Horst at the V&A

For me, September always brings with it a new sense motivation and excitement and I'm feeling a lot more inspired to document more of what I've been up to on this blog. 

Yesterday I went the new Horst exhibition at the V&A. Horst was a fashion photographer who started out in the 1930s and created beautiful images for the likes of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Some of these, such as the woman untying her corset, have become iconic images and are referenced repeatedly by in magazines, illustration and even Madonna's 'Vogue' video!

Horst often photographed models alongside statues and was interested in making his models' bodies look stark, clean and solid like marble. I particularly loved his colour images which he shot in the 1940s as colour became more widely used. The close-up images of images advertising lipstick are so striking with their bright reds and corals clashing against the model's clothing and I was surprised to discover that many of his photos were edited and retouched before going to print (although nothing like the extent to which they are today).

Also on display were some of the couture dresses worn by the models. There were Chanel, Lanvin and Schiaperelli's and -my favourite- the Vionnet which was amazing to see up close. And I loved seeing his Rolleiflex camera and film negatives.

In later life Horst veered away from fashion photography to explore new ideas like photographing plants and succulents in the New York Botanical Gardens and taking pictures of his travels in Persia. The exhibition itself it huge and there is so much to take in - I'm quite tempted to go back for a second look!

Although I couldn't take any photos inside the exhibition I've included a few pictures of the postcards I bought in the gift shop. 

I hope you all had a lovely summer and are looking forward to Autumn. I'll be attempting to update here a little more so stay tuned!

Xxxx

A Short History of Culottes

Culottes seem to be making a reappearance in the fashion world this year. I keep noticing them in street style blogs and in magazines (although not yet in the real world) and have convinced myself I need a pair of my own. Although in the past I've had a love-hate relationship with the trouser-skirt hybrid in the past, thanks to those heavy brown culottes I was forced to wear at Brownies when I was 7, the new breed of culotte is stylish, modern and above all - actually comfortable!

So, with culottes on the brain I thought I'd delve into fashion history to find out a little bit more about these trouser-skirt concoctions.

Originally belonging to menswear, culottes described the close fitting knee-breeches worn by the aristocracy in the 18^th century. The sketches above show two examples from the 1750s and 60s. At the time of the French Revolution, the revolutionaries were known as the ‘sans-culottes’ (literally meaning ‘no culottes’) as they rejected traditional dress alongside their rejection of monarchy and all it stood for.

Fast forward a few decades and we begin to see something resembles the modern-day culotte as we now know it. In 1931 tennis player Lili de Alvarez chose to wear one fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli's designs (above), causing quite a stir at Wimbledon! Culottes were comfortable and stylish, providing a new freedom for sportswomen who previously made do with long, restrictive skirts. It turns out culottes really were revolutionary!

Above is one of my favourite culotte-looks from the 1930s. A beautiful long skirt-style with a tailored shirt and beret to match. Of course, culottes were also considered the go-to outfit for a lady-like bike ride. Many vintage patterns show women sporting the modesty-preserving garments on bicycles and even motorbikes.

In the fifties and sixties and culotte hemlines begin to rise with the trouser legs becoming looser and wider, moving towards the more comfortable shapes of today. Although they still retained that sportswear vibe. I love the large pleats of these fifties patterns below.

With the 1970s the culottes moved ahead into more practical styling. Big pockets added a safari-style feel and they were often worn with a crisp white shirt to balance out the look. This Butterick dress pattern shows culottes worn in a Cowboy Western style - short, belted and ready for adventure.

1980s style culottes were unsurprisingly bigger and bolder than ever before. Here (below) is a heritage style take in a heavy tweed fabric. From here onwards, apart from a brief spell in the early noughties, culottes seem to have fallen of the fashion radar. Until now that is, where there are some lovely flowing silk versions in Whistles and Topshop. An acquired taste, culottes are most definitely the Marmite of the fashion world. But I think I've been converted.

And that's it for out whistle-stop tour of culotte history. Now begins the search for the perfect pair! I hope you enjoyed a more historical blog post - I love fashion history and am hoping to do more of these type of articles soon. I'll leave you with some 60s culotte-spiration. Have a lovely weekend! Xx

Charleston Festival: Part Two

Yesterday, (amid thunder, lightning and a lot of rain) I made the trek back to the festival to hear another talk. This time it was all about the 1950s. Rachel Cooke, the author of Her Brilliant Career spoke about what life was like for a woman in the midcentury. It was interesting to hear about the women she chose to investigate in her book, from architects to film directors, these women had fascinating lives. Writer Ben Watt also talked about his book 'Romany and Tom' which explores the lives of his parents, a musician and an actress, who struggled to live the lives they wanted in post-war London.

