HECTOR F ER NANDO- K RISTINA SHAKHT - LUCA SK RO - MARIA GARCIA
A N A S T A S I A B E LY A E VA - A N N I C K M E I J E R - C H I A R A R O M A G N O L I - D AV I D P H H Y D E - N E S C R E A T I V E
ISSUE 16
T he
Intimacy
E d it ion
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Dear Readers, What does Intimacy mean to you? Are you a believer of instant attraction? Do you remember the last time you felt a connection so strong you couldn’t explain? We see this edition as an exploration of a human emotion that is becoming increasingly important in our daily lives. Constantly distracted by everything around us, we lose touch of how it really feels to build a close personal relationship with one another. From the hectic day-to-day, to the quiet moments of self-reflection, we forget that there is strength in our vulnerabilities and progress in our actions. Intimacy can mean sharing a moment with a loved one – opening your home to another – exchanging ideas and thoughts but whether that be physical or emotional we form a familiar and authentic bond that is unique to each of us. Life is about friendship, romance, and experiencing all of the feels. Let this issue remind you of what matters, and how it feels to truly, feel.
Garrett Naccarato Art Director
The Intimacy Edition Issue 16 Founder / Editor-in-Chief Sarah-Eve Leduc
Art Director Garrett Naccarato Director of Marketing Sarah-Eve Leduc Copy Editor Michael Bloom Fashion Editor Lindsay Cooper CONTRIBUTORS
Writer Morgane Kendall
Artists & Designers Meyer Davis, Folk & Frame, NES Creative Photographers Anastasia Belyaeva, Annick Meijer, Chiara Romagnoli, David PH Hyde, Hector Fernando, Kristina Shakht, Luca Skro, Maria Garcia General Inquiries, Press & Marketing info@flanellemag.com Online and Print submissions submission@flanellemag.com
Social Facebook: flanellemag Instagram: @flanellemagazine Pinterest: flanellemag flanellemag.com
Cover : Cover by Chiara Romagnoli
Index
6 Secrets Inside 14 Welcome to Fairytale 25 Meyer Davis 32 Counterbalance 40 Under Your Skin 50 NES Creative 54 Felona & Sorona 64 New Perspective 70 City Oasis 78 The Change 86 The Surface & Perception
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Secrets Inside Photographer
Stylist
Hair & Makeup
Models
Annick Meijer
Kelly Staa
Norien Voskuilen
Naomi (Max Models) Ronja (TouchĂŠ Model Management)
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Left - Blouse Patrizia Pepe; Scarf River island; Ring Mimi Et Toi; Right - Blouse & trousers Christian Wijnants; Rings Mimi Et Toi;
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Skirt Twin-Set; 8
Ronja (Right) - Trench coat Hugo Boss; Leather jacket We are Vintage; Rings Mimi Et Toi; Naomi (Left) - Dress We are Vintage; Earrings Ivy & Liv; Gloves Stylist’s own; 9
Dress Second Female; Gloves A. Boeke; Trousers Stine Goya; 10
Naomi (Left) - Leather jacket Second Female; Top Vince; Ring Mimi Et Toi; Hat Brixton; Trousers Baum und Pferdgarten; Ronja (Right) - Blazer Edited; Jacket Adriana Gold Smith; Skirt Vince; Ring Mimi Et Toi;
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Blue Dress River Island; Silver Dress Hugo Boss; Sequin Dress MarcCain; Ring Lyppens; Earrings Swarovski; 12
Top Caroline Bis; Faux fur scarf Cafe Noir; Trousers & Other Stories;
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Welcome to Fairytale Photographer Anastacia Belyaeva Stylist Alena Zeifert Makeup Nadya Glebova Model Daria Gressa 14
Dress Vintage; Earrings H&M;
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Dress & shoes Vintage; Earrings H&M;
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Jacket & gloves Vintage; Blouse Tom Ford; Shorts Odor; Earrings & shoes H&M;
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Dress Vintage; Earrings & shoes H&M; Dress Anouki; 22
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Founded in 1999, Meyer-Davis is an internationally renowned design firm specializing in luxury retail, hospitality and residential establishments. With a client portfolio that includes some of the most luxurious hotels, retail spaces and private residences in the world, (W Hotels, 1 Hotels, Oscar de La Renta, to name a few) the New York-based design firm has established itself at the apex of the high-end commercial and residential interior design world. We had a chat with the co-founders of New York’s leading design firm about inspiration, current trends and how they continue to remain unique.
