Re-bel Magazine issue 8

N O 08/ 2 01 5 £6.00 (UK) ISSN 2058-8798 08 9 772058

879006

EDITORS IN CHIEF & CREATIVE DIRECTORS: Rash arn Ag yemang & Jaiden-Jeremy-James ED I TO RI AL D I RECTOR: Jaiden-Jeremy-James FA S H I O N D I R E C T O R : Rasharn Agyemang ARTI STI C D I RECTION: HUSK & Friederike Hamann SU BED I TO R: Jamie Smith EXECU TI VE ED I TOR: Joel Dash ASSO CI ATE ED I TOR: Alex B Rowland CO N TRI BU TI N G E DITOR: Dan Mawhinney SEN I O R CO N TRI B UTING FASHION EDITOR: Simon Fox to n CO N TRI BU TI N G P HOTOGRAPHERS: Matt Irwin, Harry C a rr, S i mo n T h i se l to n , To m M o ra n CO N TRI BU TI N G FASHION EDITORS: Phoebe Arnold, S te v e M o rri ss CO N TRI BU TI N G A RTISTS: Gary Card, Konrad Wyrebe k , B ru n o G ri z z o , A n a To rto s ASSI STAN TS: Ric hard Hector & Shelby Ito PU BLI SH ERS: Rasharn Agyemang & Jaiden James – R a s h a r n @ r e-b e l.c o / J a i d e n @ r e-b e l.c o D I STRI BU TI O N : PINEAPPLE MEDIA UK +44 20 2391 78 7 9 7 0 PRI N TI N G: STAN DARTU SPAUSTUVE, LITHUANIA © 2015 RE-BEL MAGAZINE AND THE CONTRIBUTORS. A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D .

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RE-FRESH PAGE 06 KONRAD WYREBEK PAGE 08 SHORT TRIPPING PAGE 12 RE-THINK PAGE 16 THE NYC BOYS PAGE 22 MENSWEAR AW/15 PAGE 32 GLENN O’BRIEN PAGE 38 DYLAN JONES PAGE 41 RYAN FITZGIBBON PAGE 45 MEL OTTENBERG PAGE 48 ROXANNE FARAHMAND PAGE 50 MARTINE ROSE PAGE 51 4

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WORDS MUSICIAN, LONDON

Delilah

A

fter gaining attention in 2011 for the hit single Chase & Status - Time and making waves with her debut solo single Go, which was a haunting retake

on Chaka Chan’s Ain’t Nobody, Delilah’s debut album From the Roots Up, entered the charts at number five and was critically praised

Re fre

to watch. It’s been three years since, and Delilah now at 24, is gearing up to releasing her second album, Delilah reflects on the past, present and future.

On Growing up “Well, I was born in Paris and I grew up in London. When we moved here we moved to Camden, north London. My mum was born in the UK but my dad was based in Paris; that’s where they met—my mum was studying. Came back here, went to school, Camden girl, pretty much through and through until about 12, maybe 13.

And we moved all over for a while after that. My stepfather passed away so we spent a few years relocating until my mum found where she was comfortable. That whole incident stirred me up

“I started off saying ‘Why should we always be singing songs about being heartbroken?’…

Then I got my heart broken and was like ‘OMG I’ve got to write about it’.”

to start writing my music.”

On Sexism “I think it’s sexist both ways. Because I do feel that women can play the women card and men can you know… It works both ways. Taking into account that there are a lot of horrible, bitchy women in this industry, who feel like they have to be nasty bitches because they’re women, but you do get the bitch card thrown at you quite a lot if you stand up for yourself even

I started off saying right I’m going to write an

I did when I was on the label, I just write when

half an inch; or the diva thing, if you believe in

album with no heartbreak songs, fed up with

I feel like it.”

yourself. Then again you do get a lot of divas

women singing about how heartbroken they

and a lot of bitches.”

are. I don’t want to be that woman. Why should

On What’s next

we always be singing songs about being heart-

“I want to run a record label now. I really want

On the new album

broken? Then I got my heart broken and I was

it to be an artistic venture. I have visions and

“I worked with a new band called Ritual. One

like ‘omg I’ve got to write about it.’ So then

ideas for people—much easier than I do for my-

of the producers and writers in the band I’ve

I started writing loads more than I did when

self—but I want artists who have a really clear

worked with a lot, They’re going to be coming

I was happy. So I realised that formula clearly

vision and I can be like ‘well we have this label

out with us on stuff this year. I feature on some

doesn’t work and there’s a reason why so many

and it’s doing really well let us support you.’ Do-

of their new music too. So he’s been the main

women write songs about being heartbroken.

ing that, that’s the dream. To be able to have

guy that I’ve been working with. Other than

So it’s just about everything. There’s nothing

a place where it can manufacture really pure,

that I’ve worked a lot with 1985 who’s OVO and

particular, I just write what I feel at that time.

great music that the artist feels happy about and

Drakes producer and a bunch of other people.

At least I’m not forcing myself to write like

they haven’t had to compromise.”

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PH O TO GRAPH ER : MA RK C AN T, P RO D U C ER , I N TE RV I EW E R & FAS H I O N E D I T O R : J O E L D A S H , H A I R : K I M R A N C E , M A K E - U P : L A U R A H U N T, N A I L S : N I L N AI L S , P H O T O GRA PH Y AS S I TANT: J ACO B S Y N MAN , SP EC IAL T H AN K S T O A RT I S T R E S I D E N C E , T H A N K S T O A B I S O Y E O G U N B E S A N & S A D E BE CK L EY- L IN E S , D EL I L AH W EA RS A LL C LO TH ES BY M C Q A L EX A N DE R M C Q U E E N

across the board cementing Delilah as a talent

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MUSICIAN, LONDON

Only Real here’s an effortless sense of style

and I was just being cautious. I was always like

that Only Real exudes not just in

who knows how much of this is true as with my

person, but also in his music and

individual case they seem to be really cool about

sound. Sonically there’s a laid

it all and seem to really get it, and they’ve really

back L.A. beach vibe, whilst lyri-

just stuck with it. The opportunities it’s given

cally Only Real paints a vivid picture of growing

have been amazing as it’s meant that I could go

up in London. Stylistically he delivers his lines in

to Atlanta to record half of my album with a pro-

a drawl that’s half rapped and half sung that’s

ducer that I was like a massive fan of his work,

distinctively British. His debut Album, Jerk at

and I think that’s hugely sculptured his album.

the End of the Line is out now.

The things I’m thinking about now have been informed by some of the stuff we did there.

On the creative process

They’ve been really cool and let me take the

There’s not really one formula, but musically

reigns and when I needed help they’d be there.

P HOT OG R A P HER : S EYE I S I KA L U, S T YL I N G : HA R RY FI S HER & J A KE H U N T, I N T E R V I E W E R : J A I D E N J A M E S , P R O D U C E R : J O E L D A S H , S P E C I A L T H A N K S T O A N D A Z L I V E R P O O L S T R E E T L O N D O N , O N LY R EA L W EA R S C A M O P R I N T J A C KET B Y STO N E ISL AN D A N D B L A C K J UM P ER B Y KE N ZO AT M E L I J O E

I usually start with a guitar and come up with some melodies and chords of some sort and

On Dizzee Rascal, J-Cole

then from there it’s whatever happens hap-

& Earl Sweatshirt

pens and so I might put it through some ped-

I wouldn’t listen to his music now but at the

dles or effects and I might find it completely

same time there’s so much merit, I admire peo-

changes it, which I might find that I like

ple that can have that longevity and do things

a tiny of bit of it, so I just take that and

to that scale. With J. Cole he puts things in such

sample it or it might be that I have

literal stories that it wraps me up and resonates

this little rift and I put some drums

with me so much, he has this talent of hitting

and bass, and I might have a four bar

the nail on the head and saying things that I

loop that I kind of write to, that and

can relate to, and he’s become mainstream,

then a chorus might emerge… I gen-

remaining credible without having to sacrifice

erally kind of just vibe with things like

his artistic integrity. Earl Sweatshirt to me is one

that and see what happens…

of the best rappers around at the moment and I like all that Odd Future but specifically him.

On being signed to a major On Festivals vs Gigs

label I think it’s definitely completely opened me

I couldn’t really pick to be honest, with festivals

up. Being new to the music world, on the

you’ve always got the chance to win people

point of signing I heard what everyone else

over and that’s great and exciting as if I’m good

had heard, you know what everyone else

they might like it, and that could be another

had heard about major labels

person that would buy the album and listen to my stuff, whereas gigs are great as well, as it’s people that actually know the words and offer you that validation, it’s just different energies.

On his debut Sonically I think it’s more diverse than people might be expecting, I think my main few songs have been quite summery and sunny even if lyrically they’ve had dark undertones. On the album there’s more dark insular, self reflective, insecure moments like moments of sadness and doubt. I think to make a well rounded album you need a range of emotion and sonic styles. Lyrics, those little one lines are important to me, there’s a few for me like there’s a lyric in Break it off, which goes ‘came in the autumn taking a sweater I need a good girl making it better ‘ and it’s just about an old girlfriend who stole my jumper.

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KONRAD WYREBEK

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A R T I S T, L O N D O N

Konrad Wyrebek Your work is largely distorted and abstract, is there a specific reason as to why you create pieces that aren’t clearly definable?

I like my work to be open to interpretation, depending on the person viewing it. Abstract work allows me to achieve that.

Your Data Error series finds beauty in places many would never consider to look at, how did they come about?

All of us are generating, streaming and passing on information, it’s something we can observe everywhere around us. From mobile phones to computers and satellites, it became so normal, we don’t even pay attention anymore.

I noticed these errors in the data stream and started highlighting them in my work by asking the question: is it an error, is it deliberate, or is that error really the more accurate picture?

In the age of information you seem to strip back all that and take it back to a time and era where information was harder to source and not so easy to process. You’ve found and created beauty from pixelation and abstraction, do you think your work searches for beauty and perfection in imperfection?

Yes, you can find that in all my works. To me imperfections are beautiful, that’s why with my DataError series, I’m trying to embrace and present them in a way that, depending on the viewer, they can be either viewed on an aesthetic level of surface and pattern, colour and shape, or on a deeper conceptual level – philosophical and sociological. It’s all in there.

Can you remember the most interesting thing anyone has said about your work?

“It makes me really horny!”

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BERLIN

T R AV E L

There’s so much to do in Berlin from checking out the independent galleries or the more established state run ones

I had always wanted to go to Berlin,

on Museum island to vintage shopping,

maybe due to the fact that I had never

Madame Tussauds, or finding bars with

really heard a bad word about it. I’d heard

two for one deals on drinks.

it’s cheap, fun and there’s loads of stuff to do, so I decided to check it out for

TH E Z O O opens from 9 - 5

myself. There’s the weight of the history

and only costs 13 Euros for an

of not only the city, but of Germany, and

adult ticket. It’s quite large

wandering around you see plaques and

and there are no pushy people

stories outlining the historical signifi-

explaining things or watching

cance of certain areas or buildings. One

over you. The bird enclosure is

thing I can say is that history isn’t shied

impressive, however I ended

away from, it’s discussed openly and the

up spending most of the time

horrors and crimes against humanity that

ogling at a group of monkeys.

were committed aren’t swept under the

I was enchanted by how much

carpet, they’re on open display.

their actions were like humans,

I found myself to be quite chilled as

from babies suckling their

there seemed to be a certain sense of

mothers, to play fighting, sex

calmness and coolness, yet not in the

and self pleasuring. Sadly I

sense of being hip like so many suggest

didn’t get to see the lions as

the city is, or has become, with many

the enclosure closed early but

people moaning that Berlin is a haven for

I pretty much saw everything

the alternative individual. What I found

else including tigers, bears,

were individuals in touch with their intel-

elephants and giraffes. It’s a fun

lect, who wanted to engage and stimu-

and affordable outing worth

late their minds via conversation.

checking out.

We travelled

Getting lost and find-

with

SHORT TRIPPING

ing cheap places to eat

12

and drink and shop, with the TV tower

National Express, Eurolines. The coaches

being the beacon to guide us home, the

were fast and comfortable and allowed

summer sun and blue skies make a stroll

breaks to grab some hot food, especially

in Berlin even more pleasant. There’s

whilst on the ferry. Naturally the plane or

D A EM O N

an abundance of Thai places with prices

Eurostar are faster but I would say taking

An artisan Thai restaurant,

ranging from as little as 3.30 Euro for full

the bus is a more relaxing way to travel.

highlights included: King

rice dishes, I had a special fried rice that

I actually enjoyed being in transit,

oyster - A fusion of flavours

was a treat, and cheap, prepared freshly

watching the landsapes of Europe pass

from the sun dried tomatoes’

in front of me in a cute little shop.

by my window, read, sleep or catch up

slight kick, to the chillis’ more

on my programs.

powerful punch, served in creamy truffle sauce. Yellow

We opted for a cheap and cheerful hostel in the guise of Generator hostel. Centrally

I’ve

fin mackerel - this was meaty

never

with the spring onions giving

located and not too far from Alexander-

felt so calm and collected in a capital city,

a pinch and flavour, and the

platz, The Berlin Mitte outpost has it’s

there’s something about this place and

freshly ground wasabi adding a

own nightclub, restaurant and chill out

space that offers so much to do,

nice spice to the proceedings.

area. When it comes to the word hostel,

but not with too many people doing

Desserts were a treat - a sort

it seems there’s this preconceived idea

what you’re doing or clogging up the

of warm pancake filled with

of what they’ll be like, but Generator

systems needed to get around. It’s

nuts and white chocolate and

flips that on the head offering a clean, af-

the start of a love affair that I feel will

paired with the sorbet, it goes

fordable experience. I really enjoyed that

continue for a long time.

down a treat. Sometimes the light dishes are the best. Slight

everyone was from somewhere different,

portions created by a steady

and quick cig breaks would turn into full on chats. It’s the perfect place to meet

http://www.eurolines.co.uk

hand and knowing mind,

people and socialise.

http://generatorhostels.com

enough to tantalise and tease.

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B U R G E R M EISTER With the standard hamburger coming in at just 3.50, vegetarian options came in the guise of a Tofu burger and fries starting at 1.50, you’re looking at paying McDonalds’ prices for a prime burger…

Burgermeister is served from a converted men’s toilet located just outside Schlesisches Tor station, the tables are placed over bicycle railings with a cushion stuck around it which serves as the seating, cheap cheerful and unpretentious quality burgers.

