Spring Fashion Issue by Soma Magazine

SPRING FASHION ISSUE

JOHN C. JAY FASHION ICONS A SEASONAL DEBATE Volume 30.2

Apr ‘16

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Contents

features

John C. Jay

Black & White

style & usage

fashion

A Seasonal Debate Photography by Olivia Beasley

Alchemy Photography by Peter Rosa

Street Couture

Pebble

Contents 12

Liza Smith

14 16 18 20

Kamila Dmowska Tempest + Bentley Maria Suomalainen Camilla Arnbert

street pulse

Paris

word play

24 26

Otherworldly Pretty Ugly

about a place

Sonia Ryklel Fashion House

hand signal

Phil Oh

i - pose

Love to Pose

music

Chic Beats Miya Folick, Mr. Little Jeans, Wes Period

urbanite

BarChef

last word

white noise future stars of fashion

L A E Y E W O R K S • L O S A N G E L E S | O p t O m E t R i x • B E v E r Ly H i L L S | A R t S E E B p C • N E W yO r K | E Y E G O t C h A • S A N F r A N C i S C O O t t i C A • S E At t L E

Lu n E t t E O p t i C • B OStO N

B R ASS m O n O C u L E • C A LG A ry

EYE DESiGnS • rEd BANK

BRuCE EYEWEAR

| K A R i R E Y E W E A R • tO r O N tO | G E O R G E S L AO u n • M O N t r E A L |

•

vA N C O u v E r

B L A K E K u WA h A R A . C O m

White Noise

Liza Smith

Grooming Couture TEXT BY JENNIFER MOULAISON PHOTOGRAPHY BY GENOVEVA ARTEAGA-RYNN / VIN+OMI

The spirit of couture extended all the way down to the fingertips at recent Fashion Week events, where exceptional displays of intricate nail art were rampant, confirming our suspicions that this trend is indeed experiencing a resurgence. While using impossibly intricate nail art to punctuate the designs sent down the runways is decidedly not a fresh concept, it has gained new relevance of late, showcasing modern advancements in technique and materials. These novelties are affording talented artists, such as award-winning salon owner Liza Smith, the ability express themselves more completely than ever before. With a professional background that includes international competition wins, a role as Education Ambassador for the global brand CND, and participation in Fashion Week since the early ‘00’s, Liza is the perfect person with whom to discuss nail art’s evolving role in couture, as well as her own groundbreaking endeavors in the industry. Why choose nails, rather than the more common beauty pursuits of hair and makeup? My first love was make-up and hairdressing, (I was practicing on my friends and family from the age of 12!) I have always been fascinated by the human body but my creative side drew me to Nails and hair. By the time I was traveling in the nail competition circuit, I was fully enthralled with the science behind the creativity and continued to develop my skills. It was these skills that have flown me all over the world to look after the hands and feet of the famous! How did you build such a successful relationship with label Vin + Omi, and what drove your collaborations creatively? After building up a great team to work with me at Fashion Week three years ago, I was put in touch with Vin + Omi and we clicked straight away. Each show we experimented liberally. In our second season we applied vintage candy directly to tips to look as though the models had stuck their hands in the sweetie jar. Another season with CND onboard as a sponsor and we were asked to make a dress out of nail tips. My team hand-painted over 17,000 tips in 7 different colors that were then hand applied to the material of the dress. This season CND sponsored in a bigger way than ever before and funded a project that saw six of us design and produce the biggest and baddest nail styles I have ever produced! 12

This show was called Colourotic, and was based around over thirty shades of CND Vinylux polish range. We were asked to design no holds barred nail styles based around surrealism and/ or extreme shapes. Designers like Vin and Omi are a dream to work with because they treasure creativity across all of the elements of their show. Tell us about Bodylines. What began with only myself and a trainee on the payroll has since expanded to cover three thousand square feet on three floors and has shifted from a beauty and hair salon offering nails, to a Nail salon offering hair and beauty. Because we have the CND Kent Academy on the same premises as the Bodylines salon, our staff is repeatedly put through the classes for nails and waxing. We also send them to regular training with Dermalogica, HD Brows, and Neauveu lashes. After all of my travels and networking with different salons around the world, I have a very clear vision of my brand and its offerings of many inter-connecting treatments to the highest level, with amazing, science-backed knowledge. With such great strides in innovation, products and techniques, which ones are you implementing in your services? I only use products from the brand CND. They are one of only a few brands in the industry that research and develop their own products and their science-based knowledge that is passed onto us as educators allows me total faith in offering the very best to my clients. My signature looks are using custom blended acrylic colored powders to completely change the look of the natural nails but leaving them looking totally natural. I also developed a technique around 18 years ago called 2-step. This involves using opaque acrylic powders to extend the look of the nail bed and then applying a 2nd extension to create a stunning customized end within which I trap different mediums to achieve a 3D effect. What does the future hold for you? There isn’t yet a high street nail franchise in the UK and, after 30 years of running a salon and my experiences of the industry, I feel I know how to make a good business model. While there are lots of high volume/low cost nail bars here in the UK, just as there are in the US, there are not enough really great, affordable, well-educated high street salons. I intend to change that.

Future Stars Of Fashion

Kamila Dmowska TEXT BY JENNIFER RICHARDSON PHOTOGRAPH BY NICOLAS GUTIERREZ

Often times, it seems the simplest wardrobe needs yield the largest dressing challenge. This became apparent to Kamila Dmowska, who saw a scarcity in what fashion had to offer to those of us who just need a simple dress for that event we’re attending at the end of the month, or maybe just want to throw something on for a lunch meeting and feel put-together. Seeking to fill this gap with superior offerings in straightforward, everyday dresses, Kamila launched her own line, thus bringing those moments spent standing in a closet full of clothes, yet finding nothing to wear, to a merciful end. American-made, manufactured in New York’s Garment District, but based on the steeply inclined streets of San Francisco, Kamila’s line is born of the firm belief that a classic, sophisticated dress for all occasions shouldn’t be hard to find. Her very versatile dresses are the epitome of desk-to-dinner and work-to-weekend outfitting. Kamila describes her dresses simply as, “for the woman who leads a quality life.” As if this simple concept wasn’t enough, Kamila also sought to maintain exceptional standards of quality without unnecessarily over-charging her loyal following of discerning clientele. How does she do it? For starters, her brand is available solely online, doing away with the overhead costs tied to retail spaces. Kamila has also managed to grasp the not-so-complex concept that seems to elude so many other designers: there are areas in which to save, and areas in which it is appropriate and worthwhile to spend. Material is one of the areas in which spending is justified. Fabrics include hand-made silks and original patterns, and are sourced from Italy and New York. We spoke with Kamila recently about her incomparable collection and her business model. Name the primary source of inspiration for your creations. Women and their lifestyle. I am one of them and want to wear quality clothes that influence my day and make me feel empowered… From the very beginning I put women in the center thinking how the dress/garment will impact her life: including work, relationships and even her mood. What was it like getting your brand off the ground? Financial challenges are very common in fashion related companies/startups or designers. It’s hard to raise money for a clothing 14

