FAINT MAG 06: Luna Sea by FAINT MAGAZINE

APRIL 2012

C O V ER E R I M A G E B E Y O N D WH W H I S P E R S A ND T H U N D E R S T OR O M S, PA R T I II (C C R O P PE D) D BY AM BER B ER IS ABEL A BEL

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All rights reserved. FAINT accepts no responsibility for loss or damage to material submitted for publication. The views expressed are those of the contributors and are not necessarily those of the magazine. No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form by any means without the express written permission from FAINT magazine. ISSN 1839-6208

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Alexandre Dubois Editor & Art Director editor@faintmag.com General Enquiries info@faintmag.com Submission Enquiries submission@faintmag.com Advertising Opportunities advertise@faintmag.com

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Karina Gaal wears Vintage organic blue crystal necklace Yves Saint Laurent $1,200 Vintage large double chain necklace Christian Dior $850 both available at Parisian Street Society Gold beaded bra top Shag Dark green & gold crystal ring and pearl necklace (worn as headband) available at Shag Opposite Page Silver cuff and Laser cut crystal necklace available at Shag Headpiece Richard Nylon FAINT MAGAZINE

CONTENTS DESIGNER PROFILES

AhYoung Choi 16 Lui Hon 20 Maripossa 24 Tettmann.Doust 64 Flik Hall 68 Aoi Kotsuhiroi 94 Eugene Lin 12

ARTIST PROFILES

Debra Hampton 58 Amber Isabel 64 Daikichi Amano 12

EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHY 28 CREATURES OF THE DEEP

Anoush Abrar & Aimée Hoving 38 BEFORE THE FLOOD

Anatoliy Maf 50 LIVING IN A STRANGE WORLD

Jana Van De Boldt 80 KIKI

Ben Simpson 86 LIQUID OBSIDIAN

Lindsay Adler 98 OUT OF SKIN

Claudia Link 104 THE HYDE PARK

Marcio Freitas

Photography Elvina-Mae As featured in Luna Sea Extended Edition www.elvina-mae.com

Stoic Stratum NEO DIA STOIC /ˈstəʊɪk/ noun 1. a person who can endure pain or hardship without showing their feelings or complaining. STRATUM /ˈstrɑːtəm, ˈstreɪtəm/ noun (plural strata /-tə/) 1. a layer or a series of layers of rock in the ground

“She is definitely a lot tougher this season”..said Lowes, responding to followers’ surprise at Neo Dia’s fourth collection, Stoic Stratum. The new collection features a darker and more organic side of Neo Dia, contrasted against the light, clean, and crisp aesthetic of earlier collections.

Inspiration drawn from the definition of “Stoic” shines through the collection. Tall, tubular lines create the silhouette of the arms, legs and body, and the rubber armour is designed not only to protect, but also reveal a womanly fragility and poise.

“When we were developing this collection, we craved texture; I think it was because in our past collections, we used fabrics that were so ‘slick’”, described Chua as she spoke of her mind lighting up with ideas when she discovered the fabrics that would feature in Neo Dia’s winter collection, including silk velvet, wool boucles and knitted mohair.

Once you look past the initial tough and textured first impression, it is evident that the true aesthetic of Neo Dia remains a prominent feature of their design; clean silhouettes and fresh modern tailoring that makes women feel luxurious and confident.

So what does the future hold for Neo Dia?

There are many collaborations and projects in motion such as an exciting campaign video for their Spring/Summer Collection. They have also voiced a continual yearning to delve into the sphere of menswear. One thing we can be sure of is that Neo Dia will never be stagnant, and they will always strive to develop their label and be a unique voice in the Australian fashion industry.

neodialabel.com

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ARTIST INTERVIEW

DEBRA HAMPTON From afar you notice the striking silhouette of a woman, goddess-like and radiating an aura of power and authority that draws you in. What may seem at first chaotic and unplanned, upon closer review reveals an intricate and delicate juxtaposition of magazine cut-outs. A lady of wise words, Hampton proclaims her personal philosophy to â&#x20AC;&#x153;make the most of what you have by being creative and resourceful, embracing the accidents right away by turning them into something you can use.â&#x20AC;? The results are unpredictable and stimulating collages, causing you to turn your head at all angles, anxious you might miss out on a piece of the puzzle the work has to offer.

Words by JORDAN CHRISTODOULOU

Hampton has used collage and assemblage in various styles since childhood. Her pieces are visually stunning, with keen historical details, exploring themes of commodity, identity and appropriation. Layering magazine cut-outs on top of ink and watercolour, Hampton’s work blurs the line between reality and fantasy, with a playful sense of movement and sudden explosions of colour and line.

appropriated materials with occasionally bought details. The armour, for example, is created from used plastic containers collected for over a year from various sources. Preparing for that series dramatically opened my eyes to the unimaginable waste created by consumption of convenience and throwaway products in the city. I’ve always been environmentally conscious but after that I made an even greater effort to minimize my use of plastics in all its forms.

Her work holds proof that beauty can always be found in the eye of the beholder, taking objects such as recycled plastic and magazine cut-outs and turning them into an exquisite artform. A lady of grace and sheer talent, FAINT magazine had the honour of interviewing Debra Hampton about her work and life.

What is your process in creating both your collages and the life-sized sculpted armour? I actually work in a very organic manner so there’s no pre-planning of any sort. I don’t sketch out ideas, make Marquette’s, or create models in Photoshop. If I did I would never finish the real piece; all of its secrets and lessons would already be learned.

Your work extends to countless eclectic mediums although you are well known for your mixed-media collages with accompanied sculptural objects. When and how did you first get involved in collage and sculpture and why were you drawn to these mediums?

In terms of technique & process, I do have some structured regimens that help me keep order off the canvas. I separate all pieces by color, size, and type, so the studio is filled with bins of cut-outs arranged methodically by their formal elements: body parts in one bin, red motorcycles and jewelry in another, gold chains in another, and so on.

I’ve used collage and assemblage in various styles since childhood in one form or another. I find it to be a very democratic process because anyone can access found images and objects and combine them into meaningful juxtapositions with humble resources. What’s conceptually appealing about these techniques is that using readily available and recognizable objects serves as a sort of anthropological time capsule so that not only the final piece has social and artistic value but the individual pieces tell a story and hold historical depth as well.

I always start a work by throwing down a sizeable smattering of ink, partly because staring at a large blank canvas is rather intimidating when one doesn’t have a plan. Once I break the visual ice with that, it’s easy to build up with layers of cut-outs, pen drawings, and splattered ink, paying close attention to the composition, negative space, and overall feel of the work until it reaches completion. The armour is created in a similar organic process with the exception that I use a form underneath in order to get a base female shape. Like the collages, individual pieces are placed one after another so there’s no going backwards if I don’t like something. Instead, I have to work with any mistakes and make it part of the finished piece.

Do you find the two mediums very differently suited to convey a message to the viewer? Sure. The two-dimensional works by nature of the medium create that familiar relationship between the viewers and subject common to photography or portrait paintings. The viewer may wonder about the story of the subject, look for clues about their character and life. It’s intriguing & intellectual but it’s not necessarily a dynamic experience.

How long do these processes usually take? With sculpture the viewer has a more intimate and interactive relationship to the objects – they walk around them, look under them, peek in between the pieces, imagine wearing them. So whereas the collages capture a moment or character frozen in time, the three-dimensional works project a sense that this imaginary cast of characters inhabited a real space and time, since the remnants of their culture are displayed as objects to admire and study. Consequently, the display is integral to the message: the three-dimensional objects are exhibited as though in a museum of natural history like costumes or tools from a distant culture so that the viewer is encouraged to investigate their purpose and meaning in addition to the design.

