Sarah Bonallo is a British artist known throughout the world of art and design as the ‘chair genius’. Sarah creates vintage furniture resuscitated using traditional techniques and fantasy finishes.

Each piece of furniture in Sarah’s collections is achieved using time-honoured upholstery techniques, stitched by hand and stuffed with animal hair. Each of Sarah’s chairs take on their own character as the artist literally turns old furniture into contemporary sculptural pieces.

Having studied in Paris, France has been a constant source of inspiration for Sarah Bonallo, particularly the Cote d’Azur, where, even in winter, the sun always shines. Talking exclusively to Facconable, Ms Bonallo told us how she has been inspired by much of France, but particularly the Cote d’Azur.

“Being at the seaside in France reminds me a lot of images: the melancholy charm of a solitary walk to the Cote d’Opal in winter or making memories in pretty coves of southern Brittany, but the beauty and allure of the French Riviera are second to none,” Sarah said.

This summer, Sarah Bonallo launched ‘The Captain’s Chair’. This navy blue chair has been traditionally upholstered and pin-stuffed by hand, using pure Yorkshire wool and cashmere.

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Since the sensational Bridgette Bardot bejewelled the sands of Pampelonne in just a bikini for a scene in the film ‘And God Created Woman’ in 1956, the Cote d’Azur propagated a daring and provocative attitude towards fashion on this stretch of coastline, emboldening women and high-class tourists by liberating how they dressed.

Over the decades the Cote d’Azur’s reputation as being a ‘playground for the rich and famous’ has escalated and is now firmly rooted as being one of the most glamorous destinations in the world.

But has much evolved in 55 years regarding the provocative fashion the movie icon generated, who, almost single-handedly transformed a small yet albeit upmarket fishing village into one of the world’s leading fashion-statement towns?

Facconable caught up with Rebecca Jane, a dedicated follower of fashion from London, who spends many a summer musing over the fashion on the highly influential and stylistically world prominent Cote d’Azur.

One would expect that after sipping France’s finest champagne in a lounge at the Ritz in Paris watching Jonny Depp drink cappuccinos on the next table donning a cowboy hat that anyone else would look ridiculous in, the ‘glamour’ stakes and fashion statements would significantly decline.

On the contrary, however, after checking out of the Ritz, Paris and heading south to the Cote d’Azur, as the weather becomes warmer, the clothes become skimpier and a new sense of ‘provocative’ style and glamour suspends in the air. Comparing the fashion of Paris with the Cote d’Azur, Rebecca Jane told Facconable,

“The refinement and sophistication of the Ritz in Paris has become lost to a more revealing and provocative style.”

“The skimpier the clothes the better, but not the same kind of skimpy as in a nightclub in Essex, as it is like the people here, with their wealth, fantastic physiques and designer clothes, deserve to wear super scant outfits. In places like St Tropez and Cannes people like to flaunt their wealth,” continued the fashion critic.

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The rap superstar is planning to debut his first clothing collection at the upcoming New York Fashion Week.

He has been busy honing his designing skills by taking up internships with Fendi and designing footwear with Louis Vuitton since 2008. He has also been taking notes from his fashion peers as he is regularly spotted on the front row of fashion week events around the world.

West began working on his own line earlier this year, and is said to have enlisted the help of British knitwear designer, Louise Goldin for guidance on how to break into the Womenswear market.

He has is also working with Louise Wilson – a professor at the top fashion college Central Saint Martins, who’s alumni include Alexander McQueen and John Galliano. Kanye was also seen visiting the prestigious college in London, causing the university to deny reports that he was planning to study with them.

Kanye attracted global media attention after he took to the stage at the Coachella festival in April, wearing a women’s shirt by French designer Celine. A move that has caused people to speculate whether he was channelling inspiration for his own collection.

All of the work towards unveiling the line is reportedly being done at West’s design studios in London and New York, and the aim is to have the collection ready for September to be shown on the runway at New York Fashion Week.

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With a phenomenal amount of catwalk shows and festivals, September looks set to rock the world of fashion across the globe and is an exciting month of the worldwide fashion calendar. We look at the five of the best fashion events scheduled for September 2011.

Semana Internacional de la Moda, Madrid September 1 – 3, 2011

Held at the Parque Ferial Juan Carlos in Madrid, the Semana Internacional de la Moda has become a showcase for fashion designers to promote their forthcoming products, projects and collections. This pulsating fashion event grows each year and last year more than 4,000 visitors flocked to the Ferial Juan Carlos to get a glimpse of the latest fashion coming from one of the world’s leading fashion capitals.

St. Pete Art & Fashion Week, St. Petersburg September 6 – 10, 2011

St. Pete Art & Fashion Week is one of the biggest fashion and art events of the year, attracting some of the most influential designers, buyers, media, artists and models from all over the world. Up and coming designers are encouraged to head to St. Petersburg this September to show off their spring/summer collections.

New York Fashion Week, New York September 8 – 15, 2011

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Since it was opened on June 23, 2006, the Quai Branly Museum in Paris has been laden with controversy amongst its local both its national and international visitors.

Although unlike many entities bound in controversy become dogged with criticism and experience a rapid demise, the Musee Quai Branly’s controversy has aided its success and phenomenal popularity.

Controversy often sparks intrigue, especially within the world of art. Much of the Quai Branly Museum’s contents are items plundered from France’s colonial conquest, which many believe, should be returned to their country of origin.

The ‘artistic -ness’ of the museum’s contents and displays are also put in question, with even the Branly’s curators referring to the artefacts and displays as “objects” to convey that the pieces were not necessarily intended as pieces of art but rather for utilitarian and sacred uses, such as the Branly’s headdresses from Alaska, statues from Nigeria, its Djennenke statue from the 10^th or 11^th century pre-Drogon Mali era, and its Indian ornamental wear.

Although it is not just the Musee Quai Branly’s contents that have been doused in criticism, as the curators have been criticised for placing a too heavy dependence on ‘aesthetic appeal’, namely being committed to extreme lighting rather than accurate descriptions of its content.

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