V. 4 N 째 4
THE PAT T E R N ISSUE FLUME SA MIRA YAMIN ERIKA LINDER CLOVER CANYO N TANNER GOODS S UPE RBA FOOD + BR EA D EIGHTYTWO
VO L U M E
4
ISSUE
4
may + june
publisher
DANTE COLOMBATTI
editor-in-chief
ERIN DENNISON
art director
RACHEL MANY
online editor VI NGUYEN
photography
MAGDALENA WOSINSKA NANCY SCHOENMAKERS JUSTIN TYLER CHASE SHANT KIRAZ DANIEL SHIPP ELIZABETH DANIELS LUKE LOVELL MARK WALES RON PRE
contr ibutors
REBECA ARANGO NOAH BRISCOE JAMIE GAUL KACY EMMETT LINDSAY PRESTON ZAPPAS RACHEL MAE FURMAN VALIDA
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event director
MAX EHRLICH
f inance director
COLE WESTERHOLM
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MITCHEL DUMLAO
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JOYCE SANCHEZ
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design assistant s JOEVANNO DIAZ THERESA LIU
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o
DOTCOM
OF C ONT ENT S MUSIC
no 14
musician FLUME venue MACK SENNETT STUDIOS playlist POOL FULL OF LIQUOR
ART
no 22 LA STREET ART artist SAMIRA YAMIN gallery LAB ART film MOVING PARTS GALLERY OPENINGS
STYLE
no 34
editorial THE DESOLANCE designer CLOVER CANYON model behavior COURTNEY MONEY editorial THE NEW KINGS store TANNER GOODS editorial DENIM DAZE trends TREND MATRIX insider ONES TO WATCH
FOOD
no 71
chef ETTY BENHAMOU restaurant SUPERBA FOOD + BREAD food scoops MANIFEST GLUTTONY bar EIGHTYTWO drink ALL IS FARE
&
n 78 o
NOTED travel KORAKIA PENSIONE events SCENE & HEARD calendar MAY calendar JUNE last look ERIKA LINDER
LACANVAS
TA BL E
DOTCOM
08 O
E DI TOR'S LE TTE R
THE RUPTURE “REPETITION OPENS DOORS, YOU KNOW?” —TIM LUCAS, THE BOOK OF RENFIELD: A GOSPEL OF DRACULA
According to Webster, “a pattern is a discernible
quo without warning. But of course, without that pattern,
regularity in the world or in a man-made design. As such,
there is no riot. You know, the biology and cadence of
the elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner.”
everythingness and why that even matters.
For the majority of the human condition, there is a fine line
This issue, we forge on, examining all things
between the pattern of monotony and contentment. At the
pattern with relation to fashion, music, art, and food in
best of times, routine can mean satisfaction. At the worst,
Los Angeles. Beat-smith Flume’s irregular, funky bangers,
entrapment.
Wanna get heady and attempt to establish
synthy-layers, and chopped-up vocal melodies tow the
some existential boundaries? I mean, we don’t have to talk
line between pop and experimental—two genres with very
about Coachella or 1099s anymore.
different relationship to sequence. He is able to fuse two
Not to be dramatic about it but, as if writing
ideas and polarized audiences at just 22.
And Rozae
weren’t mentally and emotionally taxing enough, the art
Nichols, the anthropological narrative-driven designer
of producing a publication can be downright exhausting.
behind Clover Canyon, the contemporary womenswear
Take the burden of oxford commas and engaging syntax,
brand that uses pattern to explore complexity within
and add the pressure of enterprising a “voice” in order
cultures, cleverly addresses the underbelly of history along
to please your collaborators, audience, and of course,
with the whimsy of travel.
advertisers. Distinguishing your brand from the copious
Then there’s Samira Yamir’s art. Carefully
amounts of content providers certainly isn’t a task for
rendering geometric abstractions of shocking war imagery,
the faint of heart, or even the logical. Pitch, confirm,
her work serves as a catharsis to her detachment from
interview, shoot, write, edit, design, all navigated with
the turbulent region. Repetitiously dissecting grotesque
significant time and budget restraints. A careful ballet of
pictures atop gilded Islamic sacred motifs is Yamir’s
actual medicine and individual superstition is what gets us
knowing smirk at the universe. Simultaneously, Erika
through our editorial calendar each issue—a pattern that
Linder’s innovative career has lead her atop rosters of both
we’ve actually become pretty addicted to.
men and women’s agencies. Disturbing the establishment,
But
what
makes
this
turbulent
structure
satisfying? Perhaps its alchemy has something to do with bouts of unpredictability that interrupt the otherwise predictable cycle.
questioning the industry’s convention, and challenging gender roles, one smize at a time. Each of our categories explores repetition, continuity, spontaneity, and, ultimately, disruption—all
Think of your most exhilarating memory. A
carefully observed within a strict two-month gestation
moment so invigorating and detailed, that all your fun times
period. Yeah, we showcase some beautiful images this
since have been measured against it. These intoxicating
issue, but I encourage you to take your time flipping
epochs fall somewhere in your past—typically marked by a
through the pages. We can only hope to shake up your
rupture in predictability. The summer night you didn’t get
social calendar and personal time, and encourage you to
caught. An epic party. An explosive connection. The times
investigate some of the people, places, and things we’ve
when life hands you a permission slip to go left. These
profiled for the “Pattern Issue” once you’ve put it down.
moments were special because they interrupted your status
ERIN DENNISON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
You know, break up the cycle.
NOTED TA I L O R - M A D E
L
ike the Phoenix rising from its ashes, the luxury women’s line, Capital Tailors relaunched for Fall ‘14 during the Los Angeles Fashion Market
this past March. Lucky Brand founders Gene Montesano and Barry Perlman, along with designer Glenn Williams and design director Chelsey Santry, have done right by the RTW gods, creating garments that are at once sophisticated and playful. Luster-laden washed silks, knits, woven, and denim fabrics, Capital Tailors infuses elegant textiles and updated silhouettes for a surprisingly reasonable price point. CAPITAL-TAILORS.COM
DOUBLE CUP LOVE
FA K E I T T I L YO U M A K E I T
A
re your Spotify plays eliciting snarky
comments
from
your
Facebook homies? Before you go tackling those confusing privacy settings, why not take some time to delve into tunes you can proudly display to the internet megaverse. We’re all for listening to Katy Perry and Juicy J’s ‘Dark Horse’ twenty times—we’re suckers for dumbed down trap music—but sometimes a soulful reprieve is in order. Aussie Chet Faker’s croon is inimitable and refreshingly
D
id you know the human head weighs eight pounds? Did you also know
paper and cardboard make up over 40% of the solid waste buried in North American landfills? Of that obnoxious percentage, a disproportionate amount is attributable to disposable coffee cups. It’s 2014, so why not try to stop being a bunch of assholes?
honest, evoking a curious upbringing on both Motown and Ibiza chill. He’s even got us rethinking our ban on dating men whose beards are so epic they hook more action than we do. Get it, son. CHETFAKER.COM
P
RED, RED WINE
D
now but, c’mon, Frank Sinatra and Coachella. The legacy continues with the conversion
like so many of the finer things in life,
of the deceased Hotel Zoso into the newly
we think about convenience culture. It’s
financial limitations keep us coming back
inaugurated Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs.
barista-approved to fit in those dangerous
to our old staples of 24 oz. PBRs and two-
The hotel made its desert debut last October,
looking machines—plus you can write your
buck Chuck. But good, cheap wine does,
smashing guitars and testing the coke-and-
name on it if you want.
in fact, exist (God, is that you?). The small
pop-rocks urban legend with New York-based
K EEPCUP.COM
producer Porter & Plot has committed
duo Phantogram. If endless rock paraphernalia
itself to being a purveyor of small-lot and
makes you feel like you’re at a souvenir shop
lesser-known wines for affordable prices
on Hollywood Blvd., fear not—the hotel’s
(as in under $20 a bottle). The company
classic design is a graceful homage to its rock
features small releases of unique vintage
heritage and, even better, tchotchke-free.
grapes—under 1,000 bottles—with a
H R H PA L M S P R I N G S . C O M
reusable cups and make a difference in how
is
inexorably intertwined. Frank Sinatra,
Coachella . . . that’s all we can think of for
epicurean
help. Its mission is to encourage the use of
wine
alm Springs and the music world seem
experience hard to surpass. Alas,
KeepCup, a sustainable initiative is here to
elicious
ROCK OF THE DESERT
an
rotating stock of different varietals from US and French vineyards. So step out of your comfort zone and try something besides chardonnay. Besides, a bottle of good wine is a great addition (or necessity, dependingo on who you ask) for a date night at home. P O RT E R A N D P L OT. C O M
11 O
N OT E D
TUNNEL VISION
I
t’s time to face the facts. Those
Optics takes eyewear frame creation
$10
sunglasses
to its formidable ideal. With hues
you bought for pool party season
embedded from wood, pulp, and
make you look like a tool (don’t
natural cotton fibers, their product’s
worry, no one is innocent). If you’ve
color won’t fade or scratch. Each
graduated from college or pay your
frame is hand finished by nimble
own car insurance, it’s probably
human
talons,
also time to step up your lens game.
product
that
Inspired by the surfing and beach-
original vision. Real surf junkies don’t
dwelling
make boardwalk plastic.
neon,
plastic
lifestyles
California,
of
Southern
Encinitas-based
RAEN
rendering precisely
a
final
fulfills
its
RAEN.COM
LET’S BE FRIENDS
W
hen
art
collective
FriendsWithYou
traded
their longtime Miami digs for Los Angeles last year, we knew we had to bookmark their every move. And save for a few paper cuts, we have been nothing but impressed. We Are FriendsWithYou, the freshly minted, whimsically potent, comprehensive monograph
from
co-conspirators
Samuel Borkson and Arturo Sandoval III, portrays the duo’s expansive work of paintings, sculptures, and massive installations over the last decade. Their mission?
To spread
the positive message of Magic, Luck, and Friendship,™ in an effort to INSIDE THE BOX
E
stimulate new thoughts of happiness and
meaningful interaction.
Now
ver dream of a phantom personal shopper
there’s a proponent for change we
with the intuitive accuracy of a Pandora
can
definitely
get
behind.
Even
radio playlist, the speed of Amazon Prime,
the metallic cover makes us smile.
and as non-committal as an ubiquitous mass-
F R I E N D SW I T H YO U. C O M
text invite? Well, welcome to 2014, where the
R I Z Z O L I U SA . C O M
coolhunter elves at Birchbox have your back. Each month, you’ll receive a selection of samples, sourced from both well-known brands and emerging gems, test-driven and co-signed by the gang themselves. The women’s subscription includes everything from skincare to makeup, as well as quirky non-beauty bonuses, while the men’s lot delivers top-tier grooming products and essential lifestyle accessories. Sign us up, especially since those Sephora points aren’t hooking us up like they used to. B I R CHBOX.COM
REEL TV
D
ocumentaries—more entertaining than
podcasts
and
not
just
for serial killers! Speaking of white boys, our pals over at Vans know a
thing
or
two
about
chronicling
unconventional lifestyles for an easyto-digest narrative. This season, the sk8 gods have released a docu-series showcasing
independent
filmmakers
and their interpretation of “Living Off the Wall.” Vans’ Spring ‘14 campaign follows four documentarians as they translate the brand’s motto through words, images, and moving pictures. Beats
a
contrast-y,
malnourished,
disenchanted, teen lookbook any day. #L I V I N G O F F T H E WA L L VA N S . C O M
NOTED PUNK ROCK PRINCESS
‘M
ember
sole
satisfying our inner sk8r girl all over
motivation to make honor roll
when
your
again with crocheted tops and flattering
was parental funding of your Delia’s
sundresses. Oh, our bad, you resent
cardigan addiction? Volcom does. The
feminine skate culture? Well it’s ok to
lifestyle line has endured somewhat of
be cute and functional. The women’s
a renaissance as of late. The iconic
movement is about choice and we are
apparel line, specifically the women’s
choosing our choice!
partition, is re-branding like it’s 1999,
VOLCOM.COM/WOMENS
FA I T H & F L OW E R
I
magine yourself lounging upon a lowslung settee tufted in pale yellow velvet.
