Thurs 24th July: Bishi Performance at Viktor & Rolf Exhibition

Bishi's performances are always one-off experiences and never the same as the last. This was no exception and a privilege to witness. She embraced the theatrics of the setting and had a choreographed entrance with a cortege and lace canopy costume. She then climbed the steps of a tower platform installed next to V&R's dollhouse where she performed set against a backdrop of visuals that accompanied each tune.


Specially commissioned photographs: Anna Leader

Fri 25th July: V&A Village Fete

Thurs 24th July: Sweatshop

Maki is in dying lanterns today................

Wed 23rd July: Gifts from Grizzly Bear

On a recent trip to Germany, James Ganio picked me up some point-of-sale bits from dry cleaning company "Fred Butler" including these cute little sweeties in the shape of thier penguin logo. Super lush surprise, thanks James!
It is due to this company that my business has become "Fred Butler Style" as they already owned the domain "fredbutler.com" when I first bought mine. So I suppose its good fate because I like the way I had to improvise to find another name ..........

Tue 22 July: Clinkerchink!

Preparations have been under way, getting ready for Friday late / Village Fete at the V&A museum where Teo and I are masterminding a photo booth stall "Pose Me A Postcard". Mishkin are our chief photographers and many hands have been helping make the props and costumes to replicate the postcards selected from the V&A catalogue.
Its a timed game which was our main objective with this project. To reinstate that adrenalin frenzy once encountered with the "chocolate game" at kids birthday parties. Or perhaps a little like the erratic anxious energy of the contestants on the "Crystal Maze". So if you fancy a go at our dress-up portrait bonanza head down to Exhibition road at the weekend. Other stalls include "Helium Kareokee" and "Foam Topiary". Other stall holders include Tatty Devine and Rob Ryan.

Sunday 20th July: Street & Studio

The new photography exhibition at the Tate Modern is "Street & Studio". I was mislead by the Juergen Teller "Go See" picture on the poster and thought that it would be all contemporary. But it is actually a complete history from the 1880's with so many different subjects and photographer's that it is a great investigation. I loved seeing the glamorous Richard Avedon's as much as the gritty Henri Cartier-Bressons. Don't miss this as I nearly did!

Here is one of my own "Go See" pics from about 2002 when I was helping AsFOUR cast for their show.

Sat 19th July: Charleston House

The ladies (Me, Vicky & Anna) went on a Saturday field trip to Charleston house. It was home of the Bloomsbury Group's artists Vanessa Bell and Duncun Grant since 1916 with various changes of inhabitants (their interchanging lovers and offspring). They free-hand painted every surface in the house aswell as using thier own textile designs to upholster. Its such an inspiring and magical place to visit. The tour explains how the duo left presents for each other in the form of a portrait on a bed head or still life on the reverse of a door panel. The best description is written by Vanessa's grandaughter Virgina Nicholson:

"Charleston was a place where, for both children and adults, messy creativity was a way of life....Art was something that everyone could do. Paint and clay, mud, glue and matches, were all endlessly available. ...There is a wonderfully uninhibited, irreveverent quality to the decoration of the house which is that of a child let loose to experiment and which is extraordinarily liberating. Part of the exhilaration that people experience from looking at the brilliantly colourful designs that crowned the Charleston walls and furniture, comes from that sense of confidence and fearlessness. The Charleston artists did not deal with caution. What if the surfaces weren't properly prepared? What if there was rising damp?...Their creative wells never showed any signs of drying up, so if the table top decorations wore out, they could always just paint some new ones on top....."

Its a great time to go as there are numerous Duncun Grant paintings on loan to Charleston until November as it is the 30th anniversary of his death. These are dotted around the rooms and help add to the story told by the tour guide........






Photography is not permitted in the house so here is a snap from the book and exterior thanks to Anna Leader

Fri 18th July: Heads Up

"A collaboration between Michael Pybus and Dazed & Confused magazine aims to explore the link between art and fashion through a direct collaboration. This involves the two worlds interacting together to produce a series of images which play with the idea of display, fetishization, and surface. Dazed & Confused have held a photo shoot with selected models set within an installation of sculptures, plinths and paintings by Michael Pybus. The Dazed and Confused team include: Photographer: Jenny Hueston, Stylist: Kim Howells, Hair: Amiee Robinson using Bumble and Bumble, Makeup: Hiromi Ueda using Dermalogica, Accessory designer: Fred Butler".

Thurs 17th July: Helen Goes Online.........

The uber talented Set Designer Helen Macintyre has just launched her website which is very exciting news that I would like to share. I am a big fan of her meticulously crafted props and folklore/fantasy aesthetic.
Her nimble fingers have created incredible "Worlds" for both fashion shoots and music videos. Here is a still from the recent "Late Of The Pier" Single...................

