PATTERN Magazine Vol. 11 Spring 2017

VOLUME NO. 11_15 dollars

FASHIONING A COMMUNITY.

+ FEATURING CEY ADAMS, CATHERINE FRITSCH, JANETTE BECKMAN, SCOTT HOCKING, RICK VALICENTI AND MORE

KITCHENS BY DESIGN • 1530 E. 86TH STREET • INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46240 • 317-815-8880 | KBD HOME • 1540 E. 86TH

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STREET • INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46240 | KBD NYC • 23 WAVERLY PLACE • NEW YORK, NY 10003 | MYKBDHOME.COM

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PATTERN VOLUME NO. 11

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EDITOR’S LETTER

NO EASY ANSWERS INDIANAPOLIS IS RIPE WITH POTENTIAL, THANKS TO AN EVER-GROWING community of aspiring designers, independent musicians, bloggers, stylists, photographers, artists, and other visionaries who call this city home. And, next-generation arts organizations like PATTERN are on the rise, in spite of the challenges we face in a market that resists embracing the changing interests and priorities of its population. The rhetoric for meaningful change is heard in many places, but the practical solutions for implementation are very slow to come. Still, there is hope and I am convinced that PATTERN’s continued existence is essential to making Indianapolis into the world-class city that it could be.

ALTHOUGH PATTERN IS PRIMARILY KNOWN FOR THE MAGAZINE YOU HOLD IN YOUR HANDS, IN OUR spare time we do all kinds of other great initiatives to embolden, amplify and celebrate our community of creatives. We mentor them, connect them to paid opportunities and to one another, and we provide them exposure. We advocate with city and business leaders, and so much more!

COCO CHANEL SAID, “FASHION IS NOT SOMETHING THAT EXISTS IN DRESSES ONLY. FASHION IS IN THE SKY, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” Chanel knew that there was more to fashion than the vain frivolity with which it is often associated. Fashion arts and the adjacent culture represent one of the few areas in our society where people can come together to share experiences, even if they see the world in radically different ways. Stop by any PATTERN event, and you’ll see that this is a fact. Where most organizations have to program “inclusivity,” we’ve never really had to worry about that; it just happens, because: fashion!

THESE ENCOUNTERS HAVE HELPED US IDENTIFY AND EMPATHIZE WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND EXPAND OUR notions of we. This is important and powerful, especially in today’s political environment.

FASHION ARTS, AND ART IN GENERAL, ARE POWERFUL MOTIVATORS AND ENGINES FOR SOCIAL CHANGE. Detroit is a great example of where the creative class has breathed life back into a city previously on the brink of extinction.

THOSE WHO WERE ONLY FOCUSED ON THE BOTTOM LINE HAD NO INTEREST IN OR INCENTIVE TO INVEST IN the dilapidated city of ruins. But creatives used to living with uncertainty and unafraid of taking risks and breaking rules found unorthodox solutions to contemporary issues. Now, of course, watch all the investors follow. Ha! WHILE INDIANAPOLIS HAS (THANKFULLY) NOT EXPERIENCED THE SAME DIRE STRAITS AS DETROIT, WE HAVE our own issues to contend with -- issues that could really benefit from non-traditional problem-solving. Which is why more artists, designers, musicians, photographers, and furniture-makers should be taking part in discussions of social, political, and ecological challenges. Even though Indianapolis lags behind other cities in allocating resources to implementing experimental, unorthodox but promising ideas, the only way to change the status quo is for the creative class to continue making its voice heard through civic engagement. We have to put forth every effort to help create pathways for next-generation arts organizations to work with the establishment to solve the problems that plague us as a city.

I KNOW THERE ARE NO EASY ANSWERS, BUT PATTERN WILL CONTINUE EXPLORING SOLUTIONS TO HELP Indianapolis and our citizens reach our fullest potential. #loftygoals

POLINA OSHEROV_EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

PHOTO ©BENJAMIN BLEVINS

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I am a Modern Chair Addict.

Joe Shoemaker is photographed with his four-legged friend

I am a Dog Lover.

MacDuff in the owner’s retreat of their contemporary home

I am a Minimalist at Heart.

in downtown Indianapolis’ fabulous Fletcher Place.

I am a Dedicated Real Estate Professional.

I am Encore Sotheby’s International Realty.

Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated.

7 joe.shoemaker@encoresir.com | 317.413.8501 | macduffrealty.com

FASHIONING A COMMUNITY.

PUBLIC RELATIONS Keri Kirschner

BRAND PARTNERSHIPS Polina Osherov

ADVERTISING

Kelly Pardekooper

DISTRIBUTION

Distributed worldwide

by Publishers Distribution Group, Inc. pdgmags.com Printed by Fineline Printing, Indianapolis, IN USA PATTERN Magazine ISSN 2326-6449 is published by PATTERN

EVENTS

Event Coordinators Amanda Kieser Julia Rutland Abbi Johnson Volunteer & Intern Coordinator Esther Boston Community Outreach Director Laura Walters

DIGITAL

Online Content Manager Aubrey Smith

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Nonprofit Strategist Julie Heath

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Maria Dickman Crystal Grave Freddie Lockett Aaron Reitz Sherron Rogers Sara Savu Eric Strickland Barry Wormser Tamara Zahn

HOW TO REACH PATTERN

Events: For the latest on Pattern events, sign up for updates via meetup.com/pattern

SUBSCRIPTIONS

patternindy.com/subscribe Back issues, permissions, reprints info@patternindy.com Partnership & Advertising inquiries polina@patternindy.com

EDITORIAL

Editor & Creative Director Polina Osherov Design Directors Kathy Davis Lindsay Hadley Managing Editor Eric Rees Senior Designer Amy McAdams-Gonzales Junior Designer Aubrey Smith Copy Editors Mary G. Barr Jami Stall Editor-at-Large Maria Dickman

ILLUSTRATORS Bob Ewing

WRITERS

Ally Denton Abby Gardner DaNisha Greene Crystal Hammon Shauta Marsh Gabrielle Poshadlo Eric Rees Burton Runyan Petra Slinkard Shelby Quinn Walton

RETOUCHER

Wendy Towle

PHOTOGRAPHERS Elese Bales William Baulkey Faith Blackwell Esther Boston Wil Foster Hadley ‘Tad’ Fruits Nicola Kuperus Cristiano Morroy Jesse Winter

DESIGNERS

Brian Kumle John Ilang-Ilang Adam Johnson Jon McClure Stacey McClure Jenny Tod

PATTERN WORKSHOP & EDITORIAL OFFICES PATTERN New office coming soon!

By appointment only

A SPECIAL THANKS TO

SpeakEasy, IndyChamber,

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PATTERN VOLUME NO. 11

THERE’S

General Info: CHRIS WODOCK 416 E Wabash St. Indianapolis, IN 46204 317-748-3844 info@416wabash.com

LIKE IT 9

CONTENTS PATTERN ISSUE NO. 11 patternindy.com

WORDS EDITOR’S LETTER, 4 CONTRIBUTORS, 10 BUILDING WITH EXPERIENCE, 24 MEL SKOCHDOPLE, 28 CATHY FRITSCH, 40 THE INDYCAR EXPERIENCE, 44 REMEMBERING MPOZI, 58 THE MANY FORMS OF THIRST, 62 THE SOLE PROPRIETORS, 68 OH CEY CAN YOU SEE, 72 FOR THE RECORD, 80 LIBERTY STREET, 110 SCOTT HOCKING, 114 DETRIOT PROFILES, 124 FASHION INCUBATOR, 122 CHICAGO PROFILES, 125 CARLOS, 144 LAUNCH PHOTOS, 158 OP-ED, 160

IMAGES FLOORED, 12 LIP SERVICE, CROWNING ACHIEVEMENTS, 48 TALULLUH, 94 HAIR DRESSED, 102 BRUNCH CLUB, 132 PRETTY NITTY GRITY, 142 CASABLANCA, 150 ON THE COVER Ebony, LModelz Model Management Photography by Polina Osherov Art Direction by Polina Osherov & DaNisha Greene Style by DaNisha Greene Makeup by Kathy Moberly Hair by Philip Salmon Manicurist Tenesa Burnett Photography assistant: Esther Boston Wardrobe assistant: Candace Bullock Retouch by Wendy Towle Wardrobe: Hooded mesh sweater, Arreic Black romper, Arreic ON THIS PAGE Dress, Vivien Jackson by Mariah Crop Top, Arreic Accessories, Cheeky Couture

1010 PATTERN VOLUME NO. 11 NO. 11 PATTERN ISSUE

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CONTRIBUTORS

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WENT EXPLORING?

ERIN CARTER

ALLY DENTON

ABBY GARDNER

DANISHA GREENE

ST Y L I ST

WRITER

WRITER

ST Y L I ST

ERINCARTERSTYLING.COM

ALLYDENTON.COM

@ABBYCGARDNER

YOURSINFASHION.COM

@FRISQUEBUSINESS

@ALLY.DENTON

@ABBYGARDNER

@YOURSINFASHION

@ERINCARTERSTYLING

@ALLYDENTON

I just got back from a trip to Nicaragua. Our original plans of driving across the Costa Rican/ Nicaraguan border were quickly foiled upon arrival, so we had to cross it by foot with the help of a very friendly Costa Rican taxi driver. We made new friends (some of which we could only communicate through music and laughter), and I made friends with a sting ray who decided I was getting a little too chummy and stung my foot.

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Last summer I spent some time working and playing all over New Zealand. The splendor of Queenstown and the Southern Alps simply can't be described — it's overwhelming. We took a drive along Lake Wakatipu one afternoon. While it sounds cliche, we never even made it to our destination because we kept stopping to get out of the car and experience the beauty.

@YOURSINFASHION_

The last time I truly went exploring was a couple years ago when I took a solo trip to St. Lucia. Traveling alone for the first time definitely led to new discoveries about myself at a time when I really needed to rethink some major choices in my life.

I went to Cuba this past December and it was one of the BEST experiences of my life. As well as celebrating one of my closest friends/brothers/cousin's birthday, I got lost, I danced, I ate new things, and I learned so much about their culture, history, as well as how it relates to my own. I was so enchanted by the beauty yet humbled by the simplicity, humility, and kindness of the Cubans.

ANTHONY PEREZ

AUBREY SMITH

JENNY TOD

JESSE WINTER

H A I R ST Y L I ST

L AYO U T D ES I G N E R

L AYO U T D ES I G N E R

P H OTO G R A P H E R

ANTHONYPEREZHAIR.COM

AUBREYSMTIHCREATIVE.COM

JENNYTOD.COM

JESSEWINTER.COM

@ANTHONYPEREZHAIR

@AUBREYMSMITH_

@JENNYMTOD

@JESSEWINTER

@THESALONMAN

Blasting through the streets of New York, I truly discovered more about myself than I ever could have thought possible. I felt so enlightened knowing that anything was possible.

@JENNYMTOD

As an art intern for a Brooklynbased magazine back in my college days, I was tasked with photographing as many bars as possible for a city guide.

A sheltered, small town girl in the big city alone, I found myself making friends with Brooklyn bar flies and all kinds of other intresting characters and hearing the most unlikely stories. The experience gave me a taste for seeking out the strange and new.

This past weekend my husband and I went exploring in the city we first met: Cincinnati, OH. We not only re-discovered our love for Tom + Chee, Holtman's Donuts, and Keystone Mac + Cheese, but we were reminded of how much we find ourselves when we step outside of our everyday and experience something different!

