BEAUTY: Clothing--John Alexander Skelton

I have been a fan of John Alexander Skelton for many seasons now. Regular readers know I love clothing that has an historical sense, which can manifest in the silhouette, the patterns and cuts, and of course in choices of color and materials. It is why I love the work of Westwood, Yamamoto, Anne Demeulemeester when she was head of her own house, the swashbuckling collections of Galliano, even Armani in his refined luxury with hints of the past. But the work of John Alexander Skelton is extraordinary. Skelton (previously here--please do take a look at some incredible past collections), who was awarded the Sarabande scholarship granted by the Lee Alexander McQueen Foundation and graduated from Central Saint Martin’s with an M.A. in fashion men’s wear in 2016, references Dickensian/19th-century/Victorian/Edwardian menswear such as frock coats and high-waisted trousers. Because of my past New Romantic heart (here and here), I am of course wild for the Romantic and historical references in his collections, and a signature detail of his is the plethora of buttons on shirts, waistcoats, and jackets. Skelton says he sees buttons as the simplest form of decoration, as a kind of jewelry, so he applies them liberally to pieces. I feel his love and respect for antique English clothing just like Westwood.

Skelton just independently showed another Fall-Winter '25-'26 collection perfectly in keeping with his vision. In an East London church filled with antique English farmhouse tables piled with evergreen  boughs and candles, and with "the air perfumed by scorched yew and mulled cider" according to fashion journalist Mahoro Seward (here), models showed off Skelton's offerings which included some lovely jacquards. Gorgeous work as usual!

https://www.johnalexanderskelton.com/

It's That Time Again...January/February 2025

Regular readers know that twice a year, I blog about all the fascinating, beautiful, mesmerizing, strange, puzzling, outrageous, outstanding, unusual, artistic, inspiring sartorial creations coming out of the exquisite imaginations of designers, and down the runway. Regular readers may have also gleaned that I follow fashion the way some people delve into the art world. I think of "fashion" as "costume" or "performance"--as a way to convey an idea or a concept. I appreciate what some designers do the same way one appreciates what an avant garde sculptor or painter or performance artist does. And in a way, these designers are performance artists. For me, it is not about what is hanging on racks in stores, but what these artists are creating and the ideas and concepts they are working with as an influence on their marvelous creativity. It is moving sculpture. It is theater. Fashion and clothing at this level serve as a kind of visual shorthand. A piece of clothing in the hands of a designer can evoke a place, a region, a country, a specific time or an entire era, a work of art such as a novel or film or painting, a class of people, even a social, financial, or spiritual element... and the combination of such pieces of clothing, as well as their harmony or contrast, can tell a fascinating story.

Here is the season schedule...

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025 FASHION SCHEDULE -- FOR FALL/WINTER 2025-2026

Pitti Uomo
January 14 - 17, 2025
https://uomo.pittimmagine.com/en

Milano Moda Uomo
January 17 - 21, 2025
https://milanofashionweek.cameramoda.it/it

Paris Fashion Week Homme
January 21 - 26, 2025
https://www.fhcm.paris/en

London Fashion Week
February 20 - 24, 2025
https://londonfashionweek.co.uk/

"Angel" by Stella Rose

Wow, Stella Rose (Gahan, daughter of Depeche mode lead singer Dave Gahan) has a gorgeous, powerful voice on this beautiful, tender track, "Angel."

https://www.instagram.com/stellarose_gahan

Haute & Freddy

Now it's time for you to meet Haute & Freddy.

The duo of Michelle Buzz and Lance Shipp are creating a lot of buzz with their fun, New Wave-Electroclash sound, but it's their visuals, described by the band as "very 18th century runaway carnie-coded" that are grabbing fans. I have to say I love it all...

Here is the catchy "Anti-Superstar."

And here is "Scantily Clad" with a fun video. The band says "We always knew it had to be in an old, charming theater and had to be the after party of sorts — post-scantily clad opera house riot, like the cast ran back to their little theater and made fun of the whole uproar together."

https://www.instagram.com/hauteandfreddy

"Renegade" by Doves

I will confess that while Doves have been around for decades now, they have not been on my radar...but this song...something about it...I just can't let it go. The seasoned, masterful vocal rendering a weary lyrical sense, the rich sound, the almost psychedelic feeling of swirling melody...

