Fashion Musique - Bridgewater Hall - 10.9.04

Fashion and music have always gone in hand. Even today you look at bands like the Scissor Sisters and The Darkness and realize that image is often as important as the music itself. Similarly the dressed down bands such as Razorlight and The Strokes often have stylists who retouch the rough edges of the band and assimilate them into something approaching rock and roll heaven. Fashion Musique is the finale of a two week stretch of fashion events across Manchester city centre and with style icon Bryan Ferry taking centre stage alongside new collections from designers Matthew Williamson, Jasper Conran, Caprice and a host of independent designers from Manchester.

After a display from British Airway's and their infamous rock runway the fashion and music collided with a set from Manchester's electro pop band Performance and collections from Manchester Metropolitan University's Department Of Clothing Design and Technology. The collection was on of the more inclusive collections of the night, i.e. they aimed at providing practical fashions that everyone could afford and wear on a regular night around town. Perhaps not really different enough to stand out from recent high street collections there were however stand out displays from Anna Karapiperidis and Victoria Cookson. From electro pop to soulful grooves courtesy of Veba and Only Child collections from Manchester independent designers, including Franco Francessa and Big Brothers Sissy Rooney, displayed a more burlesque influence with neo-classical influences creeping in. Electricity showcased variants on the classic black and red dress look and still managed to bring something fresh to the style. It was nothing revolutionary or groundbreaking, just proof that the old styles always win through. Midas tried to push forward the idea of men in skirts, blouses and boob tubes and you know you might be able to get away with it if you're David Beckham, but it would take a very brave man to walk through Manchester with a mini-skirt.

Lisa Scott-Lee, fresh from her honeymoon with hubby Johnny Shentall (Ed: Is it just us or would Lisa Shentall make an excellent R&B name), performs a brief but electrifying set including former singles "Too Much" and "Lately" along with a cover of the dance classic "You Sure Do". Backed with two dancers, one of which looks uncannilly like it could be her sister, they showcase the highstreet collection including USC, Morgan, Oasis and Next. A great synchronicity where by the peoples popstar soundtracks the peoples collection.

After DJ sets from Key 103's Graeme Park and Siobhan Fahey during a forgettable set of collections from Kendals and Debenhams collections it was time for Bryan Ferry to liven up proceedings in the 2nd half of the show. Taking stage Bryan Ferry went into an all too brief four song collection which included the hits "Love Is The Drug" and "Lets Get Together". With people dancing in the aisles you almost failed to notice the collections from DKNY. The sartorial master of style had the crowd in the palm of his hands as he sung live with two backing singers.

Fashion Musique was an event to match the Fashion Rocks event in London last year and hopefully will become a regular fixture on the calendar.

Words: Alex McCann
Photos: Karen McBride - www.karenmcbride.com


Lisa Scott-Lee

Designer Magazine caught up with Lisa Scott-Lee for a quick chat just before she went on-stage at Fashion Musique in Manchester. Surprisingly enough she found that Fashion Musique, where she appears on the same bill as Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry, is not her strangest gig to date.

Q: This must be the first thing you've done since you got back from your honeymoon?
A: No, it's not actually. I've done GMTV this week already, but this is my first performance. I've been straight back into it really.
 

Q: How is it playing on a line-up where we've got LSL and Bryan Ferry. Its a pretty strange line-up?
A: At the end of the day it's a nice event. It's primarily a fashion show, but the great thing is the line-ups are always really varied which is nice. Funnily enough I don't even think this is the strangest event i've ever done - there's been stranger than this believe it or not. I think the reason they chose me is cos i'm really interested in fashion and clothes and it's part of what I do. And it's always nice to see what's coming in as well at these events.
 

Q: Fashion and music have always gone together. Who did you look up to when you were growing up?
A: Definitely Madonna. For music and fashion she's right up there.
 

Q: In pop music right now is there anyone you look at fashion wise and just think no girl?
A: Well, I mean Steps had a few dodgy outfits so it can only get better really. The yellow ones we had were pretty bad, but at the end of the day it worked with what we were doing, went with the music and it was fine for that time. It's different now cos this is my style and that was the groups style and you had to wear what worked for the whole group. Now I have a stylist, but I have the final say of what the stylists suggests.
 

Q: Tell us about the 2 dance singles you have out next month?
A: I've got one out in November and quite a few in the pipeline, but i'm just focusing on "Get It On" at the moment. I know the guys from Intensive Project, I met them in a nightclub one night and it was like shall we write a track together sometime. We just went in the studio and had some fun, a week later we record it and it was sent out as a white label and then ever since all the DJ's have been picking up on it. It went to Number 2 in the Dance Charts so it's starting to go really well.

Over the past year and a half I've been writing my album and that's ready now. We've got another dance track out early next year and then hopefully the album after that. This year i've just been planning my wedding really, but I don't feel i've been away because i've still been doing night clubs and PA's all year.

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"Get In On" with Intensive Project is out November (release date TBC)
For more info
www.lisascottlee.com
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