“I follow Vanderpump Rules, the Housewives of various locales. It’s not about liking it, it’s about seeing how people choose to perform themselves in public. To see the brutality and the cruelty. We’re living in an incredible time — which is a car crash of narcissism and voyeurism.”
Can’t wait to see Barbara Kruger’s Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You at The Serpentine. If anyone can hold up a mirror to society right now, it’s Babs. Buckle up! (more…)
“Some people disparage us looking back; they call it nostalgia. But from my point of view, it is ever necessary to remember and never forget authentic excitement and creative energy, especially in times of political crisis and despair. Today, in yet another moment of political crisis and despair, it is good to remember that challenging the status quo is possible and people can make their voices heard. And although at the time such insurgency is often dismissed, contrary to what the establishment would wish, positive creativity counts. It does make a mark. It matters and it changes society.”
Artist and activist, Caroline Coon (more…)
AW23 is emphatically female-focussed, kicking off with supermodel mania – that Vogue cover, the Apple series and a Linda Evangelista book – and continuing with a slew of women-championing exhibitions. We’ve also got the big Phoebe Philo reveal to come, as well as a focus on revivalist classic fashion (aka gentlewoman style). For this you can easily shop your closet, or consider buying pre-loved – the quality may be better and so may the price. “The connection between instability in the economy and consumers’ desire for classic, quality pieces that retain value is certainly at play, as is the cultural zeitgeist,” Kelly McSweeney, senior merchandising manager at The RealReal, told WWD. (more…)
Another new London exhibition worth your attention. A Hard Man is Good to Find! at The Photographers’ Gallery is a brilliant little history lesson of queer photography of the male physique, surveying the years when making or distributing imagery of male nudity was illegal in the UK.
Centred on key areas of London – Highgate, Chelsea, Brixton, Pimlico, Portobello, Euston, Soho – it explores some of the ways that photographers would go about scouting modelling subjects. For example, a concentration of fit young males around the army barracks of Pimlico would result in images of partially uniformed men, including some fabulous styling. (more…)
