1970s

Amelia’s Magazine | Frock Me! Vintage Fair at the Brighton Corn Exchange

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Illustration by Rosie Shephard

Coming in from a freezing cold Brighton day, here dosage I was welcomed with the warm glow of row upon row of vintage. A cornucopia of vintage clothing and accessories including 1950s lace wedding dresses, link 1960 shifts, information pills 1970s smocks and 1980s mohair. This was Frock Me Vintage Fashion Fair at the Brighton Corn Exchange. An enticing collection of clothes, bags, jewellery, shoes and even a whole stand dedicated to vintage buttons.

Frock Me Vintage Fashion Fairs, a vintage fashion institution no less, have been running since the mid 1990s. With awareness and demand for vintage apparel rising massively since the early 1990s, it’s clear to see Frock Me haven’t missed a trick. Walking in to the Corn Exchange was like stepping in to a props and costume department, no surprise really as Matthew Adams, who runs Frock Me, studied Costume and Theatre Design during the mid 1970s.

There’s something quite liberating about rummaging through row upon row of vintage clobber. The feeling that you’re buying a one-off,  something that’s built to last, something that’s stood the test of time, something with a history. Why would you want to buy anything new and mass produced ever again? Vintage is big business with everyone searching for one-of-a-kind fashion, and fairs like this attract an eclectic bunch adorned in various clothes throughout the ages, 1940s swing mixes seamlessly with 1960s kitsch, like a history lesson in style.


Illustration by Rosie Shephard

There was an overwhelming choice from over 70 exhibitors, but something caught my eye, all feathers and netting and appliqué, so like a magpie swoops on something shiny, I swooped in on a hat stall. To me these millinery marvels were the stars of the show. Lovely 1920s cloches, 1950s pillboxes and 1960s fur felt styles were begging to be tried on.

Frock Me Vintage Fashion Fairs have become a regular face on the vintage fashion circuit with fairs being held several times a year at Chelsea Town Hall and Brighton Corn Exchange.  Check out frockmevintagefashion.com for more details.

Written by Faye Spiller on Thursday December 9th, 2010 5:32 pm

Categories ,1920s, ,1940s, ,1950s, ,1960s, ,1970s, ,1980s, ,brighton, ,Chelsea Town Hall, ,Corn Exhange, ,Costume, ,Dress, ,fashion, ,Frock Me, ,Matthew Adams, ,vintage

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Amelia’s Magazine | Graduate Fashion Week 2010: UCA Rochester

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Joo-Hee Chun

Emma Box, illness illustrated by Lesley Barnes

So, reigning champions (or at least winners of 2009 Gold Award) UCA Rochester took to the catwalks on Tuesday to show their wares in a bid to cling on to their title amongst the heavyweights we’d already seen at Graduate Fashion Week.

I’m very pleased to announce that they certainly put up a good fight. With a simple chandelier hung from the ceiling above the catwalk, the show began with a rather long romantic song – thank God too, because my guest was running late and he managed to sneak in during the song in the nick of time.


Live catwalk illustrations by Tom Gilbert

First up was Alexa Papavasileiou who presented a modest yet striking collection that packed a few discrete punches (okay, I’ll stop with the boxing metaphors now). Body-concious printed dresses with full-length sleeves wrapped models in organic suits, while drapes hung over the models creating flattering lines. The most interesting twist was the appearance of constructed stilettos which had a grungy, paper mache effect and gave this sleek collection an edgy twist.

Other escapades in weird and wonderful shoe design were brought to us by Lydia Vousvouni, whose deconstructed womenswear tailoring had a futuristic feel, teamed with crazy shoes that looked like art deco sculptures.


Lydia Vousvouni, illustrated by Abi Daker

Rebecca Watson in stark contrast dressed her models in very eery skeletal masks, bringing a little touch of death-glamour to the runway. The clothes in comparison were relatively simple, consisting of cropped-sleeve tops, two-tone leggings and some pretty neat tailoring.

More digital prints on the catwalk; this time in Emma Box’s structured collection. Micro-skirts and leggings in said prints were teamed with bolero-length jackets with exaggerated shoulders, giving models a dash of sex appeal and masses of style.

Digital prints again, from the Gareth-Pugh-esque Alex Oliver. Her models were transformed into futuristic creatures, with emphasis on shoulders (huge, huge shoulders). Catsuits or short dresses in a psychedelic print were teamed with leather jackets with scary spikes; the climax being a model with a Margiela-style eye covering as part of a hood. It was scary but sexy at the same time.


Alex Oliver, illustrated by Lesley Barnes

The first menswear collection from Rochester was that of Chelsea Bravo, whose models had the appearance of modern-day gladiators. Smock t-shirts with scoop necks emphasised muscular form and Chelsea’s palette of muted colours including sand, burgundy and blue had a sophisticated edge.

Vicky Jolly presented one of the most sophisticated collections I’ve seen this year. Her couturier-like craftsmanship created elegant dresses, with twists and turns in fabrics flattering the female form.


Vicky Jolly, illustrated by Alli Coate

Finally, after what felt like waiting for decades, Hallam Burchett ramped up the glamour factor to a big fat 10. Models sashayed and swished their hips to Donna Summer’s Bad Girls whilst wearing an all-green silky collection, embellished with dazzling crystals and accessorised with demi-gloves. Sod the tits or legs rule in Burchett’s short, short strapless dress and flaunt what you’ve got at the disco! This 1970s-inspired collection had the cuts and lines to make it contemporary, though.

More menswear now, from Anachee Sae Lee and Cherelle Reid. The former was a contemporary take on colloquial dressing and conjured up images of Sherlock Holmes, Oliver Twist, chimney sweeps and Victorian funeral directors all at the same time. High values in tailoring made this a tip-top collection, with fitted suits teamed with neck-bows and crisp shirts with bib detailing were accessorised with sleek shirt-armbands and porkpie hats.


Anachee Sae Lee, illustrated by Abi Daker

Cherelle Reid, whilst employing similar tailoring elements, was an entirely different look. In a strong micro-collection worthy of a slot in any upmarket store come Autumn Winter 2010, models wore silky harem pants which tapered tightly, low-cut v-neck tops and formal jackets. The craftsmanship look exquisite, but the pecs were a bit much *fans brow*

In amidst a whole load of futuristic and structured collections at GFW this year, a welcome breath of fresh air came from show closer Carla Grima. Her magical Grecian-inspired collection was a burst of much-needed colour, and while it wasn’t a clangy hipster spectacle like some show finales, it was understated glamour at its best. Each dress created an illusionary effect as it hung effortlessly from the models, flattering their waif figures.

Having written this post-Gala Show, I now know that UCA Rochester didn’t manage to hold onto their crown as Gold Award winners for 2010. Amongst so much incredible talent, it’s so difficult to stand out. Nevertheless, each collection was incredibly strong, astonishingly creative, and never, ever boring.

Rochester, you’re all winners anyway.

Written by Matt Bramford on Friday June 11th, 2010 11:03 am

Categories ,1970s, ,Abigail Daker, ,Alexa Papavasileiou, ,Anachee Sae Lee, ,Art Deco, ,Bad Girls, ,Body-con, ,Carla Grima, ,Catsuits, ,Chandelier, ,Chelsea Bravo, ,Cherelle Reid, ,Digital Prints, ,Donna Summer, ,Earls Court, ,Emma Box, ,Futurism, ,Gareth Pugh, ,God, ,Gold Award, ,Graduate Fashion Week 2010, ,Grecian, ,Hallam Burchett, ,Harem pants, ,Lesley Barnes, ,london, ,Lydia Vousvouni, ,Martin Margiela, ,menswear, ,Oliver Twist, ,Paper Mache, ,Rebecca Watson, ,Sherlock Holmes, ,UCA Rochester, ,Vicky Jolly, ,Victoriana, ,Waif, ,Womenswear

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Amelia’s Magazine | Graduate Fashion Week 2010: UCA Rochester

by

Joo-Hee Chun

Emma Box, illness illustrated by Lesley Barnes

So, reigning champions (or at least winners of 2009 Gold Award) UCA Rochester took to the catwalks on Tuesday to show their wares in a bid to cling on to their title amongst the heavyweights we’d already seen at Graduate Fashion Week.

I’m very pleased to announce that they certainly put up a good fight. With a simple chandelier hung from the ceiling above the catwalk, the show began with a rather long romantic song – thank God too, because my guest was running late and he managed to sneak in during the song in the nick of time.


Live catwalk illustrations by Tom Gilbert

First up was Alexa Papavasileiou who presented a modest yet striking collection that packed a few discrete punches (okay, I’ll stop with the boxing metaphors now). Body-concious printed dresses with full-length sleeves wrapped models in organic suits, while drapes hung over the models creating flattering lines. The most interesting twist was the appearance of constructed stilettos which had a grungy, paper mache effect and gave this sleek collection an edgy twist.

Other escapades in weird and wonderful shoe design were brought to us by Lydia Vousvouni, whose deconstructed womenswear tailoring had a futuristic feel, teamed with crazy shoes that looked like art deco sculptures.


Lydia Vousvouni, illustrated by Abi Daker

Rebecca Watson in stark contrast dressed her models in very eery skeletal masks, bringing a little touch of death-glamour to the runway. The clothes in comparison were relatively simple, consisting of cropped-sleeve tops, two-tone leggings and some pretty neat tailoring.

More digital prints on the catwalk; this time in Emma Box’s structured collection. Micro-skirts and leggings in said prints were teamed with bolero-length jackets with exaggerated shoulders, giving models a dash of sex appeal and masses of style.

