24 year old New Zealander Jade Townsend shares with Thread about being an artist and fashion stylist living in London, and we take a look at photos of Jade’s designer window displays for Hermes, including bicycles made from seashells…
24 year old New Zealander Jade Townsend shares with Thread about being an artist and fashion stylist living in London, and we take a look at photos of Jade’s designer window displays for Hermes, including bicycles made from seashells…
Moving to England I lost my stride,
I couldn’t settle in no matter how hard I tried,
Despite my mum’s anguish and despair of me,
I dropped my Architecture degree,
In search of a saviour,
I joined an art school in Manchester,
Painting almost everyday,
6ft canvases of birds of prey,
In year 2 I had my first solo show,
My work on white walls encouraged dreams to grow,
Personal shopping to the stars,
Followed by late night shifts in bars,
From my painting on a friend’s screen saver,
Led to Hermes asking me a little favour,
Hand painted carousel horses was just the beginning,
Window after window I felt I was winning…
Pictured above left: Me at the ‘J’aime mon carre’, styling event (photo by Holly Falconer.)
‘J’aime mon carre’, ‘I love my (Hermes) scarf’, and, I do! Not only a metaphor for a fashionable life but also the current Hermes campaign for which I was a stylist, and the most recent project of many I have worked on with them.
My name is Jade Townsend, aged 24, and I’m a NZ artist living and working in London. I moved to the UK as a young teenager and was eager to pursue my dream of being an artist. I completed a BA Hons degree in Fine Art Painting during which time I worked for Mulberry, and become a personal shopper at Topshop which then translated into freelance styling work for brands such as Reebok, Wrangler and Universal Music.
At 21 after completing my first exhibition I was invited by Hermes to London to paint 13 carousel horses for their next window display. They had come across my work through a friend and…liked it! I have since been involved in the production of many window displays and also become a part of their styling team.
Hermes Christmas windows 2009
Hermes Shell Bike windows
3rd picture: Studio work.
My work in fashion complements my work as an artist.
My art is inspired by Maori mythology. I take full advantage of the contemporary context in which I live. I work hard to create a new validity and relevance for my heritage. I am currently working towards my first show in London for which I am preparing work from my studio in East London. I hope to return to NZ early next year to complete an artist in residence programme.
If you would like to see/follow my work you can here: http://jumpedonthebandwagonlate.blogspot.com/
Jade Townsend, 25 January 2010.
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