VÉCU
independent artists
FEB/MAR 2012 photographer VIVIENNE MOK
vecumagazine.com
VÉCU PUBLISHER The Coleman Group
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Delina C. editor@vecumagazine.com ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Melissa Lee vecumagazine@gmail.com TRAVEL EDITOR Lorena F. www.traveldesignery.com FEATURES CONTRIBUTOR Murissa Shalapata www.canadianculinarytravel.blogspot.com
Tulle Dress: Anne Valerie Hash Organza Skirt: Vivienne Mok Feather Earring: Pagan Poetry
CONTRIBUTORS Vivienne Mok, Claire Huish, Valeria Farinella, Nicolas Aristidou, Kelly S., Barbara O’Brien, Anna Malmberg, Esther Bayer, Lisa Wikander www.vecumagazine.com
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elizabeth coletta www.elizabethcoletta.com
FASHION WATCH
photography Anna Malmberg www.annamalmbergphoto.com
MES DAMES
Timeless, Modern, Classic founded in Paris by Lisa Wikander
www.mesdames.se
Tell us a bit about yourself? I’m the founder and creative director of the fashion brand Mes Dames. In my life I have been moving around a lot, I was born in Hamburg, raised in Stockholm, and educated in Paris. In the last years I’ve been living between Paris, Shanghai, and Rome, but finally decided to settle down for Stockholm as my private and professional base. The international lifestyle has influenced me and shows in my designs, which I believe is a mix of the sensual french and the clean nordic. I really put myself into my designs so if you want to know more about me you should look at my collections! What are some of your early fashion memories? My first fashion memory is making T-shirts for my Barbie dolls, I had lots of them. Later I began making my own clothes by hand sewing, simply because I didn’t
find what I wanted in the stores. That mentality came probably from my grand mother, who was quite daring and would put the scissors to a new Pucci dress to convert it as she liked! I still try to keep this freshness in mind when I design, the creativity is the same but the tools have changed. What things have you learned about your craft since then? Everything… how to transform my creativity into chlothes, to concretize my inspirations and ideas into garments. To find the running thread in different ideas that makes a collection, defining my own style. Running a fashion brand is also about so many other things than just design, organizing production with volumes and fabric choices and sample making are also part of my gained knowledge. It’s important to find the balance between these roles.
Feb/Mar 2012 VECU Magazine pg. 7
FASHION WATCH
MES DAMES What inspires you? Women‌ of today and of the past. I often find interesting characters as a source of inspiration, it could be a real life historic person, or just someone unknown in a portrait. I collect strong, elegant women and they all become part of mes dames (my ladies). I’m a bit of a romantic so my inspiration often tends to be from the past, but I try to convert it into a contemporary look. The best inspiration is the one that comes to you when you’re not looking for it, a splash of colour or a sign on a wall when strolling the street.. Formal training? I did one year of pattern making and three years of fashion design in Paris. After that I did internships with Nina Ricci and Martin Margiela, two completely different experiences that complemented each other very well. A friend of mine who had a store in Paris asked me if I could make some clothes to sell there, and so mes dames was founded, it kind of just happened haha.. A lot has developed since then. Plans for the future? I will continue to work with Mes Dames, developing the brand, collecting more ladies. A goal is to set up an own store in which I can fully develop the concept of mes dames. Wearing my collections should make you feel strong and elegant, and inspire you to make an impact just like the characteristic women of my inspiration. Everyone who gets that feeling is one of mes dames!
