Elle Hankinson is a London based fashion, arts and culture journalist, who has worked on brands from Paul Smith to Prism, and is a regular contributor to publications including WGSN. com and The Observer's O Magazine. To contact me please email ellehank@hotmail.com
With flowing long locks, porcelain skin, a jaw line that could slice cheese and a delicate frame, it’s easy to see why Andrej Pejic is the model of the moment. What makes this Australian different is that he’s a ‘he’!
19 year old Bosnia - Herzegovina born Pejic recently closed the Jean-Paul Gaultier’s women’s spring summer 2011 haute couture show dressed as a bride and wearing strategically placed tulle stripes. Pejic also stars in the new Marc by Marc Jacobs campaign, and has graced the pages of French and Italian Vogue too.
Fashion has long toyed with and challenged gender stereotypes, but this dalliance somehow seems more subversive, perhaps only because it’s shocking that a male can pass so convincingly as a woman without a hint of his true identity. Either way, his looks are hauntingly beautiful.
Justin "Kutmah" McNulty is a prolific artist and DJ on the Los Angeles creative scene, so you can imagine it was a shock and horror to many when he was arrested from his home by seven armed police officers in the middle of the night.
Detained on unprovoked immigration issues, McNulty was held in a New Mexico prison for two months where he was allowed only one hour of natural sunlight per day.
It was in this hour when McNulty watched the animals and birds roam free, that he started drawing mystical totem-like creatures, 39 of which are on display in this exhibition.
Showing endearing asymmetry - McNulty had only a pencil and ID card to create the pieces' strong lines, these pieces have a haunting ethereal quality, which contrasts against their graphic quality.
This may not be a big budget art show, but the story and the pieces speak for themselves. I definitely urge you to go see it.
Two Soups and a Honeybun runs from January 20th – February 20th
18 Hewitt Street: Powered by Protein
London
EC21 3NN
Open: Tuesday – Saturday 11am – 6pm
See more of Kutmah's work at www.kutmah.com
To launch the company's online store, last night the Ralph Lauren building on New Bond Street, London was used a a canvas to project this incredible visual projection.
Now I don’t want to sound like a sissy, but there are few designers whose clothes I long to wear as much as Alber Elbaz’s creations for Lanvin. So knowing that his creative flair is soon to be applied to a capsule diffusion-of- a-diffusion collection for H&M fills me with a certain amount of joy and anticipation.
Yes I know that the taffeta won’t crunch they way it would on a couture piece, nor will the draping be as overtly voluptuous as that of the dresses he creates for the catwalk, but I don’t care. I’m intrigued to see how the limitations of fabric budgets etc will affect Elbaz relaying his signature style
Celebrity clothing lines really don’t do it for me, but there have been a few designer diffusions that have interested me - namely Viktor & Rolf for H&M and Jil Sander for Uniqlo. The question is, do I love it enough to get my elbows out against all those others who want a piece of the couture pie?!
This weekend I’ve been reading about American artist Taryn Simon’s latest photography work – Contraband.
The series of 1000 photographs documents contraband seized by US Customs officers at JFK airport, from both travelling passengers and recorded mail between November 16th and November 20th 2009.
In order to complete the work, Simon was granted access in to the ‘no mans land’ that lies between American and foreign soil, where goods are seized and inspected, and spent five days and nights photographing items as they arrived.
The objects found vary – from the scary to the surreal. My personal favourites are a plastic water bottle full of congealed fat, (animal origin unknown). To a bag of hundreds of duck tongues - probably to be used in alternative medicine.
Simon’s work can be viewed as a study of early 21st century global experience, and simultaneously a critique on Western society’s greed for goods. I love the clinical starkness the grey backdrop, it makes every object seem more bizarre. Also the sheer audacity of passengers attempting to carry such bizarre items.
Last week I was part of a focus group in preparation for the forthcoming International Woman’s Day, to be held on March 8th 2011.
International Women's Day is one day devoted to highlighting the economic, political and social achievements of women internationally. It is celebrated as a national holiday in countries including China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria, but in the UK it is still to realise its epic potential and importance.
The evening was spent brainstorming manifestos, marketing and priorities for the UK audience. It was interesting for me to consider my own priorities and interests for the IWD manifesto, but even more interesting was hearing those of the women around me. They were all so different, and the evening made me aware of what it is to be a woman, what feminism is (or could be) today, and how important it is that we reflect and celebrate what we are.
The Germaine Greer days have passed, and statutorily woman – in the UK at least, now have equal rights; but there’s still a place for feminism. It’s just a redefined and rebranded version, and I really hope that next years IWD will help to disclose what this new brand is.
Wow, that a week. It started with a birthday and finished with a birthday, with a whole lot of art in between. Frieze art week is always a fun time in London town, and this year was no exception. Frieze is fun, but it's the fringe events that make it for me. Giving you a little lowdown on what I’ve been up to – things that are worth a visit, and noteworthy events that have passed.
Monday saw Lazarides Gallery launch of Hell’s Half Acre, an exhibition held in the spooky setting of the recently discovered tunnels under Waterloo train station , where artists including Polly Morgan, Zak Ové and Paul Insect all present their own interpretations of hell. Works varied from the horrific to the hilarious, and Zak Ové’s video of voodoo ceremonies seen through a mirrored lens, set to a dancehall sound track looked more like my idea of heaven than hell! It’s just a shame that it wasn’t on for longer, and if anyone knows who created the stunning smoke film (below) which reflected into the still water then please will you let me know? Oh yeah, and it was also my birthday!
