SHK issue no.1 by SHK Magazine

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Editor-in-Chief. RACHEL ELEANOR SUTTON Editorial Assistant. EMILY MARUCCI Lead Designer. SEOYEON H ROTHWELL Contributing Menswear Editor. DUSTIN MARUCCI Contributing Art Direction & Photographer. NICK CEGLIA Business/Marketing Development. NATALIE DOLD Public Relations Director. GINA EHRHARD Technology Development. HEATH BODELL Editorial Interns. CARSEN RUSSELL, STEVEN PIPPS Graphic Design Intern. TAKAHIRO INADA Publisher. RALPH JOVINE Published by. B Culture Media

36 East 23rd Street Suite 5F, New York, NY10010 SHK@bculutremedia.com / seenhea rdknow n.com 4

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Phone. 646. 619. 1249

IN HARMONY WITH OUR “HELLO/GOODBYE” THEME AND NEW YEARS, WE ASKED A FEW OF OUR CONTRIBUTORS WHAT THEY WILL BE SAYING GOODBYE TO IN 2012 AND HELLO TO IN 2013.

EMILY MARUCCI / Editorial Assistant “Goodbye to cheap vodka and being afraid of writing poems that don’t make sense, hello to new scribblings & wandering around finding the endless discoveries NYC brings.”

SEOYEON H ROTHWELL / Lead Designer “Goodbye to free time, and hello baby!”

DUSTIN MARUCCI / Contributing Menswear Editor “I’m saying goodbye to drinking and smoking too much and hello to... just kidding.”

NICK CEGLIA / Contributing Art Direction & Photographer “Say hello to old techniques, say goodbye to faking it”

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CON T RIB U T ORS AHMED MORI ANDREW SULZER ANDREW KUYKENDALL ANDY STARKWEATHER ALICIA OLIVERI ALISON ISBELL ALLEN YING ANASTASIA KUDRASHOVA BETHANY O’GRADY BILLIE SHAKER CHUCK OLSEN CLAIRE MARICE HOUSH CLEO TRIONIDIS DAKOTA HEMAN JAMES FLETCHER JENNA IGNERI JENNY KANAVROS JEREMY WILLIAMS JESSIE ENGLISH JIMMY LE JOHN CIAMILLO JONATHAN YOUNG JULIAN UNGANO JUSTIN BERNARD

KACEY LANGSTON KATIE MCCURDY KELLY BUDD KRISTIAN BANKSTON MARCOS DIAZ MICHAEL CASKER MIKE HICKS MORGAN GATES NANDITA SCILLITANI NI’MA FORD NIKITA SWATKOWSKI PERRY HALL RACHEL WIRKUS RHYAN BLEDSOE RYAN JAMES SPENCER SARA QUERQUES STACEY CUNNINGHAM STEPHANIE ISELIN STEPHEN WILSON SUBRINA MOHR TARA MCCAULEY TODD SINES TOMMY AGRIODIMAS VIRGINIA BRADLEY ZACHARY GOULKO

Special thanks to LOFT402, SUZANNE RAE, TIMO + ALLEN, COLLEEN NIKA, NORWOOD CLUB & HEATH BODELL. 6

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JAMES FLETCHER / Writer “I a m say i ng goodbye to : $1 PBR happy hou rs. The sav i ngs for my wa llet a re cost i ng my liver... I a m say i ng hello to : Ja m shor ts! They w ill defi ne summer 2013. You hea rd it here fi rst! ”

A NDY STARK W EATHER / Groom i ng “Goodbye to 30 Rock (sad face) and hello to more travel, art and music!”

MARCOS DIAZ / Hair “Say i ng goodbye 2012: I a m not rea lly say i ng goodbye to a ny t h i ng... Maybe a ‘see you later’ to some t h i ngs... Defi nitely happy w it h t he new fr iendsh ips I’ve made t h is yea r! Hello 2013: I a m say i ng hello to OBA M A for a not her fou r yea rs! So excit i ng.”

KELLY BUDD / Makeup “G oodbye a nd t h a n k you for my f u l l t i me job i n 2012. Hel lo to bei ng f reel a nce a nd bei ng my ow n boss i n 2013 ! ”

ANDREW SULZER / Writer “Goodbye to caution, hello to steady schemin’.”

KATIE MCCURDY / Photographer “I’m saying goodbye to ANXIETY and hello to ANTICIPATION.”

NI’MA FORD / Stylist “I’m saying goodbye to my fears, and hello to success!”

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CARSEN RUSSELL / Intern “I’m saying goodbye to the 4x5 view camera and the most expensive class ever, and I’m saying hello to more poor lifestyle choices.”

NIKITA SWATKOWSKI / Writer “ W hat I’m say i ng goodbye to i n 2012: Cra igslist roommate d ra ma. Never aga i n! W hat I’m say i ng hello to i n 2013: Maybe more yoga classes? P robably more br u nches... Defi nitely t he P raba l Gu r u ng x Ta rget collaborat ion.”

BILLIE SHAKER / Photographer “I’m saying goodbye to losing things. I’m looking forward to getting lost.”

ALLEN YING / Photographer “Goodbye to stress and overworking, hopefully. Hello to turning 30.”

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CLAIRE MARICE HOUSH / Illustrator

JENNA IGNERI / Writer & Stylist Assistant

“This year I’m saying goodbye to the routine, and hello to endless possibility!”

“Goodbye to being a fake redhead. Hello to becoming a fake blonde.”

NANDITA SCILLITANI / Writer

TAKAHIRO INADA / Intern “I’m saying goodbye to 414ml cup of Haagen-Dazs ice cream, Hello to 180ml cup of HaagenDazs ice cream...”

“I’m saying goodbye to… Facebook, Pop-Tarts and The Jersey Shore. I’m saying hello too… Achieving the impossible.”

STEPHANIE ISELIN / Stylist “Since I developed a more sophisticated palette in 2012, I am saying goodbye to Jameson and hello to Hendrix.”

SARA PATRICIA QUERQUES / Writer

STEVEN PIPPS / Intern

“Goodbye 2012: clichés and old news. Hello 2013: creativity and freshness.”

“I’m saying goodbye to New York, and hello to L.A.”

BETHANY O’GRADY / Writer “I’m saying goodbye to doubt in 2012 and hello to optimism, wonder and eCigs in 2013.”

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CON TENT S Seen

WARM IT UP Baby, it’s cold outside… I’ll take one of these amazing coats. Thanks!

AT EASE Brooklyn-based label Cadet is committed to a DIY approach, focusing on quality and precision.

EVERYBODY LOVES RAE With fashion designer Suzanne Rae, it’s not about the divide between womenswear and masculinity; it’s about where they meet.

FRONT ROW Not to be sketchy, but we drew out some of the past few years most paramount runway looks.

MOSS GROWS FAT ON A ROLLING STONE From their select vintage pieces to their American Gold collection, Spanish Moss is for stylish characters only.

MAD HAT TER If millinery were a religion, Albertus Swanepoel would write the bible.

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NEAR CUBIST JUXTAPOSITION In keeping with the high Tourneau standard, the New York branch has come to represent a beacon of horological innovation. Here, meet the creative mastermind behind the TNY series.

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ALL POINTS WEST When Venice Beach, Daniel Guez, Kellan Lutz and fashion collide… You get Abbot + Main.

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FACE OFF A selection of footwear from 2012 & 2013 that make our feet sweat just by looking at them.

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Heard

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ALBUM REVIEWS The hottest albums of the season, plus what the artists behind them think you should see, hear and know.

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SING IN ME, OH MUSE Melody’s Echo Chamber is back in Europe serenading the masses with her delicate, experimental sound.

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POSITIVE CONFUSION Thankfully, Cloud Nothings’ Dylan Baldi has come a long way since his basement days.

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STOMPING GROUNDS We talk DJing, graffiti and running a record label with Boys Noize.

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MAKING THE PERFECT TRIP Introducing the up-and-coming Indie Pop quartet, Darlings.

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BON JOUR ERIK A Erika Spring is one of the coolest girls alive. Period.

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AINT NOTHIN’ BUT A HOUND DOG Our team said, “Fuck being inside” and headed to the waterfront to hang out with Gabriel Levine.

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JUST THE BEGINNING Hip Hop has a new face, Thunderbird Gerard, and he has got skills, moves and impeccable style.

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WE ARE YOUNG Find out why Young Magic’s latest release is so Melting.

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IT’S A LIVELIHOOD Duo Live Footage turn classical music on its bows.

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THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GLASS What do Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses, Modest Mouse and The Shins have in common? Meet Phil Ek.

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Known

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HE SAID SHE SAID Quotes to welcome in the New Year.

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NICOLE’S NICHE Fashion stylist Nicole Vitagliano stands her ground in an overly saturated scene.

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SNAPSHOTS OF MOVEABLE FEASTS We sat down with artist Agathe Snow and talked about her life, being a mother and her latest OHWOW Gallery exhibition.

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SIDE VIEW Jason Woodside creates art for your mind and your eyes.

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TIME OUT SHK remembers staple moments in fashion history.

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KISS & MAKEUP A selection of makeup that’s worth knowing.

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NAKED NOT NUDE Learn what it means to have a “boudoir state of mind” from the ladies who created Naked Princess.

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GIF T GUIDE A sorted selection of gifts for all the different people in your life.

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FLIP OUT It’s winter — enter: airports, trips, time off, etc. — so here’s a selection of books to keep your mind moving while you sit still.

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NERDY COUTURE Here we beg the question, will technology-infused fashion ever have a space in our wardrobes?

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PART Y CAPTURES SHK and B Culture Media celebrate the fall season afterhours at Norwood Club. Goodnight.

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COVER IMAGE OAK french terry poncho

Photographed by JOHN CIAMILLO Styled by ALISON ISBELL Stylist’s Assistant SUBRINA MOHR Model DEVON OWENS for Ford NY

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Hello,

It’s with an absurd amount of excitement that I’m able to introduce SHK Magazine. It’s hard to believe that just four months ago our team sat down at stage zero. Our first thought went something like this: “Well… So… We’re launching a digital magazine and website. Now what?” Then we took to the blank page with one thought in mind: We believe in taste, not trend. Today, we are presenting over 300 pages chock full of inspirations we sincerely believe you should see, hear and know. This is issue #1. Normally this content space would be used to sum-up the content you’re on the verge of absorbing. Instead, I’ve decided to provide a deeper analysis of what you’re getting yourself into (and more importantly, why). Here at SHK, we’ve had the incredible opportunity to start this project from scratch, which comes with the advantages of being able to… Create our own rules / Forget about preconceived notions and structures / Experiment without disturbance / Ask different questions / Redefine the defined / Make the unconventional conventional. With that understood, we began to construct — not as editors approaching a magazine, but as creative minds approaching a project. It seemed only fitting that the theme surronding this project be “Hello / Goodbye.” What are we saying hello to in 2013? What are we saying goodbye to in 2012? As we’re excited to be saying hello to our exclusive, digital platform, we are also saddened to watch some of the most iconic publications say goodbye to print. I don’t believe in trying to predict the future, I think it’s smart to be cautious of what’s going on, but at this point in time there’s still a divide between digital and print. At SHK, we choose not to compare what we create to the latter. We’re something new. When I was younger I had a weird problem letting go of old technology. I only owned a couple cassette tapes (Janet Jackson Control was my first tape — I still remember that red case and squiggly black hair). So most of my youth was comprised of buying CDs and timeworn records. I spent hours in the music store, categorized all those beautiful, colorful, physical copies into genres, thumbed over my record collection when I passed by it… Sometimes wondering who owned the used ones before me. Suddenly, iPods popped into the scene faster then you could get the plastic off your latest record store purchase. I remember thinking, MP3 what? Sounds crazy... I know. I was comfortable having my records, and then my CDs as the modern item. I found this new new technology threatening to that piece of mind. I totally ignored the gadget until it became apparent that my ignorance wasn’t going to be an option. SHK, being a digital magazine, reminded me of this feeling. Will digital editorial become the norm and magazines the collectables? We might say goodbye to print as we know it, and hello to digital like we’ve never seen before, but right now we’re in the space between transitions. It’s the blue water between a hillside and a desert. It’s this time, the time between hello and goodbye, that’s the most crucial of all.

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Why? Well… Recently, Hurricane Sandy reminded us of Mother Nature’s destructive prowess and her ability to change lives with the perfect gust of wind. Simultaneously, it didn’t just change what it ruined; it galvanized a community. Our social responsibly came to the forefront. As New York rushed to aid, I decided to gather blankets, pillows, sweaters and various items, as instructed (at first) by the radio. In the midst of this, my roommate mentioned the crazy amount of “stuff” I had gathered in my New York sized apartment. And lemme’ tell ya’, she was right. So, in spirit of cleaning up the city, I took the opportunity — applied the change around me to my personal life — and started to leave the superfluous and take only the necessary. I was bagging up my clothes, when suddenly, I was hit by so many flashbulb moments you would have thought I’d entered a lamp store. These were T-shirts from high school and college, dresses from weddings and funerals, certain too-short-for-me-now sequence pieces I once had to have for a party. I realized that my wardrobe (and I’m not just saying this because I work in fashion) embodied my energ y and my past; it was a reflection of me as a person. I was stuck with the major decision: what do I say goodbye to? How does one even know when it’s time to say goodbye? Sometimes we have the direct choice, and other times it’s the equivalent of whiplash. In nature, recognition is as essential to the self as nourishment is to the body. Goodbyes are poignant overtures to the withdrawals that deprive our psyche of the sustenance they need to maintain our selfhood. So, each goodbye is a premotion of disintegration, a preview of loss. Scientifically, that’s why I didn’t want to give up my CDs, why I was hesitant to throw out my old T-shirts and why it continues to enrage me when people debate on the livelihood of magazines… Still changes will be made. That day I gave away over 10 garment bags of clothes, even though they were memories. I got over the CD withdrawal quickly once I figured out the MP3 system, but I haven’t downloaded music since I discovered Spotify almost a year ago. Although the charts have been needling up and down in the magazine industry, I still get hesitant and uneasy when people discuss the possible future of publishing. I never thought my old clothes meant anything to me and I never thought MP3s would actually take off, so now it’s the thought of these current economic situations that curls my peace of mind. Bottom line: It’s change. Nothing is certain but change. Still, these Hello / Goodbye situations have led me to believe one thing. With goodbyes, hearts can be broken, jobs can be lost, comfort can be taken away, treasured items can vanish, houses can be flooded, entire lives can be turned upside down…. But at the same time, it’s this space during change, the space after goodbye and before hello, where clarity eventually enters, people reset their minds and dreams become realized. Please enjoy this issue as we experiment with the production of making a magazine, such as ours. You’re about to meet some of the most interesting, creative and passionate people on the planet, but while you do, consider how the things you see, hear and know inspire you to say hello and goodbye. You’re our original readers, and we are truly thrilled to take you on this journey with us. Happy holidays. See you in March.

Goodbye. X

Rachel Eleanor Sutton Editor-in-Chief

P.S. I must give a special Thank You to EM & S. None of this would be possible without you two. I’m beyond enthusiastic to say hello to 2013 with the SHK & B Culture Media team. SHK SHK

EDITORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PICKS

The 2 Ba nd its Black Eyewea r

Wildfox

Ma rkus Lupfer Dia ne von F urstenberg

Rober to Cava lli

Smashbox 16

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3.1 Ph illip Lim

Burber r y

Unis Dipt yque

Theor y Penfield

J. Crew

Simon Spur r

L.L. Bea n

Master of Ma lt SHK

een

WARM IT UP

After a hot, humid summer, we all get excited for those first few chilly days of fall. No longer do we have to walk around half naked (with awfully frizzy hair), as it’s finally time to dig out our favorite boots and cardigans. However, once the leaves begin to turn and we start to bust out our favorite layering pieces, in our minds we know the impending doom of winter — the bitter cold, the lack of sunlight — is just around the corner. With that being said, it is important that we choose the perfect winter coats and jackets. Our choices must not only be functional, but a pieces that we love and mesh well with our wardrobe and personal style. Let’s take a look at some of our favorite runway coats of the season. Whether a slight twist on a classic style or way out there, get inspired and take notes. — Jenna Igneri

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VALENTINO

NANE T TE LEPORE

RICK OWENS

We love the idea of a basic, black cape â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a bit gothy, a hint of mystery. Valentino does the cape in leather with woven detailing, giving it a tough yet sophisticated twist.

What better way to fight the winter blues than donning an obnoxiously bright coat? Nothing gives the finger to typically bleak, grey days better than neon fur.

The shearling leather jacket is a cold weather staple. The bagg y sleeve/cropped cut combo on this Rick Owens piece is a great modern twist on classic style.

J. MENDEL

PROENZ A SCHOULER

MANISH AROR A

Lately, the ombre trend can be found on more than just our hair. A spin on the typical fur coat, Mendel chose a black and white ombre fur for his fall collection. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worry, for those of us who choose not to wear fur, there are always vegan options.

No white after Labor Day? Says who? The boys behind Proenza Schouler never fail to blow our minds, and the asymmetrical cut on this coat is too good for words.

Last but not least, the outrageous graphic coat. Nevermind whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s underneath, this coat makes a statement on its own.

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AT E 24

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EASE Cadetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Raul Arevalo and Brad Schmidt took their post-war military design inspiration and created a fully wearable line of locally produced and ethically manufactured menswear. The Brooklyn based label has committed to a DIY approach, focusing on quality and precision. SHK asked. Cadet answered. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Dustin Marucci SHK

SHK H O W D I D Y O U A N D R AU L L A N D O N C A D E T S C U R R E N T A E S T H E T I C ? T H E M I L I TA R Y I N F L U E N C E I S FRONT AND CENTER, BUT HOW DID YOU ARRIVE ON T H AT A S A S TA R T I N G P L A C E ? BRAD SCHMIDT We a re inspired by the deta ils, constr uction a nd utilita r ia n nature of milita r y ga rments. We wa nted to have a milita r y inf luence in our desig ns w ithout being heav y on the brass buttons a nd epaulets. We decided on the na me of our bra nd, a nd then decided on using a post-wa r milita r y academy as a foundation of the bra nd.

T HE BE S T OF ME NSW E A R IS OF T E N B A SE D ON T IME LE S S NE S S. PIECE S T H AT COULD H AV E WORKE D 50 Y E A RS AGO A ND S T ILL WORK T ODAY W HE N DONE W I T H QUA LI T Y. W I T H T H AT BE ING S A ID, T HE RE A RE OF COURSE PLE N T Y OF T RE NDS, MOODS A ND DE SIGN CHOICE S T H AT CH A NGE E V E RY Y E A R . C A N YOU T HINK OF A N Y T HING T H AT YOU W E RE IN T O IN 2012 T H AT YOU PL A N ON DI TCHING F OR 2013? The success of our design aesthetic is that we’re not overly trend driven. We have styles that are continuous and w ill always be par t of our core collection. The only things that we w ill definitely ditch are some of our pop color choices, but things like camouf lage w ill always be an element in our designs. We’re also a new brand (six months old), so we are w iser to what works and what doesn’t work as far as color, fit and details.

A SIDE F ROM T HE MILI TA RY INF LUE NCE , A RE T HE RE A N Y DE SIGNE RS, PA S T OR CURRE N T, T H AT H A D A N Y RE A L IMPAC T ON YOUR DE SIGNS? Christopher Bailey (Burberry Prorsum), Junya Watanabe, Raf Simons, Helmut Lang…

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C A N YOU PICK YOUR 3 FAVORI T E PIECE S F ROM T HE FA LL W IN T E R 2012 LINE ? Cashmere Toggle Coat, Reg iment Jacket and Aviator Flight Suit (Pant and Jacket). This is our first Fall / Winter collection so we thought it was impor tant to show a breadth of designs and production capabilities. The Cashmere Toggle Coat is a classic piece using cavalr y tw ill cashmere w ith real horn toggles. We added internal red binding for a subtle pop color visible on the hood. The Reg iment Jacket is one of our more fashion for ward pieces. It comes in two colors, Burg undy and Nav y. It has a zipper on the shoulder and on the side. It is an outer wear piece that also works well as a top. Aviator Flight Suit is based on a vintage air force suit and comes in three colors. We slimmed it up and added our own details like a back cinch belt, knee patches and an asymmetrical zipper.

C A N YOU T E LL ME A BOU T T HE W E S T P OIN T & N AV Y WOOL BL A NKE T S? SE E MS T O BE T HE F IRS T PIECE OF NON - CLO T HING IN YOUR COLLEC T ION. A RE YOU PL A NNING ON E X PA NDING IN T O MORE UNUSUA L OF F E RINGS LIKE T H AT ? The focus of our store is in carr y ing items that we ma ke ourselves. We styled our store based on a militar y academy vibe and thought that the Faribault Woolen Mill blankets were a great compliment to our brand, and helped in building our identity. We have no specific plans to carr y other goods, but, never say never. Our mission is to only carr y items made in the USA.

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C A N YOU E X PL A IN T HE IMP OR TA NCE OF KE E PING YOUR PRODUC T ION LOC A L IN BROOKLY N? A RE T HE RE S ACRIF ICE S T H AT H AV E T O BE M A DE IN ORDE R T O M A IN TA IN YOUR DE DIC AT ION T O M A DE-IN -T HE-US A? Our driving force for producing locally is that we wanted to control all aspects of our brand. We control the quality, details, execution and quantities. We also wanted to produce garments in an ethical way. We know who is ma king the clothing and we provide a fair living wage. We create a collaborative environment that creates pride in the job and contributes to a quality product. We can react in days to positive sales and trends. As well, it brings our customers back to a place of connection between what they are buy ing and how/where it is being made. Our clothing is made in Brooklyn – two miles away from where they are buy ing it. The customer can completely understand how the shir t arrived at our store (we drove it there from our factor y)! At this point, there is no real sacrifice. I think it would be more complicated for us to produce overseas.

