The Swelle Life

Lola Brooks' Sentimental Foolery

 

There's something about Lola Brooks' jewelry that just hits me in the heart, especially her brooches of gold and stainless steel wire 'cages' adorned with diamonds, ribbons and vintage ivory roses which dominated her Confection exhibition (and made me positively giddy).

Her new exhibition for Sienna Gallery titled Sentimental Foolery displays a continued fondness for these compact little treasures, and now she gives us some heart shapes as well as her half spheres, decorated with vintage rose-cut garnets and vintage Swarovski rhinestones (and I just noticed those sweet black ribbons that I love). There's also an exquisite yet bold jet tear necklace with natural black diamonds that makes you want to reach out and cup it in your hand to feel the texture of the chunky stones that fill the entire surface - for me, the opposite effect of the 'cage' pieces which would have me approaching slowly and quietly and stopping a safe distance to admire their delicate detail.

Thirty Years of T.A.G., With Love

The Grand Palais in Paris (where Chanel usually holds their extravagant shows) is hosting the T.A.G. exhibition, a compelling project in which French architect Alain-Dominique Gallizia brought together 150 of the world's most significant T.A.G. (tag and graffiti) artists dating back to 1969. Gallizia gave each artist two blank canvases of equal size and asked them to use one half to produce something in their tag style, and the other half their interpretation of 'Love'. The canvasses were then arranged with the halves side by side, in groups of four, by different artists.

The first quartet of the collection, titled 1969 was created by the first known graffiti artists who hailed from New York and Philadelphia:

The show finished with 2009, displayed adjacent to the group of firsts which made the contrasts that much more obvious. Not only were the styles greatly developed and more graphic works of art than simple, colourful tags; as you viewed each quartet you noticed that the art form's geographic representation has, since its birth, expanded broadly to include artists from Iran, Thailand, Chile and Brazil. Most of the work however was contributed by French and American artists.

Something that struck me was how many of them used the word 'Love' in their contribution and there were also a few hearts to be found which came off as quite sweet; it reminded me of what you might find scribbled on the notebook of a school girl (not the one above, it seemed violent and the object in the first half which is cut off isn't exactly something most would think of as 'sweet').

This unfinished room was the perfect setting for the tags

I went a bit nuts with the number of photos I included, but there was so much diversity in styles and images, and so much enchanting detail that I couldn't cut any of my favourites:

 

How You Know You're in Paris

This may look like a painting but it's actually a photo I took of a small wooden staircase that I saw in the window of an antique shop in the Rive Gauche area in Paris. I just think it's so cool, it could be a motif from a Dali painting (if he had been obsessed with staircases instead of, uh, other things).

Speaking of the Surrealists, I saw this on a wall between some shops on my way to the zoo at the Museum of Natural History yesterday and it reminded me of a page out of the Andre Breton's Surrealist Manifesto: 

This is why I freaking love Paris.

More Things Seen Around Paris

That headline is a sure sign I'm too tired to be posting. But here I am anyway...

Somewhat disturbing sculptures of a skeletal Mickey Mouse and Tintin




These two images are of the walls opposite each other in the gated
entrance to this office building in the Rive Gauche:




The Seine view of Notre Dame


Me, right now


The town hall (don't ask me what it is in French right now)


The (very expensive) carousel near the town hall

You know what's funny? Seeing guys 'roller dancing' on the sidewalks in Paris. Grown men cruising by, then flipping so they're backwards and doing these little dancey moves. And they always look quite proud of themselves.

Merci Qui?

I couldn't help but notice this street art while walking on rue de Seine last week in Paris. As you can see someone has taken Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe prints and applied the hairstyle from the series to some of today's pop culture figures such as Britney Spears (with partially shaved head, nice touch), Dr. Spock (interesting inclusion), Manson (looking no stranger than usual, an improvement, really), and Michael Jackson (I'm not touching that one. Too bad he didn't say the same). A be-spectacled Warhol made the cut as well.

The pages glued to the centre of the mural were all the same:

I did take a few minutes to try to decipher the artist's message - it seems to be signed 'Beaumarchais' and Pierre August de Beaumarchais was a French playwright who satirised the privileged classes - but what are the 'merci' or 'thank you' definitions about and is there a pattern to the words that are crossed or left alone?

Any ideas??

Papier Couture

Karl Lagerfeld wiped his slate for his spring 09 Haute Couture collection and opted to start with "a clean sheet of paper." In the end, paper was the star of the show and white was the colour of the day. Models wore intricate, cut-out flower headpieces (credit goes to Lagerfeld find Kamo - a Japanese hairdresser whose scissors work magic on paper as well as hair), and even the room was adorned - there were laser-cut paper roses and camellias on the pillars, tables and the staircase the models used to make their entrance.

I read that paper is actually woven into the fabric of the dresses and when Lagerfeld was asked if they could be drycleaned he replied "I'm afraid not." Now I can't find the source to review it, no matter how many ways I've Googled it. But I'm sure I didn't imagine it. That would be a very specific delusion and not even I am that mad.

Either way, the dress above and to the right looks to me as if it is made of paper - the very pulpy, thick and textured kind which names escapes me - which appears to be molded. The stiffness of it also reminds me of a fine papier mâché. The sharp cut of the V detail on the neckline working with the sculpted inverted V of the skirt is the clincher for me, it's by far my favourite of the 65-piece collection.

The fashion editors are calling this the best case going forward for the survival of haute couture. Imagine fashion without this? Imagine fashion without Karl Lagerfeld? Happy place. Happy place.

Designer Series, Knitwear: Meet Cynthia F.

I am so excited to introduce a new addition to the Designer Series! Meet Cynthia F., a 20 year-old knitwear design student at Central Saint Martins in London (yes, that which gave us Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, Gareth Pugh, Stella McCartney and Christopher Kane. Oh, and M.I.A.). As I was describing in recent posts about knitwear, this growing fashion design discipline is redefining how we generally perceive knit garments, and the pushing toward new ideas will only gain momentum as new talent emerges.

All signs point to Cynthia being on this track - she's a brilliant illustrator, a conceptual thinker and is able to translate her ideas to her final creations. Oh, and she can knit, too!

Where did her pursuit of fashion begin? She came from Hong Kong to London a few years ago to find that others were impressed by her artistic abilities, so she decided to pursue them with this new-found encouragement. Making fairy dresses at age eight inspired her to learn to use a sewing machine and by 15 she was doing gothic lolita dresses - it was then she knew that fashion at CSM was her dream.

And the knitting? As a young teen Cynthia learned to knit and was thrilled to find out that knitwear was an actual path one could study, she loves that she can create the fabric as she goes along, as well as decorate it. And that she's learning something very technical which she can apply in the design process rounds it out perfectly.

Style and Influences? She's very fond of shapes - sculptural shapes that hang on the body in a complementary way is one of her criteria when designing. Favourite knitwear designers are Sandra Backlund, Louise Goldin and Liria Pristine.

And now?  In first year at CSM with her own knitwear label called CFST - the initials for her English and Chinese names. She's also been working with Ada Zanditon for the past two seasons - this season focusing on knitwear using organic and ethical materials, and also with Emma Bell, helping with three of her Intarsia pieces.

Let's get to the knits. For her Century Knit project (illustration above), Cynthia chose the 1940s. She was inspired by war time and wanted to created a helmet with knit. There's and also a neckpiece that was influenced by the fur collar pilots would wear:

There's lots more innovative knits coming from Cynthia F. so watch this space!

Let There Be Lily

Showstudio's Let There Be Light project has culminated with a film homage to its star Lily Donaldson, called Lily's, which showcases spring 2009 designs by Martin Margiela, Alexander McQueen, and Balenciaga among others, and uses the model and the clothes to explore the theme of light.

It's a brief but lush, quirky and beautiful film from renowned photographer Nick Knight and filmmaker Ruth Hogben, with a soundtrack by Philip Sheppard. I didn't quite get it at first, but then found myself watching it for a seventh time in a row and knew it had something over me. The scenes are like collage with paint strokes and peonies of all kinds adorning the frames throughout, and the screen captures I got from it make for some of the most beautiful images I've ever seen - Lily has that delicate, innocent quality, and in black and white she complements the washed-out creams and pastels of the flowers in a way that's truly breathtaking.

Will someone please send me some double peonies?

Of particular note with reference to the clothing, Lily wears Martin Margiela's plaster cast of the first jacket he ever produced, for S/S 1989. You can watch interviews and video of various looks from the shoot and film, including Nick Knight discussing the concept, Lily Donaldson musing about how her technique has changed (her legs are so long and her platforms so high that she resembles a newborn colt on the comparatively tiny wooden chair she's forced to sit on), as well as the Margiela plaster jacket and other pieces, which she wears in this scene:

These are collages I put together using photos from the shoot (I wouldn't want to tarnish the good reputation of Showstudio by chancing that anyone thought they had made them):

Paper Towel Tuxedos and Hair Comb Dresses

Martin Margiela showed his Artisanal collection for spring and went to the dumpster and the recycling bin for his materials. That sounds like I'm being a saucy little brat but if you're familiar with him you know he loves to create with common objects, like the ones you find around your house and don't think twice about. Last season he did a jacket in balloons and before that, a top made of mirrors. Now he's fastened old hair combs to create a dress (above, I think) and well, just take a look at what else:

Shoelaces


Old denim


Paper towels


Plastic price tag fasteners

And, not quite sure what these are made of as WWD only mentioned a few and I can't find coverage anywhere else...guesses?

