Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950 - V&A Exhibition (London)

 

What started out as a short blog hiatus, somehow managed to turn into a very long break. All of which I blame on work, other commitments and the fact that fashion in the last few months has left me slightly uninspired. But having dragged my friend T to the V&A Ballgowns exhibition last week, I thought it would be a nice way to revive Haute World for a bit (though bear with me - updates may still be somewhat sporadic).

Having first perused the reopened fashion galleries, which I'd highly recommend - especially considering it's free - T and I began our cultural journey on the ground floor of the exhibit. Split into two parts, this area showcased the ballgowns since 1950, while the upper level featured the more contemporary dresses. Throughout the visit, various dresses from the exhibit could be seen projected on the ceiling of the dome above.

Not surprisingly, the most striking gowns were the ones from past eras - back when formal attire was only the norm for private events and handmade for a particular client. Wearers ranged from royalty to debutantes with every outfit immaculately made and beautiful to behold. Through time, private functions evolved to the more public charity balls - and in recent years: red-carpet events.

Ballgowns since 1950

Top: Mary Donan, Yuki, Matthew Williamson and Belville Sassoon, left: Victor Edelstein, Bruce Oldfield (made for Bianca Jagger) and Murray Arbeid worn by Diana, Princess of Wales, right: Hardy Amies.

Designed for the ball: David Emanuel, Worth of London, Norman Hartnell

Rayne Shoes. Gowns and accessories by Dior

Radical Robes 1990-2012, including gowns by Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen and, Zandra Rhodes

Left: Alexander McQueen dress from his last collection. Right: 'Elvis Dress' by Catherin Walker created for Diane, Princess of Wales

The biggest contrast, once you reached the upper level was that despite the beauty of the dresses, grouped together in three clusters, there seemed to be a personal touch missing. As everyone knows, these days evening dresses are worn on the red carpet for a mere few hours, chosen by a stylist and lent to a celebrity, who's body shape was never the intended target of the designer. Unlike the lower level, which featured gowns that were actually purchased by their wearers and lovingly stored for future generations, it seems an awful shame that most gowns these days are passed from one celeb to another before ending back in a designer's showroom. 

Contemporary Ballgowns

Overview of one of the upper level displays. Right: Alexander McQueen feathered gown as worn by Daphne Guinness.

Left: Craig Lawrence, Christopher Kane, Ralph & Russo (as worn by Beyonce). Right: Vivienne Westwood.

Craig Lawrence, Jenny Packham (as worn by Sandra Bullock) and Gareth Pugh's metallic gown made of leather.

Giles Deacon, Nicholas Oakwell

Amanda Wakely, Holly Fulton

Roksanda Illincic

Left: Marchesa. Right: Mark Fast, John Galliano, Felicity Brown

Erdem, Mary Katrantzou

Nevertheless, the exhibition made a good point of showing that even contemporary British fashion houses like Alexander McQueen or Vivienne Westwood have successfully bridged the gap between the red carpet and traditional royal functions. With Britain being a focus of pretty much everything these days, this exhibition is definitely worth a visit and will thankfully be open for quite a while longer. If you're in London around this time, I'd definitley urge you to check it out - especially considering the images I took don't really do the gowns much justice...

Additional images shown above are the copyright of the V&A,  Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

Selfridges: Project Ocean - Washed Up (London, UK)

As you all know, the fashion and retail industry is at its best when it doesn't just present the world with pretty clothes, but fights for a charitable cause. This May and June, Selfridges launched a special campaign titled 'Project Ocean' that saw the department store tackle the problem of over-fishing and poor fishing practices. Partnering with over 20 environmental and conservation groups, the main goal was to celebrate the beauty of the ocean, help the general public understand the threats to the ocean and make positive choices about the right fish to buy and eat.

As part of Project Ocean, Selfridges is raising money for the Zoological Society of London to create Marine Reserves – protected areas in the ocean set aside as safe havens for fish and their ecosystems. In addition, the store is featuring a host of activities including everything from celebrity chef cooking demonstrations to craft events for children. But the event that immediately caught my eye, was the 'Washed Up' fashion exhibition, curated by Judith Clark.

