Galliano’s Fall from Grace.
“I love Hitler,” John Galliano, former head designer at Christian Dior.
“People like you would be dead. Your mothers, your forefathers would all be fucking gassed." (Aimed at two women Galliano assumed to be Jewish.)
Not the usual quotes you see referenced from one of the fashion world's most revered designers. As the recent media frenzy surrounding John Galliano’s anti-semitic remarks proves, the higher you climb, the further you can fall.
Fashion and politics have been successfully combined on many occasions in the past.
Vivienne Westwood and Katherine Hamnett’s humanitarian and environmental views are a huge influence upon their work as designers. As a result of this they are admired by fashion followers the world over. However, disgraced Galliano’s recent politically inclined outbursts have destroyed his reputation as fashion genius, and replaced it with that of an aging, bigoted, fool.
Forced to step down from his post at Dior and with self-named brand's catwalk show cancelled. Galliano has been threatened with 6 months imprisonment and fines of up to 22,500 euro's. Galliano has now become the celebrity face of anti-semitism and racist behaviour to the world’s media.
Galliano has compromised his success and lost the respect of millions, whom once would describe him as one of the most passionate and important fashion designer’s of his time; a true ingénue.
Galliano (now said to be in rehab) has a long and difficult road ahead of him if he is to regain his status and prove himself as one of the worlds finest couturiers. It is sad to think that everything he has created, all the beauty and imagination, is now tarnished due to his ugly opinions, lack of self control and inflated ego.
By Leah Olivia Stone.
Opinion Piece-
Travel Piece-
As a newcomer to living and working in Manchester
Shop
A hot spot for vintage shopping; Oldham street just off
Piccadilly Gardens is a fantastic place to find quality items without the usual
high price tag. Home to the aforementioned £3 or less thrift store (recent
finds include a men’s Yves Saint Laurent Blazer) and Pop Boutique (selling
vintage and new men’s women’s and home wares) which also boasts retro hair
salon Barbarella (where you’d have no problem
requesting a Bettie Page or a Morrissey) and the ‘Sweet Tooth’ cupcake and
coffee shop.
Eat & Drink.
When looking for somewhere to eat out I want quality, fresh
food in a relaxed atmosphere that is affordable but has that little extra
something.
When referring to Font bar (with locations in Fallowfield
and on New Wakefield st off Oxford rd) that little extra is the walls covered
in illustrations and artworks, mismatched chairs and light fittings, the latest
in music and delicious cocktails from £2-£4.
Wait for a table in the marbled reception
area and quickly get shown through to a beautiful sunken dining room dimly lit by silk lampshades
with tentacle-like crystals dripping around the bulb. Old world mahogany tables
and carvings and a rich red wine colour scheme add to the feel of eastern
luxury. The menu varies from simple (delicious dim sum and noodles) to
adventurous (peppered frogs legs!). Relax and enjoy from a selection of
imported beers or a glass of rioja while the wait staff cater for your every
need and package up any leftovers for you to heat up and enjoy the next day. It
is the last thing you’d expect on a road mainly populated by greasy takeaways.
A very pleasant surprise.
Another series of venues/bars I
have enjoyed in my short time as a Manchester
resident is Trof with locations in the Northern Quarter, Fallowfield and The Deaf
Institute off Oxford
Culture.
Probably not quite so secret a
cultural gem; The Cornerhouse,70
Oxford St
Currently showing in the gallery of particular interest is
the work of Kim Thompson her work ‘reveals a fascination with the possibilities
of line and mark making.’ showing until 5th Jan 2011.
One possibly underrated cultural
sight that I have visited in my short time here is (now don’t be scared off by
the name!) the catholic church of ‘The Holy Name of Jesus’ directly across from
Manchester Academy Oxford Road
However, I urge you to venture
inside (all are welcome catholic or no) and experience exquisite tranquillity
in the midst of a bustling city. Stunning stained glass, sculpture, gold leaf
and religious iconography is visible at every turn. A stunning feature of note
is the several giant oyster shells filled with holy water (so unusual and
decadent).
Described in a written work as ‘a
design of the very highest quality and of an originality nowhere
demonstrative.’ Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, author of the volumes ‘Buildings of
England’.