I spent a few days in Austin, TX last November. My client connected me with a local of the "weirder” variety. He took me along the Colorado river to an area inhabited by people who have departed from society and are now living in makeshift campsites. Disconnected, poor, and in some cases, young addicts, have taken refuge together outside of America’s fastest growing city, in relative peace and harmony.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY ESTHER BOSTON PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT CARRIE HETTLE STYLING BY ERIN CARTER (10 MGMT) MAKEUP BY KATE SHAW MODEL: RAQUEL M. (BMG MODELS) LAYOUT BY LINDSAY HADLEY CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH KITCHENS BY DESIGN AND DESIGNER MEGAN GILES GOLD PANTS, URBAN OUTFITTERS TOP, GRACE BLOUSE BY RICORSO COAT, URBAN OUTFITTERS SHOES, URBAN OUTFITTERS NECKLACE, LINDSAY LEWIS JONATHAN SAUNDERS HERRINGBONE RUG AND RUNNERS, THE RUG COMPANY

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GOWN, THE DOLCE GOWN BY RICORSOÂ SHOES, URBAN OUTFITTERS ------------SUZANNE SHARP, THE RUG COMPANY KEY SHADOW, THE RUG COMPANY BILBAO CHANDELIER, SOLARIA SINGAPORE VASE(S), CYAN DESIGN GOLD STUDDED TABLE, BERNHARDT FURNITURE DITAPILLOW, CUSTOM DRAPERY/KBD HOME

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BERET, STYLIST’S OWN SHOES, URBAN OUTFITTERS TOP, CYNTHIA ROWLEY BOTTOMS, VARYFORM BRACELETS, LINDSAY LEWIS -------------

ORIENTAL RUG, KBD HOME MYRA PENDANT, JATEX INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY LEATHER CHAIR, GO HOME LTD. DRAGON PILLOWS, CUSTOM DRAPERY/KBD HOME FROM THAILAND, CUSTOM HANDMADE MANDALA

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BLAZER, CYNTHIA ROWLEY PANTS, CYNTHIA ROWLEY SHOES, VINTAGE JEWELRY, LINDSAY LEWIS -------------

JONATHAN SAUNDERS, THE RUG COMPANY HERRINGBONE RUG AND RUNNERS, THE RUG COMPANY EMPRESS UPHOLSTERED SOFA, MODWAY TEAK BALL, GARDEN AGE SUPPLY

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LOCAL LETTERER BOB EWING (BOB-EWING.COM) OFFERS A TYPOGRAPHIC EXPLORATION.

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THE PATTERN STAFF REMINDS YOU: NO ONE LOOKS BACK ON THEIR LIFE AND REMEBERS THE NIGHTS THEY HAD PLENTY OF SLEEP. SO, EXPLORE.

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COMBINING ASPECTS FROM HER PERSONAL LIFE AND THE WORLD AROUND HER, DEBORAH BERKE ALWAYS STRIVES TO BRING A LIVELY APPROACH TO A STRUCTURED INDUSTRY.

BUILDING FROM EXPERIENCE

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WORDS BY CRYSTAL HAMMON + PHOTOGRAPHY BY HADLEY ‘TAD’ FRUITS

ARCHITECT DEBORAH BERKE REGARDS LIFE AS AN ELEGANT STRAND CONNECTING the personal, professional, and creative self. Work comprises an important part of the strand, and it should be respected, celebrated, and enjoyed—not something we dread.

“I don’t think about what I would rather do instead of work,” Berke says. This ethos may explain why Berke enjoys designing spaces that encourage people to feel vital and productive at work. She sees an office building as much more than a place to just work; it also exists as physical object, capable of inspiring thought and joy.

Designed with intention, a building can be as meaningful for citizens on the street as it is for admirers of architecture or the people who work there.

“You may hate a room, love a room, or always sit in a certain chair because of what you can see from that particular place,” she says. “That’s architecture impacting your life.”

Berke believes architecture often derives a unique sense of place from native attributes. She says the uniqueness of place should trump a style of building that emphasizes the most space for the least expense.

“It makes me sad more cities across this country are starting to look the same, as far as how buildings are clad and street fronts are treated,” she says.

A more appreciative audience for these sensibilities could hardly be found than Cummins Inc. The company selected Berke’s New York-based firm, Deborah Berke

Partners (DBP), to design its Indianapolis distribution headquarters, which opened in January. Cummins had a rigorous set of standards for the building, reflecting its emphasis on people, innovation, and community engagement. They wanted to accommodate all types of work, including spaces for the social, active, collaborative, focused, and contemplative effort.

The Fortune 200 company also saw their new downtown location as an opportunity to enhance the city’s unique urban landscape and draw people eastward. Berke’s firm fulfilled these ambitions with an iconic building and lush green space on the former site of Market Square Arena, now an urban plaza that serves as a magnet for retail shopping and public enjoyment.

A native Hoosier could easily overlook one of the traits her team leveraged in designing the Cummins distribution headquarters: the city’s relationship with the sun.

The interior is embellished by site-specific art commissioned by Cummins and lit by natural light. The building’s calibrated façades are covered in various kinds of glass, shades, and vertical fins to conserve energy and maintain a comfortable indoor temperature through all seasons.

“Even on those steel gray days the Midwest gets during winter, the light in Indianapolis

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has a silvery quality that I find particularly beautiful,” Berke says. Her observations about what makes Indianapolis special stem from past and present work in the city, including the 21c Museum Hotel at Old City Hall and residential projects.

Berke developed a taste for architecture as a teen. At 14 she came home from a long walk and announced plans to become an architect. Home was a leafy Queens neighborhood in New York City, where everything was accessible on foot—from the church and the school, to the retail shops and train station. Walking the neighborhood, Berke noticed how varied the houses were and wondered what went on inside the structures.

Throughout Berke’s more than three decades of practicing, teaching, and thinking about architecture, walking has remained a huge part of her creative ritual.

“I walk several miles every day,” she says. “When I walk, I absorb what I see and weave it into my mental library.”

Her evenings end with a book before bed. Over most weekends, Berke makes a pilgrimage to one of New York’s many museums, toting a pad and a pencil, ready for what makes her feel most creative: drawing.

Evidently, these rituals provide plenty of fuel for her creative soul. In addition to a demanding workload at the architecture and interior design firm she founded in 1982, Berke has two new books to her credit. House Rules summarizes eight guiding principles that define DBP’s residential work. In early 2017, the London-based publishing house, Artifice Books on Architecture will release Working, a book covering the firm’s design of spaces for work, music, art, and creativity.

Adding to her accolades, she recently became dean of the School of Architecture at Yale University. Berke’s new academic post is not a diversion; it’s the culmination of a lifetime of teaching, including academic roles at Yale University, University of Maryland, Rhode Island School of Design, University of Miami, University of California at Berkeley, and the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies.

In the early stages of her career, teaching provided a guaranteed income while Berke built her architectural practice. Eventually, it delivered something more potent than money.

“Even when I felt too busy for it, the value of teaching exceeded the burden,” she says.

“It requires very clear thinking about architecture in general and my ideas in particular.

The rigor and intellectual discipline is something I can offer my students, and it enhances my work.”

Put Berke in front of a class or an audience and you see a confident extrovert who enjoys speaking. However, when she goes to work, the switch is flipped.

“I’m very introverted and totally focused on the work when I’m in my studio,” she says. From the first sketch through everything it takes to make architecture a reality, Berke loves the design process.

Like any creative person, she occasionally feels depleted.

The antidote for getting stuck is simple: “Take a break, go for a walk, and come back to your work with fresh eyes,” Berke says.

When students ask how they can develop their creative side, she advises them to work hard, keep their eyes open, and be generous toward others and the environment.

Even the things we don’t like offer something if we give them a chance.

“To be generous is a good skill—a good way to be in the world,” she says.

If today’s architecture needs anything, Berke thinks it’s more thoughtfulness and less elaboration. In this worldview, time spent with family and friends—eating good food, drinking good wine, and exchanging great ideas—can be as conducive to designing architecture as anything else. Everything you do is an opportunity to be creative, whether you’re writing a letter, arranging flowers in a vase, or wrapping a gift.

“For me, being creative means living an active life,” Berke says. ✂

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MEL SKOCHDOPOLE. FIELDING A NEW DREAM. SWEATING IN STYLE. UP AND COMING DESIGNER LOOKS TO KEEP PACE WITH THE ATHLEISURE AESTHETIC. WORDS + PHOTOGRAPHY

BY POLINA OSHEROV North Central High School grad Mel Skochdopole spent most of his teens dreaming about being a baseball player. When injuries benched that goal, he turned his passion for athletics into a line of luxury athleisure wear.

We caught up with Skochdopole on his recent move to New York, his plans for his company—Melvin Smalls, and what it takes to succeed in the Big Apple.

POLINA OSHEROV: Give me a really quick summary of your aesthetic.

MEL SKOCHDOPOLE: Having athletics in my background, I grew up dressing in sweatshirts, hoodies, and athletic clothing. It’s a style of dressing that I’ve really enjoyed and have experience with. I noticed that there was a gap in the market for high-end athletic wear, especially for men. With the trend of athleisure and fitness lifestyles on the rise, I saw a business opportunity to attack that part of the market. I really wanted to work with luxurious, high-end fabrics while keeping the sport aesthetic at the center of the brand.

PO: Basically, sweating in style?

MS: Yeah, kind of. It is sweating in style, but it’s just as much about soft, comfortable fabrics that you can wear throughout the day.

PO: So let’s talk about your move from the Midwest to New York. Sounds like it’s been quite the adventure—you mentioned that you lived in your car for 10 days, while looking for a place to stay when you got here.

MS: Yeah, I got here, did a little bit of couch surfing, but was basically living out of my Suburban. I don’t think I could have done it without my Suburban, because I had all my Spring/Summer ’17 samples in there, what with it

being the middle of sales season. I was going to yoga in the morning just so I could shower and not stink up the car too bad, and trying to keep all the samples clean...

Thankfully, I finally found a place!

PO: Is it the typical scenario where you’re in a tiny space with a half dozen roommates?

MS: Actually, I just have three roommates, and it’s a fun crew. They are from Ireland, London, and New York. But yeah, there’s not a lot of space. My room’s 10 by 7 1/2 feet. I had to build a loft bed, and I have this desk that slides out and goes on top of my cabinets. It’s about 4 by 4 feet, and then in order to leave the room, I have to take it all down and put it away so I can open the door.

PO: Wow. Is it worth it?

MS: Being in New York with the entire fashion industry?

So far, it has definitely been worth it. The lifestyle seems like a sacrifice, but I’m embracing it. It’s just part of the experience.

PO: So you went to college on a baseball scholarship and studied entrepreneurship. What happened when you graduated?

MS: I had some corporate job offers coming out of college, but really had no idea what I actually wanted to do. I started thinking about my interests outside of baseball and what other things I was passionate about. So that’s when I remembered how I would modify my clothing and sports uniforms to my own specifications. I never thought that interest would turn into a career, but it was suddenly apparent to me that I had enjoyed clothing, and, on a very basic level, fashion design, from a fairly early age.

That realization led me to begin exploring, and ultimately pursuing, the idea of having my own apparel brand.

PO: Talk about the benefits of being in New York—to build a fashion brand, specifically.

MS: Being close to the trade shows is so much better as opposed to having to endure the hassle and cost of travel. Also, the people that you’re trying to meet, like the buyers, are here. So the key benefit is that it’s easier to connect with the people and attend the events, which can make a big difference in your business.

PO: But you still need to have an ‘in,’ right? All the right people are in New York City, but getting access to them without having someone make the introductions is hard, I imagine.

MS: Yeah, having an ‘in’ saves a lot of time to get that one foot in the door, but at the end of the day, it’s still up to you to continue to make connections and build on a handful of initial introductions. To your earlier question about the benefits of living in NYC—you get to meet so many other artists and creative people, which is both a motivator and an inspiration. Also, there’s more money here than there is in a smaller market.

PO: So have you ever run into somebody on the street who’s wearing one of your pieces?

MS: Not yet.

PO: That would be such a high, right?

MS: That would be such a high. I did run into some random person who knew about my clothing line for whatever crazy reason, and I was like, what?! It’s a crazy feeling. It’s a great feeling.

PO: What happens on those days when you feel like it’s just all too much—an impossible dream? How do you cope? Where do you fill up and what keeps you going, other than just pure sheer will?

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MS: Having support and encouragement is important. It pushes you and makes you feel like you’re not just doing it for yourself. There are some real stresses with this job, and days when you’re on the verge of breaking down. But it’s a matter of taking a deep breath, a quick break, and then realizing it’s going to be OK, because in this industry you are always behind. You’re always running around like a chicken with your head cut off. You’re not out of the norm—every single person is dealing with this. You can’t feel too badly for yourself or get too worked up about it. You’ve really just got to put it on paper and make it happen as fast as you can.

PO: Wow! That was a game-changer!

PO: How did you connect with your mentor, Mercedes Gonzalez? It sounds like she’s played a huge role in where you are and what you’re doing.

MS: Sourcing is a very difficult thing to figure out if you get into fashion with no connections. Mercedes’ connections in Latin America, along with her teaching me all about what to say, and how to act bigger than I am, was absolutely invaluable. So many new designers, even people that come out of FIT or Parsons, don’t realize how to source and work with foreign vendors in a way that gets the vendors to take you seriously. It’s very much about using the correct lingo and how you carry yourself when you’re there.

