Have you ever wondered how certain celebrities appear on the red carpet with drastically longer “natural locks” overnight? It is of course thanks to the multi-million pound human hair extension industry.
Where this human hair actually comes from is the bigger question – and one that mostly results in blank stares, until I was introduced to a company that is leading the way with ethical sourcing and transparency. Great Lengths obtain and process human hair in a way that ensures the extensions are “100% Ethical & Traceable”. Their recently launched Setting Fair Standards Stamp provides a mark of ethicality for both stylists and consumers.
The product is sourced in India from temples where people have volunteered their hair as part of a Hindu ritual. A fair price is agreed and revenue from the purchase of the hair is channeled back into the community to be spent on medical services, schools and other charitable causes.
Inanch Emir, an award-winning hair extensions expert whose London salon is on the speed dial list of a number of famous names, says that a guarantee of quality, ethicality and traceability helps to reassure clients. “Both ethicality and quality are important factors for our discerning clientele.”
Great Lengths are seeking to introduce a certification system which will be enforced to raise standards and transparency throughout the industry. UK managing director Philip Sharp says: “We would like to see a UK standard created and upheld which could be likened to the Soil Association’s nationally recognised organic standard…. By creating a clear definition of what ‘ethical’ means and calling for companies to meet those criteria, consumers could then make an informed, educated choice.”
Hair, hair! Let’s hope the rest of the industry follows suit.
Wolf & Badger must be one of my favourite boutiques, online or offline. And they also know how to throw a great party. Designers, journalists, bloggers and customers braved the cold this month to celebrate the lifestyle brand’s second anniversary and welcome an assemblage of new designers to the boutique.
Guests were served rum and citrus cocktails by the Lonsdale team, while listening to DJ Erol Sabadosh’s aural delights. Here’s a small taster of the party:
Clockwise from top left: George and Henry Graham; Prince Cassius; Samuele Serreli, Josh Castro and Sarah Ho of Sho Jewellery; Birgit Marie Smith and Sofus Grey of Smith Grey
Founded by brothers George and Henry Graham, Wolf & Badger was selected by Walpole in 2010 as one of its “Brands of Tomorrow” and has continued to make an impression on influential stylists, fashionistas and retail buyers. It provides a gallery for outstanding homegrown and international design talent – whether this be cutting-edge fashion, striking accessories, one-off jewellery pieces or exquisite homeware – and also offers guidance on marketing, branding, pricing and manufacturing to emerging designers.
Whether you’re after a foolproof Valentine’s gift, a meaningful birthday present or you just feel like spoiling yourself, shopping here ensures a certain je ne sais quoi.It’s another internationally appealing great British brand that we can all be proud of.
The “biennale” is an international concept initiated in Venice to promote art and local tourism. About 200 biennales take place annually across the globe. It is possible to travel everywhere following the dates of the international contemporary art biennales: Venice, Sao Paulo, Sidney, Havana, Istanbul, Lyon, Berlin, Shanghai, Singapore, Athens to name a few.
Now, it is Ukraine’s turn to launch its first one. The Inaugural International Biennale of Contemporary Art – “ARSENALE 2012″, named after the art complex in which it will be shown – will open in Kiev on 24 May 2012 at the National Cultural Art and Museum Complex, Mystetskyi Arsenal. This is the Old Arsenal building, which was constructed in the late 18th century for the Kiev garrison.
“Mystetskyi Arsenal”, Exterior View, Photo: Maksim Belousov
To launch this great project, the Ukrainian authorities have selected British curator David Elliot as the Artistic Director. Elliot organised last year’s Sydney Biennale.
The title chosen for this inaugural year is “The Best of Times, The Worst of Times, Rebirth and Apocalypse in Contemporary Art”. Its central theme is the cyclical nature of contemporary art, exploring how it relates to our lives today and to our continually changing perspectives of the past and future.
In terms of the range of artists, the biennale will bring together contemporary art from all over the world, including Ukraine and the CIS States. It is a great opportunity to explore the Ukrainian vibrant contemporary art market and, in particular, the new generation of contemporary artists previously exhibited at the Venice Biennale and Art Basel.
Ilya Chichkan is a good example of the artists who began producing important works in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Born into a family of artists in Kiev in 1967, he learned to paint with his grandfather, Leonid Chichkan, an art professor and classicist of Socialist Realism, and with his father Arkady Chichkan. A painter and an author of installations, photo and video projects, Ilya Chichkan also founded the “New Wave” Ukrainian Artist Movement that developed in Kiev in the beginning of the 1990s.