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ARTIST PROFILE
vintage dress from Beyond Retro, silver bow gloves by Georgia Nash
Photographer
CLAIRE HUISH www.clairehuish.co.uk
OXFORDSHIRE, England
Tell us a bit about yourself? I’m 21 years old, currently based between my home in Oxfordshire, and where I study, in Bournemouth. I am moving to London in May or June What are some of your early photography memories? I used to take photographs just on my mobile phone, or a little compact digital camera when I first started out, taking pictures of my friends and my surroundings. When I started studying photography, I shot a lot of black and white pictures of flowers and architecture. This evolved into shooting fashion photographs to use as references to draw from, and then from there, my love for fashion photography took over. What things have you learned about your craft since then? I still shoot in much the same way - very simply, spontaneously and intuitively, with natural light. I don’t use artificial light, but occasionally use reflectors. The difference is that I work with agency models, a slightly bigger team and I am much more knowledgeable about what inspires me, which fuels me on to much more creative concepts and ideas for shoots. I also used to
be totally anti-Photoshop, which I have moved on from! I do a small amount of retouching and some colour/contrast changes but nothing drastic - I still feel very much that I want my photograph to be almost perfect before the frame is shot - for me, photography is not about sitting on a computer for hours, post-processing and manipulating the image. What inspires you? Books, films, and paintings, primarily. But also more abstract and elusive things, like the way natural light changes throughout the day; beautiful locations; interesting faces; nostalgic feelings and childhood memories. Formal training? I’m currently in the throes of my final major project in the last year of my BA Photography degree. It’s a fine art photography course, which is great for helping my work to progress, as I am inspired by the other students working in different genres such as portrait and landscape photography. Plans for the future? Moving to London, earning a living from photography, shooting for Vogue... (eventually!)
Feb/Mar 2012 VECU Magazine pg. 17
Lune coat by Georgia Nash
THE LIGHT IN THE FOREST photographer Claire Huish model Kate @ Profile stylist Katie Antoniou makeup artist Monica Storrs
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Grace jacket by Georgia Nash, vintage slip,stylist’s own.
Grace jacket by Georgia Nash
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Sing jacket by Georgia Nash, bow ring by Georgia Nash, pom pom necklace (just seen) by Dot your Ts and Cross your Is
Sing jacket by Georgia Nash, vintage dress from Beyond Retro, pom pom necklace (just seen) by Dot your Ts and Cross your Is
Feb/Mar 2012 VECU Magazine pg. 23
vintage dress from Beyond Retro, headpiece by Eliane Sarah Millinery
vintage dress from Beyond Retro, headpiece by Eliane Sarah Millinery
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BON APPETIT
WANDERFULL TRAVELER
Cruising Alaska
{Or Rather, How I Found Out I Am Not a Cruise Person}
by Murissa Shalapata, The Wanderfull Traveler canadianculinarytravel.blogspot.com
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cruise to Alaska - probably the only way most would consider visiting - seemed like a good idea at the time of booking. I figured it would be a great way to celebrate a threeyear anniversary with my boyfriend while spending time with my grandparents and parents. I also felt the need to get back to nature after we returned from our trip to Las Vegas. However, after the third day it was apparent that none of us were cruise people. We had
booked our all-inclusive cruise on the Norwegian Cruise Line that departed from Seattle. I had notified the media representative that I wrote a food and travel blog which turned out to be a great way to receive free champagne and a couple of tickets to the Captain Gala. The first couple of days sailing to Ketchikan, our first stop, were rough. The waves reached twenty feet in height and, needless to say, we saw very little of my grandparents at first as they acclimatized to constant swaying. One morning, I woke up with an odd feeling pulling me to look outside. I stood on my balcony breathing in the fresh air when all of a sudden I spotted dolphins playing within the ships wake. These were the first wild dolphins I had ever witnessed in person. Feb/Mar 2012 VECU Magazine pg. 27
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fter the ship finally reached the inside passage where the waters settled down we found ourselves in the ship casino {voted best casino on water}. Here, we were able to get to know the charming people who made our ship function. The Black Jack dealers, ThreeCard Poker pit bosses and bar tenders all made my stay on board the ship a little less nauseating. Despite my need to get back to nature, I found myself visiting the casino everyday we sailed. Although, the eight hundred dollars I won there didn’t hurt. The cruise itself was not entirely all-inclusive as I understood it. There were cover charges at each restaurant, a fee for every guest was charged to the room each day, and any alcohol was not free. My eight hundred dollars went towards the extra costs during our trip.
