Category: Art

February 26, 2014

La Dolce Vita..

(Lara Stone, Vogue France Mar 14)

When I looked at Dolce &Gabbana SS14 for the first time I could feel the bright sun of Sicily and the shadows of a lemon tree flickering above. There was cherry blossom. luscious gold jewellery, lazy lunches, fresh homemade pasta and carafes of wine.

(D&G SS14 Garage UK)

So it’s always fascinating to see the magazines then take the clothes and present them to us within the spirit of their publication.

( Fioia Italy Feb 14)

They have the resources to create another glossy world…to give us the chance to hold a physical dream in our hands.

(Glamour Italy Mar 14)

(Hunger UK)

(Vanity Fair, Italy, Feb)

(L’Officiel France Mar 14)

(Marie Claire, Italy Mar 14)

(Numero France Mar 14)

(Harper’s Bazaar, UK mar 14)

(All photos from Dolce &Gabbana)

Like the Sirens on the cliffs they call us saying, just by re-mortgaging your house you too can be like me…Or…are they works of Art in their own right? Adding subtle layers of message and mystery..

It’s your call.

Laters, Kate x

February 24, 2014

Fascinating Faustine x

Tucked away in the wilds of East London is a Studio with a difference. It’s where Faustine Steinmetz works her magic spinning, dying and weaving her own fabrics, up-cycling old textiles and turning the ordinary into the curiously exotic.

Her work isn’t about re-defining the silhouette into dramatic statements, instead she wants her clothes to have a grounded reference point. Each piece is chosen from the iconic element of our wardrobes – the pieces you reach for without thinking. It’s then the re-construction that gets taken to a whole new level.

Choices are made – like the denim will be made from mohair – and from that point, everything is handmade and hand dyed, right down to familiar red tabs and labels which are hand woven on looms in the studio.

These jeans were tapestried by hand to create the illusion of aged denim using hundreds and thousands of tiny stitches. The process took ten people 3 months to complete.

The idea behind this jacket was to create something that looked as if it had spent years floating in the sea.

(All pictures by Sanna Helena Berger)

Her concept is as far away from fast fashion as you can get, but it also challenges the thought processes of luxury brands. Many of the pieces she chooses as her inspiration, like the 501 levi jeans, were originally designed for labourers – made out of necessity rather than for beauty for the ordinary person on the street. But for Faustine luxury is not a glittering ball gown made from rare pleated silks and worn once, ‘luxury’ means somebody spending the time and talent to create something unique using pride and passion to create with integrity and heart.

Laters, Kate x

February 20, 2014

Moments in Time x

There’s one New Years Resolution I’ve slam dunked..I’ve embraced growing younger gracefully by going back to school.

Each week I’ve been studiously at my desk at Putney School of Art learning properly about Photography…and I’ve loved it.

It’s not that I didn’t like the photos I was taking..I just didn’t really know how I was doing it and whether I could do it better. A bit like our brains or computers, we now have these incredible beasts of cameras that we rarely take out of first gear..

Thinking about short term, long term, quality, light, composition…it’s such a peaceful place away from the clamour of family life and I have thoroughly appreciated the time to think of nothing else other than the moment.

Some of these photos were taken on a field trip we did as a class around the streets of London, others are from my beautiful nieces christening last weekend.

Watching for a photo is like waiting for little pockets of opportunity. Often I think – if only they’d look up. But then the sweet spot happens and it’s like the nectar of the Gods.

Is the process getting something right? Or does it go beyond that? All I know is that to break the rules, you first have to know them..and that learning as an adult is the best drug ever.

Laters, Kate x

February 19, 2014

Flutter by..

The Butterfly is appearing everywhere – McQueen, Valentino and here – with this stunning silk jacquard skirt by the New York label Tome that you just want to touch and treasure. I love the way it’s been styled with the long gloves against the short, loose v-necked cashmere jumper.

Freedom, innocence, peace, good luck, nature, femininity…the butterfly is a powerful symbol throughout the world.

(Cinemagraph from Anne Street Studio..the founders of the Art of Cinemagraph)

But there’s also it’s fragile beauty and delicate symmetry. No wonder we humans are obsessed with capturing it’s heart and soul, if only in an ethereal Cinemagraph. This butterfly was let lose after it’s photoshoot, into the wilds of Manhattan because true beauty should only be admired….