Overview of the exhibition space. The pieces were displayed in glass tanks, while visitors walked along wooden planks surrounded by corals.

Housed in the concept store, the exhibition showcases the most interesting ocean inspired pieces from big-name designers such as Alexander McQueen, Hussein Chalayan and Gareth Pugh to name a few. Also on display is Lady Gaga's famous lobster hat, designed by Philip Treacy. According to Clark "it is a rare opportunity for a curator of dress to be able to draw attention of such great political importance and urgency”. Having visited this exhibit last weekend, I was stunned by how incredible the exhibition space looked and think Clark did an excellent job. The haunting and desolate backdrop of driftwood and dead coral (salvaged from customs after it was seized from illegal smugglers) provided a stark contrast to the exquisite pieces on display and highlighted the critical environmental issues of Project Ocean. The corresponding window display was equally striking. Each set of designs was categorized into groups such as 'The Deep' or 'Atlantis', depending on what the pieces were inspired by, and an accompanying fact sheet gave additional information on the subject.

Radiolarum: Hussein Chalayan / The Deep: Hussein Chalayan

Left: Hussein Chalayan- Bubble Dress FW07/08. Right: Hussein Chalayan- LED Dress, February 2009 (made of 15 000 LED lights under fabric), both in collaboration with Swarovski.

Underwater Flora: Maison Martin Margiela, John Rocha / Oil Spill: John Rocha

Left: Maison Martin Margiela Artisanal- Flora Dress FW11/12, John Rocha- Reef Dress SS11. Right: John Rocha- Black Reef Dress FW10/11

The Beach: Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Mariel Manuel

Top: Jean-Charles de Castelbajac- Shark Dress SS10. Bottom: Mariel Manuel- Lobster Bodybuilder Ensemble (left) and Octopus Dress (right), both from the 'Keep Your Eye on the Doughnut' collection, 2010.

Structure & Geometry: Junya Watanabe, Sandra Backlund, Iris van Herpen

Top: Junya Watanabe- top, private collection (left), Sandra Backlund- Origami top, Ink Blot test paper (right).
Bottom: Iris van Herpen- 3D printed top and skirt, Crystalization collection.

Texture: Gareth Pugh, Iris van Herpen

Left: Gareth Pugh- Fisch Scale Dress SS11. Right: Iris van Herpen- RI011, Radiation Invasion, Ecco Leather, Porcelain Treatment.

Atlantis: Alexander McQueen, Andrea Cammarosano

Top: Alexander McQueen- Jellyfish Print Ensemble (left), Plato's Atlantis SS10. Andrea Cammarosano- Seaweed Dress, Serenada Moleculare 2008 (right). Bottom: Alexander McQueen- Jellyfish Dress, Plato's Atlantis SS10.

Octopus: Iris van Herpen

Iris van Herpen- Octopus Dress, Escapism Couture.

The Water's Edge: Vintage / Looking Out To Sea: Vintage

This category focused on the history of swimwear and seaside inspired leisure dresses. From left: Blue & yellow skirted swimsuit 1820s, Swimsuit C 1900, Blue & white striped bustle dress 1870s, 'Stored' dress with abstract fish motif 1850s.

Hats

Left: Philip Treacy- Lobster Hat, courtesy of Lady Gaga. Top: Naomi Filmer- Crystal Swimming Cap. Right: Stephen Jones- Sway Hat (right).

Top: 1920s Brain Coral Cloche; Judith Clark- Pearl Waves: A Hypothetical 1930s wig (embroidery: Rosie Taylor-Davies).
Bottom: Stephen Jones- Beach Comber Hat; Philip Treacy- Zero Gravity Hat.

From left: Philip Treacy- Feather Ocean Worm Hat, Justin Smith Esquire- Rope Octopus Hair, Emma Yeo- Swan 20 Headdress, Stephen Jones- Shoal Hat, Justin Smith Esquire- Rope Beach Bonnet.

