When the first outfit of Louanna Murphy’s four-look collection—a pair of high-waisted drainpipe trousers in a warm, leafy print paired with a dusty blue cami and a camel vest with a flawless circle hem and prim epaulettes—appeared on the runway at the Off the Cuff finale on September 13, the design competition was practically already won. Though her two opponents stepped up as her creative and conceptual competition, her technical talent and flawless execution remained unmatched. After the three presented their eight looks (including looks from previous rounds) Murphy took home the winning title, a prize that comes with such benefits as mentoring and instruction sessions, studio and runway time, and gift certificates and fabric. Read more »
They said/We said: Kate Moss battles good and evil (like, really evil!) in a new W photo shoot
NYFW style snaps: We spy many fur coats, lots of studded leather, and is that Waris Ahluwalia?
Afternoon beauty fix: Sudden change in your skin? You may have to treat it from within
SNP’s word of the day: You-topia
Hello, kaleidoscopic prints: Mary Katrantzou is coming to Topshop!
All posts under ‘Heather Rappard’
FASHION Reporters
Halifax: Musicians take the stage at Off the Cuff, Week 4

Kolston Gogan of Stereo Penguin in Louanna Murphy's winning design. Photography by Shaun Simpson
Challenged to dress a local musician for the stage, the four remaining Off the Cuff competitors were back with new work on on August 2. Heather Rappard dressed her musician, a harpist, in a floor-length midnight blue gown–but was again warned by judges to step up her technical game. Bree Mackin, paired with Mary Stewart, dressed the guitar-strummin’ songbird in a bubbly party dress trimmed in black lace that unfortunately won’t take her to the final round. Read more »
FASHION Reporters
Halifax: Off the Cuff Week 3–The designers tackle avant-garde outerwear

Akshay Tyagi's winning design from week three of Off the Cuff. Photography by Shaun Simpson
Last Sunday’s challenge in Halifax’s Off the Cuff, a fashion competition and runway show presented by Argyle Fine Art gallery, couldn’t have been any more inappropriate. The designers were assigned the task of making a garment that was inspired by Halifax’s tempestuous weather and that could be transformed in some way. And so, on one of the scarce sunrise-to-set sunny days in the ‘fax, five designers wrapped their already-sweltering models in practical, toasty outwear. Read more »

