Eminem

The man is my God.

New album 'Recovery' is out now.

www.eminem.com

Keep watching out for latest musical collab of Gaga n Eminem for her second album. Believe.

Official video for new single 'Not Afraid' premieres 6th of the 5th.

Latest Pix piece

Lewis Spelt Backwards 'I love to mess with people and push the boundaries'
Reporter Milly Mcmahon finds out more about the weird and wonderful world of Lewis Spelt Backwards...
Hidden away in the deepest most conformist depths of the west Midlands dwells LEWIS SPELT BACKWARDS , a performance artist who’s eccentric appearance and bold outlandish music is entirely a product of his own unforgiving and irrepressible exhibitionism.
Not much goes on in the sleepy hollows of Worcester’s city streets, so it all went down when this salaciously sexy, 21 year old, hot pant wearing hipster began clambering up onto stages of the local country pubs, loop pedalling his own backing vocals and sensationally rapping about dipping balls deep into Cilla black’s ginger twat. I really wouldn’t have thought it possible that my musty old hometown could spawn such individually inspired and original talent, but after watching this one (wo)man machine perform one night, shimmeyinnhollerin, his way through the uber erotic self coined single ‘homophobia’ l had to!

Whilst recognizing the humour in his own entire outrageous demeanour and therefore allowing for the real sentiment of his art to ring true and remain serious by channelling raw passion and emotion in his work, LEWIS SPELT BACKWARDS is an oddity in the truest sense of the word. ‘I love to mess with people and push the boundaries, I go for something that’s fun and not too serious’ The lyrics his art stuns audiences with are intended to strike a chord, to make others realise how it might feel to struggle with identity and battle the burden of wanting to be different but not alone, but like, in a good way gf. ‘I love opening my audiences eyes to the world and shocking their arses off, making people a little nervous is fun!’
Yes, his intentions are to shock but to also rally support, open doors and perpetuate change for experimental artists ...... whilst flashing a bit of crack, back and sac. What can you do? Girls gotta work it.

Lewis has a cause, his music in itself is accomplished, keeping extraordinary rhythm, laden with catchy beats with a truly skin tingling sprinkling of soul. Each risqué performance can see this live wire fighting a heckler off stage or perhaps stripping down to a tasty flesh coloured onesie, either way the kid gets a reaction and pulls in crowds. I’m hooked and you will be to. YOU JUST GOTTA CHECK IT OUT. Lewis plays live at Cripplegate Park for the Worcester Minifest on 26th June.

BYOB v J Majik & Wickaman - Save My Life

I styled the main girl for this video: Official video for "Save My Life", the new single from BYOB v J Majik & Wickaman, out 14th June.

For more info, check out:

http://www.byobmusic.com
http://www.facebook.com/byobmusic
http://www.twitter.com/byobmusic

For more videos from BYOB, check out http://www.youtube.com/byobmusic

Ivan the Great

Name: Ivan

Age: 28

Education: I’ve studied Advertising and PR at the UCM in Madrid and at L’IHECS in Brussels.
 
Where are you from? I’m from one of the most beautiful cities on Earth, Madrid.

What do you do? I head up Blow Presents, Blow PR’s division of young up-and-coming avant-garde designers.
 
Why do you do it? When I was living in Brussels I was looking for a job as an art director in an advertising agency for the summer. When by chance I met one day Lucas Maethger. He told me that he and his brother fashion designers (www.l-a-maethger.com) were looking for someone to help them with their communication. I really wanted to stay longer in Brussels and I liked their work. I showed them my portfolio and told them I didn’t have any idea about fashion but I was sure I could help them. After participating with them at Ideal Showroom in Berlin I’ve realized that there is another point of view of fashion. Fashion as an upper level of art, a non-verbal communication with yourself and with others. My love affaire with fashion started. I’m crap at being creative, I take it too personal, and I’m good in communicating and meeting people so here I am.
 
 Talk me through a day in the life? Alarm>>>Snooze>>>Alarm>>>Snooze>>>Alarm>>>Snooze (between 3 and 5 times, hate mornings).
Straight ahead to the shower if not I’m not a human being. Force myself to have breakfast.
I check Facebook while a smoke a cigarette. Then I meditate for around 10 minutes.
55 Bus and to the Gym.
Then to Blow. And then anything can happen!

