Saturday 17 April 2010

Sat 17th April: International Independent Record Store Day





Today I celebrated International Independent Record Store Day by heading down to Rough Trade East to see Laurie Anderson for an in-store performance.  What better way to do it?!    As it turned out she came on stage in the guise of her latest character Fenway Bergamont with drawn on eyebrows and stick-on moustache.  Speaking through an electronic effect in a deep male voice, Fenway invited questions from the audience in an open Q&A session.  In her hilarious answers she posed the question why should the UK have named itself "Great" Britain...............just to deceive the rest of the world of its size and enforce its importance during colonisation............and to that effect why didn't other countries follow suit such as "Sexy and Suspicious Sweden".  She ended on a message to aspiring artists to stick to their guns and call themselves "artists" with no self conscious analytical doubt................no one cares what you do in the way that no one really cares about anything that isn't of importance to their own ego SO "go knock yourself out and do exactly what you want".  Hokey Dokey!  If its worked for Laurie, I reckon its worth a go!  She was the official artist in residence of NASA after all!

Friday 16 April 2010

Friday 16th April: Incoming NOKI

Occasionally I receive random picture phone photos from NOKI.  Here is one such inexplicable ping for us to ponder..........
Meanwhile NOKI is going to be performing a fashion show this July at the LoveBox festival in London on the same bill as Grace Jones....................what are you waiting for .......buy your tickets here.

Friday 16th April: Birthday Wishes from The Fashion Almanac

Thank you Laura Bradley for my own equation!

Wednesday 14 April 2010

Weds 14th: No Place Like Home




After a long process of packing up and shipping out, Ive landed dock in Dalston and found my local native and new studio partner Craig Lawrence.  We both have too much work to complete for deadline to start UNpacking so we are being creative with our immediate resources and working on boxes..............or perhaps starting a new interiors trend.  Who knows?  What I do know is that I'm now witnessing first hand how rolls of barrier tape get crocheted into Craig's couture.  So whilst London's fashion editors are visiting Blow PR's press day to see his collection I'm lucky enough to be privy to the actual master at work...............can't deny we are also having a giggle discussing our new abode and environment too...............more news on that front to follow.............(ragga radio station next door neighbours..............)
Over and out from FBStyle HQ E8.

Tuesday 13 April 2010

Tues 13th April: Hannah Marshall and her "Army of Me"





Hannah Marshall doesn't mess around.  Infact you can bet your bottom dollar that this girl will pull out all the stops to put on the best preview she can.  So it was no surprise that I received a personal invite to Shoreditch House to see her new collection "Army of Me".  She thought it would be a nice venue for her friends to visit and congregate to paw over her latest velveteen pantsuits.  CORRECT!  It is very rare that I find myself in the member's club so any excuse to get a glimpse at how the other half live is a definite draw!  Before I was even in the elevator I bumped into Jodie Harsh and Little Boots ..............apparently its half price dinner for under 27's on a Monday..........(that'll be me walking straight back out the same revolving door I walked in then!)
Back to the garms..............the Grace Jones inspired garms.  Hello!  You can see in Hannah's mood board above that she has referenced Jean Paul Goude's manipulated iconic imagery of Miss Jones to achieve her slashed and re-scaled silhouettes.  So funny that we both look to the same sources but end up with such opposite outcomes!  Who knows, perhaps one day the ying and yang will come together for a black .vs. colour collaboration............watch this space!  Until then, head over to Kim Howell's blog to look at catwalk and backstage photography of her LFW show by Alistair Guy............

(Hannah and Kim both wearing Hannah Martin spike rings from last season.........notice the Judy Blame knit-comb medallion on Kim too!......Amber and Nisha Broken Hearts wearing matching Melissa shoes, Rosy Nicholas with Fred Butler in her hair...........the accessory not me.........quite obviously...........that would just be ridiculous)

Monday 12 April 2010

Mon 12th April: Out with the old, In with the new Part 2





Here is another paper related project I did last year in partnership with my studio mate Andy Macgregor.  We joined forces to make some super power props on commission for a girl group for their first press shots.  Here are work in progress snaps of the shapes including the logo for Mini Viva and a couple of shots of our pieces at the shoot.................see how they ended up in the girl's identity here.  
(I also snapped the box we used to spray the colours as I thought it looked like a face with a crown - CUTE)

Mon 12th April: Out with the old, In with the new




Been packing up 4 years worth of studio................throwing away props, patterns, papers, plastics, torn up periodicals............
My horoscope is scarily accurate from this week's ES! 
"Clear any clutter now and you'll soon feel the sense of rebirth that this week is all about"
Packing up my desk to move..............and literally tidying my desktop on my laptop, discovering some old treats..........here is a paper corset I made Lacey this time last year for her to fit onto a canvas underskirt...........