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Meyer Davis
Text by Morgan Kendall
Could you tell us a bit about yourselves, and how you got into design? WM: I used to draw all the time from an early age and with my parents encouragement I took a strong interest in architecture. I would work with my dad who was always building something around the house. He always worked on projects to better our house, which really inspired me to get into design. GD: On our family travels I always enjoyed seeing architecture, whether historic or modern. Traveling to New York and around Europe created a whole new perspective on how much an environment or place can be defined by the buildings in it. I grew an appreciation of architecture and design and knew I wanted to pursue it. You have designed spaces for some of the biggest fashion houses, restaurateurs and hospitality icons, how do you imagine the narrative for each space? Our aesthetic goals don’t differ from public and private spaces, that’s what we like about our work we try to not draw a distinction between public and private. We really focus on creating iconic meaningful spaces to enjoy whether it be a restaurant or a hotel.
In terms of design, which city excites you most? And to date, what has been your favorite city you’ve designed in?
We are inspired by the narrative we create for each space, which then builds the core idea behind every project. Our work carries allusions that weave the unique qualities of the space and take measure of subtle references of the story we hope to tell through our projects. Our office is filled with such creative and gifted minds, it is impossible not to be inspired.
If you could both collaborate with anyone in the world who would it be, and why?
Sydney – it has some amazing views, Mexico City is interesting and cool and definitely Hong Kong.
WM: I think we could make something really dynamic with contemporary artists like Bosco Sodi or Donald Judd. Their minimalism and creation of autonomy to construct objects in space could mesh with our view of tailored design to create and play with visual design with a unique perspective. GD: Peter Greenberg could be an interesting client and collaborator to work with. His gift to create such dramatic sets that are both dark and play with realism would be fascinating to work with, and could create a refreshing design outcome. From a global perspective, what are some of the trends you are currently seeing in the world of Interior design? I think what we like to do for each project is imagine the future and try to separate what is happening now– and imagine the dial turning forward and project into the future. We don’t want to be an echo of what is happening now we want to be leaning forward. Design has to be more of an agitator than anything, individual taste needs to be prodded and pushed. Good taste anymore is too common, too trivial. We try to stay away from trends, and rather base our designs off of what we want the experience to be and how we can make that as seamless of a design as possible. We don’t want our designs to be a trend, we want them to be iconic. 25
“Be passionate, stay curious and learn from the world around you – be observant and look at how people solve their design problems. It is hard to stand out in this industry, it’s important to find a voice and think of how you can push the boundaries of design rather than fit in with the industry.”
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What made you both decide to start your own design firm? GD: Early in our careers, Will and I partnered up on a freelance project as a side gig.The project was a hotel in Miami and the collaboration was a success. Afterwards, we started to work together towards the goal of building our own firm. What is a dream project of yours? Starting as a boutique residential firm, it has always been our dream to go global. It’s been a true honor to now say we have attained that dream and are currently able to work and design worldwide. Has social media impacted the way you design? If so, how have you navigated these changes? While great designers define their work by moving through a project via a human perspective, the instagrammable moment is a two-dimensional snap shot of the moment. As a designer we must confirm these distinct points of the user’s experience of a property. We offer a flexibility of experiences, a cinematic viewpoint where you imagine scenes: the conversations, the lighting, and the background. Nowadays, thanks to Instagram, people are always looking for these moments. From the start, hotel brands and restaurants are asking where these Instagram moments are going to be. It’s a big thing for these clients to get their images out there. People like a space that reveals itself. 27
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What are some of your favorite designs? WM: There is a beautiful hotel in Tokyo that would have to be my favorite called hotel Okura. It was a beautiful, classic mid-century design, from the 60’s that was an immersive design experience, unfortunately this was torn down last year and many in the design community were up in arms over this. GD: The new El Sereno on Lake Como is a recent design that I think has really pushed the boundaries and is a current favorite of mine. Even with the modern design in a historic setting, the building is able to feel grounded and not out of place, rather it redefines the environment all together. Design like that to me, is timeless. What has been your favorite project to date? If we look at a timeline of all of our projects – almost 20 years of having our own firm, there is certain projects that have really defined us, each one for a different reason and are from a different era. Looking back at previous projects, there was a restaurant we designed called Locanda Verde in New York that connected with everyone. It all came together in a great location and put that style of restaurant as leading the way forward and we saw people starting recreating this design after us. VBar was our first restaurant design that we did and really was the beginning of our studio starting to create designs for the public to experience. Recent projects such as Snapchat and 1Hotel South Beach, were both designs we created that elevated and completely brought our visual narrative to life.
