From Busy Bees to an Imaginary Sewing Machine

Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection at the V&A


“This is dangerous” is probably the first thought that comes to many people’s minds when they find themselves confronted with the iconic photograph by Richard Avedon. Questions that follow are likely if the portrayed suffered bee stings, how the shoot was conducted, and why did the sitter model in the first place?


Swan Lake In-the-Round

With no traditional proscenium arch or stage-wings, and little in the way of scenery, Derek Deane’s reimagining of the classic of all classic ballets brought a sensational aspect to Swan Lake.  First performed in 1997, Deane’s In-the-Round works magnificently at the Royal Albert Hall, danced by a full cast of a capable English National Ballet.

Derek Deane’s reimagining of the classic of all classic ballets





Bodying the Shape of Things to Come



Issey Miyake

Clothes Beyond the Reach of Time


Issey Miyake was first and foremost a creator of a unique oeuvre, which has always drawn on all disciplines and various forms of practice and research. Undoubtedly Miyake was one of the few figures to have taken clothing design into the realm of art.


A Woman’s Huipil from Oxchuc, Mexico


In a new series, social anthropologist and Mexico specialist Dr Birgitta Huse invites us to take a closer look at the construction and adornment of a piece of wearable textile art. She guides us along the seems and joints of this extraordinary work.


Shoot the Arrow


The World Famous *BOB* is a neo-Burlesque icon as her shows and activism blur the lines of gender and sexuality, allowing her to inspire and create optimism for the community. The photographer Amy Touchette gave six years of her life to document *BOB*’s milestones on and off stage in what she calls “the ultimate postmodern gender story.”