It varies on the size of the piece and I usually work on more than one at a time, but more or less it takes 3 weeks to complete a work. Your work deals with issues of global commodity, personal identity and appropriation. Why do you choose to pin-point these social factors to resound in your work? These are issues that I’ve always been interested in personally, politically and socially so exploring them in what I do every day at the studio helps me sift through their relevance in contemporary life. While I value aesthetic beauty I also want my work to operate on a deeper and more historical level and so I continue to pursue these themes as they remain major influences in our lives.

What materials do you use and where do you source them? Typically, I collect images from a number of international and domestic sources including jewelry, sports, and lingerie catalogues; motorcycle, fashion & lifestyle magazines; and occasionally collector’s books. Most are donated, found, or leftover after they’ve been read. Often, after seeing my work on exhibit, people will approach me and offer stacks of magazines they’ve been saving.

Do you create each piece of work with a specific message intended to provoke a particular feeling or thought? Not really, they’re more part of an overall investigation in certain aspects of contemporary culture that I want to explore and transform. However, each work should have a particular feel or character so that they all feel individual. There are a few exceptions

The sculpture materials vary but usually consist also of found or

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such as Hair Piece Twenty Ten which was a collage inspired by seeing Marina Abramovic’s re-enacted performance Hair Piece at her MoMA NY retrospective in 2010. There’s also Crude River Camo which was inspired by an activist and shaman I met from the Ecuadorian Amazon jungle. She comes to NY every year during the Indigenous People’s Forum at the United Nations to speak out against big oil’s exploitation of her people’s land and the violent retaliation she faces for drawing attention to the matter. At times, she’s had to dress in jungle camouflage when venturing away from her village in order to evade attackers.

also discovered a few years ago that I have a gluten food intolerance, which makes eating out challenging so cooking and baking at home have become more of a passion. I also love the tropics so exploring the jungles and hanging around the coasts of Central America has always been one of my favourite pastimes. Are you working on any pieces at the moment? Yes, I’m completing new works for Copenhagen, as the market there has been very receptive, brainstorming for the next US show, and submitting proposals for public art in New York City.

From where do you draw inspiration and how do these relate to the ideas explored within your work?

Where can people view your work and do you exhibit in Australia?

Intellectually I’m stimulated by current events and the every day experience of living in a modernized global world. I try to be aware and examine the imagery and messages surrounding us as an anthropologist might observe ancient wall drawings to decode a society’s values and habits. I draw artistic inspiration from many areas including the stylized lines of Art Nouveau design, the Surrealist’s exploration of psychedelic juxtapositions, as well as the intricately organic yet obsessively controlled illustrations of sea creatures and plants by Ernst Haeckel.

I just completed a solo exhibition in Copenhagen, Denmark and am now working on showing again in New York and hopefully Los Angeles in the next couple of years. I’d love to exhibit in Australia, any ideas? It’d be great to see some Debra Hampton skateboards make their way over!

“Don’t be intimidated by

ple inspired by your work and

resources or experience, use what you have around you

date?

and be open to change”

That’s a tough question because even small moments can add up to significant milestones. But I’d have to say having work in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art has been a sustaining earmark. I love that museum so it’s not only an honour but it comes with great perks – a lifetime membership and invitations to special receptions.

Don’t be intimidated by resources or experience, use what you have around you and be open to change. Do be aware of using archival materials as much as possible so that future collectors can enjoy your work years from now.

If you could have a dinner party and invite any three people whom would they be and why? Salvador Dali. No dinner party could be more memorable. He had monkeys, wild cats, elaborate costumes, and live frogs jumping out of dinner trays.

Do you have a favourite work of yours and if so why? I tend to love pieces that give me the most trouble because they take so much effort to overcome and turn in the right direction. Of course as soon as a few months pass and I’m on to something else a new favourite usually emerges. At the moment, I have a small work in the studio that I haven’t wanted to let go of yet, Expulsion of Modern Thought.

The Dalai Lama. I’ve seen him speak a few times and he emits happiness from every pore. But he is also very serious and wise about world issues, an unusual combination. Slavoj Zizek. The conversation would never be dull, come to think of it though no one else may get a chance to speak. I do think he’d get along fabulously with Dali; it’d be great to see them hang out together.

What are your future plans within the art industry? I’d like to continue expanding outside of New York with more representation in Europe and my hometown in the Los Angeles area. I also am excited to continue working on public art projects, in particular some permanent designs that hopefully will happen in the next couple of years.

debra-hampton.com

Do you have any other passions aside from your art? I recently became intrigued with creating miniature terrariums that makes having a “garden” in a New York City apartment possible. I

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wanting to get into collage or sculpture?

What has been your most defining career moment to

Do you have any advice for peo-

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Concealed Ballerina DESIGNER INTERVIEW

AHYOUNG CHOI Ahyoung Choi is someone who was destined to be in fashion. With a designer for a father and a merchandiser for a mother, it seems that a passion for the creative runs through her blood. After graduating with a Bachelor of Clothing & Textiles from the Seoul National University, the Korean-born designer decided to move to London to study at Central St. Martins, one of the most illustrious schools of design known for turning out graduates such as Gareth Pugh, Phoebe Philo and Alexander McQueen. Choi recently graduated from her degree with first class honors and her graduate collection Concealed Ballerina is the result of melding the disciplines of fashion and architecture into a dark, twisted and beautiful story. The collection was featured during the 2011 Oxford Fashion Week â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Conceptâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; show. Ahyoung has also had the opportunity to intern for a number of luxury European fashion houses including Celine, Christopher Kane, Vivienne Westwood and Hussein Chalayan.

Words by MATI MUNOZ

magnificence. The unintended wrinkles and creases created from

What directed you into the fashion industry?

careless wrapping were amazing, although mine were intended to It was natural because of my parents who have a small fashion

be even smaller creases. The basic techniques that cover-up the

company, but when I was little I hated the idea of being in the

constructive silhouette with soft fabrics was the same.

fashion industry because it seemed too natural. However being raised by my father - a creative fashion designer and my mother -

Was there any difficulty in combining such beautifully created

an intelligent merchandiser, I could learn different aspects of the

architectural forms with soft, feminine fabrics?

fashion industry. The unique part of this collection is that the last development of Central St. Martins is one of the most renowned design

the design was a computer work. After rough sketches, I did some

schools in the world, and I can imagine an extremely creative

draping on toiles and then I used Photoshop to make the extreme

environment, how would you describe your experiences dur-

silhouette. During this process coincidental creases and shapes

ing your time there?

were created, so I could have a photo like illustration, but the real problem was making what had happened

I believe that design school is not for

into a real object. I had to think how the

teaching students how to be creative,

inside structure would look like to cre-

but for encouraging and providing envi-

“I believe that design school

Central St. Martins. You are not taught by the school, but instead are taught by yourself because CSM makes it so. Until I realized that, it was so much more difficult for me being at CSM because I expected some kind of ‘lecture’ teaching you how to be a good designer. The competition between young, passionate, creative students and the environment that encourages your own kind of cre-

ate the exact shape in the illustration and then drape the fabrics. I also had

ronments for them to be creative - that’s

is not for teaching students how to be creative, but for encouraging and providing environments for them to

to hand-stitch everything all by myself to drape the jersey on the under structure to create a better effect. Your work is more couture than commercial, how do you think you will be able to balance the creative with the

be creative - that’s Central St. Martins”

commercially viable? Concealed Ballerina Collection is my CSM graduate collection. I consider my-

ativity are the best parts of being a CSM

self a commercial fashion designer, and

student. I thought I was a very practical

I had actually planned a commercial collection for the graduate

and logical designer rather than creative and artistic one, but at

show, but during the project I changed the direction to something

CSM I learned how to balance my creative/intelligent ideas to-

different; something crazy which isn’t usually me, because it’s my

gether.

last collection as a ‘student’ and especially as a CSM student. What were the main inspirations behind

When the designs came out, I intentionally chose big and dramatic

Concealed Ballerina?

silhouettes for the final (since the graduate show, I have planned to redesign and develop the collection into a commercial line, but haven’t yet).

