FILEP MOTWARY

THE COLOR OF YOHJI

Yohji Yamamoto SS14 / Photography Filep Motwary ©

CHIARA FUMAI "With Love from $inister", at A PALAZZO GALLERY

Chiara Fumai "With Love from $inister" A PALAZZO GALLERY Opening Saturday, December 14th at 6 pm 15 December 2013 – 15 February 2014

After her participation to dOCUMENTA(13), Chiara Fumai -- winner of the Furla Prize 2013 -- opens her first solo show at A Palazzo Gallery that includes all the directions of her work: collage, photographies, video and performative installations will be on stage in the gallery spaces.

Critical text by Francesco Urbano Ragazzi

 

Hell is other people, of course. But we knew that already. Instead, it is harder to say exactly who are these elusive others that we speak about. Wouldn’t it be equally terrible to discover that they are our mask, or worst, our mirror?
On the occasion of her solo exhibition in the rooms of A Palazzo Gallery - With Love from $inister - Chiara Fumai presents an army of numerous others by which she has been possessed from 2007 to today during performances, monologues and invectives.

The infinite alter egos that occupy the rooms of the gallery, it is evident, are always the same person: the artist. None of her faces is missing. There is Zalumma Agra, the mute Circassian beauty who performed in silence at the Barnum Circus and who, at dOCUMENTA (13) found again the words of Carla Lonzi and Rivolta Femminile (Female Revolt); the medium Eusapia Palladino, an illiterate maid from Puglia whose sessions were attended by with conviction- amongst others - Cesare Lombroso, the Nobel prizes Marie and Pierre Curie, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia; and again the terrorist guide who explains with symbolic language the hidden messages contained in the paintings of the Venetian Fondazione Querini Stampalia (Furla Prize 2013). There is even space for two men, one of whom is an absolute new entry: the baron Julius Evola, dadaist, occultist, chauvinist and Italian philosopher whose ideology is disrupted in a series of new collages, and the illusionist Harry Houdini, having converted to anarchic socialism after his encounter with the ghost of Rosa Luxemburg which took place at the summer residence of the Fiorucci Art Trust.

The list is long. The spirits who invade A Palazzo Gallery could form a small revolutionary band. It is unfortunate that none of them wear the same uniform. One asks what keeps them together, apart from a shared passion for the clothes of Ksenia Schnaider.
If there was an attempt to give an apocryphal answer, one that was not approved by the artist, it could be searched in the direction of, perhaps, the most secular of meanings that the word $inister holds. In addition to evoking the idea of the sinister in its dual form- where the left-handed throw has devilish connotations- the term is synonymous with a bastard birth. The baton sinister is in fact a heraldic sign that decorates some family crests. An oblique line that, according to historians, indicates that branch of the descendants as originating from an illegitimate offspring: the occult branch, or rather, the obscured.
The same obliqueness, the same bastard nature joins all the characters reunited in the exhibition: children who were not desired, unclassifiable and maybe even embarrassing. Luminous singularities of the history of humanity that break the line of descent of the fathers and their children like lightning in a clear sky.
Even if speaking of the lesser children, we are not in front of losers. The circus phenomena and the mediums of Chiara Fumai have lived- and still live through she who adopted them- phantasmagorical lives: lives that, let us say it clearly, many of us dream of. They are all existences that are protagonists of a flaming ransom, possibly thanks to the surrealist power that they have to steer their own destiny through scams, spells and miracles, without perceiving any differences. Their drama is not defeat then: it is something else.
Since these are unique heroes, eccentric subjects who escaped from history before even having entered it, they cannot present themselves neither as tragedy the first time, nor as farce the second: they have no possibility of having their stories told and they are forced to make a virtue of necessity, staggering always between the comical and the tragic. It must be due to this that in front of the exhibited works we are not sure whether we should laugh, cry or be scared to death, as if in front of a new feeling and therefore a new genre.
We mentioned earlier, none of the artist’s faces is missing. Not one is missing and yet all are absent, including the body of the performer, which embodies all these identities with huge effort. But in this exhibition there is something more precious than the purity of being here. Each exhibited work equals a small key that reveals the tricks and sources that Chiara Fumai loves utilising. Her presence is hidden, that is true, but this is in order to reveal the other side of her practice: the landscape behind the star. Let’s take the collages, for example, that are preparatory sketches for a number of performances; or the gimmick, the circus performer’s apparatus that in this case are clearly visible in front of our eyes as well as the costumes and the set-designs.
Enjoy this slice of truth that Chiara Fumai offers on herself and her career for as long as you can. While crossing the rooms of the gallery it is possible that you could soon encounter the skin of the artist enclosed in a case, abandoned like the skin of a snake that has already shed. It will be in that moment that you will realise that you are now alone in the room. The others are not there.