I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y A N A T O RT O S WORDS BY JAIDEN JAMES

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T R AV E L

LA C H O Z A A humble little place in Brighton where you can dine inside or outdoors.

As it was a nice day we opted to sit outside in the sun. A simple and effective concept where you choose your base from tacos, burrito, quesadilla, tostadas or burrito bowl. We started off with the Calamari which was tender, juicy and crisply battered with a slight kick. For the mains I chose the Quesadilla – very cheesy and packed with succulent prawns the base was light and overall the dish was a balanced delight. To drink I selected the passion fruit margarita. Really fresh and fruity hardly a hint of the alcoholic taste. A superb place, fast service, polite staff and brilliant food.

THE MIN T R O O M Tucked away in Bath but judging by how busy it was, it’s clearly not a secret. My favourite dish had to be the Curry Rabbit. The rabbit was delicious, tender and greatly flavoured, spicy yet delicately spiced with a slow build up it had to be one of my favourite curried dishes to date. Using meat and fish not too traditional with Indian food such as the flavoursome rabbit and the smoky sword fish, and by doing so uniquely crafting dishes that exceed expectations and make The Mint Room a must visit.

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BATH

BRIGHTON

Growing up in Somerset (Weston-Super-

Watching Kim roaming it’s streets on

Mare), Bath has always been on my radar.

Sugar Rush, and with my friends driving

I visited as a child but always wanted to

there every so often, Brighton always

see it as an adult and get the opportunity

serves as our go-to-spot when in need of

to appreciate it’s allure in full.

an escape from the big city.

The QUEENSBERRY

We stayed at THE

HOTEL is beautiful

LIME HOUSE, a

and has a really wide range of services

really cute boutique hotel with stunning

on offer, from shoe shining to delivering

sea views and a colourful, quirky

your morning paper to bed. The room

athmosphere. Informal and relaxed, the

is spacious and modern, creating a nice

hotel allows for independence and the

juxtaposition to the traditional exterior.

freedom to choose how we want to

The Queensberry is a beautiful reminder

start exploring Brighton.

that a hotel isn’t just a place to sleep but to escape everyday life and truly relax.

Brighton still has real thrift stores,

ROMAN BATHS

not only those upmarket second hand

We’re starting

boutiques you find everywhere in

off with the most significant tourist

London. We stumble over a very cute one

attraction, the well preserved baths

on Saint James Street, just a few steps

and ancient temple. Strolling around

from our hotel. Nothing exceeded £10

the sacred spring with our audio

and the 50p bargain bin has a few pieces

guide, we listen to Bill Bryson’s witty

that ended up in my wardrobe.

commentary on the Roman site .

TOUR BUS It’s actually quite fun

With it’s excessive

to ride around and learn about this

curves and domes,

historic city. The bus drops you off at

the ROYAL PAVILION is one of the

any major place of interest. We hop off

most lavish buildings in the country.

at the JANE AUSTEN CENTRE, an

Originally built as a seaside retreat for

exhibtion dedicated to Bath’s most

George IV when he was prince regent,

famous resident. Fun for all ages, the

it later hosted one of a number of the

centre tells of the effect that visiting

very first legal same-sex marriages to

and living in the city had on her and her

take place in the UK. The Sea Life is the

writing. Moving on to NUMBER ONE

world’s oldest operating AQUARIUM

ROYAL CRESCENT, a historic house

and provides a fascinating insight into

museum that is essentially a Georgian

life below the waves. It’s great to once in

time capsule. We explore how wealthy

a while be reminded of all the beautiful

people of the late 18th century might

and magnificent creatures inhabiting

have lived. Our last destination is the

the oceanic world. The BRIGHTON

FASHION MUSEUM, which features

WHEEL offers magnificent views over

beautiful designs from the likes of Ossie

the coastline, recommended especially

Clark and Versace. We arrive just before

on a sunny day.

the changeover of the new ‘dress of the year’ but are nevertheless excited to

It’s great

see Raf Simons’ piece for Dior and truly

to leave

understand his vision of the decon-

the big city behind once in a while. An

structed and highly modern ball gown.

hour on the train or two on the coach, it’s not too far from London, making it

Visiting

the perfect sunny seaside escape.

smaller

NO 08 / 2015

parts of England that have managed to

We travelled on National Express

thrive and maintain their own identity is

with fares starting at just £5

always fun. Bath manages to mix history

http://www.nationalexpress.com

and heritage without becoming a relic.

http://www.thequeensberry.co.uk

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RE—THINK

Re— think TALKING ABOUT OUR GENERATION

LOOKING SOFT AND ACTING HARD

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR RACISM

BOHEMIAN

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order to fight off the fierce competition that

day with a heavily overdrawn bank account),

you face in an overpopulated city. Good jobs

scared not to wake your Flatmate who sleeps

are hard to come by and you get a government

in the living room converted into a bedroom

that always talks about jobs but never careers.

for a sixth tenant in order to push down the

If you’re lucky to be blessed with the foresight

shared price. Or there’s always living with

of knowing what career you want whilst young

parents who constantly remind you of the

then there are apprenticeship schemes on

struggles they struggled with a constant topic

offer where the minimum wage starts at the

being how much of a failure you are, but not

princely sum of £2.73 an hour, so basically in

more so than your 35 year old older sibling

other terms paid slave labour - all whilst try-

who swears they’re saving up to eventually

ing to get your foot in the door of a job you

buy a place, somewhere, someplace, someday.

RE—THINK

TALKING ABOUT

actually want. Hey, there are reasons to smile

I understand the desire to live in the capi-

if you’re over 20 - the minimum wage is £6.50,

tal, London, being born here and largely based

that’s just enough for say a meal at McDonalds

here, but if everything from finances to the arts

on your lunch break or working two hours to

weren’t based here, the UK’s many other cities

travel an hour and a bit into the city. So then

might be in with a fighting chance of being

it takes almost two hours to earn enough to

populated. It’s consecutive governments that

get a daily travel card from the only place you

have permitted boom times for London to be

can afford to live, your far flung zone six room.

the centre and powerhouse of Britain, allow-

Ideally a wage of £10 an hour would be need-

ing and even orchestrating northern cities to

ed and even then you’d still slightly struggle

crumble. In truth there is no alternative to the

but instead you get zero hour contracts and

capital when looking to relocate - the rent may

a scheme called ‘The London living wage’. The

be cheaper but the essential necessities largely

minimum wage in the UK is one of the biggest

remain the same.

jokes, it’s dark humour where the companies

There’s been an exodus of young individu-

and politicians must be the only ones laughing.

als whose eyes are open and have had enough

In a country where it costs so much to even

of the blandness on offer, as a once unique and

breathe it just makes no sense as to how and

thriving city succumbs to the bland greyness

why wages are so little and low, it causes rage,

of ‘luxury’ flats crammed into any and every

anger and constant moaning.

available corner.

We’re a nation of moaners, you have Mur-

Jarrod Holland is another disenchanted

doch’s red tops moaning about the level of

London born and based youth who current-

entitlement ‘benefit scroungers’ take from

ly lives with his mother in Wapping “I want to

the state and then you have papers like the

leave London as I’m really not happy here. Its so

Independent and The Guardian wailing at the

expensive, over populated and boring. London

cuts and strip backs of a system and the sell off

is my hometown but I dont feel comfortable

here’s many things that make

and demise of The NHS, the Evening Standard

here at the moment.”

The United Kingdom great,

focuses on the social injustice and the division

You could blame the boringness on the

from free healthcare to a sys-

of social classes and the subsequent rifts and

fact that everything has started to look and

tem that regardless of how

tension this causes. Another big topic for the

quite frankly be the same. High streets from

desperate your circumstanc-

Standard is of course house prices and the over

Tottenham to Twickenham are populated by

heated housing market.

the likes of Greggs, McDonalds, Burger King,

OUR GENERATION

BY JAIDEN JAMES

T

es become, there’s financial support such as housing benefit and job seekers allowance to

It’s hard but you have to be honest and

Costa, Starbucks etc, these names are causing

help you until you’re back on your feet. These

real with yourself about the facts of ‘afforda-

rents to rise and family run businesses such as

systems of late have been under attack and pol-

ble’ housing, when that tag line is used to

burger bars, cafés and bakeries to be priced

iticians have turned the blame on immigrants

sell properties in the £400,000 region. What

out of the area. I can personally say I’m tired

and benefit recipients, but for all it’s worth

hope do the next generation have of buying

of how repetitive it’s all become. It costs more

the system is still in place, albeit shrunken and

a place? How can one save when rent gob-

to go to Brighton than it does to fly to Berlin

stripped back. Instead of pointing fingers and

bles up more then 50% of their salary and

and that says it all, why pay £40 to travel to

placing the blame on others the generation of

travel another large portion. It’s a sick, sad

Manchester when you can fly out to another

middle age people and those in power have

joke but a reality for many young renters liv-

country that has better standards of living.

to look at the mess that youths have inherited

ing in five bedroom houses silently creeping

When asking about the reasons why individ-

from a generation that struggled less and par-

in from nights out (the prices for our legal

uals fled the country or are planning to do so,

tied harder. The same generation that paints

vices are extortionate in comparison to some

everyone had their own reasons. Luke Abby, a

the youth of today as lazy layabouts.

of our European neighbours, there’s just no

photographer now based in New York City said

For the youth of today there’s so many

escaping the high cost of living in this coun-

“I wanted to leave the UK because I wanted to

things that are quite frankly simply depressing,

try - even blurring your mind and drowning

take myself out of my comfort zone and ex-

tuition fees trebling to £9,000 making higher

your sorrows is expensive causing more panic

perience new things, because I was obsessed

education a privilege, yet one that’s needed in

and headaches when you wake up the next

with the idea of it as a kid. It’s a great city and

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“Essentially we live in a nanny state where most drugs are highly classified and certain porn isn’t acceptable to be watched— I mean what’s wrong with face sitting?”

I met the love of my life here” whilst Lee Elias,

how you vote. This leads to be many not even

are highly classified and certain porn isn’t ac-

who relocated to Australia after a bad break up

voting or engaging in politics. Jarrod Holland

ceptable to be watched, I mean what’s wrong

stated “London had always been my beloved

commented “I think something has to drasti-

with face sitting? Change can only happen if

city, I would proudly argue with anyone who

cally change soon for the UK. I feel its just too

it’s wanted and instead of fighting for change,

disagreed that London was the best city on

overpopulated, we’re only a small island and I

people are running away, leaving London to the

earth...until the end of 2013. The breakup of

feel its going downwards. The wealth divide,

rich and robots designed and destined for the

my two year relationship, and losing my job

immigration, cost of living are just some of the

cycle of work, bills, tax, sleep, rave and repeat.

had thrown me into a deep depression, and

main topics that need sorting. Its sad to say,

The robots are machines, the rich enjoy their

turned London into a ghost town. My quality

but thats why UKIP & BNP are doing so well at

wealth and pleasures it affords them and those

of life wasn’t great in London either, losing my

the moment. It’s not that the British are over-

who are awake run, if this is the cycle destined

job had forced me to have to sign on at a time

ly fanatic or racist, but just sick of the same

to play out then it’s not my generation I’m sorry

where benefit claimants were being vilified by

wealthy snobs running the country and mak-

for, it’s the next.

the media and ‘hardworking tax payers’. The

ing its harder for poor/working class people to

cold winter of London compared to the hot

live”. Lee Elias states “I won’t be voting as I won’t

summer and beaches that I was subjected to

be in the UK until much later in the year. How-

seeing on Facebook by my friends who had

ever if I could vote it would be for Labour 100%

left that Christmas for Australia, made me think

even though admittedly I am not confident in

that maybe I would be better suited Down Un-

Mr Miliband. I trust Labour to do a better job

der. Perpetual sunshine, and escaping ghostly

and they seem to be more in touch with the

memories, that were haunting me sounded far

working class than the Tories” whilst Luke Abby

too tempting. I grew tired of moaning about

simply states “I will not be voting in May as I

London and decided to leave for an adventure”.

don’t have the time due to the complicated

There’s a generation more clued up on

process for British citizens living outside of the

Kim Kardashian statistics and other strands and

British Isles”.

forms of mind numbing reality TV, that they

The revolution can start from ones head

can’t be bothered to get up and vote - and

and these days actually by posting from a bed.

to a degree why should they when the system

We’re taught about free speech but can’t speak

is outdated. Why can’t you register to vote

or tweet freely without fear of persecution and

by downloading an app and simply typing in

can’t protest in Parliament Square. Essential-

your NI number, there should be choices as to

ly we live in a nanny state where most drugs

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LOOKING SOFT AND ACTING HARD

BY ALEX ROWLAND

F

inding typical components to measure adolescent masculinity is kind of impossible.

What makes a man to the boy is consistently subject

to change, and these changes can happen as regularly as the price of a single bus fare or as sporadically as the sizes of school shirts. In-

stead masculinity for the adolescent is defined by competition. Whether you are competing with facial hair, how many chicks you’ve had or how many KG can be lifted on each arm, being masculine comes down to nothing but credibility. Power equates to having the most and being the best. Masculinity for the pre-masculine is nothing more than image.

There was a time when this image was premeditated. To some extent, it still is. Men wear trousers, their buttons are on the right side etc. But we are beginning to see the growth of a new generation of masculinity, one that is more feminine than ever before. People have been gender-fucking dress codes since forever.

Where there are rules as such, there are rules to be broken. But only now are we starting to see these rules be completely rewritten, and without even trying. Boys are groomed. Hair is curled, eyebrows are threaded, Vaseline is tinted and there is no animosity to admit it. Visiting the barbers once a week is an act of pride in itself. Looking tough isn’t looking menacing, it is handsome. Looking soft is acting hard.

Sure, the body has always played an inte-

PH O TO GRA PH E R: S AMU EL BR AD L E Y

gral role when defining masculinity for the adolescent male. Consumption of self-image be-

self-image. This is the generation of manifest-

comes magnified for the adolescent. In itself,

ing narcissism.

