peut ĂŞtre Issue 3
peut-ĂŞtre
Dita Von Teese - Before Elie Saab’s ready-to-wear Fall Winter 2011 / 2012 show
Close up of a feather headpiece by Iris Van Herpen
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CONTENTS
Issue 3
Le sentier de perles noires by Cendrine Rovini
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A WORD FROM THE EDITOR POLAROID PORTRAITS Gabrielle Dubois BEHIND THE SCENES Iris Van Herpen BEHIND THE SCENES Basil Soda BEHIND THE SCENES Chanel INTERVIEW Lucho Jacob FOCUS ON Lucho Jacob BEHIND THE SCENES Didit Hediprasetyo BEHIND THE SCENES Yiqing Yin FASHION INSIDERS INTERVIEW Rachel Mount PORTFOLIO Cendrine Rovini HELLO DE LOU CONTRIBUTORS
On our cover : Gabrielle Dubois (Marylin) - Christophe Josse Haute Couture dress.
Isabella Lindblom - Backstage at Yiqing Yin Haute Couture Fall Winter 2011 / 2012 show
A WORD FROM THE EDITOR
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My love for craftsmanship and savoir-faire reached its highest point when I discovered Haute Couture. Not by wearing it of course (I should be so lucky), but by watching it on television when I was a teenager. Fashion TV didn’t exist at the time, and neither did the Internet ; there was very little information about fashion shows back then. During fashion week, I eagerly awaited the end of the television news, flicking through the channels to watch 2 or 3 minutes of a selection of the day’s shows. It drove me crazy when they were shown simultaneously on different channels, because I could not record them all on my dad’s noisy video recorder. I also eagerly awaited a daily TV program during fashion week called Mode 6 that lasted only 5 minutes, but was the best program we could expect at that time. Fashion, and more so, Haute Couture, looked so mysterious and fascinating to me. I recall shedding a tear as the ‘bride’ walked down at the finale of a Christian Lacroix show. The audience in standing ovation, threw red roses on the stage, it was incredibly romantic. The past few seasons I have been very lucky to have the opportunity to see collections up close, and at times witness their creation, from the prototypes to casting, from the fittings up until the excitement of the show. Visiting Chanel ateliers at the mythical rue Cambon was a dream come true. Pleated silk chiffon looked so fragile, temporarily held by needles to give the fabric the shape of a rose. You could also feel the delicacy and creativity of their work simply by looking at the customized Chanel sewing pochette every seamstress had of her own. Being backstage before the show, and taking pictures of models I had dreamt to photograph for a long time was another incredible moment. Freja, Siri, Sasha… and Stella, whom I couldn’t help staring at, completely mesmerized by the incredible blue of her eyes, and the gentleness that emanated from her. Newcomer designers like Yiqing Yin and Iris Van Herpen blew my mind with their modern vision of Haute Couture. When Yiqing Yin’s models showed up on stage, they appeared to me like mermaids, with their pale and pearly skin, wet delicate hair, iridescent sand on their cheek, as if they had laid down on a magical beach for a nap, woken up and stood to become human beings. Their garments were what a mermaid would wear after transforming into a human being. It was the first time a show I attended conveyed such a beautiful story to me, although I’m not sure it was the story intended to be told, it doesn’t matter. Whatever the story was supposed to be, I felt overwhelmed by such beauty. That is what I am thankful for with Haute Couture : for a few minutes it makes you live in an awakened dream.
Nathalie Malric, creative director.
