Cecil Beaton Exhibition at the Chris Beetles Art Gallery

I love going to small art galleries where you don't know what random pieces maybe showing, so when I stumbled across this Cecil Beaton exhibition at the Chris Beetles Art Gallery near Regents Street I was desperate to go. As soon as you peer through the door of the exhibition you can see large images of such renowned celebrities as Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn suggesting the high status Beaton had as a photographer in his time.

Cecil Beaton (1904-1980) first made his name as a fashion and portrait photographer, although he also had a prominent role as an Academy Award Winning stage and costume designer. Beaton acquired his first contract with Vogue in 1927 after failing his degree and later also got his works published in further magazines such as Vanity Fair. Beaton was renowned for his photography of Hollywood's golden celebrities as well a selection of the Royal Family. Beaton also made an impact in costume design in a number of stage and screen productions, one such film being My Fair Lady (1964). In 1972, Beaton was knighted, yet suffered from a stroke that led to paralysis and within six years Beaton died at the age of 76.

The exhibition itself is fascinating with portraits of Gwili Andre (1932) as well as some lovely representations of the 'Bright Young Things'. You really feel that Beaton captures the romantic nature of his subjects, placing them in a realm of fantasy and mysticism. Beaton also designed images for fabrics which the curators of the exhibition have had upholstered on the chairs in the exhibition. This adds a whole new dimension to Beaton's work, bringing it up-to-date for a contemporary viewer.

The exhibition only lasted a matter of weeks (22nd April- 16th May) but I urge you to have a look at his works online, as they truly are stunning.

Chris Beetles Art Gallery

Decadent Delights at the V & A's Baroque Exhibition

As soon as you enter this dazzling exhibition there are a variety of words that come to mind. Opulence, exuberance, and not to mention “Magnificence” come to mind. The people of these times certainly were not in the economic crisis that we're in today, whilst “Credit Crunch” was certainly not a term they were accustomed to. The entire exhibition is dripping from head to toe in exquisite designs which feature on everything from silverware to the buildings themselves. Every item is made from the most expensive and precious materials and each is adorned with intricate and splendid designs. Think Sophia Coppola a la Marie Antoinette minus the sickly pink and with a lot less cake.

The Baroque period spans nearly the whole of two centuries and had a prominent effect on the arts all over Europe and beyond. It saw its beginnings in Rome where the Roman Catholic Church encouraged art forms to communicate a variety of religious themes in society. The aristocracy however used the style as a method in order to amaze any visitors that may be passing through their stately homes. The main order of the movement was to appeal to the senses and delight whoever views these complete works of art. However what is most fascinating about this artistic movement is its profound effect on all aspects of the arts. This is demonstrated from music and theatre to fashion and even the conceptual forms and designs of architecture from Palaces to more religious and secular spaces.

Although the movement had the primary function of assisting the Roman Catholic Church in conveying concepts and ideas to the general public through the use of exquisite designs. The style filtered through all aspects of society aiding the birth of opera through the likes of composer Henry Purcell as well as transforming theatrical spaces. Even costume design appropriated elements of the Baroque style as shown in the exhibition through a Man's theatre costume (1740-1760). The effect of the Baroque allows the exhibition to acknowledge the sheer spectacle provided in the 17th and 18th Centuries. This is a time when huge public displays were becoming fashionable whilst exhibiting your wealth was expected and certainly not frowned upon.

Highlights of the exhibition include a variety of pieces originally belonging to the Palace of Versailles in the time of Louis XIV. One of these pieces being a Cabinet from Versailles (1635-1705) which is decorated with a lavish gold design as well as a variety of paintings. Other items from the Palace include a number of portraits of Louis XIV suggesting his role as one of the iconic trend-setters of Baroque design. Naturally, there is more to see of Versailles than is presented in this exhibition. Therefore instead of transporting many more items to the exhibition, the visitor is taken on a journey to the palace itself via video footage that scours the palace and its gardens as well as the renowned Hall of Mirrors.

However, Paris was not the only country to succomb to the splendour of the Baroque style. The exhibition also aims to illustrate the global phenomenon of the Baroque period and its effect on the entire world. The curators at the V & A prove the effect of this global sensation with a house-sized Alterpiece of the “Virgin of Sorrows” (1690) which is from Mexico. In addition to this there are sketches of a now lost Opera House which was orginally constructed for an Emperor of China. The exhibition allows the beholder to witness sheer scale of this art movement across the globe which is quite astounding. Ultimately it brings together the opulence that was so readily embraced by all of high society around the world.