MS: Absolutely! I wouldn’t be anywhere close to where I am without her guidance and what she’s done for me. So after I decided to pursue fashion, I started working in Chicago, making just a single athletic short. I went to a trade show out there to look for some fabrics and decided to go to one of the educational sessions. She was the speaker. Mercedes said a lot of things that were very brash and to the point. No bullshit. Which I thought was awesome. What she shared made me realize that I was wasting my time in Chicago. So I went up to her afterwards, and I ended up getting a meeting with her the next day. We met for about two hours, and the following week I was on a flight to Peru to go make a twenty-piece collection!

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MS: In so many ways! The encounter took me from producing just an athletic-wear gym short to a high-end athletic-wear brand, which was my vision all along. But I couldn’t have made the leap without her. She changed my world entirely.

PO: Sourcing is one of the most challenging aspects of growing a successful fashion brand, how did this new association help you with that?

PO: Did Mercedes ever tell you what she saw in you to make such a swift decision to support and mentor you?

MS: I did ask why she wanted to work with me. Apparently she saw the credibility of

my idea, and thought that I was a hard worker and that I was driven. She also knew that I wanted to make money. That was the other big thing.

PO: So an entrepreneurial background rather than an artsy one is actually a big plus?

MS: Yeah, it is. I think she was interested in someone who would have the passion to grind and hustle, and commit to the long-term, as opposed to someone who had the luxury or the temperament of just having this fuzzy, floating dream. Building a fashion brand has to be approached as a business, and not just a way for creative expression or something to do in your spare time. I’m sure she had no interest in investing time and energy in someone who would burn out in twelve months and say ‘peace out.’

PO: Other than e-commerce, is your brand available in retail locations?

MS: This spring we’re doing some pop-ups in Williamsburg, as well as other spots around the city. The clothing will also be available at select Equinox locations.

PO: Plans for 2017, other than the pop-ups?

MS: Working on getting the new collection some great press—really spreading the word about the brand. I am going down to Peru again to work, and working on getting accounts with select retailers.

I’ve been down a couple of times, it’s getting a bit easier. Although, turns out the language barrier is actually a plus, especially for a young designer. Because not being able to speak each other’s language well means that a lot of those nuances that would totally give away the fact that you have no idea what you’re doing, are lost in the translation. Rookie mistakes can be chalked up to the language barrier, as opposed to ignorance. It’s helpful to be able to hide behind the language barrier while you’re figuring out what’s what.

PO: Why aren’t you producing in the United States? Is it just a cost issue, or because of other practical considerations?

MS: Actually, the main reason I like going overseas, especially to Peru, is because it’s a very high-end market. They’re used to making high-quality clothing. My factories work with the likes of Prada, Armani, and Lululemon, to name a few. Also, I feel like it’s a skilled labor thing. Generations of families have grown up in the garment industry, and they are really good at what they do. Plus, I like to work with vertically integrated full-package factories, so they’ll do everything from the dyeing to the sewing to the spinning of the yarn. Nice to have everything, or as close to everything, done in one place.

PO: What’s the big goal for the next 18-24 months?

PO: Do you speak Spanish?

MS: Once I have two seasons under my belt and build up my credibility, I would love to apply and get into the CFDA Incubator program. That would be amazing.

MS: Más o menos! When I first visited, Mercedes and her staff were also there and they speak Spanish, so that really helped. But I’ve been teaching myself ... now that

Melvin Smalls is available at Equinox in NYC, Hoffacker Health & Fitness in Indianapolis, and at Fred Segal in Japan. ✂

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LI P S ER VI C E

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WIL FOSTER

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PATTERN VOLUME NO. 11

MAKE UP BY EVIE RIEVERE

MODEL MAGGIE EMERICK

STYLE BY CHELSEA ANDERSON

PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANTS:

HAIR BY BELINDA BENHAM

TAYLOR FREDRICKS & STACY CRABBS

RETOUCHED BY RAVEN RETOUCH

LAYOUT BY JOHN ILANG-ILANG

LIPSTICK MAC COSMETICS

PINK PIGEON

LIPLINER BLACK CHERRY, JANE IREDALE

LIPLINER CHERRY, MAC COSMETIC

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LIPSTICK MAC COSMETICS

CHARMED I’M SURE

LIPSTICK MAC COSMETICS

LADY DANGER PATTERN VOLUME NO. 11

LIPSTICK NYX COSMETICS

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ORANGE COUNTY

LIPLINER CHERRY, MAC COSMETICS

LIPSTICK MAC COSMETICS

SIN

LIPLINER NIGHTMOTH, MAC COSMETICS LIPGLOSS BLACK CHERRY, JANE IREDALE

LIPLINER WONDER PENCIL LIGHT, NYX COSMETICS

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PATTERN VOLUME NO. 11

LIPSTICK MAC COSMETICS

MYTH

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CATHERINE FRITSCH. FASHION DESIGNER A FIXTURE IN THE INDIANAPOLIS FASHION COMMUNITY, CATHERINE FRITSCH CONTINUES TO THRIVE. WORDS BY JEREMIAH WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHY BY FAITH BLACKWELL From theatrical costume designs for the stage to cool. creations for a wide variety of clients, the work of Catherine Fritsch knows no limits. The talented and tenacious woman who created the Rue Violet label chats with PATTERN to tell us how she began in the industry and her advice for those hoping to do the same.

JEREMIAH WILLIAMS: Can you give us a brief introduction of yourself and how you began in the design business?

CATHERINE FRITSCH: I started by studying costume design for theater and fine arts at Indiana University, Bloomington in the early 90s. Theater appealed to me because it’s an interesting combination of visual art, literature, and performance art. It’s very collaborative, which I really like.

I worked in professional theater for about 11 years, and then I left in 2007 to freelance.

I still do design work and contract work for theaters and other costume designers, but I also design, create patterns, and make samples for other companies -usually start-ups.

JW: Tell us about your personal brand.

CF: It’s Rue Violet, and it’s mostly lingerie and accessories with some clothing.

JW: When did you design and create your first piece?

CF: That would have been in college, when I studentdesigned for one of the plays. Costume design is an interesting process, because you have to put yourself in the character’s place to decide what they would wear. I guess in some ways that means the designs are not totally personal to me. They have a real function: to help the audience understand the character.

JW: As you started working more in Indiana, where did you find the inspiration to combine your education and experience to create and build your brand?

CF: A lot of my fashion inspiration came from my costume experience. You can tell there are a lot of historical bits that work their way into my designs. I also get inspired by the other work I’m doing. I was making football jersey and pants samples for a local company, at the same time I was designing items for my Transformation IAP grant project. There is one look that was a cropped top with structured puff sleeves, and slim, almost football-pant capris. The silk robe that went over it had leg-of-mutton sleeves, which were supported by the puff sleeves on the cropped top. It was inspired both by the football jersey look with shoulder pads and 1830s dresses.

JW: Beyond inspiration, what’s the first step to creating a design. Where do you start?

CF: I still start with the practicalities, especially when working with another company. I try to adopt their brand image, find out how they want the garment to function, and then design looks that I think will blend with their aesthetic.

In many ways it’s still like costume design. It’s very collaborative. I do my best work if there’s a give and take — so it’s a little disappointing when someone accepts a first sketch as the final. I feel like it could get better.

If I am designing for fun, like for IN light IN (a public art festival last summer in Indianapolis), I start with a mood.

What do I want the people to feel when they look at what I’ve made? That gives me clues for fabrics, colors, and eventually, the form.

CF: I’ve made several comic book characters that were kind of odd. I guess odd is kind of relative when you’re coming from theater.

I make lots of garter belts. I was asked to adapt a garter belt design to hold a handgun holster for a male police officer. I’ve designed birthing dresses with a nursing opening, maternity lingerie, and tearaway panties.

JW: What would you say are the benefits as well as the disadvantages of working out of your own studio space?

CF: I have worked out of my home, too. That has some advantages, and if you have the space and discipline, stay in your home as long as you can. That’s assuming you don’t need walk-in traffic. The biggest problem for the self-employed is keeping expenses down. A separate studio space is a major expense. However, customers appreciate coming to a commercial space. It gives your business legitimacy and allows for growth.

I could never have a contractor come and sew for me in my home, for instance. A separate studio also gives me a way to separate my business from my home life, though there is, of course, crossover. I do a lot of customer communication from my couch at night, when Etsy shoppers are at it. And having that studio means you better work! I think if I didn’t have the studio, it would be easier to give up when things get tough.

JW: How’d you choose your previous space, and how long did you work there?

CF: I ran across the Noblesville space purely by accident. I was working in my home at the time. I walked past a door that had some pictures posted of the upstairs space, and it was so pretty right there on the downtown square. I ran to the realtor, the scared someone else would rent it. It had been empty for two years. I stayed there for about eight years.

JW: You’re prolific at posting fun costume creations on your social media platforms. What’s been the oddest costume request you’ve had?

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“BABE, IT’S GOING TO TAKE YOU FIVE TO 10 YEARS BEFORE THAT’S REALLY PROFITABLE, IF YOU CAN SURVIVE.”

JW: Many young designers look at established designers and thinks it looks easy. What advice can you offer emerging designers who dream of having their own studio space while building a brand?

CF: It takes a long time. I watch people spend a lot of money to get their startup launched, and I think, “Babe, it’s going to take you five to 10 years before that’s really profitable, if you can survive.” Don’t shoot your wad early. Do research, figure out how to save money, then follow your gut.

JW: The trend for young designers and makers is to work in coworking design spaces. As an experienced designer, what do you think of these type of spaces? Would you encourage a young designer to explore this as an option?

CF: Being able to ask other people questions and running ideas by them is so useful.

I grew up working in costume shops with three to six other people in them. We would constantly ask each other for help, compare notes, and commiserate. I do think it’s good if you are starting out — at the very least you can help each other get through those days when it feels like you want to give up, which happens at least once a week. What might be hard is comparing yourself to others. Don’t do that. You are your own self; judge your growth against yourself.

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JW: What are your thoughts on the current state of the industry in Indianapolis?

CF: My impression is that the general population has noticed that we are here. They may not fully appreciate us, and what we do, but they are learning. We still need the infrastructure — it’s really hard to jump to larger production without local companies offering that service. There have been some attempts, and it might be in the works.

Here’s hoping for a cut-and-sew operation that has staying power.

JW: What are some opportunities in Indy to attract and retain emerging talent?

CF: I think the cost of living has always been a plus for Indiana. Indianapolis itself is shifting a bit, but you can still find real estate that is very affordable. The transit system seems to be growing, though it is still immature. Indy’s image is pretty good in terms of quality of entertainment, sciences, startups, and so on. The LGBT rights are a sticking point, though, in such a conservative state. ✂

800-822-INDY | IMS.COM/TICKETS |

L l u F d

E e p S d a e h a

2 0 0 M P H

THE INDY RACING EXPERIENCE RIDE ALLOWS PASSENGERS TO EXPERIENCE SPEED AND G-FORCES ONLY KNOWN BY A SELECT FEW.

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BRENT BILL—QUAKER AUTHOR

ABSTRACT SPEED PHOTOS BY ROBBIN LEE INSTAGRAM.COM/ROBBIN0919 // INDYRACINGEXPERIENCE.COM

SCREAMING INTO TURN THREE AT 180 MPH GAVE ME NEW INSIGHT INTO TRUST. JUST A FEW SECONDS EARLIER, WE HAD ROCKETED OUT OF THE PITS AND UP ONTO THE TRACK. NOW WE WERE HURTLING TOWARD THE TURN. I WAS SNUGGED INTO THE BACK SEAT OF A TWO-SEATER INDY CAR, BEHIND A DRIVER WHOM I HAD NEVER MET AND HAD NOT SPOKEN TO. HE RAN UP THROUGH THE GEARS GAINING SPEED EVERY SECOND. AS WE NEARED THE TURN, MY VISION DIMMED. THAT’S WHEN I REALIZED I’D BEEN HOLDING MY BREATH EVER SINCE HE’D TAKEN OFF! I DECIDED THEN THAT I COULD EITHER FRET MYSELF INTO A HEART ATTACK OR I COULD TRUST THAT FELIPE GIAFFONE WAS REALLY SKILLED AND THESE WERE GOING TO BE AMONG THE MOST EXCITING MINUTES IN MY LIFE. THEY WERE.

