Creativity in all its glory

Darlings, there is nothing that excites me more than fashion and craftsmanship and although I have been around the block a few times (I know you’re thinking I don’t look a day over 25 - let me tell you, fibreglass fillers hide a multitude of sins!), I feel we are now in a moment where both are being celebrated simultaneously. Hurrah!

The recent collaboration between British heritage fashion brand Burberry and British luxury craft retailer The New Craftsmen, is one where both fashion and handcrafting come together in perfect harmony.

Held at Makers House, Soho, London, this fascinating showcase emanates inspiration and creativity from the very moment you walk through the quintessentially English courtyard. A sumptuous sanctuary that exudes an exquisitely calming scent with soothing ambient music, it’s a far cry from the hectic hurly-burly adjacent streets.

Upon entry to the ground floor of Makers house, a hive of craft activity and pop-up work stations await you, where you can witness craft in action. I watched beguiled. Book binders, sculptors and artists worked away oblivious to my presence; it was as if I were peeping into their very studios. The space seemed private and special, I had the privilege of a behind-the-scenes look (albeit a staged one), and an insight to their unique skill sets.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spied a green woven carpet with a familiar motif leading the way up a grand staircase – I was intrigued as to what awaited me at the top. On reaching the final step I was disoriented to find an elite FROW crowd directly in my line of vision (I prefer not to name drop darlings but let's just say one of the Delevingne sisters was within arm’s length). I stood in awe, immersed in the display, and then the penny dropped. I remembered where I had seen that motif… the Burberry SS17 collection, of course! Surrounded by the full collection dovetailed with video footage from the live show, I felt as though I were there amongst the exclusive buzz aside the runway.

The impressive nature of this installation has made me think. Today, we're constantly invited into the world of fashion brands, models, artists and designers. Practically anyone who hasn't been living under a rock for the past decade has succumbed to social media in some way, posting snippets of their private lives and thoughts – an intimate behind the scenes view of their character. But when those scenes are extended to more than just an image or tidbit of information, it has the ability to elevate our perceptions about the person or brand. And that is exactly what this showcase has done for Burberry and The New Craftsman. Moreover, the ingenious pairing of the two brands has highlighted an aspect of each that perhaps we never truly considered before.  A very clever move indeed!

Rather than simply presenting the final product, both luxury brands have chosen to commemorate the journey of its creation and the skills involved. Thus, amplifying the all-important finer details, and showcasing a process that should be appreciated. We see here, a new way of promoting creativity. Not just reliant on the media to speak to us, but to have real artisans demonstrate their skills and do the talking. After all, handmade production can be hard to come by these days, so let’s shout about it!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This spectacular showcase is open to the public until the 27th September 2016. For further details please visit The New Craftsmen website by clicking here.

HIS NAME IS PAUL SMITH

                   

Hello Darling readers, I must tell you I am barely able to control my excitement for a fabulous exhibition my dear chums – proportion london are involved in; ‘HELLO MY NAME IS PAUL SMITH’ is being held at the Design Museum on November 15^th (only two more days left, eeek!)

I for one cannot wait to step inside the world of the legendary fashion designer and stand in awe of such fine suits and clothing, of course i will  do a follow up post but in the mean time I shall leave with you a little light reading from proportion london...

        

Adding to the celebration of the work by seminal British fashion designer Paul Smith, proportion>london are thrilled to have been invited to collaborate with the Design Museum in the making of the exhibition ‘HELLO MY NAME IS PAUL SMITH’ through sponsorship of a range of bespoke tailor’s forms and mannequins.

Showcasing the work of this legendary designer and celebrating the excellence of a quintessentially   British brand; this exhibition has been many months in the making and as lovingly crafted as one of Sir Pauls own celebrated suits.

As a company, proportion>london have been honoured to have been associated with Paul Smith for over 15 years; proudly supplying this respected client with bust forms, mannequins and display equipment which embodies his witty take on retail clothing presentation. Like the brand, we pride ourselves in innovative ideas; well executed, using quality materials and manufactured to the highest standards. We also share our client’s belief in UK production and local artisan skills, still choosing to manufacture the vast majority of our product in Walthamstow, North London, using traditional techniques, with talented craftspeople of exceptional skill and dedication.

Over the years we have grown to know the Paul Smith team well, rising to the challenge of furnishing them with traditional yet contemporary bespoke display figures and visual merchandising equipment which we believe characterises their product and adds to the wit and ingenuity of the brand presentation. Our shared backgrounds and principles make the relationship that little bit more special!

The unique DNA of the Paul Smith world is captured perfectly in this exhibition; which will later travel world-wide as proud ambassador not only of the brands originality and style, but also of British design, skill and workmanship.