I hope these few intriguing places have urged you to further
explore your own local city and given you some ideas for your next visit to
sunny Manchester
Leah
xxx
Report-
The Man Repeller.
A reluctant feminist and advocate of weird, wonderful couture fashion. Prominent blogger ‘The Man Repeller’ provides a lively, intelligent and very witty commentary to images of her experimental yet very chic personal style and photographs she has taken of others who bravely make ‘man repelling’ style choices. Whether that be wearing gigantic insect shaped jewellery or shoes that are designed to look three sizes too big, these may be beautiful, exciting new trends to us but to many a heterosexual man they can be very confusing.
The Man Repeller’s tongue in cheek approach to couture
fashion is refreshing, open minded and very cool. When reading her blog it
quickly becomes very clear that it is not anti-men in anyway, it is just a girl
expressing her enthusiasm for art and fashion who simply wants to inspire women
to play with dress in a way that isn’t restricted to their fear of whether a
man will find it attractive. Dressing with this level of confidence and freedom
is an inspiring and empowering prospect and it makes this blog a truly fascinating
read.
By Leah Stone.
Interview-
Iakovos Kalaitzakis.
Iakovos Kalaitzakis’ work is dramatic and powerful. It delivers a strong message about luxury, beauty and decadence. Impeccable style and theatrics are key to his signature approach and this has all contributed significantly to his success. With editorials for Vogue, Instyle and L’Officiel to name a few, Iakovos is certainly one to watch. We caught up with the man himself following his exclusive shoot for Radia Magazine;
Hailing from the Greek island of Crete, Iakovos grew up with a passionate interest in make up, hair styling and fashion and realized he would like to combine these talents using photography.
After studying fine art and photography he began to work as a make-up artist for fashion magazines in Greece and abroad, making a successful living for 10 years.
In 2004 Iakovos received an award from the international Canon Profashional Photo Awards for his photography and then immediately started working professionally within the field.
It was Iokavos’ earlier work as a makeup artist that helped him to get that first step into the notoriously competitive fashion industry as a photographer as he had already worked with ‘fashion magazines, cosmetics and music companies as a make-up artist and then many publishers and managers of companies trusted me as a photographer.
So, it was easier for me to work from the beginning in large photographic productions, magazines, campaigns and c.d covers.’
With work for some world famous publications under his belt Iakovos stays grounded and approaches each one of his projects with the same vigor ‘All the shoots for me have the same gravity and I always feel the same whether it is for fashion magazines, campaigns, c.d covers, celebrities…
I'm in love with my job and always have a lot of energy to spend on it and am always trying to achieve a certain perfection within my work.’
Iakovos’ future aspirations are to pursue more projects outside of his native Greece particularly in the European and American Fashion and Publishing Industries.
Iakovos describes a typical working day; ‘When I have a photo shoot, I go to the studio or to the location, discuss the concept, make-up and hair, with the stylist, fix the lighting with my assistant and start shooting. I prefer to dedicate one day to a photo shoot and the other day to post production and retouch, but this is usually difficult because I have many photo shoots in the same period.’
Iakovos reveals the concept behind his exclusive shoot fro Radia ‘it is in Liverpool Station with amazing Holly Hallam from Select model management, she strikes a series of expressive poses at one of the busiest stations in London. She gets dolled up in some standout looks, Holly seems resplendent and fresher than ever. The story is just chic and simple but what we like the most about it is the mix of designers – Chanel with Alexander McQueen -Acne with Ysl that makes the clothes considerably more interesting.’
http://www.iakovoskalaitzakis.com/
To Dior or not to Dior?
The Marc Jacobs debate.
As speculation is rife regarding Marc Jacobs taking the helm
as Dior’s head designer and the media whips itself in to a headhunting frenzy;
here at Radia we consider the reality of this move. How it would affect the
brand? Would we be experiencing a simpler, less classical design ethic at Dior?
Would style and trend come before theatre? And how would Jacobs fair at
designing couture? One look at Galliano’s many collections for Dior makes it
clear that Jacobs, despite his effortless quirky cool, still has some very
large, beaded and bejewelled boots to fill.
Luckily, due to Galliano’s shameful and swift exit, should
Jacobs chose to make the move, he will be welcomed with open arms as a
character who has managed to keep his reputation professional and his public
persona smart, together and easy going.
