Street Style By Vicki Carr

Swathe us in Swash



Credit: http://www.swash.co.uk/

 Idol loves Swash’s elaborate prints, graphic finesse and colourful palette. Central Saint Martin’s grad’s, Sarah Swash and Toshio Yamanaka, the design duo behind the sartorial success that is Swash have made their names as the go-to fashion-forward scarf make. Now with a clothing line, Swash’s SS11 collection has stolen Idol’s heart.


Stocked worldwide (in Libertys, Barneys, Opening Ceremony etc.) they take heed of trends – see there seventies flare, but keep their strong distinctive style – using whimsical patterns and eccentric prints. Swash scarfs are silk (sometimes silk and knit) carres (French for Square – the archetypal scarf shape, in case you were wondering…)

Illustrated and colorful, Idol wants to wrap theirs into a turban, tie it around a bag and carry it everywhere.

 

Credit: http://www.swash.co.uk/

 

Credit: http://www.swash.co.uk/



Credit: http://www.swash.co.uk/



By Lucy Morris

East End Film Festival

Tomorrow sees the opening of the East End Film Festival and the celebration of it’s ten year anniversary. Running over 6 days it will showcase home grown British features, documentaries and shorts including Donkeys, the debut feature from Bafta Award short-maker Morag Mckinnon and Kanchi Wichmann’s

Break My Fall amogst a list of exciting debuts. 

Amidst all this Martin Scorcese’s digitally re-mastered Taxi Driver, and a rare screening of the Ken Russell’s controversial 1971 film, The Devils, followed by a Q&A with the director. As well as the film packed programme there will be live music, flash-mob art instillations and industry events throughout the city. Not to mention an all day street party at The Water Poet to celebrate the Royal Wedding. 

Opening the festival is the world premier of The Libertines: There Are No Innocent Bystanders, the directorial debut of prominent music photographer, Roger Sargent. Following the band, all access, from the announcement of their reunion to the weekend of Reading and Leeds festival, it goes behind the tabloid stories to give an intimate insight into the troubled and talented band. 

Read our full interview with Roger Sargent

The amount of events on show is too much to mention so for the full programme of events click here

For more info click here

Image: Phil Maxwell
Words: Emma Hurwitz

INTERNATIONAL STREET ART FESTIVAL

Heading off to the outskirts of Berlin to visit the International Street Art Festival, Oekologisches Kulturzentrum Kesselberg e.V., one imagines some urban outpost swarming with elusive artists bearing hoodies and cans. But once the mission of finding the destination (train, followed by a few kilometres on foot and helped with a bit of hitchhiking) has been dealt with, you find yourself in an ecological community project right the heart of the woods in what was an old Soviet spy base. The last ounce of its Soviet-ness has been replaced by a welcoming, creative group of people who set up an International Street Art Festival in order to decorate their rambling village. So rather than the rude-boys, the “big softies” of the Berlin street art scene had turned up for a rural retreat!

Tucked between two of the buildings, a bit further on from the wood and bicycle workshop, and opposite the music room, was a table standing outside displaying buckets and old plastic vessels containing a multitude of different colours of ecological paints. Following the instructions stuck on the wall you could mix up your own pot of colour, and then select a wall to paint by studying the felt-tip, animated plan of all the buildings and choosing one of the locations marked by a smiley face.

If painting the walls wasn’t for you, the timetable gaffa-taped to the door showed the workshops that were available. Life drawing in the woods, silk screen printing, clowning skills, and other painting based classes run by some of the big Berlin street art names. Everyone staying overnight were instructed to bring their own tents and artist equipment, and everyone was fed from a huge stew of home-grown or organic produce cooked up in the open air and enjoyed together sitting on logs around the fireplace. From the fire circle you can see the mural covering the side of the nearest building painted with three large characters, each by a different artist, unified by the scattering of small figures hanging of the floodlight, being eaten by frogface or just sitting and admiring the view. The pale colours that come from the ecological paint give a light-hearted, child-like feel to the building.

On entering the community itself, the first signs that one encounters refer to children playing and warnings to keep your dog under control, as the chickens roam free. The new murals, along with these notices rustled up using scraps reveal the purity of the lifestyle of the community and what they stand for. Berlin is infamous for its squatting movement, which has been prominent since the 80s and is slowly being crushed out of the city, and here one can see the next stage of this squatting movement. The honest, simple existence in the middle of the woods, bringing together the notorious creativity from the streets of Berlin with the search for a lifestyle that goes beyond the need for a steady income and pension scheme, high-street fashion and mass-produced chicken breasts. This International Street Art Festival is a real piece of the original Berlin mind-set and it is a relief to know that it still exists somewhere.

