blue velvet editorials Second edition, September 2020
les mauvaises habitudes de la vie /
bad habits of life Ester and Celestina on film in the 80's
Heaven can wait,
We're only watching the skies
- Alphaville, 'forever young'
Porto, outdated film, 2015
a letter from the founder
Welcome to the second edition of Blue Velvet Editorials!
photo by Pedro
It’s been quite a ride for the past 2 months. The launch of the first edition ‘lost dreams / les rêves perdus’ was, undoubtedly, something I thought I’d never experience. The readers felt the words as much as I did, and the feeling of seeing them holding it in their hands is indescribable. Thank you so much for your support. If you’re reading this, grab a beer and enjoy reading the second edition as much as I enjoyed making it!
This edition is dedicated to ‘bad habits’.We, as humans create habits that we can't let go. Those are the ones that give us the stamina, the energy, the adrenaline to move our life forward. We hold ourselves to that reality and it's hard to picture our life without these routines. Regardless that, some habits can be bad, they give us the freedom we have the right to and, in the end, they turn out to be something meaningful. However, we may or may not regret them. I choose to not regret because, quoting 'forever young' from Alphaville - "life is a short trip". Join me on this journey of deconstructing the ‘habit’ concept on all levels. Actually, I attempt to say that we should deconstruct not only concepts but also ourselves, later constructing again. It can be good, it can be bad, but we’ll be able to discover a new part of ourselves and to know how willing we are to accept ourselves. From books, characters, fashion weeks, art reviews to thinking about how short our life is, this edition is dedicated to my aunt Ester, who never regretted her habits and lived her trip to the fullest. Catarina João Vieira
Founder and Editor-in-Chief
contents
light as a leaf intempor(elles) - Ana BrandĂŁo - Dark Fantasy - Fashion Week review - being free - Oops... Let's not do it again! forever young human beings in a mob // part II - Gil - Mariana Esteves - Maria InĂŞs Costa Mirrors - Part I - Part II - Part III Sara Oxygen Agrela, film, summer 2020
Marla Singer interpreted by Helena Bonham Carter
'Fight Club' by David Fincher, 1999
light as a leaf
Bad habits are common to all human beings. Drugs, alcohol, passion, incessant search for genuine feelings, you name it. You have them, I have them and we will keep on having them, even though it will bring negative consequences that will remain with us forever. Marla Singer, character of the motion picture ‘Fight Club’, directed by David Fincher, is the perfect example of these habits. She embodies the spirit of an addicted animal that irrationally looks for something in her life. From joining cancer groups (just because) to meeting an undefined person, ‘the narrator’, she is the only character that remains true to herself throughout the whole story. The female character created by Chuck Palahniuk wears black, a faux fur jacket and her raw personality while smoking an effortless cigarette covering her apathetic and sloppy allure. Marla is as light as a leaf, the only thing that keeps her tied to the ground is her attempt to live, that perfectly fails throughout the story. The wind blows through her light body, carrying her to bad habits and fake realities. As I said, it’s a story that shows us how it's like to be alive with our scars, bones and more than one identity exposed, looking to the abysm. The worst part of it all is that this is real life for some of us.
Catarina João Vieira
photo on film by Sara Brandão
intempor(elles) There are some things that triumph over time. It can be a book, a movie, a friendship, a passion. It will prevail after decades and it will be remembered as a timeless, iconic moment that created memories and feelings. Intempor(elles) is a part of Blue Velvet Editorials and it will cover timeless fashion. From ‘semaines de la mode’, the newest collections, or anything that might be a topic of discussion, to debates about the business of fashion, this section will have its eyes on the past looking to the future. The fashion industry is now, more than ever, recreating its stories and adapting to new creative, social and ethical challenges. We should be part of this change and use our voices to bring new perspectives. ‘Elles’ are the co-creators of this section: me and Ana. Five years ago, we found out that beyond friendship, we were bonded by fashion. 1 year ago, we lived in Paris and the long discussions were not only about life but also about what we could do with our passion. 2020 was the year to launch this project within my experimental magazine. And, after all, this piece wouldn’t make sense with anyone else. . Catarina João Vieira
Meet Ana
Brandão,
fashion editor of
Intempor(elles)
Porto, film, 2020
A woman wearing black all winter and few colors during summer. Besides this simplicity, fashion has always been an inspiration for who I am and for what I do. I’ve always surrounded myself with books, movies, museum visits around the subject and I’ve always enjoyed long debates about designs, trends, fashion shows and fashionable people. A lot of debates ago, I found in Catarina a friend and a partner in the fashion world. We have, at the same time, very different tastes but very similar ideas – we look at fashion as a form of art and enjoy analyzing it on deeper levels. Over the years we have had a lot of fashion related adventures, but living in Paris while I was studying fashion management and Catarina was completing her master’s and interning at a big cosmetics company had to be the best one (yet!). In Paris, we had the space and time to find our personal styles and to deepen our knowledge on every aspect of the fashion world. We added history, philosophy, music, literature and dance to the mix. We discovered new designers and explored their inspirations. A lot of people describe themselves as fashion enthusiastic and with a fashionable style. I could say that the both of us are way more than that, but I will let Intempor(elles) prove you that over time. We have talked about doing a project together since forever. I am so proud that Catarina is opening the door to Blue Velvet Editorials so that we can, side by side, explore the timeless, trendy, vintage and new fashion industry with you all.
