Tues 8th Dec: Don't be shy..........

...........that coming from Lyndell has got to be a classic quote!

From this week's Sunday Times Style.

THANKS LYNDELL!

(hair grip available from KABIRI)

Tues 8th Dec: YCN Christmas Shop: My stocking and its filling

So, here is my "stocking" which you can turn into a cosmic lampshade when Christmas is over.  If I'm asked to make something for a project, I can't help subconsciously ignoring the premis and simply produce whatever I'm working on at the time..........hence this not a regular stocking shape!  Its a gigantic version of the accessories that I have made for the SHOWstudio Christmas Shop as decorations for their tree.  I was late delivering to YCN as I couldn't let it out of my hands.  I love it so much.  Its iridescent, holographic, glittery, optical and rainbowy.............in other words, I went completely self indulgent and made my idea of a dream stocking!  So please, whoever buys this = LOOK AFTER IT..........take a photo and send it to me for my records/blog..........and if you are really kind maybe keep the contents and give it back to me?!  Only joking!.........well maybe not............

The treats inside are less like satsumas and more like special edition accessories.  They are variant one-off pieces to my regular styles so its totally UNIQUE.  Its retailing as £35 but if you stick a 1 on the front and a 0 on the end of that, its nearer the RRP.  BARGAIN CENTRAL!  Contact YCN to bag it!  Before I go back down the chimney and steal it!  

Tues 8th Dec: YCN Christmas Shop

YCN, the creative agency based on Shoreditch's Rivington Street has opened its Christmas shop entitled "My Two Front Teeth" in collaboration with Jiggery Pokery.  Within their sequin decorated exterior is a grotto of goodies commissioned from a bevvy of creative folk.  Limited edition artist's Christmas cards are arranged as a mini gallery as a genius  idea to for you to  send your loved one a little bit of art as a seasonal greeting. Each artist has been given 4 cards to embellish and each one is selling for £4.  The bottom photo here is the entire set from Rosy Nicholas...........a steal to snap up!

In addition to the cards is a smattering of stockings which have been specially made for the shop.  If you look on the black board menu above, you can see the list of contributors including me.  My cosmic "stocking" is hanging alongside Riitta Ikonen's trademark postage stamp craziness ........I like the thought of the post office selling her sheets of stamps probably expecting her to be sticking them onto her Christmas card envelopes, but NOT Riitta, oh no, she's made an entire stocking out of them instead!  I have no idea whats inside!?  Speculating according to her kleptomaniac tendencies, it might be bursting at the perforated seams, teaming with random stuff!  If you want to purchase it to find out, it will set you back a modest £35 and the best bit is that it all goes to charity..........each artist has chosen their own charity so that's the secret Santa surprise!

Sun 6th Dec: Jake Downs

On Another T-Shirt Tip...............here is one I made earlier. Or more precisely here is 1 of 3 from a limited edition merchandise commission that I created specially for Patrick Wolf. This design is based on the original kite accessorry I made him that is featured on the front cover of "Accident & Emergency" shot by Gered Mankowitz*.

This kite is detachable along with the bows which are individual brooches so you can take the whole thing apart and share it if you like! The other design in a run of 3 has a propeller bow tie brooch which was based on the bi-plane I made Patrick for an i-D shoot with Warren Du Prez & Nick Thornton Jones. These 6 t's and 4 hand drawn owl drawing bags were for sale at Patrick's recent concert at London's palladium. I was finishing making them right up until the last moment before delivering them to see the show. Therefore (as always) I didn't have a chance to photograph them. FORTUNEATLY when I left the venue I had the pleasure of meeting musician Jake Downs who had bought one of my special t-shirts. They were made with LOVE so I'm so chuffed that I have found one of the homes where they have taken up new residency. I asked Jake to take a picture for my records and hey presto, here is the result. These portraits are by Kayleigh Jones and are a fab document of the project.

Head over to Jake's myspace to hear his incredible voice and his blog to keep up to date with his antics........thanks Jake!

Patrick's shop will be going live on his website soon with some of the remaining ten hand-made items and also a range by Ada Zanditon.

*Gered Mankowitz..............needs mentioning here because there are many amazing portraits of his in the NPG exhibition "Beatles to Bowie"............everyone in London, has to go to this show, its is so so so so so so good................Bailey's print of Francois Hardy made me breathless...........the whole show is jammed with original classics and unusual unseen treasures............there are even shots of the 60's fashion designers and some garments including Ossie Clark and Mary Quant!

