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The Second Issue
I am MY FASHION
Apparel with an aesthetic quality of avant-garde ideas. Jenevieve Lyons depicts visual parables in fashion.
BORN an ARTIST
Creative individuals around the World share insight into their success. SingerEDITÉUR PLUS / THE SECOND ISSUE songwriters and artists alike.
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EDITÉUR STAFF
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EDITORS
LEEROY ESBEND & ESTER CHARLOTTE
CREATIVE DIRECTORS
LEEROY ESBEND & ESTER CHARLOTTE
ART DIRECTORS
LEEROY ESBEND & ESTER CHARLOTTE
SOCIAL MEDIA ASSISTANT
ANGIE MOTHUPI
CONTRIBUTORS
FLEURIE, MARCEL JORDAAN, ADELLE NQETO, THE DEAD TRENDS, PILANI BUBU, JENEVIEVE LYONS, ANNA JEDNACZ, KIRSTIN JOEY FOSTER, LEAH MOLINARI, PIETER MINNAAR SOCIAL MEDIA
INSTAGRAM: @EDITEUR_PLUS TWITTER: @EDITEUR_PLUS FACEBOOK: EDITÉUR PLUS LOCATION
SOUTH AFRICA WEBSITE
WWW.EDITEURPLUS.CO.ZA
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STAFF
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EDITOR’S LETTER Leeroy Esbend & Ester Charlotte
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MEET “FLEURIE”
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Fleurie & Leeroy Esbend
MARCEL JORDAAN Ester Charlotte
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ADELLE NQETO
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Stephan Weibach
THE DEAD TRENDS PILANI BUBU
Ashley Els
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Stephan Weilbach
JENEVIEVE LYONS Leeroy Esbend ISAAC MIZRAHI
LONDON
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Anna Jednacz
KIRSTIN JOEY FOSTER
Stephan Weilbach
Leah Molinari
FLORIST & NATURE LOVER
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Pieter Minnaar
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EDITOR’S LETTER Greetings and a very warm welcome to the second issue of Editéur Plus online magazine. Firstly we would like to thank everyone for their support in the first issue, we are truly grateful for the success it has been. If this is your first time reading our magazine, welcome. We are a minimalist online magazine featuring artists in all fields. We are very pleased to present “The Second Issue” to you, where we have collaborated with many creative people. During the development of the second issue, we launched our blog, grew our team and enjoyed the positive feedback on the minimal layout. There are exciting new ventures we will undertake in the near future. We are grateful to the many contributors in this issue, singer-songwriters, designers, travel photographers, and creative people, we value your work immensely. To all our readers, feel free to connect with us on social media. You can find our details on the Staff page. Welcome to Editéur Plus “L’inspiration à travers la vision.”
Leeroy Esbend & Ester Charlotte EDITORS EDITÉUR
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BORN an ARTIST Creative individuals around the World share insight into their success. Singer-songwriters and artists alike.
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MEET “FLEURIE” New to Nashville’s singer-songwriter scene is artist Fleurie, the musical moniker of Lauren Strahm, a 24-year-old hailing from the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan.
BY FLEURIE & LEEROY ESBEND PHOTOGR A PHED BY DAV ID O’DONA H U E
THE JOURNEY The French word, meaning “in bloom” was chosen by the artist herself, who wanted an alias that accurately represented her sound. With an array of musical influences, including Coldplay, Imogen Heap, Dashboard Confessional, and The Fray, Fleurie cites that her goal in writing every song is staying honest and true to the sound within her and the story being told. The first EP from Fleurie, Fear & Fable, was released in October of 2013. Though it bears some darker tones thematically and lyrically, Fleurie manages to deliver them softly and quite vulnerably to the listener. Fear & Fable is a collection of carefully constructed stories inhabiting haunting melodies woven through organic sounds, a minimalist approach but with sonic depth. Since moving to Nashville and the releasing of Fear & Fable, Fleurie has been exploring new sonic landscapes and delving into writing the part of the story she finds herself journeying now.
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HOW DID SHE GET INTO MUSIC Lauren has been playing music and singing since she was a young girl, mostly at her church. She started taking piano lessons at the age of ten and writing bagatelle piano pieces shortly after.
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auren fell in love with “making up” songs, first just as melodies and then with words. She loved the feeling of expressing herself through music which became a place she could say whatever she needed to. She kept her writing a secret for many years, thereafter showing people the songs she had written around the age of seventeen, which was her last year of high school. She usually gets inspired by something she sees or hears, a movie, another song or melody, which results in her creating her own art. Sometimes she gets inspired by something as simple as a moment with friends that feels special and sacred to her, and thereafter she has the desire to capture it and share it with the world through music. A lot of songs that she wrote, were written because she couldn’t find any other way to express what was going on inside her. The process of creating, for her, is different every time, but often the melody and lyrics come together, and come before she has played any chords, made a track or anything else. However, that has been changing recently. She has been doing much more co-writing and building melodies and tracks before beginning to fit lyrics in, which is a stretching and an interesting experience for her. She likes the different genres and the outcomes. The songs feel stronger and more memorable.
