NO CIGAR ISSUE 4 by No Cigar

NO CIGAR ISSUE 4 AUGUST 2012 £5.00

NATALIE CURTIS/ JULIE EILENBERGER/ JORDAN SULLIVAN/ FESTIVAL SEASON/ BREAK OUT TALENT/ WASTED DAYS WASTED NIGHTS/

THE SECOND FIRST IMPRESSION

39 WAY OUT WEST

NO CIGAR No Cigar Ltd, Suite 772, Kemp House, 152-160 City Road, London, United Kingdom EC1V 2NX Editor in chief

NATALIE HANKS executive editor

Sunit DATTANI COVER PHOTOGRAHER

Cara o’dowd model

MEGAN IRMINGER hair

KAREN HOPWOOD make-up artist

CASEY GORE MUSIC WRITER

sam briggs lifestyle writer

james harle COLUMNIST

ALICE CONNEW CONTACT

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

adrian morris alice connew anniieemal cara o’dowd domingo rodriguez freya cookson jack addis JAMES HARLE jennifer hooton JORDAN SULLIVAN julie eilenberger krisztian kondor lisa cowell louise bennetts mafalda silva marcella karamat michael creagh NATALIE CURTIS rachel abraham SAM BRIGGS samantha collie zoe grace

EDITOR IN CHIEF

NATALIE@NOCIGARMAGAZINE. COM EXECUTIVE EDITOR

SUNIT@NOCIGARMAGAZINE. COM ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE

ZINE@NOCIGARMAGAZINE. COM

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

ALEX,ALICE, ANNIE SOPHIE COSTA, ANTON, B-NILES, BARBORA BARTUNKOVA, CADENCE SISCO, CALLIE ROTHERMEL, CASEY GORE, DORA MOLNAR, DOROTTYA NAGY, EDDY BOGAERT, ENOKAE, ESPERANZA DE LA FUENTE, FANNY, GRACE JOEL, HIRO, KAREN HOPWOOD, KIRSTEN BODE, KISHITA, KANA, LAUREN GOLLAN, LAUREN MCCOWAN, LENA EMERGY, LIBBY PAGE, LINDA ANDRESSON, MATT TRETHE, MEGAN IRMINGER, MIKE CRUZ, NICOLE ADLER, PASCALINE HOFFMAN, RUIKO OSHIKA, SADIE PHELPS, SPENCER KOHN , VICTORIA MIDDLETON

DISTRIBUTION

www.PINEAPPLE-MEDIA.COM

copyright © 2011-2012 no cigar limited. all rights reserved. the material in this magazine may not be reproduced, or otherwise used, except with written permission of no cigar limited. all enquiries should be made to contact@nocigarmagazine.com.

LOVE US? PROVE IT. SUBSCRIBE NOW TO KNOW THE MINUTE THE NEXT ISSUE IS OUT: WWW.NOCIGARMAGAZINE.

Contents 4

INFORMATION

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

CONTENTS

EDITOR’S LETTER

oONTRIBUTING WRITERS

JORDAN SULLIVAN

jack addis

remember me

natalie curtis

forever young

various cruelties

festival season

parallels

adrian morris

domingo rodriguez

A crash course in kawaii

the wanderers

julie eilenberger

meet me half way

in flux - louise bennetts

anniieemal

alice connew

the topshop generation

wasted days wasted nights

104

swingin’ safari

112

zoe grace

114

stocklist

14 KEVIN TADGE

EDITOR’S LETTER

Dear Readers, You may have noticed that this is the first Editor’s letter that isn’t hand written. I have not given up the pen, I’ve simply been caught up in the chaos that comes with moving offices. This issue is filled with more talent than ever before. We’ve got every thing from fashion forward bloggers Anniieemal to the next big thing on the art scene Adrian Morris, who likes to sometimes go under the name of Mowgli. There is also Julie Eilenberger, whom I’m sure most of you would trade your entire wardrobe in for her collection. With all magazine content aside, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the support they have given to the magazine, we wouldn’t have made it to this point without it. I’d like to thank every Korean meal my executive editor has gone into town to get for me, the readers who have not only read and enjoyed the magazine but also shown others, but above all, I’d like to thank our family for their time and patiences. Yours truly, Nat

SAM BRIGGS

ALICE CONNEW

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Having survived earthquakes, a raging house fire, volcanic ash and a Christmas tornado, Alice Connew has for some time lived the life of an international action film star. It didn’t always start out this way, however. Her life as a Graphic Design major at the University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts was fairly routine, as was her day to day job in retail. So when this surge of unlikely natural disasters rippled their way through her life, Alice thought it was about to time for a change, fleeing New Zealand with just a suitcase in hand. And after sixteen months on the run she has finally managed to find a new home, settling in Berlin, Germany.

FREYA COOKSON

We are thrilled to have James on board. He is truly one of the best interviewers and writers that we have ever met. Always looking for his next challenge, this issue has him bring the interesting issue of ethical jewellery to light. He is also a radio man, one third of ‘Three Men in a Shed’. Apparently it’s the only thing worth looking forward to on a Monday.

LISA COWELL

I’m a University of York philosophy graduate. I’ve been a fan of No Cigar since the beginning so it’s such a thrill to be a Contributor. For this issue I spoke to Louise Bennetts, a young fashion designer, about her latest womenswear collection. I would describe myself as creative; I sketch, design and write. I don’t go anywhere without a pen and paper! Some of my interests include the creative industry, contemporary art, street-style and languages. In the future, my ultimate dream is to work internationally and to run my own company. One interesting fact about me: when I was nine years old I won a holiday to Los Angeles, California.

JAMES HARLE

She now spends her time writing from an apartment in the heart of Kreuzberg, taking photos and staying inside to avoid the constant tropical thunder and lightening storms Berlin throws her way.

Sam is one of those people who has a way with words that everyone can appreciate and a unique style that is unmatched at No Cigar. He can be brutally honest, but you’ll take a liking to him instantly. An English literature student at heart, Sam spends his free time obsessing over music and theatre. We’re really proud to be able to show him off at No Cigar.

Lisa JC is a part-time model, blogger, and a Media & Journalism graduate. Since gaining experience by working for local magazines, newspapers, and radio stations, Lisa writes freelance and is the founder of www.lisaslocker. blogspot.com Having modelled for clients like Britain’s Next Top Model Live, Le Breve, L’Oreal, Schwarzkopf and numerous top London Photographers, Lisa wanted to combine her love for style and technology by co-founding/editing www.nlcbeauty.com, a newly successful beauty blog. Lisa was recently NE1 Newcastle Fashion Week’s official blogger for the 9 day event. Here she interviewed people like Brix Smith-Start and legendary fashion director, Elizabeth Walker. The confessed Photoshop-junkie loves nothing more than practising yoga in her spare time, and is currently training for the Great North Run this September.

JORDAN SULLIVAN

If you are in the know then this is a man that needs no introduction. Born in Houston, Texas, JORDAN SULLIVAN is an artist and musician living and working in New York. He has recently finished his first solo show ‘Natural History’ at the Underline Gallery. The exhibition explored the past in two narratives, one narrative looking at the WWII era, the other his own recent past.

You were brought up in Ohio, Michigan and Indonesia, have these places affected your work in any way? Environments affect me so much. I grew up in a small town in Ohio, and the suburbs of Detroit. In Ohio I was surrounded by nature and Detroit was much more urban. Both places were sort of rundown though. While Ohio had these big wide open fields and forests, Detroit had these abandoned buildings and burned down neighbourhoods. Both places were very ghostly and the streets and fields were always littered with junk, so that’s why I think I’m so attracted to found objects and old stuff, things with history. Ohio really affected me as a sculptor, and also got me interested in using natural materials. As a kid, even when I was working in the yard with my dad, I was sculpting, though at the time I didn’t know - we’d rake leaves into piles, build fires, haul bags of grass to the cornfield behind our house - these are all sculptural acts. I’d build tree forts and snow forts with my brother and sister. And we lived across the street from an old cemetery, so I think those funeral flowers and all the grave decorations I saw everyday had a huge impact on me and really made me constantly aware of my own mortality at a pretty young age. Can you tell us a bit about the book you made with Pamela Love? Did you set out to make it or did it just happen? It just happened. We were both visiting the desert. I’ve always loved the southwest, but it wasn’t until a year later that I put the book together. A lot of your work is centred around memories, what is it about memories that draws you to them? Exploring memory through art is a way for me to call attention to one of the functions of art, which is to stand as a symbol or a relic of a time, a place, and a culture. It seems, whether we like it or not, that all objects one day become artefacts. But I’ve always been personally interested in memory and anything abstract or invisible - emotions, god, spirituality. I remember the first time I saw Cy Twombly, Barnett Newman, and Mark Rothko paintings and really believing the art could depict these invisible things, that it could articulate these internal lives that we lead.