Sat 5th Dec: House Of Organza opens its doors

"HOUSE OF ORGANZA" launched on Thurs evening with Lyall Hasaraia's "Vogue Fabric" venue  having been transformed into a white exhibition space.  The shop front window was flickering with the film projected onto a screen of organza to intice visitors off the street and down the organza drenched and decorated stairs.  The walls of the basement were hung with Mari Sarai's stunning prints from the shoot styled by Kim Howells.  The very top image here is my piece which was a wearable holographic botanical garden.  The theme was architecture and the constraint was using white organza.  So I turned Lyall's french seamed fabric into love heart lotus flowers and made a solid hard edge structure to contrast the other designer's soft garments.  I used the idea of "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary, How does your garden grow?" and filled each pod with flowers and bells so that it makes a jingle when you move it.  So now the House Of Organza has a garden..........what did else was created?  Craig Lawrence ingeniously shredded up white bin-liners to crochet in with his tight coils of organza for a signature voluminous top that comes alive when the model jumps into the air.  Atalanta Weller made high heels that didn't actually have a heel with fabric extended all the way up the leg encased with crackled resin which then disappeared off into gigantic sails of soft fabric.  Judy Blame made a neckpiece with feathers, buttons and even a 4 holed plastic can sealer.  Dr NOKI constructed a whole dress with skull cut-outs that swung off the yoke, Gloved-up made a pair of gloves with an rigid exoskeleton amongst vast veils of fabric, Piers Attkinson made a kinky afro which envelopes the whole head like a perfect pom pom and Lyall himself made an exquisite body stocking with swirls starting small at the fingers and rippling all the way up the arm in a white horse tidal wave of fabric, frothing around the neckline.

To find the whole of Mari's beautiful story and see the film by Bogstandard, head over to Dazed Digital for the exclusive article.

(images top to bottom, Mari Sarai, film screengrab, Lyall serving up rum cocktails courtesy of Dalston Superstore, Mari and me wearing a Vogue print dress specially for the occasion!, Dr NOKI, Judy Blame's piece, cute pinbadges designed for event by Sophie Stephens)

Fri 4th Dec: National Wear Your Old Band T-Shirt To Work Day Part II

Here is a gaggle of gorgeous girls in their band t's.............and all music industry related, each in their own way.......just click their links for a plethora of magical music work.........big up all the laydeez paving the way in flying the flag for female creativity!

Tara Darby ......who has patiently polaroided herself in Dizzee

Chrissie Abbott.....sporting "Green Mind" by her favourite band Dinosaur Jnr.

Moocha.............in a classic Sonic Youth number, natch 

Kate Moross.............opting hardcore punk in Circle Jerks

Lyndell Mansfield..................looking not too dissimilar to Dale Bozzio of Missing Persons herself

Fri 4th Dec: National Wear Your Old Band T-Shirt To Work Day

We all know I love Steve Lamacq.

So in honour to my fave radio disc jockey who got me through the tough times of teenage hood, Ive dedicated a day to his "National Wear Your Old Band T-Shirt To Work Day".

Ive got a steady stream of snaps winging their way into my inbox, but here are the first six of my contributors looking fresh in their not-so-fresh t's.

Holly Mercedes Macdonald looking devine wearing her future husband Prince on her chest (NPG era Im told..........so its a band.........to fit the brief!)

Fumi Nagasaka live and direct from Japan, wearing Bowie here but also has Slayer, Nirvana and Ozfest in her suitcase

LIZ in No Bra........(No Bra a.k.a Suzanne who was coincidentally shot by Nick Knight yesterday for 100 portraits)

Wayne Adams in "a rather large, old and tired GnR tshirt from their worst album"

Danny Sangra in New Order

Will Broome looking gorgeous as always in AC/DC (not sure why I had to spell that out there, its bleedin obvious)

(Will Broome heard me on Steve's show a year ago, so I know he's an avid BBC6 listener like myself............its always a standard joke when people ring in that they are a graphic designer......not wishing to break the stereotype, I guess Will tunes into Lamo to soundtrack his illustration sketches..........*which have been put together in a NEW website* with a wicked flash animated panda on the homepage...........check it!)