What’s your advice for aspiring designers who are starting out in the industry? Be passionate, stay curious and learn from the world around you – be observant and look at how people solve their design problems. It is hard to stand out in this industry, it’s important to find a voice and think of how you can push the boundaries of design rather than fit in with the industry. What have been some of the highlights of your careers? Looking back at previous projects, there was a restaurant we designed called Locanda Verde in New York that connected with everyone. It all came together in a great location and put that style of restaurant as leading the way forward and we saw people starting recreating this design after us. Do you have any upcoming projects for the firm? We are currently working on a couple new projects in Hawaii, a Crown Hotel in Sydney, and the Four Seasons in Greece that we are excited about. We just finished the Four Seasons Costa Rica and a new restaurant in Miami called Amara that we are very proud of. There are many exciting opportunities happening for us as a studio right now.
Where do you look for inspiration? We love to get a feel of what makes the city tick and sense why people who live there love their city. Whether it’s visiting an art museum, a local restaurant or just walking around the park and immersing yourself in these surroundings. What have been your favorite types of projects to work on? The projects we strive and look for are the ones that push the limits that reinvent how one can view and experience a space. Crown, One Barangaroo and the Four Seasons Greece are a couple of our hospitality projects we are currently working that bring our vision and collaboration of architecture and interiors together to create an original designs. Projects like that are the ones that we want to define us as a company and brand.
Follow @meyerdavis and visit www.meyerdavis.com to keep up with their new projects. 30
Photos Courtesy of Meyer Davis
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Counterbalance
Photographer Kayla Mendez Models Maria Garcia (Modern Muse Models / Posche Models International) Nathan Waters (Modern Muse Models) 32
On Maria - Top White Stag; Pants Pronti Phita; Shoes Sam Edelmen; On Nathan - Top Christopher & Banks; Pants Banana Republic;
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On Maria - Top Express; Pants Zara;
On Nathan - Top Express; 35
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On Maria - Trousers Topshop; Shoes Sam Edelmen;
On Nathan - Coat Axis; Top Made & Mastered; Pants Pronti Phita; Shoes Call It Spring; 37
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Under Your Skin
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Photographer
Stylist
Makeup
Models
Chiara Romagnoli
Micole Basile
Mairo Zorba (facetofaceagency)
Babette (Next), Julia (Monster)
All clothing Wayerรถb by Alessandro Onori; 41
Blouse & Shirt Gilberto Calzolari; Top Yohei Ohno; Dress Bershka; 42
Horizontal striped jumpsuit Essentiel;
Vertical striped shirt & pants Pepe Jeans; 43
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Right - All clothing Moi Multiple;
Left - Pullover (Left) MomonĂŹ; Pullover (Right) Kaos; Undergarments MomonĂŹ;
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Undergarments Item 9;
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All clothing Gilberto Calzolari;
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Sweater Missoni; 49
Power Couple
Text by
Morgan Kendall
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NES Creative
“We balance looking ahead while focusing on the moment.”
