THERE WAS ONLY ONE PLACE TO SEE AND BE SEEN ON 20TH AUGUST THIS YEAR- THE FACE. MODELS, MAKE-UP ARTISTS, STYLISTS, FASHIONISTAS, DESIGNERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, PUNKS, GOTHS, YOU NAME IT- ALL DESCENDED ON THE LEGENDARY CLUB NIGHT, INCLUDING AGENT2’s VERONICA CARPIO…

AGENT2's Veronica Carpio

Despite a brief hiatus, The Face club night returned with a bang, promising to ‘turn London back to its best with a night celebrating eccentricity, art, eclectic music, fashion and excess’. And it certainly delivered. The Green Carnation in Soho saw a night dedicated to freedom, beauty, art, eccentricity and extravaganza with renowned DJs Steve Strange and Princess Julia hitting the decks in a celebration of 80’s fashion and music. The aim? According to party boy, model and host Alejandro Gocast, “This night is all about expressing yourself, being free, releasing the artist in you, being whoever you want to be”.

The Green Carnation is a fitting backdrop for such hedonism. A stylish bar inspired by Oscar Wilde, with elegant décor, dim lighting and green and gold walls full of quotes from the writer- “I can resist anything except temptation”- the atmosphere is a cocktail of Bohemian passion and Victorian luxury with a laid-back ambiance.

Vaudeville’s darkest muse Mr Pustra was the star of the show, presenting his fabulous new show King Midas. Covered in gold, with bruised make-up, very long lashes and extreme red lips, he moved elegantly around the stage dripping wax onto his semi-naked body, transporting the viewers to a world of decadence and melancholy. There is no attempt at storytelling, simply a creation of beauty, an experiment, a fantasy, both visually stunning and hugely entertaining.

Mr. Pustra performs on stage

Mr Pustra started in 2006 creating shows inspired by the 1930s, Charlie Chaplin, cabaret and burlesque, making Vaudeville’s art fashionable again. “I want to create something that is visually beautiful. I don’t do shocking things as people don’t get shocked anymore”. He looks for unexpected ways to entertain the spectator: “I am on a continuous journey of learning, always trying different things, always challenging myself”. He gets his inspiration from films, music, paintings and then creates a unique performance. “I don’t follow anyone. I just do my own thing. The most important thing is to be passionate about what you do. You have to believe in yourself and then people will believe in you”.

And this is certainly something that partygoers have taken on board- with guests encouraged to ‘Bring along a face like no other’, we can’t wait for the next one…

thegreencarnation.co.uk

Words Veronica Carpio  Images Dan Harley

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MILLIONS OF WOMEN MAY GIVE ALL THE LUXURY LIPSTICKS IN THE WORLD TO LOOK LIKE HER TODAY, SO IT’S PERHAPS PARADOXICAL THAT THE ELEGANT LOOK THAT GRACE KELLY PULLED OFF WAS ALL APPARENTLY DOWN TO A VERY EFFORTLESS APPROACH.

The late actress and princess applied a similar simple attitude to her wardrobe as the set of values that she lived her life by.

Her style is currently the subject of a Victoria & Albert museum exhibition that was nearly two years in the making. It will probably turn out to be the most popular one ever held in the museum’s Fashion Gallery temporary exhibition space.

Grace, who married Prince Rainier III in 1956, was “loyal to her old clothes the way she was loyal to her old friends”, one magazine article in the 1950s reported her as saying.

“I just buy my clothes when they take my eye,” she said.

“And I wear them for years.” Her treasured brown leather Hermes “Kelly” handbag, which collected numerous marks over the years, is probably the most famous example of this.

V&A curator of fashion Jenny Lister says that the Style Icon exhibition, which features mostly items on loan from the Princely Palace in Monaco, is surprisingly attracting, among others, many 20-somethings and younger people born after Grace tragically plunged off a cliff in Monaco in 1982.

“You often see fashion students sketching the dresses, so they are still clearly interested in using Grace Kelly’s wardrobe as a reference and maybe as inspiration for their designs,” she says.

Although her life story was “extraordinary, encompassing the glamour of Hollywood and European royalty,” Grace Kelly became “almost a kind of short-hand or code for that classic, restrained way of dressing that never quite goes out of fashion, in contrast to more outlandish, or overtly sexual styles”, Lister says.

“She loved things that were beautifully made,” Lister says.

“Perhaps things are not made to last as well these days.

“But I think from Grace Kelly we can all learn to appreciate our clothes more, look after them and enjoy them too.”

Of course post-war austerity may have had a lot to do with her demure, sensual style.

But even when she was sporting a diaphanous silk chiffon dress that billowed out into a beautifully flared full length skirt, perfect for dancing with Frank Sinatra, or an elaborate gold headpiece like the one she donned for a 1969 Dier des Testes bash – it was so fancy that Grace had to ride there on the floor of a van – the princess’ personality still outshone any diamond. She wore the clothes, and not the other way around.

“I think it’s important to see the person first and the clothes afterwards,” Grace in fact once remarked.

“I have to choose simple clothes because when I wear anything dramatic I seem to get lost.”

During the 1950s Grace’s face was plastered on hundreds of magazines.

LIFE featured her on an April 1955 cover in the Edith Head pale blue silk satin coat that she’d worn to accept her Best Actress Oscar that year.

Another magazine circa the same carried the headline: “Grace Kelly tells how to travel light”. Can you imagine today’s style icons, the likes of Victoria Beckham, doing the same?

Interestingly, Grace Kelly was the first to admit that she’d never be seen front row at the fashion shows.

In fact, she was the first one to admit that she never attended fashion parades, proving – may we all breathe a collective sigh of relief -  that one can care about more than fashion and still become a style icon.

“Grace had determination and worked hard for her success, and had to make difficult decisions about her career and family,” says Lister.

Although the exhibition, which lasts until September 26, has been a crowd puller for the V&A, the press coverage it’s received hasn’t been all positive. One broadsheet reviewer in fact branded it ”damp squib”. Visitors may also agree that there is far too much packed into two small galleries. While the same critic was apparently disappointed by the worn-out handbags which appeared to have come from a “high-class Oxfam shop”, another broadsheet fashion writer seemed to celebrate Grace Kelly’s ‘thrifty approach’, pointing out that while the royal may have had the same handbag for years, today Victoria Beckham is believed to own more than 100 by the same label. I am inclined to agree with the latter approach.

What I took away most from the exhibition wasn’t really to do with the actual physical items that Grace Kelly carried, but how she carried herself.

vam.ac.ak

Words Amy Fallon

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NEW YORK-BASED FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER MICHAEL DAVID ADAMS, 35, ORIGINALLY FROM PENNSYLVANIA, SPILLS HIS SNAP HAPPY BEANS ON LIFE AS A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER, A QUICK CAREER CHANGE FROM AN ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR AND HOW IT FEELS TO CALL THE BIG APPLE HOME. HIS WORK HAS BEEN FEATURED IN PUBLICATIONS INCLUDING VANITY FAIR ITALY, MARIE CLAIRE CHINA, VOGUE NIPPON AND QVEST.

Your work has a very strong feel. Do you plan for it or does it just happen?

I do plan certain things with shoots: the flow of the days shot list, how the makeup and hair and styling work together when working with creative ideas or messy props… But the emotion of the shoot, be it strong or vulnerable, is something that just happens. I can intend on shooting an editorial with a sense of strength (or any other emotion) but, after that initial intent, the rest falls in place….

How did you end up being a professional photographer? Is it something you’ve always envisaged yourself as?

I started seriously considering photography as a career in my 20s.  I used photography in my art, predominately black / white and darkroom work, some infrared (that was fun, I miss the darkroom!).

Up until then, I had experimented with a friend’s camera, a Nikon 35mm. I really enjoyed working with it and working with friends to create images that expressed my thoughts and emotions, as well as capturing special moments in time. This quickly led to working with makeup artists, hair stylists, and models from local agencies. At that point, my fate was sealed!

When I came to New York City, I could sense that I was finally “home” and that this is where success as a photographer would manifest itself. From making shoots happen in small apartments to putting in hours conceptualising and organising shoots, the first few years here were a lot of work, but well worth it.

When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I was always intrigued by the many facets of the arts, such as acting, singing and painting.  In college, I was studying towards becoming a conductor.

In my 20′s, after enrolling in a photography course, it dawned on me that photography was my true calling. I have always been a natural at it. The photos I took as a teenager all have a great sense of composition. I have a natural gift for concepts and execution. It’s funny how your true calling may not always be obvious to you, but it will hit you over the head when it needs to.

Who has been your favourite client to work for so far?

Always the one who understands photographers as creative people and respects their point of view and decisions. Otherwise, why would they hire me in the first place, as those aspects are crucial to who you are as a photographer, and they become evident in the final images that you see in print or on screen?

What equipment do you use?

I usually use a Hasselblad H2 with a PhaseOne P30+ and CaptureOne. If the lighting situations require it, I’ll whip out the 5DII. Lighting is usually Profoto or ambient with fill reflectors.

Is there a particular style of photography you prefer?

Not really, I love all different styles. Growing as a photographer, you experiment with different lighting, from soft/airy to punchy and vibrant. Soon enough, you find your “voice” and what makes you an individual. Props and various elements that you incorporate into each shot also help define your style.

Which fashion photographers do you admire?

