Issue No. 5
US $15
Photography Collette McGruder
CONTENT pg 3 pg. 6 pg. 8 pg. 18 pg. 20 pg. 28 pg. 46 pg. 62 pg. 92 pg. 118 pg. 122 pg. 124 pg. 126 pg. 128 pg. 131
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A Letter from Our President Contributors 2 Alumni 2 Tribes The Totem Poll Jirawat & Jessie Landing on The One Salut! Salieu Chic News!! Down by The River Malcolm Browne The Way We Wore The Life Aquatic Last Words in Journalism Sofia Coppola Reach Out
A Letter from Our President In many cultures, there is a rite of passage that signifies a transition from one stage of life to another. In Aborigine culture, this is referred to as a walkabout. On this journey, an adolescent traces the path of his ancestors through ceremonies, artifacts and heroic deeds. Students at Academy of Art University reflect this practice by going on their own journey, following the artistic path of alumni before them. In the fifth issue of 180, the School of Fashion combines visual innovation with the university’s inspiring heritage to explore the concept of a walkabout. The magazine profiles Malcolm Browne, an awardwinning B.F.A. Printmaking alumnus, as well as Tadpole Reese, an online Fashion Design student in the The Life Aquatic. Designs from our graduates are showcased through collaborative editorials, including a piece about the historic town of Guerneville in Sonoma County. Former Academy President and Chairman Emeritus Richard A. Stephens is also featured in the issue, our Chic News!! editorial presents his prestigious collection of cars, which will soon be on display in our new automobile museum. We are further privileged to include a story about Sofia Coppola, iconic director and writer, and Doris Raymond, the inspirational owner of the renowned vintage boutique The Way We Wore. The fifth issue of 180 has once again set a benchmark for the caliber of talent at our university.
Sincerely,
Dr. Elisa Stephens, President Academy of Art University
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Photography Rus Anson
Editor in Chief: Simon Ungless Creative Director: Michael Carbaugh Design Director: Harry Go Editor at Large: Dino-Ray Ramos Senior Copy Editor: Joan Bergholt Copy Editor: Ryan Willard Associate Fashion Editor: Danielle Wallis Special Thanks: Armstrong Woods, John Bauernfeind, Paul Borgwardt, Sofia Coppola, Fern Grove Cottages, Robert Haven, Ford Models, Holly Matthews, Matthew Mercer, New York Models, Will Mosgrove, Doris Raymond, Red Model Management, Santa Cruz County Parks and Services, Supreme, Anthony Toy, Bob Toy, Annie Van Winkle Cover: Evelina wears leather jacket Rachel Rondell and knit dress Stephanie Hoffman. Photography Rus Anson; Fashion Michael Carbaugh; Hair Veronica Sjoen at Artist Untied; Makeup Victor Cembellin for M.A.C. Cosmetics; Casting Director Clare Rhodes@Castingbyus.com; Model Evelina Mambetova at New York Models
180 Magazine 79 New Montgomery Academy of Art University School of Fashion San Francisco, California 94105 oneeighty@academyart.edu www.fashionschooldaily.com 5
CONTRIBUTORS RUS ANSON
Rus Anson is a Fine Art Fashion photographer from Barcelona. She moved to San Francisco with a full scholarship to study for her M.F.A. in Photography at Academy of Art University. Her work evokes the endless possibilities of what reality can be. As the photographer of Chic News!! Rus uses fashion photography to create fantastic, surreal and naive worlds often inspired by her imagination and daydreams. She believes that it is possible to create anything in reality with patience, hard work, and a great team. For more of her work, visit www.rusanson.com.
SHAUGHN CRAWFORD M.F.A. Photography student Shaughn Crawford has worked on the past three issues of 180. In this issue, his work can be seen in our stories Salut! Salieu, The Life Aquatic and The Way We Wore. He is interested in capturing the human experience. He strives to amplify interaction, while maintaining truth and authenticity. The raw manner in which he photographs his subject communicates a rare intimacy and passion for observation. Originally from Oregon, he currently lives in Southern California. For more of his work, visit www.shaughncrawford.com.
TOMAS DELUCIA Since graduating with a B.F.A. in Textile Design in 2004, Tomas Delucia has maintained a nomadic pathway through the fashion industry, “learning all there is to know and filling in the gaps” in surface design, photo production, casting and creative direction. Delucia is currently an agent and producer for Art + Commerce, an influential agency specializing in photography for advertising and editorial clients. Tomas’ snapshots from Paris and Milan can be seen in our story, 2 Alumni 2 Tribes.
JESSICA LIGGERO As a Boston native, Jessica attended several schools, including the Berklee College of Music and Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She finally rooted herself at Academy of Art University to study Fashion Design but fell in love with drawing in a fashion illustration class. Jessica is now working on completing her B.F.A. in Fine Art Painting. Jessica uses her background in jazz piano and sewing/surface design as inspiration for her process and vision. In this issue of 180, Jessica illustrates BOTE’s menswear collection in our story, Jirawat & Jessie. For more of her work, visit www.jessicaliggero.com. 6
COLLETTE MCGRUDER Collette was born in Texas, uprooted to Colorado, matured in New York, and recently grounded in California. An alumna of Academy of Art University, she found inspiration within the B.F.A. Photography department, and is passionate about nature and photography, art and media, bodywork and psychology. Currently, she is working toward a Masters in Somatic Art Therapy. Collette recently took a trip down Highway 1 and captured Kate Somers as she was Landing on The One. For more of her work, visit www.bycollette.com.
BETHANY MEULENERS The 2010 M.F.A. Fashion and Knitwear alumna was born at West Point Academy in New York. Since then, her journey has taken her to California, Delaware, Nebraska, Virginia, Germany, Peru and the UK —creating a walkabout of her own. Earlier this year, she added another notch to her belt when she was awarded the Fulbright Scholarship to travel to Nepal to study traditional apparel crafts with local artisans. Bethany’s snapshots from Kathmandu, Nepal, can be seen in our story, 2 Alumni 2 Tribes.
CLARE RHODES After leaving her English roots, Clare made her home in New York, where she is a casting director working in editorial, runway and advertising. In addition to casting this issue of 180, Clare also casts the School of Fashion’s New York Fashion Week shows. Her passion and affinity for casting led her to open By Us, where her love for people watching and discovery has continued to develop. She can frequently be found traveling throughout the New York neighborhoods on her bicycle. For more of her work, visit www.castingbyus.com.
DANIELLE WALLIS As a Visual Merchandising major, Danielle explores multiple forms of art and fashion. She is driven by vintage fashion, international travel and an eclectic personal style. Danielle is a resident blogger for Fashion School Daily and a frequent partipicant in campus projects and events. Danielle has been an Associate Fashion Editor for the past three issues.
