The Artist In His Studio
Years and years ago I bought a photo book by Alexander Liberman called The Artist In His Studio (it’s out of print but you can still find it on Amazon and eBay). I was (and still am) a bit obsessed with artists and their paraphernalia.
In this month’s US Vogue, Annie Liebovitz has produced her mini-version, featuring the studios of Jeff Koons, John Currin and Jasper Johns. I loved the accompanying interviews and the close-up of Jasper Johns’ charcoals and pastels. I definitely think she should do a follow up to the Liberman book.
On a side note, another publication that offers regular peeps into artists’ studios, and writers’ abodes, is Apartamento. I’ve just finished reading the last issue which featured the bookseller Conor Donlon and the writer Duncan Fallowell (below) who has every nook of his atelier stuffed with books. I can’t decide if this is heaven or hell…
Library corner: Diane Von Furstenberg And The Tale Of The Empress’s New Clothes
My personal highlight of this year’s Vogue Festival (which returns on 28-29 April 2013) was the Diane Von Furstenberg talk. What a woman! What incredible stories! And there’s more where they come from because Camilla Morton has just added Diane Von Furstenberg And The Tale Of The Empress’s New Clothes to her repertoire of modern fashion fairytales. Following on from Christian Lacroix And The Tale Of Sleeping Beauty and Manolo Blahnik’s The Elves And The Shoemaker, Morton has woven her version of The Emperor’s New Clothes into the legend of DVF and the making of her fashion empire. Continue reading
Gap’s iconic portraits – when classic is best
I spotted this great portrait of Rifat Ozbek by Steven Meisel (above) in a book in the Gap store. The book is Individuals: Portraits from the Gap Collection and is currently going for a song on Amazon. The book is full of portraits by the likes of Herb Ritts, Annie Leibovitz, David Sims and Meisel and goes to show that Gap has been doing for years what lots of brands are only just doing now. That is, photographing interesting people in a way that represents their own style. Continue reading
The Conran Shop Gift Guide – with a little help from me
Have you heard about the changes at The Conran Shop? Jasper Conran has been named chairman and as part of his remit has set to rethinking the product offer and environment. Plans are afoot for a little more fashion input (rumour has it, there’s a Tom Binns project in the works) as well as convivial in-store happenings to jolly things up. Continue reading
Grace Coddington is i-D’s next cover girl
It’s going to be hard to avoid Grace Coddington over the next few weeks – girl’s got a memoir to promote! But why would you want to avoid the flame-tressed one? So far, I’m loving this i-D cover with its barely-there coverlines, Celine cobalt coat and cheeky wink. On the stands next week, there’s also an interview with i-D’s Terry Jones to look forward to…
The book of blogging: Introducing Style Feed by William Oliver and Susie Bubble
Considering fashion and style blogging has been around for well over five years (this blog started in 2007), it’s odd how few books there are on the subject. Susie Lau and William Oliver have compiled Style Feed (published by Prestel), a brick of a tome documenting some of the most influential players in the global bloggersphere. Ordered chronologically, The Man Repeller, Vanessa Jackman, Style Rookie, Business Of Fashion and Advanced Style are included and (yay!) I get a good few pages too – thanks a million Susie!
Style Feed is available exclusively in-store at Urban Outfitters or online at Amazon and there’s a big old celebratory bash happening tomorrow at Urban Outfitters Spitalfields, which everyone’s invited to. One of the baddest-ass bloggers of them all, Fred Butler (also in the book obv) will be DJing. I might have to mug her for one of these.
Info below:
Press preview: Chanel Little Black Jacket by Karl Lagerfeld
Just sharing my favourite photos from Karl Lagerfeld’s Little Black Jacket exhibition, which opened at the Saatchi Gallery today (I went to the preview yesterday). I really didn’t have high hopes for this so I was shocked at how much I loved it. The casting is wonderful, as is Carine Roitfeld’s styling. Karl has truly managed to capture the style and personality of each of his sitters. And the gigantic prints (by Steidl) are nicely displayed, gently pinned to the wall. The exhibition is huge and you can even take away a free poster with you. So much nicer than flooding the shop with tacky merch, no?
The exhibition is on from now until 28th October and you can buy the accompanying book there too (it’s a lot cheaper than in the shops).
*SPOILER ALERT* Don’t look down if you don’t want to see (top to bottom) Ines de La Fressange, Frankie Rayder, Jane Birkin, Lauren Hutton, Linda Evangelista, Sojourner Morrell, Alexa Chung, Sofia Coppola, Sing Hye-Kyo, Kirsten Owen and Lily Donaldson… Continue reading
Reliving the sixties
Sixties, sixties, sixties, sixties. Sick of them yet? Well get used to it, because it’s all you’ll be hearing about from now until eternity. The ’60s is the big fashion story for ss13 (ref Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Prada and Moschino for starters) and there’s already a rich well of original inspiration to draw from in the new books, films and exhibitions launching right now … Continue reading
Marc Jacobs’ Bookmarc comes to London
This year I feel like I’ve bought more coffee table books than clothes. Books feel like a justafiable luxury as they’re educational as well as beautiful objects. For example this work of art:
Good news for bibliophiles like me then, that Marc Jacobs is opening *has opened a London outpost of his Bookmarc store in the basement of Marc by Marc Jacobs in South Audley Street. This store has always sold a great selection of art, fashion and photography books but Bookmarc will sell even more in its own designated area. As Marc Jacobs’ Robert Duffy says, “I find that people are buying [books] and they’re not questioning why they’re buying it. When you want a book, you want a book, and there’s a certain satisfaction you get. You can’t wait to get home to look at it.” Too true. Even better news; there’s a Paris branch to follow…
*UPDATE: According to Vogue, the store is already up and running
[Top photo: WWD]
Must see: Some Day All The Adults Will Die – Punk Graphics 1971 – 1984
This is showing at the Hayward Gallery Project Space from 14 September – 24 November 2012. An exhibition of raw punk graphics which still have an impact 40-odd years later, there’s an accompanying Rizzoli book: PUNK: An Aesthetic by Johan Kugelberg and Jon Savage. From the press release: Continue reading
