Highsnobiety Magazine Issue 8

NIKE + RICCARDO TISCI 4 192349 508005

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D €8, A €8, CHF 11, LUX €8, B €8.50, B €8.50, NL €9.50 I €9, F €9, SKR 80, DKR 80, NKR 80, UK £8

ISSUE 8 SPRING SUMMER 2014

AITOR THROUP FUTURE C.E VSCO GIVENCHY CARHARTT WIP 3 .1 P H I L L I P L I M

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MAISON KITSUNÈ PARIS s NEW YORK s TOKYO

WE _ LIVE _ IN _ BLACK

W W W

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R E L I G I O N C L O T H I N G

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C O M

ELEMENT PRESENTS THE

TROPICAL THUNDER COLLECTION

PRESTON LOCKHART TOPAZ C3 TOPAZ

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@ELEMENTBRAND @ELEMENTEUROPE ELEMENTBRAND.COM

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P R E F A C E

want to personally welcome you to the eighth issue of Highsnobiety. Rather early on in the process of putting this issue together, we decided that the intersection of fashion and technology would be the guiding theme. Once we started digging, a topic that seemed easily overseeable at first turned out to be one of the most exciting aspects of fashion today.

Everybody hears about the latest smartwatch as it hits the market, but there is so much more going on. And as such, we worked to highlight some of the most exciting people, brands and trends of the moment.

With technology and fashion as the working theme, we knew that Aitor Throup had to be a part of the issue. A designer that we have been following for a very long time, Aitor has become synonymous with technology and functionality in clothing, especially in the menswear market.

Contributing editor Paul Davies writes the indepth article about Throup, focusing on his process and his unique approach to fashion.

As soon as Nike announced the appointment of Riccardo Tisci — creative director of Givenchy — as their latest collaborator, we knew that this partnership needed to be part of this issue. Not many designers have managed to leave as strong of a footprint in our market as Tisci did with Givenchy in recent years. In Tisci’s own words: “I brought couture to the streets, like I’m bringing couture to Nike.” PH Camy interviewed Tisci on Nike + RT on the melding world of sportswear and high fashion.

On the visual side, we include an illustrated Paris fashion spread by Uli Knörzer; a look at musicians DâM FunK and DENA for the new CARHARTT WIP Spring/Summer 2014 collection; American hip-hop artist Future styled

by Elizabeth Birkett-Gibbs; and much more.

You can also find features on water-proof fabrics by Paul Black; the creation of Valor by Glenn Kitson; a detailed look at wearable technology by Ian Hsieh; and the e-commerce revolution in China by Jonathan Poh. We hope you enjoy the latest chapter in our exciting journey, and as always, we look forward to your feedback.

— David Fischer

Contents

Contributors

LOOK

READ

30 Carhartt WIP

74 Deconstructing Anatomy

50 Amalgam 48 When Technology Meets the Avant-Garde

108 Dieter Rams 130 The Creation of Valor

82 Union Looks into the Future

132 Waterproof for The Sartorialist

114 Accidental Tourist

150 China's E-Conomy

120 Techno-Tribalism

154 Bitcoin

140 Transpose

158 Joya

162 Metropolis 2.0

182 The Revolution will be Quantified 190 The Rise of TDE

PH Camy

Paul Davies

Editor, France phcamy.com P. 88

Editor, UK pauldavieseditorial.wordpress.com P. 74

Sabrina Theissen

Uli Knรถrzer

Photographer, Germany sabrinatheissen.com P. 88

Illustrator, Germany uliknoerzer.com P. 26

INTERVIEWS 40 Creative Recreation 66 C.E Tokyo Future

TA S T E

88 Most Valuable Partners

20 Editors' Choice

98 Art Comes First

22 G-Shock x maharishi

104 When Worlds Collide

24 Wood Fellas

148 Clint Dempsey

26 Paris Illustrated

170 VSCO

42 Footwear

178 Neo Geo

46 Palladium Boots

188 Nipsey Hussle

48 Ronnie Fieg x Clarks

192 I, Phone

49 New Black 168 Do or Dine 180 Gadgets 186 Wheels

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trashhand

Paul Black

Photographer, USA trashhand.com P. 170

Editor, Germany paulblackfilms.com P. 132

Christoph Musiol

Justin Bridges

Photographer, Germany christophmusiol.com P. 40, P. 120

Photographer, USA justinbridges.com P. 114, P. 140

S/S 2014 COLLECTION

PHOTOGRAPHY JERRY BUTTLES

GRAIN AUDIO PWS

NEW ERA X HIGHSNOBIETY

G-SHOCK X EMINEM

E D I T O R S'

C H O I C E

M Y K I TA

SMYTHSON

ADIDAS X RAF SIMONS

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EDITORS' CHOICE

HAERFEST

EDITORS' CHOICE

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WORDS BROCK CARDINER P H O T O G R A P H Y R YA N H U R S H

G - S H O C K X M A H A R I S H I G D -X 6 9 0 0 M H

In one of their most anticipated collaborations to date, iconic Japanese watch brand G-SHOCK once again teams up with UK streetwear imprint maharishi. This time reworking G-SHOCK’s X6900, the two beefed up the model with a 10% bigger case and applied a tough, textured lunar print to the timepiece’s rugged exterior. G-SHOCK’s unmatched durability combined with maharishi’s street-friendly reputation represents both brands’ ambition to perform in under the most demanding of circumstances - from the depths of the ocean to the far reaches of the moon. The collaborative work carries over into the packaging as well with a lunar-like surface present throughout. Adding a unique twist to the overcrowded pool of streetwear patterns, the G-SHOCK x maharishi GD-X6900MH is a welcome ally in any environment irrespective of gravitational constraints.

— g-shock.eu

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G-SHOCK X MAHARISHI

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— wood-fellas.com

Wood Fellas The Natural Effect.

The experimentation with wooden jewelry design has been one that very few designers managed to convey into a commercially viable business or as a critically acclaimed project; For Wood Fellas, the Munich-based label that launched in 2011, it seems that the unique accessory line has seen nothing but success.

With new brands struggling to launch unconventional products in the current fashion landscape, Wood Fellas in the span of almost 3 years, have become an official partner of the Baseball Major League (MLB), launched a team driven accessories collaborative collection and has curated an array of beautifully made pieces for both their male and female clientele.

Their vast collection now includes bracelets, necklaces, rosaries and sunglasses and 2014 sees the release of wristwatches, iPhone cases and a huge limited edition collaboration with Parisian Collective Montaigne Street set to hit stores in July this year.

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WOOD FELLAS

WOOD FELLAS

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WORDS DOUGLAS BRUNDAGE I L LU S T R AT I O N S U L I K N Ö R Z E R

Designer egos took the backseat to innovative tailoring, colorblocked staples and old-school showmanship during Paris’ 2014 F/W Fashion Week. Gone were overly embellished statement pieces designed to make street style photographers salivate. Equally missing were classic, traditional tropes of what formalwear “should” look like. Instead, our favorite labels struck the perfect chord between versatile essentials and highfashion declarations, creating supremely wearable, attentiongrabbing looks.

At Louis Vuitton, Kim Jones paired American prep with Mondrian abstraction, creating a look that was strikingly modern yet anchored in the atelier’s historic past. Stripes, both vertical and horizontal, created a charming grid in palettes of maroon and navy that provided a charming refuge from the brand’s usual logo-heavy fare.

Raf Simons paired up with artist Sterling Ruby, applying his infamous collage technique to the Belgian designer’s stark, structured take on menswear. Bright pops of color, orange in

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IN FOCUS

particular, appeared pasted-on to exquisite outerwear and knit offerings in beige and black.

At Saint Laurent, the always-controversial Hedi Slimane continued his reign of market-friendly punk rock fundamentalism.

Details like leopard-printed fur trim on a perfecto motorcycle jacket and monk-strap buckles on creepers maintained an element of surprise in his blacked-out Parisian showing.

From dresses on men to shrunken suits embroidered with tennis racquets, Thom Browne has always had a knack for dramatic flare. Sending an all grey patchwork suit down the runway wasn’t enough for the designer this season, so he accompanied the look with an elephant mask wrapped in flannel suiting fabric.

Finally, Yohji Yamamoto broke his all-black silence by injecting the usual voluminous layers of his latest menswear show with a dose of brazen pattern. Warm tones took shape in Aztec prints and ankle-high boots were reborn in fire engine red leather.

Here, graphic designer and illustrator extraordinaire Uli Knoerzer reinterprets our Top 5 looks from Paris Fashion Week.

LOUIS VUITTON

IN FOCUS

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RAF SIMONS

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IN FOCUS

SAINT LAURENT

IN FOCUS

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THOM BROWNE

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IN FOCUS

Y O H J I YA M A M O T O

IN FOCUS

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Reinterpreting the Classics Carhartt WIP Spring/Summer 2014

WORDS BROCK CARDINER PHOTOGRAPHY RAMON HAINDL

Fusing the achievements of yesterday with the optimism of the future, avant-garde songstress DENA and modern funk master DāM-FunK capture the legacy of Carhartt WIP. At the core of all three lays a successful blend of heritage and evolution, history and development, tradition and progressiveness.

While Carhartt WIP builds on the values of quality, durability and comfort established by the Detroit brand and reinterprets iconic American workwear for a discerning global audience, DENA takes the insular world of hip-hop and injects it with her unique approach to music, art, fashion and life. Steadily building a devoted fan base across the world, the Bulgarian native spreads her message via the Internet’s most democratic tool - social media. DāM-FunK, meanwhile, takes the sounds of yesterday and beefs them up for today’s discriminating listeners, adding a synthetic touch and back-alley beats to haunting vocals. Using a mixture of analog and digital equipment, the Los Angeles musician stands proudly at the forefront of the music world’s rising stars.

As Kings of the Streets and Champions of the Arts, DENA and DāM-FunK effortlessly display the rugged nature of Carhartt WIP’s Spring/Summer 2014 collection. Detailed patterns and prints find their way onto timeless looks inspired by classic pieces from the brand’s deep archives. A contemporary awareness is featured throughout with certain pieces hinting at the styles of bygone eras. A common thread unites all three entities stretching from the visionaries of the past to the incredible, unknowable technological advancements that lay just around the bend.

— carhartt-wip.com

Photography: Ramon Haindl Photo Assistant: Evelyn Dragan Hair & Make Up: Tricia Le Hanne @ Bigoudi Styling: Nina Byttebier

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WORDS PETE WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHY CHRISTOPH MUSIOL

Creative Recreation

LA-based lifestyle footwear brand Creative Recreation first launched in 2002 and over the past decade has played a strong role in establishing the premium casual sneaker market. For Spring 2014, the brand is going back to its roots in creativity and innovation with six all-new silhouettes as well as styles that make use of unexpected materials, textures and colors. We recently had the opportunity to visit the Creative Recreation headquarters in Los Angeles to check out the latest collection and chat with Head of Marketing Patrick Buchanan and Creative Manager Casius Arno, to find out more about the latest collection and the new design direction of the brand.

Patrick: For spring, we wanted to create something a little more daring and dangerous.

Over the last few years we’ve been playing it safe with a very muted color palette. It’s only fitting that we get back to the DNA of the brand, which is innovation, since we pioneered the category 11 years ago.

What inspires you in terms of color and material choices?

— Casius: For this season, it was all about unexpected textures and prints. For me, having just moved back to Los Angeles, the surroundings here played a huge part in the design process - taking all the different areas here in LA and finding a way to merge them together. You can see Venice in this collection as much as Beverly Hills and that amalgamation is something that has such a wide range of appeal.

Patrick: I hear this all the time… When guys wear our shoes, they get stopped and asked what they’re wearing. Each season we want to pick materials that will make you stand out, in a good way (of course). I applaud our design team because it’s an art being able to mix materials, colors and textures – without going too far.

— cr8rec.com

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Can you tell us more about the new design direction of Creative Recreation?

— Casius: The brand is all about creative individuals and the lifestyle they lead. The Spring 2014 collection takes Creative Recreation's Southern California heritage and tells a story with interesting and fashion-forward materials and colors that make for something truly unique. Creative Recreation has been known for marching to the beat of its own drum and with this new season, we are giving people the opportunity to live that lifestyle with us.

Which is your favorite style in the new collection?

— Casius: My favorite style has to be the Prio. It’s casual, clean, and modern with hints of skate culture. The shoe uses very few panels but what panels it does have, they flow in a very organic way. It also takes materials insanely well and the black-embossed pony hair will be on my feet all spring.

Which style would you say best represents the current Creative Recreation look?

— Patrick: The Adonis is a new style that totally represents where we are going as a brand.

It’s a casual high-top sneaker that juxtaposes premium materials and street-smart detailing.

C R E AT I V E R E C R E AT I O N

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PHOTOGRAPHY JERRY BUTTLES

F O O T W E A R

N I K E + R .T.

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FOOTWEAR

Y- 3 Q A S A R A C E R

FOOTWEAR

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F O O T W E A R

CONVERSE JACK PURCELL X HANCOCK

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FOOTWEAR

LOUIS VUIT TON "ON THE ROAD" SNEAKER & SNEAKER BOOT

FOOTWEAR

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Palladium Boots WORDS BROCK CARDINER P H O T O G R A P H Y R YA N H U R S H

— palladiumboots.com

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PALL ADIUM BOOTS

ating back nearly 100 years, Palladium’s story is one of heritage and purpose. The company was originally founded in 1920 to make tires for the fledgling aviation industry. Contrary to today’s methods, however, tires were made by layering canvas bands underneath vulcanized rubber. Nonetheless, Palladium quickly gained a reputation for expertise and their tires were soon featured on the majority of Europe’s aircraft.

Aided by the production necessities of war, the aircraft manufacturing industry quickly came to a halt with the end of World War II. Not one to let their expertise go to waste, Palladium opened a plant in Pont De Cheruy, France to start producing footwear that was as durable as their tires. In 1947, Palladium’s iconic Pampa boot was born. The boots proved so exceptional that the French Foreign Legion adopted it for their use and put it to the test in the harsh desert conditions of North Africa, and throughout the rugged terrain of the Atlas Mountains.

Today, the original design, classic lines and all-condition utility are as relevant as they have ever been. Combining over 60 years of authenticity with modern manufacturing, premium materials and timeless styling, Palladium boots are designed to help you explore your street, your city and your world.

In the past year alone they’ve worked with cultural mastermind Pharrell Williams on two projects - a short film series dubbed “Tokyo Rising” and a collaboration with his and NIGO’s clothing brand, Billionaire Boys Club. The former brought Pharrell back to Tokyo in order to document the persistent challenges faced by Tokyo’s artists in the face of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Palladium’s role? Providing the footwear necessary to traverse the Japanese megalopolis, of course. Going one step further, the design wonder team collaborated on two classic Palladium silhouettes, the Pampa Hi and the fold-over Baggy. Outfitted in Sk8thing’s enduring grey camouflage colorway, both models featured the modern pattern printed on a premium suede leather upper.

Now, Palladium is gearing up to release their boldest collaboration to date. Consisting of two unique prints spread across two silhouettes, Palladium’s work with renowned Japanese streetwear retailer atmos is bound to turn a few heads. Just like their collaboration with Pharrell and NIGO, the Pampa Hi and the Baggy serve as the basis for the contrasting prints.

Splashes of color comprise one print while the other makes use of a washed black color scheme. Best of all, each pair sits atop a semi-transparent sole which illuminates in the dark.

PALL ADIUM BOOTS

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Ronnie Fieg x Clarks Kildare WORDS PETE WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHY TYLER MANSOUR

— kithnyc.com

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RONNIE FIEG X CLARKS

ver the past few years, the name Ronnie Fieg has come to accompany many of the most sought after footwear releases in recent memory. Almost single handedly reviving the ASICS brand, Ronnie has done well at creating hype around shoes that traditionally were known for sitting on shelves. What started out as a series of custom colorways evolved into reworked silhouettes with the likes of Puma, Timberland and others. This season Ronnie partnered with the legendary Clarks to develop an original technical shoe that's something of a "best of both worlds" release.

The idea behind this never before seen silhouette was to create a trainer upper and place it on a crepe sole to stay true to Clarks Originals and the company's heritage. Ronnie's eye for color-blocking and material choice mates seamlessly with Clark's iconic "holy grail of comfort" DNA for a fresh piece of footwear. Done up in waterresistant pigskin suede, the Kildare features pigskin leather lining, Ortholite footbeds and a natural crepe ripple tread sole. Two colorways will release this April exclusively through Kith and may very well help put Clark's back on the map with a new generation of footwear aficionados.

With the array of streetwear brands occupying the fashion landscape of today, it is definitely difficult to pick and choose the ones that will stand the test of time.

Founded in Gothenburg, Sweden in the end of 2010 by longtime friends Andreas Undén and Elias Gillberg, New Black, has caused waves within the Scandinavian market and in less than 4 years has seen a European expansion like no other brand within this niche.

Supported and sold at some of Scandinavia's streetwear pioneer retailers like Sneakernstuff, Caliroots, Stress and Shelta, the duo behind New Black are launching their FW14 Collection based upon the same premise of quality and exceptional design that drove the brand to be named Sweden's Streetwear Brand of the Year in 2013.

With their original design roots always referencing printed streetwear the brand likes flirting with high-end fashion trends to complement their designs.

Whoever said that grey is the new black we would have to disagree as New Black is the new black.

The FW14 collection hits stores August 2014 at retailers around the world.

New Black is the 'New Black' — newblack.se

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Sacai Spring/ Summer 2014

P H OTO G R A P H Y M AT H I E U V I L A S CO

Amalgam

Photography: Mathieu Vilasco Styling: Benjamin Brouillet Models: Jordan Gamard at Nathalie Models Paris

When Technology Meets the Avant-Garde 11 by Boris Bidjan Saberi

WO R D S M A R TA S U N DAC P H OTO G R A P H Y SY LVA I N H O M O

Known for his contemporary handcrafted ready-to-wear label, German-Persian designer Boris Bidjan Saberi has carved a name for himself as a highly original and technically skilled visionary of modern menswear. Often employing innovative yet ancient processes to garments, the designer’s signature aesthetic fuses deconstructed tailoring with streetwear references. The brand has since become synonymous with pushing boundaries through meticulous techniques and experimentation.

Last year the designer introduced 11 by Boris Bidjan Saberi, a lifestyle line that places emphasis on technical fabrics, practicality and durability. Taking design cues from the main line’s expertise on silhouettes, 11 delivers functional streetwear for every day. While the namesake line is rooted in organic processes, 11 is a way for the brand to explore a more performancefocused style. We sat down with the design team behind 11 by Boris Bidjan Saberi to delve into 11’s origins and its relation to the main line.

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BORIS BIDJAN SABERI

BORIS BIDJAN SABERI

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What is the concept behind the 11 line and what was the reason behind its creation?

— 11 is a 24/7 lifestyle line which draws inspiration from the essential garments that we all have in our wardrobe. It finds its balance between street references and tailoring skills. We interpret these key shapes with our own vision and concept of style.

The main influence from Boris Bidjan Saberi’s main line comes from a real knowledge of tailoring, which has been achieved over years and gives our designs a different cut and special feel. In that sense we sculpt our garments and analyze the materials in every detail. Everything is thought and conceived with real attention in order to achieve a perfect and long-lasting piece.

How important was it to create 11 as an extension to the main line rather than as a separate label altogether?

— 11 enjoys BBS’s craftsmanship and experiences. Our team works on both lines with the same values and obsession for perfection.

11 naturally carries the same edgy, tailored vision, yet with a focus on day-to-day needs.

11 can somehow be described as the son of BBS. Same origins, same education, different temper.

Boris is known to be a numerology enthusiast.

Was there a particular reason 11 was chosen for the line over any other number?

— Boris was born on the 11th of September and it has always been there as the symbolic number of the Boris Bidjan Saberi brand. It’s also the first master number, the first repeating number, and the first number which can’t be counted on human hands.

It seemed to exactly express the concept behind the line – two parallel lines, number ones, as 11. Same values, different needs. Using the numeric signs to evoke 11 also gives freedom for people to pronounce the name of the brand in their own language.

How does the 11 design process work, from inception, through creation, and finally to the completed collection?

— First comes the conceptual approach to develop and experiment our creative desires season

BORIS BIDJAN SABERI

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after season, yet it goes alongside a strong base of cuts on which we feel safe to play around. We experiment a lot, test and live in our garments, and create shapes which answer our real needs.

We are constantly designing with a balance of pragmatism and sharp concept.

Compared to the main line, which is rooted in more organic processes and materials, 11 uses synthetic tech fabrics and more advanced processing methods. What materials do you work with and what benefits and purpose do they serve in the collection?

— The main line is definitely about arts and craftsmanship – always digging for ancient techniques and treatments to give an ever more special, essential feel to the garments.

Being a 24/7 lifestyle line, 11 focuses more on technological and industrial innovations.

Hyper-functional and long-lasting pieces with specific needs have to be cut in suitable materials. If you want to design a real waterproof raincoat you have to seek out synthetic fabrics, and the textile industry today offers an incredible range of material.

What are some of the innovative processes and experimentation methods you have been using?

— Whether it’s for BBS or for 11, we pay strong attention to the finishes of each garment. We reinterpret the material, give it a one-of-a-kind feel, and somehow we make it come alive by caring about all of these details. We develop our own industrial finishes and do a lot of garment dying, printing and embroidery that makes 11 products very unique.

The line has been described as functional and durable clothing for the urban warrior. Was there a specific requirement for the designs to be multifunctional and versatile?

— The functional and lifestyle aspects are the essence of 11. It’s something that we have in mind constantly while designing. Military clothing is a huge influence as it is the exact interpretation of functional and extremely long-lasting garments. We follow this same idea in our own way. Our day-to-day needs are different therefore we conceive products that suit our reality. Our war is our life.

The line has a hip-hop aesthetic mixed with sports functionality.

Was there a particular activity or function that you saw the 11 urban warrior doing while wearing the clothing?

— Living real, that’s it.

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BORIS BIDJAN SABERI

For the accessories, you partnered with heritage German brand Ortlieb. How did that collaboration come about?

— We’ve always had Ortlieb products in the atelier for personal use. When we started designing the accessories for 11, Ortlieb was a strong influence. We could not go ahead with such industrial processes on our own, we had no means. So we called them up and they were super enthusiastic to work together.

Can you explain a little about the design process of the bags?

— We work over their original designs and play around with different colors, prints and materials. They already have amazing products to work with. It’s a really exciting partnership that has only just begun. We’re learning a lot and there’s a lot more to come.

What was the main inspiration for the Spring/ Summer 2014 range and what are some key pieces from the collection?

— Our collection has been created around the emblematic Desert Battle Dress Uniform camouflage pattern. We dug around this motif and military reference to create new prints and embroideries. We created a lot of variation, playing with the scales and doing tone on tone embroideries to have different levels of subtlety. We’ve also extended our product range and developed summer garments including towels and swimwear.

11’s logo-driven pieces are something new for the BBS brand. What was the inspiration behind incorporating them into the collection?

