Musée Magazine No. 5 Vol. 1 by MuseeMagazine

MUSﾃ右 THE FASHION ISSUE

TIM WALKER SAM SHAHID MICKALENE THOMAS STEFANO TONCHI MATTHEW STONE TOMAS MAIER RACHEL PERRY WELTY BOB RECINE TINA BARNEY JOHN DEMSEY THOM BROWNE WWW.MUSEEMAGAZINE.COM INTERNATIONAL EDITION NO. 5 FASHION VOL. I

www.museemagazine.com International Edition No. 5 Fashion Vol. I Est. 2011 Issue No. 5

Editorial Office Founder / Editor in Chief Andrea Blanch Editorial Director Ellen Schweber Editorial Director Ann Schafer Creative Director Marsin Mogielski Editor / Writer Kyria Abrahams Communications Director Kyle Hockaday Editorial Team Brian Bunting Will Ehrenreich Grace Handy Austin Klein Ngoc Le Christine Lee Dawn Marie Perry Lauren Taubenfeld

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Cover by © Tim Walker, courtesy of Michael Hoppen Contemporary “Lizzie Tovell with silver bouquet and blue fireworks, Knightsbridge, London, 2009” 2013 Musée Magazine Reproduction without permission is prohibited

www.museemagazine.com International Edition No. 5 Fashion Vol. I Est. 2011 Issue No. 5

4 5-6 7-24

Editor’s Letter Richard Avedon Dedication Tim Walker

by Michael Hoppen

25-34

Tomas Maier

41-58

Sam Shahid

65-80

Mickalene Thomas

by Andrea Blanch and Kyria Abrahams

by Andrea Blanch

89-116

Stefano Tonchi

by Andrea Blanch

121-136

Matthew Stone

by Andrea Blanch

143-154

Rachel Perry Welty

161-174

Bob Recine

181-196

Tina Barney

by Kyria Abrahams

by Andrea Blanch

209-216

John Demsey

227-246

Thom Browne

253-264

Editors’ Picks

265-266

Next Issue: Fashion Volume II

by Andrea Blanch

by Kyria Abrahams

ÂŠ Andrea Blanch

Editor’s Letter

Fasten your seatbelts for Volume I of Musee No. 5: FASHION — our first-ever double issue! This issue took me back to where I started, where I’ve been, and where I want to go. It was exhilarating getting reacquainted with so many old friends and, of course, making new ones. We talked to amazing artists and industry greats — people like Bob Recine, Sam Shahid, Rachel Perry Welty, Mickalene Thomas, Stefano Tonchi, John Demsey, Tina Barney, Matthew Stone, Michael Hoppen on Tim Walker, and Tomas Maier — and that’s just in Volume I! This is our “September Issue”. I chose fashion photography as a topic — not only because it was a huge part of my career — but because I wanted to bring attention to the fact that fashion photography is a collaborative process. It is also a multi-billion dollar global industry. In addition to the artists and photographers, Issue #5 is giving voice to some of the most important people behind the scenes: stylists, makeup artists, creative directors, and editors. These are the image-makers, silently integral to the creation of a fashion photograph. Since our mission is to give emerging photographers a venue to showcase their work, I wanted this double-issue to offer a clearer understanding of what a good fashion photograph is all about. With this in mind, you might notice that there are more industry heavyweights than emerging photographers in this issue. I feel it is very important to learn from the professionals; if you don’t, in the words of Dennis Freedman, Creative Director of Barney’s, “you’re just going to keep taking the same meaningless photo over and over again.” I once asked Paul Cavaco, Creative Director of Allure, what makes a good fashion photographer. He said: “good taste.” In my own opinion: all good fashion photographers have a vision. To be a great fashion photographer, however, you need a unique vision. It’s so easy to be a bad fashion photographer, and oh-so hard to be a good one! We’ve dedicated this issue to the supreme fashion photographer, the greatest of all time — Richard Avedon. Avedon revolutionized the industry, and I feel incredibly grateful to have begun my own photographic journey as his trainee. The photographers and artists we interviewed for Issue No. 5 have all made the transition from fine art to fashion photography, or vice-versa. To be able to do both is the ideal. “People who want to be fashion photographers, many of them don’t even understand what that is . . .” said Dennis Freedman, “They want the life, but they don’t really understand the craft.” I’m so grateful to these fashion insiders — these giants and legends — who agreed to share their insights, experience and advice, and act as mentors to the next generation. Fashion photography isn’t just a career — it’s a passion. And great fashion photography is excellence.

Dedicated to Richard Avedon

“My friend, my mentor, and the only man who never disappointed me.”

-Andrea Blanch

MICHAEL HOPPEN

TIM WALKER Story Tel ler Tim Walkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s photographs have entranced the readers of Vogue, month by month, for over a decade. Extravagant staging and romantic motifs characterise his unmistakable style. On graduation in 1994, Walker worked as a freelance photographic assistant in London before moving to New York City as a full time assistant to Richard Avedon. On returning to England he initially concentrated on portrait and documentary work for UK newspapers. At the age of 25 he shot his first fashion story for Vogue, and has continued to work to much acclaim ever since. *** Michael Hoppen was a photographer himself with more than twenty years experience, and a long time collector of fine photography, before founding the Michael Hoppen Gallery in 1993. The gallery exclusively represents Tim Walkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work worldwide. Their main goal is to encourage the love, appreciation, and collecting of the photograph.

What makes Tim unique? Unique is a big, big word. “What makes Tim special?” is probably easier to answer. He’s not only a wonderful human being, but he’s also very generous and a real innovator. He makes things happen and, unlike a lot of photographers today who let the computer do a lot of the work, everything you see in one of Tim’s pictures is done in front of the camera. There is no Photoshop, no trickery.

None at all? None at all. There is one picture in the new book where a little pipe is being retouched out, but 99.999 per cent of Tim’s pictures are exactly as they look in the can. There is no trickery. No Photoshop. He makes everything himself. Everything is set up. If it happens, if it moves, if it glows, if it slides, if it’s giant, if it’s miniature. You know that doll? . . . She is about 18-20 feet high.

From what I’ve heard, he’s going through a transition — from big productions to these simple white backgrounds. How has his production or distribution changed? He’s always done what he does. The fact that he’s willing to release prints today is quite unusual. Until recently, he didn’t want to release his work in print form.

Tim worked with Richard Avedon. How does Tim’s work with the white background differ from Avedon’s? Avedon did it in black and white on 10 x 8. Tim is doing it in bright, glorious color. I think there’s an element of Avedon up to a point in some of Tim’s work, where there’s drama and theater, but it’s so beautifully executed. It’s not forced. What the white backdrop is allowing Tim to do is examine detail in the subject’s face . . . Tim is interested in the longevity of character. This is why Avedon, Penn, and a lot of portrait photographers choose a simple backdrop. The eyes are not allowed to roam anywhere else. I think that’s almost a self-imposed discipline rather than somebody saying: “I want to copy somebody else.” Tim has become interested in people’s faces, expressions, the way they react to him. This is not a passing phase . . . I like the fact that he doesn’t risk his morals. He’s continuously pushing himself.

Tim is known as a storyteller. Don’t you think that all good photographs tell a story? What sets his story apart? You just added the word, which of course is the most important word: all good photographs tell a story; not all photographs tell a story. Yes, I think you’re absolutely right, but how many good photographs are there in the world or how many good photographs could you or I take? Not many. I think people try to tell stories, even if it’s simply taking a picture of a family at Christmas. They’re trying to say: “We had a great time!” If you saw my Christmas photographs, it looks like a funeral . . . Tim manages to fill his photographs with stories and qualities and layers, which encourages people to question things, which is why we’re having this conversation.

Do you make any distinction between fine art photographers and fashion photographers? Absolutely. I think Tim is an artist that a lot of fashion people have been able to hang their work on. In a sense, it’s a stage set. Tim’s imagination is there. Set designers and certain people in fashion like to bring their stories. When you talk to a designer they’ll talk about their ‘winter collection’, and I like that conversation. It’s similar. Now, I’m not comparing Tim to Irving Penn in any way, but when you read and hear about the stories and letters between Issey Miyake and Irving Penn . . . it is a confluence of ideas and minds coming together. Tim needs great imagination from a fashion designer and they need great imagination from Tim. If it works, what you end up with is a wonderfully beautiful — and also informative — picture which goes beyond simply selling the coat or selling the handbag, which, I’m afraid to say is what a lot of fashion photography is all about today . . . I’m not moralizing it, but I’m saying I don’t think that’s Tim’s style.

Pearlescent Xiao Wen, Shoreditch, London, 2011 ÂŠ Tim Walker, courtesy of Michael Hoppen Contemporary

Malgosia Bela & Fallen Guardsman, Glemham Hall, Suffolk, 2009 ÂŠ Tim Walker, courtesy of Michael Hoppen Contemporary

There are fine art photographers who do fashion campaigns or fashion editorials. Here, it’s easier to go from being a fine art photographer to fashion. Is it that way in Europe? I think it’s exactly the same. We represent Sarah Moon and Guy Bourdin, both of whom have made that leap, as did Avedon. I think part of it is that the pictures in themselves are timeless and the product does not control the picture. The photographer’s signature controls the picture. That creates a distinction. Sometimes fashion photography is fine and, sometimes, 20 or 30 years after it’s taken it gets better than fine. Obviously, time will tell. But I do think one of the reasons that his work is so loved, and so collected, and so popular, is that he does not allow the fashion to control the picture.

Tim has done some film, do you see him going more in this direction? No, it’s just a part of the way he expresses himself. I think he’s “visual,” to be honest. I don’t think he’s tied to anything. He doesn’t use photography as a crutch or as a cave. I think Tim is someone who likes to express himself and likes to do it in as many different and creative and positive ways as he can. But the consistency is so important. I’m sure you’d agree [with a photography book] you just want to turn every page and be delighted. Not say: “Well, there was that one at the beginning and one at the end that I liked.” I think Tim’s way of being consistent is to challenge himself all the time.

Do you feel that, because of new technology, it’s important for artists to move into motion? I think it would be a very sad state of affairs if everyone followed down that path. Everyone’s looking for something new, but . . . it’s what you do with [the technology] that’s really important . . . One of the strengths Tim has — it’s not his denial of technology, it’s the fact that he doesn’t feel he needs it. He doesn’t use it to ‘dress the mutton up as lamb,’ as we would say.

I think that’s so refreshing, I truly do. That’s what I would title the article, “Tim is Refreshing.” . . . I think the greatest fashion photographer in the world today, unequivocally, is Viviane Sassen. Tim and I talk about her endlessly. She bucks all of the trends; she takes black people in the midday sun, in the heart of Africa, and lets their faces go dark, and creates a wonderful visual sculpture. Sarah Moon is another person I have great faith in. I’m not saying we won’t look at a lot

of other fashion, but most of it is transitory. Every day, I get calls for Guy Bourdin from people who weren’t even born when he died. They come in here with their mouths on the floor thinking: ‘no Photoshop, nothing?’ I honestly think that Photoshop has done more damage to photography, in a way, than it has helped. It’s a quick fix, but as a creative tool, I think it prevents photographers from developing their own style. If every photographer pushes his or her work through the same program, there’s a limit to what it can look like. I like to see photographers handmaking things.

What would your advice be to an emerging photographer today? Give up. Give up, now! Quick! It’s a tough job out there. You’ve got to find your own signature. You’ve got to be able to say: ‘there’s no one else who could have taken that.’ Seriously, I say to most pros: ‘you’re heading into the great dark unknown and it’s an impossible job and you should look for something a little easier, like firefighting or something.’

You’re kidding, you really say that to people? I do, I’m afraid. I think it’s one of the toughest things to be really good at. There are lots of people who make a fantastic living. It’s a great life being a photographer. If you simply want to make a living that’s one thing, if you want to create a legend or testament to your talent … I think if you’re conscious of that you’ll fail straight away. But, I think it’s an obsession. It’s something that has to fill your waking and sleeping hours. Most photographers will tell you that it’s an exhausting profession because every moment of the day that you’re using your eyes, you’re looking for that picture . . . but, for commercial photography, it’s not necessarily about looking, it’s about making money and who you’re working for. I think they’re two quite different things.

You left photography in 1991. Why? Well, Guy Bourdin was always my guiding light, my shining light. I would always look and see what he was doing. When he died in ’91, I thought: ‘Well, I’m never going to make it. That’s it.’ So, I stopped and went home and said to my wife, ‘I’m going to open up a gallery.’ I think all of the years I spent being a photographer taught me how very, very difficult it is to do. The conversation we’re having now, we can only have because I tried to do it myself. I know how hard it is.

