photographs by Christopher James

Everytime I see something new from Charlie Le Mindu, I can't help but say 'this is his best work yet' or something to that effect. For the last three seasons of his participation in London Fashion Week, he's blown us all away with the artistry and plain ridonkulousness of his creations.

This season though, Charlie has shown something more mature; more sophisticated, and in his own words, more French (or, a little English guard-esque as it were below - but of a much more sexy and fashionable variety, of course). Blonds, brunettes and even redheads were out this season, instead Charlie made his girls out in silky, inky black locks.

The lovely Grace Joel was in attendance for me and this is what she had to say:

East London’s club kids were up early, as London Fashion Week kicked off with Charlie Le Mindu’s extravaganza. With the energetic and amazingly dressed audience - their own hair coloured, sprayed and shaved to perfection - watched Charlie’s ever more impressive hair cascading from wigs, hair pieces and capes showed his unique skill and creativity. Shiny black manes covered crucifixes, fabergé eggs and black lacquered roses, all having been given Charlie’s magic touch. It was thrilling and filled the void that Gareth Pugh left when he packed up for Paris. It was an upbeat, optimistic start to the week, with the youth, creativity and optimism that London Fashion Week is all about!

*LAAARGGH* amazing. Below is the Fabergé egg all tricked out in Swarovski crystals (who get heavily involved with many designers' work), and hair so black and straight, all y'all light haired girls who be permed and waved out will kill yourselves for these locks that are dead straight and shiny-as-the-damn-crystals.

In a development on the rat-pelt 'hijab' Charlie did in his first season, this time round he's gone from ratty to foxy, YES YES that be bonafide fox ladies and gents, blinged up with blue Swarovski crystals in their eyes.

Luxurious, excessive and utterly fabulous (don't you die for the bag too? By Charlotte Hardwick).

Here check it, On | Off's video of the show, and a gallery of all the amazing looks below that - sick soundtrack by Kap Bambino of course:

GALLERY

In London tonight are Kap Bambino back at the Old Blue Last where I first met them, to stir up some froth and foam in the apathetic generation that we mostly are, and to perhaps again ruin some furniture in the process.

Here we've got for you Hello Sunshine's grunge laden, dirty and distorted cover of the track, complete with tinny drums and the furiously exuberant spirit of Kap Bambino, as well as the heavy in gravity but lithe in dynamic remix by Jackson - which I think is superb. It's the gaps in this remix that makes it; less is more, the spread of instrumentation handled in a way that makes you wanna burrow yourself into the little niches between beats.

This gig is to celebrate the unleashing of the latest single that is 'Batcaves' into the atmosphere in their usual style - a sweat drenched fury (released on the 30th of November via Because Music). But waiiit a minute, Caroline and Orion have further branched out and will also be giving punters a look-see on their new range of clothing and accessories which are being stocked by one of the coolest stores to emerge in London of late: Digitaria. And HELLO, check the merch below:

Hairy Finger Bambino

Kap Around Your Neck

Tee Shirt Bambino

Charlie Le Mindu and his right hand gal, Lara Jensen backstage

photographs by Christopher James

Charlie Le Mindu's latest collection was above and beyond the most creative and boundary pushing collection that showed at London Fashion Week - fact.

Just check it below and you'll see what I mean.

Here are two of my favourite looks from the show below, including the bags that we told you about earlier made by the uber talented Gabriella Marina Gonzalez. Latex body suits by House of Harlot

And here you go again, the latest catwalk mix that the ever amazing Kap Bambino duo did for the show:

GALLERY

Charlie Le Mindu

With New York Fashion Week in full swing (we'll do a wrap up of our fave shows after it's done and dusted), we're down to the final days in the countdown to London's anniversary edition.

Yes yes, it's been six months already since the last one and Charlie Le Mindu is gearing up once more to present his sophomore collection. This year's collection is based on the concept of Birds of Paradise, and it's going to be called 'Girls of Paradise'.

In the studio/salon

French electronic thrash duo Kap Bambino (click the link for the interview and last season's catwalk mix for Charlie Le Mindu) are in charge of the soundtrack once more and I'll be backstage yelling at the models again - and I'm telling you, the collection is shaping up to be even more jaw dropping than last season's show. Definitely one to watch!!! Stay tuned for exclusive backstage pics of the show as well as runway shots...

