Amelia’s Magazine | Tom Hunter’s memory lane

this web Little Rich Girls, capsule 2010″ src=”http://www.ameliasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Installation-shot-from-GSK-Contemporary-Aware-Yinka-Shonibare-Little-Rich-Girls-2010-.jpg” alt=”” width=”480″ height=”654″ /> Yinka Shonibare MBE, abortion Little Rich Girls, 2010, Installation shot from GSK Contemporary – Aware: Art Fashion Identity, Commissioned by the London College of Fashion and the Royal Academy of Arts, © The Artist, Photo: Andy Stagg, Courtesy Royal Academy of Arts, London

In 2009, the Royal Academy of Art’s exhibition exploring contemporary art, Earth: Art of a Changing World featured a selection of artists engaging with the physical impacts of Climate Change. For 2010 the Royal Academy turned it’s attention to the subject of identity and clothing in Aware: Art Fashion Identity. Broken down into three segments; Storytelling, Building and Belonging and Confronting, the exhibition endeavors to examine the possibilities provided –as explored by artists and fashion designers- by clothing to reveal and conceal our cultural and physical identity.

A new commission from Yinka Shonibare focused on cultural perceptions of the origin of a cloth usually associated with Africa. Under closer examination, these perceptions turn out to be false. Shonibare’s ghostly installation reveals that the origination of the batik pattern thought to be synonymous with Africa, is in fact Holland. The Dutch pattern makers sold the fabric em masse to Africa, only after a European buyer could not be found.

Yoko Ono, Cut Piece, 1965, A film by Albert and David Maysles of Yoko Ono’s performance of Cut Piece at Carnegie Recital Hall, New York, 21 March 1965, 16mm black-and-white film with sync sound, transferred to DVD, running time 9’ Courtesy of the artist

After entering the Royal Academy via Burlington Arcade and walking up the stairs into the main exhibition space. The audience moves through the three sections in a circular motion; first encountering Storytelling (announced by the presence of an embroidered kimono by Grayson Perry) then Building and finally Belonging and Confronting. The audience departs Aware: Art Fashion Identity via the two of the exhibition’s most interesting works – both of which are nearing 30 years old.

Yoko Ono and Marina Abramovic’s performance pieces lay bare the artifice and cultural constructs which lay at the heart of both fashion and art identity. In the 9 minute video, Marina Abramovic and Ulay stand naked in a gallery doorway, forcing visitors to confront the physicality of the naked body, stripped of it’s adornments. Meanwhile in a video opposite Yoko Ono sits quietly on a stage whilst members of the audience snip her free from the garments of femininity. An exciting introduction to these two artists, it is a shame that more of their work was not included.

The limited inclusion of performance art is a lost opportunity, specifically because the three included pieces (Marina Abramovic Yoko Ono and Cindy Sherman) lend themselves vividly to the concept (i.e. the relationship between our cultural and personal identity and how we are perceived by others) this exhibition was starting to explore.

GSK Contemporary – Aware: Art Fashion Identity
Royal Academy of Arts, 2 December 2010 – 30 January 2011, Marina Abramovi?, Imponderabilia Performance 1977
Galleria Comunale d’Arte, Bologna © Marina Abramovi?. Courtesy of Marina Abramovi? and Sean Kelly Gallery, New York. © DACS 2010
Photo by Giovanna dal Magro

Cindy Sherman’s Paper Doll, an early video piece from the acclaimed artist, which lasts for 2.30 minutes, was located within the first room of the exhibition. In Paper Doll Cindy Sherman questions the accepted popularity of a toy heavily steeped in gender stereotyping: the paper doll. In the piece Sherman reduces herself into an inanimate object whose sole purpose is to decide what to wear depending on that day’s activity. At the end of the film, a hand removes the clothes displaying the doll’s nudity and places her back in her box. An intriguing piece of work, this singular nod does nothing to encourage the exploration of Sherman’s overture, including Untitled, a series of stills in which the artist explored the creation of a particular type of femininity after the rise of the movie.

Cindy Sherman, Doll Clothes 1975, Stills from 16 mm film on DVD, © Cindy Sherman / Sammlung Verbund, Vienna / Sprüth Magers Berlin London

Throughout the exhibition, Aware: Art Fashion and Identity makes rapid nods to artists and fashion designers alike – a single McQueen stands in the corner. Devoid of its context and standing alone within the white walls of the RA the identity of the dress becomes lost. When viewed within an entire collection, this beautiful object becomes a brutal critique on historical and modern notions of femininity.

Alexander McQueen, Autumn Winter 1998: Joan, Photo © Chris Moore, Courtesy of Catwalking

An enjoyable exhibition, though the art appears to be spread too thin and the outcome of which is that interesting ideas are left hanging or barely graspable unless you enter the exhibition with prior knowledge of the artists or fashion designers previous body of work.

The final section of the exhibition explores ideas surrounding Belonging and Confronting. Sharif Waked’s Chic Point places the daily humiliation the Palestinian man undergoes at Israeli checkpoints onto the catwalk. The photographs included at the end were taken by the artist, visualising the moment when clothes cease to become clothes and mutate into something – whether imagined or not – fearful and different.

Sharif Waked, Chic Point, 2003, DVD, running time 5’ 27” Courtesy of the artist, Photo Sharif Waked

Coco Chanel suggestion that we “look for the woman in the dress and if there is no woman, there is no dress” is taken up by Hussein Chalayan’s latest commission. In Son of Sonzai Suri, the fashion designer uses the 300-year-old Japanese tradition of Bunraku puppet theatre to lay bare the hidden puppeteers at the heart of the fashion industry.

Hussein Chalayan, ‘Son’ of Sonzai Suru, 2010, Installation shot from GSK Contemporary – Aware: Art Fashion Identity, Commissioned by the London College of Fashion and the Royal Academy of Arts, © The Artist, Photo: Andy Stagg, Courtesy Royal Academy of Arts, London

Aware: Art Fashion Identity closes with the video pieces of Marina Abramovic and Yoko Ono. With the decision to close the exhibition here, it appears that the critique of identity and femininity stopped in the 70’s. It could have been an interesting experiment to juxtapose 70′s performance art against the catwalk shows of Alexander McQueen or Maison Martin Margiela.

The past few months have been fantastic for those interested in fashion, with a splurge of fashion related exhibitions across the capital, get to the Royal Academy quick before Aware: Art Fashion Identity closes on the 30th January 2011.
Royal Academy, 6 Burlington Gardens, London
viagra Little Rich Girls, view 2010″ width=”480″ height=”654″ class=”alignnone size-full wp-image-31758″ /> Installation shot from GSK Contemporary Aware – Yinka Shonibare, Little Rich Girls, 2010

“We all know Art is not the truth. Art is a lie that makes us realise the truth” Pablo Picasso

Since 2008 Glaxo Smith Klein (GSK) have been the sponsors of the Royal Academy of Art’s winter exhibition. In 2009 the space was inhabited by Earth: Art of a Changing World and featured a selection of artists engaged with the physical impacts of Climate Change. 2010 saw the Royal Academy turn it’s attention to the subject of identity and clothing in the reductively titled; Aware: Art Fashion Identity. Broken down into three segments; Storytelling, Building and Belonging and Confronting, the exhibition endeavors to examine the possibilities provided –as explored by artists and fashion designers- by clothing to reveal and conceal our cultural and physical identity.

