Art and Culture: John Booth and Rosewood London celebrate Frieze Week with playful installation and High Tea Collaboration

As Frieze Week, one of the most significant events in the contemporary art world, takes over London, art enthusiasts are flocking to Regent’s Park for the main exhibition. However, the city is filled with additional exhibitions and sites for culture lovers to explore.

Entitled "Flowers for Rosewood", the wooden structure has been described by Booths as a continuation of his creative intervention.  He wrote on instagram that as usual, the work started as drawings on paper, and was scaled up and made feasible for the outdoor.  It is made from hand painted timber, printed plywood and some hardware. 
Photo by Lucia Carpio.

In Holborn, a district known for its legal ties, the diamond center at Hatton Garden, and Great Ormond Street Hospital, the luxurious Rosewood London hotel is showcasing a commissioned artwork by London-based multidisciplinary artist and designer John Booth in its courtyard, entitled "Flowers for Rosewood", it is a wooden structure.  

Booth is celebrated for his vibrant use of colour, bold patterns, and playful, collage-inspired designs. With a background in illustration and fashion, he has collaborated with top brands such as Selfridges, Paul Smith, and Fendi. His artistic practice spans across various mediums, including ceramics, painting, sculpture, textiles, and fashion.

Booth studied Fashion Print at Central Saint Martins, a prestigious art and design school in London. His education in fashion deeply influenced his approach to art, particularly in his exploration of patterns and textures.

Early in his career, Booth initially worked in fashion, collaborating with brands like Zandra Rhodes and John Galliano, which honed his sense of colour and pattern mixing. His ability to create playful, highly visual designs allowed him to transition into various art and design fields.

Much of John Booth's work features expressive characters or faces that are rendered in a highly abstract, cartoon-like manner, often composed of layered shapes, bold lines, and contrasting colours. His collage technique, both in physical and digital forms, is a hallmark of his aesthetic.

Booth's work is known for his playful and experimental use of materials and techniques. He frequently mixes media, incorporating collage, embroidery, and printmaking into his pieces.  His work is highly expressive, and he often uses vibrant primary colours and adds a sense of fun and whimsy to his pieces.

Now since 2017, Rosewood London’s Executive Pastry Chef, Mark Perkins, has crafted bespoke cakes for the hotel’s Art Afternoon Tea, drawing inspiration from renowned artists such as Banksy, Alexander Calder, Damien Hirst, Yayoi Kusama, and Mark Rothko. Previous menus have also paid tribute to icons like David Hockney and Van Gogh.

Photo courtesy of Rosewood London

This year, the hotel has introduced a new range of cakes in collaboration with John Booth, available in their stunning Mirror Room restaurant. These edible creations, featuring bold prints and vibrant colors, are designed to evoke joy and are served alongside finger sandwiches, scones, clotted cream, and jam.

To find inspiration for the Art Afternoon Tea - The John Booth Collection menu, Executive Pastry Chef Mark Perkins spent time in Booth’s studio. For this co-created collection, both artists exchanged creative roles—Perkins sketched designs while Booth explored flavors and ingredients.

Perkins said as a Pastry Chef, he is always curious and tries to draw inspiration from things that surround him. 

Displays in Rosewood London lobby.
Photo by Lucia Carpio

"London is a vibrant city with an incredibly energetic art scene.  Rosewood London's quirky interiors reflect the British capital's history, culture and sensibilities, featuring the works of some of the world's most renowned artists, with contemporary pieces complemented by more traditional art throughout the hotel."

Booth’s diverse experience in fashion, installations, ceramics, and homeware is reflected in the menu, filled with artistic expression and personal storytelling, exploring the rich and deeply intertwined relationship between art and food, as both can be seen as forms of creative expression that engage the senses, evoke emotions, and reflect culture, as food and art intersect in several key ways, in terms of visual aesthetics and presentation, materiality and medium, emotional connection and storytelling, playfulness and creativity:

"The Twins" cake
Photo courtesy of Rosewood London

One of the cakes, "The Twins," draws from Booth’s experience as a twin. It’s a two-sided cake, reminiscent of sticky toffee pudding, featuring chocolate date sponge, sable biscuit, praline crunch, and vanilla custard, adorned with a pink and yellow flower in honor of his Cumbrian roots.

