On Saturday afternoon I popped into Canon‘s digital space at Somerset House with fifteen minutes to spare to see fashion’s hottest duo – Leutton Postle. Whilst Amy Gwatkin‘s S/S 2014 film was projected onto the wall, the luxury knitwear label’s model India sat elegantly in a corner fingering Mills & Boon novels.
Large scale, freehand illustrations come to life for S/S 2014. The crudeness of doodling and the simplicity of bold, vibrant shapes are transformed through Jacquard knits and raised embroidery. On white garments, starting as blank canvases, layers of neons are manipulated to create striking, unique pieces that you won’t find anywhere else on the London Fashion Week schedule. This season, plastics carrying the rich designs were juxtaposed with the softness of cottons, on wrap-around skirts, dresses and trousers.
Amy Gwatkin‘s hypnotising film, shot in a quaint, typically English home, marries Martin Parr‘s cynical view of Middle England with the comedic vox pops of British favourites like Creature Comforts. India, the model, moves between rooms adorned with lowbrow decorations and soft-furnishings popular with old ladies (the film was set in one of the twosome’s neighbour’s homes) while musing on eccentricities of everyday life. The dulcet tones of the voiceover are in stark contrast to the surroundings in which they are delivered. Fashion films are brilliant, I thought, as I made my way through cocktail number three.
Written by Matt Bramford on Thursday September 19th, 2013 9:52 am
J Maskrey is responsible for a lot. You know all those tacky glitter tattoos that you can buy in every chemist and pound shop? Well, troche she’s the one to blame. This former make-up artist invented “skin jewellery” over 10 years ago, page when she glued some Swarovski crystals onto an adhesive backing. But those glittery Superdrug rose tattoos just ain’t the same, patient so despite the mass dumbing down of her initial idea J Maskrey has managed to maintain a dazzling career at the epicentre of fashion cooldom, and it is on the catwalk that J Maskrey‘s jewelled masterpieces really glitter.
Once again man wearing rubber, gimp mask and inflatable wig was front row. In at least his second outfit of the day for J Maskrey’s evening show at Victoria House. Where do these people change? And what on earth was his fashion statement? I can put up with any amount of pain in the name of erm, beauty standing out from the crowd. And believe me I know how much he suffered under those bright runway lights because when he stood up to leave the show the sweat literally flooded out of his sleeves into a puddle on the floor. Nice. Rather you than me – lady posing with the Gimp Fashionista.
J Maskrey has had a long relationship with uber stylist Judy Blame, and their collaboration continues. Against a curtained stage set the slow moving models posed beautifully at intervals under the bright lighting before gathering en masse at the helm of the catwalk, making this show a dream for good photography.
J Maskrey used careful staging and immaculate posing to create a beautiful catwalk show. All photography by Amelia Gregory.
A boy’s smooth back and arms were entirely covered with black glittery shapes, a girl with a severe bobbed haircut revealed a cluster of leopard spots racing across her chest and back, another bared glittered slashes across her breasts, culminating with dangling beads dripping like congealed blood.
A demure girl with high neckline and primly bunned hair held her hands gently to her waist, where the light glistened on Swarovski crystals dripping from her delicate fingernails. Gigantic Geisha-inspired headdresses teetered on top of heads.
This was a beautiful spectacle, but one where the clothes appeared to come a distant second to the dazzling performance. Looking back it becomes more apparent that there some highly desirable pieces buried beneath all the glitzy showpieces. Take the heavily beaded skullcap and cape, cute little nobbled skate skirt and chain print top – all actually very wearable. And not for nothing did I spot J Maskrey herself wearing the slouchy t-shirt dress with huge glittered logo at the On/Off party. To which I was dragged kicking and screaming “But I don’t do fashion parties anymore… oh okay just for one cocktail then.”
Needless to say I got in a bad mood very quickly because I really don’t know anyone in fashion anymore, and usually can’t remember anyone’s names or what they actually do, which further exacerbates the situation when they come over to me all chatty. And then my Canon 5D Mark II camera broke down with an error 20 (it does this every now and again, usually when I really REALLY need to use it) so I could no longer hide behind my camera – which I often do as a way of disengaging from situations.
Ladies in the loo at the On/Off party.
