Kusama at the Tate Modern

On a random, free afternoon last month, i decided to pop into the Tate Modern to linger over the much talked about Yayoi Kusama exhibition. Now, i admit, i didn't know much about Kusama until all the exhibition related articles starting streaming out, which was actually really refreshing. I went in with a clear mind and was completely bowled over. Every room produced an internal 'wow' moment, until i couldn't hold it in any longer and was actually gasping with joy towards the end. This woman's journey through her art is spectacular and i will never do it justice through words. It needs to be experienced. In a shit-hot cultural calender year, this is going to be the exhibition to beat. Good Luck Damien.

The Fashionable Queue

London 2012 Exhibitions

What with all the craziness surrounding the Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition at the National Gallery at the moment, it's definitely worth looking ahead to up-coming shows. Especially as, with the Olympics coming to town next year, the cultural calendar is set to explode! Here are the ones i'm already excited about... Get them penciled into the new 2012 diary over Christmas!


David Hockney RA: A Bigger Picture - 21 January - 9 April 2012 – Royal Academy.Booking open Now!

Bauhaus: ‘Art as Life’- 26 April 2012 - 12 August 2012 - Barbican Art Gallery

Queen Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton: A Diamond Jubilee Celebration – 8 February – 22 April 2012 - Victoria and Albert Museum

Damien Hirst - 4 April - 9 September 2012 - Tate Modern

Christian Louboutin- 28 March 2012 – 01 July 2012 - Design Museum

Technically not an art exhibition, but still, this one is a real coup!  Sundance London Film Festival - 26 - 29 April 2012 - The O2. Don't miss this...buy tickets NOW!

Made in Italy

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy (hard to believe it's only 150 years, right?), Colin McDowell has brought together Italy's most influential designers for a fantastically stylish exhibition at Somerset House. Masters of Style showcases a mouth watering, personally chosen collection of the designers' iconic campaign images, through the years. So can you guess who they are? Well, there is, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Ferragamo, Gucci, Missoni and Prada, of course! So it goes without saying that you can expect pioneering campaigns, delicious clothes and beautiful photography, dripping with style.

So, what does Italian style mean to you? On my regular The Sartoralist binges, it's always the Italians that get my fashion rocks off! They look so 'put together', so stylish. Not effortlessly stylish mind. These people know what works, what makes them look fabulous and they unashamedly flaunt it. But that's ok because they can pull it off. The VT in the exhibition made me chuckle, talking about how the Italians invented the 'street catwalk' aka La Passeggiata. This is where everyone in town (and i mean everyone, young and old), put on their finery and simply walk up and down the main streets, just to see and more importantly be seen. Having been born into this crazy ritual, i can tell you for somebody who is half British (therefore has that self deprecating, please don't look at me thing going on) this can be extremely cringe worthy. Me and my little sister would constantly rebel, trying to look as scruffy as possible! Oh how I get it now...give me a Florentine street on a balmy evening, a beautiful dress, amazing shoes... Watch me work it!


Dolce & Gabbana S/S'11. Photographer Stephen Klein

Prada A/W '88-'89. Photgrapher Albert Watson

Missoni S/S'03. Photographer Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott

Georgio Armani S/S'90. Photographer Aldo Fallai. Gucci S/S'91. Photographer Lance Stadler
Catch the exhibition before August 14th

Sir Peter Blake and The Museum of Everything...don't miss out!

After extending its run in December, The Museum of Everything is sadly set to close its doors next weekend, much to the disappointment of its many fans! The museum is currently hosting Exhibition 3, an impressive display of the weird and wonderful from none other than Sir Peter Blake's extensive private collection. The 2 floor studio in Primrose Hill is filled to the brim with curiosities in what makes for a charming, nostalgic and often very funny experience.


Highlights include, Ted Wilcox and his embroidered pin up girls, Seaside shell mania, Walter Potter's fascinating Victorian Taxidermy (boxing squirrels for crying out loud!) and Arthur Miller's hand made miniature fun fair. Now, if that's not enough to intrigue, then you are obviously numb to curiosity! But believe me, you will kick yourself if you miss out on this. It is one of the best exhibitions to come out of last year and will leave you feeling up-beat, inspired and dying for a cuppa to discuss your favourite bits ...cue cute little coffee shop at the exit! Hopefully it will be back soon...


Never have I ever been so disappointed...another sign actually threatened death...eek!

Missoni's S/S11 campaign shot at the museum, seen here in front of Arthur Miller's fun fair. Photograph by Juergen Teller

Rob Ryan - The Stars shine all day too

Last week, the man and me me dropped into the Air Gallery on Dover Street, to see the exciting new exhibition by the genius Rob Ryan. His new papercuts and screenprints (as well as a fab bag collaboration with Lulu Guinness) are just breathtakingly beautiful. These photos do not even begin to do them justice, so make sure you pop along to see them up close, before the exhibition ends on Nov 20th.




My favourite ever Rob Ryan piece...'Can we? Shall we?'




This gorgeous Lulu Guinness & Rob Ryan fan bag, is being auctioned off for charity on ebay.

Rob Ryan - The Stars shine all day too - Exhibition

Oh I love Rob Ryan...have done for a while now, so I was really excited to hear about a new exhibition of his work, starting this November, at The Air Gallery on Dover Street. For all you Rob Ryan newbies out there, his work is made up of delicate, whimsical prints and hand-made paper cuts (amongst other desirable bits and pieces), showcasing his wonderful way with words and beautiful illustrative stories. His unique signature combines poetry and art, in pieces that you can easily lose yourself in for hours, caught up in all the intricate details. But nothing I say can do justice to the real thing, so check out his website to indulge in his gorgeous work.

