180 Magazine September 2010 by Dino-Ray Ramos

A Letter from Our President

CONTENT pg. 6 pg. 8 pg. 24 pg. 26 pg. 30 pg. 40 pg. 56 pg. 84 pg. 86

Yoko Ono! Bolinas Urban Oasis Missoni Moments The Women The Hunt The Knights Viva La Vida Viva Dirty Waters

Each year, Academy of Art University surpasses expectations with its innovation, undeniable passion and loyalty to the arts. Time after time, the School of Fashion has reflected this practice with forwardthinking instructors, giving our students a taste of real world experience. With a foundation that thrives on conceptual creativity, the School of Fashion has produced graduates who have showcased their work at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York. Students have also earned prominent accolades in the industry, including recognition from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and opportunities to broaden their horizons with the Sister City Scholarship Exchange program in Paris with Studio Berçot and L’Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Building on this recognition, the fall 2010 issue of 180 magazine has a new look that has grown with its success. Focusing on icons, this issue portrays the inspirational figures in our culture that have inspired and paved a way for the arts. The School of Fashion has hosted many icons in the fashion industry, including Oscar de la Renta, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, and most recently, International Herald Tribune fashion editor Suzy Menkes—but the magazine goes beyond fashion and enlightens us about icons that will be significant forever in our culture. Fashion Merchandising instructor Hersha Steinbock talks about the importance of famous icons such as former Vogue editor in chief Diana Vreeland and dance legend Martha Graham, while modeling garments from our graduates. Our athletics program is showcased through an iconic photospread and interview with director Dr. Jamie Williams, an athletic icon in his own right. The fourth issue of 180 magazine has set an aesthetic standard for future issues and exemplifies the quality education from our university.

Sincerely,

Dr. Elisa Stephens, President Academy of Art University

Editor in Chief: Simon Ungless Editor at Large: Dino-Ray Ramos Creative Director: Michael Carbaugh Design Director: Harry Go Copy Editor: Joan Bergholt Contributors: Rus Anson, Cara Chiapetta, Shaughn Crawford, Jennifer Manzano, Collette McGruder, Kristine Morales, Stine Myrvang, Gladys Perint Palmer, Taylor Roark, Alice Spies, Erin Thomas, Kalla Vieaux, Danielle Wallis, Philip Washington, Lisa Wiseman, Annie Wehby.

Photography Shaughn Crawford

Special Thanks: Carmen Campos, The Drazans, Marley Jones-Fitzinger, Su Young Kim, Allison Magner, Rosita Missoni, Tai Missoni, Will Mosgrove, Marcela Rico, Hersha Steinbock, Dr. Jamie Williams, John Waters, Tokyo, and The Urban Knights: Brazer Bozlak, Elijah Craig. Jasmine English, Daveson Marindich, Ryan L. Worley, and Dan Yang â&#x20AC;&#x153;Phooey.â&#x20AC;?

180 Magazine Academy of Art University School of Fashion San Francisco, California 94105 oneeighty@academyart.edu www.fashionschooldaily.com 7

YOKO ONO!!

Long before Lady Gaga rocked the

female music scene and DIY culture

infiltrated hipster apartments

everywhere, there was Yoko. SYNONYMOUS WITH COOL, calm, and conceptual, Yoko Ono is a vocalist, conceptual artist, writer, and activist. Her 1964 book “Grapefruit” epitomizes DIY in its smartest sense—it evades the physical object of art while providing “scores” for a variety of performative experiments the reader may choose to enact. Read the book, take a phrase, and make the art. That same year, Yoko invited more community participation in her first “Cut Piece” at the Sogetsu Art Center in Tokyo. The performance begins with her sitting on her knees with a pair of scissors, asking the audience to take turns coming to the stage and cutting her clothing until she is naked. Of “Cut Piece,” Yoko wrote, “The struggle with art, for me, became about the concept of whether you were stating your ego through your work or creating an environment where other people can be creative as well.” And then there was the dynamic duo: Yoko Ono and John Lennon. They met at her November 1966 show at the Indica Gallery in London. Just before the exhibition began, Lennon was looking at “Hammer A Nail,” where she invites viewers to hammer a nail into a white board, creating the collective piece. As she approached, Lennon asked for a shot at the first nail. She playfully rejected his request. The couple immediately utilized their public relationship as a platform for political activism, forgoing their honeymoon in March

