FranChize Vol. 1
Rick Genest
Talks to Terry Richardson
F/W 12-2013
The
BLACK BOOK STYLE MANUAL
FOR
Tommy Hilfiger shares his top 10 milestones
MEN
Nicholas Velez Clothingline Hits N.Y.
Where to take HER (On a Budget) Top 5 Resturants in N.Y.C
The latest installment of the
Macallan Master of Photography series of limited edition bottles features the work of acclaimed photographer, Annie Leibovitz. Actor, Kevin McKidd, is photographed by Leibovitz in New York City for the bottles which will run in an edition of 1000. Unique single malts accompany each of the four bottles; each setting you back $2,750.
Letter From The Editor: “EXPAND YOUR MIND”
Franchize is the new edition of what I like to call “urban fashion luxuriance”. This magazine contains information for urban society and the world of high-end fashion. After reading new fashion & life style magazines for men, I decided to put together an outline that would attract people with similar interests. Would combining urban and high-end fashion create conflict? Of course not, our world feeds off of diversity in this ever-changing environment.
I clearly remember when magazines contained more text than images. Now it’s the other way around. People don’t read as much as they used to and our generation of men and woman believe that an image depicts 1000 words. I agree and say, “YES IT DOES!” This first edition of Franchize, incorporates topics that have been a part of me throughout my life. Fashion, Art, and Music has shaped my life and will continue to guide me forward. View and enjoy! Felix Cepeda, Editor in Chief Art Director
EDITORS TOP 4 PICK
CONTENT: FASHION: o10 - NICHOLAS VELEZ in New York, interviewed by J. Molina. o14 - Nicholas Velez “Exclusive” F/W collection. o23 - Photographer Terry Richardson shares word with the new face in the fashion world Rick Genest (Zombie Boy). o40 - Talk Fashion with Mike Motsok. o52 - Tommy Hilfiger’s top 10 Milestones
TRAVEL/EAT:
o60 - Where to take her (on a budget)... o69 - TOP 5 resturants in New York City.
ART
o70 - “FranChize” editor/art director Felix Cepeda reveals his talent as an artist.
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“Designers Albert “Rico” Abreu and Felix Cepeda are proving that you don’t need to follow conventional methods if you really feel passionate about something. Without any formal fashion education, these young men, 23 and 21 respectively, are the masterminds behind Nicholas Velez, the dopest brand you may not have seen or heard of- yet! Prepare yourselves because when this duo dinámico unveils the collection they’ve been working on for over a year- they’ll make heads turn uptown to spot the hottest trends.When you talk with Albert and Felix, it’s obvious that there is a strong bond between them. They it’s all busimay be young guys who love to joke around, but when it comes down to their clothing line- it ness.”
Q&A JM: How did you two come together as designers? FC: We were brought together by Nicholas Velez. When we started working on the line Nick would always ask ‘What’s up with your clothing line?’ He would make sure we were making moves. He actually wanted to wear our stuff. He was the type of man that wanted to see everyone move ahead. JM: When did you decide to make the name of the line Nicholas Velez? AA: We settled on the name Nicholas Velez after his loss. We figured that his life has been passed on to our collection and we decided to keep him alive in some way. JM: Describe the type of man you design for. AA: Someone creative. FC: Someone artistic, who likes to express himself with fashion, clothes, shoes, with everything. Someone who wants to be awkward. AA: Someone who thinks life is a fashion show and the world is their runway. JM: So it’s it showy? AA: Not just showy but that person is also humble at the same time. JM: How does that work? AA: That’s the thing, people think because you dress a certain way you’re showing off and you haven’t even met that person. Not someone showy but someone like Felix said, awkward, artistic. You know, even though he’s not asking for attention he still gets it. FC: Someone that wants to be comfortable. doesn’t seek the attention, he just dresses the way that he does because he likes AA: But someone that doesn being able to express himself. He doesn’t express himself by writing or acting or anything else. For him, it’s through fashion.
