Paloma Faith
Paloma pictured in corset by Whitaker Malem, coat by David Koma, earring by Vicki Sarge
“The Architect, an album of social commentary doubling as complicated relationship songs, positions Paloma Faith firmly as Britain’s leading exponent of soulful pop music.”
Paloma Faith
…meets Whitaker Malem: Her New Album Release and Images on display at Exhibition in Liverpool
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAM SHERGILL
CREATIVE DIRECTION AND SET DESIGN BY DAEN PALMA HUSE
FASHION DIRECTION BY MARGHERITA GARDELLA
MAKE UP BY LAN NGUYEN-GREALIS
HAIR BY EAMONN HUGHES
NAILS BY JULIA BABBAGE
ASSISTANTS VANESSA HASTINGS, HELENE GRASTVEIT, SARA SANTINI, ANDREW HILES
PRODUCTION BY DPH MANAGEMENT
Paloma Faith's new album The Architect has been released. At the same time, two of the images that we produced with Paloma Faith at The Protagonist Magazine have been pre-released at the exhibition opening of "Pop-Artisans" in Liverpool, an exhibition around the work of the renown designer duo Whitaker Malem. The photographs were taken by our Editor in Chief Ram Shergill.
Matthew Barton, music specialist, reviews Paloma's new album for The Protagonist Magazine as follows: "Three years on from her last LP, 2014’s A Beautiful Contradiction, Paloma Faith returns with her fourth full-length, The Architect, an album of social commentary doubling as complicated relationship songs that positions her firmly as Britain’s leading exponent of soulful pop music. Faith, a fixture in British pop since 2009’s debut Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? has always been a savvy collaborator, from introducing trip-hop maestro Nellee Hooper’s production smarts on 2012’s Fall from Grace to teaming up with Pharrell Williams on the barn-storming soul stomper “Can’t Rely On You” from A Beautiful Contradiction. But The Architect’s impressive list of credits signals a clear message: Paloma Faith is ready to advance to the big time..."
Paloma pictured in corset by Whitaker Malem, coat by David Koma, earring by Vicki Sarge
Read the full review in our upcoming print edition with an exclusive interview and a large spread of unseen new images, out at bookshops and newsstands the beginning of December in the UK, available worldwide shortly after!
Coinciding with Paloma Faith's latest album release is the opening of the exhibition "Pop-Artisans" by Whitaker Malem in Liverpool, The Gallery Liverpool, 41 Stanhope Street, L8 5RE, which will be on display until 10th December 2017, admission is free.
The show represents almost 30 years of the duo’s creative partnership. Featuring archival pieces from their film costume work, including this summer’s hit movie Wonder Woman – alongside fashion pieces. The event will also premiere new art works by Whitaker Malem – fusing together the worlds of fashion, art & film as is presented in conjunction with Duo vision, Homotopia & Arts Council England.
The exhibition offers a unique opportunity to better understand the current relationship and interaction between fashion design and film costume. Film fans will be able to see close-up a selection of film costume pieces from the Whitaker Malem archive.
Including: Amazon warrior metallic leather armour from Wonder Woman – which according to The New York Times “has emerged as a breakout fashion star in its own right”. Lindy Hemming, the film’s costume designer, having told producers that ‘’I know the best people in the world to do the amazon’s armour’’ commissioned prototypes at the pairs North London home and studio. Wonder Woman could be considered the ultimate Whitaker Malem movie project - they worked closely to the body to create a sexy/athletic armour look (most film armour being bulky). The costume armour draws heavily from the style & technique of Whitaker Malem’s fashion work & sees the evolution of what could be considered almost a ‘house style’ for movies beginning with Eragon & through Warner Bros. Harry Potter, Jack the Giant Slayer & Eva Green’s armour for 300: Rise of an Empire.
There will also be the opportunity to see selected pieces and process material from: Captain America: First Avenger, Batman: The Dark Knight Trilogy, 007: Die Another Day.
Whitaker Malem began life as a fashion house in 1988, focusing on leather. The pair met by chance at a house party in London in 1986; Patrick Whitaker was studying fashion design at Saint Martin’s School of Art and Keir Malem was working at the Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn, London. The couple first worked together when Keir helped Patrick with his degree show collection in 1987- which featured a formed leather bustier.
After two runway collections and dressing pop names such as Paula Abdul, Cher, George Michael and Bros. and selling their collection in Los Angles, New York, Paris, London and Hong Kong, the two struggled to make ends meet and moved into collaborations with other fashion designers.
Highlights including - creating a gold leather armour dress for Alexander McQueen’s spring/summer 1997 debut Givenchy haute couture collection, a leather eagle bustier for Tommy Hilfiger’s spring/summer 2000 Red Label show worn by Naomi Campbell (both these collaborations foretelling their work on Wonder Woman). They have also worked on collections with British designers Giles Deacon and Hussein Chalayan.
Whitaker Malem pieces have been photographed by Herb Ritts, Helmet Newton, Mario Testino and Pierre et Gilles and featured in Vogue, Elle, V magazine, The Face and Love Magazine. A selection of these images will be featured in the exhibition.
The self-styled Pop-Artisans also have an ongoing long-term collaboration with celebrated British pop artist Allen Jones, dressing his female figures in leather.
Pop-Artisans, The Gallery Liverpool, 41 Stanhope Street, L8 5RE, until 10th December 2017, admission free.