The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to Catwalk

17 Oct 2014 — 8 Feb 2015   National Gallery of Victoria

Here are my little iPhone snaps of this rather good show which ends in very soon!

My fashion design student co-worker didn't think much of it. Hers was the throw away, proverbial complaint when it comes to art 'I could have done that myself'. Yet you didn't! My friend and I (both industrial designers and artists) enjoyed it. Gaultier himself was happy with it so that must count for something eh?

Another complaint was the low light levels for black garments and I have to admit, they were significantly lower than elsewhere in the show in two rooms, which made it hard to see the intricate lace and beading. Setting them against a black background certainly didn't help and may have altered perception of lux levels ie a light background would have required less light since it would bounce around. That's the first rule of strong display: set your subject to stand out from a background by using a different colour/tone. The First rule of camoflauge : blend into the background by being a similar colour! The conservation arguement doesn't hold sway because having since researched this show these same pieces were displayed elsewhere in more adequate light.



Left: Virgins Collection?
Right: Virgins Collection
Dolorès
Haute Couture, Spring-Summer 2007


Bridal Mermaid, crutches detail
Mermaid collection
Haute couture, Spring-Summer 2008


Bridal Mermaid, purse detail
Haute couture, Spring-Summer 2008

The man is more than a fashion designer - he is an artist. The level of detail in the works was amazing. The general public rarely gets to see haute couture this close while the fashionista usually only sees it for a minute at arm's length at best. It's definitely worth seeing this show if you're in town.


Ex-voto
Virgins (or Madonnas) collection
Haute couture, Spring-Summer 2007
Chiffon and lame lace gown with ex-voto (an offering to a saint or divinity) plaque appliques and star and sea-shell embellished smoked plexiglass headdress. 
This gown took 315 hours to create.



 
Ex-voto, detail
Virgins (or Madonnas) collection
Haute couture, Spring-Summer 2007

Sassy, hose wielding lady from the 1980s

The following borderline NSFW image is from an an old Vogue Australia article featuring designer Arabella Ramsay's scrapbook. Not really sure what is going on here [innocent look].



At a stretch it could be by iconic, 1980s illustrator Antonio Lopez - although his style is usually less overt.

Little Shoulders at Lord Coconut.

Little Shoulders

deconstructed French cuff, tea, fabric trim, cotton, synthetic sponge, cardboard, metal fittings

Art of the Cuff
A Fringe Festival Exhibition

16th September - 4th October 2013

Lord Coconut

Suite 3, Level 4
Carlow House
289 Flinders Lane
Melbourne 3000
Tuesday to Friday – 11am to 6pm
Saturday – 12pm to 4pm
Other times by appointment

Enquiries:

0450 015 263

info[at]lordcoconut.com

Binary at Lord Coconut: Celebrating the Digital Age

Stitch and Fusion were created for Binary at Lord Coconut, opening next week.

Binary

Exhibition Opening:
5:30pm - 7:30pm 20 May 2014

Exhibition:
21 May 2014 - 7 June 2014

Lord Coconut

Suite 3, Level 4
Carlow House
289 Flinders Lane
Melbourne 3000
Tuesday to Friday – 11am to 6pm
Saturday – 12pm to 4pm
Other times by appointment

Enquiries:

0450 015 263

info[at]lordcoconut.com



My little robot brooches will also be in the show.

Never double peplum

I dislike peplums and I am not alone - just run a google search on 'peplum ugly' and get results like this. This is ridiculous. Never double peplum/ruffle. Some stylist at thought this was a good idea. WTF. She looks like she's a moulting kangaroo with a prolapsed pouch.

C'est la vie...

...That's life as a shy, colour blind, queer heart. It's like they channelled Freddie Mercury and completely missed the mark.

Ladies' t-shirt seen at Target.

Sunday 'Style'

I've got a terminal, proverbial, weaponed arthropod in my sunny day, head attire so I'm going to have a rant about it here. My beef is with this thing called 'fashion'. Witness the cover of Sunday Style, from the Herald Scum August 11, 2013:



This cover photo really bugged me. I'm indifferent to Maggie Gyllenhaal. It's as if the photographer, stylist and editor got together to try and publish a polished but totally unflattering image. Maggie is an average to prettish lass. This image makes her look pasty, boyishly weedy, curiously thin lipped and evil in A Clockwork Orange way. How does this invite the - predominantly female - readership to want to know more about her? Did they think she looked intriguing? [shrug] Is the undone pussybow blouse and lack of pants/skirt* teamed with fishnets an homage to her role in The Secretary? Why the upturned pudding bowl hair? Why anything really...