Similarly, female adolescents have embraced the sporting approach to success and

being a teenager has always been somewhat

Measuring masculinity at face value has made

being the best that is expected from the male

vain and ‘toughness’ usually comes down to

it harder for the adolescent boy to compensate

adolescent archetype also. ‘Casual’ feminism

a game of potluck. For generations before,

for any weaknesses. Thus, habits of sporting mas-

has birthed strength for young women to

boys who were tall, built, or sporting facial hair

culinity are bound to change, as they always have.

embrace opportunities for success in pursuits

had a head start and those without strived to

But is it merely a coincidence that the new defini-

that used to be archetypical roles of mascu-

keep up. For generations now it comes down

tion of masculinity is increasingly more relatable

linity i.e.- the money-maker or the sexual

to beauty. Boys with dimples, bright colored

to the female adolescent archetype? Looking

dominant. Generally speaking femininity for

eyes or a defined cupids bow are at an ad-

pretty and spending time doing so has been an

the adolescent female has become more than

vantage. Keeping up is still a sport in itself,

advertised aspect of female adolescence for years

just being pretty.

although sizing up competition has become

by generic standards. That is no means to say that

Powers relating to boys and girls are be-

more accessible. The flux of Instagram cul-

a boy growing a ponytail is a deliberate attempt

coming less and less one-sided. Where powers

ture is programmed truth that competition

at post-metro sexuality or gender rebellion. Like

are being shared, definitions of both masculin-

is fierce and comparing yourself to others is

most culture bred from youth, choosing to look

ity and femininity are increasingly gender-neu-

no longer confined to the playground, but

a certain way simply comes down to two things;

tral. We aren’t there yet. But is it safe to say this

a global habit. The selfie exists as a tool for

fitting in, and giving a shit about it. But the female

is a means to an end? I mean, what is being a

representing yourself to the world under your

adolescent typically sources power from beauty,

man for the boy anyway? “Not being a girl, but

own terms and now plays an important role in

and boys are now doing the same.

ain’t no shame in it.”

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TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

use the word nigger and wash our hands of it. We do this

FOR RACISM

because acknowledging otherwise would mean that we are racist. And no one in this day and age could possibly

BY DAN MAWHINNEY

T

20

be racist. It takes courage to stand up and admit that ‘I am part of the problem’.

In order to even begin to address the problem, we

he other day while browsing Facebook I saw

must first stop pretending that white people do not en-

a friend’s post about how frustrating it is

joy certain privileges. There is at the very least a failure

to be a black person working in the fash-

to interrogate this concept fully—many people do admit

ion industry, particularly due to the lack of

that it is more difficult to be black than it is to be white

representation—not only on the covers

in the UK, but this statement often lacks substance. It is

and runways, but also behind the scenes. This status con-

said to appease people and paper over our ignorance—and

tained the phrase ‘white entitlement’, which obviously did

the majority of us are ignorant in this respect. We do not

not sit well with some people, as the comments underneath

live our lives as black people, so unless we actively seek to

showed. I noticed one, made by a white person, that denied

understand their experience, we will remain ignorant. The

this concept of ‘white entitlement’ and actually proposed

first step towards this understanding is to recognise the

that the only racism visible to him was towards white people.

advantages and opportunities that we have because we are

Hopefully to most of you this will sound completely ignorant,

white—our ‘white privilege’.

but I do think it is indicative of a wider issue in this coun-

White privilege encompasses a vast array of advantages.

try—the failure of white people to be aware of racism and to

It is freedom from negative stereotyping—yes people say

take responsibility for it. I believe that each race faces unique

we can’t dance or handle spicy food, but does this real-

problems in society, but for this post I want to focus on how

ly matter? Does it limit our opportunities? Does it cost us

white people respond to the issues that we create or perpet-

jobs? Does it, as we continue to see in America, cause our

uate for black people. Unfortunately as our society at present

children to be shot by police? White privilege is fair, hon-

does not have an adequate way of describing what we mean

est and abundant representation in magazines, film and on

by ‘race’, I will be using the phrases ‘white people’ and ‘black

television, without having to ask for it. It is having our race

people’ and I will not shy away from doing so. I think it is about

alone used as the frame within which we explore beauty, it

time we called out racism for what it is—a case of whites

is portraying white as the norm, as the only skin tone you

and blacks—and the ‘blacker’ you are, the worse it is for you.

would actually want if you could choose. It is not having to

We go to such great lengths to pretend that racism

work to find makeup that we can wear, it is ‘nude’ plasters

is not an issue. We play with semantics so that we can say

matching our skin. White privilege is seeing people like you

that ‘prejudice’ is a problem but ‘racism’ isn’t. We try to

achieve and obtain positions of authority and influence, and

shift the blame to other factors—‘it’s not a race problem,

believing that you too can achieve, without having to work

it’s a poor problem’—but with a much higher proportion

harder for it. It is not having to think about your race in

of black families classified as ‘low income’, there is no way

the interview room. It is not having to give a quick nod or

this isn’t a race problem. Sometimes we can’t even use the

a smile to the security guard while shopping to assure him

word ‘black’ for fear that doing so would bring an extinct

that you aren’t planning to steal anything. White privilege

racism back to life, so we use words like ‘urban’, ‘minority’

is not being confined to certain cultural niches to earn re-

or ‘ethnic’ to skirt around the issue. It is as though if we

spect (and often money), only to have them ‘discovered’

were to talk frankly about ‘blacks’ and ‘whites’ it would

and appropriated when they align with the current trend. It

make us racist, a label that terrifies us. We are so averse

is not being fetishised when you date outside your race. It

to acknowledging that there is a problem for black people

is not wondering how you will deal with the initial surprise

in this country that we become indignant when they try

when meeting your partner’s parents. White privilege is, to

to complain about it. We accuse them of ‘playing the race

paraphrase James Baldwin, never having to think about the

card’, when in reality we are the ones playing the race card,

fact that you are white.

all the time. We deny them the right to talk openly about

If we can acknowledge that we do indeed have this

their problems, the right to demand fairer treatment. We

privilege then we can also refuse to accept it. We are the

say ‘it’s not about race’ when in reality none of us know

consumers of media that essentially revolve around us—

what it is even like to ‘be about race’ in the first place, be-

we buy the magazines, we read the news and we watch

cause none of us have to take our race into account when

the films. We have the power to choose not to partake, to

going about our daily business.

question authority, to refuse to believe everything we hear

The reality is that most of us are racist in one way or

and to demand more. We can be truly open and receptive

another—it would be near impossible to grow up in our

to the experiences of others, instead of holding them to a

current society and not be—but no one will admit to this

higher standard that we have never been held to ourselves.

because we are also taught to be overwhelmingly blind

We can allow ourselves to be vulnerable in accepting that

to racism. We are so scared of honestly and openly ac-

we are at fault, and we can change our paradigm to one of

knowledging our contribution to racism because it is so

constant awareness of our privilege, declining to accept the

much easier to pretend that the problem doesn’t exist,

advantages that it offers us. In order to do this however, we

or to compartmentalise it to a few backward people who

must first admit that such a privilege exists.

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£3,600+ per annum for a space as small as 160

dangerous territory. If you consider how many

RE—THINK BOHEMIAN

square feet. I have no doubt this is as cheap as

artists are turning down commissions and of-

it could possibly be. Generally, space in London

fers for residencies from galleries because of

has become synonymously expensive as it is.

the lack of money involved and their inability

But I would prefer for these to be open for

to work without allowance, how can you even

ong gone are the days of the

all, or for at least one person to offer cheap

define ‘emergent’ in the creative sect? It seems

romanticised bohemian paint-

studio space exclusively for those with no

‘emergent’ for many full-time artists is simply

er, or bathtub liquor poet. The

other financial option. The London living rate

down to those who can afford it.

poor artist still starves for their

currently sits at 21% higher than national min-

Neglecting under privileged areas of cul-

crafts, but the creative guise

imum wage, and paying rent twice a month

tural activity is a crying shame. When you con-

has been replaced. Working as an artist, in par-

is no option for many. If, for example creative

sider the expense of your average ticket price

ticular in the UK’s capital, is a complicated life-

agencies are building relationships with studio

for a special exhibition at one of the UK’s estab-

style that doesn’t come cheap. Financial hur-

residency organisations to home their talent to

lished art galleries and escalating travel prices,

dles are being set in place to make succeeding

simply save costs, how can we elucidate these

art for the poor becomes nothing more than

in the creative field even more of a head-fuck.

organisations as ‘charitable’?

‘first-world’ privilege they can live without. But

BY ALEX ROWLAND

I L L U S TR AT IO N B Y BR U N O GRI Z Z O

L

True, how we actually measure success as an

I find the word ‘charitable’ as often mis-

this lack of involvement with the poor works

artist, or in the creative sect as a whole, is up

construed. I don’t want to undermine the

in the favour of making profit from the arts.

for interpretation. But lets assume that success

work of such organisations that offer any

Historically speaking, high culture tends to sep-

is being measured by typical factors such as

support at all for an expensive industry facing

arate itself from that of popular culture. It is

money, status, personal satisfaction, journey or

further cuts, but in the risk of them sounding

often argued that an elite critique of anything

all of the above. Are the financial barriers built

self-promoting I feel like ‘beneficent’ would

understandable or consumed by a greater pop-

in the creative industries silencing the poor?

be more apt. According to ‘The Place Report’

ulous is devalued as a low-culture. And where it

Opportunities for support are made firmly

study in 2014, a harsh imbalance regarding

is old fashioned to make assumptions concern-

unavailable for the poor in the arts. Submis-

the direction of cultural benefit via the Arts

ing social and class position when asserting who

sion fees are the scaffolds of many established

Council was surveyed. The Arts Council Eng-

is actually consuming high culture, parallels can

art prizes and organisations offering support

land uses National Lottery funds to increase

still often be made between the interests of

for emergent artists. Furthermore, household

equal access to opportunities for cultural

those with a lower class position and what is

income rarely plays any part in applications in-

participation in the arts. However, this survey

defined as low culture.

volving financial support for emergent artists.

discovered that the poorest communities in

If the arts aren’t giving back, then how can

Thus, rent-free space and maintenance costs

England (who ironically are the highest con-

the public justify funding them? Are behaviours

are potentially awarded to those with an already

tributors to the national lottery fund) are re-

of elitism in the arts justifying government cuts

existent strong financial support system. I un-

ceiving the least return, and at times being

in sections of arts funding; arts education for

derstand there should be equality throughout

completely ignored while culture in areas of

example? I couldn’t agree less, but it is a prin-

guidance for talent, regardless of financial

privilege is being prioritised.

ciple I am not afraid to challenge.

background. I would expect the same to apply

The fact that the fates of young and

Furthermore if the art worlds are so un-

for cultural backgrounds also. But why is there

emerging artists are consistently controlled is

involving of the poor, where do British artists

no such attitude when financing emergent

stand claiming benefit? Artists making ends

artists? I can’t help but think that there should

meet working freelance and completing fa-

be more care taken to offer financial support

vours for untaxed cash while claiming job-

specifically to talent in actual need.

seekers allowance is not news. Furthermore,

I don’t believe that money is a necessity in

creatives claiming income support to live in the

measuring good work or ideas. Execution of

capital while their parents live pretty in a suburb

ideas perhaps, but this depends on practice.

on the outskirts of the South-East is no news

For those without money pathways when ex-

either. The system is easily duped. If artists re-

perimenting with certain media and process-

fuse to work to be an artist full-time with no

es can be at a heightened disadvantage than

intention of working, is it fair?

those with. And thus this can potentially affect

I’m not demonising artists claiming ben-

an artist’s greater practice and development.

efit, or those duping the system. The point I

It is not to say that those with money benefit

am making is that exposing those from less

from a higher level of quality in their work. But

advantageous backgrounds to various impos-

artists with money encounter less compromise

sibilities when getting a foot in the door is a

in their practice, and their access to exhibition

fantastic way of re-establishing clear divides be-

and workshop space.

tween culture and class. I disagree with those

Guardian properties aside, studio residen-

who preach that all good art comes from the

cy organisations are buying out cheap dere-

poor. I just don’t think it is as black and white as

lict space for the purpose of building creative

that. But I fear that we will soon be in a position

studios and holding ownership to choose who

where we will never know. Is there a future for

is worthy of residency. Furthermore some of

the poorest in the arts? It would be pretty bor-

these organisations are attempting to justify

ing without it.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY LUKE ABBY ART DIRECTION BY JAIDEN JAMES

THE NYC BOYS

WORDS

THE NYC BOYS

NAME: MARIUS A G E N C Y: I M G IG: @msgitara What does a normal day in your life consist of?

Music couldn’t live a day without it What do you love most about NYC? Music scene playing on it or listening to it How would you describe yourself?

A world traveller, a musician, I worship the simple things in life Who would play you in a film about your life and what would the storyline be?

It would be about my travels, music I write, meeting new people What do you do to pay the rent?

Modelling What turns you on?

I never turn myself off Who do you prefer boys or girls?

Depends on the situation but I like girls Are you Single, taken or In between?

Taken What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?

I left home at 15 to volunteer in France Tell us a secret?

Don’t have any Do you have any party tricks?

No Favourite place in the world?

Bali, Indonesia Can you remember a moment that became a moment you remember and brought about a change in you?

The moment I did my first gig, I felt free What’s your favourite film of all time and why?

Can’t pick one, depends on my mood Where would you consider the best place to dine?

Roberta’s pizza Who’s on your dream fuck list and why?

I fuck who I want Who’s your favourite designers and why?

John Varvatos How would you describe your personal style?

Rock ‘n’ roll How would you describe true bliss?

Don’t know what that means What’s your plans for the next 12 months?

Work, make music, possibly start studying music production

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NAME: NICK HADAD A G E N C Y: A D A M IG: @nickhadad What does a normal day in your life consist of?

A pack of cigarettes, exploration, What do you love most about NYC? The speed, excitement, the unknown How would you describe yourself?

Lackadaisical Who would play you in a film about your life and what would the storyline be?

The story would be a modern day version of kids, I don’t know who would play me, maybe a random street kid What do you do to pay the rent?

Anything What turns you on?

Creative & interesting women with worthwhile things to say... Also nice eyes Who do you prefer boys or girls?

Girls Are you Single, taken or In between?

It’s complicated What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?

Asked a girl to hook up as we were the the two tallest people in the room, it worked!

Do you have any party tricks?

I can make an Old English disappear before your eyes Favourite place in the world?

New York City Can you remember a moment that became a moment you remember and brought about a change in you?

I let my drunk friend drive my car and he totalled it! Don’t let your drunk friend drive!

What’s your favourite film?

Reservoir Dogs, Steve Buscemi’s the man and Tarantino is a genius Where would you consider the best place to dine?

Indochine Who’s on your dream fuck list?

No one deserves that credit or power but Uma Thurman Who’s your favourite designers and why?

Westwood, Junn J, Comme, Yohji, Saint Laurent, they’re rad How would you describe your personal style?

Haphazard, messy, I guess I pull it off How would you describe true bliss?