How long have you been working at Blow PR?
Since the 2nd of October 2008.
 
What designers do you represent?
With the help of Frida, Calum and Sinikka I represent all Blow Presents designers: Asger Juel Larsen, Craig Lawrence, Dean Sidaway, Gemma Slack, Hasan Hejazi, Henriette Lofstrom, Irina Shaposhnikova, Iris van Herpen, Keko Hainswheeler, Komakino, Lina Osterman, Piers Atkinson, Rob Goodwin, Varun Sardana and also Charlie Le Mindu.
 
What are your duties at LFW?
Blow PR organizes over 15 shows and presentations during LFW. This past season I was responsible for the shows of Charlie Le Mindu, Iris van Herpen and Komakino and for the presentations of Gemma Slack and Craig Lawrence. We help the designers on everything we can, from sponsors to photographers, obviously we PR the Show including seating all the journalist, stylist, buyers and celebrities that come to our Shows.
This past season we have focused a lot on scouting new young designers. The Blow Presents team attended all the main graduate shows and exhibitions. I have to say this past LFW has been pretty dull, it’s been hard to find interesting collections.

 
What’s inspiring you this season: More than ever freaks of every kind, on every color, on every size, on every flavour. From Lady Gaga to Stunner’s trannies, from Francois Sagat’s tattoed head to Ru Paul’s drag race, from Nina Hagen to Alaska, from Les Rita Mitsouko to La Casa Azul, from Bruce La Bruce to John Waters, from Andre J to Bearish male models, from Machine-A to Expectations Sex Shop, from Indochine to Marylin Manson, from True Blood to Glee, from G-A-Y to Kaos.
This cynical society celebrates contemporary art but doesn’t celebrate the individual expression of our bodies as art. When we are kids our minds are open and we don’t mind that none likes those shoes that you want to wear everywhere, even if they don’t match with your outfit, or that crazy combination of colors that is painful to anyone else’s eyes. Time passes by and you are taught how to fit in society. Then you are told you need to remove your piercings, hide your tattoes, put on a tie and a shirt and to be part of the flock; Norma tells you if you don’t do it you are not a grown up man/woman. Ivan is calling for a FREAK RIOT!
 
Who’s your own personal style icon: Ocaña. SHe (She+He) moved to Barcelona in the 70’s still under Franco’s dictatorship. SHe cross-dressed and in an act of courage and bravery used to go for walks around Las Ramblas (centre of Barcelona), expressing herself even though some of the times SHe ended up beaten up by the police. SHe performed, painted and was an activist for LGTB rights. SHe died on one of her outfits when one of the fire works from a popular party at her hometown hit her…




Who are your favourite designers:
Viktor&Rolf, David Delfin, Raf Simons, Jean Paul Gaultier, Yunya Watanabe, Carlos Diez, Damir Doma, Walter van Beirendonck, Shaun Samson, Marko Mitanovski, PotiPoti, Yang Du… how many can I say?



Favourite:
Film: Hedwig and The Angry Inch.
Music: Spanish Electropop
Location: That rock in Old Manali where the world had stopped and I was alone.
Person: Pupuchurro, my flatmate, best friend and probably the only person that has never ever judged me for my actions, thoughts or looks even when they were truly wrong.
Must have item for next season: Next season and forever Dr Martens. While passing the control check last time at the airport, the middle-aged lady who asked me to remove them commented: “Wow in the 70’s when I used to wear them they were much much heavier”.

If you weren’t in PR what would you do? Porn Actor.

What’s next? The Fame.

What are you working on now? The Blow Presents photo shoots coming soon on HYPERLINK "http://blowpresents.wordpress.com" http://blowpresents.wordpress.com

Where do you see yourself in five years time? I don’t even know where I see myself tomorrow…

Do you think the contemporary financial climate makes your job harder?
Contemporary financial climate makes anyone just to be glad to have a job.

What are you wearing right now? Black Fred Perry polo, Grey Checked harem trousers from a market in Madrid, Dr Martens black Shoes, stripped black/red Primark socks, pink underwear with red dots from H&M.
 
How would you describe the evolution of fashion over the past decade?
I think it has been one of the most eclectic decades taking a lot of different inspirations of all the trends and styles of the XX Century. “Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months” Oscar Wild.