dark fantasy
Maison Valentino, Online Fashion Haute Couture Show AW 2020
Fashion Week Review AW20
Fashion Weeks are a free space for brands and designers to showcase their creations on walking humans. The monthly preparations of the creations, the development of the set are beautifully harmonized with music, make-up, the bustle at the backstage, the runway. This moment is meant for fashion reps to physically explore the glamouristic, dreamy and mysterious meanings behind their fantasies, on a concrete and materialistic way. The runaway and the illusion of the guests, picturing themselves on that story, alongside this sensorial experience conveys the message of this tale and all the characters involved reach a climax. However, villains emerge to disturb the romantic narrative and all the characters need to deal and adapt to the presence of an (invisible) evil. The fashion story is no exception and what we thought singularized fashion weeks is now changed. Maybe a dark fantasy? Fashion went digital. The past couple of weeks were a rollercoaster of fashion shows online and of brilliant creative ideas that rose from this pandemic. The Dior mini dresses, the Prada virtual reality or the Jacquemus bucolic dream show were just examples of how brands worked around the situation. Positive side of all this? Fashion was not only for VIP guests, fashion was for everyone. Even physical fashion shows had special digital marketing treats for everyone - the digital content was all over the place and available all over the world. The pandemic allowed fashion to be democratized; and this is, in our point of view, a step towards a more democratic fashion industry. We’re facing a new chapter of this narrative, and people who never had the opportunity to be a character of this story, now have the lead roles. The villain brought an opportunity to dream on a rough time and, for a moment, escape from the reality and live this unique story. Fashion is a wonderland in terms of creativity, passion, love, storytelling. It’s easy to fall in love with new creations and the digital world brings a whole new perspective that we couldn’t have before “Happily ever after” never had such a great meaning, even on dark fantasies. Catarina & Ana
photo from Pinterest
being free
How bad habits influenced 60s and 70s fashion
Defining a ‘bad habit’ will always be a challenge. There is an infinite number of attempts to do so: drugs, alcohol, addiction, waking up late in the morning, among others. However, there is one subject that is strictly related to this concept: ‘freedom’. We are free to do whatever we want in our life. Fashion is no exception. Fashion was born from the habit to dress up, covering up our body with something that translates our freedom. The sixties and the seventies were defined as decades of freedom and, consequently, bad habits. It was a time of emancipation from the conservatism lived in the 40s and 50s. Post-war revolution, rebellions, gender defiance characterized these two decades alongside societal changes that enabled an explosion of art within the fashion industry. London was the coolest location in the sixties. Its streets were a fashion parade where the younger generation rebelled against the restrictions of a post-war society. They denied the reality their elders lived in and music, fashion was a way of expressing their fight against the system. Designer names such as Mary Quant emerged. She dressed women with miniskirts and ‘showing’ legs was the hit, something that before was completely out of reach. Mary brought color, patterns, a range of options for women to play with. The ‘mod’ style was born and dressing up was fun and women were free, closing a ‘bad habit’ that their mothers lived: being stuck with standard and monochromatic designs. Also, in the sixties, the ‘hippie’ movement emerged in America. The younger generation refused to accept the postwar prosperity, and engaged on political protests, being active not only through their voice, but also through their clothes. Fashion was made from their beliefs: peace. Considered as a counterculture, this movement took the American streets with colorful patterns, long shirts, flower motives, anything that announced their selfexpression and the discovery of a new reality, being an iconic and important era for the (fashion) world.
