jest a magazine Davil Tran
Nanowar of Steel
Issue 1
Paolo VolontĂŠ
Someone said that humour must be a natural part of clothing. Go to page 5 to find out who it was.
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6 - 13 Watch out for the ugly pranksters
44 - 49 Essay Fashion is not a joke
MAIN PIECES
Contents
14 - 21 Collaboration The wacky review by Nanowar of Steel
40 - 41 Shopping page Amuzing trend
22 - 29 Girls just wanna have fun
42 - 43 Shopping page The wacky pick of it-items
30 - 33 Interview Inside Vetememes
50 - 59 Photoshoot The parody parade
34 - 39 Funtastic visions
Go to page 60 to see the launch venture in partnership with
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
It was
GAULTIER
In the Beginning was the Humour, and the Humour was with Dadaists and Dadaists were the Humour.
After revealing itself in the history of modern art for the first time through Dada and Surrealism, this divine force descended on fashion and its prophet was Elsa Schiaparelli. Then Vivienne Westwood, Rei Kawakubo, Jean-Paul Gaultier - the one who
said that ‘humour must be a natural part of clothing’ - and Franco Moschino arrived, and the rest is history: the history which has been chosen for this magazine.
Some of the aforementioned along with other brilliant people are part of this telling. They are mouthpieces and inspirers of this work, which reflects on the cross-fertilization between irony, art, women, style and the most recent involvement of humour in fashion.
But dealing with this theme only through alleged serious analyses would be at least contradictory. For this reason, destroying every endeavor of thoughtfulness with some really wacky features appeared to be right and proper.
Why this project? Because laughing is the most beautiful, powerful and meaningful
human creation. It is acknowledged that fashion is sometimes saddened and brutalized by the efforts of being primus inter pares in the artistic and creative scenario. This strain often translates into the loss of self-irony and a crucial forgetfulness:
that a healthy laugh do not downplay its value, yet glorifies it. Because as Hermann Hesse said:
Only humor, the magnificent discovery of those hindered in their calling to the
highest things, those nearly tragic ones, those most hightly-gifted unfortunates, only humor (perhaps the most curious and ingenious production of humanity) achieves the impossible, covering and uniting all spheres of man’s being with the rays of its
prism. To live in the world as if it were not the world, to esteem the law and yet stand above it, to possess ‘as if one possessed not’, to renounce as if it were no renunciation - all these favorite and often formulated demands of a sublime wisdom of life only humor is capable of making come true.
Dear readers, welcome to the first issue of Jest a Magazine.
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Watch out for the UGLY
PRANKSTERS
Let’s face the truth: luxury is boring, and fashion has nothing new to tell the world. Which is why dissidents embraced the ugliness aesthetics and everyone accepted with blithely unawareness to be part of a big joke. Because we’re all on the brink of despair, all we can do is look each other in the face, keep each other company, joke a little. The Great Beauty
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Street style at SS 2016 Men’s Fashion Week
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Vetements space at Dover Street Market
The first time I went to Dover Street Mar-
those incredible clothes.
installation-like spaces created by the most
But I had another goal there: finding the
going on a school trip at the museum. Exci-
aded by Demna Gvasalia which in just a few
ket - the famous multi-brand store with art
avant-garde designers - I felt like a little girl
Vetements space, the Parisian collective he-
ted, but intimidated.
seasons has become one of the most influential and controversial names of the fashion
Right at the doorway I saw the first extraordi-
system. Even though it revealed to be quite
nary thing: thousands of Gosha Rubchinskiy
difficult, seen all those distractions. I was lost
perfume bottles boldly stacked to form a
and confused in a sort of big Russian doll
pyramid. I’m pretty sure it was balanced by
with rooms inside other rooms and raincoats
some sort of divine force, and if I only blew
hanging from the ceiling.
on it I would have probably gone bankrupt.
Then I ran into a sort of manmade grotto
After that I saw some children climbing a
completely covered by cellophane. I was he-
shocking pink slide, which was actually a
sitant, at first I thought there was something
bags stand, and I empathized with them while
under repair - I feel a little embarrassed while
the shop assistant tried to avoid the assault: it
I admit it, but I have to be honest for the sake
was a metaphor for my situation. Only those
of truth. But my reflections were brutally inter-
children could understand how badly I wan-
rupted by a visibly annoyed girl asking me to
ted to climb the coat stands and touch all of
clear the access off. Those visual merchandi-
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sing geniuses - those pranksters - had totally
shows. Although, it has recently stepped off
played me again.
the sidewalk, into the runway, gaining such a visibility that it now demands to be re-bran-
The annoyed shop assistant came in and out
ded into street couture.
with a pair of red checked trousers. I had
In spite of the skepticism of the high fa-
seen those red checked trousers somewhere,
shion community, streetwear seems now
though. I came in to see if I was in the right
to represent more than slogan t-shirts and
place. And I was not. There were Mexican
baggy-clothed non-white models.
skulls paintings and brown western leather
bags. Even me that I was then sure about my
Explaining the appeal of deliberate ugly
that it wasn’t Vetements.
may not be effortless, but it can all be led
lack of perspicacity could easily understand
clothes to those outside the fashion system back to a DHL t-shirt which became SS 2016’s
I kept rambling. I ended up in a sort of hall
must-have. The guilty party of this incredibly
of mirrors with vintage t-shirts in place of
attention-grabbing piece of clothing was
mirrors. Psychedelic. I felt like Anna Wintour
Vetements.
lost in the Madison Square Garden basement after Yeezy FW 2016 show.
