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Cindy Sherman Takes Disguise to ExtremesFeb 26 – Jun 11
You’ve seen her disguised as a boozy vamp, a lifeless corpse, a tormented divorcee, a creepy clown, a well-manner socialite, as well as many a male and female character that’s at times mockery and humorous and at times grotesque and disturbing. The only character she rarely portrays, it seems, is herself – Cindy Sherman.
Cindy Sherman: Untitled #468. 2008
Cindy Sherman: Untitled Film Still #34. 1979
About Cindy Sherman
Sherman, 58, best known for styling and photographing herself as odd characters, is at the top of her career. Her “Untitled #96″ was sold for a whopping US$3.9 million at Christie’s last year, the second most expensive photograph ever sold in history at the time of this writing.
Cindy Sherman: Untitled #96. 1981
Cindy Sherman: Untitled #228. 1990
Cindy Sherman: Untitled #264. 1992
Since the ’70s, Sherman has been morphing into hordes of identities, many of which mock the notion of societal norms and idealized beauty. Taking disguise to extremes, Sherman transforms into many faces with the help of costumes and cosmetics, and poses and prosthetics. In a society where advice like “just be yourself” deems sage, the avant-garde artist/photographer does the complete opposite – and thrives.
Cindy Sherman: Untitled #183. 1988
Cindy Sherman: Untitled #205. 1989
Cindy Sherman Exhibition at MOMA
The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York is hosting a retrospective entitled Cindy Sherman, tracing the photographer’s career from the mid-’70s to the present. Among the 170 photographs on display – most of them portray the artist in an inexhaustible variety of disguises – highlights include:
- Black-and-white pictures from her “Untitled Film Stills” series. From cute to crazy and shy to seductive, Sherman poses as movie characters of films in the ’50s and ’60s.
- History portraits that characterize Sherman as aristocrats from Old Master paintings. This series sports plenty of prosthetic breasts.
- Head shots of Sherman impersonating affluent socialites in disgruntled physical decline.
A book of the same title, Cindy Sherman, has been published to accompany the exhibition.
Featured Photo: Cindy Sherman © Untitled #150. 1985
Cindy Sherman Takes Disguise to Extremes -
Christian Louboutin x Crazy Horse Paris: Naked Showgirls in LoubsMar 5 – May 31
They’re featured in the Design Museum. They’re basked in the Sex and the City. Now, they’re dominating the stage of an iconic Parisian cabaret that’s collaborated with the likes of Roberto Cavalli, Kylie Minogue, and Miuccia Prada.
Shoe maestro Christian Louboutin has always been quick to credit glamorous showgirls as his source of inspirations. Crazy Horse Paris, hailed as “the most avant-garde cabaret in Paris,” has, of course, taken notice.
Buy: Christian Louboutin "Highness 160"
Early this year, Crazy Horse Paris announced that it’d invited Louboutin as the cabaret’s first-ever guest creator: the luxury shoemaker was tasked to design sexy heels and direct four original tableaux for a show called Feu, which means fire in French. As part of the collaboration, Louboutin worked with an eclectic team of renowned artists, including David Lynch and Swizz Beatz, who both composed original music for Feu.
“Christian Louboutin and Crazy Horse Paris are symbols of Parisian life whose worlds know no borders; symbols of the world of creativity, wonder and modernity,” said Andrée Deissenberg, the cabaret’s managing director. “They share the same sources of inspiration – women, of course, but also the world around them – and both are exceptionally skilled at producing unique and surprising creations.”
Christian Louboutin x Crazy Horse Paris | Photo by Dominique Charriau/WireImage
Christian Louboutin x Crazy Horse Paris
Buy: Christian Louboutin "Asteroid"
The show has kicked off on March 5. If you’re in Paris or planning to visit Paris, catch it before it draws to a close in the end of this month on May 31. Naked women in Loubs. Need we say more?
Christian Louboutin x Crazy Horse Paris
Christian Louboutin x Crazy Horse Paris
Buy: Christian Louboutin "Fifi Strass"
Christian Louboutin x Crazy Horse Paris: Naked Showgirls in Loubs -
“Louis Vuitton Marc Jacobs” - Analysis Rather Than RetrospectiveMar 9 – Sep 16
The highly anticipated Louis Vuitton Marc Jacobs exhibition will be on view at Les Arts Décoratifs in Paris from March 9 through Sept. 16. The exhibition, which will be an analysis rather than a retrospective according to the museum (Les Arts Décoratifs), will tell the stories and showcase the contributions of Louis Vuitton (1821 – 1892) and Marc Jacobs (1963) – the two authoritative men of the house of Louis Vuitton.
Pre-order accompanying publication: Louis Vuitton / Marc JacobsThe exhibition will pay tribute to Vuitton, the house’s eponymous designer who began his career as a luxury trunk-maker in 1854, as well as present Jacobs‘ work for the French fashion house since he became the label’s creative director in 1997 and successfully created its first ready-to-wear line.
Louis Vuitton
Marc Jacobs | Photo Credit: Vogue
The showcase will display creations by both Vuitton and Jacobs, separately as well as together (Alexander, 2012). Although the exhibition space will span two floors, with each dedicated to one of the two exhibition subjects, expect to see Vuitton’s legendary trunks staged alongside Jacobs’ most celebrated designs for the fashion powerhouse.
Les Arts Décoratifs hopes this parallel Vuitton-Jacobs comparison will provide new insights into two different periods in the label’s 158-year history – the industrial revolution of the 19th century and the globalization of contemporary fashion.
Plan your travel early. Book your flight to Paris, France now.