— The main line has its own way of playing with graphical elements – it is more about subtleties using cuts, darts, and the fabric’s wefts.

It plays around tailoring elements. But we’ve always loved prints, they are a key part of street clothing and 11 is the perfect playground to express those creative wishes.

We love the fact that a print, a logo, or an all-over pattern can affect the way you perceive a shape. We love blurring the borders between cuts and motifs, that’s how we play with them and try to come up with something different.

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BORIS BIDJAN SABERI

There has been a strong resurgence of technical sports-influenced fashion in the last few years.

Do you see this as a permanent change for the menswear industry or simply a passing trend?

— Somehow there are two aspects to these sports influences in fashion. One affects products aesthetically and can be seen as a trend – a temporary outcome.

The second aspect is the actual focus on technical matters in sports attire, and that is pushing the industry forward with the development of new products and processes. The industry is progressing from this as technology gives us new tools for creation. That is a real change.

What does the future hold in store for 11?

— We want to strengthen our skills and follow our creative line in continuing to dig for the perfect product. And to continue to share what we do.

Photography: Sylvain Homo Styling: Laura Walters Retouching: Louis @ lesdemons.fr Grooming: Liam Curran @ Frank agency Styling Assistant: Sidney Blackburn Model: Daje Barbour @ FM London 65

WORDS PETE WILLIAMS P H OTO G R A P H Y R I N TA R O I S H I G E

In today's world technology is king. We spend nearly every waking hour plugged into one device or another. We are a connected generation who are consuming and producing information at an alarming rate. This has brought incredible new opportunities to countless people but is also completely reshaping society. It's still too soon to see what the future truly holds, but on many levels things are just as frightening as they are exciting. In fashion production we are now moving towards wearable tech devices that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Scientists are constantly developing new fabrics that are stronger, lighter, better than their predecessors, while at the same time we have groups of craftsmen dedicated to preserving the artisanal ways of old.

And then there's C.E (cav empt). The Tokyobased brand with a London influence presents itself as a uniquely self-aware entity in the fashion landscape. Founders Toby and Sk8thing have ostensibly found a way to at once tap into the current cultural zeitgeist while creating classic and timeless garments that speak to the interests of the modern-day streetwear enthusiast. Referencing a range of dot-com-era imagery, C.E mixes iconic Japanese streetwear garments with an ideology that reminds us of our precarious and perhaps dangerous relationship with the digital. Though our minds and lives may now live in the cloud, the physical world is still a place where we must continue to exist.

With this framework in mind, we spoke with C.E founders Toby and SK8thing (fittingly over email) to learn more about the past, present and future of the promising young label.

C.E Tokyo Future 66

C.E

not into avant-gardism and would never want to claim it.

Please introduce yourselves to our readers.

— Toby writing the answers with Sk8ightTing ("THG") present, hello.

Many C.E graphics steer towards vintage tech imagery. Can you tell us about the importance of that iconography to you and the brand?

— It can be hard to picture the present. Technology is so important to people and it changes so quickly – I think that's one place you can recognize the present with a little shock. Even slightly old technology looks totally bizarre when you look at it now. Nostalgia is a fantasy of the past – the present can feel less magical, but we're trying to work on that.

Do you feel the craftsmanship in garmentmaking has been lost to machines in some ways?

— Not really, just to economics. Sewing machines are hardly new technology, but a global system depending on huge factories filled with workers using them in countries with a much lower cost of living than the end market is more recent.

Craftsmanship is not something that really makes sense in the context of what the majority of people are looking for from clothes. To the extent that it remains it is something exotic for those who can afford to pay for it.

You've featured British musicians such as Zomby or D Double E and had one of your first showings at London trade show Jacket Required, yet the brand is Japan-based. Tell us about how the two differing locales of London and Tokyo play into the brand as a whole.

— I am from London and THG is from Tokyo.

Each of those places is important to us both. As far as London goes, THG's always had his own vision of it as a mystical place that's important as a generator of youth culture – it is a mostly symbolic place for him. I think that creating an image of what's going on in London based on what you can access while living in Tokyo is an analogy of how we work in general. The brand is a kind of an ideal reality, too. Putting together music and clothes is an obvious part of that.

How do you view the Japanese fashion scene today? Do you feel the youth is more focused on their online persona than the streets?

— It might be the case that the Japanese thing of a wide range of people being so into clothes is a trend of the past, not some fixed feature of our culture. Lots of people of all ages are still really into clothes here, but there was a big spike of interest at a certain point and that didn't pass down to the next generation on the same level.

People didn't have any online persona to think about back then so that is something new.

I think you could say that people's perception of how much they can afford to spend on clothes has changed now that everyone also has to spend so much on their phones, etc. I think expensive clothes are generally less desirable to youth than they were in the past, so in that way, yes.

What modern clothing technologies do you find most interesting?

— We're not really doing anything that new, to be honest. We want what we make to be mostly familiar... We are thinking about the street.

Anyway, we aren't making straight replacements for things that exist already, it would be hard to get motivated to do that. As to how we design and come up with ideas: we try to experiment a bit... without pretending that we're innovating. Wanting to do things in a different way is just us being difficult – we are

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C.E

C.E

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It's not really possible for small independent businesses to make quality clothes at cheap prices... That creates a favorable situation for the big corporations and, in comparison, everything else is marginalized.

Do you feel C.E is representative of the current Japanese fashion scene?

— We hope not!

As everything grows more niche, or niche becomes mainstream, you need to be bold to stand out. I feel C.E has achieved this on many levels. What do you feel are the key aspects of C.E that allow the brand to shine in a very crowded, saturated market?

— We naturally aren't interested in making stuff to fit in. It would seem a bit pointless. It would actually be a huge effort for us to do that rather than the opposite.

What did you learn working on BAPE and BBC that you brought to C.E? — So much. The best part of that experience was to be in a group of people just doing what felt right to them and seeing it be accepted and appreciated, even by people on the other side of the world.

And what did you do differently?

— Everything's different every time you start something new. You try to use what experience you have but it's always different.

In a previous interview, Toby mentioned that opening the BAPE NY store was integral in integrating the brand into the U.S. market by sort of establishing a reception desk to America. How do you approach overseas markets with C.E? — We're trying to make stuff as accessible as we can – without changing what it is. It's not easy.

Tokyo is quite isolated, which can be good and bad.

Are there plans to open C.E retail at home or abroad? What would these shops look like?

— We'd like to at some point. It would be an opportunity to make an interesting space. The ideas for what that might be change every time we think about it. We'd like to concentrate more on our online store at the moment. That's important to us as a way of communicating what we're doing.

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The graphics used for your recent BEAMS project involving Vans featured a bug motif that was symbolic of the impact of technology on popular culture. Can you talk about your feeling with regards to that topic?

— Well, it was a maggot and we liked the idea of new life growing on and feeding off dead things.

Talk about the role of technology in your day to day life.

— The same as everybody, I think. We are not really exceptionally online but it's a constant presence.

The spread of information is so rapid; anything good does not remain a secret for long. I.e. back in the day a BAPE logo was the sign of a like mind, but today "cool" travels so fast – these symbols are much harder to place. What are your thoughts on this statement?

— I think we might overestimate how many people are aware of something because of the way social media likes to quantify. It's easier to analyze trends now. It's a bit of an illusion that people access a lot more information now, but there's so much noise and false information, too. There's more marketing and marketing is more efficient. Things get buried very quickly in the pile and it's surprisingly hard to search for stuff that's a little old.

But, the idea of ownership of information has gotten weaker. Copies are as good as the original as far as information is concerned. As soon as it's out there it belongs to anyone who wants it.

— cavempt.com

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Video is an important method of communicating C.E and nods towards the ‘90s and early 2000s in terms of aesthetic – a period associated with optimism in technological progression. Do you feel the internet was better back then?

— No, the internet's clearly better now because it's bigger – that seems to be what it wants. We aren't nostalgic. Right now, more than ever, we are surrounded by ever greater numbers of images from various points in the past all flashing up without much context. When or where something was made is less important.

It's interesting to try to look at some of the stuff that's mundane now from the perspective of when that would still have been science fiction – just another way to feel the present.

C.E

How do you feel about the omnipresence of social media in the world today?

— It's just a part of the scenery. There's no point having a positive or negative view on it really. It has changed people at an amazing speed. It must have filled a natural need in people. But that only applies if you're talking about people who were adults before all of this was so prevalent or mobile. For kids who have grown up with it, this conversation already makes no sense.

The current situation is not fixed either – it's constantly changing, so it might not be long before concerns about social media's impact on society seem very quaint.

How important is the Internet for the business side of C.E? Can you imagine the days where offices didn't even have computers?

— I don't think many people – in the developed world at least – manage to do any business without using the Internet constantly. People used to spend a lot of time on the phone back then. Faxes. Everything happened a lot more slowly. Personal connections were probably more valuable.

Do you pay attention to what people are saying online about the brand?

— Only the good stuff.

You've worked with Oliver Payne on both graphics and film, what drew you to his work?

— He's a friend and the main thing about working with anyone is that you can communicate

with them. Oliver has a totally inspiring way of looking at things. He can make you see something that's kind of faded into the background in a totally new way. We aspire to do the same.

Do you have personal interest in video games?

— I used to love them but had to stop years ago because I get obsessed and it takes up a lot of time. THG is saying that he wants them all but he hasn't been keeping up either.

Do you have interest in Bitcoin? Can you see C.E dealing in crypto-currency at any point?

— I read a lot about it a couple of years ago – I thought it was an interesting story. The identity of the original programmer is secret, etc. I only wish I'd bought some when they were cheap.

We're one year away from 2015. Do you think we'll see hover boards by then and if so, will you be riding one?

— No. If they ever happen, of course.

Music is an important influence on the label.

What are some favorites of late?

— We're constantly excited by new music... It can be new to the world or new to us – the Internet makes the difference smaller. But it changes.

This is an everyday thing for us – listening, finding new tunes – so it's hard to pick preferences. But, Actress's new album is good.

How do you feel about today's musical environment with regards to music streaming/dowloading and services such as Spotify?

— Music seems indispensable in modern life, which is something we're pleased about as music people. It's good that music has managed to remain the key content on all of these devices we depend upon. How that gets to people doesn't seem like a big thing... We still buy records and we download songs.

Going into year three, what have you learned thus far?

— Can't give you the whole list. But it has been great to try something and see that there are people into what we're doing.

What plans do you have for the future of C.E? — We want to stay open to what's happening around us.

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Deconstructing Anatomy Aitor Throup WO R DS PAU L DAV I E S PORTRAIT & STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY CHARLES MORIARTY

Imagine this for a life-changing moment. You’re approaching your 12th birthday, your team is Real Madrid and suddenly your family relocates from Spain to a modestly sized market town in Lancashire, England.

It’s not just the climate that’s different – none of your immediate family can speak English. There is a huge chasm in cultural adjustment. But as a preteen, you’ve yet to define your personality, to establish the parameters on what marks you out as an individual.

Your mind is open to new experiences, people, local dialects and environments. You absorb and process information with ease.

And, somewhere amongst all the changes in circumstance, on Burnley FC’s stadium terraces every Saturday, the germination of an idea is benignly seeded. It will take another 15 years before that begins to manifest.

f anyone had told the young Aitor Throup that “one day, you will emerge as a highly regarded designer of men’s apparel,” he would have rejected the suggestion as irrelevant and improbable. In 1992, when he first moved to the UK, he was all but consumed by a passion for football.

Today, aged 34, he has successfully completed two fashion degrees, consulted with key Italian menswear labels – C.P. Company and Stone Island – designed the football strips for the England team, and established an eponymous clothing brand that is retailed in the most cutting-edge boutiques around the world. Although the name is yet to hit the big league, in terms of mass global awareness, the fashion cognoscenti can’t get enough of him – probably because he has refused to play the game their way. Furthermore, he can justify his reasoning with intellect and deliver it without a PR firewall.

If it’s one thing that Aitor has, it is an abundance of integrity and considered philosophy about everything he does.

The above examples of his work output to date already seem considerable. And there is so much more. 2014 is likely to be a turnaround year

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for Throup, in the same way that 1992 – when he first moved to the UK – and 2006, when he graduated with a MA from the prestigious Royal College of Art, both were. This feature is the culmination of more than five years of ongoing discussions with Throup, following each step of his burgeoning career. This year will see Throup consolidate his position as someone more than simply a “menswear designer” to look out for.

His work output has already begun to shift towards other disciplines – namely, film and creative direction, specifically with the music industry. And by the end of the year, a new involvement in the world of cinema is keenly anticipated as the next evolution of his already considerable artistic portfolio.

Some analysis of Throup’s personal history and definition of his design principles are necessary here. There is already a huge amount of information on his website that outlines all his creative output with encyclopedic detail.

Painstakingly reconstructed over the last five years, it offers a valuable resource of information for anyone interested in his work to date.

It outlines why Throup deserves his industry accolades and how his unique approach to work justifies the widely held claim that he is a force to be reckoned with.

Throup recalls his early days in England through the regular football games he attended.

He particularly noticed the tribal crowd behavior.

“Going to the pub afterwards and they’re all downing beers. I was like, ‘What the fuck’s going on here?’ This is really excessive, and is part of the fabric of this town. I loved it. The older I got, the more interested I became in the subcultural behavior of the football “casuals,” the real hardheads.

“They were all obsessed with these crazy clothes with goggles in the hood and lit up in the dark, that had smog masks built in – and I just found this real form of creative expression, it’s almost like fancy dress – contrasted with this recessive, overt masculinity, and extremely violent demeanor. It still really intrigues me.”

Throup is referring to the influx of Italian sportswear labels that were hugely popular amongst British football fans throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s. Brands such as Fila, Sergio Tacchini, and then Stone Island and C.P. Company.

“I ended up working in the shops that sold this stuff just to get closer to it.

Seeing the C.P. Company “Goggle” jacket on a hanger, it had a life of its own because it’s got points of reference to specific body parts. It’s like there’s a soul in it, the eyes give it personality.

And there’s an aspirational value to it. I wanted to own it all.”

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Throup’s earlier childhood in Spain and Argentina quickly receded into the background.

Unlike most young boys who might have taken their toys apart to rebuild them, Throup began to create imaginary worlds to inhabit. “I loved the positivity of isolation, how that can feed your creativity,” he says. It began with sketches – something he continues to do regularly that informs his design process. He fastidiously posts a daily sketch on Post New’s THE BREAKS section [thebreaks.post-new.com/author/aitorthroup/]. The images in his Daily Sketchbook Archives offer a glimpse into his design approach, the careful analysis of a human torso examined with forensic attention from every angle. It is echoed in the recent music video he directed for Damon Albarn’s current single, “Everyday Robots,” part of an album project which Throup came on board for as creative director.

The combination of sketching and his interest in football casual clothing led to Throup studying fashion, eventually to master’s degree level. However, his approach promises a far-reaching and considered analysis of what clothing means beyond the standard ephemeral nature of a six-month season – which is why you’ll hear him describe his incredibly passionate work focus as the result of a fluid relationship, combining the pragmatism of product design and exploring the creative boundaries of art.

That the finished product is a wearable garment is almost inconsequential. Throup’s starting point is more akin to problem solving, with the finished product being a beautiful work of art. In between these two points, there will have been a high level of investigation and experimentation.

This started from his first day at college, when he was handed a 1950s book that outlined how to construct a shirt. His innate reaction was to reject established convention and start from scratch. If anything, he felt that existing formats would interfere with the idea of design being a freedom of expression.

“I had no idea how a suit jacket should be constructed. The first thing I did was to make sure I didn’t take on that legacy of background knowledge, how things should be done. The first pattern cutting lesson, they gave me 20 pages on making a traditional shirt. I was like, ‘You’re poisoning our minds with these existing solutions. What is the value in that?’ They explained, ‘First learn the principles then you can expand on them.’ Yes, but that’s someone else’s principles. The principle is there’s a 3D object, a 2D flat piece of fabric, put them together. Or, get an orange, and a piece of fabric: make a pattern for it. Every pattern-cutting teacher should start with that. Then you extract your own principles.

In doing that, you learn everything.”

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So far, so very graduate studies. But for the fact that Throup’s clothing is not experimental for the sake of it. They are compelling garments that hold a powerful appeal on several levels.

From the casual first viewing on a magazine page, to a curiosity in understanding more about the design, the gritty urban silhouetting and appreciation of the unique use of materials.

Since starting his label in 2006, there are five product groups that he calls the concept archive. And he's fully aware how incongruous that sounds – to have created an archive before presenting a full collection to retail. But then Throup is not forging ahead intent on designing newness for the sake of being new. That would not work, and he is perfectly aware of this. He is creating his own foundation to base new work from.

Why? Because Throup isn’t one to accept the norm unless it makes perfect sense. Either in the construction of a basic shirt, or in the marketing strategy of a new brand, such as his own.

He has eschewed the relentless cycle of fashion that dictates we must consider purchasing new clothes for each season. He has, effectively, single-handedly rewritten the blueprint from the ground up. Creating a vertically integrated business structure that is an all-encompassing mix of source theory, philosophy, design/ redesign, construction, sales and marketing. If the industry standard machinery isn’t providing what he needs to accomplish his vision, he will develop it. Nothing has been left out of the equation.

This manifesto could be considered as borderline pretentious drivel, with all his declared intentions of conceptual integrity and elevating products to design archetype status. And it is worth holding the perspective that, at the heart of all this, is a 16-year-old school kid on the football terraces. Not interested in fashion as we consume it today, and yet, a decade and a half later, he achieves a “dream-come-true” moment when the very same company who manufactured garments that he respected so enthusiastically as a teenager would invite him to design their 20th anniversary Goggle jacket.

On the final day of his graduation show at RCA, two men approached him with their business cards. The representatives from Sportswear Company, who then owned both Stone Island and C.P. Company, were inviting him to meet their president. A week later in Italy, Carlo Rivetti offered him a position to bring new approaches to the clothing in their company – the first of several such enlightened moments.

What Rivetti had picked up on was Throup’s intense analysis of the human anatomy – something that emerged from his casual drawings, not from scientific observation. And, two years later this resulted in two special edition projects

with Stone Island. In the first, Throup was able to flex creative muscle and put his theories into commercial practice. He designed the Modular Anatomy coat – “with multiple-shaped [fabric] pockets that create the aesthetic of a traditional down jacket. Whereas normally there is stitched down so it disperses equally, mine [had] every line as a seam [to create shape]. Like a 3-D jigsaw puzzle.” It ended up being exhibited in the Victoria & Albert museum.

fter two seasons, Rivetti called him into his office for what Throup modestly refers to as, “The Big One.” To design the 20th anniversary edition of C.P. Company’s Mille Miglia, their perennial Goggle jacket. Throup went back to the origins of this iconic driving jacket and emerged with an ergonomically constructed garment shaped in a driver’s seat position. This, too, led to further recognition when the finished product was nominated for the Design of the Year award in 2010 by London’s Design Museum.

As this relationship was reaching its natural conclusion in 2009, Throup was approached by another sportswear company. Umbro, who had recently been taken over by Nike had maintained an ongoing relationship with Throup since

That the finished product is a wearable garment is almost inconsequential.

Throup’s starting point is more akin to problem solving, with the finished product being a beautiful work of art.

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Ultimately, he is a storyteller that enjoys several layers of narrative and his response is characteristically tangential.

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his postgraduate days at RCA. The new ownership meant that, “Suddenly, it was a different conversation.”

“They said, ‘Imagine what the England kit could be.’ When we’d go to the pub to watch England, all I wanted was the ultimate authenticity of ‘you’re wearing the official England kit.’

‘Cause authenticity is so valuable. But it was always a hologram that told you it was official.

And it was shiny. And it looks crap with your jeans. You’d be like ‘fuck’s sake, let’s get a 1966 one then.’ Not because you want to be retro but because it’s well designed. It doesn’t have any bullshit on it. So we spent a week doing a think-tank with them and they said, ‘We want you to design the England kit.’”

Throup did two – in 2009 for the home team – and 2010 for the away games. And elements of the new strip, less fancy embellishments more pure design essence, have since trickled through into other club kits. He explains, “We had the confidence to say, ‘Let’s innovate properly.

Once we do, let’s not put any arrows pointing to it. And just paint it all white.’ That’s what the 1966 kit is. Sir Alf Ramsay worked with Umbro closely and it was proper product innovation in the ‘60s. They got rid of the shoulder seam, but you’d never know it. It’s very humble, very British.” In studying the heritage of both sport and brand, the studio produced a solution that returned it to its earlier strengths, referencing the past to move forward.

Such projects have drawn heavily from Throup’s own design concepts that are not generated, like most fashion design, from a twodimensional drawing but rather 3D life-sized sculptures. His hand drawings are the source material for his “Justified Design Philosophy,” a design approach that isn’t based on aesthetics but rather, a reason for its very existence. His umbrella statement of intent is “New Object Research” in which his design studio is the collective entity dedicated to research and development of new innovative objects. The focus lies more in the process of design than the finished product. As he sees it, the ideal shirt or trouser is never fully resolved – there will always be external factors that create change and allow for further improvement.

When he talks of shirt design, he has three sections in mind – a body, shoulder, and sleeve as opposed to the standard body and attached sleeve. And when he adopts a location such as Mongolia or New Orleans as a source reference for one of the archive concepts, he doesn’t rely on any inherent notions of the exotic to do his bidding, like so many fashion designers. He thoroughly researches the history to arrive at a fully considered set of solutions that reflect a depth of knowledge and inspirational crea-

tivity, placing the idea beyond its origins into fresh context.

Furthermore, there is often a strong political statement that is deeply embedded into the work. Again, a rhetoric that the fashion world is notoriously evasive about. Throup likes to posit ideas and enquiry amongst his audience.

During June 2012’s inaugural London Collections showcase for menswear, the studio exhibited one singular object as a prelude to the first collection of 22 garments, to be shown in January 2013. The “Shiva Skull Bag,” constructed in the form of a human skull represented the culmination of six years’ research into product design. It is perhaps typical that he chose not to present a more standard garment, such as jacket or trousers, but an accessory.

Throup’s position remains steadfast. The skull bag may appear as a super cool fashion accessory to someone unfamiliar with his work.

However, for him, the bag is one example of how a product has come to market from the five concept archives he works from. In this case, drawing references and design construction from his first archive that he completed his MA with, “When Football Hooligans Become Hindu Gods.” It takes influence from a variety of military satchels and bags. Its complex arrangement of straps and D-rings are re-engineered from an original military water bottle, and allows for the bag to be worn in several different ways – as a belt attachment, rucksack or shoulder bag.

If there are cynics lining up to take a pot shot at all this high-level theory, Throup is a step ahead.

“I like the idea of having criticism. Criticism represents anticipation. That is what there isn’t in the fashion industry. There can’t be because everything is predetermined. I would love for people to be waiting for my next big concept. Because, then it’s a beautiful moment when it does come out. It’s unexpected and it’s not prescribed. It’s all of the above because a system was generated that allowed for ideas to develop and grow naturally, not under a creative dictatorship.”

t may come as no surprise that, of the retailer wishlist he hoped would express interest in buying his first collection, Throup soon found himself fielding orders from 20 stores, some breaking convention and offering to pay in advance for the opportunity to secure his label on their roster. During 2012’s Frieze art fair in London, the studio presented another four items in Dover Street Market as a further insight into what would become the full launch for Fall/Winter ’13.