All images copyright © Nathalie Malric unless otherwise indicated. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without permission from the publisher. Copyright Peut-Être magazine 2011
POLAROID PORTRAITS
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Gabrielle Dubois
Marylin Agency
Sepia photos : antic dress from my vintage collection Colour photos : all dresses by Christophe Josse
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BEHIND THE SCENES
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Iris Van Herpen Haute Couture Fall Winter 2011 / 2012
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Iris Van Herpen’s debut Paris Haute Couture collection showcased futuristic, intricate and detailed avant-garde couture pieces using used modern technologies and architectural materials to create dramatic sculptural designs that included bio-skeletal elements, ellipsoid bubbles and incongruous geometric structures. These were assembled with plastic, metal and leather; soft plastic elements emulating shards of glass that, breaking through the fabric, designed explosive mineral formations similar to quartz crystals. The models walking down the runway appeared to be stunning insects or creatures from a different planet. Born in the Netherlands, Iris graduated from the prominent fashion school ARTEZ and interned with Claudy Jongstra and Alexander McQueen, and also worked for Victor & Rolf for a short period. Iris’ talent lies in manipulating technology, pushing the boundaries of fashion, using unconventional materials such as metals, silk blends, burnt woven metal, shiny hair threads, leather, rapid prototyping (SLS laser printing) and also uses some laser cutting processes to form some of her leather work. “It’s a lot about detailing, craftsmanship, and also about innovation. I’m working with a lot of new techniques.” – says Iris. A black twisted mini-dress appeared to be crawling with slithery, Medusa-like coils which were actually made of black transparent handmade sheets with a thin layer of black transparent stretchy gauze-like fabric under it, and under this, a layer of satin. Some of the coiled and twisted parts of the dress moved subtly, creating the impression the dress was breathing, living. This was achieved by some special technical features inside some of the coiled parts, akin to small engines functioning as little polyamide bones. Model Tanya Dziahileva wore a dress that looked as if she was being splashed with water. Iris sculpted the dress to be like a warm bath around the model, splashed around the body, capturing the conversion of water from liquid form to crystal when it freezes. While working on the water-dress, she was fascinated by the secrets and invisibility of water, and the juxtaposition and correlation of opposites within water – liquid and crystallised – fluid and structured. Another extraordinary piece was the white skeletal garment. Iris usually opts to use handwork, but this piece was the opposite, using a new process, it took 7 days, 24 hours per day to ‘print’ or ‘build’ it using 3D SLS printing. It was lasered using a large container with polyamide powder: tiny lasers drew lines and where a line was drawn, the material hardened, building this ‘exoskeleton’. Iris shares that more flexible materials can also be printed now, and that it is only a matter of time until we can print the clothing we wear today. In addition to the ‘skeletal’ 3D garment, there were other finer sculptural pieces that appeared to be molded onto the models. Using nylon polyamide, the finer ‘printed’ lines of the fabric made the pieces more lightweight and flexible, these were 3D printed and subsequently finished off with either selective laser sintering (SLS) for the white pieces, or black lacquer. Van Herpen believes that fashion should be an artistic expression, not simply functional and commercial, which was evident in her collection down to the smallest details, from the fine-feathered headpiece to the sculptural shoe. Each piece was indeed a work of art. Clarice Chian
BEHIND THE SCENES
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Basil Soda
Haute Couture Fall Winter 2011 / 2012
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Designer Basil Soda studied architecture before foraying into fashion design, millinery and mastering the art of embroidery. He worked for fellow Lebanese designer Elie Saab before launching his own eponymous brand and fashion house in 2000, and like Elie Saab, his couture designs now cover the red carpet. Basil’s embroidery skills and love for architecture were showcased in his Autumn/Hiver 2011-2012 Couture collection, which displayed embellishment as a theme. Moving away from previous collections’ modern minimalism, Basil incorporated elaborate detailing with tailored yet simple, body conscious silhouettes. Intricately cut fabric, lace, gold hardware and detailing such as atypical zippers on gowns or straps on clutches ensured the collection remained modern and contemporary. Basil Soda conveyed the essence of an “imperial woman” - feminine and powerful, in his collection by using bold colours and colour combinations. His opening sequence of dresses in royal blues, extravagant reds and gold accents seemed to combine fictitious heroines and superheroes such as Snow White and Wonder Woman, with a considerable dose of glamour. Expressing harmony within contradiction, jackets and vests were teamed with dresses, and leather was softened by tulles, sharp tailoring in architectural necklines and bodices offset flowing drapes and plunging backs. Some models resembled Greek goddesses, whilst others Greek warrior princesses. The beauty of this collection lay in the construction and tailoring of the gowns, the beautiful pleating, soft draping, and extensive embellishments which used precious stones, sequins, gold and enamelled flowers, strewn across gowns, or sewn tightly on a dress’ bodice. Besides these embellishments, haute couture colour-blocking was ubiquitous in this collection, often in unusual colour pairings not typically seen in Haute Couture. For instance, there was the blue onesleeved dress with soft tulle and gold accent, highly textured gowns with bold red belts often accented with gold, bright blues with rich purples, and light pink teamed with bold blue and purple. Nevertheless, it was not all bold colours and strong colour combinations in this collection, which also included floaty gowns in soft colours such as dusty pinks and hushed greys, concluding with an intricately beaded white gown in a classic silhouette fit for a queen. Clarice Chian
