ART IS ALIVE

Turner and the Elements at Margate's Turner Contemporary space

2012-01-27T01:41:00.000-08:00

JMW Turner, The New Moon or I've lost My Boat, You shan't have Your Hoop, exhibited 1840, Oil on mahogany
Courtesy of Tate Image © Tate, London 2010

As Oscar Wilde would say: "There was no fog in London, before Turner". This funny quote encapsulates the importance of Turner's mark on history of art. Turner’s innovative painting technique and the influence of scientific and technological developments during his lifetime were to revolutionise landscape painting.

In Turner and the Elements, the first major show of the painter’s work at Turner Contemporary, exhibition space situated on Margate's seafront, is explored the important role that the depiction of the elements played in the master's landscape watercolours and paintings.

The exhibition brings together 88 works many from the Tate collection. Works on display include Snow Storm – Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth exhibited 1842 and The New Moon; or ‘I’ve lost My Boat, You shan’t have Your Hoop’ exhibited 1840. Turner’s frequent visits to Margate and the Kent coast are vividly portrayed, with particular works chosen especially for the exhibition.

Curated by Inés Richter-Musso and Ortrud Westheider, the exhibition is the only opportunity to see this selection of works by Turner together in the UK. Don't miss it !

Rothko & The Abstractionists: First major canvas by Rothko at a London auction in a decade

2012-01-27T01:20:00.000-08:00

Mark Rothko (1903-1970), Untitled, signed and dated 'MARK ROTHKO 1955' (on the reverse), oil on canvas, 69¼ x 61¾in. (175.8 x 157cm.). Painted in 1955. Christie's Images Ltd 2012.

This is very exciting. Christie's London announced that "Untitled", the painting executed in 1955 is the first major canvas by Mark Rothko to be presented in a London auction in a decade. Realised at the height of the artist’s celebrated classic period, it forms part of a series of abstract works exhibited and owned by a number of major international museums. Rendered in a palette of brilliant red vermillion, burnt ochre and white, "Untitled" comprises two rectangular forms floating within the canvas. Faced with this large-scale and vivid piece, ‘abstract sublime’ and ‘spiritual awe’ are amongst the terms used to describe this work which inevitably provokes a wealth of emotions for the transcended viewer said the official press release.

Let's wait for the actual auction and who buys it...

Quote of the week: Kate Moss on Lucian Freud

2012-01-26T04:28:00.001-08:00

"He taught me discipline, which I hadn't been taught properly before. If I was, like, two seconds, late, he would kick off. Once I was three minutes late and he went absolutely berserk. I was crying and I was pregnant and I went 'I'm pregnant!' and he went 'Oh, I'm so sorry', and I was forgiven. But he was so strict. But he made a massive impression on me." Kate Moss to the Times.

Givenchy Haute Couture Spring 2012

2012-01-26T03:03:00.001-08:00

Beautiful as always...

Karl for Net-à-Porter

2012-01-25T07:49:00.000-08:00

"Karl"

Large printed canvas tote

Net-à-Porter collection - launched today.

Francesco Vezzoli - Prada - AMO: 24h museum

2012-01-25T07:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday night, in the middle of the Haute-Couture Paris Fashion Week, artist Francesco Vezzoli, Prada and AMO/OMA, Rem Koolhaas's think tank took over Palais d'Iena to launch a temporary museum called the 24h Museum with Kate Moss DJ-ing all night. How cooler can you get?

“Think of it as a parody of a retrospective” explained Vezzoli to Peter Aspden at the Financial Times in a recent interview. Prada and Vezzoli have been friends for a long-time and collaborated on several occasions. Vezzoli photographed Miuccia for the April 2009 cover of i-D and Prada has exhibited Vezzoli’s pieces at her Fondazione Prada located in Milan. The glorious fashion designer, who will have a proper retrospective show at New York's MET next May believes that "art has become too serious" so basically asked Vezzoli to entertain us a little. How can we not feel a sense of irony?

With the new “24 h Museum“, Francesco Vezzoli is continuing his exploration of reciprocal influences in the visual arts, cinema and theatre that he has already investigated in the performance in which Veruschka did petit-point embroidery at the Venice Biennale in 2001, the Democrazy video in which Sharon Stone and Bernard-Henri Lévy represented themselves as characters of a fictitious political campaign for an hypothetical presidential election (Venice Biennale, 2007), and in Lady Gaga / Damien Hirst / Frank Gerhy's performance at the MOCA in Los Angeles in 2009 when she played a live tribute to Diaghilev among many other art/PR-coup stunts.

Classical-style statues with faces of celebrities with whom Vezzoli has worked with, such as Courtney Love and Cate Blanchett were what you could see in a room full of hipsters and celebrities. “I am personally tired of pursuing and courting them, and I have exhausted my fascination with that universe.” Vezzoli added when speaking with Peter Aspden... When I told you, irony prevailed in this show...

Still, it's a must-see but hurry-up...

Exclusive interview with Spanish artist Nicolás Santos

2012-01-24T02:27:00.000-08:00

Nicolás Santos is a young Spanish artist who developed an imagery thanks to collages. He smartly mixes fashion, 30's American-cinema-glamour and boy-related influences, creating beautiful visuals that can disorient viewers. I had the chance to interview with him on his influences and his upcoming Madrid exhibition at La Fresh Gallery.

Enjoy !

How would you describe yourself and how would you describe your art?
I'm curious and my art is fulfilling.

Currently, do you have an exhibition and where does it take place?
No I don't, but I will have one before summer in Madrid, at La Fresh Gallery, with the work I'm currently working on.

Where do you take your inspiration from?
Mostly from 20th-century subcultures.

Are you represented by a gallery?
By La Fresh Gallery in Madrid.

Who are your favourite "models"? Who would you like to work with?
My favourite model is the one I created matching my own objectives. I'd rather keep my wishes for me, wishes are all we have left with.

Do you have any preferred artworks you've made?
The ones to come.

If you were not an artist, what would you be doing?
I would be studying. Not pretty sure what for, but who does?

What is your next project about?
About fashion and desire.

Do you consider that Art is Alive?
Well I would say it's pretty much dead, but we all have to try and keep it alive.

How have you developed your technique?
Through perseverance and determination.

What do you think about this blog and what would you wish it?
Spreading the word is necessary , keep up the good work.

More info on: http://720213.tumblr.com/

2011 Lyon Biennial : video assessment

2012-01-23T07:47:00.001-08:00

Ellsworth Kelly: Prints and Paintings at LACMA

2012-01-23T06:48:00.000-08:00

Colors on a Grid (1976), collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer, © Ellsworth Kelly and Tyler Graphics, Ltd.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art presents Ellsworth Kelly: Prints and Paintings, the first retrospective of the artist’s prolific print practice since the late 1980s. This exhibition coincides with the forthcoming revised and updated catalogue raisonné of Kelly’s prints, and features more than 100 works on paper, in addition to a selection of paintings from local collections.

Ellsworth Kelly: Prints and Paintings is organized thematically by key motifs, demonstrating the artist’s long-standing engagement with elemental form and pure color.
“This exhibition allows us to see the consistency of Kelly’s print practice, and how the formal hallmarks of his paintings and drawings have an important place in his graphic work,” notes Stephanie Barron, senior curator of modern art and exhibition co-curator.

Britt Salvesen, curator of prints and drawings and exhibition co-curator adds, “Whether created in series or individually, these prints offer an opportunity to explore Kelly’s ongoing interest in pure form and color.”

Kelly produced his first editioned prints in 1964-65, with Maeght Éditeur in Paris. Although he has explored intaglio and screenprinting methods, his primary affinity is for lithography. His growing interest in the medium coincided with the founding of Gemini G.E.L., the now-legendary print workshop located on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. Gemini’s founders — Ken Tyler, Sidney Felsen, and Stanley Grinstein — first approached Kelly in 1968. Based on strong recommendations by artist Frank Stella and critic Barbara Rose, Kelly accepted their invitation and first visited the workshop in 1970, initiating a collaboration that has lasted more than forty years. In total, the artist has created 336 editions.