Now that the first season is over, what is next for the creative maverick?

Throup is intriguingly coy about whether there will be another collection made available to the normal retail channels.

The strong interest in clothing is still prevalent, and there is an intention to continue the design process, in whatever form.

However, other artistic projects have recently been occupying his time and energy.

At the start of 2011, he was announced as creative director for electronic rock band Kasabian and their fourth album, Velociraptor! He had previously produced a short film with Nick Knight alumni, Jez Tozer for SHOWstudio for the “Ethnic Stereotyping” concept, but this was his debut as a music video director with the album’s first two singles, “Switchblade Smiles” and “Man of Simple Pleasures.” He went on to design the album packaging and a TV promo that won an award at the UK Music Video Awards.

ater that year, musical polymath Damon Albarn invited Throup to join a group of leading edge music producers as they traveled through the Democratic Republic of Congo, as part of the music project DRC Music for charity organization, Oxfam.

Earlier this year, Albarn announced his first solo album with Throup as its creative director. They launched the video for the first single during the annual Sundance film festival. Since then, the designer has been preparing a booklet for the album’s deluxe edition. Two examples from this – consisting of original writings and sketches by Albarn – are exclusively revealed here.

These projects not only take Throup out of the boundaries that the fashion world imposes on its creative individuals, but it also demonstrates his irrefutable attention to detail. In April 2010, he explained: “My obsession with creating something that is a completely holistic body of work, within which everything is answered and is open to exploration as deep as the viewer may want. Which is, for me, what every great piece of art should be – a great aesthetic which is created by a reason. So you can judge it by its aesthetic, you can consume it aesthetically. All that’s fine, but a great piece of art will have questions and answers built into it as well.

There’s this German term in aesthetics, Gesamtkunstwerk –

a term that represents something that is complete. That every single component is there for a reason and is connected to every other component. So, the reason behind everything. If you imagine an artwork being a room and everything that’s in it has been curated in a certain way. Everything is in there for a specific reason to represent something else. From the window to the wallpaper to the positioning of the door, that’s the gesamtkunstwerk.

“It’s been a weird thing where subconsciously I’ve known that that’s just one part that’s necessary in order to build the foundations to have an archive that we can work from seasonally. And enjoy. And now that we have the archive, we can build from that.”

This was in the context of clothing, and yet it applies to all his creative output. Last year, he updated that by explaining that his approach to the video work came from a similar position of rejecting existing structures in order to achieve his own signature.

“My vision was so specific, I knew exactly what I wanted – I don’t know how this happened – somehow I felt connected and was able to direct people that were using equipment that I’d never come across before. Like when I started sculpting. One day I knew I had to sculpt, I knew I had to do three-dimensional versus my drawings. I’d never picked up clay before, I knew I would be able to do… I just knew it. I’d never learnt how to.”

‘Let’s innovate properly. Once we do,let’s not put any arrows pointing to it.

And just paint it all white’.

That designer Aitor Throup is borderline obsessive about his work should be no surprise by now. Within the realms of clothing, Throup still wants to find a solution to your button-up jacket that creates unwelcome volume in the midriff region as you sit down. He ponders what to do with hood constructions, given that 99% of its life will be spent on your neck and shoulders, not covering your head. These things motivate him, hence the term, “New Object Research.”

It could be argued that his investigations are a welcome reminder that there are two designers in the fashion world – the true creator of new products, and the stylist that rides the zeitgeist wave. While the latter holds an aesthetic mirror up to the general public, giving them what they already know they want – albeit by editing revised interpretations – the genuine designer provides realistic solutions with enduring appeal.

ill Aitor be fêted as the visionary leader that many believe him to be?

It is perhaps still too early to tell.

He’d like to find a way to simplify everything, to streamline the production – potentially for another line that would be priced more accessibly. In achieving that, Throup will have come full circle. Returned himself to that soccer fan on the stadium terraces, he’s never really left that position but has been on an incredible quest for idealism in between.

He believes that his work in clothing design is

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almost complete – he likens the current position to Le Corbusier’s architectural legacy. “All his design principles are epitomized in that one house. That is the research, I’m not going to redo it. It’s captured perfectly.”

Which leaves him open to work in other creative territories, as we have seen with his music collaborations. He has signed up with a reputable production agency to represent him as a director. And, in mid-November, another announcement will be made linking Throup with Hollywood. It seems there is yet more to come.

Suggest to Aitor that, ultimately, he is a storyteller that enjoys several layers of narrative and his response is characteristically tangential.

“I think the essence of creativity is the buzz that you get from the feeling of self-gratification when you solve a problem. So it’s not the process that’s enjoyable. It almost hardly ever is. Why do people buy those Sudoku books? ‘Cause they like crunching numbers? No, they don’t. They like the feeling at the end of crunching all those numbers. They like feeling that they’re so clever. If your problem remains authentic and you don’t cheat, all the problems you solve in your own way, that’s a great feeling that unifies everything.

“I really think that any credible creative should only be creating their own language, not borrowing other people’s. The history of product design or art, and they’re both closely connected through credibility, and the pieces that become timeless and inform us as we evolve, are the things that, when they land – whether it’s a Dyson vacuum cleaner, or a Warhol, or a Picasso cubist painting – they are completely different and did not exist before. And the reason they create shifts is because they prove there is a different way. The reason we love them is because it empowers us. Like, ‘Yeah, we’re not trapped.’ Maybe I can’t do it as an individual but I love you because you did it. You give me hope.”

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WORDS ALEC BANKS P H OTO G R A P H Y PAT R I C K O ' B R I E N -S M I T H S T Y L I N G E L I Z A B E T H B I R K E T T- G I B B S

Union Looks into the Future Many of the great science fiction novels in history all attempt to paint either a utopian or dystopian view of what the future will hold.

Regardless of one’s interpretation, each world is crafted with certain expectations that ultimately dictate if we’re better or worse off. Sharing a namesake with a point in time that can’t be quantified outside the lines of literature, Nayvadius Cash – perhaps better known by his emcee moniker, Future – is poised for as big a 2014 as anyone in hip-hop. With a successful tour with Drake under his belt and his album Honest on the horizon boasting a number of high-profile collaborators like Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and Pusha T, it’s clear that past and present will definitely include Future.

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With the bones of the yet-to-be-completed Ace Museum as the backdrop, Los Angeles-based menswear store Union served up an appetizing sartorial spread of diverse pieces to mark his arrival. While there, Future discussed what the future holds not only in terms of music, but fashion, technology and more.

Where do you see the state of fashion 10 years from now? What labels do you see thriving?

— The future is the Future. I see my brand Freebandz apparel growing into a full-fledged fashion label as well as brands that I keep in my closet right now. Brands like En Noir, Hood

By Air, Public School, etc. that have been on a

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steady rise over the past couple of years. These brands will be household fashion labels by then as they represent the future and the youth.

Many artists use mixtapes as a way to curb music piracy. What do you see as an artist's next great weapon in the fight against illegal downloading?

— I see artists partnering up with music downloading and streaming apps like iTunes or Spotify more and more. I think the mixtape culture will continue, but the means of distributing them will change. iTunes will start to share mixtapes in the hip-hop category, but you will be able to

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download them for free. This can potentially sell more music for artists as well because once you are in the iTunes store, you start browsing for other music from that particular artist.

What can listeners expect from Honest?

— An incredible body of work. I put everything into this record and worked with some of the best, most creative artists in the industry to build it out. Honest will be my best project yet.

I’m just excited for the world to hear it.

You've been quoted as saying "I don't really

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let people in to my world. You've gotta save something for yourself. You can't just let everybody know everything about you." Coming up in the so-called "Facebook Generation," how do you balance wanting to stay connected with your fans while still maintaining a personal life?

— You gotta stay true to the art. If you stay true to the art, everything else will fall in line. If you put out a great body of work, your fans will connect with it automatically. I don’t need to respond to every post on social media, but if I post new music that’s how my fans will connect. With my personal life, I’ve always kept that private. I’ve

never had too much trouble separating the two.

Artists like Jay Z and Eminem put out records in 2013 at 40 years old and up. What do you see your music being like in 10 years when you're nearing 40?

— Phenomenal. I think Jay and Eminem have continued to put out great material over the years. It’s hard to say since everyone compares their current records with their past records, but even if those past records didn’t exist I think fans would think these current albums are incredible. My music will evolve with the time, but still maintain quality.

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Nike + Riccardo Tisci

Most Valuable Partners

WORDS PH CAMY PHOTOGRAPHY SABRINA THEISSEN

talian designer Riccardo Tisci was the initiator of a “couture clash,” which has transported the Givenchy house – for which he’s the artistic director – onto the black asphalt, revealing dark yet precise silhouettes in each new collection. Tisci has wrestled his way into the world of luxury fashion with an iron hand in a velvet glove and has established himself as one of the most prominent designers in the industry by building modern bridges between the worlds of couture and streetwear.

The streets recently reached back out to him, by way of Nike, who offered to let him design a full line of Air Force 1s. This highly anticipated collaboration, as well as his passion for sport and AF1s, amongst many other things, were the topics we got to discuss with the designer in an exclusive interview he gave to Highsnobiety in Paris at the end of January.

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Bonjour Riccardo Tisci, what’s your history with sneakers, and more specifically Nike shoes?

— When I wear sneakers, I only wear Nikes, as an Italian who has always dreamt of America and a lover of basketball. I played basketball for seven years, but I injured my left leg and I had to stop.

That's one of the reasons why I started fashion.

I'm going to be 40 in seven months now and my childhood took place during a moment when there was a big explosion of sportswear in the streets. I remember the Neneh Cherry song, “Manchild,” and its video directed by JeanBaptiste Mondino... That was the beginning of hip-hop and they all were Nike-addicted.

That was my first step into fashion, so Nike represents a lot to me. It represents sport and comfort, as well as my teenage years and my childhood. It's very important.

Your last show for Givenchy was super sportoriented, with models walking on a basketball court behind a wire netting – a clear message that you’re in love with sports culture.

— I love sport first, because I think sport is always related to my teenage years. I come from the streets, in the sense that I don’t come from a rich family, and when you are in the streets – in any country in the world – you will find basketball courts and football fields, in any city. Sport means freedom, you don't need to have money to play sports, and sport to me is the moment when – no matter if you are rich or poor – you play the same game.

You can meet people from all walks of life on the field...

— "Bravissimo,” you can meet on the field and it doesn't matter if you are rich or poor, black or white, everybody is on the same level. That means a lot for me. Sport has always been attached to my childhood. For many years I stopped doing sport, because when I signed a contract with Givenchy, my life changed, and I started to focus only on my career and didn't take my needs into consideration… So,

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I brought couture to the streets, like I’m bringing couture to Nike.

five years ago, I decided to go back to sport and started a big diet. As soon as I got back into it, I understood that sport gives you the means to think, live and love life in a completely different way. I fell right back in love with sport again. And because I try to be a very honest person, and an honest designer, I never forget where I came from, and I never forget what people need – hence me being the first one to bring sportswear to haute couture. In the beginning, it was a big clash, a big shock to the fashion world, because nobody dared to bring haute couture to the streets. My style is very recognizable; I can bring haute couture and luxury to the streets and vice versa. People are sometimes afraid; they build these barriers for themselves. Me being from the streets, I don't have barriers like that. The sporty vibe to my designs has always come naturally.

Was it a long process for you when arriving at Givenchy to get the team surrounding you to understand this culture?

— No, because I'm young, so I design almost everything myself, and it was very easy because my team is also young. However, it was much more difficult for people on the outside to accept this new orientation. Once they got it, it became a big trend. It being a part of my DNA, and as an honest designer, it makes it very easy for me to bring that vibe. I brought couture to the streets, like I’m bringing couture to Nike.

Did Nike give you “carte blanche” for this collaboration?

— Completely! Nike contacted me, and before I even signed a contract I went with the entire Nike team, including people from Europe and everywhere in the world, on an incredible trip – a trip I could only qualify as a Nike trip. And it was amazing, because the first time you arrive in this amazing green paradise (editor's note: Nike's HQ in Beaverton) everything is so precise; there’s a certain rigidity to everything… But, once you actually step inside, it's like a big surprise because everybody's young, everybody's so sweet, everybody's very open-minded, and everybody's quite soft, and that's the complete opposite of the first impression you get when you arrive. It was an amazing trip, because when you get there, you understand how much it's not about financial power. Financial power doesn't mean a lot, I’ve worked with other people in my life who have financial power and don't have what I found there... it's the power of creativity,

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Nike is a celebration of life, you wear them because you’re celebrating something.

the power of experimentation, the power of technology, and the power of intelligence. For me it was a very strong emotion and experience. I spent three days there, and after 24 hours I felt like I was a longtime friend with everybody. It was crazy; there was a really family-like feeling to it, which is a beautiful thing to have in a big multinational company like that. I left Nike feeling like I’d been given a big gift, as much to my heart, to my culture as to getting a better understanding on how to achieve things. When I arrived in Paris I understood that I couldn't provide anything in terms of technology or experimentation, because they were already so advanced. The only things I could bring into the collab were my emotion, my creativity, in the sense of my recognizable Riccardo Tisci style, and, from that, start to make the Nike lovers and Riccardo Tisci lovers become one.

Was it a kind of challenge for you?

— First and foremost, it was an honor. A challenge? Not so much, because I believe I'm always thinking, planning ahead… it's not that I'm naive but I tend to believe that people are honest, and in this case they are, so you are there to deliver something they’re expecting as they’re already familiar with your work. What I'm doing is not simple, I'm very experimental – I'm touching subjects that not many designers touch. With me it's not only Riccardo Tisci's clothing: you buy Riccardo Tisci's journey, Riccardo Tisci's lifestyle, a gang of people, a project, emotions… When Nike came to me, I was very honored that such a massive company didn’t solely focus on making money but aimed at providing human beings with fulfillment, in terms of sport and projects. So, to me, that was the most amazing. And also because, you know, Nike is Nike. To be mentioned next [to] a name like that… I mean that’s a key to open any door.

Was it the ultimate collaboration for Riccardo Tisci?

— Every six months I have somebody asking me

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for a collaboration, and I always say turn them down, because I'm so busy building my career and my style. I'm sure that I'm going to do other projects, but I'm also sure that I won't do other projects at the same level as the Nike one in terms of sportswear. I think you have to do your best, and I gave my best, with the best in the business.

What was the creative process that led to this Air Force 1 line?

— When I went back to Paris it was Christmas, and in January I sat down and I did it 100% myself. With Nike I wanted the project to be the essence of Riccardo Tisci, because it's going to go down in history. By then I didn't know if it was going to be good or bad but I knew that it was going to go down in history, simply based on the fact that I was working with Nike. So I took it six or seven different ways. In one of them I completely deformed the shape, for one other it was only details, on another I tried to move things around, and then this came out.

The night before the presentation, I was very stressed. I was looking at all of the designs I’d come up with and I called my collaborator Luciada, who has worked for me for the past 14 years – she is my right hand woman. We were looking at these variants and I picked one, and took it in my hand, and without telling to anybody I knew it was the best. The day after, we presented it to Nike; it was a very stressful moment for me...

More stressful than the first presentation of one of your new Givenchy collections?

— Absolutely. One thousand times more. Because you want to give your best and you're touching something which is really iconic, something that’s already proved it worked, something that people love, you have to do better than that. So basically, I put all the designs on the table, in front of maybe 10 people. Each of these people had a name, each one had a story, each one was related to something or to a social situation…

All of them looked at one proposal and said

“this is the best.” That was the one that was already the best in my head. It was important to me to respect the roots of Nike, to not completely destroy the shoes, make them become me, so I changed the perforations on the toe box, I changed the texture… When you’ll see it, consider that it's a brother, a younger brother to the classic Nike Air Force 1, as you know it.

With a first set of shoes in a predominantly white colorway, may we think that after many years of darkness in Riccardo Tisci's collections comes a kind of light at the end of a tunnel?

— Kids these days become so trendy they wear Nikes in the clubs, in the raves… Nike is a celebration of life; you wear them because you’re celebrating something. And from the darkness came the light… of Nike. (smiles)

Nowadays more girls wear sneakers, including of course AF1s. Did you think about the ladies when working on this project?

— Yes, because I wanted to do a very unisex shoe.

I kept the "Low" and the "Mid" models, which are the Nike classics and then I decided to do a "Three-Quarter" and a "Boot." The "ThreeQuarter" and the "Boot" are more unisex – they are all unisex actually – but the second ones were designed bearing boys and girls, warriors, in mind. Warriors of society. We’ve become warriors these days, and I think the hi-boot is for real gladiators, girls and boys.

How did the Nike team react when they discovered the hi-boot?

— They loved it. And they were shocked, of course, because nobody in sportswear, I think in history, has ever done a boot like that. They were shocked and asked "why?” It was because I wanted to bring sport to couture and couture to sport. When we sat down to sign the contract I said: "I don't want to do a niche project, I want the project to be available to everybody, pricewise."

With the first teaser of this collection we saw some references to tribes. It seems to me that nowadays it's quite difficult to define tribes,

because of the mix of styles and genres. Can we still talk about “tribes” in the very first sense of the word?

— Completely. With all the medias like Instagram or Facebook it seems like everything is mixed, but look: you have the rockers, the rap tribes, the hipster tribes, the Mods, electro tribes… Don't forget that Nike and the AF1 is a really New Yorker thing, and New York to me represents the mirror of the world, with so many different tribes, so many different clubs, so many different kinds of music, so many different celebrations of life.

Regarding rap music, how did one of the most iconic artist of this scene, a friend of yours called Kanye West react, when he discovered your creations for Nike? Was he one of the first to discover your Air Force One's?

— I didn't show it to anybody. It was a very secret project. I'm a lion. A lion always walks in silence, and then he bites! (laughs) I didn't show it to anybody until the announcement was made on Instagram.

What did you learn from this collaboration with Nike?

— First off, that you never know what is going to be around the corner for you. And that if you work with honest people, success is always guaranteed. Apart from that I learned a lot visually when I went to the Nike HQ, with all these amazing things they’re working on, and to be honest I didn't know how far Nike had gotten as a company and its aim to help human beings to live better.

As an insider of the fashion industry, you didn't know what heights Nike had reached?

— No, because you wear Nike as you would wear Chanel N°5 perfume, it is so well-anchored in everyday life that sometimes it becomes a routine for everybody. You know, I was very shocked when one day, as I was coming back from a meeting for Givenchy, from New York to Paris, I was sat at the airport and looking around me, I saw how many people were wearing Nike.

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It was quite shocking. Sometimes you find a product with a cross-culture, sexuality, skin color, tribe appeal. You can go to Alaska or to Africa and you’ll find Nikes. But, still as powerful a company as they are, I found that they were very sensitive, and very… humble, very open-minded, and I think this is amazing. Sometimes when you work with business people, they are close-minded. Nike is quite the opposite. That's why they are so close to the young generations, in the best ways possible. This project really opened my mind.

How do you like seeing your creations on people?

In everyday life, for example.

— I like it in every way possible, I'm always surprised. Surprised by the way people reinterpret it. But I will never like to see a man or a woman wearing Givenchy on Givenchy on Givenchy, or full Nike either.

Which of your Air Force 1s will become the peoples’ favorite?

— The "Three-Quarter." Because it's not over the top like the boot, the "Gladiators" as I like to call them, and it's not as classic as the other two styles that have been around for many years. You can wear the "Gladiators," of course, but you can't wear them everyday, you need to have an outfit to go with them. I think the "Three-Quarter" is easier to wear, you can wear them with a pair of jeans, a skirt if you're a girl, and it’s much easier and cool to wear it. I'm sure that it's going to be the most popular of the collections.

What's very specific to the Air Force 1 I believe, is that when I’m out on a "mission," during day or night, and I know anything can happen, I feel good and strong with them on my feet…

— Yes, me too. You can check my fashion shows for Givenchy, in total there’s let's say, 100 shows. Seventy or 80 percent of the time, I came out at the end of the show rocking a pair of white-on-white Air Force 1s. That moment is very strong, you are the gladiator, because you go out there, in the arena - and I'm very shy - and you either get applause, or criticism,

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If you work with honest people, success is always guaranteed.

We’ve become warriors these days, and I think the hi-boot is for real gladiators, girls and boys.

you have one thousand people giving you a strong energy.

It's a very powerful moment.

I have changed jeans, T-shirts, shirts, for this moment, but my shoes have always been the white Nikes.

Is it true that you have hundreds of white AF1s?

— Including the ones I’ve thrown away, in my entire life, I think that number exceeds three or four hundred pairs of Air Force 1s. I'm collecting trainers, mostly Nikes.

How many pairs do you have in your collection?

— A lot!

Like, a thousand?

— Yeah, I've been collecting them since I was very, very young. I would say 80 to 90 percent are Nike, and I have a little bit of Vans, and PUMAs because I did a collaboration with PUMA in the past.

How do you live with your Air Force 1s, silhouette wise?

— My look is not too over the top, I mean I'm not like Salvador Dalí in the way I dress. (laughs) My look is very laid-back.

When I want to be elegant I'll wear a cashmere coat, a

hoodie, a black shirt, black trousers, and Nikes.

When I want to be more casual, I'll pop on a checkered shirt or black T-shirt. In every bag I travel with, there is a pair of white Air Force 1s. They are my everyday sneakers.

Can we be look forward to a collaborative collection of apparel?

— No...

Not even the sweater we saw you wearing in the teaser?

— It’s probably going to be produced, there are a lot of things to come out, I'm sure. For the moment we are focusing on launching the capsule shoes. It was a first, so we took things slowly …

So it might be a long-term collaboration with Nike, then, with more things to come?

— We'll see.

Regarding your FW14 show for Givenchy that was set up with a basketball court as background, what was the main idea of this event?

— People watching animals, and animals watching people. Up to you to decide which side represented who were the animals. The collection wasn’t only about basketball, there were a lot of furs and prints of fur – it was mostly about that. Is the animal inside or is the animal outside watching the ones inside? And it was a reference to my childhood, when I was always out playing basketball on the outdoor courts.

Basketball is a team sport, a sport in which you need intelligence and drive to be successful.

This is all about human defense and human collaborations.

Was collaborating with Nike a bit of a game?

— It was a love affair. If you check my background, I always talk about darkness, about sex, about transsexuals... but with Nike, it's a completely new image. It was an amazing fusion.

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Art Comes First Breaking rules.

Sam Lambert and Shaka Maidoh might be two of the best dressed men in the business. With exceptional attention to detail, it’s easy to see why they’re the favorite subjects of so many street style photographers. But behind the photographs, they’re the founders of an art collective that shares the same fantastic level of attention to detail, both on an aesthetic and conceptual level.