The Painter's Palette" cakes
Photo courtesy of Rosewood London

Another creation, "The Painter’s Palette," combines vanilla cheesecake, pink sponge, and raspberry jelly, symbolizing the vibrant brushstrokes of an artist’s palette, set atop a crisp biscuit base.

The "Tropical Tulip" cake
Photo courtesy of Rosewood London

The third offering, "Tropical Tulip," is inspired by the tulip motif that frequently appears in Booth’s work. This purple and pink cake blends mango mousse, orange passionfruit jelly, and pistachio sponge, layered over a chocolate sablé biscuit.

Commenting on the collaboration, Booth remarked, "Working with Rosewood London and Chef Mark Perkins has been incredibly exciting. We’ve mixed bold colours, flavours, and textures to create cakes that inspire joy and playfulness. It’s been a true collaboration, where we’ve infused our personal energy and creativity into these beautiful, delicious creations."

Much of John Booth's work features expressive characters or faces that are rendered in a highly abstract, cartoon-like manner, often composed of layered shapes, bold lines, and contrasting colours. His collage technique, both in physical and digital forms, is a hallmark of his aesthetic.

Art and Culture: Donald Baugh presents his first solo exhibition this October in London Vessel Gallery

Donald Baugh will present his first solo exhibition this October, coinciding with Black History Month in Vessel Gallery, London.*

Designer and wood craftsman Donald Baugh to present his first solo exhibition
AKANSA in the Vessel Gallery in London.

A designer and wood craftsman, Baugh’s showcase will feature a collection of vessel-shaped, non-functional sculptures crafted from various wood species. Some of the works are engraved with runic designs, reflecting Baugh's insight that "indigenous people from around the world used the same tools, leading to a repetition of patterns."

Zurri 0.1

Born in the UK in Chiswick in 1961 to parents from Jamaica’s Windrush generation, Baugh transitioned from a successful career in furniture design and making to focus increasingly on experimental, freestanding sculptures over the past decade.

Sivori 0.1

Influenced by Charles Eames and the Bauhaus movement, Baugh’s asymmetrical wooden sculptures emphasize the natural qualities of the material, evoking its connection to both living trees and found objects like shells. 

Uhuru 0.4

He incorporates spray paint to accentuate curves and lines in vibrant colors, drawing on the energy of the Caribbean and the vitality of nature. For Baugh, wood is "almost like a nervous system," deeply tied to the history of human craftsmanship.

Masai 0.1

The exhibition will also feature sculptures from Baugh’s Masai series—tall wooden statues shaped like abstract human figures. These pieces draw inspiration from the myth that the Masai’s ancestors were visited by giants with large heads, while also evoking the colossal heads of Mexico's ancient Olmec civilization.

Baugh believes that wood is gaining recognition as a legitimate medium for art. “I think more people will turn to it,” he notes. “It’s the most natural material. Everyone relates to it.” His own works reflect his pursuit of authenticity. “You have to find your own aesthetics. It’s your fingerprint.”

*Vessel Gallery is at 114 Kensington Park Rd, London W11 2PW UK

Art Exhibition: Veteran UK Broadcaster David Dimbleby Guest Curates Major Autumn Art Exhibition at Towner Eastbourne with Daughter Liza

Many of us likely recall how we spent our time during the long months of lockdown in the UK, when the Covid pandemic deeply affected our lives. Personally, I turned to cooking, sharing food and recipes with my home-bound family.

For one particular father and daughter, however, it was a time to communicate not merely through words, but through drawing. This creative way of sharing thoughts and visuals has led to a new exhibition this autumn at the Towner Gallery in Eastbourne, East Sussex.