Digital prints again, from the Gareth-Pugh-esque Alex Oliver. Her models were transformed into futuristic creatures, with emphasis on shoulders (huge, huge shoulders). Catsuits or short dresses in a psychedelic print were teamed with leather jackets with scary spikes; the climax being a model with a Margiela-style eye covering as part of a hood. It was scary but sexy at the same time.


Alex Oliver, illustrated by Lesley Barnes

The first menswear collection from Rochester was that of Chelsea Bravo, whose models had the appearance of modern-day gladiators. Smock t-shirts with scoop necks emphasised muscular form and Chelsea’s palette of muted colours including sand, burgundy and blue had a sophisticated edge.

Vicky Jolly presented one of the most sophisticated collections I’ve seen this year. Her couturier-like craftsmanship created elegant dresses, with twists and turns in fabrics flattering the female form.


Vicky Jolly, illustrated by Alli Coate

Finally, after what felt like waiting for decades, Hallam Burchett ramped up the glamour factor to a big fat 10. Models sashayed and swished their hips to Donna Summer’s Bad Girls whilst wearing an all-green silky collection, embellished with dazzling crystals and accessorised with demi-gloves. Sod the tits or legs rule in Burchett’s short, short strapless dress and flaunt what you’ve got at the disco! This 1970s-inspired collection had the cuts and lines to make it contemporary, though.

More menswear now, from Anachee Sae Lee and Cherelle Reid. The former was a contemporary take on colloquial dressing and conjured up images of Sherlock Holmes, Oliver Twist, chimney sweeps and Victorian funeral directors all at the same time. High values in tailoring made this a tip-top collection, with fitted suits teamed with neck-bows and crisp shirts with bib detailing were accessorised with sleek shirt-armbands and porkpie hats.


Anachee Sae Lee, illustrated by Abi Daker

Cherelle Reid, whilst employing similar tailoring elements, was an entirely different look. In a strong micro-collection worthy of a slot in any upmarket store come Autumn Winter 2010, models wore silky harem pants which tapered tightly, low-cut v-neck tops and formal jackets. The craftsmanship look exquisite, but the pecs were a bit much *fans brow*

In amidst a whole load of futuristic and structured collections at GFW this year, a welcome breath of fresh air came from show closer Carla Grima. Her magical Grecian-inspired collection was a burst of much-needed colour, and while it wasn’t a clangy hipster spectacle like some show finales, it was understated glamour at its best. Each dress created an illusionary effect as it hung effortlessly from the models, flattering their waif figures.

Having written this post-Gala Show, I now know that UCA Rochester didn’t manage to hold onto their crown as Gold Award winners for 2010. Amongst so much incredible talent, it’s so difficult to stand out. Nevertheless, each collection was incredibly strong, astonishingly creative, and never, ever boring.

Rochester, you’re all winners anyway.

Written by Matt Bramford on Friday June 11th, 2010 11:03 am

Categories ,1970s, ,Abigail Daker, ,Alexa Papavasileiou, ,Anachee Sae Lee, ,Art Deco, ,Bad Girls, ,Body-con, ,Carla Grima, ,Catsuits, ,Chandelier, ,Chelsea Bravo, ,Cherelle Reid, ,Digital Prints, ,Donna Summer, ,Earls Court, ,Emma Box, ,Futurism, ,Gareth Pugh, ,God, ,Gold Award, ,Graduate Fashion Week 2010, ,Grecian, ,Hallam Burchett, ,Harem pants, ,Lesley Barnes, ,london, ,Lydia Vousvouni, ,Martin Margiela, ,menswear, ,Oliver Twist, ,Paper Mache, ,Rebecca Watson, ,Sherlock Holmes, ,UCA Rochester, ,Vicky Jolly, ,Victoriana, ,Waif, ,Womenswear

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Amelia’s Magazine | Fashion in Film Festival: Pink Narcissus

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Illustration by Running for Crayons

So the third Fashion in Film Festival kicked off last week and had film fans and fashionistas flocking to cinemas to catch rare and unreleased archival screenings.

First on my list was a trip to The Horse Hospital. I’d never heard of it before either, case search but it’s a treat. Situated behind Russell Square station (not the insalubrious bit, although the evening was to turn insalubrious as I’ll explain later…) the name is pretty self-explanatory. It’s London’s only existing and accessible two-floor horse stable, and the interior remains relatively unchanged, save a bit of black paint splashed on the walls. Down a cobbled ramp and behind a heavy black curtain lies a cinema screen with few seats. The only traditional ‘cinema-style’ seats were a row of four at the front, the rest were school-dinners chairs, so me and my colleague made a dart for them. It was bloody freezing I tell ya – it was London’s snowiest evening so far and two tiny heaters aren’t going to warm a cavernous black room. Still, we were forewarned and had wrapped up.

Now, Pink Narcissus isn’t your typical ‘fashion film’. Forget what you know of fashion films, particularly in the glamorous OTT perfume advertisement sense. Pink Narcissus is unadulterated, gratuitous porn. Gay porn, at that. Essentially it’s a pervy New Yorker who fancied the pants (literally) off some young Brando-esque model and decided to make an ‘art film’ over seven years, making sure most scenes contained said Brando-esque model’s round bottom and various appendages. Cue titters from me and my colleague. It’s hard not too, right?


Illustration by Alison Day

That’s the short version, but there’s a lot more to it. Ryan Powell, lecturer in Film Studies at King’s College, gave a fascinating introduction into the circumstances surrounding the film’s production and release. Bidgood, the film’s director, was a photographer and costume designer with very little (if any) filmmaker training. That didn’t stop him though. Oh no. Bidgood transformed his apartment with lavish sets over the course of seven years. These are, by anybody’s estimation, incredible. It’s the kind of film where you have to continually remind yourself of this fact because some of the sets – a New York cityscape or a decadent bullfighter’s arena, for example, are unbelievable.

The film, as Powell told us, was originally released amidst much controversy with nobody actually claiming ownership. It took almost a decade for Bidgood to step forward after much deliberation in the press as to which closeted artist or filmmaker had produced it.


Illustration by Caroline Duffy

So, the plot. Well, there isn’t one really. I’d be kidding you if I suggested that this is anything other than an erotic exploration of the male form. The film ‘aims’ to tell the story of the sexual fantasies of a male prostitute, who sexually envisions himself as various characters, from a Roman slave to a matador. Bobby Kendall, star of the show, is drop-dead gorgeous and it’s no surprise that Bidgood formed such a fixation on the man. Most people keep there obsessions in private, but not Bidgood. Oh no. He makes a film about it. It reminded me somewhat of the unusual relationship between Lagerfeld and his ‘male muse’ Baptiste Giabiconi – Kendall has the same exotic look as Baptiste and it seems the former was equally as exploited in his day as the latter is now. I can only imagine the conversations. ‘Yes, that’s it, this scene/shoot will look MUCH BETTER if you take your knickers off. Go on. Cheers.’


Illustration by Charlotte Hoyle

Pink Narcissus, for all its perversions, is undoubtedly a stunning film, and its easy to see why it was selected to be screened during the Fashion in Film Festival. There’s only so much you can say about the physical fashion in a gay porn flick, but I will do my damn best. Powell told us that, as a costume designer by day, Bidgood salvaged materials from the projects he was commissioned for and turned them into the costumes we see in the film. They don’t leave much to the imagination – particularly translucent onesies. When costumes do feature, they are incredible. The ‘bullfighting scene’ (read: leather-clad biker in hot-pants riding towards translucent-onesie-wearing Kendall wafting red material) features a lavishly embellished bolero jacket that would be the envy of millions. Fabrics drape all over the place, loin-cloths are made of silk, and my favourite scene – with ‘just a glimpse of cock’ – features a dancer enveloped in an exotic beaded-creation that dazzles. It’s evident that the director has a talent for dress.

It’s high camp at its best. All at the same time, its a master-class in decadence, trash and beauty, and Bidgood could teach modern filmmakers a thing or two, with his saturated colours, confronting close-ups and innovative cuts. The colours vary from bright blues to hot pinks, purples and greens; it’s a bit like being trapped in somebody else’s vivid dream. It’s totally mesmerising.

Thanks, Fashion in Film Festival, for bringing it to the cinema once again.

The Fashion in Film Festival runs until 12 December. Get all the details in our listings section.

Written by Matt Bramford on Wednesday December 8th, 2010 6:21 pm

Categories ,1970s, ,Baptiste Giabiconi, ,Bobby Kendall, ,Bolero, ,Brando, ,Fashion in Film Festival, ,film, ,gay, ,Homoeroticism, ,James Bidgood, ,Karl Lagerfeld, ,Kings College, ,Matador, ,Pink Narcissus, ,Porn, ,Russel Square, ,Ryan Powell, ,The Horse Hospital

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Emete and Amy from Make Lemonade

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Woman in politics by Sandra Dieckmann

Illustration by Jenny Robins

I didn’t plan on staying up so late on Election night. I had well- meaning plans involving a cup of tea, viagra sale my pajamas and being tucked up in bed with a book by 10pm. But like many people, this as soon as the exit polls rolled in, more about I was hooked. My emotions swung from disbelief to elation, despair to complete confusion, the latter being the prevailing feeling.

I am not sure if there is any other point in the year where this is the case, but all eyes were on Sunderland. Initially I was baffled by the focus on rushing to count the votes. I would rather it was accurate than rushed, it isn’t Total Wipeout (although how I wish it was! Imagine- the party leaders racing round the course, being pounded with mechanical fists and squaring up to the Big Balls?!) But as the first, second and third result came in, I realized that for a brief, bizarre moment, we had a 100% female government. Imagine that. And bloomin bizarre it was. But why? Why is it so hard to imagine an all female government?