Joyce Tenneson, I love her work!  As a budding photographer, it was really wonderful to talk with her. When I was taking my photography course, “Intro to B/W and Darkroom” my professor asked me if I had heard of Joel Peter Witkin due to some of the work I was producing. I did not but he brought in a book of his and I was immediately hooked. A few years later, I discovered Gottfried  Helnwien. Many of his photographs are similar to some private work I have done on my own.

What is your life plan so far?

To share my passion with the world around me and hopefully that world will expand year after year.

What is next in terms of photography for you?

The same as what’s happening now, except bigger and better!  Plans are to keep shooting and making more amazing work, both in advertising and editorials. I want to keep exploring new ideas, find new amazing locations and travel the world!

michaeldavidadams.com

Words Natalie Davies  Images Michael David Adams

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HE WAS A DEFINING DESIGNER OF THE ‘80s, IMAGINING ICONIC GARMENTS AND ACCESSORIES RANGING FROM THE TABI SHOES TO DECONSTRUCTED TAILORING. THIS SUMMER, LONDON FASHION-HUB SOMERSET HOUSE IS DEDICATING AN EXHIBITION TO THE WORK OF MARTIN MARGIELA. THE ANTWERP-EDUCATED DESIGNER GREW UNDER THE WING OF JEAN-PAUL GAULTIER BEFORE CREATING HIS FIRST LABEL IN 1988, MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA. BELOVED OF FASHION DESIGNERS AND CUSTOMERS ALIKE FOR THE OTHERNESS OF HIS DESIGNS, HE MADE HEADLINES LAST DECEMBER WHEN HIS LABEL, NOW OWNED BY DIESEL, CONFIRMED HE HAD LEFT THE COMPANY.

The exhibition, curated for the 20^th anniversary of the Margiela brand, has previously been shown in Antwerp and Munich. “It takes a chronological approach but it really unpicks the themes and concepts of what the Maison is all about”, says Somerset House curator Claire Catterall.

The Embankment gallery was cleansed with a monochromatic palette and clinical white walls, creating an asylum-like backdrop to the row of power-dressing tailored jackets displayed. Architectural-scale models of previous exhibitions show the visitor how the London curators adapted the artifacts to fit the unique spatial characteristics of the Gallery space.

An assortment of catwalk invitations made from plates, chocolate, wishbones, CD’s and cutout numbers and letters scattered in a display case greets the visitor. The minute you step into the silver-spotted and glitter-covered room, you feel that the clothes are as much about the visual language as they are about the garments themselves.

On the ground floor, the multilayered-exhibition parades Margiela’s spring/summer 2009 20^th Birthday Show on a large screen. The pounding music generates the sense of power that these iconic clothes portray. Walking up a spiral staircase to the Mezzanine Gallery, you start recognising shapes of clothes that you wear everyday. The Maison uses every fabric and medium available  to make its creations exciting and visually splendid. Some of the clothes, such as the disco-ball top from the spring/summer 2008 Artisanal Collection, are unwearable and fantastical. However, if you look closely, you can see how they have translated down into the high street. Margiela’s habit of covering garments with paints, for instance, has filtered down to mainstream chains such as Zara and River Island.

The “Incognito” section of the exhibition pays homage to Margiela’s emphatic decision to withdraw from public view. Legend has it that no one knows what he looks like. In extracts of his collections played on old Orion TV sets, the models are made anonymous by having their faces covered by what Sarah Mower described as “stocking scarves and cascades of hair », as if to protect their identity. They are pushed along the catwalk like dummies in a shop window.

Displayed on the Mezzanine Gallery, the spring/summer 1996 “Trompe L’oeil” collection almost makes you feel like you were looking at pictures of clothes, rather than the garment itself. Each item of clothing is printed with the picture of a different garment in black and white, sepia or brown. According to the exhibition catalogue, a cardigan is printed “with photographic print of a safari jacket”, a v-neck dress “with sequined retro evening dress”. A camera in the corner of the room flickers through retro images and flowers and projects them on a dress sculpted from a duvet.

Elsewhere, a bustier dress is the focal point of the dark “XXXL” a side room. It is oversized and would not look out of place on Alice in Wonderland when she nibbles “the eat me” treat and shrinks to the floor.

Elsewhere again, a visual installation shows Maison clients trying on their Margiela clothes. The sofas around the centre of the room provide a comfortable place to spend an hour or two looking at the visual displays that circle the edges of the walls.

This exhibition really makes Margiela’s fashion come to life. This is by far one of the best fashion shows London has hosted so far. It is more than a bunch of clothes on hangers. All the garments are brought to life by all the little added details. You could spend hours going over each piece over and over again, you would still find things that you had missed the first time around. The whole experience is mystifying and gives you a real understanding of how this fashion house creates such wonderful clothing.

Maison Martin Margiela ‘20’ The Exhibition

At Somerset House
Strand
London
WC2R 1LA

Daily 10.00-18.00, until 20.00 Thursdays
Embankment Galleries, South Wing
£6, conc £5, under 12s free

Words Jennifer Butler

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LONDON COLLEGE OF FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY STUDENTS ARE EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITIES OF FASHION IMAGERY WITH THEIR 2010 CAPSULE #2 GRADUATE SHOW, CURRENTLY ON PUBLIC DISPLAY AT THE RICHARD YOUNG GALLERY.

Edward Barber, course director of London College of Fashion’s BA Hons Fashion Photography wrote in the preface to Capsule #2 that the exhibition “is a collaboration between London College of Fashion and the Richard Young Gallery that aims to promote the talents of these emerging photographers”.

The 51 graduates from the course are showing their work at the Gallery all summer. Shiva Hajiebrahimaraghi’s work ‘Shedding the Skin’, which won the award for the graduate who displays the most creative potential, was placed at the entrance of the exhibition.  Hajiebrahimaraghi’s final project was shot in Iran in Tehran, Taleghan and the village of Abyaneh, questioning whether “fashion is about conformity or about self-expression”, whether there is “any point in being
fashionable if fashion does not reflect core aesthetic and cultural values”. More poignantly, “what can fashion signify, and what can it not?” According to her biography, “The style of women’s dress was a crucial element in Shiva’s final project. The imposition of a dress code on women in Tehran has meant that many of the trends in fashion over the last 40 years cannot be used. Instead, many fashions seem to reflect styles worn by western women in the 1950s, such as the headscarf.”

Images ranged from black and white to colour to Matjaz Tancic’s 3D project, shot in 7 different locations in Slovenia and the UK. “Everything is going 3D now. Cinema, TV, laptops, photo cameras. Football championship is filmed in 3D, as is Burberry fashion shows” said Tancic, who is currently preparing for the biggest 3D fashion exhibition in the world.

“I was always looking for different interesting locations, techniques that have challenged myself and my creativity. I have already done a coupe of underwater shoots, a shoot in a working coalmine 500m below ground, painting with light and now 3D photography,” he added. “I started doing research, testing, research, testing until I got the 3D result I was happy with.”

Overall, the class of 2010 showcased a range of images that reinforces the relationship between fashion and photography, reminding us that the concept of the image is very much at the core of the artistic and commercial sides of fashion.

Capsule #2 will be on show at Richard Young Gallery until 13th August.

Words Phyllis Lui

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THE CATWALK HAS SEEN A VARIETY OF STYLES AND MATERIALS OVER TIME. ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ONES, SUPPORTED BY SOME DESIGNERS AND ARTISTS IN THE FASHION WORLD, IS PAPER. UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS NOT THE MOST PRACTICAL OF MATERIALS FOR OFF-CATWALK WEAR. NEVERTHELESS, DESIGNERS ARE EMBRACING PAPER ACCESSORIES AND GARMENTS. INNOVATIVE AND STRIKING, PAPER-FASHION IS INSPIRED BY THE MODERN-DAY DESIRE FOR AN ECOLOGICAL AND ORGANIC LIFESTYLE. THE PAPER-CUT-PROJECT IS A KEY EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN BE CRAFTED FROM THE HUMBLE MATERIAL. AGENT2’S LAURA MCNALLY CAUGHT UP WITH CO-FOUNDER AMY FLURRY TO UNDERSTAND HOW INTRICATE PAPER-FASHION IS MADE.

The Paper-Cut-Project is the brainchild of Nikki Salk, who holds a keen interest in interior design and fashion, and Amy Flurry, a writer and a stylist. According to the creative couple, their works of art “are fuelled by a love of passion and an appreciation of the grace and nuance of this humble material”. Acknowledged by Marie Claire and Glamour magazine, their impressive paper masks and wigs are beginning to gain worldwide recognition. The pieces can be seen on display in Jeffrey stores in Atlanta (their hometown) and New York.

What inspired the Paper-Cut-Project?

We introduced these delicate paper cuts as an antidote to mass production, a sort of allegiance to hands-on design at the intersection of art and fashion.
Nikki has long nurtured affection for paper through her own art and I am a veteran fashion editor and stylist. We initially dreamed up these three-dimensional sculptures as styling concepts for fashion shoots, window displays and runway productions.

What have the highlights of the project been so far?

One has been a sharing of ideas and inspirations that then evolve over time to become uniquely Paper-Cut Project. We have both worked independently for some time and still do.

How long does it usually take to create one piece?

It can take anywhere from one day to one week, depending on the creation.

What’s usually involved in the designing and production of your work?

The first thing that happens is the gathering of images. Some are purely for inspiration and others are for true details, so as to be able to capture authenticity in as many aspects of each piece as is possible. From there, sketches – sometimes – and then digging in and feeling each moment. Most of it happens as the building process plays out. Adding, cutting, adding, gluing. Eventually a finished piece emerges and a few moments of completion shock ensue!