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JM: Can you describe each of your roles? AA: Our role, I feel like they’re both the same. I cannot say I’m going to do something without it going through him and vice versa. We’re both creative. He’s more artistic. He sketches and I give him my input for the designs. Sometimes I even sketch. JM: Do you draw? AA: I’ve gotten better. FC: He went from horrible to bad. AA: I told him I’m going to take classes because I want it to be that if one day I can’t be here, I want him to take care of everything and if one day he can’t be there, I’m gonna take care of everything. If I have to do sketches I’m gonna do it and if people can’t understand it I’m going to re-sketch it until they’re able to understand it. JM: What makes you guys stand out from other designers? FC: I guess what makes us stand out from all the other designers is the friendship, how close we are. The fact that Nicholas Velez stands between us, it just makes us family. And if you’re speaking in terms of designs in general, when we design we look at what’s out now and we mix it up with past, present, and future. We try to think of how the future would be and what we’re bringing out, we want it to be the future. AA: We do look up to other designers like Raf Simons, Rick Owens, Mr. Talented Himself, Marc Jacob, but sometimes we’re not satisfied with the collections that certain designers are coming out with. And that’s one of the things that pushes me to keep coming up with ideas. FC: It also gives us hope, like there is room for us in the game. AA: It shows that you need to stay humble because it seems that the fact that once designers get to the top, they don’t go as hard as the used to. Me, I’ll always go hard. JM: What are some of the biggest challenges with starting your own clothing line? AA: Everything is a challenge. Every single step to getting it done. We have no experience in it, we’re doing it on our own. FC: We didn’t go to school for fashion, the only background that I have within design is art; I’m an art major. And he has business. AA: We’re figuring it all out by ourselves. But somehow it’s all coming together. At one point a professor at Parson’s even acknowledged us. [fist POW – laughter] FC: That’s actually what kept us going. He was amazed that two kids with no fashion background had such a professional collection.
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AA: And that’s when we realized, yo- we’ve got something here. JM: You’ll be revealing your collection soon, what do you want people’s reactions to be when they first see it? FC: Holy shit! Or just drop dead like, whoa. [laughter] AA: Honestly, Honestl I think Felix’s idea is a little bit far-fetched (laughter)…We just want people to acknowledge what we’re doing. They don’t have to like it but at least respect what we have and where we’re headed. And understand that clothing is the language. It expresses who you are, the type of person you are – without having to open your mouth. With Nicholas Velez we want the clothes to speak outside the box. We want to hit them with something different every time we make a collection. Interview by: j.molina [jay.mo]
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Nicholas Velez F/W 2011-2012
Photographed by: Felix Cepeda (FC) Styled by: FC & Albert Abreu Model: ELI
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Photographed by: Felix Cepeda (FC) Styled by: FC & Albert Abreu Model: ELI
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Photographed by: Felix Cepeda (FC) Styled by: FC & Albert Abreu Model: Emo
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Photographed by: Felix Cepeda (FC) Styled by: FC & Albert Abreu Model: ELI
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Photographed by: Matthew Rodriquez Styled by: Felix Cepeda & Albert Abreu Model: Ronald
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Photographed by: Matthew Rodriquez Styled by: Felix Cepeda & Albert Abreu Model: P.J.
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I AM NOT ...
