MANUSCRIPT
ISSUE x TONY WA∏D, DA∏K HO∏SE A showcase and celeb∏ation of the c∏eative confluence between a∏t, fashion and design AUS/NZ $6.00
Daniel Boyd, Tyza Stewart, Michael Cook, Maison Martin Margiela, Jean Paul Gaultier, Raf Simons & Sterling Ruby
MANUSCRIPT
Issue X 2014 12 Editor’s Letter 14 Contributors 16 News 28 Grooming Forget the cleansers and creams – the best way to get clean is to get wet. Photography Samuel Hodge 33 Introducing: The Artists Daniel Boyd, Michael Cook, Tyza Stewart
Photography Liz Ham, Jordan Graham, Sam Scoufos Edited by Alison Kubler 40 Before the Fall A studied look at some of the fall menswear highlights. Illustrations Clym Evernden 52 Don’t Stop the Presses As mainstream print publishing declines, a raft of independent, boutique and niche operations are carving out a dedicated audience. Story Benjamin Law | Photography Jo Duck 56 The Sum of Us He’s one of the greatest menswear designers, the other is a world-renowned artist; together, the work of Raf Simons and Sterling Ruby is layered with meaning.
Story Mitchell Oakley Smith Photography Bruce Anderson 58 Sounds Like Fashion The fashion industry is always looking for inspiration to mine, and with contemporary pop music it is able to imbue itself with newfound relevance. Story Alison Kubler 62 One of a Kind Proving the old adage of quality over quantity, the unique and wholly authentic business approach of Hermès is proving successful.
Story Mitchell Oakley Smith
3
NEW YORK
SYDNEY
MELBOURNE
R A L P H L A U R E N .C O M
BRISBANE
TOKYO
MANUSCRIPT
Issue X 2014 64 The Shape of Things to Come Despite Australia’s inherent garment manufacturing challenges, Chris Ran Lin is crafting an entirely new form of menswear. Photography Georges Antoni Styling Jolyon Mason 66 The Showdown Ready your Instagram, for no less than five major fashion exhibitions are set to open in the coming months. Story Alison Kubler 72 Paramount Call it cultural appropriation, but traditional prints and weaves appeared in numerous designer collections this season. Photography Paul Scala Styling Jonathan Ailwood 86 Art Class An in-depth examination of the beaded and bonded brilliance that is Maison Martin Margiela’s spring haute couture collection. Photography Paul Scala Styling Jonathan Ailwood 96 Aussie Rules A band of Australian womenswear designers are making a mark on the international fashion landscape. Photography Georges Antoni Styling Jolyon Mason 106 Dark Horse Who could have expected that some three decades after showing up in a Calvin Klein campaign, Tony Ward would still be at the top of his game. Photography Paul Scala Styling Jolyon Mason 116 Grey Matter We’re all for all-grey everything. Photography Troyt Coburn Styling Jolyon Mason
126 Stockists
6
MANUSCRIPT
We’ve come a long way, baby…
I
am writing this letter just as the magazine is being
Manuscript has always been interested in and written
sent to print, and by the time you read it, I’ll likely
about art, but in partnering with the Melbourne Art Fair
be nursing a bit of a hangover. See, this issue of
[which runs 13 to 17 August, by the way], we’re making a
Manuscript marks our tenth issue in print, some
concerted effort to make it a core part of our magazine,
three years after we began. It’s hardly a milestone
reflective of the way in which different art forms inspire
in the grand scheme of things – Vanity Fair recently
and inform one another to the point that, today, there lies
celebrated its one-hundredth birthday – but in today’s
no true distinction between them in their artistic intent.
dwindling publishing landscape, we feel lucky to still be
See, for example, the collaboration between fashion
here. Interestingly, though, highly individual, independent
designer Raf Simons and artist Sterling Ruby [“The Sum
publications that are disseminated via traditional means
of Us,” page 56], or the painterly haute couture collection
(a printed press) seem to be on the rise, despite much said
of Maison Martin Margiela [“Art Class”, page 86].
to the contrary.
As the stories and shoots within these pages attest,
I’m delighted then to include in this issue a piece
Australia is a hotbed of creative talent in its own right, and
that pays tribute to the natty editors and publishers here
as I have said before, it is continually inspiring to work
in Australia that are finding new ways to navigate the tricky
with the people that contribute to this magazine, from
terrain of media while not giving in to the shiny allure of
the photographers and make-up artists to the writers and
a Kindle or iPad [“Don’t Stop the Presses”page 52]. This
agents. Here’s to the next ten…
clever group of people includes Nick Shelton (Broadsheet), Erik Jensen (The Saturday Paper) and Samuel Cooney (The Lifted Brow), all of whom, as you’ll note in the engaging story, have adopted “mongrel models [as a] key to survival in the print industry.” It’s a pleasure, too, to welcome acclaimed journalist Benjamin Law to the family as the author of this story. But despite our love of print (a somewhat overzealous one, you might say), we know that there’s an important place for online reading, too, and at our entirely revitalised, slick new website, manuscriptdaily.com, you’ll find a host of areas of interest, like fashion, art and music. As it happens, associate editor Alison Kubler explores that very subject in an extensive story [“Sounds like Fashion”, page 58] in this issue. As Ms Kubler, an expert on the subject, notes:
Mitchell Oakley Smith
“Rappers don’t rap about Cristal anymore, they rap about the art they own… [we are seeing] the collapsing of these three
Editor-in-Chief & Publisher twitter.com/MrOakleySmith
forms into one intensely mediated popular culture moment.”
12
Photography Georges Antoni
interesting stories, news, profiles and shoots across our
MANUSCRIPT
Issue X 2014 Editor-in-Chief & Publisher Mitchell Oakley Smith Creative Director Jolyon Mason
Art Director Elliott Bryce Foulkes Associate Editor Alison Kubler
European Fashion Editor Jonathan Ailwood
Contributing Features Editor Jonathan Seidler Contributing Artists & Writers Jess Alcamo, Bruce Anderson, Georges Antoni, Daren Borthwick,
Celia Burton, Elisa Clark, Troyt Coburn, Vincent de Moro, Diane Gorgievski, Jo Duck, Clym Evernden, Jordan Graham, Liz Ham, Samuel Hodge, Jenny Kim, Lok Lau, Benjamin Law, Sasha Nilsson, Paul Scala, Samuel Scoufos Special Thanks The Artist Group, Andrew Blyzsak, Centennial Parklands Equestrian Centre,
The Front Studios, IMG Models, London Management Group, Next Models, Postmen, Priscillas Models, Shooting Birds Studio, Success Models, Sun Studios, Viviens Creative Manuscript is owned and published by Mitchell Oakley Smith (ABN 67 212 902 027), Ground Floor, 5 Comber Street, Paddington NSW 2025, editorial@manuscriptdaily.com. Printed by MPD, Unit E1 46-62 Maddox Street, Alexandria NSW 2015. © 2014 All Rights Reserved. ISSN 2201-0815.
Contributors
Exhibiting his work as a solo artist whilst shooting for the likes of Russh, I Love You and Oyster magazines, Sydney- and Berlin-based photographer Samuel Hodge manages to elevate the artistic ambitions of fashion images. His most recent exhibition, THE IMPONDERABLE ARCHIVE, was shown at Alaska Projects in Kings Cross, Sydney, in 2014, and his work appears in the new book Fashion Photography Next (2014, Thames & Hudson), testament to his burgeoning international profile. In this issue of Manuscript, his first time shooting for the magazine, Mr Hodge gets wet with model Felix Riess (“Splish Splash”, page 28), which, he says, “was the perfect shooting experience. We got to relax and do what we pleased.”
Benjamin Law
Sydney-based writer Benjamin Law contributes frequently to Good Weekend, The Monthly and frankie. He’s also the author of The Family Law (2010) and Gaysia: Adventures in the Queer East (2012) – both of which were nominated for Australian Book Industry awards – and co-author of the comedy book Shit Asian Mothers Say (2014, all Black Inc.), with his sister Michelle. In his first story for Manuscript (“Don’t Stop the Presses”, page 52), Mr Law examines the decline of mainstream print publishing contemporaneous with the rise of bespoke print projects. Although he has personally flirted with an iPad and a Sony Reader to read books and magazines, he keeps going back to print. “It just smells too good,” he says.
14
Clym Evernden
Twice a year, the Manuscript team makes the pilgrimage north to view the seasonal collections in London, Milan and Paris, but between the parties and the jet-lag, there’s so much that we see but don’t really absorb. London-based illustrator Clym Evernden has a unique ability to reveal the intimate details that really make a designer’s work so wonderful: the languid curve of a trouser leg or the unique flower motif printed on a shirt, for instance. “I’m looking for something graphic, whether an exaggerated silhouette or a bold colour or pattern,” says Mr Evernden of his process. In this issue, the artist recreates some of the best looks from the fall/winter collections (“Before the Fall”, page 40).
Photography David Fischer; Paul Harris; Kasia Bobula
Samuel Hodge
Metamorphosis, an Hermès story
Straight pea coat in wool with « phantom » leather detail One-pleat trousers in cotton serge Boots in Tuscan calfskin Sydney Surfers Paradise Melbourne Marina Mirage Brisbane Tel. 1300 728 807 Hermes.com
MANUSCRIPT
News Why New York? What about the city inspires you?
The energy, the people on the street… I love being out and seeing things that are a little off. I work with perfectionist pursuit when it comes to the collections. I was living in Munich for a while, which is a beautiful city, very close to the mountains, but what I like about New York is that it’s not perfect at all. It creates this balance for me that brings out something new in my work and is a complement to the process I have in the studio. Congratulations on the CFDA Swarovski award! How will you use the support?
We just started spring/summer 2015 sales and having won the award is huge and helps getting the name out there and getting buyers to look at the collection. But it’s a lot more than that. I received the award because people voted for me. These were people that have supported me from the start but also ones that discovered the collection more recently. For my team and myself, this is such great recognition and helps us to continue building the brand and the company. Can you tell me about the fall collection that will be dropping into Harrolds?
The collection is inspired by the world of mountaineering. The choice of fabrics is always important to me and this season we used traditional Austrian virgin wool loden mixed with technical materials. An important distinction is that I didn’t want to create a technical outerwear collection. We use technical references, as in each collection, but the concept and general vibe is based on things I see and listen to. And in this particular case [musician] King Krule was a big influence; I love the rawness of his voice but I also thought of him being the one
↑ Designer Tim Coppens. ↘ A look from the designer's fall collection.
H
smoking a cigarette on the top of that mountain. Why do you think your
arrolds knows a good thing when it sees it, and in the
work translates around
case of Tim Coppens, the department store couldn’t have
the globe?
chosen a better time to begin stocking the Belgian-born,
I am Belgian, living in New York,
New York-based designer, having been awarded the
so maybe that has to do with it a
CFDA/Swarovski Award for Menswear in June for
little: it’s not specifically made for
his tailored brand of streetwear. With his fall collection available at
a customer in a particular part of
Harrolds now, we spoke with Mr Coppens about the development of
the world. I think the use of colour
his namesake label and the inherent restrictions of designing for men.
and graphics are maybe universal
What have been the challenges in building
and very easily translated. The
your own namesake label?
athletically inspired themes and
The DNA of the brand was pretty much clear from the beginning.
streetwear influences are global
Communicating that DNA to an audience takes time. Keeping the
themes. The collection itself is a
communication strong and consistent across a wide spread of countries
mix of more casual constructed
is important for us as we start to grow, respond to interest and increase
pieces: bomber jackets and sweats,
awareness. A strong visual dialogue is the focus for the brand, so for this
and the more tailored pieces.
fall 2014 season we’re working on a campaign that will be very cool
and help to express the story.
What are the challenges in
menswear that don’t exist
How do you balance creativity and commerce?
in womenswear?
They are both equally important for the line; creativity triggers
There are some limitations in terms
commerce. I want to tell a story and that can go both ways in one
of silhouette and the use of material
collection. Very conceptual doesn’t mean unwearable. I think that
but I think the challenge is that even
menswear in general has changed so much and I think that creativity
though menswear is growing it still is
and commerce can be complementary.
a relatively small business compared to womenswear. Having a well-balanced
How would you describe the style of your clothes?
collection that speaks commercially
Athletic luxury with streetwear influences. Bomber jacket silhouettes
as well conceptually is important to
combined with tailored details.
get noticed and stay relevant.