Yinka Shonibare new commissioned focused on cultural perceptions which turn out, under closer examination, to be false. Shonibare’s ghostly installation reveals the origination of batik pattern synonymous with African tribal patterns, to be in fact from Holland. The pattern makers sold the fabric to Africa once a European buyer could not be found.

After entering the Royal Academy via Burlington Arcade and walking up the stairs into the main exhibition space. The audience moves through the three sections in a circular motion; first encountering Storytelling (announced by the presence of an embroidered kimono by Grayson Perry) then Building and finally Belonging and Confronting. The audience departs Aware: Art Fashion Identity via the two of the exhibition’s most interesting works – both of which are nearing 30 years old.

GSK Contemporary – Aware – Yoko Ono, Cut Piece, 1965

Yoko Ono and Marina Abramovic’s performance pieces lay bare the artifice and cultural constructs which lay at the heart of both fashion and art identity. In the 9 minute video, Marina Abramovic and Yuri stand naked in a gallery doorway, forcing visitors to confront the physicality of the naked body, stripped of it’s adornments. Meanwhile in a video opposite Yoko Ono sits quietly on a stage whilst members of the audience snip her free from the garments of femininity. An exciting introduction to these two artists, it is a shame that more of their work was not included.
The limited inclusion of performance art seems to be a lost opportunity, specifically because the four pieces (Marina Abramovic Yoko Ono, Cindy Sherman and Mumbai) which were included naturally, lend themselves to the concept this exhibition was attempting to explore.

GSK Contemporary – Aware: Art Fashion Identity
Royal Academy of Arts, 2 December 2010 – 30 January 2011, Marina Abramovi?, Imponderabilia Performance 1977
Galleria Comunale d’Arte, Bologna © Marina Abramovi?. Courtesy of Marina Abramovi? and Sean Kelly Gallery, New York. © DACS 2010
Photo by Giovanna dal Magro

Cindy Sherman’s Paper Doll video was located within the first room of the exhibition. An early video piece which lasts in it’s entirety of 2.30 minutes. Sherman questions the accepted (gender stereotyping) popularity of a child’s paper doll through the reduction of herself into an inanimate object. Whilst interesting to those who have encountered Sherman’s work previously, the singular nod does nothing to encourage the exploration of Sherman’s overture, including a series of stills in whcih Sherman explores the relationship between the movies and societies ideas of femininity through feminine dress.

The final piece of video art that captured the attention is located within the sub-topic: Building. In 10 minutes Mumbai confronts the viewer with the appalling conditions required to produce the clothes we discard so readily and so frequently.

Throughout the exhibition nods are made to artists and fashion designers alike –a single McQueen stands in the corner devoid of its context within an entire collection, becomes a beautiful object, rather than a brutal critique on historical and modern notions of femininity. Within the white walls of the RA the identity of the dress becomes lost.

Alexander McQueen, Autumn Winter 1998: Joan, Photo © Chris Moore, Courtesy of Catwalking

An enjoyable exhibition, the problem appears to be that the art is spread too thin, interesting ideas are left hanging or barely graspable unless you enter the exhibition with prior knowledge of the artists or fashion designers gambit.

The final section of the exhibition briefly explores ideas surrounding Belonging and Confronting. Sharif… Chic Point places the daily humiliation the Palestinian man undergoes at the hands of Israeli checkpoints onto the catwalk. Personally, the work would have been more poignant if these clothes, which reduce the wearer to exposing various sections of flesh had been worn at a real or a recreated check point – highlighting the dehumanization that occurs as every man is treated as a potential terrorist. The photographs included by the artist at the end of the film, visualises the moment when clothes cease to become clothes and mutate into something fearful (whether imagined or not).

Sharif Waked, Chic Point, 2003, DVD, running time 5’ 27” Courtesy of the artist, Photo Sharif Waked

Coco Chanel suggested we “look for the woman in the dress if there is no woman, there is no dress” an idea taken up b Hussein Chalayan’s latest commission. In … the fashion designer uses the 300-year-old Japanese tradition of Bunraky puppet theatre to lay bare the hidden puppeteers at the heart of the fashion industry.

Hussein Chalayan, ‘Son’ of Sonzai Suru, 2010, Installation shot from GSK Contemporary – Aware: Art Fashion Identity, Commissioned by the London College of Fashion and the Royal Academy of Arts, © The Artist, Photo: Andy Stagg, Courtesy Royal Academy of Arts, London

Aware: Art Fashion Identity closes with the aforementioned video pieces of Marina Abramovic and Yoko Ono. With the decision to close the exhibition here, it would appear that the critique of identity and femininity stopped in the 70’s. It could have been interesting to see a juxtaposition of performance art against the catwalk shows of McQueen or Maison Martin Margiela.

The GSK and Royal Academy exhibitions often feel as if they are a jumping off point, a starting negotiation, as if the beginning of an undergraduate essay. They neither fill in the blanks nor leave the audience to be inspired. At best they provide a few coat pegs with which to hang the most famous artists from contemporary art and fashion.

viagra Little Rich Girls, sildenafil 2010″ width=”480″ height=”654″ class=”alignnone size-full wp-image-31758″ /> Installation shot from GSK Contemporary Aware – Yinka Shonibare, this site Little Rich Girls, 2010

“We all know Art is not the truth. Art is a lie that makes us realise the truth” Pablo Picasso

Since 2008 Glaxo Smith Klein (GSK) have been the sponsors of the Royal Academy of Art’s winter exhibition. In 2009 the space was inhabited by Earth: Art of a Changing World and featured a selection of artists engaged with the physical impacts of Climate Change. 2010 saw the Royal Academy turn it’s attention to the subject of identity and clothing in the reductively titled; Aware: Art Fashion Identity. Broken down into three segments; Storytelling, Building and Belonging and Confronting, the exhibition endeavors to examine the possibilities provided –as explored by artists and fashion designers- by clothing to reveal and conceal our cultural and physical identity.

Yinka Shonibare new commissioned focused on cultural perceptions which turn out, under closer examination, to be false. Shonibare’s ghostly installation reveals the origination of batik pattern synonymous with African tribal patterns, to be in fact from Holland. The pattern makers sold the fabric to Africa once a European buyer could not be found.

After entering the Royal Academy via Burlington Arcade and walking up the stairs into the main exhibition space. The audience moves through the three sections in a circular motion; first encountering Storytelling (announced by the presence of an embroidered kimono by Grayson Perry) then Building and finally Belonging and Confronting. The audience departs Aware: Art Fashion Identity via the two of the exhibition’s most interesting works – both of which are nearing 30 years old.

