I’m having a War-And-Peace-a-thon, and won’t post again till I’m finished

OMG it’s a War-And-Peace-a-thon!

As in, I’m reading War And Peace.

War And Peace!

It’s basically like a whole season of Dynasty scripts, with names not that much more complicated than Dominique and Krystle.

I’m on p368.

It ends at p1224.

I’m not posting again till I get there.

ClLIFFHANGER!

Will I ever get there?

Here’s what I’m really reading, obvs.

Oh look. Prada in NY have already got the AW13 frilly ruffle shirts. Oh look. I’m buying one

Prada in SoHo have already received some autumn/winter 13.

That’s autumn/winter in May.

Oh look!

The frilly ruffle shirt.

OMG it’s so Sir Les Patterson!

Obviously I’m buying it.

The ruffle is temporarily stitched on.

Hello, ruffle!

The pieces are here early so that there’s something razzy in menswear to coincide with Prada and Catherine Martin’s costumes from Great Gatsby, on display in the store.

Here are my favourites. ie the ones that are most Prada.

This one.

And this one.

OMG Catherine Martin just walked in the store!

How jolly!

HANDBAG WATCH: a thorough, scientific survey of the handbags seen in 53 minutes at Frieze NY

*****HANDBAG WATCH******

+++A thorough and scientific survey+++

<<<<Of handbags>>>>

===Literally===

OMG let’s do a HANDBAG WATCH!

At Frieze NY!

Starting.. NOW!

[53 minutes later]

OK…. STOP!

Count them.

Please.

THE RESULTS OF HANDBAG WATCH AT FRIEZE ART FAIR NY

HERMÈS: 21. [Mostly Birkins. Often gangs of women, all with Birkins. Hermès was everywhere at Frieze. Everywhere]

CÉLINE: 16 [It almost seemed like Cèline would overtake Hermès. More diversity in styles too. But Hermès beat them. Sorry Céline!]

CHANEL: 13 [Though one of them looked fake so possibly 12]

PRADA: 7

LOUIS VUITTON: 7

And absolutely no LV Yayoi Kusama bags.

Not a single one.

Nada.

ISSEY MIKAKE: 7

STOP…

Recount…

SEVEN?

No.

Count again.

OK.

Continue.

ISSEY MIYAKE: 7

NO…

But yes…

Frieze was full of them.

Those funny tessellated triangle bags.

And each one was a different shape, so it wasn’t like I kept bumping into the same woman.

Most were carried by ladies d’un certain age.

Obviously.

And most were in black.

But wait!

What’s this?

A younger woman.

With one in yellow.

*shudder*

OK.

Continue.

BOTTEGA VENETA: 6

GOYARD: 4

Isn’t it funny how boring Goyard looks now?

So boring.

Move on.

GIVENCHY: 3

SAINT LAURENT: 2

WHAT WHAT WHAT?

YES YES YES!

Saint Laurents at Frieze already.

One woman with a Duffel.

One woman with a Betty.

Saint Laurent!

Oh but wait.

What’s that over there?

Ohgod.

One of those old YSL bags that look like the bag of bagpipes.

So that cancels out one of the new Saint Laurents.

New score please.

SAINT LAURENT: 1

BALENCIAGA: 2

OMG that’s a low score for Balenciaga…

OMG!

Shocking…

What else?

PROENZA SCHOULER: 2

MARNI: 1

GUCCI: 1

And…

A whole heap of other ugly I didn’t even take note of.

END OF HANDBAG WATCH!

But wait…

What about men?

MEN’S HANDBAG WATCH!

BOTTEGA VENETA: 2

PRADA: 2

LOUIS VUITTON: 2

Oh.

Not really that many.

Most of the men there were bankers. Suits. Loud voices. No bag.

Men that had bags mostly had cloth bags.

Oh well.

What’s that though?

OMG!

IT’S LITERALLY HAPPENING!

A MAN IS WEARING A BELT WITH A BIG DOUBLE G BUCKLE!

GUCCI BELTS STILL EXIST!

OMG!

More more Frieze NY: Prem Sahib, and more Eddie Peake

Here’s some Prem Sahib amazingness on Lorcan O’Neill’s stand.

Close up, from the side.

Lorcan’s got more Eddie Peake too.

Inconvenient Erection.

A jolly smiley.

Pas De Deux.

A marble dog.

Oooh and Lorcan’s got this Prem Sahib image too.

Jolly!

