Sunday 22 November 2009

I Met My Future Husband Yesterday...

...Ok, so not in person, but viewing his work counts right? Right?


I finally got my act together and went to see the Anish Kapoor exhibition at the Royal Academy, and oh my, it was breathtaking. I've been swept off my feet, I'm in love. I've always had an art crush on Kapoor, but now I know it's forever. 


The exhibition takes over the 1st floor of the RA and showcases some of his major pieces over the past 10 years or so. The work itself ranged in size, scale, finish and ambition, and is some of the most engaging, exhilarating and captivating work i've ever seen.


I could rhapsodise for ages on each piece, but one of my favourites was Shooting into the Cornera simple, yet theatrical piece, which involved an air pressured cannon shooting large crimson wax rounds into the corner of room in the RA. The corner was entrenched in splattered red wax that oozed its way out of the room by the time I visited.  In the room before 'the corner' stands the cannon, and right behind the cannon stands the crowd, waiting for it to do its stuff (every 20 minutes). The room took on an eerie silence as a man (undoubtedly a frustrated actor), came to load the cannon with a profound sense of ceremony. The wait for the pressure to build in the cannon was as tense as any i've had, even the crowd issued an 'ooou' when the cannon finally fired.  And then that was it. The spell broken by a grumpy invigilator wanting us to leave so the next group could go in. 


I've been trying to find an image that truly depicts the magnificence of Svayambh, 2007, but I can't. This one isn't the one in the RA and doesn't really come close to what I saw. All I can say is that as another installation, it confounds your senses, your willingness to just wait and see, and cleverly challenges the RA's own sense of identity. 


I want to ramble on at length about the way Kapoor fills space, challenges dimensions and your sense of self, the erotic, sexual undertones of some of his forms, the way he draws you in, the way he hypnotises your senses, but like listening to your friend witter on about their new lover for the umpteenth time in a day, I appreciate it can get a little old, so...


...go see the show and enjoy. Oh and I'm planning a spring wedding, so wish us 'mazel tov' while you're there. 

Tuesday 10 November 2009

What Lies Beneath

I've been meaning to mention this for a while, but haven't managed to get around to it. The humble stocking. In short, decadent, naughty, and depending on your mood, damned sexy or bloody hindering awkward. Being of the latter school of thought more often than not, stockings have been purchased (by me and for me), been much admired and then tossed into the back of the drawer to be overlooked in favour of tights for evermore. But, this may no longer be the case. As much as it galls me to say it, Chanel's new muse de jour, Lily Allen has been spotted out and about in the perfect solution, stocking-tights.

See Exhibit A below.




What do we think? C'est chic non?

These bad boys are by Chanel (quelle suprise, as a good spokesmodel she's got to be seen in the brand as often as possible, this is, after all, why they pay her). The beauty is you get the comfort and practicality of a pair of tights, but with naughty, sexy edge of a stocking. Especially if you wear them on display à la Lily. Where stockings on show would look too vaudeville, the stocking-tights tights convey edge with class.  Mixed with this season's tough girl leathers and tailoring, it adds an unexpected frisson and just the right touch of feminine.

Monday 2 November 2009

Something Pretty and Useful, Can It Be Done?

....Er...Yes it can, or so Smythson would have you believe.  I need one of these in my life.  NEED damnit!



Take note benevolent fairy godmothers/Father Christmas/demigods etc.

Please and thank you.


Sunday 1 November 2009

All That Glitters

It's been a while I know. Sorry. Moving and all that.

Speaking of which, as I start to get my life back in order and condemn a procession of empty boxes to the skip, i've decided to that a tidy mind means a tidy closet. Actually, makes that closets. Yep, I have two now. It's what a girl dreams of and they're far from full! To bring good fashion Feng Shui to my new home i've decided to have a clear out of clothes. Those that don't fit (due to shrinkage thank God), or those that for the love of all things stylish really should be consigned to fashion's graveyard, will be Ebayed.

This is a big step.

I purchase from Ebay, I do not sell. This is not because I'm averse to the concept, it's just that I'm scared of it. Like nylon, it's something that happens to other people.  Not being the most organised, or the most business savvy, this is going to be a bit of an undertaking. In fact all the signs are there - a pile of clothes waiting to be photographed and I'm yet to unearth my camera. Odds are looking good for no progress being made for at least week.

In other news, I have been investigating this season's trend for sequins. My conclusions; sadly cheap and cheerful looks merely cheap and sad. Like a discarded Christmas Tree in February. It's got to be upper end of the high street at least to get something of quality.

This from Topshop is lovely.



Unfortunately sequins also add a lot of volume, and being a lady possessed of a moderately fine décolletage and a distinct amount of ass, it's a no go for me. Oh the shame, my inner Gloria Gaynor has been craving them. Finally, less is definitely more with this look, but having said that I hate the tops and dresses that only have sequins in a panel down the front. It looks unfinished, cheap (again) and creates a displeasing dissection of the body.