REMEMBER THIS?

NATALIE PORTMAN RAPPING- Vintage Saturday night live skit... amazing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpMPFGBtE7Q

E.G...

So Emma Griffiths's new label E.G... is making me think about olympic sportswear designs.
Theres a girl who was up in my old studio who was actually working on the new Adidas clothing range for the olympic games- and her mood boards were AMAZING- completely architectural with insanely interesting detail upon detail, and she would whizz together all these great ideas to actually really work well in erms of permormance (I have serious respect for dreamers who can create acts of realist genius!). Anyway so I think people are going to be going olympic-sci-fi crazy for SS010 and I am seriously going to join in with the joyful experimentation on that front.

S S 0 1 0

IS GOING TO MAKE A
SPLASH BLUBLRBLBLBLBLBLBBBPUP PUP PUP

(THE SOUND OF WATER RISING SEPERATING AS ZERO GRAVITY TAKES OVER THE ATMOSPHERE AS EARTH MEETS THE FUTURE)

ALL ABOUT SPACE...

I am going seriously try and hallucinate a new futurism via lack of sleep.While I wait to reap the benefit of such revelations, I have been looking at the greatest sci-fi costumes ever created for inspiration as to what indeed it is to have an imagination!

Today my eyes are vacantly wondering over to empty teacups and idealising the cosmic advantage of using real tea leaves- in the case that I might want a clue about what the future may bring... I think this was all brought on my a disturbing dream I had last night-
It was about a vacant decrepit mansion I refused to leave. I was sleeping on the floor in a naked protest while groups of Jean Paul Gautier-clad visitors would review it for potential purchase. I was so angry people wanted to buy the mansion that I threw giant metal balls at them. The balls were so light they bounced afew times like a ping-pong ball, before popping open and releasing expanding foil balloon shapes which folded out and floated off, scaring them away ( we called It was way too much Gothic brickwork and it has left with a sort of offensive visual residue in the back of mind... got to wash it away with THIS;


ANYWAY-

TRON


KINVIG (MADE FOR TV) / FLASH GORDON / STARLIGHT 3
I like cone shapes for hair- its got to have some kind of cosmic purpose- like an antennai or something... My most faveorite is the gold foil combination with removable fabric flap, lame ALWAYS wins.

Kurt Iswarienko

ITS... David Steinhorst

After winning ITS #7 Last Year (intense zip formations intertwining with grey draped fabrics), David Steinhorst returned to show his full-collection at the event.
Aside producing something really innovative yet pure- in terms of structural detail, he managed to whizz up the range while also designing full-time at Antonio Berardi! I am particularly liking the copper knots...

BTW...

Old habits

Considering I used to be a pretty obesessive compulsive illustrator, its pretty crazy that I havnt made a recreational picture ( birthday cards excluded) in an age and half- years probably! Well I might be totally rusty, but its nice to strike up a new relationship with a 0.3 fineliner once again... 

STRING me into motivation mode.

Fashionista, fashion lovers, fashion followers, all fashionings..... ( if there is such a word). The complete fashion must lush have is the so called 'Shanti Strings'! , I prefer to refer to them as strings of motivation, because they seem to be either little quotes, verbs, verses, or images of all things that move you with emotion, thought and passion.

Madam Alexandra E, herself managed to pick up three the other day, only to see what the chanter was all about. Picture a thin string almost thread like, you have options of differing colours, whichever one that tickles your fashion fancy. Moi chose the everlasting earthy colour of brown. Then picture a thin panel with the words of either 'inspiration', 'dream' or simply a platelette image of god or mary, held together by the string, to form a bracelet.... resembling similar to that of the Kabalah red string band/ bracelet, "whatcha ma call it thingy me jig".

Well guess what gloss girls, I haven't adorned the dear 'shanti' as yet, as I think I completely forgotten all about it, but I must confess it definately felt good at the time of purchase!, it felt slightly moving and motivational... telling my fashion sense to be more inspirational..... .

Although I deem it to be highly unfashionable to show a shanti string under your Chanel overcoat sleeve when you lift your hand to grab that champagne flute darlings!.

Fashion rating: Shanti String - 'applauding'

Love me or hate me,


Madam Alexandra E.
fashion styler.fashion expert.fashion queen.