You’re perusing a tiny leather-bound book and wondering aloud, “Shall we start with the duck liver mousse tarts?” Surreal, yes, but not out of reach—you just supply the outfit, and Faith & Flower will bring you the fantasy. Inspired by a sepia-toned Los Angeles of the late 19th and early 20th century, the sprawling new restaurant feels both sophisticated and futuristic, as well as timeless and classic, thanks to Executive Chef Michael Hung’s appreciation for things like calamari, chowder, and deviled eggs. The whole dimly-lit experience is straight out of a dream. Maybe we’re romanticizing.
P R OT E C T YA N E C K
H
ey kids, if you were diligent enough
Obamacare
to and
sign get
up
for
your
oil
But if the vibe doesn’t take you elsewhere, the oxtail agnelotti should.
T H E W E E K LY
W
e know you’ve been up all night Tinder-ing, so LAC took
the liberty of researching all of LA’s
changed this season, how about
most intriguing happenings for you.
taking an extra five minutes a day
The Weekly is a rundown of the city’s
to look after your epidermis? Here
best places and exclusive invites.
in LA, the home of the eternal base-
Stick with us this season for our
tan, it’s easy to slack. But you know
weekly editorial picks on upcoming
what? Mother nature gives zero
show listings, pop-ups, and private
shits about your long day. We’ve
events—and why not cop a gift bag
heard rumors of the wizards over
from our sponsors while you’re at it?
at Vichy Skincare and, with our
Subscribe at LACANVAS.COM
impending Saturn return lurking in the shadows, we’re all in. SPF 50 sunscreens and restorative serums are
a
far
healthier
route
than
Botox. So for the love of Matthew McConaughey Housewives
and of
the
Real
Dear-God-Where-
L A CA N VA S T V
C
ause sometimes you’re at literary capacity, LAC has gone video. Our
cousin LA CANVAS TV features interviews and behind-the-scenes content brought
Now, don’t be a statistic. You too,
to
gentlemen, especially you.
documentation of our parties to exclusive
VICHYUSA.COM
footage of our clubhouse sessions, tune
you
by
our
ambassadors.
in at LACANVAS.com
From
POOL FULL OF LIQUOR Well, well, well . . . you’ve made it through the SoCal music festivals. You wore the shit out of your pre-curated looks and participated in a battery of nefarious activities (that you hopefully kept off of the Internet), all while staying hydrated and keeping your romantic relationship in tact. Bravo. Really. Now take a day off work, invest in some organic aloe, and gear up for pool party season. We know how much you love smooth, synth-y beats to score your mellow ¾ lean, so throw on your SPF, grab your top 8, and allow KCRW’S DJ Valida to facilitate your pre-summer social calendar.
selections KCRW’S DJ VALIDA
“Good Mistake” MR. LITTLE JEANS
“Preben Goes To Acapulco” TODD TERJE
“Home” PRISCILLA AHN
“Istanbul Disco” COMPANY FREAK
“Heads Above” WHOMADEWHO
“Blackbird Chain” BECK
“In Reverse” THE WAR ON DRUGS
“L” TYCHO
“Can’t Leave The Nights” BADBADNOTGOOD
“Everybody Loves The Sunshine” TAKUYA KURODA
“Paris” LITTLE DRAGON
“No Rest For The Wicked” LYKKE LI
STREAM THE FULL PLAYLIST ON LA CANVAS’ SPOTIFY
F LU M E I S SA I L I NG T H E S OU N D CL OU D WAV E DANIEL SHIPP VI NGUYEN
P H OTO G R A P H Y TE XT
Once upon a time, a curious 13-year-old boy peered into his cereal box and stumbled upon a CD that would change his life. That boy was Harley Streten, now known to legions of fans around the world as Flume. And that cereal freebie? It was a software disc that propelled Streten into the world of electronic music production. Now 22, Streten can hardly believe his success. While many fledgling producers find themselves floundering in a world of soundcloud hustles, Streten has carved a niche for himself, calmly straddling the line between “bonafide superstar” and “reclusive musician.” His penchant for the bouncy and melodic has served him well—appealing to both the mainstream “EDM”-loving festival rager and the Tiesto-hating, holier-than-thou, dance music hipsters who’d rather die than be caught fist-pumping at a festival. Read on as Aussie musician Flume contemplates the path of global conquest and lets us know why electronic music is here to stay.
YOU SAW ENORMOUS SUCCESS IN 2013, AND YOU JUST PLAYED
of my escape to write that heavy, club, crazy music. Both
A HUGELY SUCCESSFUL SET AT COACHELLA THIS PAST APRIL.
Flume and What So Not have a lot of melody but I can
WAS THERE EVER ANY POINT OR MILESTONE WHERE YOU SAID TO
write straight up bangers for What So Not. I’m talking about
YOURSELF, “WOW, I’VE REALLY MADE IT”?
tracks like Rustie’s ‘Slasher’ and TNGHT’s ‘Bugg’n’—these
I reckon the time I realized it was working was when
are forward-thinking, interesting pieces of music that are
I did this festival in Australia. It was the first proper
fucking bangers. I love dance music, and I want it to really
festival I’d ever played. I was playing in this tent and
pump, to really be able to play it out and to be able to get
I was on first in the day, like a 2 o’clock slot. I wasn’t
a huge reaction at festivals and things, so I spend a lot of
expecting much seeing it was so early! I got up there,
time trying to create drops that have this melodic element
and there were more people than I ever expected. By
to them, but also hit really hard.
the end of the set, the tent was full, and that was like 5,000 people or something. At my first festival ever. It
YOU DON’T LIKE TO BE PIGEONHOLED INTO ONE GENRE. IS THIS
was completely mind-boggling. The circuits in my head
WHY YOU’VE COLLABORATED WITH SO MANY ARTISTS?
were kind of frying. I’d never stood in front of anywhere
No, it doesn’t really have a connection, I just really like
near that amount of people.
writing music with other people sometimes. The thing is, I like getting something out of my head sometimes, and
YOU’VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TOURING, YET YOU’VE ALSO PUT
I’ll have a very strong idea of what I like something to
OUT A TON OF MUSIC, NOT INCLUDING YOUR SIDE PROJECT WORK
sound like. I’ll send it to a vocalist and I kind of just give
AS WHAT SO NOT. HOW DO YOU GET CREATIVELY RECHARGED AND
them no brief . . . ‘cause if I give them a brief, it restricts
WHAT’S YOUR PROCESS FOR WRITING MUSIC?
the creativity, and often what I want the vocal to be, it’ll
Well it’s something I’ve kind of been struggling with
end up something quite different. Often or not it’s better
a little bit lately, just getting back into the rhythm of
than what I imagine. That’s why I like working with other
writing again. [Back then,] I wrote all this material,
people, because it’s another set of ears.
and I had pretty much all the time in the world. I was working part-time jobs and doing music, you know,
SPEAKING OF COLLABORATIONS, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE
there was kind of no pressure. It was never my job,
SKRILLEX AND WHAT SO NOT RUMOR WE’VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT?
so I just did it when I felt like it. Now though, I’ve
There’s something in the works, but it’s not finished.
only recently just had some time off to write, and it’s
But yeah, Sonny was in Sydney for a little while, so we
just really weird. Like every day I’ve got to go to work,
ended up hanging out, mucking around, and writing
and you go to the studio . . . you sit there, and it’s
some bits and pieces. We’ll see what happens with it.
like, ‘huh.’ Sometimes you’re in the mood, sometimes you’re not, and you have to just try and get into like a
WHEN CAN WE EXPECT A NEW ALBUM OUT FROM YOU? WHAT ELSE
completely different headspace.
HAVE YOU GOT GOING ON? I’ve been writing for the past few months, or at least
NOWADAYS THERE’S A LOT OF PESSIMISM OVER THE PROLIFERATION
trying to get my head in the right space. Coming out
OF BANGERS AND THE ENDLESS EMPHASIS ON “THE DROP.” HOW
with bits and pieces. I’m running a new album, hoping
DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE CURRENT STATE OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC?
to have an album out by early next year. I’m actually
DO YOU THINK IT’S HERE TO STAY?
sitting in this hotel room in Santiago, and I’ve been
I definitely think it’s here to stay, 100%. I love bangers.
working on this new remix—can’t say who it’s for, but
The thing is, it’s really tricky to write a banger that’s
it’s nearly done and it’s really solid. I’m super excited
tasteful. With my other project, What So Not, that’s kind
to put it out. It’s a banger by the way!
FLUMEMUSIC.COM
5/9 Ventura: Main St east of California 5/10 Sherman Oaks: Ventura Blvd west of Vesper 5/11 Los Angeles: La Brea Ave north of 1st 5/12 Santa Monica: Main St west of Ocean Park in Edgemar 5/13 Long Beach: 2nd St & Roycroft 5/14 Fullerton: Harbor Blvd south of Wilshire 5/15 Costa Mesa: Bristol St south of Baker in THE LAB 5/16 San Diego Pacific Beach: Garnet Ave & Dawes 5/17 San Diego Hillcrest: 5th Ave & University
V E NUE
RETURN OF THE MACK
19 O
text VI NGUYEN photo LUKE LOVELL
A SILVER LAKE ENTREPRENEUR RESTORES HOLLYWOOD GLAMOR AT MACK SENNETT STUDIOS
This is Robin Thicke’s “lucky studio.” When the crooner’s
patterns through the studio’s old film lenses displayed elegantly by
‘Blurred Lines’ music video was filmed at Mack Sennett Studios,
Rogg and his team, alongside other lovingly restored interior details.
it wasn’t even completely renovated yet. Today, it sits quietly on a
It’s touches like these and the history they evoke that have lured in the
strange wedge of a residential Silver Lake street like a piece of pie,
entertainment industry’s most influential players.
shaded by the large leafy trees downtowners like myself often forget
When Spike Jonze won his screenwriting oscar for Her, the
exist in LA. The faded blue veneer distracts rather than nods to the
after-party was held at Mack Sennett. “Paul McCartney was here,
whispers of historic weight that the near 100-year-old building carries.
dancing on the floor for like an hour,” Rogg proudly claims. “We just
In an era of unnecessary film sequels (Paul Blart: Mall Cop
had Gwen Stefani shoot L.A.M.B. here, and . . . she remembered
2, anyone?) and wavering originality, Mack Sennett Studios harkens to
filming her ‘Don’t Speak’ video here. It’s crazy.”
a time of entertainment firsts and industry trailblazers. The producer
It’s clear Rogg is passionate about his endeavors. Whether it’s
for whom the studio is named and was founded by in 1916, for
showing off the original backdrop from Michael Jackson’s ‘Remember
example, was the man who put Charlie Chaplin in his first movie.
the Time’ video or rattling off a list of celebrities who’ve utilized the
But the path to illustriousness wasn’t always so paved. Jesse
space (Kendrick Lamar, Miguel, Rod Stewart, to name a few), Rogg’s
Rogg, a Silver Lake resident and entrepreneur, is the present owner of
enthusiasm is compelling. And thankfully, it’s not fueled by the
Mack Sennett and responsible for its grand makeover after taking over
scenester’s innate need to rub shoulders with the rich and famous, but
from the previous owner of 30 years. A musician and arts enthusiast
rather, an earnest desire to carry on the rich legacy of the space.
at heart, Jesse was previously a full-time music producer. He still
While cities all over the globe are offering powerful
produces (you may have heard of one of his latest clients, BANKS) but
incentives for “runaway productions,” the plucky businessman
his M.O. nowadays is cultivating a collaborative hub for creativity and
has taken it upon himself to make sure Mack Sennett supports the
restoring the Hollywood glamor that once made Silver Lake the core of
community in which it thrives, hosting community board meetings and
entertainment—or, as Rogg states, “the original Hollywood.”
working with the mayor and city councilmembers to encourage local
“I fell in love with it immediately,” confides Rogg. I did
industry. “We want to continue to become a pillar of this particular
too. There’s a restorative energy to the place, and it’s clear it had the
community and of LA in general . . . History is important.” And with
same effect on those who’ve walked before me into its hallowed space.
just a few years to go until the studio hits its 100 year anniversary, we
Natural light filters into the building, creating gorgeously refracted
certainly hope that they’ll be here to stay.