Happy birthday Jeff Koons

2012-01-21T07:36:00.000-08:00

Luigi Costantini/Associated Press

Impostor or genius? You decide... Smart boy, it's undeniable.

Francis Bacon's raunchy portrait of Henrietta Moraes at auction next month

2012-01-21T07:28:00.000-08:00

The auction will take place on 14th February. Francis Outred, Christie's Head of Post-War & Contemporary Art, Europe said:
‘Searing with raw colour and texture, Portrait of Henrietta Moraes is one of the most seductive and sexually charged paintings I have ever encountered by Francis Bacon. The carefully constructed mood through colour is forcefully invaded by the extraordinary swipes of the loaded brush, which create the woman’s voluptuous figure. This juxtaposition of the sheer beauty of colour with the brutal physicality of paint is what makes Bacon’s art so remarkable.

Executed in 1963, this painting was undertaken in a landmark year, which saw the artist perfect his technique. It followed a period of intense experimentation in which Bacon investigated the properties of paint and the architecture of the human form. This turning point is widely acknowledged; 3 out of the 7 large-scale paintings created in 1963 now form parts of major international museum collections including The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art Humlebæk, National Museum of Wales, Cardiff and the Tate Gallery, London. In the same year, Bacon also created a small-scale triptych Three Studies for Portrait of Henrietta Moraes (1963) currently held in the Museum of Modern Art.

In a similar manner to the MoMA painting, Portrait of Henrietta Moraes is built up from a ground of papal red, which acts as a silhouette both in image and metaphor. The work has only had two owners since the day it was made, one of which was the important collector and post-War industrialist Willy Schniewind and the other being the present owner, a distinguished New Yorker who acquired the work in 1983. Portrait of Henrietta Moraes has not been seen in the public eye for fifteen years and I am very excited to be presenting this important piece of British art in London’.

Generous donation to Florence's Galleria del Costume

2012-01-21T03:58:00.000-08:00

Florence's Galleria del Costume in the Palazzo Pitti has generously been donated a Haute-Couture collection of French designers' gowns - the likes of Dior, Chanel and Nina Ricci - by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini, a couture-collector and philanthropist who regularly buys at auctions in New York, London and Paris.

Louise Bourgeois and Pedro Almodóvar

2012-01-21T03:40:00.000-08:00

"La piel que habito" is one of my favourite movies of 2011. The character played by the beautiful Elena Anaya, "Vera Cruz" / talented Jan Cornet, "Vicente" (you'll understand this once you've watched the movie) dives into art to relieve her pain and instead of starting from scratch, genius film director Pedro Almodóvar borrowed some pieces by Louise Bourgeois. Perfect match and best choice.

No this is not Trader Joe's of West Hollywood

2012-01-20T02:36:00.000-08:00

Grassi Museum for Applied Arts in Leipzig shows the record covers created by Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol had just completed his study of Applied Art when he came to New York in 1949 and designed his first Album Cover for Columbia Records.

This grew into a life-long working cooperation of cover album-design. Until his death in 1987, Warhol designed about 50 more album covers for the likes of The Rolling Stones, Blondie and The Velvet Underground among many others. They all attained cult status!

The almost complete series of all Album Covers designed by Warhol are now presented at the Grassi Museum of Leipzig and give the unique opportunity to retrace in a compact manner, his complete artistic development from his early days until he became a star himself.

Interestingly The Velvet Underground has recently filed a lawsuit against the Andy Warhol Foundation, after the deceased artist's company agreed to a licensing deal with a case- and sleeve-maker for Apple products. The pop group, fronted by Lou Reed, has accused the foundation [1] of infringing the trademark for the famous banana design adorning the cover of The Velvet Underground's debut album from 1967.
To be continued...

Paul Smith Porcelain Moustache Cufflinks

2012-01-18T14:30:00.001-08:00

Chanel's Behind-the-scene Spring Campaign Video

2012-01-18T12:07:00.001-08:00

Postmodernism at the V&A: one of the best exhibitions of 2011

2012-01-18T11:47:00.000-08:00

Postmodernism: Style and Subversion 1970-1990 was certainly one of the most interesting and original exhibitions of 2011.

This major show was the first in-depth survey of art, design and architecture of the 1970s and 1980s, examining one of the most UFO / kitsh / cultural phenomena of recent history: Postmodernism. It showed how it evolved from a provocative architectural movement in the early 1970s and rapidly went on to influence all areas of popular culture including art, film, music, graphics and fashion.

The most fascinating part of the show was certainly the one dedicated to performers such as David Bowie, Klaus Nomi (they have worked together), Eurythmics and of course Grace Jones [who is also highly featured in the exhibition entitled "Goudemalion" at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs of Paris. Coincidence?]

From a curatorial point of view, it was risky but also worth it since it's been a huge success both in terms of audience figures and critical acclaim. Well done V&A !

Chanel jacket trouser suit 1991

Nettie Horn presents Ivan Argote and Pauline Bastard

2012-01-18T11:39:00.000-08:00

This is a two fold project by Colombian and French artists Iván Argote and Pauline Bastard consisting of the exhibition "Rising Action" - featuring the video programme "Home Cinema" alongside an ensemble of installation and sculptural pieces - and followed by a performance entitled "Born to Curate" at the initiative of both artists which will take place on the 26th January 2012.

Meeting in 2007 in Paris, Iván and Pauline form an artist couple whose individual practices develop in parallel to joint projects based on concepts of presentations, curatorial events, residencies and other performative games for which the artists rewrite the rules. The exhibition "Rising Action" unites for the first time in the UK their common vision of the city as a theatrical playground - putting in place playful environments where tricks, hijackings and other narrative displacement and interventions initiate pictures of consumerism, humanism, poetry and action.

Iván Argote's practice deals with social, political and art historical fields through mediums as varied as video, photography, sculpture and painting. Being simultaneously the director and main actor in his work, Iván interrogates with humour the views and perspectives imposed by our social positions but also the status of an artwork and the notion of interactivity, which he addresses through a fictionalisation of the everyday.

Pauline Bastard invites us into a world where fiction and reality are entangled and at the heart of which misleading fictions reign. Through mediums such as video and sculpture, she plays with and defies narrative processes through the phenomenon of detachment, re-appropriation or semantic displacement. Popular objects and everyday materials are omnipresent in her practice, creating a complicit game with the spectator where the veracity of their fictional and dramatic potential is questioned.

"Born to Curate" is a one-night performance-based event; a sort of "curatorial battle" presented as a live game show where a panel of international curators are invited to confront each other in a friendly, fun and challenging atmosphere in front of a live audience. The event will be presented by a host from the international art scene and will be composed of five teams of two people. The game will develop around a number of themes chosen randomly by the participants who will then imagine and present an exhibition concept in a short period of time. The public is the Grand Jury of this battle and will "vote" through an applause meter which will select the teams that will go on to the final to win the "Born to Curate" trophy!

20 January - 19 February 2012

Preview: Thursday 19 January, 6-9pm
Nettie Horn, 25B Vyner Street, London, E2 9DG

Alexander McQueen Men's Autumn - Winter 2012, Look 32

2012-01-17T07:50:00.000-08:00

I am amazed !

Preview: Dior Homme Spring/Summer 2012 campaign, featuring Baptiste Giabiconi shot by Karl Lagerfeld.

2012-01-17T04:18:00.000-08:00

Very Dior New Look, don't you think?

Giorgio Armani inspired by Tilda Swinton?

2012-01-13T03:39:00.000-08:00

Giorgio Armani Spring 2012 Ad Campaign featuring Milou van Groesen, photographed by Mert & Marcus - a little too inspired by Tilda Swinton?

Aldo Chaparro at Galería Casado SantaPau in Madrid

2012-01-12T08:48:00.000-08:00

Industrial design, music, architecture and advertising inspire Aldo Chaparro, young Peruvian artist who presents his first solo show at the SantaPau Gallery of Madrid.

References to Robert Indiana, Richard Prince and the Velvet Underground, are dismantled and reassembled in an incredible installation aimed at shaking your usual perception of arts !