GSK Contemporary – Aware – Yoko Ono, Cut Piece, 1965

Yoko Ono and Marina Abramovic’s performance pieces lay bare the artifice and cultural constructs which lay at the heart of both fashion and art identity. In the 9 minute video, Marina Abramovic and Yuri stand naked in a gallery doorway, forcing visitors to confront the physicality of the naked body, stripped of it’s adornments. Meanwhile in a video opposite Yoko Ono sits quietly on a stage whilst members of the audience snip her free from the garments of femininity. An exciting introduction to these two artists, it is a shame that more of their work was not included.
The limited inclusion of performance art seems to be a lost opportunity, specifically because the four pieces (Marina Abramovic Yoko Ono, Cindy Sherman and Mumbai) which were included naturally, lend themselves to the concept this exhibition was attempting to explore.

GSK Contemporary – Aware: Art Fashion Identity
Royal Academy of Arts, 2 December 2010 – 30 January 2011, Marina Abramovi?, Imponderabilia Performance 1977
Galleria Comunale d’Arte, Bologna © Marina Abramovi?. Courtesy of Marina Abramovi? and Sean Kelly Gallery, New York. © DACS 2010
Photo by Giovanna dal Magro

Cindy Sherman’s Paper Doll video was located within the first room of the exhibition. An early video piece which lasts in it’s entirety of 2.30 minutes. Sherman questions the accepted (gender stereotyping) popularity of a child’s paper doll through the reduction of herself into an inanimate object. Whilst interesting to those who have encountered Sherman’s work previously, the singular nod does nothing to encourage the exploration of Sherman’s overture, including a series of stills in whcih Sherman explores the relationship between the movies and societies ideas of femininity through feminine dress.

The final piece of video art that captured the attention is located within the sub-topic: Building. In 10 minutes Mumbai confronts the viewer with the appalling conditions required to produce the clothes we discard so readily and so frequently.

Throughout the exhibition nods are made to artists and fashion designers alike –a single McQueen stands in the corner devoid of its context within an entire collection, becomes a beautiful object, rather than a brutal critique on historical and modern notions of femininity. Within the white walls of the RA the identity of the dress becomes lost.

Alexander McQueen, Autumn Winter 1998: Joan, Photo © Chris Moore, Courtesy of Catwalking

An enjoyable exhibition, the problem appears to be that the art is spread too thin, interesting ideas are left hanging or barely graspable unless you enter the exhibition with prior knowledge of the artists or fashion designers gambit.

The final section of the exhibition briefly explores ideas surrounding Belonging and Confronting. Sharif… Chic Point places the daily humiliation the Palestinian man undergoes at the hands of Israeli checkpoints onto the catwalk. Personally, the work would have been more poignant if these clothes, which reduce the wearer to exposing various sections of flesh had been worn at a real or a recreated check point – highlighting the dehumanization that occurs as every man is treated as a potential terrorist. The photographs included by the artist at the end of the film, visualises the moment when clothes cease to become clothes and mutate into something fearful (whether imagined or not).

Sharif Waked, Chic Point, 2003, DVD, running time 5’ 27” Courtesy of the artist, Photo Sharif Waked

Coco Chanel suggested we “look for the woman in the dress if there is no woman, there is no dress” an idea taken up b Hussein Chalayan’s latest commission. In … the fashion designer uses the 300-year-old Japanese tradition of Bunraky puppet theatre to lay bare the hidden puppeteers at the heart of the fashion industry.

Hussein Chalayan, ‘Son’ of Sonzai Suru, 2010, Installation shot from GSK Contemporary – Aware: Art Fashion Identity, Commissioned by the London College of Fashion and the Royal Academy of Arts, © The Artist, Photo: Andy Stagg, Courtesy Royal Academy of Arts, London

Aware: Art Fashion Identity closes with the aforementioned video pieces of Marina Abramovic and Yoko Ono. With the decision to close the exhibition here, it would appear that the critique of identity and femininity stopped in the 70’s. It could have been interesting to see a juxtaposition of performance art against the catwalk shows of McQueen or Maison Martin Margiela.

The GSK and Royal Academy exhibitions often feel as if they are a jumping off point, a starting negotiation, as if the beginning of an undergraduate essay. They neither fill in the blanks nor leave the audience to be inspired. At best they provide a few coat pegs with which to hang the most famous artists from contemporary art and fashion.

pill Little Rich Girls, more about 2010″ width=”480″ height=”654″ class=”alignnone size-full wp-image-31758″ /> Yinka Shonibare MBE, price Little Rich Girls, 2010, Installation shot from GSK Contemporary – Aware: Art Fashion Identity, Commissioned by the London College of Fashion and the Royal Academy of Arts, © The Artist, Photo: Andy Stagg, Courtesy Royal Academy of Arts, London

Since 2008 Glaxo Smith Klein (GSK) have been the sponsors of the Royal Academy of Art’s winter exhibition. In 2009 the space was inhabited by Earth: Art of a Changing World and featured a selection of artists engaged with the physical impacts of Climate Change. 2010 saw the Royal Academy turn it’s attention to the subject of identity and clothing in the reductively titled; Aware: Art Fashion Identity. Broken down into three segments; Storytelling, Building and Belonging and Confronting, the exhibition endeavors to examine the possibilities provided –as explored by artists and fashion designers- by clothing to reveal and conceal our cultural and physical identity.

Yinka Shonibare new commissioned focused on cultural perceptions which turn out, under closer examination, to be false. Shonibare’s ghostly installation reveals the origination of batik pattern synonymous with African tribal patterns, to be in fact from Holland. The pattern makers sold the fabric to Africa once a European buyer could not be found.

After entering the Royal Academy via Burlington Arcade and walking up the stairs into the main exhibition space. The audience moves through the three sections in a circular motion; first encountering Storytelling (announced by the presence of an embroidered kimono by Grayson Perry) then Building and finally Belonging and Confronting. The audience departs Aware: Art Fashion Identity via the two of the exhibition’s most interesting works – both of which are nearing 30 years old.

Yoko Ono, Cut Piece, 1965, A film by Albert and David Maysles of Yoko Ono’s performance of Cut Piece at Carnegie Recital Hall, New York, 21 March 1965, 16mm black-and-white film with sync sound, transferred to DVD, running time 9’ Courtesy of the artist

Yoko Ono and Marina Abramovic’s performance pieces lay bare the artifice and cultural constructs which lay at the heart of both fashion and art identity. In the 9 minute video, Marina Abramovic and Yuri stand naked in a gallery doorway, forcing visitors to confront the physicality of the naked body, stripped of it’s adornments. Meanwhile in a video opposite Yoko Ono sits quietly on a stage whilst members of the audience snip her free from the garments of femininity. An exciting introduction to these two artists, it is a shame that more of their work was not included.
The limited inclusion of performance art seems to be a lost opportunity, specifically because the four pieces (Marina Abramovic Yoko Ono, Cindy Sherman and Mumbai) which were included naturally, lend themselves to the concept this exhibition was attempting to explore.