... MA I
Rick Genest Shares words with Photographer: Terry Richardson
R
ick Genest (born August 7, 1985) is a Canadian artist and fashion model born in Montreal. He is also known as Zombie Boy for being tattooed like a corpse across the majority of his body. In his early life, Genest grew up in Chateauguay, a suburb of Montreal. As a child, Rick developed a brain tumor, which was surgically removed when he was 15 years old. According to his mother he waited, out of respect for her and his father, until the age of 16 to get his first tattoo. He then left home at 17 after graduating from high school, but it was not until the age of 21 that he would first come to Montreal tattoo artist Frank Lewis, since then responsible for inking the majority of the designs on his body, which they create together. This has taken over six years, Genest spending thousands of dollars on the artwork, conceived by him to be “about the human body as a decomposing corpse – the art of a rotting cadaver.”, And “also a tribute to horror movies to”, a favorite genre of his. During his rise to fame he played a background role in Cirque du freak: the Vampires assistant as one of the freaks in 2009. On March 5, 2010, a Facebook fan page was created about Genest’s unusual choice of tattoos. This page reached 1,526,292 members (as of November 19, 2011) and ultimately led to his discovery by Lady Gaga’s Fashion Director Nicola Formichetti. On January 19, 2011, Rick was featured in the new MUGLER Autumn/ Winter men’s collection, headlining the collection on the brand’s website, after his discovery by Creative Director Nicola Formichetti, It was Genest’s discovery by Formichetti and then Gaga’s urging which actually resulted in the menswear show, something not originally planned. His discovery also influenced Formichetti on the collection itself. The show was accompanied by a video featuring Genest shot by fashion photographer Mariano Vivanco He later featured alongside Lady Gaga in the fashion show for the women’s 2011 Autumn/Winter line. On February 27, 2011, Genest was featured in Lady Gaga’s video for “Born This Way”, with Lady Gaga wearing makeup to replicate Genest’s tattoos. In the Spring/Summer issue of GQ Style (UK), Karim Sadli interviews Formichetti and Genest, with shots in MUGLER for the editorial. In late 2011, Genest became part of a campaign entitled “Go Beyond the Cover”, promoting Dermablend professional makeup products, appearing in a video where a makeup team covered all the tattoos on his head, torso, arms, and part of his back in its concealer product, with the cover-up process video documentation played in reverse to show the concealer’s effectiveness. Genest also played in a music video of the Polish pop singer Honey. The video for her the song “Sabotage” was published on 19 Jan 2012.
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Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600 Meters SKYFALL Omega delivers the official time piece for “Skyfall,” the 23rd James Bond film. The new Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600 Meters SKYFALL will be released in an edition of 5,007 units this Autumn 2012. Sitting at 42mm, the Planet Ocean is ready for deep sea adventures and features a 42mm casing. “007″ is engraved on the divers’ clasp and also found at the 7:00 position on the face. The white Super-LumiNova emitting a blue light finishes it off nicely.
VISIT AND SHOP WWW.OMEGAWATCHES.COM
CHANEL
Ksubi Cisco...
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Raf Simons F/W 2012-2013
Talk Fashion With
Mike Matsok Journalist / Photographer from Republic of Moldova
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Leather Jacket, Diy, V- Neck - Black, Yves Saint Laurent Watch- white, Calvin Klein Shoes - grey, Emilio Landini
Leather Jacket - Bershka Hoodie - Celio Cardigan - Topman Fur Hat - Vintage Desert Boots - Clark's Watch - OSBON & BONJA LMTD
Jogg Jeans Jacket - Diesel Skinny Jeans - Sisley Black Skirt - Zara Boots - GF Ferre Bow Tie - Vintage Watch - OSBON & BONJA LMTD
Wool Coat - Armani Exchange Skirt - D&G Cardigan - Sisley Knitted Scarf - Zara Oxford Shoes - Asos Watch - Motblanc
Grey Skinny Jeans - Sisley Lanvin style Sneakers - Zara Scarf - Zara Leather Jacket - Bershka
Desert Shoes - ASOS Aviator Sunglasses - Ray Ban Turtleneck - D&G Cardigan - D&G Jeans - Sisley Watch - Armani Exchange
