Central Saint Martins’ Degree Show One: Art
Central Saint Martins’ final year art show boasted a colourful and eclectic mix of interdisciplinary art that is as fresh and cool as its students – exactly what the art world needs.
Central Saint Martins’ final year art show boasted a colourful and eclectic mix of interdisciplinary art that is as fresh and cool as its students – exactly what the art world needs.
With alumni including Hussein Chalayan, Yinka Shonibare and 2013 Turner Prize Winner Laure Prouvost, Central Saint Martins is a hub for raw, new talent that only seeks one thing – prove itself to the world. This year’s show, made up of works across BA Fine Art and MA Art & Science, Fine Art, Photography and MRes Art, continues to hone Central Saint Martins’ reputation when it comes to the creative energy it harbours.
CSM’s Degree Show One is unusual in its content, and a treat for the eyes when it comes to its form – paintings share the wall with installations, immersive experiences, and regular performances across the room that transport you to other worlds. Upon entering the show, one is greeted by giant sculptures that lead you to the main area, where a student recreated the atmosphere and setting of a nail salon bar. Working around that particular framework, she greets visitors with a smile before proceeding to glam up their nails, while the adjacent space is occupied by another student and his aquaponics water plants (a system of raising fish and plants in a symbiotic cycle) and cosy sofas where one can read books whilst waiting to get one’s nails done, or for a friend to bring beer, or anything – you decide. The beautiful part about CSM’s degree show is that it invites you in a manner that other works of art placed in certain institutions don’t. Here, it is never a question of ‘is this lost glove on the floor art?’ or ‘do you think we can touch this?’ or even ‘can we sit on this or is it part of the work?’, rather it is completely interactive and herein lies the fun aspect of art – art can be fun too, and we more often than not forget it too quickly.
The showstopper of the night was undoubtedly Alexis Marie Sera’s big rock-like installation at the back of the room, which made the entire university look like a meteorite landing platform. After walking around the massive structure and feeling like an ant, you climb up inside only to be confronted by three creatures covered in black oil, wailing, rummaging around, circling around and staring at you –frightening and claustrophobic. Paired with some foreboding sounds, the giant ball opens up at the top to reveal some light, while the creatures moan and wail even more –a fascinating and immersive take that aims to recreate the instance right before death occurs.
Another immersive piece that transformed space and relationship towards the audience is the artists’ massage station, set up by student Yao Wang. The décor of the space, which had been constructed in a white, minimalistic salon, greeted visitors with the distinct sanitised yet seducing smell of all health stations –dentists, hospital, doctors. The crowd watched gleefully while one lucky artist got his shoulders massaged, while the space next to it, which was made to look like its complete antithesis –dark, dimly lit by candles and oozing an aura of mysticism, gathered curious bystanders. The great thing about CSM’s show is that the students blend in with the visitors, and the pieces are transformed whenever someone interacts with them. There is no visible hierarchy, and all are simply happy to experience months of hard work put into everyone’s art.
Other pieces which transport the audience into different immersive worlds and settings use film as a medium, creating sensations rather than linear narratives, such as Henrietta Young’s video installation that places the visitor inside a surgical framework by surrounding him with freshly cut pieces of flesh. Upon entering the space, one is cornered by double projections that emphasize the waiting of a hospital room.
Central Saint Martins proves again that it is filled with fresh, raw energy and talent when it comes to art.
Images by Suzanne Zhang
Central Saint Martins - University of the Arts London | 27 May - 31 May 2015
True Multi-Love for Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s recent gig at the Islington Assembly Hall
Building up the greatness for the last moments, Unknown Mortal Orchestra triumphs when you think the night is old – carrying out their performance to its apogee at a hot and intimate after-gig show in Birthdays, Dalston.
Seeing Portland’s Unknown Mortal Orchestra live is nothing compared to listening to their funky indie pop songs on full blast at home – while the latter is impeccable and commands foot tapping and stumbling dance moves, the experience of seeing them live is like a good and hopeful amorous relationship that only grows stronger with time.
Starting the night with Like Acid Rain from their new album Multi-Love (Released on 25.05.2015 on Jagjaguwar), it is the kind of concert that is exhilarating – the sound is faster, louder and an explosive burst of psychedelia that sets the tone for the rest of the evening. The new album, which somehow finds a way into disco, explores the different meanings of love and polyamorous relationships on refreshing layers of upbeat tunes, fuzzy rock guitars and ethereal vocals.
As the classic tunes from their previous album were filled with their distinct boombox lo-fi sound, it is good to see Unknown Mortal Orchestra evolving and incorporating more funky, disco touches to their already irreproachable music. When they started performing one of their iconic songs, From the Sun, the crowd cheered and happily became one with frontman Ruban Nielson, clamouring their famous line ‘Isolation can put a gun to your head’ – their sweetest and catchiest tune.