The Royal Academy and Annely Juda Fine Art celebrate David Hockney

2012-01-12T07:37:00.000-08:00

Opening on 21 January, the Royal Academy of Arts in London will showcase the first major exhibition of new landscape works by David Hockney RA. Featuring vivid paintings inspired by the East Yorkshire landscape, these large-scale works have been created especially for the galleries at the Royal Academy of Arts.

'David Hockney RA: A Bigger Picture' will span a 50 year period to demonstrate Hockney's long exploration and fascination with the depiction of landscape.

The exhibition will include a display of his iPad drawings and a series of new films produced using 18 cameras, which will be displayed on multiple screens and which will provide a spellbinding visual journey through the eyes of David Hockney.

To coincide with this major exhibition, the Annely Juda Fine Art gallery based in London will show a selection of Hockney's works.

Arrival of Spring No. 1 2011

oil on 8 canvases, overall: 182.9 x 487.7 cm

That Madonna's dress and the quote of the week...

2012-01-11T03:58:00.000-08:00

ABC News is about air an interview with Madonna by Cynthia McFadden and I am totally fascinated by the dress the Queen of Pop is wearing. Do you know which designer it is? I would say it is Balenciaga but I am not quite sure. Any help will be welcome !

Quote of the week: "I thought, this is a wonderful way to redo my song (‘Express Yourself’)." Madonna.

Senior reporter Jacob Bernstein hung out with Madonna for an upcoming piece in the January 30th issue of Newsweek, and got her thoughts on Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way.’

Thanks.

So updating this post, I actually got the answer to the question: she's wearing a Madeleine Vionnet's dress.

Nico.

The Queen by Chris Levine

2012-01-10T06:47:00.000-08:00

Danziger Gallery : CHRIS LEVINE / NEW PHOTOGRAPHERS

Phillip Lim goes all Lichtenstein-ish in his Pre-Fall 2012 Accessories collection

2012-01-09T03:28:00.000-08:00

Last week to enjoy the fantastic exhibition dedicated to Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in Barcelona

2012-01-08T12:00:00.000-08:00

Serge Pavlovich Diaghilev (1872- 1929) was a man whose unique character and driving ambition caused a ferment in European culture. His greatest achievement was his dance company – the Ballets Russes. Created a century ago, the productions of the Ballets Russes revolutionised early 20th-century arts and continue to influence cultural activity today, having worked with Picasso, Miro, Chanel, Poiret among other top-creative minds of the early 20th century.

Diaghilev shared his family's love of music and as his early career involved creating Russia's first fine art periodical he was introduced to many practising artists. When opportunity led him to Paris he recognised the potential to revitalise the dance scene by commissioning productions from the finest artists, choreographers and composers, so that art would dance with music in the theatre.

This is the last week to enjoy this exhibition held at the Caixa Forum centre in Barcelona.

Art Against Knives is calling all creative minds

2012-01-08T11:47:00.000-08:00

AAK was born from the tragic and unprovoked stabbing of Oliver Hemsley, a 21-year-old student from Central Saint Martin’s College of Art & Design. The vicious attack, which has left Oliver in a wheelchair, took place in Shoreditch, East London, in August 2008. It is the impact of this that drives Art Against Knives to create something positive from such a life-changing experience.

An exhibition on the topic of "new beginnings, fresh start and renewal" will be launched at the recently opened-gallery in Shoreditch, London on 26th January 2012 and will feature 50 works. The good news is that if you're a creative mind, you can submit your artwork. Just make sure you check the brief here: http://www.artagainstknives.com/new-year-new-beginnings-new-brief/

Good luck !

Happy 65th birthday David Bowie !

2012-01-08T04:06:00.001-08:00

"I am going to be huge and it's quite frightening in a way..." David Bowie 1972.

Happy new year !

2012-01-05T03:16:00.001-08:00

Dear supporters,

I wanted to wish you a fantastic 2012, hoping that you are recovering well from the festive season.

I also wanted to thank you very much for all the love and support I've received from all of you in 2011. My eternal gratitude also goes to the artists who have granted me their time to answer my interviews, brands that have approached me for partnerships, the online and print publications that published something about Art is Alive and everyone who sent me their picture for the "I love Art is Alive gallery".

Without an audience or followers, I would have stopped this blog a long time ago but guess what? in 2012, Art is Alive will celebrate its 5th anniversary with more art, fashion, architecture and design features ! This is an exciting time and I look forward to the challenges of the new year.

Please stay connected with me on Twitter, Facebook, here, and do get in touch with me to suggest anything you feel suitable: nicolas.smirnoff@gmail.com

Thank you again and happy new year !

- Nicolas Smirnoff -

(Yes this is me with Helena Christensen, one of the highlights of 2011 for Art is Alive)

Martin Creed's show in Madrid

2012-01-04T03:14:00.000-08:00

The "Sala Alcalá 31" exhibition space in Madrid welcomes an ambitious Martin Creed solo show which spans twenty years of his career. Creed who has been awarded the Turner Prize in 2001 investigates the basic nature of things, forming a world of classifications and categories through objects, words and sounds of everyday life. His use of simple materials to create bizarre scenarios make the viewers change their perception of objects and materials surrounding him as expressed in "Work No.701", a row of nails from highest to lowest and pictured above.

This exhibition is not to be missed.

Until 26 February in Sala Alcalá 31, c/ Alacalá, 31. Madrid

Quote of the week: David Hockney on Damien Hirst

2012-01-04T03:05:00.000-08:00

"[Employing assistants to make his artworks] is a little insulting to craftsmen, skillful craftsmen." David Hockney told the Radio Times about Damien Hirst.

Amazing bird shoes by Kobi Levi

2012-01-03T06:10:00.001-08:00

Courtesy of Dezeen

2011 Alessi project

2011-12-29T05:44:00.000-08:00

Alessi project which received the 22nd Compasso d'Oro award in July 2011, inspired by classical Dutch painting. Love the composition of this picture.

Exclusive interview with emerging fashion designer Giuseppe Virgone

2011-12-29T05:26:00.000-08:00

For my last interview of the year, I am proud to introduce you to the work of Giuseppe Virgone, an Italian emerging fashion designer who launched his first collection in 2010. Let's dive into his gothic and almost theatrical universe paved with historical references.

When is your brand born?
The project started in late 2009 when I gave birth to a first collection called "An animal must die". It wasunveiled at the RA shop in Antwerp a few days after its opening. I presented mywork as a performance with an installation which related to this universe.

Who, from the fashion or "creative world" doyou take inspiration from?
I am inspired a lotby the past, by strong characters, Greek mythology, and religious belief. Also from the works of contemporary artists suchas Romeo Castellucci, the Chapman brothers etc. and strangely music inspires mea lot too.

Can you tell us a bit more about your backgroundplease?
I am a young fashion designer based in Brussels trained at the National Schoolof Visual Arts of La Cambre in Brussels.

After an internshipat Gaspard Yurkievich as a “modist”, I launched my first men winter collectionin 2010 called "An animal must die."

This collectionevokes the fate of a mortal man, an unconditional love for an animal and the incomprehensionof unjustified actions. Space and movements of the body are the essential focusesof my work.

Can you tell us about your latest collection?

I called this collection "Broken agreement" becauseit defines what Savonarole (an Italian Dominican friar) lived. First, there was a religious belief. This belief drove himmad. Politics and religion were mixed inhis mind, he wanted to control everything but nothing worked. All this power drovehim to his loss and his death.

This collection reflects the time when the religious soul is confronted with a half human, half monster shell!

It is a portrait ofGirolamo Savonarola, a priest who died in the bonfire in Florence, Italy in1498. This character took over the city, censored nudity and the vanity ofpainters of the time. Contemporary thought was not welcome.

This collection is atransformation of the body and the mind. We begin with a very simple world, a mixof sacred and religion which then breaks down and merges into more contemporary shapes, materials, animal tissue, aggressive embroiderystifling the body.

In the end it willgive way to fantasy where reality mixes with dream. Bodies arecracking, the power falls, burns the vanity, the mind becomes king! The garmentis made up as if the body wanted to say something, a moment of pure grace inwhich all souls oscillate. Nothing has value,while there, everything disappears. There is not even a border between thebody, between words and surfaces.

