www.flanellemag.com
Issue
the geometry
Featuring
0 7
edition
Ariane poulin - Jesse Draxler John londono - kane hopkins Ya n B l e n e y - S i m o n C a u v i e r G o u p i l s h e r e e n a l e x - ay s h a b a n o s - S i m o n r oy
Editor’s Letter Geometry is omnipresent. In architecture, in fashion, in almost every visual aspect. This issue is about the different perspectives artists have about geometry. Differences are important, because when asked to create something with a geometric composition, some would see straight lines, while others would see bold curves. Where some thought of simplicity, others saw complexe textures. Visually, geometry is everywhere. It takes form in nature as well as everything human-made. We want to present to you all of the different styles in all their beauty.
Sarah-Eve Leduc Flanelle Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief
Contributors
Sarah-Eve Leduc Sarah-Eve has loved art since the first time she picked up a pen. She has a degree in graphic design and has been working as a photographer and graphic designer for the past 4 years . She has mostly shot for fashion and men’s magazine, as well as shooting events and weddings. Her love for art has pushed her to create. She loves films from Jean-Jacques Annaud, Sarah Polley, David Lynch. She loves Nine Inch Nails, Francis Bacon, Eric Satie. She loves video games, wine and traveling. She currently resides in Montreal, Quebec. She has been the creator and the editor-in-chief of Flanelle Magazine since August 2012.
Ruby-Maude Rioux Ruby-Maude has been in love with fashion since her mother has allowed her to choose her own clothes. The Sartorialist’s and Garance Doré’s blogs have both contributed making of this love a burning passion. She is a true believer in DIY and vintage clothes as she consider fashion as a way to express yourself and not as a continuation of trends. After a year in journalism, she is now studying at l’UQAM in interactive media. She will always be happy if she can afford to buy nice clothes.
Stephanie Serfaty Her journey started about 4 years ago when she stumbled upon the wonderful world of modeling. She quickly developed a very strong passion for not only modeling, but also the entire creative process behind it. It was much more than a job for her. It was an art. That is why as time passed by, Stephanie started to get more and more involved behind the scenes. Throughout the years she has now worked with many talented cinematographers, photographers, stylists, various artists and hope to continue to do so. She has just arrived in the Flanelle team in June 2013.
Sonia Staali Sonia has always been comfortable with words. By the time she realised she wants to write, she was already in college, in Fashion Marketing. Then, she decided to pursue her studies in communication juggling work, school and blog. Ultimately, she would want to attain her dream, which is to make her passion a living.
Sarah Rousseau Sarah has a love for the uncommon and a great passion for every kind of art. Her Graphic and Web design background makes her want to push her boundaries in every form of art possible. For her, there’s no better way to express herself than doing so with design and illustration. She gets inspired by anything around her, from cinema to music to fashion or even simply in the streets.
ELISABETH LABELLE Elisabeth is a young fashion writer and social media junkie. After three years of Fashion Marketing at LaSalle College, she now studies Journalism and Film Studies at Concordia University in the hopes of getting her Master’s Degree in Fashion and Film at the London College of Fashion. Aside from being a stylish nerd, she’s also a copywriter at the independent retailer Off The Hook and marketing intern at the McCord Museum.
INDEX Editor-in-chief / Creative Director
PINEapples and other trends 6
Sarah-Eve Leduc
linear space 8
ART DIRECTOR Stephanie Serfaty
meet the model 14
Editor Ruby-Maude Rioux
vagabond 20
Contributing Writers Elisabeth Labelle Ruby-Maude Rioux Sonia Staali Stéphanie Serfaty
It’s all over now, baby blue 28 The art of collage 34
ContributING ARTISTS Bongo Design - Magdalena Chojnacka Flavio Samelo Gwenhyfar Fagan Jesse Draxler Shereen Alex Simon Roy
DRESS THE PART 40 #hustle 48 The zone 50
ContributING Photographers Angéline Moizard Ariane Poulin Aysha Banos John Londono Kane Hopkins Lena Progrebnaya Saibh Egan Sameep Singh Simon Cauvier Goupil Yan Bleney
steel beauty 56 theory 60 fraction 66
Graphic Designer
street corners 72
Sarah Rousseau
RUN AWAY 76
prInter Sylvestre Delasalle
damoiselle 88
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Photo Simon Roy
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PINEAPPLES ANd OTHER TRENDS An article on the democratization of graphic design
By Elisabeth Labelle Pineapples are everywhere in 2014. Whether on Tumblr, Instagram or Pinterest, the exotic fruit invaded the web and the summer wardrobe of numerous bloggers. This trend, Simon Roy (Art Director at Sid Lee) identified immediately. “ The abusive use of pineapples ”, as he said, is one example among many graphic trends saturating the Internet. As we spend hours browsing, liking and sharing visual content everyday, the overconsumption of images has become quite overwhelming. Before the era of social media, graphic design was far less accessible to the masses and websites on design weren’t as popular. When Jean-Francois Dumais (creative director of adidas Originals at Sid Lee and founder of 10kilos.us) was studying Graphic Design, Tumblr didn’t even exist : “ $35 magazines were the main source of inspiration for many. ” A year after he graduated from UQAM, Tumblr was launched and revolutionized the blogosphere. The rise of these visual platforms increased the exposure of the design industry and changed the way users react to imagery. Today, these social networks are so widespread that they are able to create and dictate trends in various areas… graphic design being one of them. This is the opinion of Ondřej Zita (co-founder of Trend List) who studied Graphic Design at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague. With