BEHIND THE SCENES
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Chanel
Haute Couture Fall Winter 2011 / 2012
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Karl Lagerfeld transformed the majestic Grand Palais into a dark and glistening street scene complete with lamps and building facades recreating Place Vendôme, replacing the Napoleon statue at the top of the central obelisk with one of Coco Chanel. The ceiling provided a starry Parisian night with subtle lights, while the darkened runway floors glistened like a rainy street. It was the perfect backdrop for a romantic collection filled with eveningwear. An expert at reinventing the classic Chanel tweed suit season after season, Karl Lagerfeld launched with a long sequence of variations in gray tailored proportion of tailored tweeds, double-breasted jackets with jewel-buttons cut long and straight, or with a peplum-curved silhouette. The stiff peplum tweed jackets were sported over tunics, narrow pencil skirts and long dresses in graphite black, ivory hues, heather gray, midnight blue and fuchsia – a purple-pink Karl called ‘begonia pink’, which brightened the predominantly sombre and monochrome palette. The silhouette of the collection was predominantly slim at the top and full on the bottom half, either with a kick pleat, peplum waist, or fishtail hem; these incorporated ruffled accents, lavish ostrich-feathered hems, elaborate beadwork, pleating, and sparkling tweed. In part, the creativity in this collection laid in the amazing fabric surfaces, such as light-catching Swarovski embroidered fabrics, flecks of Lurex, as well as trompe l’oeil techniques that were only visible to the observant eye at close range. Chanel’s atelier artisans’ handiwork was superbly displayed in the breathtaking details, such as exquisite hand-sewn silk chiffon rosettes and pleating, elaborate beading, heavily textured boucle, and ombre-dipped skirts. Several of these embellishments were often found on a single outfit, such as a midnight blue dress embellished within its every square inch with rosettes, pleating, and paillettes running down all the way from the skirt to the also paillette-encrusted knee-high boots. Stella Tennant modelled a spectacular evening gown with a peplum shape for its collar, waist and fishtail hem in tiered layer upon layer of black taffeta silk, which created an incredibly striking and sculptural silhouette. Some loose fitting dresses also featured with beaded abstract and geometric patterns. Models wore sheer tulle-lace masks veiling their eyes, adding a touch of whimsy and drama to the show. The makeup was kept natural, with soft colour on cheeks and soft pink-peach nude lips, contrasting the heavily lined eyes in a shimmery deep black, mirroring the runway floor the models strutted on, giving a strong eye look even through the lacy veil. In addition to the lace masks, tweed and satin boaters sat tilted back on the models’ heads trimmed with ostrich feathers, an embellished version of Coco Chanel’s signature hat, and a nod to Coco’s start in fashion as a milliner. A touch of Karl was also present in the fingerless gloves in black leather with matching grey tweed cuffs, as well as sheer fingerless elbow length gloves, ornamented with Swarovski. From the prevalence of greys and navy, impeccably tailored tweeds, elongated and relaxed silhouettes, to the tilted boater hats, the channelling of Coco Chanel was evident throughout this collection. It was as scintillating as Karl Lagerfeld’s ‘Place Vendôme’, once Coco’s place of residence; the perfect setting for this dazzling tribute. Clarice Chian
INTERVIEW
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Lucho Jacob
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Lucho Jacob shot to stardom and fame in 2010, when he landed Dolce & Gabbana’s Fall 2010 advertisement campaign shot by Steven Meisel which featured Madonna ; he has since walked the catwalk for Bottega Veneta, Hermès, Nicholas K and Rag & Bone, along with others. The 28-year-old Argentinean born in Bahia Blanca started modelling ten years ago, and has also appeared in Marie Claire, Allure, VMAN and the cover of Remix, and featured in campaigns for Diesel and Redskins. During the photo shoot at his home, Lucho noticed a small hole in his pullover at the collar seam, a pulled stitch perhaps. Without hesitation he took a pair of scissors to the collar, leaving its hem raw, declaring its newly shorn state to be : “Lucho style !” Simple, relaxed and fuss-free, just like his answers to our interview questions. Interview Nathalie Malric - Translation Clarice Chian
Peut-être : How were you discovered as a model ? Lucho Jacob : I was approached by my current manager when I was walking on the beach with my now ex-girlfriend offering me to be a model. What do you like most about being a model ? I love travelling and meeting different people from different cultures. It is amazing, for me, it is the best ‘education’. What has been your most memorable experience as a model so far ? The photo shoot with Madonna for the Dolce & Gabbana campaign. Tell me more about that photo shoot, how was it ? Were you nervous ? I felt comfortable from the beginning because I met Madonna and the photographer Steven Meisel a few months before the campaign shoot, in Argentina. I enjoyed that experience a lot. I was focused and calm, and they were incredibly professional. You told me you were invited in Argentina to appear on TV shows just because you did that campaign, how did that make you feel ? It was weird for me, because I am quite reserved, and prefer to have a low profile. So when I’m in Argentina ‘my people’ usually surround me. Who are your favourite designers, and what do you like about them ? I like Hermes, because they continue as a family business. What’s your favourite item of clothing ? Jeans !
Can you tell me more about your projects and aspirations ? I have a few upcoming projects, like promoting a discount card for tourists in Argentina. I’ll also start a television program for Latino America about my trips, where I will be travelling with my camera, showing the other part of the cities, which are not usually shown. What do you do during your spare time in Paris and Argentina ? I’m drawing a lot, and I love to go to the park and I’m doing longboarding ! Where do you prefer to live ? In Paris ! It is my favourite city.
