The new breed of fashion thinkers...

Doris Langley Moore

2009-01-17T13:15:00.005Z

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00gq7f1/b00gq7bd/Men_Women_and_Clothes_Formal_Clothes/

Just discovered this fabulous programme on BBC iplayer. It's only 15minutes long and is presented by Doris Langley Moore (who set up what was the Museum of Costume in Bath). It was done in the 50s and she uses real historical dress on real models, including members of the British aristocracy, to illustrate her points. It's a conservators nightmare, but is wonderful to see these garments move, how we never can in a museum display today. There are 2 more left in the series, so keep a look out. Pure brilliance!

Claire Browne

New Fashion Networking Site Emerges...

2008-11-19T15:53:00.005Z

A new website has surfaced the creative industry and we want people like you to spread the good news and register, obviously!

What is NINETEEN74? Why should I register? What makes it unique?

Following the craze of networking and building online communities, it has never been more apparent that social networking will be an enduring part of everyday life. Founded in February 2008, NINETEEN74 is a new fashion utility. It will endeavour to marry like-minded people (e.g stylists, journalists, models, photographers, manufacturers, students) with the incentive of collaborating and exchanging ideas from other fashionistas in one click.

Although managed in the same manner as Facebook, Iqons and Myspace, it is nevertheless the first ever fashion networking site to encompass partnerships; users are showcased to push boundaries. The site essentially feeds on people's contribution- creating new fashion projects and events, uploading images and videos as well as submitting a blog.

So why not get involved and interact with the fashion world? You never know: it may be the answer to all your problems! It will make fashion networking effortless and trouble-free.

Fiona Burke.

Comme des Garçons meets H&M

2008-11-12T19:09:00.005Z

Rei Kawakubo's much awaited collaboration with super Swedish retailer H&M, finally hits European stores, tomorrow Thursday 13th November. The Tokyo launch last Saturday saw the most determined fans queuing for as long as three days!

The designs for both men and women, embrace classic Comme des Garçons features such as polka dots and intelligent tailoring, brought to life in a beautiful campaign shot by Peter Lindbergh.

Inside The House of Viktor & Rolf

2008-10-30T13:55:00.027Z

When we saw Viktor & Rolf's wonderful hand made dolls in the glass cabinets of Selfridges' Wonder Wall last spring, we knew something was in the wind. But we never imagined it could have been as electrifying and thought-provoking as the recent

House of Viktor & Rolf exhibition at the Barbican Centre.

After countless visits to the exhibition, we attended the symposium Inside The House of Viktor & Rolf, (where we even got a chance to meet the well-loved duo!) which offered a glimpse into the creative world of the superstar designers, as well as theoretical debate around their designs and strategies.

Led by Penny Martin, the symposium featured an interview of the designers, accompanied by inspiring presentations exploring the heritage, designs and exhibition itself, by José Teunissen, Ulrich Lehmann and Judith Clark (FHT associated lecturer).

For those that didn't get a chance to attend, a video of the symposium, as well as a transcript of the interview is now available on SHOWstudio.

Caroline Legrand & Rachael J Vick

Annie Leibovitz- A Photographer's Life

2008-10-28T18:50:00.009Z

Last week my friend and I went to see the Anne Leibovitz exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery and boy was it a disappointment. After paying the full £11 in entrance fee (I forgot to bring my student pass) you'd expect to see a bigger exhibition with a more exciting selection of photos. On top of it, the layout which resembled a maze created quite a big confusion as the pictures were divided into different rooms, without any obvious explanation.
The exhibition featured over 150 photos; a mixture of intimate family and friends photos including her partner, the late Susan Sontag as well as portraits of celebrities and public figures such as George W. Bush, Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman and the infamous portrait of a naked pregnant Demi Moore. Many of the pictures are recognizable, having been printed in a variety of glossy magazines but the exhibition also showed the private life of Leibovitz: the birth of her three daughters, family holidays with her parents and various stages of Sontag's illness which she carefully documented.