The main inspirations were architecture and fashion. I think architecture and fashion are closely connected in every aspect. The collaborations between architects and fashion designers are the

I think fashion shows need something dramatic in some ways. You

most powerful and effective as opposed to those between other

can edit from ‘too much’, but can’t add from ‘not enough’ because

designers. In this collection, I was also influenced by an architect

then something you‘ve added could be something you don’t need.

who is one of my good friends, especially in terms of shapes and

You have to show your maximum creativity on the collection and

silhouette.

then edit one by one to make them – the designs - commercial. Of course, ‘too much’ and ‘not enough’ mean different things to

The works of environmental installation artists, Christo &

different people.

Jeanne-Claude, were part of the inspiration for Concealed Ballerina, did you utilize any of their techniques in the

The masking of a female’s face has been used to convey a

construction of any of your pieces?

number of emotions and ideas. What was the meaning behind the use of masking in your styling?

Yes. Actually, the book of Christo & Jeanne-Claude’s installations that my friend - the architect, gave me was the start of the collec-

I named the collection Concealed Ballerina when most of the

tion. Their work looked like huge fashion architecture to me, what-

outfits were ready. It was not only because some of the inspira-

ever their intention was. I liked the softness that covered all the

tions were from ballet, but because it also conveys the idea that a

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ballerina’s hidden passion, energy, power and strength are used to create elegant and sophisticated movements and in her fragile and delicate little movements, her fine muscles and ugly feet are hidden. The mask was used to showing the idea literally. While discussing the styling with my stylist and photographer, we made a decision to style it with a dark, weird mood rather than a soft, pure mood - so the conclusion was the mask. You have interned with a number of high-end European design houses, can you tell us about your experiences there and any lessons that you have learnt working with such a high calibre of designers? Although I worked in fashion houses, I had interned in a number of different ones in London, in terms of company size and environment. As an intern you are asked to do small things, which aren’t really important, as opposed to the main things like design. Be that as it may, you also get to see how THE designers work, how the whole process goes on, and how much they involve themselves in the process and everything you’ve seen and listened helps to broaden your horizons. Moreover, working between amazing interns from all over the world, you can meet people who can change your narrow mind. If only they paid you well, there would be nothing you could want more. What are your plans for the future? At the moment, I’m working in a high-street fashion company in Korea. However, I’m not working as a designer but working in the research and development department and each season, I design outfits for a part of my father’s own collection. I would like to stay like this for a while - experiencing different parts of fashion, wether it be marketing, sourcing, buying or, of course, designing. Because, the more you find out about fashion, the more you’ll realize the varying aspects and views there are in fashion. It’s my kind of method for preparing my own label and business, whenever that will be. Last year, I came back to Korea because I was fed up with living in a foreign country as a foreigner. I wanted something natural and comfortable - you know, home sweet home. Although after few years of recovering from the homesickness, I’ll be ready to go back to Europe or do business in Europe, if the circumstances work for me.

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Whispering Roots DESIGNER PROFILE

LUI HON Lui Hon has spiritually traversed decades, generations and eras to become the person he is today. The Malaysian born, Australia-based fashion designer has since childhood been fascinated by the men and women who lived before him, those he was raised by, and those he grew up with. This rich ancestral history lives on in Honâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creative vision, embodied in every item of clothing he crafts under his eponymous label. Words by Tempe Nakiska

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Hon’s latest collection for Autumn/Winter 2012, titled Whispering

Hon experienced strong support from these women throughout his

Roots, is testament to the influence his heritage holds over his ar-

childhood in Malaysia. He was exposed to fashion from an early

tistic tendencies. The neutral colour palette Lui Hon has become

age, accompanying his mother to her clothing company where

known for this season mixes white and black with charcoal and

he would make pencil cases out of fabric scraps he found on the

taupe, giving the range an earthy and gentle feel. The nobility in-

floor. Hon’s first internship was at a local Malaysian fashion label,

herent in familial ties is communicated consistently through each

and his love of layering and styling was encouraged further at

fluid look; drape, while a constant in Hon’s creations, takes an

home by his sisters seeking his styling advise. Hon’s growing in-

individual turn with considered layering and strong silhouettes.

terest in fashion led him to travel to Australia in 1999 to complete an Honours degree in fashion design at RMIT University.

Flowing lines are balanced with stronger tailoring, with sleek leather detailing finishing jacket closures and contrasting with

In 2008, the quiet Hon shelved his wariness of drama in favour of

wool blend pants and dresses. Leather is a feature throughout

generating awareness for his new label, becoming a contestant

the collection, seeming to melt from look to look as thigh-high

on Project Runway Australia. Here he excelled, becoming one of

boot leggings, fringed gloves and simply cut vests. Just as each

four finalists and being taken under the wing of Project Runway

generation is balanced by differing values and characteristics,

judge Henry Roth. Roth spotted unique talent in Hon, showing his

Hon’s signature use of wool crepe stabilises leather’s sheen with

portfolio to international fashion head hunters, from where it was

its muted finish.

passed to Helmut Lang in Europe and Theory in the US.

Though deeply expressed in the AW12 collection, Hon’s roots

Two collections later, Lui Hon has garnered a local and inter-

have always played a role in his design process. Furthermore,

national following dedicated to his unwavering design integrity.

though the Lui Hon aesthetic is uniquely androgynous, it has al-

Hon’s development process is a personal one, this perhaps con-

ways been the women in this designer’s life that have inspired

tributing to his aesthetic consistency throughout each range. “In

him most.

the beginning of my designing process, I often need some letalone space, space in which I can to connect with my inner self then do some research,” Hon says. “I am a bit more in control of my designing and my planning than before. Now, my fabric choices come only after I have a clear feel and direction for the

“My design journey is often unconsciously drawing back on who and where I was from and how I perceive my present surroundings,”

range.” For Lui Hon, everything in life – from familial ties to the connection between each step in his design process – is key in his creative journey. ‘Whispering Roots’, he explains, is a culmination of years of reflecting on different cultures, families and generations, all relating back to his own development as a designer. “Whispering Roots represents the evolution of my thought,” he explains. “I have focused on both practicality and aesthetics to paint a picture of nobility and serenity. The collection says you should celebrate both your individuality and your roots whilst travelling through life

Hon says. “My first birthday, Mum put three things on the floor in

with confidence and style.”

front of me; a pan, a drumstick, and pair of scissors. I chose the scissors. Being surrounded by women when I grew up, their inner beauty has deeply inspired me.”

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Embracing comfort and practicality is an integral part of the new

enthuses. Though simple, this statement is the crutch of the Lui

collection, as in every Lui Hon range. Flowing silhouettes com-

Hon label: for Hon, feeling comfortable in your clothing is just as

bined with quality tailoring and fine materials are key. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Looking

important as feeling at one with your own roots, wherever they

comfortable is as important as feeling comfortable,â&#x20AC;? Hon softly

take you in life.

luihon.com.au

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Photography Peter Ryle Featuring Ayor @ FRM and Renee @ Viviens Assistant to Lui Holly Wolfe and Rebecca Savva Assistant to Peter Tomas Frimi Hair and Makeup Artist Blondie @ Agent 99 Hat Richard Nylon for LUI HON Shoes www.santini.com.au 19

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El Homenaje DESIGNER INTERVIEW

MARIPOSSA Blurring the line between fabric and metal, Australian jewelry designer Lauren Besser crafts intricate works that fuse delicacy with strength. A background littered with a love for creating and a fascination in ancient design and craft techniques has led Besser to found her own label, Maripossa. Elements of chainmail come to mind on inspecting a Maripossa piece, with inspiration also drawn from traditional African jewelry and ancient metalworking techniques. FAINT was lucky enough to speak with Besser about her cathartic relationship with jewelry design and the latest collection from Maripossa. Words & Interview by Tempe Nakiska / Photography Zac Steinic

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How have your studies in psychology impacted upon your

What do you enjoy about blurring the line between metal and

designs?

fabric, jewelry and clothing?