Finally, I found it. Two humble racks between
two fitting rooms which were way bigger than
Since when people with bad
the stand itself. But honestly, it was enough to
taste in fashion suddenly
develop a full understanding of Vetements:
became ‘fashionable’?
on one rack there was an exclusive selection of drug dealers-like tracksuits; on the other one there was a disturbing collection of
clothing perfect to go and die of overdose
at the Whisky a Go Go. And then, ironically, a weird abandoned pink fur scarf dangling
Putting all the fashion outsiders’ thoughts into
between the two racks.
words, former overseer of DHL Heige Rieder said that Vetements’ t-shirt was ‘ugly’. Which
Talking about irony, since when people with
is rather indisputable. Then, what is hidden
bad taste in fashion and sloppy street-style
behind the incredible success of a yellow and
clothes suddenly became ‘fashionable’?
red t-shirt which was sold out at most retailers, despite a price tag of £ 185?
Traditionally streetwear has always been
separated from haute couture and conside-
Yes, because the general madness got to a
red as an unwelcomed friend at the fashion
point where all the victims of trickle-down
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effect desperately stormed the DHL online
Logos were then used in a playful form of
shop, where you can find the original one for
resistance in fashion during the late 80s and
6.50 pounds. Provided that you buy a hun-
early 90s within the anti-capitalism activism.
dred pieces, of course.
Nowadays, the so-called hipsters - ‘people
You will now think that the broke fashion-ad-
who listen to bands you’ve never heard of,
dicts joined their forces, creating Facebook
wear ironic t-shirts and believe they are better
groups for the occasion. Don’t be naive, it is
than you’, as somebody wrote on urbandictio-
an individualistic world.
nary.com - use irony and calculated ugliness to reject mainstream consumerism.
I directly asked Jason Rothschild from Alison
Group, the company which produces and sel-
At least this is what people say in surveys or
ls the gadgets for DHL. And I have to let you
when they are interviewed by some serious
down, because nothing similar happened.
journalists. To me, humble aspiring writer,
Or maybe it happened, but then they didn’t
they just told the truth between laughs. Or
know how to pay for delivery. We are still
maybe I was just unlucky.
talking about the hoi polloi, no matter how individualistic they are, who probably then
The point is that since I started writing this ar-
scattered on AliExpress.
ticle I’ve started seeing people wearing spor-
ts brands, like Ellesse, literally everywhere. So
‘We’re paying with love tonight’, sang Jessie
I wanted to know what exactly people of my
J in 2011. By the way, where did she go? Did
same age or even younger found attractive in
she realize as well that we sadly can’t ‘forget
a brand with a croissant-shaped logo which I
about the price tag’ and beat a retreat?
personally have always linked to the day trips of retirees.
Re-focusing our attention to the DHL t-shirt debate, it is undoubtedly a symbol of glo-
So, the first person interviewed was prou-
balization, since it delivers almost to every
dly walking down the street with his Ellesse
country in the world, except for Turkmenistan,
hoodie. I stopped him and started to introdu-
and some contemporary street styles are
ce myself, but when I pronounced the word
using irony and logos in order to politicize
‘fashion’ he lost all his interest in me and just
their transgressions.
answered ‘Sorry, I’m not that into fashion’.
Nonetheless, irony in fashion and art is old
I let him run away, unknowing that he ironical-
news. In fact, it is not the first time that ima-
ly had already answered my question. It was
ges, symbols and brands are used to create a
that classic example of unaware ‘fashionista’;
version of them in opposition to their original
it has been happening since bad taste - or
meaning, as pop art references demonstrate.
‘normcore’ in the best cases - became a
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statement.
showed more awareness. She was a stunning
With the second interviewee I had more
and that was enough to understand that she
young black woman with grey box braids,
luck. I was in a pub where people wore geek
chose her clothes on her own at least. She
eyeglasses, denim jackets and cropped ho-
told me: ‘I know it’s been cool lately, so I just
odies with gothic blackletter slogans. When
take advantage of it. I can be comfortable,
my friends started flirting I didn’t know what
warm and fashionable without spending too
to do, except from drinking my beer and
much’. Pretty wise.
pretending that I had some really important conversation going on Whatsapp. It was in
that moment that an ambitious young man
offered me a drink. Needless to say, he was
The question around
wearing another Ellesse hoodie.
whether or not irony and ugliness in fashion could
He was too short and too blonde for me, but
have a deep idealogical
I let him get on with it just enough to make him feel comfortable and ask the decisive
meaning is less political
question. I started off insulting the combina-
then we think.
tion Ellesse hoodie - undertaker-like shoes,
telling him that I was uncertain if defining it
visionary or just disturbing. I know, I am not
good at approaching, despicable me. But in my defence, I can say that I’m Italian, which means that I’m allowed to judge.