a fellow student, he created in 2011 a website categorizing current design trends based on the quantity of repetition. “ The aim of the whole project was to make people think about the visual language and patterns in contemporary graphic design.” By demonstrating the similarities between artwork from graphic designers all over the world, Trend List shows that a graphic design may be victim of its popularity. As Catherine D’Amours (founder of the collective Pointbarre) puts it : “ All these platforms are starting to overlap each other which result in convergence and lots of repetition. We are soon bored by this saturation of images. ” While the years went by and the number of users reached new heights, Tumblr, Instagram and Pinterest raised the awareness of consumers to notions of design and developed their sense of aesthetics. We became more and more picky, craving for novelty, but also for popularity. Our obsession for the highest number
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of likes could explain why the same things are shared over and over again. These popular images, much like the pineapples of 2014, can gain the love and attention of followers ; that is, for a certain amount of time anyway. Indeed, the ephemeral quality of web content causes trends to be successful in the short term, pushing graphic designers to reinvent themselves constantly. This never-ending struggle for authenticity over uniformity has become an intrinsic part of the design industry. According to Simon Roy, if major graphic trends can be easily identified on the web, an impressive diversity of artwork still exists and destabilizes him daily. Catherine D’Amours agrees with the Art Director while adding that we need to focus on these distinctive projects over the trendiness of mass content. Which leads us to wonder how artists from a city like Montreal stand out from the rest of the world ? In the opinion of Simon Roy, who previously worked for communications research center Fabrica in Italy, “ we have a microcosm of extremely talented designers who contribute to a tangible international outreach. ” His current agency, Sid Lee, is a great example of local talents aiming for worldwide opportunities with offices now in five different cities, major clients from all over the world and recognition from global organizations such as The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Perhaps, the strength of Montreal graphic designers is their versatility, which allows them to create “ great, smart and aesthetically strong work ” as Catherine D’Amours describes it. Her independent design collective Pointbarre was founded in 2011 and has since produced visuals for the likes of Audiogram and Coeur de Pirate. According to her, graphic arts can benefit from technological progress by giving artists endless possibilities. Ondřej Zita embraced this idea by launching the Trend Generator app as a fluent continuation to the concept of Trend List. “ Users can select and combine trends collected on Trend List. The whole process of generating outputs is quite random; you never know what colors or fonts you’ll get next. “ By using graphic elements of uniformity in order to produce authentic artwork, the Trend Generator is indeed generating new trends. Although, ironically, the app itself is part of a trend that should be around in the years to come : automation. According to Trend List, automation is one of the biggest trends in graphic design today. Aside from the Trend Generator app, platforms like Squarespace are providing an automated alternative to professional designers and contributing to the devaluation of the design industry. Despite the popularization of this trend, Ondřej Zita doesn’t doubt the relevance of graphic designers : “ Automation and software solution will help delivering design more quickly, but it will be the designer’s task to add some critical thinking - and soul - to graphic design. ” Jean-Francois Dumais does hope that artists stop doing like everyone else and, perhaps in opposition to automation, that designers will go back to drawing in the next years. If the web now offers a free and unlimited source of inspiration to graphic designers all over the world, Catherine D’Amours believes that social medias also help artists in “ sharing quickly and effectively their work and projects as well as making great discoveries for future collaborations. ” However, as Simon Roy points out, it becomes more and more difficult to stand out as an artist : “ People are getting bored very quickly by consuming at this speed. ” Ondřej Zita recommends young graphic designers pay attention to what is happening outside graphic design. Indeed, the next generation of designers must challenge themselves restlessly and get out of their comfort zone. If they succeed in distracting their followers from passing trends by creating new ones,
Photographer Aysha Banos Stylist Scarlet Moreno Makeup Scarlet Moreno Model Alexandria Yamazaki @ LA Models
L inear S pa c e
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Dress Young Edwardian Shoes Jeffery Campbell Earrings Stylists Own
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Jumpsuit Young Edwardian Shoes Betsy Johnson Feather Boa Stylists Own
Dress Vintage Shoes Yves Saint Laurent
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Meet the Model Exclusive interview with
Gwenhyfar fagan By Stephanie Serfaty and Ashley Leiberman
“Inner strength, height, build, confidence, and a little X factor ”: these are the qualities that the model Gwenhyfar Fagan, also known as Gwen, claims to be the keys to success in the modeling industry. Down from her 23 years old, Gwen has worn many hats: ballet dancer, fashion designer and model among other things. With such a quick rise to success, Gwen has made a point to not take herself or the fashion industry too seriously. Working with many artists and more recently with the amazing hair stylists from TiGi Bedhead Academy for their 2015 collection, Gwen, self-described as “crazy, cute, silly, mysterious and generous”, shows no sign of slowing down her rise to the top.