T HE FAC T T H AT C A DE T OF F E RS DE SIGN A ND PRODUC T ION SE RV ICE S IS SO UNIQUE A ND RE F RE SHING. I T A LLUDE S T O A V E RY FA MILI A R CURRE N T A ME RIC A N AT T I T UDE IN T H AT T HE COMMUNI T Y OF PEOPLE PRODUCING QUA LI T Y T HINGS — T HINGS T H AT CON T RIBU T E P OSI T I V E LY T O T HE WORLD — SHOULD WORK T OGE T HE R R AT HE R T H A N T RY T O TA KE E ACH O T HE R DOW N. C A N YOU GI V E ME YOUR TA KE ON T H AT SIDE OF YOUR BUSINE S S A ND W H Y YOU DO I T ? As boutique designers ourselves, we understood how difficult it was to get quality garments made in lower quantities. We saw a need for local production for smaller designers and decided we could fill that need. We are designers and manufacturers, so we have a somewhat unique perspective on production and the impor tance of attention to details. We have almost 20 years of experience in fashion, and now we have the hands-on experience of producing our own designs. Additionally, we offer pattern ser vices, sample ma king as well technical design consultation for fit, grading and optimized construction /production.

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A N Y T HING E L SE YOU’D LIKE OUR RE A DE RS T O K NOW A BOU T C A DE T ? First of all, we would like to thank all of the people who have suppor ted our brand in the first six months — customers, friends, family and especially the staff in our small factor y. We are a small, independent boutique and brand that is tr y ing to ma ke a classic, quality and ethical garment. As we grow and learn more about the business, we hope to pass on this information to other emerg ing designers to create a community of idea and knowledge sharing to help revitalize independent design and manufacturing in the USA.

T E LL US ONE T HING W E SHOULD: SEE: Angkor Wat in Cambodia. HEAR: Er yka h Badu live. K NOW: From food to clothing and furniture… Ever yone should know how and where the things you buy are made.

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3 IS A MAGIC NUM BER

Photographed by K ATIE MCCURDY Styled by STEPHANIE ISELIN Hair & Makeup by KRISTIAN BANKSTON Stylist’s assistant CLEO TRIONIDIS Model JACOB RILE Y, CHRIS PL AUCHE and INGRID for VNY Models

HAWKINGS MCGILL marled cardigan. FELTRAIGER T-shirt. LE VI’S 510 skinny trouser. FELTRAIGER hat. UO whoa stripe sock. CL ARK S desert guide boot. (1) RATMOUTH pullover. KOTO Tiger camo militar y chino. DR. MARTENS oxfords . (2) SHAKUHACHI cardigan. 5PRE VIEW fugurini boyfriend tee. SPARKLE & FADE pleated chif fon miniskirt. UO pendant necklace. SHAKUHACHI BROC ADE boots . (3)

RATMOUTH pullover. KOTO Tiger Camo Militar y Chino. ( L) SHAKUHACHI cardigan. 5PRE VIEW fugurini boy friend tee. SPARKLE & FADE pleated chif fon miniskirt.Â SHAKUHACHI BROC ADE boot s . ( R)

FELTRAIGER shirt. NEUW iggy skinny raw jean. NEW BAL ANCE 587 shoes . (1) STARING AT STARS shirt. URBAN RENEWAL distres sed levi’s jean. VANS suede / canvas old skool shoes . (2) HAWKINGS MCGILL sweater. CHE AP MONDAY tight skin used jean. DR. MARTENS boot s . Light Weight Oversized Beanie. (3)

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3 2

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FELTRAIGER Jacket & shirt. NEUW iggy skinny raw jean. ( L) STARING AT STARS shirt. ( R) SHK SHK

OBEY hoodie. SILENCE AND NOISE skirt. Kimchi Blue shoes. (L) HAWKINGS MCGILL sweater. CHEAP MONDAY tight skin used jean. (R)

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FELTRAIGER camo vest & flannel. LE VI’S 508 black tapered jean. CL ARK S waxed desert boot. (1) KOTO cheetah sweat shirt. HAWKINGS MCGILL shirt. LE VI’S 510 rigid super skinny jean. RED WING boot s . (2) FELTRAIGER pullover. vintage t-shirt & short s . MINI MARKE T dres sler flatform boot. (3)

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Every

body Loves RAE 46

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We’re enamored with Suzanne Rae, the Brooklyn based designer who merges feminine looks with masculine undertones in her minimalist garments — all of which are comprised of locally sourced, sustainable fabrics and materials. She designs with the modern, progressive woman in mind, and while many of her pieces flirt with menswear inspired cuts, her collection remains effeminate at its core. We asked her all about the concepts and practices that fuel the Suzanne Rae line, here’s what she had to say. — Bethany O’Grady

S H K YOU’ V E DE SCRIBE D YOUR LINE A S BO T H F E MINIS T A ND F E MININE IN PHILOSOPH Y. W HE RE DO F E MINISM A ND F E MININI T Y ME E T IN YOUR WORK? W HE RE IS T HE DI V IDE ? S U Z A N N E R A E I don’t look for the divide, only where they meet. I think that by the structure of our current society, they seem already divided to us. So in my work I strive towards an aesthetic that is feminine in that it responds to our natural / biolog ical female instincts and characteristics (cur ves, soft lines, sensitivity, sensuality) as well as feminist — that is, progressive, conscious and strong. Women are, and can be, all these things at once. Sometimes we just need to be reminded and encouraged. 48

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W H AT ’S MORE IMP OR TA N T T O YOU: T HE WAY YOUR PIECE S LOOK ON T HE BODY, OR T HE WAY T HE WOM A N W E A RING YOUR CLO T HING F E E L S IN T HE M? That’s a tough question. Both are impor tant and to me go hand in hand, but I think the ultimate goal is that women feel good (liberated, confident, positive, caring) and therefore can spread the good.

W HE RE DOE S T HE PR AC T ICE OF CRE AT ING LOC A L A ND SUS TA IN A BLE WOME N’S W E A R S T E M F ROM? From my point of view, that fashion can be used as a tool for social change. I want women to move beyond superficiality and find meaning and purpose in their conscious choices, including the clothes they decide to put on themselves to represent themselves.

W HICH FA BRIC T Y PE S DO YOU H AV E T HE MOS T F UN WORKING W I T H? CON V E RSE LY, W HICH FA BRIC S DO YOU T Y PIC A LLY AVOID IN YOUR COLLEC T ION? I love working w ith any fabric that feels good to the skin, especially natural fibers. I love silks, of course, but I also love cozy chunky fabrics. I don’t know that I necessarily avoid any fabrics, but I do tr y to source sustainable fabrics, although it’s still hard to find beautiful eco-friendly fabrics that aren’t too “ear thy” and that meet the small minimum yardage that a smaller designer like myself can work w ith. I mean I love ear thy, but it’s finding a balance between high fashion and sustainable.

T HE FA BRIC S LOOK GORGEOUS IN YOUR L A S T V IDEO LOOKBOOK! HOW IN VOLV E D A RE YOU IN T HE PRODUC T ION OF YOUR LOOKBOOKS? I’m ver y involved. I love doing it. Similar to the runway, it’s another way for me to really express a complete thought. I always star t by telling the directors what I want to convey (the mood, the inspiration), and then they come back to me w ith a treatment, which I then look over and we go back and for th about ideas, concepts, shots, etc. Then, when we’re shooting, I’m there the whole time also directing the movements of the models /actors because I want to ma ke sure that my brand is properly represented.

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W H AT ’S I T LIKE U T ILIZ ING T HE G A RME N T DIS T RIC T ? C A N YOU SPE A K T O SOME OF T HE BE NE F I T S OF H AV ING E A SY ACCE S S T O T HE HUB OF T HE FA SHION INDUS T RY IN NE W YORK , JUS T A T R A IN RIDE/BOROUGH OV E R? HOW DOE S I T DIF F E R F ROM WORKING IN BUSH W ICK? It’s great having the Garment District. Without these resources smaller and emerg ing designers wouldn’t be able to realize their vision. Working out of Bushw ick is great, but I can’t produce my production for store orders out of my home; I don’t have the manpower or money to do that. So having the garment district enables me to ma ke my vision a viable business. That’s why suppor ting “made in America” is impor tant. Other w ise, where is the future of American fashion?

COULD YOU E X P OUND UP ON T HE RE L AT IONSHIP YOU F E E L E X IS T S BE T W E E N BUSH W ICK A ND FA SHION? IS T HE RE ONE AT A LL? That’s a good question. Yes there is a relationship in that ar tists, more and more, are infiltrating Bushw ick — and ar tists always have a consciously constructed appearance. So I love the people watching. It’s not “fashion!” as most people view it, but it’s inspiration to me nonetheless. I just love the change and evolution and grittiness of the earnest people around me here. That’s plenty of inspiration for fashion in my opinion.

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W H AT A RE YOU T RY ING T O COMMUNIC AT E W I T H T HE MU T E D Y E T E T HE RE A L COLOR PA LLE T T E YOU WORKE D W I T H IN YOUR S/S 2013 COLLEC T ION? With the S/S 13 collection, I wanted something soft and minimalist. A lot of it was inspired by Francesca Woodman’s photography, which is both delicate and strong. I wanted that, but because I’ve been feeling minimalist (shedding the excess), and I know a lot of people have been too, I wanted to ma ke it really simple. Minimalism to me often has masculine over tones, so I wanted to find the femininity in that. Hence, the soft, feminine color palette.

W H AT T RE NDS DO YOU T HINK W ILL CON T INUE ON IN T O 2013, W HICH DO YOU T HINK W ILL FA DE IN T O OBLI V ION? I think minimalism is the way to go. I think people are tired of the overly embellished. I think that’s the zeitgeist in general. Shed the excess, reassess our priorities.

Photographs by Allan E . S choening ( Right: Suz anne Rae photographed by Joe S childhorn / BFAnyc.com ) 54

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T ell us one thing we should: See. Minimalism Hea r. Silence K no w. You r sel f

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Front Row We look forward to moving into future collections, but in the meantime, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve taken a moment to say goodbye to some of the best runway offerings from the past two years.

Illustrated by CLAIRE MARICE HOUSH Model MAUD WELZEN 56

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GIVENCHY 2011

CHRISTOPHER KANE 2011

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ALEXANDER McQUEEN 2012 58

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Photographed by TOMMY AGRIODIMAS & JULIAN UNGANO St yled by S TACE Y CUNNINGHAM Makeup by JONATHAN YOUNG Hair by DAKOTA HEMAN A s sistant s JUS TIN BERNARD & PERRY HALL Model SAR AH FRIGO

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GIANFRANCO FERRE jacket. BILL BL A SS blazer, gown & cap. BARBARA BRIONES pumps . st ylist ’s own leather gloves .

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GIANFR ANC O FERRE jacket . BIL L BL A SS blazer, gown & cap. st ylist â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own leather gloves .

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BIL L BL A SS cap. st ylist â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own leather gloves .

MA X F OWL E S dres s . BIL L BL A SS fur stole. GABRIEL J. SHUL DINER earrings .

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BIL L BL A SS gown. S ALVATORE FERR AGAMO heels . vintage belt .

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Creamy shearling lined coats, desert-wear sheaths in dusty-geometrics patterns and modest floral mini dresses, are some of the items you’ll find one of our favorite vintagecentric shopping websites, Spanish Moss. Spanish Moss is an online retail site that boasts a tightly curated vintage inventory and a stock of enviable ready-to-wear pieces. The line was launched in 2006, by Vincent and Suzanne Ford-Carafano, who recently welcomed a new child into their lives. We chatted with Suzanne to learn more about the company’s mission to dress the world in incomparable vintage wear. — Bethany O’Grady SHK

SHK SIX YE ARS L ATER, IS SPANISH MOSS FUNCTIONING ON THE LE VEL THAT YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD WHEN YOU FIRST L AUNCHED THE ONLINE STORE? SUZANNE FORD-CARAFANO Vincent (my husband and partner) and I started Spanish Moss with absolutely no expectation or goal, other than to pay my student loans and credit cards so we could be together while V finished his BA in Texas. Prior to this, V and I dated long distance for a year, so we were determined to finally be together, and we worked feverishly to make it happen with Moss. Over time, our central goal with the store has been to facilitate, spread, produce and showcase beautiful things (clothing and otherwise). To that aim, I feel we’ve succeeded.

WE THINK SO TOO! HOW DO YOU AND VINCENT SOURCE THE CLOTHES AND ACCESSORIES THAT YOU’RE SHARING AND SPRE ADING THROUGH THE SPANISH MOSS SITE? We source from ever y where! Over the past six years we’ve dug through warehouses in Mexico, shopped the f lea markets in Argentina, scoured thrift shops across the lower 48 and bought from trusted vendors w ith remarkable collections.

YOU SEEM TO HAVE ECLECTIC TASTE IN FILM, MUSIC AND LITER ATURE. HOW DO YOU INCORPOR ATE YOUR LOVE OF THINGS LIKE ’60S FRENCH FILM, SOUTHERN GOTHIC AUTHORS, INDIA AND TOM WAITS INTO YOUR BR AND? Some of our experiences in these areas influence our aesthetic in regards to buying, photoshoots, the blog etc. For me, everything is about a character, so when I’m styling, I like to contextualize the look into some made up scene that would take place in one of those interests or contexts.

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CON V E RSE LY, W H AT ’S SOME T HING T H AT CUS T OME RS W ILL NE V E R F IND IN T HE SPA NISH MOS S ONLINE S T ORE ? Ill-fitting vintage. We’re also not super into the 1950’s or into any thing in that extra stiff ’60s — ’70s era poly. That’s not to say we wouldn’t sell pieces from the above, but they would have to be extra special and unique. As for our Shop New section, we tr y to sell mostly ar tisan designers and smaller, less mainstream, brands.

W E ’RE NO T FA NS OF S T IF F P OLY E S T E R PIECE S E I T HE R . W H AT A RE SOME OF YOUR MOS T COV E T E D PIECE S T H AT A RE CURRE N T LY UP ON T HE SI T E ? This Lula Embroidered Shearling Coat is exquisite! It’s one of my favorite finds. These bell bottoms by Novella Royale are the most comfor table item I have ever put on my body and I get tons of compliments on them. I wear this ManiaMania Eternal Ring ever y day — it looks just like my mother’s wedding ring.

GRE AT F INDS, A LL OF T HE M, BU T W H AT H A S BE E N YOUR GRE AT E S T/MOS T ME MOR A BLE F IND T HUS FA R? I found a Chanel handbag at a thrift store in El Paso a couple years back for $3.99!

T O CL A RIF Y, W H AT IS T HE DIF F E RE NCE BE T W E E N SPA NISH MOS S A ND A ME RIC A N GOLD? Spanish Moss is our online boutique and American Gold is a ready-to-wear collection. I design and we produce in Los Angeles. American Gold is available at Spanish Moss and other stockists worldw ide.

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Suz anne & V inc ent , Photographed by Christopher F ordcom

W H AT W E RE SOME OF YOUR FAVORI T E LOOKS IN 2012? W H AT DO YOU PRE DIC T W ILL BE BIG IN 2013? I was ver y into the overalls trend in 2012! Corduroy, mixing prints, crushed velvets and continuation of the ’90s meets ’70s bohemian look... W hen it comes to vintage, I’m eyeing ’90s Looney Toons characters ma king a comeback, as well as Chinese Laundr y style platforms.

W E WA N T T W E E T Y BIRD PRIN T CHINE SE L AUNDRY S T Y LE PL AT F ORMS, NOW! BU T W H AT C A N W E E X PEC T F ROM SPA NISH MOS S IN COMING MON T HS? A new American Gold collection: Girl of the Golden West, coming in Januar y 2013.

Photographs by V inc ent C araf ano SHK

Before he left Photographed by ANDREW KU YKENDALL St yled by R ACHEL WIRKUS Grooming by ANDY S TARK WE ATHER V ideo by TODD SINES Location LOF T 4 02 Photographer’s as sistant RYAN JAMES SPENCER St ylist ’s as sistant K ACE Y L ANGS TON Production by R ACHEL ELE ANOR SUT TON Model JONATHAN KROPPMANN for Red NYC

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ROGUE T-Shir t . C OS T UME NATIONAL Suit . C ARV EN Belt . SHK

C OS T UME NATIONAL Shir t . TOPMAN Sweater. PRINGL E Jacket . JOHN VARVATOS Pant s .

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ROGUE Suit . C OS T UME NATIONAL Hat .

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ROGUE Pant s . JOHN VARVATOS Jacket . st ylist ’s own shir t .

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From the clas sic cloche to the f ashion for ward fedora, Alber tus Swanepoel is a milliner who brings an ar s enal of ideas to the draf ting t able. Born and rais ed in S outh Afric a, the de signer is not one to shy away from fur or feather s , but instead, s eamle s sly incorporate s unique f abric s and appliqué s into a diver s e range of headgear. Although he originally st ar ted de signing clothing in S outh Afric a the 198 0 s , he ended up moving to New York where he e v entuall y d e cid e d to tr y his hand at hat m ak ing . Af ter a stint in publishing and year s of apprenticing and as sisting other hat de signer s and st ylist s , Swanepoel’s c areer took a for tuitous turn when his headpiec e s debuted in 20 05 on Pro enz a S chouler ’s runway. Before he even had a p er s onal collec tion to show, major ret ailer s such as Barney s New York , Neiman Marcus , Bergdor f Goodman and S ak s were s eeking his hat de signs . SHK had the oppor tunit y to pick the de signer ’s brain about wild s af aris , pap er bag hat s and a night out gone awr y… F or Swanepoel’s t ale is a suc c e s s stor y that is mad enough for a hat ter. — Nandit a S cillit ani

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“I’m always trying to create beauty in a way, which is somewhat escapist, in contrast with my strict, pragmatic belief system.”

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SHK DE SCRIBE YOUR MILLINE RY MUSE . W H AT INSPIRE D YOU T O BECOME A H AT DE SIGNE R? ALBERTUS SWANEPOEL I don’t have a specific muse. It sor t of changes as time goes on. I was a graphic designer, then a fashion designer for many years (in South Africa), and so things did not really work out in N Y as I planned, and I became a milliner.

YOU H AV E WORKE D ON NUME ROUS COLL A BOR AT IONS W I T H COMPA NIE S SUCH A S TA RGE T, J.CRE W, T HE G A P A ND HIGH PROF ILE DE SIGNE RS R A NGING F ROM M A RC JACOB S A ND RODA R T E . HOW WOULD YOU DE SCRIBE T HE COLL A BOR AT ION E X PE RIE NCE ? Each collaboration is ver y different and has its own challenges! The militar y helmets I did for Proenza Schouler was cer tainly a highlight, and also the boxy “paper bag” hats for Narciso Rodrig uez.

HOW DO YOU KE E P YOUR CRE AT I V E E NE RGY A ND IDE A S F LOW ING W HE N T IME S A RE T OUGH? It’s odd, sometimes in the darkest times… I’m the most creative. I have a ver y small company w ith no outside financing, so my assistant’s and my livelihood depends on my output. I sor t of have to forge a head.

A H AT C A N BE PA R A DOX IC A L IN N AT URE: I T C A N BE USE D T O HIDE UNDE R OR I T C A N SI T BOLDLY AT OP I T S PROUD OW NE R’S HE A D. W H AT MIGH T YOU CONSIDE R A PA R A DOX W I T HIN YOUR OW N PE RSON A LI T Y? I come from an extremely conser vative upbring ing. This seems to have a never-ending inf luence in my life. I do think a lot of creative people create from a place of “ugliness.”

YOU W E RE BORN A ND R A ISE D IN SOU T H A F RIC A . W H AT DO YOU RE ME MBE R MOS T A BOU T YOUR CHILDHOOD T HE RE ? Definitely going on a safari ever y year for a few weeks. I go back yearly, and continue to go. There is nothing as humbling and incredible as being w ith those animals.

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N A ME T HE L A S T IN T E RE S T ING BOOK /A R T ICLE YOU RE A D A ND YOUR T OP T HRE E “MUS T SE E ” F ILMS. I sadly don’t read a lot of books. I tr y to read The New York Times daily and W WD. Must see movies would have to be Chinatown, Barry Lyndon and of course, My Fair Lady.

IF YOU H A D T O E LEC T ONLY ONE FA SHION DE SIGNE R T O RE-VA MP YOUR E N T IRE WA RDROBE , W HO WOULD YOU CHOOSE ? Christian Lacroix Haute Couture!

W H AT IS ONE T RE ND YOU A RE T IRE D OF SE E ING? W H AT IS ONE T RE ND YOU T HOROUGHLY A PPROV E OF ? Small brimmed fedoras... No one should leave the house w ithout a hat!

IF YOU H A D T O E AT ONLY ONE T HING F OR T HE RE S T OF YOUR LIF E , W H AT WOULD I T BE ? A medium rare rib-eye stea k, on the bone.

IF YOU COULD BE RE-BORN IN T O A N Y DEC A DE OF YOUR CHOICE , W HICH ONE WOULD I T BE ? The late 18th centur y, in the time of the Incroyables (Incredibles).

N A ME ONE OF YOUR MOS T E MB A RR A S SING MOME N T S… Earlier this year I went to a concer t at Bower y Ballroom, w ith a young friend. W hen I woke up, I was in the men’s bathroom, and it was 4:45 a.m. I think I was slipped a Mickey!

W H AT IS T HE MOS T VA LUA BLE PIECE OF A DV ICE YOU H AV E BE E N GI V E N? Happiness is a shor tcut to mediocrity.

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Photographed by STEPHEN WILSON St yled by ANASTASIA KUDRASHOVA Makeup by ALICIA OLI V ERI Hair by Rh yan Bledsoe St ylist ’s as sistant TAR A MC C AULE Y

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TOP SHOP sweater. S T EPHEN DWECK necklace & earrings .

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TOP SHOP sweater. BIL L BL A SS pant s . S TEPHEN DWECK necklace & earrings .

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TOP SHOP tee & shoes . S Y LV IE SCHIMMEL leggings . BIL L BL A SS coat . S T EPHEN DWECK earrings . SHK

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Saying you’re the first of anything means bragging rights beyond a Twitter follows list, and Tourneau has the distinction of leaving the finest tan lines on American wrists since 1925. In keeping with the high Tourneau standard, the New York branch has come to represent a beacon of horological innovation over the decades. Therefore, the backdrop is fitting for the release Tourneau’s new TNY collection, which represents a marriage of Western European and American ingenuity. With renowned designer Marco Borraccino at the helm, the collection captures the expertise and knowledge offered by watchmakers on both sides of the Atlantic, and is a reaction to the very modern demand for subdued elegance that contemporary urban men need to be taken seriously. We’ve enlisted the help of Tourneau branding extraordinaire Gianluca Maina to further discuss the TNY collection — what aspects of New York City inspire the design, function versus aesthetics and what makes Tourneau so unique. — Ahmed Mori

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SHK I’VE SEEN COLL ATER AL THAT USE S WORDS LIKE “MODERN” AND “CONTEMPOR ARY” TO DE SCRIBE TOURNE AU’S TNY SERIE S. WHAT M AKE S A DE SIGN MODERN? WHAT KIND OF AT TITUDE DOE S “MODERN” ENTAIL AND HOW DOE S THE TNY SERIE S CAP TURE IT? GIANLUCA MAINA The word Moder n applied to desig n

mea ns, in my opinion, essentia l a nd w ith strong cha racter. These t wo attr ibutes a re a ver y impor ta nt feature in moder n desig n pieces, as they a llow products to sta nd out from a la rge ava ilabilit y of simila r products (strong cha racter) a nd at the sa me time to fulfill their pur pose in the best possible way (essentia l). Nowadays products need to be impactful, appea ling a nd at the sa me time easy to use.

