Loom Magazine #7: Tha Catwalk Instinct by Loom Magazine

The

C at

In wa l k

stin

The Catwalk Instinct

issue 7 is presented by the Faculty of Media of the Bauhaus-Universit채t Weimar

Contents Editorial /4 interview The fashion blogger /28 essay Muhajababes /46 essay Le Défilé /48 typology Bauhaus style /58 typology A clothing study /72 interview The hat-maker /94 interview The Mountain Man /108 Imprint /112

CAT Masks (please see also cover & page 5) Photopgraphers Lissy & Laura, Lissy Heckel, * 1984 in Jena, www.fashion-horses.blogspot.com, the-refashion@gmx.de and Laura Belker, * 1986 in Koblenz, www.fashion-horses.blogspot.com, the-refashion@gmx.de Concept Lissy & Laura Model Sebastian Prince Make Up Lissy Heckel Accessoires Lissy & Laura Postproduktion Lissy & Laura

Alexander Lembke says Hello

The Catwalk Instinct Style is primarily a matter of instinct. Taking advice from fashion designer Bill Blass, we followed our intuition which lead us to an all new issue of Loom: The Catwalk Instinct. So far our most ambitious issue, the 7th iteration of the photography platform of the Faculty of Media at Bauhaus Universität Weimar presents the outcomes of a photography class entirely dedicated to fashion photography. Initially keeping the expectations low, we are proud about the variety of the results and happy the resourcefulness of the topic. Passion and love for fashion met and our approaches to fashion photography have branched off into various visual shapes. A single perspective is never enough when you are really on the fence about something this important for our visually-dominated culture. Along our journey through the shiny world of fashion, we interviewed a hat-maker who shares her insights on making messages to the sky and we had a chat with the founder of the first and leading fashion-blog in Germany. We are going to find out how a mountain man looks like and we get an insider’s view on the importance of fashion for veiled women in the Arab world to name just a few. Certainly you will also find lots of great images from our contributors that have all been working hard to investigate numerous mysteries surrounding fashion photography. Once more Loom is supported by guest contributors who share their visions with us. If you are as excited about fashion and fashion photography as we are, the pieces in this issue invite you to discover our visions, fantasies and artistic positions and we hope they will tend to stay in your mind. We are eager to share them with you. Enjoy!

The love never dies! — Here we go! — On the Catwalk!

Mitsou to be or not or both or neither

Photographers Marlen Mueller * 1988 in Erfurt heyfotohey.blogspot.com lili.marlen.mueller@gmail.com und Alina Simmelbauer * 1981 in Sömmerda alina_simmel@yahoo.de Concept Marlen Mueller & Alina Simmelbauer Model Claude Gerber Make Up & Styling Marlen Mueller & Alina Simmelbauer Kleid Berit Stalter Postproduction Marlen Mueller & Alina Simmelbauer

Vilde Svaner don’t panic — it’s organic

Photographers das schmott Michael Ott * 1981 in Heidelberg www.dasschmott.de and Mathias Schmitt * 1978 in Heidelberg www.dasschmott.de Concept dasschmott Model Katrin Steiger Make Up Anne Gorke Styling Marcel Güntel & Anne Gorke Label Vilde Svaner www.vildesvaner.com Postproduction das schmott

Refashion An experimentation with form, space and corpus. The combination of these elements is unified in graphically dominated fashion photography.

For us fashion expresses a feeling of being alive. We always try to enrich our work with a personal signature. For us fashion photography is a demanding game. Our ambitions is to evoke the feeling that first struck us at the very beginning of a new idea. We want to create own spaces at and around the body; we want to break barriers, in order to remove everything that possibly

limits the room for interpretation. Fashion is not only a hull surrounding somebody but rather a second skin waiting to be designed and visually described. We want to overcome the ordinary by taking the picture, doing the makeup, set design and parts of the fashion design as a team of two. We are two visionaries with the compulsion to realise our ideas and to make them tangible.â&#x20AC;&#x201A; L&L

Photopgraphers Lissy & Laura Lissy Heckel * 1984 in Jena www.fashion-horses.blogspot.com the-refashion@gmx.de and Laura Belker * 1986 in Koblenz www.fashion-horses.blogspot.com the-refashion@gmx.de Making of Video www.fashion-horses.blogspot.com Concept Lissy Heckel & Laura Belker Model Anne-Kathrin Kosch Make Up Lissy Heckel Accessoires Lissy Heckel & Laura Belker Postproduktion Lissy Heckel & Laura Belker

Florian Bierbaum met Fashion Blogger Gunnar HĂ¤mmerle

Find a topic, try to be yourself, try to be good and post, post, post. or I want to stay objective â&#x20AC;Ś in my subjectivity.

Gunnar Hämmerle is running the well known Fashion Blog www.styleclicker.net — We wanted to look behind the scenes.

for hats — I don’t leave the house without them. I couldn’t imagine wearing colourful patterns. For me it’s important to express my personality in the outfit.

You’re the founder of the first and leading fashion blog in Germany. How did you come up with the idea? Well, actually Stil in Berlin

Name a piece of fashion that’s totally gone for you. Crocs! They were horrible but broken now anyway … (laughing) … I do not miss them.

