Culture Now: Julie Verhoeven

Join us for a lunchtime conversation with Julie Verhoeven and Tim Blanks.

Julie Verhoeven is an artist and designer whose practise defiantly refuses to apply easy rules of separation. Her drawings, sculptures, assemblages, installations and video combine a rawness, at times reminiscent of punk, with a bewildering sensuality and a strong sense of colour and texture. Julie is joined in conversation with fashion reporter Tim Blanks.

Verhoeven's formal training is in fashion; she began her career as an assistant to John Galliano in London followed by Martine Sitbon in Paris. In 2002 she launched her own fashion line, Gibo, with boutiques in London and Milan. Verhoeven has collaborated with numerous international fashion and beauty brands, including Louis Vuitton ,Versace, H&M, Mulberry, Peter Jensen, Melissa and M.A.C among others.

She has exhibited internationally since 2002. There are three monographs of her work in print, and the V&A prints and drawing archive have acquired over 100 Verhoeven drawings. Verhoeven has been an associate lecturer on the MA Fashion course at Central Saint Martins since 1996 and is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Art.

Tim Blanks is a fashion reporter currently based in London. He is editor-at-large at Style.com and has been covering fashion around the world since 1985. He regularly contributes to a number of international magazines and newspapers, including Vogue,GQ, the Financial Times, Arena Homme Plus, Fantastic Man and Interview.