FOCUS ON
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Lucho Jacob
Bananas Agency
BEHIND THE SCENES
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Didit Hediprasetyo Haute Couture Fall Winter 2011 / 2012
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For his Haute Couture Autumn/Hiver 2011-2012 collection, young Indonesian designer Didit Hediprasetyo drew inspiration from Debussy’s Clair de Lune, and in particular, the “beautiful imperfections of the moon’s surface”, reflected in the varied textures presented at the Hotel de Crillon. Departing from last collection’s cotton candy pinks, this collection was mostly monochromatic, with the exception of a few sage green velvet pieces in between. The colour palette was a sliding gradient that started with soft black, which then faded to differing shades of grey, ultimately waning to a silvery white. Hediprasetyo used Songket, a handmade silver-threaded Indonesian brocade, for several structured and draped dresses and coats ; texture was also afforded with wrinkled cottons puffed with tulle, soft yet opulent velvets and delicate feathers, silk fabrics with a marbled appearance resembling the moon’s surface, ruffled tops made of men’s gabardine and duchess satins. Hemlines ranged from mid-thigh to floor grazing, with many of the short dresses and skirts highlighted by a long piece of fabric that draped off the side like twisted trains. In addition to beautiful dresses and gowns, Hediprasetyo included simple jersey t-shirts, beautifully tailored pants that tapered at the ankle, and pencil skirts, both knee length and ankle grazing. Silhouettes were classic with a delicate twist, achieved through incredibly structured draperies ; yet a fresh modernity was maintained with asymmetry and accentuated understated detailing. Such detailing was witnessed in randomly positioned embroidered duchess satin buttons on a coat masquerading as moon craters, well-placed ruffles, swan feathers lining a coat, and bright fuchsia lining peaking from under skirts. Hediprasetyo’s passion for intricate embellishments and refined workmanship was balanced perfectly to ensure the collection remained effortless whilst sophisticated, making couture more approachable, a prime example being the plain jersey knit top teamed with a floor-length swan-feathered skirt. To complement the textured and embellished clothing, the model’s faces were dewy, fresh and almost bare, except for their lips. Rosy and flushed red lips had lighted smudges that appeared as if they were possibly moonlight reflections The hair styling was classic, sleek and elegant, with a glint of moonshine. As Debussy did with Clair de Lune, Didit Hediprasetyo conveyed beauty with a whimsical and dreamy element through his Couture collection. Clarice Chian
BEHIND THE SCENES
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Yiqing Yin
Haute Couture Fall Winter 2011 / 2012
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“On the road from a storm to beautiful weather” - the meaning behind Yiqing Yin’s name not only describes a little about her life, but also her latest Couture collection. A political refugee from China after her father participated in the Tiananmen Square protests ; Yiqing left Beijing at the tender of age of four, immigrating to France, where she spent her childhood. She then moved to Australia where she spent her adolescence, returning to France in order to study at the Ecole Nationale des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and furthered her studies at the London College of Fashion and the Chambre Syndicale, and presented at last year’s Hyères International Festival with her collection titled ‘Exile’. With a similar approach to fabric as Azzedine Alaia and Yohji Yamamoto, twenty-six year-old Yiqing sculpts a rectangular cloth by pinning it directly onto the mannequin, allowing the feel of the material dictate the design and outcome of the piece, transforming a flat material into a textured structure. Yiqing focuses on the contrasts between defined and loose parts, incorporating pleating, draping and ruching, resulting in designs that are feminine, airy yet sculptural. By examining the dynamic capacity of pleats and experimenting with materials, she transforms each piece into works of art, living sculptures featuring organic and fluid volumes. Titled “Ouvrir Vénus” (Opening Venus), Yiqing’s latest Couture collection suggests a somewhat brutal scene, imagining the ideal of beauty violently torn apart, flayed open and laid bare, as if a woman’s body is opened and the inside of a womb is revealed. Yiqing reinterpreted the body’s complexity, its muscles, sinews and tendons in an alluring manner, using ruching and draping in silk jersey, leather, fur and crystals. This concept was epitomized in a strikingly blood-red one-shouldered minidress, with its intricate pleating, folds and ruching, it was an outstanding sculptured work of art. Yiqing assembled ultrafine pleats in sculptural forms on sections