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If you are an aspiring singersongwriter, Lauren has some advice for you, “Keep writing. Write because you love it, because you have to, because it connects you with others and with God as well as yourself. Write because you have something to say, not because you need to be heard - there is a difference. Know that songs are sacred and matter because they come from YOU and you are a human being, infinitely valuable and significant. Writing and playing music is a gift FOR you as much as it is a gift for others THROUGH you. Don’t get caught up in music being your ticket to fame or attention. You are loved and needed in this world and will never be fulfilled by the praises of others.” “...you were born for such a time as this.” (From the book of Esther in the Bible) is Fleurie’s favourite quote–
“ ...you were born for such a time as this. “ THE BOOK OF ESTHER
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she fully believes that we’ve each been called to the same purpose, to love and serve others and bring restoration to a world in desperate need of it, through our unique gifting and abilities and with open hearts and open hands. She is currently writing for her first full-length record! She also recently released some television/ film-related singles recently “Soldier” is a trailer track that was used for the Concussion movie trailer and “Sirens” was a song written for television that has been used in a few shows. The last project she released was her ‘Arrows’ EP. To find more from Fleurie, the easiest hub is fleuriemusic. com - you’ll find links to her music on SoundCloud, Spotify, iTunes, YouTube, and social media @fleuriemusic
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MARCEL JORDAAN BY ESTER CHARLOTTE PHOTOGRAPHED BY YRJ PHOTOGRAPHY
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Marcel was introduced to the art of making music when he was around 12 years old, with his first drum kit. In 2013 he fell in love with music, creating melodies in a new capacity, when he started playing the keyboard. He explained that his favorite way of expressing himself is through song and melody, “the feeling music creates!”. In creating a song, he likes to build a melody before adding the lyrics. Very seldom would he write the words before he sits at the piano and dances with his fingers on the ivory. Often he would have a picture in his mind and then try to compose a melody that portrays it. Sometimes he would add lyrics so that the listeners can get a better feel for his song, other times he leaves it a breathless instrumental. His advice for songwriters: “Stop doubting yourself, no one got anywhere without dedication.” He
“ I’ve learned not to complicate things... “ MARCEL JORDAAN
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then further explained that it’s not easy writing a hit song. Once you get into a rhythm of songwriting, it becomes natural to have moments of inspiration and writing a great song in minutes. He recommends writing 7 songs in a week, one song a day. “I’ve learned not to complicate things. If you like something, do it. I believe in God and so I trust that he will lead me. If I’m headed in the wrong direction, He will tell me because He loves me. If the path is clear, run forward with everything you have. Most importantly, stay humble, and remind yourself that you have not come this far on your own.” In the next five years Marcel would like to launch 2 albums, and learn the guitar. His dream is to move from opening for other artists, to artists opening for him. Follow him on Instagram @cj_ marcello13 and Facebook.
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ADELLE NQETO Singer-Songwriter
BY STEPHAN WEILBACH PHOTOGRAPHED BY
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Adelle was born in Western Cape and moved to Pretoria when she was six. Now, at the age of 26, she is a full time musician. Coming from studying politics and international relations, it’s quite a long way for her. She added that she’d love to go back to her studies though the Arts and exploring the creative is where she wants to be for this time of her life. While she was studying, she was in a band named Flint Meets Spark. She was an awkward and introverted kid which led her to observing more than participating. From that lifestyle she has had a fair share life experience and it is from that point that she writes of her songs, “exaggerated of course” and other things like photography, film and paintings.
“ I’ve learned not to complicate things... “ MARCEL JORDAAN
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She says: “My style is still being defined at the moment, but I’d say it’s singersongwriter, folk that keeps it simple and quirky.” However, her writing process, is sporadic “I have been lucky, I’d subconsciously have an idea for a week or two and then all of a sudden I have an entire song in one day that I can write. Other times I have to edit and relook at some songs, journaling a lot also helps me with this. So I’m still in the experimental stage of writing. A song, for example, is Big Black Bear which I wrote during the Amerikana mine story. I was frustrated and just saw these three little animals and I ‘saw’ all the music and lyrics, so that was a very external method.”
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When she dreams, she sees herself playing aa many festivals as possible, to get as much artistic experience as she can, while also helping others find their own inspiration and voice. She would love to play with bands like Civil Twilight, and add more variation in her music like keys to inspire others. When asked what inspires her we got a very raw answer: “I think its inspiring and terrifying if people are paying attention. If you’re doing a gig where you are sort of in the background and nobody is listening, it’s pretty nice but what’s terrifying is if a crowd is listening to you and there’s complete and utter silence in the audience. Though that is what I as a singer-songwriter wants, is for people to hear what I’m saying and think about the message that’s
“ Hope… It’s life, but it’s beautiful.” “ ADELLE NQUETO
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being brought across. And then the comments afterwards that people give. Just the full spectrum of people that were inspired like the huge oaks that are rough and then the more artsy people that are, I guess more like myself. Its inspiring to see how my music relates to so many different people.” “I regularly perform in Pretoria at Grounded and then also in places like Johannesburg, at Wolves. I had a few festivals in March which I did solo. But with Flint meets Spark I travelled a lot.” You guys can find her performing in upcoming events like the Capital Craft Beer Fest, in June 2016. The message she leaves us with: “Hope… Its life, but it’s beautiful.”