business with some traction. I bootstrapped funding because I believe in my business and also saw an excitement in my customer’s eyes. So that kept me alive. Does the clientele you’ve established consist of the types of women you’d originally envisioned embracing your line? I think from the very beginning we attracted the customer we had in mind before starting the company. Making highend fashion accessible to young professional women was the critical point. Tell me more about your US production and New York’s Garment District. We decided to make and manufacture all dresses in the New York Garment District due to the access to best resources: talent, expertise in a high-end market and understanding the needs we have. Our manufacturer has been working with highend designers for decades and we learn a lot from them. Also, many manufacturers in California don’t have machines that can support delicate silk, and can’t guarantee the quality we want to achieve. Most of your designs are impeccably timeless, but some feature subtle, fresh looking prints. What made you choose to infuse the collection with such whimsical contrast? It was intentional to have a bit of an eclectic line of dresses but all dresses resemble one another. We want to make sure we offer the dresses women need. Thirty percent of our line intentionally stands for prints that can be worn to weddings and soirees, etc. Our patterns are subtle, as you mentioned, and can be worn again in three years for an unexpected getaway. Though primarily dresses, a blouse has popped up in your collection. Is this a sign of future expansions? I love dresses because they can be easily accessorized. They are like a blank canvas and take less space in your closet or when traveling. However, we want to extend to the entire wardrobe in the future and, while there are plans, it needs to be done carefully and at the right time.

Future Stars Of Fashion

Marissa Goodman TEXT BY JENNIFER RICHARDSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANICE MAO & BEATRICE D’AMICO

Neither Shakespeare nor luxury vehicle, Tempest + Bentley bodes the future of fine wool garments conceived out of refreshingly conscious, sustainable production. Upon discovering San Francisco’s marine layer necessitated pulling on that quintessential, chunky sweater but discouraged with what existed on the market, Marissa Thieriot rolled up her sleeves and set out to create Tempest + Bentley, putting to use a lengthy and impressive professional background—with stints at Gap, Esprit and even Google, to name a few. The name, Tempest + Bentley, is charmingly derived from Thieriot’s grandmothers’ middle names. Even more charming and classically rooted than its namesakes are her delectably chunky creations. These modern renditions of the quintessential cable-knit pullover are reminiscent of the past, while wholeheartedly embracing high sustainability of the future—From the dyehouse, selected for its certification in Global Organic Textile Standards, to high-grade wool coming from a historic ranch in the Pacific Northwest. With no detail overlooked, a superior knit product now exists through the efforts of one very impressive designer. How did you transition through your professional endeavors with major brands and corporations? While taking a break from designing for apparel brands in Sand Francisco, I was offered an opportunity to interview for a fashion startup. I eventually ended up at Google working on their Shopping e-commerce team. I was very content at Google, but always knew I would return to design, in some way. If I hadn’t spent the time I did being challenged in Silicon Valley, I know I wouldn’t have had the confidence and knowledge needed to start Tempest + Bentley. What are the highlights of what you absorbed during your professional history? I started at a small high-end cashmere company. To this day, it’s still the company that best prepared me for running my own knitwear business. At the larger corporate apparel brands 16

I developed an understanding of big business strategy as well as design development, production and marketing, on a large scale. It was important to learn how to communicate well and excel in an environment where there were many personal agendas to appease and corporate barriers to navigate. The most fun and educational part was traveling to factories in many parts of the world. Google allowed me to test my skills in a multitude of areas, from marketing, website development and trend analytics, to fashion and set styling. It’s amazing the range of products and concepts Google is working on at any given time. My biggest take from Google is the confidence I built in my abilities to persevere through challenging projects. Can you describe what “heritage-inspired” means in the context of your brand? I’ve always been drawn to the stitches and classic styling of vintage sweaters and sweaters that look like they could have been hand knit by your grandmother. Traditional Aran knits inspire the general aesthetic of Tempest + Bentley, however, I design the stitches and shapes to have more modern appeal. I also work with natural yarns that are softer than the scratchy wool traditionally used. How feasible is it to alter our standards for sustainable garment production? It’s much easier and much less expensive to produce garments without a concern for the social, economic and environmental impact they have. It took a lot of extra time to find ethical resources, get to know my suppliers and manufacturers, and ensure that I’m making garments in the most responsible way I can. The sustainable manufacturing and supplier community in the U.S. is growing though. As there is more and more demand, it will become easier to find responsible partners in the U.S. that are priced reasonably and can compete with quality and technique.

Future Stars Of Fashion

Maria Suomalainen TEXT BY KENDAL MCINNIS PHOTOGRAPH BY SARA RIIKONEN

Maria Suomalainen was this year’s third place winner in the Designers’ Nest Competition in Copenhagen—a rightfully earned title, as her work demanded the attention of not only the judges, but onlookers and competing designers as well. Having received her Bachelor’s degree from the Aalto University School of Arts, Design, and Architecture, Suomalainen has transformed her raw talent into statement art and striking found the perfect balance between weight, shape, and color. The juxtaposition of exotic shape, and controlled movement of her pieces effortlessly combine a calm, neutral palette with refreshing twists on staple dresses, jackets and two-piece sets. At just twenty-six, Suomalainen currently resides in France working as an Intern Design Assistant at prestigious fashion house, Lanvin. Her collection shown in Copenhagen reflects the daring attitude Suomalainen possesses. Her understanding of basic technique allows her to create clothing that can be worn comfortably, yet disturbs the ideas of common style. Although 18

Suomalainen draws her inspiration from darker artists such as Asger Carlsen, and Michaël Borremans, she creates pieces that are full of life and finds it most intriguing to see how differently other people can perceive her garments. Before her success competing in Copenhagen, she was stirring up conversation at Stockholm’s Fashion Week. Her collections displayed there brought fresh flavor and noteworthy talent to the show. Suomalainen finds her latest collection afforded her the opportunity to refine her own skills and aesthetic. By looking back on past work, and doing some thorough research, she was able to create a clear evolution through her collections. Though Suomalainen has only given us a small taste of her talent and capabilities, her work up to this point has been an alluring introduction for what we can only assume will be even more scintillating work to come. As she continues to develop her brand, Maria Suomalainen promises to be someone worthy of our attention.

O W N the U N E X P E C T E D

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Future Stars Of Fashion

Camilla Arnbert TEXT BY KENDAL MCINNIS PHOTOGRAPH BY CAMILLA ARNBERT

Winning the Designers’ Nest Competition has shed light on the increasingly popular talents of Camilla Arnbert. She impressed the Designers’ Nest panel of judges with her ability to maintain a strong silhouette while still using unique materials that compromise the boundaries of common texture. Her engaging use of pattern and material remind us that fashion is more than just the clothes you wear. Attending the Swedish School of Textiles and interning with H&M and KappAhl, Arnbert has already come a long way. At age twenty-six, Arnbert lives in Gothenburg, Sweden where she’s finishing up her Master’s degree and continues to explore her practice, experimenting with different materials and muses to influence her creations. Through her print projects, she has ventured deeper into her curiosities surrounding patterns. One of Arnbert’s most eye-catching talents is her understanding of textiles. While attending school, Arnbert created a mid-year project on transferable prints. The pieces created in the project’s collection were made with remarkable textures, flooded with bright colors. Arnbert has created wearable art for the more daring woman. Although her pieces aren’t something you’d throw on to run to the grocery store, they are versatile enough for any woman to weave into her wardrobe. Her ability to create clothing that has the pleasing blend of texture, pattern, silhouette and material is the reason why people are so drawn to her work, 20

