The Swelle Life

Floral Friday: Au Revoir, Francois Lesage

The man responsible for much of the heartbreakingly exquisite beauty of haute couture has died.  Francois Lesage was head of Maison Lesage, the legendary embroidery salon in Paris where rare magic happens. He was 82.

It seems the craft was in his blood. His father, Albert, founded the family firm in 1924 when he bought the atelier of Napoleon III’s embroiderer, Michonet, who had also worked for Charles Frederick Worth. Subsequently Albert married Marie-Louise Favot, an embroidery worker at Vionnet. With that legacy how could he have followed any other path?

Luckily he fell in love with beautifying textiles with threads and beads and has helped keep this highly skilled art alive, through the work of the Maison as seen on the best of haute couture (not without help from Chanel who saved the Maison by buying it), and ensuring new talent is nurtured through his Paris school, Ecole Lesage Atelier de Broderie. What a dream vocation. (A fellow Canadian named Sarah Crowley got her dream and moved to Paris to study at Lesage a few years ago, you can read about her time there and see her own beautiful designs at Glimpse Creations.)

Below is a delight of an interview with Lesage from 1987 from Fashion Television:

Christian Lacroix's exquisiteness was greatly owed to Lesage

Floral Friday! Papery Printed Porcelain from Bath

This past weekend I went on a girls' trip to visit a friend in Bristol (no one makes toast like you, Sophie) and it included a visit to dreamy Bath, which is a must when in town. We had gorgeous autumn weather and I really wished I had my camera, but I left it at home so I wouldn't be holding up the group or miss everything that was happening. I took lots of pictures in spring of last year which you can see here here here and here. (Though I do find my old photos a bit cringe-worthy so if you look, do it quickly, eh?)

While roaming the shops in Bath I popped into Rostra & Rooksmoor Galleries - I couldn't resist a turquoise-painted shop - and saw a collection of works by local ceramicist Janine Roper which immediately attracted me due to their Delftware influences. And then they really intrigued me when I noticed they weren't poured into moulds but had a papery effect in that they were obviously hand-formed. I didn't get her name (must work on that) but the woman at the gallery was really helpful and explained that the artist rolls out the porcelain into sheets, cuts and shapes it and then screenprints it. That is is so neat! She uses mostly traditional cobalt blue oxides and draws her print design from vintage 'Sunday Best' tea sets and other domestic items from her life.

I had to take one home and decided on the jug, a charming little piece that stands about 6" high. I pictured delicate flowers in it but really wanted to actually use it, as a jug. But I wasn't sure if that was a stupid idea (that happens a lot with me). Was it safe? Would I break it? I got all excited when I read the artist's statement the lovely woman gave me and saw the words "pour exquisite drinks from her range of pitchers of all different sizes." Permission! I've been displaying the jug on my aqua French side table in my living room, then last night when I was putting a tray of tea together I took it into the kitchen and filled it with milk. This was exciting to me. Is milk exquisite? No, not unless it comes from an exceptionally beautiful cow. But it made my tea ritual much nicer.

I know what I want to do in my next life. Study ceramics in Bath. That sounds pretty good to me.

You can see where the porcelain is folded, giving it a papery effect

The spout has been applied as a separate piece but it appears seamless from the exterior

Photos and collage © The Swelle Life

LFW: Fred Butler SS12 Teaser

It's going to take me a few more days to edit the rest of the shots I took at Fred Butler's mindblowing SS12 presentation at LFW on Sunday, but I couldn't wait to show one of my favourites - a head piece or hat, lilac-pink (one of the best colours ever) hexagonal sunglasses and fabric earrings that follow through on the sorbet softness of the voluminous scarf/top/jacket (in the full shot it's like a longer bolero style). The fact that I can't quite define it exactly is one of the reasons I love Fred Butler.

More to come!

Photos © The Swelle Life

Jet Black Perfect Pair

I received a gift recently, a very special pair of earrings of hand carved jet and sterling silver by artist jeweller Molly Vogel. She calls them Perfect Pair and I'm inclined to agree! There's no black like the saturated midnight hue of jet, and I love that she's  finished the perfectly smooth baubles to a subtle, matte shine. They have a nicely substantial weight that still feels comfortable to wear.

Molly is a very talented and thoughtful artist, you can read our interview here and see more of her work, including her stunning flower rings which are my favourites.

Photo © The Swelle Life

Saving the 'Gone With the Wind' Dresses

You would think the costumes from one of Old Hollywood's most iconic films would be preserved with the kind of care afforded to newborns. Yet the velvety brocade and feather embellished garments from the epic Gone With the Wind were not treated as precious, they were tortured! Well, not intentionally so, but some do look a bit nasty now as a result. Compare the Technicolor emerald green and brilliant gold of Scarlett O'Hara's curtain dress as seen above on the set to the faded mess it is today:

Ack! Was it pulled from a swamp? How did it and other important pieces from film history wind up like this? It's a combination of factors. The dresses endured decades of traveling on display and had been on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. They were dry-cleaned multiple times, sprayed with disinfectant - likely Sudol, similar to Lysol (that can't be good) which could have affected the rate and nature of the fading (no kidding) - and displayed in department stores. However, streaks of 'brown mustard' discolouration remain an unsightly, dijon-esque mystery.

Some pieces, such as the burgundy ball gown, have retained the depth of their colour, but Scarlett's veil is unfortunately a lost cause. Brittle, creased and too fragile to be handled, it has booked a one-way plane ticket to Miami and is learning to lawn bowl.

Associated Press was invited to observe the restoration process undertaken by the Harry Ransom Centre at the University of Texas and gave us these photos of the costumes in their current state. It will cost $30,000 to restore five dresses which, according to the Yahoo article, are from the collection of David O. Selznick which was acquired in the 80s. The producer of Gone with the Wind died in 1965, so I'm guessing his family took possession of the collection. All of this is about getting the pieces in good shape for a 2014 exhibit to mark the film's 75th anniversary.

So how does one approach repair on garments that just can't take any more? The Ransom Center has enlisted the help of the University of Texas' textiles and apparel technology lab to analyze the fibers in the faded areas. New technology will allow the fibers to be examined without being destroyed.

Cara Vernell, an independent art conservator who specializes in Hollywood film costumes and is doing the restoration work explains, "We do not add color back. That would be me, this lone individual in the 21st century, deciding what that was going to look like 75 years ago. It's unethical. You just don't do that. We honor the history and we honor the piece."

I get it.

Photos from AP

Interiors & Exteriors: Saltburn-by-the-Sea

  

Now I love our beach, the aptly named Longsands that spans Tynemouth to Cullercoats, and the neighbouring idyllic King Edwards Bay with the Priory Castle overlooking the North Sea from its beautiful, craggy cliff. But last weekend I really fell hard for the beach and seaside community of Saltburn-by-the-Sea in North Yorkshire. We were visiting our lovely friends in their new home in Yarm for the first time and they spoiled us in all kinds of ways, and one of them was taking us to their local beach to share the beauty.

Not only was the beach gorgeous and expansive with an impressive look-out pier, there were all kinds of charming little shops, restaurants and ice cream stands, and of course anything one needed to surf (no, I didn't, that would look ridiculous).  It was a clear, sunny day and people from all over had come to pretend it was spring. I have never seen a queue so long for fish and chips, and in England that's saying a lot.  (It was worth the wait!)

This post  is for this week's Interiors & Exteriors feature and it's long enough sticking to the theme, so I'll post the beach shots separately. Are you craving fish and chips now? I am.

In the town, just a quick uphill walk from the beach, there were some great shops. I was already lagging behind and we needed to eat lunch so I didn't go in, but I wanted some photos of the wonderful window displays of Northern Lights Interiors

As I was snapping away I saw a woman smiling from inside - you can see her below! and I smiled and waved. As I headed down the road she came out after me and asked if I'd take photos of the storefront, they'd been having trouble getting them without cars in the way and I was happy to oblige. I even had a man ham it up for me!

 

We passed a random rusted-out door that appeared to lead to nowhere with a keypad right in the middle. I'll bet if you pushed the right numbers it would transport you to another dimension. Prove me wrong!

  This photo would have been so much cooler if I'd waited just 10 more seconds...

 

On display at Arts Bank were lamps and tables in vibrant patchwork by Jane Atkinson and a metal sculpture by Ray Lonsdale. Each contains a 'secret meaning' in the form of an object placed in the head. Now, if I'd read the brief beside this life-size contemplative man instead of taking a photo and reading at home, I would have looked and been able to tell you what was in his head! 

 
   

Photos by Denise Grayson

Judith carries on from Act 1 of last week's Balenciaga Hears the Sound of Music - read it here.

Judith, with her vestal cherubs, says "Call me Old Fashioned but I couldn't resist." Nun's collar and cuffs by Judith Frankland, skirt is vintage from West Germany and the headpiece is from Relate charity shop. 

Act 2 The Chenil Gallery in Chelsea was the setting for my next show. Steve Strange modelled for me and asked his beautiful friend Francesca Von Thyssen to also do so.This led to the lovely spread in the Italian magazine Donna. Melissa Caplan, talented and extremely inventive, also showed her line. At that time she was dressing Steve, Spandau Ballet and Toyah. Our dressing rooms, like our clothes, could not have been more different. Melissa's was calm, organised, alcohol free. Mine chaotic, unorganised and alcohol friendly! To the sound of Ultravox's Vienna my models made their way, if somewhat wobbly, down the makeshift runway. It was a fun day.

Steve Strange and Francesca Von Thyssen model Judith Frankland

Judith's card from the 80s. She was 'Judi' then

I was next commisioned to make four outfits for Steve, a young boy, a teenage boy and an elderly man for Visage's Mind of a Toy  video. It was made by Godley and Creme (10 cc). The four identical suits were in pale blue/ turquoise moire taffeta with antique looking frilly lace shirts. It is a stunning video, beautifully shot. After the day filming, hair stylist extrordinaire Ollie and I went off to check out the Brummie rivals to London's Spandau, Duran Duran. We went in critical mode but after a few drinks left Planet Earth and had a fab time. A few weeks later so did Duran for different reasons - the rest is history.

Judith designed and made four costumes for Visage's Mind of a Toy Video

Steve Strange wore Judith's designs for the Fade to Grey cover

HELL! An ironic name for Steve and Rusty's next club in Covent Garden. Why? Because word had spread about "The Blitz Kids " and how they dressed and acted, and as usual, some mindless buffoons didnt like it. They would come and stand outside heckling and threatening. The window was smashed one night and we were all locked in the club for our own safety. The end was in sight for that small selective scene. Some would acuse the Bowie video for this; however, while this is probably true, it was only part of the demise. It was on the cards as bands and designers took off and became household names, plus with all the magazine coverage and TV it was inevitable. And let's face it, fame was the name of the game for the majority of the patrons.

Judith kept the invite to Hell's opening night

On a lighter, funnier note - Steve had made me cloakroom girl, a job I also took over at The Blitz when (Boy) George got sacked. The cloakroom was next to Steve at the door. One night he had to leave me alone for a few minutes and gave strict instructions that no one was to come in free of charge. As fate would have it, Helmut Newton, Bianca Jagger, David Bailey and friends arrived. They sailed in and just as I was about to stop them to make them pay Steve had spotted them and came like a bat out of Hell to stop me. The visiting Royalty went off and spent the night in the kitchen!