GSK Contemporary – Aware: Art Fashion Identity
Royal Academy of Arts, 2 December 2010 – 30 January 2011, Marina Abramovi?, Imponderabilia Performance 1977
Galleria Comunale d’Arte, Bologna © Marina Abramovi?. Courtesy of Marina Abramovi? and Sean Kelly Gallery, New York. © DACS 2010
Photo by Giovanna dal Magro

Cindy Sherman’s Paper Doll video was located within the first room of the exhibition. An early video piece which lasts in it’s entirety of 2.30 minutes. Sherman questions the accepted (gender stereotyping) popularity of a child’s paper doll through the reduction of herself into an inanimate object. Whilst interesting to those who have encountered Sherman’s work previously, the singular nod does nothing to encourage the exploration of Sherman’s overture, including a series of stills in whcih Sherman explores the relationship between the movies and societies ideas of femininity through feminine dress.

Cindy Sherman, Doll Clothes 1975, Stills from 16 mm film on DVD, © Cindy Sherman / Sammlung Verbund, Vienna / Sprüth Magers Berlin London

The final piece of video art that captured the attention is located within the sub-topic: Building. In 10 minutes Mumbai confronts the viewer with the appalling conditions required to produce the clothes we discard so readily and so frequently.

Throughout the exhibition nods are made to artists and fashion designers alike –a single McQueen stands in the corner devoid of its context within an entire collection, becomes a beautiful object, rather than a brutal critique on historical and modern notions of femininity. Within the white walls of the RA the identity of the dress becomes lost.

Alexander McQueen, Autumn Winter 1998: Joan, Photo © Chris Moore, Courtesy of Catwalking

An enjoyable exhibition, the problem appears to be that the art is spread too thin, interesting ideas are left hanging or barely graspable unless you enter the exhibition with prior knowledge of the artists or fashion designers gambit.

The final section of the exhibition briefly explores ideas surrounding Belonging and Confronting. Sharif… Chic Point places the daily humiliation the Palestinian man undergoes at the hands of Israeli checkpoints onto the catwalk. Personally, the work would have been more poignant if these clothes, which reduce the wearer to exposing various sections of flesh had been worn at a real or a recreated check point – highlighting the dehumanization that occurs as every man is treated as a potential terrorist. The photographs included by the artist at the end of the film, visualises the moment when clothes cease to become clothes and mutate into something fearful (whether imagined or not).

Sharif Waked, Chic Point, 2003, DVD, running time 5’ 27” Courtesy of the artist, Photo Sharif Waked

Coco Chanel suggested we “look for the woman in the dress if there is no woman, there is no dress” an idea taken up b Hussein Chalayan’s latest commission. In … the fashion designer uses the 300-year-old Japanese tradition of Bunraky puppet theatre to lay bare the hidden puppeteers at the heart of the fashion industry.

Hussein Chalayan, ‘Son’ of Sonzai Suru, 2010, Installation shot from GSK Contemporary – Aware: Art Fashion Identity, Commissioned by the London College of Fashion and the Royal Academy of Arts, © The Artist, Photo: Andy Stagg, Courtesy Royal Academy of Arts, London

Aware: Art Fashion Identity closes with the aforementioned video pieces of Marina Abramovic and Yoko Ono. With the decision to close the exhibition here, it would appear that the critique of identity and femininity stopped in the 70’s. It could have been interesting to see a juxtaposition of performance art against the catwalk shows of McQueen or Maison Martin Margiela.

The GSK and Royal Academy exhibitions often feel as if they are a jumping off point, a starting negotiation, as if the beginning of an undergraduate essay. They neither fill in the blanks nor leave the audience to be inspired. At best they provide a few coat pegs with which to hang the most famous artists from contemporary art and fashion.


Woodberry Down girl by Romain Lambert-Louis, more about after ‘Jackie 1973’ by Erica Dobbs

It’s good Tom Hunter’s film is as good as it is, more about because the last time I queued this long for something there was a saint at the end of it. Pilgrims wait for hours outside the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela to hug the statue above the saintly remnants – last Saturday the patient patrons of a crammed Serpentine Gallery were rewarded not so much with a divine cuddle, but with a screening of Tom Hunter’s gem of a documentary film.

‘A palace for us’ is set at Woodberry Down, a 2,500-flat council estate complex in North Hackney, up by Tottenham. Going back 50 years, Tom Hunter’s film uses current day narratives and recreated scenes to tell the stories of three people who have spent their lives at the estate. ‘When we came here we realised how lucky we were,’ says one woman. ‘There was central heating and a bath with hot and cold. It was like a palace for us.’ As the woman talks, we see reenactments of when her husband-to-be asked her to dance for the first time. ‘I’d never seen eyes like his,’ she says, smiling at the memory. ‘We had a very good marriage right to the end.’


Woodberry Down dancers by Willa Gebbie

Commissioned by the Serpentine Gallery and Age Concern Hackney, Tom Hunter made the film after spending time in residence at Woodberry, speaking to its inhabitants about their lives. Their stories are lovingly told, reflecting Hunter’s in-depth knowledge of his subjects and the area. One of the film’s interviewees shares the story of how he cowered in his bed as the area was bombed back in 1944. Born in Stoke Newington, the man was among the first to move into the estate in 1948.


Woodberry Down man by Timothy Hunt

Built to meet a severe housing shortage during the war, Woodberry was presented as an ‘estate for the future’. Especially the interviewee born there has good memories of growing up at Woodberry, telling stories of playing hopscotch in the alleys, climbing the apple trees and making perfume from the roses growing around the estate. The sense of community is clear, with the early residents taking turns mopping the stairs. Now the site is the subject of a major regeneration project, which will replace the most run-down flats and add several more as well.


Woodberry Down kids by Sandra Contreras

The original plan was to see Tom Hunter talk about the film on Saturday, but the despite earlier assurances there was no need to book seats, flushed gallery workers had to turn away a nearly 50-strong crowd due to lack of space. The day’s long lines might have been a one-off, but those who still haven’t seen the film may not want to leave it until the last minute. Because it really is worth seeing, as what I remember even clearer than the queuing is how I wish the film had gone on for longer.


Tom Hunter by Kimberley Jenkins

‘A palace for us’ shows daily until 20th January at the Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Gardens, London W2.

Categories ,A palace for us, ,Age Concern, ,council estate, ,Documentary film, ,hackney, ,Kimberley Jenkins, ,london, ,Romain Lambert-Louis, ,Sandra Contreras, ,Santiago de Compostela, ,Serpentine Gallery, ,Timothy Hunt, ,Tom Hunter, ,Willa Gebbie, ,Woodberry Down

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Amelia’s Magazine | Brutalist dreams: The Balfron Project


Illustration by Karina Yarv

A utopian ‘community in the sky’, website like this was the dream of architect Ernö Goldfinger when he designed Balfron Tower in Poplar, East London. This may or may not be the result today, but the effort remains fascinating. The impressive tower, part of a social housing complex near the Blackwall tunnel under the Thames, keeps capturing artists’ imagination, most recently that of Simon Terrill as he initiated The Balfron Project.

The photographer went one step further than most and followed in the footsteps of Goldfinger himself, by moving into the high-rise. Like the architect did 32 years earlier, he invited his new neighbours to come and talk about their experience of living in the building. The eventual result was an hour-long photo shoot, where the residents came out onto their balconies and lawns to be a part of Terrill’s photo of their home.


