“Photography?…It’s just another paintbrush.”
- David Bailey

After a night of little sleep and a sad morning farewell, I ventured off to Somerset House to explore the SHOWstudio-Fashion Revolution exhibition. The exhibition is an interactive look at photography utilizing creative means and participatory efforts. Part of the exhibition is a live studio, where there is only a wall of glass separating the audience and the photography studio of Nick Knight. Nick’s current project is to shoot 100 portraits from september to december (ending next week) for I-D magazine.

The studio is set up for high fashion photography, shooting video, and a live web stream. I arrived an hour early, claimed my spot at eleven, left at eight. For eleven hours I sat and watched Nick Knight and his four assistants in the SHOWstudio shoot about 14 portraits (30-40 minute sessions). Besides the fact that I was entirely captivated by the studio and Nick’s production, I was able to meet two wonderful individuals, Patrick Wolf and Bishi who had sessions at different points of the day. [and if any of you know me, you can only imagine how excited i was].

Patrick’s shoot (the one I waited all day for), not only drew the largest crowd of the day, but also made the audience smile the most. He walked out onto the set wearing nothing but a bed comforter and combat boots, in which he proceeded to roll around on the floor. This shoot was the first time I saw the photo team struggle to keep up- Patrick wouldn’t hold a pose for longer than .01 seconds, leaving Nick the only option of taking his medium format camera off the tripod and getting down on the floor along with him. Patrick had a hard time keeping a straight face, breaking out his bright wide smile too often to count (at one point he even broke out into song). It not only made for some priceless shots, but spread contagiously to everyone watching.

Bishi, second shoot of the day, made some beautiful images. When you wave around an enormous union jack gown, I suppose it is hard not to get an incredible shot. Anyway, she looked amazing and was incredibly sweet.

The group I saw: Cerith Wyn Evans, Bishi, Aitor Throup, Fergus Henderson, James Long, Hanna Hanra, Hussein Chalayan, Bella Freud, Susie Bubble, Bistrotheque, Val Garland, Lara Stone, Patrick Wolf, Simon Foxton. The have a continual live feed of the studio online and I would highly suggest taking a look.

I won’t get into too much detail, but this photo has been waiting to happen for six years now. After approaching him with most likely the largest smile my face could give, we started talking. Every photo taken was out of focus, but what can you expect from a staff member of world renown fashion photographer. We talked Palladium, London weather, LA gigs, Australia, Japan, sleep deprivation, Christmas…accountants. A parting hug was given and the shoot preparation began. Thanks Patrick.

Thursday- definitely made it on the list of top ten best days spent in Europe.
Four more days in the amazing city…let’s do it.

eah
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I came by the following article while browsing Digg earlier:

Meet the Dress Fashioned Out of OLED Displays

I don’t know about you but it feels a little like Gareth Pugh just ripped off Hussein Chalayan.  Obviously the dress designs are different- but the focus of the article (and the design) is the LED lights and well..  Chalayan did it first.  Plus, Chalayan’s is wearable.  I have no idea how Gareth Pugh’s is considered a dress when she has to wear a top underneath it (and trousers).  I am an extremely vocal Hussein Chalayan fan, if you haven’t realized.

Here is Gareth Pugh’s dress:

Here is Hussein Chalayan’s dress from F/W 2007:

What do you all think?  Pugh or Chalayan?

The 2000s are coming to a close, and I’m wondering what will be the fashion epitaph of this decade.  Perhaps it will be remembered as the decade where fashion fell in love with almost every single decade of the 1900s? For me vintage styling and individualism through the rise of bloggers stand out as big trends, but as for the fashion memories, here’s my list…

1: Marc Mania

Everyone loves a bit of Marc. One of the most influential designers today, he really came to claim his throne this past decade. Joining Louis Vuitton in 1997 and then starting Marc by Marc Jacobs in 2001, the man designs three of the coolest collections around and I for one am always waiting to see what he’s doing next. Where he leads, the high street follows. Love it!

