Art Hag

Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston & Vidal Sasoon The Movie | Tribeca Film Festival

In setting out to direct the documentary Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston, director Whitney Sudler-Smith was inspired by his love and fascination with the legendary designer, the decadent 70s, and evidently himself.  While the film offers great archival footage of the handsome and chic fashion designer from Des Moines, Iowa born Roy Halston Frowick along with amusing and insightful interviews with fashion industry insiders and members of Halston's inner circle, Smith's aggressive and entirely unnecessary insertion of himself into the proceedings not only irritated me to no end, but also weakened the movie and I feel, disrespected the subject and the film's participants. 

Smith's juvenile and wooden narration along with his tacky and oh-so-ironic Trans Am, series of bad hairstyles and attention-craving get-ups felt like hammy, desperate pleas to draw attention to himself.  Smith's obnoxiousness might have been forgivable had he done his homework and not been so clueless.  A few of the interviewees, most notably Vogue's editor-at large-and-in-charge Andre Leon Talley, called Smith out for not doing his research.  Smith's staring blankly at American haute-couturier Ralph Rucci (a former Halston assistant) as he described seeing Halston lay a bolt of fabric on the floor and cut into it sans pattern and create a perfect, seamless, bias-cut dress hinted at his lack of knowledge, but the director's cutting off Talley to ask who Diana Vreeland is was just pathetic.  The fact that Smith did not edit the interviewees' shocked reactions to his ignorance from the final cut seems to be yet another ploy by the director to draw attention to himself - sort of like "I pissed off Andre Leon Talley!  Aren't I a cad?" 

Smith was lucky to have the likes of Talley, Rucci, Liza Minnelli, Diane von Furstenberg, Naeem Khan, Angelica Houston, Cathy Horyn, Glenn O'Brien, Bob Colacello, and Pat Cleveland agree to sit and talk to him when he was so blatantly ill prepared and seemed to take everything so lightly.  Fortunately their tales and the archival footage illustrate the story of Halston's career starting off as a successful milliner and designing the pillbox hat Jackie Kennedy wore for JFK's inauguration to creating the best-selling ultrasuede shirt-dress and pioneering a minimal yet chic aesthetic that forever changed the way American women dress.  At the age of 40 Halston was named the “the premier fashion designer of all America” by Newsweek. After partnering with JC Penney for a mass-market collection (a deal signed for $1 billion for six years!) that was poorly executed and ultimately failed, Halston's brand was tarnished by the "lowbrow" collaboration (which was totally visionary and a precursor for all the designer capsule collections today!).  The designer sold his company and the rights to his name in 1973 and was fired from the company altogether in the early 80s.  Halston's philosophy, “Party hard, live hard, and have the best life,” was detailed via photographs, videos and dishy stories about his debaucherous dinner parties and many nights at Studio 54.  Halston died March 26, 1990 at 57 from complications from AIDS. 

The designer from Des Moines who dressed countless stars and loved glamour, drama and the limelight undoubtedly would have been pleased with the world premiere of Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston last Friday night.  The packed SVA Theater in Chelsea was filled with fashion people and celebs including many featured in the movie along with artist Rachel Feinstein, Marchesa designer Georgina Chapman (whose husband Harvey Weinstein is one of the current owners of Halston), and Sarah Jessica Parker (who was recently signed on to design ?!?! Halston Heritage, the label's secondary line).  Learn more at Halstonmovie.com.

The stylish Vidal Sassoon The Movie eloquently documents the rags-to-riches tale of arguably the most famous hairstylist in the world.  Born to Jewish parents in London in 1928, the young Sassoon spent his early years in an orphanage after his father left his family and Sassoon, his mother, and his brother were evicted from their home.  At the age of 14, Sassoon's mother had an epiphany that her son would be a hairdresser, so she found an apprenticeship for him at a salon in London's East End.  After serving in the Israeli army, Sassoon returned to London and the hair trade.  After a few years trying to find his own place and identity in the hair industry, Sassoon opened his own salon on London's King Road.  At the start of the 60s Sassoon got a fateful request to cut The World of Suzie Wong actress Nancy Kwon's hair, and in cutting her lackluster four-feet-long tresses into a sleek, asymmetric bob, Sassoon discovered his trademark geometric style which helped style Swinging Sixties London.  His famous five-point cut modeled by Grace Coddington and Peggy Moffitt and the pixie cut he gave to Mia Farrow for Rosemary's Baby redefined women's hairstyles and liberated young women by freeing them from weekly wash-and-set appointments.  Sassoon's architectural, wash-and-go cuts revolutionized beauty for modern women with styles that are still worn today.  Always a disciplined, savvy businessman, Sassoon went on to open a chain of salons and internationally acclaimed hair academies, launched a popular line of hair care products, and wrote a lifestyle book and hosted a U.S. television show with his second wife Beverly.