With Jacobs’ contract up at Louis Vuitton, the timing
couldn’t be better, so expect to see a dose of the humour and contemporary
design mixed with Dior’s timeless ‘New Look’.
Givenchy’s Ricardo Tisci is also rumoured to be in line for
the role but here at Radia we feel Jacobs and his commercially creative, brand
focused talent would only serve to benefit Fashion power house Dior.
By Leah Olivia Stone.
Report-
James Gardner and the Fashion Powerhouse.
James Gardener is a name you probably don’t recognise. It is
probably not a name you would associate with the biggest luxury fashion brands
in the world. But you should.
James Gardner is an important name when it comes to fashions
digital outreach. By digital I mean video, photography, social media and online
shopping combined to create the perfect modern marketing strategy.
Gardner’s company ‘Create the Group’ are leading the way in
transforming global brands to digital media. Having access to your preferred brands
online is hugely important to their growth and survival in this digital age.
Gardner’s company is responsible for giving luxury brands
the ultimate internet make-over. ‘Create the Group’ believes, ‘A
digital revolution is creating new patterns of human association and radically
reshaping the way brands do business.’
Connecting the
digital and the emotional; ‘Create the Group’ intends to connect a brand with
their customer through their Wifi, but still intend on offering the personal,
bespoke service they would receive in any of the brands stores.
‘Create the group’
aim to put the same passion and sensitivity into digital media as a fashion
designer would to their own catwalk collection. The group proudly represents a
plethora of fashions most luxurious brands including amongst them, the achingly
cool Alexander Wang, best of British Burberry, decadent La Perla lingerie and
Phoebe Philo’s Celine.
‘Create the Group’
are fashion’s best kept secret and a must have for any brand wanting to give 5
star internet service. As a substantial part of fashions future James Gardener
and ‘Create the Group’ are big names in the fashion industry and it looks like
its going to stay that way.
By Leah Olivia
Stone.
Report-
No More Lilac Ponies.
Tim Walker ventures
into film.
Fairytales, miles of chiffon and frills, dilapidated stately
homes, childhood nostalgia, delicate beauty, hundreds of balloons, surreal
femininity, softly dappled light, oversized props, pastel coloured kittens and
ponies….
These are just a few of the wonderful things that come to
mind when thinking of Tim Walkers signature photographing style. But these
saccharine drenched snaps are just a sample of the artistic creativity Walker
is capable of. With a his early experience of film production at art school,
Walker is now about to embark on his very first short film ‘The Lost Explorer’.
Whilst still working to achieve the visual standard of his very recognisable
fashion photography; Walker has taken his vision in a new direction with the
story of ‘The Lost Explorer’. It promises to be darker and more intense than
his current portfolio of work which includes campaigns for Juicy Couture and
Mulberry (both of whom have helped with funding Tim’s new feature.)
‘The Lost Explorer’ is loosely based around a story by Pat
Mcgrath in the collection ‘Blood, Water and other tales.’. It tells of a young
girl who stumbles upon and tent strangely set up amongst the brambles whilst
playing in her family garden, she finds inside a dying explorer suffering from
malaria and grasping a revolver.
Walker expands on this theme and noteably includes a story
from his own childhood ‘'Ages ago
someone told me how, in Victorian times, there were canary clouds over the
Atlantic,’ this was due to the west’s penchant for exotic birds to keep as
pets, the ships carrying them would let them free to fly over the middle of the
ocean until they are utterly exhausted
and drop back onto the ship ready for a life in captivity. Walker worked hard
to create the beautiful sight of thousands of tiny pale yellow featherered
creatures floating over the atlantic like a fluffy cumulonimbus and it promises
to be a pivicol scene in the piece. Beautiful yet sad, nosltalgic but painful
‘The Lost Explorer’ promises to be a cinematic masterpiece that will no doubt
inspire countless fashion designers as they develop collections for next year
and not a lilac pony in sight.
by Leah Stone.
Interview-
Yoshiko Creation
Successful Jewellery designer Yoshiko Kajitani started within her profession at the age of 21 as an assistant at a haute couture jewellery studio and made her debut at Colette Paris in 1999. It was to be the start of a lustrous and fruitful career in fashion.
