Alexander McQueen ‘Savage Beauty’ at the V&A

Throughout history, an individual has emerges on occasion with extraordinary talent; visionaries as it were, whose ability to see beyond revolutionises and inspires the medium upon which they traverse- shifting the very perimeters of modern culture.

McQueen not only produced beautifully crafted designs but most importantly so, never failed to infuse with a breath of creative, intellectual underpinning. His collections were inspired by narrative, history, heritage and philosophy, with a reference to the duality ‘between life and death, happiness and sadness, good and evil’; aspects so poignant to humanity. He has become an immortalised entity, a godlike presence within the fashion world, much like the characters in history he so wondrously explored.

Much like an immortalised Da Vinci painting or grand Renaissance altarpiece, his work stirs something deep within when witnessed in person. In a way that fashion had never quite reached prior to his arrival, each collection feels as though one is looking into windows of his soul, exploring philosophical concepts through a pastiche of history; hidden within the seams of exquisite tailoring and theatrical grandiose.

Every detail is meticulously researched, for example, the purple corset in his ‘Dante’ collection (the author of ‘Divine Comedy, an allegorical vision of the afterlife in the 14th century) it’s soft purple tone deliberately selected as the colour of victorian half mourning. In his SS07 collection ‘Sarabande’, he featured a dress made of real flowers, their petals falling to the floor as their purpose has come to an end, much like fashion towards the end of each season and more philosophically, the transience of life itself- exploring the parallels of dark romanticism and his ‘romantic schizophrenic’ outlook.

McQueen also referenced the mundane, illustrated in his hyper theatrical SS01 ‘VOSS’ show featuring a razor-clam shell dress, the shells stumbled upon by McQueen himself along a beach in Norfolk. In ’The Girl Who Lived in a Tree’, the spectacular set centred upon a large twisted tree inspired by a 600 year old elm tree in the garden of his East Sussex home. In response to an interview question, his creative stimuli derives ‘from Degas and Monet and my sister in Dagenham’.

Whispers of homecoming echo amongst the fashion press for ‘Savage Beauty’; the retrospective originated by the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, following the entire breadth his illustrious career; from meteoric rise to melancholic end. This is without a doubt, the exhibition of the year. 

ghd aura: Launch Night

Earlier this week, ghd launched their brand new aura dryer/ styling tool to press, offering demonstrations over glasses of champagne and music by the gorgeous DJ & model Daisy Lowe.

Having a personal hair regime of a shocking 10 minutes or less a day (consisting of washing/wetting and a strong dose of serum to refine my curly hair),  I was looking forward to witnessing the results. The Aura is quiet and precise, producing fantastic shine and volume. 20 minutes with the ghd team transformed my naturally curly hair into voluptuous bouncy waves- really quite impressive from dry.

The other key feature of the event was an exhibition of photographs encapsulating 'moments that changed the beauty world forever', in collaboration with fashion historian Amber Butchart. 

Highlights include a photograph of one of the first hair styling tools (with an aesthetic reflective of a torture instrument!) and photographs of celebrity icons including Veronica Lake and David Bowie, annotated with a short paragraph of their groundbreaking effect on contemporary culture.

The exhibition was fun and inspirational yet equally educational, reminding us of fundamental social history shaping the beauty industry into the thriving enterprise it is today.

From the infamous Avon lady visiting local residents during the war to Elizabeth Arden's participation to the suffragette moment, each photograph captures a compelling moment in British history.

The ghd Aura is available from 27th June at Selfridges stores and Selfridges.com

Alice Luker
www.aliceluker.co.uk

Dries Van Noten at Les Arts Decoratifs

During my short visit to Paris last week I had a couple of hours here and there to visit exhibitions, one of which being the Dries Van Noten at Les Arts Decoratifs. This museum is one of my all time favourites; the Parisian parallel of the Victoria & Albert museum in London, conveniently situated next to the Louvre the central line 1.

