The Official ContentMode Blog

Wotsit All About : James Ostrer

                                                                  BY DEBORAH FERGUSON

 

    The sweetly disturbing creations by artist James Ostrer based on a childhood junk addiction is an exhibit worth a visit.  The sugar festisation is taken to the extreme; almost to the level of food porn. His sitters were lathered in cream cheese, frazzles,ice cream cones, Twix bars, all that is sweet and ensure auto cavity. The food masks leave one with a claustrophic bitter sweet after thought. All could be compared to a Pygmalion worship of Frazzle coated larger than life creatures.

 "Eventually I could see refined sugar the same way smoking is. The only difference is no one in fashion or film would regarded being fat as cool " - James Ostrer

Exhibit until Sept :  http://www.gazelliarthouse.com/

 

 

 

London youth 78-87

                                                                   BY DEBORAH FERGUSON

 

    Since the early 1970's British photographer Derek Ridgers was the first to document Britains youth culture and it's evolution up to 1987. His book " 78-87 London Youth is a modest catalog of the most die hard original punks through the neo romantic Blitz club days; in which it was of highest priority to dress oneself in the most imaginative ensembles. His work stands out from fellow photo journalists of his time as he was able to capture the essence of the person beneath the costume pretense.

   He frequented the London clubs, dives, music gigs , the streets of London and various other suburbs to catalog each sub culture as it evolved.

   In contrast to this we currently have heards street style bloggers at the international RTW Fashion week shows fighting for a shot of a fashion editor or a fellow blogger inwhich they feel they  quite possibly found an original street style look. Much of the current digital content of street style that draws unique visitors is based on celebrity street style inwhich retailers and editors refer to this as "new" style, trend as a result has a tremendous influence to their decisions; not sub cultures. Perhaps as past sub culture street style has been exploited on the runways season after season what is left? Will there be a RTW show without a recycled sub culture or period reference ? 

   The current day sub cultures in night life has disolved to Hip hop street wear looks, wannabe indie/look poor and grungey and the incarnated techno goths. There isn't a current sub cultures in the music or club scene can shine a light and or claim they are infact creating a new fashion trend  above and beyond on the original punks, goths and neo romantics. I'm sure the late Leigh Bowery or Phillip Salon would agree.

 

 

 

 

 

     

Boudicca London launches an incarnation of their Scent: Wode

                                                                BY Deborah Ferguson

 

   London based Zowie Broach the Creative Director of the RTW and Couture brand Boudicca ; shares her news both as Head of the Fashion department at the prestigious Royal College of Art and the launch of Boudicca's first incarnation of their scent; Boudicca Wode.

     Her new role at The Royal College of art is a much deserved title as she replaces Wendy Dagworthy who retired after 16 years at RCA and saw the likes of Stella McCartney, Hussien Chaylan ,Giles Deacon and Erdem pass through her door. Zowie;co- founder of Bouidcca in 1997 has an illustrious CV in which her incredible visionary talent both in fashion technology and the global success of Boudicca will resonate on the upcoming new British RTW designers.

  Boudicca as a brand is for those who are not afraid to dress in directional, yet sexy  silhouettes.  Their brand sits nicely in Barney's New York next to Comme des Garcons, yet remains distinctly Boudicca a stand out British brand and the first British house to become offcially invited member of Haute Couture Paris; showing their first couture collection in Paris 2007 with rave reviews.

    WODE eau du parfum;  is a collaboration between Boudicca and the team behind global fragrance phenomenon; Escentric Molecules; the incarnation of WODE took 7 years to create.

   The fragrance sprays onto your your skin as a blue mist with a strong erotic initial scent of a rare black hemlock interlace  layers of saffron musk, jasmin, cumin, tuberose and blonde tobacco.  The fragrance is designed for the the fearless, who do not follow main stream trends but are dedicated to a dark multi-sensory experience.

  The name WODE is derived from woad an intense blue palnt used by  ancient Britons to paint themselves with blue tribal markings.

"scent too marks you as one of the tribe," says Zowie Broach, " but it's uniqueness is that marks you invisibly"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WODE is available  exclusively in the UK as of last week at Liberty's London:

http://www.liberty.co.uk/fcp/product/Liberty//Boudicca-Wode-Eau-de-Parfum-50ml/108042

 

 

 

 

AW14: Armani Privé Haute Couture

BY YI HE

 

To envision Armani Privé's AW14 collection, just think of this: imagine an army of models covered with veils and headdresses, colored in white, red and black, with everything made up of tulle and polka dots. And when the models start moving, you may try chasing the faces under those veils—only to find yourself lost in a sea of tricolor spectacle.

 

Maison Martin Margiela on Kingsland Road

BY YI HE

 

Maison Martin Margiela’s SS2014 Artisanal Collection was reproduced by photographer Lorenzo Vitturi on Kingsland Road, London.

“I wanted to create a unique and abstract visual composition,” he says, “so you don’t see a difference between the set, the model and the clothes,” according to the photographer.

You cannot see the faces of the models in most pictures, and the set was simple yet multilayered. In some pictures, they faded into their surroundings so perfectly that you cannot tell the disassociation, and some of them make you feel so surreal. For example, there was a tapestry of Paul Gauguin’s 1896 painting “La femme du roi” – all elusive imagination of fashion.