Many years ago I co-ordinated an exhibition for the Wellington City Art Gallery, as it was then known.
The latest CdG collection has me thinking about it. I think you'll see why.
Yes, the wonderful hats and poufy puffball type dresses.
This collection is called 'Landscape of Shadows', and Rei Kawakubo is quoted as saying "I needed to take one breath in the monochrome serenity."
The collection has a strong Victorian feel to it, what with black cloaks, white cotton and ballooning crinolines, and I really like the evocative shadowing behind the models.
One reviewer related some of the collection to the abstract expressionist paintings of Franz Kline. Mmm, interesting.
Here's the video of the collection, if you are interested. Like I said, I love the lighting work.
The wonderful hats are from Ibrahim Kumara, stylist and editor-in-chief of Dazed. A new name to me, so I researched him and came across this interesting interview. He comes across as a nice, gentle guy, maybe kinda shy, and he's doing so well for himself!
The link takes you to a SHOWstudio video of the interview. Just scroll down a bit to view it.
Some of the images, especially this one, have an element of Jack the Ripper. It's the cape, the hat, fog/mist/light and shadow effect.
If interested in such a subject, this video is worth viewing.
and Abraham Lincoln.
If you have an interest in Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the versatile Victorian engineer, this is a link to a very good panel discussion, led by Melvyn Bragg.
Jack Dawkins, the Artful Dodger, was described by Dickens as follows
The above drawing is by John Tenniel, the illustrator of the original editions of Carroll's novel.
Peake began his illustrative work on 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' in 1946, which was just after his experiences as a war artist. He had spent time at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where he painted prisoners on their death beds, just after the camp had been liberated by the Allies. Much of this experience fed into his drawings.
and I just have to make this connection with my previous blog, seeing as I am mentioning Ralph Steadman. I'm sure you'll get it.
Viktor & Rolf.
Christian Lacroix and Stephen Jones, milliner.
Karl Lagerfeld.
This link to 'AnOther' site has an interesting article about Alice and the Adolescent. It connects with the V&A exhibition.
Adolescent Alice was struggling to control her emotions. She wanted to become so small, like she'd totally disappear, with only her clothes left on the chair. All because that Matron told her, in front of everyone, she would be having a helping of rice pudding and she would be eating it, ! Wait till she got back to the bathroom!
Sarah Mower described the hats in the above CdG collection as "rakish stovepipe hats" Rakish is defined as slightly disreputable quality or appearance, as well as dashing/jaunty.
What's the difference between a top hat and a stovepipe hat?
The stovepipe hat is taller than the top hat. The top hat is flared at the top where it connects to the crown, so the cylinder of the top hat is wider at the top than it is at the bottom. The stovepipe is straight. The top hat is considered more elegant than a stovepipe hat.
Two famous men who wore stovepipe hats with aplomb,
Isambard Kingdom Brunel,
I love those giant chains behind Brunel.
What about giant textile chain necklaces?
This is Abe Lincoln's actual hat, and I believe those are his actual finger print smudges.
A link, which provides other interesting information concerning Lincoln's stovepipe hat,
Who else springs to mind regard this style of hat?
The cute Jack Wilde playing the Artful Dodger. (I think his is actually a top hat.)
"He was a snub-nosed, flat-browed, common-faced boy enough; and as dirty a juvenile as one would wish to see; but he had about him all the airs and manners of a man. He was short of his age: with rather bow-legs, and little, sharp, ugly eyes. His hat was stuck on the top of his head so lightly, that it threatened to fall off every moment—and would have done so, very often, if the wearer had not had a knack of every now and then giving his head a sudden twitch, which brought it back to its old place again. He wore a man's coat, which reached nearly to his heels. He had turned the cuffs back, half-way up his arm, to get his hands out of the sleeves: apparently with the ultimate view of thrusting them into the pockets of his corduroy trousers; for there he kept them. He was, altogether, as roistering and swaggering a young gentleman as ever stood four feet six, or something less, in the blushers."
A cool video tribute to Jack Wilde's Artful Dodger, accompanied by fabulous Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation". Shakes up the Oliver musical, just a bit.
and of course...
'Mad Hatter', who Lewis Carroll actually referred to as, 'The Hatter'.
The term "mad as a hatter' pre-dates Carroll. It relates to the use of mercury in hat making. Mercury was used to cure the felt needed to make hats, and the inhalation of its fumes over a period of time often gave the hat maker mercury poisoning, thus the term, 'mad hatter'.
Does this character of Carroll's represent the unpleasant sides of human nature?
I am not sure, it seems to be more the tragic consequences of many activities human beings undertake, in ignorance or innocence, or both! Asbestos/cigarette smoking pre-1970/thalidomide/ what else?! Marie Curie radium....
Here's some interesting information concerning John Tenniel's illustrative career.
I grew up with the Mervyn Peake illustrations. It is only decades later, I realise what value that is.
Here is Peake's Alice, on that sleepy afternoon.
The Hatter and White Rabbit, plus little Dormouse. Hasn't White Rabbit got an incredibly self-satisfied, greasy look on his face!
I think Ralph Steadman made that comment about The Hatter representing the unpleasant sides of human character..
