Pop Art News: The Lobster Man Returns. Philip Colbert showing at the Saatchi Gallery, London, 29 November - 13 January

Pop artist Philip Colbert, renowned for his vibrant use of colour and surrealist style, continues to captivate with his latest creative venture. Known as "The Lobster Man," Colbert tackles themes of artificial intelligence in a bold new series of battle-themed artworks.

Titled The Battle for Lobsteropolis, the exhibition will be showcased at London's Saatchi Gallery—the very institution where Colbert first introduced his work to the art world. 

Running from November 29, 2024, to January 13, 2025, the show will present six large-scale hunt-themed paintings and sculptures, blending his signature aesthetic with a fresh narrative perspective.

Philip Colbert, celebrated for his hyper-pop history paintings, continues his exploration of battle scenes in a landmark solo exhibition. 

In The Battle for Lobsteropolis, his iconic lobster character journeys through time, facing off against artificial intelligence in imaginative reworkings of historical conflicts. Central to the exhibit are two monumental AI-assisted paintings where Colbert’s lobster engages in epic clashes with the tech world.

While many AI experts warn of an impending technological reckoning, Colbert takes a nuanced approach, crafting a vision where art history and digital innovation intersect. Rather than sounding alarms, his work invites reflection on how AI reshapes our understanding of art. This tension between tradition and progress is particularly evident in Colbert’s reinterpretation of a 2,000-year-old masterpiece from Pompeii. In After Battle of Issus Mosaic, he reimagines the famed "Alexander the Great" mosaic—currently housed at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, where Colbert exhibited earlier this year—relocating it to his dystopian realm of Lobsteropolis. Here, Colbert’s lobster battles an advancing army of AI avatars, challenging viewers to reconsider the enduring relevance of art history in the digital age.

The show also features a series of striking sculptures inspired by classical mythological figures like the Centaur, Minotaur, and Medusa. Colbert’s playful reinterpretations emphasise mythology’s timeless themes, highlighting its resonance in a world shaped by contemporary issues.

Dubbed the “godson of Andy Warhol” by André Leon Talley (late editor of US Vogue), Colbert’s work fuses pop culture, geopolitics, and current events into a vibrant, hyper-pop aesthetic. His recurring lobster motif, central to his artistic identity, symbolizes surrealism and the absurdity of modern life. This fascination began in his youth, evolving into a signature style when he donned a lobster-patterned suit and embraced his moniker, “The Lobster Man.” Reflecting on this transformation, Colbert says, “I became an artist when I became a lobster.”

The Battle for Lobsteropolis caps off an extraordinary year for Colbert. It began with a high-profile collaboration with Vogue and his debut solo exhibition in Singapore at the Whitestone Gallery in January. 

In March, Philip Colbert unveiled House of the Lobster, a unique event held at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, home to the world’s largest collection of Roman artifacts.

April saw Colbert extend his collaboration with AS ROMA in support of The Red Cross. After designing a special-edition football kit worn by the team and showcasing a giant inflatable lobster at Stadio Olimpico, he joined forces with players Leonardo Spinazzola, Paulo Dybala, Leandro Paredes, and Stephan El Shaarawy. Together, they created a one-of-a-kind painting that blended the worlds of art and football.

In the summer, Colbert took over London’s The Conran Shop. Partnering with his wife, visual artist and filmmaker Charlotte Colbert, the duo transformed the store into an immersive installation of their surreal world. Featuring bespoke furniture and exclusive homewares, the display brought their theatrical vision—described by US Vogue as a “theatrical funhouse”—into the public eye, making surrealism accessible for any home.

By September, Colbert traveled to Seoul to debut his largest inflatable artwork yet: the Giant Lobster King. This colossal 16-meter sculpture, set afloat on a giant rubber ring in Lake Seokchon, marked Lotte Mall’s 10th anniversary. His whimsical sculptures also adorned the mall’s interior and outdoor spaces, drawing fans and K-pop stars alike, including Dishoon, Yoshi from Treasure, and Jennie Kim. Simultaneously, Colbert’s solo show at the Next Museum turned the Seoul district into a playful lobster-themed wonderland.

Following a whirlwind year of global exhibitions and public installations, the Saatchi Gallery showcase in London promises to end the year on a high note.

Tiffany’s dazzling “Vision & Virtuosity” exhibition at London’s Saatchi Gallery June 10 - August 19 2022

Entrance to Tiffany's exhibition at Saatchi Gallery.