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THE DEAD TRENDS A not so Dead Trend
BY ASHLEY ELS PHOTOGR A PHED BY JOR DA N MILTON, PA IGE BATES & RYA N SA DLER
THE JOURNEY What’s truly the best thing about South Africa? This exceptionally beautiful country that we live in has such a rich, wide variety of culture. We’re a country of many talents and we’re developing at an incredible rate too. Our music has come a long way over the last few years. With many artists, aspiring and established, taking new ground on the music scene by breaking into a variety of different genres, the diversity and quality of South African music is steadily increasing. The Dead Trends, a recently-formed band, with a great amount of talent and the potential to become one of South Africa’s most relished indie-pop bands. The Dead Trends who have only been a band for the last eight months consists of the following band members: James Chandler, lead singer and guitarist; lead guitarist, Cam Lane; Caleb Frow, drummer and backing vocalist; and bassist, Brad Richards. These talented musicians established their friendship when they came together as a band at the music college they studied at. As music so often does, it unites us, through the intricacies of itself, as a collaborative – no matter how big or small. Everyone understands the language of music. They found that it was this in which they could express themselves so well and was what brought them together.
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We asked the band what their creative process looks like. They described it as, “James usually comes to the practice room with a basic form of lyrics and melody and then from there we work together to arrange the form of the song, whilst adding in our own personal influence. Some other songs have been formed from playing a chord progression and then the song happens to just build on from there.” Their single, “Yesterday”, was produced during the last eight months. The quality and feel that this song brings is that of a first-rate band. The sheer depth of their lyrics and sound brings a profound sense of melancholic nostalgia permeated with an emotive melody. This is truly good music. The band believes that due to our human nature, we naturally take things for granted and that everyone falls victim to this truth, however they counter this flaw by staying
“ Everyone understands the language of music “ THE DEAD TRENDS
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humble and appreciating everything they have, and what they’ve achieved thus far. The support from family and friends helps maintain their motivation. What moves the band most is seeing people sing their lyrics which “means the world” to them. As a relatively new band, the advice they suggest to new singer songwriters and start-up bands is that they need to stay focused and always keep practicing their trade. Music is intricate and there is always something new to learn or master. The band has high aspirations as they envision themselves having recorded a full-length album, touring and playing their music on an international platform, meeting new people and learning and experiencing new cultures. We think, “That sounds pretty good”. Their music can be found on iTunes, Soundcloud, Spotify, Google Play and a variety of other platforms.
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PILANI BUBU BY STEPHAN WEILBACH PHOTOGRAPHED BY LEEROY ESBEND
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She fell in love with music as a child when her family would go on their usual long road trips, where she started improvising and harmonizing with all of the old tapes that would accompany them on the long open roads. When she was 9 she started actively participating in musical activities when she started with recorder and piano, where she would play in ensembles and marimba bands in her school. At 10 she added singing in choirs and groups to her activities. She had the opportunity sing in her main school choir, a folk group, a jazz group and the Northern Gauteng Youth Choir, each giving her so much experience and a thirst for even more. This is also where she picked up her unique style, as she describes it, jazzy, folky, soulful and catchy. She then went on to university and thereafter working, where the groups
“ ...Inspiration is for Amateurs they say... “ PILANI BUBU
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weren’t as many but her passion for singing had stayed. In 2010/2011, she had started with her solo career in singing and released her first EP, titled ‘Journey Of A Heart’ produced by RJ Benjamin, in 2012. She explained that creativity is truly a life line for her, and she is always in her ‘creative’ mode. She describes: “Everything I do daily, human interactions, emotions and anything else that my sub-conscious mind documents, is all collateral that builds to where I need to be creatively.” She describes herself as a messenger, that means that she has to be open to receive concepts and ideas that will help impact change in her event or product ideas, a poem, short story or an insert to her manuscript or a new song. “Every day is a good day for a new idea. Inspiration is for Amateurs they say.”
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“LIVE FROM THE HEART” Inspiring words from Pilani Bubu
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hen asked what she would say to those coming into the scene of music she replied: “I would say be authentic and find your unique selling point. At times that is well centred in your purpose. Your purpose is not simply to sing. As a writer, you influence people’s thoughts, the way they view the world, how they engage with others and even how they heal, grow and evolve. So be intentional with your music.” You can find her on her website at www.pilanibubu.com – where you can have a listen to her music and get a feel for her style. You can buy her music on iTunes and listen to her on any other platforms linked to iTunes music. The pay off line to my logo’s: “Live From The Heart” or “Wear Your Heart On Your Chest” - in essence, follow your heart, pursue your dreams, listen to what it has to say, be purposeful and be courageous in doing so. She says that in 5 years’ time she will be 10 years into her journey of singing. She quotes that it takes 10 years to become an overnight success, so she hopes that after 5 years, 10 years in the industry in total, that there would be some breakthrough in her music. She says that she’d like to move from niche to more of a known and commercial artist, in her own ‘niche-ness’ that is. She hopes for 3 or 4 albums to be behind her name by then and a whole lot of collaborations with other known and not that known artists. She would love travelling and singing around the world, as she already does, to become more of a lifestyle than a special occasion. She’d love for relationships to have been forged and a lot of audiences gained in these next 5 years.
