Lichtenstein . Retrospective

Roy Lichtenstein has always been one of my favourite Artists. There is something about the basic techniques and colours he uses that captures me and makes me wonder if I could also have painted the same (probably not!). This retrospective, showcased at the Tate Modern Museum in London until May 27th, is the first comprehensive account of his artworks since his death in 1997.

[A Retrospective Poster by Tate Modern London]

I believe I was introduced to his artwork by my father at the Thyssen Museum in Madrid with his Women In Bath 1963. Despite being very little, I do remember being amazed by the perfection of his work. To be honest, at the time I didn't really believe he had done it, how could someone paint such perfect dots, right? Nonetheless, I was reluctant to bring a piece of perfection home, so I managed to engage my poor father into buying me the Women In Bath large poster. You could definitely say this marked the beginning of my relationship with Roy!

[Hopeless, Roy Lichtenstein 1963]

Considered to be one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, Roy Lichtenstein is best know for never taking real objects as inspiration. His artworks are always inspired by two dimensional images as comic strips; advertising and mass culture imagery. This exhibition brings together some of his iconic works as Look Mickey 1961 and Whaam! 1963. However, as a Lichtenstein major fan I have to say that not showcasing Women in Bath 1963, Girl with Ball 1961 and Grrrrrrrrrrr!! 1965 made me a little bit sad, since this are my favoutite ones. But can you imagine going to Louvre and not being able to see Mona Lisa? That is probably the reason why!

[Lichtenstein, A Retrospective Exhibition at Tate Modern]

How to make the best of your visit?

• Book a ticket during the week, on the weekend museums tend to be packed here in London;
• Don't forget to rent an audio guide player, you will enjoy the paintings even more, and you will be able to listen to Roy Lichtenstein talking about his artworks;
• Save some time for the end of the exhibition, you will probably be rushing through the paintings by this time, but room 13 was one of my favourites. This room is called Chinese Landscapes and "it suggests new directions in a carrer that remained dynamic until the end";

[Landscape with Philosopher, Roy Lichtenstein 1996]

Weekend . Photos

1. Water bottle from the University of Westminster  (Westminster Fashion Show last Thursday, May 23rd)

2. Some inspirational reading for the weekend (Harper's Bazaar; I-D; Elle)

3. Roy Lichtenstein, A Retrospective at Tate Modern London

Modus . Mood

London seams to be the city where everything happens. For the first time in my entire life, I am aware of the fashion trends months before they even come out. To be honest, it never really occurred to me how did designers do it. The brilliant capacity of designing collections years before being showcased looked just like magic to me and always made me wonder if they had some kind of magical power or the ability to predict the future.

It is only now, as a fashion student, that I am finally starting to understand how everything works together in such a logical way. I was aware of the existence of PR companies, but somehow always linked their work only with events or celebrities.
However, PR companies play a major role when it comes to the fashion world. They are the ones that provide brands innovative and effective media access, as well as creative brand strategies to position their clients in the best way possible inside the market.

This last week, I had the pleasure to visit the MODUS Publicity headquarters in London, Heddon Street. It was a student trip with the London College of Style team, which made the whole experience even more interesting. We had a complete tour of the offices as well as an inside lecture showing how everything works. The Modus team made sure that as emerging stylist, we understood the importance of creating good relationships with PR firms, because at the end of the day there is always a win-win situation. Afterwards, we were able to have a sneak peek of the next season collections of their clients, showcased on their showroom. As a successful PR company they definitely strive for excellence and quality and that's one of the main reasons why they are able to maintain a good client base which includes brands as; Akris, Calvin Klein and Etro. I hope you enjoy my captures on the magical land of MODUS. 

FYI - PR stands for Public Relations and you can find more information about MODUD here.

Fashion . Editorial #1

Time seams to slip by so quickly, it feels like yesterday when I first arrived in London to delve into the art of Fashion Styling at the London College of Style. I really can't complain about anything in this land of opportunities, I have been having such an amazing time (maybe just the weather, I should complain about that).

As far as fashion is concerned, my first fashion editorial shoot was a hell of an experience, to say the least.  The main theme was English Eccentrics, yes I know! If the fact that this was my first shoot was not already challenging enough, having to leave up to the creative british posh standards made it even harder. However, nothing that a deep research and a creative mood-board can't solve, right?

At the end of the day I do believe I did a pretty good job, and the photos speak for themselves. To be honest, this was a successful team work. I would never have done it without the amazing people that supported and encouraged me throughout the entire process. Thanks guys!

And now, behind the scenes photos!

Easy . Quick . Healthy

Life is all about making choices; what you eat, what you see, what you say... And today I chose to have a healthy lunch. Preparing a quick, easy and healthy meal might look as a hard task, but I can assure you that with the right ingredients on hand it all becomes fairly easy.

The ingredients you will need are:

• 1 Whole Wheat Pita Bread
• Low-Fat Hummus
• 1/4 Avocado
• 2 Small Radish Sliced
• Some Slices of Cucumber

FYI - Avocado is clearly my latest obsession! Enjoy

Looking on the Bright Side

Last Sunday, 5th of May, I was spoiled again! I got the chance to go and enjoy the "Light Show" exhibition for free at the Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre.

I have to be honest here and say that I didn't really know what to expect from it. Although I am a firm believer that art may come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, interpreting light seemed quite odd.

Bringing together sculptures and installations that use artificial light in order to transform space and to influence and alter perception, this exhibition aims to be more than just visional. In fact, according to the artists vision is the least reliable of our senses. What we really see or think we see is not always how things are, right?

After all, I have to say that so much light together made me think twice about the role of artificial light nowadays. Some may take it for granted, while others barely have access to it.

However, when it comes to appreciate light as a form of art and really take some kind of interpretation and meaning from it, lets just say that I will be looking on the bright side of it!

David Bowie . V&A

"I don't know where I am going from here, but I promise it won't be boring."

David Bowie

Some might say that the David Bowie exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum has been completely sold out for a couple of months, and some might be right!

However, being a student at the London College of Style can become a great advantage when it comes to arts, music and culture. The amazing LCS team was able to pull some strings and get tickets for their fashion styling students. 

Needless to say that being a fashion student makes me really keen on creative and dynamic exhibitions, where I can feed my imagination and get inspired by everything I see. This particular one was no different, showcasing for the first time more than 300 objects, brought together to celebrate the singer's 50-year career.

Sponsored by Gucci, the exhibition featured 60 stage costumes of the great performer that sold more than 140 million albums and that claims himself has a 3-dimensional artist - "I'm not content just writing songs!" - David Bowie.

It quickly becomes clear how can a character off stage remain on stage! Inspiring so many others artists around the world with his free spirit and quirky attitude, and somehow inspiring me.