Bonkers fashion

Streamed live through Nick Knight's SHOWstudio.com, Alexander McQueen’s S/S10 show in Paris last week was set to take his collection to an awaiting global audience. Slightly overshadowed by the looming cameras, McQueen’s apocalyptical Plato's Atlantis collection was set under the sea with models playing the part of evolved sea creatures. Balancing on 10 inch, hoof-like platforms the runway was filmed from a range of angles and broadcast live across the web. It’s a shame that the whole thing was ruined by Lady Gaga’s ego. After announcing on Twitter that her new single would be premiered at the end of the show, the site crashed temporarily. (She has over a million followers) Shame on you Ga Ga!
Images sourced from Dazeddigital.com
http://cathufton-aworkinprogress.blogspot.com/

SHOWstudio – FASHION REVOLUTION

“Our experience of fashion is changing. In these times of instant, digitally-fuelled information, the fashion image is no longer confined to the static world of the printed photograph. Today we are confronted with a dramatic new fashion universe, where photography, film, performance, music, art and technology combine to create an infinitely richer landscape”.
Nick Knight

Nick Knight’s SHOWstudio exhibition at London’s Somerset house celebrates nine years of his incredible website, SHOwstudio.com. Aiming to demystify the creative process of fashion through his pioneering forms of internet technology, the exhibition takes you through a selection of his most thought-provoking ideas and projects.
Voyeurism at its best, expect films of sleeping models dressed for a fashion shoot, voicemails live from fashion week and a rare insight into Alexander McQueen at work. The video room features a truly awe-inspiring collection of films that are a definite highlight of the exhibition. SHEENA IS A PUNK ROCKER shows a topless Kate Moss jumping manically around a set looking a little bit awkward. Her surprisingly intimate role in the film perhaps explains why it became the most viewed film on SHOWSTUDIO.COM, receiving half a million visits in the first 24 hours. MAKE UP YOUR MIND features Maison Martin Margiela’s SS09 collection with two naked dancers and a coat made from wigs. Sounds interesting? It definitely shouldn’t be missed.
We ended our visit with an unforgettable film by GARETH PUGH, presenting his autumn / winter 09 collection. Using just one model, Natasha V, the film combined a dramatic soundtrack alongside a series of emphatic images and digitally manipulated effects. Showcasing Pugh’s creative vision in a truly outstanding piece of film, it acted as the perfect end to one of the most inspiring exhibitions I have seen all year.
Watch Gareth Pugh's film at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C_LMYdKzWY
SHOWstudio – FASHION REVOLUTION is running until December 20th 2009
http://cathufton-aworkinprogress.blogspot.com/

English Gentleman

As a lover of street style, I really enjoy looking through the raw, untouched images of photographers such as Matt Irwin and Jeurgen Teller, and of course blogger Scott Schuman’s in The Sartorialist. Schuman’s style-seeking blog has been running for over four years and whilst I am a little tired of seeing even more photographs of affluent, trendy art students posing in front of a wall, I was pleasantly surprised by the very English sense of style that some of his male subjects have perfected in both London and New York. It seems that the Barbour jacket isn’t just hot with farmers in the depths of Sussex but it has been given a hip new makeover by London and New York’s most stylish gents. Take a look and see what you think!

Fabulous New York Fashion Week: 3.1 Phillip Lim

As New York fashion week started with a bang last week, London’s 25th is already in full flow and oh, isn’t it exciting. Unfortunately I'm not lucky enough to be there myself, so I can only recreate the whole thing via the internet and try to imagine the fabulousness of it all as I sit here on the settee, cup of tea and laptop in hand.

My favourite, 3.1 Phillip Lim didn’t disappoint in New York with his usual minimalist, tailored aesthetic and the effortlessly cool vibe that his clothes always seem to exude. The most standout piece of the collection was a lipstick-red suit that Lim calls the “new suit”. Machine washable and tailored to perfection, the short, elbow-length jacket and ankle-length pants would work just as well as statement-making separates. Lim’s preference seemed to be in making the collection as sellable as it was stylish with low-slung city-chic shorts, sleek belted macs and cuter than cute playsuits.

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Marc by Marc Jacob’s began his lively catwalk show in New York with oversized bunny bows and colour-clashing prints that followed the re-occurring nomad trend of New York. African-inspired prints were brought to life in easy day dresses, high-waisted pants and short, tiered skirts. Jacobs followed with fun floral-print sundresses, sporty sky-blue playsuits and sleek satin jumpsuits, which I'm sure will be at the top of every hip New Yorker's wishlist next summer.

DVF

Diane Von Furstenberg's SS10 runway show featured a beautiful collection of clothes that I could only have wished for when I went travelling. Featuring real-world clothes for this season’s nomad searcher, the DVF woman is “looking into antiquity for effortless beauty”. Her ultra-wearable leopard-spot shirtdresses, bold-colored macramé hippie dresses and daisy chain maxi dresses made me want to pack up and go with the hippest adventure wardrobe ever! Styled with layers of chunky paint box-bright bangles and ethereal butterfly hairpieces, the models looked stunning in metallic wedges, nipped-in belted waists and dare I say it, crimped hair. I knew the day would come when that trend came back!

