no.12
A NEW YEAR, A NEW
BLU COMING 2011
BLU-MAGAZINE.COM FOR ADVERTISING, CONTACT INFO@BLU-MAGAZINE.COM
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The Metropolitan Hair Academy is not just another academy, but a new concept of education based upon the ideals of making the true hairstyling professional. The Metropolitan Hair Academy foundation is established on a “European Education System,� which is being offered for the first time in the U.S. Come join us as we learn how to explore and unlock your own creativity!
www.metrohairacademy.com The Metropolitan Hair Academy Formerly Kemon Hair Academy 209 S. Kings Dr. Charlotte, NC 704.334.5511
Formerly Kemon Hair Academy
Publisher & Creative Director Camila Amortegui Camila@blu-magazine.com Publisher & Director Of Sales Nico Amortegui Nico@blu-magazine.com Editor Matthew Brown Matt@blu-magazine.com Copy Editors Laine Dedmon Teresa Hartford Shannon Barringer Editorial Assistant Lizzy Cummings Contributing Writers Ashley Shoemaker Mary Rust Demarr Vereen Ashley Thorne Oni Roman Contributing Photographers Eudes De Santana Melissa Robinson Sanghyun Paek Alexandra Valenti Tunde - Fresh I Am Oh Snap Kid! Intern DeMarr Vereen PR & Marketing Director Carleen Shankle Carleen@Blu-Magazine.Com Ad Sales & Marketing Andres Ramirez Andres@blu-magazine.com New York & Washington D.C. Blü Magazine is published quarterly. There are only limited quantities printed. We are an independently run magazine, so please show your support by giving us feedback and advertise so we can stay alive. If you would like to be part of our team or submit work, please visit blu-magazine.com for more information. Blü Magazine’s content may not be reproduced without written permission. Issue no.12 October - December 2010
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art 10 BRIAN VIVEROS 24 LEIGH VINER 34 SOFIA MALDONADO 46 LIVING WALLS ATLANTA fashion 18 SISTERS OF THE BLACK MOON 28 NEVER SLEEP AGAIN 32 CHRIS STAMP - STAMPD' LA & STUDY FOOTWEAR 38 I NEED A SMOKE 42 CALISTA 50 RESISTANCE TO RULING culture 54 SUPERBLÜ PARTY - CHARLESTON SUPERBLÜ PARTY - CHARLOTTE 55 HEAVY PARTY - ATLANTA
Photo by Alexandra Valenti
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1. HI, MY NAME IS … EUDES DE SANTANA. I'm from Brazil, now based in Barcelona, Spain. My contribution to this issue was “Resistance to Ruling Ideology Through Style.” The last meal I cooked was fried potatoes. I could listen to Fugazi all the time. My parents always told me, “Don’t use your head just to wear a hat.” My favorite place to be is the next place. Everyday I start my day with a cup of coffee. I think fashion is a way of expression. If I had a million dollars right now I would be happy, very happy... I want to change something that I don’t know right now. 2. HI, MY NAME IS ... MELISSA ROBINSON. I'm from Queens, New York. My contribution to this issue was "I Need A Smoke". The last meal I cooked was turkey bacon and eggs with cheese for my dad and me. I could listen to Radiohead all the time. My parents always told me they support me in anything I do. My favorite place to be is in the arms of someone I love. Everyday I write down all the things that I am thankful for. I think fashion is so important that if you're no good at it, you should just go live in a box where no one can see you... ever. If I had a million dollars right now I would invest, save, and buy a lifetime supply of gummy bears. I want to change the nail polish on my finger nails, because it's chipping. 3. HI, MY NAME IS … MARY RUST. I'm from the Atlantic Coast. My contribution to this issue was the interview with Leigh Viner. The last meal I cooked was … Do I look domesticated? I could listen to girl groups from the 60s all the time. My parents always told me to say anything I want, as long as I say it respectfully. My favorite place to be is asleep. Everyday I'm hustlin'. I think fashion is not just about the clothes; it's about all kinds of change. If I had a million dollars right now I would buy a pair of Miu Miu's and a one-way ticket to Europe to find my dream boy. I want to change the ban on gay marriage. 4. HI, MY NAME IS .... ONISHA ISABEL ROMÁN ESPADA I'm from Atlanta by way of Puerto Rico. My contribution to this issue was Living Walls. The last meal I cooked was nachos. I could listen to NPR/WABE all the time. My parents always told me to "not to touch anything!" My favorite place to be is where ever my amazing group of friends are. Every day I wake up. I think fashion is fun and functional. If I had a million dollars right now I would buy an eco car, pay off student loans, invest in my business, help family, donate to a good cause, save for retirement. I want to change all my bad habits for the better.