 

Judith's designs featured in Donna magazine which featured Boy George, before fame, on the cover:

 
When Steve and Rusty decided to put on the big event "The People's Palace" at the Rainbow everything was changing and growing rapidly. The look we favoured was an Ethnic style, Berman and Nathans sale being a favourite haunt. Our look was a DIY style of long robes, baggy pants, big shirts,  beads, shawls, sandals and rags in the hair. Steve started to look like Robinson Crusoe with designer stubble and a "tan". There was to be a fashion show and I was one of the chosen ones, but to my horror everyone pulled out the day before. Steve would not hear of me bailing and picked me up in a taxi to make sure I arrived. It went on not as planned - six outfits does not maketh a show! It was a fiasco with the same models coming on twice to lengthen it. That evening and night bands such as Ultravox , Peter Godwin's Metro and dance troupe Shock performed. However, I have to say if there was one fabulous thing that did come out of this affair it was that a young Depeche Mode played! I can actually say I was on the same bill as them - HA! To this day they are still one of my favourite bands and probably the most consistently successful and innovative to come out of those years .

 "New Romantic" hit the High Street and Royalty attempted a watered down version to the delight of the masses and the club scene exploded. The last of the "Dress up" clubs was, I would say, St Moritz, hosted by Chris Sullivan. It had a 1930s Berlin ambiance and everyone made an effort to look impeccable. The music was eclectic, the club ran for a short time and I really liked that night out. Le Beate Route and Le Kilt became the next "in" places and bank holidays in Bournemouth with, for instance, Blue Rondo a la Turk playing. It was all very boozy and wild with lots of fun heaped on top. However, a new theme to my life was about to begin and I took off to Vancouver on a whim. I stayed almost a year. I had started my search for home and this would take me back and forth to more foreign destinations over the years. To this day, every few years I get itchy feet and flee to pastures new.

Well, I have tried to fill you in a little on those early heady days, and next week I will begin the real reason I loved the idea of this opportunity to write this blog. That being to share tales of the things I love, people I admire, and celebrate some of the incredibly talented and interesting folk I have met along my way .

Next week I will start withTim Southall, an incredibly gifted artist who was still at the Royal College of Art when I met him back in the mid 80s. He did me the honour of doing some prints inspired by me and included them in his graduation show. Big question: "What do I wear? " It's just like going to the Blitz again - all I know is it must be bright. However, right now I'll just Fade to Grey 'til the next time. PS. Lots of outrageous events have been left out of this week's blog to protect the not-so-innocent, including myself!

Photos of Judith Frankland by Denise Grayson

  Judith Frankland wears a top, skirt and earrings of her own design. The perfect transition outfit for busting out of the convent.

BALENCIAGA HEARS THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Act 1

That was the description given to my graduation collection by a very generous journalist  back in 1980. My name in the same breath as the Spanish genius Cristobal Balenciaga (1895-1972) and my beloved "I want to be a nun when I grow up" film The Sound of Music - how fabulous! I accepted the comparison and compliment with delight - after all, I'm only human! My graduation show at The Cafe Royale in London was attended by some of the most glamourous faces from the Blitz and the Head honcho himself, Steve Strange. Thanks to them it was received with an enthusiastic cheer! I was told years later that Vivienne Westwood was there, this was before the McClaren-Westwood Worlds End collection had been unleashed on an awestruck London.

My small collection was predominantly black and white taffeta, brocade, velvet and satin.The black and white striped satin had embossed polka dots in turquoise and yellow in two different sizes and widths; it also came with a tale or perhaps a tall story . The delighted salesman who brought the bolts up from the basement of the shop in London "especially for me" proceeded to tell me that this fabric had been created for the Rolling Stones some years back for a tour and this was the last remaining yardage. With glee I didn't hesitate to say "I'll take it all" and the story, to this day I don't know the truth, but then again I still believe in Father Christmas!

THE VEIL AND STEPHEN JONES

 On the day of the show, my Mum who had travelled down from the Lake District with her friend was backstage with me while I nervously put the finishing touches to the frocks. Today, at 81 years old, she still recalls seeing a rather unusual looking young man coming towards us. He was wearing a suit complete with knickerbockers and ballet style shoes with bows, carrying what turned out to be the crowning glory of my ultimate piece, the black Wedding Dress. This gracious and polite young man was Stephen Jones who had kindly created this architectural wonder for me. This veil headdress was made of stiffened lace on a metal frame and was simply amazing. Who would have thought at that moment that a few years later he would be hailed as one of the world's greatest milliners? Hmm...actually anyone who came into contact with him or his work knew, it was so obvious. The dress and veil was to be worn by the beautiful statuesque model Sheila Ming, possibly best remembered now for her role in the Duran Duran video for Hungry like the Wolf.

After the show, Steve Strange contacted me and bought the dress and veil along with a couple of other pieces. One was a medieval-style taffeta jacket he later wore on the cover of the Visage single Fade to Grey. One of Steve's friends Vivienne Jagger bought the opera coat with striped polka dot lining and a huge stand up collar.

THE BLITZ, DAVID BOWIE AND ASHES TO ASHES

The icing on the cake however was the night David Bowie came to The Blitz searching for extras for his new single which would be named Ashes to Ashes. In a wonderful twist of fate, Steve was resplendent in the wedding outfit that night and was chosen straight away. He was also asked to select people he felt could be right. I believe designer Stephen Linard had been asked but due to pressing circumstances was unable to partake. I was invited as was Darla Jane Gilroy over to the table where David Bowie and his P.A. Coco were sitting and offered a glass of champagne. Darla and I were both dressed in a similar ecclesiastic style and were also asked to take part for what at that time was a decent sum of money for penniless, decadent students. We were told Coco would call us the following day with the details. I awoke with a jolt, seriously wondering if this had all been a dream. I chose to believe not and sat at the door of the "palatial" bedsit for hours waiting for the communal upstairs phone to ring so that I could sprint up in time to catch it. When the call finally came, I was instructed to be outside The Hilton the next day at some ungodly hour, fully dressed and made up the same way I had been at The Blitz, and to get the coach to a secret location.

  That wedding dress from Judith's graduate collection with the veil made by Stephen Jones

 

Judith performed in David Bowie's iconic Ashes to Ashes video along with three of her Blitz friends, including Steve Strange who wore her wedding dress and veil in some of the scenes. Judith is on the far right in the first screen cap.

When we arrived at the beach near Hastings, the crew was set up and David Bowie greeted us dressed in the Lindsay Kemp outfit he would wear that day. He coached us for a few minutes on the words we were to mime and then the day was spent in sinking sand and mud. We had "done well" we were told at the end of the day and asked to come to the studios in Wandsworth to shoot another scene. May I add that at the studios David Bowie had lunch with us mere mortals in the canteen. Yummy. The scene we were to do at the studio involved an explosion and I was at the back. In fact if you look at the video you can see my crucifix swing in. We were told to duck out and run after we had mimed our piece or we could be hurt. This was difficult in a hobble dress, so I hoisted it up as high as I could and got ready to run. Quite a sight for the superstar sat behind me. It took about three takes and we were done and told we could stay to watch the rest of the filming and that we should tell no one about the details of the video. It was all very hush hush.

The night it aired on Top of the Pops I was working at Hell (another Steve and Rusty club - more about that next week). As I had to get there early I would take the tube alone, a daunting affair. However, this particular Thursday I was wearing the outfit I had worn in the video, totally unintentionally. I was recognised by some people who had seen Top of the Pops and ridiculed by others, as usual. But it was worth it. To this day that video still interests and intrigues lots of folk. It was at the time the most expensive video ever made and the song went to Number 1, perhaps we should have bartered for more money. The mileage I got out of that collection had only just begun and I was an established New Romantic.

Adieu for now from this Old Romantic who will never be a nun.

Judith, who was known as Judi back then, had pieces from her graduated collection featured in Viz magazine where it was described as '"Balenciaga hears the Sound of Music'"

Special thanks from Judith to David Johnson for "reviving the mucky 30-year-old slides and bringing them back to life." The photographer who shot them was Niall McInerney.

Header photo of Judith by Denise Grayson.

Come back next Tuesday for Act. 2 - with more delightful (and some bitchy) surprises!

Intergalactic Transport Blackmarket: For Quilts, of Course!

 

 

Can you say your quilt is made by an Intergalactic remnants trader? You can, if you buy one of Jimmy McBride's aka Stellar Quilts hand embroidered creations. I have never, ever seen quilts - or anything else from an independent craftsperson/designer, well he's a textile artist actually - promoted this way. I pity anyone trying to top this film featured on Etsy for ingenuity, it's a tall order. Traditional craftsmanship combined with forward thinking has limitless potential for new concepts that appeal to what lies within so many of us these days - a yearning for that nostalgic feeling, and the wonder of technology. They can co-exist! I love McBride's message that no matter how advanced we as a civilisation become, we will always need comfort and warmth.

Do you remember when you were a teenager and started going over to guys' houses (only when parents were home, Mom and Dad if you're reading this - and they were gay!) and you first saw their bedroom (as you passed the open door on your way to the bathroom) and you saw that they still had a space-themed bedroom? McBride's quilts are the perfect transition piece from space-loving boy to man, so if you're 15 and you're still into your planets and stars and spaceships and beginning to feel a little uncomfortable about it but you aren't ready to pack it all in for the grey or navy striped bedspread, you don't have to leave it all behind - you can still have planets and stars plus nebulas, spacestations and a scene depicting an "attack on the energy collectors surrounding V838 in the 3rd quadrant occupied by the Reni"! Each quilt tells a part of McBride's intricately woven space odyssey so if you really want to indulge in the fantasy, oh boy can you! And you've invested in a piece of art you can really live with.

Pillar in the Carina Nebula

 

Hey, wait, it's ok Mom and Dad! That's (my brother) John's room I'm remembering! It was like being in Battlestar Galactica. Which reminds me that the only non-girlie thing I ever wore was Battlestar Galactica running shoes when I was 9. I don't know what happened there but they must have been the only pair Buster Brown had in my size at that particular time my feet grew another centimetre. That's the only place my mom would take us because they measured our feet properly and sold proper shoes. In other words, they didn't sell Sparks. I remember one day we had to take off our shoes at school for some reason and I was the last to grab mine from the pile to put back on, and the teacher held them up and said 'Whose are these?' and I sat there looking around thinking some dummy doesn't even recognise his own shoes. The other kids had to remind me they were mine. I tried to pretend that of course I knew they were my shoes, I was just taking my time getting up. Me and those BGs, we just didn't gel.

Lu Flux SS 2011: Over the Hills and Far Away...

 

Lu Flux collections are like illustrations of stories. Enchanting, magical and always colourful stories. Each season is essentially Lu's wearable version of a fairytale. A breath of fresh air amongst the high street clones and safe style, there's really nothing out there quite like Lu Flux. Her latest collection Over the Hills and Far Away is presented in collaboration with illustrator Neil O'Driscoll who clearly gets the spirit of Lu's work and brings it vividly to life in both print and film, above.

I was lucky enough to get one of the limited edition illustrated lookbooks at London Fashion Week, it's a keeper: 

The photographic lookbook is special, too. Lu designs a set for each collection to create the illusion that her model, or character, is inside a story, and therefore so are we. How can you not be smitten?

At London Fashion Week in September I saw the pieces in person for the first time and fell in love. A new shoe collaboration, Lu Flux for Green Shoes was also introduced but I was so fixated on the clothes I didn't even realise! Also for the first time, patchwork prints were created as a seamless alternative to the actual patchwork pieces, they were used to make a dress t-shirts and leggings (above, top right and bottom second last on the right).

 Front and back of a new patchwork dress, Lu Flux's signature style. Lu had just stepped out so that's her lovely assistant Natasha showing me the pieces.

 
Those overalls are pure joy! Natasha is wearing the amazing Plume Skirt from the Eco Life of Riley collection

I LOVE this top.

Ok. I need to ask Lu about this print and am doing so right now. The men's jacket which women could wear - see behind on the rack - was just awesome.

 

Each collection features a few exceptionally spectacular pieces that take days to make, like the loopy skirt (above) and dress:

Speaking of spectacular pieces, I was stunned when I saw this on display at Fashion Week in February, from the Dame and Knight AW 2010 collection (can you believe my battery has just died and I couldn't get detail shots? I could have cried):

The skirt reminds me of the Princess and the Pea. See? Fairytales you can wear!