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I am My Fashion Apparel with an aesthetic quality of avant-garde ideas. Jenevieve Lyons depicts visual parables in fashion.
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JENEVIEVE LYONS Mac.u.la Autumn/Winter 2016
PHOTOGRAPHED BY IL RETALLACK STYLING BY GABRIELLE KANNEMEYER GROOMING BY ROSSETTA PETERSON ASSISTANTED BY DOROTHY RAMODIBEDI
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enevieve Lyons is designer that ‘depicts’ visual parables throughout her clothing; referencing strong concepts taken from various fields of study and interpreting them within a fashion context, bringing across strong concepts and ideas in the form of innovative garments with a strong sense of sculpture and moulding. Jenevieve references an aesthetic of conceptual minimalism. Since a young age she fell in love with collecting ‘unbeautiful’ and strange things; which then developed into a process of sketching these objects / ideas in different ways. She became interested in following a career in fashion as she saw it as a way to take her sketches to an actual tangible state and give them a functional purpose. She then decided to complete a BA (Honours) in fashion to learn the skill. The love for the stranger things in life has never left her since then, which she now translates into fashion. This love has also progressed to a responsibility of showcasing South African fashion in a contemporary manner.
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Jenevive’s favourite part os being a fashion designer is the process whereby an idea becomes a tangible garment during the construction process, as well as the beauty of telling a story that is and has a bigger impact that solely just the aspect of fashion and clothing. Her recent collection showcases this: Mac.u.la Autumn/Winter 2016 was built on a concept of ambiguity, and anonymity which panned out with main focus being on the beauty brought through from that what is once possibility viewed as the ‘ugly’. This further led into the study and deeper look into albinism and the beauty it carries forth in the form of fragility marked with the beauty of individuality. This research phase brought along a beautiful film called Moshanyana (please see credits below); which revealed a beautifully depicted albino boy with a freckled face, which in turn evoked the
“ ...as a spot often carries the significance of the ugly but yet carries the beauty of individuality. “ JENEVIEVE LYONS
further exploration into the beauty ‘slur’ mark – freckles. The aim was to showcase garments that represent debility; while bringing form to function, portraying a travelled journey, symbolising the constant travel of a person (albino) carrying ‘the other’; constantly searching for their placement within society. Mac.u.la Autumn/Winter 2016 as a collection played with muted tones ‘impressioned’ with personal markings inspired by freckles on a milked face; opaque silks over meltons, layered three dimensionally, fooling the eye to what is and what is not. It is a play on the abstruseness and juxtaposition of beauty. The collection is aptly called mac·u·la; defined as: [mak-yuh-lee] a spot or blotch, especially on one’s skin; macule.
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hrough the process of conceptualising as well as producing Mac.u.la; the concept became more deep felt and larger than life as more causes came to light within the process as a whole. Further readings on an article that was released a week and a half prior to their showcase at South African Menswear Week A/W 2016 collections caused a teary eye and the realisation that they are bringing light to a major cause: Refinery29 Where Children Like These Are Hunted & Killed For Their Limbs. Further through the Mac.u.la Autumn/Winter 2016 Campaign they had the honour to work with the source of their inspiration; Luthando, a freckled albino man who works in the field of security. “Working with Luthando was a true honour as well as a realisation as to the cause and risk that we are aiming to enlighten through the expression and enrichment of the true natural beauty of albinism as well as the individualism of having freckles.” – Jenevieve Lyons. It is an individualistic trait to wear with pride and understand that it is the truth of natural beauty; and not a trait that deserves being mocked. The textiles we use hold strong pure wool fibres to allow the structure that they insert into their garments. They also aim to support local growing textile industries as much as possible, the responsibility to grow our South African fashion industry weighs heavy, and we need to work together to uphold a standard of quality design that can be related to, on an international level. When asked about her plans for the future, this was she had to say, “The aim to remain resilient with a bright outlook over all challenges faced, in order to further grow the South African fashion industry and build global recognition for the talent we have on our shores. Building a brand takes a lot of passion; courage, resilience and patience – we aim to preserve these traits in order to steadily grow Jenevieve Lyons within the ever growing South African fashion landscape.”
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RUNWAY SHOWCASE Mac.u.la Autumn/Winter 2016
PHOTOGRAPHED BY SIMON DEINER
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An unruly History ISAAC MIZRAHI – DESIGNER WITH NO EXCUSES
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ISAAC MIZRAHI DESIGNER WITH NO EXCUSES
BY ANNA JEDNACZ PHOTOGRAPHED BY JASON FRANK ROTHENBERG & ANNA JEDNACZ
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ry to picture the following situation in your mind: Some widely known, high fashion designer like Karl Lagerfeld or Stella McCartney sitting on the couch, on a set of a TV talk-show. They are not there to explain their creative process, sources of inspiration or philosophy behind the brands they stand behind. Instead, they receive questions like: ‘How should I dress for a summer wedding if colors are not my thing?’ ‘Is wearing mini dresses after fifty a definitely no, no?’ It seems almost impossible to imagine. A fashion designer with their level of skills, experience and fame would not step down from his/her pedestal to educate the masses about the notion of affordable style. Isaac Mizrahi matches head designers of the most prestigious fashion houses in the world with the scale of artisan skills, experience and talent. The difference between him and other designer is understanding the concept of fashion. For Mizrahi fashion is all about inclusivity not exclusivity and snobbism. He is not adapting to the needs of the modern times, the times he is living in are a perfect fit for his bigger than life personality and a soul of the entertainer.
