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The Life and Times of Malcolm McLaren



The Life and Times of Malcolm McLaren book by Paul Gorman

This Malcolm McLaren biography is likely to get a lot of attention from McLaren-heads when it comes out. Written by Paul Gorman, author of The Story of The Face, Mr Freedom and The Look: Adventures in Rock and Pop Fashion, he knows his fashion onions and you can trust he will have done thorough research. (I didn’t realise he was still writing his most excellent blog, Paul Gorman Is…)

Back to Malcolm, The Life and Times of Malcolm McLaren promises to be the definitive biography of the cross-cultural visionary whose influence looms larger than ever. (more…)



On my radar: Amoako Boafo



Amoako Boafo Cobalt Blue Earring 2019 - Courtesy of Mariane Ibrahim

A name to look out for in the 2020s: Amoako Boafo. This Vienna-based Ghanaian painter came to my attention during Art Basel Miami, when his work kept pinging up on Instagram.

His portraits have a really magnetic, visceral power, using fingers to paint directly onto the canvas. While the effect is in your face and graphic, I like the attention to fashion detail, it’s got a bit of Alex Katz and Elizabeth Peyton flavour in that respect. In 2020, Boafo will have a solo show at Mariane Ibrahim in Chicago and I’m sure his influence will be far reaching. (more…)



The DRG Style Index: Ralph Lauren, Prada X Adidas, Keith Haring



Here’s the latest DRG STYLE INDEX ranking, a round-up of the brands and industry stories currently buzzing on my radar…


RALPH LAUREN IS NICE

Ralph Lauren HBO documentary
In the 20-teens you’re no one if you haven’t had a documentary made about you. The Ralph Lauren story, Very Ralph, airs on HBO this Tuesday, but according to the NYT it’s as saccharine as a Polo ad campaign. In response to the lack of scandalous ‘tea’, Ralph said, “Can people believe there might be people out there who might be honorable? They can’t believe it. They won’t be happy unless they find out that I’m a killer or I did something bad.” (more…)