A city in an endless state of summer with people I love most, no stress and no bullshit

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NO 08 / 2015

N A M E : T I M O T H Y C A PA R O S A A G E N C Y: R E D IG: @Bovinal_tings What does a normal day in your life consist of?

Skating, painting & socialising What do you love most about NYC? It’s diversity How would you describe yourself?

A city kid Who would play you in a film about your life and what would the storyline be?

Leonardo DiCaprio... A story of a city kid living life by the day What do you do to pay the rent?

Model!

What turns you on?

Intelligent, artsy girls Who do you prefer boys or girls?

Girls Are you Single, taken or In between?

In-between What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?

Getting tattooed on my right arm Tell us a secret?

Secrets are not to tell Do you have any party tricks?

Walk in like a boss...

Favourite place in the world?

Uptown Manhattan Can you remember a moment that became a moment you remember and brought about a change in you?

When a close friend of mine passed, showings life is too short What’s your favourite film of all time and why?

Forrest Gump Where would you consider the best place to dine?

A steakhouse Who’s on your dream fuck list and why?

JLO because who doesn’t want to fuck JLO Who’s your favourite designers and why?

Liam Wahl of BYO NYC because he’s holding it down for NYC right now How would you describe your personal style?

Casual, comfy and nothing fussy How would you describe true bliss?

Not sure as I’am yet to experience it What’s your plans for the next 12 months?

Move to Brooklyn, make a website and start selling my art

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NAME: MOSES GURMAN A G E N C Y: R E D IG: @horribletomato What does a normal day in your life consist of?

Lots of Netflix and video games What do you love most about NYC? It’s alive all the time How would you describe yourself?

I’m always just a little bit out of place Who would play you in a film about your life and what would the storyline be?

Adrien Brody, my inability to appease myself What do you do to pay the rent?

Temp work/ acting What turns you on?

Intelligence Who do you prefer boys or girls?

Girls Are you Single, taken or In between?

Single What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?

I crashed a neighbours rooftop party Tell us a secret?

I’m a former fencer Do you have any party tricks?

Accents , lots of accents Favourite place in the world?

Scottish highlands Can you remember a moment that became a moment you remember and brought about a change in you?

I had to drag a bleeding friend to the hospital!

Took a few years off my life What’s your favourite film of all time and why?

Casablanca for the lighting and dialogue Where would you consider the best place to dine?

At home Who’s on your dream fuck list and why?

Natalie Portman for her smile Who’s your favourite designers and why?

Ricardo Seco for his use of beading How would you describe your personal style?

Basics How would you describe true bliss?

Complete emotional and physical contentment What’s your plans for the next 12 months?

Live & Breathe in NYC, maybe travel

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THE NYC BOYS

NAME: LUCA B A G E N C Y: R E D IG: @lucabertea What does a normal day in your life consist of?

Weed, odd jobs and my girl What do you love most about NYC? $1 fried dumplings How would you describe yourself?

Static and loveable Who would play you in a film about your life and what would the storyline be?

Robert Deniro, fighting with cracks on the Coney Island B- train What do you do to pay the rent?

Many odd jobs What turns you on?

My girls bubble butt Who do you prefer boys or girls?

Girls Are you Single, taken or In between?

Taken What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?

Quit my day job to become a ‘model’ Tell us a secret?

I can’t sorry Do you have any party tricks?

I have 30 stitches above my lip Favourite place in the world?

Bali Can you remember a moment that became a moment you remember and brought about a change in you?

Meeting my girl What’s your favourite film of all time and why?

Our day will come by Roman Gavras Where would you consider the best place to dine?

Mudspot Who’s on your dream fuck list and why?

Monica Belluci circa 1985 Who’s your favourite designers and why?

Rick Owens & Yohji How would you describe your personal style?

Pretty boy homeless How would you describe true bliss?

Blow job while smoking a blunt on the beach What’s your plans for the next 12 months?

Drinking, modelling, playing GTA 5, maybe Japan, getting a new place with my girl, make my own clothes, stop smoking cigarettes

26

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N A M E : M AT T H E W Y O U N G A G E N C Y: M I L F S L O V E IG: @Milfslove What does a normal day in your life consist of?

Working out What do you love most about NYC? The diversity How would you describe yourself?

Breath of fresh air Who would play you in a film about your life and what would the storyline be?

DiCaprio, modelling career What do you do to pay the rent?

Live at home still What turns you on?

Ass, moaning, being in control Who do you prefer boys or girls?

Girls Are you Single, taken or In between?

Single What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?

Tattoo on my lip Tell us a secret?

I can shuffle Do you have any party tricks?

Many Favourite place in the world?

Milan Can you remember a moment that became a moment you remember and brought about a change in you?

When I got signed What’s your favourite film of all time and why?

Butterfly Effect, doesn’t have a happy ending Where would you consider the best place to dine?

Any pizza spot Who’s on your dream fuck list and why?

Beyonce, what man wouldn’t fuck that?

Who’s your favourite designers and why?

Designers that choose me for work How would you describe your personal style?

Black on black How would you describe true bliss?

Laying on sand with friends, chilling What’s your plans for the next 12 months?

See the world

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NAME: DENIS DEEZY NIKOLAJEU A G E N C Y: R E D IG: @Denisdeezy What does a normal day in your life consist of?

Music, castings, shows, performances What do you love most about NYC? The people How would you describe yourself?

Ambitious/ hard working Who would play you in a film about your life and what would the storyline be?

Me, as I’m working towards becoming an actor. Story would be starting from nothing to being with celebrities What do you do to pay the rent?

Music/ Model What turns you on?

A girl with drive, neck kisses Who do you prefer boys or girls?

Women Are you Single, taken or In between?

– What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?

Gave Kanye West my old album Tell us a secret?

I have over 100 recorded songs Do you have any party tricks?

I can roll up with one hand Favourite place in the world?

NYC / Studio Can you remember a moment that became a moment you remember and brought about a change in you?

My life threatening car accident, made my outlook on life change What’s your favourite film of all time and why?

– Where would you consider the best place to dine?

– Who’s on your dream fuck list and why?

Mila Kunis Who’s your favourite designers and why?

Kanye, he mixed music and fashion How would you describe your personal style?

Clean How would you describe true bliss?

Making music What’s your plans for the next 12 months?

Make the billboards list

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NAME: ALAIN POLANCO A G E N C Y: R E D IG: @_alainpolanco_ What does a normal day in your life consist of?

School (NYU), making films, modelling and taking pictures What do you love most about NYC? The buildings How would you describe yourself?

Artist Who would play you in a film about your life and what would the storyline be?

I would play myself and the storyline would be about my rise to being one of the most influential artists of my generation What do you do to pay the rent?

Model and make movies What turns you on?

A nice ass Who do you prefer boys or girls?

Girls Are you Single, taken or In between?

Single What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?

Went to the beach at 2am with some friends and went skinny dipping Tell us a secret?

I’m very competitive Do you have any party tricks?

I can juggle Favourite place in the world?

Central Park Can you remember a moment that became a moment you remember and brought about a change in you?

When I got accepted into NYU, Tish school of the arts What’s your favourite film of all time and why?

‘What dreams may come’ because it was the first film to make me cry Where would you consider the best place to dine?

McDonald’s, just kidding but not really Who’s on your dream fuck list and why?

Cara D because look at her Who’s your favourite designers & why?

LV because the collections are so clean How would you describe your personal style?

Hip How would you describe true bliss?

Laying in bed after a busy week What’s your plans for the next 12 months?

Become a better artist and make money

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NAME: CRAIG MCCAHILL A G E N C Y: R E D IG: @craig_mac_nyc What does a normal day in your life consist of?

Gym, Bike Msging, wheat pasting, Guerila Marketing, Graffiti What do you love most about NYC? Brooklyn art & Black metal scene How would you describe yourself?

Cold and dead Who would play you in a film about your life and what would the storyline be?

King Kong, blowing up pharmaceutical companies and the Williamsburg bridge What do you do to pay the rent?

Wheatpasting, sell art What turns you on?

Razor blades, blonde girls, dogs Who do you prefer boys or girls?

Girls Are you Single, taken or In between?

Taken What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?

Suicide attempt, travel without notice, abandon everyone Tell us a secret?

No Do you have any party tricks?

Yo:Yo Favourite place in the world?

The woods in the winter Can you remember a moment that became a moment you remember and brought about a change in you?

– What’s your favourite film of all time and why?

V for vendetta Where would you consider the best place to dine?

Dumpster diver Who’s on your dream fuck list and why?

I’m going to give Halle Berry a baby and no one is going to stop me.

Who’s your favourite designers and why?

No $ been wearing same shit for years How would you describe your personal style?

Found it on the street made it mine How would you describe true bliss?

Seeing my grandma+pa in heaven What’s your plans for the next 12 months?

Climbing the ladder to the top of the world

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INTERVIEWS

GLENN O’BRIEN

DYLAN JONES

RYAN FITZGIBBON

MEL OTTENBERG

ROXANNE FARAHMAND

MARTINE ROSE

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INTERVIEWS

WRITER , NEW YORK CIT Y

Glenn O’Brien

BY JAIDEN JAMES It’s fair to say you’ve had a varied career

“well, I am still alive.” For me Andy had a real

them out there, TV Party if created today

and numerous jobs, which job do you feel

work ethic and thought about things in depth.

could have been put out on YouTube,

most free doing?

He was kind of a brilliant boss because he

what’s your personal opinions on the

I have always been a writer, from the begin-

could steer you in a direction and make you

internet and social media and is there a

ning, and if you’re doing that job correctly you

feel like it was your idea. “Oh, gee I like that

specific web only media organisation that

are free in the sense that you’re not just filling

typeface you used here. Maybe you should use

you read?

space or writing a promo blurb. It’s not work

that more.” He could make criticism seem like

Public access cable TV was the Paleolithic

for hire, you’re saying something in your own

a compliment. He really was really encouraging

YouTube. There are so many great things on

voice, which seems increasingly difficult.

when he saw something he liked, and he had

YouTube, not just stupid pet tricks but Rus-

a way of getting the best out of all sorts of

sell Brand and Hennessy Youngman (the artist

Would you consider yourself ambitious

people. His non-management management

Jayson Musson). From the beginning of my ‘ca-

and do you know what drives you?

style was brilliant.

reer’ I always felt that the problem with media

Yeah, I’ve always been ambitious enough to

was the middleman, the distributor, watering

keep rolling the bolder up the hill. I have no

You worked for Rolling Stone at a very

down and filtering out and profiteering along

desire for celebrity—that’s kind of awful—but

interesting point in it’s history, what do

the way. That’s the film business, the TV busi-

I like having power and influence.

you believe were the main lessons you

ness, and that was the music business until the

learnt whilst at the magazine?

model exploded. The literary world today, with

What do you love most about editing mag-

At Rolling Stone I learned that the most ret-

all of its stupid novels, is a remnant of that old

azines?

rograde tendencies could mask themselves as

model. The brilliant thing about the Internet is

I love putting words and pictures together.

that at times it really does eliminate the mid-

And I have always been an advocate for writers

dleman. And the middleman is the enemy, not

and artists. I just don’t like the business side of

your friend no matter what he looks like.

magazines. I think magazines as we have known them are obsolete. They’re mostly hoes. It’s a bad business model.

When you came to Interview what interested you most about the publication and how do you feel your vision for it helped shape it in it’s early years?

I have always thought that most writers, particularly in journalism, were full of shit. I loved the idea of a spoken word magazine. It’s no coincidence that Interview arrived at the same time as the audio cassette tape. It enabled us to use language in ‘the vulgate,’ the way people live and speak it, not in some retro rhetorical sense.

I think Interview introduced the modern ‘warts and all’ interview. The Q/A or dialogue format goes back to Socrates and at its best it chal-

“We are fluttering around trying to piece a culture together from fragments.

I think that’s the big job we have as people—rebuilding true culture. Absence of true culture is why barbarism and savagery are on the rise.”

I love your bio and how you say the magazines speak for themselves, I personally believe Interview was amazing under you it has that connection with the artist and musicians that many publications strive from Ryan McGinley showcasing his diary to the new format and Kate Moss cover, I know you can’t talk about why you left but could you talk about what made you go back?

I always felt that I had unfinished business.

That this model never went all the way. I think it came close sometimes, but in my three turns there I think it was always the ideal of the format that inspired me.

TV Party was actually amazing, I love the rawness of it all and how authentic and

lenges the assertions that go unchallenged in

honest the majority of the guests seem to

solo writing. I also liked the idea of dealing with progressive, that corporate bureaucracies are

be, how did it come about and what was

often vicious, that people in the truth business

the story behind it?

You must be tired of this question now but

are often liars. Rolling Stone fired all their fun-

I always loved smart television, from witty game

obviously being a part of Andy’s factory

ny writers except for Hunter Thompson, and

shows like What’s My Line in my childhood, to

and that image of New York at the time

they killed a lot of his best projects. He wanted

smart talk like Jack Paar and Johnny Carson, to

has a romantic quality to it, what was it

to go to Vietnam! Imagine.

genre breaking comedy shows like Ernie Ko-

film, music, art, fashion etc. in the same venue.

like working for Andy?

vacs and Jackie Gleason. TV made it possible

When I first got there I thought I’d missed it—

I do feel that you had the energy and ap-

for a Midwestern kid to acquire a New York sen-

I missed the silver Factory. Later I thought,

proach of getting things done and getting

sibility. I could think of nothing more exciting

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than inspired live TV. TV Party sort of happened

on each of them and what do you feel

Do you think there’s a specific reason

by accident because someone invited me on to

their legacy is?

why no one has really done a great War-

their little public access show and I was shocked

Well they just get bigger at auction, which is our

hol film?

when lots of people actually saw it. I said to my

critical standard today, but I think the work is

Well, Warhol made some pretty good Warhol

friends, “Let’s do a TV show!” I think the direct

still very alive. Magical really. At a certain point

films. And I’m still trying.

inspiration for TV Party was Hugh Hefner’s

art is magic and people forget that. Until it hits

Playboy’s Penthouse, which had guests like

them on the head again.

Advertising and magazines go hand in hand as it’s all a form of media and com-

Lenny Bruce and Ella Fitzgerald. It was cool and sophisticated. But as a former student radical

You’ve said previously that the Schnabel

munication. Could you talk a bit about how

I think I wanted to do a Socialist Realist version

Basquait film pissed you off forcing you

you got into advertising and some of the

of Playboy’s Penthouse.

to finally complete Downtown 81—so what

work you’ve done that’s memorable and

was your reaction to Factory Girl?

an achievement to you?

