Deux Hommes Issue 2 by Deux Hommes

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ISSUE #2

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ISSUE #2

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ISSUE #2

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...is a digital publication that features a curated list of emerging designers in the luxury sportswear, avant-garde and high-end streetwear markets. Founded by Jared Robin and Carlos Basora, Deux Hommes brings to light designers who are frequently overshadowed by mainstream fashion brands.

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2 covers................ KASIA JUJECZKA in Charles Warren; CALLUM WARD in HOMIC; BRILEY JONES in BEHNO 4-5........................... OUR MISSION 6-7........................... TABLE OF CONTENTS 8................................ MASTHEAD 9................................ LETTER FROM THE EDITORS 10............................. DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT, W BY WENJUN INTERVIEW by Amy Vosejpka 11-21........................ VIVID JUXTAPOSITION, W BY WENJUN EDITORIAL by Alanna Gilbert 22-31..................... A STEP TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY, ROMBAUT INTERVIEW by Divya Bala 32-43.................... PANACHE OVERDOSE, ROB GARCIA EDITORIAL by Marcus Cooper 44-57.................... SELF-REFLECTION, KUBORAUM INTERVIEW by Jennifer Stevens 58............................. DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT, S BY S STUDIO INTERVIEW by Amy Vosejpka 59-71...................... BLISSFUL MOMENTS, S BY S STUDIO EDITORIAL by Josephine Lotus 72-75..................... YOUTH CULTURE, HOMIC INTERVIEW by Ana Callahan-Roman 76-93.................... AVANT-GARDE SUPREMACY, HOMIC EDITORIAL by Brent Chua 94-95.................... MODERNISM IN INDIA, BEHNO INTERVIEW by Ana Callahan-Roman 96-103................. FIELD OF DREAMS, BEHNO EDITORIAL by David Urbanke 104-117................ LAST MAN STANDING, EDITORIAL by Gautier Pellegrin 118-119.................. FINAL GRADES ARE IN, PUBLIC SCHOOL INTERVIEW by Amy Vosejpka 120-131................ P.S. I LOVE YOU, PUBLIC SCHOOL EDITORIAL by Gus & Lo 132-145................ FIERCE CONTEMPLATION, CHARLES WARREN + CLAUDIA LI EDITORIAL by Daniel Korzewa 6|

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Carlos Basora

Jared Robin

Editor in Chief

Creative Director FASHION

Managing Editor Amy Vosejpka Associate Fashion Editor Jennifer Stevens Special Features Editor Marlo Saalmink Contributing Editor Ana Callahan-Roman Talent Advisor Brent Chua ART

Design Director Socrates Gomez Art Director James Mao MARKETING/PUBLIC RELATIONS

Marketing Directors Ashim Joshi & Saakshi Muralidhar

Marketing Associates Emily Ulrich, Anna Wit, Diana Zhou

Public Relations Associate Melissa Nyarko TECHNOLOGY

Director of Technology Peter Ligeiro CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Divya Bala, Rufus Barkley, Rima Butto, Alexander Cao, Suzette Dorrielan, Tori Douglas, Alessandro Esculapio, Gabriela Herstik, Anu Kumar, Destiny Ly, Antonella Saravia, Arielle Tipa

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editors’ letter DAMN, WE CAN’T BELIEVE WE MADE IT TO ISSUE TWO.

It’s funny, when people talk about obstacles to success, we always thought it was some cliché. We have been humbled and realize the struggle is real. Over the past few months, we have fought many battles, and we haven’t won all of them… yet. But, we are still here. Thank you for opening our magazine and reading our pages. We hope you see how we’ve grown. This issue is every bit as important to us as our first. We may have gone a little crazy with three covers, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. “You’re too masculine” we heard, “you’re too dark” we also heard. How can we change this perception to show versatility and our true range in fashion? We initially only wanted two covers: one

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female and one male. To get to three took a life of it’s own. While the models we’ve featured are all phenomenal in their own right and important parts of the quest that Deux Hommes is going on, we ask you to notice the designers. The first cover features Charles Warren and Claudia Li, both premier NYC-based womenswear designers that are putting their stamp on fashion. IMG Models budding superstar and Models.com “hotlister” Kasia Jujeczka along with Polish photographer Daniel Korzewa bring these designers to life in a way we haven’t seen, putting together a cover and editorial that rivals industry giants. Our second cover looks at HOMIC, a brand created from FIT graduate Joshua Homic’s masterful mind. It’s equally

as poignant as a brand like Public School (p.106), yet much less known. It was important for us to show that the range between “making it” in fashion and “not quite there” is the difference of being seen and continuously executing their vision. Brent Chua, a renowned photographer, yearned to shoot this. We are ecstatic at how it turned out!

garments can be made in fair ways. In fact, we loved these more than any other for our cover as did phenomenal photographer David Urbanke, who shot Briley Jones in 40-something degree temperatures on the beach.

Finally, on our third cover, we introduce you to BEHNO, a label of fair and ethical practices in manufacturing from India. They represent the direction we feel fashion needs to go to sustain it, and because of how beautiful their garments are. Yes, beautiful

Humbled,

We hope you enjoy this issue and continue to join us on our journey!

Jared and Carlos DEUX HOMMES

DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT

dark twisted fairytale

How did you decide to become a fashion designer? My natural passion. I have loved creating since I was a very little girl.

What does the “W” in your label W by WenJun stand for? The three characteristics of my brand: whimsicality, well-made and wonderful.

What propelled you to move to Paris after graduation? Paris is like a dream world, a dream city, famous for its elegant women and fine arts and fashion history. The European culture sounded quite attractive to me, speaking French and feeling proud...with all those charming stories. By curiosity, I moved to Paris.

How does the Chinese culture view fashion? The Chinese believe that they cannot be different from

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Interviewed by Amy Vosejpka Photography by Alanna Gilbert others; they need to look and live like the others. Maybe this is what makes the new Chinese generation very curious and want to be different, want to see the world, want to be creative and want more freedom. I believe more and more Chinese will change from “follow” to “be followed”.

What are the core philosophies and values of W by WenJun? To be myself, to be whimsical, to listen to my heart and follow my feelings, to do my best and to make it the best.

How is your label different from the others? The only thing to make my label different from the others is to be myself because we are all unique. I need to keep my heart pure like a child to stay aware of who I am and what I want to do.

What do you hope to bring to the fashion

industry that is currently missing? Surprise.

Who is the most important person in your life? My dear mother. She has not only given me life, but she is always trusting me, giving me hope and giving me help.

What is next on your travel list? Perhaps Scandinavia. I really want to go somewhere with good air, that is relaxing and simple but surrounded by arts, culture, politeness and a high sense of life and style.