16
calibre.com.au
MANUSCRIPT
News
F
or the first time since the early-2000s moment of Sass and Bide, Ksubi and Willow (all of which have been invested in, sold or shuttered since), Australian designers are building serious, well-respected businesses, ably assisted by online shopping and programs such as the Woolmark Prize. Menswear, however, is a considerably smaller and younger operation
locally, and beyond the bigger tailoring houses such as M.J. Bale and Herringbone, it’s challenging for menswear designers to get a leg-up. Brent Wilson, of course,
is a rare exception to that rule, having quietly and determinedly built a recognised name and successful business over the past decade. “I went in very unaware of the work involved,” explains the designer of his evolution. Having begun his namesake label as more of a hobby, with merely one or two stockists, after leaving his post as menswear designer at Wayne Cooper, his game-changer, so to speak, was the opening of his concept store in Sydney’s Galeries Victoria, just down from Incu, which helped to build his customer base. “That’s when it really started getting serious, and from there more stores began looking to stock me,” he explains. “I had to begin treating it like a real business because of the expenses of running a store and the importance of delivering on time.” Mr Wilson’s point of difference is his approach to the market. Rather than pitching his label at the luxury end, he offers well-made, modern pieces (the average cotton suit sells for approximately $300) that, because of their accessibility, customers can afford to play with. “There is a massive gap in tailoring that crosses over so that the individual wearer can interpret it,” says the designer. In store, his staff encourages customers to mix up their combinations of jackets and trousers. “We offer a full wardrobe, and while suits are a big component of the business, it’s important we have everything available.” Having recently joined department store Myer, for which he supplies to five of its stores nationally, Mr Wilson is looking to further expand his business with the opening of a branded Melbourne concept later this year.
T
om Ford does sneakers? Luxury
is a brave new world in the 21st century, and even the wealthy and the stylish aren’t immune to the fashion world’s gravitational
pull towards sportswear. These, of course, are no ordinary sneakers. Available in both low- and high-top styles, the sneakers have been handcrafted in Italy in seven different colours of leather and, for the sartorially ambitious, five colours of velvet, both sitting atop a white rubber outer sole. The sneakers are available in Australia exclusively from Harrolds, within which are Tom Ford concession stores in both Melbourne and Sydney.
↑ Tom Ford sneakers, from Harrolds. → A look from Brent Wilson's spring collection.
18
MANUSCRIPT
News
W
ith so many designers and fashion houses collaborating with contemporary artists in the past decade,
it’s easy to forget that fashion in its own right can, too, be regarded as a piece of art. Eschewing the commercial practice of producing a seasonal collection, Pauly
Bonomelli hand crafts highly individual
pieces in his studio – indeed, he’s responsible for everything from design and screenprinting to cutting and sewing – under the guise of Hi Mum,I’m Dead, which has gained a cult following since he officially began the project earlier this year. “I just treat it as a selfish creative outlet rather than a fashion label as such,” explains Mr Bonomelli of the practice. And although he has been approached by stores wanting to stock his wares, he’s intent on maintaining its handmade quotient and controlling supply to ensure it remains unique rather than machineproduced, throwaway fashion that “becomes boring for both the viewer and for me.” And working outside of seasonal and commercial parameters, the designer keeps his artistic ambitions fresh, peppering his workload with custom orders that allow for collaboration with the client. “I was happy just making stuff for fun but after a couple of bigger projects with high profile clients I decided to create a niche business and move what I had done into a more
I
professional sphere.” n further growing his menswear label Orlebar Brown, British designer Adam Brown has introduced a series of four sunglasses as part of his spring collection. Each available
in 12 different colours, the range comprises vastly different shapes (circular and aviator styles are two) and represents the significant growth of the menswear lifestyle category following the proliferation of athletic styles on the runway in recent seasons. As well as the new category, Mr Brown has also collaborated with London-based artist Tommy Penton on a limited-edition capsule collection. Reproduced on Orlebar Brown ‘Bulldog’ boardshorts are Mr Penton’s illustrations of the skylines of London, Paris and New York, creating a graphic interplay between the dynamism of the bustling cities and the notion of relaxing on vacation.
↖ A look created by Hi Mum, I'm Dead. ↑ The new Orlebar Brown eyewear collection.
20
brando.com.au - ph +61 2 9319 3199
MANUSCRIPT
News
O
utside of the art world, few have ever heard of Artbank, an organisation that acquires and leases contemporary art. Originally government funded, Artbank is today a completely self-supporting institution with the second largest holding of Australian
↘ ↓
Lynda Draper, Annette 2013 Ceramic and glaze 45x54cm. Artbank showroom, Waterloo.
art after the National Gallery of Australia with a collection conservatively valued at $35 million and including artists Tracey Moffatt, Ben Quilty, Judith Wright and Michael Zavros. According to director Tony Stephens, Artbank helps to introduce the public to artists and their work, fostering a healthy market. “Contemporary art generally suffers from being impenetrable but we begin conversations that develop over time,” he says. Essentially, Artbank is like a glitzy video store: customers can walk in, look around for something that piques their interest, and rent it for a fixed period, after which they can return or extend, depending on how they feel about it. And because Artbank isn’t a commercial business, so to speak, its leasing profits are pooled to acquire more artwork, with an annual budget of $1 million for the purchase of new work. But since taking up Artbank’s directorship last year following roles at Artworkers Alliance and as director of Grantpirrie Gallery, Mr Stephens has set out to expand the organisation’s ability to connect with audiences and support contemporary Australian artists. In doing so, Artbank recently moved into a considerably larger space in Waterloo, providing an additional 200-square metres of floor space and purpose-built facilities, designed by Aileen Sage Architects. This, says Mr Stephens, “is about meeting our needs: of being able to house a growing collection and all of the things that go on around that.”
Along with the recent launch of a magazine, Sturgeon, the expanded functionality of Artbank includes the curation and mounting of four gallery shows per year, showcasing the rich holdings of the permanent collection. “This is an exciting and logical evolution for Artbank,” says Mr Stephens. “These exhibitions will provide essential opportunities for the collection to be open to our clients and the public alike.” But he hopes that, given its non-traditional business framework, Artbank shows will offer something different from regular group shows at commercial galleries, with two curated in-house, one by an independent curator, and the fourth in partnership with another organisation or industry altogether. “In terms ↑ Peter Maloney Above and Below Trimouille Island, 2012 Synthetic polymer paint on polyester 163x123cm.
of how we curate them, they will be evolving projects that respond to our business – there’ll be understudies, if you can call them that, so that if someone leases a work, another work replaces it in the show. We really want to look at playing with that method.”
22
nmi.com.au - ph +61 2 9319 3199
MANUSCRIPT
News
O
ne decade after launching its first fragrance, Marrakech, back in 2005, Australian skincare brand Aesop has released a follow-up, Marrakech Intense. Satiating its continually growing fan base, the newly released edition of the fragrance builds
on its existing foundations – a woody, oriental blend balanced by fresh floral top notes – to offer a stronger realisation of the signature scent. Marrakech Intense was created in collaboration with perfumer Barnabe Fillion and, like its original predecessor, is an olfactory evocation of the aromas of the Moroccan city after which it is named, and comprises Egyptian jasmine, bergamot and neroli. The release marks continued expansion of Aesop as the brand nears 100 stores globally, with more set to be unveiled in London, Osaka and Taipei shortly. As always, Aesop engages architects and interior designers local to its sites, offering customers an alternative to the cookie-cutter approach of global branding. For its most recent store opening, in Sydney’s inner-west suburb of Balmain, the brand charged industrial designer Henry Wilson with the fitout, the designer approaching the project with respect for the historic nature of the site. Here, Mr Wilson maintained the building’s raw sandstone walls, fireplaces and hidden doorways, complementing the existing elements with pale timber flooring and industrial shelving solutions.
I
n mid-August, Australia’s longest running and largest art event, the Melbourne Art Fair, presented by the Melbourne Art Foundation, will present the wares of some 70 galleries from around the world, representing the best of emerging, mid-career and established contemporary
artists. The five-day event, held at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens, comprises stalls for prominent, well-known galleries, such as Sullivan+Strumpf and Anna Schwartz, but also a series of
↑ ↗ Aesop store, Balmain, designed by Henry Wilson.
initiatives for emerging and performance artists known as MAF Platform and MAF Edge. “The focus of the fair,” says director Barry Keldoulis, “is to present the best contemporary art from Australasia, and we’re excited to have attracted the foremost galleries and artists from
↘
the region to participate”, noting that painting, photography, sculpture,
A portrait of Wolf Blass by David Bromley
I
new media and installation are represented as part of this year's line-up.
n further strengthening its ties to the contemporary art landscape, and in celebrating the 80th birthday of its founder, Australian wine company Wolf Blass has commissioned a portrait of Mr Blass by painter, and fellow South Australian, David Bromley. The 2.1 x 1.6
metre canvas painting of Mr Blass is the final installment to a series of artwork created for the occasion, and will be reproduced on a series of 80 limited edition bottles of wine, aptly titled The Master, launching in late August. The German-born winemaker has greatly influenced the way Australians think about and drink wine, making the special artistic commemoration well warranted.
24
www.nmi.com.au
MANUSCRIPT
News
T
oronto-born, Sydney-based art
In other publishing news, a slew of
director Giuseppe Santamaria
glossy books hit the shelves this season.
started his blog, meninthistown.
Through a long association with ‘prep’
com, in 2010 as a way of
culture, the rowing blazer is a sartorial icon
documenting stylish men
of cross-continental recognition, and in
in their natural habitat: the city streets. In
Rowing Blazers (Thames & Hudson) a
that time, the way men dress has changed
new book by photographer and former Ralph
considerably, particularly in Australia.
Lauren designer F.E. Castleberry, we’re able
“I guess I wasn’t used to the beach culture,”
to draw back the curtain on the elaborate
explains Mr Santamaria of his initial reaction
rituals and traditions of historic rowing
to the sartorial landscape. “But over of the
clubs and elite universities around the world,
last five years, Australian men have grown
including Oxford, Cambridge and Eton.
to want more when it comes to fashion.”
Navigating the expansive global
The best of Mr Santamaria’s photographs are
fashion market is no easy feat, but it’s made
included in Men in this Town (Hardie
easier for men in Contemporary Menswear
Grant), his debut book comprising five series
(Thames & Hudson), a comprehensive guide
of images shot in London, Tokyo, Sydney, Milan
to the best independent designers, labels,
and New York. “I’ve had this body of work
stores, blogs and websites that have shaped
living online and always wondered what would
menswear over the past decade. Featuring
happen to it in the future,” he says of the decision
in-depth profiles and over 500 illustrations,
to publish it in hardback. “Having a hard copy
the most creative names in the business –
of my photos that will live on is an amazing
from the heritage Alban Clothing to new
thing.” So how does Australian men’s dress
guard labels like Tellason – are included in
stand up against the other stylish cities? “Our
Contemporary Menswear.
style is a bit sportier, more modern,” says Mr
As a medium, fashion photography has
Santamaria. “We don’t have a long history to
exploded in popularity in the past decade,
look back on and learn from so you do see
thanks in part to its accessibility via the
more experimental looks out on the streets.”
internet. But in an industry defined by its cinematic, narrative-driven style. Presenting some three decades of work, and designed as one continuous overlapping montage, included are polaroids, prints, tear sheets and ephemera, making this an informative educational tool as much as inspirational coffee table eye-candy.
speed, who is emerging as the next big thing? Photography curator Magdaleane Keaney sets out to shine a light on the next generation, profiling more than 30 young names from 14 countries – including Axel Hoedt, Hanna Putz, Daniel Jackson and Australian Samuel Hodge –who are making a claim to be the next Nick Knight in Fashion Photography Next (Thames & Hudson).
At the other end of the spectrum, Glen Luchford: Pictorialism (Rizzoli)
is a visually arresting chronicle of one of the world’s top fashion photographers, whose work defines a generation in its highly
26
↖
Clockwise from left: Fashion Photography Next, Rowing Blazers and Contemporary Menswear.
