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Yayoi Kusama (Tate Modern)
This week I visited the Yayoi Kusama exhibition at Tate Modern. As originally a fine artist, I have always been inspired by the works of female artists such as Frida Khalo and Louise Bourgeois. Kusama’s is a unique and seminal Japanese artist. Still working today in her late 80s, she has collaborated with artists such… →
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Boudicca
For some years Boudicca (aka Zowie Broach and Brian Kirby) have had a close relationship with London College of Fashion, contributing to conferences, projects and helping in the selection of students for catwalk shows. Well known nationally and internationally for the quality of their tailoring, use of fabrics and of technology – in particular film… →
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Better Lives: Expanding our Thinking
The thinking behind fashion as a discipline needs to extend and expand its influence, to counter the traditional stereotype of fashion as a light weight subject, not quite worthy of research and instead to clearly make the case and set the pace for developing areas of research that extend fashion’s influence – issues that will… →
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Beauty of Age: The Debate
In preparing for the Beauty of Age debate tonight, a number of themes have emerged that have really set me wondering as to where our contemporary emphasis on equating youth with beauty will lead. For example, growing interest in the ancient fairy tale, Snow White. Currently a number of films, ballets and television programmes are… →
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The Psychology of Consumption
Gaby Hinsliff writing in the Guardian (11 April 2012) challenges us to consider the “viability of the everyday habits to which we feel blithely entitled” and asks the question “when will the stigma now attached to rampant consumerism spread to the over consumption of natural resources?” My visit this week to Sheffield University’s Psychology Department… →
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Diana Vreeland
Looking at a series of quotes by Diana Vreeland, one of my favourites is where she celebrates vulgarity- “ Vulgarity is a very important ingredient in life. I’m a great believer in vulgarity- if it’s got life…..no taste is what I’m against.” I sometimes wonder if all the choice and instant access to garments and… →
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SUBLIME: Beyond Duty
Duty: that which one is bound by any obligation to do I have become increasingly interested in how certain actions become first acceptable to society and then, ultimately, something that you have to do. Following on from that, why do society and culture come to see certain behaviour or beliefs as acceptable when they are… →
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Carmen Dell'Orefice
I first met Carmen about four years ago when she came to the opening of David Downtown’s exhibition in the Fashion Space Gallery here at the College. It was hard not to be awestruck- a reaction I now recognise when people are first introduced to her. I knew the facts of her life and had… →
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The Wallace Collection
I have always been aware of the Wallace. Looking at reproductions of master paintings by Rembrandt, Velaquez, Reynolds, Gainsborough, Titan, Van Dyke or Rubens – to name but a few – I was intrigued that they were credited as being part of the Wallace Collection. When I first came across it, I hadn’t appreciated that… →
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Colin McDowell
Colin has been a great friend and colleague of myself and the College for many years. He is a seminal figure in fashion commentary and one of the giants of fashion journalism. He has been involved in the industry for 35 years, as designer, stylist, illustrator, editor, broadcaster and author, and has written expertly on… →