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Absolutely fabuloUs
Joanna Lumley modelling Jean Muir
Mark Fisher finds out about a new exhibition celebrating ‘the Miss Jean Brodie' of British fashion
ean Muir didn‘t invent the little black dress. but she made it her own. The trailbla/ing designer. who established her own label Jane & Jane in 1962 before branching out under her own name in Who. was loved not for her catwalk extravagance or her look-at-me flamboyance. but for her no-nonsense
elegance. ller clothes flattered the wearer. which is
why so many women found her irresistible.
Antonia l‘raser. Patricia llodge. Bridget Riley and .
Joanna Lumley (who joined her as a house model in l‘)()()) were among the fans of a woman who regarded
herself as a dressmaker pursuing a craft. not a Highly fl
fashion designer. 'She wanted clothes that people could wear every day.‘ says Kristina Stankovski. curator of a major survey of Muir‘s output at lidinburgh‘s National
Museum of Scotland. ‘She made clothes that made
women look and feel their best. She had a very keen sense of how things would lit on the body..
Ten years alter Muir‘s death in l995. her widower =
and business partner llarry Leukert bequeathed her archive to the NMS. To call it a substantial collection is an injustice. The l8.()()() items are the largest holding of the work of a single designer anywhere in the world. That it has ended up in lidinburgh is a testament to Muir's life-long fondness for Scotland. Although born in London. she was proud of her Scottish ancestry
which. coupled with her austere manner. is why they used to call her the Miss Jean Brodie of design.
‘She always felt her Scottish ancestry was of great importance to who she vvas.‘ says Stankovski. ‘ller knitwear was always produced in Scotland. ller yarns were specially dyed to her colour specifications.‘
This first exhibition to be drawn from the archive seeks to give a behind-the-scenes look at Muir's professional life. It outlines every step of the design process by way of sketches. trial garments. finished dresses. accessories and photographs. not to mention several contributions from Lumley. who will be in town for the launch. ‘It has been designed to show highlights of the collection and provide an overview of Jean Muir‘s remarkable career achievements.’ says Stankovski. ‘We talk people through the creation of the garment from the initial idea to the finished piece. We have a range of quite fascinating things. such as sketches. colour tests and fabric samples. that are rarely preserved by designers.‘
Not surprisingly. it‘s all the curator can do not to slip into one of the exhibits herself. "l‘hey‘re all very gorgeousf she laughs. ‘I wish it were my wardrobe.‘
Jean Muir: A Fashion Icon, National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, Fri 7 Nov-Sun 15 Mar.
:1: Area Parkour Workshop Climb off the walls. No, really. Learn about the strange and wonderful street art of pedestrian-parkour (pictured, yeah, climbing on stuff, but in a really cool way) in this intensive two-day training workshop with Georg Hobmeier. Contact AREAgIasgow@googlemail.com to register. The Arches, Glasgow, Sat 7 8. Sun 2 Nov.
>21 Samhuinn On the night when the veil between the worlds thins, join Beltane Fire Society for summer’s last dance down the Royal Mile, before winter and darkness takes over. Ooooooh . . . West Parliament Square, Edinburgh, Fri 31 Oct. r-T' Maggie’s Life Walks Ten- mile walk around Edinburgh, taking in some of the city's most famous landmarks and streets. with a lovely lunch stOp. Fundraising and feeding? That’s the way we like it. To take part, email lifewalks@maggies centresorg. Ho/yrood Park, Edinburgh, Sat 1 Nov.
-"- Worn Again As the economy gets even more stupid. learn how to recycle last season's boatneck into this season’s mini, with fashion designer Lesley Hepburn.
The Lighthouse, Glasgow. Sat 7 Nov.
:I< The Dance of Life The poetry of Indian mystic Sri Chinmoy. read by the very Iikeable Scottish mystic Alan Spence, with Meaghan Delahunt and Valerie Gillies. Scottish Poetry Library, Edinburgh, Fri 7 Nov.
30 Oct— 13 Nov 2008 111E LIST 27