Christopher Kane slightly turned the tables on the Frieze art scene in London yesterday, inviting people to see what they could produce for themselves in a life-drawing class at his store on Mount Street. He had easels set up and plentiful art supplies, and he had flown in his own former Taylor High School art teacher from Glasgow, Scotland, Janey Broughnan, to lead the class. Ms. Broughnan immediately appraised the situation, noting that she was going to treat people no differently from the children she usually teaches. “And I’ve already seen the naughty girls over there,” she remarked, pointing in the general direction of Daisy Lowe and Harriet Verney, who were busy chattering in the corner. Not to worry: The class commenced in high spirits, with four life models holding poses for 10 minutes and guests furiously sketching to make it in time (the worst exercise being Broughnan’s instruction to “Draw with the hand you don’t normally use!”).
The whole idea was based on Kane’s memories of school art lessons and being encouraged as a teenager by Broughnan to jump on the train and go to life-drawing classes at Glasgow School of Art—memories he conjured in his Fall Lover’s Lace collection, which is in the store now. Fun was had by all (including François-Henri Pinault and Salma Hayek, who came as onlookers), and everyone left with their drawings rolled up and tied in grosgrain ribbon—surely the most personal of souvenirs to be taken away from this craziest of art-slash-unofficial Fashion Weeks to hit London Town, until next February anyway.
See the Christopher Kane Spring 2016 ready-to-wear fashion show:
