C is for Caravaggio

Caravaggio (1571-1610) is my all time favourite painter.  His theatrical style, with its brilliant use of light, never fails to move me.   His influence remains: many directors such as Martin Scorsese, cite Caravaggio as an influence on their work.  Apart from being an amazing painter, he was a man that lead an exciting and passionate life.  Thrown in jail numerous times for brawling, destroying property and general mayhem, he even had a death warrant issued by Pope Paul V and killed a man (perhaps by accident) in 1606. In Naples, an attempt was made on his life, though he survived but a few months later he was dead of a fever.

Last year I had the pleasure of viewing the most comprehensive Caravaggio exhibition at the Scuderia d’Quirinale in Rome of 25 of his works.  It was an opportunity not to be missed as this many pictures by Caravaggio have never been exhibited together.

Only 80 works by Caravaggio survive.  Rome is the place to see Caravaggio.   The Cerasi Chapel, Contarelli Chapel, Galeria Borghese and the Vatican all have works by him.  Other works are scattered throughout Europe.

G is for Gothic

When you visit England and France, you cannot help but be struck by the massive scale of some of the cathedrals and churches that you will see.  Notre Dame and Westminster Abbey are both examples of this style which influenced church design for centuries.  Now,  the style is out of favour in architecture but is still influential in the fashion and jewellery design world. From the goth style of dark clothing, reminiscent of dark interior spaces to the religious iconography that is prevalent in jewellery design by such designers such as Pamela Love, the gothic style is still with us.

A is for Azzedine Alaia

Many years ago one New Year’s Eve, I went to a dance party (it was the late 80’s!) in the Hordern Pavilion , Sydney.  Grace Jones was the headline act and she swept onto stage wearing a magnificent hooded leather cape.  That cape was by Azzedine Alaia and as fashion moments go, it was a thrilling one.  Later in the act, she flung off the cape onto the stage where it was stolen!  I read in the paper later that she never got it back, even though she asked for it to be returned.  Some thief (or crazed fan) in Sydney still has it.

Tunisian born, Alaia (pronouced Aliya) has worked for some of the most exclusive designers (Dior, Mugler, Guy Laroche) in Paris since the 50s.  Andree Putman, was stopped walking down the street in New York by a buyer from Bergdorfs, and his career in the US was launched.

He still produces the most magnificent clothes and shoes.  Cut and punched leather and figure hugging shapes are his signature.  He has eschewed the marketing push of the large conglomerates (Richemont, Prada) that have had stakes in his business and just sticks with what he wants to do, rather than designing the latest ‘it bag’.

In HK, get Alaia at Lane Crawford, or online at Net-a-Porter.