2: Avant Garde

Alexander McQueen has given me plenty of goosebumps moments over the years, such as the Kate Moss hologram at the A/W 2006 show, the amazing feather and crystal dress Björk wore to Fashion Rocks (I stitched on some of those feathers underneath by hand myself…! Coughing up feathers all night after) and most recently the Plato’s Atlantis SS2010 show. He certainly gives fashion a good name.

Equally Hussein Chalayan’s fondness for incorporating technology and unusual materials is seriously captivating. His Video dress and Transformer dresses aren’t exactly ”just clothes”.

3: Fashion Collaborations

The 2000s seemed to be when everyone who was anyone had a collection, and big fashion chains like H&M, Topshop and just about everyone else cashed in on the fashion public’s hunger for labels and a slice of luxury. H&M had collaborations with Stella McCartney, Karl Lagerfeld (who didn’t think fat women should bother with his clothes), Matthew Williamson, Roberto Cavalli and Jimmy Choo, whereas Topshop hit a streak of genius teaming up with fashion icon über alles Kate Moss and have also fronting some very cool young designers such as Christopher Kane, Preen, Louise Goldin, Peter Jensen, Richard Nicoll, Marios Schwaab and Jonathan Saunders. From the wonderful to the weird – Heidi Klum for Birkenstock, Lindsay Lohan for Ungaro and Miley Cyrus for Max Azria are all filed under my WTF section.

4: Shoe’s The Limit

This past decade has been all about the shoes. For perhaps the first time there is such a thing as an ”it” shoe, which has previously been reserved for very expensive handbags. Yet nowadays, if a shoe has been seen an appropriate number of times on the right kind of celebrity, then later on the wrong kind, and then even later in numerous high street copies – you have yourself an ”it” shoe. Noteable ”it” shoes include the Dior Extremes, the YSL Tributes, the Balmain Crystal Studdeds, the Louis Vuitton Spicys, Alexander McQueen Faithuls, and of course the blogger favourite Acne Atacomas.

5: Sex & The City

The combination of Sarah Jessica Parker’s quirky cool looks and the magic touch of über stylist Patricia Field has proven itself to influence fashion heavily in the past ten years. Six seasons and one and a half film has opened our eyes to wearing stilettos with everything, mismatched patterns and always dressing up, never down. The show also really cemented the importance of the ”it” shoe. Let’s hope Manolo Blahnik is planning on keeping SJP and Pat Field in shoes for the rest of their lives.

6: The Return of the Supes

Since the heyday of the superhuman supermodels like Cindy, Kate, Naomi, Christy, Linda, Helena, Claudia and Tyra, fashion went through a bit of a lull in terms of models. After the amazon days, along came the angular, androgynous look, but in recent years the super Supes have made a comeback. Established names such as Gisele, Heidi Klum, Adriana Lima share the fashion spotlight with a new breed of supes – relative newcomers such as Agyness Deyn, Lara Stone, Abby Lee Kershaw, Bar Rafaeli, Lily Cole, Miranda Kerr, Jessica Stam, Doutzen Kroess, Coco Rosa, Jordan Dunn, Chanel Iman, Raquel Zimmermann, Shasha Pivovarova and Natalia Vodianova. Perhaps recently deceased Daul Kim could have been added to that list too.

7: WTF

For every moment of avant garde brilliancy there is a moment of fashion WTF. Many of these moments over the past then years have been brought to you by Maison Martin Margiela, Gareth Pugh and Victor & Rolf (often when worn by Lady Gaga, it has to be said), but I never thought I’d see the day that Marc Jacobs would provide me thus… Like, I mean do these people really think we wake up in the morning thinking “Today I want to dress like Deceptacon, I think that’ll be really good for that important meeting later today. Then I can just throw on some heels and go to the pub straight from work”? WTF.