My work is very dark.

What do you think about French Fashion's scene?

I really like Paris for the Menswear fashion week. Collections are always right, but perhaps a little hard to penetrate when you are a young fashion designer. I wish for a Belgian fashion week. It would make things easier for us to show our work.

Have you had any support from other fashion figure?

As we speak, I am alone showing this body of work.

What are you expressing through your designs?

First of all I dress a space, a movement and then the body. I like to create a tragedy before suffocating the body.
I really like the ritual of dressing and undressing. I like to say that throughout our movements, a celebration will be born.

Are you showing at Paris Fashion week or any other fashion weeks?

Yes, I will present my work as a video-performance-look book. I don’t have any space yet.

Where can we find your designs?

My first collection was sold in Antwerp at the RA shop and next month it will be available on: www.ledressing.be

To finish with, what would you wish to this blog and what do you think about it?

Your blog is well designed, a kind of diary for fashion. If you need any fashion information, your blog surely gives the answer.
I’d like to see a list of buyers and some "showroom space".

Thanks to Giuseppe.

This is exactly how I feel...

2011-12-28T05:53:00.001-08:00

Season's greetings from Banksy?

Interesting picture

2011-12-28T04:21:00.000-08:00

Really like this image from I-D.

Raf Simons for Jil Sander, The Pick Me Up Issue

Photography: Willy Vanderperre

Styling: Olivier Rizzo

I wish you a punk Christmas

2011-12-23T05:34:00.000-08:00

I wish you all a punk Christmas ! Enjoy the break and stay tuned for more interesting content on Art is Alive.

xxx

Nicolas.

R.I.P scultpor John Chamberlain

2011-12-23T02:11:00.001-08:00

Exclusive: the first look at Madonna's fragrance ad

2011-12-23T01:37:00.000-08:00

Madonna's Truth or Dare fragrance ad has strangely leaked on two famous blog / website and I wanted to share it with you in exclusivity. Shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, it it pretty much inspired by Lee Miller.

What do you think about it?

Cristóbal Balenciaga Museo, Spain

2011-12-22T01:29:00.000-08:00

www.cristobalbalenciagamuseoa.com Cristóbal Balenciaga Museoa – Aldamar Parkea, 6 20808 Getaria

Louis Vuitton condom

2011-12-15T08:06:00.000-08:00

By Irakli Kiziria, architect and artist. To F*ck with style !

The beauty of Soviet brutalism by Taschen

2011-12-15T08:02:00.000-08:00

Photographer Frédéric Chaubin reveals 90 buildings sited infourteen former Soviet Republics which express what he considers to be thefourth age of Soviet architecture. His poetic pictures, published by TASCHEN inthe book entitled CCCP Cosmic Communist Constructions Photographed reveal anunexpected rebirth of imagination, an unknown burgeoning that took place from1970 until 1990. Contrary to the 1920s and 1950s, no “school” or main trendemerges here. These buildings represent a chaotic impulse brought about by adecaying system. Their diversity announced the end of the Soviet Union.

Fascinating and scary ! A nice Christmas present! Anyone?

Lana Del Rey - Born To Die

2011-12-14T14:39:00.000-08:00

Love this video! Pease folks take notes because we will soon see Lana del Rey on every single cover of magazines from Dazed to Vogue ! I am sure ! I love her style, her universe, her fragile and not-oh-so naive attitude... She's the next big thing for sure...

"When Nico ruled the world" dixit Lou Reed today on Facebook

2011-12-14T08:38:00.001-08:00

The Francisco Godia Foundation presents a major exhibition of works by contemporary artists from private collections

2011-12-13T07:13:00.000-08:00

This exhibition curated by Sara Puig, the director of the Foundation, features artworks by Anish Kapoor, Cristina Iglesias and Andreas Gursky, Robert Mapplethorpe and Bill Viola, Ignasi Aballí and Cindy Sherman, among many other originating from private collectors based in Barcelona.

Barcelona Colecciona. From December 14, 2011 to March 26, 2012
Fundació Francisco Godia, Diputación, 250. Barcelona

King Karl wishes you a Beautiful Christmas

2011-12-13T02:21:00.000-08:00

Karl who will style the next edition of the Paris Biennale des Antiquaires has also styled the windows of the Printemps shop in Paris - Opéra, wishing us a Merry Christmas ! Thank you Karl !

Marilyn ice cream

2011-12-13T00:52:00.000-08:00

Stoyn were selling their crazy ice creams at Fountain Art Fair in Miami during Art Basel Miami Beach, 1–4 Dec, 2011.

The Thailand International Furniture Fair

2011-12-11T11:53:00.000-08:00

These sofas will be exhibited at the next Thailand International Furniture Fair will take place from 14 to 18 March 2012 in Bangkok. I love them !

Florence + The Machine's Choice

2011-12-11T11:48:00.000-08:00

I really like Florence + the Machine, especially her song "What the water gave" played at the recent Chanel song which was a beautiful moment. She's now taking part in an interesting campaign called Secret 7.

Secret 7 is an exciting project combining music and art in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust. Seven bands and recording artists are inviting creatives to design the artwork for a seven inch vinyl sleeve inspired by one of their songs. The project will culminate in 700 unique vinyl sleeves displayed in Idea Generation Gallery in London in the week leading up to Record Store Day 2012. On that day, each of the vinyls at the gallery will be available to purchase with all of the profits going to Teenage Cancer Trust.

None of the buyers will know who created the sleeve, or even which song it's for, until they are holding it in their hands - the secret lies within.

In this challenge, Florence + The Machine has selected the track 'Only If For A Night' and are inviting creatives to interpret the song, however they please, via an original piece of seven inch artwork. This is an incredible opportunity for aspiring artists and designers to collaborate with one of the world's most loved bands, to have their artwork seen by millions, be exhibited alongside established artists and in the process, raise valuable funds for Teenage Cancer Trust.

Hedi Slimane Exhibition at MOCA’s Pacific Design Center

2011-12-09T11:25:00.000-08:00

Little people know why Slimane revolutionized men's fashion: because he cut suits in a way that had never been done before. Inspired by the Bauhaus school, his cut was almost feminine. He's the reason why Lagerfeld lost so much weight...

After he left Dior Homme in 2007 at the top of his game, he became a full-time photographer. The results of his career as a photographer is currently exhibited at the MOCA in L.A where he spent significant time photographing Venice-beach skaters and celebrities...

MOCA Director Jeffrey Deitch said: “Hedi Slimane has created a new and fresh visual language for youth today… his black-and-white images capture the essential expression of the emerging art, fashion, and music scenes around the world.”

The Hedi Slimane Exhibit runs until January 22, 2011. Let me know what you think if you have a chance to see the show... I won't have the chance to.

Quote of the week: Trent Reznor on Bowie

2011-12-09T11:13:00.000-08:00

"It started to feel like if I didn't force myself into a change I would regret it. It's a fear of not wanting to try things because you're in a comfort zone. I always think about my hero David Bowie and his fearlessness to destroy something that isn't ready to break yet and start something new. He'd throw out an identity, confuse his audience and it's a great risk career-wise. But he had the balls and didn't milk it out to the last drop".
Trent Reznor on releasing another album in 2012 with NIN.

Rooney Mara is on the cover of Dazed

2011-12-09T10:55:00.000-08:00

David Fincher's "the girl with the dragon tattoo" kills this cover, in McQueen !

Azzedine Alaïa at the Groninger Museum, the Netherlands

2011-12-09T10:48:00.000-08:00

From 11 December 2011 to 6 May 2012, the Groninger Museum presents an exhibition dedicated to the fashion designer and artist Azzedine Alaïa. This exhibition displays the most fantastic creations of the last ten years. This show is a follow-on to the overview of his work shown in the Groninger Museum in 1998, which was subsequently displayed at the Brant Foundation in New York in 2002.

R.I.P Creative Genius François Lesage.