1969 for a two-week “Bed In.” At the height of the anti-war movement, John and Yoko spent 12 hours a day on-air, in their pajamas, conversing with the press about peace. Yoko’s relationship with John brought even more opportunities for participatory art—this time with countless musicians. She has blended her distinctive vocals with John Cage, Ornette Coleman, Eric Clapton, Frank Zappa, and Yo La Tengo, among many others. Her songs have been covered and remixed by such indie rockers as Cat Power, Peaches, and Love Is All. In February 2010, Yoko and son Sean Lennon graced Oakland’s newly refurbished Fox Theatre. In the spirit of her multi-disciplinary approach, Yoko opened with a short documentary film chronicling her life and honoring her late husband, after which she and Sean seriously brought the house down with her distinctive vocals and some guitar work by Sean that would make his father proud. They closed with yet another collaboration, this time with San Francisco’s Deerhoof, for whom Yoko is an obvious predecessor. The sold-out show closed with the crowd joining in singing “Give Peace A Chance,” a testament to the power and continuing relevance of the woman who first sang it decades ago. JENNIFER MANZANO. IMAGE TAKEN BY SHAUGHN CRAWFORD FROM A VIDEO PRESENTATION BY YOKO ONO. 9

BOLINAS The Northern California town of

Bolinas invites the public into

its haven of small-town sensibility

without a welcome mat. Photographer Lisa Wiseman

and Writer Annie Wehby take us on a trip. WERE IT NOT FOR GPS, THE TINY California town of Bolinas would stay hidden away from prying eyes—and that is exactly what the town of roughly 1,200 residents would like. For years the people of Bolinas have tried to keep their home secret, tearing down any highway signs put up by the state within 36 hours of installment. If you are lucky enough to find Bolinas, you’ll understand why famous artists, poets and musicians make up a considerable portion of the population and why it’s a desirable residence for “people in the know.” Upon arrival, you are warned by a sign that you are “entering a socially acknowledged nature-loving town” and you immediately understand the implied “enemies beware” connotation. The town’s extreme passion for the environment is further proved as you ride by a resource

recovery station on your way downtown, which consists of a handful of shops. The small town vibe is the perfect blend of Andy Griffith-esque simplicity and forward-thinking modernity. Going with the town’s go-green attitude, the all-organic Coast Café is one of the eateries that urges you to “think globally and eat locally.” Bolinas is also famous for its extreme privacy and distaste of outsiders, as one bumper sticker on an old hippie VW van pointedly states: “non-native, don’t shoot.” THE SENSE OF GENUINE UNITY among the residents is apparent and is best illustrated by Smiley’s, an historic saloon where “hangovers are installed and serviced.” The no-frills establishment serves as both the local watering hole and hotel where Danielle, the bartender, has no qualms about letting you know that “summertime equals stupid people.”

In turn, you get the impression that you, the tourist, are among the intellectually challenged of whom she speaks. The local barmaid is right. THE RESIDENTS OF BOLINAS HAVE caught on to something that the rest of us are missing. In a world where opulence has lost its luster and our whereabouts are readily available to hundreds of strangers via Facebook, Foursquare, or Twitter, the hidden town offers a socially responsible and a refreshingly stress-free atmosphere. With the recession and the growing distaste for conspicuous consumption, Bolinas represents a modern alternative to the overexposed, overindulgent lifestyle presented by urban and suburban alike. It combines the best of both worlds as it offers an art gallery and museum, the beauty of nature and the ultimate luxury in today’s world: privacy. 11

URBAN OASIS

Guerilla gardening of the Nowtopian persuasion produces urban greenery in some unlikely areas in San Francisco AS A WRITER, PRODUCER AND multimedia designer, Chris Carlsson can be considered a pioneer of Nowtopia, which he says is an idea that denotes a range of behaviors. “(Nowtopia) identifies a common experience of a bifurcated life, divided between what we do for money (which are) often (menial) jobs with little point, or even quite harmful to human and planetary well-being and what we do when we’re not at our jobs,” says Chris. “We’re working very hard, usually on something that addresses the twin crises of ecology and anomie. We’re building a new technological and social foundation for a post-capitalist, post-wage-labor way of life.” For the past twenty-five years, Carlsson has focused his activities on the underlying themes of horizontal communications, organic communities and public space. Carlsson says that a normal Nowtopian day consists of being busy on a wide range of projects that are not defined by their ability to generate income or provide a living. Even though they are not getting monetary compensation, they are living more interesting lives. Case in point: guerilla gardening. GUERILLA GARDENING IS A FORM of political gardening primarily practiced by environmentalists. It is related to land rights and permaculture (the human design of natural ecologies). Usually, activists take over an abandoned piece of land to grow crops or plants. One prime example is San Francisco’s Tenderloin National Forest (TNF).