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References
Alexander, E. (2012, January). Inside Marc’s World. Retrieved January 2012, from British Vogue: http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2011/05/16/marc-jacobs-louis-vuitton-paris-exhibition
Les Arts Décoratifs. (n.d.). Forthcoming Events. Retrieved January 2012, from Les Arts Décoratifs: http://www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr/english-439/exhibitions/forthcoming-events
“Louis Vuitton Marc Jacobs” - Analysis Rather Than Retrospective -
Large Retrospective of the “King of Kink” Helmut Newton in ParisMar 24 – Jun 17
“Helmut Newton did what no photographer before him dared to do,” said Jerome Neutres, advisor to the president of Grand Palais, a historic museum complex in Paris, France. “He broke taboos. He broke the forms, the codes of photography.” [1]
An avant-garde of his time, Newton (1920 – 2004) revolutionized the way in which fashion photographs were taken. “The perfect fashion photo should look like something out of a movie, a souvenir shot, a paparazzi shot — anything but a fashion photograph,” Newton remarked in Helmut by June, a documentary shot by June Newton, the iconic photographer’s wife of sixty years.Enjoy: Helmut Newton: Sumo
Newton and His Nudes
Besides spontaneity, Newton was known for his erotica photography and his love for photographing naked women in stilettos. His edgy aesthetics have earned him the moniker of the “King of Kink,” a reputation that he unequivocally adored, according to June.
© Helmut Newton Estate
© Helmut Newton Estate
Although stripped naked, Newton’s nudes aren’t sex objects. Rather, they’re powerful, liberated beauties who are in charge of themselves. “Newton’s nudes are like statues, Neutres commented. “They should be set alongside nudes by [Diego Velázquez], or the Olympia by [Édouard Manet] — not Penthouse.”
Enjoy: Master of Eroticism Helmut Newton: The Stern Years 1973-2000
Helmut Newton at Grand Palais
From now through June 17, the beautiful Grand Palais is hosting Helmut Newton, the largest retrospective since the photographer’s death in 2004. After all, the King of Kink did craft the majority of his work in France.
Helmut Newton features two hundred original and vintage prints, including Polaroids and commissioned works for the likes of Vogue and Elle. Excerpts from Helmut by June are also on display.
Plan: Your Trip to Paris
© Helmut Newton Estate
© Helmut Newton Estate
Newton Wasn’t Just a Fashion Photographer
Helmut Newton aims to showcase Newton’s genius through his many Newtonian themes, including sex, nudes, and portraits. “You can see all facets of Helmut, every single photo tells a story,” June pointed out at the press conference.
Neutres added, “The aim here is to show Newton as a great classical artist, with a full, complex place in the history of art.”
Enjoy: Helmut Newton: Polaroids
The exhibition is accompanied by a 256-page catalogue Newton by Newton, with an introduction by Neutres and commentary by June.
Large Retrospective of the “King of Kink” Helmut Newton in Paris -
The Fashion World of Jean-Paul Gaultier: International Tour ScheduleMar 24 – Aug 19
To celebrate Jean Paul Gaultier‘s 35th anniversary, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts unveiled The Fashion World of Jean-Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk, a retrospective devoted to Gaultier’s designs, in June 2011.
The man behind Madonna’s iconic cone-bra and bustier, Gaultier is famous for his bold and avant-garde fashion creations. The Fashion World of Jean-Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk explores the designer’s chef d’oeuvre and takes you intimately into his innovative vision.The exhibition is composed of five themes to cleverly display more than 100 ensembles in total, including photographs, couture designs, original sketches, and film set costumes by Gaultier during the course of his 35 years career in the fashion industry.
The Fashion World of Jean-Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk will be exhibited until October 2, 2011 before going on an international tour:
- Dallas Museum of Art, U.S.: November 13, 2011 to February 12, 2012
- Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, U.S.: March 24 to August 19, 2012
- Fundación Mapfre – Instituto de Cultura, Madrid: September 26 to November 18, 2012
- Kunsthal Rotterdam, the Netherlands: February 9 to May 12, 2013
Next
- Shop Jean-Paul Gaultier’s new collections
- Plan your trip to San Francisco, United States
- Order The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk, a stunning hard cover book that sheds light on the French couturier’s sources of inspiration
The Fashion World of Jean-Paul Gaultier: International Tour Schedule -
“Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective” VIP ticketsMar 25 – Jul 8
Premiered last year in Paris, the stunning Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective exhibition will make an exclusive stop at the Denver Art Museum (DAM) come March 25, 2012. Read on to learn more about the VIP tickets and YSL gift package. [Shop: Yves Saint Laurent Full Looks]
A comprehensive retrospective of the designer’s genius, Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective will feature a dazzling selection of 200 haute couture garments, along with films, drawings, and photographs that explore the full spectrum of Saint Laurent’s 40-year career, from his 1958 “Trapeze” collection for Christian Dior to the exquisite gowns from his final collection in 2002.
Organized thematically, Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective will illustrate the impact the designer had made in the fashion history and will demonstrate the foundations of his designs, including the designer’s whimsical travels, and the artists, writers, and women who had influenced his designs.
YSL’s Impact in Fashion History
During the ‘60s and ’70s, Saint Laurent revolutionized the female wardrobe with his menswear-inspired creations – notably the tuxedos, trouser suits, and safari jackets – to reflect women’s increasingly vital roles in the society and empower females with a new form of clothing that signified symbols of power. The Foundation Pierre Berge-Yves Saint Laurent writes: ”By making use of masculine codes, [Saint Laurent] brought women self-assurance, audacity and power, whilst preserving their femininity.” [Shop: YSL Makeup]
YSL’s Imaginary World
Many of Saint Laurent’s pieces were inspired by the imaginary trips he’d made in his mind. “I hate traveling,” Saint Laurent said. “I use my imagination on countries I don’t know.” The late designer added, “If I read a book about India, with photos, or Egypt, where I’ve never been, my imagination runs away with me. That’s how I make my most marvelous voyages.”
YSL’s Dialogue with Art
Saint Laurent was also known for taking his cue from art, admitting that his design “depends on artists for existence.” The Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective exhibition will draw a direct line between the designer and the artists he respected, including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Piet Mondrian, and Vincent van Gogh.
Tickets
VIP tickets are available now as part of the YSL Gift Package, which includes:
- Two VIP tickets to the Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective exhibition at DAM.
- A lavishly illustrated catalog from the original exhibition in Paris.
- A chance to win tickets to the exclusive Yves Saint Laurent opening Gala.