Far from the crazy scenes on pavements down below
Far from the hopes and dreams of crashing out too low
And you walk out that door then you’re walking out forever

And you ask yourself are you living in a dream?
Piccadilly Gardens selling dreams on giant screens
And as you make for the door this time you’re walking out
…out forever

So the rain falls down and nothing lasts forever…
If you could have only seen what I’ve seen …with your eyes
then you will know that everything expires….

Oh Renegade

Far above the mayhem where we’re told we live the dream
Piccadilly Gardens, the same old sorry scenes
As you walk out the door
Then your walking out, you’re out forever

So the rain falls down
And nothing, lasts forever
And If you could only see what I’ve seen…with your eyes
Then you’ll know that everything expires

Oh Renegade

Far from the hopes and dreams, of crashing out so low
Far from the hopes and dreams, of falling down below
And the rain falls down
But nothing ,last forever
And you know that everything expires….

Oh Renegade...
Oh Renegade

https://dovesofficial.com/

It's Time For A Perspective Shift

“Time is tricky. You have whole months, even years, when nothing changes a speck, when you don’t go anywhere or do anything or think one new thought. And then you can get hit with a day, or an hour, or a half a second when so much happens it’s almost like you got born all over again into some brand-new person you for damn sure never expected to meet.”
--E.R. Frank, Life Is Funny

“You see the beauty inside everything. It doesn’t last long—it’s either gone in a minute, you just caught it, or else maybe it’s something so big that you normally can’t get your head around it. Like the fog in your head clears out. The world stops being a puppet show and you see the real thing. It’s probably like that all the time, but you just can’t see it, except for those little glimpses.”
--Janet Fitch, Paint It Black

“I’m grateful for anything that reminds me of what’s possible in this life. Books can do that. Films can do that. Music can do that. School can do that. It’s so easy to allow one day to simply follow into the next, but every once in a while we encounter something that shows us that anything is possible, that dramatic change is possible, that something new can be made, that laughter can be shared.”
--Jonathan Safran Foer

"I Don't Know Ya" by Ray Bull

Out of nowhere comes Ray Bull. This duo of former Cooper Union art school students, Tucker Elkins and Aaron Graham, started making music together with no musical training. But just listen to this melody, the lovely vocals and vocal quality, and those lyrics...wow, fantastic.

https://raybullstudio.com/

BEAUTY: Papier-mâché--Bernie Kaminski

Artist Bernie Kaminski's chosen medium is papier-mâché, and he creates delightful artifacts from the 70s and 80s...and I recall them all. I really love his medicine cabinets and the sight of a can of Arrid Extra Dry (with the cheesy silhouette of a man and woman facing each other) and a box of Contact cold pills (with the graphic of a magnifying glass on a capsule) fills me with tickling nostalgia. I also really  love the Tektone home intercom (we never had one in our homes, but I had lots of friends who had them mounted on the walls of their bedrooms), the Princess phone, and the Brim coffee cup ("Fill it to them rim...with Brim!")

Bernie Kaminski does not have a dedicated webiste but he has an IG page:
https://www.instagram.com/berniekaminski/

"New York, London, Paris, Munich..."

After all these years, M (the nom de musique of Robin Scott) has posted a video of his 1979 Top of the Pops version of "Pop Muizk." Seeing it through a 2025 lens, and seeing the cast of characters on stage, and the fact that they are wearing photo I.D. badges like he did in the original official video here (as though they all must show their key cards to enter the studio), it is clear to see that Scott was ahead of his time as this is actually some genius conceptual performance art...

https://www.facebook.com/robinscottuk

BEAUTY: Cermaics--Döppel Studio

Döppel Studio, the design duo of Lionel Dinis Salazar and Jonathan Omar are showing their "Néophore" project at the Paris art space ToolsGalerie until January 11, 2025.