The Balfron Project by Simon Terrill

Last night at The Nunnery Gallery in Bow we could see the result – a massive, stunning photograph of the tower, beautifully lit against a dark sky. Gallery visitors crowded around to take in the details, with each balcony and window showing the lives of another family living in this City of London heirloom. Some of the tower’s inhabitants were present at the opening, proudly pointing out which flat was theirs. ‘The project does not seek to fictionalise nor expose the lives of those who call the tower home. What the Balfron Project will do, for the first time since the building’s inception, is to generate an arena for reciprocal viewing,’ said Simon Terrill.


Illustration by Romain Lambert-Louis

Goldfinger applied the lessons from Balfron when designing the bigger Trellick Tower in West London, and both buildings remain subjects of fascination. Novelist JG Ballard featured Balfron in his book ‘High-Rise’, while Danny Boyle put it in his post-apocalyptic film ’28 Days Later’. Goldfinger’s futuristic visions meant the architect himself became the inspiration behind the James Bond villain of the same name.

While Terrill’s image of Balfron Tower is beautiful, those who haven’t seen the tower in real life should make sure to do so if they make the trip to Bow. The tower is not far away, at St Leonard’s Road in Poplar. A couple of blocks from Balfron is another brutalist structure, Robin Hood Gardens, where architects Alison and Peter Smithson set out to create ‘streets in the sky’. The structure has outdoor walkways broad enough for several people, but unlike Balfron, Robin Hood does not enjoy listed building-status. This means Robin Hood is looking increasingly rough around the edges, but in spite of this, or maybe because of it, it’s definitely worth seeing as well.


Tower of Balfron by Simon Terrill, after Bruegel’s ‘Babel’

The Balfron Project is on at The Nunnery Gallery, 183 Bow Road, London E3, until 23rd January. See our listing for more information.

Categories ,28 Days Later, ,Alison and Peter Smithson, ,Balfron Tower, ,Bow, ,Bruegel, ,brutalist architecture, ,Danny Boyle, ,Ernö Goldfinger, ,High-Rise, ,James Bond, ,JG Ballard, ,Karina Yarv, ,london, ,photography, ,Poplar, ,Robin Hood Gardens, ,Romain Lambert-Louis, ,Simon Terrill, ,The Balfron Project, ,The Nunnery Gallery, ,Trellick Tower

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Brutalist dreams: The Balfron Project


Illustration by Karina Yarv

A utopian ‘community in the sky’, website like this was the dream of architect Ernö Goldfinger when he designed Balfron Tower in Poplar, East London. This may or may not be the result today, but the effort remains fascinating. The impressive tower, part of a social housing complex near the Blackwall tunnel under the Thames, keeps capturing artists’ imagination, most recently that of Simon Terrill as he initiated The Balfron Project.

The photographer went one step further than most and followed in the footsteps of Goldfinger himself, by moving into the high-rise. Like the architect did 32 years earlier, he invited his new neighbours to come and talk about their experience of living in the building. The eventual result was an hour-long photo shoot, where the residents came out onto their balconies and lawns to be a part of Terrill’s photo of their home.


The Balfron Project by Simon Terrill

Last night at The Nunnery Gallery in Bow we could see the result – a massive, stunning photograph of the tower, beautifully lit against a dark sky. Gallery visitors crowded around to take in the details, with each balcony and window showing the lives of another family living in this City of London heirloom. Some of the tower’s inhabitants were present at the opening, proudly pointing out which flat was theirs. ‘The project does not seek to fictionalise nor expose the lives of those who call the tower home. What the Balfron Project will do, for the first time since the building’s inception, is to generate an arena for reciprocal viewing,’ said Simon Terrill.


Illustration by Romain Lambert-Louis

Goldfinger applied the lessons from Balfron when designing the bigger Trellick Tower in West London, and both buildings remain subjects of fascination. Novelist JG Ballard featured Balfron in his book ‘High-Rise’, while Danny Boyle put it in his post-apocalyptic film ’28 Days Later’. Goldfinger’s futuristic visions meant the architect himself became the inspiration behind the James Bond villain of the same name.

While Terrill’s image of Balfron Tower is beautiful, those who haven’t seen the tower in real life should make sure to do so if they make the trip to Bow. The tower is not far away, at St Leonard’s Road in Poplar. A couple of blocks from Balfron is another brutalist structure, Robin Hood Gardens, where architects Alison and Peter Smithson set out to create ‘streets in the sky’. The structure has outdoor walkways broad enough for several people, but unlike Balfron, Robin Hood does not enjoy listed building-status. This means Robin Hood is looking increasingly rough around the edges, but in spite of this, or maybe because of it, it’s definitely worth seeing as well.


Tower of Balfron by Simon Terrill, after Bruegel’s ‘Babel’

The Balfron Project is on at The Nunnery Gallery, 183 Bow Road, London E3, until 23rd January. See our listing for more information.

Categories ,28 Days Later, ,Alison and Peter Smithson, ,Balfron Tower, ,Bow, ,Bruegel, ,brutalist architecture, ,Danny Boyle, ,Ernö Goldfinger, ,High-Rise, ,James Bond, ,JG Ballard, ,Karina Yarv, ,london, ,photography, ,Poplar, ,Robin Hood Gardens, ,Romain Lambert-Louis, ,Simon Terrill, ,The Balfron Project, ,The Nunnery Gallery, ,Trellick Tower

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Amelia’s Magazine | Spring is in the air: Music to go travelling by

Bodyamr A/W 2011 by Maria del Carmen-Smith
Bodyamr A/W 2011 by Maria del Carmen-Smith.

For the Bodyamr show the upstairs hall of Freemasons Hall had been laid out in a strange network of criss-crossing aisles, cure approved variably lit with spotlights from all directions. I was on the end of a row just across from Amber Rose, viagra 60mg sick though I hasten to add that I had to be told who she was as I am not that up on celebrities who have no discernible career: model/actress whatever – you get the picture.

Amber Rose at Bodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Amber Rose at Bodyamr A/W 2011.

Louise Redknapp at Bodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Louise Redknapp with a fan at Bodyamr A/W 2011.

I will concede that she pulled off a gunmetal S/S 2011 Bodyamr dress with considerable panache – hers is a curvaceous physique to envy. Also in attendance was Louise Redknapp, that famous fashion guru.

Bodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011 by Antonia Parker
Bodyamr A/W 2011 by Antonia Parker.

Somewhat inexplicably the show started with the prolonged sounds of revolution, and throughout the show lighting altered drastically between interrogation bright and near darkness – changes which definitely kept me on my photographic toes as I constantly swung around in my seat and adjusted my camera settings. My cousin-in-law-to-be is a fashion designer who works for Bodyamr and so I know that this was not an attempt to ensure that bloggers took only shit photos, and in fact the results were a pleasant surprise: the models bathed in a warm ethereal glow that gives a very different feel to most of my catwalk photos.

Bodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011 by Antonia Parker
Bodyamr A/W 2011 by Antonia Parker.