Photographer Saibh Egan Stylist Audrey Thomas Make-up Flora Psarianos Model Gwen Fagan Hair Joel Benjamin
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Since being discovered at 18 at a craft fair, the New Zealand beauty has paved the way for a beautiful career. After finishing her studies in fashion design, Gwen moved to London for an internship at a lingerie company while taking up modeling full time. Both of these endeavors contributed to her next step - her own lingerie line. “ I just sort of fell into it, ” is how she describes her start in the fashion industry. By that time however, she was studying fashion design and modeling seemed to fit right into her plans. “ I was lucky enough to have my first job for the jewelry label Meadowlark. ” Being into fashion and having the opportunity to meet all sorts of interesting people in the same creative field is what first got Gwen attracted to the world of modeling. Modeling is being able to “ represent a product by being someone who can project himself or herself in a certain way ”, says the 23 years-old beauty. “ But for me specifically, it has just been a job I’ve found I’m not so bad at. ” At this point in her career, one of her goals as a model is to visit more of Europe in the near future. She also hopes to have the opportunity to shoot in bizarre locations, “ like in a safari or a skyscraper. ”
Perhaps one of the most interesting shoot the New Zealand model has done was on a luxury yacht in Canary Wharf, London earlier this year. It was for a Spanish designer and “ the whole thing was just so bizarre. There were so many people – as well as so much champagne. ”
With all the glamour associated with the job we are very often made to believe that the modeling industry is nothing but glitz and glam, but it doesn’t always come easy. Indeed, to maintain her perfect figure, Gwen stays active by walking and doing pilates… that is, besides following the strict 5:2 diet. Applying a facemask at least once a week and getting a facial every two weeks is also an essential step in her beauty routine. She claims the desire to work in the fashion industry is very often unfounded and that as much as it can be an amazing job, it does have its downfalls. There is a lot of rejection and it can wear your spirit down. “ Of course you aren’t going to be right for every job and there are times when it can be cutting. ” Furthermore, Gwen explains how the inconsistency of her work as a model and the difficulties of maintaining her image at the same time is a very challenging part of the job. Nonetheless the beautiful model has learned to find her niche to truly discover what she’s right for.
“ My energy and my presence, I think, definitely goes a long way. ”
The fashion industry has long been known for its glamour but, even with the designer clothes, the huge billboards and all of the parties, Gwen still has her feet firmly attached to the ground. “ One of the things I pride myself most on, when it comes to working as a model, is of completely being myself, (…) so I don’t do anything I wouldn’t do on any other day, just brush my hair and teeth and wash my face. ” The lingerie designer’s laid-back attitude can also be seen in her personal style. On a regular weekday, you’ll find her rocking a cute nightie, which she pulls off as a nice fitted dress, along with a pair of Doc Martens or black pumps to complete the outfit. “ I’m a big fan of sleepwear as daywear. ” Throughout the years, Gwen has definitely learnt not to take things so seriously. “ I just took it as it came, I never thought about what it would be like. ” The multitalented beauty now has great
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Top ASOS, Pants Alex Huang, Shoes ASOS, Hat ASOS, Necklace Rock'N'Rose, Bracelet Miu Miu
Top and pants Zoe Karssen Necklace and bracelet Topshop Headscarf ASOS
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Dress Alex Huang All jewellery Topshop Shoes Nike Cap ASOS
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Vagabond Photographer Ariane Poulin Stylist Stephanie Casarotto Hair & Makeup Maddie Alper Model Alexie @ Dulcedo
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Above : Crop Top & Harem Pants V-Franz, Opposite : Dress V-Franz
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Dress V-Franz, Shoes Shelly’s
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Dress V-Franz Shoes Shellys London
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It’s all over Now,
B a by b lue
Photographer Angéline Moizard Model Camille Anne-Louise Gorin Make Up Artist Delphine Premoli Clothing Samsoe Samsoe Shot Canon A1, 50mm 1.8, Tudor 200 iso
Clothing Samsoe Samsoe White Shoes Stan Smith Pink Shoes VEJA
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Shoes Stan Smith
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Clothing Vintage Shoes VEJA
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The art of collage: a talk with
Jesse Draxler
By Elisabeth Labelle
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From a small town in rural Wisconsin, Jesse Draxler now lives in Minneapolis (MN, USA) where he works restlessly in his new studio. His artwork reflects the minimalist aesthetic of his atelier, rarely using colors other than black, white and grey. If he used to draw as a child, collage has become his medium of predilection. Paintings, sculptures, gifs and garments are only a few examples of what he can do with his impressive technique and distinctive style. Beyond the beauty of his collages, what struck me was how often the faces in his work were transformed or covered up – like the hair hiding his face in this portrait of himself. The aura of mystery behind his work and being, made me want to know more about this artist. I find his ability to distort reality into a mesmerizing collage truly intriguing, which you will see in