And yes, those are actual models (in case you were half asleep like me and first thought they were mannequins)

Photos: Dominique Maitre

Cities Under Seige: Attack of the Yarnbombers!

Cozy bus by Magda Sayeg of Knitta Please, Mexico City

They're like Banksy or Poster Boy, and in some ways more akin to a small-scale Christo and Jeanne-Claude. But instead of spray paint and stencils, razors and miles of synthetic fabrics, the so-called 'Yarnbombers' use, well, yarn to add beauty to their environment while making a statement. "Yarnbombing is all about using the street for making art", says Sarah Hardacre, an artist from Manchester, in a story in the Telegraph.

There are yarnbombing groups all over the world, using their knitting and crochet skills to tag their targets. One is Denver's Ladies Fancywork Society, who prefer the term 'fancywork' to yarnbombing, and use 'putting skirts on the world' to describe their crochet guerilla activities. The Ladies use code names like Vivian, Jeanne Lois, and Lady Magdalena Pompelthwaite, and meet regularly for crochet and cupcakes. Here's one of Vivian's bicycle rack fancyworks:

 

And there's the Yarnbombing blog that features projects from all over the world, and even gives standard measurements for street furniture such as telephone poles, park benches, dumpsters and pay phones found in Vancouver, where the blog is based, so bombers can get stitching without having to first venture out with a measuring tape. The two knitters behind the blog, Mandy Moore and Leanne Prain, have a book coming out in the fall called Yarn Bombing: The Art of Knit Graffiti. I sense this is just the beginning.

Now, this may be 'radical knitting' as it is played out, but the patterns and loud colours suggest a very 'granny' type of knitting and crochet, from what I've seen - kind of reminiscent of the 'cosy'. (I once saw a toilet bowl cleaner cosy in someone's bathroom. That's right, a bottle of bowl cleaner with a custom-made cosy over it, and my friend Tammy can back that up.) So if this is what the traditionalists are doing, I wonder what fashion's knitwear designers could conjure, those whose knits are radical by design?

But wait - is it not the granny style that makes it so compelling? It's funny, unexpected, vibrant, and what is typically perceived as benign and old-fashioned becomes a force to be reckoned with. Try ignoring a full knit-clad bus in clashing, bright colours.

I think this is just fantastic. I have yet to see a tag but I certainly hope to. Have you?

If you're a yarnbomber and want to share your work, give us an email. And if you're a knitter and want to find a network in your area, a quick google search should turn one up. Or start your own!

Fellow feltmakers, are the wheels turning? Oh, the possibilities...

kpdalston's add-on to a Banksy, from Yarnbombing

 
Knitted street sign in Vancouver by Lauren Marsden


A tree wrapped in red yarn in Bejing's art district, Factory 798
By Aaron Robertson via Yarnbombing


Bejing tree detail, as above


The Sweater Tree, Brooklyn. Unknown, via Yarnbombing

This is Now, For Now

 

Photo: Aimee Marie

A while back I posted about Ford's collaborative European art project called This is Now, which I found out about when I was invited to submit a blog post addressing what 'now' means to me. I'd probably say something completely different now, in fact I'm sure of it. But none of that means anything as it's the images contributed to the project's Flickr group that are most entertaining and engaging (and I think mine was pretty cool, too!).

So I went back and selected some photos that grabbed my attention from the art students' submissions and the blog posts:

Hana Kim


Photo: Nam.天空是極限



Photo: I Spy...


Blue Burlesque by Roger Tranah

Photo: Pvince (off to Ladakh)

MadNess, Olga,[]

Collecting Colourful Memories

Recently I posted about a favourite blog called A View To by Imke Klee, a freelance stylist who works in Paris and Berlin and seems to have her hand in everything, including photography, fashion illustration, and trend forecasting (can I buy your career?). She also handmakes endearing fabric accessories, postcards and prints that she sells in her Etsy shop and this is why I'm talking about her again. Her brooches and keyring pendants, for example, have a nice tactile, personal quality and there's a hint of nostalgia about them - as if you might have discovered them in a drawer, tucked away sometime during your childhood. (Has that happened to you? You come across something by chance and have that "Ah!" moment where you think, "We don't have things like this anymore." This is a bit different but I had that once where I found a Fonzie button from the 70s that said 'Sit on it'. Awesome.)

When I first saw Imke's postcards depicting collections of all kinds of interesting objects and trinkets grouped by colour, I was intrigued. I wanted to know if these were personal items of hers, where they came from and where she kept them. (No, I wasn't planning a burglary, I just love the variety of the pieces and the stories they tell.)

Imke was kind enough to share a bit about her tiny treasures:

"The postcards are photographs of things I am surrounded by - collections I already have. Some from childhood on, some for a short time. Some are arranged in my workroom, some in the kitchen and some I keep safe in little boxes. I just had the idea to arrange them according to colours and to photograph them. They all together can tell stories. I love the idea that anyone can look at them and create his or her own little story."

Reading Imke's descriptions of the individual items is like tagging along on her travels and just about everything else - it's a real delight. And doesn't this serve to show that all of the expensive things we buy tend to become lost, forgotten and meaningless, whereas cheap and simple objects acquired along the way can become far more significant and enduring in our lives?

BLUE COLLECTION: "The Turkish lira are leftover from holidays with four good girlfriends in Istanbul when I was 16 or 17 years old - great holidays! The fashion postcard is from the Musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris - from the Christian Lacroix Exhibition in 2008 - I loved this
exhibition so much! The brooch with the blue "libbard-rabbit" is a part of a hybrid-animal-collection I designed during my studies (in 2006) for a Design Conference. The clog is a typically dutch souvenir I bought at a flea-market in France ;-)  The little brooch with the blue little flower is an very old enamel piece of jewelry from my mother (and before: grandma)..."

BLACK COLLECTION: "The black collage couple (left) I made during my studies (in 2005), during a fashion illustration course - and I stage-managed them for a photo (right) on a very old antique pupal chair inherited from my mother. The little horse in the middle of the card is from my mother too - she also gathered a lot of little things during her childhood and I found them in the attic..."

RED COLLECTION: "The little red trouser pocket extants from my older brothers first Levi's corduroy-dungarees, the red-white VW-Bus I bought in 2007 for my darling, the Paris-Postcard I bought in 2008 in Paris in the Centre Pompidou's great library, the little wooden dwarf is from
my childhood - one of my siblings or my mother tinkered, the in't veld chocolate package is from a little exquisite chocolate-manufacturer in Berlin my sister worked for.... and so on and so forth."

SILVER/GREY COLLECTION: The little lavender bouquet I gathered in my garden last summer, the little porcelain cat was a gift from friends when I was 4 years old and ill in bed after a little accident :-), the great silver spoons are from the Heartwear collection - a not-for-profit association (created by Li Edelkoort), that helps to sustain handcraft knowledge and so, collaborates with artisans to tailor their products for export, without compromising the skill, knowledge, culture and environment of the region involved (at trendunion.com)....they have such beautiful and handsome products!!!

Kids, Don't Do Acid, Do Christmastide

Why do some people choose to alter their perception through hallucinagenics? To step into fantasyland and experience the world, the senses, beyond the normal. In other words, to see cool stuff. (Well, that's what someone told me. How would I know?)

You can avoid the side-effects such as stripping off and climbing a telephone pole in your mother's front yard if you first take a look at Christmastide, SHOWstudio's project to celebrate the twelve days of Christmas, which ended January 6. They approached a dozen fashion designers who provided inspired images relating to the word 'light' that were then refracted and faceted as if seen through Swarovski's trademark sparkling crystals.

I could sit for hours and look at these. Like many projects on SHOWstudio this one is more of an interactive film and it's accompanied by ethereal and dream-like electronic music. Move your mouse within the borders to control the flow and explore hidden areas of the image. Each 'scene' is brief and then a new one begins.

Click here and Emilio de la Morena's film will load. His looks very Op Art to me and I love how the boldness of the black and white graphics fade into beautiful pastel shades just before the scene disappears - you want more. From this page you can select each of the designers. You can read about their inspirations here if you're curious, but I think it doesn't really matter as they speak for themselves (am I alone in finding that knowing too much can sometimes ruin things?). Rodarte's description, however, did confirm that it was the bunny monster from Donnie Darko I was seeing within the lush textures that reflected those of their incredible Spring 09 collection - theirs is one of my favourites as is Mary Katrantzou's (it's like watching the creation of little universes) and Scott Wilson's subtle, grainy blending of vivid shades and light/dark contrasts creates an effect that is just exquisite.