LISA WISEMAN School of Photography alumna Lisa Wiseman returns for the third time to 180 to shoot Down by The River. Lisa’s photography reflects transitions and in-between spaces. She explores images as the quiet pause between the before and after. Lisa is fascinated by collective memories and identity formation; the intersection of these ideas informs and shapes her photography. For more of her work, visit www. lisawiseman.com.
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2ALUMNI 2TRIBE
PHOTOGRAPHY TOMAS DELUCIA AND BETHANY MEULENERS Tomas Delucia is a producer and associate agent for Art + Commerce. Bethany Meuleners is a Fulbright Scholar studying in Nepal. Both are alumni discovering different tribes in different parts of the world. Each season, Tomas, a B.F.A. Textile Design alumnus, facilitates beauty production for 30 shows in New York, Milan, and Paris, including Balenciaga, Prada, and Alexander McQueen. Although his 20-hour workdays of surfing crowds of fashion executives, models, and photographers keep him busy, he enjoys the “madness in a world of beauty.” Bethany Meuleners, a 2010 M.F.A. Fashion and Knitwear alumna, is the denizen of a different scene: Nepal. Working with
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the Felt Industries Association of Nepal, the Handi-Crafts Design Centre and the Women’s Entrepreneurs Cooperative, she plans to create a textile and clothing collection that is culturally relevant. She imagines her collection to be one that upholds sustainable and socially responsible practices; “I’ve always wanted to visit Nepal,” says Bethany. “It is the perfect place to focus my studies and research.” The two photographed their culturally different (yet oddly similar) experiences and shared them with 180. Tomas takes us on his trip backstage for Spring 2011, while Bethany captures scenes of old world culture in Nepal and the fasting festival of Teej. — DINO-RAY RAMOS
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The neighbors airing out their laundry 10
Louis Vuitton set
The house of Yves Saint Laurent
YSL - Makeup
Louis Vuitton - Kristen McMenamy getting body painted 11
The most fashion-conscious monkey in Kathmandu striking a pose 12
Miu Miu - Models in waiting
Mr. Cavalli, seated
A lady in waiting during Teej
“The Pit� 13
A Nepalese toddler distracted by her “Born to be Wild� handkerchief during her Bel-Vivaha (in Newari culture, little girls are married to a piece of fruit at a young age) 14
Louis Vuitton backstage - Kasia Struss
A Nepalese man spinning thread while walking down the street
A girl in heels buying ice cream during Teej
Lindsey Wixson just before the Vogue Ball
Balenciaga - Kasia Struss 15
Women waiting in line to make their offerings during Teej
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Lanvin rehearsal - The greatest walk: Karlie Kloss
Lanvin backstage beauties Teej women’s festival; women dressed in their best red and pink wedding saris making offerings to the Gods
Prada walkthrough Louis Vuitton - Lindsey Wixson
Lanvin - a little champagne before the runway? Absolutely. 17
THE TOTEM POLL NO 1 ISADORA MARIE ALVAREZ, MICHELLE CHANDRA, SHANNON CRITTENDEN, HANA KIM AND NICOLE LOYOLA. NO 2 FRANKLIN GUO, ANTONIO LUNA, YUKI NAKAMURA, FANNY SHIHHUI, AND VICTORIA VILLARD. NO 3 NICOLE ANDERSON, KRISTY GENOV, MALIA GROW, AANCHAL ROHA, AND TATUM BURROWS WILLIAMS. PHOTOGRAPHY BOB TOY PROP STYLIST RUSSELL CLOWER.
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A totem is a specific ancestor to a group of people, such as a family, clan, lineage or tribe. Often, totems support larger communities of people. The totem or common ancestor among a tribe is what unites the group, and these ancestors may be real, fictionalized or nonhuman. A Fashion Merchandising class was split into three tribes and given the challenge of finding the totem that connected and defined their group.
es but in Ancient times, a stick was shape of a pod with five jade peas, and this served used to smear the solution across the as our individual connection to the style tribe. eyelid. Select tool of choice, apply O in a preferred fashion and you’re good to go. Our tribe consists of five women from diverse O backgrounds who share a common right of passage into womanhood – wearing lipstick. Each Pure jade is milky green and transparent, tribe member associates lipstick with a different or occasionally clear in certain lights. Historimemory, favorite color and application technique. cally, jade is regarded with high value, goodness A tribe member from India blends Barbie pink and protection. Everyone in our tribe is from with a more sophisticated red. In India, the color a different part of the world, such as Mexico, red is significant in traditional customs and rituals. O Japan, China, Taiwan, and French-Vietnamese. Red serves as a sacred color in temples and is worn We found that this ornamental stone was in fact by most brides, and paired with bold red lips.Of Coming from different ancestral a link to our own individual backgrounds, and Icelandic descent, another tribe member identified backgrounds, we found our common therefore our totem. with the Goth subculture wearing heavy eyeliner, thread was how each of us had aspects In ancient times, Europe, Asia and the blood red and sometimes black lipstick. The blood of our appearances that we would like Americas used jade to make axes, tools and red is a lasting favorite but today she prefers plum. to change in order to stand out, as well weapons due to the extreme toughness and One tribe member is from the Bahamas, a land as fit in. We have all heard the [cliché] strength of the rock. Much later, in China and made up of diverse cultures, including Hispaniola, phrase “The eyes are the windows to the the Americas, the use of jade continued to serve Cuba, Native Indian, African, and European. It is soul” and while that may be true, the as ornamental or ritualistic purposes. In Mexitherefore difficult to fully define a Bahamian, since eyes are usually one of the first body co, jade is associated with the wind. The bright the islands reflect an array of cultures. Blush is a parts that another person notices, and green varieties may have been identified with the perfect shade of lipstick to reflect the diversity of one of the easiest to manipulate. The Maize God and the unique green jade variety the Bahamian life. Blush combines different