Richard Kilroy

Decoy Issue 3 out now!

2011-12-19T17:48:00.000-08:00

The third issue of my fanzine Decoy is now available, and as you can see has made the jump from black and white to colour. I've reimagined my favourite male model Will Eustace in Dior Homme and Versace H&M for the cover.

Richard Gray's phenomenal exclusive illustration is the A2 centrefold for this issue, with an accompanying interview. It also has a fantastic full page exclusive by Jean Paul Thurlow, and interviews with Alex Noble, Akmal Shaukat and Sabine Pieper.

Above are two of my own illustrations for the issue, (I posted a different one a few weeks back) and the Richard Gray exclusive. To look at more info head over to my website!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-12T03:58:00.000-08:00

Four page spread of Anna Nicole Smith, By Steven Klein for The Face, Feb 2003.
Obviously you will have to click to enlarge.

The editorial seems to have been pretty much removed online everywhere, maybe due to respect for Anna's tragic death, as a few of the photos of her appear to be dead / lying still, and she killed herself shortly after. There are one or two other images online, but this is the only one of this spread as far as I can see! (I had to scan it in). Absolutely love this image.

WEBSITE DOWN

2011-11-17T11:18:00.000-08:00

Malware, oh I can never get rid of you. So I discovered my website www.richardkilroy.com AND decoy's blog have malware, which is clearly from my always-surprising windows laptop, which will also need to be cleaned. The site is down for now, DO NOT try to access it. As far as I can see, I managed to remove any infected posts on Decoy's blog so that should be fine for now.

It's going to be a while before I get my laptop inspected and get everything back on track. ALSO, never join 123reg for domain hosting. They suck absolute balls, and their customer service and help is APPALLING. I'm so vexed right now. Bastard faces.

Album Artwork

2011-11-08T05:13:00.000-08:00

I just caught sight of these album artworks and fell in love with the imagery. I'm not going to be posting every lp cover I find beautiful, but I just fell in love with these. The first three are for the artist Rustie, to do with his new album release Glass Swords. The last is Ladytron's new album. No idea what the name is, but apparently the album is described as Baroque n' Roll.

If you DO want a blog that posts beautiful LP covers, check out Mat Maitland's Leopard Tree Dream blog, it's one of my favourites.

a quick update.

2011-11-07T16:07:00.001-08:00

It's been absolutely ages since I posted I know, I'm rubbish.

I've been concentrating my efforts on the new issue of Decoy, which is going to be a good one trust me. It will still be on newspaper and feature amazing and respected talents, but now it will be in colour and be 16 pages, not 12. I have a series of five illustrations in there, and once the issue is complete and ready to print, I will divulge all. I've still been making posts on the Decoy blog although I want to make sure they are thorough posts, not just the odd quick one like on here.

ALSO. I have a new full page illustration out in the new issue of Vman 24 - The Decades Issue, where I was lucky enough to illustrate two of the world's most incredible male models, Sean O'Pry and David Gandy! I will be doing a seperate blog post on that one asap. It is available now in the U.S and will shortly be available in the U.K.
Anyway, don't lose the faith, I haven't forgotten about the blog!

New illustration - Balenciaga Hat, Spring Summer 2012

2011-09-30T06:21:00.001-07:00

I had to draw one of those hats the moment I saw them. So dramatic, so original, so daft, so Balenciaga! This is also a teaser illustration for Decoy issue 2, I won't be showing the rest until the issue is available :-)

YES YES YES

2011-09-27T17:33:00.000-07:00

The new covers for Ponystep. I am dying over them. Especially the Elvira one, I used to watch Elvira so much when I was younger. Also love that the typography is so subtle, and placed only very small next to the barcode. More magazines could benefit from doing this.

Another VLC player screw up

2011-09-27T17:32:00.000-07:00

Just another moment where my image has suddenly become scrambled, and resulted in a rather cool image. Free copies of Decoy to anyone who can guess the film!

New Illustrations - Onitsuka Tiger / Made of Japan

2011-09-27T03:19:00.000-07:00

Here are my illustrations for Onitsuka's Made Of Japan campaign that have just been released. I was asked to illustrate their Fine Dress range, a beautiful new style that references their historic golfing shoes. Make sure you check out www.Onitsukatiger.com, I have a pair myself and have been asked nonstop where I got them from!

Dior Homme Spring Summer 2012

2011-09-15T13:52:00.001-07:00

My fixation on Dior Homme continues, as does my desire to use felt tips more.

Reflection By Bell Soto

2011-09-04T08:59:00.000-07:00

I love this image. Great composition with the mirror shards and body position. Check out Bell Soto's work if you like this. It's h.o.t.

Vman 23 - The Freak

2011-08-31T16:07:00.000-07:00

I'm finding myself being excited by editorials less and less these days. Every now and again there is the odd one that will relieve me from the stagnant flood of samey editorials of lesser mags. Gisele's new one for i.D is actually pretty great, the styling by Edward Enninful is seriously hot, but this is one that really gets me inspired, courtesy of Solve Sunsbo (I can't find the correct accent 'o' for his name, forgive me). Gorgeous. Anyone will know I'm a sucker for b&w sculptural style editorial. Look at those SHAPES, those CONTOURS, THOSE SPIKES. And especially KEKO'S HEADPIECE. Gorge.

Fashion Clips part 2

2011-08-31T05:57:00.000-07:00

Further to my previous post on 'fashion film', Dior Homme have released this promotional clip, The Wanderer, as their 'video campaign', by Willy Vandeperre.
It might be because I absolutely love the styling in this collection, but this to me is definitely a more successful attempt at showing fashion in short clips / films / videos / whatever.
Just over two minutes, and strikingly simple. The dancing makes me lol a little, but I love this.
Speaking of dancing, Lanvin have also released their Video Campaign. There you have it, it's officially a thing now . . . video campaigns. Steven Meisel films Raquel Zimmerman, Karen Elson, Lowell Tautchin & Milo Spijkers having a dance off, and Alber himself cuts a rug at the end.

New Illustration - Jil Sander SS09

2011-08-27T07:16:00.000-07:00

This is the first in a series of planned illustrations based on Raf's work for his own label and for Jil Sander. I'm going to wait until the full set of drawings are complete before uploading, but I couldn't resist posting the first one (and using my lovely new scanner). It will more than likely be a while before I have the complete set, so this is basically a 'teaser'. As you can see, I plan on getting back into felt tips with these.

Fashion Clips.

2011-08-26T13:04:00.000-07:00

It's an iffy one. Why watch a video of a model in the clothing when you can get lovely fashion photography? Or watch catwalk videos? Of course the marriage of fashion and music video is completely intertwined now, and fashion is essential to cinema, but what if you just simply want to make a clip about the clothing? Is it a video editorial? Is it a short film piece? What exactly is it? Why?

It draws complete parallels with fashion illustration. Why illustrate when you can get a photograph? Video offers it's own advantages: seeing the items in motion, and interpreting the clothing in a new light or mood, both of which can inspire new directions in styling and direction. The only problem I have with a lot of fashion film, is that it seems to often be self-indulgent? I don't know, I like it to be more 'celebratory' of the clothing, rather than using the items as a guise or excuse to make a short clip. Saying this feels very contradictory, and maybe I'm being ignorant perhaps, it's not like illustration always portrays the clothing effectively or deliberately. I think if you are going to hold people's attention with video though, rather than still image, showing the actual clothes will help a lot, that's the original intention for the brief, right? That, or buy bringing in a super hot model.

Editing also plays a crucial part. Superb editing completely changes the tone of any moving image. Without wanting to use a cliché gay-favourite, look at Jonas Akerlund's video for Madonna's Ray of Light. The editing is EVERYTHING in that video, and it's won many awards. Metronomy's The Bay and (don't cringe) LL Cool J & J.Lo - Control Myself are great examples of editing (despite the last one being complelety disposable music).You need to create that timing, that sense of immediacy or suspense. I would love in the future to look into video work as a medium. Mise en scene and editing are something that I'm very passionate about, being a film student and originally always wanting to go into music video production.