 

THE DRIES VAN NOTEN WOMAN

 
At Dries Van Noten SS14 / Photography Filep Motwary ©

SOMBRERO

Backstage at ETRO Homme SS14. Photos Filep Motwary ©

 

COMEFORBREAKFAST F/W13/14

"It is a story of a walk through the streets of the cities that we visited and lived in recent years".

So started the collection for the next fall-winter 2013-14 that becomes a way to perform the urban culture, with its sounds,colours, art, traditions and suggestions. Its vibrating landscape made of faces, places, atmospheres.

The creative duo gave their personal view on all that world, summarizing it in shapes, textures, graphics, balancing research and streetwear solutions, translating it in a modern and complete wardrobe build up assembling different pieces, also in a declared contrast. As always, in CFB experience and according to a clear aesthetic philosophy, the design project develops both feminine and masculine silhouettes through the formula of unisex cuts and lines, constructing and layering.

This work of superimposing levels and elements like fits, volumes and lengths, suggests a styling code poised between classic and cutting-edge, and pushes the boundaries of a wardrobe that becomes extremely dynamic and versatile: oversize parkas or bombers in woolen cloth with netted pockets and details in leather or in technological fabrics. Baggy trousers alternated with printed jeans or bermuda shorts. Suits, single and double breasted, that try to re-define a formal attitude but with a contemporary touch given by fabrics like the techno ones and the denim washed with enzymes.

Printed shirts in poplin with a strong appeal. Sleeveless maxi jackets and waistcoats with hoods, in leather treated with chemical acids. Sweaters and all the knitwear is extremely decorative, thanks to the jacquard technique. The feminine look is also made up of overlays and multi-layers, with capes and tailored trench coats over fluent and airy long dresses in silk with chiffon inserts.

The graphics, a sort of stylistic code and a characteristic since the beginning, spread all-over motifs, decomposing and re-composing burnt textures in digital and three-dimensional prints, giving a recognizable twist for a modern and coherent total look designed by COMEFORBREAKFAST

ph : Dario Salamone stylist : Francesco Casarotto male model : Tomek ,Elite Model Look/Milano female model : Iuliia Danko,Next Management/Milano

MoMU presents: HISTORICAL COSTUME 3 Dec -12 Jan 2014 Royal Academy of Antwerp, Fashion Department, 2nd bachelor degree

During the exhibition Happy Birthday Dear Academie, the MoMu gallery hosts different small exhibitions relating to the curriculum of the fashion department of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp.

The class of 2012-2013 will be shown in 4 exhibitions: 1BA (Attitude to a Shape), 2BA (Historical costumes), 3BA (Ethnic costumes) and the MA collections (MoMu Award). The development of these creations during the academic year of 2012-2013 can also be seen in the ‘Teaching Fashion’ film in the HBDA exhibition itself.

From the rich history of dress, each second year student has to choose a historical figure with a costume typical for the period. He/she has to do thorough research, including the political, cultural and social structures of the time, as well as a detailed study of the fabrics, materials, patterns and forms characteristic of the age. The students then spend the first two months recreating the costume down to the smallest details, including underwear, accessories, coiffure and make-up. Fabrics and colours will have to be reinterpreted.

The result is a contemporary improvisation using “calicot” cotton as a basic fabric and colour, and using the original document as a reference for recreating volumes, structures, decoration and colours.

This time-consuming assignment prepares the student for the work he/she will have to do during the next two terms, in which the emphasis lies in the creation of an ‘avant-garde’ fashion collection of five silhouettes. This consists of drawing and making complete outfits and selecting colours and materials, inspired by the research carried out in the first term.

