07.07.2011- Glamour of the Gods

If you're anything at all like me then you'll love looking at photographs of old film stars for inspiration. There's something so magical about looking back at the glamour of bygone eras, and I don't think that today's film stars have got anything on the icons of the past. Give me Audrey over Angelina any day! With this in mind, I can't wait to make my way along to the National Portrait Gallery's Glamour of the Gods exhibition, which opens today. The exhibition, which showcases over 70 portraits from the Golden Age of Hollywood, features a range of images which were instrumental in cementing the appeal of stars such as James Dean, Marylin Monroe, Greta Garbo and Rita Hayworth and have since become iconic in their own right. Here's a little glimpse of some of the portraits on show:

Marlon Brando

Marlene Dietrich

Grace Kelly

Elizabeth Taylor

The prints, many of which are being displayed for the first time, are taken from the John Kobal Foundation Archive, which features over 22,000 images from Hollywood's Golden Age. The foundation has also produced a book to accompany the exhibition which features over 200 rarely seen images from the Kobal Foundation archive and is sure to be an inspiring read.

The exhibition runs at the National Portrait Gallery from today (July 7th) until October 23rd. Standard tickets cost £6, and more information on how to book can be found here. I can't wait to visit!

Will you be visiting the exhibition? And who are your favourite Hollywood icons?

(Image credit: The John Kobal Foundation, National Portrait Gallery and BBC.)

28.10.2010- Dior Illustrated

From November 10th to January 9th next year, Somerset House in London is playing host to an exhibition celebrating the iconic work of illustrator René Gruau, entitled Dior Illustrated: René Gruau and the Line of Beauty. Throughout the 40's and 50's, Gruau worked for a range of fashion magazines, including Marie Claire and L'Officiel as well as for design houses such as Givenchy, Balenciaga and Lanvin. Perhaps most famously of all, Gruau created a range of work for Dior, illustrating adverts for Christian Dior Parfums, as well as sketching pieces from the haute couture collections of the design house. He later went on to become the artistic director of advertising at Dior and, in a time where hand drawn adverts were still a prominent feature in fashion, Gruau's strong graphic style was vital in attracting attention to the brand. With Christian Dior, he also oversaw the genesis and marketing of the famous 'New Look', and undoubtedly contributed to the growth of widespread fashion advertising as we know it today.

You only have to look at the vital role that advertising continues to play in the fashion industry to see the legacy of Gruau's vision in action. In terms of his understanding of bold illustration as a tool for bringing innovative design to a mainstream audience, he remains unparalleled and his work has a unique style which perfectly encapsulates the aspirational appeal of high fashion whilst being both daring and engaging. By looking at his many famous illustrations, you really do get a sense of the vital role he played in the evolution of fashion, as his style and compositional ideas continue to be utilised today. I can't wait to visit the exhibition to see some of his beautiful work firsthand.

To find out more about the exhibition and to book tickets, visit somersethouse.org.

What do you think of René Gruau's work? Will you be visiting the exhibition yourself?

(Image credit: Google Images.)

18.10.2010- Days of Wine and Roses

Days of Wine and Roses is an exhibition taking place at London's Heartbreak Gallery until October 31st. The exhibition showcases work by Scottish artist Jack Vettriano, whose painting The Singing Butler became one of the most instantly recognisable pieces of art in the world after being sold for over £700,000 back in 2004. Vettriano's latest exhibition features a range of paintings which beautifully encapsulate the much sought after and much copied glamour of a bygone era:

A Very Married Couple

Portrait in Black and Pearl

Morning News

Lines of Beauty

Not only do I love the composition and style of Vettriano's work, but I also really like the fact that he takes his inspiration from everyday events, such as reading a newspaper over a cup of coffee, or taking a train ride. The fact that his work in this exhibition is located firmly in the styles of the 50's and 60's also means that the exhibition is well worth a visit to pick up some ladylike wardrobe inspiration.

To find out more about the Days of Wine and Roses exhibition, visit jackvettriano.com.

What do you think of Jack Vettriano's work? Will you be visiting the exhibition?

(Image credit: jackvettriano.com.)

29.08.2010- Golden touch...

The Victoria and Albert Museum's major exhibition for the autumn, Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballet Russes, showcases the work and imagination of artistic director Serge Diaghilev and the genesis of the radical Ballet Russes. Diaghilev's work with the company transformed the face of early 20th century culture through collaboration with artists including Coco Chanel, Igor Stravinsky, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, in the development of an aesthetic which married art, music and dance to create a spectacular brand of total theatre. Diaghilev's vision combined with Vaslav Nijinsky's bold choreography of an original ballet repertoire (including Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring) saw the Ballet Russes become one of the most influential theatre companies of the twentieth century, and their legacy still influences a panoply of contemporary culture. The exhibition, which opens at the V&A South Kensington on the 25th September and runs until the 9th January 2011, features over three hundred objects, including original costumes, set designs and props, all of which tell the story of a ballet company and visionary who together transformed the face of modern dance, fashion and art.

In celebration of the launch of the exhibition, the V&A shop have also launched a special range of tie-in merchandise, including this gorgeous scarf designed by Erdem, featuring the original costume designs of Léon Bakst for the Ballet Russes:

At £185, it is rather pricey, but it is certainly a beautiful keepsake of the exhibition. On the other hand, these gorgeous prints are a bit more within my price range, and will look great in hanging up in my room. I can't wait to get down to the V&A when the exhibition opens, it looks as though it's going to be unmissable (and invaluable for my dissertation research!)

To find out more about the exhibition, visit www.vam.ac.uk.

What do you think? Will you be paying a visit? Or perhaps splashing out on the Erdem scarf?

(Image credit: V&A Theatre and Performance Collections and V&A Shop.)