“You’re Ugly and Your Mother Dresses You Funny” is the new exhibition at the Paul Smith Store No.9 at Albemarie Street, London UK. From 22 November to 13 December 2013,the No.9 shop will be transformed with prints of fashion photography styled by Webb that appeared in the pages of Blitz. Don’t Know Blitz? You really should.
Known for its radical and incendiary take on music, art, film and fashion, Blitz – along with The Face and i-D ( I know you hipster jerks brag about knowing The Face – learn about Blitz)– was part of a vibrant new generation of publications that celebrated the eccentric, championed diversity and questioned traditional standards of beauty. Iain R Webb, who was its fashion editor from 1982 to 1987, was among the young talents who started the creative revolution that changed the way we perceive fashion and media today (Yes, this is another history lesson, I am not just here to show you pretty stuff)
The exhibition will star five denim jackets from Paul Smith that have been specially customised by Webb in his typically idiosyncratic style. The concept references the BlitzDesigner Denim Jacket project of 1986, for which he commissioned 22 designers, including Paul Smith, to reimagine a Levi’s denim jacket. Webb’s creations are emblazoned with provocative words such as ‘outsider’, ‘vagabond’ and ‘misfit’, plucked from interviews, while the sleeves are adorned with stars cut from vintage fabrics taken from his own personal collection. Can’t make it the store? You can buy the sick scarf online.
