Eclectic Issue One SS14

ISSN 2054-4472 UK ÂŁ9.99

eclectic

issue one SS14

eclectic Editor-in-Chief/ Anna Barr Creative Director and Design/ Charin Chong Digital Editor/ Anniina Makela Beauty Editor/ Cate P Music Editor/ Pete Buckenham Fashion Coordinator/ Igor Vaninov Contributing Stylist/ Simon Gensowski, Masha Mombelli, Dee Moran, Grazia Morelli, Gabrielle Stival Contributing Writers/ Porschia Thomas, Lauren Wilkinson Contributing Photographers/ Lucilla Bellini, Cédric Bonnard, Fabio Bozzetti, Anna Breda, Lis Breland-Saalmink, Steven Frebourg, Danil Golovkin, Feriel Goulamhoussen, Paul-Antoine Goutal, Robbert Jacobs, Estevan Oriol, Hanako Whiteway Contributing Hairstylists/ Jon de Francesco, Olivier Henry, Yumiko Hikage, Bjorn Krischker @ Frank Agency, Lotte O’Shea Contributing Make-up Artists/ Francesca Brazzo, Fausto Cavaleri, Elizabeth Hsieh, Yin Lee @ Era Management, Katrin Rees, Silvia Sadecka Contributing Artists/ Ashkan Honarvar, Flyn Vibert Photography Robbert Jacobs, Make-up Cate P, Hairstyling Yumiko Hikage, Model Puck Keurentjes, Dress by Corrie Nielsen

Contributions/ Eclectic welcomes new submissions and contributors, for more information visit submissions under the contact page on eclectic-society.com Many Thanks To/ Paris American Academy, La Générale, Tony Ward, Daniel L. Rivas, ORLAN, PR Consulting, Creative Door, Totem Fashion, Alexandre Boulais Communications, Purple PR, Lea Lea, Ritual Projects, SpringSioux, Arista Credits and Copyright/ Attention has been taken to ensure that credits are accurate and complete at time of publication. All appropriate permissions have been requested at time of publication.

Reproduction of any part of this publication is prohibited without prior permission from the publisher. All Rights reserved.

Copyright 2014 by Eclectic-Society.

The views in Eclectic Magazine are those of the respective contributors, and not necessarily shared by the magazine or staff.

Published By Docuphonic Productions Ltd/ Eclectic Magazine is printed in the UK and published twice a year.

For All Enquires/ contact@eclectic-society.com

Back Cover Artwork Flyn Vibert

ISSN 2054-4472

contributors

Aurélie Laurière is a Parisbased freelance journalist passionate about all forms of art. After graduating in literature, she has collaborated with French art magazines.

She’s currently working for a photography magazine and developing the cultural website that she co-founded with friends, girlsmeetparis. com. In this issue, she speaks with influential artist ORLAN and explores La Générale.

Fabio Mercurio styled and coordinated the editorial Transient on location in Milan. His work can be seen in Satellite Magazine, Visionarios in Los Angeles, F_Art Magazine in Holland, V­Rag and Bambi in Canada, Sicky Magazine in Spain, Paper Cut, Pause Magazine, Slave and Kneon in UK. His collaborations go beyond his native Italy abroad to Germany, Spain and Denmark with leading photographers and a number of Italian brands in the fashion industry. Since 2006, he works as a handbag and accessories designer in addition to freelancing as a fashion stylist. fabiomercurio.com

Ophélie Lecorcier explores the independent fashion designers of Paris set to making their own waves in Fashion’s indie.

Lecorcier graduated in international conflict law, but she has two passions from an early age: fashion design and indie rock music. She explores both as a blogger for Girls Meet Paris and as an Eclectic contributo having previously covered Hyères for eclecticsociety.com.

Jonahid Miah is a Londonbased hairstylist with a zest for hair and an energetic streak that sees him constantly busy between high end salons, editorials, fashion weeks around the world, and has styled for models Cara Delevinge and Erin O’Conner.

In addition, Jonahid is the protegé of Malcolm Edwards, John Vial and visionary colorist Alex Brownsell. He joins Eclectic for two shoots one on each side of the Channel.

His favourite products to use?

Bumble and bumble, of course.

Florentine Lecorcier is full of hip hop passion and loves discovering new artists. Tupac is God and she loves 90s US hip hop and films. As she kicks off her career in music journalism, she has moved from a famous press agency to a popular French music magazine.

Eclectic sees her English language journalism debut as she gets lost in the flow of Ace Cosgrove and explores the man behind the lyrics.

Terrible Twins is an artistic collaboration between Ruta Pu & Urte Janus. Lithuanian-born, London-based, Terrible Twins employ their imagination and hands in working for music videos, photoshoots, creating installations for various events and shows. Projects vary from fine art to commercial. The concepts which accelerate the creation process are always reflections and comments of modern society, looking at it from existential, theological and philosophical angles, based on historical references in order to support the concept. Their aim is to make the result not only visually pleasing but also creating work that carries a question with it, with different possible answers or a story with different possible endings.

eclectic issue one SS14

FROM THE EDITORS I dream in Paris of being in London, waking up in Milan, spending the evening with friends in Copenhagen and getting lost in Athens from my bed in New York. I am awake, after a flowing succession of rich imagery, emotions and sensations. Our dreams are outside of our control, our only connection to our unconscious mind, surreal, bizarre, romantic, full of color, black and white. Dreams unlock the creative thought in all of us, as we leave our bodies and actually visit the places in our slumber, an alternate dimension. Dreams are a shadow of something real and reality could just as easily be an illusion.

In this issue, we awake. From places as far as Seoul and as close as Berlin, the talented artists, photographers, and designers we explore are manifesting their ongoing desires and interpreting their visions to interact with our own. From graffiti walls, vacant art spaces, and Parisian streets to the backyards of London, Californian palm trees, to written words - you will discover the talents from around the world like Dylan Don, Ashkan Honavar, Terrible Twins, Lea Lea, Corrie Nielsen, Ilja, Susanne Junker, along with pioneers ORLAN and Jean Paul Gaultier. And as a recurring theme, our back cover represents a canvas for artistic exploration and for this issue, we have the pleasure of featuring artist and photographer Flyn Vibert’s creative interpretation of our cover.

For spring, we are breaking the cycle and following the intuition of the unconscious, blending in reality with dream scenery from different locations and textures, whether they come from daydreaming, hallucinations, or deep trance. We are peeling off the physical and conceptual stimulus layers to dissolve the dream state and enter a conscious one as we all make our claim in the creation of self-identity. We make up an eclectic bunch.

Editors: Anna Barr Anniina M ä kel ä Charin Chong

www.eclectic-society.com copyright eclectic society © 2014

designer discussion

“DEMOCRATIC” FASHION SEES RUNWAY TO HIGH STREET IN A FLASH. FAIR FLATTERY OR DOWN RIGHT COPYING?

When a company uses the ideas of the current designer catwalk shows as primary basis for their own collection to gain financial profit for their own label, I see this as pure copying. They feed on the creativity of the original designers. Sini Moilanen, London

High street brands do an excellent job of providing an accessible and affordable version of clothing seen on the runway. Unfortunately, there is always the case when a high street brand just copies a runway look line for line.

This is unacceptable and sad. However, I tend to find it to be unacceptable from a little bit of a different perspective... to me, they are doing a disservice to the consumer. It is lazy on the behalf of the high street creative team. It is the job of the high street label to provide interpretations of what’s on the runway that season. Line for line copies are not interpretations; they are nothing more than cheap knock offs. I think it’s always extremely positive when any idea or type of information, be it creative, political, cultural, etc., reaches the masses. Frank Tropiano, New York

I still believe there should be a difference between high street fashion and luxury fashion brands - main point is the quality, it is not possible to offer the same quality for the price of high street.

Therefore for the customer who wants to have exclusive clothes and can afford to shop luxury brands, they won’t be that happy to see the same design in high street from the same fashion house.

Therefore, I would say I see it more as copying than fair flattery.

Veronica Basharatyan, London

A wise man once said, “copying is the sincerest form of flattery”... In my opinion there is the creative part of the business, and there is the money making part of the business; these are two opposites genders. They do not always co-exist and often collide.

Barbara I Gongini, Copenhagen

If someone copies something I have created, I tend to take it as flattery. But ultimately it is copying, the designers at these high street brands have generally been to good design schools but due to the relentless pace and appetite for “the new” from customers, buyers and management at the stores; they end up being forced to churn out copies.

It would be great if instead of copying, the high street stores trusted their own designers and let them design something original. But there is such an appetite for cheap, churned out products it is unlikely to change. David Longshaw, London

contents 6 - Exhibitions for the Spring 7 - Jean’s World, Fashion time, Excellent!

8 - Q&A with Photographer Dylan Don 10 - Where Lea Lea Dare Interview 11 - Play Ace (Cosgrove that is) 12 - Ones to Watch: Pale 13 - Eclectic Album Selects 14 - Breaking Trend: Q&A with Corrie Nielsen 17 - Spring Accessories 18 - Fashion Editorial: Peyote 28 - Modern Matters: Q&A with Ilja Vissers 30 - Fashion Editorial: I + Dream 38 - In the Atelier with Frédéric Luca Landi 40 - Fashion Editorial: Transient 48 - Fashion’s Indie 54 - Fashion Editorial: Vacant 62 - The New Nordic 67 - Fresh Faces: It’s All About Eva 68 - Fashion Editorial: Scent of Light 76 - The Dream Collage Series 84 - ID-Identity 86 - Studio Sessions: With Tony Ward and Daniel L. Rivas 92 - La Générale: Art in Transit 94 - Tour 13: Ephemeral Street Art Museum 98 - Beauty Editorial: Trance 104 - Backstage at Issey Miyake SS2014 106 - Beauty Editorial: Daydream Believer 109 - Olfactory: Blood Concept 110 - Fresh Faces 112 - Haute Couture Diary 113 - Naco Paris: Spring Special 114 - Terrible Twins Art Series: Hole in my Head 116 - Travel: Crete in Spring 119 - Food Trends 120 - Travel: Eastern Paris vs Swanky Shoreditch 122 - Hip Hostel: Generator in Berlin 123 - Stockists 124 - Last Words: ORLAN Barbara I Gongini SS2014, Photograpy Karina Jønson, Image courtesy of Marlo Saalmink PR

exhibitions

Photo Credits: Charles James Ball Gowns, 1948. Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph by Cecil Beaton, Beaton / Vogue / Condé Nast Archive. Copyright © Condé Nast

Paris: Dries Van Noten 1 March to 31 August 2014 Musée des Arts Décoratifs - Mode et Textile For more than two decades, Belgian fashion designer Dries Van Noten has been known for his masterful mix of minimalism and ornate, heavily ethnic notes and cerebral, unassuming textures amongst controlled layering that creates a poetic look. Alongside curator Pamela Golbin, Dries Van Noten takes us to the sources of his inspiration, staging a cabinet of curiosities. Each window intimately illustrates a theme that has been defined as you journey through his creative process. Van Noten was given access to the fashion archives, enabling him to discover all of the fashion collections of the museum.

Van Noten’s approach to the preparation for the exhibition has been very hands-on; the collaboration with the museum and deep research within has led Van Noten to emulate some of the nineteenth century textile designs, which were reproduced for his ready-to-wear Spring/Summer 2014 collections.

London: The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2014 5 April to 27 July 2014 Victoria and Albert Museum During the 1950s and ‘60s, the many Hollywood films shot on location in Italy had an enormous impact on fashion as stars like Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor became style ambassadors for Italian fashion. After the Second World War, Italy was in ruins, but turned itself around dramatically into a luxury hot spot, not just for cinema, but with the landmark “Sala Bianca” catwalk shows. Held in Florence in the 1950s, the shows propelled Italian fashion onto the world stage. The V&A’s spring exhibition The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2014, examines Italy’s rich and influential contribution to fashion from the end of the Second World War to the present by exploring the key individuals and organizations that have contributed the quality, style, and expertise for which Italy has become renowned.

New York: Charles James: Beyond Fashion 8 May to 10 August 2014 The Metropolitan Museum of Art Charles James (1906–1978) was the legendary twentieth century Anglo-American couturier who created a dreamscape of gowns. Charles James: Beyond Fashion explores his design process. With a focus on his use of sculptural, scientific, and mathematical approaches to construct revolutionary ball gowns and innovative tailoring, James continues to influence designers today. The exhibition will be presented in two locations: The New Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Gallery in the Anna Wintour Costume Center will provided the evolution of James’ processes from sketches to swatches and evolution to metamorphosis over the years, while the special exhibition galleries on the Museum’s first floor will spotlight the resplendent architecture of James’s ball gowns from the 30s to 50s alongside such renowned clients as Austine Hearst.

jean’s world, fashion time, excellent!

