Bill Amberg & the Next Generation of Artisan

You would be forgiven for not having heard the name Bill Amberg before, nor having much notion of the brand but that is not to say you may be inexperienced in his work, his influences and collaborations span a wide spectrum of both menswear and womenswear, working most notably with Paul Smith from '86 - '93 and Dunhill for 2 years from 2004. He has designed leather paneled interiors for iconic buildings and super-yachts as well as floors for retailers across the world. His 'Rocket' bag design has been admitted to the V&A museum as a 'design classic' and the craftsman has garnered a dedicated following and an elite client base citing Jude Law and Jarvis Cocker as patrons.

What became apparent upon my visit to the perfectly proportioned split level shop, tucked away behind Shepherds Market in Mayfair was that his passion and vision for his craft is continuing to grow with a new breed of co-contributors.

To exhibit a collection of one off commissions by 2nd year students at London College of Fashion on a wet and drizzly Thursday evening would appeal to few. I, as an admirer of the leather purveyors works, considered the invite an opportunity to obsess over the minute details of some beautifully made carry's and to study some exciting designs from young emerging talent.

Due to the state of central London's roads at present and the incredible amount of redevelopment in the City I was late to my destination, after an hour and a half staring at the back end of a bus however I managed to snag a parking spot and made may way down to the shop. Fortunately I was greeted by Chris who was just as enthusiastic about what was on show and despite being in the process of tidying up beckoned me in to take a gander.

The pieces on show were incredible, the materials exquisite and each carved out their own individual icon for a recognisable style.

Ill prepared though I was, without my trusty camera I was forced to lean on my phone, which for all its misgivings saved my bacon.

Below are some images of my favorite designs from the LCF students:

I also had a chat with Chris about Bill Amberg's AW13 collection and some newer designs coming through for SS next year. The photos below are for the current season and the 'Hunter' backpack and 'Medicine' holdall in particular are two items I was almost swayed to shell out on there and then.

The shop in Shepherds Market will soon see an interesting makeover with some interesting additions to the retail experience so keep your eyes peeled for that.