In other words, you'll see cool stuff. 

A View to...A Perfectly Wonderful World

 Photo: Imke Klee for Trend Union PARIS

You may well know by now that I have a propensity for daydreaming about the world being a particular kind of beautiful, prompted by inspiring images that resonate so deeply I'm convinced I was born with certain visual predilictions. (I guess the synaethesia would explain that. And I've always had trouble concentrating so I've just accepted the mental wandering as a part of who I am and have stopped apologising for it!)

   

Flickr: Purpess (left) and amalia chimera

While we are so very fortunate to have endless sources of inspiration at our fingertips and I do have my favourites, I still find it difficult to find the time to check in regularly for my daydream fodder. However, there's one place I find I almost can't do without, the aptly named A View To. I think the appeal is its complements and contrasts: vivid colour and muted, washed out shades; softness and edge; abstraction and stark realism; classic ideals of beauty and challenges to the conventional; Old World and Now; high fashion and homebody. Yet it all comes from the same place - a cohesive aesthetic, and the experience is ultimately a true delight. Definite daydream territory.

Imke Klee is the woman behind this 'perfectly wonderful' collection of photos (I quote the words she has used to title some of her posts). Much of what you see on the blog is directly attributed to her, from her handmade accessories to her own photographs of places and objects, to her fashion styling work. This is rounded out by her finds of images that she puts together to create inspirations, such as the one above, and this, one of my favourites:

Clockwise from top left: deep indigo, Pin Pals, thresca, Yuki

I had originally intended to talk about Imke's postcards that she sells through her Etsy shop, the images are various collections of little items grouped according to shade and the individual pieces are so interesting I had to find out more. But I think I'll have to save that for tomorrow as I tend to go long when I'm really excited about something (and there's just so much to show and tell!).

But before I go, look at the detail of the vintage collar from the first photo - is this not To Die For?

 Photo: Imke Klee for Trend Union PARIS

Reclaiming These Clichés of Beauty

In a previous post I featured work from artist jeweler Lola Brooks, including a brooch from her Confection exhibit which I absolutely loved at first sight. I want to eat those vintage ivory roses. Well, silly me neglected to click on her exhibit link on the Sienna Gallery website, and if I had I would have seen that this was but one of her several stainless steel and gold treasures adorned with roses and bows (again, thank you, Molly).

I'll admit, after reading the artist statement for her exhibit, I'm not exactly sure what she's saying. I think she's left it somewhat up to the viewer to determine the meaning but through her own words and several quotes pertaining to roses, she certainly guides us to consider certain possibilities. Here's something to ponder:

Roses and bows have come to exist as saccharine clichés of beauty, sentiment, perfection and the feminine. In fact, much of their symbolism has become so hackneyed as to have lost much of its meaning. In its absence, we are left with vapid empty shells, mere shadows of their former vainglorious selves.

 

And then there are quotes endorsing the virtues of the extraordinary flower:

I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck.
-Emma Goldman

 

There is nothing more difficult for a truly creative painter than to paint a rose, because before he can do so he has first to forget all of the roses ever painted.
-Henri Matisse

Ah, but who knows. Lola Brooks may come across this and think "It's so obvious what I mean, you idiot!" (I'm sure she's kinder than that but I hope she would accept that I think her pieces are exceptionally beautiful and I would still think so even if they were really supposed to be representative of rotting cabbages.)

Update: Lola Brooks saw the post and got in touch to thank me (phew!) and offered a much appreciated response to the question about the meaning of her statement:

"My statement is rather ambiguous, and purposefully so. As you stated quite aptly I am more interested in guiding one to consider certain possibilities than trying to impose some conclusion upon the viewer/wearer.

I think a lot about what I am making and why, but in the end I am far more interested in the curiosities it creates in others."

She also offers one bit of info not obvious in the images, that "many of the roses and bows are set en tremblant, on little springs which give them a rather ridiculous and delightful quiver when worn." How wonderful!

 

More pieces from her delicious Confection exhibition at Sienna Gallery, all made of 18kt gold, stainless steel, vintage ivory roses, and rose-cut champagne diamonds (how I would love to own one not even to wear but to hold in my hand and admire):

                       

                                                   BROOCH
                                   

                   
                                                      EARBOBS

                                

                  
                                     

                                                

                                     Detail, inside of large brooch

 

                           

                

                                                      RING

                                                         

                               

                  

    

                                                        NECKPIECE

                                                                                             

 

    Detail, inside largest brooch

 

 

I Want to Be Adorned

Swelle reader and jeweler Molly (you'll be introduced to her and her compelling work in a new designer series coming soon!) suggested we take a look at Sienna Gallery which represents artist jewelers. I'm grateful for the recommendation as I've had a peek and seen some incredible jewelery that transcends far beyond simply 'pretty', 'sparkling' or 'bold'. These are pieces of wearable, one-of-a-kind art that stretch the imagination about what jewelry can be, and demonstrate how metals, gems and other materials can be manipulated and arranged to create shapes, colours and textures in combinations we've never seen before - and will want to touch.

Molly mentioned Lola Brooks as a favourite so I went to her collection first and fell in love with her Confection brooch (above) of 18k gold, stainless steel and vintage ivory - it reminds me of an embellished birdcage veil. Her other work featured in the gallery is equally beautiful but aesthetically quite different - at first, then you see the pattern in her approach to shape, texture and composition:

                         Brilliant cut brooch                             Faceted brooch

Filigree Neckpiece

I went exploring through the other artists' work and found more pieces that I was just so excited about because they looked so fresh and brand-new to me, like the metalwork from Shihoko Amano whose twist technique produces an effect of some new kind of crochet:

Brooch. Steel and 18k gold

Earrings. 18k and 14k gold, silver


Brooch. 18k gold

 

There's so much more, which I'll show at another time - or you can go see for yourself!

Flowers, Oysters, Whatever - I Like It

I decided a cuff was missing from my accessories collection so I set out to find one with my Christmas money earlier this week. I was at Holt Renfrew in Toronto where the bangle/cuff offerings were plentiful, but that "I'll know it when I see it moment" was proving elusive - until I rounded the corner and saw the Kara Ross petal collection, one of which looked a bit more like an oyster than a flower as my good friend and shopping partner-in-crime Tammy pointed out. Nonetheless, we both agreed they were beautiful and unique pieces, whether sea or garden-inspired. And each was slightly different and therefore one-of-a-kind. C'est bon.

I chose the striking ivory and black combo with the smooth and shiny gunmetal finish, rock crystal and python petals - Kara Ross often works with exotic skins - and also considered the matching ring (to be worn on separate occasions, of course). The cuff was a done deal, but while mulling over the ring we wandered over to the sale table, which again, as it is, is a sight that should not be seen in Holt Renfrew. Why? Begin rant: Once deemed luxury goods at full price and given their rightful place in the locked, glass, display cabinet, these same items get marked down and tossed on what essentially becomes a crap table, carelessly pawed at and just so sad looking. Among the cast-offs were the matching petal earrings, the pairs separated and strewn about, which just soured me on the ring and also on the cuff, somewhat.

Unlike stray animals roaming the streets or peering out desperately from rescue shelter cages, clothes, jewelry and bags looking pathetic on a sale table do not pull at our heart strings and prompt us to bring them home. Rather, it makes us question the real value and reflects very poorly on the store. I think it's safe to assume the design houses behind the goods would hardly approve of this haphazard approach to 'merchandising', never mind how disheartening it would be to the small, independent designers who take a hand-on, personal approach to their creations.

Imagine if say, Net-a-porter delivered sale items to us with a sleeve hanging out of the box and seams coming apart (I saw that at HR as well and the staff didn't pull them after noticing). Instead, the only difference between the sale items and their presentation from NET's regular priced ones is the cost. And that's how it should be. Sure, brick and mortar versus online certainly has its challenges, but certainly it's not too much to ask that $3500 handbags not be chucked onto a table in a big pile, only to have their delicate embellishments left hanging by threads, tagged with the BARGAIN price of $2500. Taking a little care makes all the difference. And when they do, we feel good about our purchase rather than wondering if we've been duped into wanting these things in the first place.

Rant over. In the end, I do love my beautiful cuff, especially after seeing more of Kara Ross' work on her website, there are some bold and pretty pieces. And most of her petal collection does actually look like flowers rather than oysters (I think it was the colour combo of mine that resembled a tasty mollusk).

I also like this gunmetal and hematite cuff and these petal necklaces - a lot. And they're on sale. (But instead of being thrown onto crap tables they are pretty pictures on your monitor and will arrive at your door looking just the same.)