Luckily he perceived it as a joke - even if it
honestly was not - and I could ask more about the infamous hoodie. He just replied: ‘I had it somewhere at home, it’s quite old but it’s comfy’.
I put an end to the conversation after asking if he knew he was wearing a really fashionable
piece of clothing - of course he did not - and
I went back taking care of my drunk and flirty friends.
The third and last interviewee, instead, Jacket spotted at Ellesse Explores event 2015 in London
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Therefore, the moral of the story is that the
wore on the cover of The Face in 1993.
and ugliness in fashion could have a deep
What is crucial is that the afore-mentioned
thought. And in the specific situation of Vete-
skiy, Off-White - just to name some - mostly
whole question around whether or not irony ideological meaning is less political then we
Vetements, Hoods by Air, Gosha Rubchin-
ments and some other streetwear brands, the
create visual universes and values rather than
root of this phenomenon is more likely to be
clothes, which are no more strictly connected
linked to social realism and subtle mockery
with aesthetic itself. And again, this is not
than subversive intent. As a matter of fact,
unusual in the fashion and art world.
even though DHL is a symbol of globaliza-
tion, it is far from representing the dark side
of capitalism, since it is mostly connected to
the idea of ordinary daily life. Demna Gvasa-
If norncore is the
lia himself confirmed this interpretation in a
profile with The Telegraph, where he explai-
actual biggest fashion
ned that ‘every day someone was saying,
movement, is new-
“The package didn’t arrive, we have to stop
ness still possible?
working with DHL, we will be bankrupt by
DHL.” DHL seemed to be more a part of my
life than anything else so I thought, why isn’t it in the show?’.
The success of the iconic DHL t-shirt did not
Therefore, the purpose of this class of desi-
only act as a springboard for street style, but
gners is not to invent, but to offend the pre-
it also set forth the beginning of the nor-
vious white middle-aged predecessors, like
mcore trend, which imposes to rethink what
kids rebelling against their parents. In fact, in
is actually to be considered fashion(able). If
this particular moment of the Western history
normcore is the actual biggest fashion move-
in which everything seems to be already told
ment, is newness still possible?
and young generations grow in a nihilistic
wellness context, the only way to satisfy the
Most of the street-style brands on the rise
natural teen-age need for rebellion is no
draw fully from the past. Hood by Air is highly
more inventing provocative ways of commu-
influenced by Rick Owen’s sleaze, Vetements
nicate, but simply wear something that adults
revived the sloppy jeans and over-sized coats
‘can’t get’.
from Martin Margiela, and the first collection designed by Demna Gvasalia as creative
As the cyclical nature of fashion demands,
director of Balenciaga included also a floral
what will come next will probably be the
dress which is similar to the one Kurt Cobain
aesthetisation of ugliness.
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Vetements FW 2015 campaign
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The WACKY review by
NANOWAR OF STEEL Runway reviews are like those perfectly crafted poems describing dishes on fancy restaurants’ menus: highfalutin and confusing. But sometimes, some succint and honest opinions are needed. After all, fried eggs are still fried eggs, and ridiculous clothes are still ridiculous clothes.
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PRESENTATION
jest
Metal is not only about dea-
The name itself is a parody:
crosses, and Jack Daniel’s. It
- even though they are not a
th, massacres, upside-down
Nanowar stands for Manowar
can also be pink tulle ballerina skirts, blonde wigs and
With more than one million
of Steel with the intent of
song has recently been rele-
poking fun at Rhapsody,
How and when did Metallica
which changed its name in
become Metallycra?
laughing.
Manowar tribute band - and in 2007 it became Nanowar
spandex bodysuits.
And this is enough to start
Rhapsody of Fire.
viewers on YouTube, the
ased in an English version for unlucky non-Italian speakers, and it is called ‘George
Mastrothard, Keeper of the
In 2003, when Nanowar
They started making paro-
Potowotominimak, Gatto
such as Metallica’s ‘Master
Another crowning glory is
‘Master of Pizza’, and Iron
in 2013 as the anthem for
of Steel made their debut.
dies of very famous songs,
Panceri 666, Uinona Raider,
of Puppets’, which became
Abdul and Mr. Baffo are the members of the coolest
Maiden’s ‘The Number of
Italian comedy heavy metal
The Beast’, which became
band.
‘The Number of The Bitch’.
They are specialized in the
However, their most famous
non-sense lyrics, giving a
in 2012, ‘Giorgio Mastrota’,
creation of hilarious and
creation is a song released
new twist to the typical heavy
from the name of a former
metal sound of the Eighties
tv presenter now working on
with a keen sense of pop
pots and pans teleshopping.
culture.
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Stainless Steel’.
a more recent song, written ‘Feudalesimo e Libertà’ - in English, ‘Feudalism and
Liberty’ - which is an Italian
parody political movement
that invokes the return of the Feudal Rights in Europe.
NO-FILTER REVIEW
GATTO
ABDUL Dark futurism or rather -
when a sadomasochist Star Wars fan meets the Islamic
MR. BAFFO
State with the purpose of robbing a bank.
Perfect tactical equipment to fart while in the tube. Shady attitude, gas mask, hooded
obscurantism and no one is going to notice you.