You are not only an artist, but also a musician. How do you combine the two? Right now I’m mostly just making art, though I am starting a new band with another photographer friend, Brian Merriam, and I’m trying to finish another book of short stories. It’s not so hard to balance all of it because I enjoy making things so much and they are all part of the same fabric. Whether I’m writing or taking a picture or playing music, I’m always discovering something new or finding a new way to explore or articulate all these things I’m interested in. What photo have you taken which you think represents you the best? It’s a photo of this broken down house on stilts in the middle of a lake in Texas. On the front of the house is a sign that says HEARTBREAK in big red letters.

The Natural History show was your first solo show. How did you find it differs from a joint show? Having a space to yourself is the best part and the biggest difference. Everyone who walks into that space is in your room, in your memory. Art is best when someone is around to see it, and the fact that someone can walk into this room and see so much of what I do and apply their own opinions and experience to it is sort of surreal and unbelievably beautiful. Your exhibition ‘Natural History’ is based around your grandparents meeting in World War II, what drew you to tell this story? I never knew my grandparents too well growing up. Then, last year, I moved to Texas for the year and saw them all the time. It turned out to be the last year of my grandfather’s life. He died a couple of months before I got offered the show that would become NATURAL HISTORY. The show fell on Memorial Day so it just seemed appropriate to make something that explored their lives in relation to mine. For your exhibition you chose to narrate the show in two ways, separated by seventy years. What was the reasoning behind that? So many nights talking with my grandparents (and I imagine a lot people feel this whenever there’s a generation gap) there was this intense realisation every so often stemming from how close and how distant we all were. I can see myself in my grandparents’ faces, in their skin, they are in my blood, but our lives have been so dramatically different. The three of us in a room was such an intense juxtaposition of character, experience, morality, and history. This show was sort of a way for me to visualise that juxtaposition, to explore and remember all the similarities and differences that existed when the three of us were in that room together.

You have been quoted having said ‘The past is prologue: it tells us where we were and can give us clues where we are going.’ What are the clues that you have found to where you are going? I don’t know exactly, but I know I’m on the right track. I’ve been having a lot of deja vu lately, and I was told that means I’m on track with my spirit guide. That all sounds pretty new-agey, but I really believe in some of that stuff. Finally, tell us a story. One summer morning a mother swallow flew off to gather food for her young. She came home to find her tree cut down; her nest destroyed. The swallow flew to a nearby house. She built a nest of mud on the ledge of the roof. The swallow enjoyed her new nest, and the family that lived in the house was kind to her. The two young children, a brother and sister, collected insects and placed them in her nest while she was away. In the autumn the father built the swallow a bird house from white oak and hung it on the front porch. Every Sunday he and his wife would fill the swallows new home with fresh bird seed. But the family was poor, and when they could no longer afford their house it was taken from them. The new owners did not like the house so they tore it down to build a new home, destroying the swallows bird house as well. So the swallow flew on

again. This time she built a nest in an old barn. But the swallow felt lonesome in the barn, she missed her young and the family that had been so kind to her. She stayed in the barn through the autumn, and on the first day of winter she flew south. She made a new home on the beach, but she was still lonely. She missed the north and all the homes and the family she had lost. In the mornings she would fly out over the ocean. One day, she spotted a young sailor adrift at sea. The sailor was hungry and weak after being lost at sea for so long. The swallow circled above him, calling out to him. When the sailor spotted the swallow he knew he was close to land. So the sailor picked up his oars and, with the little strength he had left, began to row, following the swallow as she guided him safely back to shore. On the beach, the sailor crawled out of his boat and wept. Over and over he thanked the swallow for saving his life. For the first time in months the swallow felt joy in her heart. So the next morning, and every morning after, the swallow flew out over the ocean in search of those lost at sea. Day after day, one by one, the swallow guided all of them home. text NATALIE HANKS

JACK ADDIS

When it comes to digital art, 23 year old Jack Addis knows what he is talking about. Having graduated with honours from the Bath School of Art and Design, the co-founder of Madescapes (a British-based pop up gallery) has had his work exhibited in almost 20 shows around the world already. In this interview, No Cigar explores Jack’s iconic digital imagery style of art as talks us through what makes him and his work so alluring to us all. How would you describe your style of art? I would class it as digital imagery; the work is a mixture of photo manipulation, collage, and image glitching. Building shapes, colour fields as you would with other mediums. Can you walk us through some of the steps you take to make your art? I read a lot, watch news channels and explore the Internet, it's hard and easy at the same time to get a grip on the world with all the media available to me. I might see an image or hear a story that fits with something else I have been reading or watching and decide to pursue a line of thought. I think that this portfolio of digital work is quite diverse but then that fits in with the medium. You have described your images previously as being about "how we react to our environment in our current socio-political situation." Could you expand more on this? We live in machine inspired cultures of perfection but there is a constant background of inequality and it's seen as almost noise. In a lot of the images here though, I want to question common taste, lose the perfect image you are used to seeing; bring to the fore the image disrupted. I think there is a certain fear about being out of control: how much do we hate it when the train is late or our computer crashes, these are big problems for a lot of people. We especially loved "Chlöe Sevigny", what made you choose that image in particular and what is the idea behind the finished piece? If I’m being honest at the time I had a big crush on her, and in this picture she looked beautiful. The idea behind this particular image was a subversion of ideal beauty or heroism. I worked a lot to almost shatter the face and give a very still image a lot of movement and make it more realistic.

What are your biggest sources of inspiration? I like to learn as much as possible and I like to go out a lot. But as for an artist, it would be Basquiat and the information overload in his paintings and drawings, his social and cultural position. When and how did you decide to start selling your art? It's not really a conscious decision, like "Now I'm going to sell my work." I think what happens is you decide "Now I want people to see my work." So for me it either gets sold during or after an exhibition, or through people finding it on the internet in places such as Rise Art. How did you find Rise Art and how has it helped you? Well, Rise Art found me. They asked if I would submit a portfolio for their website and for the panel of curators to judge and see if I would become a select artist. Rise Art has helped more people see my work and at the end of the day that is a great thing. Scott, the co-founder, is a really fun guy and he is passionate about the artists. So Rise Art promote and have found opportunities for me like exhibitions or promotions though there website. It's a great way to connect art lovers to art! One last question, what is the most important lesson in life that you have learnt through your work? I think the more I do the more I like. text SUNIT DATTANI

REMEMBER ME photographer MAFALDA SILVA styling ESPERANZA DE LA FUENTE make up and hair ANNE SOPHIE COSTA model SADIE PHELPS @ M AND P MODELS photography assistant BARBORA BARTUNKOVA

this page coat FAZANE opposite page suit ASOS socks FLAKE shoes URBAN OUTFITTERS jumpsuit ESPERANZA DE LA FUENTE

this page jumpsuit ESPERANZA DE LA FUENTE opposite page croptop TOPSHOP trousers ASOS socks FLAKE shoes URBAN OUTFITTERS

this page shirt AMERICAN APPAREL crop top TOPSHOP

opposite page coat FAZANE socks FLAKE shoes URBAN OUTFITTERS

natalie curtis

“It's a way of telling stories without using words. There is a satisfaction to getting a shot just as I saw it and at the same time there is always the potential to be surprised, to have a happy accident. I get access to different people and a bit of their lives. I like that it can be both solitary and sociable. Sometimes it's pure observation and on other occasions it's a collaboration.”

Raised in a recording studio from the age of 4 until 16, musicians became a regular fixture residing in the kitchen regularly; as a result for Natalie Curtis it was as though she was destined to enter the world of music, and begin documenting or capturing the work and lives of musicians through photographyfrom bands such as Elbow, The Charlatans, Brian Aubert of Silversun Pickups, Nikki Monninger, Doves and many others; soon her natural artist’s eye evolved and across the past 2 years, she has collaborated and exhibited with celebrated fellow artists at Galerie Arnaud Lefebvre in Paris France and Rencontres Photographiques d’Art’lon in Arlon Belgium; the experimentation with photography continues from Portrait to Abstract; if contemporary photography has immersed itself within the landscape of purely the aesthetics of its digital age, then Natalie Curtis emerges with a powerful psychological understanding of capturing precise moments of a life or time that result in the purest form of understanding any picture: through the intuitive emotional response. So we ask Natalie reveal more please.

