I can't have children. They might grow up to wear Jack Wills clothing.

My awesome mother whilst reading The Times today spotted a fabulous article that she left out on the side for me to read (she does that rather regularly- awesome really) However, this one is a cut above, seriously made me laugh. She knows my bugbear for companies such as this and therefore knew I would enjoy a rant by a fellow bystander who has been left behind in this madness.

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I can't have children. They might grow up to wear Jack Wills clothing.

Sathnam Sanghera - Wednesday September 29th 2010, The Times

A few months ago I wrote an article for The Times magazine about wanting a baby. Male babyhunger was a neglected phenomenon, I complained. Too often men are portrayed as getting saddled with babies, when some experience broodiness as intensely as women. But I'd like to take it all back. I don't want children anymore. For one reason : I couldn't risk fathering offspring which grew up to become consumers of Jack Wills merchandise.

In case, like me a week ago, you have never heard the name before, I should explain that Jack Wills is a rapidly expanding fashion brand that has 1,700 employees, 36 shops in Britain and aims itself at posh students. How posh? Well, the shopping guru Mary Portas has remarked that "wearing Jack Wills is a mark of class, wealth, even education, and you very much have to be in the club", Polly Vernon has written in The Observer that "you know you're posh if you live near a Jack Wills store", while The Sunday Times recently revealed that one of the company's early marketing ploys was to send one of its signature hoodies to the head girl and boy of every public school in the country.

The company also sponsors polo events and yacht-club balls, has designed T-shirts for the Eton rugby tour, employs "a bunch of impossibly beautiful, incredibly polite brand ambassadors called Seasonnaires" to spread its brand message, runs shops that resemble boarding schools, and, frankly, the last time I took so violently against something I was 14 and reading about the death penalty.

The idea of a designer fashion label for students is preposterous enough, given that they already have one in Oxfam. But creating one for public school students is particularly bewildering. After all, they already have a uniform - a school one - and then, out of hours, they have plimsolls, flip-flops, golding baseball caps, brightly coloured polo shirts (collars up), dangly ear-rings, sleeveless puffer jackets, jogging bottoms, bangles and pashminas. The idea of slapping a Jack Wills logo and price tag on to this, the default look of every last Muffy, Hugo and Isabella Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe, is pointless. And cheeky. And, as a social statement, really quite offensive too.

The posh have been mounting a comeback for some time. You can't move 50 yards in London without spotting something painted in Farrow and Ball's country house paint colours; Barbour jackets are back; our TV screens are graced by the likes of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Kirstie Allsopp and Tomasina Miers; and you may have noticed that our Prime Minister, Chancellor and Cabinet are a bit posh too.

But the cultural manifestations of this poshness have until now been subtle, the politicians in question have arranged for the concealment of pictures of them in top hat and tails, and asking political candidates to shorten double-barrelled surnames. In contrast, Jack Wills, whose logo is nothing less than a pheasant in top hat and tails, represents something new and terrifying: the wilful celebration of inherited wealth and privilege.

In a time of economic distress this is crass enough, but the label exacerbates matters by mocking the working classes while doing so: adopting the hoodie, the symbol of the youth underclass as a signature item; selling an image of the world that is, in the words of The Sunday Times Style Magazine "sort of like Skins, but with nicer houses and pleases and thankyous"; and by nurturing the kind of fans who respond to criticism on Facebook pages with remarks such as: "Ur just jealous because we're not chavs and have good taste."

Indeed, it turns out I 'm not the only one who has taken against the brand. Jack Wills may have 131,679 fans on Facebook, but there are also 60,852 detractors belonging to a group called, "Why are you still in your PJs? Oh sorry, didn't see the Jack Wills logo", and another 22,557 affiliated to a page entitled "Jack Wills brings all the rahs to the yard, and they're like, put it on daddy's card."

The label, which claims it will have a turnover of some £90 million this year, is notoriously secretive and doesn't allow journalists much access. The owners of the company probably realise that if people knew about Jack Wills outside upper-middle-class towns such as Winchester, Aldeburgh and Reigate, it would spark mass civil unrest. There is one thing I can bring myself to admire about the company, apparently it flogs branded Jack Wills condoms. Which at least reduces the chances of its customers reproducing.

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It is at this point that I would like to state my particular problem stems further than just Jack Wills, but in also its brand competitors with dark shops, club music blaring and fake shop assistants.... No names need mentioning.

The Devoured and I And Me

Since I left uni in May, I have been working part-time at London based, fashion design house, J.W Anderson. Originally born as a menswear company from a love of intensely dramatic aesthetics in a world inspired by combining sinister phenomena with a love of mystical characters from history and literature.

More recently, under the leadership of Melissa Stokes, the company has spread its infant wings to the land of womenswear. A natural progression for a men’s line inspired by women’s clothing. Jonathan was quoted in Vogue earlier this year saying ‘Think tomboy/tomgirl rather than unisex’.

My role within the company was widespread and varied. Each day presented something different. Eased gently into a world of production, creating orders of ‘Saints and Assassins’ the first womenswear collection, which is currently stocked in Liberty’s, Harrods, Hunting and Collecting and on Oki-Ni as well as ASOS and LNCC.

(photos of the collection in Liberty's)

As the days progressed into weeks and so on and so forth, the tasks I had accomplished ranged from sewing and embroidering to fabric and haberdashery sourcing and buying to working with the press office, run by A.I.

I was soon entrusted with pattern cutting, grading and toiling, which was wonderful to get back to the technical side that I enjoy so much.

We were then hit with the news that the new collection was to be sponsored by Swarovski Crystal, which was very exciting news – even more so when the crystals began to arrive in their thousands at the studio. I defy any of you to not want to play with oodles of crystal beads when the opportunity presents itself. We were all to become children in a candy store at the sight of the sparkly magic.

Among my list of errands (including banking and posting, believe me, I am the post master…!) I was also sent to the Arcadia Head Quarters, mother-ship of the British High Street, to meet with Head Menswear Designer for Topman Nick Paget. Alongside this, I was sent to the Swarovski Head Office, which was in line with walking into a very sparkly spaceship. If I ever wondered what (insert name of spaceship here) was like. Here was my opportunity to see. (Unfortunately I am not a space geek, epic fail I feel, however exciting nonetheless.)

One Monday morning, a good few months into my internship I was asked to head to Big Sky Studios. There I was to meet Matt and Jonathan who were working with Robbie Spencer (stylist of Dazed and Confused fame) directed by Sharif Hamza. Off I was sent, in a taxi, with £40,000 worth of crystal beads, a sewing machine and the ability to be on the set seamstress. It was a completely awesome day, most definitely one of the highs of my career so far. The efforts of which can be seen here…

(cheeky still from the video shoot)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2n8tlUCI

4c

On to the next… we then headed to the crazy world of creating the collection for fashion week. Over 30 looks, a mix of womens and mens, the womens to be unveiled earlier at Liberty’s, online and at Somerset House on the Saturday with the video as seen above. The mens to be shown at a catwalk show at Somerset House on Menswear Day.

(photos of the new collection in Liberty's)

A lot of pattern cutting, toiling, adapting and making went into the penultimate weeks before the show. Culminating in a fantastic show, at around 11.30am on Wednesday 22^nd of September. Again, another day that shall remain a highlight of my life so far. Controversially 4 female models were sent down the catwalk during the menswear show, depicting the versatility of the Anderson brand. The clothes sparkled. The models looked fabulous and as always with these things, the show came together in the final moments of a frantic backstage.

http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/style/catwalk-fashion-shows/SS2011/Mens/london/jw_anderson/full-length-photos?page=1

(GQ Catwalk Photos and Write Up)

http://www.swarovski.tv/Content.Node/fashion/168912.php

(Video of the Catwalk Show)

And so, as quickly as it started it was over. And so, I believe it is now, as they say, on to the next.

The Wrong Trousers

This is, without doubt, my most favourite time of the year.

Although 'this time of year' does in fact, not only come around once, but twice, there is just something, to me anyway, about the arrival of the new Autumn/Winter collections. And this season, this Autumn/Winter is even more exciting than usual. Maybe it's because I enjoy the idea (and process) of layering up in winter, may it is my love of tweed (and an ongoing, everlasting love affair with my leather jacket) or perhaps it is because in truth I actually prefer the cold. Whatever the reason, this new season's collections, magazine layouts and the opportunity to reinvent oneself for the foreseeable future fills me with a feeling of excitement.

There are certainly many trends that have caught my attention and imagination, however, there is one that started my infatuation for this season nicely. Trousers. Fabulous. It's about time the infatuation with leggings deflated. Whether long, wide, cigarette, tuxedo, harem or otherwise. Trousers were up and down the catwalks.

As a self-confessed tomboy, finding a suitable style for autumn should be a relatively easy task, no? No. There are plenty of fabulous options, as always high end are the better, with beautiful fabrics and better fits, however the high street too is awash with some awesome pieces. Which if like me, your sole current purpose for working is to pay for costly unpaid internships. The high street may just be the answer.

Now, I am aware that we are only a small part of the way through September and therefore styles are still set to come in (trust me, I tell my customers this information often enough - I should know! However, the simple fact is, I am inpatient.

So, in a (few) vain attempt(s) to find that perfect pair of trousers to take me through this transitional period , armed with my knowledge on this season, to the high street I have ventured. Unfortunately, to no avail.

Here is where a problem has arisen, when you are as fussy as I am and have the ability (just not the time) to make, finding my perfect pair has been an issue. As someone who's current trouser collection is rather on the thin side, extending my wardrobe, would be preferable and as I keep being reminded, I am no longer a student, therefore need a more grown up, professional wardrobe. So this was where I headed. However, of the styles I have chosen, I have been left rather frustrated. On the peg, awesome. On me, not so. Are they supposed to sit on your hips, or are they high waisted? Should that bit, really be there? And don't even get me started about the poor fit around your, ahem ... lady business... Let's just say, I know for sure, trousers are not supposed to sit like that.

Although there have been some pretty good candidates, none have so far survived being taken back. Although yes, I do have long legs, I really didn't think finding a pair of trousers would be so complicated.

I am slowly loosing the idea of trousers being my answer to my new wardrobe problems. Maybe I should just stick to my marriage with my jeans, after all, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.