Fantastics & Personalities

Andy Warhol's Screen Tests were filmed between 1964 and 1966 at his Factory in New York. Although these short films became known as Warhols 'Screen Tests', they were originally conceived as silent film portraits. Each subject was captured in stark relief by a strong key light, and filmed on silent, black & white, 100-foot rolls of film at 24 frames per second, resulting in two-and-a-half minute film reels which were then screened in 'slow motion', so each portrait is four minutes long.

Over 500 screen tests were made, but many were discarded. Among Warhol's subjects were Bob Dylan, Edie Sedgewick (see below), Salvador Dali, Lou Reed, Nico, Yoko Ono and Marcel Duchamp, to name a few. The Screen Tests were exhibited in MoMA but some kind soul uploaded a number of them to YouTube for our viewing pleasure...

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Reed + Rader

Pamela Reed and Matthew Rader are a pair of fashion photographers with a difference. This New York-based team began shooting digital photographs less than two years ago and have accomplished some extremely gorgeous things already.







One of the most interesting productions from these two are their GIF animated fashion stories. Thankfully not this kind of GIF:
But this kind:







Reed + Rader have instead created many beautiful Augmented Reality Avatars, the full range of which can be seen in their portfolio here.
-M

This Christmas Season, Part 2

Marchesa Spring 2011 RTW

(all images style.com)

Another highlight of the season for me. I need evenings worthy of these dresses.

Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig's collection for Marchesa is simply exquisite. Their stunning gowns are the stuff of girl's dreams. The jewels, the lace, the hand-painted florals, the draping...breath-taking.

I fell in love with the black lace harem-panted jumpsuit, yet sadly it didn't translate so well from the runway to the red carpet, as exhibited by Leighton Meester's buttocks at a Harry Winston cocktail party...


Along with her exposed bum, the poor girl's proportions were all out of sorts, as the jumpsuit proved to be terrible unflattering on the thighs. Such a pity. Hopefully the next person to step out in this delicious jumpsuit will do it justice.

-M.

This Christmas Season In Photos

Odile wonders if the boys notice her breasts moving as she dances.

Sakoku

One of today's most innovative and conceptual designer, Hussein Chalayan's Spring 2011 RTW collection was my personal highlight of the season.









Chalayan showcased his work in a short film, Sakoku, inspired by the Japanese foreign relations policy of the same name. This policy stated that no person could enter or leave the country under penalty of death. Chalayan was fascinated by this period in Japanese history, and based his collection not on Japanese clothing but the concept of abstract isolation, as exhibited in his stunning range of black and white pieces, as well as the gorgeous colour-blocking in lime, fuschia and gold.


Chalayan has created many exceptional pieces throughout his career, including:

1) The Bubble Dress - SS07




2) The Transformer Dress - SS07


Chalayan created six pieces with designer Moritz Waldemeyer which reconfigured themselves on the runway. See them in action below - the final piece disappearing into the model's hat, leaving her completely naked. Amaze.




3) The Laser Dress - in collaboration with Swarovski - 2008



- M.

In significant lives

Ingrid Sanfey is a London based artist whose last exhibition, "In Significant Lives", centered around death masks she had knitted for the dead mice and birds her cat would bring her. He work is utterly fantastic, primarily done on but not limited to watercolour on paper.





Some of her older works include:






-Rebecca