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5. HI, MY NAME IS … SANGHYUN PAEK. I'm from Seoul, South Korea. My contribution to this issue was "Never Sleep Again." The last meal I cooked was Korean ramen. I could listen to Hillsong music all the time. My parents always told me to be rich and great. My favorite place to be is Maldives. Everyday I read The Bible. I think fashion is everything. If I had a million dollars right now I would make an amazing photo shoot with my lovely crew. I want to change my flat. 6. HI, MY NAME IS... ASHLEY THORNE. I'm from Washington, D.C. My contribution to this issue was the interview with Calista. The last meal I cooked was a Cesar salad and a turkey avocado sandwich. I could listen to Radiohead all the time. My parents always told me to go for my dreams. I've always had the encouragement from my parents to pursue what makes me happy. My favorite place to be is Battery Kemble in DC on a wooded trail with my dog. Everyday I thank the universe for the day and I try to live as if it were my last day. I think fashion is clothes you like to wear. It’s what keeps us from being naked and a way to express ourselves. If I had a million dollars right now I would pay off my college debt and gather my closest friends and take everyone on vacay. I want to change everyone's negative thoughts. 7. HI, MY NAME IS ... DEMARR VEREEN. I'm from Myrtle Beach, SC. My contribution to this issue was the Chris Stamp interview. The last meal I cooked was a steak dinner! I could listen to Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt album all the time. My parents always told me to expect the best, but always prepare for the worst. My favorite place to be is the one I visit the most - my imagination - that place is amazing. Everyday I say a short prayer to myself. I think fashion is a visual representation of a person’s personality. A person’s wardrobe tells a short story of that individual. If I had a million dollars right now I would invest, then I would do the MC Hammer dance and say “U Can’t Touch This!”… and then take a short vacation. I want to change nothing. God has created everything for a reason, who am I to change that?
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DIRTY-DIRTY
BRIAN VIVEROS Interview by Ashley Shoemaker
Procative, captivating, and stunning are just few fitting words that come to mind when viewing Brian Vivieros' work. Often described as a 'fetish artist', Viveros first received major recognition over a decade ago with "The Art of Porn" exhibition in Switzerland. Since then, his works have appeared in galleries across the country and throughout Europe. Blü was delighted to learn more about the madman behind the curtain as his trademarked, smoking beauties were unleashed upon us.
What is art to you? Art to me is anything that is pleasing to my eyes but at the same time it has to affect my world of what moves me as an artist and my twisted sense of beauty. When did you discover that you no longer wanted to just make art, but that you wanted to share your art with the world? At a very early age I was sharing my projects and wanting people to see my art . I always dreamed and hoped that one day I would be remembered. Making art to me is a way of giving back. It is a small part of my world that I want to share with everyone. To take a second and think back and remember when I really started to take the whole art thing seriously was my first exhibition in 1997 at The Museum of Porn in Switzerland. It was my first real exhibition alongside many greats and mentors like H.R. Giger and Eric Stanton to name a few. At that time I was doing pen and ink drawings, super hardcore stuff and I sold all three pieces in the show. It was such a great feeling to sell my work and it was only a couple hundred bucks but that didn't matter, it was the moment that I knew this was what I needed to do in my life.
Which artists’ work do you most enjoy? Hmmm, there are a lot of artists I really enjoy, but to name a few: Picasso, Klimt, Frazetta,Warhol,Beardsley, H.R.Giger and Schiele. Describe the kind of workspace you prefer. Well, I don't need much for a workspace so my preference is simple but it's what surrounds me that is most important. Sometimes I like to feel like I'm in a jail cell or dungeon with all these personal things that keep me going. I tend to collect and stack a lot of weird shit so my workspace is really very busy. A collection of skulls and all kinds of crazy helmets and some artwork from close friends. What is your creative process like- taking an idea and then executing that? My process is a little drunk and all over the place. A mix of oil,acrylic,airbrush and ink. The idea starts with always a rough sketch of what I have in mind. But before it gets to that, I go throughout the day full of ideas so if I have a good idea I'll write it down or doodle something and get back to it. Then I go over
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MESS WITH THE BULL II
all these loose sketches, writings, doodles and see what works and will make for a strong painting. Some of the ideas I'll save for maybe a film scene. I do a real tight pencil drawing with graphite on paper. Once the drawing is complete I then transfer it onto Maple board, which is really nice and smooth. I sand the board a bit and start laying down the oils and building on them with really soft tones focusing heavily on the eyes and lips and the face. For me the face and the eyes are most important - should be somewhat hypnotic and engaging as the smoking gal calls you in. I want the piece to be inviting like she wants to tell you her story while smoking a cigarette. I do the backgrounds last because I'm not good at it and it isn't really my main focus, it's the girl, Always the strength and boldness of the Smoking Girl.