(Style in Berlin) was the first one. In the end of ’06 I wanted to set up some kind of style community where people could upload pictures of their outfits … then I discovered facehunter.com and decided to found my own street style blog. The original idea behind that was to take pictures of well-dressed people in my city to show that there’s not the typical Munich look anymore. Meanwhile I photograph people everywhere …

How did your blog evolve during the years and what position did it take in your life since you started in 2007? Actually I just wanted to pursue my preference to photography. I was lucky at the beginning to be supported by thecoolhunter. net — a famous lifestyle-fashion-blog. They placed a banner on their site linking to my blog. After that I got 500 clicks a day. Due to the rising popularity of my blog, the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung (supplement Jetzt) wanted to cooperate with me. Since then I was able to sell my photo graphs. Later GQ, Glamour and Vogue became partners as well, so that as by now I can make a living from running Styleclicker.net. My brother is dealing with all technical aspects, I provide the content in form of the pictures.

Your photographs look like you meet people accidentally in the street. What’s behind all this? How do you select the people that end up in pictures on your blog? I really don’t know the people before. I walk through the streets to get inspired. First of all the charisma is more important than the outfit — the person has to catch my eye straight away. I don’t really have any criteria — the whole appearance has to convince me.

What is there to street fashion that the real catwalk cannot compete with? It is not unusual for fashion designers to get their inspiration from urban environments. However, since the arrival of the internet, it has become much easier to get in touch with what the hipster from metropolitan areas wear all over the globe. The big advantage of blogs is certainly that they much more up-to-date than the professional fashion publications.

You are half Swedish and often in your native country. Somehow it really seems that Swedes are stylistically more confident than Germans. Definitely! I don’t know why this is — I think that Germans show their status via their cars and houses. We are more than a car nation. Design has a bigger role in the Scandinavian countries. What is particulary creative for you? I don’t care if somebody wears brand clothes or not — or if somebody buys expensive or cheap clothes. It’s about how intelligent you combine them. I prefer wearing single-coloured garments, combined with one or two highlights. And I have a partiality

More and more fashion blogs pop up in Germany. Do you monitor the competition? I wouldn’t call it competition. For example, I’m friends with the guys from Stil in Berlin. But it is getting rougher as there are coming up so many fashion blogs at the

What are obstacles in your work? What can go

moment. Not long ago, I was at the Paris Fashion Week. There was no chance to secure a good shot as there was always somebody next to you being quicker. It was a lot more relaxed in the past. There were only paparazzi and street style bloggers — a casual and close community. Since a while there are a lot more of them including some black sheep of course. I’m not eager to visit a show like the Paris one again. If things go like they were then, the main idea is lost.

wrong? I’m really annoyed when the autofocus of my camera is not adjusting in time. You might have the perfect angle, the moment feels right, just the technology doesn’t respond — it can be nightmare. It can also happen that you are into somebody’s style while he’s sitting and drinking a coffee. Yet when he gets up you think: maybe not. In situations like this it works pretty well to blame the technology. Still I’ve received angry e-mails from people asking me why don’t post their photo.

Would you agree on that too much competition is harming your business? There are many young bloggers that undersell their stuff. I differentiate myself through quality, and that worked pretty well so far. Many blogs disappear again very quickly, while I survived over the years.

How do you think about the future of your blog? I think I’m on the right track. I want to extend the cooperation with magazines and I’m glad I can make a living from my photography. We’re planing to soon also upload movies. It’s a true family business: my brother is in charge of the technology, my wife is responsible of the movies and I’m taking the pictures. Maybe we’ll move to Stockholm in the near future …

What would you advise somebody who wants to start a blog? Find a topic, try to be yourself, try to be good and post, post, post. Do you care about comments? I read all my comments. But it’s not my aim to collect as many clicks and comments as possible when I post. What I don’t like are primitive negative comments about the people and their outfits. I believe that it’s very rude to tell a stranger in the face that I think his shoes are ugly. Unfortunately the anonymity of the internet sometimes makes people forget their good manners. I usually delete comments like that straight away.

Thanks a lot, Gunnar! All the best for the future. ⁄ Gunnar’s equipment Canon 5D Mark II mit 50 mm Objektiv Gunnar’s Top 3 fashion blogs www.dandydiary.de www.copenhagenstreetstyle.dk at www.hel-looks.com

Do people send you photos? Do people try to influence what photos you select? Occasionally it can happen that I find a picture in my inbox or that a friends approachs me saying: Come on, Gunnar, take a picture of me! But I do not take bribes. I want to stay objective, äh … in my subjectivity. (laughing)

Gunnar’s blog Styleclicker at www.styleclicker.net Photo © Gunnar Hämmerle Interview from Florian Bierbaum.