Luckily it was at this point that the Sugababes arrived so we clambered on a bench to watch them sing before we left. You know what? They were definitely singing live with a good amount of gusto, and they certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves. It was really very sweet. And a good way to end an exceedingly long day, with just one of those small surprises that every fashion week throws up.
Sugababes performing at the On/Off party.
Written by Amelia Gregory on Thursday March 4th, 2010 1:33 pm
J Maskrey is responsible for a lot. You know all those tacky glitter tattoos that you can buy in every chemist and pound shop? Well, she’s the one to blame. This former make-up artist invented “skin jewellery” over 10 years ago, when she glued some Swarovski crystals onto an adhesive backing. But those glittery Superdrug rose tattoos just ain’t the same, so despite the mass dumbing down of her initial idea J Maskrey has managed to maintain a dazzling career at the epicentre of fashion cooldom, and it is on the catwalk that J Maskrey’s jewelled masterpieces really glitter.
Once again man wearing rubber, gimp mask and inflatable wig was front row. In at least his second outfit of the day for J Maskrey’s evening show at Victoria House. Where do these people change? And what on earth was his fashion statement? I can put up with any amount of pain in the name of erm, beauty standing out from the crowd. And believe me I know how much he suffered under those bright runway lights because when he stood up to leave the show the sweat literally flooded out of his sleeves into a puddle on the floor. Nice. Rather you than me – lady posing with the Gimp Fashionista.
J Maskrey has had a long relationship with uber stylist Judy Blame, and their collaboration continues. Against a curtained stage set the slow moving models posed beautifully at intervals under the bright lighting before gathering en masse at the helm of the catwalk, making this show a dream for good photography.
J Maskrey used careful staging and immaculate posing to create a beautiful catwalk show. All photography by Amelia Gregory.
A boy’s smooth back and arms were entirely covered with black glittery shapes, a girl with a severe bobbed haircut revealed a cluster of leopard spots racing across her chest and back, another bared glittered slashes across her breasts, culminating with dangling beads dripping like congealed blood.
A demure girl with high neckline and primly bunned hair held her hands gently to her waist, where the light glistened on Swarovski crystals dripping from her delicate fingernails. Gigantic Geisha-inspired headdresses teetered on top of heads.
This was a beautiful spectacle, but one where the clothes appeared to come a distant second to the dazzling performance. Looking back it becomes more apparent that there some highly desirable pieces buried beneath all the glitzy showpieces. Take the heavily beaded skullcap and cape, cute little nobbled skate skirt and chain print top – all actually very wearable. And not for nothing did I spot J Maskrey herself wearing the slouchy t-shirt dress with huge glittered logo at the On/Off party. To which I was dragged kicking and screaming “But I don’t do fashion parties anymore… oh okay just for one cocktail then.”
Needless to say I got in a bad mood very quickly because I really don’t know anyone in fashion anymore, and usually can’t remember anyone’s names or what they actually do, which further exacerbates the situation when they come over to me all chatty. And then my Canon 5D Mark II camera broke down with an error 20 (it does this every now and again, usually when I really REALLY need to use it) so I could no longer hide behind my camera – which I often do as a way of disengaging from situations.
Ladies in the loo at the On/Off party.
Luckily it was at this point that the Sugababes arrived so we clambered on a bench to watch them sing before we left. You know what? They were definitely singing live with a good amount of gusto, and they certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves. It was really very sweet. And a good way to end an exceedingly long day, with just one of those small surprises that every fashion week throws up.
Sugababes performing at the On/Off party.
Written by Amelia Gregory on Thursday March 4th, 2010 1:33 pm
So after a rollercoaster six days, websiteonline Menswear Day and London Fashion Week drew to a close with hip-store Kokon To Zai’s label, this webdosageKTZ, viagra and what would be my final show of this season. I absolutely loved what they did last season, and I couldn’t wait to see what they’d come up with next.
All photography by Matt Bramford
A heavily policed front row meant me and illustrator Gareth took seats on the second, but I managed to get on the end so that my pictures would make it look like I was Frowing all along. I was bloody exhausted and feeling very sorry for myself, and I couldn’t help but wish that they’d just get on with it and stop papping people wearing pig masks. My legs wobbled and I struggled to keep my eyes open, but when the music started and the first look appeared, I quickly forgot my woes.