2011-12-02T02:19:00.001-08:00

World AIDS Day: Martin Margiela

2011-12-01T09:01:00.000-08:00

"There is more action to be done to fight AIDS than to wear this T-shirt but it's a good start", reads the slogan across Maison Martin Margiela's World AIDS Day T-shirts, available here: www.maisonmartinmargiela.com

Tilda Swinton graces the cover of The Room

2011-12-01T06:27:00.000-08:00

Exclusive interview with fashion film Director Jason Last

2011-12-01T03:07:00.000-08:00

SCALPEL/STRADIVARIUS from JASON LAST on Vimeo.

Meet the incredibly talented and well-established fashion film Director, artist and friend Jason Last. Jason has been an Art is Alive supporter since the beginning and exclusively for Art is Alive he agreed to provide more insights on his inspiration, his next projects and his amazing artistic approach.

Can you introduce yourself please?
Hi, I'm Jason Last.

How did it all start for you?
I've always been drawn to moving image & sound - especially growing up watching a lot of music videos & seeing video art. I've always somehow played & worked with video. When I decided to study in Fine Arts, I specialized in video & from there, it grew - technically & mentally.
In terms of fashion film; defining the genre personally came from my early (to recent) collaborations with Jaime Rubiano. We experimented with, & blended the worlds that drive & inspire us creatively; art, fashion, film, performance, photo. It was quite a natural process.

Can you tell us about your recent projects?
Right now I am working on a longer film with complexgeometries, featuring their SS12 collection w/ Andrej Pejic, & a score composed by Grimes - who is amazing.. called The King's Son.
Also, completing a film from last year, Barrel Of A Gun (BOAG), which tells somewhat a story through narration.
Jaime & I just completed Scalpel/Stradivarius (first video above) which we are quite excited about. It is presented by Vogue Italia & features live performance by Sarah Neufeld (Arcade Fire/The Bell Orchestre), who composed the score for the film, & model Meghan Collison. It won Thecorner.com prize at ASVOFF4 in Paris this year, & is circulating to various festivals/ screening at the moment. It features all kinds of designers from Ackermann to Demeulemeester to Givenchy. (http://vimeo.com/31196193)

THE KING'S SON - PREVIEW from complexgeometries on Vimeo.

Which one are you most proud of?
I don't know if we are more proud of one more than others. Each piece has it's own life & identity. I know that as the work grows & develops; so does our ability to make stronger work. We're always defining & redefining what we do.

Is video the best medium to showcase fashion?
I don't think so. There is definitely an intimacy with the clothing & design that can be achieved with video for the viewer, & there is control over presentation & concept; with music, narrative, whatever... but there's nothing like a strong runway show, & the energy & experience of live performance. Video is an incredible & important vehicle for fashion, but it's only one.

Jason

Who or what do you take your inspiration from?
My past, art, a lot of music, nature. normal things.. too many things. I work very closely with Jaime, who's creative mind continuously pushes hard at our work.

Who would you be interested to work with if you had the choice?
A lot of the people I want to work with are in music. Creative subjects that bring their own art to the table. My art reflected through my idols.
Crossover of genres is very interesting to me. Collaboration is everything. Music, art, fashion, performance - these worlds have always worked somehow together, & those incestuous combinations fascinate me the most creatively.
In fashion, again there are too many designers & models that I want to create & collaborate with.

Would you consider doing something else if you were not an artist?
No.

To finish with, what do you think and wish to this blog?
Art Is Alive is one of the first sites I remember looking at years ago. & I always have connected to the way it integrates art & fashion.

More info on: http://www.jasonlaststudio.com

Thank you so much Jason.

Diego Rivera: Murals for The Museum of Modern Art

2011-11-30T08:49:00.000-08:00

Diego Rivera. Agrarian Leader Zapata. 1931. Fresco

Diego Rivera was the subject of MoMA’s second monographic exhibition which run from December 22, 1931, to January 27, 1932. MoMA brought Rivera to New York six weeks before the exhibition’s opening and gave him studio space within the Museum, a strategy intended to solve the problem of how to present the work of this famous muralist when murals were by definition made and fixed on site. Working around the clock with two assistants, Rivera produced five “portable murals”—large blocks of frescoed plaster, slaked lime, and wood that feature bold images drawn from Mexican subject matter and address themes of revolution and class inequity. After the opening, to great publicity, Rivera added three more murals, now taking on New York subjects through monumental images of the urban working class and the social stratification of the city during the Great Depression. All eight were on display for the rest of the show’s run. The first of these panels, Agrarian Leader Zapata, is an icon in the Museum’s collection.

This exhibition, until 14th May 2012, brings together key works made for Rivera’s 1931 exhibition, presenting them at MoMA for the first time in nearly 80 years. Along with mural panels, the show includes full-scale drawings, smaller working drawings, archival materials related to the commission and production of these works, and designs for Rivera’s famous Rockefeller Center mural, which he also produced while he was working at the Museum. Focused specifically on works created during the artist’s stay in New York, this exhibition will draw a succinct portrait of Rivera as a highly cosmopolitan figure who moved between Russia, Mexico, and the United States, and will offer a fresh look at the intersection of art making and radical politics in the 1930s. MoMA will be the exhibition’s sole venue.

Chanel, the luxury book

2011-11-30T04:08:00.000-08:00

Chanel Luxe, by François Baudot and François Aveline, éditions Assouline, traces the history of the most famous French fashion house. It's a beautiful item and would make for a nice Christmas present ! But you will have to be patient because it's already out of stock.

Coming Soon: The Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum

2011-11-22T08:03:00.000-08:00

Certainly megalomaniac but also interesting: the new virtual Valentino Museum should "open" soon. It will feature all the collections ever made, advertising posters, press coverage, intimate pictures... A fascinating insight into Valentino's world.

I look forward and maybe one day a real museum will be built. Valentino already had retrospectives in big museums such as the New York's Guggenheim...

Cézanne at the Musée du Luxembourg in Paris

2011-11-20T10:11:00.000-08:00

A remarkable exhibition at the Musée du Luxembourg gathers 77 works by Paul Cézanne. Until February 26.

Quote of the week: Karl Lagerfeld

2011-11-17T08:38:00.001-08:00

"I think they should make a tax so that when you earn a certain amount of money, you have to spend a certain amount on shopping. To buy whatever … And that way, we create tons of jobs. I think it’s a good idea. What I hate is people with a lot of money who don’t spend it."

Karl Lagerfeld to WWD.

Yayoi Kusama at the Pompidou Centre in Paris

2011-11-17T04:18:00.000-08:00

Yayoi Kusama is one of my icons. Her universe and the visual language she's developed are fascinating.

The Centre Pompidou is presenting the first French retrospective dedicated to the Japanese artist and I hope to see it asap. Following her career through 150 works created between 1949 and 2001, the exhibition tracks the major moments in the life of the artist and illustrates the protean character (paintings, sculptures, environments, performances) of a collection of works which Kusama has herself described as "obsessional". Strongly rooted in a childhood memory, a hallucination from which she developed the polka dot motif, this unclassified work still has significant influence on the cotemporary scene.

Beautiful, scary and amazing at the same time! Go and see it, it's until 9 January 2012

The Calouste Gulbenkian Cultural Centre opens new headquarters in Paris

2011-11-17T04:09:00.000-08:00

The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation has unveiled on 17 of October, the new headquarters of the Calouste Gulbenkian Cultural Centre in Paris, located in a 1869 building at number 39 Boulevard de la Tour Maubourg in the area of Les Invalides. Since 1965 the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation has been developing its activities in the former residence, at 51, Avenue d'Iena. The center has played a key role for more than four decades, in Luso-French diplomatic relations, and its library has become the largest and most important library of Portuguese language outside Portugal and Brazil. The new space on the Boulevard de la Tour Maubourg features around 1,900 square metres on five floors and a basement. The rehabilitation project has been carried out by the Lisbon-based architect Teresa Nunes da Ponte and includes an exhibition area of 240 square metres, and a hall with 140 seats for seminars and conferences.

