SHOWstudio: Mugler LIVE NOW, Nicola Formichetti, Ming Xi, Nick Knight, Haute Couture, Giles Deacon, Lady Amanda Harlech, Hayward, Alexander McQueen and more

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	Newsletter | 29 July 2011
CURRENT LES SMOKINGS - MUGLER LIVE NOW!
In the final residency of our Les Smokings series, the creative team behind the revived house of Mugler take to the LiveStudio at Bruton Place for a fashion-focused and truly extraordinary performance piece, inspired by the theme of the SHOWstudio Shop exhibition Practice to Deceive: Smoke and Mirrors in Fashion, Fine Art and Film. Menswear head Romain Kremer and Creative Director Nicola Formichetti collaborate in a session intended to reflect the creative process within the Mugler studio itself, constructing a series of 'ephemeral' outfits inspired by the menswear classic of Le Smoking. Conjured from unconventional materials with a decidedly restrictive shelf-life, this finale to our exhibition and the Les Smokings series alludes to the 'smoke and mirrors' of the fashion industry, bringing the concept of this behind-the-scenes series entirely full-circle. Les Smokings - Mugler is broadcasting live NOW on SHOWstudio.com. Tune in to see all the action!
CURRENT MING XI COUTURE 2011
Taking from the influences of Asian aesthetics and culture seen throughout the Spring/Summer 2011 haute couture collections, our latest fashion film Cygnet stars Chinese model Ming Xi in exquisite creations by Atelier Versace, Valentino, Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel and Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci. Shot by Nick Knight during sittings for this year's summer issue of V magazine, Cygnet sees Ming Xi swathed in a mix of feathers, lace, silk satin, beaded tulle and organza - a cygnet growing gracefully into a high-fashion swan, if you like - presented alongside the editorial story that gracefully outlines spring's finest haute couture creations. [more]
CURRENT LES SMOKINGS - GILES DEACON
The process film charting award-winning British couture star Giles Deacon's residency at Bruton Place is now online. Taking on the challenge of creating a one-off Le Smoking inspired by the smoke and mirrors theme of our Practice to Deceive exhibition, Deacon devised a silvered leather tuxedo jacket dripping with fringe in homage to rodeo tailor Nudie Cohn, creating his unique garment during a one-day, one-time-only live stream. Artfully crafting his tux, fielding questions from the public and papering the walls of our studio with mirror foil, Deacon proved his mettle as a creative all-rounder, as this process film amply demonstrates. [more]
CURRENT IN FASHION, LADY AMANDA HARLECH
Our latest In Fashion interview with one of contemporary fashion's guiding forces, Chanel collaboratrice and former Galliano right-hand woman Lady Amanda Harlech, is now on site. Captured during an intimate one-on-one conversation earlier this month, Harlech shares her thoughts on her life in fashion, working with two of the most celebrated designers in contemporary fashion - John Galliano and Karl Lagerfeld - and offers a unique insider's view of the artisan form of haute couture. Passionate, inspired and inspiring in equal measure, this is a rare profile of a woman wielding immense influence over the course of fashion past, present and future. [more]
COMING UP LES SMOKINGS - HAYWARD RE-STREAM
From 18-20 July 2011, SHOWstudio was transformed into a tailor's workshop as the third talent to grace our Les Smokings series, Ritchie Charlton of tailoring house Hayward, took up residence at our Bruton Place studio. For three days Charlton and his team took up our challenge of crafting a tailored tuxedo, using methods that have formed the backbone of the British fashion industry for centuries. For the all-important fitting we had a special guest appearance from music legend and Hayward client Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream, who modelled the final one-off piece exquisitely. Tune in to watch our edited version of the live stream where Charlton answers questions from the public as he puts the finishing touches to the hand-tailored tux. The Les Smokings residency of Hayward will be re-streamed from 18:00 BST each day, from 3-5 August 2011 [more]
FROM THE SHOP BADGE SET, 2010
When famed stylist and accessories designer Judy Blame took up residence in our LiveStudio, not only did he handcraft a flatcar adorned in his trademark tribal bricolage, but also compiled four unique badge sets in the monochrome palette of our Blackwhite show. Each entirely distinct, the sets feature a signed print as well as nine customised badges that impressively capture the signature bold geometry of Blame’s designs and exemplify his enduring interest in pop art. [more]
FROM THE ARCHIVE DESIGN_DOWNLOAD: ALEXANDER MCQUEEN
As our immaculately tailored Les Smoking series draws to a close, we thought to glance back to our design_download project, defying the elitist nature of high fashion and offering all and sundry the chance to download paper patterns from some of the world's foremost fashion designers. The third in our series came from the hands of the late, great Alexander McQueen himself, when lucky viewers were offered the chance to examine and assemble the garment pattern of a kimono-inspired jacket from McQueen's Autumn/Winter 2003 collection. With razor-sharp cut and an inspired reworking of historical styles, this garment is a quintessential example of McQueen's celebrated ability to shock and seduce through fabric. A gallery of submissions showcases viewer's re-interpretations of this trademark McQueen style, while a selection of the most accomplished interpretations were displayed as part of SHOWstudio: Fashion Revolution at Somerset House in 2009. It's not too late to try your hand at this challenge - the pattern is still available, so download the PDF, puzzle out the technique and get sewing! [more]
LATEST ENTRIES BLOG
Les Smokings - Hayward: Final Fitting The latest stage of our Hayward Le Smoking - and indeed an integral stage of any tailor-made suit - is the fitting on a human body. Hayward client Bobby Gillespie has volunteered to stand in for us today as fit model, as Ritchie Charlton sees his painstaking creation on a... [more]
Resort 2012: Prada For any woman hankering after the reconfigured Lily Pulitzer florals, impressionistic post-war golfer scribbles or geometric silk bowling shirts that look as if a bored seventies housewife went stir-crazy with a Bedazzler from Prada's Spring/Summer 2012 menswear collection - fear not! Miuccia is never one to leave her loyal customers... [more]
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