The film also discusses Sassoon's three marriages, four children (his son David was adopted and his eldest daughter Catya sadly overdosed in 2002), philanthropic work (he founded an organization that has built 23 new houses in New Orleans post Katrina), 2009 appointment as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), and his obsession with healthy living.  Scenes of the stylist effortlessly performing acrobatic stretches (Sassoon started taking pilates 25 years ago) displayed his limberness and elicited gasps of awe from the audience.  Directed by Craig Teper and produced by Bumble and bumble founder Michael Gordon, Vidal Sassoon The Movie shows Gordon and his team working on an early layout for a book he will publish on the life and work of Sassoon.  Along with Gordon (who unlike Ultrasuede's Smith makes an understated appearance in his own film), former Sassoon employees, spouses, and mod fashion designer Mary Quant are interviewed for the film, though the most revealing interviewee is the subject himself.  At 82-years-old, the elegant, poised, intelligent, and articulate Sassoon is open, frank, charming and clearly very grateful for all that he's achieved and for the homage. Learn more at Vidalsassoonthemovie.com.

Photo from vidalsassoonthemovie.com

Ryan McGinley at Team Gallery | Inez & Vinoodh at Andrea Rosen

There are two shows currently happening featuring works by some of the top fashion/art photographers working today.  The first is Ryan McGinley's Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere at Soho's Team Gallery.  The 32 year-old, New Jersey born McGinley is best known for his shots of friends frolicking out in nature in the buff.  Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere features crisp, black-and-white nudes of skinny, pretty, young things all shot in McGinley's NYC studio.  The photographer scouted out approximately 150 subjects from around the world and shot thousands of images of each, selecting one final definitive shot from each sitting to display in the show.  Every shot is unique in terms of the sitters' pose and personality as well as his/her level of chemistry with McGinley.  Along with the seemingly endless black-and-white nudes are four large-scale color landscapes, which according to the show's press release, "add a narrative backdrop to the exhibition." 

In 2003, when he was just 24, McGinley was the youngest artist to have a solo show at the Whitney.  He has shot fashion editorials for W Magazine, a 2007 Oscar nominee portfolio and a 2010 Winter Olympics photo essay for The New York Times Magazine.  He followed Morrissey on tour for two years shooting the performer's young, adoring fans in the audience all aglow in ecstasy and stage lighting for his 2007 series Irregular Regulars.  And he shot a short film featuring Tilda Swinton for Pringle of Scotland's Spring/Summer 2010 collection.  Learn more at teamgallery.com and at McGinley's website Ryanmcginley.com.  Through April 17th.

Over in Chelsea, Andrea Rosen presents (in Gallery 2) Sculptographs by the dynamic, husband and wife photography duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, along with extra help from Eugene van Lamsweerde.  The small exhibit features photographs from Inez and Vinoodh's vast archive of images, reworked with some wires, strings, branches, and more, to create revised collage-like works, or Sculptographs.  It's interesting to see the artists add elements to their gorgeous, stylish photos of models and celebrities, in an attempt to give them new life.  The additions are so subtle, I'm not sure if they are entirely necessary, but I'm always happy to see anything new from the talented photographers.  Both from Amsterdam, the pair met in 1986 and broke into the fashion world in the early 90s shooting for every reputable fashion title and every major fashion house.  They've also collaborated with musicians Sigur Ros and Bjork.  The attractive couple recently shot themselves for Lanvin Men's Spring/Summer 2010 ad campaign.

Learn more at Andrearosengallery.com and at the artists' website airdeparis.com.  Through May 1st.

Ryan McGinley's Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere at Team Gallery

Ryan McGinley's Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere at Team Gallery 

Ryan McGinley's Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere at Team Gallery

Ryan McGinley's Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere at Team Gallery

Ryan McGinley, Coco's Cliff, 2009

Ryan McGinley, Night Sky (Crimson), 2009-2010

Inez van Lamsweerde, Vinoodh Matadin, Eugene van Lamsweerde, Sculptographs at Andrea Rosen

Inez van Lamsweerde, Vinoodh Matadin, Eugene van Lamsweerde, Sculptographs at Andrea Rosen

Inez van Lamsweerde, Vinoodh Matadin, Eugene van Lamsweerde, Sculptographs at Andrea Rosen

Inez van Lamsweerde, Vinoodh Matadin, Eugene van Lamsweerde, Sculptographs at Andrea Rosen

Inez van Lamsweerde, Vinoodh Matadin, Eugene van Lamsweerde, Sculptographs at Andrea Rosen

Inez van Lamsweerde, Vinoodh Matadin, Eugene van Lamsweerde, Sculptographs at Andrea Rosen

Mr. Brainwash | Icons

I am a total sucker for pop culture, fashion designers, supermodels, artists and rock stars, so French street artist Mr. Brainwash's first U.S. show, Icons, is right up my alley.  Mr. Brainwash (Thierry Guetta) fills up two floors of a 15,000 square-feet warehouse space in the Meatpacking District with silkscreens of iconic figures from the art, fashion, music, and even technological worlds; larger than life installations; sculptures made from tires; and collages of famous musicians from various genres made entirely of broken vinyl records on wood (I can't even imagine how many crates of vinyl were smashed to bits for this show).  Though you may not have known his name before, you'll recognize Mr. Brainwash's work - he designed the pop-inspired cover for Madonna's latest greatest hits album Celebration (which has a huge wall in the show devoted to the many variations of the cover), and he's responsible for the prints that popped up around town last summer of Mr. Spock dolled up in Marilyn Monroe drag.