My psychology studies have contributed to who I am, how I see the

I love that I can use my hands to create something that brings

world, the environment and the people around me. So naturally this

people joy to wear. I love the malleability and that it is just so

influences the designs, even if not consciously. In a more general

contradictory that a metal can be interlaced in a way that it tran-

sense, when I’m designing I’m conscious not just of what I like and

spires into a fibrous material. It’s all about changing pre-conceived

would personally want to wear, but have to try to decipher what the

notions of our limitations. Being able to take old craft techniques

public will appreciate and be drawn to and why. On another level,

usually applied to one medium (yarn, thread) and to apply this to a

the actual making of the pieces is just so cathartic, there are so

completely oppositional medium.

many ways psychology comes into it. I’m constantly surprised by the way the chain moves. It acts like What drew you to design as a career?

a silk fabric at times, but give it too much or too little tension and it seizes up. It really is quite fascinating to work with and I also

I kind of fell into it after going through a phase of not knowing

love the way it feels on the skin (I have a pet hate for jewelry that

what I wanted to do, applying for jobs I never really wanted. I tried

doesn’t have movement, and is uncomfortable to wear). Crafting

corporate retail buying, managed a high-end Aboriginal art gallery

techniques using chain have been around for centuries but it’s

for a while as well as a number of other random jobs leaving me

such a laborious endeavour that it’s not seen around so much. I

unchallenged and disillusioned. I never really had the confidence

feel fortunate to be able to reinterpret it in a contemporary way that

to do what I’m doing now. I woke up one morning unemployed and

people appreciate and that provokes dialogue.

depressed having shunned my passion for creating, and just had this epiphany that it was now or never, that I would only have my-

Where and how do you usually start when you sit down to

self to blame when I became a bitter sad woman in my 50’s.

design a piece?

What experiences or memories from your childhood can you

Generally I’m just a complete hoarder of the most random of things.

pin as having influenced what you’re doing today?

I find beauty in odd places that might inform a shape or a part of a design that I’ll try to remember or photograph or sketch. But work-

My travels have definitely informed what I’m doing today. I’ve been

ing with chain in this way is so unpredictable that more often than

fortunate to have travelled to some incredible places. I was par-

not a design I thought was going to end up looking like x ends up

ticularly influenced by a trip to Africa when I was 21. I visited a

looking like y…working with this medium requires a really flexible

Maasai village where there was this large circle of incredibly beau-

approach and a very patient headspace.

tiful women sitting cross-legged on the ground in the middle of the desolate Kenyan landscape. These women create the most amaz-

How did your latest collection, El Homenaje, come about?

ing beaded tribal jewelry that left an indelible impact, reminding me of my love for creating. They had piles of hand made beaded

Inspiration came from a number of personal experiences. The de-

jewelry strewn on top of brightly coloured cloths. I spent hours

signs themselves are inspired by my memories of a devastating

trawling through everything, completely in awe of their ability to

earthquake I was in when I was about 12 on a family trip in Los An-

create something so intricate, with only simple materials and their

geles. It was the largest earthquake the city had experienced since

own two hands.

the 70’s. I think it was my first really shocking realisation of my own mortality and fear of the unpredictability of nature’s elements,

I’ve always had an innate passion for design and used to make my

and all which we cannot control. In particular, the raw unpolished

own clothes and accessories. I was always sewing something or

sterling silver and bronze pieces in the collection translate this,

beading. I still find myself cutting, altering or dyeing this or that.

with feature elements depicting fragments reminiscent of crevices

I always knew I wanted to incorporate this passion into a busi-

and craters. Rings consist of pockets of crushed earth crystals and

ness and my life in general. Fashion has also been in my family

garnets, with names such as Return to Earth, Debris & Vertigo.

forever and a day. Both my grandparents and parents have had

Necklaces similarly reflect disruptions, with silver plates formed

successful retail business and I have fond memories of roaming

into individual tableaus of uneven surfaces.

around our factory in Abbotsford when I was five years old. My mum in particular has had a very strong impact on me and runs

The name itself, The Homage, is very personal to me as while I

her own design business. I would often go with her while she went

was designing the collection I was going through quite an intense

to meet manufacturers, and my brother and I used to walk around

period of reflection and journeying through some very sad child-

the house dodging boxes that had been delivered to our house,

hood memories. It sounds self-indulgent here but I think any de-

which quickly became a storeroom. So I guess you can say design

signer or artist who says their work is not personal is delusional.

is in my blood. 21

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The photography for The Homage 2012 is exquisite. Is photog-

tion and I want the wearer to be able to make their piece their own.

raphy a muse for you?

A lot of designs in this new collection can be tied to wear at varying lengths so they‘re so much fun to play with and really versatile.

Photography definitely inspires me, as does art, film, and nature among so many other things. I had a strong vision going into the

What moment in the Maripossa journey has been the

shoot and the photographer understood what I was looking for so

most fulfilling?

completely. The result was beyond my expectations and so wholly captures the rawness, fragility and melancholic aspects of the col-

Definitely receiving the Young Designer Award at Berlin Fashion

lection and feelings behind it.

Week last year. It was within the first year of having started the business so I was pretty blown away by the whole experience.

Who is the Maripossa woman? What are you currently working on and most excited about The Maripossa woman is curious and alluring. She’s subtle and

right now?

magical and a seeker of the unique. She knows who she is, she shuns conformity and isn’t afraid to express herself creatively.

Finishing a whole lot of orders! Hehe … and planning to exhibit

She’s elegant one day, unrefined the next.

again at Berlin Fashion Week later in the year.

Your designs mix intricacy and elegance with raw texture.

What’s next for you?

Why is versatility such a strong element? In terms of future projects I would love to collaborate with an AusThe pieces can look completely different depending on how they’re

tralian fashion designer but we’ll see, who knows! I’m just enjoying

worn. A piece can look very elegant and yet be dressed down with

the journey that led me to today. A wise man once told me I seem

an old t-shirt and look completely androgynous. This is really the

to live by a mantra of ‘let’s just try this and see what happens.’ I

whole premise of the label, the designs are just a total contradic-

think he’s right, so I’ll just keep doing that for now.

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Aves Insecta DESIGNER PROFILE

TETTMANN.DOUST Injecting couturian principles and an Avant Garde sensibility into the Cultural Program of Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival, Tettmann.Doust exploded into the Australian fashion scene with the launch of their debut collection Aves Insecta. The collaborative project transcended both the frameworks of a runway show and an art installation, enlisting varied creative talents to bring the A/W12 collection to life. The event showcased a design team who want to do things differently and this nonconformist nature is embedded deeply in the Tettmann.Doust DNA. Posing an alternative to a contemporary climate of fast and disposable fashion, the multifaceted label evokes experiential fashion, igniting our full breadth of senses, from sight and touch, to covet and lust.

Words by Tully Walter / Photography Thom Kerr

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The dynamic of Naomi Tettmann and Elke Doust is encapsulated

The launch of Aves Insecta extended this evocative homage to

in their inimitable design aesthetic. A blend of two contrasting, yet

the natural world through the collaborative runway show hosted by

profoundly complimentary signatures forms the delicate balance

1000 Pound Bend. The alchemy of light, movement and sound en-

and depth of the brands ethos. Tettmann eludes a dark, vamp-

chanted the audience through the pulse and seemingly the habitat

ish sensibility and a soft yet inherently complex structure. She is

of the collection. The atmospheric journey through the multimedia

the construction mastermind behind the pattern blocks that anchor

instillation was constructed by the talents of Melbourne projection

each of the silhouettes within Aves Insecta. Doust is the bowerbird,

artist Yandell Walton, Animator Tobias Edwards and Choreogra-

her mind bubbling with colour, energy and intricacy. She is the

pher Brooke Amity. The vision for the design team was to create

driving force behind the embellishment and ornamentation of each

an experience. “It was such a culmination,” said Doust. “We have

design, from digital prints to beading compositions. The pair cre-

interests in so many other things, and have so many friends with

ates together, harmonized like cog and screw. Their Collingwood

creative talents, so the idea was to showcase them at the one

based studio is reminiscent of a bee hive, chaotically decorated

event. It wasn’t about fashion alone,” Doust describes. The results

with the jumble of the pair’s signatures. This untamed beauty cer-

were one of the most original and resonant fashion events of the

tainly resonates throughout the designs of Tettmann.Doust.

season.

