BAD #10
LETTER FROM THE EDITORS Things at IZE have had a bit of a shake up. Nicole has moved to America for six months and Maddy has been in charge of the magazine from Brisbane. This isn’t to say that IZE is going to change one single bit. It’s going to be a little bit harder and there are going to be lots of Skype meetings but we’re determined to make it work and not let our readers down. What’s exciting about the whole thing is that we’re able to have a bit of an American influence in the issue. The ‘Bad’ issue is crammed full of all things bad, but in the best possible way. We got the chance to interview spunk Alex Wall and brilliant Brisbane band The John Steel Singers. We also worked with amazing teams to bring you some seriously badass editorials. There are plenty of great articles to read by our talented writers. Enjoy issue #10 of IZE Magazine, it’s going to be BAD.
Founders Nicole Pires (Editor) nicole@izemagazine.com Madeline Hay (Art Director) madeline@izemagazine.com
regulars Thea Halpin (Feature Writer) Caitlin Low (Feature Writer) Matt Meintjes (Film Writer) Caitlin Puplett (Music Writer) Alice Waterhouse (Fashion Writer)
MADELINE ROBERTS Stylist My name is Madeline Roberts and for this issue I styled some clothes. The baddest thing I’ve ever done was to forget my own birthday one year. To me being a bad ass is doing sneaky slurpy runs at work! I think that above 30 degree heat is really bad.
CONTRIBUTORS
CAITLIN PUPLETT Journalist My name is Caitlin Puplett, and for this issue I interviewed The John Steel Singers. The baddest thing I’ve ever done was getting so drunk I stole an entire homemade birthday cake off a girl I didn’t really know and smeared it all over my friends. To me being a bad ass is strapping some goon sacks underneath your dress to take into Splendour In The Grass. I think that people who work out, don’t shower and then get on some form of public transport are really bad.
JAKE JELICICH Photographer
JESSICA HAGGIE Model at Asha Model Management My name is Jessica Haggie and for this issue I modelled some killer labels! The baddest thing I’ve ever done is pack my shit, quit my job and moved to Melbourne by myself for three months. To me being a badass is being completely independent and doing whatever the hell you love. I think that living your life to other’s expectations is really bad.
My name is Jake and for this issue I took some photographs. The baddest thing I’ve ever done is you don’t wanna know. To me being a bad ass is a stereotype. I think that pop music is really bad.
contents 6 8 10 22 24 27 32 46 48 50 52 54 68 72 76 78 88
IZE Loves Trend Report, by Alice Waterhouse Ratbags, by Janneke Storm Pretty Dresses in the Laundry The Haute Monster Alex Wall, by Nicole Pires Come and Take It, by Jake Jelicich What Badass Really Means, by Nicole Pires A Short History of the Epicenter of the Internet, by Thea Halpin Guide to Surviving the Australian Summer Heat, by Nicole Pires Janneke Storm Clementine, by June Canedo The John Steel Singers, by Caitlin Puplett The Wolf of Wall Street, by Matt Meintjes Raddest and Baddest, by Caitlin Low Get Off My Cloud, by Andrea Jankovic Bad Playlist
DISCLAIMER Any views or opinions in this magazine are of the authors and not of IZE as a whole. We endeavour to bring you the most up-todate and accurate information, though we cannot guarantee that inaccuracies will occur.
Follow IZE on InstaGRAM @izemagazine
IZE LOVES Beach burrito Beach Burrito is the new Brisbane Mexican restaurant that you have to try! Situated in the heart of the West End, the restaurant will win you over with their cute deco and killer Mexican food. Not to mention Beach Burrito boasts a pretty sweet bar. Tequila time!
blue is the warmest colour
This beautiful French film has been winning over hearts with its honest and heart-warming tale of a relationship between two young girls. It unanimously won the prestigious Palm d’Or at Cannes
Film Festival last year. Blue is the Warmest Colour is in cinemas now, so be sure to catch it at your local theatre.
house of cards a/w
We absolutely love House of Cards at IZE, and their latest collection might be our favourite yet. Entitled ‘All Time’ the collection is influenced by the 90’s hit film Space Jam, and has a bit of a baller
vibe. House of Cards now have a flagship store in Winn Lane in the Fortitude Valley so you can now buy in-store as well as online.
Babaganouj Brisbane babes Babaganouj have been absolutely killing it lately. You may remember them from their sick track track Love Loathe Love You that they released last year. Babaganouj are about to embark on their “Too Late For Love” tour in March, playing shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. It’s definitely worth getting down to one of their gigs. h t t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / events/250097345171374/
Cai GuoQiang: Falling Back to Earth
The Cai Guo-Qiang exhibition in GoMA has been running since November 2013 and will continue until May this year. The exhibition features amazing large-scale installations featuring animals. Guo-Qiang is one of the most innovative contemporary artists of the time and his exhibition is not to be missed.
WORDS Alice Waterhouse
TREND REPORT
power rangers Looks like those futuristic crime fighting Ninjas we all know and love have returned with a vengeance. With more shiny fabrics, neon colours and bold slogans appearing on the catwalks and in the streets, it seems like everyone wants a slice of the action. Even their kick-ass boots were seen on the feet of the lovely ladies in Alexander Wang.
STYLE
BIKIES The recent spike in publicity surrounding “bikies” has also spiked a trend on the streets. Embrace your inner badass and don some “bikie” inspired outfits this season. Brightly patched jeans were seen on the catwalks and streets of New York fashion week, whilst the biker and denim jacket silhouettes were reincarnated in innovative textiles.
