In this exclusive film for SHOWstudio, John Galliano lets us in on how he really makes his fashions. With Morgane Dubled starring as la merveilleuse ingénue and Monsieur Galliano as the eponymous mauvais garcon, witness the creative process of the atelier in all its histrionic glory before the showing of... [more]
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And speak of the devil, Simon's in this afternoon with his business partner Nick Griffiths, doing a model casting for their company &Son. Keep your eyes on the webcams to cast your own votes!
A definitive response to the enquiries we've received about the print results of BEASTING: Arena Hommes Plus is out and Nick and Simon have the cover!! Congratulations to the magazine on a courageous choice: this future classic stands out like the Belicia Beacon amid a sea of anodyne cover imagery... [more]
A collaboration between Julie Verhoeven and Mulberry has brought some unexpected flourishes of avant-gardism to the British luggage brand. Verhoeven does a very charming smock dress with a decoupage-style arrangement of her floral-erotique sketches as well as a delightful quilted shopper with gold chain. The effect is vibrant,... [more]
After choosing a sit-down film presentation for their S/S press presentation, yesterday Swarovski loosened things up a bit with an installation format to showcase their many, many ongoing projects. Whilst mannequins sported 'Runway Rocks' -a chance for jewellers to platform their collaborations with designers- as well as key looks from... [more]
The glamazon bitch has moved out of her penthouse suite and opted to flex her corporate muscles at the office this season. That’s the impression we got yesterday at Versace anyway, where there was a distinct change in tone for A/W. Donatella is picking up on the current mood... [more]
More results from our live, full-body 3-D scanning event earlier in the year have been added to the NAOMI 3-D Renders Gallery. Keep tracking the process here as Nick Knight develops his final sculpture of Naomi Campbell.
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Believe it or not CWYTCH's latest entry to our REVUE Audition Gallery is not the first 'performance collage' we've had to grace the site. Memories of Alun Davies' winning entry for PSP AMAZE ME still lives on in our minds (and here). That's not to say we wouldn't be happy... [more]
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Yesterday was my first Mandi Lennard Press Day, the famous PR known for keeping London’s youthquake alive in her basement, a place where you will also find top fashion editors eyeing up the latest objets de cultes with expressions ranging from bewilderment and delight to fear.
We've had a couple more entries for our PS3 Revue project but still don't really have the volume that we want. So come on! Don't be shy! Have a look at what's been sent in already and get involved!
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As Penny and I saw at the YSL showroom yesterday afternoon, Stefano Pilati brought politics and fashion together in his A/W '07 collection by making a design statement about ornamention and the ascetic.
You would think that a designer who wants to say something about asceticism would keep his... [more]
One of the highlights of the Secret Public show is a chance to see one of Marc Camille Chaimowicz 'total environments' in which he attempted not to separate art from everyday experience. A kind of domestic/disco convergence is set against text from an Irish newspaper headline describing sectarian political conflict.... [more]
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The ICA opened its press view of Stefan Kalmar (pictured), Michael Bracewell and Ian White's personal view of the importance of certain music, video, fashion and art practice that emerged in the post punk new wave between 1978-1988. Named after a collaborative fanzine self-published by Linder and Jon Savage, it... [more]
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The heady combination of vegetables and modernist-referencing dance movements seem to be cropping up in different guises at the moment in the performative culture of London-based artists. Combine this with with a revised reading of Marx's'Das Kapital' and you have a contemprary zeitgeist, nay: a movement! See what you think... [more]
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Diane Pernet was just in touch with me to keep SHOWstudio viewers updated on two important fashion film competitions. Running in association with A Shaded View, “You Wear It Well” is now in its second year, following a prestigious inauguration in 2006 which saw screenings in Los Angeles, Copenhagen and... [more]
As Colin McDowell explained emphatically at the IQONS Press Conference during London Fashion Week, ‘Fashion is an open maw that must be fed at all times!’ And by encouraging raw talent into the folds of an otherwise impervious industry, the IQONS network intends to commence the feeding soon: by way... [more]
This was Mon Tsuki's first (mens) show at Japan Fashion Week and my last. Black nylon suiting with patent piping around the seams, brown,shiny 'thinsulation' fabric puffas and super tight trousers abounded (boy, do they like a contoured crotch in Tokyo, it seems!). Chocolate-coloured patent is not a common sight... [more]
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For 10 years, from 1966, Jun Ashida was the exclusive designer to clothe Japan's Emperor's wife, Michiko. She was in attendance at his lavish show at the Grand Hyatt this afternoon, along with 'representatives of 31 countries of the world', several of whom stood up when introduced on a... [more]
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There were some dubious styling choices in this first on-schedule show from Ele Tra, though fur leggings might be an interesting solution to limbs that are 'inbetweeny', as they say in waxing salons? Sounds like the dark world of Margiela, I know, but it jarred against a collection that appeared... [more]
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A slick, commercial show with plenty international appeal from G.V.G.V. to end the penultimate day.