Concept Lissy Heckel Model Theresia Koch Make Up & Styling Lissy Heckel Postproduktion Lissy Heckel

L’actrice Photographers Lissy & Laura Lissy Heckel * 1984 in Jena www.fashion-horses.blogspot.com the-refashion@gmx.de and Laura Belker * 1986 in Koblenz www.fashion-horses.blogspot.com the-refashion@gmx.de

e c i V

sa Ver

rs phe ra a r pg Lau o t o i s sy & Ph L l ec k e yH a L i s s in J e n m 4 o 8 c . * 19 gspot .de o gmx l b . s e s o n @ and i hor r ion- -refash h s el k e e .fa h a B lenz t w r t u w a w L el ob cep in K t.com Con y Heck 6 8 o s Lis l * 19 blogsp mx.de h g Koc de lin ses. @g Mo eresia & Sty hor ashion n h o T Up s h i he - re f n k e - c k el t w.fa Ma ssy He uktio ww d Li o t p r c k el Pos ssy He Li

nudeness

Photographer Maria Wallenstein *â&#x20AC;&#x160;1989 in Erfurt www.skin-n-bones.blogspot.com maria@a-wallenstein.de Concept Maria Wallenstein Model Dominique Heierman, Tobias Wallenstein Make Up & Styling Maria Wallenstein Postproduction Maria Wallenstein

the vulnerable bloom

skin deep

Photographer Marlen Mueller, *â&#x20AC;&#x160;1988 in Erfurt heyfotohey.blogspot.com lili.marlen.mueller@gmail.com Concept Maria Wallenstein Model Berit von Enoch Make Up & Styling Maria Wallenstein Clothes Maria Wallenstein skin-n-bones.blogspot.com maria@a-wallenstein.de Postproduction Marlen Mueller

Muhajababes The fashion of the veiled women in the Levant

Fashion is perceived to get greater attention from woman than from men. Alone the amount of publications exclusively showing off female styles and trends is a strong indicator. A point of interest rarely considered in the open-minded, excessively liberal and sexualized western world, is the case for fashion for women in the Arab world. Veil and burka have entered the agenda of European political leaders, yet do all debates and petitions for banning the veil in European streets miss out on a point in between: The veil and accompanying clothing can be used as a strong means of expression of individuality. There is a strong fashion movement around the veil. The Muhajababes (from Muhajabe = the ones who are veiled and babe) showcase this on daily basis in the Levant.

the original purpose of the veil. Head scarfs carry golden embroidery, all kinds of patterns and colors. Folding the veil in a specific way is another means of expression: some women arrange it in a way that their heads are higher, so they appear to be taller. Blouses are worn tightly, high-heels and fancy shoes extend elegant legs, above a pair of leggings women wear mini-skirts and almost dessous-like tops or night-gowns that probably trigger more male fantasy than the veil was able to conceal. The entire outfit is carefully chosen and color-balanced; the garments complement each other: the handbag is of the same color as the veil, tiger-striped tops attract attention from far and make the woman look wilder, sparkling ornaments stress hips and bosom. Nails on hands and feet are carefully polished and colored, eyebrows are trimmed, strong, colorful make-up highlights lips and cheeks. Every possible area is used to express individual style in a way that shouts: Look at me! Look what I have to offer! The humbleness of the original idea of the veil has dropped off the table.

Traditionally, the veil can be seen as an instrument of a male-dominated society to negate females in public life. Unifying and desexualizing all women can be regarded as an attempt to make them expressionless and protect them from ogling men. Their appearance in public life is meant not inter fere with the accustomed mechanisms of family planning and match-making. The veil is celebrated as the symbol of the decent girl that is not teasing men through the display of her hair and her female anatomy. The proper young lady is expected not to show her skin apart from face and hands, disguise her shape and dress rather uninvitingly.

The crucial condition for this transformation is to be found in between: fashionable clothes and body are always separated by a neutralizing fabric of black or white color. Therefore the tension arises not around adorning a visible body but decorating an invisible body with very tangible, promising accessories. One of the rules-of-thumb of western fashion might be to keep the balance between visible skin and concealing fabric. The game of the Muhajababes is compose their style between their invisible, imaginary body and an intriguing layer of fashion on the surface. ⁄

Interestingly, fashion in Jordan and the surrounding countries has found a workaround to stay within the explicit cultural limitations yet to open room for individual expression and self-exposure. A new breed of young women adheres literally to social rules, yet uses veil and clothing as fashionable interface for differentiation in public life — thus defying

Essay from Philipp Dennert www.philippdennert.de

— The Theatre of Fashion — A Look at the History of the Fashion Show

Le Défilé

The Défilé makes a designer’s heart jump. In this sort of fashion show, he presents the labour of months or even years. He who presents himself splendidly gains press, merchants and customers and with this a prosperous future, at least for the coming months. But this is a breathtaking moment not just for the designer. For more than a century, the fashion show has pleased all interested in fashion, staging and scenography. In these events the idea of textile-design comes to life and forms a choreography of body, light, music and perform ance — an intoxicating event.

But where does the term Défilé come from? Origi nating in French, the word connotes a parade. File can mean fibre or a queue. Its usage comes from the military in the 18th Century. When a company of soldiers had to squeeze through a tight pass, they would line up to move through — similar to what we can see in today’s catwalk fashion shows. But let’s first make a giant leap back in time. Let’s start in the 14th Century, when a tailor just worked for his landlord. It was the time when the steelneedle replaced ones made out of bone. The tailor only did the clothing; the design was defined by the customer. This would not change until the 19th Century, but what did change was the manner of distribution. Elisabeth von Bayern, the wife of the French King Karl VI, first ordered pupées de mode (fashion dolls) to delight the English queen and pro mote the French art of dressmaking.

