Halina Mrozek, No title, 2010, from Fuse series, photography: Keymo, make-up: Katarzyna Skupny, model: Ida, image source: MOCAK webiste

MOCAK – Museum of Contemporary Art in Cracow – presents Between Sculpture and Fashion, an individual exhibition by Halina Mrozek, a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow.

The exhibited works present the artist’s interest in the juxtaposition of art and fashion.

In her works, the artist depicts different psychological profiles of an individual, bringing into play her experience as a sculptor, which, here, results in works reminiscent of fashion creations.

The exhibition opened on 7 September and runs until 30 October 2011.

The New Craftsmanship: Iris van Herpen and her inspiration is an interesting exhibition presented by Centraal Museum in Utrecht. The exhibition brings together Iris van Herpen’s creations and designs by other contemporary artists who have inspired her or with whom she has collaborated – such as the milliner Stephen Jones. Her work has also been juxtaposed with the art of the past, like the 18th century gold leather wall decor or the 17th century work of goldsmiths Adam and Paulus van Vianen.

Iris van Herpen, famous for her craftsmanship as well as her use of innovative techniques and materials such as metals or plastics, has won numerous awards. She designed the dress worn by Björk on the cover of her single Crystalline.

Her intricate designs are made mostly by hand, however, she has also made use of the “rapid prototyping” procedure, and the viewers can witness the actual 3D printing process at the exhibition.

Iris van Herpen has collaborated with people from different fields – for instance opera or theatre. The New Craftsmanship also presents the costumes she designed for the German production of the opera Madame Butterfly and for the Synthetic Twin dance performance.

Maison Martin Margiela store in Brussels.

Here is a nicely designed postcard and a poster I got at the Ann Demeulemeester Antwerp store.

The design on the poster corresponds with the pattern used on some of their clothes this season.

As always, beautiful, simple, and romantic.

I was looking forward to the 4th edition of Arnhem Mode Biennale 2011 since the 2009 edition and it was worth the wait. The main location was at the old AkzoNobel factory, and although I expected a little more happening outside, the inside was full of surprises. The exhibition starts with incredibly beautiful sounds composed by Nico Muhly. Next is the darkness and the olfactory experience of Amber, the fragrance created especially for the Biennale by Six Scents, diffusing into the air. Both the music and the scent are part of the ATMOSPHERES section, which also includes illustration, photography and moving images.

The next section is ELEMENTS – represented by designs by Maison Martin Margiela, BLESS, Nicholas Kirkwood, and Inge Grognard & Ronald Stoops. The Nicholas Kirkwood installation made in collaboration with the Keith Haring Foundation was especially attractive.

Various concepts of universe envisioned by the fashion designers and their inspirations were showcased in the VISIONS section. One of my favorite installations was by A.F. Vandevorst – a sleeping candle wax girl, melting right in front of your eyes during the Biennale. I also admired the monumental installation by threeASFOUR, and the concrete canvas structure of the Siki Im installation made in collaboration with Winka Dubbeldam (Archi-Tectonics). The look of moving images projected onto the clothes in the Suno installation made in collaboration with Luke Gilford, and the Rodarte designs turning day into night also made a lasting impression.

Different exhibitions, installations, and events were taking place in the Arnhem city center. I liked the Annemarike van Drimmelen & Anouk Griffioen exhibition at the Humanoid store.

Arnhem Mode Biennale 2011 appears to be an exercise in collaboration, and it was done perfectly.

The hallway filled with music composed by Nico Muhly

One of the six notes of Amber

Fine photography presented by CAPRICIOUS

Fashion in Film installation – walking between the scenes from various films projected onto hanging panels made of fabric

Amie Dicke installation – foundation is sprayed on the furniture, covering more and more…

Maison Martin Margiela – “Wig Top”

Nicholas Kirkwood in collaboration with the Keith Haring Foundation

BLESS

Prologues – various designers. Purple dress by Valdimir Karaleev, Berlin (A/W 2011)

Left: Raf Simons installation in collaboration with Pierre Debusscherre

This video was quite hypnotic

Suno, in collaboration with Luke Gilford – moving images are projected onto the clothes

Rad Hourani

Damir Doma

Rodarte

Iris Van Herpen in collaboration with Benthem Crouwel Architects

A.F. Vandevorst – a girl made of candle wax, melting during the course of the Biennale

“Resonance” – a monumental installation by threeASFOUR based on sound frequencies

Prada – installation made in collaboration with OMA/AMO

Juun J.