ToolsGalerie says Döppel Studio "is interested in the shapes of antique jars and amphorae and their reinterpretation as luminous containers through the use of terracotta and a specific enamel. The light source becomes the essence of the reflection: like a material to be transported, it guides the shape of the container, inspires new uses and new objects. This work of contrast between light (here Neon) and terracotta leads Doppel Studio to collaborate with Aliénor Martineau of Alma Mater, a ceramist specializing in the manufacture of enamel based on natural minerals, to design a custom enamel that is sensitive to light. Between amphora, lamp and container, the exhibition invites you to discover a collection of atypical pieces that highlights through the object, as much the use and measurement systems of the first civilizations, as the cult of Prometheus (fire) and obviously, light, crossing or overflowing, as a material in its own right."

https://doppelstudio.fr/
http://www.toolsgalerie.com/

Ice Hotel 2024-2025

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The annual Ice Hotel built from actual snow and ice every year in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden has been open for a few weeks now. And every year, the design for the hotel as well as each of the rooms is different! Participating artists and designers come to sculpt and craft the suites into works of art that one can sleep in. This year's line up has some cosmic, lyrical concepts as well as some designs specifically related to the region and the Sámi people...

ART SUITE ÁHKU FÁHCAT
DESIGN ELISABETH KRISTENSEN

Áhku Fáhcat means "grandmother's mittens" in the Sámi language.

This art suite is made in honour and celebration of knitting, of the sami colours and craft, and of all the knitting mothers and grandmothers who have created these joyful patterns and mittens.

When entering the room the first thing you see is the Ákhu - the grandmother - sitting on a stone knitting. Inside the stone, is a mitten in the negative.

MAIN HALL QUASAR
DESIGN WOUTER BIEGELAAR & VIKTOR TSARSKI

A black hole, millions of lightyears away. Attracting everything around it. All that is drawn to it will emit light.

"Quasar" features a binding centrepiece tying all surrounding elements together to one place in time. Giving light so everything it attracts; the flow of the Torne River, the dancing aurora and infinite memories.

The Main Hall of ICEHOTEL 35 - Quasar - pays homage to the 35 years of ICEHOTEL, and everyone that have been involved with it over the years. Celebrating all the amazing work and time spent on his place. Friends, art and memories that still exists and will exist beyond our timeline and now, lightyears away.

ART SUITE ANTIQUE MYTHS
DESIGN IEMELIANENKO VIACHESLAV & BOGDAN KUTSEVYCH

The theme of the ancient greek heroes are more relevant than ever. The fight between good and evil, the search of light in the darkness. Following the right path The suite traces the line of ancient Greek myth.

There is Prometheus, giving light and protecting the people. And Atlas, supporting the firmament. Then there is Odysseus and the Minotaur. Throughout the room you can see motifs, fragments of ancient ceramics.

The ancient Greek themes continue to be relevant today as they provide foundational concepts and enduring inspirations across various domains of modern life.

CEREMONY HALL GAIA'S BLOOM
DESIGN LISA LINDQVIST & KATE MUNRO

"Gaia's Bloom" gives a glimpse of a frozen paradise, overflowing with a vibrancy of life and celebrating the ancient goddess Gaia.

The room is designed with a whole wall of opulent, oversized flowers in an otherwise simple room. Peonies, honeysuckle, roses, daffodils and bluebells all intertwine to create an abundant and opulent revelry of nature, joy and love.

The complex, delicate and decorative details are held in a strong symmetrical design, giving an overriding sense of balance, calm and simplicity. The forms are lit both from within and without, creating a multilayered spectacle of petals, leaves, shadows and light.

ART SUITE CHANGE THROUGH TIME
DESIGN ROB HARDING & TIMSAM HARDING

"Cutting into the pure beauty of a raw block of ice always felt a bit like cutting down a tree to create a sculpture, and we have always wondered how to avoid that feeling and to make something that honours them for what they are."
- Rob Harding & Timsam Harding

ART SUITE COME WARM UP
DESIGN ISABELLE GASSE & JOELLE GAGNON

"Come Warm Up" is an immersive experience, where you will be situated inside a black-capped chickadee's nest. Gigantic titmice will take care of you while you contemplate the majestic winter landscape through the windows.

This art suite has been inspired by the little birds that often go unnoticed; resourceful creatures that can resist the extreme northern cold, huddling and squeezing together in their nest. Just as humans would to survive the cold weather.

