Issue Three: The Editors Issue - Part 1 by Sketchbook Magazine

Contents

Editor’s Letter..............................................................................2 Contributor’s Page......................................................................3-4 Interview with Julia Adler.............................................................5-8 Hats- Anna Piaggi Illustrations....................................................9-12 Yasmin Sewell- Feeling the Future..............................................13-14 The Love Zone..........................................................................19-20 London’s King of Cool................................................................21-24 Imran Ahmed- Business of Fashion............................................25-28 Shoot by Olivia and Styled by Chin Chan...................................29-30 Interview with Amelia’s Magazine Editor, Amelia Gregory............31-34 Anissa Helou’s First Cookery Book and Beyond.........................35-40 Sketchbook STUDIO In KINGLY COURT....................................41-42 Rick Poynor- Upturning the Tables.............................................43-46 Tasmin- Mix Magazine...............................................................47-50 Malika Dalamal- Daily Candy......................................................51-56 Explosions- Shoot by Barbara Anastacio...................................57-58 Magical Glasses.........................................................................59-60 Tyler Brule- Wallpaper.................................................................61-68 Hide/Seek..................................................................................69-72 Armelle Leturcq- Crash Into Me..................................................79-84 Another World.............................................................................85-88 Leith Clark..................................................................................89-92 Jill Swid- Glam.com....................................................................93-94 Jane Morris-The Art Newspaper..................................................95-98 Mask Shoot................................................................................93-94 Sustainable Fashion....................................................................95-98

Note from the editor This is going to be a tough one to write. How am I supposed to sum up the last, most exciting 4 months of Sketchbook in 500 words without boring everyone? I won’t take you way back folks and I promise to keep this short and to the point. The point is Sketchbook has been working hard! Since March, Sketchbook has launched two pop-up shops, re-created Carnaby Street at the Clothes Show London in Earl’s Court, supported the Live Issue at the Future Gallery by live blogging/tweeting/live-illustrating and my personal favourite project was when Sketchbook supported Imran Amed by covering his fashion pioneers interview with Natalie Massenet of Net-A-Porter. There are no words to describe the moment I got to meet the woman behind the biggest online retail store. I simply was envisioning myself as her, reciting a mantra in my head in the hopes of morphing into her ‘copy paste Wafa, copy paste’. I still can’t believe that Project Managers Rachel Menashy, Cleide Carina and myself managed to pull off the first pop-up shop in Newburgh Quarter. Illustrating the walls of the space in 48 hours, organizing 192 events in 64 days without a day off, 3 gallery openings, and 9 bands playing. It was an extraordinary feat with London Time Out dedicating a whole page to promote our space and events. I’m writing this from the 3rd floor of our 400 sq meter warehouse space in Kingly Court about to wrap up our second pop up shop. Consisting of three floors, we dedicated this space to 25 in-house artists who are producing artwork for Sketchbook, and 17 photo shoots/conceptual look books took place. With this pop up, we went industrial, we went Warhol creating a space of activity and energy where anyone can walk in and interact with photographers, artists etc. It’s the opposite attitude of general places where you are not allowed to touch, photograph or interrupt people at work. Our 3rd issue would not have been possible without Laura Sam, our new content editor who had to sift through 1000 or so emails to collect illustrations and features. She did a superb job of harassing me to write this note. Thank you Laura for making Issue 3 happen. I want to thank Rachel Menashy, my project manager for our first pop up for putting Sketchbook on the map and kick starting our relationship with Carnaby Street. Rachel you have been one of the highlights of my year. Cleide Carina, chatty and tall with a model figure, is the sub-editor of Sketchbook, who has been with me for 9 months. I am forever grateful for you, for your energy and you’re amazing ability to be able to spot a spelling or grammatical error! To Kay from Sister PR: you are the perfect client. You let me do what I do best, you support what I do in the best way, and you allow me space and freedom to do it. Sketchbook will be loyal to your company and to Carnaby forever. Gabriela Mot and Annie Driscoll my chief illustrators, each heading the projects at the Future Gallery and the Clothes show, I am lucky that I get to work with such strong women who can help me put together a project from A to Z. My last dedication of the note goes to Luma Bashmi. Luma bounced back to Bahrain in March right before our first pop up shop. We miss her every day. She is still present in my life and the life of the magazine and will be until our last issue is produced. Once again none of this would have been possible without her as Features Editor. Enjoy our 3rd issue. It’s packed full of interviews with Imran Amed, Natalie Massenet, Dolly Jones of Vogue.com, Becky Smith of Twin and much more. It took us 6 months to pull this issue off. My new venture Obai and Hill, a design agency specialising in illustrations and graphics has launched. Check it out and let me know your thoughts www.obaiandhill.com I must also thank Lauren Mundle, Megan McDowell, Helena, Amy Edgar, Navneet, Komal Verma, and the rest of the 167 members of crew. Love you all.

EDITOR IN CHIEF Wafa Alobaidat SUB EDITOR Cleide Cardoso FEATURES EDITOR Luma Bashmi CONTENT EDITOR Laura Sam SENIOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR Richard Jarrett SKETCHBOOK TV PRODUCER Komal Verma COVER DESIGN Sophie McKay SKETCHBOOK LOGO DESIGNER Charlotte Nicod WEBSITE DESIGNER Tim Holmes MIDDLE EASTERN PR OFFICER Saja Altherban, Noor Kaiksow PRODUCED BY Agency Obai & Hill SKETCHBOOK STAFF Corinne Delaney, Amy Edgar, Navneet Gill, Selina Lalli, Megan McDowell, Sara Qaddoura, Joyce See SKETCHBOOK JOURNALISTS Osman Ahmed, Cleide Cardoso, Sophie Eggleton, Grashina Gabelmann, Ekaete Inyang, Fabian James, Vanessa Lee, Siobhan Leddy, Victoria Loomes, Hannah Morris, Mariana Moyano, Clare Potts, Rachael Tubman, Susan Walsh SKETCHBOOK ILLUSTRATORS Danielle Andrews, Fatima Alaiwat, Artkisniya, Agnieszka Bukowska, Katherine Butler, Paolo Caravello, June Champoomidole, Jade Cummings, Abi Daker, Annie Driscoll, Luke Furniss, Hamza Isa, Kelly Jackson, Sine Jørgensen, Spiros Halaris, Monique Jivram, Corey Lee, Amy Martino, Esther McManus, Rory J Murphy, Natsuki Otani, Ciara Pelan, Rachel Clare Price, Emily Sams, Krister, Selin, Jack Teagle, Jean Paul Thurlowe, Donya Todd, Joanne Young, Suzie Winsor, Anna Weilberg, Angie Wu

SKETCHBOOK PHOTOGRAPHERS Barbara Anastacio, Sandra Bangladesh, James Brown, Teneshia Carr, Jesus Chamorro, Alick Cotterill, Olivia Estebanez, Naomi James, Denise Mangaram, Nedim Nazerali, LeftBrain – Mac Ninjas, Constance Phillips, Elias Wessel SKETCHBOOK STYLISTS Naomi Gray, Auk Homme, Calum Knight, Constance Phillips, Chi-San Wan SKETCHBOOK GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Ula Hudowska, Helena Cowdrey, Lauren Mundle INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDANTS Abu Dhabi: Nadia El-Dasher New York: Johara Alkhalifa Stockholm: Fernando Torres SKETCHBOOK TV CAMERA TEAM Matthieu Ferreira, Sarolta Saci Marton, James Matai, Sasha Denny EDITING Lucia Emanuela Curzi, Sarolta Saci Marton, Komal Verma THANKS TO Imran Ahmed, Tyler Brulé, Amelia Gregory, Leith Clark, Malika Dalamal, Steve Doyle, Marvin Scott Jarrett, Dolly Jones, Tamsin Kingswell, Armelle Leturcq, Peter Lundgren, Natalie Massenet, Jane Morris, Shereen Al Mulla, Rick Poynor, Sister PR, Blow PR, Vicky Richardson, Mark Roppolt, Olivia Rubin, Becky Smith, Kira Stachowitsch, Njide Ugboma, Paul de Zwart ADDRESS/CONTACT DETAILS Sketchbook Magazine HQ Studio 3 86 Kensington Park Road London, W11 2PL ADVERTISING INQUIRIES E: sketchbookmagazine@live.com T: +44 (0) 7814055399 SKETCHBOOK MAGAZINE LINKS Website: www.sketchbookmagazine.com Blog: www.sketchbookblog.tumblr.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/sketchbookmag Facebook Fan Page: www.facebook.com/pages/Sketchbook-Magazine Facebook Group Page: Sketchbook Magazine