The Tenderloin is not the prettiest neighborhood, in fact, it is known as one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city and is densely populated. Having a lush garden of vegetation reminiscent of a suburban oasis in a shady (in more ways than one) alley is unexpected and, in a way, irreverent. ENTER DARYL SMITH, FOUNDER of the Luggage Store art gallery. In 1989, he took this idea of guerilla gardening and planted a redwood in a hole in the asphalt. Since then, Cohen Alley, located near Ellis and Leavenworth, has literally grown into an urban garden of foliage. Combining the aspects of community gardening with murals that maintain the district’s street cred, this “national forest” is created for the people and by the people, providing green space to an area that is normally perceived as gritty. Not too far from the TNF is the fairly new Hayes Valley Farm, another product of the guerilla gardening movement—but in a more structured form. Damaged by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the Central Freeway turnoff (located near Hayes Valley), which once served as a major link to the Bay Bridge and downtown San Francisco, has been reincarnated into another haven for greenery: the Hayes Valley Farm (HVF). What was once destined to be a pile of useless rubble has now turned into a place where fava beans and fruit trees can thrive. Located at Laguna and Fell Street, the HVF is ultimately a tool for ecoconscious community building. According

to their website, they bill themselves as “A community-run farm,” saying that they “envision Hayes Valley Farm as a place where people come regularly to meet and connect with each other. (Where) friends exchange food, recipes, stories and knowledge about ways we can all live in greater harmony with our surroundings.” Since it’s inception, HVF has used Herculean efforts to convert the damaged freeway into a usable farm, complete with an irrigation system, a conceptual greenhouse that intends to grow sustainable seedlings, and a strong foundation of support from the community of volunteers and the San Francisco Parks Trust. HVF coordinators, Chris Burely, John Bela, David Cody, Kevin Bayuk, and Jay Rosenberg are the men responsible for giving this area a new life. Connected by their entrepreneurial and environmentally conscious pasts, the quintet strive to stimulate this site with various agriculturally-centric projects that go beyond the calisthenics of urban farming, such as educational lectures, kidfriendly events, movie nights (screenings include titles like DIRT! The Movie) and opportunities to do “Yoga on the Farm.” As eco urban go-getters continue to plant seeds in asphalt to guild freeways into farms and alleys into forests, the mix of guerilla gardening and sustainable ideology continues to flourish in metropolitan cities, giving new meaning to the term “concrete jungle.” KRISTINE MORALES, STINE MYRVANG, TAYLOR ROARK AND ERIN THOMAS. IMAGE COLLETTE MCGRUDER. 27

MISSONI MOMENTS

Gladys Perint Palmer illustrates and writes

about her icons... MY ICONS ARE ROSITA AND TAI MISSONI, founders of the house now headed by their daughter, Angela Missoni. I am not alone in my admiration. On the occasion of a lavish Japanese promotion of Italian fashion in Tokyo, Rosita and Tai were greeted by Issey Miyake, dressed from head to toe in Missoni. IN THE SEVENTIES I WAS LIVING in Hong Kong writing an illustrated column for the South China Morning Post. During a visit to London in September 1973, Joan Burstein of Browns threw a dinner at the White Elephant, a restaurant on the Thames, in honour of the Missonis, followed by a gala fashion show. Tai and Rosita were superstars with the hottest clothes and whimsical accessories. Large buttons on a circle of elastic became necklaces and bracelets; the Missoni scarf, a new one each season, was the must-have item. Even today Rosita can look at a scarf and date it immediately. Fashion has never been their sole interest. Rosita’s secret desire during the month of October, the time of the Spring/Summer ready-to-wear collections, is to be in her beloved mountains, hunting for mushrooms for her soup recipe: Cepes, Chanterelle, Parasol, Saffron milk-cap, Grisette, Boletus Elegans, Boletus Luteus, Shaggy ink-cap, and Puffballs. The Missonis have a passion for music. They have two boxes at La Scala in Milan, one for concerts and another for ballet and opera. As always, they dress in casual cardigans. They are very generous with their invitations. Unlike fashion shows, the curtain at La Scala rises on time. I had never been to this legendary opera house and was thrilled to be invited. I attended after an Armani show that, of course, ran late. I had to step over eight pairs of feet and run to the opera as fast as possible. Boxes at La Scala are primitive. There are two chairs that face the stage and two