W BY WENJUN FALL/WINTER 2015 (THROUGHOUT)

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makeup JALEESA JAIKARAN hair MATTHEW TUOZZOLI USING BUMBLE AND BUMBLE model CHEN LIN (IMG)

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INTERVIEW

a step towards sustainability

a A SELF-DESCRIBED ALL-

OR-NOTHING KIND OF GUY,

Mats Rombaut is still working in his studio in Paris when I call at 8p.m. on a Sunday night—he is most decidedly in “all” mode. It would seem that running something of a one-man show requires some serious after hours.

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Interviewed by Divya Bala

Following his time at institutional design houses, such as Lanvin and Damir Doma, Rombaut has now turned his attention to his eponymous label. Having just shown his Fall/Winter 2015 collection at Paris Fashion Week and Pitti Uomo weeks earlier, he is already working on designs

for Spring/Summer 2016. The accessories have caught the attention of a growing number of discerning stockists worldwide – Harvey Nichols in Hong Kong, Darklands in Berlin and L’Eclaireur in Paris — as much for their eco-consciousness and technical intricacy as their sharp design. So if you’re

not familiar with the name yet, you will be.

How did you come to start your own fashion label? I actually studied economics. I did only six months of fashion design. Basically, I finished my Bachelor in business, and

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then went to fashion school. I’m from Belgium but did my third year of business [school] in Barcelona like an exchange program. I always wanted to do fashion and study fashion, but my parents said I had to get a normal degree first. I decided to start studying fashion in Barcelona, but the school was not really what I thought it would be, so I left for Paris. I wanted to work in a more challenging, serious environment. As it’s the fashion capital of Europe, I decided to start working early on. So yeah, I moved to Paris, which is now seven years ago.

That’s a brave move! What was your first job?

I don’t know if there’s such a thing as ethical fashion, but I think you just have to be ethical in everything that you do.

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I’m 28, just turned 28. I started working when I was 21, first as a PR intern and then as an intern in product development for Lanvin men’s accessories, and that’s where my marketing skills were developed. This is where I first got in touch with design and developing products and accessories, shoes in particular. I learned a lot about the development stages. I didn’t have a real fashion education so, for me, it was really nice to be able to work with Lanvin, especially because after product development, I got to know the team as well as all the designer stylists. They offered me an internship for three months with the design team, which was a great opportunity because I could also see how they

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INTERVIEW

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work. Then I moved to another company, Damir Doma; this was my first real job. I was at Damir for two-and-a-half years before deciding to start my own thing. At Damir, I started in product development, and by the end, I was doing all the product development as well as the production, which was not really what I wanted to do, but it was basically taking care of all the problems for all categories: accessories, everything to do with leather and fur, jeans, knitwear, the classic line for menswear and womenswear as well as their second line, Silent. It was a lot to do, but I learned a lot.

What were the most important lessons that you learned during your time at Lanvin and Damir Doma? At Lanvin, one of the most important lessons was not to use references too literally. And I think this is how you distinguish designers. For some designers, you can see their references super clearly in their work. At Lanvin, they were very good at taking a reference and transforming it so, by the end, it became something very different to what it was at the beginning. I didn’t get that at first. I was like, but then you don’t get the references, you don’t see at all where it comes from. But, at least you create something more original. That was an interesting lesson.

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At Damir, I learned a lot of lessons! First of all, don’t grow too fast and don’t try to push your product too fast into all the stores. On the financial side, it’s better to grow gradually then to just give your stuff on consignment and try to be everywhere. I think it’s better to do it slowly and test what the clients’ reactions are to it and learn from the feedback of your clients and other people. I think that’s also very important to listen to the feedback when it comes to quality and price. My product evolved quite a lot over time, because I saw what had to be changed or how the price was way too high in the beginning. You have to adapt to the market, which is unfortunate, but it’s the reality!

What was that process of refinement like for you with your own label? It has been quite gradual with my label. I’ve had to make a few compromises. But now, I’ve come to a point where I have a good balance, where I have what I want, what the clients expect from me, and I don’t have to make too many compromises anymore. I still like the designs and the materials I use but, to give an example, the shoes I released in the beginning were between €600-800 retail and made out of tree bark. It was 100% natural and biodegradable, but there were some constraints because they didn’t last that

long. After six months, they began to biodegrade. For that price this was undesirable!

You’re such an eco-conscious person I’m assuming that on some level that’s the point – you want your pieces to not leave a footprint. Yeah, exactly, that was the point. I do not want to create more waste and landfill than there already is, so I wanted to do things that didn’t leave a trace. But, what I also wanted to do was change the consumer’s mind and the idea that you need leather in shoes, which is already a tough goal in itself. So gradually, I started to adapt, meaning I started to use cotton with a natural rubber coating– handmade fabrics that I developed myself. And now, I’m using mainly cotton with rubber coating which looks a bit like leather, a bit technical, but it’s obvious that it’s not. So that’s still 100% natural. But, I’m also using 100% synthetic fabrics right now because that makes the shoe more durable. Now, it’s like any other shoe on the market in terms of durability; you can wear it for a very long time. And I moved the production from Italy to Portugal in the meantime so the prices are more affordable without making the quality suffer.

You mentioned you create these fabrics yourself. How does that work? It sounds fancy to experiment, but it’s not! I did this in my studio. I bought the raw material and canvas and handcoat it with rubber, which was mixed with natural pigments, and placed it into the oven to vulcanize. It’s quite a long process, which I was doing myself. I had to do it little by little. It took about a week to make the fabric ready for production, and that’s just the coating! I had to then send it to the industrial oven in Belgium. This was for Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter 2014 production. Spring/Summer 2015, which is now in stores, was the last collection where some of the fabrics were still handmade by me. But from then on, the fabrics have come from a supplier, which is great because now I have more time to spend on researching different types of fabrics and low impact materials on the environment as well as spending more time on all of the other things that I have to do which is designing, PR, sales and administration. I’m basically all alone in the company. Sometimes my sister helps me with sales and PR but that’s only a couple of days per season. Yeah, it’s a one-man show.

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INTERVIEW

It must be difficult to balance both the creative and business side of things at the same time and not let one influence the other? Yeah, that’s true. Sometimes as a young designer you can work with agents, which I could do, but I prefer to keep everything in my own hands. Because if one season goes wrong, I’m finished. If I find the right people, I’ll work with them, but at the moment, I’m still looking. Also, it doesn’t really influence my designs. I think that’s really important because otherwise

you run the risk of becoming just like anybody else and you lose your own voice. To me, it was never the idea to make a commercial brand; it had more to do with what I wanted to do and make the designs I wanted to make. Especially, after all the leather and fur at Damir Doma, I decided I wanted to create a vegetarian line. Now I am a vegan, for over a year, but I was vegetarian for six years.

