That Takes The Biscuit

So this weekend I headed out on a week night to one of my favourite café's in town to test my food art skills and immortalise 80's sensation Lionel Richie on a Rich Tea biscuit.

Drink, Shop, Do is one of my favourite hang outs in Kings Cross. Not only can you relax in vintage surroundings with a delicious cocktail, I recommend a Purrrr, but you can also take part in a host of crazy events which they host on a daily basis. From vintage hair and make-up sessions to Lego robot building sessions there's a wide variety of creative to eccentric activities - there's even a Beyoncé dance workshop. The best thing of all is that most events are either free or there's a small charge so there's no need to break the bank for a night of fun with friends.

So Tuesday evening found me sitting in a kooky 1960's chair, cocktail in hand, and a plain biscuit staring up at me ready to be transformed into Lionel Richie. Now when I told people about this event I received quite a few strange looks, but mostly laughs. Everyone thought I'd made it up, but no. This is one of the reasons why I love this place as they come up with the craziest ideas!

I've worked with quite a few food artists in my time and I can honestly say that none of their skills have rubbed off on me. As you can see by the below evidence I won't be short listed for the Turner prize anytime soon. Although my friends Lionel RichTea strongly resembled Jesus rather than the pop icon, so maybe mine isn't that bad.

Unfortunately Lionel RichTea didn't last the night and met an unfortunate demise. He wasn't dunked he was chomped.

For more information about the different events taking place at Drink, Shop, Do events visit www.drinkshopdo.com. 

I've got my eye on the MC Hammer dance class. Just need to purchase some baggy trousers.

Before

After

Blown Away by Isabella

So this weekend I meandered my way through the crowds at London Fashion Week to take in the vast collection of hats, frocks and tops owned by fashionista and magazine Editor Isabella Blow at Somerset House.

Most people probably associate Somerset House with ice skating at Christmas or outdoor movies in the summer, but it has also played host to some of the most exciting exhibitions I've seen in London. I quite happily queued to get into the Valentino exhibition and I nearly depleted the shop in the Courtauld Gallery of all it's prints from its Toulouse-Lautrec exhibition. So after seeing two thoroughly enjoyable displays I was intrigued to see if Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore! would live up to my high expectations expected of the embankment venue.

Before I go on to talk about the exhibition I think a little background on Isabella is required. Now she's not a fashion designer so most people won't be as familiar with her as they would be with Chanel or Givenchy, but in the fashion industry and media Isabella was a big name. Despite being born into high society, Isabella grew up in a house on the edge of the family estate after her grandfather squandered the family fortune, she knew that from a young age she would need to find a profession. So she entered the world of fashion. Starting out as a fashion assistant for the likes of Anna Wintour, she sped through the ranks and became Fashion Director for Tatler and consultant for various brands. However; her most famous accomplishments included establishing the careers for designers Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy, whilst also discovering models Stella Tennant and Sophie Dahl. Sadly at the age of 48 she committed suicide leaving her collection of clothes as her legacy.

As soon as you walk into the exhibition you can't help, but be overwhelmed by her vast collection. From the dazzling and well cut outfits by Alexander McQueen (he's up there with Chanel as my favourite designers) to the millinery genius of Philip Treacy and Isabella's huge collection of his hats - my jaw dropped. The famous lobster hat was on display, although my favourite was Treacy's ship hat made from feathers - extravagant, but I could make it work, alongside some of his other extraordinary creations. The beautiful hats were matched well with the gorgeous outfits by McQueen and other designers and finished with a pair of Manolo Blahnik heels. What I wouldn't give to be slim enough to wear McQueen's beautiful pink and grey feather dress - best hit the gym!

My only wish would have been to learn more about the infamous woman and not only her wardrobe collection. We caught glimpses of her lifestyle, but there were definitely more opportunities to uncover more about this fascinating woman. Then again you can't cover everything and the exhibition definitely piqued my interest enough to go off and learn more about Isabella.

The only other problem you'll face is realizing how inadequate your own clothes collection is. Maybe I'll use my next pay check to invest in a collection worthy of Isabella.

Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore! runs till 2nd March and for more information visit www.somersethouse.org.uk.

For fashion enthusiasts it's a must see! 

Gone With The Leigh Part Two

So this weekend I ventured to a well hidden exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery which celebrates the centenary of Vivien Leigh.

Yes I know, it appears that the last few weeks of culture have been based mainly around Leigh, but 2013 marked a hundred years since the actresses birth, plus this year is the 75th anniversary of the film Gone With The Wind so naturally she's going to be the centre of attention at quite a few museums and quite rightly so.

The exhibition although small and off the beaten track, is packed with nuggets of interesting information about the actress and her life on the silver screen. You see her transformation from her breakthrough on stage in The Mask of Virtue to her career high as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With The Wind to her final film Ship of Fools before her early death from tuberculosis.

I was fortunate enough to have the room to myself, well for five minutes before a school trip arrived, so that I could admire the collection of photos taken by some of the most admired photographers of the twentieth century. Some of the magazines and photos on display have rarely been exhibited so it is a privilege to have the opportunity to see them. Aside from the usual and film stills there were publicity shots of Vivien wearing Lawrence Olivier's RAF badge and stills of her early roles on stage and in film that I have never seen before. Other than acting, Vivien most definitely had the power to command the lens.

It may only be a small exhibition, but it is definitely worth stopping by if you are interested in learning more about Vivien Leigh. Why not tie it in with a visit to the David Bailey exhibition!

The exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery runs till the 20th July. Visit www.npg.org.uk for more information.

I'm Ready For My Close Up Mr Bailey

So this weekend I took advantage of a long weekend break off work with a visit to the latest exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery which features photography by famed artist David Bailey.

I've always been a fan of photography more so of people than nature - I just feel I've seen one too many shots of baby animals or predators hunting their prey. Cecil Beaton and Angus McBean are among some of my favourite photographers as I'm fascinated with the way they captured the intensity, and often the true emotions, of the celebrities they photographed.

We are all very familiar with the work of David Bailey. He started out as most aspiring photographers do at the bottom of the ladder as an assistant, but gradually he found success working with Vogue and by the sixties he'd established himself as one of the UK's top photographers. He's shot a mixed bag of characters over his career including; Jean Shrimpton, the Kray Twins, the Rolling Stones, Jack Nicholson, Johnny Depp and Kate Moss.

I'm not going to lie, but I've never been a huge fan of the sixties. For those who are familiar with my blog you'll clearly see my appreciation for all things pre-1940s. I can't really explain why I don't like the era of rock and roll, but if I could travel in time you'd probably find me sipping cocktails with F. Scott Fitzgerald rather than watch a Beatles or Rolling Stones gig. However; my preferred periods of history set aside, the exhibition is great and you don't really think about the era when the photos were taken - in fact most feel like they were taken yesterday a testament to Bailey's skill in creating images that won't decay with time.

Bailey co-curated the exhibition by carefully selecting images and dedicating rooms of the gallery to themes. One minute you'll be in a room exploring Bailey's use of black and white to draw attention to the sitters appearance whilst in another room you'll be faced with a vibrant portrait of Alexander McQueen in full tartan gear.

I couldn't help but be mesmerised by some of the photos Bailey took of other famous photographers and artists. He captures a moment of blissful peace with Cecil Beaton whereas a close up of Man Ray left me with the urge to pop the blackheads on the poor mans nose!

It's clear from the exhibition that The National Portrait Gallery and Bailey not only wanted to showcase celebrities, but also the stories of people he'd captured from around the world. The exhibition not only highlighted a trip to Papua New Guinea in 1974 to photograph tribes, but also provided visual documentation of Bailey's childhood hometown of Leytonstone. As you wander around the gallery you see images resurrecting the East End lifestyle, people and clubs of the 1960s the likes of which no longer exist today. If I'm truthfully honest, these pictures stole the show for me. Sorry Johnny and Kate!

For more information about David Bailey's Stardust at The National Portrait Gallery or to book tickets visit www.npg.org.uk. It runs till the 1st of June so there's plenty of time to see the exhibition.