Part of 'Starry Nights' paper cut


The exhibition will be a combination of new and re-visited old works with some exciting collaborations. Earlier this year, Rob's studio was re-created within Somerset House for the Pick Me up: Contemporary Graphic Art Fair, with the man himself sitting at his desk, painstakingly working on a huge hand cut piece (and yes, as well as being hugely talented, he is also a lovely, humble man). Now, I just love to see creative people in their working environments, especially their inspiration boards, which I find so...well, inspiring! Rob Ryan's boards did not disappoint.



The exhibition is on from Monday 1st November until Saturday 20th November at The Air Gallery, 32 Dover Street...Don't miss it!

Trend Alert - Diaghilev, the Ballets Russes and its influence on fashion

The V&A’s major autumn exhibition, Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes 1909 - 1929, celebrates the life and work of the legendary creative director Serge Diaghilev and his revolutionary dance company, the Ballet Russes, highlighting its enduring influence to this day. The exhibition showcases over 300 items including elaborate costumes, props, film clips and art work, as well as collaborations with major artists, designers and composers, such as Picasso, Matisse and Chanel. Billed as an inspiring, sensory feast, this is a definite must see!


An example of the sumptuous costumes featured in the exhibit.
 Images via the V&A website.

The Erdem SS'11 show drew on the Ballet Russes for inspiration (Erdem Moralioglu became inspired whilst spending time with the curator of the V&A's Summer show). This was clear to see in the silhouette of his dresses, Nicholas Kirkwood's delicate shoes and the accompanying music from the ballet Petrouchka by Igor Stravinsky.



 David Koma S/S'11 at LFW, continuing the ongoing influence of ballet in fashion. Images via Style.com

Another major ballet influence soon to hit our screens will be the release of The Black Swan, starring Natalie Portman, in January 2011. It looks fantastic...can't wait!

Experimental Food Society Spectacular

With the promise of jelly mongers, bread artists, butter sculptors and food landscapers, the man and me hot-footed it to The Brickhouse on Brick Lane this weekend, for this annual, edible, exhibition. An avant-garde celebration of food with the aim of challenging our preconceptions, whilst tantalising the taste buds. 


A number of interactive exhibits included, Stefan Gates promoting the virtues of 'bug burgers', a Marie Antoinette look-a-likey, fashioning a macaroon-adorned ball gown, and the opportunity to have your hand cast in dough...hmmm. The event culminated in a 5 course, multi-sensory, evening banquet with the opportunity to sample the day's exhibits, which I am told when down a treat. By lunch time the venue had started to get very crowded, with queues stretching around the block, so we decided to make a swift exit and indulge in a little food experimenting of our own, with some fantastic Ethiopian food from a stall next door! 

Suitable for vegetarians...the life size, suckling pig cake


Guess who...

One of the creative landscape photographs that I had wanted to see more of...

The Surreal House Exhibition @ the Barbican

I decided to make the most of a rainy afternoon last week with a trip to The Surreal House at the Barbican. The exhibition combined works of old school masters such as Dali, Duchamp, Magritte and Cornell with contemporary figures such as Rebecca Horn and Rem Koolhaus. The space was imaginatively crafted with individual rooms and kooky little spaces that were inviting, yet sinister at the same time - although this atmosphere was lost slightly on the second floor. The combination of art, film, architecture and photography made for an insightful and thought provoking house tour with the film clips packing a real punch (was mesmerised by Buster Keaton in Steamboat Bill, Jr for 20 mins!). Highlights included Horn’s suspended, exploding piano, Joseph Cornell’s enchanting boxes with Andrei Tarkovsky’s film finale ‘The Sacrafice’ literally bringing the house down.


A couple of my sneaky snaps of lesser known exhibits...

Noble & Webster's 'Metal Fucking Rats'



The Surreal House runs until September 12th. 

Hendrix in Britain Exhibition

I was introduced to Jimi Hendrix during a social history lesson at college and instantly fell in love with his psychedelic dandy image and that was before I had heard his music! I then rented festival videos from the library (oh those primitive days before you tube) featuring grainy clips of his sets, to experience the genius in motion. Hendrix made his name after arriving in London in 1966 and showcasing his unique talent with spectacular live performances. 


This September will mark the 40^th anniversary of his death, which is to be commemorated with the exhibition Hendrix in Britain, featuring clothing, handwritten lyrics and various memorabilia at Handel House Museum (the Mayfair townhouse where the composer George Frideric Handel lived and composed his most popular music). The museum will also open up the flat where Hendrix lived (next door to the museum) which is now used as office space. Now for a little entertainment...



Hendrix at Woodstock 1969 - Voodoo Child



Hendrix in Britain from today to 7th Nov, Hendrix Flat opening from 15 – 26^th September only.

Rene Gruau Exhibition @ Somerset House

One for the diary… Somerset House will be hosting an exhibition of the illustrator Rene Gruau’s most iconic fashion images, including a selection of his renowned work for Dior.

Image: Rene Gruau for Dior 


Dior Illustrated: René Gruau and the Line of Beauty will be at Somerset House from 10^th November – 9^th January.

Festival Brazil - Southbank Centre

There is a great festival at the Southbank Centre until 5th Sept bringing the colourful, vivacious culture of Brazil to the streets of London. There are loads of great events and activities going on including live music, short films and a Rio carnival samba show (bank holiday weekend). When walking past the other day I got caught up in the samba rhythm of a live band whilst checking out this fab installation - a social project inspired by everyday life of the favelas. Loved this, the colours were fab...