*  *  *

A senior fashion editor from Vogue Australia wrote the 'Trend I love...' column in the same issue citing this image as one to emulate. The fact that it looks awful on the model may put one off  from the 'bold athletic aesthetic' and 'some of the most striking pieces'. Is it actually bold to ignore the fact that a 'denim suit' is a term used in the fashion vernacular with derision? There's a good reason why the ones in the know usually recommend you mix your denim washes to avoid that look. It's too matchy-matchy and you tend to look like you're wearing overalls (oops too late!). No mention is made of that here.

The ill fitting, unflattering outfit 'heralds a new direction for one of fashion's ubiquitous garments'. Everyone who knows anything about style, knows that pleated pants are to be treated with caution or you will risk looking like you have stuffed a spare tyre down your pants. This look is repeated in various ensembles from the Balmain Resort Collection 2014**. Maybe I'm old fashioned but I prefer waistlines to appear smaller - not the same size - than hips and shoulders on women, possibly because that is the natural way of things. I think the jacket is well cut but the wash and buttons make it look cheap and bedazzled. Don't get me started on the dropped crotch thing.

*  *  *

It is for these reasons that this lift out should be called 'Fashion' or 'Now' or 'Trend' or something like that. 'Style' is not subject to the whims of what is considered fashionable. What is stylish isn't always fashionable but what is fashionable can be stylish. Being fashionable is highly overated. Being stylish is what everyone should aim for, young or old. It doesn't mean boring, and it doesn't mean old. It means understanding what shapes, fabrics and colours work for you. You wear things that speak to you, that make you feel happy, comfortable, elegant, strong, at your best in yourself. It takes years to figure this out, and I consider it a work in progress rather than a destination. While it can be useful to observe what is new in fashion for inspiration but don't be disheartened if it feels like it's aimed at someoneelse. It probably is!


*Lack of pants/skirt may be to highlight that thigh gap that is considered something to aspire to, particularly in certain circles.

**After looking through the whole collection I can safely say I don't like a single thing there. I am not the target demographic. Whatever.

Belfine Chippendale Santa

My BF pointed this one out to me from a Priceline catalogue. I'd like to emphasize that the target market for these treats just sees Santa and that ours is a grown up point of view.

Okay.

Notice how the skin of Santa and Rudolph is the same as their coats even though they could easily have been given red coats - as evidenced by the Santa in the middle. It makes them look topless, and therefore odd. My BF suggested Santa looked gay - what with Rudolph looking like he is wearing a leather chest harness and mittens, and Santa wearing braces and cuffs. However the other night I watched a bit of the Amazing Race with a pair of Chippendales which I think is closer to Santa's look. Here is your basis for comparison:



In conclusion I put forth that the Belfine Belgian chocolate making folk may have been blissfully unaware of these visual similarities
OR
they are a bunch of filthy minded perverts having a laugh because if you can see it you must be filthy too. And now that I've shown you the similarities you're gonna look at polychrome chocolate characters a little differently now aren't you? ;)

New fangled button

A patented design that became so ubiquitous in its success we now take it for granted.



'UNDER the appropriate name of "The Very Button," Messrs. Green and Cadbury have patented a two-hole linen button, which will be found to be among the most servicable that are made As a rule, buttons are a fruitful source of annoyance to nearly everybody, but we venture to think that "The Very Button" will be considered an exception to the rule. We can recommend its use for all kinds of under-clothing, and we think that no one will ever regret having given it a trial.'

Original image from Cassell's Household Guide, c. late 19th century. Estimated to be before electricity in houses, pre 1881/1882. Gas lighting and manual washing machines are mentioned elsewhere in this double volume.

The Black Market, The Dormouse and The Meerkat

The Black Market is an alternative culture market featuring crafts, art and bric-a-brac. I will be sharing a stall with my housemate who has knitted goods.

We will be called  
The Dormouse and The Meerkat.

Click here or below on the titles in the price list to see some of what will be on sale from me, The Meerkat.  There will be Black Market Specials on my artworks, dropped from their previous gallery/Wunderkammer prices. Prices start from $30.

The Black Market

Saturday, June 9

11-6

@

Revolt Melbourne Artspace

12 Elizabeth St, Kensington, Melbourne, VIC 3031

Entry is free for the Black Market, with ticket admission for other events as part of Fiend Fest.