While his silkscreen and vinyl record portraits make up a bulk of the show, his large installation pieces are definitely impressive and cheeky.  See my pics below of the real taxi cab the artist had custom built for the exhibit which he encased in Matchbox packaging, his giant, pink paint can, tipped over and spilling "paint" down through the grates in the floor, and the 12 feet-tall, old-school boombox down in the basement level with all his vinyl portraits of musical legends.

The bright colors, famous faces, and kitchen pantry labels all pay homage to pop art and Warhol, but Mr. Brainwash adds his own street art touch to the works - especially in Tomato Spray, a parody of Warhol's famous Campbell's Soup cans which instead shows a tagger's spray-paint can wrapped in the iconic, red and white label.  Mr. Brainwash clearly admires many high profile players in many fields, and clearly has a blast representing them in his work.  Definitely check out this fun, celeb obsessed, pop infused show.  Through March 30th at 415 West 13th Street between 9th Avenue and Washington Street (open daily from 3:00-10:00pm).  Read a brief article on Mr. Brainwash at flavorwire.com and check out the artist's website at mrbrainwash.com.

AC/DC, broken vinyls and CDs on wood 

Barry White, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Biggie Smalls, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Billie Holiday, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Blondie (Deborah Harry), broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Bruce Springsteen, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Diana Ross, Sade, Michael Jackson, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Elvis, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Jay Z, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Kiss, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Louis Armstrong, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Prince, Stevie Wonder, Nat King Cole, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Close-up of lower, right corner of Prince portrait

Slash, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Velvet Underground, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Silkscreens of assorted artists, designers, models

Tomato Spray, silkscreen and oil on canvas

Silkscreens of Bill Gates (top left), Jack Dorsey (top right), Steve Jobs (bottom left), Mark Zuckerberg (bottom right)

Silkscreens of Madonna, Andy Warhol, Mr. Spock

A Way Beyond Fashion | Apex Art

On view until Saturday at Apex Art in Tribeca is A Way Beyond Fashion, a small exhibit displaying the work of 11 artists and/or designers that "analyzes the shifting boundaries between art and fashion design."  The artists/designers in the exhibit "blur the lines between the two disciplines" and along with questioning individuality and identity they "revise some key technological, ecological and socio-economic issues of our day."  The exhibit's curator, Robert Punkenhofer, states in the exhibition notes, "For A Way Beyond Fashion, my primary intention was to find works on the periphery between art and fashion.  Together, the explored issues - relating to communication, identity, technology and ecological sustainability - provide exciting fashion themes, which in turn are analyzed from the perspective of art." 

Designer Rudi Gernreich "whose level of conceptual depth and radicalism" inspired Punkenhofer to curate the exhibit, introduced the "unisex design concept" at the 1970 World Expo in Osaka, Japan.  Along with "thematiz[ing] sexual identity as an important aspect of fashion," the pioneering Gernreich also "experimented with technology, toyed with unusual fabrics, including vinyl, plastic and paper, and created the space suit and military look."

One of my favorite designers, London-based Hussein Chalayan, often incorporates technology into his clothing designs.  On view is his 2007 LED Dress made of "Crystallized Swarovski Elements," LED lights, and chiffon/silk overlay.  The dress actually lights up like a Christmas tree!  The Absent Presence (2005), a 5-screen video piece created by Chalayan and starring fashion fave, Tilda Swinton, plays on a flat-screen television beside his LED Dress.  Originally shown at the Venice Biennale, the video shows a future that includes "fashion scans" that "access private data and track consumer behavior." 

Highly inspired and influenced by the "indigenous population of the Yucatan and other areas of [her native] Mexico" Carla Fernandez "challeng[es] the role of fashion and design in creating cultural identity."  Along with Pedro Reyes, Fernandez created Square Clothes for Round-Minded People (2009) which consists of "seven pieces of clothing featuring a strictly geometric design of squares and rectangles."  The very cool and contemporary pieces are made of wool, suede and cotton and hang from the wall on steel hangers.  Accompanying videos demonstrate the multiple ways in which the garments can be worn.

New York-based Jenny Marketou created ParKour (wear), 12 wearable paper dresses emblazoned with advertising slogans like "Fragile" and "Freedom is the new luxury."  Marketou hopes to show with her brightly-colored, paper, tent dresses (that remind me of Stephen Sprouse) "how the human body is reclaiming the public space through fashion." 

Japanese artist Takehiko Sanada enlisted 500 volunteers to cultivate their own cotton which he used to create Hou/Jun (2008) which means "healthy and happy."  He used the yarn along with wire and sculpted delicate human forms.  According to the exhibit's notes, the process of creating the sculptures helped Sanada attain "the state of an 'enriched heart and mind' where he turns a fragmented, hectic world into an infinitely layered and interconnected life encapsulated in the 'eternal time,'" a contradiction to the fast-paced and soul-crushing fashion industry.