8: Spice Up Your Life

Ever since the Spice Girls went their separate ways yonks ago they have come a long way fashion-wize. For their 2007/2008 reunion tour the Spicettes were far richer, far thinner and somehow more plastic looking, and clearly the Posh one had a watchful eye over the costumes, since there were no leopard print Buffalo boots to be seen (I had a pair myself, feeling a bit sorry that I threw them out). For the tour the Pop tarts had signed up not-at-all-tacky designer Roberto Cavalli, who did a fine job of updating their signature far-more-tacky looks.

9: Celebrity Takeover

The 2000s have been the decade of celebrities. Now, of course, anyone can be a celebrity, you just need to sign up for some reality show, but the real A-list stars have suddenly become the fashion icons to watch.  Our culture of celebrity obsession has lead to models being replaced by film and music stars on the covers of Vouge and Elle, and I for one will be more than happy to see the end of that particular trend. The fashion icons of the decade are people like Sarah Jessica Parker, the Olsen sisters, Alexa Chung (who’s not even that famous), Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Sienna Miller, Rhianna, Rachel Bilson, Taylor Momsen, Victoria Beckham, not to mention Rachel Zoe and her “Zoebots”. Sure, these girls have style, but pretty please can we divert our fashion crushes to people who don’t actually get styled?

10: Isabella takes a Blow

Tatler fashion director, Philip Tracey muse, discoverer of AMQ and infamous style icon Isabella Blow passed away suddenly in 2007 after several failed suicide attempts. Her life story makes for interesting reading, but really it was her sense of style that was most captivating. Always in a hat, something structured and red lips, she was a true institution in the fashion world.

Photo Source: BritishFashionAwards.com

It’s been a big year for London fashion.

They’ve got new It girls and top models (Georgia Jagger, Alexa Chung), London Fashion Week celebrated its 25th anniversary, welcoming home designers like Christopher Bailey, and the British Fashion Awards seems to be bigger than ever.

The BFA has collaborated with Grazia this year to launch a new style icon award, celebrating the fashion figure (from any part of the industry) who “most embodies the spirit of London…as a leading creative fashion capital.” At the Royal Courts of Justice tonight, one of 25 nominees — including Kate Moss, Alexander McQueen, Dame Vivienne Westwood, Anya Hindmarch, John Galliano, Pat McGrath and Hussein Chalayan — will be announced the winner.

And can you just not wait for the red carpet photos?

The Body-con dress is the best thing invented since God invented us – “us” meaning women. I once wrote a personal blog post regarding “skinny bitches in Hervé Léger,” but admittedly, I’m closer to slim than I am to blimp. But my ode to the body-con dress is because of my love for short and skin-tight. I adore having my body being hugged by velvety supple fabric; I want a dress that will literally mould to my shape accentuating my curves, flaunting what I have while I have it. But beware, there’s a thin line between sultry and skank.

Maxmara for Hervé Léger was a genius idea.  In early `08, once Cheryl Cole flaunted a tri-colour haltered Hervé Léger the best way she knew how, the body-con dress became a fashion frenzy, and a train of celebrities followed suit. One-by-one those girls pumped out Hervé in different colours and cuts, but the medal goes to the women with the hour-glass figures. They were the true definition of a Hervé Léger muse, and that’s the way it should be. To our benefit, other designers including Alexander Wang, Preen and Emilio De La Morena all have their own striking interpretations of body-con. I could easily fill a page of the best body-con dresses on the market.

The body-con dress must be tight and short, with holes and slits in all the right places (think shoulders and waistlines). Make sure you carry the dress with a punk mentality. It’s not for the faint-hearted and ultra girly, the body-con dress is for women who like edge. Those who aren’t afraid to command the room they walk into. The body-con dress screams sexy and dangerous, but not loose. To optimize the look, opt for stiletto ankle booties with a vintage leather biker jacket.

what yo’ name iz? serafima, iekeliene stange,
tanya dziahileva & ann catherine

the female model quartette appears for hussein chalayan.
i love the campaign theme, though simple- its dope.
the construction & aesthetic of the clothes kill.
the campaign represents extremely well.
photographic credit to amy troost.

imagesource | tfs

Do you dare to be different? Do you have the guts to walk on the street looking unusual compare to others? Let’s witness some of the extra ordinary fashion that is rarely seen everyday.