More Frieze: Haroon Mirza, Karla Black, Liam Gillick, Cary Kwok, John MacEnroe’s back and a big pizza

First look at Frieze NY: Eddie Peake; Paul McCarthy; Steven Claydon, Tino Seghal

I’ve just got to Frieze NY.

Already feels different.

Like NY-ers know what to do here.

First piece found – a Paul McCathy balloon dog at Hauser & Wirth.

Those two behind were holding up a bit of orange card against its backside.

Maybe they’ve got an orange lounge they want to make sure it matches.

On White Cube… Eddie Peake!

Close-up.

And another.

Sadie Coles has got this amazing special area for Steven Claydon.

And OMG the Tino Seghal is insane.

This girl pretending to be Manga character Ann Lee.

When someone new walks in the room, she goes, “excuse me”, and tells them the story so far.

It’s proper spooky.

Right, onwards.

There is a major flaw in the Met’s Punk show. Punk was actually worn. These other clothes were not

There is a massive flaw at the heart of the Metropolitan Museum’s show Punk: Chaos To Couture, which opens to the public today.

You can see it in the opening two pieces.

Here’s an original Westwood/McLaren bondage top and trousers.

It’s an outfit made to be worn.

So little punk clothing is left, because at the time people wore it till it wore out.

Facing it is an outfit for Dior by John Galliano.

A garment made only for catwalk, and for use in editorial shoots (usually by magazines who need to satisfy Dior as an advertiser).

It is a crucial difference.

The original punk garments in the show are incredible to see, not least because each and every garment was worn.

The opening room is circled by sixteen Westwood/McLaren tops.

Many of them I’ve never seen before.

Like this one I snuck a shaky photo of (you’re not meant to take pictures now the show’s opened, but look on Twitter to see millions of images from the opening preview).

It’s King Kong jerking off a massive stiffy.

Someone actually wore this T-shirt.

In public.

There’s also T-shirts like the naked black footballer and the cowboys with their dicks almost touching.

It’s extraordinary to see them in an institution like the Met. They have irascible power.

That power compounded by the soundtrack of archive interviews from the time of people talking about actually wearing the clothes.

The show contrasts authentic outfits with those that have since taken inspiration from punk.

But these other outfits are pretty much all showpieces.

Garments created to make an impression at a fashion show, never intended to be worn by a mass collective.

The punk garments have obvious anger and inherent meaning.

Something the many of the other garments lack, because they used punk as decoration to make a quick image.

It’s extraordinary to see many of these pieces by themselves.

It’s lovely to look again at Helmut Lang’s bottle-top leather jacket.

Or the original Maison Martin Margiela shopping bag tops.

But I went round the show actively looking for garments that would have been available. That would have taken this idea of punk-as-influence to a present day fashion mass.

There was a Dior Homme suit that would have been commercially available, but the outfit was on display for the intricate blood-shot beaded shirt – a showpiece.

Katherine Hamnett’s slogan T-shirts were widely worn, and widely available.

As are Westwood’s own recent I AM NOT A TERRORIST T-shirts.

Maybe a recent Balmain vest with a dirty American flag print on it.

Really, not that many.

And so yes, for the rest of the pieces, it is true that punk was a design influence in one way or another.

But because they are showpieces, specific to season and a fleeting look, their punkishness feels half-hearted.

Not core to the designers or brands – Burberry, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana etc – who created them.

And so, like those who dressed “punk” for the Met Gala on Monday night, the punkishness feels inconsequential.

I wish I could say otherwise.

If this was a one-off room as part of a permanent fashion exhibition featuring the original punk garments, it would be the most extraordinary display.

The show is worth seeing to take a look at the original stuff.

Many of the other pieces deserve museum study.

But it is the actual act of wearing the clothes that gives punk its resonance.

It is amazing that their radical ideas have filtered through in so many disparate ways.

But radicalism in fashion is only radical if it’s actually worn.

I appear to have bought some Dries Van Noten sandals. Just as the sun’s gone in. Jolly!

Oh look what’s just turned up from a nice man from FedEx.

A package from Tres Bien.

That jolly Swedish emporium.

What’s in the package?

A box.

What’s in the box?

Sandals!

I ordered them last week when it was getting toasty.

They arrived today and it’s, um, not toasty.

And damp.

Oh well!

Let’s have a look at the sandals.

They’re quite ridiculous.

A sharks tooth Vibram sole.

With a rounded camouflage trim.

And that’s printed leather with a blue trim on the straps, visible velcro part of the decoration.

Regular readers will know I’ve already bought some Dries sharks tooth sole slippers this season.

Hey, can they mate?

They can!

Here’s what they look like on.

Inside, obviously.

Jolly!