The title perfectly represents the core concept of future,
the man ready to jump into
the new millennium directly landing on the recycling
bin. Anyway, we all wish that he could miss the bin and drop on his head on the
pavement. This would be
the most effective stylistic
provocation of the new millennium.
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Fashion-menu definition: DARK FUTURISM
KTZ SS 2017
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MAIN COURSE
Fashion-menu definition: VIOLENT MUTILATION OF GARMENTS
Hood By Air SS 2017
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NO-FILTER REVIEW
GATTO
ABDUL The ultimate frontier of
recycling. By the way, along
MR. BAFFO
with his garments, judging
from his expression I’d bet
that part of his frontal cortex Anti-stepping-on-feet attire.
Whoever will dare to do it, he will have to live forever
with a sad truth: he stepped on your trousers. And you
will be able to show all your
The first thing which really
scorn with the same liveli-
stands out are obviously the
ness of the model.
trousers, straight uncut style!
The rest of the outfit describes
the failed attempt to pur-
se-snatch an old woman who
surprisingly is a BJJ champion. In fact, the model’s face is
cheeky as if he was posing for
the mugshot after the attemp-
ted pickpocketing. Moreover
this outfit is suitable for all kind of extreme sports and crow-
ded clubs, but also to go and
bring sweets to your beloved
mother-in-law on Sunday.
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has been mutilated, too.
NO-FILTER REVIEW
GATTO
ABDUL If it were nice, sober and
elegant I’d actually say it was
MR. BAFFO
nice, sober and elegant. But it’s not. It’s a pile of donkey
shit wrapped in a picnic table cloth.
The tablecloth on his legs
helps to eat in difficult circu-
mstances, for example when the weather is humid.
This fantastic Justin Bieber inspired outfit cries ‘I stole my big brother’s hoodie and my sister’s Scottish
shepherd-like boots’ as a statement. If you pull the chain you can hear the typical
flush sound. And remember, Justin in so hot right now.
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Fashion-menu definition: HOMAGE ATHLEISURE ESSENTIAL
Vetements FW 2016
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GIRLS just wanna
HAVE FUN
Fashion has always striven to legitimate its position in the Arts Olympus. This is probably the reason why, in a reality which seems dangerously close to Zoolander territory, playfulness and fashion just don’t get along. A solution to this arduous process comes from women, who demonstrate that a playful approach does not undervalue the creative work. Quite the contrary, it makes it stand out. And this rule is always valid: for art, for fashion and also for feminist demands.
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American actress and stand-up comedian Phyllis Diller
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Drag artist Lady Bear and photographers Keeney + Law’s Cheeto-based homage portrait to Cindy Sherman.
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Irony is when the explicit meaning conflicts
which explores the obsession with youth and
contradiction is a typical feminine field of
to call herself a feminist and delegates the
with the implicit intent and, as is well known,
beauty in American society - she doesn’t want
expertise. Before you turn up your progressi-
task of labelling her work to the critics.
ve nose, obviously it is widely acknowledged that what has just been said is nothing but a
Deliberately feminist is instead Namilia, a
stereotype.
small womenswear brand with big intentions: its aim is to destroy and rebuild the concept
Who do we have to express our gratitude to
of sexuality and female body and identity.
for this awareness? Not only the fearsome,
Their research starts from the gender clichés
proudly haired - and sometimes a little crabby - feminists.
Cindy Sherman invented her own
Luckily someone who takes on this topic in a more playful way exists. First of all, there
genre, populated by uncomfortably
is American photographer Cindy Sherman,
funny portraits showing the contradi-
whose research starts from the effort of
ctions of self-identity, which is often a
putting names to the feminine stereotypes by representing them through pictures, which
precarious compromise between social
brilliantly reflect our image-saturated cultu-
conventions and personal will.
re. The assumption is that if you can name something, then you can laugh at it.
During this process she invented her own genre, populated by uncomfortably fun-
ny portraits showing the contradictions of self-identity, which is often a precarious
compromise between social conventions and personal will. Her experimentations started
with the black-and-white series ‘Untitled Film Stills’ and took advantage from the most different tools, from vintage make up to digital technology.
Even though Sherman’s work is often linked
to feminism due to her interest in topics such
as the objectification of women in media - for example, her 2008 series ‘Society Pictures’
Cindy Sherman’s self-portrait
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This page: A look from Namilia SS 2016 Opposite page: original sketch
according to which women make their body beautiful and desirable through make up,
fashion and exercise only to please men. Automatically, this alleged craving for approval translates into a sign of weakness, while the designer duo points out Kim Kardashian,
Miley Cyrus and Rihanna as modern female
warriors fighting against preconceptions. For example, its first ground-breaking collection
‘My Pussy My Choice’ was full of phallus-shaped garments with the intention of ridicule
the ultimate symbol of power and masculinity in an ironic, youthful and provocative way. So far it has been clearly seen that it is all
about media exposition. As a matter of fact,
the most popular form of media production could not let the debate around female
stereotypes and clichés escape. We are now
talking about TV-series, and specifically about one: Broad City.
driven by the characters’ attempts to be pro-
gressive and ‘broad’-minded, while encoura-
Namilia’s first collection ‘My
ging the public to think about uncomfortable
Pussy My Choice’ was full of
questions - and sincere answers - not only on sexuality and gender, but also on race and
phallus-shaped garments with
class.
the intention of ridicule the ultimate symbol of power and
Ilana’s character is probably the most interesting. As everyone else - mostly women
masculinity.