By Porschia Thomas

This Spring, The Fashion World of Jean

Paul Gaultier: From Sidewalk to Catwalk

will be at the Barbican Art Gallery in London.

Opening on April 9th, the exhibit will explore the twists, transformations and transgressions of Jean Paul Gaultier’s work from the 1970s onward, including collaborations with Herb Ritts, Cindy Sherman, and Andy Warhol shown with clips from his days at cult show Eurotrash. While the L’Enfant Terrible has grown up, returning to the city that nurtured his rebellious nature should keep the sarcastic Parisian bad boy inside him alive for a little bit longer.

From his ongoing muse Rossy de Palma taking part in his SS14 show to his couture creations for Peter Greenaway’s aesthetically stunning film The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, Gaultier is no stranger to stretching the limits of sexuality, redefining beauty, and fighting the good fight for alternative beauty. Untraditionally trained, shadowing Pierre Cardin for three years, Gaultier threw a wrench into Paris’ fashion elite. Gaultier, one of the unlikely secondwave feminist icons, was amongst the first designers to include women of all body shapes, sizes, ethnicities, and races to model his designs. Grace Jones, Crystal Renn, Beth Ditto, Stacey Mckenzie and Frida Kahlo are just some of the offbeat beauties featured in Gaultier campaigns.

Though we have grown accustom to his theatrics, Gaultier was the first French designer who dared to offend. The 1970s was a time of young rebellion: America was having a rock and roll revolution, London had punk, but Paris was sticking to its classic couture roots.

Driven by all things satirical and gender bending, it is no surprise that Gaultier could not be restricted by the bonds of classic couture and burdening French conformity. Jean Paul Gautier pushed French couture to a new level by connecting haute couture and the streets. While Vivienne Westwood was busy nurturing punk on King’s Cross Road in London, Jean Paul Gaultier was tearing down couture walls by lighting up the Parisian runways with more gimmicky theatrics than Karl could fit in at the Fendi and Chanel shows combined. Gaultier seemed to take pleasure in traumatizing the stuffy fashion elite, rightly telling us it is okay to party and come as you are.

Paolo Roversi, Tanel Bedrossiantz, 1992 Barbès collection Women prêt-à-porter fall/winter 1984 – 1985

More shocking than his défilé antics is the conservative nature of his clothing. Gaultier is a master of rebellion on the runways, but his pieces reveal a more traditionalist side to the designer by poking fun at classic French pieces and turned them into weapons of revolt.

White and navy striped nautical shirts, the ultimate symbol of French masculinity, are paired with kilt skirts. Subtle French lingerie becomes grotesquely obvious coned bras, a shape that remains a staple in all of Gaultier’s collections as feminist armour. Beneath the eccentricities lays a brilliance of tailoring and a substantial understanding of garments so precise it could have only been learned in a Parisian couturier.

Gaultier’s rebellious-conservative spirit lives on in Paris’ young fashion moguls. Olivier Rousteing’s equestrian rocker at Balmain is just as much a result of Gaultier as Phoebe Philo’s breath of young British energy into Celine, and Rick Owens’ mean mugging step dancing models at his SS14 show. The civil rights activist of French couture Jean Paul Gaultier’s dream of unconventional standards of beauty have been realised in a way that the young wannabe punk could have never imagined.

The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From Sidewalk to Catwalk at Barbican Art Gallery, London, 9 April – 25 August 2014

7

photography

Coachella Palms 2012

feeling california: q&a with photographer dylan don Text by Anna Barr

German photographer Dylan Don is based between London and the Pacific-blessed City of Angels. His work is regularly seen in L’Uomo Vogue, GQ, W Magazine, along with international fashion campaigns. His sun-filled imagery of Los Angeles and portraits of today’s rising talents has put him in demand. It was time we got to know about the man behind the lens.

How has your journey been so far?

It’s been emotional.

When did you first pick up a camera? What did you start shooting?

From the moment my father gave me my first camera (Nikon F) I started shooting people. I believe it must have been Henri Cartier-Bresson’s photographs of people from around the world captured in that decisive moment that inspired me right from the start. I have adopted a documentary style of photography from a very early age.

Who were your early influences?

Henry Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans, Don McCullin, and then later I was fascinated by William Eggleston, Guy Bourdin, Helmut Newton, Slim Aarons and Jean Paul Goude - mainly for their

strong colors and compositions that I love so much and, of course, the amazing subjects they have portrayed.

How has your style evolved over the years?

All I can say is learning by doing...

How would you describe your style and techniques?

The most important for me is to level with my talent on a friendly basis. I need them to be totally relaxed and cooperative. When the talent gives me what I need because they feel comfortable, then half of my job is done already. I think that’s one of my biggest trades; that I get on well with people instantly.

What do you prefer to shoot with?

Even though I am the last generation that has been taught to shoot on manual cameras and how to develop and print your

images, I still prefer to shoot everything on digital.

What do you like to communicate through your photos?

Cameras change with each job. For commercial jobs, I shoot on medium format cameras from Hasselblad with digital backs. Personally, I use the Sony Rx1. I think it’s the best compact camera I ever bought.

I want to communicate a certain lifestyle that is colorful, elegant and feels real. My images are not over-polished or surreal. I don’t do complicated image manipulations and digital effects. I love to play with the colors, movement and composition, just as I learned from the beginning while shooting documentary style.

Now I have a crew with lots of equipment, styling, make-up on a set, so it became more difficult to re-enact that effortless looking style of photography. But, as I said, I’m learning by doing.

You are quite the globetrotter and divide much of your life between London and Los Angeles. Which destinations inspire you?

I get inspired by sunny and colorful places. Los Angeles inspires me very much every time I go there. When the weather is good, L.A. has the most beautiful light and fantastic locations. But after three weeks the inspiration wears off and I have to move on again for a scene change. I think I have a creative A.D.D.! Anyways, for me it is more about the people/talents at the locations that inspire me the most. That’s why I travel all over the world to shoot them...

Who do you feel are timeless style icons?

Who do you enjoy to shoot?

I am working on a coffee table book dedicated to shoes. I have an appreciation for the characteristics and styles that often go together with a person’s footwear. Over five years I have put together a collection of photographs outlining some of the most notable footwear-centric captures from around the world. From celebrities to fashionistas to total strangers in the street, I have covered it all. Obviously, all of the images have my signature colors and effortless feel them.

I prefer work with interesting people that have something to say or give with their looks and presence. People that have natural style: like artists, actors, musicians, designers. Individuals that have achieved something in one way or another. These I love to portrait in a timeless elegant way.

What type of model do you seek out when shooting fashion?

That really depends on the project. If I can, I choose models where their beauty comes from little imperfections. Not the classical beauty, if you know what I mean... I like models that are beautiful without being perfect.

Steve McQueen, Daphne Guinness, Jackie O, Paul Newman, Marlene Dietrich, Truman Capote, Gloria von Thurn und Taxis, Andre Leon Talley, Gianni Agnelli, Michael Chow, Prince Charles, Iris Apfel.

What projects are you looking forward to in the spring?

And lastly, share a little secret with us...

I never assisted any photographer in my life.

Cara Delevigne Bevelry Hills 2013

“If I can, I choose models where their beauty comes from little imperfections.

Not the classical beauty, if you know what I mean... I like models that are beautiful without being perfect.”

- Dylan Don 9

music

where LEA LEA dare

By Pete Buckenham

The last year has been quite the arrival for Lea Lea, mapped with landmark firsts: European Tour, launch of her self-titled debut album, strong single releases; Black or White, Apartheid and AK-47 and a killer remix by DJ Vadim on The Road featuring Horace Andy.

Accompanied by a host of acclaimed videos and re-mixers, the tight anthemic soundscape production on Lea Lea cannons the launch of a genre straddling icon. The album spearheaded a project that’s been moulded by Lea Lea, and her support team of creative talents, over the last couple of years.

Behind the iconoclastic persona of front woman Lea Lea are co-writer Kim Garrett, Producer and Composer Jack Baker - also a drummer in Bonobo live band, Fatty and Mike Lesirge. This core is enabled by the artistically minded, bringers of party, left of soul, London indie label, Wah Wah 45s. Add the film prowess of Alex Leach, Mike Kovacs and Husky to this creative power ensemble and it’s easy to imagine them thrashing out a strategy in scenes befitting Kubrick’s infamous War Room.

Lea Lea’s uncompromising lyrical edge, album artwork and fierce videos present her charged for battle. Statuesque in a classical portraiture, Lea Lea’s cover art evokes the drums of War. I caught up with her in a North London boozer to find out what lies ahead and whether she is, indeed, ready to lead the minions.

Photography Hanako Whiteway, Styling Francesca Pinna, Make-up Elizabeth Hsieh, Hairstyling Jonahid Miah Top Photo: Jumper by Jane Bowler Flock chain by Faustine Steinmetz Necklace on hair by Culietta Bottom Photo: Denim jacket by Avelon Top by Sparkle and Fade Skirt by American Apparel Rings by Culietta

10

Having just returned to the studio to work through recent ideas and inspirations, Lea Lea told me she’d scratched a long standing itch by “spending a few ‘hours’ on the drums!” With a modestly restrained glint in her eye and wry smile to match, she recounted how she’d frustrated the others by getting “at least one beat.” She feels studio sessions are the time to work through ideas and experiment with her band without expectation. “We managed to put down loads of ideas; we all put what we think out there and take in each others’ riffs and beats... there’s no ultimate direction in these stages.”

Lea Lea praises her band, recognizes their talent, and realizes that their contribution to her ambitions is invaluable.

She is proud of the collaborative feel of

what she’s doing and loves working on the Lea Lea vision with her band members, co-writer Kim Garrett, label, video producers and behind the scene stylists. A mantra of “CREATE WITHOUT RESTRAINT” appears to be of the utmost importance. “We signed to the incredible Wah Wah 45s - it was a key moment in moving forward. With their wisdom we knew where we were at. They’ve provided much professional guidance and brought us to where we’re heading.”

Striking a pose, Lea Lea emanates ideologue style wearing a weighty gaze fit for Rome, Palmyra or Thermopylae! Conversationally, she’s far removed from the fierce artistic persona and the chat is never wanting. The challenge is to restrain the lengthy exchanges of biographical analogies.

Our ambling natter reinforced the impression of Lea Lea’s project as an integrated expression of multiple art forms and ethical dialogue. When asked if the intention had been to overtly produce a socially conscious artwork, she stated, “that’s me: social awareness and, I suppose, Kim takes the same approach. I’m motivated to try and make a change through one individual, or more. I don’t feel enlightened by commercial music... My writing will always be me.”

The Lea Lea album is a passionate story of self, left-of-centre, hard hitting and without compromise. Lea Lea’s lyrics raise the proverbial sand and charges the storm for her observations and manifesto to hail down. “I want people to think; have fun, but think. Make positive change. If I do this with one individual, then I’ve succeeded. I could think of nothing more fulfilling than being able to inspire. I can be that person because of the people around me, and the community and environment in which I was raised.” Lea Lea’s lyrics are vitriolic and personal, yet they transcend to reach common everyday experience. “Social comment bluergh.

There has to be more, but I need to be diverse, too.

I’ll touch on other subjects... debates and positions on feminism are interesting at the moment; in my mind it’s all too blurred and needs to be simplified and away from labels. I came from labels and they didn’t work for me. Labels hold people back.

We need to let go of the past and see people as individual humans.”

In short breaths we skip across Lea Lea’s diverse interests, continents, community ethics, and the thirst for creative and intellectual challenges. Without feigning modesty, Lea Lea states her ambition to be part of a overhaul of ethical fashion choices, “I hate the way it looks. It doesn’t have to be substandard and ugly at the supposed expense of ethics. I want to make more music; lyrically, I’d like to touch on the tricky place that feminism is at.”

Lea Lea has traveled extensively and is eager to get back on the road. She draws from lengthy experiences abroad for inspiration and the needed space to focus and write. This is where her best flow comes and cites new experiences and people as her creative fuel. She yearns to again travel to South Africa to participate in education projects. Looking ahead, she is hoping to extend the community and education work she and Kim enjoyed so much previously. Providing art therapy in schools, where kids have expressed emotions in a relaxed environment, has been a personal highlight. “Me and Kim are just beginning a climate change course to learn about that situation too.

The beginning step is knowledge... I’m never too old to learn and there’s nothing more beautiful than change... If you decide at some point in your life that you’ve learned everything you need, then you’re a fucking chief.”

music

“With my music I try to explain both of our stories to hopefully give off the message that ‘you are not alone and anything is possible with hard dedication’.”

- Ace Cosgrove

Photo courtesy of Ace Cosgrove

play ace (cosgrove that is)

By Florentine Lecorcier Ace Cosgrove, the upcoming rapper stirring an underground scene in Maryland, is dropping his new project Simple Criticism.