Walking out of the gallery it was Leibovitz's private photographs of Sontag decaying that haunted me the most. When I got home I went to The Guardian's website to read the review and I couldn't have agreed more with David Rieff, son of Sontag: "in his own memoir of his mother, stresses how hard he had to work to maintain Sontag's illusion - what he calls "positive denial" - that death might still be avoided. "It was life and not truth that she was desperate for," he wrote in his book published earlier this year. And in one bitter paragraph he describes his mother as being "humiliated posthumously ... in those carnival images of death taken by Leibovitz"".

T.L.

Moonrise

2008-10-22T00:06:00.006+01:00

In the predominantly heterosexual male world of fashion photography, Sarah Moon's thirty-five year career stands as a monument. Creating some of fashion's most beautiful imagery, Moon has also managed to dodge commercial currents along the way. Model turned photographer, her work, radically different from her male contemporaries Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin and even her female counterpart Deborah Turbeville, is often endowed with a painterly quality which has owed her the title of 'impressionist photographer'. Invited to photograph the 1972 edition of the Pirelli Calendar in an attempt to soothe severe objections to it from feminist movements, Moon became the first woman photographer to take part in the project. Using this opportunity to push boundaries, she pioneered and became the first photographer to show fully exposed breasts. Throughout her career Moon has graced the pages of Biba and Vogue with ultra feminine photographs of nostalgic reverie, and has created some of the most iconic images for Cacharel and Comme des Garçons.

To coincide with the publication of a five-part monograph of her work, Sarah Moon: 1 2 3 4 5, two exhibitions of Moon's work run concurrently at the Royal College of Art and at the Michael Hoppen Gallery this autumn. The RCA exhibition includes over 150 photographs spanning Moon's entire career and two new film installations whilst the Michael Hoppen Gallery will include previously unseen photographs alongside her well-known work.

Caroline Legrand

The Sarah Moon exhibition runs concurrently at the Royal College of Art and the Michael Hoppen Gallery until the 15th November.

Sarah Moon: 1 2 3 4 5 is published by Thames & Hudson

Fashion in the Palm of Your Hand . . . but not for long!

2008-10-21T23:48:00.006+01:00

Don't miss your last chance to see the delightful Fashion in the Palm of Your Hand exhibtion co-curated by Central St Martin's very own Fashion History and Theory students.

Fashion in the Palm of Your Hand runs until the 26th October at the Fan Museum, Greenwhich.

Top to Toe: Fashion for Kids

2008-10-21T21:38:00.011+01:00

On Saturday I attended the Costume Society study day, Fashion in Miniature, at the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green. The study day was held to accompany the opening of their brilliant exhibition on children's dress, Top to Toe: Fashion for Kids. There were some great speakers, such as Noreen Marshall, the exhibitions curator; Philip Warren, Leicester Museums Principal Curator and Olivia Bristol, President of the Doll Club who spoke on such diverse topics as the infamous Liberty Bodice and dolls created for charity fundraising.
The exhibition is the first major display to discus

s the hugely important subject of children's dress and shows some incredible pieces from the last 250 years, including everything from a stunning 1700s wrapping gown, a 1700s boy's three-piece suit, a muff made of peacock feathers to the popular 1970s 'snorkel' parka coat.

There is a fabulous book which accompanies the exhibition: Dictionary of Children's Clothes: 1700s to Present, which is a must for anyone interested in the history of dress.

The exhibition is well worth a trip to the Museum of Childhood, which also has some great permanent galleries.

Claire Browne

Salon International 2008

2008-10-20T22:04:00.008+01:00

This weekend I went to see Salon International, one of the biggest hair exhibition in Europe where my friend Alessandro Cecchini has a photography stand (the only photography stand) This annual event is held at ExCel which is a huge conference center near the Docklands. The place was buzzing with bad music and packed with everyone from hair dressers, salon owners, hair models to students and anyone who is interested in hair and beauty. Several stages are dedicated to hair stylists from hair salons such as Tony and guy, Charles Worthington etc., who gave lectures on how to create the newest hair trend. I wouldn't say I've got a particular interest in the hair and beauty industry but it was quite an experience I must say...