Interview with Julia Adler Text: Vanessa Lee Illustrations: Jade Cummings Julia Samersova is the woman behind most of the campaigns and editorials we see. From working with Inez van Lansweerde et Vinoodh Matadin to casting for Rosie Huntington for the Chopard campaign, Julia is the mastermind at finding the right face for the right product. Julia has seen it all, the supermodels, the waifs and can see the right face for a job within a mile. Her favourite girls sure to be a hit? Constance and Mirte. Funnily enough, between the two of them they’ve locked down more shows and campaigns than any other new faces. With more years of experience than most, Julia is more than a pro at the game, and with a exciting project ‘planet awesome kid’ as well as a overflowing belt with experience we’re lucky to get a chance to speak to the woman! Interview with international casting director Julia Samersova Adler: Vanessa Lee: How did you start out in the industry? Julia Adler: I did a high school internship at a modeling agency in NYC called Company Management. I was 17 and obsessed with fashion. It was a natural fit. That was 1993 at the tail end of the SUPERMODEL era. It was the beginning of something very different (Kate Moss, Amber, Shalom, Carolyn Murphy etc). It was an amazing time to be in fashion. I stayed there for 7 years and went from intern to Director of Editorial with every other title in between. It was an amazing time! 5

VL: Did you always plan on becoming a casting director or was there another career path you were interested in? JA: I always knew it was going to be fashion. I became a model agent out of pure luck and determination and the opportunity that Michael Flutie (the owner of Company Management) gave a 17 year old girl from Brooklyn. I knew I wanted to be a casting director after many years of being a model agent. I knew I wanted to try the other side, and so in 2005 I opened Cast Inc with nothing more than a laptop and some balls. VL: You’re based in New York; does your job require you to travel and where are most of your clients based? JA: Most of my clients are based in NYC. I do have some clients that are not in NYC and we communicate and work mostly via email and phone. With all the technology available now I literally can work from anywhere in the world. It’s awesome. VL: How did you go about becoming a casting director? JA: After so many years as a model agent/scout I was ready for something new and becoming a Casting Director was the most organic natural progression for me. I love it with all my heart and I am blessed. VL: What is a normal day like for you? JA: I wake up and the first thing I do is turn on my MacBook and go to work. I do all the work I need to do and then I spend all my free time with my baby Violet and being a housewife. The dichotomy of being a working woman and housewife/mother is so amazing to me. You juggle and you always must prioritize and really have the skill of time management - During Fashion Week, it’s totally different. Those are the days when all I do is work work 7

work, and run around. I am blessed to have around the clock help from my own mother and my awesome husband. VL: What are the best aspects of your job? JA: Meeting brand new models as soon as they come to the great city of dreams and watching some of them turn into superstars - The change, the metamorphosis, the journey. It’s very interesting to me. VL: How do you manage a family and such a demanding job? JA: I have the most wonderful husband and a steady stream of carbohydrates. VL: What models/clients would you like to ideally work with? JA: Anyone with a positive vibe and a great work ethic. VL: Who are your clients? JA: J Crew, Neiman Marcus, Vogue Italia, and many different shows. You can see all my work at www.castincnyc.com VL: You count Victoria Beckham as a client, how did you choose the right girl for her brand? JA: I did the casting for her first ever presentation at the Waldorf a year ago. We just picked girls with amazing bodies that looked chic, much like Mrs. Beckham herself. VL: What do you look for in a model? JA: A gorgeous smile and a great laugh! VL: What is it about a model which helps you to know if they are right for a certain campaign? JA: ENERGY and the look in her eyes.

VL: Who are the new faces your excited about? JA: Lindsey Wixson, Jacquelyn Jablonski, Lisanne De Jong, Dorothea Barth Jorgensen, Mirte Maas, Sharon Kavjian, Alisa Matviychuk, Frida Gustavsson.

The objective of each event is to raise funds to donate to select children’s charities focused on providing support to underprivileged children and their families.

VL: Any advice for aspiring models? JA: Develop your personality as much as develop your modeling skills. No one wants to work with a girl with no energy and no personality. Looks will only get you so far.

Talking to one of the most insightful casting directors in the Fashion industry, we’ve learnt that theres more to the eye when it comes to modelling. You need passion and you need dedication, most of all, if you want to succeed you must love your job-afterall Samersova is living proof that if you enjoy your job, you’ll do well. Now who wants to be the next Lara Stone?

VL: Cast Inc is ‘your baby’, what made you decide to venture into your own business? JA: After I left Elite in 2004 I was ready for something new. My best friend and superstar casting director John Pfeiffer came to my house one day and said “That’s it, I am taking you to get a computer and you are launching your own thing”. The rest is history. VL: Tell us about http://planetawesomekid.com/ JA: Planet Awesome Kid is a blog my husband and I launched one month ago dedicated to kids and their awesomeness and street style. We want to document the true style and spirit of children from around the globe. A kid’s version of The Sartorialist plus a charitable aspect. Our mission is this: “Planet Awesome Kid” is the premiere kid’s street style blog dedicated to celebrating the individualism and spirit of children around the world. Our dual mission is to document children’s style and character and at the same time, help those in need by linking up with local and global children-based charities to host kid-centric events. All “Planet Awesome Kid” activities aim to inspire kids to express themselves through art, music, fashion, photography and other means of creative self-expression.

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Hats - Illustrations by Anna Piaggi

Yasmin Sewell –

Feeling the Future

Text: Mariana Maoyano Illustrations Fatima Alaiwat

On a recent interview that Natalie Massenet, the founder of Net a Porter, gave to Business of Fashion she declared; “Today, I think, a successful retailer needs to think like an editor.” But when it comes to putting together the pages of a retail store defined by Oscar Wilde as the “chosen resort for the artistic shopper”, the task may prove daunting. It seems that for Yasmin Sewell bringing an establishment that is 135 years old into the 21st century comes as naturally from her head as her iconic curls. Yasmin Sewell was born in Sydney, Australia and arrived to the UK at the age of 20. One of her first fashion memories was watching her mother make “the most amazing taffeta ball gown with her Singer sewing machine. My eyes popped out of my head. I’ve been inspired by clothing for as long as I can remember because I’ve always loved the way it can make you feel.” She started her working career in the real estate market and it was in that corporate environment where she realised she wanted to work in fashion. The asphyxiating suit preceded by 11

years of school uniform was constricting her style and her wishes to express herself. The fashion world opened the intern’s door for, as it usually happens in fashion. She proved to be efficient and hard working which brought her countless contacts and a priceless reputation “Anyone who thinks working in fashion equals an easy life needs a reality check. There are pretty things involved of course, but you need to prove yourself constantly.” At the early age of 21 she opened the boutique “Yasmin Cho”, in Soho, which rapidly became a catapult for new designers. With a honed prediction on new trends and impeccable taste, it wasn’t long until the boutique was listed among the five most-influential boutiques in the world by the New York Times. Her skills were then highly proved and she became buy-

ing director of Brown London in 2005, makin pivotal point in the careers of designers like Christopher Kane and Marios Schwab. In 2008, she opened her own creative consultancy and their first project was no other than the emblematic Libery London. The department store needed a new look and with Yasmin’s touch, the Tudor iconic building remained classic whilst inside the future trends were being displayed and the designers that would be later hauled by fashion crowd, where setting their marks. One of her initiatives “The Liberty Open Call” congregated on its first edition 700 new designers that were invited to present their products to the Liberty creative team. All in one day, all welcome, all hoping for the chance to have Yasmin doing for them what she did for Acne or Rick Owens. Not a chance to be dismissed. “I am constantly 12

inspired by the designers I meet and seeing the newness and originality of their work. I love sensing what is about to happen in terms of trends, and also knowing when a trend is about to end. The analytical part of fashion gives me a real buzz”. With such a natural ability to hear the early heartbeats of future seasons, she couldn’t ever be overlooked by the fashion media world. Yasmin is regularly featured contributor for Elle UK and guest blogs for Vogue. She is also involved in Simon Fuller’s Fashionair, an innovative and interactive concept of fashion media, featuring videos inspired by and meant

to be inspiration for style. “Fashion is about expression and individuality, I hate fashion when it is generic and everyone follows the same look,” she says and transpires how far behind the boring suit days are. Her eclectic style is constantly driven by novelty and one of her formulas may be her natural gravity towards wearing simply what feels good. She despises unethical massproduced fashion and she easily goes from a boyish look into haute couture in a blink, looking equally chic, effortless and natural.

