Slim Aarons Summertime

Slim AaronsSummertime is coming, albeit very slowly and in fits and starts……but, the sun is surely on its way, yay! So when I saw that the Getty Images Gallery in London had a small exhibition of Slim Aarons work on, I knew it would be worth a trip. Being a big fan of Aarons’ work, especially his images documenting dreamy summers in the 60’s, I was pretty certain that taking some time out to gaze at his work would pop a spring in my step. And it did.

Joining the US Army in the 1930’s and serving as a photographer for the US military magazine ‘Yank’, Slim Aarons decided that the only beaches worth landing on were ‘decorated with beautiful, semi-nude girls tanning in a tranquil sun’. Along with his contemporary Henri Cartier Bresson, Aarons was also a pioneer of candid photography, preffering to show people in real situations, snapshots of life’s moments. And so after the war he headed to California to make a life photographing the rich and famous; creating some of the most beautiful depictions of life I have ever seen. Timeless and glorious, perfect compositions and breathtaking scenes. A lifestyle we surely all dream about living.

Swoon.

Slim AaronsSlim AaronsSlim AaronsSlim AaronsSlim AaronsSlim AaronsSlim AaronsSlim AaronsSlim AaronsSlim Aarons

Hanging out with Juergen Teller

Teller I’m pretty confident in saying that Juergen Teller is my most favourite photographer of all time. One of the most important and exciting photographers in fashion and portraiture; Juergen’s work was the mood board to my growing up. Iconic and provocative, his works tell a story; an intimate, slightly tongue in cheek, real and honest story. The works are always a clear collaboration between him and the subject, a moment paused in time, Teller’s presence always felt. I was a pretty happy girl to get myself a ticket to spend an evening with Teller at the ICA in London. ‘Juergen Teller-Woo’, a retrospective exhibition of his work was on, and on this particular evening he was holding a small ‘audience with’ …woo indeed!

I was enthralled to see him speak, he was supping white wine and swearing with every sentence, I adore him and his passionate approach. Humble and seemingly insecure, it was great to hear him talk of his career and his life. Growing up in Germany, his Father killed himself when he was young and that, he feels, led him to make the most of life and take the best elements of his Dad; “Just fucking run….do the best you can, you only live once….just ask questions and do it.” His work has always stood out for being outrageous and attention grabbing, but when you look at it again you see a warm sensitivity and realism. I love the lighting in his work, stark sunlight or flat studio light; raw and truthful. I also adore the fact that he has photographed Kate Moss many, many times over the years and his shots of her are without a doubt my most favourite Moss images ever, you see her character and humanity.

The exhibition was small but beautiful, with so much of his work to choose from I think it was edited and curated perfectly. The huge, larger than life prints of a nude, fully exposed Vivienne Westwood makes the subject both confrontational and vulnerable at the same time. Sat next to a sugary sweet portrait of a kitten, you know Teller has his sense of humour firmly in place. Having worked for so many big brands such as Marc Jacobs, Celine, Westwood and Helmut Lang, his work is iconic of its time and I just cant get enough of it.

TellerTellerTellerTellerTellerTeller

 

Teller

 

TellerTellerAs a small part of the exhibition, Teller filled a little box room with tear sheets of his work from magazines, lots from the 90’s that I remember….this little room was just like walking into my younger self’s bedroom….Courtney Love, Kurt Cobain, PJ Harvey, Kate Moss, Annie Morton, Bjork and Winona Ryder pinned up on the walls….all images I have known and coveted. A brilliant addition to the exhibition. Juergen; you are ace. Teller room 1Teller room 2Teller room 3 Teller room 4

Edinburgh to say Goodbye

Earthy

Last week we headed up to Edinburgh for a family farewell. My very dear Grandfather passed away at the good ole’ age of 90 and we made sure to give him a great send off. The most polite, smartly dressed and charming man I have ever known, he was a pure honour to have as a Gramps. Always with long stories to tell and a bigger social circle than many people half his age, Bobby Simpson was just brilliant. I shall endeavour to pay tribute with a blog post dedicated just to him. But for now I have to adjust to the fact that he is no longer here.