The sad reality is that women are still dramatically under-represented in key areas of public, political and economic life: In the last British Parliament of 646 there were only 126 female MPs. This is abysmal. We lag far far behind countries like Afghanistan, Rwanda, Senegal and Latvia when it comes to women’s representation. The majority of UK senior civil servants, directors of FTSE 100 companies, senior lawyers, and key figures in the media are men. No wonder so many teenage girls cite Katie Price as their role model, though that does make me want to eat my own face. If women are excluded from the top jobs, half the talent of the nation is wasted.

llustration by Jenny Robins

I went to bed around 2.30am unable to keep my eyes open any more, with an excited, but admittedly naïve, confidence that this election would see a significant increase In women in parliament. According to the Centre for Women and Democracy and the Fawcett Society, Thursday’s General Election resulted in… wait for it….. drum roll…… 142 women MPs. Yes! That’s an extra 16! Oh- no, wait a minute… 142 female MP’s in a parliament of 649…. that’s only 22% of parliament. On a positive note, this included Caroline Lucas, leader of the Green Party, and the election of Britain’s first ever female Asian MPs. A tiny bit better, but overall its pathetic, quite frankly. Fuck.

This has to change. We are well behind the majority of other European countries in this regard. If women’s representation continues to creep up in 1 or 2 percentage points like it has done up until now it will literally take decades before women are fairly represented in our country. Women only shortlists may sound drastic to some but when you consider the state of women’s representation nationally, you realize that it’s drastically needed.

And then there is proportional representation. Oh sweet, fair, idolized proportional representation! How we long for you! It is a clear olive branch standing out from the mushy confused mess of the election result. (Lib-lab, lab-con, Con-dem anyone?) The case for voter reform is more convincing than ever.

There are apparently gazilillions of different proportional representation systems, but roughly it means that if a party receives 10% of the vote, they receive 10% representation, which is hundreds of miles better than the system we have now when a party receives 51% of the vote but 100% of the influence in parliament. The Electoral Reform Society explains one system thus; “At present, constituencies are represented in parliament by just one MP. Under a Single Transferable Vote system, each constituency is represented by a small group of representatives…This makes it possible for representatives of different parties to be elected in each ward, thus allowing more people to have representatives of the parties of their choice.” Having a group of representatives in each constituency will mean that it will be even more blindingly obvious if women are not represented there (same for other minority groups too). In many other countries more women are nominated under PR and the more women are nominated the more they are elected. Proportional representation also means that people can vote according to what they actually believe in (like, for example, electing more women to parliament, amongst other things) rather than tactically to keep certain parties in or out.

So yes. Women are still dismally under represented. Yes, teenage girls are growing up saving for boob jobs. Yes, we heard more about the dresses of the leaders wives than we did the policies of the female candidates. But it is time to say no. We wont stand for our outdated, old fashioned, unfair voting system any more… Takebackparliament , a coalition of a range of different voter reform groups have organised a demonstration calling for voter reform on Saturday. When you’re talking to your kids and grandkids in years to come about this bonkers election, don’t say you watched it on facebook and TV. Say you got involved and made a difference.

Join them this Saturday At 2pm at Parliament Sq.

*climbs down off soap box and sneaks away quietly….*


Photograph by Matt Bramford

A few Saturdays ago when the sun was shining brightly (think hard, capsule you’ll remember sunny Saturdays) I met up with the girls behind Make Lemonade. We met at Yumchaa, the delightful tea shop in Soho. We should really have organised a picnic, and in hindsight it might have been the best day of the year for it.

Make Lemonade, both vintage e-store and fashion blog, is the baby of Emete Yarici and Amy ‘The Mysterious Blonde’. This fashionable pair are like chalk and cheese – Emete the cutesy type, resplendent in polka dots and denim, and Amy the more devilish, Debbie-Harry-esque part of the partnership dazzling in sequins. It seems Amy has a bit of a reputation – her friend arrived at Yumchaa moments into the interview accusing her of having a hangover. Charming!


Illustration by Matt Thomas

As we settled into our teas (after Amy had dropped the lid of her teapot into her teacup, but we won’t dwell on that), the girls swiftly turned the tables on me to ask how long I’d been with Amelia’s Magazine. As I began describing the tale, I suddenly realised it was me who was being interviewed! I quickly put a stop to that.

We’d decided to meet up and have a chat because the Make Lemonade site had recently been given the Pearl Law treatment – one of our finest illustrative contributors, Pearl has revamped the site with fun illustrations of the pair at work.


Make Lemonade website illustration by Pearl Law

Make Lemonade began as Emete’s fashion blog in 2007. She was interested in contributing to the ever-expanding fashion blogosphere, but inevitably needed a source of income (I hear ya, sister). She decided to set up a ‘blog shop’ through Big Cartel, and landed a buying slot at a local vintage wholesale outlet. The girls went to uni together, and Emete naturally called upon Amy to go with her to the sale. Make Lemonade the store was thus born.

‘We found that we really liked working together, and that the pieces we picked out complimented each other,’ revealed Emete, or Amy, I can’t quite remember because it was so long ago. It also transpired that they each went for different items – Emete for trousers, Amy for tops.

The girls also run the odd real-life stall here and there, which have been huge successes. ‘In two days, we cleared almost three rails of items,’ Amy told me. Emete revealed that they might have sold more if Amy had not tried half of the things on and refused to let them go, casually explaining that, when worn with the tag hanging out, it would boost sales. I guess that’s the trouble with retailing a product you genuinely love, and that’s clear from this pair.

Their philosophy, they told me, came from the all-too-familar fact that ‘so many vintage shops rip you off’ and it has always been their policy to retail clothes under £20 – little on the site (go on, have a look) sells for over £15. The website has been met with acclaim by many a fashion blogger and stylist, and they’ve heralded a lot of respect from the industry. I find the idea of vintage shopping online, where items have been cherry-picked by two vintage-lovers, far better than in a vast warehouse where any old thing will be squashed onto a rail.

Both the e-store and the blog act as a ‘creative outlet’ for both Emete and Amy, who are currently studying at the London College of Fashion and have a range of part-time jobs, too.

So what influences them when they’re on their buying trips, or in general? ‘The 70s!’ declares Emete. ‘I like the floaty, romanticism of that era. I also love looking at old family photographs, old magazines, that kind of thing. The LCF library is incredible. They have every edition of Vogue. I can spend ages down there!’

Amy, in contrast, is a 1980s child. ‘I love Debbie Harry, and everything 80s!’ she tells me. She’s a big music lover, too, so naturally is influenced by a range of bands. It’s this stark contrast that makes the site work, they (and I) believe. Sometimes you meet people who totally overestimate their influences but with this pair you can see all of these things at work.


Illustration by Pieter de Groot

The name stems from the olde English saying ‘If life gives you lemons, make lemonade’ but there doesn’t seem to be many sour lemons with this twosome. They get on so well – that is clear – at times I totally lost control of the interview with either me, them or all three of us in hysteric fits of laughter. I find it difficult imagining them ever disagreeing about anything. Of course, as an intrepid journalist, I had to ask. ‘We do argue,’ confesses Emete, ‘but hardly ever, and it’s always sorted within minutes.’ They pretend to have meetings, telling friends and family that they are discussing the future of the business when really they’re out looking for the best place to drink tea, or, on one occasion, sipping champagne at Fortnum & Mason.

Emete is the self-declared realist, while Amy is a dreamer. Amy tells me ‘Emete does get a little stressed sometimes, while I’m shouting ‘We’ll be FAMOUS!’, so I have to pat her head every now and again!’ The success of the site is in part thanks to friends and family who’ve been ‘roped in’ on numerous occasions – driving vans, designing leaflets, and loads of other tasks. They often feel guilty about this but most often everybody’s happy to help.


Illustration by Matt Thomas

So how did the collaboration with Pearl come around? ‘Pearl had been a customer of the site,’ the girls explained. ‘She bought a tweed jacket, and had emailed to ask how she could alter it. We got chatting from there, and told her we were looking to revamp.’ They gave Pearl a brief, discussed how the website works, et voila! As Pearl is a vintage-lover, they naturally paid her in clothes.

We chatted about influences, likes and dislikes, reading lists, that sort of thing – both Amy and Emete read Vogue Magazine as a base and vary their reading from there. Emete confesses to ‘occasionally’ reading Look magazine. She told me, Sometimes, Beyoncé just does it for you,’ – a statement with which I agree wholeheartedly.

So what does the future hold for Make Lemonade? ‘We want to grow the site,’ the girls told me, ‘and make MakeLemonade more than a shop. We’d like to create a community of people, through hosting events, workshops, that kind of thing. Something that draws people together.’

Already on the agenda is to increase the quantity of menswear, a t-shirt collaboration, and the girls recently branched out into being London tour guides (well, who better to ask than a pair who have meetings at Fortnum & Mason?) They produced this cute little guide detailing where and when to visit London hotspots, using lemons and as a meter. More lemons = more expensive. Simple!

As much as I could have enjoyed drinking tea and discussing Beyoncé all day, we all had things to do, including taking some snaps of the girls, one of which appears at the top of this article. Naturally I looked like a prize pervert photographing two girls in Soho Square at 11.30 in the morning, but it was a fun end to a fun meeting.

You can find both the store and the blog here.