Since I often bemoan the commercialization and dumbing down of fashion - every tasteless starlet now has a clothing line and every velour tracksuit-clad mall-rat proclaims herself a fashion expert, or worse, a "fashionista" (Have you ever noticed how the people who bandy that word about the most are usually the least fashionable?) - I'm glad that these artists and designers are aiming to take the art form to an intellectual and socially responsible level.  Learn more at apexart.org.  Through October 24th.

Rudi Gernreich, Scarf (on left wall), 1960's, and Takehiko Sanada, Hou/Jun (right), 2008

Hussein Chalayan, The Absent Presence (left), 2005, and LED Dress (right), 2007

Carla Fernandez, Square Clothes for Round-Minded People, 2009

Jenny Marketou, ParKour (wear), 2009

R.I.P. Irving Penn

I know this is a bit delayed, but I couldn't let the week end without mentioning the sad passing of legendary fashion photographer Irving Penn on Wednesday at the age of 92.  Known for his simply composed, no-nonsense, elegant photos of models (including several unforgettable shots of his wife Lisa Fonssagrives), artists, writers, and celebrities, Penn contributed a staggering 150 covers for Vogue during his 50+ year relationship with the magazine and its publisher, Conde Nast.

Born June 16, 1917 in Plainfield, New Jersey , Penn studied drawing, painting, and graphic/industrial design at the Pennsylvania Museum School of Industrial Art in Philadelphia (now the University of the Arts) from 1934 to 1938.  He was mentored by Alexey Brodovitch, the former, highly influential art director for Harper's Bazaar.  After brief stints as the director of advertising design for Saks Fifth Avenue, and as a painter in Mexico, Penn returned to New York in 1943 and worked as the assistant to Alexander Liberman, the art director for Vogue.  In 1946, Penn became a staff photographer at Vogue, and the rest is fashion/art photography history.  Read the NYT's obituary here and see a few selections of Penn's work there and at Style.com.

Where the Wild Things Are

If, like me, you are super excited for Spike Jonze's film adaptation of Maurice Sendak's beloved children's book, Where the Wild Things Are, I have a couple of suggestions that might tide you over until its October 16th release.  First off, there's the sweet and dreamy soundtrack, primarily written by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' awesome front-woman, Karen O.  You can have a listen here.

Next, there are a couple of exhibitions of Sendak's art you can check out and be reminded of your childhood dreams of fantasy lands and footie pajamas.  The Animazing Gallery in Soho currently has on view Sendak in Soho, displaying and selling approximately 200 works by the author/illustrator including lithographs, watercolors, and drawings featuring the furry, rumpusing menagerie from his classic tale.  Unfortunately, and maybe apropos, I almost had my head chewed off for attempting to take pictures, but you can see the works in the exhibit at animazing.com.  A portion of the proceeds from this show will go to the Rosenbach Museum & Library in Philadelphia and the Jane Goodall Institute.  Through November 8th.

The Animazing show coincides with exhibits at The Morgan Library & Museum in Manhattan and the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco.  The Morgan Library exhibit, Where the Wild Things Are: Original Drawings by Maurice Sendak, which opens today, features early drafts, manuscript pages and a preliminary sketch of Max in a scene that did not make it into the final, published book.  Through November 1st.  Learn more at themorgan.org.  The Contemporary Jewish Museum in SF presents There's a Mystery There: Sendak on Sendak, featuring "original watercolors, preliminary sketches, drawings, and dummy books from more than 40 of Sendak's books, all from the Rosenbach Museum and Library in Philadelphia, the repository for Sendak's artwork and working materials. This major retrospective sheds light on the many mysteries of his life and art by exploring the intensely personal undercurrents in his work; and it does so using Sendak's own words, insights, and remarkable stories" (from the Contemporary Jewish Museum's website).  Learn more about this exhibition at thecjm.org.  Through January 19, 2010.

MoMA has scheduled Spike Jonze: The First 80 Years celebrating the 39-year-old artist's imaginative and creative works in film (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Where the Wild Things Are), music videos (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Beastie Boys, The Breeders, Bjork, Daft Punk, Fatboy Slim, Weezer) and even commercials (the Gap, IKEA).  Learn more at moma.org.  From October 8-18th.  Read more about Jonze from this September 2nd article from the NYTs Magazine.

If you're a serious, die-hard fanatic of the book, you can even dress like the characters with an exclusive clothing line made for the awesome boutique Opening Ceremony.  The line includes the iconic, white wolf suit Max wore (for adults), a furry K.W. dress or coat, and a hirsute vest called Judith (these items were named after the monikers given to the monsters in the movie).  See here.

And finally, you can have a peek at the official Where the Wild Things Are movie website here.