leaving little wonder as to why Arnbert was all the talk at this year’s Copenhagen Fashion Week. When designing new pieces, developing textiles and choosing garment types are equally important to Arnbert. Her attention to detail in the developmental process is what allows her to use accepted techniques to create new outcomes. When creating the collection exhibited in the Designers’ Nest Competition, Arnbert stepped outside of her comfort zone, striving to intrigue the onlooker with the color and appearance of a piece, and hooks them in with the unique choices of texture. “I don’t believe in forcing a material into something it doesn’t want to be. Instead I want to bring forth its characteristics and potential.” Says Arnbert. Arnbert’s organic approach allows her to create beautiful pieces that stand out. The way she embraces new materials, and uses their natural form to drive her vision results in collections that inspire a free-formed fashion. Her clothing flows effortlessly with the natural movement of the body. The collection makes it possible for any woman to look effortlessly chic with comfortable ease. As she finishes up her degree, Arnbert’s future work promises to keep the fashion world on its toes while continuing to push further boundaries and create collections that are nothing short of exquisite.

Street Pulse

Street Pulse: Paris TEXT BY SISSI JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATHIEU JAÏS 1. Paris pet peeve 2. Special talent/skill 3. Longest you’ve stayed off social media. 4. Your personality in one word. 5. One of your favorite spots in Paris.

Alina Gelzina

Liu Hsin Yu

Liliia Roslyk

1. Fashion week traffic 2. Stylist 3. Never

1. Poor sense of style. 2. Modeling and architecture. 3.

1. Paris is the perfect place to be. 2. Creativity and

4. Introvert 5. Jardin des Tuileries

A year off Facebook. 4. Friendly 5. Seine river.

fashion 3. As my longest flight. 4. Fearless 5. Montmart

Sara Rosetto

Massimiliano Sortino

Miriam Odemba

1. Traffic! 2. Good listener and memory. 3. One week.

1. Delay at fashion shows 2. I love fashion.. 3. Not more

1. Untrustworthy cab drivers 2. An entrepreneurial

4. Ambitious 5. “La Terrasse” at Park Hyatt hotel

than 10 minutes. 4. Complicated 5. Colette

spirit 3. One month. 4. Hardworking 5. Le Grand Palais

Petite Meller 1. None. “J’adore” Paris. 2. Singer/songwriter 3. I’m so offline! 4. Blushing 5. Porte de Vanves vintage market

Word Play

Otherworldly TEXT BY KENDAL MCINNIS

Otherworldly is one of the most eye-catching books to hit shelves this year. Each page is filled with colorful, out-ofthis-world fashion that begs the question, what will designers create next. Featuring the work of Alexander McQueen, Martin Margiela, Lucy McRae, Peter Popps and more, this book will have you wondering how such creations are even wearable. The garments are futuristic and science-fiction-inspired with what seems to have even alien-like influences; the looks displayed across the pages are daring and inspiring other artists for the future of fashion. Boasting color blocking, pattern, monochromatic palettes and stunning metallic, no two pages resemble each other. Gorgeous materials pair with silhouettes that defy common shape that’s exceptionally avant-garde. A quick flip through and the outer-galaxy aesthetic will win you over and offer an alluring coffee table fixture. With over three hundred pages, this book is opening the floor for rule-breaking fashion. 24

The forward thinking designers featured are encouraging fashion without boundaries. The avant-garde costumes created are introducing a world of fashion where normality isn’t normal. With today’s new technologies it is becoming easier to make the unrealistic a reality. Using high tech fabrics and melting forms, the artists are able to create looks that would otherwise seem impossible. Mixing old traditions with contemporary techniques, artists can finally create pieces that disturb the commonly perceived notions of fashion. Artists are able to experiment with given traditions letting mutated, deformed creations gain focus. Carefully pieced together with some the most stunning fashion looks designers have to offer, this book is something you need to own. Otherworldly has been a huge success so far, and is set to drop in the U.S. later this spring. For all the fashion enthusiasts, and art lovers alike, Otherworldly is a book deserving of its place in any library.

Word Play

Pretty Ugly TEXT BY KENDAL MCINNIS

Ugly can now be defined as beautiful thanks to Pretty Ugly, a book dedicated to rediscovering classically ugly art. Filled with commonly known unattractive art pieces Pretty Ugly posed the question, “what really is ugly?” Opposed to the minimal, monochromatic design style that is popular today Pretty Ugly is a collective of all the designs opposite to that. Due to horrid color pairings, unnecessary graphics, and seemingly meaningless photography style the pieces featured couldn’t be farther from what is currently trending. It’s what these pieces do not have that cause them to stand out. The lack of conformity the work expresses breaks the tradition design style mold. By creating a book that glorifies a variety of art forms, from photography to graphic design that have been recognized as ugly, they have us wondering why we were so quick to categorize these pieces unappealing? The colors are bright, the typography indecipherable, and the graphics are a little crazed, but somehow this ugly style of design is so different one can’t might find it appealing. This book features work that you’ve been told to hate, from loud 26

prints, to contemporary color schemes, and layouts that leave you feeling so confused you start to love it. There is beauty to this madness. Pretty Ugly encourages design identity. By accepting commonly despised art they are opening up the floor for outthere designs. This book is a reminder that creativity and unique style beat inside-the-box design every time. Pretty Ugly can inspire the uninspired and add flare to any book collection. Recognizing the artwork you don’t typically see hung in galleries and displayed on billboards, it sheds light on what would otherwise be ignored. Editor, Martin Lorenz and his wife Lupi Ansesio have succeeded in creating a book that does more than just sit on a coffee table. Published in 2012 Pretty Ugly has set the standard for new, individual, rule breaking design styles for years now. The common ideas of beauty have been shattered, making room for more broad definition. Pretty Ugly is filled with over two hundred pages of incredible art that you’ll find inspiring, and just a little bit ugly.

About Place

From Parisian Literary Café to Madison Avenue Sonia Rykiel Opens New Manhattan Outpost TEXT BY LENA VAZIFDAR

Red lacquer bookshelves filled with colorful French books line the walls at Sonia Rykiel’s new outpost on New York City’s affluent Madison Avenue. The boutique was transformed into a Parisian café where shoppers can linger at one of the tables and skim the pages of Madame Bovary or La Rencontre by Henri Troya, while browsing through the vibrant garments from the French fashion house. Situated in between stores like Proenza Schouler, Belstaff and Jil Sander, the brand known for its feminine knitwear eponymous to Parisian style, finds a home in its luxurious uptown surrounds. The rouge hued walls are lined with more than 15,000 books obtained directly from Paris to create the fanciful setting. Black and white checkered floors are showcased alongside dark blue carpeting with a playful pattern of red lips, pencils, cigarettes, eyes and books by artist Andre Saraiva. Inside the store, the discreet scent of rosewater, mandarin, vetiver and jasmine loiters in the air, creating a respite from the chaotic environs outside. The retailer’s signature scent was originally created by Danielle Andreiux for Rykiel’s flagship location in Paris’ Saint-Germain neighborhood. Graffiti artist Saraiva, who envisioned the playfully designed carpet meant to signify the Sonia Rykiel woman, adds his edge to the store’s feminine aesthetic. Saraiva gained notoriety in the early 1990s with his “Mr A” cartoon character of a round face with a cross and a circle for its eyes and a large smile. His creations can be found everywhere from its rightful home on the streets to the walls of night clubs in global hubs like Paris, New York and Tokyo. Throughout his artistic career, the Paris-based creative has exhibited in solo shows around the world. Designed in collaboration with artistic director Julie de Libran, Saraiva and Thomas Lenthal, the 2000-foot space boasts large, sleek windows displaying red mannequins donned in sumptuous 28