Chill Out at Quebec's Ice Hotel

More great things from Canada: There is a breathtakingly beautiful hotel in northern Quebec that is made entirely of snow and ice. That means the decor and furniture as well as the structure itself, and even the drinking glasses and the beds (though they are topped with a thick foam mattress and fleece cover, and they wrap you up in a cozy, arctic sleeping bag).

Hôtel de Glace, or Ice Hotel, is a 32,000 square foot, stunning architectural feat that uses 15,000 tons of snow and 5,000 tons of ice to create the sculptural, cathedral-style buildings. It includes an ice bar, ice cafe, art gallery, ice chapel for weddings, ice slide (how fun!), fireplaces (somehow the place doesn't melt), and outdoor spas and saunas. The ceilings are 19.5 feet high and there are 36 rooms. Before you arrive you are given a package of instructions on how to prepare for your stay, including how you should dress to stay warm (no cotton underwear - it retains humidity and that means chilly bodies!).

The ice hotel in the small Swedish village of Jukkasjärvi was what inspired Hôtel de Glace, which has won several awards and has received international recognition since it was first built in 2001. A friend made the long trip up there five years ago and aboslutely fell in love with it. Her pictures were stunning, and while it is very cold, it's a magical and unforgettable experience. 

The Ice Hotel is redesigned every year and this month the building of the ninth edition has begun. About 20 workers will raise the hotel and another 10 to 15 will complete the details such as sculpting, polishing and carving. It opens mid-January and will only be around until March, at which point it begins to get warmer and well...you know.

 

 

   

   

  

  

  

     

All photos ©Xdachez.com

Designers 'Dress' Obama

First, WWD asked designers to submit sketches for Inauguration dresses for Michelle Obama, and now it's his turn. (Not that Barack Obama has anything to do with it as it's a fantasy project.) I must admit, it was way more fun looking at the designs for Michelle and the girls, but Savile Row's Richard James gave an impressive presentation for both evening and day wear. The artwork would make a great poster. (Oh geez, it would be on the walls of every dorm room on the planet. Sales for Dali's Persistence of Memory and Klimt's The Kiss would plummet.) Although, the white flecks on his jacket, which I assume are supposed to be reflected light, do remind me of that dreaded effect you get when wearing black to a club that has black lights. You look like you forgot to use the lint brush before heading out, or worse - you have the world's worst dandruff.

It's interesting to look at the different sketching styles amongst the designers, but I'm always disturbed by the typically small heads. I know they're taught to draw microcephelic models but it's still a bit unnerving. Isn't James' realistic graphic representation much more appealing?

Lastly, what I'd like to know is, where's Tom Ford's? (That's a joke, rumour has it he's never sketched a design in his life. Didn't hurt him, though, did it?)

Here's a few from the lot:

Richard James, Saville Row - day look



DSquared2 - evening look
Dean and Dan, is that a flag in his pants or is he just happy to be president?


Kenneth Cole - day look


Marc Jacobs - evening look


Nautica - evening look

Salvatore Ferragamo - day look

Tim Hamilton - day look



Reem Acra did the whole fam for evening

And, the all-important accessory - the tie:

Richard James, Savile Row



Vineyard Vines

Designer Christmas Tree DIYs

Last week's Grazia featured Christmas trees as created by a handful of festive-minded British fashion designers, along with the whimsical details should you want to create your own at home (or get an answer to "what the heck is that hanging in that tree?"). Sorry the photos suck, black shiny paper is tough, but I still wanted to show them - they're pretty neat-o.

Above is my favourite of the lot, Giles Deacon's non-tree. Bored with the leaves of the traditional tree, he made his own out of fabric laser-cut rabbits - a reference to stylist Judy Blame who created the cut-outs for his Spring 09 show. And if you look close, you can see the pink Pac-Man baubles and googly eyes there to remind us of his weird and wonderful show.

Print master Celia Birtwell took the traditional approach, save for the folksy faces painted with nail varnish on white baubles and some parrots mixed in with red and grey birds:

Matthew Williamson went ravey on us with glow sticks and large neon pink baubles, all wound through bright, striped elastic ribbon. A bespoke neon shooting star tops the tree, which stands on a mirrored base:

Shoe designer Jonathan Kelsey wanted "something that would be fairly cheap and easy to reproduce at home", and was inspired by the shoes he keeps around while working. The result was lots of large bows (which adorned many of his current styles), and shoelaces and zips which were bundles and tied into bows. Looks a bit like a shoelace/bow monster but joyful all the same.

John Rochas treated his tree the way he does his designs - with embellishments using traditional techniques. Knitwear designers Susan Bailey and Margaret Hales created these gorgeous crocheted snowflakes, and string lights finished the simply and pretty look.

Look...

New Orleans:





Elsewhere:

















Banksy

Banksy in Palestine

Spellbound in a Winter Wonderland

I think we're close enough to the holidays now to get into the spirit (though there is no evidence remaining of the unexpected big snowfall we had last week in England), and the last editorial I'm featuring from British Vogue's Fantastic Fashion Fantasy issue is just the one to do it. British artist Su Blackwell created an enchanting Christmas fantasyland with her wonderful book-cut sculptures. See her stunningly exquisite paper dress installation after the editorial pics...

Su Blackwell's While You Were Sleeping installation:

There is a great interview with Su at My Love for You is a Stampede of Horses, with more examples of her extraordinary work. An exerpt from the interview about this piece:

"I read in a book a Burmese legend about the soul butterfly or win-laik-pya...it is believed that a sleeping person's soul takes the shape of a butterfly and flies abroad while it's owner is asleep, searching for the souls of other persons and animals and returning when the owner awakes.  burmese children are still taught never to wake a sleeping person for fear they may die, or worse, live on, without a soul."

 

Duffy Can Really, Really Sing

Last night I saw Duffy perform at the Carling Academy in Newcastle to celebrate a friend's birthday. I wasn't a fan; I wasn't not a fan. So I went in a clean slate. But I did come out a convert - the girl can sing. Flawlessly. We know from hearing her album that she's talented, but the live performance is the acid test. I can't help but compare her to Amy Winehouse, who I saw at the same venue this time last year when she was at the start of her downward spiral and was pulling antics like hiding in the bathroom in the middle of a set. She made it through this show once she finally took the stage, although it looked as if she was about to wander off several times. She fiddled with her bra and her hair constantly, and when she remembered to dance, she threw in an out-of-sync wiggle. Still, she sounded good. It made me wonder how incredible she could have been had she not been struggling with her personal issues. (Her band, however, was brilliant, and their energy was almost enough to make up for it.)

Anyway, Amy's and Duffy's fashion styles and musical genres are similar and they broke out generally around the same time, so the urge to compare is hard to resist. In the end, Duffy proved to be the true phenom and gave the crowd everything she had, unlike Amy Winehouse, who evidently had prepared for her performance by digging into the Keith Richards sampler platter.

It is extremely frustrating when trying to take photos from the crowd at a concert. You wind up cursing people for simply having heads. Just when you've lined up the shot and have figured out when the lighting will change and hit just right, some guy decides to start swaying and it's always a guy - a tall one, with big hair, and then he's in your shot. Despite this, I got my photos. I also got a bit of video with my camera. It doesn't like the video setting all that much and blurs when I zoom, but I was trying to capture her vocal performance (which I think still came through, no thanks to the crappy recording):

 

 

In addition to her gorgeous, strapless dress, Duffy had the cutest backup singers in polka dot dresses - blonde, curled-fringe twins from Newcastle:

 

If These Designers Could Dress Michelle Obama...

Isaac Mizrahi

WWD requested sketches of Inauguration outfits for Michelle Obama and her daughters Malia and Sasha from a host of top designers. Some had no interest in providing unsolicited advice and therefore declined the request, yet others were only too happy to oblige. I found some of the sketches to be quite unappealing (Zac Posen, all three of them) and thought it a good thing this was just a fantasy exercise!

I'd love to see this First Trio dressed by Rodarte (what a dream that would be), but in the real world I think Isaac Miz and Oscar de la Renta conjured up some rational and fashionable looks. (I had to include Christian Lacroix - see his first look further down, can you imagine?):

Michael Kors

Diane von Furstenberg

Chanel

Carolina Herrera



Christian Lacroix

Christian Lacroix



Koi Suwannagate


Peter Som

Rodarte



Tuleh


Oscar de la Renta

Insensate

Best described by the filmmakers themselves:

"Conjuring a macabre phantasmagoria that unfurls before your eyes like a sinister but beautiful bloom, Insensate showcases the brutal geometry and raw creative fire of Gareth Pugh's A/W 2008 collection to truly bewitching effect. Set to a thundering, atmospheric soundtrack specially devised by artist Matthew Stone and utilising Pugh's twin cinematic inspirations of Predator and The Wizard of Oz as an aesthetic starting-point, this film takes us on a mesmerising, monochrome whirlwind ride, creating a chilling yet compelling world of complex reflection, refraction and glittering incandescence melting in and out of inky black."

First, I highly recommend you watch it directly from Showstudio - the quality of the original is superior to the YouTube below, as is the atmosphere of the web page for viewing it (be sure to click the play button).