Pictures: Etienne Tordoir

MoMu

FILEP's ARCHIVE: AT JEAN PAUL LESPAGNARD FW13/14

Normally, I take a lot of pictures during the Fashion Weeks. Some are sent to the designers, some make it on my blog and so on. Every now and them, I open my archive, a number of external hardrives that keeps growing and growing. It is a fact that there is always something to discover there, images that were never given the chance or were not chosen to be revealed, of course due to  a fast decision.

Today I decided to post some of the photographs I did at the Jean Paul Lespagnard defile for the winter of 2013/14....

 
All photos by Filep Motwary ©

INTERVIEW: MOULIN ROUGE legend BRIGITTE DUPAS poses for FRANCK GLENISSON and reveals her life story to FILEP MOTWARY

Dear readers, allow me to introduce Madame Brigitte Dupas, the legendary dancer of the Moulin Rouge. In the following conversation, Dupas unveils her past and present, the acquantances and life teaching experiences, her journey through freedom and wisdom.

Photographer Franck Glenisson embraces the beauty of an unforgetable woman, a lady who devoted her life to the art of dancing.

FilepMotwary: I am thankful for this great opportunity Franck has offered me to meet someone whose talent and thirst for life go hand in hand..Brigitte, you were born an artist. Yet, I want to focus on arts in general and the fact that you are French.Why do French appreciate arts so much?

BrigitteDupas: Thank you, I did exactly same thing! I thanked Franck for connecting us!

As far as the French are concerned on Art, I can only answer for myself.  I don't think that French people are the only ones to appreciate art in such great extent. We are lucky in Europe to be free and let any one to express himself. We have an enormously rich past in any way, despite all the wars in between the years.

I think that art questions us, even if sometimes we deny it, we discover another way to live life through it. Sometimes art makes us dream of a better world, bringing us back bits of positive nostalgia, memories of good moments. How could we possibly live without artists?

Filep: Indeed! How was your childhood like? What were your biggest obsessions as a young girl in the North of France where you were born?

Brigitte: My childhood was "a pain in the head". It’s only people who had a teacher mother will understand what I am talking about! My childhood was about schoolwork only. Back in the mid-1950’s, there was no space for fun, no playing and I was obsessed in pleasing her as I was scared at the same time of losing her.. She was a hard woman, never showing her tenderness even if she loved us. She had a heavy education and following a family tradition. My father was nice, always organizing nice birthdays and Christmas festivities at home.

Filep: Brigitte, at what age it was that you realized you were born with something different than what you family background offered to you and how did you breakthrough?

Brigitte: Quite soon, I became the "Mouton à 5 pattes" (THE SHEEP HAS FIVE LEGS) as I did nothing like the others!! My wishes had the eternal same answer from my mom: " First comes school and your exams”. And I waited the years to pass to reach 18 and freed myself.

It has been awfully long and difficult to break through! When my father died after years of suffering, my mother obliged me to become a teacher like herself. At the time, she could not provide me with any further studies as she still had my younger brother to educate. Of course the whole situation didn't not permit anything culpability to leave her as an option..

Filep: And then you find yourself in Paris, following your dream…

Brigitte: Yes finally in Paris! Before leaving my family, with no job in the pocket I paid an internship to learn secretarial studies. Besides teaching, I knew nothing except little jobs that I was doing on weekends to save some money for my coming in Paris.

At the time, on my day-offs, I would go to Paris in search for a place to sleep. Even back then, the City Of Light was expensive and to find a place proved to be a difficult task. Plus I did not know anyone and I was still jobless.

Finally, even late, I was able to breath again and ready to go through my own choice of adventure without complaining or asking help from anyone, even from my family. It was on that moment I knew I would not go back to the North, whatever would happen. I was FREE!

Filep: What were the difficulties you came across?

Brigitte: It has been terrible, as my little money savings was swallowed very quickly. The salary from my job in the National Education was "peanuts". So I started taking dancing classes even if they were so expensive, it was something that made me happy.

The rest of the time, I would wake in the morning and check paper ads for something extra. I remember the struggle of waiting for hours to get a vacant phone cabin free and make the call job application for an appointment. I was always nicely dressed, wearing my make-up and heels on the metro. It was the job-searching-waltz, that’s what I call it!