Natalie Shirinian and Elizabeth Baudouin are the power couple behind NES Creative. Between the two, the creative duo are at once filmmakers, authors and head NES Creative, a communications agency for top talent in art, design, fashion and culture, with offices in both New York and Los Angeles. With the likes of Apparatus Studio and Studio Oliver Gustav being just a small fraction of their talent roster, we spoke with NES on work-love balance, their inspirations and beginnings in the industry. Founded by Natalie Shirinian in 2010, NES Creative her vision was to meld the worlds of fashion and design. Natalie’s background began in film as an actor and production which led to talent management, writing and PR. Elizabeth has worked in New York and Los Angeles in both the music industry and in alternative marketing for major brands in consumer and entertainment. The initial purpose for NES Creative was to “bridge the gap between fashion and design” states Shirinian, “There were so many different artists out there doing fashion and design, and I felt like agency world needed a new agency to represent both parts as a whole.” The two met through a mutual friend who ran a magazine they were both working atwriting for. Six months into dating, the creative duo took their relationship to the next level by working on clients together; the whole process was so natural that it never really ended. “It was hard for me to sit still at the agency I was at, I just wanted to do things with her,” states Baudouin. A year and a half later, in December 2015, Baudouin joined the agency to open their first New York location situated in TriBeca to create a salon like environment to showcase their talent through interior design and one day pop-up exhibitions. 51
The driving force behind their work-love balance is trust and communication. Elizabeth states, “Our styles and personalities compliment our approach really well. We always look to see what the next creative endeavor could be and is going to be. We balance looking ahead while focusing on the moment. It’s inspiring to discover new artists and designers and bring them to the world and also work with established artists and designers and keep them current using our team’s creative approach.” Even amongst the chaos of running their business, Natalie states, “I think for any business owner, regardless of if you’re in a relationship with the other owner or not, you’re always trying to fine tune that balance in your life.” For most, mixing personal with business is frowned upon when building an empire, but for these two, the synergy between their complementary strengths and work ethics along with their personal passion for one another is what drives a stronger bond. “We work on everything together and oversee our team who is extremely talented at managing the day-to-day of the campaigns and strategy. We all have our strengths and attributes that need a little more developing but there’s always great synergy with ourselves, our clients and our team,” states Baudouin. The power couple’s most recent projects includes collaborations between artists from their creative roster. Shirinian tells, “We just launched Apparatus’ ACT III which is stunning, Egg Collective’s Designing Women II, Bec Brittain x John Hogan collaboration, kinder MODERN’s multiple and simultaneous collaborative exhibitions and Montreal’s Gabriel Scott’s collaboration in Milan with Bar Basso.” With a global talent roster Natalie and Elizabeth have grown together in their personal and professional lives, and have managed to foster one of the most successful creative communication agencies for culture, design and fashion in The United States.
Follow @nescreative to keep up to date with their upcoming projects. 52
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Felona & Sorona Photographer Luca Skro
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Stylist Deborah La Guardia
Hair & Makeup
Models
Ivy Makeup
Deborah Parcesepe Margherita Servoli
Right - Dress Alcoolique; Dress Rick Rhe; Left - Hat and Shoes Vintage; Skirt Alcoolique; Top Rick Rhe;
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Top Rick Rhe; Trousers Roberto Collina; Shoes Vintage; Earrings Stylist’s Own; 56
Shirt Calcaterra; Trousers Roberto Collina; Shoes Dr. Martens;
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Dress Alcoolique; Dress Rick Rhe; 58
Skirt Alcoolique; Top Rick Rhe;
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Top Aroma30; Coat Greta Boldini;
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New Perspective Text by
Lindsay Cooper
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An oversized pair of sunglasses is the go-to for celebrities trying to hide their identities, hung over partygoers trying to hide their tired eyes, and Anna Wintour trying to hide her opinions during fashion week. “Normally our eyes tell us a lot. So, of course sunglasses are a way we can hide ourselves behind the glass,” says Brian Knakkegaard, the founder of eyewear brand Folk & Frame. “I think for people it’s kind of a way of just hiding yourself, being a little bit more private when you’re in an open space.” Feeling unfulfilled by his less creative pursuits in his 9-5, Knakkegaard founded his own company in 2013 to explore his passions. Inspired by Danish architecture and his past as a graphic designer, Folk & Frame were (and still are) designed and constructed solely by Knakkegaard out of his home. While body language 101 tells us that sunglasses prevent people from interpreting your expressions, Knakkegaard and Folk & Frame prove sunglasses can be the best form of self-expression.