Regular tickets will go on sale to DAM members on Jan. 13, 2012, and the public on Jan. 20, 2012.
Next
- Check best airfares to Denver, Colorado, United States
- Shop YSL Shoes
- Shop YSL Fragrance
“Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective” VIP tickets -
Christian Louboutin’s Stunning Creations and Design ProcessMar 28 – Jul 1
Christian Louboutin needs no introduction. While you might not recognize his face, you’ll no doubt recognize his signature red-soled shoes that have invaded fashion capitals the world over. To celebrate Louboutin’s 20-year anniversary, the Design Museum in London will present United Kingdom’s first retrospective of the famed French shoe designer from March 28 through July 1. Expect heart-stirring creations from sculptural stilettos and lace-up boots to studded sneakers and bejeweled pumps.
Entitled Christian Louboutin, the exhibition will explore the designer’s illustrious career, starting from his early days freelancing for Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent, and his work at the theatre all through to the label’s 20th anniversary.Got a second? Connect with us on Facebook!
Buy: Christian Louboutin: No Prive Riche
Buy: Christian Louboutin: Lady Glittered Peep-Toe Pump
In true Design Museum fashion, the exhibition will take you through every stage of Louboutin’s design process. From initial sketches and first prototype to final production in the factory, Christian Louboutin will reveal how a pair of Louboutins is constructed.
In addition, Christian Louboutin will showcase exquisite, handcrafted shoes; extravagant one-off designs; and shoes inspired by such themes as cabaret and showgirls, fantasy and fairy tale, as well as art and architecture.
Christian Louboutin Book (Click to get a copy)
A section will be dedicated to the extreme, fetishistic footwear designed for Fetish, a 2007 Paris exhibition emerged from the collaboration between Louboutin and avant-garde filmmaker/photographer David Lynch.
Fetish - Christian Louboutin x David Lynch
Plan your travel now. Search for best airfares to London, U.K.
Christian Louboutin’s Stunning Creations and Design Process -
Getty Museum Presents Significant Exhibition on Herb RittsApr 3 – Aug 26
Between the 1980s and 1990s, Richard Gere moved beyond his boyish eye candy image to become one of the most charismatic sex symbols of his time. Around the same period, Herb Ritts progressed from a hobbyist shutterbug to a master photographer famous for his nude, fashion, and celebrity portraits.
Just as Gere had proven himself to be a versatile actor capable of playing everything from romantic heartthrobs to callous villains, Ritts had demonstrated his creative talents that spanned various media, from creating ad campaigns for influential fashion houses, to producing TV commercials and award-winning music videos for such illustrious musicians as Janet Jackson and Chris Isaak..
Herb Ritts: Richard Gere and the Flat Tire
Whether Ritts was the Richard Gere of photography and vice versa would make an interesting article of its own, but it was precisely a portrait of Gere taken in 1977 – and a flat tire – that launched Ritts’ professional journey into photography. The late photographer shared the story in an interview conducted in 1999:
“I knew Richard’s girlfriend, Penny, who was an actress, and she introduced me to Richard. Actually, when I first started dabbling in photography, I was still working for my parents as a salesman.
“Penny was supposed to come to my house to take a head shot, but she never showed. Richard arrived; he was going to meet her there. I asked if I could take a picture of him, and he said no – he was very shy and had very long hair – but finally I did.
“A week or so later, we were driving around in Penny’s car and got a flat tire, and [we] ended up in a desert gas station, where we took pictures.
“That was one of the first instances of doing something for no reason other than [just to take] a picture of a friend, and realizing that there was a ‘moment’ there.
Richard Gere, San Bernardino, 1977. © Herb Ritts Foundation
“Later that year, Richard told his new publicist, ‘Oh, Herb took a couple of rolls of me.’ He had fairly well-known photographers shooting him already; it happened quickly for him. So I sent the negatives and forgot about it. What did I know? I wasn’t a photographer.
“Three months later, the pictures appeared in American Vogue, Esquire, and Mademoiselle. Big spreads.
“One day soon thereafter, Mademoiselle tracked me down and asked me to do Brooke Shields, and I said, ‘sure.’ I didn’t say I wasn’t a photographer.”
Ritts’ aesthetic for nude and portraiture and ability to blur the lines between art and commerce had catapulted him firmly onto the fashion art photography map, alongside Richard Avedon and Irving Penn.
Cindy Crawford, Los Angeles, 1989. © Herb Ritts Foundation
Upcoming Herb Ritts Exhibition
In August, the Getty Museum acquired 69 photographs by Ritts. The acquisition – consisting of images of nudes, celebrity portraits, and high-fashion ad campaigns – is the most significant collection of the photographer’s work on the West Coast.
Mick Jagger, London, 1987. © Herb Ritts Foundation
Highlights from the acquisition include:
- Richard Gere, San Bernardino (1977), the aforementioned portrait that presents the budding actor as a new American hero;
- Greg Louganis, Hollywood (1985), a portrait of the American Olympic diver;
- Wrapped Torso, Los Angeles (1988), which shows off a dress by Japanese designer Issey Miyake;
- Stephanie, Cindy, Christy, Tatjana, Naomi, Hollywood (1989), an iconic image that has come to define the era of the super model; and
- Veiled Dress, El Mirage (1990), a shot first used in Versace‘s couture catalogue.
Wrapped Torso, Los Angeles, 1988. © Herb Ritts Foundation
The acquisition also comprises a number of images that have never been seen before outside of the Herb Ritts Foundation’s archive.
The Getty Museum will display a selection from the acquisition in an upcoming exhibition at the Getty Center in April 2012. The exhibit “will be the first significant exhibition on Ritts in over a decade,” says Paul Martineau, associate curator in the Department of Photographs at the museum.
Pre-order: Herb Ritts: L.A. Style, a publication accompanying the upcoming exhibition.
Getty Museum Presents Significant Exhibition on Herb Ritts -
“Comme des Garçons, White Drama” to Exhibit Catchy 2012 CollectionApr 13 – Oct 7
Comme des Garçons, White Drama, an exhibition of what might have been the catchiest and most dramatic collection by Rei Kawakubo, will be hosted at Cité de la Mode et du Design in Paris, France from April 13 to Oct. 7.