Ace arrived on the scene a prophesized alternative oracle as one of the members of Hostile Youth, a group of young artists with a cult following from DMV (D.C, Maryland and Virginia) offering a new escapism from the mainstream sounds that we hear on loop.

The group is a union of six young artists making music in their own instinctive way: Ace, Uno Hype, Hassani Kwess, Vaunfe, their producer DJ Black Diamonds and visual artist Criminal Priest. Get ready, as each track is better than the other, and they do it with such laid back ease. This is the magic of the rap. Simple Criticism is a pure masterpiece that will become classic for the lovers of conscious rap.

The young MC is definitely into this new movement of using music as a weapon. For sure, it existed since the beginning of rap music, but the way of expression has changed: the lyrics have become more mature and the artists - younger. The name of the mixtape is simple, but its message is direct and clear. It assumes the thoughts of the rapper who simply wants to express himself and not to be judged by anybody. “I figured with this project, why not make it my best work and let the listener understand what I’m going through in life, so then they can understand?”

better. It expresses the general atmosphere of the mixtape and the sense of every song: “I was just, like, lost in the society when I made this project. The overall feel from Simple Criticism that I want to rub off on people is “painful”, if that makes any sense... So with each songs I want the listener to feel my pain.”

At the same time, those feelings have a certain positivity. “With my music I try to explain both of our stories to hopefully give off the message that ‘you are not alone and anything is possible with hard dedication’.”

Those positive thoughts are reinforced by the fresh, jazzy old school hip hop beats. For this mixtape, he worked mainly with Royal producer and his beats highlighted Ace’s style. What makes his manner of singing unique is his particular athletic flow using staccato rhythm whilst lyrics are read fast, literally taking him seconds. He emphasizes the fact that a message must be delivered quickly so as to make us feel a sort of urgency; we hold our breath with him. Ace really likes to play with his art; he has no limit of creativity, but it’s all well measured and proves the maturity of his work. Simple Criticism is a well-constructed album that must be heard with full attention, because Ace Cosgrove is definitely a young rapper to keep an eye on. Tweet @ace_cosgrove

Ace does things this way, because of what he’s been through. I haven’t walked in his shoes, so I can’t really tell him how to do 11

music

ones to watch: pale

By Charin Chong

Photo courtesy of Purple PR

We’ve been big fans of London duo, Pale ever since we discovered them last summer and in our opinion, they’ve only just scratched the surface.

The buzz surrounding this mysterious duo on Soundcloud is well deserved, with singles like “Fearing Faces”, “Too Much” and their latest nostalgic tune, “Rundown” garnering plays and hype all across the musicsphere. With a handful of debut tracks, they’ve likened to electro-pop juggernauts such as The XX, The Weeknd and James Blake.

They’ve yet to release a full-length album, but on the first listen you can already grasp a sense of their signature sound - minimalist electronic beats against honest songwriting and soulful, echoing vocals. At times melancholic, their tracks are equal parts haunting and captivating and seem set to invade your subconcious (“Two Wrongs” and “Doing My Time”, I’m looking at you).

The quality of their craftsmanship extends to their music videos as seen in the bleak production of “Fearing Faces” or the insanely hypnotic “Too Much.” The use of stark visuals emphasizes the band’s melodic sound instead of distracting from it, building a repetoire of addictive tracks that you can’t seem to stop listening to.

In the past year, Pale has supported Sky Ferreira, The Vaccines and Spector as well as headlining their own tour in London. We were also lucky to have caught them live on their first solo concert in Paris’ swanky Silencio Club.

We can’t wait to hear more from them and it seems like heir arsenal of stripped-back talent shows no signs of slowing down. But don’t take our word for it, have a listen and see for yourself. soundcloud.com/pale-vv

12

music

eclectic selects

Fuckable

by Fake Club Dust out your riot grrrl gear and get ready for the next generation as raucous London scuzz all female rock band, Fake Club releases their debut album.

Anagrammatically self-titled, written and released by the band themselves, it’s an impressive 10 track onslaught of honest rock & roll music that flashes between pounding drums, screaming guitars and killer-chorus’ perfectly entwined with unforgettable riffs. With hardcore 90s infused lo-fi sounds, they even come with their own zine. You will find some new anthems in songs like “Beauty Queen“ poking the pretty and rich that make up our Instagram spam, the ones whose hair and clothes sit perfectly and like to give advice as they look down on us as freak and geeks that don’t fit in.

Don’t miss their stellar live shows this spring, the band has already garnered an army of dedicated fans in the UK and Europe following an Italian tour and sell-out headline show in Berlin in 2013.

Fuckable by Fake Club out 24th March

Mira by GUSH GUSH is back. We finished the year off with the brand new EP “Siblings“ on Cinq7, from one of our favourite French indie groups. Who else could pull off acapella, rock, and synths. Imagine The Partridge Family with a makeover à la Freddie Mercury with a streak of the French Touch riding the waves of the 50s close to the musical universe of the Beach Boys. While they didn’t quite tour the US with their acclaimed first album Everybody’s God in 2010, we have been watching them closely as Parisian buzz rises and this springs sees the release of their second album Mira. The quartet may be from the City of Lights suburbia, but taking a cue from Anglo-pop, they belt everything out in English. Listen to “Siblings“ to hear the new direction that makes up Mira. Mira by Gush out 7th April

La Vierge & Le Lion

by Exotica No, Exotica is not a cum-stained strip club in Pigalle, it’s the kitsch pop sound that has us bopping away, taking their name from Depeche Mode’s Summer ’94 tour Exotic. Before the launch of their debut pop electro album La Vierge & Le Lion, situated inside of the former mansion of Georges Bizet now the intimate Parisian spot Le Carmen, we got a taster of the synthetic pop darlings’ duo Exotica made up of Julien Galner and Clara Cometti. With their songs sung in French and English it is hard not to feel swept away to a Sophie Marceau 80s rom-com. Not surprising since they are cinephiles and create a sound that can be described as the best kitsch soundtracks that never existed.

They have a lot of cheek that adds to the charm. Listen to their explosive single “Control Freak“ and get seduced into their world. La Vierge & Le Lion out 3rd March

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breaking trend q&a with corrie nielsen Text by Anna Barr

Corrie Nielsen is fashion’s ascending star with her iconic structural form and historical references while bringing luxury back into the artisan’s hands. Since winning London’s Fashion Fringe in 2010, selected by John Galliano, Corrie’s work has regularly been seen on the runway, editorials, films, and spotted on celebrities.

Corrie Nielsen and Katia Bololia for FilepMotwary.com

How has your journey been since 2010, when you won the Fashion Fringe award from John Galliano?

Saint Martins, you traveled around the U.S. and even did a stint in Korea. How has those experiences correlated to your work now?

It has been both challenging and rewarding. When I say challenging, the experience up to this point has made me look at the business differently and my place within it as well as the choices I have made.

There is an old saying: An unexamined life is “not“ worth living! We have to look back at our mistakes and thinking to change for the better.

It opened my eyes up to the world and different cultures. When you put yourself out in the world, you become a sponge soaking up the environment, surroundings, cultural influences and natural habitat. All of which inspires the mind and senses to create beautiful things. Most of my designs are created from experience.

The journey has also been rewarding to the fact that I have developed close relationship with various individuals who have made their mark within the industry. Being recognized by some of the world’s top fashion influences has been incredibly rewarding.

You grew up in the United States and were drawn to your British heritage; but before you could manifest that, when did you realize that you wanted to be a fashion designer?

It all started when I was 9 years old. My grandmother brought me a fashion magazine from Canada. My mother, of course, was a big influence as well. I used to watch her put her make-up on and wear stylish dresses. She was also a dress maker; her sewing and craftsmanship was impeccable. When I was 11, my father got me a sewing machine and that changed everything.

With a background in the United States and craftsmanship of a Parisian couturier, you have based yourself in between the two in London. How would you define London’s fashion?

London is very “street”. If you look at all the different fashion movements through English history, it has all “now” evolved into everything and anything. Honestly, I’m not sure how to define it. If you asked me this question 10 years ago, I might have been able to give you a more directional answer. The thing is, the fashion in London has become lost in all of the commercialism. I keep seeing previous trends repeated over and over again. No one is really making effort in breaking the circle of “trend forecasting” which could change the face of fashion and start a whole new revolution.

Before settling in London and embarking on your studies at Central 14

Your designs are between two worlds: elaborate narratives that have drawn upon Scottish heritage and, most recently, the structure and silhouettes in your SS14 collections inspired by 1950s Chinese couture and the tangible world made up of ruffles, volume, and structural gowns. We imagine that you spend a lot of time in research libraries. Describe the general process you go through to design and realize a piece of clothing.

Visiting old libraries and research archives is one of the processes, but there is also another process in which I embark on: visiting historical places which have made immense impact with in history. People have to remember that it is not just the places of historical context but the people that have had the power behind those places. All creation from every cultural background, past and present started with thought and belief from an individual and, in other cases, individuals who had power and say in which all forms of creation have started.

This fascinates me, as having a deep understanding of what our ancestors did and how they made history in every form.

Visiting places, embracing culture, research and physically being present in different environments allows me to visualize and feel concepts that enhance my design process.

You balance the intellect of a collection with the aesthetic. How do you manage to strike an accessible accord and build brand loyalty as opposed to many one-off novelty designers today?

Most designers today are based around “trend setting” which lacks intelligence and profound impacts within the industry. It’s important to create intelligent design and aesthetic as well as make quality and by setting an example to the fashion community. Through examples of work, people become inspired which generates brand loyalty as well

as respect. I have found that this takes time as today brands are based on fast turnover and mass consumption, resulting in throwaway. It is definitely time for major changes that “need” to happen within the industry.

Tell us a little bit about your atelier in the historic Somerset House.

Somerset House is a treasure. I’m very lucky to have a studio there.

One of the first things I did when I moved in was explore the house.

It has endless rooms and the walls can tell hundreds of stories of all the changes and people that walked and lived in them. The most fascinating part of Somerset House is the building style as well as the aristocracy that lived there. When you walk into the House courtyard off The Strand, you immediately get the feeling of a style that once was so sophisticated that it has become lost in modern times. You are literally taken back to an old and opulent England.

My studio is located in the vaults of Somerset House; they almost look as if they were once stables housing horses. It is very private and secure which I like very much. A city within a city itself, a Charles Dickens novel “Tale of two Cities!”

Many critics believe that even today, the industry is full of misogynists who design for female caricatures from the vixen to the nymph. Additionally, it is common in many ateliers to see the manual work done by women and the higher positions such as creative directors held by men. Yet women are more powerful today than any other time in history. Your path is taking your down the footsteps walked by Madame Grès and Madeleine Vionnet. As you take this journey, how would you describe the “Corrie Nielsen woman” and her role in the twenty first century?

Well, what I say is this: “Tables always turn,” meaning if men have been in high positions then it was only a matter of time when women take their place. There has always been a cliché of women’s “roles” in society. I don’t know who started all that crap, but women are equally talented as men. In fact it is true, that in the past and present day, within ateliers, women were the ones who oversaw the manual work done. This has put them in an even better position to become designers as they were experienced not only in cut and make, but three dimensional design and form. So, experience is valuable in the respect

Corrie Nielsen and Katia Bololia for FilepMotwary.com

“It is important to stay true to your identity; if not, then the designer gets lost in mass consumerism.”

have to make compromises. We have seen designers leave the ateliers to take Art Direction positions that oversee a range of lifestyle products. Big houses are playing musical chairs for the press and sales, making designers disposable. What is your inspiration to remain independent and focus on the construction and design of the garments within your own label?

This is a question that has stretched across the industry over the years.

It is important to stay true to your identity; if not, then the designer gets lost in mass consumerism. There are ways of having a successful turnover rather than selling yourself short and designing for unhappiness. I think there are a lot of designers out there who are so desperate to make a mark in the industry that they will do anything to get there. In the end, they are used and broken. I also believe that a lot of designers’ expectations are “very” short lived, going into the business thinking it will be instant fame and fortune. Does not work like this at all, in fact, most do not have their hearts nor minds in the right places.

It is not all about fame and fortune, but how an individual can make an impact with their design and be respected. It takes years to really make a mark in this industry and I think when a lot of designers realize the work, labor and sacrifice involved, they soon get bored. My goal is to bring back a unique style and character to the industry without selling myself short and being short lived.

How would you describe the state of fashion today?

All over the place, lost!

Let’s look towards spring, tell us about your new collection.

This season is a powerful mix of emotions blazing within the films House of Flying Daggers (Zhang Yimou) and In the Mood for Love (Kar Wai Wong) - 1950s China ensnared women and shrouded them away from pursuing love, yet this strengthened their passion, leading to instances of ardent seduction.