Written by Matt Bramford on Wednesday May 12th, 2010 1:48 pm

Categories ,1970s, ,1980s, ,Amy, ,beyonce, ,Big Cartel, ,Debbie Harry, ,Emete Yarici, ,LCF, ,London College of Fashion, ,Look magazine, ,Make Lemonade, ,Matt Thomas, ,Pearl Law, ,Pieter de Groot, ,Polka dots, ,Soho, ,Soho Square, ,tea, ,vintage, ,Vogue magazine, ,Yumchaa

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Kim Sklinar, aka Preloved Reloved

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Tania Kowalski was a workshop manager at a well-known contemporary jewellery gallery in London when Synnove Saelthun arrived from New York to join the design team. They soon discovered that they had similar views on design and business ethics, more about cialis 40mg and became good friends. Several years later they started the Oria brand, prescription using Synnove’s design skills and Tania’s production expertise. Synnove is a technically brilliant goldsmith with a passion for design and an eye for detail. Tania is a trained jeweller, viagra with a wide range of experience in the jewellery industry, from design creation through to production. Her expertise includes sourcing ethical materials and ensuring fair business practice.

Tania’s passion for other cultures has led her to visit remote tribes in the Amazon of Brazil, hill tribes in Nepal and the Dogon people of Mali. It was during these travels that she became fascinated with the cultural importance and symbolic meaning of tribal adornment. When designing a new collection, the couple sit down together to discuss what the new collection will symbolise. They research and refine story boards, and after ensuring that the designs are technically feasible Synnove makes an initial prototype, the best of which will go into production.

The use of the phoenix is a symbol of honesty and justice in Chinese mythology, and is one of the inspirations for the Nina collection. The lotus symbolises purity and beauty in many different cultures, and it inspired their silver lotus collection.

Working in Nepal Tania discovered that the safe working conditions and fair living wages which we take for granted in the West are not necessarily the norm in other parts of the world. This early experience was important in persuading Tania to commit to fairtrade sourcing as a founding principle of Oria.

Vintage fashion, about it illustrated by Matilde Sazio

Kim Sklinar, viagra sale aka Preloved Reloved, cheap has set herself an interesting New Year’s challenge. For the duration of 2011, Kim isn’t going to buy any new clothes. No more high-street bargains, no more feeding corporate giants, no more fast-fashion waste, no siree. ‘Another one?’ I hear you cry – and you’d be right. But this one is a little different.

While Kim hopes to raise awareness about the amount of cheap clothing we purchase and what effects that has on the environment and people’s lives, there’s also a bigger reason closer to home. Kim’s father was diagnosed with cancer over 18 months ago, and she decided to set up the project to raise funds for Macmillan, the cancer care and support charity. Unfortunately, as of only last week, Kim’s dad won’t see the project through its fruition. But Kim will dedicate the project to his memory.

So, how do you do it? Well, Kim’s vowed to buy only vintage and from outlets like eBay, and she’ll spend more time in charity shops which also benefits all of the organisations that run them. I had a chat with her about the project and how she thinks she’ll manage it all…


Vintage shop, illustrated by Karolina Burdon

What gave you the idea for Preloved, Reloved in the first place?
Well I always like to dress a little differently. My style is mainstream with a retro edge, I suppose. I always seem to end up with a daft New Year’s resolution – last year I cycled from London to Paris for The Institute of Cancer Research. I like using my time to help others and spread awareness.

Were you a fan of vintage and upcycling before you started the project?
Yes! I always admire my friends’ outfits; well, those who wear vintage and second-hand fashion. Upcycling is something I have experimented with for ages at home and now is the time to make sure I actually finish some projects!

Where will you source your outfits?
Charity shops, vintage stores, eBay, my mum’s wardrobe…! I made a lined cape last night from linen and satin for balmy summer nights (booking a holiday soon!).


Charity shops, illustrated by Rukmunal Hakim

What does the project hope to achieve?
I want to raise awareness of numerous charities related to my Dad’s illnesses. I want my friends to know that too much of an unhealthy lifestyle is probably going to lead to an early demise. I also want to raise the profile of vintage and second-hand fashion; I remember as a kid we use to take the mick out of anyone who dressed from a charity shop. I myself as a student had a stigma against them. Now it’s become kitsch, cool and quirky. It’s good for the environment.

How much do you hope to raise and what are the funds likely to be used for?
£2500 is my Just Giving target – it goes directly to Macmillan. However, with my shopping at many different charity shops, my cash goes straight to them – win win all round! I have my thinking cap on about how to expand the project though.


eBay! Illustration by Avril Kelly

Why did you choose Macmillan?
My dad (and his dad) had cancer – he died last week unfortunately. And it wasn’t the cancer that killed him, it was his heart and his adult-onset diabetes. A poor lifestyle in his twenties and thirties caused it and he was only 57 when he passed. So as I said before, this project benefits other charities focussing on these causes too through me spending money at their outlets.

Not that far in, but have you come accross any problems so far? Has anything that happened that you weren’t expecting?
Avoiding shops is quite hard as I realised I can’t just pop into the Topshop sale and treat myself – which I suppose is good for my wallet and I’m going to do less impulse-buying on the way home from work.
With my Dad passing, I haven’t had as much time to go browsing shops as much as I’d like. This weekend, however, I’m going to the Girls of Guildford vintage fair and gig – for some serious retail therapy, cupcake-nomming and also to check out some great live music away from the bustle of London.


Vintage, illustrated by Jess Holt

What are you wearing today? Where’s it all from?
Dark blue skinny jeans, leather knee boots that I already owned with black and cream patterned blouse from River Island that I bought from Cancer Research UK. I’m also wearing red rose earrings from Magnolia Jewellery.

Do you plan to make or alter any of your clothes? If so, how?
Yes – I love sewing and making jewellery too – I made a cape last week and have upcycled a pair of old, torn jeans from my uni days into a denim mini. I have a small collection of retro patterns including a lovely dress with a pussy bow. I love being able to create something out of fabric I love: last year I went to a lovely Indian wedding and couldn’t find The Outfit – so I made a purple maxi-dress with a halterneck and glammed it up with ribbons dangling down my back. Saved myself a fortune too!


Illustration by Gilly Rochester

What else do you get up to?
I run Never Enough Notes – a music e-zine, and I’m cycling the London-Brighton this summer with my brother and friends to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.

What would be your perfect Preloved, Reloved outfit?
For daytime it would easily be vintage jeans, brown boots that look a bit worn-out, a floaty shirt or cheeky tee, a tweed jacket and a battered satchel.
For evening, I love ball gowns and retro dresses so would be something glam that I could wear with a pair of 1970s heels! Oh there’s way too much choice, I love it!


Photographs by Kim Sklinar

You can follow Kim’s efforts at the Preloved, Reloved blog; donate online here.

Written by Matt Bramford on Friday January 21st, 2011 2:54 pm

Categories ,1970s, ,Avril Kelly, ,Cancer, ,Charity shops, ,ebay, ,environment, ,Gilly Rochester, ,Girls of Guilford, ,Jess Holt, ,JustGiving, ,Karolina Burdon, ,london, ,Macmillan, ,Magnolia Jewellery, ,Matilde Sazio, ,Never Enough Notes, ,paris, ,Rukmunal Hakim, ,The Institute of Cancer Research, ,Upcycling, ,vintage

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Amelia’s Magazine | Baartmans & Siegel: London Collections Men S/S 2013 Presentation Review

by


Baartmans and Siegel S/S 2014 by Hannah Smith

Bright and early on the last day of London Collections: Men, I raced to Covent Garden to catch Baartmans and Siegel‘s S/S 2014 presentation.


All photography by Matt Bramford

The design duo presented this season’s wares in an unused shop on Earlham Street. Inside, their eight models stood on breeze blocks in front of stark white walls, enveloped by a jungle of plants. With A/W 2013′s collection of Arctic-worthy puffas and parkas ingrained in my mind, this was clearly a cohesive move towards spring and summer fun.

I’ve talked about the merits of a presentation vs. a catwalk show before, but this was the perfect example. If these models were to have walked past a lightning speed, you’d never get a flavour of the expert craftsmanship and hidden details that go in to a Baartmans and Siegel collection. You’re also made acutely aware that models are told to Blue Steel into your camera, which can make for hilarious results. I never, ever know what to do after they’ve shot me a look. Sometimes I nod, sometimes I smile, sometimes I pretend to fiddle with the settings on my camera; I’ve even been known to do a little bow or curtsy, which is incredibly embarrassing.

SS14′s ‘South Pacific Aviation‘ sees Wouter and Amber seek subtle inspiration from the joys of adventure and exotic escapism. With elements of military and utilitarian uniform, a resounding feature of a Baartmans and Siegel collection is always a strong focus on the beauty of textures. Rich silks, brushed cottons, jersey, perforated suede, wools – you name it, they make excellent use of it.

Basics like tees and tailored shirts came in off-white, but were dominated by a sea of varying blues and blacks for a masculine effect. Most forms of the jacket were given the B&S once-over; a bomber with silk sleeves, a trench with zip details, an elongated Harrington and parkas in paisley Broderie Anglaise.

Polos and t-shirts were layered in a loose, nonchalant way. Mesh tops added another texture, contrasting with the softness of jacket materials.

Slick, wet-look hair styles, shades and Sauconys added an extra modern dimension to Baartmans and Siegel‘s firmly established classic aesthetic.

Written by Matt Bramford on Monday July 1st, 2013 8:27 am

Categories ,Baartmans and Siegel, ,Blue Steel, ,bomber, ,Covent Garden, ,Earlham Street, ,fashion, ,Hannah Smith, ,Harrington, ,LCM, ,LCMSS14, ,london, ,London Collections Men, ,Matt Bramford, ,menswear, ,military, ,parkas, ,Saucony, ,South Pacific Aviation, ,SS14

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Amelia’s Magazine | Vintage at Goodwood Review, by vintage enthusiast and fashion blogger Maria Domican

by


All photography by Maria Domican

I was nervous upon arriving at Vintage at Goodwood… Nervous because I had called in sick to work, more about this nervous because I had been hearing bad press about the event and mainly nervous because I had no idea what to expect.