Dries Van Noten as a designer isn't as globally known as the majority of designer retrospectives featured at Art Decoratifs including Madelaine Vionnet (queen of the 1920s empire line dress) and Louis Vuitton Marc Jacobs, however as much as it is a showcase of the designer's work, the focus is centralised on the relationship between his collections and the inspiration leading to the final result presented on the catwalk.

My initial reaction was positive; a strong entrance to the show with a semi patent floral door to introduce his signature theme of hyper-real flowers & nature. Once inside, the show begins in a darkened room filled with names of models, photographers, pop stars etc of whom acted as inspiration to Dries in his early years of the 1970s/80s. The diversity of names featured, highlights the relevance of culture at this time, kick starting the ultimate focus of the exhibition, inspiration.

It takes a little while to suss out the layout and is worth making yourself familiar with this before wandering onwards to make the most of the show. Aside from the initial couple of rooms and final  room with a collage of catwalk videos, each cabinet features a selection of pieces from one of Dries' collections, contrasted with pieces by other designers (such as a Thierry Mulgar dress from 1978/79 in the middle of the gold/metallic room image below), paintings, film clips, graphic art and so on.

The juxtaposition of inspiration pieces next to Dries' collections is particularly fascinating, as you deconstruct the elements reflected in the clothing. Taking his Spring/Summer 09 collection as an example, he combined inspiration from 13th century art with contemporary optical art- enriched with sumptuous colour, crisp lines on the print and areas of curvature crafted within the piece itself.

Other themes featured in the exhibition include orientalism/ bollywood, high society, military, 'The Kiss' in Hollywood film and nature. Highlights include artwork by Damien Hirst and Francis Bacon in addition to film clips of 'The Man Who Fell to Earth' with David Bowie and 'A Clockwork Orange' by Stanley Kubrick; inspiration triggering his imagination throughout his life and career.

Although a little dark as I attempt to write notes (I could barely read my own writing afterwards), the curation forms a compelling show; leaving you feeling inspired and creatively energised from start to finish- a must see in Paris!

'Dries Van Noten: Inspirations' runs from March 1st- November 2nd 2014

Alice Luker
www.aliceluker.co.uk

Paris 1900: The City of Entertainment

The Petit Palais is a special venue. Not only for the striking architecture and works of art within the building; on this occasion, it's history and relationship to new exhibition, 'Paris 1900 The City of Entertainment'. The Petit Palais (and the Grand Palais opposite) was built for 'L'exposition Universelle' in 1900; a world fair celebrating the achievement within machinery, architecture and invention; anticipating a prosperous future at the dawn of the 20th century. During this celebration, 50 million visited from France, Europe and across the seas, witnessing highlights such as the Eiffel Tower and newly built Metro underground.

The exhibition at Petit Palais covers many components of this era; introduced by advertorial posters, illustrations of the plans and the very first paintings of L'exposition Universelle, further enriched throughout the exhibition with the most significant forms of fashion, theatre, nightlife, and art of the era. The diverse range of objects on display allow you to truly immerse yourself; from a room of painting, leading to a room of furniture then fashion, each 'pavillion' offering a perfectly curated insight of stimulating content.

Art Nouveau was the prominent visual movement of the early 1900s and is interesting to see how characteristics were filtered into each aspect of Parisian life. From the swirling, hyper naturalistic Metro signs to the poster advertorials reflecting Pre-Raphaelite art for L'exposition Universelle; the style is distinctive and unique.

You can truly sense the excitement of Paris depicted in paintings during this era; showcasing the new buildings complete with the hustle and bustle of the crowds bringing each scene to life. From a fashion perspective, its also fascinating observing the typical dress codes contrasted with new architecture and visuals of Art Nouveau (which can be seen in the paintings below), composing a rich illustration of life in the early 1900s.