Bodycon tailoring is at the centre of all Bodyamr collections; sleekly fitting fabrics encasing leggy models, draped flatteringly over shoulders and featuring well placed cutaway designs. Tightness was offset with flowing chiffons split thigh-high, all picked out in a highly desirable selection of plum and jade green colours. An occasional fez made an appearance, emphasising the languid opulence of flowing fabrics. Shoulders were fluffed out with woolly capes, heels were gold spiked – a collaboration with Gianmarco Lorenzi. Where collars existed they were high and bejewelled. Caramel, golden yellow and the ubiquitous bright red provided highlights.

Bodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011 by Maria del Carmen-SmithBodyamr A/W 2011 by Maria del Carmen-Smith
Bodyamr A/W 2011 by Maria del Carmen-Smith.

The show ended on a stunning lilac gown with a golden woven bodice and Amber Rose stood to kiss Bodyamr designer Amir Ali as he came loping down the catwalk for his photo call.

Bodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryBodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Bodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

It’s not surprising that a Bodyamr show attracts so many celebrities. His is a very superior brand of glamour, designed to unashamedly wow the red carpet crowd. And wow it did.

Bodyamr A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory

You can see more illustrations by Antonia Parker in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration.

Annie: Chewing gum (bonus track), salve illustrated by Mhairi-stella McEwan

Spring officially starts the first day you can run to the corner shop without a jacket, ed and that was a couple of weeks ago now. Soon it will be summer – the prime season for hitting the road, whether it’s for city breaks, festivals or far-away backpacking. So we’ve put together eight songs (and a bonus track) for getting on the road – each interpreted by an illustrator. The first half of the list is fitting of a road trip, for singing loud out of open windows, but it also works as a soundtrack for the Gatwick Express, as is more often the case for me. While the destinations make it worthwhile, the travelling itself can be a chore – meaning the second half has some more meditative tracks. These are for turbulent airplanes, or when you’ve been driving too long – they also work for hungover mornings on freezing buses or delayed flights with no end in sight. (If all else fails, try AC/DC.)

As this piece is a virtual illustrator-palooza, music videos have been omitted to curb the length, but click on the song names for the full YouTube experience. So without further ado – here’s the Amelia’s Magazine Spring 2011 Vagabond Soundtrack!

Illustration by Wanni

Squeeze: Tempted
This is the song Winona Ryder and Janeane Garofaldo sing in the car in ‘Reality Bites’ – a film about being young and not knowing what to do with your life (I may have worn out a video tape once upon a time). The song is about packing up your essential belongings and taking off: ‘I said to my reflection, let’s get out of this place’ … yes let’s do that.

Illustration by Claire Sells

Madonna: Express yourself
Ah early Madonna – the badass years. I’ve been listening to her again lately since the rise of Lady Gaga (who I do appreciate). Madonna doesn’t have a particularly amazing voice but oh my does she want it bad. You can hear it in this song, and in ‘Vogue’ and ‘Material girl’ too – and when she sings not to go for second best … well Madonna we would never, not when you say it like THAT.

Illustration by Karina Yarv

Rolling Stones: Brown Sugar
You can’t sing along to a Rolling Stones track but that’s not the point – you just shuffle your shoulders and shout along at the chorus. There are several ‘better’ Stones tracks but I think this is my favourite one (okay so it’s tie a with ‘Gimme shelter’). Mick’s practically shimmying out through the speakers with the energy of it.

Illustration by Sarah Matthews

Creedence Clearwater Revival: Fortunate son
I love Creedence, The Dude (The Big Lebowski, you know) loves Creedence, and my dad loves Creedence, judging from the pile of records from his hippie days. Either way, the beardy fellas of CCR remain underrated. ‘Fortunate son’ is one of their more ‘Summer of Love’-sounding tracks, coupled with anti-war lyrics that makes me want to wear dip-dyed clothes with flowers in my hair.

Illustration by Laura Godfrey

Jimi Hendrix: Highway chile
He’s quite poetic, Jimi Hendrix, and there’s something almost happy-go-lucky about ‘Highway chile’. It’s an ode to life on the road – I like this one when I’m travelling above the clouds and can do nothing but sit idle as the plane hurls forward. ‘Woodoo child’ is probably the better track, but it’s too much for when you are forced to sit still.

Illustration by Sanna Dyker

America: A horse with no name
This song is for jetlagged stopovers in boring airports with bad food, when you’re so tired your body aches but you can’t sleep. America and its simple logic will soothe you: ‘The heat was hot and the ground was dry but the air was full of sound.’

Illustration by YesGo!

Death Cab for Cutie: Soul meets body
Listening to the wonderfully named Death Cab for Cutie when travelling alone is almost like having someone talking to you – because all their lyrics are excellent. Not everyone listens to the lyrics of music, but with Death Cab it’s practically a crime not to: ‘Cause in my head there’s a Greyhound station / where I send my thoughts to far-off destinations / so they may have a chance of finding a place / where they’re far more suited than here.’ … paints a picture, doesn’t it.

Illustration by Romain Lambert-Louis

Björk: Immature
This little ditty from saga-queen Björk only contains one line of lyric (it loops, but yes really), and it’s an excellent one. It’s a wall of sound, this song, without any of the scratchiness of the rest of the album (the wonderful ‘Homogenic’). It brings to mind dark Scandinavian forests, the smell of pine and blowing bubbles.

Categories ,A horse with no name, ,AC/DC, ,America, ,Annie, ,bjork, ,Brown sugar, ,Chewing gum, ,claire sells, ,Creedence Clearwater Revival, ,death cab for cutie, ,Express yourself, ,Fortunate son, ,Highway chile, ,Immature, ,Jessica Furseth, ,Jimi Hendrix, ,Karina Yarv, ,Laura Godfrey, ,Madonna, ,Mhairi-Stella McEwan, ,Mick Jagger, ,music, ,Reality Bites, ,Rolling Stones, ,Romain Lambert-Louis, ,Sanna Dyker, ,Sarah Matthews, ,Soul meets body, ,spring, ,summer, ,Summer of Love, ,The Big Lebowski, ,travelling, ,Wanni, ,YesGo!

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Amelia’s Magazine | Lulu and the Lampshades: Cold Water EP review

Maria Francesca Pepe by Karla Pérez Manrique
Maria Francesca Pepe by Karla Pérez Manrique.

At the entrance there stood a horned model, shop purchase arms crossed and lycra-ed legs askance. Face masked. Model or mannequin? It wasn’t immediately obvious. In a season of slick presentations the one given by Maria Francesca Pepe – a true Amazonian beauty herself – really stood out for its professionalism. But it made me uncomfortable.

Maria Francesca Pepe, <a target=store drug LFW A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.” title=”Maria Francesca Pepe, LFW A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.” width=”480″ height=”615″ class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-37268″ />Maria Francesca Pepe, LFW A/W 2011
Maria Francesca Pepe, LFW A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

Red lighting shifted, pulsating over models that looked younger than legal. Young and nervous. One was laid prostrate on a plinth across the entrance to the next room, two more further back, and then in the far room what I can only describe as a child sat perched in front of a series of mannequins, none of which I could see in the gloaming. This girl had the face of an imp, a feeling encouraged by her amazing resin and carbon steel curved and studded hat – a bastardised version of something a gnome might wear. Beneath her flowing robes I suddenly realised why she was so uncomfortable. The bum and back of her tights were also encrusted with spikes. Is this a good idea? Should I be calling out the NSPCC?