‘Creation has been as natural as speaking to me since I was very young, I always feel so happy to develop my designs with curiosity and passion.’
With pieces in her repertoire based on anything and everything from flora and fauna, eagle claws and beaks, the human anatomy and leopards; Yoshiko cultivates her curiosity and passion with ease to produce exquisite pieces of jewellery design.
Yoshiko draws her inspiration from the universe, life, emotions, the sound of the wind. Yoshiko is a creative through to her very soul and it is this mindset that has helped her achieve so much within her creative field. Her boundaries are limitless, and this becomes even more apparent when you look at her work history, having collaborated with Converse, Swarovski and Y’s red Label (of Yohji Yamamoto inc.) .
The fantasical ‘Umbrella Hat’ by Yoshiko Creation Paris has also been worn by the infamous Lady Gaga after being specially selected for her by her stylist Nicola Formichetti whom regularly uses Yoshiko’s work.
Popular amongst the elite; Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, Countess of Polignac and The Morrocan Royle family have bought pieces from Yoshiko Creation Paris and the brand is well known among artists in Japan and across Asia.
Yoshiko believes that her work should left open for interpretation by each individual and this allows each piece to become very personal to its owner. Yoshiko allows her work to become a part them and relishes this.
Yoshiko’s method to designing is very organic and simply comments that ‘there is a point where a visual design intersects a concept. I just keep creating until those two points meet.’
With an incredible future collection being developed which will be inspired by fossils there is no doubt that Yoshiko Creation Paris is an artistic asset to the fashion industry.
By Leah Olivia Stone.
Predictions told us she would be this year’s “the one
to watch”, but we couldn’t quite of anticipated the future arriving so quickly
for young aspirational model, Tali Lenox; the newest and brightest star of
fashion 2011.
It seems designers adore nothing more than seeing
musician’s eponymous daughters walking the catwalk.
It all began in 1997 when Sir Paul McCartney’s
fiercely talented daughter Stella was appointed in Paris
Aside from being the youngest daughter of 80’s music
legend Annie Lennox, Tali is stepping out of her mother’s shadow and into the
brightest of lime lights.
The archetypal British beauty first gained recognition
when scouted for her “classic” looks by Swedish cult label Acne. Jonny
Johansson, Acne creative director said of Tali; 'I was in Lismore Castle
It seems
the world’s largest fashion houses are in harmony, as she went on to walk Burberry, Christopher Kane, Jaeger, Jonathan Saunders,
Prada, Missoni, Versus, Roberto Cavalli, Kenzo and Miu Miu in their
Autumn/Winter 11 collections.
Akin to her
mother, Tali Lennox is also becoming a style icon in her own right, with appearances
at fashion’s most anticipated events and sharing her style knowledge on Vogue’s
“Today I’m wearing.”
Tali carved
a name for herself in the notoriously difficult fashion industry in less than a
month. Critics believe that this speedy rise to fame is simply due to her ‘rock
child’, ‘it girl’ status. However, we know this much; Tali Lennox has arrived,
and we will be admiring her style and beauty for many seasons to come.
By Rebecca
Catlow.
Edited by Leah Stone.
A rare portrait, Louis Vuitton and Sam Taylor-Wood.
It is thought that around 2.5 billion photographs are uploaded on to Facebook every day. For this reason I don’t think it would be entirely wrong of to state; film photography as an art form is becoming more and more elusive. We live in a world where capturing a moment can take less than 3 seconds and deleting that moment can take less. We live in a thriving digital age, where a typical photo album consists of Friday night’s escapades. Amidst a society that takes pleasure from taking up to 258 fast and frequent pictures in one night, it is a breath of fresh air when a global luxury brand choses to embark on a new photography project which has developed in to a mission to capture unique moments in time.
French fashion house Louis Vuitton holds long standing tradition and a proud heritage high on their list of brand attributes. This is no different when it comes to the history of developmental photography. In result of this, they have come up of a modern yet timely concept that encapsulates tradition of photography and an authentic image, with modern on-line distribution. “Double Exposure” is the title of their new campaign; an age old photographic process that depicts time standing still. The brand commissioned the project in the hope of counterbalancing the modern world’s fast and disposable media culture.
