As the summer heat is quickly closing in, it proved extremely hot earlier this evening as I attended the Big British Bang Fashion Show at Selfridges.
A fabulous event previewing this season’s sexiest men’s underwear and swimwear collections over cocktails proved an absolute hit with everyone for obvious reasons. Gaping, drooling mouths seemed infectious; myself hardly an exception!
Rawr! Like I said, a little bad ass right???
Here is a picture of my new très chic Comme des Garçons blazer, which I picked up at the Dover Street Market Museum event.
Granted, it’s a Homme blazer but c’est ne pas un problème. After the launch of the Versace for H & M collection I would see half of the guys around school rocking the printed silk mini skirts, so why not? At the DSM event, the women’s section was mainly racks of black, black, and then some more black clothes (yes, one of my favorite colors). But, instead of filling my already black wardrobe with more one-tone darkness I had an epiphany and was drawn to the fearless prints that were only featured in the men`s section.
Yesterday I attended the three day event Dover Street Market Museum at Victoria House in Bloomsbury Square. In actual truth it was much more of a shopping festival with great discounts than a quiet, organized old museum. Anyone who imagines an ounce of glamour and elegance should forget all about it! Here is where true personalities show and the claws come out! Extreme chaos with people pushing, pulling and grabbing everything they can get their hands on. Clearly something which I have yet to master.
For those of you who aren’t that familiar with DSM it’s a concept store directed by none other than Japanese fashion designer Rei Kawakubo. “I want to create a kind of market where various creators from various fields gather together and encounter each other in an ongoing atmosphere of beautiful chaos: the mixing up and coming together of different kindred souls who all share a strong personal vision.” -Rei Kawakubo
Featuring a selection of rather unique and fabulous statement designer pieces and labels such as COMME des GARÇONS, Celine, Martin Margiela, Jil Sander, Haider Ackermann, Alexander Wang, Rick Owens, Ann Demeulemeester and so many more, there’s no wonder, with a sale of 70 – 75 % off, that so many people showed up hoping to pick up some super stylish pieces. Me included. Manged to slowly make my way through the crowds and pick up a rather bad ass blazer that I’m absolutely in love with. Image of my brand new rock star COMME des GARÇONS blazer pending…
Today was the first day of the new Hermès exhibition Leather Forever and let me tell you that it was fantastic! Such a must see, it’s well worth the trip! With free entry I wasn’t expecting much, possibly a few pieces in a simple display window but I should have known better as it’s Hermès after all. Instead, it was an exclusive and spectacular show which even featured a few of their artisans working away on the latest Hermès designs. Literally bringing the factory to you so that the public could share the meticulous process, something which the brand is extremely proud of and with good reason too.
“It is by handling the finest leathers- chosen, cut, sewn and polished with expert skill that six generation have learned and passed on the values that inspire Hermès’ dynamism: attachment to quality, perfectionism (even in hidden details), and respect for time, all conjoined with creative verve”. No wonder why I fell in love with every trinket and handbag that I laid my eyes on. It’s by far one of my favorite brands so it was extra fun to learn more about their history, process, and iconic designs in such a lovely setting. This has certainly made my list of most magical exhibitions I’ve seen!
Here as I promised, are some pictures of my space in the final Central Saint Martins exhibition. Drama! All of the prints are ones that I created myself and out of that styled this black and white psychedelic atmosphere that you see before you.
As I’ve now finished for the year, I suppose there’s no harm in sharing what I’ve been up to. For our last and final project this semester, we had to choose our own theme and I of course chose home sweet home, Japan.
After doing infinite research into various aspects of Japanese culture both modern and traditional, I decided to produce a garment as my final piece/product. Made from scratch, I drew the pattern myself and made sure to make it in my own size. Sorry, no size zero for anyone if I had it my way! Wearable is key. Then the hunt for fabric began. I visited Berwick Street where I ended up at the lovely fabric shop The Cloth House. There I settled on organic linen in beige, white and black, my favorite colors.
After that I’d say the rest was rather easy. Ironing, cutting, sewing is the short version and there’s no reason to bore you with the details. And of course, I needed a photo shoot to capture the idea/view point of my garment so I wanted to draw a link to my inspiration, motif and Japan.
After a bit of location hunting, I found my match with Kew Gardens. Not only do they have a lovely Japanese pagoda but also a bamboo garden, minka house, and landscapes. Reow, so much easier than a long flight to Tokyo. A deadline is a deadline! So I packed up my camera, a little snack, my garment and headed to the tube. Lucky me, I had the loveliest weather. But truth, people were getting rather curious when I pulled out the skirt from my handbag, and started clicking away with my camera.
Never mind the audience, as it only added a bit more excitement and energy to the day. The security guards seemed to have no problem with what I was doing and that was all that mattered. No time to get shut down by the popo!
So what do you think? Suiting? Pictures of my final exhibition to come…
When I first heard about this upcoming exhibition at the Design Museum, I was ecstatic and full of anticipation. Lucky for me, the just opened exhibition did not disappoint. It was a triumphant celebration of the amazing 20 year and counting career of French shoe designer Christian Louboutin and his unique journey. The atmosphere within the exhibition was fantastic with a bit of a circus, carnival theme with red carpets and interiors to match the iconic soles of Louboutin’s amazing creations. Shoe fetishists prepare yourselves because this is an event not to be missed! There is even a dedicated room, which must be a highlight for the true fetishists as it’s entitled the Fetish Room, d-r-a-m-a!
Not only were there enough shoes to convince you to take a much needed trip to the nearest Louboutin boutique to pick up some of his latest creations, but it was almost impossible to resist the urge to pet and try on the beautiful shoes on display. I really wish the exhibition would have doubled as a sort of pop-up store with the archived footwear as people would have been buying like crazy, me included of course! I loved the fact that there were also emphasis on Louboutin’s designs and sketches, which is essentially the foundation to any shoes. Conclusion: an absolute must see. You will never want to leave!