Why have you chosen photography as the medium to express your ideas? It’s a way of telling stories without using words. There is a satisfaction to getting a shot just as I saw it and at the same time there is always the potential to be surprised, to have a happy accident. I get access to different people and a bit of their lives. I like that it can be both solitary and sociable. Sometimes it’s pure observation and on other occasions it’s a collaboration. You started with capturing the lives of musicians years ago but your work has evolved, moving to a different perspective or focus. How deliberate was that decision? My photography has to evolve to stop me from boring myself. I keep saying no more bands and then another band appears and I want to work with them. It’s more about changing my process than the type of people I work with. Although of course I don’t just photograph musicians and am interested in all types of people. You have worked with a number of European art projects, what has attracted you to those international areas? Last year I was invited to take part in an exhibition in Paris and a photography festival in Belgium. I was thrilled to be asked. The Paris show was organised by Michael H Shamberg and he’s amazing; I said yes straight away. It was a bonus to return to a city I love but hadn’t visited since 1995. Also the Rencontres Photographiques d’Art’lon sounded cool and it’s always great to go somewhere new. I met wonderful people in Paris and Arlon. What do you look for within a person when deciding to take their photograph, what is that little something? It’s hard to say what I look for within a potential subject. I suppose I don’t know until I see it. But I guess it’s about seeing

something I think is beautiful combined with some element of mystery, something that makes me curious about a person. What do you find inspiring? Being around good people doing brilliant work inspires me. There is always a lot of talk about the new camera phones or camera technologies; do those things make a difference to your work? I think that it’s good to play with different means of making images. I work mostly with film, but I’m sure that playing around with digital affects what I do in some way. In no more than four words for each: Name four things that help you strive for your perfection and what is making you angry now? Four things that help me strive for my perfection? Fear, competitiveness, obsession and happiness. As for things that are making me angry now, well, right now I’m pretty content in my little bubble of avoiding things that make me angry. Yoga, not drinking and horse riding lessons are a big help. text MARCELLA KARAMAT

FOREVER YOUNG photographer SAMANTHA COLLIE model CADENCE SISCO clothing MODEL’S OWN location DALLAS, TX

There’s an interview currently doing the Sky Arts between Elvis Costello and Bruce Springsteen, where the latter unpicks what great songwriting consists of – that all the ingredients can be there, in the right order, but if you are not reaching further to touch “it”, a deeper meaning and innovation, then you’ll always fall short. For better or for worse, this is an observation that arguably gains less truth in an age of electronic wizardry and increasing elusiveness, where anonymity prevails over the traditional frontman with heart on sleeve. “Songwriting” is perhaps not the primary criterion for judging many developing genres, when viewed through a traditional lens. Today, great songs do not have to be reducible to a lovelorn gent with an acoustic guitar. And thank god for it – the world would be boring if we all looked the same. So how different are a band like Various Cruelties? Formed in London, 2010, by frontman Liam O’Donnell (apparently a relative of Oscar Wilde), the band take their cues from an older school than either of these periods, although the Springsteen soundbite is a relevant one. What is the intangible “it” that makes one guitar band the Strokes, and everybody else merely everybody else. This is the line that Various Cruelties exist on, the quest to make a traditional blend of instruments and songwriting exciting, relevant – and different. And at points on their debut album – they do. Frontman Liam O’Donnell has an indisputably “good” voice, with its soulful tinged vaulting melodies positively Sting-esque, though with the gloom replaced by a youthful exuberance and the occasional sugar rush. Always high in the mix, O’Donnell sits atop a series of standard arrangements drawing from well trodden traditional structures. Closer “Neon Truth” reflects the album’s best moulding of the soulful vocal swagger and the driving force of the band, with a swelling emotive climax. Each of the other ten songs on the album follow an incredibly similar formula – and for this reviewer, this is where the band fall short. All the ingredients are there for radio friendly, enjoyable, melodic, catchy “indie” music – and I have no doubt that much of this album will be the successful backbone of Radio 2 playlists and early main stage festival slots. Indeed, the band have already appeared at the Hop Farm festival this year. It is by no means offensive, and is screaming out to be picked up by major label A&R men the nation over. However, it is consistently lacking in the aforementioned “it”, the touch of magic or innovation to lift the album clean out of the mainstream mire. It would be unfair to ignore the competency of this album, and its songwriting. “If It Wasn’t for You” most fully fulfills the band’s self proclaimed “shabby Motown pop” tag, bouncing along with its lilting groove. “Beautiful Delirium” sounds like a recent Coldplay single, and “Cold As You” runs on a Libs-esque engine straight from classic garage rock. However, not once do the band significantly meander an inch from the tried and tested simplicity of four to the floor rhythms and anthemic choruses. Although no bad things in themselves, it does nothing to dispel the pub-rock dynamic some journalists have tagged the band with. O’Donnell’s lyrics are a main perpetrator of this implied lack of originality. From “Singing la, la, la, I want it again” to “Set the night on fire,” the words too often delve into tired clichés rather than any individual passion and do little to raise the album’s appeal. Perhaps if the band had emerged in the periods they are clearly enamoured by, they would form part of the context through which we place them today, but, unfortunately, their efforts seem tired viewed through the lens of today. Without the few brilliant tracks or twist of innovation their self-titled debut cries out for, they resist being anything but “fine” in a critical context. Their basic craft cannot be faulted, but currently Various Cruelties resemble less of an original masterpiece, and more a competent collage – whilst well put together, it is far short of being considered groundbreaking or the magic touch of the Springsteen described “it”. Although for a relative of Wilde, maybe this is no bad thing – if all art is artifice and “quite useless”, then we can enjoy Various Cruelties for their melodic merit, rather than their relative deficiencies. text SAM BRIGGS

VARIOUS CRUELTIES

Michael Eavis, the overlord of Worthy Farm and the Glastonbury festival that inhabits it, has been sounding the foreboding death knell of British festivals for a worrying time now. There might well be no more acceptable way to give yourself to the wild for the weekend than through embracing the ethos of the music festival, but with as rising domestic prices pale in comparison to cheap foreign alternatives, and with our fingers still crossed for the coming of summer half way through July, whilst watching wash-out mudbaths at the Isle of Wight, Britain is not quite in festival mode yet. However, here No Cigar we’ve done the legwork to bring you the very best selections of European festivals in the latter half of the season. Including an embarrassingly poor Reading and Leeds line up, with only a few exceptions (read: The Cure are playing), we’ve collated a whole host of better ways of blowing two hundred quid. Some might even include sunshine.

FOREIGN SZIGET ATTRACTIONS: WAY OUT WEST 9th – 11th August Gothenburg, Sweden 1895 SEK (approx. £180)

This one’s a bit further than Wales. Although without the pull of the cheap prices available to other European festivals in July, such as Poland’s Open’er, this year’s Way Out West festival puts any British line up to shame, with Blur, Bon Iver, Kraftwerk and Wilco just a taste of the genre-spanning bill put together. With a pricey reputation, and the cost of flights to consider, Sweden might be a luxury option, but well worth it if the overdraft stretches. There also won’t be an Olympics on.

GREEN MAN

6th – 13th August Budapest, Hungary 225 euro (including camping)

17th – 19th August Brecon Beacons, Wales £145 (student tickets £125)

Hailed by the Guardian as “paradise city”, this week long Hungarian party this year hosts the Stone Roses and Snoop Dogg, and takes place on an island in the Danube. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the festival represents a city wide arts event, with 400,000 people visiting daily.