Narrow corridors link each of the 6 'pavilions' within the exhibition, a mirror along one side and video footage by the Luminere brothers (credited to be the first filmmakers in history) along the other. The film takes place on the streets of Paris during L'exposition Universelle, capturing both the density of the crowd in addition to individuals within the crowd as they flock past. The energy and excitement of Paris is perfectly expressed in the footage, with an additional curiosity of the newly developed video camera.

This is a wonderful exhibition, covering a wide range of compelling works of art celebrating the birth of the 20th century. There is nothing more satisfying than a well curated, sizable exhibition; the equivalent of a well written epic novel brimming with inspiration and stimulating content. If you, like myself, fall in love with Paris every time you return, this exhibition is a must see.

Alice Luker
www.aliceluker.co.uk

'Wedding Dresses 1775-2014' exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum

On Friday 2nd of May I had the pleasure of attending the V&A members preview of 'Wedding Dresses 1775-2014' exhibition. After a major revamp in the fashion galleries, this is the 3rd exhibition hosted in the new mezzanine space, following a rather similarly stylised 'Ballgowns' exhibition and 80s club kid-tastic 'From Club to Catwalk'

Although the V&A is currently undergoing an epidemic of bookings from the much anticipated, recently announced exhibition 'Savage Beauty' featuring a retrospective of Alexander McQueen's designs, this is a rather beautiful exhibition of exquisite couture to stimulate your eager tastebuds before it arrives.

A feast for the eyes with both contemporary and vintage couture; a real 'history of art' style collection downstairs, with a more classical normcore-I really can't believe I just said that- outlook, whilst upstairs is brimming with both classical contemporary (see Alice Temperley 'jean dress') and aspirational, truly unique pieces such as Gareth Pugh's creation for fashion editor Kate Shillingdon and John Galliano's dip dyed dress for Gwen Stefani.

Talking of Normcore, queen of the norms Kate Middleton's wedding footage projected in a cosy corner was perhaps the most popular attraction of the exhibition, flocked with both nostalgic smiles of this generations most anticipated royal wedding complete with envious glares at Pippa Middleton's perfectly pert bottom.

The queen of Kates fashion-wise in this exhibition however was filled long before the royal wedding, with Kate Moss' John Galliano dress from her 2011 wedding to Jamie Hince on display. Taking a mind blowing 701 hours to embroider the dress and 253 to complete the veil, seeing the dress (most often referred to as understated..!) in all it's glory puts the beauty of couture into perspective.

With perhaps a more appropriate use of the word, the set design was perfectly understated, with minimalist illustrations on the glass and in the cabinets reflective of a contemporary wedding venue.  One of the highlights of the set were the mannequins; posed, styled and formed to reflect the character and aesthetic of the wearer. The finest example of this I believe to be the purple corseted Vivienne Westwood number for Dita Von Teese, with perfectly enhanced cleavage to accurately fit the corsetry splendour.

My personal favourite from the exhibition has to be the Christian Lacroix finale dress from his 1992/93 collection. The dark romantic concept of the black veil and spectacular gold intricacy on the collar and cuffs was an instant attraction for me. Probably one of the least wearable as a mere mortal wedding dress, this showpiece encapsulates couture wedding fantasy in its finest form, not to mention a spectacular piece of art.

Wedding Dresses 1775-2014' runs from the 3rd May 2014- 15th March 2015

Alice Luker
www.aliceluker.co.uk

Jean Paul Gaultier at The Barbican

I had the pleasure of visiting one of London's latest, most anticipated fashion exhibitions last week'; 'The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk' at the Barbican. Organised by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and having already caused quite a stir in a number of museums, the all embracing irresistable legacy of Monsieur Gaultier appears to be stronger now than ever.

Collaborating with countless icons within fashion and music, Gaultier has claimed some of the most exalted and memorable moments of the 21st century, the most celebrated of which being the infamous cone bra for Madonna. He provided a breath of fresh air in the fashion industry at an opportune moment- when pop stars were dominating contemporary culture as the new 'icons' of society and when supermodels were household names. Fashion photography and film were becoming more developed, accessible and creative by the day; with Gaultier's vision fully embracing this.

