Paul's Blog on Vogue.com

There is a fantastic book out called Amen - grassroots football by photographer Jessica Hilltout who travelled through Africa recording its passion for football. It is an interesting insight into how desperate they are to play football, they will use anything for a ball, goalposts, pitch... a really great book.

ISBN - 978-0-620-46667-7

If you are in London I would recommend visiting the John Singer Sargent exhibition at the Royal Academy - top floor.
You might not like this kind of art and you might think he only painted celebrity portraits but this man can draw and paint! So whether you like it or not you should try to visit!
The exhibition is entitled Sargent and the Sea, so none of his portraits, just sea and sea-related artwork. I was really impressed!

Anybody who loves music probably knows Rough Trade which started in the Seventies and has been responsible for introducing us to many amazing bands either on their own label or selling vinyl or CDs through their shop.
Anyway... there is a great new book that has just been published about them, written by Neil Taylor - If you like Rough Trade and the world of music you should enjoy the book.

ISBN - 978-0-7528-5358-1

Other things to mention...

• New film out on September 10 - Tamara Drewe by my friend director Stephen Frears.
• Tate Modern - Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance and the Camera - on until October 3
• White Cube Gallery - Hoxton Square - Kris Martin / Festum (Sept 7 until Oct 9)
• White Cube Gallery - Mason's Yard - Darren Almond - The Principle of Moments (Sept 3 - Oct)

Most of the galleries around the world are still showing summer shows but, if you get the chance, there is still time to see Picasso which is on at the Tate Liverpool until the end of August. And, if you are in London you only have until the August 8 to look at the Henry Moore exhibition, at Lindbury Gallery, Tate Britain; the first room is fantastic so even if you have no time to see the whole exhibition, just visit the first room and enjoy that.

I am really looking forward to the Gauguin which opens at the end of September at Tate Modern. I’ll also be seeing the Raphael cartoons and tapestries designed for the Sistine Chapel and the Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes exhibitions both held at the V&A in September – I am sure there will be lots of other exciting shows coming up too.

Also very exciting news is the new Apple store due to open later this week in Covent Garden just around the corner from my original Covent Garden shop.

I recently found these amazing Forties cycling shoes in the corner of a cycle shop. Red leather with white stripes and so relevant and wearable today - they are part of the family history of the shop - I think they are fantastic!

Picasso: Peace and Freedom

Tate Liverpool 21 May - 30 August 2010

A fantastic exhibition of 150 works from across the world, looking at Picasso’s work as a political activist and campaigner for peace. At the same time there is also an exhibition at the Gagosian Gallery in London showing work from Picasso’s ‘Mediterranean Years (1945-1962)’ from June 4 - August 28, 2010.

Chiswick House Gardens - London

Chiswick House gardens have just opened again after huge restoration works. The gardens are spread over 65 acres and are known as the birthplace of The English Landscape Movement. The beautiful gardens have inspired many landscapes including palaces and parks throughout the world. They were originally created by Lord Burlington and William Kent in the 1720’s and 1730’s.

There is also a fantastic new café designed by Caruso St John Architects who also designed the new Nottingham Contemporary Art Gallery.

For more information see http://www.chgt.org.uk/

Horrockses Fashions: Off-The-Peg Style In The 40’s And 50’s
Starting on 9th July this exhibition at the Fashion and Textiles museum in London Bridge is going to be really great. Horrockses Fashions Limited was the manufacturer of one of the most well-respected ready-to-wear labels of the Forties and Fifties and the exhibition will show many colourful prints, particularly floral designs - very exciting and well worth a visit.

9 July 2010 - 24 October 2010
http://www.ftmlondon.org/exhibitions
There will also be a book available by V&A publications.

Check out these two great sales at Sotheby’s , 34-35 New Bond Street. Both have some really interesting pieces:

Impressionist and Modern Art Sales (22/23 June)
Contemporary Art Sales(28/29 June)

The Lacemaker
This exhibition at the Marsden Woo Gallery (17-18 Great Sutton Street, EC1) is also going to be fantastic. It is called The Lacemaker by Studio Tord Boontje and explores the techniques of lace-making through a series of experiments using natural materials such as grass and raffia and includes lights, hangings, jewellery and even a sofa!

www.marsdenwoo.com
24 June – 31 July

125 Ledbury Road

A lot of you might already know this shop. It is a wonderful small boutique in London’s Notting Hill at 125 Ledbury Road which has exquisite high quality vintage clothing including Lanvin, Chanel, Mugler, Herve Leger and many more. The shop normally shares the space with Lot 78, a contemporary street wear label, and now there will also be a selection of pieces from young up and coming jewellery designer Lauren Adriana.

There is an exhibition opening at Somerset house on 3rd June which celebrates 20 Years of Maison Martin Margiela – it promises to be a fantastic exhibition.

Fourth Plinth

In London’s Trafalgar Square there are many statues but there is a plinth known as the Fourth Plinth which rotates work by different artists. The latest is by a talented young man called Yinka Shonibare who was at art college the same time as my wife, Byam Shaw London.

His work is completely appropriate for the square which as I’m sure you all know famously houses Nelson’s Column. Yinka has put Nelson’s boat with his special sails inside a huge bottle which was made and imported from Italy – it looks really stunning.

My Reading

I have just been sent The Concise Dictionary of Dress by Judith Clark and Adam Phillips which you might like to look at.

