MAX aka muse mark 2

These are some old shots of one of my friends Max from Uni. I had just got my new SLR and was taking a few cheeky shots during coffee break at Chelsea.

USER GROUP DISCO

You enter the room into blackness. An image of a solitary abstract plastic leg lingers in the corner of the screen. Glistening objects slowly fill the darkness. The pace quickens and these mundane household objects begin to whir and gyrate across the screen. The beat kicks in, and words begin to flash up onto the projection.

We have designated this place/this place here/ a hall/ it is a hall of sculptures/ though nothing in it would deserve that name/

This is the opening scene in Elizabeth Price's recent work 'User Group Disco'. Her 15 minute HD film, shown in galleries around the UK from London to Glasgow, spectacularly highlighting a humdrum of everyday objects propelling them into a higher state of importance underlining the theme of consumerism so relavent in our society.

It feels like we only ever catch a glimpse of these glossy devices, sleek and lustrous, seducing us further into the arms of consumerism. Words reminiscent of some abstract motivational seminar feel slightly hypnotic mixed in with the mesmerizing beat of the music. Even more disturbing is the eerily post -apocalyptic quality attached to them. The amalgamation of miscellaneous objects continues to flicker and spin across the screen, a combination of artefacts and household objects both displaying equal grandeur. Left wondering how to classify these objects, you linger intrigued.

Price is particularly concerned with archives and taxonomies: ‘ I don’t want my work to be seen as institutional critique, but perhaps one of its descendents. I’m interested in working with it not as a failed project but as an unfulfilled narrative.’

HOLIDAYS!

So where was I? Ahhh yes... Saying I would be starting to write my thesis. At the start of this blissful summer holiday I had boldly, or naively (I prefer boldly) planed that I would write my ENTIRE thesis thus removing me from the stress of having to do my practical and theoretical work at the same time in my last year of uni. Now some scoffed at my daring plans, I however resolutely told them that they were wrong, and that it would be me laughing in then end... It wasn't. My word count currently stands at zero, but that's alright. I've had a pretty amazing summer. Ibiza, New York, The Hamptons, London, Secret Garden Party, Edinburgh Festival and soon SW4. Cannot wait. I've also started working at The Hoxton Pony in Shoreditch which has to be the most fascinating place to work ever. Since working there I have met the most interesting people, from the intensely cool dj's, dropping insane beats on the dancefloor(ayyeee), to the heroic bouncers, bravely beating away drunks away from the door, to the tattooed enigma that is Charlie the Bartender. But anyways that's whole other story... In the meantime some photographs from The Hamptons and NY..



Anna: Dress and Heels TopshopMe, left: Dress- ASOS (borrowed from a friend)
Shoes- Kurt Geiger
Bag- Zara

Me (second from left): Dress- Zara
Heels as before

Hazy afternoons..

Here we are crawling closer to the hazy blissful afternoons of summer. One week to go then I'll be free of uni work (apart from my ever looming thesis), free of assessment and tutorial forms, which have to be the bane of my life, and onwards to planning my strategy for fashion domination. Jokes. But seriously this summer is all about planning for the future and hopefully becoming one step closer to my dream career.

I'm sleepy though today, and after a long day of editing I suddenly remembered a fashion film I had seen a while back. I loved it immediately, but today it seems to sum my feelings up entirely. Directed by one of my favourite photographers, Beau Grealy, it tentatively encapsulates a dreamy afternoon on a lazy summers day. There is something quite sad and wistful about this film however, which only lends to its mysteriousness. Pure bliss.

Afternoon Sister from TEST on Vimeo.

Director:Beau Grealy

Models:Donna and Rosie @ DNA
Stylist: Sarah Cobb
Make Up: Stevie Huynh
Hair: Shin Arima
Producer: Nikki Stromberg
Photographic Assistants: David Engelhardt and Shaun Hartas
Cut and Graded by Swell
Music: The Gentlemen of NUCO performing an original arrangement of Radiohead’s “Nude

TEST 2010

NEO-TRIBAL

Above Mike Gonzalez s/s 2011

Above image from Bon magazine
Photographer: KT Auleta Styling: Polina Aronova

Tribal is back. This time its edgier- combined with the bold colours of summer. It's tribal meets rave. Think neon colours of holidays spent in Ibiza combined with bright tribal prints and textures- all to create clubbing couture. If floral isn’t your thing this is definitely a creative alternative to the romantic trend. Tribal-chic isn’t hard to achieve, just some clever clashing of bold prints does the trick. Featured on the spring/summer catwalks by designers such as Mike Gonzalez, Missoni and Sass and Bide.

Below: s/s 2011- Holly Fulton, Missoni, Sass and Bide

Man ALIVE! Hawt couture

House Of Holland A/W 2011 from TEST on Vimeo.

Fashion Designer: Henry Holland
Director: Sarah Chatfield
Models: Dree Hemingway and Pixie Geldof
Stylist: Sam Ranger
Art Director: Jamie Perlman

Video from testmag.co.uk

Furbulous.

Gucci A/W 2011

One thing that's struck me so far from each Fashion week around the world, is the collective interest in fur. But this is not fur like we have seen before, oh no. Get ready for bright dye fur. From design houses such as Gucci, Prada and Fendi it has been featured prominently. The unnaturally coloured fur is the next big trend for winter. I'm already trying to figure out how I'm going to dye my white fur coat from winter '09. Tie-dye teal is always a possibility..
Prada A/W 2011

Roksanda Llincic A/W '11


Matthew Williamson A/W '11 and Alexander Wang A/W '11


(It even comes in manly cammo print for the guys) Fendi A/W '11

Coming in bright red and turquoise to black and white striped, it's fur gone bold. Which I guess is quite exiting really. To be honest I'm pretty sick of the 'art school-meets-east london-granny look' which if you're wondering consists of: hair put in a high bun, 'controversial' over-sized glasses, brogues and your gran's vintage fur coat.. oh and some sort of garment from American Apparel. I'd love to see the vintage fur replaced with this modern twist. Who knows maybe even the granny glasses will get replaced with some sort of neon monocle. One can only hope.