London's Burning

The Olympics are here. I am reminded of this every time I'm commuting and Boris Johnson's nauseating voice descends from the loudspeakers like the omnipotent ruler he no doubt pictures himself as in his masturbatory fantasies. I went to the V&A yesterday to explore the refurbished fashion section and I can confirm that there are a fuckload of tourists in London. At the risk of sounding xenophobic, TFL needs to publish a guide to tube etiquette.

1.  Let people off the train before barging onto it. 
2. If you are the equivalent of a man-wall do not clog up the escalators with your spherical form. 
3. Do not take pictures of me when I'm sandwiched between a sweaty city boy and an old lady who smells like lavender and death. 

Thank You! Now enjoy your visit to a sporting event sponsored by the world's most evil corporations. Please spend lots of money, we is broke.

Now I have expelled my recommended daily allowance of cynicism let us get on with the show. Whilst at the V&A I stumbled across a room which displayed works from Britain Creates 2012 Fashion + Art Collusion. The idea behind the project was to pair fashion designers with artists and get them to collaborate on a project together. The final results take a variety of forms, from sculpture to video to installations.

Because the V&A is so huge and labyrinthine I usually just wonder around aimlessly until I stumble across something of interest. I was power walking down a corridor and glimpsed a splash of Mary Katrantzou and Mark Titchner's colour saturated video and so I wondered in. Many big name London designers took part including Hussein Chalayan, Giles Deacon, Peter Pilotto and Jonathan Saunders. My favourite piece was by Nicholas Kirkwood and Simon Periton and is titled Dissecting Waltz. Like a mobile above a crib, scalpels and shoe heels dance mechanically above your head, playfully casting shadows across the room. Outside the V&A was an unusual sculptural canopy made of white traffic cones.

This is why I love the V&A. There doesn't appear to be any rules. The ancient and established share a venue with the contemporary. I have no clue who put the cone canopy there. There was no sign to tell me what it means or why it's here, it just is. So look up at the pretty repetition and enjoy. 

Another exciting London collaboration is the designer charity t-shirts available at Matches. The above tees are by Mary Katrantzou, J.W. Anderson and Roksanda Illncic. The tees are £60 and all proceeds go to the London Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund. 

There are rumors that the Olympic closing ceremony could include a section on British fashion with Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell wearing designs by Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen. If this is true I will make peace with the Olympics and will forgive the fuckery that is London Bridge Station.