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On March 18, 2016, the exhibition Isaac Mizrahi- Unruly History, documenting 30 years of the designer’s career, opened at the Jewish Museum in New York City. Born into a traditional Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York, Isaac was exposed to sewing machines and behind the scenes of the fashion industry from a very young age. His father was a manufacturer of child clothing and his mother, with her deep appreciation of good quality clothing and impeccable style, could be an equivalent of a modern fashionista. In press interviews, the designer often mentions that she had the best eye for finding sample design clothing at one of the biggest Brooklyn fashion department stores – Loehmann’s. She was an expert in spotting a perfectly fitting blazer in boys’ clothing department for herself
“ the times he is living in are a perfect fit for his bigger than life personality and a soul of the entertainer. “ ANNA JEDNACZ
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and always exchanged opinions on fashion trends with her son. Mizrahi was aware of being gay early in his life, however, he dreaded his father’s reaction to his coming out. Thus, he became open about it when his father died. He received his fashion education from Parsons, a prestigious fashion school in New York. One of his biggest mentors was the designer Perry Ellis with whom he worked for 2 years. His no excuse attitude brought him to a successful first collection at the age of 27, with all the famous super models like Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington on the runway. What followed was the documentary Unzipped, which offered access to the behind the scenes of a glamorous high fashion world, which the general public had never been granted before.
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Walking through the rooms of the exhibition, you can feel that the designer loves and respects women and he makes fashion accessible and wearable for them, as he truly strives to understand their needs and their problems. Despite his glamorous success with haute couture, he decided to be one of the first fashion designers of the low price collection for the retail chain Target (2002). Since 2010 he has been designing his Isaac Mizrahi Live! line for the TV shopping channel QVC and has had live appearances there twice a week. He is a natural born salesman with the sophistication of an experienced theatre actor. The way he talks about the nuances of clothing, the vocabulary he uses is as charming intellectually as it is persuading. The exhibition at the Jewish Museum covers 45 designs, including his costume designs, 150 sketches, some accessories, huge collection of
“ ... the designer loves and respects women and he makes fashion accessible and wearable for them... “ ANNA JEDNACZ
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fabric swatches and a video collage of various steps of his personal life and his stunning career. The fact that the exhibition takes place at the Jewish Museum is meaningful on many levels. Isaac was raised Jewish, in a morally strict environment. He broke many rules in order to become, who he is now. He is not practicing his religion, however the roots of Jewish tradition are inspiring for him and are present in some of his designs. At this moment in his life, at the age of 54, he was finally honored by the place important to his heritage. When you enter the exhibition located at the second floor of the museum, there is a gigantic wall covered with multi color fabric swatches collected by the designer since the late eighties. Color is a very important element in his design process.
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e is very often dressed head to toe in black, as he considers himself more the canvas behind the real art process itself. What we see in the further on is a lineup of his haute couture gowns mixed with Target collection and costumes. The selection of garments confirms that he is not a fashion snob but a creative individual with an insatiable hunger for both tradition and modernity. There is a maxi dress with alternating panels of pink panel (Kitchen Sink), a dress inspired by Irving Penn’s series of flower photography (Tulip Dress). There are designs strongly reflecting the aesthetics of the nineties (Camel Jump Suit and Coat), his fascination with heritage of different cultures: Tartan Dress (Extreme Kilt), Totem Pole Dress (combining American kitsch, Native American folklore and Jewish elements), Desert Storm Dress inspired by the camouflage fabrics of the American soldiers. It is hard not to notice a bright red satin dress with a corresponding baby holder, which was worn on the runway by Gisele. The concept behind this dress was a message that new moms also deserved to be free-spirited and fabulous and have freedom to get out of the house. My favorite part of the exhibition was the screening room where visitors can watch a video montage of Mizrahi’s childhood, his favorite movies, excerpts from various television and movie appearances of his very recent “Isaac Mizrahi Live”! clips for his QVC collection. It is a perfect visual collage portraying very vibrant and complex levels of Mizrahi’s personality and his creative outlets. Mizrahi loves the element of surprise, which is hard to achieve in the age of social media where every part of every process is painfully revealed in tiny details. Not like in the times of the great designers like Dior, when designs were kept secret until they were shown for the first time only to a very selective audience.