The Love Zone

Credit Sheet “The Love Zone” Photographer: Elias Wessel Photo Assistant: Heinrich Zimmerman, Kazik Pietruszewski Styling: Storm Pederson Styling Assistants: Van Nguyen, Tine Aspaas, Adrian Diaz Model: Tatyana Usova @ Marilyn Model Management Booker: Michael Ross @ Marilyn Model Management Hair: Yoichi Tomizawa Hair Assistant: Katsuhiro Suzuki Make Up: Viktorija Bowers Postproduction: Yoichi Ota Video: Cheriyan John Studio Manager: Ray @ Easy Studio New York Documentary: Lasse Engeland Art Direction: Elias Wessel Studio

LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11109

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

(1) 917.257.8348

INFO@ELIASWESSEL.COM

Shooting Date: Monday September 7th 2009 Location: Easy Studio at 158 Grand Street, # 207. SoHo locations New York City.

4720 CENTER BLVD, SUITE 1104

WWW.ELIASWESSEL.COM

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Elias Wessel

Jefferson Hack PHOTOS - BARBARA ANASTACIO CLOTHES AND STYLING - BOBBY CHARLES ABLEY HAIR - NORIKO TAKAYAMI MAKE UP - JESSICA WILSON

Understanding Business, Understanding Fashion

An interview with Imran Ahmed, Editor of Business of Fashion by Victoria Loomes 17

Fashion and business are unlikely bedfellows; the sheen of glamour, the brilliant bright lights of fashion shows, launch parties and photo shoots concealing an industry that comes with a strong business focus. The two elements are remarkably disparate, as the creative struggles to reconcile with commerce and business notions are regarded as little more than a hindrance to innovative aesthetics. Yet fashion is a global, multi-million pound industry, and Imran Amed’s avocation of an analytical ideology that transcends the superficial is simultaneously refreshing and inspiring. Launching the Business of Fashion, now recognised as a daily must read for fashion industry professionals from across the globe, in 2007, Amed aimed to create a authoritative, considered view that fused creative understanding with business savvy. His background, which includes a B.Com from McGill University in Montreal and an MBA from Harvard, is combined with a passion for creativity, placed Amed in a unique position to comment on both aspects. Intrigued by blogs and the power of new medium, the ideology of the Business of Fashion slowly evolved. ‘At the start there were no grand plans, no one could be more surprised by it’s success than me’, he rather modestly explains. Initially created with a simple typepad template and a budget that ‘probably didn’t exceed $100 in the first year’, Amed singlehandedly produced content, every evening from his sofa, viewing the project as a evolutionary model, taking inspiration from interesting conversations and his personal interests. Whilst the simple, easy to navigate style of the BoF is one of the sites key features, Amed

was initially unconcerned about creating a finished project from the start. ‘It was a work in progress’, he explains during our lengthy Skype interview. ‘That’s what is great about online media, it doesn’t need to be defined, you just start, and over time you find a voice. Over the past three years we’ve slowly honed in on an approach that works for us’. But surely the never-ending slew of blogs, tumblrs and twitter feeds make it impossible to be noticed? Amed’s response is remarkably pragmatic, and is one that he reiterates several times throughout the interview, ‘anyone can put up a content site, or launch a publication, you need to be clear who your audience is, and why your point of view is unique’. A rigorous attention to detail is another BoF signature, the editor admitting that he ‘looks at every word that is printed on the site’, despite the fact that the editorial team has now expanded to include contributors from across the world. This international network responds to the demands of a global audience who receives considered, authoritative opinions and analysis unconstrained by physical formats. Yet Amed is keen to continue to engage and interact with his ever-burgeoning audience, to ‘create events that are not just for insiders but for those helped create the BoF’. The popular Fashion Pioneers series, which to date has involved Jefferson Hack and Net a Porter founder Natalie Massenet, was pre-empted by ‘Inside the Studio’ with Giles Deacon, a one-on-one, intimate conversation between the renowned fashion designer and Amed. The interview launch, in association with Swarovski, bought together an eclectic crowd of BoF readers, with the ‘opportunity to interact and

learn from each other’, creating unprecedented networking potential. Those values also underpin Amed’s newest venture, Luxury Society, conceived as an opportunity to ‘bring luxury brands together under one umbrella. These brands cover lots of subsections, yet they are all serving the same consumers, so it makes sense for them to learn from each other’. The success of the BoF lies in this no-nonsense advice that is relevant to both designers and potential investors. As a Business Analyst, Amed has plenty of insight to share regarding the future of online media and brand development, and is keen to emphasise that ‘ there’s not just one model. Every publication has to find something that works for them and their audience’, a sentiment echoed by Jefferson Hack. I mention Rupert Murdoch and the recently initiated, much debated pay-to-read charges for The Times Online- it would seem that the business of business is not without it’s complications. ‘The creation of revenue is not something that’s just faced by niche publications like Sketchbook, but by major international media, some of which have been around for hundreds of years’. But paying for content? ‘Sponsorship is a really interesting model, it’ s important to find really innovative ways to work with a brand that really fits to generate revenue’. The sharing and dissemination of online content is aided by trusted brands, such as the BoF and Google News and the Huffington Post, who distil and curate vast amounts of information for readers, apt to suffer from visual and information overload. The problem derives from the fact that the original source doesn’t receive revenue from

aggregate sites. ‘It’s my opinion that online content should be shared openly. If Google and other sites are not allowed to aggregate content, it’s possible that fewer and fewer people will look at it. But it remains to be seen how the strategy will work’. This unpredictability factor is exciting and concerning in almost equal measure. Whilst the unknown is intimidating, it promotes innovation and development. Brands and publications willing to experiment will be rewarded, and whilst not every strategy will work it’s certainly important to explore potential to the extreme. Technological developments, including the iPad, allow communication with consumers in an ‘intuitive and immersive way, and buying and consuming becomes more inspiring’. Although Imran Ahmed claims ‘there’s no Holy Grail, no right answer’ I feel inclined to disagree. There’s a New Holy Grail, one that preaches experimentation whilst following set business objectives, that involves and interacts with technologically aware audiences, creating new experiences and stimulating content. Whatever the outcome, you can rest assured the BoF will be analysing it at every turn.

CREDITS Photos by Olivia estebanez Styling by Chi-San Wan makeup by Christina Corway Hair by Bon Model - Mark Stanworth CLOTHES 1. KNITTED TOP - GAP 2. CARDIGAN - J+ FOR UNIQLO JEANS - COS SHOES - MODEL’S OWN EYEWEAR - STYLIST’S OWN 3. KNITTED TOP - GAP 4. KNITTED TOP - GAP TROUSERS - UNIQLO HORN TOOTH COMB - ALBAM 5. SHIRT - COS TRENCH COAT - J+ FOR UNIQLO TROUSERS - MARGARET HOWELL SOCKS - FALKE SHOES - MODEL’S OWN 6. SHIRT - SOPHIE GORDON TROUSERS - A.P.C EYEWEAR - STYLIST’S OWN

Interview with Amelia's Magazine Editor, Amelia Gregory Once described to me as ‘a fairytale’, Amelia’s Magazine is certainly not a classic of the Brother’s Grimm variety: no knight on his proverbial white horse has swept Amelia Gregory (editor, publisher, writer, photographer and art director, to name just a few) off her feet, and carried her into the sunset. Text VICTORIA LOOMES Illustrations CIARA PHELAN

But upon meeting the inimitable Amelia, one suspects that she wouldn’t allow that to happen, because in her no-nonsense, pragmatic world, fairytales are just that. ‘I’m very certain of my likes and beliefs’ she explains, ‘and I’m not very good at being told what to do’. It’s an ethos that has seen her produce ten issues of Amelia’s Magazine, publish a much lauded Anthology of Illustration, and oversee an online site, recently voted as amongst the top ten art blogs in the UK. All from her house in East London, with the help of interns who perch in the office (spare room) and kitchen, when necessary. ‘Yes it’s tough, but I’ve always been sure of what I want, and have never allowed myself to be swayed by others. You have to be prepared for everything’. Amelia’s Magazine launched in May 2004, and the inaugural issue, produced in a limited print run of 1000, was a resounding success, thanks in part to the inclusion of a limited edition 7” 19

flexidisc by one Pete Doherty. (Fairly) swiftly followed by an astounding array of inventive magazine covers- from laser cutting, to scratch ‘n’ sniff (with smelly pens!), glow in the dark and Swarovski diamantes- her imagination knew no boundaries. Quite how she managed to finance it is something of a mystery. ‘Well I have a very good relationship with my printers, something that is almost unheard of in the industry. It’s an opportunity for them to showcase their print techniques to potential clients’. She also admits that she managed to wrangle some deals, ‘interning (everywhere from Marie Claire to Arena) gave me the contacts I needed to start Amelia’s Magazine, I was able to call on all the people I had worked with over the years’. I think Amelia is somewhat downplaying her success- the fact that the magazine ran bi-annually for five years, is testament to