↑ From top: Glen Luchford: Pictorialism, Men in this Town.
nmi.com.au - ph +61 2 9319 3199
MANUSCRIPT
Splish Splash
Model of the moment Felix Riess gets wet during his morning grooming routine of shampooing, sprucing and scrubbing.
Photography Samuel Hodge Grooming Jenny Kim 28
GROOMING
29
MANUSCRIPT
30
GROOMING
Felix Riess/Priscillas Model Management Ms Kim used Kiehls amino acid shampoo and conditioner, musk shower gel, Ultimate Man body soap and Crème de Corps body moisturiser; Shu Uemura Moisture Velvet nourishing shampoo
and conditioner, Moisture Velvet nourishing treatment hair masque, cleansing skin oil and
Phyto black lotion; Aveda Pure-formance exfoliating shampoo and shave cream, and Outer Peace
foaming face cleanser and rosemary mint bath bar; and Kerastase Bain Densite shampoo, Masque Densite conditioner, and Densifique hair density treatment. 31
prepare for the best‌
Wednesday 13 August Vernissage
6pm - 10pm
Thursday 14 August Friday 15 August Saturday 16 August Sunday 17 August
11am 11am 10am 10am
-
6pm 8pm 6pm 5pm
For tickets and further information visit: melbourneartfair.com.au The Melbourne Art Fair is presented by the Melbourne Art Foundation, a not for profit organisation supporting living artists and contemporary art.
Venue Partner
Government Partners
Major Partners
Official Hotel Partner
INTRODUCING The Artists
Daniel Boyd Tyza Stewart & Michael Cook Edited by Alison Kubler
33
MANUSCRIPT
Mr Boyd photographed by Liz Ham on 26 May 2014 at her studio in St Peters, Australia.
34
INTRODUCING
Daniel Boyd Although he enjoys a reputation as one of
Congratulations on being awarded the Bulgari
How did your collaboration with [music outfit]
Australia’s leading contemporary indigenous
Art Award for your work which now will form part
Canyons on 100 Million Nights transpire?
artists and was the recent winner of the 2014
of the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ collection.
Do you enjoy the collaborative process?
Bulgari Art Award for painting, Daniel Boyd is
What does the award and the recognition of the
100 Million Nights was the third time we had
in person the very epitome of self-effacing;
gallery mean to you?
worked together. We previously worked on A
he is remarkably shy. At the Bulgari Art Award
Thank you. It’s a tremendous honour to be in
Darker Shade of Dark and History is Made at
announcement at the Art Gallery of New South
the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ collection
Night. I like the life the work takes on with a
Wales in April this year, he left an explication of
and to have its recognition is very humbling.
collaborative process, and it’s nice to have an
his work to the director Michael Brand, preferring
I would really like to thank Bulgari for their
audio/visual conversation.
to humbly accept the accolade. Mr Boyd is quite
generosity and support of the visual arts here
simply a quiet achiever. He makes politically
in Australia.
In the past your work has looked at the
potent works that exude quietude. Mr Boyd’s
“inheritance of primitivism and its influence
painting practice describes his personal history
Can you describe the winning work and how
on modernist aesthetics.” Can you explain
as tightly interwoven with the collective history
it fits within your ongoing project?
what you mean by this?
of indigenous culture with an elegance and
I’ve been looking at my ancestry from Pentecost
There is a ceremonial mask from Vanuatu that
economy of means.
Island, Vanuatu; this painting references a
Henri Matisse had in his collection. I came
Mr Boyd prefers not to elucidate his method,
waterfall from the island. The work is about my
across an image of it in Matisse’s studio at
and this is part of the appeal of his work, which
cultural inheritance, my great-great grandfather
the Hotel Regina, in Nice. When Matisse died
has a magical quotient. The artist seduces us
was blackbirded and brought to work in the
be bequeathed it to Pablo Picasso. I became
first with his unique combination of dots and
plantations of far north Queensland. Creating
interested in the trajectory of the mask and its
skeins of paint before sucker punching with the
a visual language where incomprehension is
perception in multiple contexts, because for
content, because don’t be fooled, these are so
acknowledged is important to my practice; it’s
me it addressed the lineage of primitivism. It
much more than pretty paintings. Despite his
about the memory of this landscape and the
also connected to my ancestral proximity to
reticence he has not gone unnoticed. In 2014 he
multiple connections to it. The surface of the
the mask.
was included in Post-Picasso: Contemporary
work is made up of dots, which act as lenses.
Reactions, at the Museu Picasso, Barcelona, and
It’s about the perception of multiple lenses and
Your work is also technically ambitious.
in 2012 he was included in The 7th Asia Pacific
the marks on the surface. The law of closure is
How do you actually construct your paintings?
Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT 7) at the
a way to describe it: the human mind has a
It’s a secret.
Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, and his work is
tendency to see complete objects or forms
featured in the collections of the National Gallery
even if they have gaps in the linear or structural
Your work is deeply imbued with your personal
of Australia, the Museum of Contemporary Art,
make up. You see the image as a whole by
history and experience, and overlayed with an
Sydney and the National Gallery of Victoria, not
piecing together the marks made on the surface.
interest in how history is constructed. How do
to mention numerous private collections.
you mediate the personal and the public? What are your plans for the Italian residency? Do
I’m not sure I do. I think it’s more about our
you plan to make new work while you are there?
relationships with each other.
I’ll be looking for enlightenment on my own Grand Tour. I’m really just open to experience what Italy
If you weren’t making art what would you be doing?
has to offer. I’ll mostly do research while I’m there.
I’d probably be an astronaut or playing in the NBA.
You are a painter but you also work with video.
Mr Boyd is represented by Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery,
Your video works are almost painterly in that you
Sydney, and Station Gallery, Canada. His work will be
employ the same kind of dot screen to create
presented as part of the IV Moscow International
them. Do you enjoy working across mediums?
Biennale for Young Arts: A Time for Dreams, curated
Yes, I enjoy working across mediums. The videos
by David Elliott, the Museum of Moscow, Russia,
were about creating moving images using the
until 10 August; Saltwater Country, Gold Coast City
same language as the paintings. I loved the colour
Gallery, until 31 August; and TarraWarra Biennial
rhythms and the way movement creates form.
2014: Whisper in My Mask, 16 August to 19 November.
35
MANUSCRIPT
Michael Cook
work internationally. Being included in exhibitions like the Sydney Biennale has also created interest from international galleries but I want to wait until I have the right work. Your work was recently featured in the Biennale of Sydney and was roundly received as one of the highlights of the event. Can you describe the work and how you made it? Majority Rule is about a role reversal of 96% of Australians being indigenous. I based it around the forties and fifties because during this time in Australia’s history it would not have been a common sight to see Aboriginal men going to and from work as described in these images. The series is really
Queensland-based photographic artist Michael
You have had considerable success since you
about looking at the past so we can see a direction
Cook is having a rather good year. He was the critical
emerged, having been curated into significant
for the future. It asks questions about history and
hit of the largely lacklustre 19th Biennale of Sydney,
exhibitions such as the Asia Pacific Triennial
I made the series to create conversation of what
and at present he is in enjoying three months in
and the Sydney Biennale. How have you negotiated
was and what could be.
residence at the Australia Council studio in New
this this rapid ascension?
York City. In addition, he is part of a large exhibition
I have had the luck of a good relationship with a
Your practice is political in its intent and content
that starts in Queensland before touring to Utrecht
very supportive gallery, and I have had to learn the
and you identify as an indigenous artist. How
in the Netherlands and the United States. Saltwater
industry quickly. I am really just producing what I
important is this to the construction of your
Country looks at the work of Queensland indigenous
feel passionate about and letting the work speak
practice?
artists for whom ‘country’, that most sacred of
for itself.
People are interested in why an artist produces
concepts, is the ocean shore. It’s a show that
work in a certain way and want to know a little about
features established artists such as Jenny Watson,
What has been the most challenging aspect of
them. Most people would know that I am adopted
Fiona Foley and Vernon Ah Kee, as well as fellow
having your work critically accepted?
and my mother fought for indigenous rights. That’s
Manuscript subject Daniel Boyd [see page 34].
Having the work accepted is not really challenging
probably where a lot of my ideas come from. My
Mr Cook’s work, which blends fiction and
as it either happens or it doesn’t. The challenging
stories are about me discovering a little about my
historical fact to evocative and poetic effect,
aspect of working as an artist is more personal.
identity and ancestry, though I am constantly
takes a political stance without sacrificing
Self-doubt is probably the worst feeling that needs
growing and changing with where I would like my
aesthetic concerns, and has been included in
to be controlled. A person once told me that being
art practice to go, so may not always be doing
important contemporary survey exhibitions such
an artist can be a pretty lonely life. I find working
indigenous-based work. I believe I am only called
as The 7th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary
alone on ideas can create a lot of doubt, though I
an indigenous artist if I am shooting indigenous-
Art at the Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, in
do have the support of my fiancé when deciding on
themed projects and using indigenous models.
2013, and UnDisclosed: 2nd National Indigenous
whether to take an idea to the next level. Self-doubt
Art Triennial, at the National Gallery of Australia,
can also be positive: it makes me think in depth
Your work melds historical and contemporary
Canberra, in 2012.
about each project and to take the time to make
truths with fiction to arrive at visually striking
sure I get the process right.
imagery. Can you tell me a bit about your technique?
Although you have been a photographer for some
I did my training with medium format film cameras and
25 years, you have only been exhibiting as a fine
2014 has already proved to been something of a
darkroom techniques, though work completely digital
artist since 2010. How did you make the change?
huge year for you. As we speak you are in New
now. I think it’s the early experience that transfers
I started in labs running a professional colour
York in residence at the Australia Council Greene
through to getting a certain look on a computer.
darkroom for six years and they also had a studio
Street studio. How important is this opportunity?
on site, where I started shooting portraits and also
This is my first residency and I am finding it very
What are you working on at the moment?
did weddings on weekends. My style was always
inspirational, though it did take a couple of weeks
My objective is to make each project as successful
fashion-orientated and in 2007 I decided to
to settle into the rhythm of New York. I am
as the last. I am creating something that will
experiment with the use of stylists and make up
interested in showing my work internationally and
connect both in and outside Australia, something
artists, backed with the idea of planning out a
to do so I feel I need to see what is on show in places
that can relate to various cultures, so with a little
project. By working on these projects, it taught
like New York and London. I also completed the
less of such a direct approach politically to
me how to stylise a look, creating the basis of how
British Council Accelerate program in 2013, which
Australia, as seen in some of my other projects.
I approach my art projects now. My choice to go
gave me insight into the UK art market. Australia
I am looking at different ways of creating images
into art full time was to have complete control of
is a very strong market that supports its artists,
into other forms of art and sculpture, and will
the project from beginning to end. The problem
and even though I am wanting to show my work
probably start to look at film and projections.
with being a fashion photographer is that there is
internationally, exhibiting overseas is more of a long
so much competition, not only from Australian
term goal for me and something I don’t feel I need
Mr Cook is represented by Andrew Baker Art
photographers, but ones contracted from overseas
to rush, but would rather let happen in time. I don’t
Dealer, Brisbane, and Dianne Tanzer Gallery +
as well. At the end of the day, I didn’t get to shoot
believe that showing overseas is as important as
Projects, Melbourne. His work will be shown as part
what I was passionate about because the agency
building a strong foundation in Australia and I feel
of Saltwater Country, Gold Coast City Gallery, until
and client control the end result.
I will know when it’s right to take a certain body of
31 August.
36
INTRODUCING
Mr Cook photographed by Jordan Graham on 06 June 2014 in New York City.
37
MANUSCRIPT
Tyza Stewart photographed by Sam Scoufos on 25 June at the artist's studio in Queensland.