This site will show you some of the amazing artists, who have illustrated Lewis Carroll's novel over the past 156 years.
Fantastic artists, and I never knew Yahoi Kusama provided illustrations for Alice's adventures! In fact, do click on that section, as it is a fascinating visual expression of the story.
https://lithub.com/20-artists-visions-of-alice-in-wonderland-from-the-last-155-years/For the December 2003 American Vogue, Annie Leibovitz photographed a shoot based on Alice's adventures.
Her photos included the model (Natalia Vodianova), the garment and the designer of the garment.
Marc Jacob.
The Victoria and Albert Museum currently has an exhibition going, ' Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser'
Here's the link to the site, and away you'll go...down the rabbit hole. Fun!
When you go down a rabbit hole, you have no idea what you are going to discover!
I have gone journeying, and I have discovered Anna Gaskell, an American photographer, who produced a 'wonder' (1996-97) and an 'override' (1997) series, in which she photographed girls acting out stories, which embodied characters reminiscent of Wonderland Alice.
The girls are dressed in matching garments and are often shown in ambiguous and ominous situations. It is quite deep stuff! The concept is the girls acting out "the contradiction and desires of a single psyche, while their unity is suggested by their identical clothing, the mysterious and often cruel rituals they act out upon each other may be metaphors for disorientation and mental illness." Quite a transformation of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland!
I have created an 'Adolescent Alice' piece.
I became interested in the 1966 BBC production, 'Alice in Wonderland', directed by Jonathon Miller
This link should enable you to view some of this production. Alice is so good at that toss of the hair!
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7sv63h
This is my summer t-shirt take, expressing a tromp d'oeil effect, which I stitched on my sewing machine. The buttons were not easy!
You can watch some snippets in this video
A link onto aspects of the musical, great images, and if you have ever seen a Robert Wilson production, you will view the images on this site as very Robert Wilson.
And, just one more interesting article relating to Alice's adventures and what is revealed about the brain.
Comme des Garcons 2009 Fall collection was called 'Wonderland', and quote RK, "where nothing is as it seems."
Trompe l'oeil (trick of the eye) was a feature of the decorative embellishment. Soft tulle was another strong feature
My own take on the collection, stretch mesh over a skirt of cool streak-dyed, like tie-dyed, velvet, and could be furnishing velvet at that!
This dress is described as "CdG Blue Grey sheer mesh gingham Alice in Wonderland dress."
I would love to see a whole Wonderland shoot featuring various CdG clothes.
Here is someone's take on this idea
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| Alice |
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| The Queen of Hearts |
And of course, there are so many wonderful ballets, like The Washington Ballet's 'Alice (in Wonderland!)'
But, what about Robert Wilson's 'Alice' opera, a collaboration with Tom Waits and Paul Schmidt.
The Thalia Theatre of Hamburg commissioned it, after the success of their first work with Wilson, 'The Black Rider'.
'Alice' is a musical work about Lewis Carroll, his obsession with the young Alice Liddell, and Carroll's confusions between dream and reality.
This documentary is worth viewing, if interested.
This is a video of another production of the musical, not the original Thalia Theatre one, but still fascinating stuff!
Victor & Rolf's, (who feature above), Couture Fall 2016 had a ring of 'the hatter' to it, maybe even "Artful D.'
Pirelli's 2018 Calendar focused on the theme of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The photographer, the highly imaginative Tim Walker wanted an original angle, which he delivered using an all-black cast of people from the worlds of fashion, film, music and social activism.
Thando Hopa is the first albino woman to feature on the cover of a Vogue magazine.
She is a strong and inspirational advocate for the non-discriminated rights of albino people.
This link will take you to a powerful and articulate speech she delivered through a video world economic forum.
Photographer Justin Dingwall has a project going, which he hopes will enable people to overcome any prejudices they may have towards albinism. Thando Hopa is both his muse and his inspiration.
Mad Hats.
Again, years ago now, I undertook a hat project with a class. The brief related to New Zealand summertime, and the skills involved: hat construction, hat patterns and adaptions.
Lots of fun.
Another pair of mad hats, my 'Easter Egg Bonnets'. They are meant to express broken egg shells with the white and yolks spilling out.
Marist Day celebration occurred a couple of weeks ago. On Friday morning, I arrived at school to this environment!
It's Amanita muscaria, commonly known as fly amanita, and is considered one of the most iconic toadstool species.
https://www.sheruknitting.com/models-of-crochet-and-knitting/kids-patterns/1689-mushroom-hat.html
Talk of mushrooms...what about this poster...very trippy!
It inspired me, so I created my own Amanita muscaria beret
And one of my Yr.9 students was inspired by the same mushroom for her skirt project. She presented a great page in her book, expressing the concept involved. Love it!
'A Tour of Mushrooms: The Art, Design & Future of Fungi.'
SLTSLTBsigning off.
Last, but not least, my take on the Fall 2021 CdG collection.
I just had to make my own stovepipe hat! Already had a top with lace puff sleeves, and a skirt with a cool circle silhouette.
It's all about fun and the scenario conjured up.
Well, what do you know, turned on Kim Hill this morning, and there she was, talking with a guy about mushrooms, and what they have to offer. Great timing!