RSA: Beauty of Age – Life as a Marathon
We sometimes live our lives as though we are running a series of sprints, 100 metres to our desired career, 200 metres to the perfect house. Ageing is considered to be something that affects us… View Full Post
Yohji Yamamoto (V&A)
Yohji Yamamoto’s exhibition in Israel opens today. Unfortunately I am unable to go but it brings to mind the great honour I had to be invited to be the guest speaker at the dinner in… View Full Post
Derby
My recent visit to Derby to discuss fashion research at London College of Fashion prompted a great deal of discussion about the future of UK manufacturing, particularly considering the current economic circumstances. Derby has a… View Full Post
Ballgowns (V&A)
Gown by Victor Edelstein, 1986. Worn and given by Lady Heseltine. Museum no. T.264-2001. Image © David Hughes 2011 Fashion is often accused of being frivolous, ephemeral and unnecessary. It is not essential to our… View Full Post
Yayoi Kusama (Tate Modern)
This week I visited the Yayoi Kusama exhibition at Tate Modern. As originally a fine artist, I have always been inspired by the works of female artists such as Frida Khalo and Louise Bourgeois. Kusama’s… View Full Post
Beauty of Age: The Debate
In preparing for the Beauty of Age debate tonight, a number of themes have emerged that have really set me wondering as to where our contemporary emphasis on equating youth with beauty will lead. For… View Full Post
Diana Vreeland
Looking at a series of quotes by Diana Vreeland, one of my favourites is where she celebrates vulgarity- “ Vulgarity is a very important ingredient in life. I’m a great believer in vulgarity- if it’s… View Full Post
SUBLIME: Beyond Duty
Duty: that which one is bound by any obligation to do I have become increasingly interested in how certain actions become first acceptable to society and then, ultimately, something that you have to do. Following… View Full Post
Carmen Dell'Orefice
I first met Carmen about four years ago when she came to the opening of David Downtown’s exhibition in the Fashion Space Gallery here at the College. It was hard not to be awestruck- a… View Full Post
SUBLIME: A Model of a Woman
Today there are thousands of girls aspiring to be the next Kate Moss in an age when perhaps it has never been easier to get into modelling. Yet there was once a golden age, when… View Full Post