 

  

      

      

Image courtesy and copy right of Paul Smith

 



                      

For tickets and further information on the exhibtion please visit the Design Museum website 

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/2013/paul-smith 

For bespoke tailor forms please visit the proportion london website

http://proportionlondon.com/bg2-14-154-Bespoke-tailoring  

Pearls are a girls best friend...

Of course we all know diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but in true Miss Mannequin style she likes to extend her acquaintances and finds that pearls also make an adequate friendship…

Hello my Darling Readers. My my, what a superbly enriching summer It has been, I trust yours has been of equal measure? My diary has been jam packed throughout with event after event, but one that held particular interest for me was the opening of “Pearls” at the Victoria and Albert Museum (In conjunction with the Qatar Museums Authority and sponsored by Shell). There can be no doubt that the Victoria and Albert Museum have put on some truly spectacular shows this year with ‘David Bowie is’ and ‘Club to catwalk: London fashion in the 1980's’ - but a touch of traditional glamour in the shape of ‘Pearls’ was an exhibition I could not resist.



All images are copyright to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.



Fascinating from the start right through to the very end; the exhibition is divided into separate areas covering – the formation of pearls, the history and contemporary pearls. A full explanation of how pearls are made enlightened me to the fact that it is the intrusion of a parasite such as a worm or piece of sponge into the shells mantle, causing an irritation that realises a coating substance which creates a pearl. Fascinating, right? I also discovered that pearl divers originally used very little equipment; wearing merely a loin cloth, leather sheath to hold the oysters and a nose clip made from tortoiseshell. Descending sometimes as deep as 22 metres…they must have had pretty large lungs and a brave character to say the least!

The central focus of the exhibition features the evolution of the pearl in jewellery design throughout history, showcasing jewels from ancient roman times to the current day. In the contemporary area of the exhibition there are items shown by renowned jewellery houses such as Tiffany & Co, Bulgari, Cartier, Chaumet, Mikimoto, Yoko London, and René Lalique… oh I do love a bit of sparkle!  

Another fascinating fact; a single pearl is found only in approximately 1 in 2000 oyster shells – making it a rare commodity and thus it is no wonder that these precious gems need to be displayed in enclosed cabinets and showcased on presenters that will preserve them in their beautiful form. Conservation grade specialists; Gems Studio and my dear chum’s Proportion London were commissioned by the Victoria and Albert Museum to produce neck forms which would not only compliment the items on show but also ensure they were made with special materials to prevent the pearls from being spoilt. Using a barrier foil and conservation grade fabric, Gems and Proportion were able to successfully fulfil the design brief set by the museum.

Adding to the array of jewels on show is a necklace of cultured pearls given to Marilyn Monroe by fiancée Joe DiMaggio in 1954 along with pieces worn by Elizabeth Taylor. As I am sure you can imagine, I was in raptures of delight being in the presence of jewels owned by such Hollywood icons.

If like me you are intrigued by the history of such precious artefacts, this is defiantly an exhibition not to be missed! Open until 19th January 2014 at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.



All images are copyright to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.



For more information and to book your ticket visit their website http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/exhibition-pearls/

For suitable neckforms on which to display your own pearls, see the precious jewellery presenter range by proportion London  http://proportionlondon.com/bg4-73-138-PRECIOUS-jewellery  

Best Of British

Devoted town bouncer that I am, yesterday led me down the cobbled streets of Covent Garden’s Seven Dials where I discovered the latest happenings in Britain’s upcoming menswear brands. Earlham Streets newest arrival ‘Best of British’ pop up shop, stocks talented home grown designer accessories and clothing, all of which have been carefully considered by Daniel Peters (the man behind the "Best of British" fashion concept), as affordable yet beautifully stylish pieces.  This notion instantly excited me and sparked a thought that I must tell you all Dear Readers, about the fabulous collection my good chums at proportion london have recently produced called BESPOKE.





Daniel Peters outside his Best Of British pop up shop. Image courtesy of Jonathan Daniel Pryce  GarconJon.com



Like Daniel, proportion london are passionate about their British heritage and designer menswear brands and feel that the luxurious element should continue from product, right through to the  presentation. With this in mind they have developed a full range of impeccably groomed bust forms, bodies and accoutrements for men’s tailoring, forming a basis for their manifesto for stylish display!





Raw papier mache bust form featured in Best Of British shop - supplied by proportion london. Image courtesy of Jonathan Daniel Pryce GarconJon.com



Raw papier mache hat stand supplied by proportion london. Image courtesy of Jonathan Daniel Pryce GarconJon.com



Bespoke offers the opportunity for clients to blend, shape, cut and adorn their product to create a truly individual set of VM presenters including contemporary slim merchandising torsos, valet stands, garment rails, shirts, ties, shoes, hats and all the usual male paraphernalia. Accessories have not been overlooked either, with an array of product presenters that allow for single iconic display or multiple merchandising opportunities.