Luxury jewellery brand Tiffany’s “Vision & Virtuosity” exhibition at London’s Saatchi Gallery, which opened on June 10th, celebrates the luxury house's 150th anniversary in London. 

The exhibition chronicles the brand's 185-years history through seven chapters, each explores a separate theme that is central to the brand's identity, heritage, and remarkable creativity that it has set the trends for many.

The Tiffany ® Engagement Ring in Platinum and diamond,
introduced in 1886,  and Tiffany Blue Box 

Showcasing some 400 objects,  the show takes visitors on a journey to discover its amazing vast array of designs and desirable objects, from dazzling high jewellery pieces set in diamonds and precious stones, to intricate and delicate designs, from sports trophies to the celebrated Tiffany lamps and ornate decorative items and beauty compacts, and from memorable pieces designed by the likes of Elsa Peretti, Jean Schlumberger and Paloma Picasso by iconic pieces worn or owned by screen legends and stars. 

Thorns Clip designed by Jean Schlumberger (1947)

"Love in Flight": butterfly necklace in gold, black opals by Angela Cummings ,  featured in Tiffany's
celebrated Blue Book collections 1983.

Nature-themed designs are among the most sought-after for over a century at Tiffany & Co.  Among the many amazing designs at this “Vision & Virtuosity” exhibition is the extraordinary butterfly necklace by Angela Cummings (1983) in gold and black opal, presented in a window display named "Love in Flight".

Also remarkable are the life-like Orchid brooches by George Paulding Farnham for Tiffany.  Such superb quality, artistry  and craftsmanship.  

They are part of a series of brooches by Farnham, each depicting a different variety of Orchid, made in enamel, with diamonds, rubies, opals and other coloured stones, designed and created for the Paris Expo in 1889.  Farnham, who started designing for Tiffany in his early 20s, was the lead jewellery designer for Tiffany & Co in the late 1880s. 

"Hedges & Row" necklace by Jean Schlumberger (1978 - 1989) in diamonds,
rubellites and turquoise. 

Necklace with more than 15 types of precious stones designed by Paloma Picasso in 1985
that she later wore to the Met Gala.

"Fleur de Mer" brooch designed by Jean Schlumberger (1956 ) and given by
Richard Burton to Elizabeth Taylor a decade later.

The mesmerizing first room pays homage to the brand’s famously fabulous window displays.   

Feast your eyes on Jean Schlumberger’s 1965 Bird on a Rock brooch, featuring a vast 59-carat blue stone twinkling above a silhouetted London Big Ben skyline.  Reportedly this is one of two pieces in the exhibition that are available to purchase, should any visitors be so interested. 

The other is a reimagined version of the necklace that Tiffany debuted at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York, featuring the 80-carat Empire Diamond it responsibly sourced in Botswana, cut and polished in Israel and set in New York, and is said to be the largest diamond ever offered by Tiffany & Co.  Both pieces are priced on request.

A 2012 window called Vanderbilt Gate pays homage to New York's Central Park Conservancy with a Dragonfly brooch and a House of Tiffany display of 2016 depict intricate earrings, bracelets and brooch.  

Another, an Ice Palace dreamlike setting mimicking scenes taken from CS Lewis' Narnia series.

Necklace in white gold, diamonds and aquamarines (2018)

In a room devoted to the annual Blue Book high jewellery collection, a giant pink heart pendant made from Morganite shines gloriously, one of the four gemstones that Tiffany & Co. was responsible for discovering and bringing to market first alongside Kunzite, Tanzanite and Tsavorite. 

One highlight is the Love Room which celebrates the Tiffany Setting engagement ring, and where visitors bathed in dreamy Tiffany blue lights, can write messages on a screen which then dance its way about the walls and dissolve.

In the room dedicated to the award-winning Breakfast at Tiffany's, the original film script is on show with Audrey Hepburn's personal annotations as well as the original Givenchy dress  in duchess satin that  main character Holly Golightly wore in the movie, along with Academy Awards statuettes. 

The pièce de resistance is the iconic 128.54-carat yellow Tiffany Diamond, last seen on Queen Bey (Beyoncé) in Tiffany’s 2021 “About Love” campaign and previously worn by Lady Gaga at the 2019 Oscars.  

And finally one enters the AR room, where you can take a selfie "wearing" the brand’s iconic 128.54-carat yellow Tiffany Diamond albeit a digital version, by scanning a QR code.

The house that was founded by Charles Lewis Tiffany in 1837 is now entering a future under the LVMH umbrella, and judging by the continued love affair consumers have with luxury jewellery and collectables, the dazzling wonder world of Tiffany is deemed to continue.