This year’s folk festival of choice, headlined by stalwart Van Morrison, the sultry sounding Feist and the soundscaping Mogwai. Also boasting a film, literature, comedy and childrens’ area, Green Man’s impressive bill and relatively well priced ticket should make the trip to Wales well worth it.

local hero: beacons 17th – 19th August Skipton, North Yorkshire £84.50

Don’t fancy the trek to Wales? I don’t blame you. Thankfully on our Yorkshire doorstep is this self styled Art and Music Boutique festival, from the minds that this year lauched YO1’s InsideOut festival in York. With an impressive range covered in the festival’s line up, headed up by Wild Beasts, Toots and the Maytals and Roots Manuva, the bill also features high quality electronic acts and DJs. Don’t miss Mount Kimbie.

festival season

outlook

30th August – 2nd September Pula, Croatia £135 Here’s my bet for sunshine. Situated near the coastal town of Pula (which I can tell you from the personal experience of a day spent embarrassing myself wearing swimming trunks in incredibly inappropriate weather has no beach…) in the remains of a huge old fort, Outlook is the place to be for bass and electronic fans. From Skream to Digital Mystikz, to Gold Panda and the many labels and producers hosting boat parties, this event is well renowed as a hedonistic haven.

folky frontrunner: end of the road 31st August – 2nd September £150

Challenging Latitude since 2006 for festival most suited to family yurts and herbal tea. Described as intimate and cosy, this festival will be sure to provide a comforting, twee atmosphere the whole family can enjoy. With a solid, if not shining line-up, Grizzly Bear and Beach House should be worth a watch. If there’s no music that floats your boat, head to the comedy or literature arenas.

The favourite: bestival

6th-9th September £180, though student discounts are available By now well on its way to becoming the main alternative to the established festivals, and becoming a mainstay in its own right, Bestival has, under curator Rob da Bank, built itself an impressive reputation for an excellent alternative line up of both bands and DJs. With headliners Stevie Wonder, Florence + the Machine and New Order leading this year’s bill, ahead of performances heralding new albums from the XX and Sigur Rós, this year proves to be no different. Saturday brings the infamous costume day, with this year’s them of Wildlife. Interpret how you will. Hopefully the mud will have dried, and the ferry system will be sorted by September…

...and one for christmas: atp: curated by the national 7th – 9th December Pontins, Camber Sands

It might be a little bit more of a wait than the others – but here’s the best festival to ask for this Christmas. With the only major show of 2012 from alternative legends the National, this curated event comes after the Dessner brothers’ festival at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Featuring a line-up of music, film and entertainment constructed purely by the National themselves, as well as a headline performance from the band, expect a varied but excellent line-up as the band pull in favours. With the Antlers and Sharon Van Etten appearing alongside a host of excellent others, this comes highly recommended. Find a friend and bunk up in the chalet system – which must beat camping in the mud. Access to Pontins facilities are also included – what more could you ask for?

text SAM BRIGGS

PARALLELS

photographer KRISZTIAN KONDOR stylist DORA MOLNAR make up artist DOROTTYA NAGY model FANNY @ ATTRACTIVE

cut out top KEPP SHOWROOM fitted pants H&M

blazer and bermuda H&M

knotted sleeveless top DEBENHAMS

muslin dress H&M

ADRIAN MORRIS!

ADRIAN MORRIS is an all round arts guy based in Lisbon, Portugal. With work that would make any wall pop, Adrian (who works under the name of Mowgli) is the next big thing. Who is Mowgli? Why the name Mowgli? There isn’t too much to explain about the name, growing up I was called Mowgli a lot after Mowgli from The Jungle Book because of my appearance and sense of adventure and I guess not much has changed, so I thought it was an appropriate name for what I do. What is your art background? I really only ever started to do art for the fun of experimenting and creating things. I never went to an art school or anything like that. It is only recently that I have been able to incorporate it as a part of ‘work’. You are a graphics designer, illustrator and an all round arts person. What drew you to this field? How did you realise it was the right field of work for you? I have always been interested in creating things and drawing things. I have been a very visual person for my whole life. Things like music and skateboarding whilst growing up got me interested in the graphics side of things; seeing deck graphics, album covers, tee shirt graphics and things like that. You recently had a few photographs featured in Dazed&Confused and you take photographs on your travels. Will you be branching into photography professionally as well or is it more of a pastime? Yeah it all started out as just taking photos of my adventures so that I had something to remember them by, and I started getting really into it. I have never thought about making money from it but have had a few opportunities now to work with mags taking photos. There are a few things coming up also so I will see what happens! You travel a lot but you are based in Lisbon, Portugal. How has Lisbon influenced your work? Lisbon is a beautiful creative city, I have only been here for a month so I haven’t had too much time but just seeing the street art, looking at the work that is being produced by local artists has already been pretty inspirational for me!

top ANNE MERTENS

Some say you are not supposed to have favourites, but what has been your favourite project so far? Probably the Dazed&Confused shoot; being sent out into a weird place camping and taking photos of it. Didn’t really feel like work at all, was a lot of fun. How did the collaboration with Viktor Vauthier come about? What was the idea behind the project? Was just something me and Viktor thought would be cool and he had some photos that he had done with skateboarding that we thought could be really cool with some of my illustrations on top. It was just something fun to create together. Describe the type of person who would hang a Mowgli/Adrian Morris on their wall. A person who doesn’t take themselves too seriously, a person with a sense of humour, a happy person? I’m not really sure but hopefully a lot of other types of people too. Whoever it makes happy I guess. You have started to do lot more painting in your studio, what is your long term plan? Trying not to think too far ahead but I really love to paint and haven’t had a lot of time working in the graphic design/illustration world. So I’m making sure I can start creating more paintings and painting more walls and if something comes from it thats cool but if not I enjoy doing it anyway. Is there anything you would like people to know about you and your work? I’m not too sure. I guess I just try to make people see things in a nicer way to how they might normally see something. Whether it is through the more serious photos I take or the quirky illustrations and paintings. If someone can gain a lighter perspective on something whether it is good or bad it is always a good thing! text NATALIE HANKS

DOM INGO RODR IGUEZ

DOMINGO RODRIGUEZ is a menswear designer from Liverpool. With his graduate collection winning the Menswear Award and a collaboration with ASOS under his belt, there no is stopping this designer who learnt everything from scratch. You started out as a womenswear designer but found that menswear was more suitable. How do the two differ for you? I first started in womenswear when I was at university and there was an instant mental block; I had no intimate connection to the female form but the moment I started designing menswear, it just clicked and fell into place. Was it hard learning everything from scratch compared to the other students? It was a steep, steep learning curve. I remember staying behind class learning how to sew in a straight line. People don't realise how hard fashion is, it's not all sketching and draping fabric. It's a craft. What made you want to study fashion and enter the industry? I always had an interest in fashion. I was studying art and design at college and specialising in graphic design and again didn't have that connection, I trusted my instincts and went down the fashion route. What is your signature style? Relaxed, soft, deceptively simple modern menswear with a sports edge.

What have you gained in experience from the MA} ke run by ASOS? My ASOS experience was a real eye opener on how the creative commercial world really works. I was able to come in and create some amazing products, there were no limits. With ASOS I was able do things I couldn’t technically realise on my own. The resources they have are fantastic. What did you learn whilst interning for Kim Jones and Carolyn Massey? Interning gave me a much clearer insight into how the industry really works. Day to day it's hard work, a business. It demystified the whole process and made me realise it was something I could do. What is your favourite part of putting a new collection together? Every season I like to focus on one area to really define and explore, for AW12 it was all about leather. I worked with a custom enzyme wash leather to get a really matt, textured surface and explored my signature shapes, curved sleeves and transposed seaming. My favourite part is realising the collection, seeing it come to fruition. If you had to name someone as your muse, who would it be? I love the life drawings of Egon Schiele, they have been my constant muse since the beginning. His long, lean forms accentuate the body, something I always try and do. If you were to open your own flagship store, what would it be like? London! Think concrete, marble and mink! You left womenswear behind but would you ever venture back to it? Eventually I see womenswear in my sights, there's always a play with that fine line between masculine and feminine ideals in my work, so I guess I’m heading full circle... text NATALIE HANKS photography ENOKAE model MATT TRETHE @ SELECT all garments DOMINGO RODRIGUEZ