Why the use of so much blood and wounds? What does this represent about the girls? The blood is a symbol of strength. In my paintings it represents a battle that has been fought and won. My girls are not victims, on the contrary I try to portray them as heroes and victorious women of power. I paint them as if they had just stepped out of their own personal battlefield taking a second to pose for my camera's eye.
What do you want to communicate to your audience? To be Strong. It's okay to bleed. It's okay to be dirty. I want my paintings to touch people in a way that they feel so connected to this image that they just have to have her. That moves me and that is surreal.
HOW AND WHERE would you most like to see your artwork displayed? My big dream would be to show at a museum a retrospective of everything I've done, showing my films and conceptual art that no one gets to see. I would title the exhibition after my first film and favorite piece of art, Dislandia. It would be an exhibition that would leave people saying, "Holy Dislandia Batman".
Inspiration comes in many forms and varies with the seasons, surroundings, and mood. What have you felt has served as an inspiration to you lately? Any recurring themes? Lately it's been military slash Samurai slash Day of The Dead slash bullfighting meets my DirtyLand series. Say that three times. There is an image I can't seem to get out of my head of a bull that recently stuck a matador with his horn through his mouth. There is a beauty in the way the cape is covering the bull's eyes and thats what's great to me. The bull finally wins. You've stated that the cigarettes in your paintings represent a little piece of you. However, there are other recurring objects that I find interesting in your paintings such as the rose and the skull. What is the significance of painting these objects in the majority of your pieces? The rose is the blood, a splash of red I'd like to call it and the skulls to me are just a way of celebrating death. Viva la muerte! There are many references to Hispanic culture such as the matadors, Day of the Dead, and flamenco dancers in your pieces. How do your roots and your culture figure into your creative process? It's all elements of my past and what I had seen as a child. Some might say shocking but to me it was always art. I now just kind of combine everything that really reflects a lot of who I am and what I'm about.
You speak about your subjects as if they have feelings. Can you tell me about your relationship with a painting while you are working on it? The relationship is always close and personal. They are the dark voices in my head that tell me what to do next.
Is it difficult for you to put a price on your pieces and part with them? No. I'd rather the world have a piece of me. What is the most memorable moment you’ve experienced at an exhibition of your work? Would have to be my first solo exhibition in Switzerland. The whole trip was so fuckin surreal not to mention I was almost arrested in the airport for smoking (but that's another story). The show was titled Smoking Swiss with a Twist and that it was. The response was incredible. It was a great show with good energy, good food, good smoke and good beer. The people were really cool and so excited to see my Smoking Girls that came from such a great distance. At the stroke of midnight they played my first surreal film Dislandia on the big screen in this beautiful cool porn theatre. The following day I was invited to meet one of my favorite artists, Academy award winner, H.R. Giger at his home in Zurich. It was amazing sitting in those alien chairs, seeing pieces I'd only seen in books as a kid and shootin the shit with the greatest surrealist of our time H.R.Giger. It just doesn't get any better than that. We also exchanged prints which was totally rad.
What are some musicians and bands whose music keeps you going while you work? When I work, music is definitely a must along with a film playing in the background. Some musicians I like lately or have been listening to again is Little Dragon, some Elliot smith, Sonic Youth old stuff, God Speed You Black Emperor, Devendra Banhart, Crooked Vultures and Tame Impala just to name a few. You've traveled a bit with your art. What are some places that have made an impression on you? What are places you hope to visit in the future? I always like Switzerland for some reason. The people are really cool there and I find myself wanting to go back really bad. I also enjoy France. The energy there is pretty powerful and I hope to return soon and do some painting with the homies up at Montmartre. Rome is a place I've always wanted to check out and maybe film a short and wear my gladiator helmet around town. With the start of another year, have you made any artistic goals for yourself? Are you working on any projects? Yes and yes, I plan on working on a new full-length surreal film and my NY exhibition for 2011. I want all the readers of Blü Magazine to come out to my show and have a drink and a smoke. Stay dirty everyone.
In 2005, Viveros made his directing debut with the short film, Dislandia and later followed that up with Southern. In true Viveros-fashion, both have been characterized as eerie, erotic and surreal!
For more information on Brian, visit www.brianMviveros.com and www.dislandia.com
What is your favorite drink? Stone Arrogant Bastard beer.