Maurice Sendak was born in Brooklyn in 1928.  He has written or illustrated over 100 books throughout his 60 year career.  Where the Wild Things Are was published in 1963.  According to IMDB, Sendak had wanted to make a film adaptation of his book since the 90's but was not able to find a suitable director until he personally approached Spike Jonze to take on the project.  The film, which was initially going to be fully animated, has been in production since 2005 (though Jonze and Dave Eggers had been working on the screenplay prior to that)!  Originally scheduled for May 2008, the film's release date was bumped back twice!  I hope all the hype and my inflated expectations for this film don't ruin it for me.  Let the wild rumpus start!!!

Objets d'Art | News

*The second edition of the Guggenheim's It Came From Brooklyn is happening tonight from 8:00pm-12:00am featuring Julian Plenti (aka Paul Banks, the singer from Interpol).  As a part of celebrating its 50th anniversary, the museum is hosting the monthly music and literature series featuring artists from Brooklyn.  Also part of tonight's line-up is opening band I'm In You (nice to see they're keeping up with the current trend of HORRIBLE band names); writer/director and Brooklyn Heights resident, Hampton Fancher, who will read a selection by former Brooklynite, Henry Miller; Fancher's neighbor, novelist Rivka Galchen; and comedian/actor Eugene Mirman who will be on hosting duty.  Last month's inaugural show featured bands The Walkmen and High Places and writer Colson Whitehead.  Learn more at Guggenheim.org.

*The 13th Annual DUMBO Art Under the Bridge Festival is happening  this weekend - September 25th-27th.  Alongside open studios and outdoor activities, there will be "touchable, accessible, and interactive art, on a scale that makes it the nation's largest urban forum for experimental art."  Learn more at dumboartfestival.org.

*The Kitchen, a non-profit, artist organization that "identifies, supports, and presents emerging and under-recognized artists" is hosting a block party on Saturday, Sept. 26th from 12-5 on West 19th between 10th and 11th Avenues.  This free, family-friendly event will feature live performances, artist-led activities and crafts like face-painting, puppet and mask-making, temporary tattoos, cookie decorating, hula-hoop (!) and drum workshops and more.  Learn more at thekitchen.org.

*David Zwirner will exclusively represent the estate of late artist Dan Flavin (1933-1996).  Zwirner launched a website on September 18th that, as the NYT's Carol Vogel explains, "is intended as a practical resource for Flavin aficionados, covering issues of conservation and installation as well as the artist's exhibition history and examples of his work," (from Inside Art, Sept. 18, 2009).  David Zwirner Gallery will present Dan Flavin: Series and Progressions in November 2009, showcasing the artist's work spanning his 40-year career.  Learn more at Davidzwirner.com. And see Zwirner's website for Flavin here.

*Los Angeles artist Mark Bradford has won the prestigious John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellowship!  According to the foundation's website, "The MacArthur Foundation supports creative people and effective institutions committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world."  This means Bradford, and fellow recipients, will receive $500,000 over the next five years.  Congrats!
See all the 2009 Fellows at macfound.org and read more at latimesblogs.com.  Remember, you can see Bradford's work alongside former MacArthur Fellow, Kara Walker's, at Sikkema Jenkins & Co.  Read my post here.

*Philippe Starck - reality star?  The world renowned French product designer will take on the Donald Trump role a la The Apprentice (or Tim Gunn on Project Runway, if you prefer) in his new reality series Design for Life, which premiered on September 14th on BBC2.  The show pits 12 young British designers against each other, competing in weekly challenges until one by one they get eliminated and the winner gets to work for six months at Starck's Parisian design company .  Each contestant was personally selected by Starck, not the show's producers, based on drawings they submitted.  According to the Independent, "he did not even want to know their names or genders.  He wanted to select ideas that were not necessarily great but that he felt had potential... people who think freely and differently."
Now this is a reality show I'd actually watch!  Argh!  I wish I had BBC2.  Read more at independent.co.uk.

*Ed Ruscha - movie star?  American artist Ed Ruscha will star in a film directed by Los Angeles-based video artist Doug Aitken which will debut on October 23rd on Tiberina Island in Rome.  Read more at theartnewspaper.com.

*And lastly, another of my favorite fashion designers, Martin Margiela, is publishing his first book.  It will document the Paris-based, never-before-seen designer's work including fashion, art, design, and performance.  Originally from Antwerp, the enigmatic Margiela founded his own label in 1988.  His clothing designs range from completely wearable and minimal, to subtle, edgy touches like exposed stitching and deconstruction, to way more out-there ideas like cloven-toed shoes (which I love), glass  slippers (which I don't love), over-sized shoulders, visible nude padding, and a hair coat.  The book, retailing for $100, is published by Rizzoli and will be released in October 2009.  Have a peek inside at hypebeast.com, wallpaper.com, and rizzoliusa.com.

Happy weekend!!!

