Tues 3rd Feb: Just landed - The Colour Of Sound

Uslu Airlines have once again answered to my synesthesia callings with the latest edition to their nail varnish range. The previous collaboration for Colette's birthday in making a specially scented metallic blue colour, had me sniffing my fingers in a suspiciously unsociable regularity. This time, the concept has picked up on another of the 6 senses and has been developed with sound. Entitled "DJ Nails" its not so much about the speed at which said digits move but the choice of tune. 4 International DJ's were asked not only to write a track and pick a colour but also use the USLU trademark theme of airports to invent and title their very own gloss. For example BusyP (Justice) chose PSG -Petersburg in Alaska (James A Johnson airport) for his glow-in-the-dark version. Although he has never actually been there, the initials stand for PARIS SAINT GERMAIN which is his favourite football team.
For anyone that is in the dark about USLU .......... Feride Uslu founded the cosmetics company originally naming it after her unique airbrush application system before diversifying to other products. For example you can see circles of makeup airbrushed across the face and hair of a partygoer at the launch (accessorized with AMAZING rainbow necklace made from spraycan lids!). Thank you to Feride and Jan for sending me a selection of their iPhotos from the Colette Blogs Party No.1. (here is Feride - sitting right, obscuring her face with the magic manicure).






To check out the tracks by Headman, Rollerboys, Fetisch and BusyP go to http://www.myspace.com/usluairlinesdjs

Monday 2nd Feb: Scoop on the loop

Annalisa and Dorothee invited me over to their studio to receive a magnificent gift which is quite overwhelming. They have donated a multicolour llama motif cropped hoody to my monochrome wardrobe. So I now have a new section to cultivate - rainbow day!
But that wasn't the most exciting relevation of the trip. Blow me down, the girls casually slipped into conversation that they can now announce a previously hush hush hook-up. Cooperative Designs are officially now consulting for Hussein Chalayan!
After working for him last A/W on some showpieces, they were received so well that he asked them to come back and consult this season! You read it here 1st! (most probably?!)
Can't wait to see what materialises from these two houses of covertable classics!

Monday 2nd Feb: Its Snow Business

Never to miss a quick photoshoot opportunity, just before work, Alex Cunningham kindly lent me her balloons and snapped the moment. Yup, that's me rocking some mock crock high heeled welly boots. So wrong, it is undeniably just wrong NOT RIGHT. But its been worth it to watch the disdain and disbelief at peoples faces as they scan down my Kermit clobber and clock the offensive footwear. They are actually my sisters who acquired them on an early date romantic weekend in Venice.........it flooded and her boyfriend could only find this pair of boots for her...........2 sizes too big and distinctly disgusting.............hence I am now the proud owner..........

Sun 1st Feb: Portrait Profile Weekender Season 2 cont....

"and yes I guess I do have vagabond ways" is a story from Mads fashion work with stylist Susie Lloyd with whom he has collaborated on a number of menswear shoots. I think it must be quite rare for editorials to still be shot on film so its really nice to see that it can be the format of choice to obtain classical imagery. Mads took a picture of his desk and equipment for me to use in his profile............I love that his cat tried to get in on the act to juj up the still life............

Sun 1st Feb: Portrait Profile Weekender Season 2 cont....

A significant segment to Mads work is profiling music acts, all the way from 50 Cent to the staff at Rough Trade Records. Quite often these are humerous anecdotal set ups that appear spontaneous and a chance for artists to try something new but still be themselves. I like the way this quirky dry humour comes through the images in smiles and scenarios. I always admire photographers that can make thier subjects laugh and interact to create an energy when their face is hidden behind the camera. These examples are more pensive Polaroids (Bishi & Allison Moshart), so to see what I mean have fun trawling his archive at http://www.mads-perch.com/

Sat 31st Jan: Portrait Profile Weekender Season 2 cont....

The golden colours in this picture are beautiful and very different from the rest of the shoot that is light and crisp. Perhaps it was affected in the instant developing and came out wrong in an accidentally fortuitous way. It is this uncontrollable quality about Polaroid's that Mads likes in addition to how they can also alter over time:


"I like all the small mistakes/scratches that normally appears on the
Polaroids after they been laying around for awhile. - it almost reminds me
of old photographs- which is more and more a medium that's dying out.
In a time were almost everyone is moving onto digital, images are starting
to look more and more perfect and clean- I think it's worth remembering the
Polaroids and all the fascinating moments they can recall. Had they been
shots from a digital shoot they would probably have been erased because
why would you save non perfect images."