Fancy a gorgeous piece of Lu Flux? We've got one amazing Plume Skirt left in size medium, and one each of the BowTie T-shirt and vest in Swelle Boutique in the sale, it's an absolute steal:

Cupcake Monday! The Amazing Pillow Cakes Edition

  Unbelievable! From Dessert Deli Gourmet Bakery & Cafe in Buffalo

Honestly, how do people do this? How long must this have taken? I started to think about it and I was exhausted three seconds in. Here's the big question: If someone handed you a knife and told you to make the first cut, could you? I know what I would do. I'd cut a piece out of the back and make everyone else cut their own so I would not be responsible for the destruction of this beautiful cake! Is that cowardly? I sense some kind of political metaphor lurking within this notion but luckily we're only talking about cake here.

Pillow Princess Cake by Studio Cake

By Couture Pastry

From Hawaii by Cake Lava

These look like leather! By Sweet Disposition Cakes

 

From Belle's Cake Creations and Desserts

 

I have lots more but we'll leave it and save them for Part II!

Showstudio: Mary Katrantzou Making a Blooming Skirt Live!

 

Click to view the livestream

As I write this, Mary Katrantzou is putting the final touches on her lampshade skirt made of hundreds of flowers. Mary is the latest to create a piece live in the SHOWstudio.com LiveStudio, fo their Florist exhibition. She was just discussing the model's look with the makeup artist for the big reveal. The structure for the garment was created yesterday by welder Rob Hall.

What I love about these intimate work sessions, beyond the insight into the designer or artist's creative process is the glimpse it gives us into their personality. You can easily see who is lovely (Mary is), who carries the weight of the world on their shoulders, who likes throwing up on things. (Yes, Millie Brown aka Puking Millie does that. I didn't tune in. I did look at the result, and if I'd seen something really beautiful in her um, 'expression', it would have caused me to contemplate what I know about the process behind creating beauty and there might have been something profound in that analysis, a revelation. However, to me it just looked like someone barfed coloured paint. Which was actually coloured milk. I'll fully admit that I can't get past her method to consider it thoughtfully, and I'm not sure I'm obligated, which to me means don't judge it, then. I just looked again and it actually caused me to gag, seeing her bent over the canvas with the milk spilling Pollock-ly? from her mouth. I tried. To each her own.)

So, flowery skirts! Watch before it's gone, she's been at it since this morning.

Above is the early construction of the Lampshade skirt, and it immediately reminded me of the work of Lola Brooks, my favourite artist jeweller:

Stephen Jones' Glamour on a Budget: The Reveal

 

Yesterday during Showstudio's latest LivesStudio session, Stephen Jones created a floral centrepiece and a beautiful hat trimmed with fresh flowers as his contribution to their latest exhibition, Florist. When Stephen reappeared after changing outfits - I love that he had a setting up outfit and one for working - he greeted us with 'Welcome to Glamour on a Budget' and I thought he was kidding, but apparently that was the title of this project. Which makes perfect sense considering the centrepiece was made of yogurt pots, wire hangers and toilet paper rolls! It's like the coolest nursery school craft time ever. And you'd think I'd have a photo of the final piece but the feed cut out, then they broke for a bit and there's nothing on the site. Just trust me it didn't look like it was made from the contents of your recycle bin!

The piece will be available for sale in the Showstudio Shop, so I'm a bit confused as to how that is pulled off with fresh flowers! An edited version of the session is currently being prepared.

The next Livestudio happens Monday, 6 December 10:00 GMT and it's with Mary Katrantzou!

The model was wearing an incredible John Galliano trench:

And Stephen loved her shoes:

 

Photos are screencaps of the livestream, the trench and final shot is from Showstudio

Stephen Jones Livestream at Showstudio Now!

 

Click to watch Stephen live!

Showstudio has just begun their livestream of Stephen Jones (12:00 GMT) who is creating a unique piece for the SHOWstudio Shop's latest exhibition Florist - what a treat! This is part of their series of live-streamed performances in which eminent industry figures will be joining the LiveStudio, crafting floral-themed works in tandem with the exhibition and celebrating SHOWstudio.com's ten year anniversary.

Showcasing the entire process in a live stream for today only, Jones' floral artefact will then be exhibited and available for sale.

As I write this Stephen is changing his outfit after having laid out his materials. They include a crystal vase that was a wedding gift to his mother in 1947, glass top hat, art deco mat, his baby bowl, something he bought with Janet Jackson, a book of flowers he found in Italy that he 'brought for Nick', that one being Nick Knight obviously. His friend Princess Julia is playing the music to keep viewers entertained while he wait.

Oh, he's back! And he's wearing a three-piece black suit with a Santa hat that has flashing lights on the furry trim, and an equally festive white and red dotty shirt. He's fun, eh? 

You can't miss this, he's an amazing story teller and just wonderful to listen to and watch, and he's full of all kinds of flower arranging tips and then some. See him here

 

How Not To Embarrass Yourself at a Party

 

1. Don't arrive at your holiday party going to town on a kebab.
2. Drink in moderation to later avoid needing and therefore asking your fellow revellers if they can lend you a Tena pad (or is that just me?)
3. Check that your new exorbitantly priced heels are not dragging half a toilet roll behind you. 
4. No matter how good you think you are at doing The Robot - don't.
5. And most importantly, make an entrance in a gorgeous dress that is guaranteed to bear no resemblance whatsoever to the latest high street window display, for there's a good chance if you do, you won't be the only one representing. You'll be spending the night hiding behind pillars and portly gents while guests are mentally comparing who styled it better. Who needs that? (And you had to pay for it!)

The charm of being an original amongst the identikit masses is one of the reasons I exclusively offer one-offs and limited edition pieces in Swelle Boutique, and luckily I know some very talented people who specialise in doing just that. The three dresses above, left, are one-offs from Rowanjoy, a long time Swelle favourite who uses new and vintage fabrics to create her enchanting, adorable pieces that make girls look dreamy. The Wrapped Up strapless styles are the perfect party dresses and the Obscura halter can go holiday soiree as well as resort.

On the right: It doesn't come more special than an original print created by an inspired and inspirational artist who is behind many of the prints from the London fashion week catwalks. Rob and Kate Burton are the duo known as embodied.creative, and Swelle Boutique is thrilled to have the opportunity to offer their exquisite, limited edition, made-to-order digital art print dresses to you. Thoroughly contemplated imagery is richly layered on fine silks to produce complexity and beauty in colour and texture, as seen in the stunning Babaji and Moonshadow dresses. A collection of gorgeous scarves in a choice of silks and sizes is also available.

 
Wholly Cow is an English label of one-off and limited edition pieces that have beautifully handmade touches such as contrasting crocheted collars and sleeves, and hand carved oak toggles specially made for the dresses, all seen above. Fabrics are luxe and include silk crepe and Italian tweed. The lovely tweed in the toggle wrap dress above has pretty turquoise flecks throughout the pattern, complemented  by the crocheted collar. The black shift can be made in a variety of lengths with your choice of colour for the mohair silk crochet sleeves. The cobalt version is a one-off that also looks great as a top with skinny jeans.

And if you're more of a smart top and skirt girl, there's Mitra's Victoriana mini-collection that offers a seriously figure flattering outfit of the Parlor Gathering top adorned with a list of sweet details, and its perfect accompaniment, the Promenade Pencil skirt with a lacey kick out the back which you can wear demurely or bold depending on your mood. Finish the look with the Victoriana Jacquard wool coat. All are one-offs.

By buying at Swelle Boutique you are supporting independent designers in the UK, Italy, Canada and the United States who personally create the high quality, original work that bears their name, from conception to final stitch.

The New Swelle Boutique has Arrived!

At long last, the new Swelle Boutique is here! As mentioned previously, the first version was a temporary look and format to get my first collections launched. The new site allows for more content and ease of navigation, and it's slicker but still embodies that dreamy Swelle aesthetic - of course it does! I can't do anything else!

More pretty pieces are on their way including dresses for holiday parties from Rowanjoy and Wholly Cow and gorgeous feather and chain earrings and neckpieces by Noémiah.

A Swelle label is in the works as well for spring with a few preview pieces coming in the next few weeks. I love dresses, coats and jackets so expect a lot of those!

Anrealage's Totally Unwearable Beauty

'Does this dress make me look fat?' Yes, and that's kind of the point, at least peripherally.

 

Usually, unrealistic interpretations of how women should look draw criticism. We should all be tall, skinny and eternally wrinkle-free, etc. But in the case of Kunihiko Morinaga, the Japanese conceptual designer behind the label Anrealage, the impossible manifests in ways that challenge conventional notions about the human body and how we dress it. We're too stunned for harsh words.

Plastic inflatables as a material fly in the opposite direction of a shape that offers that svelt look and feel we endlessly pursue, so at first sight we ask, 'Why?' But Morinaga's designs aren't derived from that myopic ideal of looking long, lean and chic. In fact, in many of his previous collections, he ignored the body altogether. The 'clothes' were structured objects that had absolutely to do with the human form. Morinaga likes shapes. Basic, three-dimensional shapes like the sphere, cube and pyramid. He may be an avant-garde designer whose followers likely include the Kawakubo and Margiella set, but he never intended for anyone to try to wear his pyramind hoodie or trenchcoat cube. It's just not possible, no matter how broad the mind:

Photo credit: Paul Barbera of Where They Create

When Morinaga does decide to welcome back established patterns and consider his creations as things people might actually wear, he does so beautifully, with couture attention to detail. His SS 11 collection is a hybrid of the two, in that you can actually put these clothes on, but very few would.

As much as I love feminine, figure flattering dresses with pretty details, I always give time to hearing someone's alternate view of our reality. Isn't it more fun and enriching to try to understand something so incongruent with our beliefs than to dimiss it? (But I hope Tom Cruise isn't reading this.)

These angel wing sleeves really are divine. They also come in handy on long flights.

The third one is more practical than it looks - you wouldn't have to wear a bra.

 

Show photos: WWD.com

LFW: Little Shilpa's Tulle, Chiffon and Lace Dreams

 

I love the exhibition at London Fashion Week, it's a quick and easy way to discover new designers doing exciting things in one building, while seeing your favourites' new collections in person and have a chat about them. I walked in to Somerset on the Sunday through the Embankment entrance where hat designers were grouped. It's a tough spot to be seen. I saw some very unusual hats, some odd for the sake of it, it seemed.

Then I noticed the Little Shilpa display in the corner by the door. I guess someone has to take that lonely spot? I saw delicate shapes and fabrics in the form of tulle, chiffon and lace in slate blues, taupes, grey and rose, and I floated over to them. I wasn't crazy about some of the presentations on male mannequins that look like Ken dolls, but I was still intrigued. And Ken looked ok with it, really ok with it. I fell in love with the chiffon and lace neckpiece hanging from thick chain. I wanted to touch it but Ken's eyes told me 'Noooo.' (That imaginary detail reminds me of a story. Years ago in Toronto I took a part-time job at a boutique while working at my communications job, thinking it would give me extra money. We all know where that 'extra' money went, and then some. One day the owner was helping a Japanese girl who was trying on jeans. When she came out of the changeroom he knelt down behind her and began adjusting something in the 'seat'. I swear, he wasn't a perv. She said sternly 'That not for feel!' He had no idea what she was saying so he kept doing what he was doing. Then she started swatting his hand away and he still didn't get it so I had to go over and say 'THAT NOT FOR FEEL!' The poor girl was traumatised. But I think she still bought the jeans. He should have given her a discount for the 'feel'.)