of draped, voluminous dresses, creating movement. In some pieces the pleated patterns were so close-fitting that they created the illusion of human faces being sculpted into the fabric, or formed structures resembling the underside of a mushroom ; in others, the designer released the pleats to provide breadth and ethereal volumes. Yin’s mille-feuille pleats and different transparencies were shown predominantly in shadowy darks and flesh tones. She also worked mixed furs into intricate patchworks for short cocktail dresses, some embellished with beaded appliqués ; draped Grecian-style dresses and asymmetric mini dresses in finely pleated silk were covered with oversized crystals across necklines and shoulders, similarly, gauntlets were covered with milky oversized crystals, resembling a rare geological formation. A billowing white dress had the airy volume of a cloud, while a figure hugging grey mini dress was woven with thin white leather strips that made it appear like the model was swathed in an x-ray of her own torso. In addition to mini dresses and long flowing gowns, Yiqing incorporated jackets, coats and trousers into her collection using feather silk jersey, which suits both fluid and structured pieces, demonstrating her ability to conform to reality and design wearable clothes without compromising her art. Models wearing these incredible creations appeared to have emerged from a dream or fairytale, with fog and sand on their temples, the models’ whitened complexions were highlighted by using a translucent yet glossy texture to enhance natural beauty. The overall look was both ethereal yet real, fragile yet sensual. Although the starting point of this collection was a statement of extreme violence, the result was filled with peace and calm, and just as Yiqing’s name suggests : “after a storm comes calm”. And ‘calm’ was breathtaking. Clarice Chian
FASHION INSIDERS
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Dita Von Teese & Chantal Thomass
Dita Von Teese
Elle Fanning
Susie Lau (Style bubble)
Daphne Guinness
INTERVIEW
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Portrait by Gavin Mount
Rachel Mount
www.rachelmount.com
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With cake as her canvas and sugar as her paint, Rachel Mount has been creating works of art with her cakes for over twenty years. A leading international cake artist and designer, Rachel’s cake sculptures have been exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts and Sotheby’s. As a true artist, she has resisted the temptation to expand her cake business into mass production and remains skilfully hands-on in her Kensington studio. From international to Hollywood royalty, rock stars, sporting legends as well as high fashion magazines, such as Vogue and Elle, her client list is nothing short of impressive, as are her unusual and breathtaking creations. Interview Nathalie Malric - Translation Clarice Chian
Peut-Être : When did you start making cake sculptures, and how did you conceive the idea of making such incredibly detailed cakes ? Rachel Mount : I began teaching myself cake decoration in 1985 whilst living in Cambridge, and later opened my business in London in 1992. I started working from home, but the cakes became too big to create at home and so within a few years I moved into business premises. I now work from an open plan studio kitchen space in Notting Hill. I do not have a shop, and clients visit by appointment. I was inspired to start decorating when I was working as a waitress at a Cambridge restaurant. When a customer had a birthday they ordered in cakes that I felt were very plain and dull. I think I had a childish fairytale notion that cakes should make a show stopping WOW entrance and be fantastical, these cakes were not - just pink for a girl or blue for a boy. I had never decorated a cake before, but felt if I learnt how to I could make much better cakes - it was very very arrogant of me, the sheer arrogance of youth ! I purchased a very simple “how to” book showing basic techniques, and stayed up all night making my first cake. I was really pleased with the result and loved working with sugar ; I was instantly hooked with this new hobby and kept making them. Did you learn bakery for this venture or were you already interested in both baking and sculpture ? I am self-taught from books ; I have not been to Art College, and left school at the age of 16. I was very creative, but was uncomfortable in education, and as a result I did not do well at school. So this was something I stumbled into and became a way of expressing my creativity. My parents travelled a lot and they inspired a great interest in food in me. From an early age I was very creative and always making things, I had an instinctive interest in art. I went to a very academic school so this was why I did not get on very well ; being creative was not encouraged. I was very bad at doing my homework, instead I would spend my time drawing and painting.