- she has to deal with people’s judgment on her fashion choices, but she reacts in the The sitcom follows the urban adventures of
most natural way: simply, she does not care.
to carve out a space for themselves in New
which clearly show the provocative, but often
two young women, Ilana and Abbi, trying
Her wardrobe displays a variety of clothes
York City. Most of the humorous episodes are
unaware intent of ‘making fun’ of fashion
dictates, which is a breath of fresh air com-
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paring it with the flawless women who fill up
they were wearing used to look more like
boss scolds her for her unappropriated wor-
style. First great female comedian Phyllis
most of the TV shows. For example, when her
costumes than expressions of their personal
kplace attire, Ilana looks down and notices
Diller, for instance, dressed in pink neon
that her crop-top let the bra be visible. When
feathers from head to toe with exaggerated
she pulls the shirt back inevitably showing
teased hair and fishnets. This is definitely not
the bra from the bottom, she simply replies:
the same in other areas of entertainment,
‘Oops. Sophie’s Choice.’
where divas are often style icons.
This then begs the question: in a world where crossover between different segments of the entertainment industry is common, why can’t comedy and fashion - humour and clothes -
get along? As comic Mr. Dean says, ‘They are
Ilana’s clothes show the provocative,
connoisseurs of fashion, and I’ve never met a
but unaware intent of ‘making fun’ of
funny connoisseur’.
fashion dictates, which is a breath of
But after all, fashion and comedy both
fresh air comparing it with the flaw-
share an obsession with pushing bounda-
less women of most of the tv shows.
ries. Nothing is really sacred for stand-ups
and if comedians’ explicit goal is to satirize
everything, from politics to entertainment and culture, the same often implicitly happens in
Talking about television and irony, another
fashion.
category of people who have a stormy relationship with fashion is comedians.
With a difference: that fashion is sometimes even able to satirize about itself.
It seems that when comedians don’t stick
to basic, clean lines, they look clownish. As
famous stand-up Phoebe Robinson told The Observer while talking about dressing for a
show, ‘You just look ridiculous and like you’re trying too hard. Comedy is not about trying
too hard. It’s about being natural and being a storyteller and being the underdog in some way.’
Female stand-ups in the past have often
adopted a sort of uniform, but the clothes
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Frames from the first episode of Broad City, season 3
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Inside
PRESENTATION
VETEMEMES ‘Slightly genius’ was Vogue’s
Davil Tran, who had a certain
to a website appeared in
parody brands, since he
comment on the name given
experience in creating
March 2016 - ‘Vetememes’
already managed a Spread-
- which sells Vetements-in-
shirt account called ‘Fuccboi’.
spired merchandise. Yes,
He started considering the
the label which founded its
idea of satirizing Vetements
success on parody designs
because of the sudden hype
ended up being satirized
around the brand and the
itself.
massive presence in stre-
et-style looks. So he decided
The first piece, a $59 raincoat
to create a meme out of it
that parodies the Fren-
and he launched the website
ch label-of-the-moment,
from the house he shares
sparked the fashion fans
with his parents in Brooklyn,
investigations the day after it
gaining a big press covera-
appeared. At that time, it was
ge.
just a Photoshopped version of a street style pic taken by
photographer Julien Boudet during Paris FW SS 2016
shows, and it was only available for pre-orders.
Vetememes was started by the young brand reseller
Grailed.com staff member
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Picture posted on Vetememes’ Instagram account
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Vetememes’ story is everywhere on the Web, so let’s just introduce yourself
in this way: how would you describe your brand in three hashtags (to stay on-topic)?
I don’t really use hashtags, but if I did they would probably be: #BOING #BLVCKFVSHION #LONGESTYEAHBOY
In which way your work at Grailed.com and your previous experiences helped you growing
awareness about what could be successful in the fashion market (like your ‘parody of a parody’ brand, for example)?
Yes, I can say it does surround me with really great like-minded people. Though I wouldn’t count me out of being aware of the fashion market when I was outside of Grailed. But it definitely made me do more.
Since Vetements turned us into the fashion victims obsessed with it-items
that we once laughed at, are you mocking us as well? You can be honest, my professor and me will protect your secret.
[Laughing] Yes, I am definitely mocking everyone that wears Vetements. I
mean, I can see where they’re coming since I sort of enjoy it, but that price point makes just you such a victim if you fall into it.
Yes, Demna Gvasalia himself said he doesn’t have enough money to buy his own clothes. See? [Laughing] Even Demna agrees. What do you think about a playful and ironic approach towards fashion as a strategy for brands in this moment?
I think fashion needs to be less serious, it’s definitely more fun when you just do what you want.
For example, who do you think is really succeeding in this ‘doing what you want’ and not-so-serious philosophy?
I think Comme des Garçons is a great example of fun fashion, and of course Vetements is totally ironic and playful.
