LONDON — Outside the 19th-century Union Chapel in Islington, a Gothic Revival building, the first thing that appeared at Monday night’s memorial service for Judy Blame was a black carriage filled with white lilies led by two black horses.
Industry veterans and friends of the late stylist, jewelry designer and artist — including Juergen Teller, Vivienne Westwood, Stephen Jones, Lulu Kennedy, Gareth Pugh, Jefferson Hack, Suzy Menkes and Jonathan Newhouse — gathered one year after Blame’s death, in February 2018, at the age of 58. Many of them were wearing their favorite Judy Blame jewelry.
Known as a man of many trades, Blame ran underground clubs in London and later segued into styling, where he worked with a range of talents including Boy George, Neneh Cherry, John Galliano and Kim Jones at Louis Vuitton. He was also known for his outlandish jewelry designs made from artifacts that he dredged up from the mud of the Thames. He was a punk to his core.
A program — and a newspaper filled with images of Blame, who was born Christopher Barnes — were handed out at the entrance to the chapel. In true London style, there was also Blame merchandise on sale, badges for 10
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