Postmodernism

Blade Runner, Peter Saville, Vivienne Westwood, New Order, Émigré, i-D and Grace Jones all feature in the V&A’s current major exhibition. Encompassing music, art, film, fashion and architecture from 1970 -1990, it is the most engaging exhibition i've visited in a while and defines as best it can, this controversial movement which ironically defies categorization. 

Corinne Day : The Face

Last weekend I caught the Corinne Day exhibition at the Gimpel Fils Gallery for a friends birthday. Corrine Day, who died last year, is remembered for transforming fashion with her photographs of Kate Moss for the Face. I couldn't believe how young and fresh faced Kate looked in some of these photos from the start of her career in the 90's. I really love how Day's photos capture the hedonism of this era, celebrating the ordinary (Kate with no make up and lank hair) in contrast from the glossy aspiration of the 80's.

i-D NOW

"One eye open. One eye hidden. Wink! The blink of a shutter. The right eye is the right eye. Catch the moment in an instant. Knowledge transmitted by secret insiders. i-D is more than a magazine, and i-D covers have caught and continue to catch the moment when the imaginative power of a collection of people comes together. The best covers register and are recognised as a marker of the month, year and place. Hidden is the energy that has accumulated over 30 years, and there are now more than 350 covers - plus the ones that never got printed each with a personal story."

Terry Jones, i-D Founder and Editor in Chief

i-D NOW is a retrospective show celebrating 31 years of i-D magazine at the Red Gallery Shoreditch, until 18th September. It's fully worth the visit to see some amazing covers created by the world's top photographers, stylists and make-up artists. I have always loved the genius concept of the wink face and it was fantastic to see it through three decades featuring super icons of the times such as Kate Moss, Tom Ford and Sienna Miller.

New Blood

Over the weekend I paid a visit to New Blood to browse around the stands of the graduates from all over the country. Naturally I was most interested in Nottingham Trent, a year on from my graduation. Themed on their degree show promotion 'Best in show' their area stood out from the rest with some really fantastic work. I was also a huge fan of the work produced by the Norwich University Graphic Design students. Their stand was plastered with work filled with brilliant ideas, and understandably have won a few awards already!

Wim Crouwel

This weekend I finally had a chance to visit the Design Museum for the Wim Crouwel retrospective - A Graphic Odyssey, now in it's last week. The exhibition captures key moments in his career including the identity for the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam along with his iconic poster, print, typography and exhibition designs. Crouwel's striking designs capture the essence of the emerging computer age of the 60's, but what I found most amazing was how his work hardly feels dated at all.

COCA-COLA

To celebrate Coca-Cola's 125th anniversary, this display has been put on outside of London's Design museum, showcasing the history of its visual identity. The glass tank features the differently shaped bottles from over the years along with some other treats from the Coke archives. I was particularly drawn to the design manuals and the book with photographs of the making of the Coca-Cola neon sign, which was put up in Piccadilly Circus - what i'd do to have a flick through those!

(More: Virtual tour of Coca-Cola archive)

Sony World Photography Awards

Last week I had the opportunity to visit Somerset House for the Sony World Photography awards exhibition. There was a really impressive variety on display, taken by both amateur and professional photographers all over the world. Some images were very thought provoking and others were more light hearted, but all had a meaningful story. My personal favourites were for the London portrait and documentary project taken on the day of the royal wedding, perhaps because it was a day that most of us can reflect on and smile!

(Images: world photo)

Drawing fashion

Last week I had the chance to see Drawing Fashion at the London's Design Museum, showcasing the most exceptional fashion illustration from the 20th and 21st century. The drawings reflect the spirit and style of the time, through Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Pop Art and beyond. Among my favourites were the works of Mats Gustafson, Antonio Lopez (top) and Francois Berthoud. Alongside the original illustrations were copies of the magazines in which they used like the early Lepape Vogue illustrations (I wanted to take them home with me!), film clips of the artists at work and projections of the couture clothes captured in the illustrations. This is the first time this collection has been displayed and is well worth the visit. The exhibition ends 6th March.

(top: Antonio, Lingerie 1966 bottom: Georges Lepape, cover design Feb 1922)

I saw them doing it - 10 collective

Well I made it to the 10 collective exhibition at the Rag Factory despite London being covered in snow! Showcasing the work of 10 LCC MA students who have set up their own studio, the exhibition was of their individual, final major projects.

Speaking to one of the girls, Becky Ford, she told me that they wanted people to see their work from beginning to end, not just a final poster which is all they had room for in their MA show, as a huge percentage of the course involved research and sourcing ideas. The exhibition communicated this well, with 10 'workspaces' lined up side by side, where you could sit and look through their journals, sketch books and posters and get a real sense of their though processes. In the centre of the room was the result of that work. I particularly liked the work of Sarah Boland who's project focused on sustainable fashion and making vintage fashion more accessible to everyone...which actually inspired me to walk into a vintage market off Brick Lane after we left! Her final piece was a beautiful large printed document (pictured below) illustrating how accessible vintage fashion can be, and she also had some goregous sketchbooks which she had made.

I definitely recommend this exhibition, I found it really inspiring to see female graphic designers making a name for themselves and it was interesting to see work which involves such strong concepts and ideas, something I miss about being a student.

I want to see them doing it!

10 Girls Doing it from 10 collective on Vimeo.

I hope to catch the 10 Collective exhibition this weekend at the Rag Factory, Brick Lane, London. It's encouraging to see female graphic designers making a name for themselves, and their introductory video makes an entertaining watch!

LDF

I think it is now tradition for me to visit London for the Design Festival! This year I spent the day in Shoreditch and saw Emerge at The Cube and Gastrotypographicalassemblage at the Kemistry Gallery. Read more here

Maison Martin Margiela

A fascinating exhibition at Somerset House celebrating 20 years of one of contemporary fashion’s most influential and enigmatic designers. I really enjoyed the multi layered element to this exhibition, with various rooms which incorporated garments, installations, photography and film. Graphics for this exhibition were created by Bob Verhelst and Paul Boudens.

Unique New York

I have just got back from 5 incredible days in New York.... Just about over the let jag, heres some highlights:

London Design Festival

Yesterday I took a trip up to London to explore some of what the LDF had to offer...

We began at Trafalgar Square to see the giant chess piece, designed by Spanish artist Jaime Hayon - inspired by English Culture and London City. Then on route to the V&A we stumbled upon the Young Creative Poland exhibition and The Incidental studio where I got to chat to the team members about how they were recording peoples perceptions of LDF.

At the V&A we saw the London Posters commissioned by a number of big designers, as well as Telling Tales - an exhibition of Fantasy and Fear in Contemporary Design, and the Wallpaper* Chair Arch.

Then onto Shoreditch to see the Typographica exhibtion at the Kemistry gallery, and then to Emerge - a selection of talented graduates work. I absolutely loved the work of Richard Carey, definitely some high standards to reach next year - and had an opportunity to chat to some of the exhibitors for some hints and tips! For the exhibition they were set the same brief as the for the London Posters which I saw at the V&A - definitely an interesting comparison between them and the professions...