Their chosen style of portraiture reveals two sides of a subject’s life including some of their most treasured possessions and personal artifacts. Sam Taylor Wood chose an inspirational book by pop artist Andy Warhol, a postcard image of Francis Bacon that connects Wood with her address in London’s Primrose Hill, and a witty memento from her directorial feature film, ‘Nowhere Boy’. The campaign uses short films that demonstrate the collodion process (a Victorian method of photography) which involves the sitter holding a still pose for 20 seconds at a time. Each of the short films will uncover two facets of the person. Firstly, personal insights captured on film, via some treasured belongings connecting to memories and feelings of nostalgia for the subject. The second is a photographic exposure brought to life in a distinctively sophisticated portrait.
Acclaimed British photographer and conceptual artist Sam Taylor Wood is first to grace the campaign, "It's a beautifully slow, arduous and a painstaking process, and I like that". Taylor Wood said of the 19th Century collodion photographic process. "I like the difference between this and how speedy everything is today, including the way we take pictures."
Written by Rebecca Catlow
Edited by Leah Stone
All the world’s a stage, Minimal vs Maximal fashion.
Part 1
Shakespeare once wrote “All the world’s a stage.” and
when it comes to the world I hold most dear, I could not agree more. For me,
each new fashion season means one thing, a time of theatrical extravaganza,
where avant-garde costume comes alive through the eyes of the fashion world’s
most talented.
A catwalk show should be the ultimate celebration of
just how fantastical and dramatic a collection of garments can be. That moment
in time when the music starts, the lights come up, a lithe silhouette appears
in the distance and the audience become lost in the designer’s untamed vision.
However, on the eve of Paris
This season’s sleek utilitarian looks have been confirmed
at the highest echelons of style by the
fashion elite, and it seems even the most fanciful types have stripped back to
basics in the name of minimalism. Obeying this bleak and boring look seems to
be the stylish choice amongst trend setters. However I feel that being British,
it is in my heritage to be eccentric, ferociously innovative and overtly wild,
because when it comes to fashion, it really is in our genes. Alexa Chung said
herself, ‘London
Part 2
On my recent research trip to New York
However I found that the minute I walked into Barney’s department store the shop manager instantly recognized that I was British. Clearly thrilled, he exclaimed “Oh my god! You look amazing, look at you doing it for all the British girls, you all look so crazy and creative, there is nothing like it over here, we love British fashion!”
However I found that the minute I walked into Barney’s department store the shop manager instantly recognized that I was British. Clearly thrilled, he exclaimed “Oh my god! You look amazing, look at you doing it for all the British girls, you all look so crazy and creative, there is nothing like it over here, we love British fashion!”
The minimalist style I was exposed to in
If minimalism is the future of fashion, it seems creativity is a thing of the past. So join me in the anti-minimalist movement! Don your hats and accessories, embellishment and frills, bold patterns and colours; as Charles Wright and the
By Rebecca Catlow
Edited by Leah Stone
Rei Kawakubo’s ‘Beautiful Chaos’.
All Comme des Garcons advocates will know just how chaotic finding just one piece from their collections can be. This is due the brands visionary and creator Rei Kawakubo. Kawakubo’s intense and fantastical pieces are so in-demand that it is almost impossible to get hold of the extraordinary garments presented on each season’s catwalks.
However,
to those lucky enough to be living or travelling to Beijing
Beijing
Market will present a large retail capacity, joining retail power house I.T
with the iconic Dover Street Market London, in hope of re-creating Rei
Kawakubo’s vision of a “beautiful chaos.”
Similar
to it’s multi- brand flagship store, Dover Street Market in London, the four story
space will combine the 15 Comme des Garcon labels along with other collections hand-picked by Kawakubo
herself, such as Rick Owens, Maison Martin Margiela, Yves Saint Laurent,
Kitsune and Ann
Demeulemeester, are to name but a few.
It all
began in 2004, when Kawakubo pushed boundaries for her “beautiful chaos”
vision, when she opened the now highly respected, Dover Street Market in London
Now she’s
re-duplicating her vision to be bigger, better, and a tad more chaotic and all
this set within China ’s
ancient capital city and cultural center, Beijing
By Rebecca
Catlow.
Edited by
Leah Stone