How did you reconcile working with all those animal products at Damir Doma? When I started at Damir

Doma, they had a line called Silent, which was ecological and that was the reason I was interested in working with them. A week after I started, they decided not to make it ecological anymore but, at that point, it was difficult to leave the job. I had only been a vegetarian for a year, still wearing leather myself. It became working with more leather, and I realized the impact on the environment of all the things that had to do with leather and animals, and I decided that I didn’t want to do it anymore. It still took me a year to decide to leave because to prepare your own project it takes time. And, I was learning a lot. Also, my idea was to change the system gradually, and I knew that I had to work with factories that were doing leather because there is not a single factory in Italy that was working with vegan leather. I actually started working with a factory in Italy who really supported my ideas and gave me really good conditions; they were very patient as well with me. I was there about a week every month. And sometimes I worked in the factory, making the materials there because they had a bigger space. It was a really good collaboration. The factory was in Aretzo, one hour south of Florence.

You seem to place a premium on humanity and ecology in your brand as

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well as in your personal life. What does ethical fashion mean to you, and why do you think it’s so important? I don’t know if there’s such a thing as ethical fashion, but I think you just have to be ethical in everything that you do. For me, it’s just normal that people are paid a living wage and working in good conditions. I think that’s not even a question. I wouldn’t even think about doing it otherwise. I know that other people are doing it, but I don’t know, for me it’s a necessity; it’s a given fact that needs to be there. I’m not saying that I’m against producing in Asia or countries where the wages are lower, but then of course it becomes more important to check on the circumstances of the factory and make sure that the workers are being paid according to the guidelines of the country as well—a good wage, the living wage. But this is the thing; if you produce in Italy and Portugal, especially when you produce in smaller quantities and you work directly with all the people in the factory, it’s super easy. You see that everybody is treated in a good way, and they have a normal wage. And to me, it’s also nice to keep the industry in Europe. Because there was a point where a lot of people were going away from Italy and Europe, and I think then a lot of factories had to close and they lost a lot of artisans.

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There are not a lot of skilled footwear workers in the new generation in Europe because the young people want to be designers or whatever, and I think the market has moved away a bit. But, of course, the luxury brands are still here to keep it alive.

Do you think that sustainability is the future of fashion? I think in the higher segment it is definitely the future. The consumer has the possibility to afford a garment that is ethically and sustainably made. And in the nearer future, I definitely see it happening. And I think in the long run, the middle and lower segment will follow too. But this is a bit harder because the customer is very price sensitive. If they have a choice between a $5 t-shirt or an $8 t-shirt at H&M, they will go for the $5 t-shirt. And that’s unfortunately still the reality. It will take some time and a lot of, let’s say, education. If they see good examples and are made more aware of the impact their choices have, I think it will change.

You see a lot of companies claim to be sustainable and make efforts and investments to show how green they are. The conversation is getting more attention and is becoming more and more important. It is definitely going in a good direcdeuxhommesmag.com

tion. However, there is a perception that eco-fashion is ‘hippy-dippy’ or démodé. Do you feel a responsibility to challenge this perception? At the beginning, I really wanted to make something that didn’t look organic. I wanted to make something that looked cool. But now, I want to do both. I want to continue with this kind of aesthetic to show that you can do it in a different way. Also, there are these trends now; the 70s are back, but also this trend that the ecological look is fashionable.

Your aesthetics are minimal and modern but also incredibly technical and considered. It almost seems as if you are inspired by athleticism. Is it important that your pieces are high-performance?” Not really. The shoes look like running shoes, but they’re not made to go running in. They are fashion shoes that are modeled on that aesthetic. This is a trend, something that I think is cool right now. I used to do Derbys and boots, and I might do more of these classic shoes in the future. But, I think it’s not important. To me, it’s important that they look great and are comfortable and that the materials are responsible. For me, that’s enough. This is also part of my personal story or idea about the

future. I think exercise keeps you happy and keeps you going and makes you stronger. The thing that I try to do is to strive for perfection. This is why I used the gymnasts and the fencing as the theme this time. The fencing was the fighting spirit, but the gymnast was for perfectionism and to strive to make things better. Also, I used to do gymnastics when I was 12 and was a gymnast for quite some time.

How much do your designs reflect who you are and what interests you? Quite a lot, really. All the shoes that I design I want to wear

myself. And I design them for myself, which sounds a bit selfish, but I tried this season to design for a different customer, something more wearable—a low top and high top with laces—and it didn’t really work. The customers didn’t pick it up; they only went for the more interesting and signature fashion styles. Maybe they just felt that this is more my brand and that the more basic things look like other brands that you can find somewhere else. So, they really buy my stuff for the design, which I’m really happy about, actually. It was a really good lesson for next season

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INTERVIEW to not put out something that I’m not 100% convinced about myself. It really reflects what I’m wearing and what I want to wear. Literally, every style is something I would wear myself on a daily basis. The shapes are really minimal, but at times, I have a shoe with little patchworks on it—halfloose and not done in a neat way—and is very chaotic.

general idea of rugs on the floor and textures and color combinations, and this is actually what I started with in the collections. I looked for these materials and put it

ed amount of styles. It’s really hard to narrow it down. And to narrow it down and have a coherent story—you can’t have several in one collection; you have to choose.

I’m also like this; sometimes I’m more chaotic and sometimes I’m more focused and minimal in my head. It reflects how I am as well as how I see the future because the brand is all about the future in the way of thinking and in the design. For example, Autumn/Winter 2015 was all about how people saw the future in the 70s and 80s. I used some shiny materials and made the color combinations to be quite 70s and 80s. Also, in my previous collections, it was about how people viewed the future before the Internet. I think then people had more imagination about how the future would look—like in Sci-Fi movies, for example—and now we have a more realistic view on it and it’s less exciting.

Were you watching a lot of Stanley Kubrick? Not a lot, but I have seen it. It was more that I looked at some interiors from the 70s and 80s, and then I had this

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of press; the last collection was on Style.com and there are probably some other big magazines that are going to publish it. So, of course, for next season the pressure is high because I have to make something better, always. But, I’m not worried about that because that’s also the benefit or the privilege of having a smaller collection. In terms of creativity, it’s not that exhausting than making a whole runway show of 60 looks. In this sense, it’s not as scary as that. My only communication visually is the lookbook. So, that’s a big pressure, always, because it’s an investment and you only have three or four hours to shoot it and it has to be good, and it’s really hard to plan that in advance. You can plan the styling, the models, the location, but in the end, it’s all in the moment—it’s all what happens in the moment.

