Wednesday, November 11, 2009
© by 
YSL’s Country Home Blow Out at Christie’s France
YSL’s Country Home Blow Out at Christie’s France: "
"
The dismantling of a collection of objects amassed with care and love over a lifetime can be a rather somber affair. Especially when it belongs to the dearly departed Yves Saint Laurent. Yet after the very serious, very lucrative auction this past February of the masterpieces he and his partner Pierre Bergé collected, the upcoming second YSL sale at Christie’s France has a lighthearted, uplifting air about it.
You see, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé had a much different aesthetic in mind for their weekend home in Deauville than they did for their museum-like Parisian pad. Created with the help of French decorator Jacques Grange, their ocean-side oasis was a Proust and Visconti-inspired pastiche of 19th century decadence.
Filled to the brim with ornate, rococo furnishings, fleur-de-lys quilted couches, oversized cushions, chinoiserie vases, Indian-patterned carpets and knick-knacks galore, the abode was a cornucopia for the senses. Exactly what a vacation home should be!
Next week’s sale at Christie’s France will give admirers and collectors the chance to take home a memento of this lesser-know, far more playful side of the designer’s style. Of the 1200 objects to reach the auction block over the four-day sale (whose proceeds will go to fight AIDS) the majority come from Château Gabriel, the three-storey manor that YSL and Bergé purchased in the early 1980s.
“The atmosphere they created was incredibly loaded. We are very far from minimalism, which is why there is such a profusion of objects,” says Simon de Monicault, furniture specialist at Christie’s France.
Wildly eclectic in terms of period, provenance and style, each piece packs a different decorative punch (an element Grange undoubtedly used to achieve such spectacular flair).
Unlike the first sale with its multi-million-Euro lots, this one is far from elitist. Some pieces are estimated at only a few hundred Euros, while the highest, a gothic revival salon set (est. €80,000-120,000) is pittance compared to the €32 million Matisse fetched in February.
“It’s not the very grand things, but it’s everything else, including lots of conversation pieces,” says Jonathan Rendell, deputy head of Christie’s America.
While there are no celebrity objects in the lots, there are countless charmers and enough stuff to fill a few dozen homes. So if you’re looking to turn a ho-hum living room into one that pops, consider an enamel and rock crystal reliquary (€1,000-1,500), an elk antler chandelier (est. €6,000-7,000) or a pair of 19th century stools created for a Queen Hortense ball (est. €7,000-€9,000).
The rest of the sale consists of personal bits and bobs from YSL’s Parisian apartment and office, including his 14-piece French Bulldog statuette set, his Hermès crocodile luggage and a treasured collection of eponymous jewels that he kept on his bed-side table.
All in all, the sale offers YSL admirers a final snapshot of his intimate world through the objects he collected and loved. Those who don’t get to go home with a souvenir can at least leave with a smile.
………….
Auction Preview: November 12th-16th at Christie’s France, 75008 Paris (10am-6pm)
Auction Dates: November 17th-20th at Théâtre Marigny, 75008 Paris (10am-4pm)
Catalog: Click here to browse e-catalog.
"
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
23-year-old gallerist PC Valmorbida recently made the move west from NYC and has just established the new PRISM Gallery. Situated right in the middle of the heavily traveled Sunset Strip, the gallery is set to present its debut exhibition this month with works from 2 urban art icons – Barry McGee and Phil Frost.
With assistance from PM Tenore and RVCA Artists Network Program, the debut exhibition, titled “MindTheGap”, will highlight the disparity of definitions between so-called “high concept art” and the art of the “lowbrow movement”. For years, works by both Frost and McGee were visible to passerbys on the streets of San Francisco and New York. Only recently has the mainstream art community started to embrace both artists.
Housed in a futuristic space designed by PATTERNS architects Marcelo Spina and Georgina Huljich, the PRISM’s “MindTheGap” Exhibition will be open for private preview on Thursday, November 12th, followed by a public viewing on Friday, November 20th. The exhibit will be ongoing till February 20th, 2010.
