In the 21st Century, we have reached a point at which fashion has traversed an enormous array of avenues, meandered through the ‘ups’ of iconic items including ‘the little black dress’, the white t-shirt, and the leather boot, and endured the ‘downs’ of ‘onesies’, puffer jackets and mad hair styles. Yet, what remains for our generation to discover and invent? In fact, reinvention is exactly what we can do. Like never before... Continue Reading

Colours, patterns, material: we seek to add to our wardrobe every season with a heightened fervour. Yet, have we ever considered necessity? The fashion industry seeks to assure us of the need for the season’s ‘new trends’ and to chuck our ‘old styles’ in the oh-so-yesterday pile. Yet, there exists a distinct ‘counter culture’ that has developed over centuries: a rebellion against the need to acquire and amass countless items ... Continue Reading

Within 30 seconds of meeting any individual, we judge whether we like them or not. Instantaneous assessment. Such a knee-jerk reaction is apparent in the way we subconsciously judge the class of anyone we meet by what they are wearing. Their body language is important, yet most importantly (nonetheless superficially) their attire reflects their place in the social order. Marxist interpretation of fashion trends drums in the importance of c... Continue Reading

The age of the belle époque was a prosperous era for Europe, and this was reflected in its arts. The invention of the lithograph allowed for the mass production of posters for the first time, which meant easy mass exposure for the artists of that time. Toulouse-Lautrec and Jules Chéret were the men responsible for the surge in popularity of this art form and for realising its possibilities within the world of adve... Continue Reading

Frequently within the fashion industry there seems to be the same discussion about body shapes, namely those of the skeletal models that we see parading down the catwalks. Well I'm not so interested in talking about that, I'm much more interested in how designers have made alterations and modifications to these slender bodies through their clothes and thus are questioning exactly what form should the human body take... Continue Reading

When the Conservatives came to power in 1979, Britain gained its first female Prime Minister. Yet in her wake, the ‘iron lady’ brought policies that would start a style revolution. It was the working class that took to the streets, clad in black and riddled with piercings. Meanwhile, the new romantics, exemplified by Boy George with his eccentric look, wore fancy dress in buccaneer disarray. Street wear would influence haute couture. S... Continue Reading

The surreal in fashion.

Following from Friday's surreal beginnings into how the irrational has penetrated the world of fashion. It is not surprising that 'the surreal' is a popular theme for the fashion world to pick up on as the whole draw of fashion is that it will transform your reality into the non-reality that you see in the adverts and campaigns.

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My blog will  "begin with the unmeasurable, must go through measurable means... and in the end must be unmeasurable” as (mis)quoted by the great Louis Kahn. Therefore I will begin with the irrational and my first great love - Salvador Dali.

"Each morning when I awake, I experience again a supreme pleasure - that of being Salvador Dali."

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Fashion has often been seen as synonymous with sexual appeal. But, sex is as much about power as lust, the power to seduce and entice others through our appearance and demeanour. Yet, across the ages, sexuality has remained malleable in its embodiment. A pinnacle of male style was encapsulated by the era of the ‘Dandies’. Their refined elegance created a ‘cult of self’ in the 18th and early 19th Century, donning waistcoats and froc... Continue Reading

Diamonds are a girl's best friend, are they not? Friends or foe, women are categorically judged by their fashion choices, from Carla Bruni to Michelle Obama. Hitherto, the encouragement to display a constantly shifting balance between eroticism and modesty has always been a tricky one to navigate. The dichotomy of 'slut' and curvy Madonna shows a two-sided coin of stylistic persona. The female figure is scrutinized, criticized, adored and ... Continue Reading