the following interview with the mysterious and talented Jesse Draxler. Let’s go back to the beginning. When did you start making art and experimenting with your own style ? I’ve been drawing since I was a small child, but I don’t think it was called art until relatively recent. Style has always been of utmost importance to me and my practice, so I’ve always been aware of its role. I think within the past year or so it has become more direct and succinct, closer to my intention. Your hand-crafted technique of collage is impressive. How did you become interested in this medium ? Were you influenced by other collage artists ? My senior thesis at college was on a subculture’s aesthetic being assimilated into mainstream culture using punk in the 70s & 80s as a case study – this was before the death of subculture years ago. I think that’s where I picked up on collage as a viable form of art. In the beginning, I was influenced by some other collage artists, but only in process not in content. After visiting your Tumblr, I’m curious to learn more about your creative process. Where do you take your inspiration from and how do you transform it into an art piece ? I don’t separate myself from my work. Instead, my work is simply an extension of me. It’s in the moment, meant to be a fragment of a bigger ideal. I feel it’s all pieces of something larger, elements that build up a point of view, and ways of working through ideas and theories I am trying to understand or come to terms with. As we can see in KRIZ10, ARMOUR and in many of your UNTITLED paintings, your work often hides or distorts facial features. Why is that so ? The face is a highly relatable signifier, it is very immediate, and quickly brings forward themes of identity and self. The idea of transformation seems like an important part of your creative process. How did your style and technique transformed over the years ? In every way. A year ago is a lifetime ago. I am always learning from my process, adding new processes, understanding myself and my work more and more. I’ve become stronger in my skill sets and more confident in my intent. Aside from collage, you’ve worked on paintings, editorials, sculptures and gifs as well as using various materials such as rice paper and fabric. What would you like to try next ? I’ve played around with Cinema 4D creating 3D renders and animations but I don’t have the kind of brain to sit in front of a computer and labor over such things - I am more entertained by hand to medium contact and instant gratification - but I would love to work with someone who is a master in that field to help me translate some of the ideas I have for the medium. That and everything else ever.
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You worked with fashion labels such as OAK NYC & Emma Berg in the past. What do you find interesting about the art of clothing ? I am aesthetic obsessed, in this way I feel akin to the fashion world. Designers have a point of view and may have a message they are trying to convey through their garments, but in the end the shit just has to look cool and be made well - I can totally get behind that. You do sell t-shirts in your online shop. Would you like to make more clothes eventually ? Definitely. Already am. I’m the guest artist for the new Blxcklist line which is was released on July 24th, at a pop up shop in downtown LA. I’m also talking with a new online retailer about creating some patterns to print on textiles to be turned into garments by a local designer. I also plan to release limited edition print shirts on occasion through my online shop. I’ve already done one which is now sold out. Could you describe your typical outfit ? I’m typically wearing black pants or long black sweat shorts, with a loose fitting tee or sleeveless tank, and either Nikes or Adidas’ sneakers - all black & white of course. Sometimes a plain black New Era snapback. Plain black backpack for my Macbook because I bike most places. Simple, functional, future classics. In your studio, do you work with music in the background ? If so, which artists inspire you ? I almost always work with music on so I listen to a lot and am always in search of artists to add to my iPhone. HTRK, Arca, Cocteau Twins, Deftones, Forest Swords, Marilyn Manson, Holy Other, MBV, JJ, oOoOO, Pictureplane, Jai Paul, Zebra Katz, Pusha T, Lakutis, Kool A.D. - all in rotation for the past while.
‘‘ My work is simply an extension of me. It’s in the moment, meant to be a fragment of a bigger ideal ”
I’ve seen a picture of your new studio on Instagram – it looks amazing and quite spacious ! What do you like about it ? Everything. Concrete floors and roughly 18ft ceilings with 4 giant windows for ample natural light, which is priceless. Overall its huge, sparse, modular, and has that slightly comfortable yet sterile feel. It also has an attached gallery which I fill with all my own work. It’s the size of a small gallery you would find in any city’s downtown area, so eventually I plan to host some openings. I’m in my studio 90% of the time so a good studio is one of the most important elements in my life. Since you mentioned a gallery, is there a place outside your studio where you dream of showing your work ? Not really. I think more about the range and audience I want to reach so I think about things like publications I want to be in, or brands I want to collaborate with - those things are like galleries to me only widely distributed. I grew up in a small town in rural Wisconsin and I didn’t step foot in a legit art museum or gallery until I was about 21 years old so the gallery construct is not engrained in me. That being said I’d never turn down a good opportunity to exhibit my work. Do you have other dreams you would like to fulfill in the future ? I have abstract dreams. A degree of contentment, a bit of satisfaction, true calm perhaps.