Amelia’s determination and single-mindedness, qualities she does not shirk to admit she possesses. Who would she like to see given more support? ‘ME’, is the resounding answer. ‘I have constantly supported other people, and have done a lot to promote their work’, but her refusal to play by the rules and schmooze with the right folk has often stood in her way. ‘I guess you could say I’m tenacious’. Advertising has always been problematic, the moral and ethical implications of certain brands are at odds with the ecological stand of the publication (‘I always said no cars, no planes, but realistically I can’t afford to turn such opportunities down’), and frequently ‘people didn’t give money, or ran off without paying, especially during the later issues, as the recession hit…it was certainly an experience’. Clearly financial remuneration isn’t the end goal, ‘there’s no financial stability’ she wryly informs me, but her passion for the beliefs and causes that are the cornerstone of the whole ‘Ame-

lia’ package, is- ‘I’m interested in so many things; constantly have ideas that I want to share’. The emphasis on sustainability, community and the Earth section are clearly not attempts to jump on the ecological bandwagon, because that’s just not her style. These issues are Amelia, the website, magazine and anthology are about her concerns, and she wants to take her readers with her as she continues to promote her ideas. Sharing is perhaps what she does best, and blogging, Facebook and Twitter are just the tip of a very large iceberg. Although she cites the latter two as her biggest daily distractions, alongside her work with Climate Camp, emails, dealing with a sometimes-awkward web designer, managing the interns and emails, they actually encapsulate the very ethos of Amelia- giving a voice to everyone, and proving that ‘it doesn’t matter who you are, you don’t have to be a professional to do something well’. A self-confessed technol-

ogy geek, fascinated by the whole sphere of social networking, Amelia even secured a drinks sponsor for the Anthology launch party via the powers of Twitter- ‘I couldn’t have found a more perfect partner, a carbon neutral ale!’ Big brands have been slow to embrace the power of digital media, I venture. ‘To be fair, I don’t care how it affects big brands, as it allows individuals who may not of been heard to have a voice’. But surely it’s these brands that have the money, I (perhaps unwisely) press on. ‘It’s impossible to get advertising onto blogs,’ she retorts, ‘How can you make money from a blog?’. Now isn’t that a question that we could dedicate an entire interview to? And the future? ‘I have too many ideas. Working towards a new book, possibly photography related, focusing on alternative communities and sustainable living, although I’m trying not to travel at the moment. Who knows?’ Who indeed. But whatever the outcome, you can be assured that it will be Amelia who decides, because after all, it’s Amelia’s Magazine.

Anissa Helou’s first cookery book and beyond Anissa Helou is of Syrian and Lebanese descent, she was born and educated in Beirut and moved to London at 21 to free herself from the rigid social convention of her country. She has done it all from being Sotheby’s Middle East representative, aiding Kuwait’s ruling family with art work, to building her very own personal collections and putting them up for sale at Christie’s. She then moved her life along to literature and has since then written six cookbooks about food from places that interest her and that she holds close to her heart. Sketchbook: Coming from an art background did you know that you always wanted to write and has this cookbook been a project you’ve always wanted to? I got this inkling that I wanted to write something, not necessarily cookbooks but something to do 15

with food. SB: Have you have any experience in writing? No, I haven’t but when I decided to do a cookbook I did not think they were very serious, I thought it could be done in three months. I cooked very well and I liked inviting people over for dinner, so even though I had not done anything too professional I could market food and so I thought it would be easy. At the time I had a boyfriend who was a great cook and was very passionate about cookery books. I had two or three cookbooks by great French cooks, so when it came down to writing a book on Lebanese food, I thought I could just go to my mother, get all the recipes from her and write them. SB: How did you get started on the book then? When I started to do preliminary work on the book I soon realised I that I was a bit reckless in the way I was going about writing a book, with no knowledge of how to do so. My agent then introduced me to everybody in the food industry at a really important gathering. I started meeting people

who knew about food and cookery books like writers and critics and it was good because I had made several friends at the gathering and asked them for their advice on things. SB: What were your influences and motivations to write the book Lebanese Cuisine? The reason I wanted to do this was because we were in the middle of a civil war and all the young kids like you (Wafa, the editor, is from the Middle East) had left Lebanon and didn’t have mothers and grandmothers like I had to teach them about the country, how things work or where they are made. So I thought I’d document that period of time for the next generation, it actually took 3 years to collate the information and write the book. What was great is that the book was a big success. It was well received by both the writers in the food industry and the young people I had created the book for. SB: It took three years to research and write the book? Yes it took me a whole three years from conception to completion! You must remember it was my first book so I was very new to writing, but I did a vast amount of researching around in the library and reading books to see how it’s done. I decided that it wasn’t just going to be a cookery book filled with recipes like a generic one; it was going to be something different. SB: What were you doing in those three years, just focusing on the book? It took me about 6 months to do the proposal, we had a publisher and even though we knew a publisher was interested in the Lebanese food book we had to shop around for the best deal anyways and see who would pay the best. Two years to write the recipes and test them, to ensure that people that cook from the book are successful so they know it works. I had to come up with, cook and test 200 recipes and worse I had to convert my mother’s old measurements, they use handfuls and such, that can’t be translated clearly to metric measurements or cooking times especially comments like ‘cook it till its done?’ What is ‘done?’ and how long does it take to get to this ‘done’? My mother and I had disagreements but she helped so much and even came to stay with me for 7 months, so she is a big part of the book ‘Lebanese Cuisine’. SB: After the first book another five came out,

it seems like you’ve gotten into your stride with cookery books? The first book, Lebanese Cuisine, took a lot of researching in the library and reading plenty of books I had found to get it done, it had also a lot of quotes. To write the other books I used mainly field research, but even with knowing the process of writing a book and having done it before, with each book comes some level on anxiety, sometimes you have moments where you’re very pleased and some moments where you’re not very happy about what you’ve done. SB: The second book was about food in Morocco and you went there, how long for? I was there for about three weeks going from one city to another, eating the street foods and sampling stuff. SB: You’d test the food and write the recipe on the spot? Usually my writing would happen back home, I was there to research, taste the foods and come back and write it up, sometimes people would give it to me, if not I would have to remember it and recreate it, then I would research the recipe. SB: Now that your books are acclaimed and you’ve succeeded in creating books for young people and foodies alike what are you plans for the future? I love writing books and learning more about Moroccan, Sicilian and Lebanese culture, but one day I hope to move away from London and go to Sicily because I love the area and the atmosphere, it has an Arabian landscape that is much like Syria. I am writing a new book right now and working on new ventures like a deli. I don’t intend on slowing down any time soon, I’ve got a lot of work and ideas ahead of me! Anissa’s books including the latest “Modern Mezze” are all available on Amazon and in the book store, Books for Cooks in Notting Hill.

Sketchbook STUDIO at Kingly Court Two weeks ago Sketchbook STUDIO moved base to an incredible space in Kingly Court, Carnaby, London. From July 19th to July 30th this hub of creativity was split over three floors. We dedicated one of the three floors to a studio space for 20 new and established artists working on their individual projects or collaborations. A huge range of work was created over the two weeks, including illustrations, painting, sculptures, photography and film. There were no boundaries and the space was completely open to the artists’ ideas. 41

Another floor was dedicated to live fashion shoots. The space was given to photographers and stylists from various publications shooting editorial spreads as well as designers looking to photograph their look-books and promotional shoots. Each day was a new adventure, creating a record number of consecutive fashion events outside of fashion week. Among this creative atmosphere Sketchbook hold a live office where writers, illustrators, photographers and designers were compiling the third issue – The Editors

Issue. The open studio gave our readers and the public a chance to meet the team and see how an issue is created. For the final event, Sketchbook STUDIO hold a huge event including a silent auction, live music, drinks and cookies.

Text FABIAN JAMES Illustrations ? Images: (c) Global Color esearch(tm) 21

In The Mix

are treated badly. It also means that only those who have rich parents or a huge capacity for debt can go into journalism; this inevitably narrows the scope of opinion.

Trend forecasting is a tricky game. Pair it with editing 130 pages of magazine content every three months and you’re looking at a position that requires years of experience, never mind a natural knack for being selective and an acute eye for style. Mix magazine’s Editor, Tamsin Kingswell, does just that.

What would you say is more useful in your industry, internships and experience or formal education? Everyone’s experience is different. People get into journalism in so many diverse ways it’s hard to pick a definitive route. Often you just need to be open to any opportunities that present themselves. Talent and luck both help too.

Why don’t we start with an introduction? When did you first work in the publishing world and who was it for? I entered Cosmopolitan’s Young Journalist of the Year competition and won it. It was rather a strange way of getting into journalism but it worked for me.