Stephen Jones- Fish Mobile Hat.

From left: Dai Rees for Alexander McQueen- Echinoderm Headdress, Emma Yeo- Dragonfly 9 Headdress, Zana Gorman- Headdress, Zara Gorman- Shell Hat, Philip Treacy- Leaf Hat.

If you happen to be in the London area, I'd highly recommend a visit (the exhibition ends June 8). As a fish eater and scuba diver, I had witnessed the damage done to the marine world, but wasn't all too aware of which species were actually endangered. If you're not in the area or still want to play a part in rescuing the ocean, you can donate to Project Ocean here or inform yourself as to what type of fish you should and shouldn't eat. Selfridges has not only created a free pocket guide, available in their stores, but also designed a (free) iPhone app, complete with a fish guide, fish recipes (yum!) and restaurant reviews. And lastly, if you want to make a real statement, you can also purchase special edition Project Ocean items, including totes, tees and shoes online.

Eat the Designers with AnOther Magazine & Selfridges (London, UK)

With so many events and exhibitions going on during LFW this past week (not to mention the shows themselves), there was one showcase that literally left me drooling. Since I do have a bit of a sweet tooth, I might have been better off staying away, but a girl can rarely resist the combo of fashion and dessert. Some may remember my coverage of the Salon du Chocolat in Paris, where dresses were created out of cocoa ingredients. This time around, big-name designers themselves were asked to envision their ultimate fantasy cake.

To celebrate AnOther magazine's 10th birthday, Editor in Chief Jefferson Hack (also of Dazed & Confused fame) asked a few luxury designers to come up with their dream birthday cake design just for fun. The idea snowballed when some of UK's most prestigious cake makers decided to actually execute a few of these ideas. The result was hosted by Selfridges, who presented these creations in their (appropriately titled) 'Wonder Room' concept store under the name 'Eat the Designers'. A birthday bash in-store with special guest Daphne Guinness also saw a real live model emerge from the 8-foot Lanvin cake. Now why can't I have birthdays like that?

Below you'll find a few photos I took while browsing the cake selection the day the presentation launched. As tempting as it was to plant my face in one of these beauties, I didn't feel like getting arrested (or worse yet... being banned from the store) and let's be honest... many of these are just too pretty to eat. I have included the descriptions and ingredients though. Just so you can imagine what it would be like if you were to take a nibble...

So tell me, which cake would you want for your own birthday?

Calvin Klein Collection by Francisco Costa

(Top right image: AnOther).

“Interactive floating mobile cake. Small, matchbook-sized cakes covered in edible silverleaf suspended in a dégradé presentation. Cake flavour: lavender. Approximate size of each cake: 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" square. Thickness of each cake: 1/2"” ~ Francisco Costa. Made by Brett Redman, featuring silverleaf marshmallows.

Gucci

Right: Overview of the space at the Selfridges concept store.

Made by Andrew Stellitano. According to the tag description, the ingredients are: bakery selection (doughnuts, cupcakes), gold candles, pink marshmallows with green/red/green web, liquorice strips, strawberry marshmallow, caramel fringes, pink meringue, silver icing, chocolate logo on biscuit, Christmas hard candy mint stick, cream, dark chocolate, Gucci diamante pattern icing, silver sugar praline, milk chocolate, lollipop, biscuit.

Philip Treacy

“I would imagine it could be made with fondant icing as it is sculptural, but as you can see it should be made by somebody who really knows what they are doing!”~Philip Treacy. Made by Julie Walsh of Le Cordon Bleu. The final cake was made of pulled sugar.

Dolce & Gabbana

“Inspiration: memories of embroideries from a Sicilian hope chest and the Sicilian baroque. Shape: heart; a tribute to passion for food. Description: a sponge cake imbued in a light and sweet-smelling citron juice, Sicilian orange blossom custard, wild strawberries, blueberries and small passion fruits. For the glazing: marzipan glaze, orange-flavoured dark chocolate coating, citrus and fruits of the forest- flavoured red and maroon small chocolate flowers (inspired by baroque velvets). The micro, white flowers are made of soft marzipan, whilst the darker ones are caramelised violets”~ Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana

I don't believe these cakes were actually made (right images: AnOther). Top: Christian Louboutin, bottom: Dolce & Gabbana. Illustrations and magazines decorated part of the store walls (left).