I've added some 'fashion clips' to this post that I sometimes go back to. The editing on the EY! clip and Barnaby Roper's video of Iris is fantastic, and the Mimetic Desire just for the sense of mood, I think the prominance of fashion film will definitely grow, but I'm thinking the most crucial thing of all is to keep it short and sweet. Nothing over 90 seconds. Don't make it a music video, don't make it a short film. Fashion folk flick through editorials at speed, they are more likely to avoid lengthy indulgent videos. That's my two cents / personal preference anyway. Opinions?

Versace SS12.

2011-08-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

I FINALLY have the scanner I've been after for so so long. Folks, if any of you out there are struggling to find the scanner you need for pencil work, get an Epson Expression 10000xl, it's the only way. Here is the Versace SS12 illustration after finally being able to scan it.

Richard Bernstein

2011-08-17T17:23:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I'm being really lazy with this post. I was going to make a super long extra post as usual for Decoy's blog, as this regards an illustrator. HOWEVER, I simply cannot find a decent amount of images that do justice to the artwork of Richard Bernstein. These are the only two.

To keep it short, Bernstein was the illustrator for every cover of Interview Magazine throught the late 70s to mid 80s. He also did a lot of album cover art, most notably all of Grace Jones' disco era albums and singles. Seeing the covers of Interview online has nowhere near as much impact as witnessing the large format magazines in their super colourful glory. Being so old, no-one, not even Interview themselves, have really bothered to scan and remaster them for online, and seem content to show them as dingy thumbnails on their site. There is a group on facebook 'the art of Richard Bernstein' which is one of the best sources. However, they all seem to be overcontrasted and appear bleached.

I discovered the mags at Dover Street Market, where they are being sold ridiculously overpriced at £60 each (Shop around, there's cheaper online).
Anyway, these two images I feel content with showing. Someone SERIOUSLY needs to release a book of all the original covers, they are achingly beautiful.

Olafur Elliason 2007

2011-08-07T15:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Hapsical for recently posting about the work of Olafur Eliasson (check his post here), as it reminded me to post up images of this handout that came with AnotherMan back in 2007.

The booklet is essentially a bit of promotional fluff for their installation work (they're interviewed in the mag), but the design and layout and overall look had, and still has me absolutely drooling over it. It's a graphics / layouts geek moment for me for sure, there's such a great sense of freedom and energy within the design of the booklet, the illustrations taking their inspiration from the installation works by the artists. It's little things like this that I always end up filing away, knowing that it's inspired me, consciously or subconsciously.

Looking at the images and layout onscreen doesn't really compare to large print, but make sure you click to enlarge, it makes a world of difference.

www.olafurelliason.net

New Illustration - Versace SS12.

2011-07-22T08:16:00.000-07:00

Until I get my hands on a top of the range scanner, photographs will serve me better than sub-standard scanning. Anyways, Versace's collection. Amazing, and one of my favourites as usual. It's good to see Versace gaining more press attention again, even if Donatella did have to succumb to a H&M collab and Gaga-association to do so.

Also, I kind of like that this photo has an ugly black border ( courtesy of my bedding), it feels 90s-appropriate, much like the Versace collection itself.

Calvin Klein Collection.

2011-07-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

I needed to make a slightly more in-depth post than usual about the latest Calvin Klein Collection shows. I don't want to get too heavy on technical discussion, nor do I want to create a super long post that is secretly aimed in bagging me some kind of press favouritism from Calvin Klein like a fair few other bloggers do. BUT, it is always my favourite collection, both mens and womens. Francisco and Italo's passion for fabrics, reductivism and the heritage of the brand make me feel so satisifed and wanting more after each show. (Make sure you click on the images for enlargements, and to see the fabrics much better.)

THE SHOES

So the outfits got plenty of attention and are incredible and I love them blah blah, but the shoes. "oh my god shoes". The soles look like these clear types of lego bricks from some 80s lego sets that were passed down from my auntie to me as a kid. I love them, I love the shape. Are they 'futuristic'? 'Minimal'? I have no idea how to describe them. As usual with Calvin Klein they are a fairly classic form with a modern technological appearance. The devil on my shoulder would say to get the acid fluoro green ones, I would probably end up getting the more style-versatile grey, and my bank balance would actually just laugh at me if I were to comtemplate this for real.

MATERIALS

Artwork at last year's Free Range exhibition (never wrote the artist's name down)

I can't really go indepth with this because honestly, I'm not technically savvy with materials. CK Collection is always one of the leaders in material advancement which is probably not shocking news to you anyway. But leather track pants? Perforated tees? Woooaahh Italo. That tshirt probably wouldn't survive a day in my life knowing my luck, but seriously, kudos.

RED.

Italo has already said in the past he finds it difficult working with colour. When he does, he does so in the most effective way, sticking to key colours and maximising it's use within the outfit. He admitted he usually ends up sticking to blue and yellow, which is pretty evident in the last few seasons, but I'm loving these red hues which work perfectly.

Calvin Klein / Yves Klein

I am an absolute sucker for 'Internationl Klein Blue'. A few years I caught the Yves Klein exhibition at The Pompidou by chance when I was unaware of his work. The room was filled with plain blue canvases. Nothing else. Just. Blue. Canvases.
Me and my friends all looked at each other in hysterics going "this is the epitome of pretentious art." "this is what non-creatives take the piss out of" while we watched tour groups walk around, appearing in deep concentration over a bunch of blue canvases.
Then I basically became a hypocrit after reading the thought process behind the colour. Yves patented the colour after believing it to have no reminiscient or reflective value to any onlooker. I.e, it's a completely unnatural colour that doesn't exist in nature in this certain tone. International Klein Blue is actually outside the gamut of computer displays, and can't accurately be portrayed on webpages, including this one obvs. No-one can really look at it and say "oh it reminds me of so and so" because it's such a unique vibrant colour. That's not to say that labels such as Escada, Versace and YSL don't recreate it as closely as possible in past designs.

My favourite ever coat is very close to IKB, an Escada double breasted, silk lined jacket that I found hidden away in a vintage shop and bought for just £15 (shown further down), and I have no intention of stopping buying any more clothing in this tone. The ck trousers are an absolute DREAM.

Trashiness.

I love that Italo does a sly take on the trashy image of the house of Calvin Klein in the collections. While fashion savvy watch the Collection line on youtube or style.com, the majority of the world know Calvin Klein for underwear, for the 90s, for sexy underwear ads with Marky Mark, for fake clobber on market stalls sometimes written kC instead of cK. It's a hard image to ignore and obviously the more defiant one, and is as eurotrashy as it is pure americana.

Now all I want in life is somewhere in the UK that actually stocks a decent amount of it, if only to try it on. Harvey Nichols do a very small and unimpressive amount. LuisaViaroma had some on their site for ss11 but again, it was a very bland unimpressive selection. If anyone has any word, please pass it on to me.

WHO IS HE?

2011-06-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

His name is Bo Develius. He is BEAUTIFUL. And he will be MASSIVE. This is from yesterday's Burberry show. He's still only 16. And I fancy him. Shame on me. Alex Pettyfer (now a rubbish actor) was also modelling in the show. Couldn't care less. I want BO.

Through the eyes of a model

2011-06-19T08:12:00.001-07:00

I love seeing the reflection of the audience in the sunglasses, click for larger image.

The City Limits

2011-05-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

This isn't normally the type of thing I'd post on here, but I can't stop watching this incredible time-lapse video.
Make sure you have it set to HD, put on full screen, and volume up. It freaks me out how surreal the shots looks towards the end, you forget just how dense in population some places can be and it makes you feel rather reflective of just how far humanity has come.
The final few city shots literally look like something out of Blade Runner, and it's completed with a perfect song choice, 'Time' by Hans Zimmer from the Inception soundtrack.

