The RA Summer Exhibition

I apologise for reporting late on this exhibition but I only managed to see it just before it closed last weekend. As ever the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy is an exciting and stimulating mixture of artists and genres, with well known names alongside the unknowns chosen through the open submission process.  I love how tiny little pictures are muddled together with bigger images, and the juxtaposition of paint, textiles, sculpture, architectural designs and photography. It’s one of my favourite things to do in the summer. As usual I was left lusting after a Tony Bevan, but at £78,000 it’s a little out of a freelance stylist’s price range! This sculpture was outside dominating the courtyard (no photos allowed inside) and is by Chris Wilkinson, titled From Landscape to Portrait.

MET Gala 2012 The Bad……

It can only start with Anja Rubik in Anthony Vaccarello. If you haven’t seen coverage of that hip bone then you must have been hiding under a rock. For me it’s totally awful and tasteless. It’s not sexy milky curves, it’s an incredibly thin model whose hip bone probably comes under Unicef protection for abuse against humanity. This isn’t clever draping that looks as if it’s defying gravity holding onto the  body, this piece of fabric is holding on for dear life!

Sarah Jessica Parker in Valentino. I commented on this during Fashion Week season and let it be known again that current Valentino hurts my soul! This dress is matronly, sugary, shiny and frankly downright ugly. The two gold cuffs are bizarre extras that seem to have no place with the virginal nightgown. And is that a matching shoe???

Kristen Stewart in Balenciaga. Do you think she got out of her car and thought ‘Doh, I thought I was turning up to some edgy premiere, not Anna Wintour’s fashion castle’ and the shoes look like bandaged Egyptian mummy feet. Considering people are claiming her a No 1 best dressed on numerous magazine lists, for me this is a major backwards step.

Diane Kruger in Prada. I expect so much more from her; even if I don’t always like her fashion choices, they are at least high quality choices. This is a hippy slip dress with a big feather boa crawling round the hem. If you put your hand over the bottom half it looks like a perfectly average strappy top with a boho necklace and if you put your hand over the top half you have an over-played Ginger Rogers’ night dress. Together this does not work. Lovely colour though.

Jessica Chastain in Louis Vuitton. I don’t know why Jessica seems to like to dress like a much older version of herself. She looks like a trussed up bird in this dress and it’s not at all flattering to her figure with the line across the hip causing it to bulge. I do like the super sexy bodice and if only it was tailored onto a really tight skirt in much better quality fabric it would look so much less wagon trail.  Also this is the perfect example of where Hollywood hair doesn’t work and ages the look.

Emma Stone in Lanvin. This was custom made, CUSTOM MADE, and this is what they came up with? Her face says it all, it’s a grin-and-bear-it dress and the fact that there are paparazzi pictures floating around of this dress ripping in the car highlights even further that it was not fit for purpose. It’s far too girly and frilly and winsome and the hair is also very prom. Awful.

Gwyneth Paltrow in Prada. How unflattering is this on her legs? Surely no one does Tracy Anderson as religiously as she does in order to make her legs look bad in a dress? The side boob is not sexy and frankly isn’t necessary;  she’s just trying too hard. With the dipping hem, the frill and the racer front, this all looks as if it’s been cobbled together with no clear design direction.

Coco Rocha in vintage Givenchy. Yes, I know it was Elizabeth Taylor’s but that doesn’t mean it works for you, Coco. The dipped dyed hair is an affront to the house of Givenchy, Liz Taylor and the MET ball. This look is so mainstream now; as a top model you really should be ahead of the game not going with a trend that’s on the high street. I also think the pink top and pink ballet style shoes are so wrong and practically make a mockery of it. A black skirt would have looked so much cooler and some edgy shoes would have made this auction piece the real deal.

Jessica Alba in Michael Kors. Little to say on this bar that I expect so much more from her and putting hair on the opposite shoulder to the one shouldered dress is so lame.