THE TNY SERIE S IS INSPIRED BY NE W YORK CIT Y — HENCE THE 2ND AND 3RD LE T TERS OF IT S NAME . WHAT ABOUT THE CIT Y INSPIRE S THE NE W COLLEC TION? New York generates a n incredible energ y, has a unique cha racter a nd strong a rchitectura l elements. No other cit y in the world ca n be easily identified as New York by sounds, lights a nd buildings. We wa nted to tra nsfer these elements to the watch collection a nd ma ke something beautiful, easily identifiable, complex in its ma nufactur ing but easy to read a nd w ith a ver y clea n desig n.

IS DE SIGNING A WATCH INSPIRED BY NYC IRONIC, GIVEN IT S RE SIDENT S’ CONS TANT NEED FOR MORE TIME IN A DAY? It is a cha llenge, as in w ith no other cit y in the world is “time” such a delicate issue. Liv ing in N YC, you r ush from one meeting to a nother a nd then to a socia l event a nd your ma nagement of time becomes ver y impor ta nt. Hence a ver y readable watch, suitable for ever y occasion, from the most impor ta nt business meeting to the follow ing rela xed or elega nt meet i ng. No t ime to cha nge…

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WHAT COME S FIRS T: AE S THE TIC S OR FUNC TION? HOW CAN YOU M AKE A WATCH “US ABLE ”? My answer may seem obvious, but it is the balance between aesthetic and function that w ill determine the success and lifespan of a product. To be usable a watch needs to be readable first. Obviously precise, and if it has functions they should be interesting for the watch owner. As a frequent traveler, I personally find, for instance, a GMT watch ver y useful as it allows me to keep track of two time zones immediately.

ME N DON’ T GE T M A N Y JE W E L S T O PA S S DOW N T O DIF F E RE N T GE NE R AT IONS. DO YOU T HINK WATCHE S H AV E T HE P O T E N T I A L OF F ILLING T H AT VOID E V E N A F T E R W E MOV E T O MORE DIGI TA L ME A NS OF T E LLING T IME ? Definitely, yes. Indeed, today there are so many ways to read time that a watch may seem obsolete, but a watch is much more than a “time keeper.” It is a jewel, a piece of mechanical ar t, a mean of self-expression, a g ift and reminder of a unique moment. No phone, computer or tablet can replace these. Hence watches can definitely be a void filler as a transmittable jewel, or tradition.

W H AT M A KE S A WATCH SO DIF F E RE N T F ROM O T HE R PIECE S OF JE W E LRY? IS I T ONLY T HE CONS T RUC T ION OR IS T HE RE SOME T HING MORE ? I believe watches are somewhat “alive.” They work, and if we do not ta ke care of them they stop. We develop a personal relationship w ith watches. They tell us the time, and we may be looking at them several times throughout the day. They do not have only an aesthetic function. Their value is enhanced by the impor tance we g ive to the concept of time. Probably if time was not an issue, if we had no schedules to follow and no deadlines to meet we would not be as attached to watches as we are.

W H AT M A KE S T OURNE AU SO DIF F E RE N T ? The blend of strong American orig ins, a unique knowledge of the watch industr y, the best of Sw iss watchma king and a genuine and unique design approach.

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GIV E US SOME DETAILS A BOUT THE WATCH. The whole collection has a strong design imprint, w ith aesthetic codes that are similar, such as the case shape and lugs. The case is a steel cylinder w ith attached lugs. The lugs are screwed onto the case body, to underline the “industrial” look of the watch (clearly inspired by several architectural elements of N Y ). The lugs are multi-faceted and each facet is treated differently, it may be polished or satined, to highlight the complexity of the case, and to add refinement to the whole look of the watch. The watch has a solid and strong appearance, while being elegant and refined at the same time. This allows versatility and ma kes the watch fit ever y occasion. The over sized dial is a ver y useful feature that allows great readability, and provides a strong character to the watch.

I’M A 26 -Y E A R OLD M A LE W I T H A T HIN T O ME DIUM F R A ME , A BOU T SI X F E E T TA LL , R A RE LY W E A R A N Y T HING T H AT ISN’ T BLUE , BROW N, BL ACK OR GR AY, W RI T E F OR A LI V ING, A M SUB SCRIBE D T O E SQUIRE A ND T HE NE W YORKE R , OW N A N IPA D A ND DON’ T H AV E T OO S T RONG A PRE F E RE NCE REG A RDING DIGI TA L OR A N A LOG, A LT HOUGH I T E ND T O PRE F E R T HE L AT T E R . W H AT T N Y WATCH WOULD YOU RECOMME ND F OR ME A ND W H Y? I would definitely go for a 40mm 3 hands. Its look ma kes it ver y distinctive. The watch is simple, its functions impor tant (time, seconds and date). The size, it’s perfect for ever y occasion. It is a ver y smar t watch, sophisticated, ver y chic and can be used in ever y occasion. I would choose the black dial, as it w ill blend perfectly w ith your style of clothing.

M AY I H AV E A DISCOUN T ON T H AT WATCH? I am afraid this is not possible, but you w ill have the pleasure of wearing ever y day a great watch!

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JUS T KIDDING. W H AT SE T T HE “RUSH HOUR” A ND “GO T H A M” SPECI A L E DI T IONS A PA R T F ROM T HE RE S T OF T HE LINE ? These special editions tend to be more impactful and may, sometimes, leave functionality aside. In our case both watches remain ver y functional, as we have chosen color combinations that provide great readability. Both watches are 44 mm, and the case is entirely coated w ith DLC. The “all black” look of the watch is then disrupted by colors of numerals that are yellow or black. Both watches are ver y strong statements. Their looks are unique.

T E LL ME A BOU T YOUR S T R AT EGY BE HIND PACK AGING A ND I T S IMP OR TA NCE . Packag ing provides the environment of the product and continues the stor y that you have star ted w ith the product. At the same time, packag ing needs to have a function, and therefore needs to protect the product.

W HE RE W ILL T HE T N Y SE RIE S BE AVA IL A BLE ? The TN Y series is available in all Tourneau stores throughout the USA.

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WXYZ dna & rock necklace. ( L) BEN AMUN gold chain necklace. ALIMONADA gold cube necklace. ( R )

CHRIS HABANA necklace. ( L) SWAROV SK I white & cr y stal necklace. st ylist â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own silver chain. ( R )

W X Y Z large f lat necklace. CHRIS HABANA cros s & eye necklaces . ( L) IN GOD WE T RUS T geometric cage & spear necklace. AL IMONADA cube necklace. ( R )

W X Y Z gold rock s necklace. WOU T ERS & HENDRIX link necklace. ( L) BEN AMUN necklace. ( R )

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What do you get when a seasoned L.A. denim designer crosses paths with Emmett Cullen of Twilight? Some bloody good-looking jeans! Or, more specifically, you get an edgy sartorial collaboration known as Abbot + Main. Upon meeting Kellan Lutz, who is both a film actor and Ford model, designer Daniel Guez knew he had found the ideal partner and face for his latest project, a contemporary clothing line inspired by Venice Beach and defined by laid back luxury. Guez, better known as the founder of the denim lines People’s Liberation and William Rast, went on to create Dylan George in 2007, of which Abbot + Main is a branch. The duo wished to merge the casual vibe of the beach with the more urban fashion culture of Los Angeles to create clothing that was comfortable yet sophisticated… Thus, Abbot + Main was born four years later. Here, Guez talks to SHK about his inspirations and the vision behind his latest brand. — Nandita Scillitani

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SHK How did you get started as a designer? W ere you always the best dressed kid in class? DANN Y GUEZ I come from a fashion family. My father and

my two uncles have all made their mark in this industr y, so it just felt natural from an early age to follow in their footsteps. W hen it comes to being the best-dressed kid in class, you would have to ask my friends… But I think I looked pretty good back then.

You created the line Dylan George and then branched out to create A bbot + M ain with actor Kellan Lutz — what made you choose him as a co designer for the line and how did the two of you meet ? I met Kellan through a mutual friend and we hit it off right away. We became friends before we became par tners. Right from the beg inning we realized we shared the same vision and goals for creating Abbot + Main.

W hat would you consider your greatest challenge as a designer? Finding the perfect fabrics. I’ve always been a fabric driven designer and things have to feel a cer tain way or I’m not going to include it in my line, plain and simple.

W here do you do most of your brainstorming? I’m always designing in my head. Ever y where I go I’m looking at what people are wearing and what is happening w ith trends and the fashion world as a whole. It’s hard to say where I do most of my brainstorming because I’m a 24 /7 g uy when it comes to my brands.

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A bbot + M ain, represents laid back , casual luxury but I sniff a hint of rebellion in there , too. Sometimes I have a cup of coffee after 5pm and enter through an exit door ... but do you consider the line rebellious in a way? That’s funny you detect a little bit of rebellion in A+M. I g uess that comes w ith the overall vibe of Venice. Venice is a place that’s about thinking outside of the box and challeng ing authority, so naturally that w ill show itself in the line.

W hat do you look for in the perfect pair of jeans and/or t-shirt ? do you have any strong opinions about pocket details? I’m ver y fabric driven, so that’s going to be what I look for initially, but I also love simple classic design. W hen it comes to pocket details, I think it’s a good thing if done right: ver y simple and conveys the DNA of the brand w ithout going over the top.

T here are a lot of casual wear companies out there . W hat would you say separates A+M from the rest of the pack? There are a lot of brands out there that are tr y ing to represent something that they have no connection to. Kellan lives in Venice and I live not far away. We both spend a lot time there and that translates into the designs that we create. We are currently collaboration on a shoe design w ith Creative Recreation and I can’t wait till people see it. I think we have completely nailed the beach vibe w ith this project.

T hose watercolor jeans from Dylan George are probably the coolest pair I’ ve ever seen. A ny recommendations for keeping a designer pair of jeans looking fresh? Tr y not to wash them ver y often, if possible, and always ma ke sure you use detergent w ith a low level of bleach.

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W hat does L . A . have (aside from beaches and an abundance of blondes) that New York doesn’ t ? A lternately, what do you love most about L . A . and what about it do you like the least ? Downtown L.A. has a really amazing creative scene that has been developing over the last few years. There are a lot of ar tists, designers and musicians coming out of that area that most of the countr y doesn’t know about yet, but I’m sure it w ill soon. If I had to go w ith one thing New York doesn’t have that we do though, it would have to be In-NOut Burger. I never eat fast food, but once in a while I g ive in for some In-N-Out w ith a sha ke. W hat I love about L.A. is that I’m close to my family and friends. I’ve been in L.A. since I was a kid, so nothing else would feel like home. The worst thing about L.A. (as cliché as it sounds) has to be the traffic — I can’t stand sitting in traffic!

W hat would you say is your biggest “fashion no no”? Or biggest pet peeve in general? Cheap fabric.

W e agree! W hat song has been stuck in your head these days ( you can’ t pick “C all Me M aybe ”)? That’s funny you say that cause my kids love that song and play it over and over again. Currently I have “Clique” by Kanye West in my head… We have been listing to that a lot in the office lately.

If you were to tweet the last tweet on E arth (limited to 140 characters or fewer), what would it be? Something about how much I love my K ids.

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T ell us one thing we shouldâ&#x20AC;Ś SEE. End of Watch, Awesome L.A. cop movie!

HEAR. Any thing Kanye.

K NOW. SoulCycle in Brentwood, CA.

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Face 2011 CELINE

We grabbed a handful of shoes from the runway in 2011 and 2012 and have them facing off. It’s a “friendly” competition, though, because as the saying goes... Everything’s fair in love and war. 142

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OFF 2012 BALENCIAGA

Illustrated by CLAIRE MARICE HOUSH

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2011 DIOR

2012 YSL

2011 LANVIN

2012 MARC JACOBS

2011 MIU MIU

2012 VALENTINO

2011 BALENCIAGA

2012 PRADA

HE AR it / ALBUM REVIEWS Plus, find out what these artists think you should See, Hear & Know. — STEVEN PIPPS

RUSH MIDNIGH T / +1 SEE. Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo a.k.a Christiane F. (depressing yet romantic). HEAR. “W hy” by Carly Simon (1982, produced by Chic). K NOW. W ho’s on your team.

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Brooklyn native Rush Midnight’s first solo project, +1, delves into the experimental Pop world w ith a vengeance. Midnight has been around the new wave, untried scene as Tw in Shadow’s bassist, but his new project brings out his own interpretation of the genre. He kicks off the EP w ith the track “Crush, ” where whimsical vocals ta ke center stage. Even solo, Midnight didn’t sever ties w ith old friends and brought on Tw in Shadow to produce two songs. As a whole, this album evokes a retro feel that’s reminiscent of the ’80s (and could find itself on the soundtrack for a film like Drive). With strong Pop ties, and the right amount of chill wave under tones, +1 is the perfect accompaniment to walking around the city, or having friends over for a few drinks. Released through Cascine, a label based in New York and London for experimental pop ar tists, we g ive this album a check plus.

CH AD VALLE Y / Young Hunger SEE. Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The old town, specifically. Late at night, specifically. HEAR. Kaleidoscope Dream by Mig uel. I’m telling you this before ever yone else in the world tells you how good this album is. K NOW. Never f ly Ryanair airlines.

Hugo Manuel, better known by his moniker Chad Valley, is releasing his third album via Cascine, where he’s one of the longest-standing ar tists. Orig inally from Oxford, UK, Valley works w ith overproduced vocals and synth beats that create that classic Synth-Pop sound. Each track is reminiscent of a dreamscape, constantly re-created w ith each passing note and beat. The f loating lyrics help propel you through, while still being the one aspect of the music that keeps you grounded. Young Hunger is centered in the idea of escapism, much like his second EP, Equatorial Ultravox, but it has more of a confident, and solid sound. The lyrics are free from the atmospheric background, complete w ith confidant beats. It’s not out of the question to put this album on before you go to bed, letting the music work through your head as you fall asleep.

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LULU G AINSBOURG / From Gainsbourg to Lulu SEE. I would recommend visiting India at least once in your life. It’s a kind of place that teaches you so much through spiritual wealth. HEAR. I would recommend the New World Symphony, old, but still mag ical. K NOW. My mom taught me that in life, it’s better not to lie to yourself or others because it’s a waste of time and energ y. The truth leads to light.

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Lulu Gainsbourg’s new album, From Gainsbourg to Lulu, is a collection of Lulu’s favorite songs from his father’s illustrious librar y. Lulu’s father, Serge Gainsbourg, was an extremely inf luential French singer/song writer, ar tist and director. He wrote, and his w ife performed a song, which ended up g iving Lucien the nickname of Lulu. He said the album is a g ift for his father, one of the first g ifts he was able to g ive him. The new project features a number of stars including Scarlett Johansson, Rufus Wainwright and Johnny Depp. The first track, “Intoxicated Man,” is an upbeat Jazz number that slowly builds up to a sa xophone solo. Just shy of a minute into the piece, the pace quickens and the sa xophone ta kes you on an erratic, but fun journey before introducing you to the trumpet. The track sw ings on, and the momentum carries through to the f lourish at the end, ma king it almost impossible not to like. Lulu created this album as a means for new generations to hear Serge’s music through the use of modern and international ar tists. It is a perfect remembrance of Serge’s fantastic music, while Lulu also provides new light for this generation of listeners.

M YS T ICAL W E AP ONS / Mystical We apons SEE. Jodorowsky’s Holy Mountain. HEAR. Mussorgsky’s “Bald Mountain.” K NOW. The website Ar tists Against Fracking.

The duo, Sean Lennon and Greg Saunier, team up to ma ke their new improvisation-driven, self-titled album. A mix of Avant-Garde Jazz, w ith f low ing feedback and simple piano chords are all present on Mystical Weapons debut selftitled album. At first listen, each song rambles, and it’s hard to wrap your brain around what the duo was tr y ing to accomplish, but the problem is you’re tr y ing to fig ure the sound out. The band relies heavily on improvisational composition incorporating ever y thing they can from antique synthesizers and pots and pans, to g uitars and organs. This ma kes it more something to mar vel at and enjoy, and less something to “understand.” Mystical Weapons as a whole is a new bridge of creativity in composition. Ever y song brings something new to the table, specifically their first single, “Mechanical Mammoth.” It has the most eclectic array of instruments of any song on the album, but they all come together to create a discernible melody. Order out of chaos. The record is set to drop early next year. Keep an ear out.

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Sing in me,

Oh muse Photographed by MICHAEL CASKER

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French “Dream Pop” musician Melody Prochet’s debut self-titled album, Melody’s Echo Chamber, was met with rave reviews earlier this fall when it was released. She’s since toured the United States and is back in Europe serenading the masses with her delicate, experimental sound. We caught up with Melody and picked her delectable and intellectual brain on her recording process, her collaborative work with Kevin Parker (Tame Impala) and what it was like touring the States. — Bethany O’Grady

SHK T IME A ND T IME AG A IN, MUSIC W RI T E RS PEG T HE A LBUM A S YOUR “DRE A M P OP PROJEC T.” I T ’S INCRE DIBLY DRE A M Y, NO DOUB T. BU T IS A N Y OF I T INSPIRE D BY DRE A MS YOU’ V E AC T UA LLY H A D? M ELODY PROCH E T Not really, I’m fascinated by dreams though. I read a lot about how to train yourself to remember it better, like wa king up on your REM phase and stuff, but it has not been inf luencing my song writing. If I had to g ive inspiration theme to this album, it’d be “Exploration,” the fact of searching w ith intention to find something unknown. I also really enjoy reading about silly explorers and epic expeditions. I named “Mount Hopeless” after those explorers that died while exploring Australia on their way to Mount Hopeless. SHK

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SO YOU’RE A N E X PLORE R AT HE A R T. T H AT GOE S H A ND IN H A ND W I T H YOUR E X PE RIME N TA L , DI Y B ACKGROUND. [When I was a teenager] my brother was obsessed with building his home studio. He’s a big fan of Vangelis and Jean-Michel Jarre, he’s a synthesizer nerd. I met my first musician friends in Paris and discovered a whole new world of experimental music.

W E LL , NOW T H AT YOU’RE A BLE T O WORK ON YOUR OW N MUSIC, W HE RE IS YOUR FAVORI T E PL ACE T O SI T A ND W RI T E LY RIC S? DO YOU H AV E A N Y RI T UA L S W HE N I T COME S T O WORKING ON SONGS? No, I don’t have any rituals… That I’m aware of. It comes ver y randomly. It cer tainly needs to be a quite place — I wrote a lot of lyrics near the beach in Per th and Cavalière!

YOU A L SO RECORDE D MELODY ’S ECHO CHAMBER AT YOUR GR A NDPA RE N T S’ BE ACH HOUSE IN T HE SOU T H OF F R A NCE A ND W I T H KE V IN PA RKE R ( TA ME IMPA L A) AT HIS HOME IN PE R T H. I’m never comfor table w ith recording vocals w ith someone in the room so I went for isolation in the south of France at my grandparents’ house on the sea side. I can get ver y emotional and quite hysterical sometimes and I didn’t want anyone to see me like that, it worked out pretty well that way. In Per th, I had already recorded demos on my own in Paris on my silly, Yama ha Por tasound, nineties style keyboard. Kevin loved it and I came to his house he shared w ith some other silly musician friends and we recorded it again. Basically, that room was a glorious mess of gear, cables, half full bottles of w ine, trash and it was pretty hilarious. I was kind of worried at the first look and wondering how we’d get a good sound, but after recording the first ta ke of drums, I could tell he knew what he was doing. He’s a sound w izard.

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W H AT WA S T HE RECORDING PROCE S S LIKE ? WA S I T MORE WORK T H A N YOU T HOUGH T I T ’D BE ? It never felt like working, not a second of it. It was just fun, we just kept the first ta kes, and the noises of the room. We explored the songs and ourselves, tried to create disorienting textures and clouds of noises. Most of the time we’d just record one hour a day and then go hang out w ith friends at the beach or go to g igs or ride our bicycles around. It was so spontaneous, organic and fresh.

W E ’RE CURIOUS T O K NOW W H AT T HE DY N A MIC BE T W E E N YOU A ND KE V IN PA RKE R IS LIKE W HE N YOU A RE COLL A BOR AT ING CRE AT I V E LY. I have a ver y, ver y strong vision of how I want my music to sound like. I’m obsessed w ith production, but I’m pretty impatient and I can’t be bothered nerding around a computer and machines for too long, but Kevin loves that. So, I basically needed his mag ic hands to sculpt the album sound w ith me. I was tr y ing to transmit my vision to Kevin along w ith what kind of sound I wanted for each par t, but it was already in his spectrum of sound, so it wasn’t hard to get it out of him. We have the same taste. The best thing was that he’s a real Guru. I love his way of “thinking music” and [his attitude] about life in general. He’s a w ise and ver y intelligent person; it’s been ver y inspiring to be around him.

