Age of Reason at Kirsten Goss London W8

We thought we'd share some snaps of the Age of Reason / M Hulot showcase, which is at  Kirsten Goss's London Kensington store throughout July. Below Kirsten Goss, Anna Kreeger designer of M Hulot bags and our own Ali Mapletof pose in front of the Holland Street store window, which is beautifully decked out in scarves, bags and jewellery. We're particularly keen on the angular silver and bronze jewellery in Kirsten's Urban Edge range, which has just returned to wholesale after several years away. And a special mention goes to guest brand Modelliani sunglasses, colourfully sported below.

Our balloons scarf made its debut at the London showcase, and has also just launched in her Cape Town store as a South African exclusive.  

 Kirsten Goss jewellery designer, Anna Kreeger of M Hulot bags, Ali Mapletoft of Age of Reason 

 

photography by Lea Salomone

New Scarf Launches at KG London

Throughout the rest of June and July we'll be showcasing our scarves at Kirsten Goss's eponymous accessories shop in West London. The showcase, which has previously played host to brands such as Esska Shoes will open this Thursday the 13th of June and stays open late until 8pm. 

Kirsten, a talented jewellery designer in her own right, has worked with names like Liberty London and owns stores in both London and South Africa.  She now lives in South Africa, running her successful label and  goldsmithing studio out of her home city Duban. Kirsten regularly travels to  London for events such as the June-July showcase.  So mark the occasion we're launching a new design inspired by Ali's own Southern African childhood memories. We couldn't resist!

The scarf is called Magic Balloons and was inspired by my childhood in Lesotho, Southern Africa. As kids my sisters and I used to sit on the roof staring at the huge blue sky and imagining different types of flying machines and balloons. We also watched the swallows migrating from Europe to South Africa and enjoyed seeing them swoop across the sky in large numbers, having crossed thousands of miles.

 Ali

The event will also include bags by M Hulot, another British Made brand,  which we are most definitely lusting after, especially the bowling bags. Join us on the Thursday the 13th for some fizz and accessory ogling!

Age of Reason and M Hulot Showcase

13th June - 30th July

at

Kirsten Goss

29 Holland Road

London W8 4NA

Age of Reason gets inspired in Marrakech

Ali recently travelled to Marrakech to gain inspiration for the SS14 collection. If the photos are anything to go by, there was no shortage of inspiration.  She visited some of the old Palaces in the walled Medina and the Madrasa, an ancient Islamic college set around a large courtyard. 

I love the excitement of cities and this was my first trip to Marrakech so everything was new and surprising. One of the most striking things about the old Moroccan architecture in Marrakech's walled Medina or old town is the contrast between the narrow dusty streets and large dramatic spaces behind the earthen coloured walls.  There's a magical quality to stepping though a tiny wooden door to find a lavish space beyond.   Beautiful glazed tiles cover the courtyards of large buildings.  Tiled arches and marble floors offer cool respite from the blazing sun outside- the ultimate luxury in this hot climate. I was really inspired by the geometric patterns, something I haven't really investigated before. 

Ali 

 The Madrasa in Marrakech. Ali Mapletoft Age of Reason studios. 

 Monochrome tiles in the courtyard at Hotel Mamounia.

AW13 Press Day at IPR London

This April we showcased our Autumn Winter 2013 silk and wool scarf collection to press at IPR London's AW13 press day. The event was held over 2 days is their cavernous warehouse space near Liverpool Street, decked out with chic modern mirrored icebergs and merchandised to minimalist perfection.

  

We loved the simple meat-hook style display our scarves were hung on, which showed off the colours and the contrast between our silk pieces and new wool scarves. Press feedback was positive, with fashion journalists picking up on our Made in England credentials and the non-traditional feel of the brand. We're looking frward to seeing some of these pieces at Young British Designers in the autumn.

  

Marrakesh Research Trip Essentials by Ali

We're off this week on our SS14 design trip to Marrakesh to soak up a bit of Souk culture and sunshine.  I'm bringing my drawing kit of course (it is a research trip after all) but I've also packed some city essentials with an emphasis on chic cover-ups and sun care. This isn't a sponsored post by the way, just stuff I bought in shops and I'm  taking with me because it's genuinely useful.  

 

A good book is my number one item because all my collections are designed with a book in the background. AW12 and SS13 were influenced by Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell by Susanna Clarke and my travels around Africa. On this trip I'm reading The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowels, which may or may not turn out to influence the SS14 collection.

One of our SS13 straw visors will be my go to item to protect me from the rays while I explore and barter in the markets. I'm supplementing with Kiehls factor 50, I'm too white to be too careful.  And just in case some Paw Paw ointment for chapped, dry, in need of attention, bitten, scraped skin and lips. Whatever the issue slap some Paw Paw on it and job's a good-un.

My Ganni shirt, Alexa de Castilho necklace and Rock Optika sunnies will also be coming with me. I'm planning souk seeing, strolls around botanical gardens, museums from the customary riad blot hole.

If you've been to Marrakesh and been inspired I'd love to hear from you on Twitter.