Back to Little Shilpa. I didn't see anyone there so I didn't speak to anyone, and the website only offers a teeny bit of biographical information in easily digestible form - we want to know about you, Little Shilpa! There's a comprehensive CV for download, however, if you've got the time. (I had a quick skim and after two seconds I was feeling grossly unaccomplished.) What I did gleen is that Little Shilpa is Shilpa Chavan, a Mumbai-based designer of one-off headpieces, jewellery and accessories for retail and runway. (I kind of already knew that.) You can see examples of her commercial and runway work after my poorly-lit photos.  

 The pieces above and below were made for Manish Arora at London Fashion Week, 2005

Life-size flowers and styling for W ad campaign

Swelle Boutique Autumn Preview: MITRA

          

Autumn is soon arriving at Swelle Boutique! I'm happy to announce the first of the new offerings is a smart and femine Victorian-inspired mini collection of one-offs by MITRA, called Victoriana. The young dynamo behind the label is a talented Florida-based artist and designer who likes to give us a little fantasy in our clothes, as she does in her inspired and playful paintings. 

The Victoriana collection consists of a taffeta and brocade Soirée strapless dress with black piping on the front and back; Victoriana wool coat with a jacquard yoke on front, back with jacquard-covered puffed cap sleeves and front pockets, with pale yellow lining throughout; and a seriously sexy outfit of the navy Parlor Gathering Top with gorgeous details you must see for yourself (below) paired with a soft grey, light denim pencil skirt with a back slit revealing a hint of black lace peeking out.

As always, garments are available to buy in preview so if you're interested, please contact me for more details. There is only one of each piece. The dress and outfit are small and the coat is very roomy, it's a true large.

Swelle Boutique is being redesigned and rebranded as I write this. A huge thanks to all who loved the look of the debut design and I hope you won't be disappointed that it's going to look much different. I built the first version myself to get Swelle up and running and now need a look and template that's going to accommodate growth, and a wider variety of designer styles. I do plan to continue to infuse a dreamy feel with my photography as that's where my heart lies, and as always the clothes will be beautiful and feminine. Some exciting new designers will be joining Swelle throughout the season - all collections designed exclusively for us - and I can't wait to bring them to you.

Please watch for a late September launch and until then, the last of the summer clothes - all one-offs and limited edition pieces - are on sale.

 

 

   

   
 
  

Photos by Denise Grayson

Toronto Art: Shaun Downey Finds Fame with 'Blue Coco'

Blue Coco. Shaun Downey

Carrying on with all things Toronto during my stay that is just about *sniff* up - an event that links my former home with my current one - I introduce you to Toronto artist Shaun Downey. The name may ring a bell, however, as may the painting above. Shaun's portrait Blue Coco was recently selected for exhibition in this year's Portrait Award competition at the National Portrait Gallery in London, England. Out of the 58 chosen from 2,177 entries, Shaun's work was singled out to be the 'face' of the gallery's advertising campaign, including a 9-metre-high banner at the museum's entrance on Trafalgar Square to mark the exhibition's opening in June.

It's an intriguing portrait worth a long stare or two, don't you think?

So who's 'Coco'? She's 20 year-old model Dearbhail Bracken-Roche who goes by the fashionable nickname when working. She sat for Shaun at age 17 when the friend of a friend introduced the two, and the rest is now blue-tinged history. Interestingly, she's now living and working in London and has found fame in the city, often being recognised in the street. I suppose that happens when your giant, unusually beautiful face is plastered over one of London's most famous and popular landmarks, as well as the tube stations. (How would you feel? Honoured and thrilled or completely freaked out?)

The artist and muse at the National Portrait Gallery in London. From Shaun's blog.  

As you may have guessed, Shaun prefers to paint portraits. The work featured on his site is exclusively portraiture dating back to 2004, and all of his subjects are women, though they are not always captured in the formal pose. There's a quiet calm about these pictures, as if the seemingly ordinary moment is being held not just within the frame but is occupying a pensive dimension in which we're being granted a peak. The background colours are soft yet often vibrant which make his work, in my mind, 'happy' pictures, something I'd like to look at everyday. His paintings are gorgeous.

Congratulations, Shaun!

The Doorway. Shaun Downey, 2007 

 

Green Mug. Shaun Downey, 2009

 

Holly in Yellow. Shaun Downey, 2009.

 

The Reception. Shaun Downey, 2005

 

The Old Apartment. Shaun Downey, 2006

 

Noémiah in the National Post

 

 

Imagine my surprise and delight when on Saturday I looked down at the table in my mother-in-law's living room - we're in Toronto now! - and saw Noémiah's gorgeous illustrations by Miss Paule T.B. spanning the entire cover of the National Post's Style section! The gestural renderings of Noémie Vaillancourt's beautiful and unusual feather and chain jewellery were most obviously the highlight of the feature on Montreal's Festival Mode & Design, which practically gushed about the exciting design talent produced by this vibrant and electric Canadian city. 

Swelle Boutique currently offers an exclusive mini-collection of one-off necklaces and earrings by Noémiah. There are four pieces left!

Summer Sale at Swelle Boutique!

The Summer Sale has begun at Swelle Boutique, with up to 40% off one-of-a-kind and limited edition dresses, tops and skirts - plus free shipping worldwide! Cue the fireworks and party streamers, and where's my megaphone? I've also installed a new photo viewer so when you click on the photos on the product pages you get a nice, slick presentation.

The Liana Dress from Neue (top left) has been a popular one to try on with the local girls, its sweet styling in Italian silk with gorgeous pleat detailing is hard to resist, but with its empire waist and button front it's best suited to small busts. If you're petite and have had your eye on the Liana, now's your chance to get this limited edition, tailored, silk dress at a reduced price. The sleeveless Viviana Dress is extremely flattering on, with stunning pleats, and there's just one left in size small. 

The Dagger Dress by Rowanjoy (top middle) has been featured around the blogosphere and is one of Swelle's most drooled over pieces. As it's a one-off it comes in only one size, a UK 10 which is true to size. The Dagger Tee is really lovely, hand screenprinted in an art deco design with a neckline of vintage floral cotton and lace appliques on the front. It's long enough to wear with leggings. A one-off in UK size 10.

What can I say about Lu Flux? Her Plume Skirt is a dream with 10 layers of individually cut and sewn plumes or petals (I like to think of them as petals) with a beautifully finished interior of organic cotton with fully finished edges. The two that are left are done in different fabrics, making each a one-off - and they're £100 off! Pair the skirt with the Bow Tie vest or Bow Tie T-shirt (only one left!) of organic cotton with an inlaid 'bow'. The Marsupium Pocket Dress is a very easy fitting and substantial one-off dress of organic cotton that fits small to large sizes. It has a band of pockets in different fabrics all around the waist and looks great cinched with a belt or ribbon. I would have shown it that way had I thought of it before the photo shoot! 

CYN.fONG, the star of Designer Series, Knitwear, has handknit three adorable tops and embellished them with textured knit bows, beading and Swarovski crystals in summery, ice-cream colours. During the summer/autumn transition you could layer a short or long-sleeved blouse under this one. Adorable!

Support independent designers and look awesome doing it!

A Wardrobe that Looks Like a Georgian Dollhouse

I found this wardrobe with the facade of a Georgian dollhouse on the site I bought our sideboard from. It's The Furniture Rooms and they sell antiques as well as reproductions. Our sideboard get lots of compliments when people first come to our house and it's my favourite piece of furniture:

 

Now, that Georgian dollhouse wardrobe is one cool piece of furniture but it comes at a hefty price, £3250 to be exact. If I were considering spending that kind of money I would like to know more than this:

Georgian style dolls house wardrobe. The wardrobe opens up to a hanging rail and has a neat mini mahogany door on the front. h213 x w128 x d55 cm

But what's it made of, wood? What kind? Where is it made? Is it grey or white? Can we see inside? Those drawers look like a facade, is that right? Tell us more so we can convince our significant others that we really need this!

When something is so obviously special and comes with a weighty price tag it only makes sense to tell us everything you possibly can. I wrote about that in a previous post, how perplexing it is that the seller wouldn't tell us just how cool their thing is and take the chance that one or two images are enough to convince us to hit the 'buy' button. I describe every detail of the pieces in my shop, Swelle Boutique, otherwise, how will you know just how great they are? And there's a certain lack of trust that I feel when I see very brief descriptions that leave you asking questions, even when the item is a £30 dress or something even cheaper. It's our money and we want to know what we're getting, we can't see it or touch it and your words are all we have.

Luckily, The Furniture Rooms is a reputable company that delivered on a great piece of furniture (and a neat 70s vase) and I would buy from them again. I took a chance buying our sideboard based on only two exterior views and a very brief description. I just think they should do their pieces justice with more elaborate descriptions. It only takes another minute!

Here's an Art Deco Fan Lamp I passed on when I bought the others because it wasn't an essential, and it's now sold and oh boy does it sting:

And if you're into dollhouses you might like this and this and this.

Dior's Beautiful Blooms

Fans of flowers will be enchanted by Dior's F/W Haute Couture collection which celebrated the vivid colours and sensual textures of flora. And as we expect from high fashion there were some wonderful oddities to take things out of this world. Steven Jones created head pieces resembling florist's cellophane, which the models bee-like hairstyles - not 'beehive' like, they actually resembled the cinched abdomen shape of the little stingers - were wrapped up in, like a bouquet. The dresses were the usual Galliano ultra-feminine opulence, this time with some voluminous tulle skirts.

 

This is amazing hair:

And the prettiest flower of them all, the grandest of couturier/beekeepers:

Photos have been collaged using original runway shots by Monica Feudi/GoRunway.com

Coco Boudoir Makes Tasty Accessories

The Patisserie Neckpiece

Lovely, romantic and soft is the look and feel that Toronto-based accessories designer Erin Summer conveys with her one-off Coco Boudoir accessories. And since many of us are into that kind of thing I'm offering several exclusive designs, created especially for Swelle Boutique. Made from vintage trims and findings with surfaces generously adorned with faux pearls and chiffon rosettes, each piece is painstakingly handsewn to create a beautiful one-off creation with its own little treasures worked in.

They make look delicate but they feel nice and weighty in the hand due to their solid construction. Each piece is lined with felt for comfortable wear. Someone else likes Coco Boudoir, too - look for her in the Summer 2010 edition of Martha Stewart Weddings.

Fancy one of these delish pieces? Click the images for details and to purchase:

Belsay's Extraordinary Measures, Indeed

Ron Mueck's Drift. 2010

Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens has quickly become one of my favourite places in England, or anywhere else for that matter. My first visit in April resulted in some fantastic photographs thanks to Belsay's various photogenic, magical muses, both permanent and ephemeral. English Heritage began using the historical site's attractions to host full-scale art exhibitions in 1996 such as Fashion at Belsay - which included Stella McCartney's crystal horse housed in the medieval castle, fortunately back for a reunion when I visited - as well as 2007's stunning Picture House project featuring an installation by Viktor & Rolf.

Belsay's latest art exhibition, Extraordinary Measures, showcases the work of some of England's most  ingenious and curious creative talents. Each handpicked artist visited the site to gain inspiration, then set to work with the central idea of scale in mind. The exhibition as a whole has a kind of shrinking and growing effect, something like an Alice in Wonderland experience with malevolent insect fairies and fish-bashing babies in place of the murderous Queen of Hearts. While much of the exhibition will bring a smile to the observer's face, equal parts will strike a nerve in their own peculiar ways.

I was lucky as Stella's Spot to be invited to their press which included an introduction by curator Judith King, a short film, and tour of each of the installations which were most times explained by the artists themselves as nearly all were present.  

Extraordinary Measures runs at Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens until September 26th in Northumberland. There's a warning about nudity (the same goes for this post!) and strobes which accompany Mat Collishaw's zoetrope in the castle. Pity for anyone who can't watch as it's the most impressive piece of the exhibition, in my opinion.

