Here are some professional shots of my silver look (as seen in previous Hannah Marshall post). Dan Wilton snapped my wardrobe for the latest Super Super Magazine which includes a lovely introduction on the contributors page - thanks Dominik! Im wearing silver pieces from my A/W09 Heliocentric Electric collection and a Rainbow Brite costume by Chloe Bell with shoe covers I made many, many moons ago for my Buffalos!
The ying to my yang is fellow Essex girl Hannah Marshall who is famed for wearing all black to set off her jet black razor sharp raven locks. When Im wearing white with my blonde hair worn down its a good gag! Now Hannah has moved round the corner there will be more chancees to cross paths for a photo opportunity (see one from last LFW). Last weekend I popped in to say hello and have a catch up on her latest news. She was finishing off a custom made dress for her muse Erin Connor to be worn in an upcoming cover shot - hence the model's measurements pinned up on the wall. As the new season is upon us, I couldn't photograph any garments under construction but here are the record covers she has as inspiration. Her reference books sit on the window sill with her logo embosser used ingeniously as the book end. The wall of S/S mood images and swatches looked tantalising so I'm waiting with bated breath to see her show in September...............and fingers crossed I'll be able to bring you some insider news on that at the time.............until then keep your eyes peeled for a select few pop princesses appearing in her sexalicious architectural suits and dresses............
Im always checking in with friends to see what they up to and on hearing that Jim Stoten has signed to Big Active I dropped him a line.......... and here is the answer.........
"What's happening Fred Butler?
I'll TELL you what's happening!
Me and Tom are headlining at Heavy Pencil in Stockholm!"
So here is the flyer for those of you in Stockholm on Saturday, pencil it in your diary! Here is also a recent illustration, how his desk is looking today and a photo of the man himself from the last Heavy Pencil gig, where he literally wore a pencil!
Thanks to Holly at 1973 I have a selection of their new Pantone range......delivered in a package with a GIANT postage stamp! Photography can never capture true neon colours so I'm afraid you'll have to use your imagination slightly as the hues are not close to the originals in this snap. Basically, some of these greeting cards are NEON!!!! I also got some wrapping paper too so look out if you are expecting a present from me.................. The range of 24 colours also includes notebooks, postcards and swing tags. If you head over to their shop to have a look also check out the screen prints whilst you're at it (Ive just dragged off an image of my fave as reference)!!
Once in a blue moon, the fashion designers of London Town peel themselves away from the pattern-cutting table and take a glimpse of the outside world by congregating for an event known as "Fashion Social". Like bunnies caught in headlights, fashion peeps take on the challenge of testing thier social skills by mingling and trade the daily diet of coca cola and cigarettes for a day of ........well er,.......champagne and cigarettes.......and an exceptional slice of Shoreditch House pizza. It is a chance for the cliques to crossover and barriers drop, so that the community can leave the isolation of thier studios and finally meet each other outside of the usual fashion week party circus. One of the stipulations of such a rare occasion is that no press is present to guarantee a relaxed unconfrontational environment. Abiding to the rules I didn't get snap happy but took just a little slice of sartorial sections in a secret squirrel hidden camera type style. So here we have details of the designers garms.........unfortunately I missed getting Mandi Lennard's Nike logo manicure and Bape green plastic gorilla ring AND Judy Blame's yellow Dr. Marten's lace and button broach pinned onto his mustard check suit......... next time! (1-2: Holly Fulton, 3-4: Louise Gray, 5: NOKI, 6: Myles Johnson, 7: Tom Ryling)
Thanks to Supermarket Sarah for the live image contribution from Goodwood yesterday...........just after uploading the post, I headed out and happened to see Bethan Wood who is the current guest curator on Sarah's wall........ here she is with NOKI striking what appears to be a classic catalogue pose by pointing into the middle distance...........infact she was indicating that my bus was about to leave .......... so I'm glad I managed to get this shot just in the nick of time!
Check out the Wood Wall for lots of Behtan's beautiful silk prints and tonnes of her own vintage pieces she's prepared to part with and put on sale .........
If you've ever visited the Lazy Oaf shop at Carnaby Street, you're equally as likely to have overheard someone trying to (unsuccessfully) buy part of the decor. So what would the studio of the master team behind Lazy Oaf actually look like..? I was lucky enough to find out.
New residents to the neighborhood (Lazy Oaf moved in a just over year ago) the spacious studio houses just as much business as creativity. Upon entering the studio there is a self titled 'shelf of dreams' which has everything from books of inspirational material to loafers studded with googley eyes and plush teeth. The Lazy Oaf personality is undeniably everywhere you look: a giant perspex 'Lazy Oaf' sign hanging next to a plush wolf head, rainbow computer keyboards, mimi clown pom pom hats, not to mention a Fred Butler paper bird chilling on a rainbow! My personal favourite section was a toss up between the array of skulls with crystallised eyes and sofa straining with lazy oaf cushions.
The lovely team at Lazy Oaf were nice enough to gift the above rucksack, which is what Fred would probably look like in bag form. Naturally Fred popped it on as soon as she got her mitts on it!
Lazy Oaf recently hosted an 'Let's face it' event at the Tate, which invited illustrators- both aspiring and established- to get creative and draw self portraits. The event was a roaring success, and you can see the results and pictures here . To go through the keyhole and see the house of Lazy Oaf director Gemma Shiel, click here.
One of the questions in the little interview in the 30th anniversary edition of i-D asks when you were first in the magazine............my answer was 2004 in a straight-up shot by Steve Smith in a shoot entitled "London Belongs To Me"............ here is the original Polaroid...........from the days before digital!
Since Gary Card has moved into the block I have been pestering him like a pap to take pictures to write up a post to document the residency. Over the last couple of months, different gizmos and gadgets have been creeping in and taking over the walls as the turnover of jobs has spilt from shoots into his studio. I am like a rat up a drainpipe as soon as I hear of a new studio to visit and document to see different artists creative spaces and habitats. Gary's was a particularly exciting prospect as he was bound to have an accumulation of hand crafted characters and monsters amongst his tools and prop making paraphernalia. Although he is still not quite fully installed, there is a wealth of illustrations and artefacts for any visitor to feast their eyes on and find out anecdotes from the background momentos. I'm very lucky to be able to drop in on the set designer dandy for a catch up over a cuppa, but its not all kept behind closed doors as Gary has his own blog (for those of you that might not already be aware). So head over to http://garycardiology.blogspot.com/ for all the background info on his brainstorms.
(Since my post yesterday I have had a chance to sift through the pages of the 30th anniversary issue of i-D and decipher that it is ordered in alphabetical order! So my comment regarding the coincidence of Gary and Gemma Slack being next to my own portrait is totally void - DOH! I am not the sharpest tool in the box........... For a more reliable source, check i-D and SHOWstudio)