blends most common way of altering the eyes was used in rituals involving water. Known as of reds, which are seen and interpreted differently is through the use of cosmetics. While the hardest mineral to Ancient Mesoamerica, by each person, but the colors are always bright there are many make-up techniques and jade was frequently used to make tools. In enough to garner attention. Another tribe memtools, we found that the kohl type of Japan, jade was used by kings and in spiritual ber remembers her Bulgarian grandmother and eyeliner was one product that everyone rituals for energy and protection from accidents mother wearing the classic Chanel red. Now grown, in our tribe used. and bad situations.The mother of our tribe she pledges allegiance to the same brand. Kohl is said to have originated from member from China and owns a fine jewelry Originating from Ancient Egyptians, the counAncient Egypt in 3500 B.C. and used company in Xinxiang, a region known for the try of Ethiopia consists of over 80 different cultures by Egyptian royalty. The main purmass-production of the world’s finest white jade. and languages with appearance being an indicator poses were to protect the eyes from the In her store, she sells luxury jade pieces, and of the tribe one belongs to. Body art like the tatsun and ward off the “evil eye,” which in China, jade symbolizes protection, nobility, toos worn by elder traditional Ethiopian women meant bad luck or illness. With the purity, power, and immortality. are modeled after the Queen of Shebah. Although unearthing of King Tut’s tomb in the As a child, our tribe member is from many Ethiopians consider these markings to be old 1920s, kohl eyeliner was brought to the Taiwan was given a jade charm necklace, school, elder women in the community wear them Western world, and in the 1960s, a liqwhich represents love and beauty in Taias a sign of their religious faith. Today, the younger uid version was introduced. wanese culture. A fei cui fresh and classic women use eyeliner and red lipstick, which symbolAs a group, we tested the ancient jade bangle is often given to many Asiaizes strength and power. method of making kohl eyeliner. born children at birth to bring fortune Lipstick has a long history, and its origins date While the ingredients used were and good luck to the child, as they grow back some 5000 years to the city of Babylon, when believed to have contained the poolder. Our Vietnamese-French tribe mem- lipstick was crafted from crushed semi-precious tentially toxic material Galena (lead ber wore one until age 10, when it becomes stones. During Cleopatra’s reign, her lipstick was sulfite), there are several recipes too tight to wear and has to be sawed-off. made from beetles and ants. Egyptian lipsticks that are non-toxic, easy and surpris- In many Chinese cultures, jade is a way were thought to be poisonous and called the ‘kiss ingly fun to make. All that is needed of establishing a connection with family. of death.’Chalk white faces and blood red lipstick are almonds and sesame oil, a small Younger generations of Chinese Americans were worn during the time of Queen Elizabeth I, metal strainer, candle or matches, wear jade to serve as an identity marker although the church became notorious for banning mortar and pestle, metal tongs, and and a connection to cultural traditions and lipstick as a sign of the Devil’s work. This superstia small pot.The procedure is simple: heritage they have never known. Wearing tion surrounding lipstick followed into the 1700s, burn almonds on the metal strainer jade symbolizes a desire to understand and when wearers were thought to be witches. Queen until it turns into ash. Grind the ash link past traditions with a modern perVictoria spoke out against this trend in the 1800s. In through the strainer and into the spective. the 1930s, lipsticks were infused with wax, allowmortar and pestle. To avoid thick Today, it is difficult to spot a true jade rock, as ing the color to hold shape better and longer. After clumps, grind the mortar until fine. there are many imitations. Jade, unlike diamonds, World War II, lipsticks were made popular through Transfer to a container and add can be found at any price point from Cartier or the film industry, and today red lipstick has bedrops of sesame oil until a smooth Tiffany & Co. to small shops in Chinatown. Jade come synonymous with power, confidence and sex creamy consistency is achieved. was a more than perfect totem to represent our appeal. — CONTRIBUTED REPORTING RYAN WILLARD Today we have eye shadow brush- tribe. The five of us found a silver pendent in the
N 3 THE LIPSTICK TRIBE
N 2 THE JADE STONE TRIBE
N 1 THE EYE KOHL TRIBE
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JIR W T &JE IE FASHION JIRAWAT ‘BOTE’ BENCHAKARN ILLUSTRATION JESSICA LIGGERO
Alumnus Jirawat ‘Bote’ Benchakarn graduated with a B.F.A. in Fashion Design in 2002. He received the coveted Academy of Art University French Exchange Scholarship to study at the L’Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. After a year in Paris, Bote moved home to Thailand and became a menswear buyer for the luxury retail company Club 21. Frustrated with not finding clothing that he wanted to wear, Bote returned to design and established his namesake label. He then opened his first store in the Grand Hyatt Erawan in Bangkok. According to the
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Bangkok Post, “trendsetters, designers and musicians have fallen under JBB’s understated charms and timeless designs...The brand has [become] a must-have for less showy men who appreciate clothes.” Jessica Liggero is a B.F.A. Fine Art student who created the following portraits using acrylics, gouache and watercolor. Her method uses “improvised works on paper that accumulate in a series of marks and eventually reference someone or something.” In this case, that “something” is Bote’s Spring 2011 collection. — IAN MACKINTOSH
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LANDING ON
THE ONE PHOTOGRAPHY COLLETTE MCGRUDER FASHION MICHAEL CARBAUGH
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Vintage customized paillette dress; FROCK OFF T shirt available at the 79 Retail Store
(Opposite) Hand-rusted T shirt Camilla Olson; hooded power mesh dress Eunice Cheng 30
Hand-tinted chiffon and latex coat and (opposite) hand-tinted chiffon and latex sweatshirt Jungah Lee.
