Pierre Cardin meets Graffiti C215

When Emmanuel de Brantes, owner of the well respected urban arts gallery Studio 55 sends me an invite to a vernissage, I know it's going to be simply fabulous! Studio 55 is about promoting a new generation of performing arts and it exhibits contemporary artists that are capable of adressing all media and all situation - like bring graffiti to the people!

Throwing on my pair of my André heels (yes, he too is a graffiti artist who happens to designs shoes and bags) I made my way over to the opening of the "Princesses and Graffiti" exhibition held at the Pierre Cardin gallery just off the chic rue Faubourg Saint Honoré. What's the connection with royalty? Well as it turns out Clotilde Courau the Princess of Venice is actually the one presenting graffiti artist C215 in this exhibition cycle which runs until 10 October 2009.

So who is C215 whom all of Paris's who's who came to see? C215 is a French stencil artist who travels the world marking his path with his briliiant works of stenciled art on just about anything visibile in the urban jungle such as the streets, rusty doors, broken walls and even trash cans. His portraits are thought evoking and rather powerful - he paints portraits of the homeless, the beggers, the refugees and the orphans - people broken by society and capitalism. 

He also paints animals, street scenes and vespas and his work is well thought out making sure it harmoniously blends in with the environment - such as a stenciled cat curled up against a wall watching the city go by - you have to see C215's brilliant work to understand - and chances are you are probably familiar with it.

"The streets are just my favourite gallery, I been in love with graffiti since i was a child. Sure I did draw, paint free hand, with brushes, with cans, but stencils are the best way to quickly place something beautiful anywhere in the streets, without any fucking authorisation." - C215 has been quoted saying

Check out his marvellous collection of works at the Galerie Pierre Cardin 3 rue Duras 75008 Paris - on until October 10 2009.

So who did the Paris Popcorn spot at the Vernissage? 

Emmanuel de Brantes, HRH Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy Prince of Venice and Piedmont, and artist of honor C215

 Editor of Femmes magazine Catherine de la Ferrière and model Pauline Blassel (daughter of Fashion journalist Viviane Blassel)

Pierre Cardin and Viviane Blassel

C215 and British singer-song writter and fashion designer, the very stylish Twee

.....Here's me with HRH Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy Prince of Venice and Piedmont (yes,  ladies he's rather hot too!)

....and legendary fashion designer Pierre Cardin and I chatting away....

 And lastly I just had to include a shot of Twee's stunning vintage heels

Check out my video snippet of Pierre Cardin meeting graffiti