garbs and a sleek, black exterior with the brand’s name penned in white. De Libran was a welcome addition to the company, which she joined from Louis Vuitton in 2014. Lenthal, who also provided his artistic vision to the store concept, is the art director for the magazine System, which he also helped launch, and has been a creative director for a number of luxury fashion brands. The Madison Avenue outpost is the label’s first freestanding store in the United States. The brand shut the doors on its original New York City boutique in 2011, which was located just a few blocks from its shiny, new digs. “This is a key step in the brand’s global development,” said CEO of the label, Eric Langon, in a press release. “We look forward to growing our footprint in the United States and to our continued acceleration under Julie de Libran’s creative direction for the years to come.” The accessories, leather goods, footwear and the Parisian brand’s beautiful ready-to-wear collection are all showcased inside the space. The venue also features children’s garments and exclusive designs created by de Libran for the Madison Avenue location. The boutique also echoes the Left-Bank store’s literary aesthetic, which also includes red-lacquer walls brimming over with books. Recently at Paris Fashion Week, the label presented its ready to wear collection in the Palais des Beaux-Arts, situated around the corner from their Saint-Germain des Pres boutique. De Libran’s designs at fashion week showcased a print by collage artist Maggie Cardelus. The design featured the faces of women in Rykiel’s life and career including Sonia, her daughter Nathalie, her granddaughter Lola, De Libran and Cardelus. To date, the French fashion house has over 33 global retail locations and numerous stations inside high-end department stores such as Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue. Rykiel opened her first boutique in 1968 in Paris and made her mark in the fashion world with her feminine knitwear creations.

Hand Signals

Phil Oh TEXT BY KARENA GUPTON AKHAVEIN

Fashion photographer Phil Oh, best known as the creator of the online street fashion bible Street Peeper, arrived at his passion after several career detours including failed Internet startups, trashy novel writing, telemarketing, and bussing tables. The Chicago native is a contributor to Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle, and his skills are in high demand for shooting advertising campaigns for fashion’s most prestigious brands. Though currently based in Brooklyn, New York, the globetrotting Oh spends roughly half the year traveling all over the world for international fashion weeks, as well as for work and for inspiration, accompanied by his trusty Canon. With his long hair, black spectacles, and flair for mixing riotous patterns and striking shapes, Oh stands out as much as his subjects. How and why did you start taking photos of street fashion? I started taking street-style photos as a hobby. I had just published a novel and had too much free time on my hands, so I thought it would be fun to travel to a few cities I had never been, hang out, and snap people I thought looked cool. I didn’t have any background in fashion or photography — actually I studied 30

history at NYU — so really I just took photos of what I liked, without any sort of fashion industry filter. It was a good excuse to travel and meet people too. I had no idea that street-style would become “a thing.” What attracts you visually to someone so that you want to take their picture? While I do appreciate a full fashion-fashion look, my favorites are the people who can mix and match high fashion with street wear or vintage—take a trendy piece and make it their own perhaps. It’s a lot harder than it sounds. What kind of stylistic elements do you appreciate in fashion today? I love color and print, and especially mixing prints and textures in a way that works. I hate black! Who are your favorite street fashion personalities? Susanna Lau of Style Bubble (@susiebubble), Hanne-Gaby Odiele (@hannegabysees), and Nick Wooster (@nickwooster).

Sensuous and highly distractible by his sensuality, so if he wants to actually get something done and finished in a short amount of time, he will have to limit the sensual important

Sexually highly creative. Read that as kinky

going on simultaneously.

if you like. Probably very metrosexual, very experimental, and very loving with in all that but without societal boundaries of how one ought to express that love physically. Or with what.

He possesses great stability of the heart: loves deeply and thoroughly, not just sexually. He will not throw away old friends

or old lovers.

A love of travel and new experiences, trying new things, seeing new things, touching new things, and tasting new things are all a vital part

He does much thinking, has many little thoughts all

of his inspiration.

the time. He doesn’t pay a whole lot of attention to these thoughts – they are just background noise, the sound of mental traffic. If he felt he had to listen to and believe everything he thought, it would drive him absolutely nuts, so he doesn’t pay them much mind or

take them too seriously.

9 10

His choice of career, his artistic expression was chosen quite young and will be followed throughout his life with some shifts (but not very great shifts away from

his original plan and choice).

Neither over civilized nor over patient. Will not eat ice cream with a fork. Might eat it

with a spoon, a straw, or even chopsticks, if it was deep-fried and in pieces because, within that lack of civilized veneer and lack of pa-

Interesting combination of high intelli-

gence and complete lack of aforethought! It’s not that he can’t think, he thinks very

tience, is a great playfulness and creativity. It

well thank you, but considers it to be

has simply not been stifled. My compliments

highly overrated.

to his parents.

High levels of stubbornness and self de-

Not overly detailed oriented, enjoys the beauty

termination. He will go his own way, not

of the forest more so when not attempting to

the way he has been instructed to go. He

distinguish individual trees. The broad view,

will do it his own way and it will probably

the long time, the end result.

work quite well. It is highly advisable not to stand between him and his goals

Style & Usage

Street Couture

High Fashion Bags and the Girls Who Wear Them TEXT BY KARENA GUPTON AKHAVEIN PHOTOGRAPHY BY IVO DE KOK

Fashion week is the most exciting moment of each season, influencing the trends that will eventually trickle down to the hoi polloi. For an ever-increasing number of us, however, the real action is not on the runways, but on the sidewalk: what are our street fashion idols wearing? Thanks to Instagram, we can enjoy that fashion-show sidewalk inspiration all year, as our favorite bloggers, photographers, models, it-girls, and editors share their current fashion obsessions. To further fuel our fervor, the Tassenmuseum Hendrikje in Amsterdam will host an exhibition called Street Couture. Founded by bag aficionado Hendrikje Ivo, the museum is located in a historic home on the Herengracht Canal and houses, in its permanent collection, over five thousand bags ranging from classics such as Hermès, Gucci, and Chanel, to antique purses dating back to the Renaissance era. There are also temporary exhibitions featuring the works of mainly Dutch handbag designers. Street Couture is a sharply curated show that seeks to explore the elements that differentiate couture from street fashion around the world. The realms of design, music, sports, and international pop culture collide in many of the fascinating looks devised by street fashion stars, which in turn re-inspire fashion designers. Anyone who has marveled at the insouciant manner, in which a style-savvy blogger pairs a Prada bag with Adidas sneakers, or an Hermès satchel with a denim overalls, or a Chanel purse with knee socks, will appreciate this exhibition’s scope. Part of the 32