Ketchikan
Our arrival in Ketchikan was a relief. I was desperately excited to stand on solid ground again without needing to constantly adjust my balance. The food onboard the ship was mediocre at best and I was searching for some
fresh seafood to satisfy my foodie cravings until we reached Juneau. We stumbled upon a small place called The Fish House but it was so busy we were drawn to the low key Crab Cracker next door. We ordered Alaskan crab and the fisherman platter which featured fried oysters, fish n chips with light and crispy batter, and shrimp. Everything was delicious and the crab was sweet and buttery. For only sixty-five dollars we ate fresh seafood that would have cost double or more back home. The actual town of Ketchikan was very small and picturesque. The buildings were painted bright colours, red, orange and blue, which reminded me of photos I had seen of Norway. On each street there were lovely art galleries all claiming authentic First Nations art.Alongside these were repetitive jewelry stores with Russian names. There were also many stores where Alaskan trinkets with Sarah Palin or a whale featured upon key chains, shot glasses or postcards could be purchased. I opted to wait and see what was in Skagway, our final Alaskan stop before continuing on to Prince Rupert.
Skagway
Our second stop, Juneau, was cold, rainy but full of whale and seal sightings. Skagway, on the other hand, proved to be the most charming town that we visited during our trip. This town was popular during the Klondike and miners could easily find a glass of whisky and a woman to settle down with here. The sidewalks were all preserved as they once were, wooden boards echoing each step. It was the only time I wished I had owned a pair of cowboy boots laced with spurs. Skagway preserved its history well with a museum that contained a replica of a saloon fit with information on each wall with characters, gamblers, romancers, men who struck gold, women who lost at love, that had at one time called Skagway home. My favourite building of all was the modest looking Red Onion Saloon. Stepping inside, I was bombarded with banjo music, men singing about fools gold and women, waitresses dressed in uplifting corsets, art upon the walls of nude women and, of course, what would a bar be without hundreds of chamber pots lining the walls. Every seat in the house was taken after we sat down. The noise of people laughing, taking pictures, striking up flirtatious banter with the waitresses and old time music was an exciting change from the slow, quiet tone of the cruise ship. After my first beer, a woman dressed with feathers and a lovely crimson corset descended the stairs that lead to a roped off dinning room. The woman, with a thunderous call, beckoned guests to follow her up stairs for a tour of the brothel with a potential prospect of seeing one of the saloon ghosts. I had to join her!
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It was the only time I wished I had owned a pair of cowboy boots laced with spurs.
�
Feb/Mar 2012 VECU Magazine pg. 29
CRUISING ALASKA by The Wanderfull Traveler
I ascended the stairs and walked through, what the madam revealed to be, a sort of waiting room with a bar that provided liquid courage to the lonely customers. The first room we then proceeded to was damp and held a glass case full of objects that were found concealed beneath the floorboards for many years. There were coins for one complimentary crew , a painted image of the Virgin Mary, books, paper fans, photos of family, objects to remind the girls of home. In another room there were framed scraps of decorative aged wallpaper. The madam explained, each layer of wallpaper represented one girl who lived in that particular room. In one room a total of fourteen wallpaper layers were revealed. This brothel held French furniture and a small piano that survived the dangerous White Pass leading to and from Skagway. Red Onion Saloon even received electricity before New York City. In each room there were pipes within the floor that would lead down behind the bar where the woman would drop her payment. The bar tender would hear the ringing coins drop into the box behind the bar to ensure payment was made. However, this madam who pimped the girls was a bit shifty in terms of payment. Younger men would at times pay in gold dust in which case would have to be weighed. The scale used at the Red Onion Saloon was rigged so that the men would in the end pay more. The payment that each girl received for services was five dollars, the same amount paid for the tour of the old brothel. Keep in mind that five dollars was worth a lot more in 1899, and that the madam, as well as the hired guard, would revoke a hefty sum from this as well. Rather than getting back to nature, it seemed that Alaska offered a history lesson, pricy one hundred and fifty dollars worth of whale watching (per person) and great gambling to help me pay for the excess costs of cruising. Perhaps I am being a bit cynical about Alaska. Maybe I should just remember the playful dolphins carelessly swimming in the waves, the prostitutes that I learned about and the great gambling. However, if I wanted to go to Vegas again I would have went and it wouldn’t have cost twenty-one hundred dollars...