SNEAKY
“Sneans” is the word used to describe the tragic combination of sneakers with a pair of daggy blue jeans. But has this geeky look finally “sneaked” onto the catwalks and into our hearts? Shockingly, the answer is yes. Chanel’s couture collection presented us with an array of stylish sneakers paired with dresses and some even geekier kneepads and bum-bags.
ratbag PHOTOGRAPHY Janneke Storm FASHION STYLIST The Haute Monster MODEL Jess Haggie @ Asha
MUA Kate Shanahan HAIR Emma Brown at Ink For Hair
Culture King (Goat Crew) top, Molly & Polly swimsuit, Lovisa jewellery
Molly & Polly swimsuit, Converse shoes, Fox helmet, goggles and gloves, Lovisa jewellery
Culture King (Goat Crew) top, Lovisa jewellery
Molly & Polly bikini and onepiece, Lovisa jewellery and model’s own shoes
Molly & Polly swimsuit, Fox gloves and goggles, Lovisa jewellery
Molly & Polly bikini, Naked in the Night muscle tee, Lovisa jewellery
Molly & Polly bikini, Naked in the Night muscle tee, Lovisa jewellery, Kobe Husk shoes
Culture King (Goat Crew) sweater, Valley Eyewear sunglasses, Lovisa jewellery
Molly & Polly one-piece and bikini, Lovisa jewellery
STYLE
Pretty dresses in the laundry Kate Nutting is the beautiful young Brisbane girl behind the blog Pretty Dresses in the Laundry. Her blog features photography of her personal style, fashion inspiration and much more. Kate has gained a huge following Australia-wide and even internationally. When you see her lovely blog, it’s not hard to understand why.
When did you begin your blog, Pretty Dresses in the Laundry? I started blogging in July 2010, but I didn’t start to take it seriously and blog properly until around August 2011. What inspired you to become a part of the fashion blogging sphere? I started my blog after a friend did. I didn’t actually see the point of blogging, but I thought I would give it a go. I started off just posting photos I took and found around the internet; from there it slowly morphed into fashion. Where are your favourite spots to shop in Brisbane? I really don’t think you can go past Sunday Social in Winn Lane – I have a serious crush on that place. I love Elizabeth Arcade and I’m starting to develop a real crush on markets. The shopping is really starting to pick up at the Eagle Farm markets.
A part from blogging, what other hobbies and passions do you have? As embarrassing as it is, not too much really. Between work, uni and blogging, there isn’t much time left for much else. I cook a lot, I suppose you could call that a hobby! You have received many amazing opportunities with Pretty Dresses in the Laundry over the past year. Can you tell us about some of them? I’ve been very lucky lately. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend lots of events and had such wonderful opportunities at them. Last year I attended the Topshop launch and it would have to be one of the highlights of my year. A small group of bloggers arrived earlier than the rest of the guests, and being part of such a small group in such a huge, new store was absolutely amazing. I’m just
about to publish a book; I’ve made lifelong friends and connections and have worked with some incredible brands and creatives working in the fashion industry. Blogging really has provided me the best experiences. What A/W trends are you looking forward to? I’m super excited to pull out my boyfriend jeans and oversized sloppys again. I’m really feeling oversized denim jackets and can’t wait for the whole winter 90’s inspired theme to hit the stores. Where would you like to see yourself in five years time? Ideal, I would love to be still blogging and working for a fashion magazine. I’m not sure that it will happen that quickly, but that’s my ultimate aim.
www.prettydressesinthelaundry.com
INTERVIEW Nicole Pires
the Haute Monster You may know her as The Haute Monster, but the monster stylist behind it all is Lucy Billiau. Lucy is a complete styling badass, so it’s only apt that she’s featured in the ‘BAD’ issue. You may have seen Lucy’s amazing styling work for example in the numerous photo shoots she has styled for IZE. Her appetite is veracious, fuelled by an ancient gift of ‘fashion sight’. When you engage with her you shall be warned against the evils of fashion mistakes and will be enlightened to what makes for an unforgettable and spectacular outfit. Her edgy elegance creates a look…to die for.
STYLE
How did you happen upon the career path of styling?
Was there anything else you were set on doing?
Happen upon it? Well, it was like Little Red happening to come across the wolf.
Yes, I wanted to change my sex and be Jacques-Yves Cousteau so I could swim with and study sharks. I wanted to be directed by Alfred Hitchcock in a remake of Psycho, not The Ring because ever since I saw that I have been traumatised. I wanted to save the elephants through Elefriends and I wanted to step on a few old school associates who thought Private School education was only for the rich.
The Wolf for me was everywhere disguised as average women who seemed to WANT to be U.G.L.Y. (love that song by the way by Daphne and Celeste). I vowed to fight against; leggings worn as pants, advertising fat rolls & the colour of your underwear, shapeless silhouettes – the list goes on but basically what I saw “could make an onion cry!” So off I went to the Australian Styling Institute in Melbourne, in case I needed to ever prove I know what I’m talking about and I haven’t had a moments rest since.
When preparing for an editorial, what is the process you go through in preparation? The MONSTER has to feel and live the vision of the shoot (a bit like, be the fish). So after someone
commissions me to do a job and gives me the initial concept I build on that and bring it to life (monster style). When you ask for the monster you get a mix of edgy- dark- bad ass- editorialperfection! On a big day of styling, what do you always pack with you? My I.U.D’s. No, no, contraception device!
not
the
INSPIRATION, UNUSUAL Props and a DIAMOND Blade Saw (you’ll never know when you may need one; once or twice I wanted to have a look inside that falling down warehouse).
What are the ups and downs of being a stylist? My ‘up’ times happen regularly. Being a stylist means you are always exercising your brain therefore endorphins are always running around which makes you feel good. You have to be innovative, problem solve, research and reflect. The downers are those things that get in the way of my wild endorphins. Do you find it hard as a stylist working in Brisbane to make a name for yourself? I think I might be really serious when I answer this one. Yes In the last 60 years our artists and designers have enjoyed international recognition but Australians still don’t appreciate the aesthetic and until they do I will always find it hard in Brisbane. What are your Monster fashion tips for the upcoming A/W season? Incorporate mesh fabric which hides the body but not too much,
wear black, layer-push your boundaries, don’t wear obvious fake gold jewellery that turns your skin green (and smells), always try to elongate your lines, and rock a shoulder padded jacket or top when you want to impress. What is your ultimate styling job? That’s easy (anyone who doesn’t have a goal is never going to succeed); to style runway shows for fashion weeks all over the globe & advertorials and editorials for prominent designers i.e. Zimmerman, Elie Saab, Louis Vuitton, Prada etc. Where do you want your styling to take you? All over the world, I think it’s only right to share this MONSTER infectious styling everywhere.