What trends and styles, derivative of the past decade, do you personally draw inspiration from?
I think there are not really trends and styles that derivate of the past decade. I believe that the last decade has been more about reinventing elements from the past. If I had to choose they will be the Harem Trousers and the 80’s inspiration (especially punk and goth inspiration).

 
What direction do you think the increasingly experimental and contemporary nature of the fashion industry will take over the next decade?
I think Fashion is moving towards individualism, everything can be mixed in the same outfit, urban tribes don’t exist anymore. Fashion made for each individual. Or at least it’s what I hope for.

Some Summer i-D by me

This summer, wear an itsy, bitsy, teeny-weeny Henry Holland print bikini. Pixie Geldof is the fresh face of H! by Henry Holland for Debenhams, the diffusion line designed by the Lancashire born designer to offer fashionable clothing at high-street prices. The playful, streetwear inspired collection includes sports attire and casual clothing, alongside a beautiful range of floral and tartan print swimwear cut curvaceously for a beautifully soft feminine effect. Whether you’re fuller figured, athletic or petite H! has a swimsuit to suit you.
debenhams.com/henryholland



Reilly is a one man T-shirt designing machine. Easily identifiable for their hypnotic graphics, totem prints, rainbow swirls and colourful cartoon like-motifs, Reilly’s T-shirts have heavy street credibility, with the British based artist already boasting collaborations with Jimmy Choo, Matthew Williamson and Chloe as well as Beyonce, Missy Elliot and P Diddy. Championing a way of life as well as clothing label, Reilly’s commercial work has been used on Premium Vodkas, album covers, television and print adverts and limited-edition Coke bottles. We caught up with the elusive artist to find out more. MM

Who is Reilly? Brand Reilly is the heart of Yorkshire, the brains of Korea and the soul of Scotland, with a ticket to tour all things visual.
What does Reilly do? Looks and sees, draws and clicks then prints.
Where is Reilly? From The Colour Works in Dalston to Curtain Road, then the world.
How does Reilly do it? Crazy hours, a packed studio, support from G.O.T.S, respect from Doofus and the cat, a Belvedere vodka clause in his LVMH contract (for real) and some serious RAM.
reillybrand.com


Nike’s Sportswear Grand Slam Polo is the essential basic T with a classic Nike twist. Available in an array of sunny colours, each polo comes with a choice of four embroidered chest insignias: a Swoosh design, Sunburst design, a shoe, and, of course, the original Nike logo. Women’s polo styles are available in flat-knit materials, with an engineered neck, more buttons, narrower placket, cap sleeves and a more fitted silhouette. All polos come with a subtle vented collar construction knit on the inside of the back collar that allows the garment to breathe, feel smooth against the skin and keep you looking cool. MM
nike.com


Priestess’ chrome red zip-up windbreaker fuses cotton and nylon with a reflective metallic golden finish, guaranteed to keep you looking slick and sophisticated on the track and playing field. Fronting exposed over-scale frontal pockets with a silk-blend print lining for maximum performance and comfort, the Priestess NYC windbreaker by Cody Ross also features a popped breaker-style collar with button latches for a fierce custom fit. Wear it how you will in sizes small and medium each are priced from £150 upwards and are available in blue, red and monochrome tones.
priestessnyc.net

The Streets: On the Edge of a Cliff

I'm really okay, thanks,
there's nothing to witness
I said as I looked back from the edge of a cliff
The old man looking down lent over the ridge struck with a grin as if a blessing had hit him.

I slumped on the jut of the cliff
Just leave me alone, this is none of your business
I will, said the old man, but just one thing,
And what he said was so lovely it stunned me.

He said: I lay right there once at the edge of the rock.
I was ready to jump, I was ever so lost,
But this gentleman stopped and said something I never forgot

Chorus
For billions of years since the outset of time
Every single one of your ancestors has survived
Every single person on your mum and dad's side
Successfully looked after and passed on to you life.
What are the chances of that, like?
It comes to me once in a while
And everywhere I tell folk it gets the best smile.

And then the old man walked away and out of sight
Til the sound of him hiking turned to the sound of silence.
I just froze in a profound surprise and from down on my pride I found a smile to my eyes.

And for many days again I've been passing the same cliff and on many occasions I'd chance on the same thing.

