January 2010
22 posts
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With Words Like Smoke
“With words like smoke” is an exhibition at CHELSEA space that is meant to be seen and not talked about. Curated by ISOBEL HARBISON, this collection of eleven pieces represent the best of things that are just beyond articulation. The phrase “with words like smoke” comes from Samuel Beckett’s ‘Texts for Nothing’ and embodies the idea that a description of some art work is only meant to slip...
Vintage takeover
For a while now I’ve been getting increasingly agitated by the ‘corrupt vintage on the high street’ copying trends from flapper dresses, using dyes and acid washes to create authenticity and my favorite vintage rehash of the Noughties has to be the restyle of the brogue! All this patent plastic with the Laurel and Hardy black finish what’s all that about. So I decided to take a...
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Quick chat with Leon Bailey-Green
Leon Bailey-Green is a name widely associated with online fashion for his work as a consultant to the online fashion industry advising retailers. Also responsible for releasing the Online Fashion 100, Leon is now also the founder of The Online Fashion Agency.
1. When did you first get interested in working for the fashion industry?
My mum was a religous viewer of The Clothes Show, and I...
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With Your Back Against The Wall
Until recently, political logos daubed on Beirut’s walls hinted at the political and civil strife in the region. TALA SALEH has documented these guerrilla icons in her book ‘Marking Beirut’, and we met her last week to talk about it.
How long has graffiti been around the city?
Well, I didn’t actually notice it until I started the project but I think the political graffiti has been around since...
The BIG Swish at Tiger Tiger
What better way to tease the current economy than by swapping clothes? This growing fad is proving that you don’t need money to look good; take those ill fitting, never been worn dresses out of the closet and swap them for something that you truly wanted. That’s the case with Bigwardrobe.com the world’s largest fashion recycling site. The BIG swish event, hosted by Bigwardrobe, consisted of a...
Celebrating Nat Finklestein at Idea Generation...
2006’s Factory Girl brought 1960’s New York and the story of ANDY WARHOL and EDIE SEDGWICK’s magical and insatiable world to a whole new generation. Now IDEA GENERATION are taking us back on an intimate journey from inside the factory through the lens of one of the most respected and renowned photojournalists of our time.
A retrospective of images captured across five decades of the lives of...
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A French Photographer in Palestine
As an outsider looking in, it can sometimes be difficult to understand the complexities of the Palestinian situation. JULIEN BONNIN is a French photographer who, in an attempt to learn more, joined an NGO group of nine writers and journalists to the region. We met in Shoreditch to talk about his resulting photographs.
So what are you doing in London at the moment?
At the moment I’m doing the...
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'5, 4, 3, 2, 1- Lights and ready’: CSM: Matina...
‘5, 4, 3, 2, 1- Lights and ready’!
The flow of silk, chiffon and rayon drapes the runway. Mottled ash and draying black consume the piquet floor, glaring from the clarity of white. Stertsis a la mode season A/W 2009, set the scene of demurity and class.
Drowning in convergence, a sea of Swarovski appears. ‘Martinaamatina’ awakens.
Falling off the runway, Grad student of Central St. Martins...
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Sarah Beetson
(Pentlands Prize winner: 2003) Sarah Beetson
Gallery….
(7.00pm) Circling the drain, the usual esoteric beats of size zero and outrage amongst the peers echoing………
Room 1- ‘You are what you eat’ illustrative graduate, Sarah Beetson, brings to attention our own vanity, reflected in colour and shape; as if lulling in our own magnificence, ironic how something so controversial can be moulded.
...
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5 Minutes with the FAT Kyds
“FatKyds will never be commonplace”
T-Shirt designers FAT Kyds launched in 2009 creating a range of unique, exclusive T-shirts, designed by renowned fine artists and graphic designers. FAT Kyds keep charity close to their heart, donating £1 of each T-shirt sale to charity. We caught up with them over Christmas to talk to them about their designers, future collaborations and why they...
5 Minutes with Sage Vaughn
Writer MARISSA BAXTER is captivated by the paintings of Los Angeles-based artist SAGE VAUGHN. He took the time to open up his sketchbook, exploring his street art influences, the power of costume, wandering through his own personal LA and blocking out the rest of the world as he prepares for his upcoming exhibition.