Lily Collins in….. one guess, its dowdy, floral…. and yup, it’s Valentino. How any young girl would pick this off the rack as the perfect dress is beyond me. How any stylist would call in this dress for a young actress is beyond me too, and the fact that no one said that this is old, dull, fussy and prim is the final straw!

Claire Danes in J Mendel. I don’t want to Danes bash because, like everyone else, I think she’s amazing in Homeland.  Aside from the fact that she seems to like wearing white on the red carpet, this dress does not work for her proportionally. She is pretty short and this low wrap makes her look unnecessarily dumpy and heavy around the thigh. The dark roots in the hair really shouldn’t be there and I also think the whole look needs coloured jewellery to lift it. Can’t wait for season 2 though!

And finally Marc Jacobs in.. .. oh, who cares. I find this incredibly try-hard-to-be-noticed, unimaginative and frankly pretty childish.  And it doesn’t even look good. Yawn.

Source: Zimbio

MET Gala 2012 The Good….

I apologise for the lack of posts recently but I have been incredibly busy prepping for shoots, shooting, editing and crediting! So a good comeback post is the MET Gala which took place on Monday in New York. This event is often called the East Coast Oscars and I definitely get more excited about them because people can really flex their fashion muscles without needing to please the middle road. That said, this year wasn’t a great example of this: the out of the ordinary looks were rarely exciting and lots of people played in safe. The theme this year was Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations, and was chaired by Anna Wintour, Muccia Prada and, bizarrely, Carey Mulligan. This post focuses on the good and tomorrow I’ll post on the bad, and yes, I mean you, SJP!

January Jones in Versace. This yellow is so vibrant and I love the geometric accents of darker colour and all the tailoring is so flattering to her body. The turquoise necklace is a nice touch; I wouldn’t necessarily have thought a strong-ish necklace would have worked but because her hair and make up is so simple I think it looks great.

Ginnifer Goodwin in Monique Lhuillier. Another bold choice with its strong orange colour, in this case softened by the draping, the lace and the sheer sections.  The only downside for me are the shoes, which needed to be strappy and either same colour, nude or black.  And still just loving her short hair!

Jessica Stam in John Galliano for Dior.  This for me is what the MET ball is about. Yes, it’s a tad Star Trek with a healthy dose of the orient but it’s also beautiful and intricate and high fashion. I love the vertical flick of the blush eye liner that echoes the shoulder profile and the arm full of bracelets. It’s all just so classic Galliano, which is why he is much missed.

Diane Von Furstenburg in Diane Von Furstenburg. I love this woman, she dresses so well and always looks intereting, smart and elegant. I love the bright colour with the whimsical puzzle pieces and the long gloves make this more gala.  I think the chunky necklace works but I would have ditched the earrings.

Marion Cotillard in Dior. It’s elegant and timeless, beginning with the demure neckline and then getting edgier as it goes down. It’s not crazily fashion forward but not quite classic either, which is clever. I don’t like the watch though, it’s a major no-no; if you’re going to a ball like this one you don’t need to check the time.

Constance Jablonski in Haider Ackermann. Everyone knows my love for this man’s work and it’s so good to see him represented by a model I also admire. It’s not necessarily the best of his lovely colour combos – I would have chosen his burnt oranges and maroons – but none the less it’s striking and beautiful.

Beyonce in Givenchy. Only Beyonce can do this, so you’ve been warned! But seriously, wow! She looks all woman and so much more, hence my inclusion of a behind shot. This is dramatic and theatrical, her make-up is perfection and she’s glowing. I just wish the body underneath was slightly closer to her skin tone so it looked even more nude.

Milla Jovovich in Prada. The first and only Prada look I’ve included in the positive column.  I love the loose drape of the bodice, the gladiatorial panels on the skirt, the slightly twenties look with the side swept hair, but what is with those yellow/orange nails?! Horrible.

