125
own designs created out of vintage fabrics, found objects, chain mail, ethnic jewellery, millinery and more in an expression of eccentric creative energy.
The exhibition, Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken was co-curated and first shown by SCAD FASH Museum of fashion + Film in Atlanta in 2016. It offers an immersion into Lismore’s unique sartorial point of view – living as art. Inspired since childhood by the Terracotta Army, Lismore has created life-size sculptural warriors – each wearing an ensemble worn by the artist at a key point in his life, each a reflection of his multidimensional identity, together an army forming a tapestry of his journey to his true self.
The exhibition at HARPA, is from the 2nd until the 30th of June
Daniel’s work actualizes what others only dream about: a court scene of his own making; each character, Daniel himself. Be Yourself; Everyone Else Is Already Taken — this book and the exhibition that launched it portrays Daniel’s brilliant, cheeky self-portraits. One need not look further than the title to understand how fully Daniel expresses his own persona. — Paula Wallace, from the Foreword.
Daniel Lismore is known for elaborate and extravagant ensembles that brilliantly combine haute couture with charity-shop finds, yards of vintage fabrics and tartans, found objects, ribbons, feathers, chain mail, shells, ethnic jewelry, retro accessories, millinery and more in an expression of eccentric, creative energy.
A prominent fixture of the London fashion and nightlife circuits, he is both tastemaker and friend to artists ranging from Stephen Fry and Debbie Harry to Boy George and Vivienne Westwood.
For his first major publication, Lismore shares the 32 ensembles that comprised his first U.S. museum exhibition, “Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken.” The exhibition, co-curated by SCAD and presented at SCAD FASH: Museum of Fashion and Film, offered immersion in Lismore’s unique sartorial point of view. These life-size sculptural ensembles, each worn by the artist at one time, are reflections of his own multidimensional identity and are a tapestry of his journey to his true self.
About the Contributors: Paula Wallace (Foreword) is the president and founder of Savannah College of Art and Design. Hilary Alexander (Essay) is the former fashion director of the Daily Telegraph and currently is editor-at-large for Hello Fashion Monthly. Colin Douglas Gray (Photography) is a New York-based fashion and portrait photographer and SCAD graduate.
Credit for the book must read: © Daniel Lismore: Be yourself, Everyone Else is Taken, Skira Rizzoli, 2017. Images © Colin Douglas Gray. Serial rights are available, but images may not be reproduced in any way, published, or transmitted digitally, without written permission from the publisher.
MilliOnAir | Art
D
DANIEL LISMORE
BE YOURSELF, EVERYONE ELSE IS ALREADY TAKEN
aniel Lismore is a London based artist, designer, celebrity stylist, writer and campaigner. He has been named by British Vogue as England’s most outrageous dresser and is known for his elaborate and extravagant ensembles that brilliantly combine haute couture with his
By Style Editor Marcella Martinelli