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“THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS NOT THAT I CAN’T MOVE. (ALTHOUGH I CAN’T.) IT’S THE FACT THAT MY EYEBALLS ARE BEING VIBRATED LIKE A WARING BLENDER AND BEING SHOVED INTO REGIONS OF MY EYE SOCKET THAT I DON’T NORMALLY USE. MY LUNGS? THEY SEEM TO HAVE SLID INTO A PART OF MY THORAX NORMALLY OCCUPIED BY MY PANCREAS. WHICH MEANS I’M NOT SO MUCH BREATHING AS GASPING.” IN 2016, MARIO ANDRETTI DROVE ALLEN ST. JOHN (JOURNALIST, FORBES + NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR) AROUND THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY AT 200 MPH.

T U R N T W O

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T U R N F O U R

TEAM PENSKE DRIVER SIMON PAGENAUD WAS THERE, TOO, OFFERING TIPS ABOUT G FORCES BEFORE NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR JOHN GREEN GOT IN.

“FIVE GS IS FIVE TIMES THE WEIGHT OF YOUR BODY THROWN TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR, SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO HOLD YOUR BREATH,” PAGENAUD SAID. “BUT TRY TO RELAX AND LET IT GO.” INSTEAD, GREEN SAID, “I SCREAMED THE ENTIRE TIME… IT’S JUST AN AMAZING FEAT OF ENGINEERING THAT I SURVIVED THAT RIDE.”

T U R N T H R E E

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Lauren C. (LModelz Management), Lauren S. (10MGMT), Destiny T. (Independent)

Models:

Brian Kumle

Layout by

Philip Salmon

Hair by

Kathy Moberly

Makeup by

Aubrey Smith

Styling by

Polina Osherov

Photography by

I N S TAG R A M :

@ m e g c a t h e r i n ef l owe r s

Megan Connelly HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A FLORIST? 6 years WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THE FLOWER BUSINESS? I was always an outdoor kid, I loved nature. I would gather things that I thought were strange or interesting and put them in my pockets while exploring outside, even bugs, but mostly leaves with strange patterns or flowers that looked like they grew the wrong way. I loved and continue to love the freaks. I was heavily into painting in high school and studied for a semester at Parsons in New York. I had this dream of living this wildly romantic life as a painter but quickly realized you have to be much better than I was to make a living doing that. I started getting flowers every week from the markets when I lived in New York and began to realize the difference I felt when I had flowers around me and when I didn’t. I had my daughter when I was 21 and I decided that a flower shop would be the best place to start working again, it gave me flexible hours and I could even bring her with me some days. I thought it would be a beautiful way to spend a childhood. I know I would have loved it. After working with a handful of restrictions in the shops I’d worked at around Indianapolis, I decided to break away and start my own business and work with the varieties of flowers I wanted to be using - no matter what it took. Being a midwest florist has it’s challenges, but there isn’t anything else I’d rather have my hands on everyday. (Other than my kiddo’s cute cheeks).

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WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER? I am forever a sucker for a true garden rose. The kind that grow on family-run rose farms, small batch not for mass production. They have movement and so much more romance.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR SIGNATURE FLORAL STYLE? I approach design by trying to showcase nature; The way the flowers grow, let them move within each other. When you work with quality product the flowers really do it themselves.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE/FAVORITE EXPERIENCE OF CREATING FLORAL DESIGNS? Designing for a fashion show for GQ and Simon at the Keystone mall. I really got free reign on what I wanted to use and design - the only guideline was “something springy”. I think the work I am most proud of is when someone trusts me to “do me”. It really makes me want to prove myself.

Another favorite was doing a large scale flower arrangement for a vanitas themed show at General Public Collective in Fountain Square. I was able to really think about the approach to the work I’m doing and appreciate the nature (pun intended) of my job. I have a deep infatuation with the Dutch Masters and to incorporate even more darkness into a piece inspired by that was something I really enjoyed. The definition of vanitas, according to google, is: a still life painting of a 17th-century Dutch genre containing symbols of death or change as a reminder of their inevitability. I made that piece during a very difficult time in my life and the memory of how I felt while creating it holds a lot of importance to me now. It marked a moment of change.

Indianapolis, IN. By appointment only

I mostly focus on weddings and events. Every now and then I am able to offer special orders for delivery. After working with PATTERN on this shoot I’ve realized even more that I love, love, love editorial work. More please!

Meg Catherine Flowers

EStd.

2011

WEB:

megcatherinef loral.com

WHAT KINDS OF FLORISTRY SERVICES DO YOU OFFER?

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@photanical_series I N S TAG R A M :

Eden Mickelson HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A FLORIST? Photanical has been alive since January 2016.

WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THE FLOWER BUSINESS? After living in Los Angeles, California, I had the luxury of being able to appreciate the immense botanical life. I worked for Ele Keats Jewelry in Brentwood, and she had a small rose garden that I was blessed with tending to during my mornings there. The meditative state you enter when clipping and trimming began to take care of me. I wanted to be able to share this with others by helping to create workshops and imagery that evoke peacefulness and self-love.

WHAT KINDS OF FLORISTRY SERVICES DO YOU OFFER?

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER?

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR SIGNATURE FLORAL STYLE? Experimental minimalist.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE/FAVORITE EXPERIENCE OF CREATING FLORAL DESIGNS? During a terrarium building workshop at Fresh Thyme, a glass globe was broken after one of the workshop participants placed the soil and decor inside. The immediate rush of help and genuine concern for her safety was amazing. One of the other women even offered to replace the broken globe with her own. This moment always sticks out to me because I love to see a community work together and really take care of each other. It inspired me to continue to host more workshops with even more intention.

Fort Wayne, IN. By appointment only

Ranunculus. It’s tiny, but bold. I’m attracted to strength in beauty that is not ostentatious.

Photanical

EStd.

2016

WEB:

photanicalseries.com

Right now, I mostly work to encourage others to go outside of their comfort zone and try something new by attending a floral crown or terrarium building workshop. Botanical art direction is a passion of mine that I hope to explore more this year.

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@l i l lyl a n ef l ower s . c o m FA C E B O O K :

Becky RubyWojtowicz HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A FLORIST? lilly lane opened in January 2008 and we did our first wedding that July. This will be our 10th wedding season!

WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THE FLOWER BUSINESS? My background is nonprofit administration and event management, and I always loved seeing the décor aspects of events come together. I became interested in flowers as a creative outlet initially, then as a side business. It quickly escalated and I was able to leave my nonprofit job to pursue running my company full-time in 2009.

WHAT KINDS OF FLORISTRY SERVICES DO YOU OFFER?

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER? There have been many over the years, but a large open lily will always have my heart – and it’s what we are named for.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR SIGNATURE FLORAL STYLE? Creative. We’ve had the pleasure of designing in a myriad of ways over the years, and I love being able to balance a beautiful, traditionally designed wedding one day with something completely off the wall and funky the next.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE/FAVORITE EXPERIENCE OF CREATING FLORAL DESIGNS? I truly love working with wedding clients, and have connected with many on a personal level over the years. This job has given me the opportunity to design flowers for close friends as well as to give back to the community, such as creating flowers for the Nikki Quasney Memorial Chapel at Indy Pride several years ago. It was the first Pride Festival following the historic marriage equality decision, and weddings took place throughout the day during Pride.

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Hand-made moth necklace by StudioAMF.

lilly lane

EStd.

2008

We have also been able to create for some “offbeat” weddings throughout the years, including a Harry Potter inspired wedding, a steampunk wedding that featured centerpieces inspired by the couple’s favorite gaming worlds, a Candyland fantasy wedding....it’s been fun!

6556 Ferguson St. Indianapolis, IN

WEB:

l i l lyl a n ef l ower s . c o m

lilly lane offers flowers and décor for weddings and events, including (but not limited to!) nonprofit fundraisers, corporate dinners and luncheons, and family events such as christenings, bar/bat mitzvahs, memorial services and so forth.

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None FAC E B O O K :

Coby Palmer HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A FLORIST? 45 years WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THE FLOWER BUSINESS? Designing parties, weddings, and the pure love of flowers.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER? American Tune Rose HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR SIGNATURE FLORAL STYLE? Beautiful and elegant with a flair.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE/FAVORITE EXPERIENCE OF CREATING FLORAL DESIGNS? Designing flowers for the Heart of Country Antique Show opening night party in Nashville, TN, for the last 25 years.

Coby Palmer Designs

1972 EStd.

2070 E. 54th St, Studio 1, Indianapolis, IN 46220

All types of designing and planning for all types of events

WEB:

Cobypalmerdesigns.com

WHAT KINDS OF FLORISTRY SERVICES DO YOU OFFER?

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1972-2006

R em e m b e r i n g More than 10 years have passed since the death of Indianapolis Star photographer Mpozi Tolbert.

Beloved by many for his gentle spirit and generous nature, Tolbert was dedicated to capturing life’s moments - beautiful or tragic - every day of his life.

He is still greatly missed, and fondly remembered.

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Mpozi was more than my uncle. He was my friend, my homeboy, my confidant.

A person I could call whenever & talk about whatever. And if I was hanging with The Roots or Digable Planets or whoever, ‘Pozi would show up with his camera and capture everything. He was truly a gentle giant who snapped a moment in the lives of thousands. I’ll always miss my friend. kamau Dear Mpozi, The night we met at Subterra was such a lucky night for me! I had last minute taken my friend out to cheer her up... You were dancing in the middle of a circle of 4-5 girls and loving every minute of it!

It was hilarious... After the bar closed you walked my friend Annie and I around to make sure we got to our cars safely.

You showed up for our first date in your “Cosby” sweater, levis and boots with no socks and no laces! I thought it was so cute because I could tell this was your version of being dressed up. The more dates we went on, I saw how big of a heart this giant guy with long dreadlocks had...By the second date I was hooked! I loved how, when we would walk around downtown you knew the name of every homeless person we would run into and they knew yours. You always spoke to them with respect and they respected you. It surprised me they never asked

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you for money. You would say, “that’s somebodies brother, son..” I think they just wanted to be near your positive energy like anyone you ever came into contact with. I literally never heard you say a bad word about anyone...In nine months... never! I thought it was so sweet that you always had food in your car trunk for the little homeless critters you would run into while out and about. The day that I was helping you pack your apartment and I came across photographs of Common, Erykah Badu was so cool. I found out you knew all of them, had taken the photos but had never mentioned it to me. I found out you had taken one of the first photos of Nelson Mandela after his release from your mother. You were just the kindest, most modest person I had ever met...and still are to this day.

Even though I would get annoyed with your peanut shells, popcorn, and Cherry Garcia everywhere (usually after I’d cleaned my

place) I always think of you anytime I see them now! When our nation’s first black president was elected and reelected I thought about how proud you would have been. Every time I turn on Jimmy Fallon I know you would be so proud and happy for your friends landing a gig as awesome as The Roots have now. After you passed away there were people from so many walks of life at your memorial.

The Colts and Pacers sent flowers... There were people from the Indianapolis Star, wealthy people, “artsy, creative types”, homeless people there.. I know you would have loved that. You just loved people so much. I will always miss your booming, contagious laugh...your awesome hugs... your sweet, generous heart.

I love you, Rachel

A G R E AT DUDE WHO is M I SS E D. – DAVID LINDQUIST

...I see you in every kitten I’m reluctant to pet due to sneezing but i do anyway. I’ve tried with great success to get much closer to my bro...and you know we had rough spots. I indirectly lean on Sadiki through Facebook often and had no idea he cooked like that. I’m always slobbering on his posts. I’m still single and hope to find HER one day...you beat me to it but I’m determined not to give up on love. It’s out there and we both know its not always obvious. I’m eating vegetarian a few days a week...I think you would be proud of my meatless bites...they are awesome but I’m sure to throw some yard bird in there though. I’m the same Skittz...same belly and i still talk about you with the crew like you just went to Philly to see mom dukes. You’re still here and I could go on for pages on pages on pages...but overall...you continue to touch my life and I feel your presence in many ways my man. You are my muse...my mentor... importance of family stability...genuine love for people...treating the body like a temple...and just representing LOVE at all angles is what I take with me...I owe you my life for that. Holla back when you get a minute. Would be righteous to hear your voice and spin some tunes. I’m off to see my mom in a few. Be easy boss. Gatorade in the fridge...TastyKakes on the counter. Dutchess on the table. Big ass red boots by the door. You are here...ALWAYS. SKITTZ 63

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WORDS BY SHELBY QUINN WALTON PHOTOGRAPHY BY POLINA OSHEROV LAYOUT BY ADAM JOHNSON

THE MANY FORMS OF

APRIL 1, 1981 WAS AS GOOD A DAY AS ANY TO TAKE A CHANCE. ON A DAY RESERVED FOR FOOLS, RICK VALICENTI EMBARKED ON A CAREER THAT OVER TIME WOULD PROVE TO BE ANYTHING BUT IMPRUDENT.