The diversity in discipline and technique found within

This concept of experiential fashion is most central to the

Tettmann.Doust’s body of work is astounding. The obvious ques-

Tettmann.Doust ethos, echoing throughout each and every ele-

tion is: Where do the designers begin to develop a collection?

ment of the label’s blueprint. Frustrated with the rise and rule of

The pair describes their creative process as highly organic and

disposable fashion, the designers delineate themselves from the

collaborative. Whilst they do have their individual strengths and

mainstream with an unrelenting attention to detail and commitment

roles within the label, they constantly “bounce things” off each an-

to couture. Doust explains, “I think this is in our nature. We are

other, explains Tettmann. “There is a lot of cross referencing”

both perfectionists. Even the most basic idea has the potential to

adds Doust. Simple is rarely a word used within the pairs treasure

be finished with great detail. We feel this is what makes a garment

chest design vocabulary. “Great attention is paid to every single

special. This is also what makes the making process interesting

detail and the emphasis is always on innovation” says Tettmann.

and keeps us excited about our work. We both tend to apply these

They described the development of Aves Insecta beginning with a

ideas throughout our lives” This application described by Doust

print, out of which shapes, silhouettes and further embellishments

is visible throughout every fragment of our journey throughout

were drawn. Meanwhile what is particularly unique about the de-

Aves Insecta. From Doust’s mind boggling prints and hand worked

sign process is that Tettman will create a signature block pattern:

beading or Tettmann’s arithmetical pattern blocks, to the pairs

a thematic platform from which the shapes and silhouettes evolve

hands on set construction for their theatrical campaign shoots, the

from across dual seasons.

Tettmann.Doust vision is solid, as is the presence of the hands and hearts of the designers. This sensation of authenticity, narrative

Bound by a fascination in aesthetics associated with the “classifi-

and ultimately experience, powerfully transcends through to the

cation, science and study of the natural world,” Tettmann.Doust’s

garments and subsequently the wearer.

debut collection draws inspiration from the anatomy of aves and insecta - birds and insects. Silhouettes are imbedded with a struc-

The launch of Aves Insecta was a triumphant amalgamation of

tural box pleat, reminiscent of an insect’s frame. The looks are lay-

vision in an unforgettable format. However, the collection lives

ered, much like their anatomical counterparts. Limbs are isolated

and breaths outside the theatre of the runway show, embedded

and emphasised in a spindly elegance. Figures are bound cocoon

deeply with the spirit of Tettmann.Doust. The design duo proves

like, in body conscious webs and figures are further layered, in

an exciting addition to the Australian fashion industry, instilling an

drape or tailored armor reminiscent of wings or shells respectively.

unparalleled depth in imagination and technique. Describing their

The designer’s penchant for the natural world also resonates

next collection as an exploration of fractals, the pair certainly has

throughout their textile application. Luxury natural fabrics such as

us engaged.

silk, bamboo and fine calf leather enhance the exquisite tactility of the range. The base notes of the palette are made up of black in

Aves Insecta A/W 12 will be available in stores around Australia

varying textures, forming the backdrop to the kaleidoscopic prints

from the middle of March.

that “pay homage to the vibrant plumage of the Rainbow Bee-eater and luminescent wings of the Christmas beetle.” The depth and layering in each look evokes a cross section from an untouched

tettmanndoust.com

microcosm, conceived within the dark of a forest.

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This Page The Eye Printed Flag Cocktail Dress Nathan Jenden Opposite Page Dress Versace Clear Plastic Necklace House of Flora

CREATURES oftheDEEP by Anoush Abrar & AimĂŠe Hoving Fashion Editor Sorrel Kinder Makeup Artist Francis Ases Hair Olivier Schawaler Featuring Lana @ Karin Models Paris 29

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30 Sequined top & shorts Mannish Arora White coral, silver plated chain, lace, ribbon and pearl necklace Erickson Beamon White coral, silver plated chain, lace, ribbon, pearl and shell long necklace Erickson Beamon

Dress Alexander McQueen Necklace Stephan Hamel for Erickson Beamon

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Dress Miu Miu Necklace ZoĂŤ Kendell This Page Dress Krystof Strozyna Earrings Erickson Beamon

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MATT WISNIEWSKI http://mattw.us Matt Wisniewski is a self-taught collage artist and web developer born and raised in Philadelphia. He is finishing up a computer science degree at the Rochester Institute of Technology and working as a web developer. He has experimented with various artistic media for most of is life. The experience gained from this interest and the wealth of creative imagery on display on the web inspired him to create something new.

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a r t i s t

E l e n a

f a s h i o n

e d i t o r

G o s h a

t h r o u g h o u t

f e a t u r i n g

Y a n a

H o m o

V i l k i n a

m a k e u p

g a r m e n t s

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K r y g i n a K a r t s e v C o n s o m m a t u s L M A

a g e n c y

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ARTIST FEATURE

DAIKICHI AMANO Words by Harley Young

The confronting and enticing images of contemporary Japanese photographer and film maker Daikichi Amano have been described as existing somewhere between “Horror Photography” and blatant fetish pornography. Intentionally eliciting a strong emotional response from viewers, Amano’s portraits combine dead animals and sea creatures with living human models in precisely structured compositions that both repulse and allure. Traditional techniques and artistic disciplines are taken to the edge of modern cultural values, while referencing historical influences and commenting on prevailing consumer societies.

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Born in Japan in 1973, Amano studied art in the United States

In an endless public debate on whether Amano’s work is art or por-

before returning to his homeland and continuing a personal study

nography, or simply made to shock and revolt, the individual con-

that eventually led him to open his infamous Genki Genki studios.

fronts these images and the questions the artist has raised. While

Widely collected, published and exhibited throughout the world,

some are merely disgusted by the thought or sight of an insect or

his artworks have gained Amano a cult status and beg viewers to

slimy eel touching human skin, others recognise a deeper dialogue

question their own moral conceptions and fears, while provoking

that exists regarding design, and beyond that questions about our

a strong dialogue about the relationship between human beings

very human existence and part in the natural world.

and other animals. Amano has sited the work of famous C18th Japanese artist Themes of human bondage and emancipation are explored through

Katsushika Hokusai to be an influence and although Hokusai’s art

meticulously constructed photographs of women encapsulated in

focused mostly on landscapes and images of the daily lives of

ropes, nets, cloth and the bodies of ocean fauna, while eroticism

Japanese people, there are also a number of erotic prints which

and the boundaries of sexual taboo are staged within the tentacles

feature not only men and women engaged in explicit sexual acts,

of octopodes and eels. Insects arranged in patterns and manda-

but also women experiencing the same with octopodes. Clearly

las on faces and other parts of the body combine decoration with

these printed images by Hokusai are fantastical in nature like so

nightmares, as maggots and cockroaches menacingly inhabit the

much contemporary anime and manga art, but Amano takes the

edges of open human orifices. Frogs and squid hang from open

fantasy to a new level by using real women and animals in his

mouths and their intestines drip and stretch across the skin of the

photographs, thus eliciting a sense of the hyper-real in completely

models. Goldfish lay helplessly entombed between wet white cloth

surreal scenarios.

and the skin of young women, symbolising vulnerable beauty and the fragile in a cycle of life and death.