You can get them by clicking here etcetcetc

Princess Julia’s Punk Diary, pt 2. Seditionaries, Swanky Modes, Siousxie: June – Dec 1977

In 1976, a 16 year old called Julia Fodor left school, got a job at a hairdressers, and started to make her own life.

She did this in central London.

During punk.

Julia Fodor eventually became Princess Julia, one of the most extraordinary people I have ever met.

Last week, Princess Julia opened up her diary from the time for us. You can read the first extract by clicking here.

We rejoin the Secret Punk Diary of Julia Fodor on 5 June 1977, just before the Royal Jubilee… And keep your eye out for Julia giving Alan Bates a perm…

Here’s what the diary looks like inside.

The first entry from today’s extract.

And the phone number for Swanky Modes, one of Julia’s preferred clothing stores.

The Diary continued

Things seem to be getting rather diverse, some highs and lows and my life is soon to be filled with the mundane task of finding work and the experiencing a world of going out to gigs, discos and bars. I seem a bit boy obsessed but I’m also obsessed with style and working out my own look. It’s been quite a year since the 16 year old me sat eating my supper and saw this on TV,

the Bill Grundy interview on December 1st 1976, the fateful interview where the Sex Pistols with members the Bromley Contingent went on the Today show live and began to outrage the nation… I was now living the dream.

5th June 77: Didn’t go to bed until about six [am]. Two creeps gave us a lift and we couldn’t get rid of them. Got up about 4 o’clock.

6th June 77: Decided to hitch to Norwich but got as far as Harlow and decided to turn back as it was too far. Went to a street party in the evening. [It was the Royal Jubliee, I didn't have much interest in it but went to this street party anyway, it was here I recognized John Maybury from the clubs, we talked and soon became friends bumping into each other from time to time.]

7th June 77: After the street party hitched a lift and decided to sleep out to see the Queen. So there we were [my friend Secola and I] asleep on the pavement, got up early. We were the only two punk rockers there, but we got a good view. [Secola was obsessed by the Royal family, she actually thought the Sex Pistols song 'God save the Queen' was patriotic, somehow missing the punch line 'a facist regime', which she sung at full volume as the procession went by. She came from Africa and her parents had hoped that she would take up a career as a nurse. She somehow ended up in Smile training to be become a hairdresser. A stunning black girl, her look was bleached blond cropped hair that was liable to change colour at any given time, she wore Seditionaires with skyscraper heels and tore around town with limitless energy. She was also obsessed with Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols]

9th June 77: Went to Brighton last night instead of going to the Sex Pistols party. [Missed them again!] Met a nice guy…

12th June 77: Didn’t look like I was going out when I phoned Secola, but went to a party with Kay. Met Mick and another guy Phil, got home at 1am.

18th June 77: Met Phil after work in the Crown and Sceptre. Went for something to eat then to the Blitz – everybody was there.

20th June 77: Last night I went for a drink after work, took an overdose of pills which knocked me out for 24 hours. [I was on anti depressants which were basically downers] Phil did phone on Saturday night but I was out.

21st June 77: Woke up with the shakes. Had my ear pierced.

23rd June 77: Really busy [at work]. Model came in but I couldn’t perm it as it needs a cut, Phil phoned, it’s getting boring.

24th June 77: Met Phil got drunk.

27th June 77: Didn’t go home, went to Hyde Park about 11 in the morning and nicked the boats, Ollie went in to get the boats.

30th June 77: Really slagging me down at work. Met Ollie at Smile.

2nd July 77: Went up to Smile, went for a drink then went up the Blitz with Jimmy and Ollie [who were brothers]… lots of people.

5th July 77: Got the sack [from Crimpers], went round the pub saw Derek. The went round to Willies and the employment exchange. [I don't seem too worried about getting the sack do I? Well I had been warned]

8th July 77: Went up work to get my wages. Jeffrey didn’t give me my holiday pay. Went up the Blitz – saw Kay- then Louises [club], saw Jimmy and Vi. [Vi full name Violent Violet became a firm friend at this time and we'd often go out to the clubs together]

9th July 77: Went home then went back up [town] – went to the Roxy to see Mean Streets. Really bad. [The Roxy was on Neal Street owned by Andrew Czezowski and Susan Carrington who later went on to run The Vortex and then in the 80's The Fridge in Brixton. A very entrapenurial couple they seemed to have many creative interests. At the Roxy they put on the latest bands, some of them survived some disappeared into the cult status realm]

10th July 77: Spent all day at Secola’s. We went to Hyde Park and went for a drink later. I really miss John. [John seems to be somebody that I'm seeing at this time]

11th July 77: Mon – Went home then went to Crackers to see Siouxsie and the Banshees.