Absurd, whimsical, and imaginative, White Drama is Comme des Garçons‘ all white, spring/summer 2012 collection, which references life’s defining moments: birth, marriage, and death. As Kawakubo put it, “Life has a comic course, a magic essence, and a tragic ending.”
Comme des Garçons White Drama (S/S 2012)
Comme des Garçons White Drama (S/S 2012)
Comme des Garçons White Drama (S/S 2012)
Expect fantasy pieces with elaborate ornaments, including lace capes, pointed hoods, and decorative veils. Quoting Lele Acquarone of Vogue Italia, even “Goths may betray their pact with black” with Comme des Garçons’ White Drama.
“Comme des Garçons, White Drama” to Exhibit Catchy 2012 Collection -
“Lillian Bassman: Lingerie” - Dreamy Book and Intimate ExhibitionApr 13 – May 26
“She was always looking for projects,” Eric Himmel said of her late mother Lillian Bassman, the prominent photographer best known for her dreamy and high-contrast photos [1]. “When she didn’t have a project, she would get grouchy and frustrated and sink her way into a new project.”
In the winter of 2010, Bassman began manipulating her images for Lillian Bassman: Lingerie, a book of 80 black-and-white photographs portraying women in intimate undergarments. From sitters to brassieres and garter belts, they’re all objects of art in Bassman’s photos – treasures that Bassman nearly destroyed and trashed the way she did with most of her negatives in 1969 [2].Back in the Days with Alexey Brodovitch
Young Bassman had taken classes in fabric design and fashion illustration, but it was the decision to take Alexey Brodovitch‘s Design Laboratory class, where she studied graphic design, that opened the door to her spectacular career.
Upon completing Brodovitch’s revolutionary curriculum, Bassman apprenticed for Brodovitch in 1941 at Harper’s Bazzar, where Brodovitch was the respected art director. She later became his first paid assistant.
Like Brodovitch, Bassman was artistically graphic and daring. In 1945, when Harper’s Bazzar launched Junior Bazaar, a spinoff marketed to teenage girls, Bassman was asked to be the new magazine’s art director.
© Lillian Bassman
© Lillian Bassman
There, Bassman conceptualize layouts and radical graphic designs. Notably, she promoted future photographic celebrities the likes of Richard Avedon, Robert Frank, and Louis Faurer.
Lillian Bassman’s Brewing Interest in Photography
During her days at Harper’s Bazaar, Bassman already had a brewing interest in photography, spending many lunch hours in the darkroom, experimenting techniques and manipulating images taken by famous fashion photographer George Hoyningen-Huene. “I was interested in developing a method of printing on my own, even before I took photographs,” Bassman revealed to B&W magazine in 1994.
Bassman continued her self-education at Junior Bazaar and soon landed clients of her own. Celebrated for her dreamy, high-contrast portraits of slender models, Bassman emerged as a sought-after fashion and commercial photographer during the ‘50s. “I had a terrific commercial life,” Bassman told The New York Times in 1997. “I did everything that could be photographed: children, food, liquor, cigarettes, lingerie, beauty products.”
That changed in the ’60s.
The ‘60s Was Obsessed with Youth
“In fashion photography, for 99 percent of the people doing it, the art directors are your lifeline to work,” Himmel explained to DNAinfo. “When they’re replaced with young people, they want to use their contemporaries.”
© Lillian Bassman
© Lillian Bassman
“[My mother] had a great run in the 1950s, but by the early 1960s, she was in her 50s, and the ’60s was a decade totally obsessed with youth,” Himmel remarked, noting that his mother had a hard time finding jobs during the ’60s. Bassman, too, “got sick of” the models. She told The Times in 2009, “They were becoming superstars. They were not my kind of models. They were dictating rather than taking direction.”
Lillian Bassman Abandoned Fashion Photography
In 1969, disappointed with her career prospects and disillusioned by the business of fashion photography, Bassman decided to focus on her other photographic interests and destroyed most of the negatives and prints from her commercial work. She went on to put way more than 100 editorial negatives in trash bags and left them in her Upper East Side home in Manhattan. They were soon forgotten – until the ’90s.
Martin Harrison Discovered Lillian Bassman’s “Trash”
In 1991, photography historian Martin Harrison found the untouched negatives during his visit at Bassman’s home. He encouraged her to revisit them. “In looking at them, I got a little intrigued, and I took them into the darkroom, and I started to do my own thing on them,” she told The Times.
Bassman revived her earlier work by transforming them into original works of art with various bleaching and blurring techniques. The transformed images display softness and delicacy of gesture and femininity, creating an aura of mystique and poetry – along with a starting point for Bassman in her second career as a fine art photographer.
© Lillian Bassman
© Lillian Bassman
Bassman’s reinterpretations earned her a new generation of following. She’d since opened more than a dozen gallery shows and exhibitions as well as received numerous awards and honors.
Lillian Bassman: Lingerie Book
Bassman’s latest work was recently released in Lillian Bassman: Lingerie, published just weeks after the photographer died at the age of 94. Bassman didn’t see the birth of her third book, nor would she particularly care.
When her son Himmel (who’s also the editor-in-chief of Abrams Books, the publisher of Lillian Bassman: Lingerie) showed Bassman an advance copy of the book, “She wasn’t that interested in it,” he told DNAinfo. “She was always about her next project, not her last one.”
Lillian Bassman: Lingerie Exhibition
In addition to the book, Bassman’s black-and-white photographs are also the subject of an exhibition of the same name at New York‘s Staley-Wise Gallery, on view on through May 26.
Plan your trip to New York now.
* The Peter Fetterman Gallery is also running an exhibition of Bassman’s work. Titled Lillian Bassman: A Life, 1917-2012, the exhibit is on view through June 9.
