Long live the party in Carnaby Street

A group of 8 postgraduate students from the MA Fashion Curation course at the London College of Fashion are curating an exhibition at Carnaby Gallery entitled ‘The End of the Party. Long Live the Party’.

The exhibition will consist of a number of themes exploring immateriality, faded decadence and memory, displayed via fashion-led objects, photographs, garments and associated ephemera. Sourcing inspiration from the wider notion of ‘fashion’ as ‘the party’, the concept was inspired by the process of damage and re-presentation of a – now iconic - vintage Christian Dior dress worn by Kate Moss and restyled at the launch party for the Golden Age of Couture at the V&A.

The team chose Carnaby Street as the location for the exhibition as fashion, music and youth culture have thrived here for decades, making it the perfect association. The space for the exhibition has been donated by Shaftesbury PLC, property owners of Carnaby.

The exhibition will use Velvet Underground lyrics to decorate the wall space, enhancing the mood of the faded and forgotten ‘party’. Pieces on display include contributions by Hussein Chalayan, Natacha Marro, up and coming Central Saint Martin graduates, London-based ‘Le Couteau Jaune’ band member ‘Ann’ and an original men’s patchwork jacket from Take 6 –a renowned fashion boutique on Carnaby Street in the 1960s, as well as a collection of vintage garments and accessories.

A sensory environment using footage from the iconic documentary ‘Grey Gardens’ to create a moving montage, coupled with displays of garments reflecting the aesthetic direction featured within the film, will also form part of the exhibition.

‘THE END OF THE PARTY. LONG LIVE THE PARTY’
Carnaby Gallery, 1-2 Carnaby Street, London
5th – 19th April 2008. 11am - 6pm. Entrance Free.