I have to admit, web no matter how fashionable, arty and eco driven a festival is, a major emphasis has always been on being drunk and having a great, if somewhat crazy time… I couldn’t imagine myself getting wasted on ‘classic cocktails’ or ‘gin and tonics’, parading around campsites in my beloved vintage treasures and sleeping through bands in a dusty heap at Goodwood. Apparently that was exactly the crowd that organiser Wayne Hemingway was eager to discourage, not wanting those “out on the lash that leave a load of empty tins at their ripped tent”.

Goodwood was billed as ‘the first of what will be an annual music and fashion led celebration of creative British cool’ ‘The new festival of Britain’. But what was it? A vintage Fashion Fair? An exhibition? Or a festival? Featuring music, art, fashion, film and design I was puzzled as to how it would all come together.

None the less I was excited… I had packed a few of my 2nd favourite dresses (the dirt was still a worry!) far too many hats (and yes I carried them in a vintage hat box) and even two matching vintage parasols, for my friend and I to parade around with; in short, more than I would usually take on a week long holiday.

Upon arrival we were greeted by a red carpet and the famous British High Street. Made up like a spaghetti western, all wooden fronted shops, I felt like I had wandered onto a film set. The high street catered for the big brands: John Lewis, The Body Shop and Dr. Martins all had large stores with all the facilities of any other high street shop. It also was the home for the vintage cinema, a traditional British pub and even an Indian take away! The draw of the festival to many though – the vintage stalls – were down the two side streets in tents. These were much more bazaar-like in style; small cramped lines of tents exploding with clothes, accessories, and when it rained (which it did a lot) crammed in people unable to move.


Vintage shopping at Goodwood.

Bands such as The Faces, Buzzcocks, Heaven 17 and the Noisettes entertained the crowds but it was the fashion that was the main draw of the festival. Workshops taught sewing and knitting while Hardy Amies and Pearl and Daisy Lowe were among those with runway shows.


The Noisettes on the main stage.


Pearl and Daisy Lowe at their runway show.

Divided into eras, the festival celebrated five decades of British cool, with each area having a different ‘curator’ (supposed experts in that field).


The 1970s and 1980s zone curated by Greg Wilson featured a warehouse with interactive graffiti wall and a roller disco.

Also in the 1970s era was Eddie Miller’s Soul Casino nightclub – replicating a mid 70s ballroom and reminiscent of many a bad wedding reception, complete with 1970s swirly carpet, sprung dance floor, pool tables and low lighting – it was here that Wayne Hemingway performed his own DJ set on the Sunday.


Wayne Hemingway

The emphasis of the festival was definitely the 1940s and 1950s, however, with the majority of outfits being so themed and with one of the highlights being leading percussionist, producer and 1940s enthusiast Snowboy’s Tanqueray sponsored ‘Torch Club’: a 1940’s style supper club which served 3 course meals over the weekend, with waiter service and a full orchestra playing while you eat. Behind the club forties allotments and land girls held guess-the-weight-of-the-pumpkin competitions and the guys from The Chap held an Olympian event with cucumber sandwich tossing and tug-o-moustache.


Cucumber sandwich tossing at The Chap Olympiad


Moustache tug-o-war

Still in its first year, the festival organisers have room for improvement before next year’s. The website promised ‘an unparalleled attention to design and organisational detail’ which is a little optimistic considering the press pass debacle. Still, this was upheld in areas such as the attention to period detail in all shops and stages and that all events were first come first served and not fully booked up beforehand.
It’s possible the press pass debacle was a result of the PR company giving all 150 staff free weekend and camping tickets… of which apparently only 8 were used!

One stall holder also complained that they felt the festival had been miss-sold as they thought that the vintage stalls were going to be on the main high street not crammed into the side tents.

Whilst a lot of events over the weekend such as dance classes and the cinema were free, the main grumbles were still about the commercial emphasis of the festival, Bonham’s high profile auction, chain stores and a huge emphasis on shopping and spending money left a lot of people disgruntled, but apparently still willing to spend; Oxfam reportedly made £1000 in the first half hour of opening! Lily Allen‘s no-show to launch ‘Lucy in Disguise’ was probably a blessing in disguise as it prevented the focus of the weekend from being celebrity.

The ‘Glamping’ was on all accounts also seen to be a big disappointment. Situated at the bottom of the hill in the woods this area quickly became a muddy bog with the torrential rain and at £1200 for a tent with an airbed was seen as a complete rip off by many who didn’t even have hot showers. The same was true of the pods which had to move some people to tents due to complaints about size and not being able to stand up.


Glamorous campers.

For the regular campers, though, there were no problems. Many vintage tents, bunting strewn camps and campervans were on a chalk based slope which quickly drained and dressing rooms with full length mirrors and power points enabled everyone to dress up.


Dressing up rooms. Photography by Madeleine Lowry

…And dress up they did! Whilst the day trippers favoured fancy dress over true vintage and stuck to the high street, the weekend crowd were the highlight of the festival. A huge ego-boosting weekend, everyone went out of their way to compliment each other on their outfits and a general blitz spirit coupled with the friendly campsite and interactive nature of events ensured that everyone was quick to make new friends.

Overall the weekend offered an overwhelming range of activities to take part in or witness, and hopefully with the kinks ironed out before next year, things can only get better for Goodwood.



Fashion at Goodwood.

You can read our insightful preview of Vintage at Goodwood here, and Amelia’s experience of the festival here.

Written by Maria Domican on Tuesday August 17th, 2010 1:16 pm

Categories ,1940s, ,1950s, ,1960s, ,1970s, ,1980s, ,art, ,British cool, ,British High Street, ,Buzzcocks, ,Cocktails, ,daisy lowe, ,Dr. Martins, ,Eddie Miller, ,fashion, ,Gin & Tonic, ,Glamping, ,Hardy Amies, ,Heaven 17, ,Indian takeaway, ,John Lewis, ,lily allen, ,Lucy in Disguise, ,music, ,Noisettes, ,Olympiad, ,oxfam, ,Parasols, ,Pearl Lowe, ,Snowboy, ,Soul Casino, ,Tanqueray, ,The Blitz, ,The Body Shop, ,The Chap, ,The Faces, ,Vintage at Goodwood, ,Wayne Hemmingway

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Amelia’s Magazine | Vintage at Goodwood Review, by vintage enthusiast and fashion blogger Maria Domican

by


All photography by Maria Domican

I was nervous upon arriving at Vintage at Goodwood… Nervous because I had called in sick to work, nervous because I had been hearing bad press about the event and mainly nervous because I had no idea what to expect.

I have to admit, no matter how fashionable, arty and eco driven a festival is, a major emphasis has always been on being drunk and having a great, if somewhat crazy time… I couldn’t imagine myself getting wasted on ‘classic cocktails’ or ‘gin and tonics’, parading around campsites in my beloved vintage treasures and sleeping through bands in a dusty heap at Goodwood. Apparently that was exactly the crowd that organiser Wayne Hemingway was eager to discourage, not wanting those “out on the lash that leave a load of empty tins at their ripped tent”.

Goodwood was billed as ‘the first of what will be an annual music and fashion led celebration of creative British cool’ ‘The new festival of Britain’. But what was it? A vintage Fashion Fair? An exhibition? Or a festival? Featuring music, art, fashion, film and design I was puzzled as to how it would all come together.

None the less I was excited… I had packed a few of my 2nd favourite dresses (the dirt was still a worry!) far too many hats (and yes I carried them in a vintage hat box) and even two matching vintage parasols, for my friend and I to parade around with; in short, more than I would usually take on a week long holiday.

Upon arrival we were greeted by a red carpet and the famous British High Street. Made up like a spaghetti western, all wooden fronted shops, I felt like I had wandered onto a film set. The high street catered for the big brands: John Lewis, The Body Shop and Dr. Martins all had large stores with all the facilities of any other high street shop. It also was the home for the vintage cinema, a traditional British pub and even an Indian take away! The draw of the festival to many though – the vintage stalls – were down the two side streets in tents. These were much more bazaar-like in style; small cramped lines of tents exploding with clothes, accessories, and when it rained (which it did a lot) crammed in people unable to move.


Vintage shopping at Goodwood.

Bands such as The Faces, Buzzcocks, Heaven 17 and the Noisettes entertained the crowds but it was the fashion that was the main draw of the festival. Workshops taught sewing and knitting while Hardy Amies and Pearl and Daisy Lowe were among those with runway shows.


The Noisettes on the main stage.


Pearl and Daisy Lowe at their runway show.

Divided into eras, the festival celebrated five decades of British cool, with each area having a different ‘curator’ (supposed experts in that field).


The 1970s and 1980s zone curated by Greg Wilson featured a warehouse with interactive graffiti wall and a roller disco.

Also in the 1970s era was Eddie Miller’s Soul Casino nightclub – replicating a mid 70s ballroom and reminiscent of many a bad wedding reception, complete with 1970s swirly carpet, sprung dance floor, pool tables and low lighting – it was here that Wayne Hemingway performed his own DJ set on the Sunday.


Wayne Hemingway

The emphasis of the festival was definitely the 1940s and 1950s, however, with the majority of outfits being so themed and with one of the highlights being leading percussionist, producer and 1940s enthusiast Snowboy’s Tanqueray sponsored ‘Torch Club’: a 1940’s style supper club which served 3 course meals over the weekend, with waiter service and a full orchestra playing while you eat. Behind the club forties allotments and land girls held guess-the-weight-of-the-pumpkin competitions and the guys from The Chap held an Olympian event with cucumber sandwich tossing and tug-o-moustache.