1215 BATES AVE. LOS ANGELES, CA 90029 MACKSENNETTSTUDIOS.NET
· TALKING SHOP ·
When’s the last time you got a haircut?
City. Expert cuts will proceed on Fridays, by
Trick question. Never. You ain’t gotten a real cut
appointment only. And on the 15th? #BBLA will
until you’ve let the boys from Blind Barber have at
host a celebration commemorating the Culver City
your skull. Luckily for men everywhere, the newly
shop’s two year anniversary.
bi-coastal Manhattan natives are making big strides
an
exciting
third
location
on
deck, the guys have decided to implement a little
offerings for their discerning disciples. With an
California sensibility in their newest Brooklyn
award-winning men’s product line, a hip new zip
endeavor. LA’s own Handsome Coffee Roasters will
code, and a Los Angeles birthday party on the
join the high-minded watering hole slash grooming
horizon, our preferred east coast transplants have a
hybrid to set up shop right off the L.
little something for each coast this season.
SPECIAL
With
for the postmodern gentleman, with a host of new
It’s the 21st century, guys. Women have
Come May 9th, Blind Barber will be
become the men they want to marry. Time to get our
launching a two-chair barbershop in collaboration
dapper game up. Whether you’re of the east or west
with the homies from Movember & Co., at their
coast persuasion, schedule an appointment, sip a
North American headquarters in downtown Culver
Sazerac, and get your shit together, why don’t you?
PROMOTION
SACRED GEOMET RY
ARTIST SAMIRA YAMIN TAKES KNIFE TO PAPER, TRANSFORMING ISSUES OF POLITICS, RACE, AND GENDER
TEXT
L I N DSAY P R E STO N ZAPPAS ART
S A M I RA YAM I N
urns out Samira Yamin and I are neighbors. Like any good neighbor, Samira welcomes me into her Los Angeles studio with a mug of mint tea, and a smile. Samira’s work is beautiful and delicate, politically charged and heady, yet talking with her in her studio for two hours illuminated themes that run through the work, and the fervor and excitement with which Samira approaches researching new topics of inquiry. She answers questions with dexterity, promenading through autobiography, and waltzing through subject matter; recalling the skilled and agile movements of her knife through paper. From the orient in western art, to fluid dynamics, to razzle dazzle quilts, Samira has a book and fascinating explanations to accompany each disparate subject matter that enters her brain and becomes imbued in the work. A few times during the interview amidst one of these spirited descriptions, she stops to check herself, “I don’t know how much you like math” (while engaging in a mini science lesson on fluid dynamics), or “Is this interesting to you? Tell me if it’s not interesting.” Samira’s first semester as an undergrad student at UCLA (where she received degrees in both studio art and sociology) coincided with 9-11, shining a light on a region of the world that Samira felt both culturally and emotionally tied to, and yet having grown up in Los Angeles, distanced from. I applaud any 18-year-old who is brushed up on her world news. At that age, I, perhaps like Samira, was lost in the small realities of a high schooler’s existence—navigating the immense and frightening social terrain. Yet, after 9-11, with a sudden and collective societal focus on the Middle East, Samira began methodically collecting war imagery found in magazines and newspapers as a knee jerk response to dealing with her remoteness from the region. Soon, faced with an evergrowing and haphazard stack of clippings, she began organizing them into broad categories: men, women, then later . . . dead bodies. This lead her work through phases, yet war photography was always highlighted. Her practice moved from printing war imagery on top of fabrics with Islamic based patterns, to her recent body of work Geometries, in which images from TIME Magazine are beautifully etched by hand, creating a geometric abstraction out of a representational image. The pieces are layered eye candy: “I really like beautiful things,” she says with a laugh and a twinkle in her eye. “I’m pretty unapologetic about it. I can’t deny it. I like the color gold. I’m Persian, you can blame it on that.” Yet the patterns she deftly fashions over the pages of TIME Magazine are much more complex than just pretty pictures. They are based on Islamic sacred geometries—these gorgeous geometric motifs are meant to diagram the order of the universe and harmonize the physical with the spiritual. Similarly, with one foot on the ground, and one ascending to the clouds, Samira can get lost in touting how amazing the world is if you really look at it, and then in the next breath contradict, or smirk at the cosmic, her strong rationale overpowering the speculative. When talking about the connectedness of the universe, and the patterns that emerge within a TIME Magazine, Samira comments, “It’s really magical that it’s all in there, but at the same time it’s this really dumb object you only see at the dentist’s office.” One foot on the earth. (continued on next page)
In content, the work is smartly outwardly looking and navigates through issues of politics, gender, race, representation, and abstraction. Conversely, the process Samira’s work undergoes is an intimate and inward one. “How many hours go into something like this?” I ask pointing to her cut piece entitled October 1, 2001. She momentarily pauses, as if shocked I had referenced such a miniscule measure of time. “You mean how many months?” She corrects with a laugh. During the six or seven months of creating the work for her solo show We Will Not Fail at the Santa Monica Museum of Art, Samira was sitting and cutting. She has a G E O ME TR IE S X I X 2010
memory foam ergonomic chair to prove it.
“It gets to be
exhausting. But I love it.” She explains, “I love tunnel vision.” With her thoughts and podcasts to keep her company, she gets lost in hypnosis. Muscle memory takes over as she flips and wields her ergonomic triangular X-Acto knife. She loves comedy, and listens to stand up, storytellers, and interviews, or sometimes she just sits in silence for hours, where she mentally transports to a rich fantasy life. All the while cutting patterns into Osama Bin Laden’s face. Her new Scotoma series features photographs of her grandfather with his gymnastic students stacking their bodies to create complicated House-of-Card-esque postures in Iran. The vinyl printed photographs are placed in plexiglass light boxes, backlit with fractured mirrors that create optical geometries through the gymnasts—oddly mimicking their bodily geometries. “Photography is an abstracted representation,” Samira explains. This thought also forms the cornerstone of her TIME Magazine work. The fractured light reflections in the new series is also meant to be a visual representation of scotomas (or the visual auras which precede migraines) which Samira suffers from. While researching these visual disruptions, Samira found that the visual patterns scotoma sufferers experience are oddly similar to Islamic geometry patterns and Razzle Dazzle. She took this as a cosmic sign, wondering which came first: the chicken or the egg? Her scotomas or her interest in geometry? Again, laughing, Samira exclaims, “The world is an amazing place! When you put pressure on the optical nerve it looks like Razzle Dazzle!” On the outset, Yamin’s work can come off as cold or singular, yet her interests are as nuanced and complex as the process her work undergoes. Her excitement towards the work and surrounding subject matter is contagious. Using a cocktail of intuition, research, and autobiography as her guide, Yamin will no doubt continue to dazzle us in the future. Razzle Dazzle that is.
SA MIR AYA MIN.C OM
G A L LE RY
27 O
HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH YOUR GALLERY’S NAME?
LAB ART, La Brea, Los Angeles, Art is all in the name—it’s a play on words, and, after all, we are a laboratory for street art. YOU BEGAN YOUR CAREER IN FASHION. HOW DID YOU MANEUVER YOUR WAY INTO LA’S STREET ART SCENE?
I’ll always love fashion, but I always had an even bigger hunger for art. Luckily, the two worlds often collide. I threw an event in the fashion district downtown and filled the walls with artwork in a clothing showroom. I had Alec Monopoly doing live painting. Three hundred people showed up—I sold 11 paintings without even trying to or planning to. That’s when I knew that the art world was where I belonged. WHO WOULD YOU INVITE TO YOUR FANTASY DINNER PARTY?
Tom Ford, Basquiat, Nelson Mandela, Cara Delevigne, Michelle Rodriguez, Mario Testino. AND COMMISSION TO CREATE YOUR PORTRAIT?
Carl Paoli. WHAT WAS LAB ART’S FIRST EXHIBITION LIKE?
It was complete insanity in the best way possible. All of LA’s top influencers [and] tastemakers from every industry came together to celebrate the rise of art in this city. We sold over thirty percent of our inventory opening night. It was the best of the best of the current street artists—I had 65 artists featured in the gallery that night. WHAT WOULD YOUR STREET ART NAME BE?
The Kissing Bandit. BEST SECRET SPOT FOR STREET ART IN LA?
I cannot reveal that information. SOME FRENCH SLANG WE CAN USE TO IMPRESS OUR FRIENDS?
Merde, because ‘shit’ always sounds better in French.
PATTERN PLAY
IF LIFE COULD RESEMBLE ANY FILM . . .
The Big Blue, a French film.
text RACHEL MANY art ALEC MONOPOLY
ON THE EVOLVING LA BREA CORRIDOR, VETERAN LAB ART CARRIES ON
FAVORITE STREET ARTIST RIGHT NOW?
Retna. LAST 3 GOOGLE SEARCHES?
10-foot custom canary yellow velvet tufted couch, custom bed, and custom wallpaper—if you can’t tell, I just got a new place. WHAT’S IN THE WORKS FOR THE GALLERY?
Ahhh street art. Dear street art and your shame-eliciting head shakes from New York gallerinas, your clenched fist-inducing turf wars between the tagged and the buffed. You, darling street art, are the impetus behind that age-old debate between high- and low-brow art. For centuries, critics and intellectuals have been carving up echelons about what defines “good” art, what is a sinister portrayal of gangaffiliated, dare I say, graffiti, and how to weave this ‘street art thing’ into the ever-increasing narrative of art history. And never has that dialogue been more contentious than right now. Ever since Jeffrey Deitch’s curated retrospective Art In The Streets at MOCA’s Geffen Contemporary in 2011, Los Angeles
has garnered a reputation as a breeding ground for urban and guerilla art forms. Few players have embraced the role of street art in the gallery community like Iskander Lemseffer of Lab Art. Since 2011, Lab Art Gallery has been bridging the divide between street art’s merry and menace—elevating the role of graffiti-based mastery into a whole new breed of contemporary art. Spanning over 6,000 square feet, Lab Art is a staggering, inundatory parade of eye candy, and Lemseffer its desperado to the downtrodden of the once outlawed counter culture. We paid a little visit to Lab Art to pick Lemseffer’s brain and see what he has in store next for the gallery:
I’m very excited to announce a special Three Year Anniversary show for LAB ART called Famous Faces opening May 12th, and we have a charity event, Street Art For Peace happening on June 19th. WHAT ARE YOU DOING LATER?
Dinner at Cecconi’s. CAN WE COME?
I’ll meet you there at 8:30.
2 1 7 S L A B R E A AV E , LOS ANG ELES , CA 9 0 03 6
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29 O
MOVING PARTS ALBERT KODAGOLIAN MAKES HIS FEATURE FILM DEBUT WITH SOMEWHERE BEAUTIFUL
A graduate of the prestigious USC film school,
between a photographer, his wife, María Alche (The Holy
acclaimed commercial director and cinematographer Albert
Girl), and their tour guide, Pablo Cedrón (The Aura, Aballay).
Kodagolian knows a little bit about impactful imagery. As a
Inspired by the 1994 Atom Egoyan film Calendar, the primary
raconteur well acquainted with the strictest restrictions of a
tale depicts the specific moment when intuition senses betrayal,
60 second allotment, he has sharpened his cinematic teeth on
well before intellect can articulate it. An unmistakable dread is
the medium by exercising both brevity and aesthetic potency.
conjured up by astute framing, wistful cinematography, and the
With ambitious clients like Sony, Budweiser, Nissan, NBA, and
actors nuanced physicality.
