Metamorphosis

Been away from my blog for a while- just busy busy sewing for the spring wedding  and race season and when I'm not sewing I have been wrenching cloth samples from the jaws of my new dog Rosie. 
     
I have been watching the brilliant progress of team GB from the comfort of my sofa but I braved the crowds in London this week to get to the outstanding new exhibition Metamorphosis at the National Gallery. 
     
This is a unique collaboration between the National Gallery and The Royal Ballet combining the work of three contemporary artists, costumes and sets for three ballets all based on works by the Venetian artist Titian. 
     
Chris Ofili, Conrad Shawcross and Mark Wallinger together with a group of choreographers, composers and poets have come together to create a response to three of the master's most famous works-     Diana and Callisto,    Diana and Actaeon and    The Death of Actaeon, which were themselves based on Ovid's poem     Metamorphosis.      Each artists' work can be seen along side the paintings. 
     
Chris Ofili response to Titian's work is perhaps the most traditional. He has created a series of  large and colourful paintings, which concentrate on the master's curvaceous figures and echo the overtly sexual nature of the paintings, which comes through in Ofili's colour and shapes but he subverts the classicism of the originals by giving them distinctively Trinidadian backdrops. 
     
Conrad Shawcross is a sculptor and produced a robot  to represent Diana. In a glass case the robot can be seen moving seductively towards an antler it has carved. 
     
The final piece by the conceptual artist Mark Wallinger was definitely the most unusual and uncomfortable.  'Diana is about watching and being caught in the act...' Wallinger explains, and he has created a locked room with tiny peepholes for you to view her if you dare. It's brilliant! 
     
The exhibition also has a few costumes from the ballets and a wonderful series of films documenting the rehearsals for the performances. 
     
I really enjoyed this show; I only wish I had seen the three ballets based on Titian's extraordinary and beautiful masterpieces.

A Piece of Magic ….. is a Hat

A big thank you to all those who attended our recent exhibition at the Cambridge Art Salon and to those who made the event such a great success. For those who missed it, below are a few photos taken from the exhibition.

Millinery Exhibition - Cambridge Art Salon, 3rd - 15th May

A feast for the eyes awaits visitors to the ‘Cambridge Art Salon’ where the works of three bespoke milliners is being exhibited between 3rd – 15th May – offering an exclusive preview of their 2012 couture collections.



‘A Piece of Magic ….. is a Hat’ celebrates the creative flair of Karen Lewis, Sandra Belgrave and Daniel Pilecki – presenting an exquisite display of designs ranging from beautifully fashioned fascinators, elegantly sculpted headpieces, – and eye-popping statement hats.



The exhibition promises a dazzling array of couture creations from Cambridge Milliners – Karen Lewis and Daniel Pilecki – the former, drawing on her extensive experience of working with luxurious textiles – to produce sublime ‘jewel-like’ highly coveted hats, while Pilecki evokes the glamour of Hollywood with a series of show-stopping sculpted designs – proving imagination holds no bounds.



Joined by London based designer – Sandra Belgrave with a range of city slick, cutting edge – Ladies and Men’s Hats – with her signature twist, the exhibition will have hats for every occasion – many of which will be for sale.



Ladies need look no further if seeking inspiration for a head-start in this summer’s fashion stakes.



Magic indeed!


Opening Times

Mon-10am -5.30pm

Wed-10 -5.30pm

Thurs-10 -5.30pm

Fri-10 -5.30pm
Sat-10 -5pm
Sun-10-5pm

Alternative Fashion Week, Spitalfields Market, London

Hi everyone,  I’ll be running a stall at the Spitalfields Market Alternative Fashion Week on Thursday 19th and Friday 20th

http://www.spitalfields.co.uk/dspevent.php?name=ALTERNATIVE+FASHION+WEEK

Hope to see you there!

Karen

New designs for 2012

Just added a few of my new hat designs to the website. Why not take a look!

New designs

'Style and Subversion'

On a very quick trip to the Victoria and Albert museum last Friday I managed to catch the Postmodernism exhibition 'Style and Subversion' 1970-1990.

Postmodernism is a movement in architecture that rejected modernist avant garde passion for the new. Artists and designers from this period wanted to create modern designs with a hint of classical forms from the past. After the modern age (post) its a step back to the past to create something even more modern.This movement rapidly influenced all areas of popular culture including art, film, music, graphics and fashion.

I wasn't sure if I would like the show, I thought it may be a bit retro and '80's but I found it very interesting particularity the use of collage in some of the work. I loved seeing the Leigh Bowery costumes from the Michael Clark shows and an outfit from Vivienne Westwood's 'Punkacture' collection. There was a real mix of work that created an exciting show and it was enjoyable visiting this era again.

New dress code at Ascot

Some interesting articles in the press today about the introduction of a new dress code at Royal Ascot which states;

"Hats should be worn; a headpiece which has a base of four inches (10cm) or more in diameter is acceptable as an alternative to a hat"

Daily Telegraph: Royal Ascot to tighten dress code

The Guardian: Royal Ascot pins down hat guidelines

If you'd like to discuss your own individual requirements for ladies day and ensure that you don't fall foul of any Royal Enclosure dress codes, please get in touch! When commissioning your hat, I am always happy to discuss colour and fabric preferences to achieve the perfect look for your outfit.

Contact Karen