Doutzen Kroes in Roland Mouret. In an evening that featured quite a lot of black and white, this look stood out the most. It’s geometric with a light and humourous touch, almost a court jester quality (am I reading into it too much?!), and great old Hollywood hair to set a chic tone.

And finally Rihanna in Tom Ford. I dread to think how much this dress would cost but it has massive impact. It looks like hangbag material, as hard and shell-like as an armadillo and yet magically is also seductive and effortless. I think the claw nails take the theme too far and it’s a shame about the hair, I’m sure that Mr Ford would not have passed off on that!

I don’t know who these girls are but I like the composition of the architectural looks.

Source: Zimbio

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2011/2012

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition has now closed in London, but I go annually and it’s always inspiring. The amazing photographs of the seen and the unseen, the known and the unexpected, fill your brain with the colours and patterns of all sorts of habitats and animals, giving new perspective on the daily dramas of the natural world, and lasting food for thought.

Chachalacascape Gregory Basco (USA). Category – Nature in Black and White

Pelican Perspective Bence Mate (Hungary) Category – Eric Hosking Award

On the Tracks of a Coyote Martin Cooper (Canada) Category – Urban Wildlife

Lion Amond the Shoal Alex Tattersall (UK) Category – Underwater World

Balancing Act Joel Sartore (USA) Category – Behaviour Mammals

Ant Rider Bence Mata (Hungary) Category – Behaviour All Other Animals

Crane Perfection Stefano Unterthiner (Italy) Category – Nature in Black and White

Fire Flying Nilanjan Das (India) Category – Behaviour  Birds

Family Tree Paul Goldstein (UK) Category – Behaviour Mammals

Taking Flight Paul Goldstein (UK) Catergory: Behavious – Birds

Overall Winner:

Still Life in Oil Daniel Beltra (Spain)

May in New York

I was away in New York last week, hence the radio silence….why do hotels charge ridiculous amounts of money for using the internet? Anyway, I had a lovely time as usual: good weather, warm though fairly hazy, and most excitingly of all, it was Fleet Week so there were lots of sailors around which definitely added a certain something. My photo of them is pretty poor but I had all the wrong settings and didn’t have time to change them before capturing a blurred Abbey Road style shot. New York never disappoints from a photographer’s point of view, with all those reflective surfaces, the multitude of building shapes, the changing light, the water, the skyline….so as always I had lots to edit down.

I also went to see the Alexander McQueen exhibition at the Met which was absolutely stunning, truly one of the most inspiring and thought-provoking exhibitions I’ve been lucky enought to see. His creative vision is really transformative and there was a mass of interesting  text taken from McQueen’s own commentary on his thought processes.  The real thrill is that details that are perhaps missed even from the front row at the shows are available here close up: feather and shell work, red mud from Africa specially shipped in for dip dyeing, incredible beading, lace work, great conventional tailoring.  Then there are all the incredible accessories from the people who worked with him to realise the unique McQueen catwalk vision: hats, or perhaps headgear is more apt, from Philip Treacy and some stunning jewellery from Shaun Leane.

The Met Ball 2011

This year’s Met Ball was an homage to Alexander McQueen, in connection with the much anticipated ‘Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty’  exhibition which opens at the MET in NYC tomorrow (until 31st July).   I’m hoping to see it when I’m over there in a couple of weeks time. Some years I feel there is more to criticize than compliment at the Met Ball, but this year I’m going to overlook all the faux pas and nearly misses to concentrate on the good selection of people who got it right.

First then, Liv Tyler in Givenchy. Does anyone look bad in couture Givenchy? I’ve yet to see it. Even though this is an incredibly elegant, oragami, feathered Ricardo Tisci invention, the ultimate in design and couture,  she carries it off as if this dress was custom made for her.  And I love the simple uber glossy hair.

Amber Valletta in Stella McCartney. Stella dressed a surprisingly large number of the A-listers last night and I thought this stood out as one of the best. I love the peacock feather pattern framing the hem of the bodice against the plain skirt. It’s simple but super elegant and I love the big statement earrings. It’s a far cry from Stella’s last questionable  lemons and oranges collection.