Andrzej Jackowski

Titled Drawing the Unspeakable, the exhibition is co-curated by veteran journalist and broadcaster David Dimbleby, who, alongside his artist daughter Liza, presents a collection of 300 works. The exhibition marks Dimbleby’s final contribution as Towner’s Chair, a role he’s held for a decade, before stepping down in September 2024. It's also been reported that Dimbleby will take up new role as the Towner's first ever President.

David Dimbleby said, "Co-curating this exhibition has been an exhilarating experience.  Liza has always been my companion and guide through the world of art."

"I like drawings that have a narrative, but are kind of mysterious.  You can put your own interpretation on them and the longer you look at them, the more you see in them.  So, they're not obvious drawings of the unspeakable, they're unspeakable because they don't speak directly with one."

Liza Dimbleby said it has taken nine months to put together the collection, with much of the time visiting the studios of around 40 living artists.  

"During the lockdown, we would communicate by exchanging drawings by email, one per day," said Liza.  

LS Lowry

Running from October 5th to April 27th, 2025, the show explores the unique conversations the father and daughter shared during lockdown—conversations in which drawing became their language, surpassing the limitations of words to express complex emotions and ideas. 

Joe Hill,Director a nd chief executive of the Towner concurred that drawing is powerful and that there are not enough shows that focus primarily on drawings.  

John Davies

Leon Kossoff

The exhibition features works by more than 90 artists, including Tracey Emin, Emma Talbot, David Hockney, Paula Rego, LS Lowry, Barbara Hepworth, Louise Bourgeois, Andrzej Jackowski, and Leon Kossoff, to name but a few, as well as by the Dimblebys themselves.  The drawings are drawn both from the Towner Collection and from other Collections such as the Ben Uri Gallery, Bethlem Museum of the Mind, British Museum, Ingram Art Foundation, Jerwood Foundation, Pallant House, Ruth Borchard Collection, The Lowry, ad Vaclav Havel Public Library, Paris.   There is also a display of artworks by Ray Ward featuring repurposed milk bottles and cartons, each with a special message.

 Paula Rego

Tracey Emin

The artworks address a wide range of human experiences and emotions, covering themes such as war, disaster, destruction, illness, and loss, as well as family, birth, love, and dreams. Complementing the art is a written dialogue between Dimbleby and Liza, reflecting their contrasting perspectives as a journalist and an artist. 

Some of these conversations - written dialogues of their respective viewpoints - are projected onto large scrolls that hang from the ceilings of two of the rooms in Gallery 2 and 3.  The exhibition take up the entire top floor gallery of the Towner. 

For visitors, the exhibition may evoke personal memories and past experiences, offering plenty of material for meaningful conversations and discussions.  Towner CEO Joe Hill said the thought provoking exhibition will encourage their audiences to look again at the drawings in the gallery's collection, through David and Liza's unique lens.

The exhibition takes place from October 5th 2024 to April 27th 2025 at the Towner Gallery, Eastbourne, UK.

Photos by Lucia Carpio

Paris Fashion Week: MAISON YOSHIKI PARIS debut show presenting SS 2025 collection

The MAISON YOSHIKI PARIS SS 2025 collection debuted at the Palais de Chaillot during Paris Fashion Week this September, following its highly successful launch at Milan Fashion Week earlier this year.

In contrast to last season's dramatic, all-black Fall/Winter 2024 collection, Spring/Summer 2025 embraces lightness, with white as the central tone, complemented by black and soft pastel accents like pistachio and pastel lemon. 

Bold black and gold brushstrokes on white fabrics draw inspiration from German-Franco Lyrical Abstractionist Hans Hartung, while a nod to 1960s American Pop Art appears in the final looks: geometric shift dresses featuring jacquard fabric with YOSHIKI’s portrait.

MAISON YOSHIKI PARIS blends YOSHIKI’s vision of fashion, design, and lifestyle with a glamorous, gender-neutral aesthetic. 

