BREAKEVEN

Creating great photorealism portraits is great, but what is even more amazing is creations like these with a ballpoint pen.

Spanish artist Juan Francisco Casas creates 3 meter tall portraits of his friends in nights out, and crazy parties, making the end result as lively as possible (and sometimes even NSFW!).

The girls and guys pictured almost get out of the frame and speak to you. Most of his creations actually remind me of Terry Richardson’s classic pictures in his studio.

Image Source: Juan Francisco Casas

xo F

I have always been a fan of the Pop Art movement, and I don’t know many people that haven’t heard of, or admire the work of Andy Warhol with his colourful representations of Marilyn Monroe and modern celebrities. What I mostly enjoy about Pop Art is the vibrant colours that transfer you to a different place, a comic-book of sorts that makes you focus on the details of such vibrant imagery.

Oh, Jeff..I Love You, Too…But… 1964 

This is exactly what I was expecting from Lichtenstein’s Tate Modern exhibition but I discovered there was much more to it, especially since I had the chance to be part of the amazing pop imagery.

Drowning Girl (1963)

Apart from the most famous and prominent works of Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997), I also very much enjoyed following his transition, especially since this is the largest recollection of the artist’s work in over 20 years. To be honest, I would expect a bigger collection, but I understand why this wouldn’t be achievable, the works displayed were borrowed from galleries and private collectors from all over the world. 

Whaam! (1963)

The little descriptions on each room were short enough to read them all and give you insight, especially for his most famous works of art that were inspired by comic books of the 50s and 60s (like All-American Men and Girls’ Romances), advertising and mass culture imagery. In his earlier works, like Look Mickey and Whaam! he uses primary colours and Benday dots. Apart from transforming comic strips and advertisements he also altered famous works by Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse.

Look Mickey (1961) 

At the end of the exhibition I was found admiring his Chinese Landscapes, part of his latest works. The simplicity of Chinese art is prominent together with his emphasis on calligraphy. He still uses his trademark dots, but the combination of the serene landscapes and pale and muted palette leaves you calmer as figures and colours fade away.

Landscape with Scholar’s Rock (1997) 

An exhibition not to be missed!

____________________________________

Image source: http://www.londontown.com/, www.moma.org, www.artfund.org,www.wendistry.com, http://www.gagosian.com/

xo F

(This article was written for HerUni.com)

Friday night found me in the beautiful British Library staying still for a couple of hours while showing off an amazing wedding gown. Definitely not your typical Friday night. 

The Young Patrons event on the 1st of March was part of the Spring Festival of the British Library. It takes place to attract young entrepreneurs that want to be involved in the amazing work of the British Library, whether that means expanding their collection, or even developing learning programmes, exhibitions and in general improving facilities. The Library aims to encourage “creative practitioners”. 

Part of their current work is the restoration of Vogue issues from the 20s and 30s curated by Central Saint Martins Fashion History and Theory degree students. Also, Dolly Jones, Vogue.com UK editor gave a speech for the importance of the restoration and Vogue’s very own set-up of Archives. Camilla Morton was there too, as the writer of various fashion books, such as Diane Von Füstenberg and The Tale of the Empress’s New Clothes.

The wedding dress I was wearing was made from the talented Lucy Tammam and her team of Atelier Tammam especially for Friday’s event, as it was inspired from books from the British Library, and was silk and hand embroidered. What is very interesting though, is that all of Tammam’s clothes and wedding gowns are made from sustainable materials. Peace silk imported from India; it allows the silk moth to leave before collecting their cocoons, whereas traditional silk methods kill the moth. 

The wedding dress at the left is from Tammam’s new collection and is a best seller, the bow and cheeky back-skin showing are indeed very cute. The one on the right takes 4 months to be embroidered, and the embroidery is made from banana yarn (!). Peace silk is used here as well.

After standing around smiling to people showing off the beautiful work of the Atelier Tammam team, we had the chance to see a small fashion show from CSM students, took silly photo booth pictures, got ourselves drawn from talented CSM students and generally had a blast! I do have to say though, that the life of a model (even of an amateur one) is not easy. You cannot eat or drink while all the trays pass around you all night, but you can pose all you want and accept compliments! 