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My first response was to dismiss these Lolitas (as they are known out here - you may recall them from the Hot or Not? project) as grotesque caricatures of femininity. How could the bizarre creatures in the first sequence of floral dresses be the work of designers capable of such... [more]
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This was a rather fabulous show of two halves. Designers Akira Takeuchi and Tayuka Nakanishi -who worked for Comme and Vivienne Tam respectively before setting up together- produce two discrete lines: a menswear one under the above KTP name and 'Theatre Products', a women's line, more of which later. The... [more]
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After last night’s champagne-happy welcome to the Royal Academy's COS unveiling, guests were ushered upstairs into a post-apocalyptic landscape – an expanse of cracked faux-marble tiles with bare trees poking through. ‘How Beetlejuice!’ I heard from one of the Kings Road dollies behind me. This, I found out later, was... [more]
We have a bit of a story for you! Limi Yamamoto, Yohji's daughter, will be showing in Paris next season. Having designed under her own name for the past 4 or 5 years, she showed off-schedule as 'Limi Feu' tonight, where her PR-to-be in Paris, Nathalie Ours, excitedly confirmed the... [more]
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We received a number of proposals for performances in the Sony PS3 Brandspace but we want more!
Have a look at some of our recent entries and get inspired.
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Sadly, I have to inform you that it was not Araki on the front row of Limi's show, much as I'd love it to have been! Apparently, that was Kodan Nanbu from Tokyo Shock Boys, who is a good bit younger, but with less gray hair. Sorry for the misinformation:... [more]
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A snowy inspiration created a perversely summery palette of whites and creams in Suzuki's romantic collection of layered and distressed tailoring. Think: S/S '03 McQueen meets Robert Cary Williams at his best. When swinging these big trapeze shapes off underlying corsetry, though, the fit has to be good, bordering on... [more]
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This guy seems to be the premier catwalk photographer and fashion paparazzo.
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We have a saying in Glasgow for things that privilege appearances over substance: 'All fur coat and nae knickers!'. In Emiko Miki's show this morning, however, I actually witnessed the real thing. Or at least, we were intended to believe there were no smalls under a sandy fur trench with... [more]
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You might be forgiven for thinking that Raf Simon’s latest A/W collection for Jil Sander was another monochromatic meditation on severe elegance, perhaps a hard-wired response to the brand’s history. ‘Monastic’ was a word that appeared repeatedly in many of the show reports, after all. As we found out at... [more]
As Frieze magazine just published their Feminism issue, and LA MOCA present Wack! Art and the Feminist Revolution there seems to be some mood for re-evaluation in the air. Taking apart the absudites of news coverage and casting American artist duo from a feminist perspective K8 Hardy and Wynne Greenwood... [more]
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Though not showing on the official JFW timetable, on the recommendation of our FORUM's Turbo, I stopped by at the Whereabouts showroom for an appointment with the company's designer Hidetaka Fukuzono (that's him in the background - the well informed among you will know he studied in Antwerp). His 'classroom... [more]
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The best way to describe Toshikazu Iwaya's show is being like the kinds of fashion shows you see in films. That is, fashion as people who aren't in the industry imagine it to be: all big hats, poufy sleeves and pom poms. Speaking back stage, the designer said that Dresscamp's... [more]
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It was Sarah from Colette's recommendation that Isetan is probably one of the better luxury department stores in Tokyo, so we went for a look first thing this morning. Interesting to see how focused it is on Western brands (Lanvin, Balenciaga, Margiela, Chloë...) though Comme, Watanabe and Undercover were also... [more]
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The Guts boys put on quite a show, perhaps not The Greatest one On Earth, as the soundtrack suggested, but have you ever seen models behaving like these?! If I'm honest, it's quite often that I come out of a show complaining that the models looked like men in drag... [more]
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We've been looking at some of the key shopping districts -in the interests of research you understand- and made the pilgrimage to La Foret: the nexus for all Harajuku fashion kids. It's probably the most interesting assortment of boutiques under one roof we've seen: particulary impressive was the menswear in... [more]
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Menswear-into-womenswear was the theme of Ato Matsumoto's accomplished collection (of both) that displayed plenty other aspects of contemporary international women's fashion: the volumatic upper body with skinny undercarriage, tunic tops over leggings and the drop shoulders beloved of Mrs Prada and Mr Pilati. But the skinny heels reminded you of... [more]
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As I mentioned, Somarta were big on the old crystals. Note also the 'crystal body' film playing in the background.