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WORDS MAUDE CHURCHILL PHOTOGRAPHY JAKE CHURCHILL

rt Comes First successfully balance projects that have commercial fashion appeal with its conceptual origins. The collective and its rotating members pave the way in an industry that is all too often caught up in its own transient nature, with projects that are created from a shared admiration of craftsmanship and dedication to its history.

Between these four members, their individual work spans from visual designing, seasonal collections, and a handcrafted hat brand, to directing the design of Denham. And collectively, the skills and talents of Sam, Shaka, Matteo and Liam come together to create a wonderful kind of alchemy, something they refer to directly in their succinct brand ethos, “Sartor, Alchemy and Progression.”

Their vintage aesthetic seems distinctly anti-technology, but the fact is that fashion has forever employed technology, from basic sewing machines to advanced laser cutting.

In this case it’s more a question of, to what extent is technology being used? Self-proclaimed “analogue people,” Art Comes First use technology in order to bring vintage garments into the present. Their project “The DJ Technique Applied to Menswear” used the process of DJing, sampling tunes and mixing them together to create new ones, as an approach to clothes making. Taking apart old vintage garments and grafting them together they create new, modern expressions.

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The concept of a super modern wardrobe has become more active through brands such as Nike Sportswear, Acronym and Aitor Throup, but designing for the future doesn’t have to be racing towards the future. It can be a stepby-step approach to prepare ourselves for the changing times. When you look back at the styles of the 1960s, it’s possible to see how the designs were evolving ahead of the silhouettes of the 1970s. Those contemporary innovations need only be slight adjustments in order to prepare for the future.

Sam, Shaka, Matteo and Liam’s own personal styles are great indicators of the artistic ethos that overflows into every aspect of their lives. Their sartorial sensibilities begin with classic tailoring as the foundation, exuding an air of yesteryear all the while looking distinctly contemporary. Sartor isn’t just a design discipline for them; it’s a way of life. Their recent project, “Bleed for Tweed,” starts with the most basic component of fashion: the fabric. In collaboration with Harris Tweed, Art Comes First took traditional fabrics from the heritage brand and put it through a range of technical processes, including rubberization, wax stuffing, calendaring and more.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with all four members to get to grips with the essence of Art Comes First, delve deeper into their thoughts on the current state of menswear, and learn a lot more about it in the process.

We say, “Rules are meant to be broken, traditions are meant to be kept.”

And the only way it is possible to combine tradition with a contemporary way of thinking is by breaking rules.

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Can you explain your tagline, “Sartor, Alchemy and Progression”?

— Sartor is in reference to the discipline of menswear, and the fact that we see it as more than just a design discipline; it’s almost a faith to us.

Progression is a statement of intention about trying to move that tradition forward together.

And alchemy is a reference to that age old idea that menswear can transform the wearer, a little bit like the Savile Row mythology that we can change each others work when we work together, and in turn make it more likely to be achieved. We all share these core values, and they’re applicable not only to Art Comes First but how we approach our individual assignments too. It’s our way of life.

For me, there seems to be a contradiction within that line. Alchemy is a medieval form of chemistry, while progression is the concept of moving forward. That’s something that I see a lot of in your works – harking back to traditional, vintage clothing, while always creating something new.

Alchemy is about turning base metals into precious metal, through an act of magic. But the way you posed that question made me think we do tend to look at the base metals of our crafts, those underappreciated bits – for instant old vintage. It’s hard to put into words when it all happens so organically, but it is always to do with the process. When you get a reference or an image or inspiration from the past and you’re trying to bring it to the present so you can move it to the future, that too is alchemy.

The mixture of all the different cultures and subcultures, religions, the mix of disciplines – all these different things, if it’s gender or race or anything – the combination becomes our own alchemy, our chemistry.

How did you all come together to form Art Comes First?

— Sam: Shaka and I were introduced to each other by mutual friends a while ago, and we founded Art Comes First out of a need to create something for ourselves. When we started showcasing at trade shows we were introduced to Matteo and Liam at the same time through another mutual friend. During those times we spoke a bit and there was a real simpatico in terms of how we talked about our work. So it was a very natural move for us to invite both Liam and Matteo to join us as rotating members of Art Comes First.

Why the name Art Comes First?

— Liam: Sam and Shaka named it and I always

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thought, what a stupid name, and it wasn’t until a year later during the DJ Technique Project, when someone was asking me what the exhibition was about, I looked at the name and I thought – of course! Art Comes First. It’s that simple. For us, the art does come first. And the merchandising, and the business, and everything else needs to come too but it doesn’t come first.

What was the importance of doing “The DJ Technique Applied to Menswear,” live?

— For us it’s very important to show people the process. The way that fashion works is that because you’re working on something for six months, by the time the trade show comes around you’re going to be bored of it, you’re not going to want to think about it anymore. However if you focus on the process, it provides context to the final product. We’d rather show people the true image of what we are doing right now, pulling the blind back and getting people to see. It’s like a film negative; you can actually see all the details in the raw version much clearer than in the photograph copy. And it’s also to inspire people; I think people tend to understand things better when they can see it live or participate. The experience and involvement creates a deeper impact of understanding of the process. And this technique can be applied to many different fields, from film to photography, we just want to inspire people who we feel have inspired us.

You could have done the project and then purely exhibited it at Pitti but the fact you did it live, was that a way to again refer back to this concept of “alchemy”?

— It’s a funny thing to confront people with the art that comes first, the art and the discipline that we work in – which is clothing.

It’s a process that by the time you get to a trade show, it’s so far back in people’s calendars that it’s almost a surprise to see anybody selling anything. The irony and the good-natured agitation that that created we thought would be something. And because nowadays it’s become such a big part of pop culture you start looking at the person as the craft, when it’s the garment that’s the craft. It’s very important for us to show people that we’re here to present our thoughts. Just like as a collective we share thoughts with each other, we also share thoughts with the garment. It’s very much based on interaction – with the product, the crowd, and the place.

Vintage clothing has a lot of history and sentimentality imbued within the garment, how do you think that those original values are transported when you take the clothes apart to make new ones?

— You start to realize that it’s a language; it’s a semiotic category that we all share. Certainly within a common gender and in our case it’s man, and then to whatever degree you share culture.

People in menswear feel odd talking in such intimate terms and perhaps it’s too poetical, but it’s very much about the guys’ identity, and you couldn’t talk about a more sensitive subject than how a man feels about his identity. It is expressed in clothing, and I don’t want to overstate that because it would sound a bit shallow, but it is true. And so I think at least for us, when important points of view such as culture – personality even – are indicators, we incorporated a lot of musical personality into it. It’s possible to create a kind of hybridized meaning, not

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just hybridized garments. The garments kind of create a new sort of cultural meaning for people, and obviously an updated idea about identity. We are able to resource all the things and people and places that went before us because we live today.

So, we got it easier than anybody that went before, we’ve got more stuff to work with. We say, “Rules are meant to be broken, traditions are meant to be kept.” And the only way it is possible to combine tradition with a contemporary way of thinking is by breaking rules.

Do you think the same level of values and heritage can be held in brand new designs?

— In the last 20 years or so there has been this idea of the super modern wardrobe – it’s very future-focused and it’s very industrial and based on abstract concepts, anatomy and motion, and all those things. They have the optimism of fiction, the things that the future is racing towards but it seems to do a disservice to the heritage of menswear. It’s a shame that it doesn’t carry more in terms of our cultural ancestry and where we came form. That’s so primary to notions about identity. The two questions: who am I and where did I come from, very basic, almost spiritual. I think it’s fair to say we wish these clothes carried more of that, the notion that you can blend those two elements together. That you can have an approach that’s unreservedly racing towards the future but also taking a lot of the energy to do that from the things that went before.

I almost feel like the way to get the same level of values and heritage is to mirror what ACF does but look to the future as opposed to looking to the past, so creating modern designs whilst also looking not just at how we were but how we will be. Some designers like Hussein Chalayan achieve this quite successfully – otherwise you become just another transient fashion trend.

And I think that’s the holy grail, and in terms of function I guess the layers of ancestry, the closer it is to you if ones work reflects some of what you learned from your father or your granddad, or stories that you heard about your great granddad.

Those are things that will enrich the future.

Does Art Comes First ever look to the future for inspiration?

— We’re not designing for the future, but we consider what’s going on in order to prepare ourselves for the future. You need someone to do something to the current silhouette for someone to be able to use it next season or next year. We’re not talking futuristic like the year 2050, but we’re talking futuristic in terms of something that feels modern and innovative, moving towards the future step by step. Our optimism is inherent in everything we do, and something we’ve mentioned before is the idea that we inspire each other in various ways. So there’s this kind of what we call “co-inspiration,” which is working together to try and make the group do better as opposed to trying to make each other lose to a winner. You inspire each other in being more progressive in your approaches and being more inventive in your ideas. If anybody can make a garment that is 100% useful and at the same time 100% meaningful, you’re onto a winner.

Can you elaborate on your most recent project, “Bleed for Tweed”?

— We spoke to fabric mills who had seen what we’d done with the

DJ project and mentioned how they do that on a fabric level, and we thought – of course.

So teaming up with the creative director from Harris Tweed, we devised a concept that was, instead of processing garments the way the DJ project was, this time processing the fabrics instead: the foundations. Focusing almost exclusively on Harris Tweed fabrics, we put them through a variety of processes including rubberization, wax stuffing, calendaring and more.

Your approach to art and fashion focuses on the craft, but how important is technology for you?

— We’re very much analogue people, everything we use is based on mechanisms, from the seasons to the machines – but it doesn’t mean that because something is new it’s high-tech. It can work better than something old; similarly it doesn’t mean that something old works better than something new. We can be very analogue in terms of our tools, but then we can be very modern in terms of our forms of communication. It’s very important to be able to make that Harris Tweed or that cotton ready to last for the next few years. I need someone else to apply a new technique and the only way to do that is by dipping into technology. Technology is very important, it goes hand in hand with tradition. It’s almost a love/hate relationship, but without it we wouldn’t be where we are now. The most important thing is to use technology, and not to be used by technology. The way we use it is always to keep our feet in the analogue realm – using old stitching machines, needle and thread, while utilizing the most relevant parts of technology. You have to find the right balance, we need the hard copy to be able to do our work, and we need the soft copy to move forward.

The theme of this issue is technology, and I approached you guys as I felt Art Comes First were generally quite anti-technology. So it’s interesting that your most recent project, Bleed for Tweed, touches a little bit on everything.

— One of the things we really enjoy when we’re working together is celebrating the role of function and in an unexpected way. It’s technology, really. Taking vintage garments apart and discovering how whoever designed it has set the sleeve in to create more motion, or taken the pocket in to make it smoother. All these things have given us the functional state of the tradition that we are currently in. And those functional components, those advances of technology – however minor – are truly what define the look, not just of menswear but of men.

It is possible to have an approach that’s unreservedly racing towards the future, but taking a lot of the energy to do that from the things that went before.

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NEIGHBORHOOD & adidas Originals

When Worlds Collide

WORDS BROCK CARDINER P H O T O G R A P H Y R YA N H U R S H

Days before the first real snowfall of the season hit the German capital, we made our way over to (capsule) Berlin to catch up with NEIGHBORHOOD designer Shinsuke Takizawa. Founded in Tokyo in 1994, Takizawa is renowned for his ability to combine Japanese streetwear with the standards of high fashion, all while experimenting with new and traditional materials and patterns. Hot on the heels of yet another collaboration with adidas, Takizawa gave us a glimpse into his creative process, design background and more.

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S H I N S U K E TA K I Z AWA

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I’ve always valued heritage or vintage design.

I’ve never tried to just emulate or copy design thats existed before, I’ve wanted to add something new.

You’ve worked with adidas in the past on shoes and a few pieces of apparel, when did you decide to work together on a bigger collaboration?

— We started collaborating with adidas in 2005 on the Superstar project and since then we’ve worked together a few times. Over that time we’ve developed a good relationship; we trust each other and every project we’ve worked together on, we’ve found very interesting and fun to work on. So we thought it would be a great idea to do something a little bit bigger, expand the collaboration scale.

How would you say this line differs from your main NEIGHBORHOOD line?

— We consider adidas a sports brand, of course, so we’ve been trying to do something a little bit more sporty with adidas; whereas the main NEIGHBORHOOD line design approaches something more classical, so we wanted a different shape. Although we bring in our design motifs and approach to the adidas collaboration, we would do something a little bit different with the material, maybe something more sporty and technical or practical. That’s how we separate the lines.

What interests you as a designer in working with technical fabrics?

— I’ve always valued heritage or vintage design. I’ve never tried to just emulate or copy design that’s existed before – I’ve wanted to add something new. So being able to use new and different materials is an interesting challenge for me as well and aligns with my design approach.

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How do you approach the design process when collaborating since both brands, adidas and NEIGHBORHOOD, have their own aesthetics and design philosophy?

— I‘m not only aware of adidas’s design philosophy or aesthetics but I also have a lot of respect for their design. I only feel comfortable collaborating with a brand that I really respect and because of that, we can work together.

We know of your love for vintage motorcycles and Americanainspired clothing. Are you into sports privately and if so which sports do you enjoy?

— Apart from motorcycling, I’m working out in a gym. Mostly though, I’m quite heavily involved in different kinds of motorcycle racing.

Do you remember when you first discovered the Stan Smith?

— I’m not certain about it but when I was a student I used to play basketball, so when I went to a sports shop to buy shoes for basketball, I think I saw the Stan Smith displayed near the basketball shoes. I didn’t buy them back then but I think that was my first impression of that shoe.

How did you approach the design on a sneaker that’s renowned for its simplicity and timelessness?

— In general, I’m not a big fan of deconstructing already welldesigned products and trying to reconstruct them again. What I prefer to do is to respect the original design that’s already perfect and it is very difficult to add something on top, but I found it an interesting challenge.

Speaking of your design, the branding is on the toe box of the sneaker, which is very rare for any kind of footwear. Do you remember what the inspiration behind this idea was?

— When I did a collaboration on the Superstar in 2011, my idea was to create shoes with inspiration from a pirate ship. I tried to make the shoes look like a pirate ship and with the Stan Smith it was a similar approach. I had either an airplane or a big ship in my mind; the way they have a symbol on their bodies, like on different parts of the ship or the plane. So that’s where I got the inspiration from, trying different places to put the symbols like the symbols on a ship.

Is that also the reason for the brown leather?

— I think NEIGHBORHOOD is known for using a lot of black, however, I’m personally into brown or dark brown at the moment and I wanted to try something with that color, so it was a little bit of a challenge.

Perhaps it‘s too soon to say but can we look forward to any more collaborations between NEIGHBORHOOD and adidas?

— As long as we can keep that mutual respect and mutual trust with one another, I’d love to continue to work with adidas.

S H I N S U K E TA K I Z AWA

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Dieter Rams Quiet is better than loud.

WORDS ALEC BANKS I L LU S T R AT I O N S Z AC H

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here are certain names that have become synonymous with greatness in a particular field whose body of work will ensure that their legacy will never fade even when their tangible vessel has left this world. In the arts, paintings from Picasso, Monet, van Gogh and Klimt hang from the walls of the most prestigious and creative sanctuaries in the world. Their work is being appreciated solely through the power of sight as means of preservation. But for the work of Dieter Rams – perhaps one of the most influential figures in industrial design ever – his work runs the gamut of sensory appreciation and tells the story of functional usage.

To know Dieter Rams is to know his “ten principles for good design.” Calling the world around him in the 1980s “an impenetrable confusion of forms, colors and noises,” he aimed to create certain tenets of what resonated with him after internal reflection as to the state of his own contributions to the muddled world. Thus, good design “is innovative, makes a product useful, is aesthetic, makes a product understandable, is unobtrusive, is honest, is long-lasting, is thorough down to the last detail, is environmentally friendly, and is as little design as possible.”

Rams cemented the notion that innovative thinkers don’t break rules, they merely rewrite them.

In 1955, renowned brand for small electrical appliances, Braun, hired a then 23-year-old Rams as an interior designer before he ultimately became the nucleus of Braun’s own design department. In their own words, Rams “gave Braun a corporate identity long before the term was even coined.” Credited with the creation of such game changers as the SK-4 record player, D-series of 35 mm film slide projectors, and ET66 calculator – the latter being utilized by Apple for the original iPhone calculator app – each Braun creation invokes the notion of unbridled possibilities.

For his entire career Rams worked almost exclusively for Braun – where he retired in 1997 and Vitsœ – the brainchild of Niels Vitsœ and Otto Zapf whose goal was to realize the furniture designs of Rams. Working steadfastly with the blessings of Braun who saw the duality of his character and ambitions as only a strength for his technical achievements, Rams would eventually cook up such classics as the 606 Universal Shelving System and 620 Chair Program which “adapts to life’s inevitable changes.” His brilliance lay in the ability to offer up the brushstrokes and create a place where innovation could find a resting place.

With technology pushing the boundaries on what is possible, it’s wise to remember something Dieter Rams once said. “Not the spectacular things are the important things. The unspectacular things are the important things, especially in the future.”

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Braun ET 66 Dieter Rams + Dietrich Lubs 1987

Braun Mach 2 Dieter Rams + Florian Seiffert 1971

Braun SK 55 phonosuper Dieter Rams + Hans Gugelot 1963

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Braun ABR 21 Dieter Rams + Dietrich Lubs 1978

Braun L46 wall-mountable flat speakers Dieter Rams 1963

Braun F30 B flash unit Dieter Rams 1959

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Accidental Tourist

3.1 Phillip Lim Spring/ Summer 2014 PHOTOGRAPHY JUSTIN BRIDGES

Photography: Justin Bridges Styling: Elaine YJ Lee Hair & Make Up: Ashley Rebecca Retouching: Justin Bridges Models: Jeeho Bae @ Red, Evan Leff @ Request

Techno-Tribalism Givenchy Spring/ Summer 2014

PHOTOGRAPHY CHRISTOPH MUSIOL

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Photography: Christoph Musiol Styling: Rainer Metz Creative Direction: Robert Wunsch Hair & Make Up: Anna Neugebauer Styling Assistant: Phuong Lam Model: Carlos @ Izaio, Inga @ M4

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The Creation of Valor

When Dutchman Michael Jacobs undertook the creation of a new brand named Valor, he did so with the expert help of Bob Sheard, co-founder of UKbased Fresh Britain.

WORDS GLENN KITSON

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“When I searched the internet I found the thoughts of Bob. That was in February. So I wrote him an email explaining my plans I was looking for someone who could develop the brand into something that is different and connects to the consumer on an emotional level, but doesn't forget the product. So that's how we started.” says Michael.

As part of a root and branch examination of what Valor represents, Michael has tapped into the wealth of knowledge and experience possessed by Bob and Fresh and came up with a genuinely interesting vision which offers a real point of difference to the market.

“First, we visited lots of cities, lots of stores, and from that experience we developed our own fresh perspective and vision,” says Michael.

“We see the consumer as a 21st century warrior. Not in a violent way but in a way that is competitive; he wants to win. That part is crucial. From this we started to create a brand that acted in the same way as Nike, or other performance brands. That was my brief to Bob, I wanted to create a menswear brand that acts in the same way as a sportswear brand.”

Lucky for Michael and Valor, it is in the sports performance field that Fresh Britain has the most impressive track record. Their network of athletes and sporting contacts, plus time-served experience was the starting point for Fresh, as Bob explains.

“In the last 10 years I have asked the same question of three world-class athletes and they've all come back with the same conclusion. The question I asked was if you look good do you perform better? The first person I asked was the Olympic 1500m gold medalist Grant Hackett. We were working on Fastskin and I asked him whether it works. He said 'it works,

I look fast. I look faster than my competitors, I feel fast therefore I’ll swim faster.”

“I asked the same question to a guy called David Benedek, who at the time was the best snowboarder in the world. I asked him if he looks down at the design of his board, does it help? He said ‘if I look good I'm more confident and I'll do better tricks.”

"I asked the same of Mike Douglas the freestyle skier, who said the same thing. And so aesthetics and how you look determines how you perform. It's the same as when you were 7 years old and you played football for the first time and you wore your new boots and kit, with your shirt tucked in it helped you to believe you could play. And you did play better than you would in your jeans. So aesthetic as a performance attribute is a really powerful insight that not many brands get, certainly not in the suiting and tailoring sector.”

“It's a really powerful thing to be able to say to someone ‘I will make you perform better, your job as a 21st century warrior is to go into a boardroom and convince, lead, persuade, charm, seduce. And all those things you will do, if you look better, you'll perform better.”

With such comprehensive insight, Fresh were ideally qualified to treat Valor as a slightly unlikely performance brand. Applying those same sensibilities to a tailoring brand isn't such a leap though, as Michael continues.

“The same goes for a lawyer. There are people who say to me 'I have a certain lawsuit in which I need to look powerful, so we look for the specific cloth that will make him feel powerful. It gives him that instinctive feeling that he's going to perform.’ It's absolutely function following form. Aesthetics is a functional attribute which creates performance.”

That point of difference in treating a tailoring brand as a performance for business is a novel approach and one which Michael Jacobs sought from the start.

“I had an idea that I wanted to create something unique and different but I couldn't find the partner who was able to provide that.

I was searching the internet for clues and leads.

I found Bob's thoughts on his website, and I thought I'd found someone who understands what I'm looking for.”

“The emotional connection to the customer instead of stopping at the product, that's what I felt was important. It was about looking into the archetypes. That's where we found Athena which provided a platform on which we could build all the other elements.”

“Athena is the Queen who empowers the warriors. She's the one who nurtures them, gives them their skills and weapons, but then detaches herself and says ‘go and fulfill your poten-

The emotional connection to the customer instead of stopping at the product, that's what I felt was important.

tial,’ so it's the mentor archetype and this is the relationship between the brand and consumer.”

Conceptually then, all seems to be in place, but how that informs their branding and logo could have been tricky. With sports performance brands the aesthetic is different and perhaps lends itself more to logos and a set look. With a more tailored, formal feel, the challenge to create visual branding is different. Bob explains how. “The name is Valor, which is about reaching your potential by behaving in the right way and doing it for the right reasons. If you take something as prosaic as a tie. The tie was created by the Croats for war, which is where the word Cravat comes from. It was a symbol of war. It is absolutely part of the suit of armour. The suit is the suit of armour, the shop is the armoury, the brand is Athena equipping the 21st century warrior to achieve his goals.”

Michael is keen to make sure the concept behind the brand is prevalent in every piece of communication, whether verbal, vision or in terms of shopping experience. To this end, he refers to his store as a 21st century armoury.

“If you want to make a difference you've got to show that you mean business. We're looking on average at around 400sqm. We can build a store with no stock, which means we have a blank canvas. We can create the perfect 21st century shopping experience for the 21st century warrior.

That's how the armoury idea came in. It's a one stop shopping place where he can find all the necessary tools for him to achieve his goals.”

As with all brands the next step is to communicate the vision which was born in development and convey it to the right people. Again, Bob looks to sports performance for his theory.