Do you still do gymnastics?

together on a mood board, and I already knew that I wanted to do this and I wanted to do that. It comes very quickly actually. I could do five collections instead of one, but I have to narrow it down a lot because I can only do a limit-

Do you feel pressure to deliver a strong statement or narrative with every collection? Yeah, I think more and more now. The last two seasons were quite successful in terms

I can still do some stuff! More like hand stands and stuff like that. But now, I just go to the gym. And it’s already hard for me to go because I have a very busy schedule. To go to the gym you have to eat and sleep well and then go otherwise it makes no sense. It’s a discipline. I’d love to have more discipline, so this is something I put in my work because I would like to be a more disciplined person.

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...this is why I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think or believe so much in labeling Rombaut as a sustainable brand because I think all the houses should be sustainable...

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INTERVIEW

So what you can’t be in life, you will be in work? (Laughs) Yeah.

How would you describe Rombaut in three words? I would say forward thinking, sustainable and innovative.

What would you say is the DNA of your brand? For me, it was almost more important to be a fashion brand first, then a sustainable brand. Because if you say sustainable to people, it links to that hippy thing. And this is why I don’t think or believe so much in labeling it as a sustainable brand because I think all the houses should be sustainable, and it’s just a characteristic in the DNA of the brand, like Stella McCartney. I’d say the first thing about the DNA is the design. It’s always hard to describe for me! Sometimes it’s minimalist, but sometimes its chaos as well. It’s about extremes. I don’t like something that is in between.

Is that who you are as a person? Yeah, kind of. I never get mad. I’m always calm. But, I do party a lot so, in that sense, it’s also all or nothing. I am like that with my friends, too. I have a few very good friends, and I give them a lot.

Are your friends mostly in Paris?

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They’re all in Paris—it’s mostly international people that live here. It’s been eight years since I left Belgium. The people I knew there were from uni and high school and we have completely different paths. I also wanted to move away from Belgium ever since I was a kid, so I was really happy to leave and start a new life, actually.

Why is that? I don’t know. It was the environment. I studied mathematics and science in high school and it was not my thing, the people were not my…It’s not that I didn’t get along with them, I was different from the others and I didn’t find people there that were thinking alike, and I saw that it would be better somewhere else. When I went to Barcelona on holiday, I knew immediately that I wanted to be there and that the people were more open-minded. Also, in Belgium, it’s very grey so there’s a lot of negativity in the air, as well. It seems like you couldn’t dream. When you had dreams, people would directly say, ‘it’s not going to work, it’s not possible, it’s not going to happen,’ so I just wanted to start a different life.

What was it like to study in Barcelona? I was 19 at the time so that was really the time that is an important part of your life.

And, I really love music so that was great! I started to produce music as well when I was there. It was electronic music, more from the 80s. Kind of like Italian disco but without the voice. Now, I listen to different types of things, different types of electronic music. A lot of things! From classical music—lots of Chopin—to anything from new disco and pop. Grimes, she’s vegan as well! I’d love to send her some shoes. Also, I started listening to techno DJs like Chris Liebing. I wasn’t playing in clubs, I was just on my computer. I was not very ready for that yet, but its something I would like to do in future.

You could produce the soundtrack for your first runway show! I’m going to focus on the shoes as well as bags and different types of accessories, but I don’t see clothes happening any time soon. It’s a nice idea. It’s another job, another thing I’d have to devote myself to 24/7.

What’s next for Rombaut? I am looking into collaborations with different people, which I can’t talk about just yet. I am going to do bags. I did in the past, but I didn’t find the right balance between price and look and everything, so I’m going to do it right this time.

Also, almost nobody knows I did bags! It’ll be launched this time and more prominent in the lookbook. That’s already started. And, I would like to continue to grow like I did this season. Now, I’m in 20 stores. It’s going in the right direction so I’m happy. I only look at the next year because I can’t really predict what’s going to happen. But, as long as I can do what I want, whenever I want, that’s the dream. Obviously, to grow gives you the resources to do more of what you want and develop new techniques and find new materials and experiment. I think if you lose that then you just become a normal business, and I just want to keep experimenting. It could be with fashion or music or different product categories...that could be interesting. I’m a very curious person, curious about how things are made and how things work. I only want to do it if it’s right and it makes sense for the brand. It’s a lot of work. I would like to work with different people in the future. I don’t want to work on my own forever. I know you can’t do it alone. Until this point I could, but I think from now on it’s going to be difficult to do it by myself. But, I’m very passionate about it so I’m happy with what I’m doing. And I like to be busy.

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panache

overdose

Redefined essentials for the modern man.

Photography by Marcus Cooper

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deuxhommesmag.com ROB GARCIA FALL/WINTER 2015 + LUCKY SELECTISM EYEWEAR (THROUGHOUT)

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assistant stylist AVINASH HIRDARAMANI grooming JEN NAVARRO (JUMP MANAGEMENT) USING NARS COSMETICS + ORIBE HAIR CARE models POWEL BEDNAREK (MAJOR MODELS) + MARIUS (IMG)

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INTERVIEW

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self-reflection Interviewed by Jennifer Stevens Photography by Diana M端ller + Stefan Dotter

KUBORAUM FALL/WINTER 2015 (THROUGHOUT)

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fashion culture mean and how did it impact Kuboraum’s aesthetics?

IF YOU EVER WANTED to truly

capture your deepest, innermost ego that sits within one’s core, put on one of Kuboraum’s masks. Designed for the face that highlight personality and emphasize character, Kuboraum accentuates, protects and shelters the wearer. Founded in Berlin in 2012 by artist, sculptor and designer Livio Graziottin and anthropologist, brand, communication and marketing director Sergio Eusebi, the duo is responsible for creating objects that allow for the change in relation to the perception of self. Behold: the power of the mask.

Sergio, how did you and Livio meet? Was there an immediate interest in starting an eyewear brand? We met six years ago at an art gallery of a mutual friend. Immediately after that, we joined together not to make Kuboraum, but to join our energies and make something together.

The accessories market is very fierce, especially in eyewear. What inspired you to start Kuboraum? It was something natural — a natural desire because it was

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not possible in that period to find eyewear that we would really like to wear. You don’t wear sunglasses just because there is sun, you wear them because you want to highlight part of yourself. And from this comes the idea of Kuboraum — of doing a mask. The main inspiration of the first collection came from the geometries of Berlin mixed together with an iconic aesthetic from the past such as mathematics and sciences from Eastern Europe.

For those that do not know, can you tell us what Kuboraum means and why that name was chosen?