38
INTRODUCING
At the inaugural Sydney Contemporary art fair
guide people’s understandings of each other
range of acceptable sexual and gender identities
in 2013, the elephant in the room was censorship
and how little I understand of this. My practice
through the privileging of narrow family ideals
in the arts. At the event’s vernissage, police
is a way for me to experiment with and think
and interventions in children’s gender performances.
demanded the withdrawal of the work of
about interactions between myself and the
And in variously visible and invisible ways
Melbourne-based artist Paul Yore, having deemed
world, focusing on the ways I am perceived
heterosexuality and binary gender are both used
it an inappropriate representation of children in
based on my physical presence and the impact
to reinforce the stability and supposed naturalness
art, and sexually exploitative. It was not the first
this has on particular aspects of my identity. I
of each other. If we start really discussing children
time the artist’s work had been work censored,
want to experience less rigid, polarised ways of
and sexuality we may have to think about the ways
it must be noted, and not entirely unexpected.
understanding and being perceived, and I think
we are taught sexual norms and taught to
What happened next was though.
a lot of other people might also benefit from this,
understand ourselves through binary gender.
so that’s the kind of larger political agenda I’m
Since most aspects of society are based on a strict
interested in being involved in.
binary gender system, and we learn to understand
The work of emerging Queensland-based artist, Tyza Stewart, was caught up in the maelstrom. Stewart, a 2012 Honours graduate
ourselves through this system, it can be pretty
of the Queensland College of Art had work
How significant is technique to the work you make?
confusing and uncomfortable to reconsider it as
withdrawn from Heiser Gallery. Stewart’s drawings
The ways I render my works is significant but I find it
anything other than an essential fact.
and paintings were deemed to be images of
difficult to talk specifically about this without making
children in sexual situations. Stewart was the
it kind of meaningless or too obvious. I try to use my
It seems such a distraction from the actual work.
victim of an unintelligent knee-jerk reaction,
technical skills to complicate the content of images
What do you want the work to do – indeed, do
evidence of society’s wider inability to have a
within my practice so that my work, and the image of
you want it to do anything? Are you interested in
debate about sexuality and art. For a commercial
myself that I present through my work, is potentially
or are you seeking to create a provocation?
art world newbie, the brewing scandal was an
less coherent when read through strict binary
I’m not seeking to create provocation. My work is
unwelcome distraction, not a case of Stewart
stereotypes, especially those relating to gender.
in some ways the product of provocation; a reaction
courting controversy. What the powers-that-be
to what irritates me. Maybe this distraction will feed
failed to understand is that Stewart’s confronting
What did your experience at Sydney Contemporary,
into my practice in the future, but at the moment
images of sexuality are in fact intimate and
when your work was withdrawn due to its perceived
I don’t often think about the issues arising from
courageous self-portraits that teeter at the very
sexual content, tell you about the state of
artists working with children and sexuality or
edge of gender theory discussions. That is to say,
contemporary art in Australia?
about my experience at Sydney Contemporary
the work is all highly personal, depictions of the artist
I wasn’t really involved; it seemed that my artwork
specifically.
wrestling with and confronting self and sexuality.
and the context of the work wasn’t thoroughly
The artist is depicted as a child and an adult
considered. From this experience, it seems to me
You are now 22. When you were 14 you wrote a
simultaneously, and – here’s the sticking point –
that censorship had perhaps become a standard
note to yourself that said, “The thing to top my
in pornographic situations.
reaction for some institutions and people working
birthday wish list: to be a guy (and have a guy
with contemporary art in Australia.
friend, who is quite as gay as I am (would be).
Stewart’s work is difficult, but perhaps only because it is uncompromisingly honest. It is the
This will never appear on lists that other people
artist laid completely bare, in the process of
In recent years artists working with children has
see, for obvious reasons.” What would you say
becoming not one thing but another, yearning
emerged as a kind of collective wringing of hands.
to your 14-year-old self now?
to be something else. This is not art that is neatly
Why do you think there is such a struggle to have
The ‘obvious reasons’ will become less obvious
compartmentalised; it beguiles by virtue of its
an intelligent debate about sexuality?
as you come to better understand them. Probably
clear-eyed rendering and realism melded
The way I see it, I’m not working with children;
wouldn’t be very helpful or informative for my
with fiction. It is brutally honest. That the
I’m working with myself and sometimes myself as
14-year-old self to hear; I’m not interested in
artist’s autobiographical practice could be so
a kid. So I think sometimes the concern (shown, for
thinking about changing my past like I am
misunderstood goes to the heart of a culture’s
example, when my paintings were withdrawn from
interested in questioning and complicating the
inability to see.
the art fair) is not so much about children and
way my past is interpreted. For any other 14-year-
protecting children, but more about what adults
old with similar thoughts, maybe try finding
How would you describe your art practice?
might have to confront within themselves when
someone to read your wish list.
Is it autobiographical or is there a larger
they encounter some artworks that involve images
political agenda?
of children or concepts relating to childhood. It’s
I think I’d describe my practice as self-portraiture-
my understanding that children are positioned as
based. I often find myself thinking about how
the most important aspect of society and that
people perceive and understand each other, and
they are idealised and treated as asexual, but
Tyza Stewart’s self-titled exhibition is on show
the social structures and systems that inform and
also heterosexual. As kids, we are taught a limited
at Heiser Gallery, Brisbane until 30 August.
Tyza Stewart 39
MANUSCRIPT
Burberry Prorsum by Christopher Bailey 40
F AS HIO N
Before the Fall
Navajo prints, black leather, shearling and fur‌ it was a mixed bag this fall,with designers presenting a broad range of unique ideas on the runway. Herewith, our favourite looks of the season. Illustrations Clym Evernden 41
MANUSCRIPT
Left: Giorgio Armani
Right: Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane 42
F AS HIO N
Paul Smith
43
MANUSCRIPT
Thom Browne
44
F AS HIO N
45
MANUSCRIPT
Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci
Opposite: Hermes by Veronique Nichanian 46
F AS HIO N
47
MANUSCRIPT
Calvin Klein Collection by Italo Zucchelli Opposite: Dolce & Gabbana 48
F AS HIO N
49
MANUSCRIPT
50
F AS HIO N
Dior Homme by Kris Van Assche
Opposite: Gucci by Frida Giannini 51
MANUSCRIPT
DON’T STOP THE PRESSES With major newspaper and magazine houses shuttering their operations, Benjamin Law finds niche and independent publishing heartening. Photography Jo Duck | Grooming Elisa Clark
Are you reading this on a printed page? If so, some
Still, there are also commercial and practical reasons
might argue that what you’re holding in your hands is
why The Saturday Paper is printed on paper, in contrast
possibly an endangered species. Sure, the printing press
to, say, The Guardian, which launched in Australia as a
was all the rage during the Industrial Revolution, but
digital-only product. Instead of being a daily news service,
it seems the only reason people want to talk about
The Saturday Paper’s aim was to resuscitate the style of
print nowadays is to discuss its imminent death.
longform feature journalism that was lost when magazines
Worldwide, the prognosis is grim. In Australia, our
like The Bulletin in Australia and Newsweek in the United
two big newspaper houses are culling staff in record-
States stopped running print editions. “What we wanted
breaking numbers, book consumers are switching to
to do was the journalism of a weekly news magazine,” Mr
electronic readers and magazine titles are dying off by
Jensen says. “However, the best way to get that journalism
the dozen. It’s like we’ve all developed a sudden allergy
out is to print it on a rolling newspaper press.” As Mr
to paper. But while the grand old sauropods of the
Jensen noted in his first editorial, The Saturday Paper
industry sink into a bog, what becomes clear is that
was designed to be a “small but handsome mongrel”.
print itself isn’t actually in danger. If anything, smaller, boutique and niche print titles are thriving. Take Australia’s youngest newspaper, The Saturday
Mongrel models might be the key to survival across the print industry. With ebooks now on the verge of overtaking printed books (as a percentage of total book
Paper. Since its launch this March, 80,000 copies of the
sales), it’s curious and heartening to note that literary
paper’s crisp 32 pages are trundled out to east coast city
journals – those anthology-book-magazine hybrids –
newsagencies and airports each weekend. Launching
continue to thrive in Australia. Meanjin, Overland,
a newspaper – in the same period Fairfax and News Corp
Griffith Review, Kill Your Darlings, Southerly and
make hundreds of employees redundant – might seem
Westerly are some of the best known, but the most
like lunacy, but what helps The Saturday Paper’s case is
charming is perhaps the rascally, Melbourne-based
that it’s published by Schwartz Media, whose stable
The Lifted Brow. (Canadian writer Margaret Atwood
includes The Monthly, Quarterly Essay and Black Inc.
described The Lifted Brow as having “the cheek of
Books. Still, why opt for pulp? Hasn’t the decline of
Dame Edna [and the] weirdness of wombats”).
newspapers worldwide demonstrated that in the 21st century, paper is the worst medium to disseminate news? The Saturday Paper’s editor Erik Jensen says part of
“I’m not one of those people who masturbates over paper,” says editor and publisher Samuel Cooney. “But I do prefer to read books and the printed word. And now,
the appeal of making a proper newspaper was paper itself.
with the age of the screen, a book or printed publication
“My career – quite counterintuitively for my generation,
is a godsend. I mean, how many tabs have I got open
I suppose – has been fixed solely around print titles,” he
right now? 37! I get distracted, reading on the screen.
says. Mr Jensen started writing for The Sydney Morning
Books, newspapers and printed publications are a
Herald at 15, became a staff writer at 18, before starting
way to escape the hustle and bustle of everything.”
The Saturday Paper in his late 20s. “When the first
Launched in 2007 by Ronnie Scott, each issue of
issue of The Saturday Paper turned up – and this is an
The Lifted Brow has always happily sandwiched emerging
extraordinary cliché – it was like seeing a child,” he says.
and young writers between big local drawcards (Helen
“I spent 18 months in secret building this paper, and
Garner, Christos Tsiolkas, Margo Lanagan and Frank
many of those days was spent touching different paper
Moorhouse have all contributed) and the occasional
→ Erik Jensen , editor,
stock and closing my eyes and running over the GSM.”
international superstar (Sheila Heti, Neil Gaiman, Rick
Mr Jensen nearly sighs. “They... were glorious days.”
Moody, Karen Russell, Tao Lin). Over seven years, what
The Saturday Paper
52
FEATURE
53
MANUSCRIPT
has kept The Lifted Brow appealing to readers has also been its internal survival strategy – to adapt and experiment at a rapid pace. From its first edition – “almost a zine, a level up from photocopied, really,” Mr Cooney says – the journal has morphed into bound book-sized affairs, before reaching its current iteration: a magazine printed on newspaper stock. Mr Cooney adds he’s considering changing the format again soon. For a literary journal that has lasted this long, has over 400 subscribers (respectable for a journal in this country) and sells most of its 1500–2000 copies per issue, The Lifted Brow’s business model is impressive – mainly for the fact that there isn’t really one. Its writers get paid a modest fee for contributions, but no one else involved in The Lifted Brow – from the 17 people who work on editorial and production, to the interns, to Mr Cooney himself – get a dime. Money is raised through subscriptions, grants and events. “It’s a slog and a labour of love,” he says. Mr Cooney doesn’t ask for anyone’s time for more than one day a week. The Lifted Brow, he says, “relies on kindness and hard work”. Which is to say, The Lifted Brow isn’t just a publication; it’s a community of volunteers who not only believe in the product, but have a personal stake in it. Broadsheet – Sydney and Melbourne’s food and entertainment quarterly – operates very differently. “We’ve seen [other magazines] come and go,” says founder and publisher Nick Shelton, “but one important difference for us is that we were a commercial operation from Day One. That was always the goal: to be commercially sustainable.” From starting Broadsheet’s Melbourne edition in 2009, Mr Shelton has now built a company that spans both Melbourne and Sydney, produces a print edition distributed in entertainment venues, boutiques, cafés and restaurants, and a website that regularly reaches over half-a-million unique users per month.
“I’m not one of those people who masturbates over paper... But I do prefer to read books and the printed word” 54
FEATURE
The fact Mr Shelton emphasises online clicks – rather than print edition readers – isn’t an accident. Most magazines might consider their websites as complementary to their print flagship publication, but Broadsheet operates in reverse: Mr Shelton started the print edition to get people onto Broadsheet’s website – a dynamic city directory and archive that’s updated daily. “Making a print edition was about figuring out how to get our brand and content into people’s hands,” he says. “We did ask ourselves what we should make. A brochure?
← Samuel Cooney , editor and publisher,
A3 magazine? Proper magazine?”