Gone With The Leigh

So this weekend I travelled to my second home, the V&A, for an afternoon of lectures about one of my all time favourite actresses, Vivien Leigh.


Now most of us, I am sure, are familiar with the game where you reveal who you would invite (famous or not) to a dinner party? Most people will name scientists, comedians, the latest Oscar winner or even musicians. I, on the other hand will spout off names from the golden era of Hollywood including Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Katherine Hepburn and Maureen O'Hara. However; the head of the table is undoubtedly reserved for my acting heroine Vivien Leigh. 


My obsession and wonderment of Vivien began when I was in my early teens when I saw photos in magazines of the visually captivating actress and immediately I was a fan. I must confess that it wasn't till a few years later that I watched Gone With the Wind in its entirety - it was Christmas Eve and I'd stayed awake to watch it whilst my sister stitched together a gigantic bean bag for my brother. The bean bag never saw the light of day, but Gone With the Wind established itself as my favourite film.


So why host an afternoon lecture about the British actress? Last year the V&A acquired around 10,000 personal items belonging to Vivien Leigh. The collection contains over 7,000 letters, according to the speakers she was an avid writer of letters, and around 2,000 photographs along with other bits of memorabilia. We were even lucky to see images of some of the most priceless items including a guest book which Lord and Lady Olivier asked guests to sign when they visited their home Notley Abbey - it's not every day that the likes of Gary Cooper, Merle Oberon and Bette Davis pop around to your house for tea. It comes as no surprise that they are still cataloguing the vast number of items and taking due care to make sure these personal items remain preserved. There's talk of a potential exhibition to show the collection, but there's no confirmed date as to when this might happen. I'll be keeping my eye on the V&A website.


I've been to several evening lectures at the V&A and listened to A.S. Byatt and Matthew Williamson talk about their professions, but I've never been to an afternoon of seminars where I've been engaged from start to finish - my lectures from my old university are probably wondering where this concentration has come from as I lacked it for the entirety of my degree. 


How do you tackle the subject of Vivien Leigh? Well five experts and Vivien fans brought to life the actresses transformation from her breakthrough stage role in the 1930's to her untimely death with the aid of the new archive and footage from films and interviews. I particularly enjoyed the part where V&A curator Keith Lodwick highlighted a letter where playwright Bernard Shaw told her "Don't be an idiot" after she'd told him that she was going to change a line in the film Caesar and Cleopatra. 


If there's one thing we all learnt from each speaker its that Vivien was a dedicated and hardworking actress. Kendra Bean, a vintage film enthusiast and biographer for the actress, revealed that Vivien didn't want to be known as a Hollywood Star, but merely as an accomplished actress who would win roles according to her acting merit and not her looks. 


However; it wasn't just her looks that Vivien had to worry about. When it came to casting her as Scarlett O'Hara, Vivien faced tough competition to win the role. David O'Selznick, according to Professor Helen Taylor, wanted to cast a relative unknown as Scarlett as he didn't want the audience to associate the actress to another film role or character. Unfortunately once she was cast there was an uproar about how someone who had "lived and breathed England" couldn't possible play the role of a southern belle. How attitudes changed when the film made it to the theatres. 


You can't help but wonder how much more potential Vivien could have unleashed if she'd stayed in Hollywood and hadn't returned to England to be with Laurence Olivier? What other great films could she have appeared in or what other other characters would she have immortalized on the silver screen. Unfortunately we'll never know, but at least we can see still see some of her masterpieces although a part of me regrets not being around to see her on stage.


I wanted to end this blog post with a quote from the great lady herself and after scouring several sources I found the below which is something I feel I can relate to myself.


"I cannot let well enough alone. I get restless. I have to be doing different things. I am [a] very impatient person and headstrong. If I've made up my mind to do something, I can't be persuaded out of it."


She may only have made 19 films in her career, but her determination to bring the characters of Scarlett O'Hara and Blanche Dubois to life paid off with two Oscar wins. If you have never seen Vivien Leigh in action then this is definitely the year to see Gone With the Wind - after all 2014 marks the epic movies 75th anniversary.


For more information about the Vivien Leigh archive visit www.vam.ac.uk