12 July 77: Tues, After getting up late went to see Secola at Smile with Bones. Then I signed on the dole then I stayed in, John should be back soon.

14th July 77: Thurs, Johns card came this morning, went to the doctor about getting the pill. Mandy said John was back – John phoned later, got an interview at Columbe.

15th July 77: Smashed 6 eggs, John came round – went up the Kings Road – went up the Blitz.

17th July 77: Slept round Secola’s, Mandy and her friend got drunk. Louises is closed down cause the punks bashed it up.

24th July 77: Sun, stayed round Johns all day went home in the evening. Vi and Jimmy had a row so there having a trial separation.

25th July 77: Vi phoned up in tears so I said come round. [She split up with Jimmy] Went to a hairdressing job agency got an interview for tomorrow.

26th July 77: Met Vi at Baker Street where I had the interview, had something to eat. Vi had her hair done at Smile – black. Went to see John – he had the hump, said he was tired.

27th July 77: Went with Willie to a spiritualist meeting – really creepy. Joseph Kendall [Hairdressers] phoned, but I was out. [Joseph Kendall was quite a mainstream hairdressers, I wasn't quite a bona fide stylist but I was allowed to do clients]

28th July 77: Joseph Kendall called in the morning – so now I’ve got a temporary job, went to see Gran met Sharon at Clapham Junction.

29th July 77: Cut mums hair – Mandy phoned – said John was tired. Went up the Blitz it’s getting bad up there, slept at the flat.

30th July 77: Sat, Worked at Joseph Kendalls, he gave me a fiver. Phoned John said he got in at 4 last night, I think he’s gone off me. Phoned me up and said he was selling posters again said he would phone me up at 12. Well he didn’t, I like him so much. I wish he liked me, I just can’t stop thinking about him.

11th August 77: Permed Alan Bates [actor] hair and two other people. [I remember Alan Bates as being quite a well respected actor, he had his hair permed for a role he was playing, a costume drama I believe]

15th August 77: Had the day off, brought some tops from Seditionaires. Mandy phoned, went up the Vortex with Vi, Lynn saw Paul. Chris Spedding [was on].

9th August 77: Tues, went to sign on the dole, brought some trousers and Alex [my brother] a t-shirt so I only owe him a £1. Went to Ocean Boulevard – looks promising. [Covent Garden was slowly coming to life on it's periferies and Ocean Boulevard was a new salon in the area]

16th August 77: Went up the Vortex – got soaking wet – had a bit of a laugh. Peanuts stayed round.

19th August 77: John just packed me up. I knew it was coming. Didn’t go out as it was late at night. Vi and co went up the Roxy, said it was rubbish.

20th August 77: Sat, went to a really great party. John was there and asked me out again, met this other guy.

22nd August 77: Went to work-went up the Vortex to see the Models. [The Models were guitar player Marco Perroni's band who went on to form Rema Rema and then Adam and the Ants. He became a friend around this time]

23rd August 77: Day off, got a ‘destroy’ shirt, [from Seditionaires] went with Maree to sign her on the dole. Saw John in Smile, met Steve up the Vortex – he likes me.

24th August 77: Got up for work, woke Steve up and had a cuddle with him before I went to work. Did Steves hair at work-turned out a bit patchy. Went up the Speakeasy to see the Models, saw Kenny out of Mean Streets. [The Speakeasy was an old late night jazz haunt, we only went there if there was absolutely nowhere else to go. They had a late night license so if there was no where else to go we might go there]

27th August 77: Sat. Busy day at work, went to the Speak with Maree and Secola.

29th August 77: Went to Carnival. Maree got attacked – went up the Vortex, saw Steve. Oliver [Ollie] was at the Carnival.

30th August 77: Went to work, told them I was leaving at the end of the week, Marie [who worked there] told me that Mrs Howie needed someone. [Mrs Howie was Paul Howie and PR Lynn Franks shop on Long Acre, Covent Garden]

5th September 77: Went to see Mrs Howie, they said they didn’t need anyone. Phoned up Ocean Boulevard and I’m going there on Friday.

6th September 77: Ben cut my hair for the competition went up the Vortex, saw Steve, Kath won the competition, John was with Lynn.

9th September 77: Got the job in Ocean B, went to the Blitz, full of posers.