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It is hard to square Né-net designer Kazuaki Takashima's inspiration -boredom- with the fun show he put on this afternoon. I had to bin the first two films I took since all you could hear was me laughing through them! The local journalists didn't need the set explained to them-... [more]
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It's no news that the Japanese know how to entertain visitors from overseas but the grand opening of JFW last night would take some beating. Pictured here are the local firemen (really) who put on a show to 'bring success' to the proceedings. If that and a sushi banquet weren't... [more]
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This was Keiichi Muramatsu and Noriko Seiki's first official runway show, having previously presented their knit-based fashion in installation form. The duo explained backstage that the first two sections of their love-inspired collection had been based around the sepia hues of Atget prints of Paris. This created a difficult palette... [more]
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Caught on film during Nick Knight’s photo shoot for the 49th issue of Visionaire's 'Decades' collaboration back in June 2006, Ice Cream features London model Lily Donaldson wearing pieces from the Maison Martin Margiela Archive, posing with some of the season’s favourite ephemera – including a rhapsody of metallic balloons... [more]
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If setting their show in a well-known Shibuya bookshop was meant to make their models appear demure, charming and bookish, then tonight's outing of charming, schoolgirl chic worked for Mint Designs. Sweet though never cloying, they defied expectations of a print-dominated collection, which was balanced with some light knitwear and... [more]
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Norio Surikabe previously worked for Romeo Gigli -and produced lines for Corso Como- before establishing his own line in 1999. What looked today like rather conservative, if well made, office wear from the front, turned out to be rather more interesting from behind. The narrow, rounded shoulders of the woolen... [more]
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One of the journalists that travelled to JFW in Tokyo last year -Andrew Tucker- was right on the mark in advising me what to expect from a young fashion week like this one (into its 4th season in its present form, having been known as 'Tokyo Collections' for the previous... [more]
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Not only were the -principally Western- models smiling, they erupted into a full-blown, Bernhard Willhelm-style finale. Even the designer herself came out with some moves! Blimey!
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The first show of the week is by all accounts one of the highlights. Mercibeaucoup is one of the designers under the Issey Miyake umbrella (along with Tsumori Chisato who now shows in Paris) and as such is among the more established brands, stocking in Hong Kong, Taiwan and later... [more]
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Little known on the western hemisphere, Japan Fashion Week will spend its fourth season in Tokyo this month. Marking a new stop in SHOWstudio’s fashion itinerary, Penny Martin will be there to uncover the creative output of a country whose aesthetic legacy has informed some of the most striking evocations... [more]
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By way of preparation for Japan Fashion Week in Tokyo, which I am just about to fly out to attend, I was clearing out my mobile and found this picture from our Comme des Garcons showroom appointment last Sunday. Though the Japanese designers most people know (Comme, Watanabe, Yohji, Undercover,... [more]
Between the 17th and 25th March, New York plays host to the Fashion in Film Festival following its sojourn in London during the summer of 2006. Aiming to explore the underlying tensions between the cinematic and the sartorial, ‘Between Stigma and Enigma’ is an acknowledgement of fashion’s volatile representation in... [more]
At last, exclusive front-of-house footage of Gareth Pugh’s A/W show…and a lesson in the finer subtleties of mixing fur with sheet plastic.
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I've found two examples of commercial gallery enterprises publishing their own magazines recently. This may not seem so unusual in a business that is bent on the document and display of its' object and ephemeral culture, but the difference between 'Bing' published by galerie Emmanuel Perrotin in Paris and... [more]
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After a total of 28 shows and appointments, it was good to end my week by entering a completely separate universe, which is the best description I have for an Olivier Theyskens show. Presumably answering the critics of the less salable aspects of his work at the late, lamented Rochas,... [more]
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The final sequence returned to Galliano's signature underwear-influenced outerwear (remember Lady Di at the party for the 50th anniversary of the house in a scandalous see-thru frock?) and marked the final destruction of the models' make-up, which had been getting more smeary and disshevelled as the show went on.
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The collection itself was vintage Galliano in every sense: Poiret coats, whorls of chiffon gathered into rosettes or in great layered tiers. The models came out in pairs, performing little Vaudville acts at strategic points around the room, in front of little 'tableau' backdrops.