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Photographer Simon Cauvier Goupil Model Claire-Marie @ Folio Stylist Daniel-Bruno Ferreira Hair & Makeup Nisha Gulati
Dress the part 40
Opposite : Tank Mesh Dress Lamarche by Danny Lamarche, Rings Léa Giguère Santini Above : Crop top Neil Barett, Jacket MM6, Pants American Retro. Boots Jeffrey Campbell, Jewelry Léa Giguère Santini
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Top MM6 Skirt Danny Lamarche Platforms Shellys London Jewelry Léa Giguère Santini
Top American Retro @ Wilshire Pants Evelyne Morin Shoes Shellys London Jewelry Léa Giguère Santini
Top Philosophy Rings Léa Giguère Santini
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Coat Evelyne Morin
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Runners Nike Roshe
Top and skirt American Retro
Jewely Léa Giguère Santini
Coat Lecavalier by Marie-Ăˆve Lecavalier Top & skirt American Retro Boots Shellys London
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Photographer John Londono Assistant Bruno Destombes
#hustle Exclusive interview with
Black tiger sex machine by ruby-maude rioux
You can easily get mesmerized by their headpieces, the strong line enlighten by the LEDs in their eyes, palely reflecting on the pure geometric forms of their masks. But if you are lucky enough to see Black Tiger Sex Machine’s masks in person, you won’t have the time to admire these masterpieces because your body will already be shaking to the sound of their Sex Machines. BTSM’s careers as DJs exploded worldwide almost as fast as their record label, Kannibalean Records. Patrick Berry, Marc-André Chagnon and Julien Maranda have the world to conquer by night and seem to be unstoppable. Formed by three high school friends, Black Tiger Sex Machine began with the return of Marc-André to Montreal, who was away studying for his major in International Business while also DJing in clubs throughout Ontario. The band also includes Patrick, a finance bachelor and Julien, who mastered in Law; and the group works as an organic, living night creature. Three stations form the three black tigers if you will. While as for the sex machine ? Well, it is impersonated by the speakers, and the timing of the performance. On one side, you have Patrick, with his background in violin, who takes care of the melodies ; linking every song together with his digital synthesizer; while on the other side, Julien is at the command of the sample and the effects machines, and in the middle, Marc-André works as the architect of the mix, creating the skeleton holding it all together.
“ We wanted to take our fan-base and haul them somewhere else as we know that everything eventually runs out of steam if it does not evolve ”
A name as raw as Black Tiger Sex Machine comes with a strong imaginary associated with each word. As a matter of fact, the former four member group first wanted to be called “ Black Tiger ” but the name was too close to “ Black Panther ”. Thus, they added “ Sex Machine ” in reference to their first Disco-House influences, for at that time, they were mixing a lot of James Brown. From then, BTSM’s musical influences have slowly went from a chill to a rough vibe, as they now perform deep electro with various influences coming mainly from old science-fiction movies, which gives an orchestral and profound vibe to their creations. “ Our sound is quite agressive, explains Patrick, with some hint of house music as we usually use 128 BPM. It has a lot of distortions and we include some epicness and an orchestral feel that make it look like a science-fiction movie soundtrack. ” Going from house to electro was a calculated move made by the band when they noticed how much electro trended in clubs and festivals but also because, being a three member group, and wanting to perform a live show, they needed a music style that could get deconstructed into tracks, loops, drums, samples and synths in order to perform a live show.