Featured Photo: Lillian Bassman by Damon Winter for The New York Times, 2009
“Lillian Bassman: Lingerie” - Dreamy Book and Intimate Exhibition -
Nicola Formichetti and Nicopanda Invades Hong Kong Lane CrawfordMay 4 – May 31
Come May, Mugler creative director/Lady Gaga fashion director Nicola Formichetti will bring Nicopanda to fans in Asia. A pop-up store designed by renowned architect Mark Gage will be installed at the International Finance Center‘s upscale department store Lane Crawford.
The store will showcase Lady Gaga’s archive costumes handpicked by Formichetti, including a black Mugler corsage, Void of Course latex shirt, and a Christian Lacroix wedding gown as seen on Lady G’s Judas video. (Hat tip: Asia Tatler)Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Collection 2011
An exciting collection of exclusive Lane Crawford x Nicopanda products will be available only in Hong Kong and Beijing’s Lane Crawford Nicopanda pop-up store. Other limited edition items, such as umbrellas, mahjong sets, Moleskin notebooks, and stickers and badges will be available worldwide.
Nicopanda Moleskine Notebook
Nicopanda Mahjong
Nicopanda Umbrella
Nicopanda Zombie
Lane Crawford IFC
Podium 3, IFC Mall
8 Finance Street, Central
Opening Hours: Daily, 10am to 9pmNicola Formichetti and Nicopanda Invades Hong Kong Lane Crawford -
Fashion Meets Art: Riccardo Tisci Collaborates With Kehinde WileyMay 6 – Jun 16
Lauded for his rich and vivid paintings of African-American men, award-winning portrait painter Kehinde Wiley will – for the first time – paint a series of portraits depicting African-American women. The painting will see these women donning gowns designed by Givenchy (Shop) creative director Riccardo Tisci.
Following numerous hours of collaborative discussion and creative ping pong between Wiley and Tisci, Tisci masterminded six pieces for the portraits. What sort of dresses has Tisci, who’s known for his dark and avant-garde aesthetics, designed for the portraits? We’ll soon find out at An Economy of Grace, an upcoming exhibition to be installed at the Sean Kelly Gallery (Plan trip to New York) from May 5 through June 16.
Kehinde Wiley at the launch of the PUMA Kehinde Wiley exhibition in 2010.
Cast in New York City, the African-American female models will pose as aristocratic women from historical portraits by such artists as Jacques-Louis David, Thomas Gainsborough, and John Singer Sargent. According to a statement issued by the Sean Kelly Gallery, “The resulting paintings are a celebration of black women, creating a rightful place for them within art history, which has to date been an almost exclusively white domain.”
An Economy of Grace will be chronicled in a new documentary produced in conjunction with Remy Martin and directed by award-winning filmmaker Jeff Dupre. The film will offer unprecedented insight into Wiley’s oeuvre and the fashionable collaboration between the artist and Tisci. The African-American female models will also share their personal stories in the film.
Artwork by Kehinde Wiley for PUMA Collaboration
Pre-order Kehinde Wiley, the only comprehensive monograph on Wiley’s work to date.
Featured Photo: Artwork by Kehinde Wiley
Fashion Meets Art: Riccardo Tisci Collaborates With Kehinde Wiley -
Hermès Leather Forever Exhibition + How Birkin Came to LifeMay 8 – May 27
Whether you carry a Hermès Kelly, Plume, or H-buckled Constance, it’s guaranteed that you’ll draw lustful eyes from handbag devotees. If you adorn a Birkin, however, you’ll attract lascivious stares even from fashion novices.
Name after English actress-singer Jane Birkin, the Birkin bag is by far the most famous and most collected Hermès handbag. And it all began in the air.The Story of Hermès Birkin
During a flight from Paris to London in the early ’80s, Jane was seated next to the late Jean-Louis Dumas, the icon who turned Hermès into a global luxury brand after taking chairmanship from his father, Robert Dumas, in 1978.
Jean-Louis Dumas (Right)
When some of the contents fell out from Jane’s carry-on luggage in the overhead locker, she and Jean-Louis came up with the idea for the Birkin bag. [1] “She even recalled them sketching that first design on a sick bag. The world’s most famous handbag, dreamt up on a sick bag!” The Telegraph reported.
Pierre-Alexis Dumas, son of Jean-Louis and creative director at Hermès, indicated that the success of the Birkin bag was a pleasant surprise: “I don’t think [my father] was being clever; he was just someone you could talk to. He loved drawing, he talked to her, and she told him what would be her ideal bag. He drew it and made it. I don’t think he expected it would be such a huge success.”
Short Supply of Hermès Birkin and Kelly Not a Strategy
Founded by saddle maker Thierry Hermès in 1837, Hermès, the French luxury leather goods manufacturer and retailer, has come a long way. Today, still family-owned and run by its sixth generation, the company is one of the most, if not the most, highly regarded luxury brands in the world. The business has 33 (soon to be 35) production facilities in France, with about 3,000 staff on its payroll. [1]
Thierry Hermès
At Hermès’ facility, every object is painstakingly handmade by artisans. “We do everything from the beginning to the end, from A to Z,” said a Hermès facility worker.
Artisans must commit to four years of training in Hermès’ craftsmanship, in addition to their formal leather craft training. When asked why their iconic Birkin and Kelly handbags are in such short supply, Thierry Outin, Hermès’ UK and Ireland managing director, asserted that it’s not a strategy: “[It] simply takes so long to train our artisans. Plus, we like to keep our workshops ‘human-sized’. We like to know the names of every artisan – that to us is very important.” [2]
The human focus is underscored by Pierre-Alexis: “As long as the Hermès house remains a family business – and as long as we’re alive – I can tell you that we will be here to remind people that there are human beings behind an object. An object is a tenet of culture, and it has a soul. If we forget that, we die.”
An Hermès Artisan at Work
Despite LVMH, the Hermès Clan Is Stronger than Ever
Judging from the way the Hermès clan reacted to luxury-goods giant LVMH‘s attempt to seize control (by acquiring a 22 percent stake in Hermès) last year, Hermès will unequivocally remain a family business for at least two decades. “To secure Hermès from LVMH, 50 relations from three branches of the family recently met to establish a watertight holding company that owns 51 percent of Hermès, and which cannot be sold for 20 years,” the Telegraph (Subscribe) recounted the event.