Regardless of an audiences reaction to the themes or images presented, Amano’s highly stylised photography is testament to his

In another image, a naked man painted white with the horned head

artistic talents in the execution of composition, lighting and colour

of a deer and a turtle shell strapped to his groin explores the tra-

through the cinematic dioramas he creates. Amano has previously

ditional role of man as both the hunter and the stag, while again

commented that the techniques for making art and pornography

revisiting the sexual idea of nautical creature as an alternative to

are the same, regardless of how the work itself is philosophically

human penis, with the long neck and head of the turtle hanging

perceived. The deliberate provocation incited by Amano when

between his legs. Other women become imprisoned in bark as

crossing the lines of accepted norms to discuss the definition,

they morph into eerily beautiful compositions of trees with black

meaning and role of art becomes rhetoric when one considers the

crows resting upon their branch entwined heads, again discussing

role of the artist to challenge and stimulate discourse. Others

life and ethos through symbolising entrapment and death in living

will simply find Amano’s work shocking or disturbing. Either way,

form.

Amano has certainly manifested a fervent symposium that surrounds him and his work.

The role of the animals, sea creatures, insects and birds in the lives of human beings as dominant species, predator and consumer is taken to a new level with Amano’s use of their bodies as a medium to create the very art that we exhibit, publish, view and purchase. Other images explore women as mannequins or dolls, surrounded by broken plastic body parts, or among a population of

daikichiamano.com

painted, anonymous and stylised faces, representing the exploitation or consumption of the women themselves.

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living in a strange world by Jana Van De Boldt Fas h i o n S t y l i n g J e n n i f e r M e rt e n s M a k e u p A r t i s t T h e o S c h n 端 re r H a i r M a ri a E h rl i c h

F e a t u r i n g B o n n i e S t ra n g e

Opposite Page Coat Florian Wowrenzko Neckpiece Amelie Jäger Studded Headpiece (Stylist’s Own) This Page Dress Amelie Jäger Jewelry Regal Rose Leather bracelet MOXHAM

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Bodysuit MINIMUM Collar Regal Rose

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54 Dress Amelie Jäger Backpiece (Stylist’s Own)

Vest Ragged Priest Pullover MINIMUM

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Between Whispers and Thunderstorms, part II

ARTIST INTERVIEW

AMBER ISABEL Words and Interview Clarissa Dolphin

Graduating from the Royal Academy of Art at the Hague with

Creating the added layer of pigments is a way for me to focus.

honours in 2010 and studying under the tutelage of famed pho-

Hours and days are meditatively spent adding the thousands of

tographer Erwin Olaf - the works of Dutch mixed media artist

dots by hand, palpating my subconscious and giving form to the

Amber Isabel painstakingly explore the gorgeous, harrowing

unspeakable.

labyrinth of mind, body and soul. In the series’ Unraveled and Between Whispers and Thunderstorms figures are cloistered

Identity transmutes in each of your collections. In Unraveled,

in a space where power, manipulation, emotion and intuition

Between Whispers and Thunderstorms Part I your figures are

compete for top rank in the psyche. Enmeshed in a complex

palpably dark and portentous. The sylph emerges in Between

nexus of intellect and sentiment, Amber’s subjects present

Whispers and Thunderstorms Parts II and III, The Ashen Air,

the moment in which an inexplicable feeling transports con-

and Finding Goodness. Veiled or cloaked - these silhouettes

sciousness from logic to nebula.

seem to express something suppressed. What are they hiding?

Amber is currently a weekly guest lecturer at Willem de Koonig

Torn by emotions they are holding on to the last shreds of their in-

Academy in her native Netherlands. Her newest body of work

nocence. Hiding them deep inside themselves. I imagine that one

is in development and will be released this summer.

day they will forget where they left them and conclude they have gone forever.

Figures in your pieces are veiled

What does your work say about

or cloaked in pixelated sidereal

how we communicate with each

masks. They see stars in sable and grey and seem to be enraptured in some stark, sensual feminine black hole. What are these swathed figures, particularly the shrouded creature in Unraveled, reflecting on? All my works are based on my deepest and most personal experiences. They narrate of feelings that are hard to put into words precisely. The works are a way of

In our efforts to protect ourselves, we lose the ability to truly see the world through another persons’ eyes. In the eyes of a stranger we see merely our own reflection.

other as human beings? The conversations we create with ourselves and with society at large? It’s these suppressed feelings of fear and rage which seem to be lingering behind so many eyes. Feelings stemming from self protection forming a barrier between people. In our efforts to protect ourselves we lose the ability to truly see the world through an-

visualising these complex feelings

other persons’ eyes. In the eyes

and thereby giving them a place.

of a stranger we see merely our own reflection. That’s how I see

Unraveled narrates of the outward flow of innocence of a young

the role of my work as an artist. To be that stranger. Luring the

naïve girl. A vulnerable girl like me once, manipulated into isola-

viewer in by beauty.

tion by someone else or perhaps by her own doing. Power and manipulation are constant themes in my work, and play a big role

You’re an accomplished artist with a prestigious educational

in this latest work in which I explore this on a much more physically

and professional background. How did studying at the Royal

intimate level.

Academy of Art, The Hague and being celebrated Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf’s assistant shape your aesthetic sensi-

There is a sense that these figures are transporting them-

bility and professional prowess?

selves somewhere other than where they are standing. How do you explore the idea of consciousness and awareness in

The origin for my way of expressing myself lies in my childhood. I

your works?

was painting and drawing from an early age on. I am grateful that my parents supported this and stimulated me culturally as well.

I see the unexplainable a bit like a vessel transporting the aware-

This is probably when my sense of aesthetics developed and I

ness from the here and now to the forest of the subconscious. In

learned to express myself through shapes.

there, logic and reason are of no avail, you have to trust the language spoken by emotion and intuition. My figures are lost in that

My time at the academy was a time of introspection and honing of

forest, as I was once lost and in a way still am.

my visual language. Erwin is all about perfection. He sharpened the knife with which I cut my frames.

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Everything needs to breathe the same feeling. The expression, the lighting, everything. He let me into his world as a photographic director, but also his personal world. Reflecting on my work and that of others really taught a new way of seeing things. His way of looking for the underlying meaning by asking keen questions is something I use on a weekly basis being a guest teacher at the Willem de Kooning Academy. Your sets are stark and seamlessly stylized. Is there a team of creatives you rely on to help make your work a reality? How do collaborations impact your creative process? Before I plan a new body of work I start sketching and collecting thoughts and images. Finding the essence of what I feel I should tell with my images. This is a process which can take several weeks. After this I start to put together the team and start looking for the right location and model. I don’t plan everything ahead of time, it’s important for me to allow room for beautiful accidents and meaningful coincidences to happen. It’s the little things that I hadn’t foreseen that often become interesting elements of friction in my images. Where are you now in your development as an artist? How do you feel your craft has evolved thus far? Over time I have become better at understanding myself through my work as an artist, and the other way around. Choices I have made artistically and personally make much more sense now than they did before. My craft has evolved from visualising feelings to exploring them. Where do you envision yourself being a decade from now aesthetically and professionally? That’s difficult to predict. Photography will still be playing a role in how I construct my messages, but perhaps it will be in a less direct way. I’m interested in moving from a two dimensional presentation to a three–dimensional. Taking the set out of the frame and into the room I’m exhibiting in. This is something I might be doing as well. You’ve exhibited your work all across the Netherlands. Where are you planning to showcase next? Right now I am working on a new body of work, which will be ready in summer. I can’t say to much about since I am right in the middle of it. It will be shown at my gallery of course and I would love to show it abroad as well.

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Between Whispers and Thunderstorms, part III

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This Page Between Whispers and Thunderstorms, part I Opposite Page Unravelled, part I

amberisabel.com dolphinink.biz

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DESIGNER INTERVIEW

FLIK HALL Interview Mati Munoz

What was the concept behind your S/S 2012 collection?