And absolutely, no one wanted me except this position I found as a hostess in nightclub in Pigalle! I was even refused to work in factories due to my lack of experience while teaching brought be as well nothing in my pocket. I would work here and there for a month and then back to basis again. Days would go by finding me answering newspaper ads.. Though it didn’t get me anywhere.

There were moments when it was payday and my boss would keep my money to pay his doctor bill, electricity or phone. From there I moved into hosting: I was welcoming the customers, answering the phone in any language you can imagine or typing letters for the boss. Then came a job at the known Hotel-chain Intercontinental, where I had a hysterical woman on my back the whole time. Things became uncomfortable so I decided to let it go.

It was the time when I discovered SEX. My naivety was in full blossom, thinking love was the same thing as sex. The best lesson I’ve learned! Men were only interested to show me around as their private dancer. Of course I played the game cause I enjoyed it.  For the next three years I was “falling in love”, going to dancing classes full of hope. “NO’s” at castings became a normality but I would never stop trying.

You see, there were so many dancers at the time, all of us wanting the same thing: to become stars!

 

Filep: How was Paris at the time, as a city for a young woman like you?

Brigitte: Absolutely F A N T A S T I C! So many temptations to come across and above all, men! Like every other girl of my age, I was dreaming of an easy life, living in a nice comfortable place, making love the whole day, going to exhibitions, concerts, eating the best of cuisine.

And dancing! I wanted to be on stage, feeling and expressing love and desire through my dancing.

I loved the beauty of Paris. My class was early in the morning. Then at lunchtime, I would take the metro to another class and right after that I was off to work. The metro was a timewaster so I got my first bike, an old, second-hand Vespa I found in the North. Again, it was a feeling of freedom but on the other side…Paris was cold to drive around in the winter…

Filep: Did it take you a long time before you signed your first contract? Would you like to share this story with me?

Brigitte: Three whole years! Stupid I was, I should have lied and not say that I had never been on stage for dancing. My honesty killed me.

So they were scared to send me in big show as you can imagine. New to all this and alone, I had to learn the whole show with one dancer as they never rehearsed with the whole group of dancers! At that time, something new happened to me: I found out I was pregnant!!

Back then, it was forbidden to get an abortion in France and there was definitely no way I would tell my mom or anyone else.

I needed quite a lot of money. I went to London, found a cheap room only to realize that it was a brothel. When I found someone else’s blood on the sheets, disgusted I stormed out in search for something better in the middle of the night. Somewhere in the suburbs of London, I met a doctor who agreed to operate me but he made clear that the minute the operation was done I would have to leave, as he didn’t want to have any problems with authorities or anything of that sort…

When he was done, he woke me up, I begged him to let me rest one hour before daylight but he refused. Alone, I took the metro back. It was a true moment of weakness and loneliness. There I was, in a big city where again nobody knew me. I had no tenderness from anyone, even my boyfriend who discharged himself from any responsibility whatsoever. Alone.

Dancing is about strong will, so I picked up my pieces and continued with my life immediately. Unfortunately I didn’t have the chance to have children again.

Filep: So, from Paris to Madrid.. How was that experience?

Brigitte: In Madrid I was at Florida Park, a luxurious place literally in a park where all the stars were going. For the story’s sake, Julio Iglésias came once, all the girls were so happy, we all wanted him, looking for a smile, our eyes to cross, a kiss and of course all the rest on the menu. I had never before experienced such admiration, for a man, worshipped by women so badly.

Rich Spanish ladies would throw their most expensive watches and diamond necklaces to him. It was hysterical! Such a charming seducer his was. At the end, he kissed all of us and it was the topic of our chats for the weeks to come. Naturally, when the show was over, then came reality, which seemed, much more special than before.

Any woman that worked in the night was treated like a prostitute which caused a lot of pain, you know… A lot of suffering for one’s ego.

I even received eggs on my face and from that moment on I decided to always take a taxi.

During that time, I was sharing a small flat with an English dancer named Louise who had the particularity to seduce the boyfriends of others only to do nothing after, seducing only for the fun of it!

