I was taking a photo of this rather beautiful horse sculpture on a street in downtown New York and I was rather annoyed about the man in the frame, when I noticed through my view finder that it was actually model David Gandy standing very picturesquely outside the cafe. So then of course, very subtly, I took loads more of him. Below I have also put up some graffitti ‘posters’ of some models you might recognise, with hilarious spelling to boot.
I was in Brighton yesterday and the bare and chilly beach there made me think of this editorial in Naag, entitled ‘Prelude to Winter’, the photographer was Hugh Lippe, stylist Melissa Rubini with model Kasia Struss, who is doing a damn good job of looking sexy and at ease. I love the white and the mist, there’s an elemental atmosphere here, and she looks both alluring and isolated.
Source: FashionGoneRogue.com
Last night I was at the launch of The Godfather of Street Art, an exhibition of works by Richard Hambleton, curated by Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld and Andy Valmorbida in collaboration with Giorgio Armani, which has recently transferred from New York. It was exciting to see Carine Roitfeld there supporting her son, and of course lots of other elite fashion people including Lara Stone and husband David Walliams, Pam Hogg, Vogue’s Emma Elwick-Bates and Sarah Harris and Amber Le Bon. Richard Hambleton (born 1954) is most widely known for his “Shadowman” series of paintings in the early 1980s, in which he placed life-sized silhouetted images of mysterious people around New York (and later Paris, London and Rome), often locating them in dark corners and alleyways for maximum scare factor. I like the art: it is can be seen as rather menacing but I think the figures are quite romantic in a Byronic sort of way, the wild and perhaps misunderstood lone poet or artist out on the margins. I also loved the usage of gold paint, which felt very decadent. A great party.
Carine Roitfeld and Roberta Armani
I was lucky enough to be given some amazing courtside Knicks tickets and saw a very exciting game of basketball, which the Knicks so nearly won. We were very close to the game and able to see the ever present Spike Lee berating the ref and urging players on. I saw Jordin Sparks and Ellen Pompeo too, as well as Thierry Henry, American soccer’s latest edition, who I managed to have a quick word with. I think I would definitely get into it if I lived over there, it would be a good substitute for football. And as always, the Hudson river supplied me with inspiration for photographs and stunning sunsets.
I am slowly getting my photos sorted from my trip to New York last week. In between doing the things I have to do, I aIways enjoy wandering around as much as I can. I went over to Brooklyn on a beautiful sunny but cold day, and also up onto the High Line, the old overhead train track that runs over the Meatpacking district and on into Chelsea which has been converted into a walkway with lots of grasses and great views over a typical mix of the New York skyline. It had art installations and the occasional coffee bar and you get a glimpse into some of neighbouring buildings – there was an auctioneer in full cry and a busy photographic studio. More to come.
I was at the private opening of the Turner Prize a month or so ago and I was so disappointed by the standard of the exhibited short list that I forgot I’d taken these photos of Fiona Banner’s Jaguar and Harrier fighter planes, beautifully suspended in the halls of Tate Britain. They really struck me as such powerful objects, man-made killing machines and yet as displayed here they have a primal quality, like a majestic fallen bird or a prehistoric animal. They’ll be there until 3rd January, go and see them if you can.
I’m swapping London for New York this week but I took this before I left, it’s a fountain in Covent Garden of the Greek god Poseidon. He looks very powerful but world weary.
I’m in New York this week, part work part pleasure, so my posts are going to be miminal for the next five days, but I’ll be back with some great photos I hope and news of the Big Apple as it starts the big freeze for winter.
Harper’s Bazaar UK December cover really stands out from the crowd. Natalia Vodianova is photographed by Michelangelo di Battista as a modern day mix of Joan of Arc, archangel, boy prince, child soldier etc. The image is full of light and really arresting. I think a cover like this makes a welcome change from the over used celebrity head shot
Source: FashionGoneRogue.com
I’ve done a couple of posts in the past about the fifth plinth in Trafalgar Square and although Yinka Shonibare’s contribution has been up for a while I only managed to have my camera with me last week (but only from a moving car!). It’s impressive I think. I know there are layers of cultural and historical inferences to be drawn from it, but to me it looks majestic and also hopeful.
avogueidea 