The 70’s were one of the biggest sources of style for the industry. Trends born in that decade remain relevant until today and do not seem to be going anywhere. Do you know those bell sleeves that are on every fast fashion stores? Born in the 70’s. High boots? Miniskirts? Just like today, 1970 had their influences and fashion icons. Jane Birkin, Jackie Kennedy, Twiggy... all names that wore the best styles and that made average woman run to stores to find the same styles as their icons. One of the stores they ran to was Vivienne Westwood’s, one of the fashion queens who opened her first shop in 1971 and who is known as the mother of punk and modern new wave fashion. She actually once resumed the decade in one simple statement “when in doubt, overdress”. Fashion in the 60’s/70’s was about making a statement, about standing out. The pop music, political activism, influence and the impact of cinema and TV, societal changes, were clearly a big influence. Fashion became more fearless, different. These were years of experiment, exploration, liberation, becoming better and with more personality, embedding lifestyles, habits that previously were doomed by the society.
Two decades that our grandparents fought so
that today we could live without (fashion) boundaries
and honor the only habit that will never be bad:
being free.
Catarina & Ana
Oops... Let's not do it again!
Ezra Miller
Met Gala 2019- Photo by
KARWAI TANG - GETTY IMAGES
We need to get over the bad habit of thinking that extravagant fashion in only made for women and that men cannot possibly innovate themselves and be bold, creative and serve mind blowing fashion moments on red carpets and on the streets. In the last years, men have been introducing ground breaking creations and breaking this gender-stereotype. And... let's not have that habit again! Catarina & Ana
Ester, Celestina and Conceição in the eighties through film
forever young
In 1984, Alphaville launched a song entitled “Forever Young”. I remember hearing the lyrics and picturing young girls on the sea coast, embracing the skies, in the eighties. The mental portrait is pretty clear: old film, baggy clothes, short hair, a pure state of joy. In that precise moment they knew they were forever young. That subconscious conception made me wonder if we are really taking some minutes to look up to the sky and enjoy the fact we’re alive, able to savor the wind and the sea breeze. ‘Heaven can wait’, they say. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t. Maybe our bad habit is that we’re here just waiting. Waiting for the next wave of pure, genuine, emotion. The one you feel when you are not waiting. The one that just happens, and bursts when you are wondering about how it would feel like. In life, with people. Maybe our bad habit is that we wait for moments that we can look in the eyes, when we should be looking beyond them. Instead of waiting, we should actually feel we are capable of living forever – ‘life is a short trip’. After all, Waves fade in the horizon, mental portraits can be real, heaven doesn’t wait for everyone: and, we're not more than emotions. Catarina João Vieira
Ester and Celestina in the eighties through film
human beings in a mob
part II - section honoring humans who turn water into wine, or 'bad
habits' into something worth of our time
Artwork by Dora Maar, Pompidou, Paris,
Digital, 2019
What is a bad habit to you?
#1 Gil Cardoso
A doctorate in physics, a wanderer, an obsessed with art, a writer, a living soul of habits. Despite being 25, Gil calls himself an "old soul". He lives according to his routines and it's hard to change that. However, his daydreams defies the laws that he has been taught and sometimes the order, he is used to have, transforms in disorder. He challenges them, asking, wondering. I said he was a man of habits. Maybe good, maybe bad. Maybe old. Nevertheless, his smile tell us that habits are a question of perspective
Paris, film, 2019
I start abruptly with no subtlety on how to approach a subject which I don’t finish since my attention seems to shift because I forgot the introduction. In this introduction I give you the structure of this text where I will expose my bad habits, give an enumeration of them and possibly their origin. And yet I have little patience for such a long list as I want to get to the core of the subject without having to give the context. Such a rush to get to the point and yet get sidetracked, because I remembered this little amusing story. A story that has nearly nothing to do with what I want to talk about and yet it suddenly seems to be so important… A detail I cannot skip for some reason… a detail for which I will give all the context and possible enumerations I wanted to skip before…a detail that becomes the subject. I drift away spending most of my energy until I forget… I forget why I have come this way. I look around, I look for words that will bring me back, but there’s nothing… Strayed from the main road of my reasoning. Too far to come back and there’s nothing around me. My communication loses all it’s meaning. Too late to go back as too many words have been written. Hence, I propose not to talk about bad habits but to show mine to you.
Porto, film, 2020
#2 Mariana Esteves
Who is talking to me? Who are you reading? Whose perspective do you
illuminate when you choose a book, a song or a movie?