YOUR U.S. T OUR JUS T S TA R T E D, A ND A ME RIC A N MUSIC BLOGS H AV E A LRE A DY R AV E D A BOU T YOUR A LBUM. HOW DO YOU RE AC T T O H AV ING SUCH A S T RONG A ND SOLID A ME RIC A N FA N -B A SE ? We just came back [from the U.S.] and I have to admit, I already have the tour blues... I miss The States. The people had such a great vibe and were so warm. They came to talk to us after the shows and were so sweet. Also, the roadtrip was incredible. My favorite par t was the drive from Seattle to Minneapolis: in two days, non-stop, we went through some beautiful mountains, la kes, the Rockies, deser ts... Such an epic trip. The tour ended in San Francisco, which was insanely beautiful! But, my favorite stop was Mount Victor y, in Ohio. It’s a tiny village w ith only antique shops. So pretty. SHK

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W E ’RE JE A LOUS! W E WA N T T O ROA D T RIP ACROS S T HE S TAT E S. A S FA R A S T HE PE RF ORM A NCE A SPEC T OF YOUR T OUR , HOW E V E R , W E ’ V E RE A D T H AT YOU’RE A BI T SH Y W HE N I T COME S T O SINGING IN F RON T OF PEOPLE . HOW DID T H AT PA N OU T DURING T HE T OUR? Actually, since the U.S. tour, I’ve found myself way more rela xed and confident than I used to be [on stage]. Maybe it comes from the fact that the audiences have been so nice and enthusiastic w ith us. It cer tainly still ma kes me wanna’ throw up a few minutes before each show, but on stage I feel rela xed. I love to tr y and dance and loosen up and have fun w ith the audience!

COOL . M AY BE YOU WA NN A’ T H A NK YOUR A ME RIC A N FA NS BY E X P OSING T HE M T O SOME F RE NCH MUSICI A NS T H AT YOU’RE IN T O? Yea h absolutely, you should keep your radar on my bandmates, Maud Nadal: Myra Lee, Pablo Padovan: Moodoid, and Jerome Pichon: Scott of the Antarctic. They’re incredible. And if you don’t know her already: Laetitia Sadier.

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T E LL US ONE T HING W E SHOULD… SEE .

Marianne Von Weref kin’s paintings. HEAR.

“Sun In Your Eyes” by Grizzly Bear. K NOW.

We’ll be back in the U.S. sooner than you think...

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POSITIVE CONFUS From basement days to major tours, Dylan Baldi has never been afraid to change it up. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; RACHEL ELEANOR SUTTON 166

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SHK SINCE YOU’ V E BE E N T OURING T HIS Y E A R W I T H T HIS RE LE A SE , HOW H AV E PEOPLE BE E N RE AC T ING T O T HE RECONF IGUR AT ION IN SOUND F OUND ON AT TACK ON ME MORY IN COMPA RISON T O PRE V IOUS CLOUD NO T HING RECORDINGS? DY LAN BALDI There have been a lot more people coming to our shows than ever before, so it seems like people are reacting pretty positively.

DO YOU F IND T H AT YOUR FA N B A SE H A S JUS T GONE W I T H IT? Yes, for the most par t. And that’s pretty cool.

YOU’ V E ME N T IONE D YOU CONSIDE RE D CH A NGING T HE N A ME OF T HE B A ND W I T H T HIS RECORD, W H Y DID YOU DECIDE T O KE E P I T ? I never really intended to change the name, that was a split second idea I had that I quickly put to rest. I fig ured the songs were still my songs, and I was still play ing w ith the same band, so I should probably keep the same name.

IS T HE RE SIGNIF IC A N T ME A NING BE HIND T HE N A ME OF AT TACK ON ME MORY . HOW WOULD YOU DE SCRIBE T HE WORD CHOICE F ROM YOUR P OIN T OF V IE W ? It’s just a phrase I thought sounded interesting, and happened to fit neatly as a descriptor of the musical progression of the band.

T HIS IS A MUCH MORE AGGRE S SI V E RECORD, WA S T HE RE A PINP OIN T “E V E N T ” T H AT M A DE YOU DECIDE T O, A S I T H A S BE E N DE SCRIBE D, GO A F T E R A DA RKE R SOUND? Not really, the main inf luence was just feeling confused and unhappy about what I wanted to do. No one event triggered those feelings.

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YOU’RE RECORDING NOW W I T H A F ULL B A ND IN A PROF E S SION A L S T UDIO, BU T IS T HE RE A N Y T HING A BOU T RECORDING ON YOUR OW N (OR , IN T HE B A SE ME N T ) T H AT YOU MIS S? It’s really fun to ma ke a song all by yourself and have that at the end of the day, but it’s way easier to be w ith a band in a real studio, so I don’t mind.

YOU WORKE D ON T HIS A LBUM W I T H S T E V E A LBINI... A PPA RE N T LY HE WA S SUPE R IN T O SCR A BBLE . BE SIDE S GE T T ING SOME GRE AT WORDS, W H AT DO YOU F E E L T H AT A LBINI BROUGH T T O T HIS A LBUM T H AT O T HE R PRODUCE RS WOULDN’ T H AV E BE E N A BLE T O DO? His whole approach to recording and ma king music is ver y similar to what ours has always been, so I think the fact that we had similar ideas about processes made us a good match. Many other producers would get in the way w ith suggestions and other junk, but ours was a pretty “no bullshit” approach to stuff.

HOW DID YOU GO A BOU T COMPILING T HE ME MBE RS OF T HE B A ND B ACK W HE N YOU S TA R T E D PL AY ING LI V E W I T H T HE M? H A S A N Y T HING CH A NGE D SINCE T HE Y BEC A ME OF F ICI A L ME MBE RS? They’re friends of mine from around Cleveland, just people I met from play ing shows. Nothing has changed, we just live together and ma ke music.

HOW MUCH INF LUE NCE DOE S T HE B A ND H AV E OV E R T HE SONGS? ME A NING, DO YOU NOW W RI T E W I T H T HE M, OR DO YOU BRING S T UF F T O T HE TA BLE A ND T HE Y ROUND OF F T HE PACK AGE ... I still write the songs, but they write their own par ts around what I do. So it’s a lot more of a band effor t than it has been in the past.

DO YOU PL AY A N Y OF T HE OLD S T UF F A N Y MORE ? Not really, unless people really want us too. I don’t like play ing that stuff too much anymore, it’s boring now.

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W H AT IS I T A BOU T T HIS S T RUC T URE D, BE AT-HE AV Y SOUND — SUCH A S INF LUE NCE D BY T HE W IPE RS — T H AT DR AWS YOU IN? I just love music like that, and I always have. Something about g uitars, bass and drums just ma kes it the perfect combination for a good band.

NOW T H AT T HIS A LBUM H A S BE E N OU T F OR A W HILE , H AV E YOU S TA R T E D W RI T ING NE W M AT E RI A L Y E T ? Not quite, we’ve been on tour since Februar y so it’s been difficult to find time

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Photographed by MICHAEL CASKER

When you think of the roots to DJing, graffiti, Hip Hop, sampling, looping, dancing on pavements and then swiftly transitioning into the clubs, you may think of the Bronx. You may think of gold chains and Adidas. However, Alex Ridha, of Boys Noize, comes from an almost unlikely origin, where he climbed to the top of the DJing movement, sat down and hasn’t moved since. He grabbed Hip Hop and Disco roots, then picked up heavy noise and electro house and made it his own. His voice on the other end of the phone is one that almost seems familiar. With a slight quiver of a German accent, his voice is warm, his tone exciting and his passion for music bleeds through the line. When he speaks about his upbringing in music, he is melodic. Born in Hamburg, he has left marks on a few street corners with spray cans, he has introduced old school Hip Hop through his speakers, but most of all, his hands have been home to what seems like a thousand house records. He’s held stomping quarters behind many decks, touched boards in the studio with fingers that probably move on their own without even thinking about it, because sometimes its just as much about the talent as it is about the passion. – Emily Marucci

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SHK T he first thing is that we wanted to know is how you came up with your stage name ? ALEX RIDHA It came from graffiti. I was doing some tags and bonding a little when I was a kid and stuff so, I was always thinking about names that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really mean any thing, just thinking about how I like letters that look cool together. I had a couple names and Boys Noize was just one of them that I thought looked cool and sounded cool and you can shout it out, you know... 176

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Did you ever get in trouble doing graffiti anywhere ? Uh, yea h, yea h. I got caught and stuff. I had to clean a lot and pay a lot. [Laughs.] At one point I was just getting too extreme where I was doing it in the day time when people were just walking by. It got too extreme... Too risky.

Y eah, I know. T hat ’s kind of cool that graffiti was part of your life growing up because you know music, specifically hip hop, DJing and graffiting kind of go hand and hand, it ’s part of a culture . Yea h.

Do you think there was a connection between that, like the crews that you were hanging out with ? Was everyone into hip hop, DJing and graffiti ? Sure. I was the DJ for all of my friends. It was ver y expensive to buy the vinyl, the turntables, ever y thing. I actually had two jobs to finance getting all of that equipment. I didn’t get help from my parents. I would DJ for house par ties and play Hip Hop and old school stuff and tr y to introduce that to our group. But then at the same time I was also buying house records. I learned about house records from my childhood, from my brother who is older than me. I grew up with a dream of playing music for people, and it’s really special because you know, no one else was listening to the music that I did for a long, long time. A lot of my friends didn’t think it was cool. Even though they didn’t, I felt ver y comfortable with that music and being the only one listening to that music.

Do you remember a DJ that you looked up to when you were younger or someone that mentored you? Yea h, I was working in a record shop when I was like four teen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen. This record store was for House and Techno music and electronic stuff, so I really looked up to the owner, the g uy I was working for. He was pretty much my mentor in a way ’cause he, you know, gave me my first real DJ g igs and jobs when I was sixteen and I met a lot of DJs in the record shop and yea h, so, maybe him.

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Cool . W here was your first set that you ever played? It was in Hamburg, the city where I was born, and it was in a house that was called “Le Cage,” like “The Cage” in French. And it was a house job and I was one DJ out of a lot of DJs that were representing Chicago House and Deep House. I was sixteen and thinking about how crazy it was because I was super small and skinny at that time. The DJ world was so impor tant to me, so it was really just about the music. After that g ig ever y thing really star ted to be crazy. I got a lot more DJ g igs after that and I star ted to produce as well.

So I know you have your own label . A re there any artists you want to tell us about ? A nyone that ’s coming out with something next year? Yea h, there’s a new g uy I just signed. His name is “SCNTST.” He just turned eighteen and he ma kes so much amazing music, it’s crazy to me. He put out an EP already on Boysnoize Records. It has gotten crazy feedback from a lot of the UK DJs, but also a lot of old school Techno and House DJs, so I know he’s diverse and I know he’s got a lot to look for ward to in the future.

Cool . Sounds really cool . W e ’ll have to take a listen. Also, you have to check out all the other ar tists on Boysnoize Records, they’re all awesome.

Y eah, we will . W e will for sure . Let ’s kind of go off track a little … Is there someone , dead or alive , that you would love to collaborate with on stage or in a song that you can think of ? I’d love to ma ke music w ith Prince, I think that he is amazing.

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Y eah, that ’d be awesome . I’d love to ma ke a cool album w ith him.

Is there a song that never fails to get the crowd going? Yea h, there are a lot actually. Well one, it’s probably an all time classic from Plastikman, a track called Spastik. That’s the record I’ve been play ing for ten years, it always works, it’s ver y minimal, it’s just about the drums.

How do you think your music has changed from your first album? Do you think there has been a lot of growth and change in it ? Yea h. It’s fun because it’s, like, on the new album I have a lot of moments where there’s some connection w ith my first album. I think there’s a lot of raw elements in it and a lot of small, you know, punk rock moments. But generally I think my style and my attitude didn’t change. I’ve learned a lot about production and eng ineering and stuff like that, you know. I’ve never gone to school, like eng ineering school, I taught myself and, in the last years I’ve definitely learned some new producer tricks and eng ineering tricks and I’m still learning a lot.

So our magazine is B A SE D ON T HE IDE A OF W H AT IS Seen, Heard & K nown, so is there something you could tell us, give us advice on what to see , what to hear and what we should know ? Okay. Let me think. Under “Hear” we can, let’s say, yea h, you should definitely check out that Tw in Shadow album, it’s my favorite album at the moment. Tw in Shadow is released on 4 A D, the label. “Five Seconds” is one of the songs, also that I really like.

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For “See” it would be the new film w ith Johnny Depp, Dark Shadows, I thought it was a cool movie. For “K now,” I’ll g ive some advice to up-and-coming DJs. I can kind of just talk about my experience. W hen I star ted ma king music and star ted being a DJ it was just about me loving it and the passion, it was a hobby. I never thought about ma king money w ith it. So I think if you really do something that you love you can be successful. Generally, if you’ve thought about producing, the most impor tant thing is to find your own sound because it’s so tough nowadays to really stick out from millions of people. The only way is to really get your own sound, and have people’s attention, you have to stick out. You know how you go to a record shop and listen to a lot of records and in the end you just buy three? You buy them because they’re special or sound different or there’s something about it. That’s my advice. Get your own sound.

Talent’s own clothing Location: The Standard, High Line Hotel NYC SHK

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New York quartet Darlings have a knack for being concise and understated. Crafting, catchy pop tunes usually kept to the two and a half minute mark, the group canvasses a broad range of topics and conveys them in a remarkably relatable way. Eviction, surfing and your buddy’s girlfriend are all themes in their music and they’re complimented with simple yet accomplished song compositions and interplay between their instruments. Twee melodies, restrained vocal delivery and grungy power-chords are all trademarks of Darlings’ sound. With all the excitement around their new EP and the build up to the second album, we obviously had a lot to chat about. We sat down with the group to discuss everything from the weather, to Brooklyn, musical styles, record labels, hybrid animals and remixes by step-dads… Really. – James Fletcher

SHK How are you guys today? How about this weather . A re you excited for fall? MAT T SOLOMON I’m great, fall is the best. I went apple picking this weekend. PETER RY NSK Y Doing ver y well. Fall is the greatest time of year. The cooler air ma kes me feel uncer tain about ever y thing which in turn ma kes my creativity go up. MAUR A LY NCH I think it’s safe to say we’re all “fall people.” Sweaters and jackets. It’s our time to shine.

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Now that we have mandatory weather chit- chat out of the way, tell us about your recent release . ML “Pet the Ghost” is a single from a full-length we finished earlier this year, along with the B-side “Shelley.” The Teenage Girl remix by Peter’s stepdad was something we had lying around for years, but never had the right opportunity to put it out. PR “Pet The Ghost” is a fuzzy song about being in love w ith someone, but not totally trusting them, yet still g iving them the benefit of the doubt. The first B-side, “Shelley,” is about a good female friend going away from home to find herself, only to return as a complete mess. The second B-side is a remix of “Teenage Girl” from our first album done by my ver y Russian Step-Dad. SHK

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Is this a preview for an upcoming E P or album? MS Yea h, “Pet the Ghost” is the first single from our for thcoming LP, Perfect Trip , which should be out in Januar y. We recorded it last year in Philadelphia. We were in the process of planning its release, and getting a little restless, so we put out the single.

You’ ve been with Famous Class Records since your first album. How is your relationship with them? Does it just make sense working with a small local label? ML Our friend Cyrus runs Famous Class and we all love working and hang ing out w ith him and the other bands on the label. It’s just an easy, natural relationship to maintain and we’ve always appreciated his suppor t. MS We met Cyrus when he subletted a room in my apar tment for a summer during college. We were fans of the label, and his old band Boog ie Boarder, before Darlings existed. PR Famous Class has always felt like family to us. Being that we’re all close friends, doing creative things and ma king music together has always felt ver y natural and not forced in any way. 188

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W hat do you think about the popularity of the “Lo -fi” genre at the moment and bands such as Y uck and Best Coast ? PR W ho wants to sound really slick and over-produced? There’s nothing relatable in that. MS That said, we’ve always worked hard to ma ke our recordings sounds good, so it’s always bothered me a little bit when we’re grouped in w ith the Lo-fi thing.

Do you think this is a response to the popularity of electronic music featuring synths and often more elaborate arrangements and sounds? Do you think there is something more humble and easily relatable in your music that makes it so easy to listen to? PR Synth and electronic bands have been around for a long time, and so have scrappy sounding garage bands. I like both for ver y different reasons. Sometimes I hear electronic songs w ith arrangements that are way more minimal and humble than any garage ty pe song we might write. Both genres have potential to be awesome and they both have potential to be really bad. ML I don’t think we ma ke this kind of music in response to any thing in par ticular, it’s just what comes naturally when the four of us get together. SHK

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A ren’ t you ever tempted to bust out an epic guitar solo or mega crescendo over the course of seven or eight minutes? Or are you content keeping your songs concise and to the point ? ML I think we all appreciate and strive for the threeminute Pop song, but we’ve definitely been experimenting w ith incorporating longer, “jammier” par ts. It’s fun to play w ith new structures, but then we’ll write a song that’s a minute and a half and think, “Perfect.” PR I’ve always believed in less is more.

Do you identify as an east coast band and do you think there is something distinctly east coast/ New York/Brooklyn in your sound and style ? PR We a re definitely a New York / Brook ly n ba nd geog raphica lly, but I would not say t here is somet h ing specifica lly New York about our sound. Our sound is based on our favor ite ba nds we g rew up w it h, from a ll over t he place. ML I’m just happy to live in the city. We’ve all lived here for nine years, both in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and I can’t imag ine living any where else (for now, at least). MS Brooklyn is a great place to live and I’ll be here for a while, but if there’s a cohesive “Brooklyn scene,” I don’t think we’re par t of it.

If you could tour with any band(s) who would it be and why? PR I’d want to tour w ith this band called Grand Rapids from Manhattan. They are really nice people and I think we’d get along in the van. MS I’d like to tour w ith a reunited Operation Iv y.

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“Who wants to sound really slick and overproduced? There’s nothing relatable in that.”

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If you could be a combination of any two animals which would they be and why ( thinking the perfect hybrid animal here)? PR A lemon shark and an eagle so I could sw im, f ly and be incredibly fierce all at once. JOE TIR ABASSI Polar bear/chameleon hybrid that would blend into an environment and then reveal itself and scare the shit out of ever yone.

A ny tour news coming up ? PR We are planning a 10-day east coast tour to roughly coincide w ith our album release around the end of the year/ beg inning of next.

F inally, what do youR parents think of your music ? Do they like it ? Or do they dismiss it as young people ’s noise ? JT My dad likes “Teenage Girl” because he thinks it sounds like Tommy James & the Shondells. PR They like it. I think they appreciate the fact that we write melodies and don’t just scream the whole time. A good melody can be appreciated by most anyone, which has always been a comfor ting thought to me. MS I don’t know if they genuinely like it, but they’re genuinely suppor tive.

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T E LL US ONE T HING W E SHOULD: SEE.

HEAR.

K NOW.

— Jiro Dreams of Sushi , currently streaming on Netflix.

— Doodie Calls podcast with Doug Mand.

— Hardcore Pawn on TruTV

— Wavepool Abortion, S/T cassette.

— The new Taco Bell Cantina menu just tastes like the Mexican Food you would get from the cafeteria in Middle School.

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SUZ ANNE R AE dress.

Photographed by JEREMY WILLIAMS Interviewed and styled by RACHEL ELEANOR SUTTON Makeup by JENNY K ANAVROS Hair by MARCOS DIA Z Stylist’s assistant EMILY MARUCCI Location LOF T402

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When Indie Pop undertones and soft, breathy vocals collide, you get Erika Spring’s debut self-titled EP. Recorded with producer Jorge Elbrecht (of Violins) in his Greenpoint home studio, Erika Spring doesn’t stray too much away from the singer/ songwriters material with Au Revoir Simone, but it does add that extra atmospheric something — with hazy yet stern baselines — that makes this compilation so pleasing. We sat down with Spring, who by the way is as nice as she is talented, to talk about writing this EP, how it’s been maturing from a young Brooklynbased Indie Pop band member to a self-proclaimed artist and, of course, how much she secretly loves to sleep.

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SHK BE F ORE AU RE VOIR SIMONE , W H AT WA S YOUR MUSIC A L B ACKGROUND? ER IK A SPR ING I took pia no lessons as a kid a nd a lso in high school. My teacher sa id I was a “patter n lea r ner.” I had a ha rd time reading music, so I would just memor ize songs. Aside from play ing it, I just loved music, sing ing, lip sy nching, da ncing... It was the ultimate fa ntasy a nd escape. I went through obsessions w ith ’80s g irl music (Madonna, Tiffa ny, Belinda, R icha rd Ma rx), Michael Jackson, Beatlema nia, MC Ha mmer, Disney Songs, ’60s rock ( Ja nis, The Doors, The By rds) ’90s rock ( Nir va na, Pea rl Ja m, A la nis, The Spin Doctors), etc. I hosted Da ft Punk mini raves in my liv ing room for my sister complete w ith f licker ing lights, a nd then I got into Radiohead, Nick Dra ke, Modest Mouse a nd Belle & Sebastia n...

W HE N YOU MOV E D T O NE W YORK , YOU WORKE D IN FA SHION (BE F ORE A RS), A ND A L SO IN T HE B A ND, YOU H AV E WORKE D W I T H FA SHION ICONS SUCH A S K AT E SPA DE , AGNE S B. A ND IS A AC MIZR A HI. HOW MIGH T FA SHION INF LUE NCE YOU? I’ve always been into clothes and vintage shopping/ collecting. W hen I moved to New York, I got a job assisting a producer for fashion week. It was so exciting to meet designers, see the collections before anyone else, watch the ar tistr y come together through hair, ma keup, music...I followed the scene in detail and would watch all the shows on T.V. It inspired my already eclectic ar t-school style. I would go to the Chelsea Flea Market and find things, usually that weren’t cool or even wearable and incorporate them into my outfits. My love of finding old stuff actually helped get the band star ted because I got into collecting vintage keyboards and drum machines. I never expected that our band would then have such a dialog ue w ith the fashion world. It has been great fun and I’ve met so many visionar y ar tists, both designers and others working in the industr y that have made a real impact on our culture.

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BE ING A PA R T OF T HE INDIE MUSIC SCE NE , HOW DO YOU F E E L NOW LOOKING B ACK AT YOURSE LF W HE N YOU F IRS T S TA R T E D A ND HOW YOU’ V E CH A NGE D A LONGSIDE/ W I T HIN T HE INDUS T RY? It’s easy to get nosta lg ic for those days. We were just kids ma king noise (laughs). But, I feel so so lucky to have a rrived in Brookly n exactly when I did a nd met the people I met, etc. It was mag ica l. A nd it rea lly is still mag ica l. Ever y thing has evolved — sounds, venues, goa ls a nd methods. I know more people a nd have more knowledge a nd resources to ma ke stuff happen. The cha nge in me is a consta nt push a nd pull of letting myself be creative a nd tr y ing to control a nd shape it. It’s pretty much the same as it ever was, but I’m lea rning to recog nize that cycle more.