Memphis-inspired fashion? I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. A pumpin’ soundtrack blasted from the PA system as gorgeous models (more women than men, but who cares?) sashayed up and down the length of the BFC tent. Stripes were a plenty on figure-hugging dresses with sweetheart necklines that feature extra flaps in that Pop Art/Memphis splatter pattern. Vibrant primary colours made black dresses playful: such a sophisticated, considered collection expertly styled by wonder-styilst Anna Trevelyan.
A whole load of other influences filtered into this power collection – the womenswear referenced power dressing from the 1980s (think Dynasty) and Mondrian’s prints; the menswear also digging up the eighties with (faux!) fur lapels and broad shoulders.
I have to admit, I did prefer the womenswear – it was far more wearable for fashion-forward ladies and it oozed sex appeal with dresses cut above the knee and details in all the right places to emphasise the curves. The menswear featured striped balaclavas topped with pom-poms, acrylic brooches which referenced the womenswear, over-sized imposing puffa jackets and graphic-print trousers. But it’ll be the womenswear that cements Kokontozai’s place as one of London’s hottest design duos.
Huge orb-like creations were worn on wrists, picking out patterns from lapels. And, oh, the cuts! Dynamic pieces of fabric were layered onto classic tailored pieces to give them a seriously sexy aesthetic. This was a collection that was playful but sophisticated at the same – a really difficult challenge to pull off.
This spring, visit this the V&A presents a unique exhibition dedicated to the Grand Master Japanese couturier, Yohji Yamamoto. The exhibition will celebrate his life and work, and is the first of its kind in the UK. 30 years after Yamamoto debuted in Paris, the V&A has brought together rare examples of his visionary designs.
Watch the video for an exclusive interview with the exhibition’s curator, Ligaya Salazar. You can also read some of Salazar’s thoughts below, too.
On process
With this project I started roughly two and a half years ago to work on the idea and the concept behind the exhibition, it’s also a very particular project because you are working with a living designer who you are doing a single retrospective with, working with their team very closely, so in terms of curating, there is much more of a dialogue there than you would probably normally have with a slightly more thematic show.
The focus was more on to find a concept that would work for him, as a designer, because Yohji Yamamoto is very special in the deign world in terms of the way he approaches designing, so the way you want to show his work should be quite different as well… I spent more time looking at ways of displaying his work, ways of showing his work…
On garment selection
I had the incredible honour to be able to go into both his Paris and his Tokyo archives; the Tokyo archives no curator had ever been to and I had all of his archive to look at and to choose from, which made the editing process incredibly hard. It is something you spend a long time doing, talking to Yohji’s team, talking to the designer, making sure you have covered the iconic parts of his career, but also choosing pieces that are most emblematic of the themes that you want to bring out. I stated with an object list that was about six hundred pieces, and that was already a selection of the pieces I saw in the archive and then I had to bring it down to ninety; it was a long and arduous process.
On themes
Because it is an installation based exhibition, there isn’t a prescriptive story to tell, or a chronology, it was much more about how people would encounter the garments. For the first time what we are doing is to show everything on open display, on the same height as the viewer, so you are meeting your other, rather than looking up and behind glass. It’s a very different experience of the clothes.
Yohi Yamamoto is at the V&A and at The Wapping Project until 10th July 2011. Look out for a full review coming soon!
The latest adult colouring book by the phenomenonal Johanna Basford is released this week, a crafty Christmas colouring book designed to be used in multiple ways. As Johanna herself is fond of saying “I make colouring books so you can make masterpieces!” Colouring has moved out of books and spread through the crafting community, and Johanna perfectly captures this moment with a book of one sided images on perforated pages that can easily be removed to share as Christmas cards, decorations, gift tags… or whatever you dream of doing. “Johanna’s Christmas: A Festive Colouring Book (Colouring Books)” is chock full of traditional Christmas imagery such as deer, festive birds, trees, presents, gingerbread, sleighs, bells, baubles, stockings, curlicues and a series of hidden robins. Expect a mix of evocative narrative scenes, her signature mirror images and more of her ribbon designs, where decorative elements stretch across the page. Johanna’s Christmas is a book sure to engage fans old and new, and best of all, I have THREE copies to give away so hop on over to my Facebook Page HERE and leave a comment telling me what you love most about Christmas time to be in with a chance to win… better still, the giveaway is OPEN WORLDWIDE, so if you live outside the UK this is your chance to get the book with a gold foiled cover! Now read on for my exclusive interview, in which we also discuss her last release Magical Jungle.