11th September 77: Sat. The days are mixed up. Anyway went to see The Jam. Blimey what a load of wallies off stage but good anyway. [The Jam got a mixed crowd, they were essentially mods but the scenes at the time merged so the audience consisted of punks, skinheads and mods]

13th September 77: Mon. I don’t like the manager much [I started my new job at Ocean Boulevard today] went up the Vortex, not very good, Secola went later on but didn’t stay.

14th September 77: I don’t really feel at ease in OB. They’ve started calling me Max cause of my trousers [in reference to Mall Wall, I wore the black Swanky Modes tight lycra leggings and obviously they'd never seen anything quite like it], finished quite late again.

18th September 77: Sat. Thought I was a bit late. Got the sack. [Well that job didn't last long did it!] Went to see Maree but she was at lunch, went home. Went to Sloanes at night.

20th September 77: Mon. Went down the dole, I’ve got to sign on all over again. Went up the Vortex, Bernie said Clash were playing, good reggae band on.

21st September 77: Tues. Didn’t do anything, Eddies band was on yesterday, they’re getting a new lead singer. Got the ticket for Clash with Maree.

1st October 77: Sat. Got some more money but it’s got to last until next week. Went to a party, saw Iggy Pop.

3rd October 77: Mon. Didn’t go to the Vortex, I’m really fed up.

4th October 77: Signed on. Didn’t do anything. I just don’t know what to do with my life.

15th October 77: Sat. Went to Swanky Modes, but my trousers aren’t ready so I went to see Maree, she’s getting really hooked on Sebastian. [Sebastian Conran who used to come round the Knightsbridge flat at 5 Ennismore Gardens, Flat 3, where I would often stay]

20th October 77: Went to see the Hearbreakers + Models + Siouxsie and the Banshees. Went to the party afterwards at the Rainbow.

23rd October 77: Vi phoned, went up the flat and then saw X-Ray Specs at the Nashville Rooms.

25th October 77: Kath’s birthday, met Vi went up the Vortex, really good I got so drunk, Kay and the gang were there.

6th November 77: Sun. Stayed round Vi’s, went to see The Heartbreakers , Models in Croyden. Marco [Pirroni] gave us £5 to get in.

7th November 77: Went to Capital [Radio, near Warren Street, where there was a job centre] with Vi, I went home and she went to Marco’s for the day. [Marco's family had a restaurant on Tottenham Court Road]

11th November 77: Skinhead party (Frid) got some great tights and borrowed Vi’s dental nurse overall, really good party.

14th November 77: Mon. Cleared out my room, Vi phoned me, ain’t going to the Music Machine as Marco has decided not to take us.

18th November 77: Frid: Went for an interview, I quite enjoyed it. Went to see Wayne County [and the Electric Chairs who later would become Jayne County] really good, went to West Hampstead with Marco but [later] went home.

21st November 77: Mon, went into work, [I seem to have a new job, I remember now I got a job making suede and leather clothes for Jean Muir in a tiny flat off Oxford Street. Vi worked at Frank Usher, at Oxford Circus so we would meet and go to gigs after work] went to see the Heartbreakers + Mean Streets at the Vortex, quite good, talked to Steve + Steve Davis.

26th November 77: Went to see Adam and the Ants. Kay was there, Tony, Pauline.

3rd December 77: Sat. Went to see Sex Pistols film, went to Seditionaires, shut, went to see Salon Kitty and went and got some records after.

9th December 77: She [the woman who ran the out work shop for Jean Muir] swizzed me out of half an hours pay. Vi got my bondage trousers, she got a top, went to see Chris Spedding.

14th December 77: Went to see Siouxsie and the Banshees + Pentration + Buzzcocks at The Roundhouse. Marco was there, Banshees were good.

12th December 77: Went to Vortex to see Wayne County, really good. [There was this Rock-Billy thing going on as well, Jayne County tapped into it with her band The Electric Chairs and with Levi & the Rockats. She created a scenario with song 'Eddie & Sheena' which came out early 1978 on Safari records in the UK. She gave me this pamphlet at the time, which was part of the concept for the record release, and I was very excited about the art work. Levi and the Rockats were managed Lee Black Childers who was also around].

Budgie [as he was calling himself then. Real name Steve Harrington he later went on to rename himself Steve Strange and that's a whole other story, was quite a character dressed in head to toe in Seditionairies and looked amazing, we would see him around and often wondered how he could afford all those clothes as Seditionaires was quite expensive] was there no one else went.

26th December 77: Siouxsie and the Banshees at the Music Machine. Really good, met Steve + Mick.

31st December 77: Sat, went to see the Ramones, I think Steve fancies me.

TO BE CONTINUED…