How important do you consider the exploration of different materials in fashion and art?

Part of fashion is exploration, whether it be in fabric, color, design, or whatever. Any exploration in fashion is what makes it “fashion” and current and fresh and new and exciting. If no one had explored, wouldn’t we still be wearing boned corsets. Thank god for material exploration!

Would you consider following in the footsteps of Violise Lunn and Jum Nakao and begin working on paper garments?

Being that fashion is part of our existence, if an opportunity arose to create a full garment from paper, I am not sure that we could resist.

Who are your favourite “artists” in the fashion world right now?

Camille Miceli, Prabal Gurung, Olivier Theyskens, Solange Azagury-Partridge and Nicolas Ghesquiere

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

Generally new concepts take shape while we’re working on current pieces. Stay tuned!

Words Laura McNally

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BLACK IS THE COLOUR OF CHOICE HERE AT AGENT2, SO WHEN WE CAUGHT WIND OF THE NEW EXHIBITION BLACK: MASTERS OF BLACK IN FASHION AND COSTUME WE JUST HAD TO TAKE A LOOK.  WHAT BETTER LOCATION COULD THERE BE FOR SUCH AN EXHIBITION THAN THE FASHION INDUSTRY’S UNOFFICIAL HOME OF EVERYTHING DARK AND MINIMAL, ANTWERP.

As fashion capitals go, much of the city’s influential status is owed to the Antwerp Six—graduates from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in the early ’80s—whose members include Dries Van Noten, Walter Van Beirendonck, Ann Demeulemeester, Dirk Bikkembergs and briefly, Martin Margiela whose work is also receiving homage at a new London retrospective this summer.

The city, famed for dyeing fabric black throughout the 16th and 17th centuries has become intrinsically linked with the colour. Antwerp’s Mode Museum now plays host to the exhibition exploring the significance of fashion’s favorite colour throughout history and the different messages it has conveyed.

The exhibition also explores the textures and the potential of the colour black in diverse materials, including fur, leather and lace; drawing masterpiece examples from contemporary designers who, like the city of Antwerp, have a special connection to black.

Mode Museum’s Black exhibition features garments from the likes of Ann Demeulemeester, Olivier Theyskens and Dirk Van Saene, as well as the international couture houses of Givenchy (Riccardo Tisci), Chanel and rapidly rising star Gareth Pugh.

The exhibition runs until August 8.

Words Graham Gartside-Bernier

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PLANNING A BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND IS NEVER EASY TO DO BUT WITH THE RETURN OF THE QUEER UP NORTH FESTIVAL THIS MAY, YOUR CHOICE COULDN’T BE EASIER. AS MANCHESTER’S STREETS FILL WITH THEATRE, CABARET AND BURLESQUE PERFORMERS, THERE IS MOST DEFINITELY GOING TO BE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY.

Manchester’s annual international queer festival has become a thing of legends. Opening for the first time in 1992, this year marks the long-running event’s 18^th birthday. So you can just imagine the festivities and flamboyant fanfare planned for this year’s coming of age carnival. Stretching its audience beyond the Northwest’s gay community, Queer Up North (QUN) is the UK and Europe’s leading queer festival and hosts events that appeal to everybody.

Showcasing quality cultural events over two weeks, culminating on the last May Bank Holiday weekend, the QUN provides much welcomed theatre, dance, musical and comedy and debating performances to the people of Manchester.

The first of its kind in Europe, this Northern city has paved the way for queer festivals, producing a diverse collection of live performances, arts and ideas from around the world. Over 100 artists and performers from 12 different countries, including South Africa, the USA, France and Canada, take to stages around the city, showcasing their quirky and queer talents in a cultural exhibition that’s out of this world.

QUN’s Artistic Director, Jonathan Best says of the festival, “There’s a diverse line up, so whether you’re up for cutting edge European theatre, the finest drag theatre on the planet, or a night of ragingly glamorous cabaret, QUN has something you’ll enjoy.”

One of the biggest highlights of the festival is always the La Gayola Spiegeltent, a 1940s retro mobile dance hall that hosts cabaret, comedy and burlesque performances that ooze post-war time glamour. The classic wooden tent, open from Wednesday 26 May to Monday 31 May, promises to be one of the most important events of the festival. Its impressive line-up opens with Empress Stah, an award-winning cabaret artist and closes with ‘performer, presenter and all-round chubby glamour puss Amy Lamé’.

Queer Up North’s ‘Big Birthday Bash’ takes places on 23 May to celebrate this year’s important milestone. Reminiscent of many a Northern 18^th birthday do, the event will take place in social club ‘The Razzle’ serving sausage rolls. However, unlike the coming of age party you and I will remember, this one will be hosted by comedian Chris Green, joined by Stockport housewife Mrs Barbara Nice on the Tombola, performing strip artist, Ursula Martinez and many more, to be confirmed. Tickets cost £10 and should be booked in advance to avoid disappointment.

At the end of this two-week bonanza, disappointment is going to be the last thing you feel. Bid a sad farewell to this ‘boundary-pushing, risk-taking, heart-breaking, pulse-racing’ festival but rest assured that it will return all over again next year. No doubt bigger, better and bolder than ever before.

The Queer Up North festival runs from the 12 to the 31 May 2010.

For more information and to book tickets visit www.queerupnorth.com.

Words Natasha Al-Atassi

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A SEVENTY-FIVE STRONG TROUPE OF MYSTIFYING ARTISTS HAILING FROM MANY REGIONS OF THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT COME TO FRANKFURT AM MAIN UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF HIS HONOURABLE GAJ SINGH II, MAHARAJA OF JODHPUR, TO ENTERTAIN AND INSPIRE US WITH THE SPECTACULAR WORLD PREMIERE OF THE SHOW ‘INDIA’.

With help of superbly innovative stage technology, Prime Time Entertainment AG transforms municipal space in the centres of European cities into a magical tent village. The huge marquee, in the perfect illusion of a palace landscape, is where the bewitching Indian culture presents itself in a whole manner of new and exciting ways.

Upon entering this fabulous marquee world, it is easy to conjure up the great Maharajas of times gone by as ornate pile carpets, colourful Divans and furniture made of precious woods line the walls, floors and ceilings. You may take in different aspects of life at court by visiting themed rooms such as Sky Garden, Bengal Door, Banyan Lodge Himalayan Court, White Elephant, Emerald Room and also a lively bazaar before the big spectacle in the high Chapiteau begins.

The scene is set by a silently meditating Fakir sitting frozen on a bed of nails and the frenzied whirling dance of a glamorous eunuch. The lights dim, the drums begin to beat and out rush dozens of scantily clad, body-beautiful dancers all undulating to the sounds of Keith Levenson’s groundbreaking fusion of Indian and Western music.

The shows takes you on an awe-inspiring journey to the land of mystery and wonder through performances by fire jugglers, magicians, fakirs, contortionist and musicians; from the ape-men of Jogi who can shin up three meter vertical poles and hold spectacular gravity defying shapes to the mesmerising shadow puppeteer who creates a wonderful catalogue of animals with his bare hands.

The show has been designed by the world renowned Pascal Jacob, an expert in circus arts and Brian Burke who staged the legendary Las Vegas shoe ‘Le Reve’. The encounter with Indian myths and rituals, with dances and acrobatics is truly a work of art firmly embedded in the music, which combines traditional character with a modern soundtrack. This fascinating panorama of a world culture, which is marked by an aesthetical brilliance and erotic charm as well as by philosophical depth, is not to be missed.

“India” is at St Pauli Heiligengeistfeld, Hamburg until 3rd March 2010 then touring Germany and Austria throughout 2010-11

pte-ag.com

Words by Almaz Ohene

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AS WE ARRIVE AT THE SECOND DECADE OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM, AGENT2 ASKS WHETHER WE ARE STILL A NATION OF ROMANTICS, OR IF ROMANCE REALLY DID GO OUT WITH THE RECORD PLAYER.

There was once a time where the term ‘in a relationship’ meant more than just a Facebook status. Love letters were as eagerly anticipated as the text messages of today, and Valentine’s Day was not just about the number of cuddly toys to pass through Clintons’ front door in the run-up to February 14. But today, it seems as though romance might just be exclusive to the chocolate industry and cinema’s rom-coms.

The likes of Jennifer Aniston and Cameron Diaz continue to repeatedly meet their soulmates in the most charmingly imperfect of circumstances on the silver screen – but in real life, even these honey-haired, perfect-pinned goddesses remain happily single. What hope is there for the rest of us if even the Anistons and Diazes of the world are existing on a romance-free diet? Today we are living in a time of technological revolution yet sentimentally, it seems that if romance isn’t dead, then it certainly lies in an intensive care unit somewhere, currently unresponsive to treatment.

Don’t get me wrong, the concept of romance is still alive and if not kicking, still twitching. It’s just that the concept of modern-day romance is all wrong. The Oxford English dictionary offers up, ‘A pleasurable feeling of excitement and wonder associated with love’ as its number one definition for the term. At no point in that definition does it say that romance should mean flowers, massive cards and stuffed toys. But each year, the commercialisation of Valentine’s Day and, ultimately, of love has led us to believe that the concept is really about nothing more than the giving or receiving of this miserable trio of Hallmark-crafted goods. OK, maybe Hallmark don’t make flowers but surely at this rate it’s only a matter of time before they do.