While the other band members were brilliant (particularly Riley Geare on his drum solo introducing Ur Life One Night after the equally great How Can You Luv Me; and new band member Quincy McCrary’s piano solo after the timeless So Good At Being In Trouble – live, it was faster and possessed more edge), Nielson seemed to tire easily and did not deliver as much as he could have on So Good At Being In Trouble and Swim and Sleep, leaving it mostly to the audience and other band members. While raspy, out-of-breath, and woozy singing may at times enhance and bring an extra layer to a song, Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s music is one that is enjoyed when polished at its best. Fortunately, Nielson makes a show out of being on stage; dancing, lying on the floor and sitting at the front of the stage, leaning towards the audience with vocal melodies embracing jerky undertones, before finishing off with a jazzy version of Ffuny Ffriends that got the entire crowd clapping along, and a cosmic rendition of Multi Love, greatly enhanced by Quincy at the keyboard. The encore song, Can’t Keep Checking My Phone, left the audience dancing along on a positive disco vibe, before everyone hurried to Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s just announced after-gig show in Dalston.
The after-gig show, which started around 1AM, started with a surprising beat in the intimate and dark underground room at Birthdays, with crowds cheering louder than ever. Coupled with some upbeat mixes and spontaneous new drum nuances that made the music even more great in a head-banging, toe-tapping way, the entire band seemed to be even more energetic than at their concert, greatly encouraged by fans singing along to all their songs. Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s performance of So Good At Being in Trouble was the definitive climax of the show, proving once again that they do indeed become better and better as the night goes along – and we can’t wait for more.
Photos by Suzanne Zhang
‘Voguing’ through NYC subways in this gritty new film by Clayton Vomero
NYC based filmmaker Clayton Vomero introduces his raw short GANG, following the day in the life of three friends as they rap, sing and vogue their way around Staten Island.
NYC based filmmaker Clayton Vomero introduces his raw short GANG, following the day in the life of three friends as they rap, sing and vogue their way around Staten Island.
The 17-minute film features Mela Murder and Denasia Moore, two members of the Major Lazer dance team. Ghostface Killah’s son, Infinite Coles, plays the third friend. Together, the three friends in their gang shed light on youth culture and what it means to grow up in electric and gritty New York City, with particular focus on ‘voguing’ culture.
Voguing is a stylized form of house dance characterized by model like poses of linear arm and leg movements arising from Harlem ballrooms by African and Latino Americans. It is Mela Murders character that boldly takes the lead in this contemporary articulation of voguing and its significance on expression.
According to Clayton, the inclusion of dance in his film was a medium used by the characters to express their confidence despite the many social restraints imposed on them. In an interview Clayton remarks; ‘It’s a story about people; it’s not about being gay, or black, or poor or dancing. It’s just about being a person and looking for other people like you. The beautiful thing about Mel, Inf, and D’s friendship is that they help each other to be their most confident selves. They don’t look to each other for approval; they encourage each other to be who they are. I think voguing is just an expression of confidence for them.’
The film itself is heavily urbanised with contemporary dance and Lo-fi music playing an intrinsic part in forming the narrative as well as the very real-to-life dialogue that takes you right back to being a teenager. The film deals with themes of identity and social circumstances with the idea that you can make the most of whatever you have. The friends in the film are restrained economically, but they do not allow this to affect their experiences as a young person living in New York, and together they grow their own confidence performing carefree through the city with no feelings of burdens or barriers. Through the course of living out their life they deal with personal issues about love and friendship, encouraging each other to be strong individuals.
If any young person were to watch anything of significance in their life, GANG is sure to be right up there as a film for this generation and undoubtedly the film of the year for any young New Yorker and those wishing to recount their childhood. It is a film that is about growing, giving so much of itself as a film to the audience in terms of its moral and its authenticity, which makes it all the more exciting to know of Clayton’s plan to transform this short into a feature length film. Watch out for Clayton’s next film and if you haven’t already checked GANG you can preview it through this link.
The Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2015 Exhibition at The Photographer’s Gallery
Deutsche Börse Photography Prize Exhibition 2015 is opened at the Photographer’s Gallery in London, showcasing the work of finalists Nikolai Bakharev, Zanele Muholi, Viviane Sassen and Mikhael Subotzky and Patrick Waterhouse.
Last week, this year’s Deutsche Börse Photography Prize Exhibition opened at the Photographer’s Gallery in London, showcasing the work of finalists Nikolai Bakharev, Zanele Muholi, Viviane Sassen and Mikhael Subotzky and Patrick Waterhouse.
Coil, from the series Soil, 2014 © Viviane Sassen
Perhaps having just finished Lelyveld’s profoundly moving book Move Your Shadow, I was immediately drawn to the work of Mikhael Subotzky and Patrick Waterhouse, shortlisted for their publication, Ponte City. Displayed on the top floor of the gallery and quite fittingly so, Ponte City documents the results of a mammoth six year project on a 54-floor apartment block in Johannesburg, which was built during the Apartheid era and stands today as a living reminder to all those who suffered an inconsolable amount of racial antagonism and arguably today, still sits at the forefront of conflict in South Africa.
Untitled #5, from the series Relation, 1991-1993 © MAMM, Moscow / Nikolai
Built for the white ‘sophisticates’ in the heyday of the Apartheid, by the 1990s Ponte City hailed a new group of residents and with that came a pool of neglect. A building that once welcomed its residents to ‘heaven on earth’ quickly turned into an epicenter of crime, a symbol of urban hatred and South Africa’s tallest slum-dogged squat den, to put it bluntly.
In 2007, Subotzky and Waterhouse began their project, picking up the pieces that remained in the now half occupied residency. The result was a stunning culmination of visuals, architectural plans and the untold stories of past and present occupants, documenting the history of a building packed with contrasts and indicative of a nation’s changing cultures, ideologies, racial neglect and the less grandiose reality of apartment living.