What makes a great photograph? It has to change my point of view. Of course, quality, and all of the usual things, but the [defining] point is: does it change the way I think about something? Did I know that before, have I ever thought about it like that, have I ever looked at it like that, or is there something about this that is teaching me something? That’s what makes a great photograph. Wouldn’t you agree? n

Interview by Andrea Blanch All photographs courtesy of Michael Hoppen Contemporary The Michael Hoppen Gallery is 20-years old and exclusively represents Tim Walker’s limited edition prints globally. Contact: The Michael Hoppen Gallery 3 Jubilee Place London SW3 3TD, United Kingdom +44 20 7352 3649

Eagle owl and hatched eggs, Shotover Park, Oxfordshire, 2010 © Tim Walker, courtesy of Michael Hoppen Contemporary

Lily Donaldson and Jonas Kesseler with Spitfire, Glemham Hall, Suffolk, 2009 ÂŠ Tim Walker, courtesy of Michael Hoppen Contemporary

Kinga Rajzak in flying saucer with members of the West Percy Hunt, Eglingham Hall, Northumberland, 2009 ÂŠ Tim Walker, courtesy of Michael Hoppen Contemporary

Giant doll kicks Lindsey Wixon, Eglingham Hall, Northumberland, 2011 ÂŠ Tim Walker, courtesy of Michael Hoppen Contemporary

Kirsi Pyrhonen on wild yak, Lake Hovsgal, The Mongolian Marshlands, 2011 ÂŠ Tim Walker, courtesy of Michael Hoppen Contemporary

Agyness Deyn, Simon & Kiki in sandstorm, Kolmanskop, Namibia, 2011 ÂŠ Tim Walker, courtesy of Michael Hoppen Contemporary

Karlie Kloss & broken Humpty Dumpty, Rye, East Sussex, 2010 ÂŠ Tim Walker, courtesy of Michael Hoppen Contemporary

TOMAS MAIER REINVENTING LUXURY

Tomas Maier was born in April 1957 in Pforzheim, Germany, at the edge of the Black Forest. He joined Bottega Veneta as Creative Director in June 2001. In the years since, he has established Bottega Veneta as one of the world’s top luxury goods houses. In that same time, Maier has transformed the luxury goods business, offering a thoughtful and increasingly important argument for the primacy of quality, craftsmanship, and individuality. He presented his first collection, which consisted solely of accessories, in September 2001, just a few months after being hired. Maier also affirmed that the brand would return to its logoless heritage, conveyed in the famous slogan, “When your own initials are enough.” In addition to possessing a vast knowledge of fashion, he speaks fluent German, Italian, French, and English. The designer currently resides in Florida.

You are known for using photographers who have no experience in fashion. What do they bring to the table that a fashion photographer doesn’t? Is there something to be said for having what is known as a “Beginner’s Mind”? I find it inspiring and surprising to see my own work through the eyes of an artist, regardless of their experience in fashion. There is definitely something to be said for this concept, which for us has helped achieve many beautiful campaigns over the years. When you look at the work of a photographer who has never shot fashion before, such as Nan Goldin, what is it that resonates with you and lets you know they will work well with Bottega Veneta? We always try to think how a specific collection could fit with a particular artists’ work, and find a collaboration that makes sense for the artist and the collection. Nan Goldin’s work is intensely personal, with a sincere and unusual focus on the individual. I admired the formal beauty of her work, the distinctive sense of color and composition she brings to a photograph without ever seeming to impose her aesthetic on her subject. She created a beautiful advertising campaign for Spring-Summer 2010. Do you think fashion photographers are too stifled playing by the rules of their own industry? I think the confidence that comes through experience, and the challenges that build reputation, eventually give any talented photographer the chance to let their creativity take the lead. You trust in your photographers and offer them a lot of creative freedom. Would you say your role is that of a “positive enabler”? Aside from the final product, what else do you take away from a finished shoot? We are there together, working through challenges and solutions, in order to create something we are both proud of, effectively merging the vision I have for the collection with the work of the photographer. I try to learn from every experience, good or bad.

What is your advice for an emerging fashion photographer? My advice for any emerging young talent is to stick to your beliefs and never give up.

In your opinion, what makes a great photograph? I believe that art, in general, is very personal.

Do you ever design clothing with the idea of how it will photograph? No. I always begin the design process with color but am inspired by many things — by art, architecture, antiques, music, and of course the things I have seen in my travels and encountered in my life.

“Art, in general, is very personal.” -Tomas Maier

Your designs are timeless and meant to be worn for multiple seasons, which may be seen as “anti-fashion” by some. Does this philosophy translate to the photographers you choose for Bottega Veneta? The way you collect art? The work I do at Bottega Veneta is based on the commitment to what I call the four cornerstones: the finest quality materials, artisanal craftsmanship, contemporary functionality, and timeless design. Photographers are chosen based on what makes sense, as we have discussed earlier. My personal taste in art is eclectic. Have you ever thought about taking photos yourself? While anything is possible, for now I enjoy the collaborative process. You recently opened an exhibition space in Shanghai, in the same building as your luxury store. I believe this gallery is the first of its kind. Does this new gallery put you on the cutting edge of merging fashion and art? We feel it is an extension of our long history of engagement with artists.

Photography is your personal passion, while clothing is a professional one. Is this space the intersection of two passions? It is definitely an intersection between my passion for beautifully designed and made products, and my love for art.

Will you be expanding on this concept? Galleries in Paris and New York, perhaps? Or maybe a Bottega Veneta museum? We shall see, based on what feels right for the brand.

A high fashion “shopping experience” used to mean that a sales attendant brought you a glass of wine. Now, it means there’s an art gallery on the second floor, in Shanghai. Is the act of buying clothes no longer enough for the high fashion consumer? Do we expect more, and why? What is the future of the flagship store? For the luxury client, the experience has definitely become more important. Given the variety and cost of product available today, it is only natural to expect more. Bottega Veneta has evolved into the luxury lifestyle

brand it is today very organically, by understanding the needs and desires of our customers, and adding categories only when the time was right. We have always done our best in matching the quality of our product with the level of service we provide, to offer the ultimate luxury shopping experience. This relationship is very important for us and while we are always thinking of new ways to engage our client, they are always consistent with the underlying philosophies of the brand and the interests of our clients. We are very pleased with the exhibition space, which it is important to note, is non-commercial. We do not make money from this, but feel it is an acknowledgment of the importance of art and culture to Bottega Venetaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s customers.

How did you get the idea to create this unique space? Why Shanghai? Art is very close to the brand, and the idea of incorporating an exhibition space into one of our stores is something weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve discussed over the years. When we began designing the Yifeng Galleria store, we decided that both the space and the city were finally right for this longhoped-for project.

The gallery is dedicated to featuring Chinese artists. Will you showcase international artists at some point? What are some upcoming exhibitions we can look forward to at the Bund Gallery? The curator of the exhibitions that we work with, Gu Zheng, specializes in visual culture and photography in contemporary China, and our current plan is to continue featuring the work of Chinese artists. While anything is possible, we feel it is very rewarding to be able to do something that connects with our local customers.

In addition to supporting local emerging artists, in what other ways does this new gallery space give back to the community? When Bottega Veneta opens a store somewhere, we try to become part of the community. On a personal level, there is a very real sense of connection. This exhibition space, like every initiative we engage in is unique, but all stems from a belief in community, our commitment to develop and preserve cultural awareness, and our hope to nurture the next generation of artistic talent. These emerging artists can be exposed to a broad audience while visitors can experience new artwork, which they may have otherwise never encountered. The exhibition space truly represents an exciting first for us. Do people come for the art and stay for the fashion, or is it the other way around?

Either or both. There are some who come precisely to see the art and by association discover our products, as well as those Bottega Veneta clients who are happily surprised to come across the art gallery, and in fact, there is the savvy person who is attracted by the experience of both in one location.

Is an art gallery a natural fit for all Bottega Veneta stores? Did the idea come up against any initial opposition? No, the exhibition space is not a natural fit for all stores. The Yifeng Galleria location offered the space required to design it properly. It is housed on the second floor, above the boutique. There was no opposition. n

ttInterview by Andrea Blanch and Kyria Abrahams Photograph of Tomas Maier by Collier Schorr All other photographs courtesy of Bottega Veneta

ÂŠ Courtesy of Bottega Veneta

Mindo Cikanavicius Untitled Contact: www.mindo-c.com

SAM SHAHID THE TINGLE

Sam Shahid has been leaving his mark on the world of fashion and advertising for three decades and counting. When he became the creative director for the in-house advertising agency for Calvin Klein in the early 1980â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, he helped to turn the brand into the internationally recognized name it remains today, with advertising campaigns that are remembered for their clean yet sensational visuals. In the early 1990â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, he did the same for Banana Republic, before opening up his own creative design firm and advertising agency Shahid & Company in 1993. His indelible work with Abercrombie & Fitch still inspires today.

ÂŠ Andrea Blanch

Tell me a little about yourself and your background.

When did you move to New York?

I was born and raised in Birmingham, and I graduated from the University of Alabama. In those days, you had to go into the military after graduation. I served my six months in Columbia, South Carolina. The moment I was released from basic training, the civil rights marches began and we were activated. We went with the home unit to Montgomery, to protect the marchers coming from Selma into Montgomery to vote. It got out that I couldn’t wait to see these people, and within the unit I was known as a ‘black lover’ — that was not the word they used — but suddenly there were guys in my unit that didn’t like me. I was stationed in front of a school of black kids, and they were not allowed in the march. When the group passed, the kids were all holding hands. I put my rifle down, and all of a sudden I was yanked off the street, thrown in the truck, and taken back to the colosseum where we were stationed. I sat in this room and never got to see the final group…[laughs]. I was so upset. I was at the University of Alabama when the first black student went to the University of Mississippi. I remember coming back from my classes, to the fraternity house and I saw the Confederate flag hanging from the fraternity house. It gave me a strength. I wasn’t afraid, I felt what I felt — and I knew what was wrong. I didn’t mind going to the top of that fraternity house and being hated by everyone for taking that flag down because I thought it didn’t belong there. Civil rights became part of me more so as I grew older.

I used to get The New York Times Sunday edition, and I would always look through all of the advertisements. I knew I was coming to New York, I didn’t know when it was going to be, but I knew. [First], I went to Atlanta, which, at the time, was kind of a smaller New York. After a few years there, everyone knew I wanted to be in New York. I got a job at Scali, McCabe, and Sloves [Ed. NYC advertising agency], which was the hot place at the time. [During the interview], he kept trying to build this ‘Southern image’ of me to give a reason for my more effeminate voice. I told him, “I don’t know what you’re getting at, but I left the South because of what you’re leading into and I don’t plan to go back there.” He looked at me and then hired me. Being gay wasn’t discussed at that time. It was all sort of hidden.

What did you study in school? In college, I majored in advertising. I had this one marketing professor I’ll never forget, who said, “They took a survey in New York and asked the readers of The New York Times who advertises the most on Sundays, and found that overwhelmingly, it was Ohrbach’s.” Ohrbach’s had only one page! However, it wasn’t about the product, it was about the image of the store. I remember looking back on those ads and they were genius, they were fabulous. I’ll never forget them.

What about them did you find so genius? They were so clever. It wasn’t about the product so much, but about the name Ohrbach’s and what they stood for. They did what you call institutional advertising, where they merely promoted the name Ohrbach’s and not so much the dress they made.

How did you start creating ads at Calvin Klein? We were in the Hampton’s for the 4th of July . . . I showed Calvin a portfolio of about eight or so advertisements I had made. He said, “My God, forget all the other advertising! I want every magazine to run this ad!” I could have died. Next stop, we’re in Mexico City shooting for Calvin’s new fragrance called Obsession that we wanted to launch. Bruce [Weber] was in charge of the shoot. It was one of the [most] glamorous moments of my life! . . . Even after some people got upset about those ads, Calvin stood his ground. If he believed in something, he stood by it.

So how did you get to Abercrombie? How did all that happen? Mike Jeffries and I met at my apartment at the time on Greene Street. He said, “Tell me what you think about

Abercrombie.” I said, “I see it like Norman Rockwell. It’s a very healthy company. It’s very masculine and it’s very outdoors. It’s always kind of Norman Rockwell, but modern.”

You saw Abercrombie as Norman Rockwell? Yes, it made sense at that time. It would be depicting stories about American life and kids. If you look at their ads individually, you’ll see that.

I think the Abercrombie ads definitely advocate – gayness. Do you think that has helped gay rights? Oh, I’m sure it has. Is that a conscious thing with you? Not at all. It does have a gay sensitivity to it. It just does. The models are very beautiful and sexy, but there was never that intention at first. Mike said to me, “My God, these kids are gorgeous.” Actually, the very first ad we ran, the guys were running naked around the Princeton campus and the girls were chasing them. When we ran that, everybody said, “Woah!” The gays loved it. continues next page...

The straights loved it. It really had a crossover there because all the girls want to meet those guys. Those guys want to be those guys who meet those girls and the gays want to meet them too. It was a real crossover. It seemed all-in-one to me. It all seemed fine.

What makes for a good art director? Passion.

What are the responsibilities of an art director? What is the difference between an art director and a creative director? The creative director oversees everything. He hires art directors. That’s the way the chain of it works. But in my situation, creative director and art director are basically the same person. It’s my agency, so I’m the creative director, but I also sit with everybody and direct.

What words would you use to describe your work? Would you call it ‘sexual’? Oh, definitely. I’ll tell you what someone nicknamed me one day: “Tits and Ass.” Someone said to me, “That’s the Tits and Ass art director.” That’s sort of funny, isn’t it? My work is definitely sensual, sexual. I want to be direct in the simplicity of it, not complicated. I think every frame should tell a story. There needs to be a story.

