The exhibition will take a historical look at the leather house’s 175 years, from a small producer of harnesses and saddles to a world renowned, highly coveted fashion brand.

A highlight of Leather Forever will be the extensive collection of accessories commissioned by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Edward and Wallis Simpson.

In celebration of Leather Forever, Hermès has designed four one-off designs of its Passe-Guide bag – inspired by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales – to be auctioned for charity.  Each has its own charm to represent the country and the Scottish bag includes tartan specially made for Hermès by Johnstons of Elgin.

Leather Forever is free admission and is open 8-27 May at 6 Burlington Gardens, London.

This new show from the most famous couple in art is not as bold, or as immediately beautiful, as some of their previous high-profile exhibitions. If you’re seeking the shock-factor of series such as the ‘Naked Shit Pictures’ you might be disappointed, but dig deep and there’s layer after layer beneath the mass-produced surfaces of ‘The Urethra Postcard Art of Gilbert and George’.

With 564 works piled high on the walls, and each featuring 13 postcards set out in exactly the same pattern, the exhibition is a tad daunting at first glance. From tourist shop views of Trafalgar Square to Union Jacks and the calling cards of gay or transgender sex workers, all the sets are laid out to form an angulated version of the sign of urethra, used by one-time theosophist C. W. Leadbetter (1853–1934) to accompany his signature.

The urethra carries semen out of men’s bodies and urine out of a female’s – production for some, and waste for others. And for me, this show is about the ebb and flow of the big city – the industry and consumption; the new and the redundant; the opportunities for anonymity and rebellious self-expression that exist simultaneously in places like London.

With health awareness messages next to patriotic chest-beating and rose-tinted views of historical landmarks, the show confronts us with hundreds of adverts.  But the deeper connection is in imagining the lives on the other side of the cards – the people that bought them, scrawled messages on the back or tried to forget their wife as they phoned that S&M sex-worker.

Having a quick chat with Gilbert & George at the private view were Tracey Emin; Stephen Fry; Jay Jopling; Bianca Jagger; Courtney Love; Alan Yentob; Pandemonia and Konrad Wyrebek.

You start to imagine possibilities. What’s happened to ‘Transsexual Linda new in town’? Is she still out there, or does she have a new name online or in another city?

Some of the cards had a more personal tug and I began to wonder how I pictured my own future – the times I crossed Oxford Street in the mid-nineties, when a so-garish-it’s-tropical image of blue sky and red Routemaster buses was produced.

Konrad Wyrebek and friend

For big city people with a little time to spare, a visit to White Cube Mayfair could get you closer to the chaos and diversity of a seemingly anonymous and ordered place.  Wish you were there?

Gilbert & George: The Urethra Postcard Art of Gilbert & George runs until 19 Feb 2011 at White Cube, Mason’s Yard.

Matthew Miles is a freelance arts and culture writer, photographer and video producer.  To see more of his work visit: www.matthewmilescreative.blogspot.com

This Spring, the MoMu (ModeMuseum Province of Antwerp) dedicates a major exhibition to knitwear from the sculptural and subversive to exquisite couture pieces.

Unravel: Knitwear in Fashion shows key knitwear pieces by international and influential designers such as Ann Salens, Missoni, Sonia Rykiel and Vivienne Westwood – all noted for their individual approach to knitwear.

Also present will be historic couture pieces by Schiaparelli, Patou and Chanel, who used knitwear to soften the female silhouette throughout the war-stricken period of the early 20th century.

Pushing the boundaries of knitwear are featured unconventional designers Sandra Backlund, Maison Martin Margiela and Mark Fast.

So, it might be time to book that Spring break to Antwerp!

Unravel: Knitwear in Fashion runs from 16 March to 14 August at MoMu, Antwerp.

Sue Timney is celebrating 30 years of iconic design on the fashion scene. Even still, her first creations retain a sophisticated look.

If you are not familiar with the artist, do rush to the Fashion and Textile Museum to discover this retrospective: this will get you hooked in no time!

What a great background she had for inspiration: her mother was Scots and her father’s family has a long history with the Indian army.  She was born in Libya then moved to Germany, Newcastle and finally London where she studied at the Royal College of Art.

From her travels she carefully collected hundreds of postcards and labels in scrapbooks.  Later, she switched to sketchbooks and would collate all kinds of fabric patterns and colours in rainbow rectangles.