Sat 31st Jan: Portrait Profile Weekender Season 2 cont....

So here are the Kickers portraits I mentioned. I like to use un-seen pictures on this blog to give artists a platform to show more personal work. All the photos that Mads has sent me for this post are original Polaroids from his shoots for this reason and also to show the special magic that materialises in that moment:

"By re looking at these old
Polaroid's I became fascinated about the fact that most of them are taken
in a quite spontaneous moment before the actual shoot starts. Most of them
have been shot to check the technical aspects rather than thinking of the
model looking perfect. This again creates a more natural approach and I
believe that sometimes the best images are taken in the beginning when the
person you photograph is not completely ready.
By reshooting lots of stuff and re directing the models they become almost
to aware of being photographed and the shot quite easily ends up looking
to composed, almost to perfect if you like."

Mads had 1 day to shoot each designer and their muse for this story. That equated to negotiating a cast of about 16 different people which is a tough call for any photographer. But on top of this tall order, poor Mads came down ill with food poisoning the night before! Ever the professional, he soldiered through and managed to extract a gorgeous glimmer of the dynamic between each couple's relationship.
Yes that is Peter Jensen is his underwear! And Simon Foxton and his assistant at the time, Elgar Johnson who has his own shoot in current menswear issue of i-D with Jason Evans.

Sat 31st Jan: Portrait Profile Weekender Season 2

Last weekend I covered the work of Tara Darby who I collaborated with doing the still-life shots for the Kickers X Project. This weekend I'm going to shift focus to photographer Mads Perch who I met at this time. It was 2 summers ago at a sunny August birthday picnic in Regents Park. We went through the customary polite convo of "What do you do?" It turned out we were coincidentally working on the same thing without knowing. Whilst I was styling the boots for press, Mads was snapping the actual designers for a feature in i-D. These portraits then became part of the installation we were asked to curate for the Kickers launch at the following fashion week in a deserted library on the Euston Road.
So to introduce his work, here are a couple of other designer portraits that he has been commissioned to do in the past. Mads has been lucky enough to shoot some fascinating characters and captured some real moments in history and evolution of the subject's individual career and times. I love this picture of Zandra and Andrew Logan from an article in i-D "Two Peas In A Pod"

Fri 30th January: Michael Vanderham

When Professor Louise Wilson had her OBE celebratory party, friends flew in to London especially for the event (eg. Balenciaga's Alistair Carr from Paris & Zero's Maria Conejo from NYC). One of her achievements awarded by the Queen is the continued success of her ability to sniff out an abundant source of future fashion stars. So who is going to emerge from the smoky corridors of Central this season?
My blog has a newly appointed assistant Ben Fern who will be contributing to the content of my page from here on in. For his 1st report I asked him to catch up with my top tip Michael Vanderham who will be showing at the CSM MA show in February.
************** WATCH THIS SPACE******************



Apparently you use a lot of fabric manipualtion and textile techniques in your work?

I used to however now I use a lot less, now I use more textiles and use the wieghts of the fabrics to work within my designs to contrast the weights- opposites.

Which designers have you trained with?
I've only worked with Mcqueen, Three as Four (NYC) and a few others.
(I also know for fact that Michael worked a long placement with Sophia Kokosolaki too, so I think there is some modesty here)

Who can you see yourself working for in the future?
I'm not really sure I have no idea as I don't really have any plans for after MA as of yet.

Who is your ideal muse?
Well being as though my work is quite ecclectic I have many influences such as Grace Jones, which I then contrast with other less outrageous people, but not as such a muse.

I know you don't want to say much about your collection for fashion week, however could you perhaps let me in on the theme?
Well as always my looks are going to be labour intensive with lots of hand sewing and a major amount of hand finishing. There will be 10 party dresses which will all be constructed to be layered and extremely busy to look at.

Did you always see yourself going down this fashion path?
I've been doing this since I was 16 so yeah I suppose so.

And finally, do you have any tips on who to look out for from CSM MA at fashion week?

errrmmmmmmmmm yeah there's two that instantly come to mind - Laura Mackness and Chary Westberg.