Christian Louboutin

“Bûche de Noël Bottée: chestnut cream, chocolate, vanilla extract, Génoise cake (flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, sugar, vanilla), chocolate ganache (chocolate and heavy cream), covered in shaved chocolate (to make the bark), egg whites, sugar, vanilla, cocoa powder dusting (for the meringue mushrooms), marzipan (for the sole), almond sugar, red food colouring, cocoa powder dusting” ~ Christian Louboutin


Gareth Pugh

(Images on the right... top: Annie Nichols, bottom: AnOther).

“A simple cube shape with the pattern tiled onto the surface. The triangles forming the design should be in relief and the gaps should be sunken – very crisp and sharp. Something around 6" square would be a nice size”~ Gareth Pugh. Cake made by Paul Wayne Gregory: 6" x 6"' chocolate quilted cube dusted with powdered edible sugar.

Missoni

(Right image: Annie Nichols).

According to AnOther magazine: "The multicolored cake is made with smoothy creams, layers of flavours such as cherry, cream, pistachio, nut, chocolate, raspberry, blueberry, apricot and strawberry. The layer tops are covered with colored marzipan and little biscuit, candies and sugar or chocolate flakes. The cup-holes are in creams, crunchy nuts and candies." Cake made by Caroline Hobkinson.

Burberry

(Left image: AnOther).

Burberry Lights: light, soft lemon sponge cake with sugar icing top, illuminated with miniature studded lights. The cake is wrapped in a metallic iconic check casing.

Vivienne Westwood

"It is heart-shaped and can be made out of chocolate, strawberries or vanilla; it is absolutely up to the baker’s imagination"~ Vivienne Westwood. Cake made by Fabien Ecuvillon at Mark Hix (consisting of chocolate and an exoctic fruit of sea/buck thorn jelly).

Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel

"Ten candles, lace and sugar. Another Magazine as a temple of modernity. Happy Birthday"~ Karl Lagerfeld. Cake made by Peggy Porschen.

Lanvin

(Right image: Annie Nichols).

“I wanted to make a luxurious, tasty, happy and colorful yet chic birthday cake. I took inspiration from 1950s girls who jumped out of cakes – even though they were covered in cream they looked amazing! There are some pearls, and we use meringue at the centre, with cream, white chocolate, and truffles. The cake is big enough so that a real size girl can fit in it”~ Alber Elbaz. Cake made by Bompass & Parr.

Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci

This was the most elaborate and also most provocative cake hidden in a black box, only viewable from the top or via peepholes and mirrors. For adults only (a sign nearby said it was for 18+), this orgy of a sculpture was more like a work of art than an actual cake (and who knows where Tisci would have put the candles... I won't venture a guess). It was truly amazing.

(Left images: Annie Nichols).

“Dark decadence, sensuality, something that recalls pure pleasure”~ Riccardo Tisci. Made by Simon Smith out of pure margarine.

For more, head over to Annie Nichols' blog for additional images or visit the Selfridges page for videos of the 'making of' and the party.

All illustrations and cake descriptions courtesy of AnOther magazine.

Gareth Pugh (Hong Kong)

The one thing any visitor will quickly notice about Hong Kong is the abundance of prominent designer flagships all around town, especially those of the flashy logo variety which attract mostly mainland Chinese tourists with plenty of cash to spend. And while Hong Kong locals used to love these brands as well, more and more hip or discerning shoppers are opting for labels without the LV or Gucci stamp. The company that came to their rescue years ago was I.T., a retail giant that not only hosts high-street chains and its own multi-label boutiques stocking all the more contemporary designer gear, but also negotiated exclusive rights to open flagships for some of the most popular labels. This explains why thanks to I.T., Hong Kong is lucky enough to have three Isabel Marant boutiques or several Tsumori Chisato outlets to name a few.