かわいい A crash-course in Kawaii

Japan has long been the home of fashions and trends which are not immediately obvious to Western cultures. Quite often, these trends are met with nothing but bafflement on the other side of the globebut this has not been the case with Kawaii, a persistently Japanese aesthetic philosophy which places high value on things which are super cute. Kawaii has not only become stereotypical of the Japanese aesthetic, but has also been widely picked up in recent years by the international community. Products which embrace the Kawaii philosophy can already be found in many stores - whether in clothing, accessories, or toys - so now’s the time to take a crash course in Kawaii, and find out what it is, and where it comes from. The word Kawaii itself is, of course, Japanese - and the best literal translation is probably ‘adorable’. In its modern form, the fascination with Kawaii was popularized by idol Seiko Matsuda during the 1980s. It is a movement, however, which developed out of a different ingrained cultural aesthetic; in other words, Kawaii comes naturally to the Japanese. Studies have shown that Japanese women, just as much as Japanese men, actually look for kawaisa (cuteness)

when trying to find a mate; cuteness doesn’t have the same genderbias that it does in the west. Japanese women, unlike their western counterparts, value a round face and soft features which might be described as cherubic, as well as a shorter stature - rather than the tall, dark stranger with chiselled features so classically attractive in the west. In fact, the fascination with the Kawaii aesthetic can be traced back as far as the Edo period (1615-1868) when netsuke, tiny carved trinket boxes, became popular. The smaller and more intricate a craftsman could make his netsuke, the better; so they often turned out pretty darn cute. I referred to Matsuda a minute ago as an ‘idol’, but the Japanese conception of an idol is not to be confused with the western ‘pop idol’, although in some cases they may be similar. In Japan, the idol tradition began in the 1970s, and involved venerating cute girls between the ages of 14 and 19 to celebrity status. These idols would appear in adverts, bands, films and television shows, but their fame was not based on these talents; rather, it was based solely on their appearance. Although in later years male idols have also become

popular, the phenomenon is based around celebrating young girls who are seen as the feminine ideal. Idols had a lot to do with perpetuating the fascination with Kawaii, because their public personas were designed to make men want them, and women want to be like them - so that’s where the fascination with making oneself as Kawaii as possible first started. Today, Kawaii is as popular in Japan as it was in the 1980s, and this trend is continued by the idols who have succeeded Seiko Matsuda. One such artist is Caroline Charonplop Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, or Kyary Pamyu Pamyu for short. Kyary is a pop singer, but she started her career as a model in Harajuku, Tokyo. She rose to fame after releasing a line of fake ‘doll’ eyelashes, and released her first album in May this year. Her psychedelic music videos which combined Kawaii with Decora culture became a viral hit, in what seemed another J-pop phenomenon which would baffle the west. One of her singles, ‘Candy’, which sees Kyary sporting an outsized pink bow and matching pink acrylic dress, includes a suitably confusing English chorus:

ries in our own culture - implications far more sinister than those suggested to the Japanese. Perhaps there is something comforting in the controversy surrounding Palermo, as it shows that there are some aspects of Japanese culture which remain inaccessible to the British sensibility. But Kawaii fashion in its more tame forms is something that everyone can, and probably will, enjoy. British fashion has a lot to gain from an aesthetic trend as exotic as Kawaii, which is just as well since it seems it is here to stay. Let’s just hope that the ‘crazy fun, crazy colours and crazy love’ promised by Sebastian Masuda don’t get too crazy.

text JAMES HARLE artwork JENNIFER HOOTON

“Candy, candy, candy candy yummy, Sweetie, sweetie, Girls love. Chewing, chewing, chewing chewing chewing, Cutie, cutie, So candy love.” The west, however, failed to be baffled. Kawaii now had a large enough international following that Kyary’s music was a worldwide hit; her debut album Pamyu Pamyu Revolution was an international chart-topper. Sebastian Masuda, the artistic director of Kyary’s music videos, is also the man behind the brand 6%DOKIDOKI, a Harajuku-based clothing label which aims to, in its own words, ‘send you into a happy rebellion’. 6%DOKIDOKI, like Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, is also enjoying an international vogue at the moment, with its English Facebook page alone supported by over sixteen thousand fans. In short, all over the world people are beginning to sympathise with and support Kawaii culture. Instances of Kawaii culture in Britain range from the banal to the disturbing. In general, Kawaii fashion - which Masuda characterises as ‘crazy fun, crazy colours and crazy love’- has gone a long way towards infiltrating British fashion, with many mainstream shops such as H&M now stocking Kawaii items and even ranges. Chances are you’ve already seen plenty of bags and shirts decorated with big-eyed adorable cartoon characters (you know the ones), but even clothing and accessories which are very colourful or over-sized may be more subtle examples of fashion with a Japanese influence. Kawaii is everywhere. And it doesn’t stop there. Seventeen-year-old Rebecca Anne Flint, better known by her stage name Beckii Cruel, is a living example of the pervasive influence of Kawaii. The then-fourteen-year-old was the subject of a viral craze in 2009, when she posted videos of herself dancing to J-pop songs on Youtube in her school uniform. Named the next idol by the Japanese media, Beckii has gone on to visit Japan time and again to perform- as well as beginning to release her own J-pop albums. Whether she knows it or not, she is now an idol - and part of a culture very different to that of her native Isle of Man. She’s not the first idol to be appropriated from a foreign country, but she may well be the first with no trace of Japanese heritage - a potent sign of Kawaii’s growing popularity abroad. Even more unfamiliar is the viral success of fifteen-year-old Venus Palermo. Like Flint, she posted videos of herself online which appealed to a Japanese audience - but rather than dancing, Palermo did just the opposite. Her videos feature her slumped over her bed, chairs, or floor, utterly motionless. The reason? Palermo is imitating a living doll. This is a slightly different area of Japanese culture, but nonetheless one that is centred on Kawaii. Palermo’s bleached hair, vacant expression and period-style costumes make her look every inch a life-size doll, and the reason this is considered so appealing is because dolls symbolise the same unachievable, plastic perfection that Japan expects from its idols. Palermo’s case has caused huge controversy in the UK because of the implications a living doll car-

the wanderers photographer Rachel Abraham stylist Libby Page models alex, alice AND anton

opposite page ALEX black beanie hat VANS white polo shirt FRED PERRY harrington jacket CAMDEN MARKET black skinny jeans TOPMAN boots DR MARTENS

this page top ALICE shirt PRIMARK leggings PRIMARK boots DR MARTENS harrington jacket CAMDEN MARKET socks MODELâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S OWN ALEX same as before

bottom ANTON harrington jacket CAMDEN MARKET shirt MODELS OWN trousers MODELS OWN socks MODELS OWN boots DR MARTENS

this page ALICE grey knitted jumper TOPSHOP black denim shorts LEVIS RENEWAL AT URBAN OUTFITTERS stripped tights FALKE boots DR MARTEN wayfarer sunglasses RAN BAN @ SELFRIDGES opposite page ALICE same as before ALEX same as before

this page top beanie hat ASOS grey sweater jumper OLIVE CHELTENHAM black denim jacket LEVI’S @ BROWSERS CHELTENHAM oversized metal sunglasses H&M bottom oversized metal sunglasses H&M checkered shirt LEVI’S @ CAMDEN MARKET opposite page ALEX same as before ALICE shirt PRIMARK leggings PRIMARK boots DR MARTENS harrington jacket CAMDEN MARKET socks MODEL’S OWN

julie eilenberger JULIE EILENBERGER became a successful designer before she had even graduated from the University of Arts in Berlin. She had completed a collection with Adidas and shown in Berlin fashion week before having picked up her university certificate. She launched her own womenswear brand in 2012 and hasn’t looked back since. What is your fashion background? I grew up in a creative family, my mother being a graphic designer and my dad a photographer, so it was always kind of in the cards for me to do something creative. As a child I used to dress up in my mothers clothes, all exotic pieces which she had collected from various travels. I remember how eager I was to get old enough to be able to wear these garments. I also used to dress up both my sister and my brother and do little fashions shows in the living room or even photo shoots, so my interest in fashion and what people wear and how began very early. It wasn’t before I turned 18 and moved to Italy to study fashion design that I really became conscience about how I wanted to be a designer myself. I studied one year in Florence, Italy but graduated with a 5 year Masters degree at University of the Arts in Berlin, Germany. UdK was a tough school, but really amazing. It’s a school where you really learn the craftsmanship behind every garment, as they make you design and produce two collections a year and we did absolutely everything ourselves from shoes and bags to dresses and coats. I think it is important for a designer to know how everything is made to completely understand the function of a garment. What have you been doing since graduation? I have been moving my life from Berlin to London, setting up my life and my studio from here and working on my label. What type of woman wears Julie Eilenberger? A girl with a curious mind. Where do you look for inspiration? Children and old people. 80s and 90s movies. Travelling between places and looking at people. What did you learn from interning for Christopher Kane? It was an amazing experience to be able to work with someone as inspiring and original as Christopher. Christopher’s approach is very unique in that he always draws from very personal experiences, often from his childhood and teenage years.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We did a project with Adidas Originals in school. I was the only one not to use the famous stripes or logos, but they must have liked me because they hired me to assist their design team for a month.â&#x20AC;?