New Illustration - Sean O'Pry

2011-05-17T06:50:00.001-07:00

My obsession with Sean still continues. This illustration is a personal work; a birthday gift for a friend, and is adapted from one of the photographs of Sean in the new issue of Wonderland.
I am still yet to scan it clearly, so unfortunately this is another rather grainy iPhone picture that has been cropped and centered for now.
Homotography have also just posted some early photos of Sean when he was starting out, one of which I've included here. You forget how incredible his face actually is!

Original Illustrations Available

2011-05-03T11:11:00.000-07:00

If you think you would be interested in purchasing a signed original piece, please email me (richard@richardkilroy.com) for a quote and I will try to keep prices reasonable, bearing in mind these are the original works, NOT a print. Make sure you refer to my site to see all works.

The illustrations available are:

8 x illustrations from the series "An Illustrated Look At Modern Menswear" for Ponystep

8 x illustrations from the series "The French Resistance" for Ponystep

3 x illustrations for Husk Magazine

2 x illustrations for I.T Post magazine.

i still really really really want it.

2011-04-30T06:43:00.000-07:00

I can't describe how much I want the Calvin Klein Collection crop top still. It's the perfect graphic interpretation of the trashier 90's underwear aesthetic that Calvin is known for, rather than the super minimal lux collection label. Fuck it, I might just go to a market and get a fake knocked up. You forced me to do it Calvin Klein.

New Illustration - Dior Homme

2011-04-27T16:27:00.000-07:00

Just a personal illustration. Dior Homme's fw11 'amish' themed collection.

Issue 2 of 'Decoy' now available!

2011-03-31T08:14:00.000-07:00

Click on the paypal button on the right hand side to buy a copy!

The second issue of my fanzine is finally ready to buy. Here are some previews of the spreads inside, featuring the exclusive illustrations by Julie Verhoeven and Tara Dougans, and also the feature on one of my favourite illustrators George Stavrinos.

Decoy is printed in a large tabloid format (slightly larger than A3)

Contents:
Si Scott interview & images
Tara Dougans & Julie Verhoeven, exclusive illustrations
Ricardo Fumanal centrefold illustration & interview
Thom Browne article by Cillian O'Connor and illustration by Spiros Halaris
Gattaca article and illustration by myself
George Stavrinos feature, article and illustrations
Jasper Goodall interview & image

Decoy issue 2 cover! Available in a few days.

2011-03-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

And here is the official new cover!! Ricardo Fumanal's gorgeous illustrations grace the cover and the centrefold for a large fold out interview. A fuller preview of the spreads will be shown once it's ready to buy. Don't forget if you want emailing the moment it becomes available, request to be put on the mailing list, richard@richardkilroy.com

Something old, something new, something borrowed from other websites and both are blue

2011-03-14T06:58:00.000-07:00

Cremorne Lights by James Abbott McNeil Whistler, 1872

Carla Klein, 2008

Ponystep Magazine Covers

2011-03-07T14:39:00.000-08:00

features include:

- Maison Michel x André

- Chanel

- Vidal Sassoon

- Marc Jacobs

- Fergus Henderson

- Julia Restoin Roitfield

- Katherine Hamnett x Vivienne Westwood

- Princess Julia

- Julie Verhoeven

- Solve Sunsbo

- Jerry Hall

- Kylie Minogue

Available now on Colette's website!

New Illustration for Decoy issue 2.

2011-03-07T13:32:00.000-08:00

So here's my illustration of Uma to accompany the article on Gattaca I've written for Decoy. I'm hoping to get back into ink and more abstract lines, and find a happy medium of blending this with realist pencil drawing.

The issue is also pretty much ready to print. I know I've been saying this FOREVER, but it finally is. I'm dying to post the exclusively commissioned illustrations from Julie Verhoeven, Tara Dougans and Spiros Halaris, they're all so brilliant, but I'm going to resist until it's printed and in my hands.

Don't forget if you want to be emailed when it is ready to purchase, email richard@richardkilroy.com and ask to be put on the mailing list. There will be a limited amount of 300 copies.

Sean O'Pry, 'Destination Nowhere' by Nick Clements.

2011-02-19T05:08:00.001-08:00

I'm not even sure if I've already posted this before on here, if it was then it was so long ago I can get away with doing it again, but yeah, Destination Nowhere is one of my favourite editorials. I can understand if anyone doesn't particularly see what I see in it as it's hardly the most original of shoots, it's just something about the hues of the desert and sky that will always fascinate me. The whole notion of facing bleak horizon at the edge of the world, and that idea of quietness and self-reflection. The advantage this shoot has over other "model in the desert" editorials is the sci-fi element that has been tied in alongside the styling, something I've got a major penchant for and it works perfectly too. It makes me think of Keith Davis Young meets Gattaca meets The Omega Man, or Peter Lindbergh's work but in golden and brown hues.
And on an odder note, it also reminds me of the levels of Sonic 1 and 2, when the backdrops were sometimes weirdly similar, like Spring Hill zone: distant floating orangey-brown mountains and cobalt blue sky.

This is actually from Arena's September 2007 magazine (not homme+), a mag I never considered worthy of picking up to look at editorials, and has since been closed by emap, while Arena Homme + still continues to thrive with amazing work. I'd give anything to just be walking through a desertscape drenched in sun hues right now, it's my ambition to at some point go out to one of these far western landscapes and explore, not that I know what I'll do once I get there.

Chanel Lookbook Spring Summer 1997 - Stella Tennant

2011-02-10T08:59:00.000-08:00

My friend owns this rather beautiful Chanel Lookbook from 1997, which her friend discovered in a charity shop for a single British pound. The book is roughly A4 size, and I realised looking through it that the images were used for the advertisements, which I referenced in my dissertation based on Trans-portrayal and Androgyny. Stella Tennant looks gorgeous here, and the photography is beautifully composed and worthy of a look.
My friend (rightfully so) doesn't want to sell it, but you can imagine it will be worth a hell of a lot more than a single quid on ebay. Here are some of the spreads.

Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance And The Camera

2011-01-29T04:02:00.000-08:00

I received the book for christmas since I wasn't able to make it to the exhibition at The Tate, which has since finished and now showing at Moma in San Francisco. There are some seriously great images, and as you'd expect from a book on voyeurism and surveillance, a lot of morbidly fascinating ones, particularly seeing the date of the work, considering the content. As morose as it sounds, it's given me some great inspiration for new directions with work in the new year. Here are some of my favourite images.

As with most images, seeing them on screen doesn't compare to seeing them in print, but a decent amount of text and images have also been put up online here, including text from the exhibition / book.
http://arttattler.com/sanfranciscosfmoma.htmlhttp://arttattler.com/sanfranciscosfmoma.html

Walker Evans, (Subway Passenger, New York), 1938

Garry Winogrand, Santa Monica, 1982-83

Bill Dane, San Francisco, 1973

Man Ray, Justine In Mask, 1930

Nobuyoshi Araki, Kinbaku (Bondage), from the series Love in Winter, 1979

Pierre Louis Pierson and Christian Bérard, Scherzo di Follia (Game of Madness) 1863

Nick Ut, Paris Hilton, 2007

Tom Howard, The Electrocution Of Ruth Snyder, 1928

Bill Eppridge, (Juan Romero, busboy at Ambassador hotel in Los Angeles, kneels to help fallen Seantor Roberty F. Kenndey after he was shot by Jordanian fanatic Sirhan B. Sirhan), 1968

United States Atomic Energy Commission, Diablo Shit, fireball, July 15, 1957, from Atomic Tests in Nevada, 1957

Unknown, (Maksim Grigorlevich Martynov case, martynov speaks in code, FBI files, Russian Spy), ca. 1954

Weegee (Arthur H. Fellig), Lovers at the Movies, ca. 1940

Richard Gordon, San Francisco, 2004

The Immaculate Collections.