A hundred years ago Léon Roger Milés wrote in his book Les Créateurs de la Mode — Dessins et Documents de Jungbluth: When in February the Summer collection and in August the Winter collection is presented, all the salons of the great couturiers are literally overrun … And it’s an overwhelming play, to see these collections march over the catwalks … These fashion-shows are uplifting and dreamlike … And I am not talking about the technical design of the dresses — I am talking about the look and the kaleidoscopic impression it leaves on the retina …

Innovations in the field of printing, such as art print, illustration and the rotary printing press enabled the production of editions of books and magazines. By the end of the 19th Century there were several fashion magazines substituting for the fashion dolls. At the same time the invention of the double-stitch sewing machine enabled the mass-production of fashion.

With these words in mind let’s think about the opulent carpet out of rose-leaves by Givenchy (Spring & Summer 2009), the magnificent and illuminating crystal-chandelier and a catwalk deco rated as an endless table by Dries Van Noten (Spring & Summer 2005), John Gallianos’ brumous, baroque graveyard, staged for Dior (Autumn & Winter 2005/06) or the Hussein Chalayan’s performance in which his models freed themselves from dresses made out of sugar. All these shows were designed to put life into a piece of textile art. As Marc Jacobs said: I like the idea of clothes having a life in the end of a show.

In 1858 Charles-Frederick Worth, an Englishman, opened a store in Paris, where he designed and tailored his own creations. He labelled his work and with this, invented Haute Couture, the French word meaning high fashion. Worth elevated traditional tailoring into a work of art. He was also the first to work with living models to present his fashions. Being a good salesman, he realised that he could make more profit showing his dresses in full, threedimensional form.

The beginning of the couture industry is set with the founding of Le Chambre Syndicale de la Couture in 1868. It was a sort of lobby offering strict rules in order to serve and preserve the art of tailoring. Today the organisation still operates in France under the name Fédération française de la couture, du prêt-à-porter des cou-

One year later, the first shows of men’s fashion were held. World War II brought another deep cut on fashion-industry. Many designers, including Chanel, had to close down their studios. After the war Christian Dior revolutionised the fashion world with his New Look with tight-waisted clothing and full, calf-long skirts.

turiers et des créateurs de mode. A designer who wants to create and show couture at the Paris shows has to meet several stipulations.

All the couturiers tried to develop specific charac teristics for their shows. Dior had a certain order and dramaturgy of the clothes, which is still used today. Chanel developed a special way of moving for her models: hips forward, sloping shoulders, one hand in a pocket.

First: A studio in Paris with at least 15 employees. Second: Two shows a year on given dates by the federation. Third: The designer must show at least 35 different creations. Fourth: Every piece has to be unique.

Since the 1960’s, fashion shows changed from a phenomen of haute couture to one of pret-a-porter, from high-class to design for the masses — less art, but affordable. It was the time for crazy ideas, such as the Mini invented by Mary Quant or the Punk-fashion by Vivien Westwood who designed the costumes for the band Sex Pistols.

Around 1901 Lucy Duff Gordon changed the way of fashion shows. Using music and playful decoration, she created shows that moved beyond just presenting fashion, becoming something like a theatre-play. At the same time, Paris-based Paul Poiret changed the ladies’ fashion fundamentally: he liberated the woman from the corset. To promote his fashion in the far away United States he directed what may be first fashion-film. In 1910, Gabrielle Chanel, better known as Coco, opened her first boutique in Paris.

Since then fashion is no longer only an upper-class phenomenon. Fashion is a symbol for individualism and a way of life. To be fashionable is to be en Vogue. The fashion show has become a big business including designers, models and photographers as well as all the members of the media.

Then, the World War One rocked the achievements of the fashion-industry. Illustrations were replaced by photography and all of a sudden, there were all these upper-class ladies in the magazines. The couturiers provided members of high-society — such as singers and actresses — the rich and famous — with their fashion, for free of course, as a sort of advertisement, still often used today.

In the end, John Galliano hits the point: Fashion is a very exciting future — I’ve never experienced such a sizzling atmosphere before. ⁄

Essay from Ann-Kathrin Rudorf www.eigenartig.es, post@eigenartig.es

1928 was the first time a wedding dress was pre sented as the highlight in the end of a fashion show.

References •• Dressed! Art en Vogue. Kunstforum International, Band 197, 2009 •• Catwalks. Ausstellungskatalog des NRW-Forums Düsseldorf, 2009 •• The Story of Fashion. Eila Herson and Roberto Guerra, Art Haus Musik, 1987 •• Jim Heimann, Alison A. Nieder: Fashion. 100 Jahre Mode in der Werbung, Taschen, 2009 •• Fédération française de la couture, du prêt-àporter des couturiers et des créateurs de mode. www.modeaparis.com •• Pascal Morché: 365 Tage Fashion, Prestel, 2008

It’s not about what you wear, but how you wear it.

