Fashion and Flocking

From the start of January until mid February we detox. This means no booze, and far worse for me, no chocolate! If you are what you eat (and I believe to a certain extent that we are) then I am probably one third chocolate, one third alcohol and one third sugar after Christmas and New Year, making me a ghastly chocolate liqueur.

Parties are a bit quiet; I really don’t know how people who don’t drink do it! The number of champagne private views and openings we go to is startling and to do it all stone cold sober……

Anyway I am in social Purdah, as I’m working on English Eccentrics’ Runway Show for Autumn/Winter 2008. I haven’t done this for some years and it is really intensive. Here is a list of things I have to consider:

• The collection: fabrics, colours, silhouettes
• Styling-outfits: hats, shoes, gloves, accessories
• Running order: what order the outfits (or ‘exits’ as we call them) go in
• Hair and make-up: the main looks and who will leads these teams
• Venue, timing and set design
• Music: for the audience’s entry and exit, as well as for the show itself
• Casting models and fitting them so the clothes hang correctly
• PR: key words for communicating ideas
• The Audience: who to invite and who sits in the front row

It is like doing a one-off independent theatre show on top of your normal day job, but worse as there are no rehearsals.

Colin on his orange flocked chair

Colin is the king of flocking. We went down to the Cotes Art Gallery & Museum in Bournemouth to see some of his English Eccentrics’ pieces on display in a flocking exhibition, Flockage: the flock phenomenon. The exhibition is curated by flock lovers Kirsen Hardie and Pam Langdown and runs until June 2008.

Dedicated followers of flocking:Kirsen Hardie and Pam Langdown

The exhibition displays everything from Colin’s beautiful chairs and candlesticks to Policemen’s Helmets - yes, they are flocked! You’ll also be able to see a cabinet full of flocked nodding dogs in an array of great colours.

Flocked kitsch at exhibition Flockage:the flock phenomenon

Meanwhile, as a reminder of our pre-Christmas excesses, the eccentric evening of Tea Trolley Dancing has been recorded for posterity by Nick Purbeck of Player Communications and is now live on You Tube! See the Tea Trolley Dancing video

Nick can be contacted on nick@playercommunications.com