Tell us a little bit about the collection for Adidas. Well, we did a project with Adidas Originals in school. I was the only one not to use the famous stripes or logos, but they must have liked me because they hired me to assist their design team for a month. It was fun and a good opportunity for me to see how a huge company like Adidas works. At the time I had never touched Illustrator, so I was filling out sketchbooks with ideas rather than drawing on the computer like everyone else. What is the story behind your AW12 collection? My inspiration for my AW12 collection was the history of stripes and how they originally had extremely negative connotations and were only used for criminals and prostitutes. This mixed with suburban women having midlife crises. What song would you pick to accompany your AW12 collection? Francoise Hardy - Le temps de l'amour. If you were to shoot a video for your AW12 collection what would it feature? It would be black and white. Set in the 60s. It would follow a beautiful woman in her house having a nervous breakdown but her family not noticing. She would silently leave the apartment, only taking her fur coat with her. She would wander around the suburban area, with concrete walls and newly cut grass, crying and smoking. After a while a black car would pull up right in front of her and she would get in and disappear. Which designers do you look up to and why? I have always admired Miuccia Prada. Her ability to produce one unique collection after the other every season for so many years just amazes me. What keeps you motivated? Hanging out with my 7 year old brother. Watching amazing films. Long walks on the beach in Denmark or in the parks in London. Bicycling. If you had to venture into a different area of design what would it be? Photography. You were successful even before graduating! What advice do you have for other students who want to be designers? Always work really hard and go beyond the assigned uni projects.

text NATALIE HANKS photographer LENA EMERY model SOPHIE YALL @ IMG hair and makeup LINDA ANDERSSON stylist GRACE JOEL all garments JULIE EILENBERGER

MEET ME HALF WAY photographer CARA O’DOWD model MEGAN IRMINGER make up CASEY GORE hair KAREN HOPWOOD

IN FLUX. LOUISE BENNETTS is a young fashion designer from London who recently graduated from the Edinburgh College of Art (ECA). In September 2012 Louise will start her MA in womenswear at the Royal College of Art. In May, I attended the ECA fashion show and was mesmerised by Louise’s work; there was such a beautiful blend of fluidity and structure in every look. The delicate layer constructions can be built up or broken down, which result in innovative desirable clothing for women. I sat down with Louise for coffee one afternoon, in Edinburgh, to discuss her A/W 2013 Flux collection. You say the inspiration for this collection came from Siena, Italy. Was there a defining moment, or perhaps a location, in Siena which made you feel inspired? No, it was quite slow. I was taking hundreds pictures all the time; it was only when I was flicking through them I started to realise there was this thread... the city doesn’t expand out, like say London; it’s got these parameters. So people just change what’s within it. The buildings are still the medieval buildings but they’ve been worked into, which I thought was really nice. It was implicit in these buildings, you could see all these changes, what had happened in the past, with the suggestion they were going to continue changing- it’s quite exciting. Tell us about the ECA fashion show. How did it feel to showcase your collection to an audience for the first time? Nerve wracking! But it was really nice to hear people’s comments for the first time; and get a sense of freshness into the work. It was really strange reading reviews and reactions to the collection… I was surprised by how well people got it. For me, it started with this trip to Siena and then the drawings and I developed it so much that I assumed it would have gone off in all sorts of directions, from the very starting point. But then someone came up to me, at the show, and said it’s so architectural! Do you prefer it when people understand the work? I wouldn’t mind. I’m totally happy if people interpret the work in their own way. Ultimately, the clothes are going to be worn by someone else and how they wear it isn’t going to be in my control anymore.

text FREYA COOKSON photographer PASCALINE HOFFMAN model VICTORIA MIDDLETON make-up LAUREN GOLLAN

Do you think about the form of your designs and then how to fill them, with texture and colour? Or do you think about the fabrics and textures and then the form? It depends. I think it all comes at once. I am more about line and form; for this collection the colour came later. You saw from my sketch books that I literally draw with a fine black liner on white paper, that’s my first instinct. So it felt quite risky when I started using yellow. But I’m glad I chose the colours I did; the transparencies work really well with the colours.

When I saw your collection on the runway I was intrigued by the black cable jewellery. Can you explain the evolution behind the concrete and cable combination? I was collaborating with some architecture students; they were trying to cast concrete in fabric, as a new way of casting concrete. We thought it would be fun to try and make some small concrete shapes but we couldn’t make the fabric moulds small enough without the concrete cracking. Then I found these ice cube trays and it was like PING! So we mixed up this concrete and poured it into the ice cube trays and when we popped them out there were these perfect shiny rectangles. I was looking for something to hang the concrete on and discovered this black piping. The piping is rubber so it has this natural spring, and a sense of weight, so together they bounce. Each night of the ECA show, I put them around the models’ necks and they looked different every time; you can see they fall and hang quite naturally.

There are many different fabrics and textures used to create each look. Did you start with just one kind of fabric, and build up, or select a few at once? I knew I wanted to use wool. Then when looking for something transparent, the organza fabric was a really natural choice; the way it behaves in the light is really lovely. You did work experience at Topshop Unique, Joe Allen tailoring and Ostwald Helgason. What would you say was the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from your experiences? I guess to be totally passionate about what you do. At Topshop Unique I worked mainly on Topshop’s main line. The pace was insane. Everyone there was so into it and loves it so much; they don’t mind working really long days. I think from all the different experiences it’s obvious everyone works really hard. Did your mentors give you any words of wisdom? Hmm… I think just work hard and be true to your sense of design.

Who are your favourite fashion designers? Hussein Chalayan and Yamamoto Who influences your personal style? Oh, I don’t know. I’m comfortable in my personal style; in that I know what I like but I’m not conscious of any distinct style icon. Which blogs do you like? I always check The Sartorialist, Jak&Jil, Garance Doré and Style Bubble. I like Topshop’s blog, Inside Out, and Face Hunter as well. Which magazines do you read on a regular basis? I try to keep up with fashion magazines but I can’t buy them all, I’d be so poor! I read i-D, Dazed&Confused, Vogue and Tank. I quite like more general design magazines, for example Blueprint.

What is your favourite power song to work to? ‘Move on Up’ [by Curtis Mayfield]

Who are some of your favourite people to follow on Twitter? I tend to follow mostly editors. Anna Dello Russo [editor of Japanese Vogue] is hilarious.

Someone once told me to make a 6 month plan and a 5 year plan in life. What are your plans for the next 6 months? And what would you like to accomplish in 5 years’ time? Wow. Well, in next 6 months I’ll be studying for a MA in womenswear at the Royal College of Art. Over the summer I’ve been approached to do a couple of projects, some commissions. Then a two year Masters. In 5 years’ time I’d like to be working in fashion design. I’m quite open minded as to where that would be or for what design house. I’d like to be working for a high-end design house.

anniieemal ANNIIEEMAL is a fashion blog with a twist, it is shared between two best friends, Celine and Annie. Started off by Celine, the blog follows them around the world capturing all their most fashionable moments. Celine started the blog off first and named it after Annie. Celine, what inspired you to start a blog? C: A couple of our girlfriends had gotten blogs around the time I started and it seemed like a cool idea to share the mountains of inspiration photos gathering dust on my desktop. Annie, what got you to join in with the blog? A: Celine was posting lots of photos of us together and seeing as we're practically conjoined it just made sense for me to join in. How has your approach to blogging changed since you both started? C: Well now instead of just a hobby were looking at it more as a business, working on fashion related projects with various people... which you will hear more about very soon! A: At the beginning it was less about us & more about inspirations. Now it basically acts as an online diary for us to share different parts of our lives, from parties we go to, to the outfits we wear or the things we feel passionate about. You guys share everything from a blog to a matching tattoo.Â How and when did the friendship start? C: It was love at first sight. A: We met in high school, although we went to different ones. We used to meet up after school & go for these long walks, talking about everything, but mostly complaining about how we couldn't wait to finish haha. We are pretty lucky to have each other, I don't think these kind of friendships come along that often. What do you do apart from being bloggers? C: I am a student at LCF in London in my foundation year. I will be starting my Womenswear degree soon! A: Well through blogging we are working on a few other projects, one being a collaboration with a designer, others including modelling for different brands' campaigns. Really I'm just seeing how this year plays out - you never know what's going to happen!