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Graphic identity for Exhibit Columbus, an annual exploration of architecture, art, design, and community that alternates programming between symposium and exhibition years.

If you exist within the realm of graphic design, there is a good chance Rick Valicenti’s work is already on your radar.

However, I do not and it was not, but after mere minutes of research, I could comprehend his renown.

where my mother had moved. It was as good a place as any to set up roots,” says Valicenti.

His entrée into the Chicago visual art scene proved considerably pedestrian, yet was, luckily, short-lived.

Rick Valicenti is an artist. Yes, he is a graphic designer by trade, but there is no denying his creations could hang legitimately in any number of galleries around the globe.

It has been said that graphic designers are not artists — a notion that there is an artistry to what a graphic designer produces, but the final piece delivered to a client is not a piece of art.

“There is artful expression in much that I design individually and in collaboration with others within the Thirst studio,” says Valicenti. “Personally, the space between that which one refers to as design and that which is art oscillates around the origin of the message.”

Basically he breaks it down as this: If the statement originates with the maker, the artifact is art. If it originates with someone else (along with the made expression and the role of the decision-maker), it falls within the realm of design.

Design or art, the work that Valicenti creates and oversees certainly provokes thought and conversation.

Rick Valicenti discovered the world of visual art as a child.

Most of us do, but we usually get our feet wet in our primary school art classes. Growing up in Pittsburgh, Valicenti got his start in a far more illustrious environment.

“When I was in elementary school, on Saturday mornings my mother would drive me to the north side of the city to the Carnegie Institute,” he recalls. “There in the basement I would take drawing lessons. I found out later that Warhol and Pearlstein also studied in that same room.”

From less than humble beginnings, Valicenti would continue his journey of artistic expression throughout adolescence and into his college career at the University of Iowa.

“I was not alive until my freshman year, when I took Art for Non-Majors,” he says. “During the BFA program I took design classes, and in grad school I took a letterpress class at the writer’s workshop. Holding lead type that had already carried many messages before being set to carry my message… that experience remains mind-expanding.”

Valicenti’s love for letterpress, and other media, eventually metamorphosed into a moneymaker.

“When I came back east [after college], I stayed in Chicago

“Doing commercial photography of corn flakes, hot dogs, and beer for ad agencies did not interest me,” Valicenti explains. “Having done letterpress provided me with just enough courage to want to be a designer.”

It didn’t take him long to find the path to more appealing work.

“Three and a half years later I lucked out and found myself as the production and darkroom assistant to one of Chicago’s most respected senior designers who was once in the early

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Limited edition poster series for Indianapolis’ first light festival.

classes of the New Bauhaus. I stayed with Bruce Beck until he retired in 1981. I went out on my own on April Fool’s Day.” There is arguably no more appropriate day for one to set out and start a new business. Foolish as it may have seemed at the time, the brazen 29-year-old Valicenti’s choice to step out on his own eventually paid off in his founding of Thirst studio.

Thirst’s book of work represents an eclectic roster of clients.

His weighty portfolio includes designs for Maya Romanoff, MTV Books, Cards Against Humanity, the Barack Obama Presidential Library, and on. From that truncated list, it is clear to see that Valicenti and his team transcend cultural bounds. They cross the aisle and interconnect us through the common thread of an appreciation of and, aptly, a thirst for good design.

In a world that is often detached and fearful of the other, any medium that highlights commonality while still celebrating originality is crucial. The duty of graphic design in a fractured world is not lost on Valicenti.

“Designers, myself included, can and should use their gift to respond to the world and events around them,” he explains.

“We are both the mirror and the reflection of popular culture.

How we look and how we act as makers and the artifacts and experiences we leave behind is the pulse of civilization.”

Valicenti is game to take on this immense responsibility. His work reflects this onus.

But, Valicenti does not shoulder this duty alone. It is arguable that he is proudest of the pieces on which he has collaborated with Thirst’s designers, perhaps most notably with partners and design principals Bud Rodecker and John Pobojewski.

“Bud proudly tells others that he has only had one design studio interview and it was at Thirst,” Valicenti says.

Rodecker joined the Thirst staff as an intern after graduating from the University of Minnesota Duluth, and “has been a powerful design presence within Thirst, as well as the Chicago design community,” according to Valicenti.

“John Pobojewski is both designer and musician and blurs these sensibilities across all media platforms,” Valicenti says. “Over his thirteen years, John has made remarkable contributions collaboratively and individually to the Thirst canon.”

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These partnerships make Valicenti better. He will be the first to tell you that those with whom he has collaborated have proven to be profoundly influential to his portfolio.

Whether it is developed collaboratively or independently, Valicenti’s work is both distinct and inimitable. Despite his title of graphic designer, there is no question that his work is art. The most seemingly straightforward assignment of a company rebrand oft takes a visceral and haunting turn. But the visceral and haunting are not void of beauty and depth.

If you’re looking for a simple logo tweak, Valicenti may not be your man. If you are open to view your world turned upside down, Valicenti will rise to meet you.

His list of collaborations is impressive. He is proudest of the 52-minute film he created for Herman Miller called Digital Petroglyph. Though that may seem a hard act to follow, Valicenti’s favorite collaborations may come as a surprise.

“I have two and they are both in Indiana,” he recalls.“ Richard McCoy, who heads the Exhibit Columbus architecture initiative, is my favorite client. The other was a woman introduced to me by Richard. Her name is Joanna Nixon, and last summer I delighted myself big time working on the identity, posters, and signage for IN Light IN, the Indianapolis Light Festival. These two clients offered the most amount of joy, respect, and enlightened critique.”

Rick Valicenti is as undefinable as the art he creates. His work is transcendental, important, and beautiful. I won’t insult him or his work by carrying out a vain attempt to sum him up, but I walked away from our conversation knowing one thing for certain: No matter what you call it, art or design, the visual has power. The right piece can transform a novice into a student. It can make us see things from a different perspective. It can persuade us to make a purchase or cut our hair or eat certain foods. The visual can influence and convince and move people to action.

Rick Valicenti understands and respects this power. He uses it carefully. It is this knowledge and pragmatism that make him not only talented, but venerated. ✂

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SOLE PRO PRIETORS

SNEAKERHEADS MIGHT FOREGO THE EASE OF ONLINE BUYING TO GET THEIR KICKS AT SHOPS GEARED TOWARD ATHLETIC SHOE AFICIONADOS. WORDS BY ERIC REES PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELESE BALES LAYOUT BY LINDSAY HADLEY

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For decades, sneakerheads have existed in the perfect intersection of pop culture and mainstream fashion, which is guided by an often unspoken set of rules.

However, thanks to resellers, raffles, and robots, these rules have changed. And a handful of shoe stores and online groups around Indianapolis are working to reclaim the personal experience of shopping for sneaks.

“A hypebeast? That’s someone who wears whatever is hot, whatever is in at the moment,” says Laron Marshall, one of the owners of Grails Inc., a sneaker shop nestled inside Washington Square Mall on Indy’s east side. “Right now that’s a lot of Yeezys, stuff like that. A hypebeast isn’t a sneakerhead though.”

The Urban Dictionary defines a “sneakerhead” as “a person who collects limited, rare, OG, or flat-out exclusive kicks.”

Additional sources cite sneakerheads as those who not only collect these types of shoes, but people who are very knowledgeable about the history of the sneakers and their meaning.

Grails Inc. serves all levels of a sneaker enthusiasts, hoping to be the place where they can find their “grail.”

The name, of course, references the enlightenment one experiences when finding the mythical Holy Grail.

The shop’s walls are lined floor to ceiling with squeakyclean sneakers, but their sheen doesn’t mean they’re all new. Even with curation becoming more and more mainstream, walking into a store like this feels odd in the age of instant gratification.

But that feeling is exactly what Fred Jones and Carl Bradley want people to experience when they step inside The Luxury Sneaker Exchange.

“WE WANTED A MORE TRADITIONAL SHOE STORE EXPERIENCE HERE IN INDY, SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE’RE USED TO AROUND HERE,” JONES SAYS.

seeing—guys in class on days when important shoes were “dropping” at the mall. “You could also hit up the mall a week or two later, walk in, and they’d still have your size,” he recalls.

Now, enterprising sneaker buyers can invest in computer scripts that click “buy now” almost instantly after the website refreshes, snatching up orders solely for the purpose of reselling them at a higher price. It makes exciting shoe launches today feel like an uphill battle.

“We think that there’s a group of sneakerheads out there that are willing to pay to not have to go through all those hoops,” Jones says.

“I think there’s three types of people interested in shoes today,” Marshall explains. He says there are the collectors who go to great lengths to preserve their shoes, often spending hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on a particularly rare drop. Then there’s the quickly growing culture of resellers who invest in web scripts programmed to click website buttons as fast as possible when a shoe launches. Lastly, there are the personal collectors who pick and choose which shoes to chase, for various reasons that have importance to them, such as a favorite team or player.

The Luxury Sneaker Exchange and Grails Inc. are both places that sneakerheads can shop at and be amongst their own, trading stories of successful purchases and debating the merits of different shoes.

The shop’s pool table, big screen television, and constant banter within invite customers in, and Jones and Bradley further that welcoming feeling by being the go-to guys for shoes. Bradley wants to know your shoe size and what brands and colors you like, so when you’re building your outfit (literally from the ground up), you’ll have whatever you need. It’s a personal touch that is at odds with today’s online raffle systems and robots that accompany high-profile shoe drops.

At The Luxury Sneaker Exchange, consignment is a big portion of their business model, giving sneakerheads a cut of profits whenever their shoe sells through the store. It may seem an interesting choice in a time when hypebeasts seem to be dominating the sneaker culture and driving up prices. But Bradley says you can tell when someone is just in it for the money: “There’s a pretty clear line between a businessman and a sneakerhead,”

The elevation of sneaker culture to mainstream status in today’s Internet-connected age comes with a new set of rules for copping those shoes you want.

Bradley remembers his school days, seeing—or not

While the definition of a sneakerhead seems to be constantly debated, but these shop owners tend to agree on the following few descriptors: Sneakerheads build their outfits from the ground up; they remove the tissue

paper from the shoe box for better shoe preservation; and they pack considerably more sneakers than needed whenever traveling.

“FRED’S GOT A WHOLE EXTRA LUGGAGE BAG HE TAKES WITH HIM,” BRADLEY SAYS, LAUGHING. The most consistent trait of sneakerheads is having a favorite shoe for which they’re always searching, or one they already have. Jones, a former Indiana Pacer, All-Star Slam Dunk champion, and Oregon Duck already found his. They’re enshrined in a glass case at the front of The Luxury Sneaker Exchange, directly underneath his Dunk Competition Trophy. His happens to be a pair of custom, white Jordan 4s with the Oregon shade of green highlighting different sections of the shoes.

As for Jones’ favorite feature of his prized kicks?

“Gotta be the dunking duck on the back,” he says.

“We made the Jordan logo, but with a duck head and they didn’t like that. You can do anything you want to shoes, but they won’t let you change the Jumpman [Nike logo].”

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OH CEY CAN YOU SEE Cey Adams, a New York City native, emerged from the downtown graffiti movement to exhibit alongside fellow artists, Jean Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. Cey’s work explores the relationship between transformation and discovery. His practice involves dismantling various imagery and paper elements to build mul8ple layers of color, texture, shadow and light. Cey draws inspiration from 60s pop art, sign painting, comic books and popular culture. His work focuses on themes including pop culture, race and gender relations, cultural and community issues.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY POLINA OSHEROV LAYOUT BY AMY MCADAMS-GONZALES

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“ N O T W O PA I N T I N G S A R E I D E N T I C A L , B U T E A C H S H A R E S T H E

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S A M E N U M B E R O F S TA R S A N D S A M E N U M B E R O F S T R I P E S . ”

“THE FLAGS ON VIEW HERE ARE CERTAINLY A TESTAMENT TO THE POWER

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OF AN ICONIC IMAGE ACROSS A SOCIETY THAT IS SO DIVERSE.”