Berlin fashion is something that is more individual, more free. It is not glamour, it is not seasonal: there is nothing systematic about it. Fashion in Berlin is not Berlin Fashion Week. I think that if we speak about Berlin, I would be more interested to speak about art and music instead of fashion. And maybe the essence of Berlin’s fashion aesthetic is a part of those two (music and art). KUBORAUM is a syncretism of cube/cubic and room. Kubo to symbolize the straight concept of a definite architecture; Raum as a room of resonance of this identity, an architecture as a loudspeaker. Every piece of eyewear is your own cubic room, your own intimate architecture where you can shelter yourself. It is where you are free to live all your identities and highlight part of your character in the game of the mask.

Since you are based in Berlin, what does fashion mean to you? What does Berlin’s

How do you stay true to your self? Concentrating myself on the light.

What are your favorite materials and textures to work with? Livio’s work has a deep background. In his work, you will find often revisited traditional manufacturing combined with an aesthetic that is a mixture of antique and new. An aesthetic that frequently remembers something coming from the future — something that has never been seen before. For example, in our last collection, we have the

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EDEN concept. These are the first masks tattooed in the history of eyewear: they are made by hand, then tattooed and then painted by hand and then burned. If you touch the surface of those masks, you have the same sensation of touching the skin. I do not have a favorite material, but I can say that I really love our new metal project and also our way of combining sterling silver together with the burnt acetate.

Your brand is based on concepts and not collections. Do you essentially design on your own schedule? We work free and the schedule is dictated by our devotion to the project. For us, the most important thing is the project itself.

As you put it, Kuboraum is essentially masks for the face and not sunglasses. Can you explain that in more depth? We say ‘mask’ and not ‘sunglasses’ because when you see it, just like when you see a mask, you are attracted and intimidated at the same time. When you put it on, it chang-

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for this strong relationship with an object and this inorganic sex appeal.

Who is one person from the past and one from the present that you would love to see in your masks? From the past, Walter Benjamin. From the present, Alejandro Jodorowsky.

es you — you look different. What we are looking for is really to give to any person who tries on one of our masks the sensation of amazement when they look at themselves in the mirror. They must feel special having an experience of authenticity and then evolution. All of our masks have no logo because they are made to highlight the characters of the people — not the eyewear itself.

the Babel, Genesis, Atlantis and Metropolis concepts, manufactured with sterling silver and burnt acetate; the new metal project, a new way of working and making metal frames: every mask is hammered by hand, with a strong contrast between handcraft manufacture and a really fine and sophisticated look. To underline this contrast, we made the nose pads in porcelain.

For your most recent concept, what was the focus?

In your eyes (no pun intended), is there any particular person that Kuboraum is made for?

Our latest concepts were the EDEN collection which focuses on the tattoo manufacture;

Kuboraum is made for everyone who is ready for it. Somebody who is ready

Are there any future projects that you can tell us about or any new materials that you’re excited to work with for upcoming concepts? The new metal project, which we are currently presenting the first three designs… we want to develop this collection in metal with the same concept. Also, our new collection of handmade chests (handbags) for our masks. It was made in order to keep your mask with you 24/7. While the chests were made for our masks, it is an object that can be used for various things. Just like our masks, you do not use it when there is just sun. It simply looks beautiful. It is a lifestyle.

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DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT

blissful moments Interviewed by Amy Vosejpka Photography by Josephine Lotus

DESIGNER NAMES: SHAWN KIM & SOPHIA SUH HOMETOWN: SOUTH KOREA CURRENT RESIDENCE: NEW YORK CITY Does your upbringing have any influence on how you came to be a designer or the designs’ aesthetic? Shawn: I was born and raised in a suburban country area until I moved to Seoul at

the age of eight. My childhood was so close to nature, and that is where I learned color theory, scent and texture. My aesthetic came from living in both settings. Sophia: My mom always made something on an industrial sewing machine or by knitting—me and my sister’s dresses, the T.V. cover, curtains, even our dog’s clothing. Ribbons and scraps of fabric were easily found at my house. The big industrial sewing machine sound actually comforts me; it brings back my childhood memories.

You two met while attending undergraduate at Parsons. How did you decide to collaborate on a label? Sophia: We met in the first class of our sophomore year. We felt that we had a

similar aesthetic of fashion but a very different way of expression. Both of us love hybrid, but Shawn always represents hybrid as combining two opposite objects: strange nostalgia and innovation. Shawn: Sophia expresses hybrid as a genderless look. It was so interesting to see and to work together, so we decided to collaborate and establish our label, S BY S STUDIO.

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What is the meaning behind the label’s name S BY S Studio? In terms of womenswear, “S BY S” means Sophia by Shawn, as menswear “S by S” means Shawn by Sophia. Simply put, it means we design each other.

S BY S Studio’s philosophy lies in the ability to merge nostalgia and innovation through the use of modern technology. How do you accomplish this? We love classical elements. We think nothing can be more sincere than the classic. And we combine classic with modern technology until we find a point where the two balance out exactly.

What inspires you? It just comes and goes from unexpected objects or phenomena. Sometimes it is from very random things from very normal places.

Why is emerging fashion so important? Emerging fashion brings fashion forward.

footwear THE SWEET INSANITY BY LEA GERMANO deuxhommesmag.com

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footwear THE SWEET INSANITY BY LEA GERMANO

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footwear CINZIA ARAIA

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makeup ERIC VOSBURG (ABTP) hair SEAN BENNETT USING BUMBLE AND BUMBLE model JENNA EARLE (NEXT)

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youth culture

INTERVIEW

Interviewed by Ana Callahan-Roman

JOSHUA HOMIC WALKS AROUND HIS STUDIO CEREMONIOUSLY DRESSED

in all black. There’s buoyancy in his step and presence. His light eyes dart around at his current creations with a kind, Cheshire cat smile pasted lovingly on his face. For someone who has had so much happen in one fevered instant, he’s managed to retain wonder, heady imagination and an uncanny Zen-like calm. The charm that we find in Homic doesn’t come from his innovation, aesthetic utility or unisex silhouettes; it lies in the qualities of an emerging designer constantly learning, living, breathing and aching to achieve his singular vision.

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The FIT Graduate and Fusion Fashion Award winner looks down at his hands while he speaks, giving way to strong fingers that are no stranger to crafting durable materials. When he’s not championing new paradigms in androgynous uniformity, he’s striving to evolve and improve his silhouettes so they can jump from a world of fantasy into an aspirational, urban lifestyle. Freedom from everyday ideologies, monotony and oppression while entering the world of mindful, fantastical aesthetics may just be the vision quest realized in Homic’s near future.

that you do. So far, it’s a firm belief based on freeing oneself from past and current conventions in fashion. What are these conventions to you?

challenged your views on this core mission while you were establishing your brand?

