artists

The culture of fashion: I dress therefore I am



Georgia O'Keeffe by Bruce Weber

Favourite artist looks? I’ve had a few. Georgia O’Keeffe’s New Mexico minimalism; Warhol’s beatnik Bretons; Lucian Freud’s sweaters and Huntsman suits; not to mention Basquiat’s baggy 80s overcoats.

The New York Times has a great story about the rise of the artist as avatar. Namely, the merch-ification of artists, selling elements of their personal style – an Edward Hopper hat anyone? – alongside postcards in the gallery gift shop. (more…)



Culture of Fashion: a look inside Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris



Yves Saint Laurent by Andy Warhol

A brief work trip to Paris a couple of weeks ago allowed me to experience the Musée Yves Saint Laurent in Avenue Marceau, the former premises of YSL couture. Part of the 60th anniversary celebrations of Yves Saint Laurent, the latest exhibition, ‘Yves Saint Laurent au 5, avenue Marceau’ focuses on the archives and know-how of the designer and his coterie of technical specialists and as such is just a joy for process nerds. (more…)



The culture of fashion: Dior SS21 menswear ‘portrait of an artist’



Dior SS21 men Amoako Boafo

Some more menswear SS21 highlights. On the maximalist craft tip, Dior hit the top notes again with a fab collab with Ghanaian artist Amoako Boafo. (See the collection video here.)

Dior’s creative director Kim Jones first met him last year during Art Basel Miami. Boafo was the artist in residence of the new Rubell Museum, opposite Dior’s fall show venue. As Jones’ artist collaborations are now a mainstay of his collections (tying in nicely with Mr Dior’s gallerist past), it made perfect sense for the two to collaborate. Jones already has a connection to Africa having grown up in the continent, while Boafo has a connection to fashion, with his fantastically wardrobed portrait sitters always dressed in attention-grabbing prints and colour combinations. (more…)



At home with interiors photographer François Halard



Francois Halard Arles home

Like thousands of others, I enjoyed the daily lockdown Polaroids of interiors photographer, François Halard. Sharing vignettes from his 18th century Arles home on Instagram, they’ve allowed an element of arty escapism from my own four walls during our enforced confinement. (more…)