Laying in the moss, in the same way I was would be another man looking like he needed a change of luck.

So I'd say: I lay right there once at the edge of the rock.
I was ready to jump, I was ever so lost,
But this gentleman stopped and said something I never forgot

THIS IS NOT A SUIT- NATIVES, LA

TNS is a case study of the artist’s ongoing fascination with the internal and external influences that enable individualism. Adrien has now set up a temporary portrait studio in Berlin. The first body of work is entitled NATIVES, LA shot on Venice Beach 05.10.

thisisnotasuit.tumblr.com

www.myspace.com/lewisspeltbackwards

Name: Lewis Spelt Backwards

Age: 21

Location: Worcester

Describe what you do to someone who’s never seen you perform. I use a loop pedal to loop my vocal, then sing over the top. I also wear AMAZING outfits!

What are your creative processes? I’ll write a lyric, then years later a beat comes.

What inspired you to want to curate your own live art? The need and want for some different in our lives, too much shit and not enough Lewis in the world today. But really I just want to dress up and be rude.

What prejudices have you encountered on your journey? Lets see, a gay boy wearing a jumpsuit singing about Myra Hindley whilst making love to a fox stole... Not much! Hahaha

How do local crowds in Worcester generally react to your individual performances? To be honest they love it! And if they don’t I make them love it! I’ve had my fair few hecklers but then I just drop my trousers and dance around in gold hot pants they soon fun away. You would think that my fans would be puffs and arty types, but it just middle class people who want extremism.

What gives you the strength of character to overcome the negativity you have had to endure? A sense of humour for fuck sake! Which people seem to be lacking, if that fails I’ll over eat like a fat girl

What advice would you give to other experimental artists? If your going to be experimental make it fun! People don’t want to hear arty farty shit which is just noise. Yes I’m experimental but I hide that in a good pop song.

You have an incredibly unique, character sense of style. What do you try and express about yourself through your eccentric take on fashion? This is a tricky question, people call me the white Grace Jones, I love too mess with people and push the boundaries, I go for something that’s fun and not too serious. But although I do have a hint of tranny, I’ll never do a dress! Jumpsuits are my life!

You work in second hand rose, a popular vintage shop located in the heart of Worcester, what have been your five best buys? Good lord!!! My wardrobe I swear is becoming like my wife, everything I bring something home I get a guilt trip! Nagging bitch! Erm lets see an Orange 1970’s dress WHICH was made into an amazing jumpsuit complete with bum and neck bows. 1940’s cream mans blazer which is so glamorous. Massive batwing cocoon top from the 80’s. My mink coat. And some velvet and pearl hot pants. God that was hard!


Your record backing vocals and layer over your lyrics live, this must add a real amount of pressure considering your whole sound is reliant entirely upon you. Is the prospect of each performance an intimidating process for you? That’s the only thing I worry about is the sound system, it’s so important for the sound to be good. Sometimes in the beginning when I was the first to use a loop pedal the sound was so awful, I would do a Mariah and hissy fit my ass off whilst the person running the night gave me a very scared smile. But a little saying of my ‘If all else fails, wail!’

What is it you love about entertaining a crowd? I love opening their eyes to the world and shocking their arses off! Also making people a little nervous is fun

What aspirations do you harbour for you musical career? I have 3 albums in me. After that I’m gone, just need to be famous before they can happen.

Do you remember the first time you sang to someone and if so tell me about how that felt. My singing voice is terrible, everything time I have entered a competition or the like, it’s been my performance that won people over. I try I really do try. But the first time I sung the loop pedal stuff people actually like it and liked my voice and to this day when people say wow your good, I still can’t believe them, just like you did!

What are you working on now? An album, I have an E.P just want to make an album then I am really going to try and gig England! I’m just not very good at getting gigs; I don’t want to seem impolite by asking, very silly I know so that’s what I have to work on!

Where can we find you next? This Saturday at The Arts Workshop in Worcester for the Llama Lounge, then at Cripplegate Park also in Worcester for the Minifest gig on 26th June.

Gimme 5:

Your fav:
Movie - Pink Flamingos by John Waters
Record – Little Earthquakes by Tori Amos
Icon – Dolly Parton
Place - Berlin
Drink - Tea

Whats on you ipod now? Ipod? Can’t bloody stand the things! But I’m listening a lot of Divine at the moment Shake it up is an amazing track!