Anyhow I digress. This was not intended to be a rant at the money-making aspect of one day in the year; rather an argument that maybe in these modern times, the main ingredient missing in the love potion is actually a little bit of creativity and… feeling? Romance at its best is spontaneous, fun and reciprocal. Ladies, you can hardly be complaining that your man doesn’t spoil you any more when he is the one having to spend all the moolah and put in all the effort to make you happy.

A while ago, while standing in the queue of a popular lingerie shop, I was eavesdropping on the conversation of two fellow shoppers (as you do). Clearly, the best friend of some misguided girl was instructing said girl’s boyfriend into exactly how he should be treating her, starting with which presents to buy her. “Last Christmas, my boyfriend only spent £700 on me,” she bleated. “I nearly dumped him.” The poor sod went green.

First of all, if true, let me be the first to tell this man to grow a pair: £700 in the midst of a global recession? Either he’s a famous footballer or he thinks that not spending all his money each time an annual celebration rolls round is akin to telling his beloved that he just doesn’t love her any more. And I’m pretty sure that the girl queuing behind me was not Coleen Rooney.

Clearly this young lady was not of the belief that it’s the thought that counts. For our male readers, let me assure you that this girl is in the minority. I truly believe that most of us would rather spend a special day with the boyfriend, doing something away from the regular constraints of courtship, than rummaging through his pockets to find the receipts of his tokens of love.

Moving away from the material, something that has been lost along the years is the old-fashioned ways of expressing blossoming relationships – yet the sentiments remain the same. Royal Mail is no longer inundated with love letters between sweethearts, but a simple Facebook message tends to cause just the same reaction.

A first date might now be a quickie (drink!) down the local as opposed to a candle-lit dinner and dance, but you can bet your bottom dollar that at least one half of the potential couple will have spent just as long getting ready for the hot date as their ancestors did. And while gentlemanly customs such as holding doors open for and kissing the hands of their ladies might now be scoffed at, it’s unlikely that you will find many women who don’t want their boyfriend to get down on one knee when they eventually propose.

The world is getting older, its human inhabitants are still evolving and social concepts like romance are always going to be changing. As cave people, it was probably once considered quite romantic to hold a lump of ice to the head of the woman you’d just clubbed. Perhaps one day we’ll sit in our deckchairs with our trousers rolled up to our knees watching the sea levels rise, reminiscing about the good old days of the social networking site where romance was just a click away. Just remember that no matter what the shop display window might be telling you, you really don’t need a big pink teddy bear and a 5-feet-by-3-feet card proclaiming its love to you, to know that someone cares about you. Really, you don’t.

Words Sian Ranscombe

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TAKING INSPIRATION FROM SOURCES IN POP CULTURE, TIM BURTON HAS REINVENTED HOLLYWOOD GENRE FILMMAKING AS A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE, INFLUENCING A GENERATION OF YOUNG ARTISTS WORKING IN FILM, VIDEO AND GRAPHICS.

America’s premier modern art gallery, New York’s Museum of Modern Art, is hosting an exhibition of 700 drawings, paintings and sculptures and other paraphernalia – with pieces dating back to early childhood drawings- all by Burton. Following the current of his visual imagination right through to his latest work, the exhibition presents artwork generated during the conception and production of his films, his earliest non-professional films and student art.

In addition Burton’s entire cinematic oeuvre of 14 feature films will screen over the course of the five-month exhibition in the Museum’s Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters: Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985), Beetlejuice (1988), Batman (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Batman Returns (1992), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Ed Wood (1994), Mars Attacks! (1996), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Planet of the Apes (2001), Big Fish (2003), Corpse Bride (2005), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), and Sweeney Todd (2007). His early short films Vincent (1982) and Frankenweenie (1984) will also be screened.

The exhibition will be at MoMA, New York from November 22, 2009 – April 26, 2010.

Burton is an acclaimed filmmaker, attending the California Institute of the Art. He was quickly drafted in to join the Disney animation ranks. But Burton was not suited to animation; they made him a conceptual artist. His concept drawings didn’t go down well as they were far too dark and twisted for the standard Disney fare. However, he soon set tow rok on his own projects. His early films were all mildly successful, but it was 1989’s Batman that made industry insiders sit up and take note.

Edward Scissorhands (1990) was the first time Burton had full creative control over a feature film; having written the story and also produced the movie. The film was a hit with filmgoers and critics alike, and, significantly, marked the beginning of Burton being taken seriously as an artist. His darkly surreal vision had returned audiences back to their own childhood vulnerability and in the process, created a modern fairy tale.

He has continued this tradition with stop-motion films The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and Corpse Bride (2005), none of which did anything to dispel the image of Burton as a slightly macabre figure. Having once said, “I’ve always been misrepresented. You know, I could dress in a clown costume and laugh with the happy people but they’d still say I’m a dark personality,” he is further than ever from shaking off his ghoulish image, if the title sequence of 2007’s winter blockbuster, Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, is anything to go by.

Burton has also dabbled in poetry. His first ever film, Vincent, was in fact was based on a poem Burton had written himself. The short film tells the sad tale of Vincent Malloy, a suburban child who wants to be just like his idol, Vincent Price. Burton’s illustrated collection of poetry The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and Other Stories (1997), gave birth to a wide variety of loveably macabre characters, such as ‘Oyster Boy’, a baby born as an oyster because his parents ate one too many of the salty dish and ‘Stain Boy’ whose superpower is to leave behind a filthy stain.

These intriguing characters are sure to be an indication of what to expect from Burton’s artworks, with curators already hailing him ‘the next Warhol.’ Deserved praise? We think so.

Words Almaz Ohene

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IT IS THE DAY BEFORE RAIF ADELBERG’S ANTICIPATED PHOTO SHOOT FOR THE AW09 LOOK BOOK FOR RAIF, THE CLOTHING LINE; MODELS ARE FLYING AROUND GETTING FITTED, MAKE-UP ARTISTS ARE LISTENING TO RAIF’S CONCEPT FOR HIS CLOWN INSPIRED SERIES AND HE IS LAUGHING WITH POTENTIAL COLLABORATORS, PASSING OUT CANS OF PABST BLUE RIBBON AND EXPLAINING HIS ART DIRECTION. THERE ARE NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF STRESS ON THIS HIS FACE. AND WHY SHOULD THERE BE? RAIF ADELBERG IS AN INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED FASHION DESIGNER BORN TO A FASHION MANUFACTURER AND AN ART COLLECTOR. THIS LIFESTYLE, FULL OF COLOUR, CREATIVITY AND THE LAST-MINUTE RUSH, IS ALL HE KNOWS.

Image - Fiona Garden

Responsible for fashion lines RICHARD KIDD, Naked, RAIF, and Dead Boys Club House, his new body of work follows the pressure and anticipation you’d expect from a highly-acclaimed designer. Yet as he prepares to open ++ALL I HAVE ARE MY DREAMS++, his first photographic exhibition in London, Raif remains as calm and collected as someone you know this lifestyle comes naturally to.

Adelberg lives and breathes creativity. He claims that what he does is not work; it’s just what he does. And for this Canadian born trick-of-all-trades, the Railtown Studio in Vancouver, is where he does. Masterminding with clothes, words, paintings and photos, he is revolutionising the fashion industry. His production refines, fixes, recalls and erases bits of art and fashion history into something the artist /designer decides is a more truthful, personalised representation of popular culture.

Through art, design and photography he transforms a military jacket into a jilted lover’s revenge story called, ”REVENGE FUCK.” He illustrates an agency model with a clown face, draped in an American flag and crying black tears associated with prison time, and in “SEARCH & Destroy in DCBH,” he depicts Adolph Hitler laughing with a clown.

Every action, thought, word and image stems from his analysis on identity. He wants to characterise, through clothes, photos and paintings, what influences our identity and how we live within our own limitations; for each man, father, Jew, German, American, artist, and indeed, clothing designer. His work is giving the audience a depiction of humans and letting them interpret it as they will.

The canvas of tattoos that transform Adelberg’s body into a conceptual entity tells a story of his life and loves. Raif has used his own skin as canvas for his unbridled creativity; exhibiting his philosophy of life through illustration. Tattoos, like the high collars, ruffles and high-waist jodhpurs of Quentin Crisp and Oscar Wild, are a sign of self-worship; a defence against suffering and a celebration of life.

If all of this analysis is too heavy, the considerate artist adds levity to the depth of his emotion by fusing all the images together with pop music references, the greatest social equaliser.  Examples include, “Baby I’m Amazed” by Paul McCartney, and, “In Dreams” by Roy Orbison, acting as inspiration for his photographic collection, ++ALL I HAVE ARE MY DREAMS++.

The amount of work produced at the studio from day to day is mind boggling. He allows for no separation between the artist, the designer, the clothes, the artwork; everything, including conversation, is approached with a curiosity and collaboration that characterises Raif’s creative process, saying himself: “Intensity is my normal resting place.”

The need to communicate and to make sense of life spills out of everything about Raif Adelberg. You get the feeling when you are in his studio that he is still looking for the perfect medium, one that

will satisfy his need to uncover life the way it is supposed to be lived.

An interview with Raif is next to impossible; the direct approach will take you in a circle of riddles. For any satisfaction or closure, you must answer the questions yourself, using his designs as inspiration for questioning, theorising and concluding.

He is asking you to be responsible for your own feelings, thoughts and ideas about what you see around you.  And of course, to use his tools to make up your mind for yourself. He’s just making pictures, designing clothes and talking to people.