If someone was to give you the opportunity to design any piece of clothing you wanted, what would it be and what would it look like? C: Ohh there are too many things I want to design... definitely something in leather though. Leather is my ultimate. A: At the moment it would be a long sleeve leather top in a dark forest green with an exposed zip. I would live in that this winter! What is your latest fashion obsession? C: Caps A: I am looking for the perfect pair of earrings! Back into them in a big way. What is your beauty secret? C: Vegetable juice and Clarins moisturiser. A: Water, limited partying, plenty of sleep and lots of vegetables. What has been your most fashionable moment? C: Not sure about my most fashionable but I can certainly tell you about my least... a matching red PVC corset and mini skirt. A: I feel like itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still to come! Could you tell us a bit about the brand mash-up that you support? C: This is something I am so excited about I don't know where to start! My 3 friends in Singapore (Daniela, Shaf and Nathaneal) are so super talented and FINALLY I can wear some of their pieces. Not only is this collection super crazy and weird, the price range is 100% affordable! Nothing is over 100 pounds ($150 AUD). It will be available online soon. If you had to dress in one designer's clothing for the rest of your life which designer would it be? C: CĂŠline & Balenciaga. A: BALENCIAGA. What is the best advice you have ever been given? C: When in doubt, wear black. A: Always leave the house prepared to bump into someone you know. What would you like to be doing in 5 years time? C: Finishing my degree and designing with Annie. A: I can barely decide what I'd like to be doing tomorrow let alone in 5 years... but I hope we are still working on projects together, happy and dressed to the nines. text NATALIE HANKS

I don’t know what it is about moving house, but I love it. As a child, I moved house a billion times with each separate parent and each time it was something I looked forward to doing. The experience was probably enhanced by the fact that I always ended up with the larger bedroom and this excited-by-moving mindset has followed me into adulthood. Moving cities is another story, however. I have lived in more cities this past year than my poor, weary soul deems possible. And not just cities, but countries too. Across 16 months, I’ve lived in four countries, five cities, nine separate houses, and, over the entire time, stayed only three months, at the most, in any of them. Each move brought heart-wrenching goodbyes to darling friends and family, fosters and kin; the unwelcome packing and unpacking of a now broken suitcase; the inevitable nomad’s re-start, confused by its temporariness; and, of course, agonising goodbyes to many wardrobe staples: where in the world are my high-waisted, velvet pants? And could someone in Melbourne please post me the six pairs of shoes I was forced to leave with one of you at an airport? Wait, wait, wait, check postage… I may not be able to afford it. Anyway, this time it’s different. I know I’m going to be in Berlin for six months, minimum. Six. Whole. Months. My move to Berlin has persuaded no hysteria or distress, and is instead producing strangely mature relationship milestones like buying a bed together and our trip to Ikea for curtains. And while we’ve been in our enormous, new apartment for just over two weeks we have yet to move in. For reasons beyond our control we have a flamboyance of redheaded Australians inhabiting a large number of the rooms. Not that it is too much an inconvenience; it just means the interior decorating schemes are becoming wildly ambitious. Some suggestions even include a puppy. Have you googled Vizslas? They are so lovingly obsessed with their owners they have been nicknamed The Velcro Dog. Who doesn’t want that kind of attention? If the idea to get a puppy wasn’t strong enough, everywhere I walk in Berlin there are pooches following their owners. I want that kind of following! I’ve been told that the reason everyone has a dog here is to do with taxes. I missed the finer details as soon as I heard something along the lines of “cheaper tax if you own a dog”. Is this even true? Actually, don’t tell me. I’ll be down at the pet store within the hour if it is, or you’ll be popping my bubble if it isn’t. Would I kind of be like Angelina Jolie if I adopted a German puppy? Argh, the bubble is getting bigger!

We’ve just put a large, cream, rather wobbly wardrobe into our room. It’s a dorkily serene feeling, hanging up my crinkled dresses, knowing they’ll be there for the next wee while. I’m hoping the creases will miraculously disappear, like some little Mr. Tumnus will kindly iron them all while I sleep. I also hope that if I walk a bit further into my wardrobe I’ll stumble across an extra rail full of gorgeous (faux) fur coats as I keep hearing the winters here are very cruel, though the -30ºC I was told about was an exaggeration Wikipedia quickly cleared up. The curtains still haven’t quite made it to the window but the ladder is there as a constant reminder. As is the early morning sun. Lovely ambience though. A pact has been made to never buy vegetables at the supermarket again. At the Turkish market in Kreuzberg we bought enough vegetables to feed an entire hippy commune for 15. Standing in the line at the supermarket to buy rolled oats for the apple and strawberry crumble now on the menu for tonight, I felt smugly sorry for all the people being ripped off for a cucumber. Or Gurken as they are called here. I really need work on my Deutsch. Ich bin ein Berliner? text ALICE CONNEW photographer ALICE CONNEW

Ten years have passed since TOPSHOP sponsored the British Council’s New Generation (NEWGEN) Scheme, helping talented fashion designers get onto a platform of financial support and success that they may not have been able to do on their own. Setup in 1993, the NEWGEN scheme has become the crème de le crème of initiatives nurturing up-and-coming British designers for exhibition, catwalk, presentation, and installation opportunities. Designers such as Gareth Pugh, Richard Nicoll, and Jonathan Saunders are only a handful of recognisable talent who have walked through the doors of NEWGEN. This year Topshop celebrated ten years of sponsoring NEWGEN and the designers who have grown to the most sought after talent in the country. Topshop’s website says, “This has been an incredible journey and we are honoured to have worked so closely with those who help shape the shows, collections and industry that inspires us. “This enables the design talent of today to become the fashion brands of tomorrow.”

Originally starting sponsorship of NEWGEN in 2001, Topshop began its journey with Warren Noronha’s Spring/Summer collection, inspired by Hans Bellmer's papier mache doll art designs. This was the start of a partnership that would continue to showcase further designers like Bora Aksu, Holly Fulton, and Erdem to mention a select few. Nigerian-born Duro Olowu first got involved with NEWGEN in 2006/07 where his floaty vibrant designs caught the attention of the initiative. He said: “NEWGEN provided sponsorship for my catwalk shows. It also created exposure to even more press and buyers, especially in Europe, who very often look to the list of winners when deciding whose shows to attend or collections to buy.” When asked what advice Duro would give any aspiring designers, he said: “Be passionate about your work. Concentrate on creating clothes and making strong collections that are visually strong and interesting, but can also be produced.” Duro Olowu is proof, along with many other designers who have participated in this scheme, that investment in British talent truly pays off. He has had his work featured in magazine like Vogue, Elle, and even the First Lady herself, Michelle Obama, wears his clothes. You can buy Duro’s collection online at net-a-porter.com. British Fashion Award-winner, Mary Katrantzou, is the most recent designer to have their clothes featured in Topshop. She is onto her third collection which debuted early this year. Think bright floral print-on-print layering and bowl dresses! Without NEWGEN and Topshop Mary Katrantzou admits on Topshop.co.uk she could have never achieved the level of success she has without the support of the initiative. She said: “NEWGEN and Topshop give young designers a fantastic platform to grow. “Working with Topshop on our 3rd capsule collection has been amazing and we can’t wait for it to launch in February! There wouldn’t be NEWGEN without Topshop and without NEWGEN, London Fashion Week wouldn’t be what it is today!” Topshop and NEWGEN designers have become the must-see collections at London Fashion Week, amassing huge attention in the international fashion media. Topshop itself is one of the only high-street brands that regularly feature on the catwalk. It breaks the conventions of fashion as it was originally known. People no longer have to adapt to fashion, fashion adapts to people. The collaboration between Topshop and NEWGEN is still young. Ten years have seen a hub of creatives embark in the cut-throat fashion industry and not only survive, but succeed. It is truly exciting to ponder what talent NEWGEN will continue to discover and what the next ten years hold for British fashion.

