Saturday 11 September 2010

Sun 12th Sept: Somewhere down the rainbow






Im so sad that the JCDC shop has closed in London...........but Ive found myself another rainbow staircase to dream on........in the newly re-furbished Benetton flagship store.........its 3 flights that make up one entire spectrum.........one day I would LOVE to have a house with stairs like this!

Sat 11th: EK vs. WAH!








Here is Yu Masui with his freshly painted Eley Kishmoto pattern nail courtesy of WAH! Nails who held a special salon at the pop up shop today. The Pre FLASH ON Week event took place for fashionistas to have a manicure in an archive EK pattern handpainted by Sharmadean Reid's infamous WAH nails team for free. I LOVE that these 2 girls are totally decked out in Lazy Oaf as I myself was representing with an Oaf bag from their own flagship round the corner on Carnaby. I also LOVE this EK printed neon frisbee!

Sat 11th: Oxjam - Craig Lawrence tackles climate change with "cool to be kind"







Yes, that's right "Oxjam" not "Oxfam". When Craig kept emailing me with that as the subject title, I thought it was his dyslexia playing havoc. But, no, he was correct. Its the name of Oxfam’s month long, nationwide, annual music festival for the duration of October. The festival is made up of hundreds of events around the UK. It is through the support raised by events and initiatives such as this that made it possible for Oxfam to be one of the first to provide emergency relief during the Haiti earthquake this year. Over recent years Oxjam has been supported by the biggest artists and celebrities such as such as The Scissor Sisters, The Pet Shop Boys, Duran Duran, Kylie, Jamie Oliver, 30 London Fashion Week Designers.
This season, Aldene Johnson (chief fashion editor of Vice) will host a pop up shop at the concert in London and has selected both Craig and Dominic Jones to create a one-off T-Shirt design for the project. Both designers were asked to draw up artwork based on an ecological theme within climate change that motivates them personally. Craig collaged photos from his childhood caravan holidays to convey a message of taking vacations on hometurf in favour of flying abroad and incurring unnecessary carbon emissions. I think it will be hilarious when his long lost friends from these trips find the t-shirt and see themselves emblazoned in Oxfam!
Here are campaign photos of Craig's tee shot by Kristin Vicari with a mix of his current London family modelling (top to bottom Madeleine, Kristin herself!, Stevie, me and Veronica So from Teeth) .


Oxjam will be held at the Coronet Theatre with performance from Faithless on Friday 1st October 2010, click here for more details and www.c2bk.com for all event and ticket info

Friday 10 September 2010

Fri 10th Sept: Noughtie Nightlife





The Broken Hearts were typically resplendent in attendance at the private view of "Noughtie Nightlife" last night.........ironically taking party pictures to blog for weknowwhatyoudidlastnight which is infact one of the subjects of the exhibition. The show curated by Antony Price has brought together images from the different clubs and the kids that frequented them in noughties London - caught on film by the photographers that circulated the scene. The most photographed reveller of the genre appears to be NIYI who you can see here looking gorgeous in gold glitter together with Ryan Styles. Other faces that crop up, captured on the dance floors have now risen the ranks of party goers and organisers to personalities in their own right - now being shot by the establishment such as Scottee by Tim Walker and Jodie Harsh by Nick Knight. It really doesn't seem that long ago since I was waking up on a Monday morn to retrieve image url codes from dirtydirtydancing to upload onto my Myspace from the weekends antics. But according to this retrospective of the "sub culture" its been long enough to celebrate the protagonists who recorded the movement, such as Ellis Scott, Billa Baldwin, Rory DCS and a really fantastic slideshow of Polaroids by Paul Harnett of early Kashpoint days including a very young Bishi and Patrick Wolf!

For more information, see Pigeons & Peacocks and to see photos from the party last night, check the RichMix own blog.

Friday 10th Sept: SHOWstudio In Wolves Clothing: Re-imagining the Doll


Andrew Yang- The Red Empress (2010)




Andrew Yang- The Vizier (2010)



Peter Jensen/Laurie Simmons- Paper Dolls (2009)



Nick Knight- Aimee Mullins 01 (1998)



Rubbish- Finger Puppets (2008- 2010)



Andrew Yang- Gaga (2010)



Andrew Yang- Matilda and Ramona (2010)



Peter Jensen/Laurie Simmons- Paper Dolls (2009)


SHOWstudio's newest exhibition, 'In Wolves Clothing: Re-imagining the Doll ', addresses the shifting perceptions of the doll, realised by a range of contemporary artists and creatives including Michael Baumgarten, Barbie, Marina Bychkova, Nancy Fouts, Emma Gibson, Nick Knight, Laurie Simmons & Peter Jensen, Lone Siggurdson, Viktor & Rolf and Andrew Yang. The dolls demonstrate innocence cloaked in the shroud of high fashion. The varying approaches of these practitioners to the doll sum up the paradox of a sheep in wolves' clothing.

In addition to the exhibition, SHOWstudio.com will broadcast performances from the LiveStudio in Bruton Place by Wendy Bevan, Rubbish Finger Puppets and others. These objects made during the LiveStudio will then be exhibited in the Shop.


