COLLECTION & ARCHIVE Gallery

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‘THINK PINK!’

Autumn Winter ‘23.

I started working for Zandra Rhodes in 1995 and have been in and out of her studio ever since on various collaborations and projects. On her 80th birthday we spoke about her legacy in print-making, fashion design and in culture. Making future plans we decided the first thing to do was to inventory her huge collection of work, artefacts, folders, drawings, fabric and press-cuttings – going back to the mid 60s. I have been working on this over the past 3 years and this collection was devised to showcase a few of her vintage printed fabrics. Euclidean shapes allow the prints to do the talking.

‘PLUS ÇA CHANGE’

Spring Summer ‘23.

‘Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose’ or ‘the more things change, the more they stay the same’ was made in response to angry debates on gender pronouns. The designs and visuals that accompany this collection found their inception in the pages of ‘Idols’ book of portraits shot in the early 70s by Gilles Larrain. Throughout my life I have seen my friends and peers invent and re-invent gender and beauty, and throughout my life I have seen conservatives invent and re-invent rage and anger in response – as if it’s any of their business! Why care?!

‘INTERNATIONALLY COMPOSED SYMPHONIES’

Autumn Winter ‘22.

This collection was made to be worn in the dark. Made with very few materials: sheet crin, diamanté chain and silk flowers – wired to create beautiful, three-dimensional shapes. We photographed and filmed them on a model wearing a black ‘morph-suit’ leaving just the sparkling shapes, floating in the Infinite.

The faded, dreamlike glamour of the images put me in mind of the yearning recollections of Marylin and Royce (if you know; you know), and the collection was named.

‘Palm Springs’

Spring Summer ‘22.

This collection had a variety of inspirations: 60s Palm Springs kitsch, Ikebana flower arranging, crystal sparkles and Chinatown souvenirs. I wrote a little story, during a heavy gale, to explain how these disparate, random elements could have been thrown together…

“Rupert goes to Japanese flower-arranging evening-classes in the village hall, run by Gloria (President of the Palm Springs Floral Society 1963 - 1967), dropping off Trixie on the way, who’s taking the opportunity to go for a vajazzle at ‘RazzleDazzles’ before she collects their order from The Golden Dragon Restaurant & Take-Away… but Storm Eunice hits town and takes off the roof; flinging all and sundry out into the high street for all to see..”

‘Triptych’

Autumn Winter ‘21.

This experimental collection was about making a series of headpieces that a number of them could be worn at once, creating ever more outlandish, layered shapes and structures. Lockdown masks, visors, veils and face-coverings layer up and incrementally transform into otherworldly regalia.

‘APRès nous; le déluge’

Spring Summer ‘21.

Ever more disgusted by the distribution of wealth across the globe and, closer to home, by British politicians, I acted out my revolutionary fantasies, taking a leaf out of the Jacobins’ book. The ignorance and excesses of The Wealthy, allegedly, inspired Louis XV to prophetically quip ‘Après nous; le déluge’ well before the dam finally broke…

‘GRAPHIC DESIGNs’

Autumn Winter ‘20.

I quite like this assortnent of random styles we had in the studio; some samples, old styles revamped and various experiments, After we had taken the photographs (enhanced with unnerving sound-effects on Instagram) I was struck by the graphic impact the hats made against the blue silk backdrop and blond wig – giving the collection its theme.

‘all the rage - Act III’

Autumn Winter ‘19.

The Final Act of All The Rage takes place after the final curtain call, out by the Stage Door: the actress has peeled off the costume, wig and make-up and applied her public persona.

I couldn’t stop thinking about leopard-print and BLACK so revisited a third time, but this time down to the bare bones, fallen feathers and beetles.

Luna brought a copper wig and lip, and we applied black to her teeth after the ohaguro beauty regime of ancient Japan. The images have a cold, monastic air – and were the first photographs I lit and shot for a long, long time.

‘all the rage - Act II’

Spring Summer ‘19.

All The Rage – Act II takes the dreams of Act I and throws them centre-stage. Working again with Luna; she transformed herself into a fabulous mammal – red in tooth and claw – popping up in the undergrowth to display, lure, threaten, observe, hide and hunt. All the drives embedded deep in our DNA, barely reigned in by taboo and culture.

Ania and Philip built this fabulous forest in the studio and my old friend Leigh Keily returned from LA again to shoot the collection.

‘all the rage - Act I’

Autumn Winter ‘18.

A dark collection, with flashes of brights, in black felts and leopard-print, with ostrich feather pompoms and laser-cut veiling. The collection is a work-in-progress and explores the idea of the natural world hiding patiently in the shadows, waiting for a great danger to pass, to creep back out; red in tooth and claw. The collection was photographed on Fashion Media & Promotion students at UCA Rochester, celebrating their personal achievements and individuality.