You had some pretty shitty callers did any

At least Julian understood the milieu he

I got into advertising by accident. When I was

of the abuse personally effect you and

was depicting. He was just using it to po-

making no money writing my mother used

was there any incidents of physical abuse?

sition himself as sage mentor to the

to say “Why don’t you get a creative job like

No, we thought it was funny. Chris Stein loved

directionaless angry young black man.

advertising?” But then I just fell into it. My

the abuse. When somebody got really nasty

I called it his “pre-emptive strike on art histo-

friend Paula Greif—a brilliant art director and

we’d tell them to meet us in Union Square after

ry.” Jeffrey Wright is great but unfortunately

film maker—was doing a TV spot for Barneys

the show to settle things, and then of course

he only got to play the dazed and confused

and asked me to write it—so I did. I discovered

we went to the Mudd Club instead.

Basquiat, not the inspired and ebullient ge-

it paid well. And they loved what I did, maybe

nius Basquiat. Now I Shot Andy Warhol and

because I brought an entirely outside perspec-

Downtown 81 is as much about the city as

Factory Girl just didn’t get it at all. They didn’t get

tive to it, so I wound up being Barneys creative

it is the artist, what do and don’t you miss

the spirit of Andy’s enterprise, even though both

director, then started doing Calvin Klein and all

about 70s and 80s New York?

had very good actors playing him in Jared Harris

the rest. I still love a good TV spot. They’re usu-

I am not a nostalgic person but in those days

and Guy Pearce. But I Shot Andy Warhol was

ally for auto insurance for some reason.

New York was not a tourist spot or a shopping

more like the Fran Lebowitz story than the Valerie

playground of the obscenely wealthy, it was a

Solanis story. Factory girl was sort of Gidget

You seem to be more interested in culture

gritty town of ambitious immigrants from bad

Goes to Hell. But the worst Warhol portrayal

opposed to one singular strand of it, do

places, and that includes most of the people in

has to go to Crispin Glover, whom I love, playing

you feel more closely connected to one

the art world. It was full of cultural, aesthetic

him in Oliver Stone’s The Doors. It’s sort of Glov-

specific discipline over another?

and sexual misfits. It was rebellion as lifestyle.

er playing Truman playing Andy.

Culture is a way of life. It’s a holistic system.

New York was the center of the art world

That’s something increasingly absent. We are

then—art production. Now it’s the center of art

fluttering around trying to piece a culture to-

speculation. I still like the diehard New Yorkers

gether from fragments. I think that’s the big

and I like the food and you see a lot of beautiful people, but I don’t find it as exciting as it was.

I arrived at 23. I don’t know if I would still move to New York if I were 23 now.

What do you feel the biggest issues are now for the city?

It is run by real estate interests and big money.

Developers of obscene architecture for billion-

“Art is way too fashionable now.

Art and Fashion should just have a good fuck and get over each other.”

Absence of true culture is why barbarism and savagery are on the rise. As far as disciplines, I’m kind of stuck being a writer. It’s like having blue eyes. You don’t choose it. It just happens to you.

I used to be good at drawing but it atrophied.

Now if I try to sketch a story board people laugh.

But I love words and pictures together.

Could you talk about what’s caught your

aires get millions in tax breaks. Artists were al-

PH O TO GRA PH E R: Z AN D E R TAK E T O MO

job we have as people—rebuilding true culture.

ways the shock troops of real es-

interest lately from fashion,

tate, even if they didn’t know it.

art and film?

They gentrified dangerous areas

I am really bored with luxury and

to make them safe for occupan-

bling and all that. It’s horrible.

cy by the rich. It’s getting hard

I like the philosophy of A.P.C.’s

to find a good slice of pizza or

Jean Toitou; he talks about how

a bialy because the landlords are

dressing modestly is actually

jacking up rents continually, hop-

much sexier because something

ing an H&M store will move in.

is held back. In film I love the ones who go their own way like

You’ve known and worked

the Coen Brothers, Paul Thomas

with some of my personal

Anderson, Wes Anderson, Paolo

favourite artists: Warhol,

Sorrentino, Larry Clark, Harmony

Haring and Basqauit. What

Korine. In art I find myself drawn

was your personal opinion

to beautiful work. I love Chris

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INTERVIEWS Parties and industry events can have that networking element that detracts from the fun if it’s simply a place to be and be seen. You’ve previously stated that you

“I know that people like Jon Stewart, George Clooney, Chris Rock and Russell Brand are entertainers, but they could take a few years off in politics. We need beautiful good actors, not bad actors conjuring up the lowest common denominators.”

learned from Andy that parties are work, why do you think you feel that way?

I think most people don’t realise how interconnected their work and their life is. I think of myself as a worker, I guess as a culture worker.

I thought the party as party concept was fun because it was based on coming together for mutual interests and people really interacting, not remotely, or through channels, but in person, one to one. When I first moved to New York you went to parties in people’s homes, now they’re all corporate.

Ofili and Peter Doig. I find most conceptually

What was the last art piece you added to

Could we talk about TV Party live, what’s

based and performance based work to be re-

your collection?

the concept and would you consider it a

ally weak and academic—its museum stooge

I just got works from Thomas Scheibitz and Blair

revival?

work that fostered by too powerful curators.

Thurman. My wife gave me a beautiful Gertrude

Years ago Olivier Zahm and Andre Saraiva tried

Art is way too fashionable now. Art and Fashion

Abercrombie painting from 1957 for my birth-

to talk me into doing TV Party again. I liked

should just have a good fuck and get over each

day. And Walter Robinson gave me a nice paint-

the idea, but maybe because I felt it was never

other. Unfortunately our whole economic sys-

ing of a double cheeseburger.

what it might have been. It could have been more. Maybe it’s the same reason that I did

tem is based on novelty and speculation.

You talked about politics on TV party, even

Interview three times. I’m stubborn, but

You’ve been giving style advice for some

if it was years ago it’s still refreshing to see

I would love to bring unprofessionalism and a

time now. What piece of advice given to

young individuals engage in politics. Have

sort of exploratory idea of politics to television.

you is something you stand by and can

you always been political and what do you

It could still happen, I suppose, but I think my

you remember the most bizarre advice

believe are the main issues that America

aesthetic is as against the grain now as it was

you’ve been asked?

faces now as a nation?

then. I liked things too long and done slightly

I don’t know. It’s been going on so long I think

Yes, I’ve been on the side of revolution since

wrong. I guess I’m a “dead air” guy in the age

I’d have to look it up. Most of my advice is just

I was in school. Of course I spent years hiding

of the ten second clip.

common sense, which always produces good

in the fashion business. My son is a fifteen year

jokes. I think the best fashion advice was War-

old communist and we pretty much see eye

Having been around some of the most

hol’s “the best look is a good plain look.” And

to eye. We need to change the whole process

respected contemporary artists, who

Beau Brummell’s “If people turn to look at you

of politics. I know that people like Jon Stewart,

would you say is inspiring now?

on the street you are not well dressed.”

George Clooney, Chris Rock and Russell Brand

I love Christopher Wool, Tom Sachs, Freeman

are entertainers, but they could take a few

& Lowe…Richard Prince is one of my oldest

Which nation do you believe to be the

years off in politics. We need beautiful good

friends and I like what he’s doing with social

most stylish?

actors, not bad actors conjuring up the lowest

media. It must be good since it gets hated on

It’s really the people who have a deep culture.

common denominators. The whole idea of TV

so much. And I love that he has taken the whole

You see pictures of African refugees and they

Party was that television is the government

intellectual property bullshit thing even farther

often look fantastic. Their ancient tribal cultures

and what we call the government is really just

than he has before. Now we have Robin Thicke

give them an elegance and depth that you

the main show.

and Pharrell Williams paying Marvin Gaye’s fam-

won’t find in so called advance societies. But all

ily $7.5 million because they made a song that

culture is local. As soon as people get swept up

You’ve been in a band and worked for

sort of sounds like one of Marvin’s. That’s in-

by luxury brands or mass political or religious

Rolling Stone. Where does your passion

sane. If intellectual property was really like that

movements it’s all over. For some reason Sicily

for music stem from and who do you be-

nobody could do anything, The Rolling Stones

seems to make great fashion designers. And

lieve is an iconic musician that contin-

would be in prison.

Japan has a great philosophy of fashion, wrap-

ues to inspire to this day, and a musician

ping the body, not sensationalizing it.

that’s currently on the scene that you

What format do you believe is the future

admire?

of media?

Who would you consider style icons?

I looked up my most played songs on

Live. Heard a cool remake of Gil Scott-Heron’s

The Big Lebowski? Neil Young? Francesco Clem-

iTunes and the artists include The Wail-

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised that

ente? It’s hard to say, because if you say “style”

ers, Duke Ellington, Bill Evans, Lee Perry,

goes into Twitter and Facebook. I like that digital

people think about fashion. Real style is essen-

Sarah Vaughn, Sinatra, Junior Murvin, Hoagy

media has made everyone a witness, but there’s

tial. It’s in the DNA. Aretha Franklin is a style

Carmichael, James Brown, John Coltrane, Anita

no media like direct action. I like the idea of a live

icon. Bob Dylan.

O’Day, Henry Mancini…

Broadway musical marching on the Capitol.

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Vice seems to be the publication or media

Who would you say the average GQ reader

organisation that many want to emulate.

is?

Do you read Vice and what’s your personal

GQ has lots of readers now. Some of our readers

opinion on it?

are like you, some are very young men—15,

They’ve been very clever. The way they coopted

16 years old. A bulk of our readers are 28-35,

video early was very good, it’s obviously huge. I

probably urban—I think it’s a mindset more

don’t particularly like the culture—I find it ma-

than anything else. Men and some women

cho, a bit 90s and old-fashioned but good luck

who are interested in the world that we edit.

to them.

You can get lots of things in GQ elsewhere but

INTERVIEWS EDITOR OF GQ, LONDON

Dylan Jones

BY JAIDEN JAMES

I think it’s the edit why people buy our magaIf you weren’t an editor what would you

With the launch of Porter directly com-

do instead?

peting with women’s glossies, do you see

zine. They like our taste.

Probably I’d be a very unsuccessful photogra-

Mr.Porter with its various print outlets as

How do you think your varied career from

pher. That’s what I started out doing and what I

a competitor?

style press to newspapers has helped you

did at Chelsea and Central Saint Martins. I thought

Everyone is a competitor these days. I consid-

when editing a general lifestyle publication?

I was good but I wasn’t any good at all.

ered that whole organisation to be a competitor

I think it’s given me experience in two very dif-

before they even got into print. I don’t say that

ferent worlds. I spent most of the 80s working

What were the benefits of study-

in style press and most of the 90s

ing at Central Saint Martins?

at newspapers. I honestly thought

It’s different now. When I went there,

I’d never come back to magazines

back when god was a boy, I basical-

but I’m glad I did as the newspaper

ly went there because A. It was the

industry unfortunately is sort of in

coolest art school to go to and B. be-

free fall at the moment.

cause there was a girl I fancied and C. because it was bang in the middle of

What do you miss most about 80s

town so all the clubs—music clubs—

London?

were around and about. These days

I don’t think I miss anything about it,

I don’t think I could afford to go to

it was very good to me and amazing

college. Frankly I don’t know how

and great fun. But I don’t think you

people do, I certainly wouldn’t have

can ever look back. London now is

been able to afford to live in London.

probably more exciting. The thing I

I’ve got members of my team who

worry about is that it’s too speedy. It’s

can’t afford to live in London and

great if you’ve got a bit of money—

they’re in their 30s. The whole tuition

the best city in the world: best food,

fee thing is a nightmare and there

best art, best bars, best everything.

also seems to be such a focus on

But if you haven’t got money it’s

international students as they bring

tough. Unfortunately what’s happen-

in the money. The new building [of

ing is that the rich are getting richer

Central Saint Martins] is amazing and

and the poor are getting poorer. The

they’ve obviously managed to bottle

disenfranchised are becoming sep-

whatever they do very, very well.

arate from the people with money.

PH O TO GRA PH E R: H A MI SH S T E PH E N SO N

I don’t say that from any ideological What magazines and newspa-

point of view—I’m probably more

pers do you read personally?

right-of-centre than left-of-centre

I kind of read everything. You need

but I can see it happening, and it’s not

to read everything. I probably read

a good thing. Societies thrive when

less newspapers now as it’s easier

most people are closer together in

to consume news digitally. I love the

terms of how they live, what they

fact that you can walk into Selfridg-

earn, what they consume etc.

es or a newsagent in Soho and see If you could live in any other city

dozens and dozens of really good biannually or bimonthly fashion magazines.

maliciously as I see all forms of media as compe-

where would it be?

tition these days—not just professional ones. All

I like America, so I’d say Miami, Chicago, New

What are your thoughts on Men’s Health,

social media is also competition. If you can sit on

York, Los Angeles.

Esquire and Shortlist?

a train, a plane or in a car and just scroll through

You’ve identified probably the most important

people’s feeds—that’s competition. They’re do-

You once said that Terry Jones has influ-

magazines in our sector that aren’t GQ. They all

ing that and they’re not reading your magazine.

enced your career the most. How so and

have their strengths. Men’s Health in particular

The mobile phone is the most important distrib-

what was it like editing i-D in its early

is a very strong magazine very different to GQ.

utor of media for this generation.

years?

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INTERVIEWS

Terry was influential as he basically rescued me—I mean I was a nightclub dropout. I used the opportunity very, very well but if it wasn’t for him, I don’t know what I would be doing.

Editing i-D was the best fun-amazing-like party every day. I couldn’t believe you could do all this stuff and get paid for it. You weren’t paid very well but you were paid.

During your editorship i-D produced some of its most iconic covers. Do you have a favourite?

The last one I did which was the Smiley face— which I actually designed—the acid house one.

“Terry had a sort of anarchic way of design. He always used to tell me to run the worst picture big and the best picture small.”

How did you end up at The Face?

I left i-D at the end of ‘87 to join Wagadon, owner of Arena and The Face. I became Features Editor of Arena and began contributing to The Face. We all mucked in and did everything there.

You’ve worked with two of the most influential independent publishers in Britain: Terry Jones and Nick Logan. What was the most valuable lesson you feel you learned from each of them?

They both taught me an awful lot. Coming from working at Vogue, where he probably felt restricted, Terry had a sort of anarchic way of design. He always used to tell me to run the worst picture big and the best picture small.