PRISM
8746 West Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
http://www.prismla.com
Private Preview Dates: November 12th (Thursday) – November 19th (Thursday)
Exhibition Dates: November 20th (Friday) – February 20th, 2010 (Saturday)
See add’l images of Frost at work over at Freshness mag here - info courtesy of Freshness Mag
DON’T MISS THIS ONE!!!
AN ALPHABET OF HUMAN FORMS IN UNIFORM by McDEAN & M/M
AN ALPHABET OF HUMAN FORMS IN UNIFORM by McDEAN & M/M: "
“From our point of view, a fashion designer is a creator of signs on the scale of life. From one season to the next, he builds up a complex and sophisticated language all of his own which enable him to articulate his proposals, his poetic, political or simply amusing messages.”
- the words of M/M Paris on the DNA of fashion through designer ideology and how we intrepret it all.
“The history of fashion for us therefore is something made up of a compression of all these signs, all these languages, which compose then decompose in the different aspects of creation.”
The importance of uniform in fashion cannot be underestimated – it’s a multi-layered concept that infiltrates on many facets. Think not only of the designers’ world, itself a repeating aesthetic and concept of codes – their ideology – but also the way everything is sold on the rails in store; coats, jackets, shirts and pants lined up on a gleaming metal bar. Wherever you may visit globally, it will adhere to the vision. The true beauty, and power, of uniform however is in its ability to mean something to everyone – it’s a universal language, alluringly repetitive and iconic.
In 1996, Michael Amzalag and Mathias Augustyniak instigated a project with renowned photographer McDean (Another Magazine, W, Vogue, Jil Sander, Calvin Klein) to turn their theories on fashion and uniform into a ‘collection’, a reference portfolio of men and women aligned to instantly indentifiable groupings.
We have UPS driver in his brown shirt, pen in pocket; the biker kitted out with full motocross armour, the jockey in resplendent silks, the fireman and a generation-X Hare Krishna, complete with hoodie and scuffed sneakers. Then there are the branches of military…
Of course, to the observer it’s the latter which is most identifiable within the world of Yamamoto. Think of his army jackets, long, wool naval coats and the tailoring which makes its wearer look quietly, progressively noble.
McDean, former assistant to Nick Knight (another name with Yamamoto lineage – that late 80’s silhouette in black with red, amongst other campaign material, burned into the consciousness of any avid fan) has produced a striking set of visual stereotypes, elevating these common dresscodes into moments of frozen beauty.
Article by Dean Mayo Davies.
"GUESS WHO ELSE IS TURNING 15 THIS YEAR...
GUESS WHO ELSE IS TURNING 15 THIS YEAR...: "
photo courtesy by Nars
Happy 15th Anniversary Francois Nars! Nars' labor of love becomes available to the masses this Thursday. 15x15, a limited edition book shot by Nars himself features 15 celebrity portraits each inspired by NARS products and iconic references. All proceeds of the book will go to charity. Thursday night the 15x15 project will officially launch with a reception hosted by none other than Marc Jacobs and Daphne Guinness This will be an event not to miss. Guests include; Olivier Theyskens, Amanda Lepore, Natasha Poly, Dayle Haddon, Tyson Ballou, Lisa Marie Smith, and Amber Valetta and Nars fans like Vanessa Traina, Karlie Kloss, Elise Øverland, Phillip Lim, and Hamish Bowles(FWD). Stay tune for news on what we have planned for our own Quin decennial fete!
"
photo courtesy by NarsHappy 15th Anniversary Francois Nars! Nars' labor of love becomes available to the masses this Thursday. 15x15, a limited edition book shot by Nars himself features 15 celebrity portraits each inspired by NARS products and iconic references. All proceeds of the book will go to charity. Thursday night the 15x15 project will officially launch with a reception hosted by none other than Marc Jacobs and Daphne Guinness This will be an event not to miss. Guests include; Olivier Theyskens, Amanda Lepore, Natasha Poly, Dayle Haddon, Tyson Ballou, Lisa Marie Smith, and Amber Valetta and Nars fans like Vanessa Traina, Karlie Kloss, Elise Øverland, Phillip Lim, and Hamish Bowles(FWD). Stay tune for news on what we have planned for our own Quin decennial fete!
