Thurs June 10th: New Gen announced

Well Done Craig Lawrence!
Here he is on the day we found out that he has been granted a presentation at LFW in Sept by winning his fourth season with the New Gen scheme. Read who else has been selected for Spring/Summer here.

Thurs June 10th: Graduate Fashion Week

Im in Germany for 2 days so I don't have time to write this up just now...............but here are snaps of last nights Graduate Fashion Week Gala show and the art work which I helped judge as part of a student contest to win your design across the whole weeks scheme on bags and t-shirts.............

Weds June 9th: Fashionably Curious

You may recognise this studded policeman's helmet from yesterday's Lady Gaga video premiere............as worn by "Evandro" ...........and made by Belgian design duo "Mouton Collet". The helmet has been on display as part of the "Fashionably Curious" exhibition curated by St.Martins students as a site specific show at 18 Stafford Terrace - the previous home of Punch cartoonist Edward linley Sambourne. The group have brought together a comprehensive collection of designer pieces to integrate into this museum as a running commentary to compliment each themed room of the house. They have selected and sourced specific pieces to formulate a story that relates to the life of the inhabitants and installed them in nooks and crannies of the permanent interior set up.............for example, pages of ACNE paper have been framed and hung up the stairway within Sambourne's artwork..........the tear sheets are editorial portraits of CSM design alumni shot by Lord Snowdon who was the great-grandson of Linley Sambourne! The girls have done their research! Everything links up and mixes in to the history of the house within their own fairytale and fantasy concept for "Fashionably Curious".
The "Mouton Collet" helmet rests next to my Heliocentric Electric hat and opposite a Stephen Jones Union Jack Top Hat on desks in The Drawing Room as part of a Mad Hatters Tea Party display after Lewis Carroll. I love the way that seasons have been mixed up and archive pieces revisited............such as this incredible Andrew Groves "Ordinary Madness" spiked nail outfit from 1997............Hussein Chalayan "Airmail Dress" from 1999.............and Shelley Fox "Pillowcase Jacket" from 2003........
I am so impressed with the attention to detail implemented in this exhibition and extraordinary thought gone into the planning of the whole project. Its the last few days so try and get over to Kensington before the 13th to see dresses by McQueen, Westwood, Jonathan Saunders, Marios Schwab, Giles Deacon, Peter Jensen, Mary Katrantzou....................

For more details, check thier blog here

Thanks to Emily Beard for taking these photos for me.

Tues 8th June: NIKE RED’s TIED TOGETHER

Over 24 hours, 24 teams are running a relay race to raise awareness for (RED) charity in conjunction with NIKE. The event is also taking place in New York, Milan, Berlin and Paris so have a look what is happening in your city to help raise awarness of AIDS in Africa. The charity has been set up to maintain getting medicine out to those with HIV and expanding education programs to put a stop to the epidemic.
I took part in the early hours of this morning as part of the WORK IT girls team who were allocated midnight till 1am. We were handed the baton from Girlcore who had been laying down red gaffa tape and came across the finishing line with a (pretend) gigantic ball of wound up red gaffa tape. Previously Girlcore had taken over from the Wilson Brothers who had made a go-cart decorated with Red Neon to cycle their stretch having themselves taken over from WAH! who had cycled to Buckingham Palace and back. Our novel idea was to conga from the NIKE store all the way down Kingsland Road to hit the destination of "Visions Video" where the girls hold their club night WORK IT. After braving the rain on the way down we broke out of our conger line to have a dance with our umbrellas to SWV on the boombox:

"Sure as the sun is shining
Our love will keep on climbing
There's gonna be some rain
Gonna beat the pain
But as long as I know
Boy, time will show
Our love will grow
And I know"

Much fun was had getting the girls together for a giggle and it was all for a good cause and contribution to the NIKE project..................which is still running (literally) today...........culminating with the final lap between 7-8 which is open to the public to join the last leg. Special red shoelaces have been made for the event and can be purchased to raise funds as well as jazz up your kicks. Each team designed their own T-Shirts with WAH tie-dying thiers and WORK IT making a logo from their tessellating Lil Kim graphics! The girls have also made a mix tape which I can't wait to listen to but I'm gonna have to dig out a cassette player..............or maybe my vintage Walkman! Congrats Loren and Sara for organising thier crew of sisters doing it for themselves.


If you havn't been already, check out the NIKE concept store which has been designed by the Wilson Brothers:
Nike Stadium - 1948 Arches 477 - 478 Bateman's Row, Shoreditch, London EC2A 3HH

Monday June 7th: Art Car Boot Fair

The day started with meeting Bishi on Brick Lane where she had just snapped up an exciting steal from a stall - a vintage Pam Hogg bra. We then headed to the Truman Brewery for the Art Car Boot Fair where amongst a car lot of artists was Pam Hogg with her own stall! So we managed to get an instant history to the garment and found out that it was from one of her first collections "Flower of Scotland" which she made for a group show with other designers and later sold to Harrods. I LOVE LONDON for days like this!

(Top to bottom: The Pam Hogg fringed bra and shots of her art car boot stall, Bishi with gorgeous Corrine Drewery of "Swing out Sister", "The Curious Confectioner", David David, The Amazing Marawa Hula-Hooping)

Navigating my way round this maze of motors I may have managed to miss the actual artists touting their wares such as Sir Peter Blake, Gavin Turk etc. but to be honest getting a signed Pam Hogg poster and watching the genius Marawa totally made my day................and weekend.

Monday June 7th: Hold On To More - Josephine Chime

Josephine Chime has just opened her latest exhibition in Shoreditch named "Hold On To More", following on from her previous work "Bodacious Bodies". Josephine has drafted intricate, patterned portraits of ladies with a fuller figure / more to hold on to! These beauties have been given titles for each month e.g Miss July or Miss September ............... like Playboy centrefolds but these are delicate dot drawings. In addition to the small framed ink works are a couple of larger wooden figures with their faces cut out like caricature games you find on a seaside Pier. There is also a 3D textile sculpture with African fabric cut-outs integrated into the painted wood pieces...............the subject of which you'll have to go and see for yourself............or perhaps you can just about identify the shapes in this photos.............which brings me to an actual whole multicolour suit she once made from fabric cut outs of penises! Josephine studied textiles and freelances in print design alongside her fine art. You may also recognise her from being the only girl to model last season on the menswear day for New Power Studio. There is also a beautiful portrait of Josephine by Liz Collins in "The Gentlewoman" where she discusses her love of cycling! If she takes part in another interview not related to her actual work, I would like to hear her views on mobile phones............she adamantly HATES them and the way they are taking over our lives...............a subject I feel very strongly about ..............BUT before I get lost down that route, just watch the video for New Power Studio featuring the lady herself for some light hearted Monday morning entertainment by clicking here.

"Hold Onto More" will run until July 2nd by appointment only.
To book contact info@thefirmbiz.co.uk

Sunday June 6th: Piers Atkinson Crew

On Friday night we went to a fancy dress party "Super".............with no costumes planned we picked up Piers hats (with permission) and hit the party en masse. Craig wore a Barbie head head-band, I wore a NOKI mickey mouse ear baseball cap and Kim wore a hair-roller hair piece. We bumped into Rosy wearing one of my Heliocentric Electric silver disc head-bands...................Next Stop Ascot.......... I think we'll blend in perfectly!

Sunday June 6th: Julie V

(just found this on facebook c/o of Thelma Speirs.........you can't see the hair but its a great pic anyway!)