TRASH pictur esque Photographers Nina Gerlach, * 1983 in Wölfersheim, www.mediartunited.org and Johannes Christoph Elze, * 1984 in Meiningen, www.medienfisch.de Concept Johannes Christoph Elze, Nina Gerlach Casting Johannes Christoph Elze Model David Aßmann, Daphna Dreifuss, Josephine Trautmann Make Up Nina Gerlach Styling Nina Gerlach Postproduktion Johannes Christoph Elze

i 첫

Loom recommands

one short break to compose yourself We think you look stunning, on we go â&#x20AC;Ś

Bauhausstyle Bauhaus got style, don’t you think?

Clothes make the man. But can you also spot the man’s profession with the aid of his dress style. We’d like to invite you to try. Student’s life at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar is to some extent characterized by the faculty the students belong to. It is generally claimed that the four different faculties produce a different style within their student body. But is that true or cliché? That remains to be seen. Gabriele Fantoni and Theresia Koch did the test. They took pictures of dozens of Bauhaus students and arranged the images by faculty expecting to detect and describe a style guide. On the following pages you can explore some of their work. But can you distinguish a different style within the different professions? Does the architecture student has a different look than the media student? How does a student of civil engineering usually look like? Now is your turn to investigate. And to boost the fun to resolve the tricky puzzle game, you can win something. Join the loom sweepstakes and win a printed copy of Loom Woodlands — the issue number 4 which is in fact out of print. And here is how it works: On the

next five pages you see always four students from different faculties of Bauhaus-Universität. There are Architecture students, Media students, Art & Design students and students of Civil Engineering. The four images on each page follow the same scheme: each faculty is represented by one student on the page. And each faculty is represented by always the same corner of the page as well. So you can compare, guess and match the students to their faculties. Do you recognize the scheme? You can send us the order of Faculties, beginning at the top left corner continuing in a clockwise direction. The first fifty entries will participate in the lottery drawing. Send us your answer at info@loom-mag.net. And enjoy! Photographer Theresia Koch, * 1983, thaezzel@gmx.de And Gabriele Fantoni, * 1979, gabriele.fantoni@gmail.com Concept & Postproduktion Theresia Koch & Gabriele Fantoni

Daddyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

GIRL

is back

Back in the past, back in the childhood, back on the countryside.

Photopgraphers Lissy & Laura Lissy Heckel * 1984 in Jena www.fashion-horses.blogspot.com the-refashion@gmx.de and Laura Belker * 1986 in Koblenz www.fashion-horses.blogspot.com the-refashion@gmx.de Concept Lissy Heckel & Laura Belker Model Anne-Kathrin Kosch Make Up Lissy Heckel Styling Lissy Heckel & Laura Belker Postproduktion Lissy Heckel & Laura Belker

The other Rubik’s cube. The solution is fashion. As a child I loved playing with bricks. Nowadays I’m interested in fashion. Therefore a new type of room was composed to combine the catwalk and the showcase as a place to present fashion. But how did she get in this area of cubes, I still don’t know … Photographer Mike Abmaier, * 1986 in Bruchsal, www.mikeabmaier.com Concept Mike Abmaier Model Chi Lan Lê Make Up Nationaltheater Weimar Styling Mike Abmaier Postproduktion Mike Abmaier

A clothing study

Photographer Ann-Kathrin Rudorf, * 1987 in Werther (Westfalen), www. eigenartig.es, post@eigenartig.es Concept Ann-Kathrin Rudorf Postproduktion Ann-Kathrin Rudorf

One garment — Eighteen Models How a person can change a piece of clothing. And vice-versa. Who do you want to be today? Fine feathers make fine birds. In Gottfried Keller’s story Clothes make the man, a poor tailor designs a noble outfit for himself. By appearing dressed as an honorable lord, he is thought to be one and eventually marries into a rich family. What we wear tells a story about who we are or want to be. As part of the same game, we also learn about others by analyzing their outfit, their decision on clothing and their way to present themselves. Following Roland Barthes, we are assuming: As a person plays with clothing, the clothing itself takes the place of the person; it presents itself as a personality, complex enough to change roles. Can we design an experiment that reveals how

what she wears? To keep the study simple, we reduced the altering piece of clothing to one pair of colorful, baggy trousers from Korean origin. In Korea older women who work in the fields or at the market wear these trousers, so the clothing has specific associations for younger Koreans. The test subjects are free to wear the trousers as they like, combining them with their own clothing. They should make their decisions consciously and deliberately. The pose in front of the camera is given for this chapter of A Clothing Study. How do we deal with clothing? Does clothing provoke our prejudices? Does society tells us who should use a certain article of clothing and who shouldn’t? Is it possible to clear our minds of these preconceptions and react freely?

a person’s identity is altered by slightly modifying

Experiment Set-up 18 test subjects 11 men OH, Hyun-Seok, 26 GIM, Dong Hyun, 21 BAE, Taerang, 20 JUNG, Soon-Young, 21 KIM, Dong-Hyuck, 25 RE, Seung Hoon, 23 SON, Sae-Ho, 20 ISHIHARA, Noriko, 30 KIM, Ho Sung, 26 PARK, Heesoo, 23 DONG, Uk Yeo, 20 KIM, Min-Ho, 27 7 women CHOI, Jong-Eun, 20 Maeng-Na-Hyun, 20 KIM, Ah-Rang, 19 LEE, Yu Ri, 22 KIM, Minjoo, 24 CHOI, Sori, 23 Equipement 1 pair of colorful baggy trousers 1 flash with striplight 3 flashes with softbox 1 Canon 5 D 1 50 mm lens 1 tripod Tape Make Up Mirror Tea, coffee, iced tea & cookies

