Alterior 

Owned by Dave Smeaton and Justin MacCarthy, Alterior has been trading on Park Street in Bristol for 6 years and in that time has built a reputation for being one of Bristol’s most cutting edge clothes stores. 

 The official stockist of streetwear legend Stussy, plus one of the few in the UK to stock Mike D of the Beastie Boys Xlarge label, Alterior was the first in the UK to stock Triple Five Soul.  Bringing new and rare trainers to Bristol, often one-offs and samples only, Alterior has recently begun to introduce Pro-Keds to the UK – currently the hottest shoe in the States.

 Latest stock includes Maharishi’s art based MHI label, plus, again from New York, a brand brought to you by the Big Apple’s coolest store, Alife.

Every six weeks Alterior hosts an instore art exhibition, usually of canvases from all manner of street and underground artists.  Over the years they have shown exhibitions from such artists as Banksy, Mr Jago, Will Barras and Dicy.

 Also closely linked to the art scene, are their homegrown clothing labels, distributed nationally and internationally from the store: Kuldesac, Attic, Sickboy and MonkeyLikeIt – all are based at Alterior, with new designs from the labels all in store in early Spring.

 Fashion prediction:

Pro-Keds will be the biggest trainer of 2003.
Tel:  0117 927 2514

John Anthony 

The largest contemporary fashion store west of London, stocking high-end fashion/designer concepts including Etro, Evisu, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Pinko, Paul Smith and Stone Island, John Anthony is one of the very few retailers in the south west with such an extensive designer range.  

Launched 25 years ago in Swindon, the business today operates from 5 stores in Bristol, Bath, Bournemouth, Swindon and Oxford.  Initially offering men’s designer wear only, the business branched out into women’s wear 7 years ago, and today offers an range of international designer fashion for women from all stores (excluding Oxford which remains men only).  

Fashion prediction:
Over the next six months the mood will be bright – allowing for a more relaxed/casual feel.  Hippy chic crossed with a more urban utilitarian look with be strong – just take a look at Kylie and Beckham.  Next autum/winter will bring in a more seductive approach with everything being cleaner and more understated. 
Tel:  01225 442 856

Peachie Keen 

Recognising that underwear is as important as ‘outerwear’ is design double-act Peachie Keen.

The brainchild of Bower Ashton fashion graduate Louise Reilley and UWE politics graduate Nicola Thomas, the concept is simple but certain to attract massive attention: sexy but understated underwear designed for women by women.
With a love of colour, print and ribbons to create simple beautiful items designed to make the wearer feel special, Peachie Keen are currently honing their collection for the big push into the retail arena.  Early signs of success are hopeful, with three collections now ready to be revealed – with the first ‘outing’ being the Hobbs Show!

The three collections to be revealed at the Hobbs Show each have a distinct theme:

 1.      Antique and pretty – pastel shades and browns in delicate fabrics 
2.      Bold and bright with combinations of black, white and neon colours for a more up-to-date confident image
3.      Primary colours, comfy and fun

 “The collection spans all age ranges and styles and is designed to give women a far greater choice when it comes to sexy underwear without the sauce”, explains Louise.  “We’re delighted to be involved in the Show and are happy to take orders if they come our way!”
Tel:  0117 378 9507

Road 

Launched 20 years ago, designing and producing jeans for retail sale throughout the UK, Road has gone from strength to strength.  From its initial jeans range, Road has struck out to now design a wide variety of ‘Road’ clothing for all ages and just two years ago opened its first store here in Bristol stocking its own-label ranges alongside the likes of Map, Pucca, Spunky, Custard Shop and Golddigga.   Today, Road stores can be found in Park Street, Bristol, the Arcade in Cardiff, The Corridor in Bath, The Brunel Centre in Swindon and with the latest addition being an attack on the European market with a new store under development in Berlin.   

The Road-designed range includes Road (menswear), Go Vicinity (ladies wear) and Phat (boys and girls 6 -13).  All products are produced with a ‘Conscience’ – every garment, all manufactured in the UK, is produced under humane conditions by people paid a decent living wage.

Committed to creating clothes for individuals, the entire Road range – from jeans to t-shirts and jackets – is anything but run-of-the-mill.  In contrast, Road encourages individual expression through colour, flair and style, with ranges incorporating vivid colours and adventurous designs for a really individual look, with an emphasis on urban/skate wear – wear if you dare!

 Tel:  0117 940 2700

Brave Designs

 “Home grown haute couture” is how designer Sian Torrington describes her business.  Offering original designer clothing, Sian designs one-off commissions for clients while also designing seasonal collections.   

Bristol-born Sian has always designed and made clothes, but it wasn’t until she took a year out travelling in New Zealand that she decided to make her career out of it.  Undertaking a degree-level fashion and textiles qualification run by a St Martin’s College graduate in New Zealand, Sian arrived back in Bristol just last year with a commitment to set up in business and launch her own label – Brave Designs.

