Friday 22nd Nov: "No Future Nomad" Fashion Film for SHOWstudio's PUNK season

As part of the SHOWstudio's ongoing PUNK project, the home of fashion film commissioned different creatives to collaborate and contribute a piece of moving image ……...

"Using Punk's central themes of dressing to provoke, DIY and self-expression, SHOWstudio asked a wide range of contemporary creatives to express their vision of punk now by creating a fashion film and garment. 'Punk was one of the most culturally important and far reaching movements in the last 100 years. Its influence is repeatedly seen every fashion season,' explains Nick Knight." 

I worked with my bessies Tom Ryling and Kim Howells to bring together our individual skills and style to join forces in one unique multi-disciplinary package.  It's been about grafting different elements together due to the nature of collaboration - which started with the cross textiles of denim from me and leather pieces from Tom, ending with Kim's canvas of casting and styling Jace - culminating in footage we shot together; to produce our combined interpretation of Punk, personified by our "No Future Nomad".  The film has just gone live over on SHOWstudio and the individual garments are also on sale at their SHOP.  I recommend checking out the entire expanse of content which includes enlightening interviews between Nick and each of the photographers behind the iconic Punk photos in the exhibition………… 

(Above snaps from the filming, my studio work in progress and Tom's studio mood board)

(Concept & Direction: Fred Butler, Kim Howells, Tom Ryling; Cinematography: Tom Ryling; Performance: Jace Moody; Styling: Kim Howells; Hair: Bianca Tuovi at CLM using Bumble and Bumble; Make-up: Yin Lee at ERA Management using M.A.C Cosmetics; Edit: Tom Ryling; Fashion: Fred Butler and Tom Ryling; Production: Fred Butler, Kim Howells, Tom Ryling; Thanks to: Ciara Clark, Chelsey Clarke, Nicci James and Amy Lee)

Friday 22nd Nov: Keely Hunter in KCC Alumni millinery show

This blog sees a lot of Keely Hunter action and here is another post to big her up on her birthday.  Last evening was the opening for the alumni group show at her old college, KCC.  Its been an exciting year for Keely since her last birthday, she has gained presence on schedule at London Fashion Week in Headonism and been part of the BYT scheme at Selfridges.  I can't wait to see what happens in this next year coming up……………. her millinery is light years ahead (pun intended) of what has been explored in the art form to date, and the only way is up, up, up …………..

Thurs 22nd Nov: Tom Guy at MACHINE A

Machine-A have just launched their Graduate Designers scheme by selecting three of this year's finest to have their first stockist.  One of these fresh talents is Tom Guy who I included in my report from Westminster College's show (see first pic).  Since this time I have got to know Tom and been lucky enough to acquire a pair of iridescent shoes from his collection.  Apparently his sister helped stick the Swarovski crystals and by the looks of it she has been on board again, as some of these pics are her record of last night's install at the Soho store.  Both Tom and Beth Postle have been given a window each to display their capsule collection for the boutique.   Tom has created ready-to-wear interpretations of his catwalk looks including a pink and yellow brocade biker jacket (available crystalized as in the show by special order) with matching skirt, metallic organza space suit, yellow glitter mesh dress and silver peplum skirt and crystal embellished side panels.  These spectacular Dolly Parton inspired pieces are now in place alongside MACHINE-A's rails of Ashish & Chalayan, ready to be snapped up by future talent investors………….. thanks to the selecting talents of owner & buyer Stavros Karelis and fashion director Anna Trevelyan.

(Thanks to Tom Guy, Laura Guy and Stavros for additional photos in this post)

Weds 20th Nov: "Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!" at Somerset House

Wow.  You can see here a snippet sample of what's in store at the latest Somerset House exhibition "Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!" which opened last evening.  A sea of hats worn in honour of the subject, flooded into the Embankment vault gallery to see the mass of millinery amassed by Blow during her untimely short life.  One of the main legacies left by Isabella is that she wore her otherworldly wardrobe on a daily basis and lived it all to the max instead of keeping it for best, boxed away.  Therefore the majority of the iconic headpieces on show have either been restored or completely re-made by Philip Treacy which is almost inconceivable as there are so many pieces on display and all totally unique designs.  I can never remember how I made something so I can't believe his team have been able to turn around the vast collection with materials that vary in experimental mediums from antique jacquard fabrics to molten perspex and precious materials.

BUT ITS NOT ALL ABOUT THE HATS.  The most exciting aspect is the original pieces from the degree collections that she discovered and invested in.  There is the actual decomposing Hussein Chalayan dress which she marched from his show straight into Browns.  She snapped up Alexander McQueen's student work by setting up a higher purchase scheme of paying him £100 a week with a piece being delivered to her each month.  I'm so pleased that this retrospective has happened so that everyone can read these anecdotes and learn that it was her who put these multi-national names on the global map.  It was Isabella's sartorial sense of smell for truffling out student talent that gave the British Fashion Council its constellation of future stars.  I was so chuffed to see this McQueen black lace violet corset which hooked me into the fashion world, seeing it shot in The Face by Nick Knight - with that exact story displayed by its side.  The whole show has been installed beautifully with curation by Shona Heath including Trompe L'Oiel wallpaper of Isabella's home interior which Shona visited to shoot.

This is a must-see for anyone with any inclining and appreciation for fashion and English eccentricity. It charts the whole of her life from the very beginning with family photos, thru to her notebooks and correspondence.  It's a neat summary of the exceptional creativity in recent history of UK fashion artistry as she personally collected pieces from each designer as they emerged into the limelight.

(Above, Lousie Gray & Piers Atkinson and Mary J Blige with Felicity Hayward who has leant me this gorgeous pic!)