Beyonce, in figure hugging Emilio Pucci. Now she is all woman. It is a pretty full on look with the high collar and I think she carries it off, firstly because of her amazingly curvy body, but also because of the smile. If she’d been too pouty and with big hair it would have made it far too much. I love the extra lace on the cleavage.

Blake Lively in Chanel. She looks amazing, there really is no if, but or maybe about it. I think the darker almost strawberry blonde hair really suits her and this dress shows off her enviable figure. The draping is beautifully subtle and I love the nude bodice with the delicate silver embroidery.

Brooklyn Decker in Michael Kors. It’s bright, very bright, but she looks young and fresh . Her shorter hair suits her so much better and makes her stand out amongst the usual blonde-extensioned swim wear models. I love the fact that the shoes are nude so that they look like her legs just continue to the floor. Great cocktails rings with a good smallish bag makes the whole outfit one of my favourite; simple elegance.

Christina Ricci in Zac Posen. This dress is really quite something. It’s slightly corpse bride but at the same time delicate and intricate like a line drawing. The insane sculpting on it makes it spectacular, though it’s a shame about the jutting hip bones. It’s totally different from what I’d normally expect Posen to do, and although it does reference his more familiar pleating and homage to a woman’s figure, it’s dark beauty definitely moves it into Alexander McQueen territory.

Daphne Guinness in Alexander McQueen. Well she would, wouldn’t she? One of the few woman who doesn’t get over powered by a Big Bird’s date night outfit, although she shouldn’t have worn the tights! This really is an incredible piece of artistry, with its beautiful lilac colour and dramatic silhouette.

Diane Kruger in Jason Wu. Her eclectic style can be hit and miss for me, but this is beautiful. She looks like  a sexy grown up woman, the slit is pretty damn high but with long sleeves and a high neck she can get away with it. I like the Veronica Lake hair and the red lips. It looks effortless which is one of the qualities of great style.

Doutzen Kroes in Giambattista Valli. It’s big and red and I love it. Yes, it blends a little into the carpet but I love how it relies totally on the shape and the girl inside it to carry it off. Despite its huge train this is suprisingly simple but many an actress or model would easily get swallowed up in the red mist. I  love that there are no accessories and the hair and make-up are kept simple.

Ginnifer Goodwin suprisingly in Topshop. It’s quite a look but I think it works for her and, although I think this can go either way as a description but here it’s meant as a compliment, it’s because she’s kooky. I love her pixie hair cut and the super strong blue eye makeup. The dress is stunning colour and although I think the ruched sides would be widening on most people she seems to carry it well. I love the turquoise and green necklace; I think I want that more than the dress and shoes!

Karolina K in Jean Paul Gaultier. She’s a model therefore she can get away with looks like this. It’s interesting, it’s different, it requires time to take in all the details from the lace straps, the feather hand bracelet to the messy bun. Top model, top look.

Leighton Meester in Louis Vuitton. I’m on the fence but I wanted to give her some marks for trying. Although I think full length is needed for the MET ball, this is something a bit alternative. She always trys different looks out and I’ve seen photos taken from varying angles where it looks great and where it really doesn’t. Maybe if she’d gone for large coloured jewellery, bigger hair and some other shoe, but somehow the sleek hair and diamond earrings bring it away from high fashion.

Michelle Williams in custom made Miu Miu and it’s another that I love. Since Miu Miu and Erdem used lots of swallow motifs a couple of seasons ago they have become a much seen symbol. Here I love the way the birds catch the light on this grown up and sexy dress.  Her hair is just right for it too, she looks so great with it short.

Rachel Wood in Gucci. Burgundy, dark purple, aubergine,whatever you want to call, it is one of my favourite colours. It looks amazing against her white skin and I love the double layers over the bust and the hint of grey sparkle. Gothic and feminine and sensuous.