Tues 28th Jan: Fear and Loathing in Camden Town

I have been sitting on this one for a long time................the artwork for the new Lily Allen album was shot back in the Summer and i have patiently waited to preview the preparation. The cover for the 1st single from the album "The Fear" which features Lily sitting atop her own name in gigantic letters was the mastermind set, designed by Andy Hillman. There are some surprises to come judging from the treats that materialized during a week of intensive prop making from the team of regular specialists and friends that join our studio for such events. My lips are sealed but I'm buzzing with excitement to see the launch of the actual album on Feb 9th and the campaign popping up all over LDN.
Lily is going to debut the new tracks at her 1st gig in London for 2 years at KOKO tonight. Apparently its going to be a "rare and exclusive" set?! She kept hold of all the props from this shoot so who knows there might even be a special set on stage*

(*that is purely personal conjecture, not 1oz of fact, but fingers crossed)

Mon 26th Jan: Thank God Its Not Blue Monday

Photo from meeting with Kim Howells and Elisha Smith-Leverock who snapped us to record the uncanny coincidental match of hue.

Sun 25th Jan: Portrait Profile Weekender Part 4

To finish off, here are a couple of portraits of one of Tara's muses Sylva Kay who is a singer and the subject of her upcoming show at the Future Homes Gallery on Andrews Rd. Sylva will be performing at the private view on Feb 5th under the guise of IC with her musical partner Kevin Cormack a.k.a Half Cousin. Together they create "intimate, minimal songs........ a collaboration with krautrock, alt pop, new wave and dance music, creating something sensual, driven, and buzzing with flair".
As part of this group show, Tara is also going to be previewing a short film called 'Access Every Sparkle'. To check out Tara's new work, head east to Broadway market where she is exhibiting alongside another one of my favourite photographers fresh back from NY Annie Collinge..

Sun 25th Jan: Portrait Profile Weekender Part 3

Tara sent over some scanned Polaroids and an unpublished favourite shot from "Fleeting Sky" which was a shoot in the previous issue of Amelia's Magazine (a collaboration with stylist Milena Silvano). The story was inspired by the Ecofeminist Julia Butterfly Hill who spent some time campaigning for a forest's protection by living at the top of a 600 yr old Redwood tree. For Tara's shoot, set designer James Hatt designed and built their very own tree house with recycled old doors and windows,packing crates and pallets.





some images from The Fleeting Skies shoot I did for Amelia, polaroids and an image that did not get used

Sat 24th Jan: Portrait Profile Weekender Part 2

Stu Stu Studio.

When I ask people to contribute pictures for my entries I always ask for a snap of their working studio as I am fascinated in discovering different interpretations of space and accumulation of paraphernalia. (It was this theme in my work that Tara and I once collaborated. For the Kickers X Project I collected belongings from each designer to use within the prop styling.) Most people selectively ignore this request which i presume is down to a self conscious fear of sharing the reality of their tidiness!
Refreshingly, Tara responded and here is a photograph of her studio which even she had to mention is "a bit messy"! Woops, if that's messy, mine is Armageddon in comparison!
The other 2 pictures are of Roger Hiorns' studio which are unpublished out takes from when she took his portrait for GQ magazine. I have to confess that I am not familiar with his work so in a "Through The Key Hole" manner I had to think "Who could possibly live in a house like thiiiias?" from decoding his collectables. As it transpires he is actually an artist known for his "exceptional use of unlikely materials: detergent, disinfectant, perfume, fire and copper sulphate crystals. Transforming steel poles, car engines and cardboard architectural models into crystalline forms, Hiorns effects surprising, physical and aesthetic transformations on found objects".
(www.artangel.org.uk)

Sat 24th Jan: Portrait Profile Weekender

I am going to dedicate this weekend solely to photographer Tara Darby and her portraiture which I am a massive fan of. I recently saw a front cover on the magazine rack, and thought to myself, Christ that is the best picture Ive seen of that musician to date. As no surprise I turned to the credits and saw that it was by Tara.
There is an ease and peace in her portraits which allows the subject to show a side more personal than regular press shots you grow accustomed to. She has an ability to unearth an interaction that gives the images a magical integrity. Tara's body of work includes legendary creatives such as Karl Largerfeld, Vidall Sassoon and Robin Day through to new interests such as Katy Perry, Bat For Lashes and Alexa Chung. The extensive archive is divided across commissions in music, fashion, political news and then onto personal subjects and books.
It is a personal project that I have picked up on here because it is one of my faves trawling her website and one that has popped up on her blog. I got in touch with Tara to contribute some pictures for this feature and she explained "I have several muses that have become friends who I photograph over and over- the first few images are of artist Delaine Le Bas". This artist really appeals to me as it seems that she unconsciously matches her clothes to her artwork and the aesthetic is totally unconcious and unique. Her wardrobe is a real mix of heavily embroidered and appliqued dense coloured garments of varying genres. The other thing I like in this series is the indications of their time spent together with tea, biscuits and Easter bunny napkins caught in still-life shots.