The conventions stem back to gender roles. I took some sociology classes when I was still studying, and I found it really fascinating with how these roles dictated the positions of people in society and how they can restrain people. So when I started the brand, I focused on breaking those boundaries. Then I started the unisex line to focus on a genderless lifestyle.

Yes! Exactly.

Let’s talk about the ideology behind everything

Did you come into contact with any barriers that

The mother of invention is about solving problems

There definitely were, especially with some of my past colleagues, because I had a different perspective from what everyone else had. I’m definitely the odd ball out of the bunch. There was a lot of resistance at the beginning; it was also a concept that they couldn’t relate to right away.

This isn’t about being relatable, right? It’s about making an impact.

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INTERVIEW and providing solutions. Homic seems to provide a lot of solutions. What problem, solution or idea inspired you to approach the unisex realm? This was not overnight. There was a lot of self-discovery through what I was originally doing (which was eveningwear), which is very different from where I am now. The issue that I had was that it was not relatable for me personally—I just didn’t know how to dress in that respect. I was like, I’m just not going to wear an evening gown, it’s not my lifestyle, and so I started transforming the avant-garde notions of eveningwear and finer dressing into a more urban and relatable lifestyle. That’s how all this started. Moving into the unisex realm, it was seeing inspirational role models around me, specifically Rad Hourani who has really pioneered the unisex field. Seeing that it was even possible, it really pushed me to continue developing further and going deeper within myself.

Last season you cited the fictitious society of Monolia and Neolithic influences. What guided your inspiration this time around for spring? Was it based on reality? For Monolia, it started from a theoretical Neolithic culture. Then for the next season,

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It’s very important to me to have the world see a personal expression

through clothing, something that

communicates and has an inner calm.

—JOSHUA HOMIC

I sort of continued that but related it more to the visuals of monks from Nepal, just more monastic. The goal was to bring it to a more realistic and modern way of synching with our daily lives. That’s how it’s evolved. Of course it still stems from fantasy ideas, but this time around the goal was to communicate something much more believable.

Your clothes evoke fantasy, yet they are wearable for everyday, urban lifestyles. Even with the signature, sculptural pieces, nothing comes out as overtly outlandish. Would you say that your pieces are very functional for day-to-day on the go? That is definitely one of the goals; it has to have function-

ality. At the end of the day, someone has to wear it. The target client that I’m ultimately looking for is urban and outward bound—someone who goes to galleries, maybe lives in TriBeCa, but these individuals are still approachable. You can still talk to them.

Does it make sense that Lady Gaga appeared in some of your pieces? Did it really come out of nowhere? It really did come out of nowhere! Brandon Maxwell, her stylist, reached out to me. They used a few pieces from the Fall/Winter 2014 collection.

So you had just graduated, won the Fusion Fashion Show and Lady

Gaga was appearing in your pieces. How did you process everything? Yes, it was so fast. It was definitely exciting. Looking back it at it, I didn’t really understand or appreciate the importance of it. I also didn’t realize all of the avenues that were about to open up for me. Having a show, having people see it, having to hear everyone’s opinion on it, having to establish a relationship with all of these complete strangers, plus all the stylists I didn’t even know…all these people that I now have the opportunity to work with, and I think that’s something that was so important for me. Opening up and crossing all of the barriers was definitely a huge goal.

Your current Spring/ deuxhommesmag.com

Summer 2015 collection hints at elements of futuristic Geisha Kabuki with innovative wrappings and cocoon-like silhouettes. The layered drapings have a signature finish and tone to them. It creates an otherworldly urban simplicity that is so rarely seen. What inspired this type of draping and wrapping? It really stemmed from the Japanese culture. The double-breasted, simple straightforward cuts are something that I enjoyed playing with. I did a lot of research within the Japanese culture, and I really appreciated the approach to simplicity and minimalism without being sterile. I also researched patterns on Kimonos in respect to the current silhouettes. If you think about it, ancient Japanese culture was like living in a fantasy world; it was all very ceremonious day in and day out, very ritualistic and that’s one of the things that inspired me. That was something that I thought was still feasible for today’s modern times.

There seems to be a beauty in dressing that your brand unknowingly promotes. Would you say that your clothes encourage a lifestyle of ritual calm, not only in the everyday routine, but deuxhommesmag.com

also in the daily methods of deliberate dressing? It’s very important to me to have the world see a personal expression through clothing, something that communicates and has an inner calm. People love this idea; however, there could be pieces that people want to wear because they have that extra element or pop.

Tell us about some of the materials that you used in this collection. Why the bovine leather and the mesh? I always love materials that have a natural strength to them. There’s a body to them that doesn’t need to be reinforced. They can just naturally lend themselves to forms and shapes within the designs. I gravitate towards those types of materials because in the sense of construction, it’s much easier dealing with them. They also have very specific characteristics and demand certain finishes. These types of materials are the ones that I love to experiment with as well. There’s nothing that I love more than manipulating and finishing a garment that produces a signature piece.

What personal challenges, awakenings or hopes did you have in mind when you were designing this current collection?

For me, it really stems from the patternmaking in a collection. Usually with each collection, there’s a keynote style or silhouette that I focus on. It’s usually the same pattern but manipulated in multiple ways to create similar shapes, which produces something that’s still innovative and new. So, with this last one, it was definitely incorporating that conical silhouette, but then I started to break it down. I removed it from being off the shoulder to more contouring with the shoulder, and then moving into a more severe drop-shoulder this season. Basically, it’s just an endless battle of what is the best silhouette. That’s something that I always strive for. What’s the most relatable, best silhouette that you could always wear for your daily life, but one that would still be really relevant.

Who do you want to see wearing your creations, away from the urban and daily sphere that you reside in? My ideal customer is 25, and they have just graduated from college. They ran into a really great job that’s given them an awarding income flux, while being ready to make themselves feel important. I want these clothes to also be aspirational. If we’re talking about specific individuals, I really love Michele Lamy (wife of Rick Owens); the way that

she approaches dressing is so unreal. She dips her entire hand into black nail polish and calls it a day. Basically, I’m inspired by that sort of person who can just forcefully put their perspective out there. I would love to have individuals of that caliber, strength and oeuvre to wear the clothes. Overall, I think making clothes that fit and mold to a creative person’s lifestyle is very relevant for me.

What’s the biggest challenge of being an emerging designer in 2015? I think that people are overlooked as emerging designers. People will constantly say that you’ll make it or that you’ll do well, but it’s really actually a matter of finding a person who will be your patron or namesake person that will really stand by you through it all, no matter what. I definitely think that’s the most difficult thing to find in this stage. But I think I’m a bit lucky in some respects; on the side, I’m working as a design coordinator at a company that does eveningwear. So my ability to see more of a mainstream market and how they approach selling, styling and sourcing enables me to bring these lessons into my own brand. It is also really relevant that I build the connections that I have in this company. So everyday I’m learning and taking advantage of something new.