Photographer Tristan Vostry *â&#x20AC;&#x160;1979 in Erfurt www.tristanvostry.com tristanvostry@googlemail.com Concept Tristan Vostry Model Sarah Held, Maria Antonia Schmidt, Carolin Seeliger Make Up & Styling Claudia KĂścher www.die-zwillingsnadeln.de Postproduction Tristan Vostry

Urban Summertones

Patti Smith — fashion (anti-)heroine of rather an attitude than a generation — is one of the few figures that seem to stand out for an anti-fashion state of mind. Dressed casually in clothes rather thrown upon than put on her boyish body, she poses on an intimate, everyday space on Robert Mapplethrope’s Polaroids and silver prints of the mid/end seventies. My pictures embrace the willful aesthetics of these voyeuristic and intimate pictures taken in urban privacy; by an androgynous couple interpenetrating each other’s gender roles and body identities made art. Photographer Agnes Tóth, * 1983 in Gyergyószentmiklós, agnes@at-projects.net Concept Agnes Tóth Make Up & Styling Agnes Tóth Postproduktion Agnes Tóth equipment Praktica BMS Electronic, Lens f 50 Prakticar, Film Ilford 400-Delta

Golden ///////rain

Photographer Nina Gerlach, * 1983 in Wölfersheim, www.mediartunited.org Concept Nina Gerlach Model Simone Straub Make Up & Styling Nina Gerlach Postproduktion Nina Gerlach

Silent Noise my words are waisted Photographer Maria Wallenstein, * 1989 in Erfurt, www.skin-n-bones.blogspot.com Concept Maria Wallenstein Model Tobias Wallenstein Make Up & Styling Maria Wallenstein Postproduktion Maria Wallenstein

Alexander lembke had a chat with Hat-Maker Claudia Köcher

Messages to the sky

Photographer Alexander Lembke, * 1976 in Wernigerode, www.alexanderlembke.de Concept Claudia Köcher & Alexander Lembke Model Claudia Köcher Make Up Julia Frommhold Hair Nicole Hilse Styling Claudia Köcher Label Die Zwillingsnadeln, www.die-zwillingsnadeln.de, Hochzeitskollektion Marry Me Postproduktion Alexander Lembke

Claudia K�cher has a seldom profession — she designs hats and calls herself a milliner. After an apprenticeship as design assistant, working as costume designer and fashion stylist for TV and movie productions, she followed her calling, became a milliner and started her own business

What characterizes the hats that you make? What do you aim for in your designs? I have several directions: some of my hats are extremly fancy. Others are timeless and follow a simple design. In general I try to avoid the ordinary. Everyone wearing one my hats has the right to feel special. I want them to feel comfortable and confident. Also I often try to add playful elements.

under the lable Zwillingsnadeln. We paid her a visit to find out what’s under Claudia’s hat. Tell us about the name of your brand: why did you pick Zwillingsnadeln (Twin needles) for your label? The story is quite simple and unintentional — it is a reference to the double needle of a regular sewing machine and also a hint to my zodiac — the gemini. Both came together in my mind and it felt like a good idea to combine them.

Where do you get your ideas from? There are many sources — small bits in the magazines, shop windows or even a heart made from ginger-bread. Yet when I am about to design an entire collection I certainly conduct proper research and look into costume books and fashion history. The 1950s to 60s are for me the most interesting period, I get greatly inspired through the hats of that time. Then I see for myself how much I can translate into today’s reality.

When did you make making hats your business? Three or four years ago I started experimenting with hats on my own and created the label, yet I did not dream of making a living from that. However as I continued, it developed and I got more and more smaller jobs and requests from people around me. In July 2010 I decided to give hat-making more substance and officially started my own business.

What is so fascinating about the 1950s and 60s? I guess that it has a lot to do with my personal enthusiasm for everything from that time. That period was the big era of the hats. Today everything is just retro. I try to not to focus too much on trends and get affected by fads. Instead I aim for time lessness, my hats are not just made only for one season. As I admire the hats from half a century ago, a dream of mine is that my hats would still find somebody to wear them in 30 to 40 years. (Smiling) Nothing’s easier than that.

What is so fascinating about hats? How did you decide to make it your profession? It did not come about like a big plan, it was rather that I got in touch with hats on several occasions and was thrilled by their particularity. I was on a trip to Paris with a fellow milliner and we went shopping in Galeries Lafayette. That was the first time that I witnessed how somebody paid very much attention to hats, how carefully she touched and examined them. I could see how she admired the material and the shape and how she was in love it. This experience sparked my own obsession to make hats. When I started to work in the millenery in a theater, my passion grew stronger, I got so many ideas that I felt the urge to do it myself. I knew: I will be happy for the rest of my life, if I can make hats.

What was your moment of glory as a milliner? There were already a few that I could name. One day I ran into Manfred Krug in Weimar and wanted to ask him for an autogram. But instead he was excited about the hat that I was wearing. He wanted to know If I made the hat myself and if I could make one for him as well. Another splendid moment was when one of my hats was arranged together with apparel by Chanel in a fashion magazine for the first time.