Tell me a joke? What do you call and exploding monkey? OrangaBANG

Any last words…. I WAS SO HUNGOVER YESTERDAY!!!!!

Tony Takitani

I watched this last night, it is


EPIC

Ed Gets Dressed

I took my mate Ed clothes shopping, after the humiliation of the last time l made him get all naked on Platform: www.readplatform.com/naked-ed//

We spent £5 in every shop and this is what he ended up looking like. ....

KEEKO

Name: Keko Hainswheeler

Age: 28

Education: Fashion ba

Describe your label in one sentence: Eclectic exsentric and without boundary's
s
How long have you been designing? Properly for about 2 years now but really forever its in my blood so to speak

Where are you based? London

Who do you design for: Primarily i design for my own taste and asthetic u know if u dont belive in it why do it !!! but my customer would be strong , open minded with his ot hers own ideas of visual exspresion
Whats inspiring you this season: global culture and the econamy

Whos your style icon: mmmm i supose my dear auntie who has past away now , she's the reson im like i am , all ways adorned with amazing jewllery dressed in pearls and bling with a russian hat amazing...

Fav other emerging designers: Holly fox lee , Craig Lawrence

My fav:
Film: The film element or anything by the house of gibli

Record: Thats a hard one but would probably say Kim Wild ,, young hereos

Place: any park in the summer

Person: Cindy Lauper

Colour: i could never decide that one i like all colours for very diffrent reasons

Must have item for next season: You can't beat a good piece of body orimantation

If you werent a designer what would you do? Some kind of artist perhaps a sculpter

Whats next? Working on my next collection and of the peg range

What’s been the biggest influence on your approach to design so far? taking ideas and ideal out of context and creating new means for things

What are you working on now? Something top secret for a world famous celeb hush hush hush ...

Where do you see yourself in five years time? I see my label becoming more suscsessfull with sellable difuision lines
Do you think the contemporary financial climate makes your job harder? i would have said yes but it makes it more challengeing plus with funding not so readaly avaible a supose quite difficult
What are you wearing right now? vest and low crotch joggers

Chanel Cruise 2010

This week l have mostly been listening to:

Pre Fall i-D piece: Sia

Photography: Rebecca Thomas
Words and Styling: Milly McMahon


From her work with Zero 7, Sia has gathered many a famous fan including Kate Moss and Kanye West. Her latest album, We Are Born, sees the secksi singer collaborate with Nick Valensi of The Strokes on guitar and Greg Kurstin (Lily Allen, Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue) on knob twiddling duties. When she’s not covering Madonna’s iconic Oh Father, or dancing down the disco with Le Tigre and M.I.A you can be sure to find SIA in the studio with Christina Aguilera working on her forthcoming album proving that she expertly straddles the left of centre with the mainstream, and has a blistering pop career ahead.



10 Things You Don't Know About Sia

Where do you go when you close your eyes? Squirrel planet
Describe happiness… Tickling my dogs bellies
What’s your favourite film? Splash
Where’s your special place? Adelaide
What makes you feel alive? Mania
Who’s your best friend? J D Samson
What do you like to eat the most? Green papaya salad / vanilla Häagen Dazs
What's the weirdest thing you've ever done? When l was a kid I used to try to break my arm because l liked it at the hospital
If you weren't making music what job would you be doing? I’d be a dog masseuse
Which track on the new album epitomises you? The Fight.

Sia Music: siamusic.net
www.siamusic.net" siamusic.net
www.myspace.com/siamusic" myspace.com/siamusic

i-D Pre Fall piece: Oral Oral

Oral Oral is an experiment in words and sound spearheaded by i-D’s Music Editor Princess Julia, Dee Sada from An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump and Dee Fodor from Divine Incest.