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avant-garde

supremacy 50 shades of grey.

Photography by Brent Chua

HOMIC SPRING/SUMMER 2015 (THROUGHOUT) deuxhommesmag.com

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eyewear LUCKY SELECTISM

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footwear OAK NYC grooming MARIE MATSUMOTO models CALLUM WARD (NEW YORK MODELS) + SAM VISSER (RE:QUEST)

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modernism in india

INTERVIEW

BEHNO HAS GIVEN THE TERM “MADE IN INDIA” A NEW MISSION AND

renewed life to the global sphere. This is not a story about emerging design, but one of awakened ideals, sustainable methods and 21st century design ethos. BEHNO, which is Hindi for “sisters”, is India’s mother of ethical fashion reinvention. Founder Shivam Punjya and Head Designer Ashley Austin have turned a present-day atrocity into something positive, highlighting the way fashion must rethink labor, cost and sustainable fabrics. The backdrop for their latest collection is set in Chandigarh, India, a city known to house Le Corbusier’s most risk-taking works of art and home to India’s first modernist city. Systematic, cinematic, yet traditional, BEHNO has enmeshed customary Indian tailoring with a balanced mixture of utility and newfan-

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Interviewed by Ana Callahan-Roman

gled, minimalist silhouettes. When not taking inspiration from a country on the verge of millennial enlightenment, the team prides itself on it’s own original moral standards: garment worker mobility, family planning and women’s rights. This “BEHNO STANDARD” is a benchmark, zeitgeist move that many emerging designers and brands, we predict, will implement into their own business DNA. Traditional and transformative, it’s not about the market, but a world way overdue for the ethical endeavors BEHNO delivers to fashion design.

Tell us what sparked BEHNO into existence? SHIVAM: In April of 2013,

the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh collapsed on over 1,100 garment workers, most of them women. I was working on my thesis research at the time for DUKE, and one thing I was focused on was the condition of these garment workers. I discovered

that around the world over 90% of garment workers are women. So ultimately, BEHNO is about how we can address a place, incident or turn an atrocity into something positive; into something that highlights what these workers go through and how we can make positive changes in their lives.

With garment workers comes massive manufacturing. Would you say emerging fashion is something on the rise in India or secondary because of manufacturing? SHIVAM: Obviously,

Indian fashion is much different than Western fashion. In terms of ethical garments and ethical factories in India, I would say that BEHNO is one of the first that have become very public and outspoken about ethical endeavors. In terms of my research on other ethical garment factories in India, I haven’t come across one that implements

certain ethical standards.

Speaking of ethical standards, can you tell us a little more about the “BEHNO STANDARD” ethos and philosophy, and how those standards are reflective in the designs? ASHLEY: The standards

are more about how we’re treating the workers. Aesthetic, shape and inspiration are really separate things. Part of the aspects of the designs we really want to show is that, although it’s made in another country by people from another culture, it doesn’t mean it has to be wholly reflective of this culture. Basically, we want to be a transparent and open company.

Ethical standards are a huge source of inspiration, but aesthetically BEHNO turned to Le Corbusier for this collection. Why this particular artist? deuxhommesmag.com

ing, likes to be respected and demands respect. She’s not afraid to push the envelope. She certainly doesn’t accept normality.

ASHLEY: This collection

is inspired by the city of the Chandigarh, India that is very modern. There’s this perception that India is stuck in the past, but it’s not. When I visited with Shivam, I realized there’s a whole new world to be discovered, one with immense modernity and forward thinking people. We wanted to show how modern and inspiring India can be, instead of stuck in the past.

This is a new century, and I can clearly see you both want to ring in the times with BEHNO. That’s an enigmatic and otherworldly name. What does it mean? SHIVAM: BEHNO means

“sisters” in Hindi.

So what kinds of women, or ‘sisters’, would wear BEHNO? ASHLEY: I would say a

woman who is aware of what’s going on in the world. She’s smart, modern, educated, intellectual, powerful, risk-tak-

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And these women you speak of seem to love emerging fashion. Whether they are hopping in and out of cabs, on or off subways, or going from day into evening, the clothes must have functional silhouettes. ASHLEY: Yes, we wanted

to create silhouettes that were very transformative. You could wear them to work or take off a layer when you go out at night. We wanted to create this ‘New York City’ idea of silhouettes and shapes that were ready for anything. Not too overdressed, but not ever trying too hard; just effortless and innovative.

So causal luxury wear? Yes, definitely.

Tell us about the colors. Why poppy reds, lilacs, black and white? ASHLEY: One thing about

Le Corbusier is that he just never stopped. His breaks were never breaks; he was always in a state of creating. What he did in his downtime would be painting. We were very inspired by his paintings and so many of them had these colors that were very minimal, but the usage was very, very bold.

You two have an out-

standing synergy. Does the creative process evolve between you two, or is it more deliberate and planned? ASHLEY: Shivam had a firm

vision. He wanted to create something timelessly modern and minimal. He gave me a formula to follow that’s an overarching theme. From there, we just go for it.

What does BEHNO hope to contribute to the fashion industry? SHIVAM: Part of our mis-

sion, our premise, is to really redefine what “Made in India” means to the world. People either have a really negative perception of it or no perception of it. We want to create a modern perception of it. India is a forward thinking country, but unfortunately, people don’t focus on those aspects. What people perceive of Indian fashion is something that’s very embroidered, intricate, sort of handwork. India is now capable of producing modern, tailored garments. We really hope that BEHNO becomes

one of the strongest brands to produce in India that can recreate the “Made in India” global ideal.

What’s the best piece of advice you can give any emerging designer living in 2015? ASHLEY: Always stay true

to yourself and your aesthetic. That’s the biggest thing for us. It’s important to know exactly who you are before you put yourself out there. You’re essentially selling yourself as a brand and an identity, and it needs to be consistent yet updated and fresh. It can really be hard at times, but you still need to keep going. SHIVAM: I have no fashion background. So for me, I would say always consider and pay attention to the business aspect of it. You really want your label to sustain itself, and that’s something we’re learning about everyday. How do we make modern design sensibility, but also be financially organized and sustainable. ASHLEY: This is why we’re such a great team! He keeps me organized. We realize this is such a rare combination.

What is a risk that BEHNO is willing to take in the future? ASHLEY: There’s a fab-

ric made out of cork that’s completely sustainable. It has an interesting look. It feels like leather and it’s a minimal risk, but at the same time, it’s also something new we are bringing to the market.