She met her future husband, Graham Fowler, at the textile department of the RCA.  Her post-modern style was already defined and would remain her signature throughout her career.  After graduating, Fowler helped her to print her patterns on ties and t-shirts.

Taking a chance, they took a trip to Paris and succeeded in selling a lot to… Agnes B, no less!  Success was on its way.

She later worked with Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, Ralph Lauren, Diane von Furstenberg…both for fashion and interior designs. Clothes, china, wallpaper, fabric: you named it, she thought of it.

Her work is hypnotising – at the same time reassuringly familiar, new, humoristic – look closely at the details, minute images arranged in a pattern.

You might think it is all random but Timney is a very precise artist, looking for the perfect shape, position and alignment.

Her natural curiosity pushed her to study a wide range of themes: tribal to tartan, neoclassicism and Japanese calligraphy, never copying but make the style her very own.

We loved the splashes of colours she added in the 80s, bringing a pop dimension to her shirts and scarves.  There are also amazing examples of her collaboration with Linda McCartney – soft romantic hues you just want to wrap yourself in.

Who would have thought that life in black and white could be so beautiful?  Now is the time to get yourself a little Christmas present – the shop sells a lovely selection!

Sue Timney and the Design of Timney-Fowler runs until April 25, 2011 at Fashion and Textile Museum.

Photos by Coralie Aude Grassin.

Any woman will gasp at the name.  We are talking haute-couture, glamour and chic.  Dresses so beautifully cut they seem unreal, as if they had been sewn on the body – the essence of femininity.

To learn a little more about this magic, rush to the Somerset House’s retrospective of René Gruau, Dior’s iconic illustrator.

The two artists met in 1936, when they were both working in the fashion department of le Figaro.

They shared the same thoughts, the same visions: a friendship that also led to a fruitful collaboration of 50 years…

When Dior launched the New Look in 1947, there was no hesitation: Gruau was the one to illustrate it and he would have carte blanche.

Together they defined an elegant woman –  radiant, clothes likes flower petals around her, mysterious, the femme fatale.

The war had just ended, the public now focusing on a joie de vivre.  Ideal timing for a new style!  Inspired by Japanese calligraphy, Gruau designs have a sophisticated and feline air about them.

In just a few lines, he creates a whole story and you could spend hours imagining the life of his characters.

He succeeds in capturing details: the position of a curl, the eyebrow innocently raised in a silent question, the half smile, the languid pose.

For Diorama, he paints a veil and gloves on a chair – the movement is such you could swear the woman was there a second ago, her perfume still lingering in the room.

So intense you feel you could step in the picture and grab those accessories…

My favourite part definitely is the male image he created.  Imagine the readers’ shock when they opened their Figaro, looked at the Eau Sauvage ad and saw…black slippers, a pair of hairy legs, and a white bathrobe cut at the waist!

What a revolution: sexy yet relaxed.  Although it was controversial at the time, it did prove a real success and more humoristic versions followed.

When Dior died in 1957, Gruau continued to work on the perfumes ads until the late 1980s – an unequalled era which inspired so many other creators: daring, sophisticated and timeless.

Even 50 years down the line, each piece remains as powerful.  Magnifique!

Dior Illustrated: René Gruau and the Line of Beauty runs until 9 January 2011 at Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA

Photos by Coralie Aude Grassin

For centuries, Versailles has symbolised French royalty – think Louis XIV with his decadent feasts, Marie-Antoinette and her ladies in splendid gowns and wigs.

Even now, its reputation remains untouched with 70% of the visitors coming from abroad.  It is all about the grandeur – even the roofs are decorated with gold leaves, the rooms are magnificent with paintings up to the ceilings, and gardens so huge it takes more than a day to see everything they have to offer (including a farm and rowing on the main canal).

However, the younger generation tends to find it pretty boring and often ignore the site.  Versailles started fighting back a few years ago. Too classical a background?  Not trendy enough?  Better then, to mix both worlds: historical and modern.

Jeff Koons was the first to present his collection – try to imagine his famous balloon dog, giant size, in the gallerie des miroirs!  Xavier Veilhan followed last year, with intricate creations, the favourite one being a carriage with horses made with origami like pieces.