The Tiffany Vision & Virtuosity Exhibitions opens at the Saatchi Gallery runs from June 10 to August  19 August. Tickets are from the Tiffany & Co. app available on IOS and Google.

Photos taken at Tiffany’s “Vision & Virtuosity” exhibition - London’s Saatchi Gallery © Lucia Carpio 2022

Two fashion trade shows: SCOOP International and PURE in London while the capital is hosting Tutanhkamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh at the Saatchi Gallery

What impact the Coronavirus crisis will have on the world's textile industry and all industries by that matter is yet to be seen, as China is one of the key producers and suppliers, if not the biggest, of materials to fashion brands and retailers around the world, and also manufacturer of parts and a wide spectrum of consumer and industrial goods.

Organisers of upcoming international trade fairs and events, as well as conferences and seminars this Spring no doubt are monitoring the situation very closely, while the circumstance may have an impact on participant and visitor numbers. 

Devotion of Greece among the new brands to take part in SCOOP International this February.

Coming up in London this weekend are two fashion trade shows covering the Autumn/Winter 2020-21 season: - PURE London to take place February 9 - 11 at Olympia Kensington, and SCOOP International which this season will take place in Old Billingsgate Market in London during those same dates.  SCOOP was normally held in  the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea but changed venue this season due to the ongoing Tutankhamun: 150 Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh now on show there until May 3rd. Some of the treasures have left Egypt for the first time for this final world tour.  

London is the third of 10 cities hosting the TUTANKHAMUN showing which follows record-breaking stops in Los Angeles where the exhibition was among the most successful in the history of the California Science Centre, and in Paris where it was the most attended exhibition in France of all time with over 1.4 million visitor.

SCOOP International  February 2020 edition will take place at Old Billingsgate Market in the City of London 

Old Billingsgate Market is a grade two Victoria landmark in the heart of the City, the financial disctrict of London, is situated on the banks of the River Thames just moments from Tower Bridge,  The venue has already played host to some of London’s most glittering events, from awards ceremonies, film premieres, red carpet events through to high-end exhibitions and fashion shows.

Meanwhile, key programmes of Pure London will include a dedicated space for catwalks, styling sessions and trends bringing inspiration from exhibitors to the show floor. Also the Nomad stage and Origin Stage will be hosting some of fashion's biggest names, including keynote speakers and a team of industry experts who will discuss everything from sustainability to social media.

Sccop London draws European brands such as Mhudi and Kyomai

London is an aspirational market for emerging European brands.

At Scoop, held at Saatchi Gallery this week (until July 23)  in the heart of London, Italian label Mhudi's designer Francesca Passeri hopes her own range of headwear made with selected fabrics will bring Italian know-how, culture and crafts from to London, a city she loves.  Her speciality lies in her ability to choose coordinating or contrasting fabrics for reversible designs which would give the wearer flexibility.  Some of the designs are shaped like a beanie hat, another is like a turban with interesting twisted fabrics and decorations.  Others are like headbands.


Another brand eyeing the British market is French label Kyomai, which uses traditional Obi belts or sashes to created clutch bags handmade in France. 

Nicolas Amouroux, president of the company, had lived in Kyoto, Japan's ancient capital, for some years and was a collector of the Obi fabrics worn traditionally with kimonos.  Since his return to France, he had decided to turn his passion to good use.

His communication manager Julia Drouet was happy to showcase a couple of designs to coordinate with her kimono-inspired jacket she was wearing at Scoop.  The bags come with a chain for added functional flexibility.

Each Obi belt features uniquely jacquard silk woven with gold, silver and platinum threads.  One belt can be transformed into 3 - 5 clutchbags.  Each bag is also numbered and thus limited editions thus ideal as collector's items.

All photos© Lucia Carpio 2019.

Want to be holiday-ready? Be sure to pack creative artwork in luxury silk.

Today in a world that often appears to be swirling out of control, it is utterly important to take time off to clear our minds and allow us some peaceful moments on a more controllable personal level.

A Travel Collection, from silk dresses to scarfs and jewellery,
sequin bags and cashmere jumpers ...
 the list of luxury travel essentials goes on
at The NottingHill travel collective event in June.

But with what valuable space we have in our bags when packing for the much-anticipated summer holiday, taking pride of place among the sun cream, hats, swim suits, sarong and sandals must be the all-essential, versatile scarf.

Catering for our varying styling needs, a number of designers have taken the scarf to a whole different level, transferring their creative ideas and inspirations onto beautiful silks that allow us to embrace luxury and benefit from the practical fashion solutions that scarfs offer to the discerning voyager.