I understand that now you work for Global Color Research as Editor in Chief of Mix magazine. What does Mix try to do as a publication? Mix is a very unique magazine. As the sister publication to Mix Trends, a seasonal colour forecast book, its chief objective is to get our parent company Global Color Research’s very specialised and Had you always wanted to go into design exhaustive trends to a wider audience, admittedly a criticism and journalism? year later than the initial trend reports themselves. My degree was in fashion and textiles but I was rubbish The magazine sets a very high standard, both visuat designing and so thought it would be a lot easier ally and editorially. to talk to people who could actually design. What is a typical day for you? Many of those working in the publishing One of the beauties of journalism is that there are industry began as interns; how did you break no typical days. I have a very low boredom threshinto journalism? old so I’ve never held with doing the same thing at I was lucky, winning the competition opened up lots the same time, day in day out. of doors. What, in your eyes, is the essence of a good How do you feel about the publishing industry issue? in relation to interns? We have to have good pictures; Mix is very much a I feel uneasy about the whole intern system. I visual magazine. We also look at the global market appreciate that many magazines couldn’t run and focus on colour as much as possible. We try without them and that the experience gained is to distil the trends our readers should know about very valuable but it still feels a little bit like slavery across the board, from fabrics to contract furniture. to me, especially when people intern for years or As we often work in the future sometimes we don’t

know if an issue has been good or not until we see what we have written about filtering through to the mass market. Some would see it as a necessary evil, others, a service to readers; what is your relationship with advertising at Mix? How do you feel about advertising in the publishing industry? We are lucky in that we have a great deal of editorial freedom at Mix but I think it is important that journalists understand the importance of advertising in the survival of any magazine. With no money there’s no magazine so it is important to work with rather than against marketing teams. You have previously worked at Drapers along with several other publications. What are the most important things that you learned there? Drapers was excellent training because it was tough; I also worked for a great but exacting editor who really believed in the magazine and was willing to fight her corner. I think to be a really good editor you need to care about the magazine you look after. It’s not enough to treat it like a day job. You were Deputy Editor, had you had an editorial position before then? I was Features Editor previously. How did the skills at that position and your previous others prepare you for working in trends? I’ve worked with trends all my working life and I am always impressed by how the people who compile them can predict with such accuracy what is going to work in the future. Trends are changing rapidly with new media so it’s an exciting and challenging time. What are the best and worst aspects of working as an editor and writer now? I think there is less emphasis on good writing and more focus on immediacy and images now. I don’t think people have the patience to read long features anymore, which is a shame be23

cause I like writing them! However the Internet has transformed information sourcing and made global magazines possible. I am still childishly in awe of email and the Internet. What are your views on blogs? Initially they bored me to tears, especially people who made the mistake of thinking that just because something was happening to them (babies, moving to a rural location) it must be interesting. But design blogs are now a major source of inspiration and are anything but dull. Online blogs and independent magazines are becoming more popular and influential, is that a huge threat to the need for magazines? I think the two can live in harmony. The best-case scenario is a blog that sits alongside a magazine, offering readers further value. That’s the main reason why the Mix team have launched a blog in February 2010. How do you see the relationship between online media and print publications developing in the future? I hope the two can work side by side. I would miss print media. I still love the feel and weight of a glossy magazine but like the immediacy of the Internet. A marriage of both would be perfect I think. Blogs such as Dezeen are becoming equally as influential as editors such as yourself, how do you feel about this? I love them but spend too much time browsing and not enough writing. What is your relationship with digital media and social networking, are you a particular fan of any methods of online communication? I have a weakness for Facebook, but got bored of Tweeting very quickly; I don’t blog though, I prefer to read other people’s blogs rather than talk about myself.

Have you found yourself contributing to online publications in recent years? Here and there but my main focus in the last few years has been Mix. We are broadening Mix’s online presence though with a monthly e-newsletter which I now edit. How do you think blogs differ from books and magazines, and what do you see as the new roles for each? Tricky one this, I think blogs have a distinctive voice from magazines, it’s less formalised, more like chatting to a friend. I think the standard of writing tends to be stronger in magazines because of the subbing process. What are your future plans? Have you got any projects at the moment that you would like to discuss? Times are really tough and my main concern is to see Mix safely through this recession. Lastly, what advice would you give to those in the early stages of a journalism career or wanting to move from journalism into editorship? Be very sure you are in it for the right reasons. It can be glamorous but it’s likely you will spend a long time interviewing people about coat hangers (as I did) before you get to fly off somewhere exotic. Most importantly, you should want to write more than anything. Mix, the partner publication of Mix Trends, is a quarterly design and colour trends magazine that is priced at £17 and produced by the consultancy Global Color Research. With a worldwide readership of approximately 20,000, composed of textile, interior and product designers, architects, buyers and trend-savvy consumers, Mix magazine is a great read for anyone that is interested in how trend forecasting works. www.globalcolor.co.uk

www.nylonmag.com/ http://www.marvinscottjarrett.com/ 24

Sugar and spice and a one woman wonder – that’s what DailyCandy’s made of Unwrapping the sweet world of life as the editor for London’s most delicious guide Text MARISSA BAXTER Photography ANDREW CROWLEY (portraits of Malika) Illustrations © DailyCandy (lamppost, cab, phone booth)

London is our city. We love her. She holds up as one of the coolest cosmopolitans around and don’t we know it. She houses us, feeds us, entertains and guides us but sometimes she kicks us to the curb and from being our sanctuary she becomes a sprawling mass of people and places in which we become lost. So every now and again we need a little guidance to help us find our way back and remind us just how wonderful it is to live in London, and that’s where Malika Dalamal comes in; the almondeyed editor of 13

DailyCandy; the London edition. For those in the know, DailyCandy London is the city’s best-kept (not so) secret, a little piece of something fresh and sweet from around your neighborhood to brighten up your inbox each day. For those yet to discover this delectable delight DailyCandy is an e-mail newsletter that delivers the first scoop (every DailyCandy bulletin is an exclusive at the time of execution) on new restaurants and bars, exhibitions, sample sales, flying trapeze lessons, happenings and events in the city of London just for you. Born of her sister edition, the original DailyCandy New York, which launched in 2000 as the brain-child of DC founder Dany Levy, London is the only candy to launch this side of the Atlantic (and the only edition outside the US) while New York shares candies in major cities across America (think Los Angeles, Boston and San Francisco to name a few.) As she holds down the fort here, London has

a lot to live up to, and so does her editor, who, like London’s candy, runs the show solo, ensuring that for us, our city does indeed live up to her hype. A typical day for Malika Dalamal, (though there is nothing typical about a day spent trying out a new facialist, giving graffiti lessons a go or learning to street fight) involves a lot of time out in the city herself, looking for the next story. Not exactly your typical editor’s duties. But then as the one immediate staffer on a solely online publication, life as the Editor of DC London was always destined to be a little bit different. With the New York office starting up about 2.30 pm London-time, Dalamal’s mornings may be spent scouring the streets for the next pop-up restaurant or DJ masterclass, but afternoons are spent online liaising with the New York production team and editors. With all stories fact checked and copy edited by the New York office, Dalamal needs to be available to troubleshoot anything they may bring her way and to sign-off on the final

e-mail before it is sent out. Evenings, of course, are spent attending launches and openings, racking up those future exclusives or dining with friends (no doubt at a restaurant that will appear in your inbox the next day). As one would imagine in a single occupant office (or rather Dalamal’s living room) there are a lot of administrative tasks to see to, writing and e-mailing to be done, and with no interns to pick up the slack. Dalamal herself only brings in interns to help out when covering big events such as London Fashion Week, which she describes as ‘chaos’ as she keeps up the daily newsletters as well as fashion week coverage, looking for the alternative stories of ‘cool and quirky’ happenings around the main fashion week events. Though her interns may only come along a couple of times in a year, Dalamal recognises the benefit of interning for those looking to enter the world of fashion journalism and notes that aspiring journalists want to be ideally interning while getting a degree. 14

As for Dalamal herself, with just two years as the London editor of Daily Candy under her belt, she may be considered relatively fresh-faced in her role but has been following the DC story since its’ birth. Studying at Tufts University in Boston when the New York edition launched, Dalamal was introduced to the London edition when working at The Daily Telegraph, was asked to cover the launch of DC London in 2005. Dalamal freelanced for DailyCandy in the years that followed until 2008 when the launch editor asked her to interview for the London editor position. Dalamal met with Dany Levy and Eve Esptein, editor-in-chief of the time and the rest is DC history. 2008 was a big year for DailyCandy, not only the year Dalamal came on board but the DailyCandy family was then brought by Comcast Corporation. Since the takeover the DC site has expanded with curated city guides, photo galleries, reader comments, a dedicated wedding site, and DailyCandy video which, says Dalamal, ‘brings the DC voice to life.’ It’s the narrative voice of the DailyCandy newsletters, which readers have come to know and love like their uber hip best friend; ‘pithy, witty, clever, unexpected’ who keeps us coming back for more. 83

