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Wall in the news
A style for the thinking woman, by way of Wall London, from Peru
Hilary Alexander, The Telegraph, 22 March 2010
"Founded in 1997 by the Peruvian-born Hernán Balcázar and his wife, Judith, now design director, Wall cleverly tapped into that market which is so often misjudged by the average high-street brand and which is all but ignored by high-priced designer labels: intelligent, high-quality, accessibly priced clothes for the woman who does not want to look like mutton dressed as lamb or fall into the 1950 trap, ie 19 from the back, 50 from the front. Wall's fashion mission also extends to being non size-specific. Most of the 50-piece spring/summer collection, for example, is available in small to large (from 8-10 to 16-18), with certain pieces available in XL (18-20). Some tops come in an all-encompassing one size."
Read more >>Where to find chic loungewear
Lucia Van der Post, The Times, 19 February 2009
"It's worth also having a good look at Wall (www.wall-london.com and 1 Denbigh Road, London W11). Judith Balcázar, who designs the collection, understands that women of, shall we say, a certain age like to be comfortable but aren't ready to give up on glamour. Wall always has palazzo trousers (navy and grey, £145) and kabuki trousers - they work rather like Thai fishermen's trousers and are in pima cotton, which is frankly more flattering than cashmere, at £69. Team them with something fitted (yes, even if you're large) like the pima cotton ballerina top, and you're set to go."
Read more >>I NEED TO FIND CASUAL CLOTHES
Lucia Van der Post, The Times, Women, 4 August, 2006
"But you want some casual wear, so let me recommend Wall. You can buy online at www.wall-london.com, or go to its shops at 1 Denbigh Road, London W11 2SJ and 58 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2LR. Wall has the sort of easy, elegant clothes that I suspect you're after. Nothing is cheap but nor are the prices scary. Wall's trousers mostly have comfortable drawstring waists, and its cropped charcoal grey versions for winter (£129) have an air of throwaway chic. There's a kimono jacket in cotton and cashmere for £79, which you could wear over jeans, skirts or trousers.
Dresses are a tougher nut to crack, but Wall comes up trumps with a flattering black cotton and silk jersey knit number (£169) with a crossover front, V-neck and three-quarter-length sleeves. And you could dress it up with jewellery for the evening."
Read more >>I'M FLYING LONG HAUL….HELP ME TO LOOK COOL
Lucia Van der Post, The Times, 3 Feb 2006
Wall, 1 Denbigh Road, Notting Hill, London W11 (0870 3507373 and www.wall-london.com ), has just developed a collection of clothing specifically for travelling in. The chief charm is the fabric, which scarcely creases and looks smart yet can be worn for trekking (for which there will be no demand in the Maldives, I know) and it washes easily. If black suits you (and, speaking personally, I keep it away from my face, for which it does nothing) there's a smart black jacket with matching trousers or skirt. The jacket is £139 and the trousers come in two styles: cropped Capri-style pants with an elasticated waist (Wall is very keen on them; they're great for allowing for good lunches and easy travelling) and straight-cut — each costs £129.
Personally, I find the Wall travelling collection more useful than exciting — I'm much more excited by its other ranges, which do the whole travelling bit just as well.
There are white cropped "bamboo" trousers (white is not good for travelling, I know, but great for when you get there) for £155 and there are gorgeous brilliant blue cropped trousers (£129) with some white piping, which can be worn with a three- button jacquard jacket (£199). Finding the right jacket for this kind of journey seems to me important and Wall has quite a few to choose from.
If you fancy being even smarter, you could go for the jacket and cropped pants (both £199) — the cropped pants look elegant and are dead comfortable (it's that elasticated waist again) and the cream jacket trimmed with the checked trouser fabric makes for a dashing travel ensemble.
Under the jacket, you can wear a thermal vest or fine cashmere sweater for leaving grey old Blighty, and swap it for a T-shirt for arrival
Read more >>A TOUCH OF CLASS STRAIGHT OUT OF PERU
By Jessica Kiddle, The Scotsman Style, 29 July 2005
"Wall also operates with fair-trade principles. "Our clothes might be a little bit more expensive than other shops, but that's because we make sure that every employee is paid a good wage for the work they do," explains Hernán [Balcázar, Chief Executive]. This is something about which they are passionate. Since the company's inception they have traded only with small businesses who train their workforce and operate under fair working conditions. They also plough profits back into Peru by funding projects to bring aid to poor communities."