HOW IS T HE F E E LING YOU GE T PE RF ORMING A S SOLO A R T IS T DIF F E RING F ROM T HE F E E LING W HE N YOU PE RF ORM IN T HE T RIO? It doesn’t feel ent i rely d i fferent. Show n ights go by so qu ick ly for me. I’m st i ll so new at per for m i ng solo t hough, so I’m st i ll t r y i ng to set t le on a st age set up. It’s ver y much i n f lu x.

W H AT DO HE AT HE R A ND A NNIE T HINK OF YOUR SOLO BR A NCH OU T A ND W H AT DO T HE Y T HINK OF T HE E P ? They a re super suppor t ive. They love t he songs a nd come out to shows a nd a re happy t hat I have new ideas to br i ng to t he ba nd too.

W HE N YOU S TA R T ING W RI T ING T HE SONGS F OR T HIS E P, W H AT WA S YOUR MINDSE T ? I wa s d at i ng for t he f i rst t i me a f ter a long a nd w i nd i ng rel at ionsh ip. I wa s i nto let t i ng my subconscious t a ke over because my conscious sel f h ad shut out my i n ner voice for a wh i le.

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W H AT IS I T A BOU T T H AT AT MOSPHE RIC, DRE A M P OP SOUND T H AT DR AWS YOU IN? I think my songs want to have movement and exploration to them w ithout being dizzy ing or forceful, which leaves them in the dream pop world. Also my formula has always been synths + soothing beats... I grew up on Casios.

T HE RE V IE WS ON T HIS SOLO PROJEC T H AV E BE E N A BOV E A ND BE YOND (F OR GOOD RE A SON). DID YOU E V E R E X PEC T A N E P T O GE T SO MUCH AT T E N T ION? I g uessed it would f ly tota lly under the rada r. I feel incredibly luck y a nd happy to be a pa r t of such a suppor tive communit y of people who love music.

HOW DID YOU HOOK UP W I T H C A SCINE ? I’m a fan of the band Selebrities and got to play w ith them last year at Glasslands, and I think I got on Cascine’s radar through them.

HOW WOULD YOU DE F INE P OP MUSIC ? Universally danceable.

W H AT A R T IS T S — INSPIR AT ION A LLY — DO YOU F IND T RICKLE D T HE MOS T IN T O T HIS A LBUM? Eur y thmics, top 40 radio, soul music because I orig inally wrote a lot of the songs to samples of drum beats I got online. Paul McCar tney solo albums — I was just discovering those gems at the time.

W HE N YOU W E RE YOUNGE R , W H AT C A RE E R DID YOU PIC T URE YOURSE LF H AV ING A S A N A DULT ? I wanted to be an actor or writer or designer.

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LAURA SIEGEL tops. TIMO WEILAND skirt. stylist’s own bracelet.

T HE SONG “H A PP Y AT YOUR G AT E ” — C A N YOU E X PL A IN T O US A LI T T LE BI T A BOU T T HE ME A NING OF T HIS F LIR T Y, E A SYGOING, Y E T IMPAC T F UL SONG? Yea h! It’s totally a love song. The lyrics were inspired by a beautiful poem my aunt wrote. I was thinking about the nuance of attraction, chance meetings, timing and waiting even when we don’t realize we’re waiting.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO COVER “WHEN TOMORROW COMES?” The lyrics are evocative and pure. I could hear that they were coming from someone truly in love, so I wanted to sing them and recreate that feeling.

A RE W E GOING T O HE A R MORE F ROM E RIK A SPRING T HE SOLO IN T HE F U T URE ? Yes, definitely. I have some new songs in the works and some other finished /unrecorded songs. I’m hoping to record them soon! And I have some new drum machines, which is always exciting.

W H AT ’S NE X T W I T H A RS? We are recording now, actually. I’m really excited about our new direction. We’re letting ourselves have fun and be led by the excitement.

WHEN YOU AREN’T TOURING, MAKING MUSIC, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Wandering around New York, reading, instagraming, healthy cooking, keeping up w ith friends and my family in Colorado, working on the business side of music.

W H AT ’S YOUR GUILT Y PLE A SURE ? Sleep and acupuncture.

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T E LL US ONE T HING W E SHOULD: SEE . Work by the ’70s / ’80s illustrator Christine Rosamond. HEARD. Jeans Wilder. K NOW. “Things are as they are. Looking out into the universe at night, we ma ke no comparisons between right and wrong stars, nor between well and badly arranged constellations.”

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LAURA SIEGEL tops. All Jewelry by K20 BY KAREN KO.

Photographed by JEREMY WILLIAMS Interviewed (& stylist’s assistant) by JENNA IGNERI Styled by NI’MA FORD Grooming by KELLY BUDD

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HENRIK VIBSKOV sweater. ALLSAINTS SPITALFIELDS button down, khakis & shoes. SWATCH watch. SHK

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We recently met with Gabriel Levine, frontman of Takka Takka, a Brooklyn band that’s been on the scene for years. With his first solo album released this past February, under the moniker Gabriel and the Hounds, Levine brings us songs that are a bit darker, a bit moodier and a bit more personal than your average Takka song. The day we met with Levine was probably the last beautiful and warm Sunday of the season before fall’s chill would begin to bite. That’s when we decided “fuck being inside” and sausaged six of us (and equipment, and wardrobe…) into a car and drove from the studio in Williamsburg to a deserted spot on the waterfront in Greenpoint. While enjoying the gorgeous weather and shooting Levine along the East River, we chatted with him about everything from his decision to write his own record and meaningful writing advice to his hounds of love and touring in Europe. It’s clear that he is certainly a talented and passionate musician, and his sweet and amiable personality made him a joy to work with. Despite his claim that he isn’t cool (see below), we think he’s pretty rad. – Jenna Igneri

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sweater, button down & jeans. Gabriel’s own grey tee. SOULLAND shoes. SWATCH watch. 212

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SHK BEFORE GABRIEL AND THE HOUNDS CAME INTO E XISTENCE, YOU WERE (AND STILL ARE) THE FRONTMAN OF TAKK A TAKK A. WHEN DID YOU RE ALIZE YOU WERE RE ADY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH YOUR OWN SOLO PROJECT? GABRIEL LEV INE I know the exact moment. I sent out demos

to the band, and one of the guys said, “These don’t sound very Takka.” He wasn’t into them, so I said to myself, Fuck it, I’ll make my own record. And I pulled a batch of songs from the Takka song pile, songs that we more immediate, more personal, and about a specific thing happening to me at the time — and went ahead and made this other record. By the way, the guy who said that the songs weren’t very Takka sounding is no longer in the band. But he was right. Go figure.

THERE ARE OBVIOUS DIFFERENCES BE T WEEN THE T WO PROJECTS; KISS FULL OF TEE TH IS DEFINITELY A BIT DARKER AND MOODIER THAN PAST TAKK A TAKK A ALBUMS, WITH VERY EMOTIONALLY DRIVEN LYRICS. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY DEFINES THE DIFFERENCE BE T WEEN A TAKK A TAKK A SONG AND A GABRIEL & THE HOUNDS SONG? With Ta kka, our last record, and the new one we just finished, is exploring a ver y specific aesthetic and ar tistic goal — we created specific rules by which we were going to ma ke songs. Ta kka of late has been a thought experiment for me to explore ambient textures, w ith polyr y thmic g uitar work and percussion.

WHAT WAS THE INSPIR ATION BEHIND THE NAME? WHO ARE YOUR “HOUNDS”? Hounds are the hounds of love.

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A ROUND W HE N YOU RE LE A SE D T HE A LBUM, YOU H A D YOUR F IRS T T OUR IN T HE UK . W H AT DID YOU TA KE AWAY F ROM T H AT ? Since the record has come out, I’ve done three trips for shows to the UK. I absolutely love it over there, and in Europe in general. It is great to be in a place that feels so alien and yet spea ks the same lang uage. It’s like feeling out of place in your own home, which I often do.

LE T ’S TA LK A BOU T T HE NE W TA KK A TA KK A A LBUM — H A S T HE B A ND BE E N E F F EC T E D AT A LL BY YOUR SOLO C A RE E R? Um. Yes. People quit. I have ruined lives w ith this solo record. I would do it all over again. That being said, the Ta kka record is something crazy and I am ver y proud of it.

A SIDE F ROM G A BRIE L A ND T HE HOUNDS A ND TA KK A TA KK A , A RE T HE RE A N Y O T HE R MUSIC PROJEC T S YOU A RE WORKING ON/IN VOLV E D W I T H? I have an ambient dance music project called “We Live” that w ill never see the light of day. I just star ted ma king a new record, but I don’t know if it w ill be a Hounds, a Ta kka or a something else record. Right now it is called Sojourners Repeating Arms of Truth .

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SOULLAND sweater & button down. Gabrielâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own grey tee.

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W HO (OR W H AT ) WOULD YOU S AY YOUR MUSIC A L INSPIR AT IONS A RE ? The list is endless… Echo and the Bunnymen, New Order, George Harrison, Philip Glass, Talking Heads, Television, Bob Dylan (all eras), Pavement, Elliott Smith, Built to Spill, Velvet Underground… To name a few, not enough room in the world to list them all.

YOU’ V E WORKE D W I T H SOME M A JOR A R T IS T S SUCH A S ME MBE RS OF T HE N AT ION A L , BE IRU T, CL A P YOUR H A NDS S AY Y E A H, E TC. — HOW H AV E T HE Y INF LUE NCE D/ INSPIRE D YOUR OW N PE RSON A L W RI T ING? I think the main thing is to write and do whatever your hear t tells you to, because there is absolutely no telling how the world w ill react to it.

W H AT A RE YOUR T HOUGH T S ON T HE BROOKLY N MUSIC SCE NE ? HOW H A S I T CH A NGE D OV E R T HE Y E A RS? I feel like it has become such an establishment or something. I love so many people in it, and I have so many wonderful friends doing so many amazing projects. W hen I am play ing overseas, they use Brooklyn as a shor thand for something, like being cool. But I don’t feel cool. Yea h, not cool, me.

IF YOU COULD RECORD A SONG W I T H A N YONE , A LI V E OR DE A D, W HO WOULD I T BE ? Ghandi.

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TELL US ONE THING WE SHOULD:

SEE. Downhill Racer (itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a movie). HEAR. W hat Would The Community Think by Cat Power (one of my favorite records) K NOW. The Alphabet, backwards.

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JUST THE BEGINNING

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If you consider yourself a Hip Hop connoisseur and haven’t heard of this guy yet, you will soon — slash, what are you waiting for? Despite being a relatively new name in the industry, his captivating music is catching like wildfire, while catching up with his impeccable style and overall inspiring aura of personality. In his most popular video, “Thunderbird,” he’s seen tearing it up in the desert, wearing an impeccable suit, surrounded by beautiful dancing tribal women and having an overall good time. While his video is aesthetically pleasing to today’s viewers, yes, the sound also blows through your airwaves with a breath of ingenuity and freshness. The rhythm makes you wanna’ move your body. In contrast, and largely to his benefit in terms of musical diversity, his other hit single, “Leave it All Behind,” spouts more intense lyrics and message... “But if I had the wings of an angel / There’s nothin’ I couldn’t handle… Now you know they say it’s better with the devil you know / Well brother right about now I need the one that I don’t… ” Here’s our interview with the up-and-coming new Hip Hop star. You’ll want to listen to his music, go clothes shopping with his girlfriend and take his advice. After all, who wouldn’t want to be friends with the guy who’s advice to us is, “Whatever it is, it ain’t that bad?” – Sara Querques

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SHK YOUR MUSIC H A S A SOULF UL E LE ME N T T O I T T H AT T HROWS B ACK T O OLD SCHOOL HIP HOP, W HILE AT T HE S A ME T IME , BE ING RE LE VA N T A ND C A P T URING PEOPLE T ODAY. W HE RE DO YOU PULL YOUR INF LUE NCE S F ROM? TH U N DER BI R D GER A R D I listen to a lot of music… So it’s

always pretty tough to narrow it down, but I’d say that Prince, Notorious B.I.G., Nas, James Brown and Tom Waits have all had a huge influence on the way I approach making music.

W H AT ’S YOUR FAVORI T E V E RSE OF A LL T IME ? No Question. The first verse on Nas’ “Message,” which is the opening track on It Was Written. I remember being really young when “If I Ruled The World (Imag ine That)” dropped, but I spent that summer down south in Virg inia riding around w ith my cousins and “The Message” was the one ever yone had on repeat. My cousin had essentially removed his whole trunk and replaced it w ith a subwoofer / alpine spea ker set up. That record, the bass line, the classic crisp Tone and Poke snare sound… Just blew me away. I bought the CD and it was crazy the way the lyrics were almost like William Carlos Williams style imag ist poetr y. That first verse is just relentless… Image, upon image, upon image, w ith a real vivid clarity. 222

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“I think you can go mad viewing what you do through the label lens. I just make the best music that I can.”

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YOU W E RE A DJ BE F ORE BECOMING A RISING S TA R IN MUSIC, A ND ACCORDING T O YOUR T W I T T E R , YOU’RE A MULT I-INS T RUME N TA LIS T. W HE N DID YOU K NOW MUSIC WA S I T F OR YOU? HOW FA R B ACK DOE S YOUR PA S SION F OR MUSIC S T E M? As far back as I remember to be honest. I was hooked early. When I was three or so, we had these buckets that my parents would use to wash their cars. One of my greatest joys was to turn the buckets over and use the discarded cardboard from clothes hangers as improv drumsticks. I was obsessed with Michael Jackson when I was a kid. There’s a picture somewhere of me at the age of five in a tuxedo, dancing at the wedding reception of my uncle… I knew all the moves. I started actually playing fairly early — I was in the school band at age nine. I played the trumpet, then moved on to drums, which is the instrument I’m most proficient at. From there I moved on to keyboards and got into analogue synths and production. I’ve been threatening to buy a bass for about a year now… That’ll probably be my next challenge.

ON T HE YOU T UBE COMME N T S F OR YOUR F IRS T SINGLE , “LE AV E I T A LL BE HIND,” YOU S A ID T H AT T HE V IDEO WA S DIREC T E D BY YOUR GIRLF RIE ND A ND T H AT NO M A JOR L A BE L MONE Y WA S USE D. H AV E YOU SINCE SIGNE D T O A L A BE L OR DO YOU PL A N T O? CC [Steinmetz] directs all my videos and is the voice of the visual representation of the project. “Leave It All Behind” was a really special time, looking back on it as we were both ta king a risk and star ting a new chapter in our creative lives. It was the first video she had ever directed — she was just sor t of like, “OK, I’m going to empty my savings account and we’re going to do this thing!” It paid off. I signed a big publishing deal a few months ago w ith BMG, which has allowed us to operate independently of some of the normal pressures. It’s a lot of work, but we realized we can do it ourselves until the right label par tner or oppor tunity presents itself. I think you can go mad view ing what you do through the label lens. I just ma ke the best music that I can. We’ve assembled a brilliant crew of people that are really par t of the Thunderbird family and care about the project. It allows me to trust that ever y thing else w ill come in its own time.

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“LE AV E I T A LL BE HIND” H A D ME BOBBING M Y HE A D, W HILE “ T HUNDE RBIRD” M A DE ME WA N T T O GE T UP A ND DA NCE . YOUR SOUND H A S MULT IPLE DY N A MIC S. W HICH ONE COME S MOS T N AT UR A LLY T O YOU? [Laughs.] I am both cerebral and g uttural to a degree. Finding the balance between the head and the body is a life long struggle I g uess. “Leave It All Behind” was something I produced in my studio at 4 a.m. and I always hear that when I listen to it. Ever y thing about it — from the 7/8 time signature and polyrhy thms, to the chords and distor ted brass swells — is ver y moody. The Thunderbird instrumental was one that DJ Stickle produced. He has this insane studio in Berlin, where most of the upcoming mixtape and the record were produced /recorded. We would hang out and he would play me loads of stuff. This one instrumental, I would ask to hear ever y time… It f loored me and I g uess to some degree working w ith things that have a more raw immediacy comes most naturally. The response to the music is ver y primal and direct. That’s a much easier place to star t from — attempting to vocalize the physicality of the emotion — rather than the self-examination process required to produce a track like “Leave It All Behind.”

I’M SURE YOU GE T T HIS A LL T HE T IME , BU T LE T ’S GO T HE RE A N Y WAY, W HE RE DOE S T HE N A ME T HUNDE RBIRD GE R ARD COME F ROM? I T ’S PRE T T Y B A DA S S. Gerard is my middle name. W hen I lived in London there were some friends that were always calling me “T-Bird.” So when we moved to Berlin to star t working on this record, I was searching for a name. CC and I were throw ing ideas around, Thunderbird Gerard was born out of that. It also had a touch of 1950’s Americana, the old school enter tainers and bluesmen of the past, which really fit w ith the visual aesthetic that we were going for.

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YOU H AV E A SH A RP, A ND AW E SOME , SE NSE OF S T Y LE . YOU’ V E BE E N C A LLE D “HIP HOP S BE S T DRE S SE D NE W A RRI VA L .” A RE CLO T HE S JUS T A HOBBY F OR YOU, OR DO YOU PL A N T O GE T IN VOLV E D IN T HE FA SHION INDUS T RY AT SOME P OIN T DOW N T HE LINE ? I’ve always loved clothing. My parents are pretty impeccably dressed people, so there was always a huge emphasis placed on that in our house — dressing well. I never even owned a pair of blue jeans until I was 11 or so. My dad had grown up ver y poor in Virg inia during the ’50s and ’60s; all he could afford were two pairs of blue denim jeans. So I think it was really impor tant for him, once he finished college and had a good job, that his son would dress well. I think that really shaped my natural sense of style. Over the years I’ve learned that it isn’t easy for me to look good in just any thing. I’ve finally reached the point where I’m really comfor table w ith what I wear and know what I’m after visually. I don’t have a stylist, but CC has a great eye and really understands how I want to look. It’s a general rule that when I go shopping she comes w ith me.

A S A N A ME RIC A N UP- A ND - COMING A R T IS T, DO YOU T HINK T HE RE ’S SOME T HING T O BE S A ID F OR RE SIS T ING GOING M A INS T RE A M IN ORDE R T O M A IN TA IN MUSIC A L IN T EGRI T Y? OR , DO YOU T HINK I T ’S P OS SIBLE T O DO BO T H? I would never actively resist going mainstream because I don’t see any thing wrong w ith being popular or w idely listened to. If I’m honest, that’s what I want… I want as many people as possible to hear the record and I don’t see musical integrity and mainstream as opposing forces, but I suppose it’s all about how you get there; I think the motivations are key. I’m motivated by ma king music that I really love. Maybe I’m naïve, but I think that people respond to that. At the same time I think the wrong thing to do is tr y to go mainstream. W hen you star t tr y ing to adopt sounds that aren’t natural to you only because you think they’ll be popular, that’s where it goes wrong. I feel like it’s possible to do both. If you look at a large majority of what are considered classic records in the brief histor y of modern music — usually, they were both.

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YOU GRE W UP IN NE W YORK — W H Y BE RLIN NOW ? I moved to Berlin to record the album. With DJ Stickle, the main producer I work w ith, ow ing a massive studio there and CC working on a large film there, it was the perfect place for that. Spaces are cheap and if you go there w ith a plan — a solid, disciplined plan — as an ar tist you can be so much more productive w ithout having to worr y about all the normal pains that come w ith living in a capital city. However, we’re planning to move back to New York after the album, Year I, is finished.

W H AT ’S UP NE X T ? We’re heading to Marra kech in a few days to shoot the next video. Then finishing up the first mixtape RIDING WITH DEATH, which includes some amazing collaborations w ith Olugbenga (Metronomy), Two Inch Punch, James Lavelle, Amanda Ghost, Lunice and a few others. I also just did a couple sold out suppor t dates w ith Macklemore x Ryan Lew is, plus we’ll be headed over to London for a Boiler Room session in November. Of course, the album Year 1 is heading into the final stage of production and w ill be out next year. I’m incredibly grateful that people responded to “Thunderbird” the way that they have, but it’s really just the beg inning.

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T E LL US ONE T HING W E SHOULD… SEE. Your parents more often. Prince in concert while you still can. HEAR. Hear no evil, see no evil is the worst fucking piece of advice ever given. KNOW. When to say “no.” When to give up. When you’re being lied to. Whatever it is, it ain’t that bad….

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WE ARE YOUNG Photographed by KATIE MCCURDY Interviewed by JAMES FLETCHER

For most, the boundaries of geography, origin and culture influence us and contribute to our identity. Where youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re from and where you grew up define who you are and shape the direction your life will lead. Then, there are the lucky few that seem to transcend these conventional parameters of origin and gain a broader perspective, those intrepid adventurers who embrace diversity and mediate a vast range of stimuli into one linear sequence and line of thought. Young Magic is a group of such travelers whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve combined their individual experiences into one cohesive sound and collective message. 232

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Over years of voyage, learning and experimenting both musically and personally, the group has evolved their own unique style and sound, and this year’s debut LP, Melt, is the product. Natural and synthetic, International and local, familiar and estranged, the album is a beautiful and remarkably simple synthesis of these polar themes and ideas. As the title suggests, the record melds diverse sonic elements as synthesizers combine with tribal drums, flowing melodies clash with rhythmic chanting and noise pervades throughout. “We would record wherever, capturing with whatever was available,” recalls Isaac Emmanuel, one third of the group and perhaps the most broadly traveled. Unsurprisingly, the recording process was as sporadic and unpredictable as the travel itself. “It turned into a little experiment… Making with what is available to you,” Emmanuel explains, as he reveals a chance recording opportunity whilst traveling through England. “One time, I happened to chance upon staying with some friends of friends in the UK who collect west African instruments, so this gorgeous balafon and kalimba made appearances on a handful of beats. Things like this you can’t plan to record.” Despite his worldly endeavors, Emmanuel acknowledges the strong influence of his upbringing down under in Australia. “My childhood in Australia rears its head in the music all the time — the space and beauty in those landscapes, the dreaming,” he explains. Though in the same thought he gives a nod to the combination of this with the greater global perspective the group has acquired after so much travel. “For three years we haven’t spent longer than a month or two in the one country,” says Emmanuel. “Being free of any ties to any particular location or national identity means that you meet and share and experience with like minded people in every corner of the world.” He also notes that the music comes from everywhere, for everywhere, intimating that Melt isn’t the product of anywhere in particular, but rather everywhere rolled into one. Now based in Brooklyn, New York, Young Magic has a base for their collaboration, whilst still fitting in future travel plans with northern Africa, and more recording, at the top of their To Do list for 2013. We spoke with Mr. Emmanuel to discuss these diverse elements that created their sound, how they pull it off live, the broad success of Melt and what lies ahead in the future. SHK

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;We just try and take advantage of the chill, anytime we can. Rolling stress free these days.â&#x20AC;?

