedley pieces, the capsule collection is created in the Lea Mills Derbyshire factory.

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If you’ve not yet heard of The Soho Hotel then its time you brushed up your knowledge of one of the capital cities hottest hotels. Situated in the heart of Soho and branded by Tatler as ‘the most glamorous hotel in the world’, The Soho Hotel was opened in 2004 by Tim and Kit Kemp and was the first of its kind in the area. Tim and Kit already have an impressive resume of luxury hotels under their belt including Mayfair’s Haymarket Hotel and South Kensington’s Number Sixteen so its safe to say these two know their stuff when it comes to the perfect home away from home in London.

The Soho Hotel has 85 rooms and suites available with 6 one and two bedroom apartments, which benefit from an alternate entrance and private elevator. Each room is equipped with incredible floor to ceiling windows, WiFi, iPod docking and flat screen televisions. The interior of the rooms was created by Kit Kemp and is a quirky contemporary take on traditional English style, no two rooms are the same each has a different design giving your stay its unique individual stamp. The rooms are also some of the largest in London, which is never a bad thing, and are characterised by dramatic oversized bed heads, sleek modern furniture and specially designed lighting.

There’s a whole load of things to keep you relaxed and/or entertained during your stay, the hotel’s Refuel bar and restaurant has received rave reviews and seats 100 guests, however if you prefer a more intimate dinner there is a private room available on request. For those that like to keep active, perhaps the Soholistic gym is more your cup of tea, with top of the range touch screen equipment and individual entertainment systems, then afterwards treat yourself to a full body massage in one of the two beauty treatment rooms.  If you’re a film buff The Soho Hotel has two incredible screening rooms, one seating 100 the other 45 both in luxurious settings, why bother going to the over-crowded Odeon?

As with the rooms, Kit Kemp designed the entire interior of the sleek boutique hotel, encompassing her attention to detail and love of the eclectic London style. The duo’s eye for detail doesn’t stop at the hotel, the staff are all immaculately dressed in bespoke tailoring from Soho based Mark Powell and knitwear from John Smedley. Tim and Kit certainly have an eye for contemporary art, as the entrance hall is guarded by a 10 foot high bronze cat by Botero and the Refuel bar is home to a magnificent specially commissioned muriel by Alexander Hollweg.

If you’re looking for your average one night budget stay in one of the best cities in the world this isn’t for you, however if you have a lust for exquisite design, service, comfort and quality, The Soho Hotel is most definitely the hotel for you. By the end of your stay you won’t want to leave.

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