Hermès Exhibition: Leather Forever
To celebrate Hermès’ 175 years of heritage, an exhibition entitled Leather Forever has been launched in the heart of London at the Royal Academy of Arts. On view through May 27.
Leather Forever presents generations of knowledge that had been passed on to Thierry, the founder of Hermès. “We want to share our culture,” explained Pierre-Alexis. “We are tenants of a culture that is age-old. We used our tools and know-how from our link to horse equipment, and we applied it to accessories and handbags. It is a long, beautiful, human tradition.”
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Highlights include:
- A colossal neon Kelly bag sculpture showcasing the famous Birkin and Kelly bags that have been created over the years.
- The satyr-winged saddle bag, a one-off made for a Japanese rock band in 2001.
- An artisan room featuring a wall of signature orange Hermès boxes and two of the brand’s skilled artisans working on Hermès pieces. [2]
Hermès Satyr Winged Saddle Bag for Japanese Rock Band
Leather Forever also brings to light four specially commissioned Passe-Guide handbags, representing England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. From May 14 to 31, these handbags will be auctioned online by Christie’s. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Royal Academy of Arts.
Hermès Passe-Guide Bags
Can’t afford an Hermès bag at the moment? Take a luxurious shower with Hermès’ d’Orange Verte Savons Parfumes Soaps and feel like a million bucks.
Hermès Leather Forever Exhibition + How Birkin Came to Life -
Annie Leibovitz’s Debut Hong Kong Solo Exhibit @ Sundaram TagoreMay 10 – Jun 17
In 1980, Annie Leibovitz photographed John Lennon, au naturel, cuddling up to Yoko Ono for the cover of Rolling Stone. The idea was to recreate the passionate kissing scene from the cover of Double Fantasy, an album the couple had recently worked on. A few hours after the photo shoot, Lennon got shot again – only this time, he got shot by a mentally ill person with a gun, not a photographer with a camera. The dramatic event changed the story of the Rolling Stone cover shoot: “It became more about a last kiss, a parting moment,” said Leibovitz.
Yoko Ono and John Lennon, 1980 © Annie Leibovitz
Having spent 40 years photographing such luminaries as Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, and every single U.S. president since 1970, Leibovitz has captured countless unforgettable narratives that have stood the test of time. Come May, you’re invited to take an intimate look at some of these compelling images at her debut Hong Kong solo exhibition, set to be installed at the Sundaram Tagore Gallery.
Steve Martin, 1981 © Annie Leibovitz
Entitled Annie Leibovitz, the exhibition will feature a series of artwork culled from Leibovitz’s own “master set” of photographs, showcasing her most iconic portraits of famous figures the likes of Philip Glass, Andy Warhol, Steve Martin, Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, and Cindy Sherman.
“Sundaram curated the exhibition from a 156-picture master set of my work that I had started developing,” Leibovitz told the South China Morning Post. “That is an eclectic and strange set of pictures. It’s an edit of work I have thought about a great deal. These are, to my mind, some of my more iconic pictures. They show me achieving a certain threshold in my work.”
Malcolm McLaren and Christian Fletcher, 1985 © Annie Leibovitz
Mikhail Baryshnikov and Rob Besserer, 1990 © Annie Leibovitz
Featured Photo: Angelina Jolie, 2005 © Annie Leibovitz
Annie Leibovitz’s Debut Hong Kong Solo Exhibit @ Sundaram Tagore -
Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada’s “Impossible Interviews”May 10 – Aug 19
Elsa Schiaparelli (1890 – 1973), the prominent Roman-born fashion designer who drew inspirations from modern art and collaborated with such Surrealists as Salvador Dalí, had crafted numerous ingenious pieces that have taken on a life of their own, including the shoe hat, the tears dress, and the insect necklace.
Miuccia Prada (1949), the accomplished Milanese-born designer who collects contemporary artworks by the likes of Damien Hirst and opened contemporary art space Fondazione Prada, focuses on designs that reflect the eclectic nature of Postmodernism.
Left: George Hoyningen-Huené (Russian, 1900–1968). Portrait of Elsa Schiaparelli, 1932. Courtesy of Hoyningen-Huené/Vogue/Condé Nast Archive. Copyright © Condé Nast; Right: Guido Harari (Italian, born Cairo, 1952). Portrait of Miuccia Prada, 1999. Courtesy of Guido Harari/Contrasto/Redux
So, what happens when you put Schiaparelli and Prada, two Italian fashion luminaries from different eras, in the same room?
Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada: On Fashion is what.
To be held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) from May 10 through Aug. 19, 2012, Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada: On Fashion will examine the affinities and variances between these two celebrated personalities.
“Given the role Surrealism and other art movements play in the designs of both Schiaparelli and Prada, it seems only fitting that their inventive creations be explored here at the Met,” said Thomas Campbell, CEO of the Met. “Schiaparelli’s collaborations with Dalí and Cocteau as well as Prada’s current Fondazione Prada push art and fashion ever closer, in a direct, synergistic, and culturally redefining relationship.”
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Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada: On Fashion
Inspired by Mexican artist Miguel Covarrubias‘ “Impossible Interviews” for Vanity Fair in the 30s, curators Harold Koda and Andrew Bolton will juxtapose signature objects by Schiaparelli and Prada to spark imaginary conversations – or rather, bring about impossible interviews – between these two fashion dignitaries from different periods. “Juxtaposing the work of Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada allows us to explore how the past enlightens the present and how the present enlivens the past,” said Koda. [Buy: Miguel Covarrubias’ "Impossible Interviews" Art Post Print]
Mrs. Reginald Fellowes (left) in Elsa Schiaparelli, 1933; Sienna Miller in Prada, photographed by Mario Testino for Vogue, 2007. Photo: Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
The exhibition title, Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada: On Fashion, is based on Italian philosopher Umberto Eco‘s books On Beauty/History of Beauty and On Ugliness, which examine the philosophy of aesthetics.