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Are customers developing a conscious critical thought
towards fashion or do they just buy things ‘because they’re
cool’?
Well my customers are awfully thankful that I exist. You have
no idea how many people have thanked me and gave me love
because I managed to combine the two things they love, which is
fashion and memes. They mention how much they love Vetemen-
ts but they can’t afford it, that’s why I became the next best thing.
So, to sum up: Vetements parodies DHL, Vetememes parodies Vetements,
Vetements sells knock-offs of itself, Gosha Rubchinskiy steals from Tommy
Hilfiger, Asspizza sells fake Pablo t-shirts, and so on. What is behind the
fashion rip-offs and logo parodies trend in your opinion?
I think these brands totally get off on themselves from reference other things, Vetements
parodies much more than DHL if you look into it. Like ‘Total Fucking Darkness’ is a reference to
some black metal band, ‘Sexual Fantasies’ is from some book, or something I don’t even know.
But they all have deeper meanings behind each pieces. Which is cool for those that look into it
but majority of the people that purchases it don’t really realize it. Supreme, for example, does it
all the time but people don’t understand.
And which is the role of Vetememes in this chaos? I don’t really consider it as being fake-Vetements, as someone does. The people
that calls it out as that don’t really see the deeper meaning behind Vetememes.
You are making an affordable version of luxury and limited-edition streetwear. Shall we
expect a parody of the 1-of-1 Supreme ‘Donald Trump’ t-shirt sold for $23k (but maybe in
our beloved and irreplaceable Vetements’ style)?
[Laughing] Sure, Donald Trump!
Apart from the idea I just gave to you (at least you’ll have to do one for me), what are your projects for the future?
As long as Vetements continues to stay exploitable, Vetememes will take full advantage.
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FUNTASTIC visions
Once there were two people: an Italian flamboyant fashion designer and a Spanish extravagant artist. It may sound like the beginning of a joke, and it actually is. As a matter of fact, ‘funtastic’ visions emerged from this encounter, which deeply inspired the following generations of creatives.
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Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador DalĂŹ in 1949.
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Details of a jacket from the “Circus Collection� designed by Elsa Schiaparelli in 1938
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Artists, as is well-known, have a fondness for
buttons that were to be perceived as knobs.
borations with the fashion industry are often
and the skeleton dresses, the tear dress, the
flamboyant attire. However, their actual colla-
Other important examples are the lobster
not renowned.
shoe hat, the monkey fur ankle boots and the famous black gloves with nails in red python.
Dalì, for instance, who gave an ironic and provocative twist to Surrealism and built up his
After all, as one of the ‘twelve commandmen-
probably be delighted to see the wonder on
reels off: ‘the ninety percent of women are
whole career around the unexpected, would
ts for women’ in her 1954 autobiography
your faces when you realize the influence he
afraid of being flamboyant and being judged
actually had on fashion at that time, and after.
by people, so they buy grey clothes. Instead, they should dare to be different’.
‘The modern artist’, as he said to justify his
commitment in fashion, ‘should participate in
Her first collection was a sportswear line
langelo designed the dress for the Pope’s
ring technique. The piece which led Schiapa-
every kind of extracurricular activity. Miche-
inspired by the Armenian knitting manufactu-
Swiss Guards. It is all part of the propaganda of your imagination, no?’
The ninety percent of women are
In fact, Dalì’s extracurricular activities numbe-
afraid of being flamboyant and
red quite a few experiences, as he published
being judged by people, so they buy
numerous articles, illustrations and cover
grey clothes. Instead, they should
designs on Vogue between 1930s and 1940s.
dare to be different.
But above all, moving back to the design
ventures, he collaborated with Italian fashion
Elsa Schiaparelli
designer and godmother of shocking pink
Elsa Schiaparelli. What this fellowship gave rise to was - as it could be easily expected
relli to success was the bow-knot trompe
and accessories. For example, the desk-suit,
caused a fashion sensation in 1927. More
- a number of whimsical pieces of clothing
l’oeil-effect sweater which, when debuted,
modeled after Dalì’s clay sculpture, ‘Venus
amusing designs appeared on her sweaters,
de Milo with Drawers’ 1938, as well as his
including trompe-l’oeil ties and handker-
painting, ‘The City of Drawers: Study for
chiefs, crossword puzzles and fake tattoos.
Anthropomorphic Cabinet’ 1936. Schiaparelli constructed the silhouette of the suit using
Considered as an artist lent to fashion,
sembled dresser drawers with circular leather
Ray and Marcel Duchamp, leading spoke-
functional and non-functional pockets that re-
Schiaparelli has also collaborated with Man
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speople of the anti-art movement which was
schino, who made use of fashion in order to
disobedience against the violence of the First
irony, surreal effects and disproportionate
called Dadaism. Born in 1916 as an act of
criticize fashion itself through provocation,
World War, their creations were based on the
shapes, putting objects in a unfamiliar setting
rejection of reason and logic, the emphasis
in order to give it a new meaning - just as
on extravagance, mockery and humour, with
Marcel Duchamp did.
a particular free disposition towards materials and shapes.
