Linder Lingers On and On

Dazed has come up trumps again to give me another Linder Sterling-related tidbit to wax on about.  Doofus that I am, it turns out since early April this year, the punk-spirited collagist has been blogging away for CT Editions' specially created site The Protagonist, mainly through pictures and videos, documenting the process of putting together Sterling's latest collaborative work – The Darktown Cakewalk: Celebrated from the House of FAME (yes, that is the full name) which is a 13-hour live improv dance/music performance that was performed at the Chisenhale Gallery in London.  And the fashion is… where…?   

Hold up hold up… it's coming… Richard Nicoll's collaboration with Linder Sterling which began in A/W 09 with those prints seems to have formulated a lasting relationship – all the costumes in The Darktown Cakewalk has been designed by Nicoll, including new cake-themed printed garments as well as colours from his S/S 10 collection (those dusky pinks and blues) that are made into more danceable and moveable ensembles.  The performance deals with female archetypes – The Muse, The Witch, The Cakewalk King and Queen, Anima and the luscious Puella, featured in the centre here in frilly knickers and conical bra.  I love that the Sterling/Nicoll collaboration wasn't a) just confined to one season and b) goes beyond the confines of fashion.  I also love another good instance of designers applying their strengths to the art/performance world…

The biscuit/dessert themed collages that Linder Sterling created for the Cakewalk performance that were then transferred onto loose tunics by Richard Nicoll…

Nasir Mazhar's headdress also joins Richard Nicoll's gold dress here in another performance piece 'Your Actions are My Dreams' in St. Ives, Cornwall… did I ever tell you guys I have a childhood love affair with Cornwall…?

The Protagonist blog also has Sterling's latest pieces of collage which further feeds the fascination…

Tim Walker, with whom Linder Sterling has been working with on various editorial projects is also filming a short film called 'Forgetful Green' featuring the characters from The Dark Town Cakewalk: Celebrated from the House of FAME, which has been commissioned by Frieze.  Here they are frollocking for the amazing Mr Walker in the Rose Field of Cants of Colchester, the
oldest rose growers in Britain.

Conversely, since Linder Sterling's collaboration with Richard Nicoll, the artist herself has been thrusted into a world outside of her own… becoming cover star of i-D's Fall 2009 issue and thus beginning her collaboration with Tim Walker…

…and then going onto work with Walker again on this Vogue Italia March 2010 editorial featuring Guinevere Van Seenus, a ton of amazing Prada S/S 10 and those figurative and metaphorical blooms…