Juergen Teller | Lehmann Maupin

If you've flipped through a fashion magazine in the past decade, you've likely seen Juergen Teller's work.  Aside from shooting fashion editorials, Teller has been the sole lensman for Marc Jacobs' advertising campaigns for the past eleven years.  Early ads featuring Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon playing onstage and a topless Sofia Coppola wading in a pool, to more recent campaigns starring fellow photographer Cindy Sherman in costume and doing her schtick, Dakota Fanning all gussied up and adult-like, and Victoria Beckham's stick-figure legs poking out of a Marc Jacobs shopping bag, were all shot by the German photographer and feature his signature washed-out lighting and spare, naturalistic surroundings.  Marc Jacobs Advertising 1998-2009 by Juergen Teller, a survey of the pair's eleven year collaboration and compilation of all the ads was published by Steidl and retails for $120.

Lehmann Maupin Gallery currently has on view Paradis, a series of large-scale photographs taken by Teller for the French magazine Paradis.  Featuring Brazilian fashion model Raquel Zimmermann and British actress Charlotte Rampling (a longtime friend of Teller's who also starred alongside the photographer in a Marc Jacobs' ad campaign several seasons back) completely nude with little to no make-up posing amongst the masterworks in the Musee du Louvre.  As the show's press release states, "Shot alone one evening at the Musee du Louvre in Paris, this nude study... captures the intimacy between photographer and subject... Teller removes the artifice between photographer and subject, leaving only the purity of each image, and unlike the sculptures in the museum's collection, his photographs do not present a standard of beauty but are more akin to a tribute to women and the human form." 

While I ordinarily love Teller's fashion work, and his oftentimes quirky self-portraits, as well as many of his other nude portraits, this show left me wanting more.  I like the idea of presenting the two female nudes next to the classic sculptures and beside Leonardo's Mona Lisa (see my pic below), but their sullen faces and wooden poses seemed awkward and cold.  And while I appreciate Teller's use of two models from different ends of the age spectrum (Zimmermann is 26 and Rampling is 63), the fact that both women look much better naked and sans make-up than your average, everyday woman makes me doubt his intended "tribute to women and the human form" includes all women.  You have until October 17th to judge for yourself at Lehmann Maupin.  Also, these photographs will appear in a limited-edition, leather-bound book available at the end of September.  Learn more at Lehmannmaupin.com and read a Q&A with Teller at Themoment.blogs.nytimes.com.

Paradis, 2009

 

Paradis, 2009

 

Paradis, 2009

Comme des Garcons gets Critcally Shopped by NYTs

The New York Times' Cintra Wilson wrote about my favorite store/brand in the paper's Critical Shopper column today.  Nestled on West 22nd Street in a former automotive garage (Heavenly Body Works) smack in the middle of Chelsea's gallery district, the Comme des Garcons shop is arguably the most artistic place in the neighborhood - in terms of the store's merchandise, design, philosophy, and possibly even its staff. 

Since first showing in Paris in the early 80's, CDG's designer, Rei Kawakubo, has never shied away from provocative, avant-garde, and challenging shapes, styles, and looks which give her designs a certain je ne sais quoi, a defiant boldness, and a bit of a jolie laide (unconventionally pretty) vibe.  As Wilson aptly states, "Are Comme des Garçons creations wearable? Are they realistic? Are they cute? Comme des Garçons does not answer these questions. Your approval is not its raison d’être — and this is what makes Comme des Garçons so incredibly great."

Kawakubo often collaborates with and/or supports fellow artists (though she herself claims not to work in art).  For instance, the adorable, shifty-eyed heart logo for the label's Play line was designed by Polish artist Filip Pagowski.  American artist Raymond Pettibon has collaborated with the brand.  And the new CDG store in Osaka is hosting an exhibition by Japanese artist Yayoi Kasuma titled Room to Grow. 

Learn more about Rei Kawakubo and Comme des Garcons at Nymag.com and Interviewmagazine.com.  Read the NYT's piece here.

The inconspicuous front of the Comme des Garcons shop on West 22nd Street

Isabel Toledo | The Museum at FIT

The Museum at FIT is currently hosting a fantastic exhibition, Isabel Toledo: Fashon from the Inside Out.  New York-based fashion designer Isabel Toledo was born in Cuba in 1961 and grew up in New Jersey.  Though showing her first collection in New York in 1985, Toledo remained relatively unknown in mainstream fashion and was really only recognized by serious fashion folk until of course, First Lady, Michelle Obama, chose to wear a "Lemongrass" dress and matching overcoat ensemble by the designer (which I find blah in comparison to her other works on view) for Barack Obama's inauguration earlier this year, making Isabel Toledo virtually a house-hold name.  And it's about time!  The designer has always constructed beautiful, architectural,  and complex garments with impeccable tailoring and craftswomanship.  As notes from the show aptly state, her clothing is basically "soft sculpture," with many pieces exhibiting at least "one distinctive three-dimensional shape" whether it be "sculpted sleeves, a bodice that sits away from the torso, a full skirt..."