Aviator Jacket - Zara Desert Shoes - ASOS Aviator Sunglasses - Ray Ban Turtleneck - D&G Cardigan - D&G Jeans - Sisley Watch - Armani Exchange
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“I made "Jesus Walk" so I'm never going to hell Couture level flow,...�
Tommy Hilfiger’s Top 10 Milestones This year's CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient reflects on his career BY MATTHEW SEBRA For over 26 years, the Tommy Hilfiger brand has been bringing reinterpreted Americana to the masses, and the man behind it all is being honored tonight with the Council of Fashion Designers Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award. A lifetime achievement honor might signal the beginning of the end for some, but to Hilfiger, it's just another moment in an already-rich career. In his own words, "I'm honored, I'm grateful, I'm humbled—but I'm not done yet. " Nobody would accuse the man of ever eve having slacked off, especially in the past few years as he's been aggressively evolved the brand's aesthetic."Years ago, I think the Tommy guy was everybody," Hilfiger says, "and now, I think he is more modern." We caught up with Hilfiger just before the big designer tell us, night to have the designe in his own words, about the ten biggest menswear moments in his career. Photo’s: Courtesy of Tommy Hilfiger
"I really started out just having fun. I wasn't serious about business at all. I wanted to look like a rock star, I wanted to dress my friends like rock stars, and I wanted to play the loudest coolest music in the store, burn incense, and live sort of a hippie-type existence. I learned the hard way that if you're gonna be in business, you really have to pay attention to the business. After I had a bankruptcy at a very young age, I decided to really focus on building a business and being serious about it. So when I started Tommy Hilfiger it was all about really developing a brand for America, for men in America. I never thought at that time that it was gonna be a global lifestyle brand. But as time went on, all of the pieces started sort of falling into place. And a few years later, I decided I wanted to expand it worldwide and build it into a global lifestyle brand,so I took my preppy influence and started planting it in different parts of the world, and it worked. [Laughs] Somehow it worked."
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2. The GQ Run-Through In 1985 Hilfiger joined forces with Mohan Murjani, the man behind the Gloria Vanderbilt brand, to launch his namesake line. GQ creative director Jim Moore came to see the first collection in Murjani's showroom. “”I really started out just having fun. I wasn't serious about business at all. I wanted to look like a rock star, sta I wanted to dress my friends like rock stars, and I wanted to play the loudest coolest music in the store, burn incense, and live sort of a hippietype existence. I learned the hard way that if you're gonna be in business, you really have to pay attention to the business. After I had a bankruptcy at a very young age, I decided to really focus on building a business and being serious about it. So when I started Tommy Hilfiger it was all about really developing a brand for America, for men in America. I never thought at that time that it was gonna be a global lifestyle brand. But as time went on, all of the pieces started sort of falling into place. And a few years later, I decided I wanted to expand it worldwide and build it into a global lifestyle brand, so I took my preppy influence and started planting it in different parts of the world, and it worked. [Laughs] Somehow it worked.“” 3. Hanging Tough In 1985 legendary art director George Lois created a bold advertisement, playing on the game Hangman, that listed Hilfiger's name amongst the biggest American designers at the time: Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, and Perry Ellis. The ad hung on a billboard in Times Square. "I was scared. George Lois is a genius. He really created the whole idea. I was a young guy starting out, nervous as hell about my existence, and he and Mohan Murjani convinced me that it would be a great idea. It was a great idea because everyone within a very short amount of time learned the name, and then I had to live up to the name. A lot of times people have very interesting product and their name is not known. My name was known and my product was nowhere, so I had to work really had to get the product up to the level of the name."