Text Milly McMahon
Photography Wolfgang Tillmans

Forming after P.i.X co-creator and i-D music editor Princess Julia stumbled into cult boozer The Joiners Arms and Berlin based photographer Wolfgang Tilmans one hazy night out, Oral Oral were born from an incidental and now monumental, you know you what you ought to do…? Skip forward just a few months and Oral Oral are now the much celebrated noise band, collaborating with friends and artists amongst the likes of Andrew Sleath (O Children), Dee Sada (Blue On Blue and Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump), Jamie (Romance) and Joel (Battant) to create spontaneous, visceral and intellectual live art performances gathering crowds from far and wide to defiantly reconstruct our modern ideals on society, questioning the structure and landscape of change, both on a physical/mental level and in an architectural sense to directly reference their mentor, Wolfgang's, work. If you're lucky enough to catch one of Oral Oral's weird and wonderful happenings you can expect to be immediately drawn into the eye of their storm, to be thrown into a position of provocative response, action and reaction that relies upon it's audiences interaction as heavily as it does the frontline artists who direct the cacophony of calamity each performance perpetuates. We travelled down a spiral staircase, into the basement abyss of some bar one Saturday night where the band were sounding off to find out exactly what the big deal about their big ideals are…

What has been inspiring you lately?
Princess: I am continually intrigued by detail, the mundane and quite simplistic notions. Conversation and information… new ways of looking at historic things and turning them into the future.
Dee: A Humument, Une Semaine De Bonté, War With The Newts, Oblique Strategies, collage artist Friedrich Strasse, Martin Eder, my noise machines.
How do you want people to feel when they watch you perform?
P: Perhaps like the band itself the reaction should be as spontaneous.
D: I agree. My favourite quote about us is from Larry Tee - "I never thought I could dance to a car alarm."
What direction would you like Oral Oral to take as your material develops?
P: We are currently planning to record.
D: It's a hard thing though trying to capture such a visceral thing and make it sound as raw but also as intellectual as it is without reverting into pure pop songwriter mode or white noise geek. It's all about balance.
Despite your sound veering towards experimental, you don't take yourselves too seriously as artists. Why is this?
D: It would be easy for us to do so (as many noise bands do) but we are also there to entertain.
P: Personally I have a somewhat self-depreciating streak.
D: Me too.
You perform with minimal preparation but a true sense of direction. Is this to ensure each performance is unique?
D: The minimal preparation is just that. Turn up, make sure everybody is making sound and then ten minutes before we go on we ask friends or each other for titles, themes or feelings for songs. Then we perform them. Each performance is unique.
The lyrical content of your music is very personal, how do you feel performing such intimate material in front of a crowd?
P: I glad you mentioned that. Standing on a stage is the most surreal experience for me. There’s an element of exposure by the mere fact of it.
What has been your best ever-live performance to date?
P: All have been a journey into the unknown. There’s a girl, Ira, who usually records them and when I’ve seen videos back I have been surprised and pleased.
D: I enjoyed our January performance at Divine Incest where the crowd and the band were squeezed into a tiny space. Something has to burst out. I did enjoy our third gig in Berlin as the police came and stopped us halfway through. We carried on when they left.
Do you have any pre-gig rituals?
P: Get another drink and write the set list!
If money were no object, what would Oral Oral’s music video look like?
P: I would probably reference some old movies – Hitchcock, film noir stuff. Then some sci-fi surreal stuff thrown in for good measure. I think I’d quite like a naïve approach though. Who would direct?
D: I think I would want to do something science fiction. Like some kind of Philip K. Dick schizophrenic episode. Who would direct? Herr Lynch.
Where are you going to go now?
P: To bed with a good book.
D: To the future. Probably with a good book.

myspace.com/oraloral

The Mad, the bad and the sad.