The exhibition divides Toledo's clothing into 7 categories: Organic Geometry which features some of her most "innovative and simplest shapes" that combine "the intuitive and geometric forms"; Shadow in which her garments play with opacity and transparency (lace appears a lot in this grouping); Origami in which Toledo literally folds fabric like origami to create "three-dimensional 'sculptural' garments";  Liquid Architecture which consists of her fluid-like jersey dresses featuring imaginative and impossible draping; Shape which focuses on the "soft sculptural quality so prevalent in Toledo's work"; Manipulated Surfaces which shows garments composed of fabrics that Toledo meticulously and painstakingly manipulated (like ruching or pleating small pieces of fabric and sewing them together to create a seamless patchwork!) to create structure; and Suspension which showcases her jersey and taffeta dresses that are suspended and drape beautifully from bands of fabric or puffed by pull-cords that are worked within the pieces. 

You must look at Toledo's clothing very closely to fully grasp and appreciate the intricate detailing and extensive thought and labor that go into each piece.  Even looking at her dresses alongside their simplified patterns (which the museum provides for several of the pieces), I can't fathom how Toledo gets her beautiful results by piecing together the shapes she cuts.  For instance, her Packing Dress consists of two circles of fabric sewn together with holes cut out for the head and arms on top and another hole on bottom for the legs.  The dress's shape is simple yet structured AND billowy when on and lies in a perfectly flat circle when not being worn.  If I ever attempted to recreate this dress, I'd be left with a mangled, hole-y pillowcase!

Working closely with her husband, the wonderful fashion illustrator, Ruben Toledo (whom she met in high school and whose illustrations are also on display in the gallery), Isabel claims that she can vocalize and gesture an idea or feeling to him and he'll be able to sketch her vision.  She then executes her vision by carefully manipulating fabric and skillfully cutting patterns.  As Toledo told Valerie Steele, the exhibition's curator, "I never thought of myself as a designer.  I'm a seamstress.  I really love the technique of sewing more than anything else.  The seamstress is the one who views fashion from the inside!  That's the art form, really - the technique of how it's done."

In 2006, Jones Apparel, Inc. hired Toledo as Creative Director for Anne Klein.  Though fashion critics praised her collections, the company let her go after only two seasons.  I'm sure the execs there are kicking themselves hard now.  It seemed awfully premature to have given up on her after only two collections knowing that her namesake designs are generally too experimental for the mainstream shopper (ie: the Anne Klein customer).  They should have given her more time to find a comfort level that would have helped her develop a happy medium for her edgy designs and the mass consumer.  It would have been a brilliant way for Anne Klein to liven up its dowdy and matronly brand.  Their loss completely!

My favorite dresses in the FIT show include The Kangaroo Pouch Dress (below), The Twister Dress, The Wave Dress, The Caterpillar Dress (below), and The Hermaphrodite Dress (below), all which are featured in the Suspension group.  After closely studying each of these dresses for some time, I still can't figure out how she pieced them together!  Check out FIT's website for a helpful overview of Toledo's Suspension pieces here (this page also provides links to summaries of the other 6 categories in the show.)  Since I unfortunately couldn't take pictures at the exhibit, I've attached screen grabs of 3 of my favorite dresses from this page below.

Toledo does more than just create beautiful dresses worthy of the First Lady - she constructs statement-making, intelligent, well-structured, wearable works of art!  If only those hams on Project Runway had a fraction of Toledo's talent, I'd maybe consider watching that "hot mess" of a show!  You, however, should definitely check out Fashion from the Inside Out!  Through September 26th.  Learn more here.

Kangaroo Pouch Dress, 1993, Photo by Karen L. Willis taken from FIT website

 

Caterpillar Dress, 1998, Photo by William Palmer taken from FIT website

 

Hermaphrodite Dress, 2005, Photo by William Palmer taken from FIT website

Fashion & Politics | The Museum at FIT

I stopped by The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) yesterday to check out the Fashion and Politics show.  Showcasing over 100 costumes starting from the late 18th century, the curators hope to demonstrate the political evolution of fashion which "encompasses cultural change, sexual codes, and social progress" noting that fashion has "addressed such important themes as nationalism, feminism, and ethnic identity, as well as significant events and subcultural movements."

Upon entering, you are greeted by a number of red, white and blue American flag ensembles which reveal not only the wearer's questionable taste, but also his/her nationalism.    Also featured are campaign t-shirts and dresses (think of a cute, vintage, white, cotton dress with "Ike" written in red script all over it, or an otherwise simple shift dress with "Nixon" boldly emblazoned on it.)  The next room covers the wasp-waisted and bustled dresses from 1750 - 1899 where it is noted that up until this point, fashion had been a strong indicator of a person's social rank, yet with the onset of mass production, that would soon change.  It was during this period that ready-made clothing became prominent and ironically, it was also when haute couture was introduced.  Denim also made its debut in the mid-to-late 1800s and became a kind of uniform for the working classes. 

The next room covering 1900 - 1949 notes that "industrialization, urbanization, and mass consumerism" were all having a hand at changing culture (ie: in 1908, the practical brassiere replaced the corset for working women).  In the 1920s, flappers were promoting women's lib with their bobbed haircuts, high hemlines and freewheeling ways.  And, of course, the 1920s brought us Coco Chanel and in 1947 Christian Dior unveiled his revolutionary New Look.

