Latest news with #IsabellaBlow
Daily Mail
03-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
ALEXANDRA SHULMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Marvellous Michelle will be utterly fab... as me
As a general rule, fashion biopics are hysterical, overblown dramas filled with characters far too ludicrous to be accurate depictions of the inspiring creatives they're based on. So when I heard there was a film in the works about the late Isabella Blow – the maverick fashion editor and early muse and associate of Alexander McQueen – I assumed the worst. But The Queen Of Fashion, which has just wrapped, might be an exception. There's a first-rate cast and it has been endorsed by many of Issy's closest friends and collaborators. The excellent Andrea Riseborough is cast as the eccentric and visionary Issy, and – trumpet sound here – apparently I am played, as editor of British Vogue, by Michelle Dockery. Dockery is one of my favourite British actresses. She can display hauteur and brutality in equal measure. As Lady Mary in Downton Abbey she perfected the cut-glass accent, while in Guy Ritchie 's The Gentleman she was transfixing as the drug baron's hard-bitten Cockney wife. So I am delighted by her casting. In truth, it's not only her acting skills I'm thrilled about. She's just fabulous looking. Who wouldn't want to be portrayed by this elegant beauty? I know nothing of the movie's storyline but I strongly suspect my character won't be treated kindly. Although I was a huge supporter of Issy, introduced her to Vogue and gave her licence and encouragement to produce the stories she was keen on, her own recollections differed. She ultimately saw me as someone who let her down. If the film takes that angle, at least being played by someone as attractive as Dockery will be some compensation. Stop treating Mr Fox as fantastic Last Monday, while we were away, guests staying in our house sent me pictures of several rooms. They showed shoes scattered everywhere, including a pair of half-destroyed sheepskin slippers lying on our bed. One of my Adidas Gazelle sneakers had been dragged from one room to another and torn apart, while the guest's own shoes were in pieces. She was sure the garden door hadn't been left open at any time and there was no sign of a human intruder – nothing of value, such as our laptops, had been taken. Even more oddly, no food in the kitchen had been attacked. We still don't know what happened, but assume the wretched foxes that plague our lives managed to get through the cat flap. Some people have fond feelings toward the vulpine creatures. Not me. I have previous form with them. A few years ago, I discovered one in the living room sitting calmly on the sofa watching Netflix. Once it had been shooed out, I stupidly sat down where it had been and promptly contracted the most painful condition I have ever had – fox scabies. Anyone who thinks these are sweet little creatures who should be fed and cared for is insane. Unfortunately, round our parts they are now as prolific as squirrels. As is the trail of rubbish they leave across the back gardens and pavements. AI can't capture our true beauty I wrote a few months ago about how some modelling agencies are starting to licence the rights to images of their models for use in AI. Then, last week, a story broke about a flawless AI-generated model in a Guess advert in Vogue. While AI models will no doubt become more popular, it's unlikely that they will replace models at the top end of the industry. Although being a clothes horse is the core of the job, a large reason why the most successful models have got where they are is their personality. Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Kate Moss are all bright women who bring a large dollop of character along with them. Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford (pictured), Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Kate Moss are all bright women who bring a large dollop of character along with them. They have become famous because they are interesting and look fantastic. AI can generate a flawless looking model but she won't exist off the page. And I doubt her looks will have that coveted kink, the slight 'strangeness in proportion' that philosopher Francis Bacon claimed is key to true beauty. See a playlist? I'd rather roll with it I'm off to see Oasis tonight and someone's offered to send me the playlist in advance. Why would I want to know the song line-up? Despite bingeing on Instagram snippets of the reunion tour, I have avoided finding out whether Don't Look Back In Anger or Wonderwall is the encore, or whether they will play Champagne Supernova. I've enjoyed prepping myself with lesser-known songs, just in case. Wanting to know a concert's playlist in advance is as baffling a concept to me as reading a restaurant's menu before you arrive. Anticipation is such a vital part of the experience. Put to shame – by a cool 11-year-old The young of today are different, that's for sure. I took an 11-year-old to see Jurassic World Rebirth at the cinema, with assurances that should he find it too frightening we could leave. As character after character was threatened and devoured by terrifying beasts, I kept glancing at my companion to check he was OK. He sat impassively through it all. Meanwhile, I was scared stiff and found the tension as unbearable as England's penalty shoot-out in last Sunday's Euros final. Is Gwynnie really such a mean girl? Amy Odell's biography of Gwyneth Paltrow paints her subject as a mean girl who becomes the toxic boss of Goop. Funny isn't it how it's always female employers who get tarred with this label? I have no idea how Gwyneth ran Goop but I do know it is frequently women leaders who are portrayed as demanding and cruel. And most often their accusers are other women – as the unnamed employees would have been at Goop. So much for the sisterhood. I hope the Isabella Blow biopic doesn't paint a similar picture of me.
