The AW 2022 Collection by Ray Chu presents 20 unique designs with a unique individual and contemporary aesthetic.

On Oxford Street, the Capital's shopping avenue, a corner shop like no other made its temporary appearance. LTK celebrated its relaunch and makeover with this peculiar pop-up space and a panel to discuss the future of retail and the role of content creators.

Image courtesy of LTK

Fashions Finest team stepped into LTK abstract store for an exclusive panel discussion with LTK co-founder, Amber Venz Box, Vicky James, head of brand marketing at Missguided, and LTK creators Mollie Campsie, Louisa Hatt, and Josie LDN.

The world is literally in the palm of our hands as many actions can be taken with a simple tap, including shopping. The pop-up space in Oxford Street had a door like many other stores but the QR codes stuck on the window opened the real shop for us. This is a very peculiar 'store': LTK.

LTK Creator Shops in Oxford Street. Ph. V. Chirico

A popular name among the youngest and social addicted, LTK - formerly known as LikeToKnowIt - was founded in 2010 by Amber Venz Box and her then-boyfriend, now husband, engineer Baxter Box. Back at that time, blogging was an enjoyable hobby but the couple managed to turn Amber's passion for blogging and fashion into a means of living. With the monetisation platform rewardStyle first and the app LikeToKnowIt soon after, the Boxs changed the way people shop online forever but also, and especially, the way people source for inspiration.

At the LTK exclusive panel discussion with Missguided: 'The Role of Creator Commerce in Retail'

The panel discussion hosted by Robin Ward, head of sales at LTK, delved into this topic and explored today's shopping landscape brought by LTK with the four panellists.

What Is LTK And How It Works

LTK is an app and platform where content creators - bloggers or influencers - brands and the audience meet, creating a virtual space beneficial for the creators and helpful for the shoppers.

LTK inglobes Amber Venz Box and Baxter Box's brainchildren: rewardStyle and LikeToKnowIt. Ever wondered what the person next door, more realistically an influencer or a celeb, is wearing? LTK answers that question for you. You can tell this is a winning idea by its long 'shelf life'. Ten years of LKT suggests it is a brilliant concept with a real purpose. It could not be otherwise. Amber, a former personal shopper and fashion-obsessed from Dallas, knows the market as she turned her free shopping services as a blogger into an empire with 350 people working with her all over the globe.

CEO and Co-founder of LTK, Amber Venz Box

What Amber knows is that people do find shopping-related content entertaining and they actually spend on goods worth 10$ billion dollars after social recommendations by LTK creators. However, she is also well aware of the short lifespan of online content and the many new platforms launched every single year. Not so many 'spaghetti stick on the walls' and content is easily forgotten, lost under a shower of freshly made posts. The new updates implemented the LTK platform with helpful features for both the influencers and users. LTK creators will have a creator shop, a technology with marketing built-in, and access to analytics. Analytics are not just addicting and fun to explore, as noted by Molly, but also 'keep you in touch with your audience' - added Josie

LTK Makeover: New Functions For Your Experience

The LTK updates were made to create an 'elegant shopping experience' (Amber). Old and new uses can find now a richer tool to fish for inspiration and then shop online. The new LTK app features:

• Price drop alerts - Real-time notifications telling shoppers when one of their saved items or something in their wish list goes on sale.
• Automatic follows - A new function allowing users to follow a creator's LTK Shop automatically when they click through to any creator LTK post from Instagram or any other social media.
• Home screen badges - A little badge appearing on a creator’s avatar, showing how many new posts are waiting to be seen
• Gift Guides - A separate section for festive shopping (i.e. Christmas, Black Friday and Cyber Week) with gift guides within creator LTK profiles.
• Search filters - A much-awaited function to filter by brand name and media type on a creator’s LTK Shop.
• Localisation - Shoppers in the UK are now immediately recommended UK-creator content first in product search.

Asked by Robin on the meaning of influencer marketing, the panellists explored the role of influencers in today's virtual landscape by recalling their personal paths (Mollie, Louisa and Josie) and what is the relationship between brands and creators (Vicky).

LTK creator Mollie Campsie, Vicky James next to her

Coming from different backgrounds and representing different niches, the panellists offered a larger spectrum of opinions on the matter. For Mollie, a former plus-size model who joined LTK 18 months ago, 'an influencer is somebody in a given space - which for me was cut due to my size - (someone) who has authority in that space and who is able to influence purchasing decisions and add value to their audience.'

LTK creator Louisa Hatt shares her view and experience

Louisa, from Edinburgh and in LTK for 18 months, shared the same vision and deepened the view by pointing at 'trust and credibility', two strengths and essential components in the emerging role of influencers. Trust, authority, credibility, engagement, and humanity have been highlighted throughout the discussion.