Eventually they went for – of course – a broadsheet newspaper. The obvious clue was the fact they’d already
The Lifted Brow
↓ Nick Shelton , founder and publisher,
Broadsheet
named the website Broadsheet, which took its design cues from handsome newspapers. “The other reason we went for newsprint was it was cheap to produce,” Mr Shelton says. “It’s also an opportunity to showcase the great photography we were getting, and for the writers to write to longer-form stuff. We find longer form pieces work better in print than they do online, so it was an opportunity to approach things a bit deeper.” The print and online Broadsheet experiences are very different, Mr Shelton says, because “reading online is a ‘lean forward’ experience – you’re actively searching and actively looking, because you want to go out tonight and find out what’s happening in the city. Print is a ‘lean back’ experience – that is, ‘Let me learn something I didn’t know before, and perhaps doesn’t affect my life in any way, except for the fact I’ve just read an interesting story and I’m the wiser for it.” Similarly, the team at The Lifted Brow are also acutely aware that people absorb information differently across platforms. “There’s a term called ‘shovelling’, where magazines just shovel their content from one platform to the next and assume they will work the same,” Mr Cooney explains. Instead of shovelling, The Lifted Brow has commissioning editors who work across three editions: the flagship print journal, the website and the digital magazine on tablets. “We see the three different iterations of the Brow as three different publications. The flagship publication is the print publication – that’ll always be the case – but there are also limitations to its reach and how far it can go.” In contrast to the traditional newspaper industry – which often sees the internet as having done nothing but steal audience share and revenue – all three editors and publishers consider a robust digital presence as crucial to making their print products work. And though he is a newspaper man himself, Mr Jensen says his newspaper takes a more pragmatic attitude to the internet. “The internet does ‘certain things’, which allows us to focus on ‘other things’,” he says – namely, investigative and in-depth features people are less inclined to read on a computer screen. Broadsheet’s Mr Shelton says that like Mr Jensen, he still gets a giddy thrill when the print edition of Broadsheet comes off the presses. But for him, the ultimate thrill comes later. “Often, cafés and venues will get Broadsheet before we receive our copies at the office,” he says. “So walking into a café and seeing it there, and someone reading it, that’s when it really hits me. It’s more about seeing someone else hold it. That’s where I get my thrill.” Needless to say, it’s a thrill that remains exclusive to print.
55
MANUSCRIPT
THE SUM OF US A collaboration between two originals demonstrates the potency of art and fashion’s collective output, writes Mitchell Oakley Smith. Photography Bruce Anderson The origins of art-fashion collaborations can be found in
But the confluence between art and fashion has
the early twentieth century; in the 1930s, Italian fashion
lost some of its potency in recent years, not least because
Art in Shanghai in 2013. For their joint menswear
designer Elsa Schiaparelli initiated the artist/designer
of the sheer proliferation of such ventures that amounts
collection, the designer and artist liaised six months
relationship, inspired by and working with artists such
to little more artistic integrity than a Picasso print from
prior to the presentation, regularly meeting via Skype
as Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dali and Alberto Giacometti.
a museum gift store. Of course, the luxury industry is
and email between Antwerp, Mr Simons’ base, and
Of course, far less emphasis was placed on the notion
a radically more sophisticated operation, but fashion
Los Angeles, where Mr Ruby lives. Together, they
of collaboration – a 21st century buzzword – during Ms
operates in a financially driven sphere, with larger
employed a completely hands-on approach to the
Schiaparelli’s career from 1927 to 1954, and that of Paul
brands owned by luxury conglomerates supported by
garments, with embroidered patches, text marks and
Poiret who, in the early 20th century, employed artists
private and public investors. But that a product – a bag,
collaged fabric scraps, essentially safeguarding them
such as Paul Irabe and Erte to create textile print designs
pair of shoes or dress – reaches production indicates
from being plagiarised, as good fashion and art so
for his creations. Ms Schiaparelli nonetheless made the
the commercial viability of these initiatives, whether
often are.
practice of joining forces in 20th century fashion popular,
or not the project harbours artistic ambitions.
given the publicity her work received. Perhaps the most famous of Ms Schiaparelli’s artist-
In a timely reminder of just how potent the two
Esprit Dior exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary
Particularly special is a series of four coats crafted from hand-painted fabric by Mr Ruby, each of which
worlds can be when combined free from economic
is numbered in its limited edition run of five. At $45,000,
designed garments is the 1937 ‘Lobster Dress’, a white silk
purpose and with dual creative ownership, designer
these pieces don’t come cheap, but when one considers
evening dress with a crimson waistband featuring a large
Raf Simons jointly worked with artist Sterling Ruby to
the individual value of the collaborators’ work – Mr
lobster hand-painted by Salvador Dali, a surrealist motif
create his fall/winter menswear collection. So jointly,
Simons' early menswear pieces are regularly vied for on
associated with sexuality that appeared frequently in the
in fact, that Style.com’s Tim Blanks heralded it “a full-on,
the secondary market, while Mr Ruby’s work regularly
artist’s body of work. Wallis Simpson wore this particular
both-names-on-the-label mind-meld… and even if you
reaches six figures at auction – it makes sense that their
dress in a series of photographs taken by Cecil Beaton
could pick out the faces of the parents in the finished
joint venture should hold such value. Inside the jackets
shortly before her marriage to Edward VIII, who famously
product… the overwhelming impression was of an
is a woven trim embellished with words and abbreviations
abdicated the British throne for love. Images of Ms
astonishing compatibility.” Indeed, every garment in
that feature elsewhere throughout the collection, such
Simpson wearing that dress constitute one of the earliest
the full menswear collection is the result of collaboration
as ‘Fathers’ and ‘Abus Lang’ (short for abusive language),
incarnations of the collision of fashion and celebrity.
between the artist and designer.
referencing longstanding elements of Mr Ruby’s artistic
Indeed, the dress was less a ‘dress’ than a provocation: the
American-born, Mr Ruby’s art, of course, is defined
practice, particularly his 2013 installation EXHM, first
perfect surrealist gesture, it irreverently thwarted social
by its varied media, including ceramics, painting, collage
showcased at Hauser & Wirth. MatchesFashion.com
niceties in the most polite way. It might be seen as a precursor
and video, often presented in dense compositions and
will stock one of these coats (pictured) alongside a
to punk on one level, and is the original example of how
with a DIY feeling; many of the works appear scratched,
number of more accessible pieces from the collection,
art and fashion imbue in one another a new relevance.
defaced or splattered, like many of the pieces in his
including shirts, bags and denim, many of them bleached
collaboration with Mr Simons. Much of his work finds
by Mr Ruby and in limited runs of 50.
At its most basic level, the notion of collaboration in fashion is evident in the way a house employs an artist’s
its roots in punk and street subcultures, much like that
visual artwork or print for the purpose of decorating their
of Mr Simons, whose work has long been defined by its
signature or staple products: leathergoods, accessories
adoption of youth culture in a high-fashion context, with
and fabrics. The quality of these collaborations, however,
musical references integral to his presentations. The pair
can be difficult to qualify. Some carry stellar star status
met a decade ago and have long shared mutual interests.
by virtue of an artist’s reputation, while others adopt a
As Mr Simons explained to the New York Times: “We
stealth approach to integrating art; in some instances an
both work in different genres, but we work with some
artist is invited to alter a product’s physical proportions,
heavy industries to a certain degree. This is a way for
construction and style, or indeed imagine something
us to keep our autonomy.”
entirely new, although in most cases the collaboration
The pair has worked together before, in 2009,
amounts to a print that is bought and sold for a negotiated
when Mr Ruby bleached a series of denim for Mr Simons’
price based on the status of the house, the size of the
namesake menswear collection. Later, in 2012, Mr
production, and the reputation of the artist. Nonetheless,
Simons crafted a series of dresses and coats with fabric
these partnerships of art and commerce represent, perhaps
reproducing images of Mr Ruby’s work for Christian Dior,
more visibly than any other business cooperations, a
where he is artistic director of womenswear, and in yet
Raf Simons/Sterling Ruby coat,
meeting of the two worlds.
another art-fashion twist, were exhibited as part of the
from MatchesFashion.com
56
→
FEATURE
57
MANUSCRIPT
Musician Benjamin Clementine performs as part of the Burberry spring/summer 2015 runway show in London
58
FEATURE
SOUNDS LIKE FASHION As fashion constantly seeks newness in popular culture, music has, yet again, become its creative and commercial co-conspirator, writes Alison Kubler. Last year, in an art gallery in New York, a rapper performed a song live repeatedly over a beat while artists and actors and other musicians joined in and danced or observed. This could well be the description of any number of contemporary art performances, only this performance was by none other than Jay-Z and star artist (alongside other star artists George Condo and George Weiner as well as film director Judd Apatow and actor Adam Driver) Marina Abramovic, the mother of performance/endurance art. Oh, and the gallery was PACE, one of the most prominent commercial galleries in the world. The edited performance with thoughtful commentary from Jay-Z and interviews with Ms Abramovic is viewable on YouTube. At the time of writing it had reached 4.5 million hits. And this is an art performance. Or is it? Wait… maybe it’s a video. The song in question (sung repeatedly over six hours) is Picasso Baby, Jay-Z’s smug declaration of his art savvy and wealth. Rappers don’t rap about champagne anymore, they rap about the art they own; in Jay-Z’s case, really expensive art. The entire song is an ode to success and a mash-up of art-fashion-music references. In Picasso Baby we see the collapsing of these three forms into one intensely mediated popular culture moment. It ain’t hard to tell, I’m the new Jean Michel Surrounded by Warhols, my whole team ball Twin Bugattis, outside the Art Basel, I just wanna live life colossal Leonardo Da Vinci flows, Riccardo Tisci Givenchy clothes See me throning at the Met, Vogueing on these niggas Champagne on my breath, yes House like the Louvre or the Tate Modern Cause I be going ape at the auction Oh what a feeling, aw fuck it, I want a trillion It’s not poetry but it’s probably the first time the event Art Basel has been namedropped in a rap song. Not to overstate the grandiose posturing of the song (which is sort of irresistible), Picasso Baby is a brash shouting of the changing of the guard. The order has shifted – art, fashion and music combined are the new litmus test of mega wealth and, more importantly, cultural status. They appear in the same breath and, together, have become the cultural landmarks of the 21st century. In the process, Ms Abramovic has become something almost unprecedented, too: a household name. Unprecedented, of course, for an artist making performance art, contemporary art’s
59
MANUSCRIPT
It ain’t hard to tell, I’m the new Jean Michel/ Surrounded by Warhols, my whole team ball/ Twin Bugattis, outside the Art Basel, I just wanna live life colossal/ Leonardo Da Vinci flows, Riccardo Tisci Givenchy clothes/See me throning at the Met, Vogueing on these niggas/Champagne on my breath, yes/House like the Louvre or the Tate Modern/Cause I be going ape at the auction/ Oh what a feeling, aw fuck it, I want a trillion 60
FEATURE
most difficult medium. She is a hugely influential cultural
beauty is, in fact, fame. And pop music brings fame in spades,
popular. Perhaps what these campaigns demonstrate
figure, but it is only recently that she has become a pop
and with it, economic benefits.
best is the cache of buying ‘cool.’ If you can’t actually
culture star, appearing in advertising for Givenchy (she
When Mother Monster – Lady Gaga – donned
be a rock star, you might as well dress like one.
and the house’s artistic director have collaborated before,
vintage Versace for her 1980s-inspired Edge of Glory film
the designer famously casting himself in a photoshoot
clip, she spawned a new generation of Versace fans and,
a dilemma: how to combat piracy, in the form of illegal
being breastfed by Ms Abramovic for an issue of
in turn, Versace engaged Gaga for a global advertising
downloads and third world knockoffs, respectively. In
Visionaire that he guest edited). In addition, Givenchy
campaign. Gaga has even been known to dress like
recognition of the post-MTV generation playing field
hosted the artist’s concluding party for The Artist is
Donatella Versace, about whom she penned a song
that fashion and music must now negotiate to garner a
Present at MOMA, in 2010, Ms Abramovic’s seminal
“Donatella” for her last album Art Pop (for which she
foothold in the all important social media system, the
performance, which Jay-Z has cited as the influence for
commissioned artist Jeff Koons to realise a statue of her
relationship between the two worlds has become even
his own ‘endurance’ piece. She has also been instructing
as a pop icon). Let’s not forget rapper Drake’s catchy
more sophisticated. United they are stronger. In 2013
Lady Gaga in the art of performance.
