if you’re feeling blue try painting yourself a different colour
Creative Director & Founder Michael Cheung info.freshmag@yahoo.com Associate Director Wingshan Smith ws.freshmag@yahoo.co.uk Staff Writer Kirti Bhaskar Upadhyaya
I’ve learnt to see things differently. What may seem like a bad thing, may at the end be the thing that makes you. A pause in life should never be scrutinised as a weak moment, but a time when reflection is necessary and to find that epiphany.
Visual Artist Helen Li
Exclusive Cover Art Bridget Collins bridgetlcollins@gmail.com
I’m back for good and can’t wait to create more volumes of understated content, with the love from family and friends.
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out of the blue
Photography: Jasmine Deporta Model: Isabella Jahns Assistant: Julia Deporta
illustrations: Helen Li & Kelly Bjork
heinui ss15
What’s not to love about prints, especially when summer is just around the corner?
ocelot chocolate We are bound to take risks in life, but sometimes we forget how precious time is. Newlyweds Ish and Matt left their jobs as chefs in pursuit of a more distinct voice, creating a line of scrumptious and delicately palatable confectioneries in the purest way possible in Edinburgh, Scotland. A determined vision to create a complete brand that marries food and design plays a major factor in their rapid success. The modern consumer no longer wants just an object, but an experience. This narrative of producing a home-grown heartfelt product is not only evident with the applied ethical practices of using organic and fair trade ingredients, but also through the personal touch of designing their own packaging – a unique sales point that was forged by love.
Since we spoke a few months ago, the couple have signed on a three month London exclusive with Selfridge’s & Co, and has recently won multiple medals from the Academy of Chocolate Awards (2015) and has expanded their stockists to Asia. As long as they stick to what they know best, things will turn out great.
this is ground The story behind the brand stems from Mike Macadaan’s experience as a crew chief for an advertising blimp travelling from city to city carrying an array of wild blimp gear. Their signature ‘Cord Taco’ draws inspiration from a Mexican taco, a seamless concept that brings utility and fashion together. An idea that may seem rather simple has now become an unstoppable brand, with a determined goal to inspire creativity and invention for modern-day adventures.
photographers: Michael Cheung Marion Tessier Sever Mican stylist: Michael Cheung makeup: Peggy Tsui hair: Shue Lai models: Lee Xiao Tong @ Calcarries Evelina Macerniute @ Model Management Ami Sibi @ Dream Models
not e long sleeve and knit top by eleven paris. skirt by monki.
bra top by flea madonna. pants by mosca.
everything is grey
jumpsuit by monki. shirt by 5 preview.
dress by mosca.
jumper by h&m. sandals by pedder red.
coat and tee dress by monki. pants by h&m.
shirt, crop top and skirt by monki. sandals by pedder red.
tee by eleven paris. jumpsuit by h&m. coat by monki.
overalls by h&m. shirt by injury.
top and pants by injury.
skirt by mosca. sandals by pedder red.
shirt by h&m. knit jumper by eleven paris. pants by monki. sandals by pedder red.
jumper by monki. skirt by mosca. sunglasses by thierry lasry.
jacket by injury. dress by mosca. sandals by pedder red.
text: Michael Cheung
mathery
Italians Erika Zorzi and Matteo Sangalli are the product designers behind Mathery Studio. This duo gives breadth to new design ideas by seeing the beauty of each project and thinking constantly on their feet.
studio
How important is one’s first impression on the other? E: Matteo’s comments on my ideas is crucial, as I don’t always go all around a concept, it’s very much on intuition. M: I don’t really care about who was the first who thought about the idea. I’m more mindful about the quality of ideas. There is this certain ease and spontaneity within your work. Has your upbringing as a child in Italy influenced the nature of your design? E: I am very spontaneous and sometimes have no filter at all. In design I reckon that it could be a positive thing, to push forward an idea that you may not have gone with if you were calculated. I don’t think that this is directly linked to my childhood, but more the consequence. Matteo from what I learn was a very curious kid, being the more practical and technical problem solver between us. M: I have always been the kid who played with every type of machine engine and mechanics that could be deconstructed and reassembled with simple tools. I have a fascination of how things were made. There isn’t a material that I haven’t tried to burn with a magnifying glass.
How significant is humour? E: Humour is very important and sometimes not everyone gets it, especially when it can be serious. I like the fact that our projects can be either way, in how we use humour to explain a deeper concept. I think this is what really distinguishes us. M: Humour makes everything softer, we never take ourselves too seriously and it seems to be appreciated by others through our work. Pastello for National Gallery of Victoria and Fruit Wares are major projects that were manifested upon arrival to Australia. How much of your inspiration derives from the actual environment and the experience of it all? E: It is immaculately linked to our experience, especially with Fruit Wares. We came to Australia with a holiday working visa, and got a job in fruit picking, the link to create a product was almost subconscious. Fruit Wares is a reflection of the aesthetics of the fruit skin, an organic material that we decided to decontextualise. We often discuss matters and processes between exteriors versus substance, outside versus inside. What Fruit Wares does is to turn the facade into substance, transforming the fruit’s short term function (the skin) into a longer living object. Pastello is itself linked to Fruit Wares more from a technical point of view, with the mould process, and casting the wax.