What were your very first creations’ themes and who were your first clients ? The first cake I made was for the owner of the restaurant I was working at, I wanted him to order the cakes for the restaurant from me, and this worked. I also made cakes for friends. It was very part-time and word of mouth to start with. My dream was to move to London to make cakes, which took me several years to achieve. My first ever celebrity commission was for a record company who wanted a birthday cake for Nana Mouskouri. How did you become the cake sculptor that everyone requests for top events ? By working very long hours practising my craft to continually improve my skill base and develop a unique style. My production output is very small and it is a niche market. Guests see the cakes at parties and orders are through word of mouth. I work with the top event and party designers in London. My work is also featured in international magazines. Can you tell me more about the technical difficulties of your creations ? Sugar and cake is very limiting as a medium, the timetable is very limiting as the cake must be as fresh as possible to eat; you have to work fast. The strict rule is that it has to function as a cake that slices well and also serves a delicious slice of cake. It is no good if it just looks good, it has to be devoured and enjoyed by the guests with their eyes and mouths. Sugar is very brittle and fragile, and cake can be very heavy, so the design process is very important before you start baking and creating the cake. You have to work it all out in great detail in sketch form before you begin. The engineering is very important. Do people give you very strict instructions with a precise idea of what they want ? Or do you sometimes have “carte blanche” for a cake order ? If so, do you find this exciting ? I enjoy the collaboration with clients and always encourage as much input into the design process as possible, so that the de-
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sign is highly personal to them. Clients get very excited about the cake. I have had some brides say that they are more excited about their cake than their dress ! No pressure ! It’s rare to have carte blanche as the cake has to function as a relevant centrepiece, and be of a size that will cut and serve to all the guests. You have to think of how the cake will work at each party, how they need to display and present it, how many slices it must yield, the person or group of people it is for - all of these things vary hugely. It is a performance in a way when the cake is unveiled, a piece of theatre. It is a very thoughtful and sensitive design process and you have to think about the client first, it is their cake, not mine. I always put together collections of design sketches for the clients to choose from. They sometimes like the sketches so much that they get them framed. Some clients have lots of ideas whilst others are more vague ; clients struggle to know the best way of their idea being depicted on a cake. You need to understand the limitations and restrictions of cake and sugar. So I take their ideas and expand on them, or come at it from a different angle if it is an idea I do not feel will work. When I design cakes for Vogue they give me carte blanche, this is always very exciting. Again I stick to the discipline of making collections of design sketches with ideas for them to choose and give their input on. What are your inspirations ? I gather inspiration from all sorts of things ; it is wonderful being in London as everywhere you go there is visual stimulation. London’s V&A museum is quite possibly my favourite place of all. I have a huge bookcase at my studio, which heaves with design reference books and my scrapbook collections. I love vintage design, and European flea markets are my favourite way of shopping. Classical architecture and interiors,
especially from the 18th century, continually inspire me. I have just purchased a huge book about the interiors of Ambassadors’ historic houses in Paris, it’s amazing and I get goose bumps reading it. I love international fashion magazines as well, it’s important to look backwards and forwards at fashions past and new. I am an enormous film fan. I watch a lot of films, especially old European ones. I find film terribly inspiring with its visual storytelling. I particularly love Jeanne Moreau and Catherine Deneuve movies from the 60’s. Which step do you prefer in the cake artwork process ? The beginning and the end. I love gathering ideas and brainstorming over design ideas, delivering it, and waving them goodbye ! It is always such a relief to drive away with the cake looking wonderful set up in situ. I like working on something and reaching the point where it suddenly starts taking form, this can sometimes surprise you. You keep decorating and just wait and wait for this moment. What is the craziest or most eccentric order you have ever had ? People always ask me this and I always find it tricky to answer. The most ambitious and elaborate and unusual cakes have been the ones I out challenge myself with for exhibition work, which are really big scale and tackle more unusual themes. I sometimes like to tackle darker themes with my exhibition work, as client cakes are obviously always cheerful cakes celebrating happy moments. I can indulge deeper layers with exhibition cakes. Cakes can sometimes be highly personal when a client wants the cake to tell a story about their own or someone else’s life. It can be really interesting hearing life stories and love stories, and then trying to depict it on the cake in the most sympathetic way. I find myself having to research visuals for such wide-ranging topics ; it’s really interesting.