The accessories fit in perfectly with your S/S 2012 collection, but are a bit unusual in terms of traditional taxidermy, where

The collection is inspired by the eroticism surrounding and relating

one usually expects animals with fur or feathers, what was it

to the form and ethereal symbolism of the octopus. The prints this

like working with creatures from the sea?

season are derived from the obscure close up imagery of the octopi skin and tentacles. A mixture of opaque and semi-transparent

Creating the pieces with Miranda involved a lot of trial an error,

fabric is used divulging parts of the body though them; this takes

even though she works with sea creatures and other botanical

inspiration from Chimeras or more literally cecaelia (half octopus,

specimens on a regular basis, you would be surprised how differ-

half human).

ent the process can be for each specimen. The main difference we found between the octopus and other sea creatures is that the water content is significantly more. To begin with it was fairly

On the sweet summer wind its purpled wings

disheartening, I spent a few days creating a beautiful shoulder

In gulfs enchanted, where the Siren sings,

piece, I came into the studio the next day to find that it had shrunk

And coral reefs lie bare,

down to about ten percent of its original size. I think that the more

Where the cold sea-maids rise to sun their streaming hair.

problems you have making something you intended, often leads you on to the most exciting and original things.

You recently collaborated with taxidermist and jewellery de-

You use prints quite prominently throughout your work; do

signer – Miranda Keyes, for ‘INK’ the accessories line in con-

you create your own prints? And do you believe that they aid

junction with your S/S 2012 collection. How did this collabora-

in getting a collection’s concept and idea across?

tion come about? Yes I design all of my own prints and it is the most important startI initially saw Miranda Keyes work in the window of The Last Tues-

ing point for me. I have always loved creating images and paint-

day Society. It is a shop in east London that displays taxidermy

ing, digital print was just another way for me to do this. There are

and various other curious things. I asked them for her contact de-

endless possibilities of what you can do with it and it gives you so

tails and it all began from then on.

much more lucidity and control than any other medium. For me print is so much more than just an image translated statically onto

I could see from her work that she had a lot of experience working

a material, it has the ability to completely make a garment. Aes-

with sea specimens, mainly fish, and there were some jackets she

thetically print is so dynamic in how it can be used; it can totally

had made from fish skin which were really beautiful. She was also

change the form of a garment through the angle of its placement.

good at using the human form as a mold, which was important

I think that print sets the vibe of a garment before the silhouette;

for me looking for someone to make accessories. It was a sort of

however, I think it is important to find the perfect amalgamation of

natural fit for me; Miranda’s pieces ally themselves seamlessly

both to get a concept across properly.

with the body, which was very important for me.

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There is quite a difference between your S/S 2012 and A/W 2012 collections – in my opinion, you can almost see the transition you made from the sea to the land – why did you decide to transition away from the elements featured in your previous collection? I did not consciously move from sea to land as you have described, but I suppose side by side the prints are from different worlds. Old medical plates influenced me initially; I then started looking further into dentistry and also the structure of the jaw. I become infatuated by certain imagery and then the rest of my collection develops from this point. Both of your collections exhibit a sense of excellent craftsmanship and tailoring, how do you think this affects consumers when purchasing your pieces? I think that above everything else, the quality and fit of a garment is the only thing that gives it boundless luxury. Customers expect a consistent style of tailoring by a designer throughout collections; it creates confidence and trust in the brand. You created fashion films for both of your collections; can you describe the experience behind this and any hardships that you faced along the way? I have been lucky enough to work with a really fantastic team of people both times so not too much drama. Working on both films the models were very fluid with their movement, this is always a risk working with someone you have not worked with before, or choosing a face that may not have done film previously. We filmed the SS12 film on a beach, this attracted some kids that took great pleasure in throwing pebbles at us, otherwise things ran pretty smoothly. Your S/S 2012 film is very beautiful and begins quite serene and calm but then becomes slightly more aggressive

and

unpredictable

–

terms

the

model’s movements and the use of your pieces – almost mimicking the behaviour of the sea. Was this your intention? Yes, we wanted the model to become half octopus throughout the film and become infatuated by what is out at sea. She is looking for something, throughout the film she becomes more haunted by the breaking of the sea, we are unsure if she is taking on another form or just becoming part of the seascape.

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Photographer Jack Willsmore Model Karolina R @ FM Hair Elvire Roux Makeup Artist Kentaro Kondo Assistants Lara Piras, Hetty Adams Design Dan Sheffield Digital Papaya Ink

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oi Kotsuhiroi creates harmony in the conflict of elements, both shocking and tender. Fusing symbols of a sharp edged fetishism with the organic fragility of the human psyche, her signa-

ture aesthetic is in each part primal, erotic and disarmingly poetic. Merging principles synonymous with conceptual art and those of traditional Japanese technique, around vastly rare and unique mediums from time and place, Kotsuhiroi’s one of a kind body and feet “objects” are imparted with an otherworldly power, transcending the realms of both article and idea. Her ongoing collection entitled Exotic Regrets explores diverse mediums including human hair, horse hair, lacquered horns, antique Buddhist carnelian prayer beads, urushi lacquer, antique roman 24k. Gold beads (circa 100-400 ad), antique elephant leather, buffalo leather, crocodile leather, cherry tree wood, antique indigo fabric, phantom crystals, ‘pit-fired’ porcelain and antique roman glass beads often sewn together with silk thread. The vertiginous feet objects both menace and cherish the human form. On one hand the sharp angles and horn carved heels, reminiscent of daggers, are ominously erotic. Feet, ankles and legs are strapped and bound in mixed leathers, furthering this primal proposition of sadomasochism. On the other hand, the staggering 7.7 inch objects elude a powerful femininity. Whilst the objects seemingly embody a power to damage, they are driven and directed by the fragility of the female foot. Meanwhile, contrasted with the primitive iconography of mediums, traditional Japanese techniques add poetry to the narrative of Exotic Regrets. For centuries, Urushi lacquer has been used on Japanese ladies’ sandals, imparting an immaculate pedestal to both frame and juxtapose the foot. Kinbaku, or Japanese Rope bonding, emerged out the late Edo period and explores the aesthetics and pleasures of tight binding. These rituals are embedded in the celebration of the female form however both techniques embody signatures entrenched in notions of restraint. Nevertheless, whether bound or embraced, the female figure serves as crux to each of Aoi Kotsuhiroi’s compositions. Eluding to the mystery of Exotic Regrets, Kotsuhiroi is as enigmatic as her work itself: “Exotic Regrets is a dance of the female muscles” tensed up as an ultimate stake. In the enclosure of the secret, ritual bodies and codes split the instant. Parallel heels are instruments of nudity as a trap in tension. The rest remains to be done, other rituals in balance.”

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Aoi Kotsuhiroi T H E

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This Page Day Dream Opposite Page Improbable Soul

Your work certainly transcends the notions of jewelry and

Can you describe your creative journey? I continue my initia-

adornment. How would you describe your work? I’m not a “jew-

tory journeys, I forgot the beginning, it must have been uncertain,

elry designer”, I’m an “emotional pornographer” and I neither make

I remember moments of meeting, some sorts of face to face where

“jewelry” nor “adornment” but “shamanic instruments”.

you can’t go back and then this jump into space....

From where do you draw your inspiration?

Your collection entitled Exotic Regrets is chronicled by

From dreams autopsies.

a series of chapters, can you explain this notion? I write some stories or maybe the stories write me. Anyway, there are

Can you describe the role the human form plays in your

chapters because each story includes different moments which

designs? The female form - to be more specific, is the

are like passages.

incontrovertible relationship to my dreams’ emotional autopsies. What is the story you are telling via Exotic Regrets? There The diversity and originality in your use of medium is extraor-

is this waiting, this light which changes and which plays like a

dinary. What are your favorite mediums to work with and what

character on this woman’s body. She looks at this light and learns

else would you like to explore with? The poetry, the black, the

again her body, she decides through it to breathe.... The rest is a

evening coolness, the regret of the moon, the morning fog, the aer-

secret.

ial roots.... I’d like to explore that I don’t know yet, the suffocated What is the next chapter?

walls, some new epidermis, some upside down things...