In an impressive floor to ceiling light box, Subotzky and Waterhouse display the images they captured on each floor of the tower block; every door, view and television screen captured through the lens of a camera and with it, the accompanying stories, essays and documentary texts that put it all into context.
Ponte City from Yeoville Ridge, from the series Ponte City, 2008 © Mikhael
For me, what was so striking about this exhibit was not so much the photographs themselves but the sheer number of lives and stories subsumed within the solid walls of one tower block. We live in a world of hellishly confined spaces yet have mastered an unnerving ability to keep everything behind closed doors and Subotzky and Waterhouse’s project does well to address this. Ponte City reaches beyond the facade of rainbow coloured curtains and smiling faces, to expose us to the realities of apartment living, poverty and the unending prejudice that still lingers today. Visually perhaps not the most striking, but here is a body of work that sticks with you both for its content and ability to leave you questioning what has really changed in a country still evidently stuck between its past and present.
Downstairs, visual activist Zanele Muholi uses a different medium to challenge, specifically, the identity and politics of LGBTI communities in post-apartheid South Africa, with a wall of stunning black and white portraits. At a glance, individuals silenced and under explained, but shift your attention to the limply held, hand written words hanging to the left of the gallery and an unsettling likeness begins to emerge. For these are the real faces and real words of former victims, subjected to prejudice and curative rape but still stand before us. No rainbow filters through these images, but strength, defiance and dignity remains. They are the images of a ‘Rainbow Nation’ cast only in black and white and captured by Muholi in the most sensitive and simultaneously hard-hitting of ways.
Untitled #70, from the series Relation, 1991-1993 © MAMM, Moscow / Nikolai
Politically, here are two of the better contestants, but all indisputably unrivalled by last year’s finalist, Richard Mosse who, in his epic display of coloured jungle war zones, set the bar very, very high. For me, this year’s finalists lack any real visual flair but rather, comply with the often held high view that ‘content is king’. An interesting, defiant and provocative body of works nevertheless, and most definitely worth a visit.
The exhibition, featuring work by all four shortlisted artists is on show at the Photographer’s Gallery until 7 June | www.thephotographersgallery.org.uk
Anish Kapoor at Lisson Gallery London: What we saw
Artworks that resemble the intimate recesses of the human bodies grow from the walls of the Lisson Gallery, in an exhibition that both disgusts and compels.
Artworks that resemble the intimate recesses of the human bodies grow from the walls of the Lisson Gallery, in an exhibition that both disgusts and compels.
Anish Kapoor
Born in Bombay in 1954, Kapoor is one of the forerunners of British abstract sculpture and has been awarded both the Turner Prize (1991) and a Knighthood for services to the Visual Arts (2013).
Kapoor’s new show at the Lisson is as gruesome as it is beautiful. Dense undulating landscapes of thick reddish silicone are personified to resemble imagined bodily matter, smeared upon the walls.
The first work in the main gallery “Internal Objects in Three Parts” is a floor-to-ceiling triptych that is spread over three walls of the room. Large in height, width, and depth, these paintings are large enough to encompass real human bodies, a feeling that is increased by the imagined faces pushing their way through the paint in a haunting case of pareidolia.
These works seem to contain the whole spectrum of reds, offset against a brilliant white that raises itself to the surface occasionally. The sinewy red silicone resembles all kinds of bodily matter, including muscles, veins, and blood. Occasional bursts of yellow suggest fat, and thin black layers give the work the appearance of charred flesh.
The work is incredibly inviting to the touch (I did, I apologise Anish), and it is as spongy and firm as one would imagine. It is impossible when viewing these works to avoid imagining them as inside your own body, as part of yourself.
Like expectorated mounds of blood upon white tissue, or coagulated clumps on dirty bandages, the work is almost sickening. Despite this, it is impossible to look away. One is transported to the very depths of hell, with its volcanous landscape and inescapable voids. I stood transfixed below the first painting until I felt the compulsion to walk straight into it, and at that point I had to tear myself away.
These works, a new direction for Kapoor, bridge the gap between his smooth, shiny works (Cloud Gate - 2006), and his matte, colourful works (Mother as Mountain - 1985). Both the shiny and the matte appear together in these works, fighting for prominence.
As well as the visceral bloodlike paintings, Kapoor has included two prostrate pink onyx sculptures that at the same time resemble both orifices and protrusions. The smoothness of the surface and the sugary-pink hues are reminiscent of tongues and vulvas, and contrast brilliantly against the darker landscapes of the paintings.
As well as these there are a few polished reflective works that don’t seem to sit so well with the intentionally rough and perfectly flawed pieces, something that I’m sure Kapoor has intended, as displacement is something that he does very well. The contrast between these works and his paintings seems to exemplify and exaggerate the qualities of each. The mirrored pieces make the paintings all the more textured, and the paintings make these works all the more flawless. There is still a bodily quality to the mirrored pieces, one of which resembles a gold mouth, or another vulva, gilded and hung in the corner.
The main body of the work (excuse the pun) is the paintings, and it is these that are the most alluring. One could get lost for hours in amongst these visceral topological maps of the internal human landscape. These artworks represent what is in all of us, and in this they are universal. What are we all but bags of gore.
