Check this out: Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty Exhibition

Picture sourced from https://fashionworked

This month sees the opening of the much awaited Alexander McQueen exhibition at the V&A, Savage Beauty.  We seriously cannot wait!  The tickets sold out in record time, but a few weeks back they allocated some more tickets and so we were first in line!  We do however need to wait till May to go, but are looking forward to it so much already.

Picture sourced from https://fashion2011marketing

We are both big fans of McQueen's work and so fingers crossed it delivers and with all the people who will be going to see it, fingers crossed we can actually see the items on display as this will be the first and largest display of his work in Europe.  The exhibition was shown at the Met in New York in 2011 and was one of their top 10 most visited exhibitions, not too shabby hey!

Picture sourced from http://dressful.com/

Are you going to see the exhibition or is there an exhibition coming up that we should check out?  Let us know in the comments below.

H

Bloglovin / Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest / Google+ / Instagram

Link for the week: Must See Exhibitions

Hello all and it's that time of the week where I tell you about something new to go and take a look at.

This week, it's a few exhibitions that I really want to go see.  Some of which I don't think I will get around to but I thought I would share with them with you guys and if you have been or do go, them please do leave a comment below about what it was like.

First up is the Zandra Rhodes exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London.  This place is a little known museum I feel, but its definitely worth a visit.  I went a few years ago for a Sanderson exhibition and loved it.

http://ftmlondon.org/ftm-exhibitions/zandra-rhodes/

I feel this may well be one of the exhibitions I won't get to though as it finishes at the end of this month and I just don't see me squeezing in a time to get there. So if you go, please let me know what it was like.

Next up is an exhibition at my favourite museum, the V&A.  We all know I love it here so no introductions needed to the museum but this exhibition on 'Club to Catwalk, London fashion in the 1980's' looks so good.

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/exhibition-from-club-to-catwalk-london-fashion-in-the-80s/about-the-exhibition

I missed the Hollywood costumes exhibition a few years ago - as it was always fully booked and so I am determined not to miss this one!

And finally, it's an exhibition on 'Extraordinary stories about Ordinary things' at the Design Museum. 

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/2013/extraordinary-stories

I love objects and seeing what people think of boring items which can be seen in a different way. It was one of my main research loves when I did my masters a few years back and it has stayed with me.

So, I think that's enough for one day.  Hope you get to go see something soon too, let me know in the comments below.

Live it

H

A Day wondering in London

Last week I had a few days off from work after the madness of Half Term at work and so I went up to London and spent a few days with my friend Vic - well overdue I think.

On the Tuesday I had long old day wandering around, which is one of the big things I miss about being in London.  I only seem to go in to be rushing to do something these days and so this was a refreshing change!

In the morning we walked along the Thames from London Bridge up to Tate Modern and took a wander around, without taking in the Lichtenstein exhibition unfortunately as it was just far too busy, so that's something to do another day.  I used to do this walk quite alot a few years back when I was doing my Masters as one day a week I would be at the Design Museum and so a walk along the river from Waterloo would set me up for the day.

Then Vic went off to work and I took myself off to South Kensington to potter around my favourite place to while away a few hours - The V&A Museum.  A friend had told me about the new digital labels in the Furniture gallery and so I checked them out.  Swipe screens and interactive material displays were in abundance, which made learning much more about the furniture so much easier and meant that there were not labels everywhere!  Definitely the way forward for larger museums with permanent collections, but I don't think my museum will be doing it anytime soon.

Off to the ceramic gallery after that and a look around the years in plates and bowls.  They had many different display ideas, with big racks of similar coloured or style items to clustered display cases of what trends there were in different decades.  I found a collection of Blue ceramics which of course was my favourite, being that I love the colour!

The corridors then led me to the Jewellery gallery, which of course is very sparkly and no photos can be taken of course.  I need to remember to take my sketchbook for this room to get a bit of inspiration, so that can be the next visit.  There are 2 floors of Jewellery through the ages and its amazing that pieces from the 19th century can look so modern and relevant today.  It may be because we seem to be looking to the past at the moment with Vintage being so prevelant, but also I think it's because people want to feel that their jewellery is much more luxurious than practical.

I then walked around the other galleries winding myself around the museum.  I happened upon looking over a balcony to look at a gallery that was being installed below.  Lots of museum staff unwrapping pieces and installing stone pieces, which looked very heavy!  I watched them for a while, they must have been wondering why, but it was fascinating watching them.

It was then to the design gallery where I got to see some pieces from 1945 onwards, the gallery was set in a mock-up library which is always going to be a favourite of mine - I love books!

Then I thought it was time for a cup of tea!  So off to the cafe I went for a pot of tea and I opted for a slice of Lemon Drizzle cake to boost my energy!  After all that walking around I was starting to wilt!

I decided then that a bit of fresh air was in order as it was a cold but bright day it would be a shame to not enjoy it.  So I thought it would be a nice idea to take a wander down Oxford Street as I do like a bit of window shopping - especially as it was still the afternoon!  I walked down from Oxford Circus to Bond Street, making sure I checked out Selfridge's windows along the way - always a plus point!

Then it was off to meet Vic after work - where I managed to snap this cool lamp - before heading for a well needed Burger and then heading to The Make Escape for their drop in a draw night over in Hackney, but more about that another time.

I love wandering around London, its lovely to be able to take notice of what's going on around you and there is always so much to see and do.  It does help that I used to live there I guess as I feel alot more comfortable getting myself lost in it.  I can imagine for some its very scary, but for me I love to see where I can get to and how easy it is to get around by walking.  I used to love taking the bus to the otherside of the city on my days off too as you get to see so much more than if you are on the tube.