I'm not typically drawn to dark visuals (can you tell by my blog?) but this film is absolutely captivating, and hypnotic at times, not to mention the perfect visual and aural extension of Gareth Pugh's mindblowing designs. It's not so much about darkness as it is light, which is used to illuminate and create movement and shapes in such a way that it gets under your skin. Brilliant work from renowned fashion photographer Nick Knight and filmmaker Ruth Hogben. Love the soundtrack. This has to be the coolest job model Abbey Lee Kershaw has ever had. Lucky girl.

Storytelling Through Fantastical Landscapes

To be quite honest, human bodies with animal heads really creep me out. But I can't help adoring these photo collages by Parisian artist Wanda aka IceKubi. Her surreal landscapes are inspired by fairytales, stories told by her Polish grandma, and her great love of colour, which is one of the things that draws me to her work. She mixes photography and her own drawings or combines multiple photographic images to create her 'stories' - which is what I'm calling them as you imagine all kinds of narrative just looking at one of these magical pictures:

Two images of flowers from her garden were combined:



This collage below has a Man Ray-like quality, and reminds me of a
photo of him and his wife Juliet. A visiting French art professor I
had in university told of a time in Paris where he came across
Juliet Man Ray, who was  destitute, selling off rare originals
of her late husband's work for peanuts.

For those who love René Magritte:

Liz Clay Transforms Felt into Exquisite Couture

Felt is beginning to work its way into the fashion mainstream, and I'm not talking about the knitted kind that is washed to produce a felted effect (which can be lovely, but it's altogether something completely different). Creating felt fabric can require a substantial time commitment and is the physical process of binding loose fibres, usually wool, with water and an alkaline solution such as soap, by rubbing and rolling with the hands. And while anyone can make felt - it's a wonderful craft for all ages - producing something extraordinary is reserved for those who have a passion for textiles and spend countless hours experimenting with a variety of fibres and manipulation techniques, ultimately elevating the craft to an art form.

Liz Clay's felt featured in Stella McCartney's
Paris show for the Fall 2008 RTW collection

Liz Clay is one of these exciting talents, and an accomplished one. A renowned feltmaker, textile designer, lecturer and author, she has inspired many the world over with her sublime silk and merino boas (the design of which is registered and protected), clutches and handbags. When I first discovered and fell in love with feltmaking three years ago, it was Liz' work that really got me fired up. With her boas she's taken felt into the high fashion realm by working the softness of the merino into an almost ethereal quality that is felt as its most beautiful, and along with other signature techniques has created one-of-a-kind, highly fashionable yet wearable accessories. (I WILL own one of her boas one day. This is a hint if someone in particular is reading this...Christmas is coming....)

Her CV and list of accolades is a long and impressive read, and includes a solo exhibition at Harrods in London and recognition from Givenchy and Stella McCartney, who have each invited her to collaborate on their collections. Wow.

First came Givenchy. Liz was contacted directly by the Paris fashion house in 2005 and commissioned to produce garments for their A/W haute couture collection. She has since been involved in development for new collections, both RTW and couture and is now on the team of makers for Givenchy. Liz says she finds the couture work most exciting, that "seeing a finished garment become the showpiece on the catwalk is thrilling." I can only imagine.

Then Stella came calling - at the last minute, just before her Paris A/W show in February, as is the way in the fashion industry. One coat request became a daunting three, yet somehow Liz pulled it all off. (Anyone who has made felt knows just how much laying down of fibres is required for something the size of a coat, as the shrinkage that occurs in the agitation and fulling process could be in excess of 1/3. It's A LOT of hard work and sore muscles. I made a coat once at a weekend-long workshop and afterward several of us vowed never to do it again!).

In the end, Liz's felt opened the Stella McCartney show in Paris - worn by Raquel Zimmermann (above), followed by two more of her stunning felts (looking fab on Aline and Masha). She's now developing new design samples for the next collection so there's a good chance we'll be seeing more of Liz Clay on the runway.

So, what's Liz working on now? She's just returned from Japan where she showcased her new collection of boas and interior wall panels in very fine felts using local wools, in a solo exhibition. You can see the work at the Lesley Craze Gallery in London until Christmas, then at the prestigious Mall Galleries in January. She's also doing commissions from this collection for private customers. (Am jealous.)

And somehow, Liz finds the time to host workshops and lend her expertise to those of us who hope to glean just a shred of her genius. I have been gutted over and over, having missed so many opportunities to be tutored by Liz as her studios are in the south west, in Somerset,which is a very long way from me in the north east of England. Cross-country train ticket, plus hotel for the weekend, plus the workshop fee....well, you get it.

But for those of us who can't quite get there just yet, we have Liz' books. Her latest is Nuno Felt which can be ordered direct from her website, as can her boas, clutch bags and purses, pins and brooches. Considering Liz' affiliations we're lucky that her accessories are so accessible!

The Couture Collection of embroidered silk, cashmere and merino purses and clutches


Interior wall panel in very fine felts using local wools


Wall panel detail


Reversible half-boa

Stella McCartney show photos: Marcio Madeira

Merry, Chanel-wearing Puppets at Printemps

One of the best things about the holidays is the fantastical, magical shop window displays. Imagine what Chanel might conjure for the Paris department store Printemps: articulated puppets geared up in quilted, metallic outfits à la the 2.55 bag, dancing in a garden of golden flowers, perhaps? Love the matching fringed bobs. And they answer to the name of 'Coco'. Of course.

Here's a man who is famous for his magnificent window displays, the lovely Simon Doonan, creative director at Barneys. Below, he talks about his Andy Warhol installation and how he approaches the creation of his displays (watch for a snippet of the Saks window with a doll that looks as if it's about to throw up):

Barney's Andy Warhol Window Display
by rocketboom

Karl Lagerfeld Paints a 'Secret Ball'

Continuing on with features from British Vogue's Fantastic Fashion Fantasy issue, Karl Lagerfeld treats us to a series of paintings in which he imagines events (with the Batman movies in mind, it would seem) at the most exclusive party of the year - a ball hosted by an unnamed Russian woman in honour of her billionaire husband. There was no press, no red carpet, no charities involved, and the guest list remains a mystery.

"Hairstylist Katsuya Kamo has designed a veiled headpiece similar
to those he has made for Junya Watanabe. The guest has topped
this with a vintage diamond headpiece, believed to be set with
emeralds from the treasury of Tsar Alexander II"


"The male guests are all in Tom Ford tails, though these two
gentlemen have added Batman-style masks. Their leather gloves are by
Causse. She is in a Marios Schwab jacket, a Louis Vuitton headpiece
and carries an Alexander McQueen Faberge bag from this season"


"A masked guest dressed in colourful Tao"


"She is in gold Givenchy with another Kamo headpiece.
The Asian gentleman wears a vintage Cartier headpiece
of emerald, diamonds and feathers in his turban"




"This guest accessorises her pink Giles ensemble with Chanel lace
gloves and a 1912 Cartier bandeau with a huge sapphire. Her Cartier
necklace of the same year was bought at the Paris Biennale in
September 2008. Her companion is a distinguished gentleman with a
black monocle, who reminds Lagerfeld of someone now dead"




"The youngest boy in the room is claimed by this guest,
in Alexander McQueen"


"This Gareth Pugh-clad woman is accompanied by a man
disguised as Heath Ledger's malevolent Joker"

A Moving, Global Tribute to a Bag - Yes, a Bag

Photo: Todd Eberle for Vanity Fair

What do you think it would take to warrant a celebration hosted by the world's greatest cities, inspire artists to create works in tribute of you, and see thousands turn up to join in the collective praise being showered upon you? Significant contributions to reducing poverty? Hunger? Slavery? No. How about simply being the Chanel 2.55 handbag as it turns 50 years old?

This is the most coveted handbag in the world, mostly because it is the most famous handbag in the world. Sure, I would love one. Because of its beauty? It's chicness? No, because it's a Chanel 2.55, if I'm being honest. It's the must-have piece of any fashion-loving girl's collection, simply for its reputation alone. It's a part of fashion history. Some clever marketing combined with genuine adoration of the quilted, gold-chained, and somewhat matronly shoulder bag have ensured it is the one that all the others aspire to become, and all the ladies desire to carry, and it will remain that way for a long, long time.

The entrance to the pavillion

The flying saucer-shaped exhibition space is hugely impressive, a design that pushes technology to its limits (and surely eclipses the guest of honour). It's a moving, nomadic art pavillion designed by renowned architect Zaha Hadid, who Karl Lagerfeld handpicked for the project which is meant to bring together art and architecture. There's far too much detail to go into here - it's an astounding structure made of materials never used for buildings before - but you can read about it at the Zara Hadid blog.

It's in New York's central park now, and is coming to London, but I'm hearing both November and May, so we'll just have to see which it is. If it coincides with the Frock Me vintage fair I'm there! (Are you with me, Julie?)