That’s always stayed with me. Nick taught me lots of things and in both places you learned to do a lot of things because there weren’t many people around. In those days operations were much smaller. We made a lot of mistakes but we had a lot of fun doing it.

What were the main differences moving from somewhat smaller and independent publishers to Condé Nast?

I think the biggest difference is that there’s a massive support system. There are many things I used to have to do myself that I don’t have to worry about anymore. It’s fantastic as it means I can focus on the creative part. However I think that the sort of apprenticeship I went through was key: you can do everything because you’ve done it before. Whether it’s taking pictures, writing, sub-editing or designing, including also all that boring stuff like answering the phone, carrying magazines between here and there… i-D and The Face used to critique the establishment. You yourself are now somewhat a part of the establishment and there is Condé Nast launching titles like Love that emulate the formula of magazines like 42

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i-D. You’ve seen the shift and change in

I’ve always been a fan of the interview

er stars, content, we probably reflect what’s

magazines with the Nick Logan titles being

and you also seem to celebrate long form

going on. Personally speaking, women’s mag-

bought up by Bauer, as well as i-D by Vice,

conversations with journalists like Piers

azines could have started out a little earlier

and Dazed becoming a group. What’s your

Morgan and now with Alastair Campbell.

in being slightly more ethnically diverse. This

thoughts on authentic independent voic-

What do you believe makes a compelling

whole thing about diversity—we need more

es and do you believe that there’s such a

interview and why do you feel there’s al-

multinational boards or we need more Chi-

thing in this day and age?

ways room for them at GQ?

nese people in x—why? We should just cele-

I think there are more authentic voices now

We started doing it in the current format because

brate and live.

than there have ever been. In the early 80s

if you’re really going to make a splash and

there were independent magazines, but there

you’re really going to get people to say in-

As an editor yourself, I’m sure you’ve been

were none but three of them: i-D, Blitz and

teresting things, you should do it in a Q&A

held accountable for commissioning and

The Face. If you go to Selfridges now there are

format. It forces the interviewer to be more

publishing controversial content, so I was

dozens of them, there might even be 50 and

specific with his questions and it forces the

wondering what your thoughts were on

it’s great, it’s fantastic.

interviewee to be more fulsome in their re-

Charlie Hebdo?

sponse. It’s very easy to disguise a boring in-

I don’t think any different from any other ra-

When you first took over GQ what was

terview, dress it up and make it look interest-

tional sensible person. It does show you that in

your main vision for the publication and

ing—I’ve done it myself. But if you run it in a

this day and age a simple magazine can actually

how did you feel it needed to grow and

Q&A fashion, then it’s all there and it’s either

have such a huge impact and set in motion an

change?

good or bad.

appalling chain of events.

journalism into the magazine as it had al-

You’ve had some very interesting col-

GQ has covered a range of topics that the

ways been a sort of yuppie bible. It already

umnists; especially some of the women

mainstream media hasn’t really focused

had a huge reputation but not necessarily

who have contributed such as say Naomi

on, with some of your investigative jour-

for journalism. Today’s GQ is quite different

Campbell and Tracey Emin. What attract-

nalism being very powerful making your

compared to in the 90s. We were coming out

ed you to launch these columns with the

political correspondences so captivating.

of a period of huge growth in men’s maga-

interesting choice of columnists and how

How do you feel about the massacre in Ni-

zines which changed the tone of the market

do you go about poaching them?

geria and the way the media managed it?

being quite reductive, principally about sex,

Tracey’s column was kind of fun, Naomi’s was

From what I’ve read and seen, I don’t think it

flesh, laddism. It was difficult, to manage

kind of mad. Naomi came in here once and we

was covered enough. We’ve covered Africa a

that transition. Now most of our covers show

were talking about who she was going to in-

lot and it’s one of those things that’s sort of

men, whereas 15 years ago almost all of them

terview next and she called up Quincy Jones to

disappearing from TV news coverage, because

showed women for the simple reason that

try and get Nelson Mandela’s mobile number!

the perception is that not a lot of people are in-

if you put a man on the cover back then it

It was kind of fun with Naomi. We got a couple

terested. A terrible thing about national news-

wouldn’t sell. When growth for titles like Load-

of headlines out of it.

papers is that because of the economics there’s

My vision was to insert a lot of very good

ed, Front, FHM and Maxim, eventually came

now less and less foreign reporting and less and

to a halt, the only button they knew to press

I’ve been reading GQ since I was 17. I un-

less foreign bureaus. TV, print and digital are all

was the sex-button. If you keep pressing that

derstand that you felt that the lad’s maga-

relying on the sort of civilian journalist, taking

button you sort of turn into soft core por-

zines were reductive and slightly insulting

often very compelling material with his smart

nography. This coincided with the migration

to their readership. Yet they managed to

phone. A lot of this stuff has to be conceptual-

to digital spaces, where you can get this kind

speak to younger men. Lately I’ve seen re-

ised but doesn’t get so in the news coverage.

of stuff for free anyway. Most of those maga-

cent trends with Condé Nast titles launch-

It just turns into a lot of splurge. That’s a slight

zines have folded by now which I have to say

ing supplements like Miss Vogue and Teen

concern of mine, especially about platforms like

I am kind of glad about as they didn’t contrib-

Tatler. Do you think that there would ever

Twitter where people can get the wrong end of

ute much to the culture.

be room for a GQ supplement aimed at

the stick very quickly.

younger men?

Saying that, what are your thoughts on

Short answer: yes. There’s something we could

I know you’re involved in politics and it’s

Playboy as they’ve managed to balance

do to possibly target much younger readers.

common knowledge that you vote con-

sex with very interesting interviews and

If you’re interested in the GQ world, then you

servatives. Would you be confident in vot-

articles featuring and collaborating with

probably gravitate to this world anyway.

ing conservative if Johnson was running

prestigious artists and writers?

the party?

In its heydays Playboy was an amazing mag-

Racism in fashion is a topic that’s been

Yeah I think so. I know him fairly well and I think

azine but I don’t know anyone who’s read it

touched upon in women’s, but never in

he’s pretty impressive. He was a terrible car cor-

in a while. Last year, they spent a great deal of

men’s fashion. I believe however the situa-

respondent though. He cost me a fortune, but

money employing Mert and Marcus to photo-

tion is the same if not worse when it comes

he’s a good man.

graph Kate Moss. The result was great pictures

to diversity on catwalks, covers, campaigns

which could also have run in Love; they how-

and so on. Do you think that more can be

A lot of people forget that Boris Johnson is a

ever had no effect on sales. Who would want to

done to include ethnic minorities?

seasoned journalist. I know Boris was once a

buy Playboy now—it’s an old fashioned porn

I’m never a big fan of doing things for the

contributor to GQ so this maybe a bit biased,

magazine?

sake of it. In terms of writers, models, cov-

but how well do you think Boris has done so

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far in two terms as mayor of London and

focused version, GQ Style?

the international editions and do you have

what do you think his legacy will be?

We wanted to as we thought it would be fun. It

a favourite?

He’s done some very obvious things, like the

wasn’t designed to actually make money. It also

We’ve just come back from a big conference

routemaster. He’s drawn attention to London,

wasn’t designed to lose money. It was designed

in Paris earlier on in the week where all the

the Olympics was handled very well, so he’s

to be able to feature more fashions that are

nineteen different editors from around the

been a good mayor. There’s a lot of people

diverse and slightly edgier. It’s actually turned

world were at the same place, so we do com-

who don’t think so, but I didn’t believe Ken Liv-

into quite a successful product and it’s making

municate quite a lot. They all have their virtues.

ingstone was a good mayor and lots of people

a lot of money.

The French edition at the moment is great, the Chinese GQ is an amazing product.

did. It always comes down to people’s personal experience. ‘How well off am I? Has my life im-

How much involvement do you have at

proved over the last couple of years or has it

GQ Style, as I know it has its own editor,

How do you decide who goes on the best

not? Do I feel safer etc.’ One day he’ll probably

Luke Day?

and worst dressed list?

make a good Prime Minister, too.

It’s very important that the editor of the mag-

We have our own ideas and we ask about 100

azine is a sort of spokesperson and we’ve had

other people and then we just add up the

I’m an advocate of getting younger voters

David Bradshaw, Ben Reardon and now we’ve

votes. It’s pretty simple.

to the polls, what do you think should be

got Luke Day. I have very close control over it

done to engage youths in politics?

because it’s very important that it does a partic-

Are you not worried about offending or

That’s up to politicians. Politicians need to

ular job and it dovetails perfectly with GQ while

upsetting some of the men that happen

be more engaging, full stop. Politicians have

having its own independent voice.

to land on the worst dressed list?

Not really.

a fantastically innate ability to be patronising towards, well, everyone actually, but partic-

GQ Style obviously has its own competitors

ularly towards younger people. It’s difficult.

such as Man About Town, Arena Homme

How important are the live strands to GQ

Obama did an extraordinary job through social

Plus and Another Man. Do you personally

such as the GQ Awards?

media coopting the younger generation. They

see these as competition for the title and

Men of the Year is particularly important as it’s

were however forgotten about as soon as he

do you read any of them?

our one big piece of marketing. It usually gen-

got into office. People are very uninterested.

I don’t read Arena Homme Plus, it doesn’t

erates about £8 million worth of press; last year

They increasingly think that it doesn’t matter

seem to have as much momentum as it used

it was double the value with attendees from

who they vote for. They think nothing would

to have, but I think all of the others are very im-

Tony Blair to Kim Kardashian. I can’t emphasise

change, which unfortunately is often true.

portant. Ten Men, Another Man, Man About

enough how important Men of The Year is. Very,

Town—they’re all great magazines and they’re

very important.

You’ve been fundamental in transform-

all contributing to the culture.

How well do you feel you’ve adapted to

ing the British menswear scene and market. The creation of London Collections

What are the main differences, if any, be-

the internet and the rise of social media

Men to showcase, GQ Style to promote

tween the man who reads GQ and the man

such as Twitter, Facebook and an impor-

and GQ and the BFC Menswear Fund

who reads GQ Style?

tant source of revenue for a few publica-

to financially support it. How and why

The person who reads GQ Style and doesn’t

tions: YouTube?

did you feel it was right to launch LCM

read GQ is probably more interested in the

We were slow to start with but now we’re in a

and the designer fund and what legacy

fashion elements, might be a bit younger and

pretty good place. We made a lot of mistakes

would you like for both?

might be involved in the industry. GQ is de-

but look at our products now; especially our

London Collections Men was Caroline Rush’s

signed to have a very broad reach whereas GQ

mobile-phone app—I’m very proud of it. It took

idea and she asked me to steer it. Menswear

Style isn’t. It’s supposed to be very specific.

a long time to launch, a lot of work and a lot

Fund was our idea and the most important

of money was spent. It’s very, very good and

thing for both is that they need to flourish.

What do you think distinguishes London’s

the team have done an incredible job. These

People are very complimentary about LCM

men’s style and fashion compared to the

things are changing every minute and we have

and it works because people want it to work.

ones from other global cities such as New

to adapt. We don’t own the means of distri-

If people didn’t want it to work it wouldn’t be

York, Milan and Paris?

bution, we don’t manufacture the hardware,

happening. It would be a little trade fair that

We’re better at it. We’re very good at tradition

we don’t develop the software, all we really

no one really took any notice of. It’s really the

and also rebellion. We own Saville Row, we

produce is the content. Very good content.

enthusiasm of the participants and the market-

invented the suit. All great menswear comes

So we have to keep up and be very responsive.

place. Menswear Fund isn’t rocket science. We

from the UK but we’ve also pretty much been

So far so good.

just wanted to launch a fund and went out and

responsible for every major youth cult since the

found a very supportive and willing sponsor.

end of the Second World War. We’re very good

Moving forward, what’s your future vision

We’re about to go into year two which is really

at both of those disciplines. It’s all about Lon-

for GQ?

exciting. The most important goal for all of this

don we should celebrate. Young men in Britain

To not go out of business.

is to keep them going.

are better dressed here than young men anywhere else in the world.

You’ve obviously edited style press before such as i-D and The Face. What do you be-

Obviously all those countries have their

lieve led you to launch the more fashion

own GQ. But do you keep up-to-date with

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PUBLISH ER HELLO MR ., NEW YORK CI T Y

Ryan Fitzgibbon

BY JAIDEN JAMES

Could you tell me a bit about where you’re

hind titles like Underscore, Offscreen, Kinfolk,

Hello Mr. was born out of a need for some-

from and what you believe led you to start

Apology, and Day Job. Now peers, we inspire

thing new. Gay men are portrayed in a handful

your own magazine?

and motivate each other in our independent

of ways across media outlets, but it tends to be

I’m not sure if it was directly inspired by my first

projects. The collaboration behind the indie

the clichés that seem to make their way to the

job as a paperboy, but I always knew I would

magazine movement often goes unnoticed,

image below the headline. The symbols and

end up working in publishing. After chancing

but we’re all in this together, all us little guys.

icons most commonly used are universal and

upon a position as design editor for my high

quickly understood; so it’s most commonly

school paper, discovering my love for editorial

What was the initial vision and view for

just a lack of creative originality in my opinion.

design, I studied graphic design in Grand Rap-

the magazine?

I launched Hello Mr. boldly claiming it as my

ids, Michigan. Following graduation, I moved to San Francisco in 2009 to work as a visual brand strategist at the global design consultancy, IDEO, helping some of the largest brands in the world develop meaningful connections with their audiences. That experience was the prerequisite to my approach to creating a brand of my own and ultimately publishing Hello Mr. How I did it was a bit of a blur. I’m most productive when I isolate myself, so I left San Francisco and moved to Australia in search of that blank canvas. I started to uncover other passionate individuals pursuing their indie publishing ventures and my obsession with starting my own grew. Before I had a website, I developed a preliminary media kit which contained the brand attributes, my mission statement, and accompanying visuals that told much of the story for me. The bold concept of ‘rebranding gay media’ through a non-glossy magazine about men who date men rang true for everyone I spoke to, gay or straight. From there, I quickly started building my network of writers, illustrators, and photographers and eventually had enough content to create the first issue.

Persistence and a strong point of view were essential in making it a reality.

What publications did you read growing up and which ones do you think left an impression on you and inspired you to PH O TO GRA PH E R: L U K E A BBY

launch Hello Mr.?