Shalom Harlow in Marchesa. Only a 5’11 plus model could handle this typically Marchesa dress, with its strong silhouette and curving fabric lines. It looks both structured and fluid as water. I like the small detail  of the feather covering her parting.

Sarah Jessica Parker in Alexander McQueen. The hair is a little full on, slightly too Dallas and hard. But wow, the dress is stunning, with its incredible beading detail and great body-framing seaming. Incidentally, I also love the white number with the yellow sleeves just to the side of her.

Vera Wang in, shockingly, Vera Wang. Although she is painfully thin, I love the colour and the pleating that goes all the way down the front; it looks bohemian and yet chic. I also like the grecian leafed headdress.

PictureSource: Zimbio

Discs of Clouds

I went to see the Anish Kapoor sculptures in Kensington Gardens one freezing cold day recently. There are four mirrored sculptures in various shapes positioned about the park, all designed to reflect the landscape around them, especially the sky. The day I chose to go was perfect for it, luckily, with the bare winter trees and a clear blue sky with lots of drifting clouds. I found them really beautiful and great to photograph.  It was amazing to see the clouds moving over their surfaces and the changing proportions as you walked around the installations. They work both from close up where you can play with the different perspectives of grass, sky and water that they reveal as you move, and also they look intriguingly alien when you catch sight of them from a distance.  They will be removed in March I think – I don’t know whether they will go on tour – but it would be great if they could be installed permanently sometime.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year

I went to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition this week at the Natural History Museum.  This annual event features truly inspiring wildlife and animal photography from all over the globe and  makes you absolutely marvel at the natural world and the wonders that exist on this planet. The exhibition is on until March 11 and if you live in London you really have to go and see it.  I scanned in the images from postcards so I apologise for them not being top quality; the first of the sequence below is the overall winner of the competition. Underneath each picture I have copied the informative description that accompanies each of the entries. Enjoy.

A Marvel of Ants by Bence Mate (Hungary). Costa Rica’s leaf cutter ants are the most active at night. Huge columns fan out into the forest, each line terminating at a tree, shrub or bush where each ant then cuts a piece of leaf to carry.

Leg-Work by Bence Mate (Hungary). This was taken from a waterside hide at dawn, in Hungary’s Kiskunsagi National Park. A grey heron that had perched on the hide suddenly swooped down on a great white egret. The legs are the heron’s, the wings the egret’s.

A Carcass-Eye View by Jurgen Ross. Tall and with a deadly kick, adult giraffes have little to fear from predators. But in South Africa’s Kruger National Park, one pride of lions has a shrewd hunting strategy. They chase the giraffes towards a road, where they stumble and fall on the smooth surface.

Snowed In by Orsolya Haarberg (Norway/Hungary). On particularly cold days in Norway’s Dovre-Sunndalsfjella National Park, muskoxen conserve energy by resting. For two days the wind was so strong and it snowed so much the animals were almost obscured.

Dawn Call by Pierre Vernay (France). The roar of a red deer stag carries an unmistakable message: the most powerful the roar, the stronger the stag. At dawn in Dyrehaven forest, an ancient deer park in Denmark, a stag emerged to challenge a rival.

Predatory Steps by Eirik Gronningsaeter (Norway). This polar bear had been resting close to shore on Kvalbeinoya, an island in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. But once it spotted the camera that had been set up it headed over to investigate. The image conveys a powerful gentleness.

Peregrine Perch by Doug Brown (USA). This peregrine falcon in California had its work cut out looking after two youngsters. While out hunting for more food, it took a break on a century plant to scan for prey, framed by curves of its strange perch.

Caimans’s Little Mouthful by Bence Mate (Hungary). This three-metre-long caiman was photographed ambling across the lawn of a lodge in Brazil’s Pantanal. Dangling from its jaws were the remains of a young armadillo. It’s rare to see one with prey.

