Thursday 17 December 2009

Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are And Meet The Young Lady Who Fell From A Star...





It's a Twister
"Henry! Henry! I can't find Dorothy! She's somewhere out in the storm!" cries Vogue's Auntie Em, actress Alba Clemente, to Uncle Henry (her husband, the painter Francesco Clemente).
Vera Wang snow-white embroidered dress.



Munchkinland
The Penn State Marching Band sends Dorothy off to Oz, as artist Kara Walker, playing Glinda the Good Witch, looks on.  
From left: Dior Haute Couture by John Galliano ball dress. Marc Jacobs dress and ruby T-strap sandals.



If I Only Had a Brain
"Do you think if I went with you this Wizard would give me some?" asks painter Brice Marden, the Scarecrow.
Balenciaga.Edition by Nicolas Ghesquière crinkled dress. Balenciaga ankle-strap sandals.




Oil Me, Please
"Why, it's a man! A man made out of tin," Dorothy gasps upon sight of painter John Currin as the Tin Man.
Oscar de la Renta rose-pink pinafore dress and white blouse. Lanvin velvet pumps.



Oh, My!
"Why, you're nothing but a great big coward," Dorothy accuses the Lion, sculptor Jasper Johns. "You're right," he replies. "I haven't any courage at all. I even scare myself."
Rochas frilled dress and sequined pumps.



Emerald City
"Look, you can see it here. It's wonderful!" shouts the Tin Man.
Lanvin full-skirted dress and patent-leather heels.




The Wonderful Things He Does
"The beneficent Oz has every intention of granting your requests!" bellows painter and photographer Chuck Close as the Wizard.
Comme des Garçons robe dress. Comme des Garçons x Repetto Mary Janes.



I'll Get You, My Pretty
The Wicked Witch's winged monkey—played by artist Jeff Koons—seizes Dorothy and soars over the haunted forest.
Donna Karan New York ruffled dress. Christian Louboutin heels.



Ding Dong!
Artist Kiki Smith, as the Wicked Witch of the West, cackles after Dorothy soaks her with water.  
From left: Yves Saint Laurent silk pleated dress and platform loafers. Chanel Haute Couture ostrich-feather cape. 




Troubles Melt Like Lemon Drops
"And I'm not going to leave here ever, ever again, because I love you all! And, oh, Auntie Em, there's no place like home!"
Prada ivory dress and cherry apron. Miu Miu glitter Mary Janes.



Over the Rainbow
Kiera Knightley in a Vera Wang gold flower-decked dress.
In this story: fashion editor, Grace Coddington; sittings editor, Alexandra Kotur; hair, Julien d'Y's using MOKUBA Ribbon; makeup, Gucci Westman for Lancôme; set design, Mary Howard.

(Shot by Annie Leibovitz and featured in American Vogue)

V.

#2

Presenting the newly released second trailer...



M.

Wednesday 16 December 2009

The Water Babies



Linley Sambourne, 1881


Have you seen a water baby?
Did you put it in a bottle?
Did it wonder if it could get out?
Could I see it some day?
(the words of Henry Huxley's five year old grandson, and sadly not my own)
J.

Tuesday 15 December 2009

...






 

 

 


Eugenio Recuenco, who has shot for Vogue, Vanity Fair and Yves Saint Laurent to name but a few, show's his reinventions of fairytales and folk stories.

V.

Friday 11 December 2009

Friday 4 December 2009

Break The Spell















'Break The Spell'
i-D The Flesh & Blood Issue
Winter 2009
J.

Wednesday 2 December 2009

Vogue's Wonderland

Once again US Vogue creates a fashionable fairy tale. The december 2003 editorial shows some of the worlds greatest fashion designers with their version of Alice (played by Nataila Vodianova)





Olivier Theyskens as Lewis Carroll with Alice in Rochas iridescent blue-flower ruffle dress specially designed by Theyskens



Tom Ford as The White Rabbit and Alice in Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent Gauche sky-blue silk-satin dress.



Helmut Lang watches from the portrait on the wall, as Alice grow to giant size in her Helmut Lang made-to-measure blue organza minidress.



Alice chats with The Caterpillar aka Marc Jacobs, wearing Marc Jacobs's ruffled chiffon minidress.
 



Alice wears Chanel Haute Couture embroidered satin jacket with a draped satin skirt and cream leather boot pants, with Karl Lagerfeld





Alice in Blue silk-jersey draped dress by Gaultier Paris, with Jean Paul Gaultier as The Cheshire Cat.





Alice in a Viktor & Rolf multilayered silk dress with Tweedledee and Tweedledum played by the design duo themselves.



Alice in Christian Lacroix Haute Couture dress with painted and sculpted mink dickey over a lace top and frilled lamé skirt sits with The Mad Hatter (Stephen Jones wearing a custom-made hat of his own design) and Christian Lacroix as the March Hare.

 

John Galliano as the Queen of Hearts, wears a Dior Haute Couture coat and is accompanied by his King, Alexis Roche as they pass judgement over Alice, who wears Dior Haute Couture by John Galliano hand-painted polka-dot dress.

 

Donatella Versace as the Gryphon and Rupert Everett as the Mock Turtle, both in Versarce with Alice in Atelier Versace layered silk-tulle and chiffon-organza dress lined in lace.





Alice steps back through the looking glass in Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquière crystal pleated chiffon dress and grey ankle boots as Dina the Cat (Nicholas Ghesquiere) sits in a chair.

V.

Bibbdi Bobbdi Boo










Alice in Wonder Land, Little Red Riding Hood, and Snow White from the 'Bibbdi Bobbdi Boo' Series
by Bruno Vilela

 V.

Monday 30 November 2009

Selfridges: Displaying The Curiosites Of The FHT Collective.

I always look forward to seeing the window displays from Selfridges, especially during Christmas. This year, the combination of electic styling and method of display from Selfridges seem to be taking inspiration from Edward Linely Sambourne's Illustrations, from PunchTake a look for youself:


Elements from childern's stories, such as Puss in Boots are one of the main themes...





with references to Little Red Riding Hood.

F.B

Once Upon A Time...

In honour of weird and wonderful re-worked fairy tales I'd like to make a quick mention to the two authors that I consider the Queen and King of the genre.




The fantastic feminist author Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber is a wonderful collection of subversive versions of Folk and Fairy Tales including Beauty and The Beast, Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood; all with a slightly sinister twist.




And the King of the genre is by far Gregory Maguire; who has reworked various stories into comic tales for adults. His best known novel is Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which has been developed into a musical by the same name showing in the in London's West End.
His other work include Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, showing the sinister side of Cinderella, Lost which is written in 'the spirit of A. S. Byatt's Possession, with dark echoing overtones of A Christmas Carol', and Mirror Mirror giving the reader the true tale of Snow White.

V.

Friday 27 November 2009

Call To The Wild














All this talk of enchanted forests...
Images courtesy of Chadwick Taylor, Gaskell, Willamain Somma, Yelena Yemchuk
J.