I had a hard realization when I was asked these same questions. If you are like me, you are consuming white-cishetero-man perspectives almost exclusively, although not intentionally. A simple exercise that helped me consisted of asking myself which was the last woman I read? The last black woman? The last lesbian? The last trans? Who is talking to me? To whom belongs the narrative I have been telling myself about the world? I had been absorbing the world through white heteronormative perspectives most of my life, hence blind for the infinite number of ways to move through this world. What I have been consuming is not neutral (it never is) and it has not only blinded me to the issues I have the privilege not to feel, but also to those I am directly affected by. I have been conditioned to believe the public space does not belong to me. I can speak and have an opinion, but I should not be too hysterical, or I’ll make people uncomfortable. I can call out on misogynistic comments, but not too much or people will feel monotonized and repressed. I have been conditioned to believe racism was no longer an issue, because slavery was abolished, or that gender-discrimination no longer exists because women already have the right to vote. I have been conditioned to believe that inequality was a problem of the industrial revolution, but now things are way better. I cannot help to feel betrayed by my own education. How can we contribute to a more humanistic world if we keep ignoring and invalidating a part of it? If our social circle has not been affected by those issues and our education system tells us these problems have already been addressed, we will most likely believe it. If we are remotely interested in living in a fairer, kinder, and more equal world isn’t it our responsibility to listen to all these different ways of experiencing the world? To listen not from a place of defensiveness, but with a sincere willingness to learn. So, how white is your shelf? How heteronormative is your shelf? How many men do you have on your shelf? How diverse is your shelf? photos by Wonther
Drawing by Maria InĂŞs Costa, watercolor and acrylic
#3 Maria Inês Costa
Maria speaks through her art. Besides being a woman full of soul and charisma, her experimental drawings carry a heavy baggage of reflections and psychological science. At some point in our life, we look for disorder, bad habits. Read her thoughts and let us know if the legend of Narcissus is real.Thank you, Maria, for sharing your truth with us.
Porto, Digital
Legend has it that Narcissus took his reflection in a lake for someone else and fell in love with that image. While trying to kiss the object of his love, he fell into the water and drowned. This is the mythical basis of what is called “narcissistic wound”, something that touches us. Humanity is faced with the wound, when realizing that its greatest dreams, vanities and expectations do not correspond to reality. In fact, whenever something bothers us in our life, it is because, deep down, they carried where the skin is much more sensitive. Therefore, not all are born to “see”. If we want, we can ignore the lesson with some distraction. There is a moment in our lives that we look for disorder, chaos, problems…bad habits.
Not for masochism, but because we learned that with each
fall, what dies was destined to die, and what emerges is
what had to be born.
mirrors
a reflection on Alexander McQueen and life
'Plato Atlantis', Alexander McQueen, 2010
'Voss', Alexander McQueen, 2001
part I
We have the habit to wake up in the morning and look to the mirror for a brief moment. The mirror is used to look at us every single day and it never gets tired of it. It's a brand new day and we believe it will be a normal one.
photo by Nick Waplington
part II Lee Alexander McQueen, born in 1969, is a british fashion designer. At the age of 16, Lee was already facing the fashion industry, dominating the fabrics and advanced textile tecniques. He worked for Koji Tatsuno, Romeo Gigliï, succeeded Galliano on Givenchy Haute Couture and created his own brand. Alexander was a man of dreams. On his collections, the designer brought the drama, the reality of being exposed to bad habits, the creativity of showing them on an unforgettable way. From futuristic to teller of bad dreams, Alexander transformed them into pure walking art. His creations told stories of rape, assaults, nightmares, art, movies, life today and life in the next centuries. He turned the ugly, raw truth into unique and threatical pieces. His runaways shows were not only provokative, but they introduced the novelty like creating machines who paint dresses (S/S 1999 – No. 13) and technologies that will replace the human kind (S/S 2010 – Plato Atlantis). He turned the horror in romance and the romance in horror. Alexander gave to his creations, a touch of his misty personal experiences that were way more complex than his life. From the beggining of the humankind, primitivism, to looking up to the future, the designer shocked the audience and brought to life new imponent and iconic concepts. The designer emerged himself on his pieces and tried to drown his own - on them.
part III
Are we really used to look to the mirror for more than just a brief moment? In 2001, McQueen deliberately started the runaway show 'Voss' one hour later so the audience would be forced to stare at their own reflections in the giant mirrored cube that was the show's focal point. The good habit I mentioned in the beggining was extrapoled and and was felt by all the audience for more than just a brief moment. It was a majestic act that forced the crowd to look at them for more time than usual. Alexander didn't have the nerve to face his reflections in the morning, or for more than an hour. 9 years later he forced himself to look to the mirror, and look into himself. Like a brand new day, another one. Alexander isn't with us right now.
