Carnie Folk

Yes indeedy … we got to be carnival trash this year at the Institute of Modern Art (Queensland) Cocktail Party. Is it just me, or is it getting bigger every year?

The gallery really knows how to mix up their audience: Thea Basiliou and Matt Brady from Blonde Venus/Outpost, the divine IMA-ites: Vanessa, Anna and Robert L, artists such as Tony Albert, Richard Bell, Gemma Smith, loads of GOMA-ites, academics such as Anthony Gardner, Rex Butler and Andrew McNamara and mountains of gorgeous young artists: Drea, Sarah, William and Leecee, you know who you are!

It was all about sword swallowing, beautiful filmic projections, white trash food (hot dogs and popcorn) and gorgeously dressed people ready to let their art frustrations and conceptual personas run wild.

The party continued at Ric’s upstairs with a gaggle of arty types, including Anthony Gardner (performing Goth dance routines), Angela Goddard, Tony Albert (yes, he IS everywhere), Nic Chambers and Danius Kesminas "looking for love".

A well-known filmic type enjoyed her alcohol a little too much and proceeded to perform a Merce Cunningham style interpretative dance routine to the sounds of the “Slave Piano”. Merce, don’t give up your day job.

Britney ... we thought of it first.

I, Robot

We were huge fans of Thierry Mugler in the 90’s when he was at his peak - remember his video collaboration with George Michael in “Too Funky” and his S&M style robot creations?

First the Met lauds him in its “Superheroes” exhibition and now everyone is discussing his new role as the artistic director and costumier for Beyonce’s tour. Shame it is Beyonce, but hey, who is going to argue against his return to the spotlight, whatever form it takes.

Given our obsession with vintage and how fast we are making things vintage, it does make total sense to now saturate ourselves with all things 90’s. It is interesting to note the enormous influence Mugler has had on modern day couture: think Balecangia's robot leggings and anything by Gareth Pugh.

It's Thierry's re-turn.

Metal Head

Finally, a piece in an Australian magazine re Banks Violette (this month’s Art World), who I have been a major fan of for years now.

Okay, so he’s hot and stylish (has anyone ever been tattooed that well?) and so is his art (death metal and teen suicide references), but I think he achieves what he intends to. It’s tawdry and lazy of me, but Wikipedia has a great quote:

“I'm interested in a visual language that's over-determined, exhausted, or just over-burdened by meaning. The heavy-handed one-to-one of 'black-equals-wrong' is incredibly interesting to me -- less as something that has a meaning in itself, but more in how those visual codes can somehow become reanimated. That's constant throughout my work. All those images are like zombies -- they're stripped of vitality, yet sometimes they get life back in them ... and. like zombies, usually something goes wrong when they wake up again."

It's all so poetically dark and completely sublime.

If only someone would bring him to Australia. John (Kaldor) ... anyone?

Rock & Rule

I know it is hardly unique to feature Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) as a style icon, as she is featured regularly on blogs like this as “hot” and “totally cool” and oh yes, she is those things.

But it made me think the reason we keep returning to her is that there is a total deficit of replacement style icons in this world. "They" are tying to herald Moloko singer, Roison Murphy as the next coming, but at times, even when in Margiela head to toe, it looks a tad forced. Lady Gaga and M.I.A. try to mix it up and have a great look … but they don’t have the crucial grungy element required to lose the pretension.

Is it a bit early for the word "icon"?

I have a Woody

Newsom, Judd, Mollino, Alto and Edra.

The Great Baba

You have to sit back and adore Catherine Baba: super-stylist to pretty much any major fashion mag the world has to offer and resident of Paris. She just oozes IT and she did it ever so long before the word "stylist" became commonplace. Just let me at her bangle collection alone. Can you believe she is Australian? So proud.

Minimalisma!

Who thought minimalism would have such a long life? “Mountain Retreat” designed by my favourite New Zealand architects, Fearon Hay is completely perfect isn’t it? Minimalism and earthiness is pretty much the ultimate combination and hey, we all know, it is not easy to achieve something that seems somehow borne of the earth, as opposed to contrived.