wooden benches against the walls from where it is impossible to see. Hence there is a wall of humanity standing in the six tiers of boxes, clapping or booing. In 1983 the Missonis dressed the cast of Lucia di Lammermoor and were rewarded by being supernumeraries (extras in crowd scenes). Luciano Pavarotti dropped a note on the last scene of the second act. “Pierluigi Pizzi decided that we had to take a bow all together with singers, orchestra, director,” Rosita recalls. “No single appearances. I have never been so terrified in my life, hundreds of people above me booing.” ROSITA IS ALSO A PASSIONATE gardener. The Missoni headquarters in Sumirago is a horticulturist’s paradise. From her London flat in Little Venice (not to be confused with an antique barge they own in Venice, Italy), Rosita never misses the Chelsea Flower Show. At one of the shows, she took a fancy to a white flowering groundcover. The woman in charge of the stand was very offhand, ignoring Rosita while she chatted with her friends. Rosita waited patiently. Finally she got some attention. “I would like to order this flower,” she said. “Really?” came a nonchalant reply. “How many?” “Maybe ten thousand,” said Rosita. Tai, a Dalmatian/Italian aristocrat, is an excellent tennis player and follows tournaments avidly, especially Wimbledon. On a visit to California, I invited them to lunch, most carefully planned and prepared. My mother, who was also passionate about tennis, was staying with us. To please her, we had subscribed to a sports channel that broadcast Wimbledon in its entirety and she was most annoyed at missing the semifinals because of my lunch. “Do you like tennis?” she asked Tai as we started on our artichokes. “Yes! Yes!” he replied. And they were

gone. They disappeared into the television room for the rest of the afternoon. I was not a grateful daughter. In 1991 Rosita and Angela Missoni commissioned me to draw an advertising campaign based on the dancer Martha Graham. This was followed by numerous campaigns. A few years later I was invited to work on the Robert Altman film, Prêt-à-Porter, to be filmed in Paris (later renamed Readyto-Wear for fear that American audiences would confuse it with Port-a-Potties). “Where are you staying in Paris?” asked Rosita, days before I was due to fly there from Milan. “I have no idea,” I said. “Well, you must stay in our apartment in Rue du Bac,” she said. The apartment is in the heart of the Left Bank within walking distance of the best restaurants, cafes, the museum and shops. It is filled with eclectic treasures from flea markets, including a table in the form of a giant mushroom. Today, Rosita is creating hotels. When the manager of her Edinburgh hotel (opened in June 2009) complained that Missoni bathrobes disappear regularly, Rosita’s answer was “Good.” I’m surprised that the beautiful sheets, blankets, curtains and carpets didn’t follow. Hotel Missoni in Kuwait is set to open this month followed by Capetown, Oman, and Brazil. Finally, let me bring my Missoni moments full circle and give the heads-up to our knitwear students. My mentor at St. Martins was the visionary Muriel Pemberton, who invented fashion education. HER NIECE, LIZ GRIFFITHS, has been working for Missoni since she graduated from St. Martins. Liz has promised to be our guest in May 2011 during the graduation ceremonies. GLADYS PERINT PALMER 29

THE WOMEN Fashion Merchandising instructor, Hersha Steinbock

lends her musings on the most notable ladies in the fashion world,

while channeling them in modern looks created by our Fashion Design students.

Photography Rus Anson and Fashion Simon Ungless. “HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WEARING latex?” This particular question is directed to Hersha Steinbock from the fashion editor of the “The Women” shoot. After a comical gasp and split-second contemplation, she answers, “I am just the vehicle for this shoot—but I do have fullbody Spanx if needed.” HERSHA STEINBOCK HAS BEEN teaching fashion merchandising classes in the School of Fashion since 2004. Each semester, she stays up-to-date with the industry, has a considerable arsenal of fashion history, and has a distinct point of view when it comes to portraying the modern incarnations of Martha Graham, Diana Vreeland, Edith Head, and Wallis Simpson. “In a world without botox, butt implants, and extensions, these women created images of style and beauty that have not wrinkled, fallen or deflated,” says Hersha. MARTHA GRAHAM Martha Graham is etched in history as one of the most innovative and brilliant minds in the world of modern dance.

