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East End graffiti artist Cyclops, has become an ubiquitous part of London’s trendy East. It’s hard to turn a corner without being presented with his trademark one-eyed Charlie-Brown or toothy grin. But, judging by his latest exhibition of fine art light-boxes and political badges, London’s favourite graffiti artist has grown up.
After wowing London Fashion Week with a presentation teeming with abundant colours, abundant layering, abundant accessories, and a crowd of abundant celebrity purveyors, Central Saint Martins Alumni Louise Gray, treats Mooks to an exclusive look at her latest look-book, LFW show highlights and her up-and-coming line.
A new exhibition at London’s St Martin’s Lane Front Room, shows rare photographs of artist Jean Michel Basquiat riding the 80’s downtown New York club scene, taken by GRAY bandmate Nicholas Taylor. The exhibition also features never-before-seen black and white images of the couple playing together in the infamous experimental band GREY, whose legendary Mudd Club residency brought them praise from Andy Warhol’s Interview Magazine, who called them “possibly the best band on the planet”.
Though it looks like British photographer Anne Hardy has just stumbled on these abandoned rooms – a science lab, a basketball-littered storage cupboard, a dusty Christmas-tree filled living room – this is not the case at all. Hardy has, in fact, spent months – two months for each set-up on average – sourcing each artifact, each decoration. That collection of weights and weightlifting trophies? A bounty of jumble sale finds. The derelict greenhouse, sanctioned by bio-hazzard tape? A mélange of second-hand pot plants and possessions from a particularly successful trip around the city skips. She’s spent hours moving each object maybe 5cm this way, 10cm that, to see where it perfectly fits. The seemingly accidental visual details – the clustering and stacking of things, the trodden-in dust and dirt are all her doing. Details in a larger story. A work of fiction.
Unleash the flaming ninjas – Argh! Some wise dude once said: “ninjas can’t get you if you’re on fire,” and for a long time I had no idea what he meant – come to think of it – I’m still not really sure. I do know the latest Japanese inspired Mooks girl’s tops won’t turn you into a deadly ninja, or a flaming one for that matter (unfortunately), but they’ll sure as hell make you look smoking hot. So, before you buy that awesome fireproof ninja suit, consider a few cutesy Japanese rockabilly styles made from silk and vicose, then when your enemies least expects it… unleash the ninja-fury – unleash I say!
The front rows are full of famous faces. The major are picked up by the plentiful media. But behind the scenes at London Fashion Week, tired sellers and nomming cakes (oh hai House of Holland), international buyers are aching in their heels, mums are helping sell their daughters’ designs and unwearable pieces and headed to appointments with Browns focus. Fashion week is more than bling bling, glamour glamour, it’s hard work, baby, mixed with some seriously good fun. The hard work includes queuing for parties you probably won’t get into unless you’re Peaches Geldof, queuing for runway shows or pounding pavements to get from one show to the next or if you’re selling, wondering where the international buyers have got to. Much relief is found in the (mainly) friendly peeps working behind the scenes – especially Mary Katrantzou’s mum – and the endless tea that the British excel in making.
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