“Illya Chichkan and PSYFOX”, Saatchi (2011), Photo: Maksim Belousov
“Part of the ‘Back entrance to the Museum’ project by Illya Chichkan and PSYFOX” (2011), Photo: Maksim Belousov
Nowadays, great attention is also given to the new generation of Ukrainian artists that emerged during the Orange Revolution and who are interested in political activism and “critical” art. One emerging young artist who falls into that group is Nikita Kadan, the winner of the PinchukArtCentre Prize 2011, a private initiative which each year selects 20 nominees under 35.
Born in Kiev in 1982, Kadan graduated from the National Academy of Art and Architecture. He is a member of the artistic group R.E.P. (Revolutionary Experimental Space) and of the curatorial association Hudrada. He is a painter, graphic artist and an author of installations.
“Pedestal. The practice of repression”, Nikita Kadan (2011)
The Arsenale will run from 24 May to 31 July 2012 at the Mystetskyi Arsenal, 10 Lavrska Street, Kiev, Ukraine, 01010. http://artarsenal.in.ua/
The relaxing and intimate ambience created by low lighting, comfortable leather sofas and private rooms at Eight Club – a private member’s club situated in the heart of the City – make it an ideal venue for Willie Christie’s unseen, seminal photographs by British style icons. Guest blogger Elvira Patruno, MvF Managing Curator, gives us an insider’s perspective.
“Limited Edition Collection”showcases a selection of groundbreaking works across fashion, music and film during Christie’s decade as a fashion photographer. A tribute to polished 70s romanticism and emboldened 80s glamour, the show includes, among others, intimate portraits of Christie’s former spouse and one of his favourite subjects – Grace Coddington.
A former Vogue photographer who captured a generation, Christie’s “Limited Edition Collection”signals the first time the photographer has delved into his personal archives to showcase work that has not been displayed for more than three decades, having been rediscovered after 30 years of lying in a drawer.
The glamour and intrigue of film removed him from the world of photography in 1982 and he subsequently started writing and directing commercials and music videos. Musical legends captured by Christie are being showcased at this exhibition, including portraits of David Bowie and Bryan Ferry.
Today a director and screenwriter, Christie has a passion for Hollywood sets and film noir that remains palpable throughout his work. Although his works focus on celebrities and glamour, they invite the viewer to question reality, identity and artifice. Some shots are sexy, polished and subtly sinister; others are sepia-toned and tender with an experimental edge.
The Young Masters Art Prize 2012, a not-for-profit initiative launched by the Cynthia Corbett Gallery, has recently opened for applications. This call for artists coincides with the solo exhibition of Young Masters Art Prize 2009 winners, Ghost of a Dream, at the London Art Fair. Ghost of a Dream’s vibrant and intricate installation, “this is it”, will be on display in Art Projects (boothP3) of the London Art Fair from 18 – 22 January.
“this is it”(detail), Ghost of a Dream (2010), Courtesy of The Cynthia Corbett Gallery
The Young Masters Art Prize serves to recognise newly established artists who combine innovation with an awareness of the Old Masters in their work. In particular, it aims to celebrate contemporary art that incorporates the craftsmanship and technical skill exemplified by the Old Masters. The prize welcomes applications which borrow from a wide range of Old Master artwork, spanning all artistic traditions and time periods.
“this is it”, Ghost of a Dream (2010), Courtesy of The Cynthia Corbett Gallery
The pain-staking and detailed technique deployed in their sculptural installations won Ghost of a Dream the Young Masters Art Prize in 2009. This American artist collaborative, comprising Adam Eckstrom and Lauren Was, use the by-products of popular culture to create artworks which invite the spectator to muse upon personal aspirations and the lure of wealth. Whether it is a romance novel someone reads to transport them into a dream reality, a religious tract promising the glory of eternal life, or a lottery ticket that gives the possibility of a future full of decadence, Ghost of a Dream use these remnants to re-create dreams.
“Project of the Adequacy of the Great Gallery of the Louvre”, Lluís Barba (2010),Courtesy of The Cynthia Corbett Gallery
Other Young Master artists – including Victoria Hall, Jamie Lumley, Charlotte Bracegirdle, Tracy Satchwill, Adeline de Monseignat, Lluís Barba and Karim Hamid – will be exhibiting at the Cynthia Corbett Gallery stand (booth G1) in the main fair.
On 18 January, Adam Eckstrom will take part in a discussion with Godfrey Barker, the esteemed art historian and chair of the judging panel for the Young Masters Art Prize 2012. Godfrey will subsequently also talk to Victoria Hall, Jamie Lumley and Charlotte Bracegirdle. Tickets are available to reserve on the London Art Fair website here.