The last room covers 1950s - Today, a time when "designers and editors dictate seasonal changes in silhouette, hemline and color."  The 1950s ushered in pop culture and the enduring union of fashion and music.  The 1960s introduced mod and/or futuristic dressing - and this period showcases some of my favorite pieces in the exhibit.  I love the white, open-toe, Andre Courreges boots from 1964 and his red vinyl jumper from 1969; the white Paco Rabanne link belt from 1970; the huge, white, plastic Ted Lapidus sunglasses from 1969; the Pierre Cardin raincoat from 1969; and the Anello and Davide "Beatle" boots from 1963! 

The 1970s featured hippie "anti-fashion" pieces (which I've never been a fan of); two wool military-style suits by Yves Saint Laurent (men's and women's); as well as a punk look featuring a Seditionaries men's jacket by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren atop a pair of bondage trousers.  The 1980s featured an Oscar de la Renta gown from '81that totally conjures up bad memories of the decade in all its purple, puffy, beaded frippery, as well as a terrific black, hooded, pullover dress from 1983/84 by Comme des Garcons (this dress was representative of the line's awesome designer, Rei Kawakubo's, new, progressive definition of beauty - one emphasizing strength and independence!)

The 1990s never looked so bad as represented by Gianni Versace's men's leather vest and pants from '93; Moschino's garbage bag evening dress from '94 (Derelicte, anyone?); and Vivienne Tam's '95 Mao Zedong dress.  Not that it was sartorially magnificent, but did grunge (which was anti-establishment and anti-corporate culture) never happen or was it just not "political" enough to make the cut???  Also, what about hip-hop fashion?

The 2000s were represented by many of today's fashion darlings like John Galliano and his 2001 silk/leather camouflage dress; Alexandre Herchcovitch's 2009 khaki, military-style dress; Noir's 2009 organic halter top and leggings; Thakoon's 2009 kimono dress; and Jason Wu's 2009 sleeveless sheath which Michelle Obama wore a version of for her March Vogue cover earlier this year.

The show closes with this statement, "Today, the vicissitudes of globalization and the development of new technologies for design and production increasingly influence the future of fashion."  If that's the case, why have we been stuck in the 80's these past several seasons???  Overall, it felt like Fashion & Politics was hastily pieced together to serve as yet another opportunity to laud our lovely first lady's fashion choices and pat some of her favorite designers on the back.  Speaking of which, FIT is also currently hosting a smashing exhibition on the career of Isabel Toledo (she designed Obama's "Lemongrass" inauguration outfit) which I will post about later...  Learn more about Fashion & Politics at The Museum at FIT's website here.  Through November 7th.

Richard Avedon at International Center of Photography

A current show that every lover of photography and fashion absolutely must check out is Avedon Fashion 1944-2000 at New York City's International Center of Photography.  I LOVED this exhibit.  It absolutely trumps the tepid Model As Muse exhibit currently happening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute.  ICP offers a comprehensive survey of the great Richard Avedon's iconic fashion photographs featuring legendary Avedon models Dovima, Dorian Leigh, Suzy Parker, Veruschka, Jean Shrimpton and many more.  The photos are both elegant and edgy and have certainly stood the test of time.  They are arresting not merely because of good composition, lighting, and styling, but because they contain rich narratives enabled by the models' strong and unique personalities.  There is no doubt that Avedon and his models shared a profound trust in each other as well as amazing chemistry. 

Below is just a sampling of some of my favorite Avedon works featured in the show and in the accompanying catalogue.  You have until September 20th to get to the ICP to admire some of the finest fashion photography ever.  More info at the International Center of Photography website here.

Dovima with Elephants, 1955, Gown by Dior

Perhaps one of the most iconic and stunning fashion photographs ever!

 

How glamorous and fun does Dorian Leigh look here?  And the hat is so au courant! 

Check out model Jessica Stam sporting a similar version on the runway for Louis Vuitton's Fall 2009 collection below.

Nadja Auermann and a Person Unknown, 1995, Dress by Geoffrey Beene

Miles Aldridge at Steven Kasher Gallery

Unfortunately, photographer Miles Aldridge's first U.S. solo show at the Steven Kasher Gallery in Chelsea closed on June 20th.  It was a great exhibition of Aldridge's highly stylized fashion pics in vibrant, eye-popping colors.  Aldridge's work is a bit Alice in Wonderland, a bit film noir, a bit Mad Men - all on a wild acid trip.

I did manage to drop by the gallery one afternoon when the show was still up and take some pics of the works on display.  If my bad photography and selections of his work aren't enough for you, check out the monograph, Miles Aldridge: Pictures for Photographs published by Karl Lagerfeld's imprint Editions 7L/Stiedl.

Here's the show info from Steven Kasher Gallery's website.  Buy the book at Amazon here.  And to find more on Aldridge, check out his website here.