Megan: The Best Espresso in Scotland

New Zealand born Megan bought her dress online from America which she revealed is a really cheap way to buy vintage. 

I know Megan from frequenting Glasgow's newly opened Artisan Roast on Gibson Street where she's the enthusiastic and knowledgeable manager. Her espresso is ranked the best in Scotland and she's Scotland's No2 barista.

Not sure if this wonderful machine she's demonstrating is a roaster or a grinder but I know for a fact they roast a fresh batch of beans twice a week. 

Glasgow's newest coffee emporium, Artisan Roast  on Gibson Street.

Les Garcons de Glasgow @ Urban Outfitters

Daniel and Jonathan at last night's launch party to celebrate their photo exhibition at Urban Outfitters. Around 30 images from their street style blog Les Garcons de Glasgow are currently on display in the Glasgow store. Double cause for celebration for Daniel - he's also just bagged himself a first class honours degree in history!

Was lovely to catch up with some familiar faces...

Les Garcons de Glasgow

Urban outfitters

Red Hot in Finnieston

She alerted me that I'd photographed her before... at the Glasgow Zombie Walk, can you guess which zombie she was?

Mark Eley (Eley Kishimoto) @ Heriot-Watt Fashion Show

Mark Eley, of Eley Kishimoto, who curated and directed last night's Heriot-Watt Galashiels graduate exhibition and fashion show, 'Representation: Presentation'.

The result was a very grown up, reined in and professional show. Thankfully devoid of the dreaded (and cringe making) "studenty-ness" one sometimes has to endure, models waving at their mums from the catwalk is not good, ever. Impressively cohesive collections, all quite different to each other and technically accomplished. 

The programme included a small picture representing each designers' collection, a contact email and a paragraph written by each of them by way of explanation. Sounds simple enough but you'd be amazed how difficult it sometimes is to try to decipher which designer did what after the fact.

My footage of the designers taking their bow in the show's finale.

Galashiels fashion blog

Eley Kishimoto blog

Theresa Coburn

Designer and Heriot-Watt lecturer Theresa Coburn, who will be heading-up the university's new fashion communication course. As a designer in her own right, she's worked with Siouxsie and The Banshees, Primal Scream and The Clash. This leather dress is one of her own designs.

Mark Timmins - Fashion Director @ Galashiels

Mark is the is the postgraduate director of fashion and textiles at Heriot-Watt University School of Textiles and Design in Galashiels. His badges denote New York subway stations!

Mark's blog.

Kirsty Wark

Earlier this week I was invited to the WilliamVintage press day at a secret location in Glasgow's West End. William Banks-Blaney had set up his latest trove of museum quality "mintage", all destined for the Sale on 4th July at Oran Mor.

Just as I was admiring the sheer volume of pristine vintage dresses hugging the four walls of the drawing room, I became aware of the excited chatter coming from the sitting room...

It was Kirsty, her daughter Caitlin and, of course, Will himself. I love that Kirsty does vintage and we were all in agreement about this 60's silk habotai number. Could see Samantha from Bewitched wearing this dress to a cocktail soiree.

Kirsty wore her WilliamVintage dress last night to present The Review Show on BBC2.

She also bought a maxi dress so perfect on her that I've decided to embargo my snaps of it until its first formal outing, as Rachel Zoe might say, it's ahhhmaaazing!

The WilliamVintage Scottish Sale is on Sunday 4th July at Glasgow's Oran Mor.

Leo and Jacqueline

Leo Condie and Jacqueline Houston on Saturday. Leo's band The Low Miffs had just played The Halt Bar. Jacqueline is the closest I ever got to having a muse and it looks like Leo finds her equally as inspiring.

Footage from Saturday, the band are also playing Brel later tonight (Thursday from 7.30pm).

Ciaran and Salvador

Ciaran Moore and Salvador Navarette, Great Western Road.

Chicks Who Smoke

So the Chicks Who Smoke 'Glasgow' reunion has now drawn to a close. Thanks to Mark, Sean and most importantly, the smokin' chicks themselves.

Left to right: Laila, Camille, Hollie, Eilidh, Gemma, and Marie. (Gill's not pictured here).

Photographer Mark Dorrian.

Mark worked quietly and quickly and even though the entire shoot was done and dusted in under an hour, we almost ran out of cigarettes!

Art Director Sean Aidan Maguire.

Chicks Who Smoke.

Hat-trick

Omar Zingaro Bhatia and Julia Hart Gilmour at Friday's Glasgow School of Art Degree Show.

Eilidh Hossack

Eilidh is also on Chicks Who Smoke.

Laila Hmmidouche

And you can also see Laila on Chicks Who Smoke.

1950s Mercedes 190 SL on Byres Road

While I can say I'm quite familiar with riding around in an old Mercedes 190, it's sadly not quite this vintage...

1950s Mercedes 190 SL. *Drool*.

Camille Lorigo

Left to right: Camille Lorigo of Che Camille, photographer Mark Dorrian and art director Sean Aidan Maguire.

See Mark's picture of Camille on Chicks Who Smoke.

Gemma Elise Gerber

See Mark's picture of Gemma on Chicks Who Smoke.

Hotel Gilchrist

Despite living just round the corner and having had over a weeks notice, I only made it to Hotel Gilchrist with half an hour to spare before the weekend long exhibition closed its doors!

It had the feel of a more subversive D.I.Y. version of Douglas Gordon's pristine Common Guild exhibition space.

Silja Strom

Nina de Angelis

Sam Derounion

"Seven Minutes of Leg Bending" a film by Julia Scott (pictured) and Romany Dear.

Julia said they scrapped their original, more elaborate film in favour of this one. On viewing, it's rather reminiscent of the Charleston which, coincidentally, I've witnessed being danced on two separate occasions recently.

I just can't remember who these are by, if you know please drop me a line as I'd love to credit the artist. 

*Edit*  they are by Ross Little (thanks Sam).

 Alex Misick performed "Alex in Wonderland" in this space. I put this piece of A4 paper in front of the door for scale...  think it might even be a meter cupboard! 

"The Inconvenience Bar" by Chris MacInnes. No inconvenience really, just the small matter of climbing a ladder to near ceiling height then crawling through a tiny hatch. More than a little 'Being John Malkovich'.

Video and room installation "Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea" by Lucy Livingstone.

 All this red and black left me craving a blast of 'Performance'.

The carnage from an earlier Max Prus performance.

The artist appears to be obsessed with Commander of the Hindenburg, Captain Max Pruss.

More wreckage.

The Hindenburg mobile in the corner didn't make it to the end in tact either and a participant broke the camera but Max didn't mind one bit since the piece was intended to explore the 'ego'. Max Prus. 

It was also great to unexpectedly experience Tom Marshallsay's art first hand. I'm more familiar with his music, which he records under the pseudonym Dam Mantle. This piece was created along with Richard McMaster. Behind the door was a darkened room. I sat in a solitary seat in front of a TV screen whilst myriad speakers suspended from the ceiling provided surround sound. Here's a little footage of my experience.

You can see some moving images of the opening night by clicking here.

Hotel Gilchrist.