Here are my photos from the day, beginning with one of my feel-good favourites, Slinkachu's miniature reproductions of rather normal events made curious by the incongruency of their settings. The actual installations were set up last year throughout the gardens and grounds and Slinkachu photographed them to preserve what was the most fleeting part of the exhibition - they were left to be snatched up by the hawk-eyed or carried away by animals or the wind. So in the place of the figures are the photographs.

 

 

Tessa Farmer's A Darker Shade of Grey was one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen. I felt sick looking at it, yet it was the installation I took the most pictures of. What I'm showing here is the most palatable of the work; it was actually the crispy insect carcasses and not so much the taxidermied rodents that elicited the visceral response. There is something morbidly fascinating about dead animals, especially ones arranged in battle scenes and adorned with crab shell armour with scorpion artillery fighting malevolent insect fairies.

Come again? Fair enough. Farmer's narrative centres on the war between the Northumberland native red squirrel and the outsider, the grey squirrel who is apparently kicking red's fluffy tail. With the help of the skeletal insect fairies who think the grey foreign counterpart shouldn't be penalised for being successful. There's a metaphor in there somewhere but after hearing Farmer speak about her work I don't believe there's a hidden message, it's simply a dramatised version of conflict between two species.

This reminds me that I saw a skinned whole squirrel at the food market last weekend, marked with a stuffed toy version so you'd know what it was. I would rather eat the stuffed animal.

 

There was a bit of condensation in some of the glass cases from the rain - the hazy effect is not me trying to impart a dreaminess on this scene especially as it was more of a nightmare! This mouse is being attacked by a militia of the bug-riding malevolent fairies made from insect parts - it looks like they're holding bayonets! 

No animals were sacrificed for the sake of art. Farmer purchased the taxidermied squirrels and rodents from Ebay, the red squirrels being of Victorian origin. You really can get anything on there. A journalist asked after taking in the full spectrum of the painstakingly fashioned scene,'Why go to all this trouble, wouldn't it be easier to just paint?' And then the artist ordered the evil fairies to descend upon him and poke his flesh relentlessly with their tiny, crude weapons. At least that's what I was imagining might happen when I heard the question. Oh, Dude.

  

Scalesdale is an interactive, evolving model village located in the castle kitchen created by Newcastle architects Jenny Gillat and Tim Mosedale. Visitors will decide how the community develops.

Mat Collishaw's The Garden of Earthly Delights is just the coolest thing. It's a zoetrope or spinning wheel that runs for 90 seconds at a time (I think), and in that short span you are mesmerised and disturbed by the scene that appears to be unfolding in front of you. I say 'appears' because those babies whacking fish with clubs to a soundtrack of layered, unnerving noises that is giving me shivers as I recall it now (I'm serious, real shivers which is odd because it's more creepy to me in memory than it was in person) aren't really moving at all. It's like an animation. Me and the journalist next to me didn't realise that they weren't moving until he asked a question and was told so. I don't know how Collishaw configured and callibrated the zoetrope to create such a compelling effect, but he's done a few of these so the man has certainly mastered the task.

 

 

Woodland Unhappy Families by Freddie Robins is an homage in yarn to the classical Greek architecture that inspired Belsay Hall. Set behind a window nestled in the quarry gardens, two knitted birds play the characters in a sorrowful tale of love and loss from Greek mythology.

Wild Horses by Ciaran Treanor was made possible thanks to his award of the Belsay Fellowship in 2009 that enables a young, emerging artist to participate in the major contemporary art exhibitions at Belsay. The Newcastle University architecture student referenced Belsay's stables outside the castle for his installation of gestural figures that, from specific vantage points, appear as running, jumping horses.

Ron Mueck is a master at creating utterly convincing sculptures of the human figure. Here he has placed his various 'people' (and one giant chicken) within the rooms of Belsay Hall to play with scale. Standing next to Spooning Couple was a fascinating experience. Observations of how real the two look and how sweet they are juxtaposes with the fact that they are obviously not real as they are less than half the size of adult humans. But you want to believe they are. And you can't help but want to put some pants on the guy.

 

This was certainly disconcerting. I first felt as if I should just let the poor guy be naked in privacy, he looked so uncomfortable (yes, I was aware he wasn't real, he's nearly 10 feet tall sitting - those are some high ceilings in that house). But the emptiness of the room was actually quite inviting, the contrast to the feeling one would get sharing a small, low-ceilinged room with the giant Wild Man. Now that would be uncomfortable.

 

(Sorry for pointing that thing at you.)

Youth, Ron Mueck.

 

A giant panel of windows in the Quarry Garden is an awesome sight to behold. Mariele Neudecker's From Here to There is Not That Far is an ambitious undertaking that was well worth the effort. It was a bit surreal, walking through it's doorway felt as if I was passing over into another dimension which is what the artist intended; in developing the idea she was drawn to the moment in Alice in Wonderland where Alice passes through one reality to another, entering a rich and luscious garden.

Judy Blame's Monochrome Day at Showstudio

Judy Blame is the latest resident at Showstudio to spend a day being filmed and livestreamed while making original, one-off creations. An absolute treat of a feature, I think. It's a wonderful thing to see the creative process in action and it's fascinating to watch the individual's face as they do their thing, all the subtleties of expression that can range from satisfaction to frustration (Gareth Pugh was giving his sewing machine the business at one point) and everything in between. Which makes it a real burn that I forgot to watch today! (Been just a little busy).

The legendary London-based stylist, jeweller and accessory designer who has it bad for buttons and badges contributed two pieces to Showstudio's Blackwhite exhibition. Viewers watched him "stitch and adorn a pearly king's titfer" - that's not something you hear every day - and rework and develop a rather extreme neckpiece that would require a great deal of inspection to fully take in everything happening within the black and white curiosity. (My silly tendency to identify things as offspring of incongruent parents has me thinking the necklace could be the result of a collaboration between Mr. T and Karl Lagerfeld.)

 

Now that's a cool looking man. The neckpiece and adorned cap will be soon be available in the Showstudio SHOP. And if you're into Gaga you might want to head over to the site, she's practically lived there for the past month.

The Dream State Fashion of Salvador Dalí

 
Mae West lips sofa, Salvador Dalí, 1937
 

 

I wrote this article last week for Models and Moguls and I'm quite surprised it's taken me this long to do so. I was a full-on freak for Surrealism when I discovered it in high school, the idea of this collective of European adults doing things that seemed juvenile but were actually challenging conventional notions of what is art, what is good taste, what is reality, how long and stiff can one guy's moustache get before it pokes another's eye out, validated me as the 16 year-old who fit in but never felt like it. There was something more to things than meets the eye, I knew and they knew it. But no around me seemed to care about that and they wondered why I did. The synaesthesia must have played a major role in this but at the end of the day we all need to connect with something. I don't know exactly why strange juxtapositions are so intriguing, maybe some of us want to live in a perpetual dream state, but if university dorm room walls are any indication, people love a melting clock. 

The following article is a superficial rundown of Salvador Dalí's contribution to fashion. Dalí is a favourite of mine (though the teenage thrill is now gone), as he is a favourite of many for his incredible technical ability with painting and his intriguing dreamscapes. And undoubtedly he is loved for his larger-than-life personality and his other ventures - artistic and commercial pursuits for which the scope became increasingly broad, as hilariously illustrated by his appearance on What's My Line? in the 1950s:

 

The most notorious, prolific and ultimately commercial of the Surrealists – that revolutionary group of artists, poets and provocateurs that grew out of Dadaism in 1920s Paris – was undoubtedly Salvador Dalí. The Spanish Catalan best known for his masterly technical skill as a painter and perversely sexualized subjects had his hand in just about anything he could put his name on, due in part to the push from his wife Gala who was keen to collect a paycheck and not so bothered by the virtue of integrity. However, the signed blank lithographs and commercials for Alka Seltzer aside, most of Dalí’s forays into ventures outside of his main discipline were inspired, original, and hugely influential.

Case in point: anything we see with lips these days could be considered a direct reference to Dali’s iconic Mae West Lips Sofa from 1937 and his Ruby Lips brooch, created in 1949, also based on the sexy actress’ famous bouche. British designer Lulu Guinness is one who owes him her trademark padded lips clutch.

The wildly eccentric artist brought his most famous, Freudian-inspired and dreamlike motifs to life as three dimensional objects through sculpture, furniture, jewellery and fashion. Dali loved fashion and displayed his flamboyant style in his dress and the way he wore his moustache – long, black, waxed straight out to the sides and curled at the ends. He was friends with two of fashion’s most legendary designers, Paris-based rivals Coco Chanel, who inspired him to design clothes, and the avant-garde Elsa Schiaparelli. It was even rumoured that Chanel had an affair with the young Dali, in the days when his facial hair was still neat and understated (one couldn’t imagine the fuss-free designer dealing with the impractical thing that moustache was to become).

The Italian Schiaparelli was hugely influenced by Dada and Surrealism and incorporated the bizarre juxtapositions that were characteristic of these movements into her designs. One can see why Chanel referred to her as ‘that Italian artist who makes clothes’, though this was likely not meant to be a complement from the outspoken and fiercely competitive designer. Dali’s influence has been identified in Schiaparelli designs such as the lamb-cutlet hat and a 1936 day suit with pockets simulating a chest of drawers, based on his painting The Anthropomorphic Chest of Drawers, which was later referenced in a dress he created with Christian Dior in 1950.

 

Skeleton dress. Elsa Schiaparelli collaboration with Salvador Dalí, 1938.

Collaborations between Schiaparelli and Dali produced four iconic pieces that were clearly influenced by the artist:

Lobster Dress, 1937. This simple white silk evening dress with a crimson waistband featured a large lobster painted by Dali onto the skirt. The lobster is one of Dali’s best known motifs which he began incorporating into works from 1934, most notably New York Dream-Man Finds Lobster in Place of Phone, 1935,  and the mixed-media Lobster Telephone, 1936. His design for Schiaparelli was interpreted into a fabric print by the leading silk designer Sache. It was famously worn by Wallis Simpson in series of photographs by Cecil Beaton before her marriage to Edward VIII.

Tears Dress, 1938. A slender pale blue evening gown printed with a Dali design of trompe l’oeil rips and tears was worn with a thigh-length veil with real tears carefully cut out and lined in pink and magenta. The print was intended to give the illusion of torn animal flesh, the tears printed to represent fur on the reverse of the fabric and suggest that the dress was made of animal pelts turned inside out. Figures in ripped, skin-tight clothing suggesting flayed flesh appeared in three of Dali’s 1936 paintings. This puts to rest any notion that the ‘ripped' trend is a relatively recent innovation.

Skeleton Dress, 1938. Designed for the Circus Collection, this stark black crepe dress used trapunto quilting to create padded ribs, spine and leg bones. Many designers today have referenced this dress in their designs.

Shoe Hat, 1937. In 1933, Dali was photographed by his wife Gala with one of her slippers balanced on his head. In 1937 he sketched designs for a shoe hat for Schiaparelli which she featured in her Fall-Winter 1937-38 collection. The hat, shaped like a woman’s high heeled shoe, had the heel standing straight up and the toe tilted over the wearer’s forehead. This hat was worn by Gala, Schiaparelli herself, and by the Franco-American editor of the French Harpers Bazaar, heiress Daisy Fellowes, who was one of Schiaparelli’s best clients.

Dali also designed the Aphrodisiac Jacket of 1936 and several pieces of jewellery for women. In 1981 he drew upon his painting Apparition of the Face of the Aphrodite of Knidos in a Landscape to create bottles for the perfume Salvador Dali Homme et Femme. Dali had evolved (for lack of a better word) from artist to one of the most intriguing and influential brands of the 20th century, and the reverberations of his work will likely continue indefinitely – if our endless fascination with melting clocks is any indication.