Here's a look at the interior seating areas:

Photo: Todd Eberle for Vanity Fair

Fabrice Hayber’s Comfortable, an assembly of pieces by the artist inspired by Chanel products (that teddy bear looks like a gimp and really creeps me out. Awesome swings, though):

Photo: Todd Eberle for Vanity Fair

An aerial view of the pavillion:

Is Haute Couture in Danger of Losing its Feathers?

(I'm on a roll with this subject, stay with me...) Haute couture begins with an extraordinary design, but it is nothing without the skilled artisans who employ their centuries-old techniques to create an object of spectacular beauty. And as the number of couture houses have shrunk over the decades, so have the rarified talents on whom the designers rely so heavily to bring their grand ideas to life. In 1946 there were 277 plumassiers, or feather makers, in Paris. Today, there is only one in all of France.

If this sounds depressing to you, imagine how it sat with the people at Chanel. To suffer in a world with fewer and fewer superbly crafted and fantastically embellished and gloriously feather-trained dresses? NEV-AIR! So, several years ago they did what a good couture house would and they bought Lemarie, the last remaining Paris plumassier, and four other struggling couture ateliers in order to preserve and nurture these endangered arts. (The other four are Michel for millinery, Desrues for costume jewellery, Massaro for shoemaking, and Lesage for embroidery.) Keep in mind, Chanel needs them just as much to survive as a brand as they need the backing to continue. Chanel without haute couture is like Anna Wintour with a mullet: it's just not right.

However, Chanel does allow the ateliers to supply other fashion houses - the artisans are not chained to their work tables with only baguettes and wine to sustain them.

Lemarie, founded over a century ago, also makes Chanel's camellias - the beautiful silk or feather flowers that adorn their hats and clothing. The first were ordered by Coco Chanel in 1960, and since  then over 40,000 have been made for the fashion house. That's a lot of tired hands and sore eyes.

There's a great article at The Guardian if you want to get a glimpse inside the ateliers.

What Goes Into Making a Chanel Haute Couture Coat?

Haute couture is the crème de la crème of luxury fashion. Made to order by a mere handful of approved design houses that adhere to the rigid requirements as defined by the Syndical Chamber for Haute Couture in Paris, the garments can cost upwards of $100,000. There are about 2,000 haute couture clients in the world, and of them only 200 or so are considered to be regular buyers (the rest just wait for the sales. Ha.). Of course, Chanel is one of the makers of these coveted works of art that so few are fortunate enough to own.

So, what goes into making an haute couture garment? To start, it's the uniqueness of design, the expert workmanship and the materials are of the highest quality. They are sewn, embroidered and beaded by hand, and several hundred hours can be required to complete one piece (not including smoke breaks. I joke - I imagine there's a daily sniff-inspection to keep the garments smelling like a cloud in paradise).

Chanel offered a glimpse into how one of the coats from their Fall 2008 Haute Couture collection was created (the final runway look pictured above). This exquisite piece of art-as-outerware took specially-skilled artisans three hundred painstaking hours to make. Here's what happened after Karl Lagerfeld handed his sketch of the herringbone coat to the premier of the atelier:

                      Step 1: The herringbone patterns are drawn on muslin

Step 2: The herringbone patterns are reproduced on fabric


  Step 3: For the sleeves, the tweed herringbone designs

                     are placed on satin.                                       

Step 4: The sleeves are then transferred to a wooden form

                              

                    Step 5: The tweed herringbone is placed by hand on the
                    satin to ensure a perfect fit.

                     Step 6: Rigorous checking is carried out during the
                     mounting of the pieces, to ensure the proportions are
                     true to the design.

Step 7: The lining is affixed inside the coat.

         Step 8: Shoes are selected to go with the coat. The shoes are handmade
         in Massaro ateliers.

Step 9: The all-important fittings, during which final tiny but

                sometimes crucial alterations are made.

   Step 10: The look is ready and the model (lucky Kim Noorda) is prepped backstage at the Grand Palais in Paris before Chanel’s haute couture Fall 2008 show

Here are a few of my favourite pieces from the show:

Production photos via The Star Malaysia

Tate Merchandise: Is Rothko Rolling in His Grave?

Before Mark Rothko offed himself in a hideous way in 1970, he made it clear to gallery curators that a particular collection of his iconic "pictures" as he called them, were to be displayed with specific parameters in mind: he wanted the gallery walls to be painted "off-white with umber and warmed by a little red", hung "as close to the floor as possible, ideally no more than six inches above it", in a room with ordinary daylight, since it was in daylight that they were painted. And don't even entertain the notion of framing any of them.

If you have an appreciation for Rothko and have seen his pictures in person (the only way you really can appreciate him), you will understand why his requests were non-negotiable - standing before one of Rothko's huge, dramatic canvases can be an intense and emotional experience. (Dark sunglasses and a wig might be a good idea if you're not keen on being seen weeping in public.)

So, when I saw Tate Modern's Rothko merchandise collection, produced to coincide with their current exhibition of the artist's work (I'm guessing, as I haven't seen most of this stuff outside of the books, etc. before), my immediate reaction was "How could they? Don't they know better?" Well, they do. Their 'Rothko room' followed his exhibit guidelines to the last detail, after all. Considering how the collection arrived there in the first place, surely he would loathe the replication of his iconic elements to make bags, t-shirts, scarves, mugs and coasters? I feel awkward and guilty having a framed poster on my wall, but if I can't have an original....

Rest in peace, Mark Rothko, I wouldn't be caught dead with one of those bags.

Exclusive! That Song from the Marc by Marc Jacobs Show? Meet GoldieLocks

If you've seen the Marc by Marc Jacobs show video for NY fashion week (watch it now if you haven't seen it, bottom right video link), you are likely wondering 'What is that song? I must know! I can't get it out of my head! I'm dancing uncontrollably!'' That was my reaction after hearing the track Marc Jacobs used to open and close his show, it suited the spirit of the collection perfectly (well, maybe not the guys, they looked like eunuchs). After doing a few fruitless Google searches for 'English female rapper' and variations of, my light bulb went on (it's low watt). I recalled hearing '...and I'll be rockin' em in that Goldilocks way' and 'Goldlilocks hoodie' throughout the track and thought 'hmm....maybe that's a hint'. Bingo! The song is called Neek Chic by Croydon, South London vocalist/producer Sarah 'GoldieLocks' Akwisombe.

Amazingly, the 23 year-old beatmaker wasn't aware her work had figured so significantly in the show, until I contacted her and asked about it! How did she react to the news? Read the interview for some insight into this exciting new talent:

I won't pretend I know...what does 'Neek Chic' mean? And what is the song about?

It's loosely based on me and my mate making our own t shirts a few years ago. Neek is like a Croydon word for a geek, and we didn’t care that we were neeks, so we thought we were Neek Chic. The tees ended up having ‘Neek Chic’ on them. The chorus doesn’t actually make sense, I just thought it sounded cool. I made it up behind the bar at Starbucks when I used to work there. It was released back in May on the ‘Wasteman’ single as the B side.

How do you feel about your track being used for such a major NY Fashion week show? Hearing yourself while Marc Jacobs is taking his bow?!

Well I actually only found out cos you told me! It’s really weird actually. Really cool but weird. Seeing them all walking straight faced and taking such a stupid song so seriously. It’s funny, and I’m very honoured! Hopefully I can go to the show next time ;) The girls in my management office are working on blagging free clothes from Marc Jacobs as we speak...

What do you think of the collection?

I really like it actually! I need to watch it properly as I was so excited earlier I just watched the bits with my song. But I like it a lot.

Who or what do you like to wear right now? I sense of bit of a fashion rebellion in your tracks. I think I heard a diss on Topshop in Neek Chic? And then there's Mmm...Fashion "all you wanna do is talk about fashion, and I don't wanna hear it!"

I usually wear big baggy cool T shirts with printed leggings, or band T shirts. A lot of trainers, some heels on occasions but I usually end up taking them off.. Anything with colour! Topshop here is good, they have good pieces and good value for money but its just so ‘done’ here. You go out and everyone is wearing the same clothes cos they all bought their outfit in Topshop. ‘Mmm Fashion’ was more a diss at the people in London who try so hard to out do each other and look original that they all actually end up looking the same, and how seriously some people take fashion. 

Do you have any thoughts on Marc Jacobs using only female artists for his collection? Do you know any of the others?

Not really any thoughts, I guess it’s kinda cool! I didn’t recognise any of the other songs apart from M.I.A whom I love. They all sounded pretty fresh.

Listening to your voice in your tracks and how it works with the beats, you make it seem so easy. When did you realise you're a natural for rapping/singing and making beats?

Making beats I’ve been doing since forever, just in different ways, I used to play the drums but I never had a band to play with. I’m more of a producer than a writer but as time has gone on I’ve got better at singing hooks and writing melodies.

Considering that your lyrics represent your views on the world around you, your personal world, does it give you a kind of freedom to be able to express yourself this way?