In that place it was just impossible to sleep. There was so much noise with " the death of the bulls”. At that time, there was a "cerrador" (porter) who kept the keys of the building. One night, a bunch of stupid guys were screaming, willing to come inside. Very upset, I asked them to stop, otherwise, I would throw water at them!

They paid no attention, and continued in frenzy. So, there went the water!!

Sometime later, I heard lovely men voices outside my window. I stick my head out and there they were, five good-looking musicians all-charming, dressed in nice typical suits of the previous century. I threw them coins and they said that it wasn’t money they were after but a drink! Louise opened the door.

We got along easily, even if Louise did not speak a word of Spanish. I said to them, “Sorry, but we have nothing to offer to you, except water!” only to get an answer that I will never forget: ”Oh, thank you, watered us already!!!

A big moment of solitude...Five strong men, two young girls and Louise who didn’t know what the hell was going on. In my bad Spanish, I apologized. OUF !

After that, the same company sent me to Portugal, with the condition that I’d be the driver for all the other dancers since I was the only one with a driving license. I wasn’t paid extra for that so my boss didn’t have to hire a driver.

The road-trip began, from one place to the other. I fell in love with a good-looking Portuguese who could speak French and English beautifully.

Back to my life story as whole, I can say now that I was never loved for being me, Brigitte. I was only desired for pleasure. There was a lack of confidence in me… by myself.

Filep: How was Japan finally?

Brigitte: It was terrible! That was around 1974.

I hated Japan, I was so miserable. Bad hotel with one bathroom for two rooms. I found it impossible being with the other girls 27/7. Food was bad too as well as expensive. We were not allowed to have any contact with me and I ended up hitting my head on the wall every day because the ceiling was too low. Can you imagine?

The direction took our passports, so there was no way of escape. It was a difficult experience as difficult it was when the show was finished and we were travelling for a new cabaret, far away. I was constantly thinking it would be for three long months and forced myself to be patient but when suddenly they announced that we had to work for our papers and stay another three months I nearly died.

South Korea has been a respiration as Korean people were nice, more human. Superb casinos with several shows from different companies…It was there that I experienced being watched by a woman client, instead of a man, putting my stockings on.

Though I was never attracted by the same sex, I felt for them, poor women. The men were preparing for war with North Korea.

There were only three shows per day as light was not allowed after 20:00 because of the fear for war. When I went back home, I was five kg less and decided to stop touring for a while. I took a third-class train ticket and was the only woman along with workers returning home to their families. I deserted my lover even if the passion for him was the same.

It was the beginning of revolution and the dictator was refusing to die. After my visit, I was asked to work at the Riviera. Again started going to auditions with other companies, passed from castings and ended dancing in the nicest casino in Cannes, the San Remo and Monte Carlo. When I arrived at the Ruhl casino to sign my contract, the manager who was the lover of the star of the revue, turned the key inside his office door and forced me to follow him. I lied on the fact of having a boyfriend only not to offend him.

He became furious, treating he would fire me and thankfully, an American guy who was rehearsing heard the screams and knocked on the locked door. As he couldn’t enter he told the manager that if he didn’t leave me alone he would tell everything to his mistress and I was finally released!

From there, the Moulin Rouge came to Monte Carlo and I passed from another audition!

Monaco in the winter was terrible with only one empty discotheque! One of my contracts came to an end and I asked the choreographer to send me to the Moulin Rouge in Paris. She refused proposing me a new contract in Monte Carlo. I couldn’t stay any longer and 15 days later she called me back saying it was finally OK for Paris.  In fact she faked it only because she wanted me to stay with her and not knowing how to keep me, she decided that my hips were too small and that I had to go through an operation to be like Jane Mansfield. Such a crazy story. Of course I refused.

The late 70’s was about true glamour. So much of that in those days! The real thing you know? I remember once in Monte Carlo we were two girls, chosen for a dancing fashion show on a catwalk above a swimming pool presenting Jewels from " FRED"  of Place Vendôme. We were announced by the lovely and iconic, beautiful Princess Grace Kelly!  Each girl had two bodyguards in case we would lose an earring.

Such a wonderful, fabulous night to remember in the fabulous discotheque with an open roof under the stars, the real ones this time..