Featuring creations by Schiaparelli from the late 20s to the early 50s and those by Prada from the late 80s to the present, Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada: On Fashion will also look into how the late fashion icon and the living fashion star used atypical prints, colors, and textiles to flirt with preconceived notions of beauty and ugliness.
“The connection of the historic to the modern highlights the affinities as well as the variances between two women who constantly subverted contemporary notions of taste, beauty, and glamour,” Bolton remarked. Altogether, approximately 80 designs will be displayed.
Videos in the exhibition will follow the paradigm of the books, to be organized by such topics as “On Art,” “On Politics,” “On Women,” and “On Creativity.”
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Featured Photo: One of Elsa Schiaparelli’s inventive designs.
Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada’s “Impossible Interviews” -
Christer Strömholm Exhibit: Portraits of Transsexual ProstitutesMay 18 – Sep 2
You might not know the name of the father of Swedish photography, but you might have come across his controversial portraits documenting transsexual prostitutes in the ‘60s.
Christer Strömholm Befriended Transsexuals
Drawn to Place Blanche’s edgy underground nightlife (e.g., the strip clubs, the peep shows, and the prostitutes and their pimps), Christer Strömholm (1918 – 2002) decided to settle in the heart of Paris’s red-light district. He befriended the “ladies of the night” – transvestites who were struggling to live as women – and documented their daily life, along with their desire and determination to choose their own identity.
© Christer Strömholm
© Christer Strömholm
At that time, France was under the reign of General Charles de Gaulle, a man with strict Roman Catholic values. Transsexuals were outlaws. They were regularly abused and arrested by the police for being “men dressed as women outside the period of carnival.”
Despite the risks, the “ladies of the night” worked persistently, hoping to make enough money to travel to Casablanca for the expensive sex-change operation. Most didn’t achieve their dream. Jacky and Nana, two of the women featured in Strömholm’s famous book, Les amies de Place Blanche, were the lucky few who did and eventually became “real” women.
Jacky © Christer Strömholm
Nana © Christer Strömholm
Strömholm and His Subjects
Living close to the transgender males for 10 years, Strömholm worked into the early hours as he followed and photographed his subjects. He “shared their early afternoon breakfasts…watched them put on make-up and clothes, went down with them to the streets as they solicited for clients,” said Christian Caujolle, owner of the Vu photography agency in Paris.
“These are images of people whose lives I shared and whom I think I understood,” Strömholm wrote in the foreword of Les amies de Place Blanche in 1983. “These are images of women – biologically born as men – that we call ‘transsexuals.’ As for me, I call them ‘my friends of Place Blanche.’ It was then – and still is – about obtaining the freedom to choose one’s own life and identity.”
Sean O’Hagan of The Guardian said of the photographs: “The transsexuals of Place Blanche led a hard life of often dogged survival, but in the photographs, one senses a camaraderie – between the “girls” and between the photographer and his subject – as well as an almost celebratory defiance.
“Gina and Nana pose like glamorous film stars, Martine like an exotic circus performer, and [Jacky] like someone who could just as easily have hung out at Andy Warhol’s Factory in New York in the late 1960s.
“Strömholm offered them total self-expression, and they responded accordingly.”
© Christer Strömholm
“Les amies de Place Blanche” Book
These photographs were first published in Sweden in 1983. The book, Les amies de Place Blanche (“The Girlfriends of Place Blanche”), brought Strömholm critical acclaim and notoriety. It quickly sold out and became a cult classic. It’s now been reissued with newly commissioned essays by Jacky and Nana.
Buy: Les amies de Place Blanche
“Christer Strömholm: Les Amies de Place Blanche” Exhibition
Though little known outside of Europe, Strömholm was highly regarded in his native Sweden. A prominent award-winning artist and the father of Swedish photography, Strömholm mentored some of today’s noted Swedish photographers, including JH Engström, Anders Petersen, and Lars Tunbjörk.
In an upcoming photography exhibition entitled Christer Strömholm: Les Amies de Place Blanche, the International Center of Photography in New York will feature 40 of Strömholm’s most celebrated body of work. Provoking thoughts about gender, identity, and sexuality, the exhibition will be Strömholm’s debut show in an American museum.
© Christer Strömholm
Christer Strömholm Exhibit: Portraits of Transsexual Prostitutes -
Ballgowns: British Glamour - V&A’s Blockbuster Show for 2012May 19 – Jan 6
Before the 1950s, ballgowns were primarily reserved for elite private affairs. Now, they’re appearing in charity balls, opening nights, and red carpet events. “Since the 1950s, occasions for wearing formal attire have evolved from the private event to the public parade,” said Oriole Cullen, curator of Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950, a fashion exhibition that traces the evolution of eveningwear (Singh, 2011).
Pre-order Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950“Everyone thinks of mini-skirts in the Swinging Sixties, but at the same time, there was still a traditional scene. By the late 1970s, charity balls began overtaking private balls so the scene became more democratized – if you could afford a ticket, you could attend,” Cullen continued. “Today, these dresses are worn on the red carpet, where the wearers must look amazing from every angle.”
To be staged at the newly renovated Fashion Galleries in London’s Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A), Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950 will feature more than 60 beautiful ballgowns, catwalk showstoppers, and red carpet evening dresses.
Daphne Guinness in Alexander McQueen, Spring/Summer 2011
Highlights of Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950:
- V&A’s most recent acquisition, a satin dress by Ralph & Russo worn by Beyoncé Knowles when she sang at Barack Obama’s inauguration ball in 2009.
- Frocks fresh off the runway by designer labels Erdem, Giles Deacon, Alexander McQueen, and Jenny Packham.
- Eveningwear designed by Hussein Chalayan, Zandra Rhodes, Jonathan Saunders, and Victor Stiebel.
- A stunning metallic leather dress created by Gareth Pugh especially for the fashion exhibition.
- Gowns worn by Sandra Bullock, Daphne Guinness, Elizabeth Hurley, and Bianca Jagger.