Cucumber sandwich tossing at The Chap Olympiad


Moustache tug-o-war

Still in its first year, the festival organisers have room for improvement before next year’s. The website promised ‘an unparalleled attention to design and organisational detail’ which is a little optimistic considering the press pass debacle. Still, this was upheld in areas such as the attention to period detail in all shops and stages and that all events were first come first served and not fully booked up beforehand.
It’s possible the press pass debacle was a result of the PR company giving all 150 staff free weekend and camping tickets… of which apparently only 8 were used!

One stall holder also complained that they felt the festival had been miss-sold as they thought that the vintage stalls were going to be on the main high street not crammed into the side tents.

Whilst a lot of events over the weekend such as dance classes and the cinema were free, the main grumbles were still about the commercial emphasis of the festival, Bonham’s high profile auction, chain stores and a huge emphasis on shopping and spending money left a lot of people disgruntled, but apparently still willing to spend; Oxfam reportedly made £1000 in the first half hour of opening! Lily Allen’s no-show to launch ‘Lucy in Disguise’ was probably a blessing in disguise as it prevented the focus of the weekend from being celebrity.

The ‘Glamping’ was on all accounts also seen to be a big disappointment. Situated at the bottom of the hill in the woods this area quickly became a muddy bog with the torrential rain and at £1200 for a tent with an airbed was seen as a complete rip off by many who didn’t even have hot showers. The same was true of the pods which had to move some people to tents due to complaints about size and not being able to stand up.


Glamorous campers.

For the regular campers, though, there were no problems. Many vintage tents, bunting strewn camps and campervans were on a chalk based slope which quickly drained and dressing rooms with full length mirrors and power points enabled everyone to dress up.


Dressing up rooms. Photography by Madeleine Lowry

…And dress up they did! Whilst the day trippers favoured fancy dress over true vintage and stuck to the high street, the weekend crowd were the highlight of the festival. A huge ego-boosting weekend, everyone went out of their way to compliment each other on their outfits and a general blitz spirit coupled with the friendly campsite and interactive nature of events ensured that everyone was quick to make new friends.

Overall the weekend offered an overwhelming range of activities to take part in or witness, and hopefully with the kinks ironed out before next year, things can only get better for Goodwood.



Fashion at Goodwood.

You can read our insightful preview of Vintage at Goodwood here, and Amelia’s experience of the festival here.



Written by Maria Domican on Tuesday August 17th, 2010 1:16 pm


Categories ,1940s, ,1950s, ,1960s, ,1970s, ,1980s, ,art, ,British cool, ,British High Street, ,Buzzcocks, ,Cocktails, ,daisy lowe, ,Dr. Martins, ,Eddie Miller, ,fashion, ,Gin & Tonic, ,Glamping, ,Hardy Amies, ,Heaven 17, ,Indian takeaway, ,John Lewis, ,lily allen, ,Lucy in Disguise, ,music, ,Noisettes, ,Olympiad, ,oxfam, ,Parasols, ,Pearl Lowe, ,Snowboy, ,Soul Casino, ,Tanqueray, ,The Blitz, ,The Body Shop, ,The Chap, ,The Faces, ,Vintage at Goodwood, ,Wayne Hemmingway

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Amelia’s Magazine | Who’s the Man? exhibition and an interview with the artist, Rudy de Belgeonne

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Design by Ruth Hill, pills Illustration by Dee Andrews

This week’s wet Monday was brightened up considerably by a trip to the Royal Collage of Art’s first work-in-progress show of 2011 – and before you ask, drugs no, I was not suffering from “Blue Monday” or the notion that yesterday was the most depressing day of the year. as Ben Goldacre (Bad Science) discussed over on his blog, the concept behind this ‘condition’ was made up by a PR company, with the aim to sell more holidays…

Finishing on Wednesday, 19th January, the Work-In-Progress show is a great opportunity for current BA Students, graduates and the public to see the developing ideas in the fields of Fashion, Textiles, Metalwork and Jewellery, Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, and Photography. Whilst the photography and the filmmaking are breathtaking, warranting a trip to the RCA by themselves, I will mainly be focusing on the Menswear and Womenswear Year Two students.

Tariq Mahmoud

Tariq Mahmoud’s shoe was inspired by watching the penguins at the penguin pool of London Zoo. The unique presentation of his shoe within a fish bowl with a couple of toy penguins for company, was certainly eye catching, drawing your attention to the similarities between flipper and shoe.

This wonderful sweater half suspended within the cloth, from it was cut is reminiscent of Issey Miyake’s A Piece of Cloth or A-Poc (see Fashion Editor Matt Bramford’s wonderful article on Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion at the Barbican). Unfortunately I could not find a name to accredit the design too…

Aleksandra Domansehay

The RCA Interim show is a fantastic opportunity to see how ideas circulating within contemporary fashion are being dissected by students studying the craft. Aleksandra Domansehay’s oversized mac in a traditional plaid is a great example of how classic shapes are constantly being reinvented.

Orshel-Read

It was amazing to discover, that one of Amelia’s Magazine favourite London Fashion Week designers Orschel-Read is still a student!
Design by Orschel-Read, Illustration by Gareth A Hopkins

Cherie Newing

I loved Cherie Newing’s take on the ubiquitous fisherman’s jumper.

Sol Auri

Menswear Year 2 student, Sol Auri’s breathtaking combination of triomphe d’oeil and matching fabrics.

Samuel Membey

Samuel Membey’s coat revisits the … as beloved by punks as captured in the wonderful photography book Skins by Gavin Watson.

Ruth Hill

In Womenswear Knit, Ruth Hill’s simple orange dress was highly reminiscent of Paul Klee.

Lily Kamber

Lily Kamber’s fantastic mixed media pieces used found objects to create pieces of jewellery more at home in the art deco settings of William Morris…

Finally I came upon the research section of the Royal College’s Mphil department and the wonderful work of Jungeun Lee. Lee’s experiments with synthetic fabrics – creating garments without the need for pattern cutting, sowing, knitting or weaving – reminded me again of the ground breaking A-Poc (A piece of Cloth) and Issey Miyake’s latest venture, 132 5 , an “experiment in steam pressed polygons of material” (thanks Fashion Ed, Matt Bramford!). Lee created her pieces by molding hot synthetic fibres into a 3D Structure.

Hurry up! What are you waiting for? Head down to the Royal College of Art before 5.30pm Wendesday 19th January.

Visit the Royal College of Art’s website for full updates on their upcoming in-progress shows and public lectures. I’m particularly looking forward to the collaboration between RCA MA Curating Contemporary Art and Goldsmiths MFA Curating students, Testing Ground: Time Scale.

Design by Ruth Hill, buy information pills Illustration by Dee Andrews

This week’s wet Monday was brightened up considerably by a trip to the Royal Collage of Art’s first work-in-progress show of 2011 – and before you ask, viagra no, I was not suffering from “Blue Monday” or the notion that yesterday was the most depressing day of the year. as Ben Goldacre (Bad Science) discussed over on his blog, the concept behind this ‘condition’ was made up by a PR company, with the aim to sell more holidays…

Finishing on Wednesday, 19th January, the Work-In-Progress show is a great opportunity for current BA Students, graduates and the public to see the developing ideas in the fields of Fashion, Textiles, Metalwork and Jewellery, Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, and Photography. Whilst the photography and the filmmaking are breathtaking, warranting a trip to the RCA by themselves, I will mainly be focusing on the Menswear and Womenswear Year Two students.

Tariq Mahmoud

Tariq Mahmoud’s shoe was inspired by watching the penguins at the penguin pool of London Zoo. The unique presentation of his shoe within a fish bowl with a couple of toy penguins for company, was certainly eye catching, drawing your attention to the similarities between flipper and shoe.

This wonderful sweater half suspended within the cloth, from it was cut is reminiscent of Issey Miyake’s A Piece of Cloth or A-Poc (see Fashion Editor Matt Bramford’s wonderful article on Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion at the Barbican). Unfortunately I could not find a name to accredit the design too…

Aleksandra Domansehay

The RCA Interim show is a fantastic opportunity to see how ideas circulating within contemporary fashion are being dissected by students studying the craft. Aleksandra Domansehay’s oversized mac in a traditional plaid is a great example of how classic shapes are constantly being reinvented.

Orshel-Read

It was amazing to discover, that one of Amelia’s Magazine favourite London Fashion Week designers Orschel-Read is still a student!
Design by Orschel-Read, Illustration by Gareth A Hopkins

Cherie Newing

I loved Cherie Newing’s take on the ubiquitous fisherman’s jumper.

Sol Auri

Menswear Year 2 student, Sol Auri’s breathtaking combination of triomphe d’oeil and matching fabrics.

Samuel Membey

Samuel Membey’s coat revisits the … as beloved by punks as captured in the wonderful photography book Skins by Gavin Watson.

Ruth Hill

In Womenswear Knit, Ruth Hill’s simple orange dress was highly reminiscent of Paul Klee.

Lily Kamber

Lily Kamber’s fantastic mixed media pieces used found objects to create pieces of jewellery more at home in the art deco settings of William Morris…

Finally I came upon the research section of the Royal College’s Mphil department and the wonderful work of Jungeun Lee. Lee’s experiments with synthetic fabrics – creating garments without the need for pattern cutting, sowing, knitting or weaving – reminded me again of the ground breaking A-Poc (A piece of Cloth) and Issey Miyake’s latest venture, 132 5 , an “experiment in steam pressed polygons of material” (thanks Fashion Ed, Matt Bramford!). Lee created her pieces by molding hot synthetic fibres into a 3D Structure.

Hurry up! What are you waiting for? Head down to the Royal College of Art before 5.30pm Wendesday 19th January.