It is an Epilogue, which is a suspension. Can you describe your creative process? It’s a ritual which organizes itself around a “dance”. The choices are made in the instinct which seeks in the instant for a breathing of the beauty. aoikotsuhiroi.com

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“If someone looks at a Eugene Lin collection hoping for My Little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake, they have seriously come to the wrong place.” FAINT MAGAZINE

DESIGNER PROFILE

EUGENE LIN Words and Interview Tempe Nakiska

Highly skilled and fiercely pragmatic, London designer Eugene Lin is set for sartorial success. Under his eponymous womenswear label, ex-Singaporean soldier Lin has produced five collections, each receiving wider appraisal than the last. With the release of Room 101 for SS12, Lin has cemented himself as a talented, no-fuss designer rising quickly up the fashion ranks. The self-confessed perfectionist is unwavering in his vision for his label, which he says is a realistic reflection of fashion’s dark aspects: no sugar coating here. Indeed, his latest collection and recent collaboration with jewelry designer Imogen Belfield were inspired by human capability to inflict pain through torture. Sinister as this may seem, Lin only wants to communicate that beauty can be drawn from typically ugly concepts. His collections hence emit sharp sophistication through strong tailoring and devastatingly beautiful prints, all the while telling a meaningful story. FAINT was privileged enough to learn more from the designer himself, though we feel we only scratched the surface …

Your collections have an incredibly clean and polished feel to them. Where does this come from? As a child I was a perfectionist, and that has only gotten more intense. I would spend hours and hours drawing a piece and if it was not as good as I wanted, I would have no qualms crushing it and starting over. Now I am obsessive about the fit and proportions of my clothes, the finishing, the photography and presentation etc. What are your favourite and least favourite materials to work with? I find silk and silk jersey in particular very alluring, and both are materials I have developed into a signature within every collection. I do not find leather very aesthetically pleasing compared to other materials. While I am not a vegan, I am aware of the concerns raised by leather production and am uncomfortable with the use of exotic skins. Leather, mostly pig suede and lamb created as by-products of the meat industry, have been used sparingly in two of my winter collections.

What did you study and where? I completed the BA (Hons) Fashion Design Womenswear course and Post-graduate Innovative Pattern Cutting course at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.

Can you describe to us your design process? Why did you choose to explore fashion as a career? Each collection for me starts with researching the chosen story for the season. No clothes just yet, just reading and gathering as much information, text and images related to it as possible and feeling for the spark. My work tends to be based around texts, classic or contemporary, and I look up the original text where possible and the supporting literary commentary with it. From there, I pick a few strong ideas which I feel I can translate into clothes, before researching previous collections, anything from the 1920’s to the present, and going through my own archives and seeing what sold well or caught press attention.

I never woke up with some epiphany of a career choice. I was in junior college back in Singapore and really bad at Math, and so I was told to take Art as an ‘A’ Level subject instead. The project was fashion illustration and going into that made me research and fall in love with fashion. I applied to Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design with that portfolio (and a lot of guts) and was accepted straight into the BA Fashion Design Womenswear course – the most sought-after undergraduate course in the college, without having to do a foundation year. I had to serve in the Republic of Singapore army before I could go do my course, so I spent whatever time I had reading and researching designers.

I then sketch out the key pieces of the collection, and constantly re-work the line up from then on, all the way until the final presentation. It is a constant balancing act, getting the colour theme, hem lines, silhouettes to sit next to each other and editing and reediting the line-up. Each addition or subtraction, change of colour, length, size, changes the overall composition, and it has to sit together as a whole, yet be individual enough so that buyers can buy into it as a capsule collection for their stores.

It was the mid 1990s and the golden era of British Fashion. McQueen, Chalayan and Arkadius were staging incredible shows in London and Paris, and they captured my imagination – the perfect product: it had theatre, it had exclusivity, it produced great commercial product: the marriage of art and business.

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“I have never been a fan of over-polished work – even for my clothes I allow a certain level of spontaneity” - Eugene Lin

It has to push the boundaries enough to further my own work, yet hold the signature cut and aesthetic the line is known for.

A lot of fashion today is too pretty and banal and I wanted to look at human history, warts and all and show that we can indeed draw upon the supposed ugly to create the undeniably beautiful.

While all of that is going on, it is a brutal slog of just pattern cutting, sewing the toiles, fitting, re-fitting and repeating the process over and over until the garment is perfect, while juggling ordering of fabrics, production time lines etc. For people who do not appreciate the technicality of a designer cut, they would not understand the incredible amount of effort it takes to create a collection of international standard.

Who is the ‘Eugene Lin’ woman? While it would be tempting to draw up a celebrity list for ease of understanding, the very idea of celebrity has never interested me and has never been a focus of the brand. A key point of my work is that they are impeccably cut, real clothes for real women. So far they have been patricians between 25 and 45, who enjoy the craftsmanship of the label and its quiet sophistication. But if I had to name one woman I feel embodies Eugene Lin, it would be Tilda Swinton.

You were inspired by George Orwell’s most famous work for the collection Room 101. What drew you to 1984 as inspiration? 1984 was merely the starting point and the umbrella theme upon which I focused the SS12 collection. In the novel, Room 101 tortures each of its captives by bringing their respective fears to life, and I wanted to do that to fashion by looking at something quite dark and gruesome but in a sophisticated, elegant way. If someone looks at a Eugene Lin collection hoping for My Little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake, they have seriously come to the wrong place. This is not the Disney channel but nor is it disturbing for the sake of it.

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How did the jewelry collaboration with Imogen Belfield come about and what has this experience been like? I always look to push the brand and grown with each season and was looking around for jewelry designers to collaborate with. As soon as I saw Imogen’s work, I knew I wanted to work with her. She has such a distinctive aesthetic and ‘raw’ look to her work, which I found very refreshing. I have never been a fan of overpolished work – even for my clothes I allow a certain level of spon96

Eugene Lin ‘Room 101’ Spring / Summer 2012

taneity, as I firmly believe that there is perfection in imperfection. Imogen’s attention to detail and the handcrafted nature of her work was parallel to the care I take in cutting my pieces so it felt like a natural fit.

I have always been attracted to sophistication and intelligent design, for as much the same reason why a particular colour is someone’s favourite. Some designers mature into it but I always knew I wanted to make clothes that embodied these qualities. Central St. Martins has a reputation for churning out fantastical crazy showpieces and at college I pushed myself to work with course mates who gravitated towards that. One never knows what one likes or does not till they try it and while I could do it, I knew it just was not for me. A major benefit of being technically skilled as a pattern cutter means that I do no not have to fumble about making amateur/ gimmicky looking clothes as I am not limited by another person’s translation of my ideas. I can craft my vision with purity and precision. That confidence is evident in the collections and that is what draws both press and clients.

For the jewelry collaboration, we looked at the Heretic’s Fork, a double ended torture device used by the Spanish Inquisition to extract confessions from suspected blasphemers. It was strapped to the neck and pierced into the collarbone and the underside of the chin at an uncomfortable angle, removed only when the victim recanted their beliefs. We felt that using a fork on its own would be too obvious, and it had to be more intelligent than that, so we designed a choker with the imprint of it like a dirty shoe-print, but in 18k gold. By taking the idea and using it as a hint or memory, we turned a torture device into an elegant choker, with Imogen’s trademark texturizing of hand-crafted precious metals. We then expanded on that idea to create a belt, as well as matching cuffs with prongs. The prongs prevent the wrist from being flexed backwards, which echoes the restrictive nature of the original torture device.

You have done so much so quickly – what has been your most thrilling and defining career moment to date? The defining career moment thus far would be the decision and actual physical start of the label. As for the most thrilling, I am still waiting for that to happen!

Your designs have a strong sense of sophistication and edgy elegance. How did you develop this mature approach so quickly?

eugene-lin.com

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