This firm has produced some of the most notable homes for some time now (see, for example, their current spread in Vogue Living and the "Shark Alley" House). They always stand out. Check out some of their other divine homes in and around Auckland via their website: http://www.fearonhay.com/.

Hospitalised

Fresh from his collaboration with Louis Vuitton (remember, the dirty, psycho nurses that opened the Spring 2008 show as pictured?), American artist Richard Prince goes all furniture/art fusion this time in his current show at Galerie Patrick Seguin, Paris.

Prince’s extensive book collection needed storage and hey, why not do it stylishly? As the Gagosian website says Prince “expanded the idea to include daybeds and sofas as a means of presentation. Pairing mid-century modern furniture with books, his own double-sided "Publicities" and other printed and literary material, Prince has created unified sculpture out of disparate objects.” Neat.

The "Nurse Hat Chair" pictured has been produced in an edition of 7. Ouch. Wonder how much this baby costs? More than a Vuitton handbag I assume?

Prince is truly a man of style ... geez, I just noticed he is featured in the Olsen Twins' new tome, "Influence".

Twin Palms, Twin Palms

If you are a serious American modernism fan ... get a load of Sinatra's Palm Springs pad commissioned in 1947 and designed by E Stuart Williams. Sinatra is essentially credited with putting Palm Springs on the map with his sexed up and alcoholic ways ... all played out in "Twin Palms".

It has recently been refurbished by an American executive who, as an alternate to the often favoured minimalism, brilliantly adhered to the style of the times: think chintz and shag pile.

Unbelievably, "Twin Palms" can be rented. Go to http://www.sinatrahouse.com/.

Lick It Up

There is no denying she is hotter than hot. Juliette Lewis. Why isn't she focused on more? In an era of sanitised, "weak as piss" female starlets (think: Blake Lively, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton et al) Juliette provides a welcome alternative for those of us who have zero interest in red carpet normality.

There is always something a little wrong about what she dons ... which of course, makes her so right.

See her at the next rock festivo (with her band "Juliette & the Licks") or in an indie flick ... if she feels like it.

Greige

Still one of my favourite collections from the master, Martin Margiela (Fall 2008, RTW). Is it sculpture, architecture or fashion?

Holy Mollino

Images from "Casa Mollino", Po River, Turin, as styled by the one and only Carlo Mollino, he of the divine furniture and soft porn polaroids. A timeless aesthetic.

Heady Stuff

Dior Men's greatest loss - the great Hedi Slimane. Where is he, what is he up to?

If you are ever in the mood for some super slick black and white imagery that captures the current youth/rock zeitgiest, log in to Hedi's website: http://www.hedislimane.com/ and drink in the beauty.

Slimane is a hyper-diarist with categories such as: rock, parties, video, fashion, exhibitions, press.

Scrolling through the imagery, it reminds me of what Bruce Webber did in the early 90's for wasp families in The Hamptons and homoerotica, but this is much, much cooler and has a cruel, cold edge.

[Pictured: Sasha Pivovarova as shot for Paris Vogue this year]

Krispy Kreme Anyone?

I'm talking about “Optimism” now on at the Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane. This show has been talked up to the max and now for the verdict - well ..... it's all very happy, colourful and pristine.

The opening night crowd matched the gloss. Many went “theme dress” which is hardly a surprise as Brisbane gallery-goers seem to take their openings seriously (think Neo-Goth at UAM - all black and taxidermy).

Fellow peacocks on the night were: Amelia Gundelach in her fuchsia pink “Mr K” prom dress, black opaques and Proenza Schouler platforms. Ellie Buttrose did edgy brilliantly in her divine shell pink ball gown, fascinator and sequinned sneakers. Anna Schwartz was a black sculptural vision in her Junya Wattanabe black platforms and hyper-collar dress, as was Pam Easton in a sequinned Easton Pearson kaftan (she never looks bad). Was Sarah Cottier wearing floral Marni or van Noten?

The gallery put on a great opening night party (Judith Lucy, Paul Mac and lots of lychee martinis and champagne cocktails) and the evening continued on to Lychee Lounge. Last standing at The Wickham: Angela (QAG) and Hamish (Milani Gallery).

If you like your art pretty, catch “Optimism” before it closes early 2009.