Catarina João Vieira
'Voss', Alexander McQueen, 2001
film
sara. O Pedro assumiu, na sua língua, os sonhos perdidos na edição passada. Como disse naquele mês, foi Pedro, alguém que não está satisfeito em ser um só. Mais tarde ou mais cedo, iria ser outra pessoa diferente. Esta edição é Sara. Sara, nas suas deambulações diárias, desenha, pinta, ilustra, canta, vive e escreve os seus hábitos.Esses hábitos que a permitem acordar. Acordar para um novo dia de versos. Que nunca serão maus. E, Que nunca serão maus hábitos. Catarina João Vieira
Nem sempre acordo com o meu corpo. Fico sobre o embalo da luz do Sol, que sempre entra sem pedir licença, pela minha janela aberta. Sinto a minha pele revoltar a inércia enquanto se deixa aquecer pelo calor que o meu quarto semeia, nos dias de Verão. São tantos os dias em que sou verso, sem ser poema. Em que estou tão longe do que sou, mas o meu corpo continua. Deixa na cama a sua marca sobre os lençóis enrugados e segue o seu caminho, apático à realidade de me ter deixado ainda a dormir. O tempo é uma concessão ingrata à nossa condição. A garantia do ontem que deitaste a perder sentado sobre a tua sombra na promessa inerte ao sopro de uma árvore. Dizem que a vida passa a correr e hoje ainda nem acordaste. Nem sempre acordo com o meu corpo. Não por procrastinação mais medo de me perder no barulho do Mundo. no entretanto de todo esse tempo que não volta me esquecer de sonhar.
Sara Brandão
negyxo artwork from Pinterest
oxygen Blue Velvet Editorials always had the goal to be a cultural reference in Portugal and in the world. There is so much culture happening on events, peop le, and sometimes it’s hard to keep up with all of it. Despite this pandemic, some people and organizations adapted flawlessly to give us new experiences and moments where we could safely inhale a dosis of artistic oxygen. In conclu sion, this new section will be exclusively about events of any form of any expre ssion of art happening anywhere in the globe.
Indie Lisboa 2020
Cinemateca, Lisbon, film, 2020
Print Exclusive
Book Fair Porto 2020
Print Exclusive
Palรกcio de Cristal, Porto, film, 2020
Poetria, Poesy and Theatre, one of the best bookshops in Porto
Inside Cinemateca
film, September, 2020
frame from the movie 'The Great Gatsby' directed by Baz Luhrmann
green light
I remember the first time I read The Great Gatsby from Fitzgerald. Actually, I’ve been trying to write about Gatsby for the past 3 years and it’s been quite complicated to do so. However, here is my attempt. The book describes a man called Jay Gatsby, who could die for passion, and who holds to a scenario that was never going to be real. I was overthrown by Fitzgerald’s words, and the description of a man’s fight with the depths of his soul to conquer a woman again. From that moment, the character became a phenomenon to understand how willing we are to pursue someone or our purpose in life. I suffocate with emotions when I talk about the book with someone. Gatsby’s story needs to be discussed with all the feelings, with passion, like himself. We can dance, we can laugh, we can do everything, but I strongly doubt that we can love like Gatsby. In my opinion, the reason I get so emotional when talking about it is that he knew his purpose and we spend a lifetime to know ours. Gatsby found his meaning on sticking to a green light, an endless hope that could cure him. He thinks it's love. He thinks it's Daisy. He dies thinking that he could be saved from his demons with a light that was sparkling on the other side of the bay. After reading it, I successfully fail to understand ‘why’ he does this. Actually, as time goes by, my questions arise and I remain calm watching them unanswered. Do we need to have answers for everything? We hold on to a reality and we prefer to destroy ourselves with an emotion. We become comfortable with that feeling and we deny that it will eventually consume us. We will eventually be back to the past. But, at least, we know that our senses were defied and passion, good or bad, will not be more than a biological habit. We will continue to read books, searching for men like Gatsby who are not afraid to fight for their emotions, dying with no short notice that he was already lifeless inside from the moment he lost Daisy. However, he kept on going through the most outrageous parties, fireworks, alcohol, drugs. The only answer we have is that we will continue to hold to a green light, a light that represents the most destructive feeling a human can have: hope. Catarina João Vieira
Edition dedicated to my aunt Ester.
Heaven didn’t wait for her but, in that
moment, she lived forever.
thank you for being part of
this good habit.
Third edition soon:
être vitruve / being vitruvian
Written, Directed and Edited by Catarina João Vieira
Revised by Ana Brandão A big thank you to my special guests: Gil Cardoso, Maria Inês Costa, Mariana Esteves, Sara Brandão and my deep gratitude to Maria Inês Garcia.