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SHK LE T ’S GE T T HE BORING QUE S T IONS OU T OF T HE WAY. F IRS T, T E LL US A BI T A BOU T HOW YOU GU YS ME T A ND HOW YOU C A ME T OGE T HE R A S A GROUP. ISA AC EMM A NUEL The sta rs. I met Melati in New York while on a tr ip travelling across the world ; one summer later we sta r ted w r iting some music together in Austra lia. I wa ndered across Europe a nd Centra l A mer ica recording solo, then, persuaded Michael out of the jungle in Bra zil. We a ll met up aga in in New York a nd sta r ting liv ing a nd rehea rsing in a n empt y venue that threw illega l ’20s-themed pa r ties. It looks like a Sha ngha i opium den. We played our first show three weeks later.

T H AT ’S SO R A D! OK , NE X T BORING QUE S T ION. W H AT A RE YOUR PRIM A RY INF LUE NCE S A ND W H AT A RE YOU LIS T E NING T O RIGH T NOW ? I’ve been a little obsessed by Samsara, the new film by Ron Fricke and Mark Mag idson, who also made Baraka back in ’92. Work like this is always so inspiring. Recently, I’ve been listening to NTS radio whilst pottering around the studio, shows like Kutma h’s, some new Fly ing Lotus sounds, classical, some old psych, a little Kuduro… So many different things.

ME LT IS YOUR DE BU T A LBUM, RE LE A SE D E A RLIE R T HIS Y E A R . I’ V E HE A RD O T HE R A R T IS T S S AY T HE Y WA N T E D T O M A KE A PA R T ICUL A R S T Y LE OF F IRS T A LBUM, OR R AT HE R , T HE IR F IRS T ME S S AGE T O T HE WORLD — IF YOU W ILL . IS T HIS SOME T HING YOU W E RE CONSCIOUS OF W HE N CRE AT ING ME LT OR DID I T JUS T COME T OGE T HE R N AT UR A LLY? W hen I sta r ted recording it was just for fun, I didn’t think it would eventua lly have a home, a title, or even be something that people would ever hea r. W hen we a ll met up aga in in N Y a nd sta r ted show ing each other the songs we’d been ma king, I think we rea lized the music was coming from a simila r place... It had followed us a nd documented our yea r, a nd somehow it made sense for it a ll to exist on one LP. We had a simila r stor y. A lthough I’m never rea lly sure if we made the sound or the sound made us, if you know what I mea n.

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FOR ME MELT REALLY FLOWS AS ONE COMPLETE LINEAR PIECE OF MUSIC, AN ALBUM THAT YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO IN IT’S ENTIRETY FROM START TO FINISH, NOT JUST INDIVIDUAL TRACKS. IS THIS SOMETHING YOU AGREE WITH AND DID THIS INFLUENCE HOW YOU STRUCTURED THE ALBUM? Absolutely. I really enjoy the format of listening to music on vinyl because it commands a level of attention, in two distinct par ts. We were pretty aware of this when structuring it. I enjoy being encouraged to listen to something all the way through, w ith moments to ref lect, moments to drift off and tune back in, something to daydream on and leave spinning then f lip halfway through while you are painting or writing or draw ing or dreaming or whatever it is you do. It’s a different appreciation for me, than when I’m f lipping through tracks at hy per speed on the Internet (although, this suits my attention span often too). It isn’t so much an album of club joints… We viewed it more as a collection of shor t stories.

M Y FAVORI T E T R ACK IS “ YOU W I T H A IR .” I F IND T HE CH A N T S H AUN T ING, W HICH I T HINK IS RE A LLY COOL A ND UNIQUE . W H AT IS YOUR FAVORI T E T R ACK ON T HE A LBUM A ND W H Y? Thank you. We don’t have favorites, although “Y WA” is really fun live. It’s been a minute since the LP dropped, so right now I’m hy ped and completely absorbed in the new songs we’ve been ma king. Zoning. I have a mild to wea k attention span for tracks once they are finished.

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T HE RE IS A P OW E RF UL DRONE E F F EC T IN SOME OF YOUR SONGS T H AT IS A LMOS T T R A NCE— LIKE . IS T HIS A PA R T ICUL A R A E S T HE T IC T H AT YOU T RY T O ACHIE V E IN CE R TA IN SONGS OR ON T HE RECORD A S A W HOLE ? HOW DOE S T HIS T R A NSL AT E T O T HE LI V E SHOW ? I think so. It also comes down to how it was recorded… Travelling w ith a lot of ambient noise creeping into the recordings. We ended up encourag ing these elements when mixing — draw ing them out and looking for new melodies in the sounds, so naturally the mixes were already pretty droney, heav y and “wall of sound” like. I’d imag ine the sound of a busy spirit world, just under the surface.... Something that is always there and w ill always be there, an Etha or wellspring, a river, although we only dip into it occasionally. I think that’s why Melt is so dense. We imag ined the sound of that layer. Have you ever read Terrence McKenna’s True Hallucinations? Live it’s the same. It just translates louder. A whole lot louder.

YOUR MUSIC H A S A SE A MLE S S SY N T HE SIS BE T W E E N E LEC T RONIC MUSIC A ND ORG A NIC E LE ME N T S W I T H A S T RONG E MPH A SIS ON VOC A L S A ND PE RCUS SION. DID T HIS M A RRI AGE COME T OGE T HE R E A SILY F OR YOU OR DID YOU H AV E T O WORK H A RD T O B A L A NCE T HE SE E LE ME N T S IN T O ONE COHE SI V E SOUND? It came pretty naturally actually, probably due the nature of the recording process… We would record wherever, capturing w ith whatever was available. It turned into a little experiment, but I also approach many things like this too: ma king w ith what is available around you. Things like this you can’t plan to record. Half the time, whilst ma king the record, I’d be in a place w ithout any resources or any thing available, so I’d jump into my headphone bubble tr y ing to beat the batter y life and feel it all out. Slowly I learned to use my computer as an instrument too. I’m still learning.

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YOU’RE A LL E X PAT RI AT E S. DO YOU T HINK YOUR ORIGIN H A S INF LUE NCE D YOUR MUSIC OR IS YOUR S T Y LE MORE IN T E RN AT ION A L , NO T INF LUE NCE D BY A PA R T ICUL A R CULT URE OR REGION? New York is inspiring. The person here, combined with this divine energ y, somehow seems to permeate ever y pocket of this grotesque, fabulous bitumen matrix. My childhood in Australia rears its head in the music all the time — the space and beauty in those landscapes, the dreaming. It all gets on, and in you somehow. We’re not coming from a particular place, a scene. It’s a little beyond our control in that way. For three years we haven’t spent longer than a month or two in the one countr y, so the word expatriate is close, but I think just being free of any ties to any particular location or national identity means that you meet and share and experience with like minded people in ever y corner of the world. So it comes from ever y where, for ever y where. If I, personally, spend too much time in a city, I start involving myself too much, believing in its fantasies. It’s all just a ride.

Y E A H M A N, I T ’S T O TA LLY A RIDE . SPE A KING OF A RIDE … LE T ’S TA LK A BOU T YOUR LI V E SHOW. W I T H SO M A N Y DIF F E RE N T E LE ME N T S A ND INS T RUME N T S IN YOUR MUSIC, IS I T DIF F ICULT T O RECRE AT E T HE SOUND IN A LI V E CON T E X T ? DO YOU GE T E X T R A HE LP ONS TAGE ? We do, it’s been a challenge adapting it all and usually turns into a whole bunch of ideas and improvisation. At times we imag ine big choirs or vibraphones and extra drum kits, but obviously we don’t have Björk budgets so we have to approach it a little differently. It’s constantly morphing, chang ing and evolving. Right now it’s finding some kind of harmony between sequenced electronics and the live elements, between three people. We’re also working on a series of live visuals to accompany the show.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;New York is inspiring. The person here, combined with this divine energy, somehow seems to permeate every pocket of this grotesque, fabulous bitumen matrix.â&#x20AC;?

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YOU’ V E BE E N T OURING E X T E NSI V E LY T HIS Y E A R IN T HE S TAT E S A ND EUROPE . HOW H A S T H AT E X PE RIE NCE BE E N A ND HOW H A RD WA S T HE T R A NSI T ION S T E PPING UP T O SUCH A HE AV Y SCHE DULE W I T H SO M A N Y GIGS? It’s been a crazy, great experience. We just tr y and ta ke advantage of the chill, any time we can. Rolling stress free these days.

YOU OPE NE D F OR TA ME IMPA L A RECE N T LY AT T HE MUSIC H A LL OF W ILLI A MSBURG. HOW WA S T H AT E X PE RIE NCE A ND DO YOU T RY T O LINK UP W I T H O T HE R AUS SIE B A NDS BE ING T WO/ T HIRDS AUS T R A LI A N YOURSE LF ? It came out of the blue a few days before the show, I’d met those g uys a while back in Melbourne. It was a great experience man. They were amazing, as always. Room was jamming. Was fresh to see them play as a five-piece too. I just think they are massive chillers, which ma kes ever y thing so much more enjoyable.

F IN A LLY, W H AT C A N W E E X PEC T IN T HE NE A R F U T URE F OR YOUNG M AGIC ? W H AT A RE YOU S AY ING HE LLO T O IN 2013? A quick tour in Europe and the UK next month, then down to nor thern Africa to record more, and explore. SHK

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ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S A LIVELI HOOD From performing in Milan at the Fall/ Winter 2012 Iceberg show to playing a local bar every Sunday, Brooklynbased duo Live Footage take a stand in classical music.

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Photographed by TOMMY AGRIODIMAS Interviewed by STEVEN PIPPS

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SHK HOW DID YOU F IRS T BEC OME IN T E R E S T E D IN MUSIC ? HOW DID YOU IN VOLV E YOURSE L F IN MUSIC BE F OR E T HE C R E AT IO N OF L I V E F OO TAG E ? MIKE THIES My friend had a drumset in his room grow ing up in Colorado. I remember being mesmerized by it, and he was really encourag ing to me. I star ted in a Ska band, and moved to Funk from there, but shor tly after I was heavily inf luenced by Jazz and music from all over the world. Finally I moved to New York to study at the New School for Jazz and Contemporar y Music, and I met Topu at a Halloween par ty he was throw ing. TOPU I YO I had always studied classical music and followed the traditional path, when I turned 14 I saw a video of Edgar Meyer, Ray Brown and Victor Wooten all jamming on stage. I never knew such cool inventive things could be done on traditional instruments. From there I began improvising and messing w ith electronics. I was in a few Indie bands before Live Footage.

F ROM W HE RE DO YOU DR AW INSPIR AT ION? TI These days I’ve been really into Hip Hop from the early ’80s, and IDM ar tists like Shigeto and Fly ing Lotus, but in the past I’ve been super into classical (Dmitri Shosta kovich, Debussy, Dvora k) and really into Jazz (ever y thing from John Zorn, to Medeski Mar tin & Wood, to Ming us.) Also living in New York City there is so much industrial noise ever y where and really cool noises to tr y and emulate on instruments. MT Cer tainly other forms of ar t inspire me. I like to surround myself around painters, photographers, dancers, architects, illustrators, graphic designers etc. And of course, other musicians. I find “form” and “structure” can really be directly relatable to music when enjoy ing all ar t forms. Wassily Kandinsky thought so also in his amazing book entitled Point and Line to Plane.

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YOU H AV E T WO A LBUMS OU T A ND T HE E P LI V E FOO TAGE PL AYS JAY DE E . HOW, IF AT A LL , DO YOU T HINK YOUR SOUND H A S CH A NGE D OR E VOLV E D? MT Since the beg inning of Live Footage, the technolog y we use has evolved. So this enabled us to have a little more freedom to go in any direction we’re hearing. The first two albums are really “song” based, and the Jay Dee to some extent album also. Currently though, we’re really honing in on improvising. This is how we star ted, and now we’re finding that people really like how we improvise. We just went into the studio to record our 4th album, and spent six days mostly improvising, and we played live in the studio to an 8-track 1/4” tape machine. The first three albums we recorded using overdubs and layering step by step w ith infinite tracks to work w ith. Now we have eight to work w ith… This new method really encompasses “our” sound in a ver y honest, genuine way. We’re not hiding any thing, and I think it’s more our sound than the last three albums combined! TI I think our sound has evolved a lot over the last year. We improvise ever y Sunday for three hours at a cocktail bar called Apotheke and the music has gone a lot more textural and less melodic than in the past. The first set we usually do is pretty upbeat, and by the end of the night, we’re play ing Avant-Garde music that sounds like cicadas and birds chirping.

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HOW HAVE YOUR BEGINNINGS, RECORDING IN THE BASEMENT APAR TMENT IN BROOKLY N, IMPAC TED YOUR SOUND TODAY? TI I think living in N YC and always having space limitations really impacts the sound. Our mantra is a quote by Orson Welles, “The enemy of ar t is the absence of limitation.” There are noise complaints, time restrictions, the room is ver y dead so we use a lot of reverb and delays and there is a real limitation on the amount of instruments we can use. MT Topu’s basement ser ved as our laborator y for finding and sculpting our sound. Props to his neighbors! Not only is it used for rehearsals; his place has the good vibes for chilling also.

YOUR MUSIC DE A L S W I T H LOOP S A ND IMPROV IS AT ION. A NDRE W BIRD IS A NO T HE R PROMINE N T A R T IS T W HO E MPLOYS T HE SE MUSIC A L SOUNDS. W H AT COMPE LLE D YOU T O BEGIN USING LOOP S? W E RE T HE RE A R T IS T S LIKE A NDRE W BIRD W HO INF LUE NCE D YOU? MT Yea, Andrew Bird was absolutely an inf luence. Mar tin Dosh (Bird’s drummer) was also really a big inf luence. Besides being totally creative in the way he loops, he’s a really great, dynamic drummer. Beyond modern day loopers, trailblazers, like Brian Eno and K ing Tubby, ser ve as a foundational source for us to draw upon. TI Andrew Bird is a more modern inf luence for me. Before him I was really into an ar tist named Andre Lafosse who blew the entire spectrum of what’s possible open. After him, I got into David Torn, Mar tin Dosh and Battles did really cool looping stuff, etc.

W H AT GE NRE OF MUSIC DO YOU LIS T E N T O MOS T ? YOU SE E M T O H AV E A S T RONG IN T E RE S T IN HIP HOP. DID T H AT IMPAC T W H AT YOU PU T IN T O T HE A LBUM? TI I think we listen to a diverse amount of music. Hip Hop is obviously a ver y inf luential par t of our sound, but we equally listen to African music, Bulgarian music, Electronic music and Rock music. Any g iven Sunday we’re play ing covers of Thomas Mapfumo, Buena Vista Social Club, Ritchie Valens, we do Markovsko Horo, etc., and Balkan Covers as well as Dilla, Busta Rhymes and Radiohead. 250

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MT Hip Hop has always been there for me. These days I am really scattered w ith what I listen to. Lately I’ve been really into this blog called Awesome Tapes From Africa. It’s literally a collection of cassette tapes made in various par ts of Africa — ever y thing from psychedelic Afro /Soul, Rock, and more indigenous music. As a drummer, I feel like I have to respect the African music tradition because that was the source of it all. And yes, of course, this music has inf luenced our records.

W H Y DID YOU DECIDE T O M A KE A T RIBU T E A LBUM OF J DILL A’S MUSIC ? HOW DO YOU IN T E RPRE T HIS MUSIC ? IS I T PL A NNE D OR MORE IMPROV ISE D? MT Initially it was actually our management’s idea. Play ing covers is something we like to do, and people really respond to things they can recognize. I really respect Dilla and his production was (and still is) really advanced, so we decided to “nod our hat” to him. All the songs are pretty different though. One can hear Dilla’s inf luence for sure, but we naturally throw in other huge inf luences like Steve Reich and Fela Kuti. TI We got a g ig three years ago to do a 45-minute set of Dilla’s music. That show was a launching ground, which made me really appreciate the nuance and glitchiness and the perfectly imperfect, but always intentional quirks of Dilla. Ever y sound, beat, glitch is so stylized. The nature of what we do, self-sampling, glitching, etc., lends itself well to Dilla’s sound.

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YOU H AV E A W E E KLY GIG AT A P O T HE KE . HOW DID T H AT COME A BOU T A ND W H AT ’S I T LIKE T O PL AY T HE RE ? MT That came about because our friend Ian helped design the interior. Apotheke is like our second home. We’ve been play ing there ever y Sunday for over two years now and we’ve seen generations of employees come and go. They g ive us complete freedom to do essentially whatever we want, which is awesome. It’s g iven us a chance to learn how to read a crowd where not ever yone is listening to us because it’s a bar. Also, the simple fact that we have to play three hour long sets g ive us a lot of time to fig ure out what works and what doesn’t. I record ever y set and post the highlights on our Soundcloud page. These recordings have ser ved as a basis for our 4th album. Some of those improvised jams became songs that we recorded and play on a reg ular basis. TI I view Apotheke as a godsend. It really has become a home away from home for us and they g ive us full creative freedom. There is always a nice crowd on Sundays and it acts as a testing ground for material and sounds for us. During the week we evaluate what works, what doesn’t etc. There are also a lot of songs that stem from the improvisations. Some of which are on our upcoming album.

IS T HE RE A N Y O T HE R A R T IS T OU T T HE RE T H AT YOU A RE IMPRE S SE D W I T H A ND E X PEC T T O SE E BIG T HINGS IN T HE F U T URE ? TI We have a good friend, Emily Wells, who blows my mind ever y time I see her. She is a one-woman orchestra who plays violin, ukulele, drums, synths and basically ever y instrument imag inable. We did a tour w ith her and opened for her at Bower y Ballroom. You’ll definitely be seeing her name all over in the next few years. Also we have some Brooklyn friends we’ve done shows w ith who are ver y inspiring: Superhuman Happiness (which most of them play in Antibalas), Buke and Gase. MT Topu said it all!

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W H AT DO YOU T HINK A BOU T T HE DIREC T ION OF E LEC T RONIC MUSIC A ND T HE RISING P OPUL A RI T Y OF DUB S T E P A ND HOUSE MUSIC ? MT These days it’s becoming easier for people to ma ke music electronically. Basically if you can learn computer programs, and you know a little something about music, you can ma ke electronic music. I used to loathe people who would sit in from of a computer screen on stage, but I respect that they spent the time actually ma king whatever I’m hearing. It’s just not too fun to watch personally. As for Dubstep, I like it. It’s crazy how fast it blew up. It’s almost a novelty now, and unfor tunately I’d g uess its popular demise is soon coming. Back to the underground I g uess. TI Electronic music is in an amazing place right now. I’m obsessed w ith Shigeto’s Full Circle and Fly ing Lotus’ Until The Quiet Comes, Hudson Mohawke also has a sonically rich album called Butter. I’m always tr y ing to fig ure out how they’re creating such juicy tones and the balance between analog and dig ital noises, samples etc.

T OPU, YOU A ND MIKE F IRS T C A ME T OGE T HE R W HE N YOU A SKE D HIM T O HE LP YOU W RI T E A ND PE RF ORM MUSIC F OR A MODE RN DA NCE PE RF ORM A NCE . W H Y DID YOU DECIDE T O C A LL HIM, W H AT DID YOU T HINK HE COULD A DD MUSIC A LLY? W H AT DID YOU TA LK A BOU T T HE NIGH T YOU ME T T H AT LE D YOU T O BE LIE V E YOU WOULD WORK W E LL T OGE T HE R? TI I first met Mike at a Halloween par ty and we talked a bit about music. More impor tantly, we have a mutual friend who was telling me about a drummer who played this style and that and it coincidentally was the same g uy. After our first rehearsal we had a five hour listening session just sharing all our favorite musicians and tastes in music and it seemed that we had ver y similar tastes from ever y thing to Messiaen’s quar tet for the end of time, to V ladislav Delay, to Pole, John Zorn, Marc Ribot, to A Tribe Called Quest. Ma king music was just ver y easy and collaboration just seemed to work. MT Honestly, I don’t remember talking to Topu too much at the par ty. I was glad to hear from him six months later to perform for the dance performance. SHK

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T E LL US ONE T HING W E SHOULD: SEE. MT Storm K ing Ar ts center in Upstate New York is really cool. TI Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a galler y we recently played at which f loored us. They have ever y thing from Marina Abromovic, to Terence Koh and Kehinde Wiley. Go to Sean Kelly Galler y.

HEAR. MT I just discovered Al Green's first album called Back Up Train. TI Emily Well's new album Mama, and Shigetoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Full Circle.

K NOW. MT In my opinion ever yone should know about "The Stone" in the LES. It's a club run by John Zorn, and they don't ser ve food or drinks at all. It is simply a room w ith chairs where people watch music. All the money that gets collected at the door goes to the musicians. Pretty unheard of these days. TI In this age of Internet there really is no excuse to have bad taste in music. In one or two clicks you can be on any plethora of website from Awesome Tapes From Africa, to Pitchfork to Balkanarama to Todotango (last two are sheet music sites of Balkan and Tango music).

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EK’s Discography

The other side of the GLASS What do Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses, Modest Mouse + The Shins (to name a few) have in common? Phil Ek. Record producer, engineer & mixer extroadinair. — Nikita Swatkowski 256

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SHK You have worked with some amazing bands such as T he Shins, Modest Mouse and F leet F oxes. How did you get started? W hat components led to this amazing career? PHIL EK I grew up in a small town called Bremer ton in Washing ton. I was in bands, my brother was in bands, we both played music and I was always really interested in it. In high school, I had a few teachers that really inf luenced me. Then after high school I worked at a few clubs — like the Off Ramp — doing sound work, while at the same time I was attending the Ar t Institute of Seattle. I worked at this club, was going to school... Was getting more into 4-track and learning a lot from my teachers.

I know you were working with producer Jack E ndino around that time , what was that like ? A teacher from the Ar t Institute introduced me to him and so I just assisted him, watching what he did, picking up on things.

