Mat Maitland

Oh no, not again. Yes, I’m afraid so. I know I said in my previous post that I would not return to subjects already introduced on the blog but Mat Maitland’s 10 page story for l’Officiel Paris December/January issue persuaded me to ignore my own restrictions. If someone had asked me last month what I thought of l’Officiel, I’d have said that it’s aesthetic did not manage to steer away from the predictable and merely repeated well-established fashion ideas. But this issue, with the support of a new Art Director, did not make me yawn, sigh or even drift into thinking about how much more enjoyable other fashion publications are. It is clear that it marks a turning point in the history of the magazine and it is being shaped, shifted and moulded into a startlingly good addition to the fashion world with the capacity to express the spirit of an age. L’Officiel now seems to embrace novelty and quality control. The outcome of this self-revision is stunning and will certainly surprise its loyal readers with its subtle game of unexpected twists and challenges to its previous more traditional ideas. This is highlighted by the breathtaking collaboration between the magazine and Mat Maitland, an outstanding collage artist. His contemporary surrealist derived images combined with carefully selected shoes and bags from the 2010 collections are instantly recognisable and memorable. His interpretative individuality is full of enthralling pop complexities referring to fashion, old 80s and 90s magazines, music, paintings and films. The rich textures of the multi-layered compositions consisting of disembodied body parts or animals, pianos, clouds, brightly coloured elements, Chanel, Dior, and Miu Miu among other luxury brands form a series of enchanting and magnetic images. In recognition of his keen interest and exploitation of popular culture, I’d call him a Pop artist (although there is something that distances him from the classical meaning of the term). Regardless of the label, his images are simply beautiful and dreamlike collages dominated by his passion for commercial, popular and fine arts.

Scans from l’Officiel Paris December/January issue

LOFFICIEL 2

34 comments:

cats eyes said...

Ben tiens! ;p

Alize Morand said...

Saw that on your FB. It's very special, I'm not sure I like it, but I certainly am drawn to it. the pop-ping colours, contrast of materials and cartoonesque backgrounds make it this dream little world. Perfect escape in a somehow expectable publication. Thanks for sharing. Hope you're well.

Happy Xmas holidays Darling! x

Kazuko said...

Love the colour overkill!

http://kazucopy.wordpress.com/

50two said...

i love that its not just photography anymore. how new and exciting :D

Anonymous said...

J'adore et ca change de l'Officiel un peu plus classique...

Anonymous said...

I love this, just illustrated some accessories on my blog, now i feel a tinge on hmm..i dont know, these are just so good! I love the Alexander Mc Queen high heel!
Great post July Stars!
xxFanny

Unknown said...

j'espere qu'apres ca tu vas avoir un joli cadeau de noel. hihihi x

Stéphanie said...

Fabulous !

Unknown said...

ok these collages are at another level all together. And this blog is fantastic, by the way.

Unknown said...

this makes me wanna get out my craft knife and glue and start to collage, luckily as of today i'm freshly stocked up with new magazines for a week at the beach - thanks jaja, very fun. How's the holiday, i need photos!

x

Chantix Lawsuit said...

These are all so crazy! I love them though.

Luczis said...

Adorable!! I love them!!

Anna Marie said...

I say, stick with what you like. If it's something you are truly passionate about, there will always be more to explore.
xo

Daphne van Houten said...

OMG, this is art!

X

Daphne
http://thespectatoresse.blogspot.com

ed hardy said...

Great article that informativeness. I have to follow your blog. Thank you so much for the post.

Alize Morand said...

Happy Christmas & enjoy Christmas Eve tonight! :)
Hope to see you soon! xxx

Heini said...

Looking awesome.

Jessye Ashworth said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Olivia. said...

J'aime (l)

Olivia.A
http://dolloli.blogspot.com

Silvestre said...

oh, sooo great pics!
Fantastic,dear!

xoox

Anonymous said...

hey nice blog keep it up www.travelandtourismworld.blogspot.com

Jevon said...

You have an amazing blog!
Keep it up xD. hope you stop by to check out mine

RedRuth said...

Happy New Year from Ruth @ Matches

http://blog.matchesfashion.com/

Hal E. Liebling said...

omg the colors are breathtaking!

http://www.halcoholic.com

Liberty London Girl said...

It's tricky to make still lives look new, but I think this manages it. LLGxx

Pretty Morose said...

Thank you for the introduction!

Nia said...

These are amazing! The colors are unreal!

x A

WWW.LIVEGLAMORDIE.COM

Guiltyhyena said...

Fab Array of colours x

@ The GUILTY HYENA †

Andrew said...

I usually hate edits like this one, but this one is really beautifully done

Alex said...

Haven't been on your blog for aaaaages, sorry, but saw where you stayed in Whitstable! I shot there earlier in the year, such a cute cottage, no? But I would have decorated it so differently!

STEFANIE said...

Oh how could you NOT post these! They're gorgeous! I try not to post too many things I already talked about too, but sometimes I can hardly resist :)

Phie Preston said...

It's great to see so much colour used so well! I hope you can check out The Fashion Smoke and follow :)

http://thefashionsmoke.com
http://thefashionsmoke.com
http://thefashionsmoke.com

Frisco divorce attorney said...

These fashion ads are very appealing!

dinoibo said...

http://julystars.blogspot.com/2010/02/hopi-botanicals.html