As with all great works by Anish Kapoor, you are transported from the gallery into a personal space for contemplation. You lose yourself in his epic works and are able to ponder quietly for a few minutes, free from all of your real-world worries. Worries like death, disease, and coughing up blood.
All images via © Lisson Gallery website
The show runs until the 9th of May 2015
Lisson Gallery 52-54 Bell Street, London NW1 5DA
REVIEW | Klangkarussell @ The Nest
Austrian house duo Klangkarussell showcase an impressive ability to mesh thrusting bass lines with electronica and jazz-infused house.
You’re in a dry, dust infused desert with nothing but the hot hot sun beating down on your neck, a lost cause, clinging onto the visions of a river that once flowed; breathing, meandering, in and out and you’re tired. Your mouth is dry, your feet blistered and you need water.
And then suddenly, as if burst forth from your own teardrops, you see a cloud. Its drops of rain hit you like stones to water and you feel graced, graced by the reassuring sensation that is life. Living. Water never tasted so good.
Put that feeling into a song and you get ‘Netzwerk’ by Austrian house duo Klangkarussell (Tobias Rieser and Adrian Held) who showcase an impressive ability to mesh thrusting bass lines with electronica and jazz-infused house.
Following on from the release of their hugely successful single ‘Sonnentanz’, their new album in 2014 stood out for its jolting pulses of twisted beats and synth driven bass lines that propelled the tracks forward to culminate in a fusion of beatific synths, vocals and sunny melodies. What made this album so special was its ability to evolve so steadily, each track effortlessly combined like the sequence to a good film. The intoxicating beats of Sternenkinder for example, climaxing in a meticulously edited patchwork of African chants and tribal baselines. These are tracks that would erupt even in the biggest of venues, so when Klangkarrussell announced a set at Dalston’s intimate venue, The Nest, I was beyond excited.
Truth be told, few of the album’s tracks were played, but I took comfort in the fact that it is not always the technical skill of the performer, explicitly, that makes a performance. Often the energy that fills the room is of utmost importance and Klangkarussell did well to prove exactly that. And when they did play some of their better-known tracks, Dalston’s dark cavern of a venue erupted within seconds, the crowd’s energy in complete symbiosis with the duo’s, feeding off of one another to ensure the extremely up-tempo, infectious layers of electronic house were kept going up until the early hours.
Their set marked an album that few will grow tired of and a combination of tracks that are only going to get bigger and better.
Catch them next at London’s XOYO, Sunday 3rd May
Rafaël Rozendaal: The Internet’s Artist
In the rising field of Digital Art, Rafaël Rozendaal’s interactive websites, colour-changing paintings, and immersive installations offer a fresh take on the definitions and limits of contemporary art.
By Lucy Saldavia
In the rising field of Digital Art, Rafaël Rozendaal’s interactive websites, colour-changing paintings, and immersive installations offer a fresh take on the definitions and limits of contemporary art.
Where some artists specialize in oils, and others in sculpture, Dutch-Brazilian artist Rafaël Rozendaal is best known for his work in pixels. His playful websites allow visitors to poke and prod a wobbling red jello mold, or unroll an endless roll of toilet paper, or simply watch an array of colors play across the screen. Some websites are completely abstract, while others contain recognizable shapes and symbols for viewers to manipulate. They are endlessly entertaining, and strangely hypnotic—like arcade games with a conceptual twist. Websites as art may seem a like strange idea at first, but in the growing field of Digital Art, Rozendaal’s work is a pioneering example of the ever-growing opportunities available to artists working with modern technology.
www.nevernowhere.com
The internet, for Rozendaal, is both his platform and his canvas. Like the works of other artists, Rozendaal’s websites can be bought and sold, but they must remain online and accessible to anyone. Where other works of art can only be reproduced on screen, Rozendaal’s pieces can be viewed and interacted with by anyone, anywhere.
Rozendaal’s ‘lenticular paintings’ are more traditional, but still involve the viewer to create their effect. Using the same technology that makes the figures on baseball cards to appear to move, Rozendaal’s swirls, blotches, and shards of color shift hue and form as viewers walk past. They give the impression of digital animations placed within frames.
As well as his websites and paintings, Rozendaal also creates installations, drawings, haikus, writings, and lectures. His installation works utilize light, reflections, and animations to cultivate an immersive experience, and his writings often explore the nature of his art and the art world in general. In 2010, Rozendaal founded BYOB (Bring Your Own Beamer), an open source series of exhibitions created by artists worldwide. The idea is simple, as the BYOB website explains: “Find a place, invite many artists, and ask them to bring their projectors.” This avant-garde approach to art and exhibitions, utilizing new media and the internet, is typical of Rozendaal’s progressive style. His work has been exhibited at the Pompidou Centre in Paris, at the Venice Biennale, and at numerous smaller galleries across Europe, the United States, and Asia. He has lectured at prestigious universities, including Yale and the École beaux-arts. He currently lives and works in New York City.
Check out some his Internet works:
All Images via © Rafaël Rozendaal
Hackney-made acrobatic expression of ‘Bromance’
Bertil Nilsson’s new short film ‘Bromance’ tells a story of brotherly affection through the artistic movement of acrobatic dance.
Bertil Nilsson’s new short film ‘Bromance’ tells a story of brotherly affection through the artistic movement of acrobatic dance.