2011-01-23T08:56:00.000-08:00

Excuse the cheap pun. With the exception of two or three designers, I've found most of the shows in Paris and Milan kinda boring. (Nearly) everything is commercial and clean, which is understandable, but most of it just felt very safe and not very, well, new? Luckily there were a few standouts as usual, and as obvious as the Jil Sander / Thierry Mugler / Raf Simons collections were etc, it's the more stronger, more overly concentrated minimilast / reductivist clothing I'm after.
There wasn't a crazy amount, but all the simple shaped items, with maybe just one single button for example, are what I'm into, the really directly simple stuff that's so hardcore simple but manages to avoid being boring. Here are my own personal favourites.

Note: Bright tangerine orange (of the hugo boss kind) and Cobalt / Yves Klein Blue are my two favourite colours, and seem to be the two top colours of the men's weeks. I already have a cobalt blue Escada jacket that I wear to no end, and I lost out on a tangerine orange vintage Gianni Versace jacket on ebay a while back, so I'm thinking it's time I attempted an orange purchase in the new year.

Dior Homme.
Even though I was disappointed by the safeness of most of this collection, compared to the unique shapes and proportions of the last season, these looks still went down well in my books. The Amish will forever be a great style inspiration.

Kris Van Assche.
His own personal line is growing on me even more. This look in particular for it's unusual length and extended pockets.

Burberry Prorsum.
Ok, not really under the bracket of minimal or reductivist, and definitely not under the bracket of 'activist', as I would now LOVE a mink fur tee/vest? And the bag too. What was that noise? Oh yeah, it's my animal rights going out the window. turrah.

Lanvin.
Meh. these were my two favourites. Thumbs up for sack shapes.

Raf Simons.
At first I saw this collection and just felt absolutely nothing for it at all. nothing. But the more I look at it, the more I'm growing to actually love some of the outfits. You just can't lose with Raf.

Versace.
Versace seems to be getting a lot of flack off critics. Maybe I'm in the wrong but I'm actually loving some of the pieces, particularly the embossed leather gilet and sleeveless waistcoats, and the overall colour scheme. I hope more people click onto the same way I feel about the show.

Yves Saint Laurent.
My favourite show of last season next to Dior, this was another slight disappointment. Nevertheless, the subtetly of Stefano's proportions make it still a strong collection.

Louis Vuitton.
Unless Calvin Klein's show in New York supercedes this, then this is my favourite show. I'm simply revelling in it's immaculacy, the belting and the pleats and the colour scheme, and a bright orange jacket with side bag. I die. And I hate that gays always use that phrase, but I actually do die over it.

Viktor & Rolf
This outfit is just perfection. Not that I could get away with it. But the idea of making shorts in the shirt material. Just the pinnacle of minimalist joy. I can't even think of any words.

Thom Browne
Not minimalist in the slightest, I know. It's hard to say why I love this outfit so much, it's probably the extreme level of 'suited n' booted' elegance matched with a level of wtf. Basically, what Thom is all about. It's beautiful, and truly original.

Giuliano Fujiwara aw2011/12

2011-01-22T06:11:00.001-08:00

It seems one or two of my favourite designers bypassed the route of the usual catwalk show this season. It's kind of worrying since this usually means that there are financial restrictions or the brand isn't performing as good as it was. Gianfranco Ferré is another concerning one.
What's odder is that Giuliano's presentation doesn't even appear to be up on Vogue or Style's sites at the moment, and from what I can see from the video, he seems to be playing it safer and more commercial with his looks.
I thought I'd put up this video of his small presentation anyway to at least promote it. I'm such a fan of Giuliano and hope that he will continue for some time.

Men in Masks.

2011-01-18T08:03:00.000-08:00

I've realised I have a thing for obscuring the face and using masks in fashion photography. Maybe because it can be interpreted more loosely? maybe because it takes away the human aspect and becomes more objective? Or maybe because it's just easier to draw? who knows. who cares? It's hot.

This last image in particular is just incredible.

Quote from 'Utopian Dreams'

2011-01-15T03:30:00.001-08:00

This just sums up what I think about academic art theory writers sometimes.

"You are so easily convined by your own arguments. And as you argue yourself out of physical presence, your abstract reasoning modelled itself a place upon a Darwinist evolutionary scale. Bit by bit, through a subtle process of elision and omission you climbed the ladder to the heights of philosophical contemplation, dragging yourself out of the dark platonic cave into the daylight and scopic delight of pure vision.
But the origin of your species lies within the body; just like all creatures on this earth. In that sense you are no different to the beasts that crawl or the birds that fly, or all manner of fish, fowl or furry things. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? But somehow you ignore the fact of your beginning, and as if by giving birth to yourself, you find your place at the peak of perfection in the personification of theoretical thinking, free of body limitation, free of an origin outside yourself, author of your own life story. You turn your false 'bodilessness' into your great advantage. And from here on, all the rest of us must suffer categorisation according to body type. We become determined by the significance that you read into our bodies and hence forward must live our biology like destiny."

Polly Gould.

Decoy Issue 2 nearly ready

2011-01-13T05:42:00.000-08:00

It's only be a matter of weeks now until Decoy 2 will be ready to print! I know I've said this all along, but everything is now pretty much complete, layouts and articles, done and dusted. Just one or two things left to sort and then I can finally make it available.

The content will be:

1. Interview with illustrator Si Scott, with illustrations

2. Exclusive full page illustration by Tara Dougans

3. Exclusive full page illustration by Julie Verhoeven

4. Centrefold interview with Ricardo Fumanal, showing his new work

5. Article on Thom Browne by Cillian O' Connor from Male-Mode, exclusive illustration by Spiros Halaris

6. Article on the film Gattaca, with an original illustration by myself

7. double page feature on the work of 80s illustrator George Stavrinos

8. Exclusive interview with Jasper Goodall, about his new work, print shop and The Face magazine.

There will be a limited amount of 300 copies, worldwide postage available, and with the involvement of such great illustrators and in A3 newspaper format, I can't imagine it being around for too long.
To be put on the mailing list email me, richard@richardkilroy.com and you'll be notified the moment it is available!

Daniel Whittaker, further outtakes

2011-01-11T06:45:00.001-08:00

Here are a few more outtakes from the shoot with Daniel towards my next illustrations. Apparently he is about to explode on the Milan scene, with rumours in the Telegraph and elsewhere that he will be walking for the likes of Versace and Dolce & Gabbana. Cannot wait for the shows!

The Fashionisto in print - teaser image

2011-01-11T05:13:00.000-08:00

I don't think an image could some up Dior Homme's collection any more perfectly. My favourite collection from the season (followed closely by ysl), I'm really looking forward to this.

'Basically a load of random' - Art.

2011-01-06T02:09:00.000-08:00

Ok here's the art / photography version. There's genuinely far too much on my laptop to make this a 'best of' and I've already posted a lot of work from my favourite artists already, so some stuff may be reposted. it's also more a case of what I've found on the internet, rather than deliberate research on prolific artists. I'm also aware there is some fashion stuff, inevitably the categories cross over at times, let's not get into THAT one.

C Griffith

Carla Klein

Andrew B Myers

Julie Verhoeven

Keith Davis Young

Margot

Nicholas Moulin

Unknown

Roioiseau

Cornelia Parker (original sculpture Auguste Rodin's The Kiss, wrapped in rope)

scan from an Olafur & Eliasson booklet free with Another Man Magazine

Marcel Dzama

Jake & Dinos Chapman

Gary Sollars

Donald Judd

Unknown

Martha Rosler

Unknown

Thomas Ruff

Serge Lutens

Viktor Timofeev

Poster for LCD Soundsystem

Evgenij Soloviev

Alex Gaidouk

Unknown, although I spotted it a few weeks back on booooooom! if that helps

from some bikini company that I forget the name of :-s

Baldassare Peruzzi

Branislav Kropilak

Chow Martin

Unknown

Eberhard Havekost

Eleanor Wood

Fernando Aragon

Kinsey

David Foldvari

Lennart verstagen

Invite to the mens Givenchy show

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Roberto Fernandez

Ron English - 'Stereo Magritte'

Simon Henwood

Slava Mogutin

Tanja Tiziana

from The Vader Project

Tim Burkhart

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

'Basically a load of random' - Fashion.