Visit the Royal College of Art’s website for full updates on their upcoming in-progress shows and public lectures. I’m particularly looking forward to the collaboration between RCA MA Curating Contemporary Art and Goldsmiths MFA Curating students, Testing Ground: Time Scale.

Design by Ruth Hill, store Illustration by Dee Andrews

This week’s wet Monday was brightened up considerably by a trip to the Royal Collage of Art’s first work-in-progress show of 2011 – and before you ask, viagra buy no, this site I was not suffering from “Blue Monday” or the notion that yesterday was the most depressing day of the year. as Ben Goldacre (Bad Science) discussed over on his blog, the concept behind this ‘condition’ was made up by a PR company, with the aim to sell more holidays…

Finishing on Wednesday, 19th January, the Work-In-Progress show is a great opportunity for current BA Students, graduates and the public to see the developing ideas in the fields of Fashion, Textiles, Metalwork and Jewellery, Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, and Photography. Whilst the photography and the filmmaking are breathtaking, warranting a trip to the RCA by themselves, I will mainly be focusing on the Menswear and Womenswear Year Two students.

Tariq Mahmoud

Tariq Mahmoud’s shoe was inspired by watching the penguins at the penguin pool of London Zoo. The unique presentation of his shoe within a fish bowl with a couple of toy penguins for company, was certainly eye catching, drawing your attention to the similarities between flipper and shoe.

This wonderful sweater half suspended within the cloth, from it was cut is reminiscent of Issey Miyake’s A Piece of Cloth or A-Poc (see Fashion Editor Matt Bramford’s wonderful article on Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion at the Barbican). Unfortunately I could not find a name to accredit the design too…

Aleksandra Domansehay

The RCA Interim show is a fantastic opportunity to see how ideas circulating within contemporary fashion are being dissected by students studying the craft. Aleksandra Domansehay’s oversized mac in a traditional plaid is a great example of how classic shapes are constantly being reinvented.

Orshel-Read

It was amazing to discover, that one of Amelia’s Magazine favourite London Fashion Week designers Orschel-Read is still a student!
Design by Orschel-Read, Illustration by Gareth A Hopkins

Cherie Newing

I loved Cherie Newing’s take on the ubiquitous fisherman’s jumper.

Sol Ahn

Menswear Year 2 student and intriguing illustrator, Sol Ahn displayed this breathtaking combination of a triomphe d’oeil shirt and cardigan with fabrics to match the illustrations!

Samuel Membey

Samuel Membey’s coat revisits the … as beloved by punks as captured in the wonderful photography book Skins by Gavin Watson.

Ruth Hill

In Womenswear Knit, Ruth Hill’s simple orange dress was highly reminiscent of Paul Klee.

Lily Kamber

Lily Kamber’s fantastic mixed media pieces used found objects to create pieces of jewellery more at home in the art deco settings of William Morris…

Finally I came upon the research section of the Royal College’s Mphil department and the wonderful work of Jungeun Lee. Lee’s experiments with synthetic fabrics – creating garments without the need for pattern cutting, sowing, knitting or weaving – reminded me again of the ground breaking A-Poc (A piece of Cloth) and Issey Miyake’s latest venture, 132 5 , an “experiment in steam pressed polygons of material” (thanks Fashion Ed, Matt Bramford!). Lee created her pieces by molding hot synthetic fibres into a 3D Structure.

Hurry up! What are you waiting for? Head down to the Royal College of Art before 5.30pm Wendesday 19th January.

Visit the Royal College of Art’s website for full updates on their upcoming in-progress shows and public lectures. I’m particularly looking forward to the collaboration between RCA MA Curating Contemporary Art and Goldsmiths MFA Curating students, Testing Ground: Time Scale.

Design by Ruth Hill, side effects Illustration by Dee Andrews

This week’s wet Monday was brightened up considerably by a trip to the Royal Collage of Art’s first work-in-progress show of 2011 – and before you ask, viagra approved no, diagnosis I was not suffering from “Blue Monday” or the notion that yesterday was the most depressing day of the year. as Ben Goldacre (Bad Science) discussed over on his blog, the concept behind this ‘condition’ was made up by a PR company, with the aim to sell more holidays…

Finishing on Wednesday, 19th January, the Work-In-Progress show is a great opportunity for current BA Students, graduates and the public to see the developing ideas in the fields of Fashion, Textiles, Metalwork and Jewellery, Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, and Photography. Whilst the photography and the filmmaking are breathtaking, warranting a trip to the RCA by themselves, I will mainly be focusing on the Menswear and Womenswear Year Two students.

Tariq Mahmoud

Tariq Mahmoud’s shoe was inspired by watching the penguins at the penguin pool of London Zoo. The unique presentation of his shoe within a fish bowl with a couple of toy penguins for company, was certainly eye catching, drawing your attention to the similarities between flipper and shoe.

This wonderful sweater half suspended within the cloth, from it was cut is reminiscent of Issey Miyake’s A Piece of Cloth or A-Poc (see Fashion Editor Matt Bramford’s wonderful article on Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion at the Barbican). Unfortunately I could not find a name to accredit the design too…

Aleksandra Domansehay

The RCA Interim show is a fantastic opportunity to see how ideas circulating within contemporary fashion are being dissected by students studying the craft. Aleksandra Domansehay’s oversized mac in a traditional plaid is a great example of how classic shapes are constantly being reinvented.

Orshel-Read

It was amazing to discover that one of Amelia’s Magazine favourite London Fashion Week designers Orschel-Read is still a student!
Design by Orschel-Read, Illustration by Gareth A Hopkins

Cherie Newing

I loved Cherie Newing’s take on the ubiquitous fisherman’s jumper.

Sol Ahn

Menswear Year 2 student and intriguing illustrator, Sol Ahn displayed this breathtaking combination of a triomphe d’oeil shirt and cardigan with fabrics to match the illustrations!

Samuel Membey

Samuel Membey’s coat revisits the … as beloved by punks as captured in the wonderful photography book Skins by Gavin Watson.

Ruth Hill

In Womenswear Knit, Ruth Hill’s simple orange dress with a subtle block print was beautifully reminiscent of the artist Paul Klee.

Lily Kamber

Lily Kamber’s fantastic mixed media pieces used found objects to create pieces of jewellery more at home in the art deco settings of William Morris…

Finally I came upon the research section of the Royal College’s Mphil department and the wonderful work of Jungeun Lee. Lee’s experiments with synthetic fabrics – creating garments without the need for pattern cutting, sowing, knitting or weaving – reminded me again of the ground breaking A-Poc (A piece of Cloth) and Issey Miyake’s latest venture, 132 5 , an “experiment in steam pressed polygons of material” (thanks Fashion Ed, Matt Bramford!). Lee created her pieces by molding hot synthetic fibres into a 3D Structure.

Hurry up! What are you waiting for? Head down to the Royal College of Art before 5.30pm Wendesday 19th January.

Visit the Royal College of Art’s website for full updates on their upcoming in-progress shows and public lectures. I’m particularly looking forward to the collaboration between RCA MA Curating Contemporary Art and Goldsmiths MFA Curating students, Testing Ground: Time Scale.

Design by Ruth Hill, link Illustration by Dee Andrews

This week’s wet Monday was brightened up considerably by a trip to the Royal Collage of Art’s first work-in-progress show of 2011 – and before you ask, unhealthy no, I was not suffering from “Blue Monday” or the notion that yesterday was the most depressing day of the year. as Ben Goldacre (Bad Science) discussed over on his blog, the concept behind this ‘condition’ was made up by a PR company, with the aim to sell more holidays…

Finishing on Wednesday, 19th January, the Work-In-Progress show is a great opportunity for current BA Students, graduates and the public to see the developing ideas in the fields of Fashion, Textiles, Metalwork and Jewellery, Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, and Photography. Whilst the photography and the filmmaking are breathtaking, warranting a trip to the RCA by themselves, I will mainly be focusing on the Menswear and Womenswear Year Two students.

Tariq Mahmoud

Tariq Mahmoud’s shoe was inspired by watching the penguins at the penguin pool of London Zoo. The unique presentation of his shoe within a fish bowl with a couple of toy penguins for company, was certainly eye catching, drawing your attention to the similarities between flipper and shoe.

This wonderful sweater half suspended within the cloth, from it was cut is reminiscent of Issey Miyake’s A Piece of Cloth or A-Poc (see Fashion Editor Matt Bramford’s wonderful article on Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion at the Barbican). Unfortunately I could not find a name to accredit the design too…

Aleksandra Domansehay

The RCA Interim show is a fantastic opportunity to see how ideas circulating within contemporary fashion are being dissected by students studying the craft. Aleksandra Domansehay’s oversized mac in a traditional plaid is a great example of how classic shapes are constantly being reinvented.

Orshel-Read

It was amazing to discover that one of Amelia’s Magazine favourite London Fashion Week designers Orschel-Read is still a student!
Design by Orschel-Read, Illustration by Gareth A Hopkins

Cherie Newing

I loved Cherie Newing’s take on the ubiquitous fisherman’s jumper.

Sol Ahn

Menswear Year 2 student and intriguing illustrator, Sol Ahn displayed this breathtaking combination of a triomphe d’oeil shirt and cardigan with fabrics to match the illustrations!

Samuel Membey

Samuel Membey’s overcoat revisits the skinhead movement of the 1970′s, as captured in Gavin Watson’s collection of photographs: Skins.

Ruth Hill

In Womenswear Knit, Ruth Hill’s simple orange dress with a subtle block print was beautifully reminiscent of the artist Paul Klee.