I did other shows in the biggest known cabarets with the same love and pride but a terrible accident left me lying in bed for a whole year with my back completely fucked up.

I swallowed my tears, suffering and loneliness and succeeded to dance again. Everything but the French cancan, which I loved so much.

Today I still dance in movies and for my own pleasure. In resume, and I think it s true for all artists, this need to be loved by the whole world.

Filep: Certainly there were glorious moments in your career as a performer. How did you handle glory itself? What did you gain from it?

Brigitte: I just loved it incredibly much and I lived those moments fully and intensively

There are moments that one feels to deserve the love you get back from the public; and when flowers and invitations arrive in your dressing room, addressed only for you, you recognised the desire surrounding you. It was a dream come true for me and I am grateful to those who loved me. To the whole world!

Filep: Is there a certain smell that you always remember? Smell is linked to strong memory..?

Brigitte:So true! I love the perfume of powder in the dressing room. I thought I would never smell it again until I came across some perfumed candles from Guerlain. My favorite “dressing room”, the most intimate place in the world, where I would place all the range of make-up by Dior in front of me and prepare for my performance.

But it is not only smells I favourite. It’s the sensuality of emotion that always interested me when I was getting ready, the procedure…you know? Or when I was running up the stairs, peeking behind the velvet curtains to see the audience waiting for me to go out and spread my magic!                              

Those memories are a melting pot of smells, faces, music, noise, moments, emotions, stories… All together and never separated.

Filep: What is your relation to your body today?

Brigitte: I am still too hard, and too demanding to it and sometimes it pays me back with suffering. I am truly grateful to what my body has helped me to achieve. There is some sort of rituals I follow to keep the same weight all these years, which becomes more and more difficult as time passes and since I love too much to cook and bake cakes and chocolates. And I love wine, champagne…

Recently I went to a movie audition for " Etienne Chatillez". They were looking for any age of professional dancers and we would be casted by the best choreographer Molly Molly in three weeks time. So many people applied, from the whole world and it was nice to see some familiar faces and meet new ones.

But, some of the dancers that were incredible back in the day have now gained weight and I almost didn’t recognize some of them. You need to love your body if you want it to love you back and that’s why I always do my best to keep fit and full of energy.

Filep: What are your regrets? And what has this life taught you?

Brigitte:  Despite the many sacrifices, I have NO REGRETS at all!!

Photography and Make Up by Franck Glenisson©. Extra photos from the personal archive of Madame Brigitte Dupas.

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A Queen Within - Adorned Archetypes, Fashion and Chess is now open at the World Chess Hall of Fame Museum until 18th of April 2014.

The exhibition explores nine archetypes of a queen - The Sage, Mother Figure, Magician, Enchantress, Explorer, Ruler, Mother Earth, Heroine and Thespian. Here, the queen can also be seen as a metaphor for a woman.

  

 A Queen Within further investigates how storytelling and symbols capture the imagination of innovative fashion designers.

Objects from the following designers and artists are exhibited:

Alexander McQueen (UK), Anne Deniau (FR), Anrealage (JP), Bea Szenfeld (SE), Chan Luu (US), Charlie Le Mindu (FR), Gianfranco Ferre (IT), Gucci (IT), Hideki Seo (JP), Henrik Vibskov (DK), Hussein Chalayan (UK), Iris Schieferstein (DE), Iris Van Herpen (NL), Jean Paul Gaultier (FR), Jordan Askill (AU), Josefin Arnell (SE), Keta Gutmane (LV), Koji Arai (JP), Maiko Takeda (JP), Maison Martin Margiela (FR), Michael Drummond (US), Minju Kim (KR), Noritaka Tatehana (JP), Octavia Xiaozi Yang (CN), Pam Hogg (UK), Rein Vollenga (NL), Rejina Pyo (KR), Ryohei Kawanishi (JP), Sandra Backlund (SE), Serena Gili (FR), Shaun Leane and Daphne Guinness (UK), Tabitha Osler (CA), Viktor & Rolf (NL) and Writtenafterwards (JP).

 

The designers range from established names to students still working in some of the most prestigious design schools in the world such as Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Central Saint Martins and Royal College of Arts in London In addition, the master of coiffure Charlie Le Mindu has created bespoke head pieces for the exhibition.