The winners of Johanna’s polar bear Christmas colouring competition: Sydney, Sarah P, Kocialka, Jenny and Chiblla. Read why Johanna chose these versions of her polar bear here.
Johanna’s Christmas. Colourist: Amelia
How did you choose your top colourists to receive advance copies of your new book?
They were all Colourists who’s work had caught my eye on social media or on my colouring gallery (or I watch their YouTube channels!). I liked the fact that instead of trying to woo traditional journalists or book reviewers, we were getting the books straight into the hands of colourists so they could start making some masterpieces!
What are your favourite coloured pages, and why?
Literally far too many to choose from! It’s like asking a mother which of her children is her favourite! I think the great thing about colouring is that you never see the same image twice and that every colourist brings something completely new to the black and white drawings. Having said that, I’m always partial to a stunning background technique. Those people that do the ‘starry night sky’ effect will never fail to amaze me!
American cover.
UK cover.
You create an incredible amount of pages for each new book – do you ever find yourself getting bored of drawing a particular object, and if so, how do you make it exciting?
I genuinely never get bored of drawing! Admin? Yes. Digital updates? Yes. Drawing? Never! I think nature is an amazing, unlimited melting pot of inspiration and although every jungle is leafy, no 2 leaves are the same! I spent hours pouring over foliage reference books and sweating it out in the Botanical Garden hot houses admiring every type of leaf and vine you can imagine – there was not shortage of inspiration!
Magical Jungle. Colourist: Vicki Walsh
Magical Jungle. Colourist: Susie Pala-Loir
How did you source the specialist paper used in Magical Jungle and Johanna’s Christmas?
I worked with the Penguin US team to find a paper that was the perfect weight, texture, tooth and colour for my books. After rejecting many, many samples, we worked with a paper manufacturer to make my very own paper that matched my ideal specifications perfectly. Think of it as paper couture! It was a huge honour to have this opportunity to get THAT geeky about paper. We then used the spec of this paper as the benchmark for all my foreign publishers, which in this instance includes the UK, to match their paper to. There will always be slight difference and nuances between paper stocks, (it is after all a product of nature and no 2 trees are the same!) but we aim to create consistant, beautiful books across the world that offer colourists the finest papers on which to make their masterpieces and develop their creative practice.
Magical Jungle. Colourist: Morena Vajak
How much have you listened to colourists in the making of Magical Jungle? Everyone seems to be very happy about the fact that the images don’t go into the spine, for example.
A LOT. This is a partnership, a collaboration. If one half of the require need certain things in order to make the best final outcome, then it’s up to me to supply them with what they need. I’m very active on social media and value my place in our colouring community, it would be entirely odd to be in this space, communicating with colourists and not take notice of what they say! It’s a privilege to have this job and as I always say, I make books so Colourists can make masterpieces!
Roughly how many hours went into Magical Jungle?
Heaps! A book takes me about 5 months to draw, then another few months in production with the publisher. I also have a few months at the start to mull over ideas and research. The reality is I never stop thinking about a book when I’m in the midst of creating it, I even dream about my books!
Magical Jungle. Colourist: Hazel Smithies
What has the reception been like at your book signings? You have any particular events jumped out at you? (do you recognise the names of any of the colourists that you meet for example?)
Book signings are always lovely as it’s a chance to meet the people behind the profile pics! I spend so long interacting with the colouring community online that it a real treat to finally say hello and give them a hug in person! And yes, there’s been a few that I’ve known online for some time now that travelled huge distances to come along to the events, it’s very humbling and also very special to finally get a selfie with them!
Magical Jungle. Colourist: Amanda Pinchbeck
As you create more colouring books have you found yourself getting more into the act of colouring itself? There seems to be quite a demand for your tutorials!