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Latex and hand-tinted chiffon sleeveless jacket Jungah Lee; tie-dye T shirt and customized vintage Scaasi gown 35
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Dress Emily Melville
Organza laser cut dress Camilla Olson; hand-tinted chiffon dress Jungah Lee 39
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Organza laser cut top Camilla Olson; hand-tinted chiffon skirt Jungah Lee (Opposite) Hand-painted latex T shirt and hand-tinted chiffon skirt Jungah Lee; organza laser cut top Camilla Olson 42
Hair and makeup Veronica Sjoen at Artist Untied;Casting Director Clare Rhodes@Castingbyus.com; Model Kate Somers at Supreme; Stylist’s assistant Danielle Wallis;Photo assistant Wayne Harrison Latex hooded coat Jungah Lee 44
SALUT! SALIEU PHOTOGRAPHY SHAUGHN CRAWFORD FASHION JOHN BAUERNFEIND
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Tank and jacket Louie Llewellyn Greaves; knit thermals Xiang Zhang 47
Jacket and trousers Louie Llewellyn Greaves; knit tank and scarf Xiang Zhang 48
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(Opposite) Hooded vest Xiang Zhang 50
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Woven T shirt and trousers Louie Llewellyn Greaves 53
Leather shirt Jason Trevino; knit tank Xiang Zhang; trousers Louie Llewellyn Greaves 54
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Leather vest Dahae Kim 57
Knit tank Xiang Zhang; shorts Kent Denim by Noah Landis (Opposite) Knit scarf Xiang Zhang 58
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Grooming Racine Christensen; Casting Director Clare Rhodes@Castingbyus.com; Model Salieu Jalloh at Red Management; Stylist’s Assistant Danielle Wallis; Photo Assistant Michael Michalske
Cardigan Xiang Zhang; twill shorts JIRAWAT‘BOTE’BENCHAKARN 61
CHIC NEWS!! PHOTOGRAPHY RUS ANSON FASHION MICHAEL CARBAUGH
Richard A. Stephens’ passion for the automobile began when he first came to America. Raised in France, where his father Richard Samuel Stephens studied fine art, the younger Stephens encountered a portrait of America booming with new technology. Cars filled the streets — a strikingly different world compared with the France he knew. Stephens was in awe of the beauty and ingenuity of the automobile, and over the years his appreciation grew into an impressive collection. After serving in the United States Navy in World War II, Stephens returned to San Francisco and enrolled in Stanford Medical School. It was his desire to give back to others, and he found the opportunity to do so when he inherited his father’s art school — later to become Academy of Art University. Stephens immediately became hands-on in the development of the school, eager to do anything that would allow the students to flourish and the school to succeed. He enrolled students, cleaned the floors, filed, and even operated the elevator. Humbled by his early experiences at the school, Stephens’ passion for teaching and imparting knowledge to others did not wane. In early 2011, Richard A. Stephens will introduce the Academy of Art University Richard A. Stephens Automobile Museum to San Francisco. The Van Ness location, originally known as Auto Row, will feature 144 vintage cars, while providing a resource
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for automotive design students within the School of Industrial Design. Spanning decades of significant automobile history, the collection’s most prominent cars include a 1937 Delage D8-120 drop-head coupe, formerly owned by members of the Louis Vuitton family; a 1935 Duesenberg SJ Murphy convertible coupe, once owned by William Randolph Hearst; and a 1940 Packard convertible sedan used by actress Ginger Rogers. The opening of the new museum has given Stephens the occasion to pursue his own creative endeavors, and to follow his own sense of artistic passion for the aesthetic of the automobile — not to mention sharing the incredible legends associated with these cars. One story in particular involves opera singer Lily Pons. During the 1930s, Pons was at the height of her fame: she was married to conductor André Kostelanetz, performing at the Metropolitan Opera, and a prominent starlet in Hollywood musicals.In 1938, she commissioned a custom-bodied Packard town car for her personal use, one that would evoke the elegance and formality of 1920s town cars. She specified the coachwork on the Packard to include a 127-inch wheelbase Series 1701 eight-chassis to the Derham Custom Body Company. “Designers back then took pride in the knowledge that their products were permanent and would last forever,” says Stephens. — RYAN WILLARD & TAYLOR ROARKE
1927 Minerva
1931 Rolls Royce
Blouse vintage Claude Montana; skirt Sandoval; belt vintage Charles Jourdan; vintage clutch Ecocitizen; pillbox hat A.C.T. 65
1929 Duesenberg
(Opposite) Laser cut caged dress Camilla Olsen; Hat A.C.T.
1927 Minerva
Asymetric dress Cara Chiapetta; necklace Ecocitizen
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1933 Packard
All Cara Chiapetta; necklace A.C.T.
1933 Packard All Cara Chiapetta; necklace A.C.T. (Opposite) Laser cut dress Camilla Olson; leather hat Alemany Flea Market 71
1941 Cadillac Opposite : 1931 Chrysler Imperial
1927 Minerva
Dress Aliena Gorter; necklace Ecocitizen 74
Dress vintage Thierry Mugler; necklace Ecocitizen
1927 Minerva 78
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Pleated tunic Sandoval; pillbox hat A.C.T. 82
1930 Cord L29
Lily Pons’ 1939 Packard 120
Asymetrical top and trousers Cara Chiapetta. (Opposite) Laser cut dress Camilla Olson; pillbox hat A.C.T. 87
(Both pages) Sara Shepherd; all jewelry A.C.T.
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Hair Veronica Sjoen at Artist Untied; Makeup Victor Cembellin for M.A.C. Cosmetics; Casting Director Clare Rhodes@Castingbyus.com; Models Evelina Mambetova and Karlijn Veling at New York Models, David at Ford; Stylist’s assistant Danielle Wallis; Photo assistant Anna Luzzolini and Audre Broers Gown Robert Curry; hat A.C.T. 90
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DOWN BY
THE RIVER
PHOTOGRAPHY LISA WISEMAN FASHION SIMON UNGLESS
BIG CITY VACATIONEERS FLOCK TO THE SMALL CITY SANCTUARY OF GUERNEVILLE AND THE RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY TO HAVE A GAY OL’ TIME.
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IN THE LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY, A YOUNG SWISS IMMIGRANT NAMED GEORGE E. GUERNE PURCHASED LAND ON THE BANKS OF THE RUSSIAN RIVER, IN AN AREA NAMED “STUMPTOWN,” 60 MILES NORTH OF SAN FRANCISCO. GUERNE BUILT AND OPERATED A LOGGING SAWMILL, NAMING HIS LAY OF LAND “GUERNEWOOD PARK,” WHICH CAME TO BE CALLED THE TOWN OF GUERNEVILLE. GUERNEVILLE AND THE
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RUSSIAN RIVER HAS FOREVER BEEN A SANCTUARY TO ESCAPE THE CHAOS OF CITY LIFE. IN THE 1920S AND 1930S, THOUSANDS OF VACATIONERS AND FAMILIES FROM SAN FRANCISCO AND THE BAY AREA ARRIVED ON TRAINS TO TAKE IN SMALL TOWN CHARM. THE 1940S AND 1950S BROUGHT VACATIONERS BY AUTOMOBILE, USHERING IN A “BIG BAND” ERA FULL OF DANCE HALL NIGHTS AND MOVIES BY THE RIVER. IN THE 1960S, THE SMALL TOWN WAS continued on pg.98
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OVERRUN WITH FLOWER CHILDREN AND HELL’S ANGELS, BUT BY THE MID-70S, WOHLER BRIDGE BEACH ON ACTOR FRED MACMURRAY’S RANCH BECAME A POPULAR GAY SPOT — AND HOME TO THE FIRST GAY RESORT — RUSSIAN RIVER LODGE (NOW FARMHOUSE INN). SINCE THEN, GUERNEVILLE HAS BEEN A POPULAR WEEKEND DESTINATION FOR THE GAY COMMUNITY IN SAN FRANCISCO, WHO IN TURN ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MUCH OF THE LOCAL ECONOMY.