Have you heard the story behind Birdy Nam Nam's 'The Parachute Ending'? The French DJ crew was playing at a party with Justice in the crowd; then after the set was over, Xavier went to talk to them and showed some interest in two of their tracks for a remix. But apparently those were the tracks that Birdy Nam Nam liked the least and weren't even going to be included on their album. Xavier thought this was a waste and decided to produce the track. And guess what? It became the best track of the album!

Although very Justice-like, as the track is built on the same epic synths and drums as the ones used in †, the song still manages to fit in some of the hard electro sounds of Birdy Nam Nam. But better than the actual song is the video produced by Will Sweeney in collaboration with Steve Scott.

The animation is like a colorful trip through the '70s (psychedelic) sci-fi world, and according to the release, the story takes place on a planet invaded by strange 'aliens' where the main character, a UFO pilot, has to find help in an ancient and mysterious temple which will provide him the power to defend his territory.

And being the best track on the album, the single comes with two spectacular remixes from two of the most important electronic French artists: the electro master Vitalic and the electro-punk couple Kap Bambino. You know these names, you know how good they are and you know what to do with the two links below, innit.

Remember this?

"There is a remix done by The Warsaw Orchestra which is actually Boybino Orion creating his own digital orchestral version of the single - if you thought that something so raw couldn't work in such an epic and refined environment you'll be proved wrong."

It's finally available in a good quality. This aristocratic punk version might break your nose - in a pompous way, of course. 

Bambino's bike

If there's something that French people have taught us all in the past couple years is that leather jackets rock - or is it that they can party harder than the rest of us? Either answer is correct, considering the new video from the epileptic duo Kap Bambino. Gangs walking around East London, posing on the underground and making (silly) faces whilst standing on walls never got as exciting a soundtrackas 'Dead Lazers'. Oh, they also ride bicycles, party in carparks and make people's nose bleed. Beware.

'Dead Lazers' is perfect as it is, but if you need a remix to reinforce this, there are four on the single. One from the French crew Birdy Nam Nam, which sounds exactly as you would expect it to sound, and one done by The Warsaw Orchestra which is actually Boybino Orion creating his own digital orchestral version of the single - if you thought that something so raw couldn't work in such an epic and refined environment you'll be proved wrong. We are yet to hear the Candy Hank and Maton versions that closed the package, but we are excited already and so should you.

Kap Bambino

Photography by Christel Escosa 

Kap Baminbo have a little whiff of the suicidal about them, like a remedy to the vague, yet ever present perfume of stinky old life. But all together, Kap Bambino’s music makes you feel aggressively glad to be alive. They’re like the bite of alcohol to clean a bloody slash; a sharp intake of breath at the sting, making you writhe and thrash and revel in the glorious mess of things. The French duo have been described as harnessing the spirit of hardcore and punk bands - minus any live instrumentation – which is true; but above all else, Kap Bambino is an expression, an outlet for both Caroline Martial (vocals) and Orion Bouvier (laptop wizard) to unleash themselves onto the hungry and wide-ranging masses.
 
It was the day after the mega-hyped Kap Bambino gig at The Old Blue Last. Everyone was feeling a little worse for wear after cutting sick on the moshpit, thrashing about, sweating it out (breaking a couple of the Old Blue’s antique cinema seats in the process) and generally laying the crowd to waste. Orion was dying for a cigarette so much that he lit up in the severe and austere white walled art space we were sitting in.

And besides coming away from their gig exhausted and exhilarated early that morning, I also came away from talking to them with a new found respect – and you know what, I really liked them too. They’re really nice people. Apparently unlike another duo that they are often put next to, who are becoming more and more infamous (and unpopular) as they go. I mean, when your antics on and offstage are being talked about more than your music, it’s gotta be a bad sign. I know Caroline and Orion hate the association, but it must be made, particularly in light of the most recent Crystal Castles debacle (with Vega at the Granada Theatre in Dallas).

Respect to Kap Bambino. True artists who have continued to do what they do despite someone else having stolen their thunder; moving through the world, touring incessantly with their uncompromising (zero life, night) vision. But whatever, if I’m going to wax metaphorical and call Crystal Castles the ‘thunder’, then Kap Bambino were most definitely the lightning before the rumble.

The aforementioned ’thunder’ might’ve made people start at the noise, but the brightest illumination is definitely Kap Bambino – the ones who truly heralded not only their American counterparts, but the frenetic, noise filled storm which came after them.

Check the interview after the break

And exclusively for I M // U R, here's the catwalk mix that Kap Bambino did for Charlie Le Mindu. WERK your way around that!