Mindful of how this collection harmonises with the surrounding retail environment, proportion have employed a sophisticated palette of classic muted shades and distinctive fabrics offset with on-trend metals such as brushed nickel and blonde brass. Smoked and limed effect woods, turned in considered shapes add to the masculine appeal of this collection. 

proportion london's Bespoke range consists of bustforms and accessory presenters to view the full range click on the link below



To view proportion londons BESPOKE range please visit their website http://proportionlondon.com/bg2-14-154-Bespoke-tailoring  

The Best of British pop up shop is located at 18 Earlham Street, Covent Garden, WC2H 9LG and is open until Tuesday the 16th of July so do hurry! For more information visit the Best of British facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/BOB-Shop/154658578053039  

...and that's it for now Darling Readers. I need to venture out from Mannequin Towers and into the glorious sunshine - in aid of my next post … so stay tuned! x

Checkmate.......A Queen Within

Unusual in the world of the mannequin, I do like a good game of chess to while away long hours posing in the window (sadly not many of my mannequin friends are endowed with the same intellectual qualities). I was most interested then, in the latest project by my dear friends at Proportion London, who have recently created a series of display figures an exhibition within  The World Chess, Hall of Fame in St Louis, Missouri, U.S.

This fascination exhibition does not open until October 2013, however the below images of their press launch give you a sneaky peak at what to expect....

This unique exhibition named ‘A Queen within’ explores the role of the queen within the game and the fashion world. In a game of chess the queen is considered the most powerful and at the same time, the most unpredictable piece. She embodies tradition while simultaneously redefining rules established by a patriarchal system.  This intriguing dichotomy is the inspiration behind the exhibition and the relationship between power, risk-taking, and the queen’s evolving feminine role in chess (and society).    

Produced by an international team of thought-makers, curators, fashion insiders, and chess players. The exhibition focuses on how story telling as well as various archetypes of the queen have constantly captured the imagination of innovative fashion designers. 

Extremely rare pieces from one of the world’s largest private collections of Alexander McQueen’s work will join garments by Gianfranco Ferré, Gucci, Hussein Chalayan, Iris van Herpen, Maison Martin Margiela, Viktor and Rolf and approximately 20 other designers known for their daring work. 

The story of each persona – its powers, its weaknesses, its significance, its sacrifice – is told through examples of fashion, photography, film and artwork.

       

 

The exhibition is open from October 19th 2013 to April 18th 2014 at The World of Chess in St. Louis, Missouri.For more information please visit http://www.worldchesshof.org/exhibitions/exhibit/a-queen-within/

view museum and exhibtion display figures please visit

http://proportionlondon.com/bg2-7-140-MUSEUM-bust-forms 

SHOWcabinet - what Daphne did next

As you know, I am never one to shy away from a fabulous party Dear Reader, hence why on Wednesday 21^st of February I attended a (not to be missed) launch by the award winning fashion website; SHOWstudio. Held in London’s prestigious Belgravia area in the iconic Pantechnicon Building; I mingled amongst the fashion elite, sipping lusciously refreshing cocktails and brushing bejeweled elbows with the fantastic Daphne Guinness, Gareth Pugh, Nick Knight and Philip Tracey plus many more – but hey who’s counting!

The launch, which celebrated the first installation of SHOWstudio’s latest gallery venture; 'SHOWcabinet'. The first in a series, it's a sort of moderne cabinet of curiosities, which was kick started by Daphne herself, giving us an insight into her own contemporary, romantic vision of the world. Items such as a black leather cage jacket designed by Gareth Pugh, bling-tastic crystal heel-less shoes by Norikata Tatehana, and an 18 carat gold and diamond armour glove made in collaboration with Shaune Leane - this item in particular is the central piece of the installation.

Also on show is a silver sequin Chanel dress and over jacket – of course this instantly caught my eye (there really is nothing else other than a touch of sparkle to make me weak at my fibreglass knees). In complete owe of this stunning number I took a closer look and was delighted to notice that the garment was displayed on a beautiful signature vintage type bust form from my old chums at proportion london (goodness they get everywhere)! Daphers is a darling and the launch was a pleasure to attend, however if unlike moi your name was not on the guest list do not fret my darlings as Daphne’s installation is open until the 20th March and most of the items on view are for sale.

Throughout the year there will be further installations during the SHOWcabinet series including displays from Una Burke and Iris Van Herpen, so do stay tuned for my forthcoming post's since I know i'm going to be on the invite list for all of them! Chin, chin darlings x

SHOWcabinet. Image supplied by SHOWstudio



Daphne Guinness. Image supplied by SHOWstudio.