Finally, Dadaism and Surrealism also influen-
Anti-art also meant anti-fashion, as in the first
Martin Margiela and Viktor & Rolf. While these
ced current fashion labels, including Maison
place it is witnessed by Hugo Ball’s shows
brands may not be as revolutionary as Da-
at Cabaret Voltaire, when he used to wear
daism or Punk’s spokespeople, even so they
absurd and dreamlike costumes made of
encapsulate the fundamental concept of di-
cardboard. And this specific concept also
storting the ideals of high fashion - applying
influenced fashion communication, above all
both humour and a little sense of anarchy.
photography. German Dadaist Erwin Blumenfeld, for instance, worked as a photographer
for Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, where he had the opportunity of developing new techniques such as collage, photomontage and
mirror tricks. As an example of his works, an
ironic and dreamy black and white portrait of
a woman, staring at the camera lens semi-hidden by the brim of a straw hat, dressed in
black with tiny musical instruments sewn in the collar.
As the progenitor movements of all the arti-
stic anarchies, the repercussions of Dadaism and Surrealism were massive in the future
developments of fashion and style. Punk, for
instance, whose aim was to shock and ridicule the class systems deeply rooted within so-
ciety, started from the same sense of rejection for standards.
Moving forward on the timeline, the Eighties were driven by the genius of Franco Mo-
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A look from Victor & Rolf “Wearable Arte Collection” FW 2015
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Meme-addicts are so used to see captioned stock photos on the Web that they would not associate them to anything but image macros. But surprisingly, a topwear collection featuring classic, awful stock photos has been designed. To be more precise, it seems that Adobe recently asked Swedish ad agency Abby Priest for a campaign about Adobe Stock, which had the idea to create ‘a limited-edition clothing line giving a salute to the most infamous stock images creatives love to hate’.
Amuzing
TREND
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Giorgio Armani is the fashion classicist par excellence, and his SS 2017 menswear collection does not contradict
this definition. Except for this outfit, in
which the top clearly stands out among the Microsoft Windows-like colours
brushstrokes. And there it is, a glowing
self-portrait, almost divine, printed in a
sort of pointillist graphic with Pop Art
impressions.
Now, jokes aside: is he trying to dethro-
ning “Hide The Pain Harold�, the King of
Stock photos memes? The resemblance
is undeniable.
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THE PERFECT MATCH
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The WACKY pick of
IT-ITEMS
HONEY, I NEED SOME SPACE Sometimes a space can make the difference, especially if it’s so... authoritative.
FASHION DISSIDENTS School-boy ispired bag to recall your first high school crush on the older-rebel-and-popular-guy. Oops, I meant ‘fabolous famous’.
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SURREALIST DETAILS Whoever said you can’t wear socks and sandals... Was completely right. But you can still be outrageous without breaking the law: technically it’s just a pair of socks, but the trompe l’oeil changes everything. So Schiaparelli.
ROMANTIC TROUBADOUR This is Gucci’s. You can buy it for 450 schillings, or two horses, ten chickens and four cows. Up to you.
MAGIC MIKE Surprise your friends with this one-of-a-kind hybrid between Adidas Stan Smiths and Nike logo perfectly parodied in Vetements’ style.
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FASHION is not a
JOKE
The first number of Jest a Magazine has almost come to an end. As much food for thought has been given, some questions need at least an attempt to be answered. For this reason, a small talk with sociologist Paolo VolontĂŠ was helpful to start developing a deeper understanding of what the core of humour is, and how it translates into garments: we are talking about transgression. From Moschino to social media, the following piece tries to analyse what is behind humour, transgression and communication in the Western fashion system.
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Moschino SS 2016 campaign
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There was a time, in Italy, when fashion was
Cultural Processes in the School of Design at
Biagiotti, Coveri, Fendi, Ferré, Krizia, Dolce
International Journal of Fashion Studies.
an oligarchy and its rulers were Armani,
the Politecnico of Milan and co-founder of the
& Gabbana, Soprani and Valentino. It was
the Eighties, and all the above-mentioned
At first glance, it seems that transgression
to safeguard the established status symbols,
irony always rests on a mutual support with
were unquestionable style gurus: in order
can exist in fashion independently, whilst
their signature decreed what was fashionable
some kind of violation of the norms. This
and what was not. The idea of ‘total-look’ was
transgression, as Volonté said, can be repre-
guaranteed in every occasion, even during
sented at various levels and with different
the daytime by designer casualwear.
shades. In particular, he underlines that the
most significant difference is between moral
The revolution was then called by Franco Mo-
transgression – that is to say, the rejection
schino and his theatrical provocations against
of norms - and logical transgression, which
the fashion system. Nonetheless, even his
is the divergent thought against the sense.
most sacrilegious creations got a space in the
Thus, irony is firstly and always a rebellion
consumption craze, and after Franco’s death
against sense, but not necessarily a moral
in 1994 the brand inexorably lost its young
transgression.
playfulness and pop culture references.