Picture by Frank Laws
 
Unless you’ve been wandering around keeping your eye line strictly at crotch level for the past five years you should be as overly familiar with the awkward television commercials, long drawn out documentaries and massive billboard campaigns righting all the wrong common misconceptions about being ‘mad’ as the rest of the world has come to be. Mental illness is not an abnormality. The government has invested a hefty amount of time and money ploughing this into our conscious. But as much as l feel so assaulted by such propaganda l really don’t feel that much better educated about mental illness as l should, given the level of blurb l feel indoctrinated with. Despite so much money and effort being invested to broaden our perspective on the contentious issue of mental ill health those three single words have come to net everyone mentally under the weather into the same boat for not being all there. In the medical field there are loads of different doctors for different patients but in mental health its all, well, just mental health. There are specialists in specific fields but the mad, the bad and the sad do generally tend to all get extradited out on the lunatic express to crazy island as a collective. I know coz l too spent some quality time stranded on the continent, totally misunderstood. I was caught being sad (note not mad or bad) and taken away and although my spell in a psychiatric unit was voluntary l was amongst those who’s stay was not, in other words they had actually been sectioned. This brings me to today’s topic: Getting sectioned. I know the score here, delicate subject matter, the authority's right to'section' is a concept riddled with potholes, rife with controversy and a matter never entered into lightly. If you do spend time under cerebral lock and key it has  consequences that stretch ten fold, certain careers will forever be out of bounds and even visa’s can get rejected on the premise purely of your faulty behavior. Serious stuff, sections play a hugely important role in our societies functionality. We should all be familiar with thier potentially serious consequences. And so: The Mental Health Act 1983 (c.20) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom but applies only to people in England and Wales.[1] It covers the reception, care and treatment of mentally disordered persons, the management of their property and other related matters. In particular, it provides the legislation by which people diagnosed with a mental disorder can be detained in hospital and have their disorder assessed or treated against their wishes, unofficially known as "sectioning", cheers wiki. Now, in a perfect world noone on gods green earth wants to have their human rights confiscated from them in order to preserve theirs and others safety. BUT It happens. For various reasons, to all kinds of people and not just the fruit loopy, axe wielding, blood thirstily horrifyingly, insane crazies that go about society unrecognized. Truth is, such creatures are rare and the reality infact is they’re predomonantly just the make belief of urban legend, a bit like the Candyman. I mean how many actual psychos have you really truly ever encountered? The bad do exist, but are so far and few between that such generalizations marring the sad and the mad into the same melting pot is just completely unjustified. My case in point.
 
 
 
 
This is all predominantly due to the matter of gross miseducation and error on the general publics part. Now hold your horses, l' m not  a condescending boob. I have no such authority to chat down, patronize or peep outta my ivory tower down on y'all, l aint even placing myself apart. l do and can see the funny side of insanity. Everyones a bit 'mad' aren't they, you know? 'Craaaaazy' just 'outta control gf' , 'wanting to live life life to the pepsi max'. But seriously. Some people are actual nutters and the only place that they can belong is the madhouse, so to speak in layman's terms. It's not a negative, when your cat gets sick you stuff him in his handheld plastic dungeon, get the living shit knifed outta you and chuck him at the vet to get touched up, pumped full of pills and so put to rights. When a human person is acting all odd, you kinda do the same thing, but just get a man in a white coat involved to massage your mind, not your pussy. That is if you are mad or sad: the bad do require straight jackets. I know coz like l mentioned earlier l too, once upon a teenage angst dream, tipped precariously off kilter and touched on psychosis . I'm speaking on it coz its not something l've ever hidden, not for shock's value or controversies sake but more so just stepping inline for a bit of honesty to try to bridge the massive gapping ravine between whats socially acceptable to discuss and whats not. If there were more understanding out there and less stigma attached to the being sad or mad, we'd all feel that bit more ok about ourselves when certain things do go a bit tits up, at least l know l would've done when l was a poorly sick nipper. But back to me, yup, l gots caught red handed, shackled and carted off to an addictions unit when l was but a wayward scrot. My parents dumped me right in the shitter and all because l was a bit preoccupied with the skinny (Fuck you Paris Hilton) leading me to diet that bit too far, before subsequently falling head first, tailspinning, eventually nose diving and crashing the crap down into the eye of the psychotic whirlwind that everyone called anorexia. It was poop. With no grasp on reality and little meat on my bones l was forced to spend the next few years getting better. Now l'm a healthy glossy young lady and its all thanks to the offputting prospect of the section, don't sound so bad now then does it? The bad bit was letting me trot about town getting more entrenched in that episode, back then l believed l was thoroughly fine when l was very much not. When outta nowhere l was eventually snagged and admitted it turned out to be pretty ok. People go into such facilities, sad and mad for all kind of weird and wonderful reasons. In my unit we were all from very different walks of life, united for the common ground of us all collectively not being able to cope. l spent avros sidled up to alcofrolics, substance abuse patients (drug addicts), e.d's (other eating disorders patients) as well as all other kinds of interesting allsorts. All were mad and sad, there is affliction and suffering and recovery and care and the latter is all under the good grace of a section. Now to the bad: Those psychotically entrenched in the more dangerous territories of criminally insanity, which note l AM NOT addressing here. Such is the delicate subject matter for one much more informed and qualified to discuss, my area of expertise is the sad and the mad, my people. The patients l enjoyed my stay in looney tunes towers with were pretty much as sanely embarrassed as l was to be in the pickle we'd found ourselves cornered into and that was humbling enough. To hit rock bottom and then have to scour those peripheries in full view of the rest of the world is not easy for anyone, but it makes all odd affected behaviors obvious and utterly impossible to deny therefore allowing for the much needed and intense TLC therapy to right the very wrongs. The value of perspective is a lesson sorely learned. For me to sit quivering and crying over a plate of gnosh while the hobo opposite licked his plate clean before dumbfoundly peering over at me in the similar way l was l dumbfoundaly peering over at him at morning meds when he was found drinking Old Spice (the stinky toilet(te) variety, not the spicy captain) and hurling into a pot plant put things right into context.
     Mental ill health is everywhere, its not gross or smelly, its common and fragrant, affecting everyone: its that saggy, fat man with one eye who whistles for spare change on the underground or  that piss kidney who stinks out the 149, hooked up to his funnel of warm white lightening, sharting like a bloody AKA-49 or me. We are sad and mad, not bad. We all lost our way but I was lucky enough to have been given the warm bosom of hope to suckle back the elixir of life from. I've drunk from it's fountain and now l'm spreading the word, spraying the promise of its milky goodness everywhere. Now grab your own hypothetical nipple and join me, hose those you know, go spread the good word of the section.