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Black Tiger Sex Machine got its start through Kannibalean, a monthly themed event hosted at the Belmont, where Patrick, Julien and Marc-André invited other DJs to play by their side. The event hosted by the former DJ collective rapidly became one of the most sought out electro events in Montreal. At the event’s one year anniversary, BTSM announced the creation of Kannibalean Records, a record label and artist management company that has now added seven groups to their family. « We wanted to take our fan-base and haul them somewhere else as we know that everything eventually runs out of steam if it does not evolve », adds Julien. Other than celebrating their increasing number of supporters, the creation of the record label was a meaningful milestone for the three members of the band as it marked a real investment in their DJs’ career and a chance to get recognition outside of Montreal. On tour, the Black Tiger Sex Machines are not the crazy party people we would tend to think they are. “ Generally, we have back to back shows on the weekends, often in different cities so, on weekdays, we lock ourselves up and work, far away from any distractions. We generally wake up around 9AM. ” But this doesn’t mean that touring with BTSM is a calm cruise : “ On weekends, tells Julien, we travel for an average of seven hours a day, sometime quitting the bar at six in the morning with all our equipment to go directly to the train station. ” Laughing, Marc-André adds : “ We don’t care about travelling with eight backpacks each and to sleep anywhere in order to get to where we need to be. Let’s say that the hashtag hustle goes straight up next to Black Tiger Sex Machine ! ” The beginning of the digital era was a triump while also being a misfortune for Kannibalean Records, blocking them from any provincial subvention due to their lack of production of compact disks, while also giving them the opportunity to create their own rules. « It helps us as we are a 100% digital record label, says Julien. This has given us an international recognition from the start because we stand by our business rules of being not for profit, yet we fix deadlines that coordinate song releases with events such as the beginning of a tour. If we were to get out of this mold, we would not be able to reach our deadlines as we currently operate in a fast-paced machine that could not be awaiting for the long process of subventions acceptations. » These methods assure an all year long presence of their artists and continual brand-new content coming from the Kannibalean Records. With an upcoming video in collabation with Apache to be launched in November 2014 and a first presence in US grounds with shows in New-York, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Honolulu to be coming this month, Black Tiger Sex Machine is not seemingly stopping its climb to the top. www.blacktigersexmachine.com www.kannibalenrecords.com
the zone Photographer Olga Voychik Stylist Anastasia Soboleva Makeup Julia Paholik Model Natalia @ 1MOTHER AGENCY
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Dress Omelya Atelier
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Dress Omelya Atelier Shoes TopShop
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Cami TopShop Skirt Ksenia Shnaider
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Shoes TopShop
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Steel beauty by Stephanie Serfaty
Magdalena Chojnacka, the founder of Bongo design, is a young designer/visual artist based in Cracow, Poland. After graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts, she started working in various fields of design/art with great ambitions to one day create her our designs. She now uses her experiences for continuous experimenting with projects mostly focused on interior design. What first struck me about Magdalena’s creations was the use of strong clean lines to create innovative geometric shapes. These original shapes are so intricate, yet minimalistic. The way she marries different materials together is truly unique - like the embroidered glazed ceramic. Her designs are not only, stunning, modern pieces of art, but practical as well. From lamps to storage units, these one-of-a-kind products can perfectly add character and soul to a bedroom or office space. Her amazing and original creations can be found on her website at bongo-design.com.
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What got you interested in interior design ? My first experience with interior design was when I studied at Academy of Fine Arts, it was interior design for a single person. I’ve created a very geometrical space and used strong contrasting colors - inspired by my parrots named Kate and Cuba. When I was a child, I grew up among many animals. I loved birds especially parrots. To me, wings mean freedom. Inspirations are everywhere, it can be a good movie in cinema, interesting people, but for me it’s mainly nature – especially world of wild animals. Now I focus on designing the elements for interiors like: lamps, furniture, and decors. I’ve been experimenting with different crafts, materials and textures. The first time I used ceramic in my project I had to learn about the limitations and possibilities of this material. This frames and helps me to create the final design. I tend to gravitate towards wood, steel and ceramic because those kind of materials are raw and more natural than plastic. When and how did you start learning to master all these different materials to create unique designer pieces for the home ? Part of them I’ve got to know while studying, but most of them while working my own realizations. What is the most challenging part of your job ? I think every part of my job is like a challenge so it is never boring and never the same. What is your creative process like ? First stage is the most emotional and based on feelings – named IDEA. Next step is more technical and logical – named DESIGN. Finally REALISATION. Is it challenging to translate the emotional to the logical ? It happens naturally to me – just like breathing. If your house caught fire and you could only save one of your pieces, which one would is be ? Definitive 360° Lamp, because it is made from wood and it would burn first. It would be hard to save Heavy Rabbit – my stool which weighs around 18 kg, whole made from steel rods – it could end really badly for me. Was there a particular project that acted as a launch pad or turning point for Bongo design ? Steel Fox because it added third dimension in my Wild Heads series. It’s a sculpture for the wall – a more nature friendly alternative for a hunter trophy. What was your inspiration for this piece ? Steel Fox was born in an important personal moment in my life. It was a very emotional project.
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Your work is very particular and we can very well see your individual style in every piece. Would you advise young designers to choose a specialty right away ? I didn’t choose my style, this style choose me. I can give one advice: Do what you love and experiment with various things - the style will appear. What is fundamental to your design practice – your philosophy and your process ? Synthetize / simplification / subtraction of unnecessary elements. The desire of a pure form. Minimalism. I have a need for it and I love to work on “simple” designs. Also watching minimalistic pieces of art calms me. Simplicity is essence. What are the qualities you most like about yourself ? I can find order in my “ chaos ”. I sometimes have many conflicting thoughts – it’s really hard for me to understand myself. It’s another one of my main project – to understand myself – looking for answers
‘‘ Simplicity is essence. ”
on basic questions about reality, but probably I will never find them – it is like fuel for my creations. Apart from your work, what other interests or hobbies do you have ? My work gives me many emotions and is for me very exciting so I need to calm down after it. The best for that is yoga, swimming and jogging. What advice would you give to someone trying to buy key pieces to decorate their home ? Less means more. Finally, what are your future goals for your brand ? To continue to trust my intuition. I always look for a solution that is pure and surprises me. I’m learning all the time from it. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge and we wish you the best of luck !