Corrie Nielsen and John Galliano at the Fashion Fringe Awards

Fabrics used were Latex, waxed cotton, light weight wool, chiffon and Tulle with silk organdy layers which overlaid the cottons, in the colors of cream, sea foam green, soufree lime/yellow, taupes, white and black.

As your label expands and becomes more established, we want to know a bit about your plans for the future.

that without it, how can you be a master as a designer? Especially as a dressmaker.

How I would describe my woman is an individual that is independent and free from society’s outlook and demands of what a “woman” should be. They have a unique style and grace that is shared with many. Style, not only presenting themselves through an image, but also how they live and interject themselves amongst many different types of people across all sectors. It is important to be a role model to the world.

Heritage is a reoccurring theme in your work along with the different facades to the female character from strong to delicate. How do you see fashion’s relationship to identity?

The designers that have made an impact on the world have created their “own” identity which is recognizable within the greater fashion community and world. It seems that fashion today is all over the place.

The relationship fashion has with identity really is up to the individual and their desired direction. I think fashion’s relationship to identity really is about “identifying” a unique design, style and look that can be recognized by many.

Anyone who has ever attended your shows during London Fashion Week, would have noticed the make-up and hair. What role does it play in your presentation and how is the creative collaboration with the beauty team? How does the process begin?

Hair and make-up is the last thing that is discussed to complete the look. In the past, when I have liaised with the hair and make-up artists, we all have had open minds regarding the creative look for the collection. I like to give creative freedom to the artists rather than dictating the image. This allows them to open up whole heartedly with their individual creative visions and the end results have made immense impact. It is very important to work with artists that share your vision and can amplify a greater impact with in the industry.

Fashion is an industry and, in order to make money, many designers

I am going to answer this question short and briefly, as my plans for the future are to be well respected and seen as an example.

accessories

spring accessories: going geometric

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1. Sunglasses by CAST Eyewear 2. Bracelet by Eddie Borgo 3. Clutch by Kzeniya 4. Necklace by Ek Thongprasert 5. Bracelet by Bernard Delettrez

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Pe yo te 18

Photography Robbert Jacobs Styling Simon Gensowski Hairstyling Olivier Henry Set Design Tifenn Danion Make-Up Cate P Model Marine Muller

Dress by Gosia Baczynska Porcelaine ring by Jordane Somville

Sweater by Ground Zero Dress by Atsuro Tayama Shoes by Martinez Lierah

Cape by Christine Phung Dress by Avelon

Dress by Gaowei + Xinzhan Belt by Napsugar von Bittira Cuff by 1-100 Shoes by Corbier Agostini

Coat by Christine Phung Skirt by Shadow Connected Necklace and ring by Bernard Delettrez

Dress by Lutz Huelle Scarf by Mermi

Jacket, bra-top and pants by Corbier Agostini Shoes by Fred Marzo

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modern matters: q&a with designer ilja visser Text by Anna Barr

Your work includes sculptural shapes creating an impression of a powerful character that women embody. They are strong, not fragile beings. Why did you decide to work with such shapes and do you feel that it is an evolution of the powerful female characters of today?

The shapes we are creating are powerful, but not in a warrior way. They are sensual - away from cliché, which makes them look strong. The idea of looking different and still being confident is represented in every ILJA silhouette. This is captured within a strong belief in expression and art, a fascination for shape and creation, awareness about oneself and the surrounding assembles a modern personality. ILJA uses the freedom of expression to spread this vision.

What is your vision for your namesake couture line, ILJA that you founded in 2009?

The vision of ILJA is providing women the ability to express fragility and compassion, to show their sensitive side while remaining authoritative and respected for both their beauty and strength. My team and I carry out this vision by my company’s mission: creating wearable art in order to tell a story and allow the wearer to self-express.

In 2006, you launched your Prêt-a-Porter line Ready to Fish.

What role does Ready to Fish play in your overall concept?

The Prêt-a-Porter line Ready to Fish was introduced in 2006, translating a consistent innovational approach of artistic expressions as ILJA does. The Ready to Fish world is not solely communicated throughout collections, but also via music, which we carefully select per collection, and furniture.

You have shown at Amsterdam Fashion Week in previous seasons. What is the mood and vibe there? Are there any designers we should keep an eye out for?

Amsterdam Fashion Week is known for its younger talents.

It’s such a creative hub as no big names “overrule” the show agenda. There is still a difference between “household names” and young unknown designers; however everyone shown on this catwalk is refreshing, new and daring. For me Claes Iversen is somebody to keep an eye on internationally.

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In recent years, emerging talent, such as Iris Van Herpen and Steffie Christiaens studied at your alma mater Arnhem Academy. Tell us a bit about those student years there.

ArtEZ in Arnhem, it is a very creative school. The teachers are quite tough on you and they prepare you for “real life” work in fashion. They treat you like you are on your own, which I see as a very positive. Of course, later I noticed how it is to really be on your own!

Innovative design and 3D construction has become your trademark. Let’s look at the role of technology. How do you see it evolving in your couture line and in fashion today?

ILJA is following innovation in all areas and often uses it as an inspiration, including technology. Even though there is much fascination in modernity and technology, we are not literally leaning our inspirations on the newest steps in science. We aim for a sensual fusion of modern matters and living out femininity. Especially in our couture line this can be interpreted in vast ways. Still, whilst we aim for constructed shapes, fabric manipulation in multiple ways and modern color and material combinations, we do not forget to emphasize a strong female character, which is beautiful and sensual.

Looking ahead, how do you see the function of garments in the future?

Wearing garments means expressing personality; a garment goes hand in hand with the thoughts we have. Personally, this will never change and is an instinctive element. Functionality might be improved scientifically in textile innovation where needed. However, even if a silk dress must go to a dry-cleaner, women feel it is worth having and wearing. This care and attention we give to garments will never fade.

What art forms beyond fashion, sparks your curiosity to explore?

Fashion design will always be my priority and, I think, will also be the only thing I would like to do for a living. However, when searching for new inspiration, different art disciplines catch my eye. I find a lot of inspiration within photography, music and architecture.

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I + DREAM Photography Hanako Whiteway Styling Gabrielle Stival Styling Assistant Josh Tuckley Make-up Francesca Brazzo using MAC Pro Hairstyling Lotte O’Shea Model Ella Crockett @ Models1 Model Sophia Nilsson @ Next Models

Jacket by Shao Yen Dress Stylist’s own

Ella Model on Left Wears: Top by Shao Yen Top by American Apparel Shorts by Clio Peppiatt Accessories by Yifang Wan Sophia Model on Right Wears: Top by American Apparel Dungarees by Clio Peppiatt Glasses by RVS

Sophia Model on Left Wears: Body suit by Tinned Bananas Trousers by Cassandra Verity Green Neckpiece by Yifang Wan Ella Model on Right Wears: Top by Clio Peppiatt Shorts by Yifang Wan Jumper Stylist’s own Belt by Yifang Wan

Waistcoat by Unreal Fur Bra by Sadie Clayton Trousers by Cc Kuo Earring by Sadie Clayton

Jacket by Shao Yen Dress by Stylist’s own Shoes by Cassandra Verity Green Ring by Finchittida

Dress by Beyond Retro Top by Ji Cheng

Top by Tinned Bananas

in the atelier with frédéric luca landi Text by Anna Barr Photography by Charin Chong

Many designers’ ateliers are full of sketches, samples, and fabrics, but not Frédéric Luca Landi’s! This is where he makes his one of a kind couture dresses for his exclusive clientele, where mannequins are draped, lace and beads mix with pins and needles - making it a real working atelier.

In 2005, Frédéric left the couture house Dior, where he was in charge of the realization of red carpet dresses for screen stars such as Hilary Swank, Nicole Kidman, Monica Bellucci, and Penélope Cruz, to find his own label in Belgium’s fashion capital Antwerp. We are not going out on a limb, when we say that Frédéric is, without a doubt, one of the best drapers in the world.

Why would anyone like to leave to Paris? It all began with a visit to Antwerp in 2003. He started coming every weekend until he eventually had a roommate, Romain Brau, before moving into his grand house. The attraction to Antwerp was the initial peace and quiet that couldn’t be found in Paris. Among the quiet, you have a chance to find yourself and follow your instincts, which is easily extinct in the machine of Paris.

Now, when he goes back to Paris once a week, he can enjoy the city’s energy, suppliers, exhibitions, and get ambitious before he retreats to his Antwerp atelier. Paris is too crowded to express ideas; in Antwerp you can experiment and go crazy, he feels.

While most designers create a collection for a season based around theme, Frédéric takes a different approach in the initial conception.

Couture today has lost its purpose: that it is meant to be worn and is a reflection of society.

We dream when we see couture creations; but Frédéric dreams about us, what would bring 38

“The freshness of Antwerp is when I can listen to the chaos of the creative mind and inspiration takes hold.“

out the best in each individual woman. Ask him who he dreams about dressing and he will say everyone!

Every woman comes from a different culture, climate, and country. It is not with new things or need to push technology that he gets inspired, rather the expression of beauty for a client through immaculate technique. Couture today is neglecting to explore the women that wear the clothes. That is why, with his curious nature, Frédéric’s clients come back again and again.

Once you experience a dress made exclusively to feature your best facets including personality, it easily becomes addicting. It is easy to mistake Frédéric as a Casanova, as he makes love to each woman differently with each dress.

First, he looks into the clients’ closets, to see where he fits in their world, and to see who the other lovers are. Soon, he mediates between the fabric and the client. Once he is inspired by a fabric to fit the client, he plays with the fabric until he finds the best way to express it: different patterned texture, lace, and combinations fall differently and need exploring. As everything he makes is draped, he spends three to four days a week draping in his atelier. When visiting Frédéric’s atelier you are reminded that couture isn’t about press to sell perfume or accessories, it is clearly about helping individuals to realize their dream that doesn’t come prepackaged or dictated.

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Dress and jacket by Stella Jean Shoes by SI-V Trolley by Mandarina Duck Backpack by Benedetta Bruzziches

transient Photography Fabio Bozzetti Styling/Project Coordinator Fabio Mercurio Make-up/HairStyling Fausto Cavaleri Model Haijin Ye @ 2Morrowmodel Milan

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Jacket and skirt by Au Jour le Jour Backpack by Benedetta Bruzziches Stockings by Calzedonia Shoes by Prada Traditional Chinese headpiece

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Dress by Jo No Fui Bag by Mandarina Duck Shoes by Roberto del Carlo

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Shirt by Au Jour le Jour Pants by Cristiano Burani Shoes by Stella Jean

Shirt and skirt by Gaetano Navarra Bag by Mandarina Duck

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fashion’s indie

By Ophèlie Lecorcier

Obstacles arise against young designers whilst pitted against the luxury powerhouses that make up Paris; it is becoming harder for young designers to create and develop their brand independently. Besides the financial issue, there is also the lack of trust of the professional and the press.

We are seeing a current wave of independent designers in Paris who fight for their brands and, moreover, their identity that they create without answering to the confines of shareholders. What does it means to be a young, independent designer nowadays? We look at those who were brave enough to make their place in the fashion capital, reinventing the rules of fashion today and bringing it back to the origins of garment design. What all four have in common is that they were inspired by not finding what they were looking for yesterday and set out on creating today.

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Sad Walli SS2014 collection

The Builder: SAD WALLI According to Algerian-born Walid Saidi, “architecture is the base of everything.” His passion for architecture brings him to create his menswear brand around the idea of the existence of 10 rooms. Each one represents a type of architecture.

Spring/Summer 2014 explores the culture of the Middle-East side of Europe with strong references to churches. The SAD WALLI man is a reunion of pureness and complexity by mixing razor sharp tailoring that reveals a geometric silhouette and luxurious materials complete with a meticulous sense of detail, a beautiful gap between the past and the present.

What is the story behind SAD WALLI? What motivated you create your own brand?

I was never really attracted to fashion; rather, I have fallen into it.

I went to art school and did a lot of photography. One day, one of my friends asked me to help him by taking part in his jury for his fashion school and observing the construction of the clothes, I had the desire to take part in it. Whether it’s fashion or in architecture, it’s a puzzle where you have to put together each element to form one piece; a perfect one that gives a sense and which is visually acceptable. I created my own brand because I didn’t really find what I wanted. I have something more to bring, something different, not only in the fashion industry, but in general, in terms of lifestyle.

but the only suppliers that pose a problem are those who require a large order. We are lucky to be sold already in five countries. From our second collection we were sold in Asia, which is an important market for us in regards to the fact that my conception of the cloth and their shape are more focused on Asia.

It’s a question of luck and work. We are going to the market that we want, and we are canvassing the shop that we want by knowing that we are in a really restricted sphere. For the moment, it’s ok, we can do better. It was hard, but we are managing to do it slowly. We reach the curiosity of the consumer.