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You have had an exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts and Sotheby’s in 2006, which is rather unusual for a cake artist. How did you feel about it ? This was a huge shift in my career, as I never thought my work worthy of the art world, but they embraced it. I had an exhibition at Sotheby’s in 2006, and those were the happiest few days ever of my cake career. It was an enormous amount of work to put together and terrifying, and I worked crazy long hours. The reward was huge as it was wonderful seeing visitors really engaged and enjoy viewing my cake exhibits. It was a huge honour to be asked to do this exhibition, and incredibly exciting. It is actually rare that I get to see people looking at my cakes as I rarely get to go to any of the parties they are for. I only hear afterwards what a success they are. The cakes get to go to all of the chic parties whilst I am back at the studio cleaning up and sweeping the floor ! Having a cake sculpture exhibited at the Royal Academy’s 2007 Summer Exhibition was a huge honour. When I work on artworks I avoid relying on the novelty of the medium of cake and sugar, it would be too easy to just be sensational, novelty or gimmicky. I try to create something that is a visually engaging piece and then the fact that it is made from cake and sugar adds a further layer. People often do not realise they are cakes until they read the title. What are your upcoming projects ? I have just had a very busy Summer, which is always peak season for commissions. As well as client work this Autumn and Winter, I will be working on an ambitious book project, it is in its very early stages but it will be a real labour of love. I am excited about Winter, as I will be teaching cake decoration at the V&A Museum in London. It will be a 6 week term of
evening classes and I am designing projects for the students inspired by the V&A collections. I love the V&A, so this is a wonderful project for me. It’s a bit ironic that I was such a hopeless pupil at school and I now end up teaching a craft skill I taught myself to do! What would be your dream cake ? My dream cake is always the one I have not made, the next design that I manage to surprise myself with. I sometimes think I have made everything I want to make or can make with cake, then out of the blue a new design takes things to another level and I am hooked back into my craft again. Cake photos by Rachel Mount Photos of the Cake Triptych at the Sotheby’ s exhibition by Gavin Mount
“My first ever celebrity commission was for a record company who wanted a birthday cake for Nana Mouskouri�
PORTFOLIO
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Self-portrait by Cendrine Rovini
Cendrine Rovini
http://hortusnoctis.blogspot.com
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French artist Cendrine Rovini was born in 1971, and currently lives and works in the south of France’s mountain range in Aurillac, Cantal. She started drawing and painting 7 years ago, and her work currently focuses on mixed media on paper or fabric using graphite and coloured pencils, which create lightness and delicateness in texture. With an affinity to drawing women, deer, birds, veils, herbs and long hair, her imagery comes from a dreamy territory, but in the domain of metamorphosis rather than metaphors, with recurring polytheistic, animistic and shamanistic themes. With an upcoming solo show scheduled for mid-December to mid-February 2012 at the Da-end Gallery in Paris, Cendrine shares about the inspiration behind her work. Interview Nathalie Malric - Translation Clarice Chian
Peut-Être : Hello Cendrine, everybody draws as a child, how do you explain why you never stopped ? Cendrine Rovini : I suppose I never stopped being a child Cendrine says with a smile. Seriously, I never stopped it because I think that I love to listen to my instinct : as a child I was drawing on my notebooks during the math lessons, as a student I was drawing too at the university (my different notebooks are full of tiny drawings), and as an older adult, I still wanted to keep creating. I felt relief when at last I realized that it was possible for me to make it during my lifetime, every day, so I feel very grateful to my daïmon and to my husband Michaël who brought me this capacity to reconnect with it. Which techniques do you use ? I mostly create mixed medias and drawings on paper, I can use all sorts of mediums but I especially like to work using watercolour on paper. My favourite tools are coloured pencils, graphite, markers and watercolour, sometimes collages and threads. How often do you produce drawings and paintings ? I draw several images every week. At certain periods, if inspiration is really good, I can create 3 or 4 little drawings per day (or night!). Has being a mother had an influence on your art ? If truth be told, my children Léonard and Iris are not a source of inspiration for me. But with certainty, the mere fact of knowing how it is to be a mother in my own flesh is an important element in my work. In the last few years I have been able to feel close to the peculiar raw poetry of my body connected to my children’s. Have you ever experienced a lack of inspiration ? If so, how did you feel and how did you solve the “problem” ? To date, I have never really experienced the lack of inspiration ; it may happen during a couple of days, but rarely more. When
it happens, I first feel panic, I try to enforce things and I begin a drawing, but it is a failure. So I put it in the trash and I accept the lack of images in me. I let myself go in this silent realm and I often find the impulsion again through some daily detail (a music, a colour, a sensation...). I never really found any connection between precise intimate events in my life and the lack of inspiration because I feel that every personal, even difficult event can be full of fertility. What do the fact of drawing and painting brings you ? How important are they in your life ? I merely feel the need to create, through drawings, paintings or words ; this is one of the most important elements in my life. Can you tell me more about the oniric aspect of your work, the animals in your imaginary world and the way to talk about femininity ? When I start a drawing, most of the time I see it with my inner vision I merely make it visible. I know this is something many artists say, but I love to say it again myself. It is as if I was not the real creator of my images, and I feel happy to see them and to make my own interpretation. My drawings seem to be and they are - carefully done, and slowly detailed, but they are also coming from a spontaneous wish and impulsivity. When I want to make apparent an image, I can’t wait, this is a physical need and it never takes too long to be completed, my hands are patient but my mind and soul are febrile. My inner images (I can’t really call them “dreams” because most of the time I am awake while seeing them) make present many women, so I lastly explored these themes of the animality connected with soul because I love the complexity of the female body, our ways to be secret violence, blood and inner shouts, or sweetness, milk and tears. What inspired you ? I am a lover of the imagery from ancient Persia, a fervent admirer of the Indian paintings from the 19th century, the