You began your career as a graffiti artist, a medium that has clearly influenced...
Interview with Gaudion Bowerbank
The most amazing privilege of my job is the incredible opportunities it affords. The chance to witness creativity first hand, and meet a plethora of creative professionals- from stylists to writers, jewellery designers to illustrators. Despite this, I had recently been feeling a tad disillusioned, determined to make 2010 the year where Things Happened…but not really knowing how to go...
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Dempsey's Musical Stamps
For many these days (with the exception of my grandmother and an elementary school penpal who I will not embarrass on this blog), sending letters, in general, seems to have become a thing of the past and stamps have become something that philatelist collect.
Self-adhesive stamps were first introduced in May 1940 and they went from being just a means of paying for postage to miniature art....
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The Chelsea Bench Analogy
CHELSEA SPACE is not like most galleries. As participation and collaboration in art becomes a bigger deal with each passing day, the framework adopted by curator DONALD SMITH could prove to be the formula that moves the art world forwards.
As the administrative head of a gallery, curatorial responsibilities usually include things like collating and explaining exhibition pieces. With CHELSEA Space,...
Interview with jewellery designer Gisele Ganne
I have an unhealthy attachment to jewellery. In fact, I can’t pass a jewellery counter without stopping to have a look, and all too regularly I leave with a piece to add to my burgeoning collection. But recently the magic of cheap (costume) jewellery has lost its lustre, as far too many pieces turned green or fell apart. I made a solemn vow to invest in Quality, favouring it over Quantity....
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5 Minutes with Designer Ara Jo
Graduating Central Saint Martins just last year, designer ARA JO’s Margiela-like designs have already been seen on the likes of Lady Gaga. Sketchbook caught up with her over Christmas where she told us about her love of dancing, Lady Gaga and her mermaid-inspired s/s collection.
What is your background? What inspired you to choose a career in fashion?
When I was 13 I saw fashion magazines...
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5 Minutes with Designer Gemma Degara
During the festive season here at Sketchbook, we managed to catch up for a chat with Spanish born designer GEMMA DEGARA. Known for her unique 180º garments, which are designed to be worn anyway round, GEMMA has already been named Best Emerging Designer and has shown at Barcelona Fashion Week. We spoke to GEMMA last week, where she told us about her latest collection, her...
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Christmas at the CIRCUS!
Now, if you’re not too familiar with JODIE HARSH let me enlighten you; big hair, club promoter, stuck up bitch… I don’t need to go on. The important thing is, whether you love her or hate her (yes it really is that cut and dry. I for one love her) there is no denying that this is one Drag Queen who knows how to throw one hell of a party!
The night started with pre-party XXXMAS at Soho House...
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Maison Martin Margiela @ yoox.com
Fashion Designer (or as I like to call him ‘Couture Artiste Extraordinaire’ - A pure genius at the heart of true fashion) Mr Maison Martin Margiela has launched an exclusive collection of 100 one off pieces called Artisanal on yoox.com.
The pieces featured are those of previous collections dating back to 2005, they include; A stunning asymmetrical mirror ball backless top, a dress made from...
Celebrating with Studio Thomson at b-Store
As we plough into a new year blanketed with snow and wrap up warm against the outdoors we took a moment to reflect on design and art direction team STUDIO THOMSON. The duo rounded off an amazing 2009, celebrating in style by staging an exhibition over several winter weeks showing their work from the last five years as their installations took over the space of the innovative B-STORE boutique on...
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For the blind man in the dark room looking for the...
Decoding all the little symbols and latent meanings in art is fun. One of the reasons I love art so much is for that little eureka moment where I think I’ve understood something.
Despite this constant quest for understanding, some art causes complete bewilderment. Accuse me of philistinism if you want, but certain artists (RUSSIAN CONSTRUCTIVISM, anyone?) have always left me in the dark.
With...
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Decode: Digital Design Sensations, V&A
Looking back over the introductory decade of the twenty-first century, Decode: Digital Design Sensations comes as a strikingly relevant punctuation point to the last month of the naughties. In an era during which technology has advanced at such a rate that we can no longer grasp the extent of what that which we have created has to offer, it is the creative thinkers who have dared to imagine what...