Southern Swell by Kah Kit Yoong (Australia). Hanson Bay on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, faces the Southern Ocean and the full force of its massive swells and storms, which blow in from Antarctica. The slow shutter gives an ethereal effect, as if the sea were draining away at the world’s edge.

The Mobster by Jim Neiger (USA). This great horned owl in Florida seemed used to being mobbed, as when a fish crow suddenly appeared above it and dived down, jabbing the owl with its feet, it barely flinched, shrugging off the crow and continuing its flight.

Flight of the Rays by Florian Schulz (Germany). This aerial view of a congregation of Munk’s devil rays was taken over the Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico. It’s not unusual to see them somersaulting out of the water – locals call them tortillas because of the way they slap back down.

Back In, Front Out by Esa Malkonen (Finland). At this rookery on Deception Island, Antarctica, there are 100,000 or so penguins. Having paired up, males and femals devise a rota: one sits on the eggs (for up to five days) while the other walks back to the sea to feed.

Paris Life by Laurent Geslin (France).There is much wildlife in the heart of Paris: kestrels, sparrowhawks and even kingfishers. These rabbits live in a park close to the Arc de Triomphe and the cityscape backdrop is the business area of La Defense.

Cold Comfort by Michael Patrick O’Neill (USA/Brazil). Manatees can’t survive in temperatures below 18C (65F), and in Florida’s harsh winters many depend on the warm river springs or, as here, cluster around the tepid water discharge from power plants.

The Thoughtful Baboon by Adrian Bailey (South Africa). Each morning, thousands of Cape turtle doves come to drink at the Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe, the only source of water for miles. Some are picked off by birds of prey. This young male baboon was inspecting a recent victim.

Eye for a Bird by Fergus Gill (UK).The ptarmigan is one of the many animals to survive winter in the Scottish Cairngorms, relying on camouflage to keep it safe. This simple image shows a subtle light caught in its eye and the hint of red wattle above.

Tate’s Planes

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.

Westwood Challenge

Vivienne Westwood Anglomania + Lee are launching an online installation entitled ‘100 Days of Active Resistance’ (www.ar100days.com) on the 8^th of September. We are asking the public to participate by submitting an artwork or photograph that best represents Vivienne’s principle idea of Active Resistance and everyday one artwork will be featured on the website for the next 100 days, finishing with an exhibition displaying the best selection of artworks we’ve received.

“The principle idea of Active Resistance is that you get out of life what you put in and that real experience of the world involves thinking” – Vivienne Westwood.

100 days of positive thought, active change, speaking up and being heard. Vivienne Westwood Anglomania and Lee Jeans encourage communication and individuality through an online installation sharing interpretations of Vivienne Westwood’s Active Resistance.

“It is not enough to follow world politics, see films and read the prize-winning best seller. This is superficial, you need to go deep in order to understand who you are, what the world is and how things could be better. This involves culture which can only be acquired by self-education: human beings should mirror the world.” – Vivienne Westwood.

Every day for one hundred days one image will be selected from your submissions and shared online on www.ar100days.com from the 8^th of September.

At the close of 100 days, the 100 chosen images will become a part of a London exhibition dedicated to the project.

Vivienne Westwood will celebrate the launch of the website and their collaboration with Lee at their London W1 stores with an exhibition of Vivienne Westwood denim pieces from past to present on the 8^th of September coinciding with Vogue’s Fashion Night Out.

So stand up and speak out! Take a photo, write a slogan, create an image and show us your active resistance. Visit www.ar100days.com from the 8^th of September and make a submission.

For more information on Active Resistance please visit www.activeresistance.co.uk

I received this press release yesterday and I think it sounds cool and thought-provoking, typically Westwood.  I’m definitely going to submit a photo and if I find the time I  will do an art piece, probably applique. I’m looking forward to following it over the 100 days.

Please note:

Submitted image must be – 640 x 480 pixels (6:4) – landscape or portrait

Must not exceed 6mb in size Jpg, gif, or png format

Must be available to download in print quality