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Apart from dressing an average woman, Isaac dressed many influential celebrities and the first ladies such as Hilary Clinton and Michelle Obama. Natalie Portman, a friend and member of the board of the charity Friends of Isaac, helped him to collect the funding for the exhibition. Mizrahi’s versatility is evident also in the fact that he designed costumes for famous choreographer Thwyla Tharp, operas in St. Louis and the performance of Peter at the Wolf shown at the Guggenheim museum, which Isaac also narrated and directed at the same time. I was fortunate enough to see it live and it was a mesmerizing experience for children of all ages. This was the first time when I discovered Mizrahi’s talent for story telling and his ability to capture the audience. In one of the interviews,
“ Mizrahi loves the element of surprise “ ANNA JEDNACZ
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he stated that he perceives himself more as an entertainer than anybody else, which explains his multi-level show business career; from the documentary Unzipped, appearances in Woody Allen’s movies, the episodes of Sex in the City, Ugly Betty and Big C, to a wonderful mentoring position in Project Runway All Stars. It seems that 2016 is the year of Isaac Mizrahi, with the exhibition, the autobiography in progress, book of photography of his collections, the monograph, thriving success of his line on QVC network. He said that “unruly” in the exhibition’s title referred to him more than to his designs, as his designs follow a lot of rules and his personal history is unruly and he did not intend to play by rules. There are many in the fashion world who criticize his romance with high and low fashion.
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saac explains that when he was approaching his first collection for Target, he was thinking of how hard it was for women to find the right fit, quality at certain affordable price levels mixed with fun, creativity and beauty. In times when style is more important than money, he designs clothes for the mass audience as a form of escapism, a souvenir, which improves their mood. Before him, the designers like Pierre Cardin and Halston had their adventures with franchising, which in the end led to some form of failure as they were everywhere and the quality was not maintained. Here, the situation is different; the clothes, which Isaac offers for QVC are at a slightly higher price level than at the department’s stores like Macy’s or fast fashion retailers. He puts a lot of attention to detail and the comfort of the customers. The whole process is thoroughly planned and behind it there is a man with vision and consistency who, for the first time in the fashion history, is not afraid to pitch his creations live on the TV screen. I watched numerous talk-shows with Isaac Mizrahi and when he was asked about style advice he responded that what mattered was feeling right and comfortable, surprising yourself and surprising everybody else too. He loves being a gentle and creative mentor to both contestants of Project Runaway and a girl next door who needs guidance in a huge jungle of affordable clothes that stores offer now. He is so approachable, so friendly, energetic, funny and knowledgeable when it comes to explanation of clothing details and what it requires to make any woman look fabulous. “There is nothing less chic than excuse.” He said to one of the contestants of the Project Runaway in response to her justifications why the dress design did not work in the end. The exhibition “Isaac Mizrahi - Unruly History” clearly shows that there was no time for excuses in the designer’s fashion career spanning more than 30 years. I know that he will surprise as many times in the future and he will remain unruly.
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KIRSTIN JOEY FOSTER Photographer
BY STEPHAN WEILBACH PHOTOGRAPHED BY KIRSTIN JOEY FOSTER
K
irstin has been doing photography for 6 years, and the uniqueness of the streets was her inspiration. She started in the streets of Pretoria, when she turned her attention to places like Newtown, Johannesburg, where people are pushing boundaries, outspoken and not afraid. Photography, without the norm, is her catalyst. Fashion photography, the nude, the sensual, the unashamed. She feels that her own work is not yet aligned with her person, and that all of the boundaries have not yet been pushed enough. She shouts out extremist and hopes to be the inspiration of other artists who find it difficult to express themselves. To be open, free and not to be scared to post or publish their piece of work. She is similar to a vagabond, in that she drives around with all her equipment and waiting in anticipation for that perfect, imperfect moment to capture. She is busy with a projects which feature pineapples and nudes. Where we will see a lot of pineapples in her photography and of course her unashamed and unique nudes.
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Another set of works she has done is ‘Dark Disney’, where she gives a dark outcome for all of the Disney stories that went wrong, like Cinderella’s sisters, whom she depicted as getting their toes cut off and their eyes picked out by crows at the wedding. This is just one of her great works, which emphasizes her abstract and uniqueness.
We will see sneak peaks here and there, whilst in anticipation we wait for her releases. With a lot of dreams and her selling her works we will see a lot more of her in South Africa. Remember to ask her if she is selling that piece you’re eyeing. Her work can be found on Facebook, on Instagram as @jolenejoey and Behance, so do yourself a favor and look her up.
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A journey through London A story by Leah Molinari
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LONDON BY LEAH MOLINARI
PHOTOGRAPHED BY LEAH MOLINARI
I
am a photographer, an adventuresome spirit, a story teller, an explorer, and a dreamer. Most of all I am a sojourner. I linger. I expect. I love to breathe in my surroundings through pen and paper and imagery. When most are ready to move on, I stand there for just a moment more, desperate to hold on to the feeling of it all. If I could spend the rest of my life just observing all the diversity in the world and sharing my love of it. Check out a little more of my sojournings on my website or contact me via email for collaborations!
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To see a city through the eye of my camera is unlike anything I can describe. And I know that there are those who would say, “You’re not really living it, you’re not seeing it, you’re not in the moment”. And they could be right. When I am walking around a city and capturing it’s heartbeat in imagery, I don’t see what you see, I see everything else. I see that the architecture on the twelfth floor is different than the floors below. I see every story. Every facial expression. Every micro beautiful thing is before me and I am overwhelmed with my inability to capture it all.
