Blythe House is the archive for the Victoria & Albert Museum’s vast collections of fashion and textile, furniture, ceramics, jewellery and fine arts. It is within this incredible building, usually closed to the public, that the fashion curator Judith Clark and psychoanalyst Adam Phillips have created ‘The Concise Dictionary of Dress’.
The exhibition consists of a guided tour through the building passing by various installations, designed and assembled by Clark and accompanied by definitions created by Phillips. This awe-inspiring archive creates a unique atmosphere that arouses your curiosity and inspires contemplation. The installations emerge from unexpected places, subtly drawing on associations to the stored objects surrounding them.
This exhibition provides a unique experience, which redefines the way we perceive the presence and absence of the body and clothing. Definitely not to be missed!
The exhibition runs until June 27, 2010. For more information or to book a tour visit the Artangel website at the link below and for a sneak preview watch the trailer.
Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry is a refreshingly unique book, which uses everyday collected objects to tell a love story. The book takes the unusual form of a mock auction catalogue in which not only the personal possessions of two people are offered for sale, but also documentations of their shared experiences, thoughts and emotions. The story of the romance and breakup of the couple is embedded in the objects themselves and the brief descriptions. Although the protaganists and their story have been invented by the author, the book clearly illustrates the value of the collected material in emotional terms. It reminds us that the stories of our immaterial lives are carried in the objects and garments we use and collect.
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Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry by Leanne Shapton / ISBN:978-0-374-17530-6
Fashion Projects began in New York in 2004, with the aim to ‘create a platform to highlight the importance of fashion — especially “experimental” fashion — within current critical discourses and to foster a dialogue between theory and practice across disciplines.’ If you are not already familiar with their print Journals and accompanying website then it is definatley worthwhile taking a look. You’ll find a wealth of reviews of exhibits and interviews with a range of artists and designers that offer an interesting and critical perspective on Fashion in all its diversity. Issue #3 has just been released and focuses on the theme of Fashion and Memory! Included is an inspiring interview with Shelley Fox about her practice which can also be previewed online.
Some time ago while browsing through the wonderful array of ideas posted during the Platform 21=Repairing project I came across this brilliantly simple and beautiful solution for holes in woollen garments, rugs, curtains or other textile products. Woolfiller (or wolplamuur in Dutch) is a product designed by Heleen Klopper born out of the need to fix a an old woollen cardigan. It uses the unique qualities of felt which attaches itself to the surrounding fibres with its tiny scales and results in a unique and whimsical decoration that is both easy to create and rewardingly practical. DIY packages will be available online very soon. Check the Woolfiller website for details and a short video demonstrating exactly how easy it is to use! You can also look on the Platform21 website to see more ingenious repair solutions.