It does and doesn’t. It means you can say your opinion but you still have to fit it into a 3 minute song that people can understand and doesn’t go way over their heads. Also, people often get your opinions twisted or think you are arrogant. One line can suddenly stop people listening to your music from that point on.

Is Wasteman about someone you know, or a broader frustration?

It was about a guy who messed my sister about. She was kinda pissed off about it so I was trying to cheer her up.

Where are you looking to go with your music? Do you see yourself as strictly an underground artist (referring to the electro and grime influences) or do you have aspirations to reach as wide an audience as possible and go stateside, or global?

I’d like to be world known, but still on an indie vibe, if that makes sense. Kinda like how M.I.A or Dizzee Rascal have done. I would like to be well known as a producer, as that’s more important to me than being an artist.

How is it that you're not on your way already? You're obviously a huge talent, your voice has style, you can write and produce and your tracks are immediately addictive. Never mind certain aesthetic qualities that make you a marketer's dream. Seriously!!

Because some people find my voice annoying! I think also I don’t fit into a box, which I like, but can be hard for people to make their mind up on. I think I make music like Marmite, you either love it or hate it. Most people are quite sheep-like when deciding if they like music, it’s easier to say a song is ok and save face than saying you love a tune and the person next to you hates it.

 Aside from collaborations, you produce all of your own music?

I mostly make my own beats, occasionally make songs with other producers and produce / remix for other artists a lot. (Ed. note: She's made beats/written for Kate Nash, Example, Neon Hitch, Cerebral Vortex, Tinchey Stryer, Jeeday Jaws, Frisco, Miss Odd Kidd, and Cock n Bull Kid, and done remixes for Mutya Buena, Example, Eliza Doolittle, The Mitchell Brothers, Master Shorty, and Envy.)

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

My new single is out NOW on itunes and as limited edition CD. Check out my merch shop at www.goldielocksmusic.bigcartel.com (Ed.note: you can buy the Wasteman / Neek Chic 7" vinyl here)

GoldieLocks will be performing live tonight at the launch party for her 2nd single 'Kids / Drug Dee-La'. It's a free event and begins at 6 pm at Puregroove Records at 6-7 West Smithfield, London, EC1A 9JX. RSVP asap to sarah@ATCmanagement.com to be added to the guestlist.

And if you're finding yourself loving GoldieLocks' music, spread the word!

This Artist Certainly Isn't Starving

These hilarious, incredible and tasty bento box creations are from Sakuraku Kitso, found via Trophy Horse, where I originally saw a few selections and was immediately curious about how they came to be.

Sakuraku is an avid bento box artist who does up these whimsical lunches for her lucky family and friends. She's taken the cookie-cutter sandwich shapes idea to a whole new level and created an art form. Seriously, next time I think I'm impressing my daughter by cooking an egg in a piece of bread with a heart-shape cut out of it, I'm going to feel somewhat ashamed and inferior. More so than usual.

Is it just me or is there a certain comfort in seeing food all tucked in this way? I think it reminds me of lunch time early in elementary school; I'd open my lunchbox with the matching thermos that my mom packed, usually branded with some TV series running at the time (did I have a Laverne & Shirley lunchpail?) and I'd see my sandwich wrapped up all nice, carrot sticks which I mostly ignored, the apple I never ate and hid in my room until it rotted, and the Hostess cupcake or some other packaged treat that was probably killing us. Hey, we're still here, right?

Modelled after the 60s poster, not an endorsement of drugs! says Sakuraku

Rothko Fans Must-See: Rothko Symposium at Tate Modern

I'm on the email list for Tate Modern's Events and Courses calendar, for curiosity's sake, which is pretty much a tease as I live in the north east of England and The Tate Modern is in London, about three hours on the train. Trains in the UK are very expensive, it's cheaper to fly (how's that helping offset our carbon footprint?) and then you'd have to get a hotel for the night before. Cost of one night in London would be about $500 including travel - and that's if done on the cheap.

However, this time there was an event that would make the trip and all of its sacrifices worthwhile. Rothko The Symposium is happening Saturday, September 27th, 2008 from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm:

This symposium brings together a stellar cast of international speakers to explore Mark Rothko's late work in the context of the 1960s, a time of historic turmoil when the practice of painting was under increasing attack. The speakers explore key issues such as series and seriality, and the existentialist endeavour of Rothko's late paintings against the rise of Pop art, minimalism and Conceptual art, offering new ways of thinking about one of the most significant artists of the last century.

If you 'get' Rothko, you are thinking this sounds so cool and you are really wanting to go. If you don't know who he is or you don't get Rothko, then you would likely rather eat a piece of gum off the street. I fall into the first category (obviously) and feel such an intense affinity for Rothko's later work that to describe it here would embarrass me, my family and the guy who delivers our groceries.

If you know what I mean, and haven't visited Tate Modern before, make a point of it if you find yourself in London. They boast a Rothko room that is home to nine of the murals he was commissioned to paint for the most exclusive room of the new restaurant at The Four Seasons in New York's Seagram Building. Rothko gave them to Tate Modern after returning his fee and refusing to hand them over to the luxury hotel chain, at odds with the lifestyle of excess that the once poor, Russian immigrant had come to despise.  

But it's not quite what you'd expect. From the fascinating 2002 Guardian article Feeding Fury: How Rothko's Seagram murals found their way to London:

This is what Rothko told John Fischer, a fellow tourist he bumped into in the bar of an ocean liner crossing the Atlantic in the early summer of 1959 after he had been working for several months on the paintings. Fischer was an editor of Harper's Magazine and their conversations over drinks have therefore been recorded - Fischer published Portrait Of The Artist As An Angry Man, a memoir of Rothko, in Harper's Magazine in July 1970. Some guardians of Rothko's memory prefer to think that he was playing up to the journalist, that he didn't mean what he said, because what he said is so incendiary. Rothko told Fischer he wanted to upset, offend and torture the diners at the Four Seasons, that his motivation was entirely subversive.

Fischer quotes Rothko describing the room in that very expensive restaurant in the Seagram Building as "a place where the richest bastards in New York will come to feed and show off".

Rothko didn't seem to Fischer in the least unworldly, let alone spiritual about his intentions. "I hope to ruin the appetite of every son of a bitch who ever eats in that room," he gloated, with paintings that will make those rich bastards "feel that they are trapped in a room where all the doors and windows are bricked up".

I've sat in that room on four occasions and found that despite his attempts to disturb the viewer (which he does succeed in doing), Rothko couldn't betray what seems to be an unstoppable propensity to create a beautiful experience (described by many as 'religious' or 'spiritual'). The shapes within, like those in the rest of his late pictures (as he liked to call them) do also float above the canvas. It's a profoundly confusing ordeal, and I highly recommend it.

Cecil Beaton: Beautiful Pictures, Beautiful Words

Have you ever read about someone whose body of work is so immense and so accomplished that you can feel the breath sucked out of you?

Cecil Beaton was best known as a photographer of theatrical, royal and societal luminaries, and he snapped a few models here and there. The Londoner also designed for the stage and film, winning Oscars for costume design for Gigi and My Fair Lady and for his art direction on the latter. In 1972 he was knighted, but so was Cliff Richard so it's not a big deal, really.

While the days of being able to view his fashion photographs with a simple flip through Vogue or Vanity Fair are long, long, gone, some of Beaton's most compelling work is immediately tangible - through his many fascinating books consisting largely of his diaries. Loaded with name dropping, juicy insider bits (he had an affair with Greta Garbo in the 40s) and bitchy observations, the gossip is countered by his voluminous heart-felt expressions (Garbo would fit here as well) - an example being his love of nature, particularly flowers.

The Glass of Fashion is considered by some to be his best writing. Described by Maria Bustillos, editor of Vintage Voice, as "a vivid book, sensual, rich, absurd, philosophical and prophetic", I was immediately intrigued and looked to see who was selling it. From what I gather it's out of print and if you want a used copy (albeit first edition, 1954) you can spend anywhere from $92 to $1035, depending on the condition. Hmm.....

The good news is you can get the more accessible title The Unexpurgated Beaton: The Cecil Beaton Diaries as He Wrote Them, 1970-1980 for $17.95 at Amazon.com. Written during Beaton's declining years, and being an unexpurgated diary (nothing has been removed) there is some detail that will be off-putting for some - though for most fans, likely not enough to spoil an otherwise enjoyable read (Andy Warhol and David Bailey make an appearance). Includes 40 photographs.

 
Matisse Series, 1952                          Marilyn Monroe's favourite portrait

  Marlene Dietrich, 1935
     

 The official coronation portrait of Queen Elizabeth, taken after the ceremony (Amazingly, this could be a Dali painting with the addition of a halved pomegranate and a reference to sodomy.)   