Looks from the FW10 collection (images: Style.com).

But the biggest coup are the row of stores along Central's Ice House Street. A fashionista's dream come true, you'll find the Ann Demeulemeester, Maison Martin Margiela and Comme des Garçons flagships side by side - and the newest addition: Gareth Pugh's first and only standalone boutique in the world. While Hong Kong may seem an unlikely choice for a debut and a store wasn't at the top of Pugh's priority list, I.T. made the designer an offer he just couldn't refuse. The result: a futuristic 658 square-foot venue with a decor that mirrors his designs perfectly, courtesy of the London studio Daytrip. The storefront lacks a traditional window display and instead offers pedestrians a view of the giant LED screen featuring short film snippets of his work. The rest of the store is both dark and illuminated, matte and glossy: black rubber cases and racks, black tiled floors/ceilings and ash gray walls give the retail space a distinct gothic vibe.

Overview of the boutique (top image: Daytrip) and racks of clothes (bottom).

Even the store facade features black rubber paint (imported from the UK of course). According to Pugh (via WWD) "Because it was my first store, I knew I had to do something that was very me. I went back to my runway shows and thought, 'what could be more me than a black box?'" The LED display, which from afar looks like any regular TV screen, is the biggest attraction though. Inspired by his friends Ruth Hogben (who's films run on a loop on screen) and Nick Knight, he hopes to one day connect the display to his studio via the Internet, so that even beyond opening hours, viewers are connected to his work.

More of the store, incl. the geometric shapes which can be found on cardigans (top right) and display cases.

A closer look at the LED display (left) and the individual LED lights that create the moving images (right).

While the store, in all its blackness, may seem a bit intimidating, it's actually not. Once you get past the entrance, you'll realize that the compact size makes the area almost cozy... well, as cozy as a black box can get. Better yet, the one very friendly SA working there was helpful but also doing his own thing so you were left to browse at your own leisure (in my experience, HK SAs are notorious for stalking customers around stores). I loved the fact that some of Pugh's signature geometric shapes could be found on the brightly lit display cases. Clothing was neatly arranged and it was great to see so much of his collection in one place. Even in the UK, it's difficult to find more than a few of his pieces in select stores, and I quickly noticed that much of what was featured in-store was not from the runway and a lot more wearable.

View of the adjoining second room (top image: Daytrip). Seating area and a shearling leather jacket (bottom).

The entrance area as seen from the back (left), a padded jacket and loose knits (right).

The second room with an elaborate dress on display (left). A very heavy safety pin scarf (top) and other accessories (bottom).

Famous for his futuristic, almost sci-fi looks, Pugh has toned it down a little in recent seasons, but a lot of what you see is still a little 'out there'. For every cool structured leather jacket I found, there was another padded wool coat that only Lady Gaga could pull off. Yet beyond the avant-garde, there were knits, separates and evening dresses that looked both luxurious and edgy. And of course there's always the accessories, such as the great suede/leather wedge boots I sighted or the safety pin scarf.

The padded changing room.

More of the store (right), a structured leather jacket and leather/suede ankle wedge boots (left).

If you do decide to try something on, the padded changing room provides a nice contrast to the rest of the store: silver gray and surrounded by mirrors. The lack of excessive furniture or decor makes the boutique seem larger and the second section, where the changing room and a small seating area can be found, houses even more looks which are slightly more elaborate than the knits and jackets in the main hall. A fun browse if you like Pugh's work or favor more avant-garde fashion, but I'd probably go just for the terrific LED display alone. And definitely a welcome change from the typical big designer brands that populate Hong Kong - a relief from logo-mania if you will.

Looks from the SS11 collection (images: Style.com).

Address: 10 Ice House Street, Central, Hong Kong
Opening Hrs: Mon-Sun: 11:00-20:00
Gareth Pugh Homepage