So you have a vision and you tell the photographer what you want? I tell them what I’m thinking, but, in your heart, you have to trust the photographer. You’ve got to know what they do. It’s interesting when you talk to photographers like Bruce [Weber] or Mario [Testino] or anybody — the conversation is something like, “Oh, here’s what I think will be great!” “Really?” “Okay, I do too. I think it’ll be fantastic.” It’s a collaboration. It’s interesting to go on the shoot and realize what we said two hours before doesn’t always apply. You get there and something else begins happening. I welcome that, because a lot of times, the best things happen when you don’t expect them to. As an art director, you have to allow these things to happen.

What’s the difference between laying out a magazine and laying out a book? I don’t think there should be a difference, but there is. In a book, as the art director, [the book] is yours and the author’s, and you both trust one another. In a magazine, the layers are just overwhelming for me. You’ve got the fashion person, you’ve got the editor-in-chief, you’ve got the publisher, you’ve got everybody laying on top of you. How could you do anything original? I think Grace [Coddington] talked about it beautifully in “The September Issue.” We’re all so frustrated with that kind of world. It’s a platform for them. They’re not the visionaries to me. They might be good writers or they might have an idea, but they’re not really creative. Those days are gone. That happened in the 60s, but today, it’s all business — it’s run by business people. They don’t have the same vision.

If you could design a new book for any photographer, living or dead, whose book would it be and why? There’s one I want to do for Bruce Weber. I’m not sure if he’s going to let me, but I love doing his books because he’s very cinematic.

He is. What elements do you think make a fantastic book? Well, imagery of course, and the contents. Those together make the rhythm of the book.

How difficult is it to achieve something looking ‘unique’ — in terms of a layout or book design — while striking a balance between creativity and clarity? You have to be clear. You have got to know the story. One of the things I’m excited about recently is Erich Salomon’s book. I have to tell you, a lot of the photos are old. You’ve seen a thousand of them in old books and things . . . I’ve never done this type of layout. I’ve never done something this extreme.

Is there anybody you haven’t worked with that you would like to? The clothes of Brooks Brothers that I grew up with were so fantastic. I always told Bruce I’d love to do Brooks Brothers. Everyone said, “You should be doing that.” But I’m not.

What do you think about this whole online magazine type of thing? Has it affected you? It has affected me, and I was very much against it in the beginning. I love the feeling of the book and the paper. We all talk about it. The magazine is so different for me. I look at it completely differently. I love it even more because I can touch it and look at it, I can feel it, I can go back and forth. There’s just something about holding it in your hand. My work doesn’t change, though.

Do you think photographers are good editors of their own work? No, they’re too close to it. It’s very hard for them to sit there and get rid of something that they really love. They were there. They know what went on before and after the picture was taken. They know so much about it sometimes, more so than the viewer does when they see the two dimensional piece. I think it’s best when the photographer trusts someone who understands them and their imagery.

In terms of your advertisements, clothes don’t really play an enormous part. From what you said earlier when we talked about the institutional ads — it seems like you’ve taken that idea with you along the way and never got it out of your system. Because the image is what we’ll always remember. I think it’s also interesting that individually, everybody looks at things differently. When I look at an image — what excites me? What gets the adrenaline going? It’s called “the tingle.” It’s what you’re attracted to. It’s very, very important and I watched other kids in my office and they don’t have that same reference or the same feeling. They don’t see it the same way and they say, “Oh, that’s really pretty.”

Given that, saying what you just said, wouldn’t Abercrombie want to keep their younger audience? Right. It’s very interesting that you said that because that’s what they’re known for. You can look at a photograph of a person and they’ll say, “God. That’s so Abercrombie,’ without even seeing the name on there. It used to be that

way for Calvin. “God, it’s so Calvin.” Once, Ralph Lauren interviewed me and said he wanted me to work for his company. This was quite a while ago. He wanted me to drop Abercrombie and all the stuff. He said, “What do you think the greatest compliment is? I’ll tell you what it is. When you did Calvin, the greatest compliment was, you didn’t have to see the name, you knew it was Calvin.” Ralph said, “What do they say about me?” I said, “Well they don’t say ‘That’s so Ralph’, but they all want to be with you in the business.” [laughs].

Do you feel that it’s still possible to produce a sexually controversial ad? I can’t believe you asked me that question, because I was just thinking about that same thing. What can possibly shock people? What can get people to talk again? I have thought about it a lot — especially in the past two years — because what is left for us? Especially with the Internet . . . what is left to be surprised by? Maybe it could be normality in a different way. Or a different kind of story or scene that takes place.

Sex — real sex — disappeared for a long time in advertisements. It still has. I always say the spirit of a country is dictated by its President. When Bush came in, it became quieter times. With Reagan, opulence. With Kennedy, there was freedom. Youth had a voice all of a sudden. They protested and marched. When Clinton came in, there was a new liberation happening. That was when we ran the Banana Republic ad with the guys lined up, running in khakis and t-shirts. It was a big moment of liberation.

What advice do you have for young photographers today? Believe in what you’re doing. If you really love that girl and you want to photograph her, do it. Believe in what you’re doing and don’t emulate. I’m not saying don’t take that same kind of photograph. That happens all the time. Be aware of it, but just believe.

What differences do you see in photography today versus photography in the past?

It is different isn’t it? Digital changed it all. With film —

even though Avedon did a lot of retouching and superimposing people — it was all done the traditional way, by hand. I find photography today is so plastic, but it’s because of the computer world that we’re in. Most photography today relies on that. They don’t get that by just going pure, trying within that frame to get that good photograph. Shoot this. Shoot that. You piece it together. It’s manipulated, it’s conceived after the shoot. Whereas before, it used to take place right when you took that photograph.

Who are your three favorite photographers (dead or alive)? Bruce Weber is one, of course. George Platt Lynes I think was genius — he never got the credit he deserved. Will Eggleston. I’m from the South, I can really relate to his work. n Interview by Andrea Blanch Photograph of Sam Shahid by Andrea Blanch All other photographs courtesy of Shahid & Company

ÂŠ Courtesy of Shahid & Company

WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD ‘FASHION’?

For me, it’s not a word, it’s a name: Polly Mellen. Susan White, Photography Director, Vanity Fair

Ania Fedisz Pereyra Styling by Jonathan Paul Hamilt Unorthodox Contact: www.aniafedisz.com

MICKALENE THOMAS SEURATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S RHINESTONES

New York-based artist Mickalene Thomas, best known for her elaborate paintings, introduces a complex vision of what it means to be a woman. Her mixed media works, comprised of rhinestones, acrylic, and enamel, stem from her study of art history and the classical genres of landscape, portraiture, and still life. Inspired by a number of sources, including Matisse, Manet, Bearden, and the 19th Century Hudson River School, she expands the common definitions of beauty, infusing pop art and popular culture, exploring notions of beauty from a contemporary perspective. Mickalene is represented by Lehmann Maupin in New York City, and Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects.

ÂŠ Andrea Blanch

How has having a child influenced you and your work? You recently started using oil sticks and drippings, which has an almost childlike feel. Exactly. I think having a child right now is allowing me to remember the kid in me, to maintain and hold onto a youthful spirit, not be so rigid and full of this regiment: it has to be like this and this is the system. I want to break my own system. I think that’s what I’m interested in.

You are about to embark on a feature film. How far along are you into the process of getting it together? Well, I’m just conceiving of the idea. I’m going to meet with a screenwriter and sit down with her.

What do you see your role being, besides the director? Eventually, not only the director, but also the cinematographer, the DP - behind the camera. That’s something where my aesthetic could really come through. Not just with how the parts are moving within that particular scene, but how the lens is capturing those moments of what’s happening, what you see, and the composition of it. I find people like Julian Schnabel and Steven McQueen are fantastic as visual artists.

Scarface.” That’s what the inspiration came from. I decided to work within a familiar territory. [I was] thinking about the 70s, the experience, what sort of character I want her to portray. So I pulled up all these images of Michelle Pfeiffer and had the makeup artist and hair stylist really work with that. I said to Jessica: “You’re Michelle Pfeiffer. You’re in Scarface. You’re living this life.” We had fun with that.

If a magazine like Vogue asked you to do a spread or a brand like Bottega Veneta asked you to do an ad campaign, would you be up for it? I would, because those things are a different audience. I think, as an artist, to explore those territories, it’s just all about the creative process — and it’s fun! To have a dialogue with a different group of people that you don’t normally engage with, who may know nothing about your work or career, it’s exciting. People could see that photograph of Jessica Chastain and be like, “Who is that artist?” Maybe that’s the only way they know me, from that image.

Did W pick the hair, the makeup, and the clothes for that shoot?

Cindy Sherman — her images inspire people to make work in various ways by using themselves — performatively and photographically. As far as writers, Alice Walker. As far as how people dress, I would love to look like Amelia Earhart.

That was all me. The makeup artist and hair stylist were very excited, because I know W through Conde Nast. They are a powerhouse industry, and they have their own in-house people who they work with, so believe me, I was very honored and appreciative that when they approached me and I said, “I have my own team that I want to work with,” and they allowed that. My team were like, “Are you sure they’re going to use our names? Are you sure they’re going to allow us to do this?” because they were like, “This is W Magazine! They don’t need us,” . . . but Stefano Tonchi was fantastic.

You just did something for W?

What camera do you use now?

Yes, with Jessica Chastain.

The Mamiya 645 . . . I only shoot film.

I think she is gorgeous, but she is very hard to photograph. Most people do not make her look good. You really got her.

Many of your photographs feature black women. After photographing Jessica Chastain, would you ever think of doing a series on white women? Do black women inspire you more than white women — physically?

Who else? This is interesting.

I had a friend, one of the producers of my documentary, and I never told her I was photographing Jessica Chastain. I ran into [the friend] in Miami. She saw the cover there and said, “Oh, she looks like Michelle Pfeiffer from Scarface.” We looked over at each other and I said, “Well, you got it! That’s exactly what I was making her look like.

It’s interesting that there are lots of contradictions. I married a white woman. On one hand, there’s this woman painting her desires of black women and she ends up marrying a white woman. I like women.

Image on page 68: Qusuquzah, Une Tres Belle Negresse 1 © Mickalene Thomas Courtesy of Mickalene Thomas and Lehmann Maupin Gallery, New York, and Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, and Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Jessica Chastain photo shoot ÂŠ Mickalene Thomas Courtesy of Mickalene Thomas, W Magazine, and Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

I actually photograph a lot of white women. I have. I’ve done several commissions. One day there will be a show of Mickalene Thomas and all the white women she has painted, most of them big commissions. Jessica [Chastain] is the first public one.

You’re associated with feminist black culture. We talked about you breaking patterns. Do you feel you need to stay close to that? No. I’m actually really happy for the opportunity to photograph Jessica, because what I think it has done is given me more freedom to photograph whoever I want. I can paint whomever I want. I felt like I was allowing myself this safety net of just staying here, and this wasn’t because of what was expected of me within the art market. I do want to do a series of white women, but women who are completely unexpected. Such as…? Martha Stewart.

“I think we are attracted to people we want to be, or people who remind us of ourselves.” -Mickalene Thomas

You’ve talked recently about grad school. Do you think it’s necessary for an artist today? I’d like to think so. One can have various directions. If someone came up to me and said, “I’m thinking about graduate school,” I’d say: “Go to grad school.” Mainly because the importance of an art education in grad school provides you with a community that you can have for the rest of your life, outside of the art market.

When you’re doing your work, do you call on people from grad school for their opinions? Sometimes. There are certain people I’m closer to, inevitably. In graduate school, you have to cherish that moment in time, whether it’s a two-year or three-year pro-

gram — it is immeasurable. The dialogue you’ll have with your peers, the different faculty that may come through, the criticism, what you may learn, just the way of experimenting with your work. Once you get into the selling and the business side, it’s completely different. That’s why I tell my students, “Why rush? Enjoy the moment right here.”

One of the things that attracted me to your paintings, of course, is the “bling” factor. I love it. Does bling equal black or black equal bling? Can you speak to that? Bling has a history. Rococo, that’s bling. Look at Byzantine [art]. Bling has a history . . . These notions of flamboyancy have a historical place in our world. Are black people known to be peacocks? [Laughs] Some, but not always. I actually resent that the viewer has decided not to look beyond the material and only find relationships with ‘bling equals black equals hip-hop’, because, for me, that has put me in a category and has discredited where I’ve come from, how I’m educated, and why I’m working with certain materials. I feel like they are lazy . . . Actually, one of the reasons I initially started working with the rhinestones is because I was interested in pointillism. I was looking at a lot of French Impressionism. I was working out my ideas through Seurat. I latched onto aboriginal art. I’ve always worked with nontraditional materials — when I was in undergrad and graduate school, I liked craft material, and the rhinestones seemed to express this high and low art in a pointillist way.

Do you feel the same way when they categorize your work as feminist art? Or black art? Yeah, I do. I feel the same way because I feel like my art has all of those genres, but is about none of those things. What it is, I don’t know. I can’t sit here and tell you. I just make the work, and use genres and images that I’m attracted to in order to create an image that I enjoy.