2011-01-04T08:43:00.000-08:00

I'm officially an addict for saving and filing away anything I see and like on the internet, and then more, just incase.
I have gigs and gigs of editorials, photographer's work, catwalk shots, artist's work and more, all in correct files, sorted as much as they possibly can be. Some of these I've posted will no doubt have been saved off other blogs, particularly coute que coute, LIKEWANTGOT, possibly Lynn & Horst, and maybe Hapsical and RBPMfanzine, some of my personal favourite blogs, so make sure you check them out.
I just thought I'd share some faves, there's no specific reason or theme really. An open discussion in the comments would be great. I can't be arsed naming everything unless anyone asks!. These are just a tiny selection from my fashion folder, it would be nice to combine the art ones alongside, but it would be far too much hopping back and forth, you'd have to witness my laptop to see just how many hundreds of folders and subfolders I have. I'll do an art one soon.

Turrah 2010.

2010-12-31T05:53:00.000-08:00

The most pivotal year for me so far, no question. Having some of the strongest ups and downs, and definitely the highest points career wise, I felt like doing a 'year in review' post. But honestly, it's MAINLY because I was one of those myspace bulletin losers, that loved talking about themselves via constant time-wasting questionnaires, and my obsessive compulsive habits mean I like to document everything in order to validate it and move on.

The highlight of my year is pretty obvious, and that's the commission for Dior Illustrated. The whole thing from start to finish was just surreal, from being positioned next to Jasper Goodall at the exhibit, being handpicked by Dior out of a selection of illustrators, learning new techniques with my photography and method, the launch party -a surreal moment in itself- and just the coverage it has received since.

Decoy - something that I've always wanted to do, and has allowed me to work with or talk to some of the greatest illustrators in fashion illustration, including my heroes Julie Verhoeven, Jasper Goodall, Si Scott, David Downton, Alex Noble, Cedric Rivrain, and also to be introduced to emerging talents such as Spiros Halaris and Tara Dougans, both very talented and will go far. I'm so happy with the first issue and how the second one is coming together, and I'm really excited to see how it will develop.

11th Feb. The day I finished my dissertation with absolute pride and sense of accomplishment, then went home and found out McQueen had hung himself.
He was the absolute pinnacle of showmanship, talent and vision in the fashion industry, and his death wasn't just his 'death', throughout the industry it just felt like the loss of uncompromising vision. There will never be anyone like him again. All depressiveness was then washed out with ridiculous amounts of ale that night to celebrate finished dissertations.

Ponystep Men's Report. This seemed to give me a great amount of exposure and was probably my favourite commission of the year, hence why one of them is now the welcome image for my website. Out of all the mentions it got, my absolute favourite has to be that it got mentioned on P Diddy's SeanJohn Blog, which is delightfully called 'No BitchAssNess', so proud - *tear*

Friends / Partying / Leeds. The last few months of university were the pinnacle of the year. Nothing but fun, partying, working on a project I loved, drunken fun, plenty of sunbathing in the park with good mates and living on loans. It's cliché I know, but I've made some friends for life there. Having to move back home was one of the more emotionally unexpected moments in my life for sure. I miss everyone a LOT. Also I can't think of anyway to write all this without sounding like a mega cheeseball, sorry.

Obligatory predictions and hopes for 2011:

Moving to London in february, squeal.
Exciting worldwide commission I'm currently doing right now all goes to plan.
Looking forward to working for Ponystep magazine and seeing the first issue.
Decoy issue 2 FINALLY getting released, and then 3 later in the year.
Probably get Botox now that i'll be closer to 30 then 20.
Totally redoing my website from scratch with a talented web designer - please suggest names!

Daniel Whittaker - Outtake

2010-12-27T07:27:00.000-08:00

This is an outtake from a shoot towards a new commission I'm working on for Onitsuka Tiger. It's seperate to the brief and more just photography practice for myself and toward's Daniel's portfolio.

I've included some other images from Dan's appearances with Ponystep and Christopher Shannon. 19 and fresh faced, Dan has some great qualities and can go from doing classic to a more harder look, and should hopefully go far and be appearing in the upcoming men's shows at Milan

Perfume TV spots

2010-12-01T14:15:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year when perfume ads go into overdrive. Some good. Some bad. Some abso fugly. Everyone seems to like them but I find the dkny and nina ricci ads to be absolutely repulsive and highly unglamorous. What gets my goat more than ever though are when the ads have absolutely nothing in common with the mainline image. The over-indulgent Dior Homme mini-movie by Guy Ritchie is an absolute TRAVESTY. But rather than list all my most hated ones, I thought I'd list my favourite ones instead. It's good to keep things cheery.

J'adore Dior - Charlize Theron. Nick Knight.
It was a toss up between this and Carmen Kass's steely gaze in the "J'ADORE" pool of gold ad. But since this one of Charlize was replaced by a less artistic ad I decided to show this instead. Why they chose to replace it I don't know, but this feels so much stronger in imagery and symbolism. Sex sells I guess.

Dior J'adore - Charlize Theron from faver on Vimeo.

Chanel - Nicola Kidman. Baz Luhrmann.
The KING of perfume ads. Baz's £2 mil mini movie epic is a masterpiece, flawed only by the one thing that is supposed to drive it. Kidman's acting. It's almost like a parody of acting in itself. "I'm a dancer, I LOVE TO DANCE" makes me wither and die every time, but is rectified by those incredible few shots of her ascending the staircase in slow motion, and the waves of photographers slowly closing in from the sides. Goosebumps for just this moment alone.

Flore Gucci - Chris Cunningham.
Involving Cunningham in ad for a product based on 'floral' could have gone spectacularly wrong. But it didn't. He manages to take what could have been a horrificly clichéd image to a darker place, and it's the perfect match. The score is also a completely new one by Donna Summer specifically made for the ad. Watch the full minute version in all it's glory, instead of the offensively edited-down 20-second one that gets aired. It makes all the difference.

Jean Paul Gaultier - Classique (1995). Jean Baptiste Mondino
It's just so silly and over the top and nonsensical. I can just see my parents moaning about what a load of pretentious old shit they think it is. I love it.

Jean Paul Goude

Egoiste - Chanel.
Sarah Jessica Parker - Covet.

You know I had to get Goude in somewhere. Egoiste is my favourite, another one that I remember watching when I was little and my mum muttering "how stupid". Not that this is why I like it, but the whole french madness quality that Jean Paul brings is fabulous.
As soon as I saw SJP's ad I knew it was him. It did NOT have a welcome reception. As good as a SJP / Goude collab might have sounded, her legions of fans did not quite warm to it's leftfield approach. I'm rather indifferent to it, but it's worth looking at.

Chanel no5 - Estella Warren. Luc Besson
In my eyes the ULTIMATE christmas fragrance advert.

holding out for sales . . .

2010-11-30T15:21:00.000-08:00

These items are what I'm hoping will go into sale, and the minute they do, I will be lobbing them in my virtual basket and checking out. I'm going to be a crank and not say what online stores they are in, but they're not hard to seek out anyway.

Hussein Chalayan pocket coat. I never even thought I would see this available, but it is, and it's only £575 BEFORE sale. Fingers crossed. This was literally piece of the season, I don't care that it's a women's piece. Beautiful.

