Friday 1st Nov: Kansai Yamamoto - Fashion In Motion at the V&A Museum

From seeing my absolute icon of Grace Jones on Wednesday night, I have just witnessed another of my most revered inspirations Kansai Yamamoto, who held a fashion show at the V&A Museum.  As a finale to the David Bowie exhibition, the institution staged an epic runway show including both the classic Bowie costumes and his latest current collections.  The new range is a kaleidoscope palette of spectrum colours and prism patterns in loose, baggy bombers and wrap-around billowing trousers.  Its all so effortlessly chic and cosmic at the same time, with kimono sleeve denim jackets encrusted in gold embroidery and back-packs with dangling talisman tassells.  My favourite piece was a beige workman's all-in-one which faded out into a dip-dyed rainbow down the leg.  The mix of leopard print, South American weave stripes, comic book cranes and neon trim was my complete dream look.  I want an entire wardrobe of it!!!!  As if I didn't already!?!

"In Japan the word BASARA means to dress freely, with a stylish extravagance. BASARA is the opposite of the Japanese wabi-sabi aesthetic, which is underplayed and modest; it is colourful and flamboyant and it lies at the heart of my design. I am excited to present this to at the V&A."

Congratulations to the V&A for hosting this incredible free event and props to Bacchus on the production.

( All images are a mix from the show, backstage and streetstyle of the audience)

Thurs 31st October: VOGUE Club Westfield

In the summit of Shepherds Bush shopping centre, set designer Fiona Leahy

created an entire epic gold glitter, gilt palm tree, mirror floor and disco ball filled nightclub specially for a Vogue celebration of Westfield's 5th birthday. To top it all off, Grace Jones made a guest appearance on stage with a set of classics, switching from one sensational Philip Treacy look to another. I have been lucky enough to see Miss Jones play quite a few times (*mega fan) but never this close at such an intimate setting which was a real one-off and incredibly lucky experience!!! THANK YOU VOGUE!

Wednesday 30th October: The Prix Pictet Commissions: Ed Kashi & Chris Jordan at Somerset House

Whilst roaming London on my recent culture outings, I stumbled across this beautiful exhibition at Somerset House which has brought together four photographers.  They were commissioned to undertake a field trip to a region where the sponsor has a sustainability project with the each taking the theme of either water, earth, growth, power.  Here is "growth" translated by Chris Jordan in Kenya and "earth" captured by Ed Kashi in Madagascar. 

The top six images here are from Jordan's  "Ushirikiano: Building a Sustainable Future in Kenya's Northern Rangelands".  Ushirikiano (‘partnership’ or ‘collaboration’ in Swahili) examines the communities that inhabit Kenya’s Northern Rangelands, where poverty, drought and wildlife poaching threaten their precarious existence.  If you look closely at the detail of the warrior, he as a toothbrush and mirror tucked into his sword - this is my absolute fave shot of the show.  Head over to his site to see the incredible complete series here.

The bottom four photographs are Kashi's  "Madagascar, A Land Out of Balance, 2009".  Madagascar is classified as one of the world’s top three ‘hotspots’ for biodiversity; yet it is also one of the poorest and most environmentally threatened countries in the world. Ed Kashi’s photographs show the compromised beauty of this threatened island, and the projects that are helping communities develop sustainable practices.

It's the final couple of days so visit Somerset House before it finishes, whilst they put up the Isabella Blow show!

10–31 October 2013    Open daily 10.00-18.00

Somerset House , Strand, London, WC2R 1LA

Tuesday 29th October: "Island" at the Dairy Arts Space (report by Amy Lee)

Earlier this month saw the opening of Island at the Dairy Arts Space in Bloomsbury. The show takes Aldous Huxley's 1962 novel of the same name as a basis and explores the themes of the fictional world of Pala through a multi-disaplinary collection, presenting a variation of ideas and perspectives courtesy of over 30 established and emerging contemporary artists. 

Asides from the spirit of the book, a constant throughout all of the pieces is their connection to "island" in its simplest form. All of the works comment on at least one, if not more, of the connotations associated with the word; ranging from the fantastical interpretation  seen in Sylvie Fleury's metallic Mushrooms, to Ai Wei Wei's political sculpture Map of China. 

Through a vivid array of visual entities, the works and their connection to the writing of Huxley guide the viewer through the realms of fact and utopian fiction, observations of the present, and forewarnings of a dystopic future. - words Amy Lee 

(Photos by Fred - works by artists including Tomàs Saraceno, Ursula Mayer, Théodore Fivel, Takashi Murakami, Ai Weiwei, Terence Koh, Anthea Hamilton)