Do you find any similarity between you and your subjects? I do sometimes find similarities, and I think that’s why I choose some of them. Because I choose them with the idea of portraiture, I see some of myself in them or want to be that person. It’s like emulating my mother. I think we are attracted to people we want to be, or people who remind us of ourselves. The magnetism that happens is why you gravitate together as energies.

How does construction of intimate interior spaces create a metaphor for the status of the female body, either present or absent, as it’s been represented in the history of art? My interest in this interior space has to do with how we treat ourselves, how we present ourselves and how we want people to see us in the world. Our interiors are sort of the same as these levels of status, expression, and cultural history. There are elements in the interior that define a person, almost like a portrait. You can find artifacts, symbols, or objects that tell you a lot about an individual with an interior space, and I don’t necessarily see it as a feminist space or a masculine space. I don’t know if I’d like to define it as that. I can see why because I think women have a way of constructing spaces completely different than men do. Thinking of me and my brother, how we would see a space and what we would put in it, I think there would be a different warmth that would come through the space. Why do you always do the corner in your photographs? When I started out with photographing in my studio, there was always just a backdrop of a flat wall. It was a way for me to create a depth of field with limited space. That way I can get different angles. I also feel like I have a tendency to make things so flat, and it helped me with scale relationships and composition — I could put something down and you can tell where she’s sitting or standing.

logue with your peers, because if one of those friends makes it, hopefully they will continue the cycle of bringing other people around. It’s a network. The network starts and grows.

More often than not, artists will say that the people who have been the most helpful have been their friends. Yes. It’s the friends, and that’s why it’s important to have a good network. That’s why school’s important too.

Where do you see Mickalene five years from now? [Laughs] I’m laughing at myself because all my friends are like, “I know where you see yourself!” I see myself as an industry.

As an industry, with a lot of assistants. Not just about a lot of assistants. It’s not about a lot of assistants. I’m interested in creating a space not only where I’m making my art, but also where I’m able to help other people make art and do what they want to do.

Are you talking about a school? What advice would you give to emerging artists or photographers? Continue to have friends in your studio — have a dia-

No, I’m talking about being at a point in my career where, if Mickalene Thomas’ Studios can help fund someone make a film, Mickalene Thomas’ Studios will help. That’s what I’m interested in.

Din Une Tres Belle Nigresse © Mickalene Thomas Courtesy of Mickalene Thomas, Lehmann Maupin Gallery, New York, Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, and Artists Rgihts Society (ARS), New York

So, a philanthropist. Yeah, being a huge philanthropist, I’m interested in that. The idea of generating my funds but in a way that it’s not about being rich, it’s about being rich and developing and helping others develop what they need to do for themselves. I’m interested in that. I’m interested, as an artist, in being in Forbes because of my philanthropy.

That’s a great line to end on. A great way of thinking.

Interview by Andrea Blanch Photograph of Mickalene Thomas by Andrea Blanch All other photographs courtesy of the artist, Mickalene Thomas and W Magazine

She Ainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t A Child No More ÂŠ Mickalene Thomas Courtesy of Mickalene Thomas and Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, and Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

I’m Not The Woman You Think I am © Mickalene Thomas Courtesy of Mickalene Thomas, Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, and Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Jessica Chastain photo shoot ÂŠ Mickalene Thomas Courtesy of Mickalene Thomas, W magazine, and Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Naomi Campbell photo shoot ÂŠ Mickalene Thomas Courtesy of Mickalene Thomas and Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Luciano Badaracco Untitled Contact: www.lucianobadaracco.blogspot.com

Azzurra Piccardi Title: The Natural Dark Side Contact: www.azzurrapiccardi.com

WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD ‘FASHION’?

“For who so firm that cannot be seduced?” (from Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare) Hooman Majd, GQ 2012 Best Dressed Man of The Year

Daniel Scott Untitled Contact: www.danielscottphoto.com

Genea Bailey Title: Dead Red Contact: www.geneabailey.co.uk

STEFANO

TONCHI

A FASHIONABLE BALANCE An Interview with the Editor-in-Chief of W Magazine

Stefano Tonchi was named Editor-in-Chief of W magazine in March 2010. Most recently, Mr. Tonchi was the creator and Editor-in-Chief of T: The New York Times Style Magazine, which he introduced in 2004 after serving as Style Editor at The Sunday Times Magazine. From 1998 to 2003, Mr. Tonchi was the Fashion Creative Director for Esquire. Before joining Esquire, he worked as Creative Director for J. Crew. Mr. Tonchi returns to Condé Nast, having served as Self magazine’s Creative Director from 1994 until 1996. Prior to that, he served as Editor, and later, Fashion Director, for L’Uomo Vogue from 1987 to 1994. He has resided in New York City since 1994.

ÂŠ Andrea Blanch

Artwork from Stefano Tonchi’s office — Neon sculpture by Tracey Emin

What are your responsibilities at W? I’m responsible for every word, every image, everything that is in the publication — except for the ads. Although I’m becoming responsible for a number of the ads, too.

W just introduced The Shot, a contest dedicated to emerging photographers, in collaboration with ICP. Tell us more about this partnership. ICP is new to the world of fashion.

W Magazine launched the careers of so many contemporary stars in fashion photography: Mario Sorrenti, Mario Testino, Greg McDean, Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. So, we thought, why not become a kind of ‘lab’, for research? We thought ICP would be a perfect partner because they have a great program in photography. So, we established this small competition where we selected six photographers. They’re already in the business, but they are not in the mainstream press. We are looking to give them some kind of recognition. At the same time, ICP is putting together a panel and a discussion on fashion photography. This will take place at Lincoln

What is the role of video and motion, in relation to photography? You have to know how to compose an image before making that image move. I think it’s very important in both still photography and video to have a narrative in mind. Sometimes, you think, because it’s just one image, you don’t need a narrative. But all good pictures have a narrative. The best photographs and films are about story telling, especially in fashion photography. It’s about creating a dream and engaging the reader, taking that person somewhere else, creating some kind of imaginary world.

How has online publishing changed the way you approach magazine editing? A good story is a good story, it doesn’t matter if it’s printed or online. At the same time, something that is printed is usually going to disappear, whereas something online is going to be there forever. That is one of the pleasant and unpleasant things about the Internet. What I find very challenging these days regarding digital media is not being able to create a lot of original content because nobody wants to pay for it. A lot of online publications are really a conglomeration of other people’s content, so I see that as a real problem.

What would you suggest for new online magazines like Musée? You have to make people understand that quality and originality is expensive, it’s not free. I think that’s the misconception of a lot of what is on the web.

You’re credited with designing a fantastic website for T Magazine.

Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall on January 29.

How does your program differ from what Vogue is doing with emerging talent? What they are doing is an open call for talent. That is different from what we’re doing, which is more focused, more mature.

That was an interesting process. We created a website that was absolutely unique . . . [for example] I was really into putting original music on it. One year later, we came to the realization that maybe it was not right, maybe users didn’t want to listen to anything. Each media has its own language. You have to push the boundaries, but you also have to be aware of how people will use the media.

I read that one of the reasons Condé Nast wanted you in this position at W is because they wanted the audience at T. Do you feel you’ve done that? I think we are in the process. I’ve been here for two years, and we’ve tried to broaden the audience. We are working on all of the interests that our readers have, so we do a lot of contemporary art because our readers like

contemporary art. It’s really a business decision. We do a lot of things with Art Basel [for example] because that’s where our readers are.

Does the size of your magazine dictate a lot of your choices? Because it’s such a small magazine inside the Condé Nast family — and also compared to other American publications — that gives us very few boundaries. We can show frontal nudity, women in leather, things that are a bit more pushy. We usually follow the artist that works with us, their vision, their own ideas, and we give them the freedom, the space to show it.

If you could have any photographer from any point in history shoot for your magazine, who would it be? I would love to have three of the great masters of the generation before mine: Richard Avedon, Irving Penn and Helmut Newton. When I arrived in this business, I was too young and they were unreachable. In terms of the most important photographers in my generation, I think I’m lucky enough to have them at W.

Do you have any mentors? I learned from Alexander Penney at Self Magazine, I learned a lot from Franca Sozzani at Italian Vogue. Photographers are always people that you learn a lot from. Most recently, Tim Walker is somebody that I really love. With Carter [Smith], it was like I was forever his assistant. I had to learn how to change films and make sure that everything was in place . . . you learn a lot of technical stuff about photography.

How has being Italian helped you? My visual education growing up in Florence . . . but I think this is very much something of the past. In the new generation, talent isn’t so much tied to the place where you were born and grew up. I’m meeting people about whom you say, ‘how did this person come out of this place, how did she or he develop this great sense of style?’. I think, the Internet. It’s also natural talent. In Italy — especially in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s — you had access to a lot of visual material, you could learn a lot about making magazines. You could learn every step of the process. © W Magazine

Artwork from Stefano Tonchi’s office, Painting by David Salle

But still, no one that I know would put themselves together in the way that you do today. For me, the Italians have an elegance that surpasses that of America.

persistence. I think consistency, persistence, and will are as important as talent.

You have to spend some time at the Italian airports and railway stations and you may change your mind, believe me. I’m not being critical, it’s more like it’s a big large village.

What are the most important characteristics someone needs to be successful as an editor?

You talk about being in a magazine, printing a magazine, how difficult it is — the bloodlust, for instance. Can you cultivate this, or do you have to be a ‘natural born killer’ to be able to play this game? I think you learn from the people around you, and you learn step by step. Every experience is a step. It’s not just about natural talent. There’s a lot of natural talent out there. It’s more about coordinating that talent with

You must have a vision and an opinion. Curiosity is very undervalued. To be open and not become lazy — that happens with a lot of editors and designers —you prefer to stay with your friends and admirers instead of going out and discovering new things. Traveling and piecing things together, connecting the dots, is very important. The capacity to see something that happens in fashion but also in design, art, and culture.

What are the sources of passion in your life? I love magazines completely. I am very curious about every magazine that comes out. Great photography, great writing. I enjoy a good article more than a book, good journalism, a good profile of someone who I want to know more about. I have a passion for traveling, for different cultures and that kind of discovery.

If you weren’t doing what you’re doing now, what would you want to be doing? I’ve always liked magazines, that’s very much what I want to do. Maybe less fashion [and more variation].

What advice would you give to young photographers? To follow their vision, not to follow every trend. There are five or ten photographers whose signature is so strong, they keep doing the same picture with thousands of variations and they still catch you. Stick to your gut, create a style, and don’t jump from one trend to another. Find a signature.

Which is more important to you, work or love? When they come together. The love of your work, and the work of your love.

You once said you think there is a difference between fashion photography and fine art photography. You made a separation. Do you still feel that way? It is all in the context, because beautiful advertising — image publishing in the magazine, — is advertising. Business and fashion photography at its best. That [commercial fashion] image, if it gets selected and put in a completely different context, can become a work of fine art. And there is nothing wrong with that, but the operation has to be clear and managed properly. Not every piece of commercial fashion is art. When you put that image in the context of contemporary art you open yourself to critics and competition. You are debating the rule of the market, that is: control of quality, quantity, sourcing — all these kind of things that make contemporary what it is.

There’s still a ‘snob appeal’ with galleries and the way they look at fashion photography. I always say: it doesn’t matter what you see. If it is a piece of art, it has to go beyond what you see. You must have a conceptualization. In a lot of Avedon fashion pictures, there is a concept behind the picture . . . There are a lot of paintings that are well painted. A painting becomes a piece of art when it is in the context of the history of contemporary art, and [when there is] something that is beyond the surface of it.

Do you prefer to be the first or to be unique? Any emerging photographers that people should be aware of?

Interview by Andrea Blanch Photograph of Stefano Tonchi by Andrea Blanch All other photographs courtesy of W Magazine

Artwork from Stefano Tonchi’s office, Image by cartoonist Darcel Disappoints

I don’t want to spoil the surprise! I think there is a new generation with a lot of great ideas. It’s always been a big problem to understand what is fine art, what is fashion photography, and what is photojournalism. Now, through technology, all these [different types of] media are collapsing together, and this is opening a new dimension for photographers. They don’t have to define themselves in the way they had to 30 or 50 years ago. Look at Juergen Teller: he is a fashion photographer and an artist, and he does tons of advertising campaigns. No one doubts his value as an artist.

Oh, absolutely to be unique. n

ÂŠ W Magazine

WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD ‘FASHION’?

Clothes. Frances Grill, Founder, Click Model Management

Arielle Kramer Untitled Contact: www.ariellekramerphotography.com

Bogdan Seredyak Untitled Contact: bodia27@gmail.com

MATTHEW STONE THE OPTIMISTIC REBEL

Matthew Stone is an artist and shaman. These two interconnected roles are defined by his activities as a photographer, sculptor, performance artist, curator, writer, optimist and cultural provocateur. The Sunday Times recently placed him at number one in the arts section of their “Power players under 30” list. Though perhaps most known for his painfully beautiful photographic nudes, recently, Stone has moved into video. He has begun to direct his own video-based artworks as well as a rapturous, celebrated and daring directorial debut in the form of a music video for cult heroes These New Puritans. Following the video’s release, NME instantly placed Matthew at number 14 in their list of the “50 Most Fearless People In Music.” Stone’s work revolves specifically around creative interactions and community, based on the idea that individual autonomy can be successfully combined with the power of collectivity.