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SISTERS OF THE BLACK MOON Photography BY Alexandra Valenti Styling BY Sisters of the Black Moon Hair & Makeup BY Danann Patrick
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GLITTERFLY
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WITH LOVE AND MAGIC, FROM THE SISTERS OF THE BLACK MOON Bound together by a certain kindred spirit, Alecia Marcum, Sarah Larocca-Ramm and Rachel Hunt conjure the ultimate trifecta of sisterhood. They call themselves The Sisters of the Black Moon. The name came to them on a road trip somewhere between Austin and Dallas while listening to a Fleetwood Mac song, “Sisters of the Moon.” With some soul and a whole lot of spirit, the trio launched an Ebay Shop in February 2010, but in the meantime they’ve taken their name to a whole new light with the help from photographer (and honorary fourth sister) Alexandra Valenti. When the four of them get together they throw their “ideas that float in our heads into a big pot, stir them up, and with her photography, they explode into something beyond our dreams.” Recently, the ladies styled and starred in the Black Mountain ‘Old Fangs’ music video. They are also working closely with Heyoka Leather to create a line of accessories especially for the Sisters of the Black Moon. All are handmade and beautifully crafted. For more information, visit sistersoftheblackmoon.com
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LEIGH
VINER
Interview by Mary Rust
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Leigh Viner is a multi-talented artist that dabbles in many fields of the art world. Most intriguing are the women Viner brings to life LONG after her daughter is put to bed EACH NIGHT. Each subject is strikingly beautiful and appears to possess a profound story yet to be shared. Artistically, Viner's flair for fashion can be seen in many of her pieces, but what's most interesting is the emotional depth that lies within the clean lines of her work.
Where are you from? I was born and raised in Denver where I still reside at the moment. What's your art background? Since I can remember I have always used artistic creative ways to express myself. I took drawing and photography classes in high school and a few in college, but am mostly self taught. Last year was a big year for you. tell us about it. Thank you. I definitely feel like the past few years have been so great! I love that I am able to easily share what I love to do with others on my blog and through the outlet of the Internet – both having allowed me to reach such a wide audience and network with other artists. What have been the best things about 2010 for you so far? This year has been great and I feel as though I am continuing in a great direction with my art also expanding into other creative opportunities that I have still yet to share, which I will in time. Where do you get your inspiration for your pieces? I can get inspired from everyday simple things while taking a walk with my camera, looking at photography from some of my favorite photographers, watching classic films, or listening to music. Describe your process when creating. I usually gather my inspirations during the day and sit with it for a while and take care of shipping and other work stuff during the day. At night is when I often create from those inspirations after I put my daughter to bed. I put on some music and sketch with pencil first. Once I feel like it looks and feels the way I want it to go, I tend to be in the moment and use many various mixed media techniques until I feel it is done. It seems like you have a lot of artistic outlets (make up, fashion design, photography), which is the most enjoyable for you? I feel a love for each outlet as a separate entity. I definitely enjoy each one to the fullest while in the moment and they all coincide with each other most of the time. I love that I can have a variety in my creative career and depending on my mood I enjoy jumping back and forth to each of them, I think it keeps me constantly inspired. How would your friends describe you? I think my friends would definitely say there are two sides to me, (being a Gemini too, I can attest to that). I think they would say I can be hard on myself and can be too serious at times, but then I can completely let go as well. I am a big dreamer and also work hard at living in the moment. I think I am going to actually ask them this question – curious as I am. I see you have a lot of music on your blog. does music play a role in your work? I absolutely have a love for music as it plays a role in inspiration with my work. I feel that it can express so much at times that I cannot. When are you the happiest? I am happiest when I really take the time to live in the moment and when I spend time with my daughter who is seven. She makes me laugh a million times a day. Also, traveling with my camera in hand, spending time with my friends, walking with my iPod, reading and of course being able to do what I love everyday. Viner just finished an online exhibition entitled Project Diversities for Off The Rakk Global Network. She is currently working on other collaborations.
You can see more of Leigh’s work by visiting leighviner.com/ & www.jkldesign.etsy.com
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Photography by Sanghyun Paek www.fij-studio.com Styling by Nuri Yeon Make up by Kanako Yoshida Hair by Yoshitaka Miyazaki Model, Ed Hayter at Models1
Facing page: Denim shirt by H&m Trouser by Asger Juel Larsen Shoes, stylist own Chain Belt & broach by J.W Anderson This page: T shirt by J.W Anderson Knitted cardigan by Aminaka Wilmont Denim by J.W Anderson Boots by J.W Anderson Leather bag by Nuriy H.A.T.E rings by J.W Anderson
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Black oversize knit by nuriy Jeans by Nuriy Boots by J.W Anderson Leather bag by Nuriy
Leather bag by Nuriy Ivory leather mask by Piers Atkinson
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CHRIS STAMP
STAMPD' LA & STUDY FOOTWEAR
TRANSCENDING THE FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY IS NO EASY TASK, YET WITH EACH CLEVER DESIGN CHRIS STAMP, THE FOUNDER OF STAMPD’ LA, CONTINUES TO DO SO. CHRIS STAMP HAS MANAGED TO BUILD A BRAND THAT CONTINUES TO BRING A FRESH PERSPECTIVE TO THE SNEAKER WORLD WHILE ALSO GAINING LOVE AND SUPPORT FROM PEOPLE AROUND THE globe WE WERE FORTUNATE TO GET CHRIS TO TAKE TIME AWAY FROM CREATING SOME OF THE MOST UNIQUE DESIGNS IN THE INDUSTRY TO TALK WITH US ABOUT HIS INSPIRATIONS, COLLABORATIONS, AND THE FUTURE OF STAMPD’ LA.