Telephone Boxes Can Be More Than Icky Germ Spreaders

When I was in Toronto last December doing some Christmas shopping, I found myself in need of a phone to let my husband and mother-in-law know that I was on my way home (I'd got caught up in long queues and missed dinner). Since I live in the UK I don't have a mobile here, and pay-as-you go phones aren't the cheap 'n easy option they are in the land of pubs o' plenty. So I found a quarter and searched for a pay phone, it wasn't easy, but alas, one appeared before me.

As I went to lift the receiver, I looked at what I was about to put to my ear and mouth. Now, I'm no germaphobe, I have the usual aversions but pretty realistic about what could hurt me and what's not a big deal. However, I was in the downtown core of a city where just about every woman I know has a story about some depraved, creepy guy, er, we'll just say 'exposing himself' in front of them, on the street, in broad daylight. And sometimes it didn't end there. It was a mute point in the end, the phone ate my last quarter.

On that note! A telephone box became a thing of beauty when transformed into an aquarium filled with colourful fish and sea plants (and they are still pretty cool in England, though many are filled with adverts for um, girlie 'chat' lines with X-rated photos. I have taken this post into the gutter.) Artists Benoit Deseille and Benedetto Bufalino created the aquarium for the Lyon Light Festival in Lyon, France. Bufalino explains:

“With the advent of the mobile telephone, telephone booths lie unused. We rediscover this glass cage transformed into an aquarium, full of exotically coloured fish; an invitation to escape and travel.”

I just hope no one does as my one brother did when he was six and gets the bright idea to 'free the fishies'. Those poor little guppies.

From Gizmodo UK. Posted in February. Yes, I've been slow on the uptake but it's so cool, is it not?

What a Wonderful Collage

Turns out that legendary trumpeter Louis Armstrong had a penchant for collage, as revealed by the Paris Review:

The story goes that he did a series of collages on paper and tacked them up on the wall of his den, but Lucille, who had supervised the purchase and interior decoration of their house in Corona, Queens, objected. Armstrong decided to use his extensive library of tapes as a canvas instead, and the result is a collection of some five hundred decorated reel-to-reel boxes, one thousand collages counting front and back.

The collages feature photographs of Armstrong with friends (like the snapshot captioned “Taken at Catherine and Count Basie’s swimming pool, at his birthday party, August 1969”) and with fans (Armstrong seems never to have refused a photo op or an autograph); congratulatory telegrams and clippings from reviews of his performances; a blessing from the Vatican (as reassembled by Louis, the first lines read: “Mr. and Mrs. Most Holy Father Louis Armstrong”); and cutouts from packages of Swiss Kriss herbal laxatives, which, judging from the label’s ubiquity in these pieces, were as much a staple of Armstrong’s daily life as playing the horn. Only occasionally do the collages indicate the musical content within; usually there is no correlation.

Armstrong made generous use of various kinds of adhesive tape not only to attach images to each box but also to laminate, frame, or highlight them. The works are untitled and undated, but he was making them as early as the 1950s; in a letter from 1953 he wrote, “Well, you know, my hobbie (one of them anyway) is using a lot of scotch tape . . . My hobbie is to pick out the different things during what I read and piece them together and [make] a little story of my own.”

See, sometimes the wife's hardnosed-ness ends up being for the greater good! Now, what can I get on about around here....

 

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Long Live the Mighty Pencil

          

          

                   

Unless you're an artist or recreational sketcher, you likely see the pencil as somewhat of an antiquity - that thing in the pen cup with the broken point and half-missing/chewed eraser that is useless to you, but for some reason you don't chuck it out year after year.

Sentiments from childhood? Not ready to turn your back completely on the 'old ways' in favour of embracing the stylus? If you want to keep the graphite alive, you may like these sculptures made from the pencil lead in castings of calla lilies, pea pods, spindle shells, asparagus, oak leaf, and hands, among other things. And yes, you can draw with them.

San Francisco artist Agelio Batle offers three collections of the practical sculptures including a limited edition range that features a double-ended finger. (Not so sure I could hold it, I find it hard to even look at it. So, calla lily it is, then.)

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Be Careful What You Wish For

Here's a little something I found on Let Them Eat Cake that made me smile for its wonderful style. It's from Selina Steward, a London film director-on-the-verge who's taken inspiration from the silent films of the 1920s for this piece. (Great vanity and chair, too!)

A little Dali/Buñuel-esque as well, isn't it? Very exciting, I'd love to see a series. (Well, actually, there is a version on YouTube that includes another afterward where an unsuspecting lovely gets the 'bee stung' lips she's after, literally, but I posted this instead as the resolution is far better).

I wonder if it's simply a light-hearted poke at women's vanity or a stern satirical finger-shaking at the cosmetics industry for promising such outlandish things? ('Our breakthrough brush gives you lashes 40x thicker!') Or maybe both? It takes two to tango and we really don't learn, do we?

Since we're on the topic of mascara, what I found works best for lengthening and thickening without smudging is £6.95 Rimmel Magnif'Eyes. (When will they run out of clever names for mascaras? I think maybe they already have.) I do use it over primer (Stila makes a great one), but it's still far better than any of the $30+ tubes I've tried in the past (many of which use those awful 'extending fibres' - who wants to look in the mirror after getting home from a date and see LASH DANDRUFF all over your cheek??). 

Fractal Yes, But Practical?

This cool cube of interlocking drawers from New York's Takeshi Miyakawa Design definitely gets the 'oohs and ahhs' at first glance. Unfortunately, to utilise Fractal 23 it to its full capacity you need access from all sides. Space saving and space wasting all-in-one. The idea could suit an island, or a table perhaps (if it didn't have holes in the top? Or am I being daft?).

Seeing the drawers pulled out reminded me of Salvador Dali's repetitive theme using corporal drawers (now that's efficiency):

The Burning Giraffe, 1937                                             Venus de Milo with Drawers, 1936

 

  The City of Drawers. Study for The Anthropomorphic Cabinet, 1936

Fractal 23 from Boing Boing

 

Highlights of Hyères

The Festival International de Mode et de Photographie à Hyères has now wrapped up its public program (including fashion shows and awards ceremony) after what appears to have been a mind-blowing event. If you're not familiar, it was established in Hyères (in the south of France) 22 years ago to unveil 10 young fashion designers and 10 young photographers from all over the world, under the patronage of an international jury. I'm going to look into the new talent when I get the time to give it my full attention and hopefully I'll see a more varied approach than the draped black fabric and stark (though beautiful) images caught in a few quick glances.

One of the best parts of the festival is the exhibition which showcases a selection of the world's most fascinating photographers and their works. The Sartorialist was one, who as you may know is the man behind the #1 most influential fashion blog of the same name, snapping street fashion as he finds it. The results are often times stunning portraits of his random subjects.  I've just checked his blog and naturally it features some shots taken within the last few days in Hyères (see below). Simply gorgeous, gives you even more reason to wish you'd been. No need to fret, however! The exhibition runs until June 1, so if you're going to be in France between now and then you'd be mad not to go, and it's free.

 

For me, the exhibition draw would be the works of Melvin Sokolsky, photographer for Harper's Bazaar in the 1960s who created fashion classics with his Bubble and Flying series. One look and you can see why he's known for his portrayal of a light and playful world of enchantment, as illustrated in the first photo shown above, from the Chairs series, 1963. I don't mean to ruin what was almost a proper post, but I can't help but be reminded of Lily Tomlin's Sesame Street guest character Edith Anne who sat in that enormous rocking chair, fiddling with her feet while describing in that snot-nosed kid voice a disgusting sandwich made of peanut butter, salami, raisins, pickles, mustard, tuna... you get the point. Oh, what a beautiful post this could have been.

To the rescue, more of the astounding Melvin Sokolsky (photos from Style Bubble, photographed on exhibit in Hyères):

Cover of Donna magazine, 1964 (What do we have now? Airbrushed and Photoshopped actresses. Sigh.)

Bubble series. On The Seine, Paris with Simone d'Aillencourt, 1963

Simone d'Aillencourt on a labryinth, 1961

Elvis Lives! (sort of)

When I was in Amsterdam last April to see the tulips (which hadn't yet bloomed because spring was so late, ugh) I visited the Stedelijk Museum and was greeted by a very absorbing installation.

At first I was attracted by a large mass of infinite coral-pink fog, projected onto the wall by a custom pink computer. The serene images floating toward me were immediately hypnotic, so it took a few moments to realize what they were - Elvises in full Vegas costume. The trance was soon broken when one of the Elvises began twitching, then another, then another. 

Karma Physics < Elvis is a work by Los Angeles digital artist Brody Condon. It is the modification of the bloody science fiction first person shooter computer game Unreal 2003. The convulsions of Elvis are controlled by the original game’s Karma Ragdoll real-time physics system - generally used to simulate the physical dynamics of game character death. Had Elvis lived longer his pelvic gyrations may have degenerated to such a move.

Disturbing, yet mesmerizing and beautiful. I suddenly have a craving for fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches...

To see Karma Physics < Elvis in action, click here