Viktor & Rolf’s – created a girl with pillows strapped to her head, makes her look like Victorian maids who had risen suddenly from a deep slumber.

Hussein Chalayan – scattered his catwalk with pieces of furniture. His models unzipped chair covers and dressed themselves in them, then stepped into the furniture, which was cleverly transformed into fashion.

Giles is known for his showmanship he created a giant, black, feathered egg, great for hiding a bloated tummy and bad hair days, not great for driving or manoeuvring cocktails to mouth.

Martin Margiela – created a cape out of hair, besides a nude bodystocking and a fencing mask, what do you wear it with? We’re stumped.

Victor & Rolf collection – the idea was to individually light up the details on every model, the audience was almost too worried about the models burning themselves on the hot bulbs to notice the collection, which was beautiful.

Experience an extra ordinary fashion at designer clothes online.

source:
vogue.co.uk

Hoje recebi um mail marketing da lojinha do MoMa (Museum of Modern Art, em NY) que anunciava esse colar das designers Marina and Susanna Sent. O item é vendido aqui na MoMa Store Online, por $115.

Apesar dele ser de 2001, super me lembrou o vestido de bolhas que a Lady GaGa usou na capa da Rolling Stone de maio, e antes disso na abertura da “The Fame Ball Tour”, em San Diego – peça, por sinal, que era uma cópia declarada de um original do designer Hussein Chalayan da coleção primavera/verão 2007.

Bolhas na moda.

Fotos: Reprodução

Today would have been Isabella Blow’s fifty-first birthday. The fashion icon and former magazine editor made famous by her habit of wearing intensely robust hats, and known for discovering Alexander McQueen, Philip Treacy, Hussein Chalayan, and models Sophie Dahl and Stella Tennant, is this week’s modus operandi. The following personify her brilliance and eccentric spirit amongst some of her most memorable quotes.

“When I die…McQueen says he wants my head, because he wants to wake up one morning and see my lips move, saying: ‘Where are my clothes?’”

Alexander McQueen S/S 2010 RTW

“I do just love breasts. They’re so old-fashioned.”

Agent Provocateur Meteorite Bra

“Fashion is a vampiric thing. It’s the hoover on your brain. That’s why I wear the hats, to keep everyone away from me. They say, ‘Oh, can I kiss you?’, I say, ‘No, thank you very much. That’s why I’ve worn the hat. Goodbye.’ I don’t want to be kissed by all and sundry. I want to be kissed by the people I love.”

“A cheaper and less painful form of plastic surgery.” – explaining her love of hats.

Phillip Treacy Hat A/W 2009 RTW

“It’s not a mad hatter’s tea party. It’s meant to be a sensual, erotic display. You’re there to get a new husband, a new boyfriend, a new girlfriend, whatever. And you can get it. The hat is a means to an end, a marriage contract. It’s everything. It’s a sensual thing – the idea of catching somebody like a spider in a web. It’s the old fashioned cock-and-hen story, the mating dance. Men love hats. They love it because it’s something they have to take off in order to **** you. Anyone can wear a hat.”

“I wear them pretty well every day (hats), but to make myself look better. If I’m already looking ill, I just wear a pair of sunglasses.”

Alain Mikli 30th Anniversary Collector’s Sunglasses

“If you don’t wear lipstick, I can’t talk to you. You need to have lips – they are important for getting men.”

Lipstick Queen’s Red Sinner

It was said she loved to clean her work desk with Chanel N°5

Two biographies on Blow are to be published in 2010. Blow by Blow: The Story of Isabella Blow, is co-written by Detmar Blow, Isabella’s husband of 18 years, and fashion writer, Plum Sykes’ brother, Tom Sykes, who met Isabella at 20 when Plum was her assistant at Vogue. The other is written by Lauren Goldstein Crowe, author of The Towering World of Jimmy Choo, and former Portfolio.com fashion blogger.