Yes. Initially I was hesitant to share my colouring as I felt my role was to create the artwork, not colour it. I’ve always enjoyed working in coloured pencil though and did a lot of this type of work when I was at school because colouring pencils were so accessible (a 17 year old has a rather limited materials budget!). I colour a lot, it’s important to test run the artwork and check the shapes and scale are suitable for colouring, the line weight is just right and also that the paper is good. And of course, it allows me to test a lot of pens and pencils so when people ask questions about what art supplies work well, I can give an honest and informed answer. I guess it’s like being a chef; you have to taste your food to know if it’s good or not!
What can we expect from your upcoming Christmas book?
I’ve tried to capture the sense of excitement, charm and whimsy of the festive season within the pages of this book. There’s an owl in a Christmas jumper, a robin delivering gifts, lots of tangles of holly and ivy and some beautiful big poinsettia blooms! In total there are 37 illustrations, all printed single sided and with a detachable spine so Colourists can remove their creations when complete and share them as Christmas gifts or use them in craft projects. It also means some art materials likes solvent based markers and heavy glitter pens can be used without fear of bleeding through to the design on the reverse. Finally, there’s no list of things to find in this book, instead there is a flock of festive robins hidden throughout the pages for you to find.
Can you tell us about the musical notes on the front cover?
I’m not the musical one in my family (my sister is!) so when I drew a few bars of music flowing along the front of the cover and posted a WIP sketch on facebook, the colouring community were quick to point out the my scribbly notes were back to front and upside now – musical gibberish! Thank goodness for feedback – that could have been embarrassing if that went to print! I amended the cover and now those musical notes play out the first 4 bars of Jingle Bells. I love that the colouring community helped shape the cover and that now there’s a secret little hidden festive reference in those notes at the bottom. Jingle all the way!
What is your starting point when you hide something on a page, and why did you choose a robin?
Usually I hide as many things in a book as possible. I love tiny details and things you have to search for. When I was little we would often visit Brodick Castle on the Isle of Arran where there was chair carved by Robert Thompson (aka Mouseman). He carved a little mouse onto every piece of furniture he made, it was like a little hidden signature. I loved that charming way of stamping his work. I try to do something similar by hiding little intricate details in all my drawings. This can be anything from a butterfly to a lizard but for Johanna’s Christmas I wanted a single festive motif that people could find. The robin seemed perfect. Also, who doesn’t love spotting a robin on a snowy morning? They are like nature’s treasure hunt! I draw the entire picture first, then add the hidden elements at the end, so I can find the perfect hiding place for them!
How will you be celebrating Christmas this year? What family traditions do you have?
Food. Lots and lots of food! I tackled Christmas dinner myself once many years ago and swore I’d never do it again! There was a terrifying incident involving turkey giblets… My skills lie firmly in helping with the washing up! I like all the traditional elements of Christmas day, the crackers on the table, the awful jokes inside, cheap paper crowns, mountains of crumpled wrapping paper and perhaps best of all, the left overs! Cold kilted sausages (I believe these are called Pigs in Blankets to the rest of the world outside of Scotland!) are my favourite Christmas evening snack!
Finally, what are you working on next?
I’ve just completed a project with Canon to create 4 new colouring images that can be downloaded throughout the year and a wonderful collaboration with Method, the cleaning products company. I have some limited edition products launching with them next year that I cannot wait to share with the world! We’re also putting the final touches to some colouring books marks, a candle and home fragrance collection (with scents I helped develop inspired by books!) and just this morning I spoke with my jigsaw puzzle partners about the Magical Jungle puzzles we’ll be launching soon.
And of course, there is a new book in the pipepline – but I’m keeping that a bit secret for now!
Johanna’s Christmas is published by Virgin Books/Penguin Books. Win your very own copy of this book by telling me your favourite thing about Christmas in the comments on my Facebook Page HERE. THREE winners will be picked on Saturday 12th November. OPEN WORLDWIDE.
” is chock full of traditional Christmas imagery such as deer, festive birds, trees, presents, gingerbread, sleighs, bells, baubles, stockings, curlicues and a series of hidden robins. Expect a mix of evocative narrative scenes, her signature mirror images and more of her ribbon designs, where decorative elements stretch across the page. Johanna’s Christmas is a book sure to engage fans old and new, and best of all, I have THREE copies to give away so hop on over to my Facebook Page 
.