Friday 23 Jan: Shiny Happy People

Whilst the menswear shows are galloping along across the pond, there were new collections previewed in London on Wednesday night from the LCF MA Fashion Design and Technology graduates. Unfortunately I couldn't go and these jpegs jumped straight out of the press release folder to make me even more remorseful for missing the showcase. If I were a man this would be my dream tailoring and it seems I'm not alone as Rohan Kale won the On|Off Reinvents prize . What luxurious use of pattern, colour and fabric. On second thoughts, when has gender ever swade my sartorial decisions?! I would definitely rock one of these suits given the chance!

Friday 23 Jan: LOOK BOOK

My S/S 09 look book designed by "No Days Off".
As photographed by Amy Gwatkin on the wall of the "Mishkin" studio who shot the images.

Friday 23 Jan: Studio Space Available

The criminally stunning studio of "No Days Off" currently have a transition of tenants and a desk space available to rent. I tend to get the fear at the prospect of having to leave my own studio to travel anywhere for a meeting and abandon my sewing machine. But the exception to the rule is any invitation to visit Teo and Pat at their new HQ in Aldgate. The space is a hive of busy bee creative spaces, situated in a converted block of shipping containers. It is so snazy, as I sit and drink tea from a Pantone mug, looking out the port hole window at the view of Canary Wharf and London's crazy skyline, I romanticize about working there myself. The fact they wouldn't let me within 5 yards of the place due to my intolerable messy antics of hand-dyeing and deluge of giggly work experience entourage is another matter!
If you are looking for a new year switch of residency and an enticing destination to have reason to jump out of bed in the morning, check the stats:

Details
• Available immediately
• £260 per month inclusive of all bills
• High speed broadband
• Sharing with three friendly designers
• Spacious studio with loads of natural light (and great sunsets). Room to store books on our shelves if needed.
• Pinchin Street Studios is a five storey environmentally friendly building made from recycled shipping containers. Our studio is on the third floor. There is access via a central staircase and a lift. There is a plant nursery on the roof, surrounding a small open area that can be used to sit and have lunch at, for drinks, or just to look out over the fantastic views of the city. It's only 5 mins walk from Aldgate East, Aldgate, Whitechapel, Tower Hill, Tower Gateway or Shadwell, so there's lots of choices for nearest tube. It's also close to Brick Lane and all the shops and bars and curries you could ever need. Here's a map:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=4+Pinchin+St,+London,+Greater+London,+E1+1SA&sll=51.511437,-0.064644&sspn=0.011298,0.028582&ie=UTF8&ll=51.51793,-0.060425&spn=0.011297,0.028582&z=14&iwloc=addr&source=embed






Patrick Duffy
--
No Days Off

+44 (0)20 7488 9008

Thurs 22nd Jan: Incoming post from illustrator/animator Morgan Lloyd who travelled from NYC to Washington for the inauguration.

Does anyone remember Uncle Travelling Mack from Fraggles Rock? I used to love it when they read out his postcards from world adventures so in a similar vein I asked Morgan to cover the happenings for my blog. He has written a detailed description of his day as a Londoner transplanted into this historical event. Instead of trying to interpret his 1st hand account, I have used his original version but edited it down (sorry Mo!).

"
Everyone LOVES Obama... Bush and Cheney were seriously boo'ed when they appeared on the Jumbo-tron (the big screens), that was very funny. When Obama was sworn in everyone went ape-shit, people hugging and kissing. His speech went down very well, people were crying.

We got there at 9:00am and it was rammed then and we were a mile away from the preceedings! Everyone was in a very good mood. Some people had tickets to watch the inauguration seated up-close (see photo of ticket). But the people in the purple section (25000 of them) were refused entry because somebody jumped over the barriers and security became paranoid.

I loved the crap that was being sold on the streets, (see pic of glasses). So many stalls selling the usual flags, t-shirts, posters, plastic wallets with Obamas portrait. Tyler bought a $20 watch with a face the size of a jam lid with fake diamonds encrusted all over it with Obamas face looking proud. It's very cool. Flags, american ties, socks, underwear, sportswear anything you want... all Obama!! Apparently, this was unique, Bush and Clinton never had such tacky crap in tribute to them.