So, what was your big break? T hat really put your name out there as a producer in the scene ? Just by association, to watch and learn from Jack [Endino]. He works a lot and ver y fast, and he’s ver y knowledgeable. It was great of Jack to allow me to watch and learn from him. He was doing music that I loved and he was so sweet, but the biggest thing I did was a few years later. I got in w ith Seattle based Up Records and the owner Chris Ta kino was a good friend. He had Built to Spill and Butterf ly Train signed and asked if I was interested in working on them. Now I’ve been doing this for 22 years.

Your website cites you as a producer , engineer and mixer . Could you explain the difference between the titles? Yea h, sure, so eng ineering is the technical aspect — microphone placement, setting up amps and adjusting levels. Producing is the same as directing a movie. It’s the f low of the record, how it is presented, its direction… And mixing happens after we have it all recorded, it’s blending all the sounds together.

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How has Seattle and the Pacific Northwest influenced you and the music that you produce ? Maybe it’s coincidence, but there have been a strong group of talents in this area from Jimi Hendrix to all the talent now. There has always been a large pool of creative people here. I think that because I’m from here, being surrounded by all these amazing, innovative musicians, that has helped shape me. Seattle mid-nineties — ever ybody knew ever ybody. If you liked each other than you worked together. And so we all worked together! We were all kids. We just kind of grew together and would test and push each other. It was hugely inf luential to get to do that w ith friends and peers.

Do you still collaborate efforts like back then? W hen I can, I like to, but times are different. Before, to ma ke records and put them out you needed more people. The bands didn’t have dig ital mediums and ways to produce and release music independently. It was a necessity to source people. To do a demo, and have a local radio and go to a club, you still had to go to a recording studio.

Do you have your own studio space or do you work with artists elsewhere ? I work around the city, and the countr y. I don’t want one. At home I have some mics and compressor gear. I’m ver y lucky to have relationships w ith some recording studios over the years. I’ve known Stuar t, the owner of Avast! For twenty years. He wants to keep the clients happy so he keeps a lot of equipment in the studio and tries to get equipment we need if he doesn’t have it. Back in the ver y beg inning when I was assisting Jack there was reciprocal /word of mouth. I worked w ith anyone who came through the door. Anyone. I recorded weird Greatful Dead cover bands, blues, really bad white hip hop. Not in my career path.

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So how do you source artists now ? Do they reach out to you? H ave you ever reached out to a band because you liked their sound and wanted to work with them? Well it star ted off w ith friends; I’d get submitted ar tists. Friends of friends, word of mouth, Word of Mouth the studio... Then I got more established and now I have management that handles that. But I have reached out before, like w ith The Walkmen. And I’d really like to work on Deerhunter.

How do you prepare to work on an album? First they send demos. If they are in Seattle I go to their practices, listen to the songs, talk about ideas, talk about sound. If they don’t live in the area and the budget is okay then I’ll f ly out, see them practice and tr y to see them play. Then we discuss where and how involved the record can be for the style and band. Ever y record is different. Sometimes you know the people, sometimes you don’t. You know that you w ill be somewhat likeminded, though.

In your opinion, what does it take to be a good producer? Someone who is honest, to be honest. You have to stay true to what you believe in. You have to be doing it for the right reasons — because you believe in it. Believe the ar tists are talented, can ma ke a great record, and that you can push them to be the best. And you have to really love the music. My name is on the record same as theirs. That is my name say ing, “Yes I did this and I believe in it and we worked hard on it.” However it’s different from record to record. Ever y ar tist is different in how they are confident in themselves and their ability to know about recording. If the band is doing great and has something that works, then it’s all about bring ing the best out of the music. But as a producer, I g ive them overall g uidance. There’s a lot of handholding, pats on the back, etc. Recording is extremely hard to do — it’s nothing like what a band normally does. It’s under a microscope all the time. They need someone there to say, “This is what you need to do. You need to trust me.” The best is when they say, “Ok, I’m going to sit back and let you do it.” SHK

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“Seattle mid-nineties — everybody knew everybody. If you liked each other, then you worked together.” I bet! One last question: what is on your iP od right now ? You know… I have a lot of Jazz. I go through phases and get really into it and geek out on it. I listen to that pretty much all the time. Oh, and The Cave Singers. I’m working on their album now.

Oh, none of the Grateful Dead cover bandS from way back when? [Laughs.] No, not quite. I like a lot of different ty pes of music! I just don’t get offered other things now. W hen I have, the timing wasn’t right. Always a possibility.

F or Grateful Dead? No. Never again!

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EK’s Discography

The woman is the most perfect doll that I have dressed w ith delight and admiration.

I think there is beauty in ever y thing. W hat ‘normal’ people would perceive as ugly, I can usually see something of beauty in it.

HE S

— Karl Lagerfeld —

— Alexander McQueen —

Fashions

fade, style is

I’m thinking balls are to men, what purses are to women. It’s just a little bag but we’d feel na ked in public w ithout it. — Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw —

eternal.

— Yves Saint-Laurent —

W hen a person is in fashion, all they do is right. — Lord Chesterfield —

Women dress alike all over the world: they dress to be annoy ing to other women. Zest is the secret of all beauty. There is no beauty that is attractive w ithout zest. — Christian Dior —

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— Elsa Schiaparelli —

You can never be overdressed or overeducated. — Oscar Wilde —

And now, I’m just tr y ing to change the world, one sequin at a time. — Lady Gaga.

I think in

Fashion is what you adopt when you don’t know who you are. — Quentin Crisp —

black.

SHE — Gareth Pugh —

Some of the worst mista kes in my life were haircuts — Jim Morrison —

Create your own style… let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others. — Anna Wintour —

A woman’s perfume tells more about her than her handwriting.

About half my designs are controlled fantasy, 15 percent are total madness and the rest are bread-and-butter designs.

I D. . . — Christian Dior —

— Manolo Blahnik —

Oh, never mind the fashion! W hen one has a style of one’s own, it is always twenty times better.

— Margaret Oliphant —

G ive a g irl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world. — Marilyn Monroe —

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The woman is the most perfect doll that I have dressed with delight and admiration.

When a person is in fashion, all they do is right. — Lord Chesterfield —

— Karl Lagerfeld —

Fashions fade, style is eternal. — Yves Saint-Laurent —

Zest is the secret of all beauty. There is no beauty that is attractive without zest. — Christian Dior —

I think there is beauty in everything. What “normal” people would perceive as ugly, I can usually see something of beauty in it. — Alexander McQueen —

You can never be overdressed or overeducated. — Oscar Wilde —

Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world. — Marilyn Monroe —

Oh, nevermind the fashion! When one has a style of one’s own, it is always twenty times better. — Margaret Oliphant —

I’m thinking balls are to men, what purses are to women. It’s just a little bag but we’d feel naked in public without it. — Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw — 266

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Fashion is what you adopt when you don’t know who you are.

And now, I’m just tr ying to change the world, one sequin at a time.

— Quentin Crisp —

— Lady Gaga —

Create your own style… let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others.

Some of the worst mistakes in my life were haircuts.

— Anna Wintour —

— Jim Morrison —

I’m not addicted to drugs. I’m addicted to glamour. — Seth Green as James St. James —

Women dress alike all over the world: they dress to be annoying to other women. — Elsa Schiaparelli —

I think in black. — Gareth Pugh —

A woman’s perfume tells more about her than her handwriting. — Christian Dior —

About half my designs are controlled fantasy, 15 percent are total madness and the rest are bread-andbutter designs. — Manolo Blahnik — SHK

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PA R T I A L A B S E N C E Photographed by JOHN CIAMILLO Styled by ALISON ISBELL Stylist’s Assistant SUBRINA MOHR Model DEVON OWENS for Ford NY

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Vintage leather jacket. Modelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own pants and shoes.

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Lauren Bagliore wool cloak.

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Oak wool coat. Verlaine toscana fur vest. Dr. Martens boots. (L) Oak french terry poncho. (R)

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Pedro Lourenรงo patent leather trench.

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Pedro Lourenรงo wool/patent leather coat.

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Oak coated cotton poncho. (L) Bess top. American Apparel undergarments. Richard Chai wool/nylon felt parka. (R)

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Richard Chai silk coat. Pedro Lourenรงo boots.

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Richard Chai silk coat.

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Verlaine wool angora trench.

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NICOLE’S NICHE

Photographed by BILLIE SHAKER Hair by MARCOS DIAZ Makeup by KELLY BUDD

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In the over saturated world of styling itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to make a noticeable impression. Nevertheless, native New Yorker Nicole Vitagliano is doing just that, and is quickly becoming one of New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most sought after stylist and consultants. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s her down to earth and humorous personality that brings a breath of fresh air to this sometimes-stagnant niche. In an almost effortless manner, Vitagliano cohesively unites seduction and intimacy without coming off raunchy, which is best illustrated in her work with Bambini, Dazed & Confused, French Playboy, Karen Walker and more. SHK

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Vitagliano embarked on a journey that would later become her career in Italy, studying with the Ferragamo Group. Once stateside, she hit the ground running working under the Fashion Director of BlackBook . In 2008, Vitagliano styled America Ferrera for the cover of the magazine, shot by prominent fashion photographer Eric Ogden. Since then she has styled covers not only for Lurve , but also Playing Fashion and Smug Magazines. Over the years she has complied an expansive clientele consisting of A-list celebrities, models, musicians and downtown legends, which has enabled Vitagliano to manifest creatively, showcasing her unapologetic chemistr y for both refinement and the eccentric. It was this chemistr y which made Vitagliano the ideal stylist for the F/W 10 lookbook and S/S 11 advertising campaign and runway show for Cushnie et Ochs. Adjoining her already unique and extensive portfolio, a new facet in Nicole’s career is now underway with The Starworks Artists, a division of the Starworks Group, now representing her. So, whether she’s styling a child for Bambini, Daisy Lowe or songstress America Ferrera, Nicole Vitagliano is proving to be the new renaissance gal of her field. She lets her work speak for itself while remaining optimistic of what the future has to offer. Nicole is currently back in New York and took some time out to talk to us about how her journey first began, some of her favorite moments along the way, and of course, style. — Andrew Sulzer

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SHK W hich designer left you speechless this fashion week? NICOLE V ITAGLIANO Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.

She’s in a league of her own, but Haider Ackerman always gives me chills. The last time I went to his show in Paris was Spring 2011, probably my favorite ready-to-wear collection ever. The models strolled down the runway, not your typical runway stomp. There was no music and at the very end, “Love Me Tender” trickled in. I’ll never forget it.

Right now, what is the one item in your wardrobe that you simply could not live without ? Black Rag & Bone jeans.

W ith the styling world over-saturated, what suggestions can you offer young people hoping to make it big? I met one of my idols, and he told me — pull back, don’t be constantly photographed at par ties (or any where). Sell the clothes, not yourself! Ta ke your work seriously, and let it represent you. “You can’t be a pimp and a prostitute.”

Working with children can sometimes be challenging, did the BAMBINI shoot prove to be more difficult than expected? Actually, quite the opposite. The Bambini shoot reinvigorated my love of styling. K ids don’t yet have insecurities or too much of an opinion. I cherr y picked those kids because they had so much character. A lot of young models only have one look. It was refreshing to be able to execute my vision and just create w ithout anyone pushing back.

From K aren Walker to French Playboy and everything in-between, which shoot did YOU have the most fun working thus far? Chadw ick Tyler and I did a shoot for Dazed & Confused Japan. It was our loose interpretation of a wet T-shir t contest. The pictures are amazing. You can see that it was completely organic, and there’s no fa ke posing going on.

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W ho is one emerging designer that you feel people should start taking note of ? Anthony Vaccarello. I’d say people have already star ted to notice him, but for those who don’t know, he’s a star. I call it Slut Chic. His clothes are usually pretty revealing, but still f lattering.

I know you split your time between Los A ngeles and New York , but which city do you find to have better street style ? I’m completely biased because I love New York, but there’s so much more forced interaction; I wouldn’t walk my dogs in sweats. You never know who you’re going to run into.

Describe what you wore today? I’m working from home today, so Calvin K lein bra and under wear, draped in Chihua huas. Pretty standard homeoffice uniform.

W hat are your feelings on bloggers and their popularity within the fashion industry? Do you discredit them as stylists? I do think bloggers get a bad rap. There are a few out there who could be the next Suzy Menkes or the next Cathy Hor yn. The problem is there are plenty of bloggers who simply have an opinion, but no real knowledge or experience to ma ke this now valuable opinion, credible. I don’t understand when I see a beauty blogger or the self-por trait breed sitting at a ready-to-wear show in front of editors.

If not styling, what do you think you would be doing right now ? Having babies or casting. I know I’m ver y good at the latter.

W hat where the last three songs that played on your ipod? “If It Happens Again” by UB40, “Hey Little Rich Girl” by Amy Winehouse and Alexandra Richard’s mix tape Don’t Love Me in September.

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In your opinion, which First L ady had/has the best style? Jackie O is an icon, but I love what Michelle Obama does for American Fashion and young designers in par ticular.

W hat was the best piece of advice youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ve ever received? I received some good advice this morning. Give credit to the intang ibles that comprise real accomplishment. I do love my work a great deal, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impor tant not to be focused solely on work and to remember there are more impor tant things in life. SHK

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P R I N T E D &P U L L E D Photographed by NICK CEGLIA

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Snapshots of Moveable Feasts Friends think my job is somehow glamorous, as if I sit around at hole-in-the-wall cafes on reclining wicker chairs, laughing loudly, trading war stories and pretending some of the most renowned names in the art world were born without surnames. But it’s just not true. I panic, pour over the order of the questions, hoping they tell a story, hoping not to sound ignorant, hoping not to sound pretentious. Writing the actual thing is worse – nitpicking each word like some semantic game of Jenga until you’re done, at which point you feel gratified, but stare at it as you would your own ref lection after not seeing yourself in weeks. Or you may hate it. Not to mention, I sincerely dig Agathe Snow’s work. So what brilliant question do I come up with? — Ahmed Mori SHK

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SHK what was the last book you read that stuck with you? W hat childhood book stuck with you? AGATHE SNOW Hemingway — the Paris one, A Moveable

Feast. I bought it along with my sister. I really just liked the title, felt it would be a good thing to share, a good experience. I loved that she was here and I was in Europe. I really liked the book, and I never liked Hemingway before.

Stock, but i found an in, found a “ fr ame.” Hemingway ’s A Moveable Feas t is a r ecollection of the wr iter ’s year s in Par is as par t of a much-acclaimed cir cle of amer ican wor dsmith expats in the 1920s. A bunch of other Hemingways keep editing it and want to f ilm it — I don’t want to wr ite another op - ed on it. I just want to under stand Snow within its contex t. And we’ll star t with migr ation — Hemingway li ved in Par is as an expat and Snow moved to New Yor k at a young age, although not young enough to er ase her char ming Fr ench accent. And both these cities ar e pr ominent char acter s in their r especti ve wor ks. 304

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How much is New York a part of your work? Should location always play a huge role in one ’s work? New York is an inf luence, a huge inf luence in my life — just the movement, ever y thing, I just want to be par t of it. It’s even hard to stop and just work. I’m soa ked in like a sponge. N YC has such as concentration of life and of people and of movement and of ever y thing, it’s all there. I really feel it. I feel it in my work — ever y thing is so concentrated. It’s like you cut any slice of N YC and it could be its own sculpture.

It r eally does mat ter wher e you make your ar t. At f ir st, I f ind things on the str eet to star t with, and I ’ll even include things fr om the past. I always br ing my life into it, and N YC is always a par t of it, too. I just don’t think you can make ar t without place having an inf luence on you. A gathe told me she r etur ns to New Yor k for par ties and what not at least once a week fr om her Nor folk, Long Island home, which she shar es with her boy fr iend, r enowned sculptor Anthony Holbr ooke (son of the late Richar d Holbr ooke) and their toddler, who almost r ight away became a par t of our conver sation. She’s also playing with food a whole lot — a r omantic notion, given the tempor alit y of the ar t you cr eate. To a cer tain ex tent, it feels like she’s playing with some of the same impr essionistic ideas of the ultr a-pr agmatic Hemingway st yle, a minimally-st yled pr ose r ar ely digested in the same way t wice.

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You’re comfortable with fusing the art and culinary worlds — notably F eed the T roops and the Wandering Palate . T ell me about it. The Wandering Palate is still going on. It’s a family venture, a food truck. My brother built it about four years ago. We decided to contribute, my mom, my boyfriend and my sis, and along w ith my brother, we’ve been ma king food w ith local produce. We also have a fisherman that brings us food ever y morning — parked in front of the house right now. Really loving the food aspect of this, grow ing vegetables, really ma king your own food. It has been really nice, and w ith food it comes to an end, not like any sculptures where you can ta ke 16 different par ts and keep going and going. With food, you cook it once, you eat it, and that’s basically it. It’s really beautiful, I love it, I think it’s really nice and I get to be w ith my family. I feel so much more in touch w ith reality than I used to be, so all this performance ar t is ma king me really scared. I might have to do some more of it. The baby also totally changed things. Time, ma king things that last, I always have this kind of hopeful vision of redemption. And now that you’re face to face w ith this little creature that w ill live after you and keep going — well, I feel more and more responsible to actually realize the future and respect the fact that it w ill keep going. It’s also terrify ing because I feel I have to do better than ever and I really push myself a lot more to ma ke really good stuff. It’s not perfect, but it’s more universal, so loud w ith one little image. You beg in to tell one truth, more and more. The real truth w ith your ar t.

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Hemingway ’s Par is featur ed a much-acclaimed cir cle of Amer ican wor dsmith expats in the 1920s, a cr owd boasting the likes of F. Scot t F it zger ald, E zr a Pound and Ger tr ude Stein — not unlike the Bower y School, compr ised of Snow, her late husband Dash Snow, Ryan McGinley and, of cour se, Dan Colen. A patr on of all ar ts, Ger tr ude Stein was to many of these liter ar y t ypes what Colen was to a number of his contempor ar ies including Snow, whose f igur ines he thought could climb up the ar t wor ld ’s institutional r ungs. She’s ver y gr atef ul for his inf luence, too. W hat sparked your interest in art ? I’ve always been interested. Always ma king things, and you know… I made things always where there was clothes or little roaches. Always ma king these little creations for no reason. But Dan [Colen] was like “this is ar t,” that’s what you can do and you can just ma ke this and it’s ar t. It was not an interest — before this, ma king ar t was not for me. It was for these people who were ver y impor tant and had something to say and I was ver y naïve and felt ver y distant [from the ar t world]. It was nice to be told you can do it. He was in ar t school and there were 30 in his class and only one was going to ma ke it and that person had to be him. He told me when he was only 18. His confidence inspired me.

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But much of your work has a sense of humor and wit that separates you from the rest of the Bowery School . W hy is that ? It’s funny you say that because I think about all those things. They’re just friends to me. I don’t look at their ar t like a movement. I forget ar t comes from the outside in. If you don’t ta ke your ar t too seriously… I mean, I ta ke it seriously, I feel I have responsibility and as an ar tist I have the most amazing job, but I just look at the world from the outside in and I find ever y thing to be so funny. Maybe it’s not from being inside ar t but coming from outside. I mean, I didn’t go to ar t school. I am more of an outsider and I just find things funny. I find words funny. You need to find things funny to be w itty.

It ’s this picar esque sor t of humor — combined with her f ascination with entr opy — that separ ates her fr om the r est of the Bower y School. Snow ’s apocalyptic under tones ar e of ten pepper ed with a bit of wit. She’s also r ather abr asi ve, r epr esenting a lack of subtleness that would alienate her fr om a Hemingwayian, but r ever ed by a contempor ar y hyper r ealist. It ’s also obser vant of the way humans inter act, which is something I consider ed as I myself inter acted with A gathe. She’s ver y open, r evealing almost. She held nothing back dur ing our chat and gave me so much infor mation that I feel like a doctor al student appr oaching his tr ials. A re you obsessed with entropy? Yea h I hope so. I hope I’m obsessed w ith it. Sometimes, I get really down. There are a lot of things going on that I don’t know about. So you create your own universe, but if you look a little more at the world, it’s hard to believe you won’t blow each other up at some point. No matter what, I think we’ll sur vive it all. Someone w ill change it, things w ill change, but it’s terrify ing. I’m obsessed w ith it because I have to be, and I want to but can’t g uarantee there wont be any mista kes made.

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Does your work critique or merely reflect contemporary consumer culture and what do you think the difference would be in this instance ? I depend on it, too. I depend on contemporar y consumer culture. We’ve gotten to a place where it’s a luxur y, where we as a society are at a point where we can actually respect each others’ words and people are ta king our words and things and what’s going on and ma king something of it for future generations. Of course, you depend on people consuming the stuff. I don’t critique it. Yea h, accumulation is out of control, the amount of stuff we consume is insane to think about, but suddenly you realize we do need it, because we wouldn’t keep moving w ithout it. I play w ith it. I am par t of it. SHK

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W hat else is on your plate now ? The show I’m working on is opening November at OH WOW in L.A. This is the last week before shipping and I’m completely losing my mind. I think it’s the best show I’ve ever done. I’m having so much fun. In terms of structure, it looks the same, but the hardware inside ma kes it stronger and better and more adaptable and ever y thing is covered in fiberglass. It also all goes up on the wall, which is the first time I’ve done that. They’re all sculptures that go up on the wall, and yet it’s all about two dimensionality — even the show is called 2D. The subject matter is not ver y happy; it’s all about situations where you’re stuck. It’s about that itch, the need to fill that hole, filling that emptiness — that ahhhh moment.

A gathe and I discussed one of her per sonalit y quir ks — she can’t stop moving. Ever. She told me she’s incapable of sit ting down for dinner and it was noticeable, seeing as she was out of br eath thr oughout thr ee -four ths of our conver sation. It ’s almost as if her body is questioning the wor ld ar ound her, on the level her wor k does. Hemingway ’s metaphor ic ex tension of the Chr istian ter m “moveable feast ” meant the memor y of a splendid time or place af ter the wander er has lef t it, even long ago, like a time capsule. A gathe Snow is a wonder f ul phenomenological photogr apher, in this case. Her wor ks ar e like snapshots of her own moveable feasts, of exper iences in the contex t of the wor ld ar ound her. She was f ar mor e eloquent about it than I am her e. See below. Define “experience .” Any thing that ma kes you ask a question.

