Blythswood Square - A Rather Racy Hotel

Welcome to Glasgow's newly opened Blythswood Square Hotel.

The former home of the Royal Scottish Automobile Club has been transformed by The Townhouse Collection Company into the city's newest hotel with 5 star aspirations. I felt we ought to go for cocktails.

When I started snapping, Michael at reception offered to let us see more.

Above is the salon. Harris Tweed hasn't featured in an interior on this sort of scale since the QE2 in the 1960's.

A red lantern in each window has got to be a tongue in cheek reference to Blythswood Square's nocturnal past.

An entire wall of this room is covered in a blown up image of the Monte Carlo Rally which departed from the Square outside, in 1955.

Cocktails were lent an authentic prohibition air - we nursed a bottle of sparkling water for 20 minutes while a single cocktail menu eventualy found its way to us. Of course seconds later a waiter returns, poised to take our order. A brief glance and this one spoke to me. Another 20 minute wait and our drinks arrive. Not the place for a quick pit stop then. I should flag up that they'd only been open 5 days and this was their first Saturday night, so I shall of course be back, but will be applying my 3 strikes rule!

I liked the sound of that one, but everything "floral and light" was slightly drowned out by the lemon juice.

Although by that time, this lady wasn't complaining.

Blythswood Square Hotel

Gary Wilson - Fashion Designer

Snapped this cheeky chap for Style Scanner way back in June at Glasgow's Cardonald College End of Year Show. Turns out he'd designed one of the collections I'd thought was outstanding.

So please allow me to formally introduce you to Gary Wilson, who not only enquired what the picture was for (and remembered) but also asked to see the image I'd just taken, I liked that - this guy's nobody's fool, he'll go far!

Gary's now at Northumbria School of Design and has been working closely with a group of fellow students and the Top Shop design team in a competition to create a collection for next year's A/W range.

Here's some more of Gary's designs.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Paris based Moon Young Hee's SS/10 collection a few weeks ago - unbelievably similar, yet Gary's was stomping the catwalk six months earlier! I'm not saying it's time for him to call the lawyers, just thinking she should give him a job...

Above and below, Moon Young Hee's designs.

Actually it looks like Gary's already bagged a couple of designer placements. The first is with Ada Zanditon in London this June and he is in talks with New York designer Christian Joy. In the meantime he's working on a collection of two-tone and printed leggings which will be available soon.

Over and out...for now!

Gary's Blog

A La Mod

Art House

Last weekend, in what must have been a mammoth task, Laura Campbell turned her fabulous Victorian townhouse in Paisley into an impressively curated art gallery for her charity fundraiser.

She let me take some pics.

Above: Angela Reilly

Above: Cherylene Dyer

Above: Archie Forrest

And here's the lady herself, our hostess Laura Campbell who enlisted Gordon Yuill of Merrylee Bar & Kitchen to keep our champagne glasses filled to the brim throughout the evening.

Sunday Jumble & Craft Sale

These posters have popped up again. The location is sort of behind the Sainsbury's petrol station on Woodlands Road, Glasgow, 10-4pm.

Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre

My friend Tio called to inform me that she was child free for the day and fancied a trip to Glasgow, so after a bite to eat in the Merchant City, we dropped into the newly opened Trongate 103 arts venue for a spot of post lunch rumination. John Byrne's 'Cornerboys and Angels' was perfectly adequate until we discovered a performance of Sharmanka was about to start. Who needs to track down an opium den when this stuff's £4 and legal.

Hope you can read this.

If not, here's my abridged version:

Eduard Bersudsky secretly creates these works in his bedsit in 1970's/80's Communist Russia.

You can take as many pictures as you like as long as the flash is off.

Most of the works I've featured here were made by Eduard in Scotland over the last 15 years.

Shortly after this creepy pram performance, Tio suddenly announced she ought to be getting back Edinburgh to check on the children.

Iggy...?

Look closely at the character on the right in my short clip who's demonstrating an unusual form of campanology.

Time to call it a day I think.

Sharmanka

Happiness By The Ounce

Must have had a bout of short term memory loss because I completely forgot to review my sample of Black Afgano - the hashish inspired scent by Nasomatto. (See: This Smells Dope). Above is what made it through customs and surfaced in the mail from the US. I paid $12 inc UK postage to Lucky Scent who threw in 3 extra samples, nice touch.

It's actually a men's fragrance - but that's never stopped me before. On the skin it does indeed smell smokey and resinous. A little sweet for me but very warm and oriental with a hint of powdery musk. At least it's natural smelling, a lot of the more mainstream perfumes are, to me, totally synthetic and monotonous, yuk. Black Afgano would smell great on a leather biker jacket as a more subtle alternative to patchouli - if that's your scene.

Wore it on a half-hearted charity shop trip round the fine establishments of Partick, no obvious psychoactive effects...or were there?

Glasgow Underground Is Burning

Hope this amazing piece runs for a while longer.

Venus In Furs

I love this picture of my friend Jo. It puts me in mind of the sort of publicity shot a bestselling novelist would use on the 'About The Author' section of a dust jacket. Or is she the queen of her own cosmetics empire?