If there was ever a fashion exhibition expressing the very epitome of  'feast for the eyes', this would be it!

'The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk' runs until 25th August at the Barbican...AND has its own cocktail bar!

Alice Luker
www.aliceluker.co.uk

'The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2014' Exhibition at the V&A

I have a slightly unhealthy obsession with the V&A museum. Ever since I was commissioned to shoot an editorial there back in 2010 (involving not only models but cats and caviar!) I have felt quite a special connection, as though the V&A is my London refuge amidst the bustling streets I regularly prowl for meetings and shoots.

Sparked by my infactuation with the V&A and admiration for Italian fashion, I was delighted to be offered the opportunity to visit their press view of new exhibition 'The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2014', enriched with flawless craftsmanship and a perfect compilation of words, illustrations and interesting documents at the forefront of the italian fashion industry between 1945-2014.

As a self confessioned film fanatic, I wholly appreciated the film references, from Audrey Hepburn's dress in War and Peace to the glimmering emerald Bulgari jewellery gifted to Elizabeth Tailor by Richard Burton during their 'Cleopatra' days in the early 60s.

There were a couple of standout pieces for me (habitually influenced by editorial concepts I currently have on the go)- mainly leopard print, leather and strong tailoring. I also appreciated the selection of more contemporary pieces, including a pair of Prada shoes from 2012, inspired by 1950s motor cars and a S/S 2014 Mui Mui coat.

The 2012 Prada shoes and a tailored leather dress by Trussardi from 1963 is below.

The exhibition is in depth and prosperously laid out over a satisfying number of themed rooms. It seems they have taken note of their often crampt video alcoves, with the key projection towards the end with significantly more room, fit for a clear(ish!) view.

'The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2014' is well worth a visit and thoroughly inspiring..especially for a creative soul like myself. The gift shop you are directed through at the end is also notably tempting, with relevantly themed film posters, jewellery, accessories and books.

'The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2014' opens Saturday 5th April - 27th July 2014
The V&A is open daily from 10-17:45 and until 22:00 every Friday

Alice Luker
www.aliceluker.co.uk

Valentino: Master of Couture at Somerset House

My latest exhibition trip was to Valentino: Master of Couture. With a designer and subject matter of such prestige and talent, I had high expectations of the show, especially to be gracing the rooms of Somerset House- the hub of London Fashion Week.

Amidst the fumes of fabulously dressed older women fragranced by Chanel No. 5, I was reminded of my time spent in Milano, the birthplace of Valentino. There is an unquestionable air of Italian craftsmanship in all of his pieces; whether it may be a zebra print 60s creation or an elegant little black dress, Italian refinement -like no other- is a distinct quality affiliating every one of his pieces.

In addition to number of letters, a video of Valentino and a fascinating insight to the production of his creations, the 'catwalk' was undoubtedly the key component of this exhibition. Over 100 of his pieces lined the walls of the rather long and narrow space. It was displayed in a very literal manner, with a small booklet offered with the numbers of the pieces and physical description as you weave your way around the crowds.

I do however feel that based of the title of the show 'Master of Couture' it would have been even more insightful to have more details of the 'catwalk' section in the booklet- perhaps a little more on the wearer of the dress, a quote or two or an image on the mannequin. I really do appreciate something to take home and treasure for many years to come.

This show would be of interest to a diverse spectrum; unifying to witness one of the most successful and accomplished couturiers in existence.

Whether it may be inspiration or aspiration, the fashion industry is one which continues to seduce, assembled by a provenance of desirable opposites- both realistic and unrealistic, attainable and unattainable- proving that dreams and visions will enchant our creativity and imagination for many years to come.

www.aliceluker.co.uk

Is all that we see or seem, but a dream within a dream? -Edgar Allen Poe