Weds 16th July: Presents From Maki

I spotted a rainbow in the Candid Studio post pile.............got a twinge of hopeful excitement.............and my optimism proved fruitful............Maki sent me a surprise bundle of wonder............a lorry shaped tape measure keyring being the highlight...........now I just need a bonafide excuse to whip it out at an opportune moment to show off the miraculous mini HGV .........

Mon 14th July: More refurbishment

Sunday 13th July: Fruits of Diggin the Crates in Charity Shops

Fri 11th July: Summer Studio Soiree

An impromptu Friday eve drink to celebrate a re-visit to the studio from Holly MacDonald and a farewell to Mari after her placement...............

Left to right:
Mari, Flo, Maki, Holly, Sarah Magnay

Fri 11th July: Fashion DJ's Part 2

Thank goodness I worked out how to watch aswell as listen yesterday because when I heard Simon Foxton introduce his session I knew something was up. Not seemingly the Foxton voice I am familiar with; we investigated the video stream and it soon became clear..............Here was the impostor- one of Simon's assistants presenting the show from his office/shed with notes on " and this one is particularly special to me". Attired in a fresh "&Son" Dazzle polo shirt, he struck pensive poses as if reminiscing whilst listening to the eclectically chosen tracks. Over the hour, different camera angles zoomed in and out to frame him showing each viewpoint of Simon's shed and garden. (Here you can see some shots of the interior of his workspace, which he kindly took for my Kicker's research last year.)
This contribution to the day's schedule shone out for its idiosyncratic humour and beauty in planning. Both of which being Foxton trademarks. Thankyou for brightening up our day!

Meanwhile back at Abbey Road Studios, Stephen Jones had me abandoning my desk to crank up the volume and dance to Donna Summer's "Our Love": Mari was lucky enough to witness my embarrassing Abigail's party/mum style dancing before her last day at the studio.
Then Anthony Price's priceless tales of Moustique had me blissfully distracted from the 2nd round of VAT scrambling............

Today is the last day of showstudio.com on air so catch it while you still can................ 87.7 FM

Thurs 10th July: Tidy Up

Alex has been integrating some left-over props in and around the studio today. A definite perk of the job that we can adorn our walls with a myriad of randomly lush paraphernalia. The loo is turning into a mini museum with a swarovski lobster, newspaper noahsark, graffitied cross stitch sampler, fligarich toadstools, space rocket, string of teapot lids, giant silver bauble.............

Thurs 10th July: Fashion DJ's

Yesterday "fashion dj's" hit the airwaves for a 3 day programme organised by showstudio.com. I missed the day session but was blessed when I tuned in for the night's entertainment to get me through a pile of agonising paperwork. The time flew by listening (and laughing) along to the Boombox karaoke star "The-O" and his rendition of Macy Gray. It didn't matter that the performance wasn't visual as you normally encounter with his outbursts, because his voice was so hilarious. So in this way, it was quite unique.

This was followed by a desert island disc type session with Peter Saville which held some great tunes ("Road Runner" Jonathon Richman) and anecdotes (flying to San Francisco overnight for a meeting with Paul Macartney) . I had no idea that Saville was responsible for Wham artwork! Or that George Michael wrote, performed and mixed all the tracks himself!?

I'm looking forward to Stephen Jones and Simon Foxton's turn on the decks today and then Paloma Faith and Michael Clark tomorrow.................check the link for the full schedule.........

(Here is a pick I took of The-O and Chycca earlier in the year)

Weds 9th July: Gifts from Kidders

Emma Kidd very kindly brought back these gifts for me all the way from Mexico, via New Zealand....................Thank you so much I LOVE THEM!!!!!!

Tue 8th July: When Fletcher & Hay met...............

Beyond The Valley was the venue for the launch of Fletcher & Hay's Book that they compiled last year by asking the question "What are you thinking about?". Thier hit list of contributor's included (in Fletchers words) a performer, a painter, an artist, a friend, a brother and sister, a sister and sister, a stranger, a lover and a girl I once knew, a nude in New York, a beauty in bed

I am not quite sure what category I fitted into on thier hitlist but here is the printed postcard I returned to thier request.
The book is a really neat insight into snapshots of people's immediate brainspace.
I need to have a proper read to digest all the answers but when I have I will re-enter some chosen quotes here.............

Mon 7th July: Bangsalishous

Kim Howells and Fumi Nagasaka came to the studio today. Fumi is a photographer based in New York (where we crossed paths once before, in 2005 when she was shooting for Street Magazine) but travels to Europe in the Summer to visit friends and combine work. She is off to Berlin Fashion week on Wednesday where she is having an exhibition of photography and film. Kim is travelling in the opposite direction and packing her bags to spend a few weeks in NYC to take her work transatlantic. Bon Voyage Miss Howells!

Sunday 6th July: We Are Robots

The cousin crew...........representing for half of the force..............my nephew and niece..........