Graham created a new form of body language that was eventually studied all over the country and then the world. In the 1960s, Hersha studied this method at Mills College courtesy of Mary Ann Kinkaid and later at Berkeley’s ShawlAnderson Studio. “She was in touch with her core and founded an entire dance movement based upon the technique of contraction and release,” Hersha says. “Today, this form really looks best when performed in a Rick Owens T shirt and a pair of plastic sauna pants—if you can swing it.” DIANA VREELAND “Diana Vreeland threw down the fashion gauntlet,” says Hersha of the former editor in chief of Vogue. “She challenged her readers to deploy the transformational power of fashion to reach their highest level.” Vreeland maintained her “Vreelocity” even in her final days. Hersha points out that “She continued to host dinner parties with her guests enjoying their meal in her dining room while Vreeland chatted them up by phone from her bedroom.”

WALLIS SIMPSON Famous for her high marriage tally and secluded life after the death of her third husband, Edward, The Duke of Windsor, Bessie Wallis Simpson (a.k.a. The Duchess of Windsor) was seen as a fashion icon. “(She) was quite the original housewife of Windsor,” says Hersha. “Once she left Baltimore, there was no stopping her.” The Duchess had a strong sense of refined style, but at the same time, she knew how to control her men. “She really did manhandle the Duke,” adds Hersha, “but only in all the best places among all the best people wearing all of her best jewelry.” EDITH HEAD Edith Head reached iconic status as a costume designer in Hollywood, scoring eight Academy Awards for movies such as All About Eve, The Sting, and Roman Holiday. “Edith Head once said ‘Put a bag over your head’ in order to be objective about your fashion appearance,” says Hersha. “Cut out two holes for your eyes, then look in the mirror. If everyone practiced this discipline, we would have far fewer poorly dressed people.” DINO-RAY RAMOS 33

Hersha wears Bethany Meuleners

MARTHA GRAHAM

Hersha wears Marina Solomatnikova (this page) Eunice Chang and Mariah Groves (opposite page)

DIANA VREELAND

Hersha wears Sabah Mansoor (this page) and Andrew Wedge (opposite page)

WALLIS SIMPSON

Hersha wears Ivy FuManTam (this page) and YunQi Wu (opposite page) Hair and Makeup Tokyo @ Workgoup Ltd.; Fashion Assistant Danielle Wallis, Marley Jones-Fitzingerand Enkhjargal Badamkhand; Photo Assistant Carmen Campos.

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Printed vest YuZuan Cheng Grey mesh catsuit Eric Holbreich Suede pitch helmet Marina Solomatnikova Opposite page: Printed vest YuZuan Cheng DevorĂŠ T-shirt Eric Holbriech Taffeta skirt and suede gloves A.C.T. 44

Jacket Alice Spies Fur capelet A.C.T. Silk tank Bethany Meuleners Leather shorts, mesh pants, feather hat, gloves and suede bucket boots, all A.C.T. 46

Washed taffeta jacket Rinat Brodach Power mesh catsuit Eric Holbriech Opposite page: Vintage lace jacket and dress Amelia Statler Suede pitch helmet Marina Solomatnikova Canvas belt and lace gloves A.C.T. 50

Suede riding jacket and suede pitch helmet Marina Solomatnikova Printed button-up shirt YuZuan Cheng Opposite page: Suede trench and pants Marina Solomatnikova Chiffon tunic Alice Spies Admiralâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hat A.C.T. 54

Vintage lace jacket Amelia Statler Silk jumpsuit Alice Spies Sarong skirt YuZuan Cheng Suede bucket boots A.C.T. Hair and Makeup Tokyo @ Workgoup Ltd. Fashion Assistant Danielle Wallis Photo Assistants Carmen Campos and Marcela Rico Model Mackenzie Drazan at Stars Model Management. 56

THE KNIGHTS

Former San Francisco 49er, Dr. Jamie Williams,

sculpts athletes out of art students.

Photography Shaughn Crawford and Fashion Michael Carbaugh

Spandex vest Camilla Olson Catsuit A.C.T.

AS THE ONLY ART-SPECIFIC SCHOOL in the NCAA, Dr. Jamie Williams built the Academy of Art University’s athletic program from scratch. From the beginning, the mission of the program was quite clear: “We’re out to show the world that a melting pot of artists can kick some serious ass.” In the last four years, the athletic program has blossomed from nonexistent to an NCAA Division 2 certified program boasting 14 intercollegiate sports—all thanks to a man who hit the gridiron with the San Francisco 49ers in the 1990 Super Bowl and in 1999 served as a technical consultant to Oliver Stone’s football movie Any Given Sunday. Sitting with Dr. Williams in his office, he gestures to a photo of the university’s women’s volleyball team. “Those are beasts,” he says. “I got them new uniforms, so they sent me that picture.” The new uniforms are possibly the smallest of the new things that have appeared in the sports department in the recent years