This year, the castle is turning to kawai-land.  Murakami had already helped Vuitton in the past to show a younger image with his bright and colourful world.  His manga style makes it difficult to believe he studied traditional Japanese art for 8 years!

A scholarship gave him the opportunity to go to New York where he discovered the work of Andy Warhol – a turning point in his career.  It is easy to see the pop art influence in his latest collection.

So how do these cartoon characters fit in the royal chambers?  Amazingly enough, pretty well.  The very first room is probably the most impressive with Tongari-Kun at its heart.

The colours have been matched to the surrounding décor and after circling it a few times, it almost feels… natural.

The following 14 rooms present a retrospective of his art.  The sizes are more adequate to the rooms.  The Alice in Wonderland effect on the visitors is obvious, as if they had stepped in another dimension.

The more you admire them, the more you go further than the flashy side of them and discover a multitude of fun details (the eyes, for examples often are of different colours). Even better, photos are allowed and everyone just want to capture a little memory of the event.

Suddenly, you step in the hall of mirrors – a stunning effect with its crystal chandeliers reflecting to infinity.  You can almost hear music, laughs, glasses clinking, as if you could superpose two pictures.

This is the perfect atmosphere for Murakami’s most iconic work, Flower Mantago: a firework of cheerful flowers.

A further room is dedicated to them.  Hypnotised, it is not unusual for tourists to sit on this amazing carpet, commenting on its feel-good effect…

Don’t forget to visit the gardens for the perfect finale, with Oval Buddha – the artist represents himself as a manga Sun King.  One side for good days, another for rainy ones!  He is said to be manic about every single detail of his creations and he is known for his angry storms if the finish is not perfect…

Of course, such an exhibition bring its share of polemics.  Like Marmite, some will fall in love with the mix, others will abhor it.  At least, everyone gets a chance to discover a new world.

Takashi Murakami at the Château de Versailles runs until 12 December 2010.

Coralie Aude Grassin writes the blog Tea Time in Wonderland.

The party was a relaxed but ever-so-stylish affair, with appearances from Zandra Rhodes and Andrew Logan, ELLE fashion editors, London Fashion Week press, East London clubkids, artists and the odd model.  New York’s Becka Diamond played a brilliant DJ set of New Wave and party stuff including Siouxie & The Banshees, Fever Ray and Madonna.

Blue Logan is known as the ‘pencil paparazzi’ in fashion circles and the work featured ranges from tiny portrait sketches of the likes of Olivier Zahm and Andre Saraiva to an insanely beautiful painted illustration of an Alexander McQueen dress using goldleaf.

Blue Logan also recreated a runway with two of his front row quick sketches, featuring fashion’s most illustrious characters, headed up by Kaiser Karl himself.

Key looks from the Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton and  Alexander McQueen collection also get the Blue Logan treatment, as well as this statuesque portrait of the inimitable Grace Jones wearing magenta Azzedine Alaïa.

I plan to cover my dream home in Blue Logan fashion illustration one day and luckily Steven (also present at the private view) needs no convincing on that one…yes!

The Blue Logan exhibition runs until 22 September at SWAROVSKI CRYSTALLIZED, so there is still time to drop by and view some of his extraordinary work.  Also, spend over £60 in store and get a complimentary illustrated tote bag, specially designed by Blue Logan for the exhibition.

Quick sketching from the front row, Blue Logan captures the beauty and movement of the collections and takes a playful view of the coterie of fashion folk.  Most exciting are his portraits of fashion luminaries Suzy Menkes, Anna Piaggi, Roberto Cavalli, Mario Testino and Diane Pernet.

Nephew of artist and designer Andrew Logan, Blue’s unique vision of the fashion world has been shaped by his experiences growing up in the colourful backgrounds of Alternative Miss World, Kinky Galinky, Zandra Rhodes and among artists such as David Hockey and Brian Eno.

In between fashion weeks, Blue Logan also documents the hottest parties and gigs, sketching the likes of The Cazals, Mark Ronson and Q-Tip.  His work has featured in Vogue Russia, Marie Claire USA, NYLON, Le Rogue and many more.

Blue Logan has created a stunning limited edition tote bag for SWAROVSKI CRYSTALLIZED, which will be gifted with any purchase over £60.