Interview by DeMarr Vereen
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Stampd'LA
Who was Chris Stamp in the years before Stampd’ LA? Southern Californian surfer turned ambitious college student. What year did you officially launch Stampd’ LA? 2007 What were your major influences in creating Stampd’ LA? Los Angeles culture was the basis for the line. At the time of inception it was about “Stamping” my vision of LA on the side of basic canvas HiTops. Now the collection has grown to include five different silhouettes with the infusion of multiple different fabrics and detailing techniques. What do you do for inspiration when designing a new collection? New collections come in inspiration phases. Whether it’s vintage footwear, music, photography or film. I take little things from different places. Stampd’ LA’s products are featured in boutiques worldwide, what steps did you take to get your brand global? We did a few trade shows in Europe, which set us up with our team in Amsterdam called Patta Distribution. Also, my partner is Japanese, which allowed us to enter into the Asian market very naturally. What major obstacles have you had to overcome with your brand? Learning the details of shoe construction, designing for my customer not always for myself, and manufacturing overseas.
Stampd’ LA recently teamed up with the producer and designer extraordinaire Taz Arnold, how did that collaboration come about? One of the guys in his team approached me about the possibility of working together. We had an initial meeting and it was on from there. There are a lot of areas where both of our aesthetics crossed paths so it was a seamless process. Who would you like for Stampd’ LA to collaborate with in the future and why? BMW. I have a fascination with European cars, and to work on something completely out of our normal realm would be an amazing opportunity/challenge. Your brand has been worn by people all over the world including celebrities such as the rapper Lil Wayne, how does it feel seeing your brand so positively received by the public? The fact that Wayne has worn a few of our pieces has been amazing. Definitely something I was striving for as I got into this industry. To see it happen really shows that anything is possible with persistence and hard work. Can you tell us about Study Footwear? Study is a new creative footwear project my partner and I envisioned about a year ago and it is now shipping worldwide. I wanted to create a brand that was less boutique or specialty-store oriented (like Stampd’), at a more budget-friendly price point. Through our Study For Shoes Program, we also wanted the opportunity to inspire young kids and to get into creative fields, whether it be design, music, fashion or art.
What is “Study for shoes”? Study For Shoes is a program that gives school supplies and basic creative materials to young kids. For our SS11 collection every pair of shoes sold, a notebook and pencil will be sent to a school or community organization of the retailer’s choice. We also have worked with organizations like the Inner City Arts of Los Angeles about footwear design and what art means to these young kids. I want young people to realize that being creative can lead to amazing opportunities in their future. What advice would you give to people looking to develop their own brand? Stay focused, work hard, and continually push yourself creatively. Anything is possible. What would you like for people to know about Stampd’ LA? With Stampd’ LA we’re getting more in line with the lifestyle side of the brand, taking less emphasis off just footwear. What should we expect in the future from Stampd’ LA? With Stampd’ LA, we will be pushing the envelope with our accessories collection, growing our luggage range, and tightening up our footwear. It’s a more focused range with fewer styles. For more information on Stamp'd LA & Study footwear, visit www.stampdla.com and www.studyfootwear.com
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THE 42ND STREET MURAL IN TIMES SQUARE
SOFIA MALDONADO Interview by Matthew Brown
Sofia Maldonado, a Puerto Rican born and raised muralist, is stirring up the streets of Manhattan with her recent, controversial mural on 42nd Street. Drawing on imagery from her Caribbean roots to her new home in NYC, Sofia’s graffiti-style portrayal of the minority female has created quite a buzz in the blog world. Whether or not you find her work a beautiful homage to these women, (as she does), or an in-your-face stereotype, what is notable is that this young Latina has spiked conversation - and her work is on display for the world see in Times Square! For how long have you been creating art? Since a very young age, but street art since high school! So I have an eight-year career. When you were younger, did you picture yourself doing what you do now? Yes! I had always been very serious with my artwork, because it is my passion. Did you receive any sort of formal training? Yes. I studied art in Saturday school since I was three years old, then I went to middle and art high school. I graduated with a BFA from La Escuela de Artes Plásticas in San Juan, and moved to NYC to complete my MFA at Pratt Institute. What would you say is one of the more challenging aspects of your job? Keeping it real and fresh with concepts that keep people thinking. The fact that artists have to keep creating and answer emails, update blogs, and all of that stuff at the same time is just crazy! I think it’s time to find an assistant! What would you say the most rewarding aspect of your job is? The live experience, intergrowth, and how your art starts spreading around different audiences. It’s just lovely! What inspires and/or motivates you? The street, people, and the female attitude toward life. Lately I have been traveling more
often to my home country and enjoying the rural landscape and how everything is changing due to the economic crisis.