Check out more of Lucy’s styling work at: www.facebook.com/TheHauteMonster www.instagram.com/_thehautemonster
INTERVIEW Nicole Pires
You know him as the guitarist and singer of Bleeding Knees Club and solo project Wax Witches, the guy behind the fashion label 100 Percent Zero, a photographer, Gold Coast raised boy, generally great looking guy with amazing hair. IZE talks to Alex Wall.
Photo by Aleksandar Jason
the great album ‘Nothing To Do’ and the EP ‘Virginity’. Last year you guys put out the track Feel which did really well, and after playing a sleuth of cool gigs and shows you announced that you were moving to America. A lot of fans were worried that this would be the end of BKC and you’ve said in interviews that the band isn’t over, it’s more on a break. What can you tell me about this?
I’m going to start off with Twitter. On your twitter account you have over 3,500 followers and have over 4,700 tweets and you write a lot of funny shit on there. And also you pay out on people a little bit. A couple of weeks ago, for example, you tweeted paying out on a girl you were interning with, one of the which was the fact she was wearing ugg boots. I’ve got to ask, if I give a shitty interview today are you going to pay me out on your Twitter account? Yeah there would be a high chance I’d pay out the interview if it was bad. I just don’t like people who don’t do their jobs well. That ugg boot thing was all in context. I work in a high fashion photo studio, and its like 100000 degrees hot in there. No need for ugg boots, maybe if she was interning at a farm, or in an ugg boot factory. To tackle this interview I’m going to have to do it in some kind of an order because you do everything. You’re in two
bands Bleeding Knees Club and Wax Witches, you run your own fashion label 100 Percent Zero and somewhere in between you’re somewhat of a photographer. First thing, how do you manage to juggle between doing all this stuff? Its not that hard really. When one band isn’t touring Ill do the other band. Right now I’m just doing Wax Witches cause I’ve got a new album coming out soon. And band stuff is usually at night. So I do my 100 Percent zero stuff during the day. Then I take photos while I’m on tour of my friends and stuff. I donno I like to keep busy or I get all weird. You have a band called Bleeding Knees Club which you’re in with Jordan Malane. How many years has the band been together now? I think 4. This year will be its 4th year. You’ve achieved a fair level of success with this band, both in Australia and overseas. With the band you and Jordan released
Yeah well, we really were thrown into bleeding knees. Like in the deep end. As soon as we started the band we somehow got all these shows and press and stuff and kinda just ended up touring for 3 years straight. So we need a break to refresh our lives. And I live on the Gold Coast which is really cool, but there isn’t much to do there, So I moved to New York. Another big reason I moved to the USA is because Burger Records are putting out my new album and I wanted to be here to play shows and work on it. BKC will come back. I don’t know when, but I’ve got a bunch of new songs written. I loved Feel, it was a bit of a throwback to an old Blink-182 punk rock sound. Is this what we can expect from upcoming Bleeding Knees Club releases? Umm maybe. I don’t know yet haha. I’ve written a lot of songs with this kinda style. I like them. But Im not sure, maybe by the time I do a new album Ill be into like reggae or something. Who knows. Why did you decide to relocate to New York at a time when the band was really doing great? After we did feel, we had nothing planned. So it was a good time to take some time off. I mean I would have loved to have recorded a new album, but it didn’t look like we were gonna be able to for a while. So I didn’t wanna just sit around at home.
FEATURE Right now I’m interviewing you in Brooklyn, somewhere where you’ve got a lot of history. It’s where you recorded the Bleeding Knees Club’s debut album ‘Nothing to Do’ and now you’re living here. What’s it about this side of New York that you like? Yeah! We recorded our album here with Dev Hynes from Blood Orange. So Brooklyn kinda has a special vibe to me. It’s got good memories. I really like New York because its dirty and rough and real, and there is so much good music and art, and you are always meeting insane people. It inspires me I guess.
You released Wax Witches’ first full-length album ‘Celebrity Beatings’ in March 2013 with Burger Records. Great release – it’s definitely grimier, brattier and more lo-fi than the kind of stuff you were pedalling on BKC. What kind of sound/aesthetic were you trying to achieve on this record? Yeah, I was in a weird place. I was real angry. And I was listening to heaps of punk, like cerebral Ballzy, and black flag, and Off! and stuff. And I wanted to make something like that. But not as serious. Something teenage kids could get
drunk to, or put on when there dads being a dick. At times I could hear Bleeding Knees Club’s distinct sound creep into the record, especially on Tracks Friendzone and Teenager Hopeless that felt as if it could belong to a post-‘Nothing to Do’ release alongside Feel. Being in BKC for so many years, do you think it’s inevitable that this will happen? Yeah I guess I have a style of song writing, so its gonna show through in most stuff I do. I think I wrote those songs for BKC, but ended up
I’m going to have to go back to the Twitter thing. Everything you tweet can be deleted, but it will be seen and maybe remembered. Not so long ago I saw you having a little bit of a rant about some BKC related things, and one of the comments you made was about everyone forgetting the band (Bleeding Knees Club), including your own label I Oh You. What was that little outburst all about? Urgg, I donno haha I don’t wanna talk about the behind the scenes of the music industry. It really makes me angry. Onto your latest venture, Wax Witches, your solo project that you started after BKC. How did this project evolve? I think I got home from the UK and had nothing to do, and was living in my parent garage, and Id been on tour for so long I felt weird hanging with my old friends. So i just locked myself in my room and recorded these really fast angry songs. Then Burger put out a cassette. And people liked it, and I liked it. And no one was telling me how to do it or wen to do it. So i just kinda kept doing it. Alex’s brand 100 Percent Zero
Zero. What kind of clothes do you make? Like Streetwear I guess? Who do you see as the ideal wearer of 100 Percent Zero? Young boys and girls. Teenagers.
just putting them on that record.
Some of your clothes feature pop culture references – the “No Scrubs” and “Ya Bish” tees instantly come to mind. What gave you these ideas?
At the moment are you putting together a band to play Wax Witches shows here in the States?
I love pop culture. I think its super funny. Like these stupid saying that everyone knows. It’s just funny to me.
Yeah! I’ve got a band. Im playing with my friend Liam who used to play guitar in The Scare back home. They were one of my favourite Aussy bands so its super rad to be playing with him.
