THE FACE
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…
Words Veronica Carpio Images Dan Harley
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GRACE AND STYLE
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.
Words Amy Fallon
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MEET FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER MICHAEL DAVID ADAMS
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!
Words Natalie Davies Images Michael David Adams
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MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA ‘20’ THE EXHIBITION
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 20th 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 20th 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: CAPSULE #2
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 PAPER-CUT PROJECT
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: MASTERS OF BLACK IN FASHION AND COSTUME
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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QUEER UP NORTH FESTIVAL 2010
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 18th 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 18th 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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“INDIA” – JOURNEY TO THE LAND OF MYSTERY AND WONDER
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
Words by Almaz Ohene
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BAD ROMANCE
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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