Vogue
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
One-of-One Vintage and a Moment for the Bumster: An Exclusive First Look at The Queen of Fashion
The story of the truly original—and truly outrageous—blue-blooded fashion editor Isabella Blow epitomizes what fashion legend is made of. Born in London, Blow moved to America in the late 1970s and cut her teeth at Vogue, initially hired as Anna Wintour's assistant and later as André Leon Talley's. With her eccentric wardrobe, eccentric friends (like the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat), and eccentric habits, such as cleaning her desk with Perrier water and Chanel No. 5, she swiftly made an impression on everyone in her orbit. Returning to Britain in 1986, she held prominent positions at Tatler, British Vogue, and The Sunday Times, where she created fashion spreads that didn't just push boundaries—they broke them. Blow offered readers a glimpse of fashion through her own distinctive lens, with stories that seamlessly blended high style with an avant-garde attitude—a Blow calling card. Not only was Blow a mainstay on the international fashion scene, but she also possessed the rare ability to spot era-defining talent before said talent even recognized itself. She nurtured her fashion foundlings and became a walking, talking (and wearing) ambassador, while simultaneously introducing them to all the key players in the industry. That roster included designers Alexander McQueen, Philip Treacy, and Jeremy Scott, as well as the models Stella Tennant and Sophie Dahl, among others—all of whom Blow took under her wing at the start of their careers and championed long after they'd flown the nest. After her suicide in 2007, the book Blow by Blow (2010), written by Blow's husband Detmar Blow with Tom Sykes, recounted the story of her life; her wardrobe went on display for the acclaimed 'Fashion Galore!' exhibition at Somerset House in London; and she featured in various McQueen documentaries. So, almost two decades on, it seems only right that Blow is now the subject of an upcoming biopic, The Queen of Fashion, in which she's played by Andrea Riseborough. 'Isabella was a unique person in every way,' Treacy tells Vogue about the film set to honor his late mentor and friend. 'She deserves all of this and more.' Philip Treacy and Isabella Blow in 2004 Arriving on set in Cardiff, Wales, for an exclusive sneak peek into a day of filming, I'm met with a frenzy of camera crews, people whizzing around with garment bags, and assistants communicating via walkie-talkies. One of them leads me into an industrial-looking, klieg-lit warehouse with rows of chairs neatly lined up on one side and the man behind it all, director Alex Marx, on the other.
FACT
10-02-2025
- Entertainment
- FACT
McQueen has dropped a demure Ramadan collection
McQueen has unveiled an exclusive collection to celebrate Ramadan. The six-piece ready-to-wear capsule combines McQueen's signature motifs with a modest silhouette. The collection is available at Harrods in London, and McQueen boutiques in Harvey Nichols and Bloomingdale's in Dubai. McQueen's Ramadan collection draws inspiration from nature. It boasts blush floral-printed daywear and fluid and refined crepe de chine separates, including a wide-leg pyjama trouser, an oversized shirt, a draped skirt, and a midi shirt dress with bib detailing. Two evening dresses are available. The blush crepe de chine tunic comes with a twisted draped neckline, and the delicate chiffon cape dress includes an intricately embellished neck with crystals. Accessories are also available. The T-Bar bag, T-Bar clutch and Birdee ruched mules are in vivid fuchsia python, and the T-Bar bag, T-Bar clutch and T-Bar sandal are in black suede with light-refracting gold crystal embellishment. The McQueen label is a British luxury fashion house. Created by the designer Alexander McQueen, he was born in Lewisham, London. He trained as an apprentice on Savile Row, and studied at Central Saint Martins. He hit the headlines for its controversial collections. His graduate collection caught the attention of the fashion editor, Isabella Blow. Over the years, his collections were synonymous with individuality and strength, and the runway shows were theatrical spectacles. He went from being worn by models to royalty. Sarah Burton, the former Creative Director of Alexander McQueen, designed the wedding dress for the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton. The McQueen Ramadan collection is also available in Doha and Kuwait. Check in with FACT for the latest things to do. GO: Visit for more information.