ÂŠ Andrea Blanch

ÂŠ Matthew Stone, Courtesy of The Hole NYC

When did you know that you wanted to study art? I grew up in a household where it was certainly acceptable to be interested in art. You know, my dad went to Saint Martins to study fine art. My mum is one of six [children], and I think four of them studied art . . . So it wasn’t a wild idea, studying art. I always knew that I wanted to do something creative. I started off by studying graphic design at Camberwell. [Later on], I switched from graphics to painting. . . I suppose that was the point where I decided to become an artist in an ‘art world’ sense.

You said anything can be art. You called it the ‘Beuysian trajectory’.

When you’re doing personal artwork, do you differentiate the creative process — the visceral feeling and commitment — from the work you do for fashion? For a long time, I refused to do anything for fashion. I didn’t like the idea of my images becoming advertising and I didn’t like the idea of potentially having to compromise creatively. Then, I was challenged on the fact that I didn’t do fashion photography. My ex-boyfriend said, “If you keep saying everything is art, why won’t you shoot fashion?” And I was like, “No, no, it’s different, it’s an anti-capitalist thing!” And he just said, “I just think you’re scared of people thinking that it’s not serious to do fashion photography.” I think that hit a nerve, and I was just like, “Okay, let’s do it!”

Yes, Joseph Beuys, the German artist who said everybody is an artist.

“Optimism is the Vital Force How does one critique art if you make it that broad?

that entangles itself with

Whether or not things are ‘good’ is a subjective point, anyway. . . I think criticism is something that happens within an academic trajectory . . . art [criticism] is different because it often occurs within a specific academic and historical conversation. So, I just see it as a different conversation. Like how fashion or design has its own conversation, but those things definitely cross over at some point.

and then shapes the future.”

You said a ‘tilt of a hat’ is its own conversation. Who is it talking to? Well, arguably, that’s a question that we can level straight back at art [laughs]. I just think it’s a bit silly to say if there is a conversation happening in one room, and other people outside the room can’t hear it, then that must be the most important conversation going in the world. It’s like — I went to a Vogue Ball when I was here (Ed.: Gay ballroom culture, as depicted in the movie Paris is Burning). . . So I’ve been visiting the balls, watching people dance and there was so much energy and dedication, you know, self-improvement and development. There’s a community of people supporting each other and . . . people are trying to take things further than they have done before. It seems insane not to recognize that has the same type of intensity and layered nuance as any other sort of creative field.

-Matthew Stone

I look at art photographs and then I’ll look at fashion magazines. Visually, they look very much alike. I feel like there’s a huge snub against fashion photographers. The art world doesn’t accept them because they make work for clients. Sure. I mean, the church was an early client. . . But, realistically, fashion editorial isn’t commercial work. The magazines I’ve worked for have a history of experimental work. In a sense, I’ve only been able to step into those contexts because people perceive me as somebody who has said no [to fashion photography] for a very long time.

The greatest luxury any artist can be given is time. I don’t think it’s always necessarily an advantage because, actually, the pace of things has energized my work and made me a lot more fearless. . . I just think it’s more important to be honest than to worry about people’s perceptions.

ÂŠ Matthew Stone, Courtesy of The Hole NYC First published in the Summer 2011 issue of i-D Magazine, New York, NY

ÂŠ Matthew Stone, Courtesy of The Hole NYC

Do you plan out your shooting? Are spontaneous? Do you have a mood board?

you

I don’t plan an image in terms of, say: this person is going to be here, this person is going to be [over] here. My images might look like that, but I feel like the work comes alive when someone is in front of the camera that I can effectively collaborate with. . . There are so many times where I’ll be like, “Can you put your arm there?” and they’re like, “No, because my arm doesn’t go that way.”

I think everyone is always so “nice” and afraid to be critical these days. Why do you think that is? I think that’s a symptom of capitalism. People can’t critique things because they might destroy their future financial interests. Somebody wouldn’t want to say, “Oh, this event we’re doing is sponsored by some stupid brand,” because the brand will be like, “We’re not going to give you any money anymore!” Suddenly, voices are silenced. And that is the real reason that we shouldn’t commercialize things because it silences people who speak the truth.

I’m really taking in what you’re saying. I’m thinking if I can agree with all of that. Don’t agree with all of it. That would be terrible [laughs].

You said fashion is culture. And, to quote you, “part of the reason why it’s so popular is that more people can directly buy into it and therefore be involved in a way that feels creative. But it is the democratic aspect of it that is appealing, because of its undemocratic nature.” I couldn’t say it better than myself [laughs]. . . I’m saying that there’s a contradiction in fashion, which allows it to thrive. It seems like it’s democratic because everybody can access it but actually, at the same time, what makes it exciting is that not everybody can. You can buy something which somebody else can’t, and that makes you better than them. . . I’m interested in youth culture. That’s why I’m interested in fashion. Fashion is cooler than art. Let’s use it as a tool to get people to consider things in a more deep way. Why not?

Do you think artists have a social responsibility? I think humans have a social responsibility. Every action is creative and an artist is aware of them. I’m much more

interested in the music teacher who is able to change a whole load of kids’ lives. Maybe they don’t go out and become musicians, but maybe they are beautiful people. I’m much more interested in [that] . . . than a blue chip artist who makes objects that sell well but ultimately don’t mean anything.

How did you get your first break? Or haven’t you? I don’t know if I think about it in those terms. When I left college, I squatted for six years. . . Lived in empty buildings and turned them into art centers. Parties, gallery, studio space, free studio space — we had a gallery on the ground floor. There was a 1,500 capacity nightclub on the floor above that. . . So my break was in discovering the power of collaboration and working with my friends . . . Star Magazine wrote about it and sort of defined the new generation of creatives in London. Fashion designer Gareth Pugh, his studio was in there. In a sense, we created our own legend.

What religion were you raised in? I’m lucky because my mum and my dad chose specifically not to push anything. My spiritual ideas have developed rather intuitively. I genuinely believe in an agnostic approach. I think that the knowledge is within us and I think that the more that you contemplate love and your own actions in relations to other people, the more you can achieve a spiritual consciousness. . . like this word “spiritual” . . . you can switch it for the word “meaningful.” . . . I don’t think that religion is still relevant . . . if we can resolve conflicts, we have to understand the notion of the other. And religion doesn’t allow that. It’s got a singular approach where it says, “This is the truth.”

Three words to describe yourself. Happy. Optimistic. Annoying? Maybe that’s me being British.

Food? Are you a vegan? No. I was going to say cheese. It was going to be the first word. Cheese. And beans and quinoa. I’m obsessed with quinoa.

ÂŠ Matthew Stone, Courtesy of i-D Magazine

Courtesy of The Hole, Photography: Matthew Stone, first putttblished in the October 2011 issue of Dazed & Confused, London, England

Three influences in your life, past or present.

Is procrastination your friend or enemy?

I definitely pair up Andy Warhol and Joseph Beuys. . . Louwrien Wijers, the woman who interviewed both of them. . . I was thinking about this the other day, every time that’s happen to me, it’s been a woman that said something. And, so, I would say: women.

Enemy. It’s the embodiment of fear.

What would you like your work to provoke?

Although the works that I showed were all relatively recent, it felt like I was taking stock of a lot of the things I’ve done over a period of time. In a sense, it felt like it was a kind of survey of things that I’ve been exploring in resolution, things that have resolved themselves. Also, the title of the show: “Optimism as Cultural Rebellion” . . . it felt like a war cry.

I want people to walk away seeing images that are defined by kindness but are also powerful, energetic and visceral . . . you can’t tell whether someone is experiencing ecstasy or agony. . . I would like my images to be slow. I would like them to be something that people can spend a lot of time looking at. I don’t want people to go away with a single concept that they can intellectually digest.

What advice would you give to emerging photographers or artists? Don’t hold back ideas. Don’t save up ideas. Just do them. Because every time you do something, you learn something. And doing is learning. Put yourself out there. It’s embarrassing, because you put loads of crap out there early in your career and you grow up in the public eye. I don’t mean as a famous person. I just mean that even if you put stuff online people can save the jpegs. Like there’s some things I Google that make me want to die because I really hate those images now. But, actually, by putting things out there you put yourself on the line and you get feedback. You learn and then it pushes things forward. Love your fear.

Your new show at The Hole (Ed.: “Optimism as Cultural Rebellion”, 1/5/13), how does it differ from the last exhibition?

And where did you get the idea for the laser spray of dots? There were two things. There was that portrait of Picasso where he draws a Minotaur in the air. But also when I was photographing the Vogue Balls, there was a laser in the club. There were a couple of photographs where, although I didn’t get the same effect, I saw the potential.

Is it easier for an artist to be successful in New York or in Europe? I don’t know. I feel like I have an advantage. Americans seem to love a Brit. And, also. . . it sounds weird but, although I am hugely ambitious, I’m not particularly savvy in terms of how to succeed in the art world.

What gets you going: inspiration or fear?

What is your next project?

Both. The moment you confront your fears, that’s when inspiration arises. You really have to test yourself. If someone says something to you about your work and it makes you angry, that’s useful feedback because it allows you to find the parts that you’re uncomfortable with, and if you go to those places, you will heal yourself. That is what art is. That’s what creativity is.

We’re going to do something in Miami.

Lasers? Yes, lasers and Voguers. I’m collaborating with MikeQ who is the DJ for a lot of the Vogue Balls in New York and New Jersey. n

One word to describe your work. Even I’m embarrassed to say the word “love.”

Interview by Andrea Blanch Photograph of Matthew Stone by Andrea Blanch

Do you hear more about what your work communicates or the aesthetics? I don’t separate them.

Other photos by Matthew Stone, and courtesy of The Hole

ÂŠ Matthew Stone, Courtesy of The Hole NYC, first published in the October 2011 issue of Dazed & Confused, London, England

ÂŠ Matthew Stone, Courtesy of The Hole NYC

Balenciaga ÂŠ Rachel Perry Welty, Courtesy of Yancey Richardson Gallery

Dennis Galante Title: Chelsy Contact: www.visionandcommerce.com

Katie McCurdy Untitled Contact: www.kmc-photo.com

WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD ‘FASHION’?

Excitement. Carlos Souza, Worldwide Brand Ambassador for Valentino

Carlos Detres Untitled Contact: www.carlosdetres.com

Edward Henry George Wallace Title: Prince-cess

Carlos Detres Untitled Contact: www.carlosdetres.com

Blanch

RACHEL PERRY WELTY LET’S GET PERSONAL

Born in 1962, in Tokyo, Japan, Rachel Perry Welty holds a BA from Connecticut College and a Diploma and Fifth Year Certificate from the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Welty’s work is held in numerous museum and private collections, and has been published and reviewed in many national, as well as online, publications such as Art in America, The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, Huffington Post, Art on Paper, Harvard Business Review and Sculpture Magazine. Her four-page pictorial essay was published in Vogue’s December 2011 issue.

How does it work, technically, when you take your self-portrait?

How did Vogue approach you? Were you nervous about doing fashion?

I usually have three people there: Marc Elliott is behind the camera — which is an 8 x 10 Deardorff — plus one assistant. Then, I’ll often have my mother, Sarah Hollis Perry, help with getting me dressed and placed.

My New York dealer Yancey Richardson called me and said that someone at Vogue had seen my “Lost in my Life” series and wanted to approach me for a project. The timing presented a challenge, as I was a resident at the MacDowell Colony at the time, in the woods of New Hampshire. The schedule was tight, but I was really excited to work in this different way, and to see what I could do with a raft of assistants and a budget. I didn’t approach it as fashion. I’m not a photographer; I’m an artist, and I sometimes I use photography in my work.

Do you have assistants who help you collect things like fruit and vegetable stickers and assemble them? Do you ever put them all in place yourself? I have had wonderful interns in the past and I hire people part-time now, when I need extra help. Generally, I do most of the work myself. Many friends and acquaintances collect fruit stickers for me, which is helpful, especially because I hear that stickers will disappear as fruit will be tattooed in the near future.

Who are your inspirations? What artists do you relate to? Everyday life is pretty much inspiring to me.

structure, scale, and space more than they let me, because the clothes come first. It’s a give-and-take, but I definitely try to put as much of what I would like into it.

When we were growing up, we specialized. Avedon basically took the same picture for 60 years, and your pictures are very much the same. People develop a style, and the people who have had the greatest longevity are talented and they stay with their style. That’s not my desire; I sure like to change. Not drastically, but I’ve always wanted to change, and it’s much harder to do than you think.

You are a multimedia artist, is there one discipline that you related to more than others? Usually, the media in which I’ll be working becomes clear as the idea forms. For example, I had originally thought “Karaoke Wrong Number” (the video in which I lip-sync to wrong number messages left on my voicemail) would be a series of portrait drawings that I might direct a composite sketch artist to make. But it became clear to me that I had to put myself in the work in order to translate the personalities of these callers as I saw them. So performance and video it was.

