Latest news with #Plunkett
West Australian
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Romance comes of age, with portrait of fashion pioneers
A massive artwork marking 20 years of the Australian fashion label Romance Was Born has been unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery. Designers Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales chose their longtime friend and collaborator Samuel Hodge to create a portrait of them to mark the occasion - and the resulting collage is as extravagant as one of their label's runway shows. "When you take as many photographs as I have, it's really difficult to make sense of it all - so one way to do this is just put it all together," Hodge said. The artist has combined hundreds of images of the designers taken over decades, incorporating brushstrokes of colour across four framed panels, all mounted over a specially made wallpaper. The artwork, which measures 4.5 metres across, was unveiled at the gallery in Canberra Friday night. It's the biggest framed work Hodge has ever created, and reminds him of the over-the-top approach that Plunkett and Sales' take to their runway shows, which have been known to feature everything from snow machines to giant lunar sculptures. "It's so much more than they even need to do, but they can't help themselves, and I think weirdly that's washed off on me, especially with the production of this work," he said. As well as being coveted fashion items, Romance Was Born designs are held in the collections of prestigious art institutions, and have been shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Plunkett and Sales have dressed the likes of Bjork, Caroline Kennedy, Cate Blanchett, Nicki Minaj and Miley Cyrus, and collaborated with artists such as Linda Jackson, Jenny Kee, Del Kathryn Barton and Ken Done. Standing in front of the portrait for the first time, the renowned designers both seem a little overwhelmed, partly due to its proximity to famous portraits of household names, such as Howard Arkley's painting of singer Nick Cave. "It feels like a very iconic moment for us to be put next to these people who we really admire and have always looked up to," Plunkett said. "When you're just young and starting out making stuff, I never thought that in 20 years I'd have a portrait at the gallery next to Nick Cave." For Sales, who says the artwork is "awesome", each of the snapshots in the collage brings back forgotten memories of designs, collections, models, photo shoots and runway shows. "It's very nostalgic and it's been emotional and overwhelming, I'm still kind of processing what it all means," he said. Hodge received the portrait commission in January, and spent months selecting photographs, painting onto them, scanning, reprinting, hand-cutting and gluing them. His printer was shocked when he turned up wanting to print about 1000 images for the artwork, requiring about 30 square metres of paper. Despite his experimental methodology, Hodge was always confident the finished product would work - after so many years collaborating with the designers, he knows what they like. The portrait will be on view at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra from Saturday.
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Romance comes of age, with portrait of fashion pioneers
A massive artwork marking 20 years of the Australian fashion label Romance Was Born has been unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery. Designers Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales chose their longtime friend and collaborator Samuel Hodge to create a portrait of them to mark the occasion - and the resulting collage is as extravagant as one of their label's runway shows. "When you take as many photographs as I have, it's really difficult to make sense of it all - so one way to do this is just put it all together," Hodge said. The artist has combined hundreds of images of the designers taken over decades, incorporating brushstrokes of colour across four framed panels, all mounted over a specially made wallpaper. The artwork, which measures 4.5 metres across, was unveiled at the gallery in Canberra Friday night. It's the biggest framed work Hodge has ever created, and reminds him of the over-the-top approach that Plunkett and Sales' take to their runway shows, which have been known to feature everything from snow machines to giant lunar sculptures. "It's so much more than they even need to do, but they can't help themselves, and I think weirdly that's washed off on me, especially with the production of this work," he said. As well as being coveted fashion items, Romance Was Born designs are held in the collections of prestigious art institutions, and have been shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Plunkett and Sales have dressed the likes of Bjork, Caroline Kennedy, Cate Blanchett, Nicki Minaj and Miley Cyrus, and collaborated with artists such as Linda Jackson, Jenny Kee, Del Kathryn Barton and Ken Done. Standing in front of the portrait for the first time, the renowned designers both seem a little overwhelmed, partly due to its proximity to famous portraits of household names, such as Howard Arkley's painting of singer Nick Cave. "It feels like a very iconic moment for us to be put next to these people who we really admire and have always looked up to," Plunkett said. "When you're just young and starting out making stuff, I never thought that in 20 years I'd have a portrait at the gallery next to Nick Cave." For Sales, who says the artwork is "awesome", each of the snapshots in the collage brings back forgotten memories of designs, collections, models, photo shoots and runway shows. "It's very nostalgic and it's been emotional and overwhelming, I'm still kind of processing what it all means," he said. Hodge received the portrait commission in January, and spent months selecting photographs, painting onto them, scanning, reprinting, hand-cutting and gluing them. His printer was shocked when he turned up wanting to print about 1000 images for the artwork, requiring about 30 square metres of paper. Despite his experimental methodology, Hodge was always confident the finished product would work - after so many years collaborating with the designers, he knows what they like. The portrait will be on view at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra from Saturday.