“Atalanta and Hippomenes”, Charlotte Bracegirdle (2010), Courtesy of The Cynthia Corbett Gallery
For information about the Young Masters Art Prize 2012 contact Annabel Cary, at: info@young-masters.co.uk.
Helping to save the rainforests may not have been one of your New Year resolutions, but a new campaign headed by Vivienne Westwood might persuade you that it should have been.
The ‘No Fun Being Extinct’ campaign by the Cool Earth charity supports impoverished rainforest communities and aims to stop tropical deforestation in its tracks. Founded by Frank Field MP, Cool Earth states, ‘In the next 24 hours deforestation will release as much CO2 into the atmosphere as eight million people flying from London to New York. That’s roughly 100 acres cleared every minute.’
Dame Vivienne has recruited a host of famous friends to the cause including Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss and Lily Cole, and is asking us all to help in saving three of the world’s most endangered rainforests in the Peruvian Amazon, the Congo and parts of Asia.
Since its launch in 2007, Cool Earth has protected over 46 million trees and 2.5 million acres of endangered rainforest. Their ground up approach to conservation and community-led forestry management – ‘working with indigenous communities to make rainforest trees of greater economic value left standing than cut down’ – presents a template for governments to follow.
Cool Earth, (which highlights that only 10% of the £390 million dedicated to the Forest Investment Programme by the Climate Investment Fund almost four years ago has been spent on deforestation), was established as ‘a vehicle to allow ordinary people to leapfrog governments and take immediate action in the fight against climate change by protecting rainforests’.
Dame Vivienne has been working closely with the charity for the last 3-years. “Cool Earth has a plan to save the rainforest. If we don’t save the rainforest forget it! I am personally supporting Cool Earth and investing in our future. I’m inviting anyone interested in saving our beautiful world to join me.”
Sign-up and show your support for Europe’s fastest growing environmental charity via their website: www.nofunbeingextinct.org You can also save as little as 3 trees for just £3!
Brussels has several Art Deco jewels. Among those, the small “Musée van Buuren” is at the top of the list. It is a unique, intimate house located in the residential area of Uccle, full of paintings, sculptures, Art Deco furniture and objects created by Belgian, French and Dutch designers.
These art pieces were acquired by an admirable couple: patrons of the Arts David-Michel Van Buuren – a Dutchman who came to Brussels in 1909 as a young banker – and his Belgian wife Alice. In the early 1930s, they transformed their house into a cultural “salon”. René Magritte, Raoul Dufy, Christian Dior, Jacques Prevert and many others were among their guests. In their beautiful home, built in 1928 in the Amsterdam school style, they organised concerts in the music lounge, ballets in their garden and commissioned various contemporary artists and designers.
The hallway; Image courtesy of van Buuren Museum
The hallway shows a chandelier from the 1920s by Jan Eisenloeffel, a sculpture from the Belgian artist George Minne (a marble sculpture from the same series can be seen at the Neue Gallerie in New York), stained glass windows by the Dutch artist Jaap Gidding, and a rosewood staircase.
A view of the living room; Image courtesy of van Buuren Museum
The living rooms contain, among other things, various carpets designed by Jaap Gidding, inspired by orientalism and cubism, a Lalique vase, a lamp from Belgian artist Maurice Gaspard, silverware from Philippe Wolfers and a piano owned by the famous composer and pianist Erik Satie.
The art collection includes an eclectic range of paintings from various periods including paintings from Fantin-Latour, Gustave Van de Woestyne, James Ensor, Kees Van Dongen. Gustave De Smet, Rik Wouters, Constant Permeke and Paul Signac.
Living room with “Le Berger” from Gustave Van de Woestyne in the background; Image courtesy of van Buuren Museum
The garden is the work of landscape designers Jules Buyssens and René Pechère. It is divided into six different areas, each with its own specific atmosphere. One of them is the Garden of the Heart (jardin du Coeur), designed by Pechère following Alice’s wish to pay tribute to her husband after his death.
The Garden of the Heart; Image courtesy of van Buuren Museum
This wonder is two and a half hours from London by Eurostar. From My City organises private group visits where guests are able to meet with Isabelle Anspach, the museum’s curator, who recently published a book on the house and its garden. Private events can also be organised in the museum. As a fellow of the David and Alice Foundation, I am taking this opportunity to pay tribute to this extraordinary Belgian couple who supported hundreds of artists and students.
We all know that giving is scientifically proven to make us feel good. But while Christmas shopping frenzies heat up the high streets, it’s worth remembering that it’s the gifts enabling others to have a brighter future that create a lasting feel-good factor. A growing selection of inspirational and increasingly sophisticated presents allow you to not only show your affection for your friend, colleague or relative, but also to deliver some happiness to someone for whom this season is far from jolly.