Can I start by asking you what you were doing before you started with Folk & Frame? Well, I’m a design graduate with expertise graphic design and ecommerce but before that I used to work within sales and PR in the fashion industry for quite some years before quit that to travel the world. Sort of an inspirational trip to find myself after years of hard work for other people. I wanted to travel the world to recharge, then I started studying graphic design and I’ve been able to build something on my own. While I was studying, I started Folk & Frame.
Do you see those past professions influencing what you’re doing now? Yes of course, because I have my experience within sales and fashion of course it’s a reflection on what I do in some way. I can kind of combine those two things. I think a lot of people maybe are into making designs but have no relation to how the market works. Sometimes they just start doing it, but then they have no idea how to build a brand because maybe they’re too unrealistic about the designs they make. My background definitely had a positive effect on what I do and how did it.
Why did you choose sunglasses when you started out in mainstream fashion? What was it about them that was special to you? I don’t really know, to be honest. It was just a coincidence that I ended up in fashion. I just worked for some well-known Danish fashion houses. Working in the clothing industry actually, I’d Never seen myself as being a fashion guy. But I ended up getting a sales job and I was just involved with sales for five, six years. One day, I just got a little bit tired of the fashion industry. I wanted to pursue that whole creative side of myself and go towards design, and putting things down on paper, and growing. Actually, when I did that I really wanted pursue advertising to do something creative.
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“I just really wanted to do things better than the others and kind of different than the others.�
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Speaking of creative expression, you’re creating your sunglasses in a time where sunglasses are having a moment and brands are getting really creative with them. It’s pretty standard to see oversized, rhinestone sunglasses right now, but your designs are really pared down. Can I ask your opinion on the other side of the aesthetic divide? Yeah, obviously some of the bigger fashion houses¬—especially the high-end fashion houses—were built on an exclusive look, you know? It’s been like that for years. But some other big designers, they’ve always been into the oversize sunglasses, even if you go back to the sixties, seventies, and eighties. So I think it’s just a steady thing to be honest. When I started, I didn’t see myself as creating a brand that was into that kind of look. I wanted to be classic in some way. That’s also the reason brands like Ray-Bans have existed for so many years. Some of their classic styles have been in production for years. I think most common people are into a lot more normal looking frames, so I took a more classic approach.
Going more into your idea like classic designs: I noticed a lot of your silhouettes take inspiration from like the fifties and sixties. Can I ask what it is about that era you love so much? I think I think it’s because the sunglasses era came from around that time. For me, it was just natural to start from there. And I have always been inspired by the looks from that time. What I wanted to do was create something that had the same vibe as the sixties, but still take modern approaches to what I do. So I kind of combined present with the sixties.
And on your modern approach: I read you draw all your designs by hand. Do you think this brings something to the design process or is this just a personal preference? I think it does something to the whole process when you get to think a little bit more about the details and the shapes, instead of just putting it directly into the computer. I think you get to think about it more than you would usually. It has also become like process for me: just put it down on paper first then the computer afterwards. So I think about it and throw it down before doing anything else. It’s just a nice way to do it.