Lily Kamber

Lily Kamber’s fantastic mixed media pieces used found objects to create pieces of jewellery more at home in the art deco settings of William Morris…

In the M.Phil research section, I came across the wonderful work of Jungeun Lee. Lee’s experiments with synthetic fabrics – creating garments without the need for pattern cutting, sowing, knitting or weaving – reminded me again of the ground breaking A-Poc (A piece of Cloth) and Issey Miyake’s latest venture, 132 5, an “experiment in steam pressed polygons of material” (thanks Fashion Ed, Matt Bramford!). Lee created her pieces by molding hot synthetic fibres into a 3D Structure.

Hurry up! What are you waiting for? Head down to the Royal College of Art before 5.30pm Wendesday 19th January.

Visit the Royal College of Art’s website for full updates on their upcoming in-progress shows and public lectures. I’m particularly looking forward to the collaboration between RCA MA Curating Contemporary Art and Goldsmiths MFA Curating students, Testing Ground: Time Scale.


Illustration by Alexandra Rolfe

I almost didn’t make it to Rudy de Belgeonne‘s exhibition at the Exposure Gallery. It was a rainy Thursday and I’d already hiked to the Hipstamatic exhibition, seek and all I wanted to do was go home and watch EastEnders. Occasionally, it pays to miss EastEnders.


All photography by Matt Bramford

At the Exposure Gallery on Little Portland Street, Rudy has mounted a thousand wooden blocks, each with a different phrase representing a man. Y’know, everything from ‘Pal‘ and ‘Hero‘ to ‘Bad Ass‘, ‘Mofo‘ and ‘Gay Boy‘.

The blocks all proudly own their own hand-painted idioms in a varying array of typefaces, with themes like spaghetti western, 1970s disco and 1980s computer graphics. For anybody obsessed with type, this is a must-see exhibition.

But it isn’t just about typefaces or bright colours. Oh no. Rudy has pretty much mapped all the phrases and aphorisms that have come to represent the male. Song titles, common expressions and often insults are all presented, with the design of each block perfectly suiting each word. Masculine phrases like ‘Champ‘ and ‘Jock‘ are portrayed in bold, blocked fonts; ‘Sexy Mother Fucker‘ and ‘Baby Boy‘ have the flamboyant essence of the 1970s; and ‘Faggot‘ and ‘Friend of Dorothy‘ make use of more feminine typefaces.

I had a chat with Rudy to find out more about the exhibition…

What’s the story behind Who’s The Man??
It’s a very long and winding tale, with many false starts and wrong turnings. Although I studied as a painter years ago, I had been doing mostly digital commercial projects for about 10 years.  I had been working for about a year for a client who I won’t name, on a project that I hated – unpleasant subject, quite complex, very pressurised – so I thought I would keep myself sane by  starting a ‘nice simple’ painting project in my spare time. Also, there was an appeal in the tangibility of paint on wooden panels as an antidote to the nebulous nature of software.

I had always been interested in lists and collections – and also in typefaces and logos, and had an idea that I might do something that played on the words typography/type, and different types of women – the whole housewife, mother, goddess, whore thing amused me.  So I set about collecting as many words for a woman as I could think of.  Trouble was, when I started to actually paint them, something didn’t feel right.  I was painting the word ‘whore’, and it just felt – well – a bit impolite!  It occurred to me how most of the history of art is about the male gaze, woman as subject, men imposing their labels, philosophies, fantasies on their models.  It was then that I had a bit of a lightbulb moment.  Bought up without any paternal role model myself, I think I struggled a bit when I was younger with how one is suppose to behave as a man – what degree of sensitivity, what degree of softness should one allow to show.  So how much more interesting, more personal, how much….funnier,  to turn the gaze around and look at myself, to look at the male.  And how much more culturally relevant, at this time of true female ascendancy in the west, when male roles, behaviour – even purpose – are being questioned on a daily basis in culture and media.  There’s not much call for fighting or hunting these days, and that’s after all what we’re hard-wired to do. Even our breadwinning role is questionable, and there are many many men who – consciously or subconsciously – don’t quite know how they are meant to be.

So I started all over again – and I’m pleased I did, because the Man work has had such a good critical reception – I think in retrospect I may have been given a much harder time if I had worked away for five years and then presented 1000 clichés about women.  I have also become more wrapped up in the subject as it has evolved – reading up on gender politics and masculinity studies.  I came across the phrases ‘gender landscape’  and ‘psychic landscape’ which I hadn’t heard before,  and have come to think of the work almost as some kind of map that a man can stand in front of, and see arrayed before him all the things he could possibly be, and maybe plot his way through these landscapes – who am I? Who would I like to be? Who do I have the option to be but choose not to be? 

What do you hope to achieve with the project?
?First and foremost, with every project I have done, my aim is to seduce – to appeal through beautiful colour schemes and by making people laugh.  If they then start thinking about what kind of man they are, what kind of man they could be, what kind of man they are with, or what kind of man they have bought into the world, then that’s a total bonus for me.
I’m happy for the installation to travel around the world, being reconfigured to fit into different spaces – there are discussions about it going to Tokyo and San Francisco in coming months – selling prints and panel sets off the back of it.  There are also discussions about other merchandise – enamel dog-tags with the words of your choice.  I’m very interested in that point where the art of idea meets mass culture.


Illustration by Avril Kelly

How long has Who’s the Man been in the making? Have you had any help with it??
I started the project 5 years ago in quite a casual way just fitting it in around my day jobs, but I spent more and more time on it as it gained momentum and I realized I was onto something.  I took a studio 2 years ago and I started only doing part-time work so that I could spend more time painting, researching words and typefaces, and thinking about the composition of the piece.  For the last year I worked exclusively on Who’s The Man, and for the first half of 2010, even engaged some interns to help paint backgrounds as I struggled to finish in time for its first showing at the Future Gallery in June.  So it’s all my own work – but with the assistance of everyone who has seen it and given feedback. 
How did you come up with the different words, and how did you source the different typefaces??I have an Excel spreadsheet with more than 4000 words and phrases for a Man. I started out just listing every word I could think of – which was surprisingly many – I have always enjoyed language, and my everyday speech is peppered with phases such as Good Egg, Queer Fish, Rum Cove, Charlie Big Potatoes.  Then, when that started to run dry I turned to dictionaries and thesauruses.  Then I realised that there were a lot of song titles – Good Rockin’ Daddy, Sweet Talkin’ Guy, Mr Boombastic – and movie titles – Godfather, Invisible Man, Mr Majestic – so I turned to IMDB and iTunes.  Then of course, whenever people visited my studio they would challenge themselves to find words I had missed. It still happens whenever show the work – 99% of the time I already have the word people suggest, but I’m still happy to find a place for new ones if something really juicy comes up.

In terms of typefaces, I have a huge collection that I have gathered over the years – I’m a bit of a type geek – I photograph it whenever I see it, clip it from magazines, scan it in, and of course there are many good resources online.

Do you have any particular favourites?
?I’m a fan of all the old fashioned words and phrases that I have already mentioned – ones that I think should be more widely used.  But I also enjoy the juxtaposition of sets of words – Alpha Dog/Pussy Boy, Fancy Dan/Mama Man, Diamond Geezer/Flash Harry Champagne Charlie/Golden Bollocks…

What or who has influenced Who’s the Man, or any of your other projects?
?Inspiration comes from all over the place. Conceptually, pop artists like Peter Blake, with his obsessive collections, bold forms and bright flat colours.  Graffiti artists like Margaret Kilgallen, and Ben Eine working today, for the power they manage to invest in the words.  I like a lot of outsider art for its sincerity and obsessive tunnel vision.  But also product packaging, advertising and vintage movie posters of course.

What’s next for the installation and Rudy?
?At the moment I’m still busy dealing with the interest stirred up by Who’s The Man? The installation rolls on from venue to venue, I’m repainting a lot of the panels as bespoke sets to order on a commission basis, and also releasing different configurations as limited edition prints. But I’m conscious that I need to balance all this with taking the idea forwards – I’m working on a range of projects to present the work in different ways – as animation, as an interactive installation, in book form, alongside photos/illustrations of actual men. And developing my next project of course – can’t say too much about it at this stage, but it will be a similar format, except involving images this time, alongside the words… •

Interestingly, I posted an image of ‘16 Gay Types‘ on Twitter – a screen-printed montage of 16 words Rudy has used to represent gay men, which is available as a large-scale print. I had a barrage of replies with suggestions for what could have been on there, and all the gays seemed to love it. I spoke to Rudy about this afterwards, and all of my Twitter pals’ suggestions (fruity examples such as ‘Backdoor Pirate‘) were on Rudy’s original list but he’d been reserved in which to use. Interestingly, he told me the exhibition had resonated mostly with women and gay men, and he believes this is because gay men have experienced longer periods of self-reflection and women think more about the men that surround them and the men they’ve brought into the world. Apparently, it just doesn’t do it for straight men. ‘I have had the odd hetero friend who has looked at it and I can see from looking at their face that it just doesn’t compute,’ Rudy told me.

I guess that’s down to machismo, but even the most alpha of males can find something to enjoy in this unique exhibition, even if it is only swooning over macho typefaces and words. But that’s just the start of it…

Written by Matt Bramford on Tuesday January 18th, 2011 6:21 pm

Categories ,1970s, ,1980s, ,Baby Boy, ,Ben Eine, ,Champ, ,Charlie Big Potatoes, ,Computer graphics, ,disco, ,EastEnders, ,Exposure Gallery, ,Faggot, ,Friend of Dorothy, ,Gay Boy, ,Good Egg, ,hero, ,IMDB, ,iTunes, ,Jock, ,london, ,Man, ,Margaret Kilgallen, ,MEN, ,Mofo, ,Pal, ,Peter Blake, ,Queer Fish, ,Rudy de Belgeonne, ,Rum Cove, ,Sexy Mother Fucker, ,Typefaces, ,Who’s The Man

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