Barnard Castle has big news!!!

Calling all shoes fans and more……..

Ok well today I was going to write a little blog on colour, but I got wind of some big news about my idol Vivienne Westwood.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/content/image_galleries/vivienne_westwood_exhibition_gallery.shtml?31

Westwood is now embarking on a world tour with her successful London exhibition – ‘Vivienne Westwood Shoes’ show casing 40 years in design right up to the present day, destinations on the bill are Moscow, and Beirut and the only other UK date on this particular tour Barnard Castle, County Durham a little more specific, The Bowes Museum. This exhibition will run from 10^th June to 10^th July so you have one month to catch this really special exhibition of 200 shoes. After this Westwood’s shoes will be jetted off to New York, Japan, and China.

http://blogs.creativepool.co.uk/blog/super-elevated-gillie-by-vivienne-westwood-the-most-dangerous-item-of-footwear-ever-created/

Westwood has been to the Museum a few years ago with an exhibition of her garments along side a historic exhibition of lace The Blackborne Collection. This saw some iconic garments designed by the Dame go on display at The Bowes Museum, and I was lucky enough to be able to attend the opening night.

 At this event Westwood gave a small talk about her garments and her career, this was a once in a life time opportunity to meet the Dame and what’s more it was on my own door step in my home town. I sheepishly approached Westwood and asked her to sign my book about lace.  With such good grace she took my book from me and effortlessly signed her name in the front of my book. 'To Sarah Vivienne Westwood' 

I stood in awe as she slowly looked round the whole exhibition along with the other attendees of the opening night. She admired the work that had gone into the handmade lace on display and pointed out bits of interest as if she was in a room full of old friends.

It was this visit that set the theme of my degree dissertation.

How does Vivienne Westwood express identity in her designs?

A simple question for a dissertation but she is a complicated person to analyse. I could have written much more than the designated 8,000, which now I look back does not seem a lot hmmmm maybe because I am not faced with a deadline.

Hands down The Bowes Museum has earned its brownie points to be welcoming another Vivienne Westwood exhibition into its textile gallery, I think I will live in hope that she will be coming back to open this exhibition on shoes also. 

This exhibition comes months after closing a very successful Damian Hirst display, where the Bowes hosted his famous Diamond encrusted Scull for a short period of time.

More information on ‘Vivienne Westwood shoes’ exhibition and other exhibitions available at The Bowes Museum take a look at their website.  http://www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk/

So this post goes to say Barnard Castle may be a small sleepy town but we sure do know how to attract the big names, and I personally can not wait to go see the treasures which will be on display. 

Sarah x