Fashion Television’s Tribute to Isabella Blow

Happy Birthday Issie! You are missed.

勝井北斗／パーソンズで学んだ後、セントマーチンズ卒業。八木奈央／同志社大学卒業。セントマーチンズ卒業。
2001年設立。’03 S/S東京コレクション参加。05年モエ・エ・シャンドンデザイナー新人賞受賞。07年渋谷パルコに直営店オープン。21_21 design sight THIS PLAY! 展で作品を発表。08年’09S/Sサンパウロコレクションでオープニングを飾る。大阪成蹊大学芸術学部客員教授。09年 ミラノサローネTOKYO FIBER ‘09展で作品を発表。
Katsui graduated from Central Saint Martins College after studying at Parsons The New School for Design. Yagi graduated from Doshisha University and Central Saint Martins College.
The brand, mintdesigns was launched in 2001. They have been in Tokyo Collection since ‘03 S/S. The awards they won include the Moet et Chandon New Designer’s Award in 2005. In 2007, mintdesigns garage store opened in Shibuya PARCO. They presented their collection in the 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT THIS PLAY! show. In 2008, they presented the opening show at São Paulo Fashion Week for ‘09 S/S. Both designers currently hold positions as guest professors at the Faculty of Art and Design at Osaka Seikei University. In 2009 they presented their collection at the Milano Salone TOKYO FIBER ‘09.Mint Designs turned out a dainty crop of dresses featuring details such as shimmery stripes, textured fabric and quirky graphics. One frock featured a darling print of tiny Charlie Chaplins, while another showcased circular cutouts along the sides.

For S/S 2010, Hussein Chalayan (a man who is considered one of the most avant-garde and intellectual fashion designers of his generation) incorporated surrealism and wit into his collection, with hands clutching the draped fabric of his garments.

I loved it. What about you guys?

Photos: Style.com

As I slowly but surely recover from a violent bout of food poisoning, I am also attempting to take in some wild news that turned my entire world upside down within a matter of seconds.

Mask by Manuel Albarran

It was nearly a year ago that I dropped out of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I looked around one day and thought to myself “Just what in the hell are you doing, Kyle?” Chicago is a city that sucks a lot of dick, in my opinion. Nasty, disease ridden dick that ejaculates battery acid rather than semen. The school itself was fine but, because I intended to major in fashion design, I was unable to justify living in such a cesspool when studying somewhere like New York City was a legitimate possibility.

When I dropped out and arrived back home, I was almost immediately enveloped by an overwhelming sense of dread and regret. I remember my first night back in Los Angeles, standing by myself in the alley of a lavish little venue known as The Smell and watching a particularly deranged homeless man sort through a pile of human feces that I hope to God was his own. “What could he be looking for?”, I asked myself, hoping that he would find it. I also hoped that I would find what I had just lost as a college drop-out: a sense of self-worth.

I spent up until the other day hoping for that and I am glad to report that I have finally regained it. When I opened my acceptance letter from Parsons: The New School for Design, I immediately vomited. It could have been from excitement and it could have been because of the food poisoning. Who knows? Who cares? What I do know is that I am moving to New York City in less than two months and I am pretty god damned happy about it.

As ecstatic as I am, I’m also greatly unsettled by the fact that a persons general outlook on life can be reversed so easily and quickly. It’s scary and I am going to try my hardest to put it out of my mind. What I need to focus on now is my impending transition into NYC. I’ve only been there once before and I was happy to find that, unlike Chicago, I did not feel like I was in constant danger of being mugged or brutally gang-raped. Based on that alone, it should be a significantly easier transition.

In addition to developing a command of the cities public transportation system, I would also like to improve my wardrobe before I move. I currently have about four outfits that I actually wear, all of which I have been told make me look like a gay extra from an episode of Saved by the Bell.

Mask by Riccardo Tisci for Dazed & Confused

Mask by Hussein Chalayan for Dazed & Confused

I would like to somehow incorporate masks into my upcoming wardrobe, if possible. I am already crippled by a severe case of low self-esteem, so a collection of elaborate masks will allow for me to free myself from the harsh standard of beauty that I assume NYC has. I could even take it one step further towards the real deal and horribly disfigure my  face with a cheese grater or maybe a blow torch. This way I’d have a legitimate, non-faggy excuse and evoke a sense of genuine mystery amongst my classmates.

I am not entirely sure where I came upon this image while aimlessly browsing, but I did find it so striking that I saved it. Almost a week later, I am still amused. For some reason, she really reminds me of a gazelle. Maybe it’s the slender yet somewhat awkward pose? Maybe its the pattern of the boots that seems to somehow match the antelopes?

Nonetheless, amongst all the lust around black leather thigh highs (thank you  prada, hussein chalayan, givenchy, stella mccartney), this bemusing pattern was definitely refreshing.

100% Hollywood glam of the 40’s-50’s: “being” Lauren Bacall or Rita Hayworth. Thanks for the journey Mr. Chalayan! www.husseinchalayan.com 

Related posts:

Antwerp: “Paper Fashion” Exhibition at MoMu, the Fashion Museum 

Hussein Chalayan: Fall-Winter 2009/2010 

Look books Paris Women’s Collection Fall-Winter 2008/2009 

City Guides Londres & Paris: Destinations 

Photos: Madame Figaro / Lay out: Mademoiselle Le K

100% glamour hollywoodien des années 40-50, pour s’imaginer en Lauren Bacall, Rita Hayworth. Merci du voyage Monsieur Chalayan! www.husseinchalayan.com

 Autres articles: 

Anvers: Exposition “Paper Fashion” au MoMu, le Musée de la Mode

Hussein Chalayan: Automne-Hiver 2009/2010  

Look books Paris Women’s Collection Fall-Winter 2008/2009 

City Guides Londres & Paris: Destinations 

Source photos: Madame Figaro / Maquette: Mademoiselle Le K

Here is a sneak peak at Puma Urban Mobility sneaker collection.  Designed by Hussein Chalayan, look for the full line in 2010 Spring/Summer collection.

via Hypebeast

Puma have made an intelligent move teaming up with renowned designer Hussein Chalayan. Debuting in spring next year, here is the first look at what we can expect to see from this exciting collection.

Okay, I know that Paris Fashion Week ended a couple of weeks ago, but it took me a while to look at all of the shows because (1) They are so fabulous and (2) There are so many!  The designers showing in Paris definately kept the standard of the being the best.  I was absolutely blown away by some of the shows and there were an impressive amount of collections where I loved every piece (Chanel, Tsumori Chisato, Givenchy, Rue du Mail, Valentino, Isabel Marant….to name a few).  AMAZING.  Anyway, there were many pieces that represented the trends that I’ve mentioned in the past few posts, but there were also a couple new looks that I will talk about as well.  But for the most part, for the Paris collections, anything goes!  I saw some pieces that were super structured, some that were relaxed, some pleated, some tight, bright colors, dark neturals and everything in between!  Here are some examples of what I thought were the best:

Trend: Cute Minis

Just like the rest, these are from the designers’ Spring line, but these cute little numbers are easily layered and totally in for the Fall!

Trend: Grecian Inspired Draping

This look is so flattering and serves as a great palate to add layers.

Trend: Metallics

This look wasn’t as flashy or abundant on the Paris runways, but it definitely still had a presence!

Trend: Jumpsuits & Rompers

These pieces are so easy to wear right now.  They are perfect with tights, a cardigan and a great belt!

Trend: Asymmetric

Trend: Ruffles & Bows

Lots and lots of ruffles!