LTK creator Josie LDN
Josie, who has a background in marketing, knows that marketers have to count every pound spent in their campaigns and found the positive side of being a creator as 'she can truck what she invests in because it is all digital.' She has been with LTK for seven years when the platform for influencers was called rewardStyle.
'Every penny has to make worth a pound', Vicky agreed with her and moved on by offering her experience as the voice of a brand dealing with the 'new brands', the creators. A brand like Missguided seized this new opportunity. Influencers' creative works can actually benefit different areas of marketing. In fact, the brand has been engaging with creators as a catalyst during that time when working from home made shooting particularly difficult to organise. Creators provided new content from different points of view as well as a source of inspiration for styling.

Robin Ward, head of Sales at LTK, hosts the panel

What emerged during the panel - probably the most relevant conversation topic for us at Fashions Finest - is inclusivity. Influencers and content creators are people like us and represent the variety of today's society with its different social, aesthetic and ethnic backgrounds. Mollie is sorting problems for many women who do not feel represented by models at all. Her activity has something emotional for her, 'it humanises everything which is the core of what influencer marketing is'. Louisa has never seen herself as a brand until other fellow creators suggested to her some products which might have been suitable for her personal style. That ordinary experience opened her eyes but it was the collaboration request from a British traditional heritage fashion label that brought her to a new realisation. People got back in touch to tell her they finally saw themselves in the brand's wealthy style code.

Content creators may have a privileged relationship with brands and enjoy enviable attention but what they really do is give voice and space to the real people. Creators are not models, they stand for those who were invisible in the media and marketing products ten years ago.

After London, LTK is planning to open more pop-up spaces around the globe (image courtesy of LTK)

When questioned by Robin, Vicky sounded quite comfortable with the statement 'creators are the new brands': 'as a brand, collaborating with creators strengthens your own brand. They are that authentic voice that people are looking for'.
'Creators are filling that gap between consumers and commas', added Josie. Creators like Josie, Mollie, and Louisa do something they love and, Josie continued 'while doing something you love, you do not realise but you are building this incredible relatable organic brand'.
Josie is not wrong at all. The equation is real and actual: 'creators are the new retailers; they are the ones curating new products for their followers', stated Amber while introducing us to LTK new makeover. Content creators are not competing with brands but they are now recognised as perfect partners and an endless source of inspiration for shoppers who finally find shapes and personalities closer to them.

LTK proved to foresee the change and shape the industry, surviving the coming-and-going destiny of all digital products. What we can wish for in the future is a democratic market, a fashion reality open to everyone and we can feel it is already happening.

NEHERA SS22 collection captures that subtle inner light charge that makes the NEHERA Woman shine inwardly and outwardly.

Fast Fashion is so last season, meet Aqua & Rock a high-quality premium sustainable fashion and lifestyle brand.

Their motto ‘Where ethical meets aesthetic’ hits the spot. Too often people still associate sustainability with strong limitations and unsightliness. Aqua & Rock surely prove this to be a false prejudice.

If you think sustainable fashion must have a dated aesthetic and cannot possibly look stunning and modern without any compromise, then read on to get to know this brand and pay their new flagship store in Covent Garden a visit when your interest is sparked.

An interior collection consisting of lamps and vases uses naturally sourced materials. All items are one of a kind due to the variable key components of wood grain, natural sand, clay and alpine hay, which naturally do not appear uniform. Furthermore, they are carefully crafted by hand.

This store is unique, since every little detail, down to the lamps, hangers and even drinks is produced 100% sustainable and guilt-free, reflecting the genuine dedication and passion behind the brand. Aqua & Rock was established in 2019 and has been driving forward innovative concepts for ethical fashion ever since. Everybody is more than eager to put a ‘sustainable’ stamp on their clothes now with younger generations, especially Gen Z becoming ever more aware of shortcomings and accordingly concerned about our planet’s future. 'Green washing’ developed to become a huge issue. Customers are getting blatantly misinformed about the background of their goods and continue to shop with a false sense of righteousness. We all know those high street companies for instance, that suddenly hop on the bandwagon by realising an allegedly sustainable line when we honestly ask ourselves: who are they trying to fool? Huge fast-fashion retailers aim to transform their il repute, however, in the end, merely a minority can really state that their company meets the necessary regulations in all areas. Founder Dea Baker and her team instead showcase what true passion and competence in the industry can look like. That is why they also deservedly won the award for “Innovator” of the year at the Drapers Independent Awards 2021 this September.

The Blue Thetis Trench Coat pictured at the front is a centrepiece of the 2021 collection. It incorporates wooden buckles and is made from 100% organic cotton.

Each piece of the latest collection is designed to be ‘seasonless’, so it can be reworked according to season and mood. Not only can they be either composted, recycled or biodegraded, but also include the use of fertiliser to support organic farming. The main concept is based upon a bio-circular model with four components, them being: organic, natural, recycled, and upcycled. All the resources like wood, hay, leaves, cotton, hemp, and flowers are organically grown. Wood, aloe vera, cotton, hemp, wool, as well as the colouring are naturally sourced. Existing materials are updated and reinvented within the upcycling process.

The model is designed to avoid the use of chemicals during manufacturing. Aqua & Rock have even created their own sustainable fabric dubbed 'Aqua Triblend', which is inspired by the French riviera. Among organic cotton, it incorporates recycled plastic and upcycled clothing. With overwhelming numbers regarding beef consumption, the brand saves the by-product of the meat industry from organic farms. Thereby, waste that otherwise would hit the landfill sites is further minimised.