What is the craziest thing you have ever witnessed?
While doing a community workshop in PR, I had to convince drug dealers to let the kids paint in that area because it was ‘their territory’. Later, the community was very happy with the project because we brought everyone together in an area that had been feared for years.
Do you have a favorite medium that you prefer working in?
Black gesso for my black line. I am happy with acrylics for now, and recently experienced acrylic-gouache, which blows my mind.
What is the worst job you have ever had? Working at a fast food place!
Do a lot of people come up and talk to you while you're painting on the streets?
Yeah! I love that dynamic. All sorts of people ask questions or just comment about the piece.
What is the biggest surface you've painted?
In PR, I did a wall 117' long x 12' wide – and, the Times Square wall is 92' long x 15'wide.
Did you play any musical instruments growing up?
No, but I love to dance from Reggaeton to Dancehall.
How would you define success? That’s a never-ending story. I am still building my career, but each piece or project is a success. At the end, you feel like the next one will be better, and you continue to keep yourself active toward a new project and artistic evolution within yourself. What are some of your favorite pieces? They have all been great, but I have enjoyed the Tropical Storm Project, Skate My Patria, Concrete Jungle Divas (last NYC solo show), Real Public and the 42nd Street mural. The most recent one was in the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico where I painted live while Darren Brass tattooed live! Over 500 came out to the show. You can check out Sofia’s work this December in Miami at “The Art of Basketball” – an exhibition sponsored by the NBA and showcasing today’s most prominent graffiti artists. You can laso visit sofiamaldonado.com and sofiarte.blogspot.com.
If you find yourself in a bad mood, is there something that helps you get out of it? Go for a bike ride or cruise my skate!
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THE 42ND STREET MURAL IN TIMES SQUARE
PELICAN TATTOO BUILDING IN FROG HOLLOW
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THE URBAN ART BIENNALE GRAPHOPOLI IN PUERTO RICO
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NEED A SMOKE Photography by Melissa Robinson melissarobinsonphotography.net wardrobe and hair styling by MLR Make Up by Allie Smith
Frill Necklace by TopShop. Pants by TopShop. Shoes by Model's Own. Vest by TopShop
Frill Necklace by TopShop. Pants by TopShop. Shoes by Model's Own. Vest by TopShop
Gingham shirt by BDG. High Waist Denim Slack by American Apparel
CALISTA When fashion designers Brigitte Kum and SoFIA Shannon met, it was a case of opposites attracting. The result of their collaboration is Calista, a label that’s taking the industry by storm with its seamless mix of edge and grace. BlÜ chatted with the designers about how the contrast factor works so brilliantly for them, the importance of an amazing blouse, and why their newest collection is an ode to Patsy Cline. If you aren’t already, prepare to be smitten. Interview by Ashley Thorne Intro by Shannon Barringer
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how did you two meet? BRIGITTE: We met in 2006 while interning at Threeasfour. It was an amazing experience for us both! Coming up with your own brand, how did you make that jump into the industry? Has word-of-mouth and the internet played a part in this? SOFIA: As a designer, building your own brand is the ultimate dream. We worked very hard for years and then realized what a perfect creative match we are together. Starting a brand is not easy and we made the jump into the industry by consistently working hard. Word-of-mouth and internet played a huge role in our jumpstart. We are also fortunate enough to have amazing support from our family, friends, and fans. What inspired Calista? Who had the idea first - or was it mutual? BRIGITTE: Calista was definitely a mutual idea, which transpired from the need to have our own creative identity. This whole idea really began as an experiment. We wanted to make some pieces which we felt were needed in the market. We also thought about ourselves and what we wanted to wear at the moment. Did any of you dream you would be doing something like this? BRIGITTE: I believe it is a designer’s dream to have the chance to build their own brand. As a designer, I always knew this was my path. I've always needed art in my life in some form. Fashion was always so natural for me. Although, I have so many interests and I'm not opposed to taking on more careers, I know Sof feels the same way. SOFIA: I agree, I also believe having your own line is every designer's ultimate vision. I've always known I would be a part of the fashion world as a designer and a creative influence. This is my dream and I appreciate the fact that my dream is now my reality. I'm also not opposed to trying new careers! What should we try? Pro surfing? Where did the name Calista come from? SOFIA: We wanted a strong identity for our concept. Calista means the “most beautiful one” in Greek. Beauty comes in all different shapes and forms. For us, what makes a girl beautiful is her intelligence, strength, sexiness, curiosity, passion, and creativity. She is a natural traveler and explorer. She is always inspired by her experiences, and is the ultimate source of inspiration. The Calista girl is the most beautiful one. What influences your designs? Instead of an actual designer you spoke on how music and movies inspire you, Patsy Cline to name an example, can you speak about that? BRIGITTE: We are influenced by everything around us. It's the air we breathe, the sound of something rhythmic or off-beat, the colors that surround us, movement, ideas, and evolution. It's life! Music and films are, of course, influential.