Swedish born Nilsson collaborated with the award winning, experimental acrobatic company, Barely Methodical Troupe, to create this 3-minute short.
Nilsson describes his film about the exploration of “…intimacy of physical interaction between guys; of their bromance. The concept of the film was to set something unusual in the real world, almost a documentary in the most abstract of senses.”
It’s refreshing to watch the affection of three men depicted through this close union of dance moves that interlace with each other to create this free flow choreography.
The familiar East London streets of Hackney where the boys relay their professional dance routine gives this film its contemporary edge, which paired with the theme of the film, translates as a beautiful and modern depiction of love and friendship.
Nilsson is used to pairing dance with film, as a trained photographer, he shot his collection ‘Naturally’ based on contemporary dance expressions in natural surroundings.
There is a level of purity in Nilsson’s work in his natural subjects and themes, which elevate its beauty and resonates with its audience. After watching ‘Bromance’, it left me with a profound feeling of togetherness you cannot find easily with just anything.
Watch Bromance and check out Bertil Nilsson’s photography collection
Images via Bertil Nilsson website
Michael Porten: The Spinning Beach Ball of Death
Made up of 50 self-portraits of near pop-art impact, The Spinning Beach Ball of Death collection typifies the artistic intensity and creative endurance of one of America’s finest surrealist painters.
Made up of 50 self-portraits of near pop-art impact, The Spinning Beach Ball of Death collection typifies the artistic intensity and creative endurance of one of America’s finest surrealist painters.
Born in Huntsville, Alabama, Michael Porten earned a B.F.A. in illustration from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2004. Despite waylaying plans to work as a computer animator after rooming with a particular gifted fellow student, Porten’s work at Georgia’s prestigious SCAD institution bares more than a ghost of his early intentions.
Traditional portrait work is often laid-over with bold, clean edged lines, repetitive pictorial refrains or, as in the case of the Spinning Beach Ball of Death series, a primary colour filter. A quick glance at Beach Ball would have it as little more than the result of a Photoshop drop down box, or perhaps homage to the head rupturing Tizer man. A further glance shatters the initial reading.
50 24inch by 24 inch portraits stand side-by-side, each painted in oil. The first shows the back of Porten’s head and shoulders in bright red. The second, third and fourth fade to yellow then green and blue as his exceptionally bearded bust turns face on.
Porten says that the title of the collection borrows a metaphor from Mac’s rotating wait cursor, a spinning beach ball as seen from above that indicates processor-intensive activity. “For example,” tech website Thexlab aptly explains, “applying a Gaussian blur to an image in Adobe Photoshop.”
Such convenient clarification alludes to the artistic intentions of the digital designer turned painter.
The ease of computer based image replication and manipulation is parodied by Porten on the canvas. Each click of a button becomes a painstaking act of perfectionism and minute, barely detectable yet integral changes of perspective and pallet. What takes seconds on Photoshop is drawn out into a relative age. The motivation, Porten says, is to create a set of paintings undercut with an allusion to surrealist literature.
Surrealism first infiltrated a scene otherwise occupied with modernism through André Breton and Philippe Soupault’s 1920 work Les Champs Magnétiques. The principal piece of automatic writing, Les Champs Magnétiques is the fruit of shambolic sessions of free flowing thought underlined with a desire to be rid of classic literary influences.
The connection between Spinning Beachball and works born of such conceptual anarchy is clear. Porten’s portraits are at once striking works of pin-point accuracy with a photorealistic quality, and absurd, comic manifestations of self-examination; the product of an artist intentionally shackling themselves in terms of style and medium.
The end result of weeks of work, the product of far-gone literary movement and born from an ability to stare unwaveringly at his own image, The Spinning Beach Ball of Death is both a remarkable artistic achievement and a stunning collection.
Images via © Michael Porten’s website
Up close and personal at Fashion Scout
When ROOMS were invited to check out the Fashion Scout, Ones to Watch show, and go behind the scenes, we jumped at the chance.
When ROOMS were invited to check out the Fashion Scout, Ones to Watch show, and go behind the scenes, we jumped at the chance. And where better than Fashion Scout to discover the latest talented designers.
JMOON kicked off the show, founded by London College of Fashion graduate, Jihnee Moon, who recently launched her womenswear line. With her modern use of colour and textures, it’s easy to see why she won the ‘best directional use of colour and textile’ award for her BA press show.
Her simplistic take on tailored trousers, peter pan collars and roll necks, contrasted with hints of colour made her collection just the right amount of minimalism.
South Korean designer, Minju Kim’s playful approach to fashion has got her collaborating with Disney to re-image Minnie Mouse. A standout short and blazer two set, complete with said Minnie print made an appearance on the runway. Minnie Mouse had never been so coveted.
Kim Stevenson’s collection paid homage to a London guard with her tall headpieces. Her use of floral embroidery against denim and tasseled textures gave her line a flamboyant, showy edge – however, she brought it back down to street level with her patchwork, wearable jeans.
Angel Chen’s latest collection, Bunny with short Leg is noticeably different from her usual brave coloured previous lines. With khaki greens and juxtaposed texture, it’s ultimately still Chen behind the collection, but Bunny with short leg feels like her previous collection, The Rite of Spring’s, older, more sophisticated sister.
Wearing scout neckties, badges and boyish shorts this collection had an androgynous vibe. She incorporated daring yellow and reds, perhaps as a nod to her more colourful work, complementing the forest greens and creams of the lace details.
To draw upon her bunny title, Chen collaborated with designer Jing Tan to give her models sock ‘bunny’ feet, and beautifully intricate lace bunny ears, disguised as hats.
ROOMS were instantly drawn to both Chen’s designs, and Chen herself. The first thing you notice about her is how much of herself she projects into her clothes. Her animated character is undeniably addictive and you can sense her energy as soon as she speaks.
Her clothes not only reflect this energetic vibe, they echo her inner childlike qualities. It would be no surprise if everyone that met her tried to put her in their pocket, so they too could carry around her spirit with them.
ROOMS caught up with Chen to hear about the new collection. Inspired by a Bolero lyric, Chen’s told us her ideas stemmed from: “An army group walking through this forest, where they come across this goddess like girl. Everyone loves and wants to protect her.”
She projects this exploration through her use of texture to symbolise the forest girl’s lively nature. The collection combines both organic and synthetic materials, with mixtures of lace and tasseled details.
As far as new design is concerned, Fashion Scout’s, One to Watch show had a variety of designers we hope to see in the future. All showcased inventive, original styles and techniques, combined with high-end and wearable pieces. All designers had that special something, however, Chen’s latest collection, and her carefree spirit ticked all the boxes for ROOMS. We can’t fault her, and would quite like to be her new best friend – Angel, please take note.
JMOON, ANGEL CHEN, MINJU KIM, KIM STEVENSON
Photos by Alexandra Uhart
Five Indie Releases To Look Forward To In 2015
This year shall see a large number of exciting releases through film. Some of the most highly anticipated are in the Indie film circuit, lined with great casts, intense directors and unusual inspiration.
Freeheld
Directed by Peter Sollett
Based around a short documentary of the same name Julianne Moore and Ellen Page star as Laurel Hester and Stacie Andree. The film follows a lesbian couple as Laurel Hester, a police officer, is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and petitions against the board so her partner can receive her pension benefits.
The short documentary itself is very moving and an interesting reflection on LGBT rights. With a strong cast, the feature is one to look forward to.
Knights Of Cups
The latest film written and directed by Terrence Malik (Tree of Life) stars Christian Bale as Rick, a slave to the Hollywood system as we follow his search for something real in a life of illusion. Malik’s latest work is bound to be visually enticing with a constant flow of beautiful, changing images.
Premieres Feburary at Berlin International Film Festival
I am Michael
Directed by Justin Kelly
James Franco plays Michael Glatze, a gay activist who renounces his homosexuality and becomes a Christian pastor. I am Michael is based upon New York Times magazine article ‘My Ex-Gay Friend’ by Benoit Denizet-Lewis, interviewing his old friend Glatze, and comparing this change in him. From his work as the co-founder of Young Gay America to him now saying homosexuality is ‘a cage’, the contrast is alarming. Seeing this strange story unravel on screen should cause a stir of emotions.
Miles Ahead
This see’s Don Cheadle’s directorial debut as he stars as Miles Davis in a biographical film about the jazz musicians life. Cheadle’s obvious enthusiasm shows there has been real work put into this, with the film partly funded by an IndieGoGo project, as he wanted to create a social experience for a social musician like Davis. Biographical films always hold a certain risk when you portray someone iconic. However, There are high hopes for Miles Ahead.
Room
Directed by Lenny Abrahamson
Room is based around the bestselling novel from Emma Donoghue, following the story of five-year-old Jack, who’s held captive in a small room with his mother. The idea for this novel came about after hearing about the Josef Fritzl case, which should give you the idea of how psychologically troubling this feature will be. Interestingly from a child’s point of view, there is bound to be an edge of naivety accompanying the narrative, making it even more chilling.
The Scandinavian Runway: Copenhagen Fashion Week 2015
Scandinavian fashion is known for its unique approach of design, which represents modern, eccentric and elegant aesthetics and conceptions of dress.
The region’s largest event - Copenhagen Fashion Week happens twice a year, every February and August. The AW15 collections showcased a contemporary approach to fashion with innovative materials, bold colours and high-end quality.
The runway came alive with the most diverse fashion talents, not just Danish but also international labels. From already established designers such as Wolford and Sand, new, street and classy brands such as Ganni, Freya Dalsjø and Bruuns Bazaar were also to be seen.
This year the AW15 collection featured simplicity that’s about quality rather than quantity. The most noticeable element on the runway for a lot of designers, or the lack of it, was the colour. Both for men and women, the AW15 collections featured their designs with a minimalistic and bold chunky colour approach - of white, gray, black, and navy. Instead, the focus was more on the details of silhouette, texture and tailoring.
Designers Remix and YDE were noticed for their monochrome pieces on the runway. This was definitively the big thing for this AW15 season. Not only to reflect the laid-back Danish lifestyle, but also to show that monochrome and simple pieces ‘go together with anything’.
Layering and statement pieces such as the big scarves, turtle necks and oversized coats were spotted at the Ivan Grundahl and Henrik Vibskov collections. While Ganni and Bruuns Bazaar kept a contemporary clean design, layered with wispy chiffon and contrasted by glitter knits.
