Tag Archives: Judy Blame

It’s All in the Details: Backstage at Dior Men’s Fall 2020

Embellishments were the clear star of Dior Men’s Fall 2020 collection, which debuted in Paris last week. Kim Jones cited British punk vanguard Judy Blame as the chief inspiration, and the presentation was framed as a tribute to the icon who passed away in 2018. Blame was pivotal in shaping Britain’s fashion scene in the ’80s and ’90s as a major editorial stylist for The Face and i-D, and his jewelry and other accessories made out of discarded objects from keys to animal bones have been repeatedly referenced over the years. As part of its tribute to the late Blame, Dior unveiled its own interpretation of his DIY creations by bejeweling coat lapels and knit sweaters and introducing a range of dangly necklaces and ornamented cluster keychains.

 

Take a look at some of the details up close in the video above. Watch the Dior Men’s Fall 2020 show here.

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A Brief History of Judy Blame, the Man Who Inspired Dior Men FW20

In his latest collection for Dior Men Fall/Winter 2020, Kim Jones paid tribute to the late stylist, designer, and general fashion renegade Judy Blame. Since he landed at the label in 2018, Jones has partnered with a roster of significant artists and tastemakers, from Raymond Pettibon to Shawn Stussy, with Blame being the latest to leave a mark in the designer’s catalog. The pair had a longstanding friendship (Jones was 16 when he first met the stylist) that eventually resulted in a collaboration during Jones’ time at Louis Vuitton in 2015.

 

Blame was a creative who ended up as one of the most enduring figures in the British fashion scene. “Thanks to some miracle I still can’t explain, I managed to survive all these different periods, punk, new romantic, rave… I think maybe that’s why people look at me with such admiration,” he told Numero magazine. Born in Devon, England, Blame moved to London in his early teens and thrived in the city’s blossoming punk scene, embracing its DIY culture. He started making jewelry to wear to various club nights out of unorthodox materials, everything from keys, buttons, general rubbish, and bones. “Punk rock – that was my training,” he told Another Man. He quickly became a nightlife fixture in the ’80s club scene, alongside legendary club kid Leigh Bowery, and it didn’t take long before other people started asking him to make them jewelry. The fashion world soon took notice.

 

He was responsible for helping curate the British look of the ’80s and ’90s during his time as a stylist for The Face and i-D magazines. This evolved into major collaborations with designers like Rei Kawakubo, Marc Jacobs, and John Galliano and artists as recognized for their looks as they are their music like Boy George, Kylie Minogue, and Björk. His work continued to translate into the 21st century and was celebrated with a retrospective exhibition, Judy Blame: Never Again and Artistic Differences, at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London in 2016. Blame passed away from cancer at 58 in 2018, but his fearless design-savvy and unconventional approach continue to inspire a new generation of creative iconoclasts.

 

Watch the Dior Men’s Fall/Winter 2020 show below.

 

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LCM: Reviewing Richard Nicoll SS15

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Image: Richard Nicoll.

Presenting his self-described “special normal” collection, Richard Nicoll Spring/Summer 2015 was minimal, un-ironed, lightweight and effortless.

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Image: Richard Nicoll.

Juxtaposing show notes such as “utalitarian elegance” and “innovative familiarity” gave an early indication of Nicoll’s fusion of elements and mastering of normcore for this season. Although clean whites and metallics were dominant at first, playful prints came soon after. Gingham was used on matching shirt and trouser sets, trousers had floral patterned pockets, and a dip die vibrant sunshine-yellow appeared in a gradient over an outfit.

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Image: Richard Nicoll.

The range of the entire collection gently nodded towards the diverse English weather, with knitwear paired with cargos and the designer’s signature Bomber jackets layered over crumpled shirts and open-toe sandals. Craftsmanship of the traditional Japanese Shibori dyed shirts melted with industrial metallic and glossy fabrics; an amalgam of styles perfectly synchronized. Shirts and pockets were oversized and old-school tailoring was modernized in accessories too—models wore slim headbands and adidas Gazelles, some even customized with a bottle cap and safety pins decoration by Judy Blame.

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Image: Richard Nicoll.

While a collection which “personalized basics” may not have been challenging, it certainly shows Richard Nicoll’s ongoing ability to project glimpses of high-fashion into the average consumer.