Again, thank you for being a part of this special project. You have helped us to create a unique and highly personal record of this extraordinary period in our history.
National Portrait Gallery, London
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Lockdown creativity has no limits - right now we see lots of celebrity make-up artists and hair stylist giving tips on how to style, cut or colour ones hair and experiment with make-up looks and trying out some fashion styling. This first creative example by Lukas Kroulik from 2004 is inspired by Andy Warhol: it's about being playful with one's identity and finding what others are seeing or want to see.
Warhol's pop culture movement - "The Factory" - drew on the commercialisation of art put on steroids through the advertising industry. My 2007 collage incorporates a classic advert for Cesar, a high-end pet food. In the Factory, Warhol was a replicator - think Campbell's Soups. This pushes even beyond Warhol's boundaries.
Lancaster House, London
When I met the graceful Ella Mountbatten, I thought that she would make a stunning model for the couture designer Grace Chen, and so together we embarked on her journey of transformation.
Ella and I met through my designer friends Ralph & Russo, who were dressing her for the prestigious annual debutante ball (Le Bal des Débutantes) in Paris. Upon her return from France, the two of us began work with Grace Chen, with whom we discussed the aesthetic of the aristocratic young woman of today, sharing references from her recent debut at the Parisian ball.
The beautiful couture dress was made specially for Ella, and when she opened Grace Chen’s show at the timeless Lancaster House, she showed the world that one does not have to have been a professional model to take the spotlight effortlessly, all while being stylish, confident, and totally at ease.
Her modelling debut attracted media attention, and Ella’s picture was taken by a number of famous photographers.
Through our collaboration and my special skill in bringing people together, I can introduce you to the designer who can help an aristocratic young woman to make her own debut with elegance and ease.
HELLO!
South China Morning Post
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