Friday 29th March: Pelicans & Parrots Below

A beautiful new pop-up bar has opened in the basement of Pelicans & Parrots boutique....... which you access by opening an unsuspecting panel out of the changing room upstairs ........ so its quite literally a CS Lewis experience.  The space is decked out like a proper "Rum Shop" with the bar encased in a steel shell shack, stocked with a plethora of cocktail party paraphernalia from paper fruit straws to Pelican twizzle sticks!  The colour-block retro furniture is carried thru to the  feather headdress ornaments and decorations  hand-made my Juliet and her sister.  This is a very exciting addition to the "strip" that is rapidly evolving along Kingsland road in Dalston, and a destination I am looking forward to re-visiting when it next opens the wardrobe door.......

Find out more via their Twitter and Facebook pages.

Thurs 28th March: Easter Bonnet Parade Party at The Sanderson

I'm all about having fun within the realm of fashion and making it an enjoyable, accessible medium.  I love the London heritage of pageants from the past such as Andrew Logan's Alternative Miss World (currently exhibited in the TATE Modern) which define a moment in time with the contestants from the arts community.  I wanted to resurrect* the tradition and bring together all of my friends for a party in this vein and also open it up to the public to join in the experience.  It was absolutely hilarious with Jonny Woo as the perfect and professional compere, narrating the "walk off" to make the contestants feel at ease and celebrated for their had work.  The judging panel comprised of Vogue's Emma Elwick-Bates, LOVE's Alex Fury and freelance stylists Margaret Crow and Kim Howells who voted Piers Atkinson was the stand out winner.   The attention to detail in his faux-Vuitton pastiche outfit which must have taken so long to make was modelled to full effect by the milliner himself sashaying and posing like an original Vogue ball!  A very close runner up were Tatty Devine who constructed an exquisite double fried egg bonnet with matching dresses for the models.  I was blown away with the effort everyone went to, considering it was the first competition with no barometer of expectation............. I would love to be able to make this party at the Sanderson Hotel an annual highlight in the fashion calender!!!  

*Easter pun intended

All imagery collated from participants individual sources:

(Top to bottom:  My records for dj'n, Jonny Woo wearing Alex Noble Couture,  PARTIMI SS13 Pelican by Lizzie Mcquade, Precious Metal a.k.a Piers Atkinson & Philip Dunn, Precious Metal & Tatty Devine, Tatty Devine's models and designer Harriet Vine, Ellie Jauncey & Anna Day from Flower Appreciation Society en route, Hannah Kane for Phoenix Magazine, Katherine Ferdinand, Rosy Nicholas & Keely Hunter, Antipodium, my Sombrero!) 
Films:  Margot Bowman making her triple ear bonnet and Jonny Woo demonstrating how to walk the runway in The Sanderson open courtyard garden. http://www.lizziemcquade.co.uk/

Weds 27th March: A Bigger Splash at TATE Modern

I'm so glad I made it to this exhibition before it finishes - its full of lots of my favourite things - David Hockney (obviously), Cindy Sherman, Yayoi Kusama, Yves Klein, Niki de Saint Phalle, Andrew Logan, Duncan Grant......... lots of drag and early experimental performance art and its documentation.  Its fantastic to see a whole cabinet dedicated to Andrew's "Alternative Miss World" with original invitations, letters and photos of contestants including Leigh Bowery.  

A Bigger Splash:  Painting After Performance 

14 November 2012 – 1 April 2013

Weds 27th March: Lichtenstein at TATE Modern

"Lichtenstein: A Retrospective" at TATE Modern is most certainly worth a visit and to be bookmarked in your exhibition trip diary because it unveils so much more than you assume.  Ive photographed pieces to illustrate this - artworks that Ive never seen before including sculptures which was a complete revelation to me!  The metal tubular shapes are so beautiful, I wish there was jewellery like this!!

Check out the related events here.

Tues 26th March: "David Bowie Is" at The V&A (photos via RBPM)

I am a die-hard Bowie fan.  Ive collected the records, have pictures on my wall............ hunt out Kansai Yamamoto in thrift stores ........... only fancy men in makeup (that's another story)........... and basically bow to the phophet of cool at every altar .......... such as the Terry O'Neill portrait in Liberty's menswear department.  I'm agnostic but Rainbowie is possibly the closet thing I have to practising religion, worshiping false idols.

So on finding out the V&A were putting on a major Bowie retrospective, the pilgrimage to the mecca on Museum Street was made.

Unfortunately photos aren't allowed so here are images contributed from Rob Myers who stealthily snapped the private view to share the experience ....... from the ticket stub to Tilda Swinton.

Although I presume Im fairly well informed on all things Space Oddity, I actually learnt so much new information and anecdotes from this heavily annotated show.  For example I didn't even realise the original "Scary Monsters" artwork of of Brian Duffy's photographs collaged in a painting by Edward Bell is absolutely MASSIVE............ that Lauren Bacall was an inspiration for his portrait on Hunky Dory ........ that Ziggy Stardust was shot on Heddon Street.......... that Sonia Delauney's dadaist theatre costumes influenced his outfit for "The Man Who Sold The World" performance on Saturday Night Live with Klaus Nomi, which laterlly gave Klaus his signature wide shoulder silhouette..............

The show is jam-packed with incredible material - both physical objects and stories relating and re-telling each stage on the evolution of his career.  Book your ticket now if you haven't already, this is an absolute must see and cant be missed.......... especially the exceptional events schedule.  

David Bowie Is 

23 March – 11 August 2013

Thanks to Rob for the imagery :  )