Machine A: presents Charlie Le Mindu and Anna Trevelyan

Yesterday Stavros Karelis invited crowds down to attend the unveiling of concept store Machine A's latest fashion installation. Fusing the creative flare of colorful stylist Anna Trevelyan and challenging designs from innovative hair artist come club kid Charlie le Mindu, the party guided guests down a tight staircase to explore the shop's basement floor which had been converted into a sinister graveyard themed live-art show. Four nude models crawled around wearing the designers creations within the intimate turfed space whilst images of rain were projected over the dark four walls, a whitened, wide-eyed girl sat chained by pearls to the backside of the room and Charlie's signature black hairpieces eerily carpeted and draped the furnishings.

Shocking? Point taken.

Over-the-top, extraordinary and illogical the installation had all transfixed, confused and bewildered by the show, a tactic sure to keep both hot on the lips of those they need talking about them.

Swatch Watch

Remember Swatch?!

l used to love, love... and now? I love love!

Listen up they're back n at it and better this nu-generation round with five hot n fresh new exclusively tailored styles which hit the great streets of GB today - choose from an array of the uniquely designed and customized watches, created exclusively for and by Indian designer Manish Arora, fashion/artiste extraordinaire Cassette Playa, aka Carrie Mundane and Ivan Navarro. I trotted off to the press day yesterday for a soiree!

Marc Quinn: White Cube Gallery

Marc Quinn is the British artist, best known for his controversial sculptures and provocative artwork, most notably Alison Lapper Pregnant, Self, a sculpture of his head made with his own frozen blood, and Garden. He is one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) and who rose to recognition through his his personalized and unique use of materials to with his work which have including blood, ice, faeces, etc., his use of bringing scientific developments into art, and his designs for "discussion-generating" artworks.

His most recent exhibition, unveiled at the White Cube gallery yesterday is outstanding.

Palace skateboards party

Me n my friends went and had big fun

Dangerous Liasons

Dangerous Liaisons is a classic cult. Daubed in rich aristocratic period fashion this highly stylized drama moves fast and takes no prisoners, charged with extraordinary  sexual chemistries and equipped with a plot-line juicy enough to keep you enchanted for its entirety. 

Starring Glenn Close, John Malcovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, Uma Thurman and Keanu Reeves this eighteenth century based blockbuster is adapted from the original French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos and follows the lives of six bored highly wealthy socialites who all become entangled in a web of lust, lies and corruption. 

The inspiration behind so many plays and films which followed, Dangerous Liasons surpasses both era or genre as an undisputed heavyweight champion of the cinematic arts. Each still from the movie is picture perfect as its stands, look down and believe!

J'adore

Monday Morning sky