In the words of Bill Cunningham “Fashion is the armour to survive the reality of everyday life”. Fashion is life-enhancing and this summer museums and galleries are offering an exciting programme of stylish exhibitions, a visual feast to revive our hopes and our dreams.
Continue reading “Fashion and textiles: must-see exhibitions”
Over his career Pop Art artist, Heiner Meyer, has captured the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century consumer culture through images of cinema, fashion, TV, luxury cars and elite sports. Meyer’s sculptures and paintings often focus on the feminine beauty culture, employing bright colors his work often satirises well-known and celebrity subjects.
Continue reading “Review: High Gloss”
Concierge travel is synonymous with making dreams come true and wearing haute couture is up there in terms of aspirations. Let alone having a piece made exclusively for you.
This is about more than fashion. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience normally available only to royalty, heiresses and celebrities. There are only 14 designers who bear the label of haute couture, with one item taking up to 700 hours to create. Gaining entry into the haute couture circle of around 4,000 members worldwide requires an invitation.
Continue reading “Haute couture will travel”
As in all the arts, whether paintings, literature and theatre, one of the delights of fashion design can be found in the historical references. In 2019, the exhibition An Enquiring Mind: Manolo Blahnik at The Wallace Collection explored the inspiration behind the master of shoe design. In his over-50 year career, Blahnik has drawn on his love of art, interior design and fashion of the 17th and 18th centuries, to create the most exquisite footwear. It’s enough to make Sex and The City’s Carrie Bradshaw swoon.
Continue reading “Manolo Blahnik: An Enquiring Mind”
Justine Picardie is a former Contributing Editor at Harper’s Bazar and author of Coco Chanel: The Legend and The Life and a new book Miss Dior coming soon. In a live conversation from their individual homes, Picardie and Caroline de Guitaut, Deputy Surveyor of The Queen’s Works of Art at The Royal Collection Trust, explored the history of Royal wedding dresses. Later, still in a hazy romantic mood, I pulled out family albums to gaze again on some of the Caswell brides of the 20th century.
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I filed copy on two features this week, the first on wine and the second on coffee. Both were fun to do (sitting around tasting wine and coffee, what’s not to like!). Also, delving deep into a subject is right up my street. I like to tell myself it’s my natural journalistic skills but it’s probably more a case of being just plain nosey.
I’ve become fascinated by terroir, the magical combination of temperature, climate, soil composition and production methods, that impacts on wine, food and, yes, coffee. Fresh authentic seasonal food, produced sustainably and prepared simply.
Continue reading “This week… bags, birds and The Beatles”
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