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Galliano concluded a rather stellar design season by throwing his version of a 19th century French fete. Amid a glorious set full of bric-a-brac, haystacks and potatoes, men cavorted with dogs, lesbian couples sang songs and aging brides posed for photos.
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A strong palette -particulary well expressed in the orange bags- is what you might expect from a former designer at Marni and three times Lego champion (yes, honestly
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Now this isn't a sight you often see: the Tuilleries tents without their 'black-out' curtains. The bright daylight was presumably to signify the arrival of a new head designer at Chlo=C3=AB, And Paolo Melim Andersson. At 34, he's as young as the spirit of the French brand he's been drafted... [more]
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Ah, Anne Collier. Looking through the pictorial notes I made running around the last day of New York's Armory art fair (which wound up this past Monday) this piece made me smile more than most encountered. Part of a series of rephotographed magazine pages and covers, Collier's works are sriking... [more]
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As well as an A/W collection featuring lots of pretty, light broiderie Anglaise shirts, shirt dresses with nipped in waists and some great silver suiting, Boudicca's impressive Couture was also on display.
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Boudicca!
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The date of Elizabeth How's execution, seemingly scratched into mid air, marked the close of the show. Please excuse the rude ingrates getting up to leave before the designer even came out to take a bow, but amid the darkness you might get some sense of the clothes...
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Familiar soundtrack. Isn't that the one John Gosling have us for Kate Moss's Moving Fashion film? Word was that Bobby Gillespie had written an exclusive track too.
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The focus of tonight's extravaganza in Paris's outer limits was the film McQueen had directed, which was projected onto the facets of an inverted pyramid, which hung over a red pentagram traced on the gravelly floor below, upon which the models walked. This opening sequence relates to the theme of... [more]
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It's a good number of years since Martine Sitbon showed a collection. Having lost the right to present under her own name, she billed tonight under the moniker 'Rue du Mail'. Such is the affection in which she is held in the industry, there was an all star turn out... [more]
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There were lots of curiously sexy Peruvian hats too.
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Players of the demi-monde! This is a casting call to all singers, dancers and thespians interested in participating in the SHOWstudio REVUE. Whether you’re a Shoreditch femme fatale, a dancing nu-rave eunuch or a bawdy balladeer, we want to see YOU in action.
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I think the PR possibly noticed that there were tears in my eyes after watching the video of JPG's 'brigadoon' collection. I had to explain that all that tartan and bagpipes is too much for a sentimental Scot abroad and it was no criticism of the collection! There has been... [more]
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Vienna-based jeweller Florian Ladstaetter opened his atmospheric 'Fleurs du Mal' installation on Rue de Montpensier today, launching his new book.
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Very considerate of Balenciaga's shoe designer Pierre Hardy to fix a guard to prevent the ecclectic campus girl from skinning her heels!
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I've read reviews of this collection that say it's the most wearable Nicolas Ghesquiere has ever done. So, naturally, I was keen to rush down to the showroom and find out what all the fuss was over global ecclecticism, campus bricolage and samurai jackets with riding jackets, scarf dresses and... [more]
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Turns out they weren't camelias: they were snow clouds and the front row weren't looking too thrilled as they picked paper dandruff out their minks either!
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In contrast to my peers who thought it hard and crass, I rather liked Chanel. Especially the opening sequence of long blanket coats, this fun skating outfit (much of the knitwear was influenced by late 60s ski chic) and some lovely full-length, backless wool numbers that looked hard to walk... [more]
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Stefano Pilati was assiduous about how he intended tonight's extremely restrained A/W collection to be understood. A detailed memo issued to members of the press explained that the roomy, architectonic forms comprising 'work in black' focused on "aesceticism". Now, that's not a word used in Fashion very often. I am... [more]
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The upper rooms of the Pompidou Centre are filling up and what we all anticipate will be one of -if not the- highlight of the week is about to begin. The couture chairs are bathed in pale gold light, as opposed to the customary rose hue. Is this a clue?... [more]
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There are boutiques galore in Paris and doubtless they each have their own art director to coordinate their windows. You'd have to go far to beat Astier de Villatte on Rue Saint Honore, however, whose knitted displays are consistently the best thing you'll see on that chicest of shopping parades.... [more]
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Bernhard's collection is based on 'rich hippies in Amsterdam'. (I do love a bit of radical chic!) Here he is, posing in his showroom next to his court shoes with faux Chanel chains.
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The results of the 'Can You Help?' project have found a home as part of Colette's 10th issue display. See the animated graphic on the screen (bottom left) alongside reworkings of other issues by creatives including Peter Philips, Fiona Banner and Alexis Teplin.
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