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NESTLED AMONG THE SONOMA WINE COUNTRY VINYARDS AND WITH AN ABUNDANCE OF RESORTS, GUERNEVILLE OFFERS THE OPEN ATMOSPHERE OF CITY LIFE WITH LOCAL COMFORT. THOUGH GUERNEVILLE BEGAN AS A LOGGING TOWN, THE RIVER HAS ALWAYS UNITED THE SMALL CITY. THE RUSSIAN RIVER TAKES ITS NAME FROM RUSSIAN FUR TRAPPERS THAT FOLLOWED IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE KASHAYA INDIANS. WHILE THE ECLECTIC HAMLETS AND TOWNS continued on pg.102
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THAT MAKE UP THE RUSSIAN RIVER COMMUNITY HAVE EXPERIENCED HARDSHIPS, FIRES, FLOODS, THE 1906 EARTHQUAKE AND OTHER DISASTERS, THE COMMUNITY HAS REMAINED A MECCA FOR VACATIONERS. THE RIVER HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CONNECTING FORCE TO THE TOWN’S CULTURAL MAKEUP. THERE IS A LOCAL CHARM, A CERTAIN AIR, TO THE LOCAL PEOPLE THAT DRAWS IN VISITORS FROM ALL OVER. FOR THE GUERNEVILLE LOCALS, THE
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VISITING GAY COMMUNITY OFFERS A COSMOPOLITAN ELEMENT NOT READILY AVAILABLE TO MOST RURAL TOWNS. DOWNTOWN OFFERS AN IMPRESSIVE ROSTER OF GAY-OWNED AND OPERATED BUSINESSES AND ACTIVITIES. THESE INCLUDE LOCAL ART GALLERIES, CHAMPAGNE TASTING AT KORBEL’S, AND FISHING BY THE RIVER UNDER GUERNEVILLE’S 1922 METAL TRUSS BRIDGE. VISITORS CAN ALSO ENJOY AN OPPORTUNITY TO RELAX AFTER A LONG continued on pg.108
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DAY AT THE RIVER BY SHOOTING POOL AT THE LOCAL BAR, RAINBOW CATTLE COMPANY. THE AREA’S LUSH ARMSTRONG REDWOODS ARE HOME TO SOME OF THE WORLD’S TALLEST TREES, AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO VISITORS FOR HIKING, SEASONAL THEATRE IN THE GROVE, AND PICNICS. IN MAY, THE RUSSIAN RIVER WOMEN’S WEEKEND IS HELD, AND THE RIVER COMMUNITY COMES ALIVE DURING THE SUMMER WITH LAZY BEAR WEEKEND AND THE RUSSIAN
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RIVER JAZZ FESTIVAL. GUERNEVILLE AND THE RUSSIAN RIVER IS A PLACE TO WHICH PEOPLE RETURN YEAR AFTER YEAR. THE SMALL TOWN BY THE RIVER HAS BECOME AN IMPORTANT PRESENCE IN CALIFORNIA’S RICH CULTURAL PICTURE, NOT EASILY OVERLOOKED BY THOSE WHO HAVE AN EYE FOR THE ECCENTRIC. — RYAN WILLARD
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Credits: (Pg. 92) Beaded romper Maria Korovilas. (Pg. 96) DevorÊ Dress Naomi Sutton; shibori skirt Sara Shepherd. (Pg. 100) Beaded vest Maria Korovilas; printed dress Melisa Flies. (Pg. 106) Printed dress Anasa Greaves and Jackie Nguyen; sweatshirt stylist’s own. (Pg. 109) Dress Maria Korovilas. (Pg. 111) Dress Maria Korovilas; T shirt Robert Curry. (Pg. 112) Dress Anasa Greaves and Jackie Nguyen; jacket A.C.T. (Pg. 114) All A.C.T. (Pg. 115) Beaded dress
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Maria Korovilas; denim jacket stylist’s own. Hair and Makeup Racine Christensen; Casting Director Clare Rhodes @Castingbyus.com; Model Veronika Klottonova at New York Models; Photo Assistants Erich Valo and Sonya Yruel; Stylist’s Assistant Annie Wehby; Textile Designers Ruby Guerra, Gabrielle Cols, Yi-Hui Wen, Amanda Carrillo, Chanchai Tanapornwattana, Jennifer Chen, Sarah Appiah, Jennifer Filo, Adriane-Lauren Hueso, and Leah Rossi.
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MALCOLM BROWNE PRINTMAKER MALCOLM BROWNE HAS ONE RULE: SEEK OUT THE PARTICULARLY UNPARTICULAR
Malcolm Browne, a 2010 Printmaking graduate from Academy of Art University, grew up in a small fishing village in Maine. It was there that he was first inspired to create his own philosophy of life: a pursuit of random disconnectedness within the world. It is this randomness that enables Browne to embrace life artistically and it is the guiding principle in every creative work of art he produces. In high school, during a lecture on Internet search engines, Brown’s librarian told his class that “no one in his right mind looks through every search result.” Browne however found himself compelled to do exactly that. “I search in a way that is particularly unspecific,” says Browne. “I use combinations of dates, numbers, and letters. I look through thousands of pages of images. In a way I let Google show me what I want.” Six years and 6,000 images later, Browne is an award-winning print artist with a style uniquely his own. Browne’s flair for the arbitrary carries over into his personal life — his email address is an obscure combination of meaningless numbers and letters. When it comes to the art of Googling, Browne says that people use it when they are searching for something unspecific. Google in turn, hones in on what people want in a specific sense. Browne considers his process about the art of simplicity. “One of my early goals was to express a calmness I had grown accustomed to growing up in New England,” says Browne. “I wanted to give my audience the unique experience of being somber in a silent and still place, but one which is also expansive.”