I love this Marc Jacobs' Spring 2012 collection dress

2011-11-17T01:30:00.001-08:00

"Dear all,

The Marc Jacobs PR team is sorry to inform you that our press day tomorrow in the Marc Jacobs store is canceled, due to the theft of the spring/summer 2012 collections during its transfer from Paris."

... said the unfortunate press release.

The latest Benetton ad campaign rocks !

2011-11-16T09:00:00.000-08:00

The campaign is called ‘Unhate,’ and features images of world leaders kissing each others - the Russian way. There’s one of Barack Obama with Chinese leader Hu Jintao, France’s Nicolas Sarkozy with German chancellor Angela Merkel, the European tandem, and most controversially, in Rome, an image of the Pope with Egyptian imam Mohamed Ahmed el-Tayeb.

No artist has been named yet but I am sure, I am convinced it's inspired by Dmitry Vrubel, God! Help Me to Survive Amongst This Deathly Love (1991–2000) featured in a show at Haunch of Venison, in London a few years ago.

Well done Benetton ! It rocks !

France: the first mobile Museum dedicated to kids features works by famous artists

2011-11-15T06:40:00.000-08:00

Very interesting initiative by former “be contemporary” editor and friend Ingrid Brochard. She’s created a mobile museum which is currently touring France and next year in Africa to make primary schools kids aware of contemporary art. It features some amazing artists such as Mc Carthy, Buren, Huyghe, Moshiri or Weiner...

Touring museums seem to be quite trendy in France... Remember the mobile Pompidou Centre?

Kate Moss on the cover of Dazed

2011-11-15T06:31:00.000-08:00

The December issue of Dazed & Confused boasts 20 different covershots by co-founder Rankin, featuring the likes of Kate Moss, Chloe Sevigny, Eva Green and Alicia Keys. I like Kate's !

Twin Parallel is a film written and directed by Justin Anderson

2011-11-11T11:39:00.000-08:00

Twin Parallel is a film written and directed by Justin Anderson showcasing the Jayne Pierson S/S 2011 collection. Premiered at London Fashion Week it features two girls caught in the Twin Parallel- a parallel time shift of the twin paradox theory- with still life, a cuckoo clock and the golden goose girl.

Viktor & Rolf - Fairy Tales

2011-11-11T02:03:00.000-08:00

Needless to say that Viktor&Rolf are some of my favourite fashion designers ever. What impresses me the most is the innovative and artistic approach. I've always praised them in the past and invite you to read again my previous post (link here) which was actually shared with them, at the time it was written. They sent me their best regards after reading my comments.

One of the designers' new creative initiative, setting their artistic reputation to another level is their brand-new book called "Fairy Tales". The book features tales of the pampered Princess Giselle in The Golden Dress; of Princess Shanilla in The Fifth Perfume Bottle and of the transformational magic behind Flowerbomb.

The perfect Christmas present and an immersion into the pink and positively weird world of V&R!

Save Keith Haring's mural in Melbourne

2011-11-10T02:20:00.000-08:00

While Comme des Garçons releases a capsule collection of Keith Haring's t-shirts, a more serious issue arises in Australia.

Keith Haring traveled Down Under in 1984 and painted a mural in Collingwood as a gift to the city of Melbourne.

The mural is currently in a sorry state and we should all play a part in helping to preserve it ! Please simply sign a petition at Save Melbourne's Keith Haring Mural website: http://www.savemelbourneharingmural.com.au/help.html

THANK YOU !

Prince at the Versace for H and M presentation

2011-11-09T07:05:00.000-08:00

The PR effort of Versace and H&M is a total success ! The presentation took place yesterday in New York and their collaboration is featured everywhere on the web today... Maybe because Prince performed and was looking totally awesome as usual !

Turner prize 2011 contenders: George Shaw - video

2011-11-09T03:26:00.001-08:00

Thank you so much !

2011-11-07T03:54:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to say thank you to all my followers and readers ! I appreciate your amazing support ! Expect more from Art is Alive in the next few weeks !

Maurizio Cattelan retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum of NY

2011-11-04T13:19:00.000-07:00

This figure from Mr. Cattelan’s “Daddy Daddy” was previously displayed at the museum floating face down in the rotunda’s fountain.

"I've never thought about my works as something that I wanted to see again. Now I am forced to relate to them. It's a chance to see myself from a different perspective. The 130 works will come together in a new work: it's a family" the artist said to the Financial Times about his NY Guggenheim's Museum retrospective which opened this week. He adds: "There is no other way to do a shw there and pay respect to the building."

I look forward to seeing this retrospective but to be honest, I am not sure I like what I see on the pictures... It feels too much...

Pictures Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times.

Madonna’s new fragrance is called truth or dare

2011-11-04T13:09:00.000-07:00

For years, Madonna refused to launch her fragrance unlike many cheap stars, but she now feels time has come to release "a unique blend of narcotic florals, balanced with addictive woods and vanilla, creates a scent that is timeless, yet contemporary, simultaneously dark and light."

She also feels it's the right time to launch her own brand and she will surely cash in a lot! She says: "Over the past several years, I have been approached countless times to create my own brand. The timing is right and I have found great partners in Iconix, who can help translate my vision to reality."

Will you be buying?

Happy 62th birthday Anna Wintour !

2011-11-04T12:55:00.001-07:00

Olympics 2012 posters by famous UK artists

2011-11-04T06:44:00.000-07:00

The official posters for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, designed by some of the UK's leading artists, have been unveiled today. Here is my selection of the best !

Fashion must-have: the Daria sweater

2011-11-02T14:28:00.001-07:00

Exclusive interview with fashion pioneer Diane Pernet

2011-11-02T13:18:00.000-07:00

Diane Pernet needs no presentation but for those who don't know her, she is a world-renowned fashion critic and video journalist based in Paris. Previously a photographer and designer in New York, fashion editor of Elle.com and Vogue Paris.com amongst other responsabilities, she recently reinvented herself as documentary filmmaker, talent scout and fashion blogger on her site A Shaded View on Fashion (www.asvof.com). In 2008, Diane launched A Shaded View on Fashion Film, the world's first fashion and film festival.

I had the huge pleasure to catch up with her ahead of the Barcelona edition of A Shaded View on Fashion Film Festival which will be held from 24 to 27 January 2012 and I touchedbased on various topics, from her contemporary art tastes to her love for koalas and the programme of the festival. Enjoy !

Tell us something we don’t know about you as a matter of introduction.
I fell in love with a koala bear when I was in Perth, Australia in August and ever since then have become obsessed with saving them from extinction.

Who or what inspires you the most?
Lighting by James Turrell and Olafur Eliasson, architecture and design by Joseph Dirand, fashion and furniture by Rick Owens. Soichiro Kanbayashi’s amazingly beautiful sculpted wooden chair, films by Mike Figgis, John Cassavetes. I love directors who can make great films. Anything Miguel Villalobos does from photography to sculpture to jewelry, cooking..., Daido Moriyama, Nobuyoshi Araki, Erwin Olaf, Pierre Gonnard….

How did the idea of A Shaded View on Fashion Film Festival come about?
When I first started this back in 2008, somehow I instinctively knew that ASVOFF would fill a much needed creative gap. I guess it was because I understood there was already an audience waiting to be served. But what I could never have anticipated was just how quickly the cross-over between fashion and film would evolve from wild experimentation into a bona fide art form and a valuable commercial outlet. To begin with, I think the ‘fashion film’ was born out of a real need to breathe life into the old static medium and set fashion in motion through the magic of cinema. What ASVOFF does is to give people in both industries – and talented outsiders too – a platform to let this genre flourish. Hopefully, by rewarding excellence in the field, it also keeps pushing them to push the boundaries forward too.