Mastercard under his belt, Kodagolian was more than primed
The
secondary
as
himself, (Amelie,
Delicatessen), reveals the director’s own crumbling marriage within a deeply relatable Los Angeles setting. Kodagolian’s
utilizing sprawling Argentine landscapes and the seductive
struggle to maintain his relationship and family, while grappling
Hollywood Hills as its dual canvas.
with his cinematic ambitions becomes an exercise in both trauma running
time,
Dominique
Pinon
Series, portrays the challenges of a filmmaker during production,
brisk
legend
Albert
The film, recently showcased by the DGA’s Director’s Finder
its
film
starring
alongside
Throughout
French
plot,
to produce his first independent feature, Somewhere Beautiful.
Somewhere
and civility. The second act of Somewhere Beautiful is a picture
Beautiful reinvigorates the relationship-drama with an infusion
of two partners unraveling, as they take their clumsy first steps
of majestic South American scenery and a poignant soundtrack.
towards the responsible dissolve of a formerly romantic union.
Composers Zander Schloss and Kevin Haskins (of Bauhaus
Shot on decisively different and luscious film stocks,
fame) supply an eerie and evocative undercurrent to the
the subsequent stories are paralleled by relevant and complex
restrained action, growing richer as the story unfolds. Together,
interpersonal emotions; when the one thing we love most slips
both sound and visual elements create a vastness for the film’s
through our fingers, we are left helpless spectators of our own
complementary narratives, setting the scene for analogous
fate. Despite the weight of each storyline’s visceral disturbance,
helpings of emotional turmoil.
both narratives leave the audience with a hazy sense of buoyancy.
The first storyline, shot in the breathtaking mountains and deserts of Patagonia, chronicles a developing love triangle
Somewhere Beautiful is a tale of quiet resilience that also serves as a gentle reminder for lovers to heed.
STREET ART
PHOTOS RON PRE | RONPRE.COM
GALLERY OPENINGS DAVE WHITE APEX GUSFORD Los Angeles May 2nd – June 21st Opening Reception: Thursday, May 1st, 6 pm Featuring a new series of oil paintings conceptualized around the iconography of the great white shark, Apex explores ideas of power and vulnerability by looking at a species both feared and revered. White arrests the animals in various stages of movement, creating haunting and poetic works that persuade the viewer to reassess their own relationship with the natural world. | gusfordgallery.com PEDRO VÉLEZ MORALLY REPREHENSIBLE 101 / exhibit May 3rd – July 12th Opening Reception: Saturday, May 3rd, 7 pm For his first solo exhibition in Los Angeles, artist Pedro Vélez produces a series of banners and large paintings that combine quotes by a number of art critics, bits and pieces of personal conversations, portraits of art world figures, and site-specific media to create a visual essay in which art journalism, social media, beauty, race, and political corruption collide. | 101exhibit.com TIME, SPACE & MATTER Pasadena Museum of California Art May 4th – August 31st Time, Space & Matter brings together six California artists who explore natural phenomena through installation. Using scientific data and techniques, as well as materials and media as varied as wood, glass, metal, video, ice, and sound, the artists create five works that give new form to environmental processes and the various histories of human interaction with them. | pmcaonline.org
ROBERT SWAIN THE FORM OF COLOR Santa Monica Museum of Art May 17th – August 23rd Opening Reception: Saturday, May 17th, 4 - 6 pm This immersive, site-specific exhibition explores Swain’s 45 years of research into the phenomenology of color. The Form of Color is comprised of interlocking, twelve by twelve inch squares of color, created specifically for the museum and the quality of light in Santa Monica. The result is an all-encompassing visual and physical encounter into the sublime. | smmoa.org MATT JOHNSON Blum & Poe May 31st – July 5th Opening Reception: Saturday, May 31st, 6 pm Matt Johnson’s sculptures delightfully explore the paradox of visual forms through unorthodox and surprising materials. Creating sculptures from everyday objects and drawing on both religious and scientific references, Johnson’s hand-crafted emblems of pop culture pose as microcosms of majestic wonder and contemplation. | blumandpoe.com JO ANN CALLIS HONEY Rose Gallery June 7th – August 2nd Opening Reception: Saturday, June 7th, 6 pm Rose Gallery presents an in-depth presentation of Callis’ photographic exploration in the late 1970s. The collection includes both early color and black and white photographs, showcasing a narrative of carefully staged photographs which mine the psychological and emotional pressures of domestic life. | rosegallery.net
JOHN ALTOON LACMA June 8th – September 14th John Altoon is the first major retrospective devoted to this littleknown yet important artist whose brief but significant career unfolded in southern California from the 1950s until his untimely death in 1969 at age 43. The exhibition includes approximately 70 paintings and drawings from public and private collections across the United States, reflecting Altoon’s hybrid style that combines abstraction with figuration. | lacma.org ANTON LIEBERMAN ltd los angeles June 11th – July 19th Opening Reception: Wednesday, June 11th, 7 pm Anton Lieberman works under the precept that time, as far as humans are concerned, is irrelevant. In this exhibition, Lieberman presents a mix of sculptures, utilizing neon tubes and colored light, to suggest how past and future melt into a gooey heap, imploring the viewer to seek new relationships between life, superstitions, and geometry. | ltdlosangeles.com
GET MORE OF LA’S BEST OPENINGS AT LACANVAS.COM
I 路 THE DESOLATE 路 PHOTOGRAPHY
NANCY SCHOENMAKERS
ASSISTANT ERIC ELENBA AS / MAKE-UP ARTIST BARBARA YNIGUE Z HAIR ST YLIST VERONICA NUNE Z USING LOVE AMIK A / ST YLIST TIFFANI CHYNEL MODEL MASHA RUDENKO @ PHOTOGENIC S
S WI M S UIT D R ES S
SUBOO
BCBG, BLOOMINGDALES BEVERLY CENTER B RA C ELET DANIELLE STEVENS
FINE THE FLUID TALES BEHIND LA’S MOST BEWITCHING PATTERNS
JUSTIN TYLER CLOSE RICHIE DAVIS MAKEUP CAITLIN WOOTERS HAIR ELISE WELCH MODEL CARSON @ FORD MODELS
PHOTOGRAPHY
STYLING
TEXT
ERIN DENNISON
If anyone understands the importance of detail, it’s Rozae Nichols. From the intricate patterns to the multifarious narratives they illustrate, the designer’s latest sartorial offering, Clover Canyon, showcases an instantly recognizable visual identity. Crayola palettes are displayed with measured opulence and adorn complementary silhouettes, resulting in garments that are both venturesome and poised—much like the designer herself. From the line’s 2012 debut, each season’s themes have been embossed with a sardonic playfulness that keeps their complex cultural anecdotes lighthearted. Contradictory, curious, and thoughtful, Nichols moves with intent. Rozae greets me at the door of their tenth floor offices, and leads me across a well-lit space of samples and polite employees. She is gracious, well-spoken, and striking, wearing an exquisite shade of burnt red matte lipstick (that I really should have inquired about). Over the next hour and change, our conversation morphs from the tricky logistics of LA production to the algorithm of nuanced wit. All in all, we discuss what makes this unique brand, its creators, and consumers, tick. So, what comes first, the story or the approach? Nicols explains, “More than anything, it’s the textile and the narrative within the history of textile development that has always fascinated me since the 25 years of doing this. I’ve always worked with print and pattern. And I’ve always had a head for regional textiles and symbols—how cross-cultural they can be and how exclusive they are to certain regions of the world.” She elaborates by describing an analytical perspective more comprehensive than I anticipated. “They’re certain universal symbols that exist but in different colorations, depending on dyes available in various countries, or the celebration of hues, which are symbolic to different cultures. That is one of the foundations of the idea of this line. So it’s not just the journey of the physical place, it’s also the research and appreciation of all the pattern involved in all of these places.” As history so often has it, many regions have endured a complicated chronicle laced with political unrest, resulting in a synthesis of cultures. Clover Canyon isn’t shy about addressing the obscure veracity right along with the notable fancy. “For
“
MORE THAN ANYTHING, IT’S T H E N A R R AT I V E WITHIN THE H I S TO R Y O F T E X T I L E D E V E LO P M E N T T H AT H A S A LWAY S FA S C I N AT E D M E . . . I ’ V E A LWAY S HAD A HEAD FOR REGIONAL TEXTILES A N D SY M B O L S — H OW C R O S S - C U LT U R A L THEY CAN BE AND H O W E XC L U S I V E T H E Y A R E TO C E R TA I N R E G I O N S O F T H E WO R L D.
”
example,” Crayola explains, “we used tribal beading this season.
well above standard wage requirements), which Nichols has
I found this to be more beautiful and intrinsic to quality than the
judiciously termed fluid. “The key is transparency. For us it’s
colonial fine gems and excavation of diamonds in South Africa.
quite genuine. I’ll say it’s never easy, but it certainly becomes
So we played with juxtaposing all of those images. Using beautiful
more fluid.” A note to LA designers—elevated standards in
western cut jewels and interweaving them with African cloth. Or,
content and manufacturing are certainly not the easy route, but
on the other hand, using the beading and mixing those images
they are attainable, and fulfilling.
with traditional English lace and so forth. Constantly crossing . . . and celebrating the weight of the beauty of both sides.”
To define anyone by their job description is reductive at the best of times, but in the case of Nichols and her small,
From imperialism to Irish folklore, the contemporary
but potent creative team, it’s positively misleading. Presumably,
line has found its voice by delving into the edification and spirit
there are few fashion designers who muse such grandiose
of the regions it muses. Even in its youth, Clover Canyon has
notions as Aristotle’s manners with the constitution of ancient
managed to solidify an identity of a rolling aesthetic conversation.
Greek patrimony, in order to construct a chiffon baseball jacket.
Unexpectedly scholarly, sure, but let us not forget to mention the
The hand-made prints of Clover Canyon are painted by brush,
potency of their flattering silhouettes and carefully chosen hues
guided by an unmistakably anthropological whimsy.
every season. And of course, the brand’s responsible production
collections deep, this instantly esteemed women’s contemporary
practices (they print locally, cut in-house, and pay their workers
line is heady for the cerebral, but elegant for everyone.
Only five
CLOVERCANYON.COM
MODEL B E H AV I O R
COURTNEY MONEY
WITH A Q U E S T I O N A B LY AUTHENTIC NAME AND S I G N AT U R E P L AT I N U M D O ’ , U TA H - N AT I V E COURTNEY MONEY IS TA K I N G L A I N TO H E R OW N BEJEWELED FISTS.
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO LATELY?
Mostly trying to get a six-pack since summer’s coming up. TRUE, TRUE. SPEAKING OF SUMMER, ARE YOU STILL LOVING LA SINCE YOU MOVED HERE SIX MONTHS AGO?
I’m still liking it a lot. I like that everyone here is trying to do something. Everyone here has a lot of drive. You can go up to just about anyone and they’re working on something cool and may look like everyone else, but they’re really the CEO of some company. Also, the dating scene is really funny here. Nobody really dates, because everyone’s really focused on themselves. HAVE YOU BEEN GOING ON A LOT OF DATES?
No. I don’t think so (laughs). It’s just me . . . people watching. ANY THOUGHTS ON TINDER?
Oh my god, it’s so awkward. I made a Tinder profile for fun when I was back in Utah, but people out here take that stuff seriously! I only ever swiped ‘yes’ on one guy, and then he turned out to be kind of rude. I’m not going on there anymore, ha! FORGET THAT! DO YOU SEE YOURSELF STAYING IN LA PERMANENTLY?
Yeah, I mean, ultimately, I want to start traveling soon for modeling. It’s not like I can see myself ever really going back to Utah. But I’d love to travel and come back to LA. COULD
WE MET FOR COFFEE A N D TA L K E D TINDER, I N S TA G R A M S TA L K I N G , AND STEALING DOGS . . .