THE TOPSHOP GENERATION

In celebration of ten years with NEWGEN, Topshop has launched an exclusive range of NEWGEN Tees by some of the scheme’s most successful designers. Graphic print tees by Jonathan Saunders, Gareth Pugh, and Holly Fulton are a few Topshop favourites. text LISA COWELL

WASTED DAYS WASTED NIGHTS

dress JOVEEBA

photographer CARA O’DOWD model SADIE @ LONDON MGT SANDRA @ THE AGENCY styling NICOLE ADLER make up CASEY GORE hair LAUREN MCCOWAN

this page dress GARTH COOK opposite page body suit S BY T sunglasses KAREN WALKER

this page bikini top MILLIE LOVES MIN skirt KAREN WALKER ring SYLVIE MARKOVINA opposite page dress JOVEEBA

this page body suit S BY T shoes SENSO rings SYLVIE MARKOVINA opposite page same as above

this page dress KAREN WALKER opposite page shirt KAREN WALKER bikini bottoms MILLIE LOVES MIN

SWINGIN’ SAFARI

photographer MICHAEL CREAGH photographer assistants SPENCER KOHN, MIKE CRUZ realization EDDY BOGAERT, MICHAEL CREAGH stylist CALLIE ROTHERMEL makeup HIRO for NARS COSMETICS @ SEEN ARTISTS makeup assistants KISHITA KANA, RUIKO OSHIKA hair B-NILES, KIRSTEN BODE location GREENHOUSE NIGHT CLUB NEW YORK models GRETA M @ MC2 MODELING AGENCY, SALANA POZHIDAEVA @ MC2 MODELING AGENCY, DANIEL HAMAJ @ REQUEST MODELS, MYLES PIMENTAL @ REQUEST MODELS, OLIVIA ANGEL @ REQUEST MODELS, RACHEL HILBERT @ REQUEST MODELS, GREG REMMEY @ REQUEST MODELS, MARC MASSA @ FUSION, CAT DARLING @ REQUEST MODELS, EDDY BOGAERT

RACHEL dress RAUL PENARANDA OLIVIA DOLCE & GABBANA GREG suit DOLCE & GABBANA dress shirt HUGO BOSS DANIEL suit DOLCE & GABBANA dress shirt BRIONI tie HUGO BOSS

MARC suit PEYMAN UMAY shirt HUGO BOSS tie PAUL SMITH GRETA (top left) dress DOLCE & GABBANA necklace SIN&SATIN RACHEL (lower left) dress ANNE BOWEN shoes BRIAN ATWOOD MYLES (middle) shirt PEYMAN UMAY shirt ARMANI COLLEZIONI bowtie HUGO BOSS CAT (middle right) blazer, skirt J-MENDEL shoes CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN collar necklace LAZARO SOHO OLIVIA (below) dress WESLEY NAULT shoes ALEXANDRE BIRMAN GREG (right) shirt DOLCE & GABBANA dress shirt HUGO BOSS SELANA (far right) dress ANNE BOWEN shoes EMPORIO ARMANI

MYLES suit PEYMAN UMAY shirt ARMANI COLLEZIONI bowtie HUGO BOSS

109

all masks ROBOTNIC BY ANDRE GRETA dress ANNE BOWEN SELANA pants suit KEVIN JOHN EDDY suit vest and pants PEYMAN UMAY shirt ARMANI COLLEZIONI RACHEL dress J-MENDEL GREY shirt PEYMAN UMAY tie PEYMAN UMAY CAT corset SIN&SATIN skirt MAXAZRIA MYLES tie SALVATORE FERRAGMO shirt HUGO BOSS

ZOE GRACE

We inhabit a world that is evolving at heightened speeds, if we are to look and live within its technological evolution and a postmodern… everything. Zoe Grace places artwork with simplicity – unapologetic signs and messages filled with contentment with disregard for the complexity of a world that imposes and teaches to have a natural unease and negative response within, for one’s own life and world – Zoe Grace clearly and beautifully erases the noise. Exhibiting across London UK from Minnie Weisz gallery in Kings Cross, Parallax AF in The Mall gallery, Love Is The Law launch, Gigcat at Kingsland Rd Studios to forthcoming international galleries and auctioning alongside Tracy Emin and Peter Blake, and viewed within the International Contemporary Artists published by I.C.A., Zoe uses road signs and sky high heels to remold into 3D art works. Be ready, you might just see them as you walk through West London.

You focus on addressing the negative imagery and statements that surround us as a society, why has it been important for you to do this? Negative imagery and statements produce fear. I don't want to live in fear or want any one else to, so I create images and statements of love to counteract the fearful ones. The language you use within each individual piece appears to be very crisp and direct yet steeped within spiritual layers, is the choice of language deliberate or something more seamless? The language and images I use are chosen to invoke a connection with the Spirit. This is mostly simple, as I believe the connection to be. How important for you is it for you to create art that is clearly being understood and read in several contexts; such as political, guidance, surrealist, or as unapologetic statements? I produce my art with the pure intention to uplift, then I try to let it go. My ego wants everyone to love and be affected by it, but my Spirit doesn't care. Are you influenced by fellow artists? If so, by whom and why? My new friend, artist Jonah Pontzer influences me, as we constantly try to out texture each other. I also love the work of Yayoi Kusama, Anselm Kiefer, Basquiat and Rothko. When I look at their work I feel amazing, like I'm free and alive. Your work makes bold statements, often within or by using Industrial materials (Sign posts) or in stark contrast, soft material such as a decorated shoe, why are you using such contrasting materials? The pieces I decorate are all things I find on the street, an old for sale sign, a shoe, a chair or a discarded road sign. I then use whatever I am drawn to, to beautify the piece. In terms of the shoe, I dipped it in glitter and put an orchid in it. I love colour and texture and use whatever's at hand. The artwork you create is placed within London streets, inviting Londoners to interact with them and perhaps take them - that is a lot of work and time that you leave to be just taken, does it matter? Certain pieces I find hard to let go of, like my latest piece which is a road sign I painted gold with a red 'Happiness Ahead' sprayed onto it. I'm really enjoying waking up to it every morning and probably the next time I feel really happy I'll put it out on the streets. I get a massive high whenever I leave a piece, then when it's on the street, hopefully making people feel good, I feel happy. When it's taken which is usually around 48hrs later, I hope whom ever took it is enjoying it, and that thought makes me feel good too. It's sort of a win-win situation. In no more than four words for each answer - Name 4 things that make you feel powerful. Name 4 things that you would create if you had unlimited material / space / colour / time. Four things that make me feel powerful are: Laughing, Meditation, Painting and Love, and four things that I would create? I would create an exhibition that would be like walking into Alice In Wonderland. Wings for everyone to fly. A law that ensures everyone must only work doing what they love. A world that contains everyone with a roof over their heads and enough food on their table. A world free from greed and instead full of love. text MARCELLA KARAMAT

stocklist ALEXANDRE BIRMAN www.alexandrebirman.com.br/ AMERICAN APPAREL www.americanapparel.net/ ANNE BOWEN www.annebowen.com/ ARMANI COLLEZIONI www.armani.com/us/armanicollezioni/ ASOS http://www.asos.com/ BRIAN ATWOOD www.brianatwood.com/ BRIONI www.brioni.com/ CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN www.christianlouboutin. com/ DEBENHAMS http://www.debenhams.com/ DOLCE & GABBANA www.dolcegabbana.com/ DR MARTENS www.drmartens.com/ ESPERANZA DE LA FUENTE FAZANE http://www.fazanemalik.co.uk/ FLAKE FRED PERRY www.fredperry.com/ GARTH COOK H&M http://www.hm.com/ HUGO BOSS www.hugoboss.com/ J-MENDEL www.jmendel.com/ JOVEEBA www.joveeba.com.au/ KAREN WALKER www.karenwalker.com/ KEPP SHOWROOM www.keppshowroom.com/ KEVIN JOHN LAZARO SOHO www.lazarosoho.com/ LEVIS'S www.levi.com/ MAXAZRIA www.maxazria.com/ MILLIE LOVES MIN www.millielovesmin.com/ OLIVE CHELTENHAM http://www.oliveclothing.com/ PAUL SMITH www.paulsmith.co.uk/ PEYMAN UMAY www.peymanumay.com/ RAUL PENARANDA www.raulpenaranda.com/ RAY BAN www.selfridges.com/ ROBOTNIC BY ANDRE S BY T SALVATORE FERRAGMO www.ferragamo.com/ SENSO www.senso.com.au/ SIN&SATIN www.sinandsatin.com/ SYLVIE MARKOVINA www.sylviemarkovina.com/ TOPMAN www.topman.com/ TOPSHOP www.topshop.com/ URBAN OUTFFITERS http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/ VANS www.vans.com/ WESLEY NAULT www.wesleynault.com/

71 julie eilenberger

Love us? prove it. www.nocigarmagazine.com/magazine/

subscribe now to know the minute the next issue is out

want to be a part of the next issue?

hello@nocigarmagazine.com

NO CIGAR