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MY WORK HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT COMMUNICATION. WHEN I WAS YOUNGER IT WAS ABOUT EXPRESSING THOSE IDEAS THROUGH THE USE OF A SPRAY CAN. GRAFFITI REPRESENTED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRANSFORMATION AND DISCOVERY. COLORFUL BEAUTY AND THE POWERFUL FREEDOM OF CREATING POSITIVE ENERGY FROM NOTHING IN NEW YORK CITY. TODAY MY MISSION IS EXPANDING…EDUCATION IS THE CENTERPIECE OF MY ART PRACTICE. EXCHANGING IDEAS THROUGH COMMUNITY, TOUCHING SOULS AND MOVING OBSTACLES TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MYSELF AND OTHERS. I USE MY JOURNEY THROUGH GRAFFITI, GRAPHIC DESIGN, AND HIP HOP TO TEACH YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF OUR CULTURE, BLACK CULTURE. ART IS A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE, I’M VERY FORTUNATE TO BE A CULTURAL AMBASSADOR. CEY ADAMS

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Big Daddy Kane.

This was the shot on the cover of my first hip-hop book. He was one of the best rappers of his era. People really respected him.

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TEXT BY POLINA OSHEROV LAYOUT BY AMY MCADAMS-GONZALES

For the record.

From Debbie Harry to Run DMC, photography rockstarJanetteBeckmanrecallsthe experiencesbehindsomeofhermost iconic images.

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Debbie Harry.

Run-D.M.C.

I took this photo in Debbie’s hotel room at about ten in the morning. She’d done her own hair and makeup. I love this image, because she looks so fragile. Beautiful and yet fragile.

This was a commission for British magazine The Face. The band was brand new, still underground in 1984. In a time before email or Internet, I called a phone number that was Jam Master Jay’s house, and he asked me to meet him at the Hollis subway stop. I took the subway, no assistant, just me and my Hasselblad. I got out at the stop and met ‘Jay,’ who proceeds to walk me down to this nice treelined suburban street, where there’s bunch of guys just hanging out. So I pull out my camera and shoot about three rolls of film. I knew right away that these were going to be great. The dappled light, what they were wearing—just the whole casualness of it. It turned out to be one of my most iconic shots, and one of the most popular ones in terms of sales. It’s hell to print though.

Salt ’N’ Pepa.

LL Cool J.

A British magazine hired me to shoot this up-and-coming music group. We met at my apartment on Avenue B and spent a day wandering around on the Lower East Side on a hot summer day, taking snaps.

He walked into my studio with Bill (Adler), who was the press officer at Def Jam. I had my seamless setup and was setting up the lights. He must have been about seventeen years old, carrying that large boom box.

They were really cool girls, like two sisters goofing around, giggling, dancing. And then they asked me, “Can you be our photographer for our first record?”

“Sure!” I said. So they introduced me to their manager Hurby “Luv Bug,” Azor who happened to manage a bunch of other hip-hop artists, and I ended up shooting them as well.

This particular image is now in The National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

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I think it was his first official photo shoot.

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Ledfoot.

Boy George.

I was in Reykjavík, Iceland, for an exhibition and ended up doing a photo shoot that featured down jackets for a men’s magazine. We needed models, so I cast Ledfoot musician, Tim Scott McConnell, who was playing in a club there. I hadn’t seen Tim since I photographed him in 1982, when he was in a rockabilly band called Levi and the Rockats. We did the shoot in the old shipyard outside the hotel.

It was 1981. Punk was waning and New Wave was coming in. Boy George used to stop by my friend’s jewelry store all the time.

I was working at the weekly paper Melody Maker then. Culture Club (Boy George’s band) had its first single coming out, so we put him on the cover that week. And “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” went to number-one on the charts.

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José James.

Keith Haring.

I’ve been photographing jazz singer José James for a few years. We made a book about the first year he was signed to Blue Note Records. I photographed him and his band backstage, on tour, writing songs and recording in the studio. He wrote a diary to go with the photos—a record of the life of a musician.

In 1985 I went to Keith Haring’s studio to photograph him for a New York Sunday magazine. I had seen him painting in the subway and loved his work. We hung out all afternoon taking photographs of his art and the studio. It was a great day.

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Demonstrators.

Since the election last November I have been documenting the demonstrations.

This is what democracy looks like.

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HOW TO CANVAS A CITY

LIBRARY STREET COLLECTIVE’S PUBLIC ART PROJECTS ARE PAINTING DETROIT IN A NEW LIGHT. WORDS BY BURTON RUNYAN + PHOTOGRAPHY BY ESTHER BOSTON It’s two in the morning on Division Street in the heart of Detroit, circa 2005. A young artist works by moonlight, rapidly and with purpose. Her canvas: the northeast side of an old electronics warehouse. It was one of the last buildings on the street where people still showed up faithfully every morning, but it, too, has now chained its doors with a padlock.

The artist wears a bandana over her face, partially to prevent paint fumes from overcoming her as she rattle can sprays paint across the bare brick, and partially to prevent identification if a car were to roll down the alley before she had finished her masterpiece. She isn’t worried, though. Even the police have given up on this street. But she hasn’t. She sees potential where others see irreparable blight.

“Artists are drawn to challenges, to a story, to conflicted places, to cities that need beauty and attention,” says Anthony Curis.

He and his wife JJ own Library Street Collective, a gallery in Detroit representing artists who push the boundaries of traditional medium and exhibition space. Many of their artists are known for large-scale street artworks, and Library Street Collective facilitates public art murals and activates spaces throughout the city as part of the growing revitalization of Detroit.

JJ, previously a CPA, seems to know exactly where art and business overlap—a necessity when running a gallery representing major artists such as Shepard Fairy, Ryan McGinness, and Futura (Futura 2000). Even though JJ didn’t have any formal artistic background, she had been involved with the Indianapolis Museum of Art as a child growing up in Indy.

Anthony doesn’t have a traditional background in art either. But his experience in real estate development seems appropriate, since the gallery he owns is having a major effect on the growth of the area.

When they first opened a fine art gallery in Detroit, representing some of the world’s top artists, people told them they were crazy. But Anthony offers an easy explanation why he and JJ find it so important to embrace such art. “[Public art] becomes the first step in focusing energy into a particular area – it’s something that adds vibrancy, emotion, and conversation,” he explains. “Art alone can’t revitalize a city, but I don’t think rebuilding can be done well without art.”

Detroit, through all its ups and downs over the last fifty years, is a perfect example of the blank canvas so many artists are looking for. Affordable spaces allow working artists to find the community they thrive on. Together, they work on conceptual ideas, share experiences, and provide honest critiques and inspiration. And in the age of social media, artists no longer need to live in major art markets like Los Angeles and New York to sell work. It would seem the mobility and globalization that contributed to the downfall

of so many of the Midwest manufacturing-based economies, provided—in a beautiful symbiosis—the very ability for artists to reclaim those spaces.

With the influx of new artists, Library Street Collective has found ways to facilitate various public art projects. Some are simply large-scale murals curated by the gallery.

Others such as The BELT (a culturally redefined alleyway in the heart of an old garment manufacturing district) serve as a sort of rotating outdoor exhibition space—a gallery for expansive artworks where, when an “exhibit” is finished, the canvas is reclaimed and reworked by another artist—mirroring the very reclamation the city is currently focused on.

Some projects push even further past the traditional boundaries of an art gallery.

“If we have an artist coming into town, for example, it’s a great time to do something completely new and interesting for the city,” Curis says.

A ten-story parking garage called The Z hosts mural work by more than 20 artists, and combines retail and restaurant space with the garage. Other major projects are on the horizon, such as a large-scale riverfront project that will merge the visual arts with action sports, which will be conceptualized and designed by one of the artists represented

by Library Street Collective.

It seems in the last five years, the city has seen a sort of artistic revival. As businesses return to Detroit, they’re recognizing the benefit of contributing to the art scene. By commissioning large murals of their own, they help build a community, encouraging growth.

Artists that once used abandoned building-scapes for their massive works, now find even more canvases in new construction. It would seem while the City of Detroit is working to prune back the decay, more and more inhabitants of the city are finding budding areas worth saving.

“I’m sure if this city didn’t have the historic importance it does, the grand architecture, the manufacturing history; the fairly clear understanding of many of the things that went wrong and a social obligation to figure out how to fix it so it doesn’t happen again—it might have been more easily forgotten,” says Curis.

But it wasn’t forgotten. With help from artists, as well as art facilitators like businesses and galleries, Detroit is being recast as a place of hope, passion, and perseverance.

Back on Division Street, another street artist, this time commissioned by the city, puts the finishing touches on his latest work, painted on the northeast side of an old electronics warehouse. As he packs his spray guns and paints, he admires the slightly faded rattle-can work of a fellow graffitist from years before, displayed next to his in this beautifully shared gallery space curated by the very creators that leave their mark here. ✂ 114 PATTERN VOLUME NO. 11

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SCOTT HOCKING IS A COLLECTOR OF ALL THINGS HIDDEN AND FORGOTTEN, CREATING SITE-SPECIFIC SCULPTURAL INSTALLATIONS USING FOUND OBJECTS. THE DETROITBASED ARTIST AND PHOTOGRAPHER ALSO DOCUMENTS URBAN LANDSCAPES, ABANDONED BUILDINGS, AND SIGNS OF DECAY IN LOVING DETAIL. THIS ONGOING SERIES IS CALLED DETROIT NIGHTS. WORDS BY POLINA OSHEROV DESIGN BY LINDSAY HADLEY

I WAS INTRODUCED TO HOCKING’S WORK IN INDY LAST FALL WHEN BIG CAR’S TUBE FACTORY ARTSPACE HOSTED HIS INSTALLATION OF ITEMS SCAVANGED FROM THE FORMER RCA MANUFACTURING PLANT COMPLEX ON THE EAST SIDE. But this time was different. I was thrilled by the chance to meet Hocking in person on his home turf in Detroit.

He invited me to his studio, north of downtown on an eerily quiet street. Old brick homes shared the block with boarded-up businesses, and a gas station on the corner.

Hocking’s studio turned out to be a two-story brick warehouse. Its street-facing walls wore colorful murals, while the others stood guarded behind a forbidding metal fence topped with barbed wire.

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A quick glance around the yard confirmed Hocking’s reputation as both a collector and a scavenger. Old cars, odd-shaped metal objects, tools, lumber, hoses, tires, and other hard-to-identify objects covered every available bit of space that was not already taken up by unrecognizable machinery in varying stages of rust.

Inside the warehouse, which Hocking shares with another artist, was even more congested with wondrous refuse. Old books, ornate frames devoid of pictures, vintage car hoods, a life-size plastic giraffe, ropes, ladders, road signs, and large chunks of melted Styrofoam, reminiscent of human entrails that Hocking salvaged for the RCA installation in Indianapolis. These parts and pieces spilled onto every inch of floor, and up the wall, and to the ceiling. Just a narrow path snaked through the maze of his collection, allowing visitors to circumnavigate the space while staring slack-jawed at so much unexplained detritus. I could have spent hours quizzing him on the provenance of each object.

Except, he distracted me by pulling out a box of his photographic prints.

I LEARNED THAT HOCKING, A LOVER OF SOLITUDE AND NIGHTTIME ADVENTURES THAT FEW PEOPLE WOULD DARE BRAVE ON THEIR OWN, HAS BEEN PHOTOGRAPHING DETROIT’S URBAN PRAIRIES SINCE THE NINETIES. His work is not limited to shooting just in his hometown, but Detroit does make up the bulk of his portfolio.

Hocking did not start thinking of these nighttime captures as a series until the mid-2000s, but since then has built up an impressive collection of photos that perfectly capture the eerie and desolate corners of Detroit. We culled a small selection of these images to share with you.

For a more extensive view of Hocking’s incredible body of work, visit SCOTTHOCKING.COM. Though it’s not the same as walking amid his installations and collections or chatting with him personally, this online gallery offers an inspired sampling of what awaits you in the Motor City.

Detroit

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Detroit

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PATTERN TRAVELS TO AMERICA’S COMEBACK CITY TO FIND THE ARTISTS BREATHING LIFE BACK INTO DETROIT.

RENAISSANCE

FAIRE

SYDNEY JAMES RANDAL JACOBS

ROSLYN KARAMOKO

LAURA MOTT

TIFF MASSEY

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WORDS BY SHAUTA MARSH + PHOTOGRAPH BY NICOLA KUPERUS

LAURA MOTT

SHOWCASING VARIED THEMES AMONG DETROIT ARTISTS

Some might think the contemporary art curators to watch are all in New York or Los Angeles. But they’d be wrong.