Are there any new 100 Percent Zero clothes on the horizon and can you give us an insight into what’s coming?
Photo by Aleksandar Jason
Now onto a non-music unrelated project – you also have your own clothing brand 100 Percent
Yeah I’m always making new stuff. I just put out some new stuff. I don’t really treat it like a normal brand with seasons, I just kinda put stuff out when I think of it haha
Bleeding Knees Club
You also take all of the brand’s campaign photos. Your photography has also been gaining some attention with one of your photo sets featured online in Oyster and you keep up a photo blog. How did this hobby develop? I’ve been into taking photos since I was like in grade 9. I just really enjoy it. I mean I totally just do it for fun, I wouldn’t say I’m a photographer. but it’s something I’d really like to do more of. This issue of IZE is themed bad, so I’m going to ask you some questions about your bad self. Did you get into trouble much at school? Yeah pretty much everyday. They tried to expel me on the last day of year 12 too which sucked. You’ve been giving a few stick and poke tattoos lately. Was that scary knowing if you messed up someone’s tattoo that would be all your fault?
Yeah! I hate blood. So it kinda freaks me out. But Its pretty cool knowing that they will have that on them forever. I kinda have fucked it up. But I mean if someone is going to let me tattoo them, they have to be pretty carefree in the first place. Have you yourself?
got
any
tattoos
Nar I have none. You used to live on the Gold Coast in Queensland, some would say the closest thing Australia has to a Las Vegas sin-city type place. What was the baddest thing you ever did there? Hmmm I donno I cant really think of anything. I used to like egg a lot and steal stuff when I was younger, but I kinda grew out of that. Have you ever got into mega trouble on any of your tours? Yeahhh, I threw my mic into this security guard’s face once. And He was like going to kill me after our
show so had to lock myself the band room till he left. I have lots of stories about security guards. Oh Also after a show I painted Weed and Dildos really big on this chemist across from the venue the police were after us for ages. I’m banned from some venues too for stupid stuff. Like this place in Adelaide said we were the most disrespectful band and had the least care for public safety in her 20 years of working there. That was funny. We had to pay for all the PA system and stuff, but it was really funny at the time. To wrap it up, when will be seeing you back in Australia or have we lost you to America forever? I’ll be back maybe mid year. Hopefully to d a tour or 2 :) What’s next for Alex Wall? Gonna eat some breakfast.
come and take it
COME AND TAKE IT PHOTOGRAPHER // Jake Jelicich STYLIST // Madeline Roberts MODELS // Lydia & Patience @ QUE Models MUA // Charlee Mayer
WORDS Nicole Pires
What Being a Badass Really Means When you think of a badass chick or dude, who do you think of? Do you envision a Taylor Momsenesque rule defying, make-up removal-defying racoon? Or maybe you see the babin’ skater guys from Lords of Dogtown. The question I’m posing here is whether or not you think being a badass is all about doing bad shit, swearing, getting in trouble and being a bit of a delinquent. Hollywood films, the music industry and popular culture have made us idolise this archetypal badass type persona. Sure that indie rock band are cute, but their manic lead singer who’s always running into trouble makes the band a hell of a lot cooler. Would you really be attracted to Pete Doherty if he didn’t look perpetually stoned? I can firmly say that I fall into this trap too, idolising badasses and wanting to take a leaf out of their book. But recently I’ve been thinking to myself, what’s so glamorous about doing drugs, filling your lungs with nicotine and looking as if you need a good scrub in the shower most of the time. There’s
nothing badass about having a drug addiction, it’s traumatising for the person involved and all of their family. There’s nothing cute in trying to be as skinny as Alexa Chung, no matter how fashionable she may be. There’s nothing funny or ‘YOLO’ about getting a tattoo in Bali when you’re drunk. You won’t be living very long if you contract a serious infection. It’s hard to go against the grain of popular thought, but to me being a badass is not about doing bad stuff. A real badass is someone who does things for the right reason, for themselves and for others. It’s not about not succumbing to peer-pressure. It’s about not succumbing to being anything but yourself. You know who I think is a badass? Ellen Page. She’s an actress first and foremost who you see in the headlines for her award nominations and accolades. You never see her breaking news for the wrong reasons. Most recently she made headlines around the world for coming out as gay. Can you imagine how hard it would be to come out into an industry that
judges you on everything from your visible panty line showing through in your dress to your regrowth? Page shouldn’t be scrutinised for her sexuality, but unfortunately there are still a lot of homophobic people in the world. I admire her for her strength, not everyone can do what she just did. When we think of a badass we don’t think of someone like Ellen Page. We naturally think of good looking, mysterious boy or girl with a troubled life and a “don’tgive-a-fuck attitude”. Why do we as humans condone bad behaviour instead of vilifying it? A badass doesn’t say YOLO, which is possibly the worst mentality that ever existed. You do only live once, so be careful and treat yourself and others around you right.