And we do, thanks to Dalamal, she is the eyes and ears of our city, so one has to wonder what our city means to Dalamal. the streets of London are her creative playground, her livelihood and the heart of DailyCandy. ‘Trends are born on the streets, so reporting from there you’ll always be a step ahead.’ And this of course is the essence of DC as one delights in discovering that often fresh London candies, such as a new boutique, are discovered simply by Dalamal talking to builders working on a storefront. Once discovered, new restaurants or shops need to be opening the day the newsletter is sent out to ensure that all-important first scoop. As such, pitches from PR’s are often too late with only around five percent of email pitches making it to the newsletter, and with a strict no “pay for play” policy DailyCandy chooses you, not the other way around. And it works. For Dalamal, one of the best aspects of editing DC London is supporting the amazing creative talent, bringing out emerging London designers and businesses and with such a responsive readership, those featured tend to sell out or get booked for months, such is the impact of DailyCandy. While DailyCandy may be flourishing, we are all

too aware of the current economic climate and the impact this has on our industry. Dalamal though, is not fazed. Instead, she says it has simply forced everyone to be more creative and think differently, resulting in designers doing exciting and unusual collaborations, while popup boutiques, galleries, and restaurants that have made temporary home in vacant shops no doubt become the next bite of DailyCandy, the perfect pick me up for a gloomy city. As one ponders how the industry will continue to respond to an unpredictable economic climate ,one notes that online editorial is garnering a respected place in the industry and this most certainly for Dalamal, is the future. ‘Online is really where the publishing world is heading,’ she notes. ‘It’s immediate. There are no long lead times like on magazines so you can give readers up to date information which is what everyone wants and needs.’ Part of what helps DailyCandy succeed in this medium is ‘great editorial and word of mouth buzz. There is a shocking amount of inaccurate information on the web,’ says Dalamal and emphasises that DC content has always been stringently fact checked as well as very heavily edited before circulation, ‘which is unusual for an online publication.’ While most print publications already have an online presence, and as Dalamal notes, those that are able to eventually will be entirely online, there is something to be said for those glossy pages and luxurious inks. ‘There are certain fashion and design magazines that only really work in print – looking at a beautiful fashion shoot online is just not the same,’ she admits. But with such a hectic schedule, Dalamal has no time to dwell, she is a whole magazine’s staff rolled up in one; features editor, copy editor, photo editor, fashion and beauty editor and so on. As organized as she must b,e there is a 84

certain freedom to be found in having this kind of creative license, though does acknowledge that she is never quite able to be switched off, carrying the entire responsibility for her publication on those slight shoulders. Though one imagines Dalamal wouldn’t have it any other way, constantly being at the centre of the fresh, the up-and-coming, the undiscovered, and being able to share this with those that feel a love and affinity for your publication. And of course there are the new discoveries every day; “Sam the bubble man, who does all kinds of fun stuff with bubbles like putting people inside them and making them out of fire; the inflatable pub, which is literally a huge blow up pub that you can hire for parties and the Shaman healer” are just a few of the favorites Dalamal has brought to the DailyCandy reader. ‘There is a lot more to come’, the latest of which is Swirl, the DailyCandy site dedicated purely to sample sales. With our souls revived and soles well heeled one has to wonder, now that Dalamal has shown us our sanctuary again, where does she go to find her London? ‘I love the parks. The view from the top of Primrose Hill is spectacular and the rose garden in Regent’s Park smells incredible in the summer. The Japanese garden in Holland Park is so peaceful and I love that there are peacocks just roaming around.’ It is comforting to know, after sharing so much, that Dalamal has found a piece of London for herself, as perhaps she is the best kept secret of all, without whom, there would be no sweets to sample.

Profile of Tyler Brûlé Tyler Brule has become an inspiration for aspiring creatives worldwide with his astoundingly impressive credentials. From a career in journalism Brule worked his way up to become the founding editor of some of the most influential publications in design and lifestyle. Born in Winnipeg, Canada at the end of the 1960’s, I doubt even he would have been able to predict the sheer amount of success he has managed to accrue over the years. In 1989, he made the big step across the pond and moved to England to pursue a career in journalism, beginning as an intern at the BBC. His career began on the BBC 2 show, Reportage, that also founded household names such as newsreader Krishnan Guru Murphy and the former BBC3 commissioner Stuart Murphy who started as a runner. Whilst working alongside the BBC, he also wrote for The Sunday Times, Vanity Fair and The Guardian, creating a name for himself as a capable journalist both in print and broadcast, developing his key skills in all areas. His journalism career took a turn for the worst whilst he was in Afghanistan covering the war in 1994 for the BBC; he was shot by a sniper and unfortunately lost the use of his left hand. Brule decided to leave journalism behind him and while recuperating, decided to launch Wallpaper*, now one of the most influential design and style magazines in the industry. Covering a wide range of lifestyle content, ranging from fashion to architecture, Wallpaper* is widely recognised as one of the best places to source 27

up to date design information, insightful interviews as well as having itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own award ceremony. Within the industry, Wallpaper* is also know for being the first magazine to employ advertorials.

ing more bespoke advertising for publications similar to Wallpaper*. Within only a short two years, Winkreative gathered an impressive client base including Selfridges, Stella McCartney, Prada Sport and Kurt Geiger.

In 1997, Time Warner bought Wallpaper* but kept Brule on as Editorial Director to keep the quality that he had bought to the magazine, Brule still kept his majority shares in the company. Several spin off magazines were created as supplements, but were discontinued after only a few issues. However, one spin off agency was destined for success.

2001 saw huge progress for Winkreative when they were chosen to create a new brand identity for Switzerlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national airline. With bordering on obsessive attention to detail and hard work, Winkreative managed to gain industry respect and several awards from this commission. It also lead to them buying out Time Warner and becoming an independent business.

Tyler Brule launched Winkreative, then Winkmedia, in 1998, it began as an intelligence-driven creative agency still connected to Wallpaper*, it is focused on develop-

Winkreative has expanded steadily over the years, with offices in Zurich and Tokyo, over 40 multilingual staff and 23 active clients, all overseen by Tyler Brule.

Also in 2001, Tyler Brule became the youngest ever recipient of the British Society of Magazine Editors Lifetime Achievement Award which is a great accolade. In May 2002, Tyler sold his stake in Wallpaper* to focus on Winkreative and created the company, Winkorp AG, as a parent company to look after the spin off agencies. Brule returned to his broadcast roots with the introduction of Winkontent, the editorial

Angels in America

Text SUSAN WALSH Images: KATHERINE BUTLER

the opportunity to find out. In interviewing the editor of Crash magazine, I learn that while her day may start out akin to others with Armelle dropping her daughter off at school before heading to the office on Rue Saint Honoré; it is here where a work day a little less ordinary unfolds. Such as how one day entailed styling Emma Watson for Crash with Karl Largerfeld acting as photographer, a shoot she describes as “so easy and fast” and one of her fondest memories at Crash. She sees her role as an editor as more like an artistic director as she observes, “the photographers and artists stay but the fashion editors don’t, we have forgotten Guy Bourdin the fashion editor, but the pictures are still there.” And it is the photographers like Nick Knight, artists like Dan Graham and designers like Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons that inspire her. For Armelle conceptualizing an issue of Crash is about capturing a global mood, something crucial considering the global climate we live in today, and in light of such, Crash has embraced online media as Armelle sees it, “online media is a complement of print, but in itself it’s not enough, it doesn’t make you dream because it’s too easy to produce.” However what it does offer, Armelle acknowledges, is “freedom”. And currently, Crash are producing films, one such one involving the artist Sam Samore for Tommy Hilfiger which can be seen on their website. So what does Armelle think of the onslaught of social networking PHOTOS ALEXANDRA CATIERE. FASHION EDITOR ARMELLE LETURCQ. MODEL CHRISTIAN BRYLLE. HAIR CHARLIE So how does one create such a publication? What may media then? With blogs, she says, it “can be very cre@ PROPERTY OF LOVE.COM. MAKE-UP HUNG VANNGO @ THE WALLGROUP.COM. SET DESIGN CARLOS DA CRUbloggers working ative and fresh” and there are many a typical day at Crash involve? Where does Armelle @ CREATIVEEXCHANGEAGENCY.COM at Crash. Street style photography blogging on the draw her inspiration? These are questions I’ve often otherhand is as she observes something the rest of the wondered and thankfully I have finally been afforded

CHRISTIAN WEARS JACKET AND SHIRT DIOR HOMME

Determined to always be her own boss she decided to set up her first magazine, an art publication called Blocnotes. After a while though Armelle found herself constricted by the art world- “art was too small a universe for me so I opened it to fashion, music etc. I have always been fascinated by images.” It was Armelle’s fascination with images and desire to create them that prompted her to set up Crash with Frank Perrin, her long time partner and recent husband (the pair just got married a month ago after over twenty years together!). Crash in my opinion is one of those magazines where languages transcend; you never need to have learnt a word of French in order to be able to understand it. It is a magazine that translates. This is undeniably down to Armelle and her ability to capture and share a world with us in through the images she creates. As you peruse through the pages of Crash you can’t help but see Armelle’s art background shine through, the images resemble what paintings may look like if they came to life à la Night at the Museum 2. You could picture Vermeer, Degas, Pissarro, Jacques-Louis David and Veronese all confined to the editorial room discussing what direction the magazine may take; when in walks Helmut Newton and introduces them to the camera and the issue begins to take shape. It is a magazine which blurs the lines between fashion and art. It is more coffee table book than magazine; it is a collector’s piece.

