31 March 2012

Taxidermy

This morning I wondered around 'The Last Tuesday Society' on Mare Street, Hackney. The most bizarre place, full of taxidermy amongst a lot of other weird stuff that you stare at for about 5 minutes before having any idea what it is... Viktor Wynd (above) is the guy behind the shop, and I'll leave it to their website to explain exactly what it aims to be. Spending time at James's flat at the moment is like being an extra in Doctor Dolittle - a cat called Boris and an extremely friendly dog, Snoopy, seem to want to make sure that you are never alone. Felt a bit weird to suddenly be amongst so many stuffed furry friends. Click here and here for more animal related posts.

27 March 2012

Shady

 
Today I am celebrating the sun with my new H&M sunglasses. I'm really pleased with them even though they are a bit ridiculous. The suave guy behind the till in Westfield said they were cool though (I'm ignoring the fact that he was possibly/probably being sarcastic). I seem to celebrate the summer with diamante a lot - here is another impulse buy from last summer.

26 March 2012

Donkey

The window of A1 fabric on Uxbridge road currently takes on Shakespeare with their rendition of A Midsummer Night's Dream. So fantastic.
 
Something so right about fur and union jack fabric side by side

25 March 2012

Sunday Best

 
Lord John Stuart and his Brother, Lord Bernard Stuart, c.1638, Anthony van Dyck
I hurried over to the National Gallery again after work today and managed to scoot through the doors just before they closed for the evening (yes, I was that annoying person, security guard). This evening I purposefully walked in the opposite direction to the rooms I instinctively head towards, and ended up in front of this van Dyck painting of the Stuart brothers, who were also wards of King Charles I. Wow those boots and lace frilly sock things... Lord Bernard Stuart's outfit (on the right) is particularly opulent. I love all the lace and trimming, the pearl buttons and satin gloves.
In stark contrast on my way out, I came to an abrupt halt in front of this guy
 
 Portrait of Don Justino de Neve, 1665, Bartolome Esteban Murillo
No showing off of fancy frills here. I think it was Don Justino's determinedly steady eyes though, that made the painting feel so different to King Charles' wards. I love that the dog is the one wearing the bows in Murillo's picture. I suppose I have in small ways, been trying to adorn myself in lace recently with my homemade shoelaces. Murillo was a Spaniard, and very popular in Seville during the 17th Century. The Spanish know how to do lace. Click on the ladies below to have a look at some Mantillas I saw first hand last summer.

23 March 2012

Poetry Night

After a tip off from A-Little Bird, I booked a ticket and went to see Seamus Heaney, among others, read some of their poems at the Southbank Centre on Wednesday night. I don't read poetry all that often, but go through phases of dipping into old favourites such as Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes (so difficult to be interested in one of the latter two, without the other).

Rightly or wrongly, my mind seems to be forever connected by some kind of thread to clothes - one of my favourite Ted Hughes poems is an incredibly touching recollection of his wedding day to Plath 'A Pink Wool Knitted Dress'. Coincidentally, on Wednesday night I particularly enjoyed Michael Longley's reading of his poem about rediscovering the pattern for his wife's wedding dress - The Pattern. Another highlight and in the same vein was another of Longley's, The Linen Industry. The poem describes fields nearby Longley's home in Ireland being covered with lengths of raw linen drying in the sun.

Time to get myself to a bookshop. I would particularly like to re-read Heaney, as he was the star of the show by far.
I think this might be my first ever post that doesn't entirely revolve around images. So here are a couple for those who couldn't be bothered to read any of the above:
Who knew such a volume of verse existed?! For sale now, on Shepherd's Bush Green
And the beautiful cover of Ted Hughes' Birthday Letters, (painted by Hughes' daughter, Frida) that I am always stealing from the bookshelves in the living room.

22 March 2012

Knitted Vest

Traid £3 sale, its a dangerous place. Where everything is somehow appealing. I bought this little hand knitted vest (I think it might be for a child). I am envisaging wearing it over a short sleeved dress when it gets a little warmer, but I did also give it a go yesterday
Hmm........

