Barcelona Fashion Week

www.080barcelonafashion.com

Masters of Style: Celebrating the Stories Behind Italian Fashion

The other day I went to the private view of the new exhibition, Masters of Style: Celebrating the Stories Behind Italian Fashion, being shown at Somerset House.

A succinct exhibition hailing classic advertising imagery from six selected famous Italian brand archives: Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, missoni, Salvatore Ferragamo, Gucci and Giorgio Armani. The exhibition was curated by acclaimed fashion journalist Colin McDowell.

Here is a selection of my favourite couple of images from each brand.

Giorgio Armani

Dolce & Gabbana

Salvatore Ferragamo

Gucci

Missoni

Prada - I chose four images from Prada because it was my favourite!

Masters of Style runs until August 14th 2011
Somerset House
Strand
London WC2R 1LA
Entry: £6
For more information visit: www.somersethouse.org.uk/visual-arts/masters-of-style

Damien Hirst x Supreme

In 2009 British sensationalist artist Damien Hirst designed a set of eight of skateboard deck designs for New York based cult street and skate label, Supreme.

The decks feature Hirst’s signature motifs – three show paint spun decks, resembling the artist’s Spin series - where canvases were spun under paint projected from a centrifugal force creating a layered random yet controlled effect; and five are from the Pharmaceutical series, representing – among other things graphic, coloured spots and line drawings of pills and capsules.

The limited edition decks are going on sale at www.othercriteria.com and there are also 40 signed decks available.

Skateboarding got posh!

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty

This week I've been in New York, and yesterday I went to see the incredible Alexander McQueen retrospective, named Savage Beauty at the MET.

Here's a little of what I saw...

The month of May

Having been in something of a cultural void of late, due to all things running related (to find out more, take a look at my other blog, here) I have missed exhibitions and art a-plenty. But now I'm back on it, and have been making up for lost time by touring the city's galleries.

Here are a few of my favourite exhibitions...

Matthew Day Jackson. Everything Leads to Another, at Hauser and Wirth, Savile Row

I've been seeing a lot of coloured skulls in installations recently...

I really like these wooden leg casts too

Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Piccadilly

The Summer Exhibition is a real tradition for me. As a child, I visited every year with my Dad - it was one of the few things we did together, and I enjoy it as much for the memories as for the exhibitions.

What I love most is the mish-mash sense of it all - clashing images crowded on walls. It's refreshing to see art in abundance, rather than scaled down for concept's sake.
I've always loved pattern

I love the idea of an architectural maquette in painted green ceramic

An animated dog raiding the bins

Other shows I've enjoyed have been photographer Shaniqwa Jarvis' This Handsome Man exhibition, similarly her These Things exhibition atExposure

Hit+Run, Windows Phone 7 & Rough Trade present Kutmah: The New Error V. 2 launch party

If you're in London this week and you want to hear music by one of LA's most exciting creative exports, then head down to Rough Trade records where Kutmah is hosting the first in a series of summer events.

After a poignant exhibition, Two Soups and a Honey Bun showing evocative drawings made whilst being detained in US Customs, Kutmah follows up by releasing his second mix (a sample from which you can listen to here) and he's throwing a party with some friends to celebrate it. Also playing on the night is Om-Unit, Tapes, Blue Daisy, Cherry Stones and Patchwork Pirates, as well as live screen printing from The Hit and Run crew.

For more information on the event, head here

Wednesday 11th May, 6.30-9.30 pm
Rough Trade East
Dray Walk
Old Truman Brewery
91 Brick Lane
London E1 6QL

L'Orient des Femmes, curated by Christian Lacroix

Whilst you're in Paris, also make the time to visit the L'Orient des Femmes exhibition curated by Christian Lacroix. A vast collection of ethnic embroidered kaftans from Syria and the surrounding areas.

 

L'Orient des Femmes runs until May 15th 2011

Musee du Quai Branly

37 Quai Branly

75007 Paris

www.quaibranly.fr