Earlier this month, BU had the pleasure of being in attendance for artist Sophie Tea's latest extravaganza - which just so happened to be her biggest and most daring venture to date. With a sell-out crowd on hand at the prestigious London Palladium, the latest evolution of the Send Nudes series was empowering and celebratrory in equal measure, and the evening once again climaxed with a nude catwalk featuring no less than fifty brave and painted ladies. Here, in pictures, is our round-up of how the evening unfolded!
Promoted as 'A special evening to celebrate the female form', the latest incarnation of Sophie Tea's 'Send Nudes' event also happened to be the artist's first such nudie event in close to three years. Having previously hosted London shows in Shoreditch in 2019 and at the glitzy Waldorf Astoria in the summer of 2021 (both of which we cover extensively in our archives), the artist had, somewhat surprisingly, decided to step away from her 'nudie era' shortly thereafter; and with this chapter seemingly closed, Sophie instead set about focusing on abstract art which seemed to remain her primary focus for the bulk of 2022 and 2023.
However, with the sight of some fresh, body positive artwork that she's so renowned for once again creeping into Sophie's Instagram feed during the latter stages of last year, it did feel as though a return to the nude art that gained her such notoriety and prominence was potentially on the cards - and we were thrilled when this sentiment was all but confirmed with the exciting announcement that Send Nudes Live would be revived for this special, one night only event in one of the capital's most iconic theatres.
In contrast to the previous Send Nude events in London, the performance at the Palladium also featured an entire 'act one' of festivities prior to the nude catwalk kicking into swing - and not only did we get to enjoy the sight of Sophie painting a topless life model live on stage (accompanied by an incredibly talented gospel choir, no less), but BU particularly appreciated the relaxed discussions between Sophie and three of the models about their relationships with their bodies, and what participation in the catwalk event later that night meant to them on a personal level. This resulted in conversations and subject matters that are very close to our own heart, and it really added value and depth to the significance of the catwalk that would serve as the grand finale of act two.
Although we weren't quite able to nab front row seats on this occasion (it was the hottest ticket in town from the moment they went on sale back in November), we've tried our best to capture the essence and magic of the unforgettable event regardless - and without further ado, here are some of our favourite sights from across the evening.
- Send Nudes Live was held at the London Palladium on April 5, 2024. For more coverage, and to purchase limited edition prints and posters that Sophie created specifically to commemorate the event, be sure to head to www.sophieteaart.com for further details.