‘dragon’s gate’

Spring Summer ‘18.

This collection was inspired by a tale that originated in Ancient China and spread to Japan. The story celebrates faith and perseverance, leading to a singular transformation that takes place at The Dragon’s Gate; the triumphant scaled carp, having swum upstream for 100 years, becomes the scaled Golden Dragon. I found this legend very motivational. Waterlilies, dragons and golden carp decorate a variety of summery hats photographed on Luna; a highly creative individual who works with fashion, make-up, pose and prose to create a multitude of identities online. I was so thrilled she created one for me for this project. We printed a lookbook inspired by Japanese ink paintings.

‘GET ME OUT OF HERE!’

Autumn Winter ‘17.

A sombre toned but comically addressed collection that takes us out of this world, into the unknown, in a last-ditch attempt to achieve contentment. The season was presented alongside a collection of Instagram posts in the form of a countdown. News, gossip, warmongering, profiteering, trash and consumerism have poisoned the ‘world’ so time to jet off and find a new one. Choose your passengers carefully; I was reminded of Douglas Adams’ brilliant theory on the origins of humankind on Earth in his brilliant Hitch-hiker series.

‘This Little piggy went to market’

Spring Summer ‘17.

This collection is about capitalism vs. creativity. It’s a struggle. I wanted to explore the commodification of our lives, our bodies, our personalities: The Meat Market. I love this collection; it swings from highly commercial and attractive designs in beautiful nude (fleshy) tones, but is mixed with highly UNcommercial styles that tell the story from a different perspective.

‘Legs’

Autumn Winter ‘16.

This collection is a fusion of themes and projects that had been keeping us occupied in the studio. From our observations and dreams of the grand catwalks of Paris, to a lovely project on beetles, bugs and spiders inspired by iridescent Swarovski jewels. To end we’ve included some styles we made for The Elephant Ball in London; a huge charity event, supported by HRH Prince Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall, looking at endangered species all round the world with a focus on the Asian elephant. We looked at the tentacles, fins, spines and grabbers of the inhabitants of the Great Barrier Reef – and photographed them in UV light.

‘Midnight Cowboy’

Spring Summer ‘16.

This collection is a fusion of themes and projects that had been keeping us occupied in the studio. From a project we did with Hasbro and My Little Pony to work inspired by a trip to the Joshua Tree desert in California. I was stunned by how remote and harsh the environment is and what an endeavour it must have been for the immigrant Europeans pushing ever Westwards. The collection begins with some dark floral occasion pieces with dynamic flashes of bright colour and line.

‘Gloriana’

Autumn Winter ‘15.

I was very inspired by colour and texture in this collection; looking through the lens of the 16th Century. I wanted to look at the subtleties in texture and colour of pale, natural, unbleached and organic materials like silk and cotton and how layering and light could affect them. I have always loved the ‘black and white’ / ‘heavy and light’ fashions we see in Elizabethan and Flemish 16th Century portraiture. I worked again with Zandra Rhodes who printed on silks and organzas and even on the materials we use to block hats.

From this I wanted to look at the importance of colour – so easy for us to take for granted. The Imperial Purple, shocking Blood Red and the fiery orange of Queen Elizabeth’s signature hair. That’s the ‘nice’ bit. There is underlying threat, gore and paranoia in this collection; pomp, drama and posturing. The reactionary responses to differences between classes, religions and beliefs in modern times reminded me of the horrors , betrayals and uncertainties we can only imagine during the time Elizabeth took the throne. A warning.

‘THE GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS’

Spring Summer ‘15.

In gardens, beauty is a by-product. The main business is sex and death.

- Sam Llewelyn

The quote says it all. We are so romantic about gardens and flowers and yet they are reproductive organs on full display; meanwhile vines creep, weeds strangle, leaves smother, grubs nibblie, bees sting… I return often to the polite veil we draw over the survivalism of nature; red in tooth and claw. This time it’s green in root and leaf.

I had been working with Cathy St Germans, Michael Howells and Sarah Mower at Port Eliot Festival in Cornwall with its magnificent gardens, terraces and greenhouses – all in a romantic state of approaching dilapidation. The sunny days and pungent nights were a welcome break from the distractions of the city.

This is the last of the third triptych of collections looking at mindfulness and reflection. From childhood impulsive needs, wants and desires to the blind, egomaniac, grabbing ‘now!’ of consumerism, we finish here with a thoughtful, wise, tolerant and nurturing theme that incorporates, guides, and encourages the untameable and creates a garden.