It's a form of art that effortlessly takes us into another world.
emails, lots of coffee, and running around the city to get everything done.
SOFIA: Regarding Patsy Cline, we fell in love with her! We started listening to her music one day and went completely crazy about her voice. Her voice is super rich and deep, yet extremely feminine and sexy. It's raw and beautiful. We then started watching her old live tapings. From there, our collection turned into this ode to the strength, beauty, and style of Patsy Cline.
Is there a staple piece in your collection? What is your favorite piece? SOFIA: Our staple piece is our blouse. When we began Calista, we thought about what was missing from our closet. We had just about everything except for that amazing blouse. The concept of our blouse is that it is transitional from day-to-night, and timeless for all seasons to come. It was important that the quality of our blouse was exceptional. It's one thing to see the blouse and quite another experience when you actually put it on. We really love every piece, but our favorite piece must be the blouse!
What do each of you bring to the collection? though you both are different, you collaborate, how do you come together and combine? BRIGITTE: What works for us is our contrast factor. Sofia is super feminine, soft, delicate; light but also strong at the same time. She is always going for the delicate, luxurious fabrics, ruffles, and anything romantic! I think i have it down, right Sof? lol SOFIA: Obviously! BRIGITTE: I see myself as being this more roughand-tough girl. I'm such a tomboy, so I'm always going for something that is more street-oriented. I'm influenced by dark ideas. It can be a color, an idea, a mood. I do also have a feminine side; but it comes out strong, maybe androgynous. SOFIA: We both have very different tastes and styles, but our taste levels are the same. For example, I can fall in love with something amazing and Brigitte may dislike it, but she understands why I love it because our taste for quality and level of appreciation is the same. These are sometimes our best-case scenarios because the challenge is finding a way to make her love an idea or object the same way I do. And it is the same when the situation is the other way around. These are the moments where we get super creative! Any thoughts on the fashion industry right now? any likes or dislikes? BRIGITTE: We always appreciate what is going on in the fashion world. Nothing in life is always perfect, and just like anything else, the fashion industry has its own issues. It's hard to be in this industry without it wearing and tearing you down. You just have to be strong and fight for what you believe in. What I love and appreciate at this moment is the creative energy I'm feeling! SOFIA: Yes, the fashion industry is very tough. It's important to stay true to who you are and not lose yourself. I find fashion to be heading into an exciting direction. The world seems to have quickly changed and I find that people in general are forced to be creative no matter what. I love all the creative energy bouncing back and forth from people! What is a typical day like for you? BRIGITTE: Getting up super early, texting each other to make sure the other one is up, checking
How do you keep your pieces unique and what makes your line different? BRIGITTE: What makes Calista unique is the ability for our garments to be so transitional and timeless. Any woman can wear it. They are pieces that are strong enough to stand on their own, but also amazing when layered or paired with other key items. We also put a huge emphass on quality. Quality is something that gets lost over time in brands; but for us, it is what we are about, and it will always be a key point. When you are not creating these beautiful clothes, what can we find you doing? SOFIA: When we are not creating clothes, we love to really enjoy life as anyone does. We love spending days at museums, biking in the park, traveling and getting lost in cities, taking road trips, surfing, hiking in the woods, watching films, going to concerts, reading at Mc Nally's, and everything else! Can you give any advice to individuals who want to start their own line/collection or brand in general? SOFIA: The best advice is to believe in your abilities to create and just do it! Be rational about your choices, but work hard and it will pay off. Don't be afraid to follow your dreams. Make it a reality! BRIGITTE: Exactly! I couldn’t have said it any better! It's so important to put that creative energy out there into the world. We all need to somehow express our feelings and thoughts. To have the opportunity to do it is amazing and if it is there, just make it happen! What can we look forward to for the future OF Calista? SOFIA: The future for Calista is huge, but we cannot give out anything quite yet. You just have to stay tuned! , For more information on Calista, visit www.calista-label.com
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46 bl端-magazine.com living walls
Blacki Li Rudi Migliozzi
LIVING WALLS For months there were talks of the Living Walls Conference IN ATLANTA. Articles were written and funds were raised for what was arguably the first time local artists and patrons WOULD BE exposed to such an event. Growth in any way needs critical thinking and the Living Walls Conference was a much-needed catalyst for development and inspiration within various disciplines OF the city. After a huge successful opening night at the Eyedrum compound, I was compelled to get to know more about the event. I met with the creators, Blacki Li Rudi Migliozzi & Monica Campana and asked them a few questions about what happened, what's still happening, and what will continue to happen.