Is that because of the market? No, I don’t care about the market, it’s not that simple. I wouldn’t change drastically overnight for the sake of doing it, but it might be a slow change. Photography is very limiting, and I always talk about that when I lecture, there’s just not that much. Maybe now with Photoshop, you can do different things . . . but I would probably never fit into that kind of category anyway. It’s just not that easy, because I will always love to photograph people. I’ve tried to photograph without people, and — not in my lifetime do I think I’ll be doing that. The reason photography is so limiting is because it’s one flat piece of paper and there’s so little to do with it. The development of creating space and all of the other things that make the viewer interested in the work are very important.

the sketches, and in many cases from actual sculptures and drawings that I am repurposing for a particular photograph. Each has a history of a previous life. I create the setup in the studio and then step in. Often, I don’t know the pose, but I perform (for myself) and we take two or three images, all slightly different.

Do you photograph anything other than just patterns/ yourself? All the time. But most I haven’t shown yet.

Would you say you make collages more than photographs? In a way, yes. Each of these photographs is made not just from stuff, but from the stuff of my art: the materials, Take A Look At Your Future © Rachel Perry Welty, Courtesy of Yancey Richardson Gallery

You have a large presence on Facebook, and you’ve also used Facebook as an art project. Is it strange to utilize something in this way, after you have used it for art? You’re referring to my performance on Facebook. On March 11, 2009, from 7:35 a.m. to 10:56 p.m., I performed “Rachel is…” in my status bar on Facebook. Every 60-seconds during waking hours, I attempted to faithfully answer the question posed in the status bar, “What are you doing right now?” in an effort to raise more questions about narcissism, voyeurism, privacy, identity and authority as issues we consider in a technologically modern world. Since my last post on that day, I’ve not updated my status again. I did, however, subsequently establish an artist page where I try to post updates on shows, so followers can see what I’m up to.

Would you rather Karaoke Wrong Number hang in the ICA or be a viral video? Have there been any parodies or copies of it online? The video wasn’t made with the internet in mind — it is made from wrong number messages I received on our home answering service, back when people actually left voice messages for each other. Other projects, such as my daily Twitter performance (always attempting to capture the daily life of an artist in 140 characters exactly) and my Facebook performance made conceptual sense as online works.

You and your mother both went to school at the same time. How did this come about? My mother had a rich career as a research scientist and assistant to Edwin Land of Polaroid. After 30 years, and his death, she decided she really wanted to go to art school. I saw what she was making and doing and heard the conversations about the work and realized that I needed to be there myself. We overlapped at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston for a year. Since then, we have collaborated on many projects in drawing, sculpture, performance and video. Our most recent is a video with several vignettes where her left hand and my right hand are performing simple tasks, such as pouring a glass of water, or untying a knot. The awkwardness of collaboration, the frustration and the joy when it comes together quite closely mirror the often fraught relationship between mother and daughter.

Are you motivated by fear or inspiration? Fear is not a motivator, except in the big picture. Staving off the reality of the vicissitudes of life, pretending we are not going to die keeps us all working, right?

Would you rather be the first or unique? Both.

“The face is such a signifier, it is so specific. It immediately makes it personal, and I wanted to remove that from this work.” -Rachel Perry Welty

Favorite piece of clothing you wear all the time? Right now, it’s my “guilty jacket,” a Rick Owens leather jacket I splurged on after my 2009 solo show at Yancey Richardson Gallery. It’s so comfortable, I’d wear it every day if I could.

What music are you listening to now? My husband plays the piano so I am hearing mostly Chopin preludes and Beethoven sonatas. I can’t listen to music while I work as I find it too distracting.

What would you like your art to communicate? I hope it gets people thinking about the beauty, humor and opportunity in everyday life.

How does being a woman affect the choices you’ve made with your art? I don’t think I can separate being a woman from being a person. It’s just who I am.

Three words that describe you? Curious. Persistent. High-energy. Balenciaga t Rachel Perry Welty, Courtesy of Yancey Richardson Gallery

Where is your favorite place to look at art? Museums, galleries, streets.

If you could do or be anything else, what might that be? I’d be an actress or a writer.

How important is technique in your work? You have to be able to figure out how to make what you need to make. So it’s pretty important. That said, anyone can learn the skills.

How important is the process? When I am “in the making”, it’s all about the process. It’s only at the end that I think about what this “thing” is, and how it relates to my larger work.

For you, is the aesthetic or message more important in your work? It all starts with a germ of a thought, an “idealette” and goes from there. Aesthetics are a strategy to get people to pay attention.

Why don’t you show your face in the “Lost in my Life” series? The face is such a signifier, it is so specific. It immediately makes it personal, and I wanted to remove that from this work. As I’ve mentioned with my Twitter project, specifically, in my work I am constantly balancing how much to reveal and how much to conceal. We are all performing, every day, whether we choose to Facebook or tweet about it, or not. n

Interview by Kyria Abrahams Photograph of Rachel Perry Welty by Andrea Blanch All other photographs courtesy of Yancey Richardson Gallery

Lost in My Life (Price Stickers) 2010 ÂŠ Rachel Perry Welty, Courtesy of Yancey Richardson Gallery

ÂŠ Rachel Perry Welty, Courtesy of Yancey Richardson Gallery Lost in My Life (Playmobil) 2010

ÂŠ Rachel Perry Welty, Courtesy of Yancey Richardson Gallery Lost in My Life (Twist Tie Web) 2011

Lost in My Life (Boxes) 2010 ÂŠ Rachel Perry Welty, Courtesy of Yancey Richardson Gallery

Gregory Prescott Title: Tarrin Contact: www.gregoryprescott.net

Daniel Scott Title: Bogue Contact: www.danielscottphoto.com

WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD ‘FASHION’?

Magazine! Paul Cavaco, Creative Director at Allure

Dennis Galante Untitled Contact: www.visionandcommerce.com

BOB RECINE A HAIRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BREADTH Growing up in New York City in a deeply artistic and musical family, Bob Recine never imagined he would become one of the most creative and influential hairstylists the fashion world has ever seen. An avid percussionist and artist, he had not even considered the profession until he secured a project creating hairstyles and head ornaments for the windows of Henri Bendel. His designs caught the eye of world-renowned hair stylist Jean Louis David, who offered him the opportunity to go to Paris to fine-tune his craft and sharpen his skills. Recineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hairstyles have appeared on the covers and in the pages of every Vogue publication in the world, from American and British to Italian, French, and Japanese. His work also appears consistently in W, Allure, Vanity Fair, i-D, Purple and V Magazine. He collaborates with top photographers Mario Sorrenti, Mario Testino, Bruce Weber, Patrick Demarchelier, Peter Lindbergh, Paolo Roversi, Mikael Jansson, Terry Richardson, Mert Alas & Marcus Piggot and many others.

ÂŠ Mario Sorrenti, 2012

ÂŠ Iekeliene Stange, photo by Robbie Fimmano, 20

008

The cover for The Alchemy of Beauty features a model who has what appears to be a plastic plate for hair. Since you are known as an artist who works with hair as a fabric, why did you make the choice to showcase a model without any actual hair?  Part of what I do is make choices, this is just a choice of spirit, in a futurist vision of beauty where I’m drawing hair on plastic plates to represent an aspect of evolution as my part in the collaboration as a hairdresser in that image.

You shot several of the photos in your book, The Alchemy of Beauty. What are the differences between the photos you take yourself and the photos of your work taken by other photographers? Do they see something you don’t, and vice versa? What does Mario Sorrenti bring to your creations? Mario Sorrenti is a fantastic photographer to collaborate with because he understands form, and essence as entity on other levels. My photographs are my way of materializing ideas, which just shows my impatience with new ideas, but I always put myself into whatever I do. No one sees the same image you do.

Many of your images in The Alchemy of Beauty are dramatically lit. Is this your direction, to have the hair augmented and changed by lighting? In your opinion, would these images be as compelling if shot in natural light? I have never seen an image that cannot be made both interesting or beautiful by extreme light. But I don’t find my forms or images transformed by light.

Why won’t you take photos of anything other than your own work? Is it because they are more utilitarian than artistic, like you just need a photo so you might as well take it yourself? Or do you only find beauty in your own creations (sarcasm denoted?) All of that is true at times. I do like taking photos of all kinds of [visual content], it’s just another form of making for me.

You said you have an “art background,” but you didn’t go to art school, you just have an artistic mind. Where did your artistic sensibility come from? Do you have a photographic sensibility, or just a general understanding of beauty?

I never really deeply analyze why something in myself is. I can say that I am still in the moment of wonder as a boy is. Of course, there is only beauty and adventure in this realm. But I grew up in a home where both music and art were a part of life.

Were you a “crafty” child, say, always braiding things or making crafts out of popsicle sticks? What was the first clue that you would grow up to put safety pins on a woman’s head? The first clue was that I never have grown up in that sense, only the materials I am applying have, at times. The spirit is the same.

I saw an old interview from the 1990s in which you put rose petals on a woman’s head and noted that, although they might not do anything, “it makes the woman like you.” Although you are no longer working in a salon, can you speak to the nature of theater in a beauty experience? Does that still apply to what you do, even though you might not be hands-on with clients at this point? I’ve always taken on what I do as an alchemist does, meaning, really believing and working toward a transformation of beauty’s mystery and power. The interview was from when I owned and created a salon and was applying my method of what I believe in creating the power of beauty — by adorning a process of treating hair in a conditioning sense, and infusing it with magic — meaning the invisible that brings forth the visible. Imagine being touched and worshipped with rose petals to imbue yourself. I think the experience speaks for itself, something happens.

In a fantasy world without gravity, what is your dream hair sculpture? It’s not a sculpture really, but it’s trying to access and develop new levels of what the hairdresser means for image and perception.

What was the band you were in as a teenager? Do you still play music? Maybe you’re a rock star. I played percussion and drums mainly, in which I was classically trained since five-years-old, as well as other instruments. But I played with many bands growing up as a musician, marching bands and small ensembles as a child, then rock and punk bands as a teenager on

the New York scene… there were so many experiments then. I still love to play music; it’s always in you.

What music are you listening to right now? I’m more fascinated by actual sound in a context of music, and really like listening to shows on the radio like WSOU 89.5 where all new types of music and sound are explored. Like all things you give and devote yourself to, you reach a point that it’s only the abstract that makes sense and attracts you.

What are three words to describe you? I’m overwhelmed by that question.

What is one tip you would give to an artist who wants to work with hair? What do they need to know about hair as a material? Hair is much more than a material, it is a distinct essence of a human being, a part of a person [with] retaining properties. Hair could possibly be the very first of matter to be a stroke of art, or arrangement, or love itself — when, for the first time, one looked upon the other and touched their hair, or arranged it in a moment of joy or wonder as design of ritual meaning. Everything has come a long way, but hair is still sacred art for me in my own time.

Is there anything you won’t (or can’t) put on top of someone’s head? Of course there is always a reason for what I do. The symbol, texture and geometry of object and how it coincides or conflicts with beauty are my principles.

Do you have any habits you’d like to break? Just habits I want to start.

Do you collect photography? Although I have a lot, it was not my intention to collect.

What is the most difficult material to work with when building and designing a hairstyle? If the answer is hair, then what is the second most difficult material? Ideas.

When designing the Lady Gaga windows for Barney’s, what was the hardest thing to build out of hair? Was there anything you wanted to build, but logistically just couldn’t be done? This was a wonderful commission, to build a realm from the fabric of hair. It wasn’t hard to imagine, build and create; the hard part was the time in which it needed to be finished — that was the real challenge. But it’s always the difficult parts of design that I don’t remember, it’s only the achievement that remains.

How are your styles different when they are just meant to be photographed and not worn? What is the most interesting hairstyle you’ve designed that was also meant to be worn out? All that I do as a hairdresser or artist is for the purpose of adornment, and as aspect of beauty and empowerment, whether that be to create an idol to be worshipped, or as an “It” girl, I don’t differentiate between the two.

You were described by Vogue as the first punk hairdresser. Did you consider yourself punk? How involved were you in the punk scene? Any good CBGB stories, or something along those lines? Punk was my time as a teenager, so I have that side to me for sure. But punk, for me, is a state of mind. I love the visual affect of punk, but never needed to affirm myself visually, only in action. CBGB stories are like all stories when you’re a teen — crazy, beautiful, and too long to write.

Can you speak about the stigma of a “hairdresser” as an unskilled job? I’ve never heard of this stigma before, it’s one of the few skilled jobs I know of; it’s absolute sculpture — all skill. When I first met Louise Bourgeois at a photo shoot for her portrait she told me I was the most important part of the shoot, because I was the only one that actually makes something not only with my mind, but with my hands.

ÂŠ Chair Hair, photo by Samantha Casolari

You said in an interview that you have never had a creative block. How is that possible? Doesn’t everyone have creative blocks now and then?

What shoes do you wear on set or in the salon while working, since you’re on your feet all day? How do you carry your tools?

You know, I really can’t think of anything that doesn’t inspire me in one way or another, and I don’t think in terms of being creative or not, it’s an existence for me to be stimulated. René Ricard was accurate when he wrote the forward in my book that my trick is that I find beauty. For me, it’s as simple as seeing consciousness.

I mostly wear sneakers, and have wonderful and talented assistants that carry our load.