The show of CMS students

Me and me and my friend Elena, from the eyes of the CMS students

My friend Elena in an Atelier Tammam design

____________________

Atelier Tammam

5 Hastings Street, W1CH 9PZ, Tel: 020 7617 7512, Email: info@tammam.co.uk 

_____

For more details for the Young Patrons contact Kisskle Leonor

kisskley.leonor@bl.uk / 020 7412 7739 or http://support.bl.uk/Page/Young-Patrons

____________________

Image source: first picture from www.bufvc.ac.uk, the rest author’s own

xo F

An eclectic mix that seems to be inspired by geometry, androgynous forms, as well as delicate prints and dreamy pastel/neutral pallets, that bring to mind Stella McCartney, Balmain and Céline. These were my first thoughts when I came across Eugénie, the New Zealand brand yet to be released by Liz Wilson.

Liz Wilson was design assistant to Karen Walker and won the Fashion Quarterly/Tresemmé Young Designer of the Year in 2011.

Boxy coats and fitted trousers in mint and lilac, great pointy platform shoes

Silver toe caps, delicate paisley print and wide brim fedora

Camel coat, jersey knotted top and silk minty pants

I, personally am very curious discovering the full collection. Seems very interesting

To make sure you don’t miss it, sign up here for email updates.

xo F

Image source: Eugénie

Valentino Garavani’s “Master of Couture” exhibition at Somerset House is one of the most -if not the most- spectacular exhibition I have visited the three years I’ve been living in London.

The amazing designs, the exquisite craftsmanship, all revealed through the array of evening gowns, cocktail dresses, skirts and coats, marking Valentino’s genius as a couturier. The 137 sets of clothing from 1959 onwards mark the end of an era with Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri taking up the designing process for the House of Valentino. 

Dresses and gowns that have never been exhibited in the past as well as the spectacular wedding gown of Marie Chantal, when she married (our very own) Pavlos the Crown Prince of Greece in 1995, are part of the selection. 

Although photos were prohibited my friend Elena managed to sneak a few, as she is a fashion designer herself. 

S/S 1993 - White chiffon evening gown with budellini technique detailing

S/S 1959 - Red tulle evening dress with corsage detailing in the skirt using rose couture technique

S/S 2008 - White tulle evening gown with embroidery and organza volant detailing

S/S 2011/12 - Pale green Chantilly lace evening gown with pleated tulle detailing. Designed by Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri

S/S 2007 - White satin organza and tulle evening gown with embroidered and nervature technique detailing

S/S 2005 - Black tulle and lace dress with Swarovski crystals

S/S 1998 - White taffeta hand-painted evening gown

S/S 2007 - White chiffon bouclé ensemble with tulle embroidery detailing

A/W 2011/2012 - Nude tulle evening gown with appliqued velvet flowers. Designed by Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri

A/W 1997/98 - Emerald green feather, lace and satin evening gown with taffeta petticoats

S/S 1968 - White satin evening gown with hand-painted coral design

Last but definitely not least Marie Chantal’s wedding gown, which took twenty-five of Valentino’s seamstresses to make, featuring 12 kinds of lace and a four and a half metre train.

Apart from the amazing designs what is truly impressive is how timeless each design is. Almost every set of Valentino’s clothing from the 50s could be easily worn today, and it would look as good as new. 

Should’t be missed!

xo F

_________

Somerset House, London WC2R 1LA

Daily 10:00-18:00 till the 3rd of March

£12.50/£9

Almost six decades have passed since the creation of the black tweed jacket by Coco Chanel, and what could be better than a book of photographs curated by Karl Lagergeld and Carine Roitfeld?

Well, the Little Black Jacket exhibition at Saatchi Gallery, London that came all the way from Hong Kong. 

113 influential people, friends of the House of Chanel, nspirational for Lagerfeld himself, were photographed styling in their own personal way the iconic tweed jacket. 

Anna Wintour

Carine Roitfeld

Clémence Poésy

Hudson Kroenig and Theodora Richards

Read More

In an era where people are fascinated by vampires, werewolves and zombies it is sometimes good to remember the childhood stories we were all fond of, like Snow White or the Red Riding Hood.

These stories find special meaning in Fernanda Suarez’s illustrations. The beautiful, dark and edgy designs are full of mixed emotions. Usually she combines a negative and a positive aspect of one story, for example a beautiful girl that from the eyes up looks like an owl or a wolf.

Read More