Words Maeve Doyle Editor Natasha Al-Atassi  Images Raif Adelberg

DOYLE DEVERE presents:

+ALL I HAVE ARE MY DREAMS++ original photographs by Raif Adelberg
30 Ledbury Road, London, W11 2AB

Tel: 07889 182757

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The fashion industry has long been the subject of much fascination. The recent spate of films charting the rise of designers and the day-to-day workings of fashion publications are set to be huge this summer, revealing what happens behind the scenes at some of the biggest names in fashion.

Fashion is considered to be one of the most glamorous industries there is and often forms the basis of TV shows and films. The Devil Wears Prada was centred around an assistant at a fashion magazine, The Hills’ Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port filmed many scenes as interns at Teen Vogue and fashion PR company People’s Revolution, Ugly Betty is set at the fictitious Mode magazine offices, Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw famously wrote for Vogue and Sacha Baron Cohen’s comic creation Brüno is a fashion designer. That’s without mentioning the numerous books dedicated to the subject matter. Filmmakers have cottoned on to the demand for all things fashion and the next few months are set to see several releases of related films.

Coco avant Chanel (Coco Before Chanel) is the French-language biographic tale of the world’s most famous designer, Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel, played by Audrey Tautou and directed by Anne Fontaine. The film, believed to be loosely based on Edmonde Charles-Roux’s book L’Irrégulière, follows the life of the two Chanel sisters as they work their way up the social ladder from young children dumped at an orphanage to Coco’s first forays into the fashion industry, working as a seamstress by day and a burlesque singer by night, and her ascent to the Paris A-list. There’s also a love interest intertwined in the tale, but as could only be expected from a film about legendary fashion designer, the outfits take centre stage.

The task of putting together Coco’s outfits fell to wardrobe designer Catherine Leterrier, who recreated many of Coco’s early looks as an impoverished young woman. Luckily, Chanel’s creative director Karl Lagerfeld cast a critical eye over Leterrier’s designs and approved her wardrobe choices for Coco, as well as allowing access to the label’s archive so that she could use authentic vintage pieces to complement a scene. This has culminated in a film worth seeing not only for its classic depiction of a rags-to-riches fairytale, but also for the fashion.

Coco Chanel is not the only designer to be hitting the big screen. Barbara Hulanicki is another fashion stalwart whose life is under the microscope in Beyond Biba: A Portrait of Barbara Hulanicki. The film focuses on the turbulent life of the owner of Biba, the fashion label synonymous with the Sixties which closed in 1975 after running into financial difficulties. Though the label relaunched in 2006, it was headed by designer Bella Freud instead of Hulanicki, who has quietly been working on various design projects in recent years, including a successful capsule collection for high street retailer Topshop. The documentary features the notoriously camera-shy Hulanicki herself, speaking candidly about her life. And she’s not the only one. Valentino: The Last Emperor is yet another documentary promising to reveal all about a designer. This time it’s the turn of Italy’s greatest couturier Valentino Garavani, a man so legendary he is known only by his forename.

So why are designers such as Hulanicki, who are usually keen to keep a low profile, deciding to allow the public and media such personal insights into their lives? Karl Lagerfeld recently appeared as himself in the documentary Lagerfeld Confidential, permitting French director Rodolphe Marconi to film him over a two year period for the purposes of the film. No areas were off limits; at Lagerfeld’s home, shopping in New York, photoshoots, his summer house in Biarritz. He spoke openly about controversial topics such as his homosexuality and allowed glimpses into both his world and that of Chanel. Normally, designers prefer to keep the media at arm’s length unless they have a collection to promote, especially those of Lagerfeld’s stature and charisma. So why did he choose to break with tradition and allow a film to be made about his world?

For anyone interested in fashion, the chance to discover what lies beneath Lagerfeld’s trademark sunglasses is an unmissable opportunity. But designers can be shrewd, and a documentary only lets the viewer in as far as the designer will allow. For a secretive personality such as Lagerfeld, who rarely gives anything away, even the most meagre titbits of information will be hungrily devoured by the media and dedicated fashion followers. And a film pending release is sure to drum up publicity for the designer and associated labels. Fashion is a secretive yet highly profitable industry, and documentaries are guaranteed cash-cows. Not that viewers will mind of course, as long as they get to see what happens behind closed doors at a prestigious fashion house and a generous helping of gorgeous clothes on the side.

Sound cynical? Take the forthcoming documentary The September Issue, the film based on the goings-on at US Vogue as the team prepare the September edition of the magazine. The focal character is of course the fearsome editor Anna Wintour, dubbed Nuclear Wintour due to her icy demeanour and silent chastisement of subordinates. Widely believed to be the inspiration behind Miranda Priestley, the fictitious editor of Runway magazine in The Devil Wears Prada, Wintour is credited with making or breaking the career of many a fledgling fashion designer. While you could be forgiven for thinking that the film would consist of 90 minutes of staff incurring her wrath, early reports have suggested that Wintour actually comes across as immensely likeable. But maybe that’s the plan. Wintour is a woman whose reputation precedes her, and when that reputation is as an ice queen, it’s understandable that she would want to change public perceptions.

This is not the first time Anna Wintour has allowed cameras to witness the inner workings of Vogue. CBS’ 60 Minutes with Anna Wintour already showed a more human side to her and sought to dispel the myths of working at the world’s biggest fashion bible. Whether The September Issue will endear viewers to her even further remains to be seen, but with a supporting cast including the Welsh ex-model-turned-Vogue creative director Grace Coddington, who has worked with Wintour for 20 years, and flamboyant editor-in-chief André Leon Talley, who also made a memorable guest appearance on The Hills, there should also be some amusing moments too.

It’s unusual to see so many fashion films released in such a short space of time, especially in cinemas, so fashion fans are in for a treat. It can’t be ignored that they will be a chance to see some extraordinary clothes- and characters.

Coco Before Chanel is released in cinemas on 31^st July

Lagerfeld Confidential is available to buy on DVD now

Valentino: The Last Emperor is released on DVD on 8^th September

The September Issue is released in cinemas 11^th September

Check out our great DVD giveaway for the upcoming release of  The September Issue here.

Words Kay Weston

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I have a confession to make, I am a Heathen. I have ,for a long time, been some what sceptical of contemporary art and its derivatives. Questioning its nature as art and its deceptive meanings. However I recently went to Oldham Gallery to see the work of John Squire and found the gallery wasn’t talking but buzzing about what they saw before them.

Many will know Squire for his musical achievements with the Stone Roses, but all the way through his musical career he continued to paint. Constantly continuing his love for his secret passion, it wasn’t until 2004 that he stepped out of the shadow of the the ‘Roses and into the fire of solo artistry and exhibitions.

But after going to the Squire exhibition at Oldham Gallery I find myself somewhat drawn  to the complexities of this deep form. What people often forget (including myself) is that contemporary art is experimental. A way of casting a side the old shackles of past art and creating something thought provoking and not self serving. In this exhibition Squire has used the form of boxes to possibly  portray use (or misuse) of consumer packaging.

As Squires art provides very little background story for the pieces that you see, it means that the viewer must delve into the meaning of the piece and explore their own views of what they visualise. Some say that  his work is about the use of consumer packaging, but I think it may be more than just that. Parts of his exhibition imply that perhaps we as a consumer society must change how we live our lives. And that is the beauty of this exhibition it provides open interpretations.

For some of the pieces squire had to learn to weld which left him in hospital twice and with numerous scars and burns. And through out the exhibit the more you look the more you realise the work and time that has gone in to this. Thousands of intricate patterns on canvas and large 8ft high rusted steel boxes show the thought and effort of a man who is constantly trying to find the other side of his art, challenging himself to engage the viewer. When you know the artist has to go to such lengths for his art it pushes the viewer to give that respect back to him by taking the time and the effort to think deeply and objectively about the art.

After being to the exhibition I am forced to bow my head and admit my ignorance in these matters. Experimental art is neither controversial or dangerous. It is the view of art from the other side of the mirror. At first glance its always hard to judge the merits of anything let alone art. If you give it the time it deserves then perhaps you will understand that it can be thought provoking and even beautiful. Squires art is both at times, and I would encourage anybody to take the time to go to the Oldham Gallery and watch in quiet reflection.

So John I’m glad your not going back to the Stone Roses, keep us entertained by keeping us thinking.

The exhibition runs until September 5th at Gallery Oldham
Oldham Cultural Quarter
Greaves Street
Oldham, OL1 1AL
Tel: 0161 770 4653

johnsquire.com

Words Kehlan Kirwan

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Most artists are famed for their eccentricity, and Yayoi Kusama is no exception. She has created over 50,000 works during her fifty-year career as an artist, all centred around polka dots.

From 23rd June until 6th September, Kasuma’s artwork will be on show as part of a collaborative art project at the Hayward Gallery in London, featuring the works of nine other international artists, including Thomas Hirschhorn, Bo Chrisitian Larsson and Jason Rhoades. Trees on London’s Southbank will be adorned with Kusama’s beloved polka dots for the ‘Walking In My Mind’ installation exhibition.

In celebration, a limited edition collection of polka-dotted urban gnomes- a quirky take on the garden gnome- have been produced by Vitamin Living for the Hayward Gallery, and will be on show throughout the duration of the exhibition. This will take place in the indoor spaces of the gallery and on the outdoor sculpture terraces, which will be turned into a series of gigantic sculptural environments to represent an artist’s individual mindscape.