- An elegant, 1950s dress by Norman Hartnell for the Queen Mother.
- A beaded “Elvis Dress” by Catherine Walker for Princess Diana.
Plan your visit early. Book your flight to London now.
Reference
Singh, A. (2011, November 17). A taster of the V&A’s forthcoming ‘Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950′ exhibition. Retrieved January 23, 2012, from Telegraph: http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG8894850/A-taster-of-the-VandAs-forthcoming-Ballgowns-British-Glamour-Since-1950-exhibition.htmlBallgowns: British Glamour - V&A’s Blockbuster Show for 2012
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“The Daphne Guinness Collection” Pre-Sale Exhibit at Christie’sJun 23 – Jun 27
Having famously bought her late friend Isabella Blow’s fashion collection in its entirety to stop a planned auction last year, Daphne Guinness now takes it one step further to show her devotion to her beloved friend: the heiress will auction off at Christie’s one hundred pieces from her own avant-garde collection this summer, and she’ll use the proceeds to launch the Isabella Blow Foundation, a charity Guinness has set up in honor of Blow.
Entitled The Daphne Guinness Collection: Sold to Benefit the Isabella Blow Foundation, the auction will take place on June 27, and the pre-sale exhibition of Guinness’ collection will go on public display from June 23 to 27.FRAGRANCE: Comme des Garçons x Daphne Guinness
Pat Frost, director of Christie’s Fashion Department remarked:
We are delighted to be offering the fashion world this incredible one-off opportunity to buy some of the most iconic and cutting-edge haute couture of the early 21st century, owned and worn by Daphne Guinness.
Not only will the auction comprise exceptional designs by the likes of [Alexander] McQueen, Chanel, Balenciaga, and others, but it will also aptly benefit and shape the designers of the future.
Christie’s is very proud to be able to play a part in helping Daphne to achieve her forward-looking and charitable aim.
SHOP: Alexander McQueen
Isabella Blow Photographed by Sean Ellis
All proceeds from the sale will go toward the Isabella Blow Foundation, whose mission is to help support emerging art and fashion talents. In turn, the foundation will donate a portion of the funds to selected charities.
The Daphne Guinness Collection: Sold to Benefit the Isabella Blow Foundation will undoubtedly be one of the most exciting summer events in the London fashion calendar. Eager to own a piece of Guinness’ elaborate wardrobe? Here’s your chance.
Read Isabella Blow and book your flight to London now.
Featured Photo: Daphne Guinness Photographed by Stéphane Feugere
“The Daphne Guinness Collection” Pre-Sale Exhibit at Christie’s
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Yohji Yamamoto: Avant-Garde Fashion Meets ArchitectureJul 4 – Oct 13
Maestro of avant-garde fashion Yohji Yamamoto will exhibit his work in Israel for the first time. The exhibition, entitled Yohji Yamamoto: Fashion Meets Architecture, will coincide with the 60th anniversary of the Japan-Israel relationship and the 40th anniversary of Yamamoto’s company.
To be hosted at the Design Museum Holon, Yohji Yamamoto: Fashion Meets Architecture will feature site-specific installations that embody the iconic museum building designed by Ron Arad.Yamamoto says, “After exhibiting in London, Florence, and Paris, it is a natural flow for me to organize an exhibition in Israel this time – a country very rich in culture. [...] I want to see Israel with my own eyes and feel it through my skin to get to know it well. Now I will be able to experience it live.”
Yohji Yamamoto Fall 2011
Yohji Yamamoto Spring 2010
BUY: Adidas Y-3 by Yohji Yamamoto "Oriah"
Design Museum Holon’s Chief Curator Galit Gaon comments, “We are honored to partner with Yohji Yamamoto, one of the most iconic fashion figures of our time. The introduction of Yamamoto’s innovative aesthetic, precision, and creativity will mark a significant milestone in the museum’s life.”
READ: Travelers’ reviews on Design Museum Holon
In addition to highlighting more than eighty of Yamamoto’s signature and pioneering silhouettes, Yohji Yamamoto: Fashion Meets Architecture – like the Japanese designer’s cutting-edge fashion – will push boundaries and challenge the way in which conventional fashion exhibitions are installed.
The installations, designed by Yamamoto’s long-time collaborator Masao Nihei, will incorporate the museum building and intelligently bring together various indoor and outdoor spaces of the museum, including the garden, lab space, two main galleries, and public areas.
SHOP: Yohji Yamamoto
Design Museum Holon
Design Museum Holon
Design Museum Holon
The arrangement and the flow of objects will create a stream of inspirations, inviting visitors to experience a journey of memories, emotions, and experimental designs.
Fans of fashion and architecture, Yohji Yamamoto: Fashion Meets Architecture is for you.
Design Museum Holon
Pinhas Eilon St. 8
Holon, 58459Featured Photo: Yohji Yamamoto Photographed by Koichi Inakoshi
Yohji Yamamoto: Avant-Garde Fashion Meets Architecture
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Fashion and Textile Museum’s “Pop! Culture and Fashion 1955-1976″Jul 6 – Oct 27
In the mid-fifties, America’s youth and rock n’ roll culture had taken the world by storm and changed the way people dressed. The fun and quirky Fashion and Textile Museum (FTM) in London will explore the impact of art, music, and personalities had on fashion during those two decades, through an exhibition entitled Pop! Culture and Fashion 1955-1976.
The FTM wrote: “From the poodle skirts and embellished leathers of the rockers through to the Punk era, this exhibition will take in the cool stylings of the Mods, the high baroque of Psychedelia, and the kitsch glamour of 70s retro by designers such as Mr. Freedom and Miss Mouse.”Expect visuals, posters, and furniture from the period as well as ensembles from Donovan, Elton John, Mary Quant, Vivienne Westwood, and Sex, a punk fashion boutique run by Malcolm McLaren and Westwood between 1974 and 1976.
Plan Your Trip
- Book your flight to London
- Book your stay at Hilton London Tower Bridge (five-minute walk from the FTM)
Fashion and Textile Museum’s “Pop! Culture and Fashion 1955-1976″
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