On Tuesday morning I attended a discussion at the Le Medidian hotel which explored the theme of travel and art, and whether in this digital age, it is still necessary to travel for art. The discussion was hosted by Louisa Buck, and included a panel of Jerome Sans, Mark Bell and Shezad Dawood. It bought about talk of re-exploring local art scenes, and recognising local talent; but ultimately the conclusion seemed to be - that in order to really engage with an art work you need to be around it, see it, feel it–to really react to it. I concur.
That afternoon we headed over to Kate Spade’s new pop-up shop in Covent Garden. The shop is designed like an apartment, full of bright colour blocking and antique wallpapered wardrobes.
Then on to the launch of the Marina Abramović retrospective at the Lisson Gallery. I’d never really seen her work en masse before, and it’s absolutely incredible. There was a mixture of old and new pieces, both videos and photography. Watching the video of her staring in to the eyes of a (very bored looking) donkey for 14 minutes with no dialogue or apparent action was as oddly captivating as her earlier, more shocking work. Although at times I had to laugh – though none of the art crowd in attendance seemed to approve!
From way out West, to the depths of East; we then travelled to The Future Can Wait exhibition at ShoreditchTown Hall. The labyrinthine tunnels of the town hall’s basement were covered in mysterious works by a range of London trained artists. There was a good mixture of installations, paintings and film, and the unusual setting and dodgy lighting made it feel all the more exciting.
First thing on Thursday morning I went to view Lily Allen’s vintage store called Lucy in Disguise. I had a tour of the shop and spotted some lovely Alaïa. There’s soon to be a nail bar, hair salon, beauty bar and Grey Goose cocktail bar there too; so you need never leave. Oh and dresses are available to hire as well as buy.
From there I went straight to the Museum of Everything in Primrose Hill (which was my favourite exhibition last year). This year they are exhibiting Sir Peter Blake’s personal collection of circus memorabilia, and it’s three stories of the fun of the fair! Comic taxidermy, Zippo’s Circus signs and Carter’s Steam Fair all feature- and I even got to sit next to Sir Peter whilst eating my croissant and he was being interviewed!
That evening was Parisian artist Nicolas Pol’s exhibition - Mother of Pouacrus, presented by Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld. Held in a giant dairy off Russell Square, the space houses Pol’s large scale paintings in bold brights and monochromes. Pol’s style heavily references street art, and graphic imagery and collage is overlaid onto the pieces.
Then it was straight over to Hauser & Wirth’s giant new space on Savile Row, which is showing Louise Bourgeois: The Fabric Works. There are over 70 pieces on display; from soft swirling tapestries to geometric grids with 3D appliqué – all sourced from discarded clothes and household items. Four giant sculptures also dot the space.
We popped over the road to see the b Store boys who were hosting a little soiree. I fell in love with their autumn/winter 10 footwear collection- both the men’s and women’s. Definitely worth a look.
Oh yes, and somewhere in between all that I managed to make it to Frieze too. Then finally Friday, and my birthday party! We got there eventually.
Kate Spade pop-up shop runs 12 October – 12 November
7 Henrietta Street
Covent Garden
London
WC2E 8PW
Marina Abramović runs 13 October – 13 November
Lisson Gallery
52-54 Bell Street
London
NW1 5DA
Museum of Everything runs form 13 October - Christmas
SharplesHallStreet CamdenTown
London
NW1 8
Louise Bourgeois: The Fabric Works runs from 15 October – 18 December
Hauser & Wirth
23 Savile Row
Lodnon
W15 2ET
Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld presents “Mother of Pouacrus”, an exhibition by Nicolas Pol. Runs from 15 October – 5th November
Last night I made my annual pilgrimage to the cinema, and pretty soon after sitting down I remembered why I only visit the cinema once in a blue moon.
Any half decent film should take you on some kind of emotive journey, and the cinema acts as a kind of host to this. Yet as soon as the film has finished you are turfed out on to the (invariably cold) street, and catapulted back in to stark reality.
When you’ve witnessed a film as emotionally harrowing as the one I saw last night, you need a little interim period (and a stiff drink) to regrgroup, and discuss what you’ve just born witness to. Perhaps cinemas should take a que from Bikram Yoga, and offer viewers a cosy and comforting seating area with candles and yogi tea?!....Or perhaps not!
Anyway, I digress. The film I went to see last night was called Enter the Void. I didn’t know anything about it, other than that the trailer looked quite cool. You can see it here.
The camerawork, pulsing rave music and strobing lights make you feel sick. The graphic subject matter shocks and the overall storyline is BLEAK, but the cinematography is visually really arresting and the acid rave colours and trippy patterns appear almost 3D.
The film is directed by French director Gaspar Noé, who also directed the equally shocking Irrevérsible, and The New York Times gives a really good review of it here.
I don't know where this image is from, or even who it's by; but I just love the colour, form and texture of it. For me, it's really satisfying to look at.
I’ve just been told about this amazing store in New York called Evolution.
As well as having an in-house entomology department, the shop sells and rents out props of preserved butterflies, beetles, fossils, seashells, skulls and skeletons, medical models, and tribal art.
The website’s really well designed, and while I’m yet to visit the actual store (definitely next on my next trip to New York) I imagine it to be a treasure trove of curiosities, where one might stumble upon a human skull or rare coral – both of which are sold here.
I’m a particular fan of the beetles, although only when they're encased in a wax mould you understand! Check these bad boys out: Fred, Doris, Boris, Will and Frank.
