REVIEW: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London - Tower of London

Being complete Londonphiles, me and my latest squeeze (what does that even mean?) love nothing more than booking a weekend together in the big Smoke. Of course, this isn't always cheap or easy, and we've stayed in some "interesting" places. Recently, however, we found the DoubleTree Hilton by the Tower of London and booked it last minute - and I really couldn't recommend it enough (in fact I'm back this weekend for my birthday!). After realising we'd booked an 'accessible room' which was sadly bathtub free - I have to bath at a hotel - they helped me upgrade to a 'city suite'.

The suite is really worth the upgrade fee if you fancy a bit of understated luxury. Floor length windows provided a unexpectedly fantastic view across the Thames and Tower Bridge from the lounge area - which meant that, instead of going out for an afternoon drink after check-in, we opened up our welcome bottle of Red and enjoyed the space for a bit.

After dinner at Bodega Negra (which is fabulous too) we came back to try out the DoubleTree's top floor bar. With an amazing roof terrace for the warmer months the bar must take some beating for views. Going recession chic we tried their bottle of Prosecco which finished off the night perfectly.

The room was more than comfortable and breakfast in bed the next day, whilst looking out over the Thames, was a great indulgence! With Apple TV/computers in all the rooms we lounged around, watched the Labyrinth on DVD (cant get enough of Bowie and his codpiece) and surfed the net till late check out. It was all so relaxed and easy, it truly felt like a little mini-break.

What really makes DoubleTree Tower of London stand apart though is the excellent service. In the short time we stayed everyone made sure we made the best of our stay and couldn't do enough to help - and in the end that's what matters. A big thank you especially goes to Amy who did all she could to accommodate us!

A big thumbs up for the quietly stylish and swanky DoubleTree London - I look forward to relaxing there again soon!

MUSIC: Beyonce Announces World Tour

BadGalBeyBey rocked the Super Bowl last night. We weren't too sure about the way they flung Michelle and Kelly from trap doors onto the stage half-way through (I thought Michelle was going to stack it) but it was also AMAZING to see Destiny's Child back together again. Then, if that wasn't enough, Beyonce announced her Mrs. Carter world tour with a sweet promo vid. Directed by Grammy award winning director Jonas Akurland, who's worked on everything from Madonna's 'Ray of Light' video to Gaga and Beyonce's Tarantino inspired 'Telephone', the short clip shows B rocking full on Royal garb complete with a Jigga-man broach. Check it here:

                                                                            

FASHION: Haute Couture S/S 2013

So Haute Couture week S/S has come round again and I'm spending any free moment in my day desperately waiting for snippets of a dress, or an eyelash or even perhaps Lagerfield's Choupette in a perspex and lace 'cone of shame' to escape from the secrecy of the front row. My dedication was thankfully rewarded as slideshow after slideshow of fantastic dresses have appeared since Monday, with definite highlights from Valentino, Chanel, Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier (for me).

I can sit around discussing each look and its merits, but quite frankly only pictures do them justice - so here's a highlight of the catwalks so far...

Dior - EPA

Dior - AFP

Dior almost feels like a lifetime ago. Since disappearing down the rabbit hole with Raf Simon's Alice in Wonderland inspired show, we've trekked through enchancted forests (Chanel) and visited the eastern realms of Turkey (Giorgio Armani Prive) and Morroco (JPG). But Dior's show was one to be remembered. Only the second time Simon's has created a couture collection for the brand (and yes I do still miss Galliano, though not his anti-semitism), Raf has shown real awareness for Dior's legacy. Classic Dior shapes kept the collection cohesive with the brand, whilst see-through dresses and bright colours ensured it remained fresh.

Versace Prive's show also featured bright colours in the form of neons offsetting its statement metallics. It wasn't my favourite Versace couture collection, but it was fun and sexy, as Versace should be.

Versace - Vladimir Potop

Giambattista Valli's third Couture outing cemented his place as a welcome addition to the shows. Beautiful shapes, fabrics and patterns added to a rather dreamy collection.

Giambattista Couture - Vogue.co.uk

Giambattista Valli - Vladimir Potop

Next up was Lagerfield's Midsummer Nights Dream inspired show for Chanel. Combining gothic makeup with white lace, feathers, ethereal pastels, bold patterns and thigh high leather boots, the show was full of contrasts and yet was still Chanel cohesive. Lagerfield's closing statement of two brides holding hands with his little nephew clearly referenced his pro same-sex marriage stance, and whether you think the catwalk is a place for politics or not, you gotta appreciate some lesbian Couture.

Chanel - Reuters

Chanel - Vadimir Potop

Jean Paul Gaultier and Armani Prive injected some rich Eastern influences into both their collections. Where Armani utilised more simplistic styling (to full effect) JPG's line was a mixture between bright almost 70s style maxi skirts alongside more simple and sophisticated dresses adorned with bright veils.

Jean Paul Gaultier - Vogue

Armani Prive - Vladimir Potop

Elie Saab's show was undoubtedly beautiful but lacked the drama of the others. Of course I'm sure it will transate to red carpets everywhere as Saab's creations always do. But the real jewel of the week was Valentino's stunning show. Utilising Valentino red against crisp white's and dramatic blacks the show demonstrated the enduring expertise of Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli. I can't do it justice so have a look at the highlights below.

