London | Quite Continental

Victorians of the Desert

13/03/2013 § 5 Comments

Photographer Jim Naughten‘s amazing portraits of the Herero people of Namibia are currently on display at Margaret Street Gallery in London, as part of an exhibit called “Conflict and Costume,” which you definitely should not miss, should you be in the area. It looks to be an exceptionally thought-provoking examination of the intersection of colonialism, culture, tradition, fashion and identity. The beautiful portraits, starkly posed against the barren Namibian desert, closely focus on the tribe’s unique costume — Victorian era dresses for the women, German paramilitary uniforms for the men. Adopted from their colonizers, and slowly personalized with ethnic textiles and the “cow horn” headdresses you see on the women (the Herero people are pastoralists and place high value on their livestock), the Herero tribe honors their warrior ancestors by continuing this sartorial tradition to present day.

Luckily, for those of us unable to make it to London,
you can purchase Naughten’s book here.

Jim Naughten: Conflict and Costume
Runs through April 13, 2013
Margaret Street Gallery
63 Margaret Street
London
W1W 8SW

**UPDATE** I’ve just been alerted that there is a simultaneous NYC Naughten exhibit at the Klompching Gallery in Brooklyn, running through May 4, 2013! In fact, the opening reception is tomorrow night (Thursday, March 14, 6 to 8pm)! Considering that the price for me to view these portraits just dropped from a transatlantic flight to subway fare, there’s no chance I’ll be missing them!

Jim Naughten: Conflict and Costume
Klompching Gallery
111 Front Street, Suite 206
Brooklyn
11201

Dior Illustrated: René Gruau and the Line of Beauty

23/12/2010 § 1 Comment

While I was in London, I had the good fortune to catch the René Gruau exhibition at the Somerset House. If you are able to make it there before it closes, you must go! Gruau was a renowned fashion illustrator who was a creative collaborator and close friend of Christian Dior. Gruau’s campaigns for the Dior perfumes are among his most notable work as an artist. Gruau’s style was modern, elegant and frequently a bit mischievous. His haute couture illustrations for the pages of magazines like Marie Claire, Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar changed the way that fashion designers and their designs were publicized. Today’s fashion editorials owe a deep debt to illustrators like Gruau.

Unfortunately photography was forbidden inside, but the Somerset House has posted a brief film about the exhibition, which is the first showing of Gruau’s work in London.