Bathtub Lounging

 

I'm busy working away finishing the shop but wanted to share a little quickie I saw on Etsy, this sofa made from a cast iron retro tub from Ruff House Art. I'm particular to the turquoise painted shell and the psychedelic cushion makes it look inviting. I imagine you'd want plenty of throw pillows behind you while actually using it, but the bare white porcelain against the bold colour is quite striking. Custom orders take four weeks to make from the U.S. Rubber duckie not included. Sitting on it naked is optional.

The Hauntingly Beautiful Dollhouses of Wallington, Pt. 2

 

Carrying on from Tuesday's post on the enchanting dollhouses of Wallington, here are more rooms with unbelievable detail, like the little buckets under the shelf in the pantry on which several plates of food are waiting, as if the family is about to sit down and eat at any minute. Or how each of the mirrors and picture frames are completely different and highly ornate as was the style at the time.

If you enjoy these, well good! There are lots more from the Wallington house to come...

 

The Hauntingly Beautiful Dollhouses of Wallington, Pt. 1

 

I'm working like a mad woman to launch Swelle Boutique (it's nearly there!) but I wanted to leave you with something special should it be a couple days before I'm able to post again. I visited Wallington a few weeks ago, a National Trust property in Morpeth, Northumberland (that's in the north east of England) with a grand mansion and gorgeous lawns, lakes, parkland and woodland. There's also a beautiful walled garden which we didn't have time to see, but it was cold and gloomy so we'll save that for a lovely day.

I'll tell you more about Wallington in future posts (there is quite a bit to show) but for now here is the first part of the dollhouses from the 17th century mansion's dollhouse room which contains one huge house - like an apartment block - and several smaller ones, the interiors of which are magnificent and shabby all at once. The detail of the period furniture and decor (early 1900s) is breathtaking and some of it is in quite a state of disrepair - evident in the wear on the fabrics and wallpapers and headboards askew - and it creates the feeling that these rooms have actually been lived in by the heavy chested tenants (see below, they are heaving!) for the past century. The effect is utterly charming.

The photos are a bit blurred, the rooms in the dollhouses were very dim and I was shooting through their tiny windows. But it kind of lends to the ghostly feeling and apparently I'm lucky to have had the opportunity to take the photos, it's only been a year since they've allowed cameras. 

Want to see more? Here's Part 2

A Sneaky Peak at Swelle Boutique!

  

Amneris jacket of fine summer wool and Liana silk pleated dress, by Neue

By now you have likely thought that the teaser under my banner was just that, but I promise that Swelle Boutique is actually on its way! Thank you to all who have been asking about it. I did the final photo shoot on Sunday - I'm thrilled with the results! - and it will be ready to launch in two weeks. 

Like The Swelle Life, Swelle Boutique is a collection of beautiful and original things, and I'm so excited to present the dresses and accessories that, for the most part, have been made exclusively for Swelle. I've invited my favourite designers to create pieces that follow the boutique's concept of lovely, romantic and soft things that are of high quality materials and workmanship. All of the pieces are either one-offs or limited edition and are made by the designers - no factories involved here - and each one has special details that are unique to their vision and technique. Offering exceptional, 'happy' things is the whole point in launching this project, which I hope to be a lasting one. 

If you are interested in any of the pieces you see here you can reserve them or get more information by emailing me - click the 'email me' link in the top left sidebar under that goofy profile photo.

Admiral dress of vintage lace, mixed silks and cottons by Rowanjoy - one of a kind

Photos by Denise Grayson (Yours Truly) and Paul Marr, respectively

A Look Back at Picture House at Belsay: Forest Bedrooms, Teacups & Silver Dipped Ballgowns

Geraldine Pilgrim (corridor productions)
Dreams of a winter night

In some recent posts we saw Stella McCartney's stunning Lucky Spot installation at Belsay Castle, a horse made of 8,000 crystals assembled on wires in a hauntingly beautiful medieval room. The horse was a revival of sorts from a project that began a few years ago when English Heritage invited 15 of the most original and experimental film directors, artists, actresses and designers from Britain and around the world to bring Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens (oh, those gardens! More to come on those) to life with a series of cutting edge art installations.

Picture House opened in spring of 2007 and transformed the neo-classical mansion in Northumberland, its 14th century castle and Grade I Listed gardens with electrifying works of fashion, sculpture, music, design, poetry, music and video.

The next art exhibition to take place on the glorious grounds at Belsay is Extraordinary Measures and I'm thrilled to say I've been invited to their press day to tour the works, hear from the curator and take pictures. It's about a place "where size is off the scale. Where the miniscule is made massive and huge surroundings hide surprises. Where ancient buildings always hold something new" - it sounds like Alice in Wonderland meets the coolest treasure hunt there ever was.

Here's a preview:

Hey, it's the miniature old couple from David Lynch's Mulholland Drive!

And back to Picture House at Belsay, beginning with Viktor & Rolf's centrepiece of silver ballgowns, from their latest collection at the time, drenched in dripping silver in Pillar Hall. Their piece referenced the Dutch tradition of dipping a child's shoe in silver to preserve it as a keepsake. "We were inspired by that same desire to preserve a memory," said Viktor Horsting. "To treasure the past. To freeze time."

 

Geraldine Pilgrim (corridor productions)
Dreams of a winter night

 

Quay Brothers
Coffin of a servant's journey

 

A collaboration between Boudicca and Mike Figgis

 

Tilda Swinton created this piece called Belsayland for Arthur Middleton's bedroom, working alongside her husband, playwright and visual artist John Byrne, and their children. It was realised by Neil Murray in association with Northern Stage.

Corollarium. Northumbria University graduate, Francesca Steele, was awarded the Belsay FellowshipGeraldine Pilgrim (corridor productions) which provided her with the opportunity to exhibit alongside the more well known names.

 

Imogen Cloët and Jacob Polley
The Recollection Rooms

 

Peepshow. Costume designer Sandy Powell created a 'peephole' into Lady Middleton's bedroom, where viewers could spy on the inhabitant.

Photos: The Telegraph

Rowanjoy's Dreamy, Romantic Dresses at London's Alternative Fashion Week

One of my favourite designers and contributor to the soon to be launched Swelle Boutique, Rowanjoy, will be selling her gorgeous dresses, skirts and new line of handprinted art deco t-shirts - all one-offs! - at London's Alternative Fashion Week, April 19 -23 at Spitalfields market from 11 am - 5 pm. If you're in town, treat yourself to a visit to her lovely stall!

The beautiful image above is from a past collection but gives insight into the dreamy and romantic aesthetic that Rowanjoy consistently delivers each season, using the loveliest vintage fabrics and trims. For Swelle Boutique she's created two dresses with soft peachy silks mixed with contrasting cotton prints and lace panels, and an outfit of a skirt with a polka dot tulle ruched overlay and a grey marl t-shirt handprinted with a green art deco design, printed fabric inserts, with lace and tiny rhinestone embellishments - each piece one of a kind and handmade by the designer. Lookbook photos are imminent and I can't wait to give you a preview!

Old Castles, Spring Gardens and Stella McCartney's Crystal Horse Pt. 1

Today we took advantage of a gorgeous spring day and went off to explore some of the beautiful Northumberland countryside. We drove to Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens and I think I may have stumbled upon paradise. (I thought I found it when I went to Maui but it seems to exist way up here in the north east of England, too.) I just got a new camera and this was the perfect place to try it out, the gardens were spectacular and flooded with mid-afternoon sunlight. 

  
A room in the cellar of Belsay Hall, an early 19th century mansion

 

Belsay Castle. The turret part of the castle is 700 years old

 

And this image below is a bit of a teaser, I have so much more to show from this piece and the project itself. It's an installation conceived by Stella McCartney as part of a project involving thirteen British creatives that was commissioned by English heritage to transform Belsay in 2004. More on that tomorrow!

All photos by Denise Grayson

Shatteringly Beautiful: The Glass Dresses of Diana Dias-Leão

Diana Dias-Leão combined her fashion design and glass making skills to create couture dresses made of glass, ceramics, wire and silken yarns to stunning effect. Beautiful, but how do you wear a breakable dress? Well, you don't. These were created as art pieces to explore serious issues around personal identity, beauty and human behaviour. The artist believes that anorexia, bulimia, self harm and body dysmorphic disorder are connected with issues relating to image and lack of confidence.

“The main message I wish to convey in my work is the fact that even though the image is glittering, it is the person inside who is precious,” says Diana. Well, that is very sweet.

Her collection of 14 glass dresses and two barbed wire corsets are currently on display at Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool until September 30, 2011. 

 

 

Photos: National Museums Liverpool's Flickr

A Happy Easter with Spring Butterflies

Happy Easter! Spring and Easter go hand in hand and butterflies are my favourite harbinger of sunny days and warm weather (well, in England we can at least hope). I grew up in Canada in Southern Ontario and when I was very young my family moved to a new town. The subdivision where we bought our house was still largely undeveloped, there were many wide open fields and those were the days where you could call on some friends and go off and play all day long and explore the neighbourhood. It was spring time and there were butterflies fluttering everywhere - in the fields, in our back yard, as you walked through the streets. My parents bought me a butterfly net and while I don't recall catching any (lucky for them!) I had lots of fun trying (or maybe I cried in frustration, that's more plausible).

Now, these may not be real butterflies as pictured above but they are beautiful all the same. This is a piece from Su Blackwell's breathtaking exhibit that I saw in Edinburgh a while back. (I've been holding off on posting in the hopes of interviewing Su but I haven't had the time!) She cuts from old story books and creates these exquisite pop-up vignettes that are just magical, you feel as if you've been drawn into a fairytale land by merely being in their presence. 

From the very talented Lenaah's Flickr

If you like butterflies, you can read a post from my trip to the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls, Ontario a few years back here

The Sublimely Exaggerated Knitwear of Kevin Kramp

Knitwear is arguably the most exciting thing happening in fashion right now. Innovative designers are taking the simple, traditional method of looping yarn and turning it on its head to create extraordinary sculptural shapes and complex and beautiful textures. Ultimately, they are reinventing knitwear and redefining what it means to us and how it relates to our bodies; much of it could easily be considered wearable art.

Kevin Kramp is one of these exciting and richly talented young designers who found himself intrigued with knitting well before the knitwear phenomenon exploded. The Minneapolis native began in the menswear program at London’s prestigious Central St. Martins, but found himself designing knitwear for each project. However, he couldn’t realize any of his designs as he didn’t know how to knit! After careful consideration he bravely made the jump to the knitwear program, having never knitted a thing in his life. Fast forward a few years to his graduation collection which caused a stir in the global fashion industry. Today he boasts several awards, sponsorships from the best of the Italian yarn manufacturers and has worked with many influential designers around the world including Richard Tyler and Carlos Miele. How’s all that for inspiration?

Over the course of our interview, Kevin relocated back to his native home of Minnesota - a move he had never, ever anticipated after working all over the world - to take on the prestigious role of Men’s Knitwear and Collection Designer for the upscale men’s label St. Croix Collections.

Here are our conversations:

One of the things that jumped out at me when I saw your work is that you’re of the ‘more is more’ ethos. Is this a part of a signature style or is volume something you explored with this particular collection?

Yes, it’s true! I do often max things out to the extreme, more IS more! This applies to my daily life as well! I can’t help but gravitate to more pattern, more colour, more shape, more more more, so the presence of all this consideration definitely is a signature of my work. However, your specific question to volume is a bit different – certainly I explore and push shapes to new areas, but they are not necessarily always voluminous, nor do I associate ‘volume’ with ‘more.’ Obviously we have seen form-fitting tops that are extremely maximal, and billowy tops which are plain and minimal. And to be honest, much of this collection is quite balanced to me, because I had pulled myself back from greater extremes in order to arrive at these ‘less extreme’ versions. This collection does not represent the outer limits of my capabilities of maximalism, but rather the satisfactory compromise I reached between my cuckoo tendencies and beauty.