Feb/Mar 2012 VECU Magazine pg. 31
CRUISING ALASKA by The Wanderfull Traveler
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CRUISING ALASKA by The Wanderfull Traveler
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ARTIST PROFILE
All clothes: Lucia Ji Youn Jang Tights: TALLY WEiJL, Calzedonia Hairband: vintage
Photographer
VALERIA FARINELLA MILAN, Italy
www.caroprocione.com
Tell us a bit about yourself? I’m an emerging photographer working in Milan. I’m obsessed with people and faces. I always stare at people everywhere I go and imagine what photo I could take of them. I’m in love with beautiful people and beauty in general and I keep inventing stories in my mind. What are some of your early photography memories? For a long time my parents’ camera had been a magical and impossible object not meant to be used by me. The first time I attempted to take photos with that analogic camera I succeded in exposing the film twice, still don’t know how. It had been a tragedy. Some years after I bought a webcam to take photos, but when the battery ran down I lost about 200 photos made in 10 days. Another tragedy. But I did not give up! I’ve always wanted to fix things and put them in a box as not to forget them. That’s why I had continued taking photos. It has always been necessary for me. What things have you learned about your craft since then? I’ve learned that losing photos is not
a tragedy. The most important photos always remain engraved in our mind through years, also if they hadn’t been shot. What inspires you? Inspiration comes from naïveté, the sensuality of naturalness, first. And after from a big big mishmash always simmering in my mind. It’s difficult to say exactly what’s inspiration and especially where it came from... Generally I’m very distracted and attracted by almost everything I see, and so I’m always storing up new stuff. Formal training? I’ve been studying Photography for three years at IED in Milan. But the real school is working. Plans for the future? I would love to go to China and work there for a few months as a photographer. I would like to go to Japan too, I love the Orient, but right now China is an enormous laboratory, everything is changing so quickly there. It’s avanguardistic, somehow. I think I have to spend a few months there to understand what’s really new and to open my mind.
Feb/Mar 2012 VECU Magazine pg. 37
LE DÉJEUNER SUR L’HERBE photographer Dorian Gray! {Valeria Farinella} fashion designer Lucia Ji Youn Jang fashion stylist Prisca Maizzi make-up artist Coralie Gaspard hairstylist Daniela Magginetti models Kathleen and Margarita@MP
Dress: Lucia Ji Youn Jang Tights: TALLY WEiJL Feb/Mar 2012 VECU Magazine pg. 39
All clothes: Lucia Ji Youn Jang Tights: TALLY WEiJL, Calzedonia Shoes: Converse
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Dress: Lucia Ji Youn Jang Tights: TALLY WEiJL Bag: Divided
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All clothes: Lucia Ji Youn Jang Rings: H&M Tights: Primark Earrings: vintage Hairband: vintage
All clothes: Lucia Ji Youn Jang Tights: TALLY WEiJL, Calzedonia Bandana: H&M Necklace: vintage
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Coat: Lucia Ji Youn Jang
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ARTIST PROFILE
Illustrator
ESTHER BAYER www.etsy.com/shop/EstherBayer
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, Canada Tell us a bit about yourself? My name is Esther Bayer and I am currently living in Prince Edward Island, Canada. I’m a general art enthusiast and enjoy reading, writing, listening to music, watching movies and admiring various visual arts. I love animals, DIY projects, and having fun with fashion. I have an inquisitive nature, and love learning. What are some of your early art memories? I’ve loved drawing for as long as I can remember. My family, especially my mom, have really encouraged my artistic endeavors. She really taught me to find beauty in everything. I also think that growing up watching Disney classics really inspired me to draw and be creative. I loved the idea that I could create little worlds with stories and characters. What things have you learned about your craft since then? Practice, try new things, be inventive, to keep challenging myself and be unafraid to make a mess. I used to take myself seriously, which
couldn’t be more opposite from who I am now. That has really helped me to grow. What inspires you? I really find inspiration everywhere and anywhere; home decor, fashion, beautiful food, dancing, trees, water, animals, flowers, fabrics, textures, time periods, novels, quotes, music, movies, architecture, other art and the list goes on. Most of all, I think it comes from faces and people. Preferred medium? I am probably the most comfortable with and most frequently use classic pencil and eraser. When it comes to my online portfolio; I love the effect of watercolor, the sort of, vibrant softness. Formal training? No ‘formal’ training. Although I do have a rather studious approach. Plans for the future? I want to continue creating and hopefully having others enjoy my work. I am open to and excited for new opportunities.