Mark Fast: Challenging the face of fashion

The cult-leader of cobwebby, knitted mini dresses, Mark Fast has been accused of stirring up self-publicity after his shock decision (not really that shocking) to use three size 12-14 models in his SS10 runway collection of SS10 at London Fashion Week on Saturday. After a rather diva-style storm out of both his stylist and director, the St Martin’s graduate stuck by his convictions, adding that “"We wanted women to know that they don't have to be a size zero to wear a Mark Fast dress. In fact, curvier women can look even better in one”. It is actually quite refreshing to see a few super-sexy, curvaceous women enjoying their moment at LFW, rather than resigning themselves to the store windows of Evans. But, whether you like it or not, it seems that the times are changing, and the change definitely likes chips!

Her name was Coco

A Saturday afternoon film is always a treat, and one involving fashion and my fave, Audrey Tautou was one not to be missed. The Times review treated Anne Fontaine’s Coco before Chanel with suspicion and accused it of scraping the surface, which I must admit it did. It did however, show the feisty Gabrielle Bonheur for Chanel SS09. nicknamed Coco, as a fierce feminist who wanted more than a shallow marriage and mundane life. A love story at best, Coco before Chanel documents the rags-to-riches story of a fashion legend, and if nothing else highlights how fashion forward her thinking really was. When women of the time were wearing uncomfortable skirts to ride their horses sideways, Coco borrowed men's pants and jumped on like a man. She swerved the fussy, hoar look of the era, opting to make her own elegant but plain designs. I came away a little disappointed with the film, but definitely not in the back-story to a designer that clearly deserves her place as a huge influence on 20th-century fashion.

Netflix.com DVD

Pictorial ShowBoat

At a recent Slow Club gig in central London, I stumbled across a small hand-made comic entitled Pictorial Showboat. Attracted by the striking cover, I handed over my 3 quid and was quickly approached by a mild-mannered guy who said, "Did you just buy my comic?" Always happy to support struggling creative types, I was obviously very excited to meet the creator of such a masterpiece. "You made this," I said, "Yeah I did.." he replied, and so, I was introduced to the talent that is Mr Tom J.Newell.

When did you create Pictorial ShowBoat?

I was drawing it all for about six months, and I got it printed up and released in a few shops about a month ago. I lived in Sheffield when I first started it, but when I looked up after finishing the last page I discovered that I'd moved down to London, which was nice.

You have a very distinct style of illustration, which illustrators have inspired you?

I've answered this question a few times recently, so I'm gonna take a different angle especially for your Blog and reveal my earliest artistic influences, who were probably everyone else's too but they never really get the props they deserve cos of their credibility and stuff... Anyway, this is a big shout out to Tony Hart, Rolf Harris and Neil Buchanan. If it wasn't for my mum and dad and these three guys (especially Rolf) I would've never got hooked on drawing as much as I did. I think a bit later on my passion was fuelled by stuff like Uncle Pigg's 'Oink!' comic and Simon Bisley's 'A.B.C Warriors' in 2000AD, and most recently I'm just in awe of the work of Charles Burns.

Tell me a bit about the work you have done for the band Slow Club and your involvement with Stool Pigeon magazine?

I've just done a gig poster for Slow Club which turned out really well, and I might be designing some kind of logo for them soon too. I think they're great so it's nice to have some stuff associated with them.

With the Stool Pigeon thing, I just sent the art director of the magazine bits of the comic as I was working on it and he was really into it, so now I get a little something featured every month.

I hear you have designed some pieces for the opening of the John Richmond store in Paris, how did you get the gig?

One of their design team got hold of Pictorial Showboat and it just went from there! I've decorated these replica skulls with old school tattoo designs based on some artwork from one of their collections, and they’re gonna be on permanent display in their new Paris store.. sweet!

What is the future for Tom Newell?

Tom 'J' Newell.. I'd never used my middle initial before, but I had to flip it out for my website name cos 'tomnewell.com' had already been taken by some guy who once caught a lobster and thought it'd be a good enough reason to create a website that pretty much only consisted of a photo of him and the lobster that he once caught!

Anyway, I'm just gonna keep on drawing things I think. I've got a lot of the second issue of the comic planned out in my head, but I'm gonna start transferring it to paper soon in case anything happens to my head. The immediate future for me is that I'm gonna make a sandwich when I've finished typing this, which I'm really looking forward to, so a short answer to this last question would've been.. 'Drawing and Sandwiches' (but not in that order)
..Which would actually be an awesome name for my autobiography.

For more of Tom J. Newell's creations go to http://www.tomjnewell.com/show.html
Also, you're life will not be complete until you have heard Slow Club's new album, Yeah So. http://www.myspace.com/slowclub