Extravagant outfits and hats from the wardrobe of the late stylist and fashion muse Isabella Blow have gone on display in London (+ slideshow).
Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore! at Somerset House celebrates the life of the British magazine editor, who launched the careers of designers including Alexander McQueen, Philip Treacy, Hussein Chalayan and Julien Macdonald.
Blow entered the fashion industry in the 1980s as an assistant to Anna Wintour at US Vogue. In the UK she worked as the fashion director for the Sunday Times and Tatler before her death in 2007.
Blow's collection, now owned by model Daphne Guinness, includes items designed specifically for her by fashion designer Alexander McQueen and milliner Philip Treacy.
Their experimental and flamboyant garments and hat designs contributed to her distinctive and recognisable style.
Designed by London architects Carmody Groarke, the exhibition is divided into sections themed around areas of Blow's life.
It starts with a display of family photographs depicting her aristocratic upbringing in Cheshire, UK, during the 1950s.
A section dedicated to McQueen and Treacy includes their graduate collections and early work created from found materials, such as Blow's wedding headdress.
Both designers' Autumn Winter 1996 collections are also displayed. McQueen dedicated this collection to Blow and it was the show that shot him to fame. Blow also styled Treacy's show for the same season.
Clothing by Viktor & Rolf, Jeremy Scott, Comme des Garçons and Julien Macdonald all feature in a section dedicated to Blow's love of the English countryside.
Full outfits worn by Blow have been recreated on mannequins by set designer Shona Heath using old photographs.
One of her most famous and successful shoots, for British Vogue December 1993, has been put up alongside London-themed installations by Heath that exhibit more hats and shoes.
The final portion shows the Spring Summer 2008 collection that Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy collaborated on and dedicated to Isabella after her death, on show to epitomise her legacy.
The exhibition, created with the Isabella Blow Foundation and Central Saint Martins, opened earlier this week and runs until 2 March 2014.
Photos by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images for Somerset House
Somerset House sent us the following information:
Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!
20 November 2013 – 2 March 2014 Embankment Galleries, Somerset House
This autumn, Somerset House, in partnership with the Isabella Blow Foundation and Central Saint Martins, is proud to present Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!, a major fashion exhibition celebrating the extraordinary life and wardrobe of the late British patron of fashion and art.
Born into the rarefied world of British aristocracy, Isabella's thirty year career began in the early 80s as Anna Wintour's assistant at US Vogue. On her return to London in 1986 she worked at Tatler followed by British Vogue. In 1997 she became the Fashion Director of the Sunday Times Style after which she returned to Tatler as fashion director. Driven by a passion for creativity, Isabella is credited for having nurtured and inspired numerous artists and designers.
The exhibition will showcase over a hundred pieces from her incredibly rich collection, one of the most important private collections of late 20th Century/early 21st Century British fashion design, now owned by Daphne Guinness.
This includes garments from the many designer talents she discovered and launched, such as Alexander McQueen, Philip Treacy, Hussein Chalayan and Julien Macdonald amongst others.
Isabella is also known for discovering models Sophie Dahl and Stella Tennant, and for her collaborations with major photographers such as Steven Meisel, David LaChapelle and Sean Ellis, which pushed the boundaries of convention in her increasingly provocative fashion spreads and establishing herself as a legendary figure within the international fashion and contemporary art worlds.
Curated by Alistair O'Neill with Shonagh Marshall and designed by award-winning architectural firm Carmody Groarke, with installations by celebrated set designer Shona Heath, the exhibition will display thematically the breadth of Isabella's collection, a life lived through clothes.
Isabella's Background
The first section of the exhibition will explore Isabella's background, and her British aristocratic ancestral roots.
Born Isabella Delves Broughton in 1950s post-war Britain, with a family seat at Doddington Hall in Cheshire, her family history can be traced back to the 14th Century – a factor which played an important part in Isabella's life. Highlights include family photographs and the sculpture entitled Isabella Blow by Tim Noble and Sue Webster.
Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy
This section will feature pieces from Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy's graduate MA collections from Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art respectively, including Isabella's wedding headdress.
Exploring the way in which both designers used whatever they could get their hands on to make their garments and hats, this section celebrates the beginnings of their careers and the talent Isabella saw in them, celebrating her eye for discovering young talent.
The next section exhibits key items from McQueen and Treacy's AW 1996 collections. McQueen dedicated his AW 1996 collection, entitled Dante, to Isabella and this was his first season toreceive international critical acclaim. This same year Isabella styled Philip Treacy's AW 1996 collection, key items of which will be exhibited.
Countryside
A huge hedge installation, inspired by Isabella's love of the English countryside will display groups of clothing from her collection presented in four themes that conjure the fantastical world Isabella inhabited and drew inspiration from, reflecting her love of birds, flowers and the surreal.
Works in this section show off a number of Isabella's favourite designers, including clothing by Jeremy Scott, Comme des Garçons, Julien Macdonald, Viktor and Rolf and Undercover alongside accessories by Philip Treacy and Erik Halley.
Isabella's Outfits and Style
Shona Heath will create bespoke Isabella Blow mannequins wearing full outfits worn by her, built referencing archival documentary images. These will demonstrate her distinctive, eclectic style and mixing of designer pieces. She was quoted as saying "Fashion is a vampiric thing, it's the hoover on your brain. That's why I wear the hats, to keep everyone away from me", demonstrating the way in which Isabella wore her clothing as a form of armour.
Pieces here include McQueen for Givenchy, Alexander McQueen, Fendi, Philip Treacy, Escada, Teerabul Songvich, Dior, Prada, Jeremy Scott, Benoit Meleard for Jeremy Scott, Viktor and Rolf, John Galliano for Dior, Manolo Blahnik and Marni.
Isabella at Work/Head & Feet
Taken from Isabella's owns words: "Tip: Always accentuate the head and the feet", this part of the exhibition will look at the importance that hats and shoes played in her life - she was rarely seen without a McQueen outfit, Treacy hat and Manolo Blahnik shoes.
Representing Isabella's work and urban London life installations by Shona Heath will be created to exhibit hats and shoes from her collection.
This section also features one of Isabella's most famous and successful shoots with Steven Meisel for British Vogue December 1993 entitled Anglo Saxon Attitudes featuring Stella Tennant, Honor Fraser, Plum Sykes, Bella Freud and Lady Louise Campbell, the first time any of them had graced the pages of a magazine, showcasing Isabella’s eye for spotting talent.
Legacy
The final section in the exhibition displays La Dame Bleue, the S/S 2008 Alexander McQueen collection that Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy collaborated on and dedicated to Isabella after her death. The collection was inspired by Isabella and to end on this note evokes both her legacy and her importance.