Above: Interior of The Design Museum
A basement space in the Victoria & Albert Museum was the first home to Boilerhouse, a showcase for modern design that outgrew that space and another subsequent one before transforming the 1960s Commonwealth Institute into today’s The Design Museum on Kensington High Street. The most striking feature of the post-war modernism landmark originally designed by RMJM is its tent-like parabolic copper roof. The dramatic interior rehabilitation of it was completed in 2018 under the direction of John Pawson.
Exhibitions change, but I’m going to mention two. The first is “Antifurniture,” handsome wooden sculpture designed by performance artist Fyodor Pavolov-Andreevich and BoND Architecture to engage interaction, to invite one to “inhabit” the works. By “one,” I definitely mean someone other than me. Among the phobias the artist strives to help combat are agoraphobia, atychiphobia, demophobia, gelotophobia, acrophobia and basophobia.
Sometimes when we feel overwhelmed we may ignore the problem before us and metaphorically ‘bury our heads in the sand.’ This reaction can cause anxiety and encourage us to avoid the problem; Rock-n’-Desk, however, invites you to confront it.”
Fyodor Pavlov-Andreevich
While I might seem an ideal subject for testing the effectiveness of this therapy, no way I would volunteer to try to overcome my anxieties on the exhibit floors. I heeded the warning signs that the performative sculptures should not be mounted by those with balance issues and extended it to include any of the listed phobias as well.
The second is “Rebel: Thirty Years of London Fashion,” and, yes, the blog already has taken you to visit this exhibition thrice. It proved irresistible, not because I hold an immense love of fashion. But the mannequins were photogenically posed, insisting I take on the role of runway paparazzo. And every exuberant design was accompanied by a little of its backstory.
Erdem emerged in 2008 to elevate elegant evening wear with a line exuding “demi-couture luxury.” His yellow duchesse silk satin gown flows downward to a glamourous full skirt embroidered with jewel-toned leaves and flowers.
We might be in Hockney, but let’s pretend we’re in Paris!”
Erdem
Designer Craig Lawrence embraces the joys of making his own fabric by amplifying on the knitting skills taught to him by his Scottish grandmother. Lawrence described of his pieces pictured below:
It’s a big ice-creamy strawberry marshmallow! That summer I was an ice-cream man in Ipswich. Somehow the extreme lollipop colors, stripes and bobbly bits sort of seeped into my… holiday project.”
Craig Lawrence
Above: Craig Lawrence’s “Fashion in Motion,” V&A Museum, 2012
Another young star influenced by his grandmother, Foday Dumbuya was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design in 2023. His work attempts to bridge cultural divides.
I called this look Mamie Bakie, representing my grandmother and how she dressed in Sierra Leone. It layers British tailoring and West African flair, symbolizing Labrum London.”
Foday Dumbuya
A euphoric unity of debauchery, dancing in the face of threats to freedom.”
Charles Jeffrey Loverboy
The exhibit showcased striking gender-bender fashion designers of the “London LGBTQI+ generation.” You won’t have trouble spotting Charles Jeffrey Loverboy’s 2018 “Faggy Lemony Lobster Gown” above, originally worn by academic and drag artist Jacob Mallinson Bird.
Above: Charles Jeffrey Loverboy’s “The Curious Case of Moshkirk & Booness”
And finally winding up my commentary from our visit to The Design Museum, there is Stefan Cooke’s 2021 “varsity dress” wool miniskirt and jacket with a spiral ski-sweater-type knit scarf, a different take on classic menswear, perhaps termed androgynous-wear.
This is one of our all-time favorites – a bloke in a bomber jacket with a pleated skirt. A super-cute raver, maybe. We never mentioned ‘gender’ at all when we were designing. To us, the fact that women have always bought our things highlights the ridiculousness of even questioning it.”
Stefan Cooke
Of course, King Charles wears kilts, so maybe none of these looks are as great a leap for British men as for Texans. Gossip has it the king’s equerry, Lieutenant Colonel Jonny Thompson, is so besieged by female attention for his hunky look in kilts that he has elected to not appear in public as frequently.
Neither of us returned home with new clothes or furniture.
Postcards from Barton Springs 