According to Baker this variant of recycled leather is even more sustainable than buying vegan leather, which many people would never assume.

And that is by far not all, since the leather is going through a 'Wet-White' process it is completely free of chrome and other harmful chemicals. So, it is not only better for mother nature, but also for our own bodies. Due to this way of production the Ecotan leather items can be sent to their organic fertiliser partners. After being turned into organic fertiliser it is then used to fertilise fields and plants on organic farms, resulting in the regrowth of organic harm-free vegetation. In being reverted back to nature the bio circle is closed, ending where we started, the animal, which can gaily graze on these natural fields again.

The collection has been designed and produced in the UK, no sweatshops or underpaid labour included in any form, that the customer can be certain of. All pieces of the 2021 collection come in muted colour tones like brown, mint, white, and crème, all easy on the eyes and extremely versatile, giving customers lots of room for creative combining.

British musician Elle L gave the attendees an exclusive glimpse into her new single 'Hoping'. She took on the role of first brand ambassador because she is personally very passionate about the subject in all areas of her life and wants to advocate for less waste. As a public figure, she feels like having a responsibility to inform and positively influence others to have an impact on a larger scale and act as a role model for younger people. She aims to actively contribute to 'leaving a legacy for future generations' by not only talking about it but committing to an accordingly lifestyle.

Fashions Finest thinks this store is a great addition to the Covent Garden area and will hopefully attract lots of new customers to join forces with for a better world. Supporting this goal by shopping for beautiful clothes does sound dreamy, right? Yes, it is actually that easy to partake and conduce a little bit. Maybe this shop will be a starting point for some people to become more immersed and engaged in sustainability in other areas of their everyday life as well. Aqua & Rock officially opened their doors on the 27th of September, a visit is not only highly recommended but a must for everyone interested in sustainability and all its facets. The power for real change lies in our consumer behaviour, supply and demand regulate the market after all and progressive brands like Aqua & Rock are successfully leading the way in a current turnover. The aim does not have to be a Utopia!

Highlights from Fashions Finest SS22 18th September during London Fashion Week aSt John's, Hyde Park Cresent, London.

DESIGNER LINE UP:
1. RADIQALMTAT
2. SHOKUSHU BOUTIQUE
3. UNIQUE
4. AD ASTRA
5. JANA SIMONE
6. ELISHA QUARMAN
7. SHARON SWEENEY
8. KAFFA MOCKBILL

CREATIVE TEAM
Makeup: Academy of Freelance Makeup Artists (AOFM) lead #mua Michelle Strain
Hair: Amy Tasker, Harriet Darling, Annie Berry
Nails: Julie Bryan & team
Creative Director: Tanya Beresford
Lead stylist: Leighanne Krystal
Event Organiser: Deborah St. Louis

Video by: VR Agency
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To book you place in our London Fashion Week Showcase in February 2022 go here: www.fashionsfinest.com/events

Designer Kaffa Mockbill, showcased her collection at Fashions Finest  emerging designer SS22 London Fashion Week showcase 18th September 2021.

Makeup: Academy of Freelance Makeup Artists (AOFM) lead #mua Michelle Strain
Hair: Amy Tasker, Harriet Darling, Annie Berry
Nails: Julie Bryan & team
Creative Director: Tanya Beresford
Lead stylist: Leighanne Krystal
Photographer: Joanna Mitroi

Designer Sharon Sweeney, showcased her collection at Fashions Finest  emerging designer SS22 London Fashion Week showcase 18th September 2021.

Makeup: Academy of Freelance Makeup Artists (AOFM) lead #mua Michelle Strain
Hair: Amy Tasker, Harriet Darling, Annie Berry
Nails: Julie Bryan & team
Creative Director: Tanya Beresford
Lead stylist: Leighanne Krystal
Photographer: Joanna Mitroi

Designer Jana Simone, showcased her collection at Fashions Finest  emerging designer SS22 London Fashion Week showcase 18th September 2021.

Makeup: Academy of Freelance Makeup Artists (AOFM) lead #mua Michelle Strain
Hair: Amy Tasker, Harriet Darling, Annie Berry
Nails: Julie Bryan & team
Creative Director: Tanya Beresford
Lead stylist: Leighanne Krystal
Photographer: Joanna Mitroi

Designer Radiqal Tat, showcased her plus size collection at Fashions Finest  emerging designer SS22 London Fashion Week showcase 18th September 2021.

Makeup: Academy of Freelance Makeup Artists (AOFM) lead #mua Michelle Strain
Wig cutting: Magda - beauty Works
Wig styling: Harriet Darling
Creative Director: Tanya Beresford
Looks & Styling: Created by The designer Veronica Fox with support from Fashions Finest's stylist @leigh_krystal
Photographer: Joanna Mitroi

Fashions Finest, is known for promoting diversity, representation, and inclusion in the fashion industry since its inception, presented this London Fashion Week season, true to brief a diversity of unique and beautiful collections by emerging designers.