Monday 10 January 2011

Duro Oluwu & other stories

My main port of call on Saturday was the White Cube gallery in Masons Yard to catch the last day of Gregory Crewdson's exhibition Sanctuary, photographs taken from an abandoned film studio in Italy. They were beautiful and I'm glad I made the effort.

It was a very dull day and I was struggling to find any kind of inspiration, the shop windows are still on the whole full of sale signs so I was really pleased to trip up over Duro Oluwu's shop in Masons Yard, The colours were wonderful, sadly the light sucked most of the life back out of them but I decided to give it a go.
To take photographs I tend to glue the view finder to my eye and them move the lens and focal point around, to someone watching it must look strange but it works for me. I also have something of a reputation for disappearing into my own world so intent am I on getting a shot, I even hold my breath! So imagine how much I jumped whilst as I was looking through my lens someone stood right in front of me. It was Mr Oluwu himself and clearly he felt some kind of subterfuge was afoot, maybe I was stealing ideas... although he was smiling it was the polite smile of someone not happy for me to take photographs.
Is it me or is that just silly? Why have a shop window? I did try to explain that my focus was on colour and pattern but he just thrust a business card in my hand and closed the door!! The shops joie de vivre clearly not an accurate reflection of the designer then.

I loved this necklace


and this one

but this was as close as I got to some more abstract images.


H&M

Oh, are these little dogs not just the cutest accessories? The shop window is generic across London, it definitely captures the zeitgeist of spring as well as the style of many young blogger's who I find dress far older than their years. I sometimes want to scream at the monitor and beg them to be a little more experimental so BCBG are they all, at that age it should be all about fun and mistakes as opposed to the carefully pared down chic they all model! Still plenty to inspire my age group so I'm not complaining.

Sadie Coles Gallery

One of those 'Walk For Bloody Miles Only To Ring The Door Bell' galleries. No point when you can see it all through a window.




But on the way I went past this lovely travel shop full of exotica and another necklace to covet! At least I know where to go for my bespoke holiday after I win the lottery, yes, I must start playing because I am back to fantasising about a life far far away from He Who Must Be Obeyed.

3 comments:

La Belette Rouge said...

I can so see you in many of those pieces in the "pet doggy as accessory" window.

And, yes, it is totally ridiculous to have window displays be so precious that they can't be photographed. Mr. Oluwu has some issues.

You do inspire me to take some fashion risks. I am a classic style dresser and not risky...but you are impacting my sense of sartorial adventure.

materfamilias said...

Kneejerk response, I know, but the man just sounds like a jerk. And what was the business card about?! Aren't they usually seen as an invitation of sorts to connection, to networking? Instead, he's using his to send you away?

Mardel said...

I used to love Duro Oluwu's clothes when I would see them in NY, but it has been a few years since I have been in NY to see them, much less to London. Now I wonder. What is the point of having a window? How rude.