Tell me about where you like to go and if there are any places I should explore anywhere in the country or beyond?

Love it

H

Love it: My V&A Obsession

So to make a change, H decided to take herself down to the V&A this week, I think it is becoming an obsession more than I thought actually!

I took myself for a serious walk around the Jewellery gallery, which unfortunately you cannot take photos of and so you will just have to take my word for it that it is AMAZING!  Some of the detail that has been used through the years is brilliant, I am particularly in love with the Berlin Iron Jewellery from the early 19th Century. But then there were all the very sparkly jewellery from Russia and a man called Leopold Pfisterer, so pretty.

So I went for a wander around the Silver collection, when I saw some people taking some fashion photographs in the gallery, always fun to watch!  I saw a lovely set of three Silver Lions which are copies of the 17th Century original ones which were made to guard the royal throne at Rosenborg Castle in Denmark.

Then through the Silver Objects galleries, where I found these Beauties:

A modern Silver cast vase.

An ornate Silver Cup

I then went to see the Golden Spider Silk Cape, which I have seen before, But its so amazing that these tiny spiders can make something so big and so beautiful.  I know there are many people out there who hate spiders, but there is something about how beautiful the spiders themselves are and what they can do to make you appreciate them that little bit more.

The Golden Spider Silk Cape

A close up of the cape

The Original Drawing for the Cape

So, that's it for another visit to the V&A, although I am sure I will be back soon and tell you all about it.  I am looking forward to the British Design Exhibition which opens at the end of this month, the Ballgowns Exhibition which opens in mid May, the Thomas Heatherwick Exhibition (it does help his name has my name in it!) which opens at the end of May and last but definitely not least, I am looking forward to the Hollywood Costume Exhibition which opens in October!  Phew, lots of do!

Love it
H

Live it: A day at the V&A

Last week I found myself taking a wander down to my favourite Museum for the day, the V&A in London where I saw they have a new sculpture in the entrance.  Although I did not get who it was by, and so if anyone knows, please do let me know!

Along with checking out the Annie Lennox exhibition, with a brilliant soundtrack to keep you humming the tunes for the rest of the day; I took a look around some of the galleries I haven't seen in a while, including the jewellery collection and architecture gallery, where I saw this model of the South Kensington redevelopment, so I thought an arty shot of inside the model was in order!

I also, had a look around the Performance Gallery in which I saw they had some of the amazing masks from the Lion King show, which if you haven't been yet, is well worth a visit!

I had a lovely day wandering around the halls and getting a bit of inspiration, which it is all about isn't it! Where is your favourite place to go and be inspired? 

Live it

H

Live it: Post and Power exhibition at the V & A

Photo Courtesy of the V&A

A day off from work presented H with an opportunity to go to her favourite museum, the V&A.  It was an opportunity to see two exhibitions that I have been looking forward to seeing, Postmodernism and the Power of Making.

Firstly to the temporary exhibition spaces, for the Postmodernism Exhibition.  The entrance way had a huge neon sign which was a sign of what was to come.  With neon backlit text panels, the normal exhibition text had been re-invented for this show.  Walking through the spaces, you moved from architecture to objects which "explored the radical ideas that challenged modernism" (in the V&A's words).   It took me back to my student days of reading the book 'Learning from Las Vegas' and watching Blade Runner in my lectures to help us see how Postmodernism was a way of life for the time and effected everyone's attitude to popular culture.

There were items that we can all relate to, from teapots and side tables to Annie Lennox's clothes.  There was even the references to the start of hip hop DJing with Grandmaster Flash and the graphic design of posters from the Hacienda in Manchester and magazine design.  For me it was a time that brought together many different design disciplines, some for the first time.  It is a notion that is still explored today, with architects designing products for their buildings and how popular culture influences fashion and graphic design especially.

I am now looking forward to the Postmodern weekend at the end of October for my next fix and Halloween avoiding weekend.  You can check it all out here: www.vam.ac.uk/postmodernism

Next on my list was the Power of Making, an exhibition which is very close to this blog's heart.  It is run in conjunction with the Crafts Council to "celebrate the role of making in our lives".  The objects varied from clothes and shoes, through to car manufacturing and sculpture.  David Mach's Coat Hanger Gorilla was an impressive site at the entrance way to the exhibition.  Made from wire coathangers to form the shape, it cuts an impressive figure in front of you.  You can also find another of his works, an Astronaut at the Royal Jordanian Airlines Headquarters in Hammersmith,, London.

Image Courtesy of www.designlondonblog.co.uk

Walking around the exhibition you could explore how robots help to make and that the skilled craftsperson is in decline, but that is starting to revive itself now as people want handmade and unique more than mass production and mundane items.

The Widow Dressmaker Pin Dress by Susie MacMurray also caught my eye as it is made of thousands of dressmaking pins to hold the shape of a beautiful dress.  I am not entirely sure who could or would want to wear it, but it makes a beautiful piece to look at, through the glimmer of exhibition lighting!  It did get me thinking though that does the dress stay as a fashion piece or is it then sculpture?

You can also see a great article about it here: http://www.harpersbazaar.co.uk/fashion/blog/the-editors/art-fashion-identity-bazaar

After all that culture I was a little hungry, so took the opportunity to meet up with a friend of mine who works at the Gallery and eat in the lovely cafe there!  So much choice, so little time.  The garden in the centre of the Museum, makes a lovely spot when its a nice day and in the barmy weather of late September too!

Live it

H