The Project

The Fashion Project press team arrived in style to the East Anglian Children’s Hospice Fashion Show held at Dunston Hall. An elegant white marquee - complete with a combination of Roman vines and ‘industrial chic’ exposed lights - sat in the vast lawns, filled with champagne glasses and stiletto heels. Clothes were donated by House of Fraser and My-Wardrobe.com, and all the models - from the Norwich-based Kerri Parker Model Academy- gave their time for such a good cause.

Bouffant hair and structured dresses brought Vivienne Westwood’s newest Anglomania collection to our attention, flashing deep scarlets and crimsons amidst an otherwise smoky palette. Punk glamour screamed from every pair of ripped jeans, every tartan kilt, every piratesque headscarf. At See by Chloe, the look was softer and smoother: denim was tie-dyed, not ripped, and blouses long and loose, not cropped. Plush leather totes and refined cocktail dresses added some maturity to the fledgling collection. McQ (Alexander McQueen’s baby) combined current trends for structure and draping in perfect harmony, printed all over with an updated nautical theme: chains, ropes, and crests in acid tones.

Kerri Parker herself waded through the crowds after the show’s finale to stop and chat to The Fashion Project girls. Despite an exhausting day, she was stunning in a turquoise strapless frock, and we managed to have a brief chat before we were whisked away, bearing numerous business cards and goody bags, but not before a quick photo op!

ZADIE TURNER
WRITER