Theory Photographer Kane Hopkins Post Production Jamie Jupp Model Shereen Alex @ Charles Stuart International Hair & Makeup Win Liu Stylist Araceli Ogrinc
Jacket JNBY Boutiques, Jumpsuit The Block, Sunglasses Cluter and Gross @ Bruce Eyewear
Jacket JNBY Boutiques Pants Velvet @ One of a Few Rings Broken Promises Clear Ring 202 Factory @ The Board Of Trade
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Top Obakki Sweater Standing Armed Pants Apiece Apart at One of a Few Hat Rag & Bone at Gravity Pope Vancouvers Cuff Gat Rimon at The Block Boutique Necklace Melanie Auld
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Coat Obakki Vest Jac by Jacqueline Conoir Pants Stephan Schneider at Gravity Pope Vancouver Earrings Melanie Auld
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Fraction Photographer Sameep Singh Stylist Kelly Mendoza Hair & Makeup Helen Kats, MakeupFIT Model Natalee, Icon Model Management Toronto Jewellery Designer Hoda designs
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Dress Zara Jewelry H&M Shoes Aldo
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Black & white geo pants Label A3 designs White top Mandy Evans Jewelry Hoda Designs Shoes Aldo
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Silver/grey crop top and high waisted skirt A3 designs, Jewelry Guess, Shoes Aldo
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Street corners by Sonia Staali
Photo Flavio Samelo
Flavio Samelo is a city lover. He portrays what he sees into lines, that play with lights and movement. He envisions the streets where he lives as an inexhaustible source of inspiration. Native to a place where the sun is representative of the country, he opted for capturing it in black & white to obtain a certain duality. Samelo started off as an amateur but quickly discover his vocation. Through the years, Flavio built up his expertise until he eventually became employed as a street skate photographer in Brazil.
You have a very geometric approach; can you tell us how did it develop ? Did the streets of São Paulo give you the inspiration ? Indeed, as a street skate photographer in the 90’s in São Paulo, the brutal architectural chaos of my city had always caught my attention. While I was shooting my friends, I was also looking at the façades, the stairs, the shadows, the pixação, the graffitis, the homeless and everything else around the skateboarding scene. How has your work changed over the years ? Did you perceive a certain evolution in your technique ? I have never studied photography in school. I believe that the daily practice made an evolution happen naturally. Since then, I love to make photos, and because I’m a very anxious and frenetic person, I have to admit that, the evolution still happens on a daily basis. I learn things everyday with friends, on the Internet, on the forums and mainly by making mistakes, which is the most important to me. Also, my wife is a photographer with a degree in advertising photography, so she teaches me techniques and gives me tips with every new technics. Not only are you a photographer but also you create artwork graffiti. Why have you felt the need to create on another medium than photography ? To me, art is not the skill to draw, or make photos, or to film, etc. Art is the courage to honestly make whatever and share it with the world, making something that comes deep from your heart. After I became confident in making photos, and with having always drawn my own photos in small books, some graffiti artists friends gave me
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the idea to make something bigger. Therefore, I started to make art murals, something that I really love to do, but in everything I make, I include a photograph ; it is my starting point, being a reference, a collage, an idea, etc. It always starts with photography. Can you tell us more about your project called “ Geométrica ” ? As I told you, I don’t separate my production, everything to me is my art. Since the beginning for me, it all started with photography. For example the paintings, I like to call them “ painted photos ” because to me, they are photos that I create. I did not use a camera but a brush or collage or even other photos. The exhibition Geométrica was this dream come true. Everything I knew at that time, I did it in the exhibition. There are 120mm film photographs, double exposure Polaroid, paintings that became murals, shadows of daylight that made natural light effects inside the installation. The invitation was a postcard because everything refers to photography in my mind. You have worked with your wife for a new Nike product. How did the creation process came about, since both of you have a different vision ? She had been doing a research about the Rorschach Tests and she was trying to replicate this method into her photos of trees, which were characteristic of Brazil’s nature. At this time, we were talking a lot about trying to make some kind of collaboration together. We did some work together with the same technique she was doing with the nature photos but instead, I was using photos I made of façades of buildings. In 2010, we ended up making an exhibition together called Homem & Natureza (Man & Nature) showing both of our works
together, ten of mine and ten of hers. Some years later, a good friend of ours that works for Nike in Portland came to visit our apartment in São Paulo and saw one of the pairs of our work. He then invited us to make this project, which has just been released, Flavio Samelo and Jayelle Hudson x Nike Sportswear Collection. Is it the start of a partnership between you and your wife ? Yes, in fact we have been working on some pieces together, and hopefully will be able to do another exhibition soon. How did you get to work with commercial brands for the first time ? I started working with commercial brands because of my skaters friends. They had their own small brands and no money to pay real artists to make stuff. Also, skateboarding has always had this DIY culture, and we always tend to work with people that like what they are doing, whatever it is that they are doing. Today, skateboarding brands in the States, most of them are really boring, because they are not like they were in the 90’s. They have become mega million dollar multinational companies. There are just a few that still have the real skateboard vibe. You can easily feel the difference with those companies owned by real skaters. Companies in Europa, Canada, Japan and Australia are way cooler and way more free because the market is smaller. From now on, are you more likely to work with brands or will you still be photographing skateboarders ? Skateboarding has been part of my life since the 90’s, so I will never really stop. I have been working with brands to produce ads and products here in Brazil for the last 15 years, so I’m sure I will continue with this as well. I even made a dunk for Nike SB in 2006 when they were just starting the SB in Brazil. I will also continue with my artwork, testing new ideas and formats. I can’t make or do the same thing always, I need to try new things all the time, to always go back and forth between mediums, so that there can be an evolution in everything that I do.
