Hot on the Highstreet Week 263

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I have been following the Spanish fashion blogger Gala Gonzalez for a while now, and am always stunned by her striking looks and inventive style. So you can imagine my excitement when I discovered she has teamed up with Italian shoe brand Superga to create a collection that evokes summer whilst remaining comfortable, casual and chic.

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In the last five years Superga plimsols have become famous and familiar thanks to celebrity ambassadors like Alexa Chung, but the brand has actually been around for well over 100 years.

Under the care and attention of Walter Martiny in 1911, the Superga factory began to produce shoes with vulcanized rubber soles. It was here, in Turin, Italy, the Classic Superga 2750 heritage style was born.

After closing during the war, the Superga factory reopened with a mission to bring high quality footwear to the people of Italy. The 2750 became established as the people’s shoe of Italy, and Superga increased its product line with technical sport shoes, rubber rain boots and a growing range of colours and styles.

The 2750 shoe has been an icon since the very beginning and has inspired flatforms and mid tops, been transformed for all weathers, and has collaborated with top names to bring you fresh new designs. Taking you from the city to the beach, from the office to the bar, or from the high street to the park, the easy, comfortable Superga shoe has no boundaries.

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This Superga capsule collection with Gala includes three models born from natural materials such as hand embroidery raffia, a traditional Spanish tradition, with a wide selection of warm colours, reminiscent of the Galician landscapes, birthplace of the young blogger. Beautifully made, and ideal for any occasion I predict they will be a hit.

These special edition shoes are currently only available on the European site, priced between 79 and 99 euros. Buy here.

Sonia Delaunay, Tate Modern

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Every year there are one or two shows at Tate Modern that I am desperate to see. This Spring as soon as I noticed the colourful posters for Sonia Delaunay’s exhibition appearing, I put the exhibition on my to do list and ensured I saw it as soon as my busy diary allowed.

Sonia Delaunay had a long and interesting life – a Russian-born French artist, her work is striking and unique. She spent most of her career working in Paris with her husband Robert Delaunay, who was also an artist. Together they founded the Orphism art movement characterised by its use of vibrant colours and geometric shapes.

This major retrospective comes from Paris and features an impressive collection of Delaunay’s paintings, designs and embroidery. The first room instantly reminded me of Gauguin with the rich colours and expressive figures. The vividly coloured nudes are confident and bold, they illustrate her desire to break away from academic convention and are dark and moody in style.

It was when she met her husband in 1907 that her style began to incorporate abstraction. The use of Simultanism (a theory of simultaneous colour contrasts) is evident in all media, including a patchwork cradle cover she made for her young son. Delaunay’s abstract paintings (of which there are many) initially appear to employ random colours and shapes, but on closer inspection show the influence of modern technology and machinery, less obviously than in Futurism.

In was the later rooms dedicated to Delaunay’s contribution to fashion that surprised me the most. I had no idea she had had such a prominent role in design, textiles, and indeed was such a remarkable businesswoman – an area where many talented artists fall down. I loved seeing the outfits Sonia designed for dance productions, and how she applied her fascination with abstraction to the wonderful costumes.

It is clear wandering round this colourful show that it is the abstract works and decorative patterns of Sonia Delaunay that have had the most lasting success. However it was the first room of haunting female figures that I remembered long after leaving Tate.

Sonia Delaunay continues until 9 August. If you visit I recommend also popping into the Agnes Martin exhibition, very different to Delaunay but equally moving.

Book tickets here.

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, V&A

The genius of Alexander McQueen is a mystery to most… which is perhaps why the new exhibition at the V&A is so popular, giving a rare insight into the renowned and courageous designer.

This grand retrospective of McQueen’s career has transferred from its original home at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. However as Lee was born and taught in London it feels even more monumental at the prestigious V&A museum. Appropriately named Savage Beauty, this exhibition illustrates the brutal but beautiful aspect of his creations. The artist said about himself: ‘I’m a romantic schizophrenic.’

The tailoring is stunning. There are several rooms which display pieces from Lee’s studies and earliest collections. He learnt from a variety of highly skilled masters and worked hard, using the classic techniques to create unique pieces. He gained experience at tailors Gieves and Hawkes and theatrical costumiers Angels and Bermans. McQueen strongly believed that before you can be creative you need to be technically en pointe.

The exhibition has little narrative, instead the rooms are divided by theme and collection. The Highland Rape collection was particularly memorable and shows Lee’s loyalty to his Scottish heritage. The sculptural outfits are daring and striking, made almost entirely in the McQueen tartan print, the clothes make the women look powerful and imposing.

The ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ is hypnotising, an enchanting room of fairytale accessories and garments made from unusual and unlikely materials. Each exhibit is a work of art, a technical tour de force. There is a dress made of razor clam shells and a headdress of butterflies. The clothes are intended to provoke and sometimes even disgust… but even the mud covered dresses and sinister leather zipped masks have sublime qualities.

The final room has a hint of the supernatural. Alien-like figures are dressed in figure-hugging animal print dresses. My favourite was a fully sequined iridescent frock which I stared at for ages imagining myself strutting down a catwalk beaming with confidence.
This is the immortal feeling that McQueen clothes give you, elevating you a magical version of your former self, brilliantly different and weirdly wonderful.

This extravagant exhibition immortalises the great Alexander McQueen, showcasing his imaginative and elaborate designs that will be forever inspiring to the fashion world. One thing’s for sure, there is so much more to McQueen than the commercialised skull print scarves. His vision is completely deserving of the V&A platform.

Exhibition continues until August 2, more information and book tickets here.