The inspiration behind the polka dots comes from unique visions which Kusama began seeing at the age of ten. She has described seeing dots, nets and violet flowers, or ‘infinity nets’ which covered everything she saw. These vivid images, which Kusama has termed her “repetitive vision”, saw her referred to a psychiatrist. It was he who encouraged her to translate her hallucinations into artwork. And that was precisely what she did, initially in the form of paintings as a student at the Kyoto Municipal School of Arts and Crafts and then later as installations, turning her into an acclaimed artist in both her home country of Japan and in the US.

Kusama has since turned her attention to many projects, including film, fashion design, writing and poetry, following a long spell living in the US after she struck up correspondence with the American artist Georgia O’ Keeffe. Though she wasn’t financially successful there, her work began to get noticed by the art crowd and collectors after her provocative works appeared in galleries. Her work has been labelled as avant-garde, pop art, Art Brut and surrealist. Her works are all of these and much more. In November 2008 a painting of Kusama’s was sold at the record-breaking price of $5, 100,000; a record for a living female artist, and in 2006 became the first Japanese woman to win the Praemium Imperiale, a Japanese award that recognises the talents of international artists.

Since 1973 Kusama has been living voluntarily at a psychiatric hospital Tokyo. She is still plagued by the visions that inspire her work, as well as the suicidal thoughts stemming from her childhood which have accompanied her through to adult life. Her studio is just a short distance away from the hospital, and Kusama has long claimed that had it not been for her art, she would have killed herself years ago. Yet at the age of 80, outlandishly dressed and with a striking collection of brightly coloured wigs, she shows no sign of giving up just yet, refusing to even consider retirement.

“Walking In My Mind” is an apt name for the exhibition in London. Because for Yayoi Kusama, that is precisely what her art is. And it is a fascinating place to be.

Exhibition lasts until September 6th.  Click here to purchase advance tickets.

Words Kay Weston  Images Vitamin Living/Hayward Gallery

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It’s the height of festival season again, and this years Latitude Festival is gearing up to be quite the weekend. From Thom Yorke to the Phenomenal Hand Clap Band ( yes you read that right), it seems this years festival is pushing the meaning of the word diversity.

Before Henham Park in Suffolk ever hosted a Festival it had on average 150 visitors a year. So when the Latitude Festival launched in 2006 this sleepy part of the world had 50,000 people thrust into its midst. This festival is a must for any festival lovers, a true testament to musical and artistic unorthodoxy. A festival in the truest sense of the word.

In total there will be 15 stages running all weekend, which facilitate music,comedy, poetry,films and there is even a children’s arena in case you want to bring the saplings out to the Henham woods. Within in this artistic circus there is of course the acts. And this year its hard to see who exactly is the headline act to see. Thom Yorke from Radiohead will be an obvious crowd puller, while he brings his new solo projects to the masses. While Nick Cave,The Doves, Pet Shop Boys and Grace Jones are but a few of the others making appearances. Along with them comes the rubber stamp of festival kingdom as the BBC have turned up again and created there own stage to be present music and go live on Radio 2, 4 and 6 over the weekend.

Latitude will be, as most festivals are on these isles, compared to the blockbuster of Glastonbury. But latitude has something more, something different to offer people. Poetry, Books, Comedy and Cabaret, all of which have there own separate stages. This gives the festival goer a true arts experience. Such concentration on diversity combined with stages which are intimate and close to the people is an experience that is almost personal. Of course it may never reach the heights of its Somerset sister but it has originality and an artistic depth  which goes beyond the brashness and showmanship of Glastonbury.

The festival doesn’t just give you art and music, it lets you produce your own festival by what you like. Where else could listen to poetry and then watch Ed Byrne doing his comedy set and move on to the Pet Shop Boys. Latitude has a variety of faces that you need to and enjoy. The earl who owns the land had a family motto which was ‘ I live in hope’ to which he added ‘ We fight like Lions and breed like rabbits’, which tells the whole story of how this is a serious festival inviting you to relish its overt jollity and escapades.

Latitude Festival – 17th to 19th July 2009

latitudefestival.co.uk

Words Kehlan Kirwan

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This week sees the launch of the Edinburgh International Film Festival, which runs till the 27th of this month, and as ever it not with out its charms or controversy. Finding its origins as far back as 1947 the Edinburgh International Film Festival with an emphasis on finding new talent and innovations, has grown into a world renown celebration of original cinema. Making the headlines this year are a series of movies which move from the psychological to Sci-fi and the movie industries narcotise, fame and fortune.  

Without a doubt this years most talked about movie at the festival is Antichrist, which features William Defoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg. Already shown at the Cannes Film Festival the movie received great acclaim as well as sheer disgust because of the explicit scenes of sex and self mutilation. The movie follows a couple who, following the death of their son, go to their mountain retreat which they call ‘Eden’. Their mental anguish soon gives way to intense physical violence.  

Director Lars Von Trier said, when asked about the movie: ‘I’ve made this little film, which I’m quite proud of, for me. I don’t think I owe anybody any explanation’. Absurd and undeniably fascinating Antichrist is set to stun audiences all over again. 

In juxtaposition to Antichrist comes a wonderfully funny movie from upwardly mobile director Sam Mendes (American Beauty;Revolutionary Road) called Away We Go. Verona (Maya Rudolph) and Burt (John Krasinski) are parents to be, but have no idea where to bring up the little bambino. So leaving it to fate they go on a road trip to see what they can find- and they find much more. Brilliant comedy moments are provided by the quirky and some what ridiculous people they meet along the way. The result is a brilliant look at the trials and tribulations of would be parents.

A stunning performance by Sam Rockwell in the sci-fi movie Moon ensures that this could be ‘the little movie that could’ for this year. After spending three years alone in space with an eerily loyal computer, voiced by Kevin Spacey, Rockwell’s character- Sam- slowly begins to have fits of paranoia. With no great computer graphics or beady eyed aliens to invade this space movie, Rockwell’s performance must hold up the whole movie on its own. But his performance pulls you into his slowly maddening world which will make you feel just as trapped as he does. 

Finally, Rudi & Cursi, a Mexican movie which examines the relationship between two brothers obsessed by football and fame. Spotted by a talent scout, soon the boys are playing top flight football. But with their new found fame comes the darker side of the bright lights. Gambling, cocaine and friendly parasites combine to slowly destroy the boys dreams, they have so longed for. Wonderfully performed by Gael Bernal and Diego Luna, the performance could also be semi-biographical as the two actors also shot to fame in 2001 with Y tu mama Tambien, making them stars virtually over night. Personal experiences or not, the movie has all the brightness of Latino spirit and all the darkness of its underbelly, providing yet another tick next to the ever growing prowess of South American cinema.  

edfilmfest.org.uk

Words Kehlan Kirwan

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Lorenzo Petrantoni was born Genoa, Italy in 1970.  He graduated from graphic design school in Milan, he later worked as an art director for Young & Rubicam in France before finally moving back to Italy, where he lives and works today.

After creating numerous advertising campaigns for international companies, collaborated with world-renowned magazines and displayed his work in various exhibitions all around the globe, here’s are his thoughts on using black and white, materialism and professionalism.

AGENT2 are so enthralled by the monochrome but modern and creative style of Petrantoni that we just had to to hear what the man himself had to say about his work.

Would you tell us something about your earliest influences, how you came to an appreciation of design and how you moved into design as a profession?

I think that it is my passion for voyages, knowledge, contemporary arts, the influences and events of the 1800s that give me the drive to design.

How would you describe your work/style to first-time viewers?

My works are encyclopaedic collages of 19^th century dictionaries, put together following aesthetic rules, which spring from my love for graphics.

When did you start using black-and-white for your work and why?

All my images have always been black-and-white and I don’t really know why. Maybe I should ask a shrink!

How do you make the achromatic colours black and white interesting?

It depends on how you use black and white – if well used, they can be stronger than a rainbow.

Many see black-and-white as nostalgic. What’s your take on that?

It depends on the use of the graphics and their meanings. For me, black-and-white is timeless – my works, starting form others’ works made more than 100 years ago, are always timely, thanks to black-and-white.

Black-and-white is enjoying a revival. In your opinion, why is that?

For me, it doesn’t need any revival. As long as you love it, you don’t need to have public consensus since it is evergreen.

Black-and-white has been featured in every medium. In which one is it most powerful?

I think that print is the best medium – in the old books I study for my works, there are images that are really, extraordinary, and you could spend hours fixing them and discovering new details. Thus, black-and-white is perfect on a static medium. The encyclopaedia is my example.

Who epitomizes black-and-white?

For me, everyone who puts love into their own black-and-white epitomizes the black-and-white spirit.

Why did you choose illustration as your design medium?

I chose illustration as my design medium because of my deep and strong love for graphics. A lot of characters I use are completely unknown, but they’re still full of charm to me.

French dictionaries and encyclopaedias are your influences. How do you breathe new life into these ‘old’ items?

I love giving new life to images and characters forgotten and buried in dusty libraries. I think the past can be a great source of inspiration for modern works.

You try to fight materialism – how  does this translate into your work?

It works in the sense that my works transmit feelings and emotions, even if I don’t represent them. I want to make an impression, not with strong images, but with strong and powerful compositions.

You recently collaborated with Nike for its Chinese press campaign. Can you tell us a bit about that project?

The work was very intense and really passionate. The campaign won a lot of prizes and these were the gifts for working with a perfect, professional team. There are two subjects – for the first, the protagonist is fire, and for the second, iron. For both subjects the power comes from the interaction of [tennis-player] Sharapova’s full-colour pictures with my black-and-white work. Her body and my illustrations interact so well that you cannot say what is old and what is new, you can just feel the intensity of the image.

