FUSION@LONDON Launch event: Masquerade Ball

Last week I attended an amazing launch party for Fusion@London. I've been really excited about this event for a while and was so happy to be able to attend the launch event! Fusion@London is the first inter-university event in London involving students from Imperial College, King's College and UCL and supports up and coming talent in fashion, dance and music from all over the city. Being a start-out myself clawing my way into this tough industry I felt so drawn to this event as we should all definitely be looking out for one another! There's a list as long as my arm of the great things going in and coming out of the this organisation having patrons including: Susie Lau of Style Bubble, Blogger extraordinaire and UCL alum; Cristian Vale and Leigh Daniels professional dancers; and Professor Julia Buckingham, Pro Rector of Imperial College. Proceeds will go to Cancer Research UK, a charity close to the Founder's, Angela Udemba's heart. And of course, the the main show next year is a giant collection of acts showcasing London's finest up and coming talent!

The main event is set to take place in February 2012 and on the 31st October 2011 or Halloween, Fusion@London celebrated the launch event: a masquerade ball taking place in central London's Cafe de Paris. I arrived at 10:30pm and the party was already in full swing: great live music, attendees' faces hidden behind extravagant masks, Dirty Sexy Things' Jay Camilleri hosting the evening; and ghouls hanging from the chandeliers!

Live music and acts: a taste of what is to come in February!

Rising from hell...

S rocked up with his grunge tee (which belongs to me from New Look!) and his fake tattoo sleeve. So rock and Roll...

Matching his mask - we kept it simple - a scrap of material for free from Shepherds Bush market. You need to get creative when you have no budget!

Charming, suave and striking couple

Coordinating friends - did she plan to match her earrings with her friend's dress? Amazing contrasting eyelashes too!

Impressive masks on impressed faces.

Outfits of the night? Committee member, Sheena Cowell wore a gorgeous scallop lined dress with a plunge neckline. Daring to wear a creamy white among a sea of black dresses made her stand out in the best way possible.

For me the very best outfit was this stunning girl pictured below. I spotted her from across the dark, disco-ed room! Canary yellow with cut out detail, a slit on the sexy side of high and floor length made this girl a serious head turner. Her outfit was screaming drama (of the good kind) and I followed her around for a full 10 minutes before I felt comfortable enough to ask for a picture. She'd teamed the dress with a gold and black, sparkly mask with chains of gold beads falling around her face and a psychedelic turquoise faux fur - bang on trend this season - to add to the theatre and romance of her look. 

Jay, host for the night, and star of Dirty Sexy Things with Angela Udemba, the founder.

 Later that evening I caught up with some of the committee members for a quick chat!

Getting into interview mode

I first had the chance to interview Alexandra Smith, beauty and fashion editor for Fusion@London and the beauty and fashion assistant, Charlotte Morgan. Alexandra wore an asymmetric, one-shoulder black dress with a gathered waist band from French Connection with a lace mask from Accessorize creating a very sexy, mysterious look. Charlotte wore a gorgeous, strapless, mullet-hemmed dress with material draping at different lengths from ASOS. Her mask was more Halloween-themed and bat-shaped which accentuated her crimson tinted hair and lips (pictured below). Both ladies talked of extreme passion for their work and it became quickly apparent that it was more than just fashion and beauty - it was also about the involvement in a team, a communal goal and the charity involved. With a committee of 18 members dedicated to the success of the event, the two expressed how it felt like an exciting full-time job densely packed with callings, emails, castings. 

Castings took place the previous week and I was so glad to hear that they considered models of all heights, shapes and sizes and that this event would also be a celebration of real shaped women. And why wouldn't it? The 50's style circle dresses are made for hourglass-types and  editorial pieces are made boyish, slender-types!

Designers to get excited about in Charlotte and Alexandra's opinion: 

Caroline Lucy Andrew  LCF graduate:

One of the exciting themes for the catwalk show is Girls who Run the World and styling is about power dressing and strong women. Carolyn Andrew's work is perfect for this category with structure and tailoring at its most finest. ‘A collection inspired by Androgyny, with sub-themes of the Theory of Deconstruction’ for women, which were so well received that her graduate collection will be shown in Vanity Fair this November.

Nova Chiu LCF graduate:

Also from the same establishment but with a very different DNA to her work. Chui toys with colour and texture and has a great exploration for silhouettes in a much less traditional way. In June 2011 Nova Chiu featured in both VOGUE and the Evening Standard where she won the London College of Fashion BA, ‘Catwalk Collection of the Year’ accolade. Charlotte was particularly appreciative of 'her fearless approach to colour'.

With 2-3 designers per act and eleven in total - there's so much more to get excited about! For more details about the other acts involved including the dancers and music, here's the link: http://fusionatlondon.com/fusion-2012/designers-2/

Committee members: Charlotte Morgan, fashion and beauty assistant (left) and Alexandra Smith, fashion and beauty editor (right)

I was extremely excited to meet the founder of Fusion@London, Angela Udemba. She has a warmness which instantly makes you at ease and her glow is full of intelligence and fun. Watching her talk so fervently of her past experiences of the Fusion 2005 as part of York University and her hopes for this year's London take was definitely inspiring and I pictured her as a great leader to motivate people and found myself trying to get involved. She wore a leopard print one-shoulder jumpsuit from Lipsy and fittingly a cat mask and chandelier earrings. By day she's a final year Chemistry PhD student at Imperial College fighting to improve cancer diagnosis and research and somehow she still finds time to put together 18 individuals to create a sell-out launch event! She is most looking forward to Central Saint Martin's graduate Ara Jo for the fashion event - her designs have been seen  Lady Gaga, Jamelia and Leona Lewis and in publications such as Dazed and Confused, Fashion 156, Nylon, InStyle and Ponytail! 

Angela Udemba, Founder of Fusion@London

Be sure to catch the next event Fusionfiesta@cubana 23rd November 2011!
More details here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=258862854165739&notif_t=event_invite