T.L.

Adrian=80's

2008-10-20T21:43:00.009+01:00

Check out this striking shoot in the latest POP. Adrian is reduxed: 80's style. Back in the 1940's when actresses where glamour girls proper Adrian was the costumer to the stars and studios of Hollywood.

There is also a potted history of his career and analysis of Adrian's influence on the designers of the 80's. Thank you Stephen Jones, milliner extraordinaire, for such an insightful report on the man that defined American glamour.

By the way make sure to get your paws on the November issue of POP as it will be Katie Grand's last as she heads of to Conde Nast in the new year. With a new editor not yet announced I can't help but wonder, who in the industry is brave enough to fill those boots?

Eve Dawoud

Central Saint Martins once again at Kensington Palace!

2008-10-16T13:19:00.010+01:00

Following the success of previous Fashion History and Theory student collaborations with London museums such as the Princess Line (2007) at Kensington Palace, Sailor Chic (2006) at the National Maritime Museum and the recent Fashion in the Palm of your Hand (2008) at the Fan Museum, the 2008-2009 students are proud to collabaorate with Kensington Palace again on their forthcoming fashion exhibtion for 2010.

Keep an eye for more updates!

Bas Bleu

2008-05-14T00:31:00.008+01:00

There's just a little more than a month left to see the Brilliant Women: 18-Century Bluestockings exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. It considers the importance of the intellectual British women who formed the "Bluestocking Circle." This includes female writers, artists, and thinkers who helped to push the boundaries of female accomplishment in the 18th-Century. It is not a vast exhibition, but like the women included, it makes a quick and hard impact.
While it is not specifically a fashion exhibition, it does the subject some justice. Even the title of "Bluestockings" has its origin in fashions. Boswell relates this origin in his Life of Dr Johnson on 23 April 1781, writing:
'These societies were denominated Blue-stocking Clubs, the origin of which title being little known, it may be worth while to relate it. One of the most eminent members of those societies when they first commenced was Mr Stillingfleet (Benjamin Stillingfleet, author of tracts relating to natural history, etc.) whose dress was remarkably grave, and in particular, it was observed, that he wore blue stockings. Such was the excellence of his conversation, that his absence was felt as so great a loss, that it used to be said, "We can do nothing with the Blue-Stockings" ; and thus by degrees the title was established.'
Blue stockings were meant for those of the working class, rather than the white stockings of a gentleman, and Stillingfleet earned this reputation when he absent-mindedly appeared in them at his first invitation to Elizabeth Montagu's salon. Thus, the exhibition coyly begins with a portrait of Stillingfleet.
My favourite piece exhibited is Richard Samuel's Portraits in the Characters of the Muses in the Temple of Apollo (The nine living muses of Great Britain) (1778). Placing women of great achievement in such clothing shows how historical dress in portraiture was not merely a fashionable trend for the classical via the emerging Republics. It also presents how classical dress could be used for its symbolic heroism to represent the growing number of female Intellectuals and the growing respect for them as creative producers.
Another portrait in the exhibition, which forms an interesting discourse on the actual importance of fashion for a group of women who frequently dismissed it as an idle extravagance, is Frances Reynolds' (Joshua Reynolds' sister) portrait of Hannah More (1780). More is depicted in a state of undress while writing, as a 'Man of Letters' would be. While as a converted evangelical Christian she believed women were still subordinate to men, she also believed that intelligence and philanthropy were the duty of women. Therefore, although she was not a women's rights supporter, it is her dress as the new 'Woman of Letters' that displays the changing and developing role of female intellectuals at the time. Mary Moser, one of the two female founders of the Royal Academy, uses dress in a portrait by George Romney (1770-1) to assume the same male status as More, by being depicted in painter's robes at her easel, as was tradition for portraits of male artists.
Alternatively, historian Catherine Macaulay, who pushed the boundaries of women's rights both in her personal life and through her printed radical political tracts and histories, shows the same gender changes in her portraits. In Robert Edge Pine's portrait of Macaulay (1775), she is presented as statuesque and likened to an elected Roman senator, dressed with the necessary 'stola' and purple sash, though it was a position she could not actually assume. However, her damaged reputation created equally negative representations. The exhibition includes a caricature criticising her feminine vanity by Matthew Darly titled A Speedy and Effectual Preparation for the Next World. A skeleton stands behind her, while her elaborate hairstyle is decorated with a hearse, reminding the viewer of the futility of earthly pleasures.
In addition to portraiture, the exhibition also includes a great deal of texts. In supplement to the poetry and novels of women like Fanny Burney, Hannah More, Anna Seward, and Ann Yearsley, copies of publications like The Female Spectator reveal the reach to which these intellectual women touched fashion, modes, and manners. It creates a delightful contextualization for the images and women.
While the exhibition incorporates the later 'Brilliant Women', like Catharine Macaulay and Mary Wollstonecraft, being housed in the National Portrait Gallery it allows visitors to venture onto other floors to view the future women influenced by these revolutionaries, such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the Brontes, or even those of the Bloomsbury Group.
I left desperately wanting to gather a group of my contemporaries for tea in a salon to discuss our own situations. For further reading on the Blue-Stockings try the NPG's publication Brilliant Women: 18th-Century Blue-Stockings by Elizabeth Eger and Lucy Peltz (2008) or Women in Print: Writing, Women & Women's Magazines From the Restoration to the Accession of Victoria by Alison Adburgham (1972). And of course don't forget the actual work of the "Brilliant Women", including Mary Wollenstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), Ann Yearsley's Poems, On Several Occasions (1785), Anna Seward's Original Sonnets (1799), and Fanny Burney's The Witlings (1779).