Here, you are transported into a raw experience, surrounded by the textures of nature and soothed by the gentle forest breeze and smell of burning wood.

The soundtrack playing in the room has been composed by Louis-Antoine Pelletier, from Quebec.

ART SUITE FLIGHT
DESIGN LAURA MARCOS & CORALIE QUINCEY

The elements of this art suite consists of two parts. The lower part where rigid parts dominate, and the more fluid upper part consisting of curves and birds.

The lower part is a reassuring construction, creating space for meditation with the bed as the central piece. The pillars that rise from it are, instead of closing into arches, transformed and released into the sky as birds.

The birds that soar towards the sky are symbols of solidarity as well as freedom.

The structure remains open at the top, as a burst of hope for the future.

ART SUITE GIVE US A KISS
DESIGN CARL WELLANDER & MALENA WELLANDER

What if nature puts on an act every time we step outside the door?

Maybe all the animals out there are just like you and me. They only want to live a decent life and enjoy the company of others.

In this art suite, you step into the vision of what happens in the Swedish woods when we are not there. "Give Us a Kiss" is a celebration of life, art, and above all love!

ART SUITE HIDEAWAY
DESIGN PIEKE BERGMANS & PETER DE WIT

"Hideaway" is made completely out of ice and snow. It is a natural, quiet and peaceful place. A cave, a shelter, a protected space where you can retreat.

Here, time and space meet. At first you see a white void, and then large stone-like shapes appear. Shapes that rest shoulder to shoulder, or balance on each other and find an equilibrium.

With so many things going on in the world, this is a place where one can come to a standstill and just be.

ART SUITE ICE KILN
DESIGN JAEYUAL LEE & DAEHO LEE

"ICE KILN" is an art suite inspired by the elegance of traditional Korean pottery kilns, especially the moon jar. The suite's design blends ancient craftsmanship with modern architecture, offering a unique blend of heritage and luxury.

Echoing the kiln's graceful contours, "ICE KILN" pays homage to the serene form and milky glaze of the moon jar. The suite invites guests to immerse themselves in the timeless beauty and cultural significance of Korean Pottery, celebrating the moon jar's legacy in a stunning winter display.

ART SUITE NÄCKEN
DESIGN TJÅSA GUSFORS & SAM GUSFORS

You are invited to a meeting with the magical underwater world of the Nixie.

The Nixie is an aquatic creature, living next to streams and dangerous bodies of water. He appears as a beautiful young man, and a certain sign of his presence are waterlilies. With his seductive violin-playing and supernatural force he can lure both children and young women down into the deep waters, singing and playing his magical songs.

Fall asleep in a bed surrounded by waterliles and parts of the Torne River. Let yourself be rocked to sleep by seductive music created by the artists of the suite.

ART SUITE YESTERDAY'S TOMORROW
DESIGN CORBAN WARRINGTON & DANIEL AFONSO

"Yesterday's Tomorrow" explores how our futures might have appeared, had we persisted in designing the world with the aestetics and principles of the Art Deco and Streamline Modern movements. These movements emerged during the machine age, blending the industrial practicality with elegance to create a sleek, sophisticated and efficient design aesthetic.

Emphasizing smooth curved lines and horizontal symmetry, they aimed for an aerodynamic and minimalist appearance in everything from cars and trains to buildings and home appliances.

Through this lens, "Yesterday's Tomorrow" offers a glimpse into what our world could look like if we had continued to embrace and apply the principles.

ART SUITE ZIG AND ZAG
DESIGN NICOLAS TRIBOULOT

"The shortest path is not always the most beautiful. I love the idea of meanders, curves and convolutions. Of seeking and facing challenges.

It's possible to get from point A to point B simply and quickly. But isn't it more exiting, interesting, richer in encounters and surprises to be guided by desire and chance.

ZIG and ZAG is the story of my life. Sometimes I love it, sometimes I hate it. Sometimes easy, sometimes hard. It is strange, amusing, funny. Ups and downs. The parallel paths, hand in hand. A piece of life together for the better. For love, friendship and pleasure. To create, to help, to uplift each other.

Simply live your life in ZIG and ZAG."

- Nicolas Triboulot

You can visit the Ice Hotel until April...when it starts to melt!

https://www.icehotel.com/