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ARTIST PROFILE
Photographer
NICOLAS ARISTIDOU www.nicolasaristidou.com
Tell us a bit about yourself? I am a paris based fashion photographer and artist. Born and raised in Athens (Greece), I am half french and greek. I currently work in Paris and Athens. What are some of your early photography memories? I always had an intimate relationship with photography. I remember myself admiring my family’s old photographs. When I was 10, my uncle gave me my first film camera and I then started to photograph as much as I could with it. What things have you learned about your craft since then? I have learned how to deal with photography, to be able to create a picture exactly as they are in my mind technically and thematically. I also learned the importance of mixing ideas, media and cultures to get a photo done. Being a photographer is not only about taking pictures. You really need to think and “build” a photograph before doing
PARIS, France
it. It is easy to detect a photographer’s personality through his work. What inspires you? Music and films are where I get most of my inspiration. Usually I plan my photos’ directory before shooting and the rest is done through chemistry between the person(s) photographed, the place where I shoot and me. It’s somehow quite instinctive. Formal training? I first started studying fine arts and focused on art video and experimental films during my studies. After a digital art and media master degree at la Sorbonne, I started to work for 2 years as a photographer’s assistant in the fields of press and fashion photography. Plans for the future? My major plan for the future is to take good photographs and to shoot as much as I can. And adopt a cat.
Feb/Mar 2012 VECU Magazine pg. 57
THE LOVE INSIDE
photographer Nicolas Aristidou www.nicolasaristidou.com stylist StĂŠphanie Michelotti model Eva Biechy @ Metropolitan models clothes Areuvintage http://www.areuvintage.com accesories and shoes from personal selection of the stylist
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TRAVEL
TRAVEL DESIGNERY by Lorena F., Travel Editor www.traveldesignery.com
“Venice holds an unmistakable romance... winding canals, Juliet architecture and narrow cobblestone streets that make it the perfect place to lose yourself with your love. The mysterious beauty of this old city comes alive best when the crowds have dispersed and the sun has long set. And if you’re lucky enough to visit in February, don’t forget your masks... The Venetian Carnival is about to begin!”
y l a t I , e Venic
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VENICE by Travel Designery
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VENICE by Travel Designery
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VENICE by Travel Designery
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LA LUMIERE INTERIEURE photography/styling/hair&make-up Vivienne Mok model Valeria K. @ Mademoiselle Agency
Dress: Anne Valerie Hash Feb/Mar 2012 VECU Magazine pg. 81
Lace Lingerie set: Topshop Lace mini Cape: Vintage Lace Collar: Atsuko Paris Lace Collar: Anne Valerie
Lace Lingerie set: Topshop Lace mini Cape: Vintage Lace Collar: Atsuko Paris Lace Collar: Anne Valerie
Feb/Mar 2012 VECU Magazine pg. 83
Dress: AVHASHBY Lace Top: Anne Valerie Hash
Dress: AVHASHBY Lace Top: Anne Valerie Hash
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Tulle Bra: Etam Lingerie Lace Dress: Anne Valerie Hash Tutu: Vivienne Mok
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Tulle Bra: Etam Lingerie Lace Dress: Anne Valerie Hash Tutu: Vivienne Mok
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Organza Blouse: Anne Valerie Hash Tulle Bra: Etam Lingerie
Organza Blouse: Anne Valerie Hash Tulle Bra: Etam Lingerie
Feb/Mar 2012 VECU Magazine pg. 93
Wardrobe provided by: Rewind: http://www.rewindminneapolis.com Mighty Swell: http://www.mightyswell.com
THE DRIFT OF THINGS
producer Kevin O’Brien photographer Barbara O’Brien creative direction & fashion styling Hollie Mae Schultz -HMStyilng styling assistant Jessica Idso hair & make up styling Kate Erickson model Kelly (Ignite Models) photo assistants Larry Hunt, Heather Byington digital tech Michael Karns retouching Brenda Manthe animal wranglers The Animal Connection
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elizabeth coletta www.elizabethcoletta.com