YOU
EVER
SEE
YOURSELF
MAKING
THE
TRANSITION INTO ACTING? YOU SEEM LIKE YOU’D BE A NATURAL.
I’ve thought about it. I’ve definitely been approached. Mostly because people see me as this scary, dark character. WHICH YOU’RE NOT AT ALL...
Yeah, I don’t know. I’m not, but I dig that. WHAT’S THE CRAZIEST STORY YOU HAVE FROM ON-SET?
I had to do this music video once and wear a bunch of snakes (shudders). I also get pretty nervous when people have to watch me on set, but I can’t freak out . . . I have to play it cool.
HAVE YOU EVER FAN-ED OUT OVER ANYONE?
Oh yeah, I get starstruck all the time! Mostly by photographers that I really want to work with. I have this mental list of all the photographers I want to shoot with. It’s crazy because I’m already getting to cross so many off the list. There’s so many whose work I really admire. HAS ANYONE FAN-ED OUT OVER YOU?
People will stop me in the street sometimes who know me from my Instagram and ask me to take pictures. I’m like, ‘What?! No way! You guys don’t even know me. I’m nobody!’ I’m still trying to ‘make it.’ I’m in awe of it. HAVE YOU HAD THAT “I’VE MADE IT” MOMENT YET?
Um, hmm . . . having an interview with you. THAT’S WHAT I THOUGHT.
Honestly, I wasn’t even that sure about modeling since I’m a little shorter than most models, so getting signed to my agency was actually a big deal for me. AND THEN YOU BLEACHED YOUR HAIR. . .
And my eyebrows! I’ve penciled them in today (laughs). I’m not sure what to do with my hair though. It’s breaking off already. THE PERILS OF BEING BLONDE. . .
Yeah, exactly. I could cut it super short. Or should I just shave my head? HOW DOES YOUR FAMILY FEEL ABOUT YOU MODELING?
My dad thought it was a fun dream for me—which, to an extent, it is. So he was kind of, ‘Okay kid, see ya!’ My mom loves it. She’s actually coming out to see me tomorrow for a little vacation. OH THAT’S FUN, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO DO?
I don’t know, something touristy that I probably haven’t done yet. Disneyland or Koreatown . . . or Hollywood Boulevard? I haven’t even been to LACMA yet! REALLY?
It’s funny because all of the things that people like to do, I tend to get overwhelmed by. Especially since there’s so much to do in LA. Because I have too many choices, I end up not really doing anything. I end up staying home. I’ve been thinking about fostering a dog. DOES THAT MEAN YOU RENT IT AND RETURN IT? BECAUSE THAT’S SOMETHING I’M INTERESTED IN.
Oh yeah. There’s a place on Fairfax. Wanna go?
A N N A H A R T Y | I N T E RV I E W & ST Y L I N G H I L L A RY CO M STO C K J U L I E F I G U E R OA | M O D E L CO U R T N E Y M O N E Y @ P H OTO G E N I C S
PHOTOGRAPHY HAIR
&
MAKEUP
CLOTHING PROVIDED BY NASTY GAL
THE
--PHO T O GR A PH Y NANCY S CHOENMAK ERS --ST Y L I N G TO N AGUIL A R M A K E - U P BA RBA R A Y NI GUE Z H A I R RE E – C E L E STINE AGE N CY PH O T O A S S I STA N T E RI C E L E NBA A S ST Y L I N G A S SI STA N T O CTAV I O TA PI A M OD E L S JA RRE T T M O RE L A ND @ C L I C K M O D E L S M A RK L AV E L L E @ C L I C K M O D E L S HE AT HE R K E ME S K Y @ V I S I O N JU STIN BA RC O @ PH OTO GE NI C S
H E AT H E R jacket RIK VILLA / blouse KUT / shirt TOPSHOP pants NUDIE JEANS / boots MIZ MOOZ
H E AT H E R jacket VIVIENNE WESTWOOD / top IN MY AIR / overalls RIK VILLA socks VANS / boots KEROL D / jewelry BAUBLEBAR J U S T I N jacket KILL CITY / shirt KTZ / pants by MARC BY MARC JACOBS boots DR. MARTENS / jewelry LILLIAN CROWE
M A R K jacket VINTAGE / pants LEVIS / underwear HANES
erfect
photography MAGDALENA WOSINSKA styling TODD PEARCE grooming BARBARA YNIGUEZ model COLIN @ NEXT MODEL MGMT garments and accessories provided by TANNER GOODS WOODLAND SHOP
gentleman
L E AT H E R N EV E R LOOKED SO GOOD TE XT
ERIN DENNISON
Gavin McInnes, co-founder of Vice, once said, “As soon as it’s a thing—its over.” If there were a shor thand for ruggedlyhandsome-gentleman-you’d-want-to-be-or-be-with, it would be the ubiquitous menswear term, “heritage.” With an understandable craving for a culture soaked with yellow 5, Reddit crowd sourcing, and 4G data packages, the gentleman archet ype in today’s industr y has undergone something of a bastardization as of late. Well, the fellows over at Tanner Goods hail from the Graceland of post-modernism, Por tland, where the genre has always been indisputably authentic, and the brand has been producing high-qualit y, leather goods for over 50 years. Their products are made exclusively from premium, domestically-sourced materials sewn by a saddle maker who has been honing his craf t since 196 4. While the epidemic of “heritage” poseurs and their their oppressive presence among the seasonal trade shows will undoubtedly continue to induce our collective eye rolls, these fascist, fast-fashion retailers only serve to elevate the sincerit y of brands like Tanner Goods. These pioneers will continue to walk the walk. Because, ultimately, wouldn’t we all prefer our well-tailored men thought ful, honest, and smelling of leather? With their newest storefront set ting up shop in our beloved DTL A, we caught up with Tanner’s Mike Andersen to get their take on sustainable design, bespoke tailoring, and copycats.
DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELVES FASHION DESIGNERS, CRAFTSMEN, OR SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN? IF SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE, CAN YOU QUANTIFY IT? We are designer-minded, quality-based manufacturers and skilled craftsmen. While our outright focus is on high-quality craftsmanship and US based manufacturing, our product line is rooted in a design and utilitarian viewpoint. We’re here to make products that will remain useful for a long time to come. If we add something to the line, you can rest assured that it’s here to stay. That same belt we sell today is essentially the same belt we sold five years ago, and we like to think it will be that exact same belt in 50 years. WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE DESIGN TO YOU? WHERE DO YOU START AND WHAT’S YOUR PROCESS LIKE? DOES IT VARY FOR EACH PRODUCT? It varies from product to product and category to category. Sometimes it starts with finding a solution, other times, it’s more about filling a void in our product line that we relate to. We are always trying to grow and progress within the identity of Tanner Goods. YOUR CUSTOMERS SEEM TO BE FIERCELY LOYAL. AS YOU EXPAND YOUR BRAND, HOW DO YOU PLAN TO KEEP THE INTIMATE CONNECTION TO YOUR CUSTOMER? COULD MORE PRODUCT CUSTOMIZATION IN YOUR STORES BE PART OF YOUR FUTURE? We will absolutely continue to expand the bespoke nature of our product line over time. Inevitably, customers will be able to pick certain key-styles and choose every single identifiable component. From the leather type to the hardware color, canvas weight and trim options . . . everything really. We’d love to evolve this in a slow, controlled environment. You will see some more of this down the line but it won’t be an overnight change. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON YOUR SITE? The Nokori Folding chair, our first foray into furniture. We love it.
TO US, YOUR M.O. OF “HONEST DESIGN” SETS YOU APART FROM THE MENSWEAR TREND MONSTERS WE’VE BEEN SEEING THESE DAYS. CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT HONEST DESIGN MEANS TO YOU? Honest design means never creating frivolous product. In our retail space, we don’t encourage impulsive purchases, rather, we want our customers to buy the things they need, to last, and to keep and hold onto. IS THERE ANOTHER LIFESTYLE, FASHION, OR CRAFTSMAN BRAND YOU FEEL KINDRED TO? We find common ground with some of the storied qualityfirst manufacturing and design companies in Portland. The Danners, Dehens and Snow Peaks of the world. In a more contemporary sphere, we wholeheartedly support smaller independent brands like Tellason and Topo. Brands with a similar story to ours, we relate to that. WHY ACCESSORIES? We felt there was a void in the marketplace for durable, long-lasting, made-in-USA goods. It just seemed natural to gravitate towards accessories. Tanner Goods is deeply rooted in getting back to working with your hands. Our products have a broad, season-less appeal. Who doesn’t need a belt? We’re opposed to the fast-fashion cycle. We like slow fashion. If you order something on our site, it’s going to be made specially for you, one piece at a time. Every single item in our line is made one by one, to order. It will likely become more efficient, but it will never lose that inherent quality of handmade craft by a skilled maker. WHAT’S NEXT FOR TANNER? More home goods, apothecary expansion, ceramics, and the further expansion of the customizable options in both our retail and web experiences. We’ve got some exciting projects up our sleeve for 2014 and beyond. Stay tuned.