I absolutely adore Edinburgh, having visited it often all my life to see family, it is a city that has totally captured my heart. Such a damn handsome place and with a great sense of vitality, I just kinda wish it wasn’t so cold and gusty there! James and I stayed in a cute apartment and explored the cobbled streets together, which was just ace seeing as we never get time off together. We ate breakfast both days in Earthy which I love and the food was heavenly. We also popped to the glorious Harvey Nichols for a peek and to stock up on my Chanel make-up.

Edinburgh, a grand city indeed; a perfect place to say farewell to my Gramps.

Earthy

EarthyEarthyEarthyEarthyEarthyCard for flowersEarthyJames in Harvey NicholsMenswear department in Harvey NicholsGucci holdallJamesEdinburghCake stopThe Dome restaurant

 

Me; jumper- Topshop, jeans- SassandBide, coat- Mango
icon, boots, bag and scarf-Prim Vintage Fashion, sunglasses- Ray Ban. James; coat-Prim Vintage Fashion, jeans- Edwin, boots-Ralph Lauren.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

J’adore Couture

Wenda Parkinson in a Hardy Amies dress, photographed by Norman Parkinson, 1951

Haute Couture; the very best of dressmaking, the very finest of fabrics, the most specific tailoring, the most intricate embellishment, the most beautiful fashion in the world. As a girl whose heart beats faster at the sight of a well-made dress, it doesn’t get much better than this. One of my all time favourite places has an utterly divine exhibition on at the moment and I got my peepers on it last week. ‘Hartnell to Amies, Couture by Royal appointment’, is just perfect. The Fashion and Textile Museum, as always, is a great place to see an exhibition, great size, relaxed atmosphere, and always impeccably curated, on this occasion by Dennis Nothdruft and Michael Pick.

Models wearing Norman Hartnell for Vogue, 1953. Photographed by Norman Parkinson Wenda Parkinson in Hardy Amies coat, 1949. Photographed by Norman Parkinson Fiona Campbell-Walter with Julia Clarke and Hardy Amies, photographed by Norman Parkinson, 1953

This darling of a show focuses on the undisputed Kings of British vintage couture; Norman Hartnell and Hardy Amies. With a stunning selection of their work, displayed beautifully and with great informative text alongside. We also get to see examples of hat couturier Frederick Fox. In addition to all this gorgeousness, we are treated to the sights of some other couture pieces including Worth, Digby Morton and Lachasse. It is always an absolute treat to see the fashion up close, to study the detail and craftsmanship. As a vintage shop owner, I am lucky enough to come across couture pieces myself. I currently have dresses by Hardy Amies, Lachasse and Worth in my collection which I love and will blog about separately. These photographs above are a few of my favourite from the work of infamous couture photographer, Norman Parkinson, beautiful. I did take some photos whilst at the show, not great but a bit of a glimpse at my pick of what was on display.

Norman Hartnell, Black crepe dress with bolero. 1938

Norman Hartnell. Black crepe dress, 1938

Norman Hartnell, pale bronze silk satin dress, circa 1946

Norman Hartnell, pale bronze evening dress, circa 1946

Norman Hartnell, blue crepe two piece suit, circa 1956

Norman Hartnell, two piece suit, circa 1956

Hardy Amies, red and black printed cocktail dress, circa 1960

Hardy Amies, copper satin cocktail dress, 1952

Hardy Amies, scarlet crepe evening dress, , 1980

Hardy Amies, scarlet dress, 1980

  • Black crepe evening dress with matching bolero, Norman Hartnell, 1938
  • Embroidered pale bronze silk evening dress, Norman Hartnell, Circa 1946
  • Blue crepe two piece suit, Norman Hartnell, Circa 1956
  • Dark red and black printed glazed manmade satin dress, Hardy Amies, 1960
  • Copper satin dress, fitted bodice, full skirt, Hardy Amies, 1952
  • Scarlet crepe evening dress, Hardy Amies, 1980

This wonderful exhibition is on until 23rd February