Angels in America

Coming from a family background in journalism with a fascination for contemporary art, studying art history in university and interning at an art magazine, a career as an art critic seemed pre-destined for Armelle Leturcq.

PHOTOS ALEXANDRA CATIERE. FASHION EDITOR ARMELLE LETURCQ. MODEL CHRISTIAN BRYLLE. HAIR CHARLIE @ PROPERTY OF LOVE.COM. MAKE-UP HUNG VANNGO @ THE WALLGROUP.COM. SET DESIGN CARLOS DA CRU @ CREATIVEEXCHANGEAGENCY.COM

Crash Into Me

CHRISTIAN WEARS JACKET AND SHIRT DIOR HOMME

world has really just finally caught up with, as this is something that the Japanese have been doing for over a decade at this stage. But back to Paris, it is after all the matriarch of the fashion world and as an editor and a consultant to designers like Dior Homme, Armelle is bound to have an insight on who are the designers we need to keep a close eye on. A question which is surprisingly not so easily answered as Armelle explains, “We need a new generation of designers in Paris, urgently... but they have no help here, even Andam prices give the money now to British designers... the French have to wake up... even Anna Wintour gave a price to a French designer, shame on us!!!” On a broader scope though, she sees Rodarte as the next big brand so to speak. So what advice does Armelle offer to aspiring stylists? Be a good assistant, gladly carry shopping bags, know the relevant places and people, to always remain polite, and most importantly to absorb culture-see films, listen to music, read books; create your own taste; and oh yeah, stop chatting on Facebook in the office!

CHRISTIAN WEARS GREY VELVET JACKET, PANTS AND SOCKS THOM BROWN AND BLACK PATENT LEATHER SHOES DIOR HOMME

Interview with Lula Magazine Editor,

Leith Clark

Lula I have always felt is a magazine which makes you dream. It is a magazine that encapsulates the art of playing dress up as a child, not surprisingly the favourite game of a young LEITH CLARK, editor and founder of Lula. Text SUSAN WALSH Illustrations MONIQUE JIVRAM

It is this journey into the ‘play pretend’ world that makes each issue a time capsule of an adventure into the worlds that lie within your imagination.

of Leith’s heroes, Liz Tilberis, former editor of Harper’s Bazaar U.S and Jane Pratt founder and editor of the now defunct Sassy.

So it’s not so shocking when Leith tells me how Charlotte [Sanders], features editor of Lula and her sometimes have editorial meetings at the zoo; it seems, well, rather fitting. The fact that conceptualizing an issue often begins with something abstract like a kaleidoscope or a cartoon only seems to reinforce that Lula is, to adopt the magazine tagline, the ‘Girl of my Dreams’. What sets Lula apart from her peers is this magic; that while the concept of each issue may change, a whimsical journey is always guaranteed. It is a magazine that doesn’t just offer escapism but rather demands it.

Though what I’m interested in learning is how our girl ‘Lula’ came to exist and for this, one must look to the woman behind the magazine: Leith Clark.

It is how each feature has a storybook effect, where else could you find an article where designer Rachel Antonoff takes you on the journey of a boater hat as if you were gripping on to Aladdin’s magic carpet, swishing and gliding through the dimensions visiting everyone from Edwardian gentleman to Madeline along the way, accompanied of course by hazy dreamlike visuals acting as the illustrations in this tale? It is a magazine which is both nostalgic yet forward thinking.

Simply put, Leith wanted to make a magazine for her, because there wasn’t one. However no journey is ever so simple. Leith would first rack up some serious hours both as an intern and a fashion assistant. Dropping out of university in her second semester, Leith was New York bound undertaking an internship at Interview magazine and also brief internships at Harper’s Bazaar and Jane while still at Interview. Her next destination was London where she still resides today and after only a one month internship at British Vogue, she was appointed fashion assistant to Vogue’s fashion director Kate Phelan.

Leith credits her two years working at Vogue as her education and she advises any aspiring stylists to intern. “I don’t think a practical degree in fashion styling is a smart move - it’s kind of a waste of time. If you want to study, get a degree in art history. For me, I wanted to be in it and see it and learn that way and it In looking through the pages of the magazine you can was wonderful.” And clearly this logic has served Leith clearly see how the influence fashion editors like Grace Coddington of U.S. Vogue, Kate Phelan of British Vogue well as when not working on Lula, Leith contributes to and Melanie Ward of Harper’s Bazaar U.S. who together publications like U.S. Harper’s Bazaar, British, Chinese made up the visual landscape of Leith’s mind growing up and Japanese Vogue as well as having styled campaigns for Chanel, Cacharel, Orla Kiely, shows have infiltrated Lula. There are also subtle nods to two 35

such as Moschino Cheap & Chic and Erin Fetherston, and is Keira Knightley’s stylist for events and red carpet, to name a few! Though Leith had not expected to become a stylist initially, she had suspected that she would become a writer. However, when tempted by the lure of styling Leith found “It was much more satisfying to be visual. I had never been able to draw or paint at school and this was the closest thing I could do - so it felt really satisfying because I’d always felt like I should be in the art room.”

Rodarte, where clearly the feeling is mutual. Issue four sees Lula doing a tap dancing special which designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy designed a special tap outfit for, and made the collaboration look so easy. “I was in LA and had dinner with Zooey [Deschanel] and talked about it with her, and she was so into it... She choreographed a dance, Rodarte made a tap outfit for her... Our friend Autumn [De Wilde] took the pictures.”

However, Zooey Deschanel isn’t the only famous face that has been involved in a Lula project; Kirsten Dunst also took a turn, serving basically as co-editor for issue five, something which Leith loved as “it was a new and In defining her role, Leith sees the role of an editor as exciting way to work”. So she was only too enthused shaping and often times creating fashion where as a to welcome Joanna Newsom on board when she street-style photographer’s job is to document it, she approached them about getting involved with the observes. So as such which designers visually catch latest issue. But the most difficult thing about running Leith’s eye? Miu Miu and Chanel couture rank pretty an independent magazine? Leith notes, “There is never high on Leith’s visual barometer as does Olivier Theyskens’ enough time”. But what I have to know is who does first collection at Rochas in 2003 and his spring 2006 Leith see as the Lula reader? collection, which Leith gives the accolade to as one of the most beautiful shows she has ever been to. And “Me, my mum, my cousin Saffie, my fiance. Those are she advocates us all to get behind Charles Anastase, the people I see reading it anyway. I hope there are and for those who aren’t familiar with him, the perfect more.” I suspect there may very well be. introduction to him according to Leith are his first London show, and his last Paris show, which she loves. She also champions Erdem and considering how he was recently announced as the winner of the first BFC/ Vogue Designer Fashion Fund Award; Leith clearly has well-tuned foresight. Of course no fashion insiders could go about without mentioning their adoration for 37

JILL SWID GLAM.COM

BY SUSAN WALSH

Glam.com is one of the pioneers of online fashion and lifestyle media that recognized

the power of combining social networking with an online magazine style format long before such sites became commonplace. It is a site which the reader leaves feeling empowered; that your opinion matters. It is a place where fashion is accessible. A place where readers can imagine how they too could emulate Jennifer Anniston at the Oscars or Beyonce at the Grammys. It is a porthole to a world where you can act out all your celebrity fashion fantasies, all from the comfort of your own home via your laptop. The woman enabling these fashion adventures to take place is stylist Jill Swid, editor of Glam.com. Jill guides us through a world where silver screen stars, designers and musicians mingle. Swid began her fashion career while still in high school interning for Donna Karan where

one of the perks included having the designer create her prom dress. After completing a degree in American Studies at Columbia University, Jill began working in PR at Spin Magazine however she soon felt the lure of the editorial world and swapped PR for an editorial position at the magazine. It was in this position that she noticed a gap in the publication, something which she knew would be perfectly filled by fashion features â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a thing previously unheard of at Spin. One of the first fashion shoots was a denim story shot by a then up and coming Terry Richardson in his 100 sq ft apartment and it is a testament to her that fashion still remains at Spin. Jill subsequently worked at Mirabella, Talk, Radar and on morning television shows and programmes like The Family before finally settling at Glam.com.