show features classic purses from the most illustrious accessories lines, paired with exciting street looks ranging from Japanese manga to American ghetto fabulous and everything in between. The other part of the exhibition focuses on how street style has in turn influenced bag designers. Camo-print Valentino, popart print Dior, and Fendi clip-on embellishments all fall under this category. In honor of this exhibition, SOMA examines a trio of international street-fashion stars, decrypting their style and examining how they style their handbags. First in line, Chiara Ferragni. The Euro-chic Italian blogger behind The Blonde Salad, Ferragni is currently designing a line of accessories: shoes, backpacks, and phone cases, which exploit her unique pop-art aesthetic. Her favorite bag of the moment, if one is to judge from its presence on Instagram, may well be the polyvalent Chloe Drew Small Shoulder Bag in black, which easily pairs with looks ranging from daytime casual to evening glam. However, the photogenic Ferragni doesn’t tend to play favorites for long. She will sport pop-art print Louis Vuitton bags or her own glittery, winking-motif backpack, paired with Superga sneakers and Anine Bing or Balenciaga Leather jackets. She’s also worn a structured Proenza Schouler bag with metallic Stella McCartney brogues and a fluffy jacket, an H&M sweater, and a mini Hermès Birkin. The Hermès bag is a classic, but the modern thing to do is to personalize it with dangly charms from Louis Vuitton and Prada, fluffy fur pom-pom keychains by Fendi,

and of course monograms. No more overly precious Preppy Handbook-style lettering, though- the inspiration here is decidedly less polished. Anya Hindmarch, who has designed quite a few It Bags of her own in the course of her career, is currently on the forefront of the personalization trend with her eightiesstyle bubble letter stickers, designed to temporarily deface your Hermes bag in an on-trend manner. Our next street fashion plate, whippet-thin JapaneseAmerican California girl, Rumi Neely, known for her stylish blog, Fashion Toast. Neely is also the creative director of the fashion line Are You Am I, and also a Next model. Compared to Chiara Ferragni, Neely is more of a monogamist when it comes to her accessories. Lately, if her Instagram is any indication, she has been pairing a small YSL Tassel Bag with the aforementioned fluffy Fendi keychain, high-waisted vintage Levis, a crop top, chunky-heeled booties, and a black velvet choker necklace from her own line. Fashion bloggers need their hands free for selfies—hence evening bags are more bound to be a structured cross-body rather than a too-fussy clutch. Neely occasionally swaps out her trusty YSL for a similar Louis Vuitton model, or a retro-logo Gucci, and if she needs a larger bag that fits more 34

than an iPhone and a tube of lipstick, she often reaches for her basic black Balenciaga Classic City Bag, another favorite of the fashion blogosphere. Our third street fashion star, and image consultant, model, and blogger, Aleali May, rounds out our survey with her unique urban yet luxurious and artistic fashion sensibilities. She has collaborated with Audi, Nike, and Adidas, and has styled personalities such as Kendrick Lamar, Wiz Khalifa, and French Montana. AlealiMay.com, May’s eponymous lifestyle blog, documents the young woman’s many appearances and projects. May, though a striking raven-haired beauty, seems less concerned with looking pretty, and more involved with the intellectual process of mixing streetwear with high fashion in a way that feels authentic. A practical, chic Givenchy satchel suits her luxuriously sporty, tomboy style. Heels are a rare accessory for this girl, who prefers the look and comfort of impeccable Stan Smiths or Adidas Originals Superstar 80’s Deluxe sneakers, glammed up with stacked Hermès Collier de Chien bracelets. She adds that all-important sporty touch, the pop of primary color, with a red quilted Chanel purse, or a yellow Louis Vuitton Epi leather shoulder strap bag.

Tousled.

DAVID JAMES. Salon + Gallery

600 Fillmore Street . San Francisco . CA | 415.655.3973 1018 B Street . San Rafael . CA | 415.578.2803 davidjamessalons.com | @davidjamessalon

Style & Usage

Pebble Time TEXT BY KARENA GUPTON AKHAVEIN

“Winning a place on someone’s body is much harder than winning a place in someone’s purse,” says Pebble Head of Industrial Design, Mark Solomon, describing the features that make Pebble smart watches so deserving of a spot on that prime real estate otherwise known as the wrist. Interestingly, the Founder and CEO of Pebble, Eric Migicovsky, who came up with the concept while studying abroad in the Netherlands in 2009, initially thought about creating a bike computer, not a watch. In his then current location, he was experiencing a vexing issue: he was spending a lot of time riding his bike, and could feel his phone vibrating, but couldn’t safely reach it. The idea of a watch eventually gained traction in his mind, because most people are very familiar with wearing something on their wrist. Back in the dark ages of 2009, however, wearable technology was in its infancy, and even today, most of the wearable technology out there doesn’t look like something one would wear outside of the gym, bike, or running trail, at least outside of the microcosm known as Silicon Valley. Enter the first smart watch that actually looks like, well, a watch. Sometimes it’s not necessary to reinvent the wheel. “Watches have been around for hundreds of years, if not more,” says Solomon, “so many things have already been learned.” With Pebble, wearers can 36

collect a variety of faces and straps, and swap them out. This feature makes Pebble watches, and in particular the Pebble Round watch, attractive to a more trend-driven demographic. The Pebble Round was born when the Pebble team chatted with women both within and out of the company about their needs. A female designer was brought in to weigh in on colors, materials, and finishes, and hundreds of prototypes were created before settling on the slim-line current model, which could pass for a fashion watch, but which is compatible with iPhone or Android, and pairs with Misfit and Jawbone, to do most of the things our phones can do, without actually having to fumble for the phone. “With the Pebble,” says Solomon, we found that once users put it on their wrist, they never want to take it off, because of the experience and the usability.” These are the very features that made Pebble’s Kickstarter campaign in 2012 the most successful one of all time, raising 10 million dollars in under 30 days. Pebble Time is not only the most funded campaign in Kickstarter’s history, eventually raising a total of over 20 million dollars, but it’s also the fastest funded, raising $1 million in less than an hour. Still, Pebble is a comparatively small company. Its team members refer to the story of David and Goliath, and point out how they must prioritize when it comes to the features that will be

available on the Pebble. “We don’t necessarily try to redesign the watch, but rather the experience,” says Solomon. “Then again, I speak from a nerd zone.” He means that, in Pebble models other than the petite and pretty Pebble Round, the priority is on performance rather than looks. Which is not to say that the Pebble Time watches are ugly. They’re not. They’re perhaps a bit less slick looking than some, but that comes down to carefully weighed decisions. One interesting detail that differentiates the Pebble Time from competitors, for example, is the use of external buttons rather than a touch screen. “If we have a touch screen, what does that bring to the table?” asks Solomon, referencing the physically active community that makes up the majority of Pebble adopters. The Pebble watches are very water resistant, but a touch screen does not work underwater, or when wet. Looking at a screen and having to touch multiple spots on it to perform simple tasks takes too much time and attention. It’s an unneeded interruption. Not to mention, the buttons deliver a more typically watch-like experience. Another interesting tech detail is the always on, color e-paper display with LED backlight. It may look less sharp than some, but it does the job, remains visible even in strong sunlight, and takes up much less battery life. In fact, the