So it was great to find among the artwork on display at London's Saatchi Gallery last week emerging London-based designers who have taken the opportunity of the Scoop International boutique trade fair to showcase their illustrious work on scarfs to entice fashion buyers and press.



Showing in the newly launched Scoop Salon space of the fair dedicated to UK and international accessories brands, designer Ira Avezov (originally from Russia) was keen to show her "wearable images" that she had transferred onto her beautifully made silk scarf sold under her IA London label.

Seen here holding one of her designs - the All of Me scarf featuring the many faces of one woman, Ira explained that for every design she makes, she always starts with an image in her mind, and is often a story behind the images, then the imagery she creates will be digitally printed onto luxury silk.

© Lucia Carpio 2017 

© Lucia Carpio 2017 

© Lucia Carpio 2017 

But of course Ira's designs are not just for our summer get-away but for use all year round, having that distinctive fashion forward edge.   Ira layers her designs with a profusion of brush-stroke colours or creates monochrome effects on abstract images.

© Lucia Carpio 2017 

Working with high quality silk and using meticulous UK workmanship, Ira is also transferring her designs onto men's tops launched this summer and has plans to show womenswear in the autumn.  Ira only started her brand a year ago and already has attracted wide attention through other shows such as the London Fashion Week.  Can't wait to see her new collection under development.

Also showing at Scoop Salon was the scarf label DolceRoopa founded by Roopa Sachidanand (in photo at right), originally from New York.

Her luxury range highlights the designer's wanderlust inspiration featuring her travel experiences in Europe, London and New York.

Roopa said each illustration is intricately watercoloured by hand before being designed  and digitally printed.  The Italian Riviera and Marrakech collections draw upon colour, pattern and the dynamic use of print offering lavish pops of colours for varying styling options.

Elsewhere at Scoop and moving away from scarfs, I was intrigued by the Longstaff Longstaff brand where its silk loungewear are so pretty and soft they should be worn beyond the boudoir.

© Lucia Carpio 2017 

Sourced and manufactured in the UK, the brand was founded in 2014 by Sophie Barnard who has a Russian lineage that led to a passion for bold, highly decorative patterns and vibrant colours.

While modelling one of her kimono designs for me to show its versatility (as shown in photo above), Sophie said she hand-paints her original prints which are digitally transferred onto luxurious silks.

© Lucia Carpio 2017 

She launches her Komo collection this summer with the influence of Japanese art, featuring watery flowers and silver, inspired by illustrations from the 19th century using water and ink.

Poetically, the pinks and reds bleed together in her bold flowers while the petals fade at the edges and drift into the water.

She has used some of her signature prints for scarfs with which she has modeled again for me to show off its wonderful effect.

Happiness is ... the Mademoiselle Privé exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London

Despite the long queues, the Mademoiselle Privé exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London is where one can find happiness because it allows you to experience stimulants to your five senses.  

From the colours and the sound of birdsong at the specially-created garden prior to the entry of the building to the audio commentary provided by Mademoiselle Chanel, the delightful installations and sculptures and the sweet fragrant of the sensory lab, to the feel of textures provided by floor to ceiling draping curtains and the sight of alluring couture designs and beautiful jewels.....

Be sure to download the Mademoiselle Privé app before entering the exhibition, which enhances the experience with interactive content that is revealed throughout the visit.

This is the final week and the exhibition finishes on 1st November.  

If you haven't been yet, click HERE for the link to the website.

All photos by Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect.

Hermès launches' "Wanderland" exhibition in London

The name Hermès needs no introduction thus the usual marketing strategy to increase awareness of the brand is not necessary and it is much preferred to go down the route of connecting with the world of arts to further establish the luxury brand's genre.

Saatchi Gallery, London

Thus “Wanderland” - the name of a new exhibition by the luxury French fashion house - has just been launched at London’s Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, a most fitting venue.  

The exhibition will run until May 2 and be then travel to Paris, Italy and China in the autumn.

Dedicated to flânerie, the art of "urban wandering", the exhibition is spread over 11 rooms and features objects from Hermès´ archives, including a series of installations in various media, created by a number of artists and set against a backdrop of a Paris-inspired landscape.

The exhibition was created by Bruno Gaudichon, curator of La Piscine-Musée d'Art et d'Industrie in Roubaix, and includes objects from the Hermès archive, the museum collection of Emile Hermès at 24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris, and Hermès’ contemporary collections.