Read more>>ASK HILARY
By Hilary Alexander, The Daily Telegraph, Fashion
27 July 2005
A reader asks "Please can you help me to find some tailored trousers for a size-12 waist and size 14 hips? I need a petite fit because I am only five feet tall. I would also like some advice on shops that cater for the 50-plus age range."
Hilary suggests "I think the solution to both your queries could be found at Wall Luxury Essentials, which specialises in easy, flattering separates in natural fibres for the over-forties. Pull-on cropped trousers with an elasticised waist and side pockets would suit both your waist, hips and height."
Read more >>27 April 2005
A reader asks "I am decidedly pear-shaped: size 10 on top; 12, and sometimes 14, below. My favourite outfits are long and flowing, so Sahara and Hampstead Bazaar are the first destinations on my list. I also love long, baggy tops over slim trousers. At 57, I know what suits me. My depression starts when I look for jackets. I am not a power-woman type and prefer to be chic-casual, but I find that all the lovely, Chanel-inspired jackets that fill the shops at the moment do not fit or suit my figure. Knitted jackets are so much more forgiving, but my favourites desperately need updating or replacing. Where can I go?"
Hilary suggests "Your solution for knitted jackets - and some of your other favourites, too - could well be Wall Luxury Essentials. It has a selection of knitted coats and easy jackets - some hand-loomed - which fall softly around the body."
Read more >>THINKING WOMEN'S CLOTHES
By Lucia van der Post, The Times, Women, 25 March 2005
"Wall goes in for clothes that look grown-up, having in mind a woman who has an artistic and intellectual life as well as a social one. There are lots of easy trousers — for summer some good-looking ones in linen, one pair with cropped legs, the other with a cuff, as well as loose, easy yet smart-looking jackets and sweaters."
Read more >>CHIC, SUBTLE CLOTHES FOR GROWN-UPS
Luxury with Lucia by Lucia van der Post The Times, 6 February 2004
"If your waist is not all it ought to be, let alone what it used to be (once you have had children, who's is?) and wispy chiffons, tank tops and pencil-slim skirts are not your thing but you have not given up on looking modern, chic and grown-up, I have a label for you. It is called Wall and is in Notting Hill…"
Read more >>SEARCH FOR THE ELUSIVE GOLDEN FLEECE
Kitty Go looks at the feel good factor behind vicuna, the world's most expensive fabric Financial Times, Weekend, November 13, 2004
"Here's a question: now that cashmere can be had in every high street shop, pashmina is over and shatoosh illegal, what's a luxury fibre seeking, style-discerning consumer to do? Elementary, my dear shopper: find some vicuna, aka "the golden fleece"'
"Vicuna is classic while pashmina is fashion. The attraction of pashminas is the colours" explains Hernan Balcazar, chief executive of Wall in London 's Notting Hill, one of the few shops in the world that carries vicuna products such as scarves and custom-made sweaters. Vicuna is lighter and finer than cashmere yet it cannot be dyed as effectively, Balcazar says, "It is very exclusive and not anyone can buy it. It is really for a person who has almost everything".
NATURAL BEAUTY FOR GROWN-UP WOMEN
Hilary Alexander (Fashion Editor) meets the Notting Hill husband-and-wife design team who boldly refuse to join the eternal quest for youth The Daily Telegraph, Fashion, September 6 2004
"Wall's fashion formula is based on luxury fibres, hand-finished details, sharp, clean lines and asymmetrical shapes that are modern, flattering and forgiving to the shape of the more mature female body"
"Its clothes are the epitome of casual luxury; pieces with the ease of a tracksuit, but the elegance of a tailor-made suit"
Read more >>CLOSE KNIT From the Andes to Notting Hill…
By Belinda Morris, The Observer Magazine, Life The Observer 4 January 2004
"We can get the best quality workmanship there, which is comparable to anything we can get in Europe ,' (insists chief executive Hernan Balcazar). A cynic might assume that the real reason is cheaper production costs, but these are also comparable with Europe . In addition, there's the day's travelling involved every time they need to visit one of the factories that produces its knitwear and tailoring. With no direct flights, it's not exactly a short hop.
Though widely travelled, the Balcazars are drawn to Peru . ‘It's one of the most beautiful countries and its important to us that our work makes a good contribution to its economy and a real difference to people's lives', he says"
"Garment technologists from Central St. Martins and Savile Row are also regular visitors to teach workers new tailoring skills."
Read more >>
