Hasta La Ideas

Mulberry’s flagship store in London has been transformed for an exhibition of photography of Glastonbury festival taken by photographer Venetia Dearden – to celebrate the launch of her new book of imagery taken at the Somerset-based festival…

The book itself, entitled Glastonbury Another Stage (published by Kehrer Verlag Heidelberg, €29.50 / £30 / $50), features stunning imagery of crowds, caravans, mud, food stalls and many other sights festival goers can relate to – but the majority of the book’s 368 pages showcase dozens of portrait images of festival freaks and fashionistas shot on site at the festival over the last six years in the white photographic studio Venetia Dearden has had set up in various parts of the huge festival.

“I decided to create an oasis amongst the crowds where I could meet and document some of the thousands of individuals who travelled from all around the world to make up this vast, eclectic gathering,” explains Dearden of the project which has, in part been funded by fashion brand Mulberry which has close ties to Somerset and Glastonbury Festival.

“Successfully running a photographic studio on [the festival] site has depended on a team who endured testing times with great spirit and humour. For me, it has been an unforgettable experience, and the resulting pages resonate with the wonderful identities I have had the great fortune to encounter over this six-year project.”

Here are a couple of spreads and images from the book:

The design credit inside the book credits Kehrer Design Heidelberg / Venetia Dearden with the book’s design although we happen to know that London-based design studio Construct was involved in the design process – it designed the cover and worked on the creative direction of the layouts with Dearden. Construct also created the Mulberry campaign concept Peace Love Mud which ties in with the 40th anniversary of Glastonbury and with the launch of Dearden’s book – which comes in this rather fetching Peace Love Mud Mulberry canvas bag:

Mulberry’s flagship store at 41-42 New Bond Street in London is currently exhibiting images from the book and has given the shop a special festival flavour by including a tent (shown, top and also below) – onto the canvas of which a selection of Dearden’s festival portraits are projected. Bales of coloured ‘straw’ add to the outdoor illusion and also double as rather nice display stands for Mulberry wares…

During the instore exhibition, which runs until June 28 at the New Bond Street store in London, customers will receive a pack of oversized postcards of imagery from the book (tethered together with rather jolly Peace Love Mud ribbon), and a pack of special badges and stickers too.

See more of Dearden’s photography at venetiadearden.com