Sat 1st May: ASVOFF Open Call For Submissions Deadline 3rd May

Last season I showed my new pieces via a film directed by Elisha Smith Leverock, comissioned by Diane Pernet for the launch of Vogue.it. You may remember our "making of" documentary on the Dazed Digital schedule in Febuary. 

The opening event has been postponed and now extended the program to have an open call competition for anyone wishing to be part of the project. The deadline is Monday so you still have the whole weekend to make a 1min short on the theme "Light".  

"Send out your one-minute video on the theme LIGHT: the best videos will be selected by Franca Sozzani and Diane Pernet and will be shown during the ASVOFF Milan festival, together with other talented film directors.  To participate, send an email by 3rd May 2010 to videolab@vogue.it"

Here is Elisha's film which was voted the top fashion film of the season by BOF............check out the whole top 10 here, including Nick Knight, Steven Meisel, Bruce Weber......

Here

Fri 30th April: Maker Meets Muse - Marshall & Miss Jones

Last night was the private view for the Grace Jones / Chris Levine exhibition at The Vinyl Factory.........I asked Hannah Marshall to send me a phone pic to record the event and here she is meeting the icon that inspired her latest collection (remember here).  Brilliant!  I love a happy ending.........but lets hope that this is infact just the START of something stunning............

Thurs 29th April: JCDC takes over Selfridges

Last night Rosy and I made our final voyage to the nocturnal rearranging antics at Selfridges Wonder Room windows.  We rounded up our birds and nests from the deinstall of my "Metropolis Ridiculous" scheme which could well have been a sad affair if it wasn't for the fact that my successor was one of my absolute heroes.  Selfridges have given over thier West Wing windows to another 6 week dose of physcadelia in the form of a rainbow invasion from the Parisian prince of pop art dress.  A UFO has crash landed from Planet JCDC with 5 windows of mannequins dressed in his primary colour shifts and shark high heel shoes.  There is even the jewel encrusted suit recognisable from Beyonce's wardrobe in Gaga's Telephone video.

Like ships that pass in the night we unfortunately missed each other so I couldn't snap the man in action setting up his flying saucer for "Encounter of the 5th Kind".  But luckily I have got these brilliant portraits from Annie Collinge who shot him earlier in the day at his flagship store amongst the shop fittings.  (She instinctively sent them to me without even knowing about the windows "Just shot JCDC today, somehow I felt like you two might get on... hmmmm.... Ax")  The same cloud wallpaper has been pasted in the Selfridges windows.............. ah, I LOVE IT!  

As you may or may not already know, the event of JCDC taking over Selfridges with this paranormal activity has been dedicated to his friend Malcolm McLaren who he has sited as an alien on earth like himself...........an eternal child........

Thurs 29th April: Tell it how it is

Thanks to Rosy for this photo too.

Weds 28th April: Its Grace!

"Drag me across the floor"

When Grace wasn't spellbinding the audience with her incredible crystal costumes and unbelievable body..........she was creasing spectators up with her banter.  Too many anecdotes to try and remember but there was some mention of how she was the only other royalty to come to The Albert Hall other than the actual royal family!  When she introduced her son on drums in the background, I realised that a few songs previously she had a completely open back dress whilst recounting stories of doing cocaine in toilets.......midst supping an entire glass of wine thru a straw in one go, announcing not to worry as there was a whole bottle backstage.  As she is exactly the same age as my own mother this did only add to my complete incomprehension of this bionic lady............(no offence mum, you rule too obvs).  Her booty shaking in a micro mini grass skirt for "My Jamaican Guy" would and should make Rhianna wince.  Grace is undoubtedly the ORIGINAL and the BEST.  All hail Queen Grace.  Miss Jones.

Thanks to Rosy Nicholas for the pics who sent the accompanying message

"im still buzzing off how amazing that woman is.

the lesson i learnt last nite is, sex it up to the max. forever. i am a woman. get over here!!"

Quite!

Tue 27th April: Patternity Launch : A Tapestry Of Dalston

Art Director Anna Murray and Textiles Designer Grace Winteringham a.k.a Patternity have curated their first show "A Tapestry of Dalston".  The girls set up the company to search out and celebrate pattern hidden in everyday instances from the mundane to the magnificent.  To bottle this formula in an essence for an exhibition they invited artists local to thier own practise to reference the area's sights to design a screenprint.   The result is 12 works by 12 designers to represent the 12 months of life in Dalston and its multilayered fascinating contradictory landscape and life.  Continuing the theme, the private view was lit with black-light taking the Eastend's omnipresent shop facade flickers inside.  In this way, simple black and white optical arrangements looked like they were actually mounted on light boxes.  I was VERY IMPRESSED!