Creature Comfort

Please score my Threadless design: Genie Windish, is a sweet icecream covered ass.

Sorry to double post for those of you on a feed but Genie Windish is now ready to be scored and hopefully with your support, PRINTED! Simply create a Threadless account and your score will make a difference. Depending on how this goes I will most likely create and upload more designs so it's worth your while if you'd like to wear some of my art on a t-shirt. There are also many other wonderful artists on Threadless who you can support too. Be sure to share with your friends :)

My first Threadless t-shirt submission: Genie Windish

My first Threadless t-shirt submission! You do need to create a Threadless profile in order to score it. Please take the time to do so if you'd like to see it get printed :) Thank you!


The design is based on the original collage, Sweet Genie Windish....

Fellowship of the True Blue, Southern Cross Son, Manly Man, Ring

Imagine this being read out by an ocker, beer swilling, football following, 'true blue' Aussie bloke. Better still, if you can do the accent, read it out aloud. If it was an 'Authentic reproduction of the original 1854 flag' then it wouldn't be a tiny little man ring and it wouldn't be 'echoing' it either. It would be a flag. It's cheap and nasty rubbish - plated sterling silver not solid. How is wearing an ugly, cheap ring positively patriotic?



What happened to old fashioned quality that's made to last?
Why is it only men can rely on this symbol?

The only thing the ring identifies the wearer as is an idiot. If he was really such a great bloke he wouldn't be wasting his hard earned money on a piece of crap like this. Awful. I was going to say this entry writes itself but I got a bit ranty there ...

Hosiery at the beach?

I guess it will keep the sand from getting between your toes if you're weird and don't enjoy that.


Lustre hosiery, image from the 1929 annual of The Draper of Australasia.
I found the disembodied pair of legs and solitary hand disconcerting and oddly accessorised. That appears to be a child's beach pail and spade next to her.

Lusty fabric

Lustre crepe fabric, image from the 1929 annual of The Draper of Australasia.
That's a sexy piece of drapery lying there and those ladies know it. Uh huh.

Men's Socks Illustrated

Lustre half hose for men, image from the 1929 annual of The Draper of Australasia.

I've never never seen such a pair detailed, skillfully rendered and styled half hose aka socks before and I probably won't ever again. Neither will you I'm quite sure so here's a detail for your delectation.

Top Dog something something...

Top Dog bathers for men and women, image from the 1929 annual of The Draper of Australasia.
I'm not sure what is going on in this image but it's odd. The first thing that caught my eye was the inflatable crocodile. I didn't know they made them back then! Next, the woman's right leg is tucked away or resting at a weird angle or is possibly being eaten by the crocodile. The man's left arm and hand is invisible, then my brother noticed that his fingers are in weird positions for holding a ball. If you're on the look out for odd things with a vague sexual connotation well there's that in this picture as well...

One Piece Bathers with Cut Outs - For Men!

Over the last couple of Summers, women's one piece bathers have featured saucy cut out sections for the slim, brave/fool hardy among us. You need to have the body of a model to pull that look off as you can see here.


Image from the 1929 annual of The Draper of Australasia
Smokin' hot or what? The Melford suit was also available in black trimmed with two red lines around the bottom hem which looked even smarter. No really!


You can feel the heat radiating from the glowing face of this Adonis.

In all seriousness though he is a buff chap/trio with fine pins!

Adel Rootstein mannequins of the 1980s

I was chucking out my unused resource files when I came across these old Adel Rootstein mannequin promotional sheets. They were too funny not to share before condemning to recycling. Enjoy!


Ah, the 1980s: when men were effeminate and women were drag queens.


Ms Tracy Leigh is actually modelled on Ms Tracy Leigh. Adel Rootstein have a history of modelling their mannequins on real people, in particular famous people.


The very model of chillaxment apparently. I reckon he's frowning too much to be considered laid back but maybe that's just me.


We are the goon squad and we're coming to town.

Beep, beep!

Posing! Posing like a swan. Posing! Posing for a portrait ... Posing a threat!
Some rather contrived poses on the reverse page of the Runway ladies. I put some modesty patches over their 'bits' so it should be safe for work!

You can find inspiration in everything

'Smith's fondness for tin robots of all shapes and sizes and antique bakelite radios is well known; some of these gizmos have even been known to spill into his shops. His prediliction for velvet Elvis paintings and rubber chickens is something he generally keeps to himself, however.'
Jim Davies on Paul Smith from 'You can find inspiration in everything*... *and if you can't, look again' by Paul Smith.