You covered a woman’s face in matches, showing the fragility of your creation. Would you consider this an “anti-fashion” statement? The matches are a level of maturity in beauty and fashion for me. There is nothing more rewarding to me, when spiritual craftsmanship and beauty collide creating a higher deity of beauty itself.

Is there something every new photographer tends to do that you wish photographers knew NOT to do? Imitation is always an immaturity, or insecurity, in a photographer’s work or vision. I know that always trusting that inner person in oneself always leads to something original and fresh, without the influences of what is seen, but what is felt. Anyone can take a picture, not just anyone can make them mean something. n

Interview by Kyria Abrahams You said of your collaboration with Irving Penn: “…here was a man who was in his early 90s telling me he wants to turn hair into glass and things that were just completely abnormal.” Tell me more about that. Do you have a lot of experiences where you are surprised by just how “out there” a photographer wants you to get? Penn was a visionary. He had a vision of perception as a photographer and as a person. He was like working with an old and very wise Indian whose wisdom would take you some place in your mind, and realize you were doing something important, that was our connection. What I enjoy about collaborating with anyone — it must include a part of each other, to know that we are doing something magic and important on every level, like an Indian wisdom. And yes, it’s always exciting to be surprised by a photographer’s passions for new levels.

©Ingrid Mask, photo by Robbie Fimmano, 2007

Conversely, are you ever surprised that people want you to do something utterly boring and normal, even though you are known for such original creations? I hope that I am also known for being the ultimate professional. That’s what people pay for: my expertise and experience. I get paid to be silent, my words are free. Describe a perfect day of shooting with a photographer. Enlightenment.

Photograph of Bob Recine by Erwin Olaf All photographs courtesy of the artist, Bob Recine

ÂŠ Bob Recine, UNTITLED, pen and ink on paper, 2012

ÂŠ Christina Kruse, photo by Robbie Fimmano, 2010

ÂŠ Bob Recine

WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD ‘FASHION’?

What you wear. How you express yourself. What you’re saying about yourself. It’s creative. It isn’t about money, it’s not about a designer — it’s about how you see yourself and how you express yourself creatively. Dennis Freedman, Creative Director, Barneys

Edward Henry George Wallace Title: Space and Place

Edward George Wallace Contact: Henry www.hardlineprojects.com Title: Space and Place Contact: www.hardlineprojects.com

Petros Chrisostomou Title: Lips Contact: www.petrosc.com

Petros Chrisostomou Title: Spondilos Contact: www.petrosc.com

Gregory Prescott Title: Legs Contact: www.gregoryprescott.net

Jamil Nasir Title: Fashion On Pluto Contact: jnasir@mac.com

TINA BARNEY A POWERFUL PERSPECTIVE

Tina Barney was born in New York in 1945. Although exposed to photography at a young age, Barney begun collecting photographs at the age of 26. By the mid-1970s, she photographed the lifestyles and relationships of her close family and friends, many of whom belonged to the New York and New Englandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s social elite. The result: a documentation of emotional and psychological undercurrents of perfect trappings and banal gestures. Barney has been featured in the collections of George Eastman House in Rochester, New York; Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut; the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston; and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Barney currently lives and works in Watch Hill, Rhode Island.

ÂŠ Andrea Blanch

Did you go to art school? I don’t have a college degree . . . but I come from a family of art collectors. I’ve been surrounded by important art since the day I was born. I educated myself. My father died when I was very young and my brother started collecting art when he was young. He told me how to go look at art galleries. [A few years later] I moved to Sun Valley, Idaho with my kids and there was an art center there. That’s where I learned how to take pictures. Then, I started reading, and I hadn’t really read before. I had my first child when I was 21 . . . I think I really was self-taught.

You always show your photos to your subjects before publishing them. Can you speak about the ethics of portraiture? What I find quite funny is that my friends who are photographers do not have this terrible fear and guilt I have about exploiting people — even if they’re my sister or my best friend. In a way, you could say I am using them. Through the years, I’ve gotten better about feeling like that . . . I just can’t conceivably show a picture of someone plastered all over the world, sell it for a nice amount of money, and have that human being not have any clue that’s what’s happening to them . . . I just want you to know what’s happening to you. Most of the time, people don’t care and have no interest in the picture I’ve taken of them.

You made that first switch from 35mm to a 4 x 5 because you wanted to blow your images up much larger. But, with a digital camera you can also blow things up as big as you like, and you get the same amount of detail. The thing I still do not like is when you get one inch away with your eye close to the print, which nobody seems to be doing anymore, you still see the pixels. That’s what I can’t stand. That’s disappearing into the blue. People aren’t getting up one inch from a print like they used to when they were looking at 19th century photographs in the vein that they were objects . . . the interest in the object is disappearing. The other thing — and this is the most important part — there is a spatial difference in using a view camera that has to do with scale and space that doesn’t happen with a digital camera.

What do you think you can do, if anything, to bring the importance of the object back? I can’t do that, because it’s sort of like going back to writing letters by hand. People just aren’t going to do that

anymore. And if they do, it will be very special. It will be appreciated, but you know darn well that it’s becoming extinct. And it has to do with the age that I am, it’s something that I tend to hold very dearly. For the way that I photograph and the things I desire, I haven’t been pleased yet . . . The only cameras that would probably please me are the $40,000 and $60,000 ones. One day, I can make that decision, but I have to say: ‘Okay, I’m going to make a little investment here.’ It’s like buying a house.

Just to rent it, though? Not only do you rent it, and that’s expensive, but you can’t just rent it one day. Also, you’ve got to get the postproduction person, I don’t even have the computer for that person to work on . . . I work pretty fast with a view camera, but there’s just a different process. People say it’s great to see the result right away, well, I saw the result right away with my view camera because I used a Polaroid, so that’s a lot of hogwash there!

When people look at your photographs, what would you like to provoke? My great love is the photograph itself. The photograph is so complicated, and there’s an ambiguity, there’s a structure and a narrative — [well], maybe, not necessarily always a narrative. In other words, the visual parts that make up the photograph are so interesting that you just want to keep looking at it forever. The subject matter is not what, for me, is interesting.

Why are you interested in the physical properties rather than subject matter? Because that’s what brings the viewer into the picture. Read Michael Freed, you’ll see. People don’t realize it, but that’s really what’s making the viewer stay there and look at something for a long time. It’s how the work of art is put together.

I think your portraiture translates to fashion very nicely. Do you feel that there are a lot of differences when you are doing a fashion shoot compared to your own work? It depends whether it’s commercial or editorial, you know, even editorial, which I was doing two weeks ago, I have to show the clothes to the magazine and the designer, which, in a way, is sometimes easier for me. I would probably want to think about formal concerns like structure,

scale, and space more than they let me, because the clothes come first. It’s a give-and-take, but I definitely try to put as much of what I would like into it.

What are three words that would describe your art?

What about when you’re not on a shoot?

People, large, and color.

I just bought a suit that I love and right now I like that very much. It’s a Morgane Le Fey suit; I saved up.

Three words that would describe you. Private, energetic, and curious. I think I’m probably very different to different people.

What gets you started, inspiration or fear?

Oh, a lot! But I think that’s a good quality. Also, I never think what I’ve done is good. I’m very hard on myself.

The fear of getting up in the morning and having nothing to do was so strong that I knew that I had to do something specific. I don’t think I have that fear anymore, but there’s something in my personality that I certainly would never lay around all day doing nothing unless I was pretty damn sick. I’m a Scorpio and I think Scorpios are like that, we get up and we do things every day. When I was 28, I think I had a very strong personality. I was very dramatic. Overly energetic, and I think it was just like a bomb was about to ignite. I just had to do something.

What was the most important critical response that you’ve gotten?

What would you like to be remembered for, as far as your art?

I just got mentioned in a review in an English newspaper, I was in a show in London. The writer wrote a really nice paragraph or sentence about one of my photographs. That was a thrill. He basically said that the portrait I had taken had power in it, and he said why.

The idea of somehow being able to touch on the agony and ecstasy of family relationships. That includes the space that families live in. It’s hard for me to describe, but, it’s a very difficult thing to do in one photograph. In a play, you can do it; in a movie, you can do it. But not to have dialogue, not to have movement, and to somehow still show the dynamics of what happens — is a challenge.

Has there ever been a time when you were photographing, and after finishing a shoot you felt that you missed the shot?

What are your pet peeves on a shoot? Waiting around for makeup and hair.

Is procrastination your friend or enemy? I do not procrastinate, ever.

Is art important for your survival? Absolutely, it’s 90 per cent of my life.

Have you ever mentored anyone? Yes, for SVA. They have a mentor program.

Has photographing all of these families had any influence on your own family relations? We have a terrific family. We really have fun together and get along really well. But what our relationships are like really aren’t what my pictures are about. Not my specific family, I just use them as guinea pigs. The whole thing, all that’s written about in Theater of Manners, it all started at the age of 28, because I realized what an incredible life I had and how lucky we all were. I was damn mad that I didn’t think anybody was really appreciating it — this paradise that we lived in. They took it for granted. I don’t know why I thought I was so high and mighty I needed to make art about that. n Interview by Andrea Blanch Photograph of Tina Barney by Andrea Blanch All other photographs courtesy Janet Borden, Inc.

What is your favorite piece of clothing that you wear on your shoots? My sneakers.

Young Man with Rooster ÂŠ Tina Barney, courtesy Janet Borden, Inc.

Arena Homme Plus ÂŠ Tina Barney, courtesy Janet Borden, Inc.

Fire & Drum ÂŠ Tina Barney, courtesy Janet Borden, Inc.

ÂŠ Tina Barney, courtesy Janet Borden, Inc.

The Daughters ÂŠ Tina Barney, courtesy Janet Borden, Inc.

Kimberely Warner Untitled Contact: www.kimberlywarner.com

Keziban Barry Title: A Time Remembered Contact: www.kezibanbarry.com

Lara Solomon Title: Dustin Quick Contact: www.larapix.com

Julie Bergonz Lara Untitled Solomon Contact: www.facebook.com/JulieBergonzPhotography Title: Kayleigh Nichols wearing Varma Contact: www.larapix.com

Bobby Whigham Title: Late Night Ideas Contact: www.bobbywhigham.com

Carlos Detres Untitled Contact: www.carlosdetres.com

Marsin Title: Jenny V Fashion Contact: www.marsindigital.com

JOHN DEMSEY MONKEYING AROUND

John Demsey has been the Group President at The Estée Lauder Companies, Inc. since 2006. He oversees the Estée Lauder, M·A·C, Tom Ford Beauty, Bobbi Brown, Jo Malone and La Mer brands. Before joining The Estée Lauder Companies, he worked as Vice President of Sales at the Specialty Division of Revlon. He also held various executive positions with Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Benetton and Saks Fifth Avenue. Throughout his career, Mr. Demsey has demonstrated a unique ability to establish a brand’s authority while continuing to respect its heritage. By continually developing innovative products, cultivating new markets and establishing an unprecedented link between fashion, beauty and entertainment, he has led the brands in his portfolio to unparalleled growth and expansion.

When you were 18 years old, your father had your portrait taken by Yousuf Karsh. Did that spark your interest in photography? It did, actually. I grew up in Cleveland and was a fan of Warhol and that entire pop art scene. My father thought it was very important to have a portrait by Yousuf Karsh. I came to New York, had the picture taken, and I became interested in photography.

When did you start collecting? I started collecting in my 20’s, when I was living in Paris. I went to the Puce (Ed: Paris flea market) and found a publicity still from 1959 of Brigitte Bardot as a brunette, before she became a blonde. I bought that for $100 — which was a lot of money for me, back then. That started my obsession with images.

How have the prices for your type of photography increased? A lot, really. A Marilyn Minter these days can go for six figures at auction. I’ve been a fan of Marilyn Minter for over a decade. I never bought anything with an idea that I would ever want to sell it. I bought it because I love the imagery.

photograph her? The person who has been photographing her is Monica Rich Kosann, who is a good friend and an amazing child photographer. Sure, I would like to have Mario Testino photograph my daughter...

Well, all we have to do is ask. It’s just a question of how much?

In an interview about Estée Lauder, you once said: “Beauty in its ultimate is an aspiration.” Well, I think there are universal truths in the world, universal aspirations. Everybody wants to be loved. Everybody wants to feel good about themselves and be healthy. No one ever can feel that they look good enough. The quest for beauty — or for inner beauty, or outer beauty — is an aspiration which may articulate itself differently around the world, but it’s a universal truth. . . it is the ultimate aspiration.

Hence your collection. Hence my collection.

Would you ever buy a photograph from a photographer if it was atypical of his work? Absolutely. If it was something I liked. I wouldn’t just, you know, buy an animal from Peter Beard because Peter Beard does animals. It’s more about what I like, less about what somebody is known for.

Do you have any idea what you will do with your collection eventually? I don’t know. I’m not counting on going anywhere. I keep adding to it. The collection is about a thousand pieces of work, now they rotate. . . Some are stored in a warehouse and some in the basement. . . I’ll rotate the house every four to five months. . . I have an art hanger who works for the Whitney who comes and we lay it out thematically.