ITS TIMES LIKE THESE-

... I would prefer to be a man than to look at one.
Let me just put my hips in a vice and tape myself into a rectangular shape and then done.
I keep telling everyone that bowtie will literally achieve peoples goals on their behalf. They are a productive tool in achieving almost anything- seriously... this is one of the few facts I know.
Satyenkumar Patel describes his work as "A combination of tailored casual wear fused with tuxedo style dressing, a modern hybrid of English eccentric play-boys" which minus the play-boy equals my most favourite male dressing genre... I mean look- wow!

p.s- Im thinking about Ducky from the 80's movie Pretty in Pink for the the last picture - he was the epitome of this look- I never understood why he was the GBF (Geeky Best friend)?
Great casting... terrible screenplay.


I guess Duckie is the all-american version of this wonderful ideal.
Best piece of mens styling ever:

The Tour De Force inspiration wall S/S010

Words flying around right now are CONED DOMES and NAPPIES, and thrown right in the mix is a donation from my stepmom- this used to belong to her Grandmother who was in a mongolian tribe for a while. I think thats what she said... well it is from Mongolia anyway.
How insane are the colour combinations...!

LIE SANG

Lie Sang's sheer structures in this months Oyster magazine- trasparent body-houses. . .
I want to live in a body house like this- with tinted windows of course.

SILENT RUNNING

After the Buckminster Fuller documentary just a stones throw from the day- I saw yet more geodesic domes in the 1972 movie 'Silent Running'. I only see one shape when I close my eyes, and its looks a little but like this;

(Sculpture by Allen Hughes inspired by the same movie)

TRIO BUM SONG

Wow, This is so relevant to life. Its just a blank papery wall waiting to be ripped open to reveal a pluthera of visually exciting fictional and factual possibilities... this is heavily inspiring me for the next season of the fashion funfare!

Diana Koenigsberg

Paisley Suprise

I have received an anonymous package containing a paisley fabric swatch.

Thanks stranger, it is beautiful.

SAW THIS ON THE WAY HOME

I THINK I AGREE

BUCKMINSTER FULLER AND HIPPIES

I spent the last couple of hours beside a man most definitely harboring strongly repressed ideas about Utopian Idealism. My seated neighbour was huff puffing at comments such as a homeless man declaring temporary geodesic dome homes as sub-standard living etc... It was a documentary film  called 'SPACESHIP EARTH AND THE DESIGNER GURU' with footage of the visionary futurist Buckminster Fuller.
I feel inspired to pipe sand into plastic sausages into a coiled igloo- highly effective for creating primitive cosy homes in places (like the hackney marshes for instance). It does make me wonder why the spiritual community of the east haven't attempted a British version of Christiana with all that barren land.  Anyway the 'hippies' seemed to consist of intellectual philosophers who were disillusioned with educational institutions  and seemed to view themselves as comrades to Buckminster- preceding to interrupt and agree with him constantly unless announcing their own length theories... very funny. 

Build your own geodesic dome:

OBJECTS-SEBASTIÁN ERRÁZURIZ

Bear Jacket

Knitting lamp & Saint Chair

Personally, my habitual rituals become so automatic my imagination floats completely away from the exciting possibilities of functional physical engagement with objects... 

 Totally my loss of course, as defining things by their intended function doesn't help anyone in times of need. Being a complete daydreamer of a cyclist- I was trying to create some sort of lighting for my bike and ended up tying a wind-up camping torch to the front of it using someones hair elastic, I have no need for jelly shatterproof LED's! It super refreshing to see when people use a bit of surrealist association when defining the function of objects as SEBASTIÁN ERRÁZURIZ does With a background of Industrial design and sculpture, his 

light-hearted pieces really do question the value of products which pander to the development 

of evolutionary technology. After all, is it not just making life so simple for us that we will

eventually be devoid of the need to improvise? Maybe with our ever-growing dependence on

technology we will develop a kind of dissociation to physical interaction with objects in an

opposite way to autism.

Michael Jackson

Even, I the fashion queen has been deeply moved by the passing away of one of the greatest talents on earth. I'm referring to the iconic Michael Jackson.

I will admit, that underneath my khol lined eyes, and mascaraed lashes, I shed a tear, for this music great.

I would like to remember him for his music, and his humanitarian support ,and nothing more. He definately brought together the unity that the world often lacked.

Even I was able to put aside the gloss pots and the lacquer wands, to be mesmorised by all the tributes on television of his past concerts. I must admit that there are probably many of us, who would admit to dancing, humming or singing a Michael Jackson tune. Whether we were in our after dinner suits, or cocktailed glamour heels, everyone new who this individual was.

