Tuesday 22nd September: LFW SS16, Fashion East: Richard Malone

With Soho as the new home for London Fashion Week, the three designers that make up the Fashion East showcase used Greek Street as a joint destination for their presentations.  Each label took over a venue to stamp their own mark and conjure up an immersive experience.  Richard Malone's presentation was up the winding staircases of L'Escargot which has walls covered in a tetris tessellation of paintings and prints.  The sunlit loft with a glass ceiling looks like it would have been a dream artist's studio once upon a time and a magic setting for this collection accessorised with coral pink painted shoes.  All modelled by a cast of characters selected to rejoice in the idiosyncrasies of beauty to illustrate the wearability and real appeal of Richard's feminine muse.

Tuesday 22nd September: London Design Festival - Darkroom 5th Anniversary

My favourite London boutique Darkroom are celebrating their 5th anniversary and #LDF with a range of 5 products based on their 5 favourite shapes.  To launch the line they have installed a new window display with the shapes magically mid air on the outside of the pane of glass.  Here are photos from the newly arranged interior and snaps from the launch last night that had cocktails served in these cosmic graphic cups.  Congratulations Darkroom on consistently being brilliant - big up yourselves!

(portrait of me by Kitty Joseph)

Monday 21st September: LFW SS16 - Peter Jensen "Shirley"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Um, I don't really need to say anything here do I ?!  The pictures speak for themselves.  And that's not lazy journalism, I think is self evident.  What's not to fall head over (glitter sock) heels in love with .......................and rolly polly in praise for Peter Jensen's primary colour pop collection?!  This season his muse is literally the lady behind his styling since 2010 - Shirley Kurata, who you can see nestling centre stage in an orange Bernstock Speirs visor peak hat.  Her illustrated figure is put into repeat pattern on silk crepe and her love for 60's geometry is built into circle-cut pockets.  Right on time for the current POP show at the Tate Modern and shown today in its own gallery setting at Elms Lesters Painting Room.  Isamaya Ffrench wielded her lipstick brush for cupid bow red lips and L.A Eyeworks have done their own spin on Shirley's signature specs. 

 I PJ   4EVA

 

 

Monday 21st September: LFW SS16, Fashion East: Caitlin Price

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caitlin Price at Fashion East with speaker stack set design by Joseph Bond called "Carnival Icebergs" - LOVE IT!

Saturday 19th Sept: LFW SS16, Sadie Clayton

 "Copper Girl" Sadie Clayton showed her SS16 collection in the drawing studio of The Royal Academy with her models presented as art-works behind the benches and easels.  Here she is modelling her own accessories (top photo) and the mirror mosaic pieces scattered across the main looks are a collaboration with Andrew Logan.   My favourite piece was this geometric copper and cobalt embroidered navy silk organdie bomber jacket like an Art Deco Metropolis motif come to life.  Her notoriety for inventive shoe design has brought about partnering with United Nude and her original archival sculptural shoes can currently be seen displayed at Rellik, who also supported her presence on schedule this season.   
(See my archive post from Sadie's graduate show June 2013 here)

Saturday 19th Sept: Jenkin Van Zyl's "Working Title"

Watermelon and cabbage cocktails were the refreshments at Jenkin's private view of his show "Working Title" which used watermelons as a theme with the fruit's flesh pulped like blood.  The gallery was black lit like a sci-fi set with a post-apocalyptic fallout of fragmented props embedded in crumbling disarray.  But the disorder was actually highly divisive with his trademark prosthetic horns scaled up and included in the sculptures.  Synced films on screens were planted around the room showing a film of a hyperreal underworld, like a love child of a Paul McCarthy and Matthew Barney .  But that's only a loose reference to set the scene, you have to experience it for yourself to see the new unique "Sissy Sound Studio" by Jenkin Van Zyl.