Valentino - Vladimir Potop

I do not own the rights to these photos - they are from Telegraph.co.uk and Vogue.co.uk

GC

ART: Nuart / Numusic Festival Norway

Last week I was lucky enough to travel to Stavanger, Norway for a work trip to Nuart/ Numusic festival. Stavanger isn't exactly a place I'd have considered travelling to normally, I'd kind of written of Scandinavia as a group of Sarah Lund's in jumpers and clogs, and Breivik hadn't exactly given Norway the best PR recently. However when it's free and and riddled with handsome street artists (oooh yes - don't believe me google HowNosm - You're welcome) I was there with ghetto gold knobs on.

Being the Bible belt of Norway Stavanger is sort of an odd location for a subversive art show, but it works. Tou Scene, the main hub of both Nuart and Numusic festival, was an old brewery and evoked that kind of 'Dalston-cool' vibe, minus the artifice. With disco balls in old beer vats and makeshift stages and dj booths erected over the brewery's 3 stories, this was the real deal, somewhere between a sexed-up youth club and a genial warehouse party.

Joining the music venue is a series of long tunnels which were handed over to some of the biggest names in street are, for them to do what they will with them. The likes of Saber, Eine, Ron English, Mobstr, HowNosm, Aakash Nihalani and Neils Shoe Meulman (who you might know from his Mos Def and Louis Vuitton collaboration about Muhammad Ali - see below) all contributed to turning Tou Scene into a sort of Nat Gal for street art (except far fucking noisier). Over the weekend Tou Scene become the centre point for this 'Cannes' of street art, where we talked graffiti, advertising, politics, smoking slippers and 'beef'.

Despite the high levels of testosterone - I thought we were going to be one member down at one point - and copious amounts of beer (the only thing we could drink for free) I found Stavanger decidedly escapist. The festival - built on ideas of unrestrained self expression, beauty and freedom - and set within the beautiful fjords of Norway (which you can tour on boat ) and crazy toy town buildings of Stavanger, was an unique experience.

Eine

I highly recommend the NuArt and NuMusic festivals to those who want to try a completely different festival vibe. By day wander the streets of Stavanger for chance encounters with ephemeral artworks, then by night nod your head or skank your heart out to the likes of The Orb, Mad Professor and CasioKids - you can't get more Scandinavian cool than that.

ART: AKA Peace

The fantastic AKA Peace exhibition, part of the Peace One Day 2012 celebrations, finally opens tomorrow at the ICA in London. Featuring brand new works from the likes of Damien Hirst, Sam Taylor-Wood(/Johnson?), Antony Gormley and Marc Quinn, and The Chapman Brothers the opening has been hotly anticipated by the art and fashion pack alike. The show sees the best names in contemporary art re-cast the AK-47 - the most recognisable and devastating worldwide killing machine - as a piece of art.
 
I'll be up-dating you on all the chat from the private view later in the week, but until then here's a look at a few of my favorite pieces from the exhibition. Of course Damien Hirst's and Taylor-Wood's piece will gather the most attention on the day but I can't help but be drawn in by some of the lesser known names exhibiting their reconstructed AK-47s.

Nancy Fouts - "Don't Touch"

First up is the London-based Nancy Fouts' "Dont Touch" which sees real rose thorns sprayed silver and attached to the gun - in suitable fairytale-like 'Fouts'ian style. Nancy has been one of my favourite contemporary artists for a while now and I always look forward to what she comes up with next - whether it's asphyxiated birds or Jesus Christ ironing boards.

Laila Shawa - Where Souls Dwell

Laila Shawa's work 'Where Souls Dwell' completely re-works the AK-47, covering the gun with things associated with beauty and glitz: Swarovski Crystals, Rhine Stones, Japanese gold powder, Feathers, and butterflies. The Gaza-born artist's piece demonstrates a sense of hope whilst also questioning the glamorization of violence in modern culture. 
 

The Chapman Brothers -Yin  

The Chapman Brother's piece sees them visit a motif of their earlier works, whilst exploring the horror of violence within the lives of children, an all too familiar sight with the use of child soldiers in wars across the world. Jake Chapman, who also curated the exhibition, never fails to amaze me with his polite and reverent manner yet shocking and often offensive art!

Tim Noble and Sue Webster - 'Fuckit! Fuckit! Fuckit!'

Finally Tim Noble and Sue Webster's 'Fuckit! Fuckit! Fuckit!' deserves a mention. Their AK-47, which has had its barrel knotted, demonstrates clear allusions towards the idea of a gun as a phallic symbol and the impotence of conflict. Asking Tim what it meant he sent me the following:

Ak47 = kill

Ak47 = man

Ak47 = testosterone

Ak47 = sex

Ak47 = impotence

Ak47 = jammed

Ak47 = ' Fuckit! ,Fuckit! ,Fuckit!!

well, quite...