The Spring/Summer 2025 collection exclusively features French luxury fabrics, including thick cotton twill, cotton-linen blend tweed with iridescent accents, double silk organza, poplin, and richly textured Ruschel knit lace.

Modern, edgy silhouettes are enhanced by precise stitching and bold black zippers. The collection also nods to traditional kimonos, a theme YOSHIKI has explored through his Yoshikimono line since 2011, now reinterpreted with a fresh, contemporary, and international perspective.

Jewellery, featuring whimsical 14K gold charms in the shape of oversized musical notes and letters.

YOSHIKI, the trailblazing Japanese artist, became the first from Japan to receive a hand and footprint ceremony at Hollywood’s Chinese Theatre in nearly a century. Known for his androgynous, edgy style that began with his band X JAPAN, YOSHIKI has revolutionized the entertainment and fashion scenes across Asia, influencing generations of artists, including leading K-Pop stars. In 2023, he made history again by becoming the first Japanese artist to win "Favorite International Artist" at the MAMA Awards, a top global K-Pop event.

In addition to his fashion line MAISON YOSHIKI PARIS, YOSHIKI has ventured into design collaborations, notably with French crystal maker Baccarat, launching a collection of crystal stemware in 2021 to mark Baccarat's 180th anniversary. This follows his creation of the Y by YOSHIKI wine with the Mondavi family and his own luxury Champagne brand with French house POMMERY. YOSHIKI also founded Yoshikimono in 2009, blending traditional and modern elements in kimono design, with his creations showcased at prestigious venues like the V&A Museum in London and the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris.

A multi-talented artist, YOSHIKI is a composer, pianist, and rock drummer, leading X JAPAN and being recognized as one of Japan's most influential musicians. In 2023, YOSHIKI made his directorial debut with YOSHIKI: Under the Sky, premiering in major cities like New York, Tokyo, and London, and screening in over 130 theaters across the U.S., Europe, and Japan.

All photos courtesy of MAISON YOSHIKI.

Paris Fashion Week: ChoCheung's SS 2025 collection blending humour with glamour

For Spring/Summer 2025, CHOCHENG, the New York-based label founded by designer Cho Cho Cheng, takes inspiration from the timeless charm of French model-actress Capucine and the iconic film The Pink Panther, blending humour and glamour.  Here's a selection of ensembles taken from ChoCheung's SS2025 recent show during Paris Fashion Week.

This season's colour palette bursts with the vibrant energy of "fruit punch" hues—orange, lime, raspberry, pink, red, green, black, and white—evoking the playful boldness of 1960s French detective comedies.

CHOCHENG's hallmark attention to detail shines through intricate handsewn petals, braids, and ruffles, while hand-beaded crystals on cotton tulle ruffles nod to the opulence of fur collars. 

The collection continues the brand’s commitment to using natural and upcycled fabrics, featuring cotton crepe in shirts, cotton velvet for eveningwear, and cotton boucle in tailored pieces. A standout this season is lightweight cotton gabardine, perfect for crisp day-to-evening looks and spring tailoring.

Patterned fabrics also play a key role, with crystal-beaded hounds-tooth in orange, green, black, and white adding a striking, modern touch. Silhouettes strike a balance between structure and fluidity, embodying a harmonious mix of whimsical glamour and refined tailoring.

Once again, the Spring/Summer 2025 collection highlights CHOCHENG’s dedication to meticulous craftsmanship, with every piece reflecting the designer’s vision of elegant, playful fashion.

Photos by Li Dong courtesy of ChoCheung

Interior Design Trade Fair: Decorex set to take place October 6 - 9 2024 at Kensington Olympia, London

The premier global event for the interior design industry, Decorex, is set to take place from October 6 to 9, 2024, at Olympia in Kensington, London, serving as a platform for showcasing luxury décor and interior design, attracting designers, architects, manufacturers, and professionals from around the world. 