Blue Logan Exhibition will run from 17-22 September 2010 at SWAROVSKI CRYSTALLIZED, 24 Great Marlborough St, London W1F 7HU.

My favourite exhibitions are usually of the fashion kind and this Autumn there are some incredible happenings in the art and fashion world.

Firstly, from next week until late September, Selfridges will host a retrospective of Dame Vivienne Westwood’s iconic shoes from 1973 to 2010.

The Ultra Lounge will be devoted to five decades worth of Viv’s much-loved shoes, from the voluptuous, death-defying platform heels, to the classic Pirate Boots and her later collaboration footwear with melissa.  The infamous Super Elevated Gillie platforms that toppled Naomi Campbell on the catwalk in 1993 are also sure to make an appearance.

If you’ll be Paris during fashion week or any time from mid-September through to October, you really must take a detour to see Karl Lagerfeld’s photographer Exhibition at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie, in the Marais.

Kaiser Karl’s love of photography and keen eye for detail has led him to shoot the Chanel campaigns, produce numerous editorial spreads, publish his own photography books and direct his own short films.

The featured photographs have yet to be revealed, but perhaps there may be some images of his Chanel girls Freja Beha Erichsen and Lara Stone alongside some insanely chiselled and beautiful male models such as Brad Kroenig and Karl’s muse,  Baptiste Giabiconi.

If you have time, pop in to 7L, Karl’s photography bookshop beneath his photography studio to pick up some Karl-prescribed literature.

Somerset House continues its dedication to fashion and the arts with an exhibition to the work of renowned illustrator René Gruau (1909-2004).

René Gruau’s unmistakable, iconic illustration style shaped Christian Dior’s ‘New Look’ in the 1940s and his use of bold, minimal lines has has a remarkable influence of the world of graphic design and illustration, which continues today.

The exhibition will feature original illustrations for Parfums Christian Dior, vintage perfume bottles, sketches and magazines alongside a selection of Dior Haute Couture dresses.  The exhibition also reveals the close friendship between the two creative geniuses and their shared vision of revolutionary elegance.

Vivienne Westwood Shoes, An Exhibition 1973-2010 will run from 26 August – 22 September at Selfridges, London.

Karl Lagerfeld Photography Exhibition will run from 10 September – 15 October at Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris.

Dior Illustrated: René Gruau and the line of beauty will run from at 10 November – 9 January at Somerset House, London.

London’s finest stitchers, artists, illustrators, jewellers, bakers and general DIY goddesses were all invited by BUST magazine to sell their creations, from tiny notebooks and accessories to framed original screen prints.

There were over 61 exhibitors and small workshops including the Make Lounge fascinator workshop, Mr Wingate tote bag screen-printing and the Swing Patrol dance class, where you could learn to dance the Jitterbug and Lindyhop.

London’s most inventive jewellers, Tatty Devine, had a haberdashery stall and a set up a work station where you could colour your own jewellery.

All this was set to the coolest of party soundtracks, with DJ sets from The A-Maisonettes, The Vinyl Vendettas and She Runs With Wolves (Ladyfest Ten).

The alternative food court offered up cupcakes, heart-shaped tarts, quiches and gourmet tea and coffee by Lardy Da, Tea by Leona, Coco&Me and SweeDee’s.

One of my favourite stalls was Bbel, that sells the most amazing matte silver necklaces and bracelets with swallows, lightning bolts and heart outlines.  I first spotted Bbel at Stoke Newington’s Of Cabbages & Kings market and am determined to pick up a necklace next time.

A great new discover was Lost at Sea, a design duo that produce delicate but edgy necklaces, walnut pins featuring woodland creatures and sailor tattoo designs.

Another favourite was Gemma Correll’s illustrated cards, notebooks and tote bags featuring whimsical drawings of owls, cats, pugs and Boston terriers.  Being a lover of pugs, I picked up a pad of illustrated ‘to do lists’, illustrated with pugs for just £2.

Ladyfest 10 was there in support and to raise awareness for their upcoming birthday celebration and The Make Lounge recruited new members for their creative craft workshops.  The BUST ladies were also there selling copies of the latest issue for just £1.50!

BUST Craftacular is great for checking out London’s most creative craftspeople, getting involved, learning a new skill and making some like-minded friends.  If it’s on next year, I’m there!

Click here for a full list of BUST Craftacular London vendors.