 By Leen Horsford

Idol Lust

Y-3

With his recent exhibition at the V&A, Idol has been lusting after Yohji Yamamoto. To be specific, it’s really Y-3 we want. Not that we don’t LOVE Yamamoto mainline, but let’s be honest, we’re a lot more likely to be able to afford a piece from Yamamoto and Adidas’ longstanding collaboration, Y-3.

Luxe sportswear, as proffered over recent years by the likes of Alexander Wang, is tailored and refined at Y-3. Soft trousers, structured leather, zips and stripes, the look is clean, sophisticated and wearable. Taking notes from streetwear, Yamamoto adds his signature structural and silhouette play to the collection. Oversized shirts are worn with tapered trousers, sleeveless motorcycle leathers can be thrown over stripes and shorts – Y-3 is edgy cool. 

Credit: http://www.adidas.com/


 

Credit: http://www.adidas.com/




Credit: http://www.adidas.com/



Credit: http://www.adidas.com/

Quite obviously referencing Irving Penn’s famous claustrophobic photographs, the lookbook shots are of the models framed by shadowed corners. Striking, much like the clothes.

The Duchess of Windsor, New York, 1948
Credit: National Portrait Gallery

Credit: http://www.adidas.com/


Having recently opened a shop on Conduit Street, London, Idol recommends you pop in to see the full collection, footwear, accessories and super cute kid’s range!

By Lucy Morris

Topman x Meg Mathews

Former wife of Oasis guitarist, Noel Gallagher, Meg Mathews, is drawing on her Rock’n’Roll heritage for her upcoming collaboration with Topman. 2011 will see the Arcadia group’s leading menswear label, Topman, team up with a variety of designers to produce its news ‘AAA’ range.


Based on the premise that the current Rock and Roll trend is here to stay- Gordon Richardson, Topman Design Director, said ‘whilst we may happen to have a fleeting Rock and Roll trend in store what we needed was a more permanent one with a music DNA that our customer could buy into regardless of seasonal influences. A range that made you feel and look like a rock star.’ It may seem to obvious that the Gallagher-ex offers an instant injection of Rock and Roll, but Mathew’s designs are edgy and irreverent – everything AAA wants to embody.

Drawing on her savvy design aesthetic – Mathews has a successful wallpaper line (sold exclusively at Libertys) and scarf collection – Meg’s AAA line includes range of sheer clothing and skull-adorned scarves.

In muted grey and black, the scarves are enzyme-washed cotton. With intricate Beardsley-style illustrations frayed hems and a rebellious sophistication, Matthew’s designs are indeed, referential McQueens synonymous skull scarfs.

Mathews corresponding clothing line layers and drapes lightweight shirts and fine knits. Named SHEER, the menswear plays with silhouettes and the standardized male form Too, decorated with graphics, but unlike the scarfs, softer with bleeding tones – the clothing is subtle. Modeled by Louis Simonon, the campaign shots are, like the collection, strong and edgy.

Credit: http://www.ana-rchy.co.uk/



Credit: http://www.ana-rchy.co.uk/



Credit: http://www.ana-rchy.co.uk/




Credit: http://www.ana-rchy.co.uk/


Available from the 8t May 2011, online and in selected stores.

By Lucy Morris

Sleeping Beauty Trailer

Last week the much anticipated line-up for Cannes Film Festival was announced, amongst which is Sleeping Beauty, the first cinematic offering from novelist Julia Leigh. As you can see it is far away from the fairytale of the same name, following a beautiful, young university student who becomes embroiled in a dark, sinister world of prositution. 

Emma Hurwitz

Street Style By Vicki Carr

Meek's Cutoff Trailer

Continuing the recent Western revival hitting our screens is Kelly Reichardt's Meek's Cutoff, it stars Michelle Williams, Paul Dano and Bruce Greenwood and was released Friday. Have a little look at the trailer and read our review here

IVAN ARGOTE

Check out Ivan Argote's interview with IDOL here.

Burberry Exotics

Shot by Mario Testino, staring rockstar offspring – Tali Lennox and Tara Ferry and rocking some hard-core skins, Burberry Exotics Spring ad campaign is Idol’s lust du jour. Framed by Brighton Beach, Testino captured the angst of edgy British youth culture and the luxury of Burberry’s heritage with Lennox and Ferry tripping over the pebbles.

Credit: pursuitist.com

Credit: pursuitist.com

Credit: pursuitist.com

Spikes and studs, desert hues and smudged checks ripple against python, leopard and snakeskin. The super cool campaign is headed up by an exclusive video featuring Scouting for Girls.

By Lucy Morris