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BEHNO FALL/WINTER 2015 footwear DANIELE MICHETTI jewelry FREIDA ROTHMAN hats HARDY INDIGO (THROUGHOUT)

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field of

dreams

One nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission to be heard.

Photography by David Urbanke

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makeup + hair LINDSEY WILLIAMS (KATE RYAN INC) USING CHANEL MAKEUP + KEVIN MURPHY HAIR CARE model BRILEY JONES (NEXT)

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jacket + shorts ANDREA CAMMAROSANO

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last

man standing In a world of style, he travels alone.

Photography by Gautier Pellegrin

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top MASSIMO CASAGRANDE jacket MARIOS

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jacket + shorts FABIO QUARANTA footwear D.GNAK

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top + shorts + footwear D.GNAK

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top + shorts DI MORABITO footwear D.GNAK

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jumper KOSTAS MURKUDIS

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top + shorts + footwear D.GNAK

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top + pants LUCIO VANOTTI footwear D.GNAK

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jumper GENTUCCA BINI

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jacket + shorts PLUS QUE MA VIE footwear D.GNAK

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stylist ELISA ANSTASINO assistant stylist CAMILLA SCAIOLI grooming KASSANDRA FRUA DE ANGELI model CAOIMHIN (FASHION MILAN) deuxhommesmag.com

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INTERVIEW

final grades are in

w WHAT HAPPENED AS AN

ACCIDENT, IN RESPONSE

to designers Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne’s need for excitement in the apparel market, quickly turned into a never-ending rollercoaster of seven years—and counting—of immensely hard work and hustle. Neither member of the New York City born-andbred duo collect a check from Public School, holding firm to the fact that the goal is not to be comfortable but to follow your dream and believe that it will succeed. And while Public School’s successes continue to mount, the humility and authenticity that emanates from them is astounding, even after

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Interviewed by Amy Vosejpka

a handful of failed attempts and years of living a formidable lifestyle. With the foreshadowing result to be an infinite quest in not settling for what’s out there, Public School is pushing New York City, withal America, forward in the fashion world while, simultaneously, becoming a role model to emerging designers on how to succeed in this tumultuous industry.

Hi Maxwell, what’s going on? Thanks for taking the time to speak with us. Public School has had many ups and downs along the way, which included a brief hiatus. What did you and Dao do

differently when preparing to launch Public School for the second time? The first time, we went into it naïve. We were just going off of feeling. But, then when we re-launched again, it was really…we learned a lot. We reduced our collections, talked to our mentors, regrouped and came back a little smarter with more plans. It was a little bit like looking at…there was no past history before. And now, when you have a past, you can look at the past—the good, the bad, the ugly, what works, what doesn’t work, what we’re feeling—and just, you take all of that into effect

and use that to your benefit. Yeah, it crumbled, but you look at the crumbling pieces and you put it back together. It was still a feeling. It was like, you know what, we do this product, but we still wear suits, so we introduced tailoring and everything that we felt like we couldn’t do before. We wanted to make everything in New York [City]. Before that, we made everything overseas. We wanted to make things in New York because, you know what, that’s our backyard, that’s our home. Let’s bring that home. So, we started making everything in New York.

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Because you have more control? You have more [quality] control, you can really touch it, you can go to the factories, and stand on top of it and make sure its getting done. All of those things helped us come back around.

Did your successes with Black Apple also help that? Black Apple has been a success for the same reason of just staying true to its point of view, and that’s also something that you can never lose is your point of view. You can’t jump, you know, jump ship. Black Apple is good for our energy, which is the best thing ever. We have a lot of fun doing Black Apple because, it’s not a departure from Public School—we mix and match Black Apple with Public School to wear like on our personal day-to-day—but if you go to Bloomingdales and [see] where we sit, you can shop Black Apple and Public School. Sounds cheesy, right? I wear Black Apple sweatpants like everyday—it’s the best shit ever. And I mix with Public School, and the youthful energy of Black Apple is something we just love to do.

How can emerging designers gain funding outside of awards and investors? What advice can you give them to secure funding? deuxhommesmag.com

It’s a tough question. To be honest, I don’t even know. I wish I could tell you. We consulted [to gain funding]. We had a history in fashion and consulted before we launched Public School. All of Public School was self-financed. We worked, we saved some money, then that shit runs out so you have to figure out how to do it again. We consult to this day. It’s still something you need to feed the business; you need to feed that energy. It’s not like we rob Peter to pay Joe, but yeah, I’m going to have to consult and design some shit for someone else to help fund the dream and fund what you really want to do.

From a business standpoint, why is Public School a success in your eyes? What lessons have been learned that you can

pass on to other emerging designers to help them? We do not think Public School is a success. This is just a starting point for life in the future. This is just actually the beginning. Deep down it didn’t even start yet. But, it really is sticking to your point of view, sticking to your guns. Anybody can do something, make trendy shit, but if your core is an authentic thing, you can’t stop that. That’s the best part about Public School. Why it would even be called success because now there is a clear point of view. Because we stuck to our guns even when the trends went that way or this way. Our success is separating your self from the rest.

Public School has had

so much success in these last two years with winning the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award and the Woolmark Prize. How has this helped Public School? When you go into a competition you want to win it. You want to do the best. We luckily won. Awards to us, you celebrate it that day, put it in the drawer and get back to work. Nothing changes. Awards mean shit. You can look at past award winners, some succeed, some don’t. You do not want to not succeed. It’s actually weird; it’s a humbling thing to get the award, but its more humbling to put it away and get right back to work and not even care about the award. When it gets brought up to us, it’s not like ‘oh yeah, we won an award’. We don’t think about it; it’s over with.

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p.s.

i love you

Bridging emerging design and established reverence. Photography by Gus & Lo

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grooming LINDSEY WILLIAMS (KATE RYAN INC) TOM FORD MAKEUP + KEVIN MURPHY HAIR CARE model GRAHAM REESE (RED)

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contemplations

fierce

Added warmth in the face of erosion.

Photography by Daniel Korzewa deuxhommesmag.com

coat CHARLES WARREN

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coat CHARLES WARREN pants CLAUDIA LI footwear DANIELE MICHETTI (THROUGHOUT)

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coat HAUS ALKIRE top CLAUDIA LI pants CHARLES WARREN

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vest CLAUDIA LI

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top + pants + coat CHARLES WARREN deuxhommesmag.com

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coat CHARLES WARREN

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vest + pants CLAUDIA LI

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production director WOITEK SZAULINSKI (SZAULINSKI PRODUCTIONS) photography assistant MURLIN SAINT-JEAN makeup + hair CHARLES WARD FOR REVLON model KASIA JUJECZKA (IMG)

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