The coat is vintage and came from Paris.

Spotted @ Urban Jungle International Show

Urban Jungle International Designer Launch @ Che Camille

Made In The Shade - The Maisonette

Those crafty girls Carrie and Clare.

The Maisonette is Glasgow's newest designer craft/vintage emporium, it's even open every Thursday evening for late night West End shopping.

Scottish illustrator Jen Nicolson in the phone box size 'Tiny Gallery' with her collection of post-its.

Jen's illustrations, documenting her random thoughts, will be for sale at the end of the exhibition.

The Maisonette

De Coursey's Arcade

(Behind Byres Road)

Glasgow G12 8AA

A Luxurious Coat

The first thing that caught my eye was this incredible coat but then I noticed her hair, which was a mesmerising warm platinum colour and she explained she's a hairdresser. The coat came from We Love To Boogie.

I'd call this an Uptown/Downtown look and have a tendency to do this myself - as an excuse to wear evening wear at wholly inappropriate times - so the formality up top 'fades' to something very casual like army boots.

The dog is Shuggie.

Omar's Homecoming Victory Show

Roll up, roll up!, this Friday evening, you're invited to the preview exhibition of 'Omar's Homecoming Victory Show' at Lochwinnoch Library, (20 minutes from Glasgow) at 7pm. A chance to see a cornucopia of art by the mysterious Omar Zingaro Bhatia including some never before seen works. He might even let you buy one, all the fun of the fair.

Lochwinnoch Library

Omar Zingaro Bhatia

Urban Jungle International Show

This Thursday evening is the "Urban Jungle International Show" at Che Camille.

7pm

Fashion show

Cocktails

Live painting and tea ceremony

Installation of Italian sculptural toys

Rappers

Breakdancers!...and first dibs on sale items.

Tickets are £5 and available from Che Camille Glasgow.

Double Vision

Moments after snapping the untypically casual Roddy (above), this spiffy fellow with the banjolele case drifts into the quiet Uisge Beatha bar. Don't know if it was down to my 'tipping a few' Talisker 10yr old, but I thought it was interesting how similar their formal grey 'waistcoat and hat' looks were for a quiet Sunday night at the local gin joint.

Despite the schnozzle, Seamus was killing Roddy's hat.

Bauhaus "Bela Lugosi's Dead" by Gus & Fin

Gugug

Zombie Walk - Glasgow Style

Scene of the crime - looks like blood isn't the only thing zombie's have a taste for...

Glasgow Zombie Walk

Barbara Hulanicki - Beyond Biba

Before the screening of 'Beyond Biba' I met Barbara Hulanicki for a picture. There was no entourage - actually - that threw me a bit, just me and 'Lady Biba' in a makeshift dressing room. Needn't have worried, Barbara's no fashion ice maiden, relaxing with a glass of beer she's not haughty or steely in the least. We have a laugh and she's intrigued by my magnetic 'Style Scanner' cards. Bet she'd be great fun to work with.

Barbara's last collection for Top Shop sold out in days, so I enquire if she has any plans to do a follow-on collection, she tells me there is indeed another planned. I ask when we can expect it in store, and girls, here's what she coyly whispers... "February".

Watching the film, I discover that this couple, who I'd snapped earlier, are Delisia Howard, former Biba model and buyer, pictured with her husband, the illustrator Chris Price. They're also the authors of two beautiful books, 'In Biba: A Graphic Romance', and 'SinBiba'.

A Chris Price illustration.

To the left of Barbara, is Louis Price who directed 'Beyond Biba'. The GFT Cinema's Art Deco surroundings were quite redolent of the Biba era, lending a rather evocative air to proceedings.

Peppered with personal anecdotes from the people at the epicentre of the Biba fashion phenomenon, the film documents Barbara's colourful life. Including the awful split from Biba's investors, which saw her lose control of the name. Together with her late husband Fitz, Barbara relocated to Miami where she began her new career as an interior designer. She's credited with being a major contributor in the renaissance of Miami's South Beach area.

Barbara has also rediscovered her love of illustration.

This attendee wins Most Stylish from Style Scanner for her Biba inspired look.

The CD 'Champagne and Novacaine' is, in effect, the Biba soundtrack. Including Roxy Music & Sparks, it could be a laid back addition to my rather more 'industrious' leaning sewing room collection.

The event was a Caledonia Creates and GFT Cinema collaboration.

The 'Beyond Biba' DVD should be available before Christmas.

A Great Coat @ The Fall Fair

This great coat came from Mr Ben and I think he'd just bought the attache case at the Jordanhill Fall Fair.

Very Indiana Jones...

Biba Founder To Visit Glasgow

Barbara Hulanicki will be answering a Q&A session, in person, after the screening of this film on Tuesday (27th) at the GFT Cinema.

Inspired by Art Nouveau and Art Deco, she brought the 30's to the '70's in the form of the Biba label and store.

This year Barbara designed a collection for Top Shop which sold out in days.

Buy Tickets @ GFT

Rose St

Glasgow

Tel 0141 332 8128