An old Vogue magazine found in a Tokyo street market

I have just done my big twice yearly trip to Japan and then went onto America. I was showing my Men’s and Women’s Collections for autumn/winter 2010-11 as well as visiting many of my stores and having various events and parties, including one at the British Embassy in Tokyo. We had a great turnout of people including Japanese photographer Hiromix and Sean Lennon.

Women’s display in Tokyo

It’s Cherry Blossom time in Japan!

Afterwards onto Los Angeles for the afternoon (!), for an event in my LA shop which was really great. Guests included a lot of stylists and film producers and young actor Toby Kebble, who we know very well, having used him in some of our campaigns. He also comes from near my home town of Nottingham.

After that to New York for one day with various press meetings, Womenswear Daily, US Vogue, etc.

There is a great auction on this week by Phillips de Pury at the Saatchi Gallery Kings Road, London called BRIC. Contemporary Art Photographs from Brazil, Russia, India and China – well worth a visit if you are in London.
www.phillipsdepury.com

Haunch of Venison, Burlington Gardens, London: a beautiful building to visit, even if you are not keen on art; around the back of the Royal Academy and opposite Cecconis restaurant, great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Their current exhibition is called Glasnost: Soviet Non-Conformist Art from the 1980’s.

Whilst in New York last week I went to the ICP (International Centre of Photography), in Manhattan to see the photographs of Czech photographer Miroslav Tichy. One of the most fantastic exhibitions I have ever seen!!! He was born in 1926 and went to art school in Prague but then decided to move to the countryside and became very isolated, eventually starting to take photographs in the Fifties, mostly of women. He used cameras that he had made by hand from found parts and objects. The results are fantastic and dreamlike. In the Eighties his neighbour discovered that he had been taking photographs for many years but nobody had ever seen them. Since then the neighbour started to collect and document them and eventually an exhibition was put on in the Art Biennale in Seville in 2004 and now this current exhibition at the ICP. For more info visit www.icp.org.

I held a press day in my London showroom last week. Lots of people visited throughout the day to see my collections for autumn/winter 2010 as well as other collaborations that we have been working on - including my new collection for Stelton.

I recently shot my new advertising campaign for winter 2010. I decided to shoot in my studio in London to give an atmosphere of where I work. It was a rather busy day but I think the results will be good.

Interesting exhibition of Contemporary Graphic Art on at Somerset House from April 22 to May 3. The most interesting thing is that artist Rob Ryan is setting up his studio there in the big gallery space, he is picking up and moving everything into the gallery - including his screen printing presses and drying racks – and you are welcome to go along and have a chat and see how it all works.

I know this book came out in October last year but if you haven’t seen it and you are a lover of illustration, you should buy this book. Rene Gruau was a fantastic illustrator working for many years with Dior amongst others. In fact, the preface to this book is by John Galliano – it is well worth buying.

Henry Moore
On Monday I visited the Henry Moore Foundation where they have an amazing archive of his work and beautiful sculptures in their grounds. It is also the location of his house and gallery. The Foundation helps to promote the appreciation of the Fine Arts, especially the work of Henry Moore, and consists of a major selection of sculpture, drawings and graphics.
www.henry-moore-fdn.co.uk

Stelton
Danish Manufacturers Stelton asked me to collaborate on a very special project, which to tell the truth I was quite nervous about. It was to revitalise a range of products designed by Arne Jacobsen to celebrate their 50th anniversary.
After having many ideas, I simply decided to offer a selection of colours for the handles which are traditionally black and add a collection of concave bowls with coloured interiors. Luckily the reaction to them has been really great.

YSL Paris
I’m sure you all know about this by now but there is a fantastic Yves Saint Laurent exhibition on at the Petit Palais in Paris until August 29. Well worth a visit.

There’s an interesting selling exhibition at Bonhams (101 New Bond St), on Monday March 8; great Sixties photographs by David Bailey. Even if you are not going to buy, go and have a look. Check out viewing times on www.bonhams.com.

Another great exhibition is on at the Serpentine Gallery in London’s Hyde Park of artist Richard Hamilton’s work, who you may remember was responsible for the famous photograph of Mick Jagger and a London gallery owner handcuffed in the back of a car. Enjoy a walk in the park and pop in to the exhibition, which is free of charge!

There is a fantastic exhibition on at the National Portrait Gallery of iconic photographer Irving Penn, who sadly passed away last year. There is also a selling exhibition at Hamilton’s Gallery in London. His work, which ranged from fashion to portraits and amazing still life pictures, is among the best you’ll find in the world.
www.hamiltonsgallery.com

As you probably know, for years I have been taking photographs as a hobby - but more recently I have been asked to take photographs for various magazines, recently Italian D Repubblica, Japanese Numero, French magazine L’Express and many more including my own ad campaigns.

Yesterday I had quite a challenging job photographing the principal dancers at the Royal Ballet. It was really great, they were very cooperative and I am completely amazed at their physical strength, fitness and flexibility. The photographs will be used in an exhibition in Tokyo in June as well as several magazine articles whilst the Royal Ballet are travelling to Japan.

Here’s me photographing Steven McRae.

Yesterday I held my women’s autumn/winter 2010 show at Claridges as part of London Fashion Week after working in my showroom all weekend styling and casting. The collection was based on daughters of aristocratic families who also like to party. It seemed to have various names such as debutant rock or posh punk but was really about mixing elegant, beautiful, couture-like clothes which could be borrowed from Mum and mixed with teenage co ordination.