Maria Francesca Pepe, LFW A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.Maria Francesca Pepe, LFW A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryMaria Francesca Pepe by Karla Pérez Manrique
Maria Francesca Pepe by Karla Pérez Manrique.

But what of the jewellery and accessories on display? I must confess that it took me awhile to look in at the details, such was the overwhelming effect of towering horned creatures. I had a brief opportunity to ask Maria who she would most like to wear her showpiece headpieces, which are heavily encrusted with hexagonal Swarovski crystals in the style of Medieval helmets. The answer was of course Lady Gaga. But the real point of all this girly S&M drama? Why of course: it was to sell a diffusion line. MFP accessories are available online at ASOS.

Maria Francesca Pepe A-W 2011-ringsMaria Francesca Pepe, LFW A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.Maria Francesca Pepe by Karla Pérez Manrique
Maria Francesca Pepe by Karla Pérez Manrique.

Each child model sported expertly manicured hands, dangling ‘amulets’ dripping from her tiny fingers. The Fortuna collection features everyday jewellery made in workhorse metals such as brass and accessorised with crystals and pearls. And always those ever present studs.

Maria Francesca Pepe is also available at Wolf & Badger. You can read Helen Martin’s review here.

Maria Francesca Pepe by Karla Pérez Manrique
Maria Francesca Pepe by Karla Pérez Manrique.

At the entrance there stood a horned model, advice arms crossed and lycra-ed legs askance. Face masked. Model or mannequin? It wasn’t immediately obvious. In a season of slick presentations the one given by Maria Francesca Pepe – a true Amazonian beauty herself – really stood out for its professionalism. But it made me uncomfortable.

Maria Francesca Pepe, <a target=sildenafil LFW A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.” title=”Maria Francesca Pepe, LFW A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.” width=”480″ height=”615″ class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-37268″ />Maria Francesca Pepe, LFW A/W 2011
Maria Francesca Pepe, LFW A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

Red lighting shifted, pulsating over models that looked younger than legal. Young and nervous. One was laid prostrate on a plinth across the entrance to the next room, two more further back, and then in the far room what I can only describe as a child sat perched in front of a series of mannequins, none of which I could see in the gloaming. This girl had the face of an imp, a feeling encouraged by her amazing resin and carbon steel curved and studded hat – a bastardised version of something a gnome might wear. Beneath her flowing robes I suddenly realised why she was so uncomfortable. The bum and back of her tights were also encrusted with spikes. Is this a good idea? Should I be calling out the NSPCC?

Maria Francesca Pepe, LFW A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.Maria Francesca Pepe, LFW A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryMaria Francesca Pepe by Karla Pérez Manrique
Maria Francesca Pepe by Karla Pérez Manrique.

But what of the jewellery and accessories on display? I must confess that it took me awhile to look in at the details, such was the overwhelming effect of towering horned creatures. I had a brief opportunity to ask Maria who she would most like to wear her showpiece headpieces, which are heavily encrusted with hexagonal Swarovski crystals in the style of Medieval helmets. The answer was of course Lady Gaga. But the real point of all this girly S&M drama? Why of course: it was to sell a diffusion line. MFP accessories are available online at ASOS.

Maria Francesca Pepe A-W 2011-ringsMaria Francesca Pepe, LFW A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.Maria Francesca Pepe by Karla Pérez Manrique
Maria Francesca Pepe by Karla Pérez Manrique.

Each child model sported expertly manicured hands, dangling ‘amulets’ dripping from her tiny fingers. The Fortuna collection features everyday jewellery made in workhorse metals such as brass and accessorised with crystals and pearls. And always those ever present studs.

Maria Francesca Pepe is also available at Wolf & Badger. You can read Helen Martin’s review here.

Maria Francesca Pepe by Karla Pérez Manrique
Maria Francesca Pepe by Karla Pérez Manrique.

At the entrance there stood a horned model, advice arms crossed and lycra-ed legs askance. Face masked. Model or mannequin? It wasn’t immediately obvious. In a season of slick presentations the one given by Maria Francesca Pepe – a true Amazonian beauty herself – really stood out for its professionalism. But it made me uncomfortable.

Maria Francesca Pepe, LFW A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.Maria Francesca Pepe, LFW A/W 2011
Maria Francesca Pepe, LFW A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

Red lighting shifted, pulsating over models that looked younger than legal. Young and nervous. One was laid prostrate on a plinth across the entrance to the next room, two more further back, and then in the far room what I can only describe as a child sat perched in front of a series of mannequins, none of which I could see in the gloaming. This girl had the face of an imp, a feeling encouraged by her amazing resin and carbon steel curved and studded hat – a bastardised version of something a gnome might wear. Beneath her flowing robes I suddenly realised why she was so uncomfortable. The bum and back of her tights were also encrusted with spikes. Is this a good idea? Should I be calling out the NSPCC?

Maria Francesca Pepe, LFW A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.Maria Francesca Pepe, LFW A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia GregoryMaria Francesca Pepe by Karla Pérez Manrique
Maria Francesca Pepe by Karla Pérez Manrique.

But what of the jewellery and accessories on display? I must confess that it took me awhile to look in at the details, such was the overwhelming effect of towering horned creatures. I had a brief opportunity to ask Maria who she would most like to wear her showpiece headpieces, which are heavily encrusted with hexagonal Swarovski crystals in the style of Medieval helmets. The answer was of course Lady Gaga. But the real point of all this girly S&M drama? Why of course: it was to sell a diffusion line. MFP accessories are available online at ASOS.

Maria Francesca Pepe A-W 2011-ringsMaria Francesca Pepe, LFW A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.Maria Francesca Pepe by Karla Pérez Manrique
Maria Francesca Pepe by Karla Pérez Manrique.

Each child model sported expertly manicured hands, dangling ‘amulets’ dripping from her tiny fingers. The Fortuna collection features everyday jewellery made in workhorse metals such as brass and accessorised with crystals and pearls. And always those ever present studs.

Maria Francesca Pepe is also available at Wolf & Badger. You can read Helen Martin’s review here.

Alex Noble by Alia Gargum
Alex Noble Soft Death by Alia Gargum.

Alex Noble creates cross disciplinary creative projects under the umbrella name of Alex Noble studio and is represented by the uber cool Ella Dror PR. He’s worked for super stylist (and now creative director of Mugler) Nicola Formichetti on projects for Lady Gaga, approved and on photo shoots for Ellen Von Unworth and Mario Testino amongst many others. For two years he helped create props for the windows in Selfridges… the list of his creative collaborations goes on and on.

Alex Noble Soft Death A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.
Alex Noble Soft Death A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

But for his Soft Death collection Alex Noble has decided to embrace the couture market with an anatomically themed first collection. Presented in the crypt of St Martin in the Fields, this was an ambitious installation of mannequins, live models and music courtesy of Hannah Holland.