860 S BROA DWAY LOS A NGE LE S, CA 90014
TA NNE RGOODS.COM
DENIM DAZE photography ANTHONY DEEYING
styling TODD PEARCE
blazer NUDIE JEANS
overalls RES DENIM / jewelry NICOLE MENG / boots TOPSHOP OPPOSITE PAGE shirt KILL CIT Y / jeans DIESEL
shirt KILL CIT Y jeans DIESEL
top KAHLO skirt TOPSHOP necklace WANDERLUST + CO. shoes + socks ST YLISTS OWN
ON HER vest + shorts DIESEL / ring + collar LIKE A CIT Y jewelry WANDERLUST + CO / boots ST YLIST’S OWN ON HIM shirt + shorts DIESEL / jacket NUDIE JEANS
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#TRE NDI NG
T R E N D M AT R I X E XO R B I TA N T NICHOLAS KIRKWOOD BLACK LACE UP DERBY $1200
SOLE BIKES THE SQUEEZE $399
JONATHAN ADLER NICO FRACTAL THROW PILLOW $298
HARLYN THE VIVIENNE JUMPER $334 BE POSITIVE X STUSSY HOKKOH B (FIORI ROSSI) II CHUKKA SHOE $230 WARBY PARKER GIRLAMES WHISKEY TORTOISE $145
UPSTATE FIREWORKS SILK TEDDY $305 KRISTINIT KALEIDOSCOPE LINDA DRESS $210
RAEN SQUIRE RX FOR MEN $200
M&CO 5 O’CLOCK WALL CLOCK $100
VIVIENNE WESTWOOD ORANGE TARTAN BILLFOLD WALLET $140
10 DEEP 30-30 SWEATSHIRT $96
MAGNETIC KITCHEN LASER ENGRAVED SKATE DECK $95 MOLLUSK WAVE PATTERN BOARD SHORTS $62
KOMONO WIZARD TWEED WATCH $110
BLIND BARBER THE REGIMEN $58
BENEFIT CHACHATINT $30
WA N T
NEED
NIXON KENSINGTON LEATHER WATCH $125
POKETO KOREA TOWN MARKET BAG $68
MODERN VICE JETT OXFORD $225
NEFF NEVER GROW UP BEANIE $28
POKETO FLORAL IPHONE 5 CASE HAIGHT ASHBURY $36 SUBURBAN SHANGA $78
UNDEFEATED LA GALAXY LS $32
THE IMPOSSIBLE PROJECT COLOR FRAMES 600 FILM $24
E CO N O M I C A L
THE HUNDREDS BLACK GRAY SLANT OVER BUCKET HAT $36 BUMBLE AND BUMBLE SURF SPRAY $26
Stockist enquiries: +1 (310) 957-2070 info@keepcup.com
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ON E S TO WATC H
ONES TO WATCH LA’S FRESH FACES AND THEIR CREATIVE ENDEAVORS
text KACY EMMETT
FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS ANNALIESE NIELSEN If our lives are all one big social network, Annaliese Nielsen is the prom queen— and way hotter than those nerds up in Silicon Valley. Nielsen founded the alt-porn website GodsGirls, but the Internet entrepreneur recently gave us another reason to swoon. Her latest venture, Crushee, co-founded with Atom Smith and Brent Akamine, is a social network that let’s you make friends without the pressure of putting out. The site ditches that horny Tinder vibe for a connection with people you just haven’t met yet. It’s set up so that existing users vet newcomers to weed out any creeps. Crushee is an outlet worth checking out, or rather, checking into. Whether you’re new to a city or just really tired of your old crowd, Nielsen gets it. It’s not a competition, but this girl is winning the Internet. @TORNADOLIESE // CRUSHEE.COM
SHOW ME YOURS JENA WEIR SALES At Jena Weir Sales, style is contagious and the DTLA showroom has grown into a mecca for chic clientele on a crusade for cute accessories. The showroom features high-end, designer wholesale from Vanessa Mooney, Modern Vice, Luv AJ, Tasi Malibu, Jenny Bird, Adina Reyter, Stela 9 & Wonderland. Jena Weir and her team stay ahead of the curve, featuring a realm of coveted accessories from promising designers with laid-back ease. Bringing the West to the East, the showroom has recently set up shop in a second location, adding the fashion district of Manhattan to her sartorial kingdom. So whether you prescribe to a SoCal bohemian vibe or edgy-model-off-duty state of mind, Jena Weir Sales is always trending, determined to bring buyers an exquisite selection of emerging and established designers. @JENAWEIRSALES // JENAWEIRSALES.COM
RIGHTEO US THREADS DELLA The LA-based brand Della does business with a conscience. All of Della’s iPad cases, travel bags, and accessories are handmade by a team of women in Ghana who use locally sourced vegan textiles. It gets sweeter—every dollar from a Della purchase stays in the family, funding the women’s jobs, education, and healthcare benefits. The brand’s founder, Tina Tangalakis, has taken care to make sure her team of over 50 Ghanaians are given the opportunity to succeed. And their work hasn’t gone unnoticed. Urban Outfitters, Apple, and most recently Vans have collaborated with Della to support virtuous design. While you’re spring-cleaning, give your closet the humanitarian rebranding it’s been missing and walk tall this spring in a pair of mindful soles. @DELLALOSANGELES // DELLALA.COM
TRAV E L
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LO O KS BY TAV IK RAEN ML L E ST YL I N G OLIVIA LOPEZ @ L U ST F O R L I F E MA K E U P NA P O L E O N P E R D I S
ON THE ROAD
photo COLLIN HUGHES
OLIVIA LOPEZ PACKS HER BAGS FOR OUR NEW TRAVEL SERIES
Ahhh
#LACTRAVEL LACANVAS.COM
from
And you know what else Angelenos have to
traffic cop fascism and occasionally fabricated venue
Southern
California.
Aside
be grateful for? Aside from our increasingly thoughtful
lines, we are lucky to reside in the promise land of
population, we have the ability to drive 100 miles in
perfect weather and (comparatively) competitively
any direction and embark upon a pretty solid day trip,
priced housing. Los Angeles offers arguably the
with very little planning required.
highest quality of life in the US, thanks in part to
With the arduous festival season in our rear
our underdog urban planning mentalityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;one of the
view, we decided to pack a bag and explore the Golden
few metropolises so accustomed to bad press, that
State with our tax returns in hand and LAC Ambassador
legislators have begun aggressive campaigning for
Olivia Lopez leading the way. Head over to LACANVAS.
welcomed improvement.
com to catch her ode to left coast travel, On the Road.
s w e e t
e s c a p e B E N E AT H T H E D E S E R T S U N L I E S K O R A K I A P E N S I O N E , PALM SPRINGS’ BEST KEPT SECRET.
One of the spoils we Angelenos enjoy
With less than 30 rooms within the property,
the ability to easily escape the city smog for
each suite has its own distinctive theme, offering
a weekend desert retreat. In a city so inundated
guests a unique experience. Idyllic titles like
with all things #trending, some creative clarity or
‘Casablanca,’ ‘Mykonos’ and ‘Marrakech,’ promise
a restorative staycation can be the healthy dose
a
of “me-time” you’ve been craving. So steer away
bedroom. Hungry? A morning at Korakia includes
from the noisy pool parties at the Ace and avoid the
a complimentary breakfast (and a delicious one
fashionable pretension at the Parker. Instead, treat
at that), while afternoon guests are served light
yourself to the getaway you really deserve. Cue in
refreshments along with Moroccan tea and cookies.
is
unique
escape
and
strikingly
picturesque
Korakia Pensione—a meditation villa that lies in a
But the most charming element to the
sleepy neighborhood just a few stray blocks from
hotel is its offering to guests—day beds strewn
Palm Canyon Drive. The hotel serves as a luscious
across the property, a bocce ball court, and a library
desert portal that, depending on which side of the
lounge filled with well-loved books. Its charm is
villa you prefer, transports you to both Morocco
timeless and improves like wine, an experience that
and the Mediterranean. Upon setting foot into the
the average hotel experience just can’t live up to.
bougainvillea-lined keyhole entrance you can’t help
Out of all of the endearing qualities
but feel completely at ease. Guests are welcome
of Korakia, my favorite is the stillness. It’s a calm
to wander the property—you’ll find yourself feeling
that is restorative. People come to the hotel to
more like a spoiled visitor at an inheritor’s seaside
decompress, fall in love, or gather inspiration. There
escape than a set of strangers in a Palm Springs
is no clinking of cocktails or loud sound systems
bed and breakfast. The staff is accommodating but
here, but a visually and audibly mellow escape.
unobtrusive, magically materializing and generously
The rich textiles and colors are arresting, as are the
obliging whenever necessary.
sounds of waterfalls and chirping sparrows that have
The “less is more” approach cannot
chosen to take refuge here. Korakia is a place of
be more evident than the suites inside Korakia.
self-preservation, and a sweet escape from daily life.
text + photo
OLIVIA LOPEZ
KO R A K I A . C O M
NAPOLEON
SAYS
EDUCATION IS
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MANIFEST G LU T TO N Y There’s nothing that satisfies our ADHD, epicurean desires more than a battery of options. In Los Angeles, where its beautifully diverse culinary trends, from raw-gluten-free-vegan, to pork belly everything, craft beers and wine bars popping up everywhere, it’s only natural that we host some of the best food and wine festivals in the nation. So if your diet is looking more like tacos and Coors than fromage and wine lately, stop by these gastronomically wondrous affairs, if not to please your woefully neglected palate, then to partake in the old-American pastime of all-you-can-eat-and-drink enterprise. MAY 9-10, 2014 | WINE RIOT
It’s said that the Greek god of wine, Dionysus, was born of Zeus’ thigh and was never seen without his trusted goblet of wine and entourage of admiring nymphs. Sounds like the life to us. Get into the spirit at Wine Riot, a biannual event centered on the refined grape concoction you never quite appreciated until you graduated college and realized it was a more elegant way to get your buzz on. THE SCOOP: A $60 ticket gains you access to unlimited tastings of over 250 types of wine. If you’re like us and used to feign your vino knowledge (swish and sniff, right…?), Wine Riot also has educational seminars and interactive booths where you can learn to use words— like buttery, oaked, dry, and full-bodied—without sounding like an unrefined idiot. They’ve even got an app to help your boozy-self remember the wines you tried and liked! | secondglass.com/wineriot
MAY 17, 2014 | VEGAN BEER & FOOD FESTIVAL
A festival dedicated solely to Vegan beer and food? To be honest, we didn’t even know that Vegan beer was a thing. To think that our vegan brethren might ever be deprived of beer? It’s a travesty. And now we must drink. You know, in the name of choice. Beer choice. THE SCOOP: With over 40 breweries and dozens of food vendors, this event, true vegan-philes, is your playground. No more feeling awkward when the wait staff looks at you cluelessly when you ask for a vegan beer. For about 30 bucks, craft breweries like Golden Road, Ballast Point, Triple Voodoo and more will be present to pour as many tastings as your heart desires. Food vendors include Gracias Madre, Mohawk Bend, Southern Fried Vegan, and more. A portion of proceeds will go to K-9 Connection. | veganbeerfest.com
MAY 31 - JUNE 1, 2014 | LA WINE FESTIVAL
Now that you’ve wet your feet with Wine Riot, why not do it all over again with the LA Wine Festival? Unlike Wine Riot, this festival is mostly outdoors and promises a larger selection of wines. Into its 9th year, the event is a great summer activity where you can improve your multi-tasking abilities by getting both a tan and a buzz. THE SCOOP: Certified winos and novices alike can sample from over 500 wines, and a handful of beers and spirits. If you skipped the education at Wine Riot and went straight into the tasting, LA Wine Fest also features informative seminars. You’ll even have eight gourmet food trucks to choose from, you know, in case the drunchies hit. | lawinefest.com
JUNE 1, 2014 | TASTE OF THE NATION, LA
Forget having to Yelp every category possible to appease your homies. Venture on an outing to Taste of the Nation, a culinary event held to benefit the ‘No Kid Hungry’ program from non-profit, Share Our Strength. Gorge on tasty dishes from over 40 of the best chefs in LA and help fundraise for a worthy cause. THE SCOOP: A general admission ticket is $110, and allows you unlimited access to plates from an ever-growing list of participating restaurants, including: the Border Grill, Bucato, Church & State, Cliff’s Edge, Girasol, Phorage, Superba, Plan Check, and many more. Beer and spirits will be provided by El Segundo Brewing Co., The Bruery, Soigné Group, and Congenial spirits. | ce.strength.org/losangeles
JUNE 28, 2014 | LA STREET FOOD FEST
What’s there to do when you busted your phone last night while drunkenly taking a #selfie, rendering you Twitter-less and unable to determine the location of your favorite food truck? When you’ve been daydreaming of some mythical truffle bacon grilled cheese but can’t be bothered traversing the freeways for a food truck that might well be gone by the time you emerge from the traffic labyrinth that is the 10? THE SCOOP: You head to the LA Street Food Fest. That’s right—all your favorite street foods in one convenient location. You can forego the social-media-stalkage and consume all the questionably prepared bites you desire. Beware of long lines, and be sure to bring cash for maximal ease. | lastreetfoodfest.com
GET TH E SCOOP ON LA’S LATEST A N D GR EATEST EATS AT LACA N VAS.COM
111 S San Pedro St Los Angeles, CA 90012 www.izakayafu-ga.com 213.625.1722
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THERE ARE SO MANY VARIATIONS OF THESE CLOUD CAKES, HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE RECIPES FOR THE MERVEILLEUX AT LA MERVERTTY? WHAT WAS YOUR TRAINING IN PASTRY LIKE?
I started making them in my home. In a little micro oven. I had no school, no training, no nothing. Just me in my little kitchen with eggs everywhere. I spent two years just doing that. I wanted to get it right for myself, forget the idea of a business. When I did meringue without the cream, I used my own recipe. The first was like glue. I asked bakeries around how they made meringue and everybody gave me ideas. But most were hard as rocks. Finally, one day, it came out by accident. I thought, ‘This is it! This is my recipe.’ But I wanted to do Merveilleux, not just meringue, so I started buying cream from supermarkets, whipping all the creams you could imagine in this city. DO YOU THINK LOS ANGELES HAS BEEN A GOOD PLATFORM FOR THE LAUNCH OF YOUR DELECTABLE TREATS?