This differentiation was previously discussed
Fast-forwarding to the present, Jeremy Scott
by semiologist and philosopher Umberto
is making the label relevant again. With mo-
Eco, who makes a further distinction betwe-
dels dressed like Barbie roller skating down
en humour and irony: humour criticizes the
the runway or in McDonald’s employees’
disobedience, therefore it represents the au-
uniform carrying a faux-Chanel bag on a tray,
thor’s negative judgment towards a specific
he also succeeded in seducing Millennials
transgression and reiterates the norm’s value;
young generation. Iconic mixing of logos
on the contrary, irony cites the norm, but it
and continuous pop culture citations are his
does not judge the positivity or negativity of
favourite tools. However, as it always happens
its content.
to black sheep, sometimes he is not in the
critics’ favour. In fact, its irreverent and kitsch
Generally speaking, it can be argued that hu-
jokes’ and not worthy of attention.
in this sense – has the ‘upside-down world’ as
designs have been tagged as ‘a series of bad
mour – or irony, it does not make any different its starting point. French philosopher Henri
As a matter of fact, the relationship between
Bergson started its well-known work ‘Lau-
transgression and fashion is quite problema-
ghter: An Essay on the Meaning of Comic’
tic. For this reason, I discussed it with Paolo
with these words: ‘You may laugh at a hat, but
Volonté, associate professor of Sociology of
what you are making fun of, in this case, is not
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the piece of felt or straw, but the shape that
and an artistic perception of fashion – where
mould it has assumed’. Thus, the principles
exposition of designers who base their work
men have given it - the human caprice whose
there may be the problem of an exaggerated
he identifies as leading forces of comic are
on communication gimmicks, rather than fine
physical and visual, and they find tangible
examples in fashion. For instance, he says that ‘we laugh every time a person gives us the
impression of being a thing [...]. We laugh at Sancho Panza tumbled into a bed-quilt and
that transformation of people into objects or
My clothes are not for critics. They are for people.
witnessed by fashion shows like Oscar Suley-
Jeremy Scott
tossed into the air like a football’. This means anything not-human is laughable, as it can be man FW 1999 and Moschino SS 2017, both
presenting paper dolls inspired collections. He also writes that ‘exaggeration is always
comic when prolonged, and especially when
tailoring – as it is in the Italian market, which is
systematic’, as it is demonstrated by Vivienne Westwood’s nine-inch ‘Super-elevated Gillie’
more industry-driven.
pbell’s spectacular fall on the catwalk during
As ‘fashion made to be seen’ is strongly con-
shoes, which also determined Naomi CamSS 1993.
nected to the idea of fashion as a visual and
From these assumptions comes the reflection
social media appears to be right and proper.
to be taken seriously and who is making
becoming essential tools for brands’ storytel-
oddities and their unbridled creativity. In this
fashion is a world based on images and the
on the fact that this ambiguity is generated by
the one hand, Snapchat’s appeal consists in
in the Western model there is the tendency
of spectating fashion events from different
than ‘fashion made to be worn’, however it is
dels, designers etc. - destroying the binomial
and unbridled creativity only exists in some
zines’ opinions. On the other hand, Snapchat
scenario driven by London-based creatives
which translates in the use of funny filters and
communicative tool, mentioning the use of
on how difficult is to understand who wants
In particular, Instagram and Snapchat are
fun of who, in the light of fashion designers’
ling, due to the fact that, as said before,
regard, Paolo Volonté focused the attention
use of social media is now fundamental. On
the structure of our fashion system. Generally,
the fact that it gives its users the possibility
to privilege ‘fashion made to be seen’ rather
points of view – photographers, insiders, mo-
not always true. The confusion about oddities
which has always tied high fashion to maga-
specific markets – for example, the English
is also characterized by a playful approach,
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ironic captions on a series of pictures – called
ghtful and conceptual. Therefore, now that it
few seconds after being posted, as they were
art form, we can start laughing at it.
‘stories’ - which most of the time disappear a
has been proved that fashion is a respectable
little jokes interposed in a narrative. Nicopanda designer and Diesel Creative Director Nicola Formichetti, for example, has been one of the first fashion creatives to understand the potential of this tool and migrate from Facebook and Instagram to Snapchat.
But then another question arises: is there the risk that a light approach could result in a
debasement of the cultural role of fashion as a ‘serious business’?
‘My clothes are not for critics, they are for
people’, said Jeremy Scott about his work at
Moschino in the documentary ‘Jeremy Scott:
The People’s Designer’. As Paolo Volonté confirms, it is through the consumers’ behaviour – which corresponds to what is commonly
known as ‘street style’ - that fashion produces its deepest cultural effect. Fashion makes use of different channels to approach the big public, from traditional media to social networks, from department stores to ‘brandization’.
In the sociologist’s opinion, Snapchat is only one of the available means and it is not the most influential.
All things considered, it is likely that discussing about humour in fashion is a proof of
cultural maturity and it demonstrates the awareness that fashion has overcome the time
when it was considered an inferior practice
focused on the production of useless deco-
ration. In the last three decades, the perception of garments has deeply changed, since
clothes developed the ability of being thou-
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Anna Wintour taking advantage from snaps’ volatility to bestow a rare smile
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The
PARODY PARADE
Photographer: Paolo Garofalo Model: Giorgia Guglielmino Stylists: Eleonora Garofalo, Rosamaria Centamore
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DID YOU LIKE IT?
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