Freya Dalsjø was featured in amongst the bigger brands. and offered a close-up of her texture focused designs and fur pieces.
As the Copenhagen Fashion Week came to an end, there is no doubt that the Danish fashion industry and talent is blooming and the capital has been reviewed as a rising European fashion centre. However, looking at the Danish fashion industry as a whole you can’t help but notice the lack of platforms for young designers of the kind that London, Paris and New York have.
Technology is driving the future of fashion
How the fashion industry implements technology and functional design into their accessories, plus a list of cutting edge accessories.
How the fashion industry implements technology and functional design into their accessories, plus a list of cutting edge accessories.
Wearable technology is not a new phenomenon, nor is it a fad, and it isn’t just happening in the tech-hub of Silicon Valley. It is a global trend on the rise which is actively being adopted by leading fashion brands who are paving the future of fashion with avant-garde designs, which merge style with functionality.
Arguably the meeting of fashion and technology was only a matter of time. Wearable technology is projected to become a consumer norm in the not so distant future. According to a report from The Business of Fashion, the current market of $3 to $5 billion is predicted to skyrocket to $10 billion by 2016. A further report carried out by Credit Suisse estimates in the next two to three years the industry could skyrocket to $30 to $50 billion.
We are increasingly seeing designers using technology either as a source of inspiration for their collections and concepts, or physically in their design and production processes.
From heat sensitive materials and radio frequency shielding fabrics, to 3D-printed garments and accessories grown with magnets and bracelets which connect to your phone via Bluetooth, there is no denying that the fashion industry is greatly influenced by developments and innovations from the tech world.
In order for the collaboration of the industries to succeed and flourish, designs must not sacrifice fashion for function, they must boast a stylish aesthetic with a visual appeal for the tech savvy. The key component in the image driven fashion industry is to design with an eye for style, whilst finding new ways of adding utility to what we wear.
The fitness industry was to first to adopt wearable technology with the Nike+iPod Sports Kit in 2006 pioneering the tech revolution as one of the earliest products on the market. The future of the tech industry is now in the hands of fashion, and designers are working to creating products tasteful and versatile enough to wear every day.
Exploring the potential of 3D printing to create clothes and accessories, innovative Dutch fashion designer Iris Van Herpen is recognised as one of the first fashion designers to establish wearable technology as a reality. Using 3D printing, her 2010 Crystallisation collection featured dramatic printed items resembling body armour whilst her recent SS15 fused nature and technology, further pushing the boundaries with the garments “grown” with magnets which explored the interplay of magnetic forces.
Rising star in Japan Kunihiko Morinaga (Anrealage) is also noted for creating revolutionary garments. His forward-thinking fashion concept “Focus: Life Gear by Trident” is a futuristic collection which exhibits the scope of combining technology with everyday wear. Pioneering the tech-sphere, his 12-piece collection is made of radio frequency shielding fabrics that block mobile connectivity when the phone is placed in the garment’s pocket. The collection has been developed to protect you from the virtual world, so you can “keep your life in focus.” The collection is a similar concept to “Stealth Wear” designed by New York designer Adam Harvey who has created a range of anti-drone clothing to hide the wearer from heat detection technologies with metallic fibres that reflect heat, masking the wearer's thermal signature and rendering them undetectable.
The influence of high-tech fabrics on fashion is huge. Ralph Lauren has also introduced high end wearable tech, claiming to be the first luxury lifestyle brand to offer apparel that tracks and streams real-time workout data directly to your smartphone or tablet. The fashion house has created “The Polo Tech shirt”, an innovative new product that merges biometrics into active lifestyle apparel, featuring sensors knitted into the core of the product to read biological and physiological information.
Collaborations are booming between tech giants and fashion designers, putting aesthetics first to produce desirable every day wear for the fashion conscious. From Diane von Fursenberg’s stylish take on google’s smart eyewear - “Made for Glass”, to Opening Ceremony’s “MICA” bracelet, not much more sophisticated to the Apple Watch but much more attractive - groundbreaking wearable technology is all around us.
The influence of technology on the fashion industry could not be more prevalent, technology truly is driving the future of fashion.
Here are some of the world’s most cutting edge accessories to date:
emPOWERED - Patented phone-charging luxury leather bags
Charge on the go. “A forward-thinking leather goods and accessories brand for the modern woman.” Made from luxe leather with a sleek and minimalistic design, emPOWERED bags is the latest to fuse fashion and technology, creating a chic clutch that can bring your iPhone from zero to 100 per cent with battery to spare.
The Bags That Talk: O2 Upcycle
Part of an O2 campaign which will be able to highlight the possibilities of gadget recycling instead of merely throwing away old handsets. O2 recently unveiled a series of designer handbags that double as phones as part of a project that illustrates the possibilities of gadget recycling.
The inventions, dubbed the “Bags That Talk” are created by combining iconic designer handbags including a vintage Celine box handbag, a Chloe shoulder bag and an Alexander McQueen clutch bag, with old Nokia and LG handsets sent in by O2 Recycle customers who no longer had a use for them.
Strvct Shoes - Continuum Fashion
Using medical grade Nylon, the founders of Continuum Fashion 3D print shoes that are the next big thing in fashion tech innovation. The 3D printing process means that the shoes are intricately built layer-by-layer and all in one piece of nylon. From a digital model, the product is built additively instead of the traditional manufacturing process that removes material by drilling and cutting. The 3D-printed shoe collection,"strvct", uses innovative materials to create fantasy-inspired designs.
