The one pop-up gallery fashion and art lovers cannot miss in London this month
The one pop-up gallery fashion and art lovers cannot miss in London this month
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Anyone walking along Oxford Street might have noticed Selfridges’ windows were not heaving with the Louis Vuitton bags, Valentino pumps or Dior gowns one might have come to expect. No, in fact they are packed with the messy debris of studios owned by a painter, maker and fashion designer. And they are only a taste of what can be found inside; a sprawling and off-beat gallery and pop up shop The House of Bandits run by Sarabande, the charity founded by Lee Alexander McQueen to support upcoming artists and designers (280, from 38 countries, to date). It is home to all the weird and very wonderful creations of a new generation of creative talents, and is the must visit destination for fashion and art lovers before it closes on March 23.
Expect a bold concept store exhibiting and selling the wares of the upcomers who have benefitted from the support of the foundation, as well as its director Trino Verkade, who was also Lee McQueen’s first ever employee. All proceeds go directly to artists, and the roster is packed full of names to know: from Daisy Collingridge and Karimah Hassan to Jan Urant, Darcey Fleming, Kasia Wozniak, Leyman Lahcine and Shirin Fathi. There are ceramic sex toys, deconstructed teddy bears, oil paintings, spectacular jewellery one-offs and plenty of out-of-this world garments, for anyone looking to revolutionise their look.
Limited edition pieces from established supporters of the foundation will be available, too. Think Thom Browne shirts embellished with the Sarabande moth logo and a Craig Green special edition sweatshirt. Some A-listers will even be making appearances as shopkeepers, from Amy director Sam Taylor-Johnson to Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell. And at all times you can expect to find the artists working live on the shop floor, just as they do in the Sarabande-provided studios which can be found in Haggerston and Tottenham.