Alex Noble Soft Death A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.Alex Noble Soft Death A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.
Alex Noble Soft Death A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

Surrounded by industrial rubber piping that emulated intestines, beautiful light-as-lace pale yellow concoctions encrusted with beading swung from simple stands. A strange alien-esque mould of a rib cape lay on green netted surgical bedding, its crystallised spine glinting like a rare treasure.

Alex Noble Soft Death A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

At the far end of the room three uncomfortable looking models displayed the designs on pedestals – presumably they had been there for awhile. One sported an appliqued skeleton suit which would make the most fabulous Halloween outfit, another had vein like patterns creeping across her body. But it was the bandaged ball gown that made the most impression on me – the model swaddled with tightly crossed strips of silken fabric that extended across her head and over one eye. The model was so pissed off with her lot that she could barely contain her annoyance, even while I took a photo.

Alex Noble Soft Death A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.Alex Noble Soft Death A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.Alex Noble Soft Death A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.
Alex Noble Soft Death A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

It’s obvious why Alex Noble is so beloved of exhibitionistic pop stars like Gaga, but the delicate frailty of his gorgeous couture gowns could just as easily attract rich patrons of a less outrageous nature. But the rarefied world of couture is not an easy world to crack, so I will be intrigued to see what Alex Noble does next.

Alex Noble by Alia Gargum
Alex Noble Soft Death by Alia Gargum.

Alex Noble creates cross disciplinary creative projects under the umbrella name of Alex Noble studio and is represented by the uber cool Ella Dror PR. He’s worked for super stylist (and now creative director of Mugler) Nicola Formichetti on projects for Lady Gaga, information pills and on photo shoots for Ellen Von Unworth and Mario Testino amongst many others. For two years he helped create props for the windows in Selfridges… the list of his creative collaborations goes on and on.

Alex Noble Soft Death A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.
Alex Noble Soft Death A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

But for his Soft Death collection Alex Noble has decided to embrace the couture market with an anatomically themed first collection. Presented in the crypt of St Martin in the Fields, tadalafil this was an ambitious installation of mannequins, live models and music courtesy of Hannah Holland.

Alex Noble Soft Death A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.Alex Noble Soft Death A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.
Alex Noble Soft Death A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

Surrounded by industrial rubber piping that emulated intestines, beautiful light-as-lace pale yellow concoctions encrusted with beading swung from simple stands. A strange alien-esque mould of a rib cape lay on green netted surgical bedding, its crystallised spine glinting like a rare treasure.

Alex Noble Soft Death A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

At the far end of the room three uncomfortable looking models displayed the designs on pedestals – presumably they had been there for awhile. One sported an appliqued skeleton suit which would make the most fabulous Halloween outfit, another had vein like patterns creeping across her body. But it was the bandaged ball gown that made the most impression on me – the model swaddled with tightly crossed strips of silken fabric that extended across her head and over one eye. The model was so pissed off with her lot that she could barely contain her annoyance, even while I took a photo.

Alex Noble Soft Death A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.Alex Noble Soft Death A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.Alex Noble Soft Death A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.
Alex Noble Soft Death A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.

It’s obvious why Alex Noble is so beloved of exhibitionistic pop stars like Gaga, but the delicate frailty of his gorgeous couture gowns could just as easily attract rich patrons of a less outrageous nature. But the rarefied world of couture is not an easy world to crack, so I will be intrigued to see what Alex Noble does next. Watch the video of his presentation here:

Illustration by Romain Lambert-Louis

It’s good thing it’s starting to feel like spring outside, cialis 40mg as listening to Lulu and the Lampshades in the dead of winter strikes me as being something akin to torture. This is music that makes me want to ride my bicycle along gravel roads, there slurping down iced lollies and squinting as the sunshine pokes through my eyelashes.

There is a lot of sweetness to Lulu and the Lampshades – starting with the playfulness of the name itself, down to the music which is a bucketful of sunshine. At least that was my first impression, before I listened to the new ‘Cold Water’ EP. The only thing I’d heard of the London-based foursome before was ‘Feet to the sky’, a cheery little number with an even cheerier video, but for a release with just four tracks, ‘Cold Water’ does an impressive job of delivering diversity.

Illustration by Matilde Sazio

My favourite thing about Lulu and the Lampshades is probably main singer (and former Amelia’s Magazine art editor) Luisa Gerstein’s voice – a rich, chocolatey sound which makes you think of bigger songs and swoonier music productions. But the stripped back style of the Lulu songs do an excellent job of accompanying Luisa. The overall effect is something akin to listening to your favourite act playing at a musical, just a few feet away and it feels like they‘re playing just for you.

It certainly sounds like the Lulus having fun though, skipping along (or at least that’s what it sounds like) on the title track ’Cold Water’. Although the lyrics tell a more complex story: ’I hate to be wrapped in cotton although I think it’s better for me / Yes I see there’s trouble but it’s proven to me I’m better off this way’ … I’m not sure if the music and lyrics are mismatched, or if Luisa is simply the happiest when causing a bit of trouble?

Illustration by Mhairi-stella McEwan

Illustration by Sarah Matthews

The video to ‘Cups’, or ‘You’re gonna miss me’, has had over half a million YouTube hits, as Luisa and Heloise banging those plastic beakers into the kitchen table really needs to be seen. ‘Cups’ started out as a routine Louisa learnt at percussion class, combined with new verses and a chorus from a traditional folk song. The result is a lovely little ’all together now’ call-and-response song, but it’s that cup action that has us all going Whoa Lulu! Have a look:

‘I’ll keep my demons underground if it keeps you smiling’, Luisa sings as ‘Demons’ start. Although the flute and glockenspiel keeps things light, the darker undertones are definitely there now, both in terms of lyrics and tone. ‘Cause you’ve punctured me / I’ve ruptured at the seams and though its strange for me / I’ll do my best to keep the rest from falling out’ … But there is something fairytale-like about it too, like the stories about witches and evil creatures that we like because it gives us a chill down our backs.

‘Moccasin Mile’ mixes vocal harmonies, ukulele and some nifty drumstick action as the tempos change. ‘If you can’t be good then please be careful,’ Luisa sings … But then the flute comes in again at the chorus, as Lulu regulars Luisa, Heloise, Jemma and Dan were joined by flutist Isobel to add some extra ‘dance around the maypole’ feeling. And that’s it – four tracks are done and Lulu and the Lampshades have certainly managed to whet our appetites for a full-length album. As well as a dip in a lake that’s still a little too cold, before skipping on home with sunburnt cheeks.

Illustration by Matilde Sazio

Illustration by Sarah Matthews

‘Cold Water’ by Lulu and the Lampshades is out now on Moshi Moshi. Have a look at our listing for the current gig schedule, plus see the YouTube channel for more music videos.

Categories ,Cold Water, ,ep, ,folk, ,Luisa Gerstein, ,Lulu and the Lampshades, ,Matilde Sazio, ,Mhairi-Stella McEwan, ,Moshi Moshi, ,music, ,Romain Lambert-Louis, ,Sarah Matthews

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