“The interesting thing for me was taking the example of a performance brand and applying tried and tested techniques to a tailoring brand. If you were a tennis brand you'd sign Roger Federer and you'd shoot him playing tennis, and he would be winning championships and you'd use that material to deliver the brand. If you take that example you have to find who your Roger Federer is but in the business world. You have to show them winning using your tools. If you'd normally take a picture of a sportsman in a stadium or tennis court, you've got to translate that to the business world, so it'd be the boardroom. You're using exactly the same mechanics as you would in a performance brand but applying it to business. That's where it gets interesting.”

Finally Bob explains that winning isn’t everything: “However the key point is that this is not about winning for its own sake, it’s about winning beautifully. Not just winning to win.

Valor is about winning in style and winning for the life it unlocks.”

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Waterproof 101

WORDS PAUL BL ACK

he hip modern Sartorialist is developing great artistry in the fashion mash-up, with the right combination of street, tech and tailoring looking suitably dynamite. Harajuku backstreet style, Scandinavian function, Americana heritage, Saville Row elegance; it’s all popping in unison, and nothing boasts the trifecta of form, function and feel more than a stylish waterproof coat keeping you dry looking super fly. The best stuff is expensive. There’s a lot you should know before you break the bank. We’ll simplify this complex subject and present clear signposts leading to shrewd Sartorial decisions. First, let’s define your real world need.

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The Sartorial(Ist) Function Parameter You’re a discriminating follower of fashion. You have a mind for function in your fashion, but great style trumps everything.

You always look good when you leave the house. Even a quick skip to the corner store counts. Weather.com is implicit in your morning rituals and you plan accordingly. You live in the city.

Busy busy busy. You cycle, walk and take public transport.

Always stepping out – often for a cigarette. Average rain is no big deal. You’re never out for more than 20-30 minutes. Getting caught in anything worse than average is rare, but fun, and you haven’t melted yet.

You appreciate a good umbrella, say for example an exquisite handmade City Gent from London Undercover (£95), or a supercool Senzº from the Netherlands (€60). Both are constructed to the highest standards. The Senzº is super technical and can withstand winds of 100km/hour. The London Undercover is plenty strong and gives the impression of a classic sartorial gent. It’s a tossup. At the very least you should get your hands on a fold-up from one of the two for your Lexdray Copenhagen backpack. It’s totally unique and it’s waterproof!

If you’re not one for brollies, trendy PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is making a huge comeback at the moment. It’s fun, you’ll never get wet and it’s relatively cheap. Highly recommended is the Elka Mac by Norse Projects (€161). Another Danish outfit with fresh style is Rains. La Cie Vantis® from France do a great cycling poncho. There’s also Mackintosh, but more on them later. It’s one of the Writer’s Picks. PVC is obviously not biodegradable, but you’ll have it for life, so no worries. You might worry about sweat from overexertion, but all these funky brands have strategic vents to keep the climate inside the jacket stable enough for those 20-30 minutes you’re out.

A funny but true fact about you inside the jacket: the reason you wonder why you feel wet in your waterproof garment when the shell rests on your skin (or just a thin layer) is your skin doesn’t actually recognize “wet” – only change of temperature.

The basic functionality of modern-day waterproof fabric is simple: water stays out, sweat escapes. In an ideal world a technical waterproof garment doesn’t need additional ventilation. The pores of the fabric prevent water molecules from getting in, while the much tinier vapor molecules (of sweat) are able to escape. In a perfect world your body generates enough heat inside the garment to create enough pressure to push vapour molecules through the pores, therein keeping the microclimate inside the garment perfectly balanced. In the real world, however, the fabric only “breathes” when it’s dry outside, i.e. when it’s not raining. The moisture vapor from your sweat has no interest relocating to another place of moisture. It wants to retire to Arizona, not another tropical climate or somewhere miserable like the British Isles.

And when the fabric wets-out (drenched), you can really forget about it breathing.

Waterproof rule number one: it’s nearly always your sweat that makes you wet.

So what breathes best before the rain? What really is most accomodating to the microclimate inside your coat? Answer: cottons and wools.

They will always give you the best chance of keeping the microclimate balanced because the pores are larger. That said the water will eventually soak through, even when the fabric has been treated with a durable water repellent (DWR) coating or impregnated with a fluorocarbon to give it weatherproof functionality.

In the real world you can stay out endlessly in ceaseless pouring rain and the water will not penetrate a synthetic membrane. Some say the synthetics don’t breathe either, but that’s conjecture. Nothing breathes in the rain. We’re talking about staying dry and looking good, and when you look at what’s on offer you need to consider your real world needs. First, do you fit our Sartorial Function Parameter (SFP)? If the answer is yes but you still want to be covered for extreme deviations, you probably want something synthetic – with ventilation. If you don’t factor in extreme deviations and you want something that definitely breathes before the rain, you should be looking at natural fibers with technical qualifications. Bottom line, know thy tech.

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Welcome to the Chemical Section

GORE-TEX®, Polartec® Neoshell®, H2No®, eVent®, HyVent®, membrain®, PreCip® and more ®’s I’ve undoubtedly missed. Synthetic, chemical membranes made of 100% Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a fluorocarbon used in non-stick pans and waterproof membranes.

According to the accepted European EN343 standard, fabric is “waterproof” if it can withstand the pressure of 1300mm of water pressure weighing down upon it without any water molecules getting through the pores – in the laboratory. These synthetic membranes are rated at roughly 20,000mm. Overkill? Ask John Mayer. He wore a GORE-TEX Pro Shell blazer by the indie label Acronym® when he performed at the 2007 Grammy awards. There’s that need thing again.

Some would argue that the synthetics are overkill in the real world, and they don’t actually breathe at all. Again, a lot of conjecture.

One thing is clear, there is some stuff in the chemical section that comes pretty close to the holy grail of function, form and feel. Look

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to JAPAN GORE-TEX® (JGI) for some fine examples of desirable fabrics bonded to chemical membranes. Two fantastic Japanese brands using the JGI fabric book are White Mountaineering and Nanamica. The Nanamica Soutien is an absolute must-have mac – for style, sadly not for its environmental impact. The rain will not get in and it buttons up, hence good ventilation. By the way, check the Nanamica x Clarks Originals collaboration GORE-TEX® Wallabee Boot with VIBRAM® sole.

The only real problem with the chemicalbased synthetic membranes is your conscience.

Implicit in the PTFE chemistry is the toxic chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). It’s not good for the environment, definitely. The effect on man is a serious point of contention.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) doesn’t like it and they made a ruling that it must be gone by 2015. Most don’t know what to make of it, and perhaps the best argument is to take a balanced view, buy stuff built to last, and treat it right. Arc’teryx remains the undeniable leaders in technical clothing and they build quality. Arc’teryx Veilance is high style but very expensive. You might like to support the indie brand Acronym® over the more corporate Veilance. They have a similar look, feel and price. The more mainstream Arc’teryx Citywear line “24” is definitely worth keeping an eye on though – especially for cycle commuters and cold weather adventurers. It’s more affordable too. To PFOA or not, is the question.

Look for Bluesign® or Oeko-Tex®. These are eco-standards with merit. SympaTex® makes a synthetic membrane that is highly effective, has zero PTFE and is 100% recyclable like a PET bottle. Maharishi is one of several companies developing stuff with them. Really look into that, because you really do vote with your wallet.

Every brand-name supplier of synthetic membranes has a very high standard of waterproof performance in the real world, and they make sure the garment you’re wearing has properly taped seams. Taped seams are expensive, especially when they’re done well, but they’re critical. You can indeed stand in the pouring rain for hours in a synthetic membrane and you will not get wet, but only when the seams are taped. With technical natural fibers you cannot stand in the pouring rain for hours, but with good taped seams you’re going to stay dry. Always ask if the seams are taped.

When the water begins to settle on the surface, the cotton fibers expand in a uniform manner and the pores tighten up even more, preventing any more water from getting through for a very long time.

This Way to Cotton Luxuriating in the romance and atmosphere of a rainy day is one of life’s great pleasures. Doing it in natural fibers is best.

The look, the feel, it can’t be beat. The two great names in weatherproof cotton are EtaProof® and Ventile® – both high performance, densely woven fabrics dating back to the Second World War, when British Hurricane pilots needed immersion suits that were comfortable enough to sit around in as they waited for their next mission, but also thoroughly water-tight and thermally insulated to give them at least half a chance of surviving the icy waters of the Atlantic. EtaProof® and Ventile® are actually brand names for the same fabric, produced by the same company, Stotz & Co. AG, Switzerland.

Extra-long staple fiber yarns are woven together super tight using up to 30% more yarn than normal, making the fabric windproof, waterproof enough and more readily breathable than synthetic. After the fabric has been milled and finished it goes into a bath of fluorocarbon to impregnate the cotton with a water-repellent coating. This isn’t perfect of course, but the fluorocarbon is typically 1% of the weight of the fabric. Not bad compared to 100% fluorocarbon in the synthetic membranes.

Stotz also produce an organic cotton that is impregnated with a PFC-free wax.

Impregnation repels the first bit of rain. This buys some time. When the water begins to settle on the surface, the cotton fibers expand in a uniform manner and the pores tighten up even more, preventing any more water from getting through for a very long time. EtaProof® and Ventile® are rated to withstand 750mm of water pressure before leakage. Independent waterproof experts like Professor Kipra Varanasi of MIT suggest 500-1000mm in the lab is more than sufficiently “waterproof” in dynamic, real world conditions. Not to mention, if the seams are sealed there’s just no way you’re getting wet given our Sartorial Function Parameter.

EtaProof®, Ventile®, and lest we forget Schoeller® (with several fascinating applied fabric technologies, including their amazing 3XDRY®) are all serious old-school names keeping pace with technology, innovation, and the future. They are near enough perfect when you want to stay dry more than long enough in the rain and you want your microclimate to stay balanced. Look no further than Maharishi for plenty of applied examples. They literally had eight different macs for AW13 utilizing nearly the whole range of technologies.

Barbour also has to be included in this conversation. It is becoming a bit mainstream these days, but it is a classic and the quality remains high. Waxed cotton is the classic, dating back to Uncle Harry’s coat in 1910. Seams are not taped, but they are flat-felled, rolled downwards (so the water runs off), then double-stitched with water-repellent yarn. The waxed Barbour is definitely going to keep you dry for 20-30 minutes of solid rain.E-TEX® Wallabee Boot with VIBRAM® sole.

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Toasty Wool Warm One of the most spot-on pieces of outerwear on the market today is the Norse Projects Rokkvi Down Parka.

If you can live with the chemistry, it has a Polartec® Neoshell® shell.

The Winter Section Most European winters have average daily temperatures above 0ºC – with a lot of that perpetual cold rain that chills the bones. It feels colder than it really is. The problem with this situation is most trendy down-filled parkas are hardly waterproof, and when down gets wet, it doesn’t work.

Down-fill should have a technical shell. One of the most spot-on pieces of outerwear on the market today is the Norse Projects Rokkvi Down Parka. If you can live with the chemistry, it has a Polartec® Neoshell® shell. Slightly more sporty might be the Arc’teryx Theme Parka with GORE-TEX®. Norbis of Canada make great looking coats, with a SympaTex® membrane.

Don’t forget Nigel Cabourn. He uses Ventile®.

The Norse is most stylish, Arc’teryx most advanced, Norbis most eco, and Cabourn most chic. First three are roughly €600, the Cabourn Everest Parka four times that.

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Sustainable, historic and effective, brought to us by sheep, camel, vicuña, goat and rabbit; providing us with our alpaca, angora, camel hair, mohair, cashmere and good old-fashioned wool. All wool varieties are naturally hydrophilic, i.e. they can absorb as much as one-third of their own weight in moisture.

In of itself, a dense, tight-weave wool shell is going to carry a lot of moisture before it soaks through. Think pea coats worn by seamen. If you’re going pea coat, think Norse Projects or Schott. If you find something with a DWR coating, fantastic.

If you find it with taped seams, don’t hesitate.

Harris Tweed should also be on your radar. Beautiful, intricate cloth made by the people of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.

The tradition dates back centuries. The weave is super tight, giving it a natural water resistance. Though not “waterproof” by strict standards, it does behave like EtaProof® and Ventile®, and it has become possible to treat the wool with special finishes. One example comes from Scottish textile expert Malcolm Campbell, who buys rolls of Harris Tweed and applies a mix of Nanobloc® and the antibacterial SilverSheild® (from W.T. Johnson & Sons). In Malcolm’s words, “The Nanobloc® causes moisture to ball up and roll off the cloth, so it would stay dry and protect in a 20-30 minute shower, keep dry during the smoking of a cigarette outside in the rain, and not smell of smoke because of the silver shield finish. Neither technology affects the breathability of the cloth. The finishes are real, robust, and fit for purpose. A true blend of science and nature. The science is new technology, not like Nikwax or Teflon.”

Keep an eye out for treated Harris Tweed, and a wonderful German brand called A Kind of Guise (AKOG), who take a special interest in the best natural fiber manufacturers in Europe, including Loden Steiner of Austria (est. 1888). AKOG has a grey melange coat, with a luxuriously soft and water repellent virgin wool. If the seams were taped this coat would be close to perfect but AKOG will only produce in Germany, and no one does taped seams there.

Loro Piana (est. 1924, Northern Italy) is a fascinating brand to become aware of. They’ve developed something called the Storm System®. This top-secret technology enables them to waterproof varieties of wool as rare and precious as vicuña and baby cashmere. They supply great companies such as Maharishi, Canada Goose and Mackintosh with their fabric, at a price you can seriously consider for a long-term investment in top quality. Or you might consider their own “St. Petersburg” coat in vicuña Storm System® and mink for €36,300. Funny. Don’t be afraid to check out their website. There’s a lot of interesting content and you can buy something beautiful for winter for as little as €3,000. Gulp.

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The Best Advice

The Writer Picks

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Mackintosh Dunoon. One of the greatest of great British brands. Mackintosh is the original “mac.” Scottish inventor Charles Mackintosh brought it to the marketplace in 1824. A layer of rubber bonded between two layers of tight-weave cotton. The seams are meticulously glued and taped. Totally waterproof, beyond any shadow of a doubt. Lasts a lifetime.

It’s stunning, flattering and damn elegant!

If you haven’t tried one, you must. Dunkeld and Dunoon are the standards. The Dunoon is shorter, perhaps a little more zippy zappy (read: younger, more fresh), and you can get one with a hood. A lovely site called Nitty Gritty has them. They’re not cheap (€900) and rarely found on sale. But, as Bill Blass once said, “Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten.” For winter layering, Maharishi does a goose down liner with a discreet neck that won’t be seen. Perfection, all year round. The look is always fresh because cut and quality are impeccable. Real world function, timeless style.

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Stone Island Shadow Project FW12/13 Diagonal Bomber. This jacket is the Holy Grail of waterproof fabrics. 41% linen, 38% wool, 21% polyamide. The handle, the look, the performance, truly outstanding. The designer Errolson Hugh tried to tape the seams but the fabric-dying Stone Island is famous for made it impossible to get them to stick. Still, in modest rain for 20-30 minutes, not a drop gets through, and it has innovative vents under the arms. Layer this with a Patagonia High Loft 800-fill Down Sweater and you will not find a better winter bomber to withstand average sub-zero conditions. The two combined were roughly €600, and though you won’t find it again, you will find something that hits this sweet spot.

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Maharishi, the brand. We must support the visionaries.

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Waterproof Rule Number Two Acknowledgements Take note of the name Professor Kipra Varanasi of MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). He might have the next big thing in waterproofing. Google him.

BBC did a good (short) piece. Thanks also to André Storvoll of Firmament, one of the retail leaders in fashion-forward technical gear. A great source of insight. K-Way, Nike NSW, Burberry and Ten-C didn’t factor in this discussion. All great. The Ten-C field jacket is kind of amazing. Last thing: for girlfriends and wives, check out the work of Ragnhild Fjeldberg (njork. co.uk), who uses SympaTex® to make stunning outerwear. Enjoy the rain!

It’s critical that you wash and restore the durable water repellent (DWR) coating after time. Natural fibers never mind gentle wash cycles or handwashing with gentle detergent, no matter what the label says. It must be kept clean though. Dirt from outside, oils from your body, both clog the pores and break down the fabric. More than anything this scenario compromises the ability of the garment to breath. It also affects water repellency. Also, remember to restore the shell with some kind of DWR spray.

Look at the brand Nikwax(.com) – boasting zero fluorocarbons. Their website also happens to be a good source of information about waterproofing and the environment.

Forget the word waterproof and think more in terms of rainproof and/or weatherproof.

22,000mm of pressure is beyond overkill, but if the shoe fits and looks great, you have your answer. If your eco-self is bothered by the chemical issue there’s more than enough conscious gear to keep your form and function up to usual sartorial standards. You can even go further into Ecoland and look into things like Kakishibu – the ancient Japanese process of waterproofing using the kaki fruit. Check out the Japanese brand Kapital, at panchoandlefty. se. They do denim jackets with Kakishibu.

Stay conscious and spend wisely. Do your homework. Don’t be afraid to go back to the shop several times and ask questions. Look at the details of the garment. What’s the construction like? When you analyze function, it’s amazing how much you discover about form.

You should keep up with the work of the aforementioned Stone Island Shadow Project designer, Errolson Hugh. He is one of the undisputed leaders in technical fashion today. A standard-bearer. His own brand Acronym® did something called an Analog MD Clone Jacket that was one of TIME magazine’s Coolest Inventions of 2002. He had a direct influence over Arc’teryx Veilance in the beginning, he designs Shadow Project with amazing results, and he interchanges all the waterproof technologies through the seasons. Errolson’s stuff is very expensive, but really worth looking at even if to simply know what is possible. Maharishi is better on price+quality, and owner Hardy Blechman owns the factory. Both great men doing great things in fashion.

WAT E R P R O O F F O R T H E SA R TO R I A L I S T

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Christopher Kane Spring/ Summer 2014

PHOTOGRAPHY JUSTIN BRIDGES

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Photography: Justin Bridges Styling: Elaine YJ Lee Creative Direction: Edward Chiu Makeup/Grooming: Ashley Rebecca Retouching: Ryan Collier and Justin Bridges Model: Evan Leff

Forever Forward Clint Dempsey is ready to lead the USA into battle — and he has some new kit to play with.

WORDS JEFFREY BURGIN PHOTOGRAPHY NIRAN VINOD

hey say you should never meet your heroes but, for better or worse, that is the situation about to unfold for me.

Being a diehard Fulham fan, Clint Dempsey was and remains one of my idols – a hardworking, physical forward with a penchant for the phenomenal. His 50 goals in 184 appearances merited him a place amongst my personal inspirations growing up, and his outrageous chip to beat Juventus in the Europa League will forever live in my memory. And so it is here – in a large warehouse, in the middle of an otherwise nondescript industrial estate halfway down the A40 – that my childhood adulation is realized.

“Hey Clint.”

“Hey man, how y’all doing?”

“Yeah I’m great thanks – I’m actually a Fulham fan myself.”

“Oh for real? That’s what’s up.”

From the second Dempsey strolls into the room, looking pristine in the new Nike U.S. men’s national team kit, this is perhaps his most striking characteristic – his easy going nature. Laid back and effortlessly cool, it belies an incredible drive and determination to better himself similarly apparent the instant you start talking to him. His return on loan to Fulham, despite his legend having already been secured, epitomizes the hunger he still has to play at the highest level he can.

“It’s good to be back,” he says, as we sit down and the microphones click into action. “For me, coming off an injury, it’s great to get back

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to playing football over here, trying to be in top form going into a World Cup year. With it being the off-season in the MLS, it sets you up well to go back there and perform, and I’m hoping it allows me to end on a better note at Fulham and help them away from relegation.”

The none-too-small matter of the World Cup inevitably crops up often. As the countdown continues, the pressure has started to build around those who will be gracing football’s greatest stage. Though speculation has already begun amongst fans and pundits as to who might be bowed beneath the weight of a country’s expectancy, for Dempsey the occasion represents not a burden but an honor.

Indeed, for the American, every time he represents his country it is fulfilling a dream that one day “a little boy coming from a small town of Nacogdoches, Texas” might carry the flag of the stars and stripes into battle against the world’s best. “As a kid, when I was trying to go to sleep saying my prayers and looking at the ceiling, I would always dream about playing in a World Cup and hopefully scoring a goal,” he reminisces. “The first time I did that against Ghana in 2006, I felt like I could die a happy man.”

However, though his inspiration remains the same, Dempsey laughs as talk turns to kits.

“Growing up playing rec football, I had some jerseys that were pretty rough to look at, but you know you’ve made it when you get to wear shirts like this,” he says, with more than just a hint of national pride in his voice as he grasps the American crest. “I really like it – it’s got a cool style, it looks very professional, and if you

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look good and feel good then you play good.”

He self-deprecatingly describes himself as “not the most fashionable person in the world,” instead calling out national teammate Eddie Johnson as somebody with a nod for fashion, along with jokily naming Seattle colleague Marcus Hahnemann as someone a little more “out there.” His enthusiasm for the kit’s design, though, readily comes through. “The polo-look collar, the old-fashioned badge, the classic white with the red and blue trim – it feels pretty patriotic and I’m excited to wear it.”

It is the inducement of such emotion that is of the highest priority to Martin Lotti, Nike’s creative director of football. “When we design new kits, the athlete and federation come first and serve as the inspiration,” he emphasises.

“The U.S. has a tradition of using stripes, so we added thin grey horizontal pinstripes across the body and sleeves to preserve this. On the back of the neck is a pennant tab featuring the original 13 stars of the American flag. They are little hidden details, but we always want to acknowledge the heritage and history of a team.”

The strip also showcases Nike’s latest ingenuity and innovation, with Dempsey a strong advocate of the advances in technology Lotti and his team continue to find. Firmly believing every incremental gain helps, the forward believes there is only a “small percentage between being average and being great.” It becomes clear that everything – from the 20% reduction in the weight of the base layer shorts, to the improvements in the socks’ arch support and flex grooves to prevent slipping – represents another step towards maximizing the athletes’ potential. Lotti sees this as “a duty to the players, to deliver them every possible advantage.” Dempsey describes it as “giving peace of mind” – adding, with a wry smile, that “if I’ve only got a second to make a decision, I don’t want to waste time worrying about my socks falling down.”

Similarly, the gauntlet of extreme conditions that teams will be subjected to in Brazil holds no fear for Dempsey. “The heat, the cold, the rain, the distances to travel between games – it’s something we already have to deal with in the States. Even for the guys in Europe, they’ll be used to flying a long way for national duty and playing in all conditions,” he says, as a chill British wind pertinently swirls around the room. “We can’t use it as an excuse, and Nike does a great job keeping everything light – they just keep getting better as far as developing and creating kits goes. When it’s hot and you’re sweating, or when it’s raining, not feeling weighed down can allow you to keep going that bit longer.”