Can you tell me more about your process? As someone with a past in fashion sales and ecommerce, how do you approach the business side of your brand? I think that like my approach to things has been a little bit different. When I started doing this I didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted. I didn’t sit down and say “look, I want to make a brand. I want to make a lot of money. I want to do this and that and have investors
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and be in a lot of stores and just get it out there.” When I started, I just wanted to make some nice glasses and do things the exact way that I wanted to do them. I just want to make something the way that I wanted to make it. It’s been step-by-step for me. I haven’t really approached stores and never done anything like sponsored ads or anything to promote my name. I have always believed if you do something well, people will come to you and maybe want to buy it. If the quality is good, the design is good, people might buy an extra pair, and maybe they’ll tell their friends. Maybe not. Just let it kind of swim. That’s why it’s still really just me. I’m the only guy in the company doing everything, more or less. I started in my living room and then I built a little extra studio next to my apartment where I could just sit and work. It’s not until this fall that I’m going to move into a real office that is not connected to my apartment. I’m just taking it step-by-step and building slowly. A lot of people when they start something they really want to get everything out at once. But the growth has been really natural and a lot of things happened last year and a lot this year. Things really seem to be going in a positive direction and I have too much stuff on my plate. So I’m working on it now because it’s really growing, now. I was surprised about a year ago when I was sitting in my living room seeing the interest from all these big buyers from all the fashion houses and all of a sudden I get a message from an actress in Hollywood like “I love it. Can I have it?” and I’m just sitting in my living room. All you can do is work and get it out there. So, that’s what I do.
So you have celebrities and stylists just reaching out directly now. I saw Folk & Frame was on a cover of the Danish edition of ELLE recently. Is that how that came about? It just happened also. I don’t really do anything with press or anything. I got a phone call from a stylist asking if she could borrow them for a photo-shoot they were doing in Mexico. I got an email back just a few weeks later saying “the picture with your glasses is going to be the one on the cover.” That was really nice because getting sunglasses on a magazine cover is something really difficult. It’s usually about eye contact, because you can get a lot of expression from people’s eyes and when you have sunglasses on you don’t really get anything. 68
On that note: this is our intimacy issue, so one of the themes we’re interested in is how sunglasses can be used to conceal emotion or identity. Do you have any thoughts on that? One of the reasons I wanted to do sunglasses, I have really light sensitive eyes and I had to always wear sunglasses, otherwise I’m running around narrowing my eyes. But also, when I’m in open spaces I really like having sunglasses on because it’s gives me privacy when I’m wearing them in some way. At the same time, though, the sunglasses market and eyewear market is huge. Yes, some people do not care about how they look and wear them because they really need protection and want that privacy. They just need something sporty to cover them completely. Others like more of a statement that looks good. There are so many styles, and it really allows you to find something that doesn’t just hide your identity, but also kind of expresses it. For me it’s the most important thing about sunglasses just to make something that people really like and feel comfortable wearing and they may even be proud of wearing, something they want to share with their friends and talk about and just be proud about.
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City Oasis Photographer Hector Rivera Stylist & Creative Director Montserrat Lorenzana Models Bruno Mateos (Hard Internation) Oscar Sagrado (Mm Runway)
All clothing Michaud; 71
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Suit Michaud; Striped shirt & shorts Honorato;
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Coat Honorato; Top Zara; Pants Michaud;
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All clothing Honorato;
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All clothing Honorato; 76
Coat Honorato; Top Zara; Pants Michaud;
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The Change 78
Photographer David PD Hyde Stylist & Fashion Designer Livia Tang Hair Kanae Kikuchi Makeup Bryanna Angel Allen Model Lily (First Model Management)
Top Livia Tang;
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Coat Livita Tang; Socks Stylist’s own; Earrings CAR|2IE; Shoes DKYY; 81
Top Aleksandra Seweryniak; Dress Livia Tang; Earrings FEIHEFEIHEFEIHE; Shoes DKYY;
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Pants Lindex; Ballerinas Dansbutiken;
Jacket & top Livia Tang; Trousers Aleksandra Seweryniak; Earrings Harumi Hatta;
Sweater Frame; High-waisted underwear Hunkemรถller; Jacket Malene Birger;
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Left - Top Stylist’s own;
Right - All clothing Livia Tang; Earrings Harumi Hatta; Tights Stylist’s own; 84
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The Surface Photographer & Stylist Kristina Shakht Stylist Maria Briz Makeup Derya Dali Models Rita Klimova Cleo Arkhangelskaya
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& Perception
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A N A S T A S I A B E LY A E VA ANNICK MEIJER C H I A R A ROM AGNOL I D AV I D P H H Y D E N E S CR EAT I V E HECTOR FERNANDO KRISTINA SHAKHT LUCA SK RO M A R I A GA RCI A FOLK & FRAME M E Y E R D AV I S
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