Staple: Cool Jackets

Especially now, a unique jacket really makes an outfit pop.  Check these out for inspiration:

Staple: Cute Shorts

Ultra-feminine and comfortable, enough said!  Flowy shorts are perfect to pair with patterned tights when it gets a bit chilly.

Staple: White Suit

Classic, chic & never goes out of style.

Styling Trend: Strong v. Feminine

Balance any outfit with this technique!  In Paris, it was mostly used with draping.

Styling Trend: Mixing Prints

Can be tricky, but take a few pointers from Dries Van Noten; the majority of their looks were compiled of patterned layers.

New Trend: Relaxed Pants

Whereas we saw a lot of Harem cut pants on the other runways, in Paris the entire pant leg was relaxed.  But designers also used lux, flowy fabrics, to make these comfortable pieces still luxurious, chic, and ready for a night on the town.  Some are still tailored, but others remind me of a genie pant! (in a good way!)

New Trend: Tuxedo-Inspired

There were a large amount of pieces on the Paris runways that seemed to be inspired by the tuxedo.  Whether the focus is on the lapel, cumberbund, bowtie, dickey, or simply the jacket, these pieces are a great way to dress up a casual outfit.

New Trend: Textures

What’s a great way to amp up some of your pieces? Look for ones that are more than two dimensional!  Textures add a unique dynamic to your every-day outfit.  Not sure where to start?  This is a great time to get textural sweaters, a fun, textured shirt to wear under a cardigan, a furry vest, or even something as simple as a quilted accesory.

The rest of these are just a few more that I enjoyed:

ahhhh, wasn’t that fun? Paris fashion is so inspiring!

Ms. Pompadour (as this is her signature hairstyle) is a Paris-based Fashion Reporter known for her work (and I mean work) with the   International Herald Tribune she’s been writing for the paper since 1988.

Besides writing for the IHT,  she’s also written five books including one on Fashion Designer Hussein Chalayan.

Hier soir, vernissage de l’expo Dysfashional : Exposition et performances à la frontière de la mode et de l’art contemporain, Passage du Désir à Paris. Bon, comme avec tout vernissage, le spectacle est dans la salle plutôt que dans les œuvres, difficilement accessibles en raison de la foule qui encombre les allées, un verre d’un cocktail sponsorisé par une grande marque de vodka à la main… Un phénomène accentué par le lieu de l’exposition elle-même : Passage du Désir est une structure hébergée par l’agence de publicité BETC Euro RSCG Paris.

Dysfashional est une expo itinérante (Luxembourg, Lausanne, Paris donc, et Berlin l’été prochain) conçue par Luca Marchetti et Emanuele Quinz, commissaires de l’exposition. Elle met en scène de grands noms de la mode (Hussein Chalayan, Raf Simons, Martin Margiela…) invités à faire œuvre “d’artiste” (et non pas exposer des pièces de leurs collections).

Le résultat est d’un intérêt variable : performances live de jeunes mannequins prenant des poses interminables devant le public, photos de sexes placardées sur les murs, variations autour de matériaux, d’accessoires et d’objets de mode (perruques postiches, cape en soie, magazines fashion), etc., cohabitent, entre deux cohues d’épaules, avec quelques pièces remarquables :

Raf Simons, Repeat (1995-2005) : comme son nom l’indique, cette installation vidéo (une vingtaine de petits téléviseurs posés au sol et alignés en ordre chronologique, diffusant des images fixes ou des vidéos en boucle) retrace dix ans d’inspiration et de défilés du créateur flamand. Les téléviseurs forment un portrait d’ensemble obsessionnel et cohérent de son univers.
L’esthétique cold-wave ou cyberpunk froide des défilés (trenchs, bottes, mannequins aux coupes courtes et cheveux teints en noir, mises en scène rétro-futuristes, etc.) côtoie des images statiques, comme autant d’instantanés  qui soulignent les sources d’inspiration du créateur. On peut s’amuser à passer d’un téléviseur à l’autre, à la manière d’un rébus, d’une charade ou de la comptine “Trois p’tits chats”, dont le “tout” serait l’univers personnel de Raf Simons.
Ainsi, on passe d’un zoom sur un bras tatoué des lettres grecques ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ (Psalm 69 ou Psaume 69) et de toiles d’araignées, très probablement en hommage à l’album éponyme de Ministry, groupe fer de lance du métal industriel glauque et agressif, à une photo du CD single du “Ziggy Stardust” de Bowie repris par les légendes du rock gothique Bauhaus, à la photo d’une pile de cassettes VHS de films d’épouvante légendaires, parmi lesquels figure The Hunger, film de vampire avec David Bowie et Catherine Deneuve, et contenant une scène où les deux protagonistes se rendent dans un club batcave où Bauhaus se produit en live, etc.