In my teenage years and into university, I subscribed to GQ, Nylon Guys, PRINT, i-D, IdN, and Monocle—when I could afford it. I have an inconsistent diet when it comes to my printed media now; Apartamento, Fantastic Man, BUTT, COLORS, and frankie will always be pillars in my collection. However, the greatest influence in starting Hello Mr. were the creators beNO 08 / 2015

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“Normality in general is a concept that shouldn’t be relevant to me or my readers. Normality is the reason a gay community would be marginalised in the first place, so why cater to it?”

attempt at ‘rebranding gay media.’ Though,

What’s the most stressful part of editing

Someone who doesn’t want to just accept the

I wasn’t just talking about the visuals. The lux-

the magazine?

status quo as true. Someone who has a sense

ury of depth in the personal narratives of this

Trying to please everyone. Packaging the issue

of individual style, who isn’t all that affected by

generation of gay males was long overdue.

on time is hard enough, but what’s harder is

the mainstream, and someone smart, cherishes

Hello Mr. is an opportunity to step away from

editing a story to have enough universal appeal

the long-read—separate from sexual orienta-

the stereotypes in the spotlight and spend

to be relatable. We champion narrative over

tion or identity.

a little time reflecting and defining our own

thematic meaning. In that, meaning is made

unique experiences.

by the reader’s own partiality, rather than dic-

Your model and formula in itself is differ-

tated by us. I’ve learned so much since starting

ent to so many other publications. Is there

How important would you say Kickstarter

Hello Mr., but an important skill I’m constantly

a specific reason why you choose to have

has been to you?

practicing is the art of delegation. Any entre-

a higher cover price and select ads specif-

The magazine wouldn’t be the same without

preneur can appreciate the discomfort that

ically to align with the overall outlook of

it. Kickstarter makes the process of launching a

comes with sharing the responsibility of caring

the magazine?

business transparent, which instills an invested

for your baby with someone else. Managing my

Well, it’s more than just a magazine. It’s a badge

interest from the supporters who back each

time, at different stages of production were

our readers wear proudly, displaying it as a sym-

project. I could have gone to investors or adver-

extremely challenging as a one-man-team for

bol of their taste on their coffee table or book-

tisers straight away and raised the funds, but the

the first year and a half, but I’ve brought on

shelf. A lot of thought goes into every detail of

response wouldn’t have been the same. The in-

an assistant editor, Francisco Tirado, who has

the magazine, and further, who’s reading it, so

dividuals that have been engaged with creation

more than doubled my work capacity. Addition-

I try my hardest not to think about it as product

of this brand from the beginning are the greatest

ally, there has been no shortage of people who

and more of an experience. That means picking

advocates of what Hello Mr. aims to achieve.

feel a strong connection to our mission and

and choosing ads that mean something to an

have willingly offered their help; even as I work

audience because it’s a part of said experience.

Hello Mr. was born in the digital age. How

out the kinks managing multiple work streams.

Merchandising has started to play a role in

successful do you feel your platforms are and what would you like to expand upon?

What do you feel is the closest competitor

the Hello Mr. brand. Are we going to see an

Hello Mr. has had incredible success on Insta-

of Hello Mr. at present?

expansion of this and what was the initial

gram, in that we’ve been able to build an au-

I’d refrain from the word competitive as I have

idea?

dience around the brand even though most

working relationships with most of the maga-

It’s always been on my mind! Making T-shirts

of them have likely never picked up an issue.

zines people would call our competitors. The

for our Valentine’s events was just a good foray

On a purely aesthetic level, people relate to, or

indie magazine community is different in that

into merchandising and seeing how that affects

want to engage in a brand ‘about men who

we’re always helping each other out before

our social media presence. If we continue to

date men,’ and that’s gratifying as it’s tech-

we’re gunning for each other’s consumers. We

create merchandise to sell, like our ‘Hello Love’

nically a wider audience than our print circu-

have occasional meet-ups and therapy sessions

shirts or more tote bags, there’s more for the

lation. When it comes to web, we’ve recently

between indie magazine publishers where we

audience to see and relate to; to hold in their

relaunched our site and are building our digital

just talk over our aspirations and ideas, venting

hands something that means something.

audience by making content from past print

and drinking. We’re all just trying to make it.

The magazine is largely general lifestyle

issues available in every corner of the world.

It’s too early to know what the results will be,

Who would you say is the average reader

covering a wide range of topics. Is there a

but it’s exciting.

of the magazine?

certain area you’d like to delve deeper into

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that we’ll see covered more extensively in

able to say, “I’m bi,” and experience the safety

nity to feel more accepted in America?

the upcoming edition?

and relief when you finally have a name for it.

Further steps and awareness in support of

In many ways, we’ve just gotten started, so

What’s negative is when other people place la-

women, HIV-positive men, and those who are

there’s so much out there to tackle! The hard-

bels on someone else. It should be up to the in-

transgender.

est part is making sure we don’t tackle too

dividual to decide what their label might be—or

many in one issue. And as for specifics—well,

even they decide they don’t want a label at all.

WORDS

For so long the LGBQT community has fought for inclusion and equality. What’s

I’m not going to spoil any surprises for you.

After featuring Robbie Rogers in your 3rd

your thoughts as the editor of a magazine

How do you go about sourcing and se-

issue what’s your personal views on the

targeting said community on the rise of

lecting the cover stars. I know for me the

stigma attached to being gay in sports,

segregation with media outlets, schools,

process is quite hard especially as it’s not

music, film etc?

film festivals created purely for LGBQT in-

celebrity based?

It’s a conversation we’re still having. We con-

dividuals. Is exclusivity in your eyes a step

It’s quite a roller coaster. I try not to think about

stantly get pitches from people who have hit a

forward?

it as I’m going through the content for a next

‘gay ceiling’ in their life somewhere, unable to

Not at all! Our magazine is about men who date

issue. Very rarely do we actually seek out a cov-

foray into the career they want to have because

men, not for men who date men. Anyone could

er boy. Rather, their story comes across me, and

they’ve been pegged as “less than” rather than

pick it up and relate to it—and they do! Even

I am struck by it.

being evaluated on the level of their talent and

though we’re writing the stories with a gay

ability. For anyone in the LGBT community, be-

male audience in mind.

What personally intrigues me about your

ing typecast in this way is something we as a

covers is that they feature the average

society are still falling short on.

How do you feel Australia has shaped you and added to your vision and what’s your

man: he’s not super chiselled or hunky or in speedos with his six pack out and bulge

We’ve moved forward at being represent-

thoughts on Australia’s views on gay mar-

on show. You feature a type that isn’t of-

ed on TV and in films and I was wondering

riage?

ten seen or celebrated especially not in the

if you watched shows such as Looking and

Having launched the magazine there, with a big

media or on magazine covers. Was there a

The New Normal, what your opinions are

chunk of my audience in that continent, I feel

specific reason for this?

on them and if you had a favourite film or

indebted to Australia immensely, as it shaped a

Spot on. I don’t think traditional good looks

show that focused on gays?

cleaner, more open view of my design for the

are as important anymore when it comes to

I loved Looking, so it was a real disappointment

mag. As per marriage, they’re behind in legis-

covering quality publications these days. And

to hear it was cancelled. Having lived in San

lation, but as a country, very progressive. It’s a

to be honest, I’m not against putting a hunky

Francisco from the ages of 21 to 24, just after

surprise they’re not as far along as you’d hope.

model on our cover—just so long as they have

I had come out, I obviously related to it deeply.

a compelling story, and that the photo makes

There was a certain quality about it that felt

Was there a lot going on culturally whilst

them look approachable. I want readers to pick

like a relief for many gay men. That, at the very

you were there as I know you participated

up a copy of Hello Mr. because they instantly

least, we were finally given the chance to have

in launching a pop-up and what kind of

feel like they can relate to the person on the

this conversation on screen again after quite a

events happened during your residency?

cover, or even approach him at a bar.

lull in mainstream gay television shows. As far

Well I had a front-and-centre window on Oxford

as films go, A Single Man still tops my list as a

Street during Mardi Gras—my first; and I also

As a magazine for ‘men who date men’,

film that inspires me to want to tell stories at

threw a preview event before the first issue was

do you think that the dating culture in the

level of calibre, which elevates a gay experience

sent to print where people could come, get

gay community has died down or do you

to a work of art.

excited about the magazine, and take a look

feel that it’s thriving with the introduction

at what’s inside. Back to that transparency of

of new ways to meet, greet, and—frankly

The New Normal in a sense is saying that

put—fuck with all of that becoming more

normality isn’t exclusive to heterosexu-

accessible and men more attainable due to

als anymore and now with marriage and

What city that you’ve visited so far would

apps like Grindr and various other tools?

adoption available, that lifestyle is acces-

you consider moving to?

It’s a give and take. It goes without saying

sible, attainable and achievable—does that

London, mostly, as I studied art there, and feel

there’s fear and inauthenticity in some ways

interest you?

the same inspired motivation each time I vis-

people use dating apps. But I think that peo-

Not really. Normality in general is a concept that

it. I could also see myself going back to San

ple who use Grindr and similar applications in

shouldn’t be relevant to me or my readers. Nor-

Francisco, or Melbourne, or maybe spend some

healthy ways are a great example of how apps

mality is the reason a gay community would

time in Berlin.

are expanding who we meet out there. And

be marginalised in the first place, so why cater

not just those who meet on dating apps; but

to it? I would hope that someone could read

How would you like to see Hello Mr. devel-

for gay men who meet via Tumblr or Instagram.

my magazine without feeling isolated, whether

op further over the years?

they were married with twins, or single with no

I would like to expand our audience, expand our

interest at all in starting a family.

website, expand our budget, expand, expand!

There’s a label for everything these days from pos, neg, trans, queer, gay, bi, poly etc.

launching the magazine through Kickstarter.

I have a lot of ideas for the magazine that I’m

Do you think that allowing oneself to be

What’s the next step, if any, socially and

excited to start exploring as soon as I add a few

labelled has a negative or positive effect?

politically, that you feel needs to be taken,

more people to our team, which is the next

Self-identification is positive. One should be

that you feel will allow the LGBQT commu-

step in our expansion.

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PA G E 1 3 / 1 6

INTERVIEWS

FA S H I O N S T Y L I S T, N E W Y O R K C I T Y

Mel Ottenberg

BY JOEL DASH

How did you get your first break in styling?

I read in an article that your first job was

Rihanna is really fun. She always wants to try

I started sort of by accident when I met pho-

at your family’s bakery, answering the

something new. I love how we can go super

tographer Alexei Hay. He called and asked me to

phone. Did you not have a desire to con-

glamorous one moment and do the opposite

do a shoot with him for Dutch Magazine. I was

tinue in the family business?

the next moment. When I first started with her

like, “Hey, can I borrow your credit card to buy

My dad is the fourth generation owner of Ot-

I’d show up to these jobs, like the We Found

some Chanel suits from Bergdorf Goodman

tenberg’s Bakery, a wholesale bread bakery

Love video with a bunch of old rags, and she

for the shoot, and then we can return them

in Washington, D.C. I answered the phones

was thrilled. It had been a minute since people

afterwards, is that cool?” That didn’t happen

there every summer and punched in orders.

were putting pop stars in cool shit like that. Just

then, of course. Soon after that though, Alexei

That was cool but I was 100 percent about

being able to fuck with pop like that and seeing

introduced me to Matthias Vriens and I hit it off

art and fashion. From a young age I was ob-

the reaction on a big scale is really entertaining.

with him. He said,”You’re cool, I like your vibe,

sessed with fashion. All I did was draw, look

will you style your friend Doug for The Face?”

at fashion magazines and design collections

032c is a really interesting publication. How

Doug was this gorgeous guy I hung out with all

and read everything I could about fashion.

did your role as Fashion Director there

the time then. So I asked a stylist I knew how to

So staying in D.C. was not going to happen,

come about?

pull clothes and I managed to get clothes from

no way.

Helmut Lang and Gucci. I mixed the designer

I’ve always loved 032c and when I started shooting for the magazine with different photog-

stuff with the scruffy, slutty clothes I was into

As you are Rihanna’s personal stylist: What

raphers, I hit it off with Joerg Koch, the ed-

wearing at the time. It was in The Face, which

would you consider her style to be and

itor-in-chief. He asked me to be the Fashion

was my favourite magazine back then.

how do you further and develop her look?

Director and it was a good fit. I’d been on the

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masthead of magazines for years, but I never

What’s the dynamic like between you and

ten years earlier when she performed Slave

really had a real responsibility with the creation

Adam. How do you guys work out the

For You for the first time. I did all the backup

of a magazine before 032c. It’s so fun.

division between work and play?

dancers. In the beginning I was like “I’m not

Actually one of my best career moments was

doing that, that’s crazy.” Eventually because I

Your influence in pop culture from the

the Rihanna CFDA dress! That look really was the

really wanted to work with Rihanna, I changed

work you produce editorially and with

sickest for me—a labour of love idea. I thought

my mind and just did it.

your celebrity clients is undisputable.

Adam’s idea was so sick and we just had to make

Where do you find these inspirations?

it happen in a short amount of time. So to know

What are the differences with styling a

Thank you! I just get vibes and go with them. I

the drama that went into making that look one

celebrity such as Rihanna, and styling a

go to the library all the time—the Costume In-

week from making it to the stage—that was it.

fashion show?

I love working with models, I love fashion pic-

stitute Library at the Metropolitan Museum the most. Sometimes I’m looking for something

How do you and Adam work together?

tures. It’s a very small, inside group that will

really specific and I research the hell out of it,

We have been working together really well for

see any of that stuff. But I do like the global

sometimes I don’t know what I’m doing and I

years now. I’m able to really help him with his

aspect of celebrity styling. Doing something

just go look at things anyway. I used to buy so

collections and he really helps me with ideas

with celebrities can be really fun, everyone in

many books; and now I don’t even have room

and gives me his opinion on what I’m doing. It’s

the world is going to see it. You go into a store

on my book shelves anymore. I love seeing

fun. Some people say you shouldn’t work with

and you see stuff that you did knock off in

movies, I love seeing people on the street but

your partner, but sometimes you just naturally

stores all over the place that is really fun to

it’s also just about exchanging creative ideas

fall into working together.

me. That makes me really happy actually. It’s

with people around me—from my assistants,

the balance of that stuff with the pop thing

Joerg, my boyfriend Adam [Selman, fashion de-

How did you both meet?

signer] to my friends. I send myself ideas emails

We met at a birthday party on the roof of the

all day long so I don’t forget anything.

Chelsea hotel about seven years ago. He was

Who would you consider Mel to be, beyond

wearing this incredible all denim outfit, with

Rihanna, 032c, Purple etc.