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At the heart of his artwork, Browne hopes to establish a significant distance between the viewer and his art, only for this space to be “reestablished with the realization of universal familiarity.” Despite this reserve, he admits that he would like to “complete the circle” by meeting the people who created the source images he uses in his artwork, and see their reactions. “I like to think I’m using Google in reverse and backing away from any specific content,” says Browne. “I look at a good image — like a really good thrift store find — something that stands out on its own but still brings its own human context. These images [are] like found objects, [and] show the wisdom of their passage through various owners and time.” Although not inspired by any one artist or genre, Browne insists that he is immensely moved by music and always has it playing while at work. He prefers albums that are “compositionally complex yet carefree,” like Music Has the Right to Children by Boards of Canada. He also connects to films like Baraka, or other movies lacking a conventional plot. While Browne has a complex body of work, he has a refreshingly simple goal: to make a living as a producer of creative material and to bridge the gap between digital art and printmaking. Currently he is working on a series of silkscreen and mixed-media pieces based in fractal digital manipulations. While it is not clear when and where the inspiration will hit, it is clear that Malcolm Browne is an artist on the rise. — ANNIE WEHBY
cemetary-iona.jpg 2009 Monotype 119
nataliebradwelland / 5236 2009, Monotype 120
7.1987.07.19.laurjen / IC 342 2009, Monotype 121
Original photography Shaughn Crawford 122
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THE WAY WE WORE
“I’m just the hippie that liked to play dress up.” For 30 years, Doris Raymond has provided worldwide inspiration to designers, celebrities, stylists and others in the fashion industry through her extensive knowledge of fashion history. Today, Doris continues to act as a fashion muse through her own personal collection of vintage clothing and accessories at her Los Angeles boutique, The Way We Wore. Fashion has always been in Raymond’s blood. She grew up influenced by an aunt and uncle who were both designers, and a mother who taught her how to sew. Throughout high school, Raymond’s love of fashion and affinity for vintage clothing grew, and in 1974 she moved to San Francisco. Raymond recalls falling deeper in love with vintage as she passed a local vintage boutique every night on the way home from her waitressing job. Raymond’s closet soon began to overflow with treasures from decades past, and in an attempt to allow her closet room to breathe, Raymond found herself at the beginnings of a successful career in fashion. “I started selling in the flea markets because I had so many clothes,” says Raymond. “I did this for seven years before opening my first shop in San Francisco.” Raymond has become a valuable resource for designers, graduating from scouring second-hand vintage boutiques in San Francisco into a full-time vintage business. She finds her treasures through dealers, auctions and estate sales; however, in most cases, the clothes come to her. “When you do something for over 30 years,” says Raymond, “it finds you.” After 11 years in San Francisco, and 13 years selling underground at vintage fashion expos, Raymond finally made a name for herself within the fashion world. She relocated to L.A. and opened The Way We Wore on South La Brea Avenue. Adjacent to the boutique, Raymond also manages a fabric inspiration resource library, which houses over two million pieces of women’s
clothing and accessories. Spanning an entire century of design, the garments include iconic period pieces and collections from top couture designers, including Chanel, Dior and Hermes. “I am very selective,” says Raymond. “I’ll buy the entire collection but I may only put out a third of it.” Raymond’s inspiration resource library is essentially a haven for fashion designers to gather creativity for their future endeavors. The library is an appointment-only destination and is a provenance for design and creative services. The items within the library, which Raymond says is a “true shortcut for designers,” contain only elements of design and are not in perfect condition. Despite the condition of the pieces, Raymond is able to showcase whatever inspires her in hopes that it will influence other designers and their creations. Her library is home to ethnic costumes, design prototypes, books, reference materials, accessories, and fabric and swatch books ranging from the 18th to the 20th centuries. Raymond’s inspiration library has benefited many designers, including John Galliano, Alexander McQueen and Zac Posen, whose sister, Alexandra Posen, dubbed Raymond the “fairy godmother of fashion inspiration.” Raymond remembers one particular designer with whom she was honored to work: “[Martin] Margiela is the only person who flustered me,” she says. “He is one of the nicest human beings I have had the pleasure to meet and I am in awe of his ability to create beautiful avant-garde clothing.” Traveling the world to expand her collection and library, Raymond once spent over two and a half years of research and made many trips to France to discover the true origin of a cloche and scarf, that she had purchased for less than $300 on a hunch that it might be an authentic Sonia Delauany design. The scarf turned out to be worth over
$150,000. It’s one of Raymond’s favorite pieces to date: “It’s all about the aesthetic, exploration and research,” says Raymond, “and I was right on!” Raymond keeps her boutique open to the public, as well as A-listers like Katie Holmes, Heidi Klum, Zooey Deschanel and Angelina Jolie. Many of her pieces have appeared in movies and television series, such as Mad Men, Titanic, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Raymond says that some vintage stores feel too retro, but she makes it a point to stand out by staying in touch with the current fashions and presenting vintage in a modern way. All the clothes are curated in her boutique, and she cleans, repairs and revives everything back to their original condition, “My boutique is fashion forward not fashion backward,” says Raymond. “It is a high fashion boutique that specializes in vintage.” Raymond offers the same services on the East Coast through the recent opening of a New York branch of The Way We Wore. Since Raymond has so many clients seeking her services, the New York showroom will make her more accessible. “With clients such as Louis Vuitton traveling in from Europe, it makes it easier for them to reach me in New York,” she says. “I can also be there for more than one collection.” Raymond is working on expanding the New York showroom and letting her clients know of her new location, which opened in November 2010. Current clientele include Michael Kors, Lucky Brand and Ralph Lauren. Raymond will also have her hands full as the first ever vintage specialist for WGSN, where she “will regularly present a portfolio of vintage items exemplary of trends relevant to the overall design industry.” Raymond still has goals to reach more clients. Once she has the opportunity to work with Dries Van Noten, Gareth Pugh, and Yohji Yamamoto, she says she can die a happy woman. — BETHANY MULLINIX 123
Photography Shaughn Crawford
THE LIFE AQUATIC An Interview with Tadpole Reese.....
Meet Tadpole Reese, a second semester online Fashion Design student. Yes— Tadpole is his given name. Literally speaking, tadpoles are baby frogs that hatch from eggs underwater. They are born to swim. Tadpole’s father was a member of the first Navy Frogman team formed during World War II. See the connection? His parents were incredibly loving and supportive and encouraged him at an early age to find his own path without any barriers. Tadpole earned his moniker and became a skilled rescue diver. He received his highly disciplined training in Alaska, where he was raised. He describes his educational path as very unconventional. “I loved diving, but unfortunately most of the work involved recovery instead of rescue — meaning the victims had not survived,” said Tadpole. “I became passionate about teaching prevention and safety. For a time I lived in Augusta, Georgia, and was the Aquatics Director of that city’s public swimming pool program.” Tadpole said that he has always had a reverence for hand sewing, elegant craft stitching work and tatting. While in Augusta, he added a different item to his list of skill sets: quilting. “A community of quilters — African American women — embraced my desire to learn (quilting) and welcomed me into their group,” said Tadpole. “I wasn’t one of them, but was accepted into their community.” We had the opportunity to speak with Tadpole about his quilting epiphany, online education and his many aquatic adventures. 180: What made you interested in quilting? Tadpole: Quilting is very powerful. People come together and create utilitarian objects of great beauty and spirituality. Quilting is about families, history, friendship and very deep feelings. I am very drawn to these ideas. Working with fabric and designing is a vast realm. I love fabric — the colors, the fibers, the different types of dyeing, the manipulation, [and] the mechanics of construction. I cherish community experiences
— I seek them out. I want the interaction, the learning, the connection. Quilting embodies all of this. 180: In 2002, you said that you found out that you have synaesthesia. Tadpole: It is actually a rather common condition. Some studies suggest 1 in 23 people have some form of synaesthesia. It means that senses overlap. 180: What does that mean? Tadpole: I “see” sound as color and texture. In my mind, I can almost touch and feel the surface of sounds. It is hard to explain. Once I understood this dimension of my brain function, I wanted to figure out how to use it to [the] best advantage in my life. I discovered that fabrics, because of the colors and textures, represented a way for me to express how I see and feel the world. Many artists have been documented as having this special ability. 180: Has the condition changed the way you approach other aspects of your life? Tadpole: I’ve never been concerned about making changes and pursuing new opportunities. Over time [and currently] I have used my boat as my primary residence. For a time I lived in Monterey Bay — a beautiful area off the Central Coast of California. I was running an underwater diving business. My boat was anchored to a buoy and I kayaked to shore to get to work or run errands. I was made an offer to co-manage a boatyard in Oxnard, California. I said yes and sailed to the Southland. 180: That’s a lot of traveling and a lot of water. When did the fashion interest come in? Tadpole: Actually my experience running a boatyard does have a very direct connection to my discovery that fashion is my calling. I became passionate about repairing boats. For me, it is very creative. I began to collect tools and heavy canvas. I have industrial sewing machines that use titanium needles and accommodate the heavy materials used for sails. I fell in love with the hands-on aspect of repairing by creating. There is no set method. I love figuring things out and being inventive as a problem solver.