since Williams started the program. “In the beginning, we had no athletic identity, no infrastructure, no policies, no legacies, no coaches, no players, no facilities, and no affiliation,” says Williams. “But that came with the job. You have to internally accept the challenges, and make peace with that. It’s like running up a hill. You can take peeks at the top, but you have to keep looking just ahead of you and keep putting one foot in front of the other.” Now the university is competing in baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, track & field, volleyball, golf, and tennis, as well as cheer and dance, with athletes representing nearly every academic program. This year, each of the teams completed its first official PacWest conference schedule, and achieved impressive results. In addition, the athletes have excelled off the field. Ten of the Academy’s student athletes were named to the 2010 PacWest All-Academic Team.

Williams has always been a believer in mixing disciplines. He played football while receiving his broadcast journalism degree in Nebraska. While in the NFL, he was known for his love of comic books. He likes to have music accompanying almost all activities. He plays Black Sabbath during our interview, enjoys Seal before playing basketball, and is even known to listen to music to set the mood while writing screenplays. “I want the athletes to understand that there’s a dichotomy and duality in life,” he says. “You can be a warrior-poet—it’s okay to have more than one passion. I want them to walk away knowing how to compete in life, and also have a bonafide skill.” The program continues to grow, and Williams has no intention of stopping. “I want to establish Academy of Art University as the number one athletic program in the West. I want to be the destination of athletes with a passion for art— and I want to win national championships with an army of artists.” KALLA VIEAUX

JASMINE ENGLISH

Age : 22 Hometown: SOUTH CENTRAL LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA Sport: WOMEN’S BASKETBALL. (Jasmine also plays powder puff football and street hockey.) Position: FORWARD Major: GAME DESIGN Can you describe yourself in 3 words? BIG. BOLD. BEAUTIFUL. What has been the highlight of your attendance at Academy of Art University? GOING TO HAWAII. What do you hope to be doing in 5 years? PLAYING PROFESSIONAL BALL AND WORKING FOR A GAMING COMPANY. Racer back bodysuit Sarah Didion; armband Cara Chiapetta 60

DAN YANG “PHOOEY”

Age : 24 Hometown: BEI JING CHINA Sport: VOLLEYBALL Position: OUTSIDE HITTER Major: FASHION DESIGN Can you describe yourself in 3 words? ASIAN. FUNNY. PHOOEY. What has been the highlight of your attendance at Academy of Art University? I EARNED 2009 PACWEST FIRST TEAM HONORS IN VOLLEYBALL! (Yang was also named the Pacific West Conference Volleyball Player of the week twice.) What do you hope to be doing in 5 years? I LOOK FORWARD TO FINISHING SCHOOL, AND BEING A SUCCESSFUL FASHION DESIGNER OR VOLLEYBALL COACH. Asymmetric bandeau and shorts Cara Chiappetta 64

RYAN L. WORLEY

Age : 21 Hometown: OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA. Sport: MEN’S BASEBALL. Position: INFIELD/OUTFIELD. Major: MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA, BUT I ALSO STUDY PHOTOGRAPHY. Can you describe yourself in 3 words? LOYAL. DETERMINED. PASSIONATE/CARING. What has been the highlight of your attendance at Academy of Art University? BEING A STUDENT ATHLETE HERE IS A FULFILLING CHALLENGE EVERYDAY. (Worley earned two PacWest Weekly Top 10 honors this year, and earned an outfield spot on the 2010 All-PacWest Baseball Second Team.) What do you hope to be doing in 5 years? IN FIVE YEARS I HOPE TO BE COMFORTABLY PACING MYSELF TOWARDS PERSONAL SUCCESS.

ELIJAH CRAIG Age: 20 Hometown: LINCOLN, NEBRASKA Sport: MEN’S SOCCER Position: DEFENDER Major: WEB DESIGN & NEW MEDIA Can you describe yourself in 3 words? INTUITIVE. CREATIVE. ORIGINAL What has been the highlight of your attendance at Academy of Art University? BEING ON THE PITCH WITH LIKE MINDED ARTISTS (ELIJAH MADE 19 GOAL POINTS THIS SEASON.) What do you hope to be doing in 5 years? BECOME AN ART & MEDIA EXECUTIVE OR MUSICIAN. Tank Eric Holbreich; vintage umbros A.C.T.

