Michael Neeson Launches Maison Mais Non
A Hollywood star’s son is trying to help revive Soho’s artful heritage and he’s getting local artists to help him do it. Michael Neeson, the son of popular actor Liam Neeson, has created an independent art collective and soon to be launched gallery, Maison Mais Non (14 Greek Street). Soho has been a hub for artists and those emigrating to London helped fill the neighbourhood with multiculturalism (hence, the creation of Greek Street, Poland Street). And then there were the French, which lent Soho to being dubbed the French-Quarter. Later on, Soho became the entertainment centre of the capital with the West End taking shape, while brothels and streetwalkers became a staple sight. A musical scene also grew out of the streets of Soho in the 1950s and later with the likes of Ronnie Scott’s, The Marquee Club and Broadway Market’s new Kansas Smitty’s attracting a host of stars and local London talent. Soho has evolved without losing the locals and tourists that have loved it for years and now attracts a whole new host of bar and art-show goers. Today, it’s an area that’s been gentrified and still a large attraction to creatives especially Brewer Street Street and Central St. Martins on its doorstep.
It’s with this influence of local artists from all walks of life that Maison Mais Non hopes to establish themselves as the first true fashion gallery: uniting fashion within the art gallery environment. The gallery offers a platform for new artists and designers and aim to champion Soho as the home of British fashion. It’s also timely: London Fashion Week recently experienced a Bohemian makeover (many called this hipster), moving from Somerset House to Brewer Street Car Park.
Enter Michael Neeson, a celebrity’s son, yes, but a creative with some experience under his belt: he’s previously worked with some notable names is fashion: Phoebe Philo and on Savile Row for bespoke tailor Chittleborough & Morgan. The gallery aims to nurture young talent in fashion, providing emerging designers with a central London exhibition space. The idea: being in a gallery forces the audience to engage with the clothes in a different way, encouraging them to look more at the clothing and craftsmanship, not on the brand name itself.
Maison Mais Non is opening at an incredibly exciting time, with the Save Soho movement and the relocation of Fashion Week from Somerset House to Brewer Street, Soho is changing rapidly and this gallery space will bring to light new, young designers from across the globe. The Soho Revue Gallery, which was founded by friends India Rose James and William Pelham. India, whose grandfather was Paul Raymond of Raymond Revue Bar, has been making a name for herself as a patron of the arts, championing young talent and exhibiting their work in her Soho gallery.
“Soho has always been an area synonymous with a counter-cultural imperative—it has a youthful, anarchic energy which is at risk of being lost in the face of rapid gentrification,” says Topes Calland, artist and architecture student. He’s a part of the collective of creatives behind Maison Mais Non. “The space was the perfect place for young artists, who are in the formative stage in their careers, to display their talent. We had a soft opening to create brand recognition and now we’re working on an incredible program of exhibitions for next year.”
Operating under the umbrella of The Soho Review, Maison Mais Non will work closely with The Review Gallery to create fashion that looks and presents itself as fine art. And the team believes that London is the perfect city to debut this kind of gallery concept.
“London is the home of innovation in fashion that the notion of a fashion gallery seemed entirely apropos. The idea for MMN was a product of the increasing liberalization of the fine art world, and its embrace of design as an art form. Fashion exhibitions are at the forefront of this emerging trend as they are hugely popular with the public,” says Calland. “We wanted to create a platform for the stars of the future to present themselves as artists, without having to compromise their artistic integrity under the weight of commercial imperatives. This reflects London’s place in the fashion world: London innovates, Paris and Milan refine.”
Text: Chris Chasseaud