Full list of artists involved:

Charming Baker, Jake & Dinos Chapman, Mat Collishaw, Jeremy Deller, Nancy Fouts, Ryan Gander, Douglas Gordon, Antony Gormley, Damien Hirst, Gary Hume, Jim Lambie, Langlands & Bell, Sarah Lucas, Antony Micallef, Harland Miller, Tim Noble & Sue Webster, Marc Quinn, Stuart Semple, Laila Shawa, Bran Symondson, SamTaylor-Wood, Gavin Turk and Rebecca Warren.

Get down to see the exhibition before it goes to auction to raise money for Peace One Day on October 4th. AKA Peace, for Peace One Day, 26 – 30 September 2012 at the ICA, London.

ART: Kristjana S Williams

I have recently fallen madly and deeply in love with the art work of Kristjana S Williams, an Icelandic born designer, illustrator and graphic artist. Amongst her inspirations she cites Victorian engraving and the varied landscapes of her native country, both of which are evident in the rich outpouring of her vibrant and decadent work. Creating intricate scenes with mystical and exotic creatures, she simultaneously evokes a sense of the nostalgic, surreal and fantastical.

Purpura Vallis

Lear Gaukar 05

Hjartur Tre

Lear Gaukar 06

A graduate from Central St Martin’s, her illustrations first found life as part of a collection for the boutique fashion store Beyond the Valley, where Williams was also creative director for 8  years before it very recently shut up shop. The luxurious pieces which feature Williams’ illustrations also maintain a feeling of delicate elegance through the use of clean lines and silken materials. Her talent was recognised by Holland and Holland who commissioned her to create a wall mural for their Bruton Street store in 2010. As a part of the safari room her drawings captured “an imagined space on the Veldt where native species gather peacefully at dusk”.  She has also created work for the Wilderness Festival, had a show at the V&A as part of the London Design Festival, and a solo show at the Soho based graphic art gallery Outline Editions.

Collections at Beyond The Valley

Safari Room Mural for Holland and Holland

V&A Show

Collaboration with George Smith

There is definitely an element of the surreal to Williams’ illustrations, and part of my admiration is probably born out of a childhood obsession with fairy tales which transport you to another realm, as Williams’ works undoubtedly do. The colourful intricacy of the scenes Williams creates provide endless indulgence, and with a number of projects lined up for 2012 including more work for Holland and Holland, an expanding print collection at Liberty’s, and participation in Somerset House’s annual Pick Me Up exhibition, I am intrigued to see what mystical wonders Williams will bring us next.  

Hjortur

The Pick Me Up contemporary graphic art fair is on from 22 March - 1 April at Somerset House. 

DW

Life: London Party Circuit - 1-3 Feb 2012

Last week the wonderful world of PR took me to not one, not two, but three rather fabulous parties in London. First up was a friend's event at The Hoxton Pony which was a Macmillan Fundraising event held by T4s Georgie Okell. Amongst the attendees were Prof Green, Jameela Jamil, Nyx Deyn and Made in Chelsea's Ollie Locke. Yasmin performed and Rizzle Kicks played an awesome DJ set, spinning everything from Azealia Banks to the Chemical Brothers.

The Hoxton Pony is well worth a try next time you find yourself in the East End. Described by Harper's Bazaar as 'A Modernist Alice in Wonderland-esque watering hole' the bar/club brings cocktails in tea-cups alongside highly palatable DJ sets.

 

The next night I was at Pertwee Anderson & Gold gallery's latest private view for the artist Annie Morris. Morris' new works explored the tragedy of still-birth and yet I many of them enigmatically fragile and beautiful. In the past Annie has collaborated with Burberry's designer Christopher Bailey to create the famous 'peg dress'. It was no surprise then to see the likes of Sophie Dahl and Rosamund Pike at the Soho gallery, alongside a man in a huge top hat and a ferret collar.

           


Once we'd satisfied our art lust we jumped in a cab down to Sloane square to attend the Sunday Times Magazines 50th Anniversary bash at the stunning Saatchi gallery. The magazine - which was the first Sunday newspaper magazine supplement - is showcasing some of its most memorable covers since its inception in 1962. Attendees included Jeremy Clarkson, Paxo, Carol Vorderman, Gary Lineker and Sir Phillip Green amongst many others. I shared a story about an exes pubic hair with Sky's Adam Boulton, his wife Anji Hunter and Times editor Eleanor Mills - it went down a storm, unlike the original event - and I also got some juicy radio 4 gossip from a rather merry John Humphrys, which I promised not to divulge...

The biggest fashion faux-pas of the evening was easily when Philip Treacy had to introduce himself to us - we'll blame the copious amounts of wine. I opted for a LBD from FCUKs amazing sale teemed with  bright blue Kurt Geiger Bianca courts - another sale steal which had originally been going for £220.  They went down a storm, winning 'best shoes of the evening' from more than a couple of admirers, which just about justified having to teeter up and down 5 flights of stairs every time I needed to visit the little girls room. GC

Check out Annie Morris at Pertwee Anderson and Gold gallery until March 1
See the Sunday Times Magazine 50th Anniversary Exhibition at the Saatchi gallery until February 19