TIMOROUS BEASTIES

I love Timorous beasties Because they're not afraid to take risks. 

You could easily describe their contemporary textiles and wallpapers as beautiful, but there is a deeper meaning beyond its surface. I was lucky enough to see their works at the famous Timorous Beasties store in Glasgow.

Looking around, I saw a design I rather liked. It was an intricate floral pattern in a beautiful colour scheme. After telling the shop assistant how pretty it was, she replied "yes, but its actually a threesome". On second glance, a layer of transparent ink that shone in the light, showed thighs darting in different directions with one woman's face stretched out in ecstasy. I thought, "how dare they!" and had to find more.....

The next was a traditional looking piece reminiscent of 1800's wallpaper. It looked like a pleasant suburban scene, but on further inspection, it wasn't quite! An addict on a park bench was shooting up, the ladies next to him were prostitutes and a famous statue was being peed on. While the piece was extremely humorous, it was an alarming reminder of reality.

While Timorous Beasties may offend many, they're certainly fearless!  

Click here to view more of Timorous Beasties

www.timorousbeasties.com

BLANDINE BARDEAU

Meet Blandine Bardeau. This London based french artist, fashion designer, jewelry designer, illustrator and creative director is versatility personified.
I admired Blandine's work from across the globe for some time, and hoped to meet up with her while staying in London. It just so happened that we were both studying at Central St.Martins this September. We met for coffee the talked fashion.

Like Blandine, her work is something hard to pin down - it spans across art and fashion, where she creates a kaleidoscopic whirlwind of colour in the shape of a garment, a drawing, or a bracelet on her sleeve. At first glance, looking at the silhouettes and style of her garments, they seem to take influence from traditional tribal costumes. But she's used that influence to invent a whole new style and language that is all about social unconventionality and transformation.

Blandine draws from her own free imagination and finds inspiration from stage persona's adopted by musicians such as David Bowie. Bowie once said
     "I would like to see the lines between visual art and music to be blurred and even disappear."
Blandine's relationship between her artwork and wearable clothing does just that, which is why I find her work so darn fascinating!

Her aesthetic is colorful and playful, free-flowing and never rigid.
She's always rotating and ever-changing. I was excited to hear she's recently decided to focus more on visual art and painting.

She runs a busy schedule. From designing the windows of Selfridges London to collaborating with Louis Vuitton and Converse to the band Cocorosie - Blandine's work is in hot demand. 
One to watch.

Blandine Bardeau website
www.blandinebardeau.com

Click here to see Blandine interview Cocorosie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ7If9FP9_E