The exhibition features high-end furniture, lighting, fabrics, wallpapers, and bespoke design pieces, with a strong focus on craftsmanship, innovation, and sustainability.

'Kantha II' - Handwoven, plant-dyed artwork detail by Pamela Print
During Decorex, in the Making Spaces area, Pamela Print is offering 1-hour  table loom workshops Sunday 6th & Wednesday 9th October 2-3pm, on a first come, first serve basis on the adjacent Fromental stand. 

Among its furniture exhibitors, SENTTA is to present its diverse range of products to the market, including Goa, Essex, Alma, Lynn, and Sierra collections, along with featured pieces like the Clyde and Dama armchairs. 

Clyde is a light and luxurious seating design, a Scottish name with Nordic lines that come well-organized in a beautiful piece of furniture, with an aesthetic form, to improve your interior design project.  Inspired by the River Clyde that flows through Glasgow, the back design has clean lines and a wooden structure, where the backrest is crossed, and the curvy arms attach to the legs through a finger joint.  The Clyde armchair is handcrafted in ash wood and can be customized according to the customers’ needs.

These collections highlight the company’s dedication to blending functionality with contemporary design, offering ideal solutions for the hotel and contract sectors.

Fenabel, a leading Portuguese furniture manufacturer known for its innovative designs and exceptional craftsmanship, is to present its diverse product lines such as Nebula, designed by the award-winning Spanish studio YONOH, and others that have had a unique prominence such as Nur and Kai, by Aitor Garcia de Vicuña, as well as the most sought-after such as Tágada, Vasa, Milano and Coffee.

Shown at left here is Yonoh Studio’s Nebula collection which bridges the gap between contemporary trends and a reinterpretation of timeless 60s design. Infusing modern spaces with a touch of nostalgic charm, this collection creates a truly unique aesthetic.

Furniture company Another Country returns to Decorex to showcase new additions to their Hardy Collection, a round version of the Hardy Dining table and a new Hardy High Back Chair. Inspired by our Dorset heritage, the David Irwin-designed collection references the design typologies of the 19th century and the work of novelist and poet Thomas Hardy. 

Another Country - Hardy High Back Chair

Another Country's recent collaboration with kitchen specialists HUSK has won the Homes & Garden 2024 Best Kitchen Collaboration award, celebrating a collaboration between two of UK's West Country brands with a shared passion for high quality craftsmanship, sustainability and considered design.

Meanwhile Clearwater Interiors are launching their new AW24 bathroom collection at Decorex, and will discuss the Transformative Power of Colour with Marianne Cotterill and Andy Oakman hosted by Roddy Clarke,  on their Stand F54 on Monday 7th October, 12.30 – 1pm.

Interiors Design Event: Focus/24 extended show until October 11 2024 at the Design Centre, London

In Chelsea Harbour, London, the Design Centre’s flagship autumn show, Focus/24 was successfully held from 16 to 20 September.  And this year, for the first time, it has been extended, offering an additional three weeks of activities. 

The extended show entitled "Focus/24: The Longer View" keeps pop-up House Guests in the Design Avenue, while introducing even more brands.

This extended show is timed to align with London’s vibrant art and design scene, bringing renewed creativity to the Design Centre, providing professional designers, specifiers, and design enthusiasts with more opportunities to explore inspirational exhibitors over a longer period.

The extended event also includes Future Heritage (25 Sept – 11 Oct), an installation showcasing emerging and mid-career independent makers, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

In parallel, a curated programme of 100+ events will highlight the craftsmanship of the Future Heritage makers, with a special focus on the artisan skills showcased in the showrooms.

Design Club talks sponsored by Harlequin x Henry Holland and Conversations in Design includes a series of talks to offer access to the industry’s global A-listers. There are also scores of free events in our Access All Areas schedule to enjoy in and around the showrooms, from meet the designer sessions to hands-on workshops, collection launches, alongside daily discovery tours.

For more information, click HERE.