FASHION GALORE!
By Daniela Bonetto
Isabella Blow was born to stand out. Although part of the world of British aristocracy she was always one to stand out. Isabella’s thirty year career began in the early 80s as Anna Wintour’s assistant at US Vogue. On her return to London in 1986 she worked at Tatler, British Vogue, the Sunday Times Style. Just by looking at her any mere mortal could see that this individual was completely driven by a passion for creativity. The exhibition showcases over a hundred pieces from her incredibly rich collection, one of the most important private collections of late 20th Century/early 21st Century British fashion design, now owned by Daphne Guinness. This includes garments from the many designer talents she discovered and launched, such as Alexander McQueen, Philip Treacy, Hussein Chalayan and Julien Macdonald amongst others.
Curated by Alistair O’Neill with Shonagh Marshall and designed by award-winning architectural firm Carmody Groarke, with installations by celebrated set designer Shona Heath, the exhibition displays thematically the breadth of Isabella’s collection, a life lived through clothes. The exhibition has been divided into sections and includes her Background, Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy, the Countryside (which Isabella absolutely adored), her Outfits & Style, Isabella at Work/Head & Feet, and finally her Legacy.
Supremely the highlight of the exhibition is Isabella at Work/ Head & Feet. Taken from Isabella’s owns words: “Tip: Always accentuate the head and the feet”, this part of the exhibition looks at the importance that hats and shoes played in her life- she was rarely seen without a McQueen outfit, Treacy hat and Manolo Blahnik shoes. This section also features one of Isabella’s most famous and successful shoots with Steven Meisel for British Vogue December 1993 entitled ‘Anglo Saxon Attitudes’ featuring Stella Tennant, Honor Fraser, Plum Sykes, Bella Freud and Lady Louise Campbell, the first time any of them had graced the pages of a magazine, showcasing Isabella’s eye for spotting talent.
Daphne Guinness said:
“This exhibition is, to me, a bittersweet event. Isabella Blow made our world more vivid, trailing colour with every pace she took. It is a sorrier place for her absence. When I visited her beloved clothes in a storage room in South Kensington, it seemed quite clear the collection would be of immense value to a great many people. I do believe that in choosing to exhibit them we’ve done the right thing – and that it is what she would have wanted. I am doing this in memory of a dear friend, in the hope that her legacy may continue to aid and inspire generations of designers to come”.
20 November 2013 – 2 March 2014
Embankment Galleries, Somerset House
Somersethouse.org.uk