Laters, Kate x

February 16, 2014

Bohemian Spirit.. x

Special clothes only come out for special occasions, but a special rug? It’s a red carpet under your feet every day.

Alexander McQueen spent three years designing this Collection for the Rug Company, taking their craftsmanship to new, couture levels.

Like iridescent jewels they weave a spell of fantasy and wonder.

Sarah Burton enthuses, “The Rug Company shares similar values to Alexander McQueen. It’s about offering a product that is precious and luxurious that showcases the best of British design and traditional craftsmanship.”

It’s a little bit of McQueen on earth,

Laters, Kate x

February 15, 2014

Tracing Traceloops..

Artist/graphic designer/ Animator Mathias Brownis re-working the art of rotoscoping – an animation technique where animations trace real footage from by frame to create live-action animations with a hand-drawn feel – and then mashing it up with gifs to surprising effect.

Tumble also choose him as one of their Talents with special access to New York Fashion Week.

A new set of eyes is always liberating.

For more pictures and insights check out his website. I so want to play…

Laters, Kate x

February 10, 2014

The Sapeurs.. xxx

Suave and sophisticated, the title Sapeur comes from la SAPE, an abbreviation of Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes – The Society of Tastemakers and Elegant People. Over the past twenty five years it’s emerged as a brightly coloured African subculture inspired by the myth of Parisian elegance and Dandyism.

Mostly centred around Brazzaville and Kinshasa, the adjacent Capitals of the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo respectively, the Sapeurs cultivate their refined gentility amid their countries war-torn, extreme poverty.

But despite this nations history, Sapeurs are pacifists – for them style is about being respectful with a pure attitude and impeccable manners.

Creativity is paramount – although many will spend whatever they have on clothes, it’s not about the money, it’s about style and being flamboyant in oneself, despite the circumstances.

(All the pictures above by Baudouin Mouanda)

They are ordinary people, with ordinary jobs who break free by transforming their dusty pavements into fabulous fashion runways. But the truth is these characters are teachers, creatures of spirit with a powerful, requisite flair and passion.

(Photo by Hector Mediavilla)

Sharp and sly, like poetry in motion with their hearts turned to the sun, they demand that there can be great riches in small spaces..their irresistible sense of pride says you can be whatever you want to be…and sometimes we all need that fairytale.

(Photo by Hector Mediavilla)

A very short documentary – worth watching! x

To those that say their style is part of a legacy of cultural imperialism and a post-colonial carry-over they say:

‘White people invented the clothes..but we turned them into an art form’

Personally, I doff my bright yellow trilby to them.

Laters, Kate x

February 6, 2014

Anything Goes..

There’s no getting away from it – part of the breathless anticipation of any Fashion Week are the Street Style photos of the good, the bad and the fabulous pretending they’re unaware they’re the players in their own performance.

An unfortunate accident? Or the latest accessory?

Because ultimately, even with this small number of elite beings, they’ll only be a select few who can really tick the boxes and dress the way you want to feel.

But they still all know to carry themselves with extreme confidence, no matter what they feel like inside..and as perception becomes more important than truth it makes these some of the most interesting, schizophrenic moments to secretly observe.

We’re no longer in the land of princesses. What we wear, even to posh events is becoming more generalised, more ‘every day’. Which is why these flashes of inspiration are so important – they’re within our grasp.

But innovative and desirable is still the holy grail.

(All photos by Tommy Ton from Style.com)

The pictures tell us: To change our spots, all we need to do is change our skins. Essentially, they give us hope.

Laters, Kate x

February 2, 2014

Natasha Law x

Natasha Law is the down to earth, incredibly talented older sister of Actor Jude Law. With her natural, caught in the moment works she manages to find the simplest of lines to create pictures that are both intimate and vibrant.

What would I give to have one on my walls??

A lot!!..also quite fancy that green leather skirt…

Laters, Kate x

February 1, 2014

Salvage Yard x

A few months ago Caitlyn Moran, writer for the Sunday Times, wrote an article on the deficits of money. She decided that once she had money she always chose the easy option..got an Event, need a dress? Buy it. But without it she was forced to be creative – rumble through wardrobe, find something, get sewing machine out. Go to Event as the new Lady Godiva. Her conclusion was that her brain was far better and more inventive in her desperate youth than it is today…and that the ability to adapt and alter is something we need to treasure and nurture.