Los Angeles has been wonderful. I wasn’t expecting this much success in the first two weeks. I see repeat customers and regulars which gives me such a good feeling. I started this in Los Angeles at an event for BMW where they had three or four thousand people and invited me to make Merveilleux. I thought, ‘Oh my god, how am I going to do this?’ So I searched for a rental kitchen and made thousands of mini Merveilleux with chocolate and nutella. I had no idea what I was doing. They were not as pretty! But people started calling me about them after the event. I had no store, no website and I had to think about how I was going to do this. So I did another few events with a big demand and I thought, ‘Okay, this is it. I am going to lease a store’. And it really came together.
MARVELOUS MERVEILLEUX
BESIDES YOUR OWN CONFECTIONS, WHAT IS THE BEST PASTRY YOU’VE HAD AND WHERE WAS IT?
text NOAH BRISCOE photo SHANT KIRAZ
ETTY BENHAMOU OF LE MERVETTY AND HER MERINGUE OBSESSION
It’s not often that we get a chance to meet a self-taught meringue artist, who after two years in her own small kitchen, opens a Merveilleux shop to critical acclaim. Her love of Ballet, fluffy egg whites, and a discerning palate, have created a melt-in-your-mouth delicacy that has Los Angeles buzzing. Her bubbly personality (and tutued apron) greets all of her customers as they enter her pristine white palace of meringue and cream. Try to resist the gorgeous, light, and airy cloud cakes—we dare you. Etty Benhamou engages LA CANVAS with the origins behind her passion, dedication, and the deliciousness that is Le Mervetty.
WE HEARD THAT THE NAME LE MERVETTY COMES FROM A COMBINATION OF YOUR NAME, ETTY, AND THE DELICIOUS MERVEILLEUX OR “CLOUD CAKES” YOU ARE NOW FAMOUS FOR. WHEN DID YOU FIRST ENCOUNTER A MERVEILLEUX?
I had the chance to visit Lille in France in 2002. Lille is a city filled with Merveilleux. They have it everywhere in different ways, like the way Tiramisu is found all over certain regions of Italy. The more I tasted the cream and different Merveilleux, the more I loved it. I had to bring it with me to Los Angeles.
Meringue in Paris—best thing ever. Pierre Hermé’s chocolate meringues. I went crazy for them. No cream or anything, just the chocolate meringue. They have just the best pastry and cakes I have ever seen. I bought so many of those meringues and they were twelve Euros each! I didn’t care. They were that good. My husband said, ‘how many of those can you eat?’ I just told him I had never had anything that amazing! WHAT DO YOU SEE BUILDING INTO THE LE MERVETTY FAMILY, LET’S SAY FIVE YEARS FROM NOW?
I actually see it as a family business. I want my son and daughters to be involved in keeping Le Mervetty alive. I also want to expand everywhere. My real dream is to include children in the process, particularly girls. I would love to have a space where girls could dress up and make and decorate meringue. I would love to have classes for kids to create them, color them, make them their own. It would be exciting. 319 N CANON DRIVE BE VE RLY HILLS , CA 9 021 0
L E M E RV E T T Y.CO M
Br
BREAKING BREAD
text REBECA ARANGO
p h o to E L I Z A B E T H DA N I E L S
B
SUPERBA FOOD + BREAD IS VENICE’S MOST AMBITIOUS FOODIE HAVEN YET
“Everyone from New York is moving to Venice,” someone told me the morning before I ate at Superba Food + Bread. And wouldn’t you know it, many of the people responsible for the new Venice restaurant, including Chef Jason Neroni, Chef Jason Travi, and Baker Jonathan Eng (even our server Ian) all cut their teeth working in the Big Apple. By what could only be described as a coincidence, it seems that as hordes of sophisticated, pale urbanites invade the sleepy beach town, it’s evolving from a flip-flop haven / Burner depot to a tastemaking cosmopolitan mecca. Indeed, with the arrival of a full-service restaurant, bakery, and coffee shop on Lincoln Boulevard (with wi-fi to boot!), Venice continues to up its urban cred, becoming more and more a group of vibrant walking neighborhoods instead of one swanky main strip surrounded by bungalows. Wait, so does this mean Venice is the next Brooklyn? When will The Sartorialist get here? Hold up hunnies. No need to list your beach cruiser on Craigslist just yet. Venice has the potential to retain its surfbum charm even as big-whigs move in and open up SoulCycles. After all, it’s not every Tuesday you can eat half-a-duck without feeling like a member of the aristocracy. But at the old converted auto shop that is now Superba Food + Bread, there’s no pomp or circumstance about it. The whole production has a homespun touch—the duck is rotisserie-roasted -pseudo-Peking style, carried out on a big ceramic serving dish, and served with a humble entourage of earthy roasted vegetables. A well-manned rotisserie is only one of about a hundred things going on at any given moment in the 5,000 sq-ft space. There’s also a lively bread and pastry program, bringing you loaves of pain au levain and chia seed sourdough to go—or pretzel croissants and vanilla brioche sticky buns to enjoy with your morning latte. That’s right, even coffee has its own “program” (a mod shed in the corner manned by a wise barista). The culture of scratch infuses everything, from house-made jams, dressings, and pickled goodies to specially cured charcuteries— like the pink and succulent Testa, served on levain toast with herbs and hot pepper jelly, so good our server claims to have brushed his teeth with it. “I’m not kidding,” he insisted. Oh, and did we mention the wine bar? This is where you can enjoy a selection of fine French wines, made in the old-world style by small producers, some of whom have been farming organically before it was ever a commercial advantage. Meanwhile, ingredients are often local and adamantly seasonal. The produce is casted weekly or even daily to star in the succinct menu and nightly rotation of suppers. Which is how we ended up eating half a duck on a Tuesday, and telling all our curious neighbors (this was a neighborly bunch) how delicious it was. Because this was no peasant’s pheasant—glistening in a saucy glaze, tender and substantial, skin crisped with a sweet tang like roasted dates—one of those dishes that haunts you long after you’ve picked the bone clean. Sometimes unforgettable high-end dining means elaborately architected sculptures, carefully constructed bites, accompanied by squiggles of sauce. But isn’t there something irresistible about great seasonal food presented with minimal frills? We think so. And if you can feel at home in your overalls, even better. Between the homemade farmto-table ethos and the denim work-shirt on every server, Superba Food + Bread has taken the rustic aesthetic to its natural end. You heard it here first—the new livery of high-end dining is chambray. 1900 S. LINCOLN BLVD LOS ANGELES, CA 90291 SUPERBAFOODANDBREAD.COM
Let’s Be Friends!
www.LACoff Club.com
D R I NK
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GARDEN GIMLET This riff on a simple gin gimlet incorporates fresh garden herbs to accompany the tart and floral flavors of 1 1/2 OZ. ART IN THE AGE SAGE (or any floral gin) 1/2 OZ. FRESH LIME JUICE 1/4 OZ. ROSEMARY SIMPLE SYRUP* 1/4 OZ. P&H SODA CO HIBISCUS SYRUP SODA WATER Serve on the rocks with an herb bouquet of sage and rosemary, top with soda water. *Boil equal parts sugar and water, with the leaves of two rosemary sprigs. Strain and chill.
ISLAND OLD FASHIONED This is a twist on a classic old fashioned with a nod to the tropical native habitat of the hibiscus flower – tropical islands. So a spiced rum was used instead of traditional whiskey. 2 OZ. SPICED RUM 1/4 OZ. P&H SODA CO HIBISCUS SYRUP 1/4 OZ. VANILLA SIMPLE SYRUP* ANGOSTURA BITTERS ORANGE PEEL Serve on on a large rock with an orange peel garnish. *Boil equal parts sugar and water, with the with a whole vanilla bean. Strain and chill.
THE FARMER’S DAU GHTE R A summery sweet tea that can also be made into a pitcher or punch for a crowd—just top with champagne! 5 PARTS BOURBON 2 PARTS FRESH LEMON JUICE 2 PARTS HONEY CLOVE SYRUP* 1 PART P&H SODA CO HIBISCUS SYRUP 1/2 JAR OF EARL GREY TEA LEMON SLICES Combine all ingredients in mason jar or shaker, shake, chill until ready to serve, and pour over ice with a lemon slice. Can serve in a pitcher or punch bowl topped with Champagne or Ginger Beer for a
THEFARETRADE.COM
ALL IS FARE
text RACHEL MAE FURMAN
DIGITAL RETAIL MEETS A BOX WITH AN APPETITE
Everyone knows the most enchanting part
The newest addition to the curated box rage
of virtual purchasing is the nostalgia of receiving
is a LA-based startup, The Fare Trade. Max Block
packages at your doorstep. In the age of Netflix and
and Jake Ahles work with top chefs from around the
Amazon, the former delayed satisfaction of snail mail
country to source locally made, artisanal, and small
has all but evaporated. What was once a mystery
batch products they love and (more importantly) show
allotment of “business days” has been significantly
you different ways to use them via video tutorials and
reduced to an extremely manageable time frame at low
recipes from some of your favorite influencers—all for
cost to the consumer.
65 bucks a month.
The refinement of the online
shopping business, and subsequent lubrication of the
We tapped Rachel Mae Furman, blogger
practice has made our collective existence a whole lot
behind Smoke + Honey and National Ambassador for
easier. Digital retail has considerably stepped up its
Art in the Age, to test run a current Fare Trade Box,
game, resulting in the trend of convenience that we’re
featuring the Brooklyn-made Hibiscus soda syrup by
pretty sure no one is mad at.
P & H Soda Co.
BA R
BACK TO THE FUTURE
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text JAMIE GAUL
EIGHTYTWO OFFERS AN EPIC DOWNTOWN HIDEAWAY FOR ADULT GAMERS AND NOVICES ALIKE
When native Angelenos, Scott Davids and Noah Sutcliffe,
of the classics in addition to pursuing gamer trends. Trigger finger
set out to open a new bar in LA, they knew it had to be different.
growing limp? Once the sun retires, the venue plays host to a curated
They knew the challenge of planning and executing a project
selection of DJs, dancing, and tournaments, allowing guests to dabble
within a financially viable timeframe had been tried and failed by
in various degrees of the mature gamer experience.
many before them. But with the notion of a truly unique nighttime
While EightyTwo doesn’t serve food, they do plan to
experience creeping into their consciousness, they prepared to
collaborate with local restaurants and chefs to offer catered events and
accept the challenge. Gone are the days of our collective childhood
foodie friendly pop-ups. In the meantime, we can sip nerdy cocktails
spent campaigning for older siblings to buy us Tecate, killing time at
mused on the incredibly niche gaming culture. Need some extra kinetic
the mall, and practicing our dexterity to ensure the disoriented frog’s
energy to PWN those ambitious zombies? Grab any of their Cold Brew
safety. Thanks to Davids and Sutcliffe, adults now have an arcade
cocktails from the bar, which feature added doses of caffeine from
to call their own. Fit with retro games, live music, and delicious
ingredients like Thai Iced Tea and LAMILL cold brew coffee. See ya,
cocktails, Downtown LA just got a little bit more stimulating.
taurine--this mixology is next level (see what we did there?).
This entertainment-infused saloon (with a patio to boot)
Connoisseur or newbie, EightyTwo is more than just
features some of the best arcade games you’ve ever (and never) heard
a novelty nightspot. DTLA’s newest neighbor embraces playful
of. It’s a democracy out there, so the list of consoles rotates based
technology while still offering a ‘tip of the hat’ to yesteryear. But now
on popularity. Purists and cool hunters alike will be satisfied with the
we’re adults, and don’t have to take turns with our annoying narc
venue’s selection, as the guys promise to maintain a sturdy foundation
neighbor, Timmy.
707 EAST 4TH PLACE LOS ANGELES, CA 90013 EIGHTYTWO.LA
SCENE & HEARD L A CA N VA S 3 R D A N N UA L
CA R N I VA L E
MACK SENNETT STUDIOS S I LV E R L A K E , CA .