Versace ditty (Shoes and shirt Versace, your bitch want in
rapper MIA collaborated with Versace on a campaign
on my pockets/ She ask me why my drawers silk/ I told that
for the label’s diffusion line Versus, taking inspiration from
art and artists. Collaborations with artists are now almost
bitch "Versace"/ Cheetah print on my sleeve, but I ain't ever
counterfeit Versace goods she encountered at London
commonplace ever since Marc Jacobs began working
been in the jungle), or Frank Ocean’s reference to Versace
markets, creating street style mash-ups of the brand’s
with artists such as Takashi Murakami and Richard
in his breakout single Lost.
signature logos. It was a clever collaboration that riffed on
Fashion houses have long aligned themselves with
Prince when artistic director at Louis Vuitton. Luxury
Contemporary musicians increasingly embrace
The element that music and fashion most share is
the bootlegging of luxury goods (and music, because after
fashion houses have looked to contemporary art for a
fashion as part of the cultural Zeitgeist. Popular music
all, appropriation is rap’s raison d’etre), taking a sideswipe
kind of cultural injection to reinvigorate their name and
artists are famous for the clothes they wear on and off
at intellectual property that symbolised a retaking of the
lend some kind of longevity and cerebral value to their
stage, with many designing their own namesake fashion
brand for itself. It was exemplary of fashion’s trickle up
commercial products. There have been so many art-
lines, such as Pharell Williams and Kanye West, or
theory, the high street influencing the catwalk.
fashion moments in the new millennium that one wonders
creating capsule collections for existing brands, such as
if the formula may be wearing thin. Fashion once needed
Sonic Youth front woman Kim Gordon, who designed
and brands, many fashion houses now support emerging
art for relevance and a kind of critical approbation; art
prints for Marni, or Mr West for French label A.P.C.
musicians in patronage programs that help to provide a
made fashion serious, worthy of consideration. Now that
Fashion shows, too, have become more like art
Aside from the collaborations between performers
global audience for new talent, which in turn brings a
fashion has earned a new respect, perhaps it no longer
performances or concerts. For his spring 2014 showing,
younger audience back to the brand via music. It’s a
needs art. Fashion is, after all, a fickle beast, always looking
in Paris, Rick Owens upped the ante by eschewing models
marketing-by-stealth approach that seems to be working.
to the next thing. And that next thing, it seems, is music.
and flying in a step troupe of women all shapes and sizes
Burberry Acoustic is a multi-tiered initiative by the
to do a hardcore performance (wearing Owens’s clothing),
British brand that integrates emerging British musicians
a Givenchy gown) is, as it turns out, a defining moment.
the video of which went viral globally. Musicians such as
into its runway show soundtracks, advertising campaigns,
Does this suggest the tables have turned? Does art need
Rufus Wainwright, Roisin Murphy and Tori Amos have all
special projects and weekly downloadable playlists. In
music? Some kind of proof might be found in the Museum
performed as part of Viktor & Rolf runway shows, Antony
2014, Gucci launched its own Spotify stream that
of Modern Art's announcement that it is planning a major
Hegarty has performed for Givenchy, Florence Welch,
features exclusive playlists created by selected female
retrospective of the career of Icelandic performer Bjork.
the Chromatics and Lily Allen for Chanel, and Prince for
DJs in conjunction with the release of the short film
The installation-based exhibition will look at her twenty
Matthew Williamson. And increasingly, musicians appear
The Fringe, made for the release of its signature spring
years of extraordinary projects that includes no less than
in major fashion house advertising campaigns: Madonna,
2014 ‘Bamboo’ fringed bags. The DJs have curated
seven albums and a swathe of extraordinary film clips,
Bono and Keith Richards for Louis Vuitton, Cat Power
exclusive playlists for the ‘branded’ music-streaming
many of which were produced in collaboration with other
and Ms Allen for Chanel, and most recently, Courtney
channel, which also allows listeners to share tracks. So,
incredible artists, and will include film and costumes as
Love, Marilyn Manson and Daft Punk for Saint Laurent.
is this what Gucci ‘sounds’ like? Creative Director Frida
Jay-Z’s performance with Ms Abramovic (wearing
well as performance. Björk and Icelandic writer Sjon
Shot by artistic director Hedi Slimane, who enjoys
Giannini is well known for her collection of over 8000
Sigurdsson are co-writing a ‘narrative’ in what amounts to
a reputation not just as a designer but also as a respected
vinyl records, so this musical approach to marketing a
a highly experimental project. This comes on the back of
photographer (he is represented by Almine Rech Gallery),
handbag is not such a stretch. It certainly makes for a
MoMA’s acquisition of Bjork’s App made for her album
the Saint Laurent campaign describes the brand’s rock
stylish musical interlude while you choose the colour.
Biophilia. Of course, Bjork’s oeuvre is the very definition of
credentials by aligning itself with a powerhouse of new
multidisciplinary perfection; it’s hard to imagine that we’ll
and ‘hall of fame’ stars, and is collectively titled the Saint
music to connect to a younger audience. Over the next few
be seeing a Rihanna retrospective at MoMA anytime soon.
Laurent Music Project, a section of the brand’s website
months Emporio Armani will present Emporio Armani
dedicated too it. In September, the Fondation Pierre
Sounds, an international touring concert series that will
relationship, ever since Elvis immortalised his blue suede
Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent will present an exhibition of
take place in Paris, New York, Barcelona, Monaco, Tokyo,
shoes in the song of the same name. The relationship
photographs by Mr Slimane, Sonic: a collection of studio
Beijing and Rio de Janeiro. The talent will be determined
between music and fashion is so rich as to be exhaustive
portraits (from the Xavier Burral publication of the same
by the location, but with the clout of the Armani brand
in the retelling, but the past few decades alone have brought
name) from Mr Slimane’s archive looking back over 15
behind the project, one can expect big things. Emporio
us punk and Vivienne Westwood, Madonna and Jean Paul
years and featuring music icons such as Lou Reed, Brian
Armani Sounds kicked off with a Klaxons concert in Paris,
Gaultier and Lady Gaga and Nicola Formichetti. Musicians,
Wilson, Amy Winehouse and Keith Richards. The black
and is an uber cool brand alignment for the label’s youth-
of course, have always used fashion to create an image, but
and white photos will be accompanied by a video installation
focused line. It is too evidence of music’s unique ability to
where once this might have been a more shambolic creative
of Mr Slimane’s London (2003-2007) and California
articulate the idea of lifestyle, that which contemporary
response (Madonna wearing lace gloves or Gaga making her
(2007-2014) documentary cycles. It’s not the first time
brands are keen to align themselves with. Paul Smith’s
own costumes, as she did in the beginning), fashion houses
Mr Slimane has shown in a public gallery, either, his work
latest campaign takes the form of a film clip featuring the
are becoming increasingly focused and strategic in creating
having featured in a 2011 show, California Song, at MoCA
band Swim Deep performing their track Francisco. The
alignments with pop stars, seating them front row at fashion
in Los Angeles.
members all wear new season Paul Smith and generally
Music and fashion have long had a mutually beneficial
Giorgio Armani too has recognised the power of
shows, using their visages in campaigns, creating their
Elsewhere, British band The Kills, fronted by
touring costumes and using their music as campaign
Alison Mosshart and Jaime Hince (otherwise known as
their own soundtrack. It’s very nineties British retro and
soundtracks. It’s partly a knock-on effect of Anna Wintour’s
Kate Moss’s husband), have appeared in advertisements
very Paul Smith. It feels like the brand would sound if you
strategy of using celebrities instead of supermodels on the
for Equipment, while British brand Mulberry tapped
could hear, and now you can. This is advertising at its
look nothing like models as they move (awkwardly) to
cover of American Vogue as the new millennium dawned, a
sultry singer Lana Del Rey as inspiration for its 2013
laptop drumming best, and capitalises on music’s earworm
move that was maligned at the time but will ultimately prove
‘Del Ray’ bag (she has too performed live for its fashion
capacity (Pharrell’s Happy) to lodge in your brain until
to be her legacy. Fashion still loves the pretty faces but one
presentations), which proved a resounding commercial
such time as another song replaces it. This is fashion and
only needs to scan the news shelves to see that the new
success – the bag became and remains one of its most
music’s clever ruse.
61
MANUSCRIPT
ONE OF A KIND An exhibition and new Australian store demonstrates the authenticity of Hermès’ artistic intentions, writes Mitchell Oakley Smith.
62
FEATURE
During the first week that French luxury house Hermès
This October, at the Museum of Contemporary
traded at its new Melbourne digs in June, an artisan from
Art in Sydney, Hermès will share more of its world with
its leather workshop in France had set up shop just by
Festival des Metiers, an exhibition showcasing the
the entry. Here, with little more than his bare hands and
craftsmanship behind the various “métiers” (workshops)
a few medieval-looking tools – he stitched together pieces
that make up its diverse product offering. Shown already
of leather that would become one of the brand’s iconic
in numerous cities around the world, Festival des Metiers
‘Kelly’ bags. Like the modest and strongly protected haute
is less an exhibition than a demonstration of the ways
couture industry that exists in France, Hermès prides
in which its products are made, “providing insight into
itself on the fact that the vast majority of its products –
the artisanal traditions and values of the house and
everything from crocodile leather handbags to printed
revealing its fine craftsmanship,” according to a company
silk scarves – is expertly and authentically crafted from
spokesperson. For its Sydney presentation, eight
its specialist workshops, all of them on home soil.
craftspeople – including a saddle maker, silk painter,
“More than half of the people at Hermès work in
gem setter and watchmaker – will travel from France and
manufacturing,” explains the brand’s executive vice
demonstrate their skill in the purpose-built exhibition
president of distribution, Florian Craen. “This means
space designed by industrial designer Paola Navone.
that before being a retail name we are a manufacturing
“The physical vision of the craftsman is quite abstract
name, and it’s something very particular to Hermès.”
today,” says Mr Craen, “whereas we live with them at
It means, of course, that the items in a Hermès store
Hermès, and it’s important for customers to see the
don’t necessarily come cheap, but Mr Craen believes
work happening, the pieces being made, so that they can
that people understand the craftsmanship, quality
understand and appreciate what it means for something
and history inherent in the brand’s products. “People
to be handmade.”
recognise this about us, and they buy our pieces knowing that they are incredibly well made.” And it would appear that lots of people are buying.
Festival des Metiers is on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, 02 to 06 October 2014.
Hermès is one of the few brands to have not only emerged from the Global Financial Crisis, but also to have consistently, over the past five years, grown its global sales, net income and market share. Indeed, the company’s first-quarter this year saw a turnover improvement of 14.7% (at constant exchange rates) across its categories of leathergoods and saddlery, ready-to-wear and accessories, silk and textiles, perfumes, timepieces, jewellery, and homewares. But perhaps it’s not so surprising considering that what emerged culturally from this bleak period in retail activity was a renewed appreciation of luxury, with consumers redefining what this term – its meaning lost in 21st century marketing-speak – really means. “We are enjoying this movement where you may not consumer more, but you consumer better,” says Mr Craen. “You might not go out to dinner as often, but when you do you please yourself with outstanding experiences. The orange box is still very present under the Christmas tree, but maybe there are just less boxes.” Indeed, it’s a cultural movement that has seen consumers investing in more expensive, but fewer pieces that will last a lifetime, rather than many more inexpensive, throwaway pieces. “People are wanting the quality, long-lasting, heritage vision.” This movement has taken hold in Australia, too, evidenced by the opening of Hermès’ latest store. Having been in the Australian market for close to three decades, and occupying its former site in Melbourne for the past ten years, Hermès Australia managing director Karin Upton Baker says the opening of the new store was simply the need for greater space. “The previous store was simply too small to accommodate the comfort of the customer and to offer a little more of the Hermès world,” she explains. “It’s a conundrum, but a nice one, that we have this vast selection of products, and while no store can hold all of them we’d always like to show a little bit more.” It took time, says Ms Upton Baker, to find the right address, eventually settling on the light-filled, twolevel site, Harley House, on the corner of Collins and Exhibition streets, at the so-called “Paris end” of the city. “Australians’ love of the brand has really grown in the past
↑ The new Hermès store in Melbourne, Australia
ten years which showed us that we needed to be bigger.”
