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TAMARA CINCIK in conversation with #20 CHARLIE PORTER

Release Date: 12/05/2023

Fashion Roundtable Book Club - Eleanor Houghton, author of 'Charlotte Brontë’s Life Through Clothes’

Front Row to Front Bench

Today, was joined by an historian, writer, and illustrator specialising in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century dress, literature, and material culture. Eleanor has an interesting career trajectory, after reading English at Oxford, Eleanor went on to become a couture milliner, specialising in archival research. Eleanor holds a doctorate in History and is an historical costume consultant for film and television productions such as Emily and Gentleman Jack. Eleanor is the author and illustrator of ‘Charlotte Brontë’s Life Through Clothes’, based on nine years of research into Charlotte...

Q & A with Zakia Sewell, Author of ‘Finding Albion: Myth, folklore and the quest for a hidden Britain’

Front Row to Front Bench

Fashion Roundtable Book Club - Zakia Sewell, with Tamara Cincik and Meg Pirie Today’s conversation with Zakia Sewell took us from the sacred springs of Glastonbury to the history of ‘Albion’ as a place of refuge. Buy the Book ‘Finding Albion: Myth, folklore and the quest for a hidden Britain’ by Zakia Sewell Listen My Albion (BBC Radio 4): The four-part series that sparked Zakia’s quest Dream Time (BBC Radio 6 Music): Catch Zakia’s latest broadcasts exploring music and myth Folklore & Activism Right to Roam: Learn more about the campaign for land access in England and...

Q & A with Rob Hopkins, co-founder of Transition Network with Meg Pirie

Front Row to Front Bench

Welcome to Fashion Roundtable’s second book club! is the co-founder of Transition Network. Rob holds a PhD from the University of Plymouth, and is author of several books. Starting in lockdown Rob created the highly successful ‘From What If to What Next’ podcast, where he time travelled with guests to explore practical, imaginative solutions to the climate and ecological crisis. The interview delves deeper into Rob’s latest book, ‘How to Fall in Love with the Future: A time traveller’s guide to changing the world.’ Through the power of Rob’s book, and Rob...

Q&A with Daisy Fancourt, author of Art Cure with Meg Pirie

Front Row to Front Bench

First Episode of The Fashion Roundtable Book Club featuring a Q & Q with Daisy Fancourt, author of "Art Cure - The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health" published by

ALIX COOMBS in conversation #25 AMELIA TWINE

Front Row to Front Bench

For this episode of the Front Row to Front Bench podcast, Alix Coombs speaks with , Founder of Following a decade working in sustainability in food systems and hospitality, Amelia now works in campaigning for a just transition to an equitable, regenerative fashion industry. Amelia ran a sustainable womenswear platform before founding Sustainable Fashion Week (SFW) in 2020. SFW works in creative community engagement to inspire consumer behaviour change, highlighting the different entry points to sustainability in fashion to make it more relevant and accessible to people from all...

HARRIET FLETCHER-GILHUYS in conversation with #24 KATE TURNBULL

Front Row to Front Bench

For this episode of the Front Row to Front Bench podcast, speaks with from where they discuss the world of natural dyes and how they can be incorporated into supply chains and regenerative practices. Kate Turnbull is natural dyeing practitioner, educator and advocate. She divides her time between Headington School, Oxford as Eco Lead and in her dye house in Oxfordshire, working either on her own projects or collaborations. Recent collaborations have included suspending naturally-dyed plant based fibres above the Chelsea Flower Show ‘Dye Garden for Fashion Revolution’, producing a unique...

TAMARA CINCIK in conversation with #23 BARONESS LOLA YOUNG OF HORNSEY

Front Row to Front Bench

For this episode of the Front Row to Front Bench podcast, speaks with , a crossbench peer in the about the release of her memoir '', published by Penguin. Eight Weeks is a deeply moving and inspiring memoir that tells the remarkable life story of Baroness Young of Hornsey, from her childhood in foster care, to becoming one of the first Black women in the House of Lords. Lola Young has been an actress, an academic, an activist and campaigner for social justice, and a crossbench peer. But from the age of eight weeks to eighteen years, she was moved between foster care placements and...

TAMARA CINCIK in conversation with #22 GREAT BRITISH WOOL REVIVAL

Front Row to Front Bench

For this episode of the Front Row to Front Bench podcast, speaks with , and , the team behind our collaboration with and for the , the . This October marks , which celebrates British Wool. This discussion includes the background into how the team got together and why there is a need for a Great British Wool Revival.

TAMARA CINCIK in conversation with #21 WAYNE HEMINGWAY

Front Row to Front Bench

For this episode of the Front Row to Front Bench podcast, speaks with designer about his bi-annual event the , which returns to Kings Cross, London on 27th & 28th April 2024. The weekend will give the public a last chance to see Paul McCartney's iconic before it is auctioned to find a new home as well as celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Ford Mustang. The popular festival also includes quality sustainable shopping, entertainment, street food and DJ’s. Wayne founded the hugely successful British fashion brand Red or Dead in the 80’s, which went on to win the British Fashion...

TAMARA CINCIK in conversation with #20 CHARLIE PORTER

Front Row to Front Bench

For this episode of the Front Row to Front Bench podcast, speaks with writer, fashion critic and curator about his new book, ‘Bring No Clothes: Bloomsbury and the Philosophy of Fashion' published by . Charlie is one of the most influential fashion journalists of his time, and has written for the likes of the Guardian and iD magazine, as well as co-running the London queer rave . The book, rather wonderfully, uses clothing as a way to look at six iconic Bloomsbury figures, while seamlessly addressing the evolution of how we dress today. This leads on to the fact that clothing...

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For this episode of the Front Row to Front Bench podcast, Tamara Cincik speaks with writer, fashion critic and curator Charlie Porter about his new book, ‘Bring No Clothes: Bloomsbury and the Philosophy of Fashion' published by Penguin Random House.

Charlie is one of the most influential fashion journalists of his time, and has written for the likes of the Guardian and iD magazine, as well as co-running the London queer rave Chapter 10.

The book, rather wonderfully, uses clothing as a way to look at six iconic Bloomsbury figures, while seamlessly addressing the evolution of how we dress today. This leads on to the fact that clothing can be an intellectual and sexual liberation, or conversely an instrument for patriarchal power.

The book came about after Charlie was asked to curate an exhibition called ‘Bring No Clothes: Bloomsbury and Fashion,’ at Charleston in Lewes. Through the inaugural exhibition Charlie explored the dynamic relationship between the Bloomsbury group. Here, clothing provided a route into learning more about the key figures in the Bloomsbury group and how, for some, fashion provided a language with which to explore their break away from tradition. This ultimately fed into the process of researching and writing his book.

The conversation centres around the beginnings of the Bloomsbury group, who were at the vanguard of a social and sartorial revolution. Virgina Woolfe and her sister Vanessa Bell escaped to Bloomsbury from an oppressive and abusive upbringing, rejecting the fashions of the time for something new and this is unpicked.

Homosocialism comes into the conversation where Charlie discusses his own experience of being gay from a working class background, and connecting this to E. M Forster and his struggle to be gay. The connection between Isabella Blow and Lady Ottoline Morrell is also explored by Tamara and the similarities of how they hosted and nurtured talent, but were mocked relentlessly.

Finally, Charlie and Tamara talk about Vanessa Bell and the way she made her own clothes and how this has played out in a life-changing way for Charlie where he now makes his own clothes with a new philosophy of living and consuming fashion.

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