What are your future projects?

It’s really not in terms of creativity because we are always exposed to a commercial problem. We have to arise to the barrier because we have to sell, to make it profitable. It’s a business before anything. I need to be creative, but I also need to find a certain balance between commercial issue and creativity. In my opinion, I offer a product that can be worn every day, but with a certain type of identity: a SAD WALLI one.

We have a plan for 10 years, for sure. I have directed my first video, which is the teaser for season’s collection. I am really attached to the direction and I would like to develop it in the future. I have many things to learn as a young designer. With this brand, we would like to go in the direction of living. My vision of the man is for all parts of his life, and not only his wardrobe. For women, it is a really saturated market. You have to be really innovative. I prefer to lead women to wear SAD WALLI unisex pieces.

What are the difficulties in creating your own brand in regards to the current context and confines in terms of commercialization?

SAD WALLI at Coincidence 11 rue Chapon, 75003 Paris

What is the benefit for you by being an independent designer?

It’s true that some manufactures or suppliers are owned by big groups,

Everything was going well in Antwerp; we had opened an online shop, and it exploded. The online store worked better than the concept store, so we decided to move out for a smaller place. And honestly, I missed Paris; the opera, theaters, so I decided to come back and concentrate myself on a lovelier and more seductive shop than the one we have created in Antwerp. Ra concept store in Paris is like a little theater: we can put out all the clothes, sit on little bench, and everything can happen.

You can see a Baroque flutist or a death metal band.

How do you choose the designers who are presented in Ra?

The Dreamweaver: ROMAIN BRAU

I receive many emails everyday of new brands that have arrived on the market. I always look at their work; sometimes I’m seduced. There are incredible and unseen things that I’mproud to expose in the shop; sometimes it is just a bad Rick Owens copy that doesn’t interest me at all. We are looking for THE new piece which will surprise the clientele. We favor the creative over the commercial. In front of commercial things, I immediately leave running!

Designer, dancer and actor, Romain Brau is a free spirit who works with passion.

Inspired by the Italian Baroque culture, his creations express nostalgia, romanticism.

He has created his own world because he always had the impression he wasn’t born in the right century and wanted to share this vision. Romain plays with a multitude of art forms: he works with musicians, film directors, contemporary dancers, poets and mime artists. Each one of his presentation is a real declaration of love for the kind of art expression. He is also the creator of Ra concept store in Antwerp and Paris, a platform of support for directional fashion and emerging artistic talent.

What is the role of the independent designer in the actual fashion industry?

Why did you find your namesake brand in 2010?

I created Ra in 2009, taking risks carrying 70 young designers. As an artist, something was missing as I abandoned design after five intense years at fashion school. I began with seven fur coats, which I admittedly created for myself at the beginning. It was a way to have fun, to continue to create and not lose my skills. Some shops asked to buy the samples and then the Japanese ordered some. I have always been against seasons and the rhythm of fashion, but it works like that and I get it.

Romain Brau photo by Aurélie Laurière

You create a fantastical universe without limiting your creative process. Is it a benefit as an independent designer?

I have always wanted to answer only to my desires and my dreams.

In the beginning, I didn’t care at all about the need to sell; I never had this kind of pressure. If I don’t sell, it doesn’t matter. There are enough people on earth to find one person, the good one, who will like my creations. I only make unique pieces, so it’s not the same issue as if I had to sell 100 fur coats. I’m also a member of a band called CRISIS. We do a lot of performances in museums and I also design clothes for those kinds of events.

Why did you create the concept store Ra? During my final year at school, everybody began to stress out about their future. I didn’t want to end up in an attic doing embroidery for Chanel, even if I like Chanel. I didn’t want to work for someone else. I had some friends who worked for big houses. They were underpaid, worked a lot and pretended to have a wonderful life just because they had a big name under their belt. It’s not my vision of life. The best luxury is to be your own boss and create your own work. I was lucky enough to travel a lot. I realized that there were no shops that proposed their own universe, where you can find not only clothes and books, but also a restaurant, an art gallery, a theater. So, I wanted to create a place with unique pieces, but also vintage pieces, and where I can give dreams to people. I’ve been with so many talented people at school who came from all over the world with their own universes, so I said let’s do it. This is what we’ve done in Antwerp with Ra. Why have you chosen to open a second Ra concept store in Paris? Was it sentimental?

It’s sad. Before, I would have had an utopian and dreamy speech; but after five years, I have a serious analysis of the market and it’s really hard to be a young designer. However, being a young designer is the best way to be spotted by big houses who are dying, in need of creation, and who have big budgets to create a real artistic identity. Today, a young, independent designer is important. It’s a step that you need to cross to be spotted. Like Romain Kremer who was a young designer eight years ago and is now drawing the collections for Mugler. Young designers who own their brand for two to three years will work hard, but they will make what they want and will create a strong identity. We can’t be a young, independent designer forever.

The Gaultier and Mugler’s time has ended!

There are no more investors who show up with a briefcase full of bills and say, “I believe in you; let’s do something together.“ Now, we are cleaned out and copied. We are the moodboard, so we just have fun waiting to be spotted. It’s happened to me several times, being approached for a capsule collection. I do it and it’s well paid, so I’m able to continue my personal line.

How do you think it will evolve in the future?

Now, we are in a movement where everybody wants to dress comfortably; even the big groups make cool clothes like Zara or Topshop. They copy big names but produce pieces faster and cheaper. We are in a horrible circle. The young designers will never be able to last. They will disappear, being bought out by groups or being spotted by houses.

It’s fast fashion now; everything is different with internet, and is going super quickly. Clever people will open online shops with big graphic prints on t-shirts; but this is not creation, it’s only business. The young, independent designers will always be a niche.

On a personal note, do you prefer to stay independent or join a big house?

I’m wondering... I have a proposition by a beautiful house that only does fur at high level. With them I can do what I want because they have the budget; so I’m wondering if I should not stop my personal line.

I have done eight collections and some good things start with other projects, so it’s perhaps the time to go through another step. I will probably be a name that will disappear or bury myself in someone else’s name. I’m not really interesting for the shareholders, because I do not have a commercial vision. I refuse it.

Ra Boutique and Event Space 14 rue de la Corderie, 75003 Paris

Andrea Crews SS2014 collection

The Collaborator: ANDREA CREWS Andrea Crews is a collective led by Maroussia Rebecq who combines art and fashion by federating stylists, illustrators, musicians, video directors and performers. Collections are presented as performances, happenings and videos. Their early works were known as the precursor of a brand new eco-friendly fashion, thanks to the mix of innovative process of up-cycling and colorful street wear. In their studio-shop in the heart of Paris, they are now presenting two different lines: the handcrafted line made out unique up-cycled pieces and the street wear couture line. Andrea Crew’s style is oversized, unisex, and a mix of fabrics and prints. Andrea Crews work highlights personal creativity, experimentation and independence.

What is the collective Andrea Crews?

The collective was created 10 years ago.

The idea was to work together around a communal project. We have a really active design studio where all the ideas spread a lot. We activate the collective only at precise moments for shows or exhibitions. The last performance was at Le Milieu du Monde, where we made a workshop with children.

There we made a t-shirt line.

Your brand represents a certain form of freedom and independence, what does it means for you to be independent in fashion industry today?

I created this project to work together in a multi-creative common project. It is clothes that have worked better with the up-cycling process. When we want to do an up-cycling performance, we invite everyone and we create a common collection. Our freedom and independence come from the fact that in the beginning our aim was not to create a brand; we were in a creative process that started from the existing to be transformed, thanks to the up-cycling. That gives us a lot of freedom in our creativity.

After 10 years, is it hard to keep this freedom and independence?

Yes, because it’s really hard to know where you are going. Even if we work with this freedom, we are never really free. When you set up a big thing, there are always confinements. We are really marginal compared to the fashion industry; it implies benefits, like to be able to have a different voice, but it also imparts inconveniences.

made. We are selling a lot at an international level and we want to keep this going. The more people love your pieces, the more they want to buy it, and the more you have to produce. This is the reason we decided to separate the collection into two parts: the one based on up-cycling that is handmade and the other one, the street wear couture line, which is produced and manufactured.

Our biggest problem is to structure our handmade proposition. Another problem is working with manufacturers. It is really different. It is another way of creating, and we need to reconcile that while keeping our DNA. What is the relationship with your independent status and the environmental value?

Is it hard to keep this with the development of the brand?

We are not highlighting values. What we highlight today is the quality of our designs.

There was a time when we had made a lot of up-cycling and we wanted to point out this practice. In the beginning if we turned to vintage pieces, it was because we did not want to go to H&M or Zara. If we Maroussia Rebecq transformed vintage pieces, it was because we wanted to play with the clothes. It sticks with our way of living: to have ecological and consumption consciousness, to be aware of yourself, your attitude, your body and what you represent through the way you are dressed. This is the most important message. At some point, I wanted to do something else. It was difficult to only do unique and handmade pieces. Now we want to give another dimension to the brand.

Andrea Crews 83 rue de Turenne, 75003 Paris

What are the biggest difficulties?

The biggest problem is the development. At the beginning, we were only doing up-cycling, but you cannot develop it because it is too hand-

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The Eye: ALINE OCHOA ALINE OCHOA is the reunion of the Mexican and Swiss duo Aline Barrero Ochoa and Tom Bauer. Created in 2011, the brand is constructed around Aline’s vision of the shape and Tom’s experience as a photographer.

Aline gets inspiration from Tom’s pictures to create collections. Some of the prints come from original photographs by Tom and some of the shapes are adapted to them. They pay particular attention to the structure of the clothes. It is never too colorful, never too printed, to “do not take away the construction of the garment“ as Tom Bauer said. For their Spring Summer 2014 collection From the Shore, they were inspired by the seaside, the confrontation between the sky and the sea, and all the creatures that live there, such as birds. The entire line is a mix of shapes inspired by the birds feathers, aerial movements, and tailoring influences.

How did you meet and why did you decide to create your own brand?

What is the most difficult thing being independent?

Aline Ochoa: I was working for others brands. I was doing a few pieces on my own, but nothing really established. It was a sort of in-between.

When I met Tom, I was searching for a photographer to make the pictures for a test collection. I liked his work and, with time, we decided to launch the brand. We worked together the Aline Barrero Ochoa and Tom Bauer concept, ideas. He also does the print for the collection.

Aline Ochoa: First, it is the budget. Normally, in the beginning you cannot put enough time in creativity because you have to watch over everything. For fabrics, it is sometimes difficult because you cannot order an important amount like the big houses. It’s the same with manufacturing companies. They are afraid to work with young designers. It’s also difficult to find the right person to represent you.

It takes a long time until people begin to trust you.

Tom Bauer: I take the pictures that are printed on the fabrics. It’s a creative collaborative work.

Why did you decide to create your brand in Paris where there is a great amount of competition for young designers?

Why have you chosen to create your own brand after having work for big houses?

Aline Ochoa: In the beginning, my goal was to have my own brand because I like to be independent and to work with my own ideas. Of course, you have a positive and negative part to being independent; because in a big house, you have the budget, the team, you don’t have to struggle, you just create. Somehow it is limiting, because you have to follow certain standards. It’s not very free and you work a lot. When I used to work for Yves Saint Laurent, I worked a lot and I had no life at all.

Tom Bauer: Now you are doing the same but for yourself!

Do you think that the fact that you have worked with big houses helped you to create your brand?

Aline Ochoa: I think you have to have experience. There are many young designers who want to create their own brand just after school but they don’t know all the details that are behind it. In big houses, I saw how it works. You have an idea on where you are stepping, then what you need to find, what to be careful of, and what you need to deal with.

So, in a way, it prepares you. Of course it’s not the same, because big houses are established for many years. It works differently when you are young; you have to find people that want to work with you.

Aline Ochoa: I started to work here and I think that the most difficult place is also a challenge.

As Yves Saint Laurent said “you make it, you‘ll make it everywhere!”

Tom Bauer: I like living here. You have to be in a city that is very related to fashion. You have everything here: all the contacts, photographers, and creative people. It’s all the best here.

How do you see your future?

Aline Ochoa: Focusing more on the brand because it’s like a baby. I need enough time to care. If you leave it at the start, it will never grow up properly.