← A leather football crafted exclusively for the opening of the Melbourne store
63
MANUSCRIPT
The Shape of Things to Come An emerging, Melbourne-based knitwear designer is radically evolving the menswear form, writes Jess Alcamo. Photography Georges Antoni Styling Jolyon Mason Grooming Diane Gorgievski
We profiled Chris Ran Lin in our debut graduate portfolio some two
gathering attention in the art world, as in the case of Australian
years ago, and since then he’s proven himself worthy of the hype
artist Elizabeth Roet’s Red Reef Alert, which was exhibited at the
surrounding his subsequent collections, which seamlessly unite
Art Gallery of NSW as part of its annual Wynne Prize in 2009, as
sculptural knits with sharp menswear tailoring. In fact, seamlessly
well as the growing street art movement of yarn bombing, pioneered
may be the wrong word to describe Mr Ran Lin’s work, considering
by Magda Sayeg’s Knitta Please.
the dizzying proficiency of his technical work that features delicate
What differentiates Mr Ran Lin is his exploration of balance
laser cut-outs, clean lines and, of course, skillfully woven knits that
and counterbalance, which is a theme that threads itself (both
put the classic fisherman sweater to shame.
literally and metaphorically) through the blend of knits and
Knitwear is a growing area of interest in fashion but is hardly
tailoring. Mr Ran Lin explains that his designs aim to “break
unexplored territory. Just this season, Rei Kawakubo presented
the surface and sculpt the materials to recreate a new texture”,
wormy, thick-knitted dresses for Comme des Garcons’ womenswear
evidenced in a wool blazer with knitted sleeves from his “Conflict
line, and designers such as Sofia Doglio and Johan Ku have made
and Fusion” collection. “The character of wool already gives a
a name for themselves with textural knits. Knitted sculpture is also
sense of natural beauty and power to the work”, and while there
64
FEATURE
is a definite ready-to-wear component in his work, there is also a
particularly for designers looking to stay local. But the challenge of
focus on wool as an artistic centerpiece.
finding talented local knitters and makers, says Mr Ran Lin, “pushes
What makes Mr Ran Lin's designs all the more interesting is his audience. Australia is renowned for its outdoor lifestyle and,
me to create something in a different way and gives me clear vision of who I am, and what information I want to send out.”
as a result, lightweight clothing and swimwear – hardly a place you’d expect for a designer to feel confident consistently creating thickly bundled wears. But Mr Ran Lin bucks this trend and provides a much-needed counterpoint to the beachwear-heavy stereotype of Australian fashion. In terms of manufacturing, Mr Ran Lin’s use of wool is ideal for our local industry, which is renowned for its export
Zachary Grenenger/Priscillas Models Photography Assistance Adrian Price Styling Assistance Brad Homes
of wool to European and American markets but is now a convenient local source for the designer’s work. This is seemingly an ideal position to be in but not without its own set of functional troubles,
65
MANUSCRIPT
The Showdown As Australia’s biggest cultural institutions realise the pulling power of fashion, audiences are treated to a raft of high-profile exhibitions this spring, writes Alison Kubler.
66
FEATURE
Popular cultural aficionados, prepare to break your
← Tanel Bedrossiantz photographed by
Instagram. In November, three garments with extraordinary Hollywood and pop music pedigree are going to be on display (admittedly at different destinations) in Australia. Jean Paul Gaultier’s iconic
worn by Lady Gaga, will be in Adelaide, and Esther Williams’ golden swimsuit will be in Brisbane. Such an embarrassment of riches, and proof too that metallics are never really out of fashion. The significance of these three garments cannot be underestimated. Arguably the latter with its origins in Hollywood glamour is the starting point for Madonna’s famous Blond Ambition World Tour, with the logical endpoint being Gaga’s extreme self-referential beauty. They represent the holy grail of lingerie/swimwear and outerwear/underwear. And they are all in Australia. Indeed, though it is virtually unprecedented. Later this year, there will be four major exhibitions of fashion in our most hallowed public institutions running concurrently. The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk (17 October to 08 February 2015) showcases the work of France’s preeminent enfant terrible at the National Gallery of Victoria, while in Queensland, the Gallery of Modern Art will host Future Beauty: The Tradition of Reinvention in Japanese Fashion (01 November 2014 to 15 February 2015), from the Kyoto Costume Institute in Japan, which brings together some of the great Japanese fashion design innovators including Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons, amongst others. No underwear, but no less iconic. Also in Queensland, the Museum of Brisbane boasts an extraordinary exhibition, Costumes from the Golden Age of Hollywood (07 November 2014 to 26 April 2015), drawn from the private collection of one man, Nicholas Inglis, amassed over a number of years. It includes garments worn by the era’s greats, including Joan Crawford, Leslie Caron, Bette the museum’s extensive holdings, Fashion Icons is a showcase of “emblematic haute couture garments created
pulled off the biggest coup of all. Both The Fashion World
by France’s leading fashion designers”, but this is not
of Jean Paul Gaultier and Future Beauty are coming to
to say the exhibition is limited to French labels. The
Australia after extensive international tours (at the time
collection is French, the designers are international.
of writing, the Gaultier exhibition is in London at the
There is the opportunity to see a 1973 Jean Muir dress
Barbican Centre, which was responsible for the survey
up close, the aforementioned Dolce & Gabbana chrome
exhibition The House of Viktor & Rolf, and has been
bustier made famous by Lady Gaga in her Paparazzi
seen by over one million people to date) but Fashion
video, seminal Issey Miyake pieces from 1978 as well as
Icons: Masterpieces from the collection of the Musee
incredible Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent, Thierry Mugler
des Arts Decoratifs, Paris (25 October 2014 to 15
and Madame Gres haute couture. The garments are all
February 2015), destined for the Art Gallery of South
significant pieces in the museum’s collection, and given
Australia, is a completely unique proposition. Curated
their precious status, some will be housed in glass cases
by internationally respected curator Pamela Golbin of the
for their safekeeping.
Musee des Arts Decoratifs (the curator of Louis Vuitton –
Fashion Icons is a significant exhibition for the
Marc Jacobs, Madeleine Vionnet: Puriste de la mode and
Art Gallery of South Australia not least because it does
Valentino, Retrospective: Past/Present/Future to name but
not have a fashion department or permanent fashion
a few blockbusters) especially for Adelaide, Fashion Icons
collection. This is no impediment however to the hosting
is bespoke, to use fashion parlance. The one hundred
of such a major exhibition, which has been assisted by
garments included in the exhibition have been handpicked
Art Exhibitions Australia. Rather, it demonstrates that
by Ms Golbin to “paint a unique picture of Parisian style
fashion has broken off the shackles of fusty costume
within the context of contemporary fashion design since
institutes to stake a claim on the hallowed turf of the
1947 when the couturier Christian Dior re-launched haute
white cube. This is, after all, an exhibition that conflates
couture with his New Look.”
fashion and social history, locating the two within one
The iconic garments – so much more than clothes,
featured in The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier
Melbourne, Dolce & Gabbana’s aluminium bustier,
But it is Adelaide, the City of Churches, which has
Paolo Roversi wearing a dress by Jean Paul Gaultier, fall 1984-85,
↓ Bustiers made for Madonna displayed in
golden cone bustier, worn by Madonna, will be in
Davis, Judy Garland, Ava Gardner and Elizabeth Taylor.
another. Fashion Icons offers audiences a way to engage
but historical documents – will travel to Adelaide in
with history past and present (a 2014 piece will be
swathes of acid-free tissue to be installed at the direction
included) through the inclusion of period films and
of exhibition designer Christian Biecher. Selected from
ephemera.
67
The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition
MANUSCRIPT
synonymous with pop music’s most famous provocateur; she brought the world to Mr Gaultier and he in turn made her iconic, evidence of fashion’s cultural significance. No doubt Madonna’s original corset will prove one of the biggest drawcards for many visitors, for whom Mr Gaultier is something of a 1990s phenomenon. In the larger context of the exhibition though, the corset is a temporary distraction, given the breadth of the designer’s work on display. The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier is a timely reminder of Mr Gaultier’s legacy, his characteristic rebellious spirit, still so fresh alongside so much contemporary sameness. Mr Gaultier is, still, wholly original. ← Junya Watanabe for Comme des Garcons
Organised around seven themes, the exhibition
autumn/winter 2004/2005, photographed traces the designer’s influences, passions and obsessions but it also boasts extraordinary exhibition design in by Taishi Hirokawa
→ Jean Paul Gaultier costume for Le Defile, the form of 32 custom mannequins that incorporate high-definition audio-visual projections of various 1985, photographed by Thierry Dreyfus personalities (including the designer and Smashing Pumpkins bass player Melissa Auf der Maur), as well as extraordinary headdresses created by hairstylist Odile Gilbert. For the London showing, Ms Gilbert created mohawks as a nod to Mr Gaultier’s punk leanings. The seven themes offer a way in which to understand the designer’s oeuvre. The Odyssey celebrates his trademark themes of sailors, mermaids and religious iconography and features garments worn by Beyoncé, Catherine Deneuve and Marion Cotillard. The Boudoir, as the title These four very significant exhibitions collectively
suggests, pays homage to Mr Gaultier’s fascination with
amount to something of a potted history of twentieth
lingerie and corsetry through the years, and features
century fashion and costume across genres and designers
pieces from his critically lauded ready-to-wear lines for
when considered together. The confluence of scheduling
Hermès, (where he was creative director from 2003 to
and subject points to fashion’s undeniable popularity in
2010). Muses demonstrates the designer’s celebration
the eyes of the general public at the same time that it
of difference and diversity and beauty. The Melbourne
demonstrates the bankability of fashion; that is to say,
iteration of the exhibition will include an Australian
visitors are very willing to pay to see fashion. In that
muses section, highlighting Mr Gaultier’s relationship
regard, fashion is giving the traditional art gallery
with, amongst others, Ms Minogue, Ms Kidman, Cate
blockbuster a run for its money. In these new
Blanchett, Andrej Pejić and Gemma Ward.
economically straitened times, the most recent harsh
Thematically, The Fashion World of Jean Paul
federal budget notwithstanding, our public institutions
Gaultier and Future Beauty share a similar spirit of
must fight for their audience’s hearts, minds and wallets.
non-convention. The latter, subtitled The Tradition of
For public galleries and museums, the number of people
Reinvention in Japanese Fashion, brings together the
through the door amounts to money in the coffers; high
work of the seminal Japanese designers who emerged
visitation is the holy grail of marketing, which is why
in the 1970s, such as Kenzo Takada, Hanae Mori, Issey
when a big exhibition finishes media releases are
Miyake and those who burst onto the Parisian scene
routinely and swiftly sent out touting the attendance
in 1981: Junya Watanabe, Rei Kawakubo and Yohji
figures. These numbers are almost more important than
Yamamoto. Collectively, the work of these designers
any kind of critical feedback, for they are the basis upon
described a unique aesthetic, one that was a riposte
which a public gallery might make a claim for more
to then popular European silhouettes and emerged
funding, or to encourage sponsorship.
around the same time as the revolutionary Antwerp
The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the
Six. Designers such as Mr Miyake liberated form and
Sidewalk to the Catwalk curated by Thierry Maxime
structure in clothing, employing traditional Japanese
Loriot, comes from the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts,
ideas such as wabi sabi – the idea of finding beauty in
and the designer has been closely involved with the
imperfection – in their work to make clothes that were
exhibition, which features some 140 garments alongside
quickly deemed avant-garde. Future Beauty encapsulates
photographs, sketches, stage costumes, excerpts from
a feeling as much as it showcases the spectacular skills
runway shows, film, television, concerts and dance
of the designers featured. Importantly, too, it looks to
performances. Of course, Mr Gaultier has strong ties to
a new generation of Japanese designers who have taken
Australia, having designed garments for Nicole Kidman
up the mantle, whose work is included in the exhibition.
and Kylie Minogue, but also for using the internationally
There is an interesting knock-on effect of these
sought after androgynous Australian model Andrej Pejic.
mega fashion exhibitions. To coincide with the opening
Arguably more so than any other designer, Mr Gaultier
of the extensive Charles James: Beyond Fashion
contributed to the lexicon of twentieth century popular
retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Anna
culture with his costume designs for Madonna’s Blond
Wintour Costume Centre, it was announced that the
Ambition World Tour in 1990, namely the conical bra
brand would be revived by wealthy film producer Harvey
corset she wore to writhe around in for the tour version of
Weinstein, some 47 years after the designer’s death.