Ellen Page in Super
WORDS Thea Halpin
A Short History of the Epicenter of the Internet The Holy Church of 4chan If Reddit is the front page of the Internet then 4chan is the knifewielding nutcase making the news. Entering 4chan is akin to stepping back in Internet years to a time where search bars were optional, layouts were sparse and information presentation had not advanced to the elaborate levels we see today. In fact little has changed about the appearance of 4chan since it was conceived in the bedroom of an American 15 yearold named Christopher Poole. Apart from a slightly controversial layout change to the home page in 2006, 4chan is as sparingly designed as it was 10 years ago. The retro forum-style of 4chan underplays the bustling community that this URL boasts. Entering the /b/ board of 4chan (which features uncategorized random content) is like stepping into a world where rules are acquiescent, strangers are aggressive and with a hit of the Refresh button the world has quickly moved on. It is the Internet at its most raw. As eloquently put by Fernando Alfonso on The Daily Dot, “It
generates original content, which is then organized by Reddit and culled by sites like BuzzFeed and Gawker, where it’s given a catchy headline and dropped onto your Facebook news feed.” For years, 4chan sat on the cusp of the “Dark Web”: as close as a user could get without actually jumping into illegal hosting services and the infamous Silk Road. By the time Poole headed off to college he was still unable to buy pornography but was running a website on which it was regularly posted. Much like the viral content it is responsible for 4chan is a selfperpetuating beast. These days it may be considered one of the epicentres of the Internet, however in 2003 it was conceived as an image and discussion board for English speaking manga and anime fans. Its scope quickly expanded and by 2005 4chan created its viral sensation: Lolcats. Although not the most sophisticated conception to ever hit the Internet, Lolcats did give birth to the Internet’s long running
obsession with all things feline. Despite its still modest success next to forum and meme giants like Reddit, Cheezburger and Tumblr, 4chan is often the birthplace of the content on which these sites run. Users of 4chan’s /b/ board are both notorious trolls and some of the greatest pranksters on the Internet. Users hacked Time Magazine’s website to make North Korea leader, oppressive dictator and all around jerk Kim Jong Un, the Person of the Year. When PepsiCo wanted to host an online poll to come up with a new name for Mountain Dew’s new soft drink it instead received a barrage from trolling 4chan users. By the time the site crashed “Fapple”, “Gushing Granny” and “Hitler Did Nothing Wrong” were sitting in the Top Ten. Last year 4chan and Reddit users nearly won a competition to have Taylor Swift perform a concert at the Horace Mann School for the Deaf in Boston. Despite being the front runners the school was disqualified with Ms Swift choosing
FEATURE
to send them a $50 000 donation instead of having her performance literally fall on deaf ears. The outcome delighted Horace Mann’s principal Jeremiah Ford however, who stated to Boston.com, “Are we the winner? Absolutely.” And in 2008 when the swastika became one of the top Google searches, bloggers rationalised the trend as Chinese people— in anticipation of the upcoming Beijing Olympics—posting using the character that (amongst its Nazi connotations) is a traditional symbol for good luck. Alas, it turned out that the sudden surge in popularity was nothing more than trolling 4channers. Not all /b/ board’s pranks have been in the same comical vein. During the trial against George Zimmerman for the murder or teenager Trayvon Martin, 4chan users hijacked a defense witness’ testimony by calling into the Skype line he was using and disrupting the proceedings. In 2007, Jarrad Willis, a 20 yearold Australian student living in Melbourne, posted a threat to “shoot and kill as many people
as I can until which time I am incapacitated or killed by police.” The fictional shooting was to take place the next day over 20 000 kilometres away in popular Los Angeles shopping centre, The Grove. After sparking a 100 police officer response, the threat was traced back to Willis who was found dead before charges could be laid. There are unconfirmed reports that cause of death was suicide. Late last year users were responsible for trending the hashtag #cutforbieber in response to the release of a picture of Justin Bieber smoking marijuana. Within hours the it was a worldwide trending topic and the world gasped at the prospect of diehard Justin Bieber fans self-harming due to a vicious prank. It was a new low in 4chan’s long history of trolling. But for Poole, 4chan’s reclusive leader, no amount of illegality, disgraceful online traditions, summons to court cases or debt can wane his commitment to the site. He is its only official and fulltime employee and presides
over the site as something akin to the leader of a cult. One that anyone is free to join and has become far too big to reign in: even if he wanted to. Poole has never shown much interest in controlling the website. Nor has he seemed inclined to make any money from it above what it takes to run. “Businesses are good for a few years. At the end of the day they are not communities,” Poole said in a rare interview. “People are fickle. They are ready to hop to the next thing.” And maybe herein lies the secret to 4chan’s understated longevity and success. 4chan isn’t a business per se. It is a community. A space in which people come to worship the sacred space that is pure unadulterated human creativity and union: the Internet. And 4chan is the self-perpetuating beast at its core. Growing, changing and creating until only the finest examples of human creation bubble up from the core and erupt into the mainstream.
WORDS Nicole Pires
guide to...
Surviving the Australian Summer Heat
Who doesn’t love walking outside of your house to get hit by the balmy humid air, sweat trickling from your brow, your top sticking to your chest and your hair frizzing at the ends. Well I sure don’t, but this is the reality of the Australian summer. When the average summer temperature is hotter than Ryan Gosling without a shirt on, there’s a definite survival technique to get through it.
Beach, beach and more beach The beach is the most obvious and prime summer day location. There’s the drive there with the windows down, wind blowing in your hair. Running across the burning hot sand before you dive into the cold crashing sea waves. Cooling down at the beach is the way to go. And as a plus beach Instagram pictures always pull bulk likes.
Shopping malls Likely the only place where the air conditioning is set to Arctic temperatures, shopping centres and the perfect place to waste
away a hot day. However beware of becoming a summer shopping centre bogan; one of those people who sit in the food court leeching off the free air con while their six kids run around causing a ruckus in the McDonald’s line.
Keep healthy I’m no nutritionist and I definitely enjoy gorging on a burger or two way more than I should. However, the heat does bad stuff to your body. You lose salt or something when you sweat, electrolytes etc. Keep hydrated and get your sugar from amazing summer fruits and veggies (mangos and avocados are literally nectar from the Gods).
Don’t wear too many clothes Unlike the cold weather where you can rug and layer up, you’re left pretty defenceless in the face of the sweltering heat. I feel that it’s no brainer but in the summer don’t wear too many clothes. Avoid wool, I have no idea how anyone could dare put on a pair of skinny jeans. And no matter how good they look with your outfit, Doc Martens on a summer’s day are never a good idea.
Get out of the country You can try your best to escape the wrath of the Australian summer but sometimes you hit past 40 degrees and there really is no hope left. Get out of the country, go somewhere cold. Remember that it’s winter in most other parts of the world at the same time.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Janneke storm Janneke Storm is a talented Brisbane photographer who initially caught IZE Magazine’s eye with her work with Sticks and Stones Agency. IZE was lucky enough to have Janneke shoot the editorial ‘Ratbag’ for the issue, and also interview her on her photography.
