After much anticipation the day of the Isabella Blow Fashion Galore exhibition at Somerset House was here, hoorah! The exhibition celebrates the life and wonderfully eccentric wardrobe of one of the worlds most famous fashion icons.
She was a stylist, consultant, fashion director and muse who had a passion for eccentricity and creativity which inspired her to seek out and nurture aspiring new talent.
A patron of fashion and the arts Blows impressive career spanned 30 years beginning as an assistant to Anna Wintour and Andre Leon Talley at American Vogue. She became friends with renowned artists such as Andy Wahol, Jean-Michael Basquiat and Roy Lichtenstein and worked for Tatler and The Sunday Times.
The exhibition is a celebration of her love and devotion to fashion showcasing a rich variety of 100 designer pieces from her private collection and divided into sections themed around her life.
ISABELLA'S UPBRINGING
The exhibition begins with a selection of family photographs and newspaper clippings depicting Blows aristocratic upbringing, family history, school and teenage years.
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN & PHILIP TREACY
The second section pays homage to undoubtedly two of Blows favourite designers, Alexander McQueen for his impeccable tailoring and the exceptionally renowned milliner Philip Treacy.
The first section features pieces from the MA graduate collections from McQueen during his time at Central St Martins and Treacy from the Royal College of Art.
McQueens collection " Jack the Ripper stalks his victims" was inspired by the female victims of the 1888 Whitechaple murders, while Treacy's collection included the hat he commissioned for Isabella for her wedding to Detmar Hamilton Blow in 1989.
Key items from both McQueens and Treacy's A/W collections 1996 were also included within this section.
This McQueen corset was one of my favourite pieces from this collection absolutely incredible. The loved the strong shaping created by he exaggerated collar, plunging neckline and capped sleeves coupled with the delicate lace overlay and the intricate bead work reminiscent of the Victoria era.
What struck me most about this exhibition was the exceptional craftsman ship, creativity and originality that is the present in all of Treacy's designs. The pieces were opulent, decadent, ornate and can be categorised as works of art. Armed with such creative vision he truly is a phenomenal milliner, artisan and sculptor. Here are some of my favourite designs from the collection.
Blow's love of the English countryside provided her with a constant source of inspiration emanating from of nature, birds, flowers and the surreal. This was referenced through pieces by designers Viktor & Rolf, Jeremy Scott, Comme des Garçons and Julien Macdonald.
ISABELLA'S OUTFITS & STYLE
Blow's distinctive style was referenced , recreated from head to toe and displayed on bespoke Isabella Blow mannequins. Designers such as Alexander McQueen, Benoit Meleard, Dior, Escada, Fendi, Givenchy, Manolo Blahnik, Marni, Philip Treacy, Prada, Teerabul Songvich and Viktor and Rolf were used in this display.
ISABELLA AT WORK HEAD/FEET
Blow felt that one should "always accentuate the head and feet" which provided the theme for the next section paying tribute to her love of hats and shoes. Blow's obsession with hats meant she was seldom was seen without one. These were not only used to accentuate her outfits but also acted as a protective shield or a decadent piece of armour.
Examples of Blow's work featuring the legendary "Anglo Saxon Attitudes" shoot, shot by Steven Meisel for British Vogue in 1993 was also displayed. Where British towns provided the backdrop and British heritage, eccentricity and the punk era was referenced through the use of fur, tartan, peter pan collars, fishnet tights and spiked shoes.
The final section displays select pieces from McQueen's La Dame Bleue S/S 2008 collection which he collaborated with Philip Treacy on and dedicated to Isabella Blow after her untimely death in 2007.
My favourite piece from this collection was the sublime full length gown constructed entirely of feathers. A high collar drops to a plunging neckline and elegant bird like scalloped sleeves draws the eye down to a fitted waist culminating in a fishtail train.
All photographs of the exhibition are courtesy of Somerset House
The exhibition concludes with the catwalk show being shown on a continuous loop in a viewing gallery. While watching the show I was struck by visual beauty, impeccable tailoring and opulent glamour of this collection. Although I loved every piece I couldn't post to the whole collection so here are some of my favourites.
Photographs courtesy of Vogue.co.uk
Blow was wonderfully eccentric unique creature, who infused the fashion industry her inspirational style and creative vision. In homage to the one of the worlds most famous fashion icons, who's death reverberated through the fashion world and makes the world seems a little less bright, Isabella Blow you will be eternally missed.
Photograph by Miguel Reveriego
Photograph by Juergen Teller
Photograph by Donald McPherson
Photograph by Roxanne Lowit
Photograph by Diego Uchitel
Photograph by Mario Testino
Photograph by Phil Poynter
Photograph by Sean Ellis
Photograph by Pascal Chevalier
