Saturday 10th January 2015: London Collections Men AW15 - Agi & Sam via Isamaya Ffrench

Thanks to makeup magician Isamaya Ffrench for her backstage photos from the Agi & Sam show "Coolman" for which she created Lego masks in keeping with the Montessori theme.  The thing I count on when anticipating an Agi & Sam show is that it will be FUN and this season the duo delivered a collection actually designed with kids!  The idea was spawn from re-discovering sketches Agi had drawn at four years old, his first foray into a future fate of a clothing line!  They contacted their primary schools to get the current pupils involved in pattern cutting by giving them deconstructed garments with velcro to piece back together.  A clue to this puzzle concept arrived in our post as the invite to the show, printed and cut into a jigsaw.  The artwork to follow to figure out the arrangement was the collection's print of the children's painterly mark-making from their original graphics.  Although the foundation of the mis-match silhouettes came from junior sources, the outcome was seriously sophisticated with knitwear in collaboration with Jaeger.  The timeline and lineage of Agi & Sam's progression is becoming increasingly refined and streamlined as the season's roll on.  There's still the inherent playfulness but the outcome is swaying more subtle and potentially, well, grown up ............... albeit from Agi's 4 year old designer self!!  

(top photo by me, other three by Isamaya - follow her Instagram here)  

Saturday 10th January 2015: London Collections Men AW15 - Wales Bonner "Ebonics"

What can I say?  I am in LOVE with Wales Bonner.  I think this is going to be my absolute highlight of LCM and we're only half way thru.  Not only did she present this stunning collection / installation, but I also got given a beautiful accompanying publication with her collages in collaboration with Ditto Press "Everythings For Real".  Follow her here.

"Ebonics is a black symphony.  A riff of exoticism - echoing through the ballrooms of the Harlem Renaissance.  The Afro-American poet/dancer performs with the vibrating interrogation of the radical Amiri Baraka.  Seventies decadence reprises early 19th Century representations of the Other via Chanel and Poiret but with an immediacy of the street.  Carl Van Vechten's portraits of homosexuality entwine with the tones of Langston, the gentle elegance of synchronised lovers, the music of spoken word is all there.                 

Everything is for Real.   "

Saturday 10th January 2015: London Collections Men AW15 - Astrid Andersen

Astrid Andersen strikes again with a slick sports-centric luxe collection of iridescent moire oil sheen woven cloth and foil placement prints layered on knits.  It's the second stage of her Sumo and Samurai inspiration continuing from last season's Summer styles but souped up for Winter with these super lush fur trimmed hoods and hats.  Her gangster muse is from the fictional Jim Jarmush "Ghostdog" and currently being championed by not only A$AP Rocky but also stars closer to home via Jammer (BBK).  The Danish designer is continuing to showcase her mainline collection during LCM but will be presenting her debut bespoke line during New York Fashion Week next month!     

Saturday 10th January 2015: London Collections Men AW15 - Christopher Shannon

Christopher Shannon combined lots of my favourite things this season in his collection coming out of the raves of Acid House.  This democratic movement which has just struck its 25th Anniversary from the 80's "Second Summer Of Love" transcended geography, class, race and culture........... needing no explanation as a source of fascination for Shannon.  He converted the curved scoop of the runway as a backdrop lit up with original footage from the raves, turning London's Old Sorting Office into the perfect factory "Hacienda" setting for the show.  Boys doused with a dewy wet sheen of an all night dance had plastic bags blown onto either their face by Issamaya French or woven into their accessories by Judy Blame.  The concept for this motif came from photographs Chris has collected by photographers such as Nigel Shafran (see over on his Instagram of research imagery).  Chris's invitations are always the best and this season he used a photo from his inspiration archive which once appeared on my blog back in 2008.  My favourite two facets of his latest designs are deconstructed tracksuits reminiscent of Kappa popper down seams and his interpretation of the Ikea bag.  It's when you see something new and question why it hasn't been done before, that you know its going to be a star of the season.

Thanks to Fudge for backstage entrance to see their work up close with John Vial on the tools - a long standing collaboration with Chris over his career via Louise Wilson.  Head over to their site to see more.

