Wednesday 11th June: ISSEY MIYAKE at 33 Brook Street

A new edition to the series of ISSEY MIYAKE boutiques has now opened at 33 Brook Street in Mayfair. The three floors offer multiple brands from ISSEY MIYAKE INC. all under one roof.  Here are shots from the opening evening with guests Lyall Hakaria and Bethan Laura Wood who were adorned appropriately for the occasion or actually just in their regular civvies!  London's best dressed and creative designers appreciating London's most iconic stores!  Pleats, YES please!

33 Brook Street, London, W1K 4HG

Tuesday 12th June: "Colour Transfer" by Liz West

Chasing rainbows on my Canyon Roadlite and finding “Colour Transfer” by Liz West for British Land at Paddington Basin.  Thanks to Rhian Mclaren for the location inspiration!  This is such a cosmic discovery to come across whilst winding your way along the canal tow path.  Infact, probably the best new piece of public art in London right now!  It nestles perfectly in this hidden pocket of a Brutalist style concrete bridge.  The spectrum of metallic angular facets creates an optical illusion as you pass.  It's like the inside of a kaleidoscope for all to see and enjoy.  There are even two adjacent public ping pong tables for the best backdrop to a game of alfresco table tennis this Summer! 

I have also included here snaps of the Sir Peter Blake pattern painted barge at Paddington to make sure that you see both when you visit.

(Self-portrait using the shutter-release on my Apple watch)

Monday 11th June: Bold Tendencies 2018

I'm so glad that Simon Whybray's pink painted installation is still intact and refreshed on the stairwell up the levels of Peckham's multi-story carpark to Bold Tendencies.  The outdoor and scenic sculpture show gets even more colourful with this year's major piece "Cloudburst" by Irina Kirchuk.  A rainbow of reconfigured, reappropriated refuse on the roof represents the fabric of London’s skyline using waste from the local SE15 area.  Her site-specific concept has answered the theme for 2018's art commissions focusing on ecology.   I love the combination of something that is visually stunning to draw your attention and then follows up with an urgent message such as this.  Not only that, but is brightening up the current grey-sky Summer we are experiencing in the city, so just for that reason it's already winning.

(The other Polyhedra structure here is a tent that houses a film projection piece "Mirror Matter" by Emilija Skarnulyte, and neon sculpture by Arjuna Neuman) 

See my archive posts on Bold Tendencies here, here, here , here , here , here. and here

Sunday 10th June: Hattie Stewart's "I Don't Have Time For This" at NOW Gallery

Coincidentally the artist who has taken over the next show at NOW Gallery after me is Hattie Stewart who is from the same town as me!  Essex girls are infiltrating the big smoke and bringing colour and pattern to London!  

The lineage of shows at NOW Gallery has been a constanstly evolving use of the space with no shows looking anything like a previous one.  Each artist has totally transformed the glass wall gallery and this latest installation is no exception.  Hattie has hung a mirrored ceiling to reflect a massive hand-painted mural on the floor.  Visitors can lie on the design and look up to see themselves as characters amongst her trademark cartoon world.  Her mixed-media illustration work often doodle bombs over the cover stars of magazines and here you can become your model on her landscape.

Here are snaps from her private view including her with DJ Jodie Harsh who provided the sounds for the party fuelled by alco-lolly-pops and gifted with her own design tote bag for the Peninsulist artist edition series.

See my archive posts on Hattie's exhibitions here and here.

NOW Gallery, Peninsula Square, Greenwich Peninsula, London til 25th June

Sunday 10th June: Ollie & Quinn

I've had the same pair of glasses since I was studying (many moons ago) so it was opportune time when Ollie & Quinn contacted me about their frames.  The cost of a new pair also includes the lenses as one all-in package under £100.  The store offered me an eye-test at the appointment which revealed that not only did I need new specs but also a new prescription.  Once you get used to the style you can also order the same design as a pair of sunnies too in their sunglasses collection.  I visited the Spitafields branch but there are boutiques across the city and towns across the country so check out the locations to try some for yourself! 

Saturday 9th June: "Get Braided" by Charz Couture

My new fresh colour was made one hundred percent more cosmic by the deft and perfectionist skills of hair stylist Charz Couture.  Char has previously braided my hair in two dutch braids so this time she went even more intricate dividing my spectrum into four plaints.  My soft fine baby hairs were all neatly pulled in line and swept into the separate sections which revealed the layers and stripes of my colour.  I managed to keep it neat for a couple of weeks thanks to a hair-net over night and maximised the opportunity.  I got so much positive feedback from strangers stopping me to compliment me on the braids.  I felt like a million dollars, I wish I could keep this forever!  

Head over to Char's Instagram to see more and make enquiries. 

Saturday 9th June: Fudge Paintbox

My latest hair dye design by Tracy Hayes at Fudge is this pink tint with a hidden horizontal spectrum stripe.  Over time the pop brights will fade and the soft shades will meld into a smooth gradient.  I enjoy every single stage of these crazy colour-ways!

Head over to Fudge's instagram to see more inspo from Tracy's work here.