It is through an impressive range of new

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Nike does a great job keeping everything light, they just keep getting better as far as developing and creating kits goes.

technology such comfort is ensured. Diehard footballers will be familiar with Nike’s Dri-FIT technology and laser-cut ventilation, but the material and fit is where the biggest developments lie. “This is the first Nike football shirt to feature dual-knit fabrication, which combines cotton and polyester actually made entirely of recycled plastic bottles,” Lotti informs us. “It creates a softer feel and a better drape on the body, and has allowed us to divert almost 2 billion bottles from landfills – we’re very proud of that.” With three-dimensional body scans and in-game tension maps of elite footballers also used in the process to deliver an enhanced fit, it is a uniform that might have been created in the laboratories of Tony Stark or Bruce Wayne. For the States’ superhero, it is all part of preparing as best he can to take the fight to the USA’s “Group of Death.”

“You can’t think too much about stuff like that,” he asserts when presented with the group’s moniker. “We know teams like Germany, Portugal and Ghana will be difficult, but we’ll just try to play the best football we can.

If we do that, we’ve got the quality to get the job done.” Though Dempsey concedes other countries may be slightly better technically, he feels the athleticism of the Americans will present its own challenges to their rivals, both now and in the future. “We’re fast, strong and physical, and as we continue to get quality teaching to the kids – creating more total footballers – the sky is the limit.”

Dempsey’s obvious pride in his nation and its fans burns strong. He alternates between soccer and football, despite the attempts of teammates at his various European clubs to persuade him otherwise: “I know the rest of the world calls it football, but in small town east Texas we call it soccer – and I can’t forget where I came from.” Likewise, he is desperate to just do his best for his country. “World Cups are always exciting, and it’s great for the sport as you start to get the more average American involved,” he enthuses. “You don’t get many opportunities to play in tournaments, so we want to make it all count. We know we deserve to be there, and as long as we put the hard work in then we shouldn’t play with any fear.”

As the photography team begins to set up their equipment, I take one last opportunity to ask the American – whose exploits I turned to for inspiration growing up – who his childhood heroes were. Without skipping a beat, he names Michael Jordan and Diego Maradona.

Like them, he hopes he might have the chance to “make things happen in the big moments.”

For football’s own Captain America, it is hard to believe that, he won’t go down without a fight.

CLINT DEMPSEY

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The Only Constant is Change: China’s New Fashion E-conomy

WO R D S J O N AT H A N P O H I L LU S T R AT I O N J O E M C K E N D RY

t’s a curious location for one of Beijing’s most cutting-edge boutiques. INK, a Hong Kong-based retailer founded in 2010, occupies an old Hutong-style house in a quiet section of Andingmen Xiajie, a well-known street in the city’s historic Dongcheng district. Beijing’s eastern precinct is an area better known for tranquil temples, narrow alleyways and rickshaws, but for owner, Pita Cheng, it offered the perfect setting for his progressive mix of clothing, art and design. “It was more fitting than establishing a location at a shopping mall where fast fashion dominates,” he says of INK’s newest retail space, a medley of stone, steel and wood that opened last year. The shop’s grayscale interiors, designed by Austrian architect, Thomas Pulcher, are industrial-looking and dimly-lit, and filled with racks of designer goods from Rick Owens, Boris Bidjan Saberi and Damir Doma. But while those names may be unfamiliar to the average Chinese shopper, they’re quickly catching on with the country’s youthful and increasingly sophisticated fashion consumer. “Our customers in China are a lot younger; they’re in their twenties,” Cheng explains. “They’re more likely to try out new things and are willing to accept and buy into new fashion sectors. And they have the money and power to do just that.”

Not long ago, a logo was all it took to make a sale in China. Retail spaces, too, mirrored the often-gaudy tastes of consumers: highly-visible, high-voltage storefronts that spread quickly and uniformly across the nation’s shopping malls and top retail destinations. In many cases, such as in quickly-developing, secondtier cities like Chengdu and Chongqing, not much has changed. Luxury goods are still, for many, the easiest and most cost-effective way of flaunting one’s wealth. Fashion houses like Hermès, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton continue

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to dominate the coveted main floors of shopping malls and the wardrobes of the nation’s well-heeled. But amidst a slowing economy, this year’s highly-publicized anti-corruption drive and the threat of a more knowledgeable Chinese shopper, the country’s once-golden luxury goods market has been losing its luster.

At its core, mainland China remains the world’s largest high-end market, accounting for a quarter of all global luxury sales. According to a recent study conducted by consultancy firm, Bain & Company, however, China’s luxury spending grew only two percent to $21 billion last year, compared with a seven percent increase in 2012 and thirty percent the year before. It’s a rate that lagged behind that of the U.S., bucking a trend that had been gaining steam in recent years. Top players like LVMH’s Louis Vuitton, Hermès and Kering’s Gucci all reported sluggish sales in China – if not substantial declines in revenue – and significantly curbed advertising and nationwide store openings last year.

The gloomy forecasts aren’t entirely surprising. Late in 2012, the Communist Party of China threw a wrench in luxury spending by cracking down on extravagant displays of wealth. A sore spot with a population that had grown increasingly frustrated with corruption and bribery in the guise of luxury “gifting.” The ripple effect didn’t go unnoticed. Brands like Louis Vuitton and Gucci took heed, slowing the rollout of “bling-y” logo bags and offering more subtle, sophisticated styles in their stead. France’s Galeries Lafayette, which recently opened the doors to a new, 42 million euro department store in Beijing’s posh Xidan district, eschewed in-your-face tenants like Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Cartier in favor of Prada, Coach and trendier labels like Sandro and MGSM. But, while the government’s campaign against conspicuous spending may have been last year’s biggest catalyst for change, the most

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drastic shifts in China’s fashion consciousness have been taking place for some time. For decades, centuries even, China has maintained a fiercely monolithic stance despite its great cultural, geographical and ethnic diversity. The nation’s history is one of unification, war and attempts at reunification, so it’s not surprising that individuality and self-expression have long been frowned upon by those in power.

Even logo bags and flashy timepieces, it could be argued, are little more than signifiers of conformity, a way for affluent consumers to announce their place amongst the nation’s wealthy. But, propelled by the over-saturation of traditional luxury goods, a rising middle class and social media networks, many Chinese consumers are now looking to differentiate themselves from the deep-pocketed, logo bagtoting masses of decades past. And, increasingly, they’re opening their wallets to innovative, multi-brand retailers, avant-garde designers and a new, digital frontier.

ounded in 1850, Lane Crawford has been reaping the benefits of China’s increasingly discerning shopper. The company, which opened its largest store in Shanghai last year, reported revenues of $700 million in 2012 and its 2013 revenue is estimated to have exceeded $1 billion, making it the biggest luxury retailer in Greater China. Unlike the scores of cookiecutter boutiques and department stores that have infiltrated the country’s first-tier and second-tier cities, however, Lane Crawford offers a highly-personal – multi-brand retail experience, from its fluid visual merchandising and tightly-edited product selection to its customer service and staffing – allowing customers to create a unique look of their own. The approach has resonated with Chinese shoppers.

“The thread that probably sews it all together is the fact that all of those customers are looking to differentiate themselves,” CEO Andrew Keith explained to the Business of Fashion recently. “If you come from a totalitarian state, where everyone has been so unified in terms of their approach to education and how they can express their individuality, to then have this incredible awareness of the fact that you want to feel like an individual and express yourself. And you see it with the younger generation. Everyone goes wild.”

Sham Kar Wai, the founder and chairman of Hong Kong-based I.T Limited, shares similar views. “When a country becomes wealthy, people are always looking for luxury, because it shows your status and what level you have achieved,” he said in a recent interview. “But

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some of the young people are beginning to crave something different, usually within the contemporary realm. And those that are familiar with luxury goods now want highly unique brands.”

According to Sham, these coveted, “highlyunique brands” often skew towards the cutting-edge. “The Chinese seem a lot more open and avant-garde,” he says. “They are willing to take risks, while local [Hong Kong] customers are more conservative. In China, they are now leaning towards the more avant-garde labels. You can even see it on the streets now.”

Pita Cheng, whose brand selection at INK is anything but conservative, says his best sellers are Boris Bidjan Saberi and Carol Christian Poell, while Keith cites Alexander McQueen and Givenchy as being among the more recent favorites of China’s fashion enthusiasts.

Sham credits a more well-traveled consumer and the growing reach of digital media with the change in Chinese preferences. “They know brands, the concepts; they are worldly,” he explains. “Thanks to the Internet, they can get so much information.” Adds Cheng, “The Chinese are getting in touch with newer and more diverse brands thanks to the Internet and various social media networks. Chinese students who are studying abroad, for instance, will be exposed to new brands from the West; they’ll go back to China and they’ll share with their peers. They’ll try and find these brands online, or even through middlemen, after which these brands gain popularity, creating a new wave of demand. It’s like a never-ending domino effect.”

It’s not just trends that are being driven by the Internet, however. Chinese shoppers, who are increasingly seeking more bang for their buck and value for their fashion purchases, are now satisfying their changing tastes online.

Competitive pricing, social media networks and a vastly-improved e-commerce infrastructure have buoyed online sales in China to staggering heights, $213 billion to be exact, just a shade under the $225 billion spent by American shoppers last year. In early 2014, according to a study by Bain and Company, China will officially overtake the U.S. and in 2015, revenues are expected to reach $541 billion, with online sales accounting for a fifth of total Chinese retail revenues within five years. Alibaba Group, which owns and operates online marketplaces Taobao and Tmall, and controls roughly three-quarters of the e-commerce sector in China, is planning to further redefine the nation’s online shopping with faster and more comprehensive courier services, a revamped network of warehouses and innovative financial services.

The fashion industry, it seems, has taken note. As competition for prime retail real estate remains fierce – and extremely costly – some of its biggest names are venturing into China’s newest retail frontier. Following a particularly-profitable fiscal year, online fashion group, ASOS, recently revealed it was on the cusp of launching a dedicated Chinese language site – complete with an in-country team and domestic distribution partner – targeted at mainland consumers, while MR PORTER will launch China-specific operations this year, following in the footsteps of parent company, NET-A-PORTER. In 2012, THE OUTNET.com, also operated by NET-APORTER, launched its first Chinese-language site and Lane Crawford, too, uses its Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu stores as distribution centres for a booming e-commerce business.

In many cases, the perks of going digital aren’t just limited to the promise of profits – or, in the case of penny-wise shoppers, the best bargain. Cheng, who runs an e-commerce platform in addition to INK’s two brick-andmortar locations, notes that foot traffic in Beijing is often affected by its cold, harsh climate, vast distances and the occasional threat of a sandstorm. Andres Sosa, THE OUTNET.com’s global sales and marketing director, also emphasizes the importance of convenience to Chinese consumers. “Our customers can shop whenever and wherever they want because we are always ‘open,’” he explains. “Women living in some of the most remote parts of China can access great fashion just like those living in Shanghai or Beijing.”

The women’s e-tailer, whose in-house label, Iris & Ink, has already proven popular with Chinese fashionistas, also provides free domestic shipping, returns services and, more importantly, the option of completing transactions through China Union Pay or cash on delivery. A lure for customers who, until only recently, have largely preferred paper over plastic.

thers, like MR PORTER, are wagering on a unique blend of retail and editorial content to make a splash in the menswear market.

The London-based retailer’s editorial savvy, in particular, makes the introduction of emerging, niche brands a little less daunting. “The novel thing about MR PORTER is that we are a content and shopping destination,” explains Ian Tansley, the company’s Managing Director. “Through our weekly magazine, The Journal which uploads every Tuesday, we’re able to educate

At its core, mainland China remains the world’s largest high-end market, accounting for a quarter of all global luxury sales.

our Chinese and global customer about new brands and products through style advice, interviews, video manuals and various features.

The Journal provides us with a voice, which not only gives us the opportunity to create a new online shopping environment that’s more interactive where customers can buy from the page, but it also allows us to speak to them directly by providing them a unique and interactive shopping experience they can’t get from going to a brick and mortar store.”

China’s new e-conomy, however, isn’t without its challenges. Nick Robinson, ASOS’ chief executive officer, predicts that the group’s Chinese expansion will “be loss-making for the first two years.” Logistics remain an issue for the rural pockets of land between cities. And, despite the proliferation of Internet use and recent improvements in China’s e-commerce platforms, skeptics abound. The nation’s lucrative counterfeit market, long-famous for its replicas of luxury goods, has made expensive online purchases an extremely tricky and unappealing proposition for many shoppers.

The exclusive, VIP services offered by many flagship stores, too, remain a strong draw for the country’s wealthiest shoppers.

Yet, for many, the biggest questions continue to swirl around Chinese consumers themselves, a quickly-evolving demographic that has become almost impossible to predict. For Cheng and others like him, however, there’s still reason for optimism. “Right now, our Chinese customers often just don’t appreciate the art itself as there are too many things for them to do and buy, and their interest in the product itself is brief,” he says. “Most of the time they’re just buying for the sake of buying. But I do believe that they’re slowly maturing in terms of buying habits and, at the end of the day, I do believe they will appreciate what we’re trying to present to them.”

Ultimately, one thing is clear: in China’s everchanging fashion landscape, the only real constant is change. China is already the world's fastest-growing economy but, if forecasts are accurate, it’s only gaining steam, with new, structural reforms aimed at faster wealth creation over the next five years. And, though the nation’s luxury goods market may have slowed, the same can’t be said of China’s changing sartorial psyche. The myth of the monolithic Chinese shopper is now a thing of the past. In its place is a new, evolving breed of consumer. Individual, adventurous and one who is quickly embracing fashion as a form of expression. With a little patience and an open-mind, the sky’s the limit for brands and retailers willing to innovate and evolve. And now, more than ever, the key cashing in on China is just a few clicks away.

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Bitcoin WORDS BEN BOWERS I L LU S T R AT I O N K AT I E TO

Cypherpunk’d In November 2008, a paper entitled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System” posted to the Cypherpunks mailing list, written under the alias of Satoshi Nakamoto. The nine-page document outlined the mathematical and computational groundwork for a new peer-to-peer form of virtual crypto currency. It was a blueprint to a system of exchange that embodied the qualities at the core of the Cypherpunk movement loosely defined as "activists advocating widespread use of strong cryptography as a route to social and political change.”

It certainly wasn’t the first proposal made for a purely digital incarnation of money. Yet the so-called Bitcoins produced by Nakamoto’s ingenius system were still unlike any other money ever created. On paper, Bitcoin technology spliced the best qualities of other methods of payment used in the past into one super currency – one tailor-made for the global and hyper-connected economy of the future.

Like shopping with a debit or credit card online, Bitcoins could be seamlessly transferred electronically.

But unlike those methods that require banks or credit companies to approve and verify each transaction between buyers and sellers — charging a fee in the process — spending Bitcoins was a direct, virtually untraceable and anonymous (or at least pseudonymous) process between peers, like a slipping $5 into the hands of a delivery guy while wearing a mask.

Nakamoto’s intentions in this element of Bitcoin’s design seem clear. On January 3, 2009, his computer launched the Bitcoin network by minting the first 50 coins. He included a note with his action. "The Times 03/ Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks.”

Gold 2.0 Really understanding the cryptological mechanics behind Bitcoins is best left to the black and white hats of this world. Those with a casual

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interest need only know this: they are designed to be verifiable (i.e. hard to counterfeit) and anonymous, two powerful qualities no other digitally transmitted payment method has ever possessed in tandem before.

The untraceable aspect of the currency is owed to its unique, decentralized structure. In basic terms, exchanging and creating Bitcoins is governed by a dispersed computer protocol, rather than a national bank or clearing house.

This means the virtual currency technically isn’t subject to transaction fees, cannot be frozen, and its value cannot be tampered with by the monetary policies of governments. It also allows Bitcoins to be exchanged across the entire world and nearly impossible to tax.

There’s also another quality though of the math-based currency that has captured the imagination of speculators while causing other groups like economists and environmentalists to shit their pants. Bitcoins are created at a strictly controlled rate and there is a cap to how many total “coins" will ever be created.

Specifically, an upper limit of 21 million is hardwired into the protocol, which will be approximately reached in the year 2140. That exact number isn’t significant unto itself. What’s important is the process behind how it is reached and the implications it holds for those who own Bitcoins.

can add new blocks to ledger the fastest is compensated with a reward of Bitcoins.

The larger the networked mining effort becomes, the harder it becomes to mine additional coins. This mathematically controlled process ensures that the value of Bitcoins cannot be decreased in the same way that government issued currencies have been in the past - by simply printing more dough.

And unlike gold, no one need worry about vast new troves of Bitcoins being discovered in South Africa.

Beyond the publicly shared Block Chain, a private record of the Bitcoins “owned" by an individual is stored in wallet.dat files on their personal computer, smartphone or other device, and accessed by various versions of Bitcoin wallet software — similar to typical online banking tools. If the wallet file is deleted or corrupted in any way, Bitcoins can be lost. An early miner living in Wales recently admitted throwing away a hard drive containing 7,500 bit coins, worth $7.5 million at the currency’s highpoint without thinking about it when the currency values were low.

They can also be stolen through hacking. In November of 2013, 4,100 Bitcoins were stolen in two separate hacking incidents from Bitcoin wallet provider inputs.io. At the time of the theft, the currency was worth $1.2 million.

Life in the Mines

So what exactly is a Bitcoin worth and what can you buy with it? Answering the first question has largely depended on when it’s asked. True to what many economists feel is a deflationary design, the exchange rate of Bitcoins v. the U.S. dollar and other popular currencies has generally risen throughout its five-year history, but its value has collapsed on several occasions. It is still not uncommon for the value of Bitcoins to fluctuate by as much as 20 percent in a day.

Laszlo Hanyecz is widely regarded as the first person to use the currency in a “real” transaction. He offered 10,000 BTC for someone to order him a pizza on May 18, 2010 - putting the value of a coin at roughly $.0025. By February 2011, the price had reached parity with the U.S. dollar. In 2013, prices fluctuated from $13 to an all-time high of $1,242 on November 29th – making Hanyecz’s original pizza purchase worth roughly $12,420,000. The number of goods and services accepting Bitcoins as a form of payment have steadily grown with the currency’s popularity and today includes examples of everything from domain hosting, Sacramento Kings tickets, Subway sandwiches, haircuts, and even Virgin Galactic flights. Of course, Bitcoins can also simply be used to

Thinking of the currency as a form of scarce and limited data resource creates a natural comparison to gold — hence the “mining” expression used to describe the process computers follow when creating new Bitcoins. Coins are “mined” using free open-source software which requires computers to solve complex mathematical operations in the name of verifying groups of new Bitcoin transactions called blocks. New blocks are added to the public ledger of all Bitcoin transactions ever made known as the Block Chain. A copy of the Block Chain can be found on every computer connected to the Bitcoin network, and it contains information on all current Bitcoin ownership as well as all points of Bitcoin ownership in the past. It is the key innovation in the currency's decentralized, and therefore anonymous, nature, since it spreads the critical responsibilities of preventing "double spending” and forgery across an ever-changing network of computers scattered throughout the world, instead of a central point overseeing all transactions between buyers and sellers.

The owner of the particular machine that

Tryin’ to Make a Dollar Out of 15 cents

“buy” more traditional forms of currencies like dollars, yen and euros (and vice versa) through various Bitcoin exchanges like Japan’s MtGox (mtgox.com).

With values generally increasing at an unprecedented pace, however, many paying close attention to the phenomenon are asking if Bitcoins should really be spent at all, when saving them has generally been so lucrative.

Tugging at the roots of this growing sentiment reveals bigger concerns around the currency’s long-term potential as the cash of the future.

Mainly, is the continued success of Bitcoin actually something worth encouraging?

Right on the Money?

The debate around Bitcoin’s value as a currency is reaching a fever pitch today, with plenty of notable personalities weighing in on both sides.

The New York Times economist Paul Krugman has called it outright “evil,” while former U.S. vice president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore has said he’s “...a big fan of Bitcoin…

Regulation of money supply needs to be depoliticized.”

Similarly, Ben S. Bernanke, formerly Federal Reserve chairman, wrote that digital currencies like Bitcoin “may hold long-term promise, particularly if they promote a faster, more secure and more efficient payment system.” Bill Gates has skirted commenting on its value proposition and instead focused on its mechanics calling it “a technological tour de force.”

The core arguments of the pro-Bitcoin camp were succinctly listed during a recent testimony by Patrick Murck, general counsel of the Bitcoin Foundation at a hearing for the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs entitled “Beyond Silk Road: Potential Risks, Threats, and PromIses of Virtual Currencies” in 2013.

“There may be as many reasons to support Bitcoin as there are Bitcoin supporters. But we believe Bitcoin holds out a number of powerfully beneficial, social and economic outcomes, including global financial inclusion, enhanced personal liberty and dignity, improved financial privacy, and a stable money supply for people in countries where monetary instability may threaten prosperity and even peace.”

Others see downsides that far outweigh the benefits. Easy moral knocks stress that the complete lack of oversight and regulation allows morally deplorable markets in things such as child pornography, drugs and contract killing to thrive.

Recently, U.S. federal attorneys announced a seizure of over 29,655 Bitcoins from the poster

child of the nefarious side of the Internet economy, the Silk Road. At the time of this article, the haul is valued at over $28,000,000, which, while sizable, pales in comparison to the 144,000 Bitcoins seized from the personal computers of site’s mastermind Ross Ulbricht, valued now at $130,000,000.

Still other, even larger concerns loom over the currency’s potential to destroy stable governance by crippling redistributive taxation systems and other forms of financial safety nets such as social security or pensions.

In the words of British author Charles Stross: "BitCoin looks like it was designed as a weapon intended to damage central banking and money issuing banks, with a Libertarian political agenda in mind - to damage states' ability to collect tax and monitor their citizens financial transactions."

Reactions of this magnitude may seem strange for a currency that in November of 2013 held a market cap of just 4 billion dollars. Longtime students of the power of network effects such as famed venture capitalist Marc Andreessen readily acknowledge though that Bitcoin’s unique incentive structure makes it ideally poised for explosive expansion – following the paths taken by similar technological innovations such as the telephone system, the Internet, and services built on top of it like Facebook.

Asking if the world is ready for such a force is moot at this stage. The real question is how we want these ideas to be used. Because whether the Bitcoin stops here or there, Cypherpunk movement’s ultimate weapon has made a permanent mark on the planet and its lessons have forever changed ideas around commerce and exchange.

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a dozen. But this is precisely their advantage.

With their non-European-ness and youth, they are able to experiment with untraditional ways of making fragrance. No one will point fingers at them for employing an artificially intelligent supercomputer instead of a fifthgeneration olfactory expert. The first prototype mold for Oblique, Joya’s latest candle, was created out of a CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software rendering which was then 3D-printed through digital processing. “It’s really technological and it’s something we couldn’t have done two years ago,” says Frederick Bouchardy, founder and owner of Joya, who has collaborated with the likes of Opening Ceremony and Rodarte. He is now working with Dror Benshetrit, creative director of Tumi, on Oblique which is a candle that behaves like a lamp. “But it’s not like because it’s being 3Dprinted that all of a sudden the production happens overnight,” Bouchardy continues.

“It’s still hard because those prints are so far from the finished product.”