W
hat is there to even say about Canivale? Welp, if you missed it, sux 2 b U. It’s gonna be another 11 zodiac
cycles before you can catch the zany cocktail of burlesque dancers, basketball courts, aggressive gifting, and free-flowing booze again. But if you did make it, head to our Facebook page to see what everyone looked like with a flash. FA C E B O O K . C O M / L A C A N VA S M A G
A S T R @ C R E AT E C R E AT E N I G H T C L U B H O L LY WO O D , CA .
H
ave you been to Create? It’s seriously
the
largest
venue
we’ve ever been inside. And this past month, they were kind enough to let us set up shop for our Pre-
COACHELLA WEEKEND
Festival party. The homies from En
V E S TA L V I L L AG E , I N D I O , CA .
W
Crème, Tavik, 80’s Purple, Champion, Haight
Ashbury,
Zico
Water,
and
hile the suckers at Coachella
many others, provided gifting for our
braved the heat, crowds, and
Festival Survival Kits—which are still
sand, we decided to post up at Vestal
coming in pretty handy.
Village and chill the fuck out. The VIP bash hosted live performances, art installations and gifting, all within their comfortable, sprawling grounds. Astonishingly, we were able to haul our trailer counterpart, Betsy all the way down the 10 without getting pulled over.
photos MARK WALES
MISSED OUT?
M
ake sure you’re signed up for the LA CANVAS Weekly on LACANVAS.com to get in on the
upcoming festivities to ease you into summer.
20
21
17
19
16
18
15
FOOD TRIVIA NIGHT @ KING’S ROW
OPEN HOUSE OPEN HOUSE @ SAE
PARTY A TRIBUTE TO BEYONCE @ THE SATELLITE
PARTY ANNIVERSARY PARTY @ BLIND BARBER
CONCERT LYKKE LI @ THE THEATRE AT ACE
17 ART OPENING THE STORY OF VENICE @ LACMA
15 CONCERT LAURYN HILL @ CLUB NOKIA
28
PARTY ICEAGE @ THE CHURCH ON YORK
27
FESTIVAL ARTOPIA @ GRAND CENTRAL MARKET
26
CONCERT PARQUET COURTS @ THE ROXY
25
FILM “THE BIG LEBOWSKI” @ THE AUTRY IN GRIFFITH PARK
CONCERT PANDA BEAR @ EL REY
24
MUSIC PAPERCUTS @ THE SATELLITE
31
CONCERT MILES MOSLEY & FRIENDS @ VIPER ROOM
23
FOOD BEER TASTING SOCIAL @ URBAN RADISH
30
FILM GOODFELLAS @ EXPOSITION PARK
PARTY AFTERNOON DELIGHT @ THE STANDARD
22
PARTY DIVE CLUB @ THE ROOSEVELT
29
MUSIC CHARLYNE YI: LIVE ALBUM RECORDING @ THE CHURCH ON YORK
24
CONCERT POTTY MOUTH @ THE ECHO
TH 1
MAY S M
T
W
4
MUSIC DUB CLUB @ ECHOPLEX
S
EVENT NKLA ADOPTION WEEKEND @ LA BREA TAR PITS
CONCERT RODRIGO & GABRIELA TOUR @ ORPHEUM THEATRE
F 3 4
PARTY SPEAKEASY - OPEN MIC NIGHT @ THE LAST BOOKSTORE
7
2 CONCERT DANNY BROWN @ THE EL REY
4
PARTY CANVAS DAZE @ LOCK & KEY
6
ART OPENING DAVE WHITE @ GUSFORD LA
3
FESTIVAL UNIQUE LA @ CALIFORNIA MARKET CENTER
14
5
2 ART OPENING NATHAN MABRY @ CHERRY & MARTIN GALLERY
13
6
MARKET FARMERS MARKET @ GRAND PARK
PARTY GRAND OPENING @ BOURBON SUPPER CLUB
12
CONCERT YOUNG BLOOD HAWKE @ THE EL REY
11
9
OPEN HOUSE OPEN HOUSE @ LA FILM SCHOOL
10
8 CONCERT NONONO W/ TWENTY ONE PILOTS @ THE WILTERN
PARTY CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY @ WOLF & CRANE
10
MUSIC OCD:MOOSH & TWIST @ THE TROUBADOUR
9
CONCERT IN THE VALLEY BELOW @ THE ECHO
FESTIVAL 3RD ANNUAL LA PSYCH FEST @ THE BOOTLEG THEATER
FASHION BUFFALO EXCHANGE 40TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR @ LA BREA HQ
FESTIVAL LOS ANGELES SPIRITS EXPO @ LOS ANGELES CENTER STUDIOS
COMEDY FOUND FOOTAGE FESTIVAL @ NEW BEVERLY CINEMA
20
21
FASHION WAREHOUSE SAMPLE SALE @ ARK & CO. HQ
19
16
ART VENICE ART CRAWL @ VENICE
18
15 CONCERT BERNHOFT @ THE TROUBADOUR
17
CONCERT THE NOTWIST @ THE FONDA THEATRE
FILM BACK TO THE FUTURE @ THE THEATRE AT ACE
21
FOOD DTLA NIGHT MARKET @ STAPLES CENTER
28
19
27
PARTY FUNKY SOLE @ THE ECHO
16
FOOD PIG ROAST @ KING’S ROW
CONCERT DILLION FRANCIS @ THE FONDA
28
15 DANCE TCHAIKOVSKY TRILOGY @ LA BALLET
26
27
FOR MORE EVENTS IN REAL TIME, VISIT LACANVAS.COM
FOOD LUNCH Á LA PARK @ GRAND PARK
FILM PITCH PERFECT @ POINSETTIA PARK
FOOD FARMERS MARKET @ CULVER CITY
25
PARTY KARAOKE @ ALEX’S BAR
CONCERT FUTURE @ CLUB NOKIA
PARTY MUSTACHE MONDAYS @ LA CITA
LECTURE DAVID SEDARIS @ UCLA ROYCE HALL
PARTY AFTERNOON DELIGHT POOL PARTY @ THE STANDARD
FOOD MONDAY SUPPER @ LITTLE DOM’S
24
CONCERT JANELLE MONAE @ THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL
30
23
29
FOOD GAME CHANGER BURGER SERIES @ BURGER LOUNGE
22
FASHION MELROSE TRADING POST @ FAIRFAX HIGH
TH
F
S
7
JUNE W
6
PARTY 10TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY @ THE FACTORY STUDIO
T 5
PARTY JUNGLE @ EL REY
7
M
DRINK HAPPY HOUR @ BAR & KITCHEN
6
ART OPENING JO ANN CALLIS @ ROSE GALLERY
S
5
CONCERT LITTLE HURRICANE @ THE ECHO
1
2
4
FESTIVAL CRAFT NIGHT @ CAFAM
3
CONCERT TECH N9NE @ HOUSE OF BLUES
2
CONCERT TIMBER TIMBRE @ THE TROUBADOUR
1
CONCERT TYLER WARD @ THE WHISKY A GO GO
CONCERT COMEDY BRUNO MARS & PHARRELL WILLIAMS LOL’D SCHOOL COMEDY SHOW @ THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL @ THE IVAR THEATER
EVENT $9 CAT ADOPTION @ NKLA ADOPTION CENTER
WORKSHOP IMSTA FESTA @ SAE INSTITUTE LOS ANGELES
14
ART OPENING SHEPARD FAIREY & DENNIS MORRIS @ SUBLIMINAL PROJECTS
14
13 13
PARTY DIVE CLUB @ THE ROOSEVELT
12
COMEDY UNDATEABLE @ SECOND CITY
11
ART FREE TOURS @ THE HAMMER
10
CONCERT THE EELS @ ORPHEUM THEATER
9
COMEDY NERDIST OPEN MIC @ NERDMELT SHOWROOM
CONCERT ROCKY VOTOLATO @ THE SATELLITE
8 FESTIVAL LA PRIDE LGBT FESTIVAL @ WEST HOLLYWOOD PARK
8 ART OPENING JOHN ALTOON @ LACMA
ADopt ... from the swankiest sublet in town.
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92 O
LAST LOOK
90s BABE UNANIMOUS CRUSH: ANDROGYNOUS MODEL ERIKA LINDER
It is universally accepted that the most magnetic creature of our generation has been Leonardo DiCaprio circa 1998. Those eyes. That hair. The furrowed brow. Those hipbones. The androgynous sex appeal. What Google image search was designed for. What was it about the 90s heartthrobs that were so heartthrob-y? Le sigh, we don’t have the page count to get into it. But you can thank us now, because we have found your latest genderless obsession. Erika Linder, this issue’s cover girl, er person, has graced the pages of a dozen fashion magazines and prominent international campaigns, posing as both female and male. The Swedish ingénue got her start modeling in 2011 and was one of the first women to appear on men’s talent rosters. And because we are such Tumblr thugs, by both hobby and trade, she has been a significant part of our Chrome internet history for a minute now. Erika showed up to our shoot in her standard uniform of black skinny jeans, white tee, and a notably excellent leather jacket. As it was, there were an atypical number of babies on set that afternoon, and she happily kicked it with them while we asked her what it was like being so ridiculously good-looking (and really fucking cool). It should be noted that even four- to-eight-monthold little boys are not immune to her considerable charm.
IN 2011 YOU BEGAN SHOWING UP ON MEN’S BOARDS AS WELL AS
FEMALE?
WOMEN’S. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN EXPERIMENTING WITH GENDER?
Ok, so I have a girlfriend, but I never have crushes on women. Like ever. I have like no idea about female models. I’m so inspired by guys. My sister looks at my phone and she’s like, ‘Who’s that guy on your background?’ And I’m like, ‘Um, it’s Dylan Reider.’
The first photo shoot I did, I went to Paris to shoot as a young Leonardo DiCaprio. I’m such a huge fan—he’s my ultimate inspiration. And then one day the owner of Candy Magazine reached out to me on Facebook and wanted to shoot me as a young Leo for this limited edition issue, with, like, Terry Richardson and all these great photographers. It was about models dressing up as a character. After we shot, the photographer, Casper and I became friends, and she started shooting me as a guy for Muse Magazine. That was it. HOW DO YOU HOLD YOURSELF DIFFERENTLY WHEN MODELING AS A MAN? AS A WOMAN? HOW DO YOU FEEL WITH EACH ROLE?
It’s so funny ‘cause when my family sees my girly photos they’re like, “That’s not Erika.” And when the world sees my girl photos they’re like “Yeah—that’s a girl.” I guess I just start with an inspiration. I’m obviously not a masculine guy—I, like, look at River Phoenix, a young Leo, Ryan Gosling, or Kurt Cobain to get in on that vibe. I do have to be a little more tense to get in character. When I shoot as a girl, I just put on the clothes and I just feel really feminine. As soon as a put on high, heels I just feel completely different.
CURRENT FAVORITE READING MATERIAL?
I love reading biographies. I love fantasy books too, but if I read a biography I get so much inspiration from it—River Phoenix, Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp. Mostly guys. Mostly Actors. I love getting into some else’s mind. SONG OR ARTIST TO GET READY TO?
One of my favorite songs is ‘Ordinary World’ by Duran Duran and ‘Lucky Man’ by The Verve. I’m also like a sucker for boy bands. Not like the new stuff, but like *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Hanson. PLACE TO SPEND ALONE TIME?
Broome Street Cafe. Me and all my friends gather there. WHERE DO YOU HANG OUT IN LA?
Mostly on the Eastside and Little Tokyo, where the beer is cold and the karaoke’s hot.
FAVORITE MALE MODEL RIGHT NOW?
WHY WERE THE 90s SUCH A SEXY TIME FOR TEEN IDOLS?
I like the NEXT (Model Management) boys models. They’re commercial, but very edgy. I like Lucky Blue. Sean Ross is cool too.
I was born in 1990, I wanted to be in a boy band. They’re pretty, but tough. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s just like that hair and Romeo and Juliet!
photo MAGDALENA WOSINKSA @ERIKALINDER
MEET U S @AG E N DA LO NG BEACH JULY 10TH & 11TH, 2014