What appealed to her about Glam.com is how “it reaches women in a way that no other online website does” and with over eight million blogs on the site, five of which Jill reads religiously, it definitely puts the spotlight on the readers. These blogs are a unique dimension to Glam.com that allows the readers to become the website so to speak. Glam.com is a site that illustrates our desire to emulate the fashions of celebrities Swid observes. However this is not a new phenomenon but rather something which began in the Middle Ages as the public craved to imitate the stylings of the royals and became cemented with the advent of cinema and the rise of the media. In Jill’s opinion the celebrity culture in fashion is essentially the industry today, something she knows all too well having styled the likes of Brooke Shields, Kate Winslet and Claudia Schiffer. Though ultimately it is the clothing which comes first as it is where our and the wearer’s exploit begins. As such, designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Mr Beene, Alexander McQueen, Balmain

and Galliano are a staple in Swid’s mood board with Peter Hidalgo being her latest designer crush and someone she would like to see gain more support. Jill’s hope when she started styling was to reach people from coast to coast and as editor of Glam.com, a website that connects people all over the world and her vast experience styling people with an international presence one would surely suspect she has succeeded if not surpassed her goal.

Interview with The Art Newspaper editor

Despite a chaotic start to her career, Jane believes such a varied art background gives her an advantage that other journalists lack. “I think that, in any field, it’s always easier if you’re a specialist. Especially for a paper like this: you need that specialist knowledge. It helps to know people and how it all works. Fortunately, this is one of the few areas where it isn’t considered a bad thing to have gone to art school.”

As I traipse the streets of Lambeth looking for The Art Newspaper’s office, I inevitably get lost. The snow is soaking through to my skin and as I arrive to meet Jane Morris, the editor, I’m flustered, cold and apologetic; a terrible start, essentially. Thankfully, Jane offers me a cup of tea - the remedy to any ailment - and we finally sit down to discuss the highs and lows of being an editor.

Critics like David Sylvester, Matthew Collings and the early work of Robert Hughes inspired Jane to write, but what particularly sparked her interest was a TV programme. “One of the first [art] programmes I really remember was a series by Sandy Nairne on contemporary art which I found really exciting – it was all about the likes of Kiefer and Baselitz, who you rarely saw in the UK in the early 1980s,” she later informs me. With these muses in mind, Jane planned a future in art criticism, a notoriously difficult industry to get into.

Jane Morris

Except being an editor was never Jane’s intention. Coming out of Central St. Martin’s in the early 1990s, with a fine art degree rolled-up in her hand, Jane planned for a penniless, unconventional future. “When we all came out of art school, although the YBAs were very much around, no-one really expected to ever make any money. In the early 1990s it felt as if it was going to be difficult to make a career out of anything at all.” Although she was quite content with the artist’s lifestyle for a while, it seems her parents were less keen on the idea. “My parents were absolutely fuming, well, not delighted let’s say, that I didn’t take a place at Oxford. For a few years I was living in a squat in Wimbledon, trying to keep a studio going. They thought I’d made the most horrific mistake.” After two years in a studio near London Bridge, Jane began to realise that a solitary studio existence wasn’t for her. She did a curatorial traineeship at Riverside Studios and began mounting exhibitions for friends around Hoxton and Liverpool Street. After this, she added the final feather to her vocational cap, and completed a postgraduate diploma in journalism at City University. 43

Illustrations: Corinne Delaney

getting the best out of other people. I run a very big group of correspondents, which makes sending out their Christmas cards a bit of a nightmare.”

After writing freelance for publications like Art World and The Guardian, Jane began editing the fair editions of The Art Newspaper. Rather “I’d always intended to be a writer. It’s interesting than a monthly 100,000-word newspaper, for the how you start to learn your own strengths; people Armory, Basel, Frieze and Miami art fairs, the paper had always told me that they thought I’d be good on the editing side, but I’d always been quite resis- becomes a daily affair, which changes the pace tant to that. I felt I’d never get the chance to write, enormously. Which, Jane admits, she didn’t and I wasn’t entirely convinced I’d be good at it. It’s particularly relish at the time; “It’s far from sitting taken me some years to realise that although there around having nice, lengthy intellectual conversation. are lots of very competent writers out there, which I It’s more like, ‘right, we’ve got six or seven empty pages and we’ve got to fill them by tonight.’ suppose would include me, but there are very few brilliant writers. Very few people are ever going to write like Martin Amis or whoever. As that penny began to drop I began to realise that I really like working as a part of a team and I’m quite good at

“I guess it’s a certain masochistic pleasure in being able to do them. By day three, and there are only three of us who’ve managed to do a whole run, you sort of feel like you’re having a nervous breakdown. Mostly because you’re lacking in sleep: you start at nine in the morning, right through till two in the morning and then you’re up again at nine. Add jetlag and you’re just in a completely different zone.” Luckily, she survived to tell the tale and became The Art Newspaper’s fully-fledged editor in October of last year.

Sustainable Fashion:

Who Cares? Chantal-Lawren Sainsbury investigates on how sustainable clothes are and how conscious the shopper is of its origin. Can sustainable fashion really exist? After all, fashion by its very nature is not sustainable. As Dr Kate Fletcher points out: ‘The relationship between fashion and consumption conflicts with sustainability’. You only need to look at research from Defra to see that we are compromising future generations’ resources because of our addiction to excessive consumption. I can’t get my head around the fact that more than one million tones of clothing are thrown away each year, with half this amount ending up in landfill (Defra), that’s the equivalent weight of 16,000,000 ‘average’ sized women in the UK! Buying new clothes and discarding barely used garments purely because they are no longer ‘on trend’ is a cultural norm and a problem that some would say, has overstepped the ethical mark. Fashion is driven by demand, and there is a demand for fast mass-produced clothing, but although most of us think logically about the impact of consumption on our world, fashion still seems to be on the back leg with regards to innovation in this field.

in 1999. Looking specifically at clothing within this market a total of £4 million was spent on ethical clothing in 1999 compared to £172 million in 2008, a substantial amount of growth proving that this market is beyond a trend and needs to be taken seriously by all involved in fashion, whether that be designer, retailer or consumer. Sustainable clothing is nothing new. Over the past few decades an awareness campaign focusing on the issues faced when consuming fast fashion have pushed brands such as Benetton into the limelight with their hard hitting advertising campaigns. It’s common to see celebrities associating themselves with sustainably produced brands and yet at the same time the same tabloids who feed us these stories promote ‘bargain’ fast fashion and the latest must have trends. However, it seems that in these difficult economic times, where you’d expect people to consume more cheap and poorly produced clothing, that there is actually a sure rise in the sustainable fashion market. Could it be that with less money, people would rather save and invest in an item of clothing that they will get a lot of use from as appose to a one-off throwaway item? This leads me to hypothesise on the future possibilities for the fashion market. Could it be that instead of buying new clothes because our old ones are out of fashion we actually re-invent them? Will we take old, tired clothing to a designer who will create a new outfit mixing the original materials with recycled goods? Could fashion go full circle and focus back on craftsmanship and quality over all else? There are huge possibilities for the industry to move in a more sustainable manner. Moving away from the greed and over-consumption that society promotes and instead looks at more creative forms of defining what is fashionable?

Fast-fashion is a growing market with reports of stores such as Primark expecting annual pre-tax profit of nearly £700m (up from £495m in 2009). On the other hand the Ethical Consumerism Report To find out more about what the sustainable 2009 shows that expenditure on ethical goods and fashion market has to offer, I’ve interviewed experts services has grown almost threefold in the past from different backgrounds to show the problems, 10 years. Overall the ethical market in the UK was worth £36 billion in 2008 compared to £13.5 billion 49

“

For this illustration, I imagined a sustainable wardrobe or hall stand of a girl who has a “very sustainable” attitude towards fashion. The clothes are among flowers, which symbolizes the environment (that she respects and loves) in a girly and pretty way. This hall stand is metaphoric to her attitude.

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Quote from Florence Bamberger www.florencebamberger.com

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Shoot by Barbara Anastacio

EXPLOSIONS

Mask

Shoot by James Brown