As 032c is based in Berlin, have you ever

the great face and moustache. I thought ‘this

I don’t feel defined by any of that stuff. I’m

considered relocating to Berlin perma-

look is really strong, I need to shoot this guy

passionate about stuff but they’re jobs. Who

nently?

with Terry Richardson for something.’ We just

is Mel? I don’t know I guess I’m this chilled guy.

I love Berlin. I wish I was there more often. But

chatted a few minutes and that was it. Then

I’m a bit of a neurotic Jew. I have a sense of

If I relocated anywhere permanently, it would

I ran into him six months later in a club and

humour, I like to make people laugh all the time.

be to Los Angeles.

we chatted for a minute. After that I ran into

Less in public; I’m actually being extremely

him again and he asked me out. We started

open with you which I never am because I’m

Between shooting for a magazine and

hanging out, and started dating. We got really

super not down to talk. I like to have a good

working with your clients, I don’t suppose

into each other.

time, I collect furniture. I have a big plant col-

that I like most of all.

PH O TO GRA PH E R: L I LY AN N GA LT MACL O U GH L IN

you get much time off. But when you do,

lection with 23 plants right now and counting.

what are your favourite things to do?

How did you start working together?

I love hanging at home. Like today, I’ve had a

I used to ask Adam to make things for fashion

What are the three things inspiring you

day off and I’m just hanging at home by myself

shoots I was doing. He made things for V, Pur-

right now?

and it’s amazing. I’m planning a trip to Hawaii

ple and 032c. A few years into dating we start-

This furniture designer Guy de Rougemont

with my boyfriend and I cannot wait to chill out

ed working together nonstop when I got on

from the 70s. I’m obsessed with the Manson

at the beach, go on hikes and just decompress.

this long Rihanna train and took him on it with

family. I just read this incredible biography of

me. I did one job with Rihanna and two months

Charles Manson and the Manson family and I’m

Are you interested in the London fashion

later I got a call from her manager asking me to

really fascinated by the way they looked. They

scene at all? Are there any designers that

do costumes for her tour. I really had no idea

were so beautiful and so sinister and weird.

you’re interested in?

how to do that kind of thing and Adam was a

And I am obsessed with really obscure movie

I use London designers a lot. I’m into Hyen Seo,

costume designer’s assistant, working on tour

soundtracks. I’m making a really, really hardcore

Vetements, Jacquemus, Craig Green, Adam Sel-

costumes for someone else at that exact same

playlist right now, to blow my life away.

man—to name a few.

moment… so I poached him to work with me on the tour. It all happened so organically. He

What turns you on?

Speaking of new designers. You were a

has done so many amazing things with Rihan-

What turns me on is definitely all the great ar-

judge on Rihanna’s show Styled To Rock, sit-

na, and when he started his own collection, we

chetypes of the 70s porn. If you look at my life

ting beside Pharrell [Williams] and Erin Was-

started working together in a totally different

and my work I think that is very much it.

son,a star studded panel. What was your

way. It’s fun to change it up.

And finally, what are you looking forward

experience being a judge on the show?

At first I really hated it, because being on TV was

Is that the tour which you had two days

to in 2015?

so horrifying for me. But then I got more com-

for to dress 70 dancers?

I’m looking forward to new challenges. Look-

fortable with myself by getting over my fears

The first job I did with Rihanna I literally had to

ing forward to some new ‘I really don’t know

about being on camera. I also really enjoyed the

dress 75 dancers and I really had no idea how

how to do that but I can’t wait to figure it out’

kids, getting to know them and seeing what

to do that. The only other time I’d done danc-

moments! That’s what really excites me about

they were all about.

ers was when I assisted Britney’s [Spears] stylist

2015.

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INTERVIEWS Is it fair to say then that encouraging original voices to dare to push boundaries as a lot of London designers are encouraged to do is somewhat of a disservice to new talent? Do Japan have the right idea?

Well it is a different market. No I don’t think it is doing a disservice to new talent. London just isn’t about that. Pushing boundaries and being rebellious is our reputation. It is why people come here. And that’s why people like Fashion East pick out people who they see as trying to break the ways that exist already.

I think that’s nice. That’s what is great about Britain and always has been. How important is money to you?

Well obviously I need money to continue. And there is only so much of all this that is just about the clothes and being an artist.

JEWELLRY DESIGNER , LONDON

Roxanne Farahmand

BY ALEX B ROWLAND

Do you think arts education trains you about that side of being a designer?

Not at all. To be honest though, regardless of where you go it is never about teaching, lectures, taking notes... If you are ignorant enough not to know that when signing up, you are going to come out a failure. It’s about the people you meet and what you make from

How available do you think it is to make

first of all. Not only because it’s jewellery, but

it. You could do this on your own, you don’t

money as a designer in London at the mo-

also because it’s menswear. There is definitely

need someone to educate you about it. If you

ment? Obviously there are great opportu-

a market for it out there, but there is a lack

are motivated enough in the first place, you will

nities out there for support ie- Fashion East,

of platforms to distribute to them people. It’s

learn. And the way things are going with the

who you’ve been with for a couple of sea-

great working with people like Primitive and

government trying to cut tuition fees except

sons now. But how are people surviving?

Machine-A. They are a good example of where

for the arts. Fuck that, you don’t need that kind

I mean regardless of what help you get, it is

it’s gone right, where someone is really helping

of debt on your back. School is bullshit. I mean

so difficult to make money as a designer right

and supporting young British designers.

like it pushed me. I hated my first 2 years of uni.

I hated curriculum, I hated my tutors, I hated

now. Even if you are super established. Look at Mead ham Kirchoff at the moment. They are

So, let’s imagine London was a hub of bou-

the people. I came to my final year and I realized

legit, collections are on point, and were doing

tiques and you had thousands of stockists.

like, wait... why am I getting so aggy about all

so well. And now it’s like, that’s it, they can’t

Where do you think the line is drawn be-

this? I just thought, I’m my own person. So I

continue on. And that’s just the way it is.

tween a brand having underground ap-

knuckled down and did my own stuff.

What’s the community like for emergent

That is kind of difficult. If you think of places

And it’s so ironic as well because they act like

fashion designers in London? Is there sup-

where this sort of exists, for example Japan

that and yet the moment you leave they will

port within the community?

which is completely and utterly filled with bou-

gladly use your name as alumni, try to get

I feel with menswear everyone has got each-oth-

tiques, there is less of a sense of individualism.

you in to speak to new students and write

ers back. Designers themselves are now in a con-

When I was there I was exposed to a complete

your name on a list to advertise courses.

versations with each other, and are actually help-

alternative to where we are in London. Where

That’s what I’m saying!

ing each other out. I think it’s a good thing and

there is so much stuff everywhere and not par-

I think it needs to be more acceptable. There is

ticularly one scene, there isn’t as many brands

Do you feel like arts education in itself are

no need to be competitive when we all secretly

that stick out. When this happens you lose val-

just money grabbers?

know we are struggling hard. I think it should be

ue to your brand a bit. It doesn’t feel as luxury,

Well yeah it’s a business. University is a business.

more spoken about too.

or exclusive. It’s not about being stocked in

It’s so sad as well because you can tell now that

a million and one places its just about being

70% of your class will be international. They are

Do you ever feel somewhat betrayed by

stocked in the right places alongside the right

paying triple times the amount that you are

the industry? You’ve worked hard and

people. But Japan is so different to London.

paying to be there so of course they are going

achieved a lot for 2 seasons. Do you ever

The fashion industry does very well there and

to bring them in. And then sometimes it feels

think you should be making more money?

a lot of designers in Japan are able to survive

like a real lack of great people because so many

Yeah definitely. It’s really hard being a niche

well because of it.

are just being overlooked. It’s a shame.

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peal as it were and being heavily digested?

PA G E 1 6 / 1 6

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WORDS

FA S H I O N D E S I G N E R , L O N D O N

Martine Rose

T

BY ALEX B ROWLAND

ime can be measured in various

the end and find that elements

ways, but there are two clear ends

have sometimes filtered through…

to the spectrum. On one end we

I started going out pretty young,

measure time as reflective of the

probably the most obvious influ-

world around us. It can be recog-

ence of that period is that there are

nized culturally, politically, religiously etc. On the

always references to music through-

other end it can be a personal journey, mapped

out the collections I produce.”

out by first times, last times and one more times.

Time is important to Martine Rose, and her tastes

No doubt, looking back plays an important

being among the worst hit by political changes,

sit somewhere in the middle of her personal ex-

role in any creative process. But in an industry

is there something the new generation can learn

periences and the world around them.

obsessed with the future, nostalgia in fashion

from generations of the past? Could the youth

Despite the influences of eras passed are

is often criticized as being regressive. When I

cultures of now and beyond be doing more

apparent in Rose’s collections and differ season

asked Martine whether she considers herself a

looking back when looking at their future?

after season (ie- throwbacks to Northern Soul

nostalgic person, she replied: “I don’t want to be the person

or the S&M scene of the 1970’s) one thing we

wagging my finger! Apathy is

can expect from any collection is her interest in

“Hmmm, that’s tough. Nostalgia

coming-of-age, an era that transcends history.

when it was originally coined as a

depressing, but political apathy ex-

phrase was defined as a sickness, a

tends far beyond 18-24 year olds.

“I’m constantly fascinated by adoles-

deep sadness. Nostalgia has a place

Of course young people should

cence as there is lack of self aware-

in fashion definitely, and acknowl-

be more politically engaged, and

ness, and awkwardness mixed with

edgement of what has come before

involved in decisions about their

a ‘fuck you this is who I am’ attitude.

whilst looking forward is necessary

future but we should all be…

It’s natural and un-prescribed which I

I think. To look back slavishly and re

Young people and youth cultures

find really appealing”.

hash old ideas and trends is boring

are the future. Everything comes

and doesn’t contribute to the

from them, really whatever the

Adolescence is a time of persistent contradic-

formation of anything modern or

generation. We can all learn some-

tions, and these contradictions are represented

interesting but there are ways to

thing from the generation before,

in Rose’s signatures, notably the silhouette that

reinterpret things so to avoid being

but who likes to be told that?

has become recognizable to the Martine Rose

derivative and offer a new perspec-

How patronizing. This generation

label. Bottom heavy denims that sit on the waist

tive on old ideas.”

has it’s own thing going on, they are far more exposed and visible

and long sleeved cropped tops play with proportion, sometimes rendering limbs stumped

Her influences might tend to archive the youth

which brings new challenges and

or gangly and reminiscent of the clumsiness of

of the past, but her avoidance to follow generic

experiences. This is an example is

the adolescent form. At times her work feels as

menswear trends pushes for the future and

when nostalgia is unhelpful, when

masculine as it does feminine, or as boyish as it

quite often her collections feel like a breathe of

it’s used to dismiss current ideas

does manly. Her collections exist in the in-be-

fresh air in the London menswear scene.

or trends. I mean how could you

tween stage, an embodiment of the teenager.

Martine often references a very different

say to a 13 year old now, it was so

Although fascinated by youth, her own

era of Britain than that of today. They tend to

much better when we didn’t have

coming-of-age is not as important an influence

be reminiscent of a time where the growth of

social media, you should stop us-

in her work as people might assume.

youth cultures was more organic, and cultural

ing it! They will choose ideas what

tribes alike were more politically engaged per-

they find useful or inspiring from

“Its not absolutely necessary for

haps than those of new generations. Consid-

the generation before and use it as

every collection to reflect my own

ering less than 20% of 18-24 year olds are ex-

they see fit. It’s definitely not for

experiences. Although I do get to

pected to vote in the upcoming election despite

me to dictate”

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Bra and Tights AMERICAN APPAREL Shoes TOPSHOP

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Skirt SIMONE ROCHA Top MINKI CHENG

Dress DIANE VON FÜRSTENBERG

Jacket ADNY Vest KOOPLES Vintage bondage trousers VIVIENNE WESTWOOD Sandals MINKI CHENG

Hair stylist K I E R O N L A V I N E using BUMBLE AND BUMBLE / Make Up Artist D A I S Y H A R R I S - D ’ A N D E L using MAC / Manicurist A M I S T R E E T S (LMC Worldwide) / Fashion Assistant J U S T I N F U L L E R / Photographer’s Assistant T O M N O R T H / Lighting P I X I E P I X E L / K I N G S L A N D R O A D S T U D I O S / Casting Director S I M O N L E W I S (Cast and Elect) / Producer L U K E M I L E Y (LMC Worldwide) / Starring B R O G A N L O F T U S (Select)

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Trousers ICEBERG Thong COVER MALE

Jacket ADIDAS Shorts A.J.L MADHOUSE Thong COVER MALE

Hair stylist N I C O L A S J U R N J A C K (MAO) Make Up Artist AYA M I N I S H I M U R A Set Design T H O M A S P E T H E R I C K (Visual Artist) Digital Operator D A V I D A D A M S Post production L O V E R E T O U C H Fashion Assistant J U S T I N F U L L E R / Photographer’s Assistant C H R I S T I A N B R A G G / Photographer’s Assistant T O M AY E R S T / Hair Stylists Assistant A B R A K E N N E D Y / Makeup Artists Assistant S H E L L E Y B L A Z E / Makeup Artists Assistant S A R A H M I E R A U / Set Design Assistant J A C K A P P L E YA R D / Photographers Agent T H U N G U Y E N / Photographers Producer S H A U G H N A M C N A M A R A / S T U D I O P R I VAT E Casting Director S I M O N L E W I S (Cast and Elect) Starring J O R D A N M AT H E S O N (Elite) / D A N N Y B L A K E (D1) / G E O R G E H A M M O N D (AMCK) / B A I L E Y (AMCK) / O L I V E R S M I L E S (Select )

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poloneck JOHN SMEDLEY

pasties HOUSE OF HARLOT scarf stylists own

pants STEVE COCORRAN shoes JIMMY CHOO scarf stylists own

dress CHRISTIAN DIOR latex cat ears HOUSE OF HARLOT

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suit VERSACE pants AMERICAN APPAREL shoes JIMMY CHOO bag ROGER VIVIER

Hair SOICHI AT SAINT LUKE / Make up NINNI NUMELA at STREETERS / Models LEO TOPALOV at SUPA, LILI SUMNER at NEXT, MERLIN the kitten / Photographer Assistant NICK BUDDING / Fashion Assistants CHARLY SUGGETT and ANDREW GLOVER / Special Thanks: LIZ and SIOBHAN / Shot at: BIG SKY LONDON

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