Pebble Time Steel watch can stay charged for up to ten days, and the Pebble Time Round takes a mere 15 minutes to recharge a full day’s worth of power. With Pebble, simplicity and ease of use are key. According to its creators, such an item should be easy, quick, and painless to use. Apps are automatically available on the Pebble, and are all constantly updated in a seamless manner. Chris Matthews, Pebble’s Brand Director, explains, “We take care of our community in ways that other large companies don’t.” He references regular software updates, and the launch of a new iPhone App containing new layouts and features, with ways to select which notifications go to the watch. “Everybody gets updates, and they’re always free. When Pebble Health was launched in December, the free health tracker became available to everyone who had a Time-series watch. It’s Pebble’s way of taking care of people.” This strategy works, as reflected by the overwhelming positive comments on Pebble’s Facebook page. Matthews often references this community of people who connect through Pebble. “They’re the tech community and the hackers, not the criminal ones, but the DIY folks, who naturally gravitate towards Pebble because it’s very open to letting people build on the platform- anyone can develop a watch face or app.” 37

Ipose/I-pose

love

POSE PHOTOGRAPHY BY

PAUL SUNDAY

Eunyoung Ko & Renee Shim for Sunnysideup Dudes Yumi Nagashima Hair by Nami Harada assistant photographer Angelina Almonte Styling by

make-up by

Model Bojana Relic Posing as Penelope Cruz Chanel necklace Stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own dress

Model Danielle Williams Posing as Chloe Sevigny Assembly dress The Moon Project headband

Model Cat Carney Posing as Grace Coddington OAK Skirt Assembly dress Assembly coat Stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own shoes and brooch

Model Priscilla Wyatt Posing as Hillary Swank YSL jumpsuit The Moon Project headband

Model Choi Posing as Bryan Boy Renee Shim hat Death to Tennis poncho

Model Manuela Basilio Posing as Alexander Wang OAK shirt Maison Martin Margiela necklace

Model Edythe Hughes Posing as Nicole Kidman The Moon Project earring Stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own dress

Model Naoumie Ekiko Posing as Lupita Nyongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;o Proenza Schouler dress OAK shoes

Model Yohei Koizumi Posing as Yohji Yamamoto Renee Shim hat Assembly pants Stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own shirts and coat

Feature

Black & White

And Beautiful All Over TEXT BY KARENA GUPTON AKHAVEIN

Cosmetics and beauty packaging is as much part of the experience as the product within. The design of the packaging is extremely trend-driven, but also influenced by technology, which is forever providing new delivery methods and vessel concepts. In the past few years, the artisanal, “authentic” or eco-friendly theme had the most traction, with retro or handlettered fonts, hand-applied labels, and rustic materials ranging from galvanized metal or tin, to copper, recycled paper, twine, and wood. Now, the pendulum seems to be swinging back to the other extreme, with clean, graphic presentations gaining ground. Simple package design allows one to focus on the product within. It also imparts a sense of purity and potency. Typography becomes key, with the lettering itself expected to communicate a world of information in concise form. Here, SOMA scrutinizes several beauty products with standout, black and white design. No examination of graphic, high contrast packaging would be complete without mention of the absolute classic of the genre, the Chanel compact. With its luxurious, glossy black lacquer-finished case stamped with either the instantly recognizable interlocking “C” logo or the equally iconic brand name rendered in bold, white, capitalized sans-serif font, this packaging remains forever modern. This visual theme is taken a step further with the Les 4 Ombres Tissé Smoky, an eye palette 48

containing four shadows that range from white to black, impeccably engineered to render the perfect smoky eye. A pair of other notable black and white packaged products are the Le Jour de Chanel Morning Reactivating Face Care and La Nuit de Chanel Evening Recharging Face Care, two complementary products, which can be instantly identified by their containers: white for day, black for night. High contrast is often shorthand for high fashion. One of the more original brands to use this tonal code to signify luxury is L’Eaundry, an extra-indulgent laundry detergent. It may seem strange to include laundry detergent in a discussion about highend skincare, but this isn’t to be confused with Tide with Bleach: L’Eaundry is a cleansing elixir that forges its own category with its consideration of clothing as one’s “second skin,” and its whopping price of seventy-nine euro per bottle. The product comes in two distinct scents: one for women, which is redolent of ripe green figs and is housed in an elegant, all-white bottle stamped with a stylized rounded bottle shape, and one for men, which smells of the obscure Olibanum, otherwise known as Frankincense, this one in a glossy all-black container emblazoned with a stylized, squared-off bottle. Might we suggest simply using the white bottle for whites, and the black one for darks, gender be damned?

Grasse-based perfumer Galimard also uses color, or lack thereof, to differentiate between masculine and feminine scents, and it uses the power of black and white packaging to impart modernity to its product line. In existence since 1747, this company nevertheless positions itself —almost— on the cutting edge of technology with its Perphone perfumes. Provided you still own an iPhone 5 or 5s, you can give yourself a fragrant spritz every time you check your text messages, with the Galimard Perphone, a streamlined phone case that incorporates four changeable perfume cartridges. Of course, the women’s version is snow white, and the men’s, pitch black. Both are stamped with a stylized version of the brand’s logo, the coat of arms of Jean de Galimard, the house’s noble founder. The Olson sisters’ fashion and accessories line, Elizabeth and James, which is widely accepted to be cooler than the sum of its founders, has hit another homerun with its two Nirvana scents, which of course come in White, a feminine scent of peony and musk that is counter-intuitively described as embodying “dark sophistication,” and Black, a vanilla-intensive masculine-feminine jus. The best packaging: a purse-friendly solid perfume, housed in either a white or black textured rectangular compact with luxurious gold trim. The solid perfume within is perfectly white, which furthers the monochrome visual allure, and the

brand name is discreetly etched into the glimmering gold edge so as not to detract from the clean lines. Black, white, texture and gold? That certainly screams luxury. One notable and new cosmetics brand that uses the power of darkness for good is Retrouvé Skincare. The brainchild of Jami Morse Heidegger, granddaughter of the founder of cult favorite skincare line Kiehl’s, this line is restricted to four unisex, universal products. Precious and incredibly rich, dye-free, preservative-free, and silicone-free, the potent formulas replete with rare ingredients and are mixed in an air-free vacuum, then transferred to elegant, black frosted glass, airless pump containers with a glossy black cap. These containers definitely look great on the vanity, but more importantly, they protect the product from maleficent air and light. At close to five hundred dollars a pop, we want those creams as coddled as possible. Retrouvé’s black packaging has the side benefit of imparting an ineffable sense of luxury and timelessness. Not to mention, these containers come nestled in inky matte black boxes and black bags with the logo rendered in tone-on-tone gloss, so stylish and beautiful that it seems a shame to ever throw them away.