There are four main steps that occur before Oblique becomes a finished product: first, porcelain clay solidifies inside the 3D-printed mold which is carefully pulled out; second, excess clay is carved away from the shell; third, it is placed inside a 2,100-degree Fahrenheit kiln for eight hours to harden; and finally, candle wax and a cotton wick is placed inside. A fairly intuitive and simple process, yet it loses that simplicity when the process is not automated.

W O R D S E L A I N E YJ L E E PHOTOGRAPHY JERRY BUTTLES

JOYA THE TECHNOLOGY OF PERFUMERY What machines can and can’t do for our scented goods.

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lend beeswax with magnolia blossoms and jasmine absolutes and the result is a sugarscented candle. This is the sort of thing that Joya Studio, a small Brooklyn-based fragrance company, specializes in. Its other specialty is encasing those dreamy scents, which is why they call themselves a “studio” rather than a perfumery: Their candles and fragrances are housed in hand-blown glass cases, intricately engraved leather wraps or gold-dipped porcelain; they are unlike any out there, more like works of art.

It’s no wonder Joya makes the most expensive candle to date at Harrods of London, the British luxury department store, with a price tag of $775. That’s worth a pair of Givenchy trousers, or two pairs of leather Common Projects sneakers (most of Joya’s products average between $45 and $100). To anyone who’s spending habits lean toward the norm, the idea of a candle that costs hundreds of dollars is ridiculous. Joya is no Cire Trudon or Diptyque whose European-rooted heritage date back decades, if not centuries. Joya is a 10-year-old company that takes up a small warehouse in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, with an employee count of less than

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I don’t look at it as a beauty product.

I think of the whole thing as an art form.

All executed by local craftsmen, each and every step requires careful attention to detail and sophisticated skill. At Joya’s warehouse workshop, each of the four steps is handled by one craftsman. They have tools like X-ACTO knives and wax dispensers, but everything – even the packaging – is done by hand. “If you produce everything in-house, your quality goes up a lot,” says Sarah Cihat, Joya’s resident ceramics designer who has over 10 years of experience.

The artistry and care they put into each candle and vial of perfume is how Joya justify their ultra-luxury price point.

Oblique has an open conical shape that leans to one side, kept from completely toppling over by the carefully weighted base. When the candle is lit, the cone shines translucently, behaving like both a lamp and a surreal piece of sculpture. It blurs the line of what a candle is, which is something its traditional European counterparts cannot do. “They are more specific to perfume-perfume. I don’t look at it as beauty product. I think of the whole thing as an art form,” Bouchardy says.

But when asked if there are any disadvantages of being less established than Euro maison parfums, he is wholeheartedly admitting. “I do think of it as a disadvantage because if you don’t have that kind of association when you are working in fragrance – in this other invisible sense – you have to make your own history from scratch. But that’s also what’s most exciting about us.”

— joyastudio.com

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Metropolis 2.0 Dubai — a city between genius and insanity.

WORDS BRIAN FARMER PHOTOGRAPHY ROBERT WUNSCH

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On November 2, 2011 four cities had already submitted their bids for Expo 2020, with Dubai making the last-minute entry. The infrastructure and the level of national support impressed the delegation from the Bureau International des Expositions, who visited Dubai in February 2013 to examine the Emirate’s readiness for the largest expo to date. When Dubai won the bid to host Expo 2020 in November 2013, fireworks erupted from the Burj Khalifa hotel, the world’s tallest man-made structure, and a national holiday was declared. The expo is expected to result in 277,000 new jobs across the United Arab Emirates, an injection of nearly $40 billion USD into the economy, and an increase in visitors of at least 25 million and up to 100 million. Unfortunately, that also means up to 25% of all construction cranes worldwide are located in Dubai at the moment. We traveled to the global city to procure our own impressions of what seems to be a genius, cosmopolitan metropolis that’s forced to make insane choices in order to keep its economy afloat. For example, due to all the construction, the shape of the city changes so often that many of the city streets don’t have proper names. In every single district, the streets are given the same numbers (there are more than 20 streets with the name “1” for example), so the locals are forced to mostly navigate by landmarks—like the aforementioned Khalifa hotel.

D U BA I T R AV E L T I P S

DINING

AC T I V I T I E S

Frankies Al Fattan Towers, Jumeirah Walk

Helicopter Flight alphatoursdubai.com

Gaucho Podium Level, Gate Village 05 DIFC

Ski Dome skidxb.com

Armani Ristorante Armani Hotel, Dubai Downtown

Water Park jumeirah.com

La Petit Maison Gate Village 08 DIFC

Bedouin Breakfast in the Desert platinum-heritage.com

Smiling BKK Al Wasl Plaza, 2 A St.

History Bastakiya Quarter

Ravi Satwa Road (Al Dhiyafa Rd)

Falcon World alphatoursdubai.com

AC C O M O DAT I O N

SHOPPING

Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach Residence

BurJuman Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed St

Burj Al Arab Jumeira 3

The Dubai Mall Doha Street

Jumeirah Creekside Road Al Garhoud Deira

Mall of the Emirates Sheikh Zayed Rd

Raffles Dubai Oud Metha

Deira Gold Souk Al Sabkha Rd

One&Only The Palm West Crescent, Palm Jumeirah

Deira Fish Market Dubai Corniche

W O R D S E L A I N E YJ L E E PHOTOGRAPHY THOMAS WELCH

DO OR DINE A small restaurant in the heart of Brooklyn offers a surprising glimpse into the relationship between food, hip hop and science.

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n a quiet street in the heart of Bedford, Brooklyn stands a small restaurant sandwiched between a bodega and a dingy apartment building. The words “West Indian - American Dishes” and “Restaurant - Bakery” take up the signs that make the place seem like any occasional take-out spot. The restaurant’s real name isn’t visible until you step under the entrance canopy, which reads “Do or Dine,” named after the ‘90s rap trio Do or Die. It seats less than a dozen tables, blasts hip-hop music from a Pandora channel (which mostly plays pre-Graduation Kanye West), and is lit by a disco ball. “We’re very much like a mom-and-pop place, except we’re a bro-and-bro place,” says Justin Warner, Food Network TV personality and one of the four founders of Do or Dine. What these “bros” put together is a seemingly everyday eatery that is full of unlikely surprises.

Under spinning pink and purple lights, visitors order Dr. Pepper-glazed frog legs and foie gras-stuffed doughnuts. Other dishes that once graced the menu is All Pork Everything, inspired by Jay Z’s “all black everything” lyric from “Run This Town,” and Beet Box, an updated goat cheese and beet salad made with solidified beet juice. A sign that says “DRANKS” is mounted at the bar, whose most popular one is the Sphericle Back – a shot of whiskey chased by pickle juice encased in a solid membrane (think the shape and texture of egg yolk).

“I’ve worked in restaurants my whole life but not as a cook,” says Warner, who is in charge of the food menu. Without any formal training in culinary arts, he has managed to concoct some bizarrely delicious dishes by way of experimenting with molecular gastronomy, a part of food science that studies the physical and chemical properties of ingredients.

“We just got tired of doing things by the book. We are sick of serving the same damn salad,” says Warner. But Do or Dine’s unexpected interpretation of food is sometimes too avant-garde for some. “Not everyone necessarily has to like the outcome, but they like the experience. It’s impossible to have a bad time when there’s a disco ball.” Indeed, it is precisely that carefree and playful atmosphere of Do or Dine that also attracts the likes of Andy Milonakis, the Beastie Boys, and members of the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League.

But as playful as they may be, Do or Dine remains serious about the food. The bros aren’t going to leave it up to science and let complex molecule formulas take over or compensate for flavor. “There have been a lot of interesting thoughts that have changed food and the way we eat. But ultimately, a tool is never going to do it. It’s going to be the user of the tool who says, ‘This is how I’m going to use this to change gastronomy.’”

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WORDS PETE WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHY TRASHHAND

VSCO The Future of Digital Photography

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Moore's Law says that technology doubles every two years. Which is to say that things keep getting smaller, faster, better, stronger. Over the past couple of years advances in smartphone technology have essentially allowed for most people to have a camera in their hands nearly all the time. Mix that with readily available Wi-Fi and mobile LTE networks and you have nothing short of a mobile photography boom, with Instagram quickly becoming the go-to social media tool for the connected generation.

To some this abundance of artfully filtered shots of pets, food and coffee may feel like a sign of impending doom, however, if you dig past all the fluff and sugar you'll find Instagram is also home to a passionate community of brilliant photographers, all creating stunning images with nothing more than their iPhones.

Once you get acquainted with this beautiful world, you'll find that besides shooting with the latest smartphone, there's one constant amongst a large number of the best mobile photographers. And that constant is VSCO Cam: a super intuitive, free photo editing app that allows for absolutely stunning imagery.

Yes there are other apps other there, but ask anyone who knows and they'll swear that VSCO is their most powerful weapon.

With photographer trashhand at our side, we trekked out to VSCO HQ in San Francisco to chop it up with the founders of Visual Supply Co on all things photography, mobility and tech.

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Joel and I collaborated on some branding and design projects in our “previous lives” - Joel as a Photographer and myself as an Art Director. We worked well together and held similar beliefs on photography, art, business… even just life in general. We put a small team together - Mike Wu (CTO), Wayne Wu (Creative Director) and Zach Hodges (Lead Image Processing) - and set out to build things we believed in, basically, tools we wanted to use ourselves.

In many ways, VSCO is a company of contrasts; we aim to marry art with technology, classic film aesthetics with modern tools. VSCO Film and VSCO Cam were born out of a desire to take something we love, analog film, and authentically recreate it digitally for a new generation of creatives, many who have never shot with a film camera before.

Which cameras and films inspired you the most with VSCO? — Joel: I have always been drawn to Kodak Portra 400 & 800. Even before VSCO Film, I would try and emulate that aesthetic with regards to my digital photography. Along with those modern day films, I hold a special place for a lot of consumer films like Kodak Gold and Ektar (what I started out shooting). With regards to cameras, I love the innovation that went into the Polaroid SX-70 and how the Argus made 35mm so accessible to the masses. We have paintings of each of these cameras hanging in our California office.

Please introduce yourselves.

— Hello. We are Joel Flory and Greg Lutze, co-founders of VSCO, creators of digital tools for the modern creative. VSCO is a team of 30 designers, photographers, engineers and writers with a love of art and technology. We are unapologetically “by creatives, for creatives.” We launched in November of 2011 and have offices in the Bay Area, the Rocky Mountains and the Big Apple.

Talk about the creation of VSCO - how did things start? What was the original idea behind giving digital images a vintage look?

— Greg: VSCO started, continues to be, and will always be a passion project. We love photography, design and art, the creative process and the artists behind it all. We started VSCO to be a company that honors art and artist, and everything else falls into place based on that vision.

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You clearly have a passion for vintage film. Can you describe the fascination with analog in a digital world? I.e. Listening to music on vinyl, shooting film, etc.

— Joel: Even with the rapid rise of technology, humans will always crave tangible, physical things and experiences. We desire to feel, well, human. The act of eating is a perfect example. You can always grab fast food, but you miss out on the experience (and health benefits) if that is all you consume. In contrast, a restaurant that creates an appealing experience that caters to sight, sound, smell and taste is inherently a better, more human experience. The ingredients, the presentation, the process of creating something to be enjoyed with friends… it all factors in the human element. The same can be said for analog and digital.

We crave process, nostalgia and experiences simply because that’s how we are wired as humans. The only thing that changes is how that experience is delivered.

Who are some of your favorite photographers of all time?

— Greg: As it relates to the “masters,” Gary Winogrand, William Eggleston, Helen Levitt, Stephen Shore, Fred Herzog and Dorothea Lange would make my list. My “next generation” list would include Bryan Schutmaat, Rog Walker, Shane McCauley, Emilie Ristevski, Kevin Russ, Lauren Marek, the Schoonover Brothers, Lawrence Agyei, Jeff Gros, Jared Chambers, M. Wriston, Luca Venter, Nicole Franzen, Tod Seelie and Shane Lavalette. And the list could easily continue...

When did the idea for the VSCO CAM app first come into play? I'm interested in the journey you took to this point.

—

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TRASHHAND TIPS VSCO and it's filters are embedded in what I do. They complete my process whether I'm shooting with my iPhone or DSLR. Their app VSCOcam as not only made it incredibly accessible but have also it made it easy to share well edited photos within minutes.

FAVO R I T E F I LT E R PAC K F1-3 - MELLOW / FADE Below I go through my basic editing process when using the app.

1 EXPOSURE I always play with my photo's exposure making sure it has the rightamount of light I want in it.

This will actually effect a ton on how my filters lays on the image.

2 T E M P E R AT U R E Just incase it needs any adjusting. I don't like my photos too cold or too warm, I want them to be just right.

3 F I LT E R I usually go through my favorite filters but I end with the same filter when it comes to VSCOcam.

I've used it on probably my last 100 photos. It's not that it's easy but it's just the way I see. The filter to me is a representation of how I mentally see colors in the real world.

4 CONTRAST If i were to add any, now would be the time.

5 SHARPNESS I always add 1-2 increases in sharpness to my iPhone photos. I never add more than 2. I think this adds some amazing clarity to your photo and will actually confuse some people thinking its a DSLR shot.

6 ADDITION Occasionally, I'll actually bring the photo back in to VSCO and lay another filter and a lesser strength creating my own filter.

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Joel: The goal for VSCO Cam was to provide a powerful tool to capture and edit images with a simple and clean aesthetic. We wanted to connect with photographers on the mobile platform - to promote a creative community that was largely ignored or overlooked. We never thought it would grow into what it is today, but once we started seeing the amazing imagery created with it, we knew we were onto something bigger than ourselves.

We wanted to push it even further and make the app the standard for mobile photography.

We went back to the drawing board and came up with the current version of VSCO Cam and VSCO Grid, our publishing platform for photography.

Can you talk a bit about the technology behind your software?

— Joel: That information, is strictly on the downlow (laughing). With that said, we’ve put in a lot of hard work and resources. We are extremely proud of the results and are excited about what is to come. We aren’t content with the status quo and are constantly trying to push things forward.

How do you view the mobile photography scene today? It's an amazing world. People building careers off of iPhone photos.

— Greg: This is only the beginning - I only see growth with improved hardware. But, ultimately, it is about the vision and creativity of the photographer that matters. The camera is just a tool for a photographer to tell a story.

It's long been said that the best camera is the one you have with you. And today most everyone has a great smartphone camera on their person at all times. There are more photos being shot and produced than at any time in history. How do you feel about that?

— Joel: On one hand, I love that more and more of life’s precious moments are being captured. On the other hand, there is a sensory overload with seeing twenty images of the same thing. This is where curation plays a vital role in the creative process. “Less Is More” is critical, a philosophy we embrace as a foundation of VSCO. Which photographers do you feel are most important to the movement?

— Greg: The unknown kid with a camera in hand and fire in his heart. The kid who could care less about Instagram follower count. The kid who realizes a camera can amplify his voice and tell powerful stories. The kid who wants to change the world for good, even when everyone tells him art can’t change anything.

Some people have said that VSCO filters should replace the default Instagram filters. How do you feel about that statement?

— Greg: I would agree with that statement (laughing). No, but seriously, none of us would be doing VSCO if we didn’t feel our tools were the best on the market.

Do you imagine there will be a backlash to this current filtered world? To some it seems a prideful moment to declare a photo with #nofilter.

— Greg: Ultimately, it is all about the image not a hashtag or a filter. The basis for a good image should be more around the composition, the subject, the way the light plays with the shadows, etc. The filter should be complementarian, not the focus. Imagine if you went to an art gallery and everyone only commented on how beautiful the frames were, as opposed to the art. The artwork should always be the focal point. That being said, the #nofilter tag seems a somewhat hollow boast. The question should always be, “Is this a great photo because it is?” not “Is this a great photo because I did or didn’t used a filter on it?”

Some have denounced the "end of the DSLR" relegating it as niche product that will only exist within the most advanced photographic quivers.

What are your views on that statement? Where do you think we'll go from here?

— Joel: A camera is merely a tool, and in the end different tools are needed for different jobs.

What we are seeing is less the end of the Professional DSLR, and more the end of the basic point and shoot and entry level DSLR. With that said, we are a ways off from the lens on a mobile phone matching the quality of a top-of-the-line Nikkor, Canon or Zeiss lens (not to mention the sensor matching the capabilities of a professional DSLR). In my mind there will always be a place for Professional DSLR’s.

What made you decide to offer the app for free, after having it available as a "pay" app for quite some time?

— Joel: Simply put, we wanted VSCO Cam in the hands of more people, especially on a global scale. We create our tools for anyone, anywhere.

How has the Android version been received? Do you have any opinions on iOS vs Android?

— Greg: VSCO Cam for Android has been extremely well-received, especially on a worldwide scale.

There will always an iOS vs. Android battle,

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appreciation of the photograph. We try to add value via curation.

as many people are very committed to their specific camp. But we strive to create a VSCO experience, not a specific mobile platform experience. A camera is a tool, and while some devices are better than others, it is ultimately the photographer who creates the stunning imagery, not the device or its brand name.

Joel: Building for Android was a difficult challenge. The Android platform is quite fragmented compared to iOS, and the number of devices with subtle nuances to the camera, memory and overall quality is astounding. With iOS, we are building an app optimized for a handful of phones, while Android devices running 4.0+ are literally in the thousands. It is a challenge, but one we felt was important to overcome for the sake of the creative community.

How do you see VSCO Grid evolving in the future?

To me it feels like the next logical step as the stomping grounds for those tired of Tweens and celebrities clogging the popular page.

— Greg: VSCO Grid is to remain a platform that honors art and artist. We aren’t about social clout, we are about craft and community. We want to be at the forefront of the new generation of creatives - one that values original content and the artists behind it.

How would you describe the ideal photograph in the sense of VSCO Grid.

— Greg: There is no exact formula, but generally speaking, a photograph that celebrates life for what it truly is, not what we wish it to be. The best images capture moments of simple beauty and brokenness of our world.

Does Instagram advertising bother you?

— Joel: Well, I think we all knew it was coming... and for what they had to work with they have done a good job.

Where would you say are the best places in the world to go shoot?

— Joel: I have been fortunate to travel quite a bit.

Some of my favorite places to photograph are Patagonia, Ireland, Norway and the Eastern Sierras.

Greg: Hong Kong, Paris, NYC and Colorado.

Tell us a bit about the clothing project you worked on. Do you have a strong interest in fashion?

— Greg: While we all have varying styles, fashion is an important form of creative self-expression for the VSCO team. Fashion is such a creative outlet and intimately tied into other art forms - photography, music, design, etc.

We were excited to collaborate with Steadbrook, a men’s clothing and accessories company based in Denver, Colorado. It was our first foray into apparel and collaborating with another brand. We learned a lot about the creative process and established some strong relationships with everyone involved.

Talk about the VSCO Grid.

— Joel: VSCO Cam is built to play with VSCO Grid, our free publishing platform for photography. Follower numbers, likes and comments are non-existent on VSCO Grid. We are not a popularity contest based on social clout, but a platform that promotes artistry and photography. When you remove social pressure to create, you take away the need to constantly upload or cater your images to what others like. You now have the freedom to show what you deem beautiful.

The strength of VSCO Grid lies in curation, whether by an individual photographer or our curation team who selects images to showcase on the curated VSCO Grid (grid.vsco. co). We live in a digital age where people look but don’t truly see, and everything becomes mindless consumption of content rather than

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Do you have a favorite VSCO Cam filter?

[Ed: Mine is F1] — Greg: A1 and H1 Joel: C1 and N1

What we are seeing is less the end of the Professional DSLR, and more the end of the basic point and shoot and entry level DSLR.

This is only the beginning - I only see growth with improved hardware. But, ultimately, it is about the vision and creativity of the photographer that matters. The camera is just a tool for a photographer to tell a story.

Besides VSCO, what are your other favorite apps and pieces of technology?

— Greg: My most used apps include Rdio, Twitter, The Verge, My Fitness Pal, Chelsea FC News and Taasky. If I had any extra time at all, I would play Batman Arkham City Lockdown on a iPad Mini. I really enjoy shooting with the Fuji x100S and iPhone 5S. Honestly though, since I spend most of my day sitting in front of technology, I try to avoid it after work and stick to hanging out with family and friends, reading books and hitting the gym.

Joel: My favorite apps are Feedly, Waze, Pandora, Rdio, Twitter, MLB (Go A’s!) and Audible. For technology, I most often use iPhone 5s, MacBook Air and iPad Mini Retina housed in a Côte&Ciel Rhine Flat Backpack.

— vsco.co

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Neo Geo MVS was the original arcade version and not only are the games much easier to find, they are a fraction of the cost. Out of all the Neo Geo platforms, AES, Neo Geo and MVS, the MVS library represents the most complete too. Problem is, you either have to play with an arcade cabinet or rig up your own DIY system to play MVS without a cabinet. The option between an old arcade cabinet that almost always needs repair or a PCB rigged up with wires isn't exactly appealing or practical. The Analogue CMVS Slim was created to answer these problems.

Why wood over other materials?

— There is something about wood that is just right.

I looked into plastic and metal and produced several prototypes, but something about a wooden video game system just fit perfectly with Neo Geo and its luxury stature.

Neo Geo Restoring an icon.

Introduced in 1990, the Neo Geo MVS (Multi Video System) revolutionized the arcade game industry by offering operators the ability to put up to six different arcade titles into a single cabinet, while Neo Geo’s home console, the AES (Advanced Entertainment System), offered users the chance to play the same titles from home. Priced outside the range of most consumers, the home console nevertheless developed a cult following thanks to its stellar lineup of games.

Although out of production since 2004, Neo Geo’s legacy lives on through throwback arcades and the memories of 20 and 30-somethings the world over. Discontent with letting the landmark system fade into obscurity, Analogue Interactive has stepped in to repackage the bulky MVS arcade machine into beautiful, timeless wooden creations; bringing the Neo Geo back into the home. We spoke to Analogue Interactive’s founder, Chris Taber, to find out what it is exactly that makes the Neo Geo worth restoring so many years later.

Where did the idea to outfit the Neo Geo MVS in wood come from?

— The AES was $650 on release and games ran about $200 a pop. Fast forward to today and AES games are some of the rarest and most expensive video games in the world. Being able to explore the Neo Geo library with an AES is unreasonably expensive.

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It's a philosophy towards life, towards products, towards video games.

People who care about products talk about quality, quality, quality.

What does the system offer that current generation video game consoles don’t?

— It's an arcade system – so first and foremost, the gameplay stands out. There is no hour tutorial, just jump in and you’re having a blast right away.

Playing with an arcade stick is novel for most people, too. All the games were developed to be played with arcade sticks, so it’s how you should play it.

That and there really is something to be said about hunting games down. You hunt down your copy of Viewpoint MVS for two weeks and when you finally get it, you’re going to treasure that baby. You’re playing the game exactly how it was released and intended to be played.

Do you think cartridge-based systems will ever dominate the video game landscape again?