 

Highlights of the exhibition include an Alexander McQueen cocktail dress emblazoned with an image of muse and provocateur Isabella Blow, Maison Martin Margiela’s unforgettable Glove vest from the SS 2001 Artisanal collection, Shaun Leane and Daphne Guinness’ diamond glove, Iris van Herpen’s Snake dress from her Capriole Haute Couture collection, Hussein Chalayan’s iconic Bubble dress from SS 2007, and Viktor & Rolf’s celebrated coral cut tulle ball gown from the Cutting Edge Couture Collection, SS 2010.

The museum are right now investigating the opportunities to show the exhibition in China, London and Moscow as there is a resilient wish to tour it afterwards.

The exhibition is curated and designed by Sofia Hedman, Serge Martynov, Orlando Campbell and Karolina Kling.

For more information CLICK HERE

Download AQW Overview Nov

FOR THE SUMMER TO COME / MADAME magazine

Uber stylist, Hanni Pontani, Fashion Director for MADAME magazine, is visiting Cyprus for a series of fashion stories, photographed by Mara Desypris.

My morning started early, visiting Governor's Beach in Limassol to meet the dream team, along with assistant stylist Make-Up (of Shiseido) and Hair stylist Manos Vinychakis, Assistast photographer Yiorgos Markozanis, Assistant Stylist Berit Stalter and gorgeous model Annika Marie Liek.

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EXHIBITION: PATTERNS OF MAGNIFICENCE: PELOPONNESIAN FOLKLORE FOUNDATION “V. PAPANTONIOU” presents TRADITION AND REINVENTION IN GREEK WOMEN’S COSTUME

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The exhibition, “Patterns of Magnificence: Tradition and Reinvention in Greek Women’s Costume”, which will be hosted by the Hellenic Centre (London) in February 2014, will bring thirty two of the most splendid examples to London for the first time. They include the richly embroidered costume from Astypalaia in the Dodecanese, the astonishing assembly of fabrics, colours and jewellery from Stefanoviki in Thessaly and the superbly brocaded dress from Jannina in Epirus.

The exhibition will also illustrate the interplay of native tradition and western aesthetic by displaying the court dress of the first Queen of the independent Greek state, Amalia of Oldenburg and that of her successor at the end of the nineteenth century, Queen Olga, the Russian-born consort of King George I. These splendid costumes represent a synthesis that is emblematic of nineteenth century nation building.

During the period of the exhibition the Hellenic Centre will arrange guided tours and hold lectures on costume, textiles, the reception of the indigenous tradition and the history and culture of Greece after independence.

All but two of the costumes come from the superb collection of the Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation in Nafplio. The other two are being lent by The Benaki Museum of Athens. The curator of the exhibition is the Foundation’s director and renowned expert, Ioanna Papandoniou. The designer is Stamatis Zannos.

A fully illustrated catalogue with 10 essays by specialists in the field alongside catalogue entries and images for each costume will be available. For a full programme of these and all events related to the exhibition please go to www.patternsofmagnificence.org

Exhibition Dates: February 4th – March 2nd Hellenic Centre 16-18 Paddington Street London W1U 5AS www.helleniccentre.org 020 7487 5060

Veruschka by AVEDON for JUN ROPE

POLA THOMSON SS14

  
For the first time, Pola Thomson revisits her obsessions with America, the 60′s and the 90′s, Hollywood and pop culture. Inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow, Jackie Kennedy, the star system, migratory flamingos, The Griffith Observatory in L.A and The Alma Observatory in Chile the collection is rooted in a delicate but powerful palette. Silk, satin, cotton and metallic foil offer a contrast between shiny and matte textures. The signature shapes and styles of Pola Thomson are rendered with a new intensity this season

Photographer: MARIA KARAS
Stylist: ANGELA ESTEBAN LIBRERO
Make-Up: TALY WAISBERG
Hair: GONN KINOSHITA
Model: LAUREN @Q MANAGEMENT
Shoes: PEDRO GARCIA
Sunglasses: THREE MONKEYS EYEWEAR

THEIR FUR, THEIR POWER

Ph. Filep Motwary ©