180: How does your love of the ocean inform your design aesthetic? Tadpole: I want the clothes I design and construct to be useful — to serve a function for people who engage in water sports like sailing and diving. The ocean is incredible because you can explore it from above and below. And you need different gear depending on your frame of reference. Brands that I admire are Henri Lloyd and Musto. Both of these brands are creating high quality apparel for sailing and water sports. Emilio Pucci is a designer that inspires me. Of course he was famous for his use of color and bold patterns, but he was also a true innovator — one of the first designers to use stretch fabrics. He was very influenced by his love of sports. Pucci was a swimmer, a skier, a racecar driver, and participated in many other sports as well. He loved technical aspects of design and really looked into the future. I am also inspired by the world of couture — the incredible beauty, the details, the aura of perfection. In a sense, I want to create “technical couture” — apparel that sets a new standard for beauty, construction, and workmanship while adapting the most innovative of fabrics and technology to the practical and functional requirements of differing environments. I want my apparel to be amphibious. I want it to be adaptable. My personal history, inspiration from my father, the name he gave me — these are all forces that seem to be directing me on my path. 180: Since you are such a hands-on person, how do you feel about being a part of the online community at the Academy of Art University? Tadpole: I am a sponge. I am always exploring and hungry for new information and experiences. It occurred to me that the job I am currently doing is not nourishing me. I need to express myself artistically. I believe that when decisions are “right,” things fall into place with relative ease. I know I am a designer and an innovator. — ELLEN SEARS 125
Warren Hinckle III bathing Warren Hinckle IV under the supervision of Bentley the basset. Drawn for San Francisco Examiner December 3, 1989 by Gladys Perint Palmer. 126
LAS WORDS IN JOURNALISM
A look at the career of San Francisco Chronicle columnist Warren Hinckle III Warren Hinckle III was a star columnist at the San Francisco Chronicle from 1977 to 1985, at a time when the Chronicle and the San Francisco Examiner were arch rivals — joined at the hip by a 1965 joint operating agreement. The newspaper pages were laid out in a room that connected the two newsrooms (The Examiner’s entrance was on Fifth Street, the Chronicle’s on Mission, but in effect it was one huge floor). Though we could go no further than this ‘common’ area, we at the Examiner were able to check out what the Chronicle was offering for the next day. And vice versa. The Chronicle, owned by the de Young family, beat the Examiner, owned by the Hearsts, in circulation because the joint operation decreed that the Chronicle was the morning paper and thus arrived on breakfast tables. The Examiner was the afternoon paper. Though the first edition, always full of mistakes, appeared at 9 a.m., by the fourth edition, when the errors were fixed, nobody cared. On Sundays the papers combined. I had a Sunday column and also worked on the Sunday magazine, so during my tenure, (I took a buy-out on April Fool’s Day 1991). I was very much courted by San Franciscans. Plummeting circulation at the Examiner made Will Hearst furious and he tried to poach two star columnists from the Chronicle, Herb Caen and Hinckle. Hinckle, who wore a black patch over an eye, not always the same eye, joined the Examiner in 1985 and soon became editor of the Sunday magazine, Image. Even when drunk, Hinckle was smarter than others, sober. Like most intelligent people, he was kinder to those who could not answer back. He saved his cruel barbs for Dianne Feinstein (then mayor of San Francisco), the Hearst family, socialites, WASPS, politicos and anyone who was not Irish. He tried to get an initiative to turn Alcatraz into a casino, and when that failed, he proposed his dog for mayor of San Francisco. Hinckle was a creature of habit, turning up at the office around 6 p.m, wearing patent
leather dancing shoes, and stayed until 2 a.m. During those hours he tore up — and frequently improved — everything that the day staff had put together. When the 9 a.m. brigade arrived, they were seen frothing at the mouth. A brilliant writer, Hinckle regularly missed deadlines to avoid anyone messing with his copy. A WASP editor, Jeff Precort, was assigned to take him out to lunch at Stars and gently persuade him to file on time. To soften the message, Precort suggested that Hinckle choose the wine. When the bill arrived, Warren Hinckle had picked an $800 bottle. And he continued turning in stories late. And editors learned to lie about true deadlines. A rabid Irishman, Hinckle needled the English. I was fashion editor and assigned to work with him on the Sunday magazine, Image. Expecting explosions, because of my accent, fellow journalists rubbed their hands with glee. They were disappointed. Hinckle was one of the best editors I ever worked with. The other was Paul Wilner*, less flamboyant, but he taught me newspaper protocol. He assigned me a story about Christian Lacroix’s latest fragrance, C’est la Vie, and I replied that I was too busy with a story about the illegal and criminal Walled City in Hong Kong. Paul asked, “Are you refusing an assignment?” I had no idea that two refusals were cause for dismissal… but that’s another story and Paul admitted — afterwards — that the Walled City (now pulled down) had more life than C’est la Vie. One of my cover stories, Let them eat cake, with Hinckle’s backing, ridiculed high society’s manic week when the opera and symphony galas and evening dresses took over the front page and the entire style section. The issue sold out on news stands by 11 a.m on Sunday morning. During the first Gulf War, an irreverent story I filed from Paris, was deemed unfit to print. Hinckle immediately published it in his underground paper War News. According to his owner’s contract, Bentley the basset was allowed to roam the Examiner,
in spite of a rule forbidding children and dogs in the building. Bentley never met a carpet or a desk leg he did not like. At that time, Hinckle was married to Susan Cheever, daughter of the writer John Cheever. She lived in New York. Hinckle commuted between San Francisco and New York and we always knew if he was around because the dog carrier was leaking in the lobby. One of the few occasions Susan came to San Francisco was the christening of their son, by then aged three, dressed in a blazer and bow tie. Warren Hinckle IV, otherwise known as The Quad, was baptized in the tiny Fishermen’s Chapel on Fisherman’s Wharf (far from the Madding Crowd, along a winding walkway). The ceremony was conducted by Bishop Mark Hurley, dressed in cardinal purple, and the congregation was composed of the late Jessica Mitford, Jeanette Etheredge (Tosca Bar), the Mitchell brothers (O’Farrell Theater) and their rising porn star in hipster-pants with fur tickling her belly button, union leaders, a bagpiper and Bentley who walked up and down the aisle occasionally blessing a pew. One day I took a new puppy to the Examiner. I was denied entry. No one was picking up their phones upstairs and the guard was not interested that in three weeks’ time there would be no cover story and many blank pages in the magazine. Finally I reached the features editor (a hefty woman who had had a fling with Hinckle before he got bored) and she told the guard to let me in with the puppy. Then she came to my desk and delivered a lecture about the hazards of dogs in the workplace. Five minutes later Bentley and Hinckle arrived. They both greeted my puppy with joy. I told Hinckle that Pat (not quite her real name) had been very cross. Warren Hinckle had the last word: “I didn’t know she had been promoted to watchdog.” — GLADYS PERINT PALMER. *PAUL WILNER HAS COMPLETE RECALL FOR NAMES AND DETAILS AND KINDLY CONTRIBUTED TO THIS STORY. 127
Photography Merrick Morton Š 2010 Universal Pictures
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SOFIA COPPOLA Dino, Ryan and Sofia Take A Trip to Somewhere.....
