Review- from Catwalk to cover- A Front Row Seat at the Exclusive Fashion Textile Museum in London
There can be only one place to visit in the next couple of months ahead. The amazing experience of The Fashion textile Museum has opened the eyes of people from all walks of life to visit the spectacular work of catwalk photographers, backstage to front row and not forgetting street style from around the world.
The museum is located on Bermondsey Street an industrial area of London’s south Bank with lots of potential. Rhodes found the opportunity to dedicate it to the global fashion industry of modern times. Walking towards the museum I could sense an aura of a cultural corridor leading to wonderfully vibrant pink and orange painted building. Also surrounded by cafes, restaurants, hairdressers and pubs make the area even more welcoming. It’s in a hidden part of London; only by word of mouth such an event would be known which has a greater sense of exclusivity.
As the Fashion Textile Museum says - “The catwalk show is a relatively recent phenomenon in fashion history. This exhibition enables us to reflect on its evolution as well as the power of the technology to capture the moment and allow everyone to take their own seat in the front row.”
"The innovative educational work that we have developed together now has a secure future here at the Fashion and Textile Museum. I look forward to championing the many exciting initiatives that will form part of this work in the coming years". Zandra followed on to say.
"Zandra Rhodes is a perfect champion for skills development in Fashion, Textiles and Jewellery in London, She is not only herself a product of the further education system but she has gone on to achieve the very highest accolades and levels of success. Her dedication to educational work through the FTM, which she established in 2002, has been exceptional,” says Newham College principal Martin Tolhurst. (1998). Also referred to as a champion, Zandra has accomplished a huge amount during her time in the fashion industry.
“The moment when a show transcends clothing and a designer’s vision becomes a cadence of true beauty ~ that’s what I enjoy seeing on the catwalk,” says Jefferson Halk (Co-founder of Dazed & Confused). The build-up to the entrance was almost like a catwalk in itself. From the moment of walking into the narrow corridor added heightened expectations once in the main hall everything became clear. The music was more noticeable and the décor was airy and fresh.
Lighting played a great part in the setup of the exhibition ~ this definitely reflected what Hilary Alexander (Fashion Director, Daily Telegraph) said. “Being in the front is like a thousand-and-one-first nights, a seat at the opera, the ballet, and the theatre. When the lights go down you never know what you are going to see “Encore.”
The first attraction which appeared to catch my eye was the transparent hangings from the ceiling. Hung from invisible wiring the transparent sheets of photography were elegantly hung in an organised staggered row ~ the thought of being able to weave through images gave me the creativity to connect with each image.
The brightness of the museum had a great effect on the overall layout. The spotlights draping from the ceiling and black empty frames hung to the side added to the atmosphere. The spotlights tied in well with street theme which followed and attracted visitors upstairs.
Elegantly framed images were on either side of the main exhibition area, ~ featuring designers such as Dior, Galliano, McQueen and Theirry Mugler just to name a few at their very best. 14 mounted pictures on the wall, 9 mannequins all without shoes except for one.
On the upper floor the first thing I noticed was the dark celling which felt like I was entering somewhere exclusive such as a VIP area at a bar. Diffusers were hanging from above, which gave a studio appearance. As I continued to stroll around, I came across a stack of old televisions-with images of models. At first I walked straight past a stack thinking it was something to do with museum maintenance, the fact that it was part of the layout didn’t cross my mind straight away. The way in which the televisions were stacked made it look authentic ~ the old boxed tellies gave the impression of an edgy aura. On the other side of the museum shiny white backdrops with images from various designers and echoed a photography studio. Arranged around the backdrops were chiffon curtains which added to the light and airy mood. Staggered in the centre part of the room were boxes – with magazine articles pasted on the front of each box. This observation was very creative as the articles that were relating to what was being presented in the box made it more interesting to look at. The elegance and the placing of these display boxes looked exclusive; it was all about Prada in this display
Created and designed by the Ricardo and Victor Legorret the building was once an old cash & carry. The cleverly designed warehouse conversion featured the main exhibition hall, a textile studio, a printing workshop, a café/shop and private quarters on the two upper floors.
The exhibition was curated by a photographer ~Dennis Nothdurst, therefore its focal points are based on four indispensable photographers. Just to name a few ~ one of the first famous featured photographers is Kristin Sinclair, who’s a successful fashion photographer best is known for her fashion shooting documentaries and celebrity pictures. For the past seven years she has attended shows held in New York, Paris, London and Milan. She has shot at the top international shows. Much of her work featured in magazines such as British Elle, Vogue, Grazia and collections not forgetting her online presences.
Shortly after completing her BA Hons in fine Art, Kristin moved to London in 2001. Gaining her experience through working with photographers helped her get where she is today. Anthea Simms was the first professional photographer Kristin worked for. Seven years along the line Kristin decided to carry on shooting documentaries at shows and along with private events for the likes of Miss Selfridge, Louis Vuitton and Arcadia.
Chris Moore has got to be one of the most well- known fashion photographers in the UK. Chris Moore launched himself in fashion at the tender age of 18 as a photographer’s assistant at Vogues in-house studio. Working alongside Cecil Beaton and Norman Parkinson in the 1960’s he focused on Ready to wear collections in London, Milan the New York in 1980’s. His work was displayed in thick black frames, with individual spotlights above each picture. The way in which Moore’s captured every image was incredible. Moore’s work played a huge part in the exhibition and was definitely worth coming to see.
Be warned if you are into the journalism or editorial side of things, you might not be that impressed. FashionBite blog said - “If you’re entrenched in the fashion world, you may find the descriptions a tad obvious but as an introduction to the various aspects of the catwalk show it’s very good. And if you are entrenched in the fashion scene, it’s worth going to see for all the amazing images.” It’s still a must-see exhibition as there are lots of quotes from the photographers, journalists and designers organised around the hall. I must admit I did enjoy taking my time to read all of them as it gave me a real insight into what it’s like to be involved in such shows- a feeling of rawness to sum it up!