Is there a particular personal or commissioned project that you would like to rekindle? E: We have a few personal projects that are not commissioned works that we would like to further explore. We designed a food storage container and had gotten to the point with prototypes. We studied how the production could work and the logistics behind, then we just got distracted by other things and had to put that project aside for a while. It seems to always be like that with self-powered assignments! M: For every project that we’ve done, I’ve always thought that it could be done in a different way. That said, you could keep on working on it forever without finding a real end. A good designer needs to recognise the end of a project. How relevant is climate change to your design ethos? E: Everything that surrounds us has a certain relevancy. I think it affects more the way we approach projects rather than the projects themselves. M: Everything that you feel in your life that changes you is an expression of what we are feeling too. We absorb and respond to all the things that we have around us. What makes good design? E: This is a hard question. I like it when an object, an interior, a space or a graphic is immediate. Great design is about immediacy. Simplicity is the type of thing you sometimes do not even notice because it is part of a bigger context. M: You notice straight away when something is done properly. Good design to me is when an entire process is able communicate itself and the concept behind.
In an era where information is fed to us at a faster pace, do you think that today’s generation is smarter in terms of critical thinking and aesthetic judgement? E: Nowadays we have eyes everywhere in the world. Let’s say I want to read the latest update in medicine, you can access information with a click. This does not necessarily mean we are smarter, and I highly doubt we are. Everything seems to be happening so quickly that sometimes I don’t even have the chance to finish an article, before I jump straight to something else. There is too much information running in my head that I don’t even take time to process them. Matteo and I are very critical when it comes down to our work and what we could learn about others. The information we consume definitely is a way to improve, to evolve it our way. M: We definitely have access to more information from all around world that before wasn’t possible, everything is almost on real time. Having more information doesn’t make us smarter, but it does change our way of working. You need to know how to use it as an instrument to learn something out of it.
mathery.it
Jesu text:
Wingshan Smith
us
Leguizamo
is a figurative painter from Bogotà, Colombia who recently featured in Saatchi’s list of new and upcoming artists. His works are rich in detail and are incredibly tactile. They are portraits of vivid memories and abstract concepts including themes such as fatherhood, war and love. Sections of his paintings are intensely focused or can be confused in a haze of passionate expression through colour and form. Many today may disregard the value of paintings that delicately render our physical appearances in a world of camera technology and cheap means of reproduction. Everyday, millions of our personal images go online on Instagram and Facebook. All of us share our experiences to preserve a moment in our experiences in order to say, “Yes, this is me. I was here.” However, painting in the realm of art has far more complexities in the way of attaining a multi-faceted essence of our existence. Throughout history we have always been drawn to paintings of human faces in the pursuit of stories they may tell. Personal histories and relationships are embedded in each brushstroke. Works like the paintings by Jesus Leguizamo are not simply faithful recreations or detailed copies of how a person looks like. What is truly revealing is when we turn our attention to the information the artist chooses to omit, blur or distort and the reasons behind these decisions. It’s through these balances that we gain insight. The human sphere isn’t so stable as a photograph, nor are the ideas that define who we are.
The hand touching paintbrush on to canvas is the hand that presses the camera shutter. Two kinds of reality interpreted: a layered thoughtfulness as opposed to spontaneity as seen in nature. Both can be equally exciting but through figurative painting, we may be more fruitful in discovering interwoven dynamics of conscious and unconscious intentions within layers of paint. To the viewer, Leguizamo communicates the mind’s eye. All surroundings are condensed to a block of light or dark. Sometimes steams of light are permitted, or thick dabs of paint that recall violent emotional links. Actions are often concentrated on and our eyes are drawn to the way a scholar scratches his head in frustration or the side gaze of a soldier, dressed and ready to go into combat. We cannot read any other aspect of his expression or know with any clarity what he truly looks like. Striking impasto paint, fleshy tones of red and brown evoking images of healing wounds, obscure most of his face. Is this the echo of a loved one’s memory? Or does it foreshadow emotional and physical trauma to come? Where the photograph is a window to the eyes, the painting is a window to our inner selves.
Leguizamo’s work is so accessible because it gives us the thrill of uncovering clues to the human condition. From understanding others, we can begin to understand ourselves.
jesusleguizamo.blogspot.com
text: Kirti Baskhar
Fat & Furious
Burger These days, no meal is complete without one crucial step - the photograph. With the rise of social media, we now have the ability to not only tell people about the meals we are eating and where we are eating them, but also show them these meals. This documentation of the making and eating of food has now become a ritual of sorts. One of the most interesting results of this type of ritual is the Fat and Furious Burger project.