I must admit, that even for the past weeks up until his memorial of late, Madam Alexandra E. has not thought much or cared much for or about fashion, because in truth, I travelled back to my child hood in remembering this musician, and not a heel, handbag or fashion trend could tear me away from the stories that were being retold of MJ.

I guess you can call it a 'state of grieving', as many of his fans would also be doing. You truly know when someone was put on this earth other than for just his entertaining talent, when the day he leaves the earth, we remember him for so much more. Sure I remember him for his contagious tunes and history making dance moves, but more importantly I remember him more for his kindness that he showered upon those in need all over the world.

The man above rarely uses individuals to make a difference in this world, but he obviously chose MJ, he gave him talent, then let him explore and use his talent to climb higher above others, to lend a helping hand.

No fashion talk for today, just a moment of peace please.


Madam Alexandra E.

THE BARTLETT & THE HONEY FARM

Sunday was for riding against the traffic in cycle-path confusion. Despite remarks about my little 70's shopper sounding like a creaking pirate-ship, I made it to Euston for the Bartlett architecture show. 

Awed by the presentation in general,  I soon realized I needed a fair amount of attuning in terms of identifying what indeed was innovative and refined functional design anymore. 

Soaking up sculptural quality of  the models with the visual sponge, I think I definitely approached a state of temporal autism in my appreciation for  t h e   c o m p o s i t i o n   o f    s h a p e s  (as this alone)

The slightly less polished models of  the 1st years were really exciting to me- especially a Honey Farm concept inspired by toolbox mechanism... which I failed to photograph (shame).

VOGUE SPAIN

Tour De Force Headpiece- Vogue Spain July issue

FAMOUS CAT IS M.I.A

 Dan Wilton ( friend & prolific photographer/snapmaster) has lost his muse!

AKA: RON THE CAT

If you spot an interlude of silence why meandering about the streets, it would be very much appreciated if you could make an affectionate call-out for little Ron. 

Dan was well on his way to creating a series with little Ron, as the little creature had started creeping into all of his shoots,  then *BOOM*- his world was turned upside-down & Dan was left sadly staring into an empty cat basket of malted hairs. Sad story. 

Since his trip to Neverland, he has been featured in Vice and on the XFM website, so if you find this cat it is likely that you will be made an official hero (of the media AND in our hearts).

Thanks.

Keep Looking.

P.S- I have not met this cat but it looks like one if its eyes is slightly lazy- so this may be his defining feature.

Michael Steele

Michael Steele explored various mediums and styles such as, illustration, oil painting and digital media: " With this new series of artworks that I have created as part of the "Cluster" series, I have been able to explore various styles, techniques and mediums by portraying what I see around me and then present these influences artistically. These influences that I have portrayed come from various avenues, such as the media, memories, people, textures, technology and so on. A Cluster to me resembles images or objects grouped together to form something larger. I feel this gives images or objects a stronger presence, rather than being displayed by themselves, creating a much more dynamic experience for the viewer." (via TGM)

The Brazzaville Sapeurs

Italian photographer Daniele Tamagni has created a book called 'The importance of being elegant' about the gentlemen of Bokongo who practice the discipline of the 'religion of clothing'. I have just come across these snaps in the the new African Style and Culture magazine 'Arise'. They are sometimes employed just to attend events, moving and behaving in the most gentlemanly mannor as part of thier all-emcompassing style choice. So amazing is the full candy-pink ensemble, I'm thinking that they give the dishevelled East-London boys a reason to be ashamed of their holey socks.

BITE ON THIS ROSE STEM BABY!

Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad presented some classically romantic looks for his AW09Collection in Milan. While discussing the lack of a line between day and eveningwear these days, I started to wonder if eveningwear in general will become so obsolete that RTW Eveningwear will become couture.

After recently seeing an origami 3D dress in the window of Karen Millen, I could help but wonder how the hell a high street-level label had managed to get their factories to construct such couture detail (in terms of high-sewing) for such a low price!

Anyway, I love the way Zuhair is reminding us of the Upper West-side dating scene of 90's NY... its a red-carpet friendly presentation of femininity.

Madame Peripetie

Great fashion and surreal photography by Sylwana Zybura aka Madame Peripetie from Germany.

Jason Demarte