 @AgeofRScarves 

Ali

 

The Boutique Gallery Launch Party at Jaeger - SS13

This week has been a roller-coaster of innovative canapes, air kissing and cooing over very fine things, with our press day at IPR, meetings all over London and a buzzing launch party for The Boutique Gallery at Jaeger. Here are a few snaps of us and various Boutique Gallery guests including Laura Bailey, Daisy Lowe, the lovely Lara Bohinc, Laura Jackson, Becky Tong and Monica Beatrice of the Elgin Avenue. We also spied press representatives from Vogue, Marie Claire, Company, Cosmo, Easy Living, La Petite Anglaise and Stylenest. It was great to finally see everyone's collections in the flesh and start getting excited about our SS13 scarf collection being stocked on Regent Street. 

Age of Reason designer Ali Mapletoft- by Lea Salomone

Laura Bailey - photo courtesy of Jaeger

Daisy Lowe - photo courtesy of Jaeger

Lara Bohinc - photo courtesy of Jaeger

 Ali and Charlie Mapletoft Age of Reason photo by Lea Salomone. 

 Ali Mapletoft Age of Reason-  photo courtesy of Jaeger

Laura Jackson photo courtesy of Jaeger

Becky Tong photo courtesy of Jaeger

Monica Beatrice of the Elgin Avenue blog- photo by Lea Salomone. 

The Rime of The Ancient Mariner, Kurt Cobain, Hidden poetry and Art

In my lifetime it's never been cool or trendy to like poetry. In fact as a teenager I probably hid my love of poetry underneath my love of Kurt Cobain. Looking back it seems ridiculous, but nobody my age wanted to look like a) a nerd b) a geek c) a dweep. (By the way all of these things are now cool and Topshop has the T-shirts to prove it.)

How things have changed. It may still be a social faux-pas to speak poetry in public, but I'm using Coleridge to inspire the new collection. And when I think about it, it's really not that different to using Nirvana. Also all the best people I know where nerds, geeks and dweebs once, so bring it on.

Ali

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, written in 1797–98

(Excerpt) 

 Down dropt the breeze, the sails dropt down, 

 'Twas sad as sad could be;   

And we did speak only to break  

  The silence of the sea!      

All in a hot and copper sky, 

 The bloody Sun, at noon,  

  Right up above the mast did stand,   

No bigger than the Moon.    

  Day after day, day after day, 

 We stuck, nor breath nor motion;  

  As idle as a painted ship  

  Upon a painted ocean.   

 Water, water, everywhere,  

  And all the boards did shrink; 

 Water, water, everywhere,   

Nor any drop to drink.

Age of Reason in Suitcase Magazine

This beautiful Far Eastern shoot in Suitcase Mag features our "Key to My Heart" scarf alongside Alexander McQueen, Nicholas Kirkwood and Atsuko Kudo.

It reminds us of Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge


"In Xanadu did Kublai Khan
A stately Pleasure-Dome decree,
Where Alph, the sacred river ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.

So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers was girdled ’round,
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery."

Read the rest by clicking here.

You can also view the entire shoot, credits and a Suitcase making-of video here  http://www.suitcasemag.com/post/oriental-valentine-271/

Valentine Exclusive at Coco de Mer

This week our darkly romantic "Key To My Dark Heart" scarf hits Coco De Mer's Monmouth Street shop as a limited edition exclusive. 

The scarf was inspired by Susanna Clarke's lavish novel "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell" set in 19th Century England. An antique key on a ribbon sits at the centre of a wreath of roses bordered by bees and a darkly gothic floral border. Twisted roses intertwine on a deep burgundy red silk background, with half the blooms thriving and half becoming twisted thorns. As subtle Union jack motif hides behind the main image, retaining Age of Reason's signature Brit-punk look.

This scarf may sell out before it becomes available online, so customers are advised to call the shop to check availability or reserve. http://www.coco-de-mer.com/ 0800 011 6895

MEN'S FASHION WEEK - THE POCKET SQUARE

To celebrate Men's Fashion Week in London this week we're praising the pocket square; that small square of silk, which transforms mundane to elegant with just a few folds and a tuck. While there are conventions in pocket square styling, we like to think there are no rules. 

 What we love most about the humble, and affordable pocket square, is its ability to convey a little personality onto a very plain suit jacket or blazer. Our "Orgy" square below is intentionally cheeky but it takes a second glance to notice the saucy print. We were delighted at Best of Britannia when Grey Fox took to this one with such enthusiasm and styled it on his excellent blog. As you can see we've taken a little inspiration from the rakish folds he created.

Pocket hankies are a great way to add a dash of colour without looking like a children's TV presenter. Keep the suit or jacket muted and opt for a striking hue in the pocket square like our God Save The Queen square here.

Learning to fold pocket squares can be really satisfying. Silk works best for the louche, soft folds shown.  For crisp lines try cotton or linen options (we'll be making some of our own cotton versions next season for AW13).  There are some great online video tutorials on how to wear pocket squares and this blog post has one of our favourite collections of photos of dapper chaps wearing them. 

Enjoy! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM AGE OF REASON

Happy New Year from Ali and Charlie at Age of Reason! We're looking forward to another creative year, looking forward to being quintessentially us and nothing else. We Will Never Surrender.

 Here's to 2013. 

A MONTH IN PICTURES- DECEMBER 2012

It's been an absolute whirlwind this month, with party planning, gift wrapping and pop up shops a-plenty. Festive preparations, from tree decorating to hand making hundreds of gift tags were the order of the day, with our annual pre-Christmas sample sale in Brighton taking centre stage. We've been blown away by the number of people lovingly choosing our scarves as gifts for friends and family.  It's the ultimate in satisfaction for us.