A lot of what I imagine of the fifties comes from the literature and plays I studied at university. I took a course called 'Angry Young Men and Women' which focused on the famous kitchen sink dramas such as 'Look Back in Anger' by John Osbourne and 'Saturday Night and Sunday Morning' by Alan Sillitoe. Reading these conjured up images of life in the 1950s as one of poverty, drudgery and a lot of laundry - not a fun time to be a woman. At the time these books and plays trod new ground as they shone a light on the working classes and the realities of everyday life post-war. 

However, this talk showed that for some women, the fifties offered up a life removed from the mundanity of household chores and one of independence and a rebellion from the norm. 

I enjoyed hearing about these differing experiences of the 1950s. Although I'm a bit too young to ever know what it was really like, my grandmother held down a full time job during the 1950s and it's great that these experiences are also being recognised and discussed.

I loved visiting Charleston this May. It's such a beautiful place wander around, soak up some culture and eat a lot of chocolate and almond cake (which was amazing!). Hopefully it will become a bit a of tradition.

Xx

The Charleston Festival 2014 Part 1

Charleston Farmhouse is one of my favourite places to go to in the summer. Not only is it historically the meeting place of the bohemian 'Bloomsbury set' which includes my heroes Virginia Woolf, E.M Forster and T.S. Eliot, it is also beautiful house with a garden that comes to life at this time of year.

2014 marks the 25th anniversary of the Charleston Festival and despite living nearby all my life I've never actually been to the book festival due to school and university exams every May (thanks, education!). So this year I was determined to get tickets. I managed to nab a pair for Ian McEwan in conversation with historian Asa Briggs and another for a talk on the book 'Her Brilliant Career' by author Rachel Cooke.

So, on Friday I went along to the first of these talks. Although I've only read two of Ian McEwan's novels: Atonement and On Chesil Beach I nonetheless consider myself a bit of fan (Atonement is up there as one of my all-time favourites) and made sure to get a signed copy of Sweet Tooth.

McEwan was in conversation with Asa Briggs who is still writing history books well into his nineties. The talk was a great Bloomsbury-style conversation which covered everything from science to psychology, history to politics. I really enjoyed listening to this type of intellectual chat, it was one of those talks where ideas flow from one thing to another a great speed and my brain often found it hard to keep up with it all. I love conversations that link seemingly disparate things together although I think that post-uni I may have lost my skills of concentration! And I never thought I'd say I miss seminars...

Below are some photos from visit number one... stay tuned for Part II and all things fifties!

Xx

Judith Kerr in Conversation

On Sunday I went to a talk at Somerset House which was part of the 'Pick Me Up' graphic art fair. The talk was so special because it was none other than Judith Kerr in conversation, the author and illustrator of wonderful children's books such as 'The Tiger Who Came To Tea' and 'Mog the Cat'. 

I have such admiration for Judith after watching a recent BBC programme about her. At age 90 she has had a long and exciting career and her childhood is particularly interesting. She escaped from Nazi Germany as a young girl to start a new life in England where she began a career in Textiles and  teaching. It was only after having children that she began to write and illustrate the stories that her son and daughter loved best. The rest as they say is history.

What I love so much about Judith's books is the sense of humour and imagination found in her illustrations. And hearing her talk there's no doubt that she has lost none of that sense of joy and passion for what she does. Judith is currently working on a new book 'The Crocodile Under the Bed' and was happy to show the audience a few of the proofs for the book. She also joked about the fact that she is mainly remembered for her first book 'The Tiger Who Came to Tea' which was first published in 1968, despite having written dozens of books since. It's a testament to her talent how well her books have stood the test of time and how well they are received by generations of kids.

I'm really glad I booked this talk and would really recommend to anyone to have a look at the Somerset House website as they are always holding small events of this kind as well as evening talks and screenings. I'm also am keen to get my hands on the recently published 'Creatures' which goes into detail about her life and career. If you're interested in seeing more of her childhood drawings then I'm sure it is well worth a look!

I hope you're having a lovely thursday! Xx

Great War Fashion

I'm excited to share with you a book I've really been enjoying over the last couple of weeks. I first saw it in Waterstones a few months ago and kept going back in to have a sneaky read, finally receiving for my birthday a few weeks ago. The book in question is 'Great War Fashion' by Lucy Adlington and it tells the story of fashion in the years 1914-18. What with it being the centenary of the First World War this year, this is a particularly timely read and gives a fascinating fashion perspective. The book covers everything from lingerie to sportswear, wedding dresses to mourning wear - no stone is left unturned! 

The book itself is a pretty hefty tome and contains some beautiful photos, many from the author's own collections. I love the fashion illustrations from the likes of Vogue which show the beautiful fashions of the day in a bright array of colours (often ignoring the realities of war!). Alongside these pictures there are letters and diary entries and other materials although it's written in a way that's really fun and lighthearted. I've learnt so many interesting facts through reading this which I've been spouting at anyone who'll listen!