Do you feel that fashion films are the future of “fashion marketing” i.e complementing catwalk shows, streamed live catwalk shows, lookbooks etc. ?
Four years later, the two disciplines have grown even closer thanks to the incredible impact of the digital revolution, new commercial realities and a mutual fascination between fashion and film industry leaders. But it’s not only that. As online, tablet and smartphone media channels grow ever more important, ‘fashion film’ is also filling important business niches and offering artistic solutions to challenges we could never have imagined even a few years ago. It’s also creating totally new, sometimes unexpected opportunities as it goes along. ‘Fashion film’ makes perfect sense in today’s world where we have the live streaming of catwalk shows, click-to-buy video e-commerce functionality, behind-the-scenes and fly-on-the-wall fashion brand documentaries – not to mention video ads spreading virally like wild fire through social media networks. There’s something in the bigger picture too, you know. Fashion is still a hot topic for reality TV shows; there are biopics of fashion designers coming out left, right and centre; designers are moonlighting as Hollywood film directors – and actresses as designers. I don’t think there has ever been a better moment for a festival like ASVOFF than now.

Why a Barcelona edition for the festival? Is Spain an inspiration (I guess so given the mantilla which is part of your look)?
Actually 4 or 5 years ago I did my first fashion festival called You Wear it Well in the Arts Santa Monica on la Rambla in Barcelona sponsored by B-Guided magazine. I think it was 2006 and later I did ASVOFF in Santiago de Compostela. I do like Spain a lot. Alex Murray-Leslie (Chicks on Speed) and I have been talking about working together on ASVOFF Barcelona for about a year. ASVOFF will be customized for Barcelona with a new jury, two new competitions one for students with a one word brief AMUSE for a 1 minute film, deadline January 1st and a one minute mobile phone competition. You can visit www.asvoff.es for more information on the Barcelona edition.

What other cities do you have in your radar?
I just came back from an ASVOFF screening in Tokyo, we are currently planning ASVOFF in Miami Basel, followed by Barcelona and then we plan to go to Cannes again in May and in between maybe NYC and next year back to Australia. I’m not sure where else at the moment. Probably Milan again.

What events can we expect to attend in Barcelona?
New jury, new competitions , some Spanish archival fashion films, concerts, special appearances….work in progress at the moment.

How important is it to promote young fashion designers?
I like to promote young talent be it fashion, film, art or music. I think it is very important as that is the future.Young designers need a platform , they do not have the means to advertise and they deserve to be seen.

Do you feel there’s not enough visibility in the press or online given to young fashion designers?
Blogs and online websites and e-commerce and festivals do provide plenty of opportunity for designers to be seen.

Who do you think we should most watch as designers of the future?
At the moment I think Jean Paul Lespagnard is a good one to watch. I’ve been watching his work for about 4 years now ever since he was participating at the festival d’Hyeres. Aganovich is also making a name for themselves. MaMe in Tokyo is an interesting brand.

Same question for fashion film directors or photographers?
I really like the work of Elisha Smith-Leverock, Alex Prager, Lernet + Sander, Justin Anderson, Suzie Q + Leo Siboni, David Bedoni, Jason Last + Jaime Rubiano, I could continue but maybe should stop there.

What are your contemporary art tastes like?
I like Theo Mercier, Takahiro Kimura, Gregory Crewson, The Quay Brothers, Marc Quinn, Anish Kapoor and Yayoi Kusama.

Have you seen any recent striking exhibition?
Yes October 10th the Yayoi Kusama exhibition opened at Centre Pompidou.

What are your next projects? Directing a film yourself?
Like I said working on ASVOFF Miami Basel and ASVOFF Barcelona also trying to raise money for the Save the Koala fund by doing an event in London probably with the new Le Baron, just in the planning stage at the moment but the Koala bear situation is very dramatic. If something is not done soon they will be extinct. I like to direct low fi documentaries, for the moment only very short ones my dream is to one day assemble a series of short films and make it into one long film which will be a patchwork of the people that I find inspiring, interesting or entertaining.

To finish with, what do you think about this blog and what would you wish it?
I think it looks great, clean and interesting texts.

Thanks Diane !

Another Bowie obsession

2011-11-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

Quote of the week: Amanda Lear on Claudia Schiffer

2011-11-02T06:47:00.000-07:00

"There was a time Hollywood was considering making a film of Dali's Life, with Claudia Schiffer in the lead. Claudia said: "I love your book! Who wrote it for you?" I said, "I did, Darling. Who read it to you?"..." Amanda Lear.

Haute-Food: artist Fulvio Bonavia and former Vogue editor Giovanna Battaglia collaboration

2011-10-27T09:40:00.000-07:00

This creative combo paid tribute to Prada, LV, Moncler and McQueen with the recreation of iconic dresses in ... food for the next issue of Garage magazine! It looks good and yummy !

Happy 88th Birthday Roy Lichtenstein

2011-10-27T04:33:00.001-07:00

Grayson Perry - The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman

2011-10-27T04:17:00.000-07:00

Grayson Perry, the controversial contemporary artist and RA Turner Prize winner has curated an installation of his new works alongside objects made by unknown men and women throughout history from the British Museum’s collection in London. He spent two years working on this collaboration with the BM.

The artwork explores a range of themes connected with notions of craftsmanship and sacred journeys – from shamanism, magic and holy relics to motorbikes, identity and contemporary culture. Vases covered in witty captions, elaborate tapestries and the centrepiece, a richly decorated cast iron coffin-ship, are on display alongside objects from the past two million years of culture and civilisation.

‘This is a memorial to all the anonymous craftsmen that over the centuries have fashioned the manmade wonders of the world… The craftsman’s anonymity I find especially resonant in an age of the celebrity artist.’ the artist said.
Until 19 February

Givenchy SS 12 Menswear collection - fresh item

2011-10-27T03:02:00.000-07:00

Aren't they nice?

Versace for H&M: Behind the Scenes

2011-10-27T02:49:00.000-07:00

I am really excited by this collection. I've been a fan of Versace for years and I am sure it won't be disappointing. I've already spotted interesting pieces. Surely Versace as a brand had its low moments but today's re-birth is of great interest to me.

Donatella has been blamed a lot but I think she's done a good job, given some of the tragedies of her life... RESPECT !

Lou Reed: 'The music I've done with Metallica is the best thing done by anyone, ever'

2011-10-26T04:41:00.001-07:00

I really like the cover of "Lulu", the album released by Lou Reed and Metallica.

"In Lulu, Reed reaches back to the depiction of women from an era when uninhibited sexuality demanded punishment, usually through death or the onset of madness. Wilson suggested otherwise, but Reed looked to Louise Brooks's portrayal of Lulu in the 1929 film Pandora's Box. He looked, too, at Marlene Dietrich's Lola in The Blue Angel – the ultimate femme fatale, who leads Professor Rath into a sexually induced madness, in which he crows like a cockerel. "I never forgot that image," Reed says." said the Guardian.

I think this visual is beautiful.

Reed said: "The version of the Lulu music I did with Metallica is awe inspiring. It’s maybe the best thing done by anyone, ever. It could create another planetary system. I’m not joking, and I’m not being egotistical."

I look forward to listening to it...

Exclusive interview with emerging fashion designer Etienne Derœux

2011-10-26T01:32:00.000-07:00

Meet Etienne Derœux, an emerging French fashion designer who recently presented his debut S/S 2012 collection in Paris at Six Showroom, which features an amazing sense of purity. His approach of fashion is intellectual and that's what I found really interesting...

When is your brand born?
The Brand was Born on april 1st 2011.

Who, from the fashion or "creative world" do you take your inspiration from?
I read a lot, I watch a lot of movies, I listen to a lot of music, I go to many exhibitions.
I try to nourish myself with what I see, what I discover, that's my inspiration in everyday life. Besides That, 'My Dear Bomb' by yohji yamamoto is a book I often go back to when it comes to Fashion, as well as Madeleine Vionnet's and Mme Grès' works among others.

Can you tell us a bit more about your background please?
I decided I wanted to do fashion quite early but really decided to give it a try when I finished high school. I started as an intern at Jean Louis Scherrer Haute couture in Paris with Stephane Rolland when I was 17. Then I moved to Australia where I took short courses in Fashion to prepare my entrance exam to Antwerp royal academy. In 2008 I entered Antwerp fashion school where I stayed one year, then moved to La Cambre in Brussels.
After two works experiences at Peter Pilotto in London and Matthew Ames in New York, I realized that the condition to my freedom of expression and creativity was to be my own boss and to launch my own label.