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4. Taking Stock In 1992 Tommy Hilfiger became the first designer company to go public, with its listing on the New York Stock Exchange. The influx of cash gave Hilfiger the opportunity to grow his brand further. "It was major, because we needed money to expand. And that gave us all the money we needed to open stores, shops, advertising, hire people, do everything we needed to." 5. Street Cred In the mid '90s, the Tommy Hilfiger brand took to the streets. Suddenly Hilfiger's oversized, primary-color creations were being worn by an audience not usually associated with the preppy look. "We had been seeing it before. It was bubbling. I thought it was fun and funny, funn it was like a phenomenon I've never seen. All these trends we did were kind of fun. And it took hold." 6. Mantelpiece The Council of Fashion Designers of America, or CFDA, named Hilfiger the Menswear Designer of the Year in 1995, his first-ever award from the organization. "It was a milestone, at that moment in time, but I quickly forgot about it because I didn't want to ever enamored with awards and praise, because become enamo I thought it doesn't really get you anywhere. You still have to work hard on the product, and you can't get
Classic Americana‌.. Aaliyah in Tommy Hilfiger’s 1996 (97?) campaign accompanied by Mark Ronson The epitome of 90s Tomboy Chic
sidetracked with either your fame or believing what they write, because you have to always keep very grounded and balanced." 7. Getting Some Satisfaction An ardent music fan, Hilfiger sponsored the Rolling Stones' "No Security" tour in 1999. The Stones remain one of Hilfiger's favorite bands, and the tour set the stage for the brand to work with future artists. "It was very exciting for that moment, and after that we sponsored Lenny Kravitz and a number of others. It became part our history, histor but that was a milestone."
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8. God Bless the U.S.A. The July 2005 cover of GQ featured a bikini-clad Jessica Simpson sporting Hilfiger. "I was thinking, 'you know what? It works' because there's something a little bit, I would say, middle America about it. It's a little something Texan, a little something country western too. It's with a wink, with a nod."
9. The Sporting Life Hilfiger has dressed athletes from every sport, most notably soccer star Thierry Henry who served as the face of the brand in 2006. "Athletes have just always worn the brand. Initially it happened because in the '80s and '90s everything was oversized, so we were oversized, and the athletes loved it—they loved wearing the clothes that fit."
10. Silver Anniversary In 2010, during New York Fashion Week's first season at Lincoln Center, Hilfiger threw a huge celebration that brought out the fashion world and beyond to honor the brand's 25th anniversary. "It was a celebration not only for me, but for everyone at Tommy Hilfiger who has been so instrumental in making this dream come true."
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WHAT MAKES A MAN?
Robotic... Photography: Melissa Houben
Models: Johnny Elisen (brown hair) and Sebasteaan van Arnhem (blond hair) Mua: Eline van de Kaa Styling: Lyron Martina
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RICK OWENS F/W 2012-2013
You Don’t Mess with the
Where to Take Her (On a Budget)
“We're not flush yet, either. But that doesn't mean we're staying put. We combed the Americas for the best girlfriend-worthy desert hideouts, and secluded islands. No second mortgage required� -GQ
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Hotel Saint Cecilia Austin, Texas Imagine that the two of you are crashing for the weekend at the house of the ridiculously hip and tasteful Texan friend you never had. The suites here have all the trappings of someone's carefully curated second home: a piano, a turntable, a real backyard. The private bar spills into a courtyard filled with mismatched, eleele gantly distressed furniture. Even the service feels personal; the staff won't step aside as you pass in the hall, but they will chat about what bands to see while you're in town (and which bands might be staying there). There's limited room service, but your farm-fresh omelets are made to order every morning. And when the sun sets over Austin, the hotel's intimate lived-in patina shows a more alluring side. The neon sign above the jewel-like lap pool bathes the water in an inky purple glow that makes those private midnight dips feel just the right amount of naughty. When you check out, having never met your perfect and imaginary host, you'll wonder where to send the thank-you note.—Ana Marie Cox Fly: Austin-Bergstrom (AUS) Stay: From $295 Go: Anytime but summer re
The Rockhouse Negril, Jamaica "Negril is known for its beach—a seven-mile stretch of white sand—but the Jamaican coast gets rocky as you go west, and perched over the water, on the western 'cliff side' of the island, is the Rockhouse. I've been going to the Rockhouse for ten years; I brought my wife on her first trip to Jamaica, and she fell in love…" …We're island people—she's of Greek descent, and my family is Jamaican. The Rockhouse has this great vibe, which I'm a little biased about, because I think Jamaica is about the food, and the music, and the culture, and this incredibly relaxed feeling that sets in while you're there. And the Rockhouse is the perfect place to bring that girl you want to take somewhere, because it has all the trappings—thatched-roof bungalows that feel like French Polynesia, fishermen who bring fresh fish right up to the restaurant, a fantastic bar. It's just paradise, and you'll feel like the two of you are far, far from the rest of the world. The water is pristine, and it's the best sunset you can find in Jamaica—full stop. I'll put it this way: It's my favorite place in the world." Fly: Sangster (MBJ) Stay: From $125 Go: Avoid October
Hotel Boca Chica Acapulco, Mexico In 1963, a Hollywood location scout took one look at Boca Chica and thought, Goddamn, this a perfect backdrop for an Elvis flick called Fun in Acapulco. And just this year, Mexico's best boutique hoteliers refurbished and reopened this historic joint. Today it's less beach-party cliché and more beach-party fantasy—a place where the only skin tones are bronze and bronzer, and where it's hard to tell, from your retro deck chair, where the sea ends and the sky begins.