Gareth Pugh, Nick Knight, Carson McColl. Image supplied by SHOWstudio

Shaun Leane. Image supplied by SHOWstudio

Bella Freud. Image supplied by SHOWstudio

Shoes designed by Norikata Tatehana

Leather cage jacket designed by Gareth Pugh



proportion london bust form showcasing silver sequin Chanel dress

For more information on the SHOWcabinet installation please visit the SHOWstudio blog 

http://showstudio.com/blog/post/daphne_guinness_showcabinet_launches 

For proportion london bust forms and mannequins please visit their website

http://proportionlondon.com/ 

Handbag heaven

And now Dear Readers, my promised follow-up to previous story on The Handbag Museum of Seoul.    

Impressive from the start, this purpose built 10 story building (which cleverly resembles a handbag in shape itself), houses the worlds largest public display of bags, purses, clutches... you name it, they have it ), I say largest public display Dear Reader, since they obviously haven't looked inside my wardrobe lately)! 

Showcasing over 300 items, which date back to 1500 and chart the development of the form (for it must be close to high art) right up to Alexander McQueen examples of recent seasons. 

Masterminded by high class handbag producer Simone and overseen by fashion maven Judith Clark, this permanent museum extravaganza chooses to display these sartorial treasures set off against bodyforms produced by my old chums at proportion london. 

Of her use of these bust forms Ms. Clark comments "with their pale calico covering and abstracted calico heads (they) have become to me something of a blank canvas. They are busts which do not have features that place them in a particular time and space. They have no chiseled cheekbones or the drawn-in hairlines of contemporary retail mannequins. These mannequins are designed as though a conservator had plucked their standard bust out of the archive and started to work on it, creating a context for each particular bag" 

As if the creation of the museum where not enough Dear Reader, Judith Clark has also written an accompanying book entitled Handbags: 'The Making of a Museum', in which she charts the process and photographs many of the treasures in mouthwatering detail. Not since my days as a coat check girl have i had the opportunity to peek inside so many well groomed reticules to behold lining and hidden pockets galore!

Shown below, in lavish detail are some of the plates from the book - which is obviously a must have for all fashionista and pocketbook pervs! Click here for more details about the book

Shown above: French Gladstone Bag,  c1880 - 1885 

Shown above: British Evening Bag, made in rare shagreen c1930-1939 

  

Above left image - French, c1968, Pierre Cardin.

Pierre Cardin made his name in the 1960s with his space-age fashions. His uniform-inspired, body-skimming garments were made using newly manufactured or unusual materials, including vinyl, chain mail, triple gabardine, ‘wet look’ leather and plastic discs. Courrèges, Paco Rabanne and Emanuel Ungaro also experimented with futuristic designs. This was the decade when youth and slimness were the twin ideals of fashion. Short miniskirts and dresses, and the use of novel materials and construction techniques reflect the trend for innovation and visual impact in design.

Above right image - French, c1996 Bum bag, Viviennne Westwood for Louis Vuitton. 

For centuries, belts, chatelaines and tie-on pockets have kept precious items close to the body in order to ensure their security. During the 1990s a new design became fashionable – what became known as a ‘bum bag’. It was comprised of a simple unstructured zip-closing purse affixed to a belt.

Left image -  British or German, belt  bag, c1870

For many centuries women in Europe wore small personal items on chains attached at their waists. Securing possessions close to the body meant there was less chance of theft, hands were freed and accessibility improved. By the late 1820s the term chatelaine had come to describe the clasps or chains from which various items – whether useful (a toothpick or needlework tools, for example) or decorative (cameos) – could be suspended. The finest designs were made from gold or silver; cut steel offered a less costly alternative.

Right image - British, tie-on pocket, c1760

'Lucy Locket lost her pocket, Kitty Fisher found it / Not a penny was there in it, Only ribbons round it.’ These verses from a popular nursery rhyme were well known in eighteenth-century Britain. Detachable tie-on pockets first emerged around 1650 and continued to be used into the early 1900s.

Shown above, these two bags (d. 1800's) are made from highly unusual materials for their time – wood and tortoise-shell – making them among the rarest items housed within the Simone Collection. They are also unusual in design, since by the early 1800s the reticule had largely replaced the bag as the receptacle of choice.

Alongside this amazing collection of hand luggage, an insight is afforded the visitor into handbag production itself (perhaps a reflection of the passion that led to the commission of the newly built museum building by SIMONE: a luxury handbag production company) with many tools of the trade displayed and craft techniques explained.

Images and background information courtesy of Simone Handbag Museum.

Click here to visit the Handbag Museum website
Click here to visit the proportion london website