You lived a great extent of your life in Weimar. What is the influence of that city on your work? Weimar is my base and my island on which I can work perfectly. Even though I am not directly in touch there with the fashion world but I find the serenity that I need for my work, there are little distractions. I have a very good network and many of my friends are in town. I receive great support here, everything is close.

the material breaks, especially when I use very thick textile or threads. But this is one reason I consider hat-making more as a craft — it requires a lot of skill and endurance. Sometimes I get into the conflict between idea and reality: I might have a great extraordinary idea, yet I repeatedly fail at the realization. It can easily take a year to accomlish a design. Many hats have not made it to the collections — because I was not satisfied with them. But I really love every single one of them.

Artist or artisan? Which one fits you more? I do not consider myself an artist. I feel I belong inbetween art and craft. At the end of the day my profession is to be creative with my hands, be it in the job of a custome designer, a fashion stylist or a milliner. There is always also a great extent of artistic work involved. I try to avoid describing myself as an artist. Who isn’t an artist nowadays? The term is overused.

Do you have any favorite hat? I love all of my hats. Still from each collection there is a favorite. Certainly I enjoy wearing my hats myself. An alltime favorite might be the first one I’ve ever made, the one from the Starshine collection. What are your plans for the future? I dream of opening my own shop, as showroom for my work. Also I would like to approach fashion in a more holistic way and to go beyond only making hats. For example, I could collaborate with my sister who is a fashion designer. For the future it is also essential for me to earn enough through hat-making to make a proper living. At the moment I still need to take jobs as a fashionstylist for TV or movie productions. My goal is to be able to fully concentrate on what I want, to create my own collections and to play with the materials I adore.

What are your personal highlights about your job as hat-maker? I like that my work is about having an idea and than just taking it and making it real. The whole process allows one to contemplate, I can get lost for hours in stitching pearls on a hat. I have the ambition to craft hats that I like, they are like children for me, in the first place I’m crafting them for myself. Later on I really enjoy seeing people wearing my hats and the look they can gain. It is always my goal that my hats underline the personality of my customers. They should be happy with them, I want my customers to love the hats as much as I do love them. It is great to know that hats have the chance to grow old with the people who own them. At the same time they represent memories and emotions of a certain time — I find that wonderful.

What are you working on at the moment? I am currently in the designing a fifthies pin-up collection which promises to become extremly elaborate and fancy reflecting the Boudoir style of Paris in the middle of last century. In the end: why should we wear hats? The artist Milan Knížák once noted: a hat is a message to the Sky. You either wear a hat to draw attention to your face or to distract from something else. Hats are a beautiful and charming accessory to get noticed, underline your personality and just feel special. ⁄

Honestly, being a milliner cannot be all great. Tell us a bit about what bothers you from time to time. Yes, sometimes it can be very exhausting, physically demanding and time consuming. Often

100

fabelweiß Photographer Jette Jacobs, * 1988 in Erfurt, info@jettejacobs.com Concept Jette Jacobs Model Maria Postproduktion Jette Jacobs

t r a c owe â&#x20AC;&#x160;p tig

s t a c ht

106

Photographers Berit Schönfelder, * 1985 in Jena, www.bvonenoch.tumblr.com, berit.schoenfelder@uni-weimar.de and Theresia Koch, * 1983 in Bad Salzungen, theresia.koch@uni-weimar.de, thaezzel@gmx.de Concept Berit Schönfelder & Theresia Koch Postproduktion Berit Schönfelder & Theresia Koch

108

Agnes in conversation with Garth Simpson: A passionate long-term hitch hiker from Alaska

On my Way to nowhere

110

Since when have you been on the road now? Off and on since I was a child. My mother and I moved frequently. Also I have travelled with friends. Currently I have been on my own on the road since may 2007.

seen every type of person hitch-hiking. From old lady’s to sugar mamas, to little boys.

That’s about four years. Do you occasionally feel homesick when on the move? I have only felt homesick once: I was with my entire family for new year and the next day I was in the middle of Mexico by myself, not knowing Spanish. There was a few times in the last year but it didn’t miss home, I missed my dog.

When I first met you, you were barefoot — in the middle of Scotland. And I remember thinking to myself: The boy urgently needs to get something on or he’s going to catch a cold. Why do you prefer to be barefoot? Firstly, I have really hot feet. I can walk around in snow barefoot and be fine for a good while. Secondly it is more comfortable and that is what matters to me. Last, being bare foot allows your feet to make a connection with our beautiful mother earth.

What does a mountain man look like? Very hairy with furs and leather. Often with a dog.

Do you consider Alaska your home? Wherever I move, I am at home. Though I do cherish Alaska.

Are you capable of feeling comfortable in elegant clothes? I don’t mind looking sharp when I need to. However, I get the feeling like I am dressing up for a costume party.

Alaskan weather famously tends to be slightly chilly. Is there any typical Alaskan tradition of apparel known to you? Parkas are one of the most traditional clothing worn by Alaskans. It is a jacket that was originally made of seal skin with fur roughs.