 “I absolutely love working with clients and seeing their joy when I create a unique piece – whether it be for their wedding, a ball, a party or just a piece for a beautiful wardrobe.  It’s astonishing when you find out how many women have never worn something that actually fits properly.  You can see them actually ‘bloom’ in front of your very eyes – it’s hugely satisfying!”

 The ‘target market’ for Sian’s creations tend to be 25+ women who appreciate the good things in life and are looking for clothing to match.  Quality and good fit are key, as is something ‘different’ from the norm, while underpinning it all is a desire to look trendy and modern rather than high street fashionable. 

 Sian particularly enjoys working with colour and different textures and individualises garments with special touches.  She’s also committed to keeping her pieces at a reasonable cost believing that it should be possible to look and feel glamorous, beautiful and trendy in clothes which fit us perfectly! 

Fashion prediction:   Chicago will bring back  ‘show girl’ glamour.  
Tel:  0117 958 4532

Cyberdog

 Specialising in unisex clubwear and accessories, kidswear and jewellery, Cyberdog’s mission is to stay one step ahead of the fashion crowd. First landing on earth 7 years ago (in a market stall to be precise!) Cyberdog has already shaken and stirred clubbers from the cradle to the rave, with a cutting-edge fusion of futuristic fashion, technology and art.  Today Cyberdog boasts nine stores, five in the UK, with the Bristol store, which opened in 2002, being the latest addition. 

 With a design team focused on continually renewing lines, identifying new trends and creating whole new looks, Cyberdog style really is as fresh as it gets.  From sound-reactive t-shirts that pulse to the beat and trousers that glow in the dark, to the quirky pinstripe business suit with a definitive difference, Cyberdog's hardcore fashions have become the uniform of the discerning über-cool clubber.

 Aiming to reflect the increasingly colourful, chaotic and jagged-at-the-edges life that we lead in the 21st century, Cyberdog has something for everyone - from the smallest child to adults of 35 years and beyond.  The collections, names and themes are always influenced by Cyberdog's latest adventure - details of which are received via intergalactic reports, describing the journeys inside his virtual universe.  These ideas are interpreted into the Cyberdog collections - the most recent of which is called " crashed."

 More a way of life than a shop full of clothes – whether life imitates art or art imitates life, Cyberdog knows that the two are inextricably linked.  Knowing that the future is likely to be dangerous & exciting in our far from perfect world, and in acknowledgement of this, "Cyberdog" is consistently evolving via a whole experience that compliments contemporary times and the whole clubland culture.

 Tel:  0117 9300 999

Cooshti

 A totally independent fashion store offering cutting edge fashion brands, designer and street clothing, footwear and accessories, with brands including Diesel and Dolce & Gabanna, Cooshti is celebrating its 10^th anniversary this year. 

 Starting out in Bristol in 1993 in a tiny shop in Colston Street, Cooshti today can be found in the heart of Bristol’s fashion scene – Park Street, where the shop has been for the past five years.   

 Aiming to provide the best range of niche fashion brands all under one roof, from globally recognised labels like Duffer, Diesel and D & G to smaller independent labels like ‘Rare’, ‘No-Lita’ and ‘Sharpeye’, the focus for Cooshti is on creating an unpretentious, friendly environment where it’s individual style that counts.

 Fashion prediction:
Look out for customised, military style with the return of cargo pants and recycled/deconstructed looks.  Indian influences will also feature, alongside micro-skirts with pop-socks and hold-ups.  Straight-leg jeans for girls and boot-cut jeans for guys.
Tel:  0117 929 0850

 Uncle Sam 

One of Bristol’s longest established residents, Uncle Sam specialises in American ‘collectable vintage’ clothing, with branded second-hand jeans, jackets, shirts and t-shirts from California, New York, LA and Philadelphia.

 With new stock imported every 3 months, the range is impressive.  Leather jackets, rock t-shirts – including real collector-items like the original Sex Pistols and Clash t-shirts, denim jackets - including Big E Levi jackets pre-’72 can all be found.

 Unique to Bristol, Uncle Sam provides access to some of the most sought-after labels and looks - proving that you don’t have to be in-season to be in-style.

 Colin Butterworth, the man behind Uncle Sam, stresses that while the clothes may not be new there’s strict control over all the items he stocks:  “People can have a funny view of second-hand clothes.  But like everything it’s all about quality control and sourcing.  The clothes I stock all deliver two things – incredible quality for incredible value.”

  Tel:  0117 929 8404

Phor’play 

The brainchild of Bristol-born Marie Daly (alias Mistress Kitty!), Phor’play is living proof that dreams – whatever they may be - really can come true. 

 Offering a range of cute and kinky underwear and uniforms for all over-the-age-of-consent ages and all genders, Phor’play is a unique success story set for international success. 

Launched in 2002, Phor’play’s ambition, according to Marie, is to help “free our inhibitions and let us enter a playtime of sexual adventure”.  By providing a pathway to fantasies through a personal service of made-to-measure uniforms, outfits and lingerie for both women and men, it’s Marie’s ambition to take the smut and sleaze out of sexual freedom, injecting it instead with a little frivolity and fun.  “Everyone knows that underwear has a key role to play in how we feel about ourselves”, explains Marie.  “My designs enable people to literally be ‘transformed’ – they can be whoever they want to be, with outfits seducing them  into character – whether it be for raunchy fun or a bit of tongue-in-cheek naughtiness!”

