Art of Darkness: King Arthur

With every great legend there must be a great King...

King Arthur is never one to be limited by suggestions of moderation. The King is a larger than life character who revels in the opulence of life.

Bold, brash and buoyant, he takes as much pleasure in the enjoyment of others as he does in his own indulgence. In his Kingdom, there is only one rule - deny yourself nothing...


You may recognise our King... for it is none other than the stylist and designer Johnny Blue Eyes.

I caught up with Johnny for his take on the shoot, the make-up, the styling and the what we can expect next from the ever exuberant House of Blue Eyes...

A: Johnny! It seems like only yesterday Alex Box was painting you and your models Gold for the House of Blue Eyes SS10 show and multi-coloured for the House of Blue Eyes AW10 show... now here you are, painted blue again!

JBE: When I think about the amazing make-up that Alex created for I Feel Love SS10 and Revolution Love AW10 I'm just filled up with joy... and how happy am I to be painted blue by gorgeous Alex? This happy [imagine me with arms spread as wide as they can possibly be!]

A: How did you feel about taking on the role of King Arthur for our Art of Darkness shoot?

JBE: Absolutely thrilled, I'm always so happy to help with anything that you are doing at Illamasqua. When Alex kindly asked me to be involved in the shoot, I knew that I was in for a magical ride. Becoming King Arthur was just the sort of magical ride back into the past and fast into the future that I love. I wish I could always be painted blue. Everything about the shoot was fantastic; the whole ethos and execution was magnificent.

A: What similarities does the House of Blue Eyes share with Illamasqua?

JBE: In three words: loving fearlessness honey! HOBE and Illamasqua are both proudly forging into the future by celebrating individuality and freedom. How we show ourselves to the world should be completely about showing the beautiful you, however you want that to be.
You know what? It's the most fabulous thing in the world to say "I'm going to paint myself many shades of blue, with more than a touch of gold, silver and glitter; I'm going to rock those high heeled shoes, throw on that fabulous feathered cape and be the magnificent being of light that I am in this world!

A: Finally - can you give us a sneak peak as to what the next collection from the House of Blye Eyes might be like?

JBE: It will be my pleasure to give you a tiny, little peak... our next season's inspiration is... House of Blue Eyes present: 'I Goddess' - it's all about the love and celebration of women. Our first event Girls, Girls, Girls will be the offocial launch of the House of Blue Eyes website. It will take place during London Fashion Week.

Thanks, and look forward to seeing you there, Johnny!