Sofia Coppola is Hollywood royalty. Her father is Francis Ford Coppola and her brother is producer Roman Coppola — but she doesn’t wear that privilege on her sleeve. Instead, she favors casual striped boat neck shirts that echo a Parisian lifestyle and a pair of skinny jeans. Coppola projects the image of a young woman naturally ingrained with a sense of fashion. Her personal style embodies the films she creates as she channels the history of her family and old Hollywood’s charm. She’s interned for Karl Lagerfeld, modeled, launched MilkFed (a fashion line with Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon) and served as Marc Jacobs’s muse — but she has been surrounded by film all her life. She combined her love for both to create the commercial for the fragrance, Miss Dior Cherie, which — of course — turned out to be very French. Coppola is introspective and subdued, just like her work. Her films quietly portray raw human emotion, often set to a transitional moment within a character’s life. She gives her audience a secret glimpse into the lives of trapped and bored people who float through their lives to beautiful soundtracks, trying to grow up in the process. At times, life is entirely too real in Coppola’s world. She has written and directed stories of repressed teens bound by suburbia and religion (Virgin Suicides), an alienated film actor’s fascination with a lonely newlywed in Tokyo (Lost in Translation), and the rise and fall of a young, overindulgent queen (Marie Antoinette). “I like to write and make films about things that are on my mind,” says Coppola. “I try to be intuitive and try not to analyze why I am interested in something. Afterwards, I can try to see if there is a link in themes. I try to learn something from each one and hopefully grow.” It is easy to mistake the surface quality of Coppola’s latest film, Somewhere, for an empty landscape of Los Angeles. At times, the
camera is too close, the people too real — as in the case of Hollywood celebrity Johnny Marco — played by Stephen Dorff — and his navigation through L.A.’s haze of beer, women and pills. At the crux of the film, Marco’s daughter Cleo — played by Elle Fanning — gives the jaded movie star a glimpse of how his life could be. As images and events wash over Marco, he considers the meaninglessness of his life. Often, Coppola’s locations are living, breathing characters in-and-of themselves. Somewhere proves to be no different, as Marco lives a life of luxury in the renowned Chateau Marmont, which is used as a backdrop for Johnny Marco’s wild nights. “I’ve always loved those iconic movies about L.A., like Shampoo and American Gigolo, and I couldn’t think of one recently that had captured the mood and the feeling of L.A. today,” says Coppola. “I thought of American pop culture, its fascination with fame and what that brings with it.” The blurry lights and careful angles of Somewhere are stylistically reminiscent of Lost in Translation, but the two characters at odds with each other are the intimate fatherdaughter duo Marco and Cleo. Somewhere contrasts the ethereal innocence of Cleo with Marco’s surreal celebrity lifestyle, embodied within the Chateau’s old Hollywood extravagance. Having spent a lot of time in hotels as a child with her father, Coppola says that it was interesting to see the people staying there. As for the Chateau Marmont, Coppola holds a certain affection for the Hollywood landmark. “It seems like every young actor I’ve talked to has a story about living at the Chateau,” says Coppola. “It seems like people [are] checking into the Chateau just to be photographed.” Although Marco is seen through a celebrity filter, Dorff says, “[Somewhere] came at a time when I needed a part like this — it helped me, I was really empty inside and this
movie made me smile. I was ready to embrace this role like Sofia embraced me. It’s a role that my mom would have been happy to see me play.” Somewhere’s minimalistic tones and the post-rock music of the French band Phoenix eloquently capture the emptiness and phoniness of a life lived in front of the camera. It is only in Cleo’s absence that Marco comes to realize a sort of redemption. Even though she shot primarily in L.A., Sofia couldn’t resist the urge to go abroad with her production. This time she chose Italy. But instead of building a fake soundstage on a Hollywood lot, she went for the real thing. “I always prefer to shoot in the real places, rather than making Milan in L.A.,” says Coppola. “To fake even the extras in L.A. wouldn’t have had the same feeling.” What defines Coppola’s films and sets them apart from films by other directors — both in theme and cinematography — are the technical choices made behind the camera. Coppola is known for using cameras that she considers family heirlooms. “I’ve always shot on film. My dad is really into HD, and he thinks it’s sweet that my brother Roman and I are so sentimental and love film,” she says. “The set of lenses we used to shoot Somewhere were the actual ones that my dad shot Rumble Fish on — and Rumble Fish is a favorite of mine.” In Somewhere, Coppola has come full circle, embodying the spirit of her earlier works with a new sense of maturity that reflects her transition from the daughter of a Hollywood movie mogul to an auteur in her own right. “I set it [Somewhere] in that world because it is entertaining and also because it’s a world that is familiar to me,” says Coppola. “I try to write about things that I feel like I know enough about. The themes are universal and anyone can relate to them — the journey he is on and the choices we have to make in life.” — DINO-RAY RAMOS AND RYAN WILLARD 129
Photography Michael Carbaugh
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