The Age
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Romance in the capital: The designers happy to hang in Canberra
The anniversaries of most love stories are celebrated with lavish dinners, sparkling jewellery or breakfast and supper in bed, but Australian label Romance Was Born likes to push the envelope. After 20 years of creating intricate and amusing clothing that defies the churn and burn of fast fashion, and delights the likes of Cate Blanchett and Rose Byrne, design duo Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales now have their portrait by Samuel Hodge hanging at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. Hanging in Canberra is rarely the dream of fashion designers, who prefer pictures of Paris and Milan for their mood boards. Being preserved in portraiture would never have occurred to either Plunkett or Sales when they met in 2002, while studying at East Sydney TAFE's Fashion Design Studio. 'I find the idea of just a normal portrait a bit bizarre, especially when we feel like we're so young in our career,' says Sales, in front of the artwork revealed on Friday. 'I would say we're halfway through our career, but who knows?' Plunkett adds: 'It's all rather humbling, but when you're hanging beside Nick Cave, it really doesn't get much better.' For 20 years, the Romance Was Born designers have been the darlings of dressers who appreciate clothing layered with meaning and emotion. Turning their back on internships with John Galliano in Paris to start their label, they have attracted artistic appreciation rather than the financial success of Zimmermann or the label recognition of Aje and Camilla. Loading 'The other day, I was in an Uber with Anna, and I was like, if we just made clothes and sold them like everyone else, our lives would be so much easier,' Sales says. 'But it's just not how we work. We have these big ideas, and we want to follow them.' It's the exact reason why National Portrait Gallery director Bree Pickering welcomed Hodge's collage, interweaving the brand's history with images of Plunkett and Sales, into the collection.
Sydney Morning Herald
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Romance in the capital: The designers happy to hang in Canberra
The anniversaries of most love stories are celebrated with lavish dinners, sparkling jewellery or breakfast and supper in bed, but Australian label Romance Was Born likes to push the envelope. After 20 years of creating intricate and amusing clothing that defies the churn and burn of fast fashion, and delights the likes of Cate Blanchett and Rose Byrne, design duo Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales now have their portrait by Samuel Hodge hanging at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. Hanging in Canberra is rarely the dream of fashion designers, who prefer pictures of Paris and Milan for their mood boards. Being preserved in portraiture would never have occurred to either Plunkett or Sales when they met in 2002, while studying at East Sydney TAFE's Fashion Design Studio. 'I find the idea of just a normal portrait a bit bizarre, especially when we feel like we're so young in our career,' says Sales, in front of the artwork revealed on Friday. 'I would say we're halfway through our career, but who knows?' Plunkett adds: 'It's all rather humbling, but when you're hanging beside Nick Cave, it really doesn't get much better.' For 20 years, the Romance Was Born designers have been the darlings of dressers who appreciate clothing layered with meaning and emotion. Turning their back on internships with John Galliano in Paris to start their label, they have attracted artistic appreciation rather than the financial success of Zimmermann or the label recognition of Aje and Camilla. Loading 'The other day, I was in an Uber with Anna, and I was like, if we just made clothes and sold them like everyone else, our lives would be so much easier,' Sales says. 'But it's just not how we work. We have these big ideas, and we want to follow them.' It's the exact reason why National Portrait Gallery director Bree Pickering welcomed Hodge's collage, interweaving the brand's history with images of Plunkett and Sales, into the collection.
Daily Mirror
21-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Turkey's Marmaris tops list of cheapest summer holiday destinations for families
Turkey's Marmaris has been named the cheapest short-haul holiday destination for UK families, according to Post Office Travel Money, which ranked Sunny Beach in Bulgaria in the second spot Turkey's Marmaris has been crowned the most affordable short-haul holiday destination for UK families. The coastal resort boasts the lowest costs among 16 popular locations for a selection of 10 tourist essentials, according to Post Office Travel Money. This featured merely £67.67 for a three-course meal for two adults and two children with wine and soft drinks. Additional bargain prices included 16p for a 1.5-litre bottle of mineral water from a supermarket, £1.81 for a bottle or can of cola at a cafe or bar, and £2.61 for insect repellent. Post Office Travel Money explained the bargain rates for UK holidaymakers are partially attributed to a dramatic decline in the Turkish lira's value. Sunny Beach, Bulgaria, emerged as the second most economical destination, whilst Portugal's Algarve claimed third place. Laura Plunkett, head of travel money at Post Office, said: "The collapse of the lira makes Turkish resorts like Marmaris a natural choice for families. However, visitors should be aware that while sterling is worth a third more than last July, local prices have increased dramatically because of the currency's collapse. "Thankfully, once the positive exchange rate is applied to those local prices, British visitors will only have to pay around 10% more than a year ago, and this increase is much lower than in many other destinations." The complete cost for the selection of items at Marmaris (£128.99) stood at nearly half the expense when compared with the priciest destination examined, Spain's Ibiza (£242.79). Costs for British holidaymakers have increased in 13 out of the 16 destinations surveyed. Ms Plunkett explained: "We found big price variations in the destinations surveyed, particularly comparing those in the eurozone. For example, prices in the Algarve are almost £100 lower for the same 10 items surveyed than in Ibiza. "This makes it vitally important for holidaymakers to do their homework and take enough travel money to cover costs in the resort they are visiting." The Mirror's data team recently put together an interactive map showing the most bargain and biggest rip-off destinations in the world. Click here to check it out.