Feature

John C. Jay

The New Chapter TEXT BY VALERIE DEMICHEVA PHOTOGRAPH BY BEN CLARK

As the celebrated former Wieden+Kennedy Global Executive Creative Director, John C. Jay has become known for an immersive approach to advertising. He delves into culture rather than merely observing it, and supports emerging artists who carry that torch, sponsoring artists’ studios inside The Yale Union building through his independent company, Studio J. Jay has won over one hundred and fifty international awards for his ad work, but as he humbly attests: “With all due respect, I was never only an ad guy, or a fashion guy. It was always my passion to seek the widest and deepest creative experience possible…” Just over a year into his new role at Fast Retailing Co., Uniqlo’s holding company, Jay continues to seek deep creative experience and fuels Uniqlo’s brand and value propositions with a bouquet of dreamy collaborations, concepts, and of course, products. How has your customary immersion in unfamiliar cultures influenced your recent work for Fast Retailing? My past year at Fast Retailing has been an intense initiation into UNIQLO’s own culture—setting up offices in Portland, Oregon, the Fast Retailing Creative Lab, and an office in Tokyo’s Midtown Towers. I travel to our other regions around the world, whether inside the USA, China, or Europe, with our founder and CEO, 50

Tadashi Yanai, to check in on our cultural and business growth in each of these regions. Fast Retailing has cultivated generations of creative thinking and making. Virtually no Japanese corporation could ever offer such freedom, but early on you realize this means that it is about our responsibility to inspire each other, regardless of any organizational structure. Where do you find inspiration? I work very hard at this. It was never the responsibility of the employer to inspire me. I felt it was always my job. Working recently with fashion designer, Christophe Lemaire of Paris, has been so inspiring because of his masterful way of thinking and creating. I just finished the day with a session with architect Brad Cloepfil, who designed the iconic Wieden+Kennedy building in Portland. The importance of craft, in any form, is so crucial in today’s world. So to work with such sophisticated talent only makes me hungry for even more inspiration. This is what makes me want to run to work each morning and why I love working into the night. To surround yourself with people of all ages and cultures, who make beauty in the world, from code to clothing, to strategy to buildings, that is when you can honestly blur the boundaries of what is vocation and vacation!

Including all of the dull steps, what is your creative process? I ask that anyone on my team take an interest in the idea of social context in everything we do. That is why I encourage everyone to be connected to the world at large and get out of your own silos at work and home. I lead many of the discussions concerning the problem to be solved and find great joy in intelligent dialogue before we get into the juicy part of concept and execution. I love creative directing again, and I even have some chances to art direct despite my title. What a difference a year makes. My creative direction, nevertheless, is from a very high level, but at least I know I am making a tangible, creative contribution.

choice of fashion collaborators. Rather than simply using designers as a means of bringing attention to our brand, we choose carefully those who share our values and vision. Concurrently, we must not shy from an opportunity to surprise both the consumer and ourselves… Hopefully, these are not simply short-term capsule collections, but an ability to build longer partnerships where our ideas can grow together. The quality of the relationship is paramount because it will show in the clothes. Hype alone is just hype.

You worked with Uniqlo on their fleece products in 1999, so you’ve been familiar with the brand’s goals and culture for some time. How has the brand evolved since then? The brand, its approach and its goals, have evolved even just in the past 12 months. So of course it has moved since my early years in Tokyo, working on the brand and creating the initial fleece campaign. Yet, the DNA has remained consistent through the magic and leadership of our founder, Tadashi Yanai. His modesty and ability to dream big will never fade. This evolution is ongoing. It must, if we want to stay relevant and inspiring. And this is true for us as individuals or as any major brand. Nothing is more dangerous than your own status quo.

What is the aim of collaborations with the likes of French style icons such as Inès de la Fressange and Carine Roitfeld? What excites us most about France is it’s future of diversity, of liberty, how multiculturalism will add to its rich heritage. It is going through difficult times, but we remain inspired by their devotion to the arts and freedom. Fashion is simply a mirror to the changes of the future. Fashion must change, and we look to France as one of the global centers for that inspiration. You will see how our admiration of culture and social change will inspire other forms of creative collaborations in the near future with other countries and different skills. You will see our support for youth and fresh talent both internally and externally. We cannot go to new places without them. We have to learn from the future.

What upcoming collaborations excite you? And what do you hope those collaborations will do for the brand? We are launching our newest flagship store in the world with a redo of our store at 311 Oxford Street in London, featuring a collaboration with Liberty London that includes images by photographer Nick Knight. The opening campaign will introduce an eclectic mix of influential Londoners, photographed by Rankin. Each [is] a contributor to the city’s reputation as a hub of global creativity. We have been very careful, and some say surprising, in our

Are you working on anything just for fun, for yourself, at the moment? Creative people often don’t live up to their own rhetoric about risk-taking and being fearless in their own lives. I could not live with myself if I became one of those who made a career of being an industry icon. Being able to put yourself in a position of risk, if we can be so fortunate, helps to keep us relevant and learning. Being able to explode the definition of “make” is important. I have just gotten started, I have so much to learn and do. I must think and make.

GET MORE THAN A BIT FIT.

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A Seasonal Debate Photography Olivia Beasley Styling Georgina Hodson

Silke wears Gucci shirt Solace skirt Christian Louboutin boots Holly Fulton/Larke glasses Harris Wharf London coat David wears Mathew Miller t-shirt CMMN SWDN shorts Burberry boots Sankuaz jacket

Silke wears AQ/AQ skirt Miuniku top Clothes in wardrobe, top to bottom and left to right Gucci shirt Miu Miu shirt Holly Fulton pink dress Oscar de la Renta vintage gold dress Vintage gold coat from graceland.com Harris Wharf pink coat Gucci shirt Eskandar orange shirt Miu Miu turquoise skirt Shoes on floor, inside to outside and left to right Paul Andrew yellow sling backs, pink heels, pink flats, purple heels Christian Louboutin orange boots, pink heels, neon pink heels

Miu Miu shirt from net-a-porter.com John Smedley top AQ/AQ trousers

Hardy Amies shirt and tie Kilgour Savile Row London suit

Hardy Amies jumper Kilgour of Savile trousers Christian Louboutin shoes

Lanvin skirt Monki top Elena Ghisellini clutch Chanel brushes and makeup

Kilgour Savile Row London jacket, shirt, and tie Hardy Amies trousers Christian Louboutin shoes Falke socks Omega vintage watch

Hardy Amies jacket, shirt, tie, trousers, and pocket square Omega vintage watch

CMMN SWDN top Sankuanz culottes Prufrock London coffee

Brunello Cucinelli fur gilet Holly Fulton & Larke glasses Paskal jacket and skirt

David wears Sankuanz top and trousers Holding up Holly Fulton dress Silke wears Roksanda Ilincic shirt and skirt Makeup by Kristina Vidic. Hair by Elvire Roux. Models: Silke Hajunga at The Hive, Robertas at Select, David Yang at Models 1. Stylist asst: Alicia Ellis. Photo assts: Will Richards, Alejandro Torija.

Jon Varvatos shirt Monki jacket Sankuanz culottes Burberry boots

Alchemy Photography Peter Rosa Styling Sarah Parlow

This page: Issey Miyake dress Left page: Suncoo jacket

Ohlin D dress Edge of Ember cuff

Ohlin D dress

Leka NYC dress

Georgine top

Roberto Musso top

Georgine dress Hair by Daven Mayeda for Philip B Haircare. Makeup by Tonya Cameron using Tom Ford. Set design by Linden Elstran. Model: Alexandria Morgan at Women Management.