Everyone went on partying afterwards. The mood was great, everyone was so chuffed to be free from Bush and doubley chuffed to have gained an inspirational leader. When we were in the restaurant getting some food after our 8hr standing in the cold, the parade was being shown on the TV's around the bar, whenever Obama was on the screen everyone would scream with pride. People who didn't know you would grab you and hug you and hold your hand while they stare you in the eyes smiling, holding back their tears. Just when he appeared on TV. When he and Michelle got out of their Limo to wave at the crowd the bar was deafening.

"

Thurs 22nd Jan: Handsome Prints

This morning I came across the most impressive topiary Ive witnessed outside of a stately home. The beautifully carved beast reminded me of a scary pop-up Edward Gorey book I had when I was a kid. Funnily enough I was visiting the home of another illustrator and it has brought about some exciting news to share. If you have any pennies stashed in a piggy bank, the best thing to do is follow my advice and smash the cochon open. Jim Stoten who is the next generation's answer to Alan Aldridge is currently doing a special sale of his limited edition prints. When I saw his last exhibition I had to shed a tear at the idea of buying one of his artworks was as much fantasy as the content of his surreal sketches. But no! There is a chance! This selection were originally priced at £85 each but now reduced to £30. ..........
...just go to the shop section ..http://jimtheillustrator.bigcartel.com/. This picture is for you to see what they look like framed and how you need one on your wall! Invest now, laugh later!

Weds 21st Jan: Kentish Town, Kentish Town yes, Kentish Town, Kentish Town, No!

Upcoming show at my local gallery Spring Projects:

The Good, The Bad, The Belle
Alice Hawkins and Barnaby Barford

Spring House, 10 Spring Place, London NW5 3BH

The exhibition runs from the 27th February to 5th April 2009
Gallery open: Tuesday – Wednesday 10am – 5pm
Thursday – Friday 12pm – 7pm, Saturday 11am – 4pm
Damaged Goods will be screened in Spring’s cinema on Saturdays throughout the exhibition.

The obvious bonus of living round the corner is being able to get to early-bird call times for shoots in the studios.
The other bonus is a guilty confession. It came about at the particular event of the infamous LFW POP magazine party 2 years ago when the cloakroom was raided. Every fashion editor, photographer and model who attended lost their coats. All apart from me and my guest because we walked through the February frosty night in our frocks. Not good karma to gloat I know, but we were grateful for fate in our favour on that cursed night!

Tues 20th Jan: Mission Impossible

My studio mate Andy Macgregor spent a few days collecting colourful objects to comprise the following colour wheel advert for a new Guardian career campaign. I had to forcibly restrain myself from peaking into the shopping bags to check our the goodies that kept arriving with teasing snippets poking out the top. I am nosy by nature and colour obsessed so the combination was too much to handle. So thank God I can finally see the fruits of his labours in this picture that is produced by 100% prop styling with no post production other than minor colour manipulation. How on earth did he arrange it in such detail without knocking bits over. Did he hang over the floor via suspension cable in a Tom Cruise style or glue each piece to an upright? Im not sure but the centre-fold broadsheet advert has gone straight up on the studio wall to join our collection of cosmic curios.
Photography by Jasper White

Mon 19th Jan: Do not adjust your set

Alex Cunningham became my fairy godmother in answering my wishes for a Peter Jensen Top Shop scallop dress and secured me one of the last treasures in the sale. I was so excited trying on my new present, it occurred to me what has Peter been up to since? To reaffirm my opinion of Peter as a genuine, considerate soul behind the stitching............the house of Jensen replied and sent these images of their new houses. In a collaboration with set designer Shona Heath the 3rd floor of Dover Street Market has been transformed with a mini exhibition space. The upside-down town has been built/hung to launch a special collection of 6 dresses designed for DSM.
What I love about Peter, is that he has strategically amassed a cult following and successful business in squirrel silence. Every inch of his ascendancy has been down to the top-notch craftsmanship and concept, consistently presented season after season. The work has spoken for itself and never needed any smokescreen "all singing,-all dancing" Pr and marketing. However, in saying that, there was a catwalk show literally choreographed with ice- skaters for S/S 2005. Just one of Peter's inventive ideas carried out subtlety and naturally for those with a discerning eye at the time. His talent is developing a high calibre of ingenuity in all aspects of the label, mixed with ridiculous hard graft. When I worked next door, I could never understand why he worked "ompa lumpa" style, seemingly never entering or leaving but just always being there. Now I not only see why but appreciate why. To single handedly turn out an intelligently idiosyncratic wearable line with equally meticulous shows takes DEDICATION. Massive respect due. You are the master. With a sense of humour to boot! Hooray!