Flying 24,000 miles in two weeks is a bit much. But well worth it! First, I raced back to London for the opening of the latest, really spectacular show at the Fashion and Textile Museum. The exhibition was opened by none other than Sir Nicholas Serota, Tate Director and one of the most important and influential people in art (he is always listed as one of the top three in Art Review's annual list of the art world's most powerful figures!)
Sir Nicholas was so kind, complimenting the museum I founded and even said some very nice things about me personally; this was a wonderful moment in my life.
This show may be the most popular yet! It certainly merges the world of pure art and the craft of fabric design. Dates are 31 January - 17 May 2014.
The world's most important modern artists are represented and the show traces the history of 20th century art in textiles. Highlights include work by Georges Braque, Alexander Calder, Marc Chagall, Salvador Dalí, Sonia Delaunay, Raoul Dufy, Barbara Hepworth, Fernand Léger, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, Henry Moore, Pablo Picasso, Ben Nicholson and Andy Warhol.
You really must go if you possibly can do.
Four days later, still in London, the stars turned out for David Bailey's Stardust private view at the National Portrait Gallery.
Bailey's Stardust features more than 250 images from the photographer's career - and some of his most striking subjects turned out for the private view, including Kate Moss, Grayson Perry, Jerry Hall,Vogue's Alexandra Shulman, and well... ME!! In fact Molly Parkin's, Grayson Perry's and my enormous brilliant technicolor portraits were so large, we had an entire gallery to ourselves.
Then: back to San Diego for a whirlwind gala charity fundraiser; and back again to London to launch a BRAND NEW handbag collection and an exciting new line of tops with the sustainable and fair trade pioneers... People Tree. But for those details and the fantastic Go Red for Women Fashion Show, you'll need to check back for details in my next blog update.
..and its bye for now Z xx