Fat & Furious Burger is a project established by Thomas Weil and Quentin Weisbuch. The two men are also the founders of Furious, a graphic design and art direction studio. The project began because of a rather common feeling, one of being bored with the selection of food available at lunchtime. Tired of random, boring sandwiches the pair began to create their own highly experimental burgers in their kitchen. The duo use ingredients that are extremely varied in themselves. They range from the expected, onions and cheese, to the surprising, squid and prunes, and even extravagant, gold powder. The concept behind the different burgers are incredibly exciting as well. Weil and Weisbuch have created burgers for different occasions like Christmas or Valentine’s day. They’ve also created burgers that are unified in terms of colour, like the Going Green burger or the Burger Blanc sur Fond Blanc. Perhaps most excitingly, they have also created burgers that celebrate different groups and figures that frequently dominate popular culture like that of James Bond (My name is Bun. James Bun), Lord of the Rings (A Burger To Feed Them All), or even just the vampires (Brrrrgeur).
The process of creating both a beautiful and delicious burger is a well guarded secret but the final products are well documents on their website. These photos are incredibly stunning. Each image is vibrant and striking, each featuring the unique, hand-crafted burgers they’ve created. These tantalising images almost appeal more to the eyes than they do to the viewer’s taste-buds. For anyone who might want to have these stunning images in their house, you can buy them through their website. But if you are also wondering what any of these burgers would taste like, or craving one in particular, Weil and Weisbuch have got you covered. In September 2014, the pair launched the Fat & Furious Cookbook with Michel Lafon Publishing. The book features 60 original recipes for foodies who would like to try making burgers that not only taste good, but also look incredible.
fatandfuriousburger.com
text: Wingshan Smith
&
glazed confused Creator of food blog ‘Glazed and Confused’, Graham Blackall’s stylishly photographed and written recipes are playful and totally cool. Balancing student life and an already flourishing career, he’s definitely one to watch. When did you start baking and who taught you how to bake? Betty Crocker? When I was younger, I was obsessed with the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie children’s books. One day, I came home from school with a Scholastic Book Fair catalog and order form. In that particular catalog was Mouse Cookies, a children’s cookbook based off of the popular series. Given my obsession, my 4-year-old self just had to have it. The Mouse Cookies cookbook was my first introduction to from-scratch baking and little Graham would make these simple peanut butter cookies from that book all the time.
Who in the fashion world would you love to have over for dinner (and dessert of course)? I’m probably cheating by picking a model-turned-chef, but Lorraine Pascale is my girl. Otherwise, I’d love for Naomi Campbell to try to refuse to eat the calorie bombs that are my desserts.
What are your favourite flavour combinations? There’s so many! Seriously, all I do during class in daydream about creating new flavour combinations. Some of my favourites include: black sesame + caramelized white chocolate, brown sugar + pecan, banana + peanut butter + walnut, anything butterscotch, peppermint + chocolate. Your website name and blog, Glazed & Confused suggest you are personal influenced by the fashion world. Could you tell us more about these influences? Before I started my blog, I had been toying around with the idea of creating one for months. At the time, I figured that my site would be a hybrid baking-fashion blog, so I wanted a good mix of fashion and baking influences in the name. I was scrolling through Instagram one day and I saw a picture of glazed donuts next to a post from Dazed & Confused and then it hit me! Though I’ve abandoned fashion posts for the most part, I’m known to spend my paychecks on clothes and obscene amounts of vanilla beans.
What would you make them? The dreaded question! Deciding on a single dessert would send me into a panic, so I’d probably settle on a dessert spread, varying in flavours, textures and temperatures. My ultimate spread would probably consist of an Italian Cream Cake (the one recipe I refuse to share), butterscotch pots du crème, and a giant gelato sundae covered in salted caramel, hot fudge, and a kilo of roasted nuts. Is that also your favourite recipe? I have a long list of favourites, but those few are definitely in there!
Do you ever experiment with recipes and fail? Or do they all look and taste delicious? All the time! Baking is chemistry, and sometimes experiments just don’t work out. A solid third of all of my baking attempts don’t make it to my blog. Anybody that tells you that they never have upsets in the kitchen is lying to you! Tell us your favourite baking memory. There’s so many, but it’s a toss up between baking dozens of cookies in a tiny toaster oven for my whole New York City dorm building during my brief stint at Parsons and the countless times I would make Christmas cookies as a kid. Do you do anything else alongside Glazed and Confused? So much. Probably too much! Besides all of the baking and shooting I do for my blog, I work as a food photographer for a host of clients throughout New Orleans and as a the social media manager of Sucre, a dessert boutique and chocolatier. In addition to all of that, I’m a full time communications student at Loyola University New Orleans. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I have no idea. On one hand, I see myself moving to New York City after graduating from university in 2016 and starting an editorial career at a food publication. Ideally, I’d like to be a superstar food blogger by then, with a cookbook or two under my belt. If someone were to start to learn how to bake, what advice would you give? Find a few recipes that you love and experiment the shit of them. A lot of the things I bake are just adaptations of a single base recipe. It’s all about exploring flavours that you like and trying them out!
glazedandconfused.us
“All things are subject to interpretation whichever interpretation prevails at a given time is a function of power and not truth.� - Friedrich Nietzsche image & text: Martina Lang
We asked photographer Martina Lang to fill in the blanks and to see her images with a fresh eye.
martinalang.co.uk
illustration: Helen Li