The Send a Cow charity – whose name hints at just one aspect of the work they do – pioneered the concept of giving virtual gifts many years ago. They provide sustainable solutions to poverty, facilitating small organic agricultural ventures and educational programmes that are being replicated time and time again. They work with 16,000 families across rural Africa who want to work their way out of poverty. The results are so impressive that governments have adopted their development system.
SendaCow “Thank You Joe”
SendaCow’s “Pass it on Principle” means that every family who receives livestock, seeds, saplings and training then passes on the gift to another family in need. For every family the charity helps, on average 10 more benefit. It’s one of the most uplifting charity websites I’ve seen and the thanks you’ll receive for your involvement is likely to get you hooked on this progressive philanthropy.
Closer to home, Coram, a charity working with some of London’s most vulnerable children and young people, has developed six virtual gifts that enable you to assist a neglected youngster. A diary and a pen can help a young person in supported housing to find their feet, or you can help someone to get onto the career ladder with the gift of a suit fit for an interview. With all of Coram’s virtual gifts, the recipient also receives a gift card with chocolate coins and information about your donation so you can both see the benefit of helping to give someone a chance in life.
And if it’s fashion that makes you tick, you may be pleasantly surprised by the selection on offer through the Good Gifts Catalogue. You can buy a dress for an African war widow or, for £75, provide two reconditioned sewing machines to help start a women’s tailoring business, paving the way for sustainable employment in clothing and school uniform production.
For intelligent and cheerful Christmas shopping, go online and opt for presents that make a difference – you may find that you’ll never again succumb to buying pointless gifts.
If ever there were a designer handbag to get you excited, it’s one donated by an A-list celebrity to raise vital funds to save children’s lives. The “Bag to Save a Life” online auction is part of Save the Children’s “No Child Born to Die Campaign”, which aims to stop the unnecessary deaths of more than 8 million children every year. Most are dying from basic illnesses such as pneumonia and diarrhoea because they can’t get the treatment they need.
Miu Miu bag donated by Sienna Miller
Led by supermodel Erin O’Connor, an impressive selection of famous faces – including Sienna Miller, Florence Welch (of Florence and the Machine fame), Pixie Lott, Claire Danes and Georgia May Jagger- have donated their handbags or a handbag design for the cause.
Alongside brands such as Longchamp, Christian Kane, Sophie Hulme, Moschino, Bulgari, Armani, Mulberry, Miu Miu and Angel Jackson (a personal favourite), designer donations include an Artmeis Clutch bag by Christian Louboutin, a black patent leather crocodile print MCM clutch complete with a card signed by previous owner Annie Lennox, and a Chanel purse once owned by Tilda Swinton.
Says Tilda: “Bid high! Bid so much higher than you think you will or can! Think of a dicey number and double it. And then double that. No fancy bag can ever carry what your generosity will mean to the children it will help to live. Make this beautiful object truly valuable by investing real money in real life – and carry the evidence with pride.”
The online auction is live on eBay until 4 December, with the starting price of lots set at around a quarter of the bags’ recommended retail price. Money raised from the auction will help to fund health workers’ training and equipment needed to treat sick children in the world’s poorest countries.
You can also show your support for the cause by donating pre-loved bags at any Save the Children store across the UK. Kate Redman, from Save the Children, said: “Give a child a chance this Christmas – see if you’ve a bag you’d be happy to donate to one of our shops or try your luck on our exclusive auction.”
On Friday the Global Angels Foundation hosted a special Christmas event. An awards ceremony and dinner was followed by “Angels in Concert”, which included an impressive selection of international stars stepping up for the cause.
Founded by Molly Bedingfield in 2004, Global Angels is “empowering disadvantaged children and their communities around the world”, with every penny donated going directly to their 100% Projects to help vulnerable kids.
Molly’s children – singers Daniel and Natasha Bedingfield – were joined on stage at London’s Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel by Joss Stone and Leona Lewis among other “angels”. Adventurer and master of survival Bear Grylls also attended alongside John Forte, the Grammy-nominated recording artist, composer, producer and activist.
The event was broadcast via live stream on Global Angels’ Facebook page to more than 4 million Facebook fans. If you missed it, you can learn all about the charity’s work and their high profile supporters in this uplifting short film:
Clockwise from top left: George and Henry Graham; Prince Cassius; Samuele Serreli, Josh Castro and Sarah Ho of Sho Jewellery; Birgit Marie Smith and Sofus Grey of Smith Grey
“Mystetskyi Arsenal”, Exterior View, Photo: Maksim Belousov
“Parasol”, 1977 © Willie Christie