Lou Dalton Felt Cap. It's rare to find a hat I like. I NEED this.

Jil Sander Shoes. These are more of a 'if i had unlimited money' case, as they aren't good as the other items I'm holding out for, but I am dire need of good classic black shoes right now. I wish I had bought the creepers with the tread-sole a few seasons ago. Major regrets.

Katie Eary t-shirt.
Now THIS one is a little bit of a dilemma. I love the print (I understand that there will be haters), but the back is totally white. no print. It kind of cheapens the overall effect, but I still love the front print enough to buy it if it goes into sale.

Aunt Viv, my new icon.

2010-11-29T05:53:00.000-08:00

This is potentially the first of a series of posts, providing I have the energy to do more at this length. I've been catching the Fresh Prince of Bel Air on telly lately and can't get over how amazing some of the styling is. It's obviously all 90s and trashy and garish and a bit too east london / zone7style / cassette playa friendly for me, but personally it's aunt viv who steals the show every time for me anyway, amazing.

I ended up dreaming last night that I was watching her in a Thierry Mugler campaign, and then unrelated in a seperate dream, I was a detective looking for my grandad who (in my dream) used to build lego sculpures based on Mondrian paintings. THEN, doing my screengrabbing today, I came across a few Mondrian outfits in the show!

Here are the results of a very long screengrabbing session from all of the first season. Personal favourites include Hilary's mega-shouldered purple black and snot green jacket, Will's crop top and metal peak cap, and Hilary's zippered blue jacket. None of it I would ever personally wear myself, but it's just so fun to see it all, and also great inspiration. Look out for Naomi Campbell's cameo too. I've had to do a 'jump' as this post is crazy long, for me anyway. Enjoy.

Basic sketching

2010-11-15T14:25:00.000-08:00

This is probably not the preliminary type of stuff that I would be expected to post, but I'm just so happy with this two minute line sketch. For my article on Gattaca that will be in Decoy, I had the idea I would be doing a big collage that would be as detailed as it was simple, with both Uma and Ethan in and possibly Jude.

However I simply can't get past Uma's spectacular beauty in the film and instead can only find inspiration in drawing her alone, so I'm totally going with it. I knocked out this quick little line sketch to get an idea of the proportions I wanted, and I'm basically just posting it because I'm rather happy with it. The whole collage thing was a mess, and after being a bit Gruau obsessed recently I want to really concentrate on simplicity and striking form. There is probably already a famous illustration with this pose, I know it's not the most original. It will inevitably be a female version of the William Eustace / Jil Sander illustration I did for Ponystep; face, collar detail and suggestive line. With Uma's face I am confident it will look strong. Now I just need to get my university graduation sorted and I can get underway with it and finishing the written article!

Illustration at 'Dior Illustrated'

2010-11-10T08:10:00.000-08:00

The private viewing of the Dior Illustrated exhibition the other night was one of the highlights of my year, no question. The fact that my illustration was placed next to Jasper Goodalls was also slightly surreal. Jasper was the biggest influence in my pursuit of a career in fashion illustration, so seeing my work next to his was a bit of a moment for me. The illustrations from Daisy, Erin and Sarah were just as fantastic in their own right. I got chatting to Jasper during the party too and we discussed just how much we couldn't believe that Gruau's work isn't seen more often.

Speaking of which, the work exhibited is breath-taking. Beautiful and so inspirational, it's such an honour to have been part of the whole thing. It's fascinating to see the work without retouching, sometimes you could make hints of pencil lines etc, but his eye for composition and flair is just mesmerizing. A book has been reissued to co-inside with the exhibition but I seriously recommend going, as there's a significant amount of work that I didn't see in the book. Here are some images I took myself of the illustration in situ, it was used twice, both in the exhibition and also in the foyer.

New Illustration: A Modern Response To The Work of René Gruau

2010-11-06T05:36:00.000-07:00

Now that the details have been released I can finally mention the new illustration. Christian Dior Parfums commissioned five illustrators, including myself, to produce a modern response to the work that Gruau produced for the house.
I was given the brief of responding to Gruau's men's illustrations, the way he portrayed them and the sense of humour that came across in the work. The other illustrators Jasper Goodall, Erin Petson, Sarah Arnett and Daisy Fletcher also had specific briefs to respond to (more details on Decoy's blog soon).

I eventually came up with the idea of a man becoming stuck in taking his top off, as it felt perfect for the brief. Gruau's men were more than often portrayed in everyday banal situations yet carried off such a cool, breezy and sexy attitude. In my own opinion men these days are nowhere near that kind of sensibility anymore, so the idea of making the figure appear attractive but rather clumsy felt rather apt. Plus I liked the ambiguity of Gruau's men, they were often hidden or obscured, as if Gruau was making a comment on men or describing a type of man, rather than have an actual character.

original sketch ideas.

500 signed prints (50x70cm) will be available from each artist including myself at the shop in Somerset House, and the exhibition runs from 10th November - 9th January.
Alongside an extensive amount of Gruau's original illustrations, the exhibition will also contain vintage perfume bottle designs, illustrations for Christian Dior Parfums, sketches and magazines, and a selection of Dior Haute Couture dresses. I'll be making a thorough post on Decoy's blog once I attend the private viewing on tuesday and get to see everything first hand, which I seriously cannot wait for.

favourite spreads from the new issue of I.T Post

2010-11-05T13:57:00.000-07:00

The issue has some great photography from Kwannam Chu but these interesting and original spreads are the type of creative freedom I'd like to more in magazines.

Unintentional joy.

2010-11-04T14:33:00.000-07:00

Click to enlarge

This is what happens when you try to play a 1080 high definition video file on a 760p laptop screen on vlc player. While most of the time it is just a glitchy mess due to the incapatability, sometimes the results can look rather beautiful in their own right.

And yes, they are from the film Gattaca.

New illustrations for I.T Post magazine

2010-11-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

Click To Enlarge.

Included in an editorial of the model Lukas Kalda, the brief was essentially to produce something slightly more romantic and softer than my usual work.

I will do a more thorough post on the issue when I get the chance. It really is a true item of beauty. There is a wealth of illustrations and design features that any magazine obsessive will drool over.

Keko Hainswheeler

2010-10-29T15:19:00.000-07:00

Keko has had so many highlights in the past 18 months or so, it's hard to summarize. I love his stuff, and so does the industry. A firm favourite of Nicola Formichetti and Anna trevelyan, here are some of his highlights and some of my favourite images.

All images after the jump . . .

V Magazine
Mario Testino / Natalie Portman
customised jacket and shoulderpiece

Dazed & Confused. Feather neckpiece
Mariano Vivanco

Crown

Editorial

Jethro Cave by Hedi Slimane
Dazed & Confused

Keychain just visible:

Another Man Magazine
Solve Sunsbro

Vogue Homme Japan.
Hedi Slimane

Luke Worrall in Dazed & Confused

Marc Jacobs & Naomi Campbell wearing Keko Belts.
V magazine. Ellen Von Unwerth.

Headpieces for Ashley Isham SS11

Gaga

Feathered neckbrace

Shoulders

Headpieces

HUSK magazine issue 2

2010-10-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

I received my copy of Husk yesterday in the post. Absolutely loving the cover, and it's especially amusing as I currently live in a cul de sac with only pensioners in bungalows, so the postman probably thought I was some old codger reading erotic material.

My illustrations are part of the large Damir Doma feature and interview. I've provided some snaps and some others of my favourite spreads. You'll have to excuse the quality, iphone and miserable weather don't go well. The mag is printed on a gorgeous crisp paper and has some amazing photographs. Go to Husk's site HERE. Many thanks to Trey and Vincent at Husk.

Daft Punk are BACK

2010-10-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

Tron Legacy & Daft Punk Music Video
Uploaded by daftworld. - Watch more music videos, in HD!