When you develop a passion for photography? I developed my passion for photography during my time at uni. I was studying graphic design and chose photography as an elective because I thought it would be a fun class to do. It wasn’t until I took that class that I realised this photography thing was something I wanted to pursue and I think that’s where the passion started. You recently travelled around the US taking awesome shots of Ainsley and Sebastian of Sticks and Stones Agency’s wedding. What was this experience like? Yes well if you’ve been to America you’ll know how crazy and amazing it is. So put the incredible
landscapes, tacky motels, abandoned buildings, a topless Chevy, blaring Katy Perry, pink hair and tattoos with the most fashionable power couple you’ll ever meet, that pretty much sums up my Vegas experience. It was an amazing experience to shoot Ainsley and Sebastien in locations I have only dreamed about.
all dressed and suited up, like it’s quite norman for that to happen haha! I just love that.
What were your favourite aspects of shooting in America? Would definitely be the overwhelming variety of shooting locations. Americans are so spoilt for choice, it’s insane how much there is too shoot. I also loved how anything goes in America, people don’t look twice at a bride and groom running to their chapel
What upcoming projects do you have lined-up? I’ve got a couple exciting shoots coming up with a fair bit of traveling involved and possibly some international travel which I’m super stoked about. Apart from that just working on personal projects to continue building my folio.
Do you have an ideal subject that you would love to shoot? Oh I would absolutely love to shoot Cara Delevingne, Charlotte Free, Teresa Oman and Anja Konstantinova.
clementine
PHOTOGRAPHY // June Canedo MODEL // Clementine Sainty STYLING // Ashley Palucci
Creatures of Comfort dress, Carly Hunter top, Stylist’s Own pants and necklace, Balenciaga shoes
Alexander Wang top, Aparol jacket
Zara top, Comme des Garcons skirt, Stylist’s Own necklace, Balenciaga shoes
Creatures of Comfort top, Issey Miyake skirt, Brooklyn Charm necklace
Aparol jacket, Zara top, Comme des Garcons skirt, Balenciaga shoes
Zara top, Comme des Garcons skirt, Stylist’s Own necklace
Creatures of Comfort dress, Stylist’s Own top and necklace
Creatures of Comfort dress, Stylist’s Own top, Balenciaga shoes
Issey Miyake skirt, Aparol jacket
Alexander Wang top, Aparol jacket
Zara top, JF & Son skirt, Brooklyn Charm necklace
INTERVIEW Caitlin Puplett
the john steel singers The John Steel Singers released their album ‘Everything’s a Thread’ back in November last year and have recently paired up with fellow Brisbane babe, Jeremy Neale, for the ‘Boys Gone Wild’ tour coming up in late February. As the Facebook event describes the Brisbane boys will be ‘bringing the goods, a couple of beards and some chiselled jaw lines down the east coast of Australia.’ IZE had the chance to chat with band front man, Tim Morrissey, about the upcoming tour, the release of their album and the creation of their makeshift studios to record on a budget.
Caitlin: So Tim, we spoke with Jeremy Neale in our last issue a couple of months ago… now he never mentioned a ‘Boys Gone Wild’ Tour with The John Steel Singers, may I ask what sparked this wonderful alliance and the idea to do a tour together? Tim: Well I think both of us, like he released his EP last year and we also obviously released our album as well last year, and we are both sort of getting to the end of our touring cycles for both of those things so we thought it would be a good idea to join forces and do one last sort of trip around. As you said, you got to release your new album late last year,
tell me a bit about the release and how it all went? It was really good actually so this is our third tour around so we got to play some pretty great festivals, we got to play Falls Festival as well in the interim, and we’ve been super happy with the response, especially with the critical response to the album, so I guess we are pretty proud of it! Did you find Brisbane was the most receptive to the album, considering as you guys are originally from there? I don’t know, it went really well in Perth and I felt, well the last show we played in the Sydney Oxford
Arts Factory was really good as well. It can change though from tour to tour sometimes you are like ugh, that city was pretty horrible, let’s not play there again, and then next time you go around that’s where you have the best show. Everything’s a Thread was the first single released from the album, was this the song that started it all for the album, or did you just feel it was the best one to release first? Well it was one of the earliest songs written off the new album, but it’s always pretty difficult that song, it was never really always going to be on the album until the last moment. Probably the track
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MJ’s On Fire Again is the song that we’re, we felt we had something really good, it came together really quickly in the studio, and we’re super happy with the way that it’s turned out, it’s the single that’s being released now. As for choosing Everything’s A Thread, as the first single, um that was sort really wasn’t up to us too much, it was more in the hands of other people to make that particular decision, we just kind of had to trust their instincts on the matter as well. But we also did a taster track, which was called The State of Unrest and we kind of wanted that to go out to sort of show to people that you know, we had taken a different turn and this is sort of where we are going, the direction we are heading in now,
as opposed to our more poppy-ier side in the past. I heard how you went about recording this album, in a makeshift studio on the Sunshine coast, how did that all come about exactly? Well I think, studios can be expensive sort of places to hire out for the day, so we kind of wanted some more time doing it, and rather than sweating out a song, we’ve been jamming a lot and really sort of happy how those jams have sounded and the ideas that have come out of those jams, and we felt we sounded a lot fresher. Rather than going in and being really well rehearsed, and having specific parts to play, we
much preferred to sort of like just jam on a song for a bit longer and have it come together a bit more naturally. Things would come up in those jams and they would end up in the final song. When you’re on a studio clock you don’t get the ability to do that so often, well you don’t get the ability to do that unless you are like one those big bands in the sixties who have a seemingly endless budget. It enabled us to play around a lot more, I think it took about a year in the end; we had to sort of learn as we went. Did you have any prior experience recording before it came to doing the album? Not really, we’d done some demos
and that sort of thing in the past but nothing really too much. Like um, I had recorded some stuff for Dune Rats, like I recorded their first EP, and a bunch of the stuff for their second and third EPs, I’ve done some recording for Major Leagues as well, but yeah it was all sort of learn as you go. Sometimes I listen back to some of the stuff we did and I’m like, oh well that’s pretty good for some people who didn’t know what they were doing! It surely would have been a challenge, care to share some light on any issues that came up for the band, did it really challenge you as a team? No, it went quite well, it was a lot more enjoyable! Sometimes we probably, well the only problem with being able to do it yourself and having an unlimited time frame, it’s hard to stop, some songs went through the ringer and completely changed from where they started to where they came out. Sometimes you don’t have that sort of, well one of the good things about a studio clock is that it does make you a little bit more concise and you know when you’ve got to finish where as when you’re doing it yourself it get’s pretty open ended and you can get carried away with trying out new
“...sometimes you are like ugh, that city was pretty horrible, let’s not play there again, and then next time around that’s where you have your best show.” ideas. Which in the end makes the process of things a bit longer but I think as well we’ve learnt from that and we’ll definitely take that into consideration next time we record. What does the future hold for the John Steel Singers, what are you planning to do after the tour? During our down time as well, after the album was finished and it was getting mixed, we were actually lucky enough to cut a little bit of money and we built a recording studio in Kelvin Grove, so we’ve actually already set about recording a few tracks for the next album, because I know last
time we made people wait three years and we said we wouldn’t do that again, so this time we are getting cracking straight away and obviously having the luxury of your own studio makes a big difference as well. The ‘Boys Gone Wild Tour’ tour kicks off next Thursday in Brisbane at Black Bear Lodge. Tickets are now on sale at Oztix.