SHOWstudio Shop:
1-9 Bruton Place
London
W1J 6LT
The exhibition will run 9th September 2010 — 30th October 2010 .

Thursday 9 September 2010

Thurs 9th Sept: Exquisite Corpse






Here is my piece "Dahlia Fantasia Thelonica's Dream" which is a story of consequences from my past season patterns to future ones. Its my first foray into the art world but ironically not much of a progression from my GCSE mock exam where I decorated a mannequin in a similar way!
Thanks to Amy Gwatkin who came down to The Dalston Superstore to photograph the event and this portrait of curator Alex Noble and I. Congratulations to Alex for his duration running the gallery, departing on a highnote of this "Exquistie" show as his last. To see more from the 14 artists, head to i-D Online.

Thurs 9th Sept: Anita King




Anita King is a regular visitor to the studio and each time she appears as a vision in something covetable I would quite like to steal off her back!! Today's piece is an unusual reversible woollen gillet that is so bright and intricately made = my fave kind of thing! Although it looks like a vintage find, its actually by ANT!PODiUM. If you are going to be down at Somerset House for LFW, look out for this snazzy dresser to snap for some guaranteed street style winning straight-ups!

Wednesday 8 September 2010

Weds 8th Sept: "Russian Dolls"





A few days before Couture week I was sent Ballets Russes references from Vogue to create them some accessories for a shoot by Tim Walker to celebrate the upcoming exhibition at the V&A. I set about making neck ruffles and cuffs from transparent cellophane as a modern twist on clown costumes. As runway images appeared from the shows in Paris, I was relieved to see that Stephen Jones had designed headgear for Dior from coloured florist cellophane. Its always an unknown venture working on bespoke pieces for shoots as so often they don't make the final edit (having seen the September Issue film I now know how this happens!). I crossed my fingers and hoped that the similarity in choice of materials might help assure my accessories finding their way into the story......... and hey presto, I'm as pleased as Punch (& Judy) to see them in the "Russian Dolls" feature. The ruffle is complemented with the cuffs turned into pom poms in the hair and then used again round the neck of the male model on the opening page. A dream come true to see my work appear in a Walker dreamscape for Vogue! Keep your eyes peeled for the beautiful bespoke gloves that appear courtesy of Gloved Up.

(Scans from the new October Issue and a snap of a Venetian glass style mask that didn't get used but now appears in a modified version on my artwork in the Dalston Superstore)

Tuesday 7 September 2010

Tues 7th Sept: Pelicans & Parrots








Returning to the studio from visiting my artwork at Dalston Superstore yesterday, I spotted an interesting looking shopfront and did a little rubber-neck walk. My blogger radar pinged but I couldn't stop in my tracks as I had sewing to be seen to.............oh my, did I regret that decision later when I looked it up! The new curiosity shop held a meet and greet session for the single launch for Roots Manuva at the exact time I must have sloped by. ARGH! GUTTED!
So I hot-stepped back to day to see the store "Pelicans & Parrots" and the selection of vintage clothes, shoes, handbags, jewellery, furniture, ornaments, books, artefacts and taxidermy. The walls are adorned with old paintings and framed photographs but also contemporary screen-prints from artists based at nearby PrintClub. What was once home to a travel agents is now a one stop shop for any intriguing gift from an elaborate carnival feather headdress to a smaller cheeky feather crow. To rummage in the racks yourself, do the Dalston thing and head to 40 Stoke Newington Road, N16 7XJ.

For up to date info and perhaps more Roots insider info, follow their twitter.

Tues 7th Sept: Happy Birthday Bethan



I took this snap of a tiger nestling in Bethan's hair a couple of weeks ago when she showed me the prototypes for her new rings...........which look GENIUS (not using that word lightly). Can't wait to see them in production!

Monday 6 September 2010

Mon 6th Sept: Terence Koh in V Mag




V MAGAZINE NEW YORK ISSUE STORY
PHOTOGRAPHY MARIO TESTINO
STYLING NICOLA FORMICHETTI
TERENCE KOH - HELMET BY FRED BUTLER, CLOTHING HIS OWN (this is a crop of actual DPS)
(Leather & studded helmet made on commission as new interpretation on original helmets made for VINTAGE NICOLA - S/S 2008 - ANOTHER MAN MAGAZINE - PHOTO OLIVIERO TOSCANI)
See the whole story and read more at Nicola's official blog.

Mon 6th Sept: T3ETH





Yesterday I met very sweet Veronica So from TEETH when she came back into town for a shoot inbetween playing and attending Offset festival...........watch this space for more news on that..........until then here is their performance on my fave TV show "The Knocking Shop".

(top photo by me, rainbow photo from Veronica - had to include that one!!!!!)

Sunday 5 September 2010

Sun 4th Sept: New Rainbows








My rainbow paper origami collection has now been added to pieces available at Kabiri.......here are studio snaps of the samples originally made for a shoot from last year - modelled by Rosy and Hannah!
To have a look at the line, click here.