Monthly Archives: February 2010

The first thing that came to my mind when I first saw David Koma’s Spring/Summer 2010 collection was Stephen Willats’ PVC dress with variable sheets. Originally created in 1965, Willats' designs were made up of a series of differently coloured … Continue reading →

If you love black, you probably also like the work of Pierre Soulages. There is at the moment an interesting retrospective at the Paris-based Centre Pompidou about the French painter, engraver and sculptor famous for celebrating in his works the … Continue reading →

Roy Halston Frowick is usually considered as the designer who put American fashion on the map. Born in 1932 in Iowa, Halston moved to New York City in the late 50s and started working as a milliner. After shooting to … Continue reading →

Cinema lovers will certainly know the unique work of Soviet Armenian film director Sergei Parajanov. Censored, banned and arrested in his country, Parajanov was instead revered by the international community of directors – comprising Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, Luis Buñuel, … Continue reading →

Rag and bone men always fascinated me. Over ten years ago, when I first visited the Sharmanka Gallery in Glasgow I silently stood in front of one of the kinetic sculptures made by Eduard Bersudsky called “Rag and Bone Man” … Continue reading →

If you leaf through fashion history books that feature designs from the mid-to-late 1800s, you will find quite a few examples of vertically or horizontally striped dresses. Chintz and muslin dresses in colourful and cheerful or more subdued stripes or … Continue reading →

Animal rights campaigners may not like the news, but real fur has definitely become fashionable again. Twenty-five years ago a fur coat or jacket was conceived as a status symbol since it proved you were wealthy enough to afford such … Continue reading →

It’s usually rather difficult to find a fashion book that appeals to both children and grown ups: the former are usually not so interested in proper fashion books and may actually be tempted to start ripping out the pages of … Continue reading →

I hate St Valentine's Day. Why can't you tell your dear one you love him/her without buying them a heart-shaped something? That remains a mystery to me. If, like me, you're hoping to do something slightly more alternative that could … Continue reading →

I was pleased to see that the programme of the Berlin Film Festival (until 21st February 2010) features one of the short documentaries shot in Siciliy by Italian director Vittorio De Seta. In his essay “Sicily on the big screen” … Continue reading →