Vivienne’s Diary – June

Get a Life – I have been selecting extracts from the biography of Rudolph Nureyev by Julie Kavanagh to show how art serves culture and that culture reveals the human genius. This greatest ballet dancer astounded the world; he dedicated his life to his talent. He died of aids aged 54 in the 1990’s.

Towards the end of the month I finished the piece by adding a short history of ballet. Please read it.

Over time, by reading my Diary you will come to a view of true culture. My aim is to introduce you to my heretical point of view and thereby defend you against consumption – so that you will never be infected by this chronic illness. The pursuit of art and culture brings health to body and soul and is the antidote to consumption. You just won’t need it when you follow the real thing.

The terrible thing is that people do not know the difference between true culture and popular culture and that popular culture is indeed consumption.

Thus generally the human race is not thinking but conforming to the degree that we are almost suffocated by the need to consume (under a blanket just sucking things up and pressing buttons). The dogma of consumption is the most effective propaganda of all time and it is a dogma to which most people now conform. It is the cause of Climate Change and we must stop that.

NB  –  Going to an art gallery is not consumption – you engage with the past and therefore engage in the life of the world. You get out what you put in. (And you do not destroy anything). Put another way, it is sustainable consumption – not just sucking up.

 

Regular work – now starting next Winter 2015 collections at a time when the current ones are being finalized; the current ones go in the shops next Spring, but we show them now, “Man” this month and our 2 women’s collections, “Red” and “Gold” in Sept/Oct. One or 2 social events but don’t have time to mention everything. Work divided between fashion and C.R.

Thurs 5 Jun: Andreas in Italy until Tues 10^th – for work and including the weekend at the beach.

Sat 7 Jun: My son Joe comes to my house to tutor me re. fracking, making sure I have the facts right, and to talk about our tour. We planned a debate in 5 U.K. towns. But it now seems the politicians and business people who are pro-fracking and said they are keen to debate have all pulled out one by one. We can only think they were scared of losing the argument; we have important scientists and campaigners including Liz, a young woman from Philadelphia who will share her knowledge of the toxic impact fracking has had there and Tina Louise who comes from Blackpool and has been campaigning since the earthquakes fracking caused there. She probably knows more about fracking than anybody. The tour has been organized by Joe and our friend Jamie, Jamie belongs to the activist group, “Reclaim the Power” and I first met him at London Occupy. So the tour is now about informing people of the overwhelming disaster fracking could cause here, whilst making clear that the government don’t care and probably don’t even know what the consequences would be if they try to push it through. Still 75% of people are confused and of them, most don’t know what it is.

It’s not only that the government is completely stupid but that it’s impossible to do. So they won’t be able to do it. But we have to be seen to win because governments must now act for the good of people.

Mon 9 Jun: The tour begins in Glasgow. I stayed in London because we had a meeting with Matthew from Cool Earth and some people who were at the Cannes event and are interested to contribute financially to this charity. We haven’t yet had their decision and please do look at the website because you can help just by knowing about the work of Cool Earth. “Knowledge is power,” everything is connected and it will affect your actions e.g. it might mean you join a demonstration or vote differently – or you might do something directly.

Glasgow went well, lovely audience, lots of ideas, learning how to communicate. Liz showed a film of what happened to a farmer she had come to know, Terry Greenwell whose water had been poisoned and who had developed a rare form of brain cancer (fracking can release radio-active materials which have been trapped in underground rocks and which can enter into the water -table and the soil). Several of Terry’s neighbours have the disease. That night Liz learnt that Terry died.

Tue 10 Jun: I join the tour at Nottingham travelling with Lorna who is making a film on me, following our work. We do interviews for local media. It is the phenomenon of our age that our campaigns are also amplified by the social media. I am not on the panel – I talk at the end. After I ask a young man who works in the Nottingham Conference Centre the way to the toilet. He shows me and he says, “I believed fracking was fine but now I’ve changed my mind because all the people who came tonight really care and the government don’t get involved.”

We are all tired but happy and our team is an organic collective little bunch; when they met each person just fell into place knowing what to do, Joe says – and Jamie put us together.

The team have a meeting, analysing and discussing tactics – we are our own media and activists. We’re all travelling by van in bunk boxes. Lorna and I go to bed. I thought I wouldn’t like being so socially bunched up with people but they are so nice it’s the best thing. Our driver is Brian and tomorrow we’ll wake up in Manchester.

Wed 11 Jun: Manchester where I was born 12 miles away, where from my village we came on the bus as children to see Father Christmas in Lewis’ department store. There was a Christmas tree which went up the central cylindrical stairwell of tiered floors. I went shopping and dancing here- always a special occasion. We visited the Free Trade Hall with our school, all in our uniforms to listen to the Halle orchestra – and to walk round in the interval looking at all the young teenagers from other schools in their different uniforms, especially the boys. This, now changed into a hotel is where tonight’s meeting will be.