Like a Virgin. For many, the French designer is
Not quite a case of serendipity, but rather one of astute
68
FEATURE
economic timing and marketing. Similarly, in 2013 the house of Elsa Schiaparelli, which for most of the 20th century was synonymous with hosiery licensed through department stores, was reborn with a one-off collection by couturier Christian Lacroix, though designer Marco Zanini, formerly of Rochas, has formally been installed at the helm of the new-old house. This had a direct correlation with the reassessment of Ms Schiaparelli through another Metropolitan Museum exhibition, Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations (2012), curated by Andrew Bolton. The designer responsible most famously for the lobster dress worn by Wallis Simpson, a collaboration with surrealist Salvador Dali, was well known to fashion cognoscenti but less so to an upwardly mobile and moneyed young audience of fashion buyers. Impossible Conversations made Ms Schiaparelli’s oeuvre relevant to a new audience through an intellectual exhibition that looked at the legacy of ‘Schiap’, as she was known to her coterie of famous artist friends, through the lens of Miuccia Prada, arguably the most influential designer of the 21st century. The relaunching of both houses, relics of another century, clearly demonstrates fashion’s cultural relevance as well as its serious economic might. Something about the critical approbation heaped upon both designers has the ability to translate to profit. This sartorial takeover is not exclusive to antipodean institutions by any means. Fashion holds sway internationally in the most hallowed of halls. At the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, the elegant Dries Van Noten: Inspirations (until 31 August) eloquently emphasises the symbiotic relationship between art and fashion as seen by the designer, and is curated by Ms Golbin. At the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, The Glamour of Italian Fashion: 1945 – 2014 celebrates the dolce vita that Italian fashion and jewellery designers share, from Gucci to Ferragamo and Bulgari. Expect your Instagram feed to be replete with fashion moments rich in style and history.
“ fashion is giving the traditional art gallery blockbuster a run for its money ” 69
shop.bensherman.com.au
70
FASHION Issue X 2014 No matter where in the world you’re reading this, very slowly but with absolute certainty the season is beginning to change, bringing with it, of course, new collections from the fashion world’s best and brightest, both in Australia and abroad. In our biggest issue to date, we pay tribute to our country’s greatest womenswear designers – those pushing boundaries and making international names – and, looking further afield, document the groundbreaking ‘Artisanal’ (read: haute couture) collection by Maison Martin Margiela. In the menswear arena, we never really look to trends to define our fashion stories, but it’s hard to ignore the prevalence of grey in this season’s collections. And really, what a terribly underutilised and extremely diverse colour for men. Our newly appointed European fashion editor, Jonathan Ailwood, takes inspiration from early America in his story, Paramount, which shines a light on the traditional prints and styles that appeared in the collections of Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana and Chanel. And at 51 years young, model and actor Tony Ward showcases the best of the west, demonstrating that some things just get better with age.
71
MANUSCRIPT
Paramount
The fall collections contain a cultural melange of silhouettes, textures and weaves. Photography Paul Scala | Styling Jonathan Ailwood Grooming Celia Burton | Hair Lok Lau
72
Mr Groenewald wears tank by Burberry
Prorsum, pants by Chanel.
Opposite: Mr Todd wears pants by
Dolce & Gabbana, belt by Azzedine Alaia.
MANUSCRIPT
Stylist’s own pants,
belt by Azzedine Alaia,
necklace by Chanel. Opposite:
Mr Groenewald wears
pants by Prada,
stylist’s own blanket,
bracelet by Chanel.
Mr Todd wears pants
by Givenchy, coat
by Burbery Prorsum.
74
MANUSCRIPT
Jacket by Dolce & Gabbana.
Opposite: Mr Todd wears t-shirt by Givenchy,
pants by Burberry Prorsum, coat by Azzedine Alaia, ring by Chanel.
Mr Groenewald wears pants by Prada,
coat by Azzedine Alaia, his own necklace.
76
FASHION
77
Tank by Givenchy,
blanket by Hermes.
Opposite: pants and jacket by Dolce & Gabbana,
belt by Azzedine Alaia.
FASHION
79
MANUSCRIPT
80
FASHION
Sweater and pants
by Dolce & Gabbana,
blanket by Chanel. Opposite:
Pants by Dolce & Gabbana, belt by Azzedine Alaia,
bracelet by Chanel.
81
MANUSCRIPT
82
Mr Groenewald wears top by Andrew Sauceda, pants by Prada, cuff by Chanel.
Mr Todd wears top by Andrew Sauceda,
pants by Burberry Prorsum, vintage American flag.
Opposite: Sweater by Prada, pants by Louis Vuitton, belt by Azzedine Alaia, bracelet by Chanel.
FASHION
Coat by Louis Vuitton, necklace by Chanel.
Opposite: Pants by Givenchy, coat by Burberry Prorsum,
blanket by Hermes,
bracelet by Chanel.
Louren Groenewald and John Todd/Next Models Photography Assistance Simon McGuigan and Matteo Macri | Post Production Postmen Ms Burton used MAC Cosmetics throughout Mr Lau used Bumble & Bumble throughout With special thanks to Ross Andrews, Sharon Kelley, Sarah Vickery and Sam Way
85
Long regarded as an art studio as much as a fashion house, Maison Martin Margiela has redefined anew the notion of creative practice.
Photography Paul Scala | Styling Jonathan Ailwood Grooming Vincent de Moro Mr Gregoire wears Maison Martin Margiela 'Artisanal' collection throughout, jeans by Acne, boots by Dr. Martens.
FASHION
89
MANUSCRIPT
90
FASHION
93
Matthieu Gregoire/Success Models Post Production Postmen Special thanks to Rodger at Success Models
Aussie Rules We realise these are women’s looks, but it’s not as though we’ve never touched a frock in this magazine before. Some of Australia’s best womenswear designers are carving international names for themselves, and so here, tribute to their innovation.
Photography Georges Antoni | Styling Jolyon Mason Make-up Sasha Nilsson | Hair Jenny Kim
Ms Wiggers wears dress and coat by Maticevski,
skivvy and leggings, worn throughout, by Skin and Threads, boots, worn throughout, by Maison Martin Margiela.
MANUSCRIPT
Dress by Camilla and Marc,
sculpture by artist Dion Horstmans.
Opposite: Top, skirt and coat by Maticevski.
98
Top and skirt by Bassike.
FASHION
Top by Camilla and Marc.
Opposite: Dress by Ellery.
103
Top, mini-skirt and skirt
(worn underneath) by Dion Lee.
Marthe Wiggers/IMG Models | Photographic Assistance David McKelvey & Garth McKee Digital Operation Willy Ward | Styling Assistance Alex Rost Ms Nilsson used NARS Cosmetics from Mecca Cosmetica Ms Kim used O&M Rootalicious/Root Lift and Surf Bomb/Sea Salt texture spray, and Cloud Nine micro wand
Shirt by Jac+Jack,
leather pants by Hermes,
leather belt by R.M.Williams,
woven leather bracelet by Bottega Veneta.
FASHION
Despite the transient nature of fashion, Tony Ward has demonstrated serious longevity since beginning his modeling career some three decades ago. We salute the man that everyone still wants to sleep with.
Photography Paul Scala | Styling Jolyon Mason Grooming Jenny Kim
MANUSCRIPT
Vintage leather chaps.
Opposite: Oilskin coat by Driza-Bone.
108
This page and opposite:
shirt and pants by Gucci, neck scarf by Prada,
boots by R.M.Williams.
Oilskin coat by Driza-Bone, pants by Ralph Lauren,
boots and belt by R.M.Williams.
Opposite: Coat by Bottega Veneta,
hat by Akubra, from Strand Hatters.
FASHION
113
Opposite: Turtleneck sweater,
pants and coat by Gucci,
hat by R.M.Williams for Dion Lee.
Tony Ward/Priscillas Model Management Photography Assistance Ryan Flanagan & Mason Stevenson Ms Kim used KMS texture shampoo, sea salt spray and gel wax Special thanks to Centennial Parklands
Mr Sun wears
long-sleeved t-shirt by Uniqlo, sweater and shorts by Bassike, stylist’s own socks and
headpiece throughout. Opposite:
t-shirt and leggings by Jac+Jack,
skirt by Maticevski, shoes by Prada.
Grey Matter Regarded as the most conservative colour in one’s wardrobe, grey is often the sole domain of bankers and businessmen. Banish the notion, for grey is the all-purpose, all-man tone of the season.
Photography Troyt Coburn | Styling Jolyon Mason Grooming Daren Borthwick
T-shirt by Wrangler,
blazer by Crane Brothers,
pants by Calvin Klein Collection. Opposite: knitted jumper by Chris Ran Lin.
Singlet by Bonds,
long t-shirt by American Vintage, short t-shirt by Bassike,
pants by Paul Smith, shoes by Prada.
Leather jacket by Armani Exchange, t-shirt, shorts and leggings
by Song for the Mute,
shoes by Prada. Opposite:
jacket by Uniqlo,
skirt by Strateas Carlucci, pants by Bottega Veneta,
shoes by Prada.
Shirt by Calvin Klein Jeans, coat and shoes by Prada, singlet by Bonds,
worn over shoulders, pants by Jac+Jack,
skirt by Josh Goot.
Opposite: suit by M.J.Bale, t-shirt by Jac+Jack.
Kevin Sun/London Management Group Styling Assistance Alex Rost | With special thanks to kittens Fripouille and Malay
MANUSCRIPT
Stockists Acne / acnestudios.com
American Vintage / americanvintage-store.com Armani Exchange / armaniexchange.com Aveda / aveda.com.au
Azzedine Alaia / alaia.fr
Bassike / bassike.com
Brando / brando.com.au Bonds / bonds.com.au
Bottega Veneta / bottegaveneta.com
Bumble & Bumble / bumbleandbumble.com
Burberry Prorsum / burberry.com
Calibre / calibre.com.au
Calvin Klein Collection / calvinklein.com
Gucci / gucci.com
Calvin Klein Jeans / calvinklein.com
Harrolds / harrolds.com.au
Camilla and Marc / camillaandmarc.com
Hermes / hermes.com
Chanel / chanel.com
Jac+Jack / jacandjack.com
Cloud Nine / cloudninehair.com
Josh Goot / joshgoot.com
Chris Ran Lin / chrisranlin.com
Kerastase / kerastase.com.au
Crane Brothers / crane-brothers.com
Kiehls / kiehls.com
Dion Lee / dionlee.com
Dior Homme / dior.com
Dr Martens / drmartens.com
KMS / kmscalifornia.com
Lagerfeld / nmi.com.au
Dolce & Gabbana / dolcegabbana.com
Driza-Bone / drizabone.com.au Ellery / elleryland.com
Emporio Armani / armani.com
Louis Vuitton / louisvuitton.com
MAC Cosmetics / maccosmetics.com.au
Maison Martin Margiela / maisonmartinmargiela.com Maticevski / tonimaticevski.com M.J.Bale / mjbale.com
Eton / nmi.com.au
Mecca Cosmetica / meccacosmetica.com.au
Farage / farage.com.au
O&M / originalmineral.com
Giorgio Armani / armani.com
Paul Smith / paulsmith.co.uk
Givenchy / givenchy.com
Prada / prada.com
Ralph Lauren / ralphlauren.com
Replay / nmi.com.au
R.M.Williams / rmwilliams.com.au
Saint Laurent / ysl.com
Shu Uemura / shuuemuraartofhair.com
Skin and Threads / skinandthreads.com
Song for the Mute / songforthemute.com
Strateas Carlucci / strateascarlucci.com
Strand Hatters / strandhatters.com.au
Thom Browne / thombrowne.com
Uniqlo / uniqlo.com
Wrangler / wrangler.com.au
126