If you were going to have your daughter photographed today, who would you choose to

“What you choose not to do says as much as what you choose to do.” - John Demsey

Do you find that there are any similarities between being responsible for your brand and curating an art collection? Does one influence the other? A lot of the work, actually, that I’m collecting these days are from photographers that I work with. I have developed a love for Miles Aldridge, who I feel is the British Helmut Newton of today. Same with Terry Richardson and same with Steven Klein. I also have a good amount of David LaChappelle.

Is there one piece in your collection that defines your personality more than others?

cats in the house, so, all of a sudden, now there are a lot of shots of kitty cats.

Probably the monkey images, because I was born in the year of the monkey, and I have a fascination with monkeys. I don’t know what that has to say about anything but monkey business or…[laughs]

Does your interior designer Bibi Monnahan influence your collection?

Well, what are monkeys known for? Monkeys are known for fooling around.

Has your taste in collecting changed? I have a more refined eye these days. . . I’ll focus more on the imagery or the subject matter rather than the photographer. In the other room, there are about 45 photographs of people smoking. . . and I have three

Absolutely. She’s a muse. . . Bibi said to me, “Rather than just buying artists or buying things for value, your overarching theme is glamour. So, when you see an image, rather than just buying an image because it’s worth something. . . is it glamourous?”

If you could hire any photographer, living or dead, to shoot one of your campaigns for Estée Lauder, who would that be? Richard Avedon or Norman Parkinson.

MAC Cosmetics is known for unconventional choices like Beth Ditto and Iris Apfel. How does this aesthetic relate to your art collection? Do you feel you’re always pushing boundaries even in your own life?

I leave that to the creative director depending on the brand. . . James Gager. . . is really the greatest beauty creative director in my mind, in the world.

Well, MAC is the ultimate mashup. It’s a combination of high-low, fashion and street. And the personas associated with the brand this past year were: Daphne Guinness, Iris Apfel, Beth Ditto, Nicki Minaj, Ricky Martin, and Carine Roitfeld. So that’s an eclectic mix! It mirrors my own personal taste in terms of what I like, as well. I like things that are serious and super high quality. . . but at the same time, I like things that are whimsical and have a sense of humor — a little bit of a ‘wacko factor’.

What do you need to be the greatest creative director in the world?

Do you have the final say as far as photographers are concerned, or do you leave that to the creative director?

Strong point of view. Strong edit. Able to put himself into the context of what a brand is. . . What you choose not to do says as much about what you choose to do.

Do you have any collections besides photography? Yes. I collect animals and porcelains and Scandinavian ceramics and glass. I collect watches. . . I’m a pack rat.

Is there any photograph you wanted that got away? Helmut Newton’s photograph of [Elsa Peretti] as a Playboy bunny on the terrace. I had the chance to get one prior to his passing away, and before the prices went totally insane, and I blew it.

Is there any advice you would give to someone who is just starting a collection? Collect what you love and don’t listen to anybody else and follow your passions, and experiment, and don’t be afraid to make a mistake and learn.

Is there a lynchpin in your collection? It probably started with that original Brigitte Bardot photograph.

Do you buy pieces from emerging photographers? Yes. I’ll buy from unknown photographers just because I like the image.

Do you ever become friends with the artists as a result of collecting their pieces or working with them? I have a nice relationship with Craig McDean, Terry Richardson, Miles Aldridge, and David LaChappelle.

How important is a back story to your photograph? A lot, actually. I like back stories! This house actually has an interesting back story. It was owned by Teddy Roosevelt in the 1900’s. . . In the 1960’s this was Montgomery Clift’s house. There are some pictures at the bar there of Montgomery Clift and apparently Marilyn Monroe lived for a short time as a roommate with Montgomery Clift and Liz Taylor, so I paid homage to some of the celebrities who were in this house. That’s a good back story.

In your opinion, what makes a good photograph? Context.

You were recently on a panel for the Hearst 8x10 photography contest, how did that feel to be a judge? It was hard. It required taking a more traditional view with less personal prejudice, so, it was hard but I enjoyed it.

Who inspired you to be the man you are today? Leonard Lauder. He is an incredibly passionate, amazing Renaissance man and his love and commitment in terms of fashion and beauty and the art world are legendary.

One word that describes you. Fun.

If you didn’t have your present job, what would you be doing? I would like to have been in the entertainment business, as a movie producer, somebody behind the scenes.

Photography has changed a lot. How has that influenced your collection? There is a lot of new, digitally driven work that’s very beautiful. . . I’m just starting to experiment but, [photography has] changed, there’s no question about it. If anything, art photography has become even more expressive.

In the gallery world, I feel like a distinction is made between a fine art photographer and fashion photography. How do you feel about that? I think that some of the great fashion photographers are some of the greatest photographers of all time. I think that’s an unfair bias. For example, Richard Avedon was an amazing fashion photographer, as was William Klein. It’s a job like many other things, but there is an art, in terms of the style and the composition and lighting, that I believe is a unique skill set. I think that fashion, pop culture and the fine arts are sort of merging together right now and that’s where I get most excited.

What is the last photograph that you bought?

What about making a movie?

The last photograph I bought was a commission. Photographs of my daughter by Monica Rich Kosann that are sitting on the dining room table downstairs.

The final chapter is not finished yet. n

Did you ever think about being a photographer yourself?

Interview by Andrea Blanch

No. I do now, but, no, it was too hard to go to the dark room in the old days [laughs].

Photograph of John Demsey and all other photographs by Andrea Blanch

WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD ‘FASHION’?

Work. Jed Root, Founder, Jed Root Inc.

Sandra Arenas Untitled Contact: www.sandraarenas.com

Samuel Liebert Untitled Contact: www.SamuelLiebert.com

Peter Ngo Title: Caught Snooping Contact: punkerp1980@yahoo.com

Massimo Gurciullo Untitled Contact: massimogurciullo@gmail.com

Megan Crist Untitled Contact: www.megancrist.com

THOM BROWNE A STRUCTURED IMAGINATION

Thom Browne is difficult but not fussy. He likes his shirts washed and dried. Not pressed. And he never buttons down his button down shirts, either. But all of his clothes — jackets, trousers, sweaters and shirts — are meticulously hand-made in familiar fabrics and cut for a young minded guy. The lapels are narrow, the jackets and trousers are cropped. That is what fashion is to him. It’s about the individual, and for the wearer to enjoy. He believes that fashion and style should come from within.

After you left Club Monaco, in 2001, you went the As much as they would like to, not everyone can high-end direction. Why are you now heading back wear fitted suits. How would you dress a chubby in the opposite direction with your blazers at Target?    man — someone like Seth Rogan or a young John Goodman?     The blazer I made for Target was a one-off project that was initiated by the CFDA and Neiman Marcus. I actually make suits for a wide range of men through my made-to measure business. You were in the documentary Ultrasuede which ended with Halston’s failure in partnering with JCPenney. In 2012, it’s perfectly acceptable to buy affordable designer clothes at a chain like Target. Was Halston ahead of his time? I believe what I said was that he was his own person. If this is what he wanted to do, that is what he should do.

When you were working as an actor in L.A., you were already interested in fashion, especially men’s suits. Was it a conscious decision for you to transition from acting to designing menswear? The transition from being an actor, out in L.A., to working in the fashion world in New York just happened. From the beginning, I have been working very closely with a master tailor to achieve what I’ve done.

You’ve mentioned that you’re not about “theatrics.” Even your three-legged pants are still well-crafted with quality materials. At the same time, the silver minotaurs from your recent show in Paris could, admittedly, be something out of Cirque du Soleil. Are theatrics and quality at odds with each other? Is it possible to embrace the “theatrics” without having it overshadow the collection?     For me, how I present the show — the location, sets, choreography — is all a part of conveying the theme of that season’s collection.

If you could work with any photographer, living or dead, who would you like to shoot your collection?     Leni Riefenstahl.

Were you surprised that Michelle Obama wore the same dress of yours not once, but twice? Yes, of course. I was very honored and flattered.

Who can do more for a designer’s career, the First Lady or Anna Wintour? They are both very influential in different ways.

Anna has been such a champion for you. What are some of the misconceptions people have about her? She is an incredibly supportive person who goes out of her way to help designers.

Your designs have a strong sense of place and clear inspiration. When does a designer cross the line from being inspired by an era to wearing a costume? After all, is there anything wrong with being a little bit costumey? The purpose of the show is to convey and stress the ideas I have. The clothes and how I show them are meant to be provocative, to make people think and be left with an impression.

Do your suits translate well to a more urban clientele? I can imagine a performer like Janelle Monae in one of your tailored suits. There is not a set type of person for my collection. It’s for anyone with a strong sense of individuality.

““Optimism is the Vital Force that entangles itself with and then shapes the future.”

One unfortunate aspect of modern culture is that no one dresses up for dinner anymore. Can you recommend a restaurant in New York where I can dress to the nines and not feel out of place? I think there are still many places, but one would be the Four Seasons restaurant. (The one on East 53rd Street designed by Philip Johnson, not the hotel.)

Where do you see yourself five years from now? Doing what I do now and exploring other things as well.

Where does your inspiration come from? Life.

What one piece of clothing can’t you do without? A grey suit.

What piece of clothing that is utilitarian yet fashionable would you design for a photographer? A grey suit.

What if you hadn’t become a designer--what would you be doing? Directing.

Where do you go to seek solace? How often? Home. Every day.

What is the best thing you’ve done in your career? The worst? The best thing is what I am doing now. The worst, I haven’t done yet.

People say you’re a quiet person. Does this reflect in your designs? I think so. Attention to detail and the quality of the make are very important to me. How does your wardrobe vary from day to night? It doesn’t.

What would you like to do that you haven’t done yet? What is your advice to young people starting out?

I’ll know when I’m doing it. n

Be true to yourself.

Interview by Kyria Abrahams Photograph of Thom Browne by Circe All other photographs courtesy of Dan and Corina Lecca and Anthony Goicolea

ÂŠ Courtesy of Dan and Corina Lecca

ÂŠ Courtesy of Anthony Goicolea

ÂŠ Courtesy of Dan and Corina Lecca

WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD ‘FASHION’?

Miserable children wearing expensive clothes. That’s what advertising looks like to me now. Dick Page, Artistic Director, Shiseido t

Carlos Moscat Untitled Contact: www.carlosmoscatphotography.com

Mindo Cikanavicius Untitled Contact: www.mindo-c.com

EDITORS’ PICKS

Molly SJ Lowe Photographer Molly SJ Lowe grew up in the United States and is currently based in Paris. She has had the opportunity to assist some of fashion’s greatest talents, such as Patrick Demarchelier, Carter Smith, and Eric Maillet, and is a photographer “at large” for Vogue US. The “Fioriness” lamp — seemingly created in that place of dreamy imagination where the elements of our everyday are unfastened and reassembled in new hybrid forms — is a playful concatenation of a tttluminaire and a flower in an upturned vase. The bell jar base offers itself as a perfect surreal theatre, and invited me to recount, through a series of 5 photographs, the independent episodes I imagine take place there as soon as our eyes are turned. Fashion and design are thus united in this fanciful series depicting the secret life of a haunted luminaire. Liz Bullen, Art Director. Both Liz and Molly are founding members of the Transit Système art collective.

Vijat Mohindra Neo-pop celebrity photographer Vijat Mohindra, was born in Ohio, grew up in Chicago, and moved to Los Angeles at the age of 18 to pursue photography. With a singular and driven focus in photography his entire life, he graduated Art Center College of Design already having defined his ultra modernist and hyper synthetic aesthetic. The dazzling anti-vérité style of his work has attracted celebrity clientele such as Miley Cyrus, Nicole Richie, Kim Kardashian, and Lindsay Lohan

Molly SJ Lowe Title: Fioriness Contact: www.mollylowe.com

MollyLizSJBullen Lowe Title: Fioriness Contact:www.mollylowe.com www.lizbullen.com Contact:

Molly SJ Lowe Title: Fioriness Contact: www.mollylowe.com

MollyLizSJBullen Lowe Title: Fioriness Contact:www.mollylowe.com www.lizbullen.com Contact:

Cristina Vijat Mohindra Venedict Title: Drawing Priscilla Ono Dreams Contact: www.cristinavenedict.ro www.vijphoto.com

Heike Vijat Mohindra Buelau Untitled Title: Priscilla Ono Contact: studio@heikebuelau.com www.vijphoto.com

Vijat Heike Mohindra Buelau Title: Priscilla Untitled Ono Contact:Contact: studio@heikebuelau.com www.vijphoto.com

Heike Vijat Mohindra Buelau Untitled Title: Priscilla Ono Contact: studio@heikebuelau.com www.vijphoto.com

NEXT ISSUE...

FA S H I O N Volume II

SUBMIT YOUR WORK TO MUSÉE NO. 5: FASHION VOLUME II 1. Submit images based on the theme: FASHION. All things related to fashion: still life, portraits, etc…(max.10) 2. Please do not include watermarks. 3. Use ‘Issue No. 5, Volume II’ as the email subject. 4. Include contact and information you would like see published. (website, brief bio and background) 5. Deadline for submissions is February 2, 2013. 6. To submit, please visit www.museemagazine.com or send an email to submit@museemagazine.com