Erogear - The Tweeting Shoe
A black high-heeled shoe that not only lights up pink, but can stream live Twitter feeds, came out at CES. Designed by Erogear, the shoe has LED lights build into its ankle strap, which gives it a low-resolution screen that will light up even in the darkest of nightclubs.
Mezzi: Handbag
The future of luxury. Each MEZZI product has an integrated Bluetooth beacon, allowing wireless connectivity between your bag and smartphone, plus further functionality that can be levered through the MEZZI application. The first technology they launched was a unique crowd-sourced GPS tracker, which ensures peace of mind against loss and theft. This smart technology allows you to track your bag from your smart phone – at any time – if you’ve misplaced it.
Adidas have created Real-Time Tweet Shoes, using a pair of their red adiPower Barricade shoes complete with a mini LED screen and processor so athletes can receive tweets of support straight into their shoes. Adidas claims the social sneakers are “the future of athlete connectivity.”
Ducere: Lechal Shoes
Shoes made for innovation. Indian startup Ducere Technologies Pvt has developed shoes that will sync up “with a smartphone that uses Google Maps and vibrate to tell users when and where to turn to reach their destination.” This company makes inner soles and shoes that link up to a smartphone and vibrate under your feet to provide notifications.
The shoes themselves might need some style direction, but it’s a fantastic idea. Ducere Technologies focuses on creating intuitive, unobtrusive and user-friendly wearable technology innovations. Ducere is expected to start selling its Bluetooth-enabled Lechal shoes for more than $100 a pair in September. The company already has orders for 25,000 pairs and expects to sell 100,000 by March. Ducere initially developed the shoes to help the blind who rely on walking canes.
Richard Nicoll and Vodaphone: Re-charging tote bag
For Autumn/Winter 2012, designer Richard Nicoll took a more practical approach, partnering with Vodafone to develop a tote bag that can recharge a mobile phone and features a Bluetooth-enabled charm that alerts users to incoming calls or texts and displays remaining battery life.
The exclusive re-charging tote bag was developed in partnership with Vodafone’s innovation team and merges practicality with beautiful design. Charged magnetically by induction, the battery powered bag holds enough charge to power the most demanding smartphone for a couple of days.
ZYANYA KEIZER: The next big progressive Fashion Designer
The Mexico City born designer caught the eye of many when her garments were shown in Amsterdam Fashion Week for the SS15 collection. Keizer, half Mexican and half Dutch, creates designs that experiment with unconventional and organic materials.
She began her training at Central St Martins in London, shortly after she moved to Antwerp (Belgium) to develop her fashion career. During her time in Antwerp, Keizer gained valuable experience with haute couture designer Iris van Herpen.
From the experience Iris van Herpen has passed onto the young designer, it is very clear that Keizer has a similar approach in her designs. Progressive design techniques and experimenting with the human body are the main elements visible in her material designs. Keizer’s pieces are heavily embellished and almost portray an artwork within fashion to express dreams, fantasy and the female beauty.
Keizer’s work was also shows at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Amsterdam, and her SS15 collection explored the fears of everyday reality. Fear of the dark, nightmares and what’s under the bed are some of the themes she explored through her garments. However, one particular source of inspiration was the 1781 painting The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli. This painting was the main discussion about the theories of the unconscious, such as nightmares and dreams. The collection featured many dark, deep colours as well as anatomically sculptured leather pieces and bead work.
The mysteriously, stunning and dazzling Norwich band: THESE GHOSTS
The mysteriously, stunning and dazzling Norwich band play today at The Shacklewell Arms.
The band formed in 2010, finding each other in the wilderness of the Norfolk fens – a fortuitous meeting of minds that led to brilliant first album You Are Not Lost, You Are Here.
The album was quickly followed by 2 stunning singles that hinted at greater potential for the group, and after spending some time in University purgatory with Skype & Whatsapp their only means of jamming, the 3 friends finally reunited to finish off what they started.
Indie electronica frequently compared to Radiohead. The LP was recorded with Jonny Cole and Matthew Herbert, released in September 2015.
For more information on These Ghosts, listen to a number of tracks from Still The Waves via the band’s Soundcloud.
Whiplash: The Most Intense Cinematic Journey of the Year
Damien Chazelle’s new feature, Whiplash is one of the most thrilling films of the last decade.
Andrew Neiman (Milles Teller) is an aspiring jazz drummer under the critical command of conductor Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). Fletcher pushes him as he works himself into a whole fury of blood, sweat and tears. The tension Whiplash brings will have any viewer out of breath trying to keep up with the emotions of Neiman. It’s cut to the pace of the beat keeping you constantly involved with the music and soundtrack. The cinematography brilliantly enhances the jazz look, making you feel fully immersed. Chazelle originally could not get the funding for the film, so instead made a short film version. After screening at Sundance, it won the short prize and he got the money to make the feature, now nominated for five Oscars. This includes the well-deserved best supporting actor for Simmons, his intense and torturous performance really pulls the piece together, constantly demanding your attention. You cannot look away. This is the type of film you really need to see in the cinema while you can, you cannot get the full experience of this in your own home, and what better way to support the film industry than watching one of the films of the year.