Tilda at Las Pozas

For the May 2013 issue of W magazine, Tilda Swinton traveled to the legendary Mexican estate of Las Pozas to model couture by some of the most talented designers currently working. In 1945, the estate was created by Edward James (he was the American-British son of William James, heir to the 8,000 acre James family estate of West Dean House in Sussex, and an openly bisexual poet) more than 2,000 feet above sea level, in a subtropical rainforest in the mountains of Mexico just outside the town of Xilitla. James was a patron of surrealist art and artists which included Salvador Dali whom he supported for all of 1938! His surrealist art collection included pieces by Giorgio de Chirico, Paul Klee, Leonora Carrington, Pavel Tchelitchew, Pablo Picasso, Giacometti, and Max Ernst among others; James was painted not once but twice by René Magritte, and photographed by Man Ray! In this spirit, he created, on some 80 acres, a surrealist fantasy of strange structures up to four stories tall, turrets, steps/ ramps/ walkways and footbridges with fanciful curlicues, and buildings (with hidden rooms and staircases that go nowhere) with names like the House on Three Floors Which Will in Fact Have Five or Four or Six, the House with a Roof like a Whale, and the Staircase to Heaven. After James' death in 1984, the estate fell into ruins but in 2007, the Fondo Xilitla, a foundation that will oversee the preservation and restoration of the site, acquired the property. Thankfully, James' unique vision will continue to live.

Also in this spirit of surreality, photographer extraordinaire Tim Walker (previously here) teamed up with stylist Jacob K and the lovely, ethereal, and talented Tilda Swinton to recreate several surrealist masterpieces in and around Las Pozas. I am sure James would approve.

http://www.wmagazine.com/celebrities/2013/05/tilda-swinton-tim-walker-las-pozas-cover-story-ss#slide=1

"The Maybe" by Tilda Swinton at MoMA

The Gothamist reports:

As if starring in David Bowie music videos wasn't already the coolest, Tilda Swinton has currently taken up residency sleeping at MoMA. It's part of an unannounced, surprise performance piece called "The Maybe" that will be taking place on random days all year. A MoMA source told us, "Museum staff doesn't know she's coming until the day of, but she's here today. She'll be there the whole day. All that's in the box is cushions and a water jug."

"Tilda Swinton will be doing unannounced, random performance art pieces sleeping in a glass box in the museum," the source added. "Today [March 23, 2013] is the first performance. Each performance lasts the whole day the museum is open." Swinton and her box are located near the ticket collectors today, but the box may be in different locations at other performances.

"The Maybe" was first performed in London in 1995 at the Serpentine Gallery; Swinton conceived the performance piece, and asked artist Cornelia Parker to collaborate on the installation. Swinton later re-performed the piece in the Museo Barracco in Rome. Here's what the museum has to say about the piece: "An integral part of The Maybe's incarnation at MoMA in 2013 is that there is no published schedule for its appearance, no artist's statement released, no museum statement beyond this brief context, no public profile or image issued. Those who find it chance upon it for themselves, live and in real—shared—time: now we see it, now we don't."

via The Gotahmist
http://gothamist.com/2013/03/23/photos_tilda_swinton_is_sleeping_in.php

http://www.moma.org/
http://tildaswinton.net/

Paris Fashion Week 2012

As regular readers know, I usually only post about men's fashion, but I will make exceptions on occasion and this is certainly one of them. At Paris Fashion Week, which concluded today, there were some stand out collections that need to be seen.

I am not a rabid follower of Marc Jacobs' work, but his SS '13 collection for Vuitton was pretty special. Rather, I should say that the clothing was interesting enough (a fun, and ultimately elegant pop-art homage that felt a tad Rudi Gernreich) but it was the set that did it for me. ESCALATORS? Seriously? How incredible and fantastic is that? And set to a Philip Glass soundtrack? How perfect, like a scene from "Koyaanisqatsi."

And my beloved McQueen showed a gorgeous collection all based on apiculture. Sarah Burton put models in hats reminiscent of bee keeper hats with veils, while honeycomb patterns and bodices, hip rolls, straps, and jewelry made of what looked like hardened, dark, raw honey embellished with tiny jeweled bees appeared throughout. Sumptuous hoop skirts covered in the kind of flowers that bees pollinate (and of course, from which they make honey) rocked to and fro down the runway, while filmed bees swarmed on the giant screen at the rear of the stage. *swoon*

http://www.louisvuitton.com
http://www.alexandermcqueen.com/alexandermcqueen/en_US

But the most extraordinary show was not showcasing any current collection. It was "The Impossible Wardrobe," a one-of-a-kind, one-woman performance art piece conceived by Olivier Saillard, director of the Musée Galliera, a museum of fashion and fashion history in Paris, and über-talented actress Tilda Swinton. For forty minutes, Swinton, dressed in a plain white shift, walked treasured pieces of fashion history culled from the Musée Galliera's archives down a runway, to a waiting mirror. Due to the Musée's strict "no-wear" policy, she held each piece in her white-gloved hands (acid from skin causes damage to precious, ancient fabric) and posed in front of the mirror, imagining what she would look like in each piece. As she walked, she made pieces dance. She danced with pieces. She made each garment come to life. Using her marvelous emotive powers, Swinton embodied a certain sense associated with each garment, whether it was an evening collar that belonged to Sarah Bernhardt, a tailcoat covered in gold bullion worn by Napoleon (yes, the Napoleon; she sniffed the collar, searching for a trace or a leftover pheromone of its owner, inhaling history itself), a Yohji Yamamoto headdress from 1993, a 1968 Paco Rabanne dress worn by Brigitte Bardot, or a pair of Elsa Schiaparelli-designed gloves with built-in gold talons from 1936.

Swinton holding Napoleon's tailcoat, circa 1805 - 1815.

Swinton holding Sarah Bernhardt's evening collar, circa 1900.