What are your future plans? Are you working on any particular projects right now?

I’m working on a book that will be published later this year. It comprises 80 pages of illustrations in which my adventures in the world of graphics are resumed.

lorenzopetrantoni.com

Words Vincent Bernier

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The Burgundy region of France is so well established as the source of superlative wine and cuisine that it enjoys historic stature.  Entire travel packages are arranged around local menus.  Of course there is also the fabulous architecture ranging from historic Roman structures to imposing castles and cathedrals to quaint villages and farms, plus renowned bicycle tours and water cruises through some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe.

However, no matter what your reason is for visiting Burgundy, no matter your travel theme, no matter your pace, the one underlying constant is the fine French food and drink.

Local farmer shows AGENT2 his prized Poulet de Bresse

For instance, less than four hours southeast from Paris is the quaint town of Louhans, world famous for its Poulet de Bresse.  The Bresse Chicken has been pronounced the finest breed in the world, and local factors such as soil, feed, climate, and dedicated breeding standards forever tie the breed to the locale.

As if to accentuate its French heritage, the Bresse exhibit the French national colours in their blue feet, white feathers and red crown.  The trip to France is almost the only way you may be able to sample a Bresse meal.  The poultry is in such demand locally that export is almost non-existent.

While in Louhans, enjoy country living at its European best.  Fishing, biking, and hiking are just the start.  By day, explore the Hotel Dieu’s hospital and apothecary museum, the 15th and 16th century local homes and shops, the great Burgundy vineyards, and art and train museums.  By night stay at a quaint Bed and Breakfast.  Local cheeses and wines are on hand for every meal.  Try not to miss the town’s famous Monday morning market, which dates back to the 17th century.

Abbey of Saint-Philibert de Tournus

The Michelin-starred Restaurant Le Chaudron is perhaps the best place to sample the local cuisine.  The prices are reasonable, and the food is exemplary and not ostentatious.  Your meal is prepared right in front of you and may include such house specialties as rabbit stew with juniper berries, beef, wild boar and Bresse chicken dishes, fondues, sweetbreads, and a large assortment of cheeses, breads, salads and desserts.  The wine list includes Château Mouton-Rothschild and Château Latour.

A very quick country ride west from Louhans – or perhaps a leisurely overnight cruise down the river Seille to the river Saône – will take you to nearby Tournus (www.house-boat.net).

The centerpiece of Tournus is the Abbey of Saint-Philibert de Tournus, which dates from the 10th century.  An intricate 12th century mosaic was discovered just recently, depicting a farmer’s calendar in zodiac signs.  Saint-Philibert’s represents the oldest existing Roman style abbey of its kind.  The town’s alleys, homes, shops, and other cathedrals seem to grow organically from it.  As do those incomparable restaurants.

Château de Cormatin

About a half hour drive due west from Tournus is the Chateau De Cormatin.  This is one of the most sumptuous Burgundy châteaux, complete with moat and a spectacular Renaissance garden.  Inside, the architecture and fine artwork reflect Flemish and Italian influences dating back to the early 17th century.

To the southwest of Tournus – again about a half an hour – is the Cluny Abbey, which is celebrating its 1100th anniversary next year.  The Benedictine abbey was once the leader of western monasticism, and was also one of the most important libraries in Europe until the late 16th century.

Cluny Abbey's towers

Feel free to take a cycling tour (www.ludisport.com) at any point in your trip though the Burgundy region.  The French countryside is breathtaking and you could easily imagine yourself being transported hundreds of years into the past.  Much of the historic architecture is lovingly and painstakingly maintained, as are the lifestyles, traditions and home arts.

From Tournus you can book a cruise ship south to Mâcon.  On board dinners are as exquisite as Burgundy’s land-based restaurants.  Or you might want to rent a houseboat and explore the local waterways at your own speed, taking in the Burgundy countryside from its canals and rivers as you make your way south.

Mâcon is in the southern part of Burgundy, north of Lyon.  The Val Lamartinien area has such a large circle of Romanesque and medieval churches, castles, and museums that a tour guide may be the most prudent way to visit these wonderful attractions.

A tour guide may also be helpful at the Hameau du Vin, the first Beaujolais wine park and museum, which houses 25 exhibitions on a 30,000 square meter estate.  This family-oriented wine theme park is the first of its kind, and can cater gatherings of up to 700 people.

Vines at the Château de Fuissé

Not quite a theme park, the Château de Fuissé is nonetheless one of the finest wine-tasting vineyards of the region.  Once home again, you will recognize their vintages in your local stores, as they ship their fine wines worldwide.Dramatic geographical sites like the Roche Solutré and the Roche Vergisson are worth a visit.  They are limestone escarpments looming over the villages and vineyards in the Mâcon area, and have proven to be among the richest archeological sites in all of Europe.

Before heading out of wondrous Burgundy, perhaps you should have dinner and an overnight stay at the Hotel Château de La Barge. This family-run hotel typifies the relaxed country living of Burgundy.  The best wines of the region complement its fine cuisine, and every guest room has an extensive view of the countryside.

AGENT2 RECOMMENDATIONS

ACCOMODATION

La Ferme des Fourneaux
Chez Fabienne et Christian THEBERT
Les Chizes 71500 SAINT USUGE
Telephone: + 33 (0)3 85 72 18 12
www.fermedesfourneaux.com

La Maison des Gardes
Madame et Monsieur BEAULIEU
18 avenue Charles de Gaulle
71250 CLUNY
Telephone: + 33 (0)3 85 59 19 46
www.lamaisondesgardes.com

DINING

Hostellerie du Cheval Rouge
5 rue d’Alsace
71500 LOUHANS
Telephone: +33 (0)3 85 75 21 42
www.hotel-chevalrouge.com

Le Relais d’Ozenay
Le Bourg
71700 OZENAY
Telephone: + 33 (0) 3 85 32 17 93
www.le-relais-dozenay.com

GETTING THERE

Rail Europe offers return fares from London to Macon starting at £91 in standard class. All prices are per person and subject to availability. For bookings visit www.raileurope.co.uk or call 0844 848 4070.
Personal callers are welcome at the Rail Europe Travel Centre, 1 Regent Street, London SW1.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE REGION

Telephone: France Information Line 09068 244 1
Lines open: Monday to Friday, 09.00am to 5.00pm. Calls charged at 60 per minute at all times.

Write:

Information Department
Maison de la France
Lincoln House
300 High Holborn
London WC1V 7JH

Email: info.uk@franceguide.com

Fax: 020 7061 6646

Visit: From Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm

Website: www.uk.franceguide.com / www.burgundy-tourism.com

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Walk through a hall of mirrors and pass by the one that turns you into a lanky stretched-out version of yourself. After pulling a few faces, doing a little dance and quite possibly making a little love and/or getting down tonight; remember that gangly reflection. That’s you. And for the short amount of time before you move on to the next mirror, that ‘you’ is almost a Lori Earley rendition of yourself. Almost. What that image lacks however, among the many other aspects of an Earley painting, is the celestial quality and the almost ridiculous amount of emotion that is poured into each one of her portraits.

DRAINED - OIL ON BOARD (2007)

So why is it only now, after years of producing unique portraits, that Earley is truly being recognized, and more importantly appreciated, by the general public? Could it have something to do with the painting of Madonna on show for this year’s Grammy’s? I don’t think so. Because if one was able (and many were, trust me) to take a look at that image and instantly know it was a Lori Earley portrait, then surely she was heard of before? Too right – you were just late for that little bandwagon.

Earley began exhibiting her work in 2004 in New York where she not only grew up, but also nurtured her talents at the School of Visual Arts: New York. Just one other reason to put on that awfully camp ‘I ♥ NY’ t-shirt you “don’t recall” buying, you say? Really, is there ever a reason? (Take it off, burn it and we’ll never speak of it again). A gifted artist from a young age, Earley managed to create a concrete distinct style by the winter years of her adolescence. Storming through all sorts of mediums including canvas, paper, oil and graphite with flying colours, Earley was soon ‘acclaimed as an exceptional new talent’- getting much notice for her instantly recognisable portraits.

Her twisted take on reality drew praise and attention from various galleries and other artists, not to mention collectors. The sad truth is though, the public as a whole are rather slow to catch on to these sorts of things so going through her gallery, you’d be forgiven for thinking her work is a tad repetitive; the same lengthy-limbed anorexics with big anime-esque eyes;  yes, yes we saw it all in her other galleries in a slightly different setting. I’m not going to disagree with you there, but as we weren’t around to witness these collections develop, seeing them as a whole makes it harder for us to appreciate just how much Earley has grown as an artist.

Of her work, Earley believes her paintings are a ‘combination of classic realistic rendering with a personal element of distortion…[which] comes from [her] innate desire to transform…emotions into tangible planes’. To me, the thing about these bizarrely seductive skeletal sirens is, as with most things, the details. Do you realize none of them are smiling? Did you pick out the abundance of beautiful naked shoulders and décolletage?  I did. Oh, you did too? Well yes, well done you and I then. I mean sure, we all noticed that for an artist noted for her ‘undeniable feminine force’, these angular individuals she paints are all just that. Very angular, skinny ladies who instill that ‘why do the only designer clothes I can afford come in sample sizes?’ feeling in her more shallow, newer fans. But were you aware of the subtle lighting that really makes these paintings what you know they are, but just can’t quite put your finger on. They have that glow; those understated shafts of light that reflect off those pointed shoulders. The colours that work together to form a seamless dreamscape that we can only hope to even imagine. The often sad but strong women in her works have more emotion in their eyes than this writer could ever express, no matter how many articles she writes; run-on sentences and all. These ladies are jarring and almost wrong in such a beautiful way, that they must exist somewhere; either in different worlds or times to ours. Their overly expressive eyes are rich with detail and knowing. And it’s the urge to learn what it is they know that is valuable enough to steal you away from whatever space you observe them from, straight into their hall of mirrors.

