I instantly fell in love with Niki de Saint Phalle's work when I first saw her sculpture of the "man in the metallic jacket playing the trumpet" in front of Negresco on my first day in Nice. By that time I had no idea about the artist but the fairly grotesque man's outfit was too cool to miss the way he was standing randomly in front of the beautiful hotel. A bit later in the Museum of the Modern Arts (MAMAC) I got all my questions answered as there was a whole section set up for the Niçoise sculptor/painter/director/mosaicmaster. To look at her paintings and sculptures is like flicking through a colouring book. I love strong black contours and the way she simply fills up the panels in between them with strong and monotone colours. My favourites has to be her latest works but to be honest I find all the "Nanas" a bit too human, I am in love with the mirror-mosaic dragons and snake and to visit her "Tarot Garden" in Italy is high up on my wishlist.
When I first saw this dress from David Koma's Spring-Summer collection I couldn't help but think about the similarities. The dress is taking Niki de Saint Phalle's work to the next level: sculpting around the body. And what about the black pieces with the metallic details? Don't they just talk parseltongue to you? I love the orange snake curling across the bodice.
One thing is for sure the Central Saint Martins graduate had got it right - even Cheryl was sporting his design on the last series of X factor.
