Northern Ballet's The Great Gatsby

                                      

On Monday I was lucky enough to spend the evening at Leeds Grand Theatre watching a ballet! And this wasn't any old ballet, but a dance adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Not having been to a ballet for years I was slightly worried about the lack of dialogue and the thought not being able to understand what was going on. But thanks to a sneaky look at the programme during the interval I managed to keep on top of who's who.

From the start it was easy to become completely immersed in the story. The simple but dramatic floor-to-ceiling set was like a work of art and I longed to step inside it and become part of the glamourous decadence of the 1920s. The costumes also deserve a mention. Glamourous dresses perfectly captured that 20's essence and complimented the flapper-style dancing. Although I'm no ballet expert, for me this was a perfect production. Beautiful, escapist, dramatic - I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who'll listen! 

  Northern Ballet's production is touring the UK until 18th May.

                         

Tell Me A Story

I've been meaning to write about Tim Walker's 'Story Teller' for some time now. I treated myself the book as an early Christmas present, but it's only thanks to the snow that I've finally had time to mull over and absorb these beautiful pictures. The sheer size of the book means that it's something to leaf through lovingly with a huge mug of tea. 

An except from Tim's scrapboo

One of the aspects I found most interesting was the inclusion of Tim's scrapbooks which give an idea of the thought-processes behind his work. It's amazing to see how he gathers ideas, notes and newspaper clippings, all which become the foundation for his photography. Whilst first and foremost a fashion photographer, Tim Walker takes inspiration from topics as diverse as vintage cars and climate change. 

Model Stella Tennant in Givenchy

I love the way that despite using high-fashion couture from the likes of Givenchy (above) and Vivienne Westwood, these photographs create images which are timeless and removed from our modern-day world. The over-sized backdrops and set pieces of old houses, WW2 aeroplanes, doll-like girls and Diaghilev-style ballerinas provide their own space and time of pure escapism. Spend time with these pictures and you'll be rewarded with magical worlds fit for hazy daydreams and bedtime stories.

Tim Walker's take on stripes

'Story Teller' is the accompanying book to Tim Walker's current exhibition at Somerset House, ending on 27th Jan.

I really hope I get the chance to catch this, I saw his 'Pictures' exhibit at the Design Museum way back in 2008 and was amazed, so I really hope I don't miss out on this! As you can probably tell I could go on all day about this photographer but I'll leave you with one of my favourite quotations from the book.

"When you're a fashion photographer everything is contrived from the start. Nothing is real. So what you're trying to do in this fake world is to make a real moment happen by installing genuineness into the artifice."

Tim Walker

Biba and beyond

A few weeks ago I managed to catch the 'Biba and Beyond' exhibition in Brighton before going back up north for Uni. I'm so glad I went to see this, I love Biba and 1960's/70s fashion but this was even better than expected! Barbara Hulanicki grew up in Brighton and it was fascinating to see how she grew from humble beginnings to conquering the world of fashion - as well as illustration, interior design and make up! She truly is one talented lady.

The exhibition was brilliantly done by the Brighton Museum & Gallery, which is just a stone's throw from the architectural amazingness that is the Royal Pavilion (another must-see of Brighton). There was such a wide range of clothing on display, from mod-ish peter pan collars to romantic medieval dresses with billowing sleeves. There were so many items I wanted to raid! 

Here's a few of my favourite snaps from the day...

beautiful fashion illustrations

a beach outfit

My absolute favourite dress (ever!).

There's still time to catch this wonderful exhibit. I'd wholeheartedly recommend this for anyone with an interest in fashion history. Just make sure you visit 14th April!

*all photos my own