Music

Mr. Little Jeans TEXT BY ZEE CHANG PHOTOGRAPH BY DARIAN ZAHEDI

Adapting the name from the quirky character in Wes Anderson’s Rushmore, Mr. Little Jeans is a unique talent. The Norwegianborn singer/songwriter can easily be likened to a combination of Lykke Li, Tori Amos, and CocoRosie. However, unlike the bit character she named herself after, her music is stepping into a starring role and making waves in Hollywood. When Capitol imprint, Harvest Records released her debut album, Pocketknife, it caught on like wildfire. Her breakout song was an evocative cover of Arcade Fire’s “The Suburbs,” which racked up millions of plays on YouTube and SoundCloud. Since then, her music has appeared in commercials for Honda, CW’s Gossip Girl, and in several movies including 21 Jump Street and Celeste and Jesse Forever. She’s also written and recorded songs for Iron Man 3. She expressed how she feels inspired to do similar film work: Where would you like your music to take you? I would love to write more songs for film. I like to portray the emotions of characters and find them much easier to convey than my own. What was your introduction to music? Growing up in Norway, I was exposed to a place that celebrated 76

the arts. My mom was a music lover and she introduced me to music like Simon and Garfunkel and The Jackson 5. All that exposure to art and culture made me feel I could explore creatively. Is your album Pocketknife a diary of sorts from living in Norway? It is a diary in a way, but not from living in Norway. Many of those songs were written when I was living both in Sweden and Los Angeles. The album is meant to reflect a time when I was living without daylight, literally and metaphorically. When I was living in Sweden, I was locked away in a cramped space, writing songs in isolation. It was the dead of winter, so there wasn’t much daylight. Those were some dark, frustrating times when I was trying to establish myself as a musician. Now it seems like those years of struggle are paying off. So the album title “Pocketknife” became an apropos symbol of your survival? Exactly! I think of a pocketknife as an extension of yourself and a tool. I like people to have their own interpretation of my music, but for me personally, it’s a real reflection of the place I was in at the time. It tells a story of struggle and perseverance.

Styling by Nikki Grattan Makeup by Heather Cvar Hair by Michael Quinn Photography Assistant Eduardo Whaite

Music

Wes Period TEXT BY ZEE CHANG PHOTOGRAPH BY DARIAN ZAHEDI

Wes Period. Even the name itself is punctuated and pronounced, much like Wes’ stage presence. Wes has an exuberant energy that radiates on and off the stage. Growing up in La Habra, CA, a county that meets the state average in almost every capacity, the not-so-average Wes Period rose up and landed in the world of music and Hip Hop. Now twenty-five, Wes creates a unique blend of R&B, Hip Hop, and late nineties Punk influences within his music. His catchy songs caught the attention of Taste & Tone/Atlantic Records and they released his song “Champagne Champion” under their singles label. Bursting at the seams with passion and creative energy, Wes Period anticipates the release of his upcoming debut album, Late Bloomer. His excitement to show the world his latest work is contagious.

Who do you consider to be your main musical influences? I think it’s because of my age bracket that I connected to Kanye West’s music. I remember very clearly when College Drop Out came out. I was sick and my Grandma bought me that album to help me feel better. I sat there listening to it over and over. Other more rooted influences came from my parents. They introduced me to people like Carol King, George Benson, and lots of Quincy Jones-produced material from the late seventies.

Did you always know you were going to get into music and hip hop? No, I didn’t. Other than music and Hip Hop, the other stereotypical thing that I pursued as a Black-American kid was trying to get into the NBA. So in my sophomore year of high school, I was on the school basketball team. But it just so happened that the first

What is your favorite song that you’ve written to date? It changes all the time, but I wrote a song called Erica. It’s about someone very special to me and it’s the first song I’m releasing where I sing all the way through. It’s my very first, actual love song. It’s going to be on Late Bloomers and that’s one I definitely want people to have their ears out for.

game of the season happened to be the same night of my very first gig with my band. I ended up playing for the first quarter, and then left mid-game for my show. After that night, I chose music and never went back to basketball practice.

Styling by Giorgia Tramontano Makeup by Heather Cvar Hair by Michael Quinn Photography Assistant Eduardo Whaite

Music

Miya Folick TEXT BY ZEE CHANG PHOTOGRAPH BY DARIAN ZAHEDI

If Fiona Apple and Cat Power had a music love child, Miya Folick would be the result. Raised in Santa Ana, CA, Miya grew up in a Buddhist family. She picked up the guitar, taking occasional lessons, but mostly teaching herself how to play. She compares songwriting to short stories, in that both mediums allow her to experiment with themes and styles in short form. When she moved to LA, she spent most of her time in her apartment writing songs. Miya sees her songs as an opportunity to explore different aspects of her life. In her latest EP “Strange Darling,” she combines her myriad of artistic influences with her unique experiences to create her music. With a series of singles planned for release in the coming months, Miya Folick is definitely a new artist to watch in 2016. You have a very interesting upbringing, growing up in a Buddhist household. Did that background influence you at all musically? Probably. I grew up in a Buddhist church and I was always chanting. I’m like a sponge, so I can’t help but be influenced by those sounds. Chanting is a very cyclical, natural form of communal noise. Those droning tones feel good—they feel cathartic. I’m definitely drawn to those tones. 80

When did you begin actually writing songs? I guess I started writing songs seriously when I was playing guitar at twenty years old. This might sound weird, but I don’t really like the idea of songwriting. Songwriting doesn’t resonate. I like to make songs. Making songs is different than writing. Song-“writing” feels sterile. This idea of churning out songs is unappealing. I think about songs as objects. They have form, shape, feeling, and magic. They capture a feeling and a place in time. Songs exist outside of yourself and you’re discovering them. Great songs are magical and there’s an element of chant that makes that song appealing. I don’t think you can formulaically make a great song. You can have all these geniuses constantly creating art, but there are still many other factors that go into making something that appeals. What’s on your bucket list in terms of musical achievement? I want to make interesting, challenging music. I’d like to have a great, live show that makes people feel different when they leave. To touch people and also to feel happy within myself that I’m making music that’s different and thought-provoking.

Rbender top Vintage Moschino skirt Stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own belt Styling by Giorgia Tramontano Makeup by Heather Cvar Hair by Michael Quinn Photography Assistant Eduardo Whaite

Urbanite

Strawberry by Frankie Solarik, BarChef, Toronto Photography by Leanne Neufeld Strawberry gin, fresh basil, balsamic and lavender syrup, sliced strawberries, London dry gin, balsamic vinegar, sugar, dried lavender, water, vanilla extract, Texturas “Lyo Fresa” freeze dried strawberry, Texturas “lecite” soy lecithin, “gold” gelatin, coconut milk, coconut rum, egg, balsamic vinegar, basil sprouts

Spring Thaw by Frankie Solarik, BarChef, Toronto Photography by Leanne Neufeld Sparkling wine, gin, chamomile syrup, Campari sphere, sheet moss, dry ice, lilac oil, cedar oil, grapefruit essence, red grapefruit, orange blossom and vanilla air, basil sprouts, tulips

Clementine and Chamomile by Frankie Solarik, BarChef, Toronto Photography by Leanne Neufeld Tequila, chamomile syrup, Clementine rind, Chamomile air, Clementine Batonette, Toasted Chamomile â&#x20AC;&#x153;strandsâ&#x20AC;?, fresh thyme, coriander sprouts, ground cocao, Pastis, lemon, and orgeat fluid gel, Lemon and chamomile fluid gel, Violette and orgeat fluid gel

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Last Word

Model Shaunda Brown Posing as Rosie the Riveter Five Rock bodysuit Modelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own headband Photography by Liz Caruana