“ You’re not really living it, you’re not seeing it, you’re not in the moment “ LEAH MOLINARI
So they could be right. Because I don’t see the city. I don’t see the typical touristy things. I see everything. It’s like all of sudden having larger eyes. Your soul takes flight. The noise, the crowds, the pulse of the city - everything before that may have been overwhelming becomes part of a tapestry that you
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soak in. You just want to capture every detail. Every possible facet and color and light and composition. You feel a responsibility to the city. As if all the people and buildings and noise and culture could compact into one giant person and that city person would hold you accountable for what you decide to see and un-see. I was in London. We took a train in and wandered through the great belly of the city: the tube. Massive herds of people shuffling quickly through the tiled halls and riding the underground from one station to another, avoiding eye contact with the stranger one foot away from them as they read or listened to music or processed their day. I found myself wanting to laugh. I wanted to laugh and see if it would be contagious. If I could change a day, a life, a moment, a memory - simply through joy. Joy is an entirely overlooked and under-appreciated countenance. It’s my favorite one.
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he first day we wandered through Kensington. Pristine white edifices flowed from one stooped home to another. The only thing separating them from each other were the perfect window boxes and pruned little trees. Every house was hedged in by these beautiful wrought iron fences. The overall effect was one of decidedly ‘upper crust’. I could just see Audrey Hepburn from My Fair Lady singing angrily at Eddy as she leaves Henry Higgins’ home. There was much wandering and much sitting and much tea drinking. I could appreciate Kensington. I have nothing against Kensington. But considering that I’ve always felt like a weirdo, Kensington’s togetherness was unidentifiable for me. Enjoyed it. Bought the tshirt. Checked the check box. The second day we went to a hip little borough of London called Shoreditch. I stepped out of the Shoreditch High Street Station to be greeted by a street vendor selling food and his dog chilling adorably in the front seat. Graffiti covered walls and square brick buildings, decidedly more new and a bit more raw; created a landscape for a more urban, eclectic, never may care population to call home. Shoreditch, for Americans, is like a Brooklyn / Portland, Oregon combination. It’s very urban and very, very cool. The people are more laid back. They are the opposite of well composed. They are expressive and artistic and concerned with really good coffee.
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“I love weird and eclectic. Odd and inspirational. The overall feeling as though Shoreditch woke up late, forgot to comb it’s hair or shower, but decided to rock it anyway.” As you walk through it’s streets, random art instillations covering every brick wall watch as you pass, begging you to look at them. It’s difficult to not stop every four paces and listen to their beckoning. I felt so at home. The minute I stepped out of the station, I turned to my friend and said, “these are my people, this is my place!”. Perfect and pristine doesn’t do it for me. Kensington would just NEVER wake up late. And therein lies the difference. Shoreditch felt alive in a way that Long Island feels alive: pulsing with people and culture and a melting pot and pleased to be so.
“ I love weird and eclectic. Odd and inspirational. The overall feeling as though Shoreditch woke up late, forgot to comb it’s hair or shower, but decided to rock it anyway. “ LEAH MOLINARI
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Everyone speaks differently, feels differently, looks differently and they love it. The streets are checkered with random vintage thrift stores and coffee shops and bagel shops. Every where feels ALIVE. I’m certain there were a fair amount of tourists walking the streets with me at Shoreditch (because why on earth would so many people be milling the streets at 1 in the afternoon on a Wednesday?). All the real Shoreditchians were probably at work, so if I am mis-representing your home as some type of artistic paradise when it’s really a tourist trap of annoyances, I am so sorry. To all the tourists: Go to Shoreditch. You’ll like it. Unless you’re very Kensington. Then go there. You probably wouldn’t care for Shoreditch.
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I am Expression The scent of floral
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FLORIST & NATURE LOVER PIETER MINNAAR
BY PIETER MINNAAR PHOTOGRAPHED BY LEEROY ESBEND & PIETER MINNAAR
HIS STORY I always find it hard to try to say who I am in terms of a bio. In the movie The Holiday, one of the characters played by Cameron Diaz is busy writing a social profile and thinks about what to say: “Loner, loser and complicated wreck” is the best answer that she seems to be able to come up with at the time. I often hear those words in my head when asked this question. In short, I am a 44 year old man, single and I work in Hospitality. I am soon to take on a whole new challenge in my life which will entail me working in another country. As I have been through a very busy and often tough season in my life I have to admit that apart from working, I have not had much time for hobbies or other pursuits. I do love writing and music and have had the opportunity to be part of a choir for a season now, which has been an amazing opportunity for me. In my free time I enjoy reading, visiting with friends and family (in small batches though #introvertissues) and shopping.
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ecently, I was asked to write a by-line for a blog post that I wrote: Introvert with an extrovert mask, unfit, wine and coffee hound, worshipper, writes to live. I cannot say that I remember the exact time or place that I got into flower arranging – I would say that it is something that has always been in me and I expressed in various forms until I needed to do it specifically. I love flowers and at my parent’s home had this meticulous rose garden that I tended and pampered for years. Whenever there was a need for flowers I would pick and arrange them naturally. When I started working there were times where a more formal arrangement was needed and I just did it as needed. I have not done extensive research into techniques or various types, nor have I attended any courses – I honestly never felt the need for it. I seem to simply have a natural talent and inclination to work with flowers. When I worked for Hatfield Training Centre in the late nineties I used to do various arrangements for functions and I was also part of a team of people who did arrangements for the Sunday services in church. We worked on a rotational schedule where one person was responsible to have a single, large arrangement on stage for the Sunday morning service. I think that in a way I honed my skill by doing this as it was something that required time and effort (also the pressure) and needed to be done right. Since that time I have done many different types depending on the occasion and event type. I have done a wedding, many funerals and parties and have even made very specific hand-held bouquets for brides on request.
