Art. Fahion, Identity

The Royal Academy presents Aware: Art Fashion Identity as part of its third season of contemporary Art at 6 Burlington Garden, and what a season this is proving to be. From the 2nd of December 30, leading international practitioners including Alexander McQueen, Yoko Ono, Grayson Perry, Dai Rees, Cindy Sherman, Helen Storey, Hussein Chalayan have presented pieces which examine how artists and designers use clothing as a mechanism to communicate and reveal elements of our identity.

Divided into four sub themes Belonging and Confronting, Storytelling, Building, and Performance Aware: Art Fashion Identity and the practitioners showcasing explores a huge array of topics. Explorations from Mella Jaarsma interest in the process of adapting to the lifestyle and traditions of a new environment. Her experiment of this through her architectural garment construction Shelter Me 1. To, Chalayan use of Bunraku theatre, to examine the manipulative element of the fashion industry. Until the end of January 2010 Art, Fashion, Identity.  

Text Katriona Flynn

'I Am Sad Leyla'

Internationally renowned and regarded fashion designer Hussein Chalayan presents his wonderful work, 'I Am Sad Leyla' at the Lisson Gallery this September. For those attending the exhibition in hope of seeing Chalayans wearable masterpieces they are in for a shock, but a treat. In many ways Chalayan is probally approaching similar themes and moods that he would his fashion creations, however for this exhibition Hussein is approaching how a certain genre of music is perceived. Presenting a classical Arabic story, told through the song 'I Am Sad Leyla' originally written for a turkish dubbed Egyptian Film in the 1940s he explores the story of lost love and heartbreak, but possibly more importantly the "shifting environments, conquests, political reforms, geo political and cultural relations' of the piece have all altered and as Chalayan describes it evolved due to their perception in the London Gallery where all of the aboves expectations are different. It is cleverly and cautiously presented and has all the alluring charm of any of Chalayan work. From the man who could indeed make decomposed silk dresses beautiful, would you expect anything less.

Text Katriona Flynn