— I don't think so. It would have to be something really innovative for it to dominate the video game landscape. Digital is just easiest and convenient and I think what is easiest and convenient is always going to dominate any market. This isn't necessarily good or bad, but what’s easiest and convenient definitely isn't always right.

In the context of 2014, what do you think is Neo Geo's place in video game history?

— In 2014, I think Neo Geo is remembered for its most popular games: Metal Slug, King of Fighters, Samurai Shodown, Fatal Fury, etc.

Its place in history is as an arcade powerhouse because of its innovative multi-slot hardware and iconic big red cab and four colored buttons.

Just as records have resurged in the market, do you foresee analog video game systems making a resurgence as well?

— It's definitely catching on now more than ever.

There is a substantial market for retro gaming.

But just like records, while there is a worthwhile market, in contrast to the market as a whole, it's still niche. Still, it's a very interesting time for video games in general. I mean, the Smithsonian had “The Art of Video Games” exhibit in 2012. That’s amazing.

As a console’s functionality comes from its output, what does Analogue Interactive’s work offer besides aesthetics?

— It's a philosophy towards life, towards products, towards video games. People who care about products talk about quality, quality, quality.

It’s not just quality but the integration and consistency of quality. It's not adding a few quality features or aspects, it’s the entire thing, every aspect. Everything developed at Analogue Interactive comes from that perspective. I want to make things that will last a lifetime; that people will cherish forever.

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Google Smart Contact Lenses In an attempt to revolutionize how those with diabetes measure their glucose levels, Google presents Smart Contact Lenses that use tears in lieu of more traditional methods like drawing blood. Looking to eliminate one of the most painful and intrusive daily routines of those afflicted – with current rates pointing to one in 19 people in the world with diabetes – the prototype contacts are outfitted with tiny wireless chips and glucose sensors that appear as small as a speck of glitter. Developed in Google's famous Google X labs which is also working on driverless cars and balloons that transmit Wi-Fi signals to remote areas, their ultimate goal is to place LED lights inside the lenses that would flash when levels are too low or high.

WORDS ALEC BANKS

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LaCie 1TB Sphere LaCie has never been a stranger to the notion that the façade on a hard drive should be treated with the same precision as the technical aspects of what is inside. Having enlisted French designer Philippe Starck in the past, their 1TB Sphere features design inspiration from renowned silver company, Christofle, who has been dealing with the metal since 1830. Handcrafted and silvered in France, its unique round shape requires silversmiths in their Normandy workshop to conduct a precise manual silver-plating procedure – resulting in a bold silhouette and highly reflective surface.

Powered without the use of a power cord thanks to USB technology, the LaCie 1TB Sphere is three times as fast as its predecessor.

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The Revolution will be Quantified Take a look at your wrist.

Or maybe glance over the apps on your phone. Chances are you’re in Take a look at your wrist. Or maybe possession of a deviceglance thatover helps youontrack your numerous activities on a the apps your phone.

Chances are you’re in possession of we are, the quality of the daily basis. Whether it be how physically active a device that helps you track your night’s sleep we had ornumerous how far and fast we can run, we human beings are activities on a daily basis. increasingly looking to collect data aboutactive every Whether it be how physically we waking – and sleeping – are, the quality of the night’s sleep we moment of our lives.

WORDS IAN HSIEH

had or how far and fast we can run, we human beings are increasingly looking to collect data about every waking – and sleeping – moment of our lives.

f course, the act of collating data on human endeavours isn’t a recent thing; men and women of science have been recording and analysing statistics on diet, sex, sleep and athletic performance (to name a few things) for centuries. In the last few years however, wearable technology has tentatively taken its first real steps.

“The Quantified Self is something we’ve been living with for a very long time,” says Ricky Engelberg, Experience Director of Digital Sport at Nike. “What’s been interesting, is watching the Quantified Self begin to actually impact people’s everyday lives.”

Wearable technology now gives anyone – not just scientists with towers of blinking machinery and leads plugged into test subjects (think Ivan Drago in Rocky V) – the ability to quantify and analyse data in the hope of making informed lifestyle changes.

A snowball tossed from the highest peak of Everest, the Quantified Self movement is showing signs of avalanching.

Nike was the first company to really put the concept of the modern Quantified Self on the map. Introducing its Nike+iPod Sports Kit in 2006 – featuring a prototype sensor refined by Apple – runners the world over

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could buy a pair of Nike+ shoes, place the sensor into the sole, press start on their iPod, start running and instantly begin to track the distance they ran and at what speed. It was effortless. Eventually, there would be enough runs collated on NikePlus.com for a runner to use that knowledge and modify their actions according to the specific goals they wanted to achieve.

What the Sports Kit didn’t do though, was monitor your heart rate or track your route. It was basic, employing simple technology first introduced forty years ago by biomechanical researcher Richard Nelson. "We really wanted to separate ourselves from that sort of very technical, geeky side of things," said Michael Tchao, head of Nike’s Techlab to Wired. "Everyone understands speed and distance." Simple it may have been, but that is what made Nike+ such a key catalyst in the Quantified Self movement; people were hooked on how easy it was to track their data, and more importantly, what that data told them about themselves.

Skip forward five years to 2011, and while Nike+ has grown from strength-to-strength, utilizing advances in technology afforded by ever-more sophisticated smartphones, Jawbone jumped into the ring by unleashing its UP band. Consumers now had the ability to track other aspects of their daily lives – not just their running sessions.

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“With UP we created a system that fits seamlessly into your lifestyle,” says Bandar Antabi, Jawbone’s VP of Special Projects. “It teaches things about yourself that you didn’t know, gives you recommendations and insights, helps you change your behaviour and lets you sustain this behaviour over the long-term. It’s a 24hour, seven-day-a-week solution that you can wear all the time.”

The UP represented a huge step forward for self-quantifiers. Not only did it track the regular stuff – steps taken, calories burned – it monitored eating habits and analyzed sleep quality, magically waking users up in the best phase of their natural sleep cycle. It even reminded users to get up and move if they’d been sat on their backsides for too long – a truly holistic device for the Quantified Self generation, backed up by all manner of intelligent insights. Designed by Yves Béhar, founder of award-winning industrial design firm Fuseproject, this “functional jewellery” looked good, too – more stylish accessory than clunky, geeky gadgetry favoured by overzealous tech nerds.

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When we set out to make the FuelBand, one of the most critical components was that it had to be something that was very human.

Nike quickly followed suit by launching its Nike+ FuelBand in February 2012. With its snappy Make It Count strapline, this was the sporting giant’s foray into self-quantification for the mass consumer. Anyone could own a FuelBand and earn NikeFuel (Nike’s own metric), regardless of what physical endeavours they pursued. Crafted in matte black rubber with a stainless steel clasp, the FuelBand housed 120 invisible LEDs that exploded into life once the band’s solitary button was pressed. Meet your daily goal, and digital fireworks cascaded and boomed. Aesthetically, like those impossibly cool Air Mags, this was something that belonged on the wrist of Marty McFly in 2015.

“When we set out to make the FuelBand, one of the most critical components was that it had to be something that was very human,” says Engelberg.

“If you fell in love with it, you would wear it every day. We wanted to make sure no one felt embarrassed to be wearing something that was tracking their activity. We had to sweat it as much as we’d sweat a pair of Jordans or a pair of LunarGlides – we had to make sure that this was something that represented Just Do It.” Looks aside, the strength of the FuelBand was in its supporting ecosystem. With close to eighteen million people tracking their fitness using NikePlus.com in con-

junction with other Nike+ products, the FuelBand and its accompanying app gamified fitness and motivated users in a way no other company could. The whole concept of the Quantified Self was now socially dynamic. Perhaps more importantly, it was fun.

Fitbit’s Flex would be the last device to complete this initial wave of wearables. Introduced nearly a year after the FuelBand, it by and large offered the same features as its peers – giving those wanting in on the self-quantifying action a fair (but still not great) amount of options when it came down to picking the right device for them.

It’s now 2014. Jawbone, Nike and Fitbit have all released their next generation activity trackers. And, as the International Consumer Electronics tradeshow in Las Vegas revealed in January, like lemmings jumping off a cliff, everyone else is lining up to get a slice of that Quantified Self pie. LG’s Lifeband Touch, Garmin’s Vivofit, Razer’s Nabu, Sony’s Core fitness tracker – self-quantifying wearables are destined to become as ubiquitous as that smartphone in your pocket.

There is, however, a great big gaping hole in the wearables market. Look at all these devices, and it quickly becomes clear that, with the exception of Jawbone and Nike, technology companies with little or no interest in fashion dominate the space. Inevitably, that’s all about to change. Pebble has launched its more classic-looking Steel smartwatch (complete with leather and steel link bands). And Intel – who has largely stayed out of the wearables arena – has just announced a partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America, as well as the development of a smart bracelet in collaboration with Opening Ceremony and Barneys New York.

ll this is a sign that wearable technology is about to go stratospheric. As tech companies continue to work with fashion houses, wearables will become intrinsically stylish objects – capable of communicating individual identities in their own right. The boundary between smartwatch and activity tracker is likely to diminish, too; many of the newest devices are offering smartwatch functionality of a kind. A timepiece from IWC or Junghans that tracks your activity and hooks up to your smartphone and car for alerts, phone calls and messaging? Not a stretch of the imagination by any means – especially when you look at G-SHOCK’s newest range of Bluetooth-enabled, smartphone-linking watches.

And of course, Apple has yet to release its iWatch. Or whatever it’s going to be called.

When 2024 comes around, we’ll realise just how nascent wearable technology and the Quantified Self was in 2014. “We see the technology moving to multi-sensor devices that can sense temperature, sweat and other things,” says Antabi. “You’ll have multi-sensors on the body, but also multi-sensors around you.

“The whole process of the Quantified Self is still going to be there, but it’s going to become much more seamless,” he continues. “In many cases, you may not even interact with your actual own data. For example, you could push intelligence to your thermostat. It would sense when you come in and that you’re hot, but also why you’re hot. Depending on what input it gets, it can then regulate the temperature without you necessarily knowing what’s going on.”

Beyond Jetsons-style home-automation and healthier lifestyles, wearables and self-quantification could prove to be even more significant to our greater surroundings. They could very well inform how we continue to build and develop our metropolises.

“In the initial months after the launch of the FuelBand, things began to emerge in the data that we never would have expected, or weren’t necessarily in the primary outcome we

were trying to achieve,” says Engelberg. “NikeFuel became an incredible indicator of how the world moved every day, mapping out how cities were designed. Like New York versus LA. At 6am, New York and LA are the same. 7am, the same.

8am, the same. 8:30, New York continues on, just moving and moving. LA? It grinds to a halt for two hours while people are trapped in cars driving.

“So fundamentally you begin to see what cities get in the way of you moving. It remains to be seen what impact that can have on the world, but when you begin to look at it in aggregate, there are so many interesting surprises – so much potential impact – that we’re never necessarily just the original intent of trying to motivate someone to be more active.”

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BMW M235i Drifts Itself During CES Demo Part of a host of new technologies shown at this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, BMW unveiled an autonomous driving assistant system that’s capable of sending a car into a drift without any prompting or input from the driver. Fitted to a prototype version of the German manufacturer’s M235i Coupe, the system has been developed by BMW's Technik division in Munich as part of a program that aims to make cars fully autonomous by the end of the decade.

Featuring GPS technology used in the latest guided missile systems as well as state of the art sonar radar, the company’s latest autonomous driving assistant system actively intervenes in the decision making of the driving process, operating the accelerator, steering and brakes fully independent of the driver.

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Felino CB7 Supercar Steals the Spotlight at 2014 Montreal Auto Show Designed by native Quebecois racecar driver Antoine Bessette, the Felino CB7 prototype made its official debut at the 2014 Montreal Auto Show. After watching several spy videos, we’ve concluded that the Felino is rear wheel drive and sounds like it's equipped with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine. With its estimated weight coming in at just under 2,200 lbs, there are rumors circulating that the CB7 will be sporting a 500+ hp V8 when it comes time for production. If that’s the case, you can expect a power-to-weight ratio similar to that of a Lotus.

As of right now, the only details Bessette has confirmed are that the Felino will ship with a 6-speed manual transmission and will sport a near 50/50 weight distribution.

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Toyota FT-1 Concept Sets the Pace for Future Design Toyota stole the North American International Auto Show with the reveal of the FT-1 concept. FT-1 stands for "Future Toyota," and the number "1" represents the ultimate. According to its designers at Calty Design Research, the FT-1 Concept is the ultimate expression of a Toyota coupe design, building upon Toyota's rich sports coupe heritage dating back to the 2000GT, Celica, Supra, MR2 and most recently Scion FR-S. In addition, the concept draws inspiration from Calty's more recent sports car concept work such as FT-HS (2007) and the Lexus LF-LC (2012).

The front engine, rear-wheel drive configuration locates the cockpit far rearward within the wheelbase to improve weight distribution.

The cockpit's wraparound windshield and side glass openings are a distinct nod to the design of the legendary Toyota 2000GT. The interior is a focused, highly functional "place of busi-

ness" that locates the driver at the controls behind an F1-inspired steering wheel. A deltashaped display zone surrounds and integrates the driver to provide a sense of being connected to the vehicle. The cockpit's minimalism adds to the purposefulness of the driver-focused environment with an emphasis on lightweight components such as the composite seat covered with just the right amount of padding in only the areas that come into contact with the driver.

A color heads-up display keeps the driver's attention on the road ahead, with vital information projected just above the steering wheel within the driver's line of sight.

While technical specifications do not accompany the concept, one can assume that the FT-1 represents a balanced front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout that is powered by a high-technology, high performance internal combustion engine.

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WORDS ALEC BANKS PHOTOGRAPHY JORGE PENICHE

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NIPSEY HUSSLE

Nipsey Hussle There’s a nation of fervent listeners out there who demand access to music both new and old who know only one musical reality: if you want it, you can have it, and you certainly don’t have to pay for it.

With more and more music apps and streaming options like Pandora and Spotify once again attempting to right the industry ship, there is a real possibility that unprecedented access will actually be the antibiotic of choice as to fix the ills of an antiquated business model where consumers no longer need tangible product to feel involved.

For better or worse, technology strikes a chord.

prominent now than physical versions. So I was trying to address some of the realities of what’s going on in the game right now.

What are your thoughts on streaming apps like Spotify who insist that they’re putting artists first and putting a major dent in music piracy?

— I think that’s the future. Spotify represents traditional product turning into services. That’s what Netflix represents. The products have all become free. You can download music, DVDs…whatever. So you offer a service to get people to pay for something that is free.

Do you think people will continue to download music illegally if there’s a free alternative?

— I think people will always experience music the first place that it’s available. So normally the “leak”/the One such artist who understands the changing model is pirated version is the first place that they (the listeners) West Coast rapper Nipsey Hussle. Having entered cul- can experience it. I think people are gonna rush to tural prominence back in 2005, the Los Angeles native get it just because they want to hear it. As far as how expedited his climb to mainstream acceptance when they support, I think that if someone creates the right he was one of XXL Magazine’s “Top 10 Freshman of the platform and the right technology, I think people will Year” back in 2010. After experiencing growing pains be back buying and supporting in 2014. like so many other artists face after signing with Epic Records and seeing his major label debut delayed, he Do you think you’d be a different artist if you grew up in turned to the freedom that mixtapes offer with notable the so-called “golden age of hip-hop?” releases The Marathon and The Marathon Continues. — With his most recent project, Crenshaw, Hussle I was inspired by the golden age of hip-hop so if I grew printed up 1,000 copies – which were ultimately sold up in it, yeah, I would be a different artist because I at a Los Angeles pop-up shop. What made Crenshaw would have been influenced by the previous generation stand out in a crowded genre – aside from his prowess that those artists were inspired by. I think it’s natural – I as an emcee – was that Nipsey Hussle charged $100 was supposed to grow up in the era I grew up in. But dollars a piece for it. Jay Z bought a hundred. In less if I was a part of that, it would be interesting because than 24 hours he had sold $100,000 dollars worth of I don’t know where I’d fit. Between ‘Pac, Snoop, Dre, product. While Crenshaw didn’t officially sell enough The Dogg Pound, and the West Coast thing that was units to earn an official designation, there’s no denying happening, we’d be a force for sure. that the idea was gold.

To prove a point, Nipsey Hussle’s album Victory Lap While some artists hate technology for what it has done will be available in 2014 for $100 dollars, for free, and to the music industry, how has it helped you personally? for a “normal” price on iTunes. We caught up with him — to discuss the role technology has had on his career. Technology is permanent. It’s not going anywhere. It’s like people who are afraid of death – you know that’s How did you come up with the idea to sell Crenshaw a part of life. You’ve gotta accept death. You’ve gotta for $100 dollars? accept technology. This is 2014. I think the best thing to — do is figure out how you relate to it and how it applies to The idea to sell Crenshaw for a hundred dollars came what you do. I think it has helped me more than it has from a book called Contagious. I read a story in that hurt me. I was never in a position to fear technology book about a dude in Philadelphia who started selling or feel like it was working against me. I wasn’t a part cheesesteaks for a hundred dollars. It was real cont- of the old school/traditional business model. I came in roversial. It was real polarizing. Either people loved as the game was changing and as the new model was the idea or they hated it. But, it brought a lot of at- presenting itself, so I always looked at the Internet as tention to his brand and restaurant so I just thought my friend. that it would be a dope idea to apply that to a project – especially how digital assets and content are more

NIPSEY HUSSLE

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What started over a decade ago as an independent record label to showcase the talents of Watts native Jay Rock, Anthony Tiffith’s TDE (Top Dawg Entertainment) is now poised to become as integral a piece of the hip-hop jigsaw puzzle as the founding of Aftermath by Dr. Dre in 1996. With a roster including the aforementioned Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, ScHoolboy Q, Isaiah Rashad and SZA, TDE may be one of the few imprints that can move units without alienating fan bases that have grown organically. Simply put, they are a record label thriving despite piracy and the decay brought upon the music business thanks to technology’s femme fatale nature.

While Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city officially debuted in 2012, many would argue that his project surely dominated the 2013 musical landscape. Having garnered seven Grammy nominations, the album generated prestige that not only warranted platinum recognition but also was conceptual enough to evoke thoughts of Prince Paul’s A Prince Amongst Thieves, Masta Ace’s Disposable Arts and Deltron 3030’s

self-titled project. In a genre of music where you’re either printing money or printing your own show flyers, Kendrick Lamar successfully bridged the gap between the mainstream and the underground.

2014 is shaping up to be the year when TDE really enters the cultural zeitgeist and puts them in the poll position to lap the competition. With Rashad’s debut EP Cilvia Demo charting at #40 on Billboard and serving as an appetizer of sorts, Tiffith has promised a whopping six projects from TDE in the new year, including new material from Ab-Soul, SZA and ScHoolboy Q. At its core, Aftermath promised “quality over quantity" that focused on small numbers of high-profile releases. There’s no better an example of this ethos than 1999 when they delivered not only Eminem’s The Slim Shady LP but Dr. Dre’s 2001 as well.

Together, the albums went platinum 10-times over. Kendrick Lamar has set the pace with good kid, m.A.A.d city; only time will tell if TDE is the house that Kendrick built or an empire where each artist has the keys to the castle.

Buying the material at the big market in Guinea.

Washing the tie-dyed material in the local river.

Enzo and Bullet of the *FOLORUNSHO collective tying knots into the material.

Quality control.

Essien tie-dying the material with natural indigo ink.

Made in paradise.

*FOLORUNSHO for K1X Hand-dyed in Sierra Leone. Hand-sewn in Bavaria. Limited to 80 unique units. *FOLORUNSHO is a creative collective from Africa, formed in 2011 by 20 young men aged 14–22, who live under horrendous circumstances in a gutter called “Lion Base“ in the central part of Freetown – Sierra Leone. The Lion Base crew personifies the transformation from “impossible“ to “I’m possible“ via artistic expression. A new series of limited tie-dye tank tops marks the third collaboration with renowned basketball brand K1X.

then hand-tailored. Defying the odds, the project was finished nevertheless – and serves as a symbol of perseverance, human interaction and support.

To find out more, make sure to see this beautiful making-of video featuring a former K1X collaboration with *FOLORUNSHO and the Lion Base crew: http://vimeo.com/41298146

The motivation behind all *FOLORUNSHO initiatives is to provide food, shelter and education for the project‘s creators. That is why 100% of all profits go directly to the Lion Base crew.

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Since the necessary raw materials could not be found in Sierra Leone, they had to be bought in the neighboring country Guinea. The production of the tank tops then had to be adjusted to the difficult circumstances in Freetown – where improvisation is key – before being shipped to Bavaria, where the materials were

www.k1x.com www.folorunsho.net

Norman Benson: Does it concern you that a global study suggested that people stare at their cell phones for 119 minutes a day?

WORDS ALEC BANKS I L LU S T R AT I O N K AT I E TO

iPhone 5: No. It should concern you.

Norman Benson: That’s 43,435 minutes annually. Thirty days a year. The ENTIRE month of June. iPhone 5: Do you want me to set a reminder for the month of June?

Norman Benson: No…I mean. Yes. Remind me to send Gam Gam a birthday present. iPhone 5: Gam Gam’s the best.

Norman Benson: How would you know? iPhone 5: She really likes my vibrating settings.

Norman Benson: My Gam Gam? iPhone 5: There’s an update for your flashlight app. I suggest you get the new version; it can get pretty dark in there.

Norman Benson: Have you heard of “nomophobia?” iPhone 5: Nonomophobia.

Norman Benson: No. Nomophobia.

I, Phone

iPhone 5: Did you mean, “nonomophobia?”

2013 In December of 2013, Executive Editor Norman Benson interviewed his iPhone, then a 5, at their shared Upper East Side abode on the corner of First Avenue and East102nd Street. iPhone, of course, was already a well-known piece of cultural significance – contributing countless bells and whistles to an orchestra we call life. This is their exchange in its entirety.

Norman Benson: NOMOPHOBIA. Defined as “fear of being out of mobile phone contact.”

Fifty-eight percent of men and 48 percent of women suffer from it. iPhone 5: Sounds awful. Do sufferers experience herpes-like symptoms?

Norman Benson: Let’s do some word associations. “Selfies.” iPhone 5: You could use a trim down there.

Norman Benson: You’re a phone? iPhone 5: I am.

Norman Benson: Not real iPhone 5: No. Norman Benson: But I’m talking to you. iPhone 5: You talk to Siri all the time. Siri, bring up past Google searches.

Siri: Okay. Past search results by “Stud Norman” define “herpes or pimple?”

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Norman Benson: “Privacy.” iPhone 5: Ask Zuckerberg, your guess is as good as mine.

Norman Benson: Are you always this difficult? iPhone 5: What?

Norman Benson: Are you always like this? iPhone 5: Huh? Norman Benson: What the fuck is your problem?! iPhone 5: …

Norman Benson: Let’s move on.

Norman Benson: This interview is over!

iPhone 5: You’re the boss.

iPhone 5: Sorry. AT&T sucks.

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PHOTOGRAPHERS

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Pete Williams

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