Photographs courtesy of THE ARTIST and OHWOW 310

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side view Photographed by MICHAEL CASKER Interviewed by MIKE HICKS

Jason Woodside creates inventive, modern pieces of art that are extremely fun to look at. Based in New York City, his artwork has been displayed all over the world in Sydney, Los Angeles and Miami, along with a number of murals throughout NYC and Brooklyn. Using geometric shapes and bright colors, Woodside wants to create â&#x20AC;&#x153;something for your mind and something for your eyes,â&#x20AC;? we think he does just that in every piece. He has worked with the likes of Michel Roux, Von Zipper and Obey, and keeps coming up with great new pieces. Here, find out what Woodside has to say about his career in art, which started by drawing on a desk in math class, and try and figure out how he keeps it fresh. SHK

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SHK W HE N DID YOU F IRS T DISCOV E R YOUR TA LE N T A S A N A R T IS T ? JASON WOODSIDE My teacher busted me for desk draw ing and showed the class for punishment. The class just stoked out on the piece.

W H AT H AV E BE E N SOME OF YOUR INF LUE NCE S? Early skateboard vibes... Patchworks. Furniture and home pieces… Textures and contrast.

YOUR WORK U T ILIZE S GEOME T RIC SH A PE S A ND V E RY BOLD COLORS. W H AT DR AWS YOU T O T HOSE T ECHNIQUE S A S OPP OSE D T O SOME T HING MORE DR A B? I guess, I don’t really mean to do the geometric stuff. I just prefer the cleaner lines and not blending colors. Keeping the subject based on shapes and colors appeals to me most, as I feel it keeps away from linear thought… And what comes out is a feeling, or energy. Creating a feeling is what’s important to me with my work.

W H AT A BOU T CI T Y LIF E INSPIRE S YOUR WORK? I think for me, at this point in my life, it mostly just acts a vehicle. It gets me where I need to go. I also feel it forcefully puts things in your face whether you want them there or not. I think this helps me as I tend to be a bit closed minded when it comes to paying attention to newer waves of art.

W H AT, IF A N Y T HING, IS NE E DE D MORE IN T HE N YC A R T SCE NE ? Less sensitive types, and more weirdos.

HOW H A S YOUR B ACKGROUND IN F ILM INF LUE NCE D YOUR A R T ? It helped out a lot with format. It taught me how to have a simple idea and build on it, rather than crapping out a bunch of random images. Having everything tie in conceptually makes sense to me and keeps things consistent.

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“Creating a feeling is what’s important to me with my work.”

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T E LL US A BI T A BOU T YOUR PROCE S S. HOW LONG DOE S I T TA KE YOU T O F INISH A PIECE ? HOW MUCH PRE PA R AT ION GOE S IN T O ONE ? The process is built on a simple 3-4 color, color pallet. I try to explore tones that work well with others to create attention. I’ll draw a line through something that needs the help. I typically work on several at a time. Depending on the size of the piece, the preparation varies... The smaller canvas or wooden pieces take no time. The larger wall or exterior pieces take a good few hours, as I’ll explore the surrounding elements and contrasts to be made.

HOW/ W HE N DO YOU K NOW T H AT A PIECE IS RE A LLY “F INISHE D”? The piece has to be “even” to be finished for me. The colors have to balance and proportions have to be right. It’s almost like, if I can’t make any more moves, I’m cool with it. Onto the next…

W H AT PROJEC T S A RE YOU CURRE N T LY WORKING ON? I just finished up a collaboration with Obey Clothing, aiming to come out next spring. At the moment, I’m in the process of building a bit of inventory at the studio. Some freshies.

W H AT WOULD YOU LIKE PEOPLE T O GE T F ROM YOUR A R T WORK? W H AT F E E LINGS WOULD YOU LIKE T O IN VOKE ? I think good vibes are the best... I like creating something that has two parts — something for your mind and something for your eyes. Stimulating both is the goal.

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KISS & MAKEUP 1

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MARK Lash Act Build and Define BOURJOIS Pump Up the Volume BUXOM Lash DIOR Diorshow

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3 NYX Nude Matte M.A.C All That Glitters STILA Kitten Nude Pink Shimmer COVERGIRL Champagne

LANCOME Teint Idole Ultra MAKE UP FOR EVER HD ESTéE LAUDER Double Wear CHANEL Mat Lumiere

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YSL Le Rouge DOLCE & GABBANA Iconic NARS Jungle Red M.A.C Ruby Woo 2

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LAURA MERCIER Secret Camouflage COVERGIRL & OLAY Simply Ageless M.A.C Studio Finish BOBBI BROWN Creamy Concealer

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STILA Stay All Day Waterproof CHANEL Stylo Yeux Waterproof K AT VON D Tattoo Liner DIOR Style Liner

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NAKED NOT NUDE An interview with Jordana Woodland and Rebecca B. Frank of Naked Princess, because it’s been a long time since we’ve been this excited about getting into a boudoir state of mind. – RACHEL ELEANOR SUTTON

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SHK W H AT F IRS T MO T I V E D YOU T O L AUNCH N A KE D PRINCE S S? JORDANA WOODLAND I’ve been collecting antique perfume bottles and vintage lingerie for quite some time. I have always appreciated beautiful details and use this to inf luence my interiors and environments. Its become a lifestyle, actually. I’ll buy exquisite lingerie strictly for the ar t of it and never wear the piece. This is what star ted it all... I was sharing my collection w ith Becca and we both realized that this would ma ke for an interesting venture that really harnesses the European sensibilities of boudoir and the ar t of dressing.

W H AT INSPIRE D T HE OV E R A LL V IBE OF T HE BR A ND? BECCA B. FR ANK Our goal is to create a lifestyle that empowers women to be confident in and outside of the boudoir, and our desire is to have all women experience luxur y, romance and femininity. It’s not about being over tly sexual or obscene. We believe in a “boudoir state of mind” and truly want women to relish the feeling of beautiful undergarments and luxurious clean beauty products.

IN T E RE S T ING… SO, W H AT DO YOU WA N T PEOPLE T O TA KE AWAY F ROM T HE IDE A OF A “BOUDOIR S TAT E OF MIND?” We aspire to create products that encourage women to live beautifully, love deeply and reign joyfully. This statement is what inf luenced our tagline: “Live. Love. Reign.” Our goal is to evoke a boudoir state of mind that empowers our consumers to be romantic, be f lir tatious and be confident no matter where they are — either in the comfor t of their own dressing room or in the boardroom. Ever y woman should feel empowered and beautiful, so we suppor t this by providing a full range of sizes in our lingerie from XS to XL.

HOW WOULD YOU DE F INE “LUXURY ” IN YOUR OW N WORDS? These days, I feel that luxur y has more to do w ith comfor t and allocating time for oneself. It’s so common that women are spread thin for time and I think we are missing something impor tant by not treating ourselves w ith the chance to rest, rela x and retreat in a private space. This is luxur y to me.

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T HE PACK AGING ON A LL YOUR PRODUC T S IS A S BE AU T IF UL A S T HE PRODUC T S A RE LOV E LY, HOW DID T HE CRE AT ION — OR PROCE S S — OF DE SIGNING T HE GE NE R A L IDE A COME A BOU T ? BF I am a visual person and constantly looking for beauty

in the ever y day. I usually look for inspiration that is both functional and beautiful... I’m drawn to ideas that fill a need in the marketplace and offer innovation in some form. This inspiration can come from any industr y. In the case of our product development here at Na ked Princess, we star t w ith an overarching narrative that then infuses the scent, beauty products and lingerie. Our third collection (which we’re currently producing) is themed “Let The Butterf lies Beg in,” which represents that intense excited feeling of first falling in love. You are walking on clouds — f ly ing through the air and any thing is possible. Our fabrics and color palette are ethereal and f low ing. The custom scent is joyful and f lir tatious. The outer packag ing suppor ts the experience of ma king the products precious and special.

YOUR PRODUC T S A RE PE TA-F RIE NDLY A ND PA R A BE N F RE E … H AV E YOU A LWAYS TA KE N A GRE E N E Y E T O T HINGS? WA S T HIS SOME T HING YOU H A D IN MIND F ROM T HE BEGINNING OR SOME T HING YOU T URNE D T O T HROUGHOU T T HE PROCE S S? BF Personally, I have a passion for eco-living, so it was

only natural that it would inf luence our work and designs. We really wanted to provide healthier alternatives that are still luxurious, efficacious and pleasing to the eye. Even our collection of premium MicroModal loungewear is made w ith organic fibers from Beechwood trees in Austria. The har vesting for this process, handled by Lenzing, is also ver y sustainable.

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I’M A LWAYS WATCHING OLD MOV IE S A ND COMPLE T E LY FA SCIN AT E D BY T HE NIGH T W E A R A ND LINGE RIE T H AT T HE CH A R AC T E RS W E A R . HOW DO YOU T HINK SOCIE T Y ’S MINDSE T H A S CH A NGE D IN REG A RDS T O T HE CONCE P T OF LUXURY LINGE RIE A ND INDULGING IN SUCH I T E MS? J W I believe that the romance of The Golden Era in cinema

and fascination w ith the mid-centur y lifestyle has sparked a renewed interest w ith luxur y loungewear and lingerie. I have always dreamt of the beautiful actresses shown on the silver screen w ith their breathta king satin gowns and sheer chiffon robes… In recent times, women have sacrificed indulgences because of other priorities. Unfor tunately, that meant poor nightwear choices. These days, w ith popular programs like Mad Men, I think women are excited once again to dress up to cer tain respect for the boudoir and want to feel pretty in ever y thing they wear.

W H AT A RE YOU MOS T PROUD OF A BOU T T HE LINE ? BF I love that women have responded so enthusiastically

to our message about embracing one’s sensual nature in a healthy and positive way. We’re proud that we ma ke products and garments that remind us to nur ture our own “Boudoir State of Mind,” while evoking confidence in one’s inner and outer lifestyle. Most of all, we are excited to be continuing our mission to create products for a large variety of women (sizes & ethnic backgrounds). We are extremely honored by the immediate positive reactions since launching domestically and internationally by press, bloggers and buyers.

W H AT WOULD YOU S AY T O O T HE RS T H AT A RE T HINKING A BOU T S TA R T ING T HE IR OW N BR A ND? J W Be passionate about your business and what you create.

Our passion is what developed the brand and it continues to inf luence all of our decisions in product development, marketing and strateg y. Without passion, I fear that we would be just another manufacturer producing intimate apparel. But w ith our passion, we evoke a lifestyle that I think really spea ks to all women.

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W HO IS T HE N A KE D PRINCE S S W E A RE R? She is confident, empowered, romantic and feminine. She’s also fashion-for ward and w illing to ta ke risks, especially when she pairs pieces from the lingerie w ith ready-to-wear fashion for what we call an “out-to-wear” look.

YOUR NE X T COLLEC T ION, BU T T E RF LIE S BEGIN, IS IN T HE WORKS NOW. HOW WOULD YOU S AY YOU GO T T O T HIS P OIN T ? BF W hen we launched the first collection, Lovely Ever After,

we entered the marketplace sta king a claim that luxur y is about comfor t w ith our line of premium MicroModal lingerie and loungewear and a warm, inviting scent in our beauty and body products called Vanille Blanc (featuring notes of Fresh Milk, Freesia, Manuka Honey and Almond). For the second collection, A Thousand K isses Deep, we introduced our signature collection of Chantilly lace lingerie and a vintage-inspired scent of violet pastilles called Fleur de Vivre, both hitting the pinnacle of romantic interludes and special moments. As we wrap up production on the third collection, Butterf lies Beg in, w ith a product offering of soft silk chiffon and lace intimates and a sprite, citrus spring scent of W hite Rose & Pink Pepper, we’re offering a robust lineup that has something for ever yone. We really love the editorial focus for each collection and w ill continue to explore these narratives and themes for upcoming launches.

TELL US ONE THING WE SHOULD:

SEE.

Haute Couture: The Polaroids of Cathleen Naundorf book. HEAR. Idina Menzel, New Year’s Eve at the Walt Disney Concer t Hall. K NOW. The ar t of Chantilly lace. SHK

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LADY Photographed by MICHAEL CASKER Styled by NI’MA FORD Hair by CHUCK OLSEN for TOMMY GUNS NY Makeup by ASHLEIGH CIUCCI for Ray Brown Pro Models CARLOS & EAMON for Red NYC / CLARA for Trump Model Management

CHEAP MONDAY tank. AG jean vest. ASOS shoes. NO RELATIONS vintage shirt. stylist’s own earrings, necklace and skirt. (Girl) NO RELATIONS vintage shirt. stylist’s own jeans. (Guy 1) CHEAP MONDAY shirt. stylist’s own jeans and shoes. (Guy 2) 338

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“I know what's best for the President. I put him in the White House. He does well when he listens to me and poorly when he does not.” – Florence Harding, 1921-1923

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ASOS Necklace. stylist’s own jeans (Guy 1) CHEAP MONDAY necklace. stylist’s own jeans (Guy 2) ASOS dress, earrings & shoes. NO RELATIONS vintage jacket. stylist’s own tights. (Girl) 340

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“Of course, being mistress of the White House is a terrific responsibility, and I am truly grateful for my Army wife training.” – Mamie Eisenhower, 1953-1961 SHK

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ASOS dress. NO RELATIONS vintage tee. stylist’s own head tie, earrings & ring.(Girl) ALTERNATIVE APPAREL tank. stylist’s own jeans and shoes (Guy 1) ALTERNATIVE APPAREL tee. CHEAP MONDAY jeans. (Guy 2)

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“I live a very dull life here... Indeed I think I am more like a state prisoner than anything else.” – Martha Washington, 1789-1797 SHK

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ASOS pants. AMERICAN APPAREL bra. stylist’s own coat & earrings. (Girl) CHEAP MONDAY jeans & shoes. (Guy 1) NO RELATIONS vintage shirt. stylist’s own jeans and hat. (Guy 2) 344

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ASOS necklace. stylist’s own shirt and earrings.

“I want to live my life, not record it.” – Jackie Kennedy, 1961-1963 SHK

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“If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice, or representation.” – Abigail Adams, 1997-1801

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ASOS blazer. stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own jeans and hair tie. 348

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CHEAP MONDAY sweater. ZARA hat. ASOS necklace. stylist’s own shirt and earrings.

“A woman’s place in public is to sit beside her husband, be silent, and be sure her hat is on straight.” – Bess Truman, 1945-1953 SHK

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ASOS dress & shoes. stylist’s own jacket, hair tie and necklace. (Girl) CHEAP MONDAY jeans. ASOS jacket. stylist’s own shoes (Guy 1) ASOS jacket. CHEAP MONDAY necklace. stylist’s own jeans and shoes. (Guy 2)

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“The role of First Lady is whatever the First Lady wants it to be.” – Laura Bush

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GIFTGUIDE Photographed by ZACHARY GOULKO

for the… Bubbly Personalities HENRI’S RESERVE For those who enjoy the finer things in life, Henri’s Reserve Joie De Champagne is the crème de la crème. This bubbly berverage comes from houses that normally ship less than 5,000 bottles a year, so sit back and drink to the stars.

SWAROVSKI The best champagne deserves the best presentation, in this case, Swarovski champagne flutes. Swarovski is known for their craftsmanship and beauty, and these glasses do not disappoint. Cheers! 352

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for the… Accessory Fiend VANESSA MOONEY bag. HUF hat and gloves. REBECCA MINKOFF iPad case. TARTE carried away with tarte collector’s & adventurer bag (available exclusively at Sephora).

HUF

Created from the depths of skate culture, HUF represents high end apparel thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perfect for anyone with an active lifestyle. This hat and gloves duo is a great item for guys or dolls this season. Why? Because theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re HUFing cool. Man.

Vanessa Mooney What started out as a jewelry line by a Los Angeles native has grown into a complete line of handbags and accessories. Boho chic perfection, this Vanessa Mooney Medicine Bag is a hand painted, Italian leather work of art.

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for the… Accessory Fiend

Tarte Any makeup maven knows Tarte... And is probably lusting over this limited edition, collector’s set. It’s fully stocked with everything you could need to look your best this holiday season.

Rebecca Minkoff Chic meets geek. Inspired by the everpopular Morning After Clutch, this Rebecca Minkoff will keep your iPad, and your style, totally protected.

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for the… Foodie Vosges Haut-chocolat Artisanal parisienne chocolate, madagascar vanilla beans and award winning flavors? Hopefully whoever you buy this for is willing to share... Or you could just treat yourself, of course.

Wired WYATT’S If you know someone who has an addiction to the snooze button every morning — and who needs more than just coffee — then they will be psyched for some Wired Wyatt’s. Caffeinated syrup is a delicious pick me up for any morning.

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for theâ&#x20AC;Ś Chocoholics

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vosges haut-chocolat lunar club No need to look to the moons for answers with the Vosges Lunar Chocolate of the Month Club. Perfect for horoscope junkies, a chocolate is sent to you six times a year, corresponding with the moonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mood. SHK

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Adrienne Landau The weather outside might be frightful, but this mongolian fur throw will keep your insides fuzzy all winter long. Adrienne Landau might be known for high quality artistry and lavish home furnishings, but it’s the brand’s classic style that makes a piece such as this so timeless. 362

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Pendleton Woolen Mills Inspired by Native American designs, Pendleton makes long-lasting, unique products. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re classic designs, complete with forward thinking details, will last a lifetime. SHK

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(Malin+Goetz) Skin care doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be infused with harsh chemicals, which is why we are so crazed over this mojito soap set and vitamin B5 hand treatment. (Malin+Goetz) uses all natural ingredients, and the mojito skin care kit has soaps that smell like a great mixed drink with mint, lemon and our favorite, rum. 364

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Porsche It may not be life-sized, but this Porsche 911 Carrera S gold edition model car is great desk decor. Plus, it will always remind you that life is about the journey, not the destination. Vroom, Vroom.

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he…People who love cool, random stuff FOREVER THE NEW TATTOO book (available via Gestalten). CROSLEY av room portable usb turntable. LOMOGRAPHY la sardins camera. OBLO CREATURE maruja light.

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Crosley Dear old school cool, meet new technology. Anyone that loves vinyl, and laments its lack of portability, can now convert the scratch, imperfect sounds to their computer — allowing music lovers the ability to take records anywhere.

Forever The New Tattoo Tattoo’s are no longer just a part of the counter culture. They have made their ways into everyday homes around the world, and this book chronicles tattoos and the stories surrounding them. With stunning images, it’s a good find for any ink fan or book lover in your life.

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he…People who love cool, random stuff

Oblo

Lomography

Somewhat of a cult image, you don’t need to be obsessed with Boston Terriers to think this lamp is completely adorable. Made of Plexiglas and created individually, its cute little face won’t be able to keep the smile off yours when it lights up the room.

Vintage inspired, and shaped like a classic sardine can, the La Sardina & Flash DIY Edition is an ideal product for any aspring photog. With this particular edition, you also free your inner artist by decorating the outside however you please, making the gift that much more personal.

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FLIP OUT — Dustin Marucci

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COUTURE Advanced textiles are nothing new. From waterproof GORE-TEX to Uniqlo’s warming HeatTech to dig ital prints, technolog y has long been integrated w ith fashion in a function-based, superficial way. The thing is… Fashion’s first priority has never been function, so how on ear th w ill smar t-textiles ever have a place on the runway? It’s time for fashion to get nerdy. Fashion designers are constantly creating “what’s next,” thus allow ing their work to never be finished or fully explored since they are a product of the ever-chang ing cycle of the industr y. For a while now it has been said “nothing is new; ever y thing has been done” as the business continuously updates the silhouettes and textiles of previous decades to create modern high fashion. Well, this doesn’t have to be the case any longer. Fashion’s future lies not w ithin the silhouette and not w ithin the textile, but w ithin the fiber, w ithin the conductivity, and w ithin the tech. With combining technolog y and couture, fashion is about to be new again. The innovative Canadian designer Ying Gao agrees w ith this concept, as he’s previously noted. “Both technolog y and fashion embody the most frag ile and ephemeral aspects of our culture, insofar as that which is cutting-edge today w ill be old news tomorrow,” stated Gao. “Fashion designers have known for a long time that they are working w ith a f leeting material that w ill never be timeless. However, the integration of electronic technolog y seems to modify the creative process, both in terms of the surface and the structure of garments.” 372

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Gao is what I’m going to call a smar t-textile ar tist, as her work focuses more on the effects of technolog y upon each garment rather than its wearability. Her dresses beautifully unfold like origami w ith the smallest g ust of w ind, her jackets open to reveal intricate insides when touched w ith the beam of a f lashlight. One set of dresses dance slowly up and down, as if someone is gently pulling a hidden cur tain string. Each is beautiful and interesting w ithout the technolog y and combined is a stunning piece of ar t. Movement is so impor tant in fashion — as we walk our clothing changes, par t of the design process that must always be considered — it ma kes perfect sense to use technolog y to g ive the garment movement disconnected from the movements of the body. Do Gao’s garments have mass appeal? Perhaps not, but they are the beg inning of the smar t-textile’s journey into high fashion.

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A different approach to fashion and technolog y is seen in the development of The Cr y ing Dress, developed by Mika Satomi and Hanna h Perner Wilson. The Cr y ing Dress is an elaborate funeral gown commissioned by a dy ing man for his soon-to-be w idow, presumably to accompany her in her mourning. The couture gown cries “tears” that slowly drip from the avant-garde headpiece onto the black feather shawl. W hen the “tears” touch the intricate stitching covering the gown, embroidered spea kers emit an eerie weeping song. Seamlessly combining technolog y and couture, this gown is not only smar t, but in holds great melancholy beauty. As advanced and beautiful as these pieces are, however, they are one-offs, bespoke... couture. They w ill never be on a rack at Barneys New York because what average woman needs a dress that weeps? W hile we may dream about painful, thousand dollar heels and gowns we w ill probably never have an occasion to wear, who is thinking about dresses that unfold and gowns that produce a replica of a human’s emotional reaction? Smar t-textiles have a long way to go before they hit the backs of the fashionably conscious as something more than functional, but if this trend trickles down like all the rest, maybe one day these moveable, changeable and emotional garments w ill find a way into our wardrobes. — CLAIRE MARICE HOUSH SHK

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PARTY CAPTURES SHK Celebrates the Fall season with B Culture Media and guests. Special thanks to Timo + Alan, Colleen Nika and Norwood Club.

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