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Passion is a word these days that seems to be used flippantly for everything that people like to do or enjoy doing. I think a passion should be something that you feel compelled to do and want to put all your time and efforts into. A passion makes you lie awake at night planning new ways and usually transforms into some form of business/ work opportunity. In this sense I would not say that flower arranging is a passion for me. I would call it a love (hobby sounds like stamp collecting). I am passionate about flowers and love all the various types and shapes and colours. One can get lost in the world of flowers and the joy and happiness that it brings to people is not something to underestimate. I have, so many times, seen how the simplest little bunch or even few stems can have a greater impact than
“ Passion is a word these days that seems to be used flippantly for everything that people like to do or enjoy doing. “ PIETER MINNAAR
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any huge arrangement. I find passion in the joy of others and the visible awe that an amazing arrangement can bring to people. I have been asked a 100 times why I am not doing flowers professionally. There is definite money and even fame in the industry if you make it your passion. As I said already, doing flowers is something that I love primarily and am (told) good at, but the thing for me is that I do it for the joy of it. I de-stress when I get creative with flowers and the sensory and visual satisfaction that it brings is not something that I take for granted. I mentioned above that I once did a full wedding’s flowers that I was paid for very well. This was the lesson for me – I enjoyed doing it far less when I was required to stick to a time-frame, budget and expectations.
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lot of the fun and creativity was lost for me when I was not free to do my own interpretation and also needed to rush to finish and get, arrange and keep hundreds of roses fresh in the searing summer heat. It made me realize that I will much rather do this for love and by request when I can be creative and have time to play. This is where I find the real joy in working with flowers. I would really struggle if forced to choose a favourite flower as there are so many that I like and I enjoy all the colours and shapes so much. Ultimately, if pressed, I would say that it is a tie between tulips and St Joseph’s lilies. Tulips for the amazing colours and I love how their stems curls and takes on a life of their own – I think there is something delicate and fragile about them that I am attracted to nurture. I simply adore those bold trumpet heads of the St Joseph’s lilies and their strong (even pungent) smell simply adds a dimension that makes them stand out among other flowers. I cannot say that I have ever come across a flower that I do not like or see the potential for using in an arrangement. Flowers are for all the senses to enjoy (except for the occasional thorn in the flesh) and I simply love seeing flowers, whether it was simply stuck in a pot or if it was artfully sculpted by some master’s hand. I often get the impression that people think there is a form and structure to arranging but in my opinion (unless you are using a very specific technique) it is a needed organic process. I would use three points for the sake of illustration here: selection, preparation and visual occurrence.
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• Selection is simply that – choosing what you need or what your client required and making sure that the various types and greens will work together. I prefer to go in blind and simply walk into my favourite shop and pick out what is available on the day. It is often hard to order flowers in advance due to availability. I usually have an idea after speaking to the client of what I want to see and adjust what I can find accordingly. • Preparation is about choosing an appropriate container and cutting and cooling off stems that have been transported. A sharp, sturdy pair of shears is a must and from there you can pretty much use anything. I often use light fabrics in the vase to steady stems and even to fill in for a dramatic effect. • Visual occurrence is the actual putting together of an arrangement. My mantra here is that most often, flowers arrange themselves. I simply facilitate and
“ Google is your friend “ PIETER MINNAAR
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put together. When I stick a stem in the vase and find that it does not work with the one next to it, I find another place for it to shine. The beauty is also that if it does not work right the first time there is always the option of starting over. I firmly believe that Google is your friend here. We are fortunate to live in the age of information and what you need to find out is freely available online. There are clips and sites and Pinterest to consult. I will offer two pieces of advice here. One is to not try and go against nature. I said this above – flowers often fall into place all by their own so do not try too hard to make the impossible happen. Second is to listen with your heart. Often, like with a funeral or wedding, there is a specific thing that the person likes and it is your job to try and discover that and interpret it to the best of your ability - ultimately to make the client happy and bring joy to everyone seeing it.
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am not really “in” the industry so I will not pretend that I am an expert advice giver here. I think something important to think about is what I said about myself – make sure if this is a passion/career for you or simply something you enjoy. If you want to make this a career, there are courses that you can do but I think most important will be just to get out there and do it. Work was a great starting point for me in a safe environment and I got and still get promoted by those who see my work. If you plan to make this your business then you need to look at options like working for or with a florist, events company or a hotel group. One of the best things is that you can start small and work your way up, as you get more clients it could become a full time income at some point.
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Thank you to all the artists who contributed to Editéur Plus “The Second Issue.” We know that your work will inspire many others.
Leeroy Esbend & Ester Charlotte
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