If you want to witness the origins of “bling” then you need to get down to “Baroque: Style in the Age of Magnificence” at the V & A. This is a luxurious exhibition to see with around 200 items to be discovered. The all encompassing nature of the exhibition with its vast abundance of artefacts and furniture allows the exhibition to entice all. If you're interested in design, theatre, music, religion or even if you just want to see an elaborate spectacle of magnificence, this is a copious exhibition for all to enjoy. You can also explore Baroque design even further by heading down to one of many of the National Trust Properties. These include Ham House, The Vyne or even Knole where you can explore the lavish luxury of the aristocracy even further. The exhibition itself continues until the 19^th July so head down to the V & A and check it out.

(Student price: £6, Adults: £11).

Image Source: V & A

Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones

Today I had the joy of going to the V & A's brand new exhibition: Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones. and a joy it was, from the moment I entered the exhibition, it had the allure of inspiration, set in a darkly lit 'magical Baroque garden' (as the leaflet so gorgeously puts). There is a definite sense of another world in this exhibition. Certainly for me, I was transported into another realm, and this one was full of hats!

Not being much of a hat-wearer myself, I was, needless to say, intrigued by what this exhibition would have in store (other than hats of course). However, I was pleasantly surprised and now have a new found respect for hats and the statement that they can bring to an outfit.

The exhibition is constructed in such a way that you feel like each time you find a piece of the exhibit, you have another glorious section of a secret garden. The exhibition itself, takes you on a tour of discovery from the inspiration for a particular hat, the creation, the milliner's salon as well as the client involved in the millinery process.

Not only this, but there was many a famous hat featuring in this exhibition. Audrey Hepburn's bonnet in 'My Fair Lady' (1938) by Cecil Beaton was exhibited as well as Sarah Jessica Parker's head decoration (this is more than just a hat darling) which featured at the 'Sex and the City' premiere in London last year which was by Philip Treacey.

This exhibition is a definite must-see whether you are a current hat fantatic or not. The exhibition is showing 24th February-31st May at only £5 for adults, so get to the V&A asap!

V & A Museum

Source Image: Huffington Post, V & A

V & A Fashion Talks- Giles Deacon, Vivienne Westwood and Christian Lacroix so far...

The V & A have always been an incredible hub of fashion- orientated atefacts, accessories and clothes steeped in historical and cultural value. What I have never noticed before are their fascinating Friday evening talks. This Friday I will be heading down to South Kensington to hear a talk by none other than Giles Deacon. Giles is not the only one to be hitting our favourite museum, he will be joined by the likes of Vivienne Westwood, Stephen Jones (as in 'Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones' currently showing at the V & A) and Christian Lacroix. With discount available to students, these talks are a must, so get your tickets before they sell out!

V & A Museum

Best of the Oscar Dresses

There was yet another glorious array of dresses last weekend at the Oscars this year as the best of Hollywood came out to celebrate the Oscar Academy Awards ceremony. I thought I would share with you some of my favourites!


Sarah Jessica Parker wore a beautiful Dior Haute Couture dress, by no means letting her fashionablee Sex and the City fans down. Not only does the fit of the dress look stunning but somehow the fantasy elements of this dress appeals to my fairytale sensibilities.



Freida Pinto who was nominated for the award of Best Supporting Actress for Slumdog Millionaire is also on my best dressed list. The effect of the one sided sleeve really makes this John Galliano dress an alternative and individual dress for the Oscars.


The lovely Kate Winslet can always be relied upon to represent English sensibilities and she does so in lovely one shouldered, two-tone YSL dress.


However, my favourite was Natalie Portman's choice of Rodarte as her Oscar dress. The romantic fluidity of the dress as well as its vibrant lilac colour makes Portman really stand out effortlessly.

I look forward to seeing what they wear next year!

Image Source: Cosmopolitan

Barbie hits fifty (and the runway!)

This year sees Barbie, our favourite plastic fantastic doll, reaching fabulous fifty. In celebration of this momentous occasion Barbie's PR has been making efforts to publicise the much treasured (if not, against the feminist) childhood toy. One of these efforts was translated into lifesize Barbie dolls hitting the runway at New York's Fashion Week. Barbie was in with many of our most fashionable designers of the moment including Michael Kors, Marchesa, Rachel Roy as well as Calvin Klein.


Image Source: Dazed Digital