What do clothes mean to you from an external view? Do you associate your own style with non-physical aspects such as status or individ ualization? I have different views on clothes. For one they are just another piece of material. Yet they are special type of material because they cover our true form. Traditionally clothes were made to protect the body from the elements. Where today girls will wear mini skirts in the heart of winter just to look sexy. Then again through out time clothes have become an item that describes a person. From their wealth, to their public views. For me I either find clothes for free or spend no more than five bucks on an article at a second hand store. So if I find something on the street I wear it, because I feel I was destined to find it and if I don’t wear it then it will just go to the dump. To me clothes don’t make

Frequently cultural phenomena tend to be mystified, as soon as the lifestyle that carried them has stepped out of center of social attention. Taking a step back, how would you — as a self-proclaimed vagabond — define the stereotype of the disappearing species of the young, adventurous hitchhiker? This is and interesting question. To try to stereo type myself is very difficult for if I was to look at myself day to day I do not fit into a stereotype. I have been called a hippie by appearance then again I have been said to look like a bum. At the current moment I would say I look like a surfer dude. But in the winter, more like a mountain man. On regards to the hitch-hiker appearance there isn’t one. I have

111

you an individual, it is what’s inside that makes you an individual. They do represent your status though such as a man wearing a suit with short gelled hair compared to a kid wearing tight pants, a Britney Spears t-shirt with an orange mow-hawk. By looking at them you can tell their social status and what type of person each one might be.

important. A tent provides a shelter for me and what ever I have. Where a piece of clothing will cover a piece of my body. Would you agree if I said that your outfit can sometimes bog you down like the shell of a snail? Yes of course. I did go camping in Holland. Before I left I spent the whole afternoon naked hiking around. It was liberating.

Are you impressed or annoyed if somebody pays great attention to project himself into his style of clothing? When I see some one projecting them selves like no one I have ever seen, if they are truly being their own style, I am attracted to that. For this person doesn’t care what people might think. It tends to show a strong character.

If you had to wear something on your journey that you’re not comfortable with, would that affect your free vagabond lifestyle? I wouldn’t do anything that I’m not comfortable with. Not for the sake of the nomadic lifestyle. If it came to that extent I would say fuck the vagabonding lifestyle.

Can visual self-projection be convenient or even practical? It can be very convenient and practical, because if you present yourself however you feel at that moment without thinking what people might think then, you are that much closer to freedom.

You wear copper jewelry and you say it has created stains on your skin over the years. Does copper have any meaning to you or is this metal just to your taste? Like many things copper choose me. I was given the bracelet and I found the ring. Copper though is my favorite metal because it is the most practical. Our bone structure requires copper to be strong and we don’t get copper from anywhere. This is why you will see people with arthritis wearing copper.

What garment do you pay most attention to when traveling? Do you get nervous when you forget or miss certain clothes? Do you have pieces that are irreplaceable? I don’t ever pay attention to any of my garments. If one of them were to disappear that is fine, something will come along to replace it. I believe that material comes and goes and you should never hold dear to anything without a spirit. There was one time that I found this perfect sweater at the thrift store. It fit comfortably and I felt it was meant to be mine forever. A couple days later while hitching it magically disappeared when I picked up this shitty hoddie off the side of the road. That is just how it is.

Do colors in your opinion play any role in a traveller’s armour? Sure they do. I feel the more colors one wears while traveling the more open people will be to you. Colors give off an energy of loving and kindness. But I feel I could wear all black and talk with anyone I see and once they see that I am kind they should open up. Or they are to sheltered and suck.

If there was a fire and you could save only one object on journey, would you rather leave behind your tent or the mentioned piece of clothing? Piece of clothing. When it comes to material it is what is more practical that is

Thanks Garth — Good journey! ⁄ Interview by Agnes Tóth, agnes@at-projects.net Photo Please contact Agnes for further information and the source of Garth’s portrait.

112

Loom forever!

Imprint Loom 7 The Catwalk Instinct

Loom has been financially supported by Studierendenservicefond Bauhaus-Universität Weimar And we want to say Thank you!

Publisher Bauhaus Universität Weimar Faculty of Media c/o Alexander Lembke Bauhausstraße 7b, D 99423 Weimar alexander.lembke@uni-weimar.de

Special thanks goes to Philipp Dennert, Wolf Landmann, Richard Avedon, Claudia Köcher, Gunnar Hämmerle, Garth Simpson, Florian Bierbaum, Agnes Tóth, Ann-Kathrin Rudorf, Lissy & Laura and our fabulous contributors

Editor in chief Alexander Lembke www.alexanderlembke.de Editorial Team Alexander Lembke, Franziska Walther

Preview Loom Issue 8 New Landscapes Release Oktober 2011

Art direction & Graphic Design Franziska Walther www.franzandfriends.com

Text editing & Proof-reading Philipp Dennert www.philippdennert.de

Contact www.loom-mag.net info@loom-mag.net

Cover Image: Cat Masks Lissy Heckel & Laura Belker www.fashion-horses.blogspot.com the-refashion@gmx.de

visit us on Facebook www.facebook.com/Loom.Magazine

WEbdesign & Support Website Wolf Landmann, www.landman1.de

Published in Weimar, Januar 2011

114

115