However in the daytime we drove out to visit the people in the climate camps, this one at Barton Moss. Two or 3 years ago when Tina Louise started campaigning there were 4 climate camps protesting fracking and now there are more than 180 groups and 3 camps- across the country These people are our base, holding the ground in protest against the intentions of the government. Go to visit them you can have a real chat, learn a lot and they will make you a cup of tea. You will help them in their determination to stop any fracking.

John McNamara who began the group is wearing our shirt. He started a garden at the camp. I enjoyed our companionship.

The evening in Manchester was really crowded and finally we had 2 people who did not agree with us on everything and unfortunately members of the audience harangued them and there was quite a bit of “Down with the Capitalist system; and “Why do you care about the government? Let’s get on the streets!” (We were grateful to the 2 and one of them did contribute to the facts)Later our group discussed how we could keep things more calm in future. I don’t know what they decided, I went to bed. Somebody told me, that on evening T.V. they had a little selected quote from me and one or 2 politicians! Saying fracking was good. Then another important person! saying, “She’s a celebrity – no right to represent us “Do media people really think people are so pathetic as to listen to such idiots?

Thu 12 Jun: Swansea. A glorious day, a beach unbelievable, sand within a horseshoe bay. They say the beaches of South Wales are all a knockout. (I chose the word because you get blown away and then just to stand there brings you back to life, restores you straight away). No wonder the resort was once so rich, people coming for holidays. We explored George Hall: grand and immaculate art deco design. Our event was here.

In the afternoon I went to the beach with Liz. We talked and walked, leaving our bags with some workmen who were taking a break. There is such a beauty emanates from trust, young people have it and Liz will keep it. When she looks at you, she opens her heart to the whole human race.

Our photographer, Ki arranged me in a Welsh flag and took a picture for our publicity and then I went back for more interviews which I share with Joe. I enjoy these local interviews and appreciate spending so much time with my dear son.

We had a supportive and passionate meeting and this time 2 local councillors attended but they were anti-fracking. The pro-frackers still don’t come. We went to the Indian restaurant.

Fri 13 Jun: Woke up in Hammersmith, said goodbye (love you all), walked over the road to the tube. Home by 7.30.

Mon 16 Jun: Central Hall Westminster, final gig of the tour.

Thu 19 Jun: Dinner at Buckingham Palace in support of the Prince’s Drawing School. Some of the drawings from the Queen’s collection were on display. Holbein, Claude and Raphael who died age 25 and Michaelangelo who died aged 89. These last 2 Italians lived at the same time as the French writer Rabellais who I am going to read next. (All men of the Renaissance).

Michaelangelo is so different than Raphael. I am going to describe Raphael’s drawings as 3 dimensional lines, he drew at the same time he looked – from spirit to hand. Michaelangelo worked on his bodies, aware of flesh, skin and bones all together as one and built them up with the finest shading surrounded by a strongest line that held them in its perimeter so you saw everything at once , you saw them alive; he gives you the man. Raphael is just as dramatic but he doesn’t give you everything, you have to join him, go into the drawing.

The students of the Drawing School are allowed to handle the drawings. I don’t know if they are then allowed to try to copy them But the only way to become your own master is to copy the masterworks.

 

Fri 20 June: To Milan with Andreas to work on the MAN show. This season’s new Red Label (ladies collection) was also ready on the showroom. I was scared of looking at it because even though it should be great you never know. I’d never seen the clothes made in the right fabrics and you don’t know how they will turn out. (This is different then Gold Label were we make all the samples ourselves – the difference is because we sell Red 1 month before the August holiday – in order to sell more – and Gold 1 month after).

I did a deal with Andreas, he looked at the Red and I styled the MAN show. The casting for the show was already decided – Yasmine had been working on it.
One day later Andreas and I swapped, he finalised the Man , me the Red because we do present Red in the showroom to the buyers. We do the catwalk later in London.

Andreas thinks the Red is great.

This is the press release I did for MAN. We promoted Tracy Worcester campaign to stop factory farming pigs.

Spring- Summer 2015

Imagine Tracy Worcester, now approaching middle age, a few years ago getting on a plane to Poland with a plan of operation and an aim
to expose the cruelty to pigs, the inefficiency and the pollution caused by factory farming. All undercover she made a film called ‘Pig Business’.
I saw it. Can you imagine getting that together? Actually doing it! I expect Tracy didn’t know where to start, but she found a way.
I became Tracy’s friend for life.

No animal should be born to suffer; it was like Bedlam on a mass scale for pigs: sickness, death and lunacy – of pigs.
We don’t need this to happen.

Visit her website www.pigpledge.org – She will explain that one American- owned company controls more than a quarter of the
processed-pork market in the US and is now expanding in the UK and Europe. It is estimated that 70% of the 970,000 tonnes of pig meat
that the UK imports each year does not meet UK welfare standards and yet retailers are entitled to label foreign meat as ‘British’ if it has been
processed here.

I asked Tracy what can we do?

‘The most important thing is to avoid eating meat from animal factories and always ask where your meat comes from, whether you are
buying it in a supermarket or eating it in a restaurant or café. And join me in signing the pigpledge.org/take-the-pledge & boycott meat
from animal factories.’

A Farms Not Factories campaign
@pigbusiness #PigPledge