 This year Phor’play’s media profile has swelled thanks to an impressive client list featuring Bristol’s most successful club night, Please Sir! School Disco, Bristol’s own superclub, Scream, the heaven of hardhouse, Sundissential.

 A qualified couture fashion designer with a specialism in lingerie, swimwear and corsetry, ‘Kitty’s’ career has included spells in Paris where she designed for a range of underwear companies and for high street favourite Marks and Spencer where she worked on design for their thermal range!  Her career really took off, however, when she started working for the world-renowned Ann Summers - designing lingerie, erotic lingerie, clubwear, fantasy garments and novelties.  Her delectable underwear has been featured in British Vogue and has appeared in numerous fashion and women’s magazines including Cosmopolitan.  One of her creations made the front cover of Ministry Magazine, worn by none other than Destiny’s child.  Future developments are already underway in taking Phor’play international.  A Hong Kong fashion company has made an order that, if Phor’play decides to sign, will see Kitty’s visions in the Far East, USA and throughout Europe by the end of next year.  Watch this space!

 Tel:  077604 11873

Sirens

 “Seductively stylish, gorgeously glamorous, classically captivating elegant evening-wear – dance, dine or live dangerously in original dresses made for you”, is the promise made by Sirens.

 Sylvia Byrne, the owner of Sirens, is a chameleon focused on glamour.  A professional dressmaker for over 20 years, Sylvia not only produces beautiful made-to-measure evening dresses perfect for parties and proms, but also sources and sells individual pieces which reflect her belief that dressing-up should be accessible to all.

 Both selling and creating at Park Street’s BS8, Sylvia’s range extends beyond the usual ‘black dress’ to include a range of colours and styles to suit a variety of shapes and sizes.  A full alteration service is offered to all purchasers, as is the option to bring your own material and have a Siren-design made up for you. 

A ready-made hand-made creation from Sirens would set you back, on average, around £80, with prices for made-to-measure available on request.

 Despite her Bristol base, Sylvia finds that many people travel to seek her out – with regular visits from customers throughout Somerset, down to Exeter, across into Wales and even as far north as Birmingham! 

 Seems like Bristol, yet again, has another fashion success story on its hands.

 Tel:  0117 922 0223

Narcci and Sophy

 Presenting their first ever joint collection are Narcci and Sophy (Narcissus Darlington from Bristol and Sophy Pavitt from Newport) – second year students studying for the BA Hons in Fashion Design at Bristol’s UWE at Bower Ashton. 

 Classmates with a passion for fashion, the Hobbs Show is the first time that Narcci and Sophy have designed together – but it could be the start of something big!

 With what they describe as a truly ‘girly’ collection, with a big ‘80s, hip-hop and trailer-trash influence, the Narcci and Sophy collaboration is anything but conservative in style. 

Very bright colours, hugely flamboyant and with “plenty of flesh on show”, it’s an attention-seekers dream-come-true for people who just love to show off and stand out.

 “This is the first show we’ve ever done and we’re hugely excited about it”, explains Narcci.  “It’s a great opportunity for us to show our work in a professional environment and is giving us a brilliant opportunity to experience first hand what to date we’ve only dreamed of.” 

Both Narcci and Sophy plan to design professionally when they graduate – but whether it be a joint effort or solo performance has yet to be seen.  Watch this space!

SHOW PERFORMERS

 Nais

 Nais is a dance troupe set up by Naomi Jeffery of Nailsea who will be performing at the Hobbs Show 2003.  Having trained at the London Studio Centre, Naomi has been dancing professionally for 5 years, with experience ranging from appearances in pop videos, working in a contemporary dance troupe, touring the world with the hit show ‘Spirit of the Dance’.

 Alongside performing, Naomi’s great love is choreography and it is here that she will be using her talents to ensure that the Nais troupe deliver a star performance at the Hobbs Show 2003.

 The Floor Technicians Jazz Dancers

 Jazz dancers par-excellence, the Floor Technicians are all self-taught dancers who base their style on tap.  Heroes of the troupe include the Nicholas Brothers, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly and just like them their image is key – with tails, waistcoats and spats in sharp black and white.

 With a focus on “the sharpest choreography with some serious style”, the Stage describes the Floor Technicians as “probably one of Bristol’s greatest entertainment export.  Artful and acrobatic.”  The foursome’s jazz fusion dance routines have earned them a string of TV and show credits including Barrymore and Des O’Connor’s ‘Pot of Gold’, not to mention touring Japan, Amsterdam, Paris and regular appearances in fashion shows and at festivals all over the UK.

Mark Bunker 

Mark plays the sweetest music.  A graduate in Music from Huddersfield University and having followed a Postgraduate Performance course at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Mark is now a freelance violinist based in Bristol and working throughout the South West.  Also first violinist with Aurora String Quartet, he will be performing solo at the Show.  Prepare to be amazed.

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