Kendall Robbins

Active Resistance

2008-04-04T18:43:00.007+01:00

Last month, Dame Vivienne Westwood was invited by the ICA to discuss her controversial new arts manifesto Active Resistance to Popaganda.

The talk proved to be one of the fastest selling events in the history of the ICA, and was not met solely with enthusiasm!

For those who did not get a chance to attend, a podcast of the talk will soon be available on the ICA's website.

Caroline Legrand

FHT owns SHOWstudio's Political Fashion Project.

2008-04-04T17:16:00.005+01:00

Our very own tutor, Alistair O'Neill, has had an essay on the theme of political fashion uploaded to the SHOWstudio site. The Hywel Davies piece is also worth a read for the point it makes as is Rebecca Arnold's (the original founder of the FHT course) essay. Follow the link to be enlightened...

JC/DC in LDN

2008-03-07T15:46:00.003Z

The aristocratic french designer with the insatiable appetite for pop culture and a touch of the absurd is opening his first London retail space this month in Conduit Street. The 300m space has been designed so his garments, editions and designs can co-exist in one space. The store concept and interior was devised by Castelbajac himself and Christian Ghion (who has worked on the Dior flagship store amongst others) and is bound to be a hit with his loyal East-end fashion followers, even if they have to go west to find it.

Rachael J Vick.

James Owen Fender

2008-02-28T15:14:00.009Z

Death Disco:hosted weekly every Wednesday by Alan Mc Gee and Danny Watson, a regular music event which has witnessed some of the most remarkable guest DJ’s such as Courtney Love, The Datsuns and Mercury Rev to mention a few. Last night the ‘scene kids’ were enjoying catchy songs from James Owen Fender- alternative newcomer in British music.He was even lucky enough to be supported by Mick Jones [lead guitarist from The Clash] acoustic set.
At the moment Fender is currently writing songs for his debut solo album, which will be released very soon!!! Musically his influences are general mix of The Clash, Bill Wither and Tom Waits. However don’t be deterred, either, by reviews who claim he has been manufactured for the Jack Penate market with songs like Lampost Chutney. James has a remarkable talent; depicting illusory stories within his songs- he creates a unique sound to the genre of indie music. Without a doubt, the man to watch for 2008!
James will be gigging in London at the Notting Hill Arts Club on the 24th April and the 11th June, be sure to come down, have the craic and see what the general fuss is all about!

