Today turned out to be a rather nice winter Sunday in London. I love doing something a bit cultural on a Sunday and Somerset House just by Covent Garden is one of my favourite destinations for exact such an occasion on a Sunday. This weekend I went to see the Isabella Blow exhibition with my friend Suz.
If you grew up
and live in England and love fashion then you have most likely heard of the
legendary Isabella Blow.
"Fashion is a vampiric thing, it's the hoover on your brain. That's why I wear the hats, to keep everyone away from me. They say, 'Oh, can I kiss you?' I say, 'No, thank you very much. That's why I've worn the hat. Goodbye.' I don't want to be kissed by all and sundry. I want to be kissed by the people I love."
Well for those of you who haven’t, here is how Vogue sums up her
life: “Born Isabella Delves Broughton in 1958, she was a fashion editor, consultant, muse and nurturer of young fashion talent in her lifetime. Blow was renowned and admired for her extrovert dress sense, red lipstick and a hat. To many, Blow embodied English eccentricity. She was also renowned for her unique ability to spot and nurture design talent; she discovered many of the British fashion industry's leading figures such as Phillip Treacy and Alexander McQueen. Blow famously bought McQueen's entire graduate collection for £5,000, and began supporting him and his talent in any way she could. Blow had suffered from depression all her life and in the years leading up to her death in 2007 she attempted suicide numerous times. After drinking week killer Blow died in hospital on May 7 2007.“
After Blow’s death, her sister
wanted to auction of her collection of Blow’s clothes at Christies, which was
later cancelled as Blow’s close friend Daphne Guinness bought the entire
collection. A 100 pieces of Blow’s rather big, eccentric and astonishing
collection of clothes, accessories and, particularly, Phillip Treacy hats of
that collection is now on show at Somerset House. The exhibition is run in in
partnership with the Isabella Blow Foundation and Central Saint Martins, and
celebrates Blow’s “the extraordinary life and wardrobe of the late British
patron of fashion and art."
Not only was the exhibition
beautiful but also contained just the right balance between learning about
Blow’s life and her sense of fashion. There were some extraordinary pieces in
the exhibition and it really made me think that I should experiment with my own
style a bit more. A standout piece for me was Blow’s Pop Art Lip Hat also
designed by Phillip Treacy. My other favourite part was the huge prints of
Stella Tennant and Plum Sykes, both of whom were discovered and used by Blow in
various fashion spreads she produced for Tatler and the Sunday Times Style
magazine.
Take your time for the exhibition so that you can truly appreciate all the pieces of clothing and the hats as well as watch the numerous little video clips and fashion shows throughout the exhibition. It was a thoroughly enjoyable cultural thing for a wintery Sunday afternoon.
The exhibition just opened and
runs till the 2nd March 2013. Prices are: £12.50, £10 concessions, £6.25 on
Mondays. More information on the Somerset House website!