Discover Detroit’s Laura Mott. Curator of contemporary art and design at Cranbrook Art Museum, Mott has authored projects over the past three years that rival anything happening on the coasts.

Just a half-hour drive from the heart of the Motor City, up Woodward Avenue, the urban ruin and renewal drama plays out neighborhood by neighborhood. Detroit remains a complicated yet amazing city, which is exactly what drew Mott to the museum.

“When I came to be the curator at Cranbrook, it was equal parts wanting to work at such a venerable institution and wanting to work with Detroit,” says Mott.

She explains that there’s always been tension (especially in the later part of the twentieth Century) between Detroit and the suburbs. But when she started to investigate the art scene here, Mott learned that a good number of important Detroit artists had studied at Cranbrook, and the academy had contributed to the community for decades.

“Programmatically, we’ve been proactively and consistently staging projects and events in Detroit for the last few years, like Nick Cave and The Truth Booth (our current exhibition with The Cause Collection),” says Mott.

And she did a salon series called the Detroit Bluestockings Crew that led feminist discussions in different locations.

But long before making her way to Detroit, Mott spent seven years in New York — eventually working with Lawrence Rinder to curate for the Whitney Museum of American Art 2002 Biennial. Then, before moving to Sweden to work, she spent three years in San Francisco at the nonprofit art center, Mission 17.

While these experiences greatly informed Mott’s practice, growing up in inner-city Houston likely set her on the path for navigating complicated issues such as race and class in her curatorial work of selecting, organizing, and assembling exhibitions with visual artists.

“My parents made a strong position against the kind of racial injustice that was part of the legacy of the South,” Mott says. “My father remembers segregation. My mom worked with Cesar Chavez when she was younger. We were always boycotting things like grapes and lettuce over immigrant workers’ rights. So, from a young age, I understood — as citizens — we have a very important role.”

In contemporary art, challenging ideas are often confronted and difficult conversations are instigated, says Mott.

“I have been granted a level of understanding and comfort in dealing with complicated dynamics because I grew up in a home like that,” she says.

While her projects revolve around identity and place, Mott does not confine her work or begin projects with

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those themes in mind.

“It all begins with the art I see in studios, exhibitions, lectures, and publications. Through the constant act of looking, connections are made and an idea will start to germinate,” she explains. “Then the research process begins. Sometimes this takes form as a single artist project, other times as a large, thematic exhibition with multiple artists—that is my own creative endeavor.”

Some of those similar themes still figure heavily into Mott’s current efforts.

“Place is extremely important, especially since I work at an artistically significant institution like Cranbrook, and within historically rich Detroit. Ultimately what lands on the exhibition schedule are projects that we feel are important to our community.”

She believes art is a powerful conduit for conversation and dealing with polarizing issues.

“It’s something else. It’s within the realm of poetry and music; it’s interpretative. Really that’s where the human mind is in top form, when it is challenged and heightened,” she explains. “When dealing with complicated ideas, it makes sense that complicated forms are born from them. When you create, observe, and interpret, you are exercising parts of your brain that often also touches on emotions like empathy.”

“THE ONLY WAY TO FUNCTION IS PUSHING YOURSELF FORWARD, AND ART IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS MOMENTUM.”

She says this helps people understand others and the world in a different way.

“I have to be an optimist, especially working in a city like Detroit,” Mott says. “Otherwise, if you spend your time just looking at data, things would feel impossible. You can feel paralyzed. The only way to function is pushing yourself forward, and art is an important part of this momentum.”

When she got to Cranbrook, Mott spent a few years investigating and learning about the community. She didn’t feel pressure to maintain a balance between working with local artists and national artists.

embargo Cuba, and contemporary Greece. This latest exhibition, titled Landlord Colors, will look closely at the artistic decisions of material choice. It will open in about year.

A research-intensive project, this one takes a serious look at Detroit work and connects it to other artworks of equal fascination.

“I needed to spend several years here before taking on a project with this kind of focus,” says Mott. ”I had to let the art here give me the idea.”

“There are a lot of great Detroit artists, so I’m drawn to working with many of them simply out of genuine interest in their work,” says Mott.

But when she first arrived in Detroit, it was clear from conversations that Detroit Artists weren’t interested in being lumped together in a group show under the heading Detroit Artists. So she began curating local artists into thematic group shows, inviting them to do performances and stage interventions in the museum. Mott gave them a lot of artistic freedom and respected their individual practice.

WORDS BY ALLY DENTON + PHOTOGRAPHY BY ESTHER BOSTON

This approach by Mott led to her next big project—a deep dive into Detroit art from the 1960s to the present, in relationship to four other global art scenes generated by the post-economic collapse. They are: Italy’s Arte Povera, Korea’s Dansaekhwa movement, recent decades of

TIFF MASSEY

AN ARTIST EXPLORES DETROIT’S CONFLICTING NARRATIVES

Tiff Massey is an artist in every sense of the word. A sculptor, contemporary jeweler, and musician, Massey constantly pushes the boundaries of what it means to be a creator in today’s culture.

“I compartmentalize my different art forms,” says Massey.

“But my latest music and visual art project, Detroit is Black, was the first time I saw them blending together. For me, that’s the new direction I want to go with my work.”

Even with a focus on more performative, cross-disciplinary projects, Massey’s artistic roots remain grounded in contemporary art jewelry. Her fondness of jewelry dates back to her childhood—memories of shopping with her father and being surrounded by materials that continue to inspire her today, gold and diamonds.

“This was the 80s, so jewelry was widely influenced by hip-hop, and the scale of jewelry was very large,” Massey says. “It was the origin of contemporary bling, and it was pivotal in the way I think about my work.”

But when the size constraints of jewelry are too small to satisfy Massey’s artistic message, she turns to sculpture to create large-scale, experiential pieces. Which explains her newfound desire to seek more public installation projects this year.

“I want to give a true narrative of what’s happening in Detroit. Who controls the narrative is something that’s of interest to me. And more public sculptures participating in that realm are important,” says Massey.

“IT WAS THE ORIGIN OF CONTEMPORARY BLING, AND IT WAS PIVOTAL IN THE WAY I THINK ABOUT MY WORK.”

Growing up in Detroit and still there as an adult, Massey finds the it to be the inspiration and subject of much of her art. She calls attention to the stark juxtaposition of new and old in the city she calls home. A recent surge in economic and cultural development means that new buildings, businesses, and events have edged their way into the Detroit landscape. But according to Massey, not all these developments serve to benefit the community, especially its original residents.

“Where are the jobs that go with this new development? Who is this really benefiting?” she asks. “We

don’t have schools in the city; a lot of them are closing this year. How can you talk about a new restaurant that serves small plates when the kids don’t even have a school to go to?”

The tensions of race, class, and the intersection of the two are exactly the issues Massey explores in her art. By examining these subjects through the lenses of the African diaspora and life in Detroit, the viewers of Massey’s works are confronted with the same questions of narrative ownership that seemingly drive her work.

“IT’S ALL ABOUT BUILDING A COMMUNITY. JUST BECAUSE YOU BUILT A NEW BUILDING DOESN’T MEAN ANYTHING FOR THE CITY.”

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Despite her concerns, Massey hopes everyone there will come together. “I really want people to be vested in Detroit instead of invested,” says Massey. “It’s all about building a community. Just because you built a new building doesn’t mean anything for the city. A city doesn’t exist without people, and community is always what has kept Detroit alive.”

With people like Massey in Detroit’s corner, it’s hard to see the city going anywhere but in a positive, more inclusive direction in the years to come. At least for Massey and her ever-evolving artwork, the future is promising.

SYDNEY JAMES FROM ILLUSTRATIONS TO FINE ART TO SKETCHES TO PAINTS, THE WORKS OF SYDNEY JAMES ARE AS FULL OF LIFE AND AMBITION AS THE ARTIST HERSELF

“I’ve been drawing since I was three,” says Sydney James during a recent conversation at a downtown Detroit watering hole.

It’s easy to imagine this 37-year-old artist as a precocious toddler. Freckles pepper her nose and cheeks, like those on a kid who’s spent all summer running through a sprinkler, and her smile is as wide as it is frequent.

It was, no doubt, the same smile that spread across her young face when she took a sketch she’d done of Smurf villain Gargamel into the kitchen to proudly show off. Astonished by the likeness, her mother made her redo the drawing to prove it hadn’t been traced.

Four years later, after much encouragement from her mother and teachers alike, James became a prodigy of her local art world, attending extension classes at

“WHEN AN ILLUSTRATOR MAKES THE TRANSITION TO FINE ART, THERE’S SOMETHING MORE PRECISE ABOUT THE LOOK, BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT WE’RE TAUGHT.” WORDS BY GABRIELLE POSHADLO + PHOTOGRAPH BY ESTHER BOSTON Detroit’s College for Creative Studies (CSS) a full two years before she should have been permitted. “I snuck in,” she says giggling, her speckled nose scrunched with mischief.

The woman seated beside me recalling this story is a rarity in Detroit, in that she makes a living on her art alone; gallery shows are comingled with steady commissions for large-scale murals from corporate patrons such as General Motors, the U.S. Government, and real estate development company, Bedrock. With an early start like she described, her entrepreneurial status might seem preordained, but much like the sculpted nature of the portraits for which she’s become known, James’s career trajectory has been anything but flat.

After graduating from CCS with a fine arts degree and an illustration concentration, she began her career as an art director at an advertising agency.

“There I learned an important equation,” she says. “Art plus the entertainment industry equals big success.”

With that realization, James moved to California with the dream of selling a cartoon concept to television networks. As she struggled to break into animation under the mentorship of Hollywood animator Lyndon Barrois, friends who needed artwork for gallery shows assumed her drawing abilities must mean she could paint, and so she learned.

All the while, she seized each visit home to Conant Gardens, a historic neighborhood on Detroit’s east side, as an opportunity to beautify the landscape. Her installations of painted doors embedded in the ground in a vacant lot still stands.

“When an illustrator makes the transition to fine art, there’s something more precise about the look, because that’s what we’re taught,” James says. “What I had to learn was how to mess up that precision.”

WORDS BY ABBY GARDNER + PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMIE WINTERS

“MOVING TO DETROIT FOUR YEARS AGO OPENED MY EYES TO AMERICA.”

RANDAL JACOBS

RANDAL JACOBS CREATES RELEVANT ART WITH SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS AND PERSONAL INSIGHT

“Creator” is the first word Randal Jacobs uses to describe himself. But the man wears many hats, so to speak. He’s also a stylist, collaboration artist, and a curator working in textiles, design, fashion, and clothing.

Last spring he curated a project that involved a display of hats for Harlem’s famed Red Rooster restaurant. The exhibit, of sorts, was shown from April through January.

(Jacobs currently is in negotiations to take the show to London.)

“There’s a historian in Harlem who’s also a collector with more than 500 vintage hats,” says Jacobs. “I selected about 25 and installed them throughout the restaurant.

It was a beautiful project, and I’d never done anything in such an odd space. I learned a lot about food in the process, and smells, and how to protect the hats.”

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The 36-year-old says he has come into his own as an artist, no longer afraid of what people think, including the corporate clients he often works for as a still life stylist.

He tries to be as progressive in his thoughts and concept as possible.

“I’m not a fan of just creating for creation’s sake,” he says.

“In the spaces I form, I want people to feel enchanted—but more than that, I want them to feel transported—giving people what they don’t even know they want. I’m even pushing myself and my own boundaries.”

One of Jacobs’ most recent works holds particular relevance in the current political climate. A soon-to-be unveiled collaboration with photographer Jesse Winter, it examines people’s relationship with the American flag.

The origins of the project likely took shape when Jacobs came to Detroit in 2013, after years of living in the Big Apple and working for magazines such as GQ. “Moving to Detroit four years ago opened my eyes to America,” Jacobs says.

After spending time in New York working on the hat exhibit, he started to notice—in a more pointed way—the mixed ethnicities of his friends there. He also realized that many of those of color had a very different relationship with the American flag than his caucasian friends. And with that observation, a photography project was born.

Jacobs and Winter photographed about 15 friends with the flag, allowing them to choose how to display it in each

photo. He also documented conversations about what the flag symbolizes for each subject.

“Doing the series, I realized that I hadn’t really dealt with my own prejudices,” Jacobs says. “In talking to my friends during this project about stuff we hadn’t really talked about before, I learned a lot about myself and why, in a lot of diverse communities, patriotism means something so different.”