THE PARTING - OIL ON LINEN (2005)

And if having your work thought valuable enough to be stolen is a sign of just how far you’ve come, then these really are Earley’s days. Her last show ‘Fade To Gray’ was unlucky (or lucky from a publicity point of view) enough to have not one, but two paintings pilfered. While the thief was caught, the drawings are yet to be recovered. However, fans of the 2008 solo show will still be able to enjoy at least one of the drawings as a limited edition print. And to me, knowing that somewhere in our fat, dull- eyed, boring little world there’s a little bit of Ms Earley hidden away in a cheap poster tube waiting to be discovered (and by that I mean her artwork, you twisted madman)…Well that is pretty darned thrilling.

loriearley.com

Words Niki Renganathan Images Lori Earley

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Our Merseyside neighbours may have been 2008′s European City of Culture but 2009 is the year for Manchester to wear the crown as the world’s only international festival of culture returns to our city’s streets.

The Manchester International Festival (MIF) has created both media and public frenzy since it first stepped onto the scene in 2007. Hosting performances, dances, operas and new works from music, visual arts and popular culture this festival opens up the spotlight for new raw talent and unique performers, affirming Manchester as the epicentre of culture and arts in Britain.

To quote the Observer, “Manchester is the beating cultural heart of Britain.” And this is exactly what the festival establishes: the city’s pivotal role in arts across the globe as different performers and artists showcase their work in theatres and venues across the city during this seventeen-day long event.

The world’s first festival of its kind, 200,000 people flocked to Manchester International Festival 2007 which hosted both world-class and upcoming artists on the bill. Kanye West, the Happy Mondays and PJ Harvey all took part as well as the now infamous Chinese opera ‘Monkey: Journey to the West’, composed by Blur’s former front man Damon Alburn. This variety of talent and theatrical skill illustrates clearly the broad range of cultural interest the shows exude and generate.

Manchester's own, Elbow

This year’s line-up is guaranteed to be just as innovative and impressive as Alburn’s music takes to the stage again in the theatre production of ‘It Felt like a Kiss’ and Manchester’s very own Mercury winners Elbow and The Halle.

Festival Director Alex Poots said “We are very pleased to be able to bring together such a range of artists for the 09 event. Manchester has long thrived on invention, innovation and radical thought, and MIF aspires to be part of that tradition.”

Festival organisers are hoping that MIF may encourage local, national and international communities to recognise Manchester as a significant area of cultural importance and innovation. The festival therefore carefully caters for everyone – from the Pavillion’s cafes and bars hosting special DJ nights for Manchester’s young crowd, to The Great Indoors for the even younger crowd. This boasts an entire weekend of free activities and events for the under 11s.

Foodies can indulge themselves with the Manchester Festival Feast where renowned culinary experts create special dishes for a free banquet. Complimentary events will continue such as the Mancunian procession through Deansgate curated by Turner prize winner Jeremy Deller, making the famous mile unrecognisable with floats and live music.

Museums and galleries will also be taking part with many free exhibitions throughout July.

Rufus Wainwright's Opera: Prima Donna

In fact, it seems likely that this summer month will brighten our Northern city in no way that the weather is likely to turning it into a hub of cultural excitement and fun.

As people take to the streets and theatres in unprecedented volumes Manchester will no doubt kick Liverpool’s title out of the water and become Britain and Europe’s internationally recognised city for art and culture that will continue to grow from festival to festival.

Leader of Manchester City Council, Sir Richard Leese said: “[MIF] provides tremendous opportunities to showcase work that is both innovative and ground-breaking, demonstrating just what Manchester is about.”

MIF 09 will run from 2 July to 17 July 2009.  Download your copy of the festival programme here.

To purchase and reserve complimentary tickets for events or to volunteer in helping at the festival visit: www.mif.co.uk or call 0844 815 4960.

Words: Natasha Al-Atassi

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In 1998, the adventures of four New York women took the world by storm. Originally anticipated to be a cult hit, Sex and the City instantly became a phenomenon all over the globe when it first aired, with the media hailing it as a revolution in TV. Never before had a show explored sexuality in such a no-holds-barred way, especially from a woman’s point of view.

Whether it was promiscuity, group sex, fetishes or infidelity, no subject matter was deemed too extreme for brunch talk for Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte. Yet this mix of openness and curiosity to know what everyone else was doing in bed, and how often, was done in a unique way. It explored relationships, both with the opposite sex and each other, and men and women’s attitudes to sex. It was this which marked it out from being merely female-friendly soft porn, because even though these women had extravagant, unobtainable lifestyles, enough free time to spend almost every single day sitting in coffee shops or going to lunch, moved in exclusive circles and had a weakness for designer labels, we could all to some degree relate to their tumultuous love lives. Even the men learned a thing or two about women from watching the show. Not that they’d be prepared to admit it.

When the show drew to a close in 2004, it spelled the end of an era for fans of the series. By the end, the fashion had become as big as the show itself, with lead character Carrie Bradshaw, from whose point of view the series was told, a revered style icon thanks to the show’s stylist Patricia Field. Sex and the City, the seven-time Emmy winning TV series that had pioneered its way into the noughties, was no more and it left behind a hole in viewer’s lives bigger than the hole in Carrie’s finances.

That was until the long-rumoured SATC movie materialised in summer last year. The hype surrounding the film was impossible to ignore, and it pulled in more than $55 million over its opening three days. Now a second film is set for release in mid 2010 featuring the leading ladies on the big screen. But is SATC the winning formula it once was, or just another sure fire box office cash cow?

The harsh fact is, these four ladies are not the fresh-faced thirty-somethings they were in 1994. While that doesn’t make them any less appealing to watch on screen, it does seem somewhat unbelievable that at this stage in their lives, they are still “finding themselves” and agonising over their love life dramas. Surely in the real world, Carrie and co would have settled down ten years ago, got a mortgage and taken out a pension, as opposed to blowing the lot on shoes that cost more than cars and cocktails in hip bars? Granted that in times of economic hardship, the rich are always the last to feel the effects, but when the average woman is counting the pennies and forgoing luxuries to afford to pay the bills, do we really want to see a group of rich Manhattanites frivolously wasting cash because they wouldn’t be seen wearing the same outfit twice? It may be harmless escapism, but can we actually relate to these women anymore at a time when the average woman is more inclined to head to Primark than Prada?

While SATC may have been acclaimed for challenging sexual attitudes, it did in some ways reinforce female stereotypes, such as the characters’ materialistic tendencies and superficiality. Despite claiming that women are able to “have sex like men” and indulge in no strings relationships, this doesn’t seem to be so much a feminist protest as selfishness on their part. Samantha is probably the best example of using men for sexual gratification (and bearing in mind this is a woman of 50), but all are guilty of it at some point in the series while passing it off as being ‘empowered’ or choosy. But as Charlotte slept with many men and ruled out those who didn’t fit in with her idea of perfection, it appeared at times that men were nothing more than objects for the women to use. In a world where women are still struggling to break the glass ceiling, and men and women are still unequal on the pay scale, it seems unlikely that in the real world we’ll be seeing women call the shots any time soon, be it in the boardroom or the bedroom. The fact is most women in their twenties and thirties are looking for relationships, not casual encounters. And, in the UK at least, sleeping around doesn’t mean you’re an independent, confident woman comfortable with her sexuality. It means you’re promiscuous, and that is a reputation that can be hard to lose.

These women are all from fairly privileged backgrounds and are used to getting what they want. When Carrie was forced to look for a new flat after her break up with Aidan and realised she’d spent $40,000 on shoes alone, we were forced to ask how a woman over the age of 30, with no financial security, had managed to spend the equivalent of a house deposit on footwear. Not only that, but she appeared to write the equivalent of three sentences a week for her newspaper column with no other source of income, yet still be able to splash the cash in Dior and walk straight into a job at Vogue. If women think Carrie Bradshaw’s life is something to aspire to, they’re going to find the real world hard.

SATC is just entertainment, mere escapism, but it would seem our fascination is waning. Or at least, our fascination with the kind of world these women live in. While SATC depicts a world that’s almost idealistic for women and the escapades of Carrie and her friends make for enjoyable viewing, other TV series that have tried to follow in the footsteps of SATC which focus on women power players- think Cashmere Mafia and Lipstick Jungle- haven’t matched the success of their predecessor.

The first SATC movie was plagued by rumours of a feud between the leading members of the cast- namely Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall- and demands of pay increases soured relations further. For the recently confirmed sequel, their paychecks are set to rise again. Are the actresses driven by their belief in what SATC stands for, or is it the money that has convinced them to put aside their differences to work on the new film? After all, the film is guaranteed to top the film charts and none of them have exactly had flourishing careers since the end of the series. And with the last film toning down the sex and ‘girl power’ aspect to focus on relationship troubles, the question is, how exactly can the SATC story be taken any further and break new ground? These are middle aged women. There comes a point when the drama has to stop, otherwise it’s just not going to be believable. Maybe it’s time for Carrie to hand over the reins to a younger model…. Cashmere Mafia, Lipstick Jungle.

Words: Kay Weston  Images: HBO

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