submit to our next issue IZE is looking for talented youngsters to be featured in the Summer issue of IZE. Whether you take photos, make art, write stories, direct movies, design clothes or play in a band - we want you! So send your work and relevant details to
info@izemagazine.com for a chance to be featured! Submissions are now open for our blog and Summer issue.
Photo by Jake Jelicich
WORDS Matt Meintjes
the wolf of wall street The Wolf of Wall Street is a bad movie. Bad in the sense that it is probably the most profanitypacked and drug-filled film of debauchery, greed and general moral misdirection that I have ever had the pleasure of sitting through. All three hours of it. So in the sense that it is bad, The Wolf of Wall Street is also fantastic. Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) starts the film as an eager stockbroker and new-kidon-the-block on Wall Street, a character completely forgotten by its conclusion. Through the mentorship of Mark Hanna (Matthew McConaughey) and the greedy obsession of money that every Wall Street-er holds dear, Belfort becomes famous within his firm for his “leadership” and business ethics, and notorious amongst those left outside of his ranks. Joining forces with Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill), a sidekick with some very bizarre tendencies, Belfort continues to scam everyday American citizens, taking their hard earned dollars and emptying them into his own pocket. His own company grows larger and larger, recruiting brokers with the same thirst for money and lack of principles shared by the founding members of Stratton Oakmount. His old, modest life is left behind him as he leaves his wife (Cristin Milioti), for the ever-desirable “Duchess” Naomi (Margot Robbie) and his drug and sex crazed life continues. But just as Jordan’s
legend as the Wolf of Wall Street begins to rise, so too does the attention given to him by federal investigators. Behind the depiction of Belfort’s life and antics the underlying feeling is that his whitecollar crime is steadily becoming simply too big to ignore. This is the general crux of the movie; Jordan’s greed is too great, too obsessive, to be sustainable. I opened this article by stating that The Wolf of Wall Street is a bad movie by moral standards. This is an understatement in all honesty. The jump between what you may expect from the film’s trailers to what you actually see in the cinema is mind-boggling. The F-bomb is dropped at least 506 times throughout the 180 minute duration of the film; that’s over twice every minute! If it’s not the swearing that surprises you, perhaps the overzealous use of cocaine and Quaaludes will raise your eyebrows. To quote Belfort: “On a daily basis I consume enough drugs to sedate Manhattan, Long Island and Queens for a month.” And if that still leaves you wanting more, The Wolf of Wall Street also gives you more sex, adultery and perversion than you can shake a stick at. If there were any thoughts of taking your parents, loved ones or perhaps even someone with whom you are romantically involved with to see this movie, then abandon those thoughts right now. Whilst the trailers may have given conservatives some hope
for a tasteful insight into the “dark side” of American stockbrokers, The Wolf of Wall Street is certainly not that movie. Until now I have possibly painted the movie in a somewhat negative light, despite claiming that it is rather quite fantastic. However crude and unethical The Wolf of Wall Street may be, it is certainly a hilarious film. At times it had me in stitches as Jordan and his entourage get up to some of the craziest acts seen on the screen, leaving audiences with some of the most memorable quotes and scenes in recent memory. This is where Jonah Hill excels in his role. Known for his characters in
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comedies such as Superbad and 21 Jump Street, Hill embraces his role as Belfort’s right hand man and the chemistry works. His character is introduced as a children’s furniture salesman that lives in the same building as Belfort, but as he begins his new life on the stock market Donnie is driven to new limits of insanity, arguably more so than Belfort. During the company’s launch of an Initial Public Offering (Belfort’s newest and biggest scam to date), Donnie catches an employee cleaning his goldfish tank and calls him out. As punishment, he stands atop his desk, swallows the goldfish whole and proceeds to fire the broker. Such an act is tame by the
movie’s standards but I have to be somewhat cautious in what I say in this review. If Jonah Hill’s acting was great, then Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance was transcendent. What always amazes me about DiCaprio is his investment into each character he plays, at times forcing you to step back and ask yourself “Is this really just a character?” His portrayal of Jordan Belfort is right on the money, bringing charisma and shock value to the lead of the film. At times you love the arrogant Belfort; he represents the wildest form of our own inner greed if we were to truly let go of all inhibitions. Just bearing witness
to how much everyone in his company admires – no, worships – his leadership, seems to rub off on you as you sit through the film. But every now and then the moral compass inside of you starts to speak up. Despite all the money and material objects he owns and the lifestyle he lives, you start to think, “How can someone actually live like this?” And then of course you remember the film is based off a true story… and it becomes even more grotesque. Yet despite feeling overwhelmed at the sheer absurdity of most of the film, DiCaprio’s character keeps it somewhat grounded in realism, because he simply plays him so well. This is something DiCaprio
seems to always achieve no matter the role or the film. Before getting too carried away with acting performances, one must acknowledge the work of Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas, The Departed) for his directorial role in the movie. Known more for his mob-orientated crime flicks, Scorsese easily proves that he can inject comedy into a white-collar crime film. Financial fraud isn’t the most appealing idea to centre a movie on, but the way in which he has adapted the true story of Jordan Belfort and made it thoroughly entertaining just works. His habit of stepping behind the camera shows as most of the movie is shot in a very precise and purposeful manner and his practice of letting the actors improvise loosely off the film’s script has certainly paid