Klavers van Engelen

Siki Im installation in collaboration with Winka Dubbeldam (Archi-Tectonics) – the space ship-like architecture of a blazer’s pattern. I loved the feel of the material used for the construction of this installation, it is called concrete canvas.

Ann-Sofie Back – in collaboration with Bengt Sjolen

Amber Cafe

A.F. Vandevorst installation at Jones Arnhem boutique in the city center

Annemarike van Drimmelen & Anouk Griffioen exhibition at Humanoid in Arnhem city center

Amber magazine

A few weeks ago I went to Antwerp to see Unravel: Knitwear in fashion – the new exhibition at ModeMuseum.

The exhibition addresses different time periods and important decades of knitwear in fashion, from knitted garments and accessories from last centuries to the latest iconic high fashion pieces.

Everything presented at this exhibition is worth spending a moment of reflection and admiration – from 19th century hosiery and golden lurex stockings (1960-1970), to beautiful stockings designed by A.F. Vandevorst, and from 1920′s knitwear, to Dirk van Saene’s woolen sweaters with trompe l’oeil motifs, and Maison Martin Margiela’s sweater made from army socks.

Especially intriguing was the ‘Sculptural Knitwear’ section showcasing hand-knit masterpieces by Sandra Backlund, Yohji Yamamoto, Bruno Pieters, Romeo Gigli, Romian Brau, and Maison Martin Margiela, and the ‘Unravel’ pieces – represented by creations by Mark Fast, Iben Hoj, Rodarte, Ann Demeulemeester, Jurgi Persoons, and Raf Simons, amongst others.

Unravel: Knitwear in fashion at ModeMuseum will be open till August 14.

The twinset is represented by woolen twinset with permanent creasing by Maison Martin Margiela, and by Pringle of Scotland’s twinset designed by Tilda Swinton for the 195 Collaboration Project (Tilda Swinton’s design was inspired by the first twinset that she borrowed from her grandmother’s wardrobe):

Rotterdam-based Phat Knits designed a scenography piece for the exhibition – an oversized gradient knitwork in the entrance hall:

Photography by Anuschka Blommers, Niels Schumm and Uta Eisenreich

Arnhem Mode Biennale 2011 is almost here – and its muse is Amber.

The 2009 edition was such a fantastic, well organized, and beautifully presented event, I am hoping for an equally memorable experience this time around.

Here is what Arnhem Mode Biennale says about the upcoming fourth edition and about its title:

The fourth edition of Arnhem Mode Biennale is named Amber and from 1 June until 3 July we are in search of her true identity. To personify a phenomenon as multilayered and complex as fashion is not without its complications, but considering the traits we normally associate with fashion, it is perhaps not so farfetched. Fashion is mysterious and seductive, touching our hearts by creating the illusion of an alternate world. As an immediate reflection of the society we live in, fashion shapes our identity. To get to know Amber, is to learn more about yourself.

The fourth edition of Arnhem Mode Biennale opens on June 1, and includes exhibitions, presentations, workshops, and lectures centered around three locations in Arnhem.

The main exhibition, presented in an old industrial plant, will showcase designers such as Prada, Maison Martin Margiela, Rodarte, Damir Doma, and A.F. Vandevorst who were asked to show a selection of their garments and also design their own ‘habitat’ – an installation presenting their own universe, created by each of the designers.

Pop-up stores (such as Antwerp-based Ra – the cult concept store/gallery/cafe/bookstore), workshops, and many other events were designed to let the visitors experience the relationship between fashion and the city.

Some of the participants are: Bless, Iris Van Herpen, Jil sander, Nicolas Kirkwood, Nico Muhly, Ohne Titel, Preen, Rad Hourani, Raf Simons, Six Scents, and Fashion in Film Festival, among many, many others.