The V&A’s new show is much more than just an exhibition – it’s an emotional journey, and a truly mind-blowing experience. Give yourself at least half a day to see this, as there is so much to take in, including news stories, sociology, fashion, films, music, art, design and material culture. The history of this […]
No one bats an eyelid if you mention bums, boobs, or any other ‘b’ words describing ‘sexualized’ parts of the anatomy today. It was different in Victorian times, which is why the word bustle was invented. Victorians were as obsessed with their bodies as we are now. Women wore bustles with corsets to fill out the rump […]
If governments can print their own money, why can’t I? The nature of money is changing. Bitcoin, a peer-to-peer digitized cryptocurrency is not the only virtual currency – but, to date, it has stolen a march on the others. Now it is set to become the darling of the art world when, this October, London’s […]
What is the strange cult of love that chains us to the railings of social conformity? Why do we follow the crowd regardless of the destruction we may be causing? Sentimental tokens of mutual love are universal, but not all are harmless. According to Wikipedia, a love lock is a padlock which is attached to a […]
A far cry from bespectacled, retro-inspired geek chic – or the homogenized normcore look, is the trend for increasingly extreme tattooing and body piercing. Although tattoos have been around since Neolithic times, and 5000-year old mummified humans have been found with body piercings, the relatively recent association of such body adornments with sailors and criminal gangs has […]
Would you like to sin With Elinor Glyn On a tiger-skin? Or would you prefer To err With her On some other fur? During the period known as the Belle Époque, themes such as the beautiful animal-woman, the sphinx, the vampire, the femme fatale, the seductive serpent and Salomé were cultivated and stylized through Symbolic […]
We sometimes hear stories of hermits who have been found after years of being hidden away in remote areas or woods. But now there is a new kind of hermit. The outsider hermit could probably afford a house in a more suburban location, but choses to live in an outsider dwelling in a fairly pukka neighbourhood. Think […]
Why are women so fascinated by clothes, and how does our relationship with schmutter affect the way we are perceived? Women Fashion Power at London’s Design Museum showcases one outfit from each of twenty-six “exceptional” women. All are leaders in their field and understand that “the clothes they wear are a part of the way that they […]
More passwords, social networking communities, extra CCTV cameras, software upgrades, downloads, uploads, new apps, friend requests, spam email, viral advertising. People are growing tired of the fast paced digital world and starting to drop out. Some are even resorting to ‘slow apps,’ which can block emails and social network feeds for certain periods of the […]
This exhibition should have niche appeal – at least to ‘anoraks’ of the fashion world. Textile designers, embroiderers, costume curators, quilters and enthusiasts of handcrafted fabrics will certainly appreciate the work that has gone into creating the pieces on show. Historians and sociologists may well be fascinated by the backgrounds of the unintentional abstract artists. […]