Fiona Burke

Fashion in Motion

2008-02-19T12:57:00.011Z

The Victoria and Albert museum are currently organizing another Fashion in Motion show on Friday the 16th of May. The event is designed to link in with the museum's major contemporary exhibition China Design Now, it will feature one or two major Chinese designers. Although the event will not be as big as previous events, it will be just as exciting!!!
There will be three catwalk shows during the day and one in the evening. Ticket entry is free but they are limited so booking is essential. Visit the V&A website for more information and booking details.

Fiona Burke

Vanity Fair Exhibition

2008-02-19T12:47:00.004Z

The Vanity Fair Portraits exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery captures a century in pictures. The glamour and history of one of the most famous magazines records the changing moods of two generations, through pictures and prose. Curated by David Friend and Terrence Pepper, the exhibition hosts 150 pictures from the pre-war to pop-modern (1913 - 2008) era.

Published by Conde Nast in 1913 at the dawn of the Jazz Age, the magazine set out to be a cultural catalyst, showcasing works and portraits of people from author Thomas Hardy to American dancer Fred Astaire. Displayed for the first time, these 'portraits chronicle an era in which stars became pulic property and the photographers celebrities in their own right.'

The exhibition runs from the 14th February to the 26th May 2008.

Sophie Cooke

Political Fashion

2008-02-19T11:17:00.003Z

Second Year FHT students have submitted their own films to Nick Knight's Political Fashion project on SHOWstudio. Three of them are already up on the hall of fame...

Rachael J Vick.

Human After All

2008-02-16T12:39:00.006Z

Don't miss the chance to see French duo Daft Punk's cult sci-fi tale Electroma, as it returns to the ICA for its legendary late night screenings.

Accompanied by an wonderfully unexpected soundtrack of prog-rock, ethereal folk and classical music, this poetic odyssey takes our Slimane clad robots across beautifully surreal landscapes, on their quest to become human. C'est super!

Screenings 22nd & 29th February 11:00pm

Caroline Legrand & Rachael J Vick

Toilets, dogs and Jean-Michel

2008-02-15T17:28:00.005Z

The West End Timothy Taylor Gallery is currently hosting one of London's most exciting exhibitions this season.

Andy Warhol: Portraits and Landscapes features a rare collection of over 200 black and white photographs by the legendary Pop artist.

Taken from 1976-87, these photographs reveal the last ten years of Warhol's life in the urban landscape of New York, London and even Paris.

Through the eyes of Warhol as a twentieth century flâneur, images of toilets, mannequins in shop windows, dogs and flea-markets still bear their original potency in this poetic visual narrative.

Whilst Rachael had great trouble peeling her eyes away from a photograph of two well-dressed pugs, I had a soft-spot for undeveloped negatives showing intimate portraits of Jean-Michel Basquiat in a Keith Haring t-shirt.

The exhibtion is free and runs until February 29th

Caroline Legrand

"Fashion. I'll have nothing of it."

2008-02-05T12:45:00.001Z

Tonight at 18:15 the BFI Southbank will be showing a screening of German director and playwright Wim Wenders' 1989 documentary film,
Notebook on Cities and Clothes.

 "Fashion. I'll have nothing of it.” At least this was Wenders’ initial reaction when the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris asked him to make a short film in the context of fashion.

In retrospect, he confesses: "Maybe I was too quick to put down fashion. Why not look at it without prejudice? Why not examine it like any other industry, like the movies for example? Maybe fashion and cinema had something in common."
 
Through a dialogue between the director and his subject, Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto, the film offers a fresh insight on the meaning of fashion in the context of the art world, as well as in contemporary life.

Caroline Legrand

Franco-Anglo relations are blooming...

2008-01-29T16:19:00.001Z

The ICA is joining forces with the best gallery in Paris, the Palais de Tokyo to host eight different music events celebrating both French and English music. Four French bands will be playing at the ICA and four English bands will be at the Palais. The season starts off with Sebastien Tellier with support from Poney Poney in London on the 21st February. Unfortunately the gig is super sold out but keep your ears to the ground for the next French offering...

Rachael J Vick