Can you tell us about your latest collection?
My Spring summer collection is based on three major inspirations which are 'L'être et le Neant' a book written by Jean-Paul Sartre, the work of photographer william Eggleston and elementary geometry book for children.

Through these topics I was willing to create a collection of elegent basics along with innovative shapes, with very high quality finishes and materials.

The main purpose of my cloth is that they can be worn either in a casual or a more classy way, since their goal is to suit the body and adapt to
different kind of styles. Each piece in the collection is conceived as an extension of the personality made to bend to the desires of the body they dress up. It's about being what you want to be thanks to cloths, not being ruled by a piece of fabric.

What do you think about French Fashion's scene?
The french Fashion scene is a bit antithetic, the contrast between the big houses and the young designers is obvious, there's no such things as the British fashion Council, The Ecco Domani foundation, the CFDA or even big awards to support small French fashion structures.

In beetween Hyeres festival which is a great place for a designer to be discovered, and l'andam price for confirmed talents, there is nothing in between, when designers would actually need help to grow. That blocks the French Fashion scene in my opinion, and influential new designers have troubles to emerge.

It's actually an economic nonsense in a country where the fashion and textile industry is so important.

Have you had any support from other fashion figure?
A lot of people are showing me their support and interest. Some people are fashion related, some aren't. I'm making clothws for people, not for fashion figures.

What are you expressing through your designs?
A desire of freedom and novelty at first, and also a way to consume fashion differently.
I refuse to use synthetical fibers in my collections, so everything is basically 100% pure natural fibers. I also number every garment by hand and limit my production to 100 copies of each styles to preserve rarity and exclusivity for my clients.

Are you showing at Paris Fashion week?
I'm presenting my debut S/S 2012 collection in Paris at Six Showroom.

What projects do you have upcoming?
I'm currently working on my winter collection, there are new challenges because I'm willing to develop some exclusive knits for this next season, and also start working on shoes that can be produced and sold in the future.

I also have a photography project to illustrate my collection that i'd like to present to festivals for fashion and photography in order to introduce a different vision of my work.
then about more down to earth projects, I need to find a Press agency and to work on my website and E-shop.

Where can we find your designs?
My Designs will be available at 'Hunting & Collecting' in Brussels, 'Front row' in Moscow and at www.etiennederoeux.com from january 2012, and hopefully, there are more stores to come.

To finish with, what would you wish to this blog and what do you think about it?The only thing I can wish to a blog is that the internet forever stays this perfect place for self expression.

I'm proud to be featured among all those prestigious topics and I hope my work will be better known thanks to this article.

More info on: http://www.etiennederoeux.com/
Photo credits: ©Tine Claerhout Photography

Happy 130th birthday, Pablo Picasso

2011-10-25T04:30:00.001-07:00

Beautiful Tilda Swinton

2011-10-19T03:00:00.001-07:00

Quote of the week: Patrizia Reggiani, Gucci heir's ex-wife

2011-10-19T02:59:00.001-07:00

"I'd rather cry in a Rolls than be happy on a bicycle" Patrizia Reggiani, Gucci heir's ex-wife, serving a 29-year sentence for ordering Gucci heir's murder.

This is the music I am currently obsessed with: Austra - Beat And The Pulse (Clean Version)

2011-10-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

Seen at frieze 2011, Perrotin booth

2011-10-18T06:29:00.000-07:00

Elmgreen and Dragset's untitled, life-sized morgue wall and dead body sculpture at the Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin booth. Courtesy of Artinfo.com

Glamour of the Gods night at the National Portrait Gallery of London - the report

2011-10-18T06:26:00.000-07:00

On Friday night I went to the free special evening organized by the National Portrait Gallery Late Shift Extra: The Glamour Factory around their Photo Exhibition Glamour of The Gods.

The stakes were high: you could have a retro hairdo & make up and then be photographed in a star pose, hear talks about Beauty, watch Top Hat, a Black & White movie with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers, etc.

Being in love with all things retro, my main draw for coming was the 30's hairdo & make-up which I wasn't able to do at the last Vintage Festival held in August at SouthBank Centre due to the never ending queue of like-minded women dying to look like a cinema star. So there I was, starting to queue for my long awaited retro make up and hair-do at the National Portrait Gallery when the staff told us there was no point queuing, because all the "free" tickets had been sold out.

Right. I wasn't going to let that ruin the evening so I decided instead to go for a talk entitled "What is Beauty?".

Danny Rees from the Wellcome Library explained how large eyes and high eyebrows helped considerably in perceiving people as beautiful (which I guess also explains why so many women spend fortunes on making them seem bigger with make up AND why actresses at the time always had their eyebrows reshaped with a pencil). He also explained why smiling is so important and important it is to master faking it for stars. Basically a smile on a face is something you see from afar. So if you don't know the person in front of you, and they start smiling, it sends us the message: "I'm no threat to you". You can tell if someone is genuinely smiling if their eyes crease as they smile. If they're forcing a smile, only the mouth smiles and the eyes remain static. Then he went on observing that in movies generally the bad guy is always ugly and the good guy is always good-looking which could be an interpretation of something much older. Greek Philosophers Sapho & Plato thought that if you're beautiful inside, you're beautiful outside. But then I kind of remember Manson was not too bad and still was the serial killer everyone knows. So there goes Plato.

Then I went to hear a talk by Dr David Gems (Institute of Healthy Aging, UCL) entitled the Immortality tour. He was taking the example of a son who couldn't deal with his mother's death and decided to freeze her. After all f you bury someone you're sure they will decay whereas if you "freeze" them you keep the tiny hope that science will be sufficiently advanced to revive your loved ones while you're still alive... I didn't see the rest as I had to meet a friend of mine. And off we went to watch the movie Top Hat. I had personally never seen a Fred Astaire & Ginger Rodgers movie. Top Hat is one of these intrigues à la Marivaux where someone is mistaken for someone else and everybody finds out at the end their error... I marveled at the dance, the moves, the singing, the incredible decorum of the Italian scenes & also the clothes. Ginger Rogers is wearing magnificent dresses (Gosh, that white feather dress!) all along the movie which made me wonder how she could manage to dance in them. But all seems effortless. And it's a great comedy.

In the end a nice evening even though I will have to find yet another retro event to have my hair and make up done in a Glamour of the Gods way!

June Caravel.

Annie Lennox is my hero

2011-10-18T06:15:00.001-07:00

The current lack of creativity

2011-10-10T04:33:00.000-07:00

I won't be writing about Lady Gaga because there's nothing else to say rather than she's just a "sponge", stealing from Madonna to David Bowie, artists that she supposedly "admire so much" but to add to this topic, this weekend emerged the story that Beyonce has been accused of copying a routine from two of Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker's productions.

Writing in a Danish blog, Keersmaeker says, "I didn't know anything about this. I'm not mad, but this is plagiarism... This is stealing. They took pieces from Achterland and Rosas danst Rosas. It's a bit rude, I must say. What's rude about it is that they don't even bother about hiding it. They seem to think they could do it because it's a famous work... Am I honoured? Look, I've seen local school kids doing this. That's a lot more beautiful." Well said Anne Teresa !

Now this morning I discovered this Dolce e Gabbana ad copying an Yves Saint Laurent ad back in the 60's (let's note that for the first time, a fashion brand steals another...).

I wonder is there a serious and appalling lack of creativity in today's fashion and music industry? I do think so...

Beautiful Chanel picture

2011-10-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

2011-10-07T11:43:00.000-07:00

The Laurence King Editions publish "The Book of Skulls," a book exclusively dedicated to the religious symbol that is the skull.

Faye Dowling had the will to gather some sort of directory of skulls and she managed to gather skulls from all backgrounds: from the jewels of Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen to the work of Damien Hirst.

Forgotten and then reused, the skull has a full role in our daily lives sometimes failing to lose its original meaning and initial symbolicism. But its visual power and beauty are timeless, and that's what the book intends to sublimate presenting 164 works by artists as diverse as Wes Lang, James Hopkins, Alan Kane or Stephanie Henderson.