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Toisons ou les sabots
Japanese engravings from the same period, the Chinese old erotic paintings, I also find inspiration in the vintage photographs. The texture of a fabric, the hair of a cow in the mountains here can inspire me, as well as the delicate colour of a cup of tea… I love Kiki Smith, Sofia Arnold, Fay Ku, Jane O’ Sullivan, Balint Szako, Jana Brike, and many more. How did your collaboration with Da-End gallery come about ? I came across the Da-End gallery one year ago because I was searching for details about Fuyuko Matsui (she is an artist I really admire). When I saw she was exhibiting at the Daend gallery I was elated to discover a gallery with such vision and taste! I knew more about photographer Satoshi Saikusa (of Da-end gallery) and his personal works, and remembered some images by him I saw years ago with admiration. The attraction towards this universe, its mystery and beauty enabled me to dare send a submission to the gallery. A few weeks after, I had an appointment at Da-End, it was during the Toshio Saeki’s exhibition. I came with a selection of my drawings and I was wonderfully excited to see the works by Toshio Saeki, to meet Satoshi, to hear Quynh (of Da-End gallery) say to me : “Ok, it seems we will work together…” Then in July some drawings of mine were part of the first edition of the Cabinet de Curiosités. The preparation of Liquide Vermeil was a source of development for me. Satoshi and Quynh had a view so acute and stimulating about my work, they also had ideas and suggestions that were exciting, and at the same time unusual to me, yet respectful of my own vision, so I was able to feel so connected with their place and its halo of mysteries. I really felt that my work was able to have new possibilities due to the requirements of this peculiar place. I also felt it was a privilege to
work with a gallery’s owner who was at the same time an artist himself, I loved this exchange of ideas. How does it feel to have your very first solo exhibition ? Having a first solo show at the Da-End gallery is for my work the most beautiful present I could dream of. All at once I feel elated, excited, impressed, happy, anxious, inspired, workaholic, impatient, and then elated again… I would like the visitors to feel the flow between this incredibly precious, special place, and my own images; I see this exhibition like an intimate combination, something about alchemy and secret rituals, murmurs and undulations. What are your dreams and projects for the future ? I want to keep working and creating, discovering new paths, consolidating what needs to be, to keep collaborating with amazing artists and people all over the world. These last months I was preparing my solo show at Da-end Gallery in Paris : intense work, intense pleasure and motivating period for my work and I… During this winter I will also have a joint show with Chris Czainski at the Duckett & Jeffreys Gallery in Malton (UK), later, some collaborations and publications are planned in France and in Europe. Liquide Vermeil December 15th 2011 to February 15th 2012 Gallery Da-End 17, rue Guénégaud 75006 Paris www.da-end.com
La pluie de Pleinesource
“I love the complexity of the female body, our ways to be secret violence, blood and inner shouts, or sweetness, milk and tears”
Le sentier des buées
La fille des tourbières heureuse non heureuse
Toute plongĂŠe
Les semailles de vif
L’étang aux fleurs
Le frĂŠmir et la chair des fruits - Exclusive drawing for Peut-ĂŠtre
Le sentier de perles noires
Foisons
Le silence des tiges - Exclusive drawing for Peut-ĂŠtre
When our eyes met at the supermarket almost three years ago, I was overwhelmed by Lou’s beauty. She was carrying food in her crossed arms and looked straight into my eyes. Her face was so sweet and pure that I asked her father if I could take pictures of her. Her parents trusted me, and now we are friends. I am so happy to witness her grow up beautifully. In every issue she will comment on some pictures I have taken of her.
Lou wearing my Balenciaga glasses 27th june 2011
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ERRATUM In issue 2 portrait of Pierre Hermé by Jean-Louis Bloch Lainé
MENTIONS LÉGALES Peut-Être Magazine 181-183 boulevard Voltaire 75011 Paris Nathalie Malric Clarice Chian Olivier Bousquet Jeremy Derny IMPRESSION Studio Pixart Srl Unipersonale Via Aquilonia, 4 interno 7 00177 ROMA RM ITALIA Paru février 2012 Dépôt légal février 2012 28,00 euros France Métropolitaine ISSN en cours
Before Chanel Haute Couture Fall Winter 2011 / 2012 show at Le Grand Palais
CONTRIBUTORS
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CREATIVE DIRECTOR PHOTOGRAPHER Nathalie Malric FASHION AND LIFESTYLE WRITER EDITOR Clarice Chian GRAPHIC DESIGNER Olivier Bousquet WEBMASTER Nicolas Lussagnet SUBSCRIPTIONS OFFICE COORDINATION Jeremy Derny www.peutetremagazine.com contact@peutetremagazine.com WISH LIST Basil Soda : www.basilsoda.com Chanel : www.chanel.com Cendrine Rovini : http://hortusnoctis.blogspot.com Da-End gallery : www.da-end.com Didit Hediprasetyo : www.didithediprasetyo.com Iris Van Herpen : www.irisvanherpen.com Rachel Mount : www.rachelmount.com Yiqing Yin : www.yiqingyin.com
First edition
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Backstage at Yiqing Yin Haute Couture Fall Winter 2011 / 2012 show