I was also instructed to wear a white bra for the event.  In utter obstinance I dug out my only flesh colour bra but I did represent by also digging out a whole look of Bridget Riley type bonkers bold patterns.  I was right at home in this UV environment.............instantly taken straight back to memories of the cosmic carpet in "Zeus" nightclub in Chelmsford..........(all Essex girls know what Im on about here).   I even got my hand stamped with a day-glo logo!  (see top two images  - all photos c/o Rory DCS)

The show is on until the 4th May at Bootstrap in Dalston with the limited edition prints going for £90 unframed by artists Inventory Studio, Jake Blanchard, Colin Henderson, Audrey Roger, Karrolina Kling, Marcus Oakley, Melvin Galapon, Jann Brien, Dan Has Potential, James Dawe and Louise Nowell.

Mon 26th April: Grace, LOVE YOU TO LIFE

I live for Grace.
So when Emma Roach hinted at undertaking the set design for a shoot with the Queen, I insisted on updates.........which resulted on a midnight text message report that the diva had just gone into makeup......what else should one expect?! LOVE IT
I also made presumptuous pleas of promise for snapshots from the experience to share on here but understandably Emma was a) more focused on the job at hand and b) too scared.............natch!

"Well the images they used didn't show a lot of set... but I don't care so much as I MET GRACE JONES!!!!!!!

The shoot was a for an article based on her current workings with Chris Levine..

"Now she is working with Chris Levine, another artist straddling sculpture and photography. In the corner of the room is a huge multicoloured image of Jones with her eyes shut. Stand at different distances and angles, and the image changes. This 3D photograph, made up of 30 images of Jones hit by lasers, has the wizardry of a hologram and the humanity of a classic portrait – Madame Tussauds meets Irving Penn."

I didn't take any pics on my phone too scared, apart form this one which was a shot of one of the 3D photographs."

If you are in London, you can see these artworks for yourself as they will be on show from the end of the month at The Vinyl Factory. I was lucky enough to be in the audience of her Royal Albert Hall concert tonight to witness the crystal outfit flooded with cosmic laser beams. I don't really need to go into explanation here.............I think anyone can picture my ridiculous smile and continual pointing at each outfit as it appeared on stage "Its Grace"........just for the benefit of anyone that may not have noticed.......
......full report to follow but for now, one of her best one-liners of the night was "don't die for the one you love.......live for the one you love ........then you can demolish them and ravish them".........

Sunday 25th April: The Knocking Shop Launch

Here are Sarah Barrow and Cilla Zack - the official presenters of new televisual delight "The Knocking Shop".  Despite being named after the colloquial term for a brothel, the production is actually filmed at The Stags Head public house, where the launch was held last evening.  Friends of the crew and band members featured in the first installment gathered round a preview projection of the premiere episode.  I got a good dose of doctor's orders as I cried tears of hysteria at the interviews and features squashed into this multifaceted chat show pilot.  

"An Englishman, An Irishman and a Scotsman walk into a pub - have you ever seen  Karate Kid?" is set to unsettle a guest with dry delivery from  the hostess with the mostess Sarah.  This line is handled and answered with ease by the savvy cocknbullkid.................whilst like a lamb to the slaughter, the lead from Danimal Kingdom squirms nervously to probes Q:"Whats your favourite colour?"  A: "Red"  Q:  "Is that because its the colour of my lipstick?"

Stay glued to your sets like MikeTV, as this brilliantly executed and edited new concept from Danny Sangra and Ollie Evans may be hitting the Radio Times hit list anytime soon........

Sarah Says from the knocking shop on Vimeo.

Sunday 25th April: I want CANDY : Craig Lawrence

Craig sat patiently twiddling his thumbs and clicking his knitting needles waiting for the dust cloud to disperse and news of his rescheduled flight to Japan.  Candy invited Craig to exhibit his last 2 collections at their boutique alongside a retrospective photographic display which had documented the process by Kenzie Burchell.  Fortunately the event could be postponed in anticipation of the duo getting through the chaos in the sky and touching down in Tokyo to set up their wares.  Craig conducted an impromptu "performance" of live knitting in situ at the opening.............an activity usually observed by my eyes only............little does he know that in his absence I have been padding around the studio wearing the rest of the collection that he has left behind!  JOKES!

I can't wait to hear what else they get up to whilst in the city........apparently eating in the metropolis  has been inspiring "And we went into a restuarant where you had to pick what you wanted to
eat and pay from a vending machine outside! It's the future!".........I wonder how this dining would take-off in Dalston?.........our typical 5 a day is derived from a Turkish Lamuchan washed down with a Caribbean coconut cake and pineapple punch........or what I like to call "fusion" food.

Thanks to Kenzie for sending me these snaps from the private view.  To see more check out Candy's blog and twitpics.