BRAZER BOZLAK Age : 21 Hometown: GAVLE, SWEDEN Sport: MEN’S SOCCER Position: FORWARD Major: ARCHITECTURE Can you describe yourself in 3 words? HONEST. LOYAL. DISCIPLINED. What has been the highlight of your attendance at Academy of Art University? WENT TO HAWAII WITH THE TEAM. (Brazer was also this year’s homecoming king) What do you hope to be doing in 5 years? I’D LIKE TO EARN MY MASTERS DEGREE SOMEWHERE IN ITALY OR TURKEY. 78

Hair and Makeup Su Young Kim; Fashion Assistants Alice Spies and Cara Chiapetta. 82

DAVESON MARINDICH

Age: 23 Hometown: ITEN, KENYA Sport: TRACK AND CROSS COUNTRY Position: CROSS COUNTRY AND DISTANCE SPECIALIST Major: MULTIMEDIA COMMUNICATIONS Can you describe yourself in 3 words? AMBITIOUS. HUMBLE. MAVERICK. What has been the highlight of your attendance at Academy of Art University? I SET THE SCHOOL RECORD FOR THE 5000 METER RUN. What do you hope to be doing in 5 years? I’D LIKE TO BE SPORTS JOURNALIST. Tank and shorts Eric Holbreich 84

VIVA LA VIDA VIVA

From 1973 to 1979, through a combination

of fashion, beauty, culture, and titillating

images, Viva captured the essence

of the free thinking woman. BARE BACKSIDES, BARE FRONT sides, and bare in between, the men and women on the pages of Viva were real. Founded by Bob Guccione, of Penthouse fame, and edited by his fashion model wife, Kathy Keeton, Viva was a magazine that allowed a woman to embrace her feminine wiles. “The magazine pushed an envelope,” said former Viva contributor and author Linda Wolfe. “Viva was, as its publicity announced, a sexy magazine for the newly liberated woman.” During the 1970s, this “international magazine for women” was an offthe-beaten-path glossy that enlisted photographers like Helmut Newton to capture stark, raw bondage-laden editorials in a pre-digital era and gave tongue-in-cheek commentary via the column ”People You Should Forget,” which once featured a young Bette Midler, blacklisted by the magazine for allegedly mocking transvestites. This balanced out with more serious forms of journalistic fare via social

commentaries about euthanasia and a Vietnam War-addled America. The magazine often published the most stunning editorials, but instead of clothes, the magazine sold the human form in all its glory (at times it was several entangled human forms). Even though this magazine was a hotbed of skin and showcased uncompromising raunchiness that make the Sex and the City gals seem like a gaggle of Puritans, the publication, according to former contributor Molly Haskell, was a “natural effusion of the high spirits, appetites, (and) insights of women that had been liberated by the women’s movement.” “THANKS TO BOB GUCCIONE’S interests and philosophy, Viva didn’t feel so driven by advertising and fashion,” adds Haskell, who is now a feminist film critic and author. “I didn’t take it particularly seriously, yet there was substance and a kind of curiosity, and wider questioning, that seems absent today.” Before the digital age of Photoshopping and airbrushing took center stage, illustrators

easily claimed a huge portion of the magazine. In an era where photographs didn’t give us instant gratification, Viva used every visual medium possible. From comic strips to watercolors, each article had an artistic, visual point of view. “IT’S ODD TO REFLECT ON VIVA’S importance,” says Haskell. “Viva looks more interesting now because its successors cater more narrowly and practically to women’s self-interests and problems.” In the later years, Viva left the softcore porn behind, and focused on lifestyle. Under the hand of a newly appointed (and unheard of) first-time fashion editor, Anna Wintour, the magazine was positioned to rival Cosmopolitan, but struggled to maintain readership. Guccione closed the magazine in January 1979, and with it, the era of tasteful erotica ended, opening the doors to the raunchy glamour models and hairless beefcakes of the 1980s. PHILIP WASHINGTON. ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHY © VIVA INT’L LTD., PENTHOUSE INT’L LTD. OCTOBER 1973.

DIRTY WATERS

Cult filmmaker John Waters talks about his book, “Role Models,” and what it takes to be an icon.