Edgware Road Mermaid

I ended up at the market on Church Street, off Edgware Road yesterday. It was a sunny afternoon, and it felt wrong to be indoors. It was great! There's a £1 rail!!!! (that's kind of it though, clothes wise) I bought two dresses....
One is a kind of faded neon green checked number, which I am enjoying wearing today with my glow in the dark neon green ring.
There were lots of fish stalls at the market
I liked looking at the clams and shiny scales. Luckily it wasn't warm enough to raise the fishy smell to dizzying heights. REALLY sure that Donatella et al didn't have Edgware road fish stalls, or any kind of fish stall in mind when designing these numbers, but nevertheless I was reminded of Versace SS12 mermaids and seashells, in a really good way
 
 

21 March 2012

Lace Laces

And the obsession with laces continues... I bought the lace and ribbon above from my favourite fabric shop in Shepherd's bush yesterday. My £12.99 flatforms may need replacing soon, but I'm hoping I can keep breathing new life into them with a series of fancy ribbons.

19 March 2012

Fred Tomaselli

 
'As a collagist with access to the collective imagery of the whole world, I'd say I'm already living the dream.' 2011

17 March 2012

Gatsby

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald seems to be having its moment on the pages of fashion magazines recently. It's one of my top 5 favourite books, if not my favourite, so its quite odd sometimes seeing other people's interpretation of the story. I've always thought a drop waist is a pretty hard look to pull off, so what I'm taking from the glamour and opulence of the novel is the champagne, sequins and full on romance.
A couple of years ago I made Mum this birthday card inspired by a re-reading of Fitzgerald: In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars
I wish I was going to a Gatsby-esque party this evening, that would brighten up this miserable weather.

Textured

 
 

I've always been quite obsessed with the texture of things... I was reminded of that this morning when looking at a (very) old A level project of mine. One of my first What's She Like? posts was about the very same thing.

15 March 2012

Almost

Easter is just around the corner... Or so I keep telling myself. I will be in Cornwall over the bank holiday weekend with my family and already looking forward to a repeat of last year, and of more idyllic sights like this:
Very happily, I don't have my dissertation to write this year though. Can really concentrate on the egg hunt instead.

14 March 2012

More Ice

In relation to the ice post below:
Tessa with new ring from Shepherd's Bush pawn shop, and necklace from me for her birthday. (Pope Julius would be proud.) This outfit was thrown together in 5 minutes before rushing out the door for lunch, and after a very late night celebrating her birthday, I was in awe.
 
(Quite enjoying 'The Killing' box set - yet to be watched - propped up outside Tessa's room)

13 March 2012

Igloo

Igloo, 2011 
Stuart Haygarth
Today I saw this sculpture by Stuart Haygarth at Haunch of Venison, Bond Street, in a show that brings together several sculptors over two floors. This was probably my favourite piece in the exhibition, possibly because as Tessa pointed out, it looks like an upside down chandelier. Ever the classy type.
It reminds me of the glasses we have in Cornwall, where no two are really the same. At New Year we had a party in Cornwall, where the conditions could have been likened to an igloo if it were not for an enormous space heater and bonfire. The theme was Fire and Ice.
Quite annoying as I don't have better photos but we decorated in a way that was so icy-looking it would've done an eskimo proud.
 
Igloos are pretty cool. (No pun intended).

9 March 2012

Gilbert and George

Last night I paid a visit to Rosa's current place of work to see the Gilbert and George Private View.
(As a security guard wouldn't leave my side until she had seen me delete a photo I took in the bookshop, I should probably admit that the above image is courtesy of White Cube...) It was a little down in the dumps for my liking, but maybe with a bit more effort I would feel differently. I loved that Gilbert and George were at the Bermondsey gallery, looking dapper in those infamous suits of theirs, like this
However, sadly a long day of work and the repetitive use of words like THIEF SCANDAL DEATH etc made me feel a bit like I just wanted to be this little guy
 
Gilbert and George's massive display of work in White Cube galleries across London and in Hong Kong probably deserve another trip and more enthusiasm on my part, at a time when I don't feel the urge to cower in the corner. I may have to repeat my visit. For more PV reportings from the same place along with loads of illegal photos I took (whoops), have a look at a post from last December.