Never press Enter when doing a draft post

2010-10-25T06:33:00.000-07:00

That is all.

my self

2010-10-23T01:20:00.000-07:00

I forgot to put up this picture that was taken during the photoshoot for my most recent commission. It wasn't exactly a portrait, I more or less ran in front of the camera while the model took a break and asked a friend to just snap away. This was the only remotely acceptible image. Seeing Hapsical's self-portrait reminded me to throw this up on here, as I don't think I've ever posted images of myself on here before (not that it shoud be a prerequisite I know). But if you haven't checked out his blog before, I seriously reckon you should. One of the best blogs around that isn't a horrible bombardment of jak & jil streetstyle images or poorly written catwalk reports in a vain attempt to acquire a seat at next season's shows, Hapsical is one of my top three blogs, no question.

Take note advertisers

2010-10-13T16:19:00.000-07:00

(click to enlarge)

Cédric's advertisement for Lanvin was made specifically for the magazine Paris-LA. Why this can't be used as an international ad is beyond me. Truly gorgeous. Whether you are a fan of Cedric's work or not, there's no denying this has been executed brilliantly.

You can argue that ads are designed to sell clothing, but with brands like marc jacobs, sisley, and McQ who sell a lifestyle rather than the product with theirs, it's a bit of a flat argument really, and this illustration is a great example of meeting between the two. Illustration is so much more impressionistic than photography, and I think advertisers and fashion media in general should take this into account a little more.

Image via Cédric's Tumblr blog.

Very Old Work

2010-10-12T15:56:00.001-07:00

This isn't really relevant to anything, but I still have this basic wireframe I made four years ago in my Art Foundation. And I'm still proud of it, so thought I'd share.

Unused photographs for new illustration

2010-10-11T08:40:00.000-07:00

I can't reveal what or who my next illustration is for, but I can say it's the first time I've created my own photograpy to work from, rather than adapting and interpreting source images. I love these shots and poses although they don't fit the brief. The set up wasn't too important in terms of background or composition, as these are things I can completely change for the drawing.
I have to point out they aren't intended to work as standalone photographs in their own right, more so just for adapting for the illustration. Hopefully I can reveal all in the next few weeks.
Big thanks to James and Scott for helping me out with these in the dire situation that is living in Liverpool.

Photography: Richard Kilroy
Photographic Assistance and Equipment: James Chapman
Model: Scott Crabtree

Masters of Illustration by David Downton: A Review

2010-10-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

i've written up a full book review (a first I think) of Downton's new book, which is seriously inspirational. Rather than copy and paste the whole thing, check it out HERE over on the Decoy blog.

Anna Dell Russo modelling at Emanuel Ungaro

2010-10-04T13:53:00.000-07:00

Image via Vogue, click to enlarge.

I am seriously falling in love with this woman, along with everyone else I can gather. Forget Anna W, it's all about Anna DR.
I'm also loving the genuine shake up there seems to have been with model casting this season, rather than just a 'curvy women' gimmick.

One Look

2010-09-30T08:04:00.000-07:00

This picture kinda sums up the overarching themes of this seasons fashion weeks. New layering styles, the revival of former supermodels, and 90s minimalist styles, but, new.
I think I just love this picture as it's so great to see Gisele not all tanned and looking like a victoria's secrets tramp, and it slightly restores my faith in Balenciaga, after not feeling last season at all.
Picture from Vogue's website.

Damir Doma for Husk Magazine

2010-09-26T06:54:00.000-07:00

I was asked to create some illustrations for an interview with Damir Doma in the New Magazine 'Husk' due out in the near future. Here are the results.

Just because . . .

2010-09-26T05:38:00.001-07:00

Pop 7. This will forever be one of my favourite magazine covers and editorials. Back in the day before I took precious care of all my magazines, I unfortunately lost a page from it. It basically became one of the biggest influences in terms of directing my visual language, as I had only been reading good fash mags for less than two years. It's hardly groundbreaking, but there's just something about the layout, direction and typography placement. perfect.

"The New Simplicity" by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott.
Pop 7, Autumn / Winter 2003.
Fashion Editor Joe McKenna.
Model: Leticia Birkheuer

Topshop Magazine

2010-09-22T15:22:00.001-07:00

Latest instore mag is out now, with the illustration I did of Mondino's photograph as a full page.
I still need to grab a copy, but get down to topshop and grab one. It makes no difference to me, but I just felt the need to self-promote.

Real fur, for real.

2010-09-17T17:52:00.000-07:00

I love this photo. Just captures the sheer spectacle and silliness of fashion week. No-one does it like Galliano. Then I came across this little ditty that reminded me to scan and upload it . . .

Frantisek Kupka

2010-09-15T19:07:00.000-07:00

I remember falling in love with this artist's work when I came across it at the Pompidou about four years ago. I wrote down his name, then proceeded to use the artworks as research and inspiration.

I then stupidly threw away my sketchbook without ever remembering his name. I knew he was a well-known artist, that most of the work was Gouache and it was made in the thirties.

I then proceeded to make this blog post asking everyone out there to help me on finding out his name, only to post these saved thumbnails and then realise THE IMAGES HAD SIGNATURES ON. DUUUUUHHHHHH.

the Regina George look, hot new trend for SS11

2010-09-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

"one time regina was wearing army pants and flip-flops . . . so I wore army pants and flip flops"

flicking through old Face mags . . . .

2010-09-09T16:17:00.000-07:00

Mario Testino, Styling by Carine Roitfield, 2000

Helmut Lang Ad, 1997

Steven Klein, 1995

Various Inspirations

2010-09-09T09:17:00.001-07:00

First photograph: Georgina Campbell
LCD Soundsystem gig poster
Flyer for clubnight 747
Cover of single by Parachute Journalists.
Last few spreads all from I.T Post magazine. First photo by

Decoy Issue 2

2010-09-08T02:47:00.001-07:00

Ok, so i'm finally putting together the second issue of Decoy. I'm so excited, I've managed to get some more of my favourite illustrators together for this one, and a certain nightclubbing legend has said yes to an interview, although I don't want to shoot myself in the foot and say who just in case it ends up being for issue 3 instead, but stay tuned!!

I can confirm that Ricardo Fumanal will be the cover star and centrefold. He'll be showing brand new illustrations alongside the interview. Also featured with great q&a sessions are the illustrators Jasper Goodall and Si Scott about work old and new.

Male Mode's Cillian gives us this issue's fanboy designer worship, this time Thom Browne, illustrator yet to be confirmed.

I'll be penning two articles, the first, a discussion on the film Gattaca, about why it's so close to my heart and why it's the perfect film for a fashion audience, i'll more than likely be doing an illustration for it too.

The other will be on the late George Stavrinos, who yes, you've probably read about on here before, But I've got some great words off Paul Tascarella, creator of the Stavrinos Yahoo group and also this time you will be able to have a large Stavrinos illustration in print, rather than a tiny onscreen jpeg.

I've still got another page or two of unconfirmed goodness to come yet!

Currently desired books

2010-09-06T11:02:00.000-07:00

Alphabet. A simple postcard book with each one a great composition of an alphabet letter and a pose. I can't remember who the original photos or designs are buy. It's buried deep in my university research which i can't be arsed digging up. It's about a fiver on amazon and well worth it. Just great simple inspiring shapes.

Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance, and the Camera. i picked this up in the shop at The Tate just for the sake of flicking through whatever was on show. However the topic and selected images are immediately arresting and fantastically curated, something which the cover does not do justice too. Again, it's far cheaper on amazon.

Brett Lloyd: The Quieter Poster Boys. Photographer Brett's self-published book (a collection on fold out posters) will no doubt be a collector's item in years to come. Available from Dashwood books.

New work

2010-08-19T08:38:00.000-07:00

This is for a magazine that Topshop will be handing out at the upcoming London Fashion Week. The original photograph of Karl Lagerfeld is by Jean Baptiste Mondino. Thanks so much to Brendan at Weareuseful for giving me the opportunity. (Image is subject to change slightly by the time it comes round to printing).

the first i.D covers i've liked in years.