 

I love that, ‘cuckoo tendencies’! Something every truly exciting designer must have! So, within the context of your own body of work this collection is a balance between the full-on and an honest consideration of what beauty represents. Do you think you were willing to look for that compromise because you’ve been able to experiment with your maximal approach as you say ‘to your outer limits of capabilities’? Or is there more work to be done there, more boundaries to be pushed? What was it that made you pull it back? I’m sensing it’s something about the maximalism that is that root of what drives you.

Well, I think that I have always balanced my full-on approach with what is beautiful, and that is not because I have already exhaustively explored my maximalist ideas and therefore must now limit them, but simply because many of my ideas and initial maximal work is hideously awful and ugly! I (happily) lose myself in experimentation, boundary-pushing, technique investigation, materials…to the neglect of beauty. After a good spell of stirring up my idea pot (many of which are ugly and hard to understand,) only then do I attempt to contextualize my ideas with what already exists in the rest of the world and the history of creation. This contextualization, or ‘compromise,’ is when I understand what of my work is very good, is beautiful, and what of my work should be hidden forever! Beautiful ideas often do not manifest into beautiful physical realities. It is my job, in the process of creation, to carefully consider the physical reality and honestly evaluate it regardless of its ideological inception. That is the hardest part…being honest with yourself.

Of course there is always, always more to be done in ‘pushing limits,’ in maximizing ideas and concepts (even if ‘maximizing’ means taking away.) I cannot imagine a point in my life when I will ever feel that I have satisfied all the exploration that is to be done, that I have ‘maxed out’ my maximalism.

That’s the beauty of creating, isn’t it? There’s no end to what’s possible. But as you indicate it’s also a challenge in knowing where to draw your own limits. It must be extremely frustrating to have a beautiful idea that doesn’t translate in reality. Have you ever taken an ‘ugly’ idea and made something beautiful out of it?

Well of course! So many ideas start with such promise, but then very quickly become ugly or lose their potential. This is just yet another part of  the  process that then requires careful thinking and strong decision making. Besides, life is often ugly, and undoubtedly I would not survive without rooting out the beautiful and focusing all attention on it! This ‘transformation’ process is inherent in living for all of us I think.

In the past decade we’ve seen a metamorphosis in what knitwear can be, it’s taken on a sculptural quality through the work of Sandra Backlund and Craig Lawrence and others, and your work in playing with proportion offers a new take on knitwear’s relationship to the body. I can’t think of a more exciting and innovative facet of fashion at the moment. What do you see for the future of knitwear?

I agree, knitwear is hot hot hot at the moment, I don't know why this bonanza of knit innovation occurred now, but it has and it’s damn exciting. But I honestly began (and continue) my work totally ignorant of the wider phenomenon of the growing sexiness of knitwear in fashion. I am just bizarrely excited by knitwear and all its potential…whether or not knit is hot on the runway, it’s going to be hot for me for a good long time. I never stop thinking about it! Ideas are a constant flow. There’s never enough, and always more. This knit frenzy will grow to be quite mainstream in the next ten years, of this there is no doubt. Knit is, or can be, simultaneously comfortable, casual, sporty, luxe and ultra high fashion. It’s easy, and immediately understandable. And much more difficult for the average person to make than is cutting and sewing basic fabric. Many people won’t wear oversized structured woven shoulders, but they will wear oversized piles of knit on their shoulders. Knit is intuitive, organic, much closer to the feeling of human experience. Wovens are forced, hard to understand, uncompromising. I can’t face those qualities in life anymore, I too easy crumble emotionally. I need the flexible, the sympathetic, the easy, for survival.

I think we can all survive - and flourish - on that! 

swelle.

All images courtesy Kevin Kramp

Gareth Pugh's One-off Modelled by Raquel Zimmermann Rocking Out to Lady Gaga

Last November I was glued to Showstudio's livestream of Gareth Pugh creating a one-off dress right before our eyes for two long days and I have the posts to prove it. I checked back after the livestreaming had concluded, for days, but couldn't find the finished dress. I'd been dying to see what shape it had taken as it was impossible to tell exactly what it was meant to look like. He and his assistant had cut out countless shapes from the fabric using stencils in what appeared to be a monotonous and backbreaking process. Once in a while Gareth would hold up a piece of exquisitely shredded black angelskin as he was working, an inadvertent tease for those of us who were trying to piece together this couture puzzle.

When I went to Showstudio today to watch Philip Treacy follow suit and create some one-off hats (coming tomorrow) I saw that the dress was for sale in the shop and that they did a little film (of course! it's Showstudio!) to present it. Raquel Zimmermann was the model of choice, but rather than simply pose with the clothes she killed it to Lady Gaga's Pokerface. Awesome. Click the image below to watch.

 

And the price? The dress costs £7,500. Compared to $4,750 for Balmain cargo pants with fake holes in them that are priced that way just so someone like me can't buy them, I'd say that's a bargain. Comes with the film of the dress being made, too. I believe it took at least three full days to complete the dress with both Gareth Pugh and his assistant working at it. If my bum looked awesome in shredded angelskin and I had that kind of money, I wouldn't be wearing pretend beat-up cargo pants.

A Peek at How it's Done: Stitching in the Window With Miss Jacqueline White

During London fashion week We Know What You Did Last Night hosted a pop up showroom and part of the fun was being able to watch Miss Jacqueline White embroider and appliqué her fun and racy T-shirts from her debut collection through a window in a Soho studio. If you aren't familiar with the concept of her expertly embellished T-shirts that cleverly stick it to all of the up-themselves lotharios of East London, you must take a look. 

In addition to creating stage costumes for New Young Pony Club's Tahita Bulmer, Miss Jacqueline White started off her year by designing a dress for Bonnie Tyler, which gave her a total eclipse of composure when she promptly lost it and exploded with glee at the prospect. 

Vintage Dior: Fashion Show at Blenheim Palace, 1958

In 1958, Yves Saint Laurent at just 21 years old and having taken over design duties from Christian Dior the previous year, presented the house's winter collection at Blenheim palace to Princess Margaret for some reason, a guest of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough. The event was to benefit the British Red Cross as the 1650 guests paid 5 guineas each. (That is old English currency, I live in England and I've never heard of it!)

The models were referred to then as 'mannequins', the French word for model (which the English narrator pronounces 'mannakaah'). 

The narration from this era never fails to entertain. From the film of the event: "A short evening gown with chic and style such as only the house of Dior - according to the house of Dior - can give." And at the end "Dior himself is...dead. But in the world of haute couture, it's 'The king is dead, long live the king..."

 

 

Those ladies in front are saying 'I am so not wearing that.'

 

 

Are you seeing the awesome eyeball stand-off between those two girls in front?

I like to research things a bit and I came across this newspaper clipping from The Age, November 6, 1954. Now, as the headline suggests, Dior came to Blenheim Palace four years earlier. But it was actually Christian Dior who designed and accompanied the haute couture collection which debuted his famous 'H' line - a slender tunic suit with a slim skirt that later became more of a dropped waist tubular twenties style dress with a hemline that was creeping upwards.

 

Macho Bears and Butterflies: The Wonderful Shoes of Tetsuya Uenobe

  

'Water imp drowns in river'

The womens designer shoes we’re offered each season are becoming bigger and badder and are continually pushing the boundaries of how crazy cool our feet can look, yet it’s still a fairly narrow view of what shoes can be. And if we’re honest, some of us can’t even walk in them. I have a few pairs of shoes I love the look of, they’re gorgeous and sexy heels, but I can’t leave the house wearing them unless I do like Lady Gaga and have someone push me around in a wheelchair.

What we put on our feet can be so much more than what we’ve come to regularly expect of our footwear, if we allow ourselves to think a little differently. Japanese shoemaker Tetsuya Uenobe is a sparkling example of how superior craftsmanship and the desire to impart some personality in our shoes can marry to produce works of wearable art – for our feet!

When I first laid eyes on Tetsuya’s work I was at once charmed by his playful and humourous approach to shoemaking – he draws inspiration from anything and everything around him from boats to monkeys to hot dogs. While Tetsuya says he isn’t adverse to drawing elegant and beautiful designs like Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin and the team at Salvatore Ferragamo, his primary motivation is to make people smile. I challenge you to not crack one while looking at these ‘Macho Bear’ shoes, complete with bear’s own leather moccasins:

'Macho Bear' (with support insert)

Tetsuya designs and makes his shoes in Japan under his namesake label Uenobe. His interest in creating his own shoes came from meeting several craftsman while working in the fashion industry and he soon found himself becoming immersed in their world. He left his job in 1999 and enrolled in the shoe making program at London College of Art, then further honed his craft working alongside a bespoke shoemaker. Upon returning to Japan to launch Uenobe in 2003 he made an impression on Japanese couturier Mrs. Hanai Mori, who offered him the opportunity to show his works at Open Gallery Omotesando in Tokyo. Tetsuya’s influences include Tokio Kumagai and Jan Jansen, who were known for their unconventional approach to shoe design, respectively.  

He admits he has a tough time letting the shoes go once they are finished. (How sweet!)

I had the opportunity to talk to Tetsuya about his shoes and his process:

What kind of reaction do your shoes elicit? And do you have people asking for your art styles or do they usually opt for the more traditional shoe?

My art line was designed as an eye catcher at trade shows at the beginning. I realized these shoes got attention so I decided to develop this line. Actually, I mainly sell my shoes via retail shops so I do not know what customers feel exactly. People prefer to order the main line to the art line; however, many purchased the Koala and some customers bought the Bird from the art line. I have stopped producing the pumps line as the fit wasn't sufficient.

An owner of one of the retailers that deal in my works said customers love my shoes. They enjoy wearing them and appreciate the craftsmanship. I know a woman who is a merchandiser in the fashion industry who purchased the Bird (see right) and wears them at the office. She says she enjoys people noticing them.

I think people understand that my works are unusual. And they love such unusual style. Basically they are fashionistas so they are always looking for a new or rare style. Sometimes customers order traditional styles but the right foot is in red and the left one is in black, via the retailers. The retailers who deal in my works also appreciate individuality. My works are supported by such unique people.

Do you wish to see people wearing your more unusual shoes as an every day footwear choice – an alternative to the ‘usual’ types of shoes we wear, or do you see them as special and meant more for those who appreciate art in their garments?

It depends on the situation. If a philosopher, a doctor or a member of Parliament wears my shoes from my art line at their work place, they will lose credibility. However, wearing them for going out with a lover or to a party would be fine. Actually, I do not mind how people wear my work. My shoes are wearable but also decorative. The important thing is how much people love them.

Your leather sometimes looks as if it has been handpainted with watercolours. How do you achieve that effect?

I dye leather to look like marble. I pour water in a pan and make a a whirlpool, then add a few drops of ink to make the dye then I add the leather.

 

'Swan'

Do manufacturers actually know how to construct a good shoe? Is it possible to get true quality from a factory?

I think everyone who works in the shoe industry knows how to make a good shoe. The difference between me and others is handmade or factory made. Most workers in this industry do not know how to make them by hand. However, I believe they try to make good quality shoes by using machines. Low price shoe companies have to sell their products at lower prices, so they make chunky shoes, shapes that everyone can wear and this way they can cut costs. These can be seen as good shoes when you look at it from that angle.

What are the most important aspects of constructing a shoe, and what should we look for when buying?