Sitting Sukasana with Anja Rubik
Sitting Sukasana with Anja Rubik: "
Cindy Crawford and Christie Brinkley have their fitness videos. Now it’s Anja Rubik’s turn, as she’s the face of Yoga for Wii, the first 100 percent yoga experience game for the entertainment system due out December 7. We caught up with Anja yesterday to chat about her yogi skills.
In the game, Anja personally takes you through exercises and the art of yoga, giving you tips to improve your training as well. And she should know: Anja has been practicing yoga for three years and was approached by the game’s developers after they read an interview about her passion for it. “I really love how it takes you through the history and origins of yoga so that you are not jumping into something you don’t understand.”
Although she doesn’t have much time to play video games these days, she hopes to be able to change that soon. “I want to bring the game with me when I travel so I can do it in hotel rooms. It’s so fun! I personally love exercise in the morning before breakfast because that is the time your mind is most calm and receptive to yoga exercise.”
And thankfully, the model just made holiday shopping a little easier. Anja says the game is challenging, but very relaxing, too, and it’s on the top of her holiday list this season. “It’s the perfect gift!” ~ Fabiana Santana
"Diego Da Silvo for V Magazine
Diego Da Silvo for V Magazine: "
"
This season’s V captures the hairstyling of Diego in “All American Dree”. The full ediorial can be seen at www.vmagazine.com
Monday, November 9, 2009
Book of the day: Glen Luchford
Book of the day: Glen Luchford: "
The 1990’s marked a major shift in the world of fashion photography and brought with it a new sense of realism and spontaneity. Part of the new series “British influence”, Steidldangin presents the monograph of Glen Luchford, whose artistic production came to maturity in the period.
Get this book!!! The British photographer, Glen Luchford will also be at Dashwood Books on Tuesday for the book signing!
Luchford’s earliest photographs prefigure the gritty, found-light aesthetic that defined the first half of the 90s. They range from quiet black-and-white portraits of musical icons such as Ian Brown and Chris Robinson to more aggressive street shots of Kate Moss that capture the spirit of a seedy New York on the verge of extinction. But as previously stark contrasts between artistic and commercial work softened, Luchford’s from-the-hip naturalism gave way to a style with Hitchcockian precision. His film noir sensibilities and use of narrative confounded expectations for fashion photography at the time, and the cinematic images he created for Prada have become more than symbols of the merging visual languages of fashion and art photography – they have become works of art in their own right.
Throughout his career, Luchford has drawn on a range of media, from 35 mm black and white to 8×10 to digital formats. This luxurious monograph brings together images from all modes of production and features an interview with Luchford’s long-time friend and artistic collaborator, Jenny Saville.
See you there!
Friday, November 6, 2009
A Yohji doll, by Richard Bush & Jane How
A Yohji doll, by Richard Bush & Jane How: "
Hailed as a dark master of anti-establishment, Yohji Yamamoto is often taken in a gothic, androgynous context – with failure to regard the romantic nuances that grace his garments. In a production featured in A#2, British stylist Jane How and photographer Richard Bush capture this delicate femininity of Yamamoto’s collections – the indefatigable pair framing a serene Ruslana Korshunova in the Palladian-style rooms of Stanmer Park in Brighton, England.
White wooden clogs are the only accessory to compliment Yohji’s garments, allowing the intricate textures and layers of his fabrics to hold their own against Ruslana’s enchanting elvish face and ethereal long blonde hair. With a natural and unassuming elegance, her blonde tresses frame a bare milky shoulder and lead down in a fluid line to Yohji’s wide pleated knit skirt, or cascade down one side as she is seated in an ivory strapless silk gown. Richard captures her hair stirred by the wind, one hand to her chin as she gazes to her feet – wearing a woolen cropped coat and bustled, pleated cotton skirt. The shadows of empty rooms lie behind Ruslana as she stands in the natural light of unseen windows, her expression is serene and knowing, demure and strong – embodying the garments she wears and the history within the walls that surround her.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