Aline Ochoa 12 rue de L’Echaude, 75006 Paris

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VACANT Photography Steven Frebourg Styling Igor V Make-up Cate P Hairstyling Jonahid Miah Prop Styling Anniina Mäkelä Art Direction Charin Chong Production Anna Barr Model Agata Wozniak @ Nathalie Special Thanks to François Fleury and La Générale en Manufacture

Necklace by Tsolo Munkh All Clothing by PartspARTs Shoes Vintage

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Necklace by Jordane Somville Top by PartspARTs

Top by Shadow Connected Trousers by PartspARTs Bracelet and ring by Bijules Shoes Stylist’s own

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All Clothing by PartspARTs Bracelet and ring by Bijules

Dress by Shadow Connected Jacket by PartspARTs Hat by Laurence Bossion Clutch by Christine Phung Black & White Photo by Franรงois Fleury

Mask by AND_i All Clothing by PartspARTs

Wackerhaus

the new nordic Text by Anniina Mäkelä Photography by Lis Breland-Saalmink

Danish design has been known for its functional aesthetic. There is something particular about garments created in the north, and Scandinavian fashion has been associated with clean cuts and simplicity. While Paris and Milan sometimes go overboard on glitter and gold, and London’s fashion scene is highly experimental. What characterizes Copenhagen, Europe’s fourth largest fashion city? We chatted with three talented Copenhagen-based designers about their passion and inspiration.

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Designer Bibi Chemnitz

playfully sporty Designer Bibi Chemnitz, born and raised in Greenland, moved to Denmark as a teenager and founded her self-titled fashion label in 2006. Her designs are often dark, oversized and androgynous, with a touch of playful 90s nostalgia. Bibi Chemnitz has quickly become an essential part of stylish Copenhageners’ wardrobes.

She draws inspiration from Inuit culture. “The nature in Greenland is extreme, it is extremely beautiful and in the same time quite treacherous, which I find very fascinating,” she says. For this spring, she studies the contradiction between Greenlandic functionality and Nordic minimalism.

Bibi Chemnitz is motivated by the whole process of creating something from scratch, but admits that she enjoys the business side of running a fashion brand. “It is hard work, but I have managed to stay independent for close to 8 years now.

This makes me very proud! New things are happening all the time with my brand and company. There are good days and there are bad days, I think it is like that for most people, but I really like that I can form my own days the way I want them to be,” she confesses.

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Designer Nicklas Kunz

masculine utility Danish menswear designer Nicklas Kunz has shown only two full collections, yet he is already gaining international buzz and celebrity fans (rapper Kendrick Lamar has been spotted wearing his clothes). He’s studied menswear at Kolding School of Design and worked with Henrik Vibskov and Soulland.

He gathers inspiration from streets and athleticism. “My passion for fashion consist of four elements: strength, personality, attitude and a healthy dash of sexuality. In each collection, I like to propagate a sense of masculinity, strong, composed, and forward thinking utility.”

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Kunz combines technical dynamics of sportswear into functional tailoring; his style is graphic and sleek, with a hint of cheekiness. His Spring/Summer 2014 collection is monochromatic in black and white, with technical fabrics, and street credible cuts.

Designer Trine Wackerhausen

luxurious simplicity Wackerhaus is led by Danish designer Trine Wackerhausen, who made her debut on the Danish fashion scene in 2003.

Her feminine style combined with clean silhouettes has made Wackerhaus a favorite among the local fashion crowd.

For Trine Wackerhausen, people and moods serve as her primary source of inspiration. “My SS14 collection is all about the transformation from winter to spring. It embodies a radical change of the people’s mindsets in the Northern countries when summer and light arrive. This is a most wonderful transformation from introvert to extrovert,” says the designer.

“Ever since I was young, I have had the urge to create, build, draw, paint, and sew. I really enjoy drifting away and immersing myself in the design process. For me, it is both the journey that is a treat and that special feeling of satisfaction when creating a design that is harmonious, beautiful and effortlessly functional. If those three collide, it is most inspiring,” she says.

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fashion faces Name: Eva Ana Kazic Age: Ageless Hometown: Ljubljana, Slovenia Job: Executive director of ALLAROUNDEVE, which sounds very fancy but involves a lot of floor cleaning, assisting everyone and emailing while attempting to look reasonably nice.

Highlight of Paris Fashion Week: Photo-bombing the NacoParis presentation.

Must Have for Spring 2014: Very eclectic accessories, preferably of your own brand or brands of people you know. “Personal” is the new “IT” word.

Favorite Fashion Moment: Wearing clothes that were made for me only. What can I say, I’m a couture gal.

Icon: Eve of ALLAROUND”EVE”. Whoever she is.

Photo by Svit Pintar

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scent of light Photography Lucilla Bellini Art Direction Anna Barr Stying Charin Chong Production Anniina M채kel채 Make-up/Hairstyling Cate P Photography assistant Filippo Bertola Model Bledja Rose

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Dress DressbybyFrédéric FrédéricLuca LucaLandi Landi

Jacket and skirt by Corrie Nielsen Bowtie brooch by Bijoux de Famille Clutch and Ring by Anjli London

Coat by Corrie Nielsen Necklace by Annaikka Glasses by Factory900

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Dress by ILJA Shoes by Fred Marzo Hat by Laurence Bossion Bracelets by Anjli London and Bijoux de Famille Glasses by Factory900

Necklace by Annaikka Dress by Gosia Baczynska

Dress by Frédéric Luca Landi Clutch and shoes by Fred Marzo

Dress by Gosia Baczynska

the dream Based on the famous painting from Henri Rousseau's"THE DREAM" Collage Ashkan Honarvar PhotographY Danil Golovkin Styling Masha Mombelli Model Wanessa Milhomem@Select Models HairstylING Bjorn KrischkeR@Frank Agency MakE-uP Yin Lee@Era Management NaiL ART Sophie Harries Greenslade@Emmadavies Photographer assistANTS Ruslan Rogozin,Mila Nesterova Stylist assistants Marley Raja,Marta LenzI,Ateser Aldemir 76

Dress and skirt by Manish Arora Yellow top by BOUDICCA Belt by Kirsty Ward Shoes by Vivian Yin for Ekaterina Kukhareva

Dress and corset by Gareth Pugh Skirt and jacket by Jane Bowler Bracelet by AMBUSH Coral necklace (in hand) by Virzi & De Luca

Dress by Mary Katrantzou Jacket by Avelon Necklace by Florian Skirt by Manish Arora Trousers by Hexa by Kuho Shoes by Yohji Yamamoto for Adidas vintage

Dress by Marni Top and belt by Kirsty Ward Arm warmers by Gareth Pugh Glasses by John Hansen Hat by Benoit Missolin Geta shoes Stylist’s own

Dress by Gareth Pugh Top by Shaun Samson Trench by Manish Arora Sunglasses by A-Morir Skirt by Amaya Arzuaga

Top, skirt and coat by Ekaterina Kukhareva Pleated Skirt by BOUDICCA Pink Trousers by Shao Yen Necklace by AMBUSH

Body by Gareth Pugh Kimono by Edie Mac Blouse by BOUDICCA Skirt by Ekaterina Kukhareva Shoes by Vivian Yin for Ekaterina Kukhareva

art

ID-identity

By Porschia Thomas

ID-Identity is Susanne Junker’s ongoing photographic project. Since 2006, Junker has travelled from China to Europe portraying how women around the world “makeup” their faces. After responding to an anonymous ad in the paper or being scouted out by Junker personally, her models are invited to apply their makeup while the photographer captures the moment in per second portraits. At times it is almost brutal to see how they treat their faces – coating, powdering and painting their skin; pulling, deforming and colouring their lips, lids and lashes all in the name of beauty. What is left is a vital moment of intimacy. The women reveal a great deal about themselves, the simple act of choosing to apply conventional over outlandish experimental makeup says a lot about the person’s level of trust and comfort particularly exploring the idea of whether make-up is applied for the self or the other’s standards of beauty. A small but potent contribution to fourth wave feminism the project is set to be released this spring from the artist’s current residence in Paris.

ID-Identity Š Susanne Junker

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Studio Sessions: With Tony Ward and Daniel L. Rivas Photography by Estevan Oriol

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Forget Berlin, Istanbul, New York or London, travel out West to see what multimedia artists Tony Ward and Daniel L. Rivas are creating collaboratively as they find the perfection in imperfections through their process of taking abstract figures and destroying them again creating an outsider art aesthetic. For Tony and Daniel, art is an expression of self-discovery and destruction. The strength of the images are made up of the vibrating colors on raw canvas, while L.A. based photographer Estevan Oriol captures the passing moments of their changing surroundings in black and white film.

“It’s not visual it’s visceral. If you freeze you’re fucked.”

– Daniel L. Rivas

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“I describe it (our art) as a calculated accident. A car crash that you can’t look away from. If you blink then you think.”

– Tony Ward

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art

La Générale, art in transit Photos and text by Aurélie Laurière

SURE, YOU CAN SIT DOWN; SURE, YOU CAN HAVE A CIGARETTE OR A GLASS OF WINE; AND SURE, YOU CAN EVEN CLOSE THE WINDOW IF YOU’RE TOO COLD. THIS IS NOT AN ART CENTER, BUT THIS IS NOT A SQUAT, EITHER. THIS IS LA GÉNÉRALE, AN INDEFINABLE PLACE NEAR PARIS WHERE PEOPLE, SPACES, PROJECTS AND CONTRASTS ARE COHABITING... FOR ART. In the mid 2000s the story begins. The property market in Paris, as in London or New York, was already undermined. How to find one’s place, as an artist, in a gentrified and saturated city? Among the possible answers to this question, there is La Générale, a decompression airlock divided in studios and exhibition spaces. Permanent or invited residents, they are about 40 artists – photographers, musicians, videomakers and mainly visual artists – working there independently, side by side. Even if La Générale is not supposed to be defined, we can venture to say that it is a mixed and versatile structure without any guideline, except transition.

A space for art First of all, why La Générale? Because in a former life, the structure was in a building located rue du Général Lassalle in the 20th arrondissement of Paris. 6000m2 abandoned from years that a handful of artists decide to invest and rehabilitate one fine day in the year 2005. From the beginning, the notion of place is fundamental. The idea was to fill in a void in the urban infrastructure in order to turn it into a space for art. Visual artist Pierre Limpens remembers,“For me, the starting point was a need to work and a lack of suitable space to do it. Quickly, this need to work increased and we started wanting to show what we were doing.”

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Studios, rehearsal rooms, a stage and a processing room: more than a physical space, La Générale opens up a temporal space to art by allowing young artists just out of school and not yet into the system to express themselves, simply. But five months later, they were told to leave. They fought tooth and nail until a new space had opened up in 2007, by means of the Ministry of Culture, on the Manufacture de Sèvres’ site, in the western suburbs. Many leave, others arrive and a hard-core remains. La Générale becomes La Générale en Manufacture, a refined version, everything but frozen.

Border lines To reach version 2.0 of La Générale, you must go to the end of the subway line. Sèvres is part of the inner suburbs, both well connected to Paris and away from its agitated life; a location that fits the structure’s intermediate position which is precisely living on the border lines of political and artistic institutions. Hosted by the Ministry of Culture but totally independent from it, La Générale is discussing shamelessly with the contemporary art world while remaining totally alternative. Pierre explains, “Several artworks which have been shown at the Musée d’art moderne de la Ville de Paris have been produced in our studios and this year, we have collaborated with La Fiac. We have a place in the Parisian art organization but nobody really knows us.”

True, La Générale could be much more famous than it is, but this is definitely not the point. Most of the artists that we met even admit appreciating the place’s tranquility. Musician Émilie Bahuaud explains how happy she is to have the opportunity to work quietly while film-director David Michaud uses the expression “haven of peace” before concluding, “Towards society and torments it generates, each artist is supposed to concentrate in order to be able to achieve a project without distractions. This is possible here.” Having said that, loneliness remains heavy and this is precisely where living as a community comes into play.

A collective of individuals Now look, even though they’re working alongside each other, sometimes together, most of them assert they do not occupy a squat and they do not form a collective. No art direction, no shared aesthetic, La Générale is much more governed by the idea of adding than mixing. Musician Émilie points out this subtle balance, “Since I started working in a community, for some strange reason, I feel way more alone with myself.”

It’s precisely for its ability to make the collective and the individual coexist that La Générale stands out from all other communities.

David, who was a member of the original group of artists who founded the most famous squat in Europe, Berliner Tacheles, before becoming a fellow of the Villa Medici in Roma, analyzes what makes the structure so original, “At the Villa Medici, the living conditions couldn’t be better but you’re short of emulation. At Tacheles, the German philosophy forces you to work continually for the community but you are then awarded with strong support and trust. Here, it is the ultimate: you’re not censored; you’re not asked if you’re making progress in your work. This total freedom cohabits with an extremely rich positive competition. Because it’s in the air but never really present until you show your work to everyone.”

With plurality and change as its only rules, La Générale may foreshadow the future and does embody the present. How can you get in? No terms have been decided. Is there a rhythm or a guideline for exhibitions? Certainly not. How will La Générale look like in ten years? Impossible to say. It’s even impossible to say how it will look when this article will be available. And this is exactly why we’re not worried about it...