Illustration courtesy of Eric Hanson

John Waters is a pretty honest fellow. Much like his campy movies, a regular conversation with him lacks a censor, but you don’t feel uncomfortable talking to a man who created loveable trashy movies like Pink Flamingos, Cry Baby and A Dirty Shame. Surprisingly, he is easy to talk to over the phone—even if he is known as the “Prince of Puke.” “I am a filth elder!” laughs Waters. “I have faith in my own taste—but not everyone is going to agree with me.” Trademarked with his drawn-in mustache, Waters’s work has been labeled as perverse, offensive and downright enjoyable. He recently made a second home in San Francisco’s Nob Hill neighborhood. He used to live in the city when he was younger (sometimes in his car) and praises San Francisco for being one of the first cities to appreciate his work. (The very first being his hometown of Baltimore.) “The cable car stops right in front of my place and I am on it all the time,” he says. “It’s like I live in a Rice-A-Roni commercial—and I love it!” His new life in San Francisco is one of many things mentioned in his book, “Role Models” which serves as a memoir and an encyclopedia of his role models (hence the title)—but you won’t find any Ghandis or Mother Teresas in there. The people he admires range from the literary (Tennessee Williams), the flamboyant (Little Richard), the intriguing (Leslie Van Houten, former member of the Manson Family) and the naughty (pornographer Bobby Garcia). Waters says he created a master list, but had to pick people that would portray him best. “Not only did I have to care about them, I had to tell my life through them as well,” he says. “I am impressed with people with extreme lives whether they had great success or not—like Johnny Mathis.” Waters makes a clear distinction that role models aren’t necessarily icons. Even

though he sees some of them in an iconic light, it’s a status that is earned. “An icon is something someone else needs to call you. If you call yourself an icon that just makes you an a**hole!” he laughs. “A role model could be someone who isn’t famous—like your mother.” He dedicates a whole chapter to Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons. Even though he enjoys wearing clothes from the Gap, Levi’s, Paul Smith and Yohji Yamamoto—he likes Rei the best. This is proven during our phone conversation when he tells me his Provincetown beach attire: Gap boxer shorts, a T shirt and a pair of “inside-out” tennis shoes, both by Comme de Garçons. Waters says that Rei’s witty collection contributes to his “disaster at the dry cleaners” look. With Comme de Garçons, he says the clothes look like they could have been bought at a thrift store and people (particularly fellow Baltimoreans he sees at red neck bars) wouldn’t see the quirky irregularities as expensive high fashion. “It’s like dressing in reverse,” he says. “It’s sneaky fashion. I don’t want to brag about what I am wearing. I hate big labels on clothing. That is the worst taste.” WATERS SAYS THAT FASHION AND makeup always took priority in all of his movies. They were on the top of the list in terms of expenses. He dedicated his book to Van Smith, the costume designer and makeup artist for all his movies who passed away in 2006. “Van used fashion so well in all our movies,” he says. “He made inappropriate and beautiful clothing—including a wedding gown that displayed the person’s pubic hair.” Even though he has an irreverent take on fashion, he still thinks there are some rules that need to be followed. “No man over 30 years old should wear skinny jeans—it’s just not right,” he says. “Also, no one should wear tube tops—even if you are from the south.”

He may adhere to these rules, but in a recent interview with NPR he says that he doesn’t like rules and if you are going to break them, break them with happiness. “I like rules—only if I make them,” he laughs. When it comes to being an artist, Waters doesn’t think there are any rules. You just have to be obsessed. “NO ONE IS GOING TO KNOCK on your door and ask you to be a famous artist,” he says. “No one will determine if you are going to be an artist—history will be the judge of that.” Waters says that the definition of an icon hasn’t changed in the past 20 years. With regard to people like Diana Vreeland and Martha Graham, he says they reached iconic status because of their trademark look, which Waters says is jolie laide (French for “so ugly that you’re beautiful”)—but it still takes more than a “look” to be an icon. Even with the fastpaced culture enriched with fame hungry blog-o-philes and instantaneous viral videos, Waters says it takes time. “There’s no such thing as becoming an icon overnight—an icon means you lasted long.” he says. “Justin Bieber is not an icon. I am sure there is a minefield of whiteheads behind those bangs. If you put him on a park bench, he is just child molester bait—but if he’s around in 40 years, he may be an icon.” In one of the last chapters Waters ironically writes, “I’m so tired of writing ‘Cult Filmmaker’ on my income tax forms. If only I could write ‘Cult Leader,’ I’d finally be happy.” “I DON’T EXPECT THAT TO happen—it’s a fantasy,” he admits. “In Hollywood being a (cult filmmaker) is the worst thing. It means a few people like your movies and it didn’t make any money. To be a lunatic cult leader would be so intriguing!” He may not think he’s a cult leader, but others will beg to differ. DINO-RAY RAMOS

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