                                       

Tuesday 23rd December: "Butler / Ryling / Radio" Episode 2

Head over to "Butler / Ryling / Radio" for the 2nd Episode of our Podcast were we grab some winter sun - with trips to India, France, Greece and Algeria. Join us as we learn about ancient Gods, play some of our favourite tunes of the month, reminisce about Tom’s London clubbing youth and the destruction of London’s night culture monuments and discuss the overt sexualisation, subsequent breakdown and the ultimate comeback and constant genius of D’Angelo.

Listen and see here.

Tuesday 23rd December: EARLY BIRDS DOING THE WORM

For my festive fitness and fashion blog post - head over to HUNGER where I review Morning Gloryville early morning raving & Laurie Nouchka active wear.

Saturday 20th Dec: "Simon Costin's Impossible Catwalk Shows" at Fashion Space Gallery

I have always been intrigued by Simon Costin's work for his crossover from accessory to set design, his epic art direction on runways with Alexander McQueen and in photography with Tim Walker ......... and more recently his work with his Museum of British Folklore.  The Fashion Space Gallery within the main Oxford Street campus of London College of Fashion just held a show to explore his vivid imagination via model sets of fictional concepts.  With no regular restrictions of production to consider he conjured up fantastical tableaus all presented as maquettes that you viewed thru peep holes into the miniature worlds.  His drawings and collages from sketchbooks were also on display which was the best bit for me as I love seeing artist's work in progress.  I recognised some of the photocopies from books out of the LCF library which is the most amazing resource to be able to trawl!  Next time you might be in central London remember to poke your head into the school to check out what free exhibition is on - all curated by Ligaya Salzar who has joined the programme from the V&A.

Friday 19th Dec: JustJam at The Barbican

Something is brewing in the way we consume music, there is a shift, the world axis is tilting and times are notably changing.....................  

I recently went to witness historically cosmic Afrika Bambaataa in conversation with Don Letts.  Instead of an educational exchange, Don was vocal in dissing and dismissing the emerging generation.  He repeatedly challenged Bam to identify a contemporary act doing anything as avant-garde as his pioneering movement from the 70's with Universal Zulu Nation.  There was an uncomfortable wave of shoulders rising and tuts of disbelief from the audience.  The atmosphere was so awkward I felt responsible for Bam's fans who had travelled from all over the UK for this massive failed opportunity.  Rather than tap Bam for memories of his formative years in Africa with Fela, Don was obsessed with debating if anyone was carrying on his progressive legacy.   We all wanted to raise our mitts and shout names of the new musicians who are boundary breaking their own break beat scene from the realm of online.  This new underground community is not only making music in bedrooms but also broadcasting live from basements.  Before Boilerroom two guys called Tim and Barry came up with a concept so renegade that the world is only just catching up with them and The Barbican has come on board to take it to another level.  ( Just Jam livestreams artists performing against a blue screen backdrop of psychedelic graphics reminiscent of the 90's late night TV show The Word.)  

Last weekend The Barbican hosted a night for Just Jam to have a dual live event for both a physical and web audience.  An auditorium more accustomed to Shakespearean verse now hosted the rhymes of Grime MCs.    It was a surreal experience seeing Syrian artist Omar Souleyman sing to the crowd whilst simultaneously down the camera lens following him around on stage.  It was a bit of a milestone moment and we were all aware that we were sharing a piece of music history.  We weren't quite sure if it was right but it was bloody great fun.  The frustration of having your view of the DJ obscured by the camera crew was transversely better because you could also see a close-up view of their skilled hands blown up on big screens.  The stalls were a mix of some people still seated and others dancing in the aisles, with the occasional bewildered Barbican member in amongst the East London cliques.  The (just)jam packed programme brought together genres from London's ragga General Levy to Chicago's Footwork Traxman to Jersey Club's Uniiqu3.  The mix of melodies and technical styles were finally here after an initial cancellation earlier in the year from paranoid police plans reacting to a potential public security risk.  We were all pumped it was back on and that international artists were together in one room to be transmitted back around the world.  

This night was evidence to prove what we all know is true.  There are portals and platforms of pioneering music making.  We are on the cusp of a meteoric big bang and there's nothing more intergalactic or Bambaataaesque than that!