Another thing to mention is that there is a real feminist narrative which sits alongside the story of the clothes these women wore. From the suffragettes who sewed weapons into their clothing to the restrictive corsets and long skirts worn even during sport, 'Great War Fashion' paints a picture of women who both enjoyed and resented the fashions of the time. Wartime life really shaped the way in which these women dressed. Photos of girls in factory dress and Land Army breeches show the physical freedom women were allowed through clothing as they took on traditionally masculine jobs. Sadly many had to give these jobs up as the war ended and settle back into domestic work. But for many things had changed irrevocably, leaded the way for the roaring 20s!

I've also been really into the BBC drama 'The Crimson Field' and this provides the perfect accompaniment to the series and makes me feel like a proper fashion geek as I now know all about the starchy white VAD uniforms! I'd really recommend having a flick through 'Great War Fashion' - it gives a whole new perspective to what I learnt in my school history lessons (if only schools taught fashion history!).

A little trip to the V&A

Last week I managed to while away some hours at my favourite museum, the V&A. It's the perfect place for killing time and soaking in a little culture. Although they had some paid exhibitions showing, I really enjoyed just wandering around the permanent galleries and finding a little inspiration. The fashion room is of course my favourite and shows the history of fashion in a semi circle, from the Marie Antoinette style frocks of the 18th century to Vivienne Westwood pieces from the 1980s. Here are some of the dresses on show. What are your favourite places to go for inspiration?

Artist Textiles

Last weekend I spent a lovely couple of hours taking in the Artists Textiles exhibition at the Fashion and Textiles Museum. Although the museum is pretty small I was surprised at just how much they managed to squeeze in to the space. Starting with the 1920s and 30s there's a collection of scarves, skirts and prints by the likes of Duncan Grant. 

As you move through each room you are greeted with an array of beautiful textiles, all arranged chronologically. I particularly liked the printed scarves above. Although not clearly visible in my iPhone snaps (new camera coming soon !), each print is cleverly constructed. It's only when you step forward to take a closer look that you notice all the intricate details that these artists have included: women with hats made of vegetables; couples playing tennis or the Surreal perspectives of Salvador Dali. How the curators managed to collect so many famous pieces by such incredible artists I'll never know!

The exhibition also includes some amazing clothes. Above are a collection of dresses by Horrockes from the 40s and 50s which are just lovely to look at - the colours make me so happy! And the dress below is Paris themed and has a beautiful 'Je t'aime' print all over it. I never knew that so many artists such as Andy Warhol and Picasso allowed their prints to be used in fashion collections. I tend to think of fashion collaborations as a very modern thing but and never realised that all these fantastic pieces existed emblazoned with graphic prints. It brings a whole new meaning to the idea wearing a work of art.

One of my favourite pieces is this gorgeous Zandra Rhodes dress complete with lips and lipsticks, and of course, an amazing 70's collar. I would happily wear this every day of the week.

There were so many amazing pieces, I just spent the whole time going "Wow this is amazing!" and would happily go back again to have another look. Also the Bermondsey areas surrounding the museum is pretty lovely place to wander around and walk along by the river.

Artist Textiles continues until May so there's still time to take in all these colourful patterns and prints.

Fashion and Gardens

Last week I ventured over to Lambeth to visit the Fashion & Gardens exhibition at The Garden Museum. 

I'd heard a little about this new exhibition via the Vogue website and I'm so glad I made the trek over there. The museum itself is a disused church and is right next to Lambeth Palace, across the river from Westminster. It's a beautiful building with a small garden outside and hundreds of dried flowers hanging down from the ceiling. There is a permanent exhibition about the history of gardening as well as a lovely cafe and shop but of course the real reason for going was the fashion!

Curated by Nicola Shulman (sister of Vogue editor Alexandra to you and I) the exhibition comprised of just one room but was beautifully done. As flowers and clothes so commonly go together it could have easily been quite a predictable collection but the whole project was done in such a fascinating way.

Beginning with pieces as early as the 1500s, there were tapestries, embroidered gloves and botanical illustrations, all showing the way gardening has influence clothes. The regimented layouts of 18th century gardens inspired intricate borders on sleeves and cuffs and the invention of the colour wheel and new dye colours such as indigo allowed for a whole new array of beautifully coloured fabrics.

The exhibition also covered the more recent trends for garden-inspired garments including outfits by Vivienne Westwood (coupled with some gorgeous shoes) and an other-worldy anemone shaped dress by Alexander McQueen. Below are some (very poor quality) phone snaps I managed to take on the day, but I'd really recommend heading over there yourself if you get the chance. There is also a limited book of the exhibition which is lovely accompaniment. 

Have a great weekend! Xx