Interview by Onisha Román Espada Photography by Tunde
ATLANTA
BLACKI Living Walls is a conference on street art and urbanism. The basic premise of the whole event is that you have a very small subset of the population, people that actually interact with public space street artists. You put those people and their work under the same roof with another very small subset of the population, theorists, people that sit around thinking about public space and urbanists. And then you just kind of see what emerges. It evolved from that premise several times, actually. For me, Living Walls ended up from a personal experience. I was in Spain studying math and I didn't have that much money and I got caught eating food out of a dumpster. I was out there on Georgia Tech's bill and so they kinda freaked out and they gave me an extra job as a teacher’s assistant for an urbanism class. I knew nothing about that stuff. I never studied this and I just fell into doing urbanism all of a sudden. I was out there for seven months and at the same time I was also painting and doing things. One of the first things that happened was I went to the Diffuser Festival, which is basically a model for Living Walls. It was like a stencil meeting but there were also speakers there. I came back after befriending a lot of street artists in Barcelona. I just looked at the city personally and I was always looking at the city through this lens of
urbanism, so it shaped the way I saw public space and that was my contribution at first. It just made sense to get this small subset and that small subset together and see what emerged from it, and to really create some sort of dialogue. One of the things that happened after we got started was that as we were two months into trying to build an urbanism concert, we realized that the largest urbanism conference in the world was also happening in Atlanta. We thought, “Oh great, we have competition and it's the18th Annual Congress for New Urbanism”. Personally, I was just sitting there looking online reading the CNU's website and realizing that the CNU is really off the pulse on a lot of things, a lot of issues, it [seemed] really exclusive. It costs $1600 to go to all the events; who can pay that? Really just academics or developers or… I don't even know. Not normal people is the point. It became really important to make Living Walls a local version of the CNU - a free version - a participatory event where anyone can submit artwork. Anyone can submit a proposal to speak, it’s completely free and the whole idea becomes open. So we dropped a press release saying that we were a healthy counter-point to the CNU 18.
continued on next page
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MONICA CAMPANA
one on one: Monica Campana Word has it...
What is Living Walls? Living walls is a conference on street art and urbanism. We pretty much thought of the idea of putting together a small subset of the population that work in the public realm (street artists and graffiti writers) with people that theorize about public space (urbanists) and see what would be the end result. There was a series of talks that went along with the art. Can you summarize for us what was discussed? Living Walls involved a lecture series at Georgia Tech. We included a public transportation panel, a gentrification panel, an urban farming panel, and three keynote speakers: Jordan Seiler, creator of the public ad campaign in NYC; Jeff Ferrell, author of Adventures in Urban Anarchy; and Jason Eppink, creator of the pixalator. How were you involved? Blacki and I created the event. Blacki focused on the lectures and I focused more on curating and the logistical aspects of the event. Why were you involved? I became involved with street art a year ago and being part of that small group of people that worked in the public sphere made me want to
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do something in which I could highlight fellow street artists on a larger scale here in Atlanta.
some walls will be protected with anti-
What did you expect to accomplish? Through Living Walls we wanted to create a certain kind of dialogue within the community. In all honesty, we didn’t know what to expect when we started, but now we know. We made art visible to people that usually wouldn’t go to an art opening and we started a dialogue between them.
will be pREseRVEd and which ones won't. If
Will this be an annual event? We are planning on that. But Living Walls is an open idea, so if someone else wanted to do it in another city they could. What is going to happen to the walls? What would you like to see happen to the walls? The murals will stay up as long as the wall owners decide to keep them up. I believe they are going to last a long time. I think whatever happens to the walls, it's okay with us; they were part of the first Living Walls and they already played their part. Street art is ephemeral and we understand nothing is meant to last forever that’s why it is so beautiful, and that’s why they are Living Walls.
graffiti paint, but I'm not sure which ones you missed the talks, the Georgia Tech College of Architecture will be posting videos on their YouTube page at some point, so keep an eye out for that. I was told the murals would make sense to do once a year, or even more frequently than that, but the conference would happen on a more infrequent basis to allow time for ideas to be implemented and learned from, adopted, or rejected. However, if you'd like to host your own talks, the folks at Living Walls will help get the ball rolling.
Links you should check out for more information on Living Walls: www.livingwallsconference.com www.youtube.com/user/GeorgiaTech www.coa.gatech.edu/
living walls
Photography by EUDES DE SANTANA www.eudesdesantana.com photographed in paris & barcelona
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Bl端 super hero party charlotte & charleston
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HEAVY PARTY AT THE GRAVEYARD TAVERN ATLANTA SPONSORED BY BLÜ MAGAZINE - Photos by oh snap! kid
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