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dividends. It speaks volumes when an actor like Jonah Hill would take a minimum wage salary for the film just to work with you, so hats off to Scorsese. Whilst The Wolf of Wall Street is thoroughly enjoyable, it isn’t without its sticking points. For a film that runs for three hours, its narrative progression can feel painfully slow at times. It is likely this is simply a side-effect of following different storylines within Belfort’s life. At the start of the movie, progression runs smoothly as he makes his humble beginnings on Wall Street to the moment that Stratton Oakmount becomes a large success. From there the film tends to split up into several distinct stories; his affair and eventual marriage to Naomi, the future business direction
of Stratton Oakmount and his attempts to move money overseas to protect it are all occurring together whilst the audience is also aware of the federal investigation into Belfort’s questionable business methods. Throw in several scenes that are used purely to show his descent into further drug-crazed madness and the lavish lifestyle he lives, and there is no wonder the film peaks out at 180 minutes. Whilst none of this is bad enough to hinder the film, it does dawn on you in the cinema that three hours is a very long time to watch a movie. During this length of time character progression can also feel somewhat stunted. Again, this is probably attributable to the use of Belfort’s true story, but for a good chunk of the film it feels as if Jordan and his posse continue to live the same exuberant lifestyle without too much change to rock the boat. Couple this with that slow-moving mix of storylines and at times the film may get bogged down. However this is negated largely by the outrageous entertainment value that so many of the scenes hold. It is only if you really sit back and think about the film that it feels slower than it should. The Wolf of Wall Street is also a very interesting insight into financial fraud and its effects on those involved. Perhaps over exaggerated by the film (okay, definitely over exaggerated), it explores the impact of being
completely disconnected with those who are the victims of such deceit. Throughout the film we never see any of the ordinary Americans Belfort scams honest dollars from. This is done purposefully to emphasise the disconnect between Belfort and his buyers on the other end of the phone. Living a life in such a disconnect suggests that one never truly feels the emotional weight of the consequences of unethical behaviour because one never actually sees the consequences. This is an underlying theme of the film and a large part of financial fraud. Belfort’s case may be a gross exaggeration, but this white-collar crime exemplifies how a moral complex and victim disconnect goes hand-in-hand with the mantra “Greed is good.” Overall, The Wolf of Wall Street is a highly entertaining movie that highlights itself as one of the best for the year. It is not for the faint of hearted, but if you can handle all of the film’s shock value, you’re in for one of DiCaprio’s greatest performances yet. Three hours is a long time, but The Wolf of Wall Street satisfies in enough areas to make it worth the while. It’s a movie that preaches this lifestyle of the rich and powerful, yet at the same time makes the whole thing feel somewhat disgusting and undesirable. I guess there is a reason for Greed to be one of the seven deadly sins after all.
WORDS Caitlin Low
raddest and baddest: villAIns of the big and small screen Despite their obvious psychopathic, homicidal and/or plain bitchy tendencies, there are some baddies we just can’t help but root for. We’ll eat our popcorn and admire them through the safety of our TV screens – but if we ever met these rogues in real life, we’d be reaching for our pepper spray and doing a swift 180.
gogo yubari (Chiaki Kuriyama) in Kill Bill: Volume I
This mace-wielding maniac’s iconic fight sequence inspired a legion of costumed alter egos every Halloween. Sure, Kill Bill was jampacked with kick-ass characters – Elle Driver, O-Ren Ishii, even The Bride herself – but there was something about Gogo’s snarky schoolgirl persona that we wished we could bring to class.
tate langdon
(Evan Peters) in American Horror Story: Murder House
nancy downs (Fairuza Balk) in The Craft
Fairuza Balk and black lipstick were a package deal in the ‘90s. If Nancy’s kohl-rimmed glare didn’t kill a bitch/witch, her mastery of the occult would surely do the trick. Word of warning, boys: don’t break her stone-cold heart.
Perhaps the most controversial of tumblr’s bad boy crushes is American Horror Story’s resident crazy. As his equally screwed-up mother so eloquently described, Tate was “a young man with the soul of a poet” (and the plaid
wardrobe of Kurt Cobain). This Byronic Hero spent his time reading books about birds, making teary-eyed declarations of love and – spoiler alert – impregnating his girlfriend’s mother with the Antichrist. Drives girls wild.
Sylar
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(Zachary Quinto) in Heroes
This weirdo dissected the brains of America’s superhuman population to collect superpowers like Pokémon cards. Sylar began the series as an ominous silhouette with a baseball cap – but once his handsome identity was revealed, swooning audiences leapt headfirst to the dark side. After all, with those on-point eyebrows, he was more genetically gifted than any telekinetic hero could ever be.
Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) in Fight Club
Tyler Durden is literally that defiant voice in your head telling you to eat the leftover pizza – only hotter, and Brad Pitt. Although not strictly a villain, he was the worst buddy poor Edward Norton could have (and did) imagine – destroying his apartment, his hand and any prospect of normalcy. Don’t expect a friendship bracelet anytime soon, Tyler.
regina george (Rachel McAdams) in Mean Girls
You’ll find the worst type of villain strutting around the lockers inbetween class. As much as we may hate Miss George, who doesn’t daydream about ruling high school with a perfectly manicured iron fist? Flawless, manipulative and decked in pink (on Wednesdays), this is one Queen Bee who would eat Lorde alive.
GET OFF MY CLOUD PHOTOGRAPHY // Andrea Jankovic MODEL // Keely Thurecht @ Viviens MAKEUP // Carly Lim CLOTHING // Soot. The Label
Photo by Janneke Storm
BAD playlist Sweet Emotion – Aerosmith R U Mine – Arctic Monkeys Rebel, Rebel – David Bowie Fuckabout – Drenge Vegemite – King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Ode to Viceroy – Mac Demarco Bad - Michael Jackson Who Needs You – The Orwells The Last of the Summer Wine – Palma Violets This Last Year – Palms I Wanna Be Sedated – The Ramones Shut Up – Savages Institutionalized – Suicidal Tendencies Don’t Care – Theo Verney Covered in Chrome – Violent Soho Alone – Wax Witches
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