Did you ever dream about getting your very own YSL evening dress… for free? How about a dozen of them? In Madrid’s retrospective Yves Saint Laurent exhibition your wish can come true… sort of.
Okay, you can’t keep the clothes, but you can keep the faith: yes, „we are living in a material world”, but the guys at the Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent were kind enough to let us all enter the magical world of the Master, who’s pieces of perfection enchanted the fashion lovers for over four decades. Even the famous fans, actress Mena Suvari and pop princess Kylie Minogue would be amazed by seeing such a high concentration of “chic” in such a small p(a)lace.
The Salas Recoletos museum of Foundation Mapfre gives home for the breathtaking exhibition of the immortal fashion dictator, where all the dolls are dressed for success, and all the guys are, well, of course, gay. Just a few corners away from Madrid’s (in)famous gay village, Chueca, 150 original creations of beauty, luxury and art, over 80 hand drawn sketches, classic photos, and vintage fashion videos are showing us the deep impact of Monsieur Saint Laurent on the Universe of couture, organised in eleven thematically set up sections, from Haute Couture to Prêt-a-Porter.
The exhibit, previously presented only in Paris’s Petit Palace, and welcomes all empty wallets and glitter-filled imagination.
The holidays are over, but the real feast is just about to get started. Gigantic “sale” signs all over the fashion metropolises of the world, and the hungry fashion victims are willing to give up all their manners just to put their hands on anything which has a “%” label on it. But not true London bois and gals, who know well: the end of the season brings fresh new blood in the circulation of the charity shops.
Have a look, darling!
Travelling to London there is nothing more stressful than walking in to a fully packed, crowded shopping temple, and try to see trough the mess the sales-hunters built up in the name of the new year resolution: changing their wardrobes, entirely. Well, okay… the chance of meeting Katie Price in real life is actually more stressful, but let’s not be pessimists. Back to style: who wants to wear the discounted stuff, anyways, knowing that it just a matter of time, when will it appear on a stranger on the street in front of us, or – even worse – on one of the party people, rocking your fav club, wearing the exact same outfit as yours. However, no one can leave the Brit’s capital at this time of the year (and any other time, of course) without stuffing a huge bag full of clothing and accessories… it’s London, baby! In the city, where Johnny Rotten, Twiggy, Debbie Harry and Harry Potter are the local heroes, you don’t need to go “bling-bling” to get attention: forget the high streets and get yourself into the much less posh, but much more interesting style-states: charity shops. In the UK the charity shop phenomenon is larger than life and cheaper than dirt: you can dress up from top to bottom, for 22 Sterlings. Walking around East London, from Hackney Central up to Clapton Pond there are five treasure caves, each and every one of them is supporting a different organisation. Civil rights, animal care, homeless issues, and religious foundations are the inspirations for the dedicated volunteers to collect money in these small shops, presenting a wide range of goods: not to be missed vintage stuff from local old peeps, and brand new goodies from youngsters who just didn’t like their Christmas presents as much as they love to do good. True fashionistas must check out the bookshelves as well: fashion photography and illustration albums are often sold for ridiculous prices.
Check out the listing here, and you’ll understand why Oxford and Regent streets are full of tourists, while the real cool Londoners are hopping on bus 38, heading to Hackney with an organic textile bag and a huge smile on their face… almost covered by a “to-die-for” vintage sunglasses. And where did they get them? The answer is always charity shops, my love!
If you‘re crazy for the freaky-yet-beautiful costumes of Björk, and you’re into the surreal pop cultural uniforms of Lady GaGa, you’ll be amazed by this Tel Aviv exhibition. The artworks are examining the symbolism of Judaism and Islam, creating a global phenomenon, using the ever-international language of fashion.
“What would you wish for if you had one chance?” asks Yoko Ono’s installation, an olive tree trimmed with hundreds of little notes about love and piece, written by the visitors of this extraordinary event. She is one of the greatest supporters of the threeASFOUR designer group, formed by Gabi, Adi and Ange, three women with different backgrounds and languages, sharing the same enthusiasm. Beirut, Israel and Russia meets in the exhibition hall of Tel Aviv’s Beit Hair, a community centre and art-playground, where all the walls and floors are covered with well known, re-invented motives of Arabic and Jewish heritage. The mannequins, standing in front of this cultural melting pot-like wallpaper are dressed to impress: some of them look like a tip-to-toe tattoo covered ethnic chic, others are wearing headpieces what Star Wars character Princess Amidala would kill for, and some are „simply“ paved with classic Arabic-style clay mosaics. The collection was already presented on last year’s New York Fashion Week, but there is no question about it how much more it means for all the fashionistas in the underground fashion capital of the Middle East. No doubt: Tel Aviv is the new „it place“ for people who believe in it, that trend is not purely a manifestation of superficiality, but also an amazing way to make a point. In this urban village of white Bauhaus buildings, shiny skyscrapers, old mosques and gigantic synagogues beauty is not an other object to sell, but a conceptual tool to connect us to something what has been forgotten in the Western world: peace doesn’t start in Parliaments and bottle fields. It’s happening in the eyes of the the people who believe in the old phrase: “Love your neighbour as you love yourself.” See it for yourself, and “ma salama”… go with peace.
The InSalaam InShallom exhibition is open every day – except for Shabbats – until the 10th of March at the Beit Ha’Ir Center of Urban Culture, Bialik Street 27, Tel Aviv. Written for The Wild magazine.