Every single shape of the bare foot is slightly different. The shape of one person’s foot will be altered due to changes in body weight or simply from ageing. So people find it difficult to find the perfect pair at the shoe shop. I think the problem is people do not know much about the shape of their foot. They know and care about the shapes of their body but not the foot. Shoes should be attractive but also have to be practical. If you wear disastrous fitting shoes, even from a respected and famous brand, they are bad shoes for you. Bespoke shoes are ideal but very expensive. When you purchase your shoes, you should check the balance of the shoe and fitting, avoid rough finishing and not put whether they are a big designer brand as your first priority.

swelle.

For those interested in how Tetsuya constructs his shoes (I know I am!), here's a look into the process of making them by hand:

Insole: cut off extras and adjust the edge

 

Stiffener: make it thin and flat

 

Lasting: wrap a shoe form with an upper to fix the shape

 

Outsole: perfecting the shape

 

Sewing: securing the outsole on the upper

 

Tetsuya's art line is inspired by animals and plants:

 

'Flower'

'Panda'

'Panther' (the front detail is a view of the tail end of the panther)

 

'Hatch Out'

You can view the Uenobe collection including all of Tetsuya’s fantastical creations at his website.

Alexander McQueen's Final Collection

Looking at this static collection - surely only a fraction of what was to be completed in the last four weeks for a show that was to never happen - was like being visited by a ghost. What an emotional experience. Imagine being there. I'll let WWD do the talking. Below is an excerpt from the review and you can read the full version here. 

“Each piece is unique, as was he.”  Those simple words, at the end of the show notes for the final collection by the late Lee Alexander McQueen, captured the sentiment of a singular talent extinguished too soon. The 15 showpieces that paraded slowly through a gilded salon at the headquarters of luxury titan Francois Pinault were all cut “on the stand” by McQueen in the weeks before he took his own life. In their artistry, imagination and technical wizardry, they brought his fashion spirit to life. Here was a designer with the intelligence and depth of culture to reference centuries of history, and such a forward-looking vision that some of his final messages to the world came via Twitter. A floor-length black gown — the skirt a sweep of couture satin caught in curtain folds at the hip, the bodice paved in golden rococo swirls, the sleeves erupting into three-dimensional embroideries for the “Avatar” age — captured the span of his mind and the skill of his hands.

Models do tend to look sour but there's an undeniable somber in their expressions that reads quite genuine.

Photos: WWD.com

 

Bjork Wore a Lot of Alexander McQueen, Pays Tribute

I visit Bjork's website every now and then, she's had a great online presence for many years, was innovating in binary before other artists, and now a blog takes centre stage (naturally) with all the other bits off to the side, in pretty much the same look and format as when she started. (But I find it laughable or infuriating, depending on my mood, that HER videos listed in her video gallery are blocked from broadcast as they originated from YouTube because it 'contains content from WMG who has blocked it on copyright grounds'. That's Warner Music Group. But the publisher is credited as Universal so I don't know what WMG has to do with it but I really hate it when the record companies block videos or disable embedding. Insert whatever swears you think are nastiest *here*. I go to her videos for inspiration (Bachelorette is the best), daydreaming, and to sing at the top of my lungs along with her if no one is home. So I wasn't best pleased when I discovered I could no longer see the videos I was watching for years. HOWEVER, there is a download button that will play an M4V of the videos in iTunes and the picture is huge and much more effective anyway. Sorry, but I had to rant.)

Getting back on track...Last month she paid tribute to her long-time friend and collaborator, Lee Alexander McQueen. In her very Bjork-like tribute, she said she was 'grateful' to have the chance to work with him and his team and that it was 'vital' to her development. No doubt. You can read it all here.

I recently contributed some thoughts on McQueen's passing and his career to a collaborative article by Alexis J. at iamonlinemag.com, and the day after he died I wrote a piece for Models and Moguls which you can read here. It still stings and I think it will for a long time.

Here are some of the stunningly beautiful dresses worn by Bjork throughout her career which are undeniably quintessential McQueen:

LFW - Rachel Freire's Liberated Restraint

 

I'd better explain that title. But first a little background. I wasn't able to make London designer Rachel Freire's show Future Noir last Tuesday - part of Vauxhall Fashion Scout and a designer deserving of the attention she's commanding - as I was only in town until Sunday. However, I had the opportunity to see many pieces from her A/W 2010 collection up close and personal (the rest were still on their way) at the London a la Mode Pop Up Showroom which was heaving with amazing, diverse, independent talent. More to come on that...

A quick glance at the rack and the dress form beside it was enough to clue in that these were special, impeccably detailed, handmade pieces that needed my eyeballs and fingertips all over them to see exactly what was going on here. Rachel Freire's costume design background was evident in the pieces, they displayed elements of costume in that they made you pay attention and were almost other-worldly, yet they were rooted in the kind of clothes you would wear to a really cool club. Or to dance with a lobster around your living room. The point is, the woman (or man) who wears these clothes is someone who does whatever they please!

This tulle ruffle collar leather vest was amazing from the back but I didn't get a shot. However, this screencap from the show exhibits its peacock-like effect. Funny, it's the male peacock that has the pretty tail feathers and fans them to show them off and attract females and I'm pretty sure that's a guy wearing it in the show. Rachel explores the dark sexuality of the androgynous form with this collection and had both male and female models presenting the clothes.

Now for that paradoxical title! Rachel has a thing for garments of restraint such as straight-jackets and corsetry. She incorporates zippers, ties and intricate lacing into her many of her pieces, or uses a second-skin thick latex to craft a catsuit, among other crafty tricks. Yet there's this explosion of texture worked into some of her creations that whether it be an erect spread of tulle ruffles or shredded leather all entwined and reaching out from the body, there's a distinct feeling of uncontained, wild energy emanating from the source.

 

 

This catsuit was made with reflective strips that glowed when I used my flash:

The ribbons can be arranged any way you please by using the little rubbery loops:

 

A little raw-edged ruffle jacket that offers the apocalyptic feel that Rachel explores in relation to organic elements. She uses salmon skin and stingray in her work which offers a naturally derived texture that sits mysteriously next to the more ornate surfaces she painstakingly builds with her hands.

 

This suit made of thick latex was intriguing, it zips all the way down the front and under so you can get in and then seal yourself inside:

You can view Rachel Freire's current spring collection at her website. 

LFW - Martin Lamothe's Collaborations in Sculpted Leather and Crocheted Chain

This may look like someone messing around with leather, making it spiky for some reason and leaving it up to you to make sense of it or just keep on going. But take another look at what a collaboration between Martin Lamothe and leather sculptor Sebastian Vecchio actually produced:

 

right sleeve

left sleeve

Isn't that incredible? I wanted to touch the horses heads but I couldn't bring myself to, as if they would collapse if I laid my fingers on them. They wouldn't have of course but they appeared so delicate despite their substance.

Here's how they were made by Sebastian Vecchio:

 

And two other pieces that were stunning examples of hand workmanship:

 

This piece was so heavy, it was essentially made with rope of varying thickness

Mercedes Fernandez Mesa crocheted silver, gold and copper chain which was then handstitched into pleated tulle. I was in awe after seeing these pieces.

Craig Lawrence A/W 2010 Film Presentation

As the title here suggests, Craig Lawrence presented his A/W 2010 collection in film at Somerset House during London fashion week. I had actually taken a video of it myself in the darkened room which was rather unsteady and had some guy's head that was in the way for about a minute, so I was glad to see an official version of the film on YouTube and spare you the amateur version. Not having seen any of the clothes in person it's tough to comment, but we can see that outrageous knitwear is still a love of Lawrence's as his 'pompom' girl would suggest (that's what that giant shrug made of metallic strips reminds me of) as is beautifully worked, intricately lush textures. All of his pieces are handknit and Cynthia F. of The Swelle Life's Designer Series, Knitwear had a hand in assisting with the collection. I'm hoping she can fill us in the materials used, there looks to be a complementary mix of all kinds of textures and fabrics.

(Email subscribers will need to click the the title of this post to view the videos directly from the blog.)

I was going to tell you more about Craig Lawrence but this interview from last summer with Lady Gaga will give you an idea about where his work comes from, and it's more entertaining:

London Fashion Week: Fred Butler Style in the Flesh

 

I spent three (very) full days at London fashion week and naturally I saw many fashion spectacles. I didn't take any photos, however, as the people in the more outrageous outfits kind of let the clothes do all the work, if you know what I mean (with the exception of Susie Bubble who is the first person I saw when I came into Somerset House on Friday, she has a presence beyond the spectacular shell - but no photo, I was in a rush). And then as I was heading out of Somerset House to get lunch on Saturday I saw this amazing vision in red that broke through the dull, heavy sea of black wool, lycra and jersey like a firecracker in the night sky - it had to be Fred Butler. The accessories designer and prop stylist extraordinaire is known for choosing one colour each day and going with it full on. I've said that I wish I lived on her street so I could watch her head out each morning, that would be my guaranteed dose of daily sunshine. (That was not meant to sound creepy.)

I had to capture her look which she completed with her signature full-spectrum accessories and she was happy to oblige. Look at her - how wonderful is she? This is happy, happy fashion.

Cupcake Monday! The Handbag Edition (Unbelievable!)

Honestly, the things people do! These handbag cakes from ShamsD are blowing my mind. We've already seen an amazingly detailed Chanel 2.55 bag by Adjoa Duncan with a fondant chain strap and all.

The bag above (is that a Fendi?) has a metallic looking D-ring and grommets, and I would have to see those 'stitches' in person to see believe they're not machine stitched thread. The cake is not actually cake but molded burfee (or sweatmeat, a kind of marzipan-like concoction). To create the details ShamsD summons the cake decorating goddesses from the pastry shop in heaven and they endow her with magical powers that can only manifest themselves through the manipulation of icing. At least I think that's how she makes these, I can't think of any other logical explanation.

Oh just shut up! This was ShamsD's first handbag (you can so see all the rookie mistakes, snort). She says she was rushed (obviously) and didn't have time to mix the black properly and so it turned out a bit grey (unforgivable). On the way home from the class she hit some bumpy roads and parts of the cake were damaged so she had to strip them off and redo them. ShamsD might not be 100% happy with her result but if this were mine I'd be going door-to-door in the neighbourhood making sure everyone had a good look, took pictures of it on their phones which they would then set as their wallpaper and finally, they would commit my name to memory. 

This was made for her 10 year-old niece and it looks as sweet as it must taste. It's white chocolate mud cake covered in white chocolate ganache. It could be actual mud and I wouldn't really care. I'd still eat it.

Things to See in Paris: Paul Guillaume's Amazing, Miniature Apartment

I still have many, many photos from the two months we lived in Paris last year and amongst them are these charming and impressive (awesome, really) miniature replicas of two rooms in art collector and ardent supporter of artists Paul Guillaume's Paris apartment. You can see he really liked Modigliani. In fact, the artist painted Guillaume's portrait in 1915 and according to this model, he displayed it in his study - you can see it in the far right top corner:

 

Amedeo Modigliani. Paul Guillaume, Novo Pilota. 1915

These models on are display in the lower level at Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris which is famous for its series of Monet's Water Lilies paintings, housed above in two rooms:

Back to the apartment - this is Paul Guillaume's dining room, complete with hallways where more of his collection was hung (you wouldn't want to drink too much wine at one of his dinner parties and stumble into a wall - emBARRassing!):

To give you an idea of the scale:

She was beginning to turn into a werewolf, starting with her hand.

This is the room where these models were displayed, it was on the right wall. As for what this room was, I didn't catch it. But it would make sense if it were a full-size (obviously) replica of another room - complete with the actual original paintings - of Guillaume's. It could be called 'the one with no Modigliani'.

And a few curiosities I found in the other galleries downstairs, first Coco and her pup (the artist liked to paint ladies with their dogs):

I just really love these Matisse paintings:

And finally, Maurice Ultrillo's La Maison Bernot, which must mean 'House of the Big Asses' - look at how he painted the ladies' derrieres:

We know what he liked.