Modern Photographers. Their work had a lot to do with my aesthetic and ideas, and of course was black and white as well. As I evolved more and more, I kept that style of photography into my work. I really want to continue their work, continue in the 2000’s what they started back then. It is a part of the art history of my culture that I think people should know more. They were ahead their time, even by international standards. In Brazil, are there any resources for emerging artists ? Have you been able to benefit from it? And how did it help you ? Not that I use. There are probably some, but it is not like you guys have in the first world. I always preferred to work by, and for, myself. Who really helps me is my wife. I like to work with her ; she really knows how to make everything happen, she is a “ machine ”. There is no drama, no blah blah blah ; we hate to lose time. As far as you can remember, what brought you the interest of photography ? To me, photography is related to skateboarding. I started to make photographs in 1992. At the time I had a lot of friends who were really good skaters, I was not as good as them. I was feeling a little ashamed about my lack of skills. A good friend of mine suggested me to take photos of them skateboarding, and here I am today, paying my bills with photography.
flaviosamelo.com
Why are you mostly likely to shoot in black in white rather than in colors ? Are there some subjects that you capture in colors and others in those two tons ? The black and white films were always the cheap films here in Brazil, so I used it more. I also love the style of it. Most of my life I shoot with films. In 2006, I bought my first pro digital so I guess spending the first 15 years just using films; my brain still thinks I am using it (laughs). Also, when I was working on my art history master, a teacher saw some of my photos and introduced me the works of a really unknown group of Brazilian artists/photographers from the 40’s/50’s called Brazilian
“ Art is the courage to honestly make whatever and share it with the world, making something that comes deep from your heart. ”
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R u n a w ay Photographer Yan Bleney Stylist Marie Scirocco MakeupYoana TG Hair Raphaël Mariage Ast Stylist Myriam Boudjella Male Model Eugon @ Studio Klrp Female Model Anna Cholewa @ Women Paris
Anna : Helmet Giorgio Giacomo Zwygart Crop top Léa Patry Panties Marine Henrion Dress SCHULKE Shoes Nicolas Lecourt Mansion
Eugon : Coat Axel Miraton Sweatshirt Axel Miraton Pants Julia Fraile Shoes Axel Miraton
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Sweater GĂŠraldine Delle-Vedove T-shirt GĂŠraldine Delle-Vedove
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Coat Genesis Nouvelle Ăˆre Top worn as a jacket SCHULKE Shirt Marion Moinier Skirt Melissandre Hhammerer
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Above:
Opposite:
Opposite:
Jacket Léa Patry
Anna :
Eugon :
Shirt Vincent Barrier
Coat Marine Henrion
Total look Axel Miraton
Bra Jing Yi Lu-Corre
Dress Morgane Krischer
Skirt Melissandre Hhammerer
Necklaces Myriam Boudjella
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Visor Nicolas Lecourt Mansion Sweatshirt Axel Miraton
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Coat Jing Yi Lu-Corre
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Skirt worn as a dress Melissandre Hhammerer Chin piece Nicolas Lecourt Mansion
Jacket LĂŠa Patry Shirt Vincent Barrier Bra Jing Yi Lu-Corre Skirt Melissandre Hhammerer
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Shoes Axel Miraton
Pants Vincent Barrier
Coat Giorgio Giacomo Zwygart
Anna : Visor Marine Henrion Top Giorgio Giacomo Zwygart Skirt Marine Henrion
Eugon : Shirt Morgane Krischer Pants Julia Fraile
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damoiselle Photographer Lena Pogrebnaya Model VIKA BZASSO at ArtPodium - Models agency Clothing Irina Skuratova Makeup Tamara Slyepchenko
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