The rooms all gleam a just-washed white, and the view from your balcony will put the HD flat-screen on the wall to shame. Order up from New York transplant Keisuke Harada, who makes pristine sushi and sashimi from the local catch. Sip your sake; you're not going anywhere tonight. This is what Fun in Acapulco looks like in 2010. —Jason Chen Fly: Alvarez (ACA) Stay: From $95 Go: Year-round
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Blue Lagoon/101 Hotel Reykjavík, Iceland We know. Everyone hates Iceland and its unpronounceable volcano. But the island itself was basically unscathed, and with the ongoing currency crisis, it remains an awesome, otherworldy place to visit. Check in to the 101, Reykjavík's best boutique hotel, with an in-house gallery that attracts the best artists in Iceland. Once your bags are safely in your sleek Nordic room, head straight to the Blue Lagoon. The two of you will slip out of your clothes, brave the cold between the check-in lobby and the steamy water, wate and lather up in silica-rich mud while you soak under the northern lights. The hazy ephemeral lighting and the eerie billowing fog make your time together feel like a movie scene in which two people have just eloped to Mars. For maximum effect, go after dark (which is most of the time for most of the winter) and float in tandem to one of the secluded nooks and grottoes on the periphery of the pool. Look out at the horizon and forget you're still on Earth. —Andrew Richdale
Fly: Keflavík (KEF) Stay: From $270 Go: May—September
Rancho Pescadero Todos Santos, Mexico Sometime around your second day at this hotel carved out of coastal brush, you'll see the place for what it is: a series of strategically placed beds. Your day starts by the pool, with its his-and-her mattresses on platforms that extend into the water. Spend the morning lying in the sun, sipping coffee or cold Pacifico.
If the pool gets crowded—a rare occurrence in a place with just twelve rooms—cut through the lush palm grove to your second horizontal resting place: the daybeds on a deserted stretch of white-sand beach. Yes, that was a breaching whale you saw between the billowing white sheets shielding you from the sun. When you've seen enough crashing waves, retire to your room for a predinner cocktail. And ask the accommodating staff to bring your margarita-laden tray upstairs, where you'll be watching the sunset from your rooftop canopy bed.—Danielle Pergament Fly: Los Cabos (SJD) Stay: From $185 Go: Year-round
Stock List
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“The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.�
-Michelangelo
Acrylic on Canvas “Zeus” By: Felix Cepeda
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Sketch on Pad “Self portrait of Maria” By: Felix Cepeda
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Acrylic on Canvas “Headless Medusa” By: Felix Cepeda
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Acrylic on Canvas “The Root of Evil” By: Felix Cepeda
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CONTACT: CONTACT: FranChize Magazine.... Creator: Felix C. New York, NY t. 347 498 4828 e. felixcepedajr@gmail.com
THE EMPIRE STATE We will never fall, but build for a better world.