He says for his white friends it was a symbol of freedom and exploration. But for his friends of color, it was more reflective and pensive, not anger, but an apathy.

While he was in the process of working on the project, the nation had become obsessed with opinions on NFL player Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the National Anthem.

“I realized I wasn’t crazy; this was something,” he says.

These are interesting times we are living in, and creators such as Randal Jacobs are here to interpret and document them. And just maybe along the way, they’ll open someone’s eyes to a perspective they hadn’t considered before.

Though Jacobs’ advice to emerging artists seems appropriate in any time period: “Never stop creating,” he says.

“The mainstream will catch up.”

ROSLYN KARAMOKO FASHION, ART, AND COMMUNITY COLLIDE IN LOCAL DESIGNER’S RETAIL SPACE

Roslyn Karamoko might not be a Detroit native, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more committed Motor City champion. In fact, Karamoko’s Seattle roots and years spent living in both New York City and Singapore make her loyalty to Detroit that much more admirable.

When she moved to Detroit in 2013, in the words of Karamoko, “it was still early.” Her friends and family called her crazy, but Karamoko saw something else—opportunity.

“I wanted to stand up for it,” says Karamoko. “I’m always a champion for the underdog.”

with open arms. The community-minded brand she brought to life now had a home base in which that same community could flourish.

“Fashion and art and these sorts of finer things can be very intimidating. The idea is to create this high-end experience that’s accessible to everyone,” she says.

The retail space in midtown features a variety of goods from Detroit-centric brands. From leather goods and vegan makeup, to clothing by Tracy Reese and artwork by local designers, Détroit Is The New Black offers a shopping experience where everyone can feel comfortable.

“You can buy an $11 lip gloss or you can buy a $20,000 piece of art from the back of the store,” says Karamoko.

“Everyone can see themselves here. It’s vibey.”

So, what’s next for Karamoko? She reiterates that with so many things up in the air for our country, she’s not trying to get ahead of herself. That said, her brand and the powerful movement it’s fostering isn’t going anywhere.

“As long as I love it and people are responding to it, there’s a need for it,” Karamoko says. “And I’m going to do it.”

And that’s exactly what she is doing with her brand Détroit Is The New Black. And no, the accent in Détroit is not a typo. Karamoko purposely crafted her brand name around the French spelling of the city—a nod to Detroit’s history as a French settlement. It’s also her way of bringing attention to a different side of the city—one that’s more chic and cosmopolitan than the city typically gets noticed for.

WORDS BY ALLY DENTON + PHOTOGRAPH BY ESTHER BOSTON

“Gritty is the Detroit brand. I thought it would be interesting to turn this on its head,” Karamoko says.

She printed the new phrase on a batch of 15 t-shirts and gave them away to her friends as holiday gifts. By the following spring, word had spread about Detroit’s newest local pride brand, and the shirts alone became sparking conversation pieces.

“People were stopped on the street and asked ‘What does that mean?’ ‘What is Détroit?’ We didn’t know it was French,” says Karamoko. “It allowed people across so many different backgrounds to connect.”

And for Karamoko, that means of expression and connection is the power of fashion itself. The namesake of her brand invites a closer look at what’s happening in Detroit socially, politically, and in terms of a cultural movement. Karamoko sees these nuances in the phrase as an inclusive way for everyone to participate in the conversation.

That’s why when Karamoko decided to open a retail space of the same name in 2015, it was welcomed

“FASHION AND ART AND THESE SORTS OF FINER THINGS CAN BE INTIMIDATING.THE IDEA IS TO CREATE THIS HIGH-END EXPERIENCE THAT’S ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE.” 133 133

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SUNDAZE lingerie lounging for the springtime PHOTOGRAPHY BY POLINA OSHEROV STYLING BY AUBREY SMITH HAIR BY PHILLIP SALMON MAKEUP BY KATHY MOBERLY MODEL: TYRIE R. (LMODELZ MANAGEMENT)

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I MET J. LOREN DESIGNER, HARRIETTE THOMAS, AT THE DIASPORA FASHION SHOW IN MINNEAPOLIS IN 2014. WE HIT IT OFF IMMEDIATELY. WHEN I MENTIONED IN PASSING THAT I’D ALWAYS WANTED TO DO AN EDITORIAL FASHION SHOOT IN NEW YORK CITY, SHE OFFERED TO LET ME BORROW CLOTHING FROM HER COLLECTION WHENEVER I DECIDED TO DO IT. I WAS AMAZED BY HER GENEROSITY AND KEPT IN TOUCH WITH HER AFTER THE EVENT.

Then last fall, there I was during New York Fashion Week, running from show to show, trying to figure out how I could also pull off the fashion shoot that I’ve always dreamed of doing on the streets of New York City. I know! I know! Trying to squeeze in a photo shoot in the middle of that event was not exactly practical, and I had neither the budget for a big crew or a fancy location, nor the time to file for permits. But I did have a couple of things going for me — good friends whom I knew from Indy who were living in Manhattan — photographer Al Bracken and hairstylist Dereq Clark — and model Rocky Hes, with whom I had worked on previous NYFW shows. And then there were the beautiful clothes from the J. Loren collection.

I love J. Loren’s aesthetic and the brand’s use of texture and finishes. Think: luxurious leathers, fun fringes, and lots of unconventional materials paired with artsy, cultural embellishments. (One married mesh with patent leather.) With such a playful and captivating collection, how could I go wrong? Is was just a matter of modeling and staging her work at that point. I imagined the women typically wearing J. Loren love glamour and drama born of nightly escapades. They indulge in fabulous dinner parties or cocktail hours before dancing the night away. All the J. Loren pieces tell the story of love and laughter. These are not the stodgy crisp linens and belted denims for beach house brunches in the Hamptons. Far from it.

As it turns out, the wealth of amazing designs more than made up for the dearth of dollars and the constraints that created. My shoot on a shoestring budget was a tremendous success.

We ended up in the Meatpacking District and nailed some phenomenal shots. The moral of the story is that all that truly matters is vision, creativity, and hard work — mixed with a good measure of great relationships with other talented creatives.

The day after our shoot I returned the clothing to Harriette, and we grabbed lunch to catch up on NYFW and the shoot. As we sat in her office, within the Garment District, and laughed about all of the craziness of our lives, I realized that I was living out my dream. Just as I’ve designed it.

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Photography by Cristiano Morroy Photography Assistant Sebastian Montalvo Gray Styling by Carol Deelay Styling Assistant Laura Olivia Kaplan Model: Park Hee Hyun | Major Models Hair by Will Schaedler Makeup by Yezica Tutic Layout by Stacey McClure

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Casablanca

GREEN JUMPSUIT, AUM-COUTURE STRIPED BLOUSE, MARC JACOBS TAPESTRY, URBAN OUTFITTERS RED FLOWER SCARF, URBAN OUTFITTERS NECKLACES, ANTHROPOLOGIE LEATHER BRACELETS, SPRAGWERKS GOLDEN BRACELETS, ALEXIS BITTAR SCARF AS HEADBAND, GIORGIO ARMANI FLOWERS, FLOWER CHILDREN ONLY

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<<<<<<<<<< GOLDEN JACKET, NICOLE MILLER LACE SKIRT, MADE FOR PEARL NAVY KIMONO, ANNA SUI SCARVES, KENZO EARRINGS, ALEXIS BITTAR BRACELETS, MARIA RUDMAN

NAVY BLOUSE, MADE FOR PEARL PRINT LONG SKIRT, MADE FOR PEARL FRINGE PONCHO, URBAN OUTFITTERS SANDALS, URBAN OUTFITTERS SCARF, ANTHROPOLOGIE NECKLACE, ANTHROPOLOGIE BELT, GELAREH FLORAL CROWNS, FLOWER CHILDREN ONLY

>>>>>>>>>>

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•••••••• BLACK CROCHET TUNIC, MADE FOR PEARL KNITTING PONCHO, MALENE BIRGER STAIRWAY SILVER CUFF, ANNDRA NEEN BRACELETS, URBAN OUTFITTERS NECKLACES, FREE PEOPLE RING, YOSSI HARARI

LEOPARD VEST, DIANA ROSH ORIENTAL SKIRT, DURO OLOWU LONG POLKA-DOT SKIRT, MICHAEL KORS FLARE PANTS, MADE FOR PEARL CUFFS, ANNDRA NEEN NECKLACES, ALDO

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PRINT BLOUSE, AUM-COUTURE EMBROIDERED CORSELET, DORIN NEGRAU PRINT SKIRT, PETER PILOTTO PRINT GREY SCARF, DIANA ROSH BRACELETS, FREE PEOPLE PRINT SCARF AS HEADBAND, MARC JACOBS

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THE X FACTOR LAUNCH PARTY OUR MILESTONE ISSUE LAUNCH PARTY WAS MONUMENTAL! HOSTED BY BIG CAR AT THEIR TUBE FACTORY ARTSPACE IN GARFIELD PARK, AND PRESIDED OVER BY DJS LOCKSTAR AND LIMELIGHT, OVER 400 PEOPLE CAME OUT TO CELEBRATE OUR 5TH BIRTHDAY WITH US. THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE TO THANK WHO MAKE PATTERN AND PATTERN MAGAZINE POSSIBLE, BUT YOU ALL KNOW WHO YOU ARE! THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND TALENTS. YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!

OP ED

A City’s Magnetic Pull IN 1867, MARK TWAIN AND A GROUP OF TRAVELERS PILED ONTO A former Civil War ship to sail Europe and the Holy Land. He recounted the trip in The Innocents Abroad.

“TRAVEL IS FATAL TO PREJUDICE, BIGOTRY, AND NARROWmindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts,” Twain observed. “Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

I THINK WE NEED TO GET OUT MORE. I’VE GRAVITATED TOWARD CITIES SINCE I WAS A CHILD, WHEN MY GRANDMOTHER would take me downtown on the bus. Indianapolis is a different place than it was in the mid-1970s, but I still feel the same connection I did back then. It’s a sense of place, of history, of community.

CITIES ARE OUR CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC ENGINES. THEY’RE DIVERSE, DYNAMIC HUBS OF CREATIVITY and knowledge, clearinghouses for new ideas. Those ideas are more important than ever. Perhaps at no time in the past 50 years has there been a more robust desire for the authentic urban experience that cities provide. Cities have momentum. To maintain it, we have to ensure they provide access to all the necessary components that make them thrive: housing of all types, employment, high-performing schools, transit, art, and parks.

CITIES ARE CENTERS OF INNOVATION. NEW YORK CITY’S HIGH LINE REPURPOSED THE ELEVATED West Side Line of the New York Central Railroad. The project (itself inspired by a similar one in Paris) spurred the revitalization of the Chelsea neighborhood, reminding us that parks are neighborhood anchors and community development catalysts. It’s been copied around the world.

IN DETROIT, THE NEIGHBORHOOD FUND SEEKS TO REUSE THE SAME TOOLS IN NEARBY COMMUNITIES THAT led to the successful redevelopment of Midtown. Meanwhile, Motor City Match connects entrepreneurs to building owners with available space in those emerging neighborhoods. These projects and programs inform and inspire our work in Indianapolis.

HISTORICALLY, INDY HAS BEEN A CITY THAT PLANS AND EXECUTES. WE MAKE THINGS. FROM automobiles to cosmetics to insulin, innovation weaves through our DNA. We do things. To address changing economic times, we became the Amateur Sports Capital of the World, now we’re a growing tech center. We create things. Our arts and cultural community creates an annual economic impact of nearly $400 million and supports 10,000 full-time jobs.

EDUCATION AND EXPLORATION OPEN US TO NEW IDEAS. NEW EXPERIENCES ALLOW US TO GROW and connect with one another across cities, countries, and cultures. Throughout our 200 years, we’ve grown without sacrificing our character. We’ve learned from other places and built something unique and authentic. To paraphrase Kurt Vonnegut, “What people like about us is Indianapolis.”

JEFF_BENNETT DEPUTY_MAYOR_FOR_COMMUNITY_DEVELOPMENT CITY_OF_INDIANAPOLIS

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More than 28 million people visit Indy annually. As an influential resident, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also a top ambassador. Invite your friends and family to our city. Venture to the heart of Indy Monument Circle. Climb the stairs of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument for an epic view, and relax on the steps to watch the world go by. Post about it. Tweet about it. Share the love.

Turn your friends into visitors, because a thriving city benefits us all.

For what to see, do, and eat, go to VisitIndy.com | FOLLOW US: @VisitIndy 164

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