2010-08-10T09:54:00.000-07:00

When i first heard that kate, naomi and gaga would be the cover stars, I hurled. I was like "you have to be KIDDING me . . . .kate, and naomi AGAIN????? I haven't bought i.D for years, as it hasn't inspired me in anyway. None of it's editorials or covers have felt original or new in any way for a long time.

so THEN the gaga cover comes out on blogs, and I actually liked it. Not only did the choice of the old logo suggest that they want something memorable (it's their 30th birthday issue) but the gaga cover just feels, I don't know, more direct? This is coming from someone who is still unpersuaded by her desperation to be accepted by the fashion industry. And now I see all three covers lined up and hear it's an entirely black and white issue, I'm sold. It's their freshest cover set in yonks. I'm loving the graphic proportions and the strong contrast of the black & white. It's not original I know, but it's not the usual i.d cover either. The whole thing of being restricted to winking / having en eye covered drives me MAD though. Drop the gimmick, no-one cares anymore.

It's probably also a given that i'd like this, considering my own illustration style. But it's the kind of refreshing artistic change that they have needed for a long long time. everything has been too safe and familiar. Nick Knight, god bless you.

Below are some of my favourite covers from the mags history. I can't seem to find a comprehensive list online to view them all, and i left my i.D book in leeds due to the fact it's heavy and I never ever read it.

Gary Sollars

2010-08-10T07:23:00.000-07:00

This is a colossal photorealist painting from the John Moores Contemporary Painting 2006 exhibition in Liverpool. The dancer 'Chanel' in the picture represents many a cherished late teen memory of going to Garlands at The State in Liverpool.

The State was a grand old derelict ballroom that had been neglected and bricked up for years. When Garlands' original venue was torched, some genius decided to bring it back up to habitable standards and move the party there, keeping all the grand victorian features and architecture. What became was the happiest, least pretentious, fantastic gay house music venue where for just under two years could not be beaten for a good time. Playing twister with trannies, sitting in wendy houses and being pushed around in trollies was only part of the fun, all the while surrounded by old abandoned victorian grandoise architecture. memories.

Cycles.

2010-08-04T06:36:00.000-07:00

Clement in Raf Simons SS11

2010-08-03T12:18:00.000-07:00

New illustration for Male Mode's new look blog. Check it out here.

Unused Decoy Illustration.

2010-07-31T06:34:00.000-07:00

I totally forgot to post this on here. This was the original illustration for the Bruno Pieters article for Decoy, but due to the layout and the awkward composition of how the arms finished at the edges, and also the awkward lines, I ended up not using it or tidying it properly.

I.T Post magazine

2010-07-24T05:09:00.000-07:00

I'll be illustrating for I.T post magazine. Check this video out of their latest issue, some really cool things going on with cut out sections towards the back of the mag that I've never seen before, and overall some great layouts. Looking forward to working with them!

My personal highlights from the Free Range Exhibition (Week 6)

2010-07-14T10:48:00.001-07:00

This one requires clicking to zoom in, the most intense level of detail from several hundred tiny cut up photographs to create one huge collage of a bustling city. Has to be seen to be believed! www.jennifermaddock.com

New chain

2010-07-14T10:44:00.000-07:00

My new chain by Natalie Moran. I'm so happy!

i want to . . .

2010-06-21T03:09:00.000-07:00

illustrate this look very badly

New Calvin Klein Collection ad campaign, Lara Stone / Mert & Marcus

2010-06-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

I'm loving this one fluid sculptural image as part of the ad campaign, and thought I'd show some of my favourites from the past ad campaigns for the Collection line, NOT the underwear or ck or ck jeans campaigns. They don't interest me, I don't see Calvin Klein in my mind as that iconic sexy underwear brand image that it's known for. I see it as the vision of purest style and minimalist looks that the house and Francisco and Italo have successfully carried on and defined the house with. My dream is to own something from the mens Calvin Klein Collection line someday.

Tony Ward - Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

2010-06-10T05:40:00.000-07:00

In series 4 of Sex & The City, Carrie stated that George Clooney was like a Chanel jacket, it never goes out of style. For me, that person is Tony Ward. I could post a whole library of famous images of him, the Steven Klein editorials, Madge's Sex book etc, but instead I felt like summing up his transitions better in just three images. His humble beginnings at gay porn studio Colt, a 1987 shoot with the legendary Herb Ritts, and a 2008 shoot for Vogue Hommes International.
I have my own personal dream of him being the model for a Versace campaign, he's the quintissential Versace man, handsome, trashy, iconic and sexually ambiguous, am I right??

Andrew B Myers, not quite painting, not quite photography, just something beautiful

2010-06-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

Only a recent discovery for me on BOOOOOOOM. I, like everyone else, assumed these were realist paintings, only to find out they are actually photographs with a unique 'salt printing' treatment that gives them this quality. While some people could suggest this is a cop-out and a lazy approach towards a painterly image, it needs to be pointed out the unique compositions of his photographs are integral to this surreal approach, and the results are fantastic. I'm pretty sure there is digital involvement somewhere along the line, but Andrew remains coy to discuss this as far as it seems. Whatevs, I frickin love it anyway.

Andrew describes the unique process on Heather Morton's site:
Salt printing is one of the oldest processes photography has employed, pioneered by Henry Fox Talbot back in 1839. The process hasn’t changed much since then. Basically, you start by coating paper in a solution of water and sodium chloride (I ended up using table salt) and letting it dry. Next, in a darkroom environment, a silver nitrate solution is applied to the salted paper, creating a light sensitive emulsion. Let it dry. At this point, a contact print can be made by sandwiching a film negative or some sort of transparency and letting the paper sit in the sun. In my case, I had access to a powerful UV light with a timer, which worked in a similar fashion, and allowed me to work at night in the winter. It’s quite neat seeing the image once it’s been exposed, and after washing and fixing, you’re done.

Steven Klein, in danger of becoming the next Lachapelle?

2010-06-09T07:23:00.000-07:00

My initial awareness of Klein's work came about during the early 00s, and I've pretty much been a faithful follower since, even though in recent years his work for W magazine and other glossy titles has become a bit too formulated, i.e, each editorial has had that similar 'Klein' look: editorials with those recognisable dark blue and purple colour adjustments.

Don't get me wrong, I still love the dark stylistic influence that show through in his work. BUT, now that his first music video has landed, a GAGA video no less, I'm concerned about where it'll take him. Lachapelle totally ruined himself by coming out with endless celebrity editorials and breaking into music videos, and ended up repetitively producing the fame obsessed work he sought out to parody. Just like Tim Burton, I'm scared of his techniques becoming too formulated and repetitive, and everything looking really similar with nothing new or experimental.

The good thing with Klein however, is that he knows it's important to restrict himself from this, and as these images show, his variety of style is incredible. He hasn't succumb to releasing any coffee table books and he still produces a varied body of work, all of which are all visible through his website. His issue of EY magateen and his Vogue Hommes Japan and Vogue Paris editorials were perfectly timed breaths of fresh air between all his W and American Vogue celebrity commissions, which were becoming too similar in approach.

Gaga's new vid, Alejandro is a good-un, especially for a first fully fledged music video, and even though at times the campyness ruins Klein's darker vision - gun tits being the main FAIL, overall it's an another epic win, and another video to add to Gaga's worshipped catalogue. It just remains to see whether this will take him into music video territory further, or possibly even film, seeing as his portfolio has always carried such a huge cinematic quality to it. So long as there's no wobbly gun bras and no repetitive qualities, which I doubt of Klein, I'm all for it.

If you want a good portfolio of his work in print then I strongly recommend getting his Stern portfolio over on amazon while it's still available. In large print, it's a fantastic curation of his earlier less glossy work.