Trois p’tits chats,
Trois p’tits chats,
Trois p’tits chats, chats, chats,
Chapeau de paille,
Chapeau de paille,
Chapeau de paille, paille, paille.
Paillasson, paillasson…

Antonio Marras propose Le Orfanelle (2006) (Les orphelines), une installation faite de cônes de tissus, éclairés par en-dessous, évoquant tour à tour des robes, des tentes, des silhouettes fantomatiques…
Les structures ainsi créées, à base de tissu, de roues de bicyclettes et de câbles, flottent au-dessus du sol. Il y a quelque chose de nostalgique dans cette composition, quelque chose qui rappelle l’enfance, et qui semble parler aux petites filles…

Hussein Chalayan expose des pièces issues d’une collection de vêtements en papier. Airmail Dresses (2001) est une robe immaculée, présentée dans cinq cadres correspondant à cinq étapes de pliage, qui permettent de passer de l’état de robe à celui d’enveloppe prête à poster. Le commentaire de l’œuvre précise que “l’expéditeur peut donc imprégner cette robe immaculée d’une double empreinte : celle de son écriture et celle de son corps”.
Ça me rappelle une toute autre référence rock (complètement fortuite, cette fois-ci), du côté des Pixies. Sur le morceau “Cactus” (album Surfer Rosa), le chanteur déplore l’absence de sa chérie, et se met à souhaiter qu’elle lui envoie quelque chose qui est à elle, un vêtement qu’elle a réellement porté : “Bloody your hands on a cactus tree / Wipe it on your dress and send it to me” (“Fais saigner tes mains sur un cactus / Essuie-les sur ta robe, et envoie-la moi”).

Dysfashional Paris/Berlin, au Passage du Désir, 85-87 rue du Faubourg Saint Martin, Paris – Du 30 octobre au 9 novembre 2009.

Présentation, horaires et informations pratiques sur le site du Passage du Désir et consultation du dossier de presse de l’exposition.

Whenever you see a Christian Dior or John Galliano fashion show, the makeup gets as much attention as the clothes within the show. You can’t help but wonder, how long it took to get that makeup on and who is the mastermind or maybe the loony behind it?

Pat McGarth, a former textiles student from London, managed to make a career out of all her passions,art, makeup, and fashion without attending one makeup school for formal training.  When you love what you do, you don’t mind putting in the time, and Pat should be the poster child for this.

Her usual clients at least twice a year are Viktor & Rolf, Hussein Chalayan, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Armani.  With clients who’s interests varies each year, with each season, it takes a truly talented makeup artist to see the designers’ vision and help tell their stories. No surprise beauty brands like Giorgio Armani, Max Factor, and Cover Girl trust her to develope their cosmetics.

Just like her designer clients, McGarth is always searching for inspiration, and since she is always traveling, everything goes with her, six bags filled with books,photographs, tomes of various subjects. Another six industrial duffel bags are usually loaded with make-up. It’s only right that Pat McGarth, who is the one of the most important woman in fashion, get to travel this way.

Hedi Slimane +  Martin Margiela + Nicolas Ghesquière + Hussein Chalayan + Vivienne Westwood = SUPER FRESH!

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