Mentioned artists: Pierre Limpens, visual artist, is involved in La Générale since the beginning. atelierpier.com Émilie Bahuaud, musician, is part of La Générale since 2011. She plays solo and in the cold wave band Projet Piscine. projetpiscine.blogspot.fr David Michaud, film-director, just arrived at La Générale. He’s currently working on a full-length film which will focus on a Chinese little town called Tiandungcheng, suborbital spaceflights and... a carousel.

La Générale en Manufacture 6, grande Rue 92310 Sèvres http://www.la-g.org 93

Artist: FLIP

tour 13: the ephemeral street art exhibition Photography by Feriel Goulamhoussen Text by Charin Chong

Last October something revolutionary happened in the artscene in Paris. A condemned coucil appartment building was turned into a makeshift street and installation art museum, exhibiting the work of 105 street artists from 18 countries namely Pantone, Idem, David Walker, Seth among many others.

The art project is the brainchild of a Parisian gallery owner, Mehdi Ben Cheikh who persuaded the town hall of the 13th arrondissement in Paris to delay demolition and join to sponsor the exhibition.

Open to the public with no entrance fee for one month, this pop-up gallery gathered much media attention and soon saw lines of eager visitors that curled all around the block. Some had to queue for 7 hours straight just to enter the 9-storey building to view the art sprawling from floor to ceiling, and spanning across stairwells and 33 appartments. With only 49 people allowed in at a time for an hour maximum, many hopefuls would be turned away even after a whole day’s wait.

In terms of the creative process, each invited artist had at least 1 room to themselves and were given free reign of subject matter - allowing for a surreal immersion of color, ideas and inspiration to premeate through the building’s walls.

These beautiful, once in a lifetime works will be demolished along with the building in the beginning of 2014, but thanks to the actions of its many admirers and supporters, has been forever immortalized in photographs and on a dedicated website.

The project has also generated quite a buzz within the street art community to create future exhibitions like ‘Tour 13‘ - The building, along with its art has become quite the urban legend.

For more visit tourparis13.fr

Artist: C215

Artist: GILBERT Artist: EL SEED

Artist: DAVID WALKER Artist: BTOY

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Artist: DAN23 Artist: BOM K. & LILIWENN

Artist: 2MIL

Artist: MAZ

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trance 98

Photography Daniel Fraser Styling Dee Moran Make-up Katrin Rees Hairstyling Jon de Francesco using L’OrÊal Model Jennifer @ M+P Models Photographer Assistant Cam Jack

Top by Ann-Sofie Back

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Top by Ann-Sofie Back

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Top by Zeynep Tosun

Top by Zeynep Tosun

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Top by Isa Arfen

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backstage at issey miyake SS2014 photography by paul-antoine goutal make-up alex box hairstyling eugene souleiman

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T-shirt by Sweet Matlida Skirt by Daniele Caravello Sunglasses used as prop by Rejected Samples

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Photography and concept Anna Breda Styling Grazia Morelli Make-up/Hairstyling Silvia Sadecka Photography Assistant Juan Martin Baigorria Styling Assistant/Set Designer Giorgia Mellis Model Yani B @ 2morrowmodel Milan Special thanks to “Gallina Smilza Shop� for the scene objects

Dress by Daizy Shely Rings by Le Corone

Sunglasses by Rejected Samples

Clutch by Benedetta Bruzziches

T-shirt Sweet Matilda Skirt Daniele Caravello Necklaces Tia Clara Papillon used as circlet Cor Sine Labe Doli

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olfactory

blood concept Text by Laura Wilkinson

When fashion designer Giovanni Castelli and artist Antonio Zuddas decided to build a fascinating mysterious fragrance, they chose a very unique twist on the ingredient for their scent. They chose blood.

Castelli and Zuddas celebrate the essence of life with four unisex fragrances, each reflecting one blood type and mimicking personal characteristics.

“Filled with legends and meanings, blood is saturated with ambiguity fascination and respect. It’s the most tested and studied part of the human body.”– Antonio Zuddas.

Italian niche brand, Blood Concept was created to innovate the fragrance world with its courageous branding idea and inspiring unisex scents; the concept was so peculiar, so grotesque but yet so romantic. Their design uses unconventional droppers for packaging, keeping that laboratory aesthetic look that the company is built on.

“Perfume may be a second skin, but sometimes it’s also a dress, and in some occasions, a disguise!” – Giovanni Castelli.

Which scent will we wear in the new era we are about to enter?

Editor’s Pick for Spring: When spring arrives, floral images and citric notes immediately come to mind. However, BLOOD CONCEPT +MA White Series is a diverse and unique scent for spring. It is more about the mood and the character of the fragrance that it brings. +MA White Series BLOOD CONCEPT is a twist on the original concept fragrance without any of the metallic notes; the clinical and futuristic packaging perfectly reflects +MA with its notes inspired by the white color.

“Childhood souvenirs and tidy laundry notes linger through its spreading time. A delicate explosion of white notes, known and unknown.”

“Love is no more a battlefield but a silky hug made of white linen.”

Blood Concept is available at:

Avery Fine Perfumery 27 Avery Row, London W1K 4AY Springsioux 48 rue Sainte-Croix le Bretonnerie, 75004 Paris

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fresh face Text and make-up Cate P Photography Robbert Jacobs Hair Yumiko Hikage Dress by Corrie Nielsen

Puck Keurentjes Occupation: Model Age: 19 Nationality: Dutch What make-up do you use?

I use waterproof mascara and concealer. Sometimes I use moisturizing cream, mostly during the winter when my skin gets dry from the wind. I also use lipbalm.

What do you use to take off your make-up?

I chose a Dutch brand oil-based make-up remover because I use waterproof mascara.

Which brands do you use?

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I use the Touch Eclat (Radiant Touch) concealer from Yves Saint Laurent and mascara from Maybelline and Labello lipbalm. The moisturizing cream that I use is from L’OrÊal.

accessories

1. Necklace by Heaven Tanudiredja 2. Frames Yves Klein Collection by Etnia Barcelona 3. Clutch by Heaven Tanudiredja 4. Earrings by Ek Thongprasert 5. Sunglasses

by Mykita

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3.

5.

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spring accessories: blue heaven

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Haute Couture Diary SS14

Ilja SS14

Yiqing Yin SS14

Elie Saab SS14 © Elie Saab

Frank Sorbier SS14 photo by Cédric Bonnard

Valentino SS14 © Valentino

Schiaparelli SS14 Zuhair Murad SS14

Charlotte Licha SS14

On Aura Tout Vu SS14 by Jean-Louis Coulombel 112

Bouchra Jarrar SS14

naco paris: spring special Top and Bottom: Naco Paris SS14 Photos by Natydred Right: Designer Naco Paris Portrait by Jack Wyllie

Naco Paris has been creating unisex wear inspired by his personal background, his taste for the arts, the underground and unusual since 2001.

Ultra-Modern aesthetics, minimalism and his punk attitude are combined in his collections in order to denounce the consumption craze promoted by the luxury industry. His designs have acquired cult status. Check out naco-paris.com

book Just Kids by Patti Smith. More than a biography, this poetic book just shows what it is as an artist. Peoples of the Omo Valley by Hans Silvester, is a photography book which shows tribal people from Ethiopia who create fashion with nature; furthermore, this book inspired my SS2014 presentation concept. When I saw those pictures, I immediately envisioned the set-up and the atmosphere of my collection Art is Resistance.

movie Female Trouble by John Waters. Divine is just fabulous in this movie. William Klein’s Who Are You, Polly Maggoo? is cult!

art Leigh Bowery, Cheri Samba, Frida Kahlo. restaurant

I love Café Marly (93 rue de Rivoli.) In Paris, this is quite kitsch, but it’s so Paris.

club

Usually the worst drag-queens cabarets are the best ... all around the world!

cocktail No cocktails, Champagne only!

musician Patti Smith, Brigitte Fontaine, Dead Can Dance.

destination Bali, I feel at home there.

song People Have the Power by Patti Smith. Yes, I’m a big fan.

designer Jean Colona and Comme des Garçons.

Naco Paris is a French fashion designer, described by the press as “The only designer who doesn’t like fashion.”

style icon Perhaps La Cicciolina! inspiration

Everyday life or things I don’t like are definitively more inspiring for me.

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hole in my head

By Terrible Twins

Hole in my Head explores electrical nerve impulses. We and other animals have several types of receptors of mechanical

stimuli.

Each initiates nerve impulses in sensory neuron when it is physically deformed by an outside force such as: touch, pressure, stretching, sound waves, and motion. When our

receptors are stimulated, they transmit impulses to our brain.

This pathway is directly connected with our limbic system, the part of our brain that deals with emotions. In this project, we

visualize the stimuli which affect the nerve impulses and the emotions caused by it. We attempt to show the human being and feelings without photographing people.

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spring escapades in crete Text by Charin Chong Photography by Cédric Bonnard

If you’re looking for a relaxing getaway with sun and sea, you can never go too wrong with Greece. Among its many islands, we take a closer look at Crete, the home of Nikos Kazantzakis and the setting of his famous book, Zorba the Greek. Here is a beautiful island where you can find the perfect mix of sandy beaches, glorious nature and hidden city wonders.

Beach at Agios Nikolaos

Why go in Spring: Crete is best when the skies are bluest and the sun is bright, and in spring you can avoid the summer crowds while still enjoying the late sunsets and wild orchids that bloom all around the island. Crete is roughly 400 km wide, with diverse natural landscapes of mountains cascading next to some of the best sun-kissed beaches known to man alongside spectacular archeological sites. If you’re staying for more than a week, you must venture out to discover Crete’s many cities, like the beautiful town of Agios Nikaloas with a fantastic vantage point or the winding streets of Venetian port city, Rethymno and Chania. Spring is a perfect time to go sightseeing as well as taste the delights of the many Greek tavernas and enjoy the city’s nightlife.

Agios Nikolaos lake harbour

Tavernas in 116

Rethymno

Secluded beach in Agios Nikolaos

Old Town Chania

Where to Visit: If you’re looking for a perfect city to stroll through a maze of narrow streets filled with hidden treasures, head west off to Chania in the region of the same name. Rich with ancient history, the city’s old town consists of a Venetian harbor with buildings dating from the 16th century, like the city’s lighthouse that faces the long marina promenade.

When it comes to scenic beaches, nothing quite beats Matala Beach located in the south of Crete in the Heraklion region. With white sands and beautiful sandstone cliffs lining both sides of the bay, it’s an unforgettable beachscape.

While you’re here you can visit the caves carved into the cliff side dating back to the Neolithic Age. The coastal town of Agios Nikolaos offers one of the best vantage points on the island east coast. With a beautiful Lake Voulismeni in the middle of the town and the many artisanal shops, you can easily lose yourself for a day here.

Also, don’t miss out on the hidden, secluded beaches with stunning views east of the town center.

For the true nature-phile, the Samaria Gorge is a one of a lifetime experience.

The walk down through the longest gorge in Europe uncovers an amazing landscape and the end goal of a dip in the Lybian Sea at Agia Roumeli, a crystal clear beach is well worth the 6 hour trek. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes and bring water with you.

A quieter, authentic Greek city is Rethymno, a less touristic town with Venetian and Turkish architectual influences. You’ll get to see some authentic quarters where you can see children playing and neighbors sitting and drinking raki. The city’s Fortezza (citadel) is one of the best-preserved castles in Crete.

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Old Town Chania

Stay at: For a bit of luxury and rustic flair, Palazzo Rimondi is a great boutique hotel located in the heart of Old Town Rethymno. This charming 15th century hotel’s architecture is idyllic with traditional stone carved arches and wooden rooftops. The romantic cobblestone courtyard and large pool is a perfect place for a relaxing retreat.

If you’re looking for a more modern ambience, try the Fatma Hanoum Hotel in the Old Harbor of Chania. The newly renovated contemporary mansion located in a narrow cobblestone street combines Venetian and Ottoman architecture with sophisticated interior design that differs in each of the 6 unique rooms.

Eat at: About 10 minutes away from Hersonissos is the tiny village of Piskopiano, where you can find the family-run restaurant, Taverna Aposperida. Here you can get a delicious Mezé platter of seafood and Greek specialties for two, with some raki on the house at the end of your meal.

Pottery in Rethymno

Fine dining lovers should make a stop at Rethymno’s Avli restaurant and wine bar. Their menu offers creative takes on traditional dishes from Crete and the Mediterranean, highlighting the island’s fresh seafood, vegetables and herbs.

Choose to sit either in a modern glass wine cellar or under the stars in their rustic and lush courtyard.

For a more romantic and scenic view, head over to Stalis Beach and look for Ocean bar and restaurant, with tables and sofas laid out on the beach itself where dining barefoot is more than welcome. It’s a great place to enjoy some cocktails, grilled squid or moussaka while watching the sunset.

After a dive in Matala Beach, head a little further away from the waterfront restaurants to find Gianni’s Grill House for a truly traditional and affordable Greek meal. Everything is prepared by Gianni’s grandmother and fresh octopus is their specialty.

Bring back home: You can’t leave Crete without stocking up on some of its many olive oils sold by the liter, fresh ouzo, raki or the islands indigenous wild herbs used for cooking and tea. You can find a plethora of shops in each town, but one of the best places is the Cretan Olive Oil Farm in Agios Nikalaos, where you can see the farm’s own raki distillery, olive oil press as well as pottery workshop.

Lamb Keftedes (meatballs) in stew

food trends

Popelini choux à la creme

Text by Anniina Mäkelä

Coolhaus chocolate bourbon ice cream sandwiches

Poppin’ Popelinis Paris has fallen head over heels in love with these little fluffy choux à la crème from Popelini (29 rue Debelleyme, 75003 Paris and 44 rue des Martyrs, 75009 Paris). Invented by Italian chef Popelini in 1540, today these delightful cream puffs are available in variety of flavors, from salted butter to pistachio, and definitely rival head to head with macaron for the cutest pastry in Paris.

The New Form of Ice Cream

www.popelini.com

Forget about cupcakes, now it’s time to indulge with decadent ice cream desserts. Coolhaus is an ice cream truck selling architecturally inspired, customized ice cream sandwiches in gourmet flavors like balsamic fig & mascarpone and pistachio truffle. Now available in LA, NYC, Austin, and Dallas. For gourmet ice cream in London, try The Chin Chin Laboratorists (9-50 Camden Lock Place, NW18A, London).

www.eatcoolhaus.com www.chinchinlabs.com

Shalom Japan

Challah, Chopsticks and Chipotle

Lakwatsa Halo Halo bubble tea

Bubbling Tea

Fusion is back, and this time Jewish fusion restaurants are popping up across US. Shalom Japan is a Jewish-Japanese restaurant in Williamsburg (310 South Fourth St. Brooklyn, NY) serving sake kasu challah and tataki tuna with tahini. El Ñosh is a Jewish-Latin food truck in NYC and LA with items such as smoked salmon quesadillas and arroz con pollos knishes on their menu.

www.shalomjapannyc.com www.elnosh.com

These deliciously colorful Bubble tea drinks originate from Taiwan.

They are flavored fruit and milk teas served cold or hot with chewy tapioca or fruit juice “pearls”. They are now taking over London and Paris - check out Lakwatsa (7 Blenheim Crescent, Notting Hill, W11 2EE, London) and Bubbolitas (17 rue Quincampoix, 75004 Paris).

www.lakwatsa.co.uk www.bubbolitas.fr 119

paris: the eastern essentials Text by Anniina Mäkelä The latest hip and happening neighborhoods in Paris are located in the east side of town. Check out Charonne, an up-and-coming neighborhood with a village-like charm, and Ménilmontant, a former working class district turned to vibrant center of alternative Paris. If you only have 24 hours, check out these spots.

EAT at Roseval Roseval achieved instant buzz with their simple, yet innovative, seasonal food. Founded by American Michael Greenwold and Sardinian Simone Tondo, who let their diversity show on plates. It takes a while to get a table, so book yours well in advance.

Roseval 1 rue d’Eupatoria, 75020 Paris www.roseval.fr

DRINK at Le Perchoir Located in Ménilmontant, this bar & restaurant concept boasts a stunning panoramic view from their rooftop terrace in the 7th floor. Downstairs, the restaurant oozes industrial style with a mix of North African flavor, with a menu of modern French food.

Le Perchoir 14 rue Crespin du Gast, 75011 Paris www.leperchoir.fr

SLEEP at Hotel Hi Matic Paris Designed by Matali Crasset, Hotel Hi Matic mixes urban elements with countryside lodging while being ecological, automatic and economical. This budget-friendly, modular hotel offers 42 “cabanas” and 100% organic breakfast in the heart of Paris.

Hotel Hi Matic Paris 71 rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris www.hi-matic.net

All images courtesy of Le Perchoir, photography by Aude Boissaye Studio Cui Cui

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london: the swanky shoreditch Text by Anniina Mäkelä Explore London with our favorite addresses for dynamic Shoreditch neighborhood.

Celestine Heaven

SHOPPING Celestine Eleven (4 Holywell Lane, London, EC2A 3ET), a must see for all fashion lovers, features ready-to-wear brands such as J.W. Anderson, Damir Doma, and Meadham Kirchoff. Together with carefully curated selection of lifestyle products, with focus on wellness, founder Tena Stork aims for a holistic retail experience. Boxpark (2-4 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6GY, London) is a pop-up mall that will be open until 2015, constructed of refitted shipping containers that offer a myriad of fashion and lifestyle brands, galleries, and eateries

FOODING Restaurant Andina (1 Redchurch Street, London, E2 7DJ), second place from the chef Martin Morales behind popular Ceviche, serves healthy cuisine from breakfast to dinner inspired by Peruvian Andes. On their list you’ll find Emoliente de Maca, a peruvian hot energy drink, quinoa burger, ceviche of cod cheeks, and Solterito, a traditional salad from Arequipa, with mote than half of the menu suitable for vegetarians.

Andina

SLEEPING Ace Hotel London Shoreditch (100 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6JQ) is a former bland business hotel turned into industrial chic space, sitting perfectly into its local neighborhood as the first Ace Hotel outside America. The 258 rooms feature custom quilts by A.P.C. and toiletries by Farmers’, plus there is also a flower shop and a modern brasserie, Hoi Polloi, from the team behind Bistrotheque. Design hotel Boundary’s (2-4 Boundary Street, London, E2 7DD) new weatherproof rooftop space is open all year around. Stop in for a cocktail or try out their Mediterranean inspired menu.

Ace Hotel London Shoreditch

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travel

Hip hostel: Generator in Berlin Text by Anna Barr After the success of this year’s Berlin Film Festival, you might be planning your next trip to our favourite artist hub, perhaps for Berlin Fashion Week or Bread & Butter in July. Recently, Generator opened their urban design hostel in the bohemian bang central neighborhood of Mitte. Keeping true to the atmosphere, the basement event space showcases the work of local artists, designers, and musicians. Expect to bump into several artists in residence.

Guest designer Ester Bruzkus’s portfolio includes some of Berlin’s most celebrated boutique hotels and restaurants.

For Generator, Bruzkus’ distinctive style is combined with strokes of Berlin’s own grunge flair, a mix of bright vs. dark and old vs. new for a look that is smooth and sleek.

Generator has also embraced the city’s love of street art with a mural created by London artist Luke Embden during a Berlin residency. Watch this space as Generator will be opening boutique hostels in Paris and London later this year.

Prices in the Generator Berlin Mitte Hostel start from €14 (approx. £12) For more information visit generatorhostels.com

Top: Breakfast area, Middle: Chill out area, Bottom: Twin room Right: Reception

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stockists 1-100 one-onehundred.com

Clio Peppiatt cliopeppiatt.co.uk

Laurence Bossion laurencebossion.com

A-morir a-morir.com

Corbier Agostini corbieragostini.com

Le Corone le-corone.it

Amaya Arzuaga amayaarzuaga.com

Corrie Nielsen corrienielsen.com

Lutz Huelle lutzhuelle.com

Ambush ambushdesign.com

Cor Sine Labe Doli corsinelabedoli.com

Kzeniya kzeniya.com

American Apparel americanapparel.net

Cristiano Burani cristianoburani.it

Manish Arora manisharora.com

AND_i and-i.net

Daniele Caravello danielecaravello.com

Martinez Lierah martinezlierah.com

Anjli London anjlilondon.com

Daizy Shely daizyshely.com

Mary Katrantzou marykatrantzou.com

Annaikka annaikka.com

Eddie Borgo eddieborgo.com

Mermi mermi.fr

Ann-Sofie Back annsofieback.com

Edie Mac ediemac.com

Mykita mykita.com

Au Jour Le Jour aujourlejour.it

Ekaterina Kukhareva kukhareva.com

Napsugar von Bittera napsugarvonbittera.com

Avelon avelon.me

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PartspARTs IMSEONOC: parts-parts.kr

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Factory900 factory900.jp

RVS rvsbyv.com

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Sadie Clayton sadieclayton.co.uk

Benoit Missolin benoitmissolin.com

Florian florian-design.com

Shadow Connected shadowconnected.com

Bernard Delettrez bernarddelettrez.com

Fred Marzo fredmarzo.com

Shao Yen shao-yen.com

Beyond Retro beyondretro.com

Gaetano Navarra gaetanonavarra.com

Shaun Samson shaunsamson.co.uk

Bijoux de Famille bijouxdefamille-paris.com

Gaowei + Xinzhan gaowei-xinzhan.com

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Cassandra Verity Green cassandraveritygreen.com

Hexa by Kuho www.hexabykuho.com

Unreal Fur unrealfur.com.au

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Ilja ilja.nl

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Jo No Fui jonofui.com Jordane Somville jordanesomville.com

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last words

ORLAN: “My work is a hybridization

which produces other hybridizations” Text by Aurélie Laurière

It is hard, in Paris, New York or anywhere else, to miss visual artist ORLAN’s prolific artwork as well as her two-tone hair and shining implants. Since the 60s, the French artist turned her body into her favorite material from photographs to sculptures, installations to performances. This body went as far as to be shaped by means of surgery or photo retouching. New technologies, hybridization, feminism and garment: we simply had to take the chance to make an inventory with a pioneer.

You just won the e-Reputation Great Prize in plastic arts’ category. How does it feel to be a popular artist on the Internet?

Not too bad! It crowns my career in a different way than in art history books or exhibitions. It also shows that my work, my news and messages are followed by the young and the not so young.

How do you interpret this award? Is it a fair way of getting back for you, who explored the possibilities of the new technologies from the very beginning?

You’re right, in the early 80s, I created Art Access Revue, the first contemporary art magazine on “Minitel” (a French preInternet) which has been showed at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. We can say that I have been a forerunner in this area, but a lot of artists have also examined this medium.

We know you above all for your Surgery-performances and Self-hybridizations. Do you have the feeling to have paved the way for all the people who are playing with their image today?

The general public knows me through The Kiss of the Artist too, a performance which caused a scandal. All these pieces have been given a lot of media coverage, but they hide a large part of my work! Having said that, it is true that today everybody is taking care of their image: we are all starting to smile when we have our picture taken. This is certainly why my website has so much traffic. It deals with the connection between act and art, new technologies, hybridization, body...

Since you started, you have explored all the religious, political and cultural pressures which leave an imprint in flesh, particularly the one of the female body. Do you notice a change from the 60s?

There are always the same diktats, but they express themselves in different ways. Each civilization produces the bodies while it formats the ideas. Sure, compared to the 60s, women got the right of abortion and contraception which allowed them to be much freer with their sexuality. But nowadays, a lot of things are regressing and it’s worrying...

What is your point of view on today’s feminist movements?

I’m ambivalent. Femen, for example, did an interesting activist 124

work by using their body as a media weapon – for sure, a naked female body is always appealing! But they said a bunch of foolish remarks, that feminists from previous waves were old, ugly, fat and sexually frustrated. They didn’t realize that during a life, women don’t have only one but several bodies.

They won’t get out of it themselves!

You often expose your naked body. But you also dress in a very original way. What part does the garment play in your life and work?

It plays a prominent part. I have kept my wardrobe during my whole life! From my retrospective at the Musée d’art moderne de Saint-Étienne (France), I hybridized my clothes in collaboration with different designers (Maroussia Rebecq, Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada, David Delfín). I gave them only one instruction: create a suture – a seam – between two garments stemmed from different times, stories, materials and designers. Each one created his personal suture. The pieces have been put into clip frames or shown at the Espacio de Artes visuales de Murcia (Spain). For me, the garment is both a second skin and a sculpture.

You are used to collaborating with designers as well as architects, musicians or filmmakers. Does hybridization also apply to visual arts?

Absolutely, we can say that my work is a hybridization which produces other hybridizations!

Is it still the same for your recent work?

Yes, one of my later works, La Liberté en écorchée, is a selfportrait without skin which plays around with Paul Valéry’s famous quote “The deepest is the skin.” There, a character reinterprets my performances in some sorts of virtual reenactments.

Upcoming exhibitions: K11 Art Mall, European New Media Artists, Hong Kong, from July 5th to October 7th 2014.

Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, ORLAN: invited artist of « Riga, European City of Culture », Riga, from October 2014 to February 2015.

Excellence, creativity, heritage.

eclectic

issue one SS14