{"id":466,"date":"2012-09-02T14:55:13","date_gmt":"2012-09-02T14:55:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/maischna.de\/?p=466"},"modified":"2014-12-09T19:41:30","modified_gmt":"2014-12-09T19:41:30","slug":"iconicity-glows-at-london-urban-fashion-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/lafritude.com\/?p=466","title":{"rendered":"ICONICITY Glows at London Urban Fashion Week"},"content":{"rendered":"

From the 22nd to 26th August 2012, Fashion label ICONICITY featured at the first London Urban Fashion Week (UFW) against the backdrop of the Olympic and Para Olympic season. The event brought together designers, their models, hair stylists and make-up artists from the US and Europe to mingle together and showcase their talent.<\/p>\n

ICONICITY was started in the summer of 2011 by two sisters, Beatrice and Kel Byakika in South West London.<\/b>\u00a0They started out with only their ideas and a dream. Beatrice and Kel’s own story goes back to their own mother, a lady of all trades. \u201cWhen we were growing up she made all our clothes and we enjoyed having unique dresses that no one else had. This love for individuality continued as we grew older and so we kept on designing outfits for ourselves,\u201d the girls explain.<\/p>\n

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Over the years the \u201cwhere did you get that?\u201d questions increased and the first seeds of the idea to start a business were sown. Due to varying commitments, the dream was deferred however – Kel was pursuing her studies and Beatrice was working on her world music album and a 9 to 5 job.<\/p>\n

Yet as the Byakikas believe,\u00a0everything is for a reason and beautiful things always happen when they are meant to<\/b>. In July 2011, a good friend lost his job at the age of 58 and was finding it hard to find employment based on his age, over experience etc. Added to that, the job market was very fickle. Experiencing their friend’s ordeal strengthened the girls’ resolve to finally start their business as they both did not want to depend on a job for their living.<\/p>\n

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In order to gain some orientation on exactly what kind of business best suited them, the Byakikas attended a couple of start-up business meeting conferences. What they took away was the advice to\u00a0do something that you enjoy, have experience in and can do well<\/b>. \u201cI believe it\u2019s what we called a light bulb moment \u2013 We love making clothes and had combined experience in management, customer relations, photography and art which, rolled into one, equalled fashion design.\u201d<\/p>\n

The start was quite hard with no established client\u00e8le but the girls’ determination is now paying off. Their strongest tool is surrounding themselves with talented individuals under the principal of togetherness. A love for women and their layered nature lies at the heart of their fashion ideas. \u201cThe qualities a woman exudes in an outfit she loves are endless and our aim is to achieve that effect through our collection. We call this concept:\u00a0Letting Fashion Love You<\/b>.\u201d<\/p>\n

The latest ICONICITY collection is called\u00a0Desturi<\/i>, a colourful explosion of ethnic prints compounded